A Fluffy Cloud

Good morning my crafty friends - I hope you are well on this bright Tuesday morning!

Unfortunately, today is the last post of my residency as a Guest Designer at Top Tip Tuesday. :o( Ladies, thanks sooooooooo much for having me the last 4 weeks - I have had a blast! This fortnight's challenge is Numbers and today brings our mid-challenge reminder. As a recap we're looking for numbers on your projects ... perfect for Birthdays and/or Anniversaries, and we'd love to see how creative you can be!

There are two amazing sponsors lined up for the winners of this challenge. Jodie from Bugaboo Stamps is offering one lucky random winner 7 digis of their choice! And Tammy Lousie from Shape EZ is offering our second winner 2 digital shape templates of their choice! And, as if that wasn't enough, you too could be a future Top Tip Tuesday Guest Designer just by leaving a great tip!


Both of our fabby sponsors gave the DT free rein with our choice of which of their products we would like to showcase. Last week I designed with one of Jodie's great images. As promised, this week, I'm showcasing one of Tammy Louise's beautiful card templates:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - is the Shape EZ Cloud Card template which I've printed at normal onto lightweight cream card and digitally layered the DPs over. Then I cut out the shapes that make up the template, layered them together, popped a few folds in to make the card stand up and ... hey presto, one Cloud Card! The size of this card printed at this size is just 9cm high by 12.5cm wide, but there are resizeable files included in the download so you can make it your own size.
• Design Papers - are all from the set Just a Number by Krystal Hartley and available at Sweete Shoppe Designs. I've used 3 of the papers in this kit, including the fun numbers paper, and printed these directly onto the cloud template.
  
• Image - this great umbrella is by Nana Vic and is the first image in the current Progressive Freebie Challenge over at Crafter's Digital Art Center (there's still time for you to join in too!). This item does not appear to be for sale in Nana Vic's store, although there is plenty of other gorgeousness over there! I brought this gorgeous brolly to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Main Umbrella Fabric - CR1, CR2
• Spots and Umbrella Trim - DG4
• Umbrella Handle - GB8, GB10
• Metalwork - Gold Gel Pen
• Outline - GG1
• Sentiment -  is of course by my favourite designer, Paulette at Create with TLC. If you're not following her blog, why ever not ... she gives away a free (yes, free) piece of word art every day!
• Bow - made from twine from my stash
• Pearls - are from my stash and here is this week's TOP TIP for you: Take a leaf from garden designers and use embellishments in odd numbers, 3 or 5 or 7. This helps to draw the viewer's eye through your design and makes your project more pleasing as it looks more natural.

The Top Tip Tuesday girls have got some great projects and tips for you, so I hope you'll head over and see their Numbers. Don't forget to come back and show us your creations! This challenge ends on Monday 10th June.

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

• Progressive Freebie Challenge (April-June) at Crafter's Digital Art Center
• Day 148 - Micro-Managed at 365 Cards My three teeny tiny elements are 3 small pearls, 1 small bow, 2 very small stars cut through the top layer of DP (just visible to the left of the sentiment strip)

Have a great day!

Hugs, Helen x

Thinking of You

Good Evening All,

This is another non-DT post from me ... and I'm using up some stash too! It's the beginning of March, and I'm still managing (in some form or another) to keep up with my resolution ... :oD

Here's a card I've made, having been inspired by a Freebie sentiment:

• Base Card - a pre-made A6 card blank in cream
• Design Papers - are from a set by Erica Zane called Grow and you can get this mini pack from Sweet Shoppe Designs. I've used Papers 2, 3 and 4 from the pack for this card.
• Image -a cover freebie cling stamp from Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine. It came from a set called "The Floral Collection". I inked it up using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad and brought the flowers and leaves to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:


• Flowers - GB1, GB3, GB4, GB5
• Leaves - BT2, BT4, BT5, BT9
• Sprays - Versamark Pen and Gold Embossing Powder
• Outline - GG1
• Sentiment - is called "Thinking of You"  and it was a freebie at Beccy's Place last week. I love the wording of the Irish Blessing behind the main part of the sentiment and it is very reminiscent of a version that I have sung on many occasions at Guide events ... yes, another favourite vesper!

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

• AC157 - Sketch Challenge at Annabelle Stamps - I've rotated the sketch through 180°
• Challenge 55 - Blue and Yellow at Little Miss Muffet
• Inspiration Challenge Group - Photo Inspiration at Crafter's Digital Art Center
• Challenge #50 - Un-Inked Stamp at Use It Tuesday - not only has my image stamp never been inked up before, it's also been sat in my craft drawer since spring 2012 when it was a magazine cover gift, so I'm using my stash too! The card blank I've used was in a pack that I bought nearly 2 years ago, when I first started making cards.

Hope you've had a good weekend.

Hugs, Helen x

Beary Nice!

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

Good Morning All!

Sorry this post is a little late ... I've had rather a hectic weekend doing lots of boring (yawn!) but very essential paperwork, and although I made my card, I didn't get a chance to write the post. Anyway, it being a Monday morning it's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs, and this week it's Bears, Bears, Bears!

Our sponsor this week is the lovely Gerda from The Stamp Fairy, and she is offering this week's lucky winner a $10 Gift Certificate to her store. And with so many great images there, you're sure to be spoilt for choice! Gerda has also provided some images for the DT to use this week and, as it that wasn't enough, we've been joined by Chrissy and Larissa from The Stamp Fairy DT. Gorgeous inspiration ladies, thank you!

So, here is my beary (sorry, I just couldn't help myself!) nice card featuring a Stamp Fairy image:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - is Centura Pearl in Snow White, which I have cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card.
• Design Paper - is from my The Snowman Papercrafting CD-Rom. I tweaked the colour using the in-built 'Colouriser' function to reach this shade of blue. I then embossed a large star shape which is on my Ultimate Pro onto the paper, and then cut this out.
• Image - This gorgeous little bear is called Toby Everyday Angel 4 and you can get him and other complimentary designs) by clicking here. I have brought Toby to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Bear Fur - BGR1, BGR3
• Bear Nose - IB2
• Bear Halo - Silver Gel Pen
• Outline - IG1
• Wings - TB1, Silver Gel Pen to make hatched lines to give a gauzy effect
• Clouds - IG1, Silver Gel Pen
• Background - Chalks in Light Blue
• Edge lines - Silver Gel Pen
• Sentiment - is by the talented Paulette at Create with TLC and was a freebie she gave away on her blog in August last year. As soon as I saw the image selection, I knew this was the sentiment I would use for this card as it is just perfect! I drew lines around the edge of my sentiment in Silver Gel Pen, so it ties in with my image.

There is bucketloads of wonderful inspiration over at Incy Wincy Designs, not only from my talented team-mates and The Stamp Fairy girls, but we also have Saumya joining us as a Guest Designer this month. So do check out their gorgeous Bears, Bears, Bears projects and leave the girls some blog love! Don't forget to come back and share your creations with us - you've got until Sunday 7th October 2012 to link your cards up.

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

• Challenge #28 - Use a Digi at The Cutie Pie Challenge
• Challenge #136 - Pretty Pastels at Totally Papercrafts (Second Entry)
• Fortnightly Challenge 46 - Anything Goes at Forever Friends
• Challenge #5 - Let's See your Humour at Chalk 'n' Stock - I know it's not side splitting humour, but I think my sentiment is quite amusing in relation to the image!

Hugs, Helen x