In the pink in the rain

Hooray, I'm so happy as I've got my laptop back. I can't believe how fast it is after using the netbook for almost 4 weeks. The 17.5" screen seems huge too. It's been great having the netbook to use but blogging has been a struggle which is why I haven't been able to visit and comment as much as usual. It usually took me about one hour to post and link one card! Oh I have missed using Photoshop for my pics too.

This is one of my very first set of Anya stamps I bought last year and I haven't used her for quite a while. This set of rain, snow and sun is still one of my favourites. I've never coloured her in pink before but here she is looking pretty in pink and of course she is a great image to use with an umbrella charm. I used the sketch from Friday Sketchers but am too late to enter, never mind, as it was a great sketch to use.
Challenges:
Let's Ink it up Fave stamp and charm
Oldie but a goodie Pink and girly
Creative Card Crew Bloomin' marvellous
Crafty Sentiments Border punch (I used MS doily punch)
Stamp, scrap and doodle Saturdays Stitching (mine's doodled round the image)

A week of ups and downs

Well, what an up and down week I've had.
The downs have been - I've had a cold and had 2 days of work. Thankfully I'm better now. The internet was down Tuesday as they were upgrading it. My laptop is still not back from repair. I'm glad we bought this little netbook, but it is so much slower to use. Due to the above I've not been able to blog and visit my lovely blogging buddies as much as usual. I made my last guest appearance at CES Challenges.

The ups have been - I had a lovely back massage, facial and haircut yesterday so felt very pampered. Mind you my shoulders are a bit painful now as they were so knotted up. I won 3 Sugar Nellie stamps of my choice at the Passion for Promarkers challenge. I won Kate's candy, £10 to spend at the Hobby House. I joined the DT at A Pocketful of Posies.

So, here is my last card as guest designer at CES. Thanks so much to Emma for inviting me. This is one of my new Penny Black images, which is coloured with Promarkers. I added glitter to some of the flowers, used various flower punches to make the flowers using the scraps of papers left from the design. I used the lovely sketch from The Pixie Cottage and went with the option of fun and games. I am also entering it into this week's challenge at Penny Black of Indian Summer and make your own flowers at Passion for Promarkers.

We're off out to lunch soon for a friend's Birthday but I'll try to catch up with some of you later.

Fun in Autumn and Wiinter

Second post for today. I bought 3 more Squiggle digis this week and this is the first one of them, isn't she a cutie.


The background paper is Papermania Hampstead, flowers are Wild Orchid and the leaves were made with a Sizzix die. I doodled some stitching and some swirls amongst the leaves. The glitter strips are Papermania.
Challenges:
Squiggle Anything goes
Paper Sundaes Fall colours
Craft Your Days Away Autumn Doodles
Everybody Art Autumn
Stamp Something Something with fall colours
Simon Says sketch

The second card is another Christmas card using another of my new digis from Pollycraft. They are coloured with PMs with lots of glitter flocking on their fur. Papers are Dovecraft Christmas fancy. I found the pink stars in my stash, completely forgot I had these. The star gems have also been there for ages. Snowflakes were punched from glitter card using an MS snowflake punch. I used an MS star border punch on the pink border.
Challenges:
Pear Tree Designs sketch plus gems
Pollycraft Cute and cuddly
Cupcake Transport
Bah Humbug Stars
Just Cute Bears Punch it

Christmas scrapbook page

This week at Winter Wonderland Janet has set the challenge of deck the halls with boughs of holly. She wants to see lots of red, green and holly. I decided to scrap this gorgeous Santa photo which was taken at Universal Studios in Florida as the photo is mainly red and green. Isn't that a great wreath and bow on his sleigh. I cut some circles using an X cut shape cutter and added a swirl and holly made with a Sizzix die and some glitter card. I have used bits of the swirl on cards but it was nice to be able to use the whole thing. I also die cut some swirly corners to match. I made the double bow with my new bow-easy from Quixotic Paperie. I hope you can read the wording at the top of the paper which says "It's the most wonderful time of the year". Now you're all singing it along with me I hope.

I'm very excited as we have just booked to go back to Florida this Christmas, which was unexpected, so we are busy planning what to do. On Wednesday night we made a table reservation for our Christmas lunch in the Magic Kingdom. Only just managed to get a booking. I just love Disney at Christmas and of course there are those wonderful craft shops to visit too.

Lynsey's Birthday card

It was good friend Lynsey's Birthday on Tuesday and this is the card I made her. I used one of my fave LOTV stamps, which I know you have seen several times lately. She is coloured with Promarkers with lots of added glitter. The papers and flowers are Prima, the ribbon I found in a haberdashers. I used my MS heart border punch and added this sweet sentiemnt from Alissa's Papertown.
Challenges:
Crafter's Companion Sketch
Flutter By Wednesday All winged things
A spoon full of sugar Anything goes
Charisma Anything goes

Sitting pretty

I went back to work today but am still feeling full of cold. Yesterday they were upgrading the Broadband and we couldn't get onto the Internet after lunchtime which was very frustrating. They said it would be down for a few minutes, make that several hours. My laptop was supposed to be repaired within 2 weeks, 3 weeks later it still isn't back, grrr. Now the good news, for the first time ever I won the challenge at Passion for Promarkers and the prize is my choice of 3 Sugar Nellie stamps, woo hoo. As I love these stamps I am over the moon with this prize.

Now onto my card. The digi image is one I bought last Christmas and never used, shame on me. She is called Sophie with present and is from Digi Stamp Boutique. I just love this colour combo of aqua and pink. The gorgeous sparkly snowflakes are from Me and My Big Ideas and match the colour scheme perfectly. Sentiment is from Pollycraft coloured with Promarkers.
Challenges:
Bunny Zoe's Crafts Sketch
Digi Stamp Boutique Use a Digi Stamp Boutique image
Corrosive Clean up the dust (use something neglected)
The Pink Elephant Aqua, DP and embellies of your choice
Digital Tuesday All about the girls

Anniversary card

A friend of mine is mad about horses and her husband asked me to make an Anniversary card for her. I immediately thought of this beautiful digi image from Whimsy. I debated on the colour scheme and decided on this one which suits her perfectly. The image is coloured with Promarkers and I added a few streaks with a Sakura goldstar pen to the mane and glitter to the wings of course.

The papers are Papermania Boutique which are just great for this 8 x 8 card. The sentiment was produced on the PC and then cut with a Spellbinders die. I had these little green hearts in a set and have never used them but they match the colour scheme here. I used various MS punches (corner, PATP, heart border and 2 leaf punches), added some Papermania ribbon to the strips to match the pole in the image. Flowers are Wild Orchid with punched leaves.
Challenges:
Create 4 fun fab sketch
Totally Gorjuss Wild Thing (any animal)
Crafty Catz Chocolate and green
Tuesday Taggers It takes all sorts (anything goes)
Allsorts At least 3 punches (I used 5)

Summer and Winter

Second post for today. Thanks for your good wishes to get better soon. I'm still feeling poorly but did manage to make a couple of cards this afternoon. I had a lovely surprise too as I was chosen as a Pollycraft favourite for the third time in the last few weeks.

The first card is another of those cute new LOTV images. Papers are Papermania Winter's Tale. I used my MS snowflake border punch and mounted the strips onto white card so the snowflakes show up better. The fab sketch was from the Lili of the valley challenge. I rotated the sketch to fit the image. Apart from the sentiment I used snowflakes made from gold and glitter card using Sizzix die and MS punch instead of the circles on the sketch. I really like the way one side is busy and the other side has no embellies. I used a Sakura goldstar pen on the coat trimmings and added glitter to her hat and scarf and drew faux stitching around the image.
Other challenges:
Colour create Red, gold and white
Fussy and fancy Christmas colours
Christmas stampin' all year longBorder punch
Totally papercrafts In stitches
Sweet Stampin' Stitching

The second card has a more Summery feel, just like the weather here as it has changed again. No wonder I have a cold, you don't know where you are at the moment with the weather in the UK. The image is Princess Ava from the Greeting Farm, papers are Clare Curd. Rather than use a third paper I added some embossed card. Flowers are Prima with punched fern leaves and pearls.
Challenges:
Quixotic How does your garden grow? (Mine has flowers and a frog)
Passion for Promarkers Photo inspiration
I love Promarkers Sketch
Oh Alice Crowns or mythical creatures
The Crafty Pad Embossing

Lavender and old lace

I came down with a cold suddenly yesterday afternoon with a really choky throat and am feeling pretty awful today so no work for me.

It's my first week as part of the DT at A Pocket Full of Posies. I was so pleased with this challenge of Lavender and Old Lace, which was set before I joined, for those regular followers will know how much I love purple. We are sponsored this week by Meljen's designs and the DT were given some of their images to play with. I matched this lovely flower design with some of my fave Papermania heather capsule papers, which I also used for the punched flowers with added pearls. The lace is actually old as it is some my Mum gave me when she had a sort out of her materials, buttons etc. I didn't have any lavender narrow ribbon so coloured a piece of white ribbon with a Promarker (orchid) to thread through the lace. I used a Sizzx die for the leaves for a change and an MS corner punch. I hope you'll come and join the fun. You have 2 weeks to enter and if you don't have any old lace then I'm sure new lace will be fine.

I am also entering my card into the following challenges:

Sweet Sketch Wednesday
Stamp Something Digi

Baby's 1st Christmas

It's my 3rd week as guest designer at CES where this week the challenge is Baby Bonanza. This little sweetie is a Pink Gem image. I added Sizzix cut swirls to the Wild Orchid cherry blossoms and placed a rose in the middle of the Prima flower which I coloured to match the pink colour scheme. I also added some lace and of course lots of glitter.
I am also entering this card into the following challenges:
A Gem of a challenge sketch
Moving along with the times Christmas
Pear Tree Designs Pink
Penny's Challenge Anything baby

A tag

Second post for today. After a busy morning doing the housework I managed to fit in some crafting this afternoon, most of which I can't share with you at the moment. One of my friends has a Birthday next Sunday, 25th September. I made her card a few weeks ago and wrapped her pressy this afternoon and this is the gift tag I made for her. That's me very organised for her Birthday rather than doing it the day before I see her as sometimes happens. I cut the tag with a Nellie die. The little bear is from a set of Penny Black stamps. Tags are such a great way of using a few scraps of paper. I used my MS doily punch and made a flower with EK Success retro flower punch.
Challenges:
Just Cute Bears Photo challenge (blue and green peacock)
Creative Inspirations Gift tag
Stampin' for the weekend Tag it

Autumn and Winter from Pollycraft

This week's challenge at Winter Wonderland has been set by my lovely teamie Kate and she wants a monochromatic card. The team thought it would be fun to each choose a different colour and as I have hardly made any purple Christmas cards yet I went with purple. I used another of my new Pollycraft images. She is coloured with PMs with lots of glitter on her fur. I didn't have any rich purple Christmas papers so I used Papermania Heather capsule collection for my background paper and a couple of scraps of Christmas paper punched with an MS border punch. The strip is a glitter strip from Papermania. I made the snowflake by combining die cuts from glitter card made with Sizzix and Cuttlebug dies and adding a pearl. This week we are sponsored by Teri at


who is giving away 3 digis to the lucky winner. Please hop over and see the gorgeous creations from the rest of the DT and get cracking on those Christmas cards, only 3 months to go.
I am also entering my card into the following challenges:
Sketch Saturday
Die Cut Dreams Digital - sweet little girl
Moving along with the times Christmas

It's another Autumnal card using another Pollycraft image who looks ready for a good Autumn walk in those shoes. Background paper is Papermania Hampstead. I used the same MS border punch on the scrap of Craftwork Cards lovely shiny paper. Ticket sentiment is from Alisssa's papertown which I chalked and coloured with a PM to match the design. I added a few pearls and a bow to keep the embellies to a minimum on this one for easy posting. It also made a change to make a female card without flowers.
Challenges:
The Pixie Cottage Sketch and mellow fruitfulness

Craftalicious Thanks
Stamp, scrap and doodle Saturday Thank you
Pollycraft Autumn colours

Squirrels in Autumn

Second post from me tonight. Scroll down for an elegant lady and scroll up for candy. Work has been rather stressful this week as I have spent most of my time dealing with queries by phone and e-mail. Thank goodness I have tomorrow off. I also found out today that my laptop won't be back until the end of next week so it's another week with just the netbook to use. I'm sorry I haven't had much time for blogging this week but will try to catch up tonight or tomorrow. I'm missing seeing all your lovely work. Thanks for all your lovely comments and welcome to my new followers.

This image is from the Sugar Nellie Autumn kit, aren't those squirrels sweet. Papers are K&Co Hopscotch and Papermania Hampstead. Flowers are Prima with brads. I placed them around the circle for a change from placing them together.
Challenges:
The Sugar Bowl sketch
The Shabby Tea Rooms Inspired by nature
A spoon full of sugar Fall into Autumn colours
Incy Wincy Autumn colours
Creative Card Crew Autumn or Fall

An elegant lady

Something a bit different from me tonight. I bought a set of Kanban stamps with 2 elegant ladies and some sentiments a couple of weeks ago and thought how well the images fit on a tall card. I used a different colour combo too of blue, black and white for a change. I found some black glitter in my stash which has never been used. Shame it doesn;t show up well on the photo. Cherry blossom from Wild Orchid, rose from Crafty Emma's Store, swirl by Sizzix.
Challenges:
Stamptacular sketch
One Stop Craft Fashion throughout the years
Sweet Stampin Just a note
Creative Craft Black, white + 1

Sugar Bowl Sweetie search

Over at The Sugar Bowl they are searching for Sweeties to join their DT. When I received my first handmade Christmas card from Lynsey which used a Sugar Nellie stamp I started my love affair with stamping and with Sugar Nellie stamps and this was one of my first Sugar Nellie purchases, which is still one of my fave stamps. As my Nellie die was too small for the image I cut out part of the image before placing it in the die. I really love this technique. I stamped the image twice so that I could 3D the flower she is holding. She is coloured with Promarkers with a bit of Sakura clearstar pen and some glitter for sparkle.

Papers are Basic Grey Euphoria. Rose and asters from Wild Orchid, flatbacked carnations from Mulberry Crafts. I used 2 colours of card and 2 sizes of leaf punch too. Sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.

The weather here has suddenly turned much cooler this week so its time to sort out the wardrobe. I am hoping my laptop will be back this week. I am missing it especially Photoshop for the photos as it is also getting darker now for photographing my cards although I managed to photograph this one whilst it was still nice and bright this afternoon.

A skier and some exciting news

Another quick post from me tonight. I really haven't had much time for either crafting or blogging at the moment. Welcome to my new followers and apologies that I haven't been visiting as much as usual. Sometimes life just gets in the way. I really appreciate all your lovely comments so thank you. I've also had some awards from my lovely blogging friends which I just haven't got round to posting either but please don't think I don't appreciate them because I really do. Normal service will be resumed asap. Apologies for the quality of this photo too. It is dark and pouring with rain and I am still using my little netbook which doesn't have Photoshop installed.

This sweetie is another Pollycraft image. Papers are from the Daisy and Dandelion pack. The embossed poinsettia was made with a Marianne die. The sentiment is from Allisa's Town and I added some card candy and glitter flocking to all the fur on Cuthbert's outfit.
Challenges
Friday Sketchers Sketch
Crafty Creations Transportation
Cards for men Transport
I love Promarkers Transport
Crafty Sentiments Digi
Create 4 fun Red, white and blue

And my exciting news is that I have been asked to join the design team at
A Pocket Full of Posies, If you haven't come across this challenge which has been going for a few months now and you love flowers then hop over there now. It is a fortnightly challenge for the florally obsessed and the current challenge is floral fantasy. Expect to see my first DT card for them next Monday.

Two for Sunday

The theatre and meal were really good last night. Been busy today, gardening, buying some plants, sorting out finances etc but found time then to make these 2 cards. The first is a Sugar Nellie image called a Good Book, one of my favourite things. I added touches of glitter, papers are Papermania Rose Garden and BG Euphoria. Flowers are all Prima, with a spacer and various brads.
Challenges:
Cupcake books or stories
Tuesday Taggers Books
Papertake Sketch
Paper Sundaes 3 types of embellie (Mine's flowers, spacer and brads)

This is an old LOTV stamp,which is just great for young men. The papers are K&Co Hopscotch. I added a Papermania glitter strip, punched stars to which I added some faux stitching with a white gel pen and card candy from Craftwork cards. This red candy reminds me of Smarties.
Challenges:
Inspirational card Sketches Sketch
Lili of the Valley One for the boys
Paperplay Autumn is coming (Autumn colours)
Totally Papercrafts Let's go dotty
Allsorts Colours of Autumn

All wrapped up for the snow

I am just loving these new LOTV stamps and want them all, which is just out of the question. Luckily my friends Lynsey and Lisa both stamped this little lady for me. The card is my guest DT card for the challenge of a Christmas easel card over at CES. The snowflake paper is from the Daisy and Dandelion pack and the sparkly light blue paper from Henbury Lane. I used the MS snowflake border punch again. The cherry blossom flowers are from Wild Orchid and the blue roses were a pressy from Crafty Emma from her shop for being her guest designer this month. I used a Sizzix holly die and added white gel pen stitches and punched some sparkly white fern leaves to add to the flowers. I added glitter flocking to her outfit for extra sparkle. The snowflake confetti is from Paperchase, sentiment from an old sticker set.

I am also entering my card into the following challenges:
Crafty Calendar Blue with flowers
Totally Gorjuss Flowers
Fussy and fancy Christmas colours
Bah Humbug Favourite medium (mine is Promarkers and Sakura clearstar pen)
Fab 'n' funky Whateva
Our Creative Corner Fun with folds

We're off out to the Theatre again this evening, this time to see Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, meal beforehand at Bella Italia so should be a good evening. Hope you have fun whatever you are doing. Don't forget to enter my candy above.

Two more Christmas cards

A quick post from me as I am meant to be doing the housework. The first card is another of my new Pollycraft images. Papers are Dovecraft Fancy Christmas. I used my new MS snowflake border punch which you will be seeing a lot more of I'm sure. I added some MS punched snowflakes and some snowflake confetti and gems. I added a pompom to her hat and used glitter flocking on all her fur trim on her clothes and boots.
Challenges
Pollycraft Christmas card, nor red or green
Sketch Saturday
Sweet Stampin Winter Wonderland
Digital Tuesday Spots and stripes
Stamp something spots and stripes


This week at Winter Wonderland the lovely Danielle has set the DT the challenge of a one layer card. Now this may be an easy challenge for some of you but I found it difficult as I love to use lots of layers on my cards. I decided to cut an aperture in my card with a nellie die and stamp my Forever Friends image inside. I added some stamped snowflakes to the front and some faux stitching around the die cut shape.
I am also entering my card into the following challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers Clean and simple
Charisma Try something new
Secret Crafter Clean and simple

Forever Friends

I used the fab sketch from Friday Sketchers but am too late to enter their challenge this week, never mind, it was a great sketch to use with lots of lovely layers. I used an assortment of pretty papers for this one and various MS punches. The swirly corners were made with a Sizzix die. Ribbon and pearls from stash. I am entering this into the following challenges:
Aud Sentiments Best wishes
Pear Tree Designs Animals
A Spoon full of sugar Animal crackers
The Pixie Cottage Furry friends

Wheeling her barrow

Oh I am missing my laptop so much. This little netbook is OK but it is painfully slow compared to what I am used to when trying to open blogs. I'm sorry I'm not going to be visiting as much as usual until my laptop comes back mended. I won't be posting as much either. I do have candy on offer though, see post above.

This card is a different colour combo for me for a change. She is a CC Designs image coloured with Promarkers with her wings glittered. Cherry blossom flowers are from Wild Orchid. I wanted something in her barrow and found these little shiny fabric flowers in my stash.
Challenges:
I love Promarkers Myth and magic (hope this counts)
One stop craft Photo inspiration
One stitch at a time Blooms, butterflies and/or bling

Simply sweet

A fairly simple card from me tonight using one of my favourite Sugar Nellie images and Basic Grey Euphoria papers. I used various flowers punches and added pearls. Every card I make seems to have pearls these days. Sentiment is from Craftwork cards. The sketch is from Sketch and stash. (New stash lilac stamp pad and old X cut small flower punch).

Two bears and a wedding

Summer has definitely come back this week so I hope you are enjoying the sunshine wherever you are. My laptop socket is really causing difficulties as it says it is charging when it isn't so it is going to have to be repaired so here I am using the new netbook. It has a lovely clear screen but is so much smaller than my widescreen laptop and we don't have everything loaded on it yet so blogging may be a bit challenging for a while. I don't have much time for crafting and blogging at weekends this time of the year but I do have 3 cards to share with you today.

The first card is for my guest design spot at CES where the challenge this week is floral frenzy. This card is for an order and I was asked to make it in the colours of the wedding invitation, which is a bolder scheme than I have used before. I am really pleased with the way this one turned out. I used my fave LOTV couple, Laura Ashley flocked paper and Papermania Confetti. I added a doily which I chalked to fit the colour scheme. Rose and cherry blossom are from Wild Orchid, lilies from Twiddleys.
I am also entering this card into the following challenges:
Charisma Inspired by a song (Get me to the church on time (He looks in a bit of a hurry, doesn't he!))
2 Sisters Monochromatic
Allsorts New beginnings


I bought some new Penny Black stamps at the show last week and couldn't wait to use this one. Papers are K&Co Roam and I used my new MS border punch and some new Papermania ribbon. The butterfly was made with an X cut punch and lots of glitter. The flowers were white and I coloured them with PMs to match the card and added punched leaves and pearls.
Challenges:
Teddy Stampers sketch
By the cute and girly Indian Summer
Penny Black at Allsorts Punching
The Crafty Pad Pearls
Passion for Promarkers Teddy Bear's Picnic (any teddy bear image)
Penny's Challenge Birthday

Last, but certainly not least is another stamp from last week's show but this time from Little Claire. I just couldn't resist buying her. The gorgeous papers are Prima, which were a little pressy from Emma for being her guest designer this month, wasn't that kind. I used MS flower garden punch, added some lace and Wild Orchid roses. The dragonfly I found in my stash.
Challenges:
A spoon full of sugar sketch
Cute card Thursday Material girl
Simon Says Pearls and lace
Fab 'n funky Living in a material world
Crafty Sentiments Summer Inspiration

I must get back to the hoovering now. Off out to the theatre tonight and then a local show tomorrow with lots of classic cars for Graham to admire.

A snowman recipe

It's my challenge again at Winter Wonderland this week and I have a recipe of 4 papers, 3 snowflakes and a snowman (or woman). I bought these papers at last week's show. They are Daisy and Dandelion from last year I think but they are new to me this year so I don;t mind. I love the rich colours of the burgundy and green. I often go with blue for a snowman card so thought this made a change for me. The snowman is coloured with PMs and Sakura goldstar pen with lots of glitter. The large snowflake I made on my crafting day with Lynsey using her spellbinders die and diamond dust. The other are MS punched with pearls. I used my new MS snowflake border punch again and added a Pollycraft sentiment. I used the fab sketch at Sketch Saturday and am also entering it into Bah Humbug for a Christmas carol or song, which is Frosty the Snowman.

I made the top 3 at MAWTT this week, thanks girls. Have a great weekend everyone.

Two more Christmas cards

It's my friend Lynsey's challenge at Pollycraft this week and she wants us to add a little nature so that was a great opportunity to use one of the stamps I bought recently in Pollycraft's rubber stamp sale so my nature is snow. Last week I was chosen as one of the Pollycraft favourites for the second time, yippee.

I added glitter to her little wings and glitter flocking to her hat and snowballs. The papers are some new Dovecraft ones called Christmas Fancy and if you like the look of these Lynsey has some on offer in her candy (link in my sidebar). I also used my new MS snowflake border punch. The snowflakes were made with the overworked MS Arctic punch and cream glitter card with pale pink pearls added. I used the lovely sketch at 2 Sisters and am also entering Christmas in August at Paper Sundaes and pastel pink, green and cream at Creative Inspirations.

There's a new challenge on Sundays called Keep it simple! who want you to make a card in under 30 minutes!!!! Their challenge this week is to make a Christmas card in traditional colours. I think it's good to step outside of your comfort zone from time to time so decided to give it a try. I bought 3 penguin card toppers in America before I really got into stamping and still had 2 of them. I was so conscious of the time so frantically searched my scraps for some red and green papers, used the MS zigzag punch, added my last 2 Hero Arts poinsettias with some punched fern leaves, pearls and a sentiment. Card made in 23 minutes!