Say it in... orange & purple!

Hi there, peeps!
It's Friday , and it means that it's time for another challenge over at the AnnaBelle Stamps blog. This week we're saying it with in orange & purple!

On my card I used the fun Lil Monster's Balloon stamp. Don't you just love this guy??
The striped ribbon also comes from the ABS Store.

Supplies: cardstock: American Crafts (black), DCWV (purple), white; paper: Bo Bunny; journaling card: October Afternoon; stamps: AnnaBelle Stamps (Lil Monster's Balloon); ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black); Copics, sewing machine; brads; buttons; striped Tangerine ribbon; dimensional medium: Glossy Accents (Ranger)

The sketch comes from CPS211. I know it's hard to see, as I changed the shapes & flipped it vertically, but heyyy... you still see where I'm coming from, right?

I'd love you to check out what the rest of our talented DT girls designed today!

Belles
Andrea
Sue W
Kylie
Lisa
Sue K
Stephanie
Patti

Bellas
Liz
Kerry

Guest Designer
Nicole

How To Play Along :
- We post our challenges every Friday at 12:00pm AEST (AEDT during Daylight Savings).
- Our Sketch Challenge Runs from the last Friday of a month through till the last Friday of the following month.
- Each Friday in between we have themed challenges. To be eligible for the monthly prize of a $20 gift voucher to spend in store at AnnaBelle Stamps you MUST take part in the sketch challenge AND one of the weekly challenges.
- Please link directly to your entry not just to your blog.
- Include a link back to the AnnaBelle Stamps blog in your post.
- Please don't link to postings made prior to the date of our current challenge. All projects submitted must be new.
- A maximum of 5 challenges may be combined including this one.
- You may enter any challenge several times as long as each submission is with a new creation.
- We would love you to use AnnaBelle Stamps, but you can play along without them. For those who use AnnaBelle stamps and upload to the Gallery HERE then you will also be in the running to be our Monthly Guest Designer!

I hope you'll play along with us! Thank you for coming - and have a fabulous day!

Dancing in the rain... and an award

If there's anything called a cuteness syndrome, then I think I've got it. I just couldn't resist another image from Some Odd Girl... seriously, someone help me, I can't stop!

Supplies: cardstock: recycled kraft; paper: My Mind's Eye (Stella & Rose - Hattie); stamp: Some Odd Girl (digi), PTI (Mega Mixed Messages - sentiment); ink: Distress Ink (Frayed Burlap), Versa Color (Celadon, Umber, Sand Beige), Memento (Tuxedo Black); Copics; grosgrain ribbon; edge distresser; Nestabilities Ovals; Sprinkles, string: AnnaBelle Stamps; button; dimensional medium: Glossy Accents (Ranger)

The sketch that I used here comes from SSS101:

I'd also like to share an award that I got from my stamping buddy Sue today... thanks. chica!

I'm supposed to list 5 things about myself, and include at least one thing you enjoy about your craft. So here we go...

1. I never considered myself a fan of cutesy-sugary stuff. Not until I discovered stamps :)
In fact, I'm very much into things that would make others sad or cautious. My favourite music is mostly quite disturbing. Take Nick Cave, for example. Love him.

2. I used to be paranoid about the quality of my English, and the ability to communicate in this language. My last trip abroad (before I met my husband, who's an Australian), ended up a month shorter, because I couldn't stand the fact, that I can't speak as well as I wanted. Let's add, that where I voluntarily decided to flee from, was Canary Islands, and you've got a perfect image of a nutcase.

3. One of the things I was studying in the past, was natural therapies/dowsing/Feng Shui etc.
I loved the subjects, I most definitely didn't like the people. As much as I'm into these, I can't stand those who blindly and maniacally follow everything that can be called esotheric or New Age. Unfortunately, they're there. In masses.

4. I used to draw really impressive things at the age of 7-9. I'm not sure what happened to that budding talent... LOL

5. I really would like my craft adventure to turn into something that brings me income, so that I could keep doing what I love for as long as I wish... (heyyy.... isn't this everybody's dream??)

How's that for a confession? *wink*
Now I've got to pass the award onto "FIVE (5) worthy recipients and list them. Next to their blog name, give ONE reason why you think their blog is special. What catches your eye about them? What do you love?"
Hmmm... that's ALWAYS a toughie. I'm always into the "all or nothing" motto, and there are simply too many wonderful ladies out there, that inspire me daily. Let's see...

1. Torico
My goodness, that woman is a genius. I wrote that many a times on her blog, that her cards have a certain magic to them. That's exactly what I feel when I look at them. I'm enchanted.

2. Cristina
I loved her work from the day one that I saw it. I remember a couple of months ago, when I discovered her blog, I knew that her cards are going to wind her up in the world of paper craft very quickly. I thought to myself, you better be fast, woman, and ask her to design for CASE Study, before a million of companies start knocking at her door. I never was wrong :)

3. Eva
Not only she's a sweetheart, but her work makes me drool... badly. I don't know anyone else who's able to lock so much colour, life and movement in a single creation.

4. Karola
She's got more talent in a small finger, than I'll ever learn in my life. The way she writes her posts is amazing, and I love visiting her blog not only to delight in the latest beauties, but also to get a generous dose of happiness for the day to come. She makes me proud to be a crafty Pole :)

5. Wendy
Everything she does is pure awesomeness. I think it's her who I should blame for my love of butterflies...

I hope you enjoyed :) See you soon, friends - and don't forget to ink something up or cut some paper today! mwah,

CASE Study Challenge #33

Hello, hello! Ready for another CASE Study challenge?? Here's our March Muse, Julee Tilman's card, that we get to work with this week:

Sadly, it's the last week of inspiration from Julee, but I can say without doubt, that you will LOVE our April Muse just as much! Make sure you'll check out the CASE Study blog on the weekend, for a little sneaky peek!

On my inspired card, I concentrated on the lovely green tones, but paired them with rich browns & kraft, instead of white as Julee did. My card is almost all stamped. I love creating my own DP, but I'd normally give it up to the gorgeous papers. Not this time :)

Supplies: cardstock: white, recycled kraft; paper: DCWV; stamps: PTI (Turning A New Leaf, Mat Stack 1 Collection, Mega Mixed Messages, Fancy Flourishes), Glitz Design (Distressing); ink: Versa Magic (Aloe Vera, Wheat), Distress Ink (Frayed Burlap), Memento (Rich Cocoa, Bamboo Leaves); crocheted doily: Kaisercraft; sewing machine; string; button; distressing tool

I paired the lovely colours of cQc#78, with the Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #63, and TSTR55 - Flower Palette".

Hop on over to rest of the fabulous CASE Study Design Team's blogs, to see what yumminess they cooked up for your viewing pleasure this week. Prepare to be amazed!!

Amy Wanford (taking a break again this week)
Andrea Ewen
Cristina Kowalczyk
Jean Martin
Julie Smith
Lenet Mos
Melyssa Connolly
Sue Kohler
Teneale Williams
Julee Tilman - March Muse

If you'd like to play along with us, hop over to the CASE Study blog, where you'll find all the details, fabulous inspiration and Linky tools to link up your creation!
Thank you for coming to my lil' blogging place today :) Have a great, crafty day ~

Make It Monday - Larkspurs

Hi, friends! I've been dead-ish since yesterday, and pretty much didn't want to do anything. I'm not sure whether it's just a mood, weather or perhaps I'm catching cold, but it certainly slowed down my craftiness.
In the evening I faced the fact that I had to sit down to tomorrow's CASE Study card, and in the end I decided that since I did pull those papers and stamps out after all, I might just not leave you "postless" today (seems like a pretty uncommon thing in the last months anyway), and so I quickly cooked up this:

Supplies: cardstock: white, PTI (New Leaf), SU! (Marina Mist); stamps: PTI (Larkspurs); ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black), Versa Color (Celadon, Sky Blue, Cyan); Copics; black pen; whte gel pen; vellum: Grant; Sprinkles: AnnaBelle Stamps

The card follows the FTL133 sketch (I replaced the flowery pattern with another sentiment), and the colours come from CC316 (Certainly Celery, Marina Mist, Baja Breeze).

I also decided that I'd be fun to finally take part in a PTI's Make It Monday challenge. This week it's all about Ink Blending Techniques, and I used my good ole' sponges to achieve the effect.
I buy a regular, soft shower sponge, and use little pieces as desired. Works just as well, but saves me quite a few dollars on expensive sponges on the market.

Now it's time for me to hit the bed, and boy, I'm so lookng forward to it :) I'll see you tomorrow... take care, lovelies!

Mojo sketch with wet embossing

This week's Mojo sketch is oh so nice... I couldn't wait to play with it. I paired it with the new challenge at the Penny Black blog, where they ask to use wet embossing (read about it here), and came up with this little piece:

Supplies: cardstock: white, American Crafts (black); paper: Basic Grey (Marjolaine); stamps: Penny Black (Enjoy Life), PTI (Blooming Button Bits); ink: Versafine (Onyx Black), Versa Color (Sky Blue, Cyan), ColorBox (Prussian Blue); clear embossing powder; string, Sprinkles: AnnaBelle Stamps; sewing machine; crocheted flower: Kaisercraft; border punch: Fiskars

I stamped the grasses with black ink, clear embossed and sponged various shades of blue over the image.

TIP: Clear embossing the image, before applying ink over it, prevents the primary colour from fading. While sponging, apply the lightest colour first, working from the edges towards the center, and then gradually add darker colours.

Here's the MOJO184 sketch:

See you around, and as always - thanks so much for coming and commenting! xxx

More colouring fun

Hello friends, and welcome Tuesday :)
I had a strong need to colour a cutie again today, and so I reached for another Some Odd Girl image. Love them!
For my card, I played with this week's Featured Stamper challenge on SCS. This week's FS is Elaine a.k.a. Quixotic, and I've been a fan of her magnificent colouring skills for long. I chose to CASE this beautiful card of hers.

Supplies: cardstock: white, American Crafts (brown); paper: Bo Bunny; stamp: Some Odd Girl (digi); Copics; sentiment sticker: SRM Stickers; twill ribbon, grosgrain ribbon; string; button; sewing machine

I hope you like it =) See you soon! xoxo

Evening's worth

Tee hee... I told you I'd make it with another post tonight! *insert a happy face here*
I've been meaning to play with a new Taylored Expressions sketch... can you tell I'm so excited to see them back??! Yeah, baby!!!! I missed them, like... a lot! :D
So the first card is for the TESC135 sketch (the event now taking place on SCS), and I'm also using some TE goodness here...

Supplies: cardstock: PTI (Lemon Tart), American Crafts (dark pink, green); paper: Echo Park Paper; stamps: Taylored Expressions; ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black), Versa Color (White); Copics; twill ribbon; sewing machine; Cuttlebug embossing folder (Victoria); pink marker; strawberry charm (stash)

The next card is made with the C4C80 sketch by Silke, and I think I got inspired by her sample a lot... I might have steered towards her style just a tad *wink*
The colours are taken from PDCC74.

Supplies: cardstock: white, SU! (Lavender Lace(?)), Bazzill; paper: DCWV; stamps: Verve; ink: Memento (Sweet Plum, Summer Sky); leaf die: Taylored Expressions; Nestabilities Labels 14; Metallics: AnnaBelle Stamps; paper flower; grosgrain ribbon

Lastly, I thought that I might enter the two cards in this post into WMC49 - Anything Goes. Just for the right measure... ;)

Have an awesome day, friends! I will see you tomorrow, take care and get crafty! Hugs ~

TSG100 - Markers Down!

This week’s challenge over at the TSG blog is being issued by our Trendsetter of the Week, Kim! She wants us to create a card that uses NO MARKERS…no Copics, no Tombow Markers…NO MARKERS AT ALL! Can you believe it? So reach for those pastels, colored pencils, or other coloring mediums that you’ve been neglecting and show them some love this week! And as always, we can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Before I reached for Copics (and I was resisting for long...), I was colouring with my good ole' watercolour pencils, and I must say that I really enjoyed them. It was so cool to give them some attention once again, after a few months of neglecting... so it's a watercolouring kind of day for me! Tee hee!

Supplies: cardstock: recycled kraft, white; paper: My Mind's Eye (Stella & Rose - Gertie); stamps: There She Goes (Under The Weather); ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black), Versa Color (Celadon); watercolour pencils: Belgrave; blender pen; brown pen; letter stickers: Carolee's Creations; Nestabilities Circles, Scalloped Circles; sewing machine; buttons; edge distresser; lace: Kaisercraft; glitter glue: Reeves; string: AnnaBelle Stamps

I used the GS#80 sketch:

To be eligible for the giveaway, you are to create a card that utilizes no markers, and then come back to the TSG Blog to add your name and a link to your project in the InLinkz that is located at the bottom of this challenge post. This challenge is open until the winner has been announced on the following Monday (Apr 3rd). The winner will get a $5 gift certificate to use in the TSG Web store!

By participating in this challenge, you may also find yourself in the Trendsetting Spotlight that shines on the TSG Blog every Thursday. We will be on the look out to find challenge cards that stand out and show Trendsetting qualities. TSG stamps are not required to participate in the challenges but are appreciated :)

That's all from me for now, but please check back later - I'm sure I'll find some more time to get inky later today :D
xoxo

Verve sketch in mint & cream

One more post for tonight! The card is made with the last Verve sketch for March (VLVMar2011 Week 5). The colour inspiration comes from Jay Gee's Nook Challenge #6.

Supplies: cardstock: cream, recycled kraft, PTI (Ocean Tides); paper: Kaisercraft, Fancy Pants Designs; stamps: Verve; ink: Versa Magic (Oasis Green), Distress Ink (Pumice Stone); ribbon: PTI (Fine Linen); lace: Kaisercraft; string, Metallics: AnnaBelle Stamps; paper doily; edge distresser; Cuttlebug embossing folder (Swiss dots); butterfly punch: Martha Stewart; paper flower; Liquid Pearls (Pewter)

Have a lovely day, thank you for visiting! Hugs ~

Sketchbook Saturday Challenge #4

I'm running late with my sketch this week... I didn't have time to prepare the card until now, so please forgive me for having one day less to play along! I hope that the sketch itself will make up for it... :)
It was inspired by my fabulous stamping buddy, Aimes. She shared her recent publication in CARDS mag the other day, and I loved that card from the moment I saw it. You can find it here.

And here's the sketch!

This must be my earliest Christmas card ever... I chose the theme, after I decided to use the colours of CR84FN21. As I was rummaging through my stash, such were the stamps that kept falling into my hands. I couldn't help but give up and make a Holiday card after all... :)

Supplies: cardstock: PTI (Fine Linen); paper: Graphic 45, Bo Bunny; stamps: Kaisercraft, PTI (Fancy Flourishes); ink: Memento (Rhubarb Stalk), Versa Magic (Sahara Sand), Distress Ink (Frayed Burlap); buttons; burlap; edge distresser; Cuttlebug embossing folder (Swiss Dots)

Apart from the colours of CR84FN21, I also used the theme of PPA86 (embossing), and WT315 (Ink it up with color).

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A few things to keep in mind if you decide to use my sketch:
- You're kindly asked to save the image onto your computer first, and if you make a card based on it, please link back to this post.
- Please share the link to your creation via the Inlinkz application, so that I can come and check it out. I would love to see what you did with it!
- The colours/elements mean nothing towards the card. All styles, colours and supplies, as well as slight alterations of the sketch are welcome.
- A new sketch and sample is posted every Saturday, but you're welcome to play any time! Just leave a link in the comments section after Inlinkz widget closes.

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I can't wait to see what you'll make with it :) Thanks for coming!

Our Creative Corner Guest Designer

Hello lovelies, happy Saturday! The day is nearly finished for me, but most of you are just warming up... I hope you'll have a fabulous weekend!
Today I'm sharing with you a card, that I made for my Guest Designer assignment for Our Creative Corner. I earned it for winning one of their previous challenges, and I'm very happy to design along for a week!
Here's the challenge:
Let's make ATCs! These mini pieces of art measure 2.5x3.5" and are fun and quick to make. Show us your ATC as is or incorporate it into another project. Here's the twist. You have to use Kraft plus cream or white, black or chocolate and only one other main color.

So... I did make an ATC first, photographed it and then made the card around it. Unfortunately something happened, that never really does happen to me - the photos of the ATC itself came out blurry, so all I've got for you is the whole card with an ATC already on it...
In case you're wondering which one it is, that's the black rectangle with the framed bird :)

Supplies: cardstock: recycled kraft; paper: Prima, Glitz Design, Collections; stamp: Glitz Design; ink: Distress Ink (Frayed Burlap); Copics; rub-on: Glitz Design (music sheet); edge distresser; string; button; staples

Sending inky hugs ~

Papertrey Ink March Blog Hop

It's time for another Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!
Here's the challenge:
For the March Blog Hop we are challenging you to use embroidery floss in a fun and inventive way on your project. This could include stitching, wrapping it around and tying it like ribbon, braiding, accenting tags, embroidered patterns or anything else you can dream up!

On my card, I decided to simply stitch around the inner border of the stamped frame... nothing too fancy, but it looks lovely! If you're wondering how I achieved the gradient effect on the leaves - the darker patches were shaded with Copics.

Supplies: cardstock: PTI (Plum Pudding), white; paper: Echo Park Paper; stamps: PTI (Turning A New Leaf, Fancy Flourishes, Mat Stack 1 Collection (with die)); ink: Memento (Sweet Plum, Pear Tart); lace trim; ribbon: PTI (Simply Chartreuse); sewing machine; embroidery thread; Copics; button

I followed the Card Patterns sketch 107, and the colours of cQc#77:

Thanks for visiting, happy hopping! xxx

Glitz it up!

Happy TGIF! I've got a couple of Glitz Design cards for you today... enjoy!
First one is a conglomerate of Love Nest, Scarlett & Hoopla collections...they cooridinate beautifully :)

Glitz Design "Love Nest" papers: Damask, Stripe
Glitz Design "Scarlett" Paper Layers: book
Glitz Design "Hoopla" Journaling Cardstock Stickers
Glitz Design "Love Nest" Titles Cardstock Stickers
Glitz Design Pom Poms: aqua
Glitz Design stamp: Maya Bird

Other: cardstock: recycled kraft; ink: distressing ink (Frayed Burlap), Versa Color (Turquoise Gem); border punch: EK Success

The second one is made with the Scarlett line:

Glitz Design "Scarlett" papers: Bouquet, Wallpaper
Glitz Design "Scarlett" Titles Cardstock Stickers
Glitz Design Frosting: black
Glitz Design stamp: Distressing set 3

Other: cardstock: white; ink: Memento (Bahama Blue); edge distresser; lace trim; seam binding

Have a wonderfully crafty day!