Challenge Host - Mix it up Monday

Happy Monday

The lovely Lori McAree has asked me to host this weeks:

I am asking you to CASE another member, not a DT member or myself, but another STV fan, who you admire! You can enter HERE

There are so many talented fans at STV it is not easy to choose who to CASE, I have seen so many stunning creations in the Galleries and I know it will be hard to choose!!!!!!

I chose to CASE Geri, there is a card Geri created back in January, and is one I admired so much so I had to buy the window die, this design has stuck in my mind ever since!

Geri is so talented, she has an amazing blog that I advise you to check out HERE, she will no doubt inspire you into creating.

Here is Geri's card:

This is such a stunning creation by Geri and you can find more details HERE. Geri also created another card using this die and you can find the link HERE.

Here is my CASE:

As the rules dictate, you must change at least two things about the original card, so I have chosen a garden scene instead of a sea scape, and I have also added a sentiment. The stamp sets are The Giving Tree, from Gina K Designs and illustrated by the very talented Theresa Momber, the sentiment is from this moths one free with three, also from Gina K Designs and is called One in a Million

If you can find the time to play, please come and join in as there is a Gina K Grab bag as the prize!!!!!!!

Thank you for stopping by :-)

Challenge Cards

Happy Friday

I have entered last weeks Monday challenge, set by Geri at STV, she has an amazing blog and is a very talented lady, you can find her blog here, it is well worth following. The challenge was to create a square card, of any size, just keep it square, the challenge is still open until Sunday 8pm Central Time which is 2am Monday UK time, so if you get a chance to enter over the weekend you could win a wonderful grab bag of Gina K stamps.

Here is my entry:

The card is a 4 1/2" square and the DP is from the new Gina K range of papers, this one is called Parisian Garden and you can find all the papers here, they are amazing quality and value. The sentiment is from Bold and Beautiful, and is cut out using Spellbinders Labels 4 S4-190, and layered on Romantic Rectangles S5-090. The large flower is created using Heartfelt Creations Daisy Patch 

HCD-703, and the corresponding stamp set, this was stamped onto the Parisian Garden DP and cut with the matching dies, the leaves are also by Heartfelt creations and are HCD-707. The butterflies are cut out on the same DP as the flowers with a MS punch. The stick pin is one I have made and the brad and ribbon are from my stash.

Have an amazing holiday weekend, I hope you get the chance to be crafty :-)

The flower is made with Heartfelt creations 

May Calendar

Happy May 1st, the year seems to be speeding along now, and the days are getting longer, and I for one hope they will soon be getting warmer, after such a miserable, cold and wet April.

Recently my thoughts have been turning to those lovely long walks along the beach with my dog and at weekends the lovely man I share my life with, so this was the inspiration for this months project.

As always the stamp set for the calendar is by Gina K Designs, and the brain child of the wonderful and very talented Tami Mayberry and you can find the details Here and Here. 

The dies are all by Spellbinders, the actual calendar grid being cut out with Grand Scalloped Ovals 

LF-111, and inked around the edges with some SU Night of Navy ink. 

The banners are Basic Banners 3 S5-046, and the detail of the lighthouse etc are Nautical Frames S5-046, I just adore Spellbinders new dies, and I have many on my wish list, they also have an amazing web site with great designers and it is well worth checking out, you can find them here, they have wonderful design ideas and I recommend clicking on the tab that says "community", this is where the designers strut their amazing talents and also you can find tutorials and videos on how to use Spellbinders gorgeous  products.

The wonderful DP is by Kanban and is part of the Artscapes collection, here I used Coastline.

Have an amazing day, and thank you for stopping by 

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 :-)

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 

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 

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

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 

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 

Gina K Release Party Challenges

Happy Monday

Gina K Designs and Stamp TV had a Launch Party last Thursday, and I must say the new stamp sets are divine, and yes I want them all :-) If you have not seen them yet then you can find them Here.

Along with the new sets, and new STV Kit there are six launch challenges, so far I have entered:

Donna's Quilting Challenge:

The stamp set is Nana's Needlework, and is to be retired very soon, so if it is on your wish list, then I suggest you get it while you can, it is sad when a set is retired, but it is also very exciting to see what will take it's place, and I fully understand that Gina needs room for all the exciting new things that will be coming out in 2012. The DP is from a pack called "Boofie" by Do Craft.

Challenge 2 is Theresa's Sponge a Layer Challenge, I can honestly say, everything I know about sponging inks, has been learned from the uber talented Theresa, and her new stamp set is wonderful, full of safari images, it is called Wild about you, here is my entry for the challenge:

The stamp set is also by Theresa and is called The Giving Tree, the sponged layer is a mask made from a Petite Ovals by Spellbinders S4-138, and I sponged Memento Cantaloupe and a little Angel Pink along the edges.

Challenge 3 was set by the lovely and talented Lee, I just love her work, and am very honoured to have 2 of her cards framed and hanging on my craft room wall. Lee asked us to make a "Memory Keeper", if you would like to know how to make one for yourself, there is a template and card inserts on the Freebies page, over at STV, just scroll down to find them. Here is a couple of links to the videos Memory Keeper Part One and Memory Keeper Part Two. Here is my entry:

The stamp sets are Organise it, and Labeled with Love, the CS is Gina K Pure Luxury in Ocean Mist and Red Hot, the DP is from a new line by Gina called Red Carpet. 

Challenge 4:

The lovely Lori has challenged us to make a card using the "Cracked Glass" technique you can see Gina's video for this technique Here. I had tried this technique over a year ago, with regular embossing powder, but without much success, I now have UTEE by Ranger, and was thrilled with the results, I will defiantly be using this one again!

The stamp set is Vintage Chic, the DP is another recent release by Gina called Casual Friday, and in my book a must have for masculine cards. The dies are by Spellbinders and are Classic Ovals Large S4-110 and Big Scalloped Ovals Large S4-251.

There are two more launch challenges, as I go to post, and I will be entering those later this week, time permitting, all launch challenges have to be in by March 19th, there is also the regular challenges still running, so if you can, then stop by STV and play along with one or more, it is well worth it, and the prize of a grab bag of stamps is a wonderful addition to anyones collection.

Thanks for stopping by 

Lieber Blog Award 

Thank you to Wide Eyed Stamper for choosing me to receive the Liebster Award.

It is such an honor! (and I hope I am doing this properly :))

"The origins of the Liebster Blog award are somewhat unclear but the general consensus is that it originated in Germany, Liebster meaning favorite or dearest, to showcase bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. Upon accepting the award the recipient must then pass it on to five more blogs of note."

Without further adieu, here's what you do as a presenter of this award!

1.Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2.Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
3.Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
4.Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve.
5.Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

So, now it's my turn to pay it forward, my picks for fellow bloggers with less than 200 followers, in no particular order, are as follows:

1. Brenda at Stamp it Up

2. Sean at Card Crafty Club

3. Geri at Geri's Cards

4. Cheri at Stamp'n Boomer

5. Sue at Cards by Q

Now, if each of the 5 people I have chosen would please choose 5 of their own! 
Hugs to all :-)

Thank you for stopping by

New Craft Room

Happy Friday, I am working tomorrow, demonstrating Die Cutting, so no rest for me this weekend, as promised pictures of my new craft room!

This is taken with the window behind me

This is my die cutting area

My collection of embellishments, the two framed cards are from members of the GKD design team

the one on the left is by the lovely Lee Murphy and the one on the right is by the lovely Melanie Muenchinger, there is now a third card on here framed, also by Lee, but it arrived after the pictures were taken!

My ribbon cupboard on the right,files centre, and far left my collection or should I say addiction of Gina K stamps (the Gina K part of the room is still a work in progress)

View behind my L shape desk arrangement , thank you Gina for that idea 

My paper store, I had the paper trays already, but the cupboards were abandoned by my youngest son, when he moved out and are a perfect fit for all my card and paper.

View from the door

Thank you for stopping by, I do hope you have a wonderful weekend!

March Calendar

Happy Wednesday

Here is my March Calendar Page:

Stamp set is Spring Basket by Gina K Designs

I cut out the calendar grid using Grand Labels Four - LF-190

For details on how I made the Calendar please see a previous post

Life here on my little bit of the Kent coast has been rather mad lately, my youngest son moved out last week (I say youngest, he is 23), and I have moved out of the corner of Hubbies Study, and into my own craft room (formally said sons bedroom). So my week between work and helping youngest settle in to new flat, I have been moving in to my new room, everything is now in and I will be taking pictures, the new craft room will be posted on here next week.

Thank you for stopping by 

STV Free for all Friday & FB Challenges

Happy Monday to you all

Firstly I would like to say how much fun it was being the guest host last week for the shaker card challenge (see previous post). Thank you for all of you who supported me in this, and for your amazing creations, they can be seen here in the challenge gallery.

I had never appreciated how hard the designers over at STV really worked, until last week, and I would like to say a big thank you to Gina and all the designers for their ongoing inspiration and support, you are all truly wonderful.

Today I have two cards for you, the first is the Friday challenge at STV, creative Cat has asked us to CASE the lovely Jimmi Mayo, the card I have chosen to case can be found Here

As you can see, I have changed the DP, boarder, the ribbon and the sentiment.

The pots are paper pieced, and the DP is from my stash, the stamp set is What's the Dirt, I was lucky enough to win this as blog candy from the amazing and talented Melanie Muenchinger, if you have not checked out her blog yet, it is well worth a look and can be found Here

The flowers were coloured using Bic Mark it markers in the ultra fine in Sunset Orange, Summer Melon, Polynesian Purple, Fandango pink, and Key Lime.

The little towel was coloured with the same Bic pens and I used Cloud Nine Grey, Summer Melon, and Polynesian Purple.

As you can see there are some "nibble" marks next to the little caterpillar, he is from a set by Melanie Muenchinger called A Year of Leaves, the addition of this little guy is me covering up a mistake, when I cut the Spellbinders Classic Oval small S4-112, I had used a scrap piece of card to create the image, and after taking it out of the die realised the mistake, so thinking it looked like a bite had been taken out, I added the caterpillar, to make it look like it was intended. As I tell all the lovely people who come to my classes, and demonstrations, there is no mistake you can't cover up. In fact I am very pleased with the outcome of my carelessness.

The sentiment is a wood mounted stamp from my local hobby store (probably from a sale bin), I cut an extra edge in the DP from the same punch as I used for the tag, and added it to the sentiment.

The lacy edge is cut using a MS punch, and the DP is mounted on some pink textured card is from a mixed colour pack by Papermania. the focal image is mounted on the same textured card and cut using Spellbinders Big Scalloped Ovals small S4-252.

My second challenge card is for the STV FB challenge, hosted by the lovely Lee, she has challenged us to use butterflies.

I have used another set of Melanie Muenchinger called A Year of Boarders, for the background and the large butterfly is a stamp duo called Hope is Faith, the boarder is Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Boardabilities S4-239, cut from another piece of the card from the same Papermania pack, the ink is Brilliance Pearlescent Purple, I just love how these inks twinkle in the light.

Thank you for dropping by, have a great crafty week!

Shake it up Monday

Happy Monday to you all

I have the honour of hosting the Mix it up Monday Challenge over at STV, the challenges can be found here. The challenge I have set is to make a shaker card, the theme of your card can be anything you like, winter, spring, birthday, valentines the only rule is to "make it shake"

Gina has two wonderful videos on how to make a Shaker card:

Shaker Card Part One:

Shaker Card Part Two:

As tomorrow is Valentines day, I have made two valentines cards samples, and also added two shaker cards I have made previously, to help give you some inspiration for the challenge:

The first card is made using the stamp duo from GKD called Because of You, the image was stamped using Versa Fine black ink, the reason I used this ink is I personally find I get a better impression when using solid stamps. The DP was also stamped using Vintage Boarders. 

Below is a close up of the "shaker" part of the card, the black is music notes punched using a little punch I have had in my collection for over a year, and I think is by Woodware, the glitter is from a bargain bin, and is glitter strips in white.

I have also taken a photo of the inside of the card for you to see:

The "treble clef" was from the grab bag I recently was lucky to win, and the musical frame is from Lovely Labels Two, the sentiment is from one of my favourite sets Love Notes, the sentiments in this set are so beautiful, and in my humble opinion a must have for any stamper.

The shapes were all cut using Spellbinders dies, and a little tip if you want to cut acetate in your Cuttlebug or other die cutting machine, is to place some card stock underneath the acetate sheet, the die then cuts through both layers, but when I have tried to cut the acetate on it's own it does not cut right through!

The next card is again another valentines card:

The dies are also from Spellbinders and is called Heart Circles S4-316 and the heart dies are Spellbinders Classic Hearts S4-136 and the Classic Scalloped Hearts S4-137, the little hearts inside are the waste from the Heart Circles Die, and also some silver glitter.

Here is the inside:

The corner details are made using a punch again from my collection and the sentiment is from Heartily Yours, also from GKD.

Below are two shaker cards I had made last year, both using templates, if you would like a copy of the template PDF, please contact me at STV with you e-mail addy, and I would be pleased to send you a copy, as I can not work out how to post it on here for you!

The shaker part is sequins!

The shaker part is seed beads!

I do so hope you will come and join me for the challenge, have an amazing Monday 

Thank you for stopping by.