I'm still here.......

......but having evaluated all my crafting supplies and the fact that I have approximately 300 handmade cards stored in boxes in various locations around the house I have decided to stop making cards and concentrate instead on my scrapbooking as I feel that has more of a purpose.

I've been busy selling various cardmaking supplies (on Ebay and Facebook) but still have the cards sat around and short of giving them away am now at a loss what to do with them so would welcome any ideas!!

I shall return soon (when my crafting area is less full of Jiffy bags, envelopes and tape) with scrapbook layouts - well, that's the plan!!

Hoping someone out there is still reading this and may want to return...........

Inkspirational Challenge 47 - Live in the Sunshine

I only came across the Inkspirational blog recently and in order to try and keep the mojo flowing I've joined in with Challenge 47 which was a colour inspiration challenge to use any brown with any yellow. This was quite a challenge for me as they're definitely not my kind of colours!!

I stamped the stamp from the Artistic Outpost set The Outpost on to white card and then embossed it with clear embossing powder before adding distress inks in Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain. I then used an iron to remove the embossing powder.

I used the flower stamp from Artistic Outpost's set Old Grist Mill and stamped it using Versamark ink on to the kraft cardstock background.

Materials used: kraft cardstock, white card, Artistic outpost stamps, Versamark ink, clear embossing powder, Ranger Distress inks, twine, beaded string.

Another Crafty Secrets card

I've made another card using a digital stamp from Crafty Secrets - this one is from the Bird Notes set which is definitely one of my favourites.

I printed the stamp on to cream cardstock and then coloured it using Derwent Inktense pencils. 

Materials used: cream cardstock, Crafty Secrets digital stamp, Derwent Inktense pencils, Papermania Regency papers, Ranger Distress ink,  unknown make of ribbon and pins.

Another Crafty Secrets card

Here's another Crafty Secrets card but instead of stamping this one uses part of the Birds and Blossoms Creative Scraps.

I used cream cardstock for the base and used Distress Ink around the edges then layered up various Kaisercraft papers, lace and the picture. 

I added a metal photo corner which I painted with Vintaj patinas and then added paper roses, a K & Co sentiment sticker and some "grassy bits" which I was given by my Mother-in-law.

Materials used: cream cardstock, Ranger Distress inks, Crafty Secrets Creative Scraps, Kaisercraft Sweet Nothings papers, K & Co Beyond Postmarks sticker, metal corner, Vintaj patinas, lace, lace leaves and lace circle, paper roses, "grass".

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TLC card - Happy Day

Here's a card I made using a free digital image from the fabulous Create with TLC blog.

I printed it on to white cardstock and used Derwent Inktense pencils to colour it. All papers were distressed around the edges.

I found an old K & Co epoxy sticker to use for the sentiment.

Materials used: Create with TLC digital image, Derwent Inktense pencils, cream cardstock, October Afternoon papers, Prima paper, Ranger Distress inks, K & Co epoxy sticker, gingham ruffled ribbon, various buttons and ribbon.

Crafty Secrets - Fairy Birthday Wishes

Here's a card I made using one of the digital stamps from Craft Secrets' Fairy Wishes set.

I printed it on to cream cardstock and coloured it with Prismacolor pencils but no blender.

The sentiment was stamped using Fairyland clear stamps on to cream cardstock using black Versafine ink and then die-cut with a Spellbinders die. I then used Distress Ink on the edges.

Materials used: Kraft cardstock, Distress Ink, Papermania Madame Payraud paper, Crafty Secrets digital stamp, Prismacolor pencils, Crafty Secrets clear stamps, Spellbinders die.

52 card challenge 2014 - Week 1

I started on the 52 card challenge over at UKScrappers in 2012 and didn't get very far but am hoping to do better this year!!

The challenge for week 1 was to use new stash so I cracked open the new Papermania stuff I bought with some Christmas money. I'm loving the 2 new ranges made by them - Sew Lovely and Madame Payraud - both quite vintagey and muted. 

I think I've forgotten how to make cards but hopefully they'll get better as I get back in to it!!

Materials used: Papermania Kraft cardstock, Papermania Sew Lovely papers and die-cut, stamp free from papercrafting magazine, brown Memento ink, Prismacolor pencils, lace and various vintage buttons.

Crafty Secrets - What's the Buzz?

I'm on a roll with another item for the Crafty Secrets Linky Party on the blog!! Having coloured my last Crafty Secrets stamp with watercolour pencils I wanted to have a go with my Spectrum Noir pens this time.

I used a stamp from the Bug's Life stamp set which I stamped using Memento ink on to white card already die-cut in a hexagonal shape, coloured with my pens and then distressed the edges using Distress inks.

After that I lost my way a bit and after lots of playing around with patterned papers diecut in to hexagons I finally decided on the final layout although I'm still not sure about it!!

I used sequin waste and distress ink to add a bit of texture around the edges.

Sunny Sunday cards for MTDS

I haven't blogged for a while as it's been too hot to craft and when I did plan to have a day of crafting I was met by Jess waking up with chickenpox, although thankfully only a mild case.

I've made a couple of cards using a stamp from Unity's kit "The Right Words" but coloured the stamp in two different ways:

I hope that you're enjoying the weather wherever you are?!

The secret......

I've used one of my favourite co-ordinating colour schemes of orange and turquoise and dug out my embossing folders.

The sentiment is from Unity's "The Right Words" store kit and stamped using Versamagic chalk ink on to Coredinations cardstock with the heart shaded in with a pastel pencil. 

Watercolours

I've been busy this week helping to organise our school fair that's happening next week so only had time to make a quick card (well, two quick cards) today.

I've dragged out my neglected Marvy pens and used them to ink up the flower stamp from Unity's Moment's In Bloom kit before spritzing with water and stamping on to watercolour paper.

I also used the pens to ink the sentiment stamps from Unity's The Right Words and Life Becoming but stamped these without spritzing.

Behind the Mask

Today I've been playing with some masking tape and chalk inks to make a couple of Unity cards.

I used the Christy Tomlinson Urban Chevron stamp for the card on the left and the sentiment on the right card is from the Bold Insight store kit.

I've then added stickers and a die-cut to embellish.

Now I'm off to try some more masking and inking.

Pencil on Kraft

It's my day for posting on the Make The Day Special blog but this time I thought I'd try something different from my usual and go for a Clean and Simple (CAS) card.

I stamped the flowers from Unity's Quiet Essence kit on to kraft cardstock using brown Memento ink and then coloured the image using Prismacolor pencils.

The sentiment from Unity's "A Mother's Love" kit was then stamped, again using the Memento ink.

100 (tomorrow)

Tomorrow my OH's Gran celebrates her 100th birthday so I made a card which I'm sharing here today. As it was quite bulky I also had to make a box to put it in before sending:

Materials used: Papermill cardstock, My Mind's Eye papers, Nestabilities dies, Coredinations cardstock, vintage glass glitter, beaded embellishment, Wild Orchid Crafts flowers, Hobby House gemstones, satin ribbon, Prima alphabet stickers.

Followed by my second Gorjuss

So, when I inked up that stamp I used yesterday I tried colouring it in a slightly different colourway and today I made that up in to another card!! I used a My Mind's Eye paper pad that was a free gift with a cardmaking magazine a while ago:

Materials used: Kraft cardstock, Gorjuss stamp, Memento ink, Spectrum Noir pens, My Mind's Eye papers and sentiment, Prima rhinestone, roses ribbon.

My first Gorjuss

I'm not a big fan of "people" stamps especially ones with no facial features but I'll make an exception for Gorjuss stamps. I bought my first ones a few weeks ago and inked up the first one to make a card. I've been poorly for the last couple of weeks and only feel like crafting now:

Materials used: Kraft cardstock, My Mind's Eye papers, Gorjuss stamp, Spectrum Noir pens, Papermania sentiment stamp, Memento ink, My Mind's Eye printed twill, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, Wild Orchid paper roses, pompom trim, beaded embellishment.

Play Date Cafe - PDCC#166

It's ages since I played along with any challenge so I decided to give this week's colour splash challenge at The Play Date Cafe a try:

Here's my card:

Materials used: Papermill cardstock, La Blanche background stamp, black Memento ink, Basic Grey stamp, American Crafts rub-on sentiment, Prima flower centre, trim, Wild Orchid Crafts roses. Beaded embellishment handmade by me.

DCM - Don't worry, be happy

Well, I hit the challenge blogs for something to try and kickstart the mojo and over on the Daring Cardmakers blog the challenge this week is Don't worry, be happy so I pulled out a couple of unused stamps and off I went!

Materials used: Kraft cardstock, October Afternoon papers and sticker, stamps by Flonz, sepia Archival ink, Prismacolor pencils, Colorbox chalk ink, ribbon, flower trim.

Crafty Templates August #2

Here's my second card for Crafty Templates this month. It uses the Hat Boxes template sheet. To read more details on signing up to get the templates monthly have a look here.

I used items from the stunning Quirky kit "Tell Me More" which can be seen in the shop here. The only thing not from the kit is the tiny alphabet stickers:

Crafty Templates August #1

Here's my first card for Crafty Templates this month. It uses the Bow Dress template sheet. To read more details on signing up to get the templates monthly have a look here.

I used items from the stunning Quirky kit "Tell Me More" which can be seen in the shop here.

I paper pieced the dress and used the pink netting as an overskirt.