Friday Sketchers Challenge Card

I fell in love with the template for this card as soon as I saw it and really like the idea of layering up so many papers.

The papers are My Mind's Eye summer papers. I've used an ek border punch and some white ribbon. I've stamped the sentiment and edged everything using purple ink. The butterfly is punched and I've added gems to its body and the top of the card. I've used white gel pen to add faux stitches around the sides.

Vintage Santa Card

I've used an imaged from a vintage Santa card and printed off four copies so that I could use it for decoupage. I've layered up papers from Papermania's 'A Christmas Carol' and mirriboard. The sentiment is embossed and I've added some brads.

This is my entry for this week's ABC Christmas Challenge.

Smile Card

My Grandma's been having a really tough time of things recently, so I wanted to make her a card that would really cheer her up. If there's one thing that's guaranteed to make her smile, it's my little boy, James!

The template is from the current docrafts Creativity! magazine. I've used autumnal backing paper that came free with a recent copy of Quick Cards.

It doesn't show up very well here, but I've used quite a bit of glitter on the card - Anita's glitterations for the border, and stickles gold around the photo and to write the sentiment. The buttons and ribbon are from the Papermania sunshine capsule collection. I've inked the edges using distress inks.

Stocking Card

This is my entry for this week's Sketch and Stash challenge, which is to use a sketch.

I've mainly used new stuff from the docrafts festive goody bag (papers, embellishments, ribbon), only the base card, red ribbon and red ink are new.

Monochromatic Christmas Card

This is a combined Winter Wonderland and Moving Along with the Times challenge card.

The stamp is from the docrafts festive goody bag, papers are from Kaban. I've used red jewels and red ribbon, and bits of silver, to add a little life to the black and white.

Christening Card

My sister asked me to make a Christening card for her friend's little boy. It's my entry for this week's Sketch and Stash challenge.

What's new?... The digital stamp, from Mo's Digital Pencil.

What's from my stash?... Downloaded papers, from Pink Petticoat, Promarkers, ribbon and mirror card.

Mechanical Card

I'm rather excited about this card as it's my first attempt at a mechanical card - and it works! You pull on the ribbons to rock the horse. Really simple but good fun for a 2 year old (I hope).

I've followed the instructions and used the template in this month's Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine. Some lovely ideas in there. I've coloured the horse using Promarkers - cocoa, sandstone, cinnamon, caramel, warm grey 3 and cool grey 2.

The papers are from the 'Linen Closet' stack and I've stamped the name using SeeDees alphabet stamps. I've distressed all the papers (perhaps too much!) using brown courdroy distressing ink.

Baby Girl Card

I've used the template from this week's Friday Sketchers challenge in this card.

The stamp is 'Willow with Baby' from Whiff of Joy and I've used Promarkers (Blossom, Ivory, Satin and Blush) to colour. I've used papers from Pink Petticoat and colour the two plain pink sheets using Promarkers.

I've punched the flowers myself, adding Stickles (icicle) and gems. I've also used pink ribbon and will add the baby's name when she's born!

Baby Girl Card

I made this card using an image, sentiment and papers downloaded from Pink Petticoat. I've also used a template from the Friday Sketchers Challenge but was a day late in entering (whoops!).

The image is coloured using Promarkers (Cool greys 1, 2 and 3, pastel pink and coral).

I've made flowers using the pink backing paper, silver card and white paper, punched using my McGill mulit-flower punch and finished using stickles 'icicle'. As you can see, they're not dry yet! I've put tiny crystals in the middle of them.

The 'ribbon' is punched from white paper using my new 'ek' border punch.

Behind every woman...

My entry for this week's Passion for Promarkers and Sketch and Stash Challenges.

Passion for Promarkers: The criteria for this week is to have green as the main colour. I don't have many green embellishments in my stash, so I've used lots of green promarker shades, green inks and some sage backing paper, downloaded from Pink Petticoat.

Sketch and Stash: From my stash, I've used the 'Willow with hot chocolate' stamp for the main image, promarkers, gold mirri card and inks. All other stamps (quotation, cafetieres and cups) are from one of my new Flippin' Women stamp sets.

Penguin cards

I've made these two card using downloadable images and papers from Pink Petticoat. The first card uses the template from this week's Moving Along With the Times blog.

Birthday Card

I've made this card using the template from this week's 'Moving Along with the

Times' challenge blog. The theme this week is Animals.

I came across these chipboard pieces in my stash. They came free with a magazine a few months ago, along with the papers.

Uncle's Birthday Card

I've used the template from this week's Friday Sketchers challenge to make this birthday card for my uncle.

I was looking through my grandparent's photo album and found this one of him as a very cheeky little boy. I've printed another copy, and a photo of my dad from the same day, to give him in a double frame as his birthday present next month.

I've used the Linen card stack again and distressed the edges using 'brushed cordroy' ink.

Scrapbook pages

I love this picture of James - taken last August when he was 7 months old. I've used the 'Linen' papers, lace and flowers from the blue capsule collection.

I don't know if this is too busy or not. The picture was taken at London Zoo last summer and the journaling reads:

1st word = 'daddy', 2nd word = 'monkey', 3rd word = 'mummy'

Says all you need to know about his priorities really!

Wedding Anniversary Card

I've made this card for my husband, for our 8th wedding anniversary in a fortnight. It's also my entry for this week's 'Friday Sketchers' challenge.

The papers are from Forever Friends (valentines?) and I've used the stamp from Papermania's 'Relations' pack. I've used red ribbons and gold ink for the hearts.

Shopping Card

This is my contribution to this week's 'Passion for Promarkers' and 'Moving Along with the Times' challenges.

I've used the stamp which came free with this month's Creativity magazine. I can't remember what the papers are called, but I think they were Papermania. I've stamped using purple ink and coloured using Promarkers in amethyst, lavender, magenta, bright green, meadow green and satin.

Baby Boy Card

I've made this card for the 'Whiff of Joy' and 'Passion for Promarkers' challenge.

I've used two stamps. The main image is 'Willow holiding baby' and I've coloured her using ivory and baby blue promarkers. The baby's shawl is denim blue.

The second stamp is the dummy, which I've coloured using baby blue and cornflower promarkers.

The papers are all from 'Nana's Nursery - Baby Boy' and I've used lace, ribbon and gems to embellished it.

Easter Bunny Card

I've made this card using the sketch for this week's 'Passion for Promarkers' challenge.

The bunny stamp was free with last month's 'Quick Cards Made Easy' and he's coloured using Amethyst and Lavender promarkers. I've embellished with glitter glue and some gems. The sentiment is stamped in purple ink then heat embossed with irredescent powder.

Mum-To-Be Card

I've made this card for my friend, who's expecting her second baby later this year. It's my entry for this week's 'Passion for Promarkers' challenge.

The stamp is 'Pregnant Willow'. I've coloured the dress using Pastel Yellow, then Tulip Yellow and Baby Pink to highlight the details. Her hair is Sandstone, Cinnamon and Cocoa. Shoes are Baby Pink. Skin is Satin and Blush.

I've added stitching (Tulip Yellow and Baby Pink) around the image, yellow gingham and card. The pink gingham was a download and yellow gingham is from the Papermania Sunshine capsule papers, as were the bows.

Easter Card

I've made this card using the free stuff in this month's 'Quick Cards Made Easy'. It's my entry for this week's 'Sketch and Stash' challenge.

The stamps, backing paper and ribbons were new this week. I've raided my stash for the Promarkers (Cool Greys 1, 2 & 3; Baby Pink; Corflower Blue), butterfly (which has been sitting patiently in my embellishments box for several years now!) and backing cards.

Another 1st birthday card!

This card is for another of James' little friends - another James this time.

I've used the 'Sketch and Stash' challenge #26 sketch (just about!). The papers are from Nana's Nursery pad and the hippo is a stamp (can't remember what they're called, but it's from the same pack as the monkeys on George's card - the details are on that blog post). I've used promarkers (all 5 of the cool greys and cornflower for the writing and stitching).

Thanks for looking, Claire x

New Year Card

I made this for the Sketch and Stash challenge, but silly me forgot to check the closing date and I'm too late. Doh!

Anyway, I've been rather frugal with this one... the Laura Ashley papers were a freebie with 'Carmaking and Papercraft' mag and the bird template is from this month's 'Quick Cards made Easy'. I've used up some peel offs and bits of ribbon to complete it.

Must check the dates for challenges in future!

George's Birthday Card

This is the card I've made for James' best friend, George - it's his first birthday next week!

I've used Hero Arts Playful Animals stamps, promarkers and Mat Stack coloured card.

I've used a previous sketch from Moving Along With The Times, although a haven't a clue when it's from, I just copy them all onto bits of paper when I do the challenges and keep them all in a box!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to anyone who happens to have (probably accidentally) stumbled onto this blog. I haven't posted on here for ages as I haven't made any cards for a while. I'm back at work now and have to do quite a bit of work at home, I hosted Christmas day for 14 and New Year's Eve at ours, and with those things and looking after James, I've had very little time for crafting.

I had a flurry of excitement at the end of 2009 and won a couple of things (something that I thought would never happen!):

• I won a competition in Quick Cards, to make a card based on a christmas film, which bagged me £100 worth of Mr Men christmas card making stuff. The huge package arrived a week before christmas, but my Year 10 class loved making cards in their last lesson of the year (random, I know, but it was better than showing a film!). The card should be in the next issue of Quick Cards - I thought it would be in this month's but couldn't find it when my copy arrived.
• I won a Clare's Challenge and got a georgeous set of Forever Friends stick ons.
• I won a Passion for Promarkers challenge (although the prize never did come through, but never mind)
• Finally, I got a massive pack of beautiful christmas peel offs through the post on 22nd December (!) after winning a competition in Cardmaking and Papercraft.

I've entered loads of competitions in the last six months, and just when I was about to give up after not winning ages, my luck seemed to change. I'll be back on all the challenges and competitions as soon as I have a spare moment!