Welcome baby in pink

I think short is sweet today, I came home from the gym, had a shower and am writing this while eating dinner, about an hour past my bedtime. Some days life just gets a bit nuts. But I"m glad I dragged my ever increasing behind to the gym and had a great workout. I think I made a mistake sitting down on the sofa (yes, I admit, I eat dinner on the sofa) as I'm not sure I will be able to drag my aching bones, muscles and other tissues to bed.

On to more crafty things. Love seems to be all around. Valentine's day is just around the corner, and every card challenge is either about pink, hearts or love. I thought a slightly different take would be nice just for a change. I hope you like it!

I would like to enter the following challenges:
STAMPlorations - Sketch challenge #27
STAMPlorations - February challenge Stamps and Hearts
Crafty Creations - Owl how I love thee
House of Cards - Love 
Just us Girls - Love
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Red + pink
Tuesday Throwdown - Love is in the air
Artistic Inspirations - Anything goes with a heart
Crafty Cardmakers - Love

Card: kraft card
Paper: Stampin' Up More Amore Speciality DSP
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Tim Holtz distress inks Festive Berries, Worn Lipstick
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters from the Past with matching dies, Paper Smooches A Little Lovin'
Colouring: Copics B00, R20, R43
Other: Tim Holtz Hearts stencil, Lawn Fawn Say Cheese die

Butterfly bonanza

This set of birthday card and home-made wrapping paper were all made to match. I saw the tutorial on how to make the flowers using the Stampin' Up blossom punch here and wanted to give it a try. In addition, I had a few swallowtails I had stamped, embossed and coloured earlier. The swallowtail works so well in every card I have made with it, it brings that extra something. I love colouring the stamp, this time I did it by sponging distress ink. I embossed the background for the card using a Cuttlebug embossing folder

To make the wrapping paper, I stamped a big and smaller swallowtail stamp and stamped using Tim Holtz Distress Embossing ink and dusted with Perfect Pearls powder onto basic brown wrapping paper. This gives such a beautiful, subtle effect. The pictures really don't do it justice as the shiny powder doesn't quite show up on photos as beautifully as it does in real life. Also, to get the best result, you should only stamp one stamp at a time, add the perfect pearls and then go on to stamping the next stamp. If you stamp all the butterflies and then start adding the powder, the ink will have dried and the powder won't stick anymore.

To further snazz up the wrapped present, I added two yellow ribbons from my stash and stamped the Chalk Talk stamp and fussycut it. I also inked a doily and attached another swallowtail I had coloured. 

I would like to enter the following challenges: 

Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes

Bunny Zoe's Crafts - For the Girls

Incy Vincy Designs - Punch or Die Cut (flower punch for the flower)

My Craft Creations - Anything Goes

Perfectly Rustics Design Challenge - Wings

Through the Purple Haze - Flowers

Vintage Stamping Challenge - Bring on those Spring Colours

Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge Blog - Anything Goes with a twist: wings

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Anything Goes 

Cardstock: Hobbycraft three shades of yellow 160 gsm cardstock, Hobbycraft white 160 gsm cardstock, Craft UK kraft card
Inks: Tim Holtz Peacock Feathers, Pumice Stone, Shaded Lilac and Squeezed Lemonade, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain distress inks, Stampin' Up Markers in Bright colours
Stamps: Stampin' Up Swallowtail and Chalk Talk, Hobbycraft Butterfly clear stamp, Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Sketch CMS131
Other: Cuttlebug embossing folder textured script, Ranger Perfect Pearls in Interference Blue, Interference Green, Interference Red and Interference Violet, Papermania tinsel silver embossing powder, Stampin' Up Blossom Punch, doily and yellow ribbon from my stash, brown kraft wrapping paper

Dino holiday snapshot

Happy Sunday! I have been enjoying a great weekend with my Sis. I always keep saying I'm so lucky to have my sister in the same country as me, as the rest of my family and almost all of my friends are in another country. However the sad truth is that we don't get to see each other nearly enough. She is very busy being a first year doctor, and I'm busy just... well, crafting, gardening and spending my free weekends doing random stuff.

Today's card is inspired by the great sketch over at CAS(E) This Sketch. I also used the colours on Color Throwdown for inspiration. I just treated myself to another die I have been dying to have, the Lawn Fawn Say Cheese die, so I thought I could use the dino and palmtree that I had coloured previously to make a little holiday scene. I used the Tim Holtz Bubble Layering Stencil and distress inks to create the border. I think it looks almost like scales (did dinosaurs have scales? My dino-knowledge is apparently very limited). I'm also linking up with Stampin' Royalty where the theme is "To Die For".

Card: 300 gsm white card, coloured 240 gsm kraft card Pillarbox red
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters from the Past and matching dies, Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink Aged Mahogany, Broken China, Faded Jeans, Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark
Colouring: Tim Holtz Distress markers and Stampin' Up Blender Pen
Other: Tim Holtz stencil, Lawn Fawn Say Cheese die, Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder

One more Valentine's

As you read this, I'm surfing down the information highway at very high speed. Fasten your seatbelts! After a long wait, I no longer have to wait for a minute to upload a photo to the blog. We have left the dark ages! I'm so giddy about this, I want to do a happy dance. I must have scared the poor BT engineer with my high-pitched squeal of "Oh my gosh it's working!!!". You can say he had one happy customer.

Today's card is inspired by the wonderful card over at Time Out where the challenge is to CASE the card. It is also inspired by the colours over at ColourQ which I used to colour the flowers on the tag. I'm also linking up at Make My Monday where the theme is Hearts and Flowers (I don't know if it's cheating, but the small flowers look heart shaped to me), at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is Bright and Beautiful, In(k)spire Me "Valentines", Kitty Bee Aloha Friday Challenge "Valentine's/Love", Polkadoodles Challenge "Flower Power" and Simply Create Too "Valentine".

I stamped the flowers onto the tag in Versamark and heat embossed in white. I used Stampin' Up inks and a watercolour brush to colour the flowers and a marker to draw the faux stitching. I embossed the background and printed the sentiment. I added some pink ribbon from my stash and matted the card onto pink card.

Card: 300 gsm white card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, Stampin' Up Melon Mambo
Stamps: Stampin' Up So Very Grateful
Inks: Tsukineko Versamark, Stampin' Up Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Blushing Bride marker
Other: Cuttlebug script embossing folder, Papermania Seafoam White embossing powder, pink ribbon from my stash, Scalloped Tag Topper punch

My Snarky Valentine

I'm enjoying a lazy day off. I had to stay at home, we are finally getting hooked up with high speed broadband. The engineer better get here today as agreed, I don't have the best track record with broadband service providers and they better not make me take another day off. I can't wait to have fast internet though, we have been getting by on 2 Mb and it means from time to time I have to even wait for webpages to load, not to mention streaming. But soon we can stream as much as we want!! We have been waiting for this for ages. I'm also notorious for leaving a gazillion web pages open at any one time, and sometimes everything just freezes because of the slow internet. I can't imagine what it will be like living with a civilised internet speed. The joys of living in the countryside, waiting for years and years for technology to catch up.

Onto today's card. It should be evident by now that I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's day. I guess I was alone for so long I developed quite a distaste for the whole thing. And we aren't very romantic in this house. But I do feel like a small acknowledgement of the V day is in order now that I seem to be in what can be called a stable relationship.

I think Gus got it right on the spot in this Bugaboo digi. I thought it would make a great Valentine's card for my Culinary Consultant. Neutral colours, snarky sentiment. The card was quick to put together, I just coloured Gus and the frame around him and stamped the Hardwood and Gorgeous Grunge stamps onto kraft card. That's it, all done. I added adhesive gems in the corners which I coloured with a brown Sharpie. I'm sure the Culinary Consultant will find this funny. And I'm giving him the best Valentine's day present - a DVD box of Game of Thrones season 4 which in fact I want myself. I know he likes it too, but more than that, I'm giving him something we can actually watch together without me being bored or falling asleep. How smart am I, lol!! No, seriously he does like it too. 

I already linked up with the current Snarky Sister's one year anniversary Snarker's choice challenge with my Stella tag. However there were so many great choices I thought I would link up Gus as well for the A is for Anti-Valentine challenge. I'm also linking up at 4 Crafty Chicks where the theme is "use a hand coloured image", Crafting for all seasons "have a heart" (here, the heart being in the sentiment, not a physical heart on the card), The Male Room "Valentine", Cuttin' And Stampin' "Masculine" and Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge "H is for..." (hardwood in this case). 

Card: kraft card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card
Stamp: Bugaboo Gus - her nagging, Stampin' Up Hardwood, Gorgeous Grunge, Just Sayin', Good Greetings
Colouring: Copics YR00, R20, E34, E39, brown Sharpie
Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Suede
Other: Stampin' Up adhesive gems

Make a Wish in Watercolour

The Lawn Fawn Critters Ever After is one of my favourite stamp sets, if not the favourite stamp set ever. It's the first Lawn Fawn set I bough and really sparked my love for their gorgeous stamps and handy matching dies. If I had the money, I would buy every single stamp set they have ever released. 

This card was first and foremost inspired by the lovely video by Nichol on the Lawn Fawn blog about the watercolour look. I have been planning to try it out for quite a while already, but this video finally gave me the kick to actually do it. I was also inspired by the challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays which this week is watercolour. The layout of this card was based on the great sketch over at CAS(E) this Sketch and several of the great DT cards that used Washi tape to create the background. Finally a good chance to use up my Washi tape, yay!! I am also linking up with the current Lawnscaping challenge (number 99!!!), where the theme is Clean and Simple. Can't wait what they come up with to celebrate the 100th challenge soon... I'm also linking up at Clear It Out where Anything Goes.

I started by cutting out the journaling card form watercolour paper, and stamped the images in Antique Linen. I then painted the image using a watercolour brush and ink from the markers that I scribbled onto my craft mat. For the sentiment I used a scrap of leftover cardstock that I created for another card using Tim Holtz distress paints, stamped the sentiment in Versamark and heat embossed in gold. Last, I created the background using some craft card and Washi tape.

Card: kraft card, Daler&Rowney 300 gsm Aquafine paper
Stamps: Lawn Fawn Critters Ever After
Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Antique Linen, Distress markers
Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Journaling die, washi tape from my stash, gold embossing powder 

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Angels or Fairies

I'm very excited as today we have a new challenge for you over at Holly Jolly. This time the theme is Angels or Fairies. We are sponsored by A Day for Daisies, QKR Stampede and Bugaboo. There will also be fantastic prizes for three lucky winners. Everyone has a chance to win prizes as they are randomly drawn. Remember, you have to be in it to win it! The DT will also select favourites who will get a badge to proudly display on their blog. 

The wonderful Holly Jolly DT has a lot of inspiration if you are stuck with a bit of mojo gone AWOL. You can also have a browse on the sponsor's pages to find fabulous digis to work with.

I always love the challenges where Bugaboo is a sponsor as I get to play with the fabulous Stella. This time I used Stella Tidbits Fairy Visit. She is just the best, and I love her in her little fairy costume. Nothing says Christmas like a happy little Stella fairy, right? This time I thought I would try to make a bit of a mixed media tag. The great thing about starting your Christmas crafting early is that you can put quite a bit of time and effort into each piece. It will be November again sooner than you think, and then you have to come up with simple designs for mass production, so the beginning of the year is the perfect time to make your more elaborate Christmas crafts. 

I started by creating the background onto a kraft tag using Tim Holtz distress paints. I dabbed the paints onto my craft mat, spritzed generously with water and swirled my tag in the paint. After thoroughly drying the tag with my heat gun, I used Distress Inks and a star stencil to created the stars in the background. The I used a beautiful Christmas ornament stamp which I heat embossed in gold powder. I coloured Stella with Copics and fussy cut her. I die cut the snowflake and bow from copper cardstock and printed and inked the words for the sentiment. Last I added some ribbon, twine and a bell, and a die cut border to the bottom of the tag. As a finishing touch, I added some Ice Stickles to the Stella's stars and the centre of the snowflake flower.

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

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Snarker's choice (I chose I is for iconic, because I think by now Stella has made the iconic status in the snarky world!!)

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Something Beginning with B (bow, bell)

Merry Monday - Bows

ABC Christmas Challenges - B is for bows, bunting or baking

Crafting From the Heart - Anything Goes

My Craft Creations - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - H is for... (Have yourself a magical Christmas)

Sparkle n' Sprinkle - Anything goes with loose glitter, embossing powder or flocking (gold embossing powder christmas ornaments in the background)

Use Your Stuff - Inspired by a song (One of my favourite Christmas songs, Fairytale of New York (you get it, *fairy*tale... hehe) but also the bit where they sing "You were handsome, you were pretty, Queen of New York city)

Incy Wincy Designs - Tic Tac Toe (use a punch (bow builder punch), something that sparkles (adhesive gem), ribbon)

That Craft Place - Anything Goes

Card: Ranger Inkssentials Kraft tag #8, Copper metallic card, Hobbycraft 160 gsm white card, Stampin' Up Real Red

Background: Tim Holtz Distress paints Barn Door, Festive Berries, Picked Raspberry, Spun Sugar, Antiqued Bronze

Ink: Tsukineko Versamark, Tim Holtz Distress inks Forest Moss, Iced Spruce, Pine Needles, Black Soot

Stamps: Bugaboo Stella Tidbits Fairy Visit, Stampin' Up Ornament Keepsakes

Colouring: Copics YG13, YG15, YG17, R24, R46, B00, E34, E39, YR00

Other: Lawn Fawn Stitched Snowflakes and Stitched Journaling Card dies, Stampin' Up Bow builder punch, Tim Holtz Vintage Lace dies, red ribbon, twine and a bell from my stash, Tim Holtz Stencil Stars, Ranger Ice Stickles Coffee Ice