To Diet or Not To Diet

 Oh what fun I had with this card.  Last night a friend came down to visit, I have been planning for a few weeks on making her a 40th birthday card but just could not come up with the right thing, she is a no fuss person, so lace and pearls were out, she love beer but I did not want to do that lol.  Anyway, last night she was full of doom and gloom about struggling to loose weight no matter how hard she tries, and boy does she try.  She walks and swims every day, eats salads and steamed veg, next to no carbs and yet the weight is stuck to her like it has been superglued.  I should add, she is not over weight big time but I think it is getting to her.  I had to point out that she was nearly 40 and once you hit that big number you have to work three times harder to keep a figure of a 20 year old.  What I said was very much tongue in cheek as I know she is far from impressed about turning 40, I just hope that once it happens she enjoys the decade as much as I did, far preferring it to my 30's hahaha.
When I woke up this morning her card just jumped at me, using Sandra Caldwell's image - To Diet or Not to Diet' just seemed perfect.

I really wanted to make my own design paper for this, something a bit young and funky to take the edge of the joke and also to add my friends name.  Once I made the paper I imported the image and removed the white background.

The image was then coloured with Promarkers and finished off with Polychromos.  Next I distressed the edges of the image and mounted it on dark turquoise card and then pink card with both layers also distressed.  Using a blue card blank was perfect in allowing me to coordinate all the colours from the image.  A simple die but in the the dark turquoise using Spellbinders Victorian Medllion 3 and a pink ribbon (more to annoy my friend but at least the card is not to fussy lol) and each layer mounted with foam tape was all that was needed.  A Happy Birthday peel off sticker was added to the bowl. The inside of the card used the same digital paper I made and a white semi transparent heart, just to let her know I really do love her :)

Ingredients:-

• Image - To Diet or Not to Diet by Sandra Caldwell available from Sweet Pea Stamps as a digi
• Colouring medium - Promarkers, Polychromos and digital background paper
• Dies - Spellbinders Victorian Medllion 3
• From my stash - ribbon and peel off sticker.

Challenges entered :-

Rosarna Christmas

Today I am sharing a Christmas card I have made for my sister using the stunning image Rosarna Christmas by Karen Middleton available from the store both in rubber and as a digi.  I made this card a wee while ago, well actually back in May lol as I took it to the UK with me and left it there for posting at the right time (save me trying to get cards sent from Saudi and ensuring they arrive safe and sound).  I have just mentioned that because I see one of the poinsettia flowers on the image is squiff and I can't take another picture to correct that - sorry folks).

To begin with I coloured the image with Polychromos and Promarkers.

I then made a couple of simple mounts and a sentiment mount layering up in greens, golds and some gold holly embossed vellum.  The image is so gorgeous I really did not want to overly embellish this card or add to much as everything I tried just made it look cluttered and distracted from the image.

Ingredients:-

• Image - Rosarna Christmas by Karen Middleton available from Sweet Pea Stamps in rubber and as a digi
• Colouring Medium - Polychromos and Promarkers
• Dies - Spellbinders Grand Ovals and Grand Scalloped Ovals
• From my Stash - Christmas sentiment peel off sticker, poinsettia flowers and brads

I am entering into the following challenges:-

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Sweet Pea Stamps

Madison

Good morning folk, hope you are having a good day :) :) This week I am sharing a Christmas card with you using the cute image Madison by Fernanda Oravec.

To make this card I first embossed some tan card base and then layered with red.  For the front of the card I added some gold mesh to one corner.  The image was coloured with Polychromos and then fussy cut and a gold circle die added behind the head.  The label is a peel off sentiment layered on red and gold and to finish off several poinsettia flowers. Not a very fancy card but I do love the way it has turned out with all the layering and texture :)

Ingredients:-

• Image - Madison by Fernanda Oravec
• Colouring medium - Faber Castell Polychromos
• Dies - oops, I can't remember
• from my stash -  flowers, peel off sentiment and gold mesh

Competitions entered :-

• A Gem of a Challenge 2W (W1)  Christmas anything goes
• Crafting with Dragonflies 2W,1E, Cards only (W2) anything Christmas, not just cards 
• My Time to Craft 2W (W1 ) Christmas animals
• Animal Friends Challenge (M,P1,E3) #32 Christmas or New Year (must have an animal)
• Artistic Stampers (M,P1)  Christmas
• Card Mania (M, P1, E3) #75 Christmas 
• Creatalicious Challenges (M,P15) #81 Merry Christmas
• Graph'It Colour Challenge - W (any medium)- No.49 - Gold or Silver
• Jo's Scrap Shack - W, 3E  - No.117 -  Christmas Joy
• That's Crafty! Challenge Blog - 2W, E3, Must be a UK resident - (W1 of 2) Season's Greetings

Copia

This week is Artist Week and the whole DT are using images from Zoimar Lezama, I have chosen to use Copia.  The image was coloured with Polychromos and for the background I used a stencil and Pan Pastels.  When I coloured the image initially I had no background so added a digital background by removing the white space from the image once I had taken a photo of it.

I just loved colouring all the folds on this image :)
For my card base I covered a white card with a shimmering slightly embossed paper and then added a dark green layer in the same type of paper.  The green layer was mounted with foam tape.  Next I added some lace and allowed it to hang over the right edge a bit and on top of that some pink organza ribbon.  The ribbon does not really show unless you look hard but is the same ribbon I used for the bow and is a nice way to carry the colour.
What fun I had making my bow lol, I was trying to make something that resembled sections of a butterfly in keeping with the image.  To hold my bow in place I used a hat pin to which I added pearls and a hand made bead along with a bit of old broken necklace.  The pointy end of the hat pin was then passed through my bow from bottom to top and the end then bent over to make a hook.  The hook end was then secured to the back of the image. Below you can see a close up of the hat pin and bow.

Onto my flowers.  I used Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms and Foliage.  Two of the roses were cut using the same paper as I used to back my card and the other three some patterned Papermania paper.  The leaves were cut using the same dark green paper I had used earlier.  To complete my flower spray I added a small net and wire butterfly and dotted some pearls around. 

 With the scraps of paper I had left over I decorated the inside of the card using Spellbinders Foliage again and Memory Box Levington Border

Thank you for stopping by and hope you are having a special day taday :)

Ingredients :-

• Image - Copia by Zoimar Lezama available from Sweet Pea Stamps in rubber and as a digi
• Colouring Medium - Polychromos and Pan Pastels
• Dies - Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms and Foliage, Memory Box Levington Border
• From my stash - pearls, butterfly, ribbon, lace, hat pin, beads

Challenges entered :-

• Glitter n Sparkle - W - #163 Add a die Cut/Punch Shape
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - 2W (1st and 3rd Sunday) E3 #22 Anything Goes   (W1 of 2)
• The Corrosive Challenges - 2W, 3E - #237 Add a Sentiment (W2 of  2) 
• The Ribbon Girls - W, must use ribbon – Use any Image
• Brown Sugar – W, E2 - No. 172 - No Patterned Paper
• Crafting-With-Friends - 2W, 3E - (W2 of 2) Always Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - W, 3E – #301 - Girls Only
• Jo's Scrap Shack - W, 3E  - No.114 -   Anything Goes
• Simply Papercraft - 2W, E3 - No. 17 (W2 of 2) - Always Anything Goes
• 4 Crafty Chicks W #272 Ribbon
• Crafting With An Attitude M,1st Thurs,3E #9 Anything Goes
• Crafty Girls Creations 2W,3E Always Anything Goes
• Jilia Spiri Challenge 2W,3E #6 Add A Sentiment (W1 of 2)
• The Crafty Addicts M, 1st Wednesday of M, E #4 - Anything Goes/ Use A Die Cut 

Lucy

Morning folks, hope you are having a great day so far :) :) Today I am sharing a card I have made using Lucy by Sandra Caldwell.  I first coloured the image with Polychromos and Promarkers.

Next I decided to go with dotty paper hahahaha, well this lovely lady does look rather dotty to me. To some of the red and white dotty paper I coloured the white spots black, me in a dotty spotty mood rather liked the idea of creating two design papers from one and the colours matched up perfectly lol.  The sentiment is a rubber stamp I have which I stamped onto one of my spotty dotty mounts and then mounted this on black, three black gems.  The other two mounts were made with my two variations of the paper.  I had the perfect ribbon to go with this card for my bow and also used along with the paper to finish off the inside of the card.

I wanted this to be a belated birthday card so hand wrote an apology sentiment - Sorry I forgot which I think ties in super well with the rubber stamped sentiment.

 Ingredients :-

• Image -  Lucy by Sandra Caldwell
• Colouring medium - Polychromos and Promarkers
• Dies - Spellbinders-Grand Labels 1 
• From my stash - ribbon and gems

I am entering the following challenges:-

• Allsorts W,3E  ribbons and bows
• Catch The Bug W,3E,SIO anything goes 
• Di's Digis Designs 3E,2W,SIO (W1)Tic Tac Toe - see below 
• Pattie's Creations - M, 2E, SIO, include an image –  November - Birthday
• Seize The Birthday 2W Birthday +  Topping - Anything Goes(W1 of 2)
• Wonderful Wednesdays -  W, SIO -  Always Anything Goes
• Artistic Inspirations - 2W, E3 - (Week 2) Anything Goes with Twist of Birthdays
• Craft-Dee BowZ - M, E3, project must have bow - (November) Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow
• The Pencil Blog 2W - Prizes:  Maureen Scott, Marlene  Top 3: Maya, Larissa, TMD (week 1)
• Get Creative Challenges - 2W, 3E - (Week 1) Birthday

Christmas Bird

Morning folks :) today I am sharing a Christmas card with you using the lovely image Christmas Bird by Elaine Cox available from Sweet Pea Stamps in both rubber and as a digi.

To begin with I coloured the image with Polychromos crayons and Promarkers.

I next fussy cut the image and mounted it on a Tattered Lace Doily Flourish die.  Next I created my mounts both using the pale blue background card and then blue patterned paper.  The snowflakes were cut using Impression Obsession Snowflakes which I then sprayed with silver varnish from Crafters Companion. Next I made the sentiment using an Xcut die from the tags set, a peel off sentiment sticker and die cut holly leaves using the die Memory Box Small Holly Leaves.  A satin ribbon blue bow was added for a bit of contrast.

 The inside of the card was finished off with snowflakes cut using the paper I used on each of the layer mounts.

Ingredients:-

• Image - Christmas Bird by Elaine Cox
• Colouring medium - Polychromos crayons and Promarkers
• Dies - Tattered Lace Doily Flourish die, XCut Tags, Impression Obsession Snowflakes and Memory Box Small Holly Leaves
• From my stash -  ribbon, Stickles, peel off sentiment

Challenges entered :-

• Dragonfly +Dreams - M – Ribbons & Bows
• The Ribbon Girls - W, must use ribbon – Anything Goes
• Allsorts W,3E  Christmas 
• Sweet Stampin W, 2E, dies or punches 
• Simply Create Too - 2W - No.97 - (W2 of 2) - Baby It's Cold Outside
• Winter Wonderland - W, 3E, must be Christmas – Anything Christmas Goes
• Addicted to Stamps and More - W - C10 - #168  Holiday
• Crafting By Designs - W,F, 3E -  Angels
• Fab 'n' Funky - W,1E, C10 - #279 Christmas
• Whimsy Inspiration -Monthly 3rd Wed posting, 3E, SIO  - #87 Fall Colors or Christmas
• 
  

Light Yellow

This week is Artist Week and the whole team are using images by the fabulous Karen Middleton.  Karen's images are so beautifully drawn and a dream to colour :) :) :) For my creation I am using the image Light Yellow which is available from Sweet Pea Stamps in both rubber and as a digi.

For my card I first coloured the image with Promarkers and Polychromos.

To make the card I covered some white cardstock with an olive green paper which has a gold fleck which I had embossed.  Next I added a a purple die cut using Spellbinders Victorian Medllion 3 and also used the small medallion of this die set for the yellow accent.  The purple mount and image which I had triple mounted were then attached to the card with foam taps so I had lots of height.
Next I created a bouquet of flowers from my stash, used some very fine organza ribbon for the bow which was finished off with a gold heart then added a die cut sentiment from Creative Expressions and finally a purple metallic butterfly.

Ingredients:-

• Image - Light Yellow by Karen Middleton
• Colouring Medium - Promarkers and Polychromos
• Dies - Spellbinders Victorian Medllion 3 and Creative Expressions Just a Note
• From my stash - flowers, ribbon, gold heart, butterfly, pearls

Challenges entered:-

• Colouring in Scrapland - M, 1st Monday, E2, No digital colouring - (October) Anything Goes
• Craft-Dee BowZ - M, E3, project must have bow - (October) Anything Goes with a Handmade Bow
• Craft Your Passion - W, E3 - Always Anything Goes
• Whoopsi Daisy - M, SIO - (October) Hand colored image
• Alphabet Challenge - 2W, 1E, JFF - (W1 of 2) - R is for Ribbon
• Crafting-With-Friends - 2W, 3E - (W2 of 2) Always Anything Goes

Voyager II

Hello folks, hope you are having a good day.  Today I am sharing with you another journal page using the image Voyager II by Lucy Loo of The East Wind available from Sweet Pea Stamps in digi format.  I had a really hard time with this page, lots of grief and lots of walking away from it only to return a few hours later and ponder some more :)

To begin with I coloured the image with Polychormos and copper Promarker.  For the background I used a clock embossing folder and hammered the areas I wanted embossed - yes I used a hammer hahahah (I did not want to put this through my machine as I did not want the image to be embossed, only the surrounding area).  The image does not come with the spring, I drew that in :)

Next I covered my book pages with some paper from Kaban.  I thought the paper would be great but once I had got this far I really didn't like it and that is where it all started to become a real pain in the behind.  I keep trying to find ways to added text other than hand written and found a method of using tissue paper and embossing powder.  The tutorial said the tissue paper would be almost invisible but, well it is a bit transparent but not really invisible enough for what I had in mind grrrrrr.  Next I added some texture plastic in a few areas and then airbrushed the background with black and brown Promarkers) For the dies I used the XCut Pocket Watches die set to make my watches, I also used Graphic 45 659053 clock die set.  Another Sizzix border die was used and finished off with tiny pink gems (I managed to drop all the gems in the packed onto the floor, along with a whole box of tiny brads - as you can see this has been a trial of tribulation from start to finish hahaha).  The dies were nearly all cut using gold metal sheet, pink and black card were also used for the watch faces. The sentiment btw reads 'Sometimes your only available transportation is a leap of faith' which I thought was rather appropriate to go with the image and the spring the girl is sitting on which I added - anybody fancying this form of transport really would need to have faith :).

The final bit of work on this was to add Stampendous Frantage Micra in copper, bronze and gold, lots of yummy texture :)

Ingredients:-

• Image - Voyager II by Lucy Loo of The East Wind
• Colouring medium - Polychromos and Promarkers
• Dies - XCut Pocket Watches die set and Graphic 45 659053 clock die set
• From my stash - Frantage, gold sheet, gems, plastic mesh

Challenges entered:-

• 
  

Delphinium Fairy

Morning everybody, hope you are having a happy day :) :) Today I am sharing a card I have made with you using the image Delphinium Fairy by Gabriella Szabo available from the store in digi format.  

To begin with I coloured the image with Polychromos and then added a background using Pan Pastels.  I also added the leaf at the bottom of the image.  Next, using a square card blank, I cut my image to fit and fully cover the front.  Not having done this before as I do love mounting my images using dies I was struggling with the inner feeling of how flat it felt :) :) :) Next I die cut in white the Wildflower Corner die from Memory Box and then coloured the leaves and flowers using Promarkers to tone in with my coloured image and added blue embossing powder to the small blue flowers.  Finally a sentiment was added and some lace which I also coloured with Promarkers.

Ingredients:-

• Image - Delphinium Fairy by Gabriella Szabo
• Colouring Medium - Polychromos, Promarkers, Pan Pastels
• Dies - Wildflower Corner from Memory Box
• From my stash -  lace, embossing powder

Challenges entered:-

• Moving along with the Times - 2W, E3 (W1 of 2) Fairy Enough
• Star Stampz Challenge - 2W, E3 SIO - (W1 of 2) Add A Sentiment
• Crafty Gals Corner -  W, E2 - #39 Things With Wings/Mythical Creatures
• Mod Squad Challenge - W, F - Anything With Wings
• Crafting with Dragonflies 2W,1E, Cards only (W2)anything goes 
• Crafting-With-Friends - 2W, 3E - (W2 of 2) Always Anything Goes
• Jo's Scrap Shack - W, 3E  - No.108 -  Anything Goes
• QKR Stampede – W, 4E, SIO – No. 159 - Anything Goes
• The Stamping Boutique - 2W, (2nd & 4th Friday) SIO - No.67 -  (W2 of 2) - No Design Paper
• Deep Ocean Challenge 2W - #114 - Fairies & Angels (Week 1)
• Dragonfly +Dreams - M – Let's Get Girly
• Inspiration Destination - W, F- #54 Always Anything Goes 
• Colouring in Scrapland - M, 1st Monday, E2, No digital colouring - (October) Anything Goes
• Craft It Up & Link It Up Linky Party by Craftin Desert Divas - 2W - (Week 2) Things With Wings
• Whoopsi Daisy - M, SIO - (October) Hand colored image

Teddy Bear Mermaid

There are times when you colour an image and are just not happy with it and this is one of them for me.  I think it is because with the way she has turned out she looks so scared.  However, I tend to go ahead an make a card or something with my poor colouring, maybe I should throw it away and redo it lol but I enjoy the challenge of trying to bring the disaster into something.  In this case I had the perfect sentiment and, for me fitted my coloured image perfectly.

So to make this card I coloured the image with Polychromos.  The background was coloured with Pan Pastels and then I used my embossing folder and hammer so I could emboss only the background and not the image.  For my base mat I embossed a piece of card with a Spelllbinders folder of shells and then used a few shades of Brusho and spay water to get lots of texture and movement.  Both the image and the base mat were mounted on orange card to tie in with the underwater plants.  Next I used a tree branch die from Memory Box for more seaweed and the Large Ringlet die also from Memory Box for bubbles.  To finish off I added a few pearl strands, some small bead shells around the sentiment and then some very precious shells collected by my daughter and grandson on a wee outing they had walking along the beach.

Ingredients:-

• Image - Concetta Kilmer's Teddy Bear Mermaid 
• Colouring Medium -  Faber Castell Polychromos, Pan Pastels and Brushos
• Dies - Memory Box Woodland Branch and Large Ringlets
• From my stash - shells, sentiment stamp, pearls, Frantage

Challenges entered:-

• Colouring in Scrapland - M, 1st Monday, E2, No digital colouring - (September) Under the
• SeaWhoopsi Daisy - M, SIO - (September) Add Embellishments
• Crafting with Dragonflies 2W,1E, Cards only (W2) under the sea
• Crafty Friends Challenge 2W,(W2) - use a sentiment 
• Creative Craft Cottage Digi Creations (2W, P1/15, E3) #32 Include a Sentiment
• Dream Factory (M,P15) #23 The Little Mermaid
• Lunagirl (M, P1, E3) Fairies and Mermaids 

Carry Me Away

Continuing with my journals for my daughters this week I have used the image Carry Me Away by Molly Harrison which is available as a digi from Sweet Pea Stamps.  This journal page is for my eldest daughter who just loves horses :) :)
To begin with I coloured the image with Promarkers and Polychromos.  Gold Spectrum Noir tint was used for the top section of the wing and gold glass granules were added for a bit of texture.

With the image coloured I set to preparing the journal page with white Gesso.  While that was drying I fussy cut the image, not an easy task with all those swirls hahaha.  Out with the Spectrum Noir tints again and I used three shades of purple for the base background and then added blotches of water at the top and allowed them to run down the page - cool effect :) Black tint next and I freehand created what is meant to be a tree.  To finish the tree off I used black embossing powder in areas.  A bit more embossing powder, this time a mixture of gold and clear and a texture stamp to create the gold circle areas.
Time now to add the fussy cut image and I then finished off with some gold stickles around the mane swirls.
The text was die cut using lime green vinyl and then finally added to the journal page, that was not easy as I had used the reverse side of my cutting mat and the vinyl stuck like you know what, took me ages to remove transfer it to transfer tape but a big sigh of relief when it was done.

Ingredients:-

• Image - Carry Me Away by Molly Harrison 
• Colouring medium - Promarkers, Polychromos, Spectrum Noir Tints
• Die cutting - text using vinyl
• From my stash - gold Stickles, black, gold and clear embossing powders,

Challenges I am entering :-

• Artbymiran Challenge - 2W , SIO, 3E, no digital projects - No.39 - (W1 of 2) - Anything Goes
• Crafting-With-Friends - 2W, 3E - (W2 of 2) Anything Goes
• Lunagirl Moonbeams - M, E3  - August - Animals
• Craft for the Craic - M, 5E (First Friday of the month) - August - Photo Inspiration*

• Aud Sentiments Challenge - 2W, E5 (W2 of 2) #138 Fairies (+ a sentiment) 
• Fab 'n' Funky - W,1E, C10 - #270 Things With Wings
• Through The Craft Room Door W, 2E - Always Anything Goes
• Great Impressions - M, 3E, SIO - August - Add a sentiment
• Dragonfly +Dreams - M –  August Flying High with Wings
• Colouring in Scrapland - M, 1st Monday, E2, No digital colouring - (August) Things with Wings

Silver Flute

The image was printed onto some background paper I designed, simple but with a great texture pattern and just enough not to distract from the beautiful image.  The inside of the card was designed using the same digital paper with a simple addition of a black bar.  Next I coloured the image with Spectrum Noir markers and then finished off with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils.  For the background of the image I used my new Spectrum Noir inks, just one problem, the paint brushes that come in the sets are all much bigger than I usually work with and I don't have my fine paintbrushes with me at the moment, think I will have to go and buy a couple :) :)  Once the colouring was completed I then mounted both sections onto black card. To finish off the front of the card I used a new die I have just got and made my black paper bow and edging.  I can see this die is going to be one of my favourites as I am totally useless at tying bows lol.

 inside of card

To begin with I coloured the image with Promarkers   Faber Castell Polychromos

Ingredients:-

• Image - GABRIELLA SZABO - The Silver Flute available as a digi
• Colouring Medium - Spectrum Noir markers and inks, Faber Castell Polychromos pencils
• Dies - Filigree Bow
• Digital Design paper - by me

I am entering into the following challenges:-

• Sister Act Card Challenge - W, Cards - No. 111  - Always Anything Goes (Cards only)
• Addicted to Stamps and More - W - C10 - #149 Clean and Simple
• Paper Shelter Challenge - W,3E, SIO - #208 Make It Digital
• Doodle Pantry  M,First Tuesday,1E,SIO - must use digital image -  Anything Digital Goes
• Through The Craft Room Door W, 2E - Always Anything Goes
• Kleuren Met Potloden (M,P10,E1,C6) Anything Goes - Digital Stamps must be coloured with pencils
• Ladybug Crafts (M,P1,3E) Use Your Dies

Sweet Pea Stamps

Medicine Woman

Sweet Pea Stamps

Today is my day to showcase and image from Sweet Pea Stamps.  As it is Featured Artist Week the whole DT are working with images by Linda Biggs and I have chosen to work with the beautiful image Medicine Woman which is available from the Sweet Pea Store in both rubber and digi.

I have a bunch of design papers from magazines and they just seem to sit there unused so I am making a conscious effort this year to attack the pile lol.  With that in mind my first step was to choose my backing paper and then colour my image around those colours.  With that done I used a peel off birthday sticker in white and airburshed it with my Promarker, one of the colours used in the image.  I should add the image was coloured with Promarkers and I chalked the background. The sentiment was, once dry, placed on some of the DP used for the background and then die cut.

To finish off the card I used a Dreamcatcher die from Cherry Lynn which I airbrushed and Sizzix  - Ornate Hanging Sign.  The sentiment was cut with Xcut tags. a lace border was added along the bottom edge and a bow tied with the same lace and then airbrushed with my Lilac Promarker.  Finally, some pink Stickels on the dreamcatcher and pearls picking out the three main colours, pink green and blue.

Ingredients:-

• Image - Medicine Woman by Linda Biggs and available from Sweet Pea Store in both rubber and digi
• Colouring Medium -  Promarkers
• Dies -  Dreamcatcher die from Cherry Lynn,  Sizzix - Ornate Hanging Sign and XCut tags
• From my stash, lace, pearl brads, blue gems and Stickles

I am entering into the following challenges:-

• Di's Digis Designs 3E,2W,SIO(W2) lots of embellishments 
• My Time to Craft W lace 
• Artbymiran Challenge - 2W , SIO, 3E, no digital projects - No.26 - (W1 of 2) - Anything Goes
• Craft for the Craic - M, 5E (First Friday of the month) - February - Birthday or Anniversary
• Left of Center Creative Challenges - W - No.66 - Use Your Dies
• QKR Stampede – W, 4E, SIO – No. 127 - Critters
• Simply Create Too - 2W - No.79 - (W2 of 2) - Anything Goes
• Sister Act Card Challenge - W, Cards. - No. 93  - Anything Goes
• 4 Crafty Chicks - W- #234 Things With Wings
• Chalk N Stock - M, 2E, F, must use chalk-   Always Anything Goes With Chalk
• Scrap & Craft Challenge -2W (1st & 3rd) 3E, (W1 of 2) - Birthday
• Seize The Birthday - 2W - Must be Birthday Card (W2 of 2) - Birthday +  Topping Option - Hearts and/or Arrows
• DoubleClick Skittles - 2W, E1, F -  #16 Use Any Animal (Week 1 of 2)
• Fresh Brewed Designs - W, 5E - Animals 
• Inspiration Destination - W, F- #21 Always Anything goes
• Creative Card Crew 2W - #81 - Birthday with Sentiment (week 1)
• Fan-Tastic Tuesday - W, E4, Must Be Square or Rectangular #71 Anything Goes with a twist: use a Die
• Going Grey With Scrap-Creations 2W, 2E - Bingo*  (Week 1) (LACE, DIE CUTS/PUNCH, BRADS)
• Passion For Promarkers Challenge W- must use promarkers - #284 - Perfect Pearls
• ABC Challenge (P1/15) ‘D is for Diecuts’
• A Girl who Crafts (M, P1,E5) Anything Goes
• Crafts Galore Encore (M,P1,E3) Use a Stamp or Digi.
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper (M,P1) Anything goes with Patterned Paper
• Melonheadz Friends Challenge - 2W, 2E, SIO - (Week 1) Die Cuts

Thank you for stopping by today and hope you have a happy crafting time ahead of you :) xx

Bleeding Hearts Sprite

Sweet Pea Stamps

Today is my day to showcase and image from Sweet Pea Stamps and I have chosen to work with the beautiful image Bleeding Hearts Sprite by Mitzi Sato-Wiuff which is available from the Sweet Pea Store in rubber

I don't mind making Christmas card, I hate Halloween and Easter cards but oooooo I so love Valentine cards so this week, saying as it is February, the month of love I could not resist.  To begin with I cut the sections of my card on my die cutter.

 Next I covered the back of the folded sections with pink and silver mesh.

 The image was coloured with Promarkers

Next I took some narrow lace and stitched on side with running stitch so I could gather it up.  Using some bought satin roses I coloured them with my pink Promarker, the same as one of the colours as used in the image.

Using an 'I Love You' Sizzix die cut I created the text. With another Sizzix die I made the heart.  As I wanted lots of height here I used pearls to create the spacing between the text and the heart and again on the back of the heart where it will be attached to the card.

 Here you can see the front of the card.  A white lace bow was added to the heart/text die cut, a swirly die cut and three of the five flowers I made to complete the embellishment.

 Close up of the text and heart, you can really see the height achieved here by using the pearls.

 Middle heart of the card has one swirl die cut, a metal silver double heart and another of the flowers in the centre.

The final section of the card has the digi.  I added more lace behind the digi, the same lace I used for the flowers so it would match. Chalk was used to colour the white space around the image.  I then used the final flower to hold the card sections in place when opened.

 And here we have the finished card.

Ingredients:-

• Image - Bleeding Hearts Sprite by Mitzi Sato-Wiuff
• Colouring Medium - Promarkers
• Dies - Sizzix Heart and I Love You, Cherry Lyn b127-Tropical-Flourish, card cut by Rae Carr
• Flowers, lace, pearls etc from my stash

I am entering into the following challenges:-

• Crafts Galore Encore (M,P1,E3) Use a Stamp or Digi.
• Crafting Musketeers (M,P2,1E) #22 Cute
• Dies R Us Challenge (2W,P1/15,E3,SIR) Hearts (must us die cut)
• Digi Galore (M,P1) Anything Goes
• Digistamps 4 Joy (2W,SIO) Valentine - Love
• Emerald Faeries Challenge (M,P1,E3,SIO)   #64 All You Need is Love
• Fitztown Challenge (M,P5,E3,SIR) Have a Heart
• Karleigh Sue Challenge (M,P1/15,SIO) Valentine Theme, Anything Goes
• More than One Score at Scor-Pal  (M,P1,E3,Scor-Pal)   Hearts a Flutter (More than one score required)
• My Artistic Adventures Challenges  (M P2/16) #3 Warms the Heart
• Paper Creator's Crafts (M,3E,SIO) Love Is In The Air
• Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - 2W, 3E -  No. 84 - (W1 of 2) - Love is in the Air
• Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge - W, 3E – No. 212 - With Love
• Fairy Tale - 2W, 2E - No. 110 - (W2 of 2) - Something with a Heart
• Fussy and Fancy - 2W - No.132 - (W1 of 2) - It's All About Love
• Jo's Scrap Shack - W, 3E  - No.74 -  Shaped Card
• Pattie's Creations - M, 2E, SIO, include an image –  February - Valentine's Love
• Simply Create Too - 2W - No.78 - (W2 of 2) - Happy Valentine's Day  (or use hearts)
• 4 Crafty Chicks - W- #232 Hand Coloured Image
• Dream it Up - M, SIO - February Frilly & Fabulous
• In the Pink - 2W, 3E, lots of pink –  (W1 of 2) Love Is In The Air (in pink of course)
• Red Rubber Inspirationals - W, E3, must have stamping: #206 Love Is In The Air
• Crafty Gals Corner -  E2 - #5 Pinkalicious
• Creative Moments - 2W, 3E - #60 Anything goes/ love (1st Week)
• DoubleClick Skittles - 2W, E1, F -  #15 use a heart (1st Week)
• Fresh Brewed Designs - M, 5E -Pink, Hearts or a Valentine (all month) 
• I love Promarkers -Must use Promarkers - #255 Lots of Love
• City Crafter Challenge  W - #247 - Roses & Lace
• Digi Choosday Challenge -W,E2, - #5  In The Pink
• Going Grey With Scrap-Creations 2W, 2E - Love  (Week 1) 
• Addicted to Stamps - 2W, must use stamp- #97 Lots of Layers
• Come and Get It - W, Unlimited - Love Is In the Air
• Cheery Lynn Designs - W, SIR, 1E -  Challenge 171: Tickled Pink
• Great Impressions - M, 3E, SIO - Love Love Love
• Lacy Sunshine - 2W, 3E, SIO, digi available - Have a Heart
• Pile It On - W #55 Use a Bow
• Robyn`s Fetish - W - #250 Valentine Cards
• Aurora Wings - Challenge #11 Valentine's

Thank you for stopping by today and hope you have a happy crafting time ahead of you :) xx