Candy winner

Thanks to everyone who entered to win this stamp. there were 27 who commented by Monday night and here is the lucky winner.

That is you Jane, comgratulations. Please email me with your address so I can post it to you. I will have my blogaversary candy coming very soon so keep following and commenting as you don't want to miss the chance to win.

Checking it twice

It's another of the MFT jingle all the way cards today. I do love this set. Coloured with Copics, the papers are LOTV Nitwits Festive Trimmings. I used one of the MFT stitched basic border dies and kept the layout simple with some twine and a charm. I have so many charms and am getting better at remembering to use them. I also added some fun flock to his hat.

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl any image 

James says let it snow!

I seem to be much better this year as making my Christmas cards which is really good. This of course is LOTV James coloured with Copics. The papers are Echo Park Winter Wishes. I used a Lawn Fawn stitched circle and forest border dies, Fiskars tag punch, fun flock, Stickles and wooden snowflakes along with the grunge LOTV sentiment.

Challenges

CCAYR precipitation 

The Ribbon Girl any image 

Simon Says furry friends

Christmas with the cuties snuggly bears

A quick candy

How many of you have been busy in the garden lately? We have been weeding and planting and clearing out hundreds of forget me nots. Jayne at Stamposuarus generously gave me this stamp to give away so I am having a quick follower's candy. No need to add it to your sidebar, just leave me a comment by Monday night and make sure you are a follower if you would like to win and I will choose a winner on Tuesday. I really appreciate your visits especially those who take the time to comment. Thank you x

Please check out the post below for my latest card.

MMCS news and my stamping tool thoughts

I am delighted to say that Kitty has asked me to stay until the end of the year as a designer at My Mum’s Craft Shop. I love the MFT Up in the Air stamps and dies and having bought some photo booth frames had an idea to use them with the animals peeping over them. Coloured with Copics and teamed with LOTV Up Up and Away papers. I used one of my favourite sets of dies, MFT  pierced fishtail stax. The bunting and sentiment are [art of the Up in the Air set and I added some wooden hearts.

Challenges

Creative Inspirations anything goes 

The Ribbon Girl any image 

Simon Says furry friends

MFT colour challenge

I am sure many of you will be familiar with the stamping tools on the market, particularly the MISTI. I thought they looked good but rather expensive. When I saw the Tonic Tim Holtz tool come out at a much cheaper price I decided to watch a video of Tim demonstrating its use. Of course then everyone was out of stock! A couple of weeks later I got one from Craftstash where you get a 20% off code for your first order so a bargain as they had it reduced too. I have only used it a few times but I am very impressed.

It is really good for sets of stamps like MFT as I can stamp multiple stamps together. I tried a rubber stamp which sometimes doesn't stamp well the first time and sure enough it missed some detail. With the stamping tool I just reinked that section and went over the stamp knowing it would be in exactly the same place so no more wasted card.  I am really pleased I bought one.

Check out my quick candy above, ends today.

Let's ride

I have another LOTV precoloured simply print image to share with you today on a card I made for Crafts Beautiful magazine.  he papers are MFT Free Spirit. I bought these in America and within a month I had used most of them so had to buy some more from My Mum's Craft Shop. I used a MFT stitched scalloped border, MFT wonky stitched rectangle die, ribbon, buttons, twine and a charm. The sentiment is my current fave Birthday sentiment which is one of the LOTV teenage girl sentiments.

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl any image

Mowing the lawn

Our new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge is for the boys/men, one of my favourites. I chose to use one of the new images from Pink Gem,  Gardening Henry. I love the digi kit with the greenhouse in the background. I just resized page 1 bu you can simply print it off to fill a card, or decoupage it with sheet 2. I used some new papers I bought at Ally Pally, Amy Design vintage vehicles. The watering can is a Marianne die,  plant pots Memory Box, sun is an MFT die. I added a bit of doodling to finish it off.

Challenges

Simon Says furry friends 

The Ribbon Girl any image 

Not just cards one for the boys

Mr & Mrs

I have used on of the large sheets of the precoloured LOTV simply print images today. I did add a little shading underneath the couple and used a white Wink of Stella pen on the hem of her dress and a clear Wink of Stella pen on the flowers.  The papers are some old LOTV ones Baskets and Bunnies, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, flowers from Wild Orchid, leaves from Hobbycraft. I used a Tonic die for the circle, Sue Wilson sentiment die and Memory Box cross stitch hearts die.

Challenges

Crafty Purple Frog fabulously floral

All about the folds

This is another of the images we started colouring in the colouring class on folds. I coloured over it again to give it more depth and of course colour the rest of the image.

Image - All Dressed Up

Medim - Copics, Copic red sparkle pen, Sakura clear star pen

Die - Spellbinders labels 14

Paper - Lilybee Autumn Spice

Sentiment - LOTV teenage girl

Crispy lace - Live and Love Crafts

Other - pearls, fineliner pen, distressing tool

Challenges

All Dressed Up anything ADU goes 

Creative Inspirations anything goes 

Noor! Design UK add lace 

Allsorts Happy Birthday

The Paper Shelter lace and pearls 

The Ribbon Girl any image

Looking forward to a day out today with hubby and my Mum. After picking her up from the bus stop we are going out for a late breakfast and then a two hour trip on the Norfolk Broads this afternoon. That should be lovely in the sunshine.

Copic colouring

Although I have lots of much older photos to scrap I had a layout in mind for this photo using the fabulous coloured pencil ribbon from Crafty Ribbons. The photo was taken after the Copic colouring classes I attended last month with Faye. My good friend Lynsey is also in the photo. If you love Copics I can't recommend the classes highly enough. We had a great time and learnt so much.

Trawling through my scrapbook pages I found some old K&Co papers which Lynsey gave me years ago. It was just what I wanted as I wanted something fairly simple. The denim paper is from Craftwork Cards and I used a MFT stitched basic border. I kept the layout simple as the title is so colourful. I have a box of various large letters so I used a variety of different ones for the title. The journal card is from a pack I bought in America and I added a few enamel dots.

Cup of Tea

I am sharing a guest designer card for My Mum’s Craft Shop today using several items from Kitty's shop. The papers and teacups are Pebbles Tealightful which go perfectly with the Stamping Bella image Edna's cup of tea which I coloured with Copics and added clear Wink of Stella to her wings as every fairy has to have sparkly wings.. The frame was made with a MFT scalloped circle frame die.

Challenges

Simon Says a bit of sparkle (Wink of Stella wings) 

In the pink razzle dazzle (Wink of Stella wings)
The Ribbon Girl any image

Two Milk Shakes

Another of the new LOTV precoloured simply print images today. This one is called Milk Shake. I made two cards, the one below using the simply print as it is and this one enhancing the shading with Copics. I used Lilybee Sweet Shoppe papers, MFT jumbo stitched banner and border dies and an old Sizzix corner die. The sentiment is from LOTV teenage girls.  I made the bunting using the bunting patterned paper, simply cutting out each individual triangle.

Challenges

Allsorts Happy Birthday 

Creative Inspirations anything goes
The Ribbon Girl any image

This is the one with just the simply print image as it prints. I teamed it with a LOTV teenage girl sentiment, MFT free spirit papers, enamel dots and ribbon. I hope you got your order in for these lovely new images.

We will be busy in the garden this morning, tidying and planting as we bought several new plants on Saturday as the garden centre had 20% off everything. The weather should be good this week so enjoy the sunshine.

Oh deer

Yes another Christmas card and I have used some of my Card-io stamps again. I used  stamps from the Christmas greenery, min tall trees and festive scene sets. I used a Tonic trellis circle die instead of stamping straight onto the white card and teamed it with Papermania Jolly Santa paper. I aded some red liquid pearl berries and used Crystal Stickles for snow.

Challenges

Simon Says a bit of sparkle

Hold my hand

Today is launch day of 20 new images from LOTV, as if you didn't know already 😊. This is one of the simply print images, Hand to Hold. I love the sepia tones. I went for a distressed look using DI spiced marmalade and a distressing tool. The papers are American Crafts dots and stripes. The sentiment is from LOTV and fitted this image so well I thought. The precious hearts die is from Memory Box and I added some enamel dots.

Challenges

Creative Inspirations anything goes 

The Ribbon Girl a card

Bedtime stories

Only one more day to wait until you can buy the new images from LOTV. These will be available as rubber stamps, digis and precoloured simply prints. I feel so lucky to receive some of these to use as inspiration. This sweetie is called Bedtime Stories and she has been coloured with Copics. The papers are Lilybee Double Dutch. I kept the design simple using some raffia lace and double mounting the image using pierced rectangle dies and foam pads. The sentiment is also from LOTV.

Challenges

Creative Inspirations anything goes 

The Ribbon Girl a card

We were planning a trip to a garden centre today but the forecast is rain all day so if that is the case will put that off until tomorrow. The gardens have really benefited from this week's rain, they were looking so dry. We have been busy tidying and clearing out the heaps of forget me nots ready for some new plants.

Bunny Moon

I almost bought the stamp of this design a few times but when it came out as a precoloured simply print digi I decided to buy that instead. I printed out the 2 large images and made a 7x7 card. The papers are LOTV Nitwits Up, Up and Away. I was pleased to use some older products on this card, the ribbon I bought in America a few years ago and the sentiment balloon must be at least 5 years old. I added some twine and some pearl stars which I had no idea were in my stash. I wanted to add just a little something else so out came the pearl pen for a few pearl dots.

Challenges

Not just cards one for the boys 

The Ribbon Girl a card

Hubby is out volunteering again this afternoon and evening on the rescue boats at the powerboat club so that means an afternoon and evening of crafting for me. He goes about 1.30 to set out the course and get the rescue boats stocked and in the water. Racing starts about 6 and he usually drives the tow boat. That means he is called on when a boat breaks down and also has to ensure safety on the course. It takes place on one of the broads and sometimes holidaymakers don't seem to be aware that they are steering towards racing boats and as for swans on the course 😏. Thankfully an accident with one of the drivers is rare but there is always an ambulance on hand and trained first aiders just in case.

Believe in your dreams

I love making this style of card and they are very good sellers fortunately. I bought the wooden Hampton Art sentiment stamp in Florida. The paper is Anne Marie blissful pink. I distressed all the edges with DI Victorian Velvet and added the burlap and lace which I bought on Ebay. The roses are from Wild Orchid. I wanted to add a butterfly and found a white Prima one but I thought it was a bit too white so tried some DI on it and it gives a really nice effect. I found the heart pins in my stash and added some pearl hearts from Meiflower.

Challenges

In the Pink razzle dazzle 

Stamping Sensations butterflies, fairies, fantasy 

Allsorts ring of roses 

Crafty Purple Frog fabulously floral 

The Ribbon Girl a card 

Noor! Design UK add some lace

Looking forward to visiting a friend for coffee this afternoon and then going to see her new house her husband and his firm are building for them.

Regency Christmas

The Christmas cards are coming along nicely now and I have been practicing hard with my colouring after the colouring classes I did a few weeks ago. It isn't easy, especially folds but I am quite pleased with the way this one came out. I don't use green for clothes very much so I am also trying to use more of my pens as I have some favourite colour combos and some pens that are hardly used.

Image - LOTV Regency Christmas

Papers - MFT dots and stripes confection

Dies - MFT basic borders, MFT streetlights, Lawn Fawn sentiment

Lace - Crafty Ribbons

Other - pearl pen

Challenges

Simon Says going dotty 

The Ribbon Girl a card

CCAYR Precipitation

Looking forward to a facial and massage this afternoon.

Jump for joy

I kept seeing the MFT Jingle all the Way stamps and dies last Christmas and as I don't have many Santa images I decided I needed to buy them. I teamed them with LOTV Nitwits  Festive Trimmings papers and used MFT pierced banner dies to create a simple layout. I added some fun flock to Santa's hat and used a Sakura gold star pen on the reindeer's bells.

Challenges

ABC Christmas J is for Jingles 

Paper Creator's Crafts bold and bright
Christmas with the cuties add some holly
The Ribbon Girl card

Studying hard

A sneak peek of another of the new LOTV stamps launching on 20th. This is Jasmine studying and is sure to be a popular stamp. She has been coloured with Copics, sentiment is also from LOTV.  I added some little banners made with a Fiskars punch with tiny buttons added.

Challenges

Simon Says going dotty
The Ribbon Girl card 

The weather forecast is for some rain today but although the garden needs it I am hoping it will stay dry so we can go to a street and plant market today. Enjoy your Sunday.

Blog candy winner

Thanks to everyone who entered my blog candy. I used random org to pick the winner but I can't post a photo on my iPad. The lucky winner is number 6. If that is you please email me your address and I will get the stamp in the post to you.

My blogaversary is coming up soon so keep checking as I have some lovely goodies to give away then.

Spring has sprung

Our new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge is Spring Fever. So much choice here but for me Spring means flowers so I chose to use Hedgy with wheelbarrow which I coloured with Copics. The pretty papers are Lilybee Sweet Shoppe. I bought a few of these pads from Dies to Die for pop up shop when I did my colouring course. They are all so pretty.  I used Marianne and Crafts Too butterfly dies, MFT stitched die and added some ribbon and paper flowers from America. The sentiment is from the LOTV teenage girl set.

Challenges

Crafty Purple Frog fabulously floral 

The Ribbon Girl a card

New candy

I have another fun stamp to give away to one lucky follower. 

Comments on here whilst appreciated do not count as entries. 

You must enter via my blog candy page.

I believe in fairies

I believe in fairies is the title of this sweet new stamp launching on 20th May along with 19 others. I coloured it with Copics, papers are Maja Coffee in the Arbour which I distressed with DI Tattered Rose. I added some cheesecloth, clear Wink of Stella on the stars, pearl dots, punched stars and LOTV teenage girl sentiment stamp.

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl card 

Stamping Sensations butterflies, fairies, fantasy

In the pink razzle dazzle (sparkly stars and pearl drops)

In the woods

Have you checked out the free downloadable papers and toppers at Making Cards magazine on Facebook? There are some really cute woodland animals and I couldn't wait to use this little fox. I added some chalk around the image. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons, faerie mushroom dies from Cheery Lynn, butterfly die from Crafts Too.

Looking forward to another music show tonight with friends, this time in Norwich, That'll be The day. That is after a lovely meal at Ask Italian,

Happy Birthday LOTV

Lili of the Valley is 13 years old today and in honour of the occasion I made a card using my favourite ever LOTV stamp, Fairy on Tiptoe. I love so many of their stamps, especially the fairies, vintage boys and of course, James Bear. As soon as this stamp was released I fell in love with it and she remains my favourite. 

Image - LOTV Fairy on Tiptoe

Medium - Copics, chalk for the sky

Dies - Go Kreate frilly squares 10, MFT scalloped edge circle frame

Lace - Crafty Ribbons

Flowers - Wild Orchid

Other - bow, charm, twine, Wink of Stella clear pen on her wings

Challenges

Dies R Us flowers 

Noor! Design UK add lace 

Creative Inspirations blooms and bows

Simon Says hint of pink

Stamping Sensations butterflies, fairies, fantasy

Squirrel's not so random challenge fantasy
The Ribbon Girl card 

Still time to enter my candy.

Up in the air

Kitty has very kindly asked me to stay on as a guest designer for a third month at My Mum’s Craft Shop. I recently bought this MFT Up in the Air stamp and die set from the shop and couldn't wait to have a play with it. There are so many stamps and dies so expect to see a few more of these being used soon. Coloured with Copics and teamed with MDT dots and stripes bold papers and Lawn Fawn little town border. All products except Copics available from My Mum’s Craft Shop. Remember if any item is out of stock just email Kitty who will order it for you.

Challenges

Paper Creator's Crafts bold and bright
The Ribbon Girl card 

We had such a fun time, the concert was brilliant, lovely sleep at The Premier Inn, then breakfast at the coast and a very long bracing walk along the beach and clifftops. It was cold and windy but we had some great laughs with our friends and soon warmed up. Still time to enter my candy.

Walking the dog

A second Birthday card to inspire you to join in with the LOTV Facebook challenge of Birthdays. I had a look through my stamped images and came across this one which I haven't used before. Coloured with Copics and I used a cloud template with chalk for the sky. The papers are Lily Bee Autumn Spice, LOTV sentiment, Marianne birds on a wire die and Whimsy fence die I used vintage photo DI on the diecuts.

Although the concert last night was in Lowestoft which is only about 50 minutes drive away we and our friends stayed at a Premier Inn last night so that we could go to Gorleston just up the coast for breakfast and a beach walk. A night away just makes a nice change too.  I am hoping the weather will be a bit warmer than it has been but I have plenty of warm clothing in the car in case. We will be home later today.

Snowy scene

Here's another snowy Card-io card. I love the way you can create so many different scenes by combining the stamp sets. Not too much else to say about this card really except it is the first time I have used the cable car just adding a wire with a fineliner pen.

Challenges

ABC Christmas K for Keep it Simple 

CCAYR precipitation

Thanks to those who commented on my scrapbook layout yesterday. I did smile at the comments on my 80's perm. Looking forward to another show tonight, This time it is Talon, the best Eagle tribute band around. We have seen them once before and they are fabulous. Looking forward to a meal and the show with friends.

Lake District

Yes that is us 27 years ago in the Lake District. At the time I worked with several people who went there a lot and they all warned me that every time they go they have some rain during their holiday. First time we go, 1990, gorgeous weather every day until the day we left when it rained! We were so lucky.

The reason I managed to make another layout is that Crafty Ribbons are sponsoring  a challenge which goes live at 10am, UK Scrap Addicts. There is a cut file you can use or you can be inspired by one of the phrases. I was inspired by The Great British Summer. I used some old HOTP papers and my MS cherish border punch, Tim Holtz ephemera and a BO Bunny tag. Both ribbons are of course from Crafty Ribbons.

Don't forget to enter my candy.

Little Violet

Another very early start for us today. As this publishes we shall be setting up my cards and gifts at the hospital shop. Regular readers will know I love Gorjuss Girls and I bought several of these new smaller stamps. I do struggle with the hair colouring on them for some reason though. 

Image - Santoro Gorjuss Little Violet

Medium - Copics

Papers - Lily Bee Head over Heels

Dies - Lawn Fawn stitched circle, MDT basic borders, MFT basic stitch lines, Nellie Snellen flowers

Sentiment - LOTV teenage girl 

Other - Sakura red gelly roll pen, ribbon and pearls

Challenges

Dies R Us flowers

Paper Creator's Crafts bold and bright

The Paper Shelter flowers

Believe in the Magic

Our challenge at A Gem of a Challenge is embossing and this is a second DT card I made. I have been doing a lot of colouring lately but for this one I did use a precoloured digi. I used an old Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder, Dovecraft North Pole paper, Marianne snowflake die, You to Me stitched sentiment, pearls, fun flock and Stickles.

Challenges

Allsorts embossing 

CCAYR precipitation

Don't forget to enter my candy.

Rock chick

This is my first card to inspire you to join in this month's LOTV Facebook challenge, Birthday. Nice and easy, so many images to choose from. I always find purples the hardest colours to blend with, whatever pens I have used over the years. I am  pleased with the hat but the skirt could do with improvement. If I am not happy with my colouring I tend to fiddle with it until all the contrast is lost so I made myself step away from it this time.

She is a gorgeous image isn't she, one of the new retro images, Romantic Rock from the 80's. Coloured with Copics and teamed with new MFT papers Dots and Stripes Brights from My Mum's Craft Shop,, lace from Crafty Ribbons, LOTV teenage girl sentiment and roses from Wild Orchid.  I also used a MFT wonky stitched rectangle die and a Woodware leaf punch.

Challenges

Noor! Design UK add lace

Don't forget to enter my candy. see above.

Ellie again

I went for a completely different colour combo for my Ellie card for Stamposaurus this time, and also a distressed look. I do love using Autumnal shades and seem to have rather a lot of paper pads in these tones.  It is also my inspiration piece for Crafty Ribbons and the gorgeous ladybird ribbon goes so well with this colour combo. I added a cute wooden ladybird which I think came from Hobbycraft.  I used an older Spellbinder labels set of dies and one of my most used die sets, Memory Box puffy clouds.

Challenges

Simon Says anything goes

Dies R Us flowers

Check out my new candy.

New mouse home

Isn't this the cutest image for a new home card. I used one of the precoloured simply print images from LOTV. The papers are Craftwork Cards Bohemian Dreams, sentiment is LOTV, MS flower punch and enamel dots.

Challenges

Simon Says anything goes

So today is a bank holiday in the UK which means hubby is driving a rescue boat at the powerboat racing. He will go about 8am to get all the boats ready and set out the course etc. That means I get most of the day in the craft room, yippee.

Have you entered my new candy?