Hug in a Mug

I am really loving using some of my older stuff as much as if I bought new supplies.  There is a trend for making small A6 or slimline cards at the moment but I never liked making rectangular cards. When I first started cardmaking DL cards were very popular. I find square cards much esier to design.

This is a really old Forever Friends wooden stamp which I loved colouring with Copics. When I used to enter challenges there were a lot of sketch challenges and I always loved the ones with multiple papers. It is a great way of using scraps but not something you see people doing so much now. In fact many people don't use papers at all. I love mixing patterns and if you use papers from the same pad a lot of the time they will look good together. I used an old Dovecraft pack North Pole.  The sentiment is an old wooden stamp from Inkadinkadoo, the die is a MFT wonky stitched oval.

I am loving being in my fresh newly decorated craft room and have updated my craft room page with photos. Back tomorrow with a change from Christmas.

Relax

Whilst sorting through my precoloured toppers I cam across some Forever Friends bears and as I needed an image for a male friend's Birthday though I would use this one. I fussy cut hom out rather than leave it as an oval so I could create a little scene. The papers are K&Co Hopscotch and I used a Whimsy fence and a CC grass die. The sentiment is one I found in my stash. It does feel good to use up some of the things I have had for ages.

Challenges

The Ribbon Girl A card

Check out my new candy page, closes 15th October.

Off to sea

A nautical card today using an old Forever Friends topper. I am doing quite well this year in using some of my older stash. I also used some old papers, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and some new Joy seashore dies. I really like the effect of these with the Core'dinations.

Challenges

Papertake Something for the boys 

TTCRD anything goes 

Scribble and Scrap anything goes 

The Ribbon Girl animals
Bunny Zoe Furry friends
Crafting for al seasons It's a boy thing
Cute Card Thursday Beside the seaside

Simply Forever Friends

This is one of many simple 5x5 cards I have made for my craft fairs. I will only be putting a very few of them on my blog but I really love the sweet simplicity of this one. The papers are old Forever Friends and I simply fussy cut the image from one paper and decoupaged it and added 2 Doohickey slender fir diecuts. Simples.

Challenges

Oldie but a goodie Christmas (old papers)

Easter Cakes

Isn't this such a cute little image and clean and simple seemed the right approach for it. I am loving trying some cas cards sometimes.

Image - Forever Friends

Medium - Copic

Paper - Forever friends Kraft Notes

Sentiment stamp - mag freebie

Other - baker's twine, pearls

Challenges

Delicious Doodles Easter 

Totally Papercrafts Easter 

Di's Digis Easter 

That Craft Place Easter 

Divas by Design Easter 

Simon Says Happy Easter or sweet treats 

Cute Card Thursday Easter 

Delightful You're Eggstra special

Hot Cross Buns

I was sorting out some stamps and came across a set of Forever Friends Easter stamps I bought reduced after Easter last year and had completely forgotten about. As I want to get ahead with Easter cards for craft fairs thought I would ink some of them up and here is the first one. I am out of my comfort zone with this green, just not my colour at all but the paper is lovely and sparkly and I do like the finished result.

Image - Forever Friends

Medium - Copics

Papers - First Edition Spring Feast

Die - Spellbinders circle

Punch - MS trellis

Flowers - Prima

Pearls - The Hobby House

Sentiment - freebie stamp

Ribbon - from stash

Challenges

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Teddy Bears 

Crafty Catz Cream, green plus one 

Divas by Design Rubber stamps 

The Paper Shelter Punches and dies 

Penny Black and More at Allsorts Make it sparkle

I love Teddies

It's true I do love Teddies and Forever Friends seem a bit neglected nowadays yet whenever I see one it makes me smile and they are so lovely to colour. I played around with some heat embossing for a change too using a swirly stamp. clear embossing powder and then DI Worn Lipstick

Image - Docrafts Forever Friends

Medium - Copics Papers - Papermania Home for Christmas

Dies - Spellbinders circle, Memory Box party lanterns and landscape

Card blank - Craftwork Cards

Ribbon - reverse of Christmas ribbon from Crafty Ribbons

Other - stickles, Stampendous embossing powder, swirl stamp, DI Worn Lipstick

Challenges

Ready-Teddy-Go Embossing 

Addicted to Stamps and More Holidays) 

Sketchy Colours Great sketch 

Charisma Christmas 

Southern Girls Round, round baby right round 

Sparkles Christmas Have a beary Christmas

Craftyhazelnut For a child 

Sweet Stampin' Cause for Celebration 

Shabby Tea Room Christmas is coming (photo inspiration and red, white, brown)

It's a Boy

2 Craft fairs this weekend, today's finishes at 2pm and tomorrow's at 4pm so please forgive me if i don't get a chance to visit your blog. I don't use my Forever Friends bears oftn enough but when I do I always think how very cute they are.

Image - Forever Friends

Medium - Copics

Paper - Papermania capsule

Dies - MB Precious Hearts, Spellbinders hearts circle

Velvet Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Sentiment - Computer generated

Other - doily

Challenges

Crafty Sentiments Anything Goes 

Creative Card Crew Teddy Bear's Picnic

Simon Says Anything Goes 

Creative Moments Anything Goes

Docrafts Anything goes

Forever Friends

Ooh I do struggle to make CAS cards. I don't find them simple at all. I have the idea in my head but when I make it I think it looks too plain. I've used an old Forever Friends stamp along with some old Forever Friends paper. The image has been coloured with Promarkers. I added a glitter frame by using double sided tape. The image has been fussy cut and stuck with glue gel to stand out. The sentiment is an LOTV stamp. I envisaged the card wit no embellishments but I didn't like it at all so I added 2 wooden shapes coloured with DI Wild Honey. Still too simple for my taste but I have another idea for a CAS card so watch this space.

Challenges

Ready Teddy Go Clean and Simple 

Without Words Monochrome (forgive me the touch of red but you can't have a robin without a red breast!) Forever Friends Christmas card 

Crimbo Crackers Wooden 

MAWTTClean and Simple

Guest Designer at Forever Friends

As you may have noticed by my recent posts not entering any challenges I have been away for a few days and scheduled my posts. We went to Brighton on Friday and came home last night.

My twins card was chosen as the Forever Friends favourite a couple of weeks ago and I was delighted to be asked to be asked to be a guest designer for today's anything goes challenge. Here's the cute badge I got which is my GDT page.

I inked up a stamp, which is so cute I wonder why it has been uninked for so long. Coloured with PMs and FMs and DI Dusty Concord around the edges. Papers are Basic Grey Wisteria. I added some scrim, ribbon, Memory Box die cut Chloe Stem, Willow dragonfly and butterflies and some Viva pearl pen drops. I would like to enter this into the animal antics challenge at Willow sketchie, flower power at Truly Scrumptious and the get well challenge at Sparkles

Twins

I do love Forever Friends but because they are wood mounted stamps I tend to forget about them as they are stored separately from my rubber and acrylic stamps. I thought I should make a card for twins to add to my stock for sale and this little stamp was just perfect. I kept the colours neutral and lemon so it could be used for girls or boys. They have been coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers and die cut with a Nestie. The papers are Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby and I have used DI Antique Linen. I punched holes and cut little slits out in the strip of paper so it looks like memo paper. The word Twins was made using some glitter rubons I bought years ago in Poundland. I added some ribbon, bows and tiny buttons.

Challenges

Forever Friends Two images

Allsorts Buttons and bows

The Squirrel and The Fox Best friends

Father's Day Fisherman

I've been out and about all weekend. Had a great day yesterday with Lynsey, Will and Grace. Lynsey cooked us a lovely lunch and we were able to have a good crafty chat. I've had no time for crafting but hope to make up for that today. I have one card to share with you though, which was made form the FF retro men's pack. I used the MS cherish punch (again) and the Sizzix primitive star die with a button.

Challenges:
Craft Your Days Away Father's Day
Here come the boys Father's Day
Forever Friends Punch it

Christmas present

Thank goodness blogger is back at last. Hope it doesn't overheat now as we all rush to use it and upload our cards. Yesterday's post is still missing. Will it come back, who knows? This week at Winter Wonderland Jane has challenged us with Christmas presents. I used an old FF stamp, teamed with some DCWV Christmas papers, lots of glitter, pearls and a border cut with a Marianne icicle die. I like the way his hat really stands out from all the blue and white.

Challenges:
Sparkles Christmas Forum Holly or ivy
Crafty Calendar Teddy Bears
Create 4 Fun Great sketch

I like driving in my car

I hope you have all had a good weekend. A quick post from me as I haven't had any time for cardmaking this weekend (shock, horror!). I thought I would share this card which I made for a friend's Birthday this week. Everything is from the Forever Friends pack except the card candi and ribbon. I used my lovely MS cherish punch. Having been out all weekend I've chores to catch up on tomorrow but hope to make some crafting and blogging time.

Easter eggs and daisies

What an exciting week I'm having. As some of you have spotted I am featured as the subscriber of the month in this month's subscriber issue of Cardmaking and Papercraft. I won the challenge at Sarah Hurley and was in the top 3 at CES. On top of all that there is the exciting release of the new Fairyopolis range next week at Crafter's Companion. I'll be back later with a lovely sneak peek number 2. And not forgetting the fab new LOTV stamps. I bought 2 of the new ones and 2 of the older ones which I have wanted for ages along with some of the cute squares. I only ordered them Wednesday lunchtime and they arrived yesterday! Can't wait to play with them but ironing calls first.

I bought some Forever Friends decoupage to make some Easter cards as I thought the images were so cute but that the stamps wouldn't get much use. It's not like buying stamps which you can use for lots of cards. I teamed the decoupage with K&Co Daisy papers and 3D daisy, used my MS simple scallop punch and some ribbon. I would like to enter this into the monochrome challenge at Forever Friends and lemon zingy at Papertake.

More Mother's Day cards

I'm on a roll, this is my third and last post today. These are the two cards I made last night. I bought some Forever Friends decoupage for a change. Papers are my new Country Companions Lovers Lane, roses are Papermania, butterfly Flora Doodles. I used an MS border punch and then covered most of it up! I would like to enter this into the flowers and flutterbys challenge at CES and Anything Goes at Papertake.

The second card uses Forever Friends Pink Parfait papers. I added some doodling to the computer printed sentiment. I made the flower using Fizzy Moon paper flowers and Crafter's Companion spray and sparkle. I got the idea for the flowers from Bev who signposted a tutorial which you can find here. I would like to enter this into the challenge of make your own flowers at Allsorts.

Two more Christmas cards

A quick post from me as I am meant to be doing the housework. The first card is another of my new Pollycraft images. Papers are Dovecraft Fancy Christmas. I used my new MS snowflake border punch which you will be seeing a lot more of I'm sure. I added some MS punched snowflakes and some snowflake confetti and gems. I added a pompom to her hat and used glitter flocking on all her fur trim on her clothes and boots.
Challenges
Pollycraft Christmas card, nor red or green
Sketch Saturday
Sweet Stampin Winter Wonderland
Digital Tuesday Spots and stripes
Stamp something spots and stripes


This week at Winter Wonderland the lovely Danielle has set the DT the challenge of a one layer card. Now this may be an easy challenge for some of you but I found it difficult as I love to use lots of layers on my cards. I decided to cut an aperture in my card with a nellie die and stamp my Forever Friends image inside. I added some stamped snowflakes to the front and some faux stitching around the die cut shape.
I am also entering my card into the following challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers Clean and simple
Charisma Try something new
Secret Crafter Clean and simple

Two girly cards

I haven't been able to spend much time on the computer the last 2 evenings as I have been working on spreadsheets so much at work I think I have strained my eyes a bit so apologies I haven't visted as much as usual.

I felt like making a couple of girly cards this afternoon so here they are. The first one is one of the lovely Pollycraft fairy images. I added some glitter and a few flower and butterfly stickers. Papers are mainly Henbury Lane. The top paper is glittery and I added some lace and a bow with pearls. Flowers are from Wild Orchid. I used the first ever MS punch I bought last year, the doily lace border punch, still one of my faves.
Challenges
Sketch Saturday fab sketch
Pollycraft Let's have a sing song (Mine is Come fly with me by Frank Sinatra)
A spoon full of Sugar Sunshine Inspired
Charisma All about bling
Hidden Treasures Outdoors

In my stash I found some Forever Friends stickers which I have never got round to using. They are so sweet that I thought I would use one for a change from stamping. I glittered round the edge and used the gorgeous sketch from Friday Sketchers which I rotated. At Just cute bears the challenge is here comes Summer. I don't know what the weather has been like where you are but I would love to see Summer. We have had some sunshine but a cool wind means I am still wearing a jacket every day.

Ruby Wedding

Wow, thanks for all your lovely comments on my cards posted yesterday. I was stunned that so many of you visited me. I really do appreciate them all. Going back to work was tough and I am glad I only work 5.5 hours per dayand work flextime. I was in at 8.15 and at 1.30 I left as I was whacked. I spent a lovely afternoon making a couple of cards with images which I coloured last night. One card is a DT one so I can't share that with you until Friday.

This card is for some friends who are celebrating their Ruby Wedding on Sunday. I enjoyed making the last tri -shutter card so much I wanted to try another. I had made a note of all the measurements I worked out, including the paper sizes so it was much quicker to make this time and what a great way to use up all those scraps of paper we can't bear to throw away. The image is FF of course. I added a punched MS heart, some pearl hearts, a bow and some padded hearts that have been in my stash for about 3 years and which match the spotted paper. The numbers are from an old alphabet set from Poundland.
Challenges
Forever Friends Kinetic card
The Townscrapper Save a tree (use one piece of card and paper scraps)
Totally Papercrafts More than one fold

A Christmas bear and some mice

It's Friday and that means another challenge at Winter Wonderland and what a sweet challenge we have for you this week. Yes, we are looking for Christmas sweets. This can be either the colour scheme and/or sweets in your design. I chose marshmallows for my colour scheme, inspired by the marshmallows in the cocoa mug. I also drew some in the top of the Forever Friend's bear's mug.

I was so inspired by Debbie's tri shutter card that I asked her for the tutorial, which you can now find on her blog. This card was much easier to make than I expected and is a great way of using up all those little bits of DP that we crafters just can't bear to throw away. I also made a tissue paper poinsettia for the centre.

I am entering my card into the following challenges:
Passion for Promarkers Anything Goes
The Crafty Pad Over the Edge
A spoon full of sugar Celebration
Moving along with the times Folds
Christmas Stampin' all year long Chocolate and rose


Quite a different card again for this one. I bought a sheet of Penny Black stamps at Ally Pally and just got round to stamping them up. I stamped the background card and around the image with Field of Sky stamp from Stamp in the Hand. The card is embossed with Cuttlebug bubbles and swiss dots embossing folders. I added some Sizzix die cut corners, buttons and letters, which were free from a mag ages ago.
Challenges:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday Sketch
Penny Black Lots of dots
Secret Crafter No patterned paper
Incy Wincy Button up (prize from the Aspire to Thrive Children's charity )
Quixotic Emboss it
Simon Says Pink or blue plus green and brown
CRAFT Blue and green
Cute Card Thursday No DPs
Charisma Going round in circles