Mrs Owl

I have a really simple card to share with you today. have you seen all the new digis kits available at Pink Gem? They are so versatile as you can use them just as toppers as I have done on my card. Of course being digi you can size them as you please. I chose to make this one fairly large. I love the detail and didn't want to detract from the image. The paper is an old one and I simply added a two layer butterfly cut from some scraps and some pearls. The sentiment is part of the kit of A little owl told me.

Robin Pyramid

Well I am on a roll with a third Christmas card this week. Mind you this one is a sample so not one for my stock. It's a sneak peek of a new stamp which will be out in September at Stamposaurus. It is called robin pyramid and has been coloured with Copics. The papers are some from the old must use up pile, sentiment is LOTV. I added some Woodware punched holly with card candi and used a pearl pen and Stickles.

Challenges

Papertake glitter

  Creative Knockouts Tic tac toe (diagonal - stamp, sentiment, ribbon) 

Southern Girls Spots and dots 

Crafty Creations All creatures great and small 

Totally Tilda and friendsanimal antics 

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' cute

Craft fair today and then out for a meal with friends this evening.  Welcome to my new followers, hope you will pop by and leave me some comment on a regular basis, I love to see you x

sWEEt

I have several of these darling Hobby House Wee toppers and as much as I love to colour I also love using pre coloured images. I would never make enough cards for my fairs if I coloured them all. 

Image - Hobby House Wee diecut topper

Papers - Kaisercraft Dear Santa

Sentiment - LOTV

Other - doily, wooden snowflakes coloured with DI Vintage Photo, Stickles, pearl pen and ribbon

Challenges

Friday Sketch challenge great sketch
Craftyhazelnut Diecut or punched (diecut topper) 

The Cutie Pie Layer it up 

Papertake Glitter

Fab n Funky Christmas

Still time to enter my candy.

Snails and butterflies

It's anything Sugar Nellie goes again for the new challenge at The Sugar Bowl. Lovely Sugar Nellie prizes to be won so please join in this month. We would love to see your Sugar.

Image - No Shell Like Home from Funky Kits (Mine is the stamp but you can buy the digi)

Medium - Copics

Papers - Bo Bunny C'est La Vie

Dies - Memory Box snail and butterflies

Punch - corner rounder

Other - pearls and Wink of Stella pen on her wings

Challenges

TTCRD anything goes
In the Pink Things with wings
Penny's anything goes
Creative Moments anything goes
Crafty Creations all creatures great and small
Creative Inspirations Pastel shades

Please scroll up for my candy page and down for my DT layouts for Crafty Ribbons.

Cruisin'

Something for the men is the new challenge at Crafty Ribbons and for my DT project I decided to do a double scrapbook layout. Ever since the retro car ribbons were launched I have wanted to use them with the American car photos I had waiting to be scrapped. The photos were taken at the Saturday night car cruise in Kisimmee, Florida.  Layouts look so much better in real life than on my blog which is a bit frustrating. I wanted the pages to be a mirror image of each other which was harder to work out than you would think. I used different colour card though, both of which have been sanded.

This page is much brighter in real life. I used some Inkylicious splodges as I thought they looked like oil. Mind you there are no oil leaks where these beauties are concerned.

Check out what the rest of the team have made. A few of them also went for these fab retro ribbons on their projects.

Challenges

Papertake Take your pick (Blue and green)

TTCRD anything goes

Back in an hour with my DT card for The Sugar Bowl.

So Fun

Well I am back as promised and this is bound to make you smile. The photo was taken on a computer grahics programme at EPCOT, Disneyworld the first time we visited. You take a photo and then add your accessories. We had such a fun time. Of course my accessories had to be mainly purple. Hubby went for the pirate look. I used backing paper from Santoro and papers, journal and stickers from a Grace Taylor Happy Days Scrapbook Kit as well as a couple of Disney stickers and some enamel dots. 

Scrapbooking is so much fun, if you haven't tried it I would urge you to have a go. Some of my earlier pages now look too busy to me but like everything it is a learning curve and your style changes over time.

Challenges

Stuck? 1 May sketch 

Scribble and Scrap anything goes 

As you like it favourite decade/period of your life (there are so many to choose from but I have chosen our holidays in Florida as there is much to do and you can have so much fun in the theme parks, like being a child again)

Please scroll down for this morning's card and up for my candy page.

Pudding?

This is the first of 2 Christmas cads on my blog this week. I am further ahead with them than usual which is good but will still need a lot more so can't let up on them. I have so many charms and I really mean to use them more often. After all I bought them to use, not hoard!

Image - Crafter's Companion

Medium - Copics

Papers - Bo Bunny Father Christmas

Punches - Woodware holly, Martha Stewart simple scalloped border

Flowers, brad, baker's twine and charm from stash

Challenges

Winter Wonderland festive food 

Craftyhazelnut Diecut or punch 

Totally Tilda and friends animal antics 

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' Cute Christmas

I will be back later with a fun scrapbook layout. I am sure it will make you smile so please hop back.

Lad about town

I had a lovely crafting day yesterday, making cards and doing some scrapbook layouts as well as scheduling several blog posts. I find it easier and quicker to do several at a time and have all my dates on a white board in my craft room. I mark those that are scheduled and I can see at a glance which days are left to fill. I have sheets with all my DT work hanging in front of my desk and these are marked off as I make them.

So onto today's cute card. The colours were inspired by a colour challenge at Fiskarettes UK on Facebook. I went for a distressed look with sanded Core'dinations and distressed edges.

Image - Little Miss Muffet Tenn

Medium - Copics

Paper - K&Co Hopscotch

Dies - Tim Holtz hexagon border, MFT mobile phone from the cute cameras set

Punches - Woodware and Fiskars stars

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

Challenges

Little Miss Muffet anything goes 

Scribble and Scrap anything goes 

Allsorts Happy Birthday 

Crafting from the heart anything goes

Still time to enter my candy, see candy page.

Get Well Bouquet

This would cheer up anyone who was poorly wouldn't it, Jenny Bear bringing you a bunch of flowers.

Image - LOTV art pad

Paper - LOTV Beach Bliss

Dies - Spellbinders labels 10, Go Kreate circle

Sentiment - LOTV

Punch - MS deep border

Flowers, wooden butterfly and enamel dots from stash

Challenges

Bizzy Becs anything goes
Totally Tilda and friends Animal antics
Deep Ocean Middle row of colours

Hubby is volunteering all day at the National Powerboat Championships. He drives one of the rescue boats there. I will be spending a happy day at home mainly in my craftroom. Enjoy your day.

Wedding hearts

I have a Wedding card to share with you today. It seems that Wedding season is here as I haven't sold a Wedding card at a fair for a while and then last Friday I sold 2 so best get making some more. I really like this Inylicious stamp which I cut out with a Spellbinders heart circle. The lovely ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons.

Challenges

Papertake With a heart 

The Paper Shelter roses 

Die Cuttin' Divas Water a flower day 

Creative Inspirations anything goes 

Stamping Sensations flower power 

Sparkles Spring (min 5 flowers)

We have been busy getting the garden into shape for Summer. We had so many forget me nots which looked lovely but were just starting to die off so they have all come out meaning we can see the gaps. Have been out to the garden centres and we are busy planting and weeding.

Wooden doorhanger

New challenge day at A Gem of a Challenge and we have the lovely easy challenge of flowers for you this fortnight. I decided to do something different as I had some wooden doorhangers I wanted to decorate to sell. The hanger was painted with cream eggshell and I used Chloe with daisy coloured with Copics, a MS border punch and EK Success flower punches. I kept it quite simple as I didn't want to detract from the sweet image and I don't think you want a doorhanger too fussy either. This sold at the first craft fair I took it to the other day.

Challenges

Everybody Art not angular 

Getting ready

I couldn't tell you how long ago I bought this sweet stamp but it was a long time ago and although she was inked up she had never been coloured. Time to change that I thought and I love the way this card turned out. I was deciding how to embellish it and once I saw the dies in my collection I knew they would be perfect to turn the card into a dressing room. I couldn't resist a bit of faux stitching.

Image - Sugar Nellie Mirror Mirror from Funky Kits

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Always and Forever

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

Dies - Memory Box

Seam binding and princess crown button from stash

Challenges

Totally Tilda and friends Pink princess 

In the pink stitching 

Scribble and Scrap anything goes 

Sketch Saturday Squirrel's Antiques Roadshow (old stamp)


Have you entered my candy yet? See candy page above.

Beach Huts

I recently bought a few new 6x6 embossing folders. I love these sweet beach huts and used sanded Core'dinations with the embossing folder. The Crafty Ribbons ribbon matches perfectly and I really like the effect of the Spellbinders curved border die. I added a couple of MFT diecuts and baker's twine. A simple card but effective I think.

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl Aqua

Hello little bee

Penny Black hedgie day today. You know I love these and they are so easy and such fun to colour. I love this image for a new home card.

Image - Penny Black

Medium - Copics

papers - MME

Dies - Spellbinders

Sentiment - LOTV

Flowers and brad from stash

Challenges

Penny Black Trees or nature 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts dies and punches 

The Cutie Pie Layer it up

Top Tip Tuesday animals

Upcycling

I thought I would share these upcycled projects with you today. They were a commission for the June edition of Cardmaking and Papercrafts Magazine using old song sheets. You could also use musical papers of course. The ribbon and lace are from Crafty Ribbons, flower made with a Go Kreate die.

View of the top, cherry blossom from Wild Orchid.

Challenges

Die Cuttin' Divas Water a flower day 

Crafting by Designs flowers 

Cute Card Thursday lovely lace 

Noor! Design UK flowers

  The bouquet was made with a Spellbinders scalloped die. I cut the circle, wrapped it around the flowers which I had wired together and then cut off the excess paper. Same ribbon and Memory Box die cut butterflies.

Challenges 

Everybody Art not angular 

 

I bought the Fiskars quote sentiments in America and they were perfect for the project. I use a Go Kreate die, flowers and bow from Hobbycraft.

Challenges

Bunny Zoe buttons and bows

Please scroll down for today's card and up to my candy page to enter my candy.

Dragonflies

You may remember a card on my blog a couple of weeks ago using one of the LOTV backgrounds. Well I loved it so I made another but this time using the dragonfly carte postale background. I used DI Antique Linen and just added a little colour to the flowers with Copics. A real shabby chic distressed look using my TH distress tool. The papers are Prima, dragonflies made with a Memory Box die and sanded core'dinations, the corner was made with a Marianne die. (Do you know how hard it is for me to type those two words together!)

Challenges

Creative Inspirations shabby chic 

Bizzy Becs anything goes

Sweet Tea

Regular readers will know that I love all things Gorjuss but I had been resisting buying any of the new stamps. However when I went to The Range last week, my first visit for a while I was amazed t find these were 3 for £10. Who could resist that bargain. This one was perfect for paper piecing.

Image - Docrafts Gorjuss Sweet Tea

Medium - Copics

Papers Dovecraft Cupcake Boutique and oddments

Sentiment - Kraftyhands

Die - MFT Jumbo Ric Rac

Punch - MS simple scallop border

Flowers, doily and pearls from stash

Challenges

Scribble and Scrap anything goes 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts Dies and punches 

The Cutie Pie Layer it up

Crafting for all seasons Birthday with 4 of something (4 flowers)

Commissioned card

I have another commissioned Wedding card to share with you today. I was asked to use this Cheery Lynn diecut with a colour scheme of pearly white and grey. I have blanked out the names for my blog. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons, paper Craftwork Cards, roses from America, pearl sprays from Wild Orchid and the butterfly is Prima,

Challenges

Everybody Art Wedding 

TTCRD anything goes

Please scroll down for my scrapbook layout earlier today and scroll up to enter my candy.

Sweet Dreams

Yes another scrapbook layout to share with you today. This is one of my favourites of my recent makes. I do love tearing and distressing. The bottom photo shows our bedroom as it used to be and the top 2 photos as it is now. Hubby painted all the old pine furniture a lovely cream and varnished the tops. The top photo shows the true wall colour, it looks lighter in the second one as the light is coming in. I fell in loe with the bedlinen when we were away in the Cotswolds as I spotted it on a bed in a shop window. The other set we have is completely different. It is from Next and is white with grey writing eg the pillows say My side.

For my page I used a Grace Taylor set and added wooden words, hearts and chandelier and a die cut Eiffel tower to match the bed linen.

I am hoping for a day out today but I have a card scheduled for this afternoon so please hop back.

In the forest

Our new challenge starts today at Little Claire and our theme is outdoors. What a great opportunity to make a Christmas card I thought abd decided to create a little woodland scene. Of course you can make a card for any season as long as your image is outdoors.

Image - Little Claire A little bird told me

Medium - Copics

Papers - old papers from my pile of scraps

Dies - Memory Box deer, Cottage Cutz birdbath, Inpression Obsessions birch trees, Spellbinders

Other - scrim from B&Q, pearl pen, Stickles

Challenges

Squirrel's Antiques Roadshow (old stamp and papers) 

Country View Simply scenic 

Scribble and Scrap anything goes 

Crafting Musketeers Use a die cut 

Crafty Calendar Things with wings

Kittens

I was lucky enough to win this sweet stamp on Facebook from Handmade Bliss. It stamps beautifully and I really enjoyed colouring her. It comes with 3 kittens in different poses.

Image - Wplus9 pick of the litter

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME from various pads

Die - Memory Box kittens

Sentiment - mag freebie

Pearls and bow from stash

Challenges

Handmade Bliss anything goes using one of their product range

Scribble and Scrap anything goes 

Bizzy Becs anything goes

I have two dayswith my craft stall at the hospital this month, today and Monday so I shall be back this evening to link up and catch up.

Don't forget to enter my candy, see the post above x

Basket of flowers

In my efforts to use more of those unused digis here is one which has been sitting on my laptop for quite some time yet she is so cute. I loved colouring her and tried some different colour combinations. My favourite colours often run out and yet I have some Copics which have hardly, if ever, been used so I am experimenting more.

Image - Di's Digis Izzy's Stroll

Medium - Copics

Paper - MME Sky's The Limit

Dies - Go Kreate Frilly Squares 10, Memory Box cherry blossom

Punches - Woodware leaves

Other - wooden flowers and pearls

Challenges

Di's Digis load on the flowers 

Sweet Stampin' Spring flowers 

The Ribbon Girl Shaped card with an image 

Deep Ocean Flowers 

Noor! Design UK Flowers 

TTCRD Anything goes 

Papertake In the garden

Crafting by Designs flowers

Meant To Be

This card was made for Cardmaking and Papercraft online blog. What better image for an engagement card than a LOTV couple. I am really pleased with my colouring on this one as black hair isn't easy.

Image - LOTV Meant To Be

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Antebellum

Punch - Hobbycraft folk heart

Sentiment - computer generated

Other - Wedding votive and bow from Hobbycraft

Challenges

Bizzy Becs anything goes 

Sister Act anything goes

Yummy berries

The first of 2 Christmas cards this week and isn't this a cute scene. As you know I love the PB hedgies and they are so easy to colour. I wanted to give the tress a frosty rather than a snowy look so I added glue and glitter and then wipes some of it off. A bit messy to do but it gave me the effect I wanted.

Image - Penny Black

Medium - Copics

Papers - old mag freebies

Dies - Nellie Snellen oval, CC Designs grass, Doohickey slender firs and fence

Punch - Woodware holly

Sentiment - Hobbycraft

Challenges

Penny Black trees or nature 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts dies and punches

Winter Wonderland Oh Christmas Tree 

Allsorts at least 3 die cuts 

Country View simply scenic 

Natalie and Amy animals 

Paper Creators animals 

Baby Elephant

I bought this Woodware stamp at Ally Pally and thought it was time I used him. He is a great stamp for paper piecing. We all have so many odd pieces of paper and I do throw a lot away as I will never use them all. However I keep a small stack of some mainly for banners and paper piecing. The other papers are First Edition It's a Boy. The sentiment is part of the stamp set and I added some lace, flowers, brads, buttons, baker's twine and pearls. I found the little blue elephant button in my collection, wasn't that a lucky find.

Challenges

Deep Ocean flowers 

The Paper Shelter lace 

Cute Card Thursday add a brad (metallic brads in centre of flowers) 

Di's Digis load on the flowers 

Natalie and Amy animals 

Scrap and Craft lace and pearls

LOTV Birthday Party

Hubby was feeling poorly yesterday with a stomach bug but he is much better today thankfully. Unfortunately I now have it so we won't be going far again today.

This is my second inspirational piece for LOTV for May and I went for something different. I wanted to show how you can use the art pads, papers or stamps on a scrapbook layout. I used one of the sweet James art pads which would be a perfect one to use on any celebration page. I knew I would make a layout so I kept one of the flyers from the shop. I cut this so that I could use part of it on the blank banner on the art pad page.

I had such a lovely morning there this year and one year on seems a good day to post this page. Hubby and I stayed in Harrogate and Lynsey drove up to spend the morning with me and we met up again with hubby for lunch. The other photos show me with Debby and Gretha. The blue paper is K&Co, aqua papers are LOTV up, up and away and the balloon is a Marianne die, bunting from Dovecraft.

Challenges

Papertake anything goes

Creative Inspirations Birthday 

Bizzy Becs Anything goes

Thoughtful

Our new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge is more than one fold. I love making easel cards, they are definitely my favourite fancy fold card and they go well at craft fairs too. It is no secret that I love the vintage Pink Gem images, well I love all the PG images actually. The vintage images are so lovely to colour and great for practicing hair and skin. Sophie definitely looks like she has a lot to think about doesn't she.

Image - Sophie

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTv Beach Bliss

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

Butterflies - Poundland

Other - seam binding, pearls and flowers from stash

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl female 

Crafting by designs anything goes 

Crafty Calendar Things with wings 

The ABC Challenge I to inspire us 

Papertake anything goes

Creative Card Crew fancy folds

Creative Inspirations Birthday

 Check out all the gorgeous cards from the rest of the DT and come join in the fun and don't forget to enter my candy.

Have you heard?

Another Sugar Nellie image today and a rather cas card too. I really enjoy making this style of card. I love embellishments but I do find some cards rather too frou frou for my taste. I like to enhance the image not overshadow it. Still each to their own. 

I tried 2 colour wings for the first time and I am really pleased with the effect. I use 2 shades of pink and 2 of blue and added some sparkle with a Wink of Stella pen. Unfortunately that never shows up very well in a photo.

Image - Sugar Nellie A Little bit of Gossip

Medium - Copics

Papers - Bo Bunny C'est La Vie

Die- Memory Box butterflies

Other - doily, Wink of Stella clear pen, pearls

Challenges

Chocolate, coffee and cards Spring has sprung 

Allsorts April showers bring May flowers 

The Ribbon Girl female 

Crafty Calendar Things with wings 

Without Words Pink, blue and yellow option flowers 

Stamping Sensations flower power
Papertake anything goes
Deep Ocean flowers

Have you entered my candy?

Can I keep this card?

Oh dear this is going to be a hard card to sell as I love it so much. Daisy is one of the first stamps I bought 7 or 8 years ago and I would never part with her. She is one of the stamps which started my love of Sugar Nellie stamps, a love you know I still have today. Added to that it is purple with several embellishments and it is all I need in a card.

Image - Sugar Nellie Daisy by Elisabeth Bell

Medium - Copics

Papers - very old Papermania capsule heather and aqua packs

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Other - metal embellishments, enamel dots and roses from stash.

Did you play along with Squirrel's penguin and snowman challenges last year? well she has a new challenge antiques roadshow. Yes use some of your oldest stash. What a great idea. I am trying to use up old papers some of the time rather than reaching for the new pads and as for inking up old stamps, what a joy to use them again.

Challenges

Squirrel Antiques roadhsow 

The Ribbon Girl female 

Elisabeth Bell's World Spring 

Noor! Design UK flowers 

Stamping Sensations flower power 

Allsorts April showers bring May flowers 

Fussy and fancy lots of flowers
Papertake anything goes

Deep Ocean Flowers

Have you entered my candy yet, see page above.

Mono Cats

New digi challenge day at Little Claire and this month we want to see your mono cards. I decided to go for black and white as I wanted to use swirly whirly cats and a sheet of the new black and white paper from Little Claire. I added black raffia lace, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, enamel dots and paper and crochet flowers.

Challenges

Natalie and Amy animals 

Paper Creators aniamls 

Allsorts April showers bring May flowers

Sweet Stampin' Inspired by a book or film (The Aristocats)

Crafting when we can for a couple
Papertake anything goes
I have some candy on offer so please check out my candy page above.

In the line of fire

Time for another Christmas card, really need to get more made. I kept this card very simple using one of my new Embossalicious embossing folders. The image is by Mo Manning for Stamping Bella and is called Valerie with snowball. She has been coloured with Copics and I added lots of Stickles and pearl pen dots. So for embellishment I used ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and a couple of Joy snowflakes dies with white glitter card.

Challenges

Winter Wonderland clean and simple 

Graph'It ribbon or lace 

The Ribbon Girl female 

Fab n Funky Christmas 

As You Like it Favourite embossing (I love both types equally. Embossing folders are quicker and do give a great effect.) 

Handmade Bliss Anything goes using a range they sell

I have some candy on offer so please check out my candy page above.

Girly trainers

Some of you will have seen the red, white and blue trainer card on my blog last week. There are 2 sizes of trainer in the stamp set and I made a girly card for my second one using the smaller trainer. I masked it off (a first for me, yes I know!) and made a pair. I wanted to make them pale pink and white with just a bit of bling.

Image - Stamposaurus

Medium - Copics, Sakura Rose Star pen

Papers - LOTV

Dies - Joana Sheen trainers, Spellbinders labels

Other - star punches and pearls

Challenges

Top Tip Tuesday Duo (pair of trainers) 

Sister Act anything goes

Hubby has gone out for the day as he volunteers driving a rescue boat for the powerboat club. The racing starts at 12 but he has to be there earlier to get the rescue boats out and set up the course. I shall be spending a lovely day at home mainly crafting and blogging.

This old house and some exciting news

Lynsey and I had a lovely and productive day on Friday. I made 4 scrapbook layouts and here are 2 of them. The photos are from our previous house which was a 1930's semi, very different to our modern detached house we now live in.

I used some sanded embossed Coreinations, Gorjuss Girls paper, patterned burlap bought in America and kraft paper house and flowers from Hobbycraft.

This was the new kitchen we had put it. Isn't it narrow? The kitchen had been extended so it must have been very tiny originally.  We really liked it at the time but that was 28 years ago so it seems dark and dated now. I played around with shapes for the paper using appropriately enough a couple of plates to cut the large circles. I added washi tape and used a Joy cuckoo clock die.

And my exciting news ........... I am now a permanent DT member at The Sugar Bowl, yippee. Watch out for some candy soon, probably tomorrow.

I could have danced all night

Isn't this a fabulous new silhouette stamp from Little Claire. The sentiment comes with the image too. I have used Bo Bunny Head Over Heels paper, wooden chandelier, black raffia lace, La La Land heart border die and a bow.

Challenges

Crafting when we can for a couple
Sweet Stampin' Inspired by a book or film (The song comes from the film The King and I)

I will be back shortly with a couple of scrapbook layouts and some news.

Vintage LOTV

This is the first of my cards as part of the new Lili of the Valley Design Collective and I have gone for a vintage look for this one. I decided to just colour the rose and distress the edges.

Image - LOTV Background bits old romance

Medium - Copics

Paper _ Prima

Lace - Crafty Ribbons

Dies _ Marianne corner, Doohickey feathers

Other - DI Vintage Photo, sanded Core'dinations, pearls

Challenges

Crafting by designs anything goes 

Scribble and scrap anything goes

Little Claire Project For You

Today it is my turn to post a project on the Little Claire and as this is the 1st of the month meaning a new club stamp set is launched I used one of the 2 new stamps. I love these silhouettes.

Image and sentiment - Little Claire For You

Papers - oddments

Dies - Spellbinders wonky squares and flutter tree, Memory Box kittens

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Challenges

Creative Inspirations cute critters

I am looking forward to a day scrapbooking with Lynsey today. Hoping to produce a few layouts amidst the chat.