Basic Grey

It's time again for another challenge at  Basic Grey - we loved all the autumnal colours and scenes you created for us last challenge.  This fortnight we have a sketch by lil ol' me - do hope you like it, it's not too difficult. 

Please don't forget to use at least one Basic Grey product on your creations to be eligible for the prize and could you please name the product used as there are so many Basic Grey products out especially now they  have brought out dies and embossing folder.

As always, our wonderful sponsor Simon Says Stamp is offering one lucky winner a fab $25 shopping spree in the Simon Says Superstore

I've used this amazing image from Dewdrops Craftz called the sorceror. She is coloured with distress inks and the papers used are from Basic Greys Cappella and Basics Kraft pads. I've distressed all my edges with the TH distressing tool, inked them with Walnut stain and gold stickled them. The borders, the flowers and leaves are all cut with  Crealies dies and I've used gold seed pearls for the flower center.


I'm not going back to the UK for Christmas so I have about 10 little goody bags for family to make up and 4 DT cards to do by Tuesday - eeeeek!!!
So it's head down and get stuck in for me this weekend. Hope you all have a great one.

DP2 - Pick a Season

It's pick a Season time at the Mo's Digital Challenge this week, and I actually had this image coloured and ready to go - I won't tell you why or you will realise how stupid I can be - if you don't already know (lol).

Suffice to say it was another in the long line of my Ooopsies!!

This fabulous image (Winter Delivery) is coloured in a mixture of Copics and distress inks - again don't ask - another brain dead moment! The papers are by Rayher and a couple of years old - I bought huge sheets that will probably last longer than I will. I can't find my silver marker (can't find the gold one either) so I dipped the edges of the card into glue and then silver glitter. The snowflakes are Spellbinders Create a Flake 1 and the leaves cut with a Crealies die - I should have known better than use silver mirri card as it photographs black - but at least you can see some of the shine. The label is again ancient stash (I'm really working hard on using it all up this year) and the ribbon is also from my stash.

Right on with some commenting - last night I had a power cut, this morning I couldn't get on my blog, or into my email - Google was telling my I didn't have the right password - I did!!! I think I've become disaster prone recently so is it any wonder I have so many ooopsies!!

Eline's Baby is Truly Scrumptious

We have another fabulous sketch for you at Truly Scrumptious this week and your optional extra is -

Petals, Pearls and Pins. You can use either one or all three - as you choose.

This week we are delighted to welcome Meljen Designs as our sponsor. 
Meljen's Designs is a lovely stamp company owned and illustrated by Melissa Jenkins. She illustrates whimsical digital and rubber images inspired by her kids and family. The Meljen's Designs store officially launched on April 1 and is steadily growing! Meljen's Designs has new releases along with a new challenge every Thursday, freebies every Monday and a Guest Designer each month at theMeljen's Designs Blog. Please visit the Meljen's Designs line of stamps at theWHIMSY STAMPS STORE to browse and enjoy Melissa's wonderful images!

Melissa provided the DT with images to work with, unfortunately I had already done my card in my effort to get all my DT cards done before I fly back to the UK next week.

The image and the papers are both Eline's which you can purchase HERE from and she is coloured  with Copics and her wings glittered with Stardust stickles. The flowers and leaves are cut with  Crealies dies, the butterfly with an MS punch and the sentiment is one from the talented Jami's free download sheet which you can find HERE.

My petals are my flowers, my pearls are the centre of the flowers and on the pin which I have used as the body of the butterfly.


Hope you all have a fabulous Wednesday - I'm going to blitz my craftroom as the mess I've left in my wake of getting ahead with my DT cards before I head back to the UK has become unbearable.
Thanks for stopping by.

Simon Says............Punch 'Em

Thank You to everyone who joined in with our 'Give Thanks' Challenge last week and a special Thank You to those of you who actually sent their cards to Vera for the Caring Hearts Card Drive  I am sure Vera will have lots of cards to send out for Thanksgiving and Christmas :-)

This week we have a fab new theme for you 

'PUNCH EM'  time to get your punches and die cuts 

As usual the lovely Heidi will be giving one lucky entrant a $25 spree to her Simon Says Stamp Store , there are so many fab new products in there and the gorgeous new Magnolia Merry Little Christmas stamps are available to pre order too ,, they will be arriving very soon !! Take a peek at the All New Just In pages too, lots of fab new products in there including the new Nellie Snellen clear stamps.

I have used an old wooden Hero Arts poinsettia stamp that a friend gave me, I'm not sure this is still available but Hero Arts now do a fabulous poinsettia Cling stamp (I have listed my products used and linked them below).

I stamped the poinsettia three times on vellum and heat embossed it using silver embossing powder. I coloured them with Copics, one green  and two red.

I cut them out and layered them and used seed pearls for the stamen which I attached using silicone glue. The flower is mounted on a Spellbinders Lotus pendant. The red dp is from the beautiful Once upon a Time cardstock and the white is embossed using the cuttlebug Snowdots folder. The small red circles at the corner are also from the Lotus pendant set. The snowflakes are punched with an EK Success punch and I used one of the fancy tags at either side of the ribbon. The pearls are Hero Arts accents and the I used Robin's Nest dew dew drops on the fancy tags.

I'm not happy with this one - it's too symmetrical I think and the poinsettia isn't dominant enough although it does look better in real life!!

Products used

Hero Arts accents - pearls
Spellbinders Lotus pendant
Poinsettia Cling stamp
Once upon a Time Cardstock stack
Spelbinder Fancy Tags

Lovely Hanglars only

Lovely hAnglars only want a non-square easel card this week - GREAT - I've wanted to try a heart shaped easel card for some time so here was my opportunity. I also have cut and half made a heart shape box and a heart shaped  bag so I now need another challenge to finish these.

I have to say, the most difficult part of this was photographing it. I thought square ones were bad enough - this was nigh impossible.

This is the card closed - possibly the best photograph.

I use the largest scalloped heart for the base. I then cut a scalloped heart using the Tim Holtz vintage papers and placed a plain heart on top of this after I had embossed it with the cuttlebug Textile folder.  

As the whole thing is not too big I used one of the smaller hAnglars, coloured her in Copics, cut her out and sat her on a smaller heart.

I used a WOJ sentiment also on a smaller heart which I used for the stopper.

The leaves and flower is cut with a Crealies and a small rose placed in the center of the flower. The lace is from Bunny Zoe's and I attached some Magnolia chandeliers (if that's what they're called) around the lace and fastened them with a pearl brad.

Finally everything is liberally distressed using Victorian Velvet distress ink.

I am also entering this into the following two challenges

A Spoonful of Sugar - Die cutting or punches

Sentimental Sunday's - distressing

House Mouse & Friends do Halloween

It's time for a new challenge at House Mouse & Friends and the the turn of the fabulous, the one and only - Scoopy Sue to choose - what other theme could she choose this week but - HALLOWEEN

We're featuring card with either a Halloween theme or Halloween colors. Please don't fret if you don't have a Halloween image ~ as you'll see, several of our DT members tried to help you out and made projects without a Halloween image. So, extra bonus points if you do this too! :)

We are being sponsored by the lovely Heidi at Simon Says Stamp with a choice of either a House Mouse, a Gruffie or a Happy Hoppper stamp for the lucky winner.

I decided to do a   step card with a central step,  rather than a side step.  I use the image Count Mouse and have to admit this is my one and only Mousie Halloween stamp - must remedy this for next year!!  

The  Haunted House image is from Make-it -Crafty and you can find it HERE . The images are coloured with Copics and my first mistake came when I cut out Count Mouse (I always want to call Bat Mouse) - he then disappeared into the background, hmm.........after much playing around I found the best solution was to mount him on  a nestie cut oval. This is not ideal and I would tackle the project differently nex time.

This is a sideways view showing the bow and pumpkin charm - the bats are from the hAnglar Halloween set and the paper a download.

This is the other side with the word BOO in black sparkly letters - I know - you can't tell!!!

And here is a close up of Count Mouse - I placed the pumpkin in his hand one I had cut them out and I coloured Maxwell's body with a top coat of green to give him a slightly more eerie look - you can just about see it.

Do check out the other DT's creations - they are fabulous and you'l be both amazed and amused!!!!


EDITED
Gosh - I'm so excited having a new computer to work on I forgot to add the other challenges this card fits - I'm sure there were more but these are the ones I could remember.

A Spoonful of Sugar - BOO!!
Stamp Something - Digi image - Haunted House
Corrosive Challenge Halloween

Simon Says.......Give Thanks!!

Today at the Simon Says Stamp Challenge our theme is to Give Thanks (or, Thanksgiving for those who haven't celebrated Thanksgiving yet!) Canadian Thanksgiving was last Monday, but American Thanksgiving is coming up on Nov. 25.

Also, we have been contacted by a lovely and very talented lady, Vera, who is organising a card drive to send Thanksgiving cards to the elderly who live alone or in nursing homes. The Design Team has sent all of their cards to Vera for the CARING HEARTS CARD DRIVE - we would love it if you would too!!!! Vera has also made a gorgeous card for the challenge which -Take a look!!

Please support ♥ CARING HEARTS CARD DRIVE ♥, in our effort to collect Thanksgiving & Christmas cards to be sent to the elderly that lives in nursing homes or care center. Going on till November 15, 2010. Details & prizes information can be found HERE.

As well as being eligible to enter for the prizes on the Card Drive Heidi will be giveing one lucky entrant a $25 shopping spree to her Simon Says Stamp store too :-) There are new products arriving every day so you will be spoilt for choice !! :-)

I chose the House Mouse image 'Pumpkin Pie' which I coloured in Copics. Not an easy image to colour - I think because there is so little colour in there. I cut the image out using the Spellbinders Labels 4.
I used the fabulous Basic Grey Green at Heart papers and the border is cut with an MS Deep Edge punch. The leaves I picked up in my local supermarket last year and the little pumpkin stickers, which I've attached to a Spellbinders Fancy tag, have been kicking around in my stash for ever. The ribbon is also from  my stash.

My linked list of Simon Says products used

House Mouse Image - Pumpkin Pie

Basic Grey Green at Heart - Papers
Spellbinders Labels 4
Martha Stewart Deep Edge punch - Garden Trellis
Spellbinders Fancy Tags

Right now I'm off looking at new laptops, the problem being they all have German Keyboards - should I wait and get one whilst I'm back in the UK, or will you all be able to interpret the Gobbledook I produce using the German keyboard I wonder!!

C5 Envelope/Box Tutorial for Dewdrop Craftz

I've done a quick tutorial for the image as part of a C5 envelope/box which can be used for many purposes.
I have in the past used them to send images to people, for C5 cards that have bulk and cannot be fit into an envelope, but I have several that I keep my images in. If I print out a digi images I usually do a whole sheet - not necessarily the same image and these packets are brilliant for keeping them in and in good condition.

I have used Tildas coloured with Copics and the papers are Basic Grey Phresh and Phunky.

Here are your instructions for the box


Requirements
1 sheet of A4 card (11 5/8" x 8 1/2")
Equipment for scoring
Corner rounder punch

Please excuse the diagram I shall endeavour to get a better one tomorrow.

For some reason my computer insisted the measurements all went in little boxes !!!!!?????

A sideways diagram

• On the shorter side score at 3",  3 1/2", 8" and 81/2"
• On the long sides score 1/2" and 1" 
• Cut where I have marked with red lines

This is how it should look when cut, scored and creased.

The two small flaps are to stick and tuck into the side to create a firmer base.

I corner round the two top flap corner and the two side flaps at the top.

There is a 6" x 4" (C5) card in this photograph, sorry I haven't got one decorated for you.

This is the finished article with a card and 

Any questions - please email me and I will endeavour to answer them.

Harvest time at Basic Grey

We have a new challenge for you at Basic Grey today and it's AUTUMN/HARVEST time.

We had so many fabulous entries last challenge but sadly some of you forgot to use any Basic Grey products which eliminates you from the prize draw. So let's see your autumnal creation complete with at least one Basic Grey product.

The prize as usual is a $25 shopping spree donated by the fabulously generous Heidi at the

Simon Says Stamp store 

I used this gorgeous little CC Design's Swiss pixie but I'm not sure what she's called as the wrong stamp came in the right packet - if that makes sense!! I stamped her, masked her and then stamped the WOJ fence behind her, she is coloured in Copics. Don't look too closely at her Stardust stickled wings as yet again Ms Impatient here didn't wait for them to fully dry.

The papers are Basic Grey's Mellow, the borders cut with a Crealies border die, the flowers a Crealies Flowers and the leaves with Crealies shapes dies. For the center of the flower I added some bronze & gold seed beads.

The ticket is one on a download sheet from my Copic Creations teamie - the uber talented Jami Bova and you can find the free download HERE so head across and help yourself to one, she has also created one for breast cancer awareness.

Well, I've borrowed my son's laptop for a few days and hopefully I can get myself sorted out with a new one during next week and

my son will hopefully sort out my desktop whilst I am away in the UK.

Hope you all have a brilliant weekend and thanks for stopping by

Copic Creations - Colourless blender tricks

We have another fun technique for you to try out at Copic Creations this week. And our sponsor this time is the fabulous Pink Cat Studio

And the prize - 5 of their fantastic digi images.

I chose to colour Hannukah Owl and after watching my teamie Suzanne's fabulous video, which you can find HERE,  I decided to give him spots. I thoroughly enjoyed trying out this although initially I think I filled by blender pen too full and ended up with some spots bigger than intended - ooops - only one thing to do create irregular sized spots.
I washed out his ears - you know what I mean LOL, the edge of the mat and the center parts of the dreidel ( I think that's how it's spelt!!) - oh yes and the tips of his wings.
The papers are MME, the edges cut with an EK Success corner punch and the ribbon and charm are from my stash. I won't list the multitude of Copics used but the blues are the B90's, the reds, R20's and the Yellow Y21.


I am exceedingly late with this post as I am having serious computer problems. My laptop had died, my son who is quite good at these things gave it the kiss of life a few weeks ago, but sadly it went again and he says that is it - there's no more life left in it, so I shall now be searching for a replacement. 
I have my desktop but that behaves so badly, it doesn't like me commenting and often refuses to let me on blogs, it jumbles everything up so I can never find what I want and uploading photographs has now taken on nightmarish proportions. Hopefully my son will lend me his laptop until I find a replacement for mine.


Hope you all have a brilliant weekend, thanks for stopping by.

Simon Says - Easy-no-cook-recipe

This week at the Simon Says Stamp Challenge  we would like to welcome a new Design Team Member to the Simon Says Stamp family - I am sure you all know Mandy aka A Sprinkling of Glitter,  and if by any chance you don't then you should visit her FABULOUS blog   - huge big welcome Mandy xx

On to the challenge - this week we have a recipe for you -

One Image   -   Two papers  -  Three embellishments


As usual heidi will be giving one lucky entrant a fabulous $25 shopping spree to her Simon Says Stamp Store and with all the new christmas goodies arriving you will be spoilt for choice 

For someone who doesn't do pink I seem to be using a lot of it recently!!!

My image is Whiff of Joy - Lizzie with Muff, definitely one of my favourite WOJ images, she's so pretty. I coloured her with Copics and used a mixture of Fun flock, Flowersoft and Diamond Dust on her muffs and collar. The snow at her feet is Diamond Dust and the edges are inked with Antique Linen distress inks.

The papers are Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby and the corners stamped and heat embossed using white embossing powder. The scalloped edged mats are cut with an EK Success punch, the holly leaves cut with a Crealie die and the snowflakes with Spellbinders Create a Flake 1. I sprayed them with Creme de Chocolat Glimmer mist, decided they were a little too reddish so tried spraying over with Silver Glimmer mist - it worked and I have to say I'm pleased with the result. The metal mesh ribbon and snowflake brad are from my stash.


I've listed and linked the main products I've used from the Simon Says Stamp Store thinking this is more user friendly - let me know what you think.

Lizzie with Muff - Image
Hero Arts Accents - pearls

Tim Holtz Idea-ology Vintage Shabby Paper pack -papers

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Creme de chocolat

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Silver metallic

Spellbinder's - Create a Flake 

Truly Scrumptious - an Easel Card

It's time for another challenge at Truly Scrumptious and another of Sharon's fabulous sketches for you to follow, the optional extra is to turn the sketch into an easel card.

We are delighted to a welcome a new sponsor for this challenge, Robyn's Fetish Designs.

Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More, a division of I Did It Creations, was created and is owned by Robyn Weinrib. Robyn offers a wonderful variety of digital stamps and digital papers, designed to meet the needs of all digital paper crafting addicts for every occasion.

Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More is happy to offer the winner of this challenge 5 digital stamps or 4 digital stamps and 1 paper set of their choice.

I used this gorgeous little bird and bird house from Robyn's Fetish and coloured it with Copcs. I decided to have a play and printed it onto a lightly patterned paper and added a digi frame - oops - just realised the now I've seen it on the screen the digi frame is snowflakes!!! Too late is the cry!!

The papers are from Basic Grey's Obscure pack, the corner cut with an EK Success corner punch, and the hearts with nestabilities.

For the corners of the image I cut a circle from a square of paper with the round scalloped nesties, cut it in four and used one piece each corner.

The ribbon and pearls are from my stash.


I shall be back shortly with my Simon's Says Stamp challenge card.

The Mousies have Peanut M&M's not Jelly Beans

Next, welcome to Challenge #80 at House Mouse & Friends  - we are going to create a project in MONOCHROME style...These are challenging, but be sure to give it a try and join us again this week!!!

We have another FAB prize to give away from our generous SPONSOR - Simon Says Stamp -

All you have to do is create a project using any House Mouse & Friends Image, make it MONOCHROME and upload it right here by Oct 24th to be eligible!

Well you all know me - I'm a brown girl!! When monochrome is required I automatically head for the browns although I keep promising myself I'll try something different. I've coloured my image - 'It's bean fun' with Copics, although in this case I'll have to rename it 'It's peanut M&M fun' I think as they don't do chocolate jelly beans. The backing papers are a digi download - can't tell from whom as my computer has just jumbled things up again and I really don't know what belongs where!!! The frame for the image is made from the Spellbinder's foliage frame die set, the flowers punched from a Nellie Snellon punch and emboss set and the leaves with a Crealies die and I added some seed bead to the flower centers and gold stickles around the flower edges. 


Thanks for stopping by, have a great day and a great week.......... 

Whiff of Joy

I've managed a card in between visitors this weekend. This is for WOJ which is a fabulous sketch by the lovely Jane.

I've used 'Wee with Christmas Tree', coloured him with Copics and cut him out using a Nellie Snellon frame die through which I've threaded narrow red ribbon.The papers are Badic Grey's wassail. The flowers are a Crealie die and the snowflakesare from the Create a Flake 1 and another cuttlebug snowflake die, The white ones are coated with Diamond dust and I put seed pearls in the middle of the larger one. The flourishes are a Marianne createable die, the tag an ancient one I found in my Christmas stash.

Well that was a manic weekend, so many guests and visitors and I shall be back before too many hours with my House Mouse DT card - hope you've all had a good weekend.

Lovely hAnglars only - plus a couple more

Lovely Hanglar only's challenge this time is 'Seasons' and I, like many others no doubt, is seeing Christmas hurtling towards us at break neck speed - So Winter/Christmas it is.

I coloured my little hAnglar girl with Copics, stamped round the edge of the image with  snowflake stamps and heat embossed them using clear embossing power, I then inked over with Faded Jeans distress ink. The snowflakes are coated in Diamond Dust, the two leaves cut with a Woodware punch and the two lower flowers with a Nellie Snellon cut and emboss punch. The white panel beneath the image is embossed with the cuttlebug Snowdots folder, why - when I covered it up - don't ask!!! I've used a MS deep punch for the scallops at the bottom and finished with a ribbon, gems and Christmas tag from my stash. If the image looks rather large it's because my card is rather small as I'm waiting for some larger ones to arrive - if you're reading this  at Deutsch post - get a move on!!!

This also fits the following challenges

Anything Goes - Christmas has come early

Fussy & Fancy a fab sketch by Mindy

Die Cut Dreams - A recipe - 4 flowers, gems, emboss & use a punch

Simon Says.........Halloween!!!

This week at Simon Says Stamp we want you to get all spooky for Halloween!!! 

The DT are showcasing embossing folders this week, if you have any we would  love to see you  use them but it's not compulsory to enter this week's challenge.

As usual, Heidi is giving to the lucky winner a $25 shopping voucher to spend in the Simon Says Stamp Store and you will want to win this when you see the new goodies that are arriving each day in the store.

I did an acetate front card and used 'Count Mouse' as my image. The Simon Says stamp store has a vast selection of House Mouse Stamps including Halloween ones, some of which you can find HERE. This is Maxwell mouse (note the reddish hair and curly tail) playing at being Dracula. He is coloured with Copics and cut out with and cut with a Spellbinders nestie label. The papers are Bo Bunny and a selection of Bo Bunny products can be found HERE. I cut a  frame in the paper using a larger die, the purple behind the image is embossed using cuttlebug embossing folder 'forest branches'.

I computer generated the spiders webs on the acetate and inked the edges with the edge of a Tim Holtz grunge stamp. The bats are cut by hand and the letters with the cuttlebug alphabet die - Harmony. I added a panel to the base of the acetate cut with an MS border punch as printable acetate tends to be a little flimsy.

Here is the inside of the card which shows the image better - acetate is not the easiest to photograph.

I'm very late posting this card - I tried to prepare my post last night but Mr. Blogger would not let me upload photographs. I left it until this morning thinking perhaps I would have more luck - not a lot!! - it's taken me several attempts but I eventually got there LOL.

Hope you all have a 'WICKED' Wednesday!!