Amber's Crafts and Stuff #3 April Flowers.

Our challenge at Amber's Crafts and Stuff this week is to use flowers, probably you'd have guessed that, well, flowers or maybe girly or pink lol. Pink is my favourite colour and I do think I've been pretty restrained using it in my challenges...I really let myself go here lol. The decoupage image is Dufex, on a background of mulberry paper that I've given a scattering of pink pearls. A pink chiffon bow with a pearl too. 

The double layered butterfly is another from the set my aunt bought for me. You can see a little of the ric-rak, over ribbon and a satin border. ... and a flower pearl. I have more satin border, with paper lace over it on the card edge. 

 My tags are stamped with Especially for You; With bunches of Love, in a pink pearl ink, embellished with lots of ribbons and some flower pearls.

 I cut my flower from some bits of the mulberry papers - about 6 layers I think - using the tiny wonky square by nestie. A few of my hand made fancy pins, and a pearl glued to a petal to finish it off. Hope you can see the paper  lace flower edging. 

Hope you like it and it's inspired you to get out your flowers and join us in the challenge this week. You'll find other inspiration from my team mates on the blog here

My Receipe...

Decoupage - Dufex

Chiffon Ribbon and ric-rak  - 

Mulberry flower & fancy pins - home made.

Everything else - Stash

I'd like to enter the following Challenges...

Anything Goes Challenge - Make Your Own Embellishments(stick pins and tissue flower) 

Clear It Out Challenge - Flowers, Flowers & More Flowers. 

Karen Doodles Netherlands - Make Your Own Embellishments (pins & Flower)

Ladybut Crafts Ink TLT challenges - Handmade Flowers

Party Time Tuesday - Handmade Flowers

The Stamping Boutique - Handmade Flowers

Tuesday Throwndown - Florals

Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight - Decoupage (with my Favourite,  dufex)

House Of Gilli - Ribbons & Pearls

Scrappy Frogs - Flowers & Lace (paper lace on edging) 

2 Sisters - Make Your Own Embellishments (pins & Flower)

Delicious Doodles Challenges - Floral Fantasy

Wolfishly Thanking You.

I've made this Thank you Card for a friend who kindly popped round in his lunch hour to help me out with my laptop. He couldn't fix it, but was able to identify the problem...that's half way there isn't it...and at least I know it's not continual pilot error lol. 

It's a deckel edged card but unfortunately the scanner cut it off, the Card stock is bronze linen textured. I decided to leave the image uncoloured...why mess with perfection eh!!. I edged around it with gold promaker, and layered with some bronze paper, embossed with gold dots. 

I used a little more of the embossed paper to decorate the inside, and added Thank You sticker, that I'd coloured with gold promarker again. 

My Receipe..

Sketch - Less is More 

Cardstock and Embossed paper - Craft Creations.

White Cardstock - Tesco

Image - Gingerloft.

Colourant - Gold Promarker

I'd Like to enter the following -

Less is More ... Sketch  DL Card

Card for Men ... Embossing (embossed paper)

Make it Monday ... Anything Goes 

Paper Playtime ... Anything  Goes

Woodware USA Clear Stamps ... Clean & Simple.

Sympathy in Greens

I've just had to make another sympathy card. This is for a friend who has lost her daughter to Sickle Cell. Everyone is very distressed about it, it's so sad. 

I've always found green very soothing and I've discovered I rather like it for Sympathy cards...though hoping I don't have to make any more for a while. The image is from the Help For Katie bundle, by Floral Thoughts. My colouring inspiration is from my friend Ulini who has the most beautiful photos on her blog of Gerber Daisy's her husband bought her...check them out here

 Some Close Ups 

Promarkers I used..

Olive, Marsh, Moss, & Pear Green, with Lime Green to outline

Red, Burnt Orange & Peach.

 I've recently found that I had some seam binding amongst all the ribbons I'd hoarded from my time making ribbon roses. I used to add them to the cross stitch designs I did. I'm loving them all crinkled up...makes a change for trying to get them nice and smooth lol.

Faceted 'gems' 

Fancy brad from a set my Aunt bought me. 

My Receipe...

DP's - Create & Craft .. Boy Oh Boy

Twelveby 12 .. Flower Collection

Colourants - Promarkers

Brad - V & A Handoverian Epoxy Collection.

Seam Binding & Gems - Stash

Inspiration - Ulini at Apricot Bubbles 

I'd like to enter the following challenges 

Creative Inspiration ...Inspired by Flowers 

Gingerloft ... Die Cuts or Punches 

Lets Ink It Up ... Die Cuts or Punches 

Cardmadfairy ... Back To Nature

Crafty Purple Frog... Go Green

Do You Stack Up ... Shine On 

Little Miss Muffet... Brad's, Gems or Pearls. 

Sassy Studio Designs ... Bloomin' Beautiful

Lady don't bug nature

I made this ATC for a Swap last month and forgot to actually post it till now....just shows how forgetful I am, because I really love this one.  I've used quite a few digis, all from Digi Doodle Shops Best.... I wanted a layered look. I coloured him with promarkers and all the flowers and leaves are glittered up. I shaped the tree half frame with a ball tool and used pinflair gel (don't like smell of ordinary silcone glue) to raise it up. 

A couple of Close-ups 

My receipe...

Images ...Digi Doodle Shops Best.

Lady Bug; Ribbon Scroll; Tree & Vine.

Colourant ...Promarkers & Sakura 

Sentiment...My own poor brain. 

I'd Like to find a few challenges that will have me.

Wee Memories..Anything Goes  

Cardmadfairy's Digi Days...Back To Nature

Card Making Moma's...Animals 

Delicious Doodles...Floral Fantasy 

Phindy's Place...All About Animals

Totally Papercrafts...Cute & Cuddly

Southern Girls Challenge...Add an Animal

Crafts and Me...Anything Goes

Scrapbook Sisters...Anything Goes

Amber's Crafts and Stuff #2 Die Cut's.

For our second Challenge at Ambers Crafts and Stuff we are going all die cutty...so drag out your die's what-ever they are and come over and play with us. 

I'm still very heavily into stashbuster mode with this card....it's hard to stop these things once you get going isn't it. It's like have all new stash when you unearth stuff you'd forgotten you possessed lol.  The only recent stash on it are the stickers, the bee buttons and the beautiful wooden cat button ...you can only imagine how hard my hand shook as I forced myself to glue that baby on lol.  I've dragged out a bit of vellum too. The paw print papers were a gift many years ago, just two 6 x 6 squares...at last I've cut into them lol. 

I shaded the cat a little with my blendable pencils, and used Sakura clear glaze pen on his eyes, though it's not showing up too nice.   The greeting is from a book of inspirational quote stickers...also a gift, but not many of those left now. 

You have to see that button close up.

Isn't it great!!

Receipe...everything stash. 

I'd like to enter the following challenges 

Cooking It Up With Katy... Animals & Colourful Buttons (hope my bee buttons count)

Fresh Brewed Designs ... 2 or more Embellis

Creative Card Crew ... No Stamps

Clear it Out Challenges ... Buttons 

Karen's Doodle's Netherlands ... More Than One Fold 

The Crazy Challenge ... Anything but square

Squigglefly ... Buttons 

CAS Tree Frog

I've been greatly encouraged by Chrissie at Less is More, to re-submit, using the Tree Frog image (from Blackberry Lane Designs) on his own. She is perfectly right, with so much detail in an image like this you don't really need any more. The card doesn't have a black border by the way, just needed it for you to see the edges. 

A close up

 

Image used - Tree Frog from Blackberry Lane Designs

Promarkers used :-

The Branch - Pear, Marsh and Olive Green

Body -Lime, grass and Forest Green

Sky and Denim Blue

Canary Yellow,

Poppy & Red. 

For his toes I used orange blendable pencils 

Other supplies

Tesco Cardstock,

nesties Lable 8

Stickers from stash. 

I'd like to enter the following challenges...

Less is More - Masculine

The Crazy Challenge - Anything but Square

A Gem of A Challenge - Anything but Square

Send a Smile for Kids - Anything Goes 

Fun With Shapes - No Design Paper

A Cheerful Tree Frog

This card is made with another of Deborah Boyet's wonderful images. I love tree frogs - a 'bug' I caught from my son when he was young lol. I've been looking forward to using him, and have so many cards planned. First though I've made a card for a friend who's in The Marie Cure Hospis. He has learning difficulties and doesn't know how little time he has left. With my situation I can't get out to visit him so wanted him to have something really cheerful to look and and remind him that we are thinking of him....hubby took it to him. 

I coloured him with my much neglicted blendable pencils, and I'm quite pleased with the result. I will do another with my promarkers though too. I went for the Clean and Simple look, which always terrifies  me, and I'm never sure if I've 'got it'.

The butterflies are  holographic and double layered acetate. The pack was a gift from my aunt, and I was in such a hurry to rip them open and use them that I threw the package away, naughty, naughty.

Don't forget to pop over to Deborah's Blog Blackberry Lane Designs here, to see this and other beautiful images. 

My Receipe...

Tree Frog Image - Blackberry Lane Designs

Die cut - Nestie Labels 8

DP - Basic Grey

Greeting Stickers - Daisy and Dandylion

Blendable Pencils - W H Smith

Cardstock - Tesco

Butterflies - Stash. 

I'd like to enter the following 

The Crafty Pad ... Use A Digi

Gingerloft Challenge ... Die Cuts or Punches 

One Stitch At A Time ... Something For The Boys 

Sugar Creek Hollow... Anything Goes 

Card Makin Mama's (fantastic name) ... Animals 

Art Impression Stamps ... Punches or Die Cuts 

Charisma Cardz Challenge ... To Die For 

Crafty Sentiments Designs ... Animals 

Digi Doodle Shops Best ... Anything Goes 

Stamping Vacation... Nestabilities

Paper Pretties ... Masculine 

My Grafico Challenges ... Anything Goes 

Anything Goes Challenge ... Die Cuts 

Flourishes ... Butterflies 

Freebie Orchid and 25% Deborah Boyet's Digi's at Stitchy Bears

Stop by Stitchy's and sign up for the newsletter this week and get Deborah Boyet's beautiful Orchid image as a free download. This week only! Also, all Deborah's digis are 25% off....including the tulip vase I used recently. Click here to get them. 

Deborah's Blog, Blackberry Lane Designs is also looking for one or two more designers! If you are interested send her a link to your blog so she can see your work. The digis are free if you design, there is no weekly commitment, she only asks that you use them, and post them on her blog and your own.  Contact her here if you are interested...it would be a shame to miss out on such great images to use. 

Amber's Crafts & Stuff #1: Stashbuster/Anything Goes

Amber's Crafts & Stuff launches her Challenge Blog today with Stashbuster/Anything Goes. Now I know everyone loves Anything Goes, and who hasn't got some old stash they really, really should have used by now. Go dig it out and join us in a fun Challenge here 

I used up a fine amount of stash on this card, the youngest of my old stash is the House Mouse decoupage, which is about 1yr old and I'm extremely miserly with it. I mostly just get it out and look at how pretty it is lol, but occasionally break them out and make a baby card.   The very oldest is the quilling papers which I used to weave a background. I've woven a few in the past in different colours, it's a lot of fun. The card blanks I used to make my easel cards is probably just as old too. I used to buy them when I was first cardmaking....then I discovered sheets of card stock. The blanks usually get cut up now. 

A few close ups of the details. 

My Receipe...

House Mouse Decoupage - Old Stash

Quilling Papers - Old Stash

Basic Grey Baby Paper - Old Stash

Kay & Co Die Cut Stickers - Old Stash

Pink Acrylic Embellis - Old Stash

Card Blanks - Old Stash 

Ribbon & Ric-rak - Marianne Designs 

Label Die Cuts - Cuttlebug Fanciful Labels 

Baby Shoe Embellie - Hobby Craft

I'd Like to enter the following Challenges 

Tulips Vase Sympathy

This is another of Deborah Boyet's fabulous designs. Pop to Blackberry Lane Designs here for details of how to buy it . I needed to make a fast Sympathy card so I went for (my version of) clean and simple....dont' know if it would pass muster in a challenge, will have to think about it. 

Promarkers used. Pear and Moss Green. Lemon, Canary and Mustard. 

A Close up of the vase, I 'washed' over it with denim and pastel blue promarkers, coloured the details with orange tiara Sakura pens. Did the borders of the patterns in Blue tiara and covered the whole vase with clear glaze Sakura. 

My Receipe....

Image - Blackberry Lane Designs

Colourants - Promarkers and Sakura Tiara & Glaze

Die Cut - Nestie

DP - Papermania Perisimmon Collection 

Sticker Sentiment - Anita's Outline Stickers 

Ribbon - Marianne Designs 

I'd like to enter the following Challenge.. 

The Stamp Fairy .. Show us your Green 

Card Cupids .. Green 

Paper Sundaes .. Keep it Simple 

Sentimental Sunday .. Lets go Green + Sentiment 

ECP Challenge .. Green 

A Diamond (Top) of a Bunny

Deborah Boyet from Blackberry Lane Designs has given me some more of her wonderfully detailed images to play with. Do pop over and see all the other gorgeous digi's she has. I had to do this one first, and make it look like my own (sadly no more) bunny Lucy. Pic of her at bottom of post. 

I spent a long time colouring her with my promarkers. I am still a little afraid of them and didn't want to make a mess of the lovely details. The shading was easy...everything already there for me to follow but putting the colour on scared me silly lol. I had to keep adding a bit, blending and putting away again for a couple of days so I could see it fresh. I did end up happy with the texture...wouldn't be on the card otherwise lol.  

Colours used.

              Spice; Terracotta; Caramel; Raw Sienna 

Warm Grey 1, 3 & 5 

Lots of blender.

As you can see I'm still a little obsessed crocheting, not just flowers, I'm mad on crocheting lace now too. I put amber seed beads for the flower centres and lilac pearls on the lace. I had to - yes had to, just  couldn't stop myself - make a paper flower with scraps and the centre from the wobbly square nestie.  I edged it round with amethyst promarker. Cut myself some lace edging with the papers and also made a couple of fancy pins to match. 

This Lucy, one of my beloved house-rabbits.  Usually called Lucy-fur by my hubby who so often had a nip on the ankle to make him move. This lady only believed in travelling as the crow flies....no way was she making a detour around your feet...get them out the way fast lol. 

Receipe...

Image - Blackberry Lane Designs 

Papers - Basic Grey (Fusion)

Die cuts - Nestie & Marianne Designs Lace

Colourants - Promarkers

Flowers, Lace, Pins - Home-made

Beads & Pearls  - Stash

I'd like to enter the following challenges..

Digi Doodle Shops Best - Pearls

Southern Girls - Use Flowers

Stamping 'B's - Bling

Creative Belli - Animals

Desert Island Crafts - Handmade flower, Hand coloured image, pearls

Gingerloft Challenge - Use those flowers

Little Claire's - Flowers 

WOYWW

I can't show you any cards this week as, I'm delighted to say, I've been accepted onto the DT at Cooking, Crafting Camping Challenges Challenges start on the 16th of this month so I've excitedly working on my projects  . As I'm never really doing one thing at a time, I have some crochet to show you. This is one of those baby sacks (please someone tell me what they are really called...my brain has lost the word lol).*** It's for the couple that I made my recent baby card for....so I'd better get it finished soon lol. Pop over to Julia's Blog here and join the fun 

Why does blogger keep tipping my pix on to one side like this!!???!!

***Dorcas's comment of cocoon is right. Everyone who thinks it looks like a hat is also right. It is really nothing more than a large, over-long beanie hat lol. I did have a pattern but only used it for the sizing. The are loads of free patterns on the net, put in a search for free crochet patterns..then cocoon, or whatever else you may be looking for. 

Scrappy Scrap challenge - Voting Begun

Shalini at  Craft Curry organised a Scrappy Scrap Challenge. She sent all entrants a bag of scraps, and we had to use them to make a card. Other than a few basic's such as cardstock etc, we were to use  only the scraps - one stamp allowed so long as it wasn't an image.  I can't tell you how much fun it's been, and it was so easy to put it all together....non of my usual dithering over papers and embellishments, no changing my mind half way through lol. If ever you get chance to enter one of these, I say jump at it.

All the cards are up on her blog now and ready for voting. If you'd like to vote for me, or anyone else,  please pop over and  vote here All the cards entered are great, I'm having trouble picking my top 3.

I won't show my card here until voting has closed on March 13th, I think it's fairer to see them all together,  Shalini has said to go ahead and post the cards, so that's below and here is a pic of the scraps she sent. What looks like a shadow is a sheet of acetate. The braid with the green pearls running through is scrumptious, I have loads left of use on another project. I loved the wooden button and had trouble making myself stick it down lol.

My first try at a diamond top card. 

I used a sketch from Sketch Saturday. Will have to check if it's still current. 

I cut lacy circles from the acetate and coloured them with tulip yellow promarker.

 Put a flower on top of each one 

I used the lacy circle to make a couple of paper flowers,

 and cut up a few of the beads from the braid to make flower centers. 

Candy at Tristan's blog

Even if you aren't interested in Candy you have to pop over and meet 8yr old Tristan, a little man (as his proud family call him) with a very big heart. He is also very talented, so have a look round and leave him some love You'll find him here --memory of a concussed flea, me lol. 

Rach has Hanglar & Stanglar Candy

I'm sure you'd hate to miss this so pop over to Rach's blog here, you have until 10p.m. Sunday to enter.

Oh Baby, Baby!! ...& A New Challenge Blog

Cooking, Camping & Crafting is planning to start challenges from mid March. So....she's looking for all kinds of  crafters to join her Design Team - as she says herself a well rounded group of people....Including card makers, scrapbookers, altered items etc.This card is my application, if you'd like an opportunity to join her team you'll find the details here 

My card is destined for a couple who are expecting their second son next month. Their first is six now and they didn't think they'd be able to have any more...so you can imagine how happy they are. I've used so many things I love on this, papers from my favourite collection, my new dies, the adorable image from Sugar Nellie, the sketch from Skipping Stones Designs (I'm so in love with this sketch I feel I may never use another ) and, last but not least my crocheted flowers - my latest obsession. I really enjoyed making the crocheted 'ribbon' to decorate my tag, and scattered a few pearls about too. 

Promarkers used -  Powder & Denim Blue, Canary Yellow & Mustard on the hat. For his skin - Tan, Oatmeal, Blush & Almond. They were as close to those Trina used as I had in my stash. 

I actually love this card so much that I'm going to have to make a few variations of it if I've any hope of parting with it when the time comes lol. 

I have to give a shout out to Mina and Trina both who coloured this image beautifully and I used as my guide to (hopefully) do it justice.

My Receipe...

Image - Sugar Nellie,

Sketch - Skipping Stones Designs

Dies - Nesties and Marianne Designs

DP's - Craft Creations Meadow Collection

Ribbon & Stickers  - Imag-e-nation

Pearls - The Craft Factory

Colourants - Promarkers

Cardstock & dummy(soother) charm - Stash

Crochet flowerers and bow - home-made

I like to join in the following Challenges :-

Little Miss Muffet Challenges ... Designer Papers

Some Odd Girl ... Use Something Homemade

Bling It On ... Anything goes with added extra, a charm

Desert Island Crafters ... No's 4, 5 & 6 from Itinerary 

(i.e. Hand coloured Image, 2 patterned papers, Pearls).

Skipping Stones Designs ... Sketch

Phindy's Place Challenges ... Oh Baby

Tuesday Throwdown ... Tag Your It 

Critter Challenge ... Add a Sentiment

Cupcake Craft Challenge ... Anything But Square

KB Cute Monday ... Anything Goes with a Digi

Lexi's Creations ... Flowers 

My Partner In Crafting Crime Challenge ... All things Baby

Paper Playtime .... Anything Goes, With a Digi

Woodware USA Clear Stamps... Anything Goes 

Paper Sundaes ... How Charming (use a Charm)

Sketch I used.

Some close ups 

 A scattering of pale blue pearls