It's that man again!

This is the last of the three cards I made for Making Cards using Mauric images from Little Miss Muffet. I have used this image several times as it has proven to be very popular. A great image for a camera lover. 

Image - Maurice say cheese

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Country Gent

Sentiments - LOTV

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Die - MFT cute camera

Challenges

Deep Ocean for the boys 

Creative Inspirations anything goes 

Little Miss Muffet one for the boys

Hubby is off out midmorning and won't be back until later this evening as he is volunteering driving one of the rescue boats at the powerboat meeting. Being a bank holiday it is a big meeting and as regular readers will know it doesn't interest me at all and it is going to pour with rain all day so I will mainly be in my craft room today.

Purple Santa

Doesn't Santa look fabulous in his purple suit. When I saw this new digi kit from Janet at Pink Gem I couldn't wait to get it and make a card. I love resizing the front page and just using that as a topper as I don't like cutting out decoupage. For those that do of course you can layer up the image. I prefer to layer with papers and embellies. I sprayed the topper with silver spray and sparkle and used a shaped card and oddments of papers with ribbon from Crafty Ribbons.The sleigh die is one I bought recently and I used Marianne poinsettia dies too. I also used a Martha Stewart star border punch. I still love my MS border punches and use them quite a bit. 

Challenges

Bunny Zoe shaped card 

Papertake Take your pick (purple) 

ABC Christmas Q for quantum leap (E for edging punch or die)

Do you wanna build a snowman?

It's my turn to host the new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge and I have chosen "Do you wanna build a snowman". Regular readers will know I love snowmen and I love to encourage people to make their Christmas cards early. I tend to colour images like this in non traditional colours so I challenged myself to use red and green instead.

Image - Pink Gem Angelica with snowman

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Festive Trimmings

Dies - Doohickey slender firs, MFT pierced rectangles

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Challenges 

ABC Christmas Q for quantum leap (choose a previous challenge - C for colourful)

Happy Birthday Hedgie

I coudn't think of a clever title for this one, so here is a hedgie wishing Happy Birthday. I do love PB hedgies and they are so quick to colour too.

Image - Penny Black Country Lady!

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME the sweetest thing tangerine

Sentiment - LOTV grunge

Die - Spellbinders

Punches - EK success and Xcut flowers

Challenges

Penny Black hot summer colours 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts summer flowers 

Country View Summertime 

Allsorts roses

Have you entered my candy yet?

Boots

It's new challenge day at The Sugar Bowl and once again our challenge is anything goes as long as you use a stamp from Funky Kits. I made this card for a friend's daughter's 12th Birthday as she has 2 little dogs and they are a very fussy family so I could imagine the dogs having boots to keep their paws clean.

Image - Sugar Nellie Little Boots

Papers - LOTV Sunny Side Up (I used one of my scraps for the paper pieced boots)

Die - Impression Obsession puppies

Punch - MS cherish border

Hearts - Simon Says

Ribbon from stash

Challenges

Inky Chicks hearts

The Cutie Pie cute and girly 

Papertake take your pick (blue)

Have you entered my candy yet?

Heart boxes

More decorated gifts for my craft stall. I bought these wooden heart boxes and hubby painted them for me. The ribbon and lace are from Crafty Ribbons and I added various flowers, pearl sprays and pearls. I am hoping these will sell quickly so I can make some more as I think they are really pretty.

Challenges

Papertake Take your pick (lilac and purple for the box on the left) 

Creative Card Crew lace 

Inky chicks hearts 

Allsorts roses

Back to school

Not long now until the children go back to school though I know in Scotland they are already back. I printed out this cute Sassy Cheryl image from paper Creator's and used Prima Youth papers and some punched stars which had been run through my paper crimper.

Challenges

Cute Card Thursday back to school 

Bizzy Becs anything goes

Short and sweet post today but I will be back later with another post.

Penguin selfie

Another sneak peek today of one of the cute new penguin images from LOTV. These trios are so versatile as you can choose to use 1,2 or all 3 on a card. I loved the idea of a selfie so used an MFT polaroid frame die. The image has been coloured with Copics and I used a new dark pink wink of stella pen for the for on the hat. The papers are some old Dovecraft Christmas fancy ones and the ribbon is one from last years Crafty Ribbons range. The snowflakes were cut from glitter card using a Memory Box and Simon Says dies. The snow was made using a pearl pen.

Challenges

Sweet Stampin' Spots and/or stripes 

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' Penguins and/or polar bears 

CCAYR Snowflakes 

Handmade Bliss anything goes using one of the products they sell (MFT dies) 

ABC P is for pretty in pink 

In the Pink Fly away 

ABC Christmas Q for quantum leap (choose a previous challenge - D for diecuts)

Scary thought 4 months today is Christmas Day!

Give yourself the chance to get a present, enter my candy, see post above.

Beach Huts

I love to try different ideas for things to sell on my craft stall and recently bought some wooden hearts from a supplier I hadn't used before, MDF Craft Supplies. I was very impressed with their product, prices, free delivery and service and when I saw the wooden beach huts for sale I decided to get some to decorate. I wanted to make them lok just like beach huts so of course I had to use striped papers. The papers are an assortment from my Christmas odds and ends. I sand the edges lightly and use Distress Ink.cut the doors from card and on the first one I sanded the Core'dinations. I added tiny buttons for door handles and used theMemory Box bunting die with paper scraps.

I raided my scrapbook stash and added the name and chair from some Bo Bunny diecuts. I made the bucket and spade using Memory Box garden tool dies. I added string as I wanted to keep the rustic feel.

The balcony for this one was mad with a Memory Box garden fence die. I cut off the railings.

For the last one I used garden pot and plant dies. I cut the plant down to suit the size of the beach hut.

It just shows how versatile dies can be if you think outside the box a little.

Challenges

Country View Summertime 

Dies R Us The Great Outdoors

Have you entered my candy?

I caught a fish

This is the second of three Maurice cards I made for Making Cards magazine. These are such great images. They were originally from Pollycraft but now available at Little Miss Muffet. Maurice has been coloured with Copics and the papers are LOTV Country Gent. Sentiment tickets are also LOTV, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and I added a large button and baker's twine and glossy accents to his glasses of course.

Challenges

Little Miss Muffet anything goes

Sister Act anything goes 

Sweet Stampin' spots and/or stripes

Fussy and Fancy Birthdays

 Have you entered my candy, see above?

And another commissioned Wedding card

I have never had so many Wedding card commissions as I have had this year and this one is for my Mum's next door neighbours. They love their garden so I was asked for a very floral card.

Main Sentiment - Inkylicious

Papers - LOTV Always and Forever

Dies - MFT in and out stitched rounded squares and pierced fishtails

Pearl sprays - Wild Orchid Crafts

Other - flowers, pearl hearts, wooden butterflies and pearls

Challenges

Scrap and Craft Wedding 

Penny Black and More at Allsorts Summer flowers 

Papertake To die for 

Die Cuttin Divas Celebrate it 

The Ribbon Girl Pink
Handmade Bliss anything goes

Have you entered my candy?

We are out tonight for a meal and the theatre to see The Simon and Garfunkel Story. We saw it last year and it was absolutely brilliant so looking forward to seeing it again.

Happy Birthday Mum

Today is my Mum's Birthday and this is the card I made for her. I am still just dipping into Pinterest for a few minutes at a time and I saw a similar idea for a scrapbook page. I like to make something a little different for my Mum and I thought this idea could also be used for a card. I love the way it turned out and will be making some more of these. I have used one of the LOTV art pads and LOTV Timeless Victorian paper. The lace is from Crafty Ribbons and I added some Wild Orchid flowers and a couple of die cut corners using a Sizzix die.

Challenges

Allsorts Favourite colour (purple) 

Papertake to die for 

Country View Summertime 

Dies R Us The Great Outdoors
Creative Card Crew Lace
Creative Inspirations flowers

See above post for my candy. I also have some craft stash for sale in an album on my Facebook page.

We went out for a lovely meal last night with friends and today we are going to visit my friend Lynsey and her daughter for coffee before a trip to Sprinkle Twinkle, the best craft shop in Norfolk. Then lunch and back to Norwich for food shopping.

Heavenly

I bought ten of the latest Christmas launch from LOTV and am gradually working my way through them. I have a lovely stock of Christmas cards to sell and my stock of cards to send is buidling up nicely too.

Image - LOTV Heavenly Christmas

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Winter Wishes

Sentiment - LOTV Grunge Christmas

Die - Joanna Sheen signature

Other - Sakura gold star pen, Wink of Stella clear pen

Challenges

Die Cuttin Divas Celebrate it 

Papertake To die for

 Live and Love Crafts Blue

Have you entered my candy yet?

A trio of elves sneak peek

Here's a sneak peek of some new stamps coming end of August or beginning of September from LOTV. Each stamp features a trio and they are all sooooooo cute.

Image - LOTV Elves trio

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Festive Trimmings

Sentiment - LOTV Grunge Christmas

Holly die - Memory Box

Other - square doily from Ebay, red pearls, Stickles

Challenges

Noor! Design UK Christmas 

Graph'it Colour challenge 

Craftyhazelnut Something old (MB die) 

Pile it on Bright colours 

Papertake To die for 

Die Cuttin Divas Celebrate it

In case you haven't seen the post at the top I am celebrating the fact that I am now on the Design Team at Papercraft Inspirations magazine. Please check out the post and enter my candy.

City gent

I made three cards featuring Maurice for Making Cards Magazine and this is the first one I am sharing with you.

Image - Pollycraft Maurice ready for business (now available from Little Miss Muffet)

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Country Gent

Dies - MFT skyline border, Die-versions old suitcase

Punch - sngle hole punch to make the notepaper edge

Other - glossy accents, pearls

Challenges

Little Miss Muffet anything goes
Bizzy Becs anything goes
Paper Creators Dies and/or punches
Handmade Bliss Anything goes (use on of their products - MFT die)

I didn't sleep very well Sunday night and was up early yesterday to get to the hospital for my craft stall. So last night I was very tired and went to bed at 10pm. Even too tired to look at iPad very much so hoping to catch up on some commenting today.

Chalkboard for Making Cards

This is the first, and my favourite, of three cards I made for Making Cards magazine using the Craftwork Cards Chalkboard set.. I love this set and they make really effective cards. The bicycle is printed on the paper so I added some flowers made with Lea'bilitie dies and added pearls to the flowers on the bike. The tag and bow are part of the kit and I threaded the tag with baker's twine.

For this one I added some ribbon, baker's twine and pearls. The bicylce was made with a Marianne die and the flowers, sentiment and butterfly are from the kit.

And finally

 I used two papers and a sentiment from the kit, added a butterfly cut using two Memory Box dies and some pearls.

It's my day for selling my cards and gifts at the hospital today so an early start for me today.

One of my fave Little Claire stamps

My DT card for the new challenge at Little Claire which is Christmas in August. I just love this stamp  a little bird told me which actually comes with a Birthday sentiment so I used on of the new dinkie test stamps. At £2 these are great value as you get 3 sentiments on one stamp set. I used Little Claire snowy ombre and mini Christmas quilts papers with some die cut trees, Stickles and a pearl pen. I hope you will join in the fun this month to win  lovely prize.

Challenges

Stamping Sensations anything goes with a stamp and a die 

The Cutie Pie cute and girly
Craftyhazelnut Something old (the Dee's tree die)
Allsorts Favourite colour (my favourite colour for Christmas is blue)

Off out for the day to the Lions Club Motor Show which has lots more going on than just cars and is all for good causes. Hope it stays dry. Enjoy your day x

Shopping

One for the girls is our new challenge today at A Gem of a Challenge, a popular challenge I am sure. I went for a shabby chic look and love the colour combo. For change I decided to paper piece her dress with a paper scrap and love how it turned out.

Image - Shopping Emma

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Timeless Victorian

Die Doohickey love lamppost

Lace - Crafty Ribbons

Challenges

Paper Creator's Dies and/or punches 

Stamping Sensations anything goes with a stamp and a die
Cute Card Thursday anything goes
The Cutie Pie cute and girly
Bizzy Becs anything goes

Another commissioned Wedding card and some exciting news

I have had more orders for Wedding cards this year than for any other. Pinks were requested for this one and this has to be one of my favourite Wedding cards I have made recently. I used DI Spun Sugar and distressing tool around all the edges. I decided to colour the groom's suit burgundy for a change and I really like it.

Image - LOTV

Papers - LOTV Romance and Roses

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Die - Marianne church with sanded Core'dinations

Wooden heart - Ebay

Flowers - Wild Orchid and The Ribbon Girl

Other - raffia lace, pearl heart, Wink of Stella pen on the veil and wooden heart, pearl pen

Challenges

Top Tip Tuesday Ribbon and pearls 

Allsorts Inspired by Summer 

Pile it on Summer or Winter 

Country View Summertime 

Scrap and Craft Wedding

In the pink anything goes;

And my exciting news is that I have a commission to design for another magazine so I am hoping this will lead to regular commissions from them. I was also asked if I would like to demonstrate at a Norfolk craft shop. I had a long chat with the owner but I really feel it would be too much. The shop is 44 miles away and I would need to be there from 9-5. I would have to make samples with the products they send me ready to demo. It was lovely to be asked but I don't want to take on such a big commitment. I love the magazine work as I can do that at home at times that suit me.

Off for breast screening this morning and then visiting my Mum this afternoon after a trip to The Range and a huge new Next store.

An apron

This is my second inspiration card for LOTV for August. I have seen a few of this shaped card about and decided to have a go at making one. I would normally make the opening at the bottom but as the shleves in the LOTV shop are a bit slippery we have been asked to make our samples side opening. 

This shows off the ribbon better. I used a Xcut oval die to make the shape and used a smaller oval die for the pocket.

Friendship recipe stamp and Sunny Side Up papers - LOTV

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Dies - Joy

wooden apple and cherries - Ally Pally show

Kitchen utensils - chipboard freebies with mag ages ago

Challenges

Bizzy Becs anything goes

Bunny Zoe shaped cards 

Crafting from the heart anything goes 

The Paper Shelter ribbon and/or lace

Freddy Fox

Every day there seem to be more gorgeous and fun digis from Pink Gem and I couldn't wait to use this one. Please scroll down for this morning's cards.

Image and setiment - Pink Gem Christmas Freddy cad topper digi kit

Papers - Crafter's Companion the Snowman

Die - Die'sire icicles with white glitter card

Other - foam snowflakes and enamel stars from America

Challenges

Sketch Saturday
CCAYR snowflakes 

Noor! Design UK Christmas 

Crafting from the heart anything goes 

Pile it on Summer or Winter 

The Ribbon Girl anything goes with an image 

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas something beginning with S (snowflakes and snow)

Inspired by Pinterest

Many of you will know that I recently joined Pinterest. After resisting for a long time I finally gave in and I am so glad I did. I had resisted because I was worried that I would spend too long browsing on it but I have found it so useful to dip in and out of just for a few minutes at a time and there is so much inspiration there. It has taken me some time to add lots of my cards on there but now I have done that I am away.

So these two cards were inspired by a card I saw on there using paint sample strips. I love that you can take somebody's idea and make it your own just like browsing blogs really. A trip to Homebase provided me with the paint strips. I had to cut off the wording and decided to use two strips on my 5" square cards. The sentiments are Little Claire dinkies and I used Memory Box and a Crafts Too butterfly die with some scraps of white card.

Camping

Would you believe that on Friday I arrived home to find this lovely new stamp from Stamposaurus and a bag full of gorgeous new ribbons from Crafty Ribbons which match each other so perfectly.  This is such a fun image but I can telly camping is not for me, never tried it and never will. I like my home comforts far too much.

Image - Stamposaurus tent

Medium - Copics

Papers - Fancy Pants Flutter

Ribbon - Summer Festival-Postcard ribbon

Die - Memory Box banner

Challenges

Pile it on Summer or Winter 

The Ribbon Girl anything goes with an image 

Sweet Stampin' anything but a Birthday 

Allsorts Inspired by Summer 

Brown Sugar anything goes 

Graph'It Inspired by floral tones 

Country View Summertime 

Dies R Us Summertime fun 

Little Miss Muffet Hot Summer Night

To have and to hold

I have had several Wedding card orders recently and I have been trying to use different images for them. This sweet digi has been sitting on my laptop for a while. I was asked for a contemporary card, with hot pink and hearts but no flowers as the bride isn't really into flowers.

Image - All Dressed Up

Medium - Copics

Paper - Craftwork Cards Chalkboard

Dies - Spelbinders, MFT pireced fishtails

Other - pearl pen, wooden hearts

Challenges

Scrap and Craft Wedding

The Paper Shelter Punches and dies

Papertake anything goes 

TTCRD anything goes

The ABC Challenge O is for Open

Sweet Stampin' anything but a Birthday 

The Ribbon Girl anything goes with an image

Sew and Sew

Something different from me today. It has been a while since I made something sewing related. I had this little box in my stash of things I might do something with some day. I'm sure we all have those. I think it had some wooden embellishments in it originally. I used some Little Claire paper, wooden embellishments, lace from crafty Ribbons, baker's twine and Gorjuss Girl buttons. I stamped on the sewing wooden sewing machine using a mag freebie just to add some interest and used DI Vintage Photo on some of the embellies. Another addition to my craft stall next time.

We are at a car boot sale this morning, something we have been wanting to do for ages so fingers crossed we get rid of some stuff and make a little money.

Snowflakes

I have been playing around with the Tim Holtz embossing folder and matching die along with non traditional colours for this one. I used sanded Core'dinations, DCWV guaze paper, Centura pearl card with a Spellbinders curved border die, LOTV sentiment stamp and torn Core'dinations and some lace from Crafty Ribbons.

Challenges

Winter Wonderland Christmas carols/songs (Let it snow) 

CCAYR Snowflakes 

Noor! Design UK Christmas 

Stamping Sensations Anything goes with a stamp and a die

Papertake anything goes option torn edges 

TTCRD anything goes

Happy Christmas Snowman

Today it is my turn to post on the Little Claire blog and I have used another of the August club stamps. For full details of products used please hop over and if you would like to leave me a comment I would really appreciate it.

Baby animals

Aren't these baby animals just adorable. They are a set from Pink Gem and of course they also come in pink. You get a set to decoupage or use as a topper as I have done, also using a sentiment from the kit. Being digi you can resize it so I like to print them about 10cm square so that I can use various papers, dies etc with them. I used First edition papers It's a Boy, Memory Box button border, a much neglected die I must admit, a bow and some buttons.

Challenges

Papertake Anything goes 

Natalie and Amy Buttons and bows 

Christmas Cats

I am getting to grips with Pinterest and can see why so many people love it. I always have so many ideas running theough my head for cards and layouts, well now ai have even more! If you are on Punterest would love you to follow me and I will follow you too. The link is in my sidebar. So onto today's card. I love this cute Christmas stamp just released by Little Claire, We 6 cats, and this is a sample card I made for them. The cats have been coloured with Copics and cut out with a Spellbinder die.  I used some of the new snowy ombre papers from Little Claire. The snowflakes were cut from glitter card using a Joy and Marianne dies and the ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons.

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl ribbons 

Noor! Design UK Christmas 

As you like it Fur or feathers (Fur for me very time as I love cats, teddies etc. You can't cuddle a bird.)

CCAYR Snowflakes

Baptism or as we call it Christening

Back with a card and this is one I made for an order for a child's Baptism in America. I love the LOTV baby images as they are so sweet. I echoed the stars and hearts in the image with my die, punch and embellishment.

Image - LOTV

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Romance and Roses

Punch - MS star border 

Die - La La Land heart banner

 Wooden heart - Whitby Crafts 

Other - glossy accents, doily and ribbon

Challenges

In the pink starry starry pink 

MAWTT Baby, baby 

The Ribbon Girl ribbons 

Paper Creators Dies and/or punches

Heart plaques

Sorting through my wooden items to decorate I found these hearts and felt inspired to make them into plaques using some Fiskars sentiments, papers, Prima flowers and spotted ribbons from crafty Ribbons. The papers are Papermania Henbury Lane, Craftwork Cards chalkboard and the butterfly papers were some freebies with Making Cards magazines. Hopefully these will sell well.

Challenges

Penny's ribbon or twine

The Ribbon Girl Ribbons
Crafting from the heart anything goes

Well after resisting for a very long time I have finally joined Pinterest. Not too sure what I am doing with it all though I have managed to pin some of my creations so if you would like to follow me on there that would be great. I am sure it will all become clear as I go along just like it did when I started my blog. It took me so long to add some stuff though that I ended up with no time for commenting on blogs so apologies for that.

Back at lunchtime with a card.

Let's fly

My first inspiration card as a member of the LOTV Design Collective is  a card I made for a friend's Birthday. I decided to go for a shabby chic and distressed look and got out the frantage which I haven't used much lately.

Image - LOTV

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Romance and Roses

Butterflies - Cheery Lynn dies

Lace - Crafty Ribbons

Other - shabby white frantage, pearls, Letraset fineliner pen

Challenges

Deep Ocean Summer fun 

Papertake Take your pic (lace) 

Bunny Zoe Summer breeze

Country View Summertime

Three cheers for Christmas

We had a lovely day out yesterday, wandering Round Beccles, a market town with lots of lovely independent shops and some great charity shops. We bought 3 paperbacks and 5 vinyl singles as hubby in particular is into buying vinyl records. Had coffee in the church hall for charity and a lovely lunch. When we got home I stamped and filed loads of new stamps so planning on some colouring today. So onto my card. This is one of the club stamps for August from Little Claire. You will know how much I love snowmen so when I received my set of 3 snowmen stamps I couldn't wait to use them, they are so cute. This image will also be available to buy as a separate stamp.

Image - Little Claire three cheers for Christmas

Medium - Copics

Papers - Little Claire snowy ombre

Dies - Doohickey slender firs, Joy snowflake, IO birch trees all with glitter card, MFT in and out stitched rounded squares

Punch - Xcut corner

Challenges

Die Cuttin Divas The great outdoors

Winter Wonderland Christmas carols/songs (Let it snow)

In a tangle

Animals and birds is the new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge. I made another card using one of the cute penguin toppers, this one is a pyrimage topper. Of course you can just us the bottom layer if you wish. I used LOTV Winter Wishes papers, white glitter card with a Marianne icicle, Britannia trees and Joy snowflake dies. These penguins are so cute I love them.

Challenges

Send a smile 4 kids Christmas in July 4 kids
Die Cuttin Divas the great outdoors

Papertake take your pick (blue)