Slightly OTT?

Well maybe a little bit more than slightly lol...

Well I said I was going to have a crafty afternoon, and I've had lots of fun making this very girly creation :o)  Sometimes I start embellishing and just can't stop, so hopefully it doesn't look too overdone!

I've used a Tilda stamp that I bought recently - she's called Hello Little Butterfly and I've had my eye on her for ages and finally gave in.  She's coloured with promarkers and flexmarkers.  The papers are Dovecraft, flowers are Wild Orchid, as is the little ribbon buckle.  The lace is from The Stamp Basket, leaves were cut with a Stampin' Up die, sentiment is Cuddly Buddly, and everything else is from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Allsorts Challenge - say it with flowers
• Crazy 4 Challenges - spring
• My Mum's Craft Shop - spring colours (2nd entry)
• The ABC Challenge - K for Kraft
• Papertake Weekly - anything goes (optional shrink plastic - not used, sorry)

Bit of a flying visit this evening - off to try and catch up with some of you while I can :o)

Sweet Stampin' - lots of layers

Our challenge for this week at Sweet Stampin' is 'lots of layers' and we also have a fab optional sketch that you can use if you like.  We're sponsored by Stamp Fairy and Sew Sweet and our monthly sponsor is Joanna Sheen, so lots of chances to win :o)

No, I've got absolutely no idea why my card ended up all distressed - usually I only distress when it's part of a challenge, but I just had the urge to do it!

The image is Lenny Camping 1 from Stamp Fairy, coloured with prisma pencils.  The papers are MME - this was one of my favourite packs, but I haven't used them for ages, I'm determined to actually finish some paper packs this year lol.  The circle was embossed with the 'swiss dots' folder, sentiment is Stampin' Up and the buttons from my stash.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Totally Gorjuss - anything goes with a button
• Moving Along With The Times - cute as a button
• Crafty Creations - stripes
• Creative Craft Challenges - boys will be boys

Hope you all have a fab day, whatever you're up to.  I feel the need for a crafty afternoon I think :o)

Bella with presents - The Stamp Basket DT

It's my regular day to post on The Stamp Basket blog and I decided to use one of the very cute Bella stamps from Wild Rose Studio.  I thought I'd have a go at a centre step card, as I've been wanting to try one for ages.  I wanted it fairly big though, so I sort of combined a couple of different tutorials I found and made this one which is 8" wide.  They're actually very easy once you've worked out the measurements, so I'm sure I'll be making more of these.

I'm not happy with my photos - the colours are a lot softer than they look here, and the flowers are not bright pink, they're a soft purple!

Items available from The Stamp Basket

Wild Rose Studio - Bella with Presents stamp

Wild Rose Studio papers - Bella & Annabelle's Meadow

Off-white ivory lace 3/8"

I coloured Bella with promarkers, flexmarkers and prisma pencils, the sentiment is from Cuddly Buddly and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.  I was a bit baffled when it came to embellishing, and I'm really not happy with the flowers this way... I was trying not to add too much though, because it was supposed to be for my auntie to give to her mum (my grandma) for mother's day, and she doesn't like anything too fussy.  I might end up using it for my mum instead lol!

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• My Mum's Craft Shop - spring is springing
• Simon Says Stamp - Mother's Day/ special girl
• Dream Valley - Mother's Day

Morgan's been to tea at his 'girlfriend's' house this evening - they're 9 years old, I no likey!  She seems a very sweet girl though and she does seem to be a good influence on his behaviour.  It's not so long ago he would've pulled a face and told me off if I even mentioned girls though lol!

Thank you for all your lovely comments on yesterday's post, I really appreciate them all :o)  

Waste Not Wednesdays wk10

It's week 10 of my little Waste Not Wednesdays challenge, to get us all using up those neglected stamps and stash.  If you'd like to join in, just use something uninked or unused, or you could use paper scraps or those flowers you've got tucked away in a box - anything you like that needs using :o)

I also need to announce my winner from last week, and Mr Random.org says that lucky person is...

Number 3 - Sarah!

Congrats hun, and thanks to everyone who played along.  Sarah, I can't show you your prize yet because I was hoping it would arrive today and it didn't lol... should come tomorrow though.  Send me an email with your address and I'll get your goodies posted when I've got them!  Back to 'just for fun' for the challenge this week...

Today's card is a simple one - my auntie asked me for some cards and she prefers them quite CAS.  This one is for her little girl to give to her Grandma (who is my Grandma too lol).  I really wanted to make this one in pink, but I resisted because Grandma can't stand pink!  I've used a previously uninked stamp from a Country Companions set, coloured with prisma pencils, with lots of diamond stickles on the flowers.  The papers are Cosmo Cricket - not neglected as such, but I've had it ages and there's only a few sheets left now.

Also, I have a little bit of exciting news!  Me and some of the other Pink Gem Designs DT girls (Lisa, Mandy and Jenny) were asked to make some cards using a fab set of die cuts and papers that Janet provided as the free cover gift for Creative Cardmaking magazine.  The mag came out a few days ago, but I had to wait until I had it in my hands before I could tell you - I needed to actually see my cards in there before I said anything -the paranoid part of me said they might not have been good enough for the mag... I know, I know, Katina don't shout at me lol!  Anyway, here's a little look at my first 'appearance' in a mag :o)

I need to run now, because I've spent far too long waffling as usual, and I've got Morgan's parent's evening tonight.  Back later to catch up with you all though.

Sweet Princess Tilda

Yep that's right, I've got yet another Tilda creation today lol!  I promise tomorrow's card will be something different, but this one's from the new Princes & Princesses collection and I just couldn't resist using her...

Sorry, I know it's a bit heavy on the photos, but it's so difficult to show an easel card properly with just a couple of pics... well it is for me anyway!

This new cutie is called 'Sweet Princess Tilda' and I coloured her with promarkers and flexmarkers, with lots of glamour dust and stickles.  The papers are some really old ones I found in a drawer, I'm not sure what make they are, but I'd already coloured the image and they were a good match.  I added a few extra beads to the pins and some tiny pearls around Tilda.  The border is a Memory Box die, swirl is a sizzix die, leaves are a Stampin' Up die, and the butterflies were cut with a Kars punch.  Fabric flowers, pearls, metal 'things' in the middle of the flowers and lace all from my stash.  Sentiment is LOTV, cut out with a nestie label die.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
• Papertake Weekly - anything goes + optional shrink plastic (haven't got any, sorry!)
• Crafty Catz - punches & dies
• Fussy & Fancy - more than words (use a long sentiment)
• Totally Tilda - Tilda with die cuts & punches (2nd entry)
• Simply Magnolia - bling & bows

There, I think that might be it for Tilda for a few days... can't absolutely promise though lol - definitely something different tomorrow though :o)

700 followers candy!

As I mentioned earlier, I noticed today that I now have over 700 followers!  As a little thank you to all those who choose to follow me and put up with all my nonsense, I thought I'd offer a little candy :o)

I really do appreciate everyone who takes the time to follow me and comment on my blog, and so this time I've decided that the candy will be for followers only.  New followers and regulars are all welcome to enter, but please only follow me if you like my blog anyway - not just for the candy!

I was going to shop around for candy, but this only leads to me buying the same things myself and I've bought quite enough lately lol... so I thought it might be nice to let the winner choose for themselves with a voucher from Lili of the Valley - sound ok?

All you need to do is add a link to your blog below and put the voucher photo in your sidebar (or in a separate post if you prefer), with a link back to my blog.  The draw will close on Sunday 4th March and the winner will be chosen by random org.  Good luck!

A Gem of a Challenge - perfect pastels

Sorry I've not been around for the last few days - I got a tummy bug and didn't feel up to blogging or making cards at all.  I'm ok now though :o)  Today's card is for our new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge, which is 'perfect pastels'.

I had to keep my card quite simple - the main light bulb in my craft room went, and we didn't have another one that would fit (it's got a dimmer from its nursery days, and energy saving bulbs flash and flicker), so I only had the light from the daylight lamp.  Didn't want to try and make anything too complicated in a dark room lol!  I'm not even convinced that my card turned out all that 'pastel' really... so I'll just be in the naughty corner if you need me!

I've used one of the cute new sheep images that Janet recently released.  This one is Happy Birthday to Ewe and it comes with the matching sentiment.  I've cut it out using a nestie Labels 22 die, and have actually managed to get the balloon slightly out of the nestie - probably only the second time I've managed this and not had to throw the image away and start again.  The image was printed onto linen card and coloured with promarkers and flexmarkers.  The papers are Pink Petticoat (gingham) and Pink Gem's Christmas Sparkles, and I inked everything with London Fog memento ink.  The little grey buttons are Papermania.

** Don't forget to enter my blog candy draw, if you've not already entered - it closes tomorrow **