Bugs!!! At Passion for #Promarkers :)

Its a bug theme this week over at Passion for Promarkers and that can be creatures or cars!  We also have a fab sponsor, Some Odd Girl whos is offering 3 digi stamps!  I Luuuuurve their stamps so good luck!

I was a bit stumped with the bug theme as I have several bug digi stamps but you know when you just don't fancy any of them at that time and I'd leaned towards Tilda dressed as a butterfly (Which also counts!) until I went to the park on Friday afternoon with Sarah armed with promarkers, a picnic and sunshine for the kids to play :)  It was a 'Promarkers in the Park' you never know we could make it into a big event lol!  Anyway flicking through Sarah's stamps she had a BUG yay!  Sarah's are all organised in a folder, mine are just chucked in drawers lol!  So I've used this one by Sweet Pea Stamps coloured with promarkers and sakura stardust.  Speaking of ladybirds, there seems to be a lot of them around this year!  I couldnt get a decent pic of this for some reason so it looks a bit washed out :/


Would also like to enter into...

In a sweet pea dream - Spring
I love promarkers - Go Dotty
Paper Sundaes - Photo Inspiration

Sarah and I doing Promarkers in the Park lol!

Sketch by Marie at Bearly Mine

I'm back again!  This one is for a sketch designed by Marie for Bearly Mine Challenges which starts today for the next 2 weeks and the girls have done a fab job!  For this I used Bearly Mine papers - Delicious Delights, Summer Light & Spring and Summer Stripes.  I fancied using the cherries and the other 2 papers worked well with that set too, especially stripes, you know I love stripes and dots!  Prizes for this challenge are - Bearly Mine Designs - 2 Digi sets of the winner's choice (Oooh get stripes, always useful!)  Crafty Emma - £10 Gift Certificate, Fred She Said - $20 Gift Certificate & Fantastic Ribbons - bag of buttons



I've coloured Tilda in promarkers, cut her out and put her sat on the magnolia background and stamped the birthday sentiment (which I pinched from The Stampman's butterfly Beauty set!)  Added flowers and pearls and punched Martha Stewart flutterbies, even put one on her hand :D  They all have tiny pearls with a other of pearl coating on.  I also found my cherry charm so added that to match the papers!

Would also like to enter into....

Sparkles Forum - Spring
Stamps R Us - Spring
Aly's Sunday Challenge - Spring
Pile it On - Cute
Creative Stamp Friends - Spring

Thanks for looking!



Anything Sir T!m of Holtz goes at The Stampman

Theres a new challenge at The Stampman this fortnight and we'd like to see Anything Tim!  For this I used quite a number of Tim's products, I don't have any stamps so improvised!
I started with a box canvas Ive had for about 3 years lol!  I built up some colour with distress inks in broken china and wild honey which make a lovely green when mixed and dried with a heatgun between coats.  I've added streaks of acrylic daubers again drying then used the flourish die cut as a stencil and applied gold painty swirls.  The corners are distress crackle paint and I've literally thrown some white pearl paint on and heated till it bubbled (I was outside in the sunshine with my heatgun btw!)  Added some black dots with sequin waste.

The embellishments are quite personal.  The key is from one of my MANY house moves when I just want to stay put.  The mini domino is from my huge collection of various shapes and sizes, I'm always looking in charity shops for old ones :D  The flowers I pressed myself, they're proper naff but I love them coz they're so naff.  The buttons were white and I altered them with distress ink and I had to add the shrink plastic at the bottom to give Janey and Jill a laugh.  I'm RUBBISH at shrink plastic and these were an attempt (or 3) of shrinking one of tim's flourishes.  I thought I'd include them as well why not, I'm rubbish at it and this canvas is quite personal.  I dont have a lot of altered nick nacks and this is my first go so be gentle lol!

Heated acrylic making it bubble and giving texture

The crackle paint, thrown on paint and naff flowers :)

And my rubbish shrink plastic, I thought they deserved a place :)

Tim Holtz/Sizzix flourish die (Used as stencil and rubbish shrink plastic)

Distress Inks (Broken china, wild honey, vintage photo)

Adirondack acrylic paint daubers (Pearl, gold, sailboat blue, black)

Alcohol Inks (Raisin, Meadow, Slate)

Tim Holtz Distress crackle paint (Antique linen)

Shrink Plastic

So come on girls and guys, drag that Tim stuff out and show The Stampman what you're made of!

Anything Goes at Crafts & Me

Over at Crafts and Me Challenges we have a big change!  We are now going to run the challenges weekly and we also have a brand new digital team too!  My team; the Dynamite Digis have 5 new teamies so please pop over and welcome the awesome talent!  We are hosting this week and the Rockin Rubbah team will be hosting next week. 
We are running an Anything Goes just so you know we're now weekly and remember to come visit us!

For this challenge I tore my hair out, seriously ha!  I started my design as pink and yellow as there are a few spring colour themes around this week and made a lovely base then coloured in my image which is Forever Rose digital by Hannah Lynn and you know what I'm like for my dark bolds, she kinda changed from a pale pink and yellow to violet and gold lol!  So time ticking on and I am so busy this week I had no time to recolour and stick to the pink and yellow so I decided it would be easier making another base for her so I pulled some papers together and then decided to make a twisted easel which I haven't made before!  Why do I do it to myself!!  I can make easels no problem but the twisted ones the flowers sit a different way etc and it takes a little adjustment to get used to them.  The clock was screaming at me by now and I know I'd said I'd do Lexi's Challenge which is ribbon with no bows or knots.  Sounded interesting but its a thinking challenge and prob not one when I've spent 3 hours making a card and I'm short of time but hey I'm ME so I met that challenge lol!  I secured a length of gold sparkly ribbon, you know the type that doesn't stick, under neath the flowers only it wouldnt stick so I then had to hunt my silicone glue out **again** 
I seem to be on a perpetual hunt for my silicone glue.  I ALWAYS find it in the back of my box of glue dots as thats a logical place to keep it yes?  Only my memory is that chronic I forget I've put it in this logical place! DOH!

Now because I have some pretty chunky flowers there I decided I didn't want more flowers on
the top of the card so opted for some die cut lettering.  So I used one of the Tim Holtz alterations alphabets, you know the ones that the cutting boards turn into bananas - actually I saw that happen on C&C and had a good chuckle as they tried to hide it lol!  I secured the lettering which is a mother of pearl colour with my now found silicone glue and added a 6m iridescent gem to dot the i!

So here's my humble offering for Crafts and Me anything goes challenge!  Please do come and play and make me feel better haha!

BTW The text around the image I did myself in PSP x

Would also like to enter into the following!

Lexi's - Ribbon with no bows or knots (gosh that was hard!)

Creative Inspirations - Easel Cards

Gingerloft - Die Cuts (Alphabet)

Fab N Funky - More than one fold

Papertake - Girly

Spring is in the air!

Spring is definately nearly here, my magnolia tree is nearly ready to burst into all its splendour, the daffs and tulips are growing nicely :)

I've got a couple to show today, both challenging myself a bit!  First up is a new digi by Crafts & Me called Valentines night by Sara Burrier, reminds me a bit of my two kiddywinks!  I've used a variety of mediums, mainly promarkers and coloursoft pencil and then some sakura stardust and distress ink.  I dont usually do green but there seems to be an awful lot of green/spring challenges this week so I've taken the plunge! 

The digi team will be starting challenges from next week alternating with the rubbah team so pop over to join in Vicky's photo inspiration challenge this week and come back next week for the daring digi teams new challenge!

I'd like to enter this into...

Creative cottage - Spring

Flutterby Wednesday - Sketch

By the cute & Girly - Spring

KB Cute monday - Fantasy

Magical Mondays - Spring colours

Digi Tuesdays - Magical

The Pink Elephant - Springtime

Squigglefly - Spring

The cheerful stamp pad - Springtime

Now this one I challenged myself a little.  I know theres a growing trend for colouring images on Kraft paper so I recently got some to try it out and this is my first attempt.  Its all coloursoft pencils, what do you think?  Also a completely different style to my norm but I do like to challenge myself sometimes to step out of the comfort zone, that way you might discover a flair for something.  Actually it was our Sheila who's just joined the team who sent my my first copic pen so I could add shadows around the images!  (I switched to promarkers after 3 months!)

This is a rubber stamp by Lemon shortbread called "Petal Melody"  Isnt she just beautiful!  I'm not usually one for lace and I've no idea why I went that way but I just go with the flow and see where it takes me :)

I'd like to enter this into...

Make it Mondays - Anything goes  This is a showcase blog and thought I'd share this one as its a step outside the box for me and probably for others!
Tuesday throwdown - Lace
Creative craft friends - Lace

Thanks for looking!

Sketch at Passion for Promarkers

Gro has designed a sketch for us to play with this week at Passion for Promarkers and as always there is a great prize up for grabs, this week it is 6 digi stamps from Digistamp Boutique!

For this challenge I've used Hanglar & Stanglar Girl with Heart String stamp coloured with promarkers, the olive green works really well with the meadow and bright greens to create that shadow and shine.  The dress is baby pink, rose pink and one of my favs mulberry.  I've used distress ink around the edge (spun sugar) and added glossy accents to the hearts with some glamour dust sprinkled on.  Papers are by Bearly Mine and are from Delicious Delights and Spring Blossoms sets.

Hope you can come join us for our sketch challenge this week!

Would also like to enter into...

Bunny Zoe - Happy Birthday + Pearls
Kaboodle doodles - Happy Birthday
Shabby Tearoom - Birthday
Fun with shapes & more - Happy Birthday (Die cut image and sentiment, punched butterflies)
Top Tip Tuesday - Happy Birthday

Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight Challenge - Make your own papers

Oooh its all exciting over at Crafty Cardmakers spotlight challenges this fortnight!  Firstly we've moved!  Crafty Cardmakers challenges will run as usual but the spotlight challenges now have their very own blog to develop a bit more!  They do lean towards the more challenging of challenges, you'll never see a 'Use Pink' here, well not unless we're challenges teamie Judie to haha!

New blog is here - Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight Challenges

We also have some new teamies added to the existng team just to throw in some more diversity and skills and these are...

Paula - A New Beginning

Tracy - Scrapcat's Scribbles

Cazro - Cazro's Crafty Corner

Benita - Smudged! by Benita

Jacki - Cards by Jacki

Uma - A Sense of Uma

I'm sure you'll agree a talented bunch from newbies up to more veteran!

The new challenge which was set by Josephine is to Make our own designer papers - A breeze for me but perhaps a bit more of a challenge for others who rely upon those scrummy patterned papers you buy!  If you've thought about giving it a whirl then now you can take the plunge!  There is also a fab prize from The Stamping Boutique up for grabs who have a wide range of digi stamps for all tastes, I just adore their enchanted line!

I've used one from that line for this challenge, this one is called Hidden.  I've coloured with promarkers and colour soft pencil and added 3d gloss to the flowers with a sprinklng of fairy dust (glamour dust!)  Papers are made with cosmic shimmers which I got from Stampman, one of the greens and one of the purples.  I've stamped the hero arts flower I used on friday and embossed with moonglow embossing powder (midnight violet)  Bottom panel is dry embossed with one of the new embossing plates I got locally.

Hope you will come over and challenge yourself to make your own papers, its very rewarding!

Would also like to enter into...

Crafty Anns - Sketch

Crafty purple frog - fly away with us
The Stamping Boutique monthly contest

Art Impressions - Embossing (Mine has both heat and dry)

Paper Crafting Journey - Things with wings
Paper Playtime - Green & Purple

Guest DT at Prairie Fairy

I'm back again!  Today I've got the honour of being a Guest Designer over at Prairie Fairy for their Fairy Fun Friday Challenge!  It was Robertas Birthday last week and she is having a Birthday theme for the challenge the next 2 weeks.
I won some images on the last challenge and went for 'Pretty Gillian' as our Molly is into dressing up at the moment and this reminded me of her!  Mols has had several dodgy outfits on this week like moon boots and a tutu (we went shopping like that!) and then she put jeans on with a pair of bright pink shorts over the top and she's so stubbornly independent she won't let you help dress her either so once her mind is ade up shes wearing t then she's WEARING it!!!
I designed this card as a bright clash of colours using pink, purple & yellow with some luuuuuuvely bright blue eyeshadow and heavy on the blusher pretty much what Mols would choose :)
She actually came into the room whilst I was making it and said Oooooh thats pretty, its my birthday, I LUB IT (She cant pronounce V's as she has a tongue tie and a lisp so always says Lub!) so I guess this will get stashed away until June when it is her birthday lol!

Image is coloured with promarkers and I've used derwent coloursoft around the edge and also coloured all the pearls with promarkers.  Faux stitching is sakura souffle (lilac)  Papers are from Bearly Mine (Plaids and dots) except the multi coloured birthday one which I've had ages and never quite fit much I made until this one lol!

So thanks you to Fairy Fun Fridays for my guest spot, its been a blast!

I'd also like to enter into...

Cupcake Inspirations - 101 photo
ABC Challenge - P for Pearls
Cute Card Thursday - Cards for 3 year olds (It will be for Mollys 3rd birthday!)
Paper Romance - Lots of colour
Fab N Funky - Girly

Thanks for looking!

And Molly dressing up!  This is when I found her with 13 pairs of her fathers undercrackers over her head!

And her usual sense of style......

Floral at The Stampman

The Stampman are back again with a floral theme for the next 2 weeks wth yours truly being your hostess!

My old mucker Janey asked me the other day do I ever do non-gorgeous.  Well YES I just don't show them here haha!  So especially for Janey I'll also show the non-gorgeous #take 1 version below this lol!

I've used one of the cling stamps by Hero Arts - Big Flowers Pattern which I got from Stampman and stamped onto Claudine Hellmuth sticky back canvas here.  I've coloured with promarkers which went a lot darker and my blender pen is running a bit dry so it turned out a lot brighter than envisaged!  I toned this down using some Interference watercolours (white pearl/Interference blue & violet) then stamped Mum with acrylic paint dabber (Pool) and went around the highlights with an inkssentials gel pen.  I've made it into a book which is backed with Starburst Stains in Bougainvillea Fuschia and added some flowers to the corner.  As its material I used silcone glue.  I even dragged my sewing machine out and put on some real stitching which I fluffed on the corner where the flowers are (**smiles**)

Hope you can come join us for our floral challenge at The Stampman with all these Mothers Day creations!

Would also like to enter into....

Southern girls - Use flowers
Simon says stamp - Anything goes
Sunday Stampers - Nature
Gingerloft - Flowers
Stampin sisters in Christ - Stamped flower

******************************

And especially for Janey how I get to the 'finished product' hehe!

Step 1 - Stamp onto pearly card because it looks nice, masking some flowers off for depth.

Step 2 - Colour flowers in with inktense pencils which you've never actually used before and should really be used on watercolour paper but hey pearl looks good.

Step 3 - Decide you don't really like this and colour over the inktense with some coloursoft pencils which actually work alright as they're quite happy with the pearly paper.

Step 4 - Decide you want to add more depth so start with a grey, maybe a darker grey, oh why not just go the whole hog and use black, it blends in right?

Step 5 - Cut out a piece with the cuttlebug then decide you're not much in the mood for orange afterall and abandon.

Step 6 - Decide as time is now pressing on to reach for the promarkers, I know how to use them right?  Pick up a piece of canvas because Crafty Cardmakers have a fabric challenge running and hey why not!

Step 7 - Remember that canvas is not really that easy to colour on...  Clock is ticking and I have to pick the kids up soon...

Step 8 - Finish colouring in the canvas, the promarkers are a lot darker than I imagined...  Kinda 70's purple...  Oh well this nice green can fill in the gaps - Doh!  Thats lime green and we've just stepped back another decade into 60's flower power!

Step 9 - Pick kids up and entertain for rest of day whilst every so often pondering what you're going to actually do with this piece of gaudy psychadelic fabric...

Step 10 - Mooch emails on blackberry, somebody mentionned Jacks notebook - yes that will do!  Its still psychadelic...

Step 11 - Drag out interference watercolours and paint a little bit of a corner, yeah looks ok and tones it down - slap white pearl, intereference blue and violet on (Above pic shows original and altered)

Step 12 - Drag sewing machine out and stitch edges.  Completely fluff one edge so the thread snaps and machine makes funny grinding noise.  Well I wasn't kicked out of needlework for nothing you know!

Step 13 - Construct a notebook using the bind it all.  Trap finger in bind it all.

Step 14 - Attach flowers

Step 15 - Look for silicone glue to attach flowers

Step 16 - Look some more.... Find glue and attach flowers!  Finish approx 28 hours after starting.

A classy lady

Its challenge time again at Passion for Promarkers and this week the challenge chosen by Denise is Food & Drink.  Letraset are sponsoring with one of their stamping kits so join in as its a fab prize!

For this I chose the fabulously classy Cocktail Melody by Crafts & Me.  I've coloured with promarkers in a black, white and dash of pink scheme using the cool greys and some distress ink around the edge and soe sparkly pnk sakura stardust pen on the necklace and bracelet and added iridescent gems for extra glam.  Quite pleased how she turned out, the hair is really nice to colour :)

Hope you can pop over and join in at Passion for Promarkers with anythng food and drink related, you just need to use promarkers and/or aquamarkers!

Would also like to enter into...

One stop craft - Black, white & one other
Play Date Cafe - Black, white & a splash
Make it colourful - shine
Cupcake - Pink polkadots (Background dp is black and pink polkadot)
My time to craft - Jewels
Craft your passion - Anything goes
Crazy Challenges - Lovely Ladies
KB Cute Monday - Use pnk
Alys sunday challenge - Anything goes
Crafty pad - ribbons
Paper sundaes - stripes
Alphabet challenge - R for ribbon
Crafty Anns - birthdays
Crafty sentiments - birthdays
Pixie dust studios - polka dots
Southern girls - brads, gems or dewdrops
Bling it on - anything goes bling

Stamp - Cocktail Melody by Crafts and Me
Promarkers - Ivory, Blush, Sunkissed pink, cool grey 2, 3, 4 & 5, sky blue
Distress ink - Spun Sugar & Worn Lipstick
Iridescent gems 6mm, 4mm, 2mm
Sakura stardust pen - Pink
Black organza ribbon
Flower from Wild Orchid
Papers - Various, some scrapbooking