Bubbles (2 Challenges)

Challenges

Stamp Something - Sketch

Daisy & Dandelion (3) - Friends

For this card I used the lovely 'Bubbles' stamp from the Daisy & Dandelion series. These are great little characters and they stamp really well. I coloured it with my pencils to coordinate with the papers I have used, and added a flower and a bit of text. Very quick and easy to make by keeping it simple.

Card Recipe

Stamps - Daisy & Dandelion/Stampendous

Flowers - Papermania & Hobbycraft

Papers - Scrapbox

Thanks for looking.

Daisy (2 Challenges)

Challenges

Sketch Saturday (44) - Sketch

Charisma Cardz (12) - My Favourite Things

As soon as I saw this great sketch I knew exactly what I was going to do. Last week my friend lent me her two brand new Sugar Nellie stamps to stamp some images with (BEFORE she had even inked them herself!). I think she saw how excited I was when I pounced on this one and wouldn't let go of it. You see, this is the one stamp I truly LUST after!!! Ever since I saw her for the first time I have wanted her. She is so pretty and reminds me of my childhood when I would spend long summer days sitting on the lawn making daisychains. Yep!, that's where the name comes from! Thank you so much Sue for letting me play with her.

Card Recipe

Stamp - Sugar Nellie & Creative Stamping

Sentiment - Lyndsey Marie

Papers - Monti's Pixel Playground

Flowers - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Just Peachy (3 Challenges)

Challenges

Papertake - Sketch

Creative Card Crew (3) - Warm Colours

Secret Crafter (25) - Stitching

What a great sketch to follow, I really enjoyed doing this one and will use it again. I have used one of Jak Heath's 'Build A Blossom' again for this card. I really love these flowers, they look impressive but are very easy to do. The flower started off white but I coloured it by stippling it using versamark inkpads until I got the colour I wanted. The sentiment was done by masking the stamp which I have never tried before, thanks Jeanette for telling me how. I have done faux stitching around the edge of the card and also in the middle. All in all I am really pleased with how this one turned out.

Card Recipe

Flower - Jak Heath

Sentiment Stamp - Papermania

Paper/Card/Brads - Stash

Thanks for looking.

The Sugar Bowl Challenge (7)

The Sugar Bowl challenge this week is 'Spring or Easter' so I have chosen 'Spring'. The colours of the papers remind me of snowdrops and the flowers remind me a bit of Narcissi. The stamp was kindly lent to me by my friend, thanks Sue. The little bird was originally white but I coloured it with alchohol inks (it's a cake decoration).

Card Recipe

Stamp - Sugar Nellie

Papers - Joni Gray

Embellishments - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Another Invasion (3 Challenges)

Challenges

Cupcake craft (32) - Monsters

ABC - G is for Glitter

Paperplay - All About Backgrounds

For the first challenge I had to think 'monsters'. What better than the dreaded Daleks from Doctor Who. I decoupaged these onto a CD that I coloured with alchohol inks to get this 'spacey' background. I then placed these onto hologram card and put 'glitter' peel-offs in the corners before placing it all on a purple base card. So, there you go, all three challenges covered.

Thanks for looking

Embrace (2 Challenges)

Challenges

Truly Scrumptious (3) - Sketch (Shiny)

Penny Black (41) - Doodling

This gorgeous little elephant stamp was kindly lent to me by a friend so that I could stamp a few images out, thank you Jean.

I enjoyed using this lovely sketch and will no doubt use it again. I decided to go with my favourite colour pink and chose papers accordingly. Now 'doodling' and me don't get on, and I try to avoid it like the plague but thought I had better have a go. Have you spotted it yet??? If you look very carefully... Yep! it is going around the edge of the circular bit of paper. Well done if you spotted it as it doesn't show up very well. I used a white Sakura pen expecting it to show up more. I watercoloured the image using my pencils and stippled ink around the edges before attaching it with foam pads. I have put buttons in the corners and just to be a bit different, I added gems to them.

Card Recipe

Stamp - Penny Black

Papers - Papermania & Summertime Designs

Buttons/Ribbon/Gems - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Easter Chicks (2 Challenges)

Challenges

A Spoonful Of Sugar (44) - Easter
Daring Cardmakers - Bunnies & Chicks

I found these cute little decoupage chicks by Buddyirish the other day and couldn't resist making a couple of cards with them as they are so sweet. All I did was simply mat & layer them, add a bit of rick-rack ribbon and a bubble egg sticker (Paper Cellar), job done!

Thanks for looking.

My Craft Room

Last Christmas I had the stupid idea to re-organise my craft room as it had become a bit of a tip! Well, it got re-done about three times since then before I was reasonably happy with it. The following photos were taken last week after a final sort out.

This is my workbench which is still a bit cluttered and requires further attention. The box files at the top hold various things like decoupage sheets, templates and stamped images. The black drawers hold cardstock. The next shelf down holds things I use a lot like colouring mediums, brads & eyelets. The bench itself is home to the trimmer & heat tool. The drawers house all things sticky. Below the bench is where I keep my stamps & punches.This bit replaces a wardrobe and two tall shelf units. As you can see, by taking these away, I am now able to have the 'pooter' in the corner. The shelf unit hold drawers of embellishments and my cuttlebug stuff. The larger drawers hold design papers and various things like acetate, glitters & shrink plastic. Below this bench are my scrapboxes full of offcuts.This side is opposite the last piccie with a table & chairs in between. This side is still a work in progress and requires a bit more thought. At the moment the boxes at the top all house finished cards. Below these I have pre-scored cards, peel-offs and ribbons.

Well, that's the tour done, better get on and do some crafting now.

Thanks for looking.

Lili Of The Valley DT Cards/Challenge 24

This week's challenge is 'Easter' which is an occassion that our family has never sent cards for, so this was a challenge in itself for me. With this in mind I decided to make cards and little bags of choccie eggs for a couple of crafting buddies. I do not own any Easter related crafty stash so I chose some of my flowers and paper to reflect a 'Spring' feeling. I hope they give that impression.

Thanks for looking.

Blog Awards For All My Followers

I have just received this award from both Hazel and Lorraine who have fantastic blogs full of wonderful creations. They are both such talented ladies so click on their names and have a hop around their blogs. Thank you both very much it is very appreciad.

I have also received this one from Lorraine (Crafty Coo) who also has a fantastic blog which I get a lot of inspiration from. Another very talented lady whose blog you should go and look around, just click on her name. Thank you Lorraine for the award it is very much appreciated.

I would now like to pass them both on to all my followers with a BIG thank you for all your support. It is very encouraging to know that you like my work and I love reading all the lovely comments you leave me, they always put a smile on my face. Please take the award and place it on your blogs with my grateful thanks.

Thanks for looking.

Ribbon Flower (3 Challenges)

Challenges

Charisma Cardz (11) - Sketch

Daisy & dandelion (2) - Thank You

Colour Create (8) - Navy/Turquoise/Lime (No Design Paper)

This was a quick and easy one to do (how about it Michael?), the sketch was easy to follow. The colours were a bit of a challenge, completely out of my comfort zone.

Card Recipe

Ribbon Flower - Jak Heath's Build A Blossom

Stamp - Hero Arts

Card/Ribbon/Brads - Stash

Thanks for looking.

High Hopes/Sugar Nellie Stamps Help!!!

I would dearly love some High Hopes and Sugar Nellie stamps in the near future. The one I most lust after is Sugar Nellies 'Daisy', I think she is absolutely adorable. I would love her on my blog header.

My problem is I can't find a stockist in the UK. Can anyone please help and point me in the right direction?

Thanks for looking.

Spring Birthday (3 Challenges)

Challenges

Friday Sketchers (44) - Sketch

Stamp Something - Think Spring

Secret Crafter (24) - Favourite Colour (Pink)

This was a great sketch to follow and had me thinking for a while. I didn't want to make a square card so I elongated the sketch. All I knew when I started was that I wanted to do a card with 'Candyfloss' on it. This however is the third image attempt as I cut the first two too small, obviously not with it at all. I added glitter glue to the flowers on the background paper, don't know why, just fancied doing it. The frame over the image is mounted on foam pads to give a bit of dimension. I didn't have any green leaves for the flower so I used pastel peel-off pens to colour white satin leaves. I think these turned out rather well. I added a bow at the top as I had quite a large space which looked rather empty.

Card Recipe

Stamp - Daisy & Dandelion

Brads - Lakeland

Flower - Papermania & Punched

Leaves - Hobbycraft

Bow - Recycled

Card/Paper/Peel-off Greeting - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Mini Blog Candy

These little cuties are looking for a new home. If you pop over to Malin's blog you can find out how you can win them. Ends 31st March.

Thanks for looking.

Daleks Charisma Challenge (10)

This week's challenge at Charisma Cardz is 'Something For The Guys'.

I started by placing a panel of paper onto the base card. I then decoupaged the daleks and added them to the middle. I also put another dalek at the bottom of the paper but this one is not decoupaged. I added the Dr Who logo at the top and peel-off sentiments down the sides. I finished by adding a peel-off border. This was a quick and easy card to do.

Card Recipe

Dalek Decoupage - Karen Wood

Paper & Peel-offs - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Lili Of The Valley DT Card

This week we have a lovely sketch by Donalda to follow.

For this card I went all girly and glittery. Once I got going I couldn't stop adding sparkle to it.

I started off by covering the card with rainbow paper that I had punched at the corners. I then put rainbow organza ribbon across the middle (I have been hoarding this ribbon for months, just gazing at it now and then, you know what it's like when something is too pretty to use). I then tied another piece around the spine. Next I cut two squares of holographic card, rounded the corners and ribbled it. I've not played with the ribbler for months, nearly forgot I had it... I placed these either side of the ribbon and added three gems to the top one. Then I cut a rectangle of pink glitter board, rounded the corners again and attached it with foam pads. Die-cut Fairy Rose came next, I attached her with foam pads. I stamped and embossed the sentiment and added the flowers which of course had to have gems on them. Finally I glittered the fairy's wings with glitter glue.

Sorry about the quality of the picture. I usually scan my cards into the computer but this time I had to use my camera as THREE HOURS after applying the glitter glue it still hadn't dried. I think I went a bit mad with the stuff...

Card Recipe

Die-cut Fairy - Lili Of The Valley
Paper - Kingfisher Crafts
Everything Else - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Rosy Bouquet - Paperplay Challenge (9)

This week's challenge at Paperplay is called 'Credit Crunch'. In other words recycling what you have around the house. Well, I have a load of old cards that I have been given so I cut one up to make this beauty. Even the base card was recycled from an old handmade one. All I added was a peel-off sentiment, hope that's ok for the challenge. I shall give this one to my sister as it is her favourite colours.

Thanks for looking.

Rosy Wedding (3 Challenges)

Challenges

Cute Card (51) - Sketch (Celebration)
Secret Crafter (23) - Have Your Cake & Eat It
Papertake - Feeling Fruity

I started this one by covering a square of card with the rose paper. To this I added a small square of pearl card to the top right corner and then some silver ribbon down the middle. Next came a rectangle of pearl card which I punched a lacy edge and added more ribbon. I stamped the sentiment onto a circle of card and punched a little heart below it. I inked the edge of the circle and heart, layered it using nesties, attached with D/S tape and added the roses. I then stamped the cake and coloured it with MLP pens before rounding the corners and inking the edges. I punched a slot and added the ribbon before securing with foam pads. Finally I added glitter glue to the ribbons on the cake.

Card Recipe

Stamps - Anita's & Stampin Up

Papers - Making Cards Freebie

Roses - Hobbycraft

Glitter Glue - Stickles

Ribbon - Stash

Thanks for looking.

New Job (4 Challenges)

Challenges

Friday Sketchers (43) - Sketch

Daisy & Dandelion (1) - New Beginnings

Cupcake Craft (31) - Brown + 1

ABC - F Is For Flowers

First I attached two pieces of paper to the base card then I stamped, coloured & layered the main image before attaching with foam pads. Next came the real fun - SHRINK PLASTIC!!! I stamped the image onto white shrink plastic, coloured with pencils and blasted it with the heat gun. I love doing this... I finished by adding three daisies to the card.

Card Recipe

Stamps & Papers - Daisy & Dandelion

Everything Else - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Seeing Spots (2 Challenges)

Challenges

Truly Scrumptious (2) - Sketch (Handmade Buttons)

Dutch Dare (39) - Sorry I Forgot

I have kept this card quite simple as I think all the spots are quite busy enough, sorry if it hurts your eyes!

I first covered a white card with a square of black card, then I cut four smaller squares of spotty paper and placed these on top. I used my nesties to cut a black circle and attached it with D/S tape. I then layered the flower and attached this with foam pads. I made the buttons with black shrink plastic (nice and scary) and tied white ribbon through the holes before attaching them with sticky dots. Finally I stamped and layered the sentiment and attached it with D/S tape.

Card Recipe

Flower & Paper - Jak Heath's Build A Blossom

Stamps - Lakeland

Card & Ribbon - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Daffodils (7 challenges)

Challenges

Sketch & Stash (6) - Sketch (Stamp)

A Spoonful Of Sugar (43) - Little Gem

ABC - E is for Easter

Stamp Something - Green

Ooh La La (30) - Buttons & Brads

Cute Daisy May (3) - Button It

Creative Card Crew (2) - No Paper

This card is made with a stamp that I borrowed from my friend Sue again, she has some lovely stamps and I could not resist this one. Unfortunately I forgot to see who made it before I gave it back. I started by making a layered strip using three pieces of green card and scalloped one edge with my SU border punch. I stuck this down the centre of the base card. I added gems to the scalloped edge and brads to the top right corner. I then attached the image with foam pads and stamped a little sentiment and attached this in the same way. To finish off I punched two flowers out of handmade paper, added threaded buttons and placed these in the top left corner.

Card Recipe

Apart from the stamp which I borrowed everything was scraps and from my stash.

Thanks for looking.

Lili Of The Valley Challenge (22)

The theme for this week's challenge is 'Mother's Day'. As soon as I saw this image I wanted to make a card with it, I think it is really elegant and a reminder of days gone by when ladies were very feminine. Sadly I can't remember where I found the download. Anyway, I started this card by layering gold and black onto the black base card and then the patterned paper. I made up the pyrimage image and placed it onto the card front. I added the lace and bow and then layered the greeting before attaching with foam pads. Finally I added the flowers and brads to the top of the card.

Card Recipe

Paper - Summertime Designs

Flowers - Papermania & Punched

Greeting - Computer Generated

Brads/Lace/Bow - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Blog Awards

I have been given these awards by Maxine at Maxines-arts-and-crafts. Thank you so much Maxine for thinking of me. I am thrilled to bits to receive them. I am now supposed to pass them on to five other people so here goes. In no particular order:-

1. Lorraine
2. Hazel
3. Alison
4. Jenny
5. Janette

Why not pop over to these blogs and check out their wonderful creations, you will not be dissapointed.

Blog Award

Apologies for this post being a bit late but I have been very busy lately and also having problems with this blessed pooter.

A little while ago I received this award from Hazel at Dido's Designs. Thank you so much Hazel for thinking of me, I am thrilled to bits to receive it. Anyway, I am now supposed to pass it on to my ten favourite blogs (Hazel you would have been one). So, in no particular order:-

1. Debra 6. Gayle

2. Maxine 7. Maddy

3. Carlz 8. Calvin

4. Jacqui 9. Paula

5. Jak 10. Karin

So, there you go. Why not pop over to these blogs and see their wonderful creations, you won't be dissapointed.

Three Challenges, One Card

Challenges

Secret Crafter (22) - Masking

Stamp Something - Favourite Somethings (Flowers)

Colour Create (6) - Orange/Yellow/Green

With a single flower stamp and using the 'masking' technique I created three flowers which I coloured with MLP pens and layered using my Nesties. I placed green paper on a piece of card and then punched a piece of yellow paper and placed this on top. I then placed a strip of stripey paper down the other side and attached the image with foam pads. To finish off I added flower brads to the centres of the punched squares. As the colour combo of the challenge can be quite bright I found that these papers gave an alternative subtle combo. This stamp was lent to me by my good friend Sue and it has fast become a favourite of mine so I think I shall have to try and find my own.

Card Recipe

Stamp - Woodware

Papers - Shabby Princess

Brads - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Magnolia vs Stampavie Challenge (17)

This week's challenge is a lovely sketch by Carla. I started by covering the base card with two different papers. I then added a lace doyley and a piece of paper lace that I had inked with Brilliance Pearlescent inkpads. Next I stamped, coloured (using pencils) and cut out the image and attached her with foam pads. I then punched green and pink flowers from pearl paper and added a pearl to the centres. I finished off with a peel-off greeting.

Card Recipe

Stamp - Sarah Kay

Papers - Summertime Designs

Pearls - Papermania

Doyley/Paper Lace/Peel-Off - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Charisma Cardz Challenge (9)

The challenge this week is to make a 'pretty card for mum'.

I made the base card using a beautiful piece of pearl cardstock that I have had for ages as this would show the embossing well and went with the image rather nicely. I started by embossing the pattern down the right side and adding the gems. I then punched the edges of a piece of white vellum and a piece of pink vellum and layered them to the left side and finished it with a peel-off border. Next I decoupaged and layered the image and attached it at an angle. The sentiment is peel-offs, layered with gems added.

Thanks for looking.

Four Challenges With One Card

Challenges

Sketch & Stash (5) - Sketch (New Image & Papers)
Paperplay (8) - 3 Rectangles & Sparkly
Funky Fairys (6) - Blue
Cute Card Thursday (50) - Food & Drink

As you can see I have kept this card very simple as I wanted the cupcakes to really show up. Following the sketch from the Sketch & Stash challenge I covered two rectangles of card with my new papers, having put an eyelet in a corner of each piece, I attached them to the base card after tying the ribbon around them. I coloured the image with my pencils and added glitter glue to the frosting on the cakes. I then layered it onto a rectangle of silver pearl card. I stamped the sentiment and layered this in the same way and attached them to the card with foam pads.

Card Recipe

Image & Papers - Funky Fairys
Sentiment - Daisy & Dandelion
Ribbon & Eyelets - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Lili Of The Valley Challenge (21)

This week's challenge is 'Bright and Beautiful' and this card is certainly bright and the fairy is beautiful.

I covered the base card with a piece of design paper. Onto this I placed a strip of card that I had scalloped and added lace to. I placed 'Scarlet' at the bottom having glittered her wings first with glitter glue. I then built the flower up and highlighted it with a Sakura pen and glittered the centre before placing it at the top of the card. To finish off I added the greeting.

The flower is a freebie from the lovely talented Jak Heath. Why not pop over to her blog and see her wonderful creations.

Card Recipe

Paper - Making Cards
Flower - Jak Heath
Fairy - Lili Of The Valley
Card/Lace/Greeting - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Friday Sketchers (41) Challenge

I decided to try something different for this card by not using a 'stamped' image, shock! horror! You see I went to The Range yesterday for some bits and bobs and came across a lovely flower punch which I just had to have, like you do. Anyway, onto the card...

First I covered the card with design paper and added a ribbon across the bottom. I then cut two rectangles of white cardstock and two larger ones in purple and layered them. On the first one I stamped and embossed the sentiment. On the second one I doodled some flower stalks with a MLP pen. I then used the punch to cut the flowers out of handmade paper. I coloured the edges of the petals with a MLP pen and added pearls to the centres. I then placed three at the top of the stalks and added a bow to the bottom. I finished off by placing the remaining flowers at the bottom of the card.

Card Recipe

Stamp - Hero Arts
Punch - Xcut
Everything Else - Stash

Thanks for looking.

Three Challenges In One

Challenges

Daisy May (1) - Sketch
Penny Black (38) - Something to eat
Colour Create (5) - Blue & Brown (Lace & Pearls)

I started this card by first making a handmade background using alchohol inks on glossy photo paper, the colours I used are Denim, Rust & Stream. Considering that when I usually try this I hate the results, I was rather pleased with the way this one turned out. Next I cut a square of brown cardstock and stuck a ribbon across the bottom, I then added some paper lace and dotted the middle of the flowers with a MLP pen. I then added a rectangle of cardstock covered with a co-ordinating paper to the right of the card. If you check the sketch I am following on the Daisy May challenge blog you will by now notice that I have turned it. Next is the image which I stamped and coloured with watercolour pencils and then layered it and attached it using foam pads. I finished off by adding these beautiful flowers I found the other day to which I added pearl brads. I adore the flowers so much I am loathe to part with them ha!ha!

Card Recipe

Cardstock - Stampin Up

Stamps - Penny Black/Hero Arts

Alchohol Inks - Adirondack

Pearls Brads - Craft Work

Flowers - Artoz

Ribbon - Anita's

Paper & Paper Lace - Stash

Thanks for looking.