A DISTRESSING DAY.

Well, not for me lol but challenge #85 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS this week is distressing. One of my fave techniques, I just love the tatty look. We're sponsored by the lovely Judy at DIGI DOODLE SHOP and there's $10 to spend for the winner. Judy has some fabulous images so if you haven't been before, you really should take a look. All the design team used one of her images this week, and I chose to use 'The Day Off'.


My papers are all from the Basic Grey 'Recess' pad. I scuffed up all my edges using a scissor blade and inked all the edges with my walnut stain distress ink pad and a little black soot too. The birds were done with a Marianne Die, one in paper to flip and one in black card and the little swirl at the top left was also a Marianne die, but I just used the top of it. The sentiment is my own design.

Entering into:
DIGI DOODLE SHOP #76 - Autumn colours.
GINGERLOFT #25 - Vintage or Distressed.
ANYTHING GOES - Anything goes.
PARTY TIME TUESDAYS #35 - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #56 - Anything goes.
OUTLAWS 26th sept (Greeting challenge) - Anything goes.
WOODWARE USA - Fall.
CARD CUPIDS #38 - Fall.
THE SQUIRREL AND THE FOX #1 - Anything goes.
FRESH BREWED #66 - Fall/Autumn.
ONE STITCH AT A TIME #81 - Favourites.
HOUSE OF GILLIE #17 - Fall.

I'M IN STITCHES.

It's challenge #140 over at THE CRAFTY PAD and this week it's STITCHING. We want to see stitches on your cards. The sponsor is CRAFTY SENTIMENT DESIGNS and 3 digi images of your choice is the prize for the winner this week.

To make my card, I designed my own papers.


All of the elements (see below) were taken into Photoshop, resized and placed around the paper and I used this as my background. The patterned paper was also done in Photoshop and I used a border punch and pearls to just enhance it a little. The buttons were stamped and cut out and a piece of lace finished it off.

Debbie has just released some new silhouette images with a sewing theme, and this week all the design team used the sewing machine and elements.


You can buy the images separately or as a set, so why not pop over and treat yourselves.

Entering into:
MY SHERI CRAFTS #69 - Sew Simple.
SHOPPING OUR STASH - No colouring. (T3)
OUR CRAFT LOUNGE #84 - Patterned paper.
WAGS 'N WHISKERS #63 - Lace.

YOUR NUMBER'S UP!

It's week #84 over at I ♥ PROMARKERS this week and the theme on your projects is to include a number. The sponsor this week is CRAFTY EMMA and there's a £10 gift certificate for the winner.

I thought about doing a card with a birthday number on it, but then decided to think outside the box a little, so this is what I came up with. I love steampunk but don't find it easy and the same goes for monochromatic (hence some colour added, lol) so combining the two was a bit of a challenge for me.


My papers are MME 'Gertie'. I used two embossing folders, Cuttlebug 'Clockworks' and Tim Holtz Alterations 'Collage', both lightly sanded. The steampunk girl is from the wonderful Krista Smith and the clock and gears are from Kim Lariviere. I have lots of watch parts in my stash, so I added a few of those too. I don't really know why I stuck the doily on, but hey ho! it's too late now, lol.

Entering into:
CRAFTS AND ME #53 - Stripes.
DIGI STAMPS 4 JOY #28 - Anything goes.
FAB 'N FUNKY #91 - A hard theme.
PAPER SHELTER #32 - Anything goes.
MAKE IT MONDAY #55 - Anything goes.
ANYTHING GOES #50 - Anything goes.
SCRAP CREATIONS - Anything goes.
DAISY DOODLES #42 - Raise it Up (Embossing).
HOUSE OF GILLI #16 - Embossing.
MAKE MY MONDAY #16 - Metal steampunk.
THE SQUIRREL AND THE FOX #1 - Anything goes.

ARE WE THERE YET?

Well, my leg still hurts but it's not as bad as it was, so I'm getting about. Mind you, I've got a poorly arm now, lol. I think I'm falling apart at the seams.

Anyway, does the post title give you a clue on this weeks I ♥ PROMARKERS theme? Yep, it's Travel/Transport. The sponsor this week is LETRASET with a pack of Promarkers on offer to the winner.


This week I did something I rarely, if ever, do. I used some digital papers I'd downloaded as I loved the map and the blue colour. The arrow elements were also part of the download and I just cut them out and stuck them to card. They came from Cottage Arts and I'm seriously tempted to get more of their stuff. This set is called Road Trip.

The image of the car is one I'd seen some time ago and bookmarked for if I ever needed it as I thought it was fabulous, especially with the cases in front. That was downloaded from Doodle Pantry. Coloured with Promarkers and cut out with a nestie and that was that.

Entering into:
CRAFTING FOR ALL SEASONS #9 - Birthday
CRAFTY BOOTS #1 - Anything goes.
CREATIVE STAMP FRIENDS #33 - Card for a man.
HEART2HEART - Die cut.
MAKE IT MONDAY #54 - Anything goes.
MY PARTNER IN CRAFTING CRIME #31 - Planes, trains and automobiles. - Random Winner
PAPER CREATIONS INK #8 - Vintage or distressed.
CRAZY CHALLENGE #84 - Birthday.
PINK ELEPHANT #116 - Vintage.

DINGLE DANGLE.

As I write this post, I'm looking for a bit of sympathy. I fell over this morning and landed with such a thump that it made me really queer. Anyway, the nausea passed, but I can hardly walk. I can't put any weight on my right leg at all..it's killing me. Nothing's broken so probably really bruised the bone, but oh! I could cry.

Anyway, who doesn't like a bit of dingly dangly eh? Over at I ♥ PROMARKERS this week, the challenge is to use metal or a charm on your card. Now, I very rarely use charms even though I've got loads (I don't know why..probably too lazy to get them out), so this made a change for me and I love my little scissors and sewing machine. Our sponsor is JOANNA SHEEN with £10 to spend for the winner. Because Joanna doesn't provide images for us it means we can use anything we like, so I rooted through my hundreds of stamps and decided to use a plate I bought a long time ago (and almost forgotten about) by Oxford Impressions. It's an A4 plate called 'The Art of Being Beautiful' and there's some fabulous stamps on it.

To go with the theme of the images, I decided to go a bit vintage, and hopefully I've succeeded. Apart from the papers (K & Co) and the lace, everything was stamped and coloured with my Promarkers. I then cut out some of my stamped pieces and 3D mounted them.



Entering into:
FASHIONABLE STAMPING #3 - Ribbon or lace.
ARTISTIC STAMPER - Numbers.
ANYTHING GOES #49 - Vintage/Shabby Chic.
CRAZY AMIGO - Sewing.
CREATIVE CARD CREW - Anything goes.
CREATIVE CRAFT - Just Charming.
PAPERTAKE WEEKLY - Anything goes.
SWEET STAMPS - Lace.

GOT THE BLUES (and browns).

Helloooo! It's CRAFTY PAD time again and this week, challenge #137 is to use the colours Blue and Brown. I love those colours together and it meant that I could use my fave Ella Blue papers again. The sponsor this week is CRAFTY RIBBONS and there are some exclusive Christmas ribbons on offer to the winner.

For my card I combined two images: Just Ted and Ball and Just Ted and Flower, both available from The Crafty Pad Designs. As they're both jpeg's I had to do a little layer masking in Photoshop but I do like them joined together. I coloured them with my Promarkers and then just added a paper rosette made with my Tim Holtz die and a bit of ribbon.


If you pop over to The Crafty Pad Designs, take a look at the new Steampunky images Debbie has just released. This is a little taster...there's some fab new sentiments too.



I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
DO YOU STACK UP #35 - Friendly critters.
ALY'S SUNDAY CHALLENGE - Bows.
CRAFTING WHEN WE CAN #1 - Do it your own way.
ONE STITCH AT A TIME - Use a digi.