Walking with T-Rex

   The new challenge at The Male Room is Critters and/or Bugs, it doesn't say they have to be alive so I've gone for a Big critter that thankfully is extinct, but very much loved by many young boys.

     I started with some white card and coloured it with Distress Inks in a mixture of greens and brown, keeping the centre pale for my stamped image. Then the card was embossed using a Jungle Border folder by Darice, once embossed I went over the card again with a mid green D.I. to accent the leaves.  
     The stamp set is by Basic Grey and rather old, it's been in my stash for years but it's still a firm favourite called Dino. It has three dinosaur skeletons, some leaves and some footprints, I have used the leaves arond the edges of the Kraft card blank and the footprints along the bottom.
     The T-Rex is stamped with Versamark and embossed in copper, where he overlapped the embossed leaves I have removed the powder before heating so he looks like he's behind the leaves.

     After layering the image panel on dark green and copper mirri I decided it needed more foliage. I don't have any of the same type of leaves in my die collection but I do have something similar to the fern and for the large flat leaves I cut one out and then used the tip to cut into it so it looks like the embossed ones.
     The leaves are coloured with Distress Inks, spritzed and then mounted on foam pads, thin ones on the image panel and thicker ones where they sit over the Kraft card.
     There is no greeting yet, it will probably be sent to Will for his birthday as he loves dinosaurs, but that's not for a few months yet. It's always handy to have a few cards without greetings ready for any occasion.
     Please come and join us at The Male Room with your critters and/or bugs, we also have a DT call running, just remember to keep to the theme and make it masculine.

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

Creative Card Crew - Masculine

Critters and Creatures - Anything Goes

Ooh-La-La Creations - Animals With Four Legs 

MHK Designs Challenge #5

     Welcome to the new challenge at MHK Designs. This month's colour palet is an almost monochrome selection, which lends itself beautifully to fresh Spring designs and with the addition of flowers the options are endless. You don't have to use MHK Designs products to join us but we would love it if you did and you could even win a set just by playing along.

      The image I have used is from Perfect Poppies, I have printed it out twice. One copy is fussy cut and trimmed down to show only two flowers, the other copy has had the two flowers cut out and curled to give dimension to the finished image.
     The flowers are coloured with a very pale green marker just to add shadow, a couple for darker greens were used for the leaves. A black Stardust pen was used for the flower centres, it gives a little sparkle without being too bold.
     The backing paper is from the set Damsel In Distress, the colour has been changed using my photo package to suit the challenge. Two of the corners have been rounded to soften the outline, it's then mounted on a dark green layer on to a white card blank.
     The sentiment is from Birds and Branches, die cut and inked to tone in with the colour scheme. It's mounted on thin foam pads so it sits lower than the flowers petals.
     Come and join us on the  MHK Designs blog, we would love to see your creations. You don't have to use MHK Designs products to enter but you could win one if you do join us.

May Challenge at MHK Designs blog

MHK Designs Perfect Poppies

MHK Designs Damsel In Distress

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

Crafty Gals Corner - Flowers
Creative Hands - Anything Goes
Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
Crafting With Friends - Anything Goes
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

MHK Designs Simple Butterfly

      My inspiration for MHK Designs this month is made using a butterfly image from Beginnings and Endings and a sentiment from Stitched Sunflower.
     The backing paper has been made using the image placed at random across the page in Publisher, when printed I have used the Draft function to get a faded look. Once cut to fit my card blank I have used Broken China Distress Ink to colour the edges so it matches the mat layer and the main image.
     The main image is coloured with watercolour pens, spritzed with a pearl spray and then cut out. It is stuck flush to the card along it's body but has foam pads under it's wings so they stand up a little.
     The sentiment has been cut out then had the corners rounded, this also has been inked to match the colour scheme. It is stuck on very thin foam pads. The mat layer is pearl paper which luckily matches the butterfly and the inking.
     It's a very simple card but that's sometimes just what we need, relatively easy to make, with a simple but uplifting comment.
     Come and join in our challenge, you don't have to use MHK Designs images but we would love it if you did. If you don't have any MHK Designs yet then this could be your chance to win some.

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

Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes

Ellibelle's Creative Moments - Linky Party #4 Critters and Creatures

Ellibelle's Creative Moments - Linky party #9 Let's Colour

Male Room Hot Rod

     The new challenge at The Male Room is transport, I had several ideas but this is the one that made it through the MOT.
     The decoupage came from a CD Rom but I can't remember the name or make of it, I had printed off several copies and kept them in a folder, which was lucky as since then I have had to renew my computer and much of what I had has been lost, if you know what the disc was called then please let me know.
     The backing paper came with the images so it really was an easy card to make and with a nephew just turned seventeen this will be used quite soon I hope.
     With a general theme like transport I'm sure you will be able to come up with something to show us at The Male Room, we also have a DT call running so if you would like to join us then please pop over and read the information on our blog.

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

Cards and More - Masculine

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Crafting With Friends - Anything Goes

Humming Along at House Of Cards

     Welcome to a new challenge at the House Of Cards, this month we would like to see you use acetate or vellum on your card.

     To make this card I have stamped and embossed in the middle of an acetate card, I like the illusion of a floating image which in this case is perfect for a bird in flight.
     To add the glitters I have worked on the back of the image, gluing and glittering in separate colours to build up the picture. By working on the back I can also go over the lines a little to make sure the colouring is complete. The glue does shrink back a little so once dry you can see any gaps that need touching up.
     To cover up the less than tidy back of the bird I have added a small square of pearl card, this makes the image stand out a little more and also gives you somewhere to write inside.
    The card is stuck on to the back of the bird so there are no visible glue marks on the front.
     We have lots of inspiration for you at the House Of Cards so please have a look and then come and join us with your creation, you have a whole month to come up with something using acetate or vellum.

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

Cre8tive Hands Friends - Anything Goes

Dragons Lair Designs - Anything Goes

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

Prism Candle Jar

     This months project for Altered Eclectics was made in the fond hope for better weather and outdoor dinning.

      It started off a nice basic glass jar that came with a handle already attached. I bought a bag of glass pebbles from a garden centre and began sticking them on to the jar.
     A hot glue gun is a brilliant piece of equipment, there are so many uses, from mending shoes to making your own embellishments, but for this project it was just for sticking the pebbles to the jar.
     I started at the top and worked my way down, trying to get an even look. When I got to the bottom row I had to select pebbles that were small enough to reach the bottom but not make the jar stand uneven. To finish off the top I have glued some garden string around the rim.
     I have around half the bag of pebbles left after one jar so I think I shall make another one. This one has some LED lights inside but to go outside I will put a battery tea light in it, so there will be no safety issues should it be left unattended. If you're planning a garden party these work out quite inexpensive to make and look great.
     We have some new DT members at Altered Eclectics so we have lots more inspiration for you on our blog, come and join us with your creations, we are anything goes as long as it's not a card or an ATC.

I would like to enter my prism jar in the following challenges:

A Beautiful Mess - Anything Goes

Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes

Decorate To Celebrate - Anything Goes