The versatile dove

Doves are a great image, I am sure they can be adapted to suit any occasion. However today's card is a sympathy card for a friend who recently lost his mum to cancer.



Materials used:
Deedees Digi Stamp Set Endless Beginnings
white stamping card
A5 card blank made from Centura Pearl card
Spectrum Noir pens
Spellbinders Die Labels 23

[caption id="attachment_794" align="alignright" width="243"] Closer view of the dove[/caption]

Method:
I arranged my digi elements onto an A4 page and printed them out on white stamping card. I coloured in the images with Spectrum Noir pens. One image I cut out with the die as the base then used the other images to cut bits out of and 3D decoupaged them. I went around the edge of the die and the cut out sentiment with a black pen. Finally I arranged my topper and sentiment onto the front of the card and stuck them down.

I know that my friend has a very strong Christian faith which has sustained him during the final week of watching over his mother day and night so that she would not have to face death alone. And I know too that the coming days are going to be hard but that the love of God will continue to comfort him and the family in their grief.

Thank you for visiting. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter my card into:
Anything goes with a twist - pink
Word Art Wednesday

BFG

My favourite film from a Roald Dahl book has to be 'The BFG' with David Jason voicing the BFG. I love the way he gets words mixed up and also his logical use of the English language, such as referring to the Queen as Majester (pronounced Majest - her!) Anyway all this rambling is just to introduce a card I made with the Docrafts BFG stamps and a page from a very tatty copy of the book.



Materials used:
page from old BFG book
Docrafts Roald Dahl stamps
Memento tuxedo black inkpad
Spectrum noir pencils
A5 white card blank
old purple paper bag

Method:
I managed to find a page in the book that had a blank space at the bottom so I could stamp the BFG into this. I coloured the image with greys and black Spectrum Noir pencils then tore the page into a panel. I matted the panel onto a piece of purple paper out of a bag from a shop then stuck the topper onto the front of the card. Finally I used the banner stamp and the words to put the greeting in.

[caption id="attachment_790" align="aligncenter" width="271"] coloured with greys and black Spectrum Noir pencils[/caption]

Since I used newsprint, purple (my favourite colour at the moment and a snippet) and a greeting on the front, my card qualifies for several challenges so I am off to make the links! (I have thought of 4, which must be a record for me!)

Thank you for visiting. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:
Less is More Recipe Week 195: Newsprint
Outlawz Greetings Card Challenge - OCTOBER 27th - Anything Goes
Your Scrapbook Place - black, white and your favourite colour
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 148

Warning: Photo heavy post!

You may remember that months ago I gave a little tease about my entry into the Crafter's Inspiration Magazine competition, well at the risk of sounding as if I am blowing my own trumpet I earned a Highly Commended with it.  Since the original post was back in May I have forgotten what I did exactly to make it. I know I had to use something from the free kit that came with the magazine and that I used a digi stamp, coloured with Spectrum Noir pens, and some backing paper. I also used some other stamps from my stash and a lot of Kraft Card and a scoring board.  At the risk of boring everyone all I can do is to post a lot of photos - you have been warned!

[caption id="attachment_784" align="aligncenter" width="256"] The outside[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_778" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Secret side drawer[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_779" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Contents of secret drawer[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_780" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Treasure map[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_781" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Off comes the lid[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_782" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Inside the chest[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_785" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The inside comes out[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_783" align="aligncenter" width="300"] All the pieces[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_777" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A closer view of the inside[/caption]

I had a lot of fun making my treasure chest, trying to work out how to make the chest itself was the hardest part! I deliberately designed it so the inside pirate could come out so that the chest sides could be sealed up to make a useful chest for putting bits and pieces in. I am not sure that I will ever get around to making another one though!

Thank you for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Little critters

It's Less is More challenge time again and this time the theme is 'Little Creatures'. Just lately my life has been full of little creatures; the annual fly invasion has just finished and now the spiders are moving in and at school I have just done minibeasts with the children in science. I never cease to be amazed at the transformation of the humble caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly so have used that idea for my card.



Materials used:
white stamping card
white card
snippet of gold mirri card
Memento tuxedo black ink pad
Adirondack meadow ink pad
set of 'educational' butterfly life cycle stamps (not exactly the best quality of stamp!)
Clarity 'Dream' stamp
circle dies
leafy swirl die
white gelli roll pen
Spectrum Noir pens

Method:
I used an A4 piece of white card to make the card blank, folding it so that the back was wider than the front. I cut swirly leaf out of the middle of a scrap piece of card to use as a stencil then stencilled down the right hand side of the card using the meadow ink.

On the stamped the butterfly and the caterpillar onto the stamping card with the black ink and coloured them in using the Spectrum Noir pens, highlighting the white spots on the butterfly with a white gelli roll pen and drawing in a stem for the caterpillar by hand. The butterfly stamp does not produce a crisp image so I went over it with a black Spectrum Noir pen.

I fussy cut the butterfly and used a circle die to cut the caterpiller, and a slightly larger circle die to cut a mat from the snippet of gold mirri card.

I matted the caterpillar image and stuck it at the bottom left of the card blank using 3d foam pads. I glued the body of the caterpillar at the top right of the front flap so the wings are dimensional. Finally I stamped 'Dream' across the middle of the card using the black ink.

The weather has started getting cooler now with the approach of winter so the minibeasts will all be hiding away somewhere warm soon!

Thank you for visiting. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Less is More - Little Creatures
Outlawz Monday Greetings - Use your circles
Pixies Snippets Playground - week 147
Clear it out challenge - Orange/Black

Autumn's Harvest

I found a new progressive challenge at From the Heart Stamps so decided to give it ago. This month the image has a harvest theme, very appropriate as all the 5 churches in our Benefice have had their Harvest Festivals and Harvest Suppers. I am now all apple pied out until next year!



Materials used:
white stamping card
red and black card
Budding vine embossing folder
round and round scalloped dies
red pigment ink and red embossing powder
Apple Market digi stamp set - From the Heart Stamps
Just for you stamp
Spectrum Noir pens
Adirondack Meadow ink pad

Method
I printed out the line image to the size I wanted onto the white card and coloured with my Spectrum Noir Pens. On a spare piece of the white card I stamped and embossed the Just for You greeting before cutting it with a circle die and cutting a mat with the scalloped circle. I used the budding vine embossing folder to emboss another piece of the white card then highlighted the embossing with the green ink. I matted up all the elements on black card. I made an A5 card blank from an A4 piece of black card and attached a slightly smaller piece of red card onto the front. I then arranged my elements how I wanted them before sticking them down.

So just a teaser for you, how many pens did I use to colour in my image? Here is a clue.



Thanks for stopping bye.  Take care.

Pippa

Did you guess correctly, I used 39 pens!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
From the Heart Stamps Digi Stamp of the Month
Outlawz Monday Greeting Card Challenge - Embossing

Bean playing!

The challenge this week at Less is More is 'One layer with 2 of something on', this is my interpretation.



Materials used:
White stamping card A4
Deedee's Digi image: Jellybean Prayer
Spectrum Noir Pens

Method:
I put together the line image of the two jellybeans having first resized and placed them how I wanted them, then typed in my sentiment before printing it onto the white card. I used my Spectrum Noir Pens to colour in the jellybeans and add a border around the front of the card.

This was a really quick card to make, the colouring took the longest time but if you are not into colouring the images are also supplied within the kit as coloured ones. If you wanted to make a more elaborate card it lends itself to a bit of decoupage as well as matting and layering. The card is now going away until February next year!

Thank you for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter this card into the Less is More Week 193 One Layer Card challenge

Happy Holstein!

A good friend of ours will be celebrating their 70th birthday very soon. She is still working as the farm manager of a farm in one of the local villages and has not taken a holiday in years! Among the herd in her care are a number of Holsteins so I could not resist making this card for her.



 

Materials used:
Digi image and sentiment
balloon stamp from Creative Stamping magazine
Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad
black fineliner pen
Spellbinder dies
A4 white card blank
silver mirri card
Neenah solar white card
Spectrum Noir pens

Method:
I printed out the cow and sentiment to the size I wanted then cut them out with dies. I also cut mats from the silver card. I stamped the balloons several times and coloured them in with the Spectrum Noir pens before cutting them out. I attached the cow, sentiment and balloons on the card base using foam pads and gel glue on the balloons and sentiment to give depth to them. Finally I drew in the balloon strings with the black pen.

I have recently started a course at Kit and Clowder on skin and hair colouring but overdid the practice and ran out of ink on my favourite skin tone pen! At the moment I am waiting for replacements to arrive and getting frustrated so colouring the balloons has been a bit of therapy!

Thanks for visiting. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter this card into the Outlawz Monday Greetings Challenge - It's my Party

Colour challenge: Autumn's Bounty

The 'Less is More' challenge this week is a colour one, autumn's bounty. I have a few stamps from Stamps Happen with designs by D. Morgan. One of them is a lovely autumnal one with the  inscription: The Earth Becomes A Colored Quilt When Autumn Comes Along. I love the picture guide on the front but I don't love colouring it in! When stamped it is a very sketchy outline. Anyway as it fits so well with the challenge I decided to give it a go.



 

Materials used:
Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad
When Autumn Comes - Stamps Happen
A5 Kraft card blank
white stamping card
orange card
Spectrum Noir Pens

Method:
I stamped When Autumn Comes onto the white card with the black ink, coloured it in with the Spectrum Noir pens. I then trimmed trimmed it, matted it onto orange card and attached to the card blank.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter this card into the Less is More Week 192 Challenge

Deedee's Digis Monthly Challenge

Deedee's monthly challenge this month features a lovely set of digi stamps entitled 'Thinking Spot'. I have a problem at the moment, because of excessive skin tone blending practice my FS2 Spectrum Noir pen has run dry and I am waiting for a refill bottle to arrive.  As I needed to colour on Sunday evening to unwind after a particularly hectic week I decided to start on the 'Thinking Spot' image and managed to finish a card in one afternoon and part of the evening.



Materials used:
Deedee's Digis: Thinking spot
several greetings stamps
Neenah card
brown and golden brown cor'dinations card
black archival ink
pricking tool and ruler
white square card blank
brown fine line pen

Method
Having printed out the image I wanted to use I coloured it in with Spectrum Noir pens, trimmed and pricked around the edge. I cut two mats from the cor'dinations card and pricked around the edge of them also. With the brown pen joined up the holes to make faux stitching then mounted the image and two mats onto the front of the card blank. I used parts of several greetings stamps from the same collection to stamp 'just thinking' on the sign and 'happy birthday' at the bottom.

Thank you for visiting. Take care.

Pippa

I would like to enter this card into:
Deedee's Digis October Digi of the Month Challenge

World Card Making Day

(Whoops should have posted this on the 4th!)

Phew, it's been a busy day but I could not let it go by with out posting something for World Card Making Day!  So here is a card I made up from an image I coloured in quite a while back when I was practising with my Spectrum Noir Pencils.



 

Not got time for a complete write up, just to say the Rosa stamp is a very old PSX stamp.

Thanks for dropping in.  Happy World Card Making Day to you.  Take care.

Pippa

Just words

Over at Less is More the  Recipe this week is Mostly Words. I had just the stamp to make up a very quick card (it's been a busy week!)



Materials used:
Anita's monkey hugs stamp
Penny Black A hug is . . . stamp
Stamps Away Patchwork Template
Distress inks: antique linen and iced spruce
Spectrum Noir pens and pencils
Whispers brown pen
Memento Rich Cocoa ink pad

Method:
Using the template and distress inks I stencilled in a background on the front of an A5 white card blank. With the memento ink I stamped the A hug is . . . on top of the stencilled panel. I used the brown pen to ink up one monkey from the Monkey hugs stamp and stamped it above the sentiment. I used the Spectrum Noir pens and crayons to colour in the monkey.

A really quick card this time because of lack of time, next week is starting to look busy too!

Thanks for popping in. Take care.
Pippa

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Less is More Week 191 Recipe
Outlawz Greetings Card Challenge - September 29 - ANYTHING GOES!