BasicGrey Challenges 29 - Sketch

Hi everyone, long time no blogging for me due to work on the house so I hope you're all well and it's nice to be posting at last. We have a new challenge on BasicGrey Challenges which is a gorgeous sketch to work from by our lovely Tara G, thanks T! As always there's fantastic inspiration from my DT friends and a wonderful prize from our sponsor Simon Says Stamp so I hope you can join us. A reminder that our DT call ends tonight at 11pm GMT so if you're interested in joining us on the DT here is the post with all the information.

For my card I've flipped the sketch round and done my stamping in the square element  with a Paper Artsy stamp and distress ink, the background on the stamped piece is also distress inks smoothed on to the card with a baby wipe. For the circular element I've used a free sentiment stamp from Craft Stamper magazine stamped onto acetate. Background papers are from the BG Boxer collection, I used a Martha Stewart punch for the border and lots of flowers and Martha Stewart punched leaves to decorate. Have a good Saturday.

BasicGrey Challenges 27 - Fabric

Hi everyone and another couple of weeks have flown by which means it's a new challenge at BasicGrey Challenges. This time we have a them of fabric, so some kind of fabric on your creation plus an item from a BasicGrey collection which means you'll be in with a chance of winning a prize form our sponsor Simon Says Stamp. My DT friends have some wonderful cards using fabric and I hope you can join us.

I've used a Crafty Secrets Cotton Scraps image as my fabric element and I've frayed the edges slightly then attached over some BasicGrey Sugared paper and a die cut doily. A couple of glittered chipboard hearts, ribbon and pearls finished it off. Enjoy your Saturday.

BG 20 - Punch It!

Hi everyone, hope your weekend is off to a good start. It's 'punch it' on BG Challenges this time and there's some wonderful inspiration from my DT friends and a great prize from our sponsor Simon Says Stamp, I hope you can join us.

I've used Crafty Secrets stamps for my card  water coloured with distress inks. The background paper is from the BasicGrey Capella collection and my scalloped edge was punched with a Fiskars scalloped punch. Enjoy your Saturday and TFL.

BG Challenges 14

Hi everyone, hope the weekend is off to a good start for you. A card today for the next BasicGrey Challenge and this time there’s a lovely inspiration photograph as the theme. As always my DT friends have come up with some amazing cards so I hope you can join us. As always we’re sponsored by Simon Says Stamp with another great prize on offer as long as you include an item by BasicGrey.

I went with the yellow colour from the photograph and the little bunny on the shelf so I’ve used some paper from the Porcelain collection, which is so pretty with a lacey pattern and also some of the new Magnolia bunny paper. I’ve stamped the sweet Little Bunny Tilda from the new Magnolia Easter collection and she’s coloured with distress inks then cut out. The lace and white sparkly roses are by Magnolia as is the sentiment, the daffodils are from my stash. I just realised that I’ve left off the other two butterflies that were supposed to be in the middle panel :), will have to see to that later! Enjoy your Saturday and TFL.

BasicGrey Challenge 11 – Photo inspiration

 

Hi everyone, we have the first challenge of the new year on BasicGrey Challenges starting today and it’s a lovely photo inspiration theme this time. We have a gorgeous ‘Nook and Pantry’ themed prize sponsored by Simon Says Stamp and there are superb cards from my DT friends so I hope you can join us. Best wishes to the lovely Kristen who sadly has left the team and we all wish you well.

I’ve made a card based on the pretty colours in the photo and I’ve done some pleating of the BasicGrey Obscure paper as there’s a great ‘how to’ by Mina on the Just Magnolia blog this week so I’m entering my card for that challenge too. The sweet Tilda stamp is water coloured with Ranger distress inks, cut out and then stickled and the background card is Bazzil swiss dots with a card blank made from Core’dinations teal card. TFL and have a good weekend.

Basic Grey 10 – Colour Combo

 

Hi everyone, hope you’re all well and getting organised for Christmas, I don’t know where the time is going, the weeks are speeding by so fast! A card today for BasicGrey Challenges and a lovely colour combination this time of cream, pink and blue. Fantastic inspiration awaits you from my DT friends so I hope you can join us. This is the last challenge until 9th January as we’re having a little break over Christmas and as always there’s a lovely prize on offer as long as you use a BasicGrey product on your creation.
I’ve gone for a cream card blank, mat layer and the centre of the heart for the cream part of the colour combo and used BG Wisteria paper for the blue with nestie die cuts, ribbon and pearls for the pink. The gorgeous Christmas stamp is from Crafty Individuals and I’ve stamped it and then sponged with Ranger distress inks in Antique Linen, Tattered Rose, Broken China and then added some stickles to the wings. Sentiment stamp is by Woodware and there’s some doodling with a pink sparkle gel pen. Hope you have a lovely weekend. TFL.

BasicGrey 8 – Glitz and Bling

Hi everyone, another BasicGrey challenge has rolled round, I don’t know where the weeks are going! This time we have a lovely theme of Glitz and Bling and a great Indian Summer themed prize from our sponsor Simon Says Stamp. There’s wonderful inspiration from my DT friends, so I hope you can join us.

I’ve used my gorgeous sitting Tilda with glitter so she’s perfect for this challenge and I’ve coloured her with distress inks then cut her out. The papers are from BG Eskimo Kisses and I’ve die cut some with oval nestabilities and punched the bottom layer with an EK Success scalloped punch. The sentiment is a die cut and the test is metallic red but it’s not showing up too well. I did a bit of doodling with a white gel pen, and went over Tilda’s hair, dress and socks with a Spica glitter pen for some more glitz, was generous with my favourite stardust stickles then added a bow and some sparkly star gems to the hairband and background to finish. Have a great weekend in the blustery weather if you’re in the UK! TFL.

BasicGrey Challenges 3 - Inspiration Challenge

Hi everyone, hope you're all well and have had a good week. A card today for BasicGrey Challenges where this week we have an inspiration photograph for you. There are gorgeous creations from my DT friends who've come up with some wonderful interpretations of the photo. I hope you can join us again this time and of course there's a fantastic new monthly prize on offer which is very kindly sponsored by Simon Says Stamp, as long as there is a BG product used somewhere on your creation you'll automatically be entered.

For my card I used the colours in the bed quilt as my starting point and made a four and a quarter inch gatefold card. I've used gold Bazzil card for the card blank, aqua for the matting layers and PP from BG Porcelain pad then inked the edges with distress ink. I've used a Tilda from the Autumn kit and also the two pears and the rolling pin accessory stamps which have all been coloured with markers, cut out and layered on the card. I hand wrote a sentiment on the label on the rolling pin, added some stickles and a pretty shot silk ribbon to finish. Hope you have a great weekend. Chris x

BasicGrey Challenges#2 = Colour Theme

Hi eveyone, hope you've had a good week and are ready for the weekend. Time for another Basic Grey Challlenge. This time we have a colour challenge for you and some fantastic inspiration from my design team friends, you'll be spoiled for choice! For this card I've used a Sugar Nellie Gorjuss Girl image which is watercoloured with distress inks and I've added lots of stickles glitter glue to her dress. The background layers are cream bazzil card which is embossed with a CB Swiss dots embossing folder and BG Bittersweet paper. All of the layers are sponded around the edges with vintage photo distress ink. The card blank is a papermania scalloped card. I've done some doodling around the edges with a pink glitter gel pen, two pink eyelets and added a pink tulle ribbon to finish. Have a lovely weekend. TFL. Chris x

BasicGrey Challenges #1 - Sketch

Hi everyone, hope your weekend is off to a good start, it definitely is for me, BasicGrey Challenges are back with a whole new look blog, fortnightly combinable (is that a word?) challenges and a great sponsor on a monthly basis, Simon Says Stamp. Lots of changes and all the info can be found on the blog with fantastic inspiration from my DT friends and our lovely guest designer for August, June. Hope you can join us for the first challenge which is a gorgeous sketch designed by our very talented Tara and which I loved so much I made a layout!!! Thanks Tara, it's a really great one.

I've used June Bug papers and photographs from our holiday which I've altered in photoshop to give an art print look. The background is aqua bazzil card, I've embossed it here and there with the Morroccon screen cuttlebug folder and all the photo's and die cut letters are matted with black bazzil card. I was really excited about this layout partly because I hardly ever make them and then because I entered it for the BasicGrey website gallery and they've accepted it, big grin from ear to ear! Hope you have a lovely weekend and some sun, wherever you are. TFL. Chris x

BasicGrey Challenge 36 - Doodling

Hi everyone, Saturday and time for another BasicGrey challenge. 

From the blog:

"This week we would love to see some doodling on your creations, this can be any type of doodling you can think of so let your imaginations run wild :), but please remember to use at least 1 item from BasicGrey somewhere on your creations :)

Now please remember that we will be closing the blog down next week to completely update and re - vamp it, so this will be the last challenge here on BasicGrey challenges as you know it :), we wont be able to announce here when we will be re - opening so keep an eye on the DT blogs for the news :)"

Hope you can join us this week, my DT friends have come up with some fabulous inspiration as always for doodling ideas, they're all so creative.

I've doodled dots all around the scalloped edges of my card, added a layer of BG Ambrosia paper where I've distressed all the edges, a scalloped circle die cut nestie frame and the image which is by Penny Black from the clear stamp teddy set and is watercoloured with distress inks. The image is also cut out with the plain circle nestie, doodled on the edges and I've drawn in some birds too. The sentiment is from a Papermania sentiment set, also cut out with nestie circles and then tucked beneath the horizontal panel. Added some stardust stickles and pretty buttons to finish. Enjoy your Saturday and see you tomorrow with my Colour Create card. Chris x

BasicGrey Challenge 34

Hi everyone, Saturday again already and time for the BasicGrey Challenge. This week there's a wonderful sketch to follow by our lovely Anthea which can be flipped, stretched etc., as long as the sketch is still visible and at least one BasicGrey product must be used. Fantastic inspiration on the blog, the girls have done wonders with this sketch, all so different and inspiring, we all loved it and I enjoyed making a long card for a change. Hope you can join us this week.

I finally got to use this lovely SN stamp that I've had for a while and I've coloured her with distress inks and sponged and painted the background then added some Stickles. The patterned background paper I've made by stamping BasicGrey Pom Bitsy stamps in various colours of distress inks all over the white paper and then sponging with Antique Linen over the top, unfortunately not too much of it is showing due to the humungous ribbon and bow! The other layers are BG Wisteria and some vellum. See you tomorrow with CC card and enjoy your Saturday. Chris x

BasicGrey Challenge 33

For this weeks challenge we would like you to use this colour combo :)

Black + Grey + 1

Now you may be asking what does the +1 mean, well this means that you can choose the third colour for your creation :), sounds like fun doesn't it :), now don't forget that you must also use at least 1 item from basicgrey somewhere on your creation, so have fun and we can wait to see your wonderful creations and what third colour you have chosen :) Now to make this challenge that much sweeter, we have a fabulous prize to give away to one lucky winner. I just wanted to share this wonderful news with you all, for the entire month of May we have a new fabulous and extremely talented Guest Designer joining us, Her name is June Houck and i am sure you will all make her feel right at home, be sure to stop by June's blog and say hello , and while you are there you will see for yourself just how talented she really is :)"

I hope you can join us this week at BasicGrey Challenges and that you'll pop over to the blog to see all the wonderful inspiration from my DT friends. Those girls are so good and I love their choices of  the third colour!  I've gone for cream for my card. A huge welcome to our guest designer for May, June is a lovely lady who I've met by being on the BasicGrey DT, she's a very sweet person and makes beautiful cards, I'm so pleased that she's agreed to join us this month. 

I've used my 'sleeping dog' digi stamp for this card, I seem to be on a male card theme this week as I need  men's cards for family birthdays this month! There's a minimal amount of water colouring again as the shading is mostly in the sketch style image. Used my lovely new nestabilities dies to cut out the image and the grey mat that I received in my gorgeous blog candy parcel this week from Bev (thank you Bev for all the gorgeous goodies ;) . The papers are BasicGrey Granola which I love to use for men's cards and I've layered them up with grey bazzil card and a black papermania card blank. I added some doodling and piercing, some distressing on the paper edges and black gems, the sentiment is from a Woodware set.

Hope you have a great bank holiday weekend and hopefully some nice weather where you are. See you tomorrow with my Colour Create card. TFL. Chris x

BasicGrey Challenge 32 - Sketch

Hi everyone, hope your weekend is off to a good start, don't know where this week has gone and I haven't managed that much blog commenting I'm afraid, hopefully will catch up very soon. On to Challenge 32 at BasicGrey which this week is a sketch challenge by me. Hope you like it and that you'll be able to join us this week. There's great inspiration from my DT friends, I love how they all interpreted the sketch in their own wonderfully unique ways and as always there's a lovely prize to be won.

I've used a cute Magnolia image which has been watercoloured with distress inks and then cut out and mounted over layers of BG Lime Ricky paper all of which has been distressed on the edges and violet Core'dinations card. I added the flowers, a MS punched strip and some dots on the pp with a sparkly gel pen. Finished off with a woodware sentiment and some doodlebug candy dots.

I thought I'd show a couple of other pictures today, they're not that great as I had to take them with the zoom on and through the kitchen window! We have a pair of Robins that have nested in our garden, the first fledgling left the nest yesterday and headed straight for the patio much to the concern of the parents. It's so cute, tiny and funny, seems to be all head and mouth and very long legs! It did a few falling over backwards somersaults when it's mother/father fed it and tried to encourage it into the shrubbery where it did eventually go. The parents have been flying about and doing their warning dances and also trying to feed the others that must be still in the nest. I'm as worried about them as the parents are as there are cats on both sides of us and one already knows where the nest is even though our dog has seen it off several times! I hope their babies survive. Sorry, another long post from me! See you tomorrow with my Colour Create card. TFL. Chris x

BasicGrey Challenge 31 - Paper Piecing

Hi everyone, another Saturday ( it came round very quickly!) and another Challenge at BasicGrey!

"This weeks challenge is is a firm favourite for allot of people (including me), so for this weeks challenge we would like to see some paper piecing in your creations :), please remember though that you must use at least one item from BasicGrey somewhere in your creation, and most of all have fun creating"

Hope you can join us again this week, loads of great inspiration on the blog from my DT friends and a great prize too.

I've used a gorgeous new Bollywood dancer digital image Surahbi by my friend Sandra at Sandra Dry Digital Designs and she's one of four dancers and an amazing background image in her new Bollywood Set. I think they're all brilliant and a great excuse to break out the bling! I printed the image and coloured her with markers and cut her out. I've used Marrakech paper for the background and also paper pieced Surahbi's little top with it. I added gold stickles for her jewels and attached her with glue gel. The die cut Labels one nestie pieces and Sizzix die cut corner are in gold mirror card. The inner nestie panel is pale blue bazzil which is embossed with the Paisley CB folder and sponged over and around the edges with distress ink. The blue metallic ribbon is threaded through a sparkly blue button which still has it's shank attached so I've put a couple of glue dots under to hold it in place.TFL and see you tomorrow with my Colour Create card. Have a good weekend. Chris x

BasicGrey Challenge 30 - Soft Centres

Morning everyone and time for another BasicGrey Challenge.

"As its Easter on Sunday we thought we would have a challenge inspired by all those lovely chocolate treats you will be scoffing into hehe, so this week we would like you to take inspiration from your favourite Chocolates :), so say your favourite chocolate is Mint chocolate, well you could then base the colours of your card on this so your card would be Brown and Green :), sounds scrumptious doesn't it, i cant wait to see your chocolate inspired creations this week, but please don't forget to use at least one item from BasicGrey on your creation."

My favourite soft centres are rose and violet creams so my colours are chocolate, rose and a bit of violet. Papers I used are from the BasicGrey Bitter sweet collection and the image is Alota rubbers stamps watercoloured with distress inks. There's fantastic inspiration from my DT friends so hope you can pop over to the blog and join us this week. Hope you get some lovely choc soft centres tomorrow. Chris x

BasicGrey Challenge 17 - First sketch of 2009

Hi everyone and here is the first BasicGrey Challenge of 2009 and the DT have some stunning creations on the blog to show you. I hope you'll have the chance to join in this week and there's also a great prize to be won.

From the blog:

"I thought I would start 2009 with a sketch, so i have drew this one up for you to play with, feel free to resize or flip the sketch, just as long as the original sketch can be seen in your creation you are good to go, and of course not forgetting to use at least one item from BasicGrey somewhere in your creation :)"

My image is a Penny Black which I've water coloured with Ranger Distress Inks and glittered all over the background with diamond stickles. All the elements of the sketch are cut from BG Recess papers and mounted on a yellow card blank. I added some doodling, distressing, fibre, a gem, Elzybells sentiment and glossy accents to the toadstool to decorate. Have a great weekend.

I just received this lovely award from Dawn, thanks Dawn it's very much appreciated and I would like to pass it on to the lovely Dawn, Kathy and Jilli.


Materials:
Paper: BasicGrey Recess, yellow Canford card
Stamps: Penny black, Elzybells
Colouring: Ranger distress inks in black soot, tea dye, scattered straw, brushed corduroy, broken china, weathered wood, fired brick, worn lipstick, dried marigold
Embellishment: fibre and gem from stash, doodling, glossy accents, diamond stickles, edge distresser.

Back soon, Chris

BasicGrey Challenge 15 'Going Green'

Hi everyone, here's my DT card for the BasicGrey Challenge this week.

"For this weeks challenge we would like to see you use some recycling on your creations, eg, cardboard, parts cut from another card, material from old clothes, postage stamps, it can be anything you like, the list is endless, also its not essential that the recycled item has to be old and used, you could simply use the inside of a business envelope for example as i know they can have some lovely patterns that can be used as backing papers etc, so have fun and of course not forgetting to use at least one item from basicgrey somewhere on your creation

This week will be the last challenge until the new year, so it gives you that little bit of extra time to get your creations done, so be sure to join us again on the 3rd of January when we will be setting the first challenge for 2009"

My recycled item is the gold bell and ribbon which I saved from a Lindt chocolate Santa. With a bit of luck Santa will bring me another one this year, the chocolate is yummy!

I hope you can join in this week, the creations from the other DT members are absolutely wonderful and another reason to take a look.

Materials:
Paper BasicGrey Figgy Pudding, black and red card
Image Magnolia Skaters
Colouring Two Aqua brushes (but with no water in the reservoir) fine and medium.
Ranger Distress Inks, Fired Brick, Faded Jeans, Tea Dye, Scattered Straw, Black Soot, Weathered Wood, Peeled Paint, Broken China. Promarkers for skin, blush and pastel pink.
Embellishments Scissors for distressed edges, Diamond Stickles, Gold Liquid Pearls, recycled gold bell and ribbon.

Hope you have a great weekend. TFL.

Back soon,
Chris

Basic Grey Challenge 14 'So charming'

Hi everyone, here's my card for the Basic Grey Challenge and my first card as a member of the Design Team. I was thrilled to find out that I'd been chosen as I know how many amazingly talented crafters out there had also entered and how difficult it was for Martine to choose which is why she ended up with five instead of three! I'm very much looking forward to the weekly challenges and working with the incredibly talented members of the team who are all lovely and fun. I also look forward to seeing the creations of everyone who joins in with the challenges every week and finding some new blogs to stalk!

"For this weeks challenge we would like to see some charms on your creations, you can have as many as you like, and of course not forgetting to use at least 1 item from BasicGrey somewhere on your creations and for your wonderful efforts, one lucky person will win this fabby prize which has been kindly sponsored by CraftyKrafts."

There's a lovely prizes to be won too!

I've used BG Ambrosia papers and a native American image by Rubbernecker stamps. The image is marker coloured, cut out and layered over the paper which has been embossed with the branches CB embossing folder then sponged with black distress ink. I cut another piece of Ambrosia paper and layered these onto the blue card blank after distressing the edges and sponging. To continue the native American Indian theme I made a little dream catcher embellishment from a circle of the blue card cut with nestabilities. The web effect is made by knotting embroidery cotton and looping it around in layers until you get to the centre. I added beads, doodling, feathers and a little flower charm then mounted it on dimension tape as I did with the image. The sentiment is a Doodlebug rub on and I've added doodling around that and the card base and stickles to the image. TFL.

Back soon,
Chris

Sledging Hedgies

Hi everyone, a card for Penny Black and Papertake weekly where this week the themes are 'sparkling' and also for Basic Grey and a challenge of Christmas.

For my card I've used a gorgeous PB sledging hedgies image (thanks T x) which is marker coloured, and stickled for highlights. The holly leaf border around the nestie cut oval is made with two Kars punches that are a set. The first punch cuts a flap and the second which you position over the flap is the holly leaf. The flap allows the leaves to slide over the edge of the card. I cut these from green bazzil card and glittered them with gold stickles. The background papers are Basic Grey figgy pudding which have been edge distressed and layered on red bazzil. I sandwiched the satin ribbon between two of the paper layers and the image is mounted on foam tape. Finished off with a sentiment and gem.