Emboss it!

The bank holiday weekend has arrived...let's hope for some decent weather! Somehow I've agreed to spend most of this weekend looking after granddaughters, the two older girls today and the two year old tomorrow...somehow I know which is going to be the hardest work :)...hoping the sun will be shining (or at least no rain !) they all love to be outdoors!
I have two cards to share today, DT cards for this week's challenge at Sweet Stampin'. The theme is embossing and I used  a beautiful  wooden stamp (Hero Arts) that has been languishing, forgotten, for ages.  I embossed the image with black EP, then went to town with my distress inks. The lovely swirly stamp on the circle was treated in the same way. I used the same inks and a few stamps to create the background, added  some die cuts and a blck ribbon. I enjoyed this technique so much I made this card too-

this one is even more simple...stamped, embossed and inked the panel, the background has dry embossed butterflies, lightly inked (sorry doesn't show up too well in photo!) and a simple bow.
There are some beautiful creations from my fellow  Sweeties to be seen by clicking here, and a fabulous prize is on offer from our lovely sponsor this week Live and love Crafts  so why not join the fun!
Thanks for calling by today, enjoy the weekend!
Chris
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Challenges entered:
Card 1:
useyourstuff - get inky
Stamping Sensations atg
simplypapercrafts #29
crafty girls #19
cre8tivehandsfriends #7


Card 2:
creativecorner bingo- (turquoise, white blue)
just-add-ink. (blue distress ink)
a2zscrapbooking Mcay - CAS
craftingwhenwecan CAS

The Book Elf

Today it's time for a new Challenge over at Southern Girls, and a lovely challenge it is too - we want to see layers...lots of layers. Our sponsors for this fortnight are Star Stampz and Fairy Tangle Art, so two gorgeous prizes on offer!
My card was made using a fabulous image from Star Stampz, it's called The Book Elf and I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it! A sweet little elf lost in a book of fairy tales...so cute. I printed the image twice so that I could layer it for added dimension, coloured it up with copics then cut the elf  and blue book from one copy and layered it over the other using pinflair glue.

 Lots of layers, some of DP and a bright green embossed cardstock layer, various die cuts, a few brads and ribbon. The sentiment is computer generated. I'm keeping this card to give to my middle granddaughter, she'll be 7 later this year and has just discovered the joy of reading to herself! She devours books like there's no tomorrow and I love to watch her 'enjoying the magic'!
There are some beautiful makes from my very talented teamies to be enjoyed by clicking here, and of course we'd love for you to play along this challenge, you could be the lucky winner of one of our sponsors' lovely prizes!
Have a great day!
Chris
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Challenges entered:
Lemon Shortbread #16 atg
ttcrd.blogspot atg
bunnyzoes layers
craftindesertdivas create a scene
craftyourpassion #313
lilpatchofcraftyfriends #33
starstampz hand coloured image
alohafriday #72

Bear in a boat

Good morning! My card today is for the new challenge starting at Creative Moments and  inspired by one of my tiny granddaughter's favourite songs...guess what it is! The optional theme this fortnight is to 'add some music' to your creation, and we have no less than 4 fabulous sponsors this time:-
Angie's Digital Stamps
Di'sdigistamps
Dr Digi's House of Stamps
My Stitch Back in Twine
quite a lineup I think you'll agree!
I chose to use this cute Bear in a Boat digi from Angie's. I printed the image twice, coloured with copics then cut out the bear from one image and mounted it over the other with sticky pads and silicone to add dimension. As you can see I kept the design really simple, adding some diecut and punched musical notes and handwritten wording. I chose bold primary colours to appeal to a small child.
Thanks for visiting today, just click here to hop over to the Challenge Blog to see what my lovely teamies have created to inspire you! We'd love to see what you make too...don't forget the theme is optional, anything goes at Creative Moments!
Chris
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No Design Paper at Fab 'n' Funky

Good morning, there's a fun new challenge starting today over at Fab N Funky... the theme this week, chosen by our lovely Jools is 'No design paper', and we're sponsored this week by the fabulous Lacy Sunshine.
To make my card I used a cute image called Izzybella Boo's Button Flowers, available here. I printed her onto beige coloured card and coloured her with pencils, thought I'd give the copics a rest! The die cut flower was cut from the same card and again coloured with pencils and finished with a button and twine. Tiny tags are LOTV.
Thanks for visiting today, hope you'll have the time to pop over to Fab N Funky to see what my lovely teamies have created to inspire you...and hope you'll have time to play along this week.
Chris
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Challenges entered:
craftingforallseasons #126 embossing
lilredwagon blooming fun
thesisterhoodofcrafters no dp
Tuesdaythrowdown embossing
polkadoodle things with wings
lacysunshine atg

Thank You!

Good morning, the weekend is here and it's time for a brand new challenge at Sweet Stampin' , this week we want you to say 'Thank You'. I, for one, was really pleased with this theme as I've used up all my 'thank you' cards and need to replenish! My card is fairly simple using another cute image from That Craft Place, coloured with copics and matted onto a piece of spotted DP. I cut apertures into my card base, then stuck the die cut words over the apertures. I used the same spotted DP inside the card. It looked a bit bare so I stamped 3 tiny hearts and doodled little dots to echo those on the image. Unfortunately the photo is a bit naff....the white card base looks a  completely different colour to the white card the image is printed on...IRL the difference doesn't show...perhaps it's something to do with the different texture of the cardstock....
Hope you can join us this week, just click here to be transported to the challenge blog, where you can enjoy the beautiful creations from my lovely teamies...then show us what you can do! If you need further incentive there's a fabulous prize for one lucky winner from our sponsor this week, Crafts and Me.
Just remember to stamp something!
Have a great weekend.
Chris
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Challenges entered:

chocolatecoffeecards. #109 just us girls
crafting-with-friends #20 atg
craftycatz #324 dies and punches
simplycreatetoo #109 thank you
throughthepurplehaze #101 atg
craftygalscorner #71 polka dots or stripes

..you have to kiss a lot of frogs....

Good morning....not a very pleasant one here at the moment....it's pouring down! At least the plants I put in at the weekend...in beautiful sunshine...will be benefitting!
The new challenge starting at Creative Moments today is sponsored by Bloobel Stamps and the team was given some fun and quirky  images to play with. I chose to use Frog Princess, this little lass is determined to find her prince...no matter how many frogs she has to kiss! The optional theme this week is 'black, white and one other colour', so I chose green as I didn't fancy a red frog! My card is fairly simple, image colored with copics matted onto green and black cardstock, a snippet of DP from my scraps drawer, a couple of die cut hearts and a ribbon attached with a brad.
Thanks for calling by and apologies for lack of comments this week. I'm staying at my Mum's while the rest of my family are on holiday...she needs 24/7 care as she is totally immobile...and there's just me, so unless she's asleep (like now!) I'm kept busy! It is lovely to spend some time with her though, she's still sharp as a knife and great company.
Have a lovely day
Chris
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Challenges entered:
inspirationdestination #85
thecraftyaddicts #15 atg/add a sentiment
citycrafter #311 Fairy Tale land
craftingfromtheheart #111
craftyboots queens,princesses and crowns

Things with wings!

Good morning, another beautiful warm sunny day here...spring has arrived at last! A quick post as I'm planning to spend today outside :) . Our new challenge at Crafty Calendar kicks off today...the theme is 'things with wings'  and we're sponsored this month by Angie's Cards and Digis and Crafty Ribbons. I chose to use this cute bug image, courtesy of  Angie's, and only realised after colouring it that there wasn't a wing in sight!!!! Soooo I added all the tiny punched butterflies and use a paper with butterflies on it! With hindsight I think it would have been better to use a plain background, as this is a bit busy! Colouring medium- copics, the image was fussy cut then given dimension with a ball tool and pinflair glue.
Thanks for calling by today, don't forget to take a look at Crafty Calendar Challenge Blog, there's some wonderful creations from my lovely teamies that you won't want to miss! Hope you'll be inspired to join us this month.
Have a fabulous weekend!
Chris
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Layer it up at Fab 'n' Funky

Good morning! Here's my DT inspiration card for the new challenge starting today  at Fab 'n' Funky. We theme, picked by our lovely Pat K is '3 or more layers' , there's a fabulous prize of a £10 voucher from this week's generous sponsor, Live And Love Crafts awaiting the lucky winner!
I made my card using a cute image from That Craft Place, isn't she a sweetie? Once again I chose copics to colour with!

 The papers are Teresa Collins, the flowers are stamped using a Honey Doo floral stamp, fussy cut and shaped with a ball tool. to finish I added some tiny pearls and a stamped sentiment.
Why not pop over to Fab 'N' Funky now....there's some beautiful inspiration from the rest of team Funky, just guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing!
Have a lovely day
Chris
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Challenges entered:
craftycardmakers #163 pearls or gems
lovetoscrap #77 girly
lilpatchofcraftyfriends #33
craftyfriends #30 cute
craftycatz #322 fairies/enchanting

Mail art

Hello, hope everyone had a great weekend, it's been a long one here in the UK with mixed weather...sunny and springlike one day, wet and cold the next...at least today is a sunny one!
Today I'm sharing something a little different, not a card...an envelope! I try to participate as often as I can in The East Wind challenges and this time the theme is 'mail art'. This really appealed to me as it's something a little out of the ordinary...so I thought I'd snazz up a plain manilla envelope. I printed this amazing image, Mad Hatter, directly onto the envelope and then masked both the image and a (wobbly) rectangle. The background stamp is Designs by Ryn, part of a set of background/ texture stamps, which I stamped repeatedly to cover the envelope. I doodled a border around the address panel with a black pen and a white gel pen then coloured my Mad Hatter with copics .and coloured pencils.I found this quite challenging as the copics  react very differently to using them on smooth white stamping card!

 I'm really pleased with the finished result and can't wait to send it to my lovely friend...she also makes cards and her envelopes are always a work of art covered with messages and doodles, so I know she'll love it!
Thanks for visiting today, have a great evening!
Chris
x

Challenges entered:
TEW #54
artisticinspirations #155
craftingfromtheheart #110
eclecticellapu (May) atg
hidinginmycraftroom #249
crafty-girls-creations #18