Sugar Nellie Forum Wk 23 & Sugar Bowl 44 - White on White Sketchy Birthday

front of card photographed without flash showing

textured cardstock & Paisley embossing

front of card photographed with flash attempting to show

 sparkle of Moondust cardstock swirls plus 

heat embossed & glittered image 

close-up of image photographed without flash

close-up of image photographed with flash

the difference in the two golden Stickles is just visible

(Golden Rod - circular rim, Gold Ice - bubbles inside rim)

 

inside of card showing textured white cardstock &

Paisley embossed panel

The theme of "White On White" for this week's Sugar Nellie Forum challenge combined with the Sugar Bowl Challenge 44 sketch by Lilian was the basis for this card. As is my wont I have not included a sentiment, but I consider this to be a female birthday card. Though I was terribly uncertain of them at first the Leanne Ellis images are now amongst my favourite Sugar Nellie stamps. This one fascinates me with so many magical whimsical aspects of Alice in Wonderland juxtaposed within the one image. Initially the image looks like a girl looking out of a porthole window but look more carefully & you can see Alice herself, the caterpillar in the ruffles of her collar/neck, the Mad Hatter's top hat & drops of liquid symbolising "DRINK ME". 

Recipe

Stamp Sugar Nellie Leanne Ellis Life is a Journey.

Inks etc... VersaMark watermak stamp pad & Stampendous Detail Gold Embossing Powder, Encore Ulitmate Metallic (Gold) for inking most cardstock edges.

Colouring Stickles Glitter Glue (Golden Rod, Ice Stickles Gold Ice), Liquid Pearls (Gold).

Cardstock Moondust antique gold, Moondust golden white, textured white & matt white from "stash".

Punches, Dies etc... EK Success (corner rounder & Swirl Flourish), Woodware (scalloped oval), Spellbinders Nestabilities (Large Deckled Rectangles), Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (Perfect Paislely).

The metal studs are from "stash".

Challenges Entered

Sugar Nellie Forum Wk 23 - White on White 

The Sugar Bowl  44 - Lilian's sketch + Theme: Birthday
Allsorts Wk 71 - Plain & Simple
Colour Create  54 - All White
Crazy 4 Challenges C4C56 - Bling (glitter, gold embossing & gold metal studs)
Lollipop Crafts  9 - Glitter, Sparkle, Gems (sparkle of the glitter, gold embossing & gold metal studs)
Totally Papercrafts 35 - A Kind of Magic (see above)

WOYWW 68

First of all I'm rather astonished by the WOYWW comments I am receiving about being tidy. Tuesdays & Wednesdays have tended to be my clearing up days & I've had to keep my wits about me whilst we were moving all my craft things about during the decorating so I have probably appeared to be tidier than I actually am. I have also had an uncluttering as when I first began crafting I was experimenting with many different aspects e.g. decoupage, teabag folding, iris folding etc... but I know now it is colouring & stamping that I want to develop further.

This is what it looked like last weekend when other matters had intervened & deadlines were approaching.

 

 
My curtains were fitted this morning.

So, today the debris (scraps of card/paper) from the weekend remain (in the box to the left of the computer manual) to be punched & I have to admit there is still some in that pile from last week's photo. On my glass mat is this morning's post: a computer manual; a gift of Copic Sketch from my husband ; & the Pergamano Fairies & Flower Girls stamps that I am going to use with an elderly friend who wants to know how to watercolour with her Sakura Stardust Gel Pens. Since there is no-one locally who teaches colouring I'm just going to go through some basics of how to activate the pens with water & move the colour about a stamped image. When I know more myself about shading with Copics I want to move onto watercolouring using watercolour pencils & Distress Inks etc.... & the new AquaMarkers are something I'd like to try. For the moment I am content to learn all I can about colouring with Copics through Suzanne Dean's Colour Me Creative Classes.

ETA 23/9
Apologies to my Followers for this post appearing umpteen times in your Reader - I've had no end of trouble with the formatting & have finally abandoned Explorer on the Dell & am endeavouring to get all this transferred to the Mac. However, it seems I need to consult Apple about the best browser &/or blogging provider to utilize prior to making the switch. In the meantime I am endeavouring to use Google's Blogger via Firefox on the Dell. 

Sugar Nellie Forum #22 & Sugar Bowl #43 - Sugar Nellie Entangled A Little Hug

front of card

close-up of image photographed with flash to show sparkle of glittered jumper,

red gem & jewel buttons

inside of card showing texture & paper piercing of message panel

The weekly Sugar Nellie Forum Challenge on Paper Craft Planet involves using more than one Sugar Nellie stamp so I literally entangled Kathy Hare with Leanne Ellis or put another way: used Leanne Ellis's "A Little Hug" to wrap around Kathy Hare's "Entangled". I used  the Sugar Bowl Challenge #43 sketch by Judy with the optional theme of including buttons (using some of my "gems with two holes" which I previously concluded are really  jewelled buttons) & the colours from two photo inspirations (Passion For ProMarkers & Fab 'n' Funky). "Entangled" was masked after stamping so I could stamp over her with "A Little Hug" to form the frame. The card can be used for a number of occasions as there is no sentiment - 'Thank You', 'Birthday' or 'Just A Note' cards being those that are often needed.

Recipe

Stamps Sugar Nellie Kathy Hare Entangled, Sugar Nellie Leanne Ellis A Little Hug

Inks etc... Memento Tuxedo Black (images). Victorian Velvet Distress Ink for inking cardstock & paper edges.
Colouring ProMarkers, Letraset Black Fine Line Drawing Pen, Inkssentials White Opaque Pen, Stickles Glitter Glue (Ice Stickles Crystal Ice), Dovecraft Chalks (Shimmer) for background.

Cardstock Textured white from "stash".

Paper K&Co BW Madeline.

Punch Woodware (scalloped oval).

The red gem & iridescent jewel buttons are from "stash".

Challenges Entered
Sugar Nellie Forum Challenge #22 - Use More Than One Stamp
The Sugar Bowl Challenge #43 - Judy's sketch + Theme: Buttons

Passion For ProMarkers Wk 69 - Photo Inspiration (my card is based around the pink, red, green & steel blue colours plus the magery of the floral panel on the bag in the photo)

Fab 'n' Funky #40 - Get The Photo Vibe (my pink, red, green & white colour scheme plus the floral imagery & the concept of "quirkiness" that is evident in this photo)

Aly's ASC25 - Sparkle & Glitter (sparkly gem & buttons plus glittered jumper

A Pocket Full of Posies #6 - Floral Fantasy (floral images & paper)

Craftalicious Challenges #8 - Thanks (see above)

Cute Card Thursday #130 - Tweet & a Flutter (I have one bird & 3 butterflies)

Secret Crafter Saturday #101 - Anything Goes

The Shabby Tea Room #27 - Fresh Living: Nature &/or Green

Totally Papercrafts #34 - Happy Birthday (see above)

WOYWW 67

First of all I have an apology to make to Kermit - I photographed him upside down last week, so here he is the right way up.

After 3 four hour round trips to Cardiff I finally have a functioning MacBook. So, here follows the saga of our buying the one MacBook with no Bluetooth that the Apple Store in Cardiff & their staff have ever encountered. We went to the Apple Store in Cardiff last Friday, happily came home, carried out all the installation updates & tried to connect mouse & keyboard. However, when my husband was unable to find the Bluetooth connection there was no alternative but to phone Apple the following morning, whereupon we were asked to bring it back.& leave the machine with the Apple technicians. A few hours after returning home to Brecon we were advised that something was so amiss with this particular machine that there was not even going to be any attempt made at rectifying it. I would be given a completely new machine & all the updates & setting up with mouse, keyboard & software would be carried out by the Apple technicians when we could next return to Cardiff. So, yesterday, after our third trip to Cardiff we came home with it all sorted. Everybody is trying to assure me that I do not have a propensity for attracting faulty computer machines, but my initial printer purchase for the Dell Microsoft system 18 months ago was also faulty.

Below is my workdesk. On the left the debris from Sunday's posting is still in the box for putting away & on the right on my glass mat is today's mail - a small Scor-Buddy so that I can follow the tutorials I see all over blogland & a paper piercing grid which I've wanted ever since I discovered the joys of paper piercing. So, this is my latest update for WOYWW. 

 

Sugar Nellie Forum #21 & Sugar Bowl #43 - Background For Sketch With Buttons

front of card

close-up showing image panel

& background detail

close-up of image

inside of card

close-up showing textured tan cardstock

& paper pierced scallops

The Paper Craft Planet Sugar Nellie Forum Challenge #21 is "CREATE YOUR OWN BACKING PAPERS" with the prize being 3 Sugar Nellie stamps of the winner's choice. Combining this with the Sugar Bowl Challenge #43 (a sketch by Judy with the optional theme of including buttons) & the additional theme of Autumn provided the inspiration for my card. The card is complete without a sentiment in order to make it suitable for a number of occasions.

This is the first time I have used this Distress Ink & stickers background technique (described by Jane Johnson on the Whiff Of Joy Tutorials & Inspirations Blog) & I was so thrilled with the results that I will use it again.

Recipe
Stamp Sugar Nellie Home Grown Autumn Kit 2009.
Inks etc.... Memento Tuxedo Black (image), Distress Inks (Barn Door, Bundled Sage, Crushed Olive &Vintage Photo) & Brilliance Galaxy Gold for inking most cardstock edges. Rusty Hinge Distress Ink was used for the background inking technique.
Colouring Copic Ciaos, Inkssentials White Opaque Pen.
Cardstock Dark brown, dark cream, assorted greens, red, textured tan & gold pearlescent from "stash".
Punches Woodware (circle & scalloped circle, scalloped square & leaves).
The pearls & buttons are from "stash". 

Challenges Entered
Sugar Nellie Forum Challenge #21 - Create Your Own Backing Papers
The Sugar Bowl Challenge #43 - Judy's sketch + Theme: Buttons
Allsorts Wk 69 - Colours of Autumn
Anything Goes Wk 15 - Autumn (Autumnal colours & celebrations of Thanksgiving or Harvest Festival)
A Spoon Full of Sugar #120 - Animal Crackers
Charisma Cardz Wk 36 - Try Something New (technique - see above)
Fab 'n' Funky #39 - Whateva'
Paper Play Wk 36 - Autumn is a Comin' (Autumnal colours)
Simon Says Stamp - Holiday Fun (Autumnal celebrations of Thanksgiving or Harvest Festival)

WOYWW 66

My next instalment for WOYWW. Last week we found a computer work station which - as you can see - made a huge difference to the room. The flooring will be replaced & the curtains have been chosen & ordered. We still have some research to do regarding the Apple but  we learnt that the Apple Store in Cardiff provides a year's training after purchase (for a small fee) which, even though it involves a 2 hour bus journey each way, I am quietly excited about for I'd like to explore the possibilities of digi stamping. I don't think I'll ever lose my love of rubber & ink though.

As the computer work station is on castors it can easily be moved & the door can now be closed, providing Kermit isn't propping it open.

the contents of the plastic box on the left just need tidying away before I begin the next project

a view from the door showing Kermit on duty

Whiff Of Joy Challenge DT - #87 Layers

front of card

close-up of image panel

  

close-ups showing texture of red, white & Moondust blue cardstock, stamped swirls, paper piercing & the various embellishments (buttons, gems, pearls & daisy ribbon 

 

close-up showing sparkle of glittered & sanded wings, also the shine of

gems & red Mirri card

inside of card

 

This fortnight's challenge is "Layers". I was going to layer some flowers but realised that it really was a case of "less is more" with this card & so when it came to embellishing I limited the decoration to using buttons, gems, pearls & daisy ribbon. I carried the concept of layering through onto the inside of the card & simply used some lace to embellish the multiple layers. I also used layering to achieve the muted glittery effect on Melinda's wings: the 3 different colours of Stickles Glitter Glue were applied in layers, allowed to dry & then sanded. I was really pleased how this softened the harshness of the initial rather vibrant & thick glittering. See the Whiff Of Joy Challenge Blog for full challenge details & further examples of layering by the Design Team.

The image of Melinda reading/studying her book means that the card could easily be used for an encouragement card for someone returning to school or moving from a Junior School to a Senior one. The image also reminds me of Tracy Chevalier's novel "Falling Angels".

Recipe
Stamps Whiff Of Joy Melinda Reading Book & Whiff Of Joy Spring Swirls.
Inks Memento Tuxedo Black (image). Distress Inks (Barn Door, Chipped Sapphire & Weathered Wood) for inking cardstock edges, the Weathered Wood also being used for stamping the swirl pattern.
Colouring Copic Ciaos, ProMarker (for colouring lace), Inkssentials White Opaque Pen, Stickles Glitter Glue (Gold, Xmas Red & Ice Stickles Gold Ice).
Cardstock Moondust textured blue, Bits N Pieces A4 Assorted Embossed Card (Snow White Textures). textured red, red Mirri, white, navy & red. 
Punches, Dies etc... Woodware (corner rounder), EK Success (photo corner scallop), Spellbinders Nestabilities (Classic Scalloped Ovals Large, Classic Ovals Large & Large Deckled Rectangles).
Lace Wild Orchid Crafts.
Pearls Kanban.
Buttons Woodware.
The gems & daisy ribbon are from "stash".

Challenges Entered
Charisma Cardz Wk 35 - Inspired By A Song (I kept thinking of "Angels Watching Over Me")
Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight - Glitter & Sparkle
Crafts & Me #12 - Gems & Sparkle
Craft Your Days Away CYDA #3 - Girly 'n' Glitter
Crazy 4 Challenges C4C53 - Anything Book Related (see above)
Creative Card Crew - Back To School (see above)
Creative Inspirations Wednesdays Challenge #77 - Lace & Sparkle (my lace is on the internal layering)
Cupcake Craft #107 - Books & Stories (Melinda is reading a book & see above)
Fussy & Fancy #18 - Back To School (see above)
ISB #33 - Girlie
Magical Monday #4 - Lace (my lace is on the internal layering)
My Time to Craft #106 - Jewelled
Pile It On #35 - Pile On The Layers (see above)
Stamp & Create #5 - Pearls & Gems
Stamptacular #75 - Distress It! (all my cardstock edges have been inked with Distress Inks)

Top Tip Tuesday #1

One of the constant problems when crafting is that of the clogged Stickles or Glossy Accents bottle (even if a bottle is used daily it just waits to splurt all over your project if you dare to miss checking it prior to an application). My tool for doing this is a cotton  bud with a blunt needle glued into the cotton wool bud at one end (I found Glossy Accents provided a sufficiently strong bond). 

If you poke this into the clogged tip, twiddle it a little & gently pull it out again the little plug of congealed glue will often have attached itself to the needle's point - this can then be wiped off with a tissue.

At the opposite end I cut off the cotton wool bud so that I could use the same gadget for twirling the green stalks of bought floral embellishments (whilst being mindful of the needle).

This is the tip I am entering into Top Tip #1 on the new Top Tip Tuesday blog.  

Sugar Nellie Forum #20 & Sugar Bowl #41 - Pink Sketch With Pearls

front of card

close-up of image panel showing: paper pieced dress & socks;

linen effect pink paper; & sheen on ribbon flowers

close-up taken using flash to show sparkle of

glittered hair ornament & dress band

inside of card showing paper pierced

message panel

 (though appearing to be white in the photos the card base & the bottom layer of the image panel are pale cream in colour)

The Sugar Nellie Forum Challenge #20 on Paper Craft Planet has a colour theme of pink. This challenge is run on a weekly basis with the prize (donated by Karen of Sugar Nellie) being 3 Sugar Nellie stamps of the winner's choice. I used Lilian's sketch from the Sugar Bowl #42 rotated 90 degrees clockwise.

Recipe

Stamp Sugar Nellie Gorjuss Sitting

Inks etc... Memento Tuxedo Black (image), Worn Lipstick Distress Ink for inking most cardstock & paper edges.

Colouring Copic Ciaos & Sketch, Letraset Black Fine Line Drawing Pen, Stickles Glitter Glue (Ice Stickles Cherry ice), Liquid Pearls (Pastel Raspberry).

Cardstock Linen effect pale cream, pale cream, bright pink & pale pink from "stash".

Papers Linen effect pink paper from "stash", patterned - Dovecraft Eastern Blooms.

Punches etc... Woodware (circle & scalloped circle), Martha Stewart (Doily Lace Trim), EK Success (corner).

Pearls Kanban.

Ribbon from "stash".

Challenges Entered

Sugar Nellie Forum Challenge #20 - Pink
The Sugar Bowl Challenge #42 - Lilian's sketch  + Theme: Pearls

Aly's ASC24 - Pretty In Pink
Anything Goes Wk 14 - Say It With Flowers
Cute Card Thursday #128 - Material Girl (fabric ribbon flowers)
Fab 'n' Funky #38 - Living in a Material World (linen effect cardstock & paper, fabric ribbon flowers)
Oh Alice Ch 29- Shine or Sparkle (sparkly glitter, shiny ribbon, shiny pearls)
Papertake Weekly - Just The One (one patterned paper)
Simon Says - Pearls & Lace

Stamp Something - Cute (image)

WOYWW 65

Late last  night I finally had some workable order - lots of fine tuning still to be done, the most crucial being to find a computer workstation so that the cumbersome gate-leg table the laptop & printer are currently on can be removed & the door can actually be closed whilst using the laptop. My husband's study is right next to my room so the door has to be shut if I want to watch a tutorial or listen to music whilst crafting, particularly if he's grappling with a difficult piece of Homeric translation.

So, we are off to Cardiff today (two hours each way by bus, but the scenery is stunning) to see what we can find & to visit the Apple Store to investigate a small laptop for me. That was my husband's idea - an extra 50th birthday present - as there are serious compatibility problems between Microsoft's Vista Operating System & the various web browsers, so I often crash whilst browsing/blogging (scroll down to the photos if you wish to avoid my Microsoft v. Apple deliberations). Sadly my 18 month old "top of the range" Dell hardware will not support Windows 7 Software. I have always used Microsoft Software so it will be a bit of a steep learning curve getting used to the Apple Operating System but there seems to be no alternative to purchasing new hardware in some form if I am to be able to utilise web-based teaching/tutorials. The advantage with Apple is that  both the Operating System & hardware are made by Apple thus avoding any of the hardware/software mismatches I have experienced with Microsoft. This is my layman's understanding - I was born before the computer generation & am largely self-taught in all computer matters. 

Looking into the room from doorway (top left), inside the room looking out through the doorway (top centre), turning clockwise round the room (top right, middle left & right, bottom left) & looking out through the doorway again but this time with the laptop in operation &  the gate-leg extended (bottom right).

By the time I'd written this up it was almost 3.00 am (so the view out of the window is in pitch darkness) but the bus leaves early & I didn't want to disappoint any WOYWW visitors.