Weekly challenge - Week 8 Sketch

This is my card for this weeks challenge over on the Less is more blog

the challenge this week was to use this sketch

For my card I decided to use one of my own digi stamps - Snuggle birds over at the Stitchy Bear digital stamp shop. I coloured a piece of paper with promarkers for the tree branch and puched the leaves. I finished the card with a hand written 'Happy Birthday'.

A little update about my week... I went to see my own doctor on Monday morning because my face was even more swollen up around my eyes... He said that I am having an allergic reaction to the antibiotics given to me last week.. So I have stopped taking them and am also taking antihistamine tablets and it seems to be very slowly working... I don't look my normal self yet but am trying to be hopeful.

Thanks for visiting today..
Hugs

More Tales of the Ocean cards

I've had a rotten time this last 2 weeks. I went into hospital to have a hernia repair operation which was meant to be an in and out the same day surgery, but I they kept me in for 3 days which was unexpected because the hernia was much bigger than originally thought...and painful too.. my 4" scar is healing well though so I can't moan too much. On top of this I had a flare up in my mouth..I have an absess in my lower front teeth which my dentist wants to take out next week (yuk)... and ... on top of all this I woke up at 5 am this morning in pain in my neck..when I looked the jaw bone each side of my face is hugely swollen up! I look like a toad. Hubby rushed me to the A & E. (ER). but the doc said it's just a viral throat infection and I have to go home and take paracetamol and it should go in about 5 days!!.. I am not a happy bunny and I am afraid I am feeling totally sorry for myself at the moment.

.... so, to simply cheer myself up I thought I would add the rest of my sample cards to my blog as I promised 2 weeks ago when the 'Tales of the Ocean stamps' were launched on the TV. I have no idea how many people have invested in buying these stamps but if any of you bloggers out there have, I would really love to see how you are using them.

I've shown 3 cards already, so here are the rest... I am simply going to add the pictures for now and I will go into more detail later - espcially with the paper clay embellishments that I made.. perhaps with some tutorials.. Your comments are welcome..Here are the cards..

Thank you for visiting today... I hope to be back soon..
Hug

Week 7 Theme Challenge - Masculine!

Over at the Less is More blog this week the challenge is to create a Masculine card and to keep it clean and simple at the same time... hard or what!!.. I looked through my stamps and decided to use one of my bonsai designs. I designed the bonsai rubber stamps for Joanna Sheen but sadly she no longer has them in her shop.. Here is the card I came up with
Next time I will stamp the tree first, mask it, and then add the inked circle... but hey-ho, I am still on strong painkillers... that's my excuse anyway.. Lol..
Thanks for visiting..
I'll be back when I can..

Better late than never....

My hernia repair operation was bigger than expected. I came home from hospital on Wednesday and have been resting since then.
It's been a whole week since my last post and I want to say a Big Thank You for the many wonderful comments I received on here, they were most welcome!
I haven't forgotten that I promised to show my sample cards that I made for Joanna Sheen's TV launch last weekend of the Tales of the Sea rubber stamp collection. I am delighted that so many of you enjoyed the turtle freebie last week, I hope I get to see what you make with it.
... I will show 3 cards a day, as there are 15 of them in total... with a brief description of how I made each one...Here's the first selection.....

I used 12 of the stamps on this card! I started by inking an 8" x 8" piece of card with Tim Holtz broken china distress ink and then sprinkled water and dabbed the drops to create bubbles in the background. The netting on the base of the card is the net corner stamped across and embossed. I replaced the banner with the diver with the dolphin, stamped some of the shells and the crab and fish, coloured them in with promarkers. The star fish looks more 3D because I used an embossing tool to score lines and creased where the raised parts should be and stuck with a few layers of foam pads. I also scored the lines in the the other shells to add texture. Twisting two shades of green ribbon was a last minute idea that I think really worked well to look like seaweed Lol!
Here's the next card...

I used my score board to create the planks of wood and then free scored the extra lines for the grain and then lightly rubbed ink to highlight it a bit.... Later I realised that the wood should have been going across the card.. never mind I think I got away with it Lol! I drew the circle port hole using a circular ruler and shaded with promarkers adding some silver nail heads for decoration. After stamping the diver and colouring her in, I inked the edges with blue... added the Happy Birthday into the banner. I finished by stamping the starfish and shells onto white card ,only adding pale colours to colour them.. I stamped and embossed two net corners directly onto the card - I scored the shells again stuck them down with foam tape and added some lovely little pebbles from my stash that I had been in a gift set packaging from the body shop Lol!

The very first thing I did with this card was to stamp and emboss the jumping dolpin border in blue onto a piece of 8" x 8" card. After triming it to size I punched the corners and inked the edges. To create the sea I tore a piece of copy paper in a jagged way - starting from the bottom I lightly inked towards the base moving the torn edge up each time until it filled the area up to the jumping dolphins. After stamping 3 dolphins directly to the card, I stamped and embossed 3 more onto white card and cut them out and raised them on the card. I punched out the other dolphin with a 3 " circle punch adding extra glitter and the banner inking it to match the rest of the card. This is a simple card but looks really pretty and great for anyone who loves dolphins Lol.....

Thanks for visiting.... I will add 3 more cards tomorrow..

Week 6 One Layer Card - "Off the Edge"

Hi again... it's my second post today... and what an exciting day it's been for me with Joanna Sheen launching my latest designs for rubber stamps called 'Tales of the Ocean'.

Although I made a total of 16 sample cards for her to share, I find I still have lots more ideas in my head for different ways to use them on cards... so I decided to use them for this weeks challenge over on the 'Less is More' Blog... week 6 for one layer card with stamping off the edge..

I have made two cards for this challenge.. here they are
As you can see I have used one stamp for the image and one sentiment stamp.. I stamped the pink seahorse first... then the black and then the last one was straight after each black to give more of a grey look. I added glamour dust for some sparkle on the bubbles.. I think it looks quite nice.

Here's my second card along the same lines
For this card I stamped the pink border first using the fossil corner stamp... but looking at it now, I realise that it would have been better to stamp the shells first and then mask them and then add the background.. I will next time... but my daughter says that she actually likes the way the pink peeps through the shells... oh well, maybe it's a case of beauty is in the eye of the beholder Lol... oh yes... I added a lovely clear glittery foil to the starfish and on the greeting after applying a glue pen on the shells and a glue runner over the words...

Thanks for visiting today...
I can't blog until Tuesday now as I am going into hospital tomorrow for a hernia repair operation..
See you then
Hugs

Sunday ~FREEBIE~ 13th March

Hello bloggers,

It's an exciting day for me today because Joanna Sheen will be live on Create and Craft TV at 2 pm launching some new stamp sets... I designed 'Tales of the Ocean' with rubber stamping specificaly in mind. If you miss the show and would love to see what they look like, you can look in my previous blog post where there is a video showing the stamps with card samples. I will be showing all the samples I made and sent to Joanna for the TV show and the video - here on my blog over the next few days.. with more photos and details.

Back to today's freebie... I thought I'd share an image that carry's on with the theme of the Ocean... A turtle.
Here it is....

I hope you like it.. Enjoy!...
Thanks for visiting... see you later today..
.... later.....
Here's a card I made today with my turtle freebie...

See you soon

Joanna Sheen's Tales of the Ocean Rubber Stamps

Video Samples using the rubber stamp designs I did for Joanna Sheen.
I counted 14 of my own cards, one from my daughter and 3 from a friend of mine that came to my house for a 'Craft-a-thon' last Saturday Lol...

The Tales of the Ocean Rubber Stamp set will be on sale from Sunday 13th March 2011 first of all on Create and Craft TV and then from the Joanna Sheen Shop straight after the show.

I will be adding some of my cards in more detail over the weekend..

Latest digi stamp

Here's a couple of cards made with my latest stamp in the shop - called 'Baby on Blanket'... I know I couldn't think of what to call it...so I called it what it is Lol!

I really enjoyed colouring him with promarkers. I cut along the edge of the blanket and layered the image onto some inked background paper that I made using distress inks, but first adding a row of doodly bits with a white gell pen where the edge of the blanket is to give a fluffy look... well, I think it does anyway... artistic license Lol!
Here's the second card I made... the baby had to be a little girl this time...

This time I experimented with using bits of polar white flower soft to give texture to the blanket... but I don't think I will be doing that again...or at least if I do, next time I will layer the baby on top.. but it's a learning curve fun thing with cards... if you try something new then you know for next time..

Thanks for visiting today.. I will be back over the weekend with some of the sample cards I made for Joanna Sheen - with my new rubber stamp designs that she is launching on Create and Craft TV on Sunday 2pm GMT... she might even show some of the cards too.
Catch you later...
Hugs

I have another award!

I've been given another blog award..
this time by Scrapcat...You can see her blog here

Thank you so much I accept it with great pleasure.
There are a few rules attached which are:

1. To accept the award and write about it.
2. Display it.
3. Pass it on to 3-5 blogs and tell them they have been given the award. The idea is to showcase great but not well known blogs so don't give it to anyone with 3000+ followers.

My choices are

Sue & Supernan Sue - Stitch-A-Greeting Craft group

Jan - l o v e s t o c r a f t

Susan - Keeping in Touch

S Jane - Simply Jane

Lesley - Grenouille Greetings

I hope you enjoy your award as much as I enjoy getting mine...
..Bye for now..
Hug

Baby Girl card

Over at the "Less is More" blog this week the Challenge is to use Pastels - so here's my card..

I used some papermania Henbury lane papers plus a plain lilac card. After punching the borders I cut up each of the little dots - scored along the tops and curled the edges to give a frilly edge... well, I think it looks sort of frilly Lol! Not wanting to add too much to the white space I decided to use my big bite to punch a few holes down the top right side. I think the little baby feet charm is so dainty and love using them so added one to this cardThe sparkly foiled greeting is one of my own.

I've decided to add this into the Less is more challange and One stitch at a Time challenge this week which is 'Use a Charm'... where there are some really lovely cards made with a few of my digi stamps already on show - take a look if you have the chance.

Thanks for visiting today. I hope to bring some exciting news very soon about a brand new set of rubber stamps that I designed for Joanna sheen - she is launching them this weekend on Create and Craft TV.... Watch this space for more news.... Hugs

Clean & Simple Weekly Challenge #4

Talk about cutting it fine!!... I have only just been able to make a card for this challenge.. I have been so busy all this week making sample cards for Joanna Sheen using her brand new stamps designed by me!.. More about all this later... for now, here's my card for this weeks challenge which is '3 Squares'
I hope this is ok.... As you can see, I have used 3 squares for the vase..... which I made from card inking the edges and sticking 2 little foiled squares for decoration..

Thanks for visiting... I am behind with so many day to day internet stuff... I have an award to pick up and will be adding this over the weekend... All will be back to normal after Tuesday....

Hugs
xx

I got an award!...

Thank You to a fellow blogger also called Sylvie for this lovely award..

Many Thanks also to MaxineD, who back in December also gave me this lovely blog award, but due to the death in my family at the new year, I did mean to put it on my blog but I forgot all about it with all the things going on at the time. So My apologies to Maxine over at Kiwime's Kreations... I hope you understand. ... and again.. Thank you for this award.

The conditions of this Award are.....
Step 1 - Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award!
Step 2 - Share 7 random things about yourself
Step 3 – Award 7 recently discovered bloggers with this award
Step 4 – Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won the award.

Here are 7 random things about myself Lol:

• I tried to pluck a peacocks feather
• I was once chased away by said peacock!!
• I am a Gemini
• I press flowers occassionally
• Gigglebits (CBeebies) really makes me laugh! well, I am a granny He he...
• I made a bonsai card for Garret Wang (StarTrek Voyager)..to say Thankyou for getting all the cast to sign a photo for me... which I still have.
• One day I really want to see the Northern Lights!

I'd like to pass this award onto these lovely bloggers....

Diane at Just add Glue

Ann at Just for Fun

Robyn at Rainbows by Robyn

Jack at Jacks Arty Crafty Kreations

Larissa at Car-D-elicious

Laura at Ink & Sheep

and finally.... Jose at Jose's Jottings

.. right, I'd better go and let these lovely ladies know that I am passing this fabby award onto them..

catch you all soon...
Hug
xx

Clean & Simple weekly challange - Spring theme

Over that the "Less is More" weekly challenge blog the theme this week is 'Spring'.

Here is my card
I was given this UM rubber stamp (along with a few others that are similar) many years ago from a friend in US..(Thank you Lee if you are reading this) I have no idea what stamp company it is from I just love the image.

I stamped it using Tim Holtz Forest moss distress ink. I used a damp paint brush to colour in the leaves, a promarker (Putty) to lightly shade the flowers with a hint of pink then used a glue pen to stick some clear 'oil on water' effect foil for the wings. Here's a better view of the foil on the wings
I used a Martha stewart punch for the bottom edge.. rubber stamped the words again using the forest green ink... added the 2 types of ribbon plus a bow and mounted it all onto a white A5 card base.
I think it looks quite nice. :o)

I haven't had the chance to draw any freebies for a few weeks due to feeling poorly. I am enjoying making these cards in the mean time though.... I hope to be back to normal soon.

Thanks for visiting... your comments are always welcome.

One Layer Card

I've been off the radar for a few days due to not feeling very well. I want to thank everyone for their lovely comments on previous posts.
Hopefully I will soon be back to normal, for now I have made a few cards.

The Challenge over at 'Less is More' for this week is to make a one layer card with a theme of a flower or a tree. The first card I made I forgot all about the theme and spent ages measuring and masking stamps, it's only when I finished that I realised what I had done LOL!!.. so, after laughting at myself, I got over it and started all over again Lol..
Here is my card for this week's challenge:
Here's how I made it... the card is a cream 6" square... after masking off the edges leaving a square in the middle, I used a real skeleton leaf as a stamp by inking with a brayer - placing it inked side down - covering with paper and using the brayer again to press the ink onto the card... [I saw Barbara Gray demo-ing this on one of her fab TV shows on Create and craft and thought, what a good idea!..]. I then stamped the flower and the sentiment and doodled the frame - adding a few gems to finish.

Thanks for visiting..

Hugs

Oriental card

I was actually inspired while visiting the dentist today!! can you believe that!.. I saw a tiny little oriental card on the distant wall behind the receptionists desk.. all I could see was the black oriental bridge and some trees..(my eyes are bad Lol)... but enough for it to spark my imagination knowing what stamps I have with one of my oriental lady new digital stamps.

I have used an 8" x 8" card base, stamping several of my bonsai trees leaving the pots un inked... coloured them with promarker pens. I made the oriental style bridge (well it looks it to me anyway - artistic licence Lol).. using the large lattice Martha Stewart punch. The Roses are ones I made a while back . After adding some pink punched flowers, I added some sequins and tiny rhinestones to embellish. The lady is coloured with promarkers and then I used a glue pen to add red foil in a pattern. I feel quite pleased with myself... and I have really inky fingers Lol!!

Here's my card

Thanks for visiting today... See you soon

Hugs