Summer Garden Challenge & DT Call!!

June 29th 2011

Our last challenge for June at CS Designs is "Summer Garden" and Chris has released a cute little set of 4 "garden" tiles and a new sentiment to match for this challenge! Now it's far from Summer where I live but these little garden designs have helped to make me feel warm for the moment LOL!!!

I've made some CAS cards for this using the squares as tiles and textured white card.

This first card uses the "bee" design and I have tiled it and made my own little sentiment "Dare to be Different" and one bee has been coloured and is flying off on his own!

This next card uses the ladybird and single flower designs and I've added my own sentiment again "Fly Away Home". And I've just coloured the ladybird as a feature.

For all the challenge details please visit our Challenge Blog. We would love to see what you can come up with for this theme and if you don't have any CS Designs just make a "Bee-Line" to Chris's Blog and get hold of some!

Now for those of you who really love the digis at CS Designs we are having a Design Team Call or if you can't commit to a "term" but have a "month" to spare and would like to work with the most amazing designs you might like to consider a Guest Designer Spot!! Chris' designs are so amazing and unique who wouldn't love the opportunity to help "showcase" these designs! If you are interested click here to find out the details and email your interest off to CS Designs. We'd love to hear from you!! (Note: the Guest Design application applies to both Guest Designer and Permanent Designer).

All in the Ocean

June 28th 2011
This weeks theme at the Michelle Perkett Studio Challenge Blog is "All in the Ocean" - no excuses for not having an "ocean" themed image from Michelle for this great topic!!! If you don't have any MPS Mermaid images head over to her Etsy store and grab one so you can enter!

I've used one of my favourite mermaids "Serena" and have coloured her with copics and mounted her on some "wavy" patterned paper and complimentary textured card and added some sparkly gems and pearls to look like waves in the ocean!

We can't wait to see what you make! And don't forget to check out what the other DT members have made! And please remember you MUST use an MPS image to enter the challenge!!

Reach for the Stars on Pink Saturday!

June 25th 2011

My second post for the day but I didn't want to miss Pink Saturday this week!! (Last week it went clean out of my head!!!)

I've made this gorgeous pink card with one of the new release Solitaire Designs and Sentiment from CS Designs. I wanted to add wings to the card to also enter this in Vicki's new challenge at The Cheerful Stamp Pad Blog. I've made a collage type background with a whole range of pink toned papers. The image and background for the sentiment have been coloured with Copics and the butterflies are from a collage sheet which is a freebie from Digital Collage Sheets. The butterflies were printed on an opaque vellum type paper so they are translucent looking and look great on the card as they are "rolling up" of their own accord and making the whole thing look more 3 dimensional - great effect!

I love pink!!! And can't wait unitl next Saturday for another chance to create with pink!

I've also added this to the Summer of Colour Blog this week after my blogging 'friend' Annette suggested it! I have been following the colour blog but hadn't entered any "colourful" creations yet!!! Well this is my first so I hope I can join in with some more of the upcoming "colours'!!

CAS Metallic Cards

June 25th 2011
As some of you know I find CAS cards quite difficult as I am one to add lots of "things" to cards and creations LOL!!!
But I thought I would try this "look" with the new angels from Michelle Perkett Studio Store and have made the following 2 cards using "cut outs" of the angels.

You can see more samples of creations using Michelle's designs at the Challenge Blog.

Exciting News!

June 24th 2011
Well I've done it! I've opened my own Etsy store to sell some of my handmade cards.

Here is the link to Sharon's Showcase Etsy Store. I'm just new to this so am still learning!!!! And it's on my sidebar too!

Hope you might like to have a look - you can give me any suggestions you think might be helpful!!!

Michelle Perkett Studio New Challenge

June 22nd 2011
This weeks challenge is "Wings" - a great challenge to use with Michelle's designs as she recently released a brand new set of 4 Angels - you can see them here at her Etsy Store. And here is the link to the challenge blog so you can see what the Design Team have for inspiration this week and get your entry in!

I've made this vintage style card using "Angela the Angel" and have used some serendipity squares from a masterboard I made as well as some cream braid and a great "Happy Birthday" sentiment cut with my Big Kick. The striped background paper from Kaisercraft is the same as I used for my Bargello creations in my last post.

We would love you to join with this week's challenge - but remember you MUST use an image from the Michelle Perkett Studio to be able to enter!!

The Letter "B" Challenge

June 21st 2011

A great new challenge this week at CS Designs - The Letter "B"!! What can you think of to enter our challenge this week? All the details are at our challenge block so click here to check them out and enter your creations!

I've taken up the "challenge" and have used the "Bargello" technique to make a background for my Solitaire Cards! I really like this effect. There are several YouTube videos which demonstrate this technique as well as a tutorial at Splitcoast Stampers. You will see there are several different "ways" of making this type of background.

I've used more "manly" colour tonings just to help with ideas for male themed cards!!! LOL I know there are a lot of us out there who struggle for ideas!!

For this first card I have used an amazing new image from Chris - "Solitaire Nefertari". I just LOVE anything Egyptian - when I was "younger" LOL I had so much Egyptian stuff and I even made several tapestries so when I saw this design I couldn't wait for Chris to email it to me so I could work on it!! (I'm working on another project with it too!!!)

I've coloured the image with Copics and have used some beautiful turquoise coloured "Smooch" on the teardrop and the edge around the bead - it gives a great metallic look. I've used Kaisercraft stripey paper for the Bargello background and have added ribbon and mounted everything on textured cardstock in complimentary colours.

Here is the other card I made using "Solitaire Monocle & Swirls" another amazing image from the range that CS Designs have just released! This card has been made using the same supplies as above but with different coloured ribbon and backing cards.

Remember you have until the end of the month to enter this challenge and have the chance to win some of these amazing designs!!





For Whom The Sun Shines

June 19th 2011
Welcome to the viewing of my creation for the Gingersnap Creations Spicy Supply Challenge which requires the use of  "packaging materials" - now some of you may already think I am "strange" LOL this may make you think I am even stranger!!! BUT if you read the "reasoning" behind my concept you will understand what I am trying to achieve (even though it's a bit of an essay)!

What I have made is a little "gift box" to give to the person in your life who matches the sentiment above!! A real little "expensive" gold lined Tiffany's box!!!!! LOL!!

Now as this challenge required packaging materials I thought it was a great opportunity to use an iPod case which I have had in a cupboard in my office/craft room for several YEARS!!!! LOL I actually have another one!!! So I decided to use the plastic iPod packaging as a gift box - now as some of you know I have a weird sense of humour so I decided to make the "gift" box into an Egyptian Sarcophagus and as Chris at CS Designs recently released a Nefertari image how could I not use that and make the "mummy" to go in the sarcophagus???????

I have used several "packaging" products to make this creation: The iPod box has been "lined" with bubble wrap which I sponged with Gold Lumiere paint as a Queen needs a very "rich" looking resting place! And I've used string to tie the gift box shut and also to attach some material tags that I made.

As you can see the gift is "For Whom the Sun Shines"!! I found this "quote" through a web search to find something befitting "Nefertari" and I asked Chris if she would design the sentiment especially for me to use - she's done an amazing job as I just love this - it looks Egyptian and fits perfectly with my "theme"!! It is not possible to see in the photo but "behind" the sentiment on the tag is a washed out image of the pyramids. I've printed the sentiment and "Ankh" cross and transferred to fabric and hand sewn around the edges, punched a hole in the tops and added the string!

Now for my "mummy" - she has been made with the Nefertari CS Designs image on fabric and coloured with "Smooch" Ink and then hand sewn around three sides then "slipped" over the top of a large wooden clothespeg which I "wrapped" with tea stained muslin to look like an embalmed mummy!!! I painted her little feet with gold Lumiere paint. I also added some little clip art pictures of a "scarab" for good luck - very small and stuck onto the mummy's leg and also the Egyptian Staff on her chest. Plus she has some "jewels" in her sarcophagus to make sure she is wealthy emough to reach the afterlife!!

Chosen as a Ginger Gem for the GC106 Challenge - Packaging Supplies.

Spotlight Saturday at Michelle Perkett Studio Blog

June 18th 2011

This week I am spotlighting one of Michelle's new angels which I have "melted" onto a candle! She is the "Inspiration" Angel and I've made her into a Xmas Coloured Angel - this will look very effective with the lit candle!

There are a lot of tutorials on the web for doing this with digi stamps (I just did a search) and although it's a bit harder to print on the tissue paper it's certainly worth the effort.

Make sure you visit Michelle's Etsy Store to grab her new angels and get creating!!

It's Hip to be Square!!

June 12th 2011

This is my new card using the Best Friends Digi from CS Designs. I think this image is great for a huge range of occasions - it lends itself to a "manly" type card which is what I have aimed for here using earthy and grey tonings or friends, birthday, father's day etc. etc. It could also be a really modern style wedding card if you coloured it with some soft tonings - wow it would look amazing! Think I might have to try that!It's got a great "modern" feel to it as well - I love these designs from Chris because they look "outside" the square!

Flowers Galore Challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio!

June 14th 2011

This week's challenge at the Michelle Perkett Studio is "Flowers Galore" - what a great theme as Michelle has so many floral images to choose from!! I've used the "Best Friends" image and added some floral ribbon in strips down the card.

Remember if you are entering the challenge you MUST use a Michelle Perkett Studio image on your creation!!

Here's this Week's Challenge at CS Designs!!

June 13th 2011

What a great challenge we have this week - "Asian" - anything Asian and "Square" as you will see from these amazing new "square" designs from CS Designs!! You can get all the details from our Challenge Blog and remember although our challenges are weekely they all run until the end of the month so you have plenty of time to grab a CS Design digi and show us what you've got!! And what a great opportunity to win some of Chris' amazing designs!

I've made 2 cards for the challenge this week using paper from Japan and little stickers also from Japan. I've also "gone outside the sqaure" and used colours that I don't normally use so I've really challenged myself this week!!! I've also used this challenge as a great reason to do some simple origami! I love origami and have made these "square" frames by folding the Japanese paper.

This card uses the Asian Square Sakura / Cherry Blossom Design which I feel has a more masculine look so there's an idea for male themed items!!!! The sentiment is a CS Design digi which I thought fitted in with this Asian Square Challenge theme! The little paper crane and cherry blossom stickers came in a pack my relative sent me from Japan recently and the colors match with the orange and yellow. To finish the card I've added some raffia and orange fibres to the spine.

And here's a close up of the image (coloured with Copics) and sentiment:

This next card using the same color scheme and papers and I have used the Asian Square Akiko / Light & Bright Autumn Design which I think is great as I love the shape of her hair! I've used a different fold to make the frame around this image. Ths same fibres and stickers have also been used on this card.

And a close up of this image (also coloured with Copics) and to also show how the "flaps" of the folding stick up to give a 3d effect:



The New Starlet at the 52 Starlets Art Challenge!

June 13th 2011
This weeks "starlet" at the 52 Starlets Art Challenge Blog is Ruby Keeler - LOL I have to admit I have never heard of her!!

Anyway I used this photo from the blog to make this lovely wedding card - I love to make wedding cards and as soon as I saw the "bride" picture of Ruby I knew that's what I would make for this new challenge.

I love vintage look wedding cards too and this one was great for using up scraps of paper as well and as you can see I've added some "sticker" wording and flower embellishments to finish off the card! It was a great excuse to make a collage card too!!

New Angel Releases at Michelle Perkett Studio

June 12th 2011
Michelle is realeasing 4 new angels this weekend and to celebrate is having a new release party at her Papercraft Planet Group with fun games and freebies to kick off the week long celebration and we would love for you to join us for the festivities in honor of the new digital stamp collection!

Everyone who participates will recieve a fun angel freebie on Sunday at the party and will also be eligible to win one or all of Michelle's new angels! We hope to see you there! We will be having fun "angelic" themed challenges everyday this coming week and will finish up the week with another fun Party on Saturday at the same time,

Her new angels are: Inspiration Angel, Love Angel, Peace Angel and Faith Angel. And you can purchase them here! Why not grab some and join us for the week!