Strawberry Cupcake

Time to share my card for this  month's Art By Barb progressive challenge.


Materials used: 
Art By Barb - Swirls (available on request from Facebook page but must be used in the challenge)
We Are 3 - Digital Paper Tea Time
acrylic greeting stamp
X-Press It card
black archival ink pad
Copic pens
white A5 card blank

The image is printed on X-Press It card, coloured with Copics and fussy cut.

The card blank is covered with a smaller piece of the pink paper frm the Tea Time set and the greeting stamped at the bottom. Finally the image is attached to the card.

With autumn well and truely on us here in the UK the days of strawberries and cream are fading into memory for another year. For now nature is sorting out her autumn wardrobe as the trees start to colour up in reds, yellows and browns. I do love the look of the woods and the lanes when the trees are in full autumn regalia!

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Art By Barb Progressive Challenge (Facebook) - September
Crafting With Friends #51 - Anything Goes
Jo's Scrap Shack Funday Friday #207 - Anything Goes
Creative Fingers #137 - Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft #50 - Anything Goes
Crafty Friends #67 - Anything Goes
Come And Get It Challenges - Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create #201 - Anything Goes/Optional Twist Distress It
Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends #66 - Anything Goes
PIP Challenge #1739 - Anything Goes
Crafting From The Heart #176 - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination #134 - Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations #186 - Anything Goes
My Creative Scoop #26 - September
A Bit More Time To Craft Extra - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft #52 - Anything Goes

Life is a balancing act!

Here I go again, a mad rush to get everything done for the end of this month's challenges and the start of next month! Once again I am just in time to get my entry in for the Scrapper's Delights Progressive Challenge on their Facebook page.


Materials used:Scrapper's Delights - Elephant #1
acrylic sentiment stamp
black archival ink pad
Distress Oxide ink pads - spiced marmalade, seedless preserves
white A5 card blank
X-Press It card
Copic pens
blending mat
spritzer bottle

Print image onto X-Press It card at required size and colour with Copics. Trim and edge in black.

Blob patches of the two Distress Oxide inks on a blending mat and spritz with water. Use the card blank to pick up the ink by dabbing on in different places around the mat. Stop when you are happy with the result! I chose the Oxide colours as close to the ones I used for the image background as I could get.

Stick the image to the card front and stamp the sentiment.

Distress Oxides are a new thing for me. Having heard everyone rave about them I picked some up at a local craft show last week. This is the first very basic attempt at using them but I am certainly impressed with the clearness of the colour. I have used this technique with Distress Inks before but usually ended up with a dull, muddy colour. The Oxides are supposed to be better for stamping with too but I have yet to test that out!

Thanks for popping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Scrapper's Delights Progressive Challenge (Facebook) - September
A Bit More Time To Craft #52 - Anything Goes
Crafts Galore Encore - September
Inspiration Destination #134 - Anything Goes
Crafting With Friends #51 - Anything Goes
Creative Fingers #137 - Anything Goes
Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #207 - Anything Goes

Path Of Positivity Art Appreciation

It's the midway point of the Path of Positivity challenge - surround yourself with art. I have again used a picture as my inspiration. This time the picture hangs in my craft room and is a print of a needle felted wall hanging that I saw several years in a row at a local craft show. The piece is very 3D and very large. It was not for sale but even if it was I doubt that I could have afforded it. My eldest daughter surprised me at Christmas with the gift of a framed print of it. The picture is called 'Peace In The Valley' and the artist is Joan Prowse. If anyone is interested here is a link to her web site:
http://www.joanprowse.co.uk



Materials used:Luna Girl - Animals: On the Farm Digital Collage Sheet
Luna Girl - Animals: At the Zoo Digital Collage Sheet
printable Kraft card
A5 card blank
corner rounder

Arrange the pictures and text on the sheet (I used Serif CraftArtist 2). Add any drop shadows and frames as required then print out.

Attach the printed sheet to the front of a card blank and round off the corners. This would also work well as a wall hanging or framed.

The verse is one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible. Most people, myself included, think it says 'the lion will lie down with the lamb', but acutally the Bible says the wolf will lie down with the lamb, the lion gets to lie down with the calf and the yearling! Still it is a lovely  image of creation as it was originally made and what it will be at the end of time.

There are still a couple of weeks left to enter the challenge. So have a look around your house, what art inspires you? Maybe it is a photograph, a painting or print or even a sculpture or the results of a beachcombing session. If it inspires you to create something of your own please share it with us. Remember it does not have to be a card.  If nothing arty inspires you then you can enter anyway, the theme is optional but with perks attached!

All the details of how to enter and the prizes on offer are on the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog along with lots of inspiration from my fellow team mates.

Thanks for dropping by. Take care.

Pippa

Embossing With Scribbles Designs

It's the start of a new challenge at Scribbles Designs today and this month the theme is 'Embossing'. It can be wet or dry embossing or you can use already embossed card or paper on your project. All we ask is that there is some visible embossing somewhere. If it is not clear on your photo then please put a comment on your blog or in the comments to explain where the embossing is.

For my project I have decided to use parchment and embossed it with a ball tool on a soft mat.


Materials used:   
Scribbles Designs - Flower Set #2
X-Press It card
A5 white card blank
Copic pens
Polychromo pencils
ball tool
soft embossing mat
small piece of wire
narrow strip of acetate

The flower is printed out large on a piece of parchment along with the butterfly. Both are coloured in with Polychromo pencils and fussy cut. The petals and the inside heart shapes on the butterfly wings are embossed.

Using Docrafts Digital Designer software I made up the backing paper using multiple repeats of the same flower in a smaller size. The sentiment came from the same programme. The competed design is printed on X-Press It card and the flowers coloured with Copic pens. It is then trimmed and edged with a black pen.

The butterfly has bent wire for it's antennea and is glued to the end of an acetate strip. The other end of the strip is attached to the back of the backing paper which is then glued to the front of the card blank. Finally the large flower is attached with a small amount of glue in the middle.

The idea of putting the butterfly on the acetate is to try to make it look as if it is hovering by the flower. Has it just taken to the sky or is it just about to land on the flower? That is the question!

This challenge at Scribbles Designs runs until the 14th October so you have plenty of time to come up with ideas. There are some great images at the Scribbles Designs Store including some freebies. You can find all the information about how to enter and the prizes on offer at the Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog. Hope to see you there.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Crafting With Friends Extra Challenge #50 - Anything Goes
Creative Fingers #136 - Anything Goes
Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #206 - Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft #50 - Anything Goes
That's Crafty Challenge - Fly Away
A Bit More Time To Craft #52 - Anything Goes
Crafting With An Attitude #31 - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations #280 - Seasonal (mine is Summer)

Christmas Lamps

This month the image for the progressive challenge at Limited Runs is a Christmas Light Bulb. There is alot you could do with this little image; a string of lights, a pile of lights, a large single light. I decided to use it as the bulb in a couple of table lamps.


Materials used: 
Limited Runs Stamps - Image free from the Limited Runs Facebook page
Limited Runs Stamps - Jingle Bells Set
candle stick digi image free from internet
acrylic greeting stamp
black archival ink pad
white silver swirl designer paper
holly sprig and flowers designer paper
X-Press It card
Copic pens
narrow white ribbon

Arrange the lightbulbs onto the top of the candle sticks and print out on X-Press It card with three bells from the Jingle Bells set. Colour all the images with Copics.

Cover the front of an A5 card blank with white silver swirl paper then the holly paper slightly smaller to leave a narrow border, at this point add the narrow ribbon down the side folding it under the paper at the top and bottom.

Fussy cut the three bells and arrange down the ribbon, attach with gel glue to give some dimension. Trim the main image to size and edge with a black pen. Attach to the front of the card.

Stamp the greeting at the bottom with black ink.

Thank you for visiting. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Imagine That Stamps Progressive Challenge (Facebook)
A Bit More Time To Craft - Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments Designs - Anything Goes
Through The Craftroom Door - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination #133 - Anything Goes
Addicted To Stamps And More #258 - Holiday
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #345 - Anything Goes
Crafting With An Attitude #31 - Anything Goes
Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #205 - Anything Goes

Oldie But Goodie at Bugaboo

On Thursdays at Bugaboo we highlight some of the older digistamps. I chose this lovely rose vase image.



Materials used: 
Bugaboo Digi Stamps - Fancy Rose Vase (it's on sale at the moment so if you like it now is the time to add it to your stash.)
Deedee's Digis - Stitchy Crosses (no longer trading)
designer paper from stash
scalloped edged rectangle die
corner rounder punch
red textued card
white A5 card blank
X-Press It card
Copic pens

Print out the image and sentiment at the desired size on X-Press It card. Colour the image with Copics then cut out with the die.

Mat the image onto a bigger piece of designer card and round off the corners. Cover the front of the card blank with a piece of red card with rounded corners and slightly smaller so there is a white border around it. Attach the matted image to the card front.

My friend Melanie, the one that introduced me to the world of stamping so many years ago, saw this card half coloured when we were chatting on a video call and has already reserved it!

Do go and take a look at the Catch the Bug Blog and see all the wonderful creations from my fellow team members and from there it is only a short hop over to the shop where there are loads of wonderful images for any and every occasion.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
A Bit More Time To Craft #51 - Anything Goes
My Creative Scoop Colour Inspiration Monthly Link Up #26
Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
Lemon Shortbread #49 - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination #133 - Anything Goes/ Optional Twist Recipe

Gone Fishing

For the next three months at Path of Positivity we are doing things a little differently with the optional theme. We are going to be looking at the Arts and this month focusing on Art. I don't know about you but one thing that I do when visiting anywhere is to look at the art on display. It  might be paintings, prints or photographs. In historic houses there are plenty of those as well as tapestries, lace, knitting well you get the idea. When it comes to Art there is such a variety of mediums and styles.

For my project I have made a birthday card inspired by a painting we have in our bedroom. It was painted by my husband's mother and depicts her husband setting off on a fishing trip. I never met my husband's parents as they both died shortly after we met but this particular painting serves as a reminder of both of them.

This is the painting.



This is my card.



Materials used:Bugaboo Stamps - Guy Fishing
book die set
X-Press It card
brown, green and blue card
white printer paper
Copic pens

Arrange the image and the text on the page and print out on X-Press It card. Colour with Copics and cut with the book die. Cut a blue, green and brown page each bigger than the previous one. Mat the image onto the blue card.

Print off some fishing sayings at the correct size to fit  the pages of the book and cut out with the dies. Matt onto the green and brown pages.

      


These are the inside pages. The final page had the greeting and space to write in. Because the card was too big for a standard size envelope I also made a simple plain box for it to go in.

My eldest's husband had a birthday last week and is a keen fisherman when he gets the chance so I gave it to him.

I do hope that you will come and join us on the journey of positivity through art. We are an Anything Goes challenge with the theme being optional. However there are extra benefits from following the theme. It is worth taking a look at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog for all the details of how to enter.

If you need some incentive there are some wonderful prizes on offer from our very generous sponsors for the month.

SPONSOR & PRIZE INFORMATION: 

• A $15 gift certificate from Lunagirl, one of our guest sponsors this month, for the post or project that the team deems most inspiring of the bunch.


• A $12 gift certificate from Bugaboo Digi Stamps, one of our guest sponsors this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.


• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

Hope to see you there. Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Crafting By Designs September - Anything Goes
Your Scrapbook Place  September - Anything Goes
Crafty Awesomeness Challenge September - Anything Goes
PIP Challenge #1736 - Anything Goes
Crafting From The Heart #173 - Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations 185 - Anything Goes
My Creative Scoop Colour Inspiration Monthly Link Up #26

An Apple A Day

This weekend Kit and Clowder have been celebrating 15000 followers with a huge party and lots of goodies and challenges. One of the challenges was to do one of the class lessons. I have quite a few of Alyce's Classes from Kit and Clowder and am so slow that it is taking a long time to even get half way through the first one. Anyway to cut a long story short I wanted to join in with the Addicted To CAS challenge and the theme is apples. One of the lessons in the Elements of Nature Class has an apple in it. So I get to cover two challenges to start with!



Materials used:Apple image - comes from Kit and Clowder's Elements of Nature Class
Imagine That Digistamp -Tart n' Tangy Gingham Papers
Imagine That Digistamp - Maggie's Apples
That Craft Place Ltd card
printer card
Scalloped edged rectangle die
Copic pens

The apple is printed on That Craft Place card and coloured with Copics then fussy cut.

The gingham square and greeting are arranged on the front page of the card and printed out.

The die is used to emboss the frame on the card.

The apple is stuck onto the gingham square.

I am not sure why I do not do more CAS challenges because they best suit my style. Thanks for popping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Addicted to CAS #119 - Apples
Creative Ladybirds #29 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft #51 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft Extra #September - Anything Goes
Crafting-With-Friends #49 - Anything Goes
Jo's Scrap Shack FFC #204 - Anything Goes
Crafty Awesomeness Challenge #September - Anything Goes
PIP Challenge #1736 - Anything Goes
Crafting From The Heart #173 - Anything Goes

Golden Years

Last month my brother-in-law and his wife celebrated 50 years of marriage. It was fortunate that it came at the same time as the Scribbles Designs The Power of Words challenge as it fitted the theme really well.


Materials used:   
Scribbles Designs - #085 Wedding Subway Art
white card
pink distress ink
vintage rose designer paper
dusky rose card
gold mirri card
large acrylic number stamps
heart die set
gold greeting sticker
white A5 card blank

Print the Wedding Subway Art image onto white card and colour with the distress ink. Use a damp paint brush to remove colour from any pictures on the design. Use heart shaped dies to cut two hearts.

Use the number stamps and a piece of acetate to reverse stamp on the back of some gold card. Cut the numbers out and run an embossing tool around the edges.

Cover the font of an A5 card blank with dusky rose card and add a piece of roses designer paper cut slightly smaller to leave an edge.

Arrange the hearts on the front of the card and attach with glue. Use gel glue to attach the numbers on the card front, one on each heart.

I hope to see you over at the Scribbles Designs Challenge with your own take on the theme.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:Lemon Shortbread #49 - Anything Goes
Crafty Creations #349 - Anything Goes
Crafty Gals Corner #138 - Anything Goes
4 Crafty Chicks #366 - Anything Goes
If You Give A Crafter A Cookie #76 - Photo Inspiration











Tic, Tac, Toe #13 - Pink, Flower, Gold

Love To Craft Challenge For September

A new month and a new challenge at Love To Craft. As always our theme is Anything Goes and any craft goes. So if you are not so much a paper crafter, more a knitter, sewer, cross stitcher or into crochet this is the challenge for you. As it says on our blog: We are an all-crafts challenge blog and welcome any and all kinds of handmade creations - from cards, tags, ATCs and scrapbook layouts - to 3-D projects, mixed media canvases and altered projects - and even knitting, crocheting, quilting and jewelry-making! Whatever you're working on, we want to see it!

This time around I decided to show you some ATC's I've made. If you are a regular visitor to my blog you may well recognise some of the images. When printing out an image for a card I try to use up as much space as I can so often print out smaller versions to practice on. If the practice is not too dire I turn them into ATC's. I belong to a swap group - the UK Stampers Network where members swap ATC's  with each other. I have put in the link if you are interested in finding out more and possibly joining in the fun. We do not only swap ATC's there are other lists you can join in with. All the details are on the web site.





Materials used: 
Sweet Escape Digis – Make Up ( a free image from Facebook Competition but there are lots of wonderful images in the shop)
Aurora Wings – Pansy Sprite
Art by Barb – Whoosh and Apple
Bugaboo Digi Stamps –  Ice Cream Dog
Bugaboo Digi Stamps –  Kidz – Ice Cream
Imagine That Digistamp – Ice Cream Sentiments
Imagine That Digistamp – Ice Cream Parlour Digi Papers
Sparkle N Sprinkle – Mushroom in the Forest
Scrapper’s Delights – Lady Constance
DDDoodles – A Matter of Time Patterned Papers
Bugaboo Digi Stamps – Rose TrioDragons Lair Designs - Artistic Impressions paper set (they are having a closing down sale at the moment. Well worth a visit.)
acrylic text stamp from magazine
black archival ink pad
various coloured card
X-Press It card
Copic pens
gems
small letter dies
gold paper

These are just a selection of some of my personal favourites. It is quite challenging colouring very small images but also very therapeutic.

I hope you will join us this month at the Love to Craft Challenge. You have the whole month to come up with something and remember it can be any sort of crafting you like as long as it is hand made.

Thanks for visiting. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
PIP Challenge #1735 - Anything Goes
Ike's World #96 - Anything Goes
Lemon Shortbread #49 - Anything Goes
Addicted to Stamps and More #257 - Make Your Mark
Crafty Creations #349 - Anything Goes
Crafty Gals Corner #138 - Anything Goes
Crafting By Designs September - Anything Goes
Creative Moments #125 - Anything Goes