Lost Mojo ...

Hubby and the girls have gone camping for the weekend, leaving me in peace and quiet to craft ... great ... except I have misplaced/lost my mojo!! Typical!!

Anyway here are my efforts ...

First up one of my favourite Magnolias ...

I just love her hair blowing in the wind.  I used my pens to colour her and then paper pieced the dressed.  The dp is Basic Grey Euphoria, and I added ribbon, buttons and bling from my stash.  Finally I stickled her wings.  Not totally happy with this card ...

Challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch (rotated)
Everybody-Art-Challenge - fairy
Just Magnolia - Buttons, bows and bling
Totally Tilda - paper peicing
Totally papercrafts Challenge - glitter
Stamp Something - something with wings

OK my next card ...

 I used a lavinia stamp, Cherry Blossom, and matted it onto red and black cardstock.  I stamped the PB sentiment onto the white cardstock and layered it onto red and black cardstock.  I punched the flowers from the cardstock and added contrasting ickle gems.
This is attempt number 3 ... I tried to include gold embossing in the first couple with disastrous outcomes ... I have been really defeated by that gold embossing powder today!!
Also I can't make my mind up whether it should be this way up or rotated so the thank you reads along the bottom ... see what I mean, really not my crafting day!!!!

 Challenges:
Less is More - thank you/Congratulations
Allsorts Challenge - oriental
Totally Gorguss - recipe - 1,2,3 (1 image, 2 stamps, 3 colours, flowers and gems)

 I am off to potter in the garden, and hopefully find my mojo!!  Catch up with you all this evening .. .Dr Who and blogging :)

Basic Grey Challenge

Its time for another Basic Grey Challenge, and the theme this time is Be Charmed ... we want to see charms on your creations. 


We are sponsored by Heidi from Simon Says Stamp who is offering one lucky winner a fab $25 shopping spree in the Simon Says Superstore, just think of the goodies you could treat yourself to with that !!

This week I have gone back to some papers I haven't used for AGES - Euphoria ... but they seemed perfect for the weather and this Sugar Nellie Simply Sassy image, Butterflies and Pigtails.  Don't you just love her hair and innocent look!!  I coloured her in using my promarkers and copics.  She is quite a large image so I have left everything quite simple.  The ribbon is from my stash, as is the butterfly charm, and I added a little card candy to finish it off.

Simply Sassys

Its a new challenge over at the Dutchdare Card Challenge and the theme this time is For Mum ... we have had Mothering Sunday here, and its been my Mum's birthday, so I have made a couple of cards using my Mum's taste in cards ... lots of white and not alot of embellies ...

Having spent a couple of days colouring up some images (and loosing one even though I know I had it as it is on my WOYWW photo!!) I thought I better get some onto cards .. nice and simple cards as my wrist hurts when I craft :(
 So here are a couple of the Sugar Nellie Sassys' I have been playing with ...

I love Butterflies and Pigtails, doesn't she have such a sweet, innocent look!  As she is quite a big image I decided to go for a very minimal look .. .then added ribbon, flowers and butterflies!!!!  I coloured her using my distress inks, and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, gingham ribbon from the loacl market and the punch is a Craft Tonic one.  I am entering this into the Wild Orchid Challenge, which is white, and two colours, and roses, and Charisma Cardz challenge, April Showers, May flowers.

 Carnival ballon is another of the latest Sassys .. Karen really does have an eye for cute, adorable images.  I coloured her in using my promarkers and again kept everything quite clean and simple.  I embossed a couple of peices of white cardstock, punched some flowers and added pearls to the centre.  I used a peice of netting from my garlic to add the knot to the flower.

Challenges:
Sketch Saturday  sketch
Cute Card Thursday - Sketch (either a previous CCT one or another - Sketch Saturday)
I love Promarkers - no patterned papers
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Stampavie and More - pearls
 For Fun - recycle (garlic netting)
PaperPlay challenge - something not usually used on a card (netting)
Creative Card Crew - child's play (balloon)

 The Simply Sassy blog is also doing a banner challenge .. the deets are here .. I thought I would have a go with these two cards.

 

A couple of cards

I have a couple of cards to show today, one I made a while ago but haven't got round to blogging, and the other made this morning, before children awoke/arrived!!!

This is Sugar Nellie's Windswept Simply Sassy ... isn't her hair just fabulous!!!  I coloured her in using my Prisma pencils, think I'm getting the hang now LOL!!  I have kept it all simple, embossing the blue cardstock and matting everything onto red cardstock.  The ribbon is from my stash.
Challenges:
 The Ribbon Girl - red, white and blue
Fab n Funky - red/white and blue

I love my House Mousies and Happy Hoppers, and this cute bunny is perfect for the House mouse and Friends challenge this time.  He is coloured in distress inks and then cut out using my nesties.  The dp is BG Euphoria and I added some ribbon from my stash and some gems.  Simples really.

  Challenges:
Stamp with fun - sketch
House Mouse and friends - Travel/way to go
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Fluffy Bunnies
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Totally Gorguss - bling it on
 

WOYWW

Its Wednesday, so time to snoop round everyone's desks over at Julia's.

Not a big hive of activity .. I have some images coloured and I am eazi mounting my latest hAnglar kit.  Miffy is in disgrace, having thrown up a bird on the craft room floor so she is banned at the moment!!!
I have hurt my right hand so am resting it ... little card making going on at the mo, but plenty of coluring (there are times that being left handed is good LOL!!).

Papertake Weekly Challenge GDT

 Its my last Guest spot with the Papertake Weekly challenge and this week its  sketch challenge.

I coloured this fab Sugar Nellie Sassy, Fashionista, using my prisma pencils.  I embossed some of the cardstock using my flowers embossing folder, and matted both the DCWV dp and the cardstock onto yellow cardstock.  The ribbon is from my stash, the flower punched and the the flat backed pearls are from my stash.


 

Wedding

Wedding fever is upon us .. we have friends marrying on a pig farm in a teepee later in the year (I know, don't ask!!!) so here is a possible card for them ...

 I coloured the image using my promarkers.  The cardstock panel and velum panel are embossed using my D'vine swirls folder, and the lace, flowers and pearls are from my stash.  It ia really hard trying to get a pic of WOW cards with the sun shining ... loadsa glare!!!

We are at my parents for Easter Sunday, and the barbeque has just been lit, and  I am looking at lambs gambolling around in the fields ... hope you are all having a fabulous Easter too.
Challenges:
Just Magnolia - sketch
Totally papercrafts - Wedding
Stampin for the Weekend - wedding
Craft - flowers
Everybody-Art-Challenge - pearls
A Spoonfull of Sugar - Celebration
Passion for Promarkers - White on White
Simon Says Stamp - Embossing
I love Promarkers - Anything Goes
 

Less is More 2nd attempt

We have a Sundays with Santa group over on Facebook, which is designed to encourage us make a Christmas card each week ... I am 4 weeks behind LOL!!  So I combined no green, monochromatic and gingham to come up with this ...

 Sorry the picture is rubbish ... I can't get the exposure setting right on my camera.  I used my Cuttlebug Snowflake and stickled and glamour dusted it.  I added some blue gingham ribbon and stamped the Stempleglede sentiment directly onto the card.  I made lots of this style last year ... and didn't get to send any of them as my friends and family bought them off me!!!

As it is off centre I am entering this into this week's less is More challenge ... I am definitely a glutton for punishment!!

 

Less is More week 12

 After last week's excursion in to the dark realms of acetate I was relieved to read this week's Less is More challenge ... off centre ... now I can do this ... I am naturally off centre LOL!!! 

I used a spare punched butterfly I had from a card I made yesterday, and punched sone out of some acetate to created a bit more depth.   The sentiment is a Whiff of Joy one I have had for ages ... I stamped it in a matching ink as I didn't want it too harsh ... but maybe it is a little on the pale side.  I doodled a little flight path for the butterfly and added some teeny pearls to its middle and the corners.  Whilst off centre doesn't mean using the corners I love central white space, so I have gone for the symmetrical corner look.

Off to do some gardening and ironing ... might have another play later.

 

Pink, blue and brown ( and a bit of green!)

Here's the finished card i was making on Wednesday ... it seems to have been sitting half made for ages!! 

The image is coloured using my prismas and I cut it out.  The dp is Basic Grey Phoebe and I added ribbon and pearls from my stash.

Challenges:
Kenny K Krafty Girlz - Anything Goes
Colour Create - Pink, blue brown ( and green - hope thats oK!)
Everybody-Art-Challenge - pearls
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch

I'm off to tackle this week's Less is more challenge.

 

Butterflies and embossing

What a day ... first we take a baby Blackbird that Miffy decided not to kill ot the RSPCA Wildlife centre 25 miles away, and later Beth sticks something up her nose ... an ambulance and hospital epxerience later I am posting this!!!!

 Here is Butterflies and pigtails from Sugar Nellie's latest Simply Sassy release.  I coloured her using my prisma pencils.  The dp is Pink Peticoat and all the embellishments are from my stash. The white cardstock is embossed using my Swiss Dots folder, and I punched and stickled the butterfly.

 Challenges:
Sugar Bowl - sketch and buttons
Cute Card Thursday - no text
Stamps r us - embossing and bugs
Craft - flowers
Stamp Something - flowers, buttons and sparkle
Cupcake craft challenge - layers
Simon Says Stamp - Embossing

Embossed Rapunzel

The latest release of Sugar Nellie Simply Sassys flopped onto my mat on Tuesday ... then i had to decide which I would colour first ...

 I love Rapunzel with all that hair!!  I really struggle doing blond hair, and as she looks a bit Adams' Family in her outfit I decided to go for a more Goth look.  I coloured her using my promarkers, using just blues and greys.  I embossed some white cardstock and plaited white organza ribbon and then twisted it round the card, just like Rapunzel's hair! 

Challenges:
Passion for Promarkers - White on White
Simon Says Stamp - Embossing
I love Promarkers - Anything Goes

 

ABC Challenge and WOYWW

This week's ABC challegne is S for Sparkle ... so go mad with those stickles, glitters and bling!!
 I have made a step card using a couple of my Tildas that have yet to see ink ...

I coloured the images in using my Prismas (slowly getting the hang of them LOL!!) and then cut them out. I liberally stickled their stirts with frosted lace, and the balloon with stardust stickles. I made a simple step card, just using 1 paper from DCWV Pocketful of Posies pad.  I punched flowers and added gems to their centres, and finally added some flat backed gems.  The sentiment recipe is from LOTV.

I am rubbish at photographing these cards .. so here is the view from the front ...

 ... and a close up of the sparkly girls!!

 I am entering it into these challenges:
Just Magnolia - Happy Birthday
Cute and Girly - cute and girly

Now its wednesday so time to pop over to Julia's for the weeky mooch round her desk, and lots of other crafters.  Here is my desk ...

A bit of making in the process!! I am in the process of maknig a card for a couple of challenges, and my new Sassys from Sugar Nellie arrived yesterday ... they are inked up, just need colouring.  .  In the background you can see an image I coloured with my prismas ... not sure I am going to use it as the shading isn't quite right, and another Sassy ready to colour.  I am slowly getting the hang of these pencils .. .not as easy as watercolouring me thinks!!  The ipad is there, but closed - not in a music mood, and the cat is absent ... far to warm to be in, lots of rodents to torment!!

If you have a moment or two to spare could you pop across to my little girls' blog and leave a comment on the cards they have made for the Simon Says Stamp challenge for children.  Ellie's cards are here, and Beth's cards are here.   Thank you.

 

Papertake Weekly Challenge GDT

This week's Papertake Weekly Challenge is Spots and stripes ... you can use either spots, stripes or both.

Now I have to admit to have a little soft spot for Sugar Nellie's Maggie and Hamish range (and they no longer sell them :().  I coloured Splashing Maggie in using my prisma pencils, I am still trying to get the hang of them!, and then glossed the puddle, boots and umbrella.  The dp is MME Wild Asparagus, and I added some spotty ornage ribbon and this fab Inkadinkado sentiment.  The flowers were created using a Marianne Creatible die.


Challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch (sentiment flipped so it fitted ... hope that is OK)
Cute Card Thursday - weather
Stamp Something - April Showers
Totally Papercrafts challenge - Springtime
Crafty Calendar Challenge - April Showers bring forth May flowers
Fab n Funky - All spotty and dotty
Craft Your Passion -You've Been Spotted


If you have a moment or two to spare could you pop across to my little girls' blog and leave a comment on the cards they have made for the Simon Says Stamp challenge for children.  Ellie's cards are here, and Beth's cards are here.   Thank you.

 

Easter Bunnies

Another quick post for me while the little girl I mind has a catnap ...

 I love House Mouses and the Happy Hoppers,but haven't really got any Easter ones.  Lols sent me this image ages ago and I have finally decided to colour it up (I always like to use the coloured image on the block to help me!).  I coloured the bunnies using prisma pencils, and I think I am getting the hang of them slowly!!!, and then cut them out.  The dp is Doodlebug, and I used a Marianne Creatible die to create the circle.  I added some ribbon and a knot ... no flowers as they didn't look right, and no sentiment as I haven't any Easter stamps!

Challenges -
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - Sketch
House Mouse and Friends - Easter
Stampin for the Weekend - Easter
For Fun - colour combo , pink, blue, purple, yellow, green
Totally Papercrafts challenge - Springtime

C.R.A.F.T. - Easter
Delightful Challenges  - Easter

Die Cut Dreams - Easter

Creative Inspirations - Easter
 

Sassy's and sketches x2

Its a glorious day here, and the gardening has been done, and the washing brought in, so a little crafting was in order before the ironing is tackled!!

I coloured these images last night ... so just needed to put them on a card.

 As some of you may know ... I LOVE my Sugar Nellies and especially the Sassys ... even bought set 6, just waiting for my postie LOL!!  I coloured Artistic Godess in using my promarkers.  I decided to go for a mainly monochrome card, with just a bit of colour ... her hair is rather colourful LOL!!!  I embossed the panels of white cardstock using a couple of embossing folders.  The black flower was a white one that I coloured in using my black promarker, and layered it up using flowers from my stash, finally adding an organza bow.  I followed the sketch over at the Simply Sassy blog, and am entering this into their GDT.  They have also got a blog hop runnig until Tuesday, I'll be hopping in a bit.

I love Romantic Dreamer, love her look, and that skirt! again she is coloured in using my promarkers, and i have been having another play with different colours.  The dp is Basic Grey Wisteria, and I followed the sketch over at I Love Promarkers.  I added some flat backed pearls nad black ribbon to finish it off.  I added some black faux stitching, which is this week's Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge theme.


 

Anyone for Strawberries?

 Every Sunday on the Facebook Sugar Nellie page Fiona posts a challenge .. this week's was a photo inspiration challenge using ... a strawberry pavlova ... it looks mouthwatering!!!

 I love my Sugar Nellies, and the new mangas are fab ... this is Strawberry Patch.  I coloured her with my pens, shading isn't brill, but I have a ganglion on my hand that is currently affecting the feeling in 3 of my fingers and my wrist ... makes holding pens and colouring painful.  I followed the sketch from the Allsorts challenge, and used gingham papers from Pink Petticoat.  I cut the image out and put her onto this scalloped circle made with a Marianne Creatible die.  The flowers are punched and I added card candy and flat backed pearls.

 I am having a crafty weekend ... with how long it is taking me to colour I need plenty of time to get ahead with some of my DT work.  Dave has taken the girls away for the weekend to give me some peace ... he is insisting I catch up with some sleep as I am losing quite a bit with the sore hand.  Craft/sleep ... hmmmm wonder which will win lOL!!

 

Less is More

 I think I am a glutton for punishment!!!  I have joined in each of the Less is More challenges ... but they are not getting any easier ... in fact Chrissie and Mandi are doing a fab job of 'forcing' me to address the areas of crafting that are trully out of my comfort zone.  This week's challenge is acetate ... ACETATE!!!

So I have taken a deep breath and had a go at making an acetate card ... only ever made one before and it was a disaster!!!

 I have kept it all reaslyy simple ... just using 1 stamp.  I stamped the image in  black versafine not white cardstock and matted it onto black.  I made a white and black mat the same size to go inside the card for the message.  Using black cardstock I punched the detail that hopefully adds support so the card stands up!!!  I stamped the image again into the corners of the card using white stzon, then assembled the card ... finally adding a gingham ribbon.

Then I breathed!!!  No smudging that I can see ... bigger challenge was getting a photo of it!!!

I am also entering this into this week's Totally Gorguss challenge ... no patterned papers.

Off to recover with a cuppa!!!

 

Basic Grey Challenge

This week's Basic Grey Challenge is Easter/Spring.

We are sponsored by Heidi from Simon Says Stamp who is offering one lucky winner a fab $25 shopping spree in the Simon Says Superstore, just think of the goodies you could treat yourself to with that !!

 I love this cute Penny Black duckling, and it is fab for Easter/springtime cards.  I coloured it using my pens, and then cut it out using my nesties.  The dp is Basic Grey Oh Baby Girl ... I LOVE these papers!!!  I added some lilac raffia lace and a yellow gingham ribbon, loves me gingham too!!!  Finally some flat backed gems to finish it.

Challenges:
Stampin for the Weekend - Easter
For Fun - colour combo , pink, blue, purple, yellow, green
Totally Papercrafts challenge - Springtime
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Easter

C.R.A.F.T. - Easter
Delightful Challenges  - Easter

Crazy Challenge - Easter
Die Cut Dreams - Easter
My Partner in Crafting Crime  - Layer it up
Ooh La La Creations  - Happy Easter
Pink Elephant  - Easter
Pollycraft  - Easter
Stamps R Us  - Easter

Creative Inspirations - Easter

I let the linky thing draw my candy ... the results can be found here ... You already know who you are!!!!!  Congratulations!!!  I just need your address hunni to post it out to you xx
 

Melissa

 I have a really poorly hand at the moment, so crafting is slow and rather painful.  I coloured this gorgeous Sugar Nellie digi, Melissa, last night, and put the elements together this morning.

 She is coloured in using my promarkers, and I decided to keep it neutral and vintage, so just used cool and warm greys, caramel, tan and apricot ... oh and cocktail pink for the flower.  I distressed all edges and inked them using vintage photo.  I used kraft papers, and embossed some using my D'vine swirls folder, and matted it onto pink cardstock.  I used my Stempleglede Grunge set to stamp the detail round the edge of the kraft paper, and to make the flowers, which I stamped, cut out and scrunched within an inch of their lives!!  I added some gingham ribbon, flat backed pearsl and a Tim Holtz ticket.

Challenges:
passion for Promarkers - make your own embellishments - flowers
Trully Scrumptious - Vintage
Creative Craft Challenge - embossing
Simon Says Stamp - Card for a child