3 more with stencils

Stencils really are my most favourite tool and give me great satisfaction.

This one is the Anja Window that I used for the pink & silver xmas ornament last week. This time I've backed it with some Basicgrey paper and a 3d from Marianne Design. Mounted over some sparkly white card which has been embossed using a cuttlebug folder.





This is one that I really struggled with. The stencil is a normal size but when used as a diamond it needs a big card. This is a4 folded to make 8*8 with a flap. I've used DCWV papers and embossed the candle design before cutting areas away and backing with red, green & gold mirri. Some embroidery in the corners and a few gems.

This has to be one of my favourites, it's using the same stencil as the xstitch one. I've embroidered with gutterman threads in pink and a very dark purple. Tiny 3d from Marianne and my normal gems and organza ribbon bow with some fused pearls threaded through. Corners were rounded with a Carl punch, I've had it a long long time and it still cuts perfectly every time.

Everything I've used on these 3 came from Art Of Craft. Shh, dont tell hubby but I'm sneaking off to the craft show at Cardiff tomorrow and I know they'll be there just waiting to twist my arm into buying more yummy things.

Back to my stencils

Sorry for poor photos. I cant find any batteries for my lil cheapie fuji camera and had to use hubbies all singing all dancing Canon. It's got more buttons and settings than the dvd recorder and I havent a clue how to use either ;o) I'm def a point & click girl, cant be doing with all these gizmos.

This one is a bit of a memory flash back.. cross stitch but it's done using a Mariane Stencil on to card. It should really have a kitten in the middle but I'm still in a xmassy mood. I did enjoy making it but it reminded me why I dont cross stitch any more... I keep miscounting lol. 3d is from a Mirielle book. Both were bought from Art Of Craft. Purple backing paper is from DCWV.

This is one of my favourite new stencils, it's an Anja window from Marianne Designs. Embossed onto cream pearl card, cut away then I've backed the flourish with gold card and turned the window into a shaker with some acetate & sticky pads. The 3d is also from Marianne Design. Paper is a dark blue in real life and from papermania.

Friday sketchers challenge

I finally put down my new stencils to play with one of my new Whiff Of Joy stamps.

Sketch is from Friday Sketchers and I used my f&c watercolour pencils. Paper is an old freebie from a mag and a paper doily bought at the local cheapie warehouse type shop. Couple of primas with flower buttons and a few paper roses with a small bow. Very quick & simple but I had a lot of fun with this one.

Couple more

A couple more stencil cards.

This is a Joy Crafts stencil from Art Of Craft. All I've done is embroidered with gutterman gold and placed it over some mat gold pearl that's been run through a cuttlebug folder. A mirielle 3d decoupage, few gems and a bow. The papers are from the 6*6 papermania pad and layered with some cheap gold card.

This is from the same stencil that the blue card is made from. I found the packaging and it's from the Star Range by Marianne Design. I cant find it on their website but they had a few in the shop.

This time I've just used 1 corner of the stencil and rotated it to make a square. I also used the snowflake that came with it. My favourite gold & white sparkly card, with some peel off waste, a few gems and a bow. Deceptively simple this one took a while to make.

On a roll

Another stencil from Art Of Craft (hope hubby isnt reading this lol) This is from the Suzy range by Marianne Design. I've cut & embroidered the base card with pink gutterman thread then used Forever Friends 6*6 paper and decoupaged it. I'm not 100% happy with it but the ladies at DC assure me it's fine.

This is a bit of an unusual technique for me, it's a stencil from Joy crafts which I've embossed on sparkly white card then cutaway. The candles & trunk are gold card and I've stuck organza ribbon at the back using a sort of fancy/iris fold. Instead of embroidering the candle flames I dotted the pattern with a gold sakura pen and used some glamour dust in the middle. All of this is then mounted over some red sparkly card which is then on a dcwv paper & some more of my favourite white card run through a cuttlebug folder. Bit of ribbon to hide the join and a gold star made using the jumbo star & ribbon clip punches. Seems a large ingredient list for such a simple and relatively quick card.

Another stencil

This is another Marianne Design stencil bought at Art Of Craft last weekend. I cant dap my hands on the packaging to tell you which range but it comes with a really delicate snowflake stencils. Jane & her staff are brilliant that if you want the stencil ring them at the shop or email them and they'll sort you out.

The decoupage is from the same Mirielle book that I used on one of the Anja window cards and I used a blue backing paper from Papermania/Docrafts. Silver gutterman thread for the embroidery and my usual organza ribbon & gems.

Playing with stencils

Hubby had a party he wanted us to go to towards Esher last weekend so I said only if you work in the Farnborough area and drop me off at Art Of Craft. Now he either loves me loads or he really really wanted to go to the party as normally the words Craft & Shop bring terror to his face. Coupled with the fact that he knows the one in Farnborough is my absolute favourite I'm amazed he didnt keel over!! Art Of Craft is packed to the rafters with goodies and they stock my favourite stencils, Marianne Design & Joy Crafts. I'm not going to admit to what I came away with but I'm sure over the next week or so I'll be posting finished cards.

All 3 of these are Anja Window Stencils from Marianne.

This one uses a Marianne 123 decoupage paper and the backing paper is from a Papercraft 4 you 6*6 pad with a few gems. I've kept it really simple to show off just how elegant the stencil is.

This one is actually upside down and I've cut away the window crossbar. There was just something about it that screamed xmas bauble so I teamed it with DCWV rose tinted xmas papers and a small 3d from a Mirielle decoupage book. Some lilac organza ribbon and a mat pearl silver card.

This one uses paper from a DCWV pad, Marianne Poppy 3d decoupage and a gold ribbon. Because I'm so enamoured with the stencils I havent done any challenge cards this week so based it loosely on a sketch from Friday Sketchers.

Docrafts tilda challenge

The theme this week at Docrafts Tilda challenge was Winter Wonderland.

I'd been looking for an excuse to use Tildas fireplace so decided to mount it under a window made using an old Anja stencil. I did cheat though and converted the image on the pc then cut it on the cricut and embossed in the wizard. I use this stencil an awful lot so it's going to make it really quick now I no longer need to cut by hand.

I then used the swiss dot embossing folder for the sky and some glitter card for the snow. Tilda & the fire are coloured with my f&c watercolour pencils.

Tilda meets shrink plastic

My youngest daughter has been nagging me to make her a phone charm and this weeks theme for the Tilda Challenge is metal so it seemed like a good time to have a go. I used my polychromos without blending, a few split rings, beads & a couple of charms.

Sarah Kay Challenge

I'm getting a bit fed up with making christmas cards so was pleased to take part in this weeks Sarah Kay challenge

The paper is a really old K&Co one that I found lurking in the bottom of a box. Prima flowers, pink gems, cuttlebug embossing border and a scalloped base that I designed in PSP and cut on the cricut.

Less is more

Or to be truthful, one of those days when no matter how big your stash is you just cant find that perfect something that you couldnt even describe if your life depended on it!!

I made this for the Spoon Full of Sugar challenge, pink & green and based it very loosely on a sketch from Poetic Artistry. The sugar nellie stamp has such a genteel feel to her I wanted to use more of a vintage look so went with K&Co paper, rose carmine & chromium green opaque f&c watercolur pencils. All was going well until I started to look for those elusive embellies to finish it off and nothing is working. So time to put her in the box with the other cards that are waiting for me to find that perfect embellie or 2.

Cupcake craft challenge

There's a beautiful new sketch today at cupcake craft challenge

I've used a papermania snowman stamp, coloured with my f&c watercolour pencils, rose carmine, a tiny bit of cobalt green over his body, cadmium orange and indianthrene blue for his buttons.

Papers from the rose tinted xmas stack from DCW, mauve bazzill, silver pearl cut with oval nesties. Cuttlebug snowflakes are stuck to some metallic mizhuki cord with a penny black greeting stamped with purple stayzon. I'm not happy with the greeting, ideally it would be in the shape of a star so if anyone knows of a star xmas greetings stamp I'd love to hear about it.

New Challenge Blog

Well the timing couldnt have been better seeing as it's World Cardmaking Day for there to be a new challenge blog, the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge

For their first challenge there's a fab sketch.

I've used an old rubber stampede Bunny Wreath stamp, I'm ashamed to admit I've had it 8 years and never used it. Colours are deep red, juniper green, leaf green, warm grey and rose carmine. 2 dcwv papers, a Lavinia holly stamp and a papermania sentiment. I've only just noticed that I've forgotten to add my favourite tiny red gems to the wreath, oops. Oh well we've still got 2 months til it's needed.

sketch saturday

Another lovely sketch this week from Sketch Saturday although I've taken a few liberties.

Sugar Nellie santa again, with Christmas Treasures Holly paper from The Paper Company. The photo doesnt do the paper justice as it's a really gorgeous pearly paper with metalic red berries, seemed a shame to cover so much of it but at least I have a few more sheets I can play with. Present papers are DCWV, ribbon from Ribbon Box, prima flower with holly punch. Sentiment from Lili of the Valley.

Friday sketchers challenge

Thought I'd do something a bit different for the friday sketchers challenge this week. Instead of using papers I used my inksadinkado holly flourish stamp with some adirondack meadow ink. Dont know that I'm that keen on this ink with stamps, no matter what sort of stamp or surface I'm using it seems to bleed slightly. Time I went on the hunt for some green versafine I think. I've then used 2 cuttlebug folders to create the paper ribbons. The tree is a Lasting Impressions stencil dry embossed before being chalked, glitter, gems & a peel off star added.

Blog candy alert

The very talented Marlene is celebrating her soon to be big birthday with some seriously nice blog candy. Pop on over to wish her a happy birthday.

Whilst bloghopping earlier I came across a new to me blog, Dolliedewdrop not only has she got some candy on offer she's also got some lovely eyecandy to get even the most reluctant mojo back.

papermania reindeer

Lili of the Valley blog has a lovely sketch this week and the theme on Cute Card Thursday is Christmas Animals.

I decided to use a reindeer stamp from Papermania, not my favourite stamp.. seems to be a design flaw in the ribbon as you can see the body of the reindeer. My normal f&c pencils, with glossy accent on his nose and glitter over the ribbons. Paper is a DCWV, with the red card stamped with a hero arts border and an inkadinkado snowflake. I used a Noel stamp from Lili of the Valley, which is sadly from the only set I own.