Little Ballerina

Oh no, I hear you cry - not another Lily of the Valley stamp!  Sorry peeps - must try harder and use some of my other stamps, but these are my faves at the moment and I get drawn to them every time :-)

This image is called "Little Ballerina" and isn't she soooooooo cute?  She's been coloured with Promarkers and a little bit of glitter glue has been added to the hearts on her headband.  The image has been distressed around the edges with Tim Holtz Distress Ink - victorian velvet.

The backing papers are from Doodlebug Designs baby girl kit and is called "cupcake sweet stripes" and Forever Friends "For You" collection.  They have both been distressed with victorian velvet and then faux stitching added around the edges.

The lace has been coloured using distress ink - shabby shutters - and the hearts have been coloured with Promarkers.

The flowers and the pin are both from Wild Orchid Crafts and the charm and pearls are from my stash.

This card has been entered into the following challenges:


Fairy Fun Fridays - inspired by a song
Fussy & Fancy - paper piecing
Off the Wall Craftiness - inspirational colours
Simply Create - power of flowers
Totally Papercrafts -  pearls and lace
4 Crafty Chicks - stitching
Simon Says Stamp - no cook recipe
Bling It On - anything goes with added extra of a charm
Sweet Stamps - sketch
Skipping Stone Designs - sketch

Double Easel Card

Here's another easel card, but this time with 2 easel's and DL size instead of square - why not give this one a go for yourself?

The backing paper used on this card is Forever Friends and from the "Pink Parfait" collection and the flower border is also Forever Friends and cut out from one of the sheets in the "For You" set.  I have decoupaged the flowers from the border and placed a tiny button and some flat back pearls in the centres.

The images are from the CC Designs Swiss Pixie collection and they are called "Gretel" and "Heidi".   The images have been coloured with Promarkers, their wings have been glittered and a few gems have been added.  The label is from the Magnolia "Heavenly Tags" set which has been coloured with Promarkers and then decoupaged.  The card has been completed with ribbon from my stash.

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

Bearly Mine Challenge - birthday card
Lexi's Creations - flowers
Fab 'n' Funky - spring into action - WINNER
Freshly Brewed Challenges - pink & paper piecing
Aud Sentiments Challenge - birthday card, gift packaging or gifts
CCEE Stampers - swirls
Crafty Purple Frog Challenge - fly away with us
Crafty Sentiments - birthday
Little Miss Muffet Challenge - designer papers
Papercrafting Journey - things with wings

Buckle & Bow Easel Card

I think this card could have been used for Valentines Day, Mothers Day or an anniversary but I've decided to give this as a birthday card.  What do you think?

 My easel card started off from a 14cm x 28cm piece of card which I have folded in half along the long side.  I have then folded one side in half again to form the easel.  The image for this card was a freebie from one of my magazines and I have matted this onto a piece of white card and then using scalloped edge scissors to go around the circle leaving a white border.  The image has then been decoupaged and the flowers have had Stickles added to thier centres.

To form the easel rest I have cut a piece of card to 14cm x 7cm.  Using the same backing paper as the main card I have scalloped the edges and fixed to the card after wrapping a ribbon around threaded with a buckle and a bow to complete.

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

Hotspot - Halle Berry
Stamps R Us - for the girls
ABC Challenge - P is for Pink
Crafts 4 Eternity - easel card
Crafty Ann's Challenge - birthday card

Believe in Your Dreams

For this card I've used one of my favourite Lily of the Valley stamps again - Dandelion Clock - isn't she gorgeous?

 
The image has been coloured with Promarkers adding Tim Holtz Distress Ink - milled lavender - around the edge of the card, finishing the dandelion and the wings with some glitter glue and some gems in the flower garland around her head.  The image has then been matte and layered over a couple of lengths of cross grain ribbon which has been threaded throught a square buckle and fixed behind the flowered backing paper.  The edges of the backing paper have been distressed with Tim Holtz Distress Ink - shabby shutters.

The sentiment is also Lily of the Valley and comes from the Dreamy Days sentiment set, it has been matte and layered onto embossed pearl card and then distressed with Tim Holtz Distress Ink - milled lavender.

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

Ooh La La Creations - pink, pink & more pink
Dream Valley Challenge - anything goes
I Did It Creations - punches or dies
Hotspot - Halle Berry inspiration
Papertake - anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday - my favourite thing (LOTV stamps)
Tuesday Taggers - inspired by a song (blowing in the wind)

Tilda with Sunflower

With Spring around the corner and all of those snowdrops and narcissi breaking through, it's lovely to see some colour again after those dark, dreary winter days.

What better inspiration do we need to explore all of those bright coloured papers, ribbons and pearls.  Here is the card that I have made with my Spring inspiration:

The image is Magnolia's "Tilda with Sunflower" which has been coloured with my Promarkers, matte and layered and then finished off with a bit of faux stitching.  I have embellished with a gingham ribbon and bow, a die cut butterfly and some pearls.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Everybody Art Challenge - spring
Oldie but a Goodie - spring is in the air
Promarker Challenge - sugar rush
Incy Wincy Designs - spring is in the air
House of Gilli - green
Ladybug's Crafts - faux stitching - TOP 3
By the Cute and Girly - springtime
Desert Island Crafters - use 3 or more from the list
Sunday's with Crissy - stitching
ColourQ - colour pallette

Yacht Twisted Easel Card

I don't know about anyone else, but I always struggle to make men's cards!

I try and base them around hobbies, DIY, gardening, cars, motorbikes, sport, beer, wine, food or woman - they normally fit into one of these categories :-)  Apologies to any guys reading this for being so stereotypical!

This card came about whilst pulling some samples together for a recent demo on different shaped easel cards.  As soon as I saw this shape the yacht sprang to mind and I began pulling the card together - hope you like it?

  

The sails of the yacht were made from 2 different sized triangles of card which were punched using my We R Memory Keepers Crop-a-dile and the 1/8" eyelets and attached to a cocktail stick with some fine string or you could use embroidery threads.  The loose ends were secured to the back of the sails using silicone glue.  The cocktail stick was then fixed to the base of the yacht using silicone glue. The base has been distressed with Tim Holtz Distress Ink - antique linen - and the sails edged with worn lipstick.

I have used another larger triangle of card, decorated with the same wavy paper as the base, to rest the easel up against so that it stands up and attached yellow buttons from the DoCrafts Papermania Capsule collection in each corner.

To personalise the card, you could add the person’s name to the base of the boat or a number to the sails for a specific birthday. I have left mine blank at the moment until I decide who is going to receive it.

For those of you that would like to have a go at making the twisted easel card I have included the instructions below.  I know this may sound silly, but please ensure that when you fold you card flat that your topper i.e. the yacht, fits within the circumference of the card.

I am entering this card into the follow challenges:

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - buttons

Easy Craft Projects - something for the boys

Send a Smile 4 Kids - birthday boy
Crafts 4 Eternity - easel card
Cards for Men - water