Snowman Bunting

I am on a roll this week with snowmen cards. They have to be my favourite images to use on Christmas cards.

Image - Little Claire Snowman Bunting

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Frosty Christmas

Dies - Joy snowflake, Doohickey slender firs, Spellbinders curved border

Other - Wink of Stella brush, pearls, glitter card

Challenges

Papertake It's a jolly Holiday
Southern Girls Christmas is a coming
Creative Knockouts Christmas in July
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Cute Christmas
We Do Doobadoo Celebrations

We are planning some gardening this morning and then a trip out so I will be back to catch up on blogging and announce the candy winner later.

New candy

A little thank you candy. To enter you must enter via the Inlinkz on my candy page please. 

This post will stay at the top until 26 July.

Stars in her eyes

I have had this image stamped up for ages and finally got round to using it for a friend's Birthday card. She loves music so I hope she liked it. The image is LOTV of course coloured with Copics. Papers are MME blink of an eye. I made the pattern on the paper with a single hole punch and simply cut into it to look like notepaper. After I had done it I actually thought it also looks like piano keys. The Joanna Sheen star die is one I bought at Summer Crafting and I have also used the waste stars form it.

Challenges

Vintage Stamping Face the music and dance

Looking forward to selling at a craft fair this afternoon, the only one I have done this month and none planned for next month. I decided not to do many Summer ones but enjoy getting out and concentrate more on Autumn and Winter when I tend to sell more. I am therefore very busy making stock including lots of Christmas cards.

Candy ends tonight.

Searching for Butterflies

A real contrast to yesterday's CAS card, a fun colourful card today. I often stick to one or two colours on a card but had fun with colours on this one.

Image - Penny Black

Medium - Copics

Papers - K&Co Hopscotch

Ribbon and buttons - Crafty Ribbons

Dies - Spellbinders curved borders, Nellie Snellen circle

Punch - Fiskars butterfly

Other - baker's twin, Viva pearl pen

Challenges

Sketch Saturday 

Penny Black Buttons and bows 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts Dies and punches 

Deep Ocean Lots of layers 

Creative Inspirations Here comes Summer

Fab n Funky Walk on the wild side

Delightful Add ribbon

Candy ending soon, check out my candy page.

Really CAS

I admire people who do CAS well without it looking like the card needs more adding to it. I had the idea of using this image from Scrapberry's from Funky Kits with a new stamp I bought last week. The card was made for a friend whose Birthday was on Tuesday. She recently bought a new camera and has just been to San Francisco and as she is made about pink the card just had to be pink. She will also appreciate the significance of the quote.

The image has been coloured with Copics and I simply doodled around the edge and double matted. I think I may try this style again as I have to say I am really pleased with how it turned out.

Challenges 

Fan-tastic Tuesday Anything goes 

TTCD Anything goes 

Crafty Sentiments Hand coloured image

The Paper Shelter Anything goes

Have you entered my candy yet, ends soon?

Archie

On Sunday we had Norman, now we have Archie, another Hobby Art image I couldn't resist. Well you know how much I love snowmen.

Image - Hobby Art Archie and pals

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTV Frosty Christmas

Snowflakes - Joy and Memory Box with glitter card

Other - Wink of Stella brush, Viva pearl pen

Challenges

Craftyhazelnut Layer it up 

That Craft Place Anything goes 

The Ribbon Girl Aqua 

Christmas Cards all year round Non traditional colours
Papertake It's a Jolly Holiday

Have you entered my candy yet?

At the beach

I have been playing with lots of new goodies on this card.

Image - Pink Gem

Medium - Copics

Paper - LOTV Up, Up and Away

Tag - Craftwork Cards

Border punch - EK Success

Dies - Die-namics 

Other - baker's twine

Challenges

Brown Sugar Sea and sand 

The Ribbon Girl Aqua 

The Paper Shelter Holiday time 

Cute Card Thursday Fun in the Sun 

Creative Card Crew Sea/beach 

Live and love crafts By the sea 

Whimsy Summertime
Simon Says Stamp Monday Mid-Summer

Just a few days left to enter my candy.

My favourite quote

I made this plaque to take to the Birthday BBQ on Saturday. I have always loved this sentiment as I htink it says so much about life so when I saw it is now a stamp at Inkylicious I just had to buy it. I will definitely be using it on some scrapbook layouts.

I had a lot of fun making this. My base was a wooden plaque I bought in America. The gorgeous script ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons. I attach it with strong glue at the back and then cover the back with paper, which is Craftwork Cards Time Flies. The dies are all Marianne and the birdhouse die comes with a matching stamp. There is also a little butterfly stamp which I randomly stamped onto the backing paper. I used various Distress Inks around the edg and on the diecuts. I finished with a wooden flower also coloured with Distress Inks.

Challenges

Marianne's Design Divas Your newest Marianne product (birds on a wire die, already a favourite) 

As you like it Favourite sentiment
Simon Says Stamp Monday Mid-Summer

Norman

Morning everyone. For my card today I have been playing with some of my new stash from Summer Crafting last weekend. New papers, stamp and that Wink of Stella brush which I used on the diecut tree,star, bauble, stocking and snowman. Isn't this a fun snowman. When I saw them on the Hobby Art stand I couldn't resist buying a couple and I will be sharing the other one with you another day.

Image - Hobby Art Norman and friends

Medium - Copics

Papers - Frosty Christmas from LOTV

Dies - Tim Holts on the edge snowflakes, Dee's Christmas tree

Other - Wink of Stella brush

Challenges

Winter Wonderland Blue Christmas 

Divas by Design Christmas in July 

Christmas Cards all year round Non traditional colours 

Sparkles Christmas in July 

Sparkles Christmas A Winter's scene
Craftyhazelnut Layer it up

Goal

We had a lovely time yesterday at the coast, lovely walk, delicious meal and great show on the pier. Didn't like the storm in the early hours of this morning. Very hot today and we are off to a BBQ this afternoon so hoping it stays dry.

My DT card for the new challenge of spots and stripes at A Gem of a Challenge features on of the new digis from Pink Gem, Football Boy. I have an order for a footballer for a teenager and couldn't think of a suitable image to use so what do you do when you are on a digital DT? Well I asked Janet if she could draw one and here he is, just perfect. 

Image - Pink Gem digi Footballer Boy

Medium - Copics

Papers - Papermania spots and stripes

Die - Sizzix football and boots

Chipboard football - Dovecraft 

Sentiment - computer generated

Other - ribbon from stash

Challenges

Fan-tastic Tuesday Anything goes 

Simon Says Spots and dots 

We do Doobadoo Spotty and dotty 

Send a smile 4 kids Bright colours 4 kids 

Graph'it Christmas colours

Strawberries

Back with a second post today as I wanted to share a card made with one of the many new digis available at Pink Gem. Isn't she a sweetie, Strawberry Bella. She has been coloured with Copics and right in the middle of colouring her my E33 decided to run out. Luckily I just managed to finish her and quickly order another which has just arrived. The only thing I don't like about Copics is that they don't last as long as Promarkers but I love the results with them so much more that they are worth it. I cn't fiddle about with refills, would rather buy a new pen.

Image - Pink Gem Strawberry Bella

Medium - Copics

Paper - Raspberry Road (very old)

Doily - Dovecraft Curiosity Corner

Sentiment - Britannia die

Butterfly - from stash

Challenges

Crafty Catz Hot Summer/hot colours 

  Creative Moments Anything goes 

Bearly Mine Let's go digital 

Without Words Cute and fluffy (not many embellies, so hope it counts)

We are off to the coast this afternoon with friends where we are going for a meal and a show this evening so I will catch up with you tomorrow.

Don't forget to enter my candy, see my candy page.

Christmas owls

It is my turn to post a project over at Little Claire and I have chosen to make a rustic Christmas bag with lost of different textures.

Little Claire we 3 ships die cut sheet

Crafty Ribbons Christmas Owls ribbon 

DCWV Burlap paper

Memory Box precious stockings die

Raffia

Challenges

That Craft Place Decorate a bag

Special Friend

It is my turn to host the challenge this week at Crafty Ribbons and I chose fairies. One of my favourites for cards. This is an 8x8 card I was asked to make for a friend to give to a very special lady. This lady loves vintage, fairies, angels and flowers and amongst my stash I found this topper from Crafter's Companion. It was perfect for the card I had in mind and apparently she loved the card so much it made her cry.

Image - Crafter's Companion

Papers - Antebellum from LOTV

Vintage butterfly ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Dies - Sue Wilson faux quilled leaves, Joy butterfly

Punch - MS border

Flowers - various

Other - tag and pearls

Challenges

Whimsy Summertime 

TTCD Anything goes

Have you entered my candy, see candy page above.

Check out the fabulous Summer Sale over at Little Claire, making way for new Christmas stamps yippee.

Simply Thank You

I have been bust making Christmas cards for magazines over the last few days so have made a lovely Summery thank you card for a little break from them.  I have used some of my lovely new paper Up, Up and Away from LOTV, isn't the colour scrummy. The image is from one of the art pads, I love purple and aqau together. I used one of my new toys, Wink of Stella brush on the heart, think you can just see the sparkle. I am loving this brush for Christmas cards especially. The ribbon is from The Ribbon Girl and buttons, sentiment from LOTV, enamel dot, bow and twine from stash.

Challenges

Papertake Buttons, bow and bling (any or all) 

Crafting for all seasons Tic Tac Toe (buttons, purple, flowers) 

Sister Act Anything goes 

The Ribbon Girl Lovely Lili - Thank You 

Let's Craft and Create Shaped cards

  Lili of the Valley Take two (at least 2 LOTV products (I used 3))

Have you entered my little Inkylicious candy? Enter via my candy page.

The Sky is the Limit

I had lots of fun making this card using one of the new Scrapberry girls available from Funky Kits. She has a very boho chic look going on, quite seventies I thought. I fussy cut her and raised her with foam pads. Once I chose the papers this card came together so easily and I ended up with a flight of fancy card.

Image - Scrapberry's

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME Sky's the limit

Die - MB birdcage

Lace - Crafty Ribbons

Buterfly - Prima

Challenges

My Mum's Craft Shop Summer or bright colours 

Whimsy Summertime 

Charisma Anything goes 

Delightful Hot, hot, hot (warm colours) 

MAWTT Girls just wanna have fun 

Fussy and fancy It's all about girls

We Three Hedgehogs

I do love colouring these Penny Black hedgies and they make such cute cards too.

Image - Penny Black

Medium - Copics

Papers - First Edition Silent Night

Sentiment - LOTV

Dies - Spellbinders Floral Oval, Crealie flowers, Memory Box banner

Punches - X cut holly leaves, Martha Stewart holly border punch

Other - Stcikles, pearls, ribbon

Challenges

Winter Wonderland Three of three (three hedgies, backing papers and dies) 

Inky Chicks Christmas in July 

Charisma Anything goes

Cute Card Thursday Pretty papers 

Christmas cards all year round Non traditional colours 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts Dies and punches
Sketch N Stash Choose a sketch (Sketch 35)

I hope you will enter my little thank you candy (see my candy page above)

New stash and a little candy

As promised in my earlier post here is a pic of the lovely new goodies I bought yesterday. I have been busy today and apart from putting them away, well apart from the paper pads which won't fit in the drawers, oops, haven't yet had time to play.

So many of you commented on the lovely stamp I used for the anniversary card the other day that I bought another one yesterday and am offering this to one of my followers with some baker's twine and roses as shown in the pic below. Just a little thank you for all your visits and lovely comments. I am sorry I have been so busy lately and have been away so that I haven't been returning comments as much as usual. 

To enter the candy please click on my candy page and enter via the Inlinkz.

Happy Days

A clean and simple card from me today using one of the birdhouses from Little Claire. These are so versatile as you can add any birdhouse to the birdtable or hang from the branch which also comes with the stamp set. There are other birdhouses available and more coming soon too. The bunting and sentiment are also part of the set. I coloured with Copics as usual and simple double mounted on card.

Challenges

Crafting with dragonflies CAS 

Creative Inspirations Your favourite occasion (Birthdays)

Had a great time away for the last couple of days. Stopped on the way to the Premier Inn on Friday to see Lynsey. Really enjoyed the Summer. Crafting show at Doncaster. Good to see some blogging friends again and meet Kate Wiles finally. I will be back with a pic of my stash and a little candy including one of the stamps I used recently which many of you loved. Thanks for all you visits while I have been away and for all your lovely comments.

Butterfly tree

Challenge time again at Little Claire and we want to see your Summertime cards. There is a fab prize of a £10 voucher. I have chosen to use the gorgeous butterfly tree coloured with Copics with some added MB butterflies and pearls. The papers are Papermania Henbury Lane and I added some sheer ribbon from my stash. A CAS card today.

Sorry I haven't been to visit for a couple of days but set off yesterday morning to visit Lynsey before heading off to Barnsley. If you are reading this on Saturday I will be spending money at the Summer Crafting show at Doncaster. We stayed in a Premier Inn last night at Barnsley so we didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to drive here this morning. We will be going home after the show so I will catch up with you tomorrow and may have a pic of my stash. I will be on the lookout for some goodies for my next candy coming soon.

Sitting pretty

I am sharing a card I made to say thank you to Hazel (Didos) as I won a £10 Bunny Zoe's voucher from her in the MAWTT bloghop. I have used one of the recent LOTV fairies coloured with Copics, MME Sky's the Limit papers, Go Kreate flower die, lace and velvet ribbon from Crafty Ribbons.

Challenges

Allsorts Fairies 

The Ribbon Girl Summer 

Divas by Design Things with wings 

Fab n Funky Feels like Summer 

My Mum's Craft Shop Summer or bright colours 

ALBC It's Magic 

Stamping Sensations Summer blooms

Doing a happy dance this morning as the scales reveal I have lost 1 lb this week getting me to my 3 stone target. I would like to lose a little more but I can't tell you how good it feels.

Vintage Anniversary card

Lovely wording on this Inkylicious sentiment which I have stamped in white on kraft. The papers are Prima Life Time, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons. I cut pieces out of some of the papers and added a heart doily and some chipboard hearts from Simon Says. I also used DI Vintage Photo, where would I be without that my most used DI pad.

Challenges

Fan-tastic Tuesday Anything goes 

TTCD Anything goes

Bramble

Another scrapbook layout and this is of my dear departed Bramble. We had him from a kitten and he was the sweetest cat you could meet. Even friends who don't like cats liked him. Sadly he became ill when he was 14 and we had to make that awful decision to stop him suffering anymore. He loved to chase squirrels up the tree until one turned round and scratched his nose and that was that. I can't imagine he would ever have caught one as he never came home with any offerings for us thankfully.

So to my layout which is a simple one. I used some embosed Core'dinations which I sanded, added some distressed papers, diecut kittens and birds on a wire, cat and meow buttons I have had for a very long time and some art deco letters. 

It is such a coincidence that I had just completed this layout and then saw a blog post on Sugar Nellie about some new stamps which will be cats or dogs. Karen was asking for a generic name and I am thrilled that she chose Bramble so he will be immortalised. Mind you he may be a dog stamp!

Challenges 

ABC O is for orange 

As you like it Animals or people (Although I love colouring people I love animal images as they are so cute and I hope my layout counts for this challenge)

Wee Christmas

I am cranking up the Christmas card production now so expect to see more appearing on my blog. I love the soft colours on this card.

Image - Wee Stamps diecut topper

Papers - First Edition Silent Night

Lace - The Ribbon Girl

Die - Marianne poinsettia

Other - Stcikles, charm, baker's twine, pearls and pearl pen

Challenges

Winter Wonderland Spots and stripes 

Crafty Catz Stars or stripes or both 

Sister Act Anything goes 

Christmas Cards al year round Non traditional colours 

Let's Craft and Create Shaped cards 

 I had more comments on my scrapbook layout on Sunday than I usually get for these and I really appreciate your kind comments and thoughts for my lovely friend. We are off for our monthly massages today and lunch out with a little shopping too. I am looking forward to going to the Summer Crafting event at Doncaster on Saturday and meeting up with my blogging buddy Kate Wile (Downrightcrafty)s at last. Do let me know if any of you are going.

Oh to be beside the sea

Have you seen the fabulous new silhouette stamps from  Little Claire? This is oh to be beside the sea which is a sentiment which comes with this gorgeous silhouette.

Image - Little Claire

Papers - Papermania Ahoy there

Dies - Cheery Lynn lighthouse and Memory Box kites

Short and sweet product list but with the stripes going both ways it really doesn't need much embellishing.

Challenges

Natalie and Amy Summertime 

Sparkles At the beach/Summer fun

Friends

I have wanted to make a scrapbook layout with this photo for two years but somehow I couldn't bring myself to. You see this is my lovely friend Janet who died two years ago and even now I found it a bit emotional to make but I found the perfect wording on a piece of K&Co paper and tried to smile as it says. Judging by the hairstyles and clothes this is late 80's and it is clearly Summer though we are are a bit warmly dressed. Ah yes that will be right, British Summer.

Janet loved flowers and butterflies and we visited several gardens together with our hubbies. The backing card is embossed Core'dinations and I used my favourite Doohickey and Joy butterfly dies. The papers are Tim Holtz vintage shabby and I added some card candi and flowers. I didn't want a large title, Friends says it all for me. I added some hidden journalling on the tab you can see underneath friends.

Challenges 

Delightful My favourite things (embellishments - dies and flowers) 

Crafting Musketeers Summertime 

Natalie and Amy Summertime

Hopefully the weather we will be good today as we have planned a day out so catch you later.

Ginny with flowers

We want to see animals on your cards for the new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge. As always there are 2 digis for the lucky winner. I love the bright colours of this card and sold it at the first fair I took it to. I printer it quite large so didn't need many embellishments. The gate, tree and dragonfly were all cut with MB dies. The image was of course coloured with Copics.

Challenges

Papertake Anything goes 

Bearly Mine Let's go digital

My Mum's Craft Shop Summer/bright colours

Two fishermen

Two more samples of the new Little Claire silhouette stamps.

Image and sentiment- Little Claire stamped with Versafine

Papers - Papermania Ahoy There

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Punch - MS cherish border

Die - MB clouds cut from DCWV gauze paper

This one uses the same paper pad but I added some spider's web stuff and a chipboard fish and stamped the sentiment in white on kraft.

Challenges

Creative Card Crew Masculine 

Sentimental Sundays Summer

  Sparkles At the beach/Summer fun 

Papertake Anything goes

These lilies are big

Time for another challenge at Crafty Little Fairies and our theme this month is Summer Fun. We have some fabulous sponsors so lots of prizes to be won. I have so many images I could have used but I wanted to use another of my new LOTV fairies and as Summer always makes me think of flowers and as she looks like she is having fun with those huge flowers I thought she was perfect to use. 

Image - LOTV

Medium - Copics

Papers - First Edition Floral Pavilion

Lace - The Ribbon Girl

Flowers - I am Roses

Other - Stickles, Viva pearl pen, bow

Challenges

Brown Sugar Colour challenge 

Allsorts Summer girls 

ALBC It's magic 

Sweet Stampin' Summer fun 

Hobbycutz Use pink

Papertake Anything goes

Two hedgies

Along with the July club stamp which I showed you yesterday there are more new silhouette stamps at Little Claire. Today I am showing you two very different ways to use them. I stamped this one with Memento Rich Cocoa to give a more vintage look. I distressed the edges and used DI vintage Photo. The papers are Craftwork Cards Time Flies and I have used that new Joy butterfly border die, MB butterfly die and a wooden butterfly.

For the second card I used a Hero Arts white stamp pad on kraft. The paper is another oldie from the scrap pile. Dies are Cheerly Lynn faerie mushrooms and a MB butterfly decorated with pearls. I also used some raffia lace and ribbon from The Hobby House.

If you would like to win yesterday's stamp then hop over to Little Claire and leave a comment. Don't forget there is a chance to be a guest designer too by entering this month's challenge using the sketch and a Little Claire stamp.

Challenges

Simon Says Monday W is for White 

Papertake Anything goes 

Natalie and Amy Summertime 

Fussy and Fancy Summertime
Sweet Stampin' Summer fun

Retire to the garden

The image and sentiment are part of the club stamp set for July from Little Claire. A perfect image for a retirement card. These silhouettes stamp beautifully using a Versafine stamp pad. I use memnto with Copics but it doesn't give a black enough image for silhouettes I have found. The paper is from my scrap pile and I used MB dies with cream linen card. I really like this card I bought at the NEC as a change from kraft.