This Thursday Naughty or Nice

The This Thursday challenge this week is sponsored by Cosmo Cricket.

Yippiee. We were sent the most stunning Christmas papers. I adore them. Every die cut embellishment, Every journalling card , and sentiment border. In fact there isn.t a single pice of paper that I don't love

Anyway the challenge was Naughty or Nice and I choose nice . So here are my examples for this week

Entitled Jakes 1st Christmas is almost here . I used the most georgeous paper for the background its trully stunning . everything except the trees The snowflakes and the deer embellie bottom right came from the pack. They are so easy to put together and create a lovely layout.

This card uses a journaling block and a diecut star from the pack . Plus both the papers as well > I added Zoomz to the tips of the star and a brad Thats all

This Simple snowman card takes a couple of minutes. I poped out the diecuts for thr snowman Cut a strip of the striped paper and cut A happy Christmas from one of the border strips . Everything is from the pack

Here are my 2 Babys 1st christmas cards. I used a bookatrix board and mirriboard for the backs. The one on the left is for a little boy The one on the right for a little girl . I used die cuts on the card on the left. Then used the apetures as templates to create the ones on the right . I added some gems and ribbons.

We have decided that this is the last challenge before Christmas. this will give the design team time to catch up on Chritmas preparations and allow me to make sure that This Thursda starts with a bang in the new year.

So Happy Christmas everyone

This Thursday challenge 24

The challenge at This Thursday , this week is Mistletoe and Wine. Which I must admit I found slightly challenging at 1st as I own no wine images or embellies.




As most of my recent Christmas projects have been contemporary I decided to go with a traditional feel So I raided my Joanna Sheen CD for some Mistletoe images. So here are my three very traditional Christmas cards.

This card has textured wallpaper from a wallpaper sample book that I got from a wallpaper shop. Great for unusual backgrounds . I cut all the edges deckle. always reminds me of christmas . The central oval is decoupaged on the 1st which I edged with white glitter

This Is my Mistletoe and champagne card . I decoupaged this great image from Joanna sheen created a dl card black with white glitter paper. the ribbons were from a Ideal world kit

I love this image it was a free download not Joanne sheen If you type in mistletoe and vintage into google and look for images . A great freebee download site comes up. If I get a chance later today I will put ite details in,

Anyway thats it for me for today , am looking after my grandson who is teething so I am fitting the blogs in around him. Oh but hes so cute.

This Thursday Challenge 23

Hello

Well I am feeling a lot better than I was , so I hope I will soon be back to my usuall self and managing to get comments on all your entries.



Anyway this week our sponsor is Funky Fairies Papercrafts and we got to play with the lovely Chocolate Covered Christmas download and the Cristmas rounds Download. I really could nt believe just how much there was in the Chocolate Covered Christmas download. Word albums, A brag Book all sorts of boxes. A brilliant set of papers and loads and loads more as well. So I really had to stop myself as I still have so many ideas to work on .
Anyway here are my examples for this week.



I used 2 of the brilliant shaped mats from the download for this card . I also used my graphcs package to copy and paste the Merry Christmas from one of the other trees onto this one

I was really amazed to find word albums in the download , and they are so easy to use. I thought that the Joy album would be a great Gift for a little girls Christening . I used Prima flowers and jems and the sticker at the end says Bloom

I printed of lots of trees and made this tree border card

I loved all the boxes that were on the CD> I used my graphics package to place one of the mats on the center of the box before printing out > Iadded Prma flowers and some jems to finish.#

These were from the Christmas rounds. I used my graphics package to remove all the white. Then used fill to fill the different areas with the papers from the download. I used different sized fills of the same papers.I thought that these would be a great way to decorate your christmas table . I printed the large one as big as I could get it onto an A4 sheet. Just print off how many you need. Cheap quick and cheerful I added glitter pen in the wording and on the swirls . I am going to make matching paper napkin rings , with the same rounds on the front. I am also going to make some Christmas card hangers with these as the tops for my dining room .

Hope you like these.

catch you laters

This Thursday challenge 22

Hello all


Thanks for your comments last week.



Well feeling slightly better this week. So I have managed three examples for this week. This weeks challenge is playing with paint so I got my watercolour paints out as I havn't used them for ages.


Our sponsor is Toodle and Binks a new stamp manufacturer you can see them at http://www.toodlesandbinks.wordpress.com/,

We had three great stamps to play with. They are quite whimsical images which are not usually my style but I really enjoyed using them . Plus Zooms which I now love . They are small glass nugets with no holes which are great as they give amazing dimention .


anyway here are my three examples

I coloured the stamped image with watercolour paints and I really love this little dear stamp its so cute I added Zooms to create a border. The papers were both from a pack of Mic papers
I used powder paint on this canvas, I bought these paints ages ago they are very strongly pigmented . So I wet the canvas and sprinkled dry paint over the canvas. I stamped the image onto pearlescent card and onto a handmade paper which i cut out for the wings. I also added clear sakura glitter gel dots to the dress. I then used Cosmo Cricket rub ons for the Whimsy and flourish . I think the rub ons are called beautiful . Then added some Zooms
I used Cosmo Cricket get happy papers added some White acrylic smudges around the edges. I used the Pop quiz peice from the get happy paper pack and Stamped simone onto it. I used watercolours to colour stamped image. I added some pop questions about the 80#s. Added the reality Check from the same paper pack . Stamped Oh my God we're getting so old along the top and bottom wedhes. then stamped some random retro flowers . I added the die cut Cosmo cricket flower and a Zoom for the centre. Then I folded a 12 by 12 sheet od DCWV card in half and adhered panel for an XL DL card .

So thats my efforts for this week. Can't wait to see what you all come up with

Challenge 21 Marvelous metalics

Hello everyone

Sorry about there not being a challenge last week, and it being at such short notice, but I was editing the blog on Wednesday last week, When i started getting chest pains that then radiated out and went down my left arm. After about 12 minutes I got a little worried and rang my sister, who told me to ring the doctor , who sent an ambulance and I spent 5 hours in A and E.


Fortunatly we have accertained that its not my heart, but I am still getting chest pains on and off so its being investigated, but I think you will agree an excellent excuse for not having the challenge last week LOL Especially as Susie also was very unwell as well.

So here is the long awaited challenge 21 Well my entries for it anyway.

The prize this week I am sure you will agree is a great set of stamps from Crafty Individuals. I loved using the tree set and can't wait to add the other stamps from the seasons set to them, I also just nipped to craft individuals to check my link and saw this

Stunning stamp another for my list, if you like it the link is here http://www.craftyindividuals.co.uk/cgi-bin/shop_products.cgi?320

So here are my 2 examples

I love this large tree stamp and just know that I will use it over and over and over again. I created an inked background using sponges then stamped the tree and gold embossed it and added gold fleur de lys stickers and a gold miss you acrylic sentiment . I coloured the peel off borders in stripes of orange red green and yellow permanant markers which works very well. The paper is from Cosmo Crickets Flueriste papers which I really adore

This is a Christmas card. I inked the background with purple, lilac, very light blue and light blue ink. I then used the fill each day with joy stamp from the set and randomly stamped in dark blue and Dark purple on the background. I stamped the tree in white ink and embossed with snowflake embossing powder. I then used an embossing pen to add dots of snowflake embossing all over the background. I love the stamps as they are well etched and even using snowflake embossing powder which is quite thick you can still see all the detail.

Anyway thats me for this week

Tracey

This Thursday challenge 20

Well I still have the flu and so my post this week is going to be very short and sweet.

As usual there is a great prize on offer at this thursday. Prize this week is sponsored by tanda stamps and is a great set of contemporary christmas stamps

The challenge on This Thursday this week is to go Mojo surfing .

So here is where I went surfing

http://ribenaruby.blogspot.com/ folded card

http://inkcicles.blogspot.com/ clip and string

The above two were my main inspration to use clips and styring and cards with some sort of fold

But I also included below as extra inspiration
http://onedragonsdream.blogspot.com/ inchy

http://www.audreyart.blogspot.com/ bandana technique

http://ultramum.wordpress.com/ green and blue

Thank you to all the above for their inspiration

So here are my two examples this week. There would have been more but have been so unwell that I couldn't do much crafting

I wanted to create a folded card that could include inchies, but in the end decided to create twinchies instead. So I folded a sheet of 12 by 12 to create this and adhered clips on each corner to create the tie closure,

I created the twinchies by double embossing with either blue or green embossing poweder. Then embossed with clear. The stamped images in white and embossed with white embossing powder. then added silver embossing powder to the edges. The images and border are from Tanda Stamps Art deco stamp set 1

I wanted to do something different with clip and string and a folded card This is what i came up with

I coloured the clip Blue on the outside and green in the centre which dosn't show up in the photo . Tied fibre around the clip adhered it to an inch square with inked edges. I then made two diagonal cuts at the base of the card and folded twice to create a plant pot shape. Then pressed it downwards so there wasn't a noticable gap when stood up . I made leaves in the fibre . Then with a craft knfe cut a small hole to thread the fibre into the plant pot. I then stmped my greting and edged with white soufflee pen

This thursday challenge 19

Our challenge on This Thursday this week is called Thrown a curve You can use it as a title, or you can use anything that curves, Arches, Arcs, Circles. Ovals , Waves, squiggles
etc
So anyway my examples for this weeks challenge were made by myself, in bed due to being flued up . Well other than the printing out . However I really enjoyed playing around with the wonderful "tis the season" Cd from Pink Petticoat. I really wanted to print out some of the designs onto fabric to make some fabric cards and a mini quilt and also am now making some paper wrap beads to make a charm braclet. I am going to print some of the Robins onto shrink plastic to make little charms to hang on the braclet.

I keep having more ideas with things I want to do with the papers, not just making Christmas cards but so much more, talking to Susie and Barbara I think they are much the same.

Anyway here are my 5 examples for this week. er yes 5! told you I got carried away .

I love the Pink Petticoat Christmas toppers as they are outlines only which enables you to customise them as you want. I printed the large circles paper onto cardstock and then cut a card blamk with wavy edges then used a hole puch around the edge. I Cut out the topper again with wavy edges. Watercoloured in pale blue around the edges and then watercoloured the image . I added pale blue pearls in the corners.

I realized that the toppers would make really great Christmas tags. I inked the edge with an Encore Ultimate metalic ink pad. That has 4 colours. Then I cut a peice of card with my wavy cutter and used this as a ruller to add the wavy edges in Sakura starburst. The image itself is coloured using Sakura Starburst. Glaze and souffle pens .

I used a Whispers Oval tearing template to create the center. The paper was so striking that you really don't need to do much to have a lovely card. I added Starburst clear pen over the black hearts and the white snowflakes on the paper Then added some pearls to the three main hearts I then used snowflake paper with a white background and a striped paper cut both with wavy cutter to create the border. I added some wavy clear sakura sparkle lines to the light lines on the stripes paper Then wrote Merry in the top heart and Christmas on the band. Plus added some more pearls .

This dosn't show up very well as I have added loads of sparkle which hasn't shown up. I edged all the paper in Copper leaf pen. I cut out the tree shapes with my wavy cutter. I love the falala paper its so cute. So I used it for the centre tree. I wanted the trees to stand a bit proud so I only adhered them to the paper at the base of the card. I added Sakura glitter to the torn white edge and also added stars in the sky Plus drew tinsel lines on the trees

I had to make a card for my friend for her birthday and she loves both contemporary and vintage so it seemed an ideal time to make her card. I walnut inked the edges of the paper and the image. I added some ricrak for the waves. I stamped My best with some Studio K alphabet stamps from Dovecraft and then added the stickers which i had from QVC about 3 years ago which I still haven't finished using Then went around the edge of the stickers with black pen to highlight the friend .

I sill have printed off 2 sheets of harlequin paper which is stunning and 2 of the small flowers papers which are also ace which I can't wait to use . Plus the papers that I am using for the beads

So thats it from me this week, Catch you all later

This Thursday , Challenge 18

Helloooooo

Well we've a new challenge at this thursday. Surprise surprise. Same as every thursday LOL

Well this weeks challenge is entitled Art from your heart.

We want you to create something inspired by someone or something you love, or create something with techniques that you love. You can use your fav poem or music. Make something for or about someone you love, or as per usual just let the title inspire you. Whatever floats your boat.

This week I have three examples and I am going to keep my fav till last.

I used a clear button and stamped on the back of it with stazon to create a patterned button . I love these orange flowers which i got by taking apart some flowers from the pound shop This card also uses the Navel Jelly photocorners and Purple gems suplied by this weeks brilliant sponsor as part of the design kit and part of this weeks prize . Our sponsor is 3 D Jean .
This card was created using the stamp supplied as part of the prize. I a stamped it and then went over some of the areas with Sakura clear glitter gell pen, In real life this looks like a silver frame . I spritzed my card with terracotta mist, The blue is paper is a peice of greaseproof paper spritzed with aqua and blue glimmer mists ( It looks fantastic in real life) Then I used the navel Jelly heart and some of the gems again
This is my most favorite. It uses the most loved photo I have ever taken. Its of my grandson Jake. I have used it before to create a digi lo , but wanted to create a paper lo as well. So I used Prima paintables which I carefully paint splattered very lightly with pale green watercolour Then watercoloured coloured all the areas. Then positioned my photo lightly drew round it with pencil. Then painted the border. Then adhered the photo . Then I painted the corners with watercolour as well . I added gems to the butterfly body, the middle of the heart in the corners and the flower centers. I highlighted the veins in the butterfly wings with sakura clear glitter pen

So thats it for this week

However you must pop to Susies , Barbaras or my blog on Sunday to see what anouncements we have about next weeks challenge.

This Thursday challenge 17

Well last week I said we had been going for 3 months, you may have noticed that we had actually been going for 4 months LOL Thats why Im not a maths teacher. LOl


Anyway this week the challenge on This Thursday is The spooky season , with a brilliant sponsor Artistic outpost and a very brilliant set of stamps by our sponsor, as the prize

A really fab set of halloween stamps

Anyway here are my examples for this week

I spritmy stamp with an aqua glimmer mist and stamped the witch image. Then stamped over it with stazon black
I spritzed bubble wrap with terracota mist and pressed it onto a sheet of white paper, Stamped random Purple pumpkins in Purple and then random "Hello Punkin" in orange to create the background. I then used a sponge to put stripes of the same purple and orange inkpads along a strip of paper then stamped Halloween in black along the strip. I then stamped the witch and aain using the sponge added orrange to her dress m and purple to her hat and cloak. I added a touch of pink to her cheeks with the sponge tip

I used purple textural paper and tore a white cored orange paper > the adhered them to the front of the card. Then I inked the edges in black. I stmped the little boy image. Used bronze and puple starburst sakura pens and the watercolour technique to colour around the boy. I then inked the edges with Orange ink

This Thursday challenge 16

Well
we have been going 3 months already and I know I have enjoyed playing our challenges with you.

So this weeks challenge is called Wave the flag So you can take inspiration from any flag . wether it be the colours or shapes or as per usual you can use the title.

Our sponsor this week is Dinky Dots crafts. The prize is a set of 6 cute stamps

I had the football fan stamp. although you could easily use him for any little boy occasion, due to the theme wave the flag he has ended up a bit of a sports fan.
I did ave an idea of using him as a builder of a snowman. With the title job well done, but couldn't get the flag to work /So anyway here are my examples for this week



I am very proud to be british, and also am very proud of our olympic team this year . So this is a card for a friend of mine who is male and also very proud of being british
I am not really into football, but I had some Dovecraft masculine papers and chipboard and I thought they would work well with th theme. I stamped the boy onto card. Then cut him out stuck him onto the soccer is a kick in the grass Then the chipboard football border onto that. I then atuck the whole thing onto an A5 card blank with the boys head just over the fold edge of the card. Then cut around the whole thing.

I coloured this boy in the colours of the itialian flag, and gave him a darker toned skin. I put a ribbon strip around a square coregated card blank. Then attached a section of Dovecraft paper to the top (he shoots he scores) and the chipboard sticker to the bottom.

So thats my examples for this week.

Catch you all next week

This Thursday challenge 15

Hello
This thursdays challenge this wek is called Get a round tuit. So we were expected to get around to craft projects that we have put off.

Our sponsor The Craft Emporium sent us a lovely selection of 7 gypsies papers embellishments ribbon etc. I love 7 gypsies and was astounded to see how many 7 gypsies products our sponsor stocks. If you love 7 gypsies you really should take a look

Anyway my examples this week

Well this is a journal that some friends and myself are passing around. The theme was butterflies and I had the photos but no ispiration for weeks. When the 7 gypsies papers arrived I knew that the challenge get around to it and the papers would work really well with the photos . The evidence ribbon also worked so well as did the eriouslt rub on. all I added was the perfect stamp which stamped imperfectly just because it could. Well that and the fact that it was on uneven seurface . I cut strips of the three papers I think they go so well with the photo/


I have been meaning to do something with half flowers punched out around the edge I like the effect of the randomly punched edge but will be trying it on a stamped image , which i think will be really effective. The Tres chic is a rub on, on a 7 gypsies sticky lable from a small book of lables and the paper with the flowers stmped out of the edge is 7 gypsies also.


This was a small NSPCC charity tin I bought a few as I thought they would look good altered, I can't even remember how long ago that was. Quite a while anyway.
All the papers are 7 gypsies as is the heart which was punched out of a peice of black and transparent acetate. it looked like a small file page in acetate The handle and keys are also 7 gypsies as is the through thicjk and thin rub on. I must admit I loved every single thing in the design pack, although I havn't had chance to use them all . all the papers were fab as was the buckle and the clear buttons. All the 7 gypsies is available from our sponsor

Anyway here is a before and after pic of the tin


So thats it for me for this week. Catch you all later

This Thursday challenge 14

The challenge this week is called Masquarade. You can use the theme Masqaurade , Masks, or masking techniques.

The prize for this week is any Tanda stamp stamp sheet. Donated by Tracey The winner will choose the stamp sheet of their choice. So they can have clear or rubber, backgrounds or images. A great prize

I have created two examples this week

After the ball is over card

and

My version of a venitian mask.

Hope you like the examples , and catch you next week

Have just opened a flickr account to show holiday photos

Have opened a flkcr account which you can check in with if you want
HERE although im not expecting to add any photos for a while
These are my holiday phots and a couple from previous holidays which sort of go with them

all rights reserved on all my photos

This Thursday challenge 13

Hi all I am back from my two weeks break and boy did I need it. Although I do feel a bit like I left my mojo on a beach in Scotland , as I am so chilled out, that I found it hard to get back into actually doing something LOL.

The challenge this week on This Thursday is

The Stashbuster raid. so we want you to raid your stash dig out the oldest stash you have to create examples for this weeks challenge and enter them HERE

My examples this week are

My vintage style pen holder. Made from a sheet of paper from Provocraft vintage scrap pad Ive had for ever and ever The picture is a bit deceptive the front actually is a lot lower than the back and shows the decorated interior much better. It just would nt show up on the photo no matter what angle I photographed it at.

I don't know where I got the flower paper from but it actually was right at the botom of my oldest stash box . I can't remember whos paper the other peice is , and The section I had left gave me no clues, was it 7 gypsies I really can't remember it must be my age. I had 3 sheets of it origianaly but its truly slipped my mind.

and finally

I have never made a layout without actual photos (except in a class), but with photos in mind. Every year i promise myself that i will take a photo of my ornamental cherry tree on one of the two days it actually has blossom on it LOL. When I put together the anna griffin paper with the celebrate spring paper, both of which have been knocking about for a long time. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. So I am definatrly taking a large pic of the full tree and two small detail pictures , Everything is ready except the tree. LOL

This Thursday challenge 12

Hello all

Challenge 12 on This Thursday was choosen to celebrate This thursday's Susie getting married last thursday. She wore white with black detailing, a stunning dress, with a beautiful tiara, necklace and earings.



So we decided the challenge would be Black is back, so we want to see plenty of black and any other colours you would like to add. So here are my examples this week


So here is a clipboard I altered. The paper is black white and a pale mustard yellow. I used pale yellow flowers on the ribbon stip and a large white flower with a small yellow flower on the clip.

Here is my little bits of me layout. Its probably a good job you can't see the smaller writing becasue you would find out all my terrible faults as well as some of my finer points. LOL

I also made this 10 by 4 album, I have yet to decide exacly what i am going to do with it. I sort of had three ideas when I was making it,

1 I am going to add pages for each year of my grandsons life with some of the hundreds of photos I already have of his 1st 8 months. *although I may need a bigger album for that one, LOL

2 Photos of me at various ages, not so keen on that one.

3 Make it a record of my example peices from This thursday challenge ( this is probably most likely choice) But I really really am pleased with how well this turned out. I was thinking that I could have black pages with a touch of colour to compliment the photos.

so thats it for me this week/ will catch you all later