Newborn card and Album

Hi there
I finished this commissioned job last night: a card and an album for a cute newborn (the photo has been blurred a bit for privacy reasons).
I played with cream, blue and olive green colours in both the card and throughout the album (the album has 12 pages, which have been decorated with punches and stamps and have room for the parents to include photos of their new baby). The die cut frame is Frameabilities Spellbinders; Circle and Scalloped cricle from Nestabilities; alpha stamps from StudioG and the baby's details were created in Word; the digital giraffe image was coloured with Letraset Promarkers.

I would like to enter my project onto the following challenges:
Creative Belli Blog - Numbers
Lexi's Creations - Picture perfect
Pear Tree Designs - Celebration
Create with Connie and Mary - Anything but a card (my project consists of a card AND and an album, so I hope that's OK)

Thanks for your comments!

First batch of Christmas cards 2010

Some of you may have all Christmas cards for this year made and ready to be posted, but I don't ever seem to get started with them until October or November the earliest. So given my record, this year I am doing pretty well! I guess I know I will be busy in a few weeks time and need to get going :-)
I don't receive many orders for Christmas cards to be honest, I think people tend to buy them in bulk at very cheap prices, especially in the last few years with the recession, so it is not usually a busy season for me card wise. As a family, we usually send about 50 or 60 cards to friends and then I make another 10, very special ones, for the closest relatives. I tried to design 5 or 6 different sets every year and keep them as CAS as possible, while the family ones are usually bigger, more ellaborate and often have a photo.
So this is my first (small, I know, but hey, it's a start!) batch of CAS Christmas cards, which will go to friends.

I used dark green cardstock, which I embossed with the Snowflakes Cuttlebug folder; the candy image is digital but I do not have the name of the designer, apologies; coloured with Letraset Promarkers, layered with 3D pads and highlighted with embossing fluid and Stickles; the sentiment stamp is Stampingbella, and the pretty holly ribbon is from Craftyribbons.com, bought during my visit to the Crafts Fair in the NEC in Birmingham last year.

I would like to enter my Christmas cards onto the following challenges:
Sentimental Sundays - Dimension
Craft Your Passion - Clean and simple
Squigglefly - Favourite embellishment (ribbons for me, thanks!)
Christmas Stampin - Photo inspiration
Stampin'B's - paper piercing
All sorts - Plain and Simple
One Stop Craft - Snowflakes in September
Scrap and Stamp - Embossing
Stamp Insanity - Embossing
Charisma Cardz - Anything goes
Incy Wincy Designs - Anything goes

Thanks for passing by!

Delicate lilac card

Good morning! It's been a busy week and didn't get much time to post. I am hoping to catch up with a few bits today, so let's start with posting one of the cards I made recently.
For this order (a birthday card for an elderly lady), I wanted to give a delicate look, so I chose the beautiful Geranium from LittleClaire stamps. The light purple and lilac colours, together with the use of chalks in the background give a soft feel to the card.

I coloured the image with Letraset Promarkers; Manuscript Background stamp by Hero Arts, one of my favourite, stamped with Versamark and coloured with lilac chalk; Fiskars punch; oval Nestabilities; I believe the sentiment is from Docrafts.

My card enters:

Cute card Thursday - sketch 131

Sisterhood of Crafters - Birthdays

A spoon full of Sugar - Anything goes

Charisma cards - Anything goes

Tuesday Taggers - Anything goes

Aifactory - Anything goes

Have a fabulous weekend!

Funky birthday card

Here's the second part of yesterdays order - a much funkier birthday card, with a much younger feel to it.

I wanted to play with vibrant colours, and I really (over)did it?! But I like the result. In fact, I liked it so much that when I received another order for another birthday card from another client this morning I decided to follow a similar formula, use the same stamp and finish the paper I had left from the previous card! :-)

The sketch is slightly different, but the image in both cards is the Born to Shop from Docrafts and coloured with Letraset Promarkers; I remember printing the backing paper but I don't remember where I got it from; I also used Nestabilities, circle punch; red and orange ribbons and  green cardstock from my own stash; the sentiments were created in Word for one card and from Inkadinkado in the other. 

I would like to enter my card(s) into the following challenges:

Stampotique - Birthday

Totally Papercrafts - Happy Birthday

Sarah Hurley - Polka dots and circles

Inktegrity - Anything goes

Have a nice weekend!

Easel birthday card

Last night my neighbour and her mum asked me to make a couple of cards for them, a last minute job since they needed the cards for this evening (but I kind of like challenges, it pushes my limits and usually gets the best out of me :-))

Both cards were to be for the same lady, a relative of theirs who is turning 40, but mother and daughter wanted different styles. The mother preferred a more classic look and a more intimate message. And here's the result, from the mother to her cousin.

(Since this easel card is bigger than your average square card, I had to make the envelope too. I chose green cardstock which matches with the paper and contrasts with the pink that dominates the card.)
The beautiful butterflies paper is from the Summer Bloom collection, Docrafts; I also added small punched butterflies; Dahlia Nestabilites; Nellie's oval die; pink gems, ribbon, flower and button from my own stash; the sentiments were created and printed in Word.

I would like my easel card to enter:
Everybody-art-challenge: Other cardform
Crafts and Me - Easels
Flutter by Wednesday - Buttons and Butterflies
Cute Card Thursday - bird or Butterfly
Our Creative Corner - Fun with Folds

It's been a busy day craft-wise, so I am off to read and bed with a cuppa soon. I will try and post the second birthday card of this order (the funky one :-)) tomorrow.

Good night!

Purple

Good morning
I received a request for a birthday card last night, so I started working on it straight away... and for some reason I found myself rummaging through purple - purple papers, purple ribbons... :-)
Here is the result, a girlie and soft square card, sort of vintage looking, all very purple!!

The vintage image is from Digital Two, coloured with Letraset Promarkers; the beautiful purple paper is from the Capsule Collection, by Tina Higgins, Papermania; Lilac and purple cardstock; Nellie's multi frame; Fiskars corner punch; lilac ribbon from my own stash; I am afraid I can't remember where I got the sentiment from.

Some challenges:
Stampin for the weekend - Shabby/vintage
Your next stamp challenge - Anything goes
Die Cut Dreams - Sweet Little girl
Daisy Doodles - Keep it simple
Paper Romance - Clean and Simple
Tellens Place - Anything goes
Gingerloft - Anything goes

Leave me a comment if you are passing by!

Glittery Cupcakes

Here's todays card (which has been commissioned): a CAS birthday card for a Spanish girl.

The stripe backing paper is a leftover from my stash, as it is the pink cardstock; the digital image is from Little Musing, coloured with Letraset Promarkers; Xmas Red, Diamond and Platinum Stickles; Polka dots Cuttlebug embossing folder; Label Nestabilities; pink gems; the sentiment was created in Word.

I would like to enter it into the following challenges:
My time to craft - Jewelled
Passion for Promarkers - Sweet treats
Stamp Something - Spots and Stripes

Crafts and Me - Gems and sparkle
Cutie Stampers - Glitter
Crafts your days away - girlie and glittery
Aly's Sunday - Sparkly and glittery
Fab'n'Funky - Whateva!

Happy Sunday!

Little Snippets

Look what the postman delivered this morning!!!

Aren't they the most beautiful embellishments?

Geraldine over on LittleSnippets was offering blog candy a few weeks ago and I won 2nd prize! So thanks a million Ger for the beautiful snippets! I am already thinking how I am going to use them! ;-)

Little Knight

This card is for my friend's son. I purchased the SugarNellie stamp last winter in Birmigham but the poor thing never saw the light until last night, I guess it was difficult to find the right "environment" for the brave little knight. But yesterday I remembered about this castle entrance by Dustin Pike and it seemed perfect for a young boy's birthday card.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:
PaperPlay time - Castles, knights and damsels in distress
3D cards - Children and layers
Stamp something - Cute
Challenge up your Life - Celebrations
Little Paper Shop - Clean and simple

Knight stamp by Sugar Nellie; digital Castle entrance by Dustin Pike, all coloured with Letraset Promakers and layered in 3d foam pads; sentiment created in Word, coloured with chalks and distressed.

Recipe box

With the credit crunch I try to hand make as many gifts as possible. It's not always an option because sometimes you know the recipient is the type of person who does not appreciate handmade gifts, but for all those who I believe do appreciate them, I try making the present and save myself a few quit at the same time :-)
For my friend's birthday I made this card the other day, but I wasn't sure if I was going to have the time to hand make a present too. Last night I could not sleep and got thinking about a tutorial I came across a few days ago for a recipe box; since my friend is a great cook a recipe box seemed like the ideal handmade gift for her. So I got started this morning and this is the result:

For measurements and instructions on how to make this recipe box, see Just Give Me Stamps Blog. Laurie Shmidlin is very talented and the tutorial is very easy to follow. I had some interruptions so I can't tell you how long it really took me from beginning to end, but the box itself is only a matter of minutes. It takes, as usual, much longer to decorate it: finding matching papers, ribbon, punches, images, etc. :-)

I used 270msg red and white cardstock for the box; the paper is from DCWV, Spring Stack; the images are all digital from Clipart and coloured with Letraset Promarkers; alpha stamps are Gstudio; ribbon from my own stash; Circle, Oval and Scalloped Nestabilities; scallop scissors; Red Versamagic ink.

I would like to enter my recipe box to the following challenges:
Digital Tuesday - Gift Set
Double Dutch: I choose Challenge #41, Box it up
Ooh-la-la Creations: Stripes
Creative Friday - Monochrome + sketch
CowGirls Sunday Stamp'en - Anything goes
Timbroscrapmania - Free theme

Thanks for your comments, have a nice week!

Colour Throwdown + A Spoon Full of Sugar challenges

Good Friday morning!
My birthday card for today's post (another commissioned one) enters a couple of challenges that are on this week and which I found interesting:
A Spoon Full of Sugar are inviting you to follow Paola's sketch, while Color Throwdown's 108 challenge is about using kraft, saffron and chololate chip colours.
See my take on these two challenges below; do you like my card?

I would also like to enter my card in:
Fab'n'Funky - Living in a material world (I used ribbon and corrugated/recycled cardstock)
Cute Card Thursday - Material girl (materials as above)
Alphabet - S for scallops

The cute elephant digital image featured in the card is from Bugaboo stamps, coloured with Letraset Promarkers. All cardstock and ribbon from my own stash; Card candy Chocolate drops; Cuttlebug embossing folder; Oval and Scalloped Nestabilities; corner punch; Studio G alphabet stamp set for the sentiment.

Thanks for your comments! Have a nice weekend!

"Ladybird" card

Second post today!
One of my best friends is celebrating her birthday on Saturday so I knew I needed to make a card for her this week. She absolutely loves red so I always try to include as much of this colour as possible in my cards/presents to her - it is a well-known fact that red makes her happy.
On the other hand, my blogging friend Lisa Jane has this challenge going on until 13th September - "a project inspired on a ladybug". Mmmmm... red, ladybug, red, ladybug.... nice coincidence, isn't it?
Well, here's the result, a clean and simple card, my favourite style, with lots of red and very ladybird-like:

The digital sentiment is by RainDrop Echo designs- I am in love with them at the moment, don't you think they are beautiful?! The background pattern I made with red cardstock, using a small pencil rubber and stamping with white ink; ribbon from my own stash; Nestabilities labels; Cuttlebug polka dot embossing folder; white pen to highlight the sentiment.

Lisa Jane is also offering lovely Celebration Candy if you are a follower and are up to the ladybird challenge. Check out her blog for more details.
So I am entering my card into Lisa Jane's challenge - Ladybugs
Sentimental Sundays - Clean and Simple
Double Dutch - Create your own patterned paper

Happy Monday!

Jewellery box + Pink Birthday card

Two posts today :-)
The first one is a double one - it features a small gift and a birthday card for a little 6 year old girl friend of my son.

We were in a beads shop the other day and my son decided to get some colourful crystal beads to make a beautiful bracelet for Mama. (My son loves this sort of thing, I guess he sees me happy sorrounded by crafty bits all day long and he has inherited my passion). There were a few beads left after my bracelet so I suggested we made another bracelet for his friend Emily's upcoming birthday. And it just seemed like a good idea to then alter a little jewellery box I had to put the little bracelet in.
I would like to enter the altered box into the following challenges:
Aly Sundays - Pretty in pink
One Stitch at a time - Girlie
For fun - Use ribbon/lace
Crazy 4 Challenges - Lattice
Craft your days away - With wings
The jewellery box has been painted and then altered with decopatch paper and paper doilies; ribbon, lace, felt flower and button, all from my own stash. The white alphas are stickers; the butterflies a Cuttlebug diecut, embossed with Cuttlebug folders.

And of course, then I made a birthday card to give with the jewellery box.

The card enters the following challenges:
Aly Sundays - Pretty in pink
One Stitch at a Time - Girlie
Stamptacular Sunday - Pretty in Pink

For fun - Use ribbon/lace

CRAFT - Birthdays anything goes

Bee Crafty - Anything goes

The image on the card ("Little Angel Alice") I am not sure of the designer, apologies (I always try to keep track of the designer but for some reason I did not record the name of this one. I know it was a free image featured on Free Digital Stamps not long ago). It is coloured with Letraset Promarkers and has some Stickles. The capital E is made in Word. The candle stamp and sentiment are both Hero Arts.

Shaped birthday card

And here's another birthday card, commissioned by the same client. For this one I used much brighter colours and a circular shape.

The image, coloured with Letraset Promarkers, is also from Ellis Designs; circle/scalloped Nestabilities; the papers and cardstock are leftovers, flower and ribbon are all from my own stash.

I would like this card to enter the following challenges:

Dare U2 digistamp - Shaped card

For fun - Use ribbon/lace

CRAFT challenge - Birthdays anything

Oh Alice - Little Girl theme

Thanks for your comments! Have a nice day!

Distressed Birthday card

Just finished: a commissioned card for a birthday girl. I felt like using pastel colours and soft patterns for this one.
It enters the following challenges:
Oh Alice - Little Girl theme
Sweet Stampin - Distressed Birthday
Alphabet - R for Roses
Bee Crafty - Anything goes

Whatever I want!

It's my father-in-law's birthday on Sunday and like every year this is a time when I am not looking forward to making a card. Why? Well, he is a lovely person, a real character, and a fun-loving man, who I know now, likes receiving only humourous cards. I have discovered that fact over the years and after a few disappointments. He does not do it on purpose, he simply does not like elegant or serious-looking cards so, much to my astonishment, he often used to discard my one after hardly reading it, while all the humourous cards had a special place on the mantelpiece! So as challenging as it is already for me to create a male card, it is a double challenge to come up with a humourous card for him every year.

And so this morning I set myself to the difficult task - nice cup of decaff latte in front of me, clean desk... And I got thinking which stamps were particularly funny and appropriate and would be worth considering for the challenge, and immediately Bugaboo came to my mind! Have you ever seen their digis? I have purchased a few over the last year or so and they are fantastic, especially if you are looking for a humourous style. I think this old fella is called Gus and maybe not so much his looks, but defenitely his attitude really fits my FIL's profile! LOL!

The beach huts in the background are a recent freebie from Little Musings. All images coloured with Letraset Promarkers and mounted on 3D pads to give some perspective. The beach effect I created with brown paper and distress ink; the birthday sentiment is a sticker from my own stash.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:
ABC - B is for Blue (My card is only partially blue so I am not sure they will accept my entry)
YNS - Bold Bright Summer colours
CRAFT - Photo inspiration (I have used the colours of the jellies as inspiration)
Cards for Men - Decoupage
Aud Sentiments - Anything goes
Stampin' for the weekend - Anything goes

Thanks for your comments! Have a nice weekend!

Spotlight card

Good evening!
Here's another technique I have been meaning to try for a while - the spotlight - and this week Crafty Cardmakers are challenging crafters to try it. So I decided to give it a go the other day and I must say - I love it! It really gives the image a new light, and it's actually very easy!
Very often I come up with my own sketches, but for this card I decided to use Oh Alice's. The colour combination is another one of my favourite, I've used it before (here, for instance) and love the result.

I would like to enter my card into some other challenges:
A pocket full of posies - All that Glitter
Pink Elephant - Ribbon and Sparkle
My time to Craft - Glitter and Glitz
Bee Crafty - Ribbon and bows
Sentimental Sunday - Ribbon or lace
Craft your Passion - Anything goes
Little Paper Shop - Stitching
Created by Hand - Stitiching
Everybody Art - In the garden

The digital image is from Pollycraft; the backing paper is from the Flora and Fauna CD by Docrafts; I used Letraset Promarkers to colour and highlight pieces of the image; 2" circle punch; Diamond Stickles on the spotlights and flower; orange and blue cardstock; turquoise ribbon and flower; orange gems; orange raffia - all from my own stash.
The card is for a good friend whose birthday was in June but I have not seen for a while. I am hoping to meet her on Sunday and hope she likes it ;-)
Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks!

My favourite colours

Todays card contains some of my favourite colours; unlike pink, which is a colour I seem to only use in crafting, but never never never in clothing, I love, use and wear a lot of green, khaki, olive, sand, taupe, beige. And I find that together with purple, these colours are stunning! And to my delight, there were 2 different challenges this week with this colour combination. Happy me!
I also wanted to use the Raindrop Echo Designs digital sentiments for a while, and todays card seemed the perfect opportunity. Isn't the sentiment beautiful?
Sentiment from Raindrop Echo Designs; the tree stamp is Papermania; the backing paper with green flourishes is from Love Jesse Edwards, Papermania; Green and purple cardstock are Core-dinations; purple vellum, purple flower, green button and brown cardstock are all from my own stash.

The challenges:

Daring Cardmakers - Tree-mendous

Cute Card Thursday - Tree-mendous

Colour throwdown - artichoke + eggplant + suede
Crafts and me - Purple and green
Fab'n'Funky - My favourite colour/s
Alphabet challenge - P is for punches

Hope your weekend is fantastic!

Beach scene

My card today features 3 of my own digital images, available for free -see previous post- until Saturday 14th August.

It is a beach scene for those who long for those beautifully hot summer days :-)

The sand, the sun and the sky have been masked using Distresss Ink; the sandcastle, the starfish and the seashell coloured with Letraset Promarkers; I also used different tones of Stickles, to give a sand look and some more life to the different elements; button from my own stash; 3D foam pads to add perspective.

I left the card without a sentiment so I can use it for whatever occasion is needed.
Oh, can anyone spot what I forgot from the original image? Yes, the little flag on the sandcastle! :-)

My card enters the following challenges:

Simon Says - Summertime Blues

Drunken Stampers - Masking

ABC Challenge - A is for August

Tuesday Taggers - Sunshine

Don't forget to show me your creations with DesigNeAl's digital images!
Thanks for your comments

Freebies - Beach sandcastle, starfish and seashell

I refuse to give up on summer! The sky is grey, it's only 15 degrees, it rained a few minutes ago and the forecast is for a wet and cloudy week ahead... still, there's sandals on my feet! (mind you, my feet are frrrrrrrrrrrrozen!)

With this mindset I decided to use my crafting skills to hold on to whatever summer we have left for a bit longer, and drew this little beach scene: a sandcastle, a starfish and a seashell.

For all those who are still holding onto the warm weather, here are some summer freebies! Enjoy them until Saturday 14th August (when they will be replaced by watermarked images).

I would love to see what you create with my digis. See my next post to see how I used these images!

Usual rules apply: these digital images belong to me and are for personal use only. If you would like to use any commercially, please contact me. If you use any of my images to enter challenges or in any other creation, I would appreciate it very much if you could acknowledge it by mentioning DesigNeAl and linking it to my blog. Thank you and enjoy!

Please leave a comment after downloading the images, thanks!