Sherlock Bones

 It's Halloween season, and although I'm not a big fan of the occasion, it's always a good excuse to get my Graphic 45 "Master Detective" papers into action (although who needs an excuse!)

I've used an image and poison labels fussy cut from some of the papers, as well as a spidery background and added a die cut cobweb and a chipboard sentiment. Sherlock Bones is lounging around in his cobwebby cellar (does opium affect skeletons? If so, he's probably indulged) trying to work out how the latest dastardly poisoner committed his crimes. 

I am sharing this with

Pearly Sparkles - use black and/or purple 

Country View Crafts - Halloween (make a scene)  

Crafty Calendar - Halloween 

Shopping Our Stash - Halloween 

Hi honey!

 A change from Christmas cards today. 

I  stamped the bees and masked the lower one, then blended yellow ink over the lower right corner of the card with a little light tan added around the edges. Then I stencilled the honeycomb over the top using the same two inks, but with a firmer touch. I removed the masking, coloured the bees' bodies with pencils, stamped the sentiment and glittered the wings. 

I am sharing this with: 

Cardz 4 Galz - One layer 

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - anything goes 

CAS Mix Up - tone on tone + stencils 

AAA - One layer (not using the optional twist of coffee)

Festive Snippets

 I'm still in Christmas card making mode! 

For this card I cleared out lots of snippets - the snowflake paper is the last from a free pack that came  with a magazine a few years ago. I think I got a download at the same time in which case I'll be able to print more - wouldn't it look good on vellum or acetate? The red and white card I used were also snippets - I tend to accumulate a LOT of white snippets because even the tiniest "might come in useful" for a die cut or a sentiment. Even the ribbon is a snippet, my very last scrap of that design. The gingerbread men are stamped and punched with the SU Cookie Cutter Christmas set; the sentiment comes from the same set. 

I am sharing this with 

Christmas Crafts All Year Round - no tricks, just treats 

Pixie's Snippets Playground - challenge 388 

Christmas Kickstart - Festive Sweet treats 

Christmas Cuties

 The other day I watched a video of a stencilled sky being made over on Clearly Besotted's Facebook page (have you seen their colouring videos? They are really inspiring!) and had to have a go. 

I stamped and masked Santa, then the elf and tree, then the skyline, all using Clearly Besotted stamps that came with Creative Stamping magazine a couple of years ago. Once everything was masked, I used a cloud stencil and distress inks to create the sky, blending the inks over the stencil and repositioning it between colours. 

I removed  the masked skyline and stamped the trees,  then removed all the rest of the masking, stamped the sentiment and coloured the images. I dotted in snowflakes, some with a white gel pen and some with Stickles, and added stickles to the white areas of the image and to the line where the image touches the snow. 

I am sharing this with

Allsorts Challenge - Cute Christmas  

We love Chocolate Baroque - Anything Goes  

Jingle Belles - Dashing Through the Snow  

Craft Rocket - Add sparkle 

The Carol Singers

 I dug deep into my Christmas bits box for the elements to make this. The paper is from a very old, almost finished Crafty Individuals pad, the topper and coordinating sparkly chipboard came in a RAK many years ago and the sentiment is a woven fabric one which I think I won over at Crafty Hazelnit's challenge. 

I added ribbon and a doiley from my stash and used deep red card - NOT black as it looks in the photo!- for matting. I assembled it all with an eye to the current sketch from 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. 

I am sharing this with 

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - anything goes  

Sparkles Christmas - Vintage  

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - sketch 

Delicate gold

 I don't use this heart patterned stamp very often, because it fills a whole A6 card front yet is a bit too in-your-face to be used as a background. Except, that is, when it's coloured subtly. 

I used gold Delicata ink to stamp the image then coloured it in with an Ivory Promarker. I stamped the sentiment onto a separate strip of card using the same ink, then  placed it diagonally across the background. I trimmed the panel close to the stamping, attached it to the card blank then edged the whole thing with gold peel-offs. 

I am sharing this with 

Passion for Promarkers - Anything But Christmas 

Colour Hues - Gold and Cream  

Inkspirational - Angle It  

Guest designer at Stamping Sensations

 Today I am delighted to be the Guest Designer for this month's challenge at Stamping Sensations, where the theme is Autumn Glory. 

I had a lovely time making this card! A few days ago, I mentioned having made a master board by applying various inks and mica pearls to a sheet of A4 card using sponges, sprays and direct-to-paper, and I used the master board again for this leaf garland. I stamped the leaves on the master board and fussy cut them then used a flower shaping tool to give them some shape. Then I stamped the sentiment in the middle of the card and lightly drew in a large circle around it, and distributed the leaves evenly around the circle and stuck them in place with 3D adhesive. 

I am sharing this with

CAS on Friday - Autumn  

The Library Challenge - What to look for in Autumn