SC Saturday Challenge #55

It's time again for the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge and the theme this week which has been set by Cathy is:-

ORANGE + ONE OTHER COLOUR

The Ambrosia paper pad by Basic Grey has been sitting around unused for a few weeks now and this theme gave me the opportunity to get it out. It's full of so many scrummy patterns of orange and grey it was difficult to know which ones to choose.

Once again there are some fab designs by my very talented Design Team - pop over to the challenge blog and take a look.

Recipe:-

Papers - Ambrosia by Basic Grey
Image - Lemonade anyone by Belles & Whistles
Coloured with Promarkers
Spellbinders dies - Classic Scalloped Square Large, Fancy Tags , Classic Lace Border Grand
Sentiment - Build a Flower stamp set by Personal Impressions
Flat backed pearls 5mm
Flower - Handmade to match the card

All products used are available from the Secret Crafter Shop

Carol Singers!

I do a workshop on a Tuesday night and this is the card that we made - my ladies loved it. I was determined not to make my usual square card - this one folds at the top not from the side, just to be different. This also fits in with the Basic Grey Challenge no. 6 which is to use 3 colours - Red, Blue and Green. The photo doesn't show it very well but the image is decoupaged and surrounded by a scalloped frame - it is not matted and layered.

Recipe:-

Papers - Eskimo Kisses by Basic Grey
Image - Christmas Cheer by Personal Impressions
Sentiment - The First Christmas by Personal Impressions
Coloured with Promarkers
Image and sentiment distressed with Distress Inks
Spellbinder dies - Classic Scalloped square large, Labels One, Labels Four
Ribbon from stash

All items are available from the Secret Crafter shop

SCSC Challenge 54

My DT card this week is a very simple one - I was very tempted to put some flowers on it but wanted to leave it neutral so that it could be given to a man or a woman. The theme at the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge this week has been chosen by Mandy and it is:-

DIG DEEP

Mandy would like you to dig deep into your stash and use an old stamp or an image. We all have stamps that we buy just because we 'need' them but never get around to using them, well now's your chance to justify that purchase.

My friend Tracie and I share our stash, we keep all our stuff here at the workshop in one room and have a whale of a time using it. Well this is one of Tracie's stamps and I had my eye on it when I first saw it over a couple of years ago - when I found out what the theme was this is the first stamp that came into my head. It was crying out to be decoupaged and I love it!

Supplies used:-

Image by Funstamps
Papers - Wild Asparagus by My Minds Eye
Coloured with Promarkers
Punch - Two dot scallop by Martha Stewart

SC Saturday Challenge - Week 53

This is my DT card for the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge and the theme this week which has been set by Debby is:-

AUTUMN COLOURS

This was a perfect opportunity for me to use the 'Scarecrow and Little Wizard' stamp from Belles and Whistles. It took me ages to colour and was really pleased with it and then I went and spoilt it as I was trying to airbrush the background and made a complete hash of it so, rather than colour another one in I cut round the image. I'm also not pleased with the layout of the card but it was too late once I'd stuck everything down. I've decoupaged the little Wizard, although it isn't obvious from the photo.

Pop over to the blog to see the fab designs from the rest of the Design Team.

Supplies used:-

Scarecrow and Little Wizard stamp from Belles & Whistles
Indian Summer paper pad from Basic Grey
Spellbinders nestabilities Labels 5
Woodware punch - Ash branch & Oak
Coloured with Promarkers

Happy Birthday Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge!

Hip Hip Hooray! We're celebrating today over at the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge as it's our 1st Birthday - my goodness it ain't arf gone quick too. There are 4 special prizes on offer so to find out what they are you need to pop along to the blog and take part in the fun.

The theme this week just had to be CELEBRATION and this is my DT card which is a Birthday card to myself :-) I would like to say a special thank you to all my DT buddies for putting up with me and doing such a wonderful job every week and another very special thank you to Jane who posts the challenges for me - without her the challenge blog would not be possible. Thank you all Mmmwaaaah x

Supplies used for my card;-

Bloom & Grow 6x6 paper pad
Bloom & Grow decoupage pad
Bloom & Grow Embroidered brads
Spellbinders Fleur de Lis borderabilities
Cuttlebug Vintage 2" x 2" die set
Cuttlebug Tag Team Beautifully Boxed
Cuttlebug A2 combo Birthday Wishes
Gold stickles
Ribbon from stash

DT card - One for the Girls!

Hi folks!

I managed to get my DT card done this week for the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge. The theme this week has been set by the lovely Donna and it's one I'm sure you'll all love, it is 'One for the Girls' - I love my girly cards and for mine I decided to go for pink and frilly.

Hope you like it.

Supplies used:-

Image - L'il Miss Poppy by Belles & Whistles
'Euphoria' paper pad by Basic Grey
Spellbinders dies - Labels 9 and Fancy Tags
'Daisy' punch and 'Flower' punch by Woodware
'Doily Lace Edge' border punch by Martha Stewart
Coloured with the new Promarker colours
Sentiment from 'Cute Character' Set 1 by Personal Impressions

Basic Grey Challenge!

I've been commissioned to make this Ruby Wedding card and I took inspiration from greens in the photo on the Basic Grey challenge this week.

I'm just trying to get all my commissioned cards done so that I can concentrate on some challenge cards and making some samples with some of the lovely new stash I've had in the shop.

Supplied used:-

White linen card
Papers: Porcelain from Basic Grey
D'vine Swirls embossing folder from Provocraft
Fancy tags by Spellbinders
Labels 6 by Spellbinders
Sentiment is computer generated
Ribbons, flower and brad from stash

Teenage boy card

Hello again,

I finally got to make my teenage boy card last night but now it's finished I'm not sure if it's too babyish for a teenage boy - this is my late DT card for the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge.

As I've not made a card for a while I seem to have lost my mojo........ I wish I could find it as I've so many commissioned cards to make and I need to make loads of samples too.

If you like Elizabeth Bell artwork I've just added some of her new Belles & Whistles stamps into my shop. They are pure quality and stamp beautifully - why not pop over and take a look but beware......you may be tempted!

Supplies used:

Papers - 'Celebrations' paper pad from Provocraft
Image & sentiment - 'Little Lovins Kids' Set 1 by Creative Expressions
Coloured with Promarkers
Die - Lattice Borderabilities & Labels 4 by Spellbinders
Buttons - Primary Colours by Woodware

No DT card!

Sorry peeps, I've let you all down this week as I haven't had chance to do a DT card for my own Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge. I got as far as choosing my stamp and design paper and there they've sat on my desk all week.

Luckily my fabulous Design Team buddies have not let me down and if you pop over to the challenge blog you can get some inspiration if you need to do a TEENAGE BOY card as that is the theme this week which has been set by the lovely Gina.

The reason for my lack of posting this week is I've been extremely busy adding items to the website and my delivery of the new Promarker colours arrived on Thursday afternoon (in 8 boxes) and its taken me and my 2 wonderful friends, Tracie and Jane a day and a half to sort through them and to put the orders together. I'm now pleased to say that they have all been despatched so if you pre-ordered some, you should receive Monday/Tuesday.

I just can't wait to go and play with them myself but still have loads to do...... if I get chance I will still make my teenage boy card over the next couple of days and post it on here later.

One more thing I should mention - if you go to my Secret Crafter Shop you will see that I am offering FREE P&P on all UK orders. So if there is anything you need why not pop along to see if I have it in stock?

I'll be back as soon as I can.

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge 48

Here's my DT card for this weeks Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge which is a theme set by the lovely Jane and it is 'Hearts and Flowers'. Pop along to the blog to see the fabulous work by the rest of the Design Team this week.

I needed to make another wedding card so incorporated this into the theme this week. The rose is handmade by myself using a pearlescent envelope and a flower punch and I followed this tutorial which I adapted along the way.

Supplies used:-

Ivory & Lilac pearlescent card
Embossing folder: Birds & Swirls by Provocraft
Spellbinders dies: Renaissance Borderabilities, Scalloped Hearts,
Sentiment: Two Hearts Wedding by Hero Arts
Rose made using Woodware flower punch
Ribbon from Stash
Stardust Stickles

ABC Challenge

Here's a card for the ABC Challenge which is C for Circles and I've used plenty of circles on this one.

Supplies used:-

Papers - Wassail by Basic Grey
Images - Tis the Season & Christmas Punch Set by Personal Impressions
Punches - Large Circle by Woodware & Two Dot Edge Punch by Martha Stewart
Spellbinders die - Standard Circles Large
White Linen card, Copic Ciao markers

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #47

I've been so busy this week that I've skimped on my DT card for the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge. The theme has been set by the lovely Cathy and she has chosen Flights of Fancy - anything with wings.

I apologise that my card isn't up to my usual standard, I did have to rush it and I used a layout that I know is quick and usually works well. After I had stuck down the butterflies I had another idea in my head and wanted to remove one but it was well stuck so I thought I'd better leave it as it is.

The rest of the team have done a much better job than me, please pop over and check them out.

Back again soon.

Supplies used:-

Papers: Porcelain by Basic Grey
Spellbinders die: Blossoms 2 & Butterflies
Gold Mirror card
Fingerguard trimmer and scallop blade

2nd Birthday Card

Good afternoon dear friends,

Thank you so much to everyone who left comments and ideas for my 'rush job' card.

I took your advice and looked on google for a tractor and I came across this site with free images to colour in and found the ideal tractor.

I coloured it in with my Promarkers and then scanned the coloured image into my computer, resized and printed it out 4 times and decoupaged. I felt that it would look better shiny but had already done my layers so just embossed the top layer with some clear UTEE and it came out ok. The number 2 was cut on the Cricut and I used my Birthday Greetings stamps and computer generated the name 'Alfie' on to safmat to put in the middle and that was it.

The good thing about this is I now have the image coloured and scanned into my computer ready for the next rush job that comes along.

The customer has already collected the card and is over the moon with it and is now putting an order in for several christmas cards. I'd better get cracking.

Thanks again.

I need a little help and inspiration!

Hello crafting buddies,

I've been inundated with orders for cards this week so haven't been able to take part in the challenges. Two cards went out this morning and I completely forgot to photograph them before they were collected, so am unable to show you what they were like.

Now, I've just had a dear old gentleman come into the shop and he wants me to make him a card for him to collect tomorrow afternoon, it's for his nephew who will be 2 years old. What are 2 year olds interested in these days? Does anyone have any clues as to what I can do and where I can find suitable images? I seem to have completely lost my mojo and am struggling, what a time for it to disappear - just when I really need it most.

I wouldn't normally put myself under this sort of pressure to make a card in such a short time but he was a dear old man and I couldn't say no to him.

HELP PLEASE!