Tilda with beads...

There seems to be tons of bead themes around this week. I made a card earlier in the week using beads and a Penny Black image. However, today I got out my favourite Tilda stamp and made this card for the challenge at http://magnoliachallengeblog.blogspot.com/ and also the challenger at http://www.daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/. Both challenges involved using beads somewhere in your design - my beads make up the word heart and came already attached to a little heart motive in a set my daughter brought home as a present the other day.

The design is from a fabulous sketch by Katharina and is the challenge on http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.com/. I had to reverse the layout of the design to match the way Tilda was facing.

The pink and green gingham paper is from DCWV and the green is embossed using a cuttlebug folder. The purple heart was part of the set with the beaded one and I sort of wish I hadn't put in on now as I think pink would have been better. However, having pulled things off in the past and ripped cards I think it can stay this time!!!

Be Square

The challenge on http://wednesdaystamper.wordpress.com/ this week is to use squares somewhere in your card design. I've been wanting to try out the grid technique tutorial on http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/grid_technique since I saw it last week.

This challenge gave me the perfect excuse.

The stamp used is a huge background leaf design that came in a grab bag a little while ago from Frantic Stamper. It's the first time I've used it and I couldn't believe how good the definition on the leaves was - the grid of squares on my card is only a small portion of the stamp.

I used Sepia versemark ink.

Ismaki 20

Every week the sketch on http://ismaki.wordpress.com/ is totally fabulous and very inspiring. This week the sketch involved making a circular card. It made me remember some circular card footballs I bought a few weeks ago at a Pound shop. At the time I thought I would be able to mount them on a card to use as a backing paper, but seeing the challenge this week I decided to fasten two together to create the card.

I made a hinge on the inside between the two football shapes and then covered the whole inside area with black light weight card.

I stamped and painted footballer Edwin using my Lyra crayons and he is decoupaged to give him more oomph! The birthday words are attached with white sparkly brads and I've already added a name as I happen to know a keen Sunderland supporter who has a birthday coming up fairly soon.