Artful Ramblings: January 2009

Ismaki no4 - Cheery birthday card

Up till now I have been using watercolour pencils and water to colour the Magnolia stamps. I have a wide range of felt tip pens I bought ages ago and thought I'd see if I had enough colours, particularly of skin tones. I'm really struggling to find a caucasian skin colour, so for now i'm enjoyin doing these more Asian/Afro Carribean looking Tildas. And I have to confess I don't often see stamped and coloured in images of `People of Colour', which is a real shame.

So I'd just like to send out a challenge, how about a non Caucasian skin tone for your next stamped person?

The photo is a `keeping it real' one, on my desk with the post made-a-card mess! I've been experimenting with holding a piece of tissue in front of my flash whenever I have to use it, so I don't get so much of a glare, seems to be working!

Love the sketch from Ismaki this week, here's the card...

Ingredients
Papers- TLC and unknown
Stamp - Magnolia and Hero Arts
Punch - Carl Craft, Fiskars threading water
Flowers - Prima
Pen - Sakura Souffle

2sketches4you - Design team call

I've been a fan of this sketch challenge blog since it began.

Laura and Kazan do a great job of coming up with innovative and inspiring sketches. It has unsuprisingly become a popular site.

They recently had the Spring Design team call, Ilove the fact they have a new team every 3 months.

I don't really think I'm in with a chance as the standard is so high. It's nice to have a challenge though and I had fun making these for the contest.

The flap on this card can open so an additional sentiment or gift could be put inside.

Ingredients:
Paper - Maria De Marco and Basic Grey
Flower - Prima
Punch - Leone Em and EK Success
Stamp - Hero Arts
Brad, eyelets and ricrac from stash

Ingredients:
Paper - Anna Griffin
Stamp - Stampin Up!
Flower - Prima
Brad and braid from stash
Pebeo Pearl Touch

Di Hickman sketch January no3

This is the card I did for Di this week

Struggled with the circle, so was happy when I found this big flower could do the job!

Ingredients:
Anna Griffin paper and stamp, Prima flower, button, lace, thread and ribbon from stash.

SALT - Mercy

My sister set the theme this week, click here to read the blurb she wrote.

The words `God have Mercy on me a Sinner' came to mind, they're from a parable Jesus taught about 2 men's different attitude to God. Praise God that he shows his mercy to us when we don't deserve it. Often it is easy to think that we aren't `that' bad, especially when we hear in the news of people who commit awful crimes. However the Bible says that we ALL have sinned and fallen short of the standard God has set. But, he has created a way back to himself, through Jesus.

So, this piece is for me to hang up somewhere to remind me of God's great love to me... a sinner.

Ingredients:
Paper and chipboard frame and letters - Cosmo Cricket
Flowers - Prima
Punch - The Punch Bunch
Ribbon and Rose from stash.

Happy 30th Brithday

Was comissioned to make this for a friend.
Was great fun.

The words had to spill over the edge as the composition just wasn't looking right with the size of lettering I had choosen.

I've taken to decorating the insides of the more decorative cards. I tend to use whatever scraps I have left on the table. And if there are any bits left over after that, they go on the back. I just can't give up my frugal ways!

Inside

Back

Ingredients:
Paper - Cosmo Cricket
Punches - Martha Stewart, Leone Em and The Punch Bunch
Lettering - Fontin Font cut with Craft Robo
Flowers - Prima and other.
Brads - Paper Mania

CBC Pens Pencils and Paints

I think this just about qualifies for the challenge on Crafts by Carolyn Forum.

I've been meaning to take part for ages.

I've coloured and used water on the pencils to colour Tilda, and then to glitter the dragonflies, I've used a glaze then sprinkled glitter on it before it set.

Ingredients:
Stamp by Magnolia
Sentiment - Cosmo Cricket
Punches - Fiskars, Xcut and The Punch Bunch
Pencils - Derwent Water Colour
Lace, brad, flowers and handmade paper from stash

Dutch Dare - Green Blue and Brown

Had to make a couple of quick cards tonight so used the Dutch Dare of the week...

Green Blue and Brown.

There are some lovely examples of work, check them out here.

Ingredients:
Paper - HOTP
Stamps - Rhonna Farrer and Anna Griffin
Punches - Leone Em and unknown

Made this card this afternoon. I was making a card for the Di Hickman sketches and I cut this polka paper but didn't end up using it. So I made this instead also using a piece of cardstock I had scored wrongly, that why thees the blue strip at the bottom. I love happy mistakes!

Ingredients:
Paper and sticker - Melissa Frances
Punches - Fiskars and Woodware
Flower - Prima
Pebeo Pearl touch
Ribbon, string and button from stash

BRIGHT cards to beat the winter blues

Just thought I'd share these bright cards I made last night...

Ingredients:
Paper - Urban Lily
Flowers - Prima
Swirls - Quickutz
Butterfly punch - Martha Stewart
Stamps - HOTP

ANNA GRIFFIN and other bits for sale...

Having a sort out and clear out.

Also need to make some money to pay for some new stash I've bought...

Click on pic if you would like to have a look at the BARGAINS :)

Buttons galore!

The challenge of using one or more buttons was set on Arty Girlz this week.

Like I needed an excuse to use buttons.

This is a belated birthday card for a friend, but I won't say who in case you are reading this!

I have been trying to take photos of my cards in better lighting, had to venture outside to my front wall to take this.

And yes, I am still obsessed with Magnolia stamps! Also my cards are getting so layered, I'll have needing to send them parcel rate soon!

Ingredients
Paper - Basic Grey (Mellow)
Stamps - Magnolia and unknown
Punches - Fiskars and Martha Stewart
Flowers - Prima
Pencils - Derwent Watercolour
String, lace and buttons from stash

Our Creative Corner - Colour challenge

Ok, so I have been doing way to much crafting recently, the washing (dishes and clothes) have been piling up.

I have resisted doing much craft today apart from some colouring while I ate breakfast and whil Ethan was doing some colouring too.

Found some stamped images my sister had done for me with her's, so when Ethan saw me use them he had to have a go too!

I helped him make some cards yesterday with his coloured in Magnolia stamps, he mainly gets me to use the water and paintbrush on it afterwards although he has been trying that out too. Of course he just has to have them cut out, so I do that too. I think he was trying to do shading on the cheeks, hence the striped facepaint effect on some of them... he is only 3 and 9 months.

I thought you would like to see his first Magnolia cards, so here they are... and some images ready to make more...

I had a go at the OCC challenge of 2 shades of blue and a neutral. Not sure if I've cheated slightly with what looks like 4 shades of blue and 2 neutrals!

I just love how one image can look so different depending how it is coloured.

Ingredients
Paper - Anna Griffin
Stamps - Magnolia, Hero Arts and Anitas
Punches - Fiskars and Leone Em
Ribbon - American Crafts
Flowers - Prima
Pencils - Derwent Watercolour
Misc - Pebeo Pearl Touch

Sketch and Stash no1

Another challenge blog has been birthed this month, do check it out here.

Here is the sketch they posted...

And here is my card, as you can see, I flipped it a bit.

Ingredients:
Paper - Anna Griffin
Stamp - Magnolia and Inkadinkado
Flower - Prima and from stash
Punches - Mc Gill and Martha Stewart
Pencils - Derwent Watercolour
Pen - Sakura

ISMAKI sketch no 2 of 2009

I told you I was going Magnolia mad, here's one I made last night, staying up to a silly time to finish!

I don't often do a Ismaki sketch, I find them very detailed and need a good motif to base it round. So they suit me just fine at the moment, I'm in a detailed mood.

I've used the butterflies as my diamonds, cheating slightly I know... If you look close enough they're about to fly off.

Thanks for looking!

Ingredients:
Paper - Cosmo Cricket and TLC
Stamp - Magnolia and Rubber Stamp Tapestry
Pencils - Derwent Watercolour
Flowers - Prima and from stash.
Swirls - Quickutz.
Butterfly Punch - Martha Stewart.
Vintage lace, brad and glitter from stash.

2 Sketches 4 You - Laura's sketch

As you will see from this and subsequent posts, I've been getting into my Magnolia stamps, all 2 of them! I have been so inspired by some of the talented cardmakers who use these. I have also been putting one of my New Year resolutions into practice and using up stash!

Ingredients
Paper - GinX, Anna Griffin, Brenda Walton
Stamp - Magnolia
Pencils - Derwent Watercolour
Leaf Punch - The Punch Bunch
Swirls - Quickutz
Ribbon, card and flowers from stash

Review of 2008

I have noticed on a few blogs I have looked at people have done a `review'. I have choosen my fave pieces from each month of last yr. Enjoy... and if you decide to do the same, please leave a comment so I can come and have a look!

January
This piece was made for the Salt challenge of `Grace'