Luxury

In the pink is the title of the new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge. I chose to use one of the precoloured images, adding lots of Stickles to the bubbles. The papers are MME Miss Nelly which were part of my Christmas pressy from Lynsey. It's lovely having crafty friends who buy presents as we know exactly what each would like. I added some ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and flowers from Wild Orchid. I have been using lots of these lately and treated myself to some more with their 15% off January sale.

Sympathy

Unfortunately I seem to sell a lot of sympathy cards and recently made a batch of them. This one has been made using MME chalk papers with a Doohickey lace die. The sentiment is Inkylicious and the butterflies are Memory Box dies.

Last calendar

This is the last of the calendars I made but certainly not the least as it features one of my favourite bears, James. I teamed him with First Edition papers and Wild Orchid flowers. I also used that lovely MFT jumbo ricrac die. What a shame they discontinued it as I love it.

Rollerskates

Another of the LOTV art pad images today. I cut this one with  lawn Fawn stitched circle die. I do love banners and used a MFT jumbo fishtail die. The sentiment is also LOTV and I added some metal flowers I found in my stash along with some flowers from Wild Orchid and some pearls.

Caravanning

I am sharing a card today using one of the Stamposaurus stamps which came out last year. Coloured with Copics, papers are Crate Paper Farmouse. I love the colours of this bright pack. I kept the design quite simple as the papers are so busy. I used Memory Box banner, Clearly Besotted notebook edger and CC Designs grass dies.

Challenges

Stamping Sensations anything goes with a die 

Paper Creators anything goes

Floral

Another commissioned card to show you today. The recipient loves flowers and pretty things so I used one of the LOTV art pads. The colours are so pretty and are echoed in the LOTV papers. The pleated ribbon is from Stamp and Create and flowers from Wild Orchid.

Challenges

In the pink anything goes 

Creative Inspirations florals 

Noor! Design UK anything goes

In my thoughts

I made this card as part of a set for Papercraft Inspirations. I used a Bugaboo digi which I coloured in Word. It was the first time I have tried it and really like the result. I must remember to try playing with the colour functions some more. Papers are Craftwork Cards Venetian and I used a Doohickey lace die, Britannia leaf flourish and added some small flowers from Wild Orchid.

Cute cat

New challenge day at LC Designs ad we would like you to add bunting. I love bunting as you may have noticed and decided to use of the new irresistible cat toppers which I cute out with a Spellbinder die and layered onto a scalloped die cut. It's easy to forget you don't have to use precoloured images as squares or rectangles. The papers are from LC Designs, splodge and fresh stripes. I added some crafty ribbons sheer spotted ribbon and some bunting I found in my stash. I added some dots with a pearl pen too. I sold this one on its first outing last week so best use some more of these cuties.

We have a wonderful prize for you as always.

Packed and ready to go

Another Stamposaurus sample to share with you today. I have used part of a set called on the move words. I made a scene using various paper scraps, doodling round the edges to hopefully look like packing cases. This is the complete set.

I stamped onto more paper scraps and added a wooden clock. There are all kinds of way you could use this set. I will have another to share with you another day and that is completely different to this one.

Another calendar

I am sharing another of the calendars I made as gifts. I used one of the gorgeous fairy art pad images and added lots of wink of stella to her wings. I didn't like the hair as it seemed rather yellow so I added some shading with Copics. The papers are First Edition Mulberry Kisses . I added some ribbon and Wild Orchid flowers and used a MFT jumbo ricrac die.

Challenges

Creative Inspirations Florals

Not just cards Anything goes

Cute couple

This is such a sweet image from Pink Gem and the Wedding cards I make with it sell quickly. I used the precoloured digi and teamed it with LOTV papers and Crafty Ribbons Wedding ribbon. The border punch is MS and I used a Hobbycraft folk heart punch and a Marianne church die. The flowers are Wild Orchid and I finished with wooden hearts and a wooden couple.

Challenges 

Cute Card Thursday Hey what's new? 

Scrap and Craft New beginnings

Creative Inspirations Florals

Skating

This is the last of the cards I made for the December issue of Making Cards using the last Christmas release from LOTV. They were coloured with Copics and the papers were Dovecraft North Pole again. I used a LOTV grunge Christmas sentiment, MFT stitched rounded corner square and Joy skates die. I used my favourite vintage photo distress ink and added some Stickles.

Mr & Mrs

This isn't the best of photos I am afraid as it was taken with my old camera and the paper has a sheen to it which caught the light. This was a commissioned card and both the couple who ordered it and the couple who received it were delighted with it. In fact the bride said it was one of her favourite cards they received. None of them like cute so this Woodware stamp was perfect. It is a large stamp but as the card was an 8" square it was fine to use. The background papers are Papamernia oyester capsule and I used LOTV papers to paper piece. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and I added flowers and pearl spray from Wild Orchid and used a Briatannia leaf flourish die and finished with some pearl hearts.

Game On

A commissioned card today for a 14 year old who loves computer games. This is an old digi from LEJ Designs which is no longer in existence. Coloured with Copics of course. I used MFT pireced rectangle and fishtail dies with a computer generated sentiment. The papers are MME Lime Twist. I do love using my Woodware star punches and crimper for male cards.

With Love

Time for our first challenge of the year at A Gem of a Challenge and it is a nice easy one of female Birthday. I went for something different from the Pink Gem girls for a change and chose to use with love flowers. I used the coloured digi but added some sparkle with a pink wink of stella pen to the flower centres. I love these shaped cards made with Go Kreate frilly squares 10 dies. The papers are LOTV and I added some lace from Crafty Ribbons and some enamel dots.

Challenges

Bizzy Becs anything goes 

Paper Creators anything goes

In the pink anything pink goes

The Paper Shelter Punches or dies

Moving Day

I am sharing another of my samples for Stamposaurus using the new removal van stamp, coloured with Copics and a Sakura gold star pen. The image is large so I kept it simple, adding some washi tape and enamel stars. I also used glossy accents on the windscreen and headlights.

Challenges

Simon Says Monday Something new 

TTCRD anything goes 

As you like it anything goes 

Allsorts what's new 

Sweet Stampin' something new 

Di's Digis new to you 

Crafty Calendar something new

Live and Love Crafts Something new 

Scrap and Craft New beginnings 

Fab n Funky Something new 

Cute Card Thursday Hey what's new?

First plaque of the year

Our first challenge of 2016 at Crafty Ribbons is anything but a card. My sewing plaques are so popular that I decided to make another for my stall. I used LOTV Dress Shoppe papers along with 2 ribbons and lace from Crafty Ribbons. I added various wooden sewing embellishments which I bought from Stamposaurus at the NEC. The sewing machine has been coloured with black soot distress ink and I wrapped cord around one of the spools, I added buttons and bows to finish it off.

Challenges

Not just cards anything goes 

Bizzy Becs anything goes 

Noor! Design UK anything goes 

ABC Y for your choice

TTCRD anything goes

Cats in Squares

This is my DT card for the new digi challenge at LC Designs (Little Claire) where the challenge is 3,2,1. I used 3 chevrons, 3 ricrac strips, 2 papers and 1 digi. 

Image - Little Claire digi cats in squares

Medium - Copics

Papers - Crate Paper farmhouse

Other - ricrac, wooden chevrons

I do hope you will play along, you can use any digi image but of course we love to see Little Claire digis if you have any.

Challenges

Allsorts what's new (ricrac) 

Di's Digis New to you (ricrac)

Under the mistletoe

This is the second of the three LOTVcards I made from Making Cards magazine and my first inspiration card for 2016 for LOTV. Such a cute couple I know I will be using this stamp many times.

Image - LOTV Merry Kissmas

Medium - Copics

Papers - Dovecraft North Pole

Sentiment - LOTV Grunge

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Die - Marianne poinsettias

Other - Stickles, white brads

Challenges

Simon Says party 

As you like it anthing goes

Noor! Design Uk anything goes 

Craftyhazelnut's Christmas vintage or anything goes

Connected

I was lucky enough to win some images from The Paper Shelter recently. I love that you get the digi to colour, coloured digi and a complation of papers and coloured digi which is what I have used for my card today. The papers are MME Remarkable. I used my MFT stitched fishtail die with a Little Claire sentiment, and a MS border punch. I finished with some wooden chevrons and a wooden heart.

Challenges

The Paper Shelter anything goes

My first craft selling day today in the hospital shop so I am hoping people have some money left from Christmas and the sales and will be buying plenty. I was surprised to do well last January.

Formula One

I am working on some samples for Stamposaurus as they have some new stamps launching this month. Two of them are great images for the boys and the others for moving house. 

Image - Stamposaurus Formula one racing car

Medium - Copics

Papers - Dovecraft North Pole

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Die - First Edition

Other - Fineliner for doodling

Challenges 

Crafty Calendar something new (stamp and die) 

Dies R us something new (stamp and die) 

Noor! Design UK anything goes 

Paper Creator anything goes 

Allsorts What's new (stamp) 

Sweet Stampin' Something new (stamp and die) 

Di's Digis New to you (stamp and die)

My favourite 5 oops 6 cards of 2015

Time to play along with Debby's 5 favourite cards of 2015. I just couldn't narrow it down to 5 so here are my 6 starting with my hubby's Birthday card from last March. I love making male cards and love the blue and kraft colour combo. I would like to enter this into the favourite LMMS project of 2015 at Little Miss Muffet.

I made this one for Cardmaking and Papercraft and was really pleased with the colouring of this cute LOTV image.

You may know I love Gorjuss Girls and don't use them enough. This was for a frend who shares my love of purple.

A Pink Gem vintage girl which I love colouring. Love the distressing,

Anothe rmagazine card using sweet James from LOTV and another of my fave colour combos.

One I made very recently and another distressed card. I do enjoy the challenge of making cards without images sometimes.

I look forward to seeing your five favourites now.

Happy New Year

She looks like she is having fun doesn't she. I hope you all had a lovely New Year's Eve and I wish you all a happy and healthy 2016.  We had a great night, the circus was brilliant ending with party poppers a countdown and sing song. Then we headed home with friends just in time to see In the New Year with the BBC, Bryan Adams and the London fireworks accompanied by glasses of Prosecco.

Image - Pink Gem

Medium - Copics

Ribbons - Crafty Ribbons

Papers - Craftwork Cards Venetian

Die - Joy cuckoo clock

Challenges 

Simon Says party 

As you like it anything goes 

Cute Card Thursday anything goes

Last post of 2015

New Year's Eve so my last post for 2015. I haven't missed a day this year and that is my plan for 2016 too. Thanks to everyone who visits and especially those of you who leave me comments. I really appreciate them all.

So onto my card which is my DT card for the new anything Sugar Nellie goes at The Sugar Bowl. You know how much I love making male cards and this stamp which is called Worried is one of my favourite SN stamps. He has been coloured with Copics and teamed with LOTV Sunny Side Up papers. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons, sentiment from Little Claire. I kept the layout very simple using Lawn Fawn stitched square and MFT fishtail dies.

Challenges

Allsorts anything but Christmas 

Deep Ocean anything goes 

Creative Inspiration anything goes 

Bizzy Becs anything goes

We are out with friends this evening. We are going for a carvery then the circus in Yarmouth. Two of the friends we are going with go to this every year and have said how good it is so we thought we would give it a try. They finish with a water spectacular. If the weather is nice it will then be a walk on the beach and back home just in time to see in the New Year.

LOTV for Making Cards

As the new edition of Making Cards is published tomorrow I can share one of three LOTV cards I had published in the December issue of Making Cards. I used 3 of the last Christmas release all featuring cute couples.

Image - LOTV Christmas song

Medium - Copics

Papers - Dovecraft North Pole

Sentiment - LOTV grunge Christmas

Dies - Joy

Other - white brad, Stickles

Challenges

Noor! Design UK Winter Wonderland 

Inspiration Journal Tis the Season 

Di's Digis anything Christmas 

Dream Valley Christmas 

Creative Inspirations anything goes 

Deep Ocean anything goes

Hubby has an appointment for a haircut today so we shall be spending the day in Norwich. If the shops are too busy we won't be there too long.

In the snow

I made this for a good friend of mine whose Birthday was two days ago. She is the friend who doesn't like cute cards but she loves horses. When I saw this image on a card on Chrissy's blog I asked her where it was from. She found it online as a free image and sent me the link so I was able to print it out. I wanted a wintery feel to the card without it looking like a Christmas card. The papers are Carta Belle Bundled Up, sentiment Craftwork Cards. I used a MS cherish border punch, Joy vintage flourish die and flowers from Wild Orchid. I also added some Stickles to the snow.

Challenges

Deep Ocean anything goes 

Creative Inspirations anything goes 

Simon Says Make it sparkle 

Winter Wonderland Bingo (animal, glitter, flowers)

Cute Card Thursday anything goes

My favourtite five LC cards

Have you seen the posts on the LC blog where the DT have been showcasing their favourite five LC cards?  Today is my turn to share my favourites with you.

I had to choose this as it is my favourite Christmas LC image. I love snowmen and bunting and the two together are perfect. 

This is such a fun image and I love the colour combo of aqua and pink. A really pretty card this one.

This year I have embraced the clean and simple look which is much harder than it looks. I love images with brollies, no idea why as I am not keen on the rain. This is such a cute image and concentrates on the colouring rather than the embellishments.

I love cats and this is such a fun image. I love red and blue and the clean lines.

Another Christmas cad I know but they are some of my favourites to make. This one is one of three I made for a magazine feature. The image is another cute one and I love the banners and snowflakes.

Skating in NYC

A commissioned card for a friend to give to her boyfriend. They went to New York at the beginning of December so this card represents him skating there. They left that until their last day just in case of accidents which was very sensible. I used a Marianne Designs stamp with a variety of dies and card to create the scene.

Challenges

Country View Create a scene 

Live and Love Crafts Sparkle 

Noor! Design UK Winter Wonderland 

Scrap and Craft Anything Christmas 

Whimsy Winter 

Little Miss Muffet Holiday cheer 

Di's Digis anything Christmas

Simon Says Make it sparkle 

Simon Says Monday Winter Wonderland 

Papertake anything goes

Let's roll

I made some calendars as a thank you for my regular customers at the hospital shop and craft fairs. I made them to suit their individual likes and this one was made for a lady who actually has a motorhome but the MME all things chalk papers and Hobby House topper were just what I wanted especially as I know she loves bunting too. I added some flowers from my stash and she was delighted with it.

Challenges

Allsorts anything but Christmas 

Deep Ocean anything goes 

Bizzy Becs anything goes

Papertake anything goes 

Creative Inspirations anything goes

Favourite 5 Christmas Cards 2015

I am joining in Debby's 5 favourite Christmas cards of the year as I always do. It is good to look back at them but always hard to choose my favourites.I made about 140 Christmas cards this year so that is a lot to choose from. I have tried to choose a variety.

So here they are in no particular order.

I love LOTV James, the kraft and white and all the delicate layering.

This is such a fun Pink Gem image and as I had so many card to make this year the pre coloured digis have been invaluable. I love the colour combo and the cute diecuts.

I have enjoyed trying more CAS cards this year and this Little Miss Muffet card is one of my favourites. I love using banners.

I have made more white on white cards this year and this is one of my favourites and the most recent card of my choices. 

Another Penny Black card. The colours are so gorgeous and I spent a long time on this one, using paint, glitter and frantage.

Have a wonderful Christmas xx