Monday 31 May 2010

Pulling Another White Rabbit Out of The Hat!

For some time now I have been spotlighting one of my projects on the Whimsical Ink Sorority Blog for Queen Kat Designs  every Wednesday.  From now on though, I am moving my WIS slot to tuesdays and sharing my creations on the WIS blog as part of the weekly Tuesday Blog Hop. I always like to share my creations on here too and this will also move to tuesdays from now on.   If you'd like to join in the whole Hop, start here and just follow the links.
This week for the Monday Blog Hop the DT created 'anything but a card' and so I thought I'd carry this theme on into my project for today.

Once again I've used this cute White Rabbit Mermaid, did you see my post on monday when I introduced this beauty?  Today's creation is a notepad holder, I have had these long slim notepads on my desk for some time and thought it was about time I made something special with at least one of them!

I decided to use the 'spotlighting' technique and added just red to the stamped image to make the mermaid 'pop' against the black and white patterned card I used to make the holder.  I added just a little stickles to the smoke rings being blown by the caterpiller and I gave him a red hat, just for fun!


I lined the inside of the cover with this lovely striped paper I found in my stash and added a couple of strips of the black and white patterned card to create two small internal pockets - as can be seen in the picture on the right here.  A length of lovely black and white gingham ribbon from my stash provides a method to hold the cover closed and adds a finishing touch tied in a bow on the side.  The red flowers were cut with two of my Martha Stewart flower punches and the silver half beads were from the QKD Store.

Thank you so much for visiting today, I hope you've enjoyed viewing today's project and that you'll be back again soon.

hugs
wynneth
x

Sunday 30 May 2010

White Rabbit - Bag of Choccies


Gooooood morning...... !  I hope today is a good one for you.  Welcome to today's Monday Blog Hop from Queen Kat Designs.   There's great excitement this week as myself and the other members of the DT have been 'playing' with the new release stamps for the month of June.  All the new stamps will be in the Store from Wednesday 2 June, so you can get them for yourself.  You should have arrived here via the lovely Lara's Blog, if not I'd better send you back to the beginning on the QKD Blog so you don't miss out on any of the fabulousness that's on show today.

This week we have all been busy creating many different projects as the theme for the DT is 'anything but a card'.  I decided to create a box/bag to hold some chocolate bars and I used the lovely new White Rabbit Mermaid stamp - isn't she sweet?  I just love the caterpillar on the left, smoking his hookah and blowing smoke rings into the air and how exotic are those flamingos! 

These extra shots show the 3D aspects which aren't obvious from the main picture.

I created the box/bag front and back using a Marianne Designs die in my Cuttlebug, the swirls die is part of the same set.  The dark blue layer was cut with a nestabilities large scallop circle die and between the two outer layers I sandwiched a simple three sided box.

I coloured the lovely White Rabbit image in shades of pink and blue with Copics and ProMarkers, adding touches of Spica Glitter pen, Glossy Accents and Stickles.  The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the ribbon for the handles was from my stash.  A couple of wrapped chocolate bars popped inside the box was the finishing touch for this little gift.

I do hope you've enjoyed your visit to my blog today and that you are enjoying hopping along with QKD.  I'm now going to send you on your way to Kimme's blog - she has a fabulous project to share with you.  Hope you'll come back and join in the Hop again next Monday when I'll be bringing you another of the new June release stamps - and don't forget the rest of the DT are doing their Hop tomorrow, just start again at the QKD Blog.  Do visit the Store after you complete the Hop today, who knows what bargains you might just find there! 
hugs
wynneth
x

Friday 28 May 2010

Get your sunglasses on!!

Well, I did try to warn you!  This is a very bright card I know, but what a powerful colour combo!

The weekly sketch challenge on Craftbubble's Let's Get Stamping forum includes the added twist of using a new technique or product, or something you haven't used in a while, plus a colour you don't use often.  I followed the sketch for this card and decided to use the bright colour combo of lime green and magenta - not a combo I use often, although they do work spectacularly well together!

The image is one of the new Sugar Nellie stamps by the artist Leanne Ellis which I acquired recently from Funky Kits, this one is called 'Tell me something'.  I just love her frilly skirt and, to me, she called out to be coloured in vibrant shades.  I used my ProMarkers and Copics to colour her and found a piece of magenta background paper in my stash that was relatively plain.  The two layers of green metallic card were embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder, this little hearts design is just so sweet.  My 'not often used' technique was decoupaging with stamped images and I stamped her skirt and flower twice, cut them out and layered them up on the original image, although it isn't obvious from the picture.  Another change of style for me was not using any glitter on the card, I do love my bling! mind you, there is a tiny bit of Spica glitter pen on her ring and the frills on her gloves - well, I just couldn't help myself!!!!  The flowers are from Prima and the sentiment is from a Whiff of Joy kit which fitted the card perfectly.

I hope you've enjoyed sharing my card today and that my colour choice didn't trigger a migraine!!  Have a great day, whatever you have planned.  I'd love to know what you think of this card, leave me a comment and I'll be so happy.
hugs
wynneth
x

Wednesday 26 May 2010

I ♥ ProMarkers Challenge #16 - How?

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself when creating a title for this post with the image I used for today's card!!  Please forgive me! 

Challenge #16 over on I ♥ ProMarkers this week is sponsored by Digi Doodle Shop and this fantastic Native Indian Chief digi image is available in their store if you'd like to have him for yourself.  We also have a sketch to work with this week, check it out on the I ♥ ProMarkers Challenge blog for full details. 

I decided to use this particular image for my DT card this week as, when I was on my recent vacation in the USA, I spent some time in Zion National Park, Utah and bought a set of native hiroglyphs stamps from a small gift shop there.  I wanted to include them on a card and this digi image was perfect to use on the base card decorated with the hiroglyphs stamped randomly to create a background.   I don't pretend to be able to translate the hiroglyphs and so I hope I haven't written anything I shouldn't have with the order I stamped the images along the bottom!  If I have, I apologise in advance!

When I think of the Native American culture, the colours teracotta and turquoise immediately spring to mind, I have never been lucky enough to find a piece of natural turquoise in the ground during my travels, although I always look hard, so can only imagine what it would be like to see a piece of this beautiful crystal nestled against the rich red of the natural soil in that area.  The red marks the soil leaves on clothes is almost impossible to wash out, so you need to sit carefully in that area when you are out trekking the trails or having a picnic!  I speak from experience!!  Here's a piccie I took in Zion which shows a little of the spectacular landscape in the region.

I hope you've enjoyed viewing my card today, do submit an entry for Challenge #16 this week, there's a great prize on offer and myself and all the DT love to visit your blogs to check out your work. 

Do stop by my blog again soon - I love to have you visit !
hugs
wynneth
x

Tuesday 25 May 2010

Mat Hatted Wednesday

What is it with me and top hats this week?  Monday was Mad Fancy Mermaid, today it's Mad Hatted Mermaid!  Guess it might be because both of these girls are new additions to my stamp stash and boy do I love them both! 

So here we are, it's wednesday again and time for me to share with you another of my projects using Whimsical Ink Sorority (WIS) stamps from Queen Kat Designs.  Although I always post my wednesday projects on here I also post on the WIS Blog each week.  It's well worth a visit to the WIS Blog any time as every day there are new and exciting projects posted up by the DT and sometimes a project by Queen Kat herself. 
I coloured Mad Hatted with my Copics and ProMarkers, adding lots of Spica Glitter pen and oodles and oodles of Stickles glitter glue for maximum bling!  Sadly, none of this shows up on the picture!  The background papers are from the Pocketful of Posies pad by DCWV, these papers have the most amazing colours and many are glittered.  The little 'Hello Kitty' charm was from my stash and I attached this with a length of dark purple organza ribbon.  The sentiment is from the March monthly WIS kit.  The monthly kits sell out fast so sign up to receive yours automatically every month so you don't miss out.

If you'd like to have Mad Hatted in your stamp stash, drop over to the QKD Store and pop her in your basket, trust me you won't regret it!   All QKD stamps now come in great quality rubber and all the rubber stamps have a 10% discount off the price right now - you might even be lucky enough to find a few acrylic stamps still on the shelves and these have a whopping 60% off.  You'll have to hurry though 'cause when the acrylic stamps are gone, they're gone - you can always get the rubber version though so don't fret!

I hope you'll drop by again next wednesday when I'll have another WIS project to share with you.
hugs
wynneth
x

Sunday 23 May 2010

Art Deco Mad Fancy

Hi there!  I'm back from vacation and raring to go with my blog hop project for this week - did ya miss me  while I was gone huh? ! 

Welcome to today's Queen Kat Designs Blog Hop, hope you arrived here after checking out  Lara's amazing project, but if not you really should start at the beginning on the QKD Blog so you don't miss any of the fabulousness the other DT members have created for you.

We have the awesome pictures on the right as inspiration for our projects this week - aren't they just wonderful?  I do love Art Deco style.  Why not use them as inpiration for your own project - leave me a comment, including a link to your work, and I'll certainly drop by, take a peek and leave you a comment!  Don't you just love reading all the lovely comments left on your blog?  I know I do!  It's so wonderful that visitors take the time out to write something, makes it all worthwhile!


I decided to take a few reference points from the pictures as my inspiration for today's card.  I love the blue and peach shades together, so this was the colour palette I chose for my card.  The clean lines and great architecture in the pictures inspired me to use 'Mad Fancy' mermaid as I feel the image is very 'architectural' and I think she really suits this colour combo, don't you agree?  She is also one of my new stamps I collected when I met with Queen Kat herself during my vacation and I couldn't wait to get her inky!  The flowers on the background paper I found in my stash are also quite 'Deco' and ideal to use on this card.  I coloured 'Fancy' with my Copics and ProMarkers and added touches of Spica glitter pen. 

Just for fun I added the little palm tree which I stamped using one of the accessories included in the April WIS kit.  It's just soooo.... darn cute !  Quite a simple layout (for me!) but I wanted clean lines and no fussiness, to reflect the Art Deco inspiration.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today, I do appreciate your support.  Now I'm sending you off to see what gorgeousness Kimme has created for you - have fun while you hop along!  Hope to see you again next monday for another new Hop, don't forget that the rest of the DT will be running their Hop tomorrow, you wouldn't want to miss it, trust me!  Just start at the QKD Blog and follow the links.

Have you checked out the Store lately?  Queen Kat Designs now produce all their amazing designs in rubba, but there are still a few clear polymer stamps which are on sale at a hugely reduced cost, you'll have to hurry though as they are going fast!  There are still a few of the May WIS kits left, please don't risk missing this kit, it is totally fabulous - and when it's gone, it's gone!
hugs
wynneth
x

Friday 21 May 2010

Do You Believe in Fairies?

Good morning, hope your day is a good one!  I created this little card as an entry for a Let's Get Stamping challenge over Craftbubble recently. 

I've been trying out some new techniques to create backgrounds lately and for this card I used TH Distress Inks and a fine water spray on a non-stick craft mat to colour the base card for stamping on.  The images are from a sheet of vintage style stamps from Oxford Impressions and the collage background stamp is from Illusive Images.  I used my Martha Stewart filigree heart punch on a scrap of the DI coloured card and added flowers, punched with two sizes of MS flower punches. over the hearts.  The sentiment is also from the sheet of Oxford Impressions vintage images.  I used ProMarkers to colour the flowers and also around the end of the scalloped base card to tie the whole colour scheme together. 

I hope you've enjoyed your visit today, it was a pleasure to share today's card with you.
hugs
wynneth
x

Wednesday 19 May 2010

I ♥ ProMarkers - Challenge #15 make your own flowers


Good morning and welcome to my blog today.  The challenge over on I ♥ ProMarkers this week is to use your own handmade flowers on your project.  The prize this week is sponsored by Simon Says Stamp

The DT have created some fabulous cards to share with you this week and this is my take on the challenge.  I used this cute stamp from hAnglar & stAnglar, coloured her with ProMarkers and cut out with a large scallop circle nestabilities die.  The stamped layer was then attached over another layer cut with a slightly larger die from the same set of nesties.  I cut out the flowers with a variety of dies and punches, layering them up and adding gems and glitter glue to give the card lots of bling!  Rather than using pattered papers as a base layer, I added a few of the flowers directly to the base card to create a background.

The rest of the DT and I would be so pleased if you were able to submit an entry for this week's challenge, with a prize of a $15 spending spree at Simon Says Stamp up for grabs, what are you waiting for?

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today, I love reading all the fantastic comments left for me, it would be great to hear from you.
hugs
wynneth
x

Tuesday 18 May 2010

Green Soleil

I know my vacation is well and truly over now as it is wednesday already and that means it's Whimsical Ink Sorority spotlight time!  Regular visitors to my blog will know that every week I spotlight one of my projects on the WIS blog, which I also share on here.

For my project this week I decided to use the delightful Soleil - this stunning new girl was just released by Queen Kat Designs for May and she is just stunning and now available in rubba - Yay!

The DT projects for the blog hops this week have used a monochrome theme, so I thought I'd continue the theme for my card.  I love these grey/green shades of ProMarkers and they toned perfectly with this lovely paper I had in my stash and also with the luscious wide satin ribbon. 

I covered a square card with the paper then cut an aperture in the front with a spellbinders shapeability die, adding the cut out medallion to the inside of the card as a backdrop for Soleil.  I coloured her with Copics and ProMarkers then cut her out and attached in front of the aperture.  A punched flower and a few pale green gems added the final touches.




I hope you've enjoyed your visit today as much as I enjoyed creating my project to share with you.  This is my first creation since returning from my vacation, I was so thrilled to be able to meet up with Queen Kat herself - Vicki - in Utah, I now have lots of new QKD stamps to play with.  Here's a piccie of our meeting , it was such a fun day!  If you look carefully you might just spot 'Sierra Grannie' in the front of the car!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, I hope you'll come back soon.

hugs
wynneth
x

Sunday 16 May 2010

QKD Blog Hop

I'm back! back in the UK from a fabulous vacation in the USA, very tired and jetlagged but happy to be home safe, despite the continuing problems with the Volcanic ash over the UK!

One of the the highlights of the trip was meeting up with Queen Kat herself - Vicki - in Utah, which was so much fun :o)  I had hoped to be back home in time to take part in today's blog hop, but unfortunately didn't make it.  If you are following today's Hop you should have arrived from Lara's blog if not you can start at the beginning on QKD blog to join in all the fun.  Your next stop after here in the Hop is Kimme's blog - enjoy the fabulous project she has created for you for this week. 

Hopefully both myself and my blog will get back to normal in the next couple of days and there will be new projects for you to see on here, and possibly just a few piccies from my travels too!  I hope you've enjoyed seeing the creations I had pre-posted to appear on here during the time I have been away and I'd like to say a huge Thank You to all the visitors who left me such lovely comments on my projects - I really appreciate it and have had lots of fun dropping by to read them when ever I could get online.
hugs
wynneth
x

Friday 14 May 2010

Flower Garden Fairy Cupcake

Today I have a card to share with you which is a little different to my usual style.  These fabulous images are from a sheet of stamps from Oxford Impressions Stamps, which I bought recently.  There are some wonderful vintage type images on the sheet and I used three main stamps and four of the sentiments for this card.

The background layer is from the Pocket Full of Posies papers by DCWV.  Over this a piece of green gingham was added which was first distressed a little with Tim Holtz Distress Ink around the edges.  The fairy, cupcake and bakery poster images were all distressed using various colours of DI.  I curved the cupcake a little before adding it with silicone glue so it is raised up from the background, although this isn't noticeable in the photograph. 

Finally I added two flat backed gold beads and a little Diamond Stickles to the wings, the sentiments and in the centres of the tiny flowers.  The layout is based on the sketch for the Let's Get Stamping challenge this week over on Craftbubble.com so I am going to enter my card for this week's challenge.

Thanks for visiting today, it's great to see you here.
hugs
wynneth
x

Wednesday 12 May 2010

I ♥ ProMarkers with Innocence

Challenge #14 this week over on the I ♥ ProMarkers Challenge Blog gives us a sketch to work with.  The Sponsor of the prize this week is Pollycraft, check out their great selection of clear unmounted stamps and digi images.

For my DT card this week I chose the adorable 'Innocence' stamp which I've had in my stamp stash for some time.  I never tire of using this lovely image and it can be appropriate for many occasions, depending on the colours used with it.

The image was coloured with ProMarkers and mounted on to a layer of dotty paper punched with a Martha Stewart border punch on the longer sides.  I added two large and two small gromlets at the corners following the sketch elements.  Finally I stamped this simple sentiment and cut it out with a deckle edge rectangle nestabilties die.  A simple layout but very effective. 

I really hope you will take part in the I ♥ ProMarkers challenge this week, everyone is welcome and every entry has a chance to win the weekly prize.   Hope to see you over on the I ♥ ProMarkers Challenge Blog.

Thanks for dropping by my blog today, I hope you've enjoyed your visit :o)
hugs
wynneth
x

Tuesday 11 May 2010

Soleil - You Light Up My Life!

Hi there and welcome to today's project which features another of the new stamps released by Queen Kat Designs this month.  She is called 'Soleil' and is a real Sunny Stunner!!!

Every wednesday I showcase one of my creations in my WIS Spotlight feature on the Whimsical Ink Sorority Blog for QKD.  I like to share my project here on my own blog too for my regular visitors.

This wednesday's card was created using the newly released 'Soleil' Mermaid - she is the other new WIS girl for May and isn't she lovely! (I used the first new girl - 'Amour' - for my project last week)

With a name like Soleil, I just knew she had to be coloured in shades of yellow and gold and with a bright and vibrant background.  I decided to create an easel card on which to display her - I love easel cards !

She's coloured with Copics and ProMarkers and I cut her out and attached her over a yellow layer cut with an inverted scallop circle nestabilities die - I wanted to simulate the Sun behind Soleil.  I used a scallop circle nestie die to cut out a layer from gold mirror card to attach under the yellow layer.

The flowers were cut with a Martha Stewart punch and I added gold half beads in the centres of each flower.

I created the sentiment on my computer and printed it in orange ink.  Finally I cut the sentiment out using a nestie die and attached to the base of the easel with foam pads so that it acts as the 'stop', leaving space where a personal greeting can be written.

Thanks for dropping by today, let me know what you think about these new QKD stamps and/or my project, I love reading comments left on here for me!  If you'd like to own this new stamp, she's available in the QKD Store right now.  I hope you'll come back next wednesday, when I'll have another WIS project to share with you.
hugs
wynneth
x

Sunday 9 May 2010

It's Monday so there's a Blog Hop going on!

Unfortunately I am again unable to join in with today's Queen Kat Designs Blog Hop as I am still on vacation (lucky me!)  Don't miss the Hop though as you just have to see the great projects the rest of the DT have created for you, this week they are again working with new release stamps.  Just pop over to the QKD Blog and follow the links to join in the fun. 

I am so excited to tell you that I was able to meet up with Queen Kat (Vicki) herself in Utah this week - how cool is that?!!!  I'll be writing about my adventures later and have some pictures to share with you then. 
hugs
wynneth
x

Friday 7 May 2010

Happy Birthday Ducky!

This was a fun card to make, using this cute little ducky from a set of Popcorn Bear stamps by Crafters Companion.  I coloured him with ProMarkers and cut him out with a plain oval nestabilities die before adding this to a layer cut with a large scallop oval die.

The background paper is from Papermania and the lovely ribbon, bow and yummy mini buttons were in a goody bag I recently bought.  I added Glossy Accents to his beak and little heart and also the centre of the flower, just to give some texture.

Have entered this card in this week's Sweet Stampin Challenge as the colours on my card fit perfectly with the colour combo they are asking for this week!

Thanks for dropping by to view my card today and for continuing to support my blog, I really do appreciate it!
hugs
wynneth
x

Wednesday 5 May 2010

I ♥ ProMarkers gives you Wings.....!


Good morning and welcome to Stamping Grandma today, hope you are having a great day!

Well, we have a new challenge over on I ♥ ProMarkers for this week.  Challenge #13 asks us to use some form of wings on our projects.  Joanna Sheen is the sponsor for this week's challenge, so what are you waiting for, get crafting your entry!! 

For my DT card I decided to do something very different from my normal 'style' of card.  Most of the time I use a stamped image, coloured with ProMarkers, as the main focal point on my cards.  Today's card has this lovely text as the main embellishment.

The background layer is some lovely pearl finish card with pale blue stars dotted all over.  It was this background which sparked my idea for the colour scheme and layout.  I cut out the two frames from pale blue pearl card, using a shapeabilities die set, then set the sentiment in the centre and added the frames around it.  I stamped the butterflies from a set by Papermania and coloured them with shades of blue ProMarkers with touches of blue Spica glitter pen added.  I created two of the larger butterfly, attached one flat to the frame and added the second over the top using silicone glue to give it a little dimension.  The result is a simple, easy and quick card, but very effective I think.

I hope you will be inspired to enter a project for the challenge this week, the rest of the DT and I love visiting your blogs and viewing your work and everyone is welcome to enter.  With the chance of winning a prize each week, it's a great challenge to join, just add a direct link to your project via Mr Linky on the I ♥ ProMarkers Challenge blog and keep your fingers crossed!
hugs
wynneth
x

Tuesday 4 May 2010

Love is in the Air - Amour

It's time for my regular wednesday spotlight on the Whimsical Ink Sorority Blog for Queen Kat Designs.  The card I am showcasing this week reveals one of the new stamps released for May by QKD and available in the Store.
I always like to share my WIS projects with visitors to my own blog and here is my latest  creation.

The fabulous  'Amour' is the first of the new release stamps that I have had to play with this month.  Isn't she just so sophisicated and awesome?  I love all the background detail and those fabulous hearts growing on the tree are amazing.

I coloured Amour with ProMarkers and Copics and added touches of Spica glitter pen.  These romantic background papers from the Papermania Rose Garden collection are just perfect for the image.  I added faux stitching in pink Spica pen around the edges of both layers and created the L.O.V.E sentiment on my PC and cut it out with a nestabilities die.  A little Distress Ink brushed round the edges ties this in to the overall colour scheme of the card.  The lovely pink flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the green ribbon was in my stash.

I hope you've enjoyed viewing my card today and that you'll drop by again next wednesday when I'll have a WIS project to share with you using another new release stamp from QKD.

hugs
wynneth
x

Sunday 2 May 2010

Don't forget today's Queen Kat Blog Hop and great Sale !

I am on vacation so sadly not part of today's Queen Kat Blog Hop - but don't forget to stop by and see what the rest of the DT have created for you this week!  There are some fabulous new stamps released for May and they are too good to miss!  Just start at the QKD Blog and follow the links - enjoy :o)

Excitingly, today is the day Queen Kat launches her stamps in Rubber!! Yay.... how great is that?  All the old favourites and new releases now come in rubber.  Even more exciting is that the remaining stock of polymer stamps are being sold off at 60% diiscount!!  Not many left now so hurry over to the store and bag a bargain while you can!
 
hugs
wynneth
x