Tremendous trees

It's sketch challenge time again on CMLI. Set this week by Karen, the theme is trees. I could have gone one of two ways with this, but decided on an oriental theme as I haven't done one like that in a while.

I've used a peel off as a resist and chalked around the edges and in the centre. Her hair is done freehand with a very tiny cotton bud as this was a block in the peel off not an outline.

Edged in stickles with charm and some oriental ribbon.

Comfort food

This week I'm entering the I Love Promarkers challenge for the first time. I've practised and practised so I feel ready. (The standard is oh-so-high.)

I got this fun image as a gift in a birthday card swap just recently. It came complete with sentiment and I was eager to use it.

Coloured with Promarkers in honeycomb, burnt orange, henna, ice grey 4 (all on the giraffe), denim (plate), pink carnation, cocktail pink, buttercup and tulip yellow (cake and candles).

BP is from a Milton and Co stack, ribbon from stash and flowers from a Secret Santa.

And a close up of the glossy accents on the cake icing:

A festival of balloons

Well, I never knew a collection of balloons was called a 'festival'...did you? The things you learn whilst crafting.

Debs is GDT this week at CMLI and this is her sketch, with the twist of 'balloons'.



On my 'to make' list I had a birthday card for my husband's grandad so thought I could easily do this as a male card using a gold peel off I got from ebay a while back but hadn't used.

Designed with these challenges in mind:
Here Come the Boys - travel (male cards only)
Catch the Bug - Metal/Metalic Colours + Brads or eyelets

Use up those snippets...

The Sunday challenge from Debs on CMLI is to 'use up snippets' which I'm sure we all have loads of. There are quite a few challenges around with a similar theme so it must be common!

I was inspired by the bunch of flowers my husband got me for my birthday last week and are still going strong.

I've punched the flowers from scraps and inked the edges then added candy coloured with Promarkers to match. A few gems, ribbon and silver gel pen complete the card.

I'll also enter this into:
Less is More - ribbon
Always with a heart - Sunday snippet challenge
Unstampabelles - celebration (no stamp allowed)
Karen's doodles - bingo! (flowers, die cuts, gems)

Happy Birthday CMLI

This week's Craft Mad and Loving It challenge is a corker. Plain and simple, a birthday card, as the group is one year old. Hurrah!

Finding this group has been a great inspiration to me. Quite frankly we're all a bit unhinged, but that's what makes the chatter so much fun. And on the craft side of things these ladies (and Andy) really do know a thing or two. It has really pushed my creativity and I am so grateful for that.

This evening I made what I hope Lauren, Karen and Rosie feel is suitably celebratory:

Image is LOTV from a swap coloured with Promarkers. Embossed panel also from a swap and cut with Nellie Snellen die. Hero Arts accent stamps versamarked and chalked over. Ribbon, BP, butterfly gem and bazzil from stash.

Hard to see are the stickles on her wings and skirt and the white gel faux stitching on the purple base BP.

Here's to the next year CMLI-ers, xxxx

Kraft crazy

I'm over a week later posting this. I hang my head in shame. A few home distractions have been very distracting.

This is the last Bows and Berries challenge before the summer break, but we'll be back in September. We'd like to you use kraft somewhere on your project. The girls have all had different ideas so do pop over and have a look.

I've used it as a panel and Versamarked some cupcakes that I have chalked over. The digi stamp is the retro apron printed on patterned paper with details in white gel pen.