Sugar Bowl challenge - Kathy's sketch

There is a fantastic prize this fortnight over at the Sugar Bowl....8 of the gorgeous new Manga Christmas stamps!! Just had to enter, despite being a little short on time this week. We have managed to finish the first of many rooms requiring decorating in the extension but boy was it hard work with the children running about! I'm not entirely sure about this card now its done, I'm not that keen on the colours but I haven't been craft shopping for almost a month now (having palpatations at the thought of how long it's been LOL) so seem to be running low on papers. Also the papers didn't seem to suite my normal distressed style which felt strange to me.....there have been no distress inks used on this card!!!!!! Still, it is nice and girly so will come in handy for a little girl and my son gets so many party invitations now he's at school!

I completely ran out of the pale turquoise card I was using to back the papers so decided to stitch around the edge of this cute little Gorjuss girl and her teddy instead. The thread matches so well as it is white cotton coloured with the same copic as her dress! Love how you can match things in with copics don't you? Both of their crowns have been smothered in clear stickles but it doesn't seem to be sparkling very much on this photo.

Part of the sketch is this turned over corner, to add a bit of interest I've added clear stickles to the it too. All the flowers have been glimmer misted also. The please include of the sketch was buttons so I've given all the flowers a pretty pastel green button centre.

Image: Party Princess Gorjuss Girl from Sugar Nellie coloured with copics

Papers: Basic Grey Euphoria collection

Ribbon, gems and buttons: from stash

Flowers: Prima

Just Magnolia stitching challenge

My goodness!!! I cannot believe I have spent I don't know how many hours hand stitching a card LOL!!!! I'm a wonderweb girl wherever I can get away with it and here I am sewing paper LOL!!! I have wondered what all the fuss is about when I've seen that people have stitched their cards but I think photos obviously don't do it justice because now I've seen it in the flesh I can totally see what the fuss is about....it looks really gorgeous!! I do love the way these challenges get me doing something I wouldn't normally choose to do. I decided to use this challenge to make a card for my Mum from my children rather than a card to put in my "for whenever" box. The paper I used I saw on a foreign site and fell in love with it then saw it on Tabbycrafts site and had to get it....but have you ever bought a paper because you love it and then found it doesn't actually seem very easy to make a card with?? that's this paper. I really struggled at first embellishment wise as the highly stylised flowers on the paper just didn't go with any of my flower stash. Necessity is the Mother of all invention though and it caused me to have the flower and wire idea that mimics the paper. I just coloured some of my paper covered wire from my cake decorating supplies with black marker and drew some leaves to match the paper et voila! I'm really pleased with how it all gels together.

I have decorated the inside with the same paper and another image and just a little stitching this time...my fingers couldn't take any more!

Image: Butterfly Tilda from Magnolia coloured with Copics

Papers: Bo Bunny Angel Island "Phoebe", Bazzill dot card and green card by Papermania

Ribbon and gems: from stash

Flower and wire: hand made and cut from the paper

Stitching: A true labour of love with needle and thread LOL!