50th Birthday card

This is a commissioned card for someone whose Birthday is New Year's Day.  My friend asked for this image as she liked a previous card I made using it.  It is an old Whiff of Joy image by Elisabeth Bell which I coloured with Copics.  I haven't done much colouring lately so am looking forward to having time to do more soon.

The paper is First Edition Forever Free which was perfect as she asked for this colour scheme.  I added a doily, lace from Crafty Ribbons and lots of flowers from Wild Orchid.  I used Victorian Velvet distress ink around the image and sentiment.

 

Let's Dance

I am pleased to say that the lady who asked for the flower tags in yesterday’s post messaged me and said her MIL is delighted with them and will be wanting some more. 

Another commissioned card but this time for another lady. I don't do many cards to order but have made several this month.  The brief was for a girlie card, make up, jewellery, dancing, singing etc. I remembered this old Whiff of Joy stamp designed by Elisabeth Bell I.  I coloured her with Copics and paper pieced her dress. This proved trickier to cut out than I expected so I decided to colour the beads with a black Copic pen rather than trying to cut round them. Unfortunately it was a new pen which blobbed as they do occasionally so I had to stamp the dress and cut it out for a second time and attach on top which gave a decoupaged look so all's well than ends well and she loved it.

The papers are MFT. I used Lawn Fawn pierced rectangle and Memory Box music dies.  The lady was delighted with the card saying it is just perfect for her granddaughter. I am really enjoying using some of my old stamps.

 

21st

Another commissioned card today for the same lady. I used an old Whiff of Joy stamp which is by Elisabeth Bell.  I coloured her with Copics. The papers are Craftwork cards and I used Go Kreate large labels 9 and MFT stitched oval dies.  The sentiment at the bottom was specially requested and is from Inklyicious. The Happy Birthday is LOTV teenage girl sentiments.  I used Martha Stewart fern, daisy and cosmos punches and a couple of butterfly punches.

Today's exciting outing is our weekly click and collect from Tesco. Stay safe everyone x.

 

That's the trouble with slingbacks

Slingbacks are fine if the strap is elasticated or has a buckle otherwise they do have a tendency to slip don't they. She seems to be having trouble with hers.  I made this card for a friend whose Birthday was a couple of days ago.  I haven't made a card where I have layered all the papers and image for ages. It does look effective on black card.

Image - coloured topper by Elisabeh Bell for The Hobby House. 

Papers - MFT bundles of blossoms brights and an odd spotty piece

Sentiment - LOTV

Glass of champagne

This is one of the samples I have made for my next cardmaking class. I try to do something different each month but have to take into account that most of the people who come aren't cardmakers. We have two and a quarter hours which includes tea/coffee and cake so I need them to be able to make something in a hour so hey can make one before and one after refreshment.  So far some people have come to every class but each time there also new people. I don't want them all to make the same card so take a selection of papers, images and dies. I make a couple of samples to give them ideas. The task this time is to make shaped cards and flower arrangements using two different leaf dies or punches and three different flower dies or punches.

Image - Elisabeth Bell topper from The Hobby House

Papers - Maja Denim and girls

Dies - Nellie Snellen flowers, Go Kreate frilly 7 large

Punches - Martha Stewart flowers and leaves

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.

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.

Birdhouse

Another Elisabeth Bell Hobby House topper today.  I think I have the stamp of this too, an old Sugar Nellie stamp. I created a 7x7 card as the topper is quite large.  The papers are some old LOTV ones. I added some cheesecloth and a butterfly from Poundland. The dies used were a Marianne birds on a branch and Impression Obsession birdhouses.  I love making this style of card.

You may know that I sell some of my gifts in a local vintage cafe and craft shop. The person who used to sell handmade cards in there is giving up cardmaking so I have been asked if I would like to sell some of mine in there. She does sell printed cards too but I am hoping that my cards will sell in there and hopefully I will pick up some orders too.

Off to see my Mum today and go out for lunch. We should have gone last Wednesday but we were both too poorly and I didn't want my Mum to catch it.

New Job

I am on a mission to use some of my toppers, some I have had for years and amongst them I found this Hobby House topper with an Elisabeth Bell image. Ideal for a new job card I thought and something I need to add to my stock.

The papers are Bo Bunny Double Damask. I used a LOTV sentiment, an old suitcase die from Die-versions and a Joy pocket watch die.

Out for breakfast again this morning before a long session at the hairdresser's having a cut and highlights. A good chance to read my book.  I have always loved reading and always have a book on the go.

Not a Christmas card!

I had a change from making Christmas cards with this one using a sweet Elisabeth Bell topper from The Hobby House which I fussy cut. The papers are MFT hearts and stripes, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, sentiment from Inkylicious. I used a Lawn Fawn stitched circle and a Spellbinders heart circle die. The butterflies were cut with a Crafts Too die.

I would like to enter this into the based on a song challenge at Allsorts. Mine is based on I'll be There for you by The Rembrandts (Friends TV theme song).

Another early start today for my last craft fair of the year. It is a lovely Christmas fair and I did really well last year. I then have the hospital shop on Dec 3rd and that will be it for this year.

Party time

I hope you are all having a lovely Easter weekend. Mine hasn't quite gone as planned. Those who follow me on Facebook will know that I had a bad fall last Thursday. I caught my foot in the hoover cable which hubby was using and fell into the lounge hitting my back on our heavy oak coffee table. Thankfully nothing was broken but I have a nasty bruise, internal bruising and a very painful back. I have two lots of tablets, arnica cream and heat patches and it is slowly improving. Today we should have been going to see Lynsey and her family and go out for lunch but my back couldn't take the long bumpy journey so we will be going somewhere more local for a little trip as I haven't been out for the last two days.

Today I have a card as a guest designer again for My Mum’s Craft Shop. 

Image - Hobby House precoloured topper by Elisabth Bell

Papers - MFT dots and stripes confetti

Die - MFT sentiment label strip

All of these are available at My Mum’s Craft Shop.

I also used some new Nellie Snellen flower dies I bought at Ally Pally, pearls and pearl pen,  ribbon from Meiflower and a sentiment I found in my stash which fitted the image perfectly.

Challenges

Simon Says Spring colour inspiration

Allsorts great sketch 

The Paper Shelter girl power
The Ribbon Girl any image

 Check out my candy above, ending soon.

Takeout coffee

Thanks to everyone who has entered my candy. Several people have commented but haven't entered using the link on the candy page so please check your entry. The winner will be chosen from everyone who has entered in the link. I have another of the cards I made for Making Cards magazine using The Hobby House toppers by Elisabeth Bell. The papers are Craftwork Cards Chambray and Lace. I added some cheesecloth and burlap and a LOTV grunge sentiment. The takeout coffee cup was made with a Memory Box die.

Challenges

Crafty Purple Frog lovely ladies 

The Ribbon Girl a card

Shopping trip

Now that the new Making Cards magazine is out I can share one of the cards I had published last month. I was lucky enough to have three features totalling 10 cards so I will be blogging those over the next month or so.

Image - Hobby House precoloured topper by Elisabeth Bell

Papers - Craftwork Cards Chambray and Lace

Sentiment - LOTV grunge sentiment

Die - Joy stitched banner

Other - cheesecloth, jute ribbon

Challenges

Simon Says anything goes

The Ribbon Girl any image

In the playroom

I have another sample for Crafty Ribbons to share with you today. This one features the new coloured pencil ribbon which I teamed with some magazine freebie papers and a cute pre coloured topper from The Hobby House. I used a Clearly Besotted notebook edger die and added some buttons from Crafty Ribbons tied with twine.  I would like to enter this into the any image challenge at The Ribbon Girl. Looking forward to a facial and massage today.

Now and then

I was lucky enough to win Squirrel's last challenge and was determined to join in her current fun challenge of then and now The idea is to see how your style and colouring skills have improved. I decided to go right back to one of my first stamps and one of my first blog posts in June 2009. I still love this stamp and will never get rid of her. The difference in colouring and layout skills are amazing. It is amazing to see how much my photography skills have improved too! 

Image - Elisabeth Bell for Sugar Nellie Daisy

Medium - Copics

Papers - Dovecraft Serendipity

Die - Lawn Fawn stitched circle

Flowers - Prima

Butterflies - part of my Christmas present from Lynsey

Challenges

Squirrel's not so random challenge then and now
Dies R Us anything goes using dies 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts anything goes 

The Ribbon Girl a card 

Noor! Design UK anything goes

And this is my card from June 2009. Stamping and colouring was very new to me and as you can see I knew nothing about blending and shading. The layout is pretty awful too. The only good thing  about it is the colour scheme.

It's raining again

I found this shaped card in my stash and thought I should use it. The papers are MME Nostalgia, can you tell they are on the top of the pile in one of the drawers? I am trying to use the last few sheets. I love the colours of these papers but I do hate having just a few left in a pad, taking up valuable room. I used one of the Hobby House topper. These really are coloured well. The image is Elisabeth Bell of course, one of my favourite artists. I added a Craftwork card sentiment, some flowers from my stash and some pretty patterned BRADS! yes, how many of you have brads in your collection that haven't seen the light of day for a long time.

Challenges

Elisabeth Bell's World make a splash

Crafting by Designs anything goes 

Simon Says anything goes

Check out my candy page.

Cupcake

I had a really good sort out of all my toppers and precoloured images. I bought a concertina file in Tesco for £2 and organised them all into it, in categories so I know feel much more organised. I am determined to use them more and now I know exactly what I have. I also bought a smaller file which is meant for cheques. This was £1.25 in Wilko and I sorted all my sentiments into it, again in categories. I tend to stamp a few at a time and I also have some old Craftwork Cards ones and oddments like magazine freebies. It was driving me mad sorting through them all but now they are sorted it speeds up my crafting. Time is precious.

Image - Hobby House Elisabeth Bell topper

Papers - Kaisercraft Miss Nelly

Stamp - Kaisercraft fern

Punch - Martha Stewart simple scallop border

Dies - Lea'bilities flowers

Other - red liquid pearls, pearls, strawberry charm, twine, wooden flower coloured with Wink of Stella

Challenges

Elisabeth Bell's World strawberries and red 

Incy Wincy anything goes 

ABC M is for maiden

Nice and cosy

Starting to really get going with the Christmas cards now. I don't know about you but one of the hardest things with blogging is thinking up the post title. Anyway on to my card. I have always wanted this stamp and when I spotted her for sale on Ebay she came home to live with me.

Image - Elisabeth Bell for Sugar Nellie

Medium - Copics, white gel pen, Sakura gold star pen

Papers and sentiment - Bo Bunny silver and gold

Dies - Joy and Frantic stamper trees covered in White Wink of Stella pen

Punch - Crafts Too snowflake with white glitter card

Challenges

ABC Christmas N is for no rules 

Di's Digis Christmas in July

Elisabeth Bell's World holiday
Winter Wonderland Christmas tree or make it cute (I have both)
Deep Ocean Christmas in July

My tonic die giveaway ends soon, check out my giveaway page to enter.

Cycling

I recently bought this image when it was on offer for just $1. Now often I buy or win  digis and they sit on my laptop for ages and some of them never get used so I was determined to print this one off and colour her up. 

Image - Elisabeth Bell

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME Nostalgia

Dies - MFT stitched rounded squares, Marianne flowers

Sentiment - Little Claire dinkie

Other - wooden bicycle, pearls

Challenges

Elisabeth Bell's World make your own flowers

  LC Designs Spring colours 

Simon Says anything goes 

Inky Chicks Birthday 

Double D April showers bring May flowers 

The Paper Shelter pearls 

Fussy and Fancy female Birthday

  Bunny Zoe travelling/transport

Hubby is out volunteering today and tomorrow. Regular readers may know that he drives a rescue boat for the powerboat club. They are hosting the National Championships for two days so I will mainly be crafting yippee!

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