Autumn Haze...

Two challenges this week have the theme of Autumn. At http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/ the theme is anything you relate to autumn and Cynthia at http://rainbowladyschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ would like us to work on autumnal leaves.

She also added a tiny twist to the theme by insisting that everyone used at least one stamp. I used a huge stamp by Stamps Happen which almost fills a DL card! Beautiful stamp though and very easy to work with even though it is so large.

My card is for a friend (who I don't think checks my blog) who is going through a very sad time and I just wanted to send her my love.

Materials used:

• Cream based card covered with black pearlescent paper.
• brown slightly sparkly card
• watercolour card
• Inktense Pencil crayons
• Sakura Stardust clear pen - for leave veins - not viewable in photo but in real life gives a touch of frost.
• gold sentiment peel off
• Autumn leaves stamp by Stamps Happen Inc

The Stash Buster Raid...

Oh wow the challenge at http://thisthursday.wordpress.com/ has really kept me busy (when I should be ironing and doing one thousand and one other things), but oh what fun I've had!!!

The challenge was to use something from the back of the cupboard - something that needs dusting down! Well I have been sorting my craft stuff out (ongoing for the last 4 weeks and cannot see an end to it!) and have found so many little gems that have never been used.

Oh shame on me!!!

As I was putting away some brass stencils I noticed one of a door that caught my eye. I really liked an article in this month's Craft Stamper magazine about Fairy Doors and had intended to make Laura one for her room in Spain.

Finding the stencil seemed to be a sign. My door cards are nothing like the ones in the magazine as my stencil is small and I've converted mine into cards - one for Laura (a pink person) and one for her friend Elaine (more dark and mysterious).

Things went wrong along the way but I think Laura and Elaine will be pleased with them.

Materials used:

• fairy papers by Dovecraft
• brass door stencil
• brown card
• make a wish sentiment stamp
• silver mirri card
• gold mirri card
• self adhesive gems and fine art glitter
• sanding block (to distress brown door)

Embossing...

The Tuesday extra at http://www.daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/ is to use embossing on your work. There is a great tutorial there too about different types of embossing - well worth having a look.

My cards were made using the Fiskars Shapeboss and are very simple cards, but very handy ones to have in the card box.

Materials used:

• pink pearlescent double sided card
• white base card
• Fiskars Shapeboss
• hydrangea decoupage
• pale pink organza ribbon
• Hero Arts sentiment stamp

Haute Couture...

At http://tandastamps.blogspot.com/ this week the theme is high fashion. Alongside the lady in the snow image that I used yesterday I also already had this image of a very glamourous lady looking out of the window printed on acetate and if her outfit wasn't high fashion in its day I don't know what was.

The card is a very unusual fold up design that I got the instructions for on another blog and now I feel incredibly guilty because I can't thank her or provide a link as I can't find the blog again. Anyway as she had very kindly provided all the measurements and instructions on her blog I'm sure she would be pleased that they had been used. One day I will find the blog again and be able to thank her properly.

As the card is a birthday card it is also perfect for the challenge at

http://thankgoditsfriday.wordpress.com/.

Materials used:

• plain white card as base
  
• patterned turqouise retro paper
  
• black embossed paper
  
• black organza ribbon
  
• turqouise embossed card
  
• image printed on acetate and mounted on to glitter card in blue haze
  
• computer generated words

I've had quite few messages asking how I did this card and as I said above I can't take the credit for the design but I can pass on the instructions that were on the other clever crafter's blog.

You need two pieces of card 15cm x 30 cm.

Score the first piece of card at 15cm and fold - this piece forms the tallest part of the card - the bit I have put the birthday verse on.

Next score the other piece of card at 3cm, 12 cm, 21cm and 25.5cm.

The 3cm section is the part that attaches to large card - if you put this in place it becomes fairly clear how to fold the other sections. At this point it is a good idea to cover the sections with the papers you choose - far easier I think than trying to do this after fastening the cards together.

When covered you can then add bows and flowers etc to the small front section, an image to the middle and perhaps a verse on the back. So many possibilities.

When folded the card should fit in a normal square envelope - however I used very thick card for mine and found that due to the many folds and additions it was a tight fit - luckily I trimmed a touch off the main section before fastening it all together. It is worth checking before going too far with the making up of your card.

Hope these instructions help and if anyone spots the original blog with these instructions on (her card had a party girl on and a big number 30 at back) please will you let me know as I really would like to thank her. Thanks in advance.

Black is back...

As soon as I saw the challenge at http://thisthursday.wordpress.com/ I knew with a title like 'black is back' this was a challenge that I just had to enter.

I love working with black (mental note to self - must get better at putting colours together) and especially using silhouette images. This is a fabulous image (from Dover clip art - I think) which I printed onto acetate before attaching it with brads to white glitter card. I think the glitter emphasises the coldness and whiteness of the snow in the scene.

As the image is on acetate it is also suitable for the challenge at http://wednesdaystamper.wordpress.com/ which is transparent art this week.

Materials used:

• silhouette image on acetate
• white glitter card
• white sparkly brads
• silver corrugated card
• black card embossed using Fiskars embossing board swirls
• silver mirri paper covering basic white card blank
• silver Christmas peel off sentiment

Weddings and more...

Yet more creations using the heart corner punch - well I did say I'd been playing with it all weekend! As the challenge theme on Ooh-la-la-creations is 'Weddings' I was thinking around that theme and thought the punched cirles might be lovely for wine glass mats - they could have the couples name on or a romantic quote like mine.

I also think they could be used to make match box book covers too - maybe as party favours for male guests. I suppose there are endless variations on how they could be used.

While I was busy playing Laura rang from Spain and asked if I could write and maybe send her a quote type card or two to put on her wall in their new student flat.

I used Scrapbook factory deluxe and her first photos to make her a couple of posters to put up, but have also made her this wall hanging of romantic quotes. She's like her mum and loves quotes so I'm pretty sure this will be appreciated, especially as it's done in pink!!!

Weddings...

Our challenge at http://ooh-la-la-creationschallenges.blogspot.com/ this week is weddings. For my card I used a beautiful image of a bride from the 'Passion for Fashion' CD and popped it into a matching frame.

As you can see I was still obcessed with my corner punch when creating this card. I can't believe I have had this punch so long and just not realised its full potential.

Materials used:

• vellum
• pink pearlescent card
• image from 'Passion for Fashion'
• corner punch by EK success
• patterned paper from stash
• silver peel offs - corner and sentiment
• pink organza ribbon

Romance is in the air...

Having recently seen a wonderful video on how to use a corner punch (the slot type ones) to create a frame I have been playing most of the weekend.

This was my first attempt and has some not quite perfect edges, but I still quite like it.

Materials used:

• Ek success corner punch


• Wizard hearts die


• gold mirri card


• cream pearlescent with wood effect


• Hero Arts self adhesive pearls