Rudy, Rudy, Rudolph Day ...

Over at Sarn’s blog, http://stampingforpleasure.blogspot.co.uk/, there is a monthly Rudolph Day challenge – to inspire us to get those ‘C’ cards made in plenty of time, after all we’ll be June next week!  The weeks and months appear to be flying past at the moment.   It’s the first time I’ve joined in with the challenge.  I used to go and ‘lurk’ before but never felt brave enough to enter. 
Thankfully I’ve gotten over that issue and am now regularly visiting both the lovely Sarn and the lovely Head Mistress of the playground our Di.  Now whilst I am waffling I want to say thank you to both of these ladies as well as others, too many to mention, for welcoming me so much to their lovely group and challenges.
Now I’m not at all sure but I don’t think there are any rules in particular for Rudolph Day but I know Sarn will let me know if I’m not following the theme or rules.

148mm square card

the centre panel

painted and then embossed chipboard heart

gems and peel offs

final look

 

This is a fab stash and snippets buster!  The white stamped pieces are snippets left over from Christmas 2012 – that lovely colour blending and getting the corners lined up to make a snowflake meant that I could not throw these snippets out – sad sack I am lol!

I’m hoping I can finish more cards to show you this weekend but I’m not going to stress myself about it if I don’t get them finished – I can always blog them next week.  We’re having a quiet weekend but I’m hoping to get out for a couple of hours on Monday – I’m just going to go with the flow and see (a) how I am feeling and (b) what the weather is like – I’d rather be crafting if it’s going to be wet and cold.  However the golden disc in the sky appeared in Northamptonshire after lunch – maybe a good omen?  We’ll just have to wait and see lol!

 Hope you are all having a good weekend and get some time for yourself to craft, if that is want you love to do.  I really need to try and get a few chores done this weekend – but not too many lol!

ttfn Karen x

 

 

 

Challenges

http://stampingforpleasure.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/rudolph-day-may-2013.html

http://www.addictedtostamps-challenge.blogspot.com.au/ #46 anything goes

http://alphabetchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ ‘H’ for Happy Christmas peel offs

http://cardmakinmamas.blogspot.co.uk/ CMM70 rubber stamps

http://christmasstampin.blogspot.co.uk/ #17 non traditional Christmas colours: 

teal blue and lime green

http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk/ anything goes

http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ #126 show some white

Tools 

Clarity stamp: mini snowflake corner stamp

Heat tool

 

Stash

Craftwork Cards: 148mm square card blank; A4 white digital card

Big N Juicy: Waterfall ink pad

Chipboard heart *

Clear sparkle embossing powder *

Designer paper *

Green card *

Peel offs *

Gems *

 

* all of this is old stash, minimum two years, and I’ve no idea when or where I purchased, not sure if they are even for sale now, and I’ve no details of suppliers



It's all about the sentiment ...

Hello lovely peeps!  Yay it’s Friday – so that means it’s the weekend and it’s a bank holiday weekend.  It’s the usual rotten weather for the UK for a bank holiday – it’s rather chilly and somewhat wet out there right now.

I have a card to show you.  Not a shock, I know lol, and here it is …

A5 card 

one of my favourite sentiments 

pretty and it sparkles beautifully too! 

I've had these brads for ages! 

 

 

 

the stamped pattern underneath the parchment

side view 

a final look

When I saw the new challenge at Clarity stamp challenge blog I had no idea how I could make a card which had the sentiment as the main focus without it looking extremely dull and a touch too much CAS for my taste.

I’ve been trying to use up my old stash as well as practising; playing is a bit more near the mark, with stamps and inkpads.  I stamped a piece of A5 card with a Clarity corner stamp and then I had a light bulb moment!  I could use the stamped A5 sheet but put a cover over it so that the background is diffused and the focal point is the sentiment – hoorah!

Hope you all have a lovely bank holiday weekend and that it warms and dries up for all of us lol!  Hope you like what I’ve made – it’s one that I really enjoyed making and actually really like the end result too!

ttfn Karen x

  

 

Challenges

http://www.addictedtostamps-challenge.blogspot.com.au/ #46 anything goes

http://claritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ #3 sentiment as the main focus

http://craftyribbonschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ #46 anything goes with ribbon

http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.com/ embossing

http://www.sarahhurleychallenges.blogspot.com/ #80 shades of blue

http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ embossing dry and texture

http://stampinfortheweekend.blogspot.co.uk/ monochrome

http://visibleimage.blogspot.co.uk/ May brighten your day
 

As always huge thanks to the Feline Playful team:

I would not be able to enter these challenges without your hard work

Tools

Card Scoring Board

Clarity Stamp: Victorian corner stamp; Yesterday sentiment stamp

Heat gun

Stash

The Ribbon Girl: blue ruffle edge sheer ribbon

Big and Juicy: Waterfall ink pad

Stampendous clear detail embossing powder

A5 white water colour card for stamping

A4 blue card for card *

A5 turquoise card for matting *

Dragonfly brad <>

A4 parchment paper for wrapping around card <>

Big and Juicy: Waterfall ink pad <>

Double sided tape

Cosmic Shimmer dries clear glue

 

* purchased from my local stationers November 2012

<> old stash no idea where or when I purchased them, at least one year old

 



This weeks offering for a challenge or two ...

Hello all you lovely peeps!  I hope everyone is well and not getting too caught out with this ever changing weather right now!  I’m desperately trying to get DT and DT guest projects finished and ready for blogging.  So I can’t show you any of those right now.  In fact I have a lot of creations finished that I can’t show yet.  
I'm busy, craft and real life, this card will probably be my only entry for challenges this week even though I have tonnes of bits I’m not able to blog them yet lol!  It’s a bit like buses – nothing comes along for ages and then suddenly they all appear at the same time – DT creations, DT guest creations, challenge entries I can’t share lol!

Anyways enough of that rabbit and waffle here is a little something I made last night using a left over sheet of paper and a stamp set I’ve had for at least a year and never inked until last night and this card is so completely not my usual style of card either lol!  I really had to be careful when finishing it – I could so easily have got a blue blob or print somewhere or other!

210mm square CAS card 

stamped and punched hearts 

the 'love' 

sentiment 

a final look

 

Today a very quick and short’ish post.  I’ve things to do and places to go but I do hope you like it.  I used up an old piece of left over paper which I had previously inked but I have no idea what ink I used it’s been in my scraps stash for ages and the alphabet stickers are old, really old!    

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and comment on my blog – I really do appreciate and I’ll try to get around to visit you all soon.

ttfn Karen x

 

 

Challenges

http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ #207 true blue

http://bearlymine-challenges.blogspot.co.uk/ anything goes

http://www.charismacardz.blogspot.co.uk/ #20 here comes summer

http://craftybootschallenges.blogspot.com/ celebrations

http://inkspirationalchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ #21 is a sketch

http://lejdesignschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ #54 die cuts and/or punches

http://onestopcraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ #229 anything goes

http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/ week 73 snippets

http://shoppingourstash.blogspot.co.uk/ #102 what’s in your tool shed – I think this is only the second time I’ve used this punch. 

Huge thanks to Feline Playful for finding the challenges.

 

Tools

Stampin Up: Bordering on Romance stamp set

Hobbycraft large heart punch

Unmounted Happy Anniversary stamp no details of maker

Sakura water brush 

Stash

Craftwork Cards: 210mm square card

White glossy paper which was coloured with blue inks *

Alphabet stickers *

Adirondack Stream IP

Viva Decor Pearl Pen White

Double sided tape 

* old stash no idea where or when it was purchased or made



Paper Crafting Journey photograph inspiration reminder ...

http://paper-craftingjourney.blogspot.com/

I’m back to remind you about the current challenge Paper Crafting Journey.  This fortnight we have a photograph to inspire you …

 

 

and we are sponsored by the one and only very talented Krista of Saturated Canary

 

http://saturated-canary.myshopify.com/

Well I got to use my SC digital stamp again – so of course I was going to do a reminder about the challenge – I’ve got at least another two cards made using Muriel to show you!

5"x7" card blank 

close up of the digital image and real stamps 

just Muriel

 

  

some of the details 

 

side view and a final look

 



I went with a purple colour scheme this time!  Can you tell that I’m trying to use some of my Candi and Flower Soft stash up lol?!  I actually picked up the wrong colour pencil when I was colouring her tunic – I meant to pick up the pale pink.  However I still think purple and blue do work together well.  I’m loving using my real stamps with my digi stamps and more will be made this way in the future please come on over to check what the rest of the very talented team has made – it’s worth it!  It’s also worth you playing along with us too – you get an SC image if you win the challenge!  If I wasn’t on the DT I would be entering this challenge lol!
As always many thanks for taking the time to visit and comment on my blog – I really do appreciate it and I’ll be back soon to share some more creations.

ttfn Karen x

 

 Challenges

ttp://www.abcchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ ABC29 stamped backgrounds

http://bearlymine-challenges.blogspot.co.uk/ anything goes

http://cardmaniachallenges.blogspot.com/ CMC21 spots and/or stripes

http://craft-roomchallenge.blogspot.com/ stamp your own background

http://craftybootschallenges.blogspot.com/ celebrations – this covers any celebration

http://kaboodledoodles.blogspot.co.uk/ #172 stripes and/or circles

http://onestopcraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/#229 anything goes

http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/week 73 snippets

http://polkadoodle.blogspot.co.uk/ week 20 spring colours

http://ribbongirls.blogspot.co.uk/ May colour challenge of lavender and lilac

 

Huge thanks to the Feline Playful team for listing the challenges – I appreciate it a lot!

 

 Tools

Computer and printer

Saturated Canary digital stamp: Muriel

Claritystamp Ltd: cherry blossom stamp; poppy stamp

Colouring pencils

Paper stumps

Cuttlebug die cutting machine

Cuttlekids alphabet set – butterfly

Stash

Craftwork Cards: A4 Digital White Card; 8” square embossed card stack; white Candi

Ranger Archival IP: Green

Hobbycraft 5”x7” 300gsm scalloped card

Flowersoft

Wild Orchid Crafts: rose leaf

Crochet flower *

Scrap paper for the butterfly *

Purple scrap for matting *

Dotty DP *

Doubled sided tape

Foam Pads

Cosmic Shimmer glue 

* all old stash that I have no idea where or when I purchased them

Technique Time Tuesday Crew Dahlia Fold motivation ...

Hello my lovely blogging buddies I’m here to remind you about the May challenge at Technique Time Tuesday where we are doing some origami type folds this month.  This is my final card showing you this medallion and I used some of my old SU papers.  DH likes this one, he really likes the papers I’ve used as I do, it’s a shame they retired them.  Anyways here is my card …

148mm square kraft card 

gorgeous brad 

final look

 

I deliberately kept this card simple so that it can be used for a man.  I’m still on my ‘making male’ cards mission lol!

The papers I’ve used were 12” square originally.  However all three had been previously cut into.  So I decided to use them up for this technique card – thankfully the paper I used for the medallion was about A4 in size and I die cut eight circles to make the medallion.

I used one of my vintage style brads to put in the middle – a brad really does finish it off nicely and I have so many of them that I am trying to remember to use them on my cards when I can. 

 

I do hope you will come on over and play with us. Mynnette has made a fabulous YouTube tutorial which shows just how easy it is to make these folds.  As always many thanks for taking the time to visit and comment on my blog – I really do appreciate it and I’ll be back tomorrow to share some more creations and to remind you about some other challenges.

ttfn Karen x

  

Challenges

http://challenges4everybody.blogspot.co.uk/ #20 anything goes

http://www.charismacardz.blogspot.co.uk/ #19 no digi’s allowed

http://foreverfriendschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ May anything goes

http://getinkychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ #4 show us some die cuts

http://hobbycutzchallenges.blogspot.com/ #6 more than one fold

http://onestopcraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ #229 anything goes

http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/ #1 anything goes

http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/ week 73 snippets – large ones lol!

http://thatcraftplaceblog.blogspot.co.uk/ makes for a man

Huge thanks to the Feline Playful team, without your blog I would not be able to enjoy as many challenges as I do – I appreciate it a lot!

 

 

Tools:

Paper Trimmer

Cuttlebug die cutting machine

Spellbinders Nestability Die: standard circles large

Bone folder or similar tool

Craft mat

Stash:

Craftwork Cards: 148mm square Kraft card

SU old designer paper *

Circle brad *

Double sided tape

 

* this is old stash more than two years old and I can no longer find the maker details

Christmas Card Club: feature a creature ...

Hello lovely peeps and welcome to Mrs A and Darnell – my two newest followers and I must just say I’m very touched you have decided to come with me on this crazy craft journey of mine lol!  Or maybe I’m a bit touched anyways lol!

Apologies from me to the Christmas Card Club ladies – I was a little bit rougher than usual over the weekend and I am a day late with my post – sorry!  Anyways it was Hazel choice, http://craftyhazelnut.blogspot.co.uk/, to pick the theme and she picked Feature a Creature and here are another four Christmas cards for our stash …

 

Because me pinkies are a wee bit swollen I whipped up a couple of quick Christmas cards by printing out this gorgeous penguin family by Delicious Doodles. 

I’ve deliberately not done much to the image other than to give some texture and sparkle by adding some of that fluffy snow stuff.    I scored and folded an A4 sheet of card in half and then cut that in half so that I got two C6 landscape cards – love the shape and I think it works well with this image.  I don’t think these images need any thing else – it’s that beautiful.

As always thank you for taking the time to visit and comment on my blog – I really do appreciate it.  I’m planning on going around the ladies blogs tonight to see what they have been up to! Hope you all had a good weekend and I will be back in a day or so to show you some more cards.

ttfn Karen x

 

 

Challenges

http://challenges4everybody.blogspot.co.uk/ #20 anything goes

http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk/ anything goes

http://dreamvalleychallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ #57 animals

http://mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ #222 Christmas in May

http://natalieandamy.blogspot.co.uk/ #9 things with wings

http://nomatterwhichchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ #9 things with wings

http://sparklesforumchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ #44 monochromatic

http://www.trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ #207 Christmas

As always huge thanks to the Feline Playful team for listing the challenge blogs and the challenges – I really appreciate it!

 

Tools

Computer and printer

Delicious Doodles penguin family 

Stash

Craftwork Cards: A4 white digital card for printing and card blanks; black pearl paper; sentiment die cuts

Ribbon *

Fluffy white snowy stuff *

Double sided tape

Foam pads 

* these have been in my stash for a long time and I’ve no idea where or when I purchased them



One of this weeks offerings for a challenge or two ...

Hello all you lovely peeps!  What is up with the weather in the UK right now?  It feels like its late February early March weather!  Oh well that gives me a reason to stay in to keep warm and craft lol!

I have been printing and colouring images from Polkadoodles Emma Canning Designs Digi Stamp Heaven CD – I do love Emma’s images and I have a request for her – can we please have a groom image to match the bride?  I have to make several wedding cards and I need to have both the bride and the groom on those cards.

So here is the card I am showing today …

 

148mm square card 

close up of the digi 

 

 

  

 

close up of the details 

 

side view and a final look

 

I’ve been having discussions with Di, Sarn and Mrs A about our snippets:  who saves the smallest bit etc., yes geeky but hey these ladies know what I’m talking about lol! 

My snippet addiction goes like this – I die cut two or three shapes out of a 6” square paper and then I punch or die cut what is left on the little scraps of paper between each die cut.  If it is less than 10mm square (1cm or 4/10 inch) it gets recycled.  If it is around about 25mm/1” it is die cut or punched.  If it’s bigger than that it goes in my snippet basket to be used on a card lol!

I still have plenty of paper I am trying to use but I don’t think I can break my OCD habit of die cutting, punching or hoarding these scraps. 

I’ve two tubs of paper butterflies and other tubs with flowers and leaves that have been punched/die cut lol.  So lovely ladies can you beat that lol?                 

A quick post for me today – busy with creative stuff and really enjoying my crafting.  Thank you so much for taking the time to visit and for the lovely comments you leave me.  I’m hoping to be able to visit you all this weekend so that I have a good old look at what you’ve been up to!

ttfn Karen x

 

 

 

Challenges

http://abc-challenge.blogspot.co.uk/ N for not just one embellishment

http://cardmakinmamas.blogspot.co.uk/ CMM69 punches

http://craftybootschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ celebrations

http://flatfriendschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ #8 punches

http://oldiebutagoodiechallenge.blogspot.com/ inspired by a song:

Daisy Jane by America

http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/ the sound of music:

Daisy Jane by America

http://pixiescraftyworkshop.blogspot.co.uk/ week 72 snippets

http://www.polkadoodle.blogspot.co.uk/ week 19 anniversaries

http://shoppingourstash.blogspot.com/ #101 scrap attack

Huge thanks to Feline Playful :

I would not be able to enter these challenges without your help.

Thanks to my DH for helping with the song titles:

 apparently the song perfectly fits this card/image lol!

 

Tools

Computer and printer

Polkadoodles Digistamp Heaven by Emma Canning CD

Three different flower punches

Leaf punch

Butterfly punch

Colouring pencils

Stumps

Martha Stewart Butterfly mould 

Stash

Craftwork Cards: 148mm square card; A4 white digital card; Candi; pink die cut; the flowers and leaves were die cut from snippets of CWC papers

Martha Stewart air dry clay

Sakura clear sparkle pen

Double sided tape

Foam pads

Cosmic Shimmer glue