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

A stylish duo

Made for a special birthday of one of my close friends. This stylish duo is from a Graphic 45 page of lovely ladies. Eleven more images to use! I layered them on dark brown Bazill punched with Martha Stewart's bubble bath corner and border punch set. SU red background edged with brown chalk ink; Bo Bunny brad; ribbon and sentiment sticker from my stash.

Submitted to the following challenges:

Creative Stamp Friends #12 Vintage

Papertake Weekly Autumn skies

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Saturdays No flowers

Pals Paper Arts #69 Ribbon or fabric

Digi Doodle Shop's Best #34 Anything goes

Purple Christmas trees

I love using Christmas trees on my cards so of course I had to have these Hero Arts trees when I saw them at my local shop. The trees are stamped in various inks and clear embossed. I made this card during a crafternoon at a friend's house and I thought it needed some extra texture. As I didn't have my Cuttlebug with me, I dry embossed diagonal lines on the pink card using my bone folder and ruler (very low tech!). SU striped paper; brads from my stash.

Submitted to the following challenges:

Whoopsi Daisy It's Christmas

Stamp and Create #7 Tis the season

2 Sisters Challenge #13 Christmas

Shelly's Images Anything goes with Christmas

There's Magic in the Air (Paper Cupcakes) Non-traditional colours Christmas

Crafty Ann's #27 Christmas card using non-traditional colours

Wee Memories #31 Dust off that patterned paper

Crafty Cardmakers Dry embossing

For Fun Challenges Dry embossing

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

Vintage style - Oh what a hat!

This very stylish vintage lady (by Paper Pleasure Plus) was one of my very early stamp purchases when I first started making cards in 2005. She's part of a set of stylish ladies and somehow I've never managed to use her before. The feather stamp is part of a recent Stampendous UM set purchase and I think they're a great match. The lady and the centre of the single feather are heat embossed for extra oomph. Stampin Up striped paper; pink braid from my stash.

Submitted for the following challenges:

Ooh La La Creations #61 Elegant Ladies

Stampin' for the Weekend #46 Shabby or Vintage

Creative Belli Challenge #99 Old Stamps

Elephant for the birthday boy: a challenge card

One more card from my Kansas visit. I had so much fun sharing Linda's craft room. So many goodies! I had a friend's son in mind when I made this. Digital elephant image is designed by Bugaboo and coloured with Prismas; Nestabilities scalloped ovals dotted with Stickles; EK Success Swiss Cheese border punch; ribbon, paper and star from Linda's stash.

Submitted for the following challenges:

Sew Many Challenges #24 Happy Birthday

Papertake Weekly Challenge Just the One (1 patterned paper, 1 punch, 1 ribbon, 1 star)

Bee Crafty Anything Goes (using a digi image)

365 Cards Day 180 Keep it Simple (1 stamped image, 1 piece of patterned paper, 1 piece of ribbon)

Cupcake Craft Challenges #106 Let's get Digital (digi image)

Daisy Doodles Creative Challenges #16 Anything Goes (using a digi image)

Birdie just for you: a challenge card

Another of my Kansas trip creations. Both stamps are SU with image coloured with Prismacolours; Nestabilities tags; K&Co paper; ribbon and yarn from Linda's stash.

Submitted for the following challenge:

Sunday Sketch and Stamp: sketch #34

Summer Butterfly: a challenge card

I'm visiting my friend Linda in Kansas and this is from our first crafting session. The butterfly stamp is SU; ATD spotted paper; yellow, purple and green recycled paint samples used for backgrounds and Quickcutz flourishes; misc bling. Everything is from Linda's supplies.


Submitted for the following challenges:

Flutter By Wednesday #117 butterfly, fairy or angel

Crafty Creations #80 winged things

Incy Wincy Designs #54 A bug's life

Little Red Wagon #41 summer theme

Practical Scrappers summer theme

The Pink Elephant #79 summer fun

Creative Inspirations recycle element