Lily reflections

I've been honoured this month by being asked to join The  Crazy Challenge as a guest designer.

The theme they have for this first one I'm taking part in is Watercolour.  So I decided I needed to get the old water colour pencils out and get to work.  As well as being done in water colours I decided to do some water and had a go at doing some reflections :)

I tried a new technique when I was doing this which didn't work out too well.  I masked the image with some masking fluid.  Unfortunately when I'd finished the back ground and removed the masking fluid it pulled off most of the image so I had to kind of make it up as I went along.

Anyway..... The image I've used is from Make It Crafty called Lotus Bloom bit they do look rather like lily pads we have here in the UK.

The watercolour pencils I used were Faber Castelle.

Once I'd finished and dried the image I mounted it onto some plain black card stock and added some black self adhesive gems.

So that's it for my inspiration - pop over to the main Crazy Challenge blog to enter

Andrea x 

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

Rony's Fetish - Square cards only

Graph It Colouring Crazy Challenge - Anything Goes / Backgrounds

Crafty Card Makers and More - No Pattered Papers

Crafty Girlz - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Create & Inspire - Anything Goes

Creative inspirations - Anything Goes

Skool's up

Do you know Lizzy has so many images you can use for back to school, I just had to do a "proper" one :)

Take a look at Oddball Art on Esty - you can use my DT code DTANDREA10 to get yourself 10% off at checkout!

For this particular piece of inspiration I've used image 109.  I've used ProMarkers to colour her then fussy cut all the different bits out (took me a while).

I've created a typical physics themed sentiment using some glitter sticker letters.

The background is some back card stock and some design papers from Lili of the Valley mounted on top. I picked this particular one because it's got an almost graffiti style to it on what looks like some lined paper.

The sign was made from a chipboard shape which I got from Hobbycraft and coloured black.  I then used some white glitter letters to make the "skool" sign.  On the sign are a couple of small brown self adhesive gems to give the impression of a hinged sign.

Finally the chalkboard sign was added - I also found these in Hobbycraft

Our kids seem to be going back late this year in Yorkshire don't know about anyone elses!

Before I forget to mention Lizzy is also giving some freebies out on the Oddball Art Facebook group all you have to do is join to find them :)

Hope I've given you a little more inspiration for our current challenge at Oddball Art - Back to School.

Andrea x

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

Sweet Stampin - School Days

Brown Sugar - Make the Sentiment BIG

CRAFT Challenge - Back to School

The Sisterhood of Crafters - It's Back to School Time

Crafter Cafe - Back to School

PINspirational - Back to School

School girl rebel

Midway reminder time for our Oddball Art - Back to School challenge :)

Before I go into my inspiration I'll do the good stuff!

Lizzy has a Facebook page Oddball Art Stamps where she's started to give away Freebies - all you have to do is join to find them :)

AND

If you use my DT code DTANDREA10 you can get yourself 10% off at her store on Etsy Oddball Art.

Ok now to my inspiration I've used image 126 and coloured her with plum colours using ProMarkers - unusual for me.  I've also used some bright green to clash.  I've cut the image out with a Spellbinder die.

The clay heart I used from Live and Love Crafts has had some of the same bright green applied in random splotches and a heart to grunge it up a bit.

Design papers are from Wild Rose Studio and Santoro Gorjuss - here's the full card.

The sentiment was made up from some stickers from Paperchase a local shop as were the stars.  I've also used some tiny black self adhesive gems and some neon green enamel dots from Hobby Craft.

You've still got a bit of time to get your entries in - 14 September and we need 15 of you to submit entries so we can give all the prizes away

Check out the main blog page for some more inspiration from the team

Andrea x

Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes

Crafty Girlz - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Crafting for All Seasons - Anything Goes

Creative Craft Cottage - Anything Goes

Sunset

How cute is this!  I've only just discovered House Mouse stamps and this is a new stamp I got a couple of weeks ago.

I adored this image with the two mice sitting linking tails and just had to have it.  I've coloured the image using ProMarkers and then cut it out with a Spellbinders die.

The design papers are from Lili of the Valley as is the sentiment (from one of their art pads).  In addition to this I've used some black card stock.

This is another CAS style (although not completely) as I wanted to draw the eye into the centre of the card with the mice.

The only embellishment I've used are some gold and black self adhesive gems.

Hope you love the mice as much as I do

Andrea x

Card Mania - Anniversary

Passion for ProMarkers - Animals

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Polkadoodles - Use Something New

Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes

Earth Fairy

This is a just because I can and I had some free time card :)

I've picked unusual earth colours for this fairy image from Fitztown.  The image is Fae 38 if you've like to take a closer look on Fitztown.

The earthy colours were applied using ProMarkers and I decided to keep this a CAS card to showcase the image - I seem to be doing more of these :)

Design papers are form Lili of the Valley and Santoro Gorjuss and I've also used some back card stock.

The only embellishments I've used are some tiny silver self adhesive gems which I got in Hobbycraft

Thanks for popping by

Andrea x

The Corrosive Challenge - Utterly Feminine

Crafting by Designs - Things with Wings

Penny's Challenge - Girly

I Love ProMarkers - Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin - Spots & Stripes

Amazing recovery

For the people that know of me this was another experiment.  For those of you that don't I constantly experiment trying new things/ideas when I've got time with my DT commitments.  This one nearly went horribly wrong BUT I successfully managed to recover it and I'm actually very happy with the result!

The digi I've used here is Poppies from Make It Crafty.  As I wanted to do it in water colours I took some of my thinner water colour paper and put it through the laser printer.  Well that kind of worked, some of the ink speckled up the card but I knew you wouldn't be able to see it once I'd disguised it with paint.

I tried a new technique on this one and used some masking fluid on the image.  I created a kind of fuzzy background that gave the hint of other poppies - fab that turned out well.

Then ooops - as I rubbed the masking fluid off the toner came off with the masking fluid.  There was only left a vague hint of the beautiful poppy digi left!!

So I took my iPad and looked up photos of poppies for some inspiration.  So then end result may not look exactly like the digi - but it's as near as I could get it.

Keeping the image CAS to showcase my water colouring I just used some back card stock and some black self adhesive gems to finish it off

OK who want to see me make a mess of something else :)

Andrea x

Crafty Cardmarkers and More - No Patterned Papers

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Crafting for All Seasons - Anything Goes

Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes

Crafty Boots - Fair and Square

Best friends at Outlawz

This week is the last challenge of August sponsored by My Little Whimsical World at Outlawz Sketch.  So this is your last chance to enter to be in with a chance to win three digis from the store :)

AND today I've a little treat for you.  I've coloured up image 195 from Oddball Art for my DT inspiration with ProMarkers.  I happen to have a discount code that you can use on Etsy to get you 10% discount off these images.  So if you love this image pop on over and have a look.  My discount code is DTANDREA10.

Lizzy has also started to do Friday giveaways on the Oddball Art Facebook Group all you have to do is join the group to get them :)

So that's the image I've coloured but what have I done with the sketch this week.  Sandra produced these lovely sketch for us and I thought I'd explain how I used this as inspiration but made it my own.

I've flipped this one on it's side and kept the ribbon (but without the knot).  The background paper has been double stacked to give it a border.  The image I've cut square and kept large to showcase the girl with her kitten.

Instead of using three buttons I've used one large sentiment from a Lili of the Valley Art Pad and two small flowers.  I've kept the bug theme but changed this to two butterflies (instead of the ladybird and the other three buttons).  Where the ladybird is on Sandra's sketch I've used a group of flowers.  I've then gone totally outside the sketch boundaries and cascaded some flowers down the side.

When I first joined the sketch team I panicked slightly as I wasn't used to using sketches.  The lovely ladies on my team re-assured my that it's a guideline and as long as you can still see the sketch you can change what you like

Andrea :)

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

Cutie Pie - Cute n Girly

Robyn's Fetish - Use a Digi

I Love ProMarkers - Anything Goes

Left of Centre - Nature / Outdoors

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

I think I'm ill!

Not only have I done a CAS card - it's with a cropped image, my own background and with blending outside the colour group.  I'm having a MIC Challenge overload all in one card!

This is actually my secret Celebration card for Monika Gallard in Australia.  Now she's received it I can actually get it posted :)

The image is Carly Celebrates from Make It Crafty.  I've coloured her with ProMarkers blending blue and purple for the current colouring challenge.  I've also cropped the image for the current CAS challenge!

The back ground was created using a stencil and blue and purple ProMarkers.  The coloured were slightly blended to blur them a little.

The background papers are from Lili of the Valley.  I managed to use some strips of old papers I'd been hoarding - yay!!

Anyway there's nothing else to her - no embellishments - I really must be feeling ill

Andrea x

Colour blending

I was supposed to be making a ruby wedding anniversary card - obviously I needed to use red, deep, and lots of it.  Now there's a colour blending challenge on at the moment at Make It Crafty to blend outside the colour family and I got a little distracted as you can see :)

Si I've not got to go back to the drawing board and do a RUBY card!!

The image I've used is a rubber stamp called roses of love from Make It Crafty.  I've used ProMarkers to do all the colouring of the roses.  The background is a combination of ProMarkers, Copics and black polychromos pencil.

Once I'd finished the image I framed it with some black card.  I knew I wanted to put it onto a stepper card and needed some design paper to march but that wouldn't overpower the image.

I've chosen some paper form Lili of the Valley to do this.  I've also used some more black card stock and come black self adhesive gems. 

Has anyone any tips of photographing steppers cards coz I really struggle to get a "nice" angle and get the whole card in :)

Andrea x

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

Left of Centre - Nature / Outdoors

Allsorts - Roses

Crafty Catz - Flowers

Crafters Cafe - Shaped Cards

Creative Moments - Anything Goes / Fancy Folds

Sparkles - More than One Fold

Bite Me.....

The other day when I was on Etsy I was browsing through some recommendations and I found this little guy.  He's so unbelievable cute in a cheeky way.

Has anyone else found him yet - he's called Marvin.  The digi is Marvin with Candy Apple from Marina Neira.  He's been coloured with a combination of ProMarkers and Copics.

I wanted to keep this card totally CAS to showcase this beautiful little digi - very unusual for me.  So all I've used is some black card stock some self adhesive gems AND a sentiment made from black glitter letters from Hobby Crafts.

Anyone fancy a candy apple :)

Andrea x

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

Without Words - Harvest Home (Fruit and/orVeg)

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything goes

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes

Penny's Challenge - Anything Goes

Robyn's Fetish - Use a Digi

Crafty Boots - Fair and Square

Good things

Evil little cat waiting for a mouse on the cheese ;)  This was one of those I've got to have it images.  If you don't know it, it's Good Things from Mo Manning.  I love the sentiment that comes with this image.

I've used my old faithful ProMarkers to colour the image.  Here's a close up so you can see mischief better.

I wanted to keep the whole card two tone so I've picked black and green papers.  I also thought the clock on the DP was very appropriate with the sentiment making a time theme :)

The image is mounted onto some plain black card stock to create a border.  Papers are from Lili of the Valley and Joy Crafts.

I wanted to keep the card fairly simple so all the embellishments I used were some black self adhesive gems.

S'pose I'd better get back to my DT work now ;)

Andrea

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

Create & Inspire - Anything Goes

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Cardz for Guyz - It's About Time

Penny's Challenge - Anything Goes

I Love ProMarkers - Anything Goes

Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Black swan

I've been experimenting this week with only using one pencil to colour an image.  Flame in Black from Ching-Chou Kuik has been coloured with a black polychromos pencil and that's it nothing else!

I actually love how these images are coming out - it reminds me of when I was a kid and used to only have graphite pencils to sketch and shade with.

This card has been used as my inspiration for the Outlawz Sketch Team this week.

The black design paper is from UHK Gallery and I've just used some white and black card stock in addition to this.  The white card stock has been cut using some crafting scissors to give it the scalloped edge.

There's a black swirl which was bought from Hobby Craft ages ago (only used half of it) and black self adhesive gems.  The flowers and stamens are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

So that's it for my inspiration for this week

Hope you come and join the fun

Andrea x

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

Ching-Chou Kuik - Facebook - Monochromatic

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

Simply Create Too - Anything Goes

Create and Inspire - Anything Goes

Crafty Boots - Fair and Square

Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes

Memoirs of a Geisha Movie Theme

Memoirs of a Geisha is one of my favourite films.  I love all the imagery in it and the scene with the cherry blossoms is so beautiful.  I've had this image from The East Wind for ages but just hadn't got round to colouring it up.  It's one of Aurora but I can't actually find it on the Etsy listing at the moment.

Anyway.... she's been coloured with Copics - yes I'm finally getting round to using them :) AND she's in my favourite colour PINK!!

The image was cut out with a Spellbinders die and then antique linen distress in applied to make the white of the image fade inot the background design paper.

I've used design papers from Lili of the Valley and Prima Marketing which have been distressed.  The oriental pictures you can see in the back ground are form a clear stamp set from Lili of the Valley.  I've coloured some of the cherry blossom in a pink rather than just leave them as outline images and then around the image and cascaded down the card are some tiny paper flowers which I got in Hobby Craft.

Mustn't forget the film strip from Tim Holtz to finish off the movie inspiration

Andrea x

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

The East Wind - You Ought to be in Pictures

The Corrosive Challenge - Utterly Feminine

The Ribbon Girl - August Colour - PINK

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

Allsorts - Share your favourite colour

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

The East Wind - Facebook - Once Upon a Time

Butterfly magic

We're back!!!!

Yes we Dressy Girls are back after our summer break and here we are with a new Anything Goes challenge over at the All Dressed Up Challenge Blog.

Now this bit of inspiration I've got for you is very unusual for me.  I never colour yellow, it does't even register usually that I've got various yellow shades of pens!  The ones I've used for this are ProMarkers.

So here she is the gorgeous cute Fairy Magic image.  Of course as my fellow Dressy Girl Lucy says you can't have a fairy with out glitter so I dabbed a tiny bit on her wings.

She's been cut out with a fancy lacy Spellbinders die and distressed with Tim Holtz antique linen.  I've also added some tiny pear self adhesive gems on the inside of the die.

The reason behind the yellow colour was the top design paper from First Edition.  I've used a couple of their papers and also some Santoro Gorjuss paper.

Ok what else have I used - some more pearl self adhesive gems, a resin corner, a silver butterfly a yellow rose and some yellow organza ribbon.

You've a couple of weeks to show us what you can make with Wendy's gorgeous images.

IMPORTANT NOTE - if you've not got any All Dressed Up images check out the blog there are some freebies on there :)

Andrea x

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

Cutie Pie - Cute and Girly

Creative Craft Cottage - One for the Girls

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes with a Stamp and Die

Fab n Funky - Things with Wings

Digi Choosday - Embellish It

Digi Choosday - Punches / Die Cuts

Book of Spells

It's getting near that time again to get the kids ready to go Back to School and that's the theme of our next challenge at Oddball Art on the challenge blog.

Here goes the good bit - if you want to use Lizzy's images and haven't got any, "need" some more or any excuse you can think of you can get 10% discount at checkout by quoting my DT code DTANDREA10.

I've used image number 88 for my inspiration for you today.  A few of us have used this same image so if you want some more inspiration for this particular image check out the main challenge blog page :)

She's kind of a Harry Potter wannabe with her spooky spell book.  I've also used image 199 so she's plenty of reading material to keep her going - you know like your kids always seem to have when they start school!

Anyway I've coloured the images using ProMarkers - my old faithful.  The image has then been cut out with a Spellbinders die.

The design papers are from Lili of the Valley, Santoro Gorjuss and Our Daily Bread.

Added extras a silver skull and cross bones to go with the spooky theme and some letter beads to make up the sentiment.

We've got some really creative cards on the challenge blog this month - worth checking out for ideas.

Andrea x

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

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Your Scrap Book Place - Anything Goes

Digi Choosday - Punches / Die Cuts

Live and Love Crafts - Blue

Papertake Weekly - Spots and Stripes

Brown Sugar - School

Crafty Catz - New Beginnings

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes

Scary Movie & a happy accident

Today is new image release day over at Oddball Art.  I was lucky enough to be able create some inspiration for you using image 247 - she'll be up of Etsy soon - patience......

Before I go on here's my discount code that will get you 10% off at checkout on Etsy - DTANDREA10

Now this one went completely differently to what I was going to do originally - I'll share my process - then my happy accident :)

She's kinda beachy looking so I was going to do her in a summer theme in bright colours, you know the sun sea sand kinda thing.  I've just coloured another image in sepia tones and thought ok we'll experiment and try her out in that.  By the way used ProMarkers to colour her.  She's also cut out with a Spellbinders die and distressed with antique linen from Tim Holtz.

Now you'll have seen the "From my Rotting body Flower shall grow" sentiment that comes with the image.  I thought it would be a real shame not to use this.  then the old cogs started whirring - What if I did her as the main character - a movie star in a HORROR movie! And an old style vintage movie at that!!!

So that's what I did and this was the result :D

The design paper is some spooky job from Lost and Found.  I also cut out a black oval with the same die so it looks a bit like she's in a spotlight.  The image and sentiments have been distressed and edged with biro.  I've also used some rhine stones and black self adhesive gems.  And finally a bit of movie strip from Tim Holtz.

So what is my happy accident - Lizzy actually pointed it out but we both agreed it works even better that what I originally put.  She's staring as in horror instead of starring as in starring in a film - ROLF!!

Ok that's it from me hope I've managed to brighten your day in a spooky kinda way

Andrea x

Create and Inspire - Anything Goes

Left of Centre - Insects (sneaky spider in the corner)

Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes with a Stamp and Die

Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes

Crafts & Me - Vintage

Penny's Challenge - Anything Goes

Polkadoodles - Use Something New (new image)

Simply Create Too - Anything Goes

In the back garden

This year is flying by so fast!  Another challenge starts today at The ABC Challenge - P is for pretty in PINK!!  Yay my favourite colour..... and we're sponsored this time by Marianne Design and Stamp and Create.

So seen as its "supposed to be summer" here in the UK.  I've coloured up Daisy in the Sunshine in hot pink.  For a change I've used my ProMarkers ;)

To carry on the pink theme and the green of the grass I've picked some design papers from Lili of the Valley and layered it up - 6 in total!  I've also used a Lili of the Valley sentiment from an art pad (coloured with Copics).

All the papers have been distressed to give it a shabby look with the final touch of some self adhesive gems.

Come and join us for the pink - I can't wait to see all those pink cards!!

Andrea x

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

Cutie Pie - Cute and Girly

Creative Craft Cottage - One for the Girls

Creative Moments - Anything Goes / Summer Sun

Crafting for all Seasons - Bright and Beautiful

{PIN}spirational - Challenge picture

Passion for ProMarkers - Fun in the Sun

In The Pink - Anything Goes

Crafting by Designs - Three or More Layers

There be dragons

We're sponsored by My Little Whimsical World during August at Outlawz Sketch.  This week I'm showing you my version of Harold the Dragon.  He's been coloured with ProMarkers and cut out with a Spellbinders die.  I edged the die cut with black ink to give it a border.

I chose to do Harold because Sandra has prepared this fantastic sketch for you all to use.  I thought it looked kind of medieval which went os well with the image.

The design papers are from Prima Marketing Almanac Collection and Lost and Found Halloween and also a bit of black card stock.  I've added some tiny black self adhesive gems and some large pale yellow gems which I've had in my stash for a while and can't remember where I got them - sorry :(

Anyhoo.... here he is and I hope you love him as much as I do.

Now lets see what you can do :)

Andrea x

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

Come and Get It Challenges - Feature a Creature

Robyn's Fetish - Things with Wings

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Simply Create Too - Anything Goes

Scrapy Land - Anything Goes with a Die

Summer Garden

Summer - if you can call it that in the UK is filled with a variety of flowers of all colours.  We also tend to be very green here - you can blame the rain.

The colours in this image Pippa Loves to Plant are bright and full of the promise of sunshine which we all crave here.  Having said that when it is hot and sunny we do tend to complain then that's is too hot!

I dug out my old faithful ProMarkers to colour this image - not quite got used to using the new Copics yet :)

These stamped images tend to be fairly large but are pretty goo for the old CAS style of card, where you can make the image the focus.

I've used some yellow design papers from Lili of the Valley, black card stock and self adhesive gems.  Some tiny silver dragonfly beads.  The brightly coloured sentiment is part of a sticker set from Paperchase.

I think we've probably had a bit of four seasons in one day here in Yorkshire.

Andrea x

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

Crafty Card Makers and More - Warm Summer Colours

Allsorts - Inspired by Summer

Creative Moments - Anything Goes/Summer Sun

Crafting for all Seasons - Bright and Beautiful

I Love ProMarkers - In the Garden

Colouring Crazy Challenge - Inspired by Florals