Thursday 30 October 2014

Sugar Nellie Fairy Cake

This was totally unplanned because I made the two cards weeks apart, but today's card has some striking similarities to the card I posted on Sunday night....
  • They both feature adorable Sugar Nellie Fairy Glen images. 
  • They use the same paper (I think it was even from the same sheet of reversible 12" cardstock).  
  • The sentiments on both are banner shaped and in the top left corner. 
  • Lastly, I meant to pop some pearls on each, but forgot on both versions!
Weird huh?

Anyhoo, today's project is to support the new challenge at the Sugar Bowl.  I've kept the design really simple to showcase the pretty fairy.  She's one of my new ones and I think this is her first inking.

There's a generous splashing of Wink of Stella to give her wings some sparkle, but it's so hard to photograph.  It is there though, honest!

Hmm, I wonder why I am hankering for a slice of coffee sponge cake right now!  :0)




Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
  • Simon's Monday Challenge - Treats (I hope cake counts. It does in my book at least!)
  • Simon's Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
  • Sister Act Challenge - Anything Goes
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Sunday 26 October 2014

Fairy Dust

I am not sure how long I've had this image coloured up, but she's been sat in my work-in-progress pile for months and I've only gotten around to making her up into a card tonight.  She's a lovely fairy image from Funky Kits and is really quite large.  This is a 6" square card, so perhaps that shows just how large she it.  I trimmed the image and rounded off two corners before matting it onto purple card.

I used a Magnolia border die to decorate the strip across the middle and some spotty ribbon purple ribbon as a trim.  The papers are also ones I've had for ages (when I found this pad I went mad and bought about 3 pads of it in 6" and 12" pads).  I love them so much that I hate to use them, but I think this little fairy deserved them!  :0)  Lastly the ribbon, wow, how long have I had this.... This card really is created from some old stash.  Hmm, that makes a change!

I usually take a couple of minutes to set up my photos so that I get the light to glisten off any glitter, but this photo was actually taken at a bit of a odd angle.  I had my kitty on my lap at the time, and any cat slave will know that you can't disturb a kitty when they're gracing you with their presence.  Despite the awkward angle my first attempt really caught the glitter on her fairy wings well, so all was well!



Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Saturday 25 October 2014

Dandelion Wishing

I'm in clean & simple mode again today (this is becoming a bit of a habit!) with another sweetie from Purple Onion Designs.  This little mouse is so gorgeous that she deserves to be the star of the card, and doesn't need a lot of embellishment.  Plus she's quite large!  

This is a really versatile image, suitable for so many occasions like 'thinking of you' or 'thank you', but I've opted for a simple 'happy birthday'!

I coupled her with one of my favourite designer papers and I've also taken the time to watercolour her in DI reinkers rather than reach for the Copics.

Yeah, I know, I still need some practice with the inks, but I maybe able to get some time next week when I have a few days off work :0)



Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Thursday 23 October 2014

Honey Bunny

I can't believe how fast this month is going, but oh boy am I glad I've got a few days off work next week.  We've nothing much planned for our time off, but that's actually the point!  We had intended to have a night away in a hotel, but when hubby borrowed my car one evening last week, an incident involving a pothole put paid to that as the replacement tyre cost over just £200.  He's since heard of 3 friends/colleagues who've been caught by the same pothole.  One broke his whole wheel, and while he was waiting for the AA man to arrive another damaged car pulled in behind him having done the same thing, so hubby was actually lucky it was just the tyre that burst.  I noticed that the road is closed this week for the council to resurface it.  Shame they didn't do that last week!  :0(

Still, I'm sure that I can manage to find something to do if I have a couple of days to kill at home!  ;0)

Anyway, onto the topic of today's post which is a card using a sweet LOTV bunny image that I've water-coloured with DI reinkers.  I've also used papers and a sentiment from LOTV so it's a bit of a Lili hat-trick!

My card is to support the challenge at As You Like It Challenge where the theme is to choose cute or elegant.  Can you guess what I chose!!  Yup, it's got to be cute for me.  I'm not sure I actually 'do' elegant, and I'm a sucker for anything adorable and fluffy.



Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Tuesday 21 October 2014

Too CAS to think of a clever blogpost title

I recently ordered a few new Stamping Bella Uptown Girls stamps from Quixotic Paperie and finally managed to get around to stamping one of them this week.

Boy, these images are HUGE!

Probably unwisely when using a new image, I also decided to try a technique that I'm not really comfortable with which is the 'no-lines' technique.

I'm not sure I did a great job with my colouring attempts, but since the image is so huge it's ended up being the focus of the finished card, so there's not much to distract from it.

Can you perhaps focus on my stitching instead?  Yes, great idea.  Look how straight it is!!! :0)



Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Monday 20 October 2014

Bella Sitting on a Pile of Presents

This is my final card for the Stamp Basket as it's shutting its doors at the end of this month. It's been lovely to showcase the gorgeous images, dies and papers for Janet, and I really do appreciate the opportunity she gave me to help promote her store.

But all good things come to an end, so I'm ending with a sweet image of Bella on a Pile of Presents.

The Wild Rose Studio images have been some of my favourites in the store, so I thought I'd end with one!  Bella's on sale at the moment, along with loads of other crafty items.

Don't forget that the store closes in a couple of weeks, so pop over there quickly to grab some final bargains.  There are discounts of up to 50% on some items to clear the stock before the final day.  All the details are here.



Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Sunday 19 October 2014

Best Witches

I don't really 'do' Halloween cards, but couldn't resist entering a few challenges using this cutie.  I printed the image really large to give her the focus with a very simple layout.

I've tried a bit of a new technique (video here) in the shadowing of the colouring by using some (fairly dark) grey.  I think I did OK on her legs, and parts of the dress (well, her arms at least), but I was not so happy with her hat!  I also should have been more brave with the folds in her dress. Oh, well, it's all a learning curve!

I used purple tissue paper with threads in it for the backing paper which I thought looked a bit spooky, as though the random threads were spider webs?

D'ya think?

Maybe?

No?

Ok.  I'll get my coat!  ;0)



Card Recipe:
  • Image - Spell on Ya from Tiddly Inks
  • Colouring - Copics, Sakura Stardust Gel pens (wand), DI Markers (hair detail)
  • Cardworks Card base
  • Purple tissue paper
  • Purple Ink (for edging)
  • Pearls
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Saturday 18 October 2014

Sugar Nellie

Woohoo, today's the day that I get to be a Guest Designer for Sugar Nellie, and I've got not one, but two cards to share!!!

Even better news is that one of the images I was allowed to play with was from the new release, which just happened to feature some of my favourite characters; Jack, Patch and Puss!

I made a simple card using the image, and typed a sentiment into the banner they were holding.  I coloured the image with my Copics, and tried to create some reflection of light from the birthday candle on the kitty's face.  I created a background of clouds and 'grounded' them with some dusky purple.  Other than a bit of stitching, and some Stickles around the edge, the design was a simple one.

So here's my first card:






My second card features an older image, called Forest Friends.  I've coloured her in pink and green, and kept the colour scheme simple and neutral to focus on the sweet image.  The spotty ribbon is actually a chocolate brown in real life, although it looks almost black in the photo.


Well wasn't that over in a flash!  I've really enjoyed being a Guest Designer for Sugar Nellie. I hope my creations inspire you to pop over to the Funky Kits store where there is a 50% sale on at the moment.  Just be careful you don't do what I did, which is buy a stamp that you already have!  D'oh!  Well, at least it shows I liked it!  ;0)

Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Monday 13 October 2014

Pink & Purple Bella

I've got a sweet little Bella image to share today, in a pastel pink and purple colour scheme.  I was a bit worried that the colours wouldn't work, but I actually quite like them.  The image and papers are both in the Stamp Basket closing down sale, along with lots of other bargains.  :0)




Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Thursday 9 October 2014

Apron card

I bought a baking image from LOTV months and months ago with a specific person in mind to use it for.  I think I got it just before it was retired as I don't think it's still available now.  A friend at work is passionate about baking and she makes the most amazing cakes, so I knew immediately it was the perfect image for her birthday card.  And amazingly I actually remembered that I'd bought it several months later when it was her birthday!

I made a tent-fold card into the shape of an apron by cutting out 'armholes' using an oval nestie in both top corners and adhering some ribbon into a loop at the top and ties at the sides before adding the backing paper.

I popped some rolled flower ribbon at the top and added a pocket created by the image which I stuck down with double-sided tape on three sides after stitching to lilac backing card, and inside I popped in a little tag with a stamped sentiment.

This project is to support the challenge at As You Like It Challenge where our theme is to showcase your favourite type of ribbon/twine/lace.   Although I love twine and lace, my favourite is definitely ribbon.  I usually reach for a satin ribbon, but opted for a soft lilac gingham for my baking themed apron card.



And here's the card with the little tag pulled out so you can see the sentiment which says 'We are all special - some of us just don't know it yet'.



Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Monday 6 October 2014

Black Magic

Every year we get the usual coach load of kids knocking at the door on Halloween.

Every year I try to hang a towel over the inner porch door to cover up the glass, and turn the lights off.

Every year hubby tells me I'm being a misery and insists on removing the aforementioned towel and hanging up some pumpkin fairy lights to welcome the little brats darlings.

So to avoid the label of Halloween Scrooge, I've made some treat pouches for the string of ghouls and ghosties who are polishing up their buckets in preparation for the begging fest.

Yeah, I know.  I am a Scrooge, but at least hubby has something to give them until he gets fed up of the doorbell ringing and threatens to remove its battery for the night.  :0)

This is just a selection - I made 20, but they're all variations on the same theme, so I won't bore you more than I've done already!







Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Friday 3 October 2014

Rosie Rabbit

The pretty papers are the inspiration for this card, so I've carried them into the image and embellishments.

Pink and blue are definitely my two favourite colours, and although I've never really thought of them as a Christmas duo, they do seem to work quite well.

I've used a lovely corner die, but the snow flourish die didn't seem to fit very well, so I've chopped bits off and popped them under the image, peeking out to the side.

Initially I actually thought the image was for a birthday, but then I saw the poinsettia, so I've ensured the festive theme is clear with the Christmas sentiment and snowflake die cuts.


And I've got some sad news, because The Stamp Basket is closing down at the end of October.   There is a closing down sale, so if you want to grab a crafty bargain, then pop over to the sale, but be quick, because once it's gone, it's gone for good!

Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx



Thursday 2 October 2014

Where are the pearls?

I've got something worrying to share with you today, because I've been diagnosed with a life changing condition.

It's called EWS.  I have good days and bad, the symptoms come and go, but it's hit me pretty hard today.

I'm going to need a lot of therapy.

Or possibly chocolate.

Actually, better make that a lot of chocolate (and never mind the 'possibly').

So EWS, is 'Embellishment Withdrawal Syndrome'.

The symptoms are clearly present in today's card, which features no embellishments whatsoever.

Not one.

Nothing.

Nada.

Nicht.

Not even any of my beloved pearls.  (yup, I've got it bad)

(OK there's maybe a little stitching, but that doesn't count, right?)

Crafty Little Fairies' new challenge is 'use only one designer paper', so despite the lack of, well, anything, it actually fits that theme perfectly.

I've gone all 'Jen Nelson' on you all of a sudden!!!   I love her style, but get the twitches when I try it myself.

So, take a peek while I nip off to find some chocolate to help me recover from today's bout of EWS.


This is also my final challenge with the Crafty Little Fairies, after 12 months on the team.   I've created with some lovely ladies, and loved every challenge, but it's time to move on.  I hope to see you play along with us this month.

Card Recipe:
I've been inspired by:
Happy crafting
Annette
xx