Happy Halloween

Morning all,

You know what it's like ... you buy a set of stamps you fell in love with in the store and when you get it home you realise that there will be at least one (or more) you are unlikely to ever use?!?! We've all done it - no good pretending you haven't unless you are REALLY iron willed about your stash acquisition! However, I recently bought a set of stamps and have already used (and love) ALL of the images in the set .... don't you just love it when that happens? And DON'T you just wish it happened more often too?

My card

The front and back of my card and front of my envelope

The inside of my card and reverse of my envelope

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 250gsm, card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to 3.75" x 5" and 4" x 5.25"
• One piece of grey card cut to 4" x 5.25"
• Snippets of card in white and grey for image panel and matting
• Red/gold ribbon
• Carabelle image stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Kaisercraft pastel and glitter pens used to colour
• Mod Podge dimensional gloss applied over hearts and set aside to dry
• Fiskars sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink

I'll be entering this make for the following challenges:-

1. Addicted to Stamps - challenge No. 317 - MAKE YOUR MARK
2. CRAFT challenge - 27th October challenge - ADD RIBBON, SPARKLE AND SHINE.... ribbonP, sparkle(glitter pens)P  and shine (dimensional gloss)P.
3. Amusing challenge - challenge No. 39 - ANYTHING GOES

The stamp set I'm crazy about?

Then I decided to try a masculine card ... with lots of layers of stamping but using very masculine colours of grey, light blue, dark blue and black - I am loving it - wondering if I could use that chevron as a Christmas tree now though!!!

My card

And a closer view of the image panel

The front and back of my card and front of my envelope

The inside of my card and reverse of m envelope

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 250gsm, card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to 3.75" x 5" and 4" x 5.25"
• One piece of mid blue card cut to 4" x 5.25"
• MFT "swipe" stamped using Ranger Archival watering can ink
• Paper Bag Studio "scratched chevron" image stamped using Versafine majestic blue ink
• MFT large splatter design stamped using Brilliance Mediterranean blue ink
• MFT sentiment and small splatter stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• White gelly roll gel pen used to doodle in the scratched chevron and a black Faber Castell pitt pen to doodle a border around the sentiment

I'll be entering this for the following challenges too:-

1. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 44 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Perfectly Created Chaos - challenge No. 4 - ANYTHING GOES
3. AAA Cards - challenge No. 76 - MASCULINE

It's Halloween so I couldn't NOT post a monster card now, could I? This one's different again from the above two ..

My card

A closer view so you can see the stickles a little better!

The inside of my card and reverse of my envelope

The front and back of my card and front of my envelope

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 250gsm, card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card, cut to 3.75" x 5" and 4" x 5.25"
• One piece of black card cut to 4" x 5.25"
• Snippets in white and black
• Self adhesive ribbon (black with stars)
• Recollections monster image stamped using Memento tuxedo black ink on to snippet which I then coloured with alcohol markers, including the background
• Inkadinkado circles image stamped using Memento grape jelly ink
• White gelly roll gel pen used to doodle a border on the black matting layer
• Mod Podge dimensional gloss applied to the eyes
• Diamond stickles to bling up the image and the background circles
• Art Impressions sentiment stamped using Memento tuxedo black ink

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. Addicted to CAS - challenge No. 100 - MONSTER
2. Hiding in my craft room - challenge No. 273 - FREESTYLE
3. MFP - challenge No. 44 - ANYTHING GOES

Three different cards for you today .. one super CAS, one masculine with a number of stamping layers and one monstrously cute!!!! Hard to pick a fave?!?!??!

Happy Halloween

Another lazy Sunday .. but this one's the last in October!

Morning all,

Last Sunday in October? I'm still wondering what happened to September so who stole October?!?!? In case I miss it - HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Decided to make a card that's a little more fussy and fancy than I usually make (these days), hope you aren't too shocked by it!!!!

My card

And a closer view of my image panel

The front and back of my card and the front of my envelope

The inside of my card and you will (NO DOUBT) notice it's another view of the FRONT
of my envelope instead of the reverse - DOH! Sorry about that but the back IS decorated!

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 250gsm, card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to 3.75" x 5" and a snippet for my image panel
• Light blue card cut to 4" x 5.25" and two snippets for matting and layering
• DCWV snippet of patterned paper (from the Rock Star pad) for matting
• Strip of lace ... just because I could - still trying to use up those snippets in all their forms!
• Dylusions flower image stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Alcohol markers and Kaisercraft gel markers used to colour
• Crystal stickles to embellish
• Art Impressions sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink

Whilst it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaay off from my usual style, I still really like it - reminds me of when I used to belong to the original Craftbubble crafting forum and made so many lovely friends (both online and in real life) and entered the Saturday "Sketchie" challenges - those WERE the days.

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Pixie's Crafty Workshop - challenge No. 253 - USE SNIPPETS
2. Addicted to Stamps - challenge No. 134 - LOTS OF LAYERS - I count 8!
3. Kraftin' Kimmie - challenge No. 355 - LOTS OF LAYERS
4. Colour Crazy Craft - challenge No. 25 - ANYTHING (hand coloured) GOES
5. The Pencil Case - challenge No. 31 - ANYTHING (hand coloured) GOES

And here's a really CAS kind of card to show you that I haven't totally lost the plot!!

My card

The front and back of my card and front of my envelope

The inside of my card and reverse of my envelope

Materials used:-

• White C6/A2, 250gsm, card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card, cut to 4" x 5.25" and edged using Ranger Archival watering can ink
• Inkadinkado foliage (from their meadow set) stamped using Ranger Archival watering can ink, stamping a second time without re-inking and then stamped a third time but using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Stampendous sentiments stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Diamond stickles used to highlight only the black image, the "H" and "B" of the Happy Birthday

I'll be entering this make for the following challenges:-

1. Brown Sugar - challenge No. 222 - BIRTHDAY
2. Creative Fingers - challenge No. 119 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Simply Papercraft for all occasions - challenge No. 39 - ANYTHING GOES
4. CAS on Sunday - challenge No. 95 - FLOWERS

Welcome to Saturday ....

Hi peeps,

Well Woo Hoo it's the weekend ... and the first card I have to share with you kind of looks like Santa is of the same opinion!

My card ... isn't this Santa just the cutest?!??!

The front and back of my card and the front of my envelope

The inside of my card and reverse of my envelope

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 250gsm, card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to 3.75" x 5" and 4" x 5.24"
• Black card cut to 4" x 5.25"
• Snippets of white card (one coloured with a red alcohol marker) and black
• Length of Christmas ribbon
• My Favorite Things Santa image stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Alcohol markers to colour
• Wink of Stella clear glitter brush pen to add some twinkle
• Dylusions border image stamped on to my red matting layer using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• White gelly roll gel pen used to doodle a dotty border on to my black matting layer
• Diamond stickles to highlight the "snow"
• My Sentiments Exactly Christmas sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. CRAFT - challenge No. 387 - RIBBON, SPARKLE and SHINE
2. As You Like It - 20th October challenge - OLD or NEW STASH AND WHY ... new stash and, because it's just one of the most fabulous Santa images and, this time of year, it's getting to be all about SANTA!
3. Crafting by Designs - October 26th challenge - GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS
4. Addicted to Stamps - challenge No. 317 - MAKE YOUR MARK
5. Simply Less Is More - challenge No. 300 - CELEBRATIONS or FESTIVALS

I bought some nice wrapping paper recently, whilst in IKEA, to wrap a specific Christmas gift ..... now thinking it looks a little "ordinary" for Christmas so decided to bling it up with a posh tag using the set above .....

wrapping paper

My tag

Materials used:

• 2" strip of white card cut to tag size and the corners taken off with a Fiskars corner punch (not used in an absolute AGE)
• 1.75" strip of white card coloured using a blue alcohol marker and stamped with Recollections sentiment in Ranger Archival jet black ink, an Inkadinkado snowflake repeat stamped using watering can ink 
• Black card for matting
• Snippet of white card on to which I stamped my MFT Santa using Memento tuxedo black ink before colouring with alcohol markers, blinging up with diamond stickles and applying Mod Podge dimensional gloss over the fur and beard areas. Once dry I fussy cut this image and attached to my tag
• Crop-a-dile (ALSO not used in an absolute AGE) used to punch a hole and set an eyelet (3/8")

I'll be entering this tag over at Go Tag Thursday, challenge No. 20 - YOUR FAVOURITE THEME ... my fave theme is CHRISTMAS and Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas challenge, No. 305 - ANYTHING (Christmas) GOES

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!!!

Welcome to the start of the weekend

Morning all,

Out to dinner yesterday, with pals, Chili's - had a delicious grilled chicken salad .. busy feeling smugly self righteous ... right until the moment our shared appetiser of texas fries arrived - I'll NEVER get thin this way!

I feel I am nearing the end of my two commissions, my neighbour asked me for a quantity of birthday cards (some masculine but the majority female or unisex) and her daughter wanted generic and sentiment free, again, mostly female or unisex - this one is one of the female/unisex birthday cards .... it's got a pretty vintage feel with the muted palette and whilst not overly masculine, I'd like to hope a guy on the receiving end wouldn't be too put out!

My card

The front and back of my card and the front of my envelope

The inside of my card and reverse of my envelope

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6/A2 card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to 4" x 5.25"
• Black card cut to a narrow border 
• Penny Black foliage image stamped using Versafine vintage sepia ink
• Penny Black bird and Clearly Wordsworth sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Crystal stickles used to highlight the foliage and sentiment

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Penny's Paper Craftng - challenge No. 301 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Crafty Gals Corner - challenge No. 95 - ANYTHING GOES
3. Craft Your Passion - challenge No. 335 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Crafting From The Heart - challenge No. 133 - ANYTHING GOES

And, because I am nearing the completion of my commission I took some time out to make an anniversary card - just because I can!!!

My card

And a close up to show the sparkle and dimensional gloss

The front and back of my card and the front of my envelope

The inside of my card and reverse of my envelope

Materials used:

• White C6/A2, 250gsm, card and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card cut to 3.75" x 5" and 4" x 5.25"
• Bronze metallic card cut to a narrow border
• Black card cut to 4" x 5.25"
• Carabelle heart/splatter image stamped using Ranger Archival watering can ink
• My Favourite Things splatter stamped using Memento lilac posies ink
• Fiskars sentiments stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Kaisercraft red metallic gel pen used to colour the heart
• Mod Podge dimensional gloss applied over the heart and set aside to dry
• Diamond stickles to highlight

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Create and Inspire - challenge No. 54 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Through The Craft Room Door - October 25th challenge - ANYTHING GOES
3. Crafty Sentiments - October 25th challengne - ANYTHING GOES

And now for the Friday Funny which was provided by, Jan, thanks Jan - I'm sure all women past a certain age can relate to this!

And, since it's approaching Halloween Jan also sent this ..

A Halloween TRUMPkin!!!

And this one kind of gives a more even perspective of both Presidential candidates ... although the carving is much better on the one above!!!

Have a great weekend