Sherlock the Cat

I've had this idea in my head for ages, originally I was going to use a Mo Manning image but as soon as I saw this cat I knew it was perfect. The young lady who is turning 21 loves all things Sherlock, purple and her big fluffy grey cat so I had to include all of these on her card.

Not a lot to say except this has been my go to style for a few cards now so I need to change it up and try something different.

Ingredients
Image: "basik and sparrows" Scrapberry
Sentiment: "all in onsie" Clearly Besotted
Numbers: "A la mode big birthday numbers" (retired) from MFT
Dies: XXL Stitched squares from Crealies
Card: "grape jelly" MFT
Paper: "tiny check brights" MFT

Copics
Numbers - V17, 15, 12
Birds - R89, 39, 37, B26, 23, V17, 15
Cat - T7, 6, 5, B26, 24, 23, C3, 2, 1, E09, 07

Engineer

Mo Manning manages to capture such joy and exuberance in her images, they are always a joy to colour and bring a smile to everyone. This is a very early image and I've owned it for quite a few years, it was an image that scared me to colour but not anymore, you never know I might colour more scary images soon lol.

I went with a tried and tested design again, only one more of this style I promise.

Ingredients
Image: "engineer" Mo's Digital Pencil
Sentiment: "marker felt" computer generated
Dies: XXL stitched squares from Crealies
Card: "enchanted evening" Papertrey Ink
Paper: "Birthday Blowout" MFT

Copics
Skin - E11, 00, 000
Hair - N6, 4
Shirt - N2, 1, 0, blender
Hat and Dungarees - B99, 97, 95, 93
Ground - E35, 34, 31
Train - R89, 39, 37, N9, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1, 100
Shoes - E49, 79, 74
Kerchief - R89, 39, 37
Sky - BG11, 10, blender

Birthday Bobbi

I stopped taking part in the September 30 day colouring challenge around day 12, life got busy and my mojo went missing so I decided to stop pressurising myself and just colour as and when I wanted to. I missed taking part though and have decided to be more organised next time. I know famous last words lol.

I was crafting with friends and one had used a mojo monday sketch and I thought why not try to recreate it, I used sketches a lot when my mojo was missing but since I have moved more to clean and simple cards its not something I think of using. It was fun to look through the sketches and choose one to kind of replicate, I have never been able to copy 100% but its close enough.

I was saddened to hear that Mojo Monday has stopped but with the move to CAS its not surprising. The creation of a new sketch each week can't have been easy and they should be applauded and thanked for that.

Ok enough rambling onto the card, its simple and follows (sort of) the sketch below. As i was printing hubbies image I added a few others to the sheet so as to not waste the card and this is one of those images.

Ingredients
Image: "birthday Bobbi" Digistamp Boutique
Paper: "party patterns" from MFT
Dies: blueprints 15 from MFT and XXL inside out circles from Crealies
Sentiment: "party animal" Avery Elle stamped with "winter wisteria" from Papertrey Ink

Copics
Bear - E44, 43, 42
Nose - E47
Ground - BV02, 01, 00
Balloons - Y17, 15, 13, R85, 83, 81, BV02, 01, 00
Present - Y17, 15, 13, R85, 83, 81

IT Ant

It was recently my Hubbie's 50th Birthday, how did that happen, he was only 21 when I met him and that only seems like yesterday.

He is a gamer/IT/gadget guy and all of the cards I've made for him over the years have reflected that and this one is no different.

I saw this image ages ago and as the guy was wearing an Atari t-shirt I knew it was perfect. My hubby has been an atari fan since the first days of the 2600 machine, in fact we have all the variations of all the machines atari produced, yes he is a collector lol.

Ingredients
Image: "DIY Ian" Doctor Digi
Dies: XXL Stitched Squares from Crealies
Card: "dark charcoal" 65lb Recollections from Michaels
Paper: "mankind" Simply Creative

Copics
Skin - E13, 11, 00, 000
Hair - T6, 5, 4, 3, 2
Jeans - B99, 97, 95, 93
T-shirt - N9, 7, 6, R29, YR07, G28, G17, B26, B24, Y15
Ground - E43, 42, 41
Computer - N6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Jungle Friends Elephant

Another inspired by Therese, she thought the elephant would look good sat on top of the MFT happy die, now I didn't have that die but I remembered I had the Papertrey Ink One Liner dies. This worked out perfect and the card was a dream to make.

This is day 6 of the colouring challenge, so far more than half of the images have been made into cards, I am hoping that by the end of the year I will have made them all and shown them here too.

Ingredients
Image: "jungle Friends" Katzelkraft
Sentiment: "label maker" mft and "one liner" Papertrey Ink
Paper: "mankind" Creative

Hero Arts Goldfish

This was the first stamp layering set, that wasn't flowers, that I ever really wanted. I ummed and ahhed over it and it had been out quite a while before I bought it and I am so pleased I did. It lined up a dream and looks so effective too.

I was inspired by a card in Septembers Making Cards magazine and it made me want to pull out this set and get making, thats the beauty of magazine, blogs etc it helps you rediscover forgotten stash or buy new stuff too lol.

The watercolour background was achieved with cheap Aldi tube paints and two layers I was so surprised that they kept their colour and were so bright after they dried, I was expecting a more muted look. Not much else to say except I enjoyed making this card and its one more of the list.

Ingredients
Image and Sentiment : 'Goldfish" Hero Arts
Dies: "wonky stitched rectangles" MFT
Inks: "jellybean green, gumdrop green and sour apple" all MFT, "cocoa bean, summer sunrise, Orange zest and smokey shadow" all Papertrey ink
Paints: Aldi watercolour

Take Control

I am a fan of your next stamps and as soon as I saw this set I bought it. I then proceeded to loose it and it was gone for six months. I was about to order it again when I cleared out a forgotten bit of my room and there it was. I was so shocked and happy. This was the first set I had ever lost and not found shortly afterwards. I did think maybe I hadn't bought it and I dreamed it lol.

Anyway the remote control has arms but no legs and he looked a bit odd to me so I stamped and added the legs from the stamp a character set. I then used blueprints 31, this is by far the quickest and easiest blueprints to date, and viola a card is made.

Ingredients

Image: "boys toys" Your Next Stamp and "stamp a character" Also Your Next Stamp

Sentiment: as above

Card: "charcoal" from Michaels

Paper: "mankind" Simply Creative

Dies: Blueprints 31

Dolls House

I have always loved dolls houses, as both a child and adult I have been fascinated by the items that you can make and buy to fill the rooms. One of my crafty friends shares the same passion and fascination although she does have an actual house whereas I only dream about one lol.

I had bought the decoupage version of this a few years ago and when there was a sale at just inklined I bought the digi stamp version. It was quite a challenge to colour as the image is fairly small (well the size i printed it lol) but I did like the finished result.

Another of the 30 day colouring challenge images made into a card, woohoo.

Ingredients
Image: "dollhouse" Just Inklined
Sentiment: "keep it simple - birthday 3" Papertrey Ink
Paper: 'Bonnets and bowties" Nit Wit for Lili of the Valley
Card: "grape jelly" MFT
Dies: Crealies XXL Stitched square and basic edges 2 and scalloped edges 2 both MFT


Copics
Roof - BV29, 25, 23
Brickwork - E43, 42, 41, 40
Grass - YG17, 25, 03
Path and Base - W6, 4
Blue - B06, 04, 02, 01, 00, 000
Pink - RV14, 13, 11
Shutters - V29, 25
Door - Stampin up Winter Wisteria Markers

Birthday Cheers

Day 4 of the challenge and although I did colour on day three they haven't made it onto cards yet, I add yet as I have cards planned.

I love Digistamp Boutique images especially the guy ones, they seem to capture the comic element without being harsh. I haven't made this for anyone but more to have in case, I don't normally make cards without a person in mind but as I am constantly chasing my tail this year maybe I ought to.

Good old blueprints 31 again but I changed up the sentiment strip and I like it, might be a go to design for quite some time.

Also this is a new paper pack, opened today I have left it on my desk as I can forsee lots of guy cards with this one.

Ingredients

Image: "harry with Beer" Digistamp Boutique

Sentiment: "wet paint holiday tags" Papertrey Ink

Card: "midnight Muse" Stampin Up (retired in colour)

Paper: "mankind" Simply Creative

Dies: Blueprints 31 and sentiment label strip all MFT

Copics

Skin - E13, 11, 00, R02

Hair - E59, 57, 35

Shirt - E09, R08, 05

Jeans - B99, 97, 95, 93

Beer - E35, E57, B93, R08, E51

Penny Black Birthday Bears

I have been watching a lot and I mean a lot of youtube recently and I discovered Therese from Lost in Paper, she is based in Australia and her laugh makes me giggle too. I saw a card she made with the bears and circle sentiment and I immediately thought I could use that idea for my friends 40th Birthday card, I have two friends turning the big 4 0 this year so I made two but I won't show that until after her birthday.

This was day 2 of the colouring challenge in September and woohoo more made into cards.

Ingredients

Image:  "birthday bears" Penny Black

Sentiment: "happy birthday circle frame" MFT

Paper: "Party Patterns" MFT

Dies: Blueprints 13 and shaker pouch dies all mft

Sequins: Neat and Tangled and Pretty Pink Posh