Monochrome Coco Bear!

Hello!

A quick card to share with you today, using one of Sally-Anns fabby images from the Digistamp Boutique which I will enter into the April competion over there. He's called 'Coco with Roses' and you can find him here.

I have coloured him with Promarkers Cool Greys 1,2,3&4, and used the blender pen to soften. I was going for the monochrome look here...I think it turned out ok?

The flowers were coloured with Copics.

I have also used a Craftwork Cards 8x8 cream card blank, Craftwork cards paper, flowers and ribbon from stash, my Martha Stewart Embossed Scallop punch....a really simple card!

Ooh, nearly forgot my good news. This week I was lucky enough to win the Creative Inspirations sketch challenge with my Pink Gem Christmas Card, and part of the prize is to be Guest Designer for the month of May! How fab is that?! The other part of my prize is a bundle of ribbons from Crafty Ribbons. I can't wait for them to arrive, and will be stalking the postman until they do! I'm really looking forward to doing my DT cards for the May challenges. Try and join in if you can!

Well, that's all folks....thanks for stopping by! xx

Cupcake Craft Challenge - Don't Be Square!

Well, Good evening! I have been trying to make this post all day, but have had many distractions. I love this time of day when everyone is in bed, but me. Trouble is I'm usually ready for bed myself.

At last I have had a play with my new Leanne Ellis stamps which I got from Funky Kits last week. This is a really simple card which I am entering into the Cupcake Craft Challenge #88 - Don't Be Square! No square cards are allowed, so I just used a folded off-cut of black card as the base.

I have coloured this stamp (which I am a in love with - it is my fave of the 6 new ones) with a mixture of Copics and Promarkers. I added sparkle to her hair with my Copic Spicia clear glitter pen, and I have added Stickles Stardust to her dress and flower bling her up.

The gorgeous paper is from the new Craftwork Cards Sugar & Spice collection. I have just used a length of black tulle, a charm fixed on with a brad, and woodware mosaic squares to finish the card.
Hope you like it....and thanks for looking!
Jenny xx

Pink Gem DT Card...and four challenges!

Gosh, can't believe it's been a week since I last posted! This week has been manic. The kids went back to school, I had to give the house a thorough going over, catch up on the piles of washing (with 4 kids, this is a BIG job!), and restock the kitchen cupboards with groceries.

So this weekend I thought I'd better make the effort and do a DT card for Pink Gem Designs.

You would not believe how long this card took to make. Tiredness and lack of mojo resulted in a lot of faffing and fiddling. Anyway...it's done now, and yes it's a Christmas card!!

This really cute 'Pink Gem Designs' stamp is called 'Winter Mimi' and you can find her here.
I love 'sitting' stamps as it's fun to pose them on a Nestie, or a punched border, or on a ribbon...
Here I have sat her inside a Nestabilies circle and Big Scalloped Circle.
She is coloured with Promarkers and blinged up with Stickles Stardust.

I have also used;
Large 8x8 scalloped card blank (Craft Superstore)
Pink Petticoat Snowflake Downloaded Paper,
X Cut snowflake punches,
Sizzix Sizzlits Twinkle Toes Alphabet,
Sizzix Sizzlits corner flourish #2,
Martha Stewart zig zag punch,
Charms & ribbons from stash.

I will enter this card into these challenges;

My Time To Craft for quick quotes (Let It Snow!)
Creative Inspirations for the sketch.
Charisma Cardz for the quote (Let it Snow!)
I Love Promarkers for 'black, white plus one other colour' (lilac)

Thanks for stopping by!
Jenny x

Cool Dude! (Allsorts Challenge wk48)

I'm back again! Just thought I'd share this with you. I had fun today making this card with a brand new digi release over at Pink Gem. This cool froggy is called 'Cool Dude' and you can find him here.

This is a huge card at 8x8 in size! The good thing about digis is that you can resize them to suit your needs.

I am entering this card into the Allsorts challenge wk48. This weeks challenge is called 'In Stitches'.

You need to include stitching. It can be real or faux. I have added lots of faux stitching with my good old Signo white gel pen.

I used Nestabilities Labels Six to mount him onto.

I used Promarkers and rather than list the colours, I took a piccy! (click on to magnify)
I also used Stickles on his cool shades.

The papers are DCWV. I also used DCWV chipboard shapes and alphabets.
I also threw a bit of blue card candy (Craftwork Cards) into the mix!

Well, I really must go to bed now!
Thanks for stopping by!
Goodnight,
Jenny x

Damsel In Distress!

Hello...

Just a quick post to help out a fellow DoCrafter (and anyone else who may find it useful!) She wanted to get some Distress Inks for watercolouring but was not sure which ones to get.

I have gradually been building up my collection of Distress Inks over time. I now have all 36 colours, including the new ones. I use them for watercolouring, and find that some of the colours shown on the lids are not acurate when you use them for this purpose. So as I've been getting them I made this rough chart. The colours were applied with a slightly damp brush onto watercolour card.

It was only intended for my own reference, so please excuse the slap dash fashion! I might replace it at a later time with a neater, more organised chart.

If you click on the image you should be able to magnify it (hopefully!)

At least you should get the general idea of the true colours when used for watercolouring.I have a card using this method (with the colours I used listed) about 3 posts down.

Bye for now,

Jenny x

Passion For Promarkers Challenge Wk 47

Hello, hope you are all well?

Todays offering is a card that I have made for;

Passion For Promarkers Challenge Week 47

with the theme 'create your background using only your promarkers’

Hmm...I wasn't going to bother at first because I love using lovely scrummy backing papers, and they are always the starting point for my projects.

But it is supposed to be a challenge, I guess!

First I got a Craftwork Cards 6x6 scalloped card blank. I coloured about 1cm all around the edge with ORCHID Promarker. Then I inked up the edges of a white card panel with PINK CARNATION Promarker. Then to create the rest of my background, I randomly doodled flowers onto a square of acetate (slightly smaller than the white card panel) using Promarkers CERISE, AMETHYST & SOFT GREEN. The promarkers worked really well on the acetate with them being a permanent marker. The acetate was then mounted onto the white piece of card.

The gorgeous 'Baby Girl In Pram' stamp is from Pink Gem Designs. You can grab her for yourself right here.
I coloured her with Promarkers (of course!) ORCHID, LAVENDER & PINK CARNATION....and for her skin, ALMOND, BLUSH & PALE PINK. Did you know that Pink Gem now stocks Promarkers? You can find them here.

I used Craftwork Cards Card Candy in the corners (handy for covering up the adhesive marks with it being acetate).
The ribbon and baby shoe charm were from my stash. The sentiment was cut out from another PINK GEM DESIGNS baby stamp called 'Cutie Pie', which you will find here.
I made a teeny tiny tag out of it, coloured again with the PINK CARNATION Promarker.

In the end I really enjoyed making this card, and I might try stamping onto acetate next time and colour it using Promarkers. It just goes to show you should try something out of your comfort zone now and then!

Well I am off to link it up now, so ta ta for now!
Jenny x

Put Your Sunglasses On...

Put your sunglasses on....you'll need them for this card! Although it's raining on my card, It is also very bright. I wanted to use this colourful paper by K&Co, and got a bit carried away. Oh well, the finished result is cheery, if nothing else!

I am entering this card into the following challenges;
The sketch challenge #27 over at Crafty Catz
The 'textures' challenge #25 over at Totally Gorjuss.
The 'childhood memories' challenge #86 over at Cupcake Craft Challenge (I loved my wellies as a child, and my big plastic see through umberella - lol!) & the 'Cutie Pie' challenge over at Papertake Weekly.

This super cute stamp is by 'Pink Gem'. She's called 'Chloe In The Rain', and you can find her here.
I have coloured her with Promarkers.
The scalloped shapes are cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities Big Scalloped Circles.
I have added texture with embossing folders (Swiss Dots and....I think the other is called Forest Branches?). The sentiment is also embossed onto Core'dinations cardstock, and was then lightly sanded. I have also added buttons, thread, sticky ribbon & Stickles.

Well off to bed now. I will have to stop these late nights once the children are back at school on Monday. Back to getting up at 7am and the stressful school run!
Thanks so much for stopping by,
Jenny x

The Sugar Bowl Challenge 33 & Allsorts Challenge 47...

Hello!

Todays card is my entry for the latest challenge over at the Sugar Bowl.

This time it has to be based on a fab sketch by Gayle, and must include flowers.

I will also enter it into this weeks Allsorts challenge. The theme this week is 'petals and pearls'.

I have had this lovely 'Girl & Birdhouse' stamp available at Funky Kits for a while now but only just got around to using it. So many stamps, so little time...

When visiting Tesco this week, I was really pleased to find some Daler-Rowney watercolour pads reduced to clear at £1.50 each. I got 3, and was so pleased with them that I sent my husband to get me 3 more! I have stamped the image onto the watercolour paper with Versafine Onyx Black ink, and watercoloured with Distress Inks;

Skin - Tea Dye & Tattered Rose

Hair - Antique Linen & Walnut Stain

Clothes - Bundled Sage, Pine Needles & Broken China

Tree & Birdhouse - Walnut Stain & Aged Mahogany

Flowers - Worn Lipstick & Aged Mahogany

Background - Faded Jeans & Bundled Sage

I have used an 8x8 cream card blank (Craftwork cards).
The papers are K & Co. Craftwork Cards sentiment. Flowers from my stash blinged up with Stickles. The lovely emerald coloured pearls were from ebay. The raffia lace was from Quixotic Paperie. I have also used my new scallop punch by X Cut, which I must say are excellent value for money at just £3.60 from

Grafton Crafts.

Thanks for looking :-)

A Brand New Pink Gem Challenge (My DT Card)...

Good morning!

Today sees a brand new challenge over at A Gem Of A Challenge. This months theme is 'Special Birthdays' be sure to pay us a visit and join in the fun.

The last challenge was near impossibe to jugde...the standards were so high. I think Mandy will be announcing the winners soon.

Anyway, I thought I would share my Special Birthdays Challenge DT creation with you.

I have used the super cute 'Birthday Milly' digi, available at Pink Gem Designs.

I love digis so much as you can resize them to fit onto larger cards. Here I have used an 8x8 card - my favourite size to work with!

I have coloured Milly using Copics. I decoupaged the yummy cake, and added lots of Stickles Frosted Lace, and a paper rose.

I mounted her onto a shape cut with Nestabilities Big Scalloped Circles (embossed with Swiss Dots Cuttlebug Folder), and a simple paper doily.

I have also used DCWV papers, Sizzix Sizzlits Twinkle Toes Alphabet dies, Nestabilities Labels 8, flowers and pearls from stash.

Good luck with the challenge if you are taking part this month!

Bye for now, Jenny xx

Pink Gem DT Card...

Hi, hope you are all well. Just a quickie post before starting the tea. Just wanted to post my first Pink Gem card as a guest DT member.

The card is a big one, 8x8 in size.

I have used the gorgeous baby boy stamp which you will find here.
I have coloured it with Copics & Promarkers.

The fence was cut with an 'Impress' die that I've had for yonks!

The 'new baby' sentiment was cut with a Sizzix Sizzlits die, which I then mounted onto shapes cut with Nestabilities Lables Ten.

I have also used brown kraft card, and the lovely cloud paper is new by Pink Petticoat - I love it!

Flowers and pearls are from my stash.

I will hopefully be back with more PG cards in the next few days.

Thanks for looking!

My Exciting News!

Well, hope you have had a good start to the Easter long weekend. It's been chucking down here and the kids are already complaining they're 'bored'!

I just wanted to share my exciting news with you. Janet (known as 'Craftycairn') over at Docrafts, has kindly asked me to do a 3 month stint as a guest Design Team member for her stamp/digi company Pink Gem Designs. How great is that?! You can find Janets gorgeous stamps for sale here.

If you look over in my side bar, you will find links to Pink Gems Challenge Blog, 'A Gem Of A Challenge' and also Janet's blog.

Well, that's about all for now. Just thought I would share my news before I go off to bed.

Goodnight xx