Christmas Tags

The theme for this week's challenge from Rainbow Lady is Christmas tags. Here are two very quick tags a) because I wanted to do the challenge this week as it may be my last for a couple of weeks - due to family staying and b) quick because my family are lucky if they get a present wrapped let alone a tag. (I don't do fancy wrapping - I notorious for my rubbish parcels.)

Thanks for visiting.

Beryl xx

Monotone Red

This wasn't going to be an Oriental type card at all. I started with a poppy image but got sidetracked. The pale pink background is a colour wash using Poppy Red H20. Behind the Cherry Branch (Stamp Addicts) stamp it's just blotted but on the right side I layed cling film on it till it was dry. It does leave a pattern but so feint that I don't think it shows in the photo. There's a lovely sheen too which is only evident as you move the card about. On the left is a piece of mulberry paper which I put through the cuttlebug with the paisley embossing folder. It works quite well but ended up being mostly covered. The ribbon at the top I'm not happy with but it sticks so well you don't have a second chance, so it stayed. This is my first try at making one of these knots,(with some cord I bought at Ally Pally last year.) I don't know what you are supposed to do with the ends though! I've chosen red this time for Rainbow Lady's monotone rainbow colours challenge. I suppose if I'd stuck to my original plan there would have been a fair bit of white on it so this one is more monotone.

Thanks for visiting.

Beryl xx

Absent Friends

Over on the Tanda Stamps challenge sight they are missing a few of their regulars so they decided that the theme this week would be absent friends. I always think when I see meerkats that they are on the lookout for the last one home so I chose this image from the JNM cd. The backing paper and the ribbon are from my stash and the greeting is from one of the Cute Companions sets by Jayne Nesterenko.

Thanks for looking.

Beryl xx

Gone Fishing

This weeks challenge from Arty Girlz was to make a man's card or a card with a man/men on it. I think I've covered both with this one. The stamps are from Crafters Companion. The background for the fisherman is glossy card brayered with Peacock Brilliance Ink. The speckles round the edge are a stamp from the Cloudy Day Stamp in the Hand Set. The fish and greeting are on the same background and the corners are the tan paper that I've used behind the stamped plate.

Thanks for visiting.

Beryl xx

Anniversary Card

To celebrate her first year of blogging Ann has set a challenge to make an anniversary card using the colours on her blog (plus white). As my son and his wife will be celebrating their tenth anniversary soon I thought I would make a card for them. (We don't usually bother with anniversaries but ten years is a milestone of sorts.)

The stamp is from Elusive Images, coloured with pearl paints from The Works, mounted onto a background which has been Cuttlebugged. I think I've got all the colours I needed, navy behind the white plaque, pale green ribbon (this is shredded florists ribbon) and pink and lavender in the flowers.

Thanks for visiting.

Beryl xx

Miidsummer Nights Dream

This card is for Joanna Sheen's challenge this week to make a card inspired by A Midsummer Nights Dream. The image is from Dancing with Shadows cd printed onto acetate and then back with glossy card which has been coloured with alcohol inks. The sparkly black card is from my Kanban box and the sentiments from Rubbadubbadoo. The base card is lavender, stamped with one of my swirly stamps by Hero Arts.
Thanks for visiting.
Beryl xx

Oriental

Rainbow Lady wanted an Oriental card this week. A while ago I was making lots of oriental cards but having had a break my mind's gone a bit dead. Never mind. The paper is from Joanna Sheen's Oriental Dreams cd which I'd printed out some time ago. Good chance to use it up. The dragon is from a pack of oriental images I've had ages and the text is an English Stamp Company one stamped with black Stazon onto printable vellum. (I hope it's the right way up!) The sticks on the scroll are a chopped up kebab skewer. I knew I'd use them eventually as I don't think they'll be getting used on a bar-b-q anytime soon.Thanks for looking.

Beryl xx

Lupins Times Two

The challenge over at Tanda Stamps this week was to use the same stamp twice. This lupin stamp had three stems so I thought I would use it twice to make a fuller image. I masked the first image and then overstamped. It's then coloured with Lyra watercolours and matted onto green and then a cream base card. It's quite a large image so there wasn't much space left to do a lot else.

Thanks for looking.

Beryl xx

Sketch

A Sketch was the challenge set by Arty Girlz this week. It's the first time I've followed a sketch but they did say you could shift it around so it's not exactly as the plan. The backing papers are from the set that I won from Arty Girlz just a few weeks after I started entering the challenges. (Wasn't I lucky?)

The stamp is a freebie from a magazine so it was quite a cheap card to do really. It makes me feel a bit less guilty about all the stash I buy.

Thanks for visiting.

Beryl xx

My Favourite Flowers

This week the challenge on Rainbow Lady's blog has been set by Tiina. She wants us to use our favourite flower. Mine is the hardy geranium. In my last garden I had over 100 different varieties.(I've no idea how many actual plants I had - several hundred I suspect.) When I moved here I only brought 69 but the numbers have crept up again as I find new ones. I haven't been able to find a stamp with this flower on it (yet) so I thought I'd share some from the garden. As I write these blooms are all still out there in the rain. I just photographed a few and stuck them on a card like stamps. I'm sure this card needs something more but I wanted to get it posted before the visitors arrived as I think that will be the end of my crafting for a week.

Thanks for visiting.

Beryl xx

To The Ends of the World

The theme this week from Tanda Stamps challenge is travel.
The world map and the paper backing it are from Crafters Companion Men's cds and the stamp in the background is from a set by the Englush Stamp Company. The map is one of my Dimension Fourth stamps and the tag is randomly stamped with Judikins travel cubes - India, Africa and Kew. The corners have been made with the cuttlebug.
Thanks for visiting.
Beryl xx

Fat Bottomed Girls

I'm having some fun today because Arty Girlz want an interpretation of a favourite song. I love Queen. In fact I decided many years ago to have Another One Bites the Dust played at my funeral. It's written into my will so woe betide anyone who forgets. I couldn't find the image I wanted to suggest 'Fat Bottomed Girls' - another Queen song I love - so I went for the panty template. At least one my daughters will appreciate it. The paper is from a magazine and the trimming is self adhesive paper lace - coloured with a peel off marker. The beads hanging on the "belt" are also a freebie from a magazine. Not a lot of work in it I know but I did spend a lot of time looking for everything. I hope that counts as effort

Thanks for visiting .

Beryl xx

Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers Group 20

I was really chuffed when Cynthia invited me to join this group. I'm really looking forward to getting to know loads of new crafters and see all their work. I hope I can get round to visiting everybody on a regular basis but this coming week will be difficult as we have relatives staying again from Sunday onwards. It's a bit like that in the summer as we live in a beautiful part of Wales and we usually have at least four different groups of family members staying between May and August. I'll do my best though
I've been making my own cards for quite a while but used to do so using a computer. Have been using stamps and papercraft since 2005. My niece Terrie got me hooked and she will be visiting with her family in July/August. Needless to say we have to send the men out on their own sometimes so that we can get on with the more important things in life. (Crafting of course.)
Beryl xx

Musical Interlude

The challenge on the Joanna Sheen forum this week is called 'Musical Interlude'.

The image is from the Hollywood Vintage cd and the backing paper is from the Victoria Companion cd. The mirri card and the paper surrounding the image are from my stash. The text is a Sparkle N Sprinkle stamp.

Thanks for visiting.

Beryl xx