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

With a friend like ...

Vicky, who needs enemies!!!!! My lovely friend dared me to make a card using a Sweet pea iamge and it had to be pink. Now those of you who are regular followers will know I have a bit of a problem with pink .. .I do keep trying to usee it but it not my favourite colour!
But I have been dared ... so I have made a pink card. Fortunately Vicky didn't say bright pink! I coloured the iamge and made the papers last night,and put it together this morning while DH did the school run.
I made my own design paper using weathered wood and Victorian velvet distress inks. I stamped a swirl around the edge, applying differing pressure to get a mottled effect. I also stamped the swirl onto a spare bit of dp and cut the swirl out. The image is coloured using distress inks and the papers are distressed with my Tim Holtz tool. I made my flower using my CB circles and distressed them. Finally I added some organza and satin ribbon ties in a knot.
The card fits these challegnes:
Stampavie and More - distressing
Cute Card Thursday - Make your own ... I made the paper and flower
Friday Sketcher - sketch


Recipe:
Stamp(s): Sweet Pea Read hearts
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: handmade
Embellishments: ribbon and brad 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

Last night's crafting

I have a busy day so far ... the garden beckoned this morning, so now we have an empty compost heap, mulched beds and 3 planters planted with flowers. The garden has alos been swept and all the outdoor toys scrubbed and dried ... oh and I also cleaned inside the house and have sdone some ironing. So now I am having a cuppa and got my feet up while Dave takes the girls to a party.
I made a couple of cards last night so I thought I would share them with you.

This card covers these challenges:
Just Magnolia - Punch it out
Cute Card Thursday - mono mania
Totally Papercrafts - distressing
Friday Sketcher - sketch
Allsorts - petals and pearls

I coloured this gorgeous Tilda in promarkers and distressed the background. I distressed the edges of the papers and cardstock. I flipped the sketch and added some studded ric rac to the panel and a twine bow. Finally some flowers, a pin and some pearls. I punched some swirls out and a large punched flower to put under the cherry blossom.

My next card covers these challenges:
Wags n Whiskers - Scallops
Fuss and Fancy - Sketch
Totally Gorguss - texture
Allsorts - Petals and Pearls
Stamp Something - stitching
I coloured this gorgeous Wags N Whiskers image using my promarkers. I cut her out and sat her into the oval. I love this Wisteria paper and used co-ordinating cardstock and flowers to complete the sketch. I added pearls to the flowers and corners nad for texture some raffia lace. I faux stitched round the edges of the dp.

My lovely friend Samantha has awarded me these two awards .. thank you hunni.
I am going to pass them on to my fabby DT teamies and all my followers.

Just Magnolia meets Friday Sketcher

We are staying at my parents and it is Mum's birthday soon ... and I forgot to bring her birthday card up so have had to make another one ...DOH!!!!!!

I combined the Friday Sketcher sketch with the Just Magnolia challenge to use more than 1 fold on your card. I made a joy fold card, and I think it works with the sketch.

My lovely best friend Vicky gaveme this fab image and I have watercoloured her using distress inks. I mixed worn lipstick and dusty concorde to get the dress colour to match the dp. I used my nesties to cut her out (can't believe I didn't pack my ovals!!) and then made a joy fold card. I added a ribbon and some closed rose buds as they look a bit like tulips.
And here it is open.

I have finally caught up with most of my blogging at long last. I can't believe how many fab cards I have missed in the last week.

Off to do some more blog hopping.

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey
Embellishments: flowers and ribbon 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.

A tent card

I have made one of my closest friend's, and the girls' Godmother her birthday card. I thought I would do something different and have a go at the tent card on the Just Magnolia challenge. It was easier than I thought to make!

So this card covers these challenges:
Just Magnolia - tent card
Friday Sketcher - sketch (it is there honest)
Simon Says Stamp - Mothers' Day/girly (I went for girly)
One stop Craft - Sew Simple (faux stitching)
Basic Grey Challenge - photo inspiration

I used promarkers, copics and some paper piecing (this Week's ABC Challenge challenge) to colour Tilda, and cut her out. I used the Friday Sketcher sketch to decorate the inside of the card, replacing the image with dp. I faux stitched round the edge of the front of the ard and the aperature. I hung Tilda from the aperature and added flowers and pearls.
Here is the inside ... that is the sketch!!
We have friends staying so we took the girls out on their bikes nad to the park, and going to have a yummy tea and some wine tonight!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s):Magnolia Jam Tilda
Colouring Media: Promarkers and copics (available from Secret Crafter)
Papers: Basic Grey Wisteria (available from Secret Crafter)
Embellishments: Pearls and flowers from stash

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

Saturday's creations

What a busy week ... and no time for crafting! I have finally made a couple of cards this morning while hubby took the girls for their swimming lesson.
The first card is made using the following challenges:
Friday Sketchers - sketch
Just Magnolia - hearts and flowers
Stampavie and more - Love/valentine
Cute Card Thursday - flowers
Fuss and Fancy - hearts
Colour Create - soft pink, soft blue, silver and white
A Spoonfull of Sugar - freestyle

I coloured Valentine Tilda using copics and edged the image in silver ink. The papers are by Papermania and the sentiment stamp by Penny Black. I heat embossed the silver heart (s freebie from a magazine last year) and added lace and flowers from my stash.

This card follows the sketch at Whiff of Joy challenge, and the baubles theme at Bah Humbug.

I watercoloured Henry and then added gloss to the bauble. When the gloss was dry I stickle d the bauble and added stickles to the edge of the image. The papers are Basic Grey Wassail, and the sentiment Hero Arts. I added organza ribbon and some punched and layered snowflakes.

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.

Paper pleating

The monthly challenge at Just Magnolia is paper pleating ... a new technique for me ...and one I want to perfect!!.
I combine the challenge with this week's sketch from Friday Sketcher and the Basic Grey Challenge colour inspiration challenge.I watercoloured Tilda and masked the snowflake border and embossed it using snowflake powder. The background is created using borken china distress inks and dewdrop and frosted glimmer mists. I added a couple of flowers with big gems, some gems, a sentiment and ribbon.

Here's a closer look at the background ... but it doesn't really show the pearlisedd sheen.

hopefully only one more night of hot water bottles, and hopefully the girls will be back into school and preschool tomorrow ...I need them to be LOL!!


Recipe:
Stamp(s): Magnolia Tilda unwrapping present; snowflake
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey
Embellishments: flowers,gems and ribbon from stash

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