James Bear's Pile of Presents

Deciding to play along with this month's challenge at LOTV Ideas to Inspire where the theme is pink & white, I chose a Christmas-themed image rather than a particularly 'girly' one. Isn't this bear a cutie? He is LOTV's James Bear with his 'Pile of Presents' & I coloured him with Promarkers.

I used my Silhouette Cameo to create all my cut-file layers from the basic card shape upwards, including the poinsettia & (pink) holly leaves too. The centre of the flower has pearly dots of Cosmic Shimmer but I went for 'real' pearls on the card itself, one in white & a white one coloured with my Promarker to the correct shade of pink. (How is it my pearls are never the same shade that I need?). Sadly, though now the right shade, colouring the pearl made it lose it's lustre rather.

Tag front

The image & it's pink scalloped mat were attached using glue gel to give some dimension which would allow  my tag to pop in neatly behind. Again cut with my Cameo, the tag with matching papers has a ticket sentiment from Cuddly Buddly on the front & on the reverse I created an off-set white mat to allow me to write who the card is to/from later.

The back of the card, also a scalloped design, has a few layers of it's own. I opted for a centralised circular sentiment (again from Cuddly Buddly) set on a another scalloped mat.

Bye for now,

Tine :)

Challenges I wish to enter this card for are:

LOTV's Ideas to Inspire - pink & white (using LOTV image)
Sweet Stamping - Christmas is coming
Penny's - lots of layers
Creative Card Crew - teddy bears
Digi Sketch - use sketch &/or theme of animals
Pile It On - animals with character
Squirrel & Fox - animal antics
Cards Galore - animals
Artistisc Inspirations - spots & stripes
There She Goes - pattern power - spots & stripes
Crafty Calendar - all things Christmas
Silhouette Challenges - anything holiday
Great Impressions - holiday card or tag
One Crazy Stamper - Christmas
Art Impressions - holly jolly (Christmas cards)
Paper Shelter - winter fun (shopping for presents!)
Colour Me Creative - winter frost cold
Die-cut Divas - let's celebrate
Heck of a Challenge - in the frame
Stampavie & More - die-cut embellishments (cut using Cameo)
Lady Anne - more than one layer
Hobby House - pearls
613 Avenue - anything goes
Papertake - anything goes
Penny Black & More - anything goes.

Peep!

Just a quick post today & this card uses this cute little image from A Day For Daisies called 'Sami' peeping from a Christmas stocking. Coloured with Promarkers, I also paper-pieced the central part of the stocking.

I chose to use this week's MOJO's sketch & used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the image's tag (print & cut) & other elements too using papers traditional Christmas colours with a distinctly spots & stripes theme. The sentiment is a stamp from LOTV & fit onto the shape beautifully.

Tine :)

Challenges:
Mojo Monday - design sketch
Artistisc Inspirations - spots & stripes
There She Goes - pattern power - spots & stripes
Creative With Love - Christmas reds & greens
Crafty Calendar - all things Christmas
Silhouette Challenges - anything holiday
Great Impressions - holiday card or tag
Jingle Belles - holiday traditions - hanging up that stocking in anticipation
Pink Gem - Christmas is coming
Art Impressions - holly jolly (Christmas cards)
One Crazy Stamper - Christmas
Incy Wincy - use either ribbon, twine or fibres
Lady Anne - more than one layer
Crazy - B is for.....banners
Digi Makeover - layers (& use a digi - image, papers & cutter)
Timeless Tuesday - negative energy (heart 'embellishment' is negative space)
Sister Act - anything goes
Papertake - anything goes.

Little Elf Pipa's Christmas Wishes

I have used the fab MOJO sketch this week to create this Christmas card featuring Mo Manning's adorable little elf swinging on a bauble (Little Elf Pipa) & I coloured her with Promarkers hoping to give the impression that she is wearing a festive velvet & fur outfit whilst playing on a glittery bauble (again trying to achieve the look with Promarkers alone so no actual glitter on it).

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the designs, creating a bauble with loop to act as mats for the image & also for the accompanying bauble behind it. The design I added to this one in yellow is from 'Miss Vickie'). I then created a tag with the same looped top so the petersham/grosgrain ribbon would easily go through them both & popped onto the tag a sentiment I created on the PC.

The rectangular layer with the cut-out design is in pearlescent white card which I thought looked great against the 'woven texture' used for the black card base as well as the red card elements & the relatively plain, matt (though undeniably bright), yellow card.

I kept the inside of the tent-fold card pretty simple, creating a second sentiment in the same font as on the front & replicating, the cut-work border as on the front.

Thanks for visiting my blog & I hope you like my card!

Tine :)

Challenges I wish to enter this card for:

MOJO Monday - design sketch
Mo's Digital - use yellow
Christmas Cards All Year Round - getting ready for Christmas (not sure Pipa is helping or hindering!!!)
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - anything Christmas
Timeless Tuesday - fussy cutting
Just Inspirational - tags
Bunny Zoe - ribbon
Creative Card - either sun, moon or stars (star on bauble)
Eclectic Ellapu - inspired by a film (Elf)
Corrosive - tic, tac toe (diagonally: bling, image, layers)
Word Play - anything
Craftyhands - anything goes
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes
Crafty Little Fairies - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes
613 Avenue - anything goes (with optional paper piecing)
Word Art Wednesday - anything goes (using uplifting sentiment or scripture).

Holy Night

The layout for my shaped card actually uses the design from CLP this month but this time I have done something completely different with it & rather than rotating it, actually flipped it - so basically the design is as if were viewed in a mirror. Don't I just complicate matters! LOL. All those layers have been cut using my Cameo with a card base cut from a creamy pearlescent cardstock & there is also a subtle sheen from the gold layer which too is pearlescent. For some of the white layers I not only embossed using two different dotty embossing folders but I also inked edges with a gold ink pad as I had done for the starry patterned design paper. Glue gel gives some layers that bit of dimension, including the sentiment (from Bird's Cards).

 A fairly complex set of layers with additional dimension from the use of glue gel.

The little angel lighting the skies with her candle is LOTV's 'Holy Night' & was coloured using Promarkers. I gave her a golden glowing sky as if lit by her little candle (I have a big imagination, LOL). Yes, I know, theoretically, if viewed against such a background the image would have been silhouetted but then I wouldn't get to colour her now would I? LOL.  Having coloured her in I then added the glistening element to the snowy ground with a swipe of Stickles. Not that it ever really shows in photos, of course!

Inside the card

A slightly different version of the card shape for the back  - the top is the same as the front but has straighter sides from the middle down. Onto this base I added a muted version of the layering for the inside of the card and this time the circular, scalloped sentiment is from Tracy Wray.

Tine :)

Challenges:

The sketch was mirrored/flipped

Ideas to Inspire - anything goes using a LOTV image

CLP - layout
Addicted to Stamps - Christmas is coming
Crafts-Too - Christmas (plus twist: what Christmas means to you - a holy & religious celebration)
Emerald Faeries - sparkle (Stickles & gems)
OLLCB - things with wings
Delightful - winged things
Everybody Art - feather
Creative Card - either sun, moon or stars
Timeless Tuesdays - fussy cutting
Digistamps4Joy - embossing
DL.ART - word art
Moving Along With The Times - shaped card
Totally PaperCrafts - no squares allowed
Word Play - anything
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes
Creative Craft - anything goes
Crafty Little Fairies - anything goes
Paper Crafting Journey - anything goes
Craftyhands - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - anything Christmas
Word Art Wednesday - anything goes (using uplifting sentiment or scripture).

Carousel

The card I am sharing with you all today is for my God-daughter, who, like her Aunty Christine, loves horses (only it is many a year since I last actually rode one!!!)  I chose this fabulous animal drawn by CrimsonCaveDragon (aka Heather), who seems not so much of a wooden fair-ground ride, but a real-life equine with flowing locks & feathers (hairy bits at the top of the hoof) impaled by the turned pole of the carousel.  Nearly every self-respecting carousel horse seems to be a dapple grey so I tried to oblige for this one too using my Promarkers.  Not the easiest colour of horse to have chosen, mind you!!!! LOL.

The shaped mat for my image was created & cut using my Cameo & the next probably very obvious use of my cutter can be seen on the inside of the card where I have cut out my God-daughter's name.  The font needed a little adaptation to get it to fit & weld into my rectangle where I wanted it & to do this I utilised the point-editing feature along with enlarging the heart in the centre of the 'o' & I also added a dot to the 'i' which isn't actually featured in the font I chose. I then popped some matching patterned paper behind the cut-work. The simple sentiment I created myself on the PC, recolouring my text to match the papers.

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Tine :)

Challenges I wish to enter this card for are:

Silhouette Challenges - critters
4 Crafty Chicks - layers
Emerald Faerie - sparkle
4 Krafty Girlz - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes
OSAAT - anything goes
Artistic Inspirations - anything goes
Crafting Cafe - anything goes
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes.

Sprayin' a Birthday Wish

Make It Crafty & Little Miss Muffet have been having a Graffiti Party to celebrate the launch of a new line of stamps & generously offered a couple of freebies to play along with. I thought that a graffiti style would make a fun, male card so even though I have been very short of crafting time of late, wanted to play along. I chose to use the 'Graffiti Krew Writer' image of a spray can with a 'bit of attitude' but actually flipped it over so it/he, was then looking in the opposite direction & so that 'he' became the letter ' I ' of birthday.

Kept it relatively simple really, using my Cameo to cut a welded card base incorporating the Graffonti font (4 layers) & also to cut out my spray can. Of course, cutting out the can before I set about colouring it with my Promarkers meant due to it's relatively small size, it wanted to move around a lot so colouring it was a little tricky at times.

I also used my ever-present Silhouette Cameo to create an embossed mat for the brickwork layer behind the cut-work text. I used cardboard from a cereal packet for this & played around with the 'sandwich' for my Big Shot to get my heavy textured cardstock to give me the 'real brick' effect I was after. I then 'weathered' my bricks with a couple of Distress Inks.  So, not my usual style of card I know but don't you think it does you good to go outside your comfort zone every now & then?

Doesn't it just look like he is saying to himself, " I did that" & chuckling? LOL.

Thanks for visiting.

Tine :)

Challenges:

Graffiti Party - use the freebies provided
Crafts 4 Eternity - clean & simple
Word Play Saturday - anything
Craftitude - anything goes/things beginning with 'S' (spray can)
4 Krafty Girlz - anything goes
CMC - amything goes
Brown Sugar - anything goes.

With The Baby

Still busy making Christmas cards as you can see.....& not a snowflake in sight either, LOL. Coloured as ever with my Promarkers, the image I chose to use for this one is by Mo Manning & is called, 'With the Baby' & I constructed all the dp layers following the gorgeous layout at CLP this month. The red poinsettia paper has a fancy lower border but even  the ever-so-slight angle of the photos means it isn't really showing, LOL- just the merest hint under the silver frame below the angel's trailing robes. The card I used for the poinsettias is a gorgeously glitzy one with sparkle on both side though I can't recall where I acquired that from. The silver card I used for the frames is too, albeit a little more subtle but as usual, failed to get all the sparkle to show in the photos. Instead it looks more like shine. LOL.

The fancy cut-work was done using my Silhouette Cameo but I have to admit that it struggled with the tiny dots around the circumference of my shaped card base. Whilst it did cut them, I had to poke out all the little bits which, due to the density of my cardstock, were more than happy to remain in place!

The inside has a replica, though smaller frame as the front but rather than the biblical quotation I was thinking of using, I opted instead for an elegant sentiment from Mudmaven - simply because it gave me enough room to write at the bottom later!

Thanks again for taking the time & trouble to visit my blog & I appreciate the comments you leave so I know you have dropped by.

Tine :)

PS - If anyone has any thoughts as to how I can sort my sidebar problems out, please do tell. The actual problem is that I can add the pictures/links but each remain stuck at the top of the sidebar itself. When I try moving them the Save doesn't seem to work. I get a pop up saying there are unsaved changes....but it won't save!!!!! Sigh! I have tried clearing the cache etc - but this has had no effect. Any ideas anyone?

Challenges I wish to enter this card for are:
CLP - design sketch

Mo's Digital -  'H' is for......(Holy ...not to mention, 'holey', LOL)
A Creative Romance - fairytale or winged creations
Squirrel & Fox - thing with wings
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - flowers
Happy Campers - flowers
Tip Top - flowers
Craftitude - something beginning with 'S' (shaped card)
Delicious Doodles - shaped card
Silhouette Blog - floral &/or frame
Creative Cutting NL - dots
Southern Girls - sing, sing a song (O Holy Night)
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - song title (O Holy Night)
Miss Muffet - we wish you a merry Christmas
Digitally Sweet - digital + anything with wings (digital = Cameo, image, sentiment & papers)
Created With Love - any holiday
OLLCB - F is for.....(flowers)
Papertake - two by two (2 characters in the image)
Crafty Catz - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes
Creative Craft - anything goes
613 Avenue - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes.

Dancing Santa

I used one of the fab sketches at Christmas Stamping All Year Long for this Christmas card. It seemed just perfect for Elizabeth Dulemba's image of 'Dancing Santa' (coloured with Promarkers). I went for traditional Xmas colours & the shining star was glitzed using Crafter's Companion silver Spray'n'Sparkle. (Am I the only one that has difficulty with those sprays with the nozzles clogging?)

I repeated the basic layout for the inside of the card too adding a sentiment from Bird's Cards.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Tine :)

Challenges:

Christmas Stamping sketch #1

Christmas Stamping All Year Long - design sketch #1
Totally Gorjuss - traditional Christmas colours
ABC - 3 or more patterned papers
Christmas Cards All Year Round - (single entry or set of 5)
I ♥ Promarkers - songs (Here Come Santa Claus - Bob Dylan)
Bloggers' Challenge - bling
Emerald Faeries - sparkle
Crafts-Too - texture (embossing) with twist of shine/glitter (spray'n'sparkle +gem)
Digitally Sweet (digital elements: image & papers) - anything goes
Christmas Card Challenges - anything goes.

Blowing Snowflakes - Winter Fairy Halla

A couple of week's ago I shared my card using Mo Manning's "Winter Fairy Talva" but this one uses the masculine companion image of "Winter Fairy Halla". Isn't he just too adorable? Actually, I love'em both...LOL! There was a challenge the other week wanting entries which summed up the creator's style. I think this one probably sums me up - particularly when making Christmas cards anyway - using my Promarkers, my Silhouette Cameo, layers - & snowflakes, snowflakes & yet more snowflakes with a touch of sparkle & pearls to finish it off. Do you get the impression that I love Mo's images & snowflakes? LOL

I welded a large snowflake onto my otherwise square card base & layered it all up from there using Mo's gorgeous image & a multiplicity of snowflakes from various designers (including my own), which were either dosed in Stickles or sprayed with Crafter's Companion iridescent spray. The pearls also adorning my flakes were this time created using Liquid Pearls. The overall colour-scheme is a very delicate shade of lilac to turn little Halla into a real "Ice Prince", blowing frosty flakes into the world. Cut from various types of card but mainly the same pearlescent card as the front (for extra sparkle), a couple of the lilac flakes were created as a print & cut so that they matched my chosen papers. I even managed to cut some flakes from 'left-over' card - always a bonus.

For the inside of my card I have, needless to say, still more snowflakes. Some are welded along with a sentiment, into a bordered frame with others welded more simply to an edge. The card-base for the inside was cut from a 'plainer' card so that the sparkle would show up more on the other pieces. Well it does so in RL as sadly, no matter how hard I have tried I can't get the sparkle to show up on the photos which is such a shame. The printed sentiment from DesertDiva was re-coloured to suit but as I wanted black text & a lilac/purple design around it I had to 'cut out' the text using my software & then re-insert a black version before printing.  No, I don't make life easy on myself do I!

Well, I know it is quite 'fussy' for a masculine-themed card but I know it works as my son (now 22), on seeing it said he "rated that one very highly"!!! LOL

Tine :)

Challenges I wish to enter this card for are:
Mo's Digital - for the boys
A Creative Romance - fairytale or winged creations
Sweet Stamping - things with wings
Stamping for the Weekend - fairies or fantasy
Sparkles Monthly - fairies or butterflies
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Christmas fairies with a bit of sparkle
Creative Card Crew - Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut - Christmas
Oldie But A Goodie - dies/punches (old stash - some of my snowflakes & others are cut from bits of left-over card)
Love To Scrap - fancy border (cut designs on inside of the card)
Digi Sketch - sketch &/or theme (for the boys)
Eclectic Ellapu - for a boy
Paper Crafting Journey - for a boy
Whimsy - masculine
Divas By Design - monochrome
Pile It On - cool or warm colours
Always Something Creative - not colourful
Silhouette Challenges - welded letters (using a Silhouette Cameo)
Crafts-Too - September - texture +twist of shine & sparkle
Wags 'n' Whiskers - sparkle
Word Art Wednesday - anything goes using inspirational sentiment/scripture (cut into the border)
Paper Makeup - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes.

Big Hill

Hi everyone. Back to making Christmas cards again! I have used this month's sketch at CLP for this one (turned on it's side & I then 'pulled' out the now horizontal sections to the side - so I hope this is allowed by the CLP team?). The image I chose is from 'Phindy's Place' & is called 'Big Hill'. It was coloured with Promarkers & a couple of Trias to give me a very subtle colour scheme.

I employed my Cameo as you probably can tell to create the snowflake bordered frame of the top mat & for the swirly side embellishment too. The large snowflake design comprises of 2 layers of snowflake & all my 'snow' was given the necessary seasonal sparkle from 3 various bottles of Stickles & additional 'snowballs' of  Cosmic Shimmer glue. The 'snowball' effect was continued with a dotty embossing folder & the trim running along the bottom which is from The Ribbon Girl (not to mention the occasional 'real' lilac pearl embellishment). More snow too from my blue snowflake design papers & some of my card mats were distressed.

For the inside of the card I have 'cut-out borders' onto which I have welded snowflakes for more falling snow & layered up my sentiment (from Desert Diva).

Well, thanks for coming by & have a wonderful week everyone.

Tine :)

Challenges:
CLP - design sketch
Country View Crafts - layers
Hiding in My Craftroom - layers
Creative Card Crew - Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut - Christmas
Paper Creators Crafts - make it Christmassy
Word Play Saturday - seasons
Die-Cut Divas - celebrate
Christmas Stampin' - Christmas cheer
Southern Girls - monochrome
Totally Gorjuss - dotty (using embossing folder)
Natalie & Amy's - embossing
Crafts-Too - texture (with twist my style is probably summed up with cutfiles, layers, Promarkers & glitter at Christmas)
Wags'n'Whiskers - sparkle
Creative Belli - ribbon & pearls
Creative Craft - ribbon (has little pom-poms on it)
4 Krafty Girlz - anything goes
Paper Makeup - anything goes
Challenges4Everybody - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes
TTCRD - anything goes.

CAS - Get Well Soon

No, not my usual style but I am trying my hand at a CAS card this week & I have made this particular card for my father-in-law who has undergone surgery for skin cancer. I hoped the image of this caring 'young nurse' tending to the welfare of her teddy would remind him of the twins playing with him & so give him something to look forward to during this very difficult time.

Coloured with Promarkers & all cut using my Silhouette Cameo to produce a shaped card (round cornered rectangle onto which I welded a circle top right to house the image's mat. The image itself was cut using my Cameo too so her feet & part of the bear's bed peeked out from the circular frame, using the off-set feature to ensure the narrow red mat behind was the size I wanted.

All of which make this a quicker card to create than usual for me but it also had to be given out more quickly too.

Thanks for coming by,

Tine :)

Challenges:
Silhouette Challenges - welding letters (onto rectangle)
Silhouette Blog - weld
ALBC - clean & simple
Love To Create - clean & simple
Eclectic Ellapu - inspired by a song (Doctor, Doctor - Thompson Twins)
Robyn's Fetish - people in their jobs
Crafty Calendar - going on a bear hunt
Cutie Pie - cute card for the boys
Ladybug Crafts Ink - no squares
Creative Cutting - anything goes (all created  & cut using my Silhouette Cameo)
613 Avenue - anything goes/ happy fall y'all
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - anything goes
I ♥ Promarkers - anything goes
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - anything goes.

Police In Action

A very personalised card to share with you all today though you probably wouldn't guess so at first glance.  I have made it for my son's birthday & as he is a SpPC, decided to create a card for him using him & his 'beat' as inspiration. In case anyone doesn't know what a Special Police Constable is here in the UK, they have all the powers of a 'regular' but are unpaid and give their services in their 'free time'.

Yes, I ended up literally drawing this one myself too & coloured my image with Promarkers. Well, it's two images really as I have drawn his hat separately, LOL (from what I can gather they are prone to ending up on the floor!) It must look like him too as my daughter recognised her brother right away. :)   Having drawn my image, I digitised it so I could cut it out using my Cameo to give me a neat border all around. Also using my Silhouette Cameo, I created a city skyline too & it was welded into the trapezium shape - & as his shifts are nearly always at night have used dark navy card to produce the silhouette effect. To add further 'city-beat' references, I used images from the city centre and a dp of bricks. A number of the layers have been added using glue-gel for dimension & hopefully I have created an all-action layout which echoes the colourful area he patrols.

Drawing more inspiration from a city's surroundings for the inside of the card with graffiti walls, posters & bunting.  The Cameo cut out my signs once I had made my 'scruffy' edged poster designs. I didn't make the cut-files for the bunting though. These are designs from Lettering Delights and I strung them up using a length of baker's twine. I did however, make my handcuff design myself running along the top edge as a pattern & I used matt silver paper behind it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Tine :)

Challenges:
Happy Campers - use a stamp (rubber or digi - drew & digitised this one myself)
Order of the Opus Gluei - city-scape
Can You Digi It - go somewhere (Manchester (UK) city centre)
Paper Minutes - cities (Manchester, UK)
Squirrel & the Fox - creations for men
Cupboard Trilogy - male
Whimsy Stamps - masculine
Totally Papercrafts - birthday boys
Crafty Catz - men/boys
Craft a Scene - dusk to dawn
Die-cut Divas - celebrate
Sisterhood of Crafters - use a digi
Sister Act - anything goes
Creative Moments - birthday/anything goes
Totally Gorjuss - anything goes
Through the Craftroom Door - anything goes
Paper Parade - anything goes
Hobbycutz - anything goes
Creative Cutting.nl - birthdays
Creative Cutting - anything goes.

Winter Fairy Talva - circular easel

Well, when I say 'circular easel' it does also have snowflakes welded onto it so not quite circular any more. LOL. Yes, I do love my snowflakes.....and the selection here are cut-files of mine, Bird's Cards & Heather M - all mis-matched together to give me my very individual flakes. As I mentioned, I also welded a couple of them to the 'snow' bordered frame I created myself using my Silhouette Cameo before layering them up too.

Making my card an easel also ensured that I had extra space for added sentiment & room to write a personal message later - not to mention more snowflakes of course, as I utilised the space at the back of the card as well. I added those layers to reflect those on the main body of the card with gently distressed edges & a snowflake dp from Trine at NbF (but I have to admit most of those printed snowflakes are mainly covered up with my image & it's mats. LOL). The circular sentiment on the front I created myself on the PC & the one on the back is from DesertDiva.

On the reverse. 

That adorable image is by Mo Manning & is called 'Winter Fairy Talva' & I coloured her with Promarkers & the odd Tria pen. I added to that wintery-touch with 3 lots of Stickles & Cosmic Shimmer pearl glue.

Tine :)

Challenges:
Mo's Digital - anything goes (using a Mo Manning image)
Hobby House - Hobby House Artists
Emerald Faeries - magical creatures
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Christmas fairies with a little sparkle
Southern Girls - make believe
Creative Card Crew - things with wings
Flutterby Wednesday - anything goes with butterflies &/or fairies
Die-cut Divas - let's celebrate (Christmas)
One Crazy Stamper - Christmas
Ladybug Crafts Ink - winter wonderland
Sparkles Christmas - non-tradtional cols (no red, green or gold)
Silhouette Challenges - welding letters
Totally Gorjuss - texture
Country View Crafts Challenges - layers
Christmas Card - something new (my cut-files)
Scrapbook Blessings - circular easel
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - anything goes (as long as it's Christmas)
Paper Crafting Journey - anything goes
613 Avenue - anything goes (optional spotlight technique).

Coffee Break

I am honoured to be a GDT over at 613 Avenue this week where the challenge is to create a project using at least one element from each column from the table shown below.

A lot of choice as you can see, so it makes it relatively easy I reckon.  As you might have noticed, I have used more than one from some sections of the list of requirements, LOL. Well, why not? LOL. There are two sponsors for this challenge (The Paper Shelter & Shelly's Images), & I am using an image from one of them, The Paper Shelter - this particular image is called 'Coffee Break'.  I coloured this girl on her laptop using Promarkers & cut out my shaped layers using my Cameo. For the layer cut from a pink digi paper (from Denise's Digital Designs), I also added a 'sewing line' using my cutter. This is an internal off-set then choosing a pink dashed line.

The sentiment (from Bird's Cards), was created as a print & cut & I added flat floral embellishments around it (meaning it is perfect for cards having to fit into envelopes!). Well, when I say 'flat' it is still a design in 3 layers but is not one of my regular 3-dimensional flowers. Sadly, I can't tell you where that cut-file is from (no, this one isn't one of mine), as I can no longer find it!!!! How do you lose a cut-file when you label everything & keep a picture of it too? Can only assume I have managed to delete it (& it's picture! grrr....) somehow. Ah, well..... back to my card.

Whilst I was very good today & steered away from big, blousy flowers, I do have to admit to some dimension on my card as I set my image's mats up using glue-gel to create a narrow 'pocket' behind the image for my tag to fit into. Well, I do like my dimension, LOL.  I often add sentiments to my tags but not this time. This one is strictly ornamental with a broderie anglais inspired lacy cut out & with more cut designs as central 'topper' features. I really would be totally lost without my cutter now, have you noticed? LOL. However, I did use a regular paper punch on this card as well - those little shaped flowers were created using a Woodware punch out of white, scrap card & I coloured them with Promarkers to ensure they matched perfectly.

Tag front

Tag reverse

I recreated the layers on the inside too, this time featuring a 'faded' sentiment from Sentiments4You so that I could write a personal message over the top. I have embellished both the front & the inside with two sizes of pink gems & a few drops of  Liquid Pearls (in Platinum Pearl).

I know the lovely girls over at 613 Avenue would love to have you all play along, so have a look at that table & be inspired! Chana, Kathi & the gang will be waiting for you......

Thanks for stopping by!

Tine :)

Challenges:

Silhouette Challenges - shaped card
Creative Craft - not square
Deep Ocean - odd shapes
Silhouette Blog - use a number (print & cut)
One Crazy Stamper - birthday
Natalie & Amy's - celebrate something
Cards Galore - bingo (birthday, candy/gems, sentiment)
Bunny Zoe - bingo (ribbon, die-cuts (Silhouette Cameo), tag)
Happy Campers - use a stamp (image from Paper Shelter)
Ladybug - something floral
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - make your own embellishments
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes (using ribbon)
Paper Shelter - ribbon
Penny's - dies/punches
Crafty Catz - stitching (real or faux)
Paper Pretties - girly girl
Little Red Wagon - layers
Tip Top - at least 2 things beginning with your initial ('C' is for cutting, coffee & cupcake [on image] & card of course!)
Cutie Pie - anything goes
Crafty Calendar - anything goes
Sister Act - anything goes.

50th Birthday

Loads of fun creating my cut-files again & this card is for my SIL who has a big birthday to celebrate as you can see. The look I was going for was essentially very elaborate as befits a mile-stone occasion & being predominantly white has just a hint of a heavily iced cake, LOL. Went with touches of gold, again because I wanted to make it 'special' - & you can't beat a bit of the 'Midas touch' can you, to convey decadence?


Where would I be without my Cameo?!? LOL. A layered design (interlocking arches of varying sizes) onto which I have added scalloped edged peel-offs (which is actually the left-over bits from in-between designs but was exactly what I was after) & sandwiched between those card layers are foam pads to add the dimension. The pearl accents are in two sizes & are from MeiFlower.


On the inside of the card (yes more cut-files but that goes without saying now surely, LOL), are two cockatiels, Coco & Smudge, the name of my SIL's avian twosome. (You may just remember me making her a bird-themed card last year as well?)  I just had to include this mischievous pair on her card this time around too as they mean so much to her & that is the beauty of making cards for people isn't it - the personalisation which makes them more meaningful. Different cut-files for them from last year's card but they have similarly been coloured with Promarkers to give them the required cockatiel colouration &  glue-gel gives them dimension. The sentiment, according to my records, is from Tracy's Cards, so I hope this is correct.

Box lid design...... &a peek at the liner too.

However, I couldn't just leave it at that for such a big birthday could I? I just had to include a box for the card which would also give me oodles more space to elaborate on sentiments too - not to mention add an image to colour. All this I added to the box's liner, with the outside of the box reflecting the card hiding away within. Once the card is out of the box, the shaped liner with gold card border, complete with fabulous image from Sassy Cheryl (coloured with Promarkers) and an extra 3 sentiments is revealed. Makes quite a change to have the image hiding away in the box rather than on the card front but I think it still works.

Hope she likes it - & that you do too!

Tine :)

Challenges I wish to enter this card for are:

Sassy Cheryl - happy birthday
One Crazy Stamper - birthday
Outlawz - Saturday's Paper A La Mode - birthdays
Natalie & Amy's - celebrate
Happy Campers - use a stamp (girl with cupcake from Sassy Cheryl)
Silhouette Challenges - shaped card (using Silhouette)
Country View Crafts - attributable sentiments (verses4cards)
KaboodleDoodles - song or a quote
OLLCB - inspired by a song (what else could it be but "Mandy" - Barry Manilow)
My Craft Spot - 3-d item
Little Red Wagon - layers
Penny's - dies/punches
Use Your Stuff - circles (every single loop of my cut designs started life as a circle I dissected, replicated & welded to another - too many circles to count!!!!)
Tip Top - use at least 2 items with your initials - C= cutting, cockatiels, candle on cupcake
Challenges4Everybody - anything goes
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes
Cutie Pie - anything goes.