Lovely Ribbon and some Paper-Piecing at Forever Friends :)

 Hello again at last!! :)

Wow- it’s been too long since I last posted on here... infact, I feel like I might as well have dropped off the face of the planet this last month or two, I’ve been so out of touch with everything and everyone as I’ve just had no energy to spare for anything fun :S Even went almost four weeks without doing a single bit of crafting or anything creative at all- can’t remember the last time that happened and I hope it’ll be a v long time before it does again!! :( Anyway, ‘life’ (if it could be called that! :S ) has eased up a bit this last week or so and, while I’ve still had to be taking it pretty easy, I have at least managed to get back to my craft desk and got a couple of cards made- I’d be jumping for joy right now if I could!!lol- and will hopefully get back to blogging properly soon, too!! I have missed it all sooo much!!lol

So, on to the reason we’re all here- a card!! :D It’s the first Thursday of the month again- how it has come round so quickly I have no clue!?! :S – so it’s time for our next Monthly Challenge at Forever Friends and Co. and this month it’s a lovely one for you- we’d like to see some ‘Paper Piecing’ on your creations :) And we’re sponsored this time by our very own lovely DTeam-mate, Ike, who is offering the winner not one but two prizes including images from her own Digi Store Ike’s Art!! :)

You can find her store here and her blog, where she showcases her digis and other creations, here – if you’re squeamish, though, be warned as Ike has a taste for the macabre as well as the cute and cuddly!! ;D – but, if you’d like to see something out of the ordinary, then do pay her a visit as her creations- gory or not!- are really worth a look and always fun!! :)

I have to say I’ve been wanting to have another go at Paper Piecing for quite a while now so I really enjoyed this- so much so that I actually made two cards!! :) Two more off the Christmas list, too, so I’m even happier!!lol Might be a long post though, as there are two!!lol

I used a paper pack I’ve had for years- first DPs I ever got, I think!!- and stamped the image on two of the papers, using the gloves from each with the jacket from the other... no waste that way!!lol I added some shading with an assortment of Blue and Grey Prismas and my new Blue Grey 1 Spectrum Noir pen (the BGs are gorgeous colours :) ) as I often think paper-piecing can look a bit flat, especially if the rest of the image is carefully coloured and shaded... need a bit of practice, though, as I had to scrap the first one and I’m still not totally happy!!lol The rest of the images and also the ribbon and pearls are coloured with my PMs :)

The image is matted in the same paper and the background is embossed with my ‘Bug then the edges inked very slightly with DIs... plus the obligatory Stickles, ofc!! :)

I added a bit of Putty PM to the combination I use for my FF bears this time and think it works to give a little bit more depth :) I shaded around the bear with blue Prismas as my Copic Blender, which I rely on for getting for this effect with my pens, ran out an me all of a sudden and I haven’t got around to ordering a new one yet!! :S

I was originally going to make two of the same 6” Sq. Card but the bow I made turned out bigger than I expected- I don’t usually use such wide, substantial ribbon!! I absolutely love it- the printed satin ribbon coloured up with my Grey Green PM so much better than I expected and the bow is fabulously big and decadent looking which is what I wanted- but... I just didn’t think I’d have a use for two such large Xmas cards!! And I’m glad actually, as I really like the second card, too!! :)

From a LOTV set, stamped and edged in DI. I also added Clear Stardust and Clear Glaze pens to the words... and more Stickles :)

 This one was a quick change of plan and I did it very simply but I love the ruffled ribbon and my new scalloped cards so much that I think this one has turned out to be my favourite of the two!! :)

A few close-ups :) It was a bit fiddly colouring all those little pearls- I imagine it’s easier and less messy if you have the self-adhesive kind... but I don’t as they cost a bomb and I know I’d never want to use them up!!lol Think it was worth the ridiculously messy green fingers to get the perfect colour-match, though!! :) This gorgeous sentiment is another of my new Cat’s Life Press ones!! :)

I used:

• A5 and 6” Sq. White card blanks
• Image- Forever Friends stamp coloured with PMs: Bear – Ivory, Oatmeal, Putty and Vanilla with Sunkissed Pink for ears and cheeks; Robin - Cocoa, Cinnamon, Tan, Berry Red, Spice and Honeycomb; Mugs – Dusky Pink Sunkissed Pink and Baby Pink, Grey Green, Tea Green and Khaki; Shading on paper-piecing - Grey Blue 1 from Spectrum Noir ‘Essentials’ set and Prismas; Sky –Prismas and Mineral Spirit
• Dovecraft 'Christmas Blues' Paper Pack- bit of a misnomer there, though, as they are really almost all green not blue!!
• White card and Cuttlebug Snow embossing folder
•  DIs for edging- Weathered Wood and Bundled Sage
• Stickles in Frosted Lace
• White Snowflake Printed Ribbon from Tesco- in the post Xmas bargain bin! :) – and white flat-backed pearls coloured, both coloured with PM
• Sentiment stamps from LOTV and Cat’s Life Press

I’d like to enter these cards in the following challenges: Passion forPromarkers – 'Flexible' Anything Goes :) ; The Pink Elephant – Paper Piecing :) ; Crafter’s Companion Monthly Challenge – Christmas :) ; Charisma Cardz – Anything Goes :) ; I ♥ Promarkers – Anything Goes :) ; Cupcake Craftroom – Pink and Green :) ; Crafty Ribbons - Festive Cheer in September :)
EDIT: Will pop back later to link a couple of these as one linky's missing and Crafter's Comp. haven't posted yet- I saw the challenge on one of the DT's blogs first thing... when I couldn't sleep!!lol

Right, sorry for such a long post but I hope you like my little offerings for today... and think they were worth the exceptionally long wait!!lol I shall try not to go so long between posts next time- I have a few things I’d love to share with you that I made a while ago but haven’t been up to posting but life and my health seem to have a nasty habit of getting in the way lately so we’ll see... :S I hope I’ll be able to get round an visit you a but more often, too... but again, we’ll see ‘cos every time I say that the opposite happens!!lol After I’ve linked this up- if I can remember how as it’s been so long!! :S – I’m off back to bed as I didn’t get more than an hour’s sleep last night and I’m aching from head to toe... not good!! :( Still, meant I caught the new release of Sugar Nellies dead on 10am and got my order in by 10:03!! :) Must be a record for me!!lol Ordered one of the new Xmas ones and a few others I've been wanting for ages!! :)

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you’re all keeping well and have had a more fun and exciting summer than me, anyway!! :) And please do pop over to the Forever Friends blog to see the rest of the team’s fab cards and join in with our challenge!! You don’t even need to use an FF bear- just include an animal :)