Harriet

Our challenge today at A Gem of a Challenge is lots of layers. I love this challenge and hope you will play along with us. You don't have to use a Pink Gem image but we love it when you do. This is Harriet, one of the gorgeous vintage girls. I love colouring these images, Sometimes I am not entirely happy with the skin when I colour it but I have to say I am really pleased with the way she turned out. She is a great image for practicing skin colouring.

Image - Pink Gem Harriet

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME Lost and Found Portobello Road

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

Other - flowers, brads and lace

Simply Happy Birthday

I bought a couple of large wooden Memory Box stamps in a sale just before Christmas at Crafts U Love. They are called background stamps but I think they also make a great focal point on a card. I am trying to make  even more varied styles of cards to appeal to different people visiting my craft stall. I simply teamed the stamp with K&Co Hopscotch paper, some card candi and twine.

Floral girl

I am delighted to say I am staying on the Sugar Bowl DT for a further 4 months and we have another anything goes challenge for you. All you have to do is use a Sugar Nellie image and with so many to choose from, both rubber and digi that shouldn't be difficult.

I used another of the new digis I bought just before Christmas, This one is Floral ladies 2 and she has been coloured with Copics. I used MME The Sweetest thing tangerine papers, Joy butterfly border die, pearls and crispy lace from Live and Love Crafts.

New lace at Crafty Ribbons

I am really enjoying making this style of card and made this one to send to Ali at Crafty Ribbons as a sample for the show stand. If you are going to the NEC in March or any of the other shows you may spot this on the stand. I am not going to the NEC but will going to Ally Pally in April with my good friend Lynsey. Let me know if you will be there too.

So back to my card which showcases more of the gorgeous new lace coming to Crafty Ribbons. There is such a range of designs and colours you will love it. I currently have a candy to win a £10 voucher so please enter and you could be choosing some of this lace for yourself.

I also used some gauze, DCWV gauze and burlap papers, pin, flowers, brads and enamel dots. I have had the pin, flowers and brads for a long time so still making use of those older embellies.

Clean and simple

A couple of really clean and simple cards I made recently for Little Claire using the December and January club stamps. For the top one I stamped onto Neenah desert storm card and used a 4" card and dinky spotted paper all available from Little Claire. I simply added an organza bow.

The bottom card is another small card with aded washi tape. Both images have been coloured with Copics as usual.

Love and laughter

This is another of the new Penny Black stamps I bought from somebody on Facebook. I have this as part of a clear set but it is quite small and have always wanted the larger wooden one. I just love their expressions. I coloured the image with Copics, used my Go Kreate frilly 10 die for the base and covered it with some lovely old Papermania Henbury Lane paper, one of my favourite ever paper packs.  I used a Hobbycraft heart punch with a scrap from the same pack.The circle die is Nellie Snellen and the gorgeous lace and ribbon are from Crafty Ribbons. They have a huge range of new lace coming out this month and if you would like some for yourself you need to enter my candy, see post at the top.

Challenges

Bunny Zoe Hearts 

Noor Designs UK With Love 

Penny Black New (stamp) 

Stamping Sensations Dies and punches 

In the pink anything pink goes 

Papertake Get in shape (3 shapes - card base, circle, heart)

Sweet Stampin' Cute and cuddly

Is this hat too big?

I was lucky enough to win the last Little Miss Muffet challenge and this is one of the images I chose, Peggy Sue hatter. Isn't she cute, she looks like she has her new Easter bonnet. A great image for so many occasions.She has been coloured with Copics and I have gone for a very clean and simple look today. I doodles a border and added some pink pearls. The sentiment is from a Little Claire set.

Challenges

Little Miss Muffet anything goes 

In the pink pink and pearlie

Creative Inspirations pretty pearls 

Crafting from the heart anything goes 

Country View use something new (stamp) 

Without Words Dreaming of Spring (Easter bonnet)

Let It Snow!

The crafting resolution to not buy so many stamps is going pretty well. I have only bought 3 PB stamps so far from somebody on Facebook, well they were a good price and this is one I have wanted for ages. I am so pleased to own him at last. I also bought some stamps from Funky Kits, well at £1 each how could I resist and somehow one of the new Scrapberry stamp sets made its way into my basket. No other crafting stash this year yet though and I have been using some of my older stash too. The paper oddments pile is so much smaller than this time last year.

Image - Penny Black Let it Snow

Medium - Copics

Dies - Go Kreate frilly 10, Doohickey slender firs, Joy mittens

Embossing folder - Cuttlebug snowflakes

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Other - pearls, pearl pen, Stickles 

Challenges

(sorry it is more than I normally enter with one card but it fits so many)

Penny Black New (stamp)
Penny Black and more at Allsorts Stencils, masks, embossing folders
Dies R Us embossing folder
Sparkles Christmas a Christmas critter with a splash of glitter
Cutie pie White on white and oh so cute
Simon Says stamp Monday Winter stamping
Papertake Get in shape (use 3 - card shape, rectangle, circle)
The Paper Shelter All wrapped up
Creative Inspirations Pretty pearls
As you like it Favourite embossing folder and why(the first one I ever bought and my most used as I love making Christmas cards and have a lot to make)
Graph'It Crisp and white
We D Doobadoo Romantic/whites
Deep Ocean Winter dreams 

CCAYR A Christmas card

Lots of new ribbons and lace coming soon from Crafty Ribbons. If you would like the chance to win some of your choice then check out my candy above where you could win a £10 voucher.Some of you have commented but not entered via the link so please check you have entered your link x

Snowman Bunting

It is my turn to post on the Little Claire blog today and for my project I chose to make a Christmas card to try to encourage more of you to make these all year round. Believe me you will be happy you did when Christmas approaches and you have a box full of cards.

Image -Snowman bunting stamp

Medium - Copics

Papers - First Edition Vintage Noel  

Punch - Martha Stewart holly border

Dies - Memory Box bunting, Sue Wilson filigree poinsettia 

Other - Star Dust Stickles, Red pearls

Challenges

CCAYR A Christmas card 

Completely Christmas Cute

Simon Says stamp Monday Winter stamping

First Mother's Day card

This is such a cute image and one suitable for so many occasions. I thought I had better make a start on some Mother's Day cards so here is my first one this year, I went for a CAS look with this one.

Image - LOTV

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME Howdy Doody

Punches - EK Success border, X Cut corner rounder

Dies - Spellbinders wonky squares

Other - pearls, DI Wild Honey

Challenges

Without Words Dreaming of Spring 

Allsorts Spring flowers 

Stamping Sensations Dies and punches 

Crafty Calendar What's new (stamp) 

Country View Use something new (stamp)

Check out my candy, see post above.

Little bit of Gossip

I love the Sugar Nellie fairies and this one is A Little Bit of Gossip available from Funky Kits of course. Have you seen their £1 sale which just may have tempted me to buy a few of those stamps I have missing from my collection? This card sold on Monday as well. It is funny that the first cards to sell are often the ones I have just made.

I was looking for something to add to the corners and found these 2 brass corners which I have had for years. Of course now I could do with some more as I really like them and only have silver ones left.

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME Lots and found Portobello Road

Dies - Joy mushroom border, MB butterflies

Other - metal corners, Stickles, Viva pearl pen

Challenges

Winter Wonderland Show us your metal
Bizzy Becs anything goes
Creative Card Crew Shabby chic
Crafting from the heart anything goes

Have you entered my candy yet, see above?

Flowers

Great day selling at the hospital yesterday, sold more than at the end of November which was a lovely surprise. Today's card was one of the first ones I sold. Something different from me today, no image. I used DCWV burlap paper and added some ribbon and velvet ricrac ribbon I won at The Ribbon Girl. I used a Crealie die for the flowers, one I must admit I forgot I had. I used it with DCWV gauze paper and added some brads, something else I rediscovered recently. The flowers are Wild Orchid and the pins and sentiment are from stash.

Challenges

Winter Wonderland Show us your metal 

Paper Creator anything goes 

Scrap and Craft anything goes 

Allsorts Spring flowers

MAWTT Diecute and/or punches

 Check out my Crafty Ribbons candy. There are some gorgeous new ribbons coming out and you are definitely going to want some of them and as for the new lace, well it is so scrummy.

Love cars

I had an order for three cards from my Mum's neighbour as she loved the Christmas card I made for my Mum to give her 2 children. If you follow me regularly you may remember it, the 2 Little Miss Muffet children. This is the one I made for her to give to her little boy who loves cars and trains. It's a 7" card, a size I really love as it gives more scope than a 6" but isn't as daunting as an 8" can be at times.

Image - Digistamp Boutique Henry driving

medium - Copics

Papers - K&Co Hopscotch and a mag freebie (gingham)

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Die - Die-versions car

Sentiment - computer generated

Challenges

Scrap and Craft anything goes 

Simon Says It's a guy thing 

Digistamp Boutique January competition 

Sweet Stampin' Masculine

I will be out early today to sell at the hospital shop. I will be there one day a month with my card stall along with 2 other friends, one selling textiles and the other pottery.

Have you entered my Crafty Ribbons candy yet?

Flying by to say Happy Birthday

Our new challenge at Little Claire this month is a bright and beautiful card. I used one of the Swirly Birds stamps coloured with Copics and Sakura gold star pen. The papers are Crafter's Companion Scruffy Little Cat and MME Unforgettable. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and I used some old flower punches with pearls. I really should use these punches more often. I think punches get neglected sometimes nowadays in favour of dies which is a shame.

My new ribbons and lace arrived yesterday from Crafty Ribbons. They are so gorgeous and if you would like some then check out my post above and enter my candy to win a £10 voucher.

Rock Star

Birthday card for a boy is the new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge. There are so many cute boy images at Pink Gem that it was hard to know which to choose. Check out all the cute cards made by the rest of the DT.

Image - Andy with guitar

Medium - Copics

Papers - DCWV Rockstar pack

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

Other - star punches and crimper

Challenges

Simon Says It's a guy thing 

Paper Shelter Punches and/or dies 

Creative Card Crew For a child

Sweet Stampin' Masculine

Have you entered my candy?

When Graham met Alice

No not When Harry met Sally but When Graham met Alice! Amongst all the Disney girls Alice is his favourite and these photos were taken a few years apart, the top one in Hollywood Studios and the bottom one in Epcot, both in Disneyworld, Florida. The papers are MME Losta nd Found Portobello Road and I used a playing card I got in a cracker years ago, best cracker prize ever. The bunting and border are K&Co and the wooden hearts Studio Calico. I used various alphabet stickers, I like the variety of using different alphabets sometimes.

Challenges

Scrapology Great sketch 

TTCRD anything goes 

Bizzy Becs anything goes 

Paper Creator anything goes
Scrap and Craft anything goes
Sparkles Raise a glass to the New Year (any drink-coffee in the bottom photo)

Have you entered my new candy, see post above?

Fancy Dress

Have you seen the latest digis over at Pink Gem? This is mini Chloe and I just love her outfit. She looks all ready for a trip to Disneyworld and of course like most of Janet's lovely digis you get the black and white version and the coloured version. The coloured version is pink which is an outfit you will often see Minnie Mouse wear but I went with the traditional red and black outfit for my card which has been coloured with Copics. I embossed some Centura pearl card and added some spotted organza ribbon, velvet ribbon bow from Crafty Ribbons and some flowers and a brad from stash.

Challenges

Crafty Cardmakers Something old, something new (new image, old ribbon, flowers, brad) 

Creative Card Crew For a child 

TTCRD Anything goes 

AllsortsNew and cute 

Sweet Stampin' Girly but no pink 

We Do Doobadoo Romantic or whites 

The Cutie Pie White on white and oh so cute 

Crafty Calendar What's new (digi)

Fab n Funkys Something new

Busy day ahead as we are having a new carpet laid in our newly decorated bedroom today so that means we have to get everything out of the room and then put it all back when the carpet is down.

Have you entered my new candy, see post above?

New Digi challenge at Little Claire

Have you seen the news of the new digi DT at Little Claire? Did you know that many of their images are available as digis? Well today sees the first challenge for the digi DT with a fabulous prize of 10 digis and the regular DT were invited to play along too. 

Image - Little Claire silhouette boat

Paper - Papermania Ahoy There

Ric rac - Crafty Ribbons

Other - spider's web stuff, fish topper from stash

Say cheese

I do think Maurice is such a fun character and I have several of these Pollycraft digis. I made this card for a friend who is retiring at the end of January and has just bought himself a new 35mm camera as he wants to do more photography.

Image - Pollycraft

Medium - Copics

Papers - K&Co Hopscotch and Papermania Happy Days

Punch - MS zigzag

Sentiment and card candi - Craftwork Cards

Other - glossy accents on glasses and camera lens

Challenges

Little Miss Muffet Something blue 

Graph'It Shiny and new (glossy accents)

Paper Creator anything goes

Just to say ..........

I love the cute furry friends stamps from Sugar Nellie available at Funky Kits . I treated myself to some new digis a couple of weeks ago, yes before the new year resolution. This image could be used for so many occasions. It has been coloured wit Copics and fussy cut. The papers are LOTV Country Gent and the sentiment is also LOTV. I made the notebook edge with a single hole punch and a craft knife, so easy to do. I also used a MS zigzag punch and some baker's twine.

Challenges

Crafting by Designs anything goes
Penny's anything goes 

Simon says something new (digi stamp) 

Natalie and Amy all things new 

Paper Creator anything goes

Allsorts New and cute

Off out early today for breakfast then a facial, massage and haircut. So I will be back later to link up and catch up on some blogs.

Playing with my new dies

I have wanted the large Go Kreate Frilly 10 dies for months and they always seem to be out of stock. I have looked for them at the big shows but no luck there either. Hubby was asking me for suggestions for Christmas and when I found that Go Kreate had them in stock gave him the details. He asked Lynsey to get them for him so I didn't know he ordered them. However when she went to order them they were out of stock! She contacted them and they were very helpful and found some for her so I am very grateful as I love these shaped cards.

Image - Pink Gem Angelica

Medium - Copics

Papers - Crate Paper Farmhouse

Die - Go Kreate Fril1y 10

Other - lace, flowers, pearls

Challenges

Papertake anything goes

Creative Card Crew For a child

Crafting from the heart anything goes 

Penny's anything goes 

Crafting by designs anything goes

Sweet Stampin' girly but not pink

MAWTT Photo inspiration

Creative Knockouts Girly girl

Simon Says something new (digi)

Men in Making Cards magazine

The latest Making Cards Magazine with double the amount of free craft papers, yes 32 fabulous papers this month and for the next 3 months.

I love these fun images which were the December club stamps at Little Claire and I was delighted to  have these three cards featured in Making Cards magazine.

They are such great images and suitable for so many occasions. I teamed them with LOTV Up, Up and Away papers, coloured the images with Copics and used various dies. Full details in the magazine.

Challenges

Papertake anything goes
Simon Says Something new (stamps)
Penny's anything goes 

Crafting by Designs anything goes

Cute Card Thursday What's new (stamps)

I would also like to enter the gardening card into the things with wings challenge at Winter Wonderland.

First Christmas card of 2015!

Yes I am keeping to my resolutions so far and I have therefore made my first Christmas card for 2015. They are some of my favourite cards to make so I do find it easy to make them all year round, time permitting. I bought this cute stamp just before Christmas and didn't get round to stamping him, never mind colouring him. So although he is an older stamp he is new to me.

Image - LOTV

Medium - Copics

Papers - Carta Bella Bundled Up

Die - Memory Box snowflake, Nellie Snellen oval

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Other - Stickles

Challenges

Sketchy colours Great sketch

Graph'it Shiny and new 

Allsorts Cold and frosty colours 

Di's digis Winter 

We do Doobadoo Snow and frost 

CCAYR a Christmas card 

Crafty Calendar What's new (stamp) 

Sparkles Christmas a Christmas critter with a splash of glitter
Simon Says Something new (new stamp)

ABC Christmas Anything Christmas

Paper Shelter Winter blues

Far more challenges than I would normally enter but the card just fits so many of them this week.

A plaque for the new bedroom

Time for a new challenge at Crafty Ribbons. and this time our challenge is Let's get sentimental. We want to see the sentiment as the main focus of your creation and we would love to see you use ribbon too.  Just for a change I made something to keep. Hubby recently decorated the bedroom and I wanted to make a large plaque. The bedroom previously had 3 cream walls and the one behind the bed was plum. Now the walls are all the same colour, this gorgeous duck egg blue, so quite a change. He painted the pine furniture cream and varnished the tops, I am loving the shabby chic look and wanted to make the plaque fit in with that look. I also wanted to use some of my favourite things and a couple of new dies.

So I asked hubby to paint the wooden heart with the same cream paint as the furniture.

Ribbons and lace - Crafty ribbons

Sentiment - Kaisercraft rubon

Dies - Joy chandelier from Noor! Design UK, 

Tim Holtz clock, Doohickey feathers, La La land heart border

Butterflies - Prima

Bark hearts - Live and Love Crafts

Other - flowers, pearls, gauze

Challenges

(new items are wooden heart, bark hearts, chandelier and heart border dies)

Scribble and Scrap anything goes 

Sweet Stampin' New

Simon Says Monday Make new friends, keep the old (First time I have made such a big plaque) 

Natalie and Amy All things new 

Country View Use something new

Dies R Us Use something new 

Noor! Design UK With Love
Simon Says Something new

First layout of 2015

I am doing well with my crafting resolutions so far, mind you it is early days. I have so many photos I want to make into layouts and am so glad I have made a start this year. We went on a trip on the Hobo Railroad in New England. It is a typical old American steam train and the ride through the Autumn countryside was beautiful. I used MME papers, tree diecuts from Michaels, washi tape, Memory Box cloud and Cheery Lynn train dies. I really like the effect of using different alphabets.

Challenges 

Scrapology Great sketch 

Scribble and Scrap anything goes

Crafting from the heart anything goes 

Simon Says Monday Make new friends, keep the old (Getting back into scrapbooking again)

Papertake anything goes

Shabby chic bicycle

I have had this image stamped up for months and finally got round to using it with some bits and bobs of old papers as I promised I would with my new year's crafting resolutions. I love it and I am really pleased with the shabby chic look of this card.

Image - Dreamees

Medium - Copics

Papers -  from oddments pile

Flowers - Hobbycraft

Punch - Martha Stewart border

Other - lace, burlap, brads, pearls

Challenges

Sparkles anything goes 

Cute Card Thursday anything goes
ABC A for anything goes

Simon Says Monday Make new friends, keep the old (first time stamp has been used, old papers)

Crafting from the heart anything goes

Online

I love this cute image of James. He looks like he has either just made a mistake on his laptop or maybe he is thinking should I have ordered that? This would make a great card for somebody with a new job but I left it with no sentiment so it could be used for other occasions too.

Image - LOTV

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME

Die - Die-versions old suitcase

Other - pearls

Challenges

Sparkles anything goes 

Cute Card Thursday anything goes

Scribble and Scrap anything goes

Good friend tag

Another Little Claire sample using the new club stamp set Superwoman. I decided to make a large tag ad stamped onto Neenah Desert Storm card.

Image and sentiment  - Little Claire Superwoman

Medium - Copics

Tag - Prima

Ribbons - Crafty Ribbons

Other - burlap, flowers, raffia, leaf button

Challenges

Country View Use something new (stamp)

Sweet Stampin' New

New home

Well here we are back at A Gem of a Challenge with a new challenge. I must say it is good to get back into the normal routine with challenges. So our challenge this fortnight is Something new. I need to replenish my stock of all occasion cards so I went for a new home card using toadstool house. I decided to use the pre coloured digi with some old papers which I am working my way through. The sentiment was a mag freebie and I added some Crafty Ribbons ribbon, pearls and a Prima butterfly.

Challenges 

Natalie and Amy All things new

Superwoman!

The new club stamps from Little Claire feature 3 different female images. This one is superwoman and is such a fun image and a great sentiment.

Image - Little Claire Superwoman

Medium - Copics

Paper - Dovecraft Cupcake Boutique

Doily - Dovecraft Curiosity Corner

Other - lace, Prima butterfly

Challenges

Simon Says anything goes 

Country View use something new (stamp) 

Papertake Pick a fave (for Mum or a girlie)

Christmas decorations are all coming down today so time for a clean up afterwards. I love the decorations but once New Year is here I like to get the house back to normal.

Happy New Year with my 5 oops 7 favourite cards of 2014

Happy New Year everyone. I am here to play along with Debby's 5 favouite cards of 2014. I was very good with my Christmas choices and stuck to 5 but try as I might I just couldn't narrow this down to less than 7 and that was a struggle.

So my first card is one of my favourite Sugar Nellie images. I am pleased with my colouring and really like the simple layout with some of my fave doodling too.

I love vintage style cards and this is one I made for a friend. Great sentiment stamp too.

Another boy's card as I love making them and the vintage LOTV boys are some of my favourites. I love the colours and textures. Burlap is a great favourite of mine.

I learnt to zentangle this year and I really like it. I am very much a novice but should try it more. I love the colours of this card too of course.

I have been enjoying making more cas cards, harder than they look and was really pleased with the way this card turned out. 

Another vintage card using one of my fave Little Claire stamps. The silhouettes are so effective. This was one of the samples I made for them and somebody liked it so much I had to make a Valentine card just like it.

Lastly but certainly not least is this cute Pink Gem image. I chose this one as it was my first magazine commission for Making Cards. I am so lucky to have joined the Pink Gem DT and designing for magazines is a dream come true.

I look forward to checking out your favourites.