Stamping and using patterned mats

I have been doing a lot of stamping this week and working my way through the images to make cards.  Im trying if I can to make multiple cards using the same image.

I am also trying to make use of a huge pack of Kanban mats I ordered a while ago from QVC. 

I'm ashamed to say I ordered these without seeing them as I love the spellbinders matting and layering style but I'm too lazy to dig my Bigshot out and get die cutting!  When these mats came I was disappointed with them but didn't bother returning them (laziness strikes again!)  As I continue my quest to use up my stash I dug them out and have been quite pleased with the results I am getting distressing them with sandpaper and colouring using distress inks and my marvy le plume alcohol markers.

I have used them in both cards I have made this week.

This is a gorjuss girls clear stamp which I coloured with my marvy le plume alcohol markers.  I used a dohickey die cut which I again coloured with my markers matted the image on my Kanban mat and then onto an Anna Griffin card.

I again coloured the image with my markers - I am not impressed with my efforts on her hair - black is such a hard hair colour to do - I think she looks like a skunk!  Another Kanban mat on an anna griffin card with a coloured dohickey die and some card candy to finish.

Sweet Brown and Pink

I have an awful habit of seriously limiting my colour scheme when using promarkers or inks.  I think I only used 3 promarkers for the image below!

For this card I used a couple of freebies from Papercraft Inspirations - the image is Lily of the Valley I believe and the flowery tape.  I used a My Craft Studio card wrap with the tape across it and a papermania flower which has been "distressed" by my wee boy dribbling on it!  Us crafters can use anything.  Finished the card off with some card candy.  I think I might be obsessed with card candy - thank goodness I have ten tonnes of it.

Along with promarkers I have some marvy le plume alcohol markers which I am hopefully going to have a play with this week.  They have a much more brush like tip which I'm not used to so should be interesting!

Sewing theme

Although I have not been blogging I have been sticking to my crafty promise - no more buying and trying to make at least one thing a week.

I subscribe to Papercraft Inspirations and used the free papers inside to make 2 cards.

If I'm honest this is my least favourite of the cards - there's too much going on.  I glued the dressmakers dummy onto card along with the sentiment.  I used an Anna Griffin card to mount the backing paper on then added the tape and card candy.  I used 3d foam to mount the dummy and sentiment onto the card.

This card is more my style.  I again mounted the picture which came free with the magazine on card.  I used a My Craft Studio card wrap and card candy (my favourite!) along with the tape and 3d foam for the image for a bit of dimension.  I just used a plain cream card I got in the works.

I'm quite happy with this card although its lacking a sentiment but its something I always struggle with.

I was horrified to discover a bag full of stamps I bought just before I had my baby boy that I had completely forgotten I had so my next challenge for myself is stamping - if I could only find my memento inkpad!