No-line colouring and Uncle Ivan's birthday card

My crafty New Year's resolution this year was to try some new techniques, so I thought I'd have a go at no-line colouring.  Hmmmm.  I don't think it's for me, I think I prefer the black lined version!  I kinda wish I'd picked an image to practice on that didn't take a couple of hours to actually colour in though!

• Crafty Catz #490 - flower power
• Word Art Wednesday #422-423 - anything goes

This one was a nice wee quickie for my Uncle in Canada, minimal colouring required! I've used one of my doggies from Tim Holtz (of course I chose the 'Ruby' one!) and the MFT porthole die.  Silver stars and line stickers from stash. Clear gloss added to the dog's nose and eyes, and sparkle to the collar.

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch #473
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - besotted with our pets
• Watercooler Wednesday #255 - masculine

Guest Designing for Simon Says Stamp!

Wahooo I'm so excited to be this month's Guest Designer over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge :)  I've been a long time player in their weekly challenges and a long time 'envy-ier' (this may not actually be a real word haha) of the talents of their DT, so I'm thrilled to have my efforts showcased alongside theirs!

So the first challenge up is to make a masculine card and the team are showcasing Tim Holtz goodies.  Hope you'll play along too.  As usual, they have the best prize in blogland .. a big $50 to spend in store!!

I've used this cute puppy from Tim Holtz Crazy Dogs stamps - it would look like our Ruby except this one's white!  She does get the floppy ears though when she's really tired and it's sooo cute!

My stamped pup didn't need much colouring and just some clear gloss on his eyes and nose.  By the way, one of the most useful things I've ever bought from the Simon Says Stamp store was one of these little mini bottles that I decant my big bottle of clear gloss in to.  The gloss never gets jammed up and the nib is perfect for detailed work.  I've had mine for a couple of years now, the wee lid has long since broken off but a blob of blutack does the same job!

Doggy card for Deirdre

Awww boo hoo I can't belive my 2 weeks off work are almost up :(

I'd planned to get ahead with my card making while I was off, but all I've managed really are a few personalised ones.  This one's for a mate in work - she has a mad labradoodle that I kinda thought this guy looked like. Doggy popped up on foam pads.

• Layout from Your Next Stamp #92
• Pixie's Snippets Playground #328 - I'd a little square of this lovely DP knocking round for ages so this sketch was perfect to use it up!
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - bright and cheerful
• Word Art Wednesday #340/341 - anything goes

Daily Marker 30 day colouring challenge

And here's a wee pic from our break in Dublin.  We'd a great time, plenty of walking about seeing the sights and a few wee beers too ;)  I can definitely recommend it, though at times in some of the pubs round Temple Bar there were more tourists than Irish!!

On the telephone and a Birthday Doggy

Ohhh we've had the most beautiful dry and sunny weather here this past week or so, and still due for more next week!  In celebration I reckon my mojo has cleared off on his holidays ... isn't it funny how it's Mr Mojo causing the trouble and not Mrs Mojo! ;)

Anyway, this little girl was coloured in the garden, not too often I would be doing that!  Usually I need to do weeding or whatever, but for a change it was all done and tidied!

I popped her up on foam dots and added clear gloss to the telephone and her eyes and lips.

• Layout from CAS(E) This Sketch #273
• Colour theme from Your Next Stamp #90 - my base card wasn't an exact match but it's more peachy than the pinky shade it looks here.
• Simon Says - inspired by a song - 'Hanging on the Telephone' by Blondie

And here's another CAS card, using my Tim Holtz doggy and MFT heart die.  I embossed a couple of lines to keep with the them of the sketch challenge and then added a few wee butterflies cut from the leftovers.

Dog popped up on foam pads and sparkle added to the butterflies.

• Layout from Stick it Down May
• AAA Cards #116 - 4th Birthday Bash
• Pixie's Snippets Playground #327
• As You Like It - Flora or Fauna - well my favourite animal has to be my puppy Ruby!

Birds and more birds

Sunday evening already!!  How does the weekend go so fast!  We'd a really gorgeous couple of days there, it almost felt like summer.  Saturday was a great day, we got loads of weeding done in the garden and washing dried on the line.  I also got ate alive by the midges who were out in full force after a bit of sunshine, and then I stubbed my toe on the kitchen door OUCH! (or words to that effect!)  It's blackening up nicely, but I don't think it's broken.
Anyway we're back to normal service with the weather today and the rest of the week by the look of it - rainy!!

This is one of those cards that didn't photograph well - the green is more green than it is here and looks much nicer in real life.  I've used my old Tim Holtz birdie which hasn't seen ink for a while - coloured with watercolour pencils and then popped up on foam pads.  Gummiapan leaf dies - little red sequins from stash.  Doodled border.

This card was based on Kim's card over at the Muse challenge

• Simon Says Stamp Monday - let's doodle
• Less Is More #369 - bring something back
• Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes
• Crafty Creations #364 - anything goes

I don't normally share cards that I've copied, but wanted to keep a record of this one for a work mate who's got a new job.  It was inspired by Marieke's much superior card  here - I'd been stuck for inspiration for ages until I spotted this!

A new puppy and a Fix up

This card is for a friend in work who's daughter's getting her new puppy tomorrow and she's soooooooo excited!  Rubydoo will be sending this one to say hello!

I haven't used my Brushos for a while and came across them so thought I should use them.  Image coloured with watercolour pencils and popped up on dimensionals.  Kinda wish I hadn't added those pink banners, but I reckon Erin won't care ;)

• Simon Says Stamp - add a sentiment
• Crafty Creations #348 - anything goes
• Moving along with the times #52 - beginning with B - blue, bark, banner, bowl
• Crafting by Designs August - anything goes

And here's the fix up from my previous post with the wonky sentiment.  Cheryl, you're a genius - colouring in the lines did the trick well enough!

Woof Hello

Just a wee quickie make from me tonight, I've been busy recently and no time for card making or blogging!  We had the most glorious sunny weekend so there was lots of washing done (= ironing mountain!) and some weeding done in the garden (= rediscovered sore muscles!)  It was fab to see some decent weather though :)
I've also been finishing off a cross stitch project that has been several years in the making!  It's off getting framed at the minute so I'll hopefully share the finished result at the weekend.

This card is based on this week's featured stamper challenge over at Splitcoast - here's Hideko's original.   I diecut my rectangle and distressed the background.  Then fussy cut my Tim Holtz pup and added glossy accents.  Doodled stitching.  Nice and easy and I love how it turned out :)

• AAA Cards #86 - diecuts
• Less is More #321 - use a frame
• Creative Inspirations #271 - anything goes
• Word Art Wednesday #274/275 - anything goes

Naughty or Nice - Love is in the air

This month's theme at Naughty or Nice is Love is in the Air and it comes with an optional colour theme too (that I must confess I totally forgot about when I was making my card!)  It can be anything 'lovey' so Valentines, weddings, engagement, etc etc  Pop over to the blog and see what lovely creations the Troublemakers have made :)

So this is Greg's valentine, as usual not a lovey-dovey one from me!  I saw this sentiment used recently in blogland, but can't remember where - so if it was you, Thank You!  It's perfect for what I wanted.

I can't wait to get my new TH stamping platform, those letters might have been straight if I'd had it LOL

Tim Holtz doggies and I'm sooooo loving my new MFT alpha stamps.  Coloured with watercolour pencils, clear gloss added to their eyes and noses.

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - The colour of Love 
• Love to Scrap #94 - who loves you baby
• Word Art Wednesday #268/269 - anything goes
• Curtain Call - XOXO

Cat in a Box and a Waggy Dog

Gosh, 21st already - I can't believe I've managed to keep up with the Daily Marker 30 day colouring challenge, though my card stash was glad of it!

I'm not lovin this DP, but it fitted with the challenges I wanted to enter, so here you are!
I've used this cute kitty and sentiment from MFT - coloured with watercolour pencils.  I double matted it as it was getting lost in the DP, not sure if it worked or not!  Purple bling from stash, a little twine bow, and some doodled edges to finish.

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch Club #307
• Creative Knockouts #168 - lots of layers
• The Craft Barn - bling + purple, turquoise and green

And here's a quickie using my Tim Holtz dog, I eventually tidied my table so that's why you haven't seen him for a week or two ;)

Postmark stamp is an oldie from Lili of the Valley.  Again, I'm not lovin my DP :(

My general card design was based on this week's Featured Stamper over at Splitcoast.  Here's  Patti's original.

• (PIN)spirational challenge #178 - inspiration photo 
• Cupcake Inspirations #385 - thanks
• Crafting When We Can #132 - circles
• Pile it on #121 - thankful

A personalised birthday card

This was a special request from a Mum to her son .... I was a bit worried about getting all her text onto my card, but think it worked out OK.  I didn't quite manage to balance it top and bottom, so added a little row of bling to take up that bit of space.

I've no idea what Kale is like, but most boys are permanently hungry so I thought these Tim Holtz stamps would work well!  My sun and cloud are Lawn Fawn dies.

• CASual Fridays #158 - they have a very scary statistic that 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer.  Frightening.  My 8 things are my bling.
• Crafty Cardmakers #174 - Birthday
• Get Creative #49 - stitching, real or faux
• Cards 4 Guyz #140 - nature
• Creative with Stamps #7- add a sentiment

Dogs 'n' Cats

This card was inspired by one I saw in my local supermarket, what a fab sentiment!   Hopefully Tesco's won't be serving me with a writ ;)
I've used one of my Tim Holtz dogs again, I promise to have a tidy up and not to make a doggy card for a day or two!  Alpha set from Paper Smooches.  Die-namics star dies.

• Tic-Tac-Toe #17 - critter / faux technique / gemstones
• Layout from Share Joy #51
• Word Art Wednesday #246 - anything goes
• Penny Black and More September - add a sentiment

And here's a quickie for this week's Featured Stamper challenge over at Splitcoast - here's Marg's original.  I kept her kitten in the window theme and general layout, but changed mine to a birthday theme and used this stamp from Eat Cake Graphics:
2048-L Kitties in the Window

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• Retro Rubber challenge #46 - critter time (my stamp is just over a year old)
• Crafting When We Can #127 - Happy Birthday
• Classic Design Team Open - September

Birthday Birdie and more calendar pages

 Sunday evening again, we'd a lovely day today, great for getting the washing out on the line, though the obvious down-side is the dreaded ironing ;)  Ah well, only a couple more weeks and I'm off on my jollies to Portugal, can't wait :) :) :)

This card was inspired by the CASE the Designer challenge over at Happy Little Stampers.  I used the same Tim Holtz stamp as Asa, but coloured mine to look like a robin, and kept the same layout of sentiment.

I also combined it with the Try a new technique challenge at AAA Cards.  I embossed some text in my background and then covered it with watercolours.  I'm not sure why some of the text went a bit blurry, maybe I had too much water on it?  Don't know.  Don't mind, I like how it turned out :)

• CRAFT #379 - embossing
• Penny Black and More September - add a sentiment
• Crafting When We Can #127 - Happy Birthday

I've also been cracking on with my friend's calendar for next year.  I have to keep them CAS as it's a tight enough squeeze to get them in the holder so there's no option to add in any layers or raised embellishments.  

January uses these Avery Elle fishies - covered them with my clear glitter pen and then added clear gloss and extra glitter to the bubbles and to their fins and the date too, so there's lots of sparkle on this!  I thought the 'hello' sentiment went well to welcome a new year! 

• Allsorts #379 - new beginnings
• Colour theme from CAS Colours and Sketches #189
• Tuesday Throwdown #309 - clean and simple
• Polkadoodles #35 - beginning with F (fish!)

My friend usually goes on her hols in August, so that was the theme for the calendar page!  My images are from MFT - I should have stamped my tree a tad more to the left as the cocktail is a bit lost in it.  For my background, I chalked in some sand and some sea, and then added some chalked clouds.  

• Inspiration Destination #101 - anything goes
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes

Christmas Calendar

I thought I'd make a friend one of my calendars for her Christmas pressie.  My card stash is rightly filled up at the minute, so I'm cracking on with the calendar while the going's good.
For March I've used this Penny Black stamp that I got a year ago or so - coloured with watercolour pencils and some blue and purple clouds chalked in the background.  I'm getting a bit better at writing my dates in a straight-ish line ;)

• Less is More #292 - peacock colours
• Stamp Ink Paper #63 - wonderful wings
• Retro Rubber challenge #46 - critter time
• Penny Black Saturday September - nature

April uses one of my Tim Holtz doggies, and this lovely flower stamp from Eat Cake Graphics:

7005-I Coneflowers

Coloured with watercolour pencils and the flower petals covered with my clear glitter pen so it's lovely and sparkly.  Clear gloss added to the dog's nose and eyes, and to the flower centres.

• Simon Says Stamp Monday - it's a stitch up
• ABC - O is for Open
• Crafty Creations #323 - use a number
• Penny's challenge #293 - anything goes
• Creative Kockouts #157 - sparkle and shine

Puppy's selfie

I'd a freebie day off work today, hurrah for Bank Holidays!  And it was a lovely sunny one!
I only had time to make this quickie, inspired by one I saw on my buddy Benzi's gallery and based on this tutorial on SCS for selfie cards.

For my card, I used one of the pups from the new Tim Holtz set, and my flowers in the background are from Eat Cake Graphics:
7005-I Coneflowers
Coloured with watercolour pencils.  Clear gloss added to his eyes and nose, glitter to his collar, and then my flowers also covered with my clear glitter pen.  Little stars mounted on dimensionals.

• Love to Scrap - no rulz
• As you like it - favourite shaped card base - mine is A6, simply because that's what I have the most envelopes I have and because it's the most economical shape to cut from A4 card!
• Polkadoodles #34 - beginning with F - flowers or face
• Allsorts #378 - use at least 2 dies
• Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #66 - H is for Hounds
• Layout from Get Creative #46

I have to tidy up!

I really need to tidy up and get my Tim Holtz and Avery Elle stamps off my desk, otherwise they just keep getting used ;)  No chance of a tidy up today, I've been out waging war on the weeds (they're winning!) and have a dirty big burst blister to show for my efforts.  So it's a couple of CAS cards from me tonight!

My fishies are coloured with my watercolour pencils and then covered with my clear glitter pen.  Clear gloss added to their eyes, teeth and some of the fins.  I hadn't intended to use my blue liquid pearls but had a smudge that needed covering (and my normal butterly trick wouldn't work on this card haha)
Blue strip of washi tape from stash.

• The Craft Barn - blue
• AAA Cards #71 - blending
• CASual Fridays #154 - favourite colour medium - mine's watercolour pencils
• Layout from CAS(e) this Sketch #185
• Creatalicious #96 - sea

I'm thinking the sentiment from my fish card would work just as well on this one!  I'm not entirely sure how such a grumpy, fierce looking dog can be almost cute at the same time!  

This dude is coloured with watercolour pencils and then mounted on dimensional squares.  I'd a couple of scraps of this DP left, so that decided my colour theme for me.  I added lots of bling and clear gloss to his collar and then some Ranger liquid pearls ... I'm lovin this stuff, I can see an addiction looming!

• Layout from CAS on Sunday #89
• Penny's Challenge #290 - anything goes
• Seize the Birthday - anything goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground #242