Thank you all

THIRD AND FINAL POST FOR TODAY.
I'm definitely having a teddy bear today. This beautiful Lili of the Valley stamp, which I have been longing to use, was a Christmas pressy from my good friend Lynsey. It is coloured with PMs and I added some silver glitter to some of the flower middles. I spent ages trying to decide which flowers to use, too much choice, so many Prima jars and bottles or should I punch some flowers. I tried all sorts but I am happy with my final choice. I used an old X cut corner punch and a rounded punch for a change along with my MSBP. Lynsey also bought me some lovely ribbon, which I resisted opening as I already had this stripey ribbon started and it fitted the colour scheme perfectly.

This card is a thank you to all for you for your lovely comments and encouragement. I received this award from Despoina and would like you all to have it.

What a cheerful picture on such a gloomy day. The wintry showers are back again. Right on to the challenges.

Lili of the Valley Thank you
Sketch Saturday Lovely Sketch
Crafty Cardmakers Whats new (stamp)

Christmas bear

SECOND POST FOR TODAY
Here I am with Christmas card number 5. I almost bought this stamp for last Christmas but resisted. However when I saw it was half price in the Glitter Pot sale I just had to buy it. The fab sketch is from Winter Wonderland. Other challenges are Forever Friends a cheerful card with 2 layers, ribbon and sparkles, Crafty Catz bright and sparkly, Die Cut Dreams coffee and cream (I'm sure that's what's in the cup) and Bah Humbug recycle (spacer and brad are from an old card). This last one is a new challenge to me that I'll definitely be entering again to keep those Christmas cards going.

Baby boy

Thankfully I am starting to feel a lot better today so will be back to work tomorrow. It's ages since I used this little Forever Friends stamp so decided it was time it came out. I chalked around the image and inked the edges of the Nellie die cut. (A set of these are up for grabs in my candy above. The closing date is Saturday so if you haven't yet entered you still have time.) I sorted through some stickers and found these cloud and star bubble stickers. The papers are all Doodlebug swimming pool boutique. 2 of the squares are flocked paper and 2 are glitter paper. I decide to keep this fairly simple to show off the gorgeous papers.

I was very excited to find this new challenge, Teddy Stampers as I love teddies, (thanks Pinky). Their first challenge is new beginnings. The fab sketch is from Papertake and the challenge is texture at Crafty Creations.

Sugar Bowl 26

SECOND POST FOR TODAY
Well I managed to get another card made with one of the images I coloured last night. I'm definitely not quite with it, my typing is awful, have to keep correcting it, and I just tried to enter my card into the challenge before I had posted it!

This is sketch 26 at the Sugar Bowl with the added challenge of new. I used one of my new SN stamps which I won just before Christmas. It's her first outing and she is just perfect for a Winter Birthday. Papers are DCWV and Clare Curd. I'm really enjoying trying out different colour schemes.

That's all from me today. I'm off for a lie down now.

Valentine

I cam down with a virus Sunday evening so am off work at the moment. Yesterday I felt so awful I couldn't even gather together the strength to make a card. I managed to colour a few images last night and am feeling a bit better today. I have a really sore throat and just feel worn out.

This is quite a bright card for me but when I saw the colour challenge of red and aqua at Whiff of Joy I thought I should give it a try. The fab sketch, which I rotated is from Secret Crafter. I added Shimmerz to her wings and she is coloured with Promarkers with a touch of Sakura gold pen. The aqua paper is Clare Curd, the red was a freebie from a mag. The fabric heart has been in my stash for so long I have no idea where I bought them and the flat backed pearl hearts are from Quixotic. I couldn't find the right coloured card for the backing of the image and text so used white and coloured it with a cool aqua Promarker.

A hat for Ascot

The weather today is awful. One minute it is raining, then it is snowing so everywhere is looking very messy. A quick post before we go out. I'd love to spend the day indoors but we have tickets for the Theatre.

A friend asked me to make a Birthday card for a friend of hers with whom she is planning to go to Ascot this year, where hats are of course the order of the day. I used one of my Debbi Moore vintage images and stamped it 3 times, once onto card and then onto 2 different colour papers, which I then paperpeiced and decoupaged. I wanted to keep the look very elegant. I sued lots of Prima flowers, flat backed pearls and lovely silver card candy from Craftwork cards.
Challenges
Friday Sketchers Sketch
Crafty Creations Black and white plus one other colour
Craftwork Cards Card candy
Magical Crafts Vintage

The kiss

I'm so pleased with the way this card turned out.It This digi image from Sassy Studios has to be one of the most difficult I have ever coloured. Some of the parts are so small, particularly where the couple meet at the top that the colouring was a challenge in itself. I showed the finished card to my husband, who though he appreciates my cards, usually says that's nice, very good or something like that. However he said this one was beautiful, so that's praise indeed. Photos of tall cards don't show all the details so well so please click on the image for a larger version.

I've just recently fallen in love with spacers and charms and bought some new ones from Hobby House, which I've used here.

Challenges
Lily Boo Too Valentine or any love theme
Moving along with the times Sketch and love theme
A Spoon full of sugar Hearts
Creative Inspirations Anniversary
Paperplay Precious metals

Let me be your Teddy Bear

Coco and flowers is the name of this cute bear from Digistamp Boutique. As there are 2 challenges this week for hot chocolate, either an image or the colour scheme of hot chocolate and marshmallows I decided to go with the colour scheme. Not colours I use together enough so that's another resolution being satisfied. Have you noticed there hasn't been a single purple card this week? Flowers are all Prima and I found the teddy bear button in my stash.
Challenges
Truly Scrumptious Scrumptious sketch this week, thanks
Cupcake Baby
ABC L is for layering
Quixotic Hot chocolate
Simon Says Hot chocolate
Charisma Pink, brown, cream, toffee
Cute card Thursday New (baby)
Polkadoodle Song title (Let me be your Teddy Bear - Elvis Presley)
One Stop Craft Something beginning with B (Bear)

Have a good weekend everyone and hope you keep warm and safe in this snowy weather.

Washing day

Well no-one is hanging their washing out in this weather that's for sure. I hope you are all keeping warm. I was all wrapped up this morning and opened the front door to be greeted with a heavy snow shower. Luckily I had brought some work home on a data stick just in case so I unwrapped myself again and stayed home in the warm.

The sketch I have used is from Stamp with fun. I cut out the Greeting Farm image and mounted her onto card embossed with the Cuttlebug bubbles embossing folder to give the idea of washing powder bubbles. I bought the Happy Birthday ribbon a couple of years ago at a show and hardly use it. The corners were bought at Lakeland when they used to stock craft supplies and must be about 3 years old, so I'm keeping up my New Year's resolution to use neglected stash. The card is also for the challenge of Anything Goes at Anyone for Anya.

Happy 60th

It's a male friend's 60th Birthday on Monday and as he loves gardening, and sitting in the garden I decided to use this great Popcorn image. I do love these images but they are rather big. Luckily I had a green 5" x 7" card in stock otherwise there wouldn't have been room for any embellishment at all. The lovely owl paper is Papermania sweet nothings and I added some green leaf brads to the image. I thought I could get away with a flower on the card as it is a gardening card and the flower is brown and green, so not girly. I don't know why we shy away from putting flowers on men's cards though as most men like flowers too, especially gardeners. I used another one of my new ticket sentiments from Alissa Designs. I really do love them.

This card is for the colour challenge of cinnamon, lime and berry at Winter Wonderland. I'm so glad their challenge is going all year, but it isn't just Christmas cards now.

One image, 2 cards

I'm so excited as I found out today that I have been chosen as the winner of the Pollycraft challenge and the prize is to be guest DT for the next 2 challenges.

This image is my very favourite baby image and as I don't have any baby cards in stock I decided to make a pink and a blue. I used faux stitching around the images, something I don't do often enough. The corners are Sizzix and the I used my MS heart punch on the pink one. The blue flowers are punched with a white ribbon and pearl flower added and the pink one is a punched flower with a Prima flower and flower brad. The gorgeous sentiments are digi tickets from Alissa Designs, edged with promarkers.

Now for the 10 challenges:
Crafts 4 eternity sketch, blue and white, stitching (real or faux)
Cute card Thursday Sketch (used for the pink card)
By the cute and girly New
The Craft Garden New
One Stop Craft Something beginning with B and a DT call (mine is B for baby of course)
Cupcake Baby
Cute Daisy May Love
Incy Wincy Bling it Up (the blue card)
Sophisticat Fancy borders
Papertake New beginnings

Christmas card number 4 for 2010

THIRD POST FOR TODAY.
This is the final card I made this morning and it's my fourth Christmas card for 2010, hooray. I've impressed myself here. It's my third digi image as well which is very unusual for me but does meet one of my New Year's resolutions, see first post of 2010. I bought this one recently from Digistamp Boutique. They are coloured with PMs, with a touch of Sakura stardust and glitter pens and I added white glitter to their hats. Papers are my fave DCWV and BG Eskimo Kisses. The fab ticket sentiment, which I purchased yesterday, along with some other digi sentiments is from Alissa designs and is available from her Etsy shop here. She has some great sentiments for sale. I outlined the ticket with a PM to match the image and mounted it on blue card, again to match the image, which has been finished off with 2 X cut corner punches and a gem.
Challenges
Friday Sketchers Sketch (including a blog hop)
Digital Tuesday Winter sparkling diamonds
Sassy Designs Friends old and new

Thank you very much

SECOND POST FOR TODAY
I had a lovely morning crafting this morning and made 3 cards. This is the second card and I used a digi image I have had for ages from Charmed Cards. This does make me smile, particularly with the text. Stars are made from a Cuttlebug die and I added some sparkly stars from my stash.
Challenges
Papertake sketch
Bee Crafty Thank you

Home tweet home

Hello from a snowy Norfolk. How typical that we had snow for the week before Christmas and snow a week after Christmas yet on Christmas Day nothing. All that was left was a bit of ice in places. Now everyone is back to work tomorrow, myself included we have snow everywhere. Nothing like the amount in some places I know but our county doesn't cope well with it because we don;t get a lot usually.

This simple card was made using a free digi image I recently found on the Cuddly Buddly site. The papers I have had for ages as they were part of my first blog candy win not long after I started my blog. I added some chipboard flowers from the Dovecraft Fantasy tin and some blue hearts which I have had for a long time.
Challenges
Allsorts Sketch and either something new or old
Stampin' for the Weekend New beginnings
Secret Crafter New beginnings
Paperplay New beginnings

Whimsy Chip off the old block (use chipboard)

Christmas angel

SECOND POST FOR TODAY.
In my last post I wished you all a Happy New Year and shared my New Year's crafting resolutions with you. This post is a Christmas card and is my 3rd one for 2010. Those new Christmas challenges have got me off to a good start. Hopefully I shan't be panicking this December about getting them all made in time. The challenge at the new ABC Christmas Challenge is A is for Angels and use a charm. I used the lovely sketch at Sunday Sketch and Stamp. As the image is a new one which I won on the WOJ Advent calendar and the MS snowflake punch arrived just this week they qualify for the challenges at Fussy and Fancy and Stamp Something who want you to use something new or make a card about something new. I just had to buy this punch after seeing it used on my lovely Christmas card from fellow blogger Christine. How charming is the challenge at La La Land. The last challenge is to use your favourites of 2009 at Crafty Cardmakers. The ones I used on this card are a WOJ stamp, Promarkers, Sakura pen, DCWV Rose tinted Christmas papers and a charm. The Range currently have these papers half price so I bought another pack as I love them so much. That means lots more pink and purple Christmas cards this year.

Keeping Warm

Happy New Year everyone. Have you made your New Year resolutions yet? My crafting ones are:

• Learn how to make other types of card eg trifold
• Learn how to make other papercraft items eg boxes
• Use those neglected and forgotten items we all have
• Check out the tutorials and improve my colouring. It's definitely got much better since I started blogging but I still see room for improvement.
• Remember to use those digi images sitting on my computer
• Be bold and try new colour schemes
• Do more scrapbooking
• Think before I spend my money on more stash (well, that one won't last long, will it, lol)

This is my guest DT card for the Crafty Calendar Challenge. They have a lovely challenge this month of Keeping Warm. The challenge also asks for texture and warm colours. I thought this Sugar Nellie image Hug in a Mug was just perfect for this challenge. The sentiment is a digi image from Charmed. paper is DCWV. To add texture I added some plain red material, which feels like suede and was a sample from a sofa we used to have. The patterned flowers are made with an MS punch, with pink punched daisies and gems in the centre.

You have a whole month to enter this challenge so no excuses not to enter now Christmas is over. Please join us.

Happy Anniversary

THIRD POSTS FOR TODAY.
Aren't these 2 bears from Pollycraft just adorable. When I saw the challenge at ABC was K for Kissing I thought it was a great opportunity to use this new digi image. The swirl is a Sizzix swirl which I used on some of my Christmas cards. It comes with holly leaves and berries but when I bought it I knew the swirl part was going to be useful all year round. Charisma are celebrating their first Birthday with some fab prizes and a blog hop. Their challenge this week is celebrations.

Celebration time

SECOND POST FOR TODAY.
It's New Year's Eve so let's celebrate. The day can only get better. The weather is dreary again, we've had rain, sleet and hail so far. I changed the bedlinen this morning and had a fight with the duvet. It just didn't want to go in the duvet cover. When I eventually got it in I did up the buttons only to find when I got to the end that I had buttoned it up wrongly right near the start. Grrr.

So here's a nice cheery, very pink card. I followed the lovely sketch at A Spoon Full of Sugar. I substituted a flower for the circle in the sketch. I wanted the card to be nice and glittery so the flower is edged with Shimmerz and the Sugar Nelie image has lots of Sakura clearstar on her dress and heart. She looks like she has her party dress on for the party challenge at Simon Says. Glitter and bling is the challenge at Crafty Creations.

Quixotic mystery candy

There's a mystery gift pack to be given away at Quixotic Paperie. Elaine wants you to choose your favourite card of 2009. This a tough choice and I only started blogging in June. It's even tougher for those of you with a whole year to choose from. As I am still surrounded by Christmas cards and the tree I decided to choose one of my fave Christmas cards. Although there is still room for improvement with the colouring this card is so much better than those I made last Christmas. It demonstrates how much I have learnt in the last year since I was introduced to Promarkers by my good friend Lynsey; how to use several papers on one card; using sketches; combining embellies.

The candy giveaway ends on 5 January.

Another easel card

SECOND POST FOR TODAY.

Meet Madelynn from the Greeting Farm. A friend wants a well done card for one of her granddaughters, who loves purple. I decided to mix it with pink for a change. I kept the base simple as I didn't want it to detract from the front, which has a lot going on. The lovely sketch is from Anyone for Anya. The challenge at Roses on Paper is to use your favourite medium. Mine of course is Promarkers.

Thank you

The weather here is awful, dull and wet, making taking photos a nightmare. Our snow disappeared before Christmas and hasn't returned, so no white Christmas just as I predicted. Hope the weather is OK wherever you are as I know the snow is bad in some parts of the UK.

A complete change of colour for me here. This is another of the new SN stamps, which I won. I was amazed to find that I won another 2 challenges today, Digital Tuesday and Peachy Keen. I chalked around the image for a change and inked all the edges. The chalk looks much better in real life. The gorgeous striped distressed paper is K & Co. The swirls are from an Autumn pack of die cuts I bought in Michael's in America to which I added some gems. The lovely butterfly brad is from the Dovecraft Fantasy set.
Challenges
The Pink Elephant Sketch
CRAFT Thank you
Magical Crafts Thank you

Creative Inspirations Thank you

Sugar Bowl at last

I just had to change my blog today. I had enough of the wintry scene. The only trouble is there are so many great layouts out there it is hard to choose. Hope you like it. I'd like to make the header more interesting so may have a play about with that when I have time. I had a huge sort out of my stash today to make room for new stuff. I now feel very organised but have only had time to make one card so far when I planned to make several.

I finally got round to making a card for the Sugar Bowl challenge. The challenge has been there for 4 weeks so I don't know why I am so late with making my card this time. Still, better late than never. As well as a sketch the card has to be in your favourite colour, so that choice was easy. I used one of the new SN stamps, Erin. She is mounted on Nellie cut circles, embossed with Cuttlebug divine swirls. Flowers are Prima, fern is an MS punch. I added some flower brads and gems to finish.

Thank you for the Christmas gift

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that Santa brought you lots of crafting goodies. I was very lucky as not only did Graham buy me a stamp, punch and some ink pads I had shown him he also chose some Prima flowers and a couple of other stamps which were a complete surprise. I never expected him to buy me any crafting surprises. He said it shows he takes notice of what I like. My good friend Lynsey also bought me a lovely Lilli of the Valley stamp and some ribbon in my fave colours of pink and purple. Mum gave me some money so I shall be hitting the online sales this week. I can't believe it but I have won some more blog candy. This time it is a £20 voucher to spend at The Stamp Man. I just checked my lottery tickets and nothing, nada, zilch. Oh well, there's always next week, which is what I say every week.

I posted 2 cards on Christmas Eve, which I hope you will take a look at if you haven't already done so.

This is my second and last guest DT card for Winter Wonderland whose challenge is Thank you for the Christmas gift. I chose this Forever Friends bear unwrapping his Christmas pressy. He is coloured with PMs of course with glitter added to his hat. The paper is DCWV. I hope you can see it has a faint pattern of presents on it. Poinsettia is Hero Arts with a spacer and brad and fern made with my MS punch.

I hope you'll join in the fun this week.

First and last

I've been promising myself that I would try making an easel card and yesterday finally got round to making one. I couldn't believe how easy it was, and how effective. This is my second and last guest DT card for the lovely girls at Moving along with the times. It's a great challenge this week, use your fave sketch from any of their past sketches. Well I couldn't possibly single out one as my fave as they are all so great so I chose my image and then found a sketch to suit.

I did turn the sketch upside down as I wanted this little cutie from Sugar Nellie to look into the flowers. I also moved some of the flowers to fit my design. I echoed the sparkly flowers on the inside. Papers are all Papermania Amethyst Infusion, one of my fave packs. Purple flowers are Prima with an added spacer and brad. The white ribbon and pearl flower is from America. Can you believe I am giving away some purple ones in my candy above, when purple is my favourite colour. Still I think you should give away things you would like to have yourself.

I hope you will find the time to join in this week's challenge. For all those of you who have never entered one of their challenges, make it one of your New Year's resolutions to stat playing along each week.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous New Year. I hope Santa is good to you all and brings some lovely crafting goodies.

I hope you enjoy the picture of 2 of my faves, Pooh bear and Eeyore. I love the irony of Eeyore carrying a bag of joy.

Guardian Angel

Graham's home from work and just had a shower so just got time for a quick post with this second card I made today for a few challenges. I tried a few different techniques on this one. The papers are Papermania Boutique. I love the vintage feel to these designs. I tore the blue one, not something I am comfortable doing but much to my surprise I really like the effect. I chalked around my new Whiff of Joy image, which has been paper pieced. The paper for her dress is some old Papermania paper, some of the first I ever bought. I then paper pieced her bolero with a scrap of spotted paper. I added Sakura clearstar pen to the trim. The wings are painted with Angels wings Shimmerz. I couldn't find any suitably coloured flowers so I coloured some white card with a burgundy Promarker and added the blue roses. The lace is some old lace my Mum gave me and the velvet ribbon is from my very untidy ribbon box.
Challenges
Lily-bootoo Paper piecing
Creatalicious Something old (paper, lace), something new (WOJ stamp), something torn (paper), something blue (lots)
Quixotic Lace
Incy Wincy Photo inspiration

Another Christmas card for 2010

Graham had to go to work today so once I had finished the housework and ironing I decided it was time to play. I made another card ready for next year. This is Winter Sophie, from Digistamp Boutique. I went for lots of detail on this card with papers, ribbon, Sizzix corner and snowflakes.
Challenges
Digital Tuesday Let it Snow
Dare u 2 digi stamp Last minute Christmas cards (or early)
Bee Crafty Circles

Christmas 2010

Inspired by the Christmas challenges still around and feeling in the Christmas spirit I made a card ready for next Christmas. That's a first for me. I'm planning to make another later today if I have time. This is my most used Anya stamp to date, I just love her. She is all glammed up with glitter on her fur, some sparkly snowflakes, snowflake brad and a gorgeous snowflake charm. Papers are DCWV and the bottom is cut with my MS doily lace border punch (not boarder, as I keep reading on some blogs,lol).

Challenges
The Pink Elephant sketch
Cupcake A time for celebration
Anyone for Anya Last Christmas

Kaboodle Sparkling Winter

Ride 'em cowgirl

A very quick post from me in my lunch break. The snow is still laying everywhere although no more has fallen today. It is very cold still and unfortunately so was our office as the heating had broken down. The heating company were doubtful of getting anyone in to fix it so we had a choice of staying in the cold, going to another office to work or taking work home if we could. Luckily I had some work I could put on a memory stick so thought I would post this card, eat my lunch and then get to work. I can't describe how lovely it is to be warm at home after freezing for 3 hours at work this morning. I'll be back later to catch up with you when I finish working.

This card is for a good friend of mine who is mad about horses. She owns a horse and also loves holidays in America so when I won this image a while ago I knew it would be perfect for her. It's a digi image but I don't know where from, sorry I can't credit anyone. Papers are DCWV, sentiment is Craftwork Cards. As her Birthday is 27 December I decided to add a touch of sparkle with some gold zigzag trim and gold fern and brad on the flower.
Challenges
Peachy Keen Sketch
Digital Tuesday Happy Birthday
Charisma Anything but Christmas
Sassy Designs A touch of Gold

Last Christmas card (probably)

SECOND POST FOR TODAY
I had scheduled a post for this morning as I have been out all day but just got time for a quick post. Here's what is probably my last Christmas card I'm posting this year, which is for a few challenges. The cute bear is from Pink Gem. I made the snowflakes using a Sizzix die, snowflake confettis and gems.
Challenges
Creative Card Crew Anything Goes
Simon Says Merry Christmas
CRAFT Free for all
Colour Create Pink, burgundy and ivory
Dutch Dare Make it happen (handmade embellies)
Polka Doodles Anything you like
Stamp Something Holiday Something

We have had lots of snow the last few days and it isn't going away so let's hope it stays for Christmas. Hope you've all had a good weekend and are ready for the big day.

I had a nice surprise today when I checked out the Allsorts challenge.