Inspired by the sunrise.

Inspired by the sunrise.

I struggle with male cards so I needed lots of inspiration. I thought I’d use blue for the Digital Tuesday challenge and then I saw the Can You Digi It challenge and decided to team it with orange.
I used a layout from the Critter Sketch Challenge

and thought that topping the card with stiched bunting would be perfect. So here is my card

I blended distress ink around the edges of the card. I designed my paper using Craft Artist so virtually all of the elements are digital.

My image is a Lili of the Valley die cut but I added some extra clour and coloured the background.

It is difficult to see on this photo but the orange edges around the bunting are a satin stitch effect.
I decorated the inside of the card in matching clours but added the sun and buildings element.

I would like to enter the following challenges
Digital Tuesday – Winter Blues (either wintry or blue)
Crazy Amigo Challenge –  Bunting
Glitter Geeks – Stitches
Crafty Ann’s – Stitching
Can You Digi It – Sunset and sunrise inspiration photo at the top of the post
Critter Sketch – Sketch at top of post

To garden or to relax in the garden?

To garden or to relax in the garden?

This is my birthday card for a gardener. It was inspired by the photo for The Stamping Boutique challenge.

I love gardening (although it’s not much fun trying to do it in the rain at the moment. I especially like when you’ve done some gardening and you can relax and enjoy a cup of tea out there!
I inked the edges of the card with distress ink. I created the background paper using Craft Artist.

I used a Lili of the Valley die cut and coloured the background and tree with Distress Inks. I used a LOTV sentiment.

In keeping with the theme I added twine and a mini metal trowel I found.

I would like to enter the following challenges
Cooking It Up With Katie -green, gorgeous, garden
Moving Along With The Times– Gardening or flowers
My Mum’s Craft shop – the great outdoors
The Stamping Boutique – Inspiration photo at top of post

Christmas cuties!!

Christmas cuties!!

I fancied a bit of a change so had a look for some Christmas inspiration in the challenges!
I’m a bit tired so I used a Lili of the Valley die cut.

I made the Silent Night paper on craft artist. I went for shiny papers for the layers and also for the punched snowflakes. I blinged up the snowflakes and added snowflake gems as well. I stickled the edges of the die cut for some more sparkle!!

I’d like to enter the following challenges (thanks to everyone who runs challenges- they really help to keep the inspiration going!).

52 Christmas Throwdown – Snowflakes
Moving Along With The Times – Merry Christmas
Lexi’s Creations – Use Your Punches and Dies
Fussy and Fancy– Punches / Dies
Whimsy Inspiration – punches/diecuts
Paper SundaesLet`s Get Cute
Penny Black and More Oh so Cute
Pile It On – Sparkle and Shine  

Platypus Creek Digitals – Bling It Up! 

Bookie door hanger

Bookie door hanger

This matches the card I posted yesterday. I used two saturated canary digis to show the bookhead in and out (at I library I’ve decided!!). I created the background to the digis using Craft Artist.
I sanded the wooden blank edges and coloured them with distress inks and then stuck on Tim Holtz dictionary pages. I then resanded the edges and coloured them with distress ink.

I coloured the digis with Pro and flexmarkers and highlighted with pearlescent ink. I used glossy accents on the eyes and lips.

I used ribbons from clothing and buttons to attach the base card.  I punched two circles of the Tim Holtz paper and attached them together with foam pads with the writing facing inwards. I made the heart paper using Craft Artist.

 This is the other side.

I made the flowers and leaves using punches and then coloured and added gems in the centre.

It took me a long time but I love the end result.
I would like to enter the following challenges

Cardmadfairy’s Digi Days – Die Cuts and/or Punches
Lily Pad – Flower Challenge
4 Crafty ChicksFlowers
Crafty Purple Frog – Let’s get distressed
Craft Us Crazy Anything but a card and/or altered item
Just Keep on Creating – anything goes
Paper Shelter Challenge anything goes/ Easter

Special Spring Bedhead birthday

Special Spring Bedhead birthday

Another 21st card today and I also made some matching gifts which I’ll blog over the next few days.
Inspired by Spring Colours and flowers I used my new Krista Smith Bedhead digi as my other theme was books as the recipient is a real bookie!
I made the papers and frames using Craft Artist. I coloured the edges of the card with distress ink and punched the paper corners with a MS punch.

I coloured the digi with Pro and flexmarkers and highlighted with pearlescent inks. I’ve shown a couple of angels to show the pearlescent effect. Looks a bit OTT but it really just shimmers a bit as it catches the light.

I also made some paper for the inside of the card and punched the corners. I’ve smudged the message for privacy.

I would like to enter the following challenges
Digi Doodle Shop’s Best – Use something new from your stash (new digi)
Flourishes –  Birthday Card
Little Miss Muffet Challenges – Spring colours/pastels
Raise The Bar – Cutesy Easter / Spring
That Craft Place – Spring
Little Claire’s  – Spring
Wags ‘n Whiskers – Flowers

Party Time Tuesdays – Flowers

Let your light shine picture

Let your light shine picture

The last in the matching set for the 21st birthday is a picture.
I made the paper using Craft artist. The digi is from Sylvia Zet.

I used Pro and flexmarkers to colour the digi. I highlighted using pearlescent inks. I used glossy accents on the necklace gem, centre of the flower and the lantern glass.

Last picture is at an angle to try and show the pearlescent highlights on the digi and the large flower.

I would like to enter the following challenges

Tuesday Throwdown – Pastels
Creative Mondays – Anything but Card
Totally Stampalicious – Anything but a Card 
Sassy Cheryl’s -Soft Pastels
Crafty Creations – Spring
I Love Promarkers – Spring
Creative Craft Challenges – Anything But A Card

Dragon- Rupert plays R’N’R

Dragon- Rupert plays R’N’R

This is the second birthday card in the pair for brothers. I kept the elemants similar (created using Craft Artist from NitWits papers) and used another Dragon stamp that I got from my win on

and the prize was given by

So here it is!

I coloured the image using Pro and flexmarkers.

I decorated the inside to match (message blurred for privacy!!)

I would like to enter the following challenges
Crafty Catz – Use a digi image
Crafty Emma – No Girls allowed
Crafting When We Can – Things with Wings
Lollipop Crafts – Make a card/project without any embellishments
Celebrate the Occasion – Child’s Brithday

Dragon- getting Jiggy with it!

Dragon- getting Jiggy with it!

I was lucky enought to win some digis from

in a challenge at

I’ve been saving them to use for a couple of boys birthday cards I wanted to make for this month.
This is the first of the pair (they are for brothers who are quite close in age and birthday). It uses the digi ‘Jiggys ipod’.

I used distress ink around the edges of my card and made all the papers using Craft Artist with Nit Wits papers.

The image was coloured with Por and flexmarkers.
I made the inside to match.

I would like to enter the following challenges

Crafty Emma -No Girls allowed
Shelly’s Images -Show Us Your Stripes!
Pixie Cottage -Sketch and/or Cuddly Critters
Stars and Stamps Midweek Throwdown – no glitter, cute characters
Moving Along With The Times – Cute and Cuddly
Top Tip Tuesday – Easter & Or Animals

Mermaid

Mermaid

My first use of my Goldie digi from Wee Stamps and designed my background paper on the computer. I added the Time to Relax sentiment stamp by Lili of the Valley to a pearl. I inked the edges of the card with China Blue Distress ink.

I’ve just got Flexmarkers so I decided to colour using only Flemarkers!!

I added stickles to the bubbles

I decorated the inside of the card to match.

I would like to enter the following challenges
Sisterhood of Crafters  – use a digi
Truly Scrumptious – All creatures great and small
There’s Magic in the Air – Critter in the image 
Paper Crafting JourneyMake it cute
Digital Tuesday – include a digital element – Make It Sparkle
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge – must use digi – “Color Your World” (no brown or black) 
Fab ‘n’ Funky – Green, White, Blue
TCP Tuesday – Colour

Altered baking tray!

Altered baking tray!

I decided I needed more craft storage but I needed to keep it frugal. Having made storage for my Promarkers the next thing was storage for the Perfect Pearls. I bought a baking tray for a pound and everything else is from stash.

I used some plastic reinforcers with rivets from packaging and stuck them to the back of the tray. I then threaded ribbon through them to hang it up.
I made the background paper using Craft Artist and printed it onto pearlescent paper.

I added flowers and skeleton leaves to one corner of the tray.

I used punches to create this rosette with scraps of paper. I added a gem from a pin to the middle.
I coloured the edges of the tray using dabs of alcohol inks and pearlescent ink.

I cut and stuck magnets to the back of the Perfect Pearls.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Corrosive Challenges – Another Dimension
Anything Goes Challenge – Altered Projects (anything but a card)
Papercraft Star – photo inspiration with lovely bright colours (I decided on turquoise and pink) for inspiration plus something from kitchen
Crop Stop – Include at least 3 flowers
The Crazy Challenge – Use a Die or Punch
One Stitch At A Time – Use a Digi OR No image