Fathers Day

Ila is running a sketch challenge at the moment to win some blog candy, so I thought i would have a go and see what i could come up with for the sketch. I have very few male cards in my stock at the moment and i had this stamp image that i recieved from Nikki that i had already coloured with my watercolour pencils so I thought I would see what i could do with it.
the backing paper is some i had printed off ages ago from a sample scrap kit, the ribbon is from my stash, the buttons and sentiment are printed from the computer and then embossed with extra thick embossing powder to give them a bit of depth. I have used mulberry paper behind the stamped image to give it a bit of the look of turf on a golf course.
The whole card is a bit dark to me but that could be because i normally tend to use a lot of bright or pastel colours but it seems to have worked out quite well

my first play with george

Thank You to louly for your scrummy George i just couldn't wait to have a play.
The first card George the diver i have made using sketch #8 on My Paper World. I used one of my cuttlebug folders on mirror card for the back part of the card, layered onto blu glitter card, the next layer is a blue watery paper from my stash yet again layered onto blue glitter card. I coloured george with my Sakura stardust pens to give his wet suit a wet glossy look, the bubbles are made with 3D Crystal Laquer. I finshed it off with some seaweed and fish that i found in my scaps box and the sentiment is from the george print.
The second card i just made because i loved the image, (As do i all the dottie and george images). All the cardstock i have used is from either my stash or my matting and layering box that i bought for a £1 from the craft show at the NEC (can't remember which stall as i bought sooo much). Mulberry paper is used on one of the matting pieces. George is coloured using my watercolour pencils and the sentiment is hand written with sakura stardust. The card is finished off with faux stitching

Anniversary Card

I had a few anniversary card to make this month, then i noticed the challenge on Di Hickman's Blog. I used her card sketch #2 and her theme for thursday is Anniversary cards.
The backing paper is part of some i recieved from Nikki, I stamped the sentiment from my see d's collection and then added a flower die cut with my cuttlebug and then added a couple of silk flowers. Card finished with a border peel off. the card looked a bit too plain so i then scalloped the edges of my card, to give it a bit more definition.
Hope you like it

Butterfly, flutterby

Daring Cardmakers this week is Butterfly Flutterby. You must have a butterfly somewhere on your card. So here is mine. The backing paper and butterflies are from a scap kit by Lilybelle
I Added some wire to the butterlies to make the tendrils.
I have sat them on a felt die cut That i recieved free with a magazine and then finished that card off with some glitter peel off borders and 3 little heart gems
I hope you like it

Things with Wings

The challenge on Cute Card Thursday this week is 'Things with Wings'. The stamped image i have use is one sent to me by Nikki., coloured in using felt tips used as a wash with a paintbrush. Baking paper from my scrap box layered onto holographic card

DC mid week challenge

Now this weeks mid week dare is inspired by Rachel and is called 'Folded' ! This is not folds in the card blank itself, but rather folds ON the card- whether it be some kind of paper folding technique or folded embellishments or even just a folded over message of some type.
For My card I printed off some flower embelishments and then folded the petals so that they were 3d. I used backing paper that i recieved in a PIF annd the stamp is a small whispers stamp.

'Arte y Pico' Award

Thank You to Shirley for Awarding me this Award. This is the first award I have recieved and it means a lot.

I now have to award this to five other people, they in turn (I hope anyway) will do the following...
1) You have to pick 5 blogs who deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material and also contributes to the blogging community no matter what language.
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to the blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and the link to the blog that has given her or him the award .
4) Award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "arte y pico" blog (linked in my title) so everyone will know the origin of this award. (Cut and paste the info into your blog to make things easier)

Nikki - Bunny-Zoe's Blog

Justine - Just Crafty

Sophia - Moonlight Inker

Nikki - Nikki's Cards and News

Pretty Pressings

Thank You again Shirley

Look what I got in the post

I had a lovely surprise in the post this morning. Loads of stamped images from Nikki. Thanks Nikki they are lovely and i can't wait to use them, and the card is just sooo cute.

Claudia's Box Challenge

The challenge on Papertake weekly this week is to make a box from the tutorial. There are some lovely examples on the blog and I know mine is nothing in comparison, but here it is. I printed out the wording on the computer and used another one of the dottie images to decorate it with. I did have a bit of trouble with the ribbon around the lid so it's a bit wonky, but at least i've got somewhere to keep all my stamped images tidy now

'Planes, trains and automobiles'

Here I go again, Well actually i made this card about a week ago but think it is perfect for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge 4. The images are from the mod squad collection from pc crafter. I decoupaged them to give them a bit of depth. The car is mounted onto card that I embossed in my cuttlebug. The backing paper is out of my stash.

CPS #59 Hybrid

I have been a busy bee today with my crafting. After setting up the kids at the kitchen table with some crafting stuff, I sat at my crafting table and started going through the challenges. I really did have my craft head on today, think it was because a friend came by to visit and use my cuttlebug.
This is my 3rd card of the day and it is for the challenge on CPS.
There challenge this week is to make a hybrid card (they explain all about hybrid on their blog).
I found a scrap kit on my computer that i had downloaded ages ago, brownies by happy-scrap.

I Printed the first backing paper directly onto my card stock, the rest i printed onto Asda value glossy photo paper ( this is my favourite photo paper to use as you don't leave finger prints on it). I digitally typed the sentiments onto the ribbon and journaling tag before i printed them out. I then sut out the various pieces and assembled the card as i normally would.

I have had various free scrap kits that i have downloaded for ages and never thought of using them on my cards like this but i am quite please with the results.

Flight of Fancy

Caardvarks challenge this week is flight of fancy, they have asked us to 'think wings'. I decided this time to make a kiddies card and fell in love with bearie Fairies so decided to use one of these on my card, i also thought i would build up a little villiage for my bearie. The background paper is a glitter paper. i have added glitter to the bearies wings, and also to the computer generated sentiment.
Hope you like it

Shrink to fit

Daring Cardmakers challenge this week is Shriink to fit.
You are allowed to cover no more than a 5x5cms area of your card with paper or embellishment - the rest of the card must be left plain.

So, this is my card. I have to say i cheated a little as i had a lovely topper that I hadn't know what to do with, but when i saw this challenge I thought it would be perfect. I then hand wrote the sentiment using sakura stardust.
I love this simple look and might do a few more of them

My new banner

Well I thought i had got my banner sorted. It looks ok on my computer and on other computers in my house but I have just had a message that it is too long for the screen. Just out of interest I would like to know if anyone elses computer is showing it too long. If so it looks like i am going to have to play again to get it sorted. This is sooo frustrating

Update: I have now made my banner smaller as other people are seeing it run off the screen. Didn't want it this small but can't think of anything else to do at the moment.
Thanks for those that replied

Shout Out to SheetLoad

I recently stumbled upon a great blog Sheet Load that has a monthly e-zine, that has designs, cutting guides and instructions to make 9 cards and get the best from your sheets of paper and cardstock. The April issue is now out, and you can also download back issues.
Why don't you pop by and take a look

New Look

Well what do you think to my new look.
I was getting bored with my old look for my blog so this morning decided to design a new banner and change the layout of my blog. It did take a while to get the banner to the right size but eventually i got there. I have even (with a little help from a friend) managed to get a signature into my posts, which i have wanted to do for a long time but didn't have a clue how to do it.
Now all I have to do is find a more flattering photo of myself as i hate the one i have on here now.

Scrummy Stash Alter it Challenge

Scrummy stash are doing a challenge for Altered art so i had a look around my craft area and found this frame that i got free with a magazine. I then looked through my scrap box to see what materials i had to play with. I found a nice scrap of backing paper that was just the right size for the frame. The hardest part was getting the twisted cord to stick to the frame but eventually it stuck and then i could go on and search for some embellishments to set it off right. Using sequins, glitter flowers, fabric flowers and butterflies, this is the final result.
Now all i have to do is find a nice picture to put in it.

Dottie Challenge

I have recently joined the forum on Charmed cards and crafts, and one of the challenges on there is by Louly for her Dottie collection. Here is the card I came up with tonight. The flower is the template on the GG bookatrix board. Backing paper free with one of the craft magazines. Cuttlebug Dry embossing, Dottie is coloured with sakura stardust and pencil crayons, buttons just old ones out of my button box. I really do love this one and am pleased how it came out.
Thanks lou, your Dottie is just so gorgeous.

Relax

After taking a visit to see Nikki today, I decided to have a play with the papers that i got from her.

As i han't yet had a go at the paper world challenge, I decided to use the sketch on there to do this card. I have used one of the Dotty's again as i Love them sooo much, using normal felt tips used as a wash with my aquabrush to colour. I love the paper i used with this and i think it goes really well with Dotty picture.

Thanks to Nikki, I now have lots of new papers to play with so watch this space.......

Just to let you know

Nikki is doing a fantastic blog candy for her 15,000 hit's.
Well worth a look

Sparkle and Shine

Well after a few days of not doing any crafting, today i decided to get going again, and yet again went through the blogs for inspiration. This card i have made using the challenges on both Daring cardmakers and Papertake Weekly.

I used Dottie, designed by Louly , using sakura stardust pens as a wash to give it glitter.

The background papers are a handmade paper, from creative papers, and mulberry paper finished off with a brad and a ribbon.

I really enjoyed making this card, and it inspired me to do a few more. I will try to post those over the next few day.

PWC Sketch Challenge

I needed to make a card for my brother in laws birthday next month but as with all male cards inspiration was very thin on the ground for me.

I decided to try incorporating a male card into the papetake weekly challenge sketch and this is what i came up with.

I used the papernations golfer and backing papers and i am quite pleased with the way it came out

CPS #57 challenge

Well It's been a while since i have posted but i have been so busy with the family I haven't had much time to make cards over the past week or so.
Today I decided to try and get back into the swing of things, so I have started with the CPS #57 challenge, and here is the card i made from the sketch.
The backing paper and mulbery flowers i used were from a PIF i recieved. I layered the backing paper onto some glitter cards and then stamped a sentiment using a see d's stamp and sakura stardust pen, and layered this onto a peice of card embossed with the cuttlebug. I then punched a couple of eyelets onto the card to thread a ribbon through. The card was then finished off with gems to give it a bit more sparkle

My goodies from the craft show at the NEC Birmingham

Well Today I had an early start off to the NEC in Birmingham for the hobbycrafts show. Armed with a bit on money and no bank card so that i couldn't buy more than i could afford, these were my goodies that i returned home with

This lot only cost me £10 and was my best bargain of the day

And this is what i got free for subscribing to cardmaking and papercraft magazine.

Now all i want to do is have a play with what i have bought

sketch this card #44

Here is my card for Sketch this card #44
I used my cuttlebug to die cut out the flowers down the side backing them with hand made paper from creative international. the paper has pressed flowers in it. The sentiment is a stamp from the see d's blooming friendship kit, and i used a couple of the flower dies from the cut outs with a brad to finish the card off

My Paperworld sketch #6

Finally got this added, as blogger was playing up again and not letting me post pictures.

This is the card i have made for the My Paperworld sketch #6 challenge. I made a few cards before I was happy and just ended up doing a simple cardThe paper and the border are the freebies out of one of my magazines and the flower is a diecut i made on my cuttlebug, finished off with an eyelet in the centre. The stamped sentiment is from one of the stamps in a kit i bought when i first started cardmaking, but i can't remember where from. I think i must be losing my crafting mojo as i don't seem to be very happy with anything i am making at the moment, but maybe after i have been to the craft exhibition at the NEC Birmingham tomorrow i may get some inspiration again

Thanks for looking

Today's Card

I made this card for this weeks CPS challenge and after making realised that it also qualified for the mid week challenge on Daring cardmakers

The mid week dare this week is another one by Mel - these are a few of my favourite things. What you need to do is use one of Mel's favourite things on your card (embroidery cotton/thread, buttons, felt or fabric) and combine it with one of your favourite things.

I used the backing paper that I got in my PIF from Nikki, matted on to some pink card, and then stamped the sentiment. I used embroidery thread (one of mels favourites) on to stitch peeloffs mounted onto white card. The butterfly is my favourite.

I love this card and by using a mixture of the sketch from cps and the challenge from DCM I think it works really well

Thanks for looking

Papertake weekly challenge - Frame card

This week PW are doing a great challenge with a tutorial for a frame card.

I used one of the stamp prints that was sent to me in my PIF, after colouring with my watercolour pencils. The background paper is papermania and ribbon bordering from my ribbon stash. the flower is die cut on my cuttlebug from funky foam and i've embelished the card with gems.

PIF Blog Candy

Please could Sammi, Tracy, and karen please e-mail me your addresses so that i can send out your blog candy. Thank You



This morning I recieved this lovely blog candy and card in the post from Nikki (thanks Nikki)

Now it's my turn. So the next 3 bloggers to leave a comment on this post will receive some goodies from me and in turn then PIF 3 bloggers on their blogs. Sorry UK only.