Another day crafting ........................ thank you rain!!

It has been raining most of today, and very cold, and husband doesn't do rain, at least not voluntarily, so I was allowed to stay in!! Yipee, crafting!!!

Good job, as I have been struggling to get my head together to do this calendar for 3 challenges!
The three challenges are -
Stampin' for the Weekend - Last challenge for 2009 - a calendar
Passion for ProMarkers - Mega Christmas challenge - anything but a card
Crafty Cardmakers - Favourites of 2009
Making this has been a REAL challenge. I knew what I wanted to do, but didn't quite have all the things I needed to do it, so I had to come up with another way of doing it. I was going to hang all my months on a ribbon which would mean they could be turned over each month, but I was lacking a hole punch, and some ribbon, plus I hadn't left enough space for the hole to be punched, and I don't think, looking at what I HAVE done that it would have worked. So what I came up with in the end (in true Heath Robinson fashion - taught for many years by my husband), was this. I have designed a seperate card for each month of the year (only printed out 4 so far), and I needed a way of attaching them to the easel mechanism without sticking them. So, I took a clear plastic CD packet and cut a strip off the bottom. This I slid over the piece that folds and sits behind the "stopper". into that I was going to slot all my months, so that they could be rotated each month. But - there is always a but - there wasn't room for them all (should have used thinner card maybe), so I needed a plan B. I took the other end of the CD packet (the bit with the flap on), stuck the flap down, then slid this part over the base of the card and stuck the calendar on top of it. This created a pocket on the back of the card to store the months not being used. These pictures may explain it better, although they are not the best pictures I have ever taken.
This is the back, and the other pictures are to give an idea of the other pages.

Christmas is over.............back to crafting (with a bit of luck)!!

I say "with a bit of luck" because my husband always insists we have a break between Christmas and New Year. He doesn't seem to grasp the fact that I NEVER need a break from the shop - that is where all my toys are, and where I love to play! I did, however, bring some of my toys home with me (ProMarkers and cute stamps, etc.) this year, so all is not lost. All I need to do now is manage to stay home for at least long enough to do SOME crafting...................not an easy task with a husband who just loves to go out, and to go shopping!

Anyway, back to the task in hand. I have done this card for the Crafty Cardmakers challenge, which this time is a sketch. As I was doing it at home I decided to get my trusty best friend, Polly Pazzles, to die-cut my shapes for me. Just added to the challenge, as I had to get the shapes into the Pazzles program before I could cut them.
Choosing the cardstock was also a challenge, as I don't have as much choice at home. However, my husband had bought me some nice pearlescent card in a pack he found in the "chucky-outies" at W. H. Smith's. It was a pack with 3 blue, 3 pink, 2 silver and 2 white A4 sheets, and it was 99p! The white embossed butterfly card is some I have had in for some time and not found a use for until now.
The next problem I had was what to use for an image. The smallest circle was a little small for most of the stamps I had brought home, so I used a digi stamp I had got from The Greetings Farm (her name is Lily), and down-sized her to fit the circle. Not sure if she is a little small for the size of the card, but what the heck, she will have to do! I coloured her with ProMarkers of course - not quite as neat as usual, the greys bled a bit, obviously different cardstock.

"Just White" blog challenge

Loved doing this one! This is for Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge, which this week is using "Just White" for card, backing and embellishments, but colour in the Mo Manning image. I love this Mo Manning image, it is so cute (Oh, bother, there is that word again).

For the backing I used some gorgeous irridescent white paper that my daughter gave me. It is useless for printing on or stamping on, but lovely just used plain as backing. It looks a bit cream on the left side, but it is white. I have punched down each side with a Martha Stewart punch (love it). The snowflake backing plates were done with a cuttlebug folder on my Wizard. I have had the snowflake buttons for years, and this year they have finally come into their own!

Of course, I used ProMarkers to colour the image.

The really hardest part was to get a good picture with it being all white. I scanned it first and it really didn't show the textures, so out came the camera. Took a few shots to get the lighting right, but this is the best shot.

'Tis the season ..... to be blogging!!

Here is Anya again, all wrapped up against the cold weather. This card is for two challenges (it is also a christmas card to add to my meagre stock, must get some done this week), the first being (of course) Anyone for Anya. This week Anything Goes, as long as it contains a Greetings Farm character. At this time of the year, this Miss Anya stamp has got to be favourite. I have tried to make her as wintery as possible with the colours I have chosen.

The other challenge is Truly Scrumptious, which is a sketch challenge, with an added challenge of using some vellum somewhere on the card. My vellum, in case it is not obvious, is the layer with the christmas trees on. I bought a pack of white embossed christmas vellum from Lakeland quite a few years ago, and as I am so mean with it, I have still got quite a lot left. I thought Anya deserved to have a bit of it, she is so cute (there is that word again, I must have a word with myself!).

Christmas is coming.................

I am in serious danger of getting Christmassy! Somebody stop me....

I usually make all my Christmas cards at the very last minute, with only just enough time for the glue to dry before they have to catch the last post.
However, since finding all these blog challenges, my life has changed somewhat. I am now making my cards to suit the challenge, and with almost plenty of time to go (I did say almost, I suppose it IS December).
This one is for two challenges (was going to be 3 but I got it wrong). The first is Friday Sketchers, which has a lovely sketch to follow. I hope my vellum circles show up enough on the picture.
The second challenge is Cupcake Craft Challenge - Christmas Carol, where you have to make a card using your favourite Christmas Carol. I chose Silent Night, not because it was my favourite (I have lots), but because I had background paper and a rubber stamp with the carol on.

I'm getting into Cute and Christmas.....I am starting to worry!

This is a card I have made for a friend for Christmas (obviously - dur), and as it is in Red, Green and Gold, it fits with the challenge on Stampin' for the Weekend - Christmas Time, Mistletoe and Wine.

Isn't he cute! He is a digi stamp which I bought from Sandra Dry Digi Stamps, and I coloured him with my ProMarkers (of course). The background paper is one I printed from Artylicious Season's Greetings, and I have coloured in a few of the words with a gold metallic pen.

Blogging again - more challenges................

I have been a bit different this week - mostly out of necessity. I ran out of time at the shop to get a card done for Papertake Weekly Challenge. It has to be entered by Monday, and I am not in the shop until Tuesday. All my "cute and colouring" stuff is, of course, in the shop. So I had to put my thinking cap on, and this is what I came up with.

I love this Joanna Sheen image (love nearly ALL her stuff). I printed the image and the two papers, then wondered what colour card to put them on. Then the brain switched on (doesn't happen often), and I thought of printing the tartan on a piece of cardstock, but printing it much lighter. Hope you all notice that I lined up the pattern on the front piece with the pattern on the card! (I told you, it doesn't happen often!)

The Papertake challenge is a sketch, always good to do, and I decided to do it to also fit with the Crafty Cardmakers Challenge, which this time is Alternative Christmas, which is either a Christmas image in non-traditional colours (which I chose), or a non-Christmas image in Christmas colours.

Last minute again!!!

Well, here it is, Saturday again and I am chasing the clock getting my entry done for the Anyone for Anya challenge. This week it is a sketch, which is always fun.

I have used one of my new Anya stamps, she is so cute with her umbrella. I have backed her with some music card (my thinking is she is "Singing in the Rain") and then used some rainbow paper for the base layer. The ribbon is white organza which I have coloured with one of the ProMarkers which I used in the picture. It's the first time I have tried that, and I was very pleased with the results.

This is the sketch.

November ATC swap - 'Tis the Season

Well, for once everything seems to have gone smoothly with this month's ATC swap. Nothing lost in the post, and nothing late (well, only by 1 day), so I have got all the scanning done and I only have to do the swap now, and put them in the post.
Here they are................

The are all gorgeous, and all very different. I was going to call the swap "Christmas", but changed it at the last minute, as I thought (rightly as it turns out) we would get a far more diverse selection of ideas (get me...I am starting to sound eductated!!)

Second challenge today.....

This is my second blog challenge today, and it is for Passion for ProMarkers - Any colours and a theme, the theme this time being Vintage.

I love vintage so this one came pretty easily. I chose a stamp called Lottie Collage by Impression Obsession. I firstly did her using a sepia Versafine ink, but when I coloured her in she looked a bit "muddy", not enough definition. So tried her with Memento black, and liked her much better.

I have to thank my daughter, Jenny, as she suggested I tear the background layers instead of cutting them, something I have done lots in the past but have neglected of late. Works well on this card, I think.

I can't seem to get a picture that gets the colour just right, so I have used two, one with flash and one without. The true colour is somewhere between the two!

Anyone for Anya - Make a Fake

Well, here we are again, time for the Anyone for Anya challenge of the week. This week it is Make a Fake which has to include Anya, obviously, and anything fake or false. My piece of fake is the fake broderie anglaise frame which I cut on my dye cutter - Polly Pazzles.
I cut the frame out of some lovely light-weight card which is quite perfumed. It has a lovely sheen to it and cuts like a dream. The lavender mat was cut from Glitter Girls card - the dark collection, can't remember what it is called, but it cuts beautifully.

Just Magnolia meets Friday Sketchers....

Two challenges today with this card. I have sweated blood on this one. The Just Magnolia challenge this time is Masking. I did the stamping using two Magnolia characters slightly overlapping, and realised they were both sitting down. So I needed them to sit on something. So I got a stamp which was trailing ivy, but stamping it sideways made it look like a tree branch. I used that, then decided I didn't like it. Then I lost it, so I started again! This time I used a stamp which was a pile of stones and flowers, which, when repeated looked a bit like a dry-stone wall.

Then I really didn't know what to do with the rest of the card, so I mounted some flowery paper onto some royal blue card and put it on that, stuck it all down, scanned it, then decided I hated it. I wasn't having a very good day yesterday, felt really ill, so I left it until this morning.

Then, last night, I found the sketch challenge over on Friday Sketchers, and my problem was solved. So this morning I cut around my masked stamping (couldn't peel it off), and re-used it on this card.

This is the sketch for the Friday Sketchers challenge -

Some more challenges................

Made this card today, to enter it into a challenge, and while making it I realised it could qualify for two!

The original challenge was on Mo's Challenge Blog, and it was a recipe of 3 papers, 2 ribbons and a decorative edge. It obviously needed to include a Mo Manning image, so I chose this Holly Fairy, she is so cute (I am really learning cute these days!). I thought (as I have just learned how to do them) I would do an easel card.....so easy to make.

The second challenge I thought it would fit with is the Papertake Weekly Challenge (did I tell you I won it last week?), which this week is Christmas Cracker, doesn't have to be a cracker, but just a Christmas card.

Did I tell you............................

I won another Blog Challenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippee!!!!!!!!!! I won the Papertake Weekly Challenge for the Sketch, with this card.

I am liking this challenging stuff!

Just found another challenge I can do!

I have just been looking around Blogland (waiting for OH to "suddenly" decide he wants to go out) and I spotted a challenge on Cupcake Crafts Blog - the challenge is "Digital Images", and I have decided to give the Mermaid another chance to shine. Technically speaking she is not an old image because I have made her since the start of this challenge. She is so cute she deserves as many chances to win as I can give her ............... LOL.
She is a lovely digi stamp I got with my friend's birthday in mind. She is mad on mermaids, and it looks like her (although she doesn't have a fish tail - at least not all the time!)

Colour combo and sketch

Second posting of the day! I have been working on this card on and off all week, it has been a bit troublesome owing to me trying to make it fit too many challenges! I was trying to tie it into the Crafty Cardmakers challenge which needed something clear on it, but everything I tried didn't work. So I gave up on that one and used the Mermaid card.

This one is going into 2 challenges -

Passion for ProMarkers this week is a Colour Combo - Burnt Umber and Marsh Green. I showed my husband the two colours and asked him for a suggestion as to what kind of image he would use them for - all he could come up with was wood and trees! I looked through all my stamps, and when I came to this set (Madam Chic from Butterfly Kisses) the example was actually coloured in almost identical colours, so that made up my mind.

Papertake Weekly this week is this sketch.

Here's Dahlia!

This little cutie is called Dahlia, and she is one of Anya's friends. The card is for the Anyone for Anya challenge, which this week is called Getting Round To It. The idea is to use an Anya (or her friends), and anything round, e.g. spots, circles, etc.
Was a bit stuck on this one, but then remembered the spotty paper, hope it has worked. I quite like it, but then I could be biased.....LOL.
Dahlia was stamped onto the spotty paper because of the fiddly bits like the flowers, didn't fancy cutting them out. Then I stamped her onto white card and coloured her in using ProMarkers (my favourites!).

My friend the Mermaid!

My hairdresser, Nicky, is absolutely mad on the Little Mermaid, along with many other Disney characters, and has requested for christmas a card showing Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, and Pocahontas sharing Christmas!! Not sure I will manage that, although I do have an image of Ariel at Christmas, so she might have to settle for that.

However, it is her birthday on Monday next (she will be 24, not 12), so I have come up with a mermaid card for her. While browsing on Dewdrop Craftz page for digital stamps I found the mermaid designed by Carly. I used a background from My Craft Studio World of Watercolours, and coloured the mermaid in with ProMarkers. The shell and fish were buttons which I have had for years and never found a use for until now (motto girls - never throw anything away, you never know). I added the two "bubbles", which were two of those transparent thingy's that you put in little pots around the house, so that I could enter it into the latest challenge on Crafty Cardmakers which is called Clear as Day and requires you to use something transparent! I am also entering it into the Dewdrop Craftz challenge, which is called "Summer of Love" - anything bright and colourful and NOT depicting Christmas (I am all for that one - keep Christmas at the end of December), and using a Dewdrop Craftz stamp. I think this meets all that criteria (big word!).

Let's go blogging again!! More challenges.

This is my latest "Blog Challenge" card. It hasn't scanned particularly well unfortunately, and, naturally, my husband has taken the batteries out of the camera and I can't find them!

The first challenge that I am putting it into is Anyone for Anya - 3-2-1, It's Recipe Time. The recipe to follow is 3 pieces paper/card (not counting the card itself), 2 buttons and 1 bow, and, of course, Anya!

I decided to combine that challenge with the Passion for ProMarkers challenge, which this week is this sketch.

I had great fun doing this one. The Anya stamp is a new one, only got it on Tuesday, and I just love blue. Also I did the hair with the Ice Grey ProMarkers which I got as my prize when I won the Passion for ProMarkers challenge a few weeks ago.

October swap - Halloween

Yes, I know it is November, but I am a bit behind thanks to Royal Mail deciding to swallow one of the entries! I have given it more than 2 weeks since they were posted, but nothing has turned up, so I have worked round it.

Here are this month's ATC's............

Didn't they do well??