Phoenix Inspirations

Time for a new challenge over at the Rainbow Card Challenge Blog And this month we are looking for all things violet My card is quite clean and simple and uses one of Stampin' Up's retiring stamp sets - Colourful Seasons - take a look I started with a dark purple card base onto which I layered a piece of Whisper White card stock. The sentiment and blossom were stamped with Highland Heather ink and before I added the banner I attached my branch and die cut skeleton leaf. The banner is a piece of Whisper White card stock coloured with a Highland Heather blend pen. The card was then finished off with a Highland Heather leaf with Gorgeous Grape details. Hope everyone is staying safe and well at the moment - take care and I will see you soon - J xx

It's time for another colour challenge over at the Rainbow Card Challenge and this month it's a gorgeous blue - just like those expensive little boxes from a certain jeweller! Here is my card I used my new set Dressed to Impress for this challenge and I also decided to make my own background paper too. I repeat stamped the beautiful scent bottle in Basic Gray and then added the colour Coastal Cabana. The flowers were coloured with a Pool Party Light Blend pen. As always my team mates have produced some truly awesome cards for this challenge - please do pop over and take a look. Thanks for stopping by - see you soon - J xx

Second challenge card of the day and this time it's for the Rainbow Card Challenge I love my greens and I had the perfect ink for this - Emerald Envy. Take a look at my card I used Lily Pad Lake and the matching dies for this card and I must admit I do like the way it has turned out. I stamped the waves directly on to the card base and then added a die circle onto which I had added the die cut waves. Around this circle I added the stork, lily pads and reeds. No sentiment on this so it can be used for almost any occasion. My DT colleagues have also creating some stunning cards - please do pop over and investigate. See you soon - J xx

Happy New Year everyone - here’s to a year of health, happiness and crafty fun! To kick off the New Year I have my card for the brand new challenge over on the  Rainbow Card Challenge Blog White on white is very difficult to achieve and even more difficult to photograph - here is my card though - hope you like it. The background is embossed with a dotty embossing folder and then I have added various die cuts and punched items to the card. It would be great to see you over on the challenge blog - my team mates have created some exceptional cards to inspire you and of course it would be lovely if you could take part too. See you soon - j xx

It's time for another challenge over at the Rainbow Card Challenge and this week we have a Rainbow colour scheme for you. Rainbow Card Challenge Here is my card - a cute reindeer showing off his gorgeous multi-coloured baubles on his antlers! This was such a quick and easy card to make. I used my Dashing Deer stamp set and heat embossed my reindeer with copper embossing powder. The sentiment was stamped with Cherry Cobbler ink and then my self adhesive gems were coloured using my Stampin' Blends. this is the kind of card that can be ultra simple as it is here or it can have all the bells and whistles added too and this is certainly a possibility that I will be exploring very soon so please do pop back and take a look. Thanks for stopping by today - Happy Advent everyone!! - J xx

Our challenge over at HERE is Oooooh I thought - grab a stamp, some black ink, bish bash bosh job done! It doesn't happen quite like that though does it? I did some masking and only just left enough room for my sentiment and left  a finger print on the card so I had to add to add some gems!! Never mind though take a look at my card The set I used is Stampin' Up Beautiful Friendship. I haven't used this nearly enough yet as it looks great coloured. I've been gardening today - clearing some of the old finished flowers. I was having great fun in the sunshine and even managed to avoid the neighbours' bully of a cat. He's a huge ginger tom named Tigger and it's his life mission to attack me at least once a day. Today though I thwarted him - I had on my gardening gloves  - too thick for his grabbing paws and teeth. He left very disappointed! Thanks for looking - see you soon - J xx

Good morning all from a very sunny and warm Bridgnorth! So today I have a card to share with you that is my DT card for the  Rainbow Card Challenge which as the title suggests is a week late! My card was extremely quick to make and uses one of the new hostess sets Soft Spring. As my Wisteria is enjoying a second flush of flowers this card is rather apt don't you think? So a quick stamp in Basic Gray for the flowers and sentiment (Colourful Seasons) and a colour in with Highland Heather Blends (dark and light).  There's still loads of time to take part in the challenge as it lasts for a month so get on over and take a look. So the reason I'm late with this post is because I have have embarked on a new project. Unfortunately I'm not as able to multi task as i used to - fibro fog has put paid to that - but I'm finding it very exciting. I've been a member of some card swap groups on Facebook for some time but recently I decided...

This is a little reminder of the challenge over at the  Rainbow Card Challenge It would be fab to see you over there. All you have to do is create a card using the colour BLUE. Here is a bit of inspiration for you This is a card I created a while ago with some stamps made using my own designs. I love silhouettes and using the blue this card has a midnight in winter feel about it. Frosty seed heads and a full Midwinter moon! The background is made by punching a circle from a post it note and placing on the card base. Dark blue ink is then brayered over the whole card leaving the middle around the moon paler than the outsides. The edges of the card are sponged with the same ink but you could also use black to go darker still. The seed heads were then added in blue and black ink. The teasels were stamped twice before re- inking to give a feel of perspective. Finally the spindly seed heads were stamped and embossed with white embossing powder. Tha...

OK - who stole June? Where did it go? I can't believe it's July already - and it's time for anther challenge over at The Rainbow Card Challenge Here is my take on this challenge Quite a simple one - just Night of Navy cardstock and some white embossing. The stamp set I have used is To a Wild Rose I do hope you head on over and take a look at the other work provided by my dt team mates - we have a new member too -  Nandini  - her work is superb and well worth a look. All products above are available from my Stampin' Up shop HERE Thanks for looking - see you soon - J xx

The start of the month saw a new challenge over at the Rainbow Card Challenge This month Mynn has a gorgeous colour combo - take a look Now I don't own any 'neon' colours so my card is just a rainbow coloured card and I really enjoyed creating it The ships were coloured with my new Stampin' Blends and the sea was stamped with Pacific Point ink. Here's a closer view The stamp set I have used is one I purchased in my Starter Kit when I joined as a demonstrator - it's called Lilypad Lake and it's available in this year's catalogue too. All products used on this project can be purchased from me - please do get in touch. Thanks for stopping by today - see you soon - J xx

This really is becoming quite a habit! In my defence though I have been a bit poorly. There's been a mix up with some of my medication. The tablets I have been taking for a long time now shouldn't be mixed - mixing them can cause damage to the heart!! So, I was having a particularly bad flare, went to the doctors to get some stronger painkillers and came away with a note to sign me off work for a week and an appointment for an ECG! So I'm feeling a little worried now to say the least. In other news there is the current challenge over at  The Rainbow Card Challenge And here is my card that should have been posted in the dt line up last week! Please head on over to the challenge to see all the wonderful inspiration from my fellow dt and if you can take part - even better! See you soon - j xx

So this post should have gone up last Friday but I went on a weekend away to my daughter's leaving my laptop at home - thus unable to post! Since I've been back home fibro has set in making me feel tired and unwell so I'm only just catching up. So last Friday was the start of the new challenge over on Rainbow Card Challenge And here is my card I have used Tranquil Tulips for this card with the colours So Saffron and Crushed Curry. It's a two step stamping set which means you can get extra detail on your images. Right I'm off to play now. I have some fab new stamps from Altenew and Lesiazghada Stamps, some coloured pencils and paints and I'm going to spend the day playing - especially as the weather is awful! Thanks for stopping by today - see you soon - J xx

Gosh - January didn't hang around did it? I can't believe it's February already! Have any of you got snow? Thankfully we have none at the moment because I hate it. I live on top of a hill so to get anywhere (I don't drive) I'm either going downhill or uphill - I could do with a ski-lift!!! Anyhoo - to brighten up your dark day it's challenge time over at the  Rainbow Card Challenge This month's theme is The rules are simple - a monochrome card using orange. Here's mine for the team I chose a snowy theme as most of the UK is snowbound at the moment! My images are from the SU set Endless Wishes along with a sentiment from the Good Greetings set. A little unconventional for a Christmas Card perhaps but I had fun making it! I hope you can play along with us this month - see you soon - J xx

I was browsing through my browser - as you do, and I came across this card that I made a while ago but I don't think I posted on my blog. It's uncanny as it's predominantly red as was my last card for the  Rainbow Card Challenge . Here it is I don't think that this would have worked for the challenge as I think that there is too much black on it however, it was very easy to create. The scene was sponged onto a piece of white card stock using some scraps of copy paper torn into strips. The scene gets paler as it fades into the distance to give an illusion of perspective. The silhouette details were added in black along with the Chinese writing. The panel was then cut into three equal pieces, sponged around the edges and glued to some red card stock. Ribbon was added before adhering to the card base. Thanks for stopping by today - hope everyone has recovered from the New Year celebrations!! See you soon - J xx

Hello and Happy New Year greetings from Bridgnorth! This is my first post of the year and my card is for the very first challenge for a brand new challenge blog. Rainbow Challenge Blog I am so happy to be a part of this new venture and even happier to be working alongside my beautiful friend Mynnette again. Many years ago now Mynnette and I started up the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown and although we are no longer a part of that we had a great time working together and I am chuffed to bits to be doing so again. We also have a fab design team and I do urge you to pop across to the blog to take a look at all the wonderful work they have produced for the first challenge - which is .......... Now this is the Rainbow Card Challenge and your card should only use the colour that is stated in the challenge banner however, if you are adding flowers a little green can be added for the flower stems. Right  - here is my card My red ink and card stock is Poppy Parad...

I have teamed up with my lovely friend Mynnette to bring you a brand new challenge blog. It starts in January and we would love you on our team. It's called The Rainbow Card Challenge The DT call will run throughout November and then in December we will announce the team and details of the first challenge. Isn't it exciting?!! All the details can be found on the blog and we are asking you to produce a card with a MONOCHROME theme. There are other requirements too so please do pop over and have a read. Here is a card I made a few years ago but it will give you and idea of what we are looking for I hope this will inspire you to have a go! Thanks for looking today - take care - J xx