Sob... no internet for a week!

We still have no internet connection - just grabbing another few mins using hubby's phone to connect me but it's taken about an hour to get that to work tonight!  According to Sky we need a new router, so they're sending us one and fingers crossed we'll have that by Friday.

I'm not handling it well....

No internet connection!

Apologies - I haven't been able to return any of your comments today because our internet connection is down... hubby has connected me briefly using his phone.  Fingers crossed I'll be back online soon.  On the other hand, it's AMAZING how much you can get done when you can't waste hours on the laptop!

See you soon, hopefully!

Male 21st card

This one's for an order, for a male 21st card - it's for a regular customer of mine who just doesn't do cute, and generally prefers cards without images on... so I have to get myself out of my usual comfort zone when I make her cards.  I find it often gives me new ideas though, when I work on something a bit different, so it's a good thing really.

The card base is A5, with MME papers and DCWV and bazzill cardstock.  Spotty buttons from my stash, and I bought the digi sentiment here - like yesterday's card I've opened it in photoshop and added the 21 in the centre.  I've used promarkers on parts of the sentiment circle, used glossy accents to make it look a bit badge-like, and then mounted it on some nestie stars.

We finally have snow here, they've been saying it'll snow for days and it finally started last night.  The boys are very impressed!  Dex, who's nearly 3, can't pronounce the 'sn' sound properly, so when he came downstairs this morning he looked out of the window and got all excited shouting 'GLOW! IT'S GLOWING!' bless him :o)  And he calls snowmen 'glowmen' which I think is a far better name for them lol.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Pear Tree Designs - colourful
• Paper Play - stars

Pink & princessy

Firstly, apologies for being such a bad blogger this week - I'm really busy and haven't felt all that well either.  Tonight is our weekly rubbish film night (we let our 8yr old son stay up every Friday and he gets to choose the film - it's always rubbish!) so I should manage to visit quite a few of you this evening.

I've made this one for an order and I've really enjoyed making it :o)  I was asked for something 'pink and princessy' and my customer chose this stamp from the images I showed her - I love this little Gorjuss Girl, she's one of my favourites.  I've used an 8" square card base as she wanted a large card.  The image is coloured with promarkers with a bit of glow using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  The papers are K&Co, cardstock is coredinations.  Lace, heart buttons and pearls from my stash.  The sentiment is a digi one I bought here - I've photo-shopped it to add the 'Abi is 5' text in the centre.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Charisma Cardz - one for the girls
• Crazy 4 Challenges - circles
• CES - lovely lace
• Simple Doodles - cute as a button
• Passion For Promarkers - old & new (old image & buttons, new sentiment)
• A Spoon Full of Sugar - anything goes
• Stampavie & More - hearts
• Fab n Funky - going with the flow (anything goes)

Quick card for a boy

I needed a card for an 8yr old boy, and had no time to make it, so I've been lazy and used a printable coloured image and matching paper... I've had this stored on the computer for so long I've no idea where I got it from - I always save images under the company name now, but when I first started I was a bit more random.  Anyway, I've just printed the image and paper onto linen card, shaped the image corners with an inverted punch, added a Craftwork Cards sentiment and that's it.... super quick, but the birthday boy seemed to like it :o)

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Paper Sundaes - sketch (flipped it)
• Fab n Funky - forget me not (use a long forgotten image)
• Just Cute Bears & Friends - winter birthday (does a bird count?!)

Apologies again if I've not managed to visit you yet, I'm catching up slowly - you're all too fast!

Crafty Cardmakers spotlight - containers

Grrr, bloomin' computers!  I just wrote a whole post out, with my 2yr old nagging at me the whole time for drinks, snacks, Noddy, Fireman Sam.... got it done, hit publish and it disappeared!!!!  Bah Humbug...

So I'm keeping it short this time in case the same happens again!  Our spotlight challenge at Crafty Cardmakers this fortnight is containers and fancy envelopes.  I've used a downloaded template from The Cutting Cafe to make my little stack of boxes - they're not as big as they look in the pic, they're quite teeny really.  I'm going to fill them with sweets for little Christmas gifts, and I've kept them quite simple because if I find the time I'm going to make a few of them.

I'm entering my boxes for the following challenges:

• Die Cut Dreams - anything but a card
• Totally Papercrafts - snow & snowflakes
• Secret Crafter - handmade Christmas gifts
• Our Creative Corner - 3d holiday projects
• Die Cut Dreams Christmas - anything goes
• Bunny Zoes - Christmas but not a card

Oops...

Well today should have been a busy day getting all sorts of things done... but I dozed off in the chair!  Oh dear, that means tomorrow I'll be panicking trying to do everything.

Soooo... as I've absolutely nothing productive to put on here, I thought I'd show you the top I 'made' for Morgan. He had to wear something spotty for Children in Need yesterday but apparently they don't sell anything spotty for boys (rolls eyes), it's all stripes.  So I started with a plain white t-shirt, added splodges of fabric glue and then covered them in different coloured glitter - it never gets used anyway because I always seem to grab the glamour dust instead!

Not the best pic as we took it in a bit of a rush before school - you can see the missing bits where my 'little helper' Dex had his fingers in the glitter too!  He cried when I cleared up all the sparkly stuff!

Stamp Something - with thanks

Time for a new challenge at Stamp Something, and as it's Thanksgiving in the US next week, our challenge is 'thankful somethings'.  This week we're sponsored by Simon Says Stamp, and they'll be giving the lucky winner $20  to spend in their store.  Also, next week there will be no new challenge, so you have 2 weeks to take part in this one.

The timing of this challenge worked out quite well for me, as my mum rang earlier in the week and said one of her friends has left a huge box of cardmaking bits for me!  Apparently she tried it, bought lots of stuff (as you do) and then decided it wasn't for her... I've no idea what's in the box, but whatever's in it I wanted to do something to thank her.  She said she didn't want any money for them, but wondered if I might make her a few cards... so I thought I'd make this for her to keep and some cards for her to send (when I get a spare few mins!).

I saw one of these little post it note easels while blog hopping... I can't remember where though so I'm sorry if I've shamelessly stolen your idea!   The image is one of the lovely new Simply Sassy stamps from Sugar Nellie - this one is 'luv a latte'.  I've coloured her with promarkers, then added shading and glow using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  The papers are K&Co with Kraft cardstock.  MS punches for the border and the butterfly.  Computer generated sentiment cut out using the Stampin' Up word window punch.

I'm entering my little easel into the following challenges:

• Paper Sundaes - pick your toppings (I've used blue and punches)
• Flutterby Wednesday - anything goes
• For Fun - thank you
• Paper Pretties - thank you
• Aud Sentiments - thank you
• Creative Card Crew - give thanks
• The Crazy Challenge - thank you/ thanksgiving

Yummy new stamps!

Here's my first card made with one of my new Sugar Nellie 'Simply Sassy' stamps from set 2... they're fab to colour, love them!  I have another one ready for tomorrow too :o)

I've coloured 'bella bunting' with promarkers, and added some shading and glow using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  I did the hair with pencils as I'm never happy with my hair colouring... thought I'd try it with pencils.  The papers are Making Memories, with coredinations cardstock.  Added some x-cut punched flowers, with pink pearl centres.

I've had a very productive day today... some cards and colouring done, stew in the slow cooker, decorated a top for Morgan to wear tomorrow - it's Children in Need and they have to go in something spotty... sounds simple but they just don't make anything spotty for boys, it's all stripes!  So I used a plain white t-shirt, added dots of fabric glue and covered them in different coloured glitter... result isn't perfect but I'm quite pleased with myself anyway lol.  I'll try and get a pic of him wearing it tomorrow :o)

Hoping to do a bit of blog visiting now... sorry if I've missed anyone out lately, I'm a bit busy but I'll catch up eventually!

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• The Sugar Bowl - fab sketch (optional black & white + 1 but I was set on these papers, sorry!)
• Stamp With Fun - square
• CES Challenge - think pink

Quick Christmas card...

Well, I've finally made all of my samples for the Little Claire stamps that will be released in a couple of weeks, and I even managed this quick Christmas card today - although I liked the idea of it better than the finished result. These are new images from Digistamp Boutique available here - they'll be fab for those mini cards I'm making for Morgan to give to his school friends.

I've coloured the imaged with promarkers and used plain red, black and Kraft cardstock.  Added a punched MS snowflake with a big sparkly gem and that's it - very simple!  The colours definitely worked better in my head though.

I was naughty at the weekend and ordered the new Set 2 of Simply Sassy stamps from Funky Kits, and was very excited when the postie brought them for me today :o)  Can't wait to play with them... wonder if I can find some time tomorrow...

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Ooh La La - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
• Crazy 4 Challenges - Christmas
• Sweet Stampin - snowflakes
• Craft Your Days Away - Christmas trees
• Ellephantastic - Christmas and/or a butterfly
• Creative Inspirations - Christmas
• Keep It Simple - wonderland
• Bah! Humbug! - reindeer
• Crafty Calendar - winter snowflakes

A quick post...

I'm currently wading through DT samples that need to be made, a few orders, and invite samples... so I thought as I've nothing else to blog yet, I'd put these samples on that I made a while ago.  They're for an engagement party. I kept them really simple, used scriptina font for the text, the glasses are Pink Petticoat images coloured with a Sakura clear stardust pen.  Used an MS punch for the butterfly one.  Cardstock is ivory linen from the Papermill.

Sorry, short and boring post - off to grab something to eat before I get on with more samples!  Will catch up with you all this evening :o)

Stamp Something - digi

There - I told you I'd have a full sized card today... a day off from the mini ones.  It's my 2nd week as Guest Designer at Stamp Something and I'm feeling a bit less nervous! This week our challenge is to 'stamp something digi' and there are lots of lovely sponsors - full details of them on the challenge blog.

I've used an image from one of our sponsors, Sassy Studio, she's called Cocoa Carol.  I've coloured the image with promarkers, then paper pieced the chair and cut out and layered the girl on top.  Added a bit of shading and glow using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  The papers are my fave GCD Studio 'ella blue' ones again, with blue linen cardstock from my stash.  Ribbon from Little Claire, pearls from stash, impossible to photo 'warm wishes' sentiment from Craftwork Cards.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

• Everybody Art - fab sketch
• My Partner in Crafting Crime - marker madness
• Elephantastic - blue
• Sassy Thursday - anything goes
• Papercraft Star - photo inspiration

More mini cards!

Yet more mini cards today - I promise, I do have a full size card for tomorrow lol!

I've used some more little images from the 'tiny treasures' set from Pink Petticoat.  The papers are Dovecraft (blue) and DCWV (pink), with kraft cardstock.  Added some tiny punched snowflakes, using a free punch that came with a magazine, with some teeny pearl centres... I think the most time consuming bit of these cards was chasing the bloomin' pearls around the desk with my tweezers lol!  I love using pearls on my cards, but oooh they do annoy me when they won't do what I want!

I asked hubby to bring me a box home from work today so I could make a light box like the one Liz made here.  I told him roughly what size I wanted it, so I was a bit puzzled to see him struggling to get through the door with the most ridiculously huge box this evening... I'm sending it back with him tomorrow!  So my light box will have to wait until I have something less enormous...

I'm entering my little cards for the 'anything goes' challenge at Cute Card Thursday.

Another mini card

Another one of my mini cards for Morgan's school friends, except I don't really like this one so I probably won't repeat it!  I've used another one of the 'tiny treasures' images from Pink Petticoat, with Dovecraft papers, coredinations cardstock and red gingham ribbon from my stash.  Image matted onto a nellie snellen frame, and added some black card candy.

I haven't had chance to visit many of you yet today, but I will do tonight.  We've had a busy day with a dietitian's appointment for Dex and then some shopping.  Dex is ridiculously fussy and we had a referral to the dietitian a while ago, today was our follow up appointment.  We saw a different one today and she seemed much more 'sensible'... she's said he's not underweight, he gets a varied diet although it's a bit limited (the last one we saw wanted him on vitamins, but he covers all his food groups with the foods he eats, so I didn't think it was necessary).  She's recommended we see 'the psychologists', which sounds a bit ominous, but I think it might be the right way to go... my main issue with him is his extreme fear of certain foods, particularly bread - seems an odd thing to be scared of but he literally won't touch it and screams and cries if we put some near him.  So we're waiting for another referral now, fingers crossed!

Right, enough rambling... off to visit a few of you now.

Mini snowman

I made a couple of mini cards today - I'll probably use them for Morgan's school friends... last year I bought a little pack of cards for him to use, but he was so disappointed not to have handmade ones, I thought I'd better make the effort this year!  I'll probably make a few different ones and then repeat them.

The little snowman is from Pink Petticoat, coloured with promarkers, with glamour dust for sparkle.  Circle cut with nesties and mounted on a nellie snellen frame.  Dovecraft paper, coredinations cardstock, spotty ribbon from my stash and black card candy.  I'm keeping them simple because I bet most of the kids won't even notice what they look like!

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Corrosive - black n blue
• Paper Sundaes - let it snow

Crafty Cardmakers spotlight - dry embossing

Time for a new spotlight challenge at Crafty Cardmakers, and this fortnight our spotlight is on 'dry embossing'. Easy peasy really, and a great chance to get those embossing folders out, or maybe you've got an unloved light box that you could dust off :o)

I decided that instead of using an image as the main focus, I'd use this cuttlebug owl embossing folder... bought quite a while ago and it's been sat in it's packaging ever since - I'm always doing this!  I spot some 'must-have', buy it and either use it once or never use it, and it sits there making me feel guilty... perhaps I'll make a few of these in different colours and then I won't feel so bad!

Anyway... it's a fairly quick card - I just embossed the owl onto coredinations cardstock, then sanded it back and roughed up all the cardstock edges a bit with the sanding block.  The ribbon, pearls and yellow/ orange cardstock are all from my stash.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

• CRAFT - dry embossing
• One Stop Craft - embossing
• Crazy 4 Challenges - create square cards
• CES Challenges - forever autumn

A very simple tutorial - scallop circle cards

Now I don't usually do tutorials... actually I've never done one!  I don't think I'm 'expert' enough at anything to warrant producing tutorials in anything really lol.  However, I was asked how I cut scallop circle cards without them ending up wonky, and I couldn't think of a way of explaining that without a few pics.

My circle dies are Go Kreate ones, which I'm fairly sure are exactly the same as the Little Claire 'amazing frame' ones.  They're very big!  I've used bright card so it shows up better.

Cut, score and fold your card base as usual - mine is a 5.75" square base.

Then position your die on the card base - as you can see in the pic below, there are 2 scallops at the bottom so that your card will stand fairly level when cut, and 3 scallops overlapping the folded edge.

Hold the die in place with masking tape. 

The pic below shows the back of the folded edge.

Cut with your die cutter as usual - carefully though, as you have a double layer of cardstock... don't force it!

 Being the clumsiest person ever, I have broken one of my Big Shot plates before while doing this - oops!

And here's the scalloped card. 

Hope this helps someone - hopefully, it will at least help Louise who asked me the question :o)

Ohhh my goodness!

Well, I haven't been this nervous for a while!  I had an amazing email last week, asking me if I'd like to be a Guest Designer at Stamp Something for the next couple of months... I nearly keeled over from the shock lol!  I love the challenges at Stamp Something so it was a bit of a no-brainer really, of course I said yes.  I still can't believe they asked me though!

The challenge this week is a fab sketch and we're sponsored by DRS Designs.

I've used a sweet LOTV stamp, that I've had a couple of months but haven't used until now.  I've coloured it with promarkers and added some shading and glow using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  Oh, and lots of sparkle with glamour dust of course!  The papers are downloaded ones from Bearly Mine - I've used the same design on the smaller squares, but just reduced the size of it for smaller spots.  Cardstock is coredinations, MS punched snowflakes (glamour dusted again!) and a sentiment stamp from Pink Gem.  The felt flowers were freebies with a mag - didn't think I'd ever use them but I have at last... used some felt dots from the same freebie pack for the snowflake centres.  Added a gem brad and some card candy to finish.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

• Lili of the Valley - one for the girls (hope this is girlie enough!)
• A Spoon Full of Sugar - relish to embellish
• My Partner in Crafting Crime - it's a material world (felt flowers - 2nd entry)
• I Love Promarkers - snowflakes
• For Fun - metal (brad)
• Charisma - with love at Christmas

A card for Daniel

Ooh I'm running a bit late tonight... been watching something with hubby and lost track of time!  This is my card for Daniel - you can read about him here but I've left it right until the last minute for posting his card, for some reason I thought I had until at least Monday to make it but realised today that his birthday is on Sunday.... fingers crossed he'll get it in time!

I've used one of the older images from Digistamp Boutique - this is Harold, he looks a bit like he's going to run off with that cake doesn't he?  I've coloured him with promarkers with a bit of 'glow' using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  The papers are K&Co, with coredinations cardstock - I used white ink around the edges of the blue card and blue ink on all the paper edges, because it was looking a bit too 'young' as it was.  Stars cut with nesties, buttons from stash, and a Craftwork Cards sentiment.  Hope it'll be ok for him Claire :o)

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Truly Scrumptious - sketch (didn't use the optional pearls etc, as they didn't really work for this)
• Paper Play - circles
• Paper Sundaes - for a man/ boy
• Sentimental Sundays - birthdays
• Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes birthday
• Papertake Weekly - penny for the guy (male cards)

Had a cute son moment today.... I've been a bit low this week, it happens occasionally - I have those days where I seem to cry over nothing, but I'm loathe to see the doc about it because they seem to have been waiting for me to ask for anti-d's ever since we lost Harvey... it'll never happen because I'm totally incapable of admitting I might not be coping perfectly!  So I manage with my occasional sad day.  Anyway, back to the point... my 8yr old son must have heard me telling hubby that I'd been crying over nothing, and today while we were in the car he piped up with 'Mummy... I sometimes cry for no reason too, it's ok... I think it's just the cold air...'  Bless him, love my boys :o)

Hoot & Hootie Christmas

I seem to have a thing about doing owls in odd colours... for some reason I hardly ever reach for brown when I have owls to colour!  This cute pair are Hoot & Hootie from Digistamp Boutique, one of the fab new offer images for this month.

I've coloured them with promarkers and then added a bit of 'glow' using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador, and used glossy accents on their eyes.  The papers are Dovecraft, with cardstock from my stash, sentiment and card candy from Craftwork Cards.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Friday Sketchers - fab sketch
• Die Cut Dreams Christmas - use a Christmas digi
• Stamp With Fun - all that can fly
• Everybody Art - untraditional Christmas
• Secret Crafter - anything that flies

Apologies for being a bit behind in visiting all your blogs at the moment, I've been a bit busy but hopefully I'll manage to visit some of you tonight - you're all so productive though, it's hard to keep up!