#119 Race Day

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers - Use a digi image
Sponsor & prize this week - Digi Doodle ($10 gift certificate)

Not sure about my photographic skills on this one, so my apologies.  My card today uses an image from our sponsors, Digi Doodle called 'The Jockey-Lucky #7' and I did of course, use Promarkers to colour it giving the earnest looking jockey the Queen's racing silks. (Well, why not? LOL). I reckon he makes a fun male's card either for Father's Day or birthday - providing they like horse racing of course, and come to think about it maybe he would also do nicely for the Queen herself, LOL.

Not too much to tell on this one really I don't think, but I hope you can see face-less spectators either side of the rails as the horse gallops by. As you may have spotted, the winning post doubles as a rosette too.  The grey to colourless 'crowds' and the winning post sign are p&c (my own files) & the green 'track' was cut from green textured Papermania card stock.

As for the inside of the card, I kept it 'manly-enough' by keeping it relatively simple layout-wise, making a regular kind of insert. However, the bit my father-in-law will not appreciate whatsoever when he receives this as a Father's Day card, is that the 'race' taking part along the bottom of this insert is all merged images (& you, dear crafter, will be able to appreciate how long that can take!!!). You eagle-eyed folk will also see that whilst it is still the lucky #7 winning, all the other numbers have been removed from the following throng. Well, they all can't be wearing #7 can they, LOL, & why add numbers to them as no one tends to remember those who don't win do they - they are merely the 'also rans'.  Can you tell I love horses but not horse racing? LOL. The card is not for me though is it, and the FIL is interest in racing, so hope he likes it.

Tine :)

Challenges:
SJ Crafts - all about the boy (+something old - my mirri card & ribbon)
Southern Girls - die-cuts/punches (Cameo Silhouette)
Moving Along with the Times - not birthday (Father's Day)
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - for the boys
Fairytale - boys+men
One Stop Craft - one for the boys
2 Sisters - bring on the boys
Little Claires - male themed
Forever Friends - one for the boys (+animal)
Lexi's - for the man/boy in our lives (in this case FIL)
Hotshot - diecuts
Totally Papercrafts - animals
Bearly-Mine - animal kingdom
Here Come the Boys - anything goes (male themed)
Tammy's Scapin' Corner - anything goes any artist
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Great Impressions - anything goes.

#118 Janet 18

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers - die cuts (digi cutters allowed too)
Sponsor & prize this week - Die Cut Dreams

Gosh, doesn't time fly? The years shoot by in no time at all which leads me to my card for today as I have made this one especially for my son's girlfriend who is now celebrating her 18th birthday.  The image from Stamp Fairy is called 'Lenny 5' and is just perfect for celebrating - especially a milestone birthday.  I did of course use him not long ago on a card but this time I have made it all more 'girly' with my colour scheme, not to mention the pink champagne!  I coloured my image entirely with Promarkers other than the tiny bitzy bubbles fizzing away at the top of the champagne which are dots of white gel pen.

The image has a frame cut using my Silhouette which I did of course, make myself too, as were the dual-layered flags of the bunting (spelling out her name) hanging from my pink & white twine.  The design sketch I decided to use was based on the CLP challenge last month (April) but I could see this working nicely for me so used it even though it isn't applicable to the current challenge. The layout had a fancy element down the right hand vertical strip which I interpreted, again using my cutter, this time using letters to spell out her age. The cut out shapes making quite a lacy border too, I thought.

Inside the card.

The inside of the card has quite a few layers too, though not too many as I need the card to close! LOL. Here, I replicated the pink frame but rather than an image it contains the kind of sentiment 'Eighteen box frame' I made on the PC leaving a nice, broad white space in the centre where I intend to write just before I give the card to her.

As this was a special card I made it a box to complete a matching set & have used Stamp Fairy's image of 'Lenny 5' yet again. Not recognise him? Well, this is him in a cut down form peeping over the top of the cut out name. Instead of holding the champagne glass, I used my craft knife along the edge of his hand so that he actually has his hand over the top.  The image was of course again coloured with Promarkers.

The card in the box.

Having made my own geometric frame for the card, I altered & welded it to include Janet's name across the front too.  I then nearly replicated the bunting on the card front, but this time omitted the lettering as it wasn't needed having spelled out her name on the frame instead. It still is two layers of cut work for each flag though.

Box includes a sentiment on the liner too.

Having made the box itself, I then turned my attention to the liner, typing out my sentiment on the computer before printing & cutting an appropriate fancy zig-zag edge to complement the frame and adding it to the box.  I have added the sentiment I used onto here, changing the colour to black if you would like to use it on your own projects but I thank you for leaving a comment if you do decide to copy it.  Should work as usual, by clicking on it to enlarge & then Save Image As etc.

Tine :)

Challenges:
Passion for Promarkers - birthdays
Hotshot - die cuts
Pollycraft - photo inspiration (colour)
Truly Scrumptious - pretty in pink
Crafty Catz - let's hear it for the girls
Joanna Sheen - happy birthday
Craft Your Days Away - all creatures great and small
Forever Friends - use 2 images
PanPastel - pastel colours
Creative Card Crew - dimension
Ooh-la-la - ribbon/twine or both
Simply Create Too - either Mother's Day or feminine
Sentimental Sundays - whimsical (def: playfully quaint or fanciful, esp. in an appealing & amusing way. - reckon this fits!)
Bearly-Mine - anything goes

#117 Cookie Fairy

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers - anything goes!!!
Sponsor & prize this week - The Paper Shelter ($20 voucher to spend in store)

The I ♥ Promarkers DT are all using images from our generous sponsor this week, The Paper Shelter and the one I am using is called, 'The Fairy of the Cookies' and she is of course, coloured with my ever-ready Promarkers. I know there must be fairies living in my biscuit tin as I fill it up and they all vanish!  I was going for a fairly clean, country kitchen look - so you will have to let me know if I have achieved it.

The image, for you Silhouette aficionados (coz I know someone will want to know), was a p&c as was the uppermost layer of the tag featuring a sentiment concocted from a few words (& stars) from Shabby Princess with the bottom line I added myself on the PC using a font I thought matched as closely as I was going to get.

The Silhouette is also responsible for cutting the cookie jar shaped card itself too, using a design I made myself especially for this Cookie Fairy.  (You probably know by now how much I like to mess about & do my own thing! LOL).  So the cut file here included the card base itself, a separate lid for the front & the horizontal layers for the lid.  The tag is the one from the Silhouette Library which came with the machine and was attached to my cookie jar using twine.

















Now what does a cookie jar need? Cookies of course! So just had to add some to the inside of the jar didn't I?  All created by my good self of course, courtesy of the cutter once again and using p&c. Double choc chip, choc chip, Bourbons, Jammie Dodger-esque ones too and a very large 'iced' one (to write the 'to' & 'from'). The inside is probably a lot less dimensional than you might think. I cut the Bourbons & JDs in 2 layers, offsetting them a little to give the illusion of more dimension than there was having inked the edges with Distress Inks for a 3-d feel.

Thanks for reading my post today - with my apologies if you are now feeling a little peckish! LOL.

Tine :)

Challenges I wish to enter this card into are:
SJ Crafts - favourites ( Promarkers and the Silhouette Cameo)
Bearly Mine - die cutting
Sundays With Crissy - things with wings
Crafty Calender - things with wings
Fairy Tale - things with wings
Catch The Bug - things with wings
Stamp & Create Monthly - for the ladies
Squirrel & Fox - one for the girls
Joanna Sheen - happy birthday
Ladybug Crafts Ink - anything but square
Truly Madly Crafty - 5 (different types of biscuits)
Crafty Sentiments - bingo (patterned paper, coloured image & punches/die cuts)
Delicious Doodles - try something new (made my all own cut files)
Inspire Me Fridays - (link + button at bottom of sidebar :) )
Crafty Emma - anything goes
Whimsy - anything goes
Truly Scrumptious - anything goes
Bunny Zoe (DT) - anything goes.

#116 Wedding Tryptic's Box

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers - use a charm or pins
Sponsor & prize - our own Karen (some fabby pins)

I might have made the card for my niece's wedding good and early, but I still hadn't made the box to keep it in so thought our challenge this week would be the perfect opportunity - and add some gorgeous pins that teamie Karen had sent me too. She had apparently sent us all slightly different ones so it was my good fortune that these tied in beautifully with my wedding themed box.

The image is that stunner from LOTV called, 'Wedding Couple' and I coloured it with Promarkers and matted it onto blue 'woven' textured card from Papermania (the same sort & colour I had used on the card to go in my box).

Card in it's box, but from this angle you can also see the dimensional layers of the top design as well as the cut-work around the box's sides.

As for the actual box itself, having already worked out the size I would need, I made the base quite easily but the top was going to be more complex as you can see.  I used my Silhouette to cut regular slots around the perimeter which would tie in with those on the top of the card.  (If you would like a reminder of what the card looked like I shall pop the link here).  I used an embossing folder to give me my dotty rectangle, layering it onto pure white pearlescent card as opposed to the pearlescent ivory card I had used for the lid and all the other features - well, other than the vertical border down one side which was the same white card. I then added the narrow white satin ribbon.

I started afresh with the trellis work, this time putting it into an arched shape and also added the 'ringing bells' I had put onto the card to create a stained glass window effect. This was added using glue gel, setting it up to be slightly proud for a bit of dimension.  The image's mat was then also put on using glue gel to raise it up still further.  The roses were cut from two different files, the round petalled ones were Silhouette's own but the jagged edged ones are my own file. The leaves (from Penny Duncan), I hand embossed down the centre and to the centre of my bridal bouquet I added the pearly pins. I then dotted a couple of the smaller cut flowers, shaping some but dotting the centres with liquid pearls. I actually then dissected a few of my flowers (on the Studio software) to give me some individual petals to be dropping in the path of the happy couple. I also set these at various angles using glue gel.

The verses on the liner.

I then created my box-liner on the PC, printing off 3 sentiments, 'pearls of wisdom' regarding marriage & separated firstly by two of the small flat flowers and then a row of the scattered petals to finish it all off.

Hope you like it and I thank all of you who take the time to leave me such kind comments on my cards & projects. They are greatly appreciated.

Tine :)

Challenges:
LOTV - anything goes
Hotshot - young love
One Stop Crafts - celebrations
PaperPlay - stamps/pins/pearls
Crafty Catz - flowers as part of the image (bridal bouquet)
Pixie Dust Studio - flowers
Miss Muffet - May flowers
Joanna Sheen - flower power
Crafting For All Seasons - handmade flowers
I Brake For - florals
Do You Stack Up - circles
Crafts 4 Eternity - use ribbon (narrow white)
SJ Crafts - favourites (colouring with Promarkers, cutting using the Cameo and my fav card stcok)
Craft Us Crazy - inspire using your favourites (see above)
Craft-room - emboss it (logo at bottom of sidebar)
Tammy's Scrapin' Corner -dies/punches
Aud Sentiments - anything goes
Emerald Faerie/A&T - anything goes
Creative Craft - anything goes
Catch The Bug - anything goes.

#115 Fairy Tabia's Bubbles

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers - fairies
Sponsor & prize this week - Joanna Sheen (£10 gift voucher)

Now I am not always the most decisive of people - but that is only because I can often see so many possibilities....  When I started to make my project for this week's challenge, this was one of my problems. Too many things flying through my head!  So many in fact that I just might produce some of the other variations as some point just to get them out of my system! LOL. The image is 'Fairy Tabia' by Mo Manning. Isn't she just gorgeous?  I do love Mo's images.

Yes, I was still playing with my Silhouette too, so made my framework for Tabia on this creating a 'special place' for Tabia to reside within the bubble circle all of which I had also made myself.  This circle of circles is in fact two layers so that I could add the coloured 'bubbles' neatly. These ones were actually made from colouring Promarkers onto acetate. The reverse is actually ever so slightly different (a couple of extra cut out bubbles so it is just that little bit more interesting on the back than it otherwise might have been - I know, I am mad!!!)  The logic being of course, that as it dangles it will rotate slightly so didn't want it to be too boring on the back.

The second circular panel is a variation of the first one, but with extra bubbles/circles including one in the centre, a dangling sentiment. Again this panel comprises of two layers to sandwich the 'bubbles' safely & neatly in between.  The chain I have had in my stash for some time (well, years to be perfectly honest, LOL) but the links (fortunately), were pliable enough to allow me prise them apart with some pointy nosed pliers to get my card elements in.

Now all I need is some sunshine so the 'bubbles' can come to life......LOL.


Tine :)

Challenges I would like to enter this card for are:
Mo's - favourite colours
Craft Us Crazy - favourite stamp company &/or found inspiration
SJ Crafts - favourites (..one of my fav images, cutting with the Silhouette & colouring using Promarkers)
Crafts & Me - fav colour combo
Drunken Stampers - acetate
Our Daily Bread - no dps
Little Claire's - doing the rounds (use circles)
Sweet Stamping - anything but square
Scrappy Frogs - shapes
Come & Get It - anything but a card
Catered Crop - the letter 'B' (...for bubbles)
Sundays With Crissy - things with wings
Inspire Me Fridays - anything goes
Creative Mondays - anything goes
Papertake - anything goes
Incy Wincy - Mother's Day or girlie
Outlawz (Monday Greetings Challenge)- either Mother's Day or for a girl  (the latter)

#114 Poppies

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers - flower power (use a floral image)
Sponsor & prize this week - Digi Doodle Shops - $10 gift certificate

This week the DT have all used floral images from our sponsor, Digi Doodle on their cards and whilst mine is relatively CAS, still took quite a bit of construction.

Having made my own DL sized cut file (with the fancy corners just perfect for my gems to reside, LOL), I then made my own dp - a haze of poppy-field colours out of which my main image pops. The idea was (hopefully) that it looked like this poppy was being highlighted from this field - as if under a magnifying glass. So,with this in mind,  I coloured the background to the image to resemble the dp. The image itself is called 'Poppy & Bud' and like everything in it's circular mat, was coloured with Promarkers.

For the leaf & poppy embellishment I drew my own poppy in 4 layers before converting it to create another cut file for the Silhouette to cut for me.  I then gave this a liberal spraying with Crafter's Companion Spray & Shine but doesn't look particularly glossy, I have to say. I made my own poppy leaf cut files too, this time cutting 3 out in two differing shades of green. Whilst the circular mat was raised up using foam pads, I kept this card pretty flat and no 'sticky-out bits' to make it difficult to fit in an envelope & post. LOL. Well, you have to think of these things these days with the cost of postage set to rocket here in the UK.

Tine :)

Challenges I would like to enter this card for are:
Truly Madly Crafty - make your own flowers (created my own cut files for the poppy & the leaves)
Hiding In My Craft Room - April showers bring......(handmade flowers - created my own cut files for the poppy & the leaves)
Pan Pastel - add a flower
My Time to Craft - gardening gems
Craft Us Crazy - Mother's Day &/or flowers
Little Darlings - flowers
My Mum's Craft Shop - the great outdoors
MilkCoffee - bold & bright
OLLCB - bold & bright
Lexi's - punches & dies ( had checked to see if use of a digi cutter was allowed)
Passion for Promarkers - cut it out
Wags 'n' Whiskers - anything goes.

#113 Let's Go Shopping

No, I haven't lost the plot (at least probably no more this week than any other, LOL), but yes, I have used an image and yes, I have coloured it with Promarkers!

First I made the card base itself - a rectangle at the back and a slightly smaller round-cornered one at the front onto which I had welded the 'Birthday' sentiment. The space in between the letters is actually just that - empty cut out space with central black pieces cut out and stuck onto the letters themselves.  I then completed my ensemble of cut files by making a framed mirror, shoebox, hanging rail, 'floor', clothes hanger, carrier bag and last but not least, the dress.  The mirri card I used is so good you can actually see my reflection & that of my camera! LOL.

It is the dress of course, where my Promarkers got to work and the image I used was Digi Doodle Shop's 'Hydrangea' which I resized, turned and repeated to create the dress 'fabric' before colouring in a more abstract way than I would normally. I actually used the same Promarkers to colour the pink tissue paper in the carrier bag too but you know how I like coordination! The handle of the carrier is actually a warp yarn from some canvas fabric which I thought did a pretty good job of masquerading as cord.

I created yet one more cut file - the black shaped piece for the inside of the card so the cut-work of the front had a dark base behind.  The insert is the same shape as the cut out area behind so is hiding it rather.  So, not quite my usual style of card - just stretching those little grey cells.

Tine :)

Challenges:
Deep Ocean - song title (Shopping - Pet Shop Boys)
Card Makin' Mamas - make it girlie
Fashionista - anything goes for girls
MilkCoffee - bold & bright
Ooh-La-La - bold & bright
Partytime Tuesday - colour or photo insp (black & pink)
Sentimental Sundays - frame it (use of the mirror) + sentiment
Joanna Sheen - for someone special
Ladybug Crafts Ink - shapes (made all mine, LOL)
Craft Your Passion - die cuts /punches (I used the Silhouette but did check it was OK to do so, honest!)
Lexis - punches & dies (as above for use of a digi cutter)
Whimsy - punches or die cuts (used a digi cutter)
Crafty Sentiments - use a digi (Hydrangea from DigiDoodle)
Wags 'n' Whiskers - anything goes.

Christening Boxes

Do you remember my last post - the white on white?   Well, I just had to make some boxes for my Christening cards for the twins, didn't I, so here they are -  and they fit in very nicely with the theme at Mo's this week of  'I see spots'.

I made them from my favourite cardstock with a pearlescent sheen which of course, bounces the light off the embossed dots (made with an embossing folder), on my central panel beautifully.  The image I used for the circular tags is exactly the same as on the Christening cards themselves, (that of 'Babygirl S by Mo Manning) and I also made one a reflected image of the other as I did before so they match the cards. I am sure I don't need to tell anyone that I coloured them with Promarkers, LOL.

I also created & cut out the recipients names myself, setting them in a similar fashion into the layered banner (from Bird's Cards) - hinting at the card hidden away inside.  The flower embellishing each one echoes the names of the babies.  Having cut & rolled up the rose I dotted the centre with Liquid Pearls and hand embossed Poppy's flower for a bit of interest & dimension before adding a few Liquid Pearls dots to the centre of this too, & which hopefully make it more poppy-like.  I also hand embossed the leaves from Penny Duncan.

A card in it's own box.

Need more spots 'n' dots? LOL.  Well, I gave the top edges of the box added interest with a minuscule scalloping into which I added a tiny cut out circle every so often and not one to like waste, I used an off-cut remnant of the scalloped edge to decorate the central panel too. Far too pretty to consign to the bin!

I'll just show you one of the insides of the boxes, the other just has a different name and with the flowers on the other  side.

As I usually do, I gave the boxes an insert - this time with a scalloped edge & also with a sentiment in a similar font to the one I used to cut the name tags. If you look carefully, you will see that this is printed on top of a faded out version of the main image. Again, keeping each variation of the image for each girl. I kept the embellishment of the insides necessarily flat of course, but used the same flowers as I had cut for the cards. Total co ordination!

Hope you like them.

Tine :)

P.S - if you would like to see details of the cards themselves the link is here.

Challenges I would like to enter my boxes for are:
Mo's - I see spots
Stamping Sisters in Christ - a joyful, celebratory occasion
Passion for Promarkers - white on white
Sunday's With Crissy - favourite colour combo (WoW - hard to beat I reckon)
Emerald Faeries - use a banner
Frosted Designs - banners
Pink Elephant - flowers
Great Impressions - flowers
Wags 'n' Whiskers - say it with flowers
Truly Madly Crafty - handmade flowers
Crafty Creations - flower power
Tip Top - spotty dotty
I Brake For - anything but a card (boxes albeit for cards, LOL)
Tammy's Scapin' Corner - anything goes (with embossing).