{Pin}spirational Challenge: Bugaboo Basket of Hearts

Hello!

Today is the start of a new challenge at 

{PIN}spirational Challenges.

Challenge #183 runs until 13th February.
This time we are sponsored by the wonderful Bugaboo.

And this is the inspiration photo:



How will this inspire you?

I was lucky to get a Bugaboo digital stamp called Heart Basket and this is what I made:

For me this is a CAS card. I like CAS cards, but do struggle with making them; however I'm quite pleased with how this one turned out!  I coloured my image with alcohol markers and fussy cut it. Glitter was applied to add a bit of sparkle. I popped it on foam pads onto embossed card. This was matted on to black card and then on to shocking pink textured card. I left it open, without a sentiment, so that it can be used as a Thank You, Thinking of You or even a Valentine card.

That's all from me today.  I hope you'll pop over to 

{PIN}spirational Challenges

to check out the gorgeous designs by the rest of the DT. 

We would love for you to take part in the challenge!

Thanks for stopping by today. 
xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

A Gem Of A Challenge #186 Hearts or Flowers 02/02
CAS On Sunday #100 Hearts 03/02
Dream Valley Challenges #148 All About Love 04/02
Crafting From The Heart #145 AG 05/02
Di's Digi Designs All About Love 10/02
Crafty Cardmakers #181 Love, Love, Love 12/02

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

To leave a comment, please click on the G+1 button below.

(If this does not open up the comments, please click either the link to this particular post in the sidebar, or click on the red heading at the top of the post and, hopefully, the comments will open).

Thanks x

Vera Lane Studio: Piggy Dance

Hello!

Here we are at the end of January ... can you believe it? 

We've had a cold snap this week, but now the weather's returned to it's normal UK grey-dampness. 

I'm looking forward to going in search of sunshine and warmth in a few weeks time :)

Today is my turn to show my latest Vera Lane Studio project.

I made a card using an older VLS set called Bacon Bits. There are six adorable piggies in this set and two sentiments, so it's great value.

Here is my card:



I used my gelli plate to make a monoprint for the background. When it was dry I spritzed it with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and added some iridescent texture paste through a tiny dots stencil. The images were coloured with alcohol markers. The flowers are from the Lovely Garden set and the circles are from the Borders set.  The piggy and the purple flower are popped on foam pads for some dimension.
The sentiment is computer generated.
This photo shows the sparkle a little better: 



One of the things I love about the Vera Lane Studio sets is that they can be mixed and matched. I used elements from these sets:

Bacon Bits                           Lovely Garden                         Borders    
         

I hope you'll come along and play on Vera Lane. It's such a friendly, fun place to be!

You'll find us on Facebook in a closed group, which I invite you all to join! You can find us HERE. I guarantee, you'll get a very warm welcome!

Vera Lane Studio Blog
Vera Lane Studio Facebook Group
Vera Lane Studio You Tube Channel
Vera Lane Studio Etsy Shop

Thanks for taking time to stop by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

Brown Sugar Challenge #235 AG 02/02
Crafty Catz #355 AG/Ladies Card 02/02
LilPatch of Crafty Friends #50 AG 04/02
Pile It On Challenge #125 Quotable 05/02
Crafting From The Heart #145 AG 05/02
Use Your Stuff #249 Animals 05/02
Creative Inspirations #267 Cute Critters 07/02
Outlawz Challenges Twisted Thursday 08/02
Crafty Friends Challenge #50 Girly 10/02
Simply Papercraft #43 AG 23/02

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

To leave a comment, please click on the G+1 button below.

(If this does not open up the comments, please click either the link to this particular post in the sidebar, or click on the red heading at the top of the post and, hopefully, the comments will open).

Thanks x

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Gecko Galz: Kingfisher and From Russia With Love

Hello!

Today it's my turn to show the card samples I made for Gecko Galz.

We'd love you to join in the Gecko Galz January challenge. 

The theme is 'Let it Snow'. 

The only rule is that you must use at least one Gecko Galz product (this can be one of the freebies, so check back through the blog and also look at the freebies on the Pinterest page, or of course you can buy at the Etsy store!)

Here are the cards I made:



The beautiful Kingfisher image is from the Winter's Garden collage set. I adhered the Kingfisher image at an angle to a piece of ivory card, then distressed its edges and inked them with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo.
The background paper is called Snowflake and is from the Winter Wonderlands Paper Pack. I also distressed these edges and inked them. The image was adhered on foam pads to the background and a ribbon attached along the bottom. A glittered sentiment from Papermania was inked and added along with a jute bow.

For this card, I used an image from the From Russia With Love digital collage set. The edges were distressed and inked and set atop some frayed gauze (as I didn't have any cheesecloth). The background papers are again from The Winter Wonderlands Paper Pack, this time I used Snowflakes and Snow Day Too.  Two felt snowflakes were adhered to the background, then the image was popped on foam pads.  I typed and printed the sentiment then used a label die to cut it out,  inked its edges and added  a clear crystal gem. This was popped on foam pads too.

My other card for this month was featured on 1 January, and you can find it here.



Please visit the Gecko Galz blog where you'll find a free digi stamp waiting to be downloaded.
There have been some beautiful free digi stamps this month on the blog, most with a 'love' theme, so pop over, take a look and help yourself.

If you subscribe to the monthly Gecko Galz newsletter, you'll be eligible for a free monthly collage sheet.

Here are the products I used:

Winter Wonderland Paper Pack


From Russia With Love Collage set               Winters Garden Collage set
  

Here's all the info you need:

Gecko Galz blog
Current Gecko Galz Challenge : "Let It Snow"
Gecko Galz Etsy Shop
Gecko Galz Closed Facebook group

I hope you'll join our challenge. The winner gets a $25 shopping spree at the Gecko Galz shop.


Thanks for stopping by today.
xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

CARD 1: Kingfisher
Di's Digi Designs Snowy Winter 28/01
Crafting From The Heart #144 AG 29/01
Crafting With Friends #35 AG 02/02
Creative Fingers Challenge #121 AG 03/02
The Paper Girls Challenge #120 Patterned Paper 05/02

CARD 2: From Russia With Love
Love To Scrap #93 31/01
Scrappers Delights #62 AG 31/01
Frilly And Funkie Winter Hues 01/02
Alphabet Challenge W for Winter Walk 02/02
The Paper Nest Dolls Challenge AG 06/02

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

To leave a comment, please click on the G+1 button below.

(If this does not open up the comments, please click either the link to this particular post in the sidebar, or click on the red heading at the top of the post and, hopefully, the comments will open).

Thanks x

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If You Give A Crafter A Cookie: Mr. Snowman

Hello!

Today is the start of a brand new challenge at 

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie.
I hope you'll join us.
You can enter your projects until the 8th February.

Our sponsor is the wonderful Sasayaki Glitter.



 And here is the image to spark your imagination:



Gorgeous little snowmen and mittens.
How will they inspire you?

I was lucky to be given a Sasayaki Glitter image to work with. It's called Snowman and Bird.
Here is the card I made:

My snowman was coloured with alcohol marker pens and cut using a stitched rectangle die. He was matted on to black card.
The background is Belleek style. It was made by inking an embossing folder with a brayer, then dry embossing. An explanation of this technique can be found here at KittieKraft. My inking is a bit blotchy - but that's a good excuse to practise more!  

That's all from me for today. Now it's over to you...

Please pop over to the 

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie
challenge blog to check out the lovely designs by the rest of the DT. 

We would love for you to share your projects in the challenge! 

You could win digi stamps or become one of our 'Top Cookies'!

Thanks for stopping by today! 

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

CAGI Challenge No Designer Paper 28/01
Crafting From The Heart #144 AG 29/01
ABC Christmas Challenge A or B 30/01
Cards And More Still Winter 30/01
Get Creative Challenges #54 AG 31/01
Christmas At Sweet Stampin Anything Christmas Goes 06/02
Cutie Pie Challenge #107 Winter Warmers 06/02
A Snowflakes Promise #36 06/02

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

To leave a comment, please click on the G+1 button below.

(If this does not open up the comments, please click either the link to this particular post in the sidebar, or click on the red heading at the top of the post and, hopefully, the comments will open).

Thanks x

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Vera Lane Studio: Raccoon Family

Hello crafty friends!

It's my turn to share a new Vera Lane Studio release! 

It's a fabulous Raccoon Family! It's in the shop now and at a very reasonable price. 

One of the things I love about the VLS sets is that you can make your own scenes and stories with the digital stamps, and it's so easy to mix and match the sets. 

Here is my project: 

I created a background from a gelli print which was then stamped, stencilled and doodled upon with a white paint pen and a white gel pen. I sprayed some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist to add a touch of sparkle.

 The images were coloured with markers, fussy cut, then attached to the background. The 'trees' (from the Backyard Monsters set) are glued directly onto the background. The raccoons are popped on foam pads. Don't Mr and Mrs Raccoon look smart? I think they're going on a dinner date...

I hope you will come along and play on Vera Lane. It's such a friendly, fun place to be!

You'll find us on Facebook in a closed group, which I invite you all to join! You can find us HERE. I guarantee, you'll get a very warm welcome!

Vera Lane Studio Blog
Vera Lane Studio Facebook Group
Vera Lane Studio You Tube Channel
Vera Lane Studio Etsy Shop

Thanks for taking time to stop by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

Brown Sugar Challenge #234 AG 26/01
CAGI Challenge No designer Paper 28/01
Glitter N Sparkle Challenge #223 Four Legged Friends 29/01
Creates And Makes #7 AG 30/01
Paper Creators Crafts #55 AG 31/01
Crafting With Friends #35 AG 01/02
Inspiration Destination #120 AG 01/02
Creative Fingers Challenge #123 AG 01/02
Colour Crazy Challenge #3 AG 03/02
Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends #50 AG 04/02

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

To leave a comment, please click on the G+1 button below.

(If this does not open up the comments, please click either the link to this particular post in the sidebar, or click on the red heading at the top of the post and, hopefully, the comments will open).

Thanks x

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GDT for Scrapbook Stamp Society

Hello  

I'm thrilled to be guest designing for Scrapbook Stamp Society today.

I used a Sherri Baldy image and this is the card that I made:

I coloured the image with Spectrum Noir markers and pencils. She is fussy cut and attached on foam pads onto a circular die cut. The heart  background paper was matted onto black card. I added lace with threaded ribbon along the bottom and a die cut sentiment. Three mulberry paper flowers were added and three jumbo pearls completed the card.

Thanks for stopping by today.
xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

Pink And Main Challenges #17 AG 26/01
Ribbon Girls Any Image 28/01
Besties Challenge AG 28/01
Scrapbook Stamp Society Challenge AG 29/01
Digistamps4Joy #132 AG/option All About Love 30/01
Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Jan AG 30/01
My Besties Spanish Challenge #31 AG 02/02
My-Besties Deutschland #37 AG Besties 10/02
World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #15 11/02

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

To leave a comment, please click on the G+1 button below.

(If this does not open up the comments, please click either the link to this particular post in the sidebar, or click on the red heading at the top of the post and, hopefully, the comments will open).

Thanks x

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{Pin}spirational Challenges: Feed The Birds

Hello!

Today is the start of a new challenge at 

{PIN}spirational Challenges.

Challenge #182 is sponsored by the wonderful All Dressed Up.
You have until 30th January to enter our challenge.

And this is the inspiration photo:



A cute little girl, all snuggled up in her winter clothes, in the snow and holding a kitten. 
How will this inspire you?

I was lucky to receive a digital image from All Dressed Up called Feed The Birds, and this is the card I made:



I coloured my image with Spectrum Noir pens, then die cut it using a stitched rectangle die. Whilst the die was still in place I inked the background, with the help of a blending tool, using Tim Holtz Spun Sugar distress ink. I matted the image on to black card, then onto a rectangle of patterned paper and again on to black card.  This was adhered to the background on foam pads. Die cut flowers with inked edges and pearl centres were added around the image frame.

That's all from me today.  I hope you'll pop over to 

{PIN}spirational Challenges

to check out the gorgeous designs by the rest of the DT. 

We would love for you to take part in the challenge!

Thanks for stopping by today. 
xoxo
(Has anyone else lost their Followers gadget?)

*****

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

Crafting When We Can #135 AG 20/01 
Crafting From The Heart #143 AG 22/01
Perfect Time To Craft AG 27/01
A Bit More Time To Craft #36 AG 28/01
Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Use Patterned Paper  31/01
Get Creative Challenges #54 AG 31/01
Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends #50 AG 03/02

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

To leave a comment, please click on the G+1 button below.

(If this does not open up the comments, please click either the link to this particular post in the sidebar, or click on the red heading at the top of the post and, hopefully, the comments will open).

Thanks x

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Vera Lane Studio: Woodland Props

Hello!

I hope you had a lovely weekend.

(Don't Mondays come around quickly?)

I am delighted to say that I was a runner up in the World Wide Open Design Team Challenge  with my last Vera Lane Studio project which you can see here.

 

Today I have some cards that I created for Vera Lane Studio to show some of the digital stamps in the newly released Woodland Props set.

I tried something I've not done for a while ... watercolour. 
Oh. My. Goodness.  That brought back memories (and not good ones!).

I went on a watercolour course and it terrified me. We were expected to paint landscapes that consisted mainly of snowy scenes and marshes. I was horrified at how uncontrollable watercolours are. 

Anyhow ... I digress.

I decided to make watercolour backgrounds for my cards - trying to create a dip dye look and an ombre look. 

The cards are, I think, quite clean and simple - and this is a style that does not come easily to me.

Here is the first:



The watercolour paper was taped to my work surface which helped in two ways - it kept the paper in place and it provided a neat border. I wet the paper before applying the paints and this created the ombre look. I used Cadmium Yellow and Cadmium Orange,  adding extra pigment towards the top and bottom. The gorgeous flower image from Woodland Props was flipped and added to a second flower image. They were coloured with alcohol pens, then fussy cut leaving a white border. I popped them on foam pads for dimension. The sentiment is from Sentiments Set 1. I matted on kraft card before adhering to the card base.



My second card is neither ombre nor dip dye - but I replicated the colours used for the birds. The birds are supposed to be blue tits (one of my favourite birds because they are so tiny and beautifully coloured). This time I added the colours separately and dried the paper with my heat tool inbetween colours. I used Sap Green, Cobalt Blue and Cadmium Yellow. I tried to soften the edges by applying more water. The images are all from Woodland Props,  the birds have been resized and flipped - something we can't do with rubber stamps! They were coloured with alcohol pens, fussy cut and popped on foam pads. The sentiment is from  Sentiments Set 1.

And finally, of course, I had to use The Foxes on the Woodland Props - they were made for each other!

 Here I made a dip dye look with the watercolours, again drying each colour before adding the next. I started at the top with the lightest and gradually went darker. This time I trimmed my watercolour paper and inked the edges lightly with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo. I adore these foxes - aren't they cute? I feel that they are standing in mid-air, but adding more to the base would have taken away from the CAS nature I was trying to create. 
Here are the digital sets I used:

 Woodland Props                  The Foxes                     Sentiments Set 1
             

I hope you will come along and play on Vera Lane. It's such a friendly, fun place to be!
We have an ATC swap taking place at the moment.

You'll find us on Facebook in a closed group, which I invite you all to join! You can find us HERE. I guarantee, you'll get a very warm welcome!

Vera Lane Studio Blog
Vera Lane Studio Facebook Group
Vera Lane Studio You Tube Channel
Vera Lane Studio Etsy Shop

Thanks for taking time to stop by today.
I would love it if you became a 'follower'!

xoxo

I'd like to play along in the following challenges:

CARD 1 Flowers:
TTCRD AG 18/01
Creative Corner Challenges AG 18/01
Crafting With Friends #34 AG 19/01
Creative Fingers Challenge #122 AG 19/01
Crafting When We Can #135 AG 20/01
My Time To Craft #337 Something New (digi stamps) 26/01

CARD 2: Birdies:
Brown Sugar Challenge #233 AG 18/01
Allsorts Challenge #398 Wings on Things 20/01
Inkspirational Challenges #126 Flutter 27/01
Crafty Calendar Challenge Something New (digi stamps)  28/01
A Bit More Time To Craft #36 AG 28/01
Dragonfly Dreams Challenges With Thanks 30/01

CARD 3 The Foxes:
Corrosive Challenges #1 AG 06/02
Challenge Up Your Life #57 Selfmade Backgrounds 18/01 TOP 3

Colour Crazy Challenge #2 AG 27/01
Imagine That AG 03/02
Patties Creations #130 Use an Animal Image  02/02
World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #18 11/02

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

To leave a comment, please click on the G+1 button below.

(If this does not open up the comments, please click either the link to this particular post in the sidebar, or click on the red heading at the top of the post and, hopefully, the comments will open).

Thanks x

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