Athenian lady

The DCM challenge is entitled 'I am a woman', and asks for cards using a feminine theme or image. I have added stars, which makes this eligible for the Wednesday Stamper challenge this week. This will be given to my Mum on Sunday, which in the UK, is Mothering Sunday.

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Stamps : Non Sequitur Greco-Roman Collage set

Inks : H20s in Cherry Sorbet, Rose Gold, Blue Zircon, Chestnut Brown, and Garnet; Archival Black; VersaColor Split Pea and Bamboo

Extras : pink ribbon; stars from Rein; PP by Fancy Pants

S for secrets

It was only after I scanned this that I remembered that I had intended the stripes to be horizontal! Duh! This is for the Theme Thursday challenge of letters of the alphabet.

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Stamps : Tim Holtz Staples; Lakeland Ltd Ornate set; Clarity stamps Corner

Inks : DI Walnut Stain

Extras : MM RubOns; Image from QuietFire Designs; PP by Fancy Pants

Zebras at dusk

The TMTA theme is Africa.

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Stamps : Judikins African Safari cube

Inks : Alcohol inks Pesto, Lettuce and Terracotta; DI Pine Needles and Spiced Marmalade; Adirondack Caramel and Lettuce; StazOn Black and Olive Green

Extras : Paper Cellar square gems

Ismaki Challenge no8

I know some people find it hard, but I do enjoy making cards for men. This one is for my brother using the Ismaki sketch.

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Stamps : Paper Artsy Mini 12; HA Window Screen Background

Inks : Adirondack Willow, Caramel and Butterscotch; Anna griffin Chocolate

Extras : Paper by Basic Grey; Dovecraft brads; Fiskars edging punch; BB brown card

Mary

I found this image on my Tuscan Rose 3 CD and thought it was just right for the Gothic Arch theme of history. The background is meant to represent the large, rich damask-style hangings of the period. This is 2nd generation stamping to dull it down!!

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Stamps : Elusive Images Butterfly set

Inks : Adirondack Wild Plum and Cranberry; DI Old Paper, Walnut Stain and Tattered Rose; Pebeo Pearl touch

Extras : Tuscan rose 3 CD

Writing my Memoirs

Here is my bookmark for the Wednesday Stamper challenge.

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Stamps : Time to Stamp Beach memoirs; PA Letters 5; HA Old French Writing; Design Objectives Corner Flourishes

Inks : DI Aged Mahogany, Dusty Concord, Black Soot and Dried marigold; Archival Black; DI Refill Antique Linen

Extras : Perfect pearls Bronze; fibres

Your hand in mine

The 4x4 Friday challenge is to use watercolours. I got out my Aquarelle crayons, and in true non-artist style, scribbled them onto paper and sloshed water around on top to blend them.

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Stamps : SugarLump Studios Heartfelt set

Inks : Caran D'Ache Aquarelle crayons in Turquoise Blue, White and Yellow Green; DI Pine Needles and refill Broken China

Extras : Gold paper; Blue ribbon; Gold Ribbon Clasp; Perfect Pearls 'Pearl'

Thank you Nancy

Theme Thursday asks for work using warm colours. Here is mine, using my new stamps from SugarLump Studios. I saw a sunset the other day with just these colours - and was very taken with it.

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Stamps : AudDesign swirls; SugarLump Studio Heartfelt set

Inks : DI Dried Marigold and Aged Mahogany; Adirondack Cranberry; DI refill Aged Tea

Extras : Perfect Pearls Bronze; Peach netting; Q&Co brads; BB red card

My darling Clementine

The DCM Little Extra is to use citrus colours - oranges and yellows - to which I have added a deep lime. The main image is stamped on Alcohol ink on glossy card, which is the challenge from Created by Hand.

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Stamps : Stampington Recommendation, The letter T and Butterfly Girl; HA Background Stripes; SU! Dream

Inks : Alcohol inks Butterscotch and Terracotta; DI Fired Brick, Shabby Shutters, Pine Needles and Spiced marmalade; Archival Black; Adirondack Peach Bellini, Butterscotch and Sunshine Yellow

Extras : MM eyelets; Madeira green and black threads; BB card

Beetle Drive

The TMTA theme this week is insects. The ticket stamp is for a ride on an omnibus, hence my pun as a title.

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Stamps : Crafty Individuals 22; Stampington Butterfly Girl; SU! Explore

Inks : Ecoline Chartreuse and Burnt Sienna; Fluid Chalk Burny Sienna; Archival Black; StazOn Saddle Brown

Extras : MM eyelets; Tracing paper

Ismaki Challenge no7

Here is the sketch and my version of it. I've wanted to try this colour combination for some time. The optional extra was the use of metal - in this case the brads.

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Stamps : PaperBag Studios Addison; Time to Stamp ATC set1; Stampington Fresh Flower Elements; Blade Rubber dandelion

Inks : Adirondack Sunshine Yellow and Sailboat Blue; StazOn Ultramarine

Extras : Gesso; PM brads; Tracing Paper; BB and DCWV card

All things love

I did manage to achieve the DCM little extra while my computer was down. I made this Valentine card for my daughter to give her boyfriend. As well as the DCM instruction to use red and black ribbon, Alice asked me not to use a heart. (I did manage to sneak in a kiss!) I thought the Parisian theme was romantic.
Please scroll down for the main challenge.


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Stamps : Elusive Images Scripts and Parfum; R&L Travel France set; Crafty Individuals

Inks : Glimmer Mist Candy Apple Red; DI refill Tea Dye; Archival Black; DI Antique Linen and Fired Brick

Extras : Perfect pearls Bronze; red and black ribbon; black paper; Corner Punch

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The Friday challenge from DCM is on the theme of love and friendship, and using Stamping Up! products if you have them. Fortunately I won this set on a blog candy.

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Stamps : SU! Time Well Spent set

Inks : Archival Black; DI Worn Lipstick and Black Soot

Extras : Prima Flowers; PP by Provocraft; CWC Pearlescent grey paper; PM Flower Brads

And the winner is.....

Nancy Maxwell James.

Her name was picked out of the hat to receive my spring give-away. How funny that she was selected - I won a prize from her for the Victorian fan, a few posts down.
Thanks to everyone who made encouraging comments.

Collect a few beautiful shells

I have really missed you all over the last few days - my computer wouldn't start and so spent 4 days at the repairer's in a backlogged queue. Of course it started straight away for the technician, but wouldn't start up when I got it home! Typical! Anyway, I'm back now!

The Theme Thursday challenge is By the Sea.

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Stamps : Time to Stamp Beach Memoirs; Duo Designs pebbles

Inks : Ecoline Turquoise Blue and Light Green; DI Refill Tea Dye and Broken China; Archival Black; DI Mustard Seed, Black Soot and Antique Linen; Versamark Pen; VersaMagic Magnolia Bud

Extras : Perfect pearls Bronze and Pearl; Shrink Plastic; Elusive Images tag; DI EP Antique Linen; Fibres; beige netting; BB card

Ismaki Challenge no6

Here is my version of the sketch, with the optional extra of the scalloped edges. This was made for my eldest daughter, who is fast approaching this birthday. Although the image is not her, it reminds me of her when she was younger. (She was, of course, even cuter!)

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Stamps : Tanda Stamps Flourishes set

Inks : DI Walnut Stain

Extras : PP by Fancy Pants; Corner Punch; Fiskars Oval template; BG Letter Stickers; Prima Flower; PM Buttons; Image from Tuscan Rose CD no3

My Fine Feathered Friend

The TMTA theme for this week is to include child/ren and birds. I found a lovely image on Flickr which I converted into black and white to make my own digistamp.

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Stamps : Time to Stamp ATC set; Lakeland Ltd Ornate Set; Paper Artsy At Home 3

Inks : Archival Black; DI Shabby Shutters, Broken China and Pine Needles

Spring Flowers

Today has been so beautiful. I've been out for a walk and coffee with Steve, enjoying the spring flowers and the sunshine (a rare sight lately). I've been crafting with the sun streaming through into the room, and warming my back. It's amazing how it can cheer you up!

In fact it's put me in such a good mood I'll give you news of a give-away in a moment. But first my card for the Theme Thursday subject of Spring, and using the sketch from CPS #50

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Stamps : HA A Real Flower Drooping; BLine Rough Diamonds

Inks : Adirondack Dabbers Lemonade and Shell Pink; DI Aged Mahogany

Extras : MM RubOns and Eyelets; yellow ribbon

To celebrate my 300th post I'm offering these few goodies to one person who comments on this post. They are based on the theme of Spring - some papers, a sheet from Crafty Individuals, some Easter Peel-offs, some embellishments, and a few other things. The offer ends Thursday 14th Feb 10.00pm British time. Please leave some way of contacting you.

Cowboy Boots

When I first saw the 4x4 challenge on Wild West I had no inspiration at all, but then I remembered that I had received some free sample papers with a magazine years ago which would be ideal. You know how you save them for that special occasion, and then forget about them...

I doodled on some white paper to match the pattern on the boot, and used a homemade shimmer spray over a distressed background.

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Stamps : Diffusion Imagine

Inks : DI Refill Tea Dye; Perfect pearls Bronze; DI Walnut Stain; Adirondack Cranberry; Permanent Black Pen; Archival Black

Extras : PP by Creative Imaginations; Paper Cellar Square Gems; Red Ribbon

Daisy

I have used the (flipped over) sketch from DCM's challenge to make a birthday card for my next-door neighbour. It's a tradition that I always make her a card with her favourite flower on it.

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Stamps : HA Old French Writing; Tim Holtz Take Flight

Inks : Adirondack Dabber Peach Bellini; DI Dried Marigold and Spiced Marmalade; VersaColor Bark

Extras : Green ribbon and card; MM large Brad; Image from Crafty Individuals Butterflies and Flowers pad; Prima Flower

Victorian Fan

2Peas are having a winter festival of stamping this week, and one of their challenges is to make a Victorian fan, using this template. 'Japanning', or the art of black and gold lacquered woodwork, was very popular in this era, so I recreated my own version of it here. This also meets the Wednesday Stamper theme of Asia.

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Stamps : Time to Stamp ATC set; A Stamp in the Hand Round Lantern; Clarity Stamps Branch

Inks : Adirondack Ink pad and Dabber Peach Bellini; Archival Black; Fluid Chalk Tangerine; DI Black Soot

Extras : Prima Flowers; Japanese paper and cord; Black Lace; MM eyelet

Adore

This card serves 2 purposes - the DCM challenge entitled A Little Extra Doodling, for which there is an excellent tutorial; and Created ByHand's Collage Image challenge (the challenge being to use this image from QuietFire Design).

I have doodled with lines, dots and dashes - sorry, there isn't a secret Morse Code message in there! Now I think of it, that would have been fun!

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Stamps : Time to Stamp ATC set1

Inks : Fluid Chalk Charcoal; White gel pen; computer generated text

Extras : Prima flowers; MM and BB brads; PP by Scenic Route; Silver card; Image

Ismaki Challenge no5

Here is the sketch and card for the 5th challenge. I have kept it simple as I have made it for Steve, and he doesn't like heavily embellished and fussy cards. The optional extra was to use the colours turquoise and brown.
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Stamps : HA My Heart to Yours; SU! hearts

Inks : Fluid Chalk Charcoal; VersaMagic Sea breeze

Extras : PP by Crate paper; prima Flower; Letter brad unknown; Offray ribbon

Skimbleshanks

Toot Toot!!

I was thrilled that the Artful Blogging Magazine approached me and asked if they could publish my Wonderland ATC in their Feb 2008 issue as part of an article about TMTA. Congrats to the other ladies who work was featured too. Here is my work in situ:

The current TMTA challenge is Cats, and where better to go than the poetry of T. S. Eliot? Here is Skimbleshanks sauntering in at 11.42, just before the train is due to depart.

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Stamps : BLine Tick Tock

Inks : DI Frayed Burlap, Mustard Seed and Dried Marigold; VersaMagic Night Sky

Extras : Image from Internet; Replica of original train ticket from Past Times; Edding RubOns

Ophelia

Last week I ran out of time and had to bow out of the Gothic Arches challenge. I was determined that I would contribute today, especially as the theme is the colour purple!! I am so pleased that I could use the buildings stamp for the 1st time. I've had it for about 6 years.

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Stamps : Crafty Individuals 147; Judikins building; Paper Artsy Letters 5; Tanda Stamps Flourishes set

Inks : VersaMagic Pretty Petunia, Perfect Plumeria and Spring Pansy; Archival Grape

Extras : image from Tuscan Rose CD no.3

Bourbon Street

This is my contribution to the 4x4 Friday theme of houses. I wanted a card that didn't take a lot of preparation as I'm about to go and play in a concert, but needed to relax after the rehearsal. Minimal materials here, which unusual for me, and a good discipline.

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Stamps : PaperBag Studios Addison; Paper Artsy Man of Numbers 2; Bicycle unknown

Inks : DI Walnut Stain; Archival Black

Extras : Basic Grey Sublime

Red and White

These are the colours in the DCM challenge this week. It was hard to restrict myself to just red, as there only limited shades to play with. I also used sketch #49 from CPS.

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Stamps : Just Johanna birds; Tim Holtz Take Flight; Stampington Scripted Elements

Inks : DI Aged Mahogany and Fired Brick; Versamark; Glimmer Mist Candy Apple Red

Extras : Scissor Sisters flowers; PM Sticky ribbon flowers; SGme Clear EP

Pennant M

This is the 5th and final pennant for my 'dream' banner. Underneath you can see it hanging in my music/craft room. I will hang it a bit more decoratively later, but at least you see it in its setting.

M was the letter this week, with the extra being clocks or keys. M for music.... piano keys..... how can I resist that pun!?

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Stamps : Stampington Small Piano Keys and Mozart signature; Sunday International small key; See D's Ancient Alphabet; HA Printer's Lowercase; PaperBag Studios Addison

Inks : DI Fired Brick and Weathered Wood; VersaColor Polar Blue; VersaMagic Night Sky

Extras : SU Ribbon; MM eyelets; PM Flower Brads; Prima Flowers; Stippling Brush

Discovering India

It seems as if triangles are 'in' at the moment. This is the Theme Thursday subject. To this I have added Wednesday Stamper's Charms. The hologram EP gives the card sparkle.

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Stamps : Judikins Travels in India and Stitched Leaves; Paper Artsy Travel 4

Inks : Versamark; Adirondack Red Pepper, Sunshine Yellow and Butterscotch; Impress Garnet; Archival Black; White Gel pen

Extras : Beads from my collection; Paper Cellar Red ribbon bow; Black and Hologram EP; Suitcase Charm; Wire; Tracing Paper