As You Like It - pearls or buttons

Hello everyone :o)

Our challenge over at As You Like It this week, is to choose between 'pearls or buttons'... my embellishment of choice is usually enamel dots, but I do like how a button looks in the centre of a flower, so I chose buttons.

As I'm working almost mojo-free at the moment, I thought I'd have a look back over some older creations on my blog and remake something, so this one is a similar idea to this card.  I might go back even further and do some more remakes, maybe I'll make it a regular thing.

Items Used

Papers - MME Lime Twist

Flower - MFT Blueprints 14 (cut from an old roll of blind fabric)

Sentiment stamp - Clearly Besotted

Buttons & bakers twine from my stash

I'm entering my card for the following challenges

Simon Says Wednesday - clean & simple

Addicted to Stamps & More - clean & simple

Simon Says Monday - recycle something (the fabric)

Crafty Calendar - make it flowery

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely evening :o)

Sweet Stampin' - flowers

Happy Saturday :o)

This week's theme over at Sweet Stampin' is 'flowers', and as I'd had this image on my desk waiting to be coloured for a few weeks, it seemed like a good time to use it.

The image is Tails Together Mice from Di's Digis, coloured with copics.  The papers are old (retired) ones from LOTV, the flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts, heart pins are from The Hobby House.  The tag stamp is from an old set of unknown make, and the pearls are from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges

Cute Card Thursday - anything goes

Double D Challenges - May flowers

Simon Says Wednesday - animal magic

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely weekend... looks like nice weather for the bank holiday for a change :o)

Silhouette Flower set - Digi Stamp Boutique

Hello everyone :o)

I've made a quick card today, as I couldn't resist playing with some brand new images from Digi Stamp Boutique...

The Silhouette Flower set is available HERE and it's just gorgeous... I love silhouette images!  There are sentiments included, but I used one of the clear stamps from this set.  I tore a piece of paper (very unlike me!) from a Craftwork Cards pad, and rubbed gold gilding wax around the edges, added a couple of gold pearls to the flowers, and that's about it... super simple today!

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely evening :o)

Everybody Art GDT - anything goes

Hello everyone :o)

I'm here with my Guest DT card for Everybody Art Challenge, where our theme is 'anything goes'.  I made a card for my mum for Mother's Day, using a cute image from Di's Digi Stamps.

I nearly always use something featuring daffodils, as when I was growing up Mum would say not to spend much, she was happy with a bunch of daffodils... so now I get daffs for the boys to give her, and get her something else from me.  I coloured the image with copics... I ran out of blender refill so the background isn't quite right, and then as soon as I put an order in for refills another pen ran out... grrr!  The papers are old ones from LOTV (now retired), frame die is a Grand Nestabilities, the heart wreath is Avery Elle and the flower/ leaves are MFT die-namics.  Sentiment stamps from Digi Stamp Boutique HERE, and buttons and twine from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges

Cute Card Thursday - mothers

Simon Says Wednesday - girl power (something feminine)

Cutie Pie Challenge - spring cuties

Crafty Friends - for a special lady

As You Like It - single or multiple layers (I like layers of paper, one layer cards never feel completely finished to me, at least not when I make them!)

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely evening :o)

Pretty Flower Vase - Digi Stamp Boutique DT

Hello everyone :o)

I'm here with a card made for an order, using a gorgeous recent image from Digi Stamp Boutique.

The image is called Pretty Flower Vase and I coloured it with copics, with a bit of Nuvo clear sparkle pen on the flower centres.  The papers are Dovecraft, sentiment is a new clear stamp available HERE.  Buttons and ribbon from my stash, the heart wreath is an Avery Elle die and the stitched circle die is from this set.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges

Simon Says Wednesday - anything goes

Crafty Cardmakers - floral delight

Addicted to Stamps - have a heart

Fussy & Fancy - favourite colours (I have lots of favourites, but I love this colour combo)

So, do you have snow?  We've got loads and it's been snowing on and off all day... I decided to keep the kids off, and I'm so glad I did because Morgan's school closed within a couple of hours of opening and Dex's school sent messages out saying they were staying open but sending children home if parents could collect them.  I don't know why they open when it's as bad as it was today, it just creates confusion!  Not sure what'll happen tomorrow, but Dex was supposed to be dressing up for World Book Day and they've already sent messages saying that will be postponed to another day.  I knitted him a beard to go with his costume this morning (the things we do, eh?!), but I suppose he'll still get to wear it all eventually.

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely evening :o)

Sweet Stampin' - spring

Happy Saturday :o)

This week's challenge at Sweet Stampin' is 'spring'... not very springlike out there just yet, but we can dream eh?!

I had just received this month's gorgeous release of clear stamps from Digi Stamp Boutique, and this one looked perfect for a spring theme to me.  It's called Sweet Bird and Flowers and comes with the main image, plus the sentiments I've used and more.  I coloured it with copics, and added some Viva Pearl drops around the image.  The papers are old ones from LOTV, oval dies are Spellbinders and the pearls are from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges

Allsorts - I spy something beginning with 'B' (blue, bird)

City Crafter - polka dots

Dream Valley - things with wings

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely evening :o)

Just For You - Digi Stamp Boutique DT

Hello :o)

Sorry I've not been around much lately, it was Morgan's half-term last week and Dex's this week, so I've not had much blogging time.  All back to normal on Tuesday though!

I've used one of the fab clear stamps from DigiStamp Boutique... this one's called Just For You and the sentiment stamp is available HERE.  I'm enjoying experimenting with different colouring mediums at the moment, so this one was 'painted' with Inktense pencils and a water brush... the splattered background is really easy to do, just by flicking the water brush on the end of the pencils.  I'm hopeless at any colouring involving water, and think I probably always will be, but I don't care because I enjoy doing it!  I added Enamel Accents to the flower centres, the red twine and sparkly gem are from my stash, and the paper is probably 10yrs old lol.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges
As You Like It - favourite way to add a sentiment
(I prefer to stamp them... I'm not usually organised enough to use a digi sentiment, it's easier just to grab a stamp!)
Cardz 4 Galz - stamping (no digis)
Always Happy Birthday - CAS birthday

We're off to the cinema to see Early Man now, hope it's good!  Thanks for popping in :o)

Sweet Stampin' - girly

Happy Saturday :o)

Our new challenge theme at Sweet Stampin' this week is 'girly'...

I've been working on my first Prisma pencil colouring class with Kit & Clowder, so I thought I'd make my first 'proper' pencil coloured image into a card for my mum.  Mostly because I couldn't face parting with an image that I spent over a week colouring, unless it was for a 'special' card!  Really enjoying pencils, but it takes me ages to colour with them.

The adorable image is from Di's Digi's HERE, the papers are old LOTV ones (now retired), I think the flower and leafy die are both Memory Box, 'mum' is possibly Clearly Besotted and the Happy Birthday sentiment is a clear stamp from Digi Stamp Boutique, but I can't actually find this one to link up at the moment... will hopefully add that later.  Sparkly gems and pearl from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges

Dream Valley - use 3 patterned papers

Dragonfly Dreams - flowers

Pile It On - 3D embellishments

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely evening :o)

Polkadoodles DT - anything goes

Hello and Happy New Year!

It's time for a new challenge at Polkadoodles... the DT have all followed a 'thank you' theme, but it's anything goes for participants as usual.  Lots of prizes to be won and you can use anything you like, not just Polkadoodles products.

I've used a cute Winnie image, available HERE, coloured with copics.  The pretty papers and scrabble letters are from the Work & Play Love & Kisses set.  The corner die is Whimsy, and I added a Doodlebug enamel dot and a couple of sequins.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges

Cute Card Thursday - anything goes

Time Out Challenges - thankful

Classic Design Team Open Challenge

As You Like It - anything goes

I'm slightly on edge today as Morgan's gone to Meadowhall on his own to meet his friends... we've gradually gone from dropping him off for a couple of hours, to taking him to the tram stop and watching him get on the right tram, to today where he's getting on the bus and going on his own... eek!  He's 15 though, so he's definitely old enough, I'm just over-protective!  And I'll probably pick him up later, or I'll be worrying about him getting on the wrong bus lol.  I'm not good at this 'letting them grow up' thing...

Thanks for popping in :o)

Sweet Stampin' - swirls

Happy Saturday :o)

This week's challenge at Sweet Stampin' is 'swirls', so I got one of my favourite dies out - the pretty Memory Box corner bow.

I've used an image from an old Thomas Kinkade CD, which always feels like cheating... but as I have these things I might as well get them out occasionally!  I think it was bought years ago for an order and only used once.  The papers are retired ones from LOTV, birthday tag stamp is also from a LOTV set.  The dies are all Memory Box, apart from the numbers which are MFT dienamics.  Lace and enamel dots from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges

Try It On Tuesday - in my garden

Fairytale Challenge - numbers

We've been away this week for a last minute break... not planned, we just spotted an old cottage in Kent with a few days available so off we went :o)  We had our own little entrance to Mote Park, so we've done lots of walking and spent a day on the beach at Kingsgate Bay, which is a really lovely little dog friendly beach... had a great time!

Ooh almost forgot - I had my hair chopped off, want to see?

I soooo hate photos of me, but has to be done occasionally I suppose!

Thanks for popping in, hope you're having a lovely weekend :o)

Sweet Stampin' - sympathy or thinking of you

Happy Saturday :o)

Our challenge over at Sweet Stampin' this week is 'sympathy or thinking of you', so I thought I'd use a brand new Hydrangea Set from DigiStamp Boutique, which includes the fab flower image and lots of useful sentiments.

Image & Sentiment - Hydrangea Set - DigiStamp Boutique

Colouring - copics

(Flower B60, B21, B63, BV25  Leaves G21, G24, YG67, G99  Background E41, E42)

White linen card - Papermill Direct

Papers - Crafter's Companion

Flower centres - Tonic Studios Nuvo Crystal Drops in Gloss White

Twill tape - Fantastic Ribbons

Inked Edges - Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap

Pearls from my stash

I've been to test drive my new car today... eeeeeek!  For the last 17ish years I've driven a Corsa... the same Corsa for all those years, gradually getting more and more decrepit, but still plodding along and running fine.  I don't like change!  Recently I was driving along and the exhaust fell off lol, but that got fixed and all was well again.  But my lovely mum decided it was time for a new one, so she's only gone and bought me one!  It's a Nissan Note, not brand new, but a very swish and shiny upgrade from my old faithful falling to bits banger... it'll be coming home in a few days and instead of being excited I'm terrified, I can't imagine driving anything else!

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend, thanks for popping in :o)

Cosmos Flowers in Blue

Hello... another midweek post, I'm on a roll lol.

This one's very similar to a pink card I made recently - mum asked me for another one.  I'd actually planned on making one in purples, so started with Shaded Lilac distress ink, which appears to be totally blue here... never mind eh?!

Items Used

Stamp - Woodware Cosmos Flowers

Colouring - Distress Inks and Nuvo Aqua Shimmer (glitter pens)

Creative Dies Stencils - Leaves

Background, stenciling & colouring - Distress Inks in Shaded Lilac, Shabby Shutters & Scattered Straw

Memento Ink in Paris Dusk (for the sentiment)

Nuvo Crystal Drops in Gloss White (dots around image)

Pearls & ribbon from my stash

I'm entering my card for the following challenges

Simon Says (Monday) - stencil it

Ribbon Girls - any image + ribbon

Allsorts - flower power

Also, I've just set up Instagram (at last!)... I've no idea what I'm doing with it really, but if you use it I'm on there as wishcraftcards.  Finding it a bit scary and confusing at the moment, but I don't like new things... hopefully I'll get used to it!

Thanks for popping in :o)

Pink Cosmos Flowers

Hello again!  I've been a bit quiet lately, don't tend to make much when it's hot... I get very very slow...

I did manage to finish a card at last, so here it is.

I played with a leafy stencil and some distress inks to make the 'paper', and inks again for around the flowers.  The flowers were embossed in white and then painted with distress crayons (scribble them on a craft mat, pick up with a water brush), then covered in a fab new sparkly shimmer pen (wish photos would show the shimmer!).  The flower centres and tiny white dots around the image were made using Nuvo Crystal Drops... I just bought them in white to try them out, and I really like them - they dry a bit like enamel dots, but in whatever size/ shape you need, so now I want more colours!

I'm entering my card for the following challenges
Simon Says - anything goes
Crafty Cardmakers - floral profusion

It's our wedding anniversary at the weekend, so hopefully I can make a card for Pav a bit quicker than I took with this one!  Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely evening :o)

Sweet Stampin' - mellow yellow

Hello at last!  Ooh I've got really bad at this blogging lark, haven't I?!

Today's card is for this week's challenge over at Sweet Stampin', where our challenge is 'mellow yellow'... one of my favourite colours so an easy challenge for me.

I popped up the yellow layer on foam pads with the sentiment behind it, to make a simple card a bit more interesting... but my biggest critic (Dex) said it was boring and I should add 'some beads or buttons or something'... so I did lol.

Items Used

Digi sentiment - NEW Large Brush Script Sentiments - DigiStamp Boutique

Flower - Single Daisies - DigiStamp Boutique

Colouring - copics

Paper - Simple Stories 'Sunshine & Happiness'

MFT Die-namics Stitched Circle Scallop Edge Frames

Buttons from my stash

Anyone else doing the dreaded dieting thing at the moment?  I've let the weight creep slowly on over the last few years, and keep saying I'll do something about it and never do... well I've been very determined this year, and have lost 18lbs since mid-Feb... there's a fair bit left to go though!  Lots of long walks and logging everything on My Fitness Pal - it seems to keep me on track when I can see exactly what I've eaten... oh and my Jawbone tracker (like a Fitbit) to keep me moving more.

Anyway... hope you're all having a lovely weekend so far.  Thanks for popping in :o)

Sweet Stampin' - black, white and one other colour

Happy Saturday :o)

Although it's not my team's week at Sweet Stampin', I'm sneaking in to play along anyway!  Our challenge is 'black, white and one other colour' and we're sponsored by Bunny Zoe's.

Items Used

Image & sentiment - Black Floral set - DigiStamp Boutique

Papers - Forget Me Not - Lemoncraft

Xcut butterfly punches

Linen Textured Card - Crafter's Companion

Gems from my stash

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely evening :o)

Floral Heart - DigiStamp Boutique DT

Happy Saturday :o)

I seem to be making a lot of wedding and anniversary cards at the moment, most of which I can't show yet, but I think I'm fairly safe blogging this one.

The image was one of this year's valentine's images from DigiStamp Boutique, but it works well for anniversaries too.

I printed it out twice, cut out and layered up the flowers.  Then roughly cut a heart shape around the image and distressed it so the shape didn't look too wonky!

Items Used

Image - Floral Heart - DigiStamp Boutique

Colouring - Spectrum Noirs

Flowers: GB1, GB3, GB7  Hearts: CT1, CT2, CT4  Leaves: IG4, IG6, IG8, IG10

Die'sire Essentials Lace Corner 2 - Crafter's Companion

Sentiment - Clearly Besotted

Wink of Stella (on the hearts)

Flower sequins & pearls from my stash

Can't believe there's only 1 week of school left!  This term seems to have flown... looking forward to having the boys off and getting out of the routine for a while.

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely day :o)

Shaped Cards - Sweet Stampin' Challenge

Happy Saturday :o)

Over at Sweet Stampin' our challenge for this week is 'shaped cards (no squares or rectangles)'.  We're sponsored by Freckled Fawn with a fab prize for our lucky winner.

I went with a shaped easel card as I've not made one for ages.

I also dug out my Inktense pencils (birthday pressie from hubby, not this year but last year) that I've never got round to using, and had a play... I'm not sure anything watercolour is ever going to be my strong point, but I do enjoy it so it's worth persevering even if the results aren't fantastic.

Items Used

Stamp - James-Daisy - LOTV
(stamped in Archival sepia ink, coloured with Inktense pencils)

Papers - LOTV (retired)

Sentiment - Clearly Besotted

(stamped in Memento grape jelly)

Stampin' Up framelit dies

MFT pierced oval dies

Xcut butterfly punches

Doodlebug enamel dots

I'm entering my card for the following challenges
Simon Says - animal magic
Alphabet Challenge - H is for hand coloured image
Cute Card Thursday - little bugs/ butterflies
Fab n Funky - shaped cards

So, to top off my Blogger issues, now I'm not getting notifications of comments, so I apologise if I've missed replying to any of you!  I'll have to check them from the comments section instead... feels like my blog's falling apart slightly at the moment!

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely day :o)

Fabulous birthday...

Happy Saturday :o)

Another play with that new die for today's card... I made this in a few different colours but I won't bore you with them all!

The card blank is 5 x 7", just to give you an idea of the size of the die.  I punched lots of flowers, shaped them with an embossing tool and added card candy centres (from my big box of card candy that I rarely think to use these days).

Items Used

Classical Edge die - Crafter's Companion

Flowers - x-cut punch

Sentiment - Clearly Besotted

Card candy - Craftwork Cards

I'm entering my card for the following challenges

Simon Says - anything goes

Creative Corner - bingo (white, yellow, black)

Seize the Birthday - birthday (plus optional dimension)

I missed a delivery this morning (it was early, I was asleep and didn't get there in time!)... I couldn't remember ordering anything and I was trying to work out what it could be (I love mysterious packages lol), then Pav, who's at work this morning, pointed out that it'll be Chester's 'mystery dog treat box' that we have delivered monthly... how very disappointing!

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely day :o)

May Flowers - Sweet Stampin' Challenge

Happy Saturday everyone :o)

Our challenge at Sweet Stampin' this week is 'May flowers' and we're sponsored by Crafty Ribbons with a £10 voucher for our lucky winner.

I played with an older Hero Arts stamp, and one of my favourite techniques that I've not used for ages... ink up the whole stamp with your lightest ink, then dab on other brighter/ darker shades, spritz the stamp with water, then stamp... easy peasy, and looks different every time.  I also tore paper for the background... so unlike me!

Items Used

Stamp - Hero Arts - Blooming Meadow

Papers - Studio Light - Pad No 30

Bow die - Lil' Inkers

Sentiment stamp - MFT

(stamped in Memento Ink in Espresso Truffle)

Distress Inks (image) - Shaded Lilac, Seedless Preserves, Walnut Stain

Distress Ink (edges) - Frayed Burlap

Pearl brad - The Hobby House

Ribbon from my stash

Blogger is driving me mad... for some reason all my posts go up in the middle of the night at the moment, hours after I actually post them.  So I'm posting in the morning for a change, to see if it actually manages to pop up today!

Hope you have a lovely day :o)

40th Birthday

Hello :o)

I've been playing around, making my own sentiments in Word... here's one of them on a card.

The papers are another of the new pads I bought from The Ribbon Girl... a set of simple patterns in soft pink and blue.

Items Used

Sentiment - computer generated

Papers - Galeria Papieru - Game of Colours

Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities Labels 1

Flower - MFT Blueprints 19

Memory Box - Lavish Branch die (cut up)

Memory Box - Corner Bow die (cut up)

Organza ribbon - Fantastic Ribbons

Pearls from my stash

Hubby's off out tonight, so I'm going to find a cheesy film and eat pizza and chocolate lol... maybe have a sneaky vodka & lime too ;o)

Thanks for popping in, hope you have a lovely evening.