Here be dragons

I had fun making this card for my better half's birthday. He enjoys reading fantasy books, especially ones with dragons, so this Elusive Images dragon stamp is perfect for him. The sentiment and flourish are from the same set and I made them into a scroll. I've tried to give the card a distressed look as I imagine most papers would get pretty worn around fire-breathing dragons! Image is heat embossed in bronze; Kaisercraft papers; netting ribbon and big brads from my stash.

Submitted to the following challenges:

Oldie But A Goodie #11 Magical beings (dragons)

Stamping Vacation No tags

Do You Stack Up? #4 Patterned paper

Tellen's Place Male - Make it for the guys!

Crazy 4 Challenges #72 Vintage or shabby chic

Crafts 4 Eternity #4 Polka dots

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #96 Whateva! (with stamping)

Crafty Purple Frog Distressing

B&W vintage lady

This gorgeous lady is one of my very early stamp purchases (Paper Pleasure Plus) and I still love it as much now as I did then. There's quite a lot of bling (black Kindy Glitz glitter glue on the hat and dress; clear Kindy Glitz on the beads hanging down from the hat; and black gem earrings) but it doesn't really show up in the pic. Martha Stewart Layered Arches border punch; oval Nestabilities; two ribbons from my stash. I've used glue dots behind some of the flocked spots on the beautiful white organza ribbon to give it a 3D gathered look.

Submitted to the following challengs:

Stampin' Sisters in Christ #73 Vintage

Paper Cupcakes Tic-Tac-Toe (something punched, ribbon, bling)

Stamping Vacation Pick 3 (gathered ribbon, punch, glitter)

Sundays with Crissy #13 Ribbons

Easy Craft Projects #30 Black and White

Never laugh at live dragons

Here's the card that I made for our friend Steve's birthday. The dragon, sentiment and flourish are from a fantastic Elusive images stamp set. They're heat embossed with my new Iron Stone Red embossing powder from Print Blocks. The braid is really old - one of my very early purchases when I first started cardmaking. Nesties scalloped square and border inked with ColorBox chalk ink; We R Memory Keepers patterned paper.

Submitted to the following challenges:

Top Tip Tuesday #18 All sentimental

One Stop Craft Challenge #114 Card for a male

Delicious Doodles #8 3 colours (green, burgundy, cream)

The Crafty Pad #104 Something new

Stampin' Sisters in Christ #72 New supplies

One Stitch at a Time #45 New stash

Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog #32 Ring in the new but don't ring out the old

AiFactory #64 Anything goes

Pile It On #3 Anything goes

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays Anything goes

Let's Ink It Up #8 Anything goes (must use stamp)

Stamp Something Anything goes

Hanging around in a birdcage

This is one of my favourite Basic Grey papers (Felicity from the Euphoria range) that I've never gotten around to using before. Finally I've cut into it and I thought the delicate lines of the Basic Grey birdcage stamp would go well with the paper. Bird is from the same stamp set. The ribbon is my something new - thanks to my friend Mel who found it whilst visiting family over Christmas. Blue textured paper from my stash; SU cardstock.

Submitted to the following challenges:

Aly's Sunday Challenge #33 Things with wings

Stampin' Sisters in Christ #71 Includes wings

The Crazy Challenge #49 Animals

Cupcake Craft Challenges #124 Something new (ribbon)

Pollycraft Challenge #75 New things (ribbon)

Crafty Purple Frog Challenge New goodies (ribbon)

Top Tip Tuesday #17 Anything goes

Gramaphone - the original iPod

Funny to think that once upon a time, this was the latest in music technology! The gramaphone stamp (Paper Pleasures Plus) has been in my stash almost back to those days. I've had everything else used on this card for at least a couple of years. Script stamp is from Stamp It; all patterned paper is Stampin' Up Windsor Knot; SU cardstock; brown paper from my stash; Franchville eyelets; ColorBox chalk inks.

Submitted to the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday #146 Out with the old!

Easy Craft Projects #29 Only old stash

Paper Play Challenges '11 Week 1 Clean and simple

Crafty Sentiments Anything goes

Top Tip Tuesday #17 Anything goes

Craft Your Days Away #11 Anything goes

Autumn pheasant

I recently bought some new autumn themed stamps and paper from Stampin' Up and this is the result of my first go at using them. It's a very simple card and I kept thinking to myself it's not quite finished but I think the Kaisercraft green gems gave it some balance. Ribbon from my stash.

Submitted to the following challenges:

Creative Inspirations #84 Brown, sage and cream

Crafty Creations Challenge #91 Halloween or perhaps autumn

Fab 'n' Funky Challenges #46 Keeping it clean and simple

Top Tip Tuesday #7 Anything goes

Digi Doodle Shop's Best #31 Anything goes

Fire-breathing dragon

I bought the most wonderful set of Elusive Images dragon stamps and made this for a friend's birthday. Can't wait to use the other two dragons and they come with some great sentiments too. Dragon is embossed in bronze; patterned papers are SU; decorative edge scissors; eyelets from my stash.

Celebrating with a gift

This is one of those exasperating cards where my first idea just didn't work out and I wasn't sure how to fix it. I started off with the pink papers and sentiment which came as a freebie from a UK magazine. Everything I did with it originally was just too pink. A few days later I sat down with it again and added lots of colour - that sure made a difference! I love the green paper with the rainbow dots and think it gave this card the oomph that it needed. The gift box is cut from a border strip and topped with a flower brad. I've used two ribbons - the pink stripe is folded inside a silver edged white organza. I'm so glad it's finally finished!

Born to shop

I recently bought a great set of stamps and just had to try them out. You can't really tell from the pic, but the stamps are embossed with black sparkle powder and look much more blingy (is 'blingy' a word?) in real life. Grace Taylor lady and sentiment stamps; DCWV Glitter Stack paper; ribbon, ric-rac and brad from my stash.