Whoo Hoo! I made Top Three...

Well knock me down with a feather! I made top three at the *One stop Craft Challenge blog* with one of my Father's Day cards you can see *here*. I'm absolutely overwhelmed! Thank you to everyone involved. You've made my day!

Friends are the Essence of Life...

Hi There!

Well, what a day! Can the weather decide what to do at all today? One minute glorious sunshine, the next torrential rain. I'm sure that the farmer's are doing a celebration dance though, and rightly so!

I made this quick card yesterday. I was all fidgety and couldn't seem to settle down to anything. Do you ever get days like that, where you feel as though you have Ants in your tummy?

I was initially enveloped by the colour combination from the Color Q Challenge, and I went on to have a look for other challenges to enter. I seem to be addicted to challenges at the moment. Am I a lost cause, or is there any cure? I'd love to know the challenges you'd recommend. I've found Feline Playful through a few recommendations {thank you!},but I'd love to know which ones you enjoy.

I used a clear stamp set I've had for years...I'm so sorry I don't have a clue what it is, or who made it. If anyone has an idea, I'd love you to leave a comment. I used a mixture of pigment and dye based inks to achieve the right colour mix for the Color Q challenge. The colours are just awesome together! I also used cored'inations cardstock on the reverse side so that I didn't pick up too much texture on the stamped images. I added the ribbon through a hole created by my crop a dile before mounting onto burgundy cardstock.

I also used a masking technique to layer the images. I LOVE this technique, so I make sure I keep my masks with the stamp set so I can use until it gets too grotty.

Supplies: Stamps :Flowers, unknown; Kaisercraft Friendship Sentiments; Inks: Colorbox Red and Dune pigment; Mushroom chalk ink and Chocolate Brown dye based ink. Cardstock: Vanilla and scarlet Core'dinations cardstock. Ribbon: Brown Spotty Ribbon from Country Baskets

I'd like to enter the card into the following challenges:

• ColorQ Challenge: 

• Anything goes challenge #42 {masking}
• Crafts and Me Challenge #38 {stamp something}
• Diva's by Design {florals}
• Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #55 {Friends} 

Thanks for coming by today...It's around dinner time so I'm hoping that we'll be eating soon!

The Simple Pleasures of Father's Day!

Hi there,

How are you today? No, really?

It seems now's the time for making Father's Day cards judging by all the challenges out there centred towards this theme. And a good job too, seeing as I need a few of them! Thing is, even though I've been setting challenges for a few years now, I'm stumped. I have made three cards using different challenges. What's the etiquette when it comes to posting these cards. Do YOU normally put each card on a separate post, or all in one post? This time I'm going to put all three on one post as some of the challenges, relating to all the cards expire tonight

{are you keeping up with this}

so I would appreciate your advice.

The first card is this one...

Which I'm entering into the following challenges...

• I ♥ Promarkers {sketch}
• Tuesday Throwdown #52 {animal}
• Designed 2 Delight {Masculine + no flowers}
• Here come the boys challenge #3 {Father's Day/Hubby/Partner}
• Easy Craft Projects Challenge #39{For Dad}
• Crafting for all Seasons #2 {Father's Day}

I got the papers quite recently and loved the combination of fawn {or beige} and burgundy. The stamp {Whipper Snapper}I've had for ages and this is the first time I've got to use it. I really enjoyed blending my Promarkers to colour the image, and surprisingly I loved doing the hand stitching. I created the Greeting on my computer using the cookies and cream font.

The next card is for my Dad's Birthday...

Which I'm entering into the following Challenges...

• Sketch Saturday #148 
• Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT # 31 {males}
• One Stop Craft Challenge #134 {Texture}
• Designed 2 Delight {Masculine + No Flowers}
• Easy Craft Projects Challenge #39{For Dad}

I really love this image, it just reminds me of my Dad with Joseph on a walk. My Dad wears a hat just like that! I stamped the Tin Can Mail stamp with Walnut Stain Distress inks and blended with a water brush. The button is from the stash of vintage buttons I stumbled upon in Oxfam. The texture is provided be the embossed blue cardstock, the textured background cardstock, and of course the button. I stamped the Happy Birthday repeat onto patterned paper and I think it looks really effective. I made the greeting on my laptop with the Travelling Typewriter font. 

I'm entering this final card, probably my favourite of the lot, which is for my Father in Law...

Into these challenges...

• I ♥ to Stamp {sketch, although I don't know if it qualifies as it doesn't have a stamped image!}I used this sketch...

• Designed 2 Delight {Masculine + No Flowers}
• Easy Craft Projects Challenge #39{For Dad}
• One Stop Craft Challenge #134 {Texture}
• Here come the boys challenge #3 {Father's Day/Hubby/Partner}

I really have a thing for retro and the 1950's at the moment! I found these FREE vintage printables on Tip Junkie , How gorgeous are they??! There are 6 different designs altogether. The papers are from Die Cuts with a View Green  Stack. I coloured the white Core'dinations cardstock and twill with Old Paper and Walnut Stain Distress inks to achieve the same shade as the image. The circle is again hand stitched. I find this very therapeutic. The greeting is made by the travelling typewriter font.

Anyhoo, I hope you've enjoyed looking at my cards as much as I did making them. I'd like to say THANK YOU to all the challenge setters, I've had a BLAST!

Thanks for all your Hard Work, and a Couple of Challenges...

Good Evening!

I thought I would dabble in a couple of challenges today and I've really loved doing it, as it's made me use colours that I may not have normally used. I've also used products that I've had for ages too but not used, so wins all round!

The challenges I would like to enter are:

Neutrals Color Challenge for Color Inspiration for Card Makers Week in the Moxie Fab World,

and

CPS Card Sketches #218

and here is my card...

I had a bit of a challenge in itself trying to find the papers and cardstock to suit the colours. I hope I've got it about right! I ended up printing a Hero Arts Digi Stamp {Friendship Definition} onto silver plain paper from Pink Petticoat, and I love how it turned out! The woodgrain paper is also from Pink Petticoat. The gorgeous image is from the Ubber talented Christine Dark, and it was a pleasure to colour.

I also used embroidery thread through mini buttons before attaching them to the card. The edges of the cardstock and paper was distressed using Weathered Wood, and Black Soot Distress inks.

These were the Promarker colours I used...the one without a written label is Midnight Blue!

This is the insert for the card. I placed the woodgrain panel into Photosho and after much head scratching, I worked out how to create a white centre in which to plae my sentiment. The fonts are Black Jack and Accord Light.

I truly hope you like the card as much as I did creating it, and I would like to say thank you to both Challenges for providing me with a happy afternoon!