April at Love To Craft

A new month already and the start of a new challenge at Love To Craft. I can't believe that we are a quarter of the way through the year already!

Today I have chosen to share a Just Because card, good to have in stock for those odd occasions when you want to make contact without a specific reason.



Materials used: 
Mari Ko Creations - Just Because
12.5cm square card blank
Memento ink pad -  Lady Bug
X-Press It card
black glass seed beads
Copic pens:
flowers: R29, R39, R59, R89
leaves: G21, G24, YG63, G94, G99

The image has been printed once as a complete image and twice more cropped to just the bottom flowers. All images are coloured and fussy cut. The two cropped images are used to decoupage with. The whole fussy cut image is attached to the front of the card blank that has been coloured around the edges with Lady Bug ink using a foam applicator for the darker shades and a stencil brush for the lighter colour. Finally the seed beads are used to create the centre of the flowers.

You have a whole month to create in and we are an anything goes challenge, any theme any craft. For more inspiration take a look at the Love To Craft Challenge Blog.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks #396 - Anything Goes
Creates and Makes #20 - Anything Goes
Crafting With Friends #64 - Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft #56 - Anything Goes
Jo's Scrap Shack FFC#227 - Anything Goes
Crafty Girls Creations #46 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft #65 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft Extra - April Anything Goes
Hiding In My Craft Room #346 - Freestyle
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #79 - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination #147 - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations - March Anything Goes

Winter Blues With Mari Ko

It's the fifth challenge at Mari Ko Creations and the theme is Winter Blues. For each challenge Mari Ko has a digi on special offer but as this is the first one of the new year she has made it available for free.


Materials used:  
Mari Ko Creations - Mrs Snowman (free for members of the Facebook Group or from the store)
X-Press It card
white card
blue card
silver mirri card
My Favorite Things - X's and O's
black archival ink pad
Copic pens
A4 snowflake embossing folder
A5 card blank1
Distress Oxide ink pads
watercolour brush

The image is printed on X-Press It card and coloured with Copics, the background is water coloured with diluted Distress Oxide ink in blues. When dry the image is trimmed and matted onto silver mirri card

The front of the card blank is covered with a slightly smaller piece of blue card. An A4 sheet of card is embossed using the snowflake folder and trimmed to fit the front of the card allowing for a narrow blue border to show.

Finally the topper is attached to the card base and the sentiment stamped at the bottom.

I got a bit carried away with the blues and even added some to the tip of her nose to make her look frozen!

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Mari Ko Designs Challenge #5 - Winter Blues
That's Crafty Challenge - Feeling Blue
Addicted To Stamps - Baby It's Cold Outside
Crafty Sentiments - Winter
Lemon Shortbread #59 - Anything Goes
Unicorn Challenge #28 - Anything Goes
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #73 - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination #142 - Anything Goes/optional twist Wet or Dry Embossing
Polka Doodles Craft Challenge - Winter Birthday
A Bit More Time To Craft #60 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft Extra - January Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations #192 - Anything Goes
12 Months of Christmas Link Up #37 - Optional Theme - A Touch of Frost

Jolly Holly Challenge

The theme for  Mari Ko Creations challenge this time is Jolly Holly which allows for anything Christmas related. I have used the optional challenge image for this one.


Materials used: 
Mari Ko Creations - Holiday Petals Unicorn
greetings light string acrylic stamp from stash
black archival ink
gel pens
Copic pens
white paint stick
snowflake stickers
First Editon Silent Night paper pad
X-Press It card
A5 card blank

The front of the card is covered with a piece of paper from the Silent Night pad so that the glittered tree is in the right place. The string of lights is stamped straight onto the card front and coloured with gel pens.

Holiday Petals is printed on X-Press It card, coloured with Copics and fussy cut then attached to the card with foam pads.

Finally the stickers are added to the light string.
I decided to make my unicorn brightly coloured against the muted background paper. The string of lights was an afterthought having found them in my stash when looking for a suitable greeting stamp. They mirror the lights around Petal's horn.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:Mari Ko Creations #3 - Jolly Holly
Crafting With Attitude #34 - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination #139 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft #57 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft Extra - December Anything Goes
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #71 - Anything Goes
A Gem Of A Challenge #209 - Anything Christmas Goes

With A Grateful Prayer And A Thankful Heart

I have shared before that Charles Dickens' book 'A Christmas Carol' is one of my favourites. Over the years I have watched numerous film version, some better than others. Strange as it seems I  just love the Muppets version. It does stick fairly closely to the book and much of the dialogue is directly lifted from Dickens. The line 'With a grateful prayer and a thankful heart' comes from the final song in the film when the reformed Scrooge is handing out gifts. I just thought it went well with the image for the second challenge at Mari Ko Creations.


Materials used:Mari Ko Creations - Thank You Heart
silver mirri paper
red card
X-Press It card
Copic pens
15cm square white card blank
Vine embossing folder
heart die

The flowers in the image have been printed out three times and decoupaged onto the main image for some depth.

This card is made up from bits in my snippet box which is somewhat overflowing at the moment!

Mari Ko has fairly recently started her business so please do pay her a visit and take a look at her images. She also has a Facebook Page.

Thanks for dropping in. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Mari Ko Creations #2 - Thankful Hearts
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #70 - Anything Goes
PIP Challenge #1748 - Anything Goes
Crafting From The Heart #185 - Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations #191 - Anything Goes
Create and Makes #17 - Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments Designs - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft #56 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft Extra November - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination #138 - Anything Goes

New Kid On The Block

Last month a new digi stamp company started, Mari Ko Creations Digital Stamps and to celebrate the launch she offered Mama Fox and Baby as a freebie if you joined her Facebook group or reduced in the store. She also has two challenges going, one on her blog and the other on Facebook. I will put in the links at the bottom of this post.



Materials used:   
Mari Ko Creations - Mama Fox and Baby
DDDoodles - Fall Into Fall Leaves Patterned Paper
A Bit More Time To Craft - Leaves  (I could not find a link for purchasing so you may have to message Lozzy)
A5 white card blank
Make 'It' Colour Blending Card 
printer card
buttons
scalloped edge oval die
Copic pens
Distress Ink - stormy sky and mowed lawn

The image is coloured with Copics but the grass and sky are distress ink added while the image was still inside the die so leave the white edge. I have also embossed it.

I hope you will visit Mari Ko Creations and take a look at her other images, new ones are being added regularly as she gets established. I promised to put in the links so here they are:


Mari Ko Creations Digital Stamps Blog  (The store and challenge blog are accessible from here)
Mari Ko Creations Digital Stamps Store  (Just in case you want to go directly to the store)Mari Ko Creations Digital Stamps Facebook Page

Thanks for dropping by. Take care.

Pippa

Entering the following challenges:
Mari Ko Creations #1 - Anything Goes
PIP Challenge #1746 - Anything Goes
Artistic Inspirations #190 - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination #138 - Anything Goes
A Bit More Time To Craft #56 - Anything Goes 
Crafty Girlz November - Anything Goes
Creative Moments #131 - Anything Goes/Thanksgiving
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge #355 - Anything Goes
Crafty Creations #354 - Anything Goes
Crafting Circle Crafty Awsomeness Challenge November and December - Anything Goes
Crafting With An Attitude #33 - Anything Goes
A Perfect Time To Craft #11 - Anything Goes
Crafts Galore Encore #46 - Anything Goes
Create And Inspire #68 - Anything Goes 
Creative Ladybirds Creations #31 - Anything Goes
Crafting - With - Friends #55 - Anything Goes
Creative Fingers #141 - Anything Goes
A Gem Of A Challenge #207 - Buttons and/or Ribbon
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #69 - Anything Goes