Pen and Paperie: August 2014

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Nau wale no

Wednesdays are sketch days over at the Outlawz and this month we have been sponsored by Oak Pond Creations and I’ve used their Hibiscus image on my card today.

Here’s this week’s sketch.

I didn’t have a die the right shape and size for the rectangular element so I was a bit lost as to what to do on my card. As I do, I went and checked out some challenges to see if I could find some inspiration. Brown Sugar’s current theme is Kraft paper and Creative Fingers wants you to add some texture. Putting the two together I came up with my Kraft background paper and used my favourite stencil to add in the rectangular element. For some added interest on the background I threw some Fran-tage over the modelling paste I used while it was still wet and heat set.

For my embellishments I used another challenge for inspiration as the thin strip across the top was going to be too plain if I just added in some ribbon given I had no designer papers. Luckily Chocolate, Coffee and Cards have a bingo challenge on, I love bingo boards for inspiration on decorating up a card. I’ve gone with pearls, a bow and a charm for my embellies. I used a ribbon with butterfly trim to tie in with the butterfly charm, which I thought was a lovely compliment to the hibiscus flower image.

Now hopefully I’ve inspired you to come and take a look and even play along over at the Outlawz, we’d sure love to see what you create with the sketch.

Ingredients:

Copics

G07, G28, G43, G46, RV52, RV63, RV66, RV69, V09, V12, V15, V17, Y13, Y15, Y17

Chalks & Powders etc

Fran-tage Embossing Enamel ~ Aged Ochre, Aged Rose, Chunky White & Shabby Pink

Dies, SVGs & Templates etc

Memory Box Stencil ~ Texture Mesh

Embellishments

Metal Butterfly Charm from stash

Inks & Paints etc

Claudine Hellmuth Studio ~ Gesso

Lindy’s Stamp Gang ~ Cheshire Cat Cherry

Smooch Spritz ~ Mixed Berries

Teresa Collins Basically Essential ~ Modelling Paste

Papers

Kaisercraft Cardstock ~ Liquorice

Kraft Cardstock from stash

Ribbons & Trims etc

Live and Love Crafts ~ Pearl Trim Lilac

The Paper Studio Ribbon ~ Poteeka Souffle

Stamps

Oak Pond Creations ~ Hibiscus

Challenges

Brown Sugar #108 ~ Let’s Get Krafty

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards #72 ~ BINGO (pearls, bow, charm)

Creative Fingers #46 ~ Add some texture

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, 23 August 2014

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life

My card today features an awesome image from The Stamping Chef called The Artist.

Now Tamara, the Stamping Chef herself, is running a competition to be the ‘colouring face’ of the Stamping Chef, details can be found over in the shop where you buy the image. I couldn’t resist entering as it would be such an honour to have my colouring featured on her shop. Also the image was clearly going to be a challenge with all that curly hair so I really wanted an excuse to colour it up.

Of course, once it was coloured I had to put The Artist on a card. I followed the current sketch at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 to make up my card and selected papers that made me think of painting and paints. I don’t know how long I’ve had the Echo Park or Little Yellow Bicyle pads I used, they’ve been in my stash for a good while so I’m entering my card in Crafty Creations’ current challenge to use something old from your stash.

As always my card is a 6x6 square, so I am also entering it in the current challenge at The Crafter’s Café. I made the circle elements I mounted the iamnge on using my trusty Nesties, layering a plain circle on a blossom pattern. I also made my own embellies with some pretty butterflies from a Marianne Design Creatables die. With my die cuts I am entering this in the current PDE Linky Party challenge. To finish off my butterflies I added in some adhesive pearls and mounted them on some lace tape, another thing I’ve had in my stash for ever, and pearl trim so I am also linking my card up at Divas by Design.

Seeing I have used a Stamping Chef image on my card I am also entering it in their current challenge, where it’s always anything goes.

Ingredients:

Copics

Skin E000, E00, E11, E21 (cheeks E02)

Eyes E30, E35, G02, 0

Lips R24, R29, R59

Hair BV29, R85, RV10, RV63, RV69

Outfit B21, B23, B37, B39, T4, T6, T8, 100

Paint, Palette & Brush B99, E21, E23, G05, R29, YR68, 0

Dies, SVGs & Templates etc

Marianne Design Creatables ~ Butterflies

Spellbinders Nestabilities ~ Blossom 5 & Classic Circles

Embellishments

Kaisercraft Pearls ~ Rose

Inks & Paints etc

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Victorian Velvet & Weathered Wood

Papers

Close to My Heart Cardstock ~ Indian Corn Blue

Echo Park Everyday Eclectic ~ Doily Multi & Hexagons

Little Yellow Bicycle Hello Spring! ~ Pretty in Plaid

Ribbons & Trims etc

Christina Re Decorative Lace Tape ~ Antique Lace Black

Green Tara ~ Pearl Trim Pale Pink

Live and Love Crafts ~ Pearl Trim Lilac

Stamps

The Stamping Chef ~ The Artist

Challenges

The Crafter’s Café # 77 ~ Square Cards Only

Crafty Creations #270 ~ Dig Deep Use something old from your Stash

Divas by Design ~ Pretty pearls

PDE Linky Party #17 ~ Metal dies

The Stamping Chef #43 ~ Always anything goes

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #25

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, 20 August 2014

…thou hast brought me many flowers…

Wednesday means only one thing, a new sketch over at the Outlawz and my card today features the lovely Iris image from this month’s fabby sponsor, Oak Pond Creations.

And here’s this week’s sketch.

I’ve fallen out of the habit of playing along at Through the Purple Haze so before I sat down to make my card I headed over there to check out their current challenge. It is to use an inspirational image, quite a different image it is too! Between the feathers and the colours I kept thinking shabby chic, a style that really suited this sketch too. I picked up the purples, pinks and blues from the inspiration image in my papers and embellies and the slight green tinges in my scrap of ribbon.

The sketch was a great one for layering up my papers and I do love to use various patterned papers on my cards, love the extra weight and thickness they give to the card. I’ve got three on this one so I’m also entering my card in the current challenge over at Craft Your Passion.

Corrosive Challenges are running a theme of “B” Unique looking for three things starting with the letter ‘b’; I’ve got some lovely blooms (both embellies and the image), some sparkly bling and a beautiful butterfly. So I’m entering my card in the challenge.

This really is an awesome sketch to let your creativity shine through and I loved playing with it. So hope you will come join us over at the Outlawz with your take on the sketch.

Ingredients:

Copics

B28, B63, B66, BV29, G07, G28, G43, G46, Y15

Chalks & Powders etc

Fran-tage Embossing Enamel ~ Shabby Blue

Dies, SVGs & Templates etc

Spellbinders Nestabilities ~ 5x7 Matting Basics

Embellishments

Bling Swirl from stash

Delish Designs ~ Ribbon Threader

Green Tara ~ Velvet Leaves Burgundy

Mulberry & Paper Flowers from stash

Petaloo Penny Lane Garden Collection ~ Forget Me Nots Soft Lavender

Petaloo Textured Elements ~ Burlap Blossoms Teal (Butterfly)

Prima Flowers ~ Prelude Summer Mix

Inks & Paints etc

Tim Holtz Distress Ink ~ Tea Dye

Papers

Cardstock from stash

Maja Design Vintage Autumn Basics ~ No 5

Maja Design Vintage Spring Basics ~ 6th of May & 10th of March

Ribbons & Trims etc

Hug Snug ~ Seam Binding Ribbon Cream (dyed with Tim Holtz Distress Ink Iced Spruce)

Stamps

Oak Pond Creations ~ Iris

Challenges

Corrosive Challenge #206 ~ “B” Unique (three b items)

Craft Your Passion #226 ~ Use at Least 3 Patterned Papers

Through the Purple Haze #55 ~ Photo inspiration

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, 16 August 2014

The moon lives in the lining of your skin

Betty’s been busy in her boudoir again and there is an awesome new collection of images ready for your colouring pleasure, Betty BOOdoir, and my first card features the sexy Spirited Betty.

To make up my card I followed the sketch over at Creative Craft Cottage, I also picked up the three flowers from the inspiration photo and added them to the corner with some other bibs and bobs. I wanted to create a night time inspired background with a hint of magic in the air so I selected some suitable papers and sprinkled on some Fran-tage. With my embossing I am entering this in the current challenge at Creative Card Crew. I’ve also taken up Crafting Musketeers’ challenge of 1,2,3 with my one image, two different embossing powders and three different patterned papers (I also have the three flowers and three kinds of embellishments so not sure if I’ve disqualified myself!).

My second card features the sizzling Devilish Betty.

This one follows the sketch at Cheerful Sketches and I’ve tried to keep it fairly simple as I’m actually giving this one to a male friend as a birthday card. I’ve used my Fran-tage and embossing powders again to make the background behind Devilish Betty, along with some inking over the top. I’ve had the Ranger embossing powder in my stash for a long time, I tend to use my Fran-tage for most embossing so it was good be able to pull this one out and finally use it. With my embossing and stash powder I am entering this in the current challenge over at Clear It Out. I haven’t played along at Through the Purple Haze for a while but I couldn’t resist their current optional twist of femme fatale, not when I had such a perfect image as Devilish Betty for the theme.

And just when you thought there couldn’t be any more gorgeousness in a single day at Simply B Stamps there comes along another fantastic Halloween collection, this time from the Betty Boo collection, and I am sharing Who’s Your Mummy Betty.

For this card I’ve followed the current sketch over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2, which had just a perfect element for adding some ‘bandages’ to compliment the image. Inky Chicks had an awesome inspirational image up that really helped me decide on how to colour Betty and pointed me in the direction of my paper choices, the colours on the inspirational image matched perfectly with the G45 Steampunk Spells collection. The colour combination also happens to be that of a friend’s football team so this will be his Halloween card this year, which is why I went light on the embellies and the feminine frippery I usually like to add to my cards. As this is a Halloween card I am also entering it in Addicted to Stamps’ current challenge.

There are two other equally beautiful images in the Betty BOOdoir collection plus an fantastic haunted house and another three in the Betty Boo collection, so head on over to the SBS blog for all the details and check out what all the other awesome DT gals have done with the images. You can find their blogs at the end of this post, in the side bar and on the SBS blog.

Ingredients:

Copics

Skin E000, E00, E11, E21 (cheeks E02)

Eyes E30, E35

Lips R24, R46, R59

Champagne & Glass BG11, Y26, Y28, 0

Devilish Betty

Eye Shadow BV20, BV23

Hair R24, R59, T4, T6, T8, 100

Outfit R24, R29, R46, R59, R89, T4, T6, T8, 100

Spirited Betty

Hair T4, T6, T8, 100