Dare U 2 Digi Stamp Challenge 20 - A recipe

Hi everyone and I hope you're reading this second scheduled post :). Challenge 20 at Dare U 2 Digi Stamp is a recipe challenge suggested by Caroline, so thanks Caroline, I really enjoyed this one! As well as your digital image we'd like to see 2 patterned papers, 3 flowers and 1 ribbon. My DT friends have come up with some wonderful creations with this recipe and I hope you'll be able to join us. I've used my sunflowers image which is available in the digi shop, I often buy these flowers when they're in season as they're one of my favourites, they always seem so cheerful and make me smile. I coloured them with markers and then cut the image out. The card blank is cut from Bazzil card and my two patterned papers are Marrakech by BasicGrey. The paper edges are distressed with scissors and I've done some doodling with sparkle and glaze gel pens. Added some thin green ribbon and an arrangement of flowers and punched leaves to decorate. TFL and see you with another scheduled post in a few days. Enjoy your weekend. Chris x

Copic Creations - Challenge 6 Wood

Hi everyone, hope you're all making the most of the glorious weather we're having here. A card today for the Copic Creations Challenge where this week the theme is 'Wood'. I really enjoyed the challenge and there are lots of tips on the blog on how to achieve the effect, plus it's packed with many links and colouring info so thanks ladies for a good challenge. This is the first time I've tried to do a wood effect for a piece of furniture, I thought this cute Alota Rubber Stamps image would be a good one to give it a try and I'm fairly pleased with how it came out in some areas more than others and it's great to have learned a new way to colour it. A simple card apart from the colouring which took a while, some Kraft card sponged with vintage photo distress ink and a piece of doodlebug patterned paper. I've faux stitched around the layers with a white gel pen, added a papermania stamped sentiment and some stickles. Have a good Sunday. TFL. Chris x

Just Magnolia week 11 - Sketch

Hi everyone, hope your weekend is off to a good start and if you don't like yellow, avert your eyes now :D ! A card today for Just Magnolia which I was happy to do as I've missed the last two. There's a great sketch this week designed by Bev which I really enjoyed, thanks Bev. I've used the sweet 'Picking Lilacs' Tilda, I love her plaits! She's coloured with markers and glittered a bit here and there then cut out. The background paper is by Imaginisce and has little dots of glitter all over it in the flower centres but I didn't manage to capture that in the photo. My circle element of the sketch is cut from two nesties one inside the other to make the frame which I stamped with a swirl stamp and dusty concorde distress ink then embossed with CB swiss dots folder. The border is cut with a Fiskers Apron Lace punch. Another nestie, the labels die again was used to cut the sentiment tag which I stamped with a Papermania sentiment and went over with a purple glitter gel pen. I added some Prima flowers with pearl centres, EK Success cut leaves and a few more pearls to finish. TFL. Chris x

Sketch Saturday - Sketch # 55

Hi everyone, hope you're off to a good start with the weekend. A card today for Sketch Saturday GDT spot and another wonderful sketch to work with. Thank you ladies for having me on the team for the two weeks, I've really enjoyed it. The image is by my friend Sandra and his her digi image 'Daddy and little one', such a sweet image for Father's day. You may be wondering about the pea green baby suit? Well the green is in the BasicGrey Boxer background paper but that green just kept getting greener and greener :D. I've used kraft coloured card for the blank and other layers in line with the sketch which have been distressed, sponged and then doodled with black and white pens. All the layers are mounted with dimension tape. The image is marker and pencil coloured and the sentiment an outlined rub on. Enjoy your Saturday. Chris x

Colour Create Challenge 19

Hi everyone, Colour Create Challenge day and this week there's a lovely combination of blush pink, lilac and mossy green with an option of die cuts chosen by the lovely and very talented Georgia (Tara's DD), thank you Georgia, I loved your choice, such gorgeous colours and theme. This week we welcome a new team member, the lovely Dena who makes the most beautiful cards, great to have you on the team with us Dena, I've admired your cards for a while now after finding your blog from the challenges, I hope you enjoy yourself.

I seem to have a very rubbish photograph of this card, one of those I just couldn't get right, probably because the card blank is frosted acetate which doesn't help but is pretty IRL and came from my win of the Cuttlebug Challenge and the sheetloads acetate pack which is gorgeous. I glimmer misted the card blank with Lavender Fields first to try and give an impression of rain or water so it's got a nice soft shimmer. The big flower is a Cricut die cut in lilac coredinations card which is also glimmer misted, sanded and then glittered around the edges with the addition of the rub on sentiment. This sweet umberella Anya that I got from Tabbycrafts (thank you for the fantastic fast service Tab, much appreciated) is coloured with markers and pencils and then cut out and attached over the panel of green card which is border punched on both edges. The ribbon is wound round the back of the panel, threaded through the hole in the flower and tied, this is then mounted with dimension tape and the Anya mounted on glue gel on top of that. I've dotted lots of stickles around the card for raindrops, all round the edges too and finished off with some pink pearls.

I'd be interested to know if anyone else is having a really bad time with blogger at the moment? I can no longer moderate my comments in the normal way from the dashboard screen, having to have them emailed and I can't move anything around in my sidebars either. Visiting blogs hasn't been easy I keep getting a flicking screen to the sign in and then off again! TFL. See you tomorrow with my DU card. Chris x

Just Magnolia Challenge 8 - Sketch

Hi everyone, hope you've all had a good weekend. I had a fantastic time demonstrating at the Craft Barn's Extravaganza all day Saturday and Sunday and meeting lots of lovely people and also some blogging friends which made the weekend even more special (hello to Barbara, I know you're out there! :D).

This week on Just Magnolia there's a great sketch by Rach, thanks Rach, I love your sketch, really enjoyed working with it and will definitely use it again. I've stamped this sweet little cherry Tilda image which I've coloured with markers and then cut out. The background paper is 'Cherry Amore' by Doodlebug which is so pretty that I didn't want to hide any of it with the circles so I cut the circle element from red Bazzil card with my scalloped and plain nesties one inside the other to create the frame (the smaller circle is off centre so that I had room to put in the eyelet). I threaded some Bazzil tulle through the eyelet and round the back and tied a bow at the side. I shaped the image a bit with my fingers and attached to the card with gel glue, did some faux stitching with a white gel pen then added some Stickles and a rub on sentiment to finish. TFL. Chris x

Colour Create Challenge 18 - Rainbow Colours

Hi everyone, the new day of the week for Colour Create challenge  is now Thursday and here we are on Challenge 18, I can't believe how quick the weeks are going by. This week we have a great colour combo of Rainbow colours with an option of create a scene. Hope you can join us and when you pop over to the challenge you'll find some fantastic inspiration from my DT friends, I loved them all. Sadly Judy is leaving us this week, I'll miss you Judy and seeing your gorgeous cards on CC each week, I hope that you'll come back some time when you're able to but will see you in blogland. It's also a hello today to our new member Di who makes beautiful cards that I've admired since I found her blog, hope you enjoy yourself Di and it's great to have in the team with us.

I've made my little scene with stamps from a Penny Black Teddies clear stamps set. I used a big stamping block and placed the stamps around it then stamped them all at once. I did the colouring with markers and pencils, doodled in some grass and pink flowers and sponged the edges with black. The image is matted on bright green coredinations card which I've punched with a zig zag MS punch. There weren't going to be any flowers on this card originally, just the scene and a sentiment, I dropped the ink pad, so in the words of the band 10cc, "they hide a nasty stain that's lying there" :D TFL and see you tomorrow with my DU card. Chris x

Just Magnolia week 7 and Copic Creations Challenge 4

Hi everyone, hope you've all had a great weekend and enjoyed some of the wonderful weather that we've been lucky enough to have down here on the south coast. A card today for Just Magnolia Week 7 and a theme of animals and insects and also for Copic Creations Challenge 4 where the them is blonde hair. Thank you ladies on both challenges for the wonderful inspiration as always. I've used the gorgeous Butterfly Tilda, I know I keep saying it but I do love this Magnolia set they're so pretty. I've coloured her with markers and added some stickles to wings and a sentiment to the top right then mounted the image with dimension tape. The  background paper is by K&Co and this has been layered with doily punched piece of blue coredinations card and sheer green ribbon. I punched a cornflower from the patterned paper and curved it about then made a hole to add the little butterfly charm held in with a brad. I used some glue gel to mount these. I also added a slight curve to the doily punched edge, it seems to look a bit better like this than just flat to the base. TFL. Chris x

Cute Card Thursday - bit 'o bling

Hi everyone, I've made a card for Cute Card Thursday where this week the challenge is to use some bling on your card. I've got lots of gems on mine and I notice now that a rogue pinky coloured one has managed to get on there :D, dodgy stamped sentiment too which I may try to desguise later :)! I used this gorgeous Miss. Anya and coloured her with markers then cut her out and mounted with gel glue. All the layers are cut on the Cricut and attached to the front of a plain square card. The patterned paper is Bloom and Grow, (I love the colours in this paper), also some bazzil bling and plain turquoise card. Flowers are prima and gems are papermania. See you tomorrow with my DU card. 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

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp Challenge 8 - One for the boys

Hi everyone, Friday and time for another DU2DS challenge where this week the Dare is 'One for the boys'. Hope you can join us this week and put some of your digi images to good use for those Father's day cards that will be needed shortly :D. There's some great inspiration from the Design Team, hope you can pop over and have a peek. 

I've used Sandra's :D fantastic Simples meerkat for my card which is a birthday card for my hubby on Tuesday, hopefully he isn't going to read this post! The image is marker coloured, cut out and mounted over the background layers of bazzil card and a copyright free web image that I've resized and printed. I added a couple of tabs at the top which are corner rounded then added some BG Ambrosia brads. Doodled in white, trying to create a kind of leather look luggage effect, not sure if I've achieved it but I love doodling with white pen. Added my sentiment down the blank book spines and a bit of stickles to Simples cravat to finish it off. Hope you have a great weekend and for those in the UK a great bank holiday weekend, lets hope the nice weather continues. See you tomorrow with my BG card. Chris x

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #32 - Glitter

Hi everyone, hope you're having a good week so far. I've made a card for the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge where this week the theme chosen by Jane is glitter so I had to do it as glitter seems to have to be on all my cards just about! The image is 'The Handbag' soon to be in the digi shop and it's marker coloured and then stickled in gold and copper. I've cut the image and mat out with nesties labels dies and then sponged the edges with vintage photo ink. There's a little slit at the top and bottom made with a craft knife to thread the ribbon through. Background papers are BG Wisteria paper for the green and BG Bitter Sweet for the chocolate. Added an embossed diamond punched edge and it (looks like I've mis-aligned it now that I see the photo uploaded, oh well!) on the Wisteria and scored a criss cross grid on the chocolate paper. The card blank is pale green pearlescent card which has a lovely shimmer to it and I also doodled some dots around the choc paper with a clear sparkle gel pen just for good measure! I'll add a sentiment later on the right side under the ribbon, not sure who this one is going to yet. Well TFL and have a good day whatever you're doing. Chris x

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp Challenge 7

Hi everyone and a card today for Dare U 2 Digi Stamp Challenge where this week the challenge is a lovely colour theme of Lilac and Lemon. Lots of inspiration from the design team so I hope you can join us.

I've used my Pansy image this week which will be available soon in the digi shop, the colouring is a combinatin of markers and pencils and I've matted it on lilac bazzil card. The card blank is made from lemon Core-dinations card which I've distressed on the edges, embossed with CB textile embossing folder. More distressing with some sanding over the embossing and round the edges and then sponging with dusty concord distress ink. The bottom edge of the card is punched with a ribbon border punch and threaded with lilac gingham ribbon to finish off. TFL and see you tomorrow with my BG card. Chris x

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp Challenge 4 - Things with wings

Hi everyone, Friday again, where are the weeks going?! I had some brilliant news yesterday as I won Bev's fantastic anniversary blog candy! I still can't believe it, having to pinch myself as there were nearly 1300 entries and I'm thrilled to bits. If you don't know Bev's blog (but I'm sure you do!), then pop over there as you'll find loads of inspiration. Bev is a lovely lady and makes the most beautiful cards and gifts but most of all is such a supportive friend and blogger. Thanks Bev and postie stalking starts Saturday!

On to our 4th Challenge at Dare U 2 Digi Stamp and this week the theme is 'Things with wings' which could be a winged character on your digi image, things with wings in the pattern of your paper, a charm, etc., I'm sure that there are lots more. Hope you can join us this week, it was great visiting everyone's blogs for the pink and green theme and there were some really fun entries too that made me laugh with some interesting images!

I hope you haven't been blinded by the brightness of my card today as I've used the new BasicGrey Lime Rickey papers and coloured my 'Vicki Shops' image (soon to be available in the digi shop) to match the paper, she's very psychadelic! If you get your magnifying glass out when you've taken off your shades you'll be able to see that there's a butterfly brooch on Vicki's lapel, it's also glittered so not too clear what it is but it is there! The image is coloured with markers and layered on pale yellow Bazzil that I've edged with scallop scissors. I've added some punched flowers from the pp with gem centres and an Elzybells sentiment. Well nearly the weekend and no doubt the nice weather will disappear by the end of today! See you tomorrow with my BasicGrey card. TFL. Chris x

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp Challenge 2 - Bling

Morning everyone, hope you're all enjoying the Easter Holiday so far and are ready for another Dare U 2 Digi Stamp Challenge? Challenge 2 is Bling which could be sparkle from glitter, glitter glue, gems, metal charms etc., and probably there are lots more that can be used. A digital image must be used on your creation and there's some fantastic inspiration from my design team friends so I hope you'll pop over, have a look and join us this week. There was a great response to the first challenge and it was good to see all the different digi images that everyone used.

This week I've done a canvas which is a bit of an experiment to see how I could transfer digi stamps by increasing the size in my graphics program (my digi stamp is blown up to over 200%) and printing onto Safmat which is A4 image transfer paper. First I prepared the canvas which measures 12 x 12 inches by priming it with white Gesso and leaving to dry. I decided to use my daffodil digi stamp which I resized, printed out on the Safmat and then cut out. After peeling off the backing paper I applied it to the canvas and made sure I smoothed it down as much as I could. I hadn't used Safmat before and wasn't sure which colouring medium would work but decided to use markers. The markers pool quite a lot, did blend to some extent but I was pleased with the end result as it gives a finish a bit like an oil painting with a sheen to it. To add the bling I used lines of Stardust Stickles and a ton of gems, so this one is definitely going on the wall! I'll certainly use this method again, it was very enjoyable and the only limit to the size you can make your digi-stamp is the size of the A4 Safmat.

Hope you all have a lovely Easter and see you tomorrow with my BasicGrey DT card.
TFL. Chris x

Colour Create Challenge 10 - Duck Egg Blue and Rose

Hi everyone and it's time for another Colour Create Challenge. Our colours this week are chosen by Judy and they're a lovely combination of Duck Egg Blue and Rose with an option of Stitching, real or faux. Thanks Judy, absolutely love these colours and faux stitching is one of my favourite things to do on my cards so I really enjoyed this one. Hope you can join in this week and if you need some inspiration pop over to the blog for some fantastic ideas from my lovely DT friends, they'll certainly make your eyes pop!

I chose some Cosmo Cricket paper as it seemed to be a perfect shade of the blue for the challenge and I stamped it with a Paper Artsy music score stamp and some Personal Impressions swirls in Tattered Rose distress ink, unfortunately it's quite subtle and I don't think it shows up too well in the photograph. I distressed the edges. added stickles to the swirls and attached to the card after putting in some eyelets (yes you read it correctly I finally managed to set some eyelets courtesy of the Silent Setter kindly given to me by my friend Sandra!), and attaching a little tag I made from an off cut of the pink card with some sheer ribbon. Added the big flowers which have been sponged with tattered rose distress ink, stickled and a candy gem placed in the centre. I used my digi image 'Elise prepares' and coloured her with markers and I've also stamped some more of the swirls in pink over her leotard and added stickles for some sparkle. She's cut out and mounted on glue gel. I did my faux stitching around the edges of the paper and the card with a pink sparkle gel pen. Hope you're having a great weekend. TFL. Chris x

BasicGrey Challenge 29 - Easter/Spring theme

Hi everyone, I hope you're weekend is off to a good start, and you're ready for another BasicGrey Challenge which this week has lovely theme of Easter/Spring. Hope you can pop over to the challenge blog and join us and you'll find some fantastic inspiration and great ideas from my lovely DT friends as always (they amaze me every single week!)

I've used my Easter Egg with Tulips digi image for this card which I printed on white card and coloured with markers for the flower section and distress inks for a muted effect on the top and bottom. I cut it out taking off the scallops that are all around the border on the image as I wanted to create an oval scalloped aperture with the egg image raised on dimension tape on the inside of the card. I created the aperture by attaching the BG sugared paper over the cream card blank and then cutting out with the largest oval scalloped nestie to make the hole. I've doodled around the edges of the paper and the card blank, added some stickles, gems and the sheet dotted ribbon to finish. Hope to see you in the challenge. TFL. Chris x

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp Challenge 1 - Sketch

Hi everyone, here we go with Challenge 1 on Dare U 2 Digi Stamp Friday Challenge. Our first challenge is a sketch by me and there's great inspiration from my lovely DT friends so I hope you'll pop over for a look and join us in our first challenge. There's a great prize to be won this week as a little incentive, lovely goodies which you can see in the picture below.


I've used my Tulip Bowl image which I printed onto white card and coloured with markers. To give a bit of vintage feel I sponged all around the tulip bowl with distress inks and I've distressed the edges of all the papers. Used my MS lattice arch punch on the sentiment and centre panel, added a punched flower, Woodware sentiment, some glaze to the pot and some stickles on the tulips. The paper is by Cosmo Cricket. TFL. Chris x

Colour Create Challenge 9 - Blue and Lilac

Hi everyone and time for this week's Colour Create Challenge which this week has been set by my lovely DT friend Sharon with the gorgeous colours of lilac and blue and an option ribbons and swirls. Thanks Sharon, I loved your challenge and I love my ribbons so this was perfect as are all the wonderful cards from the rest of the team, all very beautiful and inspirational. There is a wonderful prize on offer this week from Tara to celebrate CC having over 10,000 hits and also because Tara has just celebrated her birthday. There are lots of gorgeous craft items including some Anya's! If you want to be in with a chance of winning the prize then Tara asks that just for this week you don't combine your CC card with any other challenges but if you don't want the prize then combining is fine. Hope you can join in this week.

My card is also a wallet card made from a sheet of lilac A4 card but I didn't photo the inside as I'd already written the message. The image is the gorgeous fairy 'Rosabella' designed by my friend Sandra Dry and is available in her digi stamp shop. I sized her to fit my card, printed her out and she was really lovely to colour with markers. I've added stardust stickles over most of her and then cut her out and mounted with glue gel. The blue background layer is embossed with the branches embossing folder and then sponged with Dusty Concord distress ink. Flower shapes, swirls and scalloped pieces are all cut with the Cricut and sponged with ink on the edges. I added the woodware sentiment, lilac sheer ribbon and gems to finish. Hope you're all having a lovely weekend. TFL. Chris x

BasicGrey Challenge 27 Add Texture

Morning everyone and I hope you're ready for another BasicGrey Challenge? This week week it's all about adding texture to your project so there are many possibilities. My lovely DT friends have come up with some great ideas for doing this and have created stunning cards for inspiration so I hope you'll be able to go and have a look and join in with the challenge.

I've embossed one of the layers of patterned paper with a cuttlebug embossing folder, added flowers and pearls, distressed the edges of the paper and used pretty ribbon for my textures. The image is marker coloured, cut out with nestabilities then sponged with dried marigold distress ink and attached with dimension tape. I've used BG Ambrosia paper for the background layer, sponged with vintage photo and I did a lot of distressing on the edges so that it's quite raised up. TFL and enjoy your Saturday. Chris