Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 75 - Stitching & Lace

This week's host is our wonderful leader, Lin!! She would like to see stitching on your projects this time - hand, machine or faux, along with lace - this must be real NOT faux!!

We are sponsored by the wonderful Hobby Art stamps who are offering this wonderful set of stamps, and say: 
"As a family business we're a friendly, helpful, bunch at Hobby Art.  All our stamps are designed by us and manufactured in Britain. Look at the gallery on my blog - jennymayes.com - for lots of card ideas using the Hobby Art range. We're pleased to sponsor the Crafty Cardmakers Challenge and look forward to seeing the entries. Good luck everyone.  Jenny and all. X"

I have to admit that this one has been tough for me!! Not because of the subject - but because life seems to have just taken over. I have a teaching job for this term which came at short notice, along with all the planning and other things that come with it. I started on Monday having had a week's notice - and that week I was camping near Dartmoor so was not exactly conducive to planning and preparation for teaching. I literally came back on Sunday and went straight in on Monday. The picture is me on the zip wire over the Eden Project whilst on holiday - great fun!! My husband doesn't like heights so he took the photos from his vantage point safely on the ground. 

Anyway, all my plans for this challenge were put on hold whilst I frantically tried to get my head around what was happening. In the end I had to get up extra early on Saturday morning in order to find some time to do this. But, it did take my mind off everything else - and while it's not quite what I originally had in mind, I think it turned out OK.

At the end of my holiday, we did a slight detour to visit Crafty Devils in Barnstaple, and there I bought my new Sizzix Quilting dies. The 3" square (2.5" when finished), and the triangles which make a 3" square when sewn together. In this case, I didn't join them, just used them more like applique to make a background.

I sewed the two burgundy triangles onto a piece of the green floral quilting material (from a charm pack I bought - I think this one is from Pelenna Patchwork) using a decorative stitch on my machine. I used cream thread so that it showed up. I then stitched the square on top of this using burgundy thread (again so that it would show up). 

It was then stuck onto a piece of thick card to give it some rigidity. This, in turn, was mounted onto burgundy card, and green Bazzill. I covered an 8" card blank with burgundgy card, and stuck the mat onto it. I found the lace at a country fair craft stall - it came with the pearls already attached (probably why it caught my eye as I love pearls).

The glittery flowers have been in my box so long I cannot remember where I got them from, while the fabric one was from WH Smith (strange but true)!! 

Pop over the the Crafty Cardmakers blog to see what everyone else has been up to - and to welcome our new DT members! They have all created some stunning projects to inspire you!!

Will try to blog again soon - but won't promise anything.

Cxxx

CCM Challenge 74 - Winged Things

This week, our lovely host is Marie, who would like you to include something with wings!! It could be a fairy, angel, insect, bird - or anything else that has wings.

We are sponsored this week by Di's Digi Downloads, and also by The Stampman who are offering a £10 gift voucher for their store.

When this challenge was set, I was determined not to use butterflies - but have to admit that I couldn't really get inspired by anything else. In the end, I dug out my DCWV Safari Chic pad (the one that has been sitting around for 2 years waiting for me to scrapbook my Safari Holiday from 3 years ago!!) as I knew it had this gorgeous butterfly design!! 

I used the design to determine the colours for the rest of the card. The textured mats are all Bazzill, with the green patterned paper coming from a Brenda Pinnick pad I've had for years (so many sheets - I'm not sure I'll ever get through it!) 

I used the butterfly insert from the Spellbinders Edgeabilities Decorative Inserts Set 6 to cut the border on the light coloured mat. The leaves and flower are from the Carnation Creations set. I embossed them and inked through the die - Rusty Hinge DI for the flower, and Forest Moss DI for the foliage - to link with the orange and darker green of the design. 

The butterfly is from the Wings of Hope set. Because the butterfly paper is one sided, I stuck it back to back with the Brenda Pinnick paper, before cutting it as I didn't want the white showing. The other two layers of the butterfly are from the Bazzill card. 

I didn't want to use ribbon, so decided to colour some cream raffia with Rusty Hinge DI. Can't decide if I like it or not!! I filled the centre of the flower with gems from my Anita's Gemstone Wheel - both 2mm and 3mm. The little butterflies on the raffia and stem are the waste from the border. 

Don't forget to pop on over to Crafty Cardmakers to check out the great inspiration from the rest of the Design Team!! Then get your crafty stash out and link up your creation on the blog!! 

Cxxxx

What a Nitwit!!

It's my friend's daughter's 5th birthday next week, and I have to admit I was a little lacking in inspiration. My first attempt was great - but when I came back to it, it just seemed too grown up for a 5 year old. So, back to the drawing board!! I keep a box of odds and ends which I hope will come in useful at some point - and it was in there that I found the lamb left over from a Nitwits die cut sheet, along with the little heart I've placed on the sun, and the 'medal' too.

So, I then needed something for the background, and quite fancied having the lamb leaping up from grass!! So I dug in my CD-Rom box and found a freebie from Complete Cardmaking (probably from 2010) which had some Nitwits backing paper and other elements on!! So, I combined the fluffy cloud background for the sky with the green dotty one for the grass - along with the sunshine and grass from the elements. The orange stripe is also from the CD as is the yellow from which I have cut the letters and number.

I inked the edges of the bottom half with Shabby Shutters DI, and the top half with Scattered Straw DI. The lamb has some glitter glue to give it sparkle and texture, whilst its hooves and the heart have been glazed with Anita's 3D Clear Gloss Finish.

A fairly straightforward card - but still effective - and definately suitable for a 5 year old!!

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Everybody Art Challenge - Anything Goes

Fashionista Challenge - A Card For a Child

Craft Your Days Away - Anything Goes

Don't forget, you still have time to enter the Seaside Postcard Challenge at Crafty Cardmakers - pop over for some inspiration!!

Cxxx

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #73 - Oh I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside!!

This week's challenge is set by the lovely Yvonne!! She would like to see postcards (6"x4") showing a beach scene. There must be some beach and sea in the background to the focal image.

We are sponsored this week by Digi Doodle Shop, who are offering a $10 gift certificate for their shop, and by One Stop Card Crafts who have a £10 gift voucher for their store.

So, I decided to do something completely different this week, and go completely digital using Serif Craft Artist. I've had a very limited play before, but I couldn't remember a whole lot so had to play around quite a bit before I finally achieved what I wanted. 

The sandy background is from the free Daisy Trail Holiday Photobook digikit. The other digikits I used elements from were Swirling Memories, Playground and British Street Party. I took the photos a while ago - this is them in their original state:

 

I knew that the software would fit my photos to the size of the frame - but I have to admit that it took me a while to realise I had to add the photos to the list at the side in order to do this!! The large frame is from Swirling Memories, and I really like the way that it gives the photo a much more aged look. The frame for the smaller three photos is from British Street Party. I sized the frame first and copy and pasted it, then dropped the photos in. The little group of buttons is from Swirling Memories, and the large button at the bottom is from Playground.

I created the caption using the Swirling Memories alphabet, and decided to make it a question - as while this is my idea of a great place to be - it may not be everyone's. So, do you "Wish you were here?"

Remember we are still looking for Design Team members, so pop over to the Crafty Cardmakers Blog to check out what the other DT members have been up to, then get your entry in, putting DT after your name if you would like to be considered.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Craft Your Days Away - Anything Goes

The Squirrel and the Fox - The Sea

Crafts 4 Eternity - Splish, Splash, Splosh

SJ Crafts - Summer Time

See you soon!!
Cxxx

Football Crazy!!

I realised today, that it's been over a week since I last blogged. It's not for the lack of crafting either - I have several creations ready to blog - I just haven't got round to it. I am blaming technology - I have acquired myself an IPad which (as I am home most of the day) seems to now be on constantly. As I am using it to check emails, Twitter and Facebook, I have not turned my laptop on for a while. I've discovered quite a few apps too - I've got the Kindle app (no books yet, mind you), one for the weather, obviously C&C and QVC to get my crafty fix, and several others including My Fitness Pal which is turning out to be the most useful in my continuing bid to keep myself fit and healthy. 

I kept telling myself "I'll blog tomorrow!", but it didn't really happen!! So, this evening, I decided to make the effort, switch it on, and get on and blog!!

This one is for my friend's son, who will be 9 later this month. He's very into sport - and particularly likes football, so a footie themed card it is!!

It's nothing fancy - quite a straightforward card for me (and no Spellbinders in sight!) The base card is Craftwork Cards size 6, and the red and blue mats are Bazzil. The 3 footie themed toppers are from an old Kanban sheet that I found languishing at the bottom of my box of crafting items for male cards - obviously just waiting for this occasion! The patterned backing card is also Kanban - and was also something I'd forgotten about! I cut the letters using my X-Cut Die-Licious Roma Alphabet Die, and the numbers are using an old X-Cut set of dies.  

I would like to enter this into the following challenge:

Use Your Stuff - Let's Hear It For The Boys

Don't forget there is still time to get your Olympic Sports themed cards into Crafty Cardmakers Challenge. And we have a DT call too - just add DT after your name when you enter the challenge!!

Cxxx

Challenge #72 - Olympic Spirit

So, after a little break, we are back up and running (pardon the pun) at Crafty Cardmakers!! In honour of the Olympics, we would like you to create a sporting themed card - it can be any sport you like - but it would be great if it was an Olympic sport (Summer or Winter).

We are sponsored for this challenge by Di's Digi Downloads, who are offering a $10 gift voucher. 

And also by Hobby Art who have this to say: As a family business we're a friendly, helpful, bunch at Hobby Art. All our stamps are designed by us and manufactured in Britain. Look at the gallery on my blog - jennymayes.com- for lots of card ideas using the Hobby Art range. We're pleased to sponsor the Crafty Cardmakers Challenge and look forward to seeing the entries. Good luck everyone. Jenny and all. X
They are offering these two great stamp sets!! 

I have to admit, that I wasn't really sure what to do for this. Eventually, though, I decided to go for a Taekwondo themed card - mainly because I already had a Craft Robo template - part of Beanpole Books 'Runner Bean' Sports templates. 

I started with taupe card from Creative Expressions, and cut the figure as a topper with a border. I then cut it again in white pearl card, so I could use part of it for the white dobok. The belt I cut separately from brown card.

I backed the topper onto a piece of Paper Cellar 6x6 paper from the Victorian Classic pad. I love the way the figure is framed by the large circle. 

The card for the brown base is from my local market, and I cut the front bottom edge with Spellbinders Classic Scallop Edgeability. I layered a piece of the white pearl on top of the taupe - the dotty pattern on the white is from Decorative Inserts 4. I used more of the decorative paper on top of the white, and also above the white. The cream satin and brown organza ribbons are Celebrations (from The Range). I finished it off with a few pearls, and a sentiment that I think was left over from a Kanban kit.

Please pop over to the Crafty Cardmakers Blog for more inspiration, where we are also having a DT Call - just add DT after your name when you enter the challenge!! Couldn't be easier!!

I am really pleased with how this turned out, and would like to enter it into the following:

The Squirrel & The Fox - Make it Sporty
Craft Your Days Away - Olympic Dreams
SJ Crafts Shop Blog - Olympics

Cxxx

Crafting with Kits (and it's my 100th blog post!!)

So, I have reached my 100th blog post!! In the land of Blog, I am sure it is not that significant, but for me and my little blog, it most definitely is!! I did wonder what I was going to Blog about - but last week, I spent a lot of time gardening in the gorgeous sunshine (don't worry I'm not blogging about gardening) and whilst I was pulling up weeds, I did a lot of thinking about something that has been getting me a little annoyed recently. 

Let me explain. When I started crafting, I didn't really know what I was doing - I bought a Do Crafts Christmas goody bag as I wanted to make my own Christmas cards and it snowballed from there. I bought a lot of 3D stickers and the like and then discovered crafting on both QVC and Create & Craft and began to buy kits with toppers and card stock from the likes of Hunkydory and Kanban. They were a total revelation and really opened up the possibilities for me.

Hunkydory - Lace Bouquet Topper 

I have never been a great stamper - and probably never will. I work with digi stamps for the Crafty Cardmakers blog, and do quite enjoy it, but I don't have a vast stamp collection and have never bought any of the markers out there - I prefer my (very) old watercolour tin and my Distress Ink collection!!  

Hunkydory - Butterfly Jewels Topper

To be perfectly honest, I love crafting with Kanban and Hunkydory toppers. I love the fact that I have a piece of co-ordinating cardstock to either make the base card from, or just to use for co-ordinating my layers. I enjoy rummaging through my stash to find co-ordinating card and paper - and then working out which of my vast collection of Spellbinders would complement the design - and finally deciding on the way to embellish them. 

Hunkydory - Button Cute! Topper - Free Gift with Magazine Issue 6

So, what is it  that is annoying me? Well, I am fed up of the way this type of crafting is often dismissed as lacking creativity. The term 'pick and stick' is used in quite a derogatory way and really does not do justice to what you can do with the toppers. Yes, you can just 'pick and stick' but there is so much more scope there if you want to develop it further. I hear people often 'apologising' for using kits - for when they need a 'quick' card, and particularly around Christmas when people say they use them because they couldn't possibly make the volume of cards otherwise. As if these are the ONLY reasons that card kits could possibly be accepted. 

I know it's not for everyone (where would we be if we all liked the same things), but I am a little fed up of being made to feel that, because I may use a pre-printed topper, my creations are somehow inferior!! 

Hunkydory - Lace Bouquet Topper

Well, I am not going to apologise for using kits (or justify why) - suffice to say that I LOVE THEM! The four cards shown here are recent makes using various Hunkydory Kits. I recently bought a Kanban Christmas Blockbuster - and have been watching the Olympics whilst popping out the die cuts and matching them with cardstock!! Won't be starting making them yet (a little too early for me) - but I know they are all there just waiting. 

You may have heard me refer to my 'Lucky Dip' box in past posts. This is where all the toppers from the kits I have bought sit in plastic wallets with co-ordinating card stock, base card and envelope. Whenever I have time to craft just for the hell of it (ie no looming birthdays, anniversaries or commissions) I pop my hand into the box and see what I pull out!! 

Don't get me wrong - I love playing with different techniques too. I have my alchohol inks, gilding flakes (just invested in Flitterglu so looking forward to playing with that), embossing paste, mica powders and masks, embossing folders, dies - the list is endless (and I am also making small forays into the world of sewing/quilting). But I will always love crafting with kits!! 

Will be back soon!!!

Cxxx