Autumn Blessings

Good morning and happy weekend! The theme for our new challenge at Sweet Stampin' is ...wait for it...'Autumn'. I've made another card with a large image as the focus. This beauty is from Aurora Wings, and yet again she's coloured with copics ...been having a bit of a 'colouring fest' lately. Again, I've kept the design very simple, framing the image with kraft and blue card. I added some stamped and die cut leaves, a piece of twine and a stamped sentiment.

Please take a look over here to see what my lovely teamies have been up to this week, and of course we'd be delighted if you choose to play along...just remember to include some stamping!

Enjoy your weekend.

Chris

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Challenges entered:

colourcrazy  #39

craftycatz #386

craftaholicsrus #38

pdelinkyparty #192

Hi There!

Well...hi there! As soon as I saw the theme for the current challenge at Aurora Wings I knew wanted to play along just haven't found the time to make something  until today. The theme is 'Crop it' - and cropped images are brilliant to colour as you can make them much bigger than if you you use the whole thing! I played about for ages, cropping images (it's amazing how versatile one digi image can be when you focus on different parts of it!) and eventually decided to use Little Elf Kia. This is the first image I ever saw from Mitzi's magic pen, and I had to buy it straight away...I think she's still my no.1 favourite.
So...image cropped, coloured with copics and matted onto black card and a shimmery dp. Stamped sentiment added. Simple.
Thanks for looking
Chris
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Challenges entered:
aurorawings #57
audsentiments #189
craftygalscorner #142
cardsinenvy -Easy as 1,2,3
dreamvalley #164
cagi -atg
fairyandtheunicorn #7

Fabulous Phantasi

Good morning, I have another autumnal card to share with you today. I made this for our new challenge starting today at Fab 'n' Funky...our  host this week is the very talented Pat K and she has chosen the lovely theme of Autumn (Fall) colours. Our sponsor for this challenge is Digistamps4Joy, with a lovely prize for the lucky winner.

I coloured this amazing image, Phantasi 7, with my copics. I printed the image quite large so kept my design very simple , just adding a stamped sentiment and a frame. The frame is hand cut from cardstock, coloured with distress inks then stamped with various leaf stamps in shades of brown yellow, green and rust. I then embossed it using UTEE so it has lovely shiny finish. I SO enjoyed making this card!

My teamies have made some wonderful cards to inspire you this week so please pop over here to take a look. It would be great if you join the fun this week and play along!

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

Have a lovely day

Chris

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Challenges entered:

color-inspiration-monthly-link-26

craftycardmakers #196

mmmchallenge #55

aaacards

craftforthecraic -Autumnal colours

emeraldcity #3

qkrstampede #262 (Frame is heat embossed)

digistamps4joy #140

Spots and dots

Good morning, this is a scheduled post as I'm at my son's today looking after my 3 year old granddaughter while Mummy and Daddy enjoy a belated honeymoon. They're only away for a couple of days as they didn't want to leave their little girl for too long! She's totally unconcerned at their going away without her...but I'm a bit worried about the plans she has for me...I'm going to be kept very busy! 

The new challenge at Southern Girls is up and running, the theme is 'Spots and Dots' and the sponsors this time are Lacy Sunshine and Krafters Kart, please visit the main challenge blog for full details.

 To make my card I coloured up Rory's Lil Unicorn from Lacy Sunshine, using a mixture of copics and glitter pens. I kept the layout very simple,  an embossed square of cardstock wrapped with twine matted over dotty dp. I added a tag, sentiment is computer generated and 3 little brads.

Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely day.

Chris

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Colours of Autumn

Good morning all, my card today is for our new challenge at Creative Moments, you may just have guessed that the optional theme this time is 'Autumn colours'. We have 2 great sponsors for this  challenge- Bugaboo and Mari's Digi Store. 

I was given this sweet image, Bunny, to play with, she's all wrapped up to keep out the autumn chill and settled comfortably beneath the trees on a pile of leaves (nice dry ones!) to read her book, accompanied by a sweet little rabbit.

 I used a piece of hessian die cut into a circle,  DP, die cuts ribbon and twine to make my card. 

Thanks for visiting today...hope you find the time to play along. Remember anything goes at Creative Moments, the theme is optional!

Chris

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Challenges entered
craftaholicsrus  #37
thepapershelter.  #310
craftrocketchallenges #41 flowers, fal
paperminutes #504

School Days

Good morning. It's time for a new challenge over at House Mouse and Friends, the theme is school days and here is my Guest Design project -

My eldest granddaughter is in her last year at primary school and has been/is sitting tests to see which school she will be attending next year. Because of where she lives she has to sit tests for two education authorities (I think it's totally unnecessary, surely one test would be sufficient and the results shared! or even better school places could be decided on their performance during their time at primary school, much fairer than putting children through the stress of exams!) Anyway, I'm off the soap box now...back to the project.... I bought Livvy a little gift to wish her luck and decorated this  tiny bag to put it in. 

I inked up a huge (old) 'good luck' stamp with versamark ink, stamped a piece of blue card and heat embossed with white EP then matted it onto brown card to cover the front of the bag. 

I used my copics to colour the cute mousie staggering under his heap of books, then cut him out and  attached him using foam pads. I die cut a tiny tag and used a part of of the large stamp to stamp and emboss the 'good luck'. The letters of her name are die cut, and the little owl charm is attached with string and a brad. 

Livvy was very happy with the bag and even happier with her present!!!:))

As always there is some amazing inspiration from a bunch of very talented ladies to be seen on the House Mouse Challenge Blog and also some fantastic prizes to be won, just click here to hop on over and join the fun!

Thanks for visiting, have a great week.

Chris

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Challenges entered:

addicted-to-stamps #153 stamp a background

glitternsparkle #257

pileiton #134 -no patterned paper

pattiescreations #138

craftygirlz back to school

/sheepski-designs #6

modsquad  heat embossing

and they're back...

Good morning my friends. If you read my last post these guys may look a trifle familiar :)) Here they are dressed in fetching shades of blue, don't they look cool?!

This card is for our new challenge at Sweet Stampin', a great theme this week...we want you to use your favourite stamp...now that IS a challenge! How can anyone pick a favourite when there are so many to choose from??? It is rumoured that some members of the DT cheated, but not me, oh no I never cheat...this is my new favourite Christmas stamp so perfectly acceptable! ;)

A simple matted design with glitter added to borders, the ribbon wrapped layer is stamped and heat embossed with a glittery embossing powder, looks very pretty IRL (not that you can see much of it!) and the tag is a chipboard one that I've had for years...still got gazillions of them left... I stamped and embossed the sentiment onto it and attached it with an equally ancient snowflake tag which I glittered up.

Why not come along and play with us this week, rack your brains deciding which is your favourite stamp then ink it up and join the fun! Just click here to enjoy the fabulous creations from my lovely teamies and then add your own beautiful work.

Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend.

Chris

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Challenges entered:

jinglebelles tic tac toe (snow, cardstock, blue)

RRR #172

Winter Wonderland Wrap it up!

craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2 September Challenge

monochromemagic #5 (atg)

sparklesforumchristmas #80

C.R.A.F.T. #433

craftycardmakers #195 monochrome

papercreators #61 Simply Christmas

Polar bears

Hello...I'm a bit late with this post, intended to do it yesterday but just didn't have time! This card is for our new challenge at Christmas at Sweet Stampin' which started yesterday. As always the theme is anything goes as long as it's Christmas related...and it's hard to believe that there are only 3 more challenges to go this year!!!

I used my new favourite Christmas stamp, just love colouring these gorgeous polar bears, they look so cute however they're dressed! I've coloured them in blues and red/green already so thought I'd go for brown's and golds this time for a change! The sentiment is a stamp and die set by Hero Arts. 

Thanks for looking, hope you find the time to play along this month...it's getting closer now!

Chris

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Challenges entered:

abcchristmaschallenge T is for trio

merrychristmaschallenge #34

hollyandivy #14

addicted-to-stamps #152

2craftycrittercrazies#6

craftyanimals #6

happylittlestampers.-september-christmas-challenge

For a friend

Good morning! Fab 'n' Funky Challenges are back today after our summer break. This week's challenge is hosted by our very and talented Susan and she's picked a lovely theme for you...'for a friend'. We're sponsored  this time by the fabulous Crafts and Me .

To make my card I coloured the beautiful Genevieve image with my copics then placed her in the die cut and embossed frame (it's brown, not black as it looks in the photo!), cutting around part of her hair to spill over the frame. The papers are Authentique, I love these beautiful blue and brown shades together. I added some die cut flowers, a scrap of lace and a stamped sentiment.

Hope to see you playing along at Fab N Funky this week, it's such a great theme, it's always lovely to make something for a friend!

Thanks for visiting, have a wonderful day!

Chris
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Challenges entered:
watercoolerchallenges #136 birthday
dragonflyjourneys #100 true blue
dragonflydreams patterned paper
allsorts #432 at least 2 patterned papers

New stamps...

Good evening friends and visitors! Seems like ages since I've posted on my blog...the last few were scheduled as I've been on holiday. We had a lovely peaceful week in Norfolk...just Hubby, our dog and me. So lucky with the weather, warm and dry, it's been really changeable since we got back home...Autumn is definitely on it's way! 

I chanced upon (Ok I looked it up before I went...) a fabulous little craft shop, Aldridge Crafts, with a great range of stamps ...so I gave in to temptation and treated myself! After all it is important to support the (few) craft shops that remain, isn't it?

Today I've caught up with everything so had time for a little play, here's one of the cards I made using some of my new acquisitions, a set of Paper Artsy stamps. A bit outside my comfort zone this is a one layer design coloured with Zig Clean Colour pens. The border is stamped using a stamp that was a magazine freebie a few months ago also coloured with the Zig pens. The flower stems are part of the same set of border stamps. I forgot how long it takes me to make a CAS card!!!

Thank you for calling by, have a lovely evening.

Chris

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Challenges entered:

heartfulstamping atg + a stamp

LIM #345 OLC colouring in

theartisticstamper take a little colour

naughtyornice #43 framed

theflowerchallenge....white, watercolour, sentiment

Guest Design at House Mouse Monday Challenge

Good morning! I was very excited to be invited to Guest Design for House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge, thank you so much ladies!

 I love these sweet stamps, some of mine are very old but they come out to play time and time again!

This fortnight's  challenge is  ' I can see right through you' - make a creation using vellum or an aperture.

  I made a tent fold card, I cut the front of it off, just leaving enough at the top to punch a daisy border. I cut 2 strpis from the remainder of the card front and reattached them using strips of vellum, -a very pretty sparkly vellum I've had for years! I used narrow strips of glitter card to cover the joins. The adorable little mousey is the first HM stamp I ever bought, a wood mounted one. She's still my favourite! I coloured with copics added loads of Wink of Stella to her tutu , fussy cut and placed her over the Vellum backed aperture. I just added a die cut sentiment and 3 sequins.

Apologies for the photo...I tried for ages to get one that showed the light through the vellum but this was the best I could get! It honestly looks much prettier IRL!

It would be brilliant if you choose to join the fun over at House Mouse and Friends, there are, as always some fabulous creations from the talented team to inspire you and some amazing prizes to be won! 

Thanks for visiting, have a lovely week.

Chris

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For a child...or baby

Hi, I'm back already with my card for September's challenge at Crafty Calendar, we would like to see your cards for a baby or a child. I don't know why but I really struggle with baby cards... I think I have some kind of mental block! It's not even as if I don't like babies...amongst my friends and family I'm known as the 'baby grabber' because I just love to cuddle them! However, I needed to make a card for my niece whose baby girl is expected this month so was inspired to make this :)
The stamp is LOTV, coloured with pencils, papers are from Joy Crafts, flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, our fabulous sponsor for this challenge. Hope you can find the time to play along with us this month, just click here to join the fun!
Thanks for visiting today, enjoy your weekend.
Chris
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Heat embossing

 Good morning and happy weekend. Here's my DT card for our new challenge at Sweet Stampin'  the theme this week  is 'heat embossing'.  To make my card I used an old favourite, a  wood backed  stamp by Magenta.  I stamped a piece of white cardstock with Versamark ink and heat embossed using white EP. I used foam pads to colour it with distress inks. To make the flowers I stamped onto vellum several times and heat embossed, coloured them with the same inks, fussy cut and layered them together. I added a diecut and embossed panel, diecut leaves and swirl. The sentiment is stamped. I love this technique and should use it more often!
Please click here to see the fabulous creations from my lovely teamies. Hope you're inspired to play along with us this week.
Chris
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