Just Inspirational Week 4

This week's Just Inspirational picture is this cute christmas trio, and we are fortunate enough to be sponsored by Shelley's Images.  I chose 'Santa's Old Faithful' for my image, printed onto supersmooth card I bought from the NEC and coloured with a combination of promarkers, flexmarkers and spectrum noirs (will post a list later). I printed the image 4 times, coloured them all the same and then decoupaged them. The papers and sentiment are magazine freebies, card candi from my stash.

And the decoupaged bit

Definitely need to get better pictures at some time tomorrow - right now I need sleep, had a very painful, sleepless night last night, and have an early start in the morning - have to be in Sheffield for an hospital appointment at 9.15am, and of course, I don't drive so have to rely on buses, while hubby stays here and gets the kids off to school - have to leave at 7.00am in order to guarantee being on time - aren't I going to have fun lol!!

Promarkers used:

Santa: Oatmeal, Apricot, Blush, Sunkissed Pink, Poppy, Berry Red, Cardinal Red, Warm Grey 3, Emerald, Pine, Meadow Green

Reindeer: Sandstone, Tan, Caramel, Burnt Sienna, Gold

Spectrum Noir: Cool Grey 0.5, 1

Flexmarkers: Light Fawn, Blue Grey 1

Challenges this week:

Delightful challenges - Red and Green

Digi Doodle Shop - Animals

Hanna & Friends - Red and another colour

Shelly's Images - Red and Green

I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes

Little Red Wagon - Christmas

The Papershelter - "Christmas Sparkle" (Red, green & gold)

Scrapbook Sisters - Christmas

Creative Craft Challenges - Free for all

Papertake Weekly - Christmas Crackers

Sassy Cheryl's - Anything Goes

Pollycraft - Christmas Fun

Totally Papercraft - Christmas

One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes

The Crafty Pad - Red, green and gold or silver (used gold glitter on the bells but pic doesn't show too clearly)

Card and Scrap - Traditional Christmas colours

Papercraft Star - Anything Goes

Lollipop Crafts - Anything Goes

Birthday cards for my father in law

I really struggle with men's cards, I always find it a real struggle to not add loads of flowers and glitz and hadn't a clue what to do for my father in law's birthday - so out came the Thomas Kinkade cd - plenty of images on there lol

Main image and backing papers printed from the Joanna Sheen Thomas Kinkade cd, dark panel card from stash embossed on hougie board, die cut border cut from glossy card and 'coloured' over with distress ink (its not quite as peach as it looks lol) rub on sentiment, ribbon, card candi all from stash. Matching insert also from cd with a free verse from somewhere on t'interweb :D

And from the kids I couldn't resist this adorably cute 'Me to You' bear - 'cos "Grandad's a star"! lol Images and sentiments are from a decoupage card kit I bought, everything else from stash! I wanted to go for 'cute - but not feminine' and despite a few gems and a bit of sparkle, I thought the strong blues managed keep it masculine!

Carried the circles through to the inside and used a smaller die cut image, verse again another freebie

Just Inspirational Week 3

I can't believe we're onto the 3rd week of challenges already over at Just Inspirational Challenges. I'd like to thank everyone who's taken part so far, I've really enjoyed looking at all your amazing work, being inspired by you all and seeing how everyone draws different ideas from the pictures provided!
Over to this week's challenge - the picture above is the one Kelly chose this week. I opted for the snowman family image from our sponsor Crafty Sentiments and used the gold and pink colours from the bears. Image is coloured with promarkers and flexmarkers, paper is a beautiful shiny gold from papermania 'At Christmas Time' - I love the soft gold and the vintage look - just wish I'd been able to get a better picture in decent light to show it to its best!! Pink card (from stash) embossed with papermania snowflakes folder, ribbon and card candi also from stash.

Promarkers used: Pale pink, baby pink, sandstone and tan
Flexmarkers used: Muted pink, glacier blue and light fawn

Pollycraft - Friends/Friendship
TTT - Anything Goes
Little Miss Muffet - Simplicity
My Time to Craft  - Take Two
Moving Along with the Times - Let it Snow
Craft Your Passion - Let it Snow
The Pink Elephant - Embossing
CraftyCatz - Snowflakes
Fab & Funky - Baby it's cold outside
The Paper Shelter - Snowflakes
Crafts and Me - Simples
Heart Song - Gold or glitter
Cupcake Craftroom - A sweet Christmas
Creatalicious - challenge #28
Sweet Stamps - Non-traditional Christmas colours
Digital Tuesday - Christmas
Paper Pretties  - Non-traditional Christmas colours

Just Inspirational Challenge 2

Today I want to show you my card I made for this week's Remembrance Day challenge over at Just Inspirational. I used an image from our sponsors for this week,  Meljens Designs. I wanted to create something simple and not too fussy - something new for me lol. The image was coloured with promarkers, and I added a little stitching and beads just to lift it a little - add a little sparkle without going over the top!

Promarkers used:

Flowers: Poppy, cardinal red, warm grey 3 & 4, black

Stems: Pine, lush green, meadow green

Stars: Apricot, mustard, gold

Gold card candi, backing paper, ribbon and beads all from my stash

Challenges for this week :

Create Me Pink - Flower 

Craft Your Passion Anything goes + brown
Kaboodle Designs - Colors of Fall
Cupcake Inspirations - Used some of the colours, hope that's ok :)
Daisy Doodles - Anything goes with a digi
2 Sisters Challenge Blog - Ribbon
Craft Your Days Away - Autumn
Digital Tuesday - Anything Goes
Sparkles Forum Challenge - Autumn
One Stitch At A Time - Use a Digi
Simon Says - Photo inspiration (poppy field)
Bows and Berries - Clean and Simple (definitely is to my normal style :D )
Cute Card Thursday - Red for Remembrance
Stampavie and More - Anything Goes
Delicious Doodles - Rembembrance

Just Inspirational goes live !!!!

Today sees the launch of a new challenge blog Just Inspirational Challenge blog, and I'm thrilled, and honoured, to be part of the fab DT. For a few of us its the first time we've been on DT's so thanks to the lovely Kelly S for giving us the opportunity!

The theme this week is to use a photo chosen by Kelly S as inspiration, can be the colours, trees, leaves - anything which the photo inspires you to create!

This is my card for the first challenge - and my first ever DT card! There's been more than a few nerves and chewed fingernails but despite that I really enjoyed doing this - even though the colours are a million miles away from my usual choice!

The image is 'Ava flower patch' from our sponsor for this week Bugaboo Stamps
printed and coloured with promarkers, papers are downloads from Shabby Princess 'Harvest Spice', and Summer Driggs 'Golden Sunshine'.
Kanban 'Distressed scrolls' card for the swirls, flowers are petaloo.

There's loads of great challenges coming up, new challenges are posted every Thursday, so if you want to join us, and meet the rest of the team check out the blog here . Looking forward to seeing all your fab creations x


Promarker colours used: Skin - Ivory, blush, oatmeal, sunkissed pink: Dress - Vanilla, buttercup, sunflower: Hair - Sandstone, caramel, gold: Bow, shoes & belt - Spice, ginger, burnt orange
Grass & flowers - lush green, apricot

Challenges I'm entering :

Charisma Cardz challenge #44 - 'cutesy'

One Stop Craft Challenge - No sentiment

Papertake - Anything goes

Make it Monday - Anything goes  

Crafting for all seasons - Texture
Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes
The Corrosive Challenge - Flourish
Pollycraft - Anything Goes