Masculine Valentine

Howdy my crafting buddies! Long time no speak! Hope you are all well and a warm welcome to Adaline, who is my newest follower - hope you enjoy my creations!

Well, despite my hopes on my last post with my new job-share joining the team at school, things didn't quite work out as planned and the lady left after just 2 weeks 😞 Since then however, things have moved on apace and another lady has been appointed, so I now have a "new new" job-share and she started yesterday. Early days yet, but I'm hopeful that this one will stay as she seems to have picked up our ways very quickly whilst I've been training her. Please keep your fingers crossed because I badly need my crafty-time back. 😉

It's new challenge time over at Feeling Sketchy and our prize for you this time is a $10 Gift Certificate to any online store of your choice!

Here's the sketch we're playing with this time, as designed by Michelle:

and here's my card using this sketch as the base for my layout:

I've gone for a monochrome, masculine look for this card limiting my colour palette to black and silver - Valentine's card for Papa Mia sorted 😉!!!!!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is Centura Pearl Snow White Silver card which I have cut, scored and folded to make a DL sized card base
• Inset card - is a piece of matt black card from my stash which I cut to 20cm x 7.8cm
• Hearts - are from a Leonie Pujol stamp set which is free with Crafter's Inspiration Magazine Issue 13. I've stamped these entwined hearts using my VersaColour Silver Ink Pad, using a stamping mask on the left hand side of the card to make the hearts look layered.
• Banners - are cut from scraps of black and Centura Pearl Snow White Silver using my layered banner die which was in my Crafter's Companion Advent Calendar 2016. I ran the banners through my Big Shot using my Darice Script Background embossing folder before swiping a little silver ink over the black ones to make them stand out a little more.
• Sentiment - is from the Swirly String Sentiments Stamp Set (only available now as a Digital Stamp Set) by Lili of the Valley which I stamped using VersaColour Silver Ink.

I hope that I have inspired you to come along and join in at Feeling Sketchy this time. However, if you're in need of any further inspiration, please do head over to the blog and check out the other wonderful creations by my clever teamies. Then come back and share your creations with us. We'll be back with our next challenge on 15th February 2017.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

• Challenge #172 - Masculine Projects with a sentiment at Aud Sentiments
• Challenge #181 - Love, Love, Love at Crafty Cardmakers
• Challenge #148 - All about Love at Dream Valley Challenges
• Challenge #186 - Hearts and/or Flowers at A Gem of a Challenge
• Challenge #73 - Valentines Card at Crafting with Dragonflies
• All About Love Challenge at Di's Digi Designs Challenge
• Challenge #328 - Love Notes at Tuesday Throwdown

Hope you have a great day!

Hugs, Helen x

A Golden Time!

Hello all!

Hope you've had a good start to the week. Yesterday was "back to school" day for us at Casa Mia - not too many poorly peeps for the first day back, so I managed to get some admin bits and bobs tied up! 

Although I made this card last month, somehow I just didn't get around to blogging it and as a few challenges have popped up in my blogger feed I thought now would be a great time to air this beauty!

A good friend asked me to make a card celebrating her parents' Golden Wedding Anniversary, and gave me free rein to do what I wanted .... eeeeeek!!!!!!!! This was the result ... a double gatefold card:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is Snow White Gold Centura Pearl which I have cut, scored and folded to make a Double Gatefold Card using this tutorial at SplitCoast Stampers. I had to tweak the measurements slightly as an A4 sheet of card is fractionally smaller than 30cm in length, but I forgot to make a note of all the measurements - doh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Backing Paper - is a design called Tpl Gold Foil Paper 21 Gold (from the That Photo Life Gold Papers Kit) by Marisa Lerin at Pixel Scrapper Digital Scrapbooking, which I've used on the outside of the card to back my Centura Pearl and also on the inside of the card

• Images - are from freebie stamp set which came with a Cardmaking & Papercraft Magazine some time ago. I've stamped these onto Neenah Solar White cardstock using VersaMark Ink and then given them a liberal coating of gold embossing powder which I then heated. Once dry and cool, I fussy cut around the images and attached them to the front panels of my card with foam pads.

• Sentiment - is another stamp from the Cardmaking & Papercraft Magazine set, which I've stamped directly onto the rear panel using gold ink

• Ribbon - is from my stash and I've attached this to the outside of the rear panel of the card, and then threaded it behind the stem of the champagne flute so that it stays in place when the card is open.

Sorry this post is very "photo heavy", but I wanted to show you all the golden elements that went into this card ;o)!

I would like to enter this project into the following challenges:

• Challenge #161 - Shaped Cards at Crafty Cardmakers
• Challenge 420 -Something Shiny at Cute Card Thursday - my gold ribbon and embossing are the shiny elements on this card
• April Challenge - Shaped Cards at Sasayaki Glitter Challenge
• Week 15 - Emboss It at Digi Choosday Crafting Challenge

That's it from me for today. I've got a few errands to run now, and then I might get to "play" a little later on. Whatever you're up to today, I hope you get some crafty time.

Hugs, 

Helen x

Little green goddess

This is my first post of the day - please scroll up to see my second post

Good morning all! I've been having internet access and blogger problems most of last week, so I'm sorry this full post is now a few hours late ... but we're up and running now!

It's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs again, and our challenge for you this week is Monochromatic Green.

We are sponsored by  Care2Stamp and not only is Kim providing our winner with a $15.00 Gift Certificate for her store, but she's also provided the images that the DT are using this week. Thank you Kim!

  

I don't think I have made a wholly green card and, to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure about this one but here is my project for you:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - is Centura Pearl in Gold (although it looks green to me!) from a pack called Christmas which I have cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card.
• Design Papers - the strip of paper is from a set called Floral Delights which was a Crafter's Companion Member's download in 2010 and the wavy circle (made using the largest rosette shape from the "nest" on the Ultimate Pro Embossing Board Springtime Sweets and Cupcake Treats) comes from my Paintbox Poppets CD-rom.
• Image - This little cutie is called Summer Fairy and you can get her by clicking here. I have brought this little fairy to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Skin - FS3, FS6
• Hair - EB1, DG2, CG2, CG4, DG1, DG4
• Dress - CG1, CG2, CG4
• Shoes - CG2, CG4
• Wings - EB1, DG2, DG4, Colourless Blender
• Outline - GG1
• Flowers - made from a flower punch and I used the Floral Delights  DP. I punched 2 rounds of flowers for each flower, slightly offsetting the top one (so that the 2 layers of petals are visible), and then added a gem (from my stash) to the centre of each flower.
• Posh Pins - the large beads came from Hobbycraft's 'pick & mix' bead section and the small frosted beads are from Sanctuary Beads.

Head on over to Incy Wincy Designs and see the beautiful Monochromatic Green projects my talented team-mates and our Guest Designer Kim (owner of Care2Stamp) have made, and then come back and share your creation with us! You've got until Sunday 23rd September 2012 to link your cards up.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (with some help from the girls at Feline Playful - thanks girls):

• Challenge #37 - Bingo at Ruby's Rainbow I claim a diagonal line of Gems, Flowers and Pins
• Challenge #33 - Things with Wings at Love To Create
• TPE166 - Monochromatic at The Pink Elephant
• Make It Girly at Whoopsie Daisy
• Fortnightly Challenge Number 45 - Colour Challenge at Forever Friends
• Challenge 26 - Anything Goes at The Squirrel and The Fox
• Challenge #111 - I Believe I Can Fly at Raise The Bar Challenge

Take care, Helen x

Brrring, brringgggg ...

Hi,

As it's first Tuesday of the month, the wonderful Debbie has released a new set of images over at  The Crafty Pad Store.

There are 6 different images being released today; Birds in a Frame, Telephone, Chair, Table, Oil Lamp and a Dog & Gramophone (which are being sold together as a set). All of the images are silhouettes which will give a gorgeous, vintage feel to your projects, but they also lend themselves to a speedy but good looking "make" for those occasions when time is of the essence!

The whole Design Team have been given at least one image to create a project to inspire you with, so here is mine:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - Centura Pearl 300gsm card in Ivory, cut and folded to make a 12cm square card.
• Mat & Layer Card - plain black card from my stash
• Design Paper - is called Invoice Paper 4 and is by Paulette at Create with TLC. This was a prize for a scavenger hunt she ran on her blog earlier this year.
• Image - Telephone is by Debbie at The Crafty Pad Store and is one of the gorgeous silhouette images being released today. Click here to go directly to the New Releases section at Crafty Pad Designs. Don't forget to check out the other great images that are also newly released. I tried a new technique for me and ink distressed the edge using my Spectrum Noir Pen in DG4 and then used the Colourless Blender to soften the edges.
• Sentiment - is also by Paulette at Create with TLC and I ink distressed it as well. I then used some waxed linen thread to "tie" it across my card.
• Black Gems - from my stash ... with my very vivid imagination, I think they look like Jet to go with this Bakelite telephone from a bygone era!

Now, here are three reasons to make sure you head over straight to The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog 

1. Check out the gorgeous "makes" from the other DT Girls - I feel so privileged to be working with this exceedingly talented group of ladies. Don't forget to pop over to their blogs and leave them some love too! 
2. We are giving away one FULL SET of  these new images to one lucky person. To be in with a chance of adding these gorgeous silhouettes to your stash, all you have to do is leave us a comment on the New Release Post and let us know what you think of them. Easy!
3. We're even giving you a second chance in this draw - simply make sure you follow The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog (and if you don't already, why not?) and then leave us a further comment letting us know you're a follower!  :o)

All comments left on the New Release Post up to midday (BST) on Monday 11th June 2012 will be entered into our draw, and the winner's name will be announced on the Blog in our Winner's post on Thursday 14th June.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges (with a little help from the girls at Feline Playful - thanks girls!) :

• Remember When .......? at Joanna Sheen
• Anything Goes, with the option of twine at Simon Says
• Anything Goes,  using something that's at least 6 months old at Oldie But A Goodie (My old stash ... I bought the gems from a hypermarket in France whilst on holiday in August 2011 and I used the black card for the first card I ever made in April 2011!)
• Challenge 25 - Time to Embellish at Crafter's Companion
• Challenge 28 - Many Layers at Crafting for all Seasons

Have a crafty week!

Hugs, Helen x