Challenges, challengers

I just cannot help myself.  I had to go into the challenge at Little Paper Shop.  It is a sketch Challenge Sketch Challenge LPSC60

I am still stuck on embossed eggs so I had two goes at this sketch this afternoon.  The first one evolved because I had trouble with the second one - you know how it is.  So, I ended  up searching through my stash to locate something different, and as I was fixated on brown by then,  it had to have a metalic feel.  I had aquired some lovely tapestry ribbon as some stage and always put it back into the stash because it was 'too good to use' but bit the bullet today and cut into it - once started I couldn't stop! A metalic strip and a Confusion saying inside, and a picture from ARTchix Studio's Party Cards set, a commercial tag, some bling and some SU Designer Paper made the rest. It is all on a craft card base.  (Noticed after I had put this up that the picture card was crooked and discovered I had not attached it - just tucked it behind the ribbon!  I can assure you it is now quite firmly attached and straight!)

The second card is embossed in white, inked with three SU coloured inks, and some bling added.  The frame is from a Fern Gull stamp, stamped with SU Close to Cocoa ink and clear embossed, and the sentiment is one of WMS's. Ribbon, extra bling and the backing sheet is just a scrap in the stash from Basic Grey.

Time to make a new entry!

(Challenge at Just Scraps - Beginnings in Pastels. I have entered this challenge with one card at the end of this posting - please scroll down)

I have been very slack and not posted for a while - however, there have been reasons! The first one was that I have purchased new computer equipment and had to get it all set up and going - that took a week.  Then I started back at work doing some relief teaching (it will be 11 days all up, in a row) and I have found I don't have the energy or inspiration to blog.  I have however, made some cards, so thought I should put some up for others to view! I finish work on Thursday next just before Easter and cannot wait to play some more then!

The first ones are using one of my new stamps from Waltzing Mouse and while I don't (yet) have the Nestablilities egg shapes, and had to cut these out by hand, I used a technique I saw on Claire's blog and coloured these by sponging ink in three different shades over the embossed image, moving from light to dark as you got closer to the outside edge.  I didn't emboss with clear embossing powder but used a Sparkling Bronze powder to give a deep effect.  It really is sparkly in the light and the ribbon is the same colour as the darkest ink, although does not look like it in the photo.

 

I embossed the background with a Cuttlebug Embossing folder and used all SU products unless already mentioned to make the card - the card itself as a commercial blank in white. The sentiment is by Waltzing Mouse also and is embossed in gold. I used SU punches to layer it up.

I then made another two - one in pink and one in green.  The green one has added bling! Each one is embossed in a different type of gold embossing powder - one sparkly and one not.  I had fun making these.

I also made several other Easter cards using images from Waltzing Mouse's set called Faux Circles and Spring Baskets. Once I got the topper on the card and had taken its picture I realised it was crooked!  Oh well! Of course Easter for us is not Spring, so the image is a bit incongrous for me but I like the colours together.

I have also made several other cards to celebrate the arrival of a little boy, Austin, born to the daughter of a friend.  One card was for the grandies and one for the parents.  I was using my SU marker to watercolour and my NEW Copic pens - and both were done in a hurry so not good! However, here they are:

This stamp is from Shirley's2Girls and I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder to make the background.  I don't remember where I got the little baby tag from but thought it was cute.

I have entered this one in a Challenge at Just Scraps - Beginnings in Pastels. This one is a digi image from Spech Stamps called Lachlan and again I coloured with both the Copics and the SU markers but I was using SU card and its absorbent as well as having a fleck in it, so it looks as if I have spilled the paint in some areas!  I only had three different pairs of colours when I did these, but love the Copics so much I have now purchased 4 more pairs - a dark and a light in the same tone for contrast. I will now need to learn to use them! I was inspired to make this card because I was so delighted that a little girl I have know for ever has now become a mother in her own right - and I know she and her man will be  fabulous parents to their little son.  It is so great seeing life move on and people achieve their dreams.

Tim Holtz Inks Giveaway

Came across this giveaway and just had to give it ago  - I love Tim Holtz inks when I can get them, especially for distressing things!

Here is what I found:
Sunday, 14 March 2010



GIVEAWAY: All 12 New Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads or Re-inkers!


I think it's time for a new yummy giveaway!!!!
For the prize, you have a choice of the ink pads or the re-inkers. If you are lucky enough to own the ink pads already, then why not try for the re-inkers!
For those with blogs - to enter all you need to do is leave a comment below this post and spread the word on your blog by putting a picture of this blog candy onto your blog sidebar linking it back to this post. If you would like to sign up to become a follower that would be great, as we'd really love you to follow our blog, but is not a requirement.

For those without blogs - please leave a comment below this post. Please note that you will need to leave your full name within the comment to be entered, otherwise anonymous entries cannot be accepted.

One entry only, duplicate entries will not be counted.


This candy will run from midnight today (GMT), Tuesday 23rd February until Midday (GMT) on Sunday 14th March.


The winner will be selected at random and announced soon after.


If the prize has not been claimed by midday Wednesday 17th March, a new winner will be drawn.


GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!

So I did as Iwas told and along the way learned how to add something else to my sidebar! Now, all I have to do is add a comment and I might WIN! Wish me luck.

Black and Red and White

I have been invited by Jean at Just Scraps to enter their Challenge 2: Black and White and Red all over.  So, I have had a go at a card this afternoon (it is raining) just 'cause I can! It is made using a digi image from Fred.She.Said that I purchased today also! I painted the flowers with my Twinkling H2O's to get a shimmery effect after printing the flower sheet out onto SU Whisper White.  I used my WMS stamps as well  for the circle and a Virve stamp for the sentiment. Added to that was a bit of Making Memories paper, some red and some black card and some white lace. Here it is:

Here is a close up of the flowers and leaves so you can see the shimmer a bit better - they are so pretty:

I did make another card for an anniversary earlier today from another digi image called Jack and Ginger. I coloured this with my SU markers using an aqua pen but now the image seems a little too poorly coloured in! Again I used WMS stamps for the sentiment and backgrounded the white card with a random stamping of hearts and flowers from the SU Sparkles stamp set. So, here it is as well:

Easter Bunnies are about, apparently.....

I have been playing with the stamp sets I got from Waltzing Mouse and trying to make the long basket from the template from there as well.  I used Tombow glue and this was not good for me - I console myself that I was learning to make the basket and my next attempt will be better!  I also made two other easier baskets for easter goodies and was quite happy with these - they were within my crafting abilities! In addition I have made a card for the Little Paper Shop Sketch Challenge LPSC57. Here they are:

Apart from the WMS stamps, the paper used is SU card and I used my Cuttlebug and my SU punch for the decorative edge. The eggs and basket were coloured with SU Markers direct to paper.

The photo of the baskets was taken outside because I thought I would get a clearer image: apparently not, so I have take individual ones inside - I also think I will fill the smaller boxes with tissue rather than the paper strips I have made.

My Workspace

I thought I would brag a bit about my space -which is not used wisely and is full of "stuff" and does not show the area where the painting gear is stacked or the books or the bed covered with albums and completed cards and boxes and other "stuff"! However, here it is:

This first photo shows the paper stacks and the ribbon and embellishment storage, including the new Kaiser Storage Drawers that I covered with SU DP called Bali Breeze (probably discontinued now). Sitting on top of that is the ribbon dispenser I put together last year. Underneath them are the Howards wire baskets - the top one contains brads, buttons and eyelets; the bottom two are full of ribbons. The plastic boxes with pull out drawers from Chickenfeed ($2 shop) contain stickers, chipboard elements, transfers, wire and beads, small punches and other 'stuff'. The plastic box has all my flowers in it while the cane box contains the big brads and leaves. I have my cuttlebug sample pack hanging from ribbon on the top of the 12" card file and the left hand side file contains all the patterned papers. Under the wire baskets are containers of beads and of small metal embellishments. You can see what are stored in the small storage drawers from the up-close photo below.

This photo shows the standing desk where I do most of my work - looking towards my HUBs space and his desk. I have a storage shelf under the bench and this contains A4 card, rub-ons and stickers relating to birthday cards in particular; gloves and wipes, sanding papers, bigger metal embellishments, and around the back, templates, materials and a box of bling!Under the shelf are hanging baskets with stickers and transfers in one; lace and string in the middle one; and white, black and kraft paper in the third.

This is a close up of the storage boxes - its my writing that is slanted, not the lables.

Inside the cupbaord are more wire shelves on the doors for the paint misters and reinkers and such, and more ribbon, the paints, pencils, crayons, glitter and embossing powders; craftboard collections and sponges.

 The drawers have all the stamps stored in kind - wooden ones on the bottom drawer (unless they are small), clear and sentiments in one, and so on.  My other stamps are stored on the shelf over the computer desk.

The stamps are all entered into my stamp folder and named by maker, with an indication of where they can be located. These are Waltzing Mouse stamp sets, for example. I can flick through the folder to find a stamp or set without having to trawl through the drawers or boxes. I also take a photocopy and attach it to the stamp box or container so I know what is supposed to be in this box/container. I am running out of room to house them all. I need to go to the DVD case idea for a lot of sets and then store them upright on the shelves I think.

I have a table (covered with stuff at the moment - it needs to be tidied up more) and this has a drawer set under it full of paper scraps. The small trolley also contains more card and paper, but in sets or commercial card blanks. On top of the desk is a plastic 2 drawer set for all my inks.

Behind this is a basket containing all my big punches.  It is currently full, as are the ink drawers.

The space is in the rumpus room downstairs; it once was simply a walkway through to the HUBs wood workshop and then became my office space when HUM built me a desk.  He then retired and moved home with his desk in the end section and his filing cabinets and shelving on the top.  That is HIS SPACE.  I have to be content with my space. You can see how I store the cuttlebug and the folders etc.  My desk is messy also and has my computer on it - but the shelves are tidy.  They have to be.

I have envelopes and more card blanks in the bottom left drawer, and the other drawers are full of personal papers. I store lettering and specific items ie babies stuff, hearts, starts, wedding stuff in the file cases on the left side of the shelves and printing paper, photo paper, DVDs and CD's with photos and such in the green baskets. I also have booklets with ideas cut from magazines (inspiration books) for both scrapping and card making and different techniques in the spiral books. 

Butterflies and Projects

I have finally decided to do the project I purchased off my SU supplier, Lynda.  It turned out very well and didn't take as much time as I thought it would initially.  I also made a card using my SU Dreams du Jour stamp set for the first time, after finding this set used on a card in another stamping magazine (I had cut it out and put it in the 'pile' for inspiration, and forgotton I had it).

I used a commercial card blank and a cuttlebug embossing folder.  I then used some scrap paper, a bit of ribbon, some jewels for bling factor and the stamp set.  I coloured in with some Signo Metallic pens (I only have two) and added gold and then painted over the flowers a little with a Pental Metallic brush in purple - this means that the colours all have a shimmer look and are in different shades.  You can see something of it in the close up below. I fussy cut the butterflies and fixed them on with dimentionals to lift them off the page.

The project that Lynda had come up with was a Stationary Box, containing up to 8 cards and envelopes.  You can get the template here.  As I said, I made it faster than I thought it would be - it took me about an hour and that included stamping for the front and cutting out the circles, and frames on the cuttlebug. I used Tombow glue and this seems to be strong enough and clean enough for the project.  All materials are SU including the DP in Pacific Blue and the cardboard was just scrap pieces I have saved for just this type of thing. The 'for you' stamp (from One of a Kind) is insert into a stamp from the Waltzing Mouse set Faux Circles (so celtic). The flowers are from SU Pocket Silhouette

Thanks for looking.