Black ink only...

My two cards for today were so quick and easy to make and were both inspired by the challenge at No Time To Stamp where the theme this week is to use only black ink to create your central image. The examples by the DT over there are stunning and I couldn't resist having a go.

I used the sketch from this week's challenge at Secret Crafter. I've done cards very similar to this sketch before, but I think turning the central square to create a diamond focal point is a really good idea.

It's really quite a good idea when doing this layout to do two at the same time especially if you are using two different papers as it means you can use up all your triangular pieces.

Both the butterfly and the dog stamp are by Inkadinkado and are in the same style as those gorgeous birds that everyone uses. The sentiment 'Having a rrruff day' is also part of the dog set.

Tiptoe through the Tulips...

A huge (A4 = 21cm x 30cm) card for my mum, who is 85 going on 6, for Mother's Day. I can't believe I'm so early with this card. There have been times in the past when I have got up early to make the card, wrap the present and then rush to her house to deliver them.

I'm not over keen on the card, but my mum will love it. She will love the size and the glitter and most of all the flowers.



Earlier this week I went to the Kanban outlet shop at Shipley and couldn't resist buying a bag of huge decoupage sheets that were on offer.

This floral decoupage with matching tag was one of the items in the bag as was the co-ordinating background and border. As the bag was only £3 for 50 (yes 50!) sheets of A3 card designs it was a fantastic bargain.

I used a glue pen and ultra fine glitter to add oomph to the flowers and butterflys on the card.

As the challenge at Tanda Stamps is Tiptoe through the Tulips I think my card with its bunch of tulips fits perfectly.

I'm also entering it for the challenge at Cute Card Thursday which is Signs of Spring. The bouquet of flowers if full of spring tulips and the gorgeous blue muscari that blooms at the same time.

Emma by Jane Austen...

I've made this card for the Cinema Saturday challenge which is a new challenge to me, but a very interesting one. Do check it out - masses of fun info and links about films. Each week the team focus on one movie and base their cards/artwork on that. This week the film is Emma by Jane Austen which is my favourite Jane Austen work.

Apparently prior to starting the novel, Austen wrote, "I am going to take a heroine [Emma] whom no-one but myself will much like." Well I love the character of Emma and I love Mr Knightley even more - drool.

The idea of the film theme is to use it as a starting point so the work you do can be anything that is inspired by the film. It may be a design of paper that is reminiscent of that era or anything that you feel fits. For my card I used an image from Joanna Sheen's Cardmaker's Year CD, which I thought could almost be a picture of Emma and one of her friends in church. I've softened the whole look of the card by overlaying the patterned paper with vellum.

Another part of the challenge was...

"THE REQUIREMENT THIS WEEK:

We thought that for this week - it would be interesting to use some dots in our cards. So we are asking that in your cards you use some dots: either in the designer paper, brads, stickles, paper piercing, embellsishments ---anything at all. Dot it up :) "

For this part of the challenge I did some paper piercing on the vellum at each side of the sentiment. I thought paper piercing fit in with the era well.

As the challenge at Papertake Weekly was to make a matching set I decided to make a gift tag in the same theme to go with this card. It was also and ideal way to use up the small toppers that on Joanna Sheen's CD.

Materials used:

• Joannna Sheen 'Cardmaker's Year' CD
• matt photo paper, cream card and pergamano vellum
• gold brads and sentiment peel offs