Wedding Cake

This is my first post as DT for The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog. I am very excited to be a new member of the team. 

This weeks' challenge is Pink, Red & White and our sponsors are:

I chose the Wedding Cake image from Guylou's Inimitability as I thought it was perfect for the theme. 
Guylou says about this image - "The inspiration for that image came when I needed a wedding image for some friends' wedding card.  I had a look at wedding magazine and saw what was in fashion at that time and came up with  my own version of what I would like if it was my wedding cake. "

I have used the following materials to create my card:

• Card and ribbon from my stash
• Core'dinations Glitter Silk card
• Papermania - pearls and glitter
• Whispers ink pads and Strokes pens
• Sizzix dies - Love Set #3
• Patterned papers from Making Cards magazine
• Watercolour pencils
• Little Claire Designs outline stickers

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1. Catch The Bug - February Colour Challenge

2. Craftitude - #59 Anything Goes

3. Cards Galore - #2 Gems, Glitter, Candy

4. Crafty Creations - #257 Keep It Simple

5. Delightful Challenges - Add A Flourish

6. Fan-Tastic Tuesday - #24 Anything Goes

7. Love To Create - #104 Anything Goes

8. Make It Monday - MIM #180

Precious Little Angel

I made this card for a friend who will be having her baby girl any time soon.  I just got this wonderful image from Bugaboo Stamps and thought it would be perfect for a rocking stepper card.  (And also for their latest challenge, which is a Bingo challenge.  I am going all out on this one and opted for the 'full house'!)
I usually colour images with watercolour pencils, but I have just invested in some ProMarkers.  I have only coloured a few images so far, so I'm still practising. I don't have a lot of colours yet, so can't do any amazing blending techniques. They take a bit of getting used to, but don't smell as much as I thought they would and are good value for a starter to alcohol inks. 
If you would like to make a similar card, I followed instructions from Beccy's Place.

I have used the following materials to create this card:

• Card from my stash
• Bugaboo image - Moon Baby, Sweet Dreams
• Patterned papers & banner free from Making Cards magazine
• Buttons & pearls from Papermania
• Whispers ink pad
• Promarkers
• Sizzix flower die and dotty embossing folder
• Outline stickers from Little Claire Designs

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1. Catch The Bug - February Bingo (full house)

2. Craftitude - #58 Anything Goes/Valentine

3. Clear It Out - Colour Challenge, Reds

4. Cards Galore - #2 Gems, Glitter, Candy

5. Delightful Challenges - Love Notes

6. Creative Card Crew - #55 KISS

7. Divas By Design - With Love

8. Love to Create - #103 Make it Sparkle with Bling

9. Passion for Promarkers - 235 Shaped Cards

10. Penny's Paper-Crafty - 164 Monochrome

11. Totally Papercrafts - #206 Valentine/Love

Twilight Zone!

My Blogger is doing some weird things lately.  First some posts are reverting to draft and now some links are disappearing!  So apologies to any challenge blogs if there's no link to your post, or if you cannot see my post!

Steampunk Love Twisted Easel

I didn't want to do the traditional colours and styles for Valentine's this year, so as my husband and I both love Steampunk I went with that for my card. I haven't used the word Valentine's though, so this style could be used for any occasion.  I've made a circle double-twisted easel before, but never a square one, so I chose that as thought it fit quite well with the Steampunk theme. 

The materials I have used are:

• Craft4Less - Bronze card
• Papermania - Chronology 6x6 papers, brads & eyelets
• X-Cut - Nesting dies Scalloped Heart, Tri-Boss folder Chronology Cogs
• Sizzix dies - Flower & Leaf #5, Love Set #3
• Core'dinations - Tim Holtz Kraft-Core Nostalgic Collection, Core Tags Darks
• Charms were free in Crafts Beautiful magazine issue 254
• Twine from my stash

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1. Allsorts - Week 246 Use Brads

2. Artistic Inspirations - #79 Anything Goes/Masculine

3. Challenges 4 Everybody - #38 Anything Goes

4. Craftitude - #58 Anything Goes/Valentines/Love

5. Delightful Challenges - Love Notes

6. Divas By Design - With Love

7. Fab 'n' Funky - #203 Love/Valentine

8. The Crafting Cafe - Embossing

9. Tok Bobok - #9 Hearts

10. Totally Papercrafts - #206 Valentine/Love

Charity Cards

I was recently asked by young fundraiser, Helen Foster, if I could make a donation to her online charity auction.  I decided that I would make some cards relating to her causes rather than just sending something I'd already made.
Having just spent a lot of time looking through Bugaboo Stamps' vast collection of images, I knew they had a causes section.  I think these are a great idea, as cancer support cards aren't something you often see.
Keeping it fairly simple for this set, I just chose the Ribbon Bear Leaning image and printed different sentiments for each card.  The pink ribbon is the most well known but I didn't want to make all the cards girly, so I chose some unisex colours too.
Helen is donating to Cancer Research UK and Macmillan, but these cards could be for other causes too.  I have also listed these as custom orders in my Etsy shop and will be donating to charity for each card sold.
If you would like to know more about Helen or her upcoming events,  please check out her website http://mynextcharityevent.webs.com/

Materials I have used to make these cards: 

• Card and blank cards from DoCrafts
• Bugaboo Image - Ribbon Bear Leaning
• Ribbon from my stash
• Embossing folders from Sizzix, Embossalicious & Papermania
• Watercolour pencils
• 3D foam pads

I would like to enter these cards into the following challenges:

1. 613 Avenue Create - #59 Anything Goes

2. Challenges 4 Everybody - #38 Anything Goes

3. Creative Card Crew - #55 KISS

4. The Crafting Cafe - Embossing

Flower Joy Fold

Since making my first Joy-Fold card, I have been thinking of adapting it to a different shape.  I created a template in Photoshop and first printed it out on paper to see how it would look.  I then realised it wouldn't stand up, but then neither do postcards and we still love those!

I have just purchased Making Cards magazine for the first time, so used the papers from there as they are so pretty. 

Other materials I have used for this card are:

• Card from my stash
• Whispers dye inks
• 3D foam pads
• Collall tacky glue
• Stix 2 permanent adhesive roller

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1. Challenges 4 Everybody - #38 Anything Goes

2. Delightful Challenges - Anything Goes

3. Totally Papercrafts - #205 Hey Cutie

Light Tent

I've been taking all my craft photos just using what England calls natural light (not much sun around lately) and a couple of bits of white scrapbook card. They look OK but not really good enough, especially when trying to sell on Etsy.  So I thought I'd invest in a pop-up light tent.  

I found one pretty cheap on eBay and have just been experimenting with it.   Although they do still need a little bit of a touch-up in Photoshop, the results are so much better. 

Before:

You can see there are harsh lines and contrasting colour where the two pieces of card meet, plus the colour isn't great and there are shadows. 

After:

The background does show a little where the fabric gets folded and still ends up slightly different colours after Photoshopping, but overall it is a much better photo. 

This is the first time I have used the tent and I am pleased with the results. I just need some more practice with lighting and camera position etc. 

Heart Bodice Kraft Card

As it's now February and Valentine's is just around the corner, I thought I'd make something inspired by love... with a little raunch thrown in!
I love lace-up bodices and thought my heart die would make a great version, tarted up with some lace and bling. I've kept the rest of the card really simple to show off the main element. 

For this card I have used the following materials:

• Papermania - Kraft card, eyelets, Classical Handmade Papers (100% cotton)
• Ribbon and gems from my stash
• Lace from Hobbycraft
• Whispers Permanents, black
• Little Claire Designs outline stickers

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1. Allsorts - 244 Love is in the Air

2. Cards Galore - Gems, Glitter, Candy

3. Crafty Catz - 216 Anything Goes

4. Paper Creators Crafts - #19 Anything Goes

5. Pile It On - #5 Ribbon

6. That Craft Place - Valentine

7. The Crafter's Cafe - #48 Use Ribbon and/or Lace

8. Tok BoBok - #9 Hearts

9. Totally Papercrafts - 204 Clean and Simple