Guest Designing for Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge

I'm Guest Designer over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge this month :)

This week's challenge is to make a Wedding or Anniversary card and the team are showcasing Simon Says Stamp goodies.  Hope you'll play along too.  As usual, they have the best prize in blogland .. a big $50 to spend in store!! 

For my card I've used this beautiful Hibiscus frame die, isn't it gorgeous!  This die would work well for any occasion really.

I cut my frame first and then drew a faint pencil line on the card beneath so I knew where to colour with my polychromos.  Then I went over my finished flower with my glitter pen and the sentiment is cut from a little leftover bit of glitter card.  I also added a few clear gems for good measure, so there's LOTS of sparkle on this card!

Anyway, hope you'll play along in the challenge - it's a lucky dip for the winner, so if you're not in you can't win!

• Pixie's Snippets Playground #354
• Crafting by Designs June - anything goes
• Love to Craft #35 -anything goes

Drinks and Skiing

Oh brrrrrr it's been a wild old day today.  Me and Rubydoo headed out for a walk earlier as she loves a good windy day - started with blue skies and not a cloud in sight, and then 5 minutes later it was a total blizzard so we had to make a hasty retreat!  So the rest of the day was spent crafting, snoozing and cooking!

This first one uses a set from Newtons Nook.  I masked off and inked up the bottom 3rd - I'd a bit of a raggedy edge so added the silver peel off strip just to neaten it up.  Glasses popped up on foam pads and sparkle added to the booze.

• AAA Cards #132 - up to 1/3 and masking
• Time Out #127 - Inspired by words - I went for the drinks section!
• Simon Says Stamp Monday - alcohol

And this one's for my buddy Jo's Christmas challenge - this fortnight's theme is 'Bundle Up'.  Though I think I might use this one to put some Euros in for my nephew who's off on a school skiing trip shortly, so it's not even going to make it into my Christmas pile!

My monkey is an oldie from High Hopes and my DP is probably as old too!  

• Christmas Kickstart #2 - bundle it up
• Cute Card Thursday #566 - critters
• Love to Craft #30 - anything goes
• Pile it On #150 - land animals

Congrats x2

I've had no mojo recently and my stash is nearly empty of everything but girly Birthday cards, so I made myself sit down this evening, and this is what I came up with.  Its blowing a gale outside straight from the North Pole so its definitely a good evening for crafting, wouldn't want to be heading out that evening!  Though the North wind always seems to find his way through any nook and cranny in our house and loves to create a good draught - its not too often we have every window shut and every door closed!

I found this little car in a set I normally use for baby cards and thought it was time it saw ink.  I coloured it with my polychromo pencils and added clear gloss to the windows.  MFT DP and Town die.  For my sentiment I double mounted it on sparkly card and it ended up a bit sticky on the top, so covered it with clear gloss.

• Cardz 4 Guys #211 - trains / planes / automobiles
• Crafting by Designs - layer it up
• Layout from MFT Sketch challenge #421

And here's a wee baby card using one of my 'go to' stamps from LOTV.  Coloured with watercolour pencils and sparkle added to his onesie and the triangles on the drum.

• Your Next Stamp #421 - colours of winter
• Word Art Wednesday #370/371 - anything goes
• Layout from Try Stampin on Tuesday #392

Weddings and flowers

Well I had a nice couple of days off work, we've been busy out in the garden finishing off our new fence and then I taught myself how to re-grout paving (yay for YouTube!) so I've been doing that too.  I'd make a good builder's mate if I wasn't so knackered! At least it's a bit cooler than it was, much easier to work in.  Anyway back to my real work today for a wee rest hahaha - don't tell my boss I said that ;)

I've quite a few special orders in that I need to get cracking on, and this wedding one is the first.  I just kept it nice and simple using this oldie from Art Gone Wild.  Coloured with watercolour pencils, clear gloss added to their beaks, and sparkle to his grey jacket.  Love my little flower die from Gummiapan.  Red heart sequin from stash.

• My Time to Craft #375 - Wedding
• Simply Create Too #140 - no patterned DP
• Penny Black and More July - things with wings

This one uses my new flower stamp from Impression Obsession.
I went over the flowers with my clear sparkle pen, and then got a bit carried away and added clear gloss and glitter to the flower centres too!  Fussy cut and mounted on foam pads.  Brick stencil for background and then lots of clear bling to finish.

• Simon Says Stamp Monday - add a little sparkle
• Allsorts #476/477 - flowers all over
• 
  

Gardening and stars

Gosh it's been over a week since I made a card ... just been busy getting the garden sorted and busy in work too.  So I've had no spare mojo to be crafting!

This little girl (an old Kraftin Kimmie stamp) pretty much sums up what I've been up to.  You could stick a paintbrush in her hand too as the fence got done as well!

• Layout from CAS(e) this Sketch #271
• Time Out #109 - I used the 'gardener' theme
• Fab#n Funky #393 - garden or outdoors
• Penny Black and More May - anything goes

It's not very often I make a card with no stamping on it ... I reckon colouring is half the fun!  For this one I just die cut some stars and added a few blue and yellow splatters on the BG to pull it all together.

• Layout from CASual Fridays #199
• Colour theme blue, yellow, grey from Less Is More #371
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - for the boys

Floral Congrats

Just a quickie post tonight.  I'm knackered!!  It's been a busy week in work, so I'm going to spend tonight chillin and watching telly instead of faffing about on the internet!

My lovely postie kindly delivered this beauty from Concorde & 9th yesterday.  I'd been oogling it for ages but thought it was a tad pricey, so then when my friend gave me a voucher for Christmas I finally gave in and bought it :)  And I love it!!
I'd say you'll be seeing this one again for sure!

When I added my sentiment I went round it with a white pen, then used my Tim Holtz stamper to stamp it again with Versamark and then heat embossed it.  Embossing is great fun, but my card kinda warps a bit, there's bound to be a tutorial on YouTube so I'll have to see what tips they have.

• Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday December 2017 - something new
• Penny Black and More January - something new
• Simply Create Too #134 - embossing
• Through the CraftRoom Door - anything goes

Daily Marker Colouring Challenge

SC652 Congratulations Bunny

It's challenge time over at Splitcoaststampers again, and it's a much easier sketch this week ;)  For me anyway, I loved this one!
If you'd like to play along please link your card here.

This card is for a friend of my Mum's who received a gong in the latest Queen's Honours List.  I've used this Lily of the Valley bunny again - reckon this stamp will be one of my much used faves!  Coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss added to the flowers.

• Stamping Sensations July - anything with flowers
• Just Us Girls #400 - celebrate
• Time Out #86 - celebrations
• Classic Design Team Open #16
• Crafty Animals #4 - any animal
• Crafty Calendar July - anything goes
• 
  

Retro - Grad

Just a quickie post from me tonight.  I'd an extra looooong day at work today out at the Balmoral Show and I'm pooped.  It was another great sunny day though - apparently we've had 10 solid days now of sunshine, must be a new Irish record ;)

I found a sheet of decoupage on a recent enforced tidy up (I've lost one of my colouring pencils!) so thought I'd go back to the good old days and give it a go!
I've added a wee pic below which kinda shows the layering.  Splattered BG and some little gold stars from stash, and my standard doodled border to finish.

• CASology #248 - commencement
• Addicted to Stamps #241 - anything goes
• Tuesday Throwdown #342 - doodles
• Inspiration Destination #127 - anything goes, twist male.
• Word Art Wednesday #282/283 - anything goes

Guest Designer for Penny Black and More

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I'm Guest Designer over at Penny Black and More this month :)
I've always had such a soft spot for their critter stamps - I hadn't actually realised how many I had until I went to look for some for this card.  Of course I ended up using one of my newest ones!

I've had quite a bit of use already from this little mouse from the U R the Gift set and I think he looks fab with my MFT alpha set!  That quill looks perfect for beautiful handwriting. (I'm v jealous, my writing is awful!)

• Word Art Wednesday #272/273 - anything goes
• Classic Design Team Open #12
• 613 Avenue Create #195 - anything goes
• Crafty Creations #336 - anything goes

Day 5 of the Daily Marker 30 day colouring challenge

Congratulations cards

Happy New Year!  Hope whatever you're up to this evening is a good one!   We're just having a quiet night - it's lashing rain here anyway, so I'm kinda glad I'm not heading out ;)

I got great news today that not one, but two of my colleagues received an OBE in the Queen's New Year Honors!  I'm lacking in my male stamps, so thought these really old silver peel offs would do the trick and just kept them nice and simple.  I added some sparkle to the glasses and the bottle but it didn't show up in my pic.

• CASual Fridays #164 - celebrations
• AAA Cards #80 - silver
• Pile it On #123 - celebrations
• Simon Says Stamp - party time
• CASology #229 - toast
• Tuesday Throwdown #323 - anything goes

New Goodies and Betty's birthday card

LOL, another 'one of those days' in work again, so another couple of cards for you this evening  #stressrelief   
Hopefully I'll not be sharing any cards tomorrow night ;)

On the bright side, I'd a parcel of crafty goodness waiting on me coming home. I got some real bargains from Bunny Zoe's Crafts 70% off closing down sale.  So sad though, they were a pleasure to do business with and everything always arrived very promptly.

This little guy is one of my newbies from Nellie Snellen, isn't he a cutie.  I've used some older DPs that I've always disliked, but I stuck with it and think it looks OK.

• Layout from Tuesday Morning Sketches #373
• Dream Valley #142 - one for the boys
• Stamping Sensations October - colours of Autumn
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - October

This one is for my SIL's birthday and I'm so pleased with how it turned out.  

My inspiration came from Tracey's beautiful card over at the Muse challenge:

I've used an older set from Power Poppy.  Coloured with watercolour pencils and the flowers are all covered with my clear glitter pen so it's lovely and sparkly in real life.

• The Muse challenge #187
• Seize the Birthday - anything goes Birthday
• Pile it on #118 - sparkle
• Polkadoodles #40 - anything goes

Dogs and bones

Apologies, it's blogger overload here these past few days ... I'm making hay while the sun shines (and while my mojo is co-operating!)
Having said that, I hope you'll pop back tomorrow for my X-rated naughty DT card for Naughty or Nice ;)

My image in my first card is from Eat Cake Graphics:
8016-E Lewis and Trudy's wild ride
Coloured with watercolour pencils.  Clear gloss added to the wheel hubs, chrome and windows.  Spectrum Noir sparkle added to the red paintwork.  I've stencilled up my BG with chalk ... I hadn't intended to do this but managed to make a dirty mark that needed hiding!   A doodled border and some clear bling to finish.

• Tuesday Throwdown #296 - proud of you -  I don't have any of these sentiments in my stash and thought 'way to go' would fit in?
• CASology #200 - CAS
• CAS on Sunday #84 - sparkle
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes

My 2nd card is supposed to be a masculine one, but I think I've gone girlie again ;)  

Doggy image and bone from Katzelcraft - coloured with watercolour pencils and popped up on dimensionals.  Clear gloss added to the dogs nose, eyes and bone.

• Layout from Stamp Ink Paper #50
• AAACards #65 - Birthday Bash
• Polkadoodles #21 - Birthday celebrations

Tulip Congratulations

Well the news from last night is that I did win the Lottery .... bad news was that it was only 3 numbers so I'm afraid I can't give up work with £25 ;)

One of my crafty resolutions was to try some new techniques, so I thought it was about time I had a go at the watercolour background that's doing the rounds.  I read a great tip somewhere to tape your card down first with masking tape before watercolouring and then it doesn't distort so much.
Unfortunately my card didn't photograph well, my BG looks a bit darker in real life and I LOVE how it turned out :)

My image is an ooooooold Penny Black stamps, it may well have been one of the first PB stamps I bought and I haven't used it in such a long time.  Coloured with watercolour pencils and pink stickles added to the dots.

• Penny Black Saturday January - anything PB
• As you like it - anything goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground #210
• Simon Says Stamp - party / celebrate
• Cute Card Thursday #406 - anything goes
• ABC challenge - Y for your choice

Beep beep

Movie night here .... we've Anchorman 2 on the telly.  The first one was soooo silly, and I'm sure this one will be too :)

This card was inspired by the pic over at the Cutting Edge challenge.  I watercoloured my paper and then splattered it with black paint when dry, cut it using my PS city die and stamped a few stars.  Nice and easy, just what my mojo needed ... he seems to have been on holiday for aaages :(
The wee car is super-old, I think it may have been one of the first embellishments I ever bought!  Yeyyy, go me for using up stash!

The Cutting Edge #2 - inspiration card
Paper Smooches SPARKS - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp Monday - W for White
Papertake Weekly - anything goes