Monday 30 January 2012

Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge,

Hiya Crafty Friends,

It's that time of the week again...Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge!

This weeks theme is Oriental
All the information on how to enter can be found here Crafty Bloggers Network

This weeks theme is

Oriental




Recipe:

Black Card
Red card
Treasure Oriental Silhouette peel-off stickers (Docrafts Papermania)
My template

I made my own template for this, and I thought I'd share so you could have a go yourself


Screen Template [PDF]

Sunday 29 January 2012

Design team announcement!!

Hi Crafty friends,

When I put out my design team call I never thought I'd get soooooo many replies. I really was shocked. One of the hardest things for me to do was narrow down the list after looking at everyone's fabulous blogs.

 
After a lot of thinking and re-thinking, even though it was the hardest thing EVER!, I final decided on my design team.

So with out further ado. I'd like to introduce you the the Cards Galore Challenge Design team...











Eileen -


I am excited to let you know that  from the March challenge onwards, you will start to see these ladies fabulous work .

Happy crafting
Click here for more graphics and gifs!

P.S. The February challenge will be posted on the 1st Feb, and there will be a prize from a very kind sponsor :)

Saturday 28 January 2012

Challenge rule change

Hi crafty friends,

Just a quick post to let you now that I have changed the challenge rules slightly, as follows:

The Challenges will run monthly from the 1st to the last Sunday of the month, and 

winners will be announced on the Wednesday.


This is because the craft group I go to on a Monday have agreed to judge the cards

Happy Crafting

Click here for more graphics and gifs!

Friday 27 January 2012

TGIF!!! Phew! What a week... design team, promarkers, poorly mum...

Hi Crafty Friends,

Sorry I have not posted for a little while. It's been soooooo busy trying to build a brand new Cards Galore Design Team. I really didn't expect so many people to apply...I've been gob-smacked :O You are still able to apply up until this Sunday (29th Jan), here. I am really enjoying visiting all the blogs :)

I have also been catching up on my design team project for Crafty Bloggers Networks Challenges.

I have also been designing some Tuxcedo card and topper templates for my craft group on Monday. I am quite pleased how they have come out :) I'll posts a step by step tutorial and the templates for them next week.

I love my crafting, but boy it's been a busy old time with it this week.

My mum has also been quite poorly with the virus I had at New Year. It's horrible!!! It seem to hang around for ages. Get Well Soon, Mum xxxxxxxx

Anyway, I am really, really late with my card swap card (AGAIN!! Sorry Dawn xx). It'a Cats/Dogs and I've only got as far as colouring them *Blush*. I hoping to get them finished this weekend, but thought I'd post where I've got, up to now. Just for the fact they are soooo cute. I love the cat in the wellies, my fave! They were all coloured with Promarkers

 And talking of Promarkers. I've been very naughty and pre-ordered the New Limited Edition Spring set (thank god I still had some xmas money left...phew!) It's very sad, isn't it, that I was excited there was 6 new colours...well, there is a free cd-rom with them too...lol!
Well, I'd better be off, as I still haven't finished the Tim Holtz flower tutorial I promised you all. My Movie Marker software has been playing silly beggers, but hopefully I will get it finished soon

As always...happy crafting
Click here for more graphics and gifs!

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Design Team call!!

Hiya Crafty friends,

free glitter text and family website at FamilyLobby.com

As you will all know by now, I have just started a monthly challenge here on Cards Galore, and I know from the entries that we have had up to now, we have some very talented crafters out there. If any of you are interested I would love to build our very own Cards Galore design team.

If you would like the opportunity to be part of our team, and :
  • Have a blog that you update regularly.
  • Can commit to make one card a month, following a theme, in time for the start of each months challenge
  • Share our monthly challenge
  • but, more importantly... have fun!!
If you like the sound of this and would like to apply, all you have to do is comment at the bottom of this post and leave a link to your blog.

If picked, I will send you a badge to put on your blog and your blog will be listed on Cards Galore

I'm really exicited to start looking at all your fabulous blogs and welcome you to the Cards Galore family.

Happy Crafting

Click here for more graphics and gifs!

Monday 23 January 2012

Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge

Hi craft friends,

It's Crafty Bloggers Network challenge again and this wee's challenge theme is:

Distressing
Make a card using Distressing techniques


All the information on ow to enter will be found here Crafty Bloggers Network


And here is my design team card, which is also my very first fully distressed card, and I am quite pleased how it has come out for my first attempt :)










Recipe:
White card
Brown card
Water
White ribbon (which was then distressed with Peeled Paint distress ink)
Lace
Brads
Green chalk
 Memento Ink - London Fog
Dies:
Sizzix - Flourish, floral with leaves

Stamps: 
Docrafts Papermania - Urban stamps - Bird Print
 Docrafts Papermania - Urban stamps - Botanical Print
Tim Holtz Distress inks:
Peeled Paint (Background)
Vintage Photo (Edging)
Fired Brick (Flower and edging)
Milled Lavender (Bird)


Flower


White card
Docrafts Papermania - Urban stamps - Botanical Print (the script stamp)
Tim Holtz Alterations - Tattered Floral
Memento Ink - London Fog
Tim Holtz Distress inks:
Tattered Rose
Fired Brick
Soft foam pad (for shaping)
Flower forming tools (for shaping)

NB - Tutorial for the flower will follow soon. It's in the midst of being edited as we speak (unfortunately that's the longest part to do)

Sunday 22 January 2012

January Challenge: Black and red

Hiya crafty friends,

Just a reminder that you have got until the 31st to enter the Cards Galore Monthly Challenge. I am loving the projects that have been entered up to now.

I would also like to introduce my first design team member...Eileen (*whispers* my mum), who has made a gorgeous card using January's theme Blank and red.

So if you would like to enter, there is still plenty of time. Just post you enter at the following link: January Challenge: Black and red






All rules for the challenges can be found by pressing the 'Challenge Rules' at the top of the page

Winner will be announced on the 6th February



Click here for more graphics and gifs!

Saturday 21 January 2012

Vix's Promarker tutorials Part 4 - Skintone

Hiya crafty friends,

Well, here I am again with my 'homework' from Vix's tutorials :) This time it is skin tone...eeek! I really feel I need to practice this a bit more to get it right, but I'm quite happy with them. I just need to get some proper card to do my Promarker work, as it did bleed a bit (which I've tided up). I'm going to get some of Stampin' Up's card when I next go, as I have tried it once before with a piece I was given and it worked really well.

Izzie certainly has got a bit of 'colour in her cheeks' now.


Happy Crafting
Click here for more graphics and gifs!

Friday 20 January 2012

Vix's Promarker tutorials Part 3 - Light colours clothes

Hi Crafty Friends,

As you all know, I have been following Vix's Promarker tutorials, which I am finding soooooo helpful. Today I'm posting my attempt at Light Coloured clothes, which you can see on Izzies vest top. I'm really pleased I've learnt how to do this, as I think it will come in very handy.


And also I had a go at the grounding and grass grounding tutorial too. I think I have been a little heavy handed with the grey on the shadow one. So I little practice is needed with that one and I've just realise, I should have coloured Izzie's vest top in the second image...ooop!



I can't wait for the next tutorial! I'm really enjoying it 



Happy crafting

Click here for more graphics and gifs!

Tuesday 17 January 2012

The lovely Emma Goddard...

Hi Crafty friends,

Here's part 2 of my special mentions...


This one is for the lovely Ema Goddard, who has kept the Crafty Bloggers Network going recently and has always been there to give me and all the other design team members a helping hand.

Thanks also to her for so generously sponsoring one of my future challenges.

So here's to Ema 


Click here for more graphics and gifs!

Emma Collin's story...

Hi Crafty friends,

Something a bit different today. If you are a regular reader of my blog you would have learnt that I am in the process of learning to overcome my Social Phobia. A big step with this was starting this blog, but also being asked to be a Design Team member over at Crafty Bloggers Network, which really did boast my confidence and in some sort of way helped me, although anxiously, look to the future. So thank you Emma and of course Jo. for having the faith in me and my work. It has done more for me than you'll know xx

The founder of Crafty Bloggers Network is Emma Collin's, who is the manager of the Creativity Club over at Docrafts and this is her story, which she'd like to share:



"My name is Emma and I’m a 28 year old happily married wife to one very supportive husband, an exhausted mummy to two very adorable and demanding little girls and a very passionate and motivated manager at docrafts®.

After university in 2004 I landed a fantastic job as head of PR for the UK’s leading papercraft supplier. I qualified as a broadcast journalist and had always been keen to work in radio journalism, a dream that had been with me since I was a little girl but whilst studying at university in Southampton I had discovered the ambitious and energetic world of Marketing and PR and this was the turning point of my childhood dream.

In early 2009 I had my first daughter Nevie-Rose and in mid-2010 I had my second daughter Myla.  The close age gaps meant that I could return to my career and remain focused, especially knowing that I have no desire to have anymore. I adore being a mummy, but have always had the desire to remain in PR and keep hold of my sanity.

I returned to work in April 2011 and after suffering with Post-Natal depression work really has been my saviour.  Returning to work this time, I find myself in another very exciting position, taking on a new role and managing the Creativity Club for docrafts®. What a privilege!

Boasting more than 250,000 members, the award winning docrafts.com team created something really special in 2010 for those who craved access to exclusivity and inspiration in the world of creativity. The Creativity Club was born.
Members are given access to unique project ideas, downloads, news, prize draws, reduced P&P and other truly great offers, newsletters and more. Club members also have exclusive access to their very own TV channel (Creativity TV) and a chat forum.

My job is different every day. After dropping the kids off at nursery, I take a 30 minute drive to the office, grab a coffee (totally ME time at this point!) and start up my PC. I then explode with inspiration and ideas to grow the club content and find myself going from exhausted mummy to energetic Emma and all without Redbull!

My current mission is to make more avid crafters aware of this creative resource. The Creativity Club offers an inspiring community to those dedicated to the craft market with a wealth of exclusive content. After setting up the Crafty Bloggers Network on Facebook, I am keen to bring dedicated crafters together under one craft club.
To find out more visit www.docrafts.com/Creativity-Club and you can follow Emma at @ThePRMummy and www.emmacollins.blogspot.com"





Happy Crafting

Click here for more graphics and gifs!

Monday 16 January 2012

Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge

Hiya crafty friends,

Well, it's time again this week for the Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge. This weeks theme is:

Monochrome
a project simply using only two colours, one base colour and one other colour.
All the information on ow to enter will be found here Crafty Bloggers Network

When I first heard that this was the theme, I thought to myself ...'Oh, that's a nice easy one'. How wrong could I have been! For some reason my crafting mojo was just not firing for this one and took me such a long time to finally make this card. That will teach me not to get too comfortable...lol :)




Card ingredient
  • Black Card
  • White Card
  • Pattern Paper (Docraft's Papermania Capsule Collection - Mono Paper Pack)
  • Flower punch (Docraft's Papermania 1.6cm mini punch - Lotus Flower)
  • Button Die (Stampin' Up)
  • Stick on Pearls
Happy crafting



Sunday 15 January 2012

My homemade Promarker storage

Hi crafty friends,

For awhile now I have been pondering how best to store my Promarkers, so they could be portable too. I've seen many ideas on the internet but they didn't quite fit what I wanted (or my pocket). Whilst at a craft shop that I don't go in very often, as they don't sell a lot of the stuff I want want. I came across some paintbrush rolls and thought to myself that I think I could make something from them for my Promarkers. With them only being £1.50 each I bought myself a couple to see if it could be done.On putting some Promarkers in one of the pockets I found out that each pocket holds 3 markers (except for the two end pockets that have large eyelets on them. So in all one roll holds 58 markers. So to house the whole Promarker collection I would need two and a half roll, so I went and bought a thrid roll (even though I haven't got the whole collection yet :) ). As the third roll is not completely filled with the collection, there is plenty of room for any new additions to the Promarker range (as there is 6 more coming out son I hear), or other pens you may want to keep with them. 

On filling the pockets with the pens I still found them to be slipping out a bit so decided that elastic may help this out. After a search of Ebay I managed to win a large roll of elastic for not a lot of money.

Now this was the time consuming bit as. I sewn two lengths of elastic so there was three loops above each pocket, if you know what I mean. Just make sure the 'loop' is big enough for the pen to fit. This made the pens stay where they were.


I also found that if you fold then in half and pull it round into a circle and attach to the ends using hook and eyes, it is great for when you are colouring (sorry my hand is holding it in this photograph. I haven't got the hook and eyes yet...lol)


Then when you have finished at rolls up neatly, so it's portable.


I'm really pleaded how it came out in the end and all my Promarkers are all safe and sound (an organised) ready for when I need them :)

Happy crafting