INTAAS - Remembrance

This is our challenge at International Art and Soul and was chosen by DT member Sall on the theme of 'Remembrance'.

A change for me as this card is a tall slim card but once again from Crafts UK. The shape suited the image perfectly.

The image was drawn by Teri Sherman of Delicious Doodles and I coloured it with my Promarkers. I matted it on to dark blue card from Papermill. I embossed a sheet of pale blue card from Papermill with a Crafter's Companion embossalicious folder of 'clouds'. I then cut it to fit the long slim card as the base mat for the image which I set at the top. I used the dark blue cut card to cut three thin strips which I added to the bottom of the card. 

This card is to be entered into the following challenges:

Colour Crazy Craft - Anything Goes Colouring

Crafty Creations - Anything Goes

I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes - Thinking of You

Word Art Wednesdays - Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes

Everybody Art - Memorial/Condolence

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes

Classic Design - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore - Anything Goes

Path of Positivity - Anything Goes option of Be Grateful

Thank you for visiting.

MAWTT Girls Just Wanna Have Fun! and MY blog hop winner

OK the first thing I'm going to do is announce MY winner of the MAWTT Birthday Blog Hop. Thank you all for for your lovely comments and I'm so glad that you all enjoyed the hop. Without further ado I will announce that the winner is...............

DEBBIE

I'll send you an email Debbie to get your details.

Janice is the hostess this week over at Moving Along with the Times and she chose the theme 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!'.

I had fun with this one (I'm not quite a girl but I was once - lol). I usually don't add too much because I like to keep things simple, however, I went to town on this one.

My card blank is by Joanna Sheen. The image is by Delicious Doodles and is called Sunshine Gal. I coloured her with my Promarkers and used Glossy Accents on her specs. I cut the image out with my x cut guillotine and matted it on to bright pink card from Papermill.  The lilac spotty paper is by Dovecraft and I matted that on the bright pink card too. I used a Spellbinders Parisian border for the fancy edge and then more Spellbinders dies for the sentiment base and other embellishments. The beads I bought when Eric and I were in Australia in 2010 and this is the first time I've used them. Little crystal flowers are set in the centre of two of the embellishments and below the sentiment. I can't even remember buying these but they were in my stash!

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - Summer Days
Crafty Catz Challenge - Anything Goes
Fussy and Fancy Challenge - Summertime
Sister Act Card Challenge 63 - Anything Goes
Allsorts Challenge - Summer Girls
613 Avenue Create Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
The Pink Elephant Challenge - Anything Goes
A Girl Who Crafts Challenge - Anything Goes
The Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes

I'm sorry that I haven't been around much, my eyes are still playing up and I'm spending as little time as possible on the computer. I can't believe that I can play a game on my laptop and my eyes stay open but I can hardly look at the computer screen or the TV and my eyes close. I'm fed up.

Another one for fun

Today after doing my ironing I decided to make a card. I'm so pleased that I'm eventually getting back into my crafting, I enjoy it so much once I get going.

My image is Tropical Masquerade by Delicious Doodles and you can buy it at the Delicious Doodles shop.

I enjoyed colouring the image, though it's not perfect by any means. The card blank is by Joanna Sheen and so is the purple Mirri card. The two backing papers are by Papermania. I used the purple Mirri card to cut two Marianne die swirls. I bought the little masks, I think they might have been from The Works, probably a year ago and this is the first time I've used one. My Promarkers were used for the image as per usual.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Delicious Doodles Challenge - For the love of animals
A Creative Romance Challenge - Girly Creations
Crafty Catz Challenge - Anything Goes
Left of Center Challenge - Girly

I want to thank all those followers who come and comment on my cards regularly when I just haven't felt able to reciprocate. I'm hoping that once I get settled into a new home, with my son and daughter in law, and have everything sorted out I'll feel able to slip into a routine.

Thank you all.

Tiger Lily

This image is called 'Lilleth' and is by Teri of Delicious Doodles. However, I've decided to call her Tiger Lily because I've coloured the lilies as tiger lilies. We had masses of tiger lilies in our garden when I was young and I always loved them. Unfortunately, I've never been very successful at growing them in my own gardens over the years.

After I'd decided to colour them as tiger lilies that decided the rest of my colour scheme - orange and green. A very bright and cheery card. I coloured the image with Promarkers and after cutting as a rectangle I matted it on to lime green card. The card blank is by Joanna Sheen and the orange and green card is all from Papermill. The image is so beautiful that it doesn't really need many embellishments so I kept it relatively simple. It was matted on to a bright orange base that I embossed with a Crafter's Companion 'A Stitch in Time' embossalicious folder. I added a lime green cord down the right with a Lili of the Valley sentiment set at the top of the cord. I stamped the sentiment and embossed it with Cosmic bronze embossing powder before cutting with a Spellbinders lacy circle die. I added a few green gems in the corners, job done.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge - Creating with colour (use your favourite colour - mine is green).
Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes
Digi Choosday Challenge - Flower Power
Ladybug Crafts Ink - Birthdays
Oldie but a Goodie Challenge - April Showers bring May Flowers oldie is green cord, I've had for years.

For a Special Female

I've been colouring this image for most of this week, starting and then stopping, as my eyes were playing up again. Eventually it was finished and I decided to tear it out rather than use a die. The image is called Delphinium and is by Delicious Doodles . I coloured it with my Promarkers and after tearing it I edged with Distress Ink. I generated the sentiment on the computer and tore this out too, edging it with Distress Ink and tying with a narrow lilac ribbon as a tag. My card blank is by Joanna Sheen and the backing paper is from a Papermania Capsule Collection in blue. I cut this with a Spellbinders grand nestie and matted it on to the purple card which is by Papermill. I used three little pearls in each corner and they are from Wild Orchid Crafts. It's a reasonably simple card but I think it looks quite effective and is for my niece's birthday (I have four nieces so I wonder which one will get this?).

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Delicious Doodles - For Mother's Day or For a Special Female
4kraftygirlz Challenges - Anything Goes
Crafty Little Fairies - Add a Tag
Southern Girls Challenge - Floral Frenzy
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes
Scrapper's Delights Challenge - For a Special Lady

Thank you all so much for visiting, please call again.

Kingfisher in the Rushes

I've had this image for a few months now after winning it in a blog challenge. I haven't really been crafting very much at all until quite recently when I felt in the mood for doing some colouring again. I've been making my design team cards and that's about it but I've had a spate of colouring images just for the sake of colouring a lovely image. I really enjoyed colouring this one even though my eyes were playing up and I had to stop and start a number of times.

The image is called 'Kingfisher in the Rushes' and is by Delicious Doodles.

Unfortunately my photo isn't 100% which I didn't notice until after I'd cropped it and saved it so I think I'll use it and hope it's not too noticeable. It's only at the top of the photo where the sun throws a slight shadow. I coloured the image using my Promarkers and a Sakura gelly roll pen on the dragonflies to make them glisten. I first of all cut it out with a Spellbinders grand oval nestie and it didn't look right with a broad white border. I then cut it down to half width and I still didn't like it so I eventually took the bull by the horns and cut round the black oval edge! I was dreading making a mistake because it had taken me ages to colour and I thought I would make a mess of it. I'm pleased to say that it worked. I think the image stands out much better. The card blank is by Joanna Sheen and the backing paper is from a First Edition 'Hideaway' pad. The pearlescent greeny/bluey/grey card is from 'I know not where'. I must have bought it at a craft show because there are ten sheets in a bag but with no name on it. It's a beautiful colour and I thought it toned in very well with the feathers of the kingfisher. After cutting the mat for the backing paper I cut three different widths of the same card to add as side pieces to the design. The little wooden dragonfly is from Create and Craft and I coloured it with the Sakura pen to make it glisten like the ones in the image. I used a Spellbinders resplendent rectangle for the sentiment which I'd generated on the computer. I added a little 'kingfisher' coloured pearl to each side of the sentiment.

I'll enter my card into the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create Challenge - Anything Goes with twist of Birds of a Feather
Eclectic Ellapu Pink Team - Wings
Eclectic Ellapu Purple Team - Flowers and Butterflies
Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes

My second fun card this week!

This is one of the images I coloured earlier this week and I've just managed to finish this card this afternoon. I can't believe that this is my second card this week and just because I wanted to make them. The image is called Maid of the Riverbank by Delicious Doodles.

The card blank is by Joanna Sheen. The backing paper is from a huge pack I bought at Costco a few years back. I used a Crafter's Companion Spray and Sparkle on the backing paper before matting on to bright green Mirri board. I coloured most of the image with Sakura gelly roll pens because it gives the mermaid's tail, shells and hair a beautiful shimmer. Promarkers were used for the skin, otter and plants. The leaves were cut with a Memory Box Fresh Foliage die in two shades of green card. The corner is also a Memory Box die called Madera Corner.

I generated the sentiment on the computer and cut it with another die - I think it's from one of the cheap nestie sets that I have in my stash.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

4kraftygirlz challenges - Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments Challenge - Anything Goes
Delightful Challenges - Wearing of Green
DL Art Challenges - Uplifting sentiment of at least 5 words

MAWTT - Use 4 items beginning with L

This is my first post for Moving Along with the Times when I'm acting as host. I chose the theme 'Use 4 items beginning with L'. I then had to start thinking of items beginning with the letter L - yikes! Who thought of this theme? Doh!!

I eventually settled on Label, Lace, Leaves, and Love.

My card blank is a large 8x8 square by Joanna Sheen. I've used an image, Forest Friends, by Teri of Delicious Doodles and coloured her with my Promarkers and added Sakura Stardust pen to her wings. I very carefully cut round the image. I used a mat of silver card and then topped that with a square of yellow Papermill card, embossed using a Crafter's Companion embossalicious folder of leaves. Before fixing it to the card blank I wrapped a piece of light tan lace, from the local market, round the bottom and then put the image so that she is resting on the lace. I coloured a LOTV label with a Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink and then raised it in the top left corner. To add to the image of woodland creatures I used wooden embellishments, from Create and Craft, of a snail, dragonfly and butterfly. I left them uncoloured and that was my card finished.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Digi Galore Challenges - Things with Wings
Craftyhands Challenge - Embossed Background
Delicious Doodles Challenge - Bloom and Yellow - the lace has blooms on it so I hope this counts.
QKR Stampede Challenge - Friends are Special
Card Mania Challenge - Use a Sentiment
Created with Love Challenge - Friends
Love to Create Challenge - Anything Goes

OSAAT #192 - Use a Digi

This week it was Shell's turn to choose an image and she chose Olyvia by Teri of Delicious Doodles over at Stitchybear Digi Outlet. This is my card using Olyvia, isn't she beautiful? The theme for this week's challenge at One Stitch at a Time is Use a Digi so come along and join us.

I used a large scalloped card by Craft UK. The backing paper is from a Dovecraft 12x12 paper pack. I cut it with a Spellbinders grand nestie and matted it on to burgundy Papermill card. The image was coloured with my Promarkers and then cut with a Spellbinders grand nestie. The backing oval is in burgundy card again but I cut this freehand because I just wanted a very narrow border. The four gems in the corners are called Dazzlers and I bought them from Create and Craft a couple of years ago.

Please check out the OSAAT challenge blog for details of the prizes on offer this week.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Divas by Design - Use some Red
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes
Simon Says - Anything Goes
Lady Anne's Challenge - More than one Layer
Lexi's Creations Challenge - Christmas
4 Crafty Chicks - Christmas
Charisma Cardz - Christmas
Patties' Creations Designs - Christmas card and must use image

#133 Butterfly or Buttons

This week's challenge at One Stitch at a Time is Butterfly or Buttons. My image is Fairy Fae by Teri of Delicious Doodles over at Stitchybear Digital Stamps Shop. Fae is beautiful and was a joy to colour. I used my Promarkers of course! The card blank is a large square by Craft UK. After colouring the image I cut it out with my x cutter and matted it on to pink card. All the pink card is from Papermill, two different shades of pink to match the roses on the beautiful paper which is in a pad from Create and Craft. The pad is actually by Arts and Crafts Direct and is called Quintessential Country Garden. I've had it for a while but it's the first time I've used it. They are A4 sheets and it's a shame to cut it down to fit a card. The butterflies are cut with my Spellbinders dies. The pearls for the bodies of the butterflies are by Wild Orchid Crafts and the wire for the antennae is by Create and Craft. I blinged her wings with Stickles.

The prize structure is listed on the challenge blog, please check there for details.

I'm entering my card in to the following challenges:
Digi Makeover Challenge - Anything Goes
Love to Create - Anything Goes
Sarah Hurley Challenge - Something Magical
Simply Create - Anything Goes
Crafting for all Seasons - Things with Wings
Divas by Design - Fairies and Fantasy
Flutterby Wednesday - Butterfly or Fairy
Paper Shelter Challenge - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

Geranium Stand and Holiday Story

I had this Delicious Doodles digi, available here, printed already and I decided to colour it last night. I coloured it with my Promarkers before cutting it with my Spellbinders oval nestie and matting on to a pink scalloped nestie. This morning I eventually made the card! The card blank is from Craft UK. The pink card is all available from Papermill, I used two different shades of pink. The pink patterned paper was in my 'pink' drawer and I have no idea where I got it from, sorry. I used my Martha Stewart punch on each long edge before adding to the lower part of the card. The dark pink paper is from Costco. I added a silver metallic decorative square to the top corner and two swirls were added - the top one is a Spellbinder die and the other is a Marianne die. 

We were also invited by Just Keep on Creating to tell a travel story for a separate challenge entry. My husband and I went on a trip of a lifetime in 2010 to visit relatives in Darwin, Australia from our home in the UK.  We did so many exciting things whilst we were there and one of them was going on the Adelaide River Queen boat to see the jumping crocodiles. I took wonderful close up photographs of these huge creatures jumping right out of the water. The guide then told us she was going to dangle some meat from the top deck of the boat and we would see the white bellied sea eagles come swooping down for it. I positioned my camera, waited for the call, clicked....... and caught an image of the empty string dangling! Fortunately my husband's cousin got a perfect shot of the eagle and that's the one that's in our scrapbook. We flew down to visit more relatives in Perth, Manjimup and Augusta and have more photos of where the two oceans meet, the Southern Ocean and the Indian Ocean, spectacular. So many happy memories.

I'm entering my card in to the following challenges:

Just Keep on Creating - Anything Goes and Travel Stories

Little Miss Muffet Challenge - May Flowers

The Poodles Parlour - Anything Goes

Pixie Dust Studio - Flowers

#90 Seeing Red

That's the theme for the challenge over at One Stitch at a Time - Seeing Red. Teri, of Delicious Doodles, over at Stitchybear, has this wonderful image of a geranium stand and that's the one I chose for this challenge.

My card is a large scalloped square by Craft UK and I used Distress Ink on the edges. The red/gold mottled card is from Papermill and the red splodge backing paper is from the Garden Fairies paper pack number one by Oase of Panda Bear Designs, again at Stitchybear's Digital Store. I cut the backing paper with a scalloped grand nestie before backing with a square of red/gold mottled card. The red and black lace paper is from one of Joanna Sheen's lace paper pads. I cut round one section of lace and used it as a strip across the backing paper. The digi was coloured with Promarkers, cut with a Spellbinders nestie oval and backed with the scalloped oval nestie. Three red gem flowers, from my stash, are in each corner at the top.

Our sponsor for this challenge is Stitchybear!
We have visitors coming for lunch so I've scheduled this post and will enter the challenges later in the day.
I'm entering my card in to the following challenges:
Delightful Challenges - Red and Green
Papercrafting Journey - Anything Goes
Shelly's Images - Red and Green
Sweet'n'Sassy Digi Challenges - Favourite things - Nesties and Promarkers for me

Remember the half and half sale tomorrow at Stitchybear - details below.