Think Spring!

Hello to all my lovely visitors.  This post introduces the latest challenge at Just Inspirational Challenges.  The sponsor for this week is Stitchy Bear. 

This Week's Sponsor

Inspirational Photo

For my card, I used a digital paper, sentiment and image from Stitchy Bear.  Here is what I came up with....

The floral paper is a digital paper from Stitchy Bear.  I imported the paper into My Craft Studio and added the yellow and pink 'layers' as well as the framed sentiment.  The 'textured' yellow layer framing the pink is also a digi paper from Stitchy bear.  The image is colored with Pro Markers.  I am working on my technique with hair.  I think I am getting there...hopefully..lol.

The image layer and it's mat are cut out with Grand Nesties dies.  I really wanted the card to move from a muted background to the bright flowers in the forefront.  The flowers are from a set I got from Create and Craft.  They are the type of embellishment that you want to use on everything, but you want to horde it at the same time.  They are definitely too pretty to stay in a box though, so on the card they went.

Do check out the digis at Stitchy Bear -  they really have a wide range of styles in their digis.

Don't forget to pop over to Just Inspirational Challenges to see what the rest of the design team have come up with and to link up your own creations.

Okee dokee, I am off now to clear up my crafting supplies to make room for Virgin to install our fibre optic broadband on Friday...   I can't wait to have a speedier (is that a word) internet connection, but it does mean they have to be able to run the cable so my entire downstairs will be in disarray and my crafting will be a bit on hold for a bit.  Hopefully it will be worth it when it is all over!

Enough babble from me.  Take care and come visit again soon.  I love reading your comments, so please feel free to let me know what you think of my card.

xx Denise

Anything Goes Challenge at Crafty Boots

Hello everyone.  I hope you had a lovely weekend and were lucky enough to get some sunshine.  It was gorgeous here in Southampton.

Anyway, there is a new challenge over at Crafty Boots, and I am extra super excited about it.  The challenge is Anything Goes and there is a wonderful prize.  The exciting part is that you can earn 1 extra entry by using a bow in your project.  You can earn a second extra entry by using any Crafty Boots Digital image - which include my very own Daffy's Digis!!

There is a freebie digi over on the challenge blog - and it is a bow....so if you like it, grab it and use it in your project and you will get 3 entries!!! 

Without further ado, here is my card.

I used one of my Daffy's Digis - Ella the Unicorn.  You can get her here...

She is colored with Flex Markers and Pro Markers.  The shaped layers are cut out with Grand Nesties Dies.  The sentiment is from Create and Craft as are the ribbons I used for the bows.

I wanted it to be very girly and soft, so I hope I have achieved that.

Right, the challenge runs for two weeks, so pop over to the main blog to get more inspiration from the design team projects and get the free bow digi stamp.  Of course we would love you to link up your own creations so we can see your beautiful work - but also so you can be in with up to 3 chances of winning a Pan Pastels trial kit!

 I am also entering Ella in these challenges...

Aud Sentiments Challenge - Anything Goes / Any Sentiment.
Love to Create Challenge Blog - # 17 Add A Sentiment.
Hybrid ChicCard Caravan - #20 - Use Pink
Totally Papercraft Friday Challenges - Animal
Digi Doodle Shop Challenge - Let's Go Spotty

Thank you so much for looking.  I hope you come back soon!  Please feel free to leave a comment as I love knowing what you think of my creations.

Take care and keep on crafting!
xx Denise

Summer Swing

Good afternoon everyone!  It is a lovely day here in Southampton, so I was inspired to make a card to reflect the summer-like weather.

The image is one of my own, from Daffy's Digis - only @ Crafty Boots.  I colored her with Pro Markers (of course).  The image layer is die cut with a Grand Nesties die and I distressed it with Milled Lavender Distress Ink.

I used various shades of puple backing papers, with the floral layer being one of my own designs (yes, I am trying my hand at papers as well).

Finally, I thought a paper flower would be a nice addition, and this one, which I got from Create and Craft, happened to match my color scheme perfectly! 

Anyway, I am feeling particularly crafty today, so I think I am going to have a bit more of a play with decolorising techniques... or maybe make another card... or something.   In any event, I have to take advantage of the times that my back is semi-cooperative, since they are few and far between.

Take care, and I do hope you can pop back to my blog soon.

p.s. I absolutely would LOVE to know what you think of the card, paper and digi image.  Please leave a comment if the mood strikes you (constructive criticism welcomed!)

xx Denise

Happy Birthday Michael!!!!

Seems like May is a busy birthday month.  Today is my big brother Michael's birthday.  He is
a wonderful brother to me, but he is also a wonderful husband to Abi and father to my adorable nephew Gabe!

For Michael's birthday I thought I would make him a special ecard that calls on one of the favorites of his youth. 

I got the image online here. It is obviously copyrighted, but it does happen to be a free wallpaper, so if Eddie floats your boat, head over there to get him for your very own.

I imported the image into Craft Artist Professional Software, added a bit of 'paint' at the top to fill out the page and added the text sentiments in some of the different effects available on CAP.  I know the smaller sentiment is not visible, but that is just as well as it is a special message for my brother ;)

Not your traditional e-card, I know, but if you know my brother like I hope I do, you would know he will get a kick out of this.

Happy Birthday Michael!  I am so glad you are my big brother.  I miss you loads and hope your birthday celebration is EPIC.

Love you Michael....
xxx Denise

'Owl' Be Seeing You

Hello again.  It is Thursday, which means there is a new challenge starting at Just Inspirational Challenges.  This time our sponsor is Doodle Pantry.  These are the photos our DT have chosen to inspire the challenge.  You can use elements from one or both of them so go wild!


 Right, so that is some inspiration for you, and here is some more.....

I used this adorable owl digi image from Doodle Pantry and colored him with Pro Markers and Flex Markers.  I cut out the image layer with a Nestabilities die.  The gold accented layer just behind the image is Glitter Girls 'pabric'.  The bright pink layer is Create and Craft Topsy Turvey card.  The other two layers are just assorted card and paper I had in my stash.  I think I got the mauve patterned paper from last year's summer crafting in a pick and mix bunch.  I am doing pretty well using up bits from my stash, but there are always new and beautiful things that I can't live without..lol.  The ribbon is also from my stash, so lord only knows where I got it from.

Well, I hope you like the card, and that it has given you a bit more inspiration so you can create something yourself to enter the challenge.  Don't forget you can join our group and enter the challenges on facebook as well.

Take care, and I can't wait to see what you all come up with.

xx Denise

Dylan in the Daisies

Hi everyone!  I hope you are having a lovely day. 

I have been a busy girl coloring up some of my digi stamps, so I thought I would card one up and share it!

This little fella is Dylan, and he is one of my very own digi stamps!  I am super excited that he is available to buy from Crafty Boots here.

I had fun drawing him, and even more fun coloring him.  I kept the card simple as I wanted Dylan to be the main feature.  The image is colored with Pro Markers.  The layers are cut with Grand Nesties.  The grey swirl baking paper is Hunkydory and the flowered paper is from a Forever Friend paper pack.

I will keep this short and sweet....  I hope you like the card and especially the image!  Please let me know what you think.  I am new to drawing digi stamps so any feedback is very much appreciated.

Take care and I hope you can visit again soon.

xx Denise

Happy Birthday to Nina Collins!!!!

This blog post is extra special because it marks the birthday of our dear friend Nina Collins!!   I actually have a lot to thank Nina for (even though she may not know it), because it was her birthday card that got me in gear with drawing digi stamps.

Although there are a plethera of fairy themed stamps, both digi and rubber, and I do own many of each, I was given the challenge by my other half to draw a fairy image especially for Nina.  Some of you may have seen the image in the Crafty Boots Shop already, but this is her debut in colored form.

The image is colored with Pro and Flex Markers, and it is one of the (now many) Daffy's Digis available only @ Crafty Boots.  I am sure Nina won't mind if her special fairy is available to others :)

The flowers are from a bundle I got from Create and Craft.  As I said in a previous post, I love these flowers and should have bought two bundles...or three...or four.  The colors are gorgeous and the detail is really amazing.  I used various papers from my stash including K&C, Create and Craft.  The sentiment is from Hunkydory.  I cut the shaped layers using a Grand Nestie.  Since I didn't particularly want to make an enormous card, I decided to have the layers extend over the top of a half A4 landscape card.  I still had to make a custom envelope, but I was hoping the entension would give it a bit of 'lift'.


Happy Birthday to you Nina!!!!  I hope you have a wonderful day and an even more wonderful year to come!!

xx Denise