24 September 2014

Inspired by a... shoe!

Hello Everyone,

Welcome in the FALL! I cannot believe it's autumn already... We really, truly are approaching the "C" season, eh!? I guess I will need to start thinking about gifts!

In the meantime, and before my poor account starts feeling a bit upset, here's something fashionable yet cheap ;-) A card inspired by a Manolo Blahnik!


Truth be told, before the Sex and the City era, I had no idea who or what Manolo Blahnik were...! My feet are still clueless, however, I now own a piece of a Blahnik in my craftroom... Kind of... :-)

Here's what I came up with, I hope you like it! 


My favourite feature is the gold embossing - it looks really beautiful in person! The colouring was done using some of my Tesco's Finest watercolours, and here and there they were supported by ProMarkers touch ups. The lovely sentiment is from Mama Elephant (yes, this love affair is still on!), and the flowers - unfortunately I don't have the packaging anymore, hence the stamp is "from my stash". 



I am entering the shoe... I mean the card... into the following challenges:

Runway Inspired - Manolo Blahnik
Passion For Promarkers - Autumn Colours
QKR -  Fall Colours
Inky Impressions - Anything Goes

Have a great second half of the week!

M.

17 September 2014

Happy Anniversary!

Hello Everyone,

Time to share my recent "little" project - a wedding anniversary present for myself and my hubby...made by me! I love having wedding-related keepsakes in our house - I just wish I could do it all over again! - and so I thought that using a bit of my craftiness to add to our small collection would only be appropriate :o)

The project originated during a class I took a while ago with the amazing Finnabair (aka Ania Dabrowska), however I have tweaked it here and there recently, before putting it in the frame. It's my first big mixed-media project and I am really in love with it. If I continue with the mixed media journey, surely I will look back at this project and think "Did I really think THAT was good!?"... I have that with my first cards now... However, whatever way my skills in this area will go - this project will always be close to my heart because of its theme.

The layout is framed in a rather huge frame we got in Ikea (yup, joint effort here!), and since it's hung in the hallway - it greets all the guests & invites them to our home. I have to say (a bit self-lovingly) that I love the picture I used- it's generic enough that anyone could imagine themselves in it, and so in theory it could even be gifted to anyone (not that I am planning to do so, LOL). 


I was silly enough not to have taken any pictures before I framed the layout, and so it wasn't too easy to take pictures through the glass... And I wanted to share a bit of the details... Hope you don't mind!







I am entering my project into the following challenges:
I love ProMarkers - feeling distressed
Inky Impressions - primary colours
Inky Chicks - Anything goes
Passion for ProMarkers - Make it digital (the photo)
Love to Create - Add some lines
Scrapki Wyzwaniowo - Imagine
Moving Along With the Times - It's texture time

Hope you like it! 

Would you be happy to receive a gift like that as a wedding anniversary gift?

Hugs,
M.

P.S. You can see this project and many more fabulous ideas over at Divas by Design this week. The theme this time is "Anything but a card" and there is plenty of great ideas to choose from! We also have some lovely prizes, as usual! Join us and show us what you have created!



11 September 2014

It feels so summery!!!

Hi Everyone,

I know, I know - the crafty world slowly starts admitting that "it's beginning to look at lot like Christmas", but for a short while I am still trying to keep out of that craze... I probably won't last long (LOL), but for now - I'm trying to stay strong! And the lovely, sunny and almost summery weather in Ireland is really helping! Fair enough, the mornings might already be gloomy and cold, but boy are the afternoons and evenings still lovely! 

The summery mood made me create the below card (inspired by a card I made a good while ago - see here) - will come handy next year for Mother's Day. I know what you're thinking - I refuse to make Christmas cards 3 months before Christmas (crikey, is it really only 3 months?!), but I make Mother's Days cards already!? Well, welcome to my mad world ;o) Sometimes you just make what your imagination tells you, and that's it!  And this time my imagination told me to put a Mother's Day sentiment on this card, eek!

So, without further ado - here's the card, all ready for somebody's lucky Mum somewhere out there in the world! :o)





I am entering the card into the following challenges:
Moving Along With the Times - Add texture
Inky Impressions - ABCs [my interpretation being: use alphas]
A Gem of a Challenge - It's summer time

Oh, and before I go, I also wanted to thank the owners of the Inky Impressions challenge blog for offering me a DT spot on their team - unfortunately, due to personal circumstances I had to decline the offer, but I hope one day I will be reconsidered for the "job".

Have a lovely summery weekend (here's to hoping!),

M.

03 September 2014

Cup of tea, anyone?

Hi Everyone,

Today I'm back with a DT project for Divas by Design - this week it's all about tags! You can either create a tag, or incorporate it into your project/card. Simples, right? Well... maybe not so much for a person like me, who doesn't really have a lot to do with tags... But, if I found a solution to this "problem", I am sure all of you can! :o)

A work colleague recently asked me to make a card for her friend who collects antiques and teacups (mostly the ones with the blue motifs... it has a name... I forgot what it is :( ). She wanted the card to be rather simple, without too many mad and loud colours. 
I initially thought of making the card in the shape of a teacup, but then came up with another idea... The card ended up with a teacup with the teabag still in it (this is my "tag" bit). The fun element of it - you can actually remove the teabag from the cup, and this will reveal a secret Happy Birthday message! Honestly, the card is very very simple, but the recipient loved it - and that's the whole point, right? :o)

The card when handed to the recipient...


 Surprise! There's a message on the teabag! :o)

I am entering the card into the following challenges:
Inky Chicks - Stitching
Moving Along with the Times - A stitch in time

I hope you like my idea!

Have a great day, and don't forget to play with us over at Divas!

Hugs,
M.