It's a girl!

A day's holiday today, so I can do what I like :-)   I made this card for someone in work, who's wife is expecting a girl in about 2 weeks.  Now I'm not really one for digis as I love stamping and embossing etc, although there are some fab images, but I couldn't resist this (and another which is completely different) digi image from Funky Kits:

I thought it would be nice to leave it as greyscale as much as possible, but just added some pink, using Promarkers, for the hat and blanket.  Paper is Pink Petticoat and I also added some clear spica pen on the bobbles of the hat and the ribbing on the turned up cuff, but I don't think that's visible on the photo - it does give it a lovely subtle glimmer though.  Some broderie anglaise and a little charm to finish it off.

I hope you like it, and I'm entering it into the following challenges:-

Divas by Design - Pastels
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Bearly Mine Challenges - Anything Goes
Shopping our Stash - Old or New (used new digi image)
KB Challenges - Something Cute
Lollipop Crafts - Anything Goes
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes

Maria x

Butterflies - Craft-Room Challenge DT Project

Gosh, 2 weeks comes round again so quickly!!!  As usual, the entries to the Summer Birthdays challenge over at Craft-Room Challenge were absolutely stunning.  Thank you to everyone who took part, and good luck.

Straight onto our next challenge, which is "Butterflies", and this time it was Debi's turn to host the challenge.  I have a feeling that this will be a very popular one as well!  For my DT piece, I made something which I've never made before, which is an altered book.  I've been intending to make some sort of keepsake with some pictures of my daughter, but when I started altering this book, it just sort of evolved:

This is the finished book.

It's quite a sentimental piece for me and has taken pride of place in my living room :-)  On the left hand side are some childhood photos, at the top is a pic of a flower with a caterpillar and the quote "Soon you will become what you are meant to be" - and near the bottom, the pic of the flower in full bloom with butterfly, and the quote "it just takes time".

This is how it started out, with just the middle cut out:

and then with a coat of gesso, paper-pieced around the frame (using the page pieces I cut out), with Ranger Glue n Seal (Matte) and then inked up with distress inks:

I cut the inside out of the book leaving just a frame, painted gesso over recess and pages (right) and used TH paper (left), and tissue tape.  I added TH fragments, HOTP jewellery images (two flower images with quotes), Marianne butterflies (i think), charms, ribbon, cord, distress stickles etc from my stash, some photos of my daughter and random words printed from the pc.  At the top and bottom of the main photo on right side, I added the sentiment "Spread your wings.....and fly away", again done on the pc.

Some close-ups:

You have 2 weeks to enter the challenge and could be the lucky person to be chosen at random to win a £10 voucher to spend at Craft-Room Online Shop.  There are some great goodies to be had over there at very reasonable prices, so have a browse and see what you can find.  All you need to do when you enter is pop the shop icon in your side bar, and link you entry back to the Craft-Room Challenge in your post.  

Hope you like it, have fun, good luck, and thanks for visiting!

I would like to enter this in the following challenges:

Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Woodware USA - Paper Piecing (not sure if I qualify for this one?)
Pile it On - your favourite technique
Sentimental Sundays - Inky Fingers

Maria x

A Christening Card

Hi, I love Saturdays so much - no work, lots of pottering about in my craft room, and a bit of Bon Jovi in the background.  Perfect!  (I must upload a video clip of 40 odd thousand (I believe) people singing Living on a Prayer, lol).

I thought I would upload this - I made it today for one of my boyfriend's family, whose new baby is being christened tomorrow:

 

I used Kraft cardstock (I'm getting addicted) and Core'dinations Nostalgia (also addicted), a plain cream card chopped up for the mats, and a little charm I bought at Aintree craft fair.  The embossing folder used was Swiss Dots, the sentiment and name were done on the computer, and the lace was from my stash.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Inspire Me Fridays - Anything Goes

Hope you (and the baby's parents!) like it.

Maria x 

Vintage

Hi, what dreadful weather we're having at the moment!  Perfect weather for crafting :-)  There are so many vintage challenges around at the moment, I thought I'd do something with that in mind.  I used some Core'dinations paper with a photo stamp - and this is the result.

The brown and cream cardstock is from the Nostalgia pack and I sanded it with an emery board.  The ribbon is American Crafts and the image is stamped in Versafine Vintage Sepia. The pale blue colouring on the dress has been done with Promarkers.  The mesh metal ribbon  is from Ribbon Box and the velvet brads I already had. 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Top Tip Tuesday - Wedding or Anniversary
Make My Monday - Brown & Cream plus Pink or Blue
Craft Your Days Away - Vintage
Southern Girls Challenge - Childhood Memories

Maria x

Blingy Bird

I thought it was about time my Cricut saw some action so I had a play about with the Home Decor cartridge at the weekend and this is one of the cards I made:

 

 

I used canvas paper for the background with a bottom border from the Desert Blooms pad.  I cut the silhouette bird, it's crown, and the butterfly from the same card as the border, and the detailed overlay bird from some glittered card from the same pack.  The frame has also been cut on the Cricut with some plain green card, and I added some gems and ribbon.

Hope you like it.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-

City Crafter Challenge Blog - Birds of a Feather

Maria x

Tatty Ted

Well, it's been a beautiful day here weather wise - let's hope it keeps up!  Sadly it's back to work tomorrow.

This is a card I made this week for one of the girls in work's birthday, which is coming up shortly.  She absolutely adores Tatty Ted.

The base card and the mat under the image are Kraft cardstock (the mat is corrugated), the blue polka dot paper is Back to Basics and the image is coloured with promarkers and cut out with a nestie.  I then edged quite deeply in with blue shimmer chalk and added some buttons and cord and corners, and attached a mat for the easel.  I think the pastel blue looks quite nice with the Kraft card.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-

Crafty Cardmakers - Spots and Stripes
Creative Stamp Friends - Dots 
Forever Friends - Birthday (use an animal) 
Riley and Company - Dies or Punches
Top Tip Tuesday - Beginning with a "T"
Crafts and Me - Birthdays
Divas by Design - Die Cuts & Punches
Clearly iStamp - Punches, Dies, Cutouts
Inspire me Fridays - Anything Goes

I hope you like it, and thanks for visiting.

Maria x