Paperclip!

This weeks Everybody Art challenge is to use a Paperclip. I knew I had some coloured ones somewhere and eventually found them. I used just one with a little bit of ribbon and used it over the sentiments.
My sweet image is from Mo Manning called Taste of Winter and the papers are from LOTV. Since I used the a paperclip I thought it would work with the notebook punch I've got from Stampin Up.
Then I used the usual suspects of riboon and snowflakes to finish. These days paper clips come in all shapes and different sizes so pop over and check out the team to see what fabulous creations they've created.

Heidi's Birthday

Not only is September the month Simon Says Stamps have Stamptember but its also Heidi the owner's birthday. Since I love the sentiment on their Birthday Messages stamps I had to find an image to work with it. The image is from Art Impressions called Cupcake BFF and along with the Ice Cream die ticks all the boxes needed for the sentiment.
The Happy Birthday is also a Simon Says Stamps die and I used the Spellbinders Floral Oval with a La La Land corner to break up the plainness at the top. I'm pretty sure the papers are Authentique Radiant.

I have a list for cards this week some important birthdays and DT cards to make and after today quite a busy week anyway.

Colour

The Splitcoaststampers CAS289 challenge is for back to school but thinking about my card looks fairly busy so I'm not sure whether to load it to the challenge.
I used the  Simon Says Stamps dotty background die over the background I did with the colours of the stamped pencils again from Simon Says Stamps called Colour and Sunshine the sentiments in the fishtail banners came from the same set. The word Colour is using the odd letters I have left after using the Memory Box alphabet die.
To be honest as I put it together I thought that it was going to look awful but if it looks ok in real life.

Penny Black Robin

Didn't realise that my card looks crooked, I'll have tried to straighten my Penny Black Robin card before posting. Still not sure how the camera can make the card straight at the bottom and crooked at the top. I know its a proper square because I used the lines on my cutting mat to line up the ribbon and papers etc.
I sort of followed the Sweet Sketch Wednesday but I used a circle for the centre which was allowed. The papers are from LOTV.
The card looks fairly busy but apart from ribbon and a few red pearls thats it.

SCS Baubles

When I made my Simon Says Stamps Ornaments card the last week I had stamped several baubles so I had a few left and I decided when I saw the sketch SC504 last week on Splitcoaststampers it would work with some of them.
I also saw one of the DT had used the Presents and Ornaments little bow for the top of the baubles which I thought was a brilliant idea. So I stamped the swirly wire in gold, then the bows and then used gold embossing powder. Then laid my cut out the ornaments still waiting for Mr Postman to bring the dies since I know they have left SSS shores.
The stripy paper was on my desk and I cut out a Spellbinders Stately Circle to stamp my Christmas the same way has the wire and to bring a bit of interest I used the Merry Christmas die but only used the Merry.
Bit of gold ribbon in my stash.
After my swim this morning its packing my tote bag for a day of Scrapbooking tomorrow with the girls met at the retreat at the beginning of the year.

Chocolate and Mint

This weeks challenge on Less is More is a colour one of Chocolate and Mint. I wanted to use the coffee cup from Stamping Up since I've had it for a while. Then I had the idea of using the lid to make it look like one was empty and fallen over. Not sure it looks quite like it but I like.
The patterned paper was left on desk and I like the little border round the CAS cards at the moment, so I need to get it out of my system.
I added the Birthday sentiment cos I felt it needed something but now thinking maybe I should of left the space but hey ho.

Stars

These cards have been stuck in my draft posts for a while and since I've added yet more CAS I might as well show them. They are using the Memory Box Stars, the first one I cut out the white twice and layered the larger stars. 

I used Navy card to fill in the waste and in both cards used the Penny Black sentiment.

Christmas Angel

I do love this image called Ragged Angel from Maurie Manning and there are advantages for Christmas creeping up on us, we get to use our favourite Christmas images and you can add this one to my list.
I've used the papers from LOTV do love this lilac range, didn't call them purple that sound too harsh.
The sketch is from Sketch and Stash and I believe I'm still in time to enter that challenge.
My holly is from a Martha Stewart punch but I've manipulated it somewhat to give me three holly leaves rather than two.
I found the two marvellous pearl flowers in my gem box which were perfect for this sketch.
I really must sit down and count up what Christmas Cards I've done up to now and work out how many I have to make but I'm frightened that I might scare myself!

Make your Own Background

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
Thank you for joining us for the  STAMPtember® Stamp-It Challenge and we hope you will all join us again this week too.
We will be back soon with the name of the lucky winner of the $50 Voucher
This week the challenge is ,,,,,,,,

MAKE YOUR OWN BACKGROUND

there are so many ways to make your own backgrounds, using stencils, splattering, gelli plate printing etc
We are showcasing GELATOS made by FABER-CASTELL this week. You don't have to use them to join in but if you have some we would love to see them used.

As always Simon Says Stamp will be giving away $50 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store

All the techniques I had in my head needed Gesso and guess what I don't have. So I had to settle for the colouring up the solid stamps from Penny Black Foliage Fancy and misting with water. I then stamped over then with the outline stamp. I also did the same on a separate page so I could cut them out.
I then used on of the ovals from the Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles and stamped the sentiment from Simon Says Stamps Essential Greetings.  Last of all I used the Happy Birthday Die again from Simon Says Stamps but used the Happy. I then blended some brown inks round the card so the white wasn't so stark.

So now it's YOUR turn.  Happy Crafting

There are fabulous Give Aways and inspiration from fabulous designers on a daily basis over on the Simon Says Stamp Blog , if you haven't subscribed by email you may want to so you don't miss out 

You have until Wed  8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in

No backlinking allowed, Only 5 new creations will be eligible in the prize draw

Butterflies

A few weeks ago there was a CAS challenge sketch not sure who it was could be CAS(E) this sketch but my finished card was a bit pants and then my butterflies didn't photo that well. I was tempted to put it in the bin but it does look better in real life.
So has I don't normally post first thing on Wednesday I thought I would sneak it on my blog.

Back at 2pm with Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge and can I thank everyone who took the time to comment on my card for the challenge I was totally overwhelmed.

Tall Lollies

I think I better publish this before Summer really does disappear, here in the UK we are definitely in Autumn with misty chilly morning and hazing sunshine but at least its not raining.
So I'm using papers from the the stamp kit I think it was for July but don't hold me to that but the stamp set is available from Simon Says Stamps called Ice Cream Dream and the sentiments came from a set called Birthday Messages. I also used a Simon Says Stamp die for the centre mat which already has the circle cut out.
I've recently been lucky to received the next Simon Says Stamp kit which is amazing can't wait to get time to play.

Coffee Anyone

The challenge this week at Everybody Art is for using Tea and Coffee packaging a bit of cheating here and just used a bit down the side but the tea have made some wonderful items.
Also I forgot how to use frantage and it all worked out a bit of mess. You don't need to use versamark just sprinkle the frantage and heat from underneath. All this realised after I messed it up.
The sketch is from Friday Sketch Challenge and my little coffee drinking is from Sassy Cheryl. The little snowflake are using MFT with a little heart button that I found in my stash.
Do pop over and check out the team.

Snow

One of the cards that were failing me on Saturday but yesterday put the finishing touches using the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch. I also knew if I didn't post today it would get lost in my drafts posts.
First I used the Snowflake Stencil from Simon Says Stamps and decided to use the large Funky Snowflake die which matches the stencil snowflake. I cut it out twice and layered it so it had more dimension.
The little blue Snowflake comes from Simon Says Stamps new release of Ornaments and Presents and with the Memory Box Alphabet die made the word Snow.
Considering once I use the stencil I had a brain block on the Saturday this card turned out really well after all.

Boys

So here are weeks 34 and 35 for my layout a week and I'm back in the arrears again, its not that I don't have enough photos I'm still scrapbooking 2013. I also get lots of photos from Sister of my Gt nephews like the one above, how can I not use it.
It was a lovely quick layout that worked out so well, I only had two patterned papers although one had lots of different patterned stripes and dots.

For some reason I have loads of Echo Park patterned paper for boys although I think there are two different sets that I've put together. I so wish I didn't try to cut out the windows of the train or left it till I was home to cut them out on a glass cutting mat. Oh well its done now.
All the layouts I've made this year can be found in its entirety here All in One Place.

Penquin

I thought I would post this card today so it would be in time for the Freshly Made Sketch for this week. Considering there's no embellishments this is pretty busy.. Not my best idea but the papers need using and I love the pretty flowers but maybe not with my penguin cos he looks a bit lost. I just added a MFT grass die upside down and added some sparkle.
My cute penguin is from LOTV and he really need his nose layering never mind I'll try to remember to do it next time.
I've just discovered that Squirrel when of the blogs I have followed for ages is having a one off PENGUIN challenge, so I have added my card, do check out her post.
I had planned a day of card making yesterday but first I had to make my DT card. After throwing away nearly a whole tree and was about to resign my place on the team. I finally made something that was as close to an OK card I could get and then discovered the item I used is out of stock. But it will still have to do so I left it to dry and tried to make something else but things just went from worse to even worse. So I decided to put the craft scissors down before I threw all my craft toys out of the pram. So lets hope today will see an improvement.

Christmas Lights

A little extra for today I've noticed I have quite a few CAS cards in my drafts and I always feel guilty showing them one a day, it feels like I've cheated. So anyway I've been playing with the new stamps that Simon Says Stamps have sent me for Stamptember. One I love how it turned even though it really is very CAS and one was a bit of a failure in my eyes. The Ornaments set was the one I mainly been playing with and  all I did was use the swirl stamp and then stamped the tops before using different coloured ink baubles.
The sentiment was stamped using the Essential Greetings.

Here's my failure, I'm thinking now the enamel dots could be whats throwing things off  on this card.  I've used Ornaments set again including the sentiments not sure why it looks crooked but it is straight. I stamped the swirl but this time I cut out the baubles and since I didn't receive the dies (just waiting for my order to be shipped and they will be winging their way over the Atlantic). I wish those dots weren't well and truly stuck cos I reckon they need to come off.

Blue, Brown and White

First Saturday of the month its time for a Penny Black Saturday Challenge and this month its a colour challenge of Blue Brown and White. Well I might have pushed a bit with the white the patterned paper is an off white but my flowers are white.
One of my favourite Penny Black Stamps and it  works just as well in pink.
The sketch is the Sunday Sketch and Stamps the strips do not have curved ends they are in fact circle placed on the strips, the join hidden under the MFT fence and ribbon. The flowers are MFT as well as the border round my image mat but I have now noticed the end has sneaked up but this has now be repaired seeing as the bag he was in was beside my chair.
Do hope you can join us this month.

Palm Tree

After making a palm tree through my cricut I thought I would buy a die so there would be slightly less wastage but didn't realise how big he was.  I think it works for this card for Less is More seaside challenge. First of all I made the base card with some blending of yellow and blue but didn't take the colour all the way across.
The palm tree was placed and I decided I needed a sentiment and used one from Simon Says Stamps Floral Bookmarking but looking now I should have placed it slightly higher in line of the palm tree at the time I was just grateful it was straight.
Once everything was stuck down I realised I need to make the palm tree look planted rather than floating so a few lines to ground it, of course the tree is hiding some that went a bit weird looking.

Broken

I reckon this little chap has never been used he is called Broked b c and I had coloured him ages ago and he's waited patiently in coloured images pile. So out of the blue I decided to use him now I just needed a sketch and decided on this weeks Mojo Monday 361.
Wasn't sure this it would work but actually I quite like how it turned out. Not many embellishments I made the circle with Spellbinders and the words die is from Penny Black. Finished off with my Planes die from Simon Says Stamps although I'm still debating with myself that I need another little plane in fact the more I look at it the more I need too.
Mo Manning is have a flash sale with 20% off but you only have till Saturday.
Today I'm off to Wisley's Flower Show, I'm a member so we get in for free, looks like the weather is going to be nice for us too.

STAMPtember® 'Stamp-It' Challenge and Blog Hop

Hi all and welcome to another week on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
Thank you for joining us for the Anything Goes Challenge and we hope you will all join us again this week too.

This week the challenge is ,,,,,,,,

STAMPtember® 'Stamp-It' and Blog Hop

You must create a project using a rubber or clear stamp, no digi images allowed, add your creation to the linky AND hop around the designers blogs leaving comments along the way.  We are only showing sneak peeks of what we made so you need to visit our blogs to see our creations in all their glory :-)

We are showcasing the new STAMPtember® products that have just been released. CLICK HERE to see them all. It is a HUGE release with loads of fabulous stamps, dies, stencils and much more !

You should have arrived here from  Cheiron's blog if not then   CLICK HERE to go to the start of the hop on the  Simon Says Stamp Store Blog 

TODAY is Heidi's Birthday, as you know Heidi is the owner of Simon Says Stamp and we would like you all to join us in wishing her a very Happy Birthday

As always Simon Says Stamp will be giving away $50 voucher to shop at the fabulous Simon Says Stamp Store

I made a few cards with the fabulous selection that Simon Says Stamps sent me so I had a bit of job working out what to show. But I really like the Simon Says Stamps Exclusive Ornaments although I didn't have the dies so I had to cut round them with a little white border. I used a gold gel pen to colour the tops. I also had some stencils sent to me and I use Dreamweaver Embossing Paste, this stencil is called Dots and Lines and I love that it covers the whole card rather than trying to match it up.
I cut out the oval in the main card before I used the paste a bit messy but I think it worked better that way and I cover up the side not being pasted.
Of course if I use an oval I also have to use Spellbinders Floral Oval and I grabbed a my Martha Stewart Holly punch to add a couple of sprigs. The sentiment is made up with the Simon Says Stamps Merry Christmas die and the stamped Christmas was in the ornaments stamp set.

                                                     So now it's YOUR turn ! Happy Crafting !!

From here you need to hop on over to Heather's Blog 

You have until Wed  8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in :-)