Two Fantastic Challenge's to Announce......

Welcome back fellow crafters, bloggers and friends.

 

Where did January go??? AND it is already the 7th of February!!!

 

 

 

Well, this doesn't happen very often, but two of the Challenge Blogs that I am on the Design Team of, are launching Challenges and Mid Month Inspirational posts today.

 

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The first Challenge Blog to be launching their second ever Monthly challenge is the brilliant LEJ Designs:

 

LEJ Designs Challenge Blog

 

Their challenges launch on the 7th or each month, and end of the 5th of the following month. There are always crafty goodies to be won, please see the main blog for more details.

 

This months theme is..... Can you guess???..... Love/Valentines

 

 

Here Is What I Have Made

 

 

I used Kraft card for the matting and layering and the punched border.

The wonderful image I coloured with my water colour pencils and a thin Koi water brush.

I used a bold rose patterned paper I got from my craft stash.

I finished off with flat backed gems, diecut heart and leaves and a lovely flower and feather.

 

 

This image can be found on the blog page http://lejdesignschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/

 

 

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The second Challenge Blog that is Launching their Mid Month Inspirational post is the wonderful Left Of Centre:

 

Left Of Centre Creative Challenges

 

The Challenge Theme is......... Cute Vs Creepy........ and we are extremely lucky to be sponsored by the brilliantly talented MelJen's Designs

 

 

 

Here Is What I Have Made

 

I really struggled with this one....It is hard to mix Cute and Creepy together..... I used the image 'Nibbles the Cat' and coloured him with bright, slightly alternative coloured Spectrum Noirs.

I added white pens and glossy accents to highlight areas of the image.

 

I stamped the sentiment 'Why Try To Fit in? ..... Be Yourself!' as I think it is a very important message and went well with what I wanted the card to be like.

For the backing, I have used Kanban card and a pink glossy card, with diecuts. Finished the card off with card candi and a lovely ribbon.



 

The idea of the card was to have the cat clash/stand out from the rest of the card, but not to worry about doing so. He should be what he wants to be, rather than what outside influences tell him he should be.

I am not sure if the card works, but I like to think it fits the theme brief.

 

Please take a look at the main blog post to find details of what MelJen's are offering the lucky winner of this current challenge.

 

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As always, I hope my work has inspired you to pop along to both blogs and play along with their wonderful challenges. Let your hair down and let your imagination flow......

 

Thank you for all your visits and really kind words.

 

 



My Fantastic News and a New Challenge

I have been eager to share this news with you, however I have had to keep it under my hat for a while..... I was asked in December, to be a guest Designer for the brilliant 'Left Of Centre' Challenge Blog, to which I said YES YES YES straight away!

 

I then had the best start ever to a new year and was asked to join the Left Of Centre Challenge Blog Design Team as a permanent member....wooohoooo and happy new year!!!!!

 

 

The challenge is the First challenge on 2014 which is:

 

http://leftofcenterchallenges.blogspot.ca/

 

Challenge 22: Sponsored by Delicious Doodles - NEW BEGUINNINGS

 

 

 

Here is what I made

 

 

I was given the most gorgeous Delicious Doodles Image to work with and coloured this with my Water Colour Pencils. The image was brilliant to colour as you could make it as basic or intricate as you desire.

I found as many different shaded/patterned purple papers and matched them up with the colouring in the image.

I added some black lace tape as well as actual purple lace, with a ribbon runner.

Finished off with a lovely sentiment and lots of different shaped and colour flat backed gems.

 

 

This card was so far out of my comfort zone as I thought it has to be very 'alternative', however I think I found a level that I was comfortable with.

Yes I am known for making cute/girly/colourful cards, but that isn't all I am about. I am looking forward to exploring this side of my crafting, and seeing where I can take it.

 

 

I hope this make has inspired you to pop over and see my new fellow Design Teams projects, and join in with the challenge. Please don't think that you have to be a specific type of crafter to join this challenge....you don't!

 

 

Thank you for your visits and your wonderful words.

 

 

 

 

 

Sugar Button Fairies

Hello Wonderful people. Thank you to the lovely ladies that always visit my blog and leave such lovely comments. 

A few posts back I posted a photo of a Sugar Buttons Fairy that I had coloured in green and teal with water coloured pencils. 

I couldn't wait to get on and make something with this. 

My friend Linda Simpson uses a lot of stencils/masks and materials that go with them. I took inspiration from Linda and got out my Creative Expressions Texture Paste that I purchased last year and totally forgot about. 

I picked a backing colour that went with the image and chose a suitable mask and set to work. 

I admit, I got a little messy and I had a little seepage under parts of the mask, but that's why playing is all about! 

I absolutely loved the look of the texture paste and the high pale gold shine it produced. 

Anyway, enough waffle, here is what I made.....ooohhh I'm excited.....ok ok I'm posting! 

This last photo shows the absolutely gorgeous pale gold shine the paste produces. It is absolutely beautiful and adds such a 'WOW' factor to a plain old piece of card! 

I loved this card so much, I had to try out the other fairie in the stamp set. 

This one, I HAD to do in the typical girly pink and purple colours :-) I couldn't resist for long...

This is the image I coloured and here is the card that I made...I used diecuts for the first time since before Christmas as my beautiful ebosser has been packed away!!! 

Love the sparkle, shine, pretty girly colours. 

Thank you again for taking the time to visit my blog, you are all very talented people who inspire me every day. 

LEJ Designs - Challenge #85

WOW I can safely say that I am back to blogging. I have really missed it and missed visiting your lovely blogs.

 

Welcome everyone :-)

 

 

As of the 7th January, LEJ Designs Challenge Blog is starting a new era.... We are well known for our weekly challenges, however that is all changing.

We are going MONTHLY....Yes you read that right....Our challenges will now run from the 7th of the month to the 5th of the following month. This allows you plenty of time to get your makes in and look at all the fabulous Design Team Makes.

 

http://lejdesignschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Please click on the above image or link to take you to our wonderful LEJ Designs Challenge Blog, with links to the shop and gallery etc.

 

 

 

So, this is our first monthly make, wish us luck.... As it is still early in the year and people are adjusting back to normal life after the festive period, we have chosen a nice easy theme for you......

ANYTHING GOES

.....That means there are no excuses not to get involved in the Challenge.

 

 

Here is What I Made

 

 

I used the LEJ Designs Image 'Skater Boy' and added the son text to it in Serif Craft Artist2.

I coloured the image in with my Derwent Water Colour Pencils as you all know I love using them. I paint with a very fine Koi Water Brush.

 

The paper is from my stash and the green backing card is some I got in my payper box at the NEC.

I used a rangers distressing tool to distress the edges of all backing edges and used a ruller to rip the image edges.

 

I finished off with twine, Card Candi and a Happy Birthday peel off.

 

 

I enjoyed making a male card, as usually I struggle with them as I want to glitter and pretty them up lol

 

 

I hope, as always, that my make has inspired you to visit the LEJ Designs Challenge Blog and join in the new monthly challenge. Remember it is Anything Goes, so the only thing stopping you entering is you.....

 

 

Thank you for your wonderful words you leave on your visits, they are all wonderful and make my day.

 

 



Just For Fun December Challenge

Welcome fellow bloggers, crafters and friends.... I hope you are all ready and excited about Christmas..... its come around quick!

Just For Fun is a newish Challenge Blog that does exactly what it says in the title 'Just For Fun'. Sometimes there are prizes donated by lovely people, but not every month. 

For last months winners, this month challenge and prize details, as well as DT inspiration, please visit:

http://laineyscraftyspace-justforfun.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/merry-christmas.html?m=1

This months theme is 

'CHRISTMAS'

What a nice easy theme for this time of year lol So far, I have made around 200 christmas cards.... I am thoroughly sick of glitter and the places it gets lol

I hope this make has inspired you to pop over to the Just For Fun Challenge blog and join in the challenge. 

We love seeing all your makes. 

  

LEJ Designs Challenge #81

Welcome Visitors, Fellow Bloggers, Crafters and Friends.....

 

Hope you are keeping nice and warm in this horribly cold and wintery weather this morning.

 

 

Today sees the start of LEJs weekly challenge #82 - Buttons, Bows or Beads.

 

LEJ Designs Challenge Blog offer weekly challenges, starting on the Tuesday of each week.

There are always wonderful LEJ Designs Images up for grabs for the winner, along with a small crafting 2nd prize from one of our totally wonderful sponsors. (Please see the blog for further details of our sponsors).

 

http://lejdesignschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/

 

 

 

We have some exciting news coming in the new year, so keep your eyes peeled.....

 

 

LEJ Designs also has a facebook page, which you can find here:

 

https://www.facebook.com/LEJDesignsDigitalStamps

 

 

Currently, for every 10 new likers to the facebook page, someone has a chance of winning on of the LEJ Designs Digi Images. Get 'Liking' and 'Sharing'.

 

If you use one of the LEJ Designs Digi Images on your challenge entry, and you win, you could be in with a chance to win an extra bonus amount of Images. Currently the rollover stands at 4!!!

 

 

What I have Made

 

I decided to use the wonderful 'Snowman' images from LEJ Designs.

I coloured him with Water Colour pencils. I love my water colour pencils as you can give images as much or as little colour as you want. I used hardly any colour on the body, but made the other features stand out with heavier colouring.

 

I decided to use Buttons AND bows on my card. I took the orange from the Satsuma nose on the wonderful snowman. I think the blues and oranges go together well.

 

The border around the image is made up from lots and lots of punched out snowflakes. For these I used a Tonic Boot punch. I think this just gives the card a textured look, and with them spread out, it covers some of the white of the image topper. The backing paper is a Kanban sheet.

 

 

I finished the card off with a gift that I printed off from SERIF CraftArtist. I coloured this with the same water colour pencils as in the image. I used a few orange gems for the corners that aren't covered, and the middle of the bow on the parcel, and small black gems on he features of the snowman.

 

 

As always, I really hope this make has inspired you to pop along to the LEJ Designs Challenge blog to join along with the current Challenge.

 

Thank you so much for your wonderful visits.

 







LEJ Designs Challenge #77

Welcome Fellow Bloggers, Crafters and Friends.... Thank you for all the visits you make to my blog.

Before we come to this weeks LEJs Challenge, I would like to share some fabulous news about my last LEJ Design Team card..... I entered this card into a few Challenges and I was lucky enough to win one of them.... I won the 'Scribble & Scrap' challenge!!!

 

 

 

Today sees the start of this weeks new LEJ Designs weekly challenge.

This weeks theme is 'ANYTHING GOES', so there is no excuse not to join in :D

 

As stated, the LEJ Challenge Blog offers weekly challenges, which start on a Tuesday.

The winner of the challenge will win some of the gorgeous LEJ Designs Digi Images.

There is also a small crafting prize which is provided by one of our wonderful sponsors (please see main blog posts for the sponsor details).

 

 

Please click the link or photo below to take you to the LEJ Designs Challenge Blog. On the blog, you will find links to the LEJ Designs Shop. This is always worth a look as new images are added all the time, and there are also a few freebies to look out for....

 

http://lejdesignschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/

 

So.... Now to show you what I have made......

 

 

I used my trusty water colour pencils again, and I think I got quite good shading with them.

 

I wanted to make a modern and colourful card. The wonderful image gave me plenty of opportunity to use lots of different colours.

 

The paper is from one of the many 12x12 pads in my stash. I embossed it with an embossing folder to give it some texture.

 

The flowers I added some basin detailing with a thin ink pent, which I also used to put a border around the image and sentiment.

 

This card was finished off with some twine, card candi and flat backed gems.

 

I like the boldness of this card.

 

 

 

Thank you everyone for visiting, and I hope my card has inspired you to pop over to the LEJ Designs Challenge Blog and join in with the wonderful 'ANYTHING GOES' theme....

 

 

LEJ Designs Challenge #75

Welcome Fellow Bloggers, Crafters and Friends.... Thank you for all the visits you make to my blog.

 

 

Today sees the start of this weeks new LEJ Designs weekly challenge. This weeks theme is 'CELEBRATE'. To me, celebrate represents any occasion that you would have a party for.... so birthdays, wedding, anniversary, christening etc...

 

 

As stated, the LEJ Challenge Blog offers weekly challenges, which start on a Tuesday.

The winner of the challenge will win some of the gorgeous LEJ Designs Digi Images. There is also a small crafting prize which is provided by one of our wonderful sponsors (please see main blog posts for the sponsor details).

 

 

Please click the link or photo below to take you to the LEJ Designs Challenge Blog. On the blog, you will find links to the LEJ Designs Shop. This is always worth a look as new images are added all the time, and there are also a few freebies to look out for....

 

http://lejdesignschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/

 

So.... Now to show you what I have made......

 

I absolutely love this image. It is fun and really great to colour.

 

I coloured the image with some water colour pencils and a thin water brush. I have really gotten into my water colour pencils as they can get into really find detailing and they blend so perfectly.

 

I used a gold pearlised card as the matting, and two different clues to match the colour in the ladies top.

I embossed the main backing layer and then punched out the bingo balls with a 1.5" circle punch.

I put a broken border line on the image and the balls with a thin blue ink pen, and used a gold marker pen for the bingo numbers.

I arranged the image, border stripe and bingo balls and stuck them all down with glue and 1" foam pads.

I finished off the card with matching gold card candi.

 

I would like to enter this card into the following Challenges....

 

Challenges For Everybody - Anything Goes - Ends 25th October

Robyns Fetish - Square Cards Only - Ends 19th October

Scribble & Scrap #3 - Always Anything Goes - Ends 19th October

2 Sisters - Anything Goes - Ends 18th October

Paper Creators Crafts - Dies or Punches - Ends 19th October

(bingo balls were punched using a 1.5" circle punch).

 

 

 

Thank you everyone for visiting, and I hope my card has inspired you to pop over to the LEJ Designs Challenge Blog and join in with the wonderful 'Celebrate' theme....