Snuzzle Love

I abandoned my big little girl at school this morning in tears ... she didn't want me to go, not at all like her :( So I have made this for her when she gets home. Ellie has a bunny she was given when she was days old that she is inseparable from. Auntie JoJo has done a stirling job at patching, but bunny is very loved and tired now, but Ellie still loves her very much. This image is my girl and her bunny.
I have followed the sketch over at Everybody Art Challenge, just replacing the circle text element with a stamped sentiment and bow. Ellie loves my flower box so I have put a few roses on and a charm for her ... just wonder how long it will be before they are taken off and added to something she is making?! I have been playing around with my nesties, exploring matting different shapes together, and I like this one, the circle fits well in the label, so be warned you might see a few of these!! The card fits this week's Wags n Whiskers colour challenge, pink and green, and Stampavie and More's flower power challenge.

I am slowly getting back into card making and blogging, but my mojo and inspiration is a little tired still, bit like me!!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Wags n Whiskers Snuzzle love
Colouring Media: promarkers and copics
Papers: K and Co Charlotte
Embellishments: from stash

Wags n Whiskers cards

I am really struggling crafting at the moment ... runny eyes and sneezing makes colouring really hard!! But I had a morning to myself, so decided to use the time in my craft room, so closed the lounge door so I couldn't see the pile of ironing to do!!

The first card covers these challenges:
Passion for Promarkers - sketch and handmade flowers
Creative Card Crew - April Showers bring May Flowers

I coloured this Wags n Whiskers image using my promarkers and matted it onto cardstock. The papers are by papermania (Pink Parfait) and matted onto cardstock. The image was just a bit big for the sketch really .. but hey ho!! I punched flowers and added pearls to their centres and round the edge of the circle element.

The second card (started on Friday I have to admit!!) covers these challenges:
Wags n Whiskers - sketch
Colour Create - burnt orange, black and cream, option of checks
Ryan is coloured using promarkers and I confess to not using black on the image ... too harsh! The ornage dp is MME Everyday Tango, and the black(and grey - oppps!) paper is DCWV - hoping harlequin checks count as checks! I punched circles and added buttons to their centres and 3 large brads to complete the elements of the sketch.

Off to get another box of tissues ... roll on Autumn!!

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.

April showers

Just a quick post today ... got lots of jobs to get done before going to Vicky's tomorrow for the NEC!! So excited ... but need to be organised so I come back to reasonable civilisation rather than a demolition yard ... yes I am leaving the girls in hubby's 'capable' hands for 2 days and nights (gulp!!). Usually I entrust them to my Mum's firm but loving hands rather than their daddy who is the biggest soft touch on earth!!

Anyway I have finally got round to getting this card finished and posted ... I only started it on Monday!!! There have been a catalogue of disasters in the making ... mostly caused by the cat!!
I am counting this as a Spring card because of the colours and also we get lots of showers in April ... and its for a friend's April birthday.

I love this image and have coloured it 3 times using my pens. I chose spring papers (well there are golds and greens and birdies!!) and kept the layout simple. I was gonig to add some blue organza ribbon that matched the turquoise in the papers - had just enough for a strip and knot ... until the cat got it, chewed it sicked it up ... over one of the coloured images ... nice!!
I decoupaged the wellies and umbrella - should have been more decoupaging ... but not happening thanks to the cat!!
Onto disaster 2 ... I use silicon to stick the layers on decoupage. Its great stuff ... until the cat walks over it!!! So back to using foam pads. But in the process of taking the silicon off the umbrella it also took the colour ... thanks cat!! The image is raised off the dp using foam pads (the silicon was well and trully put away for another day!)
I decided not to put flowers on as they hid the lovely sparkly papers ... but now it looks a bit bear .. cheaper to post though!!

Here's a pic of the decoupage of sorts!
Hmmmm me and the cat are going to have words about helping in the craft room!!

Anyway this card covers these challenges:
Cute Card Thursday - dimensions
Charisma Cardz - Spring has Sprung
Wags n Whiskers - Pop it up
Polly craft challenge - sparkle
Simon Says Stamp - Easter/Spring and glimmer
Magical Crafts Fortnightly Challenge - Easter/Spring
Sweet Stampin Challenge - Spring is in the Air
Allsorts Challenge - Spring is in the Air
Colour Create - your choice of pastels + spring

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Wags n Whiskers
Colouring Media: Promarkers and copics
Papers: DCWV Nursery
Embellishments: none!!!

Wags 'n' Whiskers Guest Design Spot

I am really lucky to have been chosen to the Guest Designer for this week's Wags 'n' Whiskers challenge.
This week's challenge is called

"Pop it up" - add some dimension to your card!

Now I had an idea about this and after some playing around and a bit of research i came up with a heart pop-out card. The heart pops out when you open the card.

I stamped the image out and then watercoloured using my distress inks. I matted the image and design paper onto very dark gry/green cardstock. I added some glimmer misted and glamour dusted flowers and a bow. The sentiment is computer generated.

On the inside I used contrasting design paper and made the pop out heart. It is basically a heart with two smaller hearts attached and scored so the heart 'pops' out as you open it.
I embossed the smaller hearts using a freebie stamp and silver embossing powder, and used a Penny Balck Transparent sentiment for the larger heart.

Here is a view of the card standing up .. .you can see the heart 'popping' out.

For this challegne you can do anything that adds dimension .. mount your image on foam, add pop out bits ... the world is your oyster .. so to speak!!

And thank you Lacey and nikki for letting me guest mwah xx


Recipe:
Stamp(s): Wags n Whiskers With Love
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: Cosmo Cricket Happily Every After
Embellishments: flowers, ribbon from stash

Super Ryan

It seems ages since i made a card ..but its actually only a few days!! This fab stamp arived this morning (thank you Lacey!) and I just had to ink him up!!
The card fits a few challenges -

Wags 'n' Whiskers - tags/bookmarks
Papertake Weekly Challenge - sketch
A Spoonfull of Sugar - Recycle

I coloured Ryan in and matted him onto brown cardstock. I used these fab Archiac papers ... the dinos seemed a bit superhero-ish, and I also struggle to use this sheet. I added tags ties with raffia from a bunch of flowers I recently got, and wrote my own sentiment. I wrapped the raffia round the dp as well. Finally a button to finish it.

I'm off to make a chilli and hopeully will find my way into my craft room later on. I am going to do some serious catching up on the blog hopping front too!!

Recipe:
Stamp(s): Wags n Whiskers Super Ryan
Colouring Media: Promarker (Secret Crafter)
Papers: Basic Grey Archiac (Secret Crafter)
Embellishments: raffia from bunch of flowers, buttons 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

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

blue, white and brown Christmas

Lacey has a fab challenge over at the Wags 'n Whiskers blog - to use blue, white and brown. I only own the one Wags 'n Whiskers stamps (thanks Lacey) so I have made a contemporary Christmas card.
I watercoloured the image and stickled Bella's hat and stocking and the edge of the image. The gorgeouspapers are by Basic Grey and I have matted it onto brown cardstock and added some organza ribbon and a layered flower.


Recipe:
Stamp(s): Wags and Whiskers Sweet Danni and Bella
Colouring Media: distress inks
Papers: Basic Grey
Embellishments: flowers, ribbon and brad from stash