Going Retro

Another quick post so I can link this up before the deadline closes.  February is a busy month for me on birthdays - I have two valentine babies amongst my friends.   I used this weeks' retro sketch for the layout on this one  http://retrosketches.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/retrosketches-152.html

The fabulous diva is by Kraftin Kimmie and I did a quick watercolour job on her with distress pens, a spray bottle and a paintbrush.    The glittery panel is by Neat and Tangled and the sentiment is one of my favourites by Avery Elle.

 

Let it Snow!

This month over at St Luke's we're being inspired by all things cold and frosty and are looking for cards featuring snow, snowflakes, polar bears, penguins or anything chilly really.

For my card I decided to use one of my new Kraftin Kimmie images  - don't you just love that hair do???  I stamped her onto smooth white card, coloured her with copics, mostly in blues for the extra frosty feel and then cut her out.  I stamped the sentiment which comes with her onto white card stock, and then embossed it with a snowflake folder.  I added a strip of co-ordinating snowflake paper with an orange mat for her to lean on and finished with some die cut snowflakes with frosty gem centres for added sparkle.

Do pop over to the challenge blog and have a look at the rest of the DT inspiration cards and you have until the end of December to play along for a chance to win this gorgeous set of Waltzingmouse stamps.

I am also entering my card into the following challenges:

http://crazy4challenges.blogspot.com/2011/11/crazy-4-challenges-c4c115.html  where the challenge is also Let it Snow.

punches and dies are the order of the day over at  http://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/punches-dies.html and I have lots of snowflake die cuts on my card

E is for embossing at http://abc-challenge.blogspot.com/2011/12/abc-challenge-e-for.html  and I have lots of embossed snowflakes too

Anything goes is on for the month at http://cookingitupwithkatie.blogspot.com/2011/11/cooking-it-up-86-anything-goes.html 

Thanks for visiting

Quixotic Paperie New Sketch Challenge

Quixotic Paperie is where I get a lot of my stamps from - they stock a lot of US ranges - and they have just started a new monthly sketch challenge, which I have been meaning to enter and am just about getting in before the deadline - must try harder next time!

The first sketch was done by Mary J and its a lovely one

For my take on it, I've used one of the new Kraftin Kimmie winter stamps which I got from Quixotic Paperie last month.  He's called Chilly Chickie and I just love his expression - he's coloured with Copics and cut with a nestie.  A bit of glitter gives him a surface to skate on.

I used some plain blue paper and spritz it with perfect pearls for a cool shimmery feel and added some pale blue from a DCWV stack - this has Christmas writing all over it but its too small to see on the photo.   The sentiment is actually from Stamping Bella (also from QP in the UK) and comes with one of the winter uptown girls.

There are still a couple of days to play in this first challenge - here's the link if you want to join in
http://quixoticpaperie.blogspot.com/2011/10/up-to-challenge.html

Birthday Witches...

I don't make Halloween cards as such, but I do like witches and I love this Kraftin Kimmie stamp but have never inked it before tonight.  I started with the KK sketch this week as illustrated here

I tweaked it a little to fit my card shape and only had room for 1 embelishment not 3 but I think it still resembles the sketch.  The witch is coloured with copics  in suitably spooky shades and cut out leaving a slight border.

I printed a spiders web and spider and cut with a circle nestie and continued the circle theme onto the purple paper with an embossing folder and with some dotty DP.  The sentiment is computer generated and the flower is a rolled die cut.

I am entering the following challenges with this card:

http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.com/2011/09/challenge-118-spooky-goings-on.html

 http://crazy4challenges.blogspot.com/2011/09/crazy-4-challenges-c4c106.html 

http://kraftinkimmiestamps.blogspot.com/2011/09/challenge-97-pams-sketch.html

Catch you later
x

Black and white plus one

I thought I'd do another little card for our challenge over at St Luke's Charity Cards Challenge this month which is to do any card you like but limit your colours to just black, white and one other colour of your choice.  For my first card I used teal, but this time, I've gone for more black and pink as my accent colour, but this time I wanted to show you can colour character stamps in a limited colour palette.

OK, so perhaps choosing a zebra for this is a bit of a cop out as you can't really do anything other than black and white on him!  I love this little guy - he's called Stripes and is another great character drawn by Crissy Armstrong, this time in rubber from Kraftin Kimmie.  I am making him my second entry into her DT call which is currently on this month - click the link below to find out more.  I coloured him using my copics C1, C5 and C9 for the black, with W1, W3 and a hint of W5 for the "white" with a tiny bit of pink on his nose - hardly any actual black at all which is the secret to black and white shading oddly (handy having a comic expert for a husband sometimes!)  The card is finished with some DP from My Minds Eye, a black matt and black base card and a sentiment from Lili of the Valley which I thought was appropriate as it looks as though the butterfly has brightened Stripes' day.

Thanks for visiting.
Craftilicious x

Kraftin Kimmie Cut it out...

I had to make a birthday card for my sister-in-law and was browsing around for some inspiration.  I noticed that Kraftin Kimmie have a paper-piecing challenge this week and paper-piecing is one of my favourite things to do even though I don't do it often enough.  This is the challenge link http://kraftinkimmiestamps.blogspot.com/2011/06/challenge-81-cut-it-out.html KK stamps really lend themselves to paper-piecing too and I had an new one that was just right for the person I am making it for.

I started with a sketch from Clean and Simple and whilst I went a bit further with it, it was a very good jumping off point in terms of inspiration, so I'll upload a link to their site despite the deviation.

I stamped the image onto DP (an old K&Co paper) first and cut out the dressing gown then stamped the image in full on white coated paper and coloured with copics.  I stuck the dressing gown in place and added a little shading with toner gray copics.  I then paper pieced the mug and hands to create another layer and again did a little more shading with copics.  The hair slides are paper pieced too.  I used the same DP to create a matching layer for the sketch, and mounted that onto a plain maroon cardstock to blend with the pattern into which I cut a decorative edge using my favourite MS pansy punch.  I added a "special sister topper" from a QVC kit I got quite a few years ago, and a sentiment I printed and finished with some white velvet ribbon and a pearl buckle to tie the two together.

I really enjoyed making this card and am very pleased with the results :-D

Craftilicious x

Bookworm!

That's the name of the challenge at Cupcake Craft Challenges this week, and I've had a new Kraftin Kimmie image called "Lucy" for a couple of months but not yet inked her up - so this seemed the perfect excuse ;-)  I decided to make a bookmark - I'm run a bookgroup at my house and have far too many books "on the go" so an extra bookmark always comes in handy!

I simply stamped and coloured "Lucy", cut her out and fixed her to a square of paper which was folded in half, then cut in half diagonally, sticking down the cut side opposite the fold to create a little triangular pocket you can slip over the corner of your page.

Short post as I have 20 minutes to meet the deadline for this challenge - will stop by tomorrow with photos of my stash from the Lincolnshire show which was great.

Catch you later...
Craftilicious x

Let's Get Krafty!

A quick post tonight as I'm busy getting everything ready for the launch of my charity card making blog on Saturday - do remember to come and play along and click the link http://stlukescharitycardschallenge.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-monthly-challenges-starting-2nd.html to find out about it if you haven't already visited - make a card a help a hospice - simples.....

 

I made this card for a double challenge - both Kraftin Kimmie's "spring colours" and my lilac is starting to come into bud so I went all lilac, and then I used the sketch from CPS and turned it on its side.  I thought she was the appropriate image to use whilst perparing my challenge blog!  She is coloured with copics, the table cloth is paper-pieced and shaded with copics and the sentiment is a slice off a nestie.  A few card candy dots add balance to the other side.  DP is from a baby stack but not sure which one now.

You can join in these two challenges by using the links below:

http://cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/

http://kraftinkimmiestamps.blogspot.com/2011/03/challenge-71-welcome-spring-with-spring.html

Happy Stamping :-)
                              Craftilicious x

krafty thursday meets kraftin kimmie

 I decided to combine a couple of my favourite challenges today - Kraftin Kimmie and The Spotted Chick's That's Krafty Thursday.

The theme this week at KK was to use twine or floss, so I went with a natural twine that I thought would team up well with the Kraft card requirement over at the Spotted Chick.  I used one of the new 50's stamps that I had yet to colour up and I decided to try to give her the Sepia treatment.  I like the idea and love the overall look of the card, but I'm not sure I got the colouring right - I went for vintage but I think with the skin tones I ended up with more "Zombie" that sepia!!!

I used a circle nestie and matted her onto another nestie lable shape using some lovely flocked velvet cardstock.  I added a little soft blue to complement the blue button and a twine bow to finish it off.

So the only question is - do you want fries with that???

http://thespottedchick.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-time-for-thats-krafty-thursday-48.html

http://kraftinkimmiestamps.blogspot.com/2011/03/challenge-68-twine-or-floss.html

Over at There She Goes the challenge is also kraft this week so I am entering their challenge as well  http://tsgclearstamps.blogspot.com/2011/03/tsg97-get-krafty.html

Thanks for stopping by today....

                                          Craftilicious x

Happily Ever After

Over on Kraftin Kimmie's blog this week - the challenge is to create an image with a fairytale theme.  As my husband recently won me the Prince Charming stamp in the Dudes challenge and it arrived in the post yesterday (thanks Kimmie!), I thought it would be churlish of me not to use it to enter the challenge.  I also have the Rapunzel stamp, so I decided to team them up, along with a Magnolia background castle window stamp, which I repeated to create a tower for Rapunzel to let her hair down from.

 

I'm not overly pleased with the colouring, it came out a bit muddy with the trees I think, but I do love the concept so am blogging it anyhow.  I stamped Rapunzel twice, and cut her out so I could get just her arms out of the window, and used two lengths of her hair to get it to the bottom of the tower.  The vines around the tower were created with the wisteria set of tapestry stamps.

Over at the Saturday Challenge, they want you to use two people on your card, so I am entering their "its a couples thing" challenge as well.

Forget the Prince....

.....It's all about the shoes!

I made this card for my friends birthday today - like most of my girlfriends (well like almost every girl everywhere really!) she has a thing for shoes so I thought this image was just perfect for her.  Cinderella comes with the matching sentiment and the obligatory shoe.

The paper is from Ella Blue by GCD Studios a gorgeous double sided paper stack in shades of blues and browns.  She is coloured with copics and stickles for added sparkle, and mounted onto grey card and silver glitter paper.  The large blue flower is an old making memories pack, not sure its still available - it had a pink centre which didn't match so I covered it with a Craftwork Cards birthday circle sentiment.

As this has a flower on it, it qualifies for this weeks challenge at Kraftin Kimmie's blog - Kraftin Kimmie Flowers Challenge

The teal blues and browns also qualify it to enter in the  Allsorts Challenge Blog

I'm also entering it into the Stamp Something challenge which is "anything goes"

Classy & Fabulous!

One thing I am determined to do this year, is to actually use some of the craft stash that is currently overflowing out of my very large craft room (I am such a lucky lady to have SUCH an understanding and uncomplaining husband - mwah to you Mr C!).  So in the spirit of this, I'm starting the year as I mean to go on, by not only making cards for the special peeps in my life, but also just for the hell of it!  And what better way to achieve this than by entering the many challenges that exist out there in blog-land.

So this gorgeous little lady - Samantha from my favourite Moonlight and Whispers range at Kraftin Kimmie is being entered into two challenges this week:

• As I finally managed to get my hands on some kraft card stock, she qualifies for That's Krafty Thursday #45

•  And as she's a Kraftin Kimmie image and as I used no ribbon, she also qualifies for the Time to Unwind challenge too.

The image is stamped on smooth white card stock (I use A4 sheets from Rymans - its economical but great for copics and pencils with sansoder) and coloured with copics - she just had to be a red head ;-)  I mounted her onto a scrap of sparkly blue paper, embossed with tiny stars, and added a bit of spotty red foil (which was actually the bottom of a Christmas card I trimmed off before recycling).  I added a paper punched strip of pearly white paper with one of my Martha Stewart punches and a suitable sentiment - I'm really sorry though I can't remember where I bought this sentiment set from.

Strut Your Stuff!

New Year, new stamp.  I got this gorgeous Kraftin Kimmie "Vivienne" stamp for my birthday back in November, but I haven't had chance to colour it in until now.  I thought she would be just perfect for my friend whose birthday it is in January, so I coloured her in with copics, and made her blonde to match the lady in question.

I added a little sparkle to the feathers and necklace with stickles, and popped her onto a background paper from my My Minds Eye Laundry Line which is one of my faves.  Unfortunately the image is unclear as apparently "I don't know how to clean my camera lense..."  Other half does though so hopefully photos from now on will be a bit better (Unfortunately I'd already given the card away before he pointed out the error of my ways!)

As this is a new stamp, it fits the theme this week over on Cupcake Craft Challenge - Something New so I am entering my card into their challenge for the first time.

Kraftin Kimmie's Dudes Challenge

The challenge over at Kraftin Kimmie's blog over the holidays was all about the "Dudes" and it was an intriguing one, not only did the image have to feature one of Kimmie's dudes, but you had to get a dude in your life to make the card!  Yes, you had to share your stash with a boy!!!!!!

I thought it sounded like a fun way to spend New Year's Day so I decided we'd both use the same stamp and see what we came up with.  I decided we'd use Willard and get a head start on next years Christmas cards....  Can you tell whose is whose?  I was hoping it would be easier to spot mine, but it turns out my other half took to my copics like a duck to water - I may have to find a hiding space for them!

In case you were still wondering - mine was the blue version......

Kraftin Kimmie Stamps

Kraftin Kimmie is a relatively new range of stamps from Canada - Kimmie recently celebrating her first anniversary - boy what a great range they've produced in just a year!   I love their Moonlight Whispers range - the characters are just gorgeous and colour up amazingly!  I bought a couple to try and had such fun with both of them.   I get mine in the UK from Quixotic Paperie and if you hurry on over to her store, Elaine has 10% off all rubber stamps until 13th October.

My first purchase is Suzette the Can Can girl - isn't she fab?  I stamped and coloured her with a mix of copics and pencils blended with sansoder and blending stumps.  I cut her out and mounted her onto color-core black magic card which I embossed using a "twinkle" crafts too embossing folder in my big kick, and sanded the embossed areas to reveal the color-core card to look like lights twinkling behind her on stage.  I added a co-ordinating strip of paper embossed again with a crafts too folder - this time damask which I adore.  A little card candy and copic colour-co-ordinated sentiment from craft works and a glitter strip finish off the card.

Most of the stamps come with a matching sentiment - I went for Rapunzel here because I could see lots of cards I could make with the sentiment of "let your hair down"  I coloured her with copics and pencils as before, but slightly over blended the hair so it looks a bit flat unfortunately (good excuse to have another go later!)  This time I used a Marianne D Creatables die to cut out the star border, and threaded some silver ribbon through it and mounted it onto black card.  I like the black background with these stamps - it really makes them pop, so I cut her out and half mounted her onto the black borders strip.  I stamped the sentiment in silver to match the ribbon and added another Craft Works sentiment, again, colour matched to the dress with the same copic (they colour so well with copics - the pearly card still shines through)

 

I've just ordered Cinderella from the same range - for her the sentiment is "its all about the shoes" which is very apt for me and many of my girl friends so can't wait to get her!