It's all about the folding

 Good morning blogland,

Again I'm running super behind with my DT posts - life just keeps getting in the way (and sometimes in the way in very unexpected ways) - and so I won't waffle I'll just crack on with the bones of the post.

It's the first Saturday of the month - already this year feels like it's zooming past - and so we're up with a new challenge over at Crafty Calendar Challenge.  This month's theme is 'More than one fold' and we are sponsored by the wonderful Lawn Fawn with a prize of a gift certificate to spend in their store.

More than one fold, eh! Not something I do very often, and my Teamies are much, much better at it than I am, so here's my attempt.  I'll explain afterwards why I felt like I was cheating.

Supplies used:

Rubber stamps:

C.C. Designs - Pixi Lucy and Woodland Daisy

coloured with my Copics

Dies:

Lawn Fawn - You're Sweet Line Border

Creative Craft Products - Supersize Step On Up card creator

I can't remember who the Picket Fence is by (will check)

Paper:

Basic Grey - Hello Luscious

Anything else:

Gem shapes from my stuff

The reason I feel like I cheated is the step card creator die - all I did was use it to create a card blank and then decorate that blank! I still feel there's something missing but, as I don't make shaped cards very often, I wasn't sure what else to add to the design to make it work.  So I stopped where I was!

I would suggest you go pop over to the challenge and follow the links to my Teamies cards - they are all fabulous and heaps better than mine!

That, I think, is all folks for now, but I will be back!

Sarah

Crafty Catz: #666 - Anything Goes / More than one fold

Bus number two!

 Good morning blogworld,

I'm still holding tight to the bus allegory and so this post is bus number 2!

However, on a more sensible note, as it's Saturday it's time for a new challenge for Team Wends over at Sweet Stampin' with the theme this fortnight being Favourite Colour Combo.  As always we really love to see all your varied craft projects, they do not have to be cards, but they must have some element of stamping (digital or old fashioned rubber) on them somewhere, the clue's in the challenge name after all.

So I know this challenge caused me some head scratching - I simply love colouring and don't feel I have a firm favourite colour combination. I just go with the moment and pick whatever colours I feel either suits the mood or feel of either me or the image I'm colouring.  Having said that, I looked back over a few of my last cards and I seem to be using green / blue / red quite a lot. I therefore plumped on my favourite combination - right now - of Green / Blue with a hint of Red. 

Hope you like the outcome!

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

C.C. Designs - Heidi among the flowers

coloured with my Copics

Rubber stamp:

taylored expressions - Think Happy Thoughts

Dies:

Un-branded stitched rectangle

Sunny Studio - 'Happy'

Anything else?

Green card for the matt

Home made stencil and Memento Ink for the clouds

So there we are folks, hope you like my current favourite colours and that you come join in with us! There are some lovely DT inspirations for you to look at on the blog, my Teamies are so talented.

I will be back tomorrow with my final of three makes, hopefully after that you'll see me more regularly now that the summer holiday is over and chez Sarah returns to normality and routine!

See's you soon,

Sarah

One from the vaults

 Good morning blogland,

I did say you might either not see me very much or I'd have to dig into cards made but not blogged if I wanted to post something.

It's more than likely going to be not see me much for the rest of the week, but I wanted to join in with a challenge before it closes so today it's cards not blogged.

From the above waffle you may guess I didn't have a crafty weekend!  Partly as we went out on Friday evening, partly still moving / re-arranging my craft stuff and partly just life.

The Friday evening jaunt out was to see TTT's schools' musical. She wasn't in it but some friends were and another friend (who also wasn't in it) likes musicals and persuaded TTT that she should go. Ended up with us two adults, one TTT and two TTT friends. The musical was Chicago and has to be said, for a  school production, actually rather good!

Anyways moving swiftly on, as I've got to be ready for desk arriving today, here's a card made last year but not blogged. Enjoy!

Supplies used:

Digital stamp:

C.C. Designs - Birthday Gretel

coloured with Copics

Rubber stamp:

Fiskars - Quote : Make a Wish

Dies:

My Favorite Things -Die-namics STAX

Pretty Pink Posh - Scalloped Borders one

Anything else:

Vellum

pearls and flower from my stuff

What I did:

Re-sized the image and printed it out onto Copic friendly paper, coloured in with my Copics then cut it out with the STAX die.

Stamped the sentiment onto some vellum, then cut a fancy border with the Pretty Pink Posh die.

Cut some red card to fit the black card blank then glued the image panel to it and arranged the vellum border on the same card.

Added a flower and two flat backed gems.

et voila, job done!

Am off now to join up with some challenges,

See you again soon,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Passion for Markers: Week 629 - Things with wings

Stamping Sensations: February challenge (option things with wings / tails)

Gem of a Craft Challenge: Challenge 5 - Anything Goes

The Fairy and the Unicorn challenge: February challenge - Anything Goes

No pink in sight!

Good morning blogland

It's a new challenge over at Sweet Stampin' Challenge and this fortnight the theme is 'International Women's Day' - Girly but NO PINK! An interesting one! I had no idea there was an International Woman's Day so I just ran with the Girly but 'No Pink' part of the challenge.  As end of March is also Mother's Day these cards could be for the mother or mother figure in your life. As always though we are a stamping challenge so there should be stamping (digital or rubber) on your project somewhere please.

This is the card I made:

Supplies used:

Digital Image:

C.C. Designs - Cupcake Nancy

coloured with Copics

Rubber Stamp:

Taylored Expressions - Oh My Word - Birthdays

Paper:

Cosmo Cricket - Togetherness

Dies:

My Favorite Things - InsideOut Stitched Circles

Joanna Sheen - bunting

Poppy Stamps - Scalloped Stitch Frames

What I did:

Re-sized and printed the digi stamp onto Copic friendly paper, coloured in then fussy cut out.

Used the various dies to create a frame, a circle and bunting.

Cut a piece of the patterned paper to the same size as the frame die then glued it to the back.

Added the frame and paper to the 7"x5" top fold card blank.

Cut a different piece of the patterned paper in a rectangular shape and attached it near the bottom of the card blank.

Stamped on the circle and glued that on top of the papers.

Glued the bunting to the top of the card blank.

Popped on the fussy cut image with some 3d foam.

et voila, job done!

I do hope you can find time to join in with the challenge and I look forward to seeing lots of non-pink girly cards!

In Any Other Business, the craft room is coming along apace - lots of sorting and moving done, now just waiting for desk to arrive to finally arrange.  I'll post pictures soon!

Signing off now,

See you soon,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Fab 'n' Funky Challenges: Challenge #545 - Birthdays

Seize the Birthday: #233 - Without the optional theme

Crafty Catz: #584 - Anything Goes (no optional theme used)

As You Like It Challenge: Favourite Occasion (and why) Hmmmm birthdays? I seem to make a lot of cards for birthdays.  I do like birthday images as, for me, they are generally people and I can try and match some characteristic in the image I'm colouring of the person the card is going to (hair / eye colour; clothing; style; hobby) and I do like to colour people the best!

Cupcake Inspirations: #538 - Anything Goes

It's deja vu

 Hello blogworld,

Goodness this takes me back - that feeling of it's the school summer holidays and I've got no time for me!! I seem to remember this happening every year last time I had a blog and was making cards.  

Certainly one thing never changes - doesn't matter if daughter is SWMbO ('She Who Must be Obeyed' for the new followers) or morphed into TTT (The Troublesome Teen) - she has a better social life than I do. I won't list all the things we've done this week, suffice it to say 95% of them were for her and the rest of the week into the weekend is the same!

So this card, is one pulled out of the 'not blogged' pile - otherwise you wouldn't see me this week.

And, breathe, and card:

Supplies:

Stamp (rubber): 

C.C Designs - Kiki la Rue / Cupcake Kiki

coloured with my Copics

Die:

C.C. Designs - Cupcake Cutie

Anything else:

Anna Marie Designs - striped paper

Also, for anyone who still thinks I popped into the world a fully fledged card maker - I didn't. I've been making cards (with a small 7 year break!) since the early 2000's (showing my age here) and this is proof of how practice, and practice, and practice really does improve your skills.

A comparison of the same image coloured 10 years apart - I made the card on the left for a birthday invite for my daughter's 4th birthday. Different pens it has to be said - ProMarkers not Copics  - but basically lots of practice on my part. Plus lots of YouTube tutorials, peering at photos of what other people have done and a course or two over at Kit and Clowder - add it up and my skills have improved.  I'm nowhere near perfect but I've come a long way.

So bye for now, I will be back - just not as regularly for a few weeks.  Ha. Just thought, I bet you're all glad of the break from my waffle!! No offence taken if you are! ;-)

Signing off,

Sarah 

Challenge / s:

The Cutie Pie Challenge: #162 - Girls, Girls, Girls

Crafty Sentiments Designs Challenge: Anything Goes

Digi Choosday Challenge: Week 32 - Anything Goes

Retro Rubber Challenge Blog: Challenge 164 - Anything Goes.  The stamp doesn't have a date on it - but as you can see from the post I was using it in 2011 - so it's at least 10 years old! Hope that is old enough to count :-)

Just popping in!

 Hello Blogland,

Carving out some time here for crafting and blogging. Life is not in routine right now, as always when it's the school holidays. Today I finally managed to finish colouring an image I started a few days ago and turn it into a card.

It's the same one I'd started for the monochrome challenge, but I made a mistake and gave her blue eyeshadow - very eighties and not monochrome at all. I put that (this) one to one side and started again.  When I got to go back to the unfinished image I decided to carry on and finish it in technicolour. 

Without further ado here is the finished image on it's card:

I used:

Stamps:

Image (digital)

C.C. Designs - omg cake

coloured with Copics

Sentiment (rubber):

Fiskars - Make a wish quotes

Dies:

Impression Obsession - everyday top edgers

Anything else?

Random un-named dotty paper

Red and black card

And that's all folks!

See you soon,

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge/s:

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge: Week 29 - Anything Goes

Gem of a Craft Challenge: Challenge 15 - Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and more: Challenge #410 - die cuts and/or stencils (die cuts for me)

Make a wish

Good evening blogland,

Much too late for me to be posting but it's started already - Summer Holidays Syndrome! I've had very little time to myself today, and so have had to resort to blogging later.

One big thing that's changed as TTT has got older - is the sleeping schedule, she used to be up very early and back to bed early as well.  Now it's up late (sooo late it's afternoon) and bed late, sometimes even later than me and her dad go to bed.  I'm led to believe this is normal behaviour for the species teenager-ish! I'm sticking to my up early, get on with things and bed early(ish) to get up early again the next.

So that's my small tale of woe? Setting the scene? Excusing myself for the next 6 to 7 weeks? Take your pick!

Onto more important things - a card! This one has been made specifically for a monochromatic challenge, and coloured only with Grey Copics, but the Copics have such a good grey range it looks like I've used other colours. I do love my Copics!

I used:

Stamps - digital:

Image: C.C. Designs - omg cake

coloured with W and C grey Copics

(+some E's for skin)

Sentiment: Lili of the Valley - Statements fabulous

Anything else:

Piece of gray card

And we're done!

Hoping to be back next week but probably nowhere near a frequently as before school holidays.

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

Passion for Promarkers: Week 601 - Celebration

Fab 'n' Funky Challenges: Challenge #533 - Monochrome

Krafty Chicks Challenge: #569 All Occasions

Some exciting news!

 Good morning blogworld,

As you can see this isn't my now usual Friday morning post - it's Saturday.  The reason it's a day delayed is because I've been invited onto Sweet Stampin's Challenge as a Design Team member! I'm well chuffed!

I'm not sure though, do I class myself as a newbie or an oldie or a returning oldie? I used to be on the DT many moons ago, on my other blog, and it's so nice to be asked back again.

Sweet Stampin' Challenge

I'd made a card ready to join in with the 'Unusual hair colour' challenge and so that's become my first DT contribution.

As much as I love 'colouring in' I sometimes think that my images could be made more interesting with backgrounds and I'm in awe of the people who can create whole scenes around their images - so I thought why not give it a go!  Also, I'd printed this image out quite large (another thing I fancied trying!) and then realised she was supposed to be sitting on something and I had nothing to sit her on.

This is what we ended up with - I used the skills learned from Kit and Clowder classes to draw the sky and then winged it with the wall!  I drew in oblong boxes in pencil, went over them with a fine liner and then coloured in.

I was so nervous / strained by the end of it, that all I did was find something to mount the image on and used a die for a sentiment then went and had a lie down in a darkened room! Still I'm quite pleased with the end result, apart from the sentiment!  I've always struggled finding the right sentiment - I've got loads of stamps and nothing really seems to go properly with the finished images. Any suggestions anyone for a good range of sentiments?

I used:

Digi stamp:

C.C. Designs - Bouquet Birgitta

coloured with Copics

Dies:

Creative Expressions - Noble Collection: double stitched rectangles
Lawn Fawn - 'hello'

Anything else:

Sparkly card

One final thing, does anyone want me to start listing the Copics I use?  I've no idea if these meandering posts are being read - but if it helps I'll make an effort to start listing colours.

So final, final thing - thanks for asking me back onto the Sweeties and look forward to sharing my makes.

Signing off now,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge: Week 27 - Anything Goes

As You Like It: Favourite way to add stitching - well, as you can see it's dies, dies, dies! I used to try either hand sewing or piercing (to make it look like stitching)  but now dies have been invented - it's dies all the way!!

Aud Sentiments Challenge blog: #278 Fairy Magic + a sentiment

Running late today

 Hello world

Posting later than have been, been busy finishing off my recent cards - you know doing inserts; finding envelopes and putting into clear bags.  Needs to be done but a bit boring.

Also led me down the road of going through the storage units and discovering all the things I brought over the years and am very unlikely to ever use again.  ebay is calling, me thinks!  Once I can get hubbies attention for long enough to list stuff - he does ebay not me.

So card for tonight is:

I stamped the fence, sentiment and corner onto the white mat and then separately stamped, coloured and cut out the Pixie and popped her back on with 3d foam for a bit of depth. The corner and sentiment didn't go in quite the right place, but it's no too bad (I think!). Mounted that panel onto the Dottie card and then mounted the whole lot on the card blank.

Stamps :

Images - C.C Designs: Swiss Pixie Brigitta and Butterfly Fence; Sentiment - TPC Studio: Boho Blooms; Corner - Jen Wilson, Laundry Line: Flirty "Lil Girl" 

Images coloured with my Copics

Anne Marie Designs - Dottie Card

Craftwork Cards - Kraft card blank

Got to go as got dishes to do before bed, and a long day tomorrow. I'm taking TTT to the seaside with some of her friends - celebrating being allowed to meet up outside. It's going to rain but they are all 13 / 14 yrs old and say they don't care - I'm nowhere near 13 and do care!  But, hey ho that's parental duties for you!

Hope you all have a good weekend, and see you Monday.

Signing off,

Sarah

Challenge / s:

Passion for Markers - Week 591 - Favourite colours: I gravitate towards shades of blue, pink and green.

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Things with wings

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge - Week 19 - Anything Goes