You Melt My Heart Card

Hi Guys,

Hope you like my latest card which I made for the Moxie Fab World Foxy Foxes Challenge. I really enjoyed creating textured fur for my little foxes with coloured pencils. The sequin 'snow' was lots of fun to create also.

I used a Pebbles polka-dot note card for the base of my card. Next I used a piece of Neenah Solar White Cardstock and Peacock Feathers Distress Ink to create a background. First I create a wash of ink and then I splashed water over the top to create a pattern. I then adhered the cardstock to the note-card.

Next I selected a piece of patterned paper from the Fancy Pants Nautical 6x6 paper pad. I then stamped the tree images from the Lawn Fawn Joy to the Woods stamp set directly onto it using Stampin' Up Crumb Cake Ink. I then fussy cut the trees and adhered them to the card using foam tape. I stamped the sentiment from Lawn Fawn's Here's The Scoop stamp set in Versafine Ink.

The two fox images are from the Joy to the Woods and Critters in the Woods stamp sets from Lawn Fawn. First I stamped them onto some more Neenah Cardstock in Hero Arts Soft Vanilla Ink. I wanted to create a textured look to give the impression of fur so I used my Spectrum Noir coloured pencils to colour my images. I then fussy cut them and adhered them to my card with foam tape. The speech bubble were die-cut using the Polaroid Fun die from Mama Elephant. I then stamped the heart image from Lawn Fawn's Hello Baby stamp set in Calypso Coral Stampin' Up ink.

I completed my card using sequins to create the the look of snow. I used 6mm and 4mm Sparkling Clear and 6mm Snow sequins from Pretty Pink Posh. I also used several Snow-flake shaped sequins from the Neat and Tangled Winter Wonderland Sequin Mix.

Clicking on the link below will take you to the Moxie Fab World Blog for the latest challenge and lots of great inspiration:

You're My Universe Card

Hello everyone,

Well after a very busy and, at times, quite painful week at work, I was definately ready for some crafty time to take my mind off things. I enjoyed makng the background for my space card last week i decided to have another go, this time for a valentines or anniversary card. I just love these cute Aliens from the Paper Smooches Space Cadet stamp set and I really enjoyed using them to create this card for the Paper Smooches Sparks Anything Goes Challenge. Please do let me know what you think xx

I used a grey polka dot notecard from Pebbles as my card base and adhered a piece of Ranger Watercolour paper to the front, which I die cut using one of the stitched rectangles from the new Lawn Fawn die set. I created the background galaxy effect in the same way as last weeks card, this time using Spun Sugar and Milled Lavendar Distress Inks for a more suble coloured effect.

I used a piece of gold glitter paper from the DCWV Glitz Pastel 6x6 paper pad as the base for my aliens and astronaut to stand and wave on. I stamped several images from the Paper Smooches Space Cadet set onto Neenah Solar White cardstock using Black Licorice Hydrid Ink from My Favourite Things. I coloured the images with Spectrum Noir Pencils, paper stubs and blending solution. I then fussy cut them and adhered them to the card with foam tape to create dimension. I used speech bubbles and hearts stamped in Spun Sugar Distress Ink for extra cuteness.

I used my Fiskars 2 inch Circle punch and some paper from the My Minds Eye Jubilee 6x6 paper pad to create the planet. The sentiment banner was made from more Solar White cardstock, black Licorice ink and a sentiment stamp from the Space Cadet set. I finished the card with Sparking Clear and Pink Peonies sequins from Pretty Pink Posh, green and yellow sequins from the Neat and Tangled Spring mix and a gold Sequin from my stash.

Click on the image below to see all the other great entries for this weeks challenge:

Clicking on the image below will take you to the Paper Smooches Shop where you can buy all their amazing stamps and dies, including the Space Cadet stamp set:

Get Better In Warp Speed Card

Hi guys,

When I'm making cards I generally like to have a tv programme on in the background. Most recently I've been re-watching old epidsodes of Star Trek Voyager - yes, I know I'm a geek! Today I've been inspired by everything I've seen on screen and created a card for the Paper Smooches Sparks August Designer Drafts Challenge, using the Space Cadet stamp set from Paper Smooches. Happy crafting xx

To Create my card I started with a puple notecard from Hero Arts. Next I layered a piece of Ranger Watercolour Paper over the front. I created the galaxy background using Windsor Newton India Ink and Distress inks in Dusty Concord and Salty Ocean shades. I first wet the paper and then dotted on the ink. I used a paintbrush to blend and used a mini mister filled with water to create the cloud-like feathered effect to the edges. Once I had dried this with my heat tool I splattered some white Windsor and Newton ink over the top to create the impression of stars.

Next I stamped several images from the Paper Smooches Space Cadet stamp set onto Neenah Solar White cardstock using my new Black Licorice hybrid ink from My Favourite Things. I coloured rge umages with Spectrum Noir pencils and blended with paper stubs and blending solution. I added dot detail with my Uniball white gel pen and added shine to the space ship with Ranger Glossy Accents . I fussy cut the images and adhered them to the front of the card using foam tape to create dimension. The sentiment, also from the Space Cadet stamp set was stamped using Versamark ink and heat embossed with Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder.

I kept embellishments fairly minimal on this card. I used my Simon Says Stamp Mini Heart die set to cut hearts from cardstock coloured with more Dusty Concord Distress Ink. I then adered several Sparkling Clear sequins from Pretty Pik Posh in 6mm and 4mm sizes.

Please click on the challenge banner below to check out everyone's fab entries for this challenge:

Or, if you click on the blinkie below you'll go straight to the Paper Smooches store where you can buy all their lovely stamps and dies to play along with the next challenge:

Hoppy Birthday Card

Hi guys

I made todays card for the Mama Elephant & Me August Challenge. The theme is watercolouring and birthdays and I coudn't resist using more pink and hearts with the cute sitting bunny image from the Honey Bunny stamp set from Mama Elephant. I love how pretty and feminine this card turned out and I'll be sending it to my Aunty for her birthday next month - hope you all like it xx

For the base of my card I used a white notecard from Papermania. I die cut the stitched rectangle from the Mama Elephant Femme Frames die set from Ranger watercolour paper. I used a Ranger ink blending tool and three shades of Distress Ink (Worn Lipstick, Tattered Rose and Antique Linen) to create my background. I then flicked clean water over the inked paper to create a pattern. To soften the look of the background I overlayed it with white vellum die cut with the scalloped rectangle die also from the Femme Frames die set. I then die cut lots of small hearts from the vellum, using the Simon Says Stamp tiny hearts dies, to allow some of the inked background to peek through.

Next I die cut the stitched circle from watercolour paper using the Lawn Fawn Stitched Party Banners die set. I adhered this to the vellum overlay with foam tape. I stamped the bunny image from the Mama Elephant Honey Bunny stamp set onto some more watercolour paper, using Versafine black ink. I coloured the image in a watercour style using Distress Inks and water. I used Antique Linen Distress Ink for the bunny's fur and added pink to his cheeks and the tips of his ears using Tattered Rose Ditress Ink. I then fussy cut the image and adhered it to the stitched circle with more foam tape. The Hoppy Birthday sentiment, from the Lawn Fawn Critters Down Under stamp set, was stamped onto a scrap of watercolour paper using Versafine ink. I then cut the paper into a banner shape and adhered this to my card with foam tape.

The heart shaped ballon was cut from watercolour paper, coloured with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink, using the heart die from the Lawn Fawn Stitched Party Banners die set. I adhered it to the card with foam tape and used a scrap of pink bakers twine to attach the baloon to the bunny's paw. I added shine to the balloon by covering it with a layer of glossy accents and added a 4mm Sparkling Clear sequin from Pretty Pink Posh for extra sparkle.

I completed my card by adding a variety of sequins. I used 4mm and 6mm Sparkling clear sequins, 6mm Watermelon sequins and 6mm Pink Blush sequins from Pretty Pink Posh. I also used several 8mm Salmon pink sequins from my stash. The sequins added fun sparkle as well as hiding the foam tape I used to adhere the vellum layer to the rest of the card.

Clicking on the link below will take you to the challenge post, featuring everyone's fab entries:

And clicking on the shopping bag below will take you to the Mama Elephant website where you can find lots of inspiration as well as the store to buy lots of crafty goodies:

Happier Than a Pig in Poop Card

Hello everyone,

So this week I've taken the plunge and gone for a more professional look to my photographs. Rather than taking the photo on a shelf in my craft room (and having to rely on the pretty dismal British weather to provide enough light!) I bought daylight lamps and made a light defuser box. I'm really pleased with the improvement in image quality so far and I'm sure I will achieve even better results with a bit more practice. Anyway, I hope you like the card and that you're able to see what I've been up to that little bit clearer now.

My card base was cut from a peice of Neenah Desert Storm cardstock. Next I layered a peice of pink heart patterned paper from the Dear Lizzy Daydreamer collection 6x6 paper pad. I used a thin strip of coordinating paper from the same collection to die cut a scalloped edge which I adhered to the top of the first peice of patterned paper. I used a Paper Smooches scalloped edge die from the Borders 2 set. 

Next I trimmed a small piece of Ranger Watercolour paper and die cut the top edge with the notebook paper edge die, also from the Paper Smooches Borders 2 set. I wanted to create a messy watercolour background to make it look ike the pig had been splashing around. I did this using Vintage Photo Distress Ink and plenty of water. I dried the backgrond with my heat gun and adhered it ti the card using foam tape, to create dimension. 

I stamped the happy little pig image from the Green Acres stamp set by Paper Smooches, twice onto patterned paper using Hero Arts Mid-tone ink in Cup O' Joe. I then fussy cut the images and paper peiced them, using the second image to add dimension to his nose. I adhered the images to the background using foam tape.

Next I trimmed a strip pf wood grain patterened paper from my stash and die cut he top edge once again with a die from the Borders 2 set. I used the stamp edge die to create the look of fencing. I then die cut three small hearts from the patterened paper using the Simon Says Stamp Mini Hearts die. I adhered the patterened paper to the card with foam tape.

The word "happier" was die cut using my Cricut Explore and adhered to the card using silicone glue. The remainder of the sentiment was stamped using a "create your own" label stamp from staples. I really love the tiny font and how I can quickly and esily create any sentiment I like.

I completed the card using several pink sequins from the Neat & Tangled Spring Mix sequins. I also used a couple of 4mm Sparkling Clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

Clicking on the image below will take you to the Paper Smooches Sparks August Anything Goes challenge:

And clicking on the image below will take you to the fabulous Paper Smooches website: