Saturday 30 July 2011

Beth and Ben get Married

Before any of my family get confused (I have a sister called Beth, but she's married to Chris) I'm talking about the Clipart Fairy's Beth and Ben bear, now you can buy Beth and Ben in lots of different situations, but not as a bride and groom, so I thought well why not put them together and see what I can come up with, and this is the result.

I used one of the Ben Bears from Ben's New Tie and a Beth from Just Beth Bear-Pink, I made her a little veil from some crystal organza, using Stickles around the edge to stop it from fraying and add a little sparkle, the little sequin flowers in her headband came from Mei Flower and she is holding a little bouquet of roses from stash. Beth and Ben are attached to strips of card that go through slots in the side of the card so that they are free-standing, I used a paper, the doors, shaped plaque and word-art (on the reverse) from the interactive Pink Flowers Arc Easel kit, the horseshoe image came from the Wedding Horseshoe set I resized it, printed a couple, arranged them in position and layered them up. Flowers and ribbon are from stash and the sentiment is computer generated. There is quite a lot of glamour dust sprinkled around here and there too.

Close up to show the veil and bouquet

Card closed

From the back

I'm really pleased with the way it turned, out although you don't get all the three dimensional-ness!?!?! and sparkliness of it in a photo, it looks fab in real life.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges.

Inspire Me Fridays - always anything goes
Sew Many Cards - anything goes
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - anything goes
Forever Friends - must include an animal - pastel colors
Paper Shelter Challenge - #24 anything goes
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge  - Anything goes using a digi
Make it Monday - Anything goes

Just a quickie

I meant to show this one yesterday, but time just got away from me, at the moment I could do with an extra 8 hours in the day. This was a very quick card I made late on Thursday evening, I actually started him in the morning, but I had so many interruptions during the day and my friend came for a visit in the evening, that it was quite late before he was finished.

Gayle must have had a bit of a moment when she drew this Teddy Bo, because she made HIM! the fairy for the top of the tree, and of course the teepee shape is perfect for representing a Christmas tree, so that's exactly what I made.


As well as colouring Bo in photoshop I used it to make the knitted paper, the red hairy fibre is something I've had in my stash forever, and the baubles are crystal stickers, which I think I bought in Poundland or somewhere similar, quite a while ago. The sentiment is my own, and was cut out using an X-Cut Die-licious die.


His wings were pinched from the Wee Sylvie Winter fairy digi stamp, and glittered with pink and silver glitter, which was also used on his skirt (that just seems the strangest thing to write LOL!), boots, wand and headdress.

I will be back tomorrow with a Clipart Fairy wedding card, made using Beth and Ben bear, see you then.

Friday 29 July 2011

In an English Country Garden

Have you been enjoying the lovely summery weather we have been having over the last few days, maybe you have spent a bit of time out in your garden, well that's the inspiration behind this weeks challenge over on the Polkadoodle blog, Emma would like to see projects made containing, birds, bees, butterflies, flowers, in fact anything you might find in the garden.
It is also stash box stamp week so we also get to share with you some of our favourite stamps, to show you just how versatile Polkadoodles images, backgrounds and papers really are.

Looking out of the window at my garden for inspiration there was only one stamp I could possibly use, it's called Witzy with Dandelion by Rubber Stampede. I LOVE dandelions, which is lucky really as it is the only thing I can manage to grow in my gardens, (my thumbs are glittery rather than green LOL!).


I made a little scene using elements from the Double Sprinkles of Kraft CD and then sat Witzy holding his dandelion, on the log. The background paper, border, sentiment panels and flowers also came from the same CD, gems are from stash.



Head over to the Polkadoodles blog and check out all the fabulous creations from my teamies, and don't forget you have until Sunday 7th August Midday (GMT) to get your entries into the challenge.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges.

Anything Goes Challenge - #46 Flowers
Digital Tuesday - include a digital element - #121 Gardens with Things With Wings
Everybody-Art-Challenge - #152 Garden

Tuesday 26 July 2011

Teddy Bo Tuesday and New challenge

Welcome to another Teddy Bo Tuesday, it's a beautiful sunny day here, has the summer finally arrived, we can only hope.
Today is the start of a new challenge over on the Teddy Bo challenge blog and Team B are in the hot seat this week for our
Alter Something
challenge, go and check out all the fabulous inspiration from the girls, you will be amazed at what they have come up with.

As it's not my team's challenge I have made a card, but thought the picture was perfect for a frame too, so that's what I have done. Please forgive the rubbish photos, my hubby usually takes them, but he was at work so I have had to do them myself, the card and frame look so much better in real life than they do here.


I have used one of this weeks new releases, the bears are coloured in Photoshop as usual, but I made the picture up in Photoshop too, using a background paper from Raspberry Road's Squeaky Clean paper set, and some wordart and bits and pieces from some of my digital scrapbooking kits, (I think they come from various kits by Tina Chambers). The sentiment too is from Tina Chambers but I re-did it and changed the words slightly to suit my purpose.
The card uses papers from Raspberry Road's Beach Bliss, flowers from Creative Treasures, seam binding from Ribbon Girl and gems from stash.
Once I had finished the card I thought the picture would be perfect in a frame, so printed it out again onto canvas photo paper, found a frame to fit it and added some more flowers, seam binding and gems to the frame to dilly it up a little. To be honest flowers are not my forte, I love them on everyone else's cards, but I am never happy with them when I use them myself.









As it's Teddy Bo Tuesday that can only mean one thing, new releases in store, here is a quick peek, head to the store for a better look.




Don't forget to alter something for our challenge this week, we love hopping around your blogs and seeing what fabulous creations you all come up with.

I am going to enter my card into the following challenges;
Crazy Challenge - Ribbons
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge - Anything goes using a digi
Make it Monday - Anything goes
Paper Playtime - summer theme using digital or stamped images or sentiments
Tuesday Throwdown - #59 Create a matching set

Friday 22 July 2011

Fairy Tale Friday!

It's fairy tale friday again, my chance to tell of all the goings on at Teddy Bo Towers, over on the Teddy Bo challenge blog, and of course there has to be a card to go with it.

I love this image and just had to use it, especially when I found the perfect verse to go with it.


Sir Bo was coloured in Photoshop, papers and scroll are from a digital scrapbook kit called Good Knight by Heather Roselli, the gold embellishment in the top corner is cut from gold mirror card using a Nellie Snellen die, and I used some of the left over bits to decorate the scroll. The poem reads...

In days of old, when knights were bold,
and chivalrous and trusty,
they sweated in,
their suits of tin
and all their bits went rusty!




I followed this sketch from the Fetch-a-Sketch challenge blog, but rotated it 90 degrees clockwise.



Don't forget you still have until Sunday 24th July midnight GMT to enter our 'Teddy Bea only' challenge over on the Teddy Bo challenge blog.

***If you are looking for my Teepee card template you will find it here ***

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Fetch-a-Sketch - Follow the sketch
Aud Sentiments Challenge - anything that will make someone smile/enjoy your day (hoping the poem will make someone smile)
Craft Us Crazy - anything goes
Cute Card Thursday - for his eyes only
Dude Time Doodles - must be masculine - insp* (uses some of the inspiration colours)

Polkadoodles Christmas In July

It's my turn to host the challenge over on the Polkadoodle blog this week and I have chosen for the theme
Christmas In July
There are only just over 22 weeks until Christmas so if you haven't started your Christmas card making yet, hopefully this challenge will give you the kick up the bum you need LOL!

This week I have made a Christmas card using a non-Christmas CD, Paper Boutique Vol III, the lights came from Sundae of Seasons, I made the houses up using the templates from PBIII, the tree comes from this CD also, I cut every single little light out and attached it very carefully to a piece of pink embroidery thread, (that's dedication for you LOL!) and finished it all off with a sprinkling of glamour dust.



If you need some inspiration head over to the Polkadoodle challenge blog and check out my fellow teamies brilliant creations.

There is also a DT call, as Nikky is looking for one DT member who is fantabulous at colouring, so if you are Wicked with Watercolours, Perfect with Promarkers and Confident with Copics then go check out the blog and see if you are the person she's looking for!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Delightful Challenges - Christmas in July
The Rubber Cafe - Christmas in July
Digistamps 4 Joy - #23 Christmas
Paper Minutes -   #174  Blue, Brown & Beige
Crazy Challenge - Christmas in July

Wednesday 20 July 2011

Teepee Template

Hi Everyone,
I have had lots of requests for a tut for the Teepee card, instead I am going to give you the template I made for my card. There are lots of templates and tuts around blog land, but they use either 2 or 3 pieces of card and you have to tie or velcro the card together, undo it and flatten it out to go into an envelope, then hope the recipient can work out how to assemble it or add instructions in the envelope with the card.
My version uses one sheet of A4 card and with the addition of an extra crease line can be completely assembled and stuck together, it then folds flat for posting and will just pop back into shape once taken out of the envelope.
Now I am not an expert template maker, I only usually do them for my own use, and often have to tweak them while working on the card, but hopefully this will be OK and at least point you in the right direction.

Just click on the pic to make it bigger then right click and save as.

DST - Double sided sticky tape

If you want to dangle things from the top of the card, you will need to snip a small amount from the point and add your dangles before sticking the card together.

There is also a template for cutting the backing paper (which will be slightly smaller than the shape it is going onto) to decorate your card, again you may have to trim or tweak it a little.




Here is a pic from the side so that you can see how the extra crease works, just push the other two sides together, the crease folds in and you can just pop it into an envelope.
Hope all this makes sense and you find the templates useful.
Please don't post this template on any websites, forums, blogs etc. instead if you know someone who would like this then please direct them to this blog, thank you.


I also found out yesterday that I had won the Scrapbook sisters half yearly challenge draw. It seems that all the challenge winners for the past six months are entered into a random draw for a stack of fabulous goodies and I won Woohoo!!!, here's a pic of all the crafty yumminess that is heading my way.
How lucky am I?

Tuesday 19 July 2011

Teddy Bo Tuesday Teepee

Last week was all about the cowboys and girls (well cowbears actually LOL! ) and so far this week it's all about the indians (sort of  lol!) as I have made another Teepee card, I'm just loving this shape at the moment.


 I have used one of this weeks new images Ice Skating Bea, isn't she just adorable! coloured in Photoshop as usual. I have also used the Harlequin Interactive Book-a-Easel kit from the Clipart Fairy for the backing papers and frame, (wait I hear all you Clipart Fairy Fans shouting, that looks nothing like a book-a-easel!) No it doesn't, but if you look closely, you will notice that the mat around Bea is a page from the book-a-easel, I have re-sized it, turned it around and used it as a frame, the harlequin paper is one of the background papers from the kit. The snowflakes are Marianne Creatables dies, and along with the sentiment dangle from the top of the card on strips of acetate. Lashings of glamour dust finish it off.



*** Edited to add, my template for the Teepee Card, can be found here***

Here's a quick peek at all the fabulous new releases in store this week
Don't forget to head over to the challenge blog and check out the rest of the squaws on the design teams inspiration, there are some fantastic cards and projects over there so make sure you take a look and you still have until Sunday 24th July to enter our Teddy Bea only challenge too.

Also one of my teamies - Tab - has some fantastic blog candy to give away, so pop over to her blog and get yourself in the draw for all the gorgeous goodies.



It contains :
3 Magnolia Stamps {1 Tilda and 2 Butterflies}
1 Set of Vintage Corner Stamps
5 Bunches of Flowers
Loads of Flat Flowers
Buttons
Pins
Ribbon Buckles
6 Metres of Lace all wind onto Dolly Pegs

I would like to enter my Ice skating Bea card in the following challenges

Crazy Challenge - Christmas in July
Forever Friends - must include animal - Not Square
Karens Doodles - Shaped Cards
KB Cute Monday - Use a digi stamp
Make it Monday - Anything goes
Paper Creations Ink - Christmas in July
Christmas Inspirations - must be Christmas - Anything goes
Tip Top Tuesday - Shaped cards

Sunday 17 July 2011

Polar Paul Teepee and Wendy's Workshop

After a busy (and very wet weekend) I have some new cards to show you.


I made a teepee shaped Christmas card using an image from the Polar Paul and friends set, the Jade Shaper and paper from the Jade Chalky papers set. The sentiment is set into an oval frame from the Chalky Jade Frames set. The snowflake is made from two Marianne Creatables snowflake dies, and I've used glamour dust and some gold glitter to add a bit of detail. The Merry Christmas sentiment hangs from the top of the card on some silver cord.


I would like to enter this card into the following challenges.

Christmas Inspirations - must be Christmas - Anything goes
Crafty Pad  - Christmas in July
Creative Inspirations - Christmas in July
Paper Sundaes - Christmas in July
2 Sisters - #448 Christmas In July
Craft Your Days Away  - #24 Fancy Folds
Crafty Emma  - #45 Christmas
Bah Humbug - Must be Christmas - shaped cards/projects
Fairy Knoll  - Christmas in July
Stamp Something - Christmas in July

I also spent most of Saturday at a Clipart Fairy workshop, a big HI! to everyone who was there. It was a very busy day, we made six beautiful cards, but still had time for a natter and catch up with everyone.

Here's a quick look at some of the cards we made.








Wendy has more info about the cards and how to purchase the printables and interactive kits etc. on her blog here.

See you tomorrow for Teddy Bo Tuesday.

Friday 15 July 2011

Cool Cowbears

It's fairytale Friday over on the Teddy Bo challenge Blog today so lots more fabby DT inspirations to check out.

I made this card for the wedding anniversary of one of my relatives who is a mad keen line-dancer.


 I used Howdy Bo and Howdy Bea digi stamps from Teddy Bo and Co, coloured and paper pieced in Photoshop, using papers for both the paper piecing and card, from Raspberry Road's Cowboy Cool and Cowgirl Cool papers. I made a little lasso with string which loops around the card, As the papers already have quite a vintage/distressed look I  rubbed a brown ink pad over all the edges to add to it. I decorated the inside with papers and embellishments from the same kits.



Don't forget to mosey on over to the Teddy Bo challenge blog and check out the Design Posse's fabulous creations.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges

ABC Challenge -  Y is for Yesterday
Craft Us Crazy - distressed/vintage
Paper Pretties - PPC162 animals
Scrapalicious - #11 bear
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes

Long Hot Summer

Lis-M chose the theme for this weeks challenge over on the Polkadoodle blog, not sure if it's just wishful thinking on her part, but she wants to see cards or projects based on a....
Long Hot Summer 
I've used the summery colours of yellow (sunshine) and blue (clear summery sky) to make a card for a summer birthday, with the addition of  flowers and a dragonfly to complete the summery theme. Everything comes from Sundae of Seasons, apart from the sentiment which is from Double Sprinkle of Kraft. Ribbon is DoCrafts, glitter is Debbi Moore and flowers are from stash.





Hopefully the sun is shining where you are and it will fill you with inspiration, but if not, check out my teamies summerlicious creations over on the Polkadoodle Challenge Blog.

Crafty Purple Frog - Summer fun
Paper Play - things with wings
Southern Girls - happy birthday
Stamp Insanity  - summer colors
Crafts and Me - summertime


Tuesday 12 July 2011

Teddy Bo Tuesday - Bea in the spotlight challenge

Howdy Y'all, this weeks challenge over at the Teddy Bo challenge Blog is to use

Teddy Bea Only
which shouldn't be too difficult as there are so many gorgeous images in store, including some fabulous new ones for this week. Take a peek here or head over to the store for a better look.

This week we are once again being sponsored by Creative Treasures who have a fab prize up for grabs
CREATIVE TREASURES

the overall winner also receives three Teddy Bo images and the runners up one image each.


Here's my card for this week;


I have used Howdy Bea, - I have quite a few line-dancers in the family and thought this image was perfect for their cards. Bea is coloured in Photoshop and I have paper pieced (also in Photoshop) her boots, denim skirt, waistcoat, and bandanna, using papers from Raspberry Road's Barnyard Blowout kit. I also used papers from the same kit for the card. Lace, roses and red cord are from stash. I made the cowboy boot embellishment, and Bootscootin' sentiment in Photoshop too.




Ride on over to the Teddy Bo Challenge Blog and see all the amazing creations the rest of the posse have come up with ........ now Do-Si-Do and away we go! Yeeeee-haaaaw!!!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges

Make it Monday - Anything goes
Lollipop Crafts - July challenge - Anything goes
One Stitch At A Time - Anything Goes
Allsorts - #110 July long Free & Easy 
Ellephantastic  - July: Celebrations
Cardmadfairy's Digi Days Challenge - must use a digi - include an animal
Inspire Me Fridays - always anything goes
Wags 'n Whiskers - birthday

Friday 8 July 2011

Mayo'll your Christmases Be White!

This week at Polkadoodles we have been using two new and very fantastic Letraset products - Safmat and LetratacSafmat is a transparent film that can be printed on and then once the backing has been peeled off, applied to any product. Letratac is a bit like a dry glue product - it can be rubbed onto the reverse of the image and then applied directly to where you want it to stick - no blobby glue or tell-tale marks!

So our challenge to you is to use stickers or transfers on your projects - if you have Safmat or Letratac then show us what it can do!  Here is what I came up with:


From this..........


to this.........




This week I have done a bit of recycling and turned a carton that contained Egg Mayo sandwich filler into a Christmas decoration. The snowman and birdhouse inside the carton are from the fantastic new Magical Winter CD1, as are the snowflakes on the outside. I printed the snowflakes onto Safmat and then placed them around the outside of the carton, the large snowflake was printed onto Safmat twice (once flipped), I then sprinkled the sticky side of one with glamour dust and then placed the other one over the top to seal it. The snowman and birdhouse were also printed twice (once flipped) and were stuck back to back using LetraTac (what a fabulous product, especially useful for sticking  intricate shapes as you can easily get it into all the nooks and crannies), I also stuck the glittered snowflake onto the carton with LetraTac. I made a fancy bow for the top using papers from the CD printed onto both sides of pearl paper. The inside base of the carton is covered in FlowerSoft to represent snow. The "Let It Snow" sentiment around the bottom, was printed onto Safmat and then stuck to white ribbon from stash and the sparkly fibre I have had for years and have no idea where it came from.

Sparkly Safmat Snowflake

Fancy bow- see how shimmery the pearl paper is!

Head over to the challenge blog and check out what my teamies have been up to, and don't forget you have until Sunday 24th July, Noon (GMT) to enter our challenge.

I would like to enter my decoration in the following challenges:

Craft Us Crazy - Christmas in July
Just For Fun  - Acrylic plastic
Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Anthing but a card
Moving Along With The Times  – Christmas in July
Little Red Wagon - #88 Christmas in July
Celebrate the Occasion - #21 Christmas in July - No Red
Tuesday Throwdown - #56 Christmas In July
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
KB Cute Monday - Anything Goes