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

Ballerina Tilda

I am really struggling to find time to craft at the mo ... and when I have the time I don't feel like it thanks to hay fever. We have had friends here for the weekend, so I have only had a little time to escape into the craft room, partly because small children have been sleeping in there.

I got this gorgeous Tilda on Friday (thank you Nikki!) and I just had to ink her up .. and have managed to fit a few challenges in:
Friday sketcher - I rotated the sketch
Just Magnolia - Anything Goes
Magnolia Down Under - charms
Raise the Bar - Colour me happy - favourite colour ... that'd be purple!!
Totally Papercraft - recipe (4 embellishments (I read this as types of embellies!), 3 papers, 2 ribbons/lace, 1 image)
Stampavie and More - lace and button

I watercoloured Tilda and distressed the edges, before adding stickles. I added raffia lace and lilac ribbon, bow tied with my bow maker, and a button centre. I layered a flower and added some pearls and a butterfly charm ... don't have ballet related ones ... but might need to get some now!!

The girls are shattered as we have been very active this weekend ... I need to get the ironing done so Ellie has uniform for tomorrow, and do some tidying, as we have a house that resembles a bomb site!

Recipe:
Stamp(s) Magnolia Ballerina Tilda
Colouring: distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Koishi
Embellishments: raffia lace, ribbon, button, pearls, flowers and charm from stash

Tulips anyone?

We have braved the weather and gone for a walk up the lane to feed the ponies. Ellie went on her scooter and Beth sat on her bike and we pushed her!! Its a bit blowy and bothe Beth and I have had asthma attacks thanks to the wind.

To recover I have made another card (having wrestled my inks away from Ellie!!)
This card covers these challenges (I haven't joined in some of these challenges for ages)
Stamp Something - Pink Somethings
Basic Grey Challenge - sketch (I had to squidge bits and stretch bits to make the image fit!!)
Roses on Paper - layers
Magnolia Down Under - Thank you

Tilda is watercoloured and then matted, along with the dp onto green cardstock. I love this BG paper 9need to get more!!). As we are on holiday I had no ribbon to match so I used the dp as the band in the middle. I punched some flowers and leaves and added some pearls. I didn't add a sentiment as I wrote thank you on the tag on the flower.

Ellie has a little guessing game on her blog - you can win some ribbons, flowers, images from my stash (yes she decided to give away candy from my stash!!)

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia Tulip Tilda
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic grey
Embellishments: pearls from stash

A couple of Tildas

What a weekend .. the girls were at Tumble Tots on Saturday and then swimming yesterday, and we have been visiting my friend and her gorgeous little baby girl.
I coloured a couple of images last night while watching telly and put them on cards this morning.

The first uses the layout from Sketch Saturday and the thank you theme over at Just Magnolia.
Tilda is coloured using my promarkers and copics and then matted onto cardstock. I resisted the distressing urge!! The dp is Basic Grey Wisteria and I have matted it onto purple cardstock. The card base is purple cardstock too. The sentiment is Penny Black, and the flowers are punched. I added a few gems to finish.

This card uses the layout fgrom Friday Sketchers, and the Magnolia Down Under Valentine theme. I used pink and grey so that's Cute Card Thursday covered too!!
Tilda and the accessories are coloured using promarkers, and then cut out. I embossed distressed the pink cardstock and matted the Cosmo Cricket dp onto the same pink cardstock. Just some pink ribbon to finish. I'm not sure, but a couple of friends' have said they like it so I'll leave it as it is!


And I have exciting news!! I have been chosen to be on my good blogging friend Ali's new Challenge blog.

The first challegne is on Sunday, so get your bear stamps inked up and join in the fun.

A couple of baby cards

A couple of friends are expecting babies in the new year, so I have made their cards, and it was great using none Christmassy colours!! One knows that she is expecting a girl, and the other is unknown!
As both are new baby cards I am entering them into this week's Cupcake Challenge, time for celebration.

I used Willow for the first, and lavender and green as it will fit for either a girl or a boy. The layout is from this week's WOJ challenge.
I watercoloured Willow using distress inks and then used nesties to cut the mats and shapes. I added some ricrac and glimmered flowers, a couple of pearls and a charm. I didn't add a sentiment as I had used text papers.

The next card is for the baby girl, and I used the sketch from Just Magnolia, and the Magnolia Down Under challenge to use your Christmas stamps for another purpose.
Tilda is coloured using distressinks, and as I had my nesties out I used a shaped square for the sketch. The flowers are glimmered and I added lace and a WOJ sentiment.
Off to look after the children ... no outdoor play today, the garden is like a skating rink.

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

A couple of cards ...

I have had a couple of hours in my craft room this morning to create, before we go away for the weekend.
The first card is to go with a tub of biscuits the girls have made.
It covers the following challenges:
Friday sketcher - sketch
Just Magnolia - monochrome - I chose greens
A spoonful of Sugar - kiten/cooking
Magnolia down Under - distressing

Tilda is coloured using distress inks. I masked her onto the plate and then cut her out (well after the cat walked across the image with muddy feet!!). I used these gorgeous K and CO Charlotte papers and matted them onto green cardstock. I made my own flower and added ric-rac and a charm. The sentiment is supposed to be at angle.

Then I had to make the compulsory Christmas card LOL!!
It covers the following challenges:
Cucake Challenge - sketch
Whiff of Joy - red, cream and 1 other (teal)
Passion for Promarkers - animals
Papertake Weekly Challenge - spots and stripes
Simon Says Stamp - All that Sparkles
Henry is coloured using promarkers and cut out using my nesties. The papers are MME - I had to take some deep breathes before I cut into them!! The flowers are from a prima Christmas bauble and the ribbon from my stash. I just need to add the sentiment - going to do a few computer generated ones.

Have a great weekend, and don't forget to take a peek at my candy.

A bit of Sparkle

Its been a busy start to the week. We saw my Gran on Monday and did a few jobs for her - she's 94 and still in her own home with no external support, just family... but we do always go prepared for the list of jobs!!!
Yesterday we went to Tatton Park and the girls had a great time in the gardens and at the farm. One of the children I mind had never fed a goat before and LOVED it, especially when it nicked the whole bag of food!!
Today we met friends at Trentham Gardens Monkey forest - they have Barbary macaques running wild. The girls loved seeing the babies and we did try to leave them behind LOL!!
I have torn myself our from my latest acquisition - a Wii (oh and the fit bit!!) to make a card tonight. And it fulfils several challenges - !!

Stamp with fun - Sketch
Simon Says Stamp - All that sparkles
Stampavie and More - blue and silver
Creative Card Crew - Snowflakes
My Time to Craft - rip it up
Magnolia Down Under - distressing
I water coloured Tilda and stamped the snowflakes round her. These are the last papers of their name in my BG stash :( I was really sad to cut into them. I matted them onto blue cardstock. All the papers are distressed and some inked in Starlight, and the bow on the bell is coloured in the same ink. I stickled the fur on Tilda's coat and the bell. Some of the papers are ripped and inked up. I masked the tag stamp and then added the sentiment.
Shock horror - no ribbon or flowers!!!


Recipe:
Stamp(s): Tilda with bell' tag and snowflakes; WOJ sentiment
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Blitzen, Periphery
Embellishments: none!!

Christmas cards

The girls went to a party down the road yesterday, and we didn't have to stay (yippee) so I got some crafting done, and another couple of Christmas cards :). I decided to spend the time playing, so my craft room sparkles with embossing powder and glimmer mist!!

Both cards fit the One Stop Craft Celebration challenge and Winter Wonderland's open theme.

I made this card using the sketch from friday sketcher and Colour Create's white theme.
I heat embossed 4 layers of silver embossing powder and then stamped the inked up image into the hot powder. I embossed the layers using Swiss dots and snowflakes CB folders and distressed the edges. I added some white ribbon and a bow (twice as I managed to bleed on the first lot arrrgghh!!). When the ink was dry I added the image and tag sentiment. Finally some pearls to finish it off.
I am really pleased with the effect ... I feel a few more of these in the making!!

The second card using the sketch from Just Magnolia and the Magnolia down under theme, distressing.
I created the background paper using distress inks, glimmer mists and Tattered Angels winter crystals masks. It doesn't show in the photo but the background really does shimmer. The cardstock is run through the snowflakes embossing folder and sanded and distressed. I watercoloured Tilda and distressed her and the mat. I added ribbons, punched snowflakes and the sentiment tag.

My fingers are still slightly blue LOL!!

The girls are at my parents until tomorrow so we are off out for Sunday lunch - haven't done that since November 2004 LBE!!! (LBE = life before Ellie LOL!! ) And then I am going to do some more crafting - got a couple of winter wedding cards to make.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): santa collage; Tilda with sledge; freebie sentiment tag
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: cardstock
Embellishments: punched snowflakes, pearls and ribbon from stash

Blue pearl and sandstone Tilda

The girls got up at 5.45am this morning ... so I had to get up!! It did mean that there was a window of opportunity for crafting ... so I combined the Papertake Weekly sketch, with Passion for Promarkers blue pearl and sandstone challenge, and Magnolia Down Under's recipe (1 flower, 2 ribbons, 3 brads and 4 papers). I didn't include my cardstock in the papers, hope thats not cheating!
Tilda is coloured in promarkers and then matted onto blue cardstock. I distressed the papers and cardstock and faux stitched them. I added some blue organza and gold organza ribbon, and a flower by Prima (not punched shock horror!!).
Got a busy day ahead ... off to a play barn this afternoon, then the after school children arrive and then there's the ironing to do!! Now I am going to go and clean all the outdoor toys as its not raining!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia Autumn stamp club 2009; Papermania sentiment
Colouring Media: promarkers
Papers: Basic Grey Wisteria
Embellishments: Prima flower, brads and ribbon from stash