Confessions of an Untidy Crafter

Welcome

Yes, I am an untidy crafter - I really do know where most things are on my desk, and I do put away after myself, but somehow no matter how I try, I end up with a 50cm x 50cm (18" x 18") or less,  space to work in!!

This card started with the platinum embossed and painted (with mica based paints) floral stamp on a snippet of black card.

I paired it with the deep red card for the card base, and added a layer behind it from another snippet of the same card.

The blue sprayed card was another snippet sitting in my 'promise box' (I promise I will use it one day) , and I ran the edge of it over a blue ink pad to define the edges and embossed the sentiment on that panel.  Unfortunately the camera did not pick up the sparkle in the spray.

The background layer was embossed in a S/B em-bossing folder, Lovely Lattice. 

After laying everything out on the embossed layer I jiggled it all around,  added the faux stitching, and was still not happy - then I spied the ribbon, and it was completed in very short time after that. 

I am linking this to:

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #182 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenge #363 - Anything Goes

Little Miss Muffet Challenge #185 - Anything Goes

D.L. Art Thankful Thursday Challenge #225 - Flowers

Through The Craftroom Door - Anything Goes

Retro Rubber Challenge #83 - Anything Goes

The poppy stamp is at least 10 years old!

Lemon shortbread Challenge #64 - Anything Goes

Digi Chooseday Challenge Week #13 - Anything Goes

Creates and makes Challenge #20 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #328 - 329 - Anything Goes

Alcoholic Owl Birthday Card

 Welcome

Now I have your attention with that title...

The alcohol is on the background of the card in the form of Alcohol Inks!

I was so pleased with this panel that I did not want to cut it up, or cover it up more than the bare minimum... (slight dose of pride here!!)

So I made a removable bookmark to go on the front of the card, with the sentiment  ( a magazine freebie) white embossed on the hand cut double fishtail banner that holds the bookmark in place.

The bookmark was cut using a tag die by Paper Rose, an Australian company.

The owl on the bookmark is from Unity, a Jillibean Itty Bitty stamp set called Have a Hoot, which appears to have been retired.

He was stamped on kraft card, white embossed and coloured with Polychromo Pencils, and mounted over a snippet of green patterned paper I had on my desk.

I used an irRESISTable Pico embellisher to give dimension and added colour to the eyes and the dots on the hat. 

The stamp sentiment was also embossed in white, and a few Nuvo drops and some green gingham ribbon were added and the card was done.

I am linking this to:

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #78 - Anything Goes
HeARTfelt Stamping Challenge - Anything Goes
The Paper Nest Dolls March Challenge - Anything Goes
The Paper Girls Challenge #148 - Embossing
Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #1812 - Anything Goes
Crafting From the Heart Challenge #200 - Anything Goes
Colouring in Scrapland March Challenge - Anything Goes
Elliebelle's Papercrafter's Linky Party #8 - Anything Goes
Pixie's crafty Snippets Challenge #322 - Anything Goes using a snippet
Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #326-327 - Anything Goes

Patchwork Thanks

Welcome

I am very aware that I have been missing from the 'blogisphere' for a week or two - life has been very busy and then just as it quietened down, I was attacked by a nasty lurgy... and lost my voice into the bargain, the poor cat was confused!!  It is coming back now, slowly.

If you think this card looks familiar you are correct - it is made from the same shades of paper that my last quilted card was, as I ended up cutting five sets for the different layers... 

This time I added a sparkly thanks die cut, 

and three butterflies with silver thread looped underneath

and finished the card by tying some silver cord across the bottom of the forest green card base and adding a bow.

I was pleased that the recipients really loved the card.

I am linking this to:

Crafty Creations Challenge #362 - Anything Goes

Creative Moments Challenge #139 - Anything Goes

Southern Girls Challenge - Use Die Cuts

Elliebelles Crafty Wednesday March Challenge - Use a critter

Inspiration Destination Challenge #146 - Anything Goes - opt. twist, spring or pastel colours

Scrapy Land Challenge #86 - Anything Goes using a die they sell -

This is a Frantic Friday Quilt Die

The Crafty Addicts Challenge #46 - Anything Goes

D L Art Challenge #225 - Flowers, or thanks

Little Miss Muffet Challenge #185 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #326,327 - Anything Goes

Hearts and a Cat

Welcome

I recently made this anniversary card for family members,

It is very personal as I managed to incorporate the number of years they have been married, as well as the newest member of their family

I started with the mini Crazy Cat set from Tim Holtz , which includes the stamps, dies and an embossing folder, which I used on the yellow layer.

I stamped the image (on a snippet) in Memento London Fog ink and coloured it with chalk, being careful to put a very distinctive smudge on its face, to match the family's cat, then die cut it with the matching die.  

 The greeting had been silver embossed on a snippet of  dark blue card, which I hand cut to a banner, then sat the cat on it, with the fish skeleton nearby.

I coloured the eyes with a mixture of green and then blue chalks to make them match the family cat and then added glossy accents to bring them to life.

I am linking this to: 

Pixie's snippets Playground Challenge #321 - Anything Goes Using Snippets

HeARTfelt Stamping Challenge - Anything Goes + Stamping

International Art and Soul Challenge # 28- Use embossing and a die cut

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #77 - Anything Goes

Penny Black and More March Challenge - Feature a Creature

The Corrosive Challenge #3, March - Anything Goes

Catch The Bug Theme Challenge - Natures Wonders - use a creature

Crafter's Castle Challenge #3 - Anything goes - 

(opt twist, Use Your favourite technique - Heat embossing)

Elliebelle's Papercrafters Linky Party - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #324-325 - Anything Goes

Smile Swap

Welcome

This card was made for a local (New Zealand) swap group, where the challenge was to make your own background.  I can share it now as I know it has arrived at its destination.

I started with a background I had already made some months previously, and then botched.  It had been sprayed with Lindy's Hydrangea Blue and Tattered Angels Chalkboard grape, (that I can remember, there are some other sprays there I cannot recall!))  and then had some gold embossing added.

I removed the area that I had initially botched, added a blue stitched die cut to frame the sunflower that I placed on the purple layer of the card.

The sunflower is a digi, but I cannot find where from.  If anybody recognises it, please let me know so I can acknowledge the artist. It was coloured with Polychromos and then had WoS added, not that it is showing in the photos.

I find it difficult to add a greeting on a swap card, so I chose to use this die cut in gold to tie in with the gold embossing.  The die is one I was given out of it's wrapper, so I do not know the brand.  I use washi tape to line the letters up, and then remove it when all is adhered.

I am linking this to:

Crafty Creations Challenge #361 - Anything Goes

Creative Moments Challenge #138 - Anything Goes, Twist, Feminine

Inspiration Destination Challenge #145 - Anything Goes

The Crafty Addicts Challenge #46 - Anything Goes, Twist not used

Crafty Sentiments Challenge - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #62 - Anything Goes

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Crafting By Design March Challenge - Anything Goes

Addicted To Stamps and More Challenge #282 - Make Your Mark

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #324-325 - Anything Goes

Turtle-y Awesome!!

Welcome

I am still one handed, so the next few cards that I blog will be ones that I have made recently, but have not had time to share.

I love the stamp set "Birthday Pals" by Sweet'n'Sassy Stamps, and used it on this card, starting by stamping and embossing the turtle, and then colouring it with my Polychromo pencils, I die cut him, and sponged a background before removing the die

The sketchy balloon coloured up well,

and thanks to the MISTI I got a great stamping of the matching sentiment.

After assembling the card, I added the doodled border, and was very happy with the outcome for Master Five.

I am linking this to:

Crafting With Friends Challenge Challenge #62 - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers Challenge #143 - Anything Goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge #12 - Anything Goes Featuring a Critter

A Bit More Time To Craft Challenge #63 - Anything Goes

Always Happy Birthday March Challenge - Anything Birthday Goes

Crafty Animals Challenge #12 - Anything Goes using a creature

Just Us Girls Word Week #430 - Balloons

Papercrafters Linky Party #5 - Anything Goes

Send A Smile For Kids - Anything Goes For Kids - opt twist not used

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #324 - 325 - Anything Goes