Hmm...

...nope not sure about this one!  All the individual bits I love - the star is my favourite sizzix primitive star die, love the big button, love the colours... don't like the card though!  It's the sentiment I think, I faffed around for ages, trying to get it to look right somewhere, and what I should really have done is used a different sentiment.  Never mind, it's just a quick 'just for fun' card.

Apologies if I haven't managed to return your comments yet - off to catch up now :o)

Another forgotten card...

I've had a busy day doing loads of organising in the craft room (hubby's put me some shelves up so I had to fill them lol).  So as I've not really made anything I can share today, here's another card that I forgot to show on here when I made my Little Claire samples.

The cute elephant and sentiment are both from the Lots of Fun set, image is coloured with promarkers.  The papers are Making Memories and the spotty ribbon is available from Little Claire here.  Looking at this card now, I think it's a bit too plain... it could have done with something else adding.... Can't do anything about that though, because it was sent to Little Claire ages ago!

Another boring Cricut question if anyone can help - if I set the blade on 6 it seems to scratch the cardstock as it moves around to make the cuts... is this a common problem or something I'm doing wrong?  Oh, and I finally made my mind up and ordered the Wild Card cartridge - it looked like fun and there are loads of You Tube tutorials that 'sold' it to me!

Well, I should probably get on with some more organising, but I'm going to have a wander around your blogs instead :o)

Here's one I forgot I made earlier!

I think I'm going to spend today trying to get to grips with the Cricut... it's driving me a bit potty at the moment lol!  I'm finding some cardstock just doesn't want to cut, even though it doesn't seem that thick and I have the blade set at 6.  It won't get the better of me though, I can just see quite a lot of cardstock getting wasted while I learn how to use it properly.

So, as I probably won't have anything new to share today, I thought I'd show a card I made with one of Little Claire's new stamps a month or so ago... I've found a few pics that I forgot to blog when I showed my other samples.  This one's a really simple 5 x 7" card, the lovely Georgia image is coloured with promarkers, papers are K&Co with red cardstock from my stash.  The cork-centred flower was bought in a sale ages ago - I've not got many left now and wish I'd bought more at the time!

Off to change stinky Dex - he just told me 'I'm sorry mummy, I smell' lol... he's still flatly refusing to use the potty or his very fetching bright pink loo seat that he chose, stubborn little monkey!

Stamp Something - winter!

Oops, I'm running a bit late with this today - one of those days!  Our challenge for this week at Stamp Something is 'winter somethings' and we're sponsored by the fabulous Simon Says Stamp - the lucky winner will win a $20 gift certificate.

I decided to try something a bit different for me, and coloured the image in black & white... not sure how successful this has been really, needs a bit of work!  The stamp is from Elzybells, coloured with promarkers with lots of added glamour dust.  The curvy shape was cut on my Cricut (accent essentials cart) - yes, I've actually used it lol!  I've used 2 different Cuttlebug embossing folders to emboss some white linen card and added some spotty ribbon from my stash.  Added some MS punched snowflakes and edged everything with stickles, although it's not showing up very well in the pic.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Easy Craft Projects - black & white
• Incy Wincy - winter wonderland
• My Time To Craft - emboss, emboss, emboss
• Passion For Promarkers - let it shine
• Creative Craft - monochrome madness
• Crafts & Me - monochrome
• Crafts 4 Eternity - polka dots
• Secret Crafter - it's a couple thing

A sweet & simple baby card

I've made this one for an order, using one of the Simply Baby images from Digistamp Boutique.  Papers are digi ones from Pink Petticoat, with coredinations cardstock.  The small amount of colouring was done with promarkers, and the dress was paper pieced.  Text was computer generated, and I've added some little flowers cut with an xcut punch, with silver pearl centres to finish.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Do It With Digis - pink & girly
• Fab n Funky - delight in your digi
• Creative Belli - anything beginning with P (pink & pearls)

Off to put Dex to bed and then I'll be back to have a wander around your blogs :o)  Thanks for the cricut cartridge suggestions - I still haven't ordered one, I just can't decide!

Favourite Cricut cartridges?

Anyone with a Cricut, would you tell me what your favourite cartridges are please?  Which ones do you get the most use out of?

I got Plantin Schoolbook and Accent Essentials with my Cricut, and I really want to order one more (for now lol!) but I must have spent an hour or more looking at the different ones and just couldn't make my mind up... help me spend my money please!

Thanks for any suggestions :o)

DIY Alf birthday

I've used the lovely Alf in DIY mode for this card - he's available here at Digistamp Boutique.  It's for my mum's fiance, who ALWAYS seems to be fixing or fitting something whenever we go round... of course, he could just be avoiding us lol... I'm actually quite happy with this card for a change, although the photo's not the best.

I've coloured Alf with promarkers and added some 'glow' using koh-i-noor pencils.  The papers are digi ones, possibly from the Sweet Shoppe, printed onto linen card, with navy Papermill cardstock.  I've added my favourite 'primitive star' die, and Stampin Up word window punch, and a button from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Sunday Sketch & Stamp - fab sketch
• Allsorts - male

Still not made anything with my Cricut... although I have cut a few things, I was finding it impossible to get anything off of the sticky mat once I'd cut it, so I ordered a Cricut spatula on Ebay and that's come today... so maybe I'll actually cut something properly later :o)

Crafty Cardmakers - floral

Huge apologies for being such a RUBBISH blogger recently - I've just been so busy!  Last week I had orders, and a demo on Saturday that I had to prepare for.  I was sooo nervous, I always am, but always end up having a good time - some lovely ladies came to the demo and Donna was also demoing so it was great to chat with her.  Jo Channon was demoing too and she was really lovely, and far better at demoing than I'll ever be!  So, I'm playing catch up with you all now - I'm going to have to get a blog list on here so I can keep up with all my favourites.  Please don't think I'm ignoring you if I haven't managed to visit for a while!

Anyway, today is a new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers and this fortnight we'd like to see your floral creations.  Now, my original idea was completely different - I had an image all coloured, then I've been so busy I didn't get chance to put my card together... when I finally sat down to do it I couldn't find the image I'd coloured, it's disappeared!  I'm fully expecting it to turn up today, now I don't need it obviously!  I didn't have time to colour anything else, so I've made this (embarrassingly simple!) little set of 5" square cards, with flowers and big gems from my stash, and some new Dovecraft papers.

As there's 3 of them, they fit the '3 of a kind' challenge at Ooh La La nicely, so I'm entering them there.

Stamp Something - cute!

Wow - we had 760 entries for our last challenge at Stamp Something!  How amazing is that?!  This week we'd like to see your 'cute somethings' so I'm looking forward to seeing lots of your sweetest images... although I know it'll make me spend money!  We're sponsored by Sugar Nellie this week and one lucky person will win 4 Sugar Nellie stamps, what a fab prize :o)

The DT were very lucky as we were each sent a Sugar Nellie stamp to use... however I had a delivery of a couple of new Sugar Nellie stamps on Tuesday (ordered Monday from Funky Kits, they're always so fast!), and I just couldn't resist using this little cutie - isn't he adorable?  And so easy to colour too.  I've used promarkers to colour him... I'm trying out some new stamping card from Craftwork Cards, having always used Rymans before.  I must admit I LOVE it so far - it's a bit more expensive than Rymans but it really is a pleasure to colour on.

Anyway... onto my very simple card... I've cut the image out and used Collall 3d (similar to Pinflair) to stick him into place with a bit of dimension.  Added glossy accents on the water.  Cardstock and buttons from my stash.  The sentiment is one I've created, but I'm not completely happy with it... oh well!

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Delicious Doodles - get well soon
• Pear Tree Designs - free for all
• Crafty Creations - birds, polka dots & green
• I Love Promarkers - keep it sweet & simple
• Challenge Up Your Life - clean & simple
• Paper Sundaes - choose a favourite past challenge (I've chosen 'cut it out')

Huge apologies for being so rubbish at keeping up with commenting this week.  I've been so busy with orders and preparing for a demo I'm doing tomorrow.  So busy I haven't even put the blade in my new Cricut yet, let alone cut anything with it!  I should be able to wander around and do some commenting this evening - I'm not sure what film Morgan's chosen for 'film night' but the last few weeks choices have been fairly awful so no doubt I'll need something to occupy me!

The cricut is in the building!

Yay, my Cricut has arrived!  I only ordered it Monday afternoon (from Cutting Edge Crafts) and it was delivered first thing this morning :o)  So I finished off a couple of card orders and then got it set up in it's new home on the kitchen table, and started reading the instructions... also watched the dvd but I must admit I got a bit bored halfway and gave up!  I'm yet to cut anything though - maybe tomorrow....

This card is for one of my orders (I did check with my customer first before showing the photo).  The pic isn't the best unfortunately - the flash kept kicking in, I think because I was taking a photo of a photo, and I'm not sure how to over-ride it.  The paper is Papermania, cardstock is from the Papermill.  Ribbon, flowers and button from my stash, and added some Craftwork Cards card candy.  The digi sentiment is from here and I've added the 'world's best nan' in photoshop.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• The Sweet Stop - sketch + embossing (used 'swiss dots' folder on the frame)
• Simon Says - bingo (I chose the bottom row - punches/ die cuts, embossing & ribbon)
• Sweet Stampin Challenge - use a photograph (will have to pop back to do the link, blogger won't let me!)

Valentine bird - for a birthday

I know, not like me to post twice in one day is it?!  Scroll down to see my pencil coloured creation for Crafty Cardmakers.

I had an order from one of my regular customers for a birthday card for her mum, and conveniently Sally-Ann released these stunning Digistamp Boutique Valentine Bird images at the perfect time - I had a feeling my customer would like them and she did :o)  I know they're meant to be valentines images, but I think they work really well for birthdays too.

I've used black & white papers (the mainly white one is Doodlebug, spotty one is Papermania), with bright pink Papermill cardstock.  The flowers were cut with and x-cut punch, with spotty button centres.  Ric rac ribbon from my stash, and the 'mum' sentiment is from here, with a teeny pink heart pearl in the centre.

I've followed the sketch at Mojo Monday so I'm entering my card there.

Crafty Cardmakers - spotlight on pencils

It's time for a new spotlight challenge at Crafty Cardmakers and for this fortnight we'd like to see your creations coloured with nothing but pencils!  Any other colouring medium is out!  Quite a challenge for me, but I've enjoyed it :o)

I often use koh-i-noor pencils to add some shading to my promarker coloured images, but this is only the second time I've coloured a whole image using the pencils.  I must admit, I find using the pencils a lot more relaxing than colouring with markers, and I now want to get lots of prisma pencils because there aren't enough colours in the koh-i-noors... I need skin tones and that sort of thing.  Also, I'm not sure of what paper or card is best for colouring solely with pencils - any recommendations from those who usually use prismas or similar?

Anyway, I've used a stamp from Elzybells and coloured it with koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  I'm quite happy with how the bears turned out, but everything else needs a lot more practice... or maybe just a better selection of colours lol!  I've kept the rest of the card VERY simple, because this one will probably be for my hubby for Valentine's and he prefers my simpler cards.  So I've just used Stampin' Up kraft cardstock, red Papermill cardstock and some ribbon I found in my stash.  The heart was cut with the Sizzix 'primitive hearts' die, embossed with the cuttlebug 'swiss dots' folder.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Incy Wincy - bears, bears, bears
• Pear Tree Designs - free for all
• Pile It On - anything goes
• CES Challenges - no dp's (2nd entry, hope that's ok)
• Bunny Zoes - love is in the air
• Fussy & Fancy - sketch
• Totally Gorjuss - something cuddly

Thank you all so much for the lovely birthday messages yesterday!  I had a bit of a busy day so didn't do much blogging, but I'll have a wander around today to catch up on some commenting :o)

Happy Birthday to me!

Yep it's my birthday today... thank you to my lovely bloggy friends who've sent me a card - mwah!  I'm an ancient 35 years old and have the white hairs to prove it lol... and to make it worse hubby hasn't even turned 30 yet, although he will be in July.  Tomorrow I'll be ordering my cricut expression, that I'm buying with my Christmas and birthday money - can't wait!  Hope I can figure it out, I'm a bit rubbish with anything technical.

Here's a quick card for today - I can't remember where I got this bird image from but it's great for quick ones.  I've embossed some coredinations card with 2 different embossing folders and then sanded it back.  Added some ribbon and a Craftwork Cards sentiment and that's it - simples :o)

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Pear Tree Designs - circles
• One Stop Craft - card for a male
• Challenge Up Your Life - clean & simple
• CES Challenges - no design papers

Blog candy at Little Claire!

As we'll be starting monthly challenges at Little Claire soon, there's some blog candy over on the Little Claire blog to celebrate.  There's some lovely stamps and flowers to be won, so go and have a look here :o)

Stamp Something - anything goes!

A nice easy challenge for this week at Stamp Something, it's simply 'anything goes'.  We're sponsored by Whimsy Stamps and one lucky person will win a $15 gift certificate to spend in the Whimsy shop.

I've used this cute little Meljen image, coloured with promarkers, with a bit of added 'glow' using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador, and added a Papermania dew drop sticker to the centre of the flower.  The papers are some that I found in my stash... possibly K&Co, with cardstock from the Papermill.  Gingham ribbon & bow are Papermania, with a heart pearl added in the centre of the bow.  Craftwork Cards sentiment, mounted on a blossom nestie.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Fab n Funky - let's get warm & toasty (use warm colours)
• Totally Papercrafts - happy birthday
• The Fuzzy Wuzzy Challenges - anything goes (+ an animal)
• Meljen's Designs - square or round shaped cards

Brrr... I've just realised I'm freezing!  Off to put the heating on :o)

Cutie valentine

Aww isn't this image cute?!  It's one of the images from this month's 'offer of the month' set from Digistamp Boutique, Pippa & Sonny, perfect for Valentine's Day creations :o)  I've made this one for an order... wondering if I might have made it a bit too girly but hopefully it'll be ok!

I've coloured the image with promarkers, and used koh-i-noor pencils for a bit of 'glow'.  The papers are MME Be Loved.  Heart cut with the sizzix 'primitive heart' die, with little heart pearls from my stash.  The valentine's sentiment is a Pink Petticoat digi one, the husband sentiment is made up from an Elzybells set of individual words and names that can be put together to make different phrases.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• The Sweet Stop - sketch (although I added the circle)
• Paper Play - cutie patootie
• Paper Sundaes - circles
• One Stitch At a Time - love & valentines
• Pear Tree Designs - circles
• Kaboodle Doodles - do it with digis

Pink thank you

I've made this card using one of the new stamp sets from Little Claire, which are being demoed on Create & Craft tv from 11am today.  The papers are from my scraps so I'm not sure what they are, buttons & pearls from my stash.  Sentiment cut with my Stampin' Up word window punch - love this, it's one of my favourite toys at the moment :o)

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• A Spoon Full of Sugar - thank you
• Aud Sentiments - sentiment can only have 2 words
• Totally Papercrafts - thank you

Off to do some commenting and then watch Steve from Little Claire on Create & Craft - would you believe I've NEVER watched Create & Craft before... I know some of you are regular watchers, but if the tv's on during the day here, it's usually Cbeebies or similar, never anything I might want to watch!

Something a bit different for me

 

Ok, from the first pic it doesn't look like it's a particularly different card for me... but if you look at the second photo....

... you'll see that the window stamp opens out onto an outdoor scene.  I'm not really one for making 'interactive' types of cards usually, and me and my craft knife are not the best of friends!  I'm reasonably happy with how this turned out though.

This is one of the new stamps from Little Claire, which Steve will be demonstrating on Create & Craft TV tomorrow from 11am.  My cards with the new stamps won't be demoed though, because I was uselessly ill while I should have been making my samples, and so mine are late :o(  The new stamps are all from a new range called 'a room with a view' which all have window and door stamps that you can have opening, or just use the scene stamps as you would with a normal stamp.

I've coloured the image with promarkers and then added shading and glow using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  The paper is from a Forever Friends pad, with coredinations cardstock.  Flowers punched using an x-cut punch, green pearls from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• The Crazy Challenge - animals
• Sweet Stampin - try something different

A simple baby card

Woo hoo, I feel better :o)  Thank you for all your get well wishes, and for putting up with all my moaning.  I just need to get a bit more of the mojo and motivation back now!

I'm determined to use more of my unused stash this year... all those stamps, papers, and other poor unloved things that have never even been out of the packet, let alone made it onto a card.. well, they're starting to make me feel very guilty.  So I've made a simple card using a sizzix embossing folder (taken out of the packaging for this card, although I've had it for about a year!), another of those 'must have' purchases obviously.  I've embossed the pram onto linen card and just added some blue stickles to the little heart.  The papers are digi ones from Pink Petticoat, again printed onto linen card, computer generated sentiment cut out with my Stampin' Up word window punch.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Cupcake Craft - something new
• Incy Wincy - go dotty
• Creative Card Crew - new beginnings
• Paper Play - clean & simple
• Simply Create - embossing

New stamps from Little Claire

Here's a card made with this month's Little Claire club stamp set, which is a great little set called 'dog in window' with main stamps, sentiments and little extras.  There are a few changes happening at Little Claire over the next month or so... my role is changing slightly, and there'll be less sample cards from me for a while, as I'll be setting up and running the new challenges that will be starting next month... all very exciting if a little daunting :o)  So keep an eye on the Little Claire blog as there'll be some blog candy there in the run up to the challenges starting.

Sooo... onto my card!  I had intended to use the window stamp that comes with the set, stamped on acetate... but I'm afraid I failed completely and just couldn't stamp properly on the acetate at all.... and believe me I tried... and went through a few sheets of acetate in the process.  Some of the other DT members are obviously far better stampers than I am though, because they've managed it just fine!  So mine is just the room scene with no window over the top, coloured with promarkers.  The papers are MME, with dark brown Papermill cardstock, flowers cut with an x-cut punch, with card candy centres.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• CES Challenges - all creatures great and small
• Moving Along With The Times - ring out the old, ring in the new (old papers & punch, new stamp)

Apologies for being so hopeless at returning your comments over the last couple of days - I'm still suffering with a big lack of mojo and motivation, and it was my youngest son's 3rd birthday yesterday, so it's been a bit busy.  Going to try and visit as many of you as I can now, before I march myself up to the craft room and try and get something done!

Stamp Something - digi

Oh dear, I'm finding it sooo hard to get back into things!  I feel like I've been ill forever... definitely getting there now, but still have no energy or motivation to do anything.  Oh well, it can't go on much longer now, can it?!

Today is the start of a new challenge at Stamp Something - it's another of our digi day challenges, so all you have to do is use something digi.  Nice and easy :o)  And we have lots of lovely sponsors so there are plenty of chances to win.

I've used a cute image from Sassy Studio Designs, coloured with promarkers, with a bit of 'glow' using koh-i-noor pencils.  I'm not happy at all with my colouring on this one!  Think I've lost the knack while I've been ill :o(  Better get practicing again...  The papers are Dovecraft, cardstock is from the Papermill, Craftwork Cards sentiment, buttons from stash and ribbon rescued from a gift box!

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Crafty Catz - food & drink
• Sunday Sketch & Stamp - fab sketch by Claire :o)
• Do You Stack Up? - cute as a button
• Delightful Challenges - buttons
• I Love Promarkers - recycle (the ribbon)

Off to have a good catch up of all your blogs now, see what you've all been up to :o)

First card this year - at last!

Wow, I must be the world's worst blogger at the moment!  I'm still feeling very 'limp' following the flu, although I'm finally getting better... it just seems to be taking a while to get back into things!  I've coloured a few images this week, but this is the first one that's actually made it onto a card.  It's for my mum to give to my youngest son Dex, who'll be 3 on Saturday - although how my baby can be 3 years old already I have no idea!

I've used one of the fab new images from Digistamp Boutique, available here.  You can see all the new ones, including this month's gorgeous offer images here.  I've coloured the image with promarkers, with a touch of koh-i-noor pencils for some shading and glow.  The number 3 has been paper pieced and then covered in glossy accents... for some reason I forgot what bottle I'd got in my hand though, and shook it before I used it, so there are quite a few teeny bubbles in the gloss - I'm sure Dex won't mind though!  The papers are K&Co, with cardstock from the Papermill.  Stars cut with the sizzix primitive star die, button from stash and digi sentiment from here - I've just added the 'grandson' using photoshop.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Fab n Funky - anything goes
• Crazy 4 Challenges - celebrate something
• Creative Inspirations - use something new (the image)
• Paper Sundaes - something new (the image)

Off to pick up Morgan from school in a bit - they've been learning about Egypt and today they're going on a class trip to the museum, which will apparently include 'embalmer training' lol!  He's already been torturing me with all the gruesome details of how they used to mummify people, so I'm sure he'll be even worse after that!