Thursday 31 March 2016

Ballet Student


I am back as promised with a second post today as this one is my DT card for The Sugar Bowl whee anything Sugar Nellie goes. I actually made this card for a friend's Birthday earlier this month.
Image - Sugar Nellie ballet student digi (cropped)
Medium - Copics
Papers - First Edition Mulberry Kisses
Flowers - Wild Orchid
Punch - MS fern
Other - ribbon

Challenges
Di's Digis for the girls 
The Ribbon Girl any image
Dream Valley girlie 
Crafty Creations for a young girl 
Simon Says anything goes

Tags and a DT call


Time for a new challenge at Crafty Ribbons and we want you to show us your tags with ribbon. I made these for the coffee and craft shop I sell some of my gifts in and used some of the ribbon from the £1 bags and diecut my tags using a Spellbinders die. The stamps are Inkylicious, Forever Friends and LOTV. I added a Memory Box diecut umbrella, paper covered wooden hert and some tiny punched flowers. The flowers on the bear image were coloured with Sakura pens. I love the glittery finish these pens give.

If you love using ribbons then check out our DT call at Crafty Ribbons.

I will be back at 9am with my DT card for The Sugar Bowl.

Wednesday 30 March 2016

Starburst


I have seen a few cards using this technique and when my Mum asked me to make a Thank You card for her doctor as he has been so kind to her I decided to give it a go. It isn't as easy as it looks but I really enjoying the challenge and love the way it turned out. I used various scraps of paper and part of a large wooden Memory Box Thank You background stamp.

Tuesday 29 March 2016

Sympathy cards for Making Cards magazine


This is a set of 4 sympathy cards I made for Making Cards magazine a couple of months ago. I used Inkylicious sentiments, Cheery Lynn butterfly dies and Crafter's Companion Embossalicious embossing folders. I particularly like the words of the first and last cards.




I would like to enter these into the Wings challenge at Allsorts.

Monday 28 March 2016

Time for a plaque


Another of the plaques I made recently. I do love making these. The plaque was painted cream and I added some lovely deep vintage material I bought in The Range. The sentiment is a Kaisercraft rubon, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, flowers from Wild Orchid, butterflies from America, hearts from Simon Says, bird from Hobbycraft. The clock was made with a Tim Holtz doe and sanded Core'dinations.

Challenges
Fab n Funky flowers 
As you like it Favourite line on the Bingo board (this was hard as I love the whole Bingo board but have gone for fussy and fancy, gems and ribbon)
Petal Lu anything goes
Allsorts Wings

We are off to visit Lynsey and her family today and enjoy lunch in an American diner which does the most delicious food. 

Sunday 27 March 2016

Flying High for Making Cards


This is one of three cards I made for the last edition of Making Cards magazine using Stamposaurus transport stamps. I stamped the image and sentiment onto kraft card with brown ink, I used a red Copic marker and mounted it onto paper from the Dovecraft North Pole paper pad. Lots of distressing and doodling faux stitching. The clouds were made with  Memory Box dies.

Challenges
Bizzy Becs anything goes 
Noor! Design UK clean and simple 
Pile it on Stitching 
The Ribbon Girl any image
Allsorts Wings
Having a day at home today. I need to do a stockcheck ready for my end of financial year accounts. The weather is predicted to be awful so if it is we shall be staying indoors but if it is nice we may get out in the garden to do some tidying. Enjoy your Easter Sunday.

Saturday 26 March 2016

Raining


Unfortunately I think we are going to see a lot of this for the next few days. What a beautiful day here yesterday, lots of sunshine. I used an Inkylicious sentiment and image, scraps of First Edition Blank Canvas papers along with a precut card blank. The ides are Memory Box clouds and Doohickey fence.

Challenges
Simon Says Come rain or shine 
Bizzy Becs anything goes

Looking forward to my Mum coming over today. If you have read my Facebook posts you will know that her husband died recently. It was a great relief as she had cared for him for 6 years, with him becoming progressively worse. She has a new lease of life and we have lots to sort out. They lived in a three bedroom council house and she has now been offered a small bungalow and want new carpets, curtains, furniture etc, She hasn't been able to visit us for years as he couldn't get in a car or on the bus so she is looking forward to it. We are going out for breakfast and visiting a furniture shop first to get some ideas for he new home.

Friday 25 March 2016

Easter Bonnet


Over at Crafty Ribbons we have a little treat for you this Easter. We are having an Easter Parade featuring Easter bonnets. One lucky winner will win



Searching through my older stamps I came across my Sarah Kay stamps which I haven't used for far too long. I coloured her with Copics and teamed her with some lovely MME papers. The sentiment is a old one I found in my stash and was pink so I coloured that to match. The bunting was made with a Memory Box die and the ribbon of course is from Crafty Ribbons.

To take part in our EASTER PARADE
you will need to visit our DT members' blogs and leave a comment on the DT creations which they have made for the parade  
There is also an egg sitting on a few of the girls' blogs which you will need to take note of and then link up on that day's post. and tell us on whose blog you found the egg.
If you take part every day and linkup  with the correct name  on each day you have extra chances of winning in the random draw from all three days.
if you only want to join in one day thats fine too!!

FRIDAY's links after my blog

now back to CRAFTY RIBBONS  to add your link 

Check the Crafty Ribbons blog again tomorrow for Saturday's links.

Challenges
The Paper Shelter Easter time
  Southern Girls nature 
Bunny Zoe favourite Bunny Zoe stamp company 
Whimsy Easter 
The Ribbon Girl any image

We are looking forward to our new sofa coming this morning from Next, some housework, trip to a coffee shop and food shopping. Any crafting time, mmmm maybe.

Thursday 24 March 2016

Juggling


Yes another Christmas card today. I am doing well with them, so that's one resolution I have kept. 
Image - Hobby Art
Medium - Copics
Papers - MME Merry
Sentiment - Kaisercraft silver bells
Other - enamel dots, Stickles

Challenges
Winter Wonderland Penguins 
ABC Christmas frills or no frills (no frills today)

I had a sort out of all my coloured card yesterday sorting it into colours. It was previously sorted that way but it had started to get in a muddle. I also had some 12 x 12 books of card so I split them up and sorted them so I can now see what I have. I seem to have a lot of green and yellow, the yellow because it comes in the pads. Unfortunately it's a colour I rarely use so I must try to use some up.

Wednesday 23 March 2016

Hanging around


I have used one of the LOTV art pads today teamed with some lovely bright papers and diecuts.
Image - LOTV Annabelle art pad
Papers - MME Happy
Dies - Lawn Fawn stitched square, MB curly tree, Whimsy fence
Sentiment - LOTV teenage girls

Challenges
The Ribbon Girl any image 
LC Designs anything goes 
Dream Valley all about Birthdays

Today I shall mainly be in my craft room. I have two lots of magazine work, one being my first commission for a magazine, an order to complete and hopefully time to make some stock too.

Tuesday 22 March 2016

There's always music


Time for me to showcase another card using one of the lovely new teenage girl stamps from LOTV launching at the end of March. I had the idea of trying something different with this one, colouring her clothes with grey Copics making her lovely red hair stand out. I have used one of the new sentiments and some Tim Holtz tissue tape. Just a bit of simple faux stitching and a very cas card today.

Challenges
Pile it on stitching 
The Ribbon Girl any image 
Bizzy Becs anything goes 
Petal Lu anything goes

Off out for a facial and massage today followed by food shopping and hopefully some crafting later.

Monday 21 March 2016

It's snowing!


You may remember a similar card last year. A friend ordered one for this Christmas, she plans ahead like me, and I decided to make one but as an easel card this time. Last years was just a circular card.
Image - Penny Black
Medium - Copics
Dies - Tonic treellis circle, Joy and Frantic Stamper trees
Embossing folder - Xcut
Other - scrim, Stickles, pearl pen
Sentiment - from stash


Challenges
Penny Black and more at Allsorts Feature a creature 
TTCRD anything goes 
Little Miss Muffet anythig goes 
Simon Says cute and cuddly 
ABC Christmas Frills or no frills
As you like it Favourite style of embossing (I love wet embossing too but use my embossing folders much more. They are so quick and easy and there is such a wide variety of patterns available.)

Sunday 20 March 2016

In the Pink


A really simple but effective card I made on Thursday and sold on my stall on Friday. I used a Darice embossing folder and sanded Core'dinations in bright pink. I tore the edges and attached it to some distressed pink paper and card and added two sparkly butterflies from Poundland. I really like this card and as left the embossing folder out on my desk to remind me to make some more. Normally everything gets put away once a card has been made but I knew out of sight of mind would apply and I would forget to make some more like this.

Challenges
Creative Knockouts Spring is on the way 
In the Pink Spring flowers 
Noor! Design UK CAS
As you like it Favourite style of embossing (I love wet embossing too but use my embossing folders much more. They are so quick and easy and there is such a wide variety of patterns available. I particularly love using them with sanded Core'dinatoins.)

Off out for breakfast this morning as we are going into Norwich for a few things and I want to look at upgrading my iPhone. Catch you later.

Saturday 19 March 2016

Easter Eggs


New challenge day at A Gem of a Challenge where our challenge is Easter. There are so many cute new Easter digis that I was really spoilt for choice.
Image - Easter Katie pre coloured digi
Papers - First Edition Desert Bloom
Punch - MS border
Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons
Die - Nellie Snellen oval
Flowers - from America
Sentiment - Forever Friends

Challenges
ABC D is for delicious 
Deep Ocean Easter
Allsorts Easter
Creative Knockouts Spring is on the way
Cute Card Thursday Easter
Simon Says Cute and cuddly
Inky Chicks Happy Easter
Double D Easter
Whimsy Easter

I had a great day selling yesterday, sold lots of cards and gifts. Thank you all for your lovely comments on my new gifts. I sold all four of the fridge magnets so best make some more for the next one on 1 April.

Friday 18 March 2016

More gifts


Some more new gifts which I shall have for sale today at the hospital shop. I used some stamps which came with Simply Cards and Papercraft along with some cat and dog dies and various papers and ribbons. The MDF plaques are actually sold as beach huts and you may have seen some of those on my blog before which I decorated as beach huts. I thought they also worked as houses.


Something else new I am trying, fridge magnets. I added a strip of magnetic tape to the back of the MDF hearts.



For these ones I used Fiskars and Inkadinkadoo stamps along with wooden embellishments and a Memory Box umbrella die.


Thursday 17 March 2016

Spring flowers


This is a commissioned card which I liked so much I made another 2 very similar. I used one of the lovely images from the LOTV wild flower art pad, cut with an Xcut oval die. The paper are from my must use up pile, ribbons from America. The leaves were punched with a MS punch as was the floral border, which I have just about managed to cover up! Flowers from Wild Orchid.

Challenges
Paper Creators Spring colours
Allsorts Spring is in the air
Dream Valley all about Birthdays

Wednesday 16 March 2016

Down the pub


Another of the new kits from Pink Gem which I have reduced in size. This is such a great image and I think will be a popular card on my stall. I have teamed it with LOTV Country Gent papers, some burlap and enamel dots.

Challenges
Dream Valley all about Birthdays 
LC Designs anything goes

Looking forward to the new flooring going down in the kitchen tomorrow. Hubby took the old stuff up yesterday and made a few repairs to the floor. Today will be some housework and shopping and hopefully a bit of crafting.

Tuesday 15 March 2016

Make a wish


Two Christmas cards in two days, I am doing well and need to keep this up.
Image - Sugar Nellie wish upon a star
Medium - Copics and Sakura clear star pen
Papers - Bo Bunny Altitude
Dies - Go Kreate Frilly squares 10, Lawn Fawn stitched circle
Sentiment - Pink Gem
Other - snowflake punch, snowflake from stash, Pearl pen, Wink of Stella pen on her wings
Crispy lace - Live and Love Crafts

Challenges
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' Cute Christmas 
Cute Card Thursday ribbon or lace 
The Paper Shelter away with the fairies
Fussy and Fancy things with wings
The Cutie Pie fairy cute 
TTCRD anything goes

Monday 14 March 2016

Singing in the snow!


I often have a look on eBay for Penny Black stamps and I was lucky enough to get a set of the transparent stamps last week called Jolly Follies. This is the first one I have used, so cute. It has been coloured with Copics and I used Stickles for the snow. These are the last of my Carta Bella Bundled Up papers apart from a few little strips. I have used my new Go Kreate Frilly Squares 7 dies and MFT pierced jumbo fishtails. The snowflakes are Memory Box stitched dies. I also added some crispy lace from Live and Love Crafts.

Challenges
Penny's anything goes 
Cute Card Thursday lace or ribbon 
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' Cute Christmas 

Off into Norwich today to meet up with my Mum for coffee and shopping then we are meeting hubby for lunch. 

Sunday 13 March 2016

Molly


Janet has created some fun new older images and I printed off the front sheet from two of the kits featuring Molly. This is Cocktail Molly. I love to reduce the size of these so that I can use the images with other papers and embellishments. The papers are First Edition Mulberry Kisses. I used a clear Wink of Stella pen on the drink and cherries and added some WOC flowers and used a Britannia flourish die.

Challenges
Crafty Calendar Special female 
In the pink For a special lady 
The Ribbon Girl anything goes


These images come with some great sentiments, I especially love this one. I used Bo Bunny C'est La Vie papers, used silver and pink Wink of Stella pens on the bubbles and slippers and added some pearls.

I am hoping it will be dry today and we can get out in the garden and do some tidying. We bought a hanging basket for the shed which comes with sweet peas so we want to get that started and in the conservatory until the weather warms up. Then a lovely roast and a film later I think.

Saturday 12 March 2016

Thank you for the music


Have you seen the fabulous new teenager and sentiment stamps available to pre-order from Lili of the Valley? As a member of the Design Collective I was lucky enough to receive one of the stamps ahead of the launch and I really enjoyed colouring Jasmine - Music with Copics. I can't wait for my order to be delivered at the end of the month. 

I treated myself to Go Kreate Frilly Squares 7 Large dies as I love my frilly squares 10 and wanted another set. I do love making shaped cards with these dies. The paper is MME Happy Day. I doodled around the image to match the sentiment which is from one of the new sets.  I simply added some punched musical notes to finish.

Challenges
Creative Card CrewChicks (animals or human) 
The Ribbon Girl anything goes 
Bizzy Becs anything goes 
Dies R Us shaped cards

Out for a quiz and chips tonight with some friends, should be fun.

Friday 11 March 2016

Hat Shop


I really am making an effort to use some of my older stamps as well as new ones and searching for something I came across this lovely Stampendous stamp which I haven't used for ages, in fact only once before I think. I stamped it with DI Dusty Concorde which I also used around all the distressed edges. The die is an MFT pierced rectangle, papers are First Edition Mulberry Kisses. Just for a change I added an accordion sticker along with some lovely WOC roses.

Challenges
Crafting from the heart anything goes 
Allsorts feminine 
Crafty Calendar special female

Thursday 10 March 2016

Get me to the church on time


I do love this cute couple and really must get my stamp out again. For this one I have used one of the large die cuts which LOTV used to sell and which are still available in their Ebay outlet store. I used my Lawn Fawn pierced square die, paper from the LOTV Romance and Roses pack. The flowers are from Wild Orchid. I had another order come from them last week as I was running short of some of the large flowers I use on my boxes so had a top up of smaller flowers too to warrant the postage.

Challenges
Bizzy Becs anything goes 
Crafting from the Heart anything goes 
The Ribbon Girl anything goes 
Creative Inspirations pretty projects
Cute Card Thursday ribbon or lace

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Happy Birthday Hubby


This is the Birthday card I made for hubby. He prefers boats with engines on them but I didn't have an image of a speedboat. This is one of the older LOTV stamps which has just been reissued and one I always wished I had bought so I got this along with two others.
Image - LOTV
Medium - Copics
Papers - LOTv Country Gent
Embossing folder - Forever Friends
Die - Joy sailor's knot
Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Challenges
Crafting from the heart anything goes 
The Ribbon Girl anything goes
  Bizzy Becs anything goes

Tuesday 8 March 2016

Tulips for you


A clean and simple card today using one of LC Designs dinkie stamps colouted with Copics. I also used a LC sentiment and added some washi tape and enamel dots.

Challenges
Noor! Design UK Clean and simple 
Graph'It Brights 
The Craft Barn Cas, flower and sentiment 
Paper Creator's Spring colours
Today is hubby's Birthday so we will be going out somewhere for the day. I will share his card with you tomorrow.

Monday 7 March 2016

Another plaque


I bought two rectangular plaques to have a play around with as I have only made hearts shaped ones before. I really like the way this turned out. The plaque has been painted cream, thanks hubby. I then added some distressed paper and gauze. I found a small piece of self adhesive lace in my stash so I cut that in half. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons of course. I love the vintage butterfly collection. I added a wooden birdcage, wooden heart and bird and some flowers from Wild Orchid. The butterfly was cut with a Doohickey die.

Challenges
Creative Inspirations pretty projects 
Simon Says Touchy feely 
Crafty Friends floral
Allsorts Feminine
Fab n Funky love

Sunday 6 March 2016

Happy Mother's Day


Happy Mother's Day to all Mums. This is the card I made my Mum which is based on a card I made for Papercraft Inspirations recently. That card was an A6 but I used the A6 on a 6" easel for my Mum. It is the first time I tried making a flower out of lace and I really like the result. I took a length of lace and sewed running stitch along one side and then pulled it into a circle and sewed along the join and added a rose. 
Image - LC Designs topper
Papers - LOTV Timeless Victorian
Ribbon and lace - Crafty Ribbons
Die - Doohickey Tilda lace border, Memory Box butterflies
Roses - Wild Orchid
Sentiment - Stamposaurus

Challenges
Dies R Us Shaped cards Natalie and Amy fancy borders 
Paper Creators Spring colours 
Double D Shades of green 
Simon Says Touchy feely (add texture) 
Cute Card Thursday Mother's Day 
Dream Valley Mother's Day 
Simon Says Monday Take a leap into the unknown (lace flower)
Allsorts Feminine 
Crafty Calendar Mum's Day/special lady

We are off to visit my Mum this morning.

Saturday 5 March 2016

Spring flowers


New challenge day at A Gem of a Challenge and this time we are looking for your Spring cards. I have used a super cute image called Bunny with flowers. He has been coloured with Copics and I used a clear Wink of Stella pen on the flower centres. The lovely bright papers are MME Happy Day. I used some scraps of paper and EK Success punches for the flowers. I kept the design simple as the papers are so colourful.

We stayed at a Premier inn in Ipswich last night as we went to a 60's concert with some friends. So we will be driving home after breakfast this morning. Although we are only about an hour and a quarter away from Ipswich it is so nice to come out of the theatre, drive a little way down the road and stay the night rather than driving home late.

I would like to enter this into the challenge of brights at Graph'It.

Friday 4 March 2016

James and daisies


Another commissioned card today. I made one recently using a LOTV floral artpad in pink and blue so when I was asked to make another to send to the same lady recovering from a major operation I wanted to make something totally different. I thought lovely James bear and bright colours would make anyone smile. This is a 7" square card.
Image - LOTV James and daisy
Medium - Copics
Papers - LOTV Sunny Side Up
Dies - Go Kreate Frilly Squares 10, MFT zigzags
Sentiment - PC generated
Punches - EK Success flowers

After I punched the flowers I was a bit worried they wouldn't stand out enough from the papers but once I inked the edges and shaped them they look fine.

Challenges
Natalie and Amy fancy borders
Di's Digis use 2 or more dies
The Ribbon Girl any image
ABC C is for cute

Thursday 3 March 2016

Commissioned plaque


Our challenge at Crafty Ribbons this fortnight is monochrome. I had a plaque to make for a 20th Wedding Anniversary and I am pleased to say the lady who ordered it was delighted with it.
MDF hearts - 150mm and 50mm MDF Craft Supplies
Paper - LOTV Country Lady
Ribbon and lace - Crafty Ribbons
Dies - Spellbinders hearts
Flowers - Wild Orchid
Other - wooden birds

I tried something new on the small wooden hearts. I painted them with a Zig woodcraft pen, then used a white Wink of Stella pen and finally vintage photo distress ink.

Challenges
Fussy and Fancy shabby fun bingo (Die cuts (hearts), frills or lace (lace), verging on romantic (hearts), shaped or square (heart))
Simon Says Monday Take a leap into the unknown (technique on wooden hearts) 
Creative Inspirations pretty projects 
Simon Says touchy feely (add texture)

Wednesday 2 March 2016

Another commissioned card for Peter


Today I will be selling at the hospital craft fair and when this post publishes I will almost be there as we like to get set up early. One of my regular customers should be coming to pick up an order and this is one of the items she ordered. 
Image - Kraftyhands topper
Papers - K&Co Hopscotch
Die - Memory Box clouds
Sentiment - LC Designs dinkie
Other - ric rac, Scrabble letters

Challenges
Winter Wonderland must use a sentiment
Sparkles Something for the males

Tuesday 1 March 2016

My fave LOTV stamp


There will be a monthly challenge over on the LOTV page on Facebook and this month the challenge is Spring. All you have to do to be in with the chance of winning one of fabulous prizes is to join the Spring Event on Facebook which be live at 10am. You have two weeks to enter and believe me you will want to enter when you see the prizes on offer. You will find all the details and inspiration from the DT on the LOTV Facebook page. Here is my DT card to inspire you. Of all the LOTV stamps this one has always been my favourite and as much as I love James Bear she is still my favourite. When I think of Spring I think of flowers and birds and I look forward to my dwarf lilac tree flowering soon.

Image - LOTV Fairy on Tiptoe
Medium - Copics
Papers - LOTV Promises
Lace - Docrafts
Dies - Marianne birds on a wire, Lawn Fawn stitched circles and stitched leaves
Flowers - Wild Orchid
Other - enamel dots, clear Wink of Stella on her wings

I hope you will join in the fun on Facebook for a chance to win a lovely prize.

Challenges
Becka B colours challenge and Bingo (Die, flower, bird) (Die, ink, layers) (Ink, image, trim) 
Whimsy anything goes 
Bunny Zoe Things with wings;
Petal Lu anything goes
Simon Says anything goes 
Inky Chicks ribbon or lace
Deep Ocean lovely lace
Di's digis use 2 or more dies