Color Me Creative & Some Lurve–Green is the New Red!!

Happy Saturday everyone!  Color Me Creative has a new challenge that is all about lurve!  I created a card with this little cutie from our sponsors, The Stamp Fairy.  How adorable is he?!!!

As I typed this post I realised that the colours are also the colours of Love; red, cream and pink and oh yes, Ruby COMPLETELY messed up and did green and brown!!! Read the instructions woman lol.  The version below is the one that I made initially, the red and pink version above is my reworked one!

I used this sketch from I Spy Sketches.  I adapted it somewhat but it was my main inspiration for my card above.

I Spy Sketches is a new challenge blog so this is their very first challenge. I was inspired by one of their DT member’s cards by Danielle Daws’ using the holey ribbon!  (not sure what it’s officially called!)

I coloured him in the usual way using my Copics, colours shown below and then using a fluffy tea-towel spritzed with colourless blender I dabbed away some of the colour to give him some texture.  I’ve wanted to play around with this technique for a while, and it works so well on teddies.  I know Suzanne also has a free video showing you how to colour fur but I keep avoiding that, this is my safer option lol.  I will have to do that one soon.

I also added in some random shadowing around the edges using T1 & T3.  I was going to go all the way around but kinda liked it all spaced out.
Here’s the colours I used..

I’m entering my card(s) into the following challenges;
CardMadFairy’s Digi Day Challenge – ‘Use Hearts’
Delicious Doodles – ‘All Loved Up’

I’m having a lot of technical issues this end for some reason so because of that I would love it if you would refer to our main Color Me Creative blog for full details of the challenge and I would also encourage you to visit each of the DT girls’ blogs because they have cooked up some beauties with this challenge!

Ciao for now!

InLinkz.com

PDCC 75 & WPlus9

Happy Thursday!!

I love Thursdays, it's Play Date Cafe day. This is the challenge that pushes me beyond my boundaries quite often, especially when it throws in some pastel colours for me to work with!

This week we are sponsored by WPlus9 stamps and were very lucky to receive some gorgeous WPlus9 stamps to play with. I literally squealed with delight when they came in! They are FAB and I've wanted something like this for ages. Thank you so much Dawn!

Here is my card...  I'm sorry the photo isn't great, I just couldn't get it to work so well for some reason.

This was our colour inspiration picture.

This was quite a quick card to put together, which is usually quite rare for me!  Most of them take me a good 45 minutes to an hour to make (on a good day!) and then if you factor in colouring well you're talking days by the time I try and get it perfect!  Oh to be a 'just let it go' kinda person lol.

You may be able to make out the smidge of grey behind my central die cut label, I added in lots of silver pearls to match the little metal playing pieces on the Monopoly board.  Isn't it funny how some games can cause so many arguments.  Monopoly is one of them, we had a friend who literally picked up the board game after HOURS of playing and threw it across the room because he wasn't winning lol.  I turn into Boudicca when I play Risk, it literally is a risk playing with me!!!  I get SO competitive, ridiculous behaviour lol.  I refuse to play now, shame really - I'm quite good at it too!

1. Die cut blue fancy frame
2. Die cut two medium label 16 die labels, one in white, one in grey, offset as shown and attach to blue frame with pop dots
3. Stamp two flowers, one in blue, one in coral.  Attach the blue directly to the main label, raise the coral one with pop dots, attach pearls to centres in opposite colours
4. Stamp a leaf in green patterned paper (use up those scraps lol)
5. Before attaching the main panel with pop dots add some ribbon (coloured with Copics) and a small Prima flower
6. Stamp the sentiment in the top right corner
7. Add silver pearls to finish

So pop on over to the rest of my fab teamies to see how they've interpreted the colours, they're all very different this week. 

in Alphabetical Order..

Andrea Ewen

Colleen Dietrich

Fiona Shultz
Jaclyn Miller

Jinny Newlin
Julie Ranae 
Libby Hickson
Michele Gross  
Ruby McGuire (that's me!) 
Sarah Anderson
Savannah O'Gwynn
Tracey Kuzniak

We also have Dawn Woleslagle guest designing with us this week.  Pop on over to her and her team to see what delights they have whipped up for you.  WPlus9 are giving away a stamp set of choice to the lucky winner!  You will be spoilt for choice!

I'd love to see what you come up with for this week's challenge.

For your chance to win pop on over to the Cafe and link your post.  If you use an online gallery, please use the keyword PDCC75, and remember to use our inspirational colours to be eligible to win this week's prizes!

Just Popping By...

..to say hi!

It's been a busy few days and I've not had much chance to make anything because I wanted to put some cards in for the latest PaperCrafts publication call and the weekend was busy, but I thought I'd pop by and share a little card I made a while back. It was using Amy Butler Lotus papers and die cuts.

Hope you like.  I have some news to share with you soon that I'm very excited about :o)

Ciao for now!

A bit of Fun - No need to adjust your screens!

Hi there

Today I have a fun card to share with you using a digi image that Kristen Powers gave Sav (over at Savannahland2) and I to play with. We decided to challenge ourselves to make a card up and thought it would be fun to make this cute little French girl for Valentine's Day.  Sorry about the background paper, it does look funny on my pc, all those little grids make my eyes go wonky lol

Sav got to post her card early because I've been having a nightmare with my computer.  We had a power out yesterday morning and it threw out our wireless connection.  For my Denami blog hop I had to talk my Mum through how to load a picture in Blogger.  Fortunately, I'd already written the post, just not added the piccie.  Phew, thanks for your help Mum.  I couldn't have done it without you!

It's really fun seeing how differently people interpret things.  I thought the girl's hat was the two separate sections, but I see Sav has done the top part as her hat and the rest as her hair.  Sav's is right, it's blatantly obvious to me now, but it just never occurred to me when I was colouring that it was her hair, I thought her hair was under her hat!!  Sorry Kristen for getting it wrong!!!  Now, I would have remade it, but if you knew just how loooooong it takes me to work with digi you would know that just wasn't an option so I hope I'm forgiven!  The little heart has the words 'je t'aime' on it.

The papers are Cosmo Cricket, the sentiment is this free digi one by Arielle, isn't it fun!

Go and see what Sav made, she did a much better job of it than me, but it was fun seeing what we both came up with.  She's just found out she won over at Papercrafts Connection too, so go on over and congratulate her!  Sav and I just 'clicked' when we first started chatting, we've been friends ever since.  Thanks for the challenge sweetie! x

So, I'm off to check up on my poor little princess who got sent home from school today, she's in bed but very restless.  I will be around to comment over the next few days, but with my pc being down and her being poorly I'm very behind.  Thank you for all your wonderful comments on my Denami blog hop card yesterday, I had fun reading them on my Blackberry.  It kept me sane when I couldn't get on line properly!  I've tried to do comments from it but it takes too long to load and times out. 

It's good to be back in the land of the living!

PDCC 68

Hi there

How are you all?  I haven't had much time to post this week as between working I have been putting together valentine card orders so it's been a bit busy.  My working week ends on a Wednesday night (in theory anyway, as I always end up working most days on bits and bobs) so I'm usually wheel spinning in at the last minute to prepare my blog post and this one was no exception! 

Today is Play Date Cafe challenge time.  This week the colours were set by Julie.  They are really pretty and feminine, but definitely outside of my comfort zone where they are pastels.  I was going to do a bit more shabby and chic, but I had the opportunity to play with this fab Hero Arts stamp set that someone let me borrow and I am quite pleased with how it turned out.

As you know I'm trying to practice with my Copics so this was really my first proper attempt.  Still a long way to go but I think I'm making a bit of progress now.  I need to get a bit braver with adding more shading and colour but posting it on here was a start!  I've even left a bit of white, which my friend would be VERY proud of.  She always teases me for wanting to colour in every single bit of my image, but I can't help it!!  It looks unfinished to me if I don't, but you can see a few white bits here if you look close enough!  Ok, so there's not much but look closely at the top of the clock, the tops of the birds, some of the hearts and even all along the scalloped border at the top of the clock.  See, how good was that?!!   

Here are the details of how it was made...

1. Dry emboss wood background
2. Punch borders in pink, adhere wood background and attach to card.
3. Stamp and colour cuckoo clock, mount onto chocolate cardstock with pop dots for some dimension
4. Colour white ribbon with copics to match card (it does actually match IRL!)
5. Stamp sentiment with versamark on chocolate cardstock, heat emboss with white
6. Stamp sentiment, try using a tumble drier sheet to stop embossing powder sticking, just how you've seen it done on videos and detailed on people's blogs, then spend the next five minutes trying to work out where the actual letters are because the powder has just completely covered the writing and stuck to everything!
7. Stamp the sentiment again, this time having thrown the sheets away and going back to the old technique of using a little paintbrush to get rid of the excess powder!
8. Tie on ribbon to finish

This week we have the wonderful Kazan Clark joining us.   I'm sure you will already know that Kazan ran the '2 Sketches 4 U' challenge with Laura Davis.  It was one of my very first challenges to enter so I was really disappointed to see it go.  Kazan's work is beautiful, you can see more of it over on her blog.  I just love the simplicity and elegance of this recent Moxie Fab card, just gorgeous!

Don't forget to see what our lovely DT members have made, so much inspiration in one place!  There are some beauties in there this week, you wait and see!

Julie Ranae (Senior DT)

Sarah Anderson (Senior DT)

Savannah O'Gwynn (Senior DT)
Ruby McGuire (that's me!)

Andrea Ewen (Private Blend Designer)

Colleen Dietrich (Private Blend Designer)

Jaclyn Miller

Michele Gross
Tracey Kuzniak
Jinny Newlin
Libby Hickson
Fiona Shultz

So pop on over to the Cafe and link your post.   If you use an online gallery, please use the keyword PDCC68, and remember to use our inspirational colours to be eligible to win this week's prize!

Etsy Inspired Challenge #125 - Daisy Petal Designs

* Edited to add .. Coupon Code for your 10% discount over at Daisy Petal Designs is 'inspired10', not as listed below *

Happy Saturday :)

We have a lovely lazy day ahead of us today, a bit of cardmaking and then some friends are coming over in the afternoon for coffee and cake, then we are settling down for a bit of  Saturday night TV.

Our featured shop is Daisy Petal Designs.. I love the description of her shop... 'I am creating artisan designed hair accessories and jewelry in the hopes of adding a little something pretty to everyday'.  I think that's what we all do in our paper crafting worlds, add a little something pretty to everyday, do you?!

These are the little pictures that inspired the card.  I loved the little pink roses so used a little pink prima flower, I used the little hairclips and the text background as inspiration for my background paper.

If I'd had time I'd have made something else for this gorgeous beauty, isn't it scrumptious?!!

Our sponsors this week are Shannon's Sentiments who offer fun digital images. As you can see in my card I used their Happy Valentine's Day image, I love the fancy script, so elegant.

So pop on over to check out what the rest of the DT made. 


Ashley N. Newell
Angi Barrs

Carole Chesser

De Swanick
Emily Branch
Jackie Bowman 

Joy Stagg
Kerry Angeles  
Ann Cox {February Guest DT}

Ruby McGuire (that's me!)

Savannah O'Gwynn
Sherry Campbell

Virginia Lu

Daisy Petal Designs are giving away a pair of Vintage Glamour Earrings and offering 10% off to all shoppers with the coupon code 'inspired' at the checkout!  Shannon's Sentiments are giving away a free digi stamp set.

Deadline for entries is Friday 12th February at noon PST. If posting to an online gallery please use EIC#125.

Have a lovely weekend!

Happy Friday!

Hi everyone, it's the weekend, yay!!

Please scroll down for Card Patterns and Everything But The Kitchen Sink challenge card..

Today I'd like to share a couple of quick cards I've made for some challenges. The first one up is for Rae Barthel's challenge.

So, I thought I was doing really well,  I pretty much stuck to the sketch which I don't always do, but there were 3 different elements to the challenge, you could do 1, 2 or all 3 which I'd forgotten about, it is only now that I'm uploading that I re-read the post and realised I could have made a non-Christmas coloured card.!!  Hey ho, I'm still pleased with how it came out.  I love the dramatic text of those stamps by Papertrey Ink.

I suppose with that phrase I could get away with saying you're wishing big for Christmas, that would work right???!   Ok, maybe not, but worth a go!!

Do you recognise the black flower?  I used it my PDCC challenge here, and as I'd managed to damage my little cake box I thought I would recycle the flower for use on my card. 

I used some patterned papers from my stash, the rectangle and scalloped rectangle Spellbinder Nesties, Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die for the flower (see other entry for more info) and the big scallops are also by Spellbinders.  To finish I used pink Prima pearls.

Ok, so hopefully I did better with my next sketch and colour inspiration.

I used this Card Patterns sketch...

and this colour inspiration from Everything But The Kitchen Sink's challenge

The colours aren't an exact match or anything, obviously, you can see that here, but the picture inspired me to pull out these papers again because of the busyness of the paper (is busyness a word?!!) Anyway, I covered my card base with two different Basic Grey June Bug papers, wonkily stitched around the edge, and added a ribbon that I had coloured using a Copic yellow marker.  I wanted to have two different coloured ribbons so tied the white one on afterwards to give the card a bit of a lift.  I then die cut my rectangle and scallop nesties and using Polka Dot Basics II by Papertrey Ink I stamped some Mustard Seed distress ink spots, and then distressed the edges with Tea Dye distress ink.  To finish I coloured some mini Making Memories paper flowers with Copics that the lovely Sav sent to me and attached them with a pop dot.

What are your plans for the weekend?  Natasha and I are meeting up with our friends for a bit of shopping in the morning, and a spot of lunch, then home to play with cards!  Ian has already been given a list of man jobs that need doing around the house, so no slacking for him lol.  Whatever you're doing have fun!

Love is in the air!

For Embellish Challenge card please scroll down :o) 

Hi everyone, I hope you've all had a good week so far.  It's nearly the weekend!  Yay!  It's been absolutely freeeeeezing here.  We had a few wintry showers yesterday, but the snow didn't settle.  It's just bitterly cold.  I have had a lovely day today.  While Natasha was at school I went over to my friend's house for lunch.  It's so nice being cooked for on a 'school' day!  I love it!  Tonight I've been making a few cards.  Back to work for the morning tomorrow and then the weekend off with my family, hooray.

I have a couple of cards to share with you today. The first one is for the CPS Challenge #153.  I love the simplicity of this sketch. It just sparks so much creativity, don't you think?

This is one of those sketches that you can use again and again. Here is my take on it...

But, more importantly...What do you think of my new 'frog'?   The frog is the spikey display stand I am using to display the card.   I had no idea what a frog was until Dawn McVey talked about her one here.  As soon as I saw the way she displayed her cards I knew I wanted one for my cards too! :o)  I had been looking for ages for one, and eventually found one over in the US.  It arrived in the post yesterday.  You would have thought all my Christmases had come at once!!  Isn't it exciting when you get something you have wanted for a while?!  Even more so when it's to do with cardmaking, don't you agree?!!

Ok, I digress.  Onto my second card.  I made this card for the Embellish Magazine Color Challenge - to use turquoise, brown and pink, with ribbon.   To be honest I found the colours a bit of a challenge to work with.  Pink isn't my favourite colour at all. I like brighter colours, as I'm sure you've probably noticed by now!  I don't mind bright pink but not pastel.  I'm just not a pastel kinda girl, I'm full on technicolour lol.  Anyway, I finally put this together, after walking away from the table about a dozen times!  (Do any of you do that if you can't quite get an idea to work?  I find it helps to put it down, leave it out somewhere that I can see it and then keep popping back to tweak it over a few hours/days).   I am fairly pleased with how it came out, but I'd still like to change the colours!!

This was the inspiration piccie...  As you can see I ended up using the turquoise of the socks rather than the darker turquoise.  As I posted this I just read the 'with ribbon' bit and thought I had not done what the challenge asked, but phew I have used ribbon lol.  I had completely forgotten about that bit.  There are some fab entries for this challenge, you should go and have a look at them :o)

I will post details of the cards when I get a minute, but in the meantime have a fab day/evening and I will be back over the next few days to share some more :o)

It's Finish it Friday again tomorrow so I will be putting together my list of things to do over the weekend.  Why don't you play along too? It's amazing what gets done when you take little steps :o)

Be Mine

Hi again

I thought I would share a valentine's card with you that I made for the 2S4U challenge this week (my interpretation of it anyway!) As usual I am wheel spinning in at the last minute to meet the deadline, but to be honest that's how I work best.  However, I am on time, it could even be said pretty early for the Crazy for Card Challenges #23 - 'Be My Valentine'.  I opted to put the circle onto a square card, purely because I've already made a couple of circular cards over the past week, so fancied a change.  I do like my circles but I'm sure you will all get very bored if I keep doing the same old thing over and over again!

I still have a few valentine cards to make so I may well enter a couple more cards for the Crazy for Card Challenges valentine themed challenge :o)

Here is the sketch...

The inspiration for this card was the polka dot ribbon.  We popped into town today and Ian bought it for me.  It's by a range called 'East of India' which you can see more of here.  They do loads of lovely wooden bits and pieces, but more importantly ribbon :o)  Isn't it gorgeous?!  I was in the shop 'oohing' and 'aahing'.  Yummy!!  I'm sure Ian thinks I'm a bit weird getting so excited about a bit of dotty ribbon, but I bet most of you 'get it' when it comes to getting excited about card making supplies!  My card is actually straight, but in the usual Ruby photography style it look a tad wonky, but I'm sure you get the idea lol.  Maybe that's why people call me quirky because I'm a bit wonky too lol

Anyway, back to my ribbons.... I also LOVE their wooden bobbins that they put some of their ribbon on, see picture below.   Ian says he can make me some.  How fab is that?!!  He will regret saying that me thinks!!  He will be making loads of them if they come out well!!  Look at these.... oh my goodness, I so want one... now!!! lol.  How gorgeous would that look in my studio??!   Aren't they just the scrummiest?!!

Mmmm.  Lovely!! :o)

Here are the deets for the card.

Edited to add in card details and I had missed off supplies that I'd used..

1. Cut scallop in black, a red circle and a white circle.
2. Adhere black scallop, wrap ribbon around red circle and tie in knot at side
3. Stamp and paper pierce white circle before attaching to red circle using pop dots
4. Cut out black/red heart, attach using pop dots
5. Round each corner, paper pierce to finish

Dies: Sizzix 'Circle #1' and 'Scallop', 'Hearts, Tandem', nesties circle
Stamps: Dovecraft Clear Stamps - be mine words
Paper: Card - Bazzill - red, black and white
Accessories: Scrummy East of India polka dot ribbon, SU! paper piercing tool, corner rounder

Ciao for now!

You & Me

Hello again

Well all is well in the household this evening, dinner is finished and all the dishes are away.  One little girl is safely tucked up in bed, the dog is sound asleep and Ian is playing a computer game so I get to play, yay!

Here is the card that I want to share with you.  I am entering it into the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #51, see sketch image above.

 As soon as I saw the sketch this idea came into my mind.  Now, I seem to recall seeing somewhere a card with the words, 'you & me' on them, but I cannot for the life of me remember where otherwise I would give you the information.  It may have been in one of the 'Cards' magazines??  Anyway, that had obviously set off a lightbulb and then I knew I wanted to make something using my little 'toilet' people.  Don't they immediately remind you of the signs they put on the outside of toilet doors when you are out?!!   I love them, I think they are really cute.

Can you tell any difference in the brightness of this pic?  I dug out an old daylight simulation lamps that I've had for years.  I think it's made the photo look a bit better, do you? 

I REALLY enjoyed playing along with this sketch.  It was great fun playing with my 'toilet' people [giggle].

Ok, so I've been a bit lazy in not giving information on how I've been making my cards.  I just thought it would be a miracle if I actually blogged anything so didn't want to give myself any extra bits to do.  I've seen lots of people doing their cards as a list, so I thought that might be more interesting than me waffling again!  So, here goes...

1. Cut a large piece of green Bazzill cardstock
2. Round the corners and paper pierce a pattern in the top left and right corners
3. Cut out a strip of 'people pattern' paper and round corners
4. Before sticking to card with pop dots tie a bow around the card and attach using double sided sticky tape
5. Cut out a scallop in brown Bazzill cardstock
6. Cut out a circle using the reverse side of the 'people pattern' paper, attach to brown scallop
7. Cut out man and woman in red and brown cardstock, attach to ribbon
8. Cut out the ampersand  ('&' symbol) in brown and stick in centre of card
9. Attach alphabet letters 'y-o-u' and 'm-e' either side
10. Cut out three hearts in red and attach two randomly to top of card, and one to the scallop

Dies: Quickutz man and woman (not sure of the name), Sizzix Dingbats #2 & Circles #1, Sizzix Hello Kitty 'Lace Edging' 
Paper: Kelly Panacci - People Pattern (Sandylion), green, brown and dark in red Bazill cardstock
Accessories: SU! Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, L'il Davis Designs Vintage Alphabets in strawberry and chocolate chip, Woodware Craftware Collection scallop punch

Enjoy the rest of your evening.  I'm off to leave some lovin' on some other people's blogs :o)