Cool

I've had this image for a while but never had chance to colour it up and make a card.  I was looking for something a little different and this was the one I decided on.  The image is Just So Cool from All  Dressed Up.

It's coloured with ProMarkers and cut out with a Spellbinders die.  I wanted to keep the card fairly simple and just picked some co-ordinating design papers from Lili of the Valley and Wild Rose Studio.  In addition I've used some plain red card stock and some red and black self adhesive gems.

The final thing I added was a silver musical note which I got from The Ribbon Girl.  Here's a close up so you can see the image coloured with the note.

I'm sure I'll find a suitable teenager to give this card to :)

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

All Dressed Up - Anything Goes

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

It's Magic!!!

Today I have some inspiration for you with an image from Oddball Art.  The theme this month is SPRING.  This is a mid way reminder so you still have a couple of weeks to enter.  The theme is an easy one and it's helped by the fact that I have a discount code you can use at checkout to get 10% off any item in store if you want to use an Oddball Art digi and haven't got one.  Just quote DTANDREA10 :)  of course you can enter with any image  it doesn't have to be an a oddball one.

So here's my inspiration for you....

I let my imagination run free :)  This new image from Oddball Art by Lizzy - is no 198 and has a long description but if you use my link it will take you straight there.  I loved this image when I first saw it and really wanted to do it especially since I had this idea - so I tried it out - and wow it came out better than I hoped!

I've coloured her in pastels with ProMarkers and used some biro to highlight her hair.  Outside the image I've done some extra swirly bits for the magic and movement through the air.

 The carpet is riding on a magical pink, yellow and glitter  panel which was created using ProMarkers and some DecoArt glitter.  Here's a close up for you

So my idea was to do her floating through the air through some trees.  I didn't want the trees to drown her out though and wanted to keep the card simple so it showcased the beautiful image.  I sketched a few branches at the top left then took to pieces some hortensias (Kort and Godt) I'd got from Live and Love Crafts to create the petals on the branches.  The only other thing I've added are some tiny silver dragonfly beads.

Ok that's me done - now lets see what you can do :)

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Design Team Showcase - Challenge 11

The Corrosive Challenge - Its Hip to be Square

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

I love ProMarkers - Release the Glitter

Mudder's Day

It's Wednesday and a new sketch challenge at Outlawz.  Our sponsor for this month is Drawn with Character.  This was a second image I couldn't resist when I saw it and just had to buy it :)

Seen as it's nearly mothers day in the USA I thought I'd give you some inspiration with my card!

This image is Mommy and baby pig Mothers Day - I've tried to match pink pig colour as closely as I could with my ProMarkers.  The image is backed with some brown paper from one of the Lili of the Valley paper stacks.  The flowery design paper it's mounted onto is from Wild Rose Studio.

The banner is made from wooden pieces (triangles and hearts) and some hemp string.  I've cut out some papers from Wild Rose Studio for the triangles.  Added to this are some pearlised self adhesive gems.  There's a pink self adhesive gem and some flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts to finish the card off.

Soooo.... that's my inspiration for todays sketch now it's your turn :)

Andrea x

Fairy garden

Can you believe I actually coloured this imaged back in November/December 2014 when I was first guest designing for ABC Challenge.  I've only just got round to making this into a card!

The image is no 438 from Sherri Baldy.  I coloured her with ProMarkers and a bit of biro to highlight her hair.  It's cut out with a Spellbinders die and I've added some DecoArt glitter to her wings to blong her up.

The flowes and leaves added underneath the image to make to come to life and look 3-D are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the Ribbon Girl.  I've carried on the theme of the image as well by adding red self adhesive gems in groups of three.

Papers are all from Lïli of the Valley.

The last think I've added are some pearlised self adhesive gems and some silver dragonfly beads.

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Addicted to Stamps - Flowers

Crafty Cats - Things with Wings

Passion for ProMarkers - Spring Blooms

Wags n whiskers - Flowers

Creative Momemts - Anything Goes Spring/Easter

Create and Inspire - Anything Goes/Flowers

I Love ProMarkers - Bugs

I wanna play ball....

This adorable image from Mo Manning, Baron and Butch, was one I could not resist when I went browsing on her site!  I was looking for some children's and guys images when I spotted it.  I just love the dog the little buy is leaning on.

The image is coloured with ProMarkers and then cut out with a Spellbinders die.

Papers I've used are all from Lili of the Valley and I've managed to use up some of my off cuts here - yay!!  (I need to do a lot more of that).

The only other thing I've added are some blue self adhesive gems to compliments the theme of the card.

I've left the card blank without a sentiment as quite a few people ask me to personalise them when they buy them.

Hope you like my cute boy card

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes

Create and Inspire - Anything Goes

Cutie Pie Challenge - All About the Boys

Crafty Card Makers and More - Dots

Magical storm

When I first got this image (Lucy Loo - Fire Dance) from The East Wind my intention was to colour her in reds, oranges and yellows.  BUT I've been doing a lot on non pink cards lately and was having withdrawal ;)

I wanted to do something in pink a decided she could be creating magic rather than fire.  So I proceeded to colour her in pink ProMarkers.  The grey stormy atmosphere around her in done with grey Copics.

Once I'd coloured the image I mounted her onto some back card stock to frame the image.

I've used pink stripy paper from Lili of the Valley to make it look like she's i a room.  The paper with words on was intended as magical spells being spoken and is from Wild Rose Studio.

At the back of the card is some black card stock as I wanted to keep the pink and black theme.

The sentiment I/ added was also from Lili of the Valley from one of their art pads - coloured with pink ProMarker.

Once I'd done all this I added the glitter for bling to make the magic and some pink self adhesive gems to be the balls of magic at the end of her wand and being fired.  Here's a close up of the image for you.

Final touches to the card are some more pink self adhesive gems and some black ones.

Ahhhh..  feel much better now I've done something PINK :)

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Allsorts - Bring on the Bling

In the Pink - Make it Sparkle

Paradise of Stamps - Bling

Stamping Sensations - Pretty in Pink

Don't you just hate Mondays

She looks so sad fighting in the rain with the wind and her umbrella.  I've done this so many times myself - I've have resorted to try and wear coats or jackets with hoods!!

The image I've used for this CAS card is Stormy Image 13 from Oddball Art.  She's coloured with ProMarkers and I've added in a streaky background to make it look like she's in the rain with puddles round her feet :)

The image is mounted onto some black card stock to give it a border.  Behind this are two complimenting design papers to the image in pale sea green and purple from Lili of the Valley.

The sentiment is from another of Oddball Art's images which I've cut out using a Spellbinder die.  It comes with image Frazzled Fran Image 154.  I've coloured this using the same ProMarkers as the main image.

The only other embellishment used are some self adhesive gems in purple and green.

Lets hope we don't get too many Monday mornings like this

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Without Words - Under My Umbrella

Addicated to Stamps - Girly but no Pink

Creative Card Crew - Sentiment

Allsorts - Quick and Simple Does It

Crafty Card Makers - Dots

Digi Choosday - Spots and Dots

Mini filmstrip

This is my second card using the amazingly cute seal images that Lizzy from Oddball Art Co has recently released!  You can find these images on Etsy and they're part of a fund raiser we're doing to help the seals in Canada.  Every image that is purchased Lizzy is passing on the full amount received to the seal fund!  AND what's even better for you is I have a discount code you can use to purchase these with 10% off just quote DTANDREA10 at the checkout.  There are also some sentiments to go with the seals.

To find out how we're doing on the fundraising you can check it out on the Oddball Art Co blog.  You can also see what other makes my fellow DT have made.

So... how I did the card.  I printed off a mini version of the seals in a column.  I then coloured them with Copics.  Ten came the slightly tricky bit.  I sketched the film strip around the seals then coloured it in.  The completed image was cut out and given round edges to fit in with the film strip.  I added some black card stock as the background and mounted the seal image on top.

The Smile.... embellishment was made suing some glitter adhesive letters purchased from Hobby Craft.

Please come and help us save some seals

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Sisterhood of Crafters - Monochromatic

Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes

Create & Inspire - Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Sentiment

Sheep love

We have a new sketch for you at Outlawz Challenges today and if you didn't know already we are sponsored by Drawn with Character this month.  I went for a browse in their shop and found this cute sheep image which I had to have :)

The image is coloured with ProMarkers and cut out with a Spellbinders die.  Design papers are from Lïli of the Valley/Raspberry Road Designs - Heartfelt.  I've used the same desgn paper twice and some red card stock in layers.

The ribbon down the left side of the image is made by twisting some red and white organza ribbon together.

The only other embellishments are a couple of red wooden hearts.

Hope you join us for this weeks sketch

Andrea x

Me n my friend

It's Team B's turn at Through The Craft Room Door.  This week we're sponsored by The Stamping Boutique.  This gorgeous image is called Uncommon Friends which I've coloured with ProMarkers.  Here's a close up of the image.

I've used three different sea green design papers with some embellishments of resin, metal charms, gauze and some wedding beads.  The full list of materials can be found in the May edition of the online magazine published by Through The Craft Room Door.

And now it's over to you to show us what you can do and as always our challenges are anything goes Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Ching Chou-Kuik - Under the Sea

Robyn's Fetish - Add a Charm

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Snoozing......

Some of you may have seen this totally adorable piglet before.  Unky from The East Wind had a mini colour challenge and I just couldn't resist him and he's got to be my favourite stamp :)

Well it's taken me all this time to decide what to do with him after several comments from my hubby of "you've got to make him into a card - he's just too cute not to".

I cut the image Sleepy Piglet Dreaming Apple out with a Spellbinders die after colouring him with polychromos pencils.  The edges are then coloured with a vanilla ProMarkers to make it stand out from the white background.

I decided to do him in a dreamy abstract background, but only on part of the underlying white card stock.  Hopefully it looks like bubbles of piglet dreams :)

To finish the card off I added some black glitter letters to make the dream sentiment and some red card stock to make a border.

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Lili Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Fairytale Stampers - Favourite Stamp

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Words, Words, Words

Creative Card Crew - Sentiment

How old??

I got this idea the other day after I'd cut this little zombie sheep out with a Spellbinders die.  He's so cute but also looks very shocked - so I thought the "HOW OLD!" sentiment would go very well with him :)

The image is from Oddball Art Zombie Sheep Image 34.  I have a discount code you can use in the ETSY shop for these images which will save you 10% just quote DTANDREA10 at checkout.

You can enter the current Oddball Art SPRING Challenge using one of these images - but did you know you don't have to use one of their images to enter?

The image has been coloured with ProMarkers and given him a little shadow.

The design papers is from LemonCraft and First Editions.  I've also used some black and red card stock.

The glitter letters and self adhesive gems were bought form Hobby Craft.

I wanted to keep the design of this card simple to showcase the sheep :)

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Fab n Funky - Masculine

Papertake Weekly - Words, Words, Words

Crafty Boots - Red, White and/or Blue

Crafting from the Heat - Anything Goes

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Create and Inspire - Anything Goes - Use a die

It's a Spring Thing

Today is the first posting of a new blog challenge with a new team over at Oddball Art :)  The theme for this month is SPRING!!

AND did you know I have a 10% voucher code you can use to get discount on these beautiful images and anything else in the Oddball Art store.  Just quote DTANDREA10 at check out!!

I love spring all the flowers and leaves coming out and the wildlife buzzing about.  So I had to do something along those lines because that what spring means to me - apart from hopefully seeing a bit of sun - I do live in the UK you know ;)

I've used is Sara N Friends Image 21 for this card.  She's coloured with ProMarkers in pink and white.   I decided to give her a block colour highlight in pink in her hair as well as that's one of the trends in hairstyles that's being going round in the UK.  I have a blond one if you look at my profile pic :)

I decided Sara should have some tiny blue bird friends to complete the pastel look of the card.  Once I'd done her I cut her out with a Spellbinders die and added some embossing enamel to give a hint of ground around her feet.  Here's a close up of the completed image.

Design papers are from First Edition - The Promise, Wild Rose Studio - Antique Library and Lili of the Valley/NiWit Collections - Country Meadow.

I've added a collection of flowers to the top right corner for the spring theme.  These are from Wild Orchid Crafts and Live and Love Crafts.  Here's a close up of the arrangement for you.

The final touch I've added to the card are three sets of pearlised self adhesive gems.

Hope you love my card for the spring theme.  Please check out the Oddball Art challenge blog so you can see my team mates beautiful creations!

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Crazy Challenge - Springtime

Crafty Cardmakers and More - Wings

Creative Craft Cottage - Use Die Cuts

Deep Ocean - Things with Wings

Creative and Inspire - Anything Goes Use a Die

Polkadoodles - Pink and Pretty

Corrosive Challenge - Floral Fantasy

Creative Moments - Anything Goes/Spring or Easter

Design Team Showcase - Challenge 10

Birthday flump

This is my second card for the Sketch Team at Outlawz - I may be getting the hang of using sketches a bit more :) never been so structured!

The sponsor for this month is Drawn with Character.  The image I've chosen to work with for this sketch is Elephant Sitting with a Cup Cake.  The elephant itself is coloured with Copics the rest of the image is coloured using ProMarkers.  Here's a close up for you.

Design papers used are from Wild Rose Studio Icing on the Cake Pack (which I thought very appropriate to go with the image).

The pink satin ribbon is from Hobby Craft and I added a hand tied bow.  The tag is from a set bought at Hobby Craft but I added a sentiment from Lili of the Valley and some ribbon to it.

The final addition are some Petaloo flowers cascading down the card.

Hope this has been great inspiration for the current challenge for you

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Lil Pach of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Creative Knockouts - Birthday Wishes

Polkadoodles - Pink and Pretty

Allsorts - Bingo (ribbon/flowers/die cut)

Sweet Stampin - Children's Cards

Ribbon Girl - Any Image - add ribbon or lace

Crafty Creations - Seeing Spots

Design Team Showcase - Challenge 10

Birthday balloons

Over at The ABC Challenge today we have our new theme - H is for Happy Birthday.  The sponsor for this challenge is Di's Digi Designs.

The image I've chosen to use for my card is Flying High - very cute hedgehogs.  I've coloured this image with ProMarkers and added a little biro to highlight the spines.

I wanted to keep the card fairly simple so it could be used for either a boy or a girl.  Doing it this way has also showcased the image as the main feature.

I've used some black and orange card stock to keep in the colour scheme of the card.

Design papers are from Lili of the Valley and Santoro Gorjuss.

There's a Happy Birthday sentiment fitting in with our theme at ABC Challenge today.

And my final touch some golden self adhesive gems.

So now it's over to you to show us your birthday creations

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin - Children's Cards

Left of Centre - Spots and / or Stripes

Crafty Cats - 2 or More Patterned Papers

Creative Knockouts - Birthday Wishes

Di's Digi Designs - Include An Animal

Crafty Creations - Seeing Spots

Design Team Showcase - Challenge 10

Bringing a dragon to life

This awesome image form Aurora Wings - Woman w/ Serpentine Dragon Tattoo.

I actually did this image for my DT inspiration card for the ABC Challenge.  Then a couple of people started to post pictures of the same image they'd done and I didn't want to be accused of idea copying.  So I went back to the drawing board and did another image for the 1 April challenge.

I thought I'd make the card up and share it now seen as the current ABC Challenge is now closed.

I've done a CAS card to showcase this fantastic image.  I wanted to do it all in firey colours and did this with ProMarkers.  I've kept the girl quite flat and in the background and really gone to town colouring the dragon to make it stand out and the scales look like they have some depth.  Here's a close up.

I've also created the abstract back ground I showed in a step by step in a previous post.

Once coloured I've just used black card stock to frame the image and used some black self adhesive gems.

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Aurora Wings - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Vintage photo

I decided to have a go at a vintage theme and in particular I had this ideas of doing a vintage photo style card.  I picked one of my favourite images from All Dressed Up - Mirror Mirror and coloured her in browns with ProMarkers.  Then mulled it over for a long, long, long, long time.  I actually ended up doing another vintage style card in the meantime and was happy with that so then ploughed ahead with this one.

She's cut out with a Spellbinders Die and then treated with some Tim Holtz Antique Linen distress ink.

Design papers are from Lïli of the Valley and Prima Marketing (Almanac).

I've added a strip of Tim Holz film I got from Live and Love Crafts to fit in with the vintage picture theme.

Vintage theme coloured brown/beige roses and leaves are all from Wild Orchid Crafts.

The final touch are some brown self adhesive gems.

I'm really happy with the way this one came out - as always it was a bit of an experiment, this was the first time using a Tim Holtz distress tool on an image!

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

All Dressed Up - Anything Goes

All Dressed Up Facebook - Shabby or Vintage

Create and Inspire - Anything Goes with a Die

The Corrosive Challenge - Floral Fantasy

Addicted to Stamps - Girly but no Pink

Dreamin'

This new stamp from Whimsy Stamps Percilla by Lizzy Love at Oddball Art has just been released.

She's such a gorgeous image I decided to colour in pale pastels and do her with a spring feel.  I've used ProMarker to do this.  Once I coloured her I decided to fussy cut her and her sentiments out.  AND let me tell you it took flipin' ages!  I do like the end result though :)

Papers are from Lili of the Valley and First Edition.

The fence was cut out from plain white card stock using a Spellbinders die.

I've used some pale pink ribbon and some pearlised self adhesive gems from my stash.

The metal butterflies were all found on Amazon.

I decided as I was adding flowers to the card that it might be fun to add some to the image as if she's holding them.

Below is a close up of the flower corner I made up.  I've also used the same flowers in other places on the card.  The roses and rose buds were from Wild Orchid Crafts.  The resin rose corner and the hortensias were from Live and Love Crafts.

Hope you like my take on the new stamp released today

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Glitter n Sparkle - Inclue a Butterfly

Colouring Crazy Challenge - Graph It - Flower Power

Deep Ocean - Things with Wings

Crafty Card Makes and More - Wings

Girls play sport too :)

As someone who loves to play sport I couldn't wait to colour this up and make a card :)

This image Millie's Big Game by Lizzy Love (Oddball Art) is in rubber stamp form from Whimsy Stamps and has just been released!

I've coloured the image with ProMarkers using a lovely bright green with a touch of red combo.  The image has been cut out with a Spellbinders die.

The papers I've used are from Lili if the Valley.  The banner was cut using their papers (red and green ones) with a La La Land die.  The banner was finished off with some black self adhesive gems.

Behind the image is a die cut background wall from Wild Orchid Crafts.  I've finished the card off with some green self adhesive gems.

Here's a close up of the image for you.

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

Creative Craft Cottage - Use Die Cuts

Digi Choosday - Use a Die

Crafting from the Heart  - Anything Goes

Picture frame conversion

So today I've something very girly to share with you.  I've converted a vintage style picture frame into something even more beautiful using pink and white embellishments/image.

You can see how I've done this in the magazine at Through The Craft Room Door magazine which will be released in May.  I've created a step by step for the magazine.

Here's a side view so you can see the 3-D effect :)

I've created this for my mother in-law for her birthday - she loves everything vintage and will be extremely happy when she received this.

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this creation into the following challenges

Creative Moments - Anything Goes/Anything but a Card

Stamping Sensations - Pretty in Pink

Passion for ProMarkers - All About Birthdays

I Love ProMarkers - Ink It Up

Colour Crazy Challenge (Graph It) - Flower Power

Gem of a Challenge - Spring is in the Air

Just for you

Created for a challenge in Through The Craft Room Door Magazine.  See further details of the challenge and what I used to create this in the new Magazine due out May 2015.

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

All Dressed Up Facebook Challenge - Shabby or Vintage

All Dressed Up - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

Glitter n Sparkle - Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

How did I do that?

I thought I'd share with you today one of the abstract style backgrounds I've started making and using.

I first used this method to create Chelsea for a clean and simple card back in March 2015 - here's the finished one I did previously and I'm now going to show you how to do it with a new image.

Here we have an already coloured image from Make It Crafty - Penny and Scott Cuddle.  The image has been coloured with ProMarkers apart from Scott's jeans which I've done in Copics as I've a full set of greys :)

As the image is coloured in pastel pink and blue.  I will use these and a pale yellow to make the background.  I'll also add some shading underneath the figures.

Pens used in making this card - ProMarkers - fresh bloom, pale blue, ivory, vanilla, Copic greys.

Design Paper - Lily of the Valley Solids - Bonnets and Bowties.

First start placing blue dots around the image and pick one or two areas to expand away from the image.

I then use a blending pen to fade out the spots.  The image here is still slightly wet from the blender pen.

I then go back and add in some more blue dots to darken the area towards the image.

Once I've done this I use the pink to make dots to the side of the blue ones.

I use the blending pen again to fade out the colours.  I've also added some pale yellow around the blue and pink and also started some shading underneath the image.  The image below is again slightly wet from the blending pen.

Here's a close up when the image has dried.  As you can see the dots are slightly smudged giving it an abstract feel.

On this next picture you can see I've added in some darker yellow as shading underneath the image.

This is the finished card below.  I've backed the image with some pale pink paper and then cut out some pink paper and white card with a Spellbinders die for the border at the top.

The result a gorgeous clean and simple card to which you could add a sentiment if you require.

Hope you like my how to do and it will inspire you to have a go

Andrea x

I've made this tutorial for the Make It Crafty Design Team Call for Clean and Simple Cards