Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #90 - April Showers bring May Flowers

Welcome to our latest challenge, hosted by Tracey, who has chosen the theme 'April Showers bring May Flowers'

Tracey said 'Hello friends. When I think of April, I am always reminded of the saying "April showers bring May flowers". For this challenge, I would like to see cards that include an image of something rain related and are embellished with at least 2 flowers. Your image could be a child splashing in puddles, a person walking in the rain, ducks waddling through puddles, an umbrella, etc.'

I had a really clear idea in my head for this challenge, but as is quite usual with me, it ended up being something completely different!

Early on I decided I wanted a giant umbrella on my project and after a lot of searching on the internet, I came across a set of april showers clip art by Lana Koopman.  I wasn't entirely sure how I wanted to use the umbrella, except to know I wanted it BIG, but after a lot of paper shuffling I decided to cut diagonally across the front of the card and attach the umbrella with a lolly stick so you could see the paper inside.

I used Lana's raindrop border to create the paper I have used inside the card and outside I used some blue card stock and some white pearlescent card embossed with a cuttlebug folder and then inked with blue, purple and pink.

The image of the little girl is from the Graphics Shoppe and I merged her with a puddle from the april showers clip art, then coloured her with Promarkers.

I have seen the sentiment I added several times, but most recently on a trip to the Garden Centre and thought it would be perfect, so I added it to my umbrella then sprayed it with irridescent sparkle spray.

The gems and flowers are from my craft stash.

Hop along to the challenge and check out what my team mates have created and why not join in too.

We are sponsored by 

DI'S DIGI DOWNLOADS

with a

$10 GIFT VOUCHER

and

THE STAMPMAN

Please ensure your creation has both something rain related, and a minimum of two flowers to qualify for a winner or Top 5 slot.

Challenges I would like to enter are:-

Cute Card Thursday  - Can't stop the rain
Paper Take Weekly - Take the weather with you

Thanks for stopping by.

Lavinia Stamps

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking show at Ally Pally, where I found Lavinia Stamps.  the cards on display were beautiful and appealed to my lifelong fascination with anything Fairie or unicorn related.

I immediately purchased several of their gorgeous stamps and couldn't wait to make some fairyscape cards.

Problem No 1 - I had no idea what brayering was or how to do it.

Solution - Many visits to the Lavinia Stamps Blog and YouTube.

Problem No 2  - I didn't have any of the necessary tools :(

Solution - Inkylicious - Where I promptly purchased a brayer and 8 ink pads.

On my visit to the Lavinia Stamps website (to purchase more stamps) - naughty I know, I saw that they have a new Challenge Blog, so several hours over the last 2 weeks and many attempts later, I finally made something I was happy with and would love to enter into their Bright & Beautiful Challenge.

The sentiment was from Verses 4 Cards

Inks - Adirondack Dye inks in Red Pepper, Sunshine Yellow and Peach Bellini
Stamps - All from Lavinia Stamps.

I can't wait for my new stamps to arrive, so I can make some more of these lovely cards.

Thanks for visiting

Challenges I would like to enter are`;

Lavinia Stamps - Bright & Beautiful.
Alphabet Challenge Blog - Fantasy
QKR Stampede - Favourite Things - Fairies
Trimmies Craft Challenge - ~Fantasy
LEJ Designs - Mystical, magical or Mysterious
Tuesday Throwdown - Make your own background
Dream Valley Challenges - Things with Wings

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #89 Matching Tag/Card & Bag/Box/Paper

Welcome to our latest challenge, hosted by Carole who has chosen the theme 'Tag/Card with matching Gift Wrap, Bag or Box'

Carole would like to see a card or a tag with a complimentary matching gift wrap, bag or box. Any style just as long as it matches!

Please ensure your project has the two matching features to qualify for a winner or Top 5 slot.

PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE RULES BEFORE ADDING YOUR CREATION AND CHECK IT MEETS THE CRITERIA AS LAID OUT ABOVE - ANY ENTRY NOT COMPLYING WILL UNFORTUNATELY BE REMOVED.


I loved creating for this weeks challenge.  Not only are one of the sponsors the wonderful Paper Shelter (who I personally cannot get enough of),  but I was also doing something completely out of my comfort zone.

I have only ever created cards, so doing a matching set was exciting but also very daunting.  I had many nights dreaming of how to put it all together and ended up with way too many ideas and had to curb my embellishment enthusiasm!!!

So here is the finished set, I have used the gorgeous 'Magic Bubble Bath' from The Paper Shelter and created a card, mini bag and oversized tag.

The digi was coloured using my pro markers and I added glossy accents to the bubbles to make them shine as though they were wet.

Card

Tag

Bag 

I used several Cricut Cartidges to create this set as follows:

Velum Flowers -  Flower Shoppe
Oversize Tag, Soap Bottle & Perfume Bottle - Splish Splash
Scalloped Layers - Cricut craftroom Basics

The Papers are Promises from NitWits
Aqua Card - Papermania  Shimmer Cardstock
Purple Card - Do Crafts Textured Cardstock
Silver Paper - I got this eons ago at a local craft show
The Sentiment is LOTV

Ribbon, pearls and gems are all from my craft stash.

I hope I have inspired you to join us this week and give creating a matching set a go and you could win a fabulous prize from one of our sponsors.

We are sponsored by

THE PAPER SHELTER 

with a $20 gift certificate for their fabulous store

I

and 

WOODWARE CRAFT COLLECTION

with this fabulous prize:-

Our prize is £12.00 to spend at your favourite Woodware Stockist, either in store or online.

I look forward to seeing what you all come up with.

Challenges I would like to enter are:

Artistic Inspirations - Anything but a Card
Love to Scrap - Cut it Out
Sentimental Sundays - Tag your it
Crafts 4 Eternity - Wings
Charisma Cardz - Tags
Paula Holifield Crafts - Anything Goes
Digi Galore - One for the Girls

My Best Friend

I don't normally write personal stuff on my blog, but this week was my Birthday and in the post came the most beautiful card, made by an amazing Women.

This is the Women who inspired me to get back into card making last year, when she showed me her Promarkers and some great stamps by LOTV.

She is an avid card maker like myself, but gets very little time to indulge at the moment, so i was delighted to receive such a beautiful card from her.

Image and Sentiment - LOTV
Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts

That women is my  SISTER 



She is the most amazing person I know.

She is Funny 

She is Beautiful

She is my Best Friend

She is a mother to two gorgeous boys, one of which is on the Autistic Spectrum, so most days throw up a challenge of some sort.  She his campaigned tirelessly for the last few years to get this disorder, firstly recognised and then to get him the help and understanding he needs in school.  Whilst doing this she is also a full time teaching assistant with special needs Children, not an easy job.

Then at the end of last year she started to study for a University Diploma in Child Care and Autism.

Boy she is an inspiration.  Don't get me wrong we have had our fall outs and rows, like all Sisters, but at the end of the day, she is the one I look to for advice, help and inspiration and she is always willing to give - even if I don't always like the advice, she tells it to me straight and I thank her for that.

So this is a little post for you chick

I think you are amazing and I love you to pieces.

You Rock Sis xxx

I don't know if blogging protocol allows this but I would love to enter her card in the following Challenges for her:-

CCE Stampers - Things with Wings
My Heart Pieces - Angels or Fairies
Creative Moments - Things with Wings
Dream Valley Challenges - Happy Birthday

Thanks for stopping by

Fairy Nice

Just a quick one today.

I wanted to share with you a card I made for my Mother in Laws birthday.

I used a Paper Shelter image called 'Dew Drops' and coloured her with promarkers and added some glossy accents to the dew drops.

Papers  -  'Up Up and Away by First edition

Die Cuts -  Fan -  Cricut Ornamental Iron,
                  Leaves  - Cricut Cindy Loo
                  Letters -  Cricut Story Book

Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts

Challenges I would like to enter are:

Pals Paper Arts - Colour Challanege

CCE Stampers - Things with Wings

My Heart Pieces - Angels or Fairies

Crafty Creations - Flowers or Fairies

Passion for Promarkers - Fantasy

Sweet Stamps Blog - Pastels

The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop - Spring

Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes

Divas by Design - Spring Colours

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 88 -Humour

Hi Everyone, Happy April Fool's Day!!

This weeks challenge is hosted by Suze who has chosen the theme of Humour.

Suze would like to see some humour on your project.  Perhaps a funny image or sentiment, or you might just want to add some googly eyes.  Remember, laughter is the best medicine - so have fun with this one!


I saw this gorgeous digi from Redonkulous Designs called 'Funny Face' a few weeks ago and saved her for this challenge.

I also wanted to try pink hair as I have always stuck to traditional hair colours but wasn't sure what other colours to use with it until I saw...................

 My Kitchen Roll - Funny where you find inspiration - lol

I used a die cut from my Cricut Ormental iron cartridge to frame her and added some girly bling and a cute 'Hand Made with Love" metal heart.

The papers are NitWits - Promises

The great sentiment is from the wonderful  Gingers House

I coloured her using the following Promarkers:-

Hair - Pink Mittens, Blossom, Tropical Orchid and SNoir PL1

Dress - Marine, Cool Aqua, Duck Egg

Eyes - Cornflower, Denim Blue

Skin - Vanilla, Blush, Dusty Rose

Lips - Plum Preserve

Bra/Belt - Pink Lobster, Tropical Orchid

This weeks challenge is sponsored by:

DI'S DIGI DOWNLOADS
 with a

$10 GIFT VOUCHER 

and 

HOBBY ART

with these two fabulous prizes:-

Mouse Power

Bubble Bath

Challenges I would like to enter are:-

The Paper shelter - Anything Goes

Lacy Sunshine - Anything Goes

Divas by Design - Use Metal

Bunny Zoe Crafts - Girly

Sweet Stampin Challenge - Girly

CMC Copic Challenge - All about the hair

Sassy Studio Designs - Funny

Created with Love - April Fools Day

Thanks for visiting x