DARING CARDMAKERS - MAKE IT SHAKE

The challenge this week at Daring Cardmakers is to make it shake.  This is my final week of the month as Guest Designer and it's been great fun.

I'm not a great fan of shaker cards as I find them so tricky but did fancy doing a wobbly card. The background was made on a gel press with some background stamping.  I used a TH stencil for the pattern behind the cat.

I've used one of Tim Holtz snarky cats and double stamped him adding a wobbler just simply made of paper.  I added some googly eyes for extra wobble. I also added some glossy accents to the balloon and his tie.

I'm adding this into the following:

Allsorts - AG 

Alphabet Challenge - M is for masculine 

Crafty Catz - AG plus stencil 

Creative Friday - Animals 

KraftyChicks - AG 

Simon Says Stamp - AG Wednesday 

Make My Monday - own background 

DARING CARDMAKERS - LEAFY LUSHNESS

Leafy Lushness is our brief over at Daring Cardmakers.  I created a stencil with a cut out of a leaf to create my scene using Lavinia Stamps.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Oxide in Bundled Sage and Wild Honey for inside the leaf.  I added just a soft amount of the Sage around the edge of the card and some words from Lavinia. 

I'm adding this into the following:

Shopping our stash - leaves 

Stencil Fun - plus autumn 

I have a new rescue cat Luna who at only 2 had already had a hard life.  She was a farm cat for a year and then became a mum and the cat rescue found her and looked after her.  For a year she lived outside in one of their pens then we came along in July to add her to our brood of 13 year old cat, 14 year old dog and 18  month dog.  For the first two months she stayed in her bedroom only coming out to stay at the top of the stairs.  Slowly paw by paw over the last month she has gained in confidence and is navigating her way around the house and coming to realise the other pets aren't going to hurt her.  She's even started going outside and feeling grass under her paws for the first time in over a year.  Her favourite place at the moment is to come and sit by me while I craft.  This is a huge step for her and it's lovely to have her company. 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - #477 CHRISTMAS

Welcome back to another challenge at ATSM and we are back on Christmas.  I saw a lady in Tracy Evan's FB group do a wonderful bubble card and really fancied having a go.  I managed to find a You Tube tutorial by Laura Wenn and will pop the link down below.  I didn't have any  of the silver ink that was used for the bubble to create the frosting so I improvised with glitter and a fern stamp. 

I think my bubble is a little bit large but by then I was committed to my card so thought I'd continue with it.  I've used the new release from Tracy Evans Boutique Designs called Winter Delights.  I just love those little penguins!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0poBOELlmho&t=23s

I'm adding this into the following:

12 months of Christmas 

Christmas Crafts - Trees or Barns 

Festive Fridays - Christmas 

Peace on Earth 

Merry Little Christmas 

DARING CARDMAKERS - ON THE BALL

I'm back for another week as Guest Designer for Daring Cardmakers.  Our Brief for this project is On the Ball and luckily that could include ballroom as I really don't have anything in my stash for ball games.

I was gifted this lovely stamp set by a member of my Joy of Sets Facebook Group Hazel Anne - and although it is not a set I would have chosen I've loved using it and it's come in handy especially for birthday cards.  I do love the Art Deco feel to it and thought it was perfect for this challenge. Its from Hunkydory and is called I Dream of Deco.

I stamped the images first - the man in Versafine Nocturne and the lady in Versafine Medieval Blue.  I then simply coloured a background water colour wash carefully around them with two Distress Oxides - Wild Honey (one of my favourite at the moment ) and Iced Spruce.  I added additional stamping and some Nuovo dots and sparkle to her dress. 

WELCOME AUTUMN

Autumn is my favourite time of year but it's come far too early as we have hardly had a summer yet here in Wales and now we are almost into winter!  So much wet weather.  Hopefully we will get a few dry crisp sunny days to enjoy the autumn colours.

This was definitely on my mind this wet Sunday with my next card.  I used a combination of stamps from Lavinia, Alison Bomber, Visible Image and Tracy Evans to create my little scene.  I used a leaf stencil from Visible Image to add extra leaves in the same Wild Honey distress Ink to the background.  Colours are from Tim Holtz Distress Oxides apart from the shimmer on the little light and the rose hips which are Renaissance Colours hand made paints.

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Autumn Colours 

Colourful Options - Be Bold 

Lets Create - AG 

Day of the month - Autumn Stroll 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - A is for Autumn 

Simply Create Too - Autumn 

Tic Tac Toe - Leaves, Ink Blending, Multiples 

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday - Stamp It 

Four Seasons Challenge - Fall 

How exciting to be the Designer's Choice at Tic Tac Toe 

DARING CARDMAKERS - INSPIRATION BOARD

Another week for me to play along with Daring Cardmakers as Guest Designer. This week we have this lovely mood board to inspire us choosing 3 elements from the board.  

I chose some old stamp sets from Tracy Evans for my card - taking inspiration from the jars of flowers, the colours and the circles from the coffee cup.  I do love jars or jugs or vase stamps for flowers and this is just such a lovely one to work with.  The sentiment at the bottom is some Washi tape. 

CREATIVE ARTISTE MIXED MEDIA CHALLENGE #108 - MEET EDWIN

Welcome back to another month of Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge.  Please remember to use at least three different mediums on your piece to qualify as mixed media.  

I'm using the Professor stamps by Tim Holtz for my card today.  The background was created first with a gel press and Tim  Holtz Distress Oxides.  I then added some Texture Paste through a Tim Holtz gothic stencil and added paint over the top.  Background stamping was also added.  The image was stamped and then cut out with the light bulb set behind the hat which is slightly raised. 

I added a paper cog cut from Tim Holtz old die cuts and a metal die cog and a pen nib.  Some extra die cut paper was added to the bottom.  I added the sentiments from TH Idealogy clippers sticker book, including the name of Edwin which I think suits him!

I'm adding this into the following challenges:

Simon says Stamp Wednesday Challenge 

Krafty Chicks - Stamps 

As you like it - to layer or not to layer - I just adore layering - I was so  happy years ago when I found the art technique of Mixed Media which allows me to layer to my hearts content! 

The Outlawz - AG 

Welove2create - AG 

I've been a bit lax in adding my monthly calendar pages for my own calendar I'm making so here are June, July and August just to catch up.

THE MALE ROOM CHALLENGE - FUN FOLDS

Welcome back to another challenge at The Male Room where we want to see your fun folds.  I saw this technique on Pinterest and loved the simplicity of it.  Some fold cards are just too complicated for me and I try not to do complicated so this was just up my street.    

 I didn't really measure the fold - just folded the front piece of the cardstock down and then added my papers to fit the measurement I had.  The background papers were all done on a gel press with Tim Holtz Distress Oxides.  I added some texture paste over a stencil to create the circles.  

The stamps used are Tim Holtz Ringmaster Blueprint CMS151 - the choice of stamps on this set are going to be great for male cards.  The little clock was in my stash of possible Idealogoy pieces and the sentiment seemed perfect for the theme where a great moustache can take time.  That word moustache always reminds me of that oh so catchy tune from the film A Million Ways to Die in the West - once it gets in your head it's hard to get it out! 

ADDICTED TO STAMPS AND MORE - MAKE YOUR MARK #476

Welcome back to another challenge at ATSM and this time we want to see your use of pens, pencils, ink to create your project.  I spotted this lovely set by Anita Jeram in my stash which I hadn't used in a while. It's called Paint Town. 

I created the background with lots of watercolour reds and oranges leaving a gap to stamp the little creatures.  I then used a paintbrush to colour them in - all inks used are Tim Holtz Distress Oxides.  The little sentiment that goes with this set is just perfect and makes for a fun card.   

INSPIRATION STATION

I love the image for our inspiration this month at Inspiration Station and hope it inspires you too.  My card is a New Home card - it was hopefully going to be for my son and his girlfriend as they try and sell their house but sadly after nearly a year still no sale for them.  But at least the card is ready when finally they do.

I used a lot of ink blending of Tim Holtz Distress Oxides to create the background and added some stamped trees from a Visible Image stamp set.  The little house is a very old stamp from Clearly Besotted that I found in my stash.  I stamped it and the trees  onto acetate also to create the reflection.

PEARLY SPARKLES - ALL THINGS PINK/PEARLS AND/OR SPARKLE

September is a special month here at Pearly Sparkles as we remember Traci who created this challenge blog.  September is Traci's birthday month and we are remembering her with Traci's Recipe Challenge :

PINK, PEARLS AND/OR SPARKLE - use at least one of these

I started my card by using a colour wash of Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Kitsch Flamingo and Spun Sugar.  I then stamped my image which is a Tim Holtz rose in Versa Fine Clair Chianti.  The added stamping of the dots and the stars is also a Tim Holtz Stamp and I finished it off with some added Nuovo Crystal Drops. The sentiment is from Tracy Evans.

I'm adding this into the following:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - AG 

Shopping our stash - just because 

Tuesday Taggers - make it feminine 

Inkspirational - CAS