Easely Love, Love, Love.

Been A good while since I posted, I've still been crafting, bit by bit, but not had my head on straight enough to post...hopefully I'll manage to make sense!!

I made this Anniversary card for friends, a lovely couple. It had been a while since I'd made a white on white and I enjoyed making this one. Sorry the images are so fuzzy...you just can't get the staff now-a-days lol. It's a double easel card. 

 Image from a set by Penny Black. Called 'A Good Catch'. I stamped in black and embossed in clear, was a bit of a mistake as made it difficult to colour some of the tiny parts with my pencils....I used Lyca. I'm still not very good with them, but persevering. I dry embossed the backgrounds and then inked the raised edges and wet embossed those. I also went over them with mica spray.....I wanted it lovely and shimmery.

I found the sentiment online. Two great sites for verses and sentiments are Quote Garden and  Imag-n-ation. Imag-n-ation also sell great digi images amongst other things. 

My flowers are crocheted, I've put some of my lovely mother of pearl buttons as centres. 

 I have a little lift up flap for space to put my personal message, with another little quote, I quite like this one and thought it went well with the image. 

  The letters are made with pearl fimo, I used fimo cutters, and I've used a mica spray over the top. 

I'd like to enter this in the challenge at 

Hotshot Crafts Blog for Easel Cards. 

1-2-3 It's a Receipe at Guylou's Inimitability

It is time for another challenge at Guylou's Inimitability. Kim is challenging us to follow her recipe to make a project. Make sure you read it carefully and have all the ingredients before submitting your entry. :)

1 ribbon or lace

2 decorative papers

3 or more pieces of bling... rhinestones, metal charm, etc

Prize

A random winner will be selected from all the qualifying entries. Please make sure you follow the Challenge Guidelines listed on the left sidebar. The winner will be awarded a $5 gift certificate from Guylou's Inimitability Store and will also be invited to be a Guest Designer on an upcoming challenge.

....and that is how it is I'm showing you this card, having won my choice of digi's and a Guest Spot during the recent  Monochrome challenge.

 I've used Cat and Fish here. Isn't he adorable....my cat's used to terrorise the fish like that too lol....they would drink the water and pretend not to be interested in poor fishie, but he knew otherwise  lol. And yes!! I've made another easel card. 

Image Close-up 

The greeting is computer generated, and I just knew it was what I wanted

to say as soon as I spotted this image at the store. 

Make sure to pop over  to the Challenge Blog and see what the Design Team have made for your inspiration, you won't be disappointed. 

You will have until July 28th, 10:00 pm (EST or click here to find out the corresponding time where you are) to enter your cards or projects here. One entry per participant, please. Be sure to add the link to your entry and not your whole blog as this makes it much easier on the team to find your creations. Thanks for participating!

My Receipe:-

Image ... Guylou's Inimitablity 

Colourants ... Promarkers 

Cardstock ... Matchmakers, RicRak textured, whitecore

DP's ... S.E.I Mimosa 

Die-cut (background piece  ... Nestie Scalloped Octagon (candy win at DJ Designs)

Die-cut trim  ... Marianne Designs Creatables 

Lace ... Candy win at DJ Designs

Pearl row ... Candy win at DJ Designs

Fancy Pin ... Handmade

Faceted Gem (acting as air bubble in fishbowl) ... Stash 

Challenges ...

Crafting for all Seasons -  furry friends

Creative Belli -  handmade embellishments  (fancy Pin)

For Fun Challenges -  1 extra fold

Paper Pretties -  animals

Digital Tuesday -  Use 1 or more Dies

Going Grey With Scrap-Creations -At least 2DP's & at least 2 Embellishments 

Shopping Our Stash -  Use something you've been hoarding or your newest products (My lovely new candy win stash) 

Craft Your Days Away  - Fancy Folds 

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

Hop to it, Adorn with Jewels.

My second post....don't think I've ever posted two cards the same day before.

I've made this card for a Friend who has just had an operation on her foot. She has pins in it and will be hobbling about on crutches for 6 weeks, poor thing. 

This is one of my favourite housemouse stamps...think they are just so cute and look like they are having a whale of a time - I've used it previously for a new home card too....very versatile. Not quite sure how long I've had the stamp, it's pretty old, a good few years. 

The first part of my sentiment 'Hop to it' is fitted onto one of the retro flowers, with the 'and Get Well soon' acting as the bar to hold the easel in place. My image is coloured with water colour pencils - I coloured the image, and wet the area's afterwards. 

Wish I could remember where I had the card stock from, I really love the texture, and these sheets are pearlised too. 

Close up of my Retro Flowers 

Sentiment. 

Receipe :-

Image ... House Mouse Designs

Die Cuts ... Marianne's Creatabilities, Nesties & Go Kreate

Cardstock & Gems ... Stash

Some Challenges ...

House Mouse Challenge - Adorn with jewels

Crafts and Me - Stamp something
Dream Valley Challenges - Stamp Something

Pixie Cottage - shaped cards
Your Next Stamp Challenge - shaped cards

Stampavie and More - more than one fold 
Claudia & Co - Fancy Folds 

Top Tip Tuesday -  More Than 1 fold 

 Deep Ocean Challenge -  Anything Goes 

Oldie But Goodie Challenge -  Lots of Layers (stamp over 6mths old)
Card Cupids - More Than 3 Layers
Anita Be Stampin' - Go Crazy with Layers

Tuesday Throwdown - Animals

Cupcake Craft - Things with tails.

Word Play Weekend Challenge - Anything with a Tail

Alphabet Challenge -  Easel cards.

Stampin With The Dragon - Easel card.

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 & 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 

Anniversary, Easely 35 Years

My sister, and of course her husband are celebrating their 35th Anniversary today. I felt this quite large House Mouse Designs decoupage deserved an easel card...that way I could throw more fancy bits on it. I've some new fancy die cuts so I had to use them didn't I !!

I have a row of half cross stitch, in white embroidery floss,  as a border down the one side, and a couple of flourishes/swirls with a handmade rose for the front of the card.

 The bottom section has a computer generated greeting, cut out with a fancy label type thing, some more swirlies and roses.

 A close up of one of my roses. I made these following the Tute by Leesa - otherwise known as The Navy Wife on her blog Gone By The Board. The Tutorial is so easy to follow. She has used a Glue gun to fix hers together...I was out of the melty things for the gun . I stuck one with super sticky glue stick, one using glue gel (that was messy and needed overnight, but worked); one with a combo of the two, and finally, after hubby did a shopping trip, one with the glue gun....I've discovered I need to practice using that again as my rose was a mess. I love the roses though and will be making many more. You can find her tutorial here 

One last blurry shot so you can see the layers. 

My sister contacted me to say how pleased she was with the card, she said it made hanging in for 35 years worthwhile all on it's own lol....that's a compliment I shall keep posted on my heart. :-)

My Receipe...

Decoupage - House Mouse Stamps Designs

Die cut's -  Marianne Designs

Flowers - Handmade Following Leesa's Tute

Sentiment - Computer Generated.
Floss and cardstock - Stash

I'd so like to enter the following Challenges
Fresh Brewed Challenge ... Cute & Sweet
Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge ... Celebration
Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge ... Wedding or Anniversary
Pixie Dust Studio ... Say It Out Loud
Paper Romance ... Paper Flowers
Dutch Dare ... Fancy Fold
Fun With Shapes & More ... Animals
Frosted Designs ... HandMade Embellishments (roses)
Delicious Doodles ... All Stitched Up
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge ... Furry Friends
Little Claire's Designs ... Animals
Totally Gorjuss ... No Patterned Paper
The Secret Crafter ... Stitching Real or Faux (mines real)
Our Daily Bread Designs ... No Colouring
A Gem Of A Challenge ... Pearls and/or Swirls