26 February 2012

Pike's Playground has NEW rules!!

What if.....
 we set you a challenge once a fortnight

you MUST USE a DOODLE DRAGON IMAGE

and......

now instead of just one or two of you winning a prize

EVERYBODY  who enters gets a FREE digi!!!
(for more details please visit Dustin Pike's Blog HERE)


Like the sound of the new rules - great eh, and the image will be made available to challenge entrants FREE months before it's due for general release!!!


Without further ado here are the details of todays new challenge:

"BLING IT UP"
(add something shiny)


Yeah, I know I should stick to colouring and leave the poetry to others!!

and for the bling part of the challenge I added........

Diamond Glaze on his hat buckle
Viva Iridescent Glitter Glue on the coins in the crock of gold
Flat backed gold pearls
Pearlised lime green paper
and finally
2 coins!

and of course I cannot possibly forget that he was coloured with Copics (now there's a surprise)


Hop on over to Dustin's Blog to see what my teamies came up with and I look forward to seeing your entries - and don't forget EVERYONE who enters now gets a FREE DIGI

In the meantime I'd like to enter this cheeky little chappie into these.....

2 Sisters Challenge - anything goes
Allsorts Challenge - anything goes
SSDS Challenge - Manly card
Sweetstamping Challenge - Its a man thing
ABC Challenge - J for Jazz it up

Crafty Hugs
P.S.  Have you noticed that I've made a few changes to the blog recently - I have added a translator for my non-English speaking followers and for non-Blogspot readers who will shortly be losing the Google Friend Connect service I've added RSS and email so you can still keep up with my blog posts - hope this helps ♥

24 February 2012

Colours of Autumn challenge

Yeah, I know spring has yet to arrive for most of us!!
but...

 Make it Crafty's challenge is
"Autumn Colours"

Now I splurged this week on a couple of new Magnolia stamps and one in particular sums up
the phrase "make it crafty" - what do you think??


When I think of autumn, I envisage trees a glow with vivid russets, reds and yellows, a crispness in the air and mushrooms popping up all over my lawn (grrrr - if any budding gardeners out there know how to get rid of unwanted fungi please let me know)

Make it Crafty digi - Little Toadstools
Make it Crafty chippie
Magnolia stamp- Tilda stamping
Flat backed pearls
Chalk ink
Copics
No Copics list today - (sorry, I developed a migraine shortly after doing this and in my marshmallow-head daze after it had gone I put my pens back without taking a picture)

Did you know.........

Digi's come into their own because of their versatility - resize, invert and as in this case create your own backing paper.  The "mushroom montage" was created in Photoshop Elements, adding and resizing fungi until it filled my design area, then I reduced their transparency to 50%, pale enough to be subtle but not so wishy washy that they disappeared.  I chose really pale muted shades to colour them in - E40, E50 and some pale W's - just enough to give a hint of colour. 
Try it for yourself and I'd love to hear how you get on.

Feel free to hop on over to the Make it Crafty Gallery where you can see some awesome autumnal projects from my teamies to inspire you - and then have a go yourself - I can't wait to see what you create.

Hugs

19 February 2012

Copic Marker Europe

Hello there everyone, hope you're having a great weekend!

I have some fab news to share with you today - I have been asked to Guest Design for....

Copic Marker Europe!!


I couldn't resist this adorable little guy whilst at a craft show recently, isn't he the cutest!!

Stamp:
"Revolver Hero" by Nellie Snellen

Dies:
Spellbinders Nestabilities Ovals
Quickutz Corner and Stars
Go-Kreate alphabet

Paper:
DCWV - All About Boys Stack

Misc:
Chalk ink - various shades
Glitter glue
Cowboy ribbon from stash

...............and the all important Copic list....


Anyway, I'd like to thank Copic Marker Europe for inviting me and if you haven't visited their blog before click HERE as it's a treasure trove of Copic information!

I'd like to enter my card in the following:
Allsorts Challenge - #142 Anything goes
Incy Wincy Designs - #133 A recipe (3 embellies, 2 papers, 1 image)
Scrappy Frogs Challenge - Die cut challenge
Chocolate Coffee Cards - Brown, Orange, Teal

Crafty Hugs


14 February 2012

3 Companies - 1 Blog Hop

Not one, Not two but THREE COMPANIES have come together to bring you a fantastic collection of images, sentiments and even matching embellishments to get your creative minds flowing with ideas!
WHO ARE THEY??
If you have been following the lead up to our big release then you may have taken a stab at guessing who we are.
If you guessed...

Whimsy Stamps, Make it Crafty & Little Miss Muffet Stamps!

Then you are correct!! Woot!
Now as you can imagine there are HEAPS of prizes to be won but before all that, join us on our incredible inspiration hop where the talented girls from our teams share different ways you can combine our products.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

With it being Valentine's Day, of course the theme has an element of love... whether it be friendships, a thank you or even a romantic kiss in Paris... you are sure to feel the love all round.
So if you have just popped by to say hi and stumbled into this hop you may want to

Otherwise you should have arrived from ELLIE

Details:

Make it Crafty 
 Paris Elements & N2 Fancy Collection chippies

Little Miss Muffet Stamps
 Krill the Gargoyle, Penny Farthing, Elisabeth Louise Hatter

Whimsy Stamps
Thanks a bunch notables 2

Close ups:




This image was coloured using both Copic and coloured pencil


PRIZES & SURPISES & A CHALLENGE!!
Make sure you comment along the way for a chance at winning a few extra goodies and once you reach the end, we'll share all the details on the prizes you can win and we even have a fun challenge you can enter which could win you a feature in the upcoming Whimsy Magazine! Wooohoo!
Did we just hear you scream?
"I LOVE THESE PRODUCTS AND I WANT THEM NOW!"
haha - they are awesome right? Our ideas just exploded!!
Well they are available RIGHT NOW!!
Whimsy Stamps Store | Make it Crafty Store | Little Miss Muffet Stamps Store
So where to next you ask??

JUMP on over to my friend SARAH

Hugs

Oh and before I forget I'd like to enter my little Parisien project into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - free and easy February
CES Challenge - #72 Lots of layers
One stitch at a time - #100 Anything goes
Crafters companion - Anything goes
Make it Monday - Anything goes

12 February 2012

Pike's Playground Challenge...

Hello everyone, it's that time again!

Over at Dustin Pike's place we're challenging you to create something using one of Dustin's Digis and at least THREE of the following colours:

BLACK
PINK
PURPLE
RED
BROWN

Now I recently got set a challenge to use ALL of my newly acquired Fluorescent Copics in a project (which I promise I will share with you at a later date) 
and I loved the pink one so much (there's a surprise) that I had to use it in this challenge:
.........believe me when I say her T shirt glows!!!!


I used BLACK, PINK, PURPLE and BROWN

Go on, have a go - and place your entries HERE

Crafty Hugs


10 February 2012

Spring is in the air

Oh the post title is sooo inappropriate, I am currently looking at a snow covered garden!!

Any way, lets think warm thoughts and spring mornings because......

the MAKE IT CRAFTY CHALLENGE is:
"Spring Colours"


Now I had rather a lot of fun with this particular card as it's a combination of my two favourite mediums: Copic and coloured pencils, in other words a "hybrid"

I know I've said before that I don't tend to use pencils on Copic suitable card because its smoothness causes the pencils to smudge (oh boy the Australian themed card did until I sprayed it with fixative)

However, I would say I have found that adding pencil to Copic work smudges less, I guess the Copic ink gives the pencil something to adhere to - and I am loving the results I can achieve.  But please note, I use Copic first, then add pencil - doing the reverse may cause your Copic nibs to pick up pencil residue and over time lead to them having to be replaced.
Hair is an ideal area to benefit from the finer detail that adding a little pencil can achieve, not to mention grass and in this case the toadstool - try it for yourself and I'd love to hear how you get on.

I would recommend investing in a can of fixative to save your artwork smudging once complete - I use Winsor & Newton Artists' Fixative for pastel, charcoal and pencil which works brilliantly, but for years I used the students "budget conscious" alternative - a can of hairspray!!!

I loved seeing all those beautiful red entries and cannot wait to see what you guys create for this challenge which can be posted HERE where you will also find some lovely projects created by my fellow teamies.

In the meantime I'm entering this into the following challenges:
All that Scraps - Anything goes
Crafts and me - Use a new image

Crafty Hugs


8 February 2012

Cupid is shooting arrows again!!

 I am thrilled to be able to share the news that I have been asked to be a guest designer at
Crafting for all Seasons
for their

"Love is in the air"
Challenge


Lili of the Valley - Love Grows


We have 3 sponsors for this challenge:

Digi Doodle Shop
They are offering a $10 giftcard for one lucky winner


Bugaboo Stamps
They are offering 7 digital images to one lucky winner


Useful Stuff
Lili of the Valley
they are offering a £10 voucher to their store


If you would like the chance to win one of these fantastic prizes all you have to do is enter your project HERE where you will also find some fabulous inspirational pieces by the Design team.

I'd like to enter my card in to the following:
Stampalot Feb Challenge: In the garden
The Crafty Pad: Fresh Spring Colours
Crafty Anns Challenge: Love is in the air
Sweet Stamping Challenge: The one I love
All Sorts Challenge: Free and easy
One Stop Crafty Challenge: For the one I love

Crafty Hugs

2 February 2012

Thank you

Well, here is a little thank you card coloured in pencil on kraft card.


With my newly acquired flesh tone pencils I am working hard at achieving more realistic skin colours, still need practice but I think I may be getting there!

FYI I am now using a combination of Caran D'Ache Pablo, Derwent Artist and Faber Castell Polychromos.

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:
DP2 Challenge: Anything Goes
Crafts and Me Challenges: Bright colours
Fab n Funky Challenges: Use a digi image
Paper Pretties: Use ribbon or twine
Creative Craft Challenges: Bingo (ribbons, pink, gems)

Crafty Hugs