Mother's Day, Dotties' World and an Easel

Happy Mother's Day to all mum's reading this and especially to my Mum (who probably won't see this post), but who I'll be seeing later.

Last week's challenge on Dottie's World was to create either a bright or pastel card. This card is as pastel as I could get. I used a charmed download (as required) from the sugar and spice collection, which I coloured using my pastel brush markers. The card itself is an easel card suggested to me by my friend Hayley, simply decorated thanks to my friend Jane's suggestion.

Thanks for looking. Take care. Love and hugs, Sarah xoxoxo

It's Been A Long Time

My mojo took an extended holiday over the last few months, but it's slowly coming back. So much so, that I joined a CJ on UKScrappers this week. I'm looking forward to doing it as the circle's called All My Own Photos. The object being that we send photos with our CJ and these are what the others use in ours. I'm taking this opportunity of having a 6x6 album done of the wedding I went to last August. Had a job deciding which of the 130 odd photos I took to use in this, but I've got there. Just got to make my album and do my LO ready for the first posting day. I know I have a few weeks to do this, so that's ok.

So, what crafting have I done this year? The grand sum of 3 cards and zero LOs. That will change soon. I've used digi downloads from Charmed Cards and Crafts which are expertly drawn by Lou. Each download bundle gives you black outlined images plus those same images coloured. Some bundles give you backgrounds and sentiments too. I've used images from Sugar and Spice and Boy Oh Boy. You can go here and here to see more examples of how to use the images.

Here's my cards. One for a 2 year old boy and 2 for adult females.

(I scanned them and no matter what I did, it insisted on cutting the bottom off the female cards

plus the images are not this much brighter than the papers IRL.

They're raised on foam pads, so nearer the scanner bed)

I've used a Sakura glitter pen to add sparkle to the girl's bows and all the flowers and pink gems to the flowers the girl is picking.

Thanks for looking.

Love and hugs

Sarah C xoxoxo

Flip-Flop or Swing!

That's Daring Cardmakers challenge for this week, to make a flip-flop or swing card. I had every intention of combining it with this week's Dottie's World challenge, but messed up, so I'll make another card for that if I get chance.

The image is a pre-coloured Scruff from the Animal Magic digi-stamps by Lou and from Charmed.

Everything else is Sassafras with the wording cut on my ROBO.

Thanks for looking

Scooter Boy Mikey

Using Scooter Boy Mikey from the Mikey download collection (available only from Charmed), I made a card for a male family member in his early 20's. I'll be using another Mikey image tomorrow for his older brother's birthday card.

I printed Mikey onto watercolour paper and used my brush markers and blending pen to colour him in before inking the edges and adding some PP, buttons and a sentiment I printed on my computer.

Thanks for looking

Driving Mikey

I had a male birthday to make for someone in their late 60's who's not really 'into' anything. It was a case of "HELP!!!!" until I put my brain in gear and raided some images I'd printed a while ago. A few brush marker strokes, a little chalk ink, a couple of Basic Grey Archaic PPs and a sentiment I printed a couple of years ago and voila. One card. I just hope he likes it.


Image is Driving Mikey from the Mikey collection by Lou and available exclusively from Charmed.

Thanks for looking

Oh La La! Juliet Gets Distressed in France

I've sent Juliet to France for the latest challenge on Dottie's World. Set by Lou she says:

"The 14th of July marks the French public holiday of Bastille Day so to join the French in their celebrations I would like us to make something with a French feel. It could be the image, it could be a French sentiment or it could just make you say Oh La La! It might even be just in the colours of the French flag (red, white and blue), it's up to you! Just have fun! Oh and don't forget to use one of the Charmed downloads!"

I had a Juliet image (from the Girls About Town download bundle from Charmed) already printed, so decided to colour her in using my brush markers and blender pen. I stuck to the colours red and blue. I also coloured a sentiment I had printed ages ago in blue. Rummaging through my PPs I found a French sheet, but the image was too bright and looked wrong with it. So, out comes my walnut ink distressing dauber and I covered both the image and sentiment plus I tinted a blue bloom with it. A piece of ribbon, a red bloom and an antique coloured brad and my card was done.

Thanks for looking

Crafty Muse Sketch and Recipe ~ 2nd entry

I've made a card using the current sketch and recipe challenge on Crafty Muse. You still have time to enter and you can use any image you want - not just Sammi's amazing downloads. I've used one of the new sisters and friends images and coloured it using my brush markers. Brads are in all four corners and the ribbon I've made into a small flower on the bottom right

Thanks for looking

Crafty Muse Sketch and Recipie

It's Crafty Muse Fortnight Friday today and that means another challenge for you. We have a sketch combined with a recipie, so nip over there to see what they are.

I've used the sketch on top of a box I've made. The image is one of the new 'sisters and friends' download collections available later today.

Let The Sun Shine! on Dottie's World

'Let the sun shine!' is Lou's challenge on Dottie's World at the moment.

Here's my card.

I've layered 3 images from the Pixie Chicks downloads available exclusively from Charmed, printed them onto photo paper and added a butterfly sticker. The sentiment is also printed onto photo paper.

Rosebud Pixie

I've made another card using two pre-coloured images from the new Pixie Chicks collections only available from Charmed Cards and Crafts.

I layered Rosebud onto the Flower Arch before printing onto watercolour paper, matting and layering and adding ribbon and tiny gems. I've also used my Sakura glitter pen to glitter her wings and the centres of the flowers.

Thanks for looking

Take care, love and hugs,

Sarah C xoxoxo

Allsorts #6, Papertake Weekly, My Time To Craft #66 and Sketch Saturday #56

1 card, 4 challenges.

Lou and Karen have put together two amazing new collections for us. Pixie Chicks 1 and 2. The images are so sweet, that it's so difficult choosing which to buy. I'd advise you to give up trying to decide and go for them both. You get pixies, backgrounds, sentiments and a card template in each set. The pixies and backgrounds come in black & white outlines and coloured. As always, I went for the GIF option so that I could print them onto anything I chose and also to layer them onto each other.

I've printed some images onto watercolour paper and made these 2 cards today. The first one is using Daisy 3 and Swing (both pre-coloured) which I layered before printing. This one is for the 4 challenges. The saying (life is beautiful) is a sticker which I've matted onto some scrap watercolour paper.

Allsorts ~ #6, Wings ~ Yep, Daisy 3 has wings

Papertake Weekly ~ delightful downloads ~ Both my cards have downloads on, but this is the one I'm entering into the challenge.

My Time To Craft ~ #66 In the garden ~ Daisy is on a tree swing - in the garden of course!

Sketch Saturday ~ sketch #56

Card 2 uses Water Lily and the Flower Frame pre-coloured images. I've drawn round a CD to get a circle before cutting the folded card. Lou I think gave us a tip a while back and said to cut off a small piece at the back to give a flat surface so that the card will stand. Thanks for that. The saying (wonderful) is another sticker that I've matted onto some scrap watercolour card. I've stuck the frame flat and added Water Lily using foam pads, then I've stuck gems to the frame and put some diamond stickles in the centre of the yellow flower.

Don't forget to check out Dottie's World for more ideas plus hints and tips.

Thanks for looking,

Take care, love and hugs

Sarah C xoxoxo