February candy

I have set up a separate page from my candy which you can enter by clicking here. 

This post will remain at the top until 28 February.  Please scroll down for my recent posts.

Sledging joy

Our challenge this week at Winter Wonderland is Winter Olympics so think skiing, sledging etc. I know there weren't any polar bears and penguins competing but these two are certainly enjoying the sledging. We have two fabulous sponsors this week

with a £10 voucher

and

offering 3 digis of the winner's choice.

Image - Lili of the Valley

Medium - Copics

Papers - Echo Park Keepin' Cozy 

Dies - Marianne tree, MB penguins

Border punch - MS snowflakes

Sentiment - Dovecraft coloured with DI Weathered Wood

Other - Stickles Viva Decor pearl pen

Challenges

Crafthazelnut's Christmas Extra Anything Christmas goes 

Craftyhazelnut Use a sentiment 

Sweet Stampin' Humour

LOTV Name that tune (Let's Hang on - Four Seasons)

Simon Says Anything goes with pearls

Totally Papercrafts Make it shine

GDT at The Sugar Bowl

Here I am as promised back with my second post this morning. Please scroll down for my CLF DT card.

Regular readers will know that I absolutely adore Sugar Nellie stamps. They were some of the first stamps I ever bought. Can you imagine my excitement when I was asked to be a guest designer at The Sugar Bowl a challenge I enter every month usually more than once. The theme is Mother's Day or for a Special Lady. I was able to choose a digi image and chose the beautiful Wings of Love. This is actually a Christmas image so I placed a rose over the holly on the basket and it became an image you can use all year round.

Image - Sugar Nellie Wings of Love from Funky Kits

Medium - Copics

Papers - Papermania Blueberry Pie

Punch - MS birds on a wire

Die - Memory Box

Sentiment - Personal Impressions

Other - shabby blue frantage, pearls, rose from Wild Orchid

Challenges

Allsorts Ladies day 

A Creative Romance Let's get sentimental
Simon Says Anything goes with pearls
Divas by Design Make it sparkle

Decisions, Decisions

Those Mother's Day cards keep on coming and this one is my DT card for Crafty Little Fairies where our theme this week is Shopping. Nothing like a bit of shopping is there, especially it it is craft stash. 

We are sponsored by

who are offering 4 digis of the winner's choice.

Image - Lili of the Valley

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME Howdy Doody

Dies - Marianne border and corner

Punch - MS fern

Sentiment - Stamposaurus

Other - Flowers and brad from stash

Challenges

Lili of the Valley Name that tune - Making your mind up - Bucks Fizz

I will be back shortly with an exciting guest designer appearance.

Hot air balloons

It's my first craft fair of the year today. This is one of four craft fairs this year at the N&N Hospital and is usually a good fair for me so fingers crossed.

I have a Little Claire card to share with you today using a recently released stamp. I love the designs on these balloons which have been coloured with Copics. I also used a Sa kura clearstar pen to highlight and used this on the Memory Box die cut balloons too. No papers on this one just some cloud embossed sanded Core'dinations and washi tape.

Challenges

The Shabby Tea Room Wishy washi 

The Squirrel and the fox Something spooled (washi tape)

Walking in the snow

One minute there is an Easter card on my blog the next a Christmas card, keeps it interesting I hope and I am determined to keep these Christmas cards coming all year. I almost had a disaster whilst making this card. I use a fine tip applicator filled with PVA glue and as I squeezed the bottle to attach the trees my hand became covered in glue. The bottom of the bottle had split. Luckily I was using the glue over scrap paper so the only casualties were my hand and the scrap paper. I have had the bottle 7 or 8 years so can't complain but had to quickly order another. 

So onto my card recipe:

Image - Pink Gem

Medium - Copics

Papers - Bo Bunny Rejoice

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Dies - MB snowflakes and Doohickey slender firs which I have embossed with Cutlebug swiss dots

Other - Stickles, Viva Decor pearl pen

I admired these dies on one of my Crafty Little Fairies' blog and said I couldn't justify buying them though. Why are their dies so expensive? I had a lovely surprise in the post a couple of days later, an envelope of tree diecuts. Wasn't that kind.

Challenges

Christmas challenges with sketches Great sketch
A Gem of a Challenge Spots and Stripes 

Send a smile 4 kids Punches or die cuts 4 kids 

Chocolate, coffee and cards Teddy Bears 

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra Anything Christmas goes 

Kaboodle Doodles Use ribbon 

The Cutie Pie Cute with spots and dots 

Addicted to Stamps and More Holiday 

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Use a sentiment (on the ribbon) 

My Mum's Craft Shop Spots and stripes

C'est Bon

Over at the As You Like It Challenge they have a very interesting challenge which is to be inspired by your favourite object. I had several ideas in mind but I chose to make another picture based on my make up bag.

The funny thing is that I have often looked at it and thought I should make something like it so this was my chance. I used a Go Kreate die on the chipboard. I had to smile the other day when I posted another picture I made and said hubby cut the chipboard into 6x6 for me as a couple of people thought he cut it this shape with a Stanley knife. Now that would be clever!

Stamps - Tim Holtz French Market

Paper - Papermania Persimmon

Dies - Marianne key and Dienamics Eiffel Tower

Rose - Wild Orchid

Pearls - The Hobby House

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Other - DI Vintage photo

Isn't that ribbon scrummy and there are more beautiful ribbons in the fabulous new range now available at Crafty Ribbons.

Other Challenges

Divas by Design Rubber stamps 

Crafty Sentiments Anything Goes

Sorry I haven't had much time for blogging this weekend as we went away to Ipswich Saturday. Saw a great 60s concert and stayed in a Premier Inn then came home Sunday. I know Ipswich is only about 44 miles from us but we didn't fancy driving home late and it was a lovely treat to stay away. Premier Inns are so good nowadays and we had a great night's sleep and yummy breakfast.

Hot Cross Buns

I was sorting out some stamps and came across a set of Forever Friends Easter stamps I bought reduced after Easter last year and had completely forgotten about. As I want to get ahead with Easter cards for craft fairs thought I would ink some of them up and here is the first one. I am out of my comfort zone with this green, just not my colour at all but the paper is lovely and sparkly and I do like the finished result.

Image - Forever Friends

Medium - Copics

Papers - First Edition Spring Feast

Die - Spellbinders circle

Punch - MS trellis

Flowers - Prima

Pearls - The Hobby House

Sentiment - freebie stamp

Ribbon - from stash

Challenges

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Teddy Bears 

Crafty Catz Cream, green plus one 

Divas by Design Rubber stamps 

The Paper Shelter Punches and dies 

Penny Black and More at Allsorts Make it sparkle

Baby Bunting

I have recently been contacted by a couple of people who regularly buy cards from me at the Hospital craft fairs. They wanted to buy two of the cards I made for Little Claire and wanted a Birthday card exactly like the Mother's Day card I made using James Peeping. So very unusually for me I had to make the same cards again. This led me to thinking that maybe I should do this a bit more often as designing the cards takes time and once I have sold one it would be a good idea to have another similar card. So I set to with a new Woodware stamp I bought at the NEC and made 6 baby cards, all slightly different. I used various papers. The banners were made with La La Land Heart,Memory Box and Die-namic dies and I also used a MB precious hearts die, pearl hearts, pearl and star gems and a Woodware star punch.

Here are the other four.

Challenges

Crafty Creations Keep it simple 

The Shabby Tea Room Baby Shower Party (photo inspiration)

Hedgies say thank you

I love colouring these sweet Penny Black hedgies and this is the thank you card I made for my special Fairy leader at Crafty Little Fairies, Squirrel, to say thank you for the James Bear stamps I won on her blog. Now most of you will know Squirrel likes CAS cards so I restrained myself with the embellies for this one. The image has been coloured with Copics and I added some ribbon, MB die cut kites and a Papermania bow.

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl Red 

Crafty Creations Keep it simple 

Through the Craftroom Door Anything Goes 

Penny Black For Someone Special

Birdcage Picture

Here I am back with my second post today. Please scroll down for a GDT post at In the Pink.

It is time for another anything goes with ribbon challenge at Crafty Ribbons and I decided to make a picture for my DT make. I bought some 12 x 12 chipboard and hubby cut it down to 6 x 6 for me with a Stanley knife, very sensibly wearing a heavy duty glove. I then used a Go Kreate die. The paper and stamps are Prima Fairy Belle which were free with a magazine. I only bought the mag for the paper and stamp, can't resist a birdcage. I stamped the birdcage and a couple of birds with Memento Rich Cocoa and used DI Frayed Burlap around the edges. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons of course and once I had secured it I die cut some Core'dinations for the back so it looks nice and neat.

The dies are all Memory Box. I bought the tiny bird die on holiday and when I opened it thought they were a bit small but I have used it several times already. The roses and butterfly are also Prima and the pearls are from The Hobby House. I shall be making a few more of these to sell.

Challenges

Crafty Cardmakers Come fly with me (bird and/or birdcage)

GDT at In The Pink

I received a lovely email in early January inviting me to be a guest designer at In The Pink. As I was going away on holiday I had to postpone my GDT spot until today. The challenge is pink plus one and as I wanted to use lovely James I chose pink and brown. 

Image - LOTV James Daisy

Medium - Copics

Papers - Wild Rose Always and Forever

Sentiment - LOTV

Punch - MS border

Rose - Michaels

Other - Tag, doily and baker's twine

Challenges

Lili of the Valley Name that tune(Thank you very much by The Scaffold)
A Creative Romance Let's get sentimental
Stampin' for the Weekend Flower power

Have you entered my candy yet, see above?

Spring Flowers

Here is another of the Little Claire samples I made using one of the gorgeous new Fabulous Day stamps coloured with Copics. This was such a joy to colour and decided to use several different colours, something I don't do often enough. I tend to stick to a limited colour palette for my images. I used one of the Craftwork cards blanks I bought from Little Claire at the NEC and played around with various paper strips. The sentiment is a Little Claire digi. I also used a Viva Decor pearl pen.

Challenges

One Crazy Stamper Anything Goes

Ballet Dancer

I love these Sugar Nellie digis as they are so pretty and such a delight to colour. I don't use peach tones enough and definitely need increase my range of peach Copics.

Image - Sugar Nellie Ballet Student

Medium - Copics, Sakure gold star pen

Papers - First Edition Blank Canvas

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Punches - MS PATP double loop

Die - Go Kreate scalloped circle

Butterflies - Prima

Other - DI Spiced Marmalade

Challenges

Sugar Bowl Colour challenge 

Without Words Working 9 to 5 (Occupations - ballet dancer)(the only embellishments are the ribbon and butterflies) 

Delicious Doodles Ribbon and bling (gems on the butterflies, sparkly paper and gold star pen) 

Sister Act Anything Goes

Out of the birdcages

A really fresh Spring card today to cheer us all up and help us forget the awful rain and wind and cold. Won't it be lovely when Spring gets here.

Image and sentiment - Little Claire

Medium - Copics, Sakura gold star and green star pens

Papers and tag - Whimsy Purple Cottage Charms pack designed by Michele Roos

Dies - MB birdcage and birds, Spellbinders floral ovals

Challenges

Simon Says Get krafty 

Stamping Sensations Wings, fantasy or fiction 

Feeling Crafty Dies and/or punches

Baking for Mum

These Hobby House toppers are coloured so beautifully and great when you need to make several cards for selling like I do as I have my first craft fair in 10 days time. I have used a Go Kreate die and an embossing folder for the background. I unearthed some lovely shiny brads to use with the white flowers and added some baker's twine and a charm. The sentiment was stamped with a Personal Impressions stamp.

Challenges

Elisabeth Bell's World White on white with a touch of red 

The Hobby House Anything Goes 

Creative Card Crew KISS (keep it simple and sweet)
Allsorts Use brads

Still time to enter my candy, see above.

First Layouts made this year

I had a lovely day on Friday when Lynsey came for a crafting day. There was as much chat as crafting and after we had a catch up and stamped up some images I spent the afternoon making these two layouts of my hubby taken from various holidays in Florida. 

It was the first chance I had this year to spend on scrapbooking and I can't wait to do some more layouts.

I would like to enter these into the inspired by a movie challenge at Charisma. My inspiration was the movie The Holiday.

Please scroll down for my Little Claire DT card today and scroll up for candy.

To have and to hold

Time for a new challenge at Little Claire and our theme this month is monotone, a nice easy challenge for you and the first challenge I am joining in as a DT member.

Image - Little Claire silhouette

Papers - First Edition Floral Pavilion

Lace - Crafty Ribbons

Rose - Wild Orchid

Dies - Spellbinder, MB Precious Hearts

Punches - MS trellis, wedding rings (no name on punch)

Other - sanded Core'dination

And here is the fabulous prize you could win.

Challenges

Crafty Calendar Love is all around 

Feeling Crafty Dies and/or punches 

Live and Love Crafts Love N'Lace 

Natalie and Amy Love is all around (include at least one heart) 

Bearly Mine Vintage Romance
Creative Inspirations Love
Divas by Design With Love
Fab n Funky Love

Still time to enter my candy.

Ivy Fairy

We have a new challenge at Winter Wonderland, again another of my favourite things, fairies. I had so many images I could have used and decided to use this gorgeous digi from Delicious Doodles which has been waiting to be used.  I am so pleased with the way this card turned out. I love the teal colour. It looks fussy but the only embellishments are just ribbon and pearls.

Image - Delicious Doodles

Medium - Copics

Papers - Graphic 45 Couture (another new pad from my hol)

Dies - Spellbinders Resplendent Rectangles (another new buy)

Velvet ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Pearls - The Hobby House

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

DI- Peacock Feathers

We have some fabulous sponsors, Marianne Designs with this gorgeous prize

and

who are offering 4 digis

and

who are giving away $35 worth of products of the winner's choice.

Wow, what amazing prizes, definitely worth entering.

I would like to enter at Stamping Sensations where the challenge is wings, fantasy or fiction.

Don't forget to enter my candy, see top of page.

Peeping James

I was so lucky to win a little competition on the lovely Squirrel's blog recently and she said would I like a stamp or something for my stash. I said a stamp please and she sent me not one but two of the gorgeous new James the bear stamps and this is one of them which I have used for my DT card for Crafty Little Fairies where our challenge is teddies. 

This week we have 2 fabulous sponsors:

Marianne Designs

giving this fabulous prize

 and

Live and Love Crafts

Image - LOTV James peeping

Medium - Copics

Paper - Graphic 45 Couture

Backing - Doily and Marianne die with sanded Core'dinations

Challenges

Lili of the Valley Name that tune (Look through any window by The Hollies) 

Sister Act Anything Goes 

One Crazy Stamper Anything Goes 

Brenda's Floral Fantasies blogaversary candy Favourite craft item (I have so many but I have chosen my Copics as I love to colour)
Penny's Monochrome
Addicted to Stamps and More Mark your mark (use markers)

Snowman with lantern

I really need to start building up my stock of Christmas cards so although I need to get Mother's Day and Easter cards made thought I would sneak in an Christmas card.

Image - Sugar Nellie Snowman with Lantern

Medium - Copics

Papers - Echo Park Keepin' Cozy 

Dies - Spellbinders resplendent rectangle, MB snowflakes

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Other - Stickles

Challenges

Friday sketch Great sketch 

Craftyhazelnut Die cut or punched shapes

  Allsorts Colours beginning with B 

Delightful Anything Goes 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts Make it Sparkle 

Sparkles Christmas Anything Goes 

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra Anything goes

Simply Hearts

I am sharing another sample for Little Claire with you today. This is part of the Swirly Birds stamp set and this is such a gorgeous and useful set of stamps. I made a simple card using a Go Kreate die with hammered card to make the card blank. The image has been coloured with Copics and a Sakura green star pen. The paper is First Edition Floral Pavilion, MB precious hearts die and a pearl heart from Meiflower.

Challenges

Simon Says Have a heart 

Penny's Something old (heart die, pearl heart, hammered card), Something new (stamp, paper and Go Kreate die) 

One Crazy Stamper Anything Goes 

Crafty Calendar Love is all around
Creative Card Crew KISS

More Silhouettes

I have two more cards to share with you today using the new silhouette stamps from Little Claire.  This one is called Meadow Girl and I found some gorgeous butterfly paper in my oddments. The crispy lace ribbon is from Dreamees and the gauze from LOTV shop, flowers from Wild Orchid and the large butterfly is Prima., small ones die cut with a MB die and pearls added. I also used DI Victorian Velvet around the image.

I would like to enter this card into the anything goes challenge at Papertake.

The second card is a complete contrast as I wanted to create a hot feeling. The image has been die cut with an X cut oval and edged with DI Spiced Marmalade. The papers are MME Vanity Fair, tree MB die and the words are from my stash for scrapbooking.

I would like to enter this card into the die cuts challenge at Divas by Design.

First Mother's Day card 2014

I need to get cracking on Mother's Day and Easter cards and as I bought a couple of Penny Black stamps from somebody recently I couldn't wait to use them. I kept the design fairly simple on this one.

Image - Penny Black

Medium - Copics

Embossing folder - Crafter's Companion

Die - Memory Box

Butterfly - Prima Fairy Rhymes

Sentiment - Stamposaurus

Bows - Docrafts

Challenges

Crafting Musketeers Butterflies 

Penny Black For someone special 

Sparkles Show us your new stash
Papertake Anything Goes
Totally Papercrafts Hey cutie
Inky Chicks Use a cute animal stamp

We are looking forward to a meal out this evening and then going to see Hugh Dennis at the theatre.

Have you entered my candy yet, see candy page?

Paint it Black

LOTV boys are so adorable, I just love them all and they are such fun to colour too. I have coloured him with Copics and teamed him with papers from LOTV, Country Gent, Craftwork cards entiment and some burlap. I love using this and have some to give away with my latest candy, post above.

Challenges

Lili of the Valley Name that tune (Paint it Black - Rolling Stones) 

Without Words Working 9 to 5 (occupations) 

A little bit crafty Man up 

Vintage Stamping It's a man thing 

Crafty Cardmakers This is a man's world 

Papertake Anything Goes

  Addicted to stamps and more Anything Goes
My Mum's Craft Shop Spots and Stripes

Nothing special planned for today so I am sure I shall be fitting in some crafting time. Enjoy your weekend.

Owl Tree

Owls seem to be very popular and this new silhouette stamp from Little Claire is going to be a big hit I am sure. I stamped it with Memento Rich Cocoa onto some linen card to give a textured effect. The papers are some new ones I bought on holiday. They are Tim Coffey for Kaisercraft. I added some ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, MB die cut fences, wooden owl coloured with DI Vintage Photo, some flowers from Michaels and pearls from Meiflower. Little Claire's new catalogue is available to download from the website today.

Challenges

Sparkles Show us your new stash

Totally Gorjuss Sunny colours

Stamping Sensations Wings, fantasy and fiction

Have you entered my new candy yet?

Happy Anniversary Lynsey and Will

Our challenges have started again  at Crafty Ribbons and it is a nice easy one to start you off, anything goes with ribbon. It is also a new challenge at Crafty Little Fairies where we have a Love challenge. This is the Anniversary card I made for my friend Lynsey and her hubby, Will.

Image - Sugar Nellie

Medium - Copics

Papers - lost front cover so not sure

Velvet ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Dies - La La Land heart banner, MB precious hearts

Other - Crispy lace ribbon - Dreamees, sentiment from stash

Challenges

The Sugar Bowl colour challenge 

Natalie and Amy Love is all around (include at least one heart)

  A Creative Romance Show us some love
AGOAC All you need is love
  Allsorts Love is in the air
Di's Digis Love/Valentines
Sweet Stampin' Love/Valentines
The Ribbon Girl Hearts

Simon Says Have a heart 

Cute Card Thursday Lots of love 

In the Pink Love

Have you entered my new candy yet?

Romantic picnic

Today at Little Claire sees the launch of two more silhouette stamps. I have used Picnic and given it a vintage treatment. It would make a great anniversary or Valentine's card.

Image - Little Claire Picnic

Papers - Prima Delight

Lace - Crafty Ribbons

Die - MB Sofia heart

Punch - MS border punch

Challenges

A Creative Romance Show us some love 

Natalie and Amy Love is all around (inc at least one heart) 

Delicious Doodles Dies and/or punches

Creative Knockouts tic Tac Toe (stamps, sentiment, dies)

The Ribbon Girl Hearts

AGOAC All you need is love 

Allsorts Love is in the air 

Sweet Stampin' Love/valentines

Simon Says Stamp Monday Love notes

Summer Reading

Today sees the launch of some gorgeous new silhouette stamps from Little Claire. There are two released each day for the next three days. I love to read but I don't think sitting in a tree would do my back a lot of good. love this stamp though. I have teamed it with some of the last of my MME Dilly Daly papers, Marianne die cut parasol, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and a wooden embellie coloured with Copics.

Challenges

One Crazy Stamper Anything Goes 

Crafty Catz Anything Goes 

Sister Act Anything Goes

Sentimental Wedding

I love the cards that Coops makes with these sentiments and when I saw this one at the NEC last November just had to buy it. I love the way they have used different fonts on one sentiment and it makes a great wedding card for those who don't want cute images. I also wanted a vintage feel and a change from pink or red.

Stamp - Inkylicious

Papers - Prima Delight

Flowers - Wild Orchid

Butterfly - Prima

Punches - MS border and fern

Die - Spellbinder floral oval

Other - bow and DI Antique Linen, TH distressing tool

Challenges

Crafty Calendar Love is all around 

One Crazy Stamper Anything Goes 

ABC E is for embellish (3 or more) 

Allsorts Love is in the air
Feeling Crafty Dies and/or punches

I have set up a for sale page with a few craft items for sale. See page at top of blog.

Noel, Noel

Would you believe this is an ordered card! yes, one of my regular customers saw the card I made for hubby last Christmas and asked me to make her a 6x6 card using the same image. I do love these guys and hey are such fun to colour.

Image - Lili of the Valley

Medium - Copics

Papers - Whimsy Christmas Time by Michele Roos

Die - Cheery Lynn

Other - Di Weathered Wood, Viva Decor Pearl pen, Stcikles, wooden embellishments coloured with DI Vintage Photo

Challenges

Papertake Sketchie free for all (sketch 85) 

Creative Inspirations Stamping 

Fab n Funky Christmas 

Penny's Spots and dots 

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra Anything Christmas Goes 

The Paper Shelter All Wrapped Up