Forever Friends

A very different colour combo from me today using Forever Friends coloured simply print digi from LOTV. Isn't she adorable and I look forward to colouring the digi of her.  The blue paper is from lOTV, yellow border from a pack of MFT hearts. I used MFT sitched inside and out rounded corner and stitched scalloped border dies.  The sentiment is from a new fairy set of digis. I found some very old flowers in my stash, they must be about 10 years old and I teamed them with some wooden leaves from Hobbycraft and patterned card candi from Craftwork cards.  I also used an Xcut rounded corner punch.

I am off to my last craft fair until September. Set up isn't until 9.30 so not too early a start for a change.The fair is at Cromer hospital fete from 11-2. I have never doen this one before so no idea if it will be any good.  Still we shall be at the coast so a chance for a seafront walk afterwards hopefully.

Another new fairy

Today is your last chance to buy anything half price from the LOTV store on Etsy. These new fairies are adorable and as soon as I saw this one I thought what a great Christmas card she would make. I love the versatility of using a non Christmas image for a Christmas card.I coloured the image with Copics and coloured the little bird as a robin. I used Spectrum Noir clear sparkle pen on her wings and used some sparkle pens on the ribbons and a white gel pen on the spots on her dress. The papers are last year's First Edition Merry little Christmas.  The sentiment is from LOTV. I used a Woodware holly punch, Sue Wilson poinsettia die, flowers from Hobbycraft, enamel do and some chunky white embossing powder.

Fairy wishes

As Monday was international fairy day Lili of the Valley launched some new digis and coloured simply prints. I am looking forward to colouring the digis but in the meantime I have used one of the coloured simply prints called Shy. I wouldn't normally use pink and red together but as the image uses those colours I have echoed this in my papers which are MFT hearts and stripes. I used various dies including a cross stitch circle die, Doohickey fence, Cheery Lynn mushrooms, Memory Box cherry blossom, and a MFT scalloped stitched border.  The sentiment is from a new set of digis too.

Let's go paddling

Today is my turn to post on the Swedish House Crafts blog and I chose to use one of the newest Paper Nest Dolls Emma with starfish. She is available at a very special price exclusive to Swedish House Crafts.  I coloured her with Copics and had fun creating a scene for her.

Image - Emma with starfish
Medium - Copics
Dies - MFT sunny skies, under the sea (rocks), Lawn Fawn wavy stitched borders, deckchair, seagull
Papers - LOTV up, up and away, First Edition beyond the shore.

Hubby needs a haircut so we will be heading into the city today for that and no doubt a little retail therapy and lunch. I need to get back this afternoon to finish my prep for tonight's cardmaking class.

Rose arch

 I still have several old LOTV art pads with some lovely coloured images. I teamed this one with some paper from an old LOTV art pad Romance and Roses.  I added some flowers from Wild Orchid, wooden bird and birdcage and lace from my stash.  The fun leaves were cut with Gummiapan dies.

It is a good year for the roses, ours have more flowers on some of them than we have had for years. We need to get out and do some deadheading and tidying in the garden this morning if it isn't raining, then line dancing lesson, then hopefully some crafting time. 

Under the weather

Hello and welcome to the last week of June, how did that happen. I have been so busy that I haven't had much crafting time but I did manage to make a couple of cards at the end of last week. 

Image - LOTV coloured simply print

Papers - from various [pads

Ribbon - from stash

Sentiment - LOTV digi

Dies - MFT scallpoed stitched border, stitched clouds, wonky stitched rectangle, lamppost

Another busy day today. We are off to see a consultant as hubby has a hernia, then meeting friends for coffee, shopping and massages this afternoon, along with a facial for me.

Unicorn Chloe

The new Crafts Beautiful magazine is in shops now and this month I used one of Pink Gem's new digis, Unicorn Chloe. I used the precoloured image as I love the soft colours.  I wanted to add something and had the idea of adding small ribbon bows to her hair and I love how it turned out. The papers are First Edition Beyond the Shore, unicorn ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and I added some enamel dots.

I must mention Mum is coming over today as she reads my blog every morning.  On the odd days I don't post she often comments on the fact my blog had no new post.  So I hope you like today's card Mum, see you later this morning. Looking forward to having a catch up and going out for lunch. x

Meet Harlow

As you may know Pink Gem no longer have a website of their own, selling through Polkadoodles and on Etsy instead and therefore don't have a design team. However Janet asked if some of the old DT would like to continue promoting her new images. When I saw this new girl, Harlow, I thought she was lovely and knew she would be lovely to colour. Her hairstyle is rather like mine and that is where the similarity ends 😊.

I coloured her with Copics and teamed her with some lovely WRS frosted lace paper and some layered MFT snowflakes. I added some fun flock to the fur and that was it. The paper is so pretty I didn't want to add anything else and cover it up.

Normally on a Thursday afternoon I would be crafting whilst hubby is volunteering on powerboat rescue. I will have a little time for crafting but a friend is picking me up later afternoon and we are going to a talk by one of my fave authors, Elly Griffiths, about her new book, a girl called Justice. Although it is aimed mainly at 8-12 year olds we both really enjoyed it. Elly said she hope her adult readers would like it. It is set in 1936 and reminded me of reading Enid Blyton's Mallory Towers as a child. Then we are going for a meal before coming home.

A posy for you

Another day, another friend's Birthday card. It's all go at the moment with making cards for friends.

Image - Lili of the Valley digi Spring rabbit posy

Sentiment - LOTV digi everyday greetings

Papers - Bo Bunny secret garden

Die - Doohickey fence, Memory box clouds

Flowers - Wild Orchid

It seems ages since I did a craft fair but today we are the hospital craft fair.  We normally do well there as I have several regular buyers amongst the staff. As I haven't done one for a while it will be nice to see what stock I have as I keep making cards and gifts and putting them in the boxes.

Picking apples

Firstly thank you for such lovely positive comments on my blog yesterday. I made this card for a friend whose Birthday was yesterday so I can now share it with you. I absolutely love the old Elisabeth Bell stamps which Sugar Nellie used to sell. In fact they were some of the first stamps I ever bought. I bought this one a while ago from somebody on Facebook as I never had her in my collection. They are such a delight to colour and as my friend shares my love of purple I was able to use my fave colour too.

I coloured her with Copics, papers are First Edition Butterfly kisses, lace and cheesecloth from stash, flowers from Wild Orchid.  I used MFT wonky stitched oval and stitched ric rac dies.  The ric rac die is a new one which I have wanted for ages but it was out of stock. I know I am going to be using that one a lot.

10 years of blogging

I have always loved making things and started cardmaking in May 2006 after buying a cardmaking kit and some papers.  In June 2009 a friend persuaded me to start a blog. I had no idea what I was doing at first but I started posting and following blogs and in turn people started following me. As time went on I learnt how to improve the look of my blog and enter challenges. I applied for and was accepted on my first challenge design team in January 2010. 

Social media has changed things and some people no longer use their blogs. Happily many do and it is always lovely to see new people starting a blog. Whilst other social media platforms are fine the thing I love about blogging is the information on the products used and the personal information many people include in their posts. I have often bought items because I read about them on a blog after admiring a card.

So here I am still blogging after 10 years and with 1772 followers. During that time I have been on several design teams for both challenges and craft companies. I have designed for those companies for their stands at craft shows and for their TV shows. I am currently a DT member for Lili of the Valley and Swedish House Crafts and feel very privileged to promote their products.  Whilst Pink Gem no longer have a design team or blog I design for them to showcase their new images. I have also designed for several cardmaking magazines although I have reduced this to mainly one magazine to enable me to concentrate on other things.  I sell at craft fairs and in a local vintage tearooms/gift shop where I also now run cardmaking classes.

So here’s to all those who post their lovely projects and share a little about themselves. Let’s all keep posting, visiting and commenting on blogs to keep blogland alive.

Sweet Christmas Fairy

I have been feeling rather poorly all week as I have had a cold and the dreaded cough again. Thankfully the cough is nowhere as bad this time and shouldn't last for four months like the last one I hope! Good job we didn't have too much planned this week and I managed to get through my cardmaking class with only one bout of coughing. The class went very well and four people signed up for the next one on 26th June even though we will be making similar cards.  I am doing an additional one as the first one filled up so quickly.

I decided to look though my bag of Christmas toppers and found some lovely Hobby House Sugar Nellie images. I have been doing some colouring this week as well but can't share those cards yet.  I added some sparkle with Spectrum noir sparkle clear and white pens.  I used some old papers, Memory Box holly and Sue Wilson poinsettia dies.  The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons.

Art Deco Anniversary

I made this card for some friends whose Anniversary was yesterday. I wanted to make something a bit different as I usually go for cute images but as they enjoy cruising I chose some old art deco papers and an image I have had for years. They are beautiful images, though our friends don't look quite this elegant on their cruises!  I added some punched leaves and roses from Wild Orchid along with a wooden heart.

Patch and Puss

This is one of the sample cards I made for my cardmaking class I am running tonight. LOTV kindly gave me permission to use some of my old art pad images for the class. I have made a sketch for them to follow and done most of the prep so looking forward to that tonight.

Image - LOTV art pad

Papers - Lilibee head over heels

Die - stitched square from The Works

Sentiment - LOTV teenage girl

punches- Hobbycraft stars, Fiskars tag

Seesaw bunny

I have a lot of LOTV coloured simply prints printed and waiting to be used so thought it was time I made cards with some of them. This one is available on Etsy, link in my sidebar. I used some old LOTV papers, flowers from Wild Orchid, Memory Box butterfly dies, burlap butterfly from Docrafts, MFT stitched cloud dies, Little Claire sentiment stamp and a ribbon bow.

I had a busy day crafting yesterday but many of the cards I am making at the moment I can't share yet as they are for upcoming events.

Potters Resort

Regular viewers will have heard me talk about our trips to Potters over the last two years. Or friends took us there for coffee and we were so impressed with it that we have been 10 times so far, mostly for one night breaks but a couple of times we have been for two night breaks.  You can arrive when you like on the first day and stay any time until 6pm on the second day. We have stayed in one of the bungalows, as they call them, chalets to you and me, a couple of times and they are very nice but we prefer to pay extra for one of the hotel rooms if they are available.  The top left hand pic is of one of the hotel rooms. 

We love the activities, so many to choose from including table tennis, quizzes, pitch and putt, dance lessons and badminton. It is such a lovely location on the clifftops at the coast so when the weather is nice we usually go for a walk down to the beach.  We had a go at air rifle shooting at targets and both won medals which we are wearing in the bottom pic.  The meals are very good and the shows are superb with music and dancing beforehand.

I wanted to capture just a few moments from our stays and this simple background paper from Simple Stories was perfect. There were several phrases at the bottom which I didn't want so covered them a contrasting paper just leaving laugh lots as we always do when we are there.  I added just a few extra words and left it at that.

Hubby is off volunteering all day in Bedford today so an early start and home about 7.30 giving me a day at home, mainly crafting. I have several Birthdays, a Wedding and Anniversary to make cards for as well as more prep for my class next week so plenty to do. Enjoy your Sunday.

James and Daisy

James is one of my favourite images and although I actually used an old art pad for my card you can buy this image as either a digi to colour or a coloured simply print. Link to the LOTV Etsy store is on my sidebar. I teamed him with some old LOTV papers, a LOTV teenage girl sentiment, Memory Box diecut butterflies and used a Doohickey fence die.

I have been busy preparing for my next card class next Wednesday which filled up so quickly I am doing another two weeks later. 

You did it!

I made this card for a young lady who has worked extremely hard and has just qualified as a lawyer and has landed her first job in the form where she has been training after getting her law degree.  She really deserves her success.

Image - precoloured Elisabeth Bell topper from The Hobby House

Papers - Echo Park I love family

Bunting die - Lawn Fawn

Other - Congratulations die and enamel dots

I have several occasions in June and July which I need to make cards for so best get on with them this afternoon and evening whilst hubby is out.

Happy 48th Wedding Anniversary

Today is our 48th Wedding Anniversary! I did get married very young 😊. Today is also my first official DT post on the Swedish House Crafts blog.  This is the card I made for hubby. I try to do something completely different each year and this year I was inspired by our love of denim, music and flowers.  The female image reminds me of one of my favourite 70's fashions when I wore a white petticoat with a broderie anglais trim showing underneath a skirt. Mind you mine were a lot longer than the ones in the image.

I wanted to show how you can used 6x6 papers on a larger card by creating a patchwork effect.  I used Maja Denim and girls 6x6 papers. There are several of these papers which suit male cards too. The images are from Maja snapshots guys in jeans and Maja Denim and girls - girls in jeans.  I also used a heart banner die, some wooden stars and lace.

Silent night

We had a great time at Potters on Sunday and Jason Manford was brilliant.  We got home yesterday lunchtime and after unpacking it was straight in the craft room to get another Christmas card made.  I used 2 images from the Pion Design - Long ago in Bethlehem 12 x 12 sheet.  The paper is from an old First Edition pad. I used some new Christmas foliage dies from Crafter's Companion which I diecut in white and then coloured with Copics. The poinsettia is from Hobbycraft and I added some sparkle with a Spectrum Noir clear sparkle pen.

Do you have these in a smaller size?

Yesterday morning we went to Potters Resort again, this time to see the comedian Jason Manford. We love all the activities there and always enjoy the lovely evening meal before the show and of course an overnight stay. So as this publishes I shall be enjoying a cuppa in bed before getting ready for breakfast. We will be stopping off for some shopping and probably be home around lunchtime. I haven’t had as much time as usual for crafting with being on holiday and a couple of overnighters, not to mention getting the garden into shape and all the other usual things. However I said I made two cards the other day using an old James Bear LOTV art pad. This image is definitely Jenny Bear. I think she does need a smaller size don't you? The papers are Lilybee head over Heels, dies are a set of Sizzix leaves and flowers, Lawn Fawn pierced rectangle, MFT scalloped border.  I also used a Hobbycraft butterfly punch and a LOTV teenage girl sentiment.

In the trees

Another Christmas card for the box, this time a simple design. I haven't done much colouring this week as I am trying to use some of my large stock of coloured images. This one is from a diecut sheet of Wee images from The Hobby House.  I used some old LOTV papers, an old tatty Teddy material sentiment, Whimsy fence and a Christmas tree die.

Need to get out and do some tidying in the garden this morning and put in a few new plants. The wallflowers and forget me nots have just about finished so it will be good to replace them with some Summer flowering plants.