winter somethings

Happy Friday!!
This week the challenge over at stamp something is

Winter Somethings.

I just love to make winter cards, but have to admit I had enough of this cold already. If we would at least get some nice snow to make a snowman with...

For my card I used an image from Crissy Armstrong, available at Wags n Whiskers. I was lucky enough to have been one of the winners for one of crissy's challenges a little while ago and I could choose one of her digis! I think this one is so cute!!

It has been colored with derwent coloursoft and blended with baby oil. I used copic markers for the girl's face.
My papers are from my stash, I know the pink one is basic grey, I believe the other paper is a real oldie from stampin up, but I am not sure.

I used the layered arches punch (martha stewart) for the punched edges and did some sewing, distressing and sponging. My sentiment is from a digistamp set by raindropecho, available at whimsy stamps along with lots of other digital sentiments set and images. To embellish I added some punched snowflakes and ribbon and also stickles glitter.

I combined this card with some other challenges too,

• Incy Wincy Designs(winter wonderland)
• Shabby Tea Room (Winter wonderland)
• Stamping scrapping central (winter)
• Tuesday Throwdown (distressing)
• Scrapbook sisters (add a little friend)
• Simon Says (animal antics)
• Creative Belli (the letter P - how about pink?)
• Paper pretties (sewing)

I hope you'll join us this week, as always we have a fabulous sponsor, and this week simon says is back with a fabulous prize for one lucky winner!

A cute little turtle!

Hello everyone and thanks for visiting my blog today!

I decided to play in a few challenges today using this new cute digital image by Meljen's Designs. It was just released today and can be found at Whimsy stamps.

The image has been colored with derwent coloursoft pencils and baby oil for blending.
I used papers are from Stampin up and Basic Grey. I embellished with some polka dots ribbon which I had forever, a couple of butterflies with sticky pearls, and then a button and some grosgrain ribbon. Stickles was applied to the turtle's hearts and the butterflies, as well as the circles on the pink designer paper. To finish it off I did some sewing with my sewing machine.

I started out with the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday but had to change a couple of things to make it work for me. The colors were inspired by this week's Color Dare Challenge with the colors pear pizzaz, perfect plum and pretty in pink. I don't have any pear pizzas so I used a certain celery tone and for my purple I used eggplant.

Then at stamps r us the challenge is "animals", and stamp fairy wants to see circles. Critter sketch challenge has the theme of distressing and circles, and then of course I'd love to enter my card also to this week's Meljen's challenge, and they would like to see hearts (the cute little turtle is covered in hearts!).

I was going to make a valentine's card but then I thought the colors would be perfect for a baby card so I decided to make a welcome baby card instead. The purple does show up a little darker on the picture than what it is in real life. Sorry about that!

That should be all for today, I have another fun card scheduled to go tomorrow for the new stamp something challenge, hope you'll check back!

Have a wonderful day!

DTC #95 - A sketch by Natascha

Happy tuesday everyone!!!
Time for a new challenge over at Digital Tuesday. This week it was Natascha's turn to challenge us and she created a sketch for us to follow.

Of course we have another great sponsor, Stamp Fairy, giving away 3 of their cute digis to one lucky winner. They also generously gave the Design Team a couple of their images to "work" with.

The image I used is called "Thank you". Such a cutie! Of course cute animals are my favorite kind of images!


The image has been printed on my very last scrap piece of couture 80lb card stock. I really need to find another online source for this card stock as I found it was the best paper for digis (no smearing of ink at all with any coloring medium!) I did get some paper recently at a local printing shop, and it is ok too, but not as good as couture.
Anyway, back to the card, the image has been colored with derwent coloursoft and blended with baby oil.
Papers are from my overflowing box of scraps, which means I have no clue who the maker is. Black and Kraft Card stock are from stampin up. I used a couple of prima flowers with buttons and a flourish (tim holtz sizzix die) for embellishments. The sentiment is from the retired SU set "vases in vogue".

Hope you'll decide to play along, don't forget you can now use anything digital on your creations, doesn't have to be a digital image!

Have a great day,
Ellie.

Penny Black @ All Sorts Blog Hop winner

Happy Sunday everyone!!

Just a quick post today to announce the winner of my blog candy for the Penny Black @ All Sorts blog hop.

Winning # is 48, that is

Ann from Just for Fun

Congratulation Ann, you won those 2 cute Penny Black stamps. Please email Brenda at brenda@ibas.co.uk with your postal address so she can get the prize shipped to you.

A huge thank you to all of you that hopped along with us. Be sure to check out the
Penny Black @ All sorts Challenge blog
to see who the rest of the winners are.
And don't forget there are still a few days left to play along in this month's challenge for a chance at winning some more prizes. Remember you can enter up to 3 times!!!

Penny Black at All Sorts - BLOG HOP

This post will stay on top until January 22nd. Please scroll down for newer posts.

I'm so excited!! It is time for our very first blog hop at Penny Black @ All sorts with lots of prizes sponsored by the Penny Black company!

If you arrived here from Maarit's amazing blog you are on the right track, if not you will want to go back to the beginning, the Penny Black @ All Sorts Challenge blog to start. There are awesome prizes on every DT members blog, so be sure to leave comments along the way for a chance to win.

Also be sure to look closely on each blog as there are letter clues for you to find. After you find all letters you should be able spell out the two words below and be entered in another drawing at another amazing prize from Brenda herself.

Of course I wanted to make a card to go along with the blog hop. I just love this cute stamp. It's called "Guess what".

It's been colored with derwent coloursoft pencils and blended with baby oil. The papers are from my ever growing stash, I think it's bo bunny but I am not sure.

I embellished with some prima flowers and brads, and then applied some stickles glitter and sewed around the edges with my janome mini sewing machine.
The sketch is from a Mojo Monday sketch from a couple of weeks ago.

And here are the challenges I am combining:

• PaperPlay challenges (cutie patootie)
• Oldie but goodie (bright and cheerful)
• Flourishes (all about your favorites - used favorite colors and one of my fave. stamps)
• Top tip tuesday (anything goes)
• Crazy Challenge (animals)

My blog is actually the last stop. You should now have collected all letters. After you figure out your answer you need to send an email to Brenda at brenda@ibas.co.uk with your answer for a chance at another great prize from the lovely Brenda.

To make it a little bit easier for you, we are providing you with this little help.

---A- -----S

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And here is the prize that is up for grabs here at my blog, sponsored by the Penny Black company.

In order to win these 2 great stamps above, all you have to do is leave a comment and then add your name and blog link with mr linky below. I will choose a winner the day after the blog hop ends and Brenda will be sending them out to the lucky winner.

This blog hop starts 8am BST on 15th January and will close at midnight BST on 22nd January. So you have a whole week to hop along!

Thanks so much for stopping by, hope you enjoyed the blog hop and don't forget to send Brenda an email with the words you came up with to be entered in the other drawing.

Please add your name and blog link with mr linky and don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win the 2 cute stamps above!

Blog hop ended, please do not add link!

Stamp Something cute

It's friday again and that means a new challenge for you over at the stamp something challenge blog!
This week we would like to see

Something cute

Our amazing sponsor is Sugar Nellie, and they generously gave the DT members some of their adorable stamps to use too!! There is of course a fabulous prize up for grabs too so hopefully you'll play along!

For my card today I used the stamp "bashful" from sugar nellie available here at funky kits. I stamped it on some GinaK pure luxury layering weight card stock and then colored with copic markers.

I think my designer paper is from bo bunny. I embellished with some gingham ribbon, a button, and a prima flower. The edges were sewn with my janome mini, distressed with some scissors and then sponged. The sentiment is from a set from Popcorn the Bear stamps. I have no idea where I found this sketch, forgot to write down the site into my sketchbook.

I have combined this challenge with a few others too:

• Craft your passion (buttons)
• Pollycraft (pastel colors)
• Let's ink it up (anything goes)
• Pile it on (anything goes)

That is all for today, hope you'll join us this week!

Have a GREAT weekend!!

Ellie.

P.S. There is still a little time to join the Penny Black @ All sorts blog hop It closes 1/22 at midnight BST. Lots of prizes to be won on every blog.
Click here to find out more.

DTC #94 Tropical Warmth

Happy tuesday and thanks so much for stopping by today!

We have another fun challenge over at digital tuesday, this week our theme is

Tropical Warmth!

It has been so cold over here, with snow and ice rain that this was a perfect reminder that summer will be here in only 6 short months!!!

For my card I have used an image from our sponsor Robyn's Fetish.


It's been colored with copic markers. The swimsuit and umbrella were paper pieced by simply printing the image out a second time on designer paper and cutting out, then adhering them onto the main image.
Then I stamped flourishes around the image with a stamp from paper inspirations which I picked up at Hobby Lobby. The sentiment is from the digital sentiment set "Summertime" by raindropecho available at Whimsy Stamps. I thought it was perfect to use with this image.

My papers are all from Stampin Up. The flower and scallop borders are from a stampin up simply scrappin kit that I had forever.
My sketch was inspired by a sketch from the lovely Anne-Marije, but I don't remember which challenge she created it for.

I have again combined this with a couple of other challenges, just 2 today:
Karber weekly (digi and ribbon)
Stamp Fairy (paper piecing)

Hope you liked the card and if you feel like you need a little bit of tropical warmth in your life why not join us at this challenge? Remember, you can now use anything digital, it doesn't have to be the main image! Plus you'll be entered into a drawing to win some cute digis from Robyn's Fetish!

Thanks again for stopping by,
and just a reminder, the Penny Black @ All Sorts Blog hop is going on right now with chances to win some gorgeous PB stamps on every DT members Blog.
Click here to start hopping!

Have a great day!!

Stamp Something Challenge

Happy Friday and thanks so much for stopping by today!

Hope you had a wonderful week and that you can enjoy the winter weather a little bit. We went sledding with the kids yesterday, we had so much fun!

It is time for another challenge at Stamp Something!

This week we are making it very easy on everyone, as our theme is

"Anything goes".


Our wonderful sponsor this week is Whimsy Stamps offering a fabulous prize to one lucky winner.
If you haven't been to their store recently be sure to do so, there is such a variety to choose from, with art from several artists, there is something for everyone. They have images in rubber and digi and even some pre-colored digis.

For my card I used a couple of brand new images just released yesterday from Meljen's Designs available at Whimsy Stamps. You can find both of the images here.

The images were colored using derwent coloursoft pencils and then I blended with some odorless mineral spirit.
My papers are all from Stampin Up, soft sky card stock and prints designer paper. Such a pretty color! The butterflies were also just released yesterday, and one thing I love about digis is that I can size them any way I want to. I printed these butterflies really small so I could use them as embellishments. I applied some stickles to the wings and also the flower centers.

I combined a few other challenges with this one,

• Everybody Art (sketch)
• Pink Elephant (colors pink, aqua, organge)
• Craft your passion (something to tie)
• A spoon full of sugar (thank you)
• Crafty sentiments (thank you)
• Meljen's designs (square or round cards)
• Stampin Bees (use a die cut)
  

That's all for today, hope you'll play along this week!

Be sure to check back here tomorrow for the very first Penny Black @ All sorts blog hop with lots of amazing prizes to be won!

Have a great day!!

Digital Tuesday Challenge - All white

Hello and thanks so much for visiting my blog today!

If you are here for the Whimsy Stamps Digital Release Blog Hop click here!




Our challenge today, chosen by the lovely Michelle, is

White only

Everything on the card has to be white except one image and maybe a sentiment. So all papers and embellishments had to be white. What a fabulous challenge, I think we are going to see some really elegant cards this week!

For my card I used an new image from Whimsy Stamps - Dance of Love - from the Crissy Armstrong collection. This image comes in black and white or pre-colored. I used the black and white version.
I had colored the image light brown and pink with some sky blue, but then I wasn't so sure I liked it. So I asked my 4 year old what she thought I should color it like, she said a purple mane and white horse. Why did I not think of that!! That sounds like the prefect princess horse!

So here is my card.

I added a little bit of green to the image as an accent color. The horse was covered with stickles glitter. I also added some glitter around the edges. I'm sorry, the papers turned out purplish, my camera does not like taking all white cards, but I promise you, they are all white. I used several Martha Stewart punches, and added some white pearls and white ribbon for embellishments.

Here is a close up.

I
I combined a few other challenges too:

• Friday Sketchers (sketch)
• Crazy Challenges (animals)
• Cupcake Craft (something new - new digi)
• Incy Wincy Designs (go dotty)
• Kaboodle Doodles (do it with digis)
• Karber Weekly (digistamps and pearls)

I hope you'll play along this week, we have another amazing sponsor, Stitchy Bear Stamps, givign away 5 digis to one lucky winner!

Have a great day,
Ellie .

Stamp Something - January Digi week

For the Whimsy Stamp Blog hop click here!

Happy Friday everyone!!

It's time again for a new challenge over at Stamp Something, and this week we are having our monthly "digi -week". Again, we have several great sponsors so there are going to be several winners!

For my card I used a digi from the Crafty Pad.
I cut a circle out with my nestastabilies and big kick, then placed the image inside the circle.

The sentiment is from a set from The Angel Company. My papers are from Bazzill and Stampin Up Designer papers.
I applied stickles glitter around the circle and the sentiment and embellished with a pink button and some ribbon, and added some sticky pearls to the corners and then did some paper piercing along the top edge.

I would also like to enter my card to the following challenges:
AI Factory (new beginnings)
Dutch dare (new beginning)
Delightful Challenges (buttons)

That's all for today, hope you'll join in for a chance at winning one of the prizes up for grabs!

Blog Hop and first Whimsy Design Team Post

Hello everyone and thanks so much for stopping by today!

I am so excited to show you today's card. It's my first card as a digital DT member for

Whimsy Stamps

plus we are having our January blog hop to show off the brand new digital images released today!! We have new images and sentiments from Crissy, Meljen's and Ann to show you today, some of them are even precolored!!
I hope you'll hop along to see all the amazing projects the rest of the Design Team came up with.

If you arrived here from Stephanne's blog you are on the right track, if not and you'd like to hop along, you will want to go to Debbie's blog to start. Be sure to leave comments along the way as there will be 6 mystery Design Team members who will each be choosing a winner from the comments left. Every winner will win one digital stamp of their choice.
The Grand Prize winner which will be chosen from the very last stop will win 5 new digital stamps of their choice and will get a chance to use those stamps as a guest designer for whimsy stamps for the month of January!

Now onto my card,

I decided to use the brand new image Tweet Heart Birds by Meljen's Designs. Isn't it adorable? I thought it would be perfect for making little pocket cards for my daughter to take to school on valentine's day.

It's been colored with copic markers and then I added some stickles glitter. My papers are from bo bunny and card stock is from stampin up. On the tag inside I stamped the sentiment "to someone with a very big heart" and I am planning on adding one of those flat packets of sweet tarts to it with a glue dot. I just have to purchase a bag of them first.

Here is a picture with the tag taken out.


These are super easy to make, if you need instructions you can find Beate's tutorial here.

I would like to enter my card to these challenges:

• Paper Sundaes (something new - brand new digi)
• Catch the bug (anything goes)
• Craft your days away (punches)
• Crafty Emma (anything goes)
• Crazy for challenges (celebrate something - valentines)
• Mark's finest paper (use something new - digi)
• Do you stack up (buttons)
  

Your next stop on the hop is Domi's blog. Be sure to hop over there to see her fabulous creation!

If you get lost along the way you can always go back to Debbie's blog for the instructions and start over again.

This hop is open from Thursday, January 6th 12noon EST until Thursday January 13th 12noon EST so you have one whole week to hop along!

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

have a great day and happy hopping!

Ellie.

DTC #93 - Shop till you drop and exciting news!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

I have some super exciting news to share with you today! On New Years Day I received an invitation to join the Whimsy Stamps Digital Design Team. I am so super exciting!! What a great way to start the New Year!!

I just love their images and I am going to have so much fun!! Check back on thursday for my first Whimsy Stamps card as a Design Team member using a brand new not yet released image.

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Now onto today's card,

we have a new challenge for you over at digital tuesday, this week was Karen's turn to choose a challenge and she chose something completely different from what we had before.

Shop till you drop

We'd like to see shopping bags, purses, shoes...anything shopping related. And from now on, it is not a requirement anymore to use a digital image, it can be anything digital: paper, sentiment or main image.

For my card I used a digital stamp from Amber Ink. It was a free set when I got it some time ago, when she first created her site. It is now available for purchase, plus she has lots more sets to choose from. She used to be one of the artists behind "Hanna stamps" which is now out of business, so you might be familiar with these images.

I have also used an image from the set "It's a girl thing" by Lindsay's Stamp Stuff, from our sponsor My Grafico. The little birdie with banner is part of that digistamp set. I thought it would be fun to write something on that banner, so that is what I did.

Here's a close up of the little birdie image.

My Designer Paper is from Basic Grey and card stock is Stampin Up's kiwi kiss. I used my sewing machine to add some stitches to the two paper strips and embellished with a Prima flower, button and silver cord. The coloring was done with derwent coloursoft pencils and gamsol and I used a couple of copic markers for the skintones. To finish the card off I added some stickles glitter to the image and to the flower.

I am also entering this card to the following challenges:

• Karber Weekly (digistamp and flowers)
• Paper Playtime (faces)
• Secret Crafter (buttons and bows)

As I mentioned above, My Grafico is sponsoring our challenge again this week, and they are giving away one digistamp set plus a 20% off voucher to one lucky winner. The winner even gets to choose the set and they have so many to choose from!! To enter all you have to do is follow our challenge theme and don't forget to use something digital.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Have a great day!
Ellie.

Penny Black @ All Sorts January Challenge

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you all had a fabulous New Years Eve celebration and I wish you all the best for 2011!!
May all your wishes come true and may you all have a happy and healthy New Year!



And since it's the first of the month it is also time for a new challenge over at

Penny Black @ All Sorts,

and with the new year we also have some super exciting news to share!

For this month we have four prizes from the wonderful Penny Black and an extra prize as well which I will tell you about shortly, plus we are super excited to have a new sponsor

who are offering a lifetime 15% discount for products purchased from their store to one lucky winner each month. If you love Penny Black Stamps and haven't visited them yet, be sure to check them out. They have a huge amount of current and retired Penny Black stamps for sale. I have so many on my wishlist, but unfortunately they will have to wait for now!

Now for an extra special bit, we will select a further winner from those who link up as a follower this month.

And then on January 15th we are having our first ever Blog Hop with lots of prizes!! Be sure to mark you calendars!

Please help us spread the word by placing the logo below on your sidebars!

I am super excited about being part of this blog hop!!

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Now onto this month's challenge, our theme is

"All you need is love"

I used this super adorable Puppy image from the clear set called "Critter Party". I just love the look on the puppy's face! He's been colored using derwent coloursoft pencils and then I used some baby oil and blending stumps for blending and shading.

Papers are from my stash, not sure who the maker is. I embellished with some cuttlebug hearts and paper flowers (Martha Stewart punch), tiny rhinestones, some ribbon, and stickles glitter. One of the paws was popped up with a dimensional and I tucked a tiny heart under it. To finish it all of I did some distressing and sewing with my janome sew mini around the edges. This is a smaller than my usual cards, it's a 4.25 inch square card.


I would also like to enter my card to the Crazy Challenge with the theme of punch it, and then at Stamps R us the theme is anything goes, so I am also entering it there! That's all for today!

Don't forget - Blog hop at Penny Black @ All Sorts on the 15th! Hope to see you there!

Again,
Happy New Year to all of you!!

And thanks so much for stopping by today!