Amber's Crafts & Stuff #18 Embossing.

A nice simple challenge for us this week at Amber's...Embossing. So show us your embossing techniques, whether that's dry or wet embossing, what do you like to do? You can see what the rest of the Crafting Pals did this week here. The winner this week will be invited to join us as Guest Designer during an upcoming challenge, we love to have you with us.

 I've gone with my beloved House Mouse again, coloured with a mix of blendable and watercolour pencils.  I so used to love those sweets/candy, when I was a kid.  I used to look for the not so lovingly worded ones to give to my brothers lol. 

This embossing folder is a new one I have,  by Tim Holtz, and my seam binding  and dew drops are from The Ribbon Girl. My die-cut label is cuttlebug. The cardstock and the sheet of white mulberry paper overlaying the card is from stash and the pin is handmade by little ol' me.  

A Close-up 

Some Challenges ...

Jac-Inks Papercraft Challenges -   Die-cuts Plus Texture

Shopping Our Stash -  Use something you've been hoarding or your newest products (new embossing folder & hoarded dew drops) 

 Use It Tuesdays -  Animals (Hoarded supply is the dew drops...been hanging on to those babies, have trouble breaking out the seam binding too)

Forever Friends -  Not Square

KB Cute Monday - Something Cute

Ellephantastic - Celebrations

Paper Creator's Crafts   - Special Occasion 

Sweet Stampin -  Cute & Cuddly 
Quirky Crafts - No patterned papers; make your own

Ambers Crafts & Stuff #17 Shades Of Grey

Amber's Challenge went live a little late this week, but better late than never I always say. Our challenge this week is Shades of Grey. This is another of my Baptism cards, made for a female friend this time. The DP I've used is part of a digital pack I won from Digi's with Attitude, my very first win not so many months ago. 

I made my grunge flower with black card that has a white inner core, then added glitter paste to the white edges. 

Please pop by and see the inspiration from the other Crafting Pals here, and join us with this weeks challenge with any kind of project you like....so long as it's shades of grey.

Receipe:-

Image ... Gingerloft

Printable DP's ... My Grafico

Emboss Folder ... Tim Holts

Ribbon ... Marianne Designs 

Die Cut ... Marianne Designs Creatables

Flower ... Hand Made 

A Few Challenges ...

Aud Sentiments Challenge -Sentiment with at least two words

Pixie Dust Studio -  use black and white

Creative Belli -  handmade embellishments

Divas by Design -die cuts/punches 

Paper Shelter Challenge - lots of dots

Deep Ocean Challenge -Cards

Shopping Our Stash -use something you got in a swap/RAK/won (won my DP)

Creative Stamp Friends - Dots

Kaboodle Doodles - Celebrations

Oooh New Boots- Amber's Crafts & Stuff #16 Red, White & Blue

Our Challenge over at Amber's Crafts & Stuff this week is Red, White & Blue, you can celebrate the holiday with your project, or as I have, simply use the colours. Remember we like to see all kinds of projects at Amber's, so feel free to make a household item, jewellery of whatever you can think of...so long as it follows the challenge theme. 

This week we have a sponsor and was given this great Boots Image to play with, by Pattie. Please hop over to her Etsy site and take a look around at all the fun images she has here 

Having a sponsor means the winner will get a prize this week - 3 digis from Patties Creations - if you use one of Patties images on your project you will get two chances to win.  

A close up of my coloured image.

 I used promarkers and Sakura Glaze pens for this. 

My sheer red with hearts ribbon is Ribbon Girl, the blue is from my stash.

The Vintage looking button is one I pulled off a garment (previously made by me) before disgarding it. 

Receipe :-

Image ... Pattie's Creations

Colourants ... Promarkers & Sakura Glaze

Ribbon ... Ribbon Girl (blue from stash)

Button ... Stash/recycled

Die cut ... Nestie Fleur Di Lis Square

Some Challenges ...

Crafting for all Seasons - red white and blue

Digistamps 4 Joy - red white and blue

Divas by Design - die cuts/punches

My Mum's Craft shop - something old, something new (image & red ribbon new/ blue ribbon & button very old)

Penny's Paper-Crafty - red white and blue

Celebrate the Occasion - Red, White & Blue (sorry may not qualify as not celebrating)  

The Stamping Boutique - No design paper

Tuesday Throwdown - Red, White & Blue

Use It Tuesdays -   Red, White and Blue (blue ribbon & fancy button vry old)

Die Cut Dreams - Red, White and Blue

Ambers Crafts & Stuff #14 Vacation, All I ever Wanted

The week at Ambers we want to see your Vacation related projects - a card about Travel or your Favourite Vacation or a scrapbook page. I haven't been on vacation for many, many years (difficult when there always seems to be a least one member of the household housebound ...do I hear the sound of violins lol) and as,  quite frankly I still haven't got my scrapbooking into gear yet - I've made a card that reminds me of holidays (vacations) when the kids were little. We used to go in a big family group and there was always one of the males amongst us getting himself buried in the sand. 

I've made this masculine because, as I said, in my experience it's the males of the species who like getting buried up to their necks....personally I think it's because it gets them out of trooping off the buy the ice-creams and soft drinks lol. 

This is from a new set of House Mouse Decoupage I've just had..you'll be seeing it a lot I'm sure. The images are so large and full, just lovely...I felt this one cried out to be an easel card. 

 The easel stand, with matching greeting....as if you need to tell a man to 

take it easy on vacation eh!! ...or is it just the men I know lol. 

Close up of my lovely manly buttons, 

with a little Basic Grey fibre for added interest. 

Pop over and see what the rest of the DT have made this week, right here. Remember you can make any kind of project you like for Ambers Crafts and Stuff...so long as it follows the theme for the challenge.

My Receipe:-

Decoupage ... House Mouse Designs

Fibre ... Basic Grey - figgey & Two Scoops

Die Cuts ... Marianne Creatables and Nesties

Card-stock & Buttons ... Oh so old Stash.

Some Challenges I'd like to enter ...

Anything Goes Challenge - Here Comes Summer 

Top Tip Tuesday -  Open Challenge

Bows 'n Berries - Masculine.

Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge - Father's Day / masculine

Hooked on Crafts - Anything goes.

Incy Wincy Designs - Father's Day/Masculine

Squigglefly   Make it Masculine

Sentimental Sundays -  Father's Day or Masculine

Amber's Crafts & Stuff #12 Teen Celebration.

At Amber's Crafts and Stuff this week we are making projects with a Teen in mind. My teen project is my very first easel draw box, which I've made for the lovely daughter of a good friend of mine. She has the most beautiful red gold hair...which I've tried to imitate on the image. 

I'll be stuffing the draw with crafting goodies for her to make a few cards - it was orginally going to be chocs but there were just toooo many to fit....so she's getting a extra gift lol. 

The pin is made using some beautiful purple glass beads that Joan kindly sent to me a few days ago. The 'draw nob's' are also made with some of the beads she gave me.  My image is coloured with promarkers and the flowers and butterflies are highlighted with Sakura tira glitter pens, and glazed with the glaze pens. I used a couple of Marianne Design corners to 'frame' my image and made some roses with matching cardstock. 

Inside the easel. 

I

I hope you'll pop over to Amber's and check out the work the rest of the DT have made for your inspiration, and join us this week. 

My Receipe..

Image..Gingerloft

Colourants ..Promarkers, Sakura

DP's ...Craft Creations

Die's ...Marianne Creatable & QuicKutz

Stick pin & Roses ... Homemade

Teal Cardstock... TBA

Ribbon & Gems ...Stash

Challenges I'd like to enter :-
A Spoonful Of Sugar - Flower Power
Anita Be Stampin' -  Layer it On Me
Claudia & Co - Fancy Folds
Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT Challenge -  Make Your Own Embellishments (Stick pin and Roses)
 Paper Minutes -  Something in Quadruplicate( 4 Roses)
Tuesday Throwdown - DIY  Embellishments (Stick Pin and Roses)
Happileigh Scrappin - Lots and Lots of Embellishments
There's Magic in the Air - Easel Cards
Allsorts -  Things With Wings

Amber's Crafts & Stuff #11 Vintage

 This week at Amber's the theme is Vintage, so if you have any project with an old fashioned or vintage theme, pop over and join us here . We don't have a sponsor this week but the winner gets a badge to desplay - love getting a badge, don't you - and their name will be put into the monthly draw for a gift. They will also be invited to be a Guest Designer.

I made a set of ATC's. I didn't go for distress, just a vintage feel. I wanted them to look like pages from a photo album so I chose pictures that I felt could pass of the kids at different ages. I've used printable papers and some little sticker frames which have been in my stash for ages. The Lacey Frame above is just photoshoped and not part of the ATC.

All you have to do now is hop over to Ambers Crafts and Stuff and see what the Design Team have been up to...before entering your own project, we'd love you to join us. 

Receipe:- 

Images ... Crafts U Print

Digital Papers ... The Lilac Garden

Sticker Frames... Lake Land

Buttons, bows and baby pin ... Stash

Challenges For 1st ATC...

Paper Take Weekly - Pale, Pretty Pastels

Creative Stamp Friends - My favourite colours (pink, pink & Pink)

DDH Challenges -  Anything but a card

ECP Challenges - Pastel Colours 

Polkadoodle - Anything but a card.

Paper Romance - Anything but a card.

Amber's Crafts & Stuff #10 Cats & Dogs.

This week Amber has asked us to make something with our Furry Friends in mind. I crocheted this fish toy  for my daughters cat. She hasn't been well enough to have him in her room for a cuddle for quite some time and they miss each other. If he finds an item of her clothing in the laundry (if I leave it unguarded after sorting to wash lol) he will drag it out and lie on it. Before we gave this to him, she cuddled it to get her scent on it for him. 

It's originally an idea I had for a soap saver for my grandson - I left this one open too so I can stuff it with cat nip (when it arrives through the post). At the moment it has a little bag of wadding inside a lovely noisy scrunchie celophane bag - another thing he delights in. 

Here's a few pix of him 'delighting' in his new toy. Taken with my phone so not good....as usual lol.

So the idea is to make anything you like with your furbaby in mind...scrapbook page, toy, or whatever you like with a dog or cat image on it somewhere, then pop over to join in the challenge here. You'll find more inspiration from the rest of this weeks design team. 

Some challenges I hope will accept me. ..

Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT Challenge -  Use Orange Somewhere in Project

DDH Challenges - Anything but a card

Creative Cowgirls - Anything Goes

Scrappy Frogs - Anything goes

Ambers Crafts & Stuff #9 Reduce, Re-use, recycle.

At Amber's Crafts & Stuff this week we are looking for a Recycled item on your projects. This is the Postal Package I used to make a notelet case for a friend. 

I cut two pieces of card, the full size of the box, and sandwiched the left hand flap between them. After covering the inside, I glued the right hand flap down to create a 'pocket'.  

The purple material covering the top is also recycled...it was lining a box that a crystal vase came in, and the flowers are from various flower arrangements. Her favourite colours are purple, blue and orange, so I was pleased I managed to fit all three into this. 

I've edged it with pale lilac satin ribbon, adding small blue gems to the corners. A wide piece of lace across the center and of course the huge spray of flowers. 

A couple of shots of the inside

The Notelets

I printed out half a dozen images onto a5 cardstock and folded them to make the notelets. Three female, three that could be used for males. They are all detailed images that work really well just in black and white. I've printed two of each and they are as follows ...

Court Shoe - Jak Heath Designs, Katie's Love Swing - Make it crafty (both from Help for Katie)

Insight - Card Mad Fairy

Autumn Oak - Arthurs Clip Art

A Cottage Scene & The Mill - Digital Two For Tuesday. 

This was a really fun challenge...and who doesn't like creating something from next to nothing. The rest of the team have some great projects to show you, pop over and see them for some inspiration and join us in the challenge this week. 

Receipe - 

Box, Flowers, Material ... Recycled

DP's ... Scrapbook Stash

Dotty Ribbon ... Imag-n-ation

Plain ribbon & Lace ... Stash

Gems ... Papermania

Images ... Various as above

Challenges I'd Like to Enter...

Clear It Out! - Ribbon/Trim

Everybody-Art-Challenge - Flowers

Top Tip Tuesday -  Flower Frenzy 

Use It Tuesdays - Bling

Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Lace

Crafty Pad - Spots and Dots (Spotty Dp & dotty ribbon...or may be other way round lol)

Dream Valley Challenges - Flowers

Word Play Weekend Challenge - Flowers - as image, embellies or part of sentiment.

Charisma Cardz - No cards allowed.

Crafty Purple Frog - Purple & lace.

Crafty Sentiments -  Flowers.

Do You Stack Up? -  Purple.

The Rubber Cafe - Not a card.

Ambers Crafts & Stuff #7 Use a Digi

This week at Ambers Crafts and Stuff we have Digi's With Attitude as our sponsor. We have kindly been given some Digi's to play with, but I've used one that I won in one of their challenges a few months ago. Angry Anabelle is one of their Animals with Attitude...they are all so amusing..I've just seen they have a giraffe which I had to get. 

This is a scrap-page of my Dog Roo. He's a cross West Highland Terrier/Bishon Frieze/Kangaroo....quite a potent mix as you can imagine. He's knows he's not allowed on the furniture...sometimes he's good enough to jump back down when he hears me coming downstairs on the stairlift (we have no carpets so hear his little claws) ...sometimes he waits till I get in the room lol. I was bought a magnet with a naughty dog lying amongst the mess he'd made and it says 'I understand, I just don't Care'. It sums Roo up perfectly lol.

Anabelle is coloured with Promarkers..Ice grey 5,3 & 1 for shading

 and Apricot and burnt orange for her bow. 

The border around Arabella is using a herringbone folder that I'd inked before putting through the machine. 

My Die cuts are Nesties Label 8. No idea where the brad from, been in stash way, way too long. 

I made a couple of backing papers using Digi's With Attitude Sentiments 'What Attitude' and Seriously!

This is the Sketch I based my page on. I had to fight with myself to leave so much white, but think the papers are busy enough...and look at all that space I have for journalling.  

Sketch by Sketchy Thursday. 

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

Sketchy Thursday - Sketch

Tip Top Tuesday - Squares 

My Time To Craft -  Perfect Pets

Amber's Crafts & Stuffs #6 Ribbons & Bow's

At Amber's Crafts & Stuff this week we are challenged to get out our ribbon and/or bows. Great challenge eh!! I know you all love your ribbons so come and join us here, and take a look at the inspiration from the rest of the design team.  

As you can plainly see, I through everything at this card. I turned up my pink girly girl meter and just went to town. The picture below show the bottom layer of the easel..a plain piece of card that swivels out on a brad...so plenty of room to write on. I saw this idea on Chocolate Crafts & Bears, Carol uses this a lot with her shaped easel cards and you can see an example here.  Her blog is quite inspiring so give yourself a treat and take a visit 

 The Image I used is again a Sugar Nellie Adorable, she's called Grace and no doubt you've seen her about other blogs..she's very popular.

Promarkers used..
Amethyst & Orchid; Ice Grey 1; Pastel & Rose pink, Carnation, Blossom, Dusky Rose & Cerise;
Tan & Vanilla for Skin;
Terracotta, Cinnamon & Cocoa for Hair.

Ci

I actually tied my bows free hand...but I tied them the same way you do using a bow maker - I think they turned out pretty much the same. I cant' remember where I saw the tutorial for adding ribbon around an image...I'm ashamed to say ...but I stuck it down with double sided and then put another circle behind it too to hold it all properly in place. 

 I have paper candy (as the packet calls it) all around the lower layer...they are like fake brads. I used quite a few die cuts on this didn't I !!

The sentiment is from a vellum quote book, and I dismantled an embellishment to use the little hugs and kisses charms...threading them through the bow on a swirled wire. 

My Receipe...

Image - Sugar Nellie

Colourants - Promarkers

Ribbons - Joycraft

Card Candy - Craftworks Cards 

Embossing Folder - Sizzex

Button Brad - V&A Hondoverian Epoxy Brads

Charms, Gems, Sentiment  - Stash

DP's - Craft Creations

I'd Like to Join in the Following challenges :-

Creative Craft Challenges ... Embossing

Going Grey With Scrap Creations ... Use A Digital Image

Cupcake Crafts ... Lots Of Layers

House Of Gilli .. Stripes & Bling

The Stamp Fairy ... For the Girls with a Sentiment

Card Cupids ... Pastels

Paper Sundaes ... Texture

Crafts & Me ... Pink & Sweet

I Love Promarkers ... (I really, really do) Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp ... Emboss It 

Amber's Crafts & Stuffs #5. Favourite Things.

For my favourite things, I chose my favourite photo of my mom, my favourite colourants and my favourite nestie. I also used my mom's favourite spring flower - the Tulip and, as the page is for her, one of my daughters favourite colours, lilac.  

I started this album quite a few years ago, after my mom died..my way of dealing with it was to make albums for everyone. I didn't manage to finish those for myself of pea who lives here...they are on my Get A Round Tuit List.

I've kept the page fairly simple, mostly because the rest of the album was made pre-challenges - before I really knew how to bling it up lol. It doesn't show up, but the background paper to the tulips is a sentiments scrapbook paper saying Memories - in different fonts and sizes.

The image is from Blackberry Lane  Designs and coloured with pro-markers..I used

Lime, pear & moss green

Lavender & Lilac.

I outlined the page and the nestie edges with Lavender.

Feel like joining in, well drag out all your favourite things and come over to Amber's Craft's and Stuff to see the inspiration from the Design Team. Here

Receipe -

Image - Blackberry Lane Designs Tulips

Die cuts - Nestie Labels 8

Colourants - Promarkers

DP - Twelveby12 - Flower editions collection

Me An My Big Idea's

Gems - stash

Challenges I hope to be accepted by ...

Flourishes ... Flowers, Flowers everywhere

CES Challenge... Monochromatic

Allsorts Challenge ... Anything But Square

Stampin' Sisters in Christ ... Use Shades of Purple as Your Main Colour

Lexi's Creations ... Monochromatic

Karen's Doodles Nederland ... Anything Goes

Anita Be Stampin Challenge ... Anything Goes

Amber's Crafts & Stuffs #4 Challenge. A New Technique.

I love trying new techniques, it what the challenges are all about afterall....learning and stretching ourselves. I've learnt so much in my few short months in blogland. I've wanted to give this Spotlighting Technique a try for a while so with our new challenge over at Amber's Crafts and Stuff being to Try A New Technique...I couldn't hold back any longer could I.  I really love the look it gives to a card.

It was my very first time using a crop-e-dile too, which is why you see the little ribbon embellishment next to my eyelet....it's to disguise the hole I cut in wrong place : D!!!

 I've used the adorable little Housemouse stamps again, and coloured my second layer in slightly darker colours to make the 'spotlight's' pop a little more...I also outlined them in red promaker. My images are coloured in pencils crayons though...just for a change.

As you can see I've used another of  my crochet roses, and gave it some crocheted leaves and a couple of tendrils too. 

Below is the sketch I used.  I've got this labeled as Lynns Sketch, it's by Quirky Crafts Challenge, and ran a few weeks ago. 

Now I'm sure you all  have a technique or two you've been itching to have a go at.....so go ahead and join us in the challenge here 

My Receipe -

Image ...House Mouse Designs

DP's and Sticker Sentiment - Craft Creations

Colourant - WH Smith Blendable Pencils

promarker to outline.

Ribbon & eyelets - Stash 

Sketch - Quirky Crafts

Crochet flower - Handmade.

A few Challenges I've entered...

Claudia & Co - Monochromatic

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes with optional  Something New (technique, Papers, Cop-e-dile)

The Stamping Boutique - Handmade Flowers 

Catch The Bug Challenge - Anything Goes 

Craft Your Days Away - Spots and Stripes

Marks Finest Papers - Spotlight an Animal on Your Card

One Stop Craft Challenge - Spots and Dots 

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