Another circular card - sorry!

Hi all!  Hooray, hooray, it's Friday today!  I just love my weekends!  I love my job too, but I just luuurve my weekends more!  I hope you all have fabby things planned - we don't and that's just the way I like it!  But you're not interested in my waffle, so here's my card for today using more delicious Quixotic Paperie goodies!!

It's another circular card but this time I've used my Grand Nestie circle dies instead my usual mini circle cards....

You just gotta love those Wee Stamps for Whimsy Stamp!  This is Sylvia Zet's Wee Stamps Sweet Blossom matched up with Echo Park Sweet Summertime papers (currently 25% off!).  For the border I used my Sew Easy Tool with the Scallop Head and yellow floss.

For embellishment I used 4mm flat backed pearls and created some sublte bling with my Viva Decor Glitter Liner pen on the image and smeared on Make It Crafty Butterfly and Leaves lasercut chipboard.

Et voila!  A sweetie in the making!  And there is still plenty of time to join in with this month's Quixotic Inspirations sketch for a chance to win a £15 voucher - just link up your gorgossity here!


That's it from me today - I'll be around to visit my blog pals (that means YOU!) later today!  ttfn!


I am entering this card into the following challenges:

• Paper Sundaes - circles
• Cupcake Inspirations - photo challenge (below)
• Crafty Sentiments - shaped cards
• Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
• My Mum's Craft Shop - shaped cards
• Allsorts - it's your choice
• The Stamping Boutique - shaped cards
• Little Darlings - pearls
• St Luke's Charity Cards - spring into spring!
• Do You Stack Up? - things with wings  

Cupcake Inspirations photo challenge

Quixotic Paperie re-opens - and a great time to treat yourself!

Yay!  AFter taking a much deserved Christmas break, Elaine has re-opened her shop Quixotic Paperie!  I've been biting at the bit for it as I have a loooong list of goodies I need to add to my basket!

I thought I'd share 5 of my fave makes for Quixotic Inspiration from 2012...

Using Emerald Faeries called Boo & Snookie, Sew Easy Tool with the Zig Zag Piercer Head, Marianne D creatables Chinese Rose dies and beads

 

Using the Geeky Love stamp by Make It Crafty, My Minds Eye Lime Twist Happy Go Lucky paper pad (out of stock) and Sew Easy Tool with the straight head

 Using Mo Manning's Cat's Out of the Bag for Stamping Bella, My Minds Eye Lime Twist Fly a Kite paper pad (out of stock now) and the grey spot paper from the Echo Park Be Mine paper pad

Using SCACD Victoria Case Retro Crew Call Me

Using Stamping Bella Uptown Girls stamps called Sushi Girls Chelsea & Lauren, Cosmo Cricket Upcycle and Bazzill Basics kraft cardstock

Okay, that's it from me today - thanks for visiting and have a fabby weekend!

What a Scruffy little elf!

It's been a loooooong week - thank goodness (and I really mean it this week!) it's Saturday!  And this weekend we are going to get ready for Xmas - the tree is going to go up!!  Anyhoo, I'm here to show off some gorgeous Quixotic Paperie goodies with a funky Christmas card using another one of those wonderful elves from the Make It Crafty Elf Collection...

I used Bazzill Basics Smoothie Kraft cardstock with Echo Park papers and stickers from the Everybody Loves Christmas kit collection.  You can't see it very well (but it looks fab in real life!) but I my Sew Easy Tool with the Cross Piercer Head.  For embellishing I used that gorgeous Memory Box Frosty Border die again.  It's out of stock as I write this, but don't worry Elaine is getting more stock in!  Just email her here and she'll put one by for you (she's nice like that!). 


Okay, well I'm off - enjoy the rest of your weekend!


I am entering this card into the following challenges:

• Papertake Weekly - Christmas faves
• Totally Papercrafts - Christmas
• Make It Colourful - colour white (on his hat)

A new Sylvia Zet for SCACD release!

(Please scroll down for my Sparkles Creations new release DT post!)

Today is the day we've been waiting for - the gorgeous new Sylvia Zet images are being released by SCACD Stamps! There are EIGHT fantastic and utterly adorable images, all exclusive to SCACD Stamps in yummy red rubber, and they are all available now.

The stamps are all now available, and if you just have to have them all, you can grab them in discounted sets!

US/Canada: You will find the stamps in the Sylvia Zet section at Susana's Custom Art & Card Design HERE.

UK/Europe: You will find the stamps in the Sylvia Zet section at Quixotic Paperie HERE.

To celebrate, we've got a hop for you today, filled with inspiration from the SCACD and Quixotic Paperie design teams PLUS some special guests! We hope you will hop along with us as we introduce you to Loli & Shellie, Poppy and the rest of their friends!

You should have hopped here from the lovely Marti Wills. If you're just joining us and would like to start the hop at the beginning, then pop back to the start over at ELAINE HUGHES' BLOG. A complete hop list can be found over on the SCACD Store Blog.

So here is my make using Precious Present...

My goodness, this new girlie is soooo beautiful!  I adore this new release!  This is Precious Present (from Quixotic Paperie here) and I matched her up with papers from BasicGrey Green at Heart and I created that pretty stitched border with  my Sew Easy Tool with the Sew-Easy Stitch Vine piercer.  I created the flowers using my Marianne D Creatables Chinese Rose die using pearl beads as the centres and 4mm flat backed pearls on the butterflies.  The beautiful lasercut chipboard leaves are from Make It Crafty which I coloured with Distress Stain in Forest Moss (just love this stuff!!).

Your next stop on the hop is uber talented Annika Ryan. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy hopping with us today!

I am entering my card into the following challenges:

• BasicGrey - celebrations
• Kelley's Kids - girly girl
• Craft Your Passions - anything goes with flowers
• Magical Monday - anything goes
• Creative Card Crew - anything goes
• St Luke's Charity challenge - card buffet (flowers, patterned papers, pearls, punch)
  

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, BasicGrey Green at Heart

Stamps: Sylvia Zet for SCACD Precious Present (from Quixotic Paperie here)

Mediums: Copics, Distress Stain in Forest Moss
Accents: lasercut chipboard leaves are from Make It Crafty, pearl beads, 4mm flat backed pearls, lace Tools: Marianne D Creatables Chinese Rose die, Sew Easy Tool with the Sew-Easy Stitch Vine piercer, mini butterfly punch, Distress Tool

Taking it slowly....

Well, not me personally - this week has flown by, it's been manic!!  I've got so much to think about at work and home and I haven't even spent any time studying - really gotta get going on that!

Anyhoo, the title of my post refers to this little cutie using lots of lovely Quixotic Paperie stash!

 

 

Isn't he a sweetie?  This is one of the new Emerald Faeries called Boo & Snookie (aren't they the best names ever?!!).  I used my Sew Easy Tool with the Zig Zag Piercer Head and finished it off with flowers using the Marianne D creatables Chinese Rose dies and beads.  Quixotic Paperie has run out of the brown felt ribbon, but you can buy it in other colours here.

I used the Prima Madelaine paper that is unfortunately out of stock now, but there are a host of gorgeous Prima pads in including the latest arrivals which came today here!



I am entering my card into the following challenges:

• Emerald Faeries Garden challenge - birthdays (this is going to one of my very good work colleagues who loves all the bugs in her garden!)
• Flutter By Wednesday - dies
• Crafts and Me - blues and greens
• Whimsie Wednesday - 3 different papers (I used 6 including the ones I used for the flowers and the inside!)
• The Pink Elephant - stitching
• Papertake Weekly - bingo (pearls and blooms)

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, Prima Madelaine

Stamps: Emerald Faeries Boo & Snookie

Mediums: Copics, Distress Ink in Antique Linen
Accents: floss and organza ribbon from stash, brown felt ribbon, beads
Tools: Marianne D creatables Chinese Rose, Sew Easy Tool with the Zig Zag Piercer Head, Distressing Tool, Nestabilitie dies

Mushroom hugging - a new hobby perhaps?!

Hiya!  Here for a quick post on this week's faves at Quixotic Paperie - EMERALD FAERIES! I am in luuuuurve these gorgeous stamps!  Here's what I made using Ebony....

 

 

How beautiful is this stamp?!!  I matched her up with papers from Cosmo Cricket's Material Girl, embellished with rolled flowers with pearl bead centres and that luscious Prima lace! To add some more interest, I used my Sew Easy Stitcher Tool with the Sew Easy Burst Piercer Head - I love it!  The sentiment is from Whimsy's Ticket Sentiment Set and Shapeology Ticket die.  I've left the inside blank for my own personal message (hopefully it will say "thank you for ALL my birthday presents on 25 August" (you get the hint, right?!!).


Okay, that is it from me today!  Back a little later with my sneak peek for the new Pixie Dust Studios release!!!!

It must be love...

Wow, is it really Wednesday already?!  Woo hoo - only two more days to go and then I'm off work for two weeks!!  Roll on Friday....

Anyhoo, I'm here today to show off some of my latest goodies from Quixotic Paperie with a card using the Geeky Love stamp by Make It Crafty...

 

 

Isn't it a fun image?!  I just love it!  I matched it up with papers from the My Minds Eye Lime Twist Happy Go Lucky paper pad and used my Sew Easy Tool with the straight head to stop it from being too plain.  I am going to send this to my friend (who is a self confessed geek!) who has recently got engaged to her geeky boyfriend (that's really how she describes him!  He's actually very dishy!).

Thanks for visiting me today!  I love reading all of your comments and appreciate all of your encouragement!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

• Totally Stampalicious - anything goes
• Crafty Sentiments - happy ever after

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, My Minds Eye Lime Twist Happy Go Lucky paper pad
Stamps: Geeky Love stamp by Make It Crafty, My Favorite Things sentiments

Mediums: Copics
Accents: none

Tools: Nestabilities dies, Sew Easy Tool with the straight head

Hello everyone!  It's Thursday so it's time to show you my current faves at Quixotic Paperie!  Well, I am lovin' all of the new SCACD releases this year and the newest Retro Crew 2 release by Victoria Case for SCACD is no exception!  And they are great value at £5.75, or you can currently buy all four new stamps at the reduced price of £18.99 which is a whopping 17% off! 

For my make today, I used Retro Crew 2 Take a Note...

 

 

It's out of stock as I speak but don't worry!  Quixotic Paperie is the only supplier of SCACD stamps in Europe so you send a note to Elaine here, she'll order it in for you!

I wished I looked like this at work, but instead I'm running around like headless chicken going from meeting to meeting!  I matched this sweetie up with papers from the new Cosmo Cricket Upcycle paper pad and kept the retro feel with a little bit of distressing and inking with my Ranger Archival ink pad in Sepia and my Memento London Fog.  I used my Sew Easy Tool with the Blanket Piercer Head and red floss.  You can't see it from the photo, but I also added teeny tiny drops of Viva Decor from my Silver Pearl Pen.

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, Cosmo Cricket Upcycle paper pad

Stamps:  Victoria Case for SCACD Retro Crew 2 Take a Note

Mediums: Copics, Ranger Archival ink in Sepia, Memento London Fog, Viva Decor Silver Pearl Pen 

Accents: clip from stash
Tools: Tim Holtz distressing tool, EK Success border punch, Sew Easy Tool, Blanket Piercer Head, red floss

Sketch time over at Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps!

It's time for a sketch this week over at SCRS challenge #50 - I just love sketches to get the old mojo going and here is my take on it...

 

I used the new Karber rubber stamp Bubble Millie - I am lovin' these cuties!  And my cards using these cuties sell like hot cakes - teenage and little girls love them - think Japanese Hello Kitty!

I hope you get a chance to play along with us! Our challenge is open to all players. Each week a random winner will be chosen to win their very own SCRS rubber stamp!  In order to qualify for a prize, you must use a Sparkle Creations image on your creation. 

You can see more gorgeous inspiration here and also the preview of the newbie Backpack Oliver..

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Store

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

Alice Wertz

Amber Hight

Elena Joldersma

Kadie Ensley

Kim Yu

Mary Johnson

Piali Biswas

Shaela Odd

Simonne Clay

Sparkle Smith

Stephanie Kraft

Tanya Johnson

And don't forget to check out the this month's sale on the original eight stamps over at SCRS!

See you later on with my DT posts for Ladybug Crafts Ink and By LoRi Designs - another busy Tuesday!!

I am entering my card into the following challenges:

• Scrapbook Sisters - summer fun
• Some Odd Girl - bright and blinding
• Paper Sundaes - stitching
• Sir Stampalot - anything goes

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, October Afternoon Farm Fresh

Stamps:  SCRS Bubble Millie

Mediums: Copics
Accents: Dew Drops, floss
Tools: Martha Stewart border punch, My Favorite Things rolled rose flower die, Nestabilities circle dies, Sew Easy Tool (from Quixotic Paperie here)

Make It Monday sponsored by Delicious Doodles!

It's Monday and it's sunny and I decided this morning to take the day off work - woo hoo!!!  Better let someone at work know now...

Of course, as it's Monday, here is my card for this week's Make It Monday linky party...

 

Gorgeous image, huh?!  This week we are being sponsored by one of our regular sponsors Delicious Doodles who stock this beautiful On The Look Out. The image is so  soft and gentle that I decided to keep the card really simple with some subtle distressing - and no designer papers!

Delicious Doodles are very generouslly giving away 4 digi images of winners choice!  And the more times you comment on other entrants' posts, you increase your chances of winning!  And of course for a chance to get your card showcased on next week's Make It Monday post, a winner will be randomly picked from all the entrants of this week.  I hope you get a chance to join the party!



And my top pick this week is this wonderful card by Dawn of Paper Stamp Scissors...

Created by Dawn of Paper Stamp Scissors

I love Dawn's creation because of the soft yet fresh colours, those pretty fluffy flowers and how she's coloured in the matting behind that beautifully coloured in bear!  Dawn has a really lovely style and I recommend you go check her blog out!

I am entering my card into Crafty Emma's challenge for woodland creatures.

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock

Stamps: Delicious Doodles On The Look Out, Paper Salon sentiment

Mediums: Copics, Distress Ink in Antique Linen
Accents: floss
Tools: Cuttlebug embossing folder, Tim Holtz distressing tool, Nestabilitie square die, Sew Easy Tool (from Quixotic Paperie here)

Quixotic Paperie 2nd birthday celebrations - Make It Crafty spotlight and masking tutorial

Hi all!  Apologies again to you all for not being around much for the past two weeks - mega busy at work plus doing my course - don't you hate it when real life gets in the way of crafting and blogging?!  Anyway, I'm here today for two reasons: to give you a chance to win lots of prizes AND a masking tutorial that a few of you have asked for!

So, firstly, how can you win prizes?!  Today is a joint celebration!  As you may be aware, this is the month that Quixotic Paperie turned TWO! What you may not know is that it is also the month in which Australian company Make it Crafty is turning ONE!

Quixotic Paperie have been stocking the fantastic Make it Crafty range of products (Rubber Stamps - Lasercut Chipboard - Make it Colour Blending Card) since April 2011, and are one of the first places you can find them outside of Australia! We are thrilled to be celebrating with Make it Crafty today.

To celebrate we thought that rather than a blog hop we would set a CHALLENGE using Make it Crafty products!!  To get inspired, hop on over to the Make it Colourful challenge blog where you will see the amazing creations our fabulous DT’s have created for this event! PLUS find out all the details on how you can play along!

OF COURSE THERE ARE PRIZES!!

There are FIVE challenge categories and there will be FIVE GRAND WINNERS! 

PLUS, PLUS, PLUS

There will be random winners throughout the whole month. The numbers have been pre-selected and as soon as an entry is added that matches that number they WIN! Winners will be announced soon after entry on the sidebar of Make it Colourful.

PLUS there’s MORE!! 

Quixotic Paperie have a little something for you too!! Make sure you pop on over to HERE to enter your name for a chance at MORE Make it Crafty Goodies!!

PLUS THERE’S MORE!!!

Zoe, the owner of Make it Crafty has a super duper HUGE Candy give away – choc-a-block FULL of Make it Crafty goodies!! AND I have heard a whisper that she is planning on having random giveaways on her blog throughout the month of July! All you need to do is leave her some love as she’ll randomly be choosing people who have commented on her posts throughout the last year!!

PLUS THERE’S EVEN MORE!!! (I gotta sit down here from the excitement of it all!)

You’ll also receive a set of steak knives when you... hahaa ONLY Joking BUT... for THREE DAYS ONLY you’ll be able to get 40% off Make it Crafty Digi Stamps when you enter the coupon code: CELEBRATE (Ends June 28^th)

So I do hope you will celebrate with us this month and get into the Make it Crafty spirit of FUN!!

Okay, so onto my make and tutorial!  First here is my card...

 

Ohhhh, I just so wish I was in the Caribbean right now!  I wanna dance like this Make It Crafty Hula Girl in front of a bunch of Make It Crafty Palm Trees!  I kept it pretty simple, using Bazzill Basics Kraft cardstock to give it a natural feel and my every trusty Sew-Easy Stitch Piercer Tool and Straight Head with cream floss.  I found that material in my stash - I have no idea where I got it from!!


So onto my masking tutorial!  There are loads of them out there on this but this is how I do it....

You can see from picture 1 the tools I use.  So first, create your mask, picture 2.  Stamp the image you want in the forefront onto your cardstock and then stamp it a second time onto thin paper (if it is too thick, it will create a 'halo' effect around the image).  I've seen others stamp onto a Post It note, using the glue end, but I just use pieces of scrap paper. 
 

Let the ink dry and then cut out as close as possible to the line, picture 3.  You can see in picture 4 that I use serrated scissors which gives me complete control (especially as I am clumsy!).

Spray repositional glue on the back of the mask (picture 5) and then place it over the top of the image on your cardstock, picture 6.  I coloured some red pen on my mask to help show the mask but it didn't work out very well, lol!!

The next step is to stamp your second image that you want behind the first image, picture 7.  Keep the mask in place if you want to stamp more overlapping images.  Picture 8 shows the mask still in place...

 ...and picture 9 shows it with the mask removed - voila!  I keep my masks as you can re-use them repeatedly.

Thanks if you're still with me!  I hope you found that useful - as usual, any questions or have any tips you'd like to share, please leave a comment to this post!  Bye for now!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

• Wags 'n Whiskers - summertime creations
• Moving Along With The Times - CAS (I think this counts?!!)
• Totally Stampalicious - something old (the material!), something new (the stamps!)

Quixotic Paperie 2nd birthday celebrations - Kraftin' Kimmie spotlight!

As part of Quixotic Paperie's 2nd Anniversary celebrations we are throwing the spotlight onto some of the fantastic stamp companies available from Quixotic Paperie. This week it is the wonderful Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps in the spotlight!

We have some lovely samples to show you and would love for you to hop through the list below to see all the fabulous makes.

Kimmie started her stamp company in October 2009 and since then has bought us some wonderful images from some amazing artists: Annie Rodrigue with Moonlight Whispers, Cheryl Alger Designs, Steven Leary Designs, Crissy Armstrong with Crissy's Cuties and Jean Grant with Cindy and Mindy and now the latest addition Emilie's Etchings by Emilie Goulet.

The Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps range is available in the UK/Europe at Quixotic Paperie.  If you're in Canada/US then you can find the stamps at Kraftin Kimmie Stamps direct!

Which is your favourite? Too hard to choose!

As part of the celebrations and the spotlight today, we have a PRIZE GIVEAWAY!  

Pop on over to the Quixotic Inspirations blog to get all the details and enter the draw to win some fantastic Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps and more!

And here is my spotlight on Kraftin Kimmie's fairy called Clarabelle...

 

How beautiful is she?!!  I wanted to keep a softer look so went a bit mad on the distressing and kept the colour palette simple.  The sentiment is from the Kraftin Kimmie fairy Tallulahbelle set - what a great sentiment!  I used my Sew Easy Tool with white floss and the zig zag head to create that border and the paper is from the My Minds Eye Lime Twist Happy Go Lucky paper pad (only a few pages of this left, boo!!) 

Wanna see some more gorgeous inspiration?!  Hop on over to each of the blogs below to see some yummy Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp goodness!

- Elaine - Judy - Kim Costello - Kim Dellow - Mary J (me!) -

- Kimmie - Angie - Tara - Tracy -

Thanks for joining us and we hope you enjoyed looking at all the lovely Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps!

I am entering my card into the Copics Creations distressing challenge and St Luke's Charity challenge come fly with me June challenge. 

Gathering love - take 2!

Happy Thursday everyone!  Today I'm here to share with you my current faves over at Quixotic Paperie!  Did you see the SCACD blog hop last Friday showcasing the new Natural Beauty Collection release by Carmen Medlin?  Wow, every single one really is beautiful!  I made a rather hot card for the hop (see here) and I wanted to try a more muted one...

I don't normally do shabby chic/vintage but I'm really enjoying experimenting with this style!  This is Gathering Love and Elaine has a special offer ending 27 May - if you buy four or more from this new collection, she will throw in a free stamp!  She will even throw in a free stamp if you buy the full set at the current special price of £29.99 (that's 25% off if you buy all the stamps individually!).

So I matched up this beautify with gorgeous papers from the paper pack Pixie by Memory Box and the creamy rich lace by Alencon lace by Prima.   I did the stitching using the Zig Zag piercer head with my Sew Easy Tool.

I also used the lasercut chipboard by Make It Crafty -  I can't believe the level of detail of this chipboard!  I first gave the chipboard a rough cover of gesso, then dabbed Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Antique Linen over it and lastly rubbed on Viva Decor Glitter Liner in Gold with my finger.  I finished them off with 4mm iridescent pearls in Hyacinth Lilac - here's a close up...

I likey this style!  I'm going to be doing more of this in the future!  That's it from me today - thanks for visiting!


I am entering my card into the following challenges:

• I Love ProMarkers to use pearls 
• Karen's Doodles for make it sparkle
• Bunny Zoe's Crafts to use lace
• Crafty Emma's Store - embellish it
• Really Reasonable Ribbon - anything goes

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, Bazzill bling cardstock for card base, Pixie by Memory Box
Stamps: Gathering Love by Carmen Medlin for SCACD

Mediums: ProMarkers, Viva Decor Glitter Liner in Gold, Tim Holtz Distress Stain in Antique Linen
Accents: 4mm iridescent pearls in Hyacinth Lilac, Alencon lace by Prima,  lasercut chipboard by Make It Crafty

Tools: Nestabilities circle dies, Tim Holtz Distressign Tool, Zig Zag piercer head with my Sew Easy Tool