Pretty in pink

Just a quick post today ... the girls have gone to the beatrix Potter thing in Bowness with the grandparents and me and hubby are going for a walk as the sun is shining. The lambs are all sunbathing and making the most of a new experience for them sun and dry!!
I started this card yesterday and put the finishing touches to it this morning. It is for the Whiff of Joy challenge.

Willow was given to me by Jane, and I coloured her using my promarkers and copics (still need to practise shading pink!). I matted her using my nesities and stamped swirls around her. The papers are new (I really must learn to resist buying things that are not on the list!!) and I matted them onto green cardstock. I thought I would do a bit of paper pleating for a change ... but silly me pleated the bit that you can hardly see!! I added frosted lace stickles to the dress and some flowers from my stash.

Here's the paper pleating,
and the stickles detail.
We are having Mum's birthday tea tonight so need to get some cooking done later, and there is the cake to decorate. The girls will love that!
But now off to put my boots on and maybe find a nice pub for lunch ... can't remember the last time we had a pub lunch!
Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ
Colouring Media: promarkers
Papers: Forever friends
Embellishments: from stash

Raining pearls

My lovely new distress inks arrived yesterday ... and they are fab!!! I love the new colours ... just couldn't decide which to use first!! I inked up one of my neglected Whiff of Joys and played ...
The card covers these challenges ...
Simon Says Stamp - recipe - 1 image, 2 papers and 3 types of embellies (pearls, flowers and punched swirls)
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Whiff of Joy - Pearls and Swirls

Willow is coloured using my new distress inks and then cut out using my nesties. I inked the edge in green and matted the dp onto green cardstock, after doing some faux stitching. The sentiment is PB and I used my CB charms to cut the sentiment out.. Some punched swirls, a layered flower and a smattering of pearls to finish.

I am on a stash diet for Lent ... no buying of anything crafty for 40 days!! Managing so far ...!!!
Just hoping nothing really good gets released that I really need to have NOW!! And I keep thinking of all the money I will have saved for my holiday.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Willow and Umbrella
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Sugar Rush
Embellishments: all from stash

Melinda with bouquet

I haven't done much crafting this week, but I did manage to get this card made over a couple of evenings.
I am entering for the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - punches
Whiff of Joy - recipe
Quixotic Paperie challenges - use an old, neglected stamp

I haven't inked up either of these stamps for ages ... so I stamped Melinda nad masked the fall background. I watercoloured the images, and mixed a few inks together to get the colour of her top to match the dp. I punched my swirls and flowers and added a little bling ... still keeping to simpl, less fussy cards. I love this dp ... need to get some more!!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Melinda with bouquet, fall grass
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Cosmo Cricket
Embellishments: from stash

Shabby Chic

With not much help from my lovely puddy cat I made a card last night ... there is shredded tulle in the bin and have chewed papers ... hmmm nice!!!
I have used the sketch from Whiff of Joy Challenge, the shabby chic theme over at Simon Says Stamp, and snowflakes so the EAC and Stamp with Fun challenges are covered. The Colour Create challenge this fortnight is Kraft, blue and white .. .I don't have Kraft but think the browns on the dp are Kraft coloured. They also want texture .. the dp is well textured!

Its a little difficult to see, but I stamped a swirly stars stamp all around the edges of the blue cards stock and then distressed the edges. Uru is watercoloured and cht iut using my nesties. I distressed the background using antique linen and added some ice gold stickles. I used another pieces of un-chewed tulle and threaded it through eyelets in the sentiment. A flower, punched snowflake, spacer and brad, with a snowflake charm finish it off ... oh and some ice gold stickles round the edges to fit in with the glittered paper.
Think its shabby chic!


Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Uru with bird
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: MME Christmas signature stack
Embellishments: prima flwer, snowflake charm, tulle a, spacer and brad from stash

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.

Look what I made .... eventually!!!

So it has taken me nearly a week to produce what I am showing today .. good job I can link them to some challenges!!!

The first is an easel card for my Godmother ...it is her birthday at Christmas so she always gets a Christmas themed card ... kills two birds with one stone so to speak.
This card covers theses challenges:
Just Magnolia - Christmas
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Basic Grey Challenges - cream, pink and blue
Allsorts - pearls and swirls
Totally Gorguss - Free and Easy
Create4fun - easel card
Magnolia Down Under - bedazzledThis gorgeous Tilda is coloured using distress inks and then I inked the edges of the image and dp. I added stickles to the image - might have just got a little carried away ... having added baby blue ... I had to add some cotton candy!!!
I used organza ribbon and added a fab tea rose, glimmered and glamoured and some punched swirls and some flat backed pearls.
Here's the sketch element.
Here's a close up of the image and sparkle.

This is for a crafting friend ... and I used these challenges -
A Spoonfull of Sugar - monochrome
Papertake Weekly - no red or green
Passion for Promarkers - Christmas theme, but not a card
Friday sketcher - sketch
Simon Says Stamp - snow
Whiff of Joy - sparkle
Uru and his littl friend are coloured using Promarkers and then stickled. I kept the papers simple and just added lace and punched snowflakes which were liberally stickled too!! I added fluffy stuff to make the snow under Uru's feet.
The box/bag is made using two bottoms for a gift box I use and adding vellum inbetween ... so you can't see your pressie!! The box/bag is tied using some gingham ribbon, so all you need to do is untie the ribbon and take the lid off ... just need to think about how to post it now LOL!!
Ellie has finally opened the last of her birthday presents we can start on Christmas!! I bought a whole salmon today that is now filleted and in the freezer (guess what the girls chose for Christmas dinner!!) and the cat is happy!! Oh and cubed 5lb of topside for hotpot on Christmas Eve ... not just for the 4 of us I hasten to add!!
So we are off to get the tree tomorrow, and the Christmas music will come out, and I need get wrapping those pressies! But the cards are written and posted!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia Tilda with Present; WOJ Uru with Bird
Colouring Media: Distress inks; promarkers
Papers: Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses; Periphery; MME - Christmas Glitter stack
Embellishments: all from stash

Dutchdare Card Challenge

The challenge this time is a colour inspiration, and here is the picture.
I went for a Christmas card in these colours (although I admit to muting the colours!!)
I watercoloured Uru and matted him onto black cardstock. I used the Whiff of Joy sketch from this week, and matted theses gorgeous glittery papers on to black cardstock. I added a sparkly flower and a Christmas tree charm.

I am entering it into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - So Charming
A spoonfull of Sugar - non-traditional Christmas colours (teal/green/black aren't to me!!)
Creative Card Crew - Christmas
My Time to Craft - Winter Pals
Stampavie and More - Christmas
Everybody-Art-Challenge - stitching (around the image)

Do check out the other DT cards.


Recipe:
Stamp(s): Whiff of Joy Uru and bird
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: My Minds Eye Laundry Line
Embellishments: prima flower, ribbons, charm and brad from stash

Vintage winter love

There seems to be a bit of a theme to my Christmas cards at the mo!! I just love these MME papers and as they were out I thought I would use up the bits and pieces.
The card covers these challegnes:
Spoonfull of Sugar - Brown plus red/blue
Passion fro Promarkers - vintage
Stampavie and more - sketch
Whiff of Joy - Christmas card
Simon Says Stamp - winter love - well Uru looks like he loves that birdie!
I coloured the image using promarkers and am really pleased with the colouring, it does look vintagey. I distressedthe image using antique linen, vintage photo, and walnut stain, and then masked the image and used frost glimmer mist. I distressed the papers, including the music papers, and the flower.
Here is a close up of the image and distressed background.
Well I am off for a cuppa while the children are having their nap!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Whiff of Joy Uru and Bird
Colouring Media: promarkers
Papers: MME
Embellishments: ribbon, flower, spacer, brad and charm from stash

Animal Antics meets a sketch!

I have had poor Henry coloured up on my desk for days ... and no card to go on. So I have combined this week's WOJ challenge, a fab sketch, with Simon Says Stamp's animal antics theme. I have to say Henry is the only lucky mouse in our house ... Miffy is in killer mode at the mo and we are having about 4 'gifts' a day ...what a lovely puddy cat she is!!!
Henry has been watercoloured and matted onto red cardstock. I added lace for the scallop edge and a big band of green velvet (last bit :() with some red ric rac. I moved the sentiment as it covered Henry's ear, so I added a flower where the text was. I'm thinking the paper combination is a bit busy ... not sure - what do you think?

I don't often plug people, but I needed to treat myself yesterday so I ordered some flowers and tulle and pearls from Tab ... it aarrived this morning!! How fast is that ... and I ordered mid-afternoon. I am definitely shopping there again ... only problem is ... the flowers are so gorgeous I can't use them!!!! They need to be admired and stroked LOL!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Henry with Bauble; Cuddly Buddly sentiment
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Wassail
Embellishments: prima flowers, ribbon and lace from stash

Anyone for hot chocolate?

I have made this card either for Christmas or for a friend's birthday in December ... so no sentiment yet.
I used the sketch from Passion for Promarkers, the colour combo from Whiff of Joy and Everybody-Art-Challenge distressing.
Henry is coloured in using my promarkers and then he was distressed using weathered wood and antique cream. The papers are distressed and lightly inked, and then I heat embossed the edges to add a sheen. Rather than adding flowers (it will be for a bloke) I stamped swirls in antique linen and embossed them. Finally I added an orange ribbon.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): WoJ Henry with hot chocolate; TAC scroll
Colouring Media: promarkers
Papers: MME Wild Asparagus
Embellishments: ribbon 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.

Henry and his hot chocolate!

I'm back on the 'use a sketch to make a Christmas card ... and make 2' plan!! I have combined the WOJ challenge with the Passion for Promarker colour theme, and CCT candy corn theme (there are marshmallows!!) for this. Its the first time I have used promarkers for Henry - not sure about the mouse colouring. I should be an expert at identifying mouse colours - I clear up enough dead ones, thanks to the cat!!


I promarkered Henry and used my deckled nesties to cut him and the mat out. I have used the same dp for both, just swapped the cardstock and ribbon around. The ribbon is tied rather than use my ribbon punch (it needs a hammer and I made them when the girls were in bed last night, so a definite no no to the hammer!!). I have kept it a bit simple, just using a couple of white snowflake brads. The sentiment was a freebie.

I have realised that I have yet to post the stocking card I made for the Winter Wonderland challenge - sleep deprivation is really taking a toll on the brain cells!!!
Anyway here it is.
Such a cutie image and I coloured it in distress inks and added fluffy stuff. Again a ssimple layout and the paper is the same - something about it being around I think LOL!!

I'm not sure how much crafting I am gonig to get done over the next few days - its half term and I am working, Dave's at home and got lots of plans for days out with the children ...he's just a big kid himself LOL!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Henry with hot chocolate
Colouring Media: Promarkers
Papers: DCWV
Embellishments: snowflake brads and ribbon from stash

Its nearly Christmas!!!

After making all the Halloween projects I thought I needed a bit of sparkle in my life (in more ways than one!!) so I made a couple of Christmas cards last night. I have used a great free download from Martine for the papers - it is really scrummy and I will be printing off more of it!.

I combined the A Spoonful of Sugar Sketch with My time to craft (Cute and quick - this was quick!!) for my first card.I adore this cute Gillian Roberts image and got it from Bunny Zoe's shop with my candy win. I have watercoloured him using distress inks and then stickled the dots on the stocking. I used snowflakes rather than bows and added a glue dot to the centre and then glitter. Sorry no sentiment .... those sentiments are being very elusive ... I am beginning they have gone to the great filing cabinet in the sky - eek!

For the next card I managed to combine a few challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - sketch by Domi
Whiff of Joy - die cuts
Everybody-Art-challenge - punches and shapes
Creative Card crew - scallopsI watercoloured Henry and cut him and the mat outr using my nesties. I glittered and glossed him. I punched snowflakes and stickled them. I stuck glue dots onto the buttons and dipped them in glitter - twice!!
Here's a close up of the glitter!My craft space is now a shimmer of glitter!!!
As both cards are CHristmas cards I am entering them into this week's Stampavie and more challenge.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Gillian Roberts Stocking; Whiff of Joy Henry with Bauble
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Martine
Embellishments: punched snowflakes, ribbon from stash

Whiff of Joy challenge

Just a quick post before I give up on the day!! We have spent the late afternoon and early evening in Blackpool with my parents. We have had some scrummy fish and chips, tram rides and seen the illuminations. The girls loved it all, especially the fish and chips!! The downside was the wind - it was really strong so we couldn't go on the beach. The girls are now tucked up in bed and I can share a card I made earlier today.

One of my friend's is expecting her 4th baby, and two weeks before it is due the scans are still saying it is going to be a girl ... their 4th girl!! So here goes the jinxing!
I have coloured Willow in using promarkers and copics, a new thing for me, as I normally stick to my distress inks with these stamps. I used these gorgeous Nursery papers by DCWV and have kept the details simple. As the handmade flowers I made this morning worked so well I had another go ... I used 3 sizes of nesties and stamped swirls over the circles using tattered rose distress ink, and it was all going well until I let Ellie do the glimmer misting ... not so misted as soaked!! All the curling went ... well flat!! I added pearls to the centre of the flowers, organza ribbon and a charm.


Katharina has 2 of her Winter Stamp kits up for grabs. The pre-order for the Kit is open until October 23rd. It includes 6 brand new, never before seen, main character stamps, 1 large accessory stamps, 3 small accessory stamps designed by Elisabeth Bell and 4 text stamps. The blog candy ends 22nd October.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Willow with Baby; WOJ sentiment; WOJ swirl
Colouring Media: promarkers and copics
Papers: DCWV Nursery
Embellishments: ribbon, charm pearls from stash

Henry and his bauble

I do love Henry Mouse, and he is sooo cute hugging his bauble!!
I coloured him in using distress inks and then used stickles to decorate the bauble. I have kept things unfussy, no ribbon, just a few flowers. It needs a sentiment - just need to find my Christmas sentiments stamps .... hmmm any ideas where I put them last year so I would know where they were this year LOL!!!

IU have used Rach's sketch from the WOJ challenge, and the red and green theme from the Simon Says Stamp challenge.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Henry Mouse and bauble
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Wassail
Embellishments: flowers and brrads from stash

Henry and his bauble

My Henry Mouses arrived and I couldn't wait to get the mounted up and inked up!! Whih to choose first though?! I adore this little cutie, he looks so pleased with himeself!!
I watercoloured him and cut him out using my nesties, then inked up the edges. I distressed the papers and used a gold pen to faux stitch them. I punched a couple of snowflakes and added some green ribbon. The bauble is glossed and then gold stickles added, and I added fluffy stuff to Henry's hat.

I have used this week's Papertake Weekly sketch, the recipe over at WOJ challenge, Stitching from Simon Says Stamp and as I have used my favourite Christmas papers I am also entrying it for this week's Stamp Something.


Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Henry and bauble
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Daisy D
Embellishments: punched snowflakes, brads, ribbon from stash

I've made a card

I have been a terrible blogger and crafter this week. I had two new children start with me this week so been doing lots of settling in and paperwork. I now have a 4yr old and an 18 month old as well as Beth during the day - all girls!!! And Ellie is not overly happy at school. According to Ellie PINK now officially rules in this house ... yuk!!!

Anyway, having not crafted for three days I sort of cobbled this together while cooking tea (roast lamb as I had to take Ellie shopping ... she loves lamb!!!).
I have used this week's WOJ sketch, and Basic Grey's embossing, and Simon Says Stamp recipe ... have to admit to interpreting 3 embellishments as three types LOL!!! Hope you will forgive me!!
I watercoloured and stickled Henry and his cake (Beth helpfully shook the card so the stickles errr ran a bit!!). I used two 12x12 sheets of Basic Grey Periphery and matted them on to yellow cardstock. I distressed all the cardstock and papers with a moss green ink pad. I added brads and butons, according to the sketch and a piece of organza ribbon. The yellow panel is distressed with frayed burlap and faded jeans distress inks and run through the cuttlebug using the heartsd folder. The blue dp has also been subjected to hearts embossing, it just doesn't show too well!!


Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Henry Mouse
Colouring Media: distress inks and stickles
Papers: Basic Grey Periphery
Embellishments: brads, buttons and ribbon from stash

Teal and Orange

This week's Whiff of Joy challenge is to use teal and orange. EEEEEKKKKKKK! So out of my comfort zone! I am not a fan of orange!

Any way here is my attempt.

I watercoloured Charlotte and distressed the background. I used my deckled nesties to cut her and the matt out. I have kept the dp subtle, I did ponder the brighter sheets ... but had second thoughts! I layered up some flowers and added a charm and some lace. Finally I added stickles for the buttons and details on Charlotte's outfit - well princesses need sparkle!

I am going to enter this into Katharina's GDT spot ... more subtle than the other entry LOL!!

Karen has passed this fab award onto me:

Thanks, hun. I have to tell you 5 things about me:

1. I don't like chocolate ... except for malteasers!
2. I'm a closet Take That fan (love their stuff since re-forming)
3. My favourite band of all time is The Vapours
   
4. I hate ice-cream
   
5. I'm not good at telling people things about myself LOL!
   

Recipe:
Stamp(s): WOJ Princess Charlotte
Colouring Media: Distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey Marrakesh
Embellishments: punched flowers and leaves, lace, charm, brads, spacers and prima flower from stash