Thursday 28 February 2013

A Sundae on a Thursday!

Good morning, Bloggers, from a cold, but beautifully sunny, Wales!  Firstly, I would like to share my good fortune...yesterday I found out that I am the winner over at I Love Promarkers and I also came top 5 with my Saturated Canary card (Wish...post) at Passion for Promarkers!  So chuffed!!  It gives you such a buzz when Mr Random.org picks your name, or when the wonderful DT members think that your card is worthy of a mention, that to have 2 in one week is pretty amazing!
So, onto today's card...
...I was thinking ahead to Summer when I made this one!  The papers are from 12 Cards of Christmas and A Year in Cards CDs and I followed another of the My Favourite Things sketches...
...The image is my ice cream sundae and I've coloured with Promarkers, then highlighted with a touch of Glamourdust and Glossy Accents on the strawberries.  Want to know the colours?  Well, here they are for all you Pro-markers :
Strawberries - Antique Pink, Amaranth Red FM, Crimson, Burgundy, Pear & Olive Green
Raspberries - Watermelon FM, Antique Pink, Vermillion FM
Gooseberries - Aniseed FM, Pear & Olive Green
Blackcurrants - Amethyst, Purple, Imperial Purple FM, Royal Blue
Ice creams - Ivory, Vanilla, Mustrad, Satin, Tan, Cinnamon
Cream - Light Fawn FM
Spoon - Cool Grey 1 & 3, Glass - Tea Green
The sentiment is printed in Holiday Springs Serif font and cut with my petite and petite scallop ovals.  I finished with a Die-namics scalloped corner, pearls (of course!) and red heart gem. I love the sweet sorbet colours of the papers with the bright 'pops' of the fruit - Summer on a card!
I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges :
Lace and/or Pearls
(it's very rare for my card not to have pearls on!)
Anything Goes (easy peasy!)
Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Thanks for dropping by and I hope you have the sunshine wherever you are! Lisa x

Tuesday 26 February 2013

Same sketch, with a twist...

Good morning, everyone, hope you have had a good start to the week!  I can't believe that it's March 1st this week (St David's Day) and still no sign of daffodils!  Spring can't come quick enough for me and then I spend the rest of the year tryng to slow it down before Winter creeps back round again.  I hope we get some semblance of a Summer this year, after 2012's washout!  I'm not asking for too much, a whole week even would be nice!?!  Our weather is so unpredictable, that you can't plan any outdoor event - BBQ, fete, picnic - which is probably why us Brits are so obsessed with it!
Anyhow, rant over...the card I have to share today is using the same sketch as the Laughing Horse card in my previous post, just turned 90 degrees, hence the post title!  I have to say, I never really did much with sketches before, but have found them a Godsend since my lack of Mojo and am now really 'into' using them...
...I chose my papers first again (wow, look at me!?), First Edition Summer Breeze and Animal Antics, then coloured up my Gardener's Delight digistamp...
...I coloured using my Promarkers, then printed the image again onto First Edition Animal Antics paper and paper pieced the wellington boots.  Here's the colours if you are a Promarker fan :
Boots shading - Light Fawn FM, Sandstone
Compost bag - Meadow, Leaf, Grass and Forest Greens, Amaranth red FM
Watering can - Cool Greys 1-5, Vanilla, Mustard, Sandstone
Plantpots - Light Fawn FM, Soft Peach, Honeycomb, Spice
Plant - Amethyst, Purple, Prussian, Gold, Pear & Olive Green
Soil - Umber, Black FM (the black Flexmarker is so much easier to use than the traditional pens)
I kept the sentiment generic and embellished with pearls and 2 doohickey dragonflies that I converted to butterflies by chopping their tails off and making their heads smaller (cruel, I know!!).  I would like to enter this card into the Joanna Sheen Challenge this week which is Layer it Up.
Thanks for dropping by to see me and I'll be back soon with some more crafty creations...Lisa x

Sunday 24 February 2013

Horsing around...

Good afternoon, Bloggers, I hope you're having a good weekend and a happy Sunday! We've had snow flurries all weekend - whatever happened to Spring coming?!  I have 2 cards to share today, the first is one of the cards that we made at the workshop yesterday...
 ...I love the fresh orange of the backing paper which is from First Edition Boho Chic and that gorgeous chocolate satin ribbon...
...a nice sentiment, mulberry flowers and pretty polka dot buttons finished it off.
The second card is one I have made to enter into I Love Promarkers Challenge this week, which is Four Legged Friends...
...There was no question as to which image I would use - I just love my Laughing Horse (which you can purchase from my eshop)  He colours up a dream and I had to use my favourite brown combo, too...
Promarker colours used are:
Main face and body : Walnut, Cocoa, Caramel, Sandstone, Light Fawn FM
Mane, inner mouth, nostrils : Walnut, Umber, Black FM
Tongue : Dusky Rose, Antique Pink, Amaranth Red FM
Horseshoe : Ivory, Vanilla, Mustard, Gold, Sandtone
Ears : Coral, Blush, Satin
...The card base is one of my faves, too - a sideways easel.  I decorated the inside with the line image and coordinating paper...
...The card shape allows the card to be displayed with both the front and inside of the card showing, like a picture frame (better when you've gone to the trouble of decorating the inside too!)  I followed the My Favourite Things sketch for the layout, which the lovely Tara at Inking on the Edge interprets so well - I often visit her blog when in need of inspiration.
I'd like to enter my Laughing Horse card into the following challenges :
Four Legged Friends
Happy Birthday
Anything Goes (optional Angels)
Animals
..Well, I'm off to start dinner and bake some cupcakes, so until next time, thanks for dropping by and a big hello to Teresa, my latest follower - thanks Teresa!!  Lisa x

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Wish...

Good afternoon, lovely bloggers! Well, it's another beautifully sunny, but deceptively cold day here in Wales, so I hope you're all keeping warm and cosy!  I have spent the morning at my crafty table making a card to share with you all...As you may know, I am a big Promarker fan and love to sit and colour when I get the chance, so as today is a new challenge at Passion for Promarkers with the theme Prince or Princess with a crown, I decided to create a card to join in...
...I began by choosing my patterned papers for a change, which were First Edition Desert Blooms, Summer Breeze and Boho Chic. I knew that I wanted to use an image that I could do some paper piecing on (something I've been meaning to do for ages!), so chose the pretty Saturated Canary Nevaeh...
...I coloured her in with my Promarkers and paper pieced her dress with one of the small patterns from Spring Feast, then added some shading with Spice and Soft Peach pens.
Here's the colours for all you Promarker fans :
Skin - usual combo of Satin, Dusky and Sunkissed Pink
Hair - Vanilla, Mustard, Gold, Sandstone,  Caramel
Tights - Ivory, Vanilla, Mustard
Shoes - Antique White FM, Sandstone, Caramel,  Cocoa,  Umber
I tied a brown organza ribbon around her waist for the sash and added glamourdust to her petticoat. As the challenge called for a crown, I added one sourced from the net, coloured with Promarkers and blinged with tiny diamantes.  The sentiment is a Debbi Moore stamp that I borrowed from Mum and I added more diamantes to the full stops. I cut a memory box corner from silver glitter and added this cut up with some small mulberry paper flowers. I then made some diferent colour ribon loops and attached them behind the Marianne doily circle die. I finished with some more bling and pearls on the flower centres of the backing paper and a printed insert. I was really pleased with the finished result, especially that lovely SC image and hope you like it too! Thanks for dropping by, crafty hugs, Lisa x
I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges :
Prince or Princess with crown
Bingo - Pearls, Ribbon, Dies
Anything Goes
Ribbon & bling
Bling it on

Saturday 16 February 2013

Key to my heart...

Hi guys! Hope you've had a good week - it's been half term week, so I've been busy trying to catch up with housework and entertain a nine year old! I thought I would share the Valentine's card I made for DH...

I went for a  CAS design (really liking this look at the minute and takes less time too :P) I arranged the text in PS and added the attic key die cut and whimsy heart, my last piece of red polka dot ribbon (I must love him!) and a few gem hearts and I was done!
I'm trying to post from my tablet to see if it takes less time, but haven't figured out all the settings yet, so I haven't really got a clue how this post will turn out, hence the shortness and lack of piccies. When I post from my PC, it takes forever for me to import pics from camera, crop and resize, arrange and think of text to write...I just need a couple more hours in a day and I'd be okay! Thanks for dropping by to see me, Lisa x

Update : don't like blogger app! Much easier to use blogger through Chrome on my tab - I can position pics where I want and resize, so maybe I'll get used to posting from my tab?!

Sunday 10 February 2013

Two cards in one post...

Hi guys!  Oh my goodness, where did that week go to?!  I have had a couple of card orders to do and been helping with the after school craft club, so haven't had much to share.  I did take a photo of one of the cards that I made for an engagement...at Xmas time, I gave away vouchers for the school and church fairs raffle, allowing the winner to have a bespoke card made for them and this card was one redeemed by the winner...
 ...I love my Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace punch at the moment, as you may have noticed?!  The papers were a downloadable freebie, can't remember where from, and this gave me the starting point for my colours...
...I coloured the sweet LOTV image with my Pro and Flexmarkers (just tretaed myself to some new sets of Flexmarkers...loving them!)  Here's the colours for all you Promarker fans...
Skin : usual combo
Hair (Boy) : Ivory, Vanilla, Sandstone, Caramel, Cocoa   (Girl) : Primrose, Buttercup, Tulip Yellow, Mustard
Dress and bow : Antique Pink, Amaranth Red FM, Crimson, Burgundy
Jumper : Aquamarine FM, DuckEgg, Surf Blue FM, Marine
Shoes : Cool Greys, Satin, Tan, Cinnamon
...I used two of my Marianne Swirl frames to make a larger square behind the circle nestie (one of my fave and most versatile dies of the moment!) I added a lovely mink coloured satin ribbon and bow, a couple of red heart pins and some pearl details.  I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges :
Have a Heart
Love Struck
Love
So, onto my second card...

...I'm not sure about this one, I like the idea, but am just not sure on the execution!!  Don't know if it's the solid blue of the pocket or the red star paper, but there's just something not right...maybe it's just me?!...
...I used the lovely saying 'A boy is...Truth with dirt on his face, etc...'  I added some eyelets to the pocket, baker's twine, olive green button and a metal plane charm to embellish and a bulldog clip on the sentiment...
...the little boy is off the 12 Cards of Christmas disc (I just gave him a new haircut!) and I've 3D paper pieced him for added dimension.  I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges :
Boys and their Toys
Slugs and Snails and puppy dogs tails
Something Metal
Well, that's it from me folks - thanks for dropping by and I'll be back soon with some more crafty creations, Lisa x

Friday 1 February 2013

Hugs and kisses...

Good morning guys!  I was hoping to post this card last night, but the battery on my camera (well, hub's camera!) was flat, plus the light was awful - so I decided to wait until this morning to take some half decent (that's the best I can achieve!) photos...
...I haven't made an easel card in a while, so created this little card using the Saturated Canary freebie, Hugs and Kisses, that Krista kindly offered the other day...
...I was trying to use some brighter colours, especially with my colouring - not as much of a contrast as I was hoping, but she still turned out quite pretty...if somewhat pink again!..
...This pic shows the colours more true, so I am getting there and look, she's got blonde hair rather than my usual brown!  I used my Martha Stewart punch around the page punch to create the card base, though I don't think I'll be doing it very often as it was right on the limit of the punch trying to cut through both layers of card for the easel base!  I'm sure there's another way, but I just ploughed ahead relentlessly!
Promarker colours used :
Skin : (usual combo)
Hair : Vanilla, Mustard, Gold, Sandstone, Caramel
Top and leg warmers : Muted Pink (FM), Pale Pink, Dusky Rose, Antique Pink
Skirt and boots : Honeydew (FM), Meadow, Leaf and Forest Green
Hearts : Red - Antique Pink, Crimson, Burgundy,   Blue - Soft Mauve, Blue Pearl, Cornflower
Box : Satin, Sandstone, Caramel
...I used First Edition paper pads Love letters and Isabelle, and added a couple of lace heart die cuts, scalloped corners, some pins, a small feather, bow and pearls.  I highlighted the image with Glamourdust and added the 2 sentiments using Orator font...
I love the way this card has turned out and would like to enter it onto the following challenges :
Challenge 254 - A different corner
Love is All around
Love and lace
(Lace edge punch and lace hearts)
Anything Goes

This card is available to buy in my Etsy shop, click the icon below :