Just forty winks....

Ok this is officially the cutest thing I've ever coloured!

It's House Mouse - Basket Full of Dreams.  The stamp s actually massive on and mounted onto a wooden block which i'm definitely not used to - but it came out ok :D

I've used Copics to colour this image.

I definitely wanted this one to be the main focus of the card so I've just mounted it onto some plain black card stock and added some black self adhesive gems.

The background design paper is from Wild Rose Studio.

And finally the sentiment is some black card cut with a Spellbinders die

I may never part with this card :D

Andrea x

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

Digi Galore - Think Pink

Creative Craft Cottage - Anything Goes

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Crafty Friends - Use Your Favourite Colour

Fantasy Stampers - Animal Antics

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Penny's Challenge - Anything Goes

Get those cogs goin'

It's midway reminder time at Oddball Art for out current Halloween challenge on the blog.  AND as its midway reminder time that means I don't have to stick with the theme but I can show you something a little different.  You can get 10% off these images on Etsy by quoting my discount code DTANDREA10.

I've used image 251 for this, she's a steampunk image that also comes with a sentiment.  I've coloured her with Copics then fussy cut her and the bats out for using in my art journal.

I had a massive pay around - I think I may have used aNNie's slip, slap, slop technique :D

I've taken a few pictures of the different areas so I can show you a bit closer what I've used - from the list as follows - modelling clay with stencils, gesso, glass bead gel, whipped spackle, web ribbon, jute mesh ribbon.  I've painted the whole image in autumn colours hopefully giving the effect of an industrial scene using acrylic paints and DecoArt gold metallic acrylic paint.

Jute mesh ribbon, DecoArt Andy Skinner stencil - icognito, Rebekah Meier Designs stencil - mini sketch grid, whipped spakle & glass bead gel.

Incognito stencil, wen and jute ribbons, lass bead gel

An image showing the whole incognito strip

An this is the whole page from my journal.  I had a lot of fun doing this, I didn't really have any plan for what I wanted it to look like I just went along with the flow.

Andrea x

I'd like to enter this journal page into the following challenges

That Craft Place - Anything Goes Mixed Media

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Create & Inspire - Anything Goes

Graph It Colouring Crazy Challenge - Autumn / Christmas Colours

Turning leaves

Unky does some stunning images.  This one from The East Wind is Aurora Maple.  I couldn't wait to have a go at trying to colour turning leaves.  I'm so happy with how they turned out.

I've used Copics to colour the image and a black polychromos to add some depth and shading.

I wanted to keep this beautiful image as the main focus of the card so I've done a very simple design.  The design papers are from Lili of the Valley and Tim Holtz.  I've also used some black card stock to frame the image.

Embellishment are a grunge board door hinge coloured with the same Copics and some black and brown self adhesive gems.

Andrea x

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

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Fall is in the Air

Fairytale Stampers - Autumn

Glitter n Sparkle - Fall / Autumn

The Corrosive Challenge - Autumn Splendor

Crafty Cardmakers & More - Autumn Colours

Paradise of Stamps - Halloween or Fall

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Create & Inspire - Anything Goes

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

Happy Thanks Giving Y'All

It's the last Wednesday in October and our last challenge of the month at Outlawz Sketch with The Stamping Boutique as our sponsor - where on earth did the time go? 

My inspiration piece for this week is using AJ the Pilgrim.  The image has been coloured with Copics, cut out with a Spellbinders die and the edges distressed with antique linen from Tim Holtz.

Here's this weeks sketch for you so you can see what I've done with it.

Instead of using flowers down the sides I decided to make a sentiment up using letter beads reading Happy Thanks Giving Y'All.  I've missed out the bow completely as the theme I wanted was masculine and I wasn't sure it would go.

The I've used two design papers from Lili of the Valley and no other embellishments :D

Andrea x

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

Your Scrapbook Place - Anything Goes

Scrapping4Fun - Thanks Giving

Brown Sugar - Anything Goes

Black Magic

I've used Blue Pumpkin for this card from Ching Chou Kuik and guess, what no blue in sight!  I went very traditional with the pumpkin colour.  I also love doing black candles it some how adds to the spooky feel.  The image is colours with ProMarkers and I've used black polychromos pencil to add extra shading.

The starry looking die some of you might recognise.  It's the Memory Box snowflake corner one only I've used black card for the black magic theme.

the sentiment is made up from black glitter letters which I've had for ages and can be found in Hobby Craft.

The image is mounted onto some black and orange card stock.  I've then used one design paper which is actually a Christmas one from Maja Designs.  Once I'd got the design paper onto the card I decided the top and right weren't distressed enough.  I've used an emery-board to do this with (nail file) :D 

The tiny glittery dots are from the glitter letters mentioned earlier and the tiny black stars are left overs from punching out a tag from a Spellbinders die - waste nothing - LOL!!

Andrea x

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

Ching Chou Kuik - Halloween / Something Spooky

Crafty Boot - Autumn & Halloween

Robyn's Fetish - Anything for Halloween

Come and Get It - Use Orange

Sweet Stampin - Halloween

Allsorts - Orange/Purple/Black All or Any Two

Crafts 4 Eternity - Halloween

Deep Ocean - Halloween

Inky Chics - Halloween

The Crafters Cafe - Black / Purple / Orange

Lyra's on Kraft

Been playing with my new pencils today, well to be honest I've had then a while and only just found time to have a go.

The Aurora Wings and The East Wind images have been printed on Kraft card and then I've used my Lyra polcolour pencils.

Unfortunately the toner didn't stick to the card very well, I think because it was so thick AND also the oil in the pencils seems to lift it slightly when colouring with them.

Anyway I was happy with the result, especially The East Wind image the white of the hair has come out great on the Kraft.

Hope you've all managed to do a bit of crafting over the weekend

Andrea x

Floating leaves

Ok I couldn't just stop at one mouse (see my previous post).  I had to do another one - I just love House Mouse he's so cute!

This one is part of a stamp set Autumn Tumble.  In this one I used Copics (still getting used to them).  I've also used some black polychromos pencil and biro in the mouse fur.

I wanted to keep this card simple so the focus would be on the cure image, so I've just cut him put and mounted him onto some black card stock to frame him.  The edges of the image have been treated to some antique linen ink from Tim Holtz

The design papers and sentiment are from Lili of the Valley.  There are some brown self adhesive gems and some Star Anise that The Ribbon Girl kindly gave me as a gift seen as I've spent a bit of money with them ;)

Must go for an walk soon to crunch through those autumn leaves

Andrea x

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

Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations - Colours of Autumn

Crafty Creations - Don't Be Blue

Wags n Whiskers - Fall Colours

613 Avenue Create - Create Your Own Challenge (Sight - Colourful Leaves : Activity - Play in the Leaves)

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafty Card Markers and More - Autumn Colours

Nibbler

Vampire he certainly isn't although I think he wants to be LOL!!

This adorable image from Stampendous is a House Mouse stamp called Count Maxwell.  He's been coloured with ProMarkers and I've added a bit of polychromos pencil for extra shading.  He's been cu out with a Spellbinder die which has been distressed with Tim Holtz antique linen.

I've mounted him onto a circle of black card stock.  Design papers are from Lili of the Valley and Santoro Gorjuss with a bit of extra black card stock.

The final bits I've added are a chip board street light, some brown and black self adhesive gems and some fussy cut paper to create the web and spider from Lost and Found Halloween.

I so love making Halloween cards - especially with characters like this :D

Andrea x

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

Cardz 4 Guyz - I Put a Spell on You

Passion For ProMarkers - Lot of Layers

Inky Chicks - Halloween

Deep Ocean - Halloween

Glitter n Sparkle - Halloween (Cute or Spooky)

Moving Along with the Times - Halloween

Fantasy Stampers - Fright Night

The Pencil Case - D = Darks

Di's Digi Designs - Too Cute To Spook

Cardinal Ornament

Is everyone making Christmas cards yet.  I don't feel like i've really got going yet - only making an odd one here and there.

So I grabbed the chance to make one with this beautiful image from the Stamping Boutique - it's called Cardinal Ornament.  They're sponsoring us at The Outlawz Sketch challenge for October.  We also have a very special guest designer this month - Edwina.

Here the image I coloured using ProMarkers.  It's then been cut out using two Spellbinders dies.  Distressed with Shaded Lilac distress ink from Tim Holtz.  I've then added lashings of DecoArt glitter over the top to give it lots of sparkle.

Here's the sketch we have for you this week.

And here's what I've done with mine.  The papers are from Lili of the Valley with the white snow flake one also being treated to some distress ink.

There's some white ric-rac ribbon across the bottom and top. 

Finishing touches are the while pearlised self adhesive gems and a red wooden Merry Christmas sentiment I got in Hobby Craft.

We'd love to see you over at Outlawz

Andrea x

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

Winter Wonderland - Christmas with a Ribbon

CRAFT - Christmas

ABC Christmas - U for Unusual Christmas Colours

Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes

Sparkle n Sprinkle - Anything Goes

From Paris with Love....

Have you seen Wendy's new fabulous creations at All Dressed Up?    This one is Paris and you can get her on Etsy.

We've also got a bit of an extra challenge on the All Dressed Up Facebook page.  If you use one of the new images in the current Autumn themed challenge you get an extra chance to win an image of your choice.

So back to my new image inspiration.  I've coloured it with Copics and some black polychromos pencil.  In the background I've created some fluffy clouds.

My idea was to create an elegant classy CAS card.  All I've done is cut the image out and framed it with some black card stock. 

I've created the sentiment on my computer, cut it out with a Spellbinders die and edged it with black biro.

My final touch to the card was to add a little bling to the bottom left corner of the card and the sentiment.

If you grab yourself one of these lovely images don't forget to enter it into the current anything goes with an All Dressed Up image on the challenge blog

Andrea x

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

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes

Crafty Girlz - Challenge 8

Crafty Creations - Don't Be Blue

Crafty Friends - Use Gems and or Pearls

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Think Pink

Honoured to be asked back to Crafty Boots as a guest designer today I'm sharing some very special inspiration.

The current challenge is for Breast Cancer Awareness and is a Pink Challenge.

I've chosen to to a mixed media canvas for my inspiration piece.

Created with one Tim Holtz stencil I've used some modelling clay for the patchy bubble background.  I've the painted it with some gesso and then white acrylic paint.  The edges of the canvas have had some antique linen Tim Holtz distress ink applied to take away the start white look.

I've then created a flower ribbon the the shape of the symbol for breast cancer using pink and white flowers.

All the flowers are from Live and Love Crafts, Wild Orchid Crafts and The Ribbon Girl.

The silver butterflies and dragonflies I found on Amazon.   The THINK PINK sentiment was hand written in biro and doodled then cut out.  

Here are a few close up and angled pictures for you so you can see the flowers better.

Hope you like my inspiration and come and join the very special PINK challenge

Andrea x 

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

Live and Love Crafts - Pink Again

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Clean and Simple or Fussy and Fancy

In The Pink - Pink Ribbon

The Ribbon Girl - Colour Challenge Pastels

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes

Purple and Green but Not Halloween

Halloween everywhere - sooooo.... I've done a card with some Halloween colours but it's definitely NOT Halloween themed :D

The image I'm using here is from All Dressed Up - Three Little Autumn Girls.  They've been coloured in very clashing colours of purple and green - these girls have no fashion sense or they're starting a new trend - LOL!!

They've been coloured with Copics and ProMarkers and I've used one design paper from Lili of the Valley to frame the image.

I wanted to do a seasonal friendship card without being too twee or gushing.  So I've picked a sentiment from a Lili of the Valley art pad which has also been coloured with ProMarkers.

Very unusual for me to do CAS cards - I am tying - it's definitely not a natural for me

Andrea x

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

Allsorts - All Sentimental

Come and Get It - Keep Warm

Brown Sugar - Purple and Green

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Without Words - Purple and Green but no Halloween

Doodles

So I've been trying my hand at a few CAS cards recently.  Hopefully I'm improving but all tha white space does scare me a bit!

I've used Monty Mouse from Di's Digi Designs.  He's just so cure with his bunch of daisy's.

He's been coloured with ProMakers and then I've done a one layer card - a first for me :D

All I've done is a bit of doodling round the edges with a biro, added a sentiment from a Lili of the Valley Art pad (coloured with ProMarkers) and a few black self adhesive gems.

This one was more scary than my SCARY cards to do -LOL!!

Andrea x

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

Crafty Creations - Don't Be Blue

Creative Inspirations - Clean and Simple or Fussy and Fancy

Passion For ProMarkers - Doodle

Chocolate Baroque - Colour Challenge 15

Digi Choosday - Feeling Sentimental

Allsorts - All Sentimental

Eye of newt.....

I hate to say it but I LOVE halloween.  It means I can make all sorts of creepy stuff AND my hubby wants all my cards.  He loves skulls :)

The one I've used for this card is Hexology from Rick St Dennis you can find this one on Zibbet.

I've used a combination of Copics, ProMarkers and black polychromos pencil for this one.

Once finished I've mounted it onto some plain black card stock.

Then I thought about making it more Halloween so I had a dig around in my old stamps and found this little beautify I'd forgotten I had.  It's a recipe for eye of newt etc. goes perfectly :D  It's part of a set from Paperartsy which I bought when I started crafting a couple of years ago.

I've then just added a few black self adhesive gems to finish the card off.

OK what can I do next.....

Andrea x

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

Glitter n Sparkle - Halloween (Cute or Spooky)

Sweet Stampin - Antiques Roadshow

Left of Centre - Good Old Fashioned Horror

Haunted Design House - Holy Hell It's Halloween

Forever Dark - Challenge 5 - Anything Goes Dark

The Pencil Case - D=Dark (Halloween / Autumn)

The Corrosive Challenge - The Dark Side

Crafting by Designs - Halloween

Paradise of Stamps - Halloween or Fall

Do all little girls think they're mermaids

I seem to get quite a few requests for mermaid cards for people's daughters.  So I have a question - do all little girls that can swim think their mermaids?

Anyway..... this image is the most adorable mermaid image I've found so far and the card already has a home.  The image is Little Mermaid from Digistampatelier.

I've coloured it in pastel shades using ProMarkers and added some water around her.

Cut out with a Spellbinders die, she's been edged with the same colour pastel aqua.

The papers I've used are from First Edition and Santoro Gorjuss.

Added are a silver anchor and shell from The Ribbon Girl.  The cascade of flowers are a mixture from Petaloo and Hobby Craft.

The card has been left black so I can personalise it

Andrea x

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

The Ribbon Girl - October Colour Challenge (Pastels)

Creative Moments - Anything Goes (Spots and / or Stripes)

Creative Knockouts - Metal Mode

A Gem of a Challenge - Spots and / or Stripes

Polkadoodles - Use a Die Cut

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Fab n Funky - Make It Square

Crafty Cats - Anything Goes

Beary cute

So this is my second card using image 260.  Click here to see the first one :D

This is one of Lizzy's Oddball Art images being released to day on Etsy where you can get yourself 10% off at check out by quoting my code DTANDREA10.

You probably can't use this in the HALLOWEEN blog challenge (unless you manage to do something very scary with it :D) but you could use it to enter into the Facebook anything goes challenge

The image has been coloured with ProMarkers, cut out with a Spellbinders die and edged with ProMarkers

The design papers are from Lii of the Valley and the sentiment for the New Baby Girl is form one of their art pads and is also coloured with ProMarker.

My final touches to this card were to add some pink self adhesive gems and some tiny baby feet and hand dress it up buttons

Hope I've given you a bit of inspiration for this new release image

Andrea x

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

Digi Stamps 4 Joy - Anything Goes (twist = "B") Bear

Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes

Create & Inspire - Anything Goes

Scrapy Land - Anything Goes

Glitter n Sparkle - Use Some Pink

Baby's First Christmas

Lizzy has some new oddball Art images being released on Etsy today.  I've done two different versions of this image so you can see how versatile they can be.  Click here to see the second version.  

I'm not sure you can use it for the current blog challenge which is Halloween but you could use him/her for the Facebook challenge which is anything goes.

The image number is 260 and you can get 10% off at check out on Etsy by using my code DTANDREA10

The image and sentiment have been coloured with ProMarkers.  I've cut the image and sentiments out and distressed the edges using Tim Holtz Antique Linen.

The papers used are form Lili of the Valley and I've also used some plain black card stock.

Added extra are some green self adhesive gems and a red wooden heart which I've had since last Christmas - LOL!

I decided seen as he was so cute I'd make him into a baby's first Christmas card.  So I produced that sentiment on my computer and cut it out with a Spellbinders die before edging it with black biro.

Now you have to go seen my other card using the same image :D

Andrea x

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

Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes

Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes

Graph It Colouring Crazy Challenge - Use Christmas / Autumn Colours

The Ribbon Girl - Any Image Anything Goes

Christmas Card Challenges - Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Rock star

Do you ever get an image and think your going to do something with it then end up with something completely different?  Well this was one of those.

I've created this card using Rock My World from all Dressed Up for the anything goes new challenge on the blog today.

I have a very boring drive every day during the week -  up the motorway to work and back.  So whilst on one of these drives I though about doing this with the image instead of my original plan.

I sketched a spotlight so it cut across the image so when I coloured it you could see the different in the background.  I dug out my old faithful ProMarkers and set to work to create the background and colour the image.  The effect is he looks like he's strumming his guitar on stage :D

Once finished he's been mounted onto some black card stock to give it a border, then onto the white card itself.

The sentiment is from a Lili of the Valley Art pad and has been coloured with ProMarkers.

Added extra are some silver note beads from The Ribbon Girl and some black self adhesive gems.

So that's my inspiration for you today.

Before I go I'll just remind you we also have a themed challenge on the All Dressed Up Facebook Group - to Use Autumn Colours.  It doesn't have to be all about autumn you can just use browns, reds and oranges for example

Have fun :D

Andrea x

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

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Your Scrapbook Place - Anything Goes

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

Crafting From the Heart - Anything Goes

Allsorts - No Design Papers

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Cardz for Guyz -You Rock

Best Witches

Halloween is fast approaching and our challenge for the next month over at the Oddball Art challenge blog is one of my favourites - HALLOWEEN!!

I love this theme, there's all sorts of Lizzys' images you can use for this challenge.  If you've not got any NEED (note not want ;) NEED) some more you can use my code DTANDREA10 to get yourself 10% off at checkout on Etsy :D

So what have I done for you today - well I've used one one Lizzy's new images, number 253.  I thought I'd use this one in case you've not seen her yet.  I just love the cute kitten hanging onto her broom!

When I chose the image I wanted to do her flying through the air so I decided to sketch in my own scene just below the image.  I've coloured the background with Copics and the image with ProMarkers.

Once I'd coloured her I decided to add some lines behind the image to give her a feeling of movement.  I've also drawn in a couple of bats using a black polychromos pencil.

The final thing I did was to mount her onto some plain black card stock and add a few black self adhesive gems.

If you've not got any of Lizzy's images did you know we've not only got discount codes for Etsy (DTANDREA10 is mine) but she also give freebies away on Facebook - click here to join the group :D

Andrea x

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

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Halloween

Crafts n Me - Halloween

Our Crafty Corner - Halloween

Simply Create Too - Halloween Colours

Allsorts - No Design Papers

That Craft Place - Halloween

Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes / Halloween

SLS Lines - Boo!

Dream Valley - Halloween

Using two

For the next two weeks at the ABC Challenge (sponsored by Aurora Wings) we have T is for Two.  So we'd like you to use two of something....

For my inspiration I've used Trick or Treat Boys so these are my two :D  I've also used two of something else but I'll tell you about that in a bit.

The boys, (ghost dog) and background have been coloured with Copics.  Seen as its a spooky scene I decided to add some extra bats using a polychromos pencil.

The image has been cut out with a Spellbinders due and mounted onto a circle of black card stock.  I've used two different card stocks in this card, black and orange.  I've also used two design papers from Santoro Gorjuss and Lili of the Valley.  This is a card of two's :D

,

My final touches for this card was to make the treat sentiment out of green glitter stockers and some orange neon enamel dots.

Andrea x

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

Aurora Wings - Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Halloween

Crafts n Me - Halloween

Our Crafty Corner - Halloween

Simply Create Too - Halloween Colours

Robyn's Fetish - Use Lots of Orange

That Craft Place - Halloween

Artistic Inspiration - Anything Goes / Halloween

SLS Lines - Boo!

Dream Valley - Halloween

Take It Easy

The new sketch challenge is up on The Outlawz :D

If you've missed it we're sponsored by The Stamping Boutique this month.  We also have a special guest designer - Edwina - Yay!

I've used Get Well Bear for my inspiration today and I decided to do it as a female bear in soft pastel colours.

The design papers are from Wild Rose Studio and Lili of the Valley.  The ribbon was bought from Lili of the Valley when they were clearing their stock of ribbons out so I'm not quite sure where you can get it from now.

I opted for using the sentiment on the ribbon as a chill out card rather than a get well card.

The final touch are some soft pink pearlised gems from ScrapBerry's.

Love to see you over at Outlawz

Andrea x

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

Inky Chics - Think Pink

Crafters Cafe - Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Glitter n Sprakle - Use Some Pink

Cutie Pie - Pretty in Pink

Creative Craft Cottage - Your Favourite Colour