Pretty in pink

I forgot a friend's birthday ... I feel terrible about it, but we have had so much going on recently, it totally slipped my mind. So I have made her this belated birthday card.

I watercoloured Tilda and then stickled her. I am trying to use up all those papers in pads that are not my favourite ... that is they are pink are really bold patterns!! The little doily was nicked from a restuarant and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. I added some raffia and this gorgeous check ribbon that I have been refusing to cut into!

The card fits these challenges:
Friday Sketcher - sketch
Creative Inspirations - Fairies
Just Magnolia - One for the girls
Magnolia Down under - black, white/cream and 1 other
Magical Crafts - black, white and 1 more colour
Allsorts - birthdays
Totally Gorguss - round round (well the doilly is round!!)

I am going to spend the morning catching up with some DT work as Beth is at Pre-school and Ellie is at school, and I need some quiet time after a hectic few days here!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): magnolia
Colouring Media: distress inks (Secret Crafter)
Papers: Basic Grey Eva (Secret Crafter)
Embellishments: all from stash

Saturday's crafting

The girls have been for their swimming lessons and I have sewn up a sash for Vicky's hubby, so I felt that a bit of time in my craft room was in order. I started the WOJ card yesterday, and coloured the Magnolia image in yesterday, so it was just a matter of putting the elements together.
This card covers the following challenges;
Just Magnolia - easel card
Friday Sketchers - sketch
Allsorts - Spring

I watercoloured Tilda using my new distress inks and distressed the edges. The papers are K and Co Charlotte, and very strokeable!! I matted them onto green cardstock, and rotated the sketch. I added some ribbon, flowers and pearls to finish it off.
And here is a close up of Tilda.

This card is for
Simons Say Stamp challenge on Papercraft planet - sketch
Allsorts - Spring
Katharina's GDT call for Whiff of Joy

I watercoloured Willow and cut her out using my oval nesties. I used the largest die, so to get the mat I attached my die to some cardstock using repositional tape and cut round it with my craft knife. I distressed all the edges of the papers and cardstock using my Tim Holtz tool. This is the last of my thin ribbon and I added a button to the centre of the bow. Finally green pearls to finish.

Snuzzles and cuddles

Its Saturday morning and I have been up since the crack of dawn thanks to our 'delightful' cat who has obviously read somewhere that owners like their cats to bring very alive shrews (or mice) into the bedroom to torture!! She stalked off to my craft room to kill the first and we managed to liberate the second ... but by 6am I was wide awake ... so I thought i would have a go at making some challegne cards before cracking on with some DT work.
For both cards I have my latest stamps .. both from Wags 'n' Whiskers .. and bought before Lent!!!

The first card covers these challenges:
Wags 'n' Whiskers - favourite things ... stamps, charms, flowers, distress inks ...
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Stamp Something - touch of Spring (I think the papers are spring like!)
Totally Papercrafts - Lots of Spots
Fuss 'n' Fancy - Dazzle us
Cute Card Thursday - metal mania
Totally Gorguss - Flower Power
I masked the wings off and stamped the image, before watercolouring it using distress inks and distressed round the outside in tumbled grass (new and just a bit fab!). I rotated the sketch and the sentiment is Magnolia, with the not masked off. Sorry I have just noticed the charm is twisted ... opps! I added some gems in a sort of swirl, some flowers and spacers and a charm.

Now I bought this image as it reminded me of one of my favourite things ... younger daughter Beth and her favourite teddy Harvey (no pink bow!!) ... oh and she is wearing her favourite colour ... pink!!

Onto the second card ...
Friday Sketchers - sketch (rotated)
Wags 'n' Whiskers - favourite things (see above)
Cute Card Thursday - metal mania
Totally Gorguss - Flower power
Allsorts - tag/label/ticket
Totally Papercrafts - Lots of Spots
I LOVE this image ... it is Ellie and her bunny! I watercoloured the image and distressed the edges. I faux stitched the dp and added a Tim Holtz ticket for the sentiment. The flower is layered and I added a charm to it. Finally some white organza ribbon and a ickle bow.

Here are my gorgeous babies with Bunny and Harvey ... you can't really see Bunny ... trust me she is well loved and very patched!!! (Auntie JoJo will confirm that as she's the one that gets to patch Bunny!)
Ellie on New year's Day 2005 with Bunny - they were both 3 weeks old!!
and finally Beth in April 2007 with Harvey ... the day she got him.
The girls were supposed to be going swimming ... but that has been cancelled ... so hubby is on playing duty so I can craft :)
I will be blog hopping later ... got lots to catch up on as I have had a really busy week and not much 'pooter time.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Wags 'n' Whiskers Bear Hug, Snuzzle Love; Magnolia sentiment
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers:MME Pretty Please
Embellishments: ribbon, charms, spacers, brads, flowers from stash

A challenge card at last

We're back from a few days away and feeling slightly more refreshed!! Beth's impetigo has almost gone and Ellie is off school for the week so lots of nice thingss planned.
The children are still tired from their time away and chose to have a chill time this afternoon in front of the telly ... they ended up watching it through their eyelids!!!

So I made a card for some challenges:
Quixotic Cards - tag it
Simon Says Stamp - Whats love got to do with it
Just Magnolia - Love
Friday Sketcher - sketch
Allsorts - recipe - 3,2,1 ... I used 3 flowers (and buttons!), 2 patterned papers, 1 ribbon
A Spoonfull of Sugar - Springtime
Passion for Promarkers - buttons and bows
Papertake Weekly - Check this out (checks/gingham)

I colouredTilda in and then cut her out. I matted her onto oval dp and scalloped oval cardstock (I love my nesties!!!). The dp is edged with pink ink. I added yellow ribbon and a bow. I punched flowers out of the dp and added white buttons. Finally a tag stamped with the sentiment.


Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia Happy Tilda; PB sentiment
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: Forever Friends
Embellishments: punched flowers, ribbon and buttons from stash

Christmas cards

I am still on the 2 Christmas cards a week drive, and I have managed to find some challegnes that don't involve love and hearts!!!

The first card covers these challenges:
Wags n Whiskers challegne - metal (I used spacers)
Basic Grey Challenges - sketch (rotated)
Totally Papercrafts - recipe - 3 embellishments, 2 papers, 1 image
Cute Card Thursday - spots and dots

I watercoloured the image and distressed the edges with mahogany distress ink. I love these BG papers and distressed the edges and matted onto blue cardstock. I stamped the swirl and added some white raffia. The flowers were a RAK from Jill and I used spacers rather than brads for the detail ... not done that before but I quite like the effect.

The next card covers these challenges:
Friday Sketchers - sketch
Bah-Humbug - holly
Allsorts - distressing + button/bow
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - pins and pearls
I adore this stamp, these meeces are so cute!! I watercoloured the image and distressed the edges. I distressed the dp and cardstock. I added the ribbon and bow, and the pearls are cream ones that I coloured using my holly promarker. I don't have any pins ... a bit dangerous with little hands helping to craft!!

We have had a busy morning ... a bit of crafting and the girls have had their swimming lessons. They are both doing really well and Beth is going to move up a group next time.

I am hoping to get some crafting in this afternoon, and make a few DT cards ... but it is lovely here so might go for a walk first.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Wags n Whiskers Sweet Danni and Bella, WOJ Swirls set; Penny Black Holly Jolly Christmas, Hero Arts sentiment
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Figgy Puddy; DCWV Christmas stack
Embellishments: all from stash

A couple of cards and a sneak peek

I have a stinking cold and sinustus and feel rotten today. The girls have had their first swimming lessons and they both loved them and got on really well, and loved it. I think I two water babies in the family :) While Beth had a sleep to recover from all her exertion in the pool, I have made a couple of cards for a few challenges this afternoon ... Ellie helped with the embossing and glittering!
The first card follows the Just Magnolia sketch, the winter theme over at Fuss and Fancy, Glitter over at Ba Humbag, and the Simon Says Stamps punch it challenge... and I am keeping to my New Year's Resolution of at least 1 Christmas card a week.
Tilda is watercoloured and then I distressed the edges with distress ink. took my distressing tool to the edges of the image and cardstock, then liberally pushed it into my versamark pad (Ellie liked this ..) before sprinkling embossing powder over and heating it (Ellie really liked this bit!!) I (We) repeated the process for the dp and cardstock. I used my cuttlebug snowflake die and pushed it into the versamark pad (helped by Ellie) and then sprinkled with embossing powder (Ellie did this bit) before heating it. I added some raffia and layered punched snowflakes.

The second card I made was for several challenges:
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Something sweet
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Allsorts - Hearts and flowers
One Stop Craft Challenge - love and kisses (xxx on the tag, and that mouse loved those chocs!!)
Basic Grey Challenge - Animals
The image was watercoloured and then I inked the edges. I added heart gems to the sweets and to the top corners of the image. I don't have any corner punches so I cut a flower into quarters. I used rirac for the scalloped edge.

Its the first challenge tomorrow over at Just Cute Bears Challenge.

And here's a peek at my 1st DT card ...

If you have time do join in.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia Tilda with Vintage roses, Magnolia sentimen; Penny Black Sweet Slumbers, Papermania sentiments
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Fruitcake; Basic GreyInfuse
Embellishments: all from stash

Ellie's birthday card

My big little girl is 5 on Monday, so hubby has taken the girls out this morning so I can get her birthday card made.
As ever I have managed to combine a few challenges!!
Simon Say Stamp - So Charming
Friday Sketcher - sketch
Just Magnolia - a card for someone special
Charisma cardz - Dreaming of Summertime - I think the colours and papers are summery
Stamp Something - Glitzy somethings
Cute Card Thursday - Swirly Girly
Colour Create - lilac/purple, acqua, white and black
Allsorts - Purple
Magnolia Down Under - Bedazzled - I think there is sparkle on this!
I masked Tilda onto the steps and watercoloured her, before cutting her out. The dp is matted onto purple cardstock and acqua cardstock. I cut two circles out of Coredinations gemstone white cardstock and embossed one using the birthday folder and wrote Ellie on the other using a Sakura Stardust pen. I added some purple ribbon, purple gems, these gorgeous gardinia flowers which were glimmer misted and glamour dusted before having tulle added to them, and finally a princess crown charm.
To hold the image part of the easel card up, I glued and then glamour dusted a big black brad, and added some more purple ribbon.

Here's a close up of the iamge - I think she looks like my Ellie.

And here are those flowers - aren't they delish!!
Here's a pic of my two beautiful girls - don't they look angelic ... but please don't be fooled!!!

And here's my little one this time last year when she had her tonsils out - she got 49 gorgeous get well cards from you lovely bloggers ... and still looks at them and still has the cards and pictures she made with the lovely things you sent her.
We are now off to the school's Christmas fair, before getting ready for party 1 ... roast lamb for 9!!! Just hope the tin is big enough for it LOL!!!
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Tilda in Cherry dress, old steps
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Wisteria
Embellishments: flowers and tulle from Tabby Crafts, rest from stash

A gift box

It is one of my friend's birthday's soon and I always struggle to think of something to buy her so I have made her a nic-nac set of drawers.
I have managed to incorporate the following challenges ...
Totally Gorguss - Anything but a card
Stampin for the Weekend - silver and Lilac
Basic Grey - sketch (minus the sentiment)
Allsorts - buttons
I watercoloured this fab Gorguss girl and cut her out. The elements of the sketch are there, a little resized and the image is overlayed over them. The dp is matted onto silver cardstock and I added stickles to the edges of the box and glimmer misted and glamour dusted the flowers, with a little help from a heavy handed Beth!! I added two clear buttons stuck on with stickles so they sparkle.

Here's a close up of Beth's flowers - very glamoured!!!

For the sides of the box I painted the sides and drawers in silver and lilac ink and then matted the dp on to silver. The drawer handles are putrple, lilac and black, with lilac ric rac. I added clear buttons with lilac ribbon tied through to the centre of each panel.
Here's another view of it.
Hopefully it will go down well ... just need to wrap it up without leaving half the glamour dust in the wrapping LOL!!

I have had another clear out of my stamps and have listed some Sugar Nellies and a few others on Ebay. You can find them here if you are interested.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sugar Nellie Gorguss Girl Flower Power
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic grey Wisteria
Embellishments: from stash

A few Christmas cards

I am struggling trying to keep up with photographing the cards I am making with such dull weather. Here are three that I have made over the last couple of days.

The first covers these challenges:
Create4fun - sketch
Stampavie and more - Brown + 1 - in this instance red
Creative inspirations - Sparkle
Uru is watercoloured and I distressed the edges of the image with vintage photo, walnut stain and aged mahogany. Th edp and the music paper is also distressed using the same inks. I added the flowers and leaf, and stamped the sentiment straight on the dp using maghogany ink. The sparkle is in the dp - sadly the dull light doesn't reflect it.

This card covers the following challenges:
Friday Sketcher - sketch
Just Magnolia - masking
Creative Inspiration - sparkle
Colour Create - red, green and white
One stop craft - snowflakes
Magnolia Down Under - Christmas card or decoration
Tilda was masked onto the presents (still not convinced she is sitting right, even after 3 attempts!) and watercoloured her. I cut her out and put her straight on to the dp. I glimmer misted the snowflakes using gold and then glamour dusted them, so they do sparkle!! I stamped the sentiment straight onto the dp.

Finally this card covers these challenges -
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - winter wonderland
One Stop Craft - snowflakes
Charisma Cardz - sketch
Allosrts - Christmas card with song title - Let it Snow!
Colour Create - red, green and white
Simon Says Stamp - animal antics
I water coloured this fab mousey and aded fluffy stuff and glitter. I kept the sketch simple and stamped the sentiment on to a cuttlebug bauble.

We have had a busy weekend - at an evening do for a wedding last night, and a princess party for one of the children I mind today. The girls are well tired and partied out!!! Hopefully they will sleep!!!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Whiff of Joy Uru and Bird, Papermania sentiment; Magnolia Tilda with presents, presents; Penny black Let it Snow, Cuddly Buddly sentiment
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: My minds Eye, DCWV, Basic Grey
Embellishments: flowers, ribbon, lace, brads, card candy from stash

Tilda box

I've still got this stinking cold and haven't really felt like crafting, but I did make it inot my craft room last night and made this box for one of Ellie's Christmas presents.
It covers these challenges:
Colour Create - blue, silver and white
Friday Sketchers - sketch
Just Magnolia - distressing
Stampin for the weekend - Christmas goodie box and distressing
Allsorts - bling

I watercoloured Tilda and coloured the bell and ribbon using silver and starlight inks before cutting her out. The dp are distressed and inked and I angled the dp for a jaunty look (sneezes are useful at time !!!) To make the snowflake feature I cut a circles and punched an elm branch out and inked it up. I added silver brads to the corners, a punched sentiment and gems to the branches. I added a silver ribbon round the side of the box.

Here is a closer look at the punched branch.
Here's a look at the box and the ribbon.
Recipe:
Stamp(s): Tilda with Bell
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Blitzen
Embellishments: punched leaves, ribbon, gems and brads from stash

A couple of quick cards

I have finally completed a couple of quick cards ... well they would have been quick if I had made them in one go!!!
The first one uses the Papertake Weekly sketch (another fabby one) that I have flipped, Stampavie and more's Stars challenge, and Creative Inspirations colour challenge - red and black.
I have had this Gorguss girl coloured in these colours for a few days - big intentions to make a card for a friend of Ellie's (she's a big girl - 10 next birthday!!!) I used flipped the sketch and stamped a border. The stars are made with my nesties, cut onto black card and then gold embossed, as is the sentiment. Simple black ribbon with some red ric-rac finishes it. The colour combo is stunning, and the gold just adds a bit!

This card is for a friend's wedding - I don't usually do wedding cards, but I thought I would make their card for a change.
I used the Create4fun sketch and the allsorts wedding challenge.
The glasses are stamed in versamark and embossed using gold embossing powder. The paper is from my stash. I used black velvet ribbon to add a bit of texture, and the greeting isn't an oval as it would have been huge with congratulations written in it!! I have kept it simple and added no flowers as I wanted a glittery, stylish card.

Sorry about the bad light - it has rained all day today and trying to find a light place has been ... well impossible!

Recipe:
Stamp(s):Sugar Nellie Gorguss Girl Little Star; Papermania Joyeux Noel set
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: from stash
Embellishments: ribbon from stash

Daisies

Charisma Cardz challenge this week is daisies, and the Allsorts challenge is Furry Friends. Only one stamp sprang to mind ... this gorgeous Penny Black.
I stamped and watercoloured the image 3 times, before layering it up. I have kept the layout very simple and neutral. The flowers are punched and inked in pink on their edges, just like daisies when they first bud and flower.
Here is a view of the layering.
Feeling slightly stuffed after the first pub meal on our own in nearly 5 years!!! Think I am going to have an easy afternoon LOL!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Penny Black Squeeze 'til I squeak
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: K and Co Daisies
Embellishments: punched flowers, pearls and raffia from stash

Christmas cards ... I'm on a roll!!!

I thought I would crack on with a few Christmas cards ... the New Year's resolution to make at least 1 a week has been on rocky ground for a while so a bit of a catch up is in order!

This card uses this week's Sketch Saturday sketch.
I watercoloured the image and then glossed the bauble. Once the gloss was dry I added the stickles. I have kept everything simple, using my deckled nesties for the scallop edge. The papers are DCWV, the smaller pattern comes from one of the borders papers. The sentiment came from somewhere ... still no Christmas sentiment stamps so I am going to have to resort to buying some :(

This card is for this week's Allsorts challenge ... a sketch and monochrome Christmas.
Snowy is a great stamp to use for monochrome!! I watercoloured him and stickled him. After cutting him out I matted him onto pearlised cardstock embossed using my snowflakes folder. The dp is DCWV and matted onto turquoise cardstock. I punched the snowflakes and added a bit of stickles. The sentiment is a vellum Papermania one found deep in my stash.

Finally I used the Stampin' for the Weekend sketch.
Not very Christmasy but I have someone in mind for it and they are very butch and not at all sparkly!! I watercoloured Henry and matted him using red and green cardstock. The dp is DCWV Christmas stack from a couple of years ago. I used my nesties to cut the diamonds out. It does need a sentiment ... might be resorting to the peel-offs I found at the bottom of my Christmas box!