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

Crafty Boots Challenge - Good Luck

Hello crafty people.....

This Monday marks the start of another 2 week challenge at Crafty Boots Challenges.  This time, the theme is 'Good Luck'. Please check out the challenge website here to get some inspiration from the lovely creations the rest of the design team has come up with.

As for my creation, I have to be honest and admit that I remembered the DT cards were 'due' at the last minute, so I worried that I wouldn't be able to put anything together that I would be happy enough to share.  Had I been a clever girl I would have held off on posting the Good Luck card with my own piggy digi image.  Guess I am not a clever girl!  Luckily (see what I did there).. luckily I had this lovely digi image in my files, courtesy of Hope Jacare Doodles from Stitchy Bears, so I was able to make a card that I ended up being very happy with!

Without further suspese, here 'tis....

I colored the image in with Pro and Flex Markers, then cut the layer out with a Grand Nesties Die.  I thought, what is a wedding without a bit of shimmer, so I added holographic mirror card behind both the image layer and the swirl paper layer (which by the way is from Hunkydory).  I very nearly left it at that, but I thought it needed just a little something extra.   I decided to add the beautiful paper flowers that I recently ordered from Create and Craft.  I love them, and should have ordered two sets - but remember, I am not a clever girl ;)

As I said, I ended up very happy with the result.  Too bad everyone I know that is getting married in the near future will probably see this card (as they are part of the Crafty Boots  DT, or twitter friends or both!).  That is what they make storage for I suppose!

Anyway, we would love to see your Good Luck related creations, so pop over to Crafty Boots Challenges to link up.  Also...Crafty Boots Challenges is having a design team call, so if you are the crafty sort, and want to join in with a lovely group of crafty people, please check out the details here..

Thank you so much for looking, and I hope you can come back soon.  Not to be a broken record, but all comments are very much appreciated!

xx Denise

Clyde Christmas Wishes

Hello again and happy Thursday.  For those of you who have not popped over to Crafty Boots Shop to see Daffy's Digis - only @ Crafty Boots, I would like to introduce you to Clyde the Penguin.

I don't think the pic does the card justice as it was difficult to get a pic without a lot of reflection.  Clyde is colored with Pro Markers.  He is on Hunkydory card cut out with a Nestabilities die.  The black matt layers are black mirror board, and the snowflake card is also Hunkydory (I think).  The sentiment is also Hunkydory - from a Christmas topper set.

Anyway, I thought it might be nice to show everyone Clyde in colored form.  I hope you like him (and the card).

I am also entering this card in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas Challenge - Photo Inspiration 'I' is for Icy - closes 15/5/12
Papertake Weekly - Cute Cute Cute - closes 14/5/12
Always Crafting - Anything Goes - closes 13/5/12
The Poodles Parlour - Anything Goes - closes 14/5/12
Sweet and Sassy Digi Challenge - Must use digi - favorite holiday (Christmas) SNSDC52 
closes 10/5/12

Thank you for stopping by, and I would love you to leave a comment to let me know what you think of Clyde and my card.

I hope you visit again soon.

xx Denise

A Debut! (aka Chubby Cheeky Peeking Piggy)

Hello everyone.  This is a very special blog post for me, as it is the debut of one of my very own digi stamps...yes, my own!

I had been thinking about trying to join the world of digi stamp designing, but as a not very confident soul at heart, I spent ages just THINKING about it.  Finally I did more than just think and started putting some of my drawings out for opinions from some of my crafty friends - and they liked them.  Long story short, thanks to the super mega cool and generous Stephanie-Emma who runs the Crafty Boots Challenge Blog, and more conveniently, the Crafty Boots Online Store, my digis are now available to purchase under the branding of Daffy's Digis only at Crafty Boots. Wow, I can't believe I am actually a selling 'artist'. 

At the moment they are all just displayed at the store as line art, so I thought it might help to color and card up some of the images.  Stephanie-Emma has already blogged one of them so pop round to hers to have a look...  I decided to start with this fella....

The yellow dotted backing paper is from the a Woodland Folks set, while the pink squares and stripes layer, as well as the sentiment, are from the Crafter's Companion Card Making by Numbers kit.  I think the flowers are from Create and Craft.  They have been in my stash for longer than I have been blogging my cards (and before I realized people might want to know what materials I had used for the cards).




Thanks for looking, and please check out the full range of Daffy's Digis only at Crafty Boots.

More than ever, I would love to read your honest comments of the card and the image.  Even constructive critique is well received as I am always striving to improve!

Take care and I hope you come back to visit very soon!
xx Denise

JIC - Father's Day with Kenny K

Howdy everyone!  Today is Thursday, and that means another new challenge over at Just Inspirational, which is being sponsored by KennyK Downloads this time around!  Although for any Americans out there, the next holiday up is Mother's Day, in the UK that has come and gone so that is why it is not so strange to find one of the 'inspirations' for this challenge to be Father's Day!  In addition to the below image inspiration, there is also a sketch you can use to inspire you. 

 Right, so I have just one more (hopefully) inspirational item for you, and that is my creation.

I decided to use this sassy little girl who I colored...wait for it...with Flex and Pro Markers..lol.  If being a creature of habit is my biggest vice I am doing ok.  Actually, shopping for crafting supplies is probably my biggest vice, so never mind.   

The image layer is cut out using a Nestabilities die as is the round star layer.  The star backing paper was from Making Cards Magazine I believe.  I made the star sentiment using My Craft Studio just using the shape tool and adding the text.  I may be showing my age with the sentiment itself (do people even say 'You Rock' anymore?).  Ah well.  I thought it went with the image and the theme of Father's day, so hey ho!  Anyway, the blue ribbon and the back-most polka dot paper are both items that have been in my stash for, I can't even begin to guess how long. 

Well, if you need more inspriration for your own creation, you can be sure to find some at Just Inspirational Challenges as the rest of the design team have come up with some lovely things!  That is also where you will need to link up your own creation if you decide to join in the challenge - and I think it would be great if you did :)

Also, Crafty Boots had a new challenge start on Monday, and the theme is 'Yellow'  - If you are feeling sassy, you can try coming up with something that combines them both!

Thanks for visiting and please pop back again soon! 

xx Denise