Challenge 80 *Christmas Photo Inspiration*

Our Challenge this week at Crafty Cardmakers, which is hosted by Fiona, is a photo inspiration challenge.  She has asked us to make a card or project  that is inspired by the photo that is shown here - either image or colours.

For my card, I used a textured white card base that was 6" x 6" and folded the front  back in half again. I used some printed paper from my stash (I can't remember which CD I got it from - sorry!) to layer on the base of the card, and on the front flap.  I then cut a layer from the same white card as the base (it was actually the piece I cut off to make the card 6" x 6") and stuck to it using foam pads a stamped Christmas tree from a Hot off the press Enchanted Christmas stamp set that had been heat embossed using turquoise embossing powder.   I decorated my tree with faux pearls and  I then added some die cuts - the Memory Box frostyville border and Spellbinders Make a flake 4 as embellishments.

Finally, I stamped the sentiment onto some turquoise card which was in my scrap box and attached that to the card base.

 We are sponsored again by

DI'S DIGI DOWNLOADS

$10 GIFT VOUCHER

I have been drawing since a child and studied graphics at College many years ago, I now work as a Medical photographer part time but my love was always drawing. I started cardmaking about 4yrs ago when I bought my daughter a cardmaking kit which we did together, but I’m afraid I got the bug! My daughter preferred scrapbooking. I then started looking online at other blogs and this then became my passion and I loved sharing my cards with likeminded people. 
I love stamping and loved finding images, but sometimes I could not find what I wanted so I started to draw myself. 
This then has become my second addiction and I have never looked back, I love thinking of new images, and its just fabulous to see others take them and make them into beautiful works of art. Long may it continue!

CROP STOP

$15 Gift Certificate to the Crop Stop Store 
If you’re passionate about paper-crafting whether it be scrapbooking your memories, making cards or altered art, CropStop is your one-stop solution. We offer an extensive selection of dies, embossing folders, inks, stamps and punches by all the popular manufacturers and the CropStop die and embossing folder storage solutions Pocketz Pages™ to keep everything organized. Our selection of embellishments and adhesives is continually expanding and we are excited to be the home of the colorful Ribbon Candy™. 
In need of inspiration? Visit the CropStop Gallery, Blog or Message Board and participate in a competition or class. If you have questions concerning your machine, we have a team of experts waiting to help you. 

Message Board - come and meet like minded paper-crafters.
Blog - we have prizes and giveaways every week.
Gallery - lots of inspiration from all over the world.
YouTube - demonstrations, how-to’s, projects and much more.
FaceBook page - be the first to know of new arrivals in the store.
Twitter - we always find something worth Twittering! 
CropStop ships internationally as well as domestic. Our personalized customer service is only one of our strengths. Call or come visit us atwww.CropStop.com and see what’s new in the world of paper-crafting.

Challenge 79 - More than 1 punch or die

For this week's challenge at Crafty Cardmakers, Betty C would like to see More Than 1 Punch or die Cut, and you can use any combination as long as you have more than 1. For example, 1 die cut, 1 punch, 2 die cuts, 2 punches.  Obviously you can use more than 2, but you must use at least 2.

SPONSORS HOBBY ART and MILK COFFEE STAMPS - see the challenge blog for details of prizes.

My friend J asked me to make a christening card for her friend who had twin boys, and I thought this one would fit this challenge perfectly.

She wanted to incorporate their pictures, so I used the picture background to set the colour scheme.

For the base mat I used a mica mask (fretwork) which I used as a stencil after running it through the grand calibre and coloured with the butterscotch ink pad.

So that I got the colour I wanted, I used the same ink pad to colour the edges of my  base layers.
The wooden flower and ladybirds embellishment came from my stash and I finished the card off with some faux stitching around the edge.

What I used

• A4 folded to A5 pearlescent card
• embellishment wooden flower and ladybirds from stash
• white ribbon
• D-lite medallion 4 base die
• D-lite fantastic flourish 1
• A2 matting basics dies
• Back to basics tags
• Creative Expressions fretwork mica mask
• yellow promarker
• Butterscotch Adirondack inkpad
• peel off letters

Sponsors are

Hobby Art 

As a family business we're a friendly, helpful, bunch at Hobby Art.  All our stamps are designed by us and manufactured in Britain. 
Look at the gallery on my blog - jennymayes.com - for lots of card ideas using the Hobby Art range.  
We're pleased to sponsor the Crafty Cardmakers Challenge and look forward to seeing the entries.   Good luck everyone.  Jenny and all. X

Milk coffee Digital Stamps
Cute digis for cute creations 

MilkCoffee Stamps is a digital image shop specializing in cute and girly images. We provide high quality digital images with high resolution so you could resize it at big enough size. We have many different image styles, sophisticated lady, cute girl, whimsical image, cute stuff, fairytale creature, and many various themes so it could fit any crafter with different style.

Birthday cards

 Two birthday cards today...

The first was for my friend C's little boy to give to his Daddy.  I used a white base card with some nestie shapes to mat and layer onto red card with the corners cut inwards using a punch.

The image was a lili of the valley stamp, coloured with promarkers, and the sentiments were peel offs.

The second card was for C herself to give to her husband.  She had taken this photograph when they were on holiday, and I used it as the focal point of the card. 

I coloured some white ribbon with blue promarker to blend and used that over the base mat.  Further simple mat and layering in shades of blue and some silver photo corner peeloffs were used to frame the main image.