A Special Reason

Anniversary, birth, encouragement, .... being in the middle of helping my daughter with her wedding invitations it had to be a wedding card for the current Cheerful Stamp Pad challenge: A Special Reason

paper: Webster's Pages, Prima Marketing - image: sorry, I cannot remember -
cardboard heart, ink, glitter - stamp: Eline Pellinkhof - some button twine, ribbon

Come and play along and show us your creations, happy crafting, Petra.

Last Performance - Sold Out

If you haven't got any tickets yet .... the last performance is sold out ... and when looking at the girls, are you surprised? (lol)

image: Gecko Galz, words from the web - stamp: Stamper Anonymous -
ink: Ranger Distress inks - ribbon, Stickles

The image was provided by Gecko Galz for the Bella Creations Oh La La May challenge. I inked the background of the ATC with three different inks: Victorian Velvet, Fired Brick and Tattered Rose. The moulin rouge image is stamped with a mixture of Black Sooth and Fired Brick inks. I printed both girls in ATC size and did some 'fuzzy' cutting. A little ribbon, the 'sold out' announcement and, of course, glittery shoes were the finishing touches.
Happy crafting, Petra.

S for Spoon

... and strawberry (lol). This week Rebecca challenges us to create a tag with a spoon theme ... easy - I thought. But then I realised I don't have any stamps which I could have used ..... a definite gap in my stamp drawer. So I just played digitally and created a little digital collage which I printed and embellished it only very minimalistic that is a tiny button and some twine

images: Graphics Fairy, Clipart ETC - paper: Decoupage paper -
button twine from the Ribbon Girl, a tiny button from my stash

As soon as I had started the ideas came popping up and I created some more digital images which I will also turn into tags ... will share them with you in one of my next emails, Petra.

Linked to: Blog Challenge Garden

Colourful Paper

This time round for the 'Color My World' challenge at the Cheerful Stamp Pad I did only a little bit of colouring myself but used lots of colourful paper. And I tried to keep the card clean and uncluttered ... not even distressing of edges (lol). As I hadn't done this for a while, it was quite a challenge - which I enjoyed! Happy crafting, Petra.

plain white square card - paper: Cosmo Cricket - stamps: Elzybells - colouring: Copics and Koh-i-noors -
ribbon and buttons from my stash

It's Strawberry Time!

This year the strawberry season started extremely early here in England because of the fantastic weather we've had over the last weeks. And they are sooo tasty, I simply love the taste of fresh strawberries ... especially with Vanilla icecream or whipped cream or as strawberry cake or dipped in chocolate or ... what is your favourite way to enjoy them?
Rebecca's challenge for Tag Tuesday couldn't have been much better: Strawberry!
I started this tag with making my own background by stamping Whiff of Joy strawberries onto Kraftcard and colouring them with Koh-i-noors. The edge of the tag has been punched with a Stampin'Up edge punch
For the middle part of the tag I created a digital collage with paper from Martora, a strawberry plant image from The Sum of all Crafts and the Menu label from the Graphics Fairy. Top and bottom part of the image are embellished with button twine for the Ribbon Girl, some ribbon and a little button from my stash.
The little topper on the tag is a layering of Kraftcard, Martora paper (slightly distressed around the edges) and a stamped icecream cone from Elzybells topped with a strawberry from the Graphics Fairy. The image is coloured with copics and Koh-i-noors. The finishing touches for the topper are a bit of button twine and a Whiff of Joy sentiment on mini labels.
To finish off the tag and because there can never be too many strawberries (lol) I shrank and coloured three Whiff of Joy strawberries using shrink plastic and copics.

Have a sweet tasty strawberry Monday, Petra.

Linked to: Brag Monday, Tag Tuesday

A Pencil and a Dream ....

... can take you anywhere ... A sentiment which certainly seems to be true for the little boy sitting on the mushroom scribbling away! He might just write a postcard to Viv who encouraged us all to make a "6" x 4" COLLAGED POSTCARD AND YOU MUST incorporate METAL somewhere" for the current Art 'n' Soul swap. I duly obliged with a stamped collage (hope this counts!)

stamps: Clear Stamps, Eline Pellinkhof, La Blanche, Hero Arts, Darkroom Door, Hein Design
paper: patterend paper, plain white card
ink: Memento, Ranger Distress
metal bits: buckle, staples
twine, foam pads

The base for the postcard is plain white card cut to 6"x4" with a stamped postcard back. The front is covered with patterend paper ... I don't have the brick texture folder but luckily found some patterend paper to use. To give the paper a bit of a 3D feel I scored the lines between the bricks. The sentiment and the flowers are directly stamped onto the paper. The little boy on the mushroom is stamped on plain white card and cut out, so are the big flowers at the bottom of the card. I am not quite sure about the practicalities of my postcard is but I quite like it (lol), Petra.

Wild West Scenery

Vast spaces, grande vistas, rustique towns, horses, cowboys and cowgirls and adventures ... the scene is set for the new Gingersnap Creation Random Redhead challenge: Scene Stamping
The stamps I used are from Stampers Anonymous, Hein Design and a from Lucy who generously borrowed the little mouse stamp to me (thanks, Lucy). First I created the masks for the scene, the ones I used most:
Then I laid them all out and ... started stamping (lol) ... this is the main image
I finished off the piece with some twine and beadwork, a printed sentiment, some chalk colouring, distressed edges and a twig.
Hope over to the Gingersnap blog, you will see some absolutely fabulous scenes ... why not create you own one? Come and share it with us. Petra.

Colour My World

The new colourful challenge at the Cheerful Stamp Pad has started and it is all about: Colour My World

supplies: paper - Kraftpaer from Elzybells, plain white card - Mandala image from the web -
stamp: Hero Arts - Tim Holtz texture folder - Distress ink 'Walnut Stain' -
a little gem, button twine - Copics for colouring the image

Do come and play with us, you can use any colouring medium, make it as colourful as possible and share it with us. Have a great Monday, Petra.

Ain't She Sweet?

Blogger is back, I haven't found anything missing and my bloglist is still complete and fully working ... phew! It is amazing how much you depend on these technical advances (lol)

The Cheerful Stamp Pad is in the second week for the current challenge 'Little Girls With Curls' and here is my second part for the challenge:

papers: October Afternoon, white card, paper doily - image: Suzan Buckner -
stamp: Eline Pellinkhof - Tilda heart, Prima flowers

The little girl on the image reminds me so much of my daughter when she was a little girl ... lots of curls, very sweet with a little naughtiness in her eyes (lol). Come and join us, there is still time to show us your little girl(s) with curly hair. Have a great weekend, Petra.

Wild Horse

What would the Wild West be without horses ... and what would you do if there wouldn't be any twine? Combine the two and you have my contribution for the new Spicy Supply Challenge at Gingersnap Creations: Twine
I stumbled across the template when looking for sewn creatures - Ann Wood is the creator of three fabulous horse templates. I printed the template on textured white card, cut it out and gave it a very intense treatment with inks, stamping and chalks (lol). First I stamped patterns onto the individual horse parts using Stampers Anonymous stamps and VersaMark which created some sort of resist surface. Then I began to colour them with chalks and inks - lots of layers
Despite the colouring some of the VersaMark stamping is still visible and gives some very subtle patterns.
I attached the legs to the body with twine and the legs are moveable (lol). For the mane and tail I used button twine from the Ribbon Girl and decorated them with wooden pearls and embroidery thread.

Come over to the Gingersnap blog and have a look at all the other fabulous twine creations. And hopefully you will join it, Petra.

My First Books

Have you ever done any bookbinding? There are so many wonderfully books out there which have been bound by hand. It always intrigued me how the spine, the binding is being doen and although I have quite a few books about the subject, it always seemd to be a bit daunting ... and that's why my experience with binding some pages together was normally exhausted with punching some holes and 'bind' them together with some book rings, ribbons or else. I decided this had to change and went on a bookbinding workshop - and I loved it. It was brilliant. The tutor was excellent and the samples he showed us absolutely inspiring (if you are interested, you find him and his work here).
These are my first books

Japanese Stab Bindings

Coptic Binding

It was a start and now I want to do more (lol) ... have a great Monday, Petra.

Flower-Power Girlie Cake

Have a wonderful weekend, Petra.

Vanilla Sponge with strawberry jam filling and soft icing topping

Key On Wings

My very first altered key ... I created it for a swap with the very talented Dawn
I am quite happy with the key result. The most enjoyable part of the process was to create the wings.
All you need is a bit of wire, soma backing paper and glossy accents. Ink Stained Roni from Ink Stains has a wonderful tutorial on her blog describing in images and detailed description how to make them. I am very happy with the outcome (lol) .... have a happy day, Petra.

Paperdoll Cowboy

Do you like it a bit wild with horses, cowboys, cowgirls, saloons and everything? Then pop over to Gingersnap Creations: May is the WildWest month. The first challenge is the Chestnut Theme challenge: Cowboys and Cowgirls. For me it had to be a cowboy and a special one ... one which you can dress: a paperdoll cowboy from Karen, the Graphics Fairy (lol)

Dressed
Undressed (lol)
Isn't he cute? The papers are from Tim Holtz, a gift from my friend Jane, and Jenni Bowlin, the flag from Magic Moonlight Free Images and the sentiment a stamp from Kaisercraft.

Come and and have a look at more Wildwest art and join the 'wild' fun at Gingersnap Creations. Petra.

Tree Hugs

Last Friday (29 April) was National Arbor Day in the USA. I love trees and I think we cannot have enough ... Because of this occasion Rebecca asked us to make the tree the focal point of our tag for Tag Tuesday. Being a bit late I thought one tree would not quite be enough but it should be at least a little wood (lol)
It is quite a small tag, nothing sophisticated, no distressing. The background is stamped with the cloud Hero Arts stamp. Having discovered Mel's and Milliande's whimsical trees it inspired me to doodle some trees which I cut out and coloured. There is some thread around the trees ... adorned with some hearts (stamps: Woodware). The little birdie is from Artemio and the sentiment from Hero Arts. Big Hugs, Petra.

Little Girls With Curls

Little Girls with Curls ... don't they look ever so sweet?

paper: Prima, clear vellum - image: Magic Moonlight Free Images -
stamp: Kaisercraft - ribbon from my stash

Curly Girls is the new challenge theme over at the Cheerful Stamp Pad. Come and have a look, you will see more fantastic curly creations. Hope that you will join us, Petra. x