Spooky monogram

Caardvarks latest challenge is to create a card using a monogram or initial.

Here's mine, which has a Halloween theme. I used stamps by Stampendous on shrink plastic and stickers from 7Gipsies.

Animals and Die Cuts

Yippee found some time for crafting today and made four cards and two scrapbook layouts.

Layers of Color's latest challenge is to create a card that uses a stamp and a farmyard animal. Here is my sheep card. The flowers in the background are from the meadow flowers themeplate by Elusive Images (I love it). I created a sheep shape on card and used cotton wool to represent its fleece. The greeting is on vellum underneath the green ribbon.

Meanwhile Caardvarks has a die cuts challenge. A challenge indeed when you don't possess a die cutting gadget. However, I have plenty of die cuts in my stash from when I used to buy Let's Make Cards, so I created a wedding card adding some glitter glue and using a die but frame by Bam Pop along with die cut cake and glasses.

Black and white and Baby

Caardvarks has a challenge to create black and white cards with one additional colour. I decided to use lime green. The b&w papers are by Doodlebug; I cut out some scalloped shapes using a new punch from Stampin' Up. I added some lime ribbon and brads (Dovecraft) and an epoxy greeting (Making Memories). I painted an oval Stampbord tile with black acrylic paint and stamped onto it using lime green ink and a stamp by Crafty Individuals.

Flight of Fancy As Butterflies Flutter By

Caardvarks is asking us to think winged things in the latest challenge, Flight of Fancy.

I used a foil bird ornament that came in a kit from The Story Of My Life and a beautiful quote from Emily Dickinson: "Hope is the thing with feathers that
perches in the soul and sings the tune without words and never stops at all."
Background paper is by College Press.

Meanwhile DCM's latest challenge also has wings, but this time it's butterflies. "Butterfly, Flutterby" asks us to put butterflies on a card. I used a gatefold card and chalked the front with soft blues. I used Twelve by 12 paper and a tag, and stamped butterflies using an Artifacts stamp onto vellum in silver. I coloured the butterflies with Gelly Roll pens and sprinkled on some fine glitter.

Strawberry fields

I do enjoy a challenge and with plenty of spare time this weekend, I set about the Caardvarks challenge of home grown: fruit and vegetables.

I used a strawberry Flower Fairies decoupage (it was actually free with Cardmaking & Papercraft a few weeks ago) and added a strawberry in the corner and some glitter. The paper is by DCWV.

I've also been scrapping, and, do you know: I think I've found my style! I've been scrapbooking for around 18 months now but I never felt I'd really hit on "my style." Then I began to move towards using paint, a more abstract feel, and collage. Now, with a few of these under my belt, I think I've found a way of scrapping that suits me and has potential for development. So no more matting of photos. Yippee. I'd like my layouts to be instantly recognizable as my style in the manner of Jane Dean, Kristina Contes, Anne Parry and Shimelle. Not that I'm saying I'm anywhere as good as they are. But we all need something to aspire to.

Splash uses red cardstock (it looks more pink inthe photo), acrylic paint and irridescent medium, chipboard frames and embellishments, torn up paper, plastic seashore embellishments and letters by DCWV. The stamping, bottom left corner, is with my new French Flair stamp by Stampin' Up, embossed in silver. Very impressed with it, it's a huge stamp. Good quality too.

"Dinner party", with the question "when did I start to turn into Hyacinth Bucket?" uses patterned paper by Sandylion, a Sandylion dinner plate sticker, and some tags from Craftime which I inked round the edges. I continued the effect of fairy lights into the title with gelly roll pens.

Friends & Numbers

The Caardvarks challenge blog is asking for cards that celebrate the love of friends. Meanwhile the Scrummy Stash Cafe blog has a challenge to see layouts or cards with numbers. Here are my two attempts.

The Flower Fairies card, for the numbers challenge, was made with a decoupage kit, Papermania letters, the number four and plenty of glitter.

The Friends card was made by cutting an aperture in a card blank and edging it with glitter, then suspending some butterflies behind acetate against candy striped paper by K&Co. The butterfly at the top is from Lakeland and the butterfly at the bottom used an Artefacts stamp and was stamped & embossed. The glittery letters are by Making Memories.

Red and White Valentine

Here is my card for the latest Daring Cardmaker's Challenge, which is: red and white. It's a Valentine card for a certain someone, but I don't need to worry about him seeing it in advance because he never looks at this blog!

The papers were free with Papercraft Essentials and I added a heart shaped frame by Making Memories and some velvet ribbon and bling.

I've found another card challenge blog, Caardvarks, and they're asking for Valentine's cards. So my little red & white card fits the bill there too!