Happy Halloween!

I think today is a perfect day to post this card.... ;)

 

 

I got this fabulous Zombie Beauty Queen image by Rick St Dennis a few weeks ago and was just dying (heee.. geddit? :D) to play with her. So the current Sweet or Spooky Hallowe'en challenge at Sparkle and Glitter the Rick St Dennis challenge blog was the perfect excuse!

 

 

 

I experimented a bit with this card and did a pop-up easel card. I really wanted the fab zombie figure to stand out from the card and an easel card seemed a good solution... but then I wanted even more dimension so I made a fold down tab from the easel section so she would stand proud of the card. :)

 

I made the backgrounds using Distress Inks in various shades of green and added detail with some cute and spooky halloween-themed Stampin' Up! stamps and a few doodled gravestones!

 

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

Passion for Promarkers - Fright Night

Anything Goes Challenge - Anything Goes

Cards Und More - Autumn/Halloween

Crazy Amigo Challenge - Halloween

Creative Card Crew - Fancy Folds

Jackson's Digital Expressions - Inks and Such-Anything Goes

Tuesday Alchemy- Dark, Gothic, &/Or Spooky

 

 

 

 

WOYWW 178

Why do I do this to myself? It's silly o'clock again and here I am still not in bed. Gah.

 

On the plus side, I have spent my evening mostly productively (not counting the occasional distraction of DrawSomething on my tablet! :lol:). In fact I've made two cards tonight... but... I can't show you them yet. Argh.

 

So instead I will show you my desk post-card-production:

 

 

I have actually had a bit of a tidy. Not that you can really tell. But there is significantly less debris on the left side, over by the keyboard, and off camera to the right of this photo you can almost see some of the surface of the spare desk! Woot! :D

 

You may also notice, I've had a bit of a "tidy up" here on the blog... I felt like it was time for a change, hence the snazzy new look. :)

 

In the main crafting area, other than the various inkpads etc I have been playing with tonight, you can also see something else I've been mucking about with. Yup, I've been playing with FIMO again. :) More on that in a couple of days.

 

So that's it for my desk this morning. I am off to bed. It's been a rather exhausting few days involving a trip to A&E (DD1 clonked her head on a stone table at the weekend, hard enough that it bled, poor babe! (She's fine and none the worse for wear but we thought it best to get her checked out just in case - 2 hours waiting around and then 3 minutes to clean it up and put a dab of glue on the cut!)), and a ratty, grumpy, whiney, teething DD2! Oh and it's half term. Which on the one hand means I'm not dashing about taking the girls to various groups and pre-school, but on the other hand means I've got the two of them on my hands 24/7! Roll on the weekend! :lol:

 

If you're wondering why I am posting photos of my desk and blethering about my week then hop on over to Julia's Stamping Ground for the full story of WOYWW in all it's glory.

 

I'm outta here. Gnight all! :)

 

Tell Your Story...

The new mini kit at Creative Craft World features papers from the gorgeous new Tell Your Story collection by Teresa Collins... and you could be in with a chance of winning yourself one of these lovely kits!

 

All you have to do is enter the Creative Craft World Mini Challenge by making a project - any project - that's 6x6" or bigger, posting it on your blog, and adding a link to your blog entry to the Mini Challenge post at the Creative Craft World blog.

 

You've got until 19 November to enter the challenge and the Design Team will choose their favourite entry which will win one of the gorgeous mini kits. There's also some fabulous inspiration on the Creative Craft World blog with photos of the projects the Design Team have made using this kit. :)

Sale Extended!

The fabulous sale over at Sweet Pea Stamps has been extended until the end of Monday!

 

There are several fantastic offers on:

 

30% off ALL rubber stamps!

 

Buy 10 digi stamps (in one order) and get a $6 gift voucher for the Sweet Pea Stamps store

 

3 different grab bags available - you can choose a bag of 5, 10 or 15 unmounted red rubber stamps, all different images, for bargain prices (see blog for more details). :)

 

So if you want to make cards like this:

 

 

Or this:

 

 

Or this:

 

 

Or this:

 

 

Get over to Sweet Pea Stamps now! :)

 

WOYWW 177

It's Wednesday morning (just). I'm on my way to bed (stayed up too late AGAIN!). But first...

 

 

A brief peek at my workdesk, as part of the wonderful weekly whirlwind of creativity (and nosiness ;D) that is What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. :)

 

As you can see, I still haven't tided. :/ But I have been doing a fair bit of creating. Unfortunately, I can't share all of my makes just yet, hence the gaping space in the only remaining usable space on my desk, which until seconds before this photo was taken held a recently completed scrapbook page. I've been doing quite a bit of colouring too though - some bits of which can be seen sitting around on the desk.

 

And to make up for the empty space on my desk where something creative should be, here's a peek at a recently coloured image... A couple of people commented on this digi stamp sitting on my desk last week awaiting colouring, so I thought I'd share how it turned out:

 

 

And that's it from me for this week. Thanks for stopping by and have a fun WOYWW! :D

 

I've Been a Busy Bee....

Life can only be described as hectic lately! So much going on and there never seems to be enough hours in the day!

 

However, I did find time to craft tonight... mostly by way of staying up waaaaaay too late! :lol:

 

So, with that in mind, I shall share some quick photos of my creation and then head straight to bed (I couldn't be faffed to set up the lightbox at this late hour so you'll have to make do with photos taken with the daylight lamp on my craft desk)! :)

 

 

 

 

I've coloured the Dilly Beans image with my Promarkers and kept the card fairly simple (just loving the contrast between the black and the bright yellow), with paper from a freebie pad, a layered fabric blossoms and some gems.

 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Passion for Promarkers - Bee Happy (Yellow and Black)

Dilly Beans - Cute and Creepy

Pop It Up!

That's the current challenge at the A Day For Daisies blog and there's some gorgeous freebie musical butterflies digi stamps to download and use...

 

I wanted to keep my card really clean and simple:

 

 

 

 

I printed and cut out the digi stamp several times in a couple of sizes and then used Distress Inks on my craft mat to colour the largest butterfly. The colours looked so yummy that I thought they'd look fabulous just contrasted against a plain white card. I folded a card blank to make a mini easel card and attached my butterflies so that they were "fluttering" up the card, layering the patterned butterflies over the plain ones and folding up the wings on the top ones.

 

A sentiment stamp (by Stampotique) finished things off nicely.

 

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps - Animal Friends
Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
Stamptacular Sunday - No Rules
The Crafty Pad - Use An Animal
CAS-ual Fridays - Over The Edge

The news is out!

I've been bouncing around giddily about this for a couple of days now but the official announcement has now been made and I can finally share my news with you...! :)

 

I'm thrilled and honoured to say that I've been invited to join the Design Team at Sweet Pea Stamps! :) I just looooove their images and am so excited to be working with them on a regular basis. What's even more exciting is that Sweet Pea Stamps have started offering some of their images as digi stamps (and regular readers of this blog will know that I love the instant gratification stash shopping of buying digi stamps! :lol:) and I will be working as part of the new Digi Design Team, specifically showcasing the fabulous range of digi stamps.

So expect to see lots more Sweet Pea Stamps projects from me, both here and at the Sweet Pea Stamps blog.

 

In fact, there's already a project by me up at the Sweet Pea Stamps blog - not actually a digi image this time but working with one of Elisabeth Bell's adorable rubber stamp images. Here's a sneak peek:

 

 

Head on over to the Sweet Pea Stamps blog to see more. :)

 

(And don't forget the fabulous special offers still on - until end of tomorrow - at Sweet Pea stamps... 30% of all rubber stamps and if you buy 10 digi stamps (in one order) you get a $6 gift voucher for the store!)

 

Clean and Simple

I made this card for this week's "Use a Digi" challenge at One Stitch At A Time...

 

 

 

I coloured in the image (a pretty Stitchy Stamps digi stamp called Lady Bug) and trimmed it and laid it against a blank white card.... and then I played around with all sorts of pretty patterned papers and stuff but I just kept coming back to how nice it looked just against the plain white background.

 

So I decided to go Clean and Simple with this card and just added a flourish and a small sentiment stamped directly onto the card base with the image layered over it on foam pads. I think it really shows off the image.

This week's OSAAT challenge is sponsored by Joanna Sheen and you can be in with a chance to win a prize from Joanna if you enter the challenge using a Stitchy Bear image. Or if you enter without using a Stitchy Bear image, you will be in with a chance of winning a $3 gift voucher for the Stitchy Bear store. :)

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge - Flowers
Allsorts - Autumn Colours
One Stop Craft - Anything Goes
Speedy and Friends - Leaves
Fussy and Fancy - Anything Goes
Pattie's Creations - Autumn Colours
Polkadoodles - Autumn
The Poodles Parlour - Anything Goes

 

Sweet Pea Stamps

I may have mentioned on here (just once or twice... or so ;D) my love of Sweet Pea Stamps.. and the fact that they now do digi stamps as well as rubber stamps.

 

Well, if you fancy getting hold of some of their fabby images, now is a great time to do so cos there's some fab special offers on atm:

 

Until Monday there is a whopping 30% off all rubber stamps;

 

Until Sunday if you buy 10 digi stamps in one order, you get a $6 gift voucher for your next order;

 

And there's also some great value grab bags on offer where you can e.g. get 5 unmounted rubber stamps for just $8.

 

Head on over to the Sweet Pea Stamps blog for full details - and, coincidentally, lots of inspirational projects from the design team. :)

Ghouls need love too...

Well, at least this little ghoulish gal does:

 

 

Isn't she sweet, with her plaintive look and her heart on a string? :)

 

She certainly fits the criteria for this week's "Spooky Girls" challenge at the Dilly Beans Designers and Friday Challenges blog.

 

I coloured her with my Promarkers and decided to keep the card simple with lots of black and grey:

 

 

I added some texture with some embossed hearts (a Stampin' Up! embossing folder):

 

 

And added a couple of die-cuts and wrote my own sentiment on black card with a white gel pen:

 

 

So as we approach Halloween folks, don't forget to hug a hag, mollycoddle a mummy, or cuddle a creepy crawly. Cos ghouls need love too. :)

WOYWW 176

It's Wednesday. It's silly o'clock and I really should be in bed.

 

But before I hit the sack, it's time to share a brief glimpse of the chaos that I like to call my craft pit. Why? Because it's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, that's why! :D

 

 

Not a lot going on on my desk this morning - just an awful lot of mess! I was going to do some crafting tonight but first I had to watch the final of the Great British Bake Off and then I had to watch Paradise and before you know it the whole evening had gone by and I hadn't gotten off the sofa! :lol:

 

So all that's gracing my desk is another Sweet Pea Stamps digi stamp that I'm planning to start colouring and a whoooooole lot of mess from previous crafting sessions. I know I say this all the time but I really really *really* need to tidy! :lol:

 

Check in again this time next week to see if I actually manage to! :lol:

 

Thanks for stopping by. I'm off to bed! :D

Give 'em the old razzle dazzle...

..razzle dazzle 'em...

 

I must admit, I have been singing this song from the musical Chicago to myself whilst making this card! :lol:

 

The theme of the inaugural challenge at Sparkle and Glitter - The Rick St Dennis Challenge blog is "Anything Goes With Sparkle and Glitter":

 

 

I only recently came across Rick's fantastic artwork and I've loved playing with some of his gorgeous digi stamps. And this rather fabulous lady - called "Lou Lou the chorus cutie" - immediately came to mind when I saw the challenge theme. :) She's a proper old time showgirl (her perfectly coiffed curls and cute hotpants put me in mind of the chorus girls in Bugsy Malone! :lol:) and I teamed her with some lovely old time movie themed paper that I dug out of my stash and lots of glitz and glammer with gold mirri card, pink glitter card, a few gemstones, and, just for good measure, a froth of pink feather!

 

She's coloured in with my Promarkers, giving her a silver costume and pink accessories, and cut out - in much fiddly detail! :lol: - and I've added lots of sparkle and glitter on all her jewellery and accessories. :)

 

 

 

 

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

A&T Emerald Fairies - Anything Goes
Bearly Mine - Anything Goes
Deep Ocean - Anything Goes
Everybody-Art - Bling

Time for a new challenge

The October challenge has gone live at the Sweet Pea Stampers challenge blog and this month the theme is "support", whether that be by way of a thank you card, a get well card, you name it... however you choose to interpret the prompt.

 

For my card I again used one of the gorgeous new digi stamps now available from Sweet Pea Stamps (don't forget the special offer is still on until Sunday 14 October where you get a $6 store voucher if you buy 10 digi stamps) - this one is by Concetta Kilmer and it's called Serenity:

 

 

 

I coloured the image in with my Promarkers and added a couple of highlights with a white gel pen and with some Stickles on the butterflies before cutting closely around the image. For my card I cut and scored a tent fold card from white cardstock and stamped along the edges with a floral stamp (from Stampin' Up!) in pale pink ink. I border punched a panel of white card and attached that down the centre of the card and attached lacy trim along each side of the centre panel. To finish I stamped my sentiment (another Stampin' Up! stamp) and attached my image using foam pads, layering it over a white doily.

 

Et voila. :)

 

We've got some extra prizes to give away for this month's challenge at Sweet Pea Stampers... and don't forget, you don't need to use a Sweet Pea Stamps image to take part (though obviously we'd love to see you create something with the gorgeous Sweet Pea Stamps images).

 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Passion for Promarkers - Shabby in pink or blue

2 Sisters - Anything Goes

Crafty Mess Challenge - Anything Goes

Simply Stampin' - DIY DSP (create your own paper)

Clearly Inspired - Sentimental

 

 

 

Happy Birthday Eleanor!

My niece had her birthday this week and I made a card to send to her (sorry it's a bit late, Nor - hope it's gotten to you by now! :D).

 

Sweet Pea Stamps have started selling some of their gorgeous images as digi stamps and I took advantage of their fab introductory offer of a $6 store voucher if you buy 10 digi stamps. I was immediately drawn to this striking Black Hellebore image by Rebecca Sinz - it actually reminded me a bit of Nor, so I decided to colour it with her dark blonde hair colour:

 

 

 

 

I also gave her a bit of the de rigeur teenage gothy eye make-up. ;)

 

I absolutely love this image. It looks stunning coloured in. I teamed it with some pink floral patterned paper, with contrasting black cardstock die-cuts, a few flowers and a whole lot of pink bling! :)

 

I hope Nor likes it. :D

 

Now, if anyone needs me, I'll be in my craft room colouring in more scrummy Sweet Pea digi stamps! :lol:

 

Pink and Purple

This was the luscious colour combo challenge theme at the Dilly Beans challenge blog this week.

 

I've had quite a thing recently for colouring images with funky/unusual hair colours so I took this fab Dilly Beans image and coloured her with glamorous pink hair:

 

 

 

 

I used Promarkers for all the colouring and a white gel pen to add highlights - and a little touch of Stickles glitter glue on her eyelids. For the card I used black cardstock and a pink floral paper and added some pink and dotted black washi tape. To finish off I used Spellbinders dies to cut flowers from white card and coloured them in with Promarkers, and white gel pen, to match with the image.