Monday 30 April 2012

More Challenge cards

Happy Monday

The sun is shining in my little part of the UK, and last week there were several challenges!!!!!!

The first card I would like to share is a Mothers day card, yes I know Mothers day is nothing but a memory here in the UK, but across the pond, it is still on the calendar, so here is my entry for STV's challenge:


The stamp set used on the focal image is Whats the Dirt, and the sentiment, I picked up in a sale earlier this year at a local hobby store, the image is cut out with Spellbinders lacy ovals, and layered onto big scalloped ovals, and labels eighteen, the little medallion behind the butterfly, is Spellbinders ribbon buckles and the butterfly is the smallest from Spellbinders butterflies 2.

The second card is for the amazing April release party, last Thursday over at STV, the new sets and papers are just wonderful, if you would like to see the new stamp sets and papers, you can see them Here.

The very talented DT member Tina set us a challenge for a card with one layer and one embellishment, now many of you know CAS is not something I find easy to do, but none the less I "had a go"!


The stamp set is a soon to be retired set from GKD, called Vintage Backgrounds, the sentiment is again from Whats the Dirt, and the flower is Spellbinders spiral blossom 2.

The last card for today is for the second party challenge, set by the lovely Cat, the challenge was to make a card, with an image of something you could find in the produce isle of your local supermarket.


I used the strawberries and the sentiment from Enjoy the Sunshine, again i used labels eighteen from Spellbinders, and classic ovals small, the strawberries are coloured using pencils and OMS, Gina has made two videos explaining how to do this technique and they can both be found below:

Part One:



Part Two:



Have a great day :-)

Monday 23 April 2012

CASE the Design Team Challenge

Happy Monday part 2

Here is a quick update of this weeks "Free for all Friday" challenge at STV, last friday the lovely Cat challenged us to CASE Melanie Muenchinger, if you know Mel's work, then you know what an amazing talented designer, author and artist she is, if you don't know her work then please click here to see her lovely gallery.

The card I CASE'd is this one:


I just adore the layout of this card, and as the rules of the challenge is to change at least two things, I certainly think I have managed that!


I have changed the stamp set, choosing to use Wild About You, this stamp set is by Theresa Momber, and is available at Gina K Designs. The image is coloured with Copic Markers.

Thank you for stopping by

CAS-ual Friday

Happy Monday

The sun is shining, and there is a competition over at CAS-UAL Fridays, the challenge is a sketch challenge:


Here is my entry:


The stamp set is Cool Beans, by Gina K Designs, and is coloured with Copic markers, and the prize is an amazing three stamp sets by Gina K Designs and are sponsored by the  very talented artist Theresa Momber, who designed all of these sets. As you can tell I am a huge fan of Theresa's and have several of her beautiful sets!


Check out this rubber-licious prize designed by Theresa and valued at $75!!
Dino-Mite, The Giving Tree and Vogue Vases

I hope you can join in, there is a couple of days left on this challenge!!!!!!

Thank you for dropping by 

Monday 16 April 2012

More Challenges

Happy Monday

Today there are two new challenges, the first is STV's Face Book Challenge, the challenge is called "The Twist", and the idea is to use a masculine image and make a feminine card with it OR use a feminine image and make a masculine card with it. I was undecided as to which choice to make so I made both!



The stamp set is Vogue Vases by Theresa Momber for Gina K. Designs, I used a twist on the Faux Pressed Flowers technique by the very talented Anne Harada. The DP is Pool Side, also by Gina K Designs, and the brads were from my stash.


For this card I used the DP stack called Petals & Wings, along with the stamp set Vintage Chic, again both available at Gina K Designs. The little ribbon buckle was in my stash as was the ribbon.

The last card today is for the STV Mix it up Monday challenge set by Vera. 


The challenge is to use a stamps that you own, but have not yet used, in other words not yet got inky. The stamps I used are from a set called Funny Farm, I do not own the set, but the two stamps used on the card were part of a "Grab Bag" that I won last December with This card, and as I have not yet used these stamps, this challenge was the perfect opportunity. The colouring was all done using Copic markers, and the sentiment is cut out using SU punches, the raffia twine I picked up last week at the florists wholesalers.

Thanks for dropping by 

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Heavy Metal Challenge

Happy Wednesday

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter, last Monday my lovely friend Rosy posted a challenge over at STV, called "heavy Metal". The challenge is to create a card using embossed foil. Below is the very talented and lovely Gina K demonstrating this technique:


I had issues with the tin foil, I had in the house being to thin, it kept developing holes and rips, and as it was a bank holiday weekend, shopping was not on my to do list. So instead I raided my other half's model railway stash and found some copper foil, he had left over from one of his projects. This foil was much thicker and I was very happy with the result. I will try to purchase some good quality baking foil for future projects, as this technique produces some wonderful results, and I think my husband will not be so generous with his foil in future.

Here is my entry:


The embossing folder is one of the new M-bossability folders from Spellbinders, it is called So Trendy ES-006, I am hooked on these new embossing folders, love the fact you have two designs on the one folder, and what a lovely deep impression they give. The stamp set is a new addition to my collection, and is by the oh so talented Tami Mayberry, it is available at Gina K Designs and is called Masculine Tags. I have distressed the image with Tim Holtz Tonic distress tool and also his sanding block. The foil had several colours of metallic rub on paste added, to add to the distressed look.

Thank you for stopping by

Wednesday 4 April 2012

Some more competition cards

Happy Wednesday

My first card is for the Free for all Friday Competition over at STV and is being hosted this week by my lovely friend Karen Shirey, and the theme is "things with wings"


The sentiment is from the stamp set A Beautiful Life, I have used Spellbinders Butterfly Circles S4-329, these are matted on Standard Circles small S4-116, the butterflies are MS punches and the oh so pretty DP is Petals and Wings.

My next two cards are for the "Mix it up Monday" and the theme is get well cards, the oh so sweet Linda Payne is hosting this challenge, and it has a sad note to it. Our lovely fellow STV fan Karen is seriously ill in hospital after having two brain surgeries on the same day, I know everyone who knows her is praying for her and I also know she has spoken to another friend on the phone yesterday, so her prognosis as I type this looks good.


This card is uses a multitude of spellbinders products and is based on a card I saw recently on the TV shopping channel, the base and layers are Grand Labels twenty three LF-347 and the frame is Labels eight - S5-091, the sentiment is from Elegant Flowers, the embossing is done with Grand Impressabilities Fancy Flourish GI-004, I have used the direct to paper technique using Tattered Rose distress ink, and the flower is the smallest four flowers from Grand Peony Creations LF-005 also inked while still in the die with Tattered Rose as is the background around the sentiment.


This is the card I will send to Karen, I have kept it simple and reasonably flat due to posting issues, the stamp sets are Wild Flowers, the latest set by the oh so talented Melanie Muenchinger, the sentiment is from Fanciful Tags,  the lace effect is made with a MS all over the page punch, the ribbon is forever friends by Do Craft.

Thank you for stopping by 



Monday 2 April 2012

April Calendar

Happy April to you, I hope you all had a fun April fools day. Sorry this post is a little late, but April just snuck up on me.


This months calendar page has a spring feel, with a little Easter thrown in for good measure. The stamp sets are Calendar Grid, Calendar Bits and Pieces, A Year of Flowers, Pressed Flowers, and Basket Blessings, all available at Gina K Designs

The tulips are double stamped, so I have stamped the solid image from Pressed Flowers and then over stamped it with the line image from A Year of Flowers in a darker colour, I just love how Melanie Muenchinger has created these two sets to co-ordinate and make this technique possible. There is some amazing ideas for these two sets in Melanie's book also called A Year of Flowers and is also available from Gina K Designs, it is published by Annie's Attic and can be purchased direct from them, Amazon also stock this book.


I know I have mentioned the book before, but I really urge you to take a look, the stamp set and the book, will keep you in ideas for many years to come, and is a wonderful addition to your book shelf.

Thank you for stopping by