INTAAS - Landscapes

Come along and join us at International Art and Soul with the challenge of 'Landscapes' set by design team member CraftyGirl.

This is the first card I've made for a few months due to my back problem which, I hope, is on the mend.

The photo is a bit lopsided but I hope you'll bear with me until I get back into the crafting groove!

The card blank is a 6x6 by /Craft UK. The green base mat card is by Hobbycraft, the dark green card is by WH Smith but I have no idea where I got the black glitter card which is the tiny border backing the image. The image was taken from Joanna Sheen's CD 'Dancing with Shadows'. After matting and layering I added some tiny green gems, from Mei Lower, to the left column. It's not a very adventurous card but it's not too bad considering it had to be made in as short a time as possible due to the said back!

I'm not sure whether I dare enter it into any challenges but here goes:

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Crafting Happiness - Anything Goes

CD Sunday - Anything Goes with item from CD, USB , etc

Taylormadecards4u - Anything Goes with option Great Outdoors

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Love to Craft - Anything Goes

INTAAS - Use mainly Yellow and Orange

Come and join us over at International Art and Soul with our theme of Use Mostly Yellow and Orange. This was set by design team member CG.

My card blank is a 7x7 scalloped by Crafts UK. The yellow card is by Hobbycraft and was cut with s Spellbinder scalloped die, The orange card which was matted on to the yellow, is by Papermill and was also cut with a Spellbinder scalloped die. These were set as the base mat for the image of the dog. I coloured him with my Promarkers before carefully tearing him out. The image was then edged with a Distress Ink before centring him on the mat. I love this image of the dog, I think it's by Bugaboo but please correct me if I'm wrong. To complete the card I added three small peachy coloured pearls to the bottom corners of the orange mat. The pearls are from Mei Flower.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Critter Crazies - Anything goes with a critter

Arty Divas - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore - Anything Goes

Crafty Animals - Must have animals

Beyond the Blue - Layered Die Cuts

INTAAS Use Pink for a Pink Christmas

We were set this challenge theme by Jennie and it's 'Use Pink for a Pink Christmas'. Head over to International Art and Soul and show us what you do with this challenge.

Once again my card blank is a 7x7 by Craft UK. The pink card is by Papermill and makes the perfect mat for this joyous sentiment and image by Bugaboo. I embossed the pink mat with the Tied Together embossing folder by Couture Creations. After printing the image/sentiment I coloured it with my Promarkers, obviously using pink as the main colour. I cut it with another of my numerous Spellbinder dies before fixing to the base mat. Mei Flower tiny pink pearls were added to the embossed background.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes with option of Christmas

Craft Rocket - Christmas/Winter

Sisterhood of Crafters - Embossing (Wet or Dry)

Word Art Wednesdays - Anything Goes (with uplifting words)

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore - Anything Goes

Digi Doodles Studio - Christmas/Winter (hand coloured)

Di's Digi - Emboss It (Wet or Dry)

Allsorts - Santa, Elves, Angels or Christmas

Thank you all for visiting, stay safe.

INTAAS Tic Tac Toe

The challenge this time, over at International Art and Soul, is Tic Tac Toe chosen by Jane.

My card blank is a 7x7 by Craft UK. I chose the middle row, horizontal, which is green, die and stencil. The die and stencil are both by Joanna Sheen. I made a mat of bright green card by Papermill and cut the fancy edge die in dark green Papermill card before adding it to the left side of the mat. I fixed the stencil to a piece of white paper and then used my Ranger ink pads to colour the flower and leaves. I cut it with a Spellbinder oval die and set it on a larger oval die cut in the dark green card. This was set to the right of the fancy edge. Three small green gems by Mei Flower were added to the top right, job done. My favourite colour and one of my favourite cards lately. lol

I think the photographs of my cards are getting worse. I've got a shadow across this one so I might have to investigate.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Crafty Creations - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown - Anything Goes

A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes

A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Love to Craft - Anything Goes

INTAAS - Inspired by a Book

Come and join us at International Art and Soul in our challenge theme of 'Inspired by a Book'.

I did wonder if the card was to be inspired by a book or whether it was me who had been inspired by a book. I chose to make a card that shows a book that always inspires me. lol I love poetry and have quite a few poetry books but I go back time and time again to this one. The list on the top right of the photo shows some of the poems that are in this book. The lower list shows poems that I have loved and recited for many years. Jennie Lee is a poem that my mother taught me when I was very young. I've never met anyone else who knows it, apart from my cousins who were taught it by their father, my mother's brother. It was written during the reign of Queen Victoria but we have no idea who wrote it and I've not been able to trace it in any book. If I have trouble getting to sleep at night instead of counting sheep I recite the poems in the lower list plus Vespers. By the time I'm on to the fifth or sixth poem I'm asleep. I'd better stop waffling and get on to the details of my card.

It's a 7x7 card by Craft UK. The red card is by Papermill and the teal foundation card is by Sue Wilson. After mounting the red on to the teal I cut out a die in the teal, I think the die may be a Sue Wilson die but I'm not 100% sure. The fancy border was added to the lower section of the mat. I photographed my book and then shrunk it down to a suitable size before fixing to a teal mat. I typed the list of poems and then cut them with two Spellbinder dies before setting at an angle to the right of the photo. I added Mei Flower turquoise pearls to each list. The final touch was an Inspire charm by Craft Box that was set to the top left, tied with a little string of turquoise beads, also by Craft Box.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Gem of a Challenge: Anything Goes

Crafty Creations - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Try  it on Tuesday - Words or Numbers

Dragonfly Dreams - Anything Goes

A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes

A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Love to Craft - Anything Goes

IAAS Embossing - Heat or Dry

Come and join us over at International Art and Soul with the challenge theme of Embossing - either heat or dry. The theme was set by CG.

My card blank is a 7x7 by Craft UK. I used a Visible Image stamp of Streets on the yellow base mat. I then used a Crafter's Companion embossing folder of cracked ground on some brown card before matting it on to the yellow. Brown and Yellow card both by Papermill. The Street Dancer and the sentiment are both Visible Image and I stamped them in brown Memento Ink. I coloured the edges with Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink and set them at various angles over the base mat. To finish it off I added three yellow pearls by Mei Flower to the top right of the brown mat and the bottom left. This was for my son who used to enjoy break dancing when he was a LOT younger. lol

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes

A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Love to Craft - Anything Goes

Crafting with Attitude - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Thanks again for visiting, see you all again soon I hope.

International Art and Soul - Birthday

Come and join us at International Art and Soul for CraftyGirl's theme of 'Birthday'. I'm sure you can all submit one here. lol

The card blank is an 8x8 by Craft UK. The lilac card is by Papermill and the background paper is from a paper pad by The Works. I made a base mat ready to hold the large focal point. My Spellbinder dies came into play again. I used a large classic circle for the main decoration which was daisies made with Tapestry stamps. I used Distress Inks in lilac for the daisies and various greens for the leaves. I left the centre blank and then distressed the edge of the large circle with Distress Ink. I generated the sentiment on the computer before cutting with a Spellbinder circle die and matting on to a scalloped circle, cut in lilac. This fitted perfectly into the blank centre on the large circle and I finished the card by adding Mei Flower gems to the lilac scallops.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges: 

Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes

Ike's World - D for Dies/Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes

Classic Design Team - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Daisy Chain - Make it Feminine

Love to Craft - Anything Goes

Simon Says Monday - Going Around in Circles

Thank you all for visiting, I hope to see you again.

IAAS Shades of Any Colour

The theme set by Jennie is 'Shades of Any Colour' so come along and join us at International Art and Soul.

My ivory card blank is 8x8 and by Craft UK. I smudged the edge of the card with Distress Ink in squeezed lemonade colour and then made a background mat. The mustard coloured spotted paper is by The Works and I matted it on to yellow card by Hobbycraft. The image is by Bugaboo and I coloured it with my Promarkers before cutting it out and adding to a mat of varying shades of Hobbycraft yellow card. I set it at an angle more or less centrally on the card and then just added some Mei Flower gems, in yellow of course, to the bottom corner.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes

A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes

Animal Friends - Butterfly/Butterflies

Classic Design Team - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Love to Craft - Anything Goes

Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations - Anything Goes

I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes with option of using die cut or punch

Thank you all for visiting.

IAAS - Cat or Dog

Happy New Year to you all. Please start the new year by joining us at International Art and Soul with our theme of 'Cat or Dog'. It was Jane's choice and a good one.

I used an 8x8 Craft UK card blank. The brick patterned paper is by Joanna Sheen and I matted it on to dark brown card by Papermill. The image is by Bugaboo and I coloured it with my Promarkers before cutting with a Spellbinder die. Pearls by Mei Flower were added to the collar as studs and two 'diamonds' again by Mei Flower were added as glints in her eyes. I used Distress Ink in Barn Door colour to smudge the edges before setting to the right of the card. The panel to the left is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder that I've had for years. I'd cut the panel with another Spellbinder die and after embossing I used brown Distress Ink to smudge the letters so that they would stand out better.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Digi Choosday - Anything Goes

Ike's World - A is for Animals

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything with a Critter

A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Love to Craft - Anything Goes

IAAS Emboss and a Die

Come along and join us at International Art and Soul to show us what you can do with the theme 'Emboss and a Die'. You can choose dry embossing or heat embossing, or both, and use a die too.

My card blank is 8x8 by  Craft UK. I embossed pale blue card from Papermill with a Crafter's Companion embossalicious embossing folder of clouds. However, I don't think this is showing very well on my photograph. I matted it on to dark brown card, again by Papermill. I used a Sue Wilson die to make the focal point in dark brown. After setting it slightly higher than centre on the mat I started on the stamped image. The centre die of the Sue Wilson set was cut in beige card and on it I stamped birds in flight from a stamp set by Visible Image. It was stamped in Cocoa Distress Ink. I raised it on pads and set it in the centre. The sentiment is from the Visible image set and again it was stamped in brown and on beige card. I set it to the bottom right and added three brown gems by Mei Flower. The swirl in the bottom left is cut with a Spellbinder die in brown card.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes
The House that Stamps Built - Anything Goes
Pause Dream Enjoy - Stamped Image
Simon Says Wednesday - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
Path of Positivity - Anything Positive

Thanks for calling in and thanks for any comments.

IAAS Use stuff you already own

The theme to challenge you this time at International Art and Soul is  a simple one - use stuff you already own.

My card blank is an 8x8 by Craft UK. The glitter backing paper is from a First Edition paper pad named Hideaway which I've had for years. The green card from Papermill was embossed with a Crafter's Companion embossalicious folder before being matted on to tan Papermill card. The Snipart birds and branch are both from Craft Box. The sentiments were freebie stamps from a magazine and then they were cut with Spellbinder dies. Three Mei Flower gems were added to the lower sentiment. I've had most of these items for years, apart from the Snipart which I've only had since November. My card is going to a friend who lived two doors away from me in my last house. I hope he likes it.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes
Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesdays - Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments - For a Friend
Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting.

IAAS - Add a tag or charm

Hello again - I'm back after a very unsettling house move. The removal men were pleasant enough but their common sense was almost non-existent. After a great deal of help I'm eventually sorted and my craft room is once again in working order.

This theme over at International Art and Soul is 'Add a tag or charm' and as you can see I've added a wooden tag from Docrafts. I used a Sakura gelly roll pen to write 'Lest we forget' on the tag and then I had to think about the rest of the design, My mojo is not at its best but this is the first card I've made for months so I think it's making a comeback. I've had the poppy napkin for ages and used it once for a card a few years ago so I knew it would work for this one. I chose the section on the napkin that I needed and carefully cut round it before sticking to the white paper. I set the white paper against bright red card from Papermill as the mat, which I thought looked good against the Craft UK ivory card blank. Once the napkin had dried I set the tag in the top right corner and added a red ribbon to it. Three red Mei Flower gems were added to the top left and bottom right corners. Then I went to bed!

The following day I looked at it again and decided it needed more so I typed up the two verses. I printed them in grey so that they weren't too stark and then tore around the edges. I used a grey Promarker to edge them and set them in place.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
Creative Fingers- Anything Goes
Cardz4Guyz - Remembrance. Sympathy, Thinking of You
Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafts Galore  Encore - Anything Goes

MAWTT Wedding/Anniversary/Engagement

Wendy set the theme for the challenge over at Moving Along withe the Times and it's Wedding/Anniversary or Engagement. My card can be used for any one of those celebrations as you can see.

My card blank is a scalloped 8x8 by Craft UK.  I used the Tied Together embossing folder by Couture Creations as the background. It was matted on to Anita's silver card. My Spellbinder dies of a heart shaped lock and key were cut out in a patterned silver card before being set in the bottom right corner. Joanna Sheen's dies of flowers were cut out in white as I'd decided to keep the card white and silver.  I added these to the top right and bottom left corners. The sentiment was generated on the computer in Scriptina font before being cut and backed with silver card. Mei Flower 'diamonds' were added to the sentiment and then I set it in the top left and raised it on pads.

I'm adding my card to the following challenges:
Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
Creates and Makes - Anything Goes/option Create a Sentiment
Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting.

International Art and Soul - For Men

This challenge is all about the men so join us at International Art and Soul and show us what you can come up with for our theme of 'For Men'.

I'm showing an altered Craftbox that I receive full of craft items on a regular basis. I emptied the craft items into my usual storage spots and started on decorating the box for my friend who lives a couple of doors away.

The box is really sturdy and has a magnetic fastener so I thought, when he emptied it of his birthday goodies, he could use it for bits and pieces of his hobbies. I used Craftbox papers as the base. They are of old seed packets and I tore the edges and then used Distress Inks on them. I then started to add items that I knew would have some meaning to him - the little Snipart garden gate and watering can, the wooden flowers, bird and sun from Create and Craft - he's a very keen gardener. I added a little Hobbycraft wooden frame and then centred in it a little guitar charm. He's also a keen guitarist. Cogs made me think of cars - not sure whether they are relevant to cars - but he likes driving so I reckoned they would tie in. A gnarled branch from Craftbox was placed almost mid centre and then I added Hobbycraft wooden letters making up his name. I'd used bronze acrylic paint on the letters and then added a little arrow pointing to the name. Final additions were a brown gem and brown checked button, both from Mei Flower. He now has the box which had inside a half bottle of whisky, snazzy jar of chutney, sweets, etc. and he loved it.

I'm entering my box into the following challenges:
A Inky Mess - Anything Goes Mixed Media
Altered Eclectics - Anything Goes Mixed Media
Connie Can Crop - It's a Guy Thing
Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
Craft Rocket - For the Men/Boys
Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
Shopping our Stash - Dude
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

International Art and Soul - Hot Colours

The new theme over at International Art and Soul is 'Hot Colours' so please come along and join us.

My card blank is by Craft UK and is 7x7 - my new favourite size.  I used my new Ally Pally buys to make this card. The first were the background stamps which are by IndigoBlue and I used my Distress Inks in hot colours to stamp before adding a strip of bright red ribbon - donated by my DIL, Wendy. The next was the word stamp by Visible Image which I stamped in Barn Door Distress Ink. After stamping the base sheet I mounted it on peach coloured card by Papermill. I then added the ribbon before mounting it on pads for depth. The word stamp was mounted on bright orange card, again by Papermill, and then added to the top of the design. I used a very old Create and Craft punch to punch out some bright yellow suns that I set on the ribbon. Red gems by Mei Flower were then added randomly to the design.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Colour Crazy Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
Card Mania - Life is Colourful
Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes
Crafty Creations - Anything Goes

Thank you all for visiting, please call again soon.

International Art and Soul - Wings

Come along and join us this time in our challenge at International Art and Soul - we have the theme of 'Wings'.

I've used a scalloped 8x8 card blank by Craft UK. My stamped image is a Dragonfly by Visible Image. I coloured it with Sakura Gelly Roll pens to give the glittery sheen to the wings. I then cut it out leaving a very thin white edge. That was put to one side whilst I used a Clarity stencil and some Distress Inks in various shades of green to make the background of reeds and bulrushes. When that was completed I matted it on to lime green card by Papermill. I matted it on to my card blank and then added the dragonfly The sentiment, again by Visible Image, was cut with a Spellbinder die, tinged with green Distress Ink and then raised to the right of the design. Five small green gems by Mei Flower were added to the top right and left corners.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
My Time to Craft - No Designer Papers
Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Thanks for calling in.

International Art and Soul Embossing

Come along to International Art and Soul challenge blog and join us for our next challenge which is 'Embossing'. I hadn't done any heat embossing for a while so decided whatever my card was like there would be some heat embossing on it too.

My card is a large ivory blank by Joanna Sheen. The red, orange and maroon card is all by Papermill. I used a Crafter's Companion embossalicious folder to emboss the clocks on the red and orange card. I cut two different sized panels and joined them with a thin strip of maroon card before adding to a mat of maroon card. The sentiment is by Visible Image and I stamped that with a Versamark pad before adding red glitter embossing powder and heating it. I cut it with a Spellbinders die and matted it on to maroon card which I then cut to leave a small border round the edge, rounding the corners with a Carl punch. I added five small Mei Flower red gems to the bottom of the sentiment panel. The brass clock charm is by Craft Box and was my final addition.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Colour Crazy Challenge - Anything Goes

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes

QKR Stampede - Anything Goes

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes

StarStampz - Add Gems and/or pearls

Crafty Creations - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting.

MAWTT Flowers

Jenny has set the theme of  Flowers - handmade or die cut so this is my offering. Do come along and join us at Moving Along with the Times.

My 8x8 scalloped card blank is by Craft UK. The bright pink card was embossed with an embossalicious folder by Crafter's Companion. It embosses corners and a slight border edge. I matted it on to black card and that came from Papermill, as did the pink. The flower die was, I thought, one of Joanna Sheen's signature dies but it might not be, hmmm. The sentiment is from Bee Crafty and I stamped it and then cut with a Spellbinder die. I raised it on pads before setting the flowers around it. Three small pink pearls from Mei Flowers on each side are the only other embellishments.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
Daisy Chain Challenge - Make it Feminine
Dragonfly Dreams - Girly with dies/punches
Crafty Girls Creations - Always Anything Goes
Inky Chicks - Flowers(stamped or embellishments)
Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door  - Anything Goes


Thank you all for coming to visit and thank you all for your comments.

MAWTT Swirls and/or Curls

After a long break due to my eye problems I hope I'm back for good. I'm bringing you my theme this week 'Swirls and/or Curls' for the challenge over at Moving Along with the Times. My design team friends have been helping me out with entry comments whilst I've been on my break so I'd like to say a huge thank you to Wendy and Jenny.

It's taken me a few days to get my card finished but at last it's done. My base card is by Joanna Sheen. I love this paper that came from a huge Costco pack that I bought quite a few years ago and I haven't had an opportunity to use this pattern. I decided her curls would make a show on my card along with a Snip Art wooden swirl that I bought online at Craftbox. I matted the paper on to dark red Papermill card (to match her dress). I placed the swirl to the left and then set some Wild Orchid Craft flowers at the base of the swirl along with some die cut leaves. I added a few red Mei Flower gems amongst the flowers and then added a gem to her ribbon in her hair and to the band on her wrist. She looks the kind of girl who would like gems. lol

I'm hoping you'll come along to join us in our challenge and to welcome me back.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Artbymiran Challenge 75: Anything Goes
Crafting with Friends Challenge 34: Anything Goes
Makingmemoriescrafting Challenge 1: Anything Goes
Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge 1: Anything Goes

MAWTT Happy Birthday

It's almost the sixth birthday of Moving Along with the Times so we'd like to see lots of Happy Birthday cards.

This isn't a very good photograph as the sky was overcast and the white board behind the card looks blue. The birthday card itself is actually lilac though. lol

I've used a Joanna Sheen card blank and the pale lilac pearlescent card is by Payper Box. I matted the lilac card on to purple Mirri card and wrapped a length of lilac lace ribbon round the bottom. The purple frame in the middle is my new Portugese die by Sue Wilson. I coloured the pansy image with my Promarkers and cut it out, leaving a small white border round the edge. I offset it to the left of the frame and then added a Happy Birthday scroll that I've had for years. Three Mei Flower lilac gems were added to each of the top corners.

I'm sorry to say that after my first lot of injections my eyes aren't as good as I'd hoped. They are definitely better than they were but I'm still not able to read or watch TV. Every day they are open for most of the morning but then for the rest of the day that's it! :(

If I need to do shopping or visit my sister in her Care Home then I have to go in the morning so that I can see to drive. At least the improvement is lasting long enough for me to get to the Care Home and back. I have another two months to wait before my next set of injections and I'm wishing my life away by counting down the days.

The MAWTT cards are the only cards I'm making because I just can't keep my eyes open long enough to craft for any decent length of time. It also takes me ages to add the relevant post to my blog because I keep making mistakes and then have to go back. I'm a touch typist too so that doesn't bode well. lol