Walking in a Winter Wonderland with Ooh La La Creations

Well this will be our last challenge of 2013, over at Ooh La La Creations. Thanks to everyone who has supported us through the past 12 months. We had some really great ideas for using doilies in response to our last challenge and the winners can be found over at the challenge blog.

I know by now everyone will be finished making their Christmas cards and waiting for the big day to arrive, So when I chose my theme for this fortnights challenge, I was thinking of all those other winter occasions, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries etc. So I chose....

Winter Wonderland 

So here is my card, using papers and image from the 'Snow Scene' folder on the Yesterday's memories CD. You can buy a copy at Ooh La La Creations Website.

I started by distressing both papers and then layering them one over the other and sticking them to an 8x8 card blank. I die cut a frame from Kraft card and added white faux stitching round the edge and placed this over the image at an angle. The image had Merry Christmas in the corner but I covered this up by adding two die cut trees, these were also originally cut from Kraft card and I had added polar white flower soft to them but having added then to the card I really didn't like the effect so painted them whilst they were stuck on with white acrylic paint the flowersoft underneath gave a really nice texture and I will be trying this happy accident again. I finished off with some white die cut snowflakes that I have glittered with clear rock candy dry stickles (this has become a firm favourite since buying a jar at the NEC back in November). I finished off with a Happy Birthday tag and added a die cut pine branch and some faux stitching.

DT call over at Fab n Funky Challenges.

Hi Everyone 

Just to let you know there won't be a challenge over at Fab n Funky on Wednesday this week what with it being Christmas Day. We girls on the DT are on our Christmas Hols until January 8th when we return with a whole load of new challenges. 

We have had a few of the DT girls step down in the last few months, most recently Rachel and Jackie and we really miss them all, but the spaces they have left are there to be filled by a whole new set of DT members and so we are very excited to announce our DT call for 3 or 4 new members for 2014.

So.... What's it all about!

• Fab'n'Funky Challenges is a very popular weekly challenge going live each Wednesday- but we have two teams who post on alternative weeks so as a DT member at Fab'n'Funky your commitment would be to make a project every other week - though you can join in every week if you would like to.  We take holiday breaks in the busy summer and Christmas periods so you don't need to worry about meeting deadlines at these times.

• We have sponsors every week and prizes for our challenge winners - the majority of these sponsors provide digis for the team to work with - so you need to be able to colour and work with digi stamps, 

• Also you must be prepared to promote our sponsors and their images on your blog -  we have some wonderful sponsors for 2014.

• We have crafters of all styles and abilities on our team - so you do not need to be an experienced crafter or DT member as there is always someone around to help out on our DT blog on blogger where we chat and keep up to date with our challenges - so a blogger account is required so that you can join in with us as we are a very democratic bunch!!

• The other requirement is that you comment on your allocation each week - and it's always nice to visit your fellow teamies!

• Oh and just one other thing! - as an added twist this year we are introducing a Christmas challenge in the last week of every month - in a bid to get everyone organised with a few more Christmas cards for next year - now that can't be a bad thing -                                                       so it's Fab'n'Funky Challenges - with an added twist of Christmas!!

If you are interested please pop over to Fab n Funky Challenges and follow the instructions at the end of Judith's blog post to apply for the DT - Good Luck and I'll see you over on the DT blog in January.

Alli xx

OK so I couldn't resist one more project for the Challenge

Whilst Through The Purple Haze challenges are sponsored by Penny Black this week I couldn't resist sharing this project with the ladies of the DT over there. They always leave such lovely comments and have come up with some great inspiration over the past few weeks so here's my take on Zentangle.

Materials

Centura pearl card hint of gold

Black card

White ink me card from Hunky Dory

Papermania Self- adhesive crystal gems

Double sided tape and foam pads

Tools Used

Ebosser and A4 embossing folder that comes with the machine

 Ruler

Black Micron drawing Pens – 0.2 and 0.4 mm nibs

White Sakura Gel Pen

Dream Weaver Poinsettia Stencil

Sweet poppy Noel Stencil

Technique

Draw a Square 6”x6” on a piece of the white card using the 0.2 mm pen. Divide the Square into a grid of 0.5” squares using the same pen. Then using the 0.4 mm pen draw the Zentangle pattern ‘Fiore’ into each of the smaller square. 

For full instructions on drawing Fiore go to http://tanglepatterns.com/2013/06/how-to-draw-fiore.html

Once the whole grid Is filled mount the finished piece on black card and trim to leave a thin border.

Stick the Poinsettia stencil to black card using low tack tape and draw through the stencil using the white Gel Pen, once complete remove the stencil and fill in each area with different patterns once finished, mount onto White card and then black card trimming to leave a narrow border each time.

Stick the Noel stencil to Black card and draw through the stencil with the white pen, once complete remove the stencil and fill in each letter with a white chequerboard pattern, once finished mount onto white then black card leaving a narrow border each time.

Cut a piece of black card to measure 7.5”x7.5” and emboss in the free brocade A4 folder that comes with the ebosser machine. Cut a piece of Centura Pearl measuring 6.5”x 6.5” and stick this in the centre of the black embossed panel. Stick this panel onto a 8x8 card blank.

Using double sided tape stick the zentangled panel in the centre of the white panel.  Then use foam pads to add the poinsettia and Noel panels.

Finish off with adhesive gems in the centre of the poinsettia and across the ‘o’ in Noel, and as corner accents on the patterned panels.

I am entering this card into the following challenges

http://throughthepurplehazechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - Christmas 

Twenty Third and final entry

So here it is the twenty third and final entry in the  ongoing Through The Purple Haze weekly challenges. I have had such a fun time coming up with a new design each week for the Massive challenge set by Anita Blake and her Design teams on the challenge blog. It feels sort of sad that today sees the final project for this particular set of challenges. Sponsored by Penny Black I have used their Peace and Joy clear stamp set and their cutting die Peace to create a CAS style card.


Something of a departure for me as it is plain to see on the rest of my blog  I love my embellishments. So here it is.

I stamped the image of  the dove with poinsettias 3 times using versafine ink and coloured the poinsettias using promarkers in berry red, poppy, and ruby, for the flowers and Forest and Holly green for the leaves. the centre were coloured with sunflower, I coloured the 'pearl frame using a sakura sparkle pen. I left the dove on the main image uncoloured and cut out a second dove which I also left uncoloured and stuck it over the image using gel glue to give some height. The third dove I added cool grey 1 highlights to the feathers and edged the wings tail and tummy with stickles rock candy dry glitter. I embossed a square of centura pearl hint of gold card  in an interlocking circles embossing folder by Sue Wilson and matted this onto a dark green centura pearl paper which I trimmed to leave a really narrow border,

I added the dove motif and the die cut word which was also cut from centura pearl card and coloured using a forest green promarker . and here is my take on a CAS type card.

I am entering this card into the following challenge
http://throughthepurplehazechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - Christmas with Penny Black

Snowflakes at Fab n Funky

Good morning, we had some marvellous entries for our Touch of Frost theme last week and the winners can be found over at the Fab n Funky blog.

This week we are keeping with the Winterey  theme  and it is .....

Snowflakes

Our lovely sponsor this week is StampArt Design by Kathryne

Prize: 5 Digis

As always we were given some wonderful digis to work with and I have used Using Alannah by  StampArt Design by Kathryne

This card is destined for our gorgeous grand daughter Chloe Ann and whilst she is a bit of a tomboy she also loves pink and glittery.

I used an 8x8 card blank and covered this with a piece of centura pearl card stock which had been wrapped in ribbon - it doesn't show up too well in the photograph but the ribbon is silver with little snowflakes printed on it. 

I coloured the image using Spectrum Noirs and Promarkers 

Hair Specturm Noir  FS2, TN1, GB,2, GB3, GB6

Skin  Spectrum Noir FS1, FS2,TN1 FS8

Eyes - Pro marker Cyan

Coat and trousers - Spectrum Noir PP1, PP2, PP3

Boots and Fur Promarkers Cool Grey 1, Cool Grey2, Cool Grey3 

I added clear rock candy dry stickles to the fur to add some sparkle.

I added a panel embossed using an embosilicious folder on Centura Pearl and then cut the snowflake wreath twice stuck one on top of the other and added white glitter. 

I fussy cut around Alannah leaving a very narrow white border and stuck her on to p of the wreath before adding more glittered snowflakes cut using a Tattered Lace snowflake die. Finally teh sentiment was cut from white card using Tattered Lace dies and I coloured them pink before sticking to the ribbons 

Twenty Two Down only One more to go.

This week at Through the Purple Haze Challenges we are being asked to use our favourite Christmas colours and being a bit of a traditionalist I have chosen Red and Green. More importantly this is my husband's Christmas card this year and eh is even more of a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas colours - he really doesn't get the blues and pinks and will always gravitate to red and green given teh choice.

Here is the card I have made for him .....

I started off with an A5 card blank and cut a piece of 'red velvet' card from pink pig crafts to fit leaving a narrow border. The card is a rich deep red and although foiled has a mat finish so it really does look like velvet. The only disadvantage is that it is quite expensive so knowing I wanted to add a white panel on top I gutted the centre of teh card and used what was removed to make the flowers. 

I embossed a piece of white centura pearl card in a 'honeysuckle' folder from Crafter's Companion and then turned this upside down as I thought the flowers had an appearance of mistletoe leaves when viewed upside down.

I cut two large ivy leaf sprays using green mirror card and a tattered Lace die and stuck these on the front of the white panel to trail down. 

The hearts are chipboard shapes that I painted with white gesso and then coloured with a berry red pro marker. Once coloured I coated them with a thin layer of glossy accents and allowed it to dry slightly but whilst still tacky added white stickles distress glitter in rock candy to give a sparkly effect once completely dry I added the gingham ribbons. 

The poinsettias were cut using Britannia dies and Green mirror card and the red velvet card gutted from the base layer. The centres are cut using a tattered lace winter florals die from off cuts of the Centura Pearl as were the pine cones and some of the pine branches and coloured with a 'Sunflower' 'Cocoa' and 'Holly Green' promarkers respectively. The Holly leaves were cut from Green Mirror card using another die from the Tattered Lace winter florals set. 

I placed the hearts on the card where I wanted them and then used a chain effect border peel off to make them look as if they were hanging down the card before sticking them down with glue gel. I added the Flowers branches and leaves and added red gems for Holly Berries. The finishing touch was the wooden sentiment tag with a scrap of gingham ribbon threaded through. 

Whilst flowers may not seem the obvious choice for a male card I know hubby will love this as his mum sadly no longer with us loved the bright poinsettia plant and would have several in the house every Christmas, we have kept the tradition alive and always have at least one in the house over the Christmas period, so they have a bit of special meaning for us which I know he will appreciate.

I am entering this card into the following challenges 

http://throughthepurplehazechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - Use your favourite Christmas Colours I chose red and green 

http://trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - Christmas 

http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - For Someone Special

http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2.blogspot.co.uk - Anything Goes so long as it's Christmas 

http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ Tic Tac Toe I chose Flowers glitter and ribbon

Use a Doily differently at Ooh La La Creations

Well it's Monday and time for our latest fortnightly challenge at Ooh La La Creations. Thank you to everyone who entered our last challenge and the winners can be found on the Challenge blog This time Ciska has set the challenge of using a doily in a different way. so here is my creation made using bonus papers and images from the Yesterdays Memories CD which you can purchase over on the Ooh La La Creations Website.

I used an 8x8 card blank and covered it with the pink spotty paper I then distressed the lovely subtle pink plaid paper before adding a cut out from a paper pad in my stash - I have had it so long the cover has come adrift so not sure who made it. The image was matted onto black card and I used a quickie glue pen to add dry stickles distress glitter in clear rock candy- sadly this doesn't show up that well in the photo but it does add a lovely sparkle to the card.

I used two doilies one I folded both into 4 to make quarters and then cut one quarter from the doily I then folded and tucked behind the image. The other doily I cut into 4 quarters and along with the odd one from the other doily rolled each of these into a cone shape sticking them along the join. I then stuck them side by side to form the parasol and stuck a die cut umbrella handle behind them. Before sticking to the card I flattened and pleated then to give the effect of the parasol being partially open. I finished off with a die cut sentiment, some grey pearls, small sweetheart flowers, and a bow topped with a dazzler.

Twenty One down Only Two more to go

This week at Through The Purple Haze challenges it's all about Christmas which is useful as it means I don't have to clear all my Christmas crafting goodies off the desk to work on something completely different. Hers is my entry for this weeks challenge as I need to post this card and postage is so expensive these days I used a few tricks to minimize the weight and bulk of the card.

I used My Craft Studio's Winter Wishes CD for the image and backing papers. The beauty of MCS is that whilst there are some pre designed image toppers on the disc there is also huge scope to create your own. I chose the basic background topper and then added the fairy of choice to it. I also incorporated the sentiment into the topper and there is a faux layering effect going on - not obvious in the photo but there is a mulberry paper effect in the centre of the white topper. The flowers can be added as required from the CD. I added some sparkle to her dress and to some of the flowers and foliage using stickles dry distress glitter in rock candy.

I used two backing papers from the CD and the smaller panel I used strips of washi tape with gold script on it, rather than ribbon round it so that the surface of the card is flat. I added to the faux layering effect using gold peel off borders and then added teh snowflakes cut from centura pearl card and glittered using the same glitter as on the topper.

Inside the card I used two pieces of the same backing paper as the small panel on the front minus the washi tape. I also printed the same plain topper onto the right hand page and used some extra flower imaged to make a frame round it.

I am entering this into the following challenges.
http://throughthepurplehazechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/  - Christmas

A touch of Frost at Fab n Funky

Good Morning everyone, firstly thank you so much for all your marvellous entries in last weeks Cute Critters Challenge please check the Fab n Funky Challenge blog for the winners.

This week with the mornings getting colder and Christmas fast approaching I have chosen the theme 

'A Touch of Frost'

We want to see your cards showing frosty scenes with lots of sparkle or how about the frosting on a cake? 

Our  sponsor this week is the wonderful
Stitchy bears Digi outlet

The prize is $10 to spend on artists images feature here today
(Stitchy Stamps, Barbara Jensen, Reece's  Scrap Pieces)

My card has been made my card using Stitchy Stamps Backyard

The gorgeous black and white image comes with a white bench but I wanted to inject some colour so coloured it using a Sakurs Glaze pen in Christmas red.

I went to town on the image adding white glitter to the branches of teh tree and to the snow in teh foreground.

I used papers from Ooh La La creations Yesterdays Memories and distressed these using scissors. The bottom layer was edged using grey stone staz on ink ( I didn't have a grey distress ink).  The upper paper was curled in one corner. 

I added the image and a die cut Pine tree, this was cut using a Marianne die from kraft card which was then pained with acrylic and flower soft added to give dimension. Once the flower soft was dry I added stickles clear rock candy dry glitter to add a frosty sparkle. 

The poinsettia was cut from 'red velvet card' from Pink Pig crafts and green card from my stash using Britannia dies. I added more sparkle to the flower. The finishing touch was a wooden sentiment and ribbon bow added to the top corner.

I am entering this card into the following challenges 

http://throughthepurplehazechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - Christmas