CHRISTMAS IN JULY.... PART 2

Here is another Chrimbo card  - I used " Snowy Oak Tree " and " Pressie Bear" both from SPYDER.  I'm definitely having a Spyder afternoon today.
I snagged her latest FREEBIE and I'm going to colour up that one next - so it will be back to Summer LoL :-) I'm not telling you what it is.... you'll have to go and snag it for yourself :-D 

I coloured up the tree house and added Stickles for the snow bits. Then I added a sort of snowy flake border (I don't have a punch that does those !!) This was mounted onto a scrapette of snowflake card from my bits box.

The Pressie Bear was also coloured up using Promarkers, and has Stickles for snow. Then I cut him out and mounted him on the card with 3D foamies. The sticker I found in a box and I cut Happy Christmas from a piece of Chrimbo wrap paper. :-D

Thank you for dropping in :-D

Challenges I am entering:

Crafting for All Seasons Challenge #106 - Christmas in July

Whimsy Stamps Challenge #85 - Christmas in July 

Digi Choosday Challenge Wk 30 - Animals

Scrap Creations Challenge - Christmas in July

Passion for Promarkers Challenge Wk 307 - Jolly Holiday

Cards In Envy Challenge - Christmas in July 

Crafty Boots Challenge - Christmas in July

Oooh La La Creations Challenge #185 - Christmas in July

CHRISTMAS IN JULY ???..... BLEH !

Good morning Peeps - the weekend is just around the corner :-D
It's bloomin' hot again out there today so I am playing down in my craft room, with my poor little sweaty puppy flaked out beside me !!! :-)

I was seeing a lot of Christmas in July challenges, so I decided to get some of my Chrimbo cards ready !

Here is my first - I used "Merry Christmas Polar Bear " from SPYDER. I flipped him and printed twice to make a card for my friend to send from UK to Oz.
As you can see - the Ozzie bear has a bit of a tan and a slightly sunburnt skin cuz they will be having Summer at Christmas time.

I coloured the Polars with Promarker pens and added a little watercolour beach behind the Ozzie one. The UK one has Stickles on his snowflakes. I fussy cut a teeny map of Oz and UK and mounted them with foamies, along with a senti. :-D

Thanks for stopping by - I am colouring up some more Chrimbo schtuff :-D

Challenges I am entering:

Crafting for All Seasons Challenge #106 - Christmas in July

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #30 - Anything Goes

Fab n Funky Challenge #269 - No Patterned Papers

The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenges - Summer Heat

Whimsy Stamps Challenge #85 - Christmas in July 

Digi Choosday Challenge Wk 30 - Animals

Scrap Creations Challenge - Christmas in July

Passion for Promarkers Challenge Wk 307 - Jolly Holiday

Cards In Envy Challenge - Christmas in July **Mailbox Showcase Winner**

Crafty Boots Challenge - Christmas in July

Oooh La La Creations Challenge #185 - Christmas in July

ARTISTIC MOTIVATION

Good morning Peeps,

I am going to have a crafty day down here in my basement today as it is very hot and sticky outside and too many mosquitoes. !!! :-(

I recently won a Challenge at SPEEDY FOX & FRIENDS over at the MFP STAMPS blog,  and I got my stamp set yesterday :-D It's called  "IT'S A COWBOY THING"...

... and it includes this cute itty bitty Foxy stamp, and I couldn't resist using him straight away. !! :-D  I made myself a motivational Wall Hanging....

I seem to be obsessed with Rainbows just at present, so this was another play with some of my ink stamps :-)

I found this old rollery thingy in the garage and decided to try it out as a Brayer. It's a bit cracked and lumpy but I like the effect.

Using plain white card, I rollered all the rainbow coloured inks onto it. Shame the yellow sort of disappeared - I didn't 'partial roll' the green and it covered it up :-(  Anyhoo - I quite like the effect.

Then I dragged out a NBUS Grid Guide by 'Impression Obsession' ( don't know what you actually DO with this. I got it at a craft show or something yonks ago, and now I can't remember what it was for !!!!).. well, I used it as a stencil to put my faux stitching, doodle frames on there using the 1.25" square grid.

Then I stamped part of the floral image from the Set, by colouring the bits I wanted with a navy Marvy Brush Marker and stamped inside some of the squares.

I stamped the Foxy onto white card and fussy cut round him. He was then mounted in the other squares on foamies. :-)

I printed a sentiment panel and mounted the whole thing on red card and then added some yellow string for hanging.

Ta Dah !!!! 

Well - I am off to make something else today as I am feeling quite crafty, so I might enter some Challenges. I am off to browse the list :-D   xxxx

Challenges I am entering:

Speedy Fox & Friends Challenge #272 - Doodle a Frame

That's Crafty Challenges - Stencils & Masks

Paperbabe Stamps Challenge #17 - Picture Inspiration

QUOTH THE RAVEN #46 WEEK 5 REMINDER... POEtry

Woah !!! Nearly got caught out this month with a 5 weeker !!!! :-D

I just popped in to tell you that we are on the last week of the current Quest over at QUOTH THE RAVEN..........#46  POEtry.

If you don't know any of the works of EDGAR ALLAN POE, then whizz over HERE and have a little browsette. :-) You'll find all his poems, essays and stories there, but this month we are concentrating on his POEtry. Here is a little something I did to illustrate EL DORADO, and the whole poem can be seen on the scroll. If you want to see it bigger just click and enlarge :-D

Well - just 11 days to go Peeps, so if you wish to enter then you will find Mr Linky right HERE. :-D

LOOK WHO I AM SPONSORING :-)

Hello Peeps,
I thought I would drop in and tell you who I am Sponsoring at the moment. I keep forgetting to do this.... NO, actually I hadn;t thought to do this (and I sponsor quite a few Challenges) until I was commenting on creations the other day on behalf of our Team !!!  I don't know why this never occured to me before now, but here I am to start doing it !!!!

This month I am Sponsoring DREAM IN DARKNESS - Challenge #3.  This is an Anything Goes challenge BUT it has to be on the Dark and Creepy side to enter. It is billed as a "Playground for your darker creations "  - How could I not sponsor a Challenge like this eh ?????? !!!! LoL

Soooo - the CT have created a special surprise for me that I found today  - they have made special showcase creations using this fortnight's FREEBIE at IKEsWORLD CHALLENGES........ 'FRANKINELLA' and my mind was completely blown away by what they've done :-D  You simply must go over and take a peek. :-D  Just click HERE and it will take you there. :-D  Awesome !! Thank you Girls :-D xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

HAUNTED DESIGN HOUSE JULY CHALLENGE - I LUV ROCK 'n' ROLL

Hello Peeps,
Here I am - a day late - with my creation for the current Challenge over at HAUNTED DESIGN HOUSE - I LOVE ROCK N ROLL.
This month's challenge is all about music and songs. Pick a tune and get inspired. Use the lyrics, or the music, or even the video if you're so inclined. Remember to keep it dark and creepy - if the only tune you know is "Sunshine & Lollipops", you better create something from the viewpoint of a diabetic vampire :P Please let us know which tune you've chosen and how it inspired your creation.

I  was inspired by Pink Floyd and the song I chose is "HEY, YOU !!"

I made an A4 Journal page and used embossing folders for the music and wall backings. All images used are my own. Then I wrote out the lyrics in the spaces.

Hey you out there in the cold 

Getting lonely getting old 

Can you feel me? 

Hey you standing in the aisles 

With itchy feet and fading smiles 

Can you feel me? 

Hey you don't help them to bury the light 

Don't give in without a fight. 

Hey you out there on your own 

Sitting naked by the phone 

Would you touch me? 

Hey you with you ear against the wall 

Waiting for someone to call out 

Would you touch me? 

Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone? 

Open your heart, I'm coming home. 

But it was only fantasy. 

The wall was too high, 

As you can see. 

No matter how he tried, 

He could not break free. 

And the worms ate into his brain. 

Hey you, out there on the road 

Always doing what you're told, 

Can you help me? 

Hey you, out there beyond the wall, 

Breaking bottles in the hall, 

Can you help me? 

Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all 

Together we stand, divided we fall.

Songwriters: WATERS, ROGER

Remember you can enter up to three macabre creations each month, and you have until the 2nd of August to enter over at HAUNTED DESIGN HOUSE.

Challenges I am entering:

Creative Craft Cottage Challenge #44 - Anything Goes

COLOURING UP AND CRAFTING A NEED :-)

Hi Sunday Peeps,

I have been playing with my Promarkers and Spectrum Noir pens yesterday and I also went shopping for a few digis. :-)

I have been reading a lot of books recently, and numerous times I thought to myself...... "Isn't it a fantastic thing to be able to read !!" ?  Something I totally take for granted because I just do it, but I was enjoying my books so much that I was thankful that I could read :-D  Anyhoo - it brings me on to my latest creation, because my old bookmark blew into the pool, so I needed a new one and I found the perfect image.

This is one of my new acquisitions - she is from The East Wind and is called "The Bookaholic". I used plain beige card and a piece of very old book page behind her edged with inks.

I am going to laminate it, but I wanted to take a decent photograph first as the shine of the laminate will probably naff it up !!! :-D

The sentiment is a quote from Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC), a Roman philosopher/politician ...........

"A room without books is like a body without a Soul ".

Well, I am off for some more creating. Thanks for dropping by xxx

Challenges I am entering:

The East Wind Challenge #35 - Anything But A Card***WINNER***
Just Us Girls Challenge #302 - Colour 

Scrappers Delights Challenge #46 - Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin' Challenge July - No designer paper

Create & Inspire Challenge #25 - Anything Goes

TRAVEL TAG

I made this travel tag for a couple of Challenges using backing paper from Paper Journeys  - "Travel by Land and Sea" paper collection.

The Stamp is from the Alice plate from DESTEMPELWINKEL. You can see her there waving a little hanky to the ship. I coloured her with Prismacolour pencils.
The edges of my tags were done with Cat's Eye Chalk inks.

I added a brad and a little anchor I found in the street, which I guilded with some bronzing paste.

Thanks for popping in and I hope you are having a fun crafting time too :-)

Challenges I am entering:

DeStempelwinkel Stampers Challenge #15 - Travel ***WINNER***

Tag Along Challenge #97 - Nautical

MORE CARDS

YaY !! The weekend is here :-)
I made another Birthday card this morning ready to send off.
I used a brand new FREEBIE that I got this morning in the Newsletter from A DAY 4 DAISIES. It is really sweet and is called 'Buds In My Hair', and was just perfect for what I wanted for my card which is for a friend who is definitely a 'girly girl' :-D

I printed the image onto a sheet of newsprint and then printed her again on white card so that I could colour her hair. I used Promarkers for that. I mounted it on my watercolour background and then drew some thin black lines around that because it seemed to be a bit lacking in something.

This design was done following a Sketch from TUESDAY MORNING SKETCHES.

I used a snippet of dragonfly paper from a Little Sizzix pad mounted onto pink card for the side panel and made a sentiment flag. Added 3 flowers from my stach and there you go !! :-D

Challenges I am entering:

AD4D Challenge #126 - Add Some Newsprint

Tuesday Morning Sketches Challenge #309

Brown Sugar Challenge #155 - Girly

BIRTHDAY CARDS

Good morning Peeps and Happy Friday,

I am here to post my creation for the SCRIBBLES DESIGNS CHALLENGE - Birthday Bonanza.
I had a couple of cards to make and having snagged a FREEBIE slice of cake from Scribbles, I wanted to use that straight away.

I used:

'Carla Diet Queen Diva', Freebie 'Cake Slice' and 'Mr Wool Smiley' all from SCRIBBLES DESIGNS and coloured with Promarkers.

I paper pieced Carla's dress with a matching backing paper to my main paper. These are from a collection called 'Cupcakes' but I don't who the maker is as I got these from a friend.

I cut out the Cake and mounted it on foamies for extra pop, and made a sentiment tag.

My 2nd card is a GSD cut card using a cutting File from MY SCRAP CHICK called ALL ABOARD TRAIN TRIO. You get a Treat Box, a Card and a Scrapbook Layout in this set.

I cut the pieces from scraps of different coloured card on my CraftRobo and layered parts of him up with foamies for extra 3D effect. I also cut a Happy Birthday sentiment from the Silhouette Store.

Thank you for dropping in and I hope you are looking forward to the weekend. :-D

Challenges I am entering:

Scribbles Designs Challenge #31 - Birthday Bonanza
Country View Challenge July Challenge - On Your Travels.....  my Train

QUOTH THE RAVEN QUEST #46 POEtry - MIDWAY REMINDER

Hi there,

Here I am with my DT for the Midway reminder over at QUOTH THE RAVEN QUEST #46 - POEtry.

The idea is to illustrate one of the poems of EDGAR ALLAN POE and I have chosen to do............................................

 "TO THE RIVER"

Fair river ! In thy bright, clear flow

Of crystal, wandering water;

Thou art an emblem of the glow

Of beauty - the unhidden heart -

The playful maziness of art

In old Alberto's daughter;

But when within thy wave she looks -

Which glistens then, and trembles -

Why, then, the prettiest of brooks

Her worshipper resembles.

For in his heart, as in thy stream,

Her image deeply lies,

His heart which trembles at the beam

of her soul-searching eyes.

                                                 

                                                                                                                 1829

I have used my Freebie Raven backing paper and Annabel Lee 2, both available at IKEsART, and a POE image from 'But I Digress', set upon a b/w photo of a river. My Annabel Lee was coloured with Promarkers and then scanned back into the computer.This piece was then constructed digitally within PSE 9.

I hope you will come over and play along with us at QUOTH THE RAVEN.

The collection of POE's poems and works can be found HERE.

Thank you for dropping by.

Challenges I am entering:

Mod Squad Challenge - Water or Sky

SUMMER FUN

I am hiding down in my craft basement because it's just too darn hot outside today. It made me think of being youngsters again - when we didn't seem to feel the heat so much. I was always out in every ray of sunshine cooking my tan LoL So, here I am with my little summer ATC. 

I used my De-Stempelwinkel stamps and also a little beach set with starfish which was a freebie from SCRIBBLES BY SANDY. The background paper is from Carena.

I distressed the edges and then added some Starfish Promarker around it. The main images were coloured with Promarkers and Prismacolour Pencils.

Challenges I am entering:

De-Stempelwinkel Challenge #14 - Summer

Scrap Creations Challenge - Summer

Tip Top Tuesday Summer Fun Challenge

Passion For Promarkers  Week 305 - Candy Crush Colours 

OUCH ELLIOT !!!!

Happy Monday Peeps,

Here I am with my piece for the Stamp of the Month Challenge at FROM THE HEART STAMPS.
This month we got "Inner Tube Birdbrain" and I have coloured him up with Promarkers, and I have used the Sketch from the I  HEART SKETCHES CHALLENGE.

Well, I can tell you - I saw a fair few of these on the beach today !!! LoL They are sure going to feel that tomorrow !!!!

My background is papers which were a Freebie from MEINLILAPARK, and I added some faux stitching. 

Thanks for stopping by - I hope it's not as hot and sweaty where you are as it is here !! Phew !!!!

Challenges I am entering:

From The Heart Stamps Free Stamp of the Month Challenge - July**TOP 3**

I (heart) Sketches Challenge #113

Artistic Inspirations Challenges #135 - Twist of Summer

Cards In Envy Challenge - Just Beachy

Bunny Zoe's Crafts July Challenge - Summer Breeze

Crafty Cardmaker's Challenge #143 - Water

Eureka Stamps Challenge #149 - At The Beach

CRISIS, WHAT CRISIS ? !!

Hi there, Me again.
I had this very crazy idea this afternoon after seeing the latest Challenge over at SISTERHOOD OF SNARKY STAMPERS. Their Challenge this time is called "R for RUDE".  
****  Now, if you are one of those that gets their knickers in a twist over the odd profanity then I suggest you don't go over there NOR do you scroll down to my piece, because I have used a naughty word !!!

If that is YOU, then kindly leave the room NOW !!!........................................

I sat there this afternoon drawing this as it is very pertinent to my situation here and I got the feeling, somewhere along the line, that we have upset the odd God or two over here !!!!!

Just when the Guy thinks he's had enough - there's one more strike as his cash goes up in smoke !!!!

I have coloured it digitally because I wanted to get it up and published.

No doubt we will be hammered with something else before long, so I'm not holding my breath !

Thanks for dropping by.

Challenges I am entering:

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #28 - R is for RUDE

OSAAT CHALLENGE #241 - CHILLAXING

This Fortnight's fantastic challenge at ONE STITCH AT A TIME  is #241 CHILLAXING.

The Sponsor for this weeks challenge is StitchyBear Digi Outlet with the July 5 image prize pack. 

                                                        

This time I was actually playing with myself (figuratively speaking as it were !!) and I decided to use Swiss Cow from my World Tour Series - SWITZERLAND Set over at IKEsART.

I coloured her up with Promarkers and added a banana split image from NANA VIC. The background papers are a freebie from MEINLILAPARK.

I was really pleased with how the Diamond glaze stuff came out on the glass dish... it really looks like glass :-D 

I hope you will come over and play along and have a look at the fabulous creations my Stitchy Angel Teamies have made to inspire you :-D

Thank you for visiting :-D

Challenges I am entering:

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #318

Crafty Friends Challenge #9

Crazy 4 Challenges C4C294 - Critters

Crafting When We Can Challenge #98 - Summer Fun

Dragonfly Dreams  July Challenge - Midsummer Delights

I WOZ INSPIRED !!

Hello - I am back again ultra quick today !!!  I went off to browse the Challenges to enter my other card and I saw a Theme over on SPEEDY FOX & FRIENDS entitled "Cut-Away Embossing". What's that, I thought to myself and went over to have a look. Well......... I can tell you I was totally inspired - thunderstruck there on the spot by the brilliant creations their DT had made AND there was a little Tutorial there too, showing how it was done.  :-D
No sooner had I seen and digested, I rushed off to my cupboards to firk out the necessary accoutrements !!! Here is what I came up with, which fits perfectly for another of my card commissions :-) YaY !!

Really enjoyed this one and would deffo make one of these again :-)

I edged all the pieces with the Royal Blue ink and printed Happy Birthday with both inks on the stamp at the same time.

I used:

Blue base card 5" x 7"

Cuttlebug Embossing folder - Kassie's Brocade

Martha Stewart Edge Punch

Archival inks - Starry, Starry Night and Royal Blue

Blue gauze ribbon

Sheena Douglas Leaf die from 'Wild Rose' set

Foam strips

Flowers by SAMFLORA

Thank you for peeping :-)

Challenges I am entering:

Speedy Fox & Friends Challenge #269 - Cutaway Embossing ***WINNER***

Open Minded Crafting Challenge #40 - Picture Inspiration (colour)

TRIED SOMETHING NEW :-D

Hello Sunday Peeps,

I am busy making a few card commissions at present and here is my first one ready for the off. :-)
I bought myself a cute little cut/embossing set recently with a super sweet Tatty Ted, so he came out to play today :-)  You can make it a Girl or a Boy if you don't add the bow - or I guess you could use the bow for a Bowtie ? !.

Anyways - I originally just cut and embossed him straight out the packet and then I lightly colour enhanced it with some chalks. The effect was OK but , as I sat with my coffee I thought, maybe if I ink up the die I can get him to kind of 'print' and show up better. Well, that's what I did....... here's some pics of different methods I tried for the best result ....

A: was done by inking with a pad, but if you press too hard it inks up to deeply and you get the smurge within the outline.

B: was done by smearing the ink pad carefully over the top of the die, but again, if you are a bit heavy handed you still get a little 'smurge' going on there.

C: was done very carefully with a TomBow Dual Brush Pen (which are water     based) and then 'huffed' on before I put the card on it and cut it.

I don't think I cleaned the die very well beforehand as I can still see a tiny 'smurge' there, but I cleaned it properly before doing it again with my final colour for the actual card image. Then I added a little chalk for added depth.  

Not bad at all I say ?!!!!

I used some matching  Boho backing card and some snippets of 'Moondust' paper for another die cut frame, and card bits which I coloured with chalks to make the pennants. I added faux stitching with a red Pilot pen.

I used:

6" x 6" basic card base in golden honey.

Carte Blanche "Tiny Tatty Ted" - Me To You Die cutting + Embossing Set

First Edition BoHo Chic,  6x6 heavy cardstock pack

Cheery Lynn Designs - Pierced Stacker #4

Snippets of 'MoonDust' paper and beige card.

Well - there you have it. :-D

I am sure that somebody will come and tell me a better/easier way of doing it..... and for that I would be grateful, but at least I got it to work :-D

Thanks for stopping by.

Challenges I am entering: