Stempelglede card contest

Stempelglede stamps have a card contest to use their stunning stamps at the moment, using the above pictures as an inspiration colour guide. Gunhild designs the most beautiful stamps and I am lucky that I have two of the sets, the grunge collection and the grunge flourish hearts collections. I have used stamps from both sets to design the card below for a Wedding Anniversary.

I have stamped the splatter stamp from the grunge collection around the edges of the paper with white Q chalk and again with antique linen distress ink to give an aged look to the papers. The edges have also been distressed with the edge of a metal ruler and stitched on the sewing machine.

I wanted to show a variety of ways the Stempelglede stamps can be used. In two corners of the paper I have stamped a flower from the grunge collection with white Q chalk edged with weathered wood distress ink. I then masked the flowers and stamped a flourish from the grunge flourish hearts collection over the top using brushed cordoruy distress ink so that the flowers look as though they are on top of the flourishes. I have then added tiny blobs of gold liquid pearls to the centres of the flowers.

Here you can see the masked flowers and grunge stamp in the bottom left corner, I really love the effect it has achieved so you will be seeing this again on my cards for sure! I have used this flower/flourish design as a base for the paper flowers. The large blue rose is from Hobby Craft and the rest are from Wild Orchid crafts, all sprayed with glimmer mist. I also curled the wire stems and have added some leaves punched with a Woodware punch and distressed with brushed cordoruy ink. The gorgeous fibres are from Craft Obsessions and I thought they perfectly matched the gingerbread inspiration picture!

The main focus of the card is a heart from the grunge flourish hearts collection. First I stamped the heart with weathered wood distress ink onto a white paper and distressed the edges with a splatter stamp and sponging. I then stamped the stamp with brushed cordoruy ink onto a duck egg blue paper and cut out just the centre heart. This has been raised on foam pads for dimension and I have added gems around the entire heart. I have layered the heart section onto the card using foam pads and added some punched leaves around the edge.

Along the top edge I have torn into the paper and added some pale grey lace peeping out.

I hope this shows the versatility of these stunning Stempelglede stamps and that you have enjoyed looking at my creation. Happy Sunday! x

SOME VERY EXCITING NEWS!!!!!

I have been absolutely bursting to tell you this since Tuesday when I got my email!!!!! I have been asked by the lovely and extremely talented ladies at Just Magnolia Challenge to join them as a design team member!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh I tell you I have not stopped grinning since and screamed with excitement when I saw my email! As I'm sure you can guess my answer was a huge YES PLEASE!!!! I still can't believe it I am so thrilled! So without further ado, here it is, my very first DT card for the Just Magnolia challenge!!! The challenge this week is to follow Martine's stunning sketch and it really is a beauty thanks Martine! Now I must apologise for using this gorgeous skating pair again but it was the only Christmas stamp I had until I received two from the gorgeous new collection yesterday but they were too late for my card! I have coloured them with distress inks, I think I've got to grips with these now, I'm really pleased with the colouring on this one although I do need lots more colours! I have added some ivory flower soft to the trims on Tilda's coat.
I have cut them out leaving a strip of white card around their feet which I have covered in glitter glue to represent the ice they are skating on. I have added it to the image background in a curved shape so that there isn't an unsightly gap at the sides. The background to the image has been clear embossed with snowflakes from the Whiff of Joy winter kit and then rubbed with brushed cordoruy distress ink so that the snowflakes show up as white although it is quite difficult to see on the photo, sorry, hating this dreary weather for lighting!
My flowers have been sprayed with pearl glimmer mist and also given some giltter glue touches, the large one is from Hobby craft and the small ones are from Wild Orchid crafts. Branches have been punched with MS branch punch.

The tag is from the packaging of Tim Holtz's grungeboard, covered in white Q chalk, distressed with brushed cordoruy distress ink and stickles and I have stamped a sentiment from the Whiff of Joy winter kit. It is attached to the image with some tulle.
For the base of the easel card I carried the sketch throuh minus the image and have written It's Christmas! with my calligraphy pen.
Here you can see what I mean about attaching the "ice" part of the image in a curve. Tilda and Edwin are on a double layer of foam pads so they really stand out from the card which helps to give a natural shadow behind them too!
Here is the card folded ready for its envelope. Hope you like my first Just Magnolia DT card and are able to join in this week! There are two more new DT members for you to meet too. Check out the blog to see the rest of the team's cards they are truly stunning! x

Whiff of Joy Christmas Card

Morning and happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating today, I hope you have a fantastic holiday time with your famillies and friends!

I'm afraid its another Christmas card from me today. Remember my sketch on the Whiff of Joy challenge blog? Well this is the other card I made for it that I wasn't quite happy with. I couldn't seem to find an embellishment I was happy with and then last night I suddenly found the perfect thing, isn't it funny how you can look and look at something and not know what to do and then all of a sudden it snaps into place LOL.

I've used the gorgeous Willow from the Whiff of Joy winter kit, masked onto the sleigh with presents from the same kit, both coloured with copics. I have also stamped the snowflakes from the kit around her in pale blue Q chalk but they aren't showing too well on the picture. The flower is from a Prima Christmas bubble with a spacer from the Hobby House and a half pearl in the centre.

The card opens out like this to reveal a sentiment panel, also stamped with the pale blue snowflakes, and the sleigh on its own on the other panel. I have written "we wish you a Merry Christmas!" with my calligraphy pen.

All the papers are K&Co and have been distressed at the edges with brushed cordoruy distress ink.

Thanks for looking! x

Whiff of Joy challenge - Christmas card

Morning! Wednesday already and that means its time for another challenge at Whiff of Joy challenge! This week we would like you to make a Christmas card....there are so many gorgeous new Christmas stamps that Katharina has released so I can't wait to see all your entries! There is a 20% sale on Whiff of Joy christmas stamps at the moment too - had to get myself some of those cute gnomes - can't resist a sale LOL!

My card is quite a simple one for me, the image is fairly large and it didn't seem to need much else when I made it although looking at it again now I think maybe I should have added some more embellishments but it is done now although it does looks much more sparkly and Christmassy in real life! All the papers are K&Co and have been edged with brushed cordoruy distress ink and stickles.

I have used the cute Santa baking and coloured him with copics. He is such a wonderful Santa don't you think!? I stamped some swirls from the Whiff of Joy spring swirls set around the edge with brushed cordoruy distress ink and also a sentiment from the Whiff of Joy winter kit. The edges have been distressed with brushed cord distress ink also. I have added ivory flowersoft to Santa's hat.

The ribbon started out plain and I have stamped "joy", "peace" and the small snowflake, all from the Whiff of Joy winter kit along the length of the ribbon using fired brick distress ink. Instead of a bow I have twisted the ribbon together and secured with a gem brad. I also stamped the three snowflakes from the winter kit with white Q chalk on the red BP.

Thanks for looking! Do pop over to the challenge blog and see the rest of the DT's cards, you won't be disappointed! Hope you can join us this week! x

Just Magnolia challenge and Colour Create Challenge

Morning! gosh haven't posted a card for days now! I have been very busy crafting but can't show any of the things I've made yet, but I have also been busy making a special commission card for my SIL which I am entering into the Just Magnolia challenge, which is to mask your image, and Colour Create's challenge to use red, green and white with the option of making a Christmas card. I'm hoping my card qualifies as my red is definitely on the burgundy side of red!

This folder card I saw on Tiets' blog last week and just had to make one, I do love cards with a bit of interest to them!


This is the card when it is all folded up......

I have coloured Tilda and Edwin skating with distress inks and I have masked the image so that I could stamp the sleigh and some snowflakes from the Whiff of Joy winter kit behind them. The large rose is from Hobby Craft and the small ones are from Wild Orchid crafts, they have been sprayed with glimmer mist.


When the front is untied it reveals this page which I have written a message on with my calligraphy pen in the shape of a Christmas tree, and added some punched snowflakes. Around the edges of all the papers I have stamped a grunge corner stamp from Stempelglede using brushed cordoruy distress ink. On the reverse of the image I have added some more snowflakes and a sentiment from the Whiff of Joy winter kit, "snowflakes are winter's butterflies", stamped with white Q chalk. The sentiment page also folds down to reveal......


Another image, again coloured with distress inks, and a little flap covered in snowflakes and gems that holds two little tags, these can either be used to write a message on or left for the recipient to use as gift tags.



for fun I made a little "made by" decal for the back of the card.


Thanks for looking! x

Ta daaaaaa!!!!!

Here it is! My long awaited gorgeous stone fireplace!!!! It took hubby and my Dad the best part of Saturday to fit but they got there in the end LOL! Obviously it needs a bit of titivating with the obligatory mirror above and the fire irons and grate haven't arrived yet so I had to stick a couple of candles and a picture on top so it didn't look too lonely LOL. The stone takes a little while to dry out so it looks a bit patchy at the moment but I'm so thrilled with it! Can't wait to have a log fire going....Christmas music.....and a drink! Heaven! x

The Sugar Bowl challenge

The Sugar Bowl challenge has a gorgeous sketch this fortnight designed by the wonderful Marlene, thanks Marlene I love this sketch! I have used papers from K&Co Brenda Walton Madeleine pad, these are my favourite papers, didn't dare use them until I got myself a duplicate pad LOL! I have torn all the edges except the long panel down the middle of the card which I have punched with MS doiley lace punch, I think you can just see it above and below the image! All the edges have been distressed with weathered wood distress ink.

I was lucky enough to acquire this little beauty this week in a swap, thank you Jane I love it! I have coloured her with distress inks as I really want to practice this technique and I felt she would suite the softer style of colouring. Really pleased with this one, I think I am getting there!
I have used weathered wood distress ink around the edge

I made the flower myself with EK success retro punches, I scrunched the petals up, inked the edges with weathered wood distress ink and added a gem brad to the centre. Oh and of course it has had an obligatory spray of glimmer mist LOL!

I ripped part of the paper and curled the edges showing a coordinating paper underneath punched with MS doiley punch. The rikrak is from my stash and the roses are from Wild Orchid crafts, also sprayed with glimmer mist.

Thanks for looking and enjoy your Friday! x

Henry again! Mojo Monday challenge

Morning! Gosh Thursday already, I don't know where this week is going! I'm seeing lots of little Christmas countdowns around blogland and they're scarey! Why? because there are only 35 days left and I haven't bought a single gift yet and have no clue what I'm even going to buy! Really need to get on with it, I'm normally much more organised but have been concentrating so much on getting the house decorated and back in order that I kind of didn't even realise how close it is LOL! At least I have Christmas cards ready LOL!



Henry mouse again today, the second card for my SIL, this time using the great sketch at Mojo Monday. Papers are K&Co and I have stamped a swirl from Whiff of Joy spring swirls kit around the edges with brushed cordoruy distress ink and covered the swirls in glitter glue.


Henry has been coloured with copics, he's a beige mouse today just to be different, and this time I have used red stickles on the berries which I think I prefer to colouring them and adding clear stickles. Again I have stamped a WOJ swirl but in antique linen distress ink.


I wasn't happy with any of my paper choices for the band behind the image so came up with the idea of making a strip of leaves so that it looks like a Christmas garland to match Henry's wreath, really pleased with how it looks. The "joy" sentiment is from the Whiff of Joy winter kit, I think it looks like a little bauble hanging from the bow and garland! I have punched two flowers with my EK retro flower punch to place behind the sentiment to create the scallop.



A close up of the stamping on the paper so you can see the sparkle....delish!


Hope you like it and thanks for looking! x

Stamp Something challenge

Evening everyone! check me out with two posts in one day LOL! I've got a few commissions to do so it is enabling me to join in more challenges woohoo! This morning's post was scheduled and I meant to alter it to update you about my fireplace and forgot LOL! It did arrive yesterday and it is soooooo gorgeous, don't you just admire how they can carve shapes in the stone!? Anyway, it is in 8 bits at the moment so I'll post a piccie on Saturday (hopefully) after my Dad and hubby have put the jigsaw together and fastened it to the wall (beginning to wish I'd had the stonemason fit it now but you have to save money where you can don't you LOL) So keep your fingers crossed for me that they don't drop the overmantel when they carry it through! (I had to laugh as the stonemason brought it himself and carried it all in on his own and Darren (my hubby) lifted the smallest bit last night and was hoofing and poofing and said hats off to the stonemason! LOL)

Anyway enough rambling and onto my card which is to the gorgeous stamp at Stamp Something challenge. All the papers are K&Co and have been edged with brushed cordoruy distress inks and glitter glue.

My SIL who I'm making these for has fallen in love with Henry with Wreath from Whiff of Joy (well who hasn't LOL) so there is another one with him on to come too! I have coloured him with copics and added glitter to his hat trims and the berries on the wreath. The edges of the image have been distressed with antique linen and brushed cordoruy and glitter glue added.

I've had this gorgeous ribbon for ages now and decided it fitted nicely with the papers.

The gorgeous poinsettia is from a Prima christmas bubble (I just love these flowers) there are two here layered up, and I've added tiny gold beads to the centre as I think it looks like the real middle of a poinsettia! The two roses are from my stash and I have curled their stems around a copic to get a nice open swirl to frame the image.

Hope you like it and thanks for looking! x

Whiff of Joy challenge - Gio's sketch

Morning! It's time for another challenge at Whiff of Joy and this week we have a stunning sketch for you by our lovely and talented DT member Gio. Thanks for the sketch Gio it is gorgeous!

I have been incredibly lucky in the past few months and won some lovely things and this stamp is one of them, thank you Katharina I love this stamp so much! Of course when these stamps were released I wanted them all, chose two, kicked myself for not picking different ones etc, etc I'm sure you've all done it too LOL so to win one was brilliant! I've coloured him with copics and added MS carrera marble glitter to the fur trims on his hat and some gorgeous green gems to the dots on his cookie.

The cream ribbon is some I've recycled from a top and the gorgeous Christmas tree charm I also won recently.

The sentiment is from the Whiff of Joy winter kit, stamped with fired brick distress ink. All the papers have been distressed with scissors, antique linen distress ink and glitter glue.

Another view so that you can see all the gorgeous layers of Gio's sketch. I added some lace along the edge of one of the elements for a more vintage feel. Hope you like it and it inspires you to join us this week. Do pop and see the rest of the teams' cards, as always they are stunning! x