Leyla

It's new challenge day at A Gem of a Challenge and here is my DT card for the theme of your favourite colour combo. I have several favourites but I do love purple and as I also love to use kraft decided on that colour combo as it really suited my image. I knew I wanted to use one of the vintage girls and was astonished to find this one in my file as I have never used her before!

Image - Pink Gem Layla

Medium - Copics

Papers - First Edition Mulberry Kisses

Flowers - Wild Orchid

Die - Joy vintage flourishes (another new purchase at Ally Pally)

Wooden butterfly - Hobbycraft

Challenges

As you like it Favourite animal (I love cats, they are so independent yet so sweet and loving) 

Dream Valley all creatures great and small 

Double D April showers bring May flowers
Simon Says anything goes

Up early today to sell at a craft fair. They only do 3 a year and all the products are handmade. I did this one for the first time last November and did really well so it will be interesting to see how today's compares.

Dream

Another shabby chic card today using one of my new Inkylicious stamps, stamped in brown on kraft. The papers are LOTV Timeless Victorian. I used another of my dies, Joanna Sheen star border. The stars were punched and tied with string and I added some lace and a lovely Gorjuss lace bow.

Challenges

Noor! Design UK anything goes 

Live and Love Crafts inspiration collage
Simon Says anything goes

Cheerleader

I have two DT cards due today and very unusually for me I decided to make one card to fit both. I have also used an unusual combo as I rarely use bright green.  I don't like publishing 2 DT cards on the same day as one detracts from the other I always think but sometimes it is unavoidable. So our challenge at Sugar Nellie is anything Sugar Nellie goes and for Crafty Ribbons the challenge is button it up (add a button). Remember the Sugar Nellie challenge has moved to the Sugar Nellie blog from The Sugar Bowl.

Image - Sugar Nellie cheerleader

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME Remarkable

Ribbon and buttons - Crafty Ribbons

Die - Spellbinders labels 10

Other - twine, wooden stars painted with a Wink of Luna pen

Challenges

Noor! Design UK anything goes 

Bizzy Becs anything goes

Creative Inspirations for the boys or something sporty

Simon Says anything goes

Ella

There are several new elephant images in the Pink Gem store and they are all so cute I had a job to choose which one to use.

Image - Birthday Ella

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Always and Forever

Balloons - Sizzix die

Rbbon - Crafty Ribbons

Sentiment from stash

Other - pearls, baker's twine

Challenges

In the pink pearls 

Deep Ocean dots and/or stripes 

Dream Valley all creatures great and small 

Fussy and Fancy female Birthday 

Crafty Friends all things cute 

Sweet Stampin' pink and girly

Don't try this at home

Sorting through my stamped images I came across this one which is a Flonz stamp I won ages ago, stamped it up and it has sat waiting to be used. I teamed it with Prima Youth papers and added some doodling with a Letraset fneliner, wooden arrows and washi tape.

Challenges

The Paper Shelter for the boys 

Pile it on Doodle 

The Ribbon Girl any image 

Bunny Zoe Travelling/transport 

Bizzy Becs anything goes 

Noor! Design UK anything goes

Texting

I love the new Jasmine stamps from LOTV. I made two with the music image and sold them both on their first outing and got an order for another. There aren't that many good teenage images around.

Image - LOTV Jasmine phone

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME tangerine

Die - Joy flowers

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Sentiment - LOTV

Challenges

Simon Says make it girlie 

Fussy and Fancy female Birthday 

The Ribbon Girl any image 

LC Designs Spring colours 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts Birthdays

I've mastered the fun flock

Another Christmas card today and another one I printed a long time ago. I love using the fun flock but it is a bit lumpy but I have finally mastered the technique. I spread it on and then kept flattening it until the lumps all flatten out, shake off the excess and it leaves a lovely fluffy fur look.

Image - Pollycraft 

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV 'twas the night and First Edition Vintage Noel

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Punch - Dovecraft holly

Poinsettia and brad from stash

Challenges

Little Miss Muffet anything goes 

ABC Christmas Hats 

Simon says make it girlie 

Winter Wonderland winter blossoms 

Allsorts red, white and blue 

Crafty Friends all things cute 

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2

And the winner is .......

Thanks for all your continued support and entries to the Stamposaurus giveaway. Welcome to my 3 new followers too.

The lucky winner is ...........

Drum Roll

That's you Carole Pollard, congratulations. Email me your address please.

Don't despair everyone, my blogaversary candy will be coming along soon.

Shabby chic

I love making this style of card and aren't I good as I have used another of my new stamps bought at Ally Pally. This must be a record. I stamped it in brown on kraft for a softer look. The paper is LOTV Timeless Victorian, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons from my favourite vintage butterfly range.I used another of my favourites, the Tim Holtz clock die. The butterflies were another new purchase, made with a Joy die and tied with string.

Challenges

Simon Says Monday Beautiful butterfly 

Noor! Design UK anything goes
Cute Card Thursday add a quotation
Penny's anything goes

Looking forward to a quiz night tonight with friends at a local village hall.

Stamposaurus Giveaway

Jayne at Stamposaurus very generously gave me this stamp to give away to one of my lovely Followers. Many of you have admired the cards I made with this stamp so if you would like to be in with the chance of wining then

Be a follower with Google friends connect

Add a picture of the giveway to your sidebar with a link to my blog

Enter via Inlinkz

Leave me a comment

If you are a Facebook member please hop over to the Stamposaurus Facebook page and like their page.

Giveaway closes Friday 22 April.

More gifts

I am sharing a few more gifts with you today. The first of these are these little MDF houses which I bought at Ally Pally. I only bought 4 to try out. I painted them with Zig Woodcraft pens and then wondered how to decorate them. I remembered I bought some leaf ribbon at the first NEC craft show I went to several years ago, possibly from Crafty Ribbons. It was perfect for the design I had in mind. I added some rose and mni sweethaert blossoms from Wild Orchid and butterflies from Hobbycraft.

Challenges

Simon Says Monday Beautiful butterfly 

Allsorts Ribbon and roses 

Country View Spring

These are some more magnets I made as they are proving popular. I found the shoes sentiment when I was having a sort out. I think it was from a Crafter's Companion stamp. The shoe die is a Marianne one I bought a couple of years ago and I think this was its first outing. The other two sentiments are Inkadinkadoo. I used MFT and Lawn Fawn dies to cut them out and added some enamel dots and hearts.  I would like to enter these into the add a quotation challenge at Cute Card Thursday.

Ho Ho Ho

I am doing well both with using new purchases and some of my older images too. I found this one in my stamped Christmas image file. I think that Lynsey stamped it for me as I don't have this rafter's Companion stamp. He has been coloured with Copics and I added fun flock for the fur. Th papers are Craftwork Cards and the sentiment is one I found in my stash. I have just had a sort out of my printed sentiments, some of which are years old as they aren't something I buy now preferring to stamp my sentiments. The Memory Box stitched holly was a Christmas pressey from Lynsey and is the first time I have used it. I do love the stitched and pierced dies.

Challenges

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' animals

  ABC Christmas Hats 

The Ribbon Girl any image

The powerboat racing season starts tonight with a practice night so hubby will be off driving one of the rescue boats as a volunteer and I get a crafternoon and evening to enjoy.

Still time to enter my giveaway, post at the top.

Live. Love. Laugh

Another plaque to share today. I make a lot of these to sell and I don't put them all on my blog but today's has some of my favourite things on it, 

Sentiment - Magazine freebie

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Burlap with lace -  Walmart, USA

Dies - Memory Box butterflies and cross stitch hearts

Roses - Wild orchid

Challenges

Simon Says Monday beautiful butterfly

  Allsorts Ribbon and roses 

Bizzy Becs anything goes 

Noor! Design UK anything goes

Still a few days left to enter my little giveaway, see post at the top.

Squirrels

I have impressed myself that I have used another of the new stamps I bought last Saturday at Ally Pally. I bought 2 of the mini Gorjuss stamps and needn't have worried that they are small as they fit perfectly into a circle leaving lots of white space to show off the image. I also used another new die set today.

Image - Santoro Gorjuss You brought me love

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME Nostalgia

Sentiment - LOTV

Dies - MB tree, Lawn Fawn stitched leaves and stitched circle, Craft emotions squirrel and acorns

Punch - MS birds on a wire

Challenges

Bizzy Becs anything goes 

Noor! Design UK anything goes 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts Birthdays 

Stamping Sensations one for the girls 

Have you entered my stamp giveaway, at the top of the page?

I love Reading

Well the post title is true, I have loved reading ever since I could read and whilst I love my iPad I don't want to read books on it. There is no substitute for a real book and there is something about turning the pages that you lose on a tablet. So I have used several of the goodies I bought at Ally Pally on this card.

Image - Gorjuss New Hieghts

Medium - Copics

Papers - Dovecraft Serendipity

Sentiment - LOTV

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Die - Joanna Sheen star border

Other - wooden stars painted with a Zig pen and clear Wink of Stella

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl Any image 

Simon Says Let's do the polka 

Stamping Sensations One for the girls 

Creative Inspirations Your favourite things (Gorjuss girls, Copics, ribbon, Wink of Stella, Dies, books)

Have you entered my stamp giveaway, at the top of the page?

Let's ride

This is the last of three cards I made for Making Cards magazine using Stamposaurus stamps. This motorbike is such a great image and the sentiment comes with it. I stamped them in white on kraft and used the Dovecraft North Pole papers again which have all been distressed. I simply added some baker's twine to finish it off.

Challenges

Bunny Zoe Travelling/transport 

Crafting from the heart anything goes

Have you entered my stamp giveaway at the top?

Teddies and some exciting news

Before I get on to my card today I just wanted to share my exciting news that I am now designing for Crafts Beautiful and Quick Cards Made Easy magazines. My first projects for them will be out in the next few weeks. So onto my card. It is my turn to host the new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge and I have chosen the theme of Teddy Bears. I kept changing my mind about which image to use and as you can see from the DT cards there are lots to choose from in the Pink Gem store. I thought I should get another Christmas card made so here is my DT card. I hope you will play along for a chance to win 2 of Janet's lovely digis.

Image - Pink Gem Barclay with snowflake

Medium - Copics

papers - LOTV 'Twas the Night

Sentiment - LOTV

Dies - MB stitched snowflakes with added white Wink of Stella pen

I added Stickles to the snowflake after I coloured it and the shine has bounced off the camera lens a bit but at least it shows how sparkly it is.

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl any card 

Crafty Calendar anything goes 

Noor! Design UK anything goes
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' animals
Penny's anything goes
Creative Inspirations Your favourite things (teddies, Pink Gem digis, Copics, Christmas, snowflakes) Winter Wonderland Pink or blue

Have you entered my stamp giveaway at the top of the page?

Morning coffee

I spent a while on Wednesday inking up a lot of new stamps, some of which I have had for a while and others like Jasmine just a couple of weeks. I still have a few new ones left to ink but that's a task for another day. I also filed all my new stamps straight away rather than leaving them like I used to do and I am going to try to keep that up. After all I put everything else away once I have used it.

Image - LOTV Jasmine - coffee

Medium - Copics

Papers -LOTV Snow Princess

Sentiment - LOTV

Dies - MD coffee to go, MFT stitched rounded corners

Punch - X cut corner rounder punch

Other - pearl pen

That tablecloth is perfect for paper piecing and a good way to use odd scraps of paper too.

Challenges

Die Cuttin Divas Library day 

Creative Inspirations Your favourite things (LOTV stamps, Copics, aqua and lilac, dies, pearl pen) Simon Says Let's do the polka 

Fab n Funky girly and pretty

 Little Miss Muffet anything goes 

Sweet Stampin' paper piecing 

Paper Creators polka dots or gingham 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts Birthdays
Allsorts purple passion
Have you entered my stamp giveaway, at the top of the page?

Flower umbrella

This is one of my favourite PB stamps which I have used many times but this is the first time I have paper pieced the flower. I thought the image perfect for April showers and used one of my new dies too, the lovely flowers. I added tiny pearls under the rain clouds to create a rainy scene.

Image - Penny Black

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME Portobello Road, DCWV guaze

Dies - MB clouds, Joy flowers, Sizzix doily

Lace - Crafty Ribbons

Other - blue ink pad for flower edges, pearls

Challenges

Crafting from the heart anything goes 

Simon Says Monday April showers bring May flowers 

Sweet Stampin' paper piecing 

The Craft Barn April showers 

Penny Black April showers 

Paper Creators Polka dots or gingham 

Country View Spring
Simon Says Let's do the polka
Cute Card Thursday handmade embellishments

Have you entered my stamp giveaway, at the top of the page?

For Grace

This is my second inspiration card for the LOTV Facebook Challenge for APRIL, which is to use at least 3 colours from Aqua, Pink, Red, Ivory, Lilac. I made this card for my good friend Lynsey's daughter's 8th Birthday. Grace loves fairies and is a keen crafter. She loves receiving handmade cards and really appreicates the effort that goes into making one.

Image - LOTV

Medium - Copics, Sakura clear star pen

Papers - First Edition Mulberry Kisses

Ribbon - The Ribbon Girl

Dies - Cheery Lynn faeire mushrooms, Memory Box banner

Flowers - Wild Orchid

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl any card 

Creative Card Crew die cuts 

Stamping Sensations One for the girls

Crafting from the heart anything goes 

Bizzy Becs anything goes

Noor! Design UK anything goes

Have you entered my stamp giveaway, at the top of the page?

A plaque for a special lady

Next to cards I love making these plaques and I made this one for Jayne at Stamposaurus. She has been having a difficult time lately with caring for her Mum whilst her Dad has been in hospital and her family have been so supportive. I thought the Inkylicious sentiment was perfect for her. I used some Joanna Sheen paper, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, Crispy lace from Live and Love Crafts, wooden hearts with a clear Wink of Stella pen, Doohickey die cut feathersenamel dots, roses from Wild Orchid and a butterfly from The Works.

Challenges

As you like it Favourite non card project (I love shabby chic and using great quotes with dies, flowers and other embellishments to make something special to treasure)  

Cute Card Thursday Something shiny (Wink of Stella on hearts, enamel dots) 

Crafty Calendar anything goes 

Noor Designs UK anything goes 

Bizzy Becs anything goes

Ellie

I love elephants and there are several cute new elephant images in the Pink Gem store. I have used one of the digi kits again downsized to use with LOTV Baskets and Bunnies paper. I recently bought a few new Memory Box dies which were reduced at Crafts U love and I am loving these cross stitched hearts. They will be appearing a lot I am sure. I also added some ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and sweetheart blossoms from Wild Orchid.

Challenges

ABC E is for everything (anything goes) 

Creative Card Crew die cuts 

In the pink dies/punches 

The Ribbon Girl any image on a card 

Simon Says Happy Birthday

Ally Pally stash

I had a good day yesterday at Ally Pally though there weren't as many stands as usual and for the first time ever I came home with money, and not just a few pounds either! Such a shame that not so many companies are attending the show, a lot of which is down to cost I believe. When you don't have a good craft shop in Norwich other than The Range or Hobbycraft shows are a great place to look at everything. It is also lovely to meet up with fellow crafters and I met Sam Alpine for the first time which was lovely.

I stocked up on essentials like card blanks as my stock was very low.

A few stamps and some Copics.

Papers and embellishments. I really wanted some more new papers but they just weren't about this year.

Some of my favourite things, dies and at some great prices too.

Smile

I am not doing very well with finding time for scrapbooking this year and have only managed three layouts so far. However I was determined to use the great sketch for 1 April from Stuck and have made another page from last Summer's holiday in Yorkshire. The papers are Tim Holtz vintage shabby. I cut down a journal card saying Smile and added a die cut camera using a Marianne die and a die cut banner. I also use my MFT jumbo stitched banner dies. The lettering I bought in America and is very fiddly to use as it is so fine.

Guest Designer again

Isn't it strange that I haven't been a guest designer for ages and then two come along in the same month. The Pink Gem DT were invited to be guest designers at Crafty Friends as PG are sponsoring their challenge starting today.

The theme is a card for a child and I was spoilt for choice really but as I had this gorgeous image printed ready to use I went with a lovely bright card for a boy. I kept it simple just adding a fancy button and some turquoise pearl dots.

We stayed overnight in a Premier Inn at Enfield last night so as this publishes I shall have had a lovely cooked breakfast and we will be heading to Alexandra Palace for the Crafting at Ally Pally show. I am looking forward to meeting up with some blogging buddies and spending lots of money. I shall also be looking oit for some lovely things to add to my candy I am collecting.

Dream every day

Isn't this a beautiful image from Elisabeth Bell, such gorgeous colours too. I am trying to use up odds end ends of paper and I have lots of MME pads with just a few sheets and bits left in them. I don't use a lot of yellow but this yellow paper seemed to go well with the image for a Spring colour scheme.

Image - Hobby House topper by Elisabeth Bell

Papers - MME Howdy Doody

Die - Clearly besotted notebook edge

Punch - MS daisy

Sentiment - LOTV

Other - ribbon from America, pearls, DI wild honey

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl any image on a card 

Elisabeth Bell's World die cuts and/or punches 

Country View Spring 

Crafty Calendar anything goes 

Dream Valley girlie 

Crafting from the heart anything goes 

Deep Ocean Spring is in the air 

Crafty Creations for a young girl 

Double D yellow 

The Paper Shelter Spring delights

A hot night

You may have seen me use this fun image recently. I sold the card I made on its first outing after several people admired it so I thought I should make another. I used one of the images from the digi kit of Molly in the bath. The beauty of these is that you can print them whatever size you like. I like to layer mine and I used some First Edition floral pavilion paper. As it is double sided I used the reverse dotty strips, so no paper waste. I added white Wink of Stella to the bubbles for some sparkle, flowers from Wild Orchid and pearls.

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl any image on a card 

Bizzy Becs anything goes 

Crafting from the heart anything goes 

Allsorts April fool/humorous

Balloons of Love

This is one I made for Making Cards magazine using one of the LC Designs silhouette toppers and LOTV papers. The Marianne heart balloons have been embossed with a heart embossing folder. The sentiment is from LOTV, flowers from Wild Orchid and I used a Joanna Sheen flourish die.

Challenges

LC Designs anything goes

Crafting from the heart anything goes

Vrooom

This is the second of three cards I made for Making Cards magazine last month featuring the fabulous transport stamps from Stamposaurus. I stamped the image and sentiment onto kraft card and just coloured the lightning flash. The paper is from Dovecraft and is from the North Pole pack. Lots of distressing with black soot DI and my TH distress tool. I love doodling with a fineliner pen and I added some TH mini gears.

Challenges

Cute Card Thursday transport 

Paper Creators Polka dots or gingham

Sailing

We have a new LOTV challenge on Facebook and this month, APRIL we challenge you to use at least 3 of  Aqua, Pink, Red, Ivory, Lilac. Each day you will find inspiration on the team's blogs and on Facebook and whilst most have gone girly I love red, aqua and ivory for boys. This is one of the recently revived old stamps whch I used for hubby's Birthday card and as I stamped another one decided he needed another outing. He has been coloured with Copics, papers are Docrafts Ahoy There. I used one of the new LOTV sentiment and a MB bunting die.

I hope you will join in the challenge as there are some lovely prizes to be won.

Challenges

Simon Says anything goes

Cute Card Thursday transport 

Little Miss Muffet anything goes 

Noor! Design UK anything goes

I am doing my best to keep up with as much commenting as I can but as you may know I am spending a lot of time helping my Mum to get sorted after recently being widowed. She is moving to a small bungalow and needs all new carpets, furniture and furnishings. Today we are going to measure up for paint and carpets and check where the plug sockets are etc. Hubby and I have been researching furniture and white goods for her so we will hopefully be sorting out some timescales once we have the measurements.

I really appreciate your continued support and can promise you a lovely candy coming soon xx

A purple plaque

I do love making plaques and recently bought some rectangular ones which I must say are quicker to cover and sand than the hearts. No quote on this one just some lovely girly things. I covered it with paper and added the ribbon. Then I added gauze and lace. The parasol was cut and embossed with a Marianne die and the feathers lightly sanded Core'dinations with a Doohickey die. The butterfly is from Poundland and the flowers from Wild Orchid.

Challenges

Dream Valley girlie 

Simon Says anything goes 

As you like it Favourite line on the bingo board (I love the whole board but have gone for my very favourite line of lace, purple and die/punch)

Happy 60th

Time for a new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge and we want to see your shaped cards this time. My Mum asked me to make a card for her hairdresser for her 60th. She enjoys a night out and a drink and is young at heart so I thought I would use Cocktail Emma. They wear pink and black in the hairdressers and that colour stuck in my mind when I was making the card. It's the first time I have made a shaped easel card with this die and really like the effect.

The front in more detail.

Image - Pink Gem Cocktail Emma

Medium - Copics

Dies - GO Kreate frilly squares 7

Flowers - Wild Orchid

Other - raffia lace, Wink of Stella clear, pearl pen, accordion sticker

Challenges

Dream Valley girlie 

Simon Says Anything goes 

Di's Digis for the girls

Guest Designer

I am delighted to be a guest designer this month at

The challenge is 3 papers, 2 images, 1 embellishment. Well the 1 embellishment was a bit of a challenge for me but by making a man's card I managed it. The papers are from a Gorjuss girls pack, sentiment from Craftwork Cards. I used Harbour Scene and Vintage Anglers digis. I do love the sketched scenes.

I am selling my cards and gifts at the hospital shop today and hope I do as well as I did last month, one of my best sales days ever.

Challenges

Simon Says anything goes

The Paper Shelter buttons