Something New

To celebrate the new year, Scrummy Stash Cafe blog has a challenge to use the theme 'new'. I made a new home card, using a new stamping wheel by Stampin' Up! and colouring the houses with various Sakura pens. The letters are by American Crafts and Papermania (felt).

Plainly Speaking

The Scrummy Stash Cafe Blog is challenging us not to use patterned paper. I created a lay out with white cardstock and made my own background by using stamps from Stampin' Up and different coloured inks. The felt is by Fancy Pants and the letters by HOTP.

Check it Out

Some check paper on this Christmas card hopefully qualifies for the Scrummy Stash Cafe blog challenge - to use checks or a grid design. Swirl stamp by Art Impressions, image from Alpha Stamps.

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.

The late bird drops the worm (presumably)

Ho hum. Well, I just finished a lay out for Vanessa's challenge at the Scrummy Stash Cafe blog; was about to upload it and realised I am about five hours too late. That'll teach me not to check. Anyway, the challenge was to use a sketch, and it was a nice one (I don't always like sketches) so I used a picture of my niece and nephew with the title "Together." Patterned paper and journalling spot by College Press; chipboard letters by Making Memories. Plus lots of acrylic paint (you should see the state of my hands!).

Here are a few other layouts created recently, just to show I don't just make cards.
I have always loved poppies. Amazingly evocative flowers and how poignant the way they spring up on barren land around battlefields. So I was thrilled to find a poem which does poppies justice. I just had to scrap it. The poem is called Poppies by Attilio Bertolucci. I used the transparent cover of a notepad from Sainsburys, some red velvet ribbon and cut out some poppies from paper by Bo Bunny.
Finally here's what we did on Easter Monday. We walked through Epping Forest - very muddy - to have lunch at The Owl. I've called it "Walk like a Penguin," because when I observed that J didn't have any mud on his jeans, and I did, he said: "Well, it's because you walk like a penguin."

Patterned paper is Two Scoops by Basic Grey; black chipboard letters by Cosmo Cricket with a Holy Cow rub-on used over the top; journalling spot by College Press.

More acrylic paint was used in this layout, celebrating my love of swimming (though I'm not very good and probably don't swim like a penguin). I used Stampin' Up French Flair stamp to create the swirls in the corner. Flower and letters by DCWV; plastic embellishments by Crafts FunFair. Chipboard frame and fun sticker by Anker International.

Trees, Triangles and Quotes

The longer evenings are a boon for the crafter, particularly when there are so many delicious challenges to complete!

I combined two challenges to take part for the first time in Wednesday Stamper and Arty Girlz. Wednesday Stamper has a theme of trees, and Arty Girlz a theme of triangles.

I created a triangle shaped card and attached torn paper randomly, then stamped the four trees using my new Stampin' Up A Tree For All Seasons stamp, coloured with pens and edged with ink. I also stamped into triangle shaped pieces of shrink plastic - can you see them? I brushed the whole thing with PVA diluted with water and Irridescent Medium, then added some dried flowers and leaves from Hobbycraft.
Meanwhile the Scrummy Stash Cafe Blog is looking for quotes or sayings. I found an ideal phrase in K&Co's vellum quotes, "The earth laughs in flowers" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I cut boldly into a new sheet of College Press Grayson Hall collection paper and added some grand adhesions from K&Co, finishing off with burgundy organza ribbon.

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.

Cooo!

After a long drive home from Devon today I was thrilled to see that I'd won a craft challenge! I don't think I've ever won anything before, except a trifle dish and bowl and a radio once (when I was 15, in a pub draw - which was very embarrassing to position!).

My altered photo fest, the "I do love to be beside the seaside" layout has won the colouring challenge at the Scrummy Stash Cafe blog

I will look forward to spending my eVoucher!

Been too busy for any crafting this weekend and managed to spend 3 days in Plymouth without buying any stash! Quite an achievement in itself, as I did have stash opportunities at the Endsleigh garden centre. But being disciplined as John is hopefully getting me some stash for Christmas (and in case he doesn't, I have a contingency parcel coming from the US!).

It's all pink

The challenge over at the Scrummy Stash Cafe blog is to create a card or layout using one colour only.

As it happened I was making an acceptance card for a friend's party, so I decided to use just pink. I used my new Ranger embossing pen for the first time to write "Acceptance" and embossed it with pink embossing powder. I then outlined it with a pink Gelly Roll pen.

The paper and orchid were both in my stash.

Next Saturday I am off to my first ever crop, courtesy of the Enfield ScrapMates. Shimelle is teaching a class. We have to assemble 20 to 30 photos, 4x6, of things we relish, love, and can't live without. I've had some fun doing this and some of the things I came up with are: piccalilli, tea, David Bowie, sunsets, the seaside and new stash! What would yours be?

Pockets Galore

Over at the Scrummy Stash Cafe blog Ellepiggo has set her first challenge which is to create a card with pockets. I must say I have never done this before so my interest was piqued. Also, the October kit for Story of My Life contained a sweet little envelope I knew I could use.

Anyway, I was up at 6am and turning on the heater in the lean-to (where I make my creations) so I could create a card.

It's a good luck card with textured card blank by Papermania (I am too lazy to make my own card blanks and somehow they're never as good), glittery hand-made paper from Lakeland, b&w paper by Doodlebug, ribbon from a florist's bouquet (hey, nothing goes to waste!) and glittery letters by Making Memories. The crystals are from Martha Stewart and the blooms by Making Memories.

Great challenge Vanessa!