Silhouettes at Crafty Cardmakers

Interesting challenge ths week set by Joy over at Crafty Cardmakers and that is silhouettes.  I've actually got a few silhouette stamps as I love making backgrounds and they go nicely with things like that and Stitchy Bear stamps have kindly sponsored us who also happen to have a great range of silhouette digis yay!
For this I used 2 from her range, the dolphin and Relax.  I added 5 dolphins in 2 diferent sizes (using PSP), added a horizon line and used a paintbrush tool to add the stars around the edge.  I've masked a moon and added colour with the promarker letrajet airbrush and sparkle in the wayter with sakura stardust clear pens.

I love silhouettes, I should definately use them more!

Would also like to enter into...

Creative Cowgirls - Tropical, The Beach
Creative Card Crew - Fantasy
Flutterby Wednesday - Open Week
Paper Playtime - Anything goes digi
Challenge up your life - Fairytales
Little Claires - Anything goes
Crafty Purple frog - A touch of magic
Do you stack up - Anything goes

One for the Boys at Passion for Promarkers

This week over at Passion for Promarkers, Sarah has chosen the theme 'One for the Boys'  which is quite handy for me as during this week the 2 boys in my house will both be having their birthdays!

I tend to keep to clean and simple for boys cards, mainly coz all my embellishments are kinda girly, even my punches are girly!  I've used a mix of papers, image is by Victoria Case and coloured with promarkers.

Short n sweet as OH stll unwell meaning I'm single parenting, got Molly on my knee too so typing one handed!  Hope you can join in this week at PFP!

Would also like to enter into...

Craft your Passion - Male Card

Paper Sundaes - Masculine colours

A spoonful of sugar - Birthdays

One stop craft - birthday

Fuzzy wuzzy - birthdays

Things with WINGS at Crafts & Me

Its time for a new challenge over at Crafts & Me and Amy has chose the fab theme of Things with Wings.  For this challenge I have used one of the brand new Jasmine Becket-Griffith stamps called Making a Wish and they are now AVAILABLE whoop!  Some of this range are sold out already so be quick!

Bit late posting this evening, I've got a virus courtesty of my OH who's had it for 2 weeks and lost his voice and everything.  At least he can be grumpy in a quiet way now hehe!  I'm drugged up to the eyeballs, got swollen glands the size of a small elephant and I've gone deaf lol!

Anyhow here's my version of Making a Wish.  I chose Pink & Turquoise as its one of the girls birthdays over at Postpals soon, and she likes pink & turquoise, well actually its triplets so this will be one of three!
Its a post it easel, the instructions for this are in the February 2011 issue of Craft Stamper
Papers are Papermania.  I liked the hummingbird so rather than centre my flowers I've used them as a feauture.  Image is coloured with promarkers and derwent coloursoft pencils and the background is distress inks.  I've added bling blng with sakura stardust as you can see on the 2nd pic and some sticky pearls and metallic teal nailheads. Text stamp says Spirit, I've had it forever off fleabay :)

Hope you stop on by and join in the Wings Challenge at Crafts & Me!

Would also like to enter into...

Paper Pretties - Card for a child
Alys Sunday Challenge - Bling Bling
One Stitch at a time - Make it pretty
Stampin Royalty - Markers
Paper Sundaes - Toppings (Flowers, distressing & pink)
Craft your passion - Use pink
Stamping scrapping challenge central - Pink (Also distress inks spun sugar & worn lipstick)

One stamp, two challenges

Blimey I've been a bit of a mix bag on here lately haven't I?  From pretty altered boxes through to airbrushed lightning bolts, promarkers, pencils and paint I've really had a dabble and todays two are no exception.  Both are waaaaaay outside my comfort zone, the safety of my beloved bold brights and moody blues.  I do like to dabble in different styles, mediums and colours sometimes :)

This is a double DT post so first up we have a new challenge over at BEARLY MINE CHALLENGES and we want to see Ribbon & Pearls.  There are a number of prizes up for grabs: Bearly Mine Designs - 2 Digi sets of the winner's choice, Crafty Emma - offering Memory Box Fernbrae Paper Pad 6x6, Kenny K - 5 Digi's of the winner's choice, The Ribbon Girl - a selection of cut lengths of ribbon, pins, dewdrops

For the first one I have used a new digi image by Sara Burrier called Noon from Crafts & Me and have gone for a very pastel whimsey look using a base of promarkers then mostly Derwent Coloursoft pencils.  I've painted over the wings with an iridescent blue pearlex watercolour paint. The image is actually 3 I've put together, the swing and tree are from Make it Crafty.  I don't normally do pastels but I loved the new papers so wanted to use them :)
Papers on this one is a new pretty set by Bearly Mine Designs called Spring Flight which is a collection of pastel tones including various flying creatures such as butterflies, dragonflies and bees, its a gorgeous set.  I've also used some heart printed organza ribbon and some flowers from wild orchid

I've painted over the wings with an iridescent blue pearlex watercolour which only shows when tilted in the light :)

Would also lke to enter into...

Truly Scrumptious - Sketch

Bunny Zoes - Spring flowers

Craft your passion - Use pink 

Karber weekly - digi stamp + birthday

Incy wincy - colour me wonderful (promarkers, pencil, pearlex watercolour)

Cute Card Thursday - Hearts & Flowers

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Next up is the new challenge at PASSION FOR PROMARKERS and this week the theme is Coffee & Cream!  I must admit my heart sunk when I saw the theme as I love my bold colours and wasn't looking forward to it one bit so I decided on a sketch (Sketch saturday) and thought I'd also do the same image as above.  The original of this image is a very blonde little girl but every time I looked at her I could see a little black girl instead so both of these designs are in afro-caribbean skin tones.  I enlarged and cropped the image and coloured with promarkers (Vanilla base, tan, caramel, burnt sienna with the cool greys and a touch of brown in the hair)  I used the same colours throughout and added a little bit of coloursoft pencil for depth and texture.  I've edged the image with distress ink in antique linen and vintage photo also distressing the scallops on the bottom.

Papers are Bearly Mine again from designer extreme 3 disc for the backgrounds and stampin up and MME.  Pearls are coloured with promarkers to match.  I was going to leave it as an open greetings card but spotted its STITCHYS BIRTHDAY BASH so went for the birthday theme :)
Samuel Taylors also have a monthly challenge and they're asking for copic or promarker creations so here's mine :)

Hope you can pop over and join in with this theme, I wasn't too keen at all but have to say really enjoyed making this one and surprised myself that I quite like that colour combo!

Would also like to enter into...

Sketch Saturday - Sketch

Samuel Taylors - Promarker Gal

Gingersnap - Coffee & Cream

One Stitch at a time - Birthday Bash

Make it colourful - shadow & depth

Paper Sundays - Toppings bar (Distressing & Flowers)

Challenge up your life - Monochrome

Fairy Fun Fridays - Fine Print (Bottom DP s a text one)

Charisma - Mythical/Fantasy

DYSU Challenge - Ribbon

Thanks for stopping by!

Its all Hearts at The Stampman

Time for another challenge at The Stampman and this fortnight we're wanting to see your hearts!  The team have come up with a real myriad of designs so pop on over for a looksie!

For this one I made a box, its stained with Starburst Stains in Ramblin Rose Pink then I've added buttons all round the sides.  The top I've coloured stampbord with a blue starburst stains then stamped the heart stamp from the stampmans Artistic Elements sheet, airbrushed the centre of the heart and patches on the blue with the letrajet in rose pink and scratched away highlights.

Hope you can come join us for our hearts challenge!

I'd also like to enter into...

Crafty Anns - Love is all around
Sarah Hurleys Challenge - Love/Be my valentine
Stamp Something - Valentine
Fairy Knoll - Valentine
Crafty Catz - Love/Valentine
CRAFT - Valentines
Crafty Purple Frog - Valentines

Love at Passion for Promarkers

Love is in the air again over at Passion for Promarkers and this week they also have a love theme!  I've stayed with the red and brown theme of yesterday and also used an image I won from Allsorts challenge a couple of weeks ago and its called Mister & Mr by Digistamp Boutique.  I've wanted to do civil ceremony cards for a while but been frustrated by the lack of choice for that market, searches just tend to bring 2 shirts stuck on a card or a pair of top hats so I was very chuffed to find this stamp on Digistamp boutique!  My best selling wedding image is a cutesy one so I hope this will also prove popular (I'm doing market research by asking gay friends!)  I was unsure about the sentiment so I just gave a shout out on Twitter and the response is half and half between wedding day and civil ceremony so I've gone for wedding day first.
Image is coloured with promarkers and a teeny touch of pencil, I scribbled some red onto a piece of gold pearly card, embossed with a script folder then die cut the hearts.  The Love sentiment is stamped and I scribbled pencil in a cross hatch pattern.  That stamp was actually the first one I ever bought by Anitas, its ancient!  I've added some detail to the image with some sparkle for the bubbly and I've glazed the glasses with a sakura glaze pen.  DP's are from Bearly Mine again (Love Dreams)

Hope you can come join us at Passion for Promarkers!  There is a £10 voucher from Joanna Sheen up for grabs!

Thanks for looking!  Would also like to enter into...

Cardmadfairy's Digi Days - Romance
Crafty Ho's - Love
Creative Cowgirls - Love is in the air
One stitch at a time - Digi
Crafty Emmas - Red & Romance
Sarah Hurley Challenges - Die Cuts
Bunny Zoes - Love is in the air
Cards for men (2nd entry) - Valentines/Love
Cupcake - Seeing Red
Incy Wincy - Love
Paper Playtime - Cupid or Hearts

Hang onto your hats!

Gosh isnt it windy out today??!  Weather has been terrible lately hasn't it!  Still Spring is on its way, have seen some snowdrops :)

Got something out of my comfort zone today, its a bear, which you know I usually colour people and its also entirely in pencil! Finally got some Derwent Coloursoft pencils, felt like I'd got the holy grail lol!

Crafty Cardmakers is having a Hearts challenge this fortnight and we're sponsored by The Stampman who's offering a £10 prize for their shop!

Image is Coco and Big Heart by Digistamp Boutique which I won recently via the Allsorts Challenge who are also running a hearts challenge this week.  I coloured with derwent coloursoft pencils and at first I didnt like it.  The finished result is very different to promarkers but I had to get my head around the fact they're NOT promarkers therefore the results will be different!  I came back to it with my 'its going to look like pencil' head on and quite liked it!
I wasn't too sure what direction I was going in with this one so had a mooch and found Cupcakes Inspirations and they have a wonderful chocolate cupcake so I headed with a red and brown theme with a dash of purply lilac and pink.  Papers are the new Love Dreams by Bearly Mine here.
I've finished with some long neglected peel offs and red pearls.  Also added a little charm that says LOVE which only took me a few seconds to find, surprising given Molly got hold of my box of charms and spread them all over the lounge so my once organised stash is in total dsarray!

Would also like to enter into....

Allsorts - It must be love love love
Cupcake Inspirations - Photo Inspiration
Cards for Men - Valentines (Its for my OH shhhh!)
Crafty Pad - Love is in the Air
Creative Cowgirls - Love is in the air
One stitch at a time - Digi
Crafty Calendar - Love
ECP Challenges - Love
Stampin for the weekend - Valentines
Polkadoodle - With Hearts
Raise the Bar - Hearts
Crafty Emmas - Red & Romance
Sentimental Sundays - Valentines + Sentiment
Crazy 4 Challenges - Valentines
Crafts & Me - Red :)

Violet Fairy

Here's the last of my pre-release shows and this one is Violet Fairy by Jasmine Becket-Griffith, I'm loving these new Jasmine stamps, I'm going to have to get them all!!  If you're at Stamperama over the weekend Crafts and Me will be there for their first show where they will be available to buy and they'll be available in the online shop soon afterwards.

This one is another promarker letrajet project.  I've coloured the card in a pale pink, masked the lightning bolts then graduated around them to give the glow from pinks through to purples and black.  Sentiment is by Stampng All Day.

Would like to enter into...

I love promarkers - Anything goes (2nd entry)
Daring Cardmakers - Inspired by Violet
Stampin' with the Dragon - Anything goes
Charisma - No embellishments (2nd entry)
Paperplay - Stamp it out

There's a STORM coming!

Oh yes there is most definately a Storm coming!  That is a Mr Storm Lee!  Now some of you won't have a clue who I'm talking about, others may vaguely remember him but a band of us known affectionately as The Stormtroopers are big fans of a certain Storm Lee who appeared on this years X Factor.  He got stick off Simon for his name, the other judges stuck up for him, his first auditon is here.  He sailled through Boot Camp (and what a performance he gave there, you can see that one here!)  If you look closely you can see Simon nodding along although he doesn't want to admit it hehe!  He then went through the judges houses phase and gets better and better!  Great version of I cant live here. 

Unfortunately Storm got Louis Walsh as his mentor who saw fit to dye his hair bright red and cover him in make up :/  He left on week 2 - completely robbed!  He has such a lovely voice!

Anyway who needs the X Factor, churn them up and spit them out!  All the other contestants who left X Factor did a mad dash of christmas light switch ons and shopping centre and tacky nightclub performances, Storm on the other hand could be found doing benefit gigs for The Trevor Project  He is staunchly anti-bullying, cares about his friends and fans, he has a good heart and thats the reason I like him and that sets him apart from the others.  He's taken the time to chat with me so I know he's a good man and isn't false like many other celebs.  Having been someone who was bullied simply because of my name I really paid attention to Storm on X Factor.  I've actually changed my name ((counting...) twice by deed poll and once by marriage such was the effect it had.  Now you know me I don't talk personal stuff much but I will stand by Storm particularly given his anti-bullying stance so thought I'd tell you all about him!

Storm had an album out but it had to be pulled for the X Factor but now he's going to re-release it on itunes!  Soulfillapopkilla is a collection of 11 awesome tunes including covers of Heart of Glass and Never can say goodbye (Storm style of course!)  But the one to watch (or listen to on repeat like I do lol!) is the amazing BEAUTIFUL BLUE.  Go listen, you'll love it! 

So as an Ode to Storm I've made a little Art Deco, in Beautiful Blue of course! 

I started with the background, the lightning bolts (which are actually a piss take of Simon Cowell) were masked then I've airbrushed with a promarker letrajet in shades of blue and black leaving a central shine point.  The image started life as a photo below then I used some filters in paintshop pro to alter it so I could colour it and its also done in promarkers with some black pencil to add a deeper shade.  I've overstamped with brilliance ink and voila my Ode to Storm :)

And I got a signed copy of Storms album too!  I've actually listened to it waaaaaay more times than my Take That one, you can hear it here, go on, I promise its *really* good!  This is mine all mine whoop whoop!

So thanks for reading, took me ages to write! Hope you check out a fellow artist! Soulfillapopkilla re-release date 1st March 2011

I'd like to enter my art deco into....

I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes

Sew Many Challenges - Anything goes

Charisma - No embellishments

Stamp Something - Digi Day

Stamptacular Sunday - Whateva (Text is hand stamped)

Seeing RED at Crafts & Me

Tracy has set us a nice theme for the next 2 weeks at Crafts & Me and she wants to see RED!  Should be quite easy with valentines fast approaching :)  I picked this stamp by Lemon Shortbread called Shoppng Melody (available here) as I got her before xmas but havent inked her up yet so now I have!

I've coloured her with promarkers, pencil and sakura stardust and added spots to the dress with an inksentials white pen to match the dotty red one (from one of the xmas packs at Bearly Mine) I've drawn roughly around her with a grey pencil then blended it out with sansador and repeated about 3 times to get a graduation.  The brown dp is DCWV and I think the striped is HOTP xmas pack.  I've inked around the edges with pink distress ink (work lipstck) then over stamped the flowery swirl in the same ink, the sentiment is also from the same stamp set (Butterfly Beauties at stampman)  Added sparkle to the white flowers and a couple of red pearls.

Hope you can come join us for our red challenge!

I'd also like to enter into...

Crafty Creations - Have a scottish love poetry theme - well its red and the girl is called Melody which are both in the poem :D
By the cute & girly - Red + 1
Pink Elephant - Red, Brown & Pink
Crazy challenge - Happy Birthday

A Water Challenge & A Mermaid!

I'm catching up *again* lol!  Actually I think I've pretty much caught up and tonight I'm going to do absolutely nothing but put my feet up and cabbage in front of the telly!

I have a couple to show ya here and I'll start with the new soon to be released stamp by Jasmine Becket-Griffith at Crafts & Me and this one is Pearl Swirl Mermaid.
I took a break from the norm with this one and coloured nearly all with PENCIL! Now dont die of shock lol!  I've been playing with them and the only way to get better is to use them and practice eh!  I put down some ivory and blush promarkers on the skin but the highlights and the rest is pencils.  I've used some sakura stardust pens to add sparkle too, she's mounted on starburst stains, the white paper lace is iridescent and if you look closely I wrapped a load of turquoise blending filaments on the base of the card.  The pearls I put in with sakura souffle :)

Hope you love her as much as I do!  Would like to enter her into...

ABC Challenge - N for Nesties

Fab N Funky - Chocolate & Blue

Sketchy Colors - Blue, Brown & White (2nd entry)

Pile it on - Punch it

The rubber cafe - Glitter & Shine

Some odd girl - Scallops

Next up its a water challenge at Crafty Cardmakers, you must use water (a product you add water to or containing water i.e H2o's, starburst stains, cosmic shimmers, water colour pencils etc)  For this one I had a play with Jasmine's Pink Lightning and gave her a more grunge look with heavy eye make up.  The wings are coloured with sakura stardust so is the dress.  The background is starburst stains overstamped with the hero arts flourish stamped with acryllic paint and the black bubbles across the centre are stamped with brilliance.  Image was coloured with a mix of promarkers and pencil.

Hope you can come join our watery challenge!

Tilted in the light :)

Would like to enter this into...

Crafty Ho's - No DP

Gingerloft - Things that fly

Its Men & Boys at Bearly Mine

Its a Men and Boys theme at Bearly Mine for the next 2 weeks.  With valentines coming up maybe you could get round to that card for your OH or the secret one to your son that he knows is you but pretends not to lol!

There are a number of prizes up for grabs including Whimey Stamps and Bearly Mine papers so do pop over and join in, you don't have to use Bearly Mine papers but do check them out as Donna puts up regular freebies on the site here too. 

For this I've used one of Meljen Designs called Cuddle Cloud Baby, the papers I used are from Simply Dots and Just Plaids collections, I love these ones as they can be used very well as your background paper and just as well as your leading one.  I've kept it simple as people tend to keep baby cards for years so less to fall off!  I've coloured with promarkers and sakura stardust pens and distressed the edges with broken china distress ink.

Donna is also launching 3 brand new sets today at Bearly Mine Designs, they are Delicious Delights, Floral Fantasy and For the Boys. If you would you like to receive 15% off of Bearly Mine Designs Digital Papers, email the code VK07 with your order, don't forget to mention the code otherwise you won't get your discount. This code will expire on 7th Feb and with 3 new sets released today, what better time to go shopping. Just click HERE .


Would also like to enter into...

Delicious Doodles - Spots or stripes
The Crafty Pad - Something for the boys
AI Factory - For the boys
Crafty Emmas - Bold & Bright
Fab N Funky - Delight in your digi
Delightful Challenges - Have a heart
Tuesday Throwdown - Stitching (Yes its REAL, go me!)

Photo Inspiration at Passion for Promarkers

I just sat staring at the screen then as I couldnt remember what the theme was LMAO!  Oh yes, its a photo inspiration at PASSION FOR PROMARKERS which you will find over on the blog along with the teams creations!  We're sponsored by Letraset for this challenge so do hop over and join in!

For this challenge I picked out the blues, white and browns from the photo and used a new digi by Hannah Lynn called Forever Rose.  She's coloured with promarkers and on the rose I added sparkle with sakura stardust clear pen all over the globe and stickles to the rose.  I coloured the bottom of her hand in a pale blue to look like reflection.  The sentiment is by Stamping All Day here and papers are by Bearly Mine Designs and flowers are Wild Orchid.  I used my newest embossing folder, a brand I've not seen before which I got from my LCS called Craft Concepts and this one is called Wings, its so pretty, oh here you go, Cuddly Buddly have them here.  Added some ribbon and a rose charm to finish :)  Oh and lookie - REAL Stitching!  Took me 20 mnutes to read the instructions how to thread the machine again but I did it yay!

Would also like to enter into...

Magical Mondays - Flowers (2nd entry)
Paper Playtime - Anything Goes (digi)
Sketchy Colours - Blue, Brown & White
A gem of a challenge - Ribbon & Lace (Used ribbon and punched lace)
Totally Gorjuss - As YOU like it

 Close up of the sparkle on the rose.