Totally Papercrafts challenge

Its my first time to set a challenge over at Totally Papercrafts Challenge ... and this week's challenge is Anniversaries.   We are sponsored by

Meljen's Designs

and the prize is  FOUR digi images of winners choice.

 I used this fab Penny Black stamp, Squeeze me til I squeak, and coloured it using my Prisma pencils.  The dp is from NitWits and I matted everything onto kraft, and distressed the edges of the papers.  I added a PB sentiment stamped onto kraft, some lace, a heart doilly that I distressed using tea dy distress ink.  I finally added some flowers.

Challenges:
Penny Black Saturday Challenge -distressing
 

A baby card

My friend Sophie is expecting her fourth baby any day ... so as well as making her a photo album, I have made her this card ...

I used Willow and baby, and coloured her in using my promarkers and copics.  I have left the layout simple, using papers from Pink Petticoat, in aqua.  I added some antique pink ribbon which I ruffled and some punched flowers.  The sentiment is also a WOJ one.  

Challenges:
Whiff of Joy - aqua, pink and cream
Papertake Weekly -fancy a punch?
Simon Says Stamp - look what the stork brought
Stampavie and more - baby
Everybody-Art-Challenge - flowers
By the Cute and Girly - anything goes


 

Bedtime Snuggles

You might have guessed that I have a little obsession with the Sugar Nellie Simply Sassy stamps .. own most of them!!!  here is Bedtime Snuggles ... aren't her slippers absolutely adorable?!!!  I coloured her using my promarkers.  The dp is Basic Grey Vagabond, and I paired it up with kraft paper, some of which I embossed.  I added twine and cut my own tags and added card candy to them.  This is my stlye .. not much on the embellishment side, very few papers, usually one, at most 2 (unless a sketch means I have to use more), and embossing folders, I LOVE the texture of embossed panels.

Challenges:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Paper Play - own style
Cute Card Thursday - I love chocolate

And here is Carnival Balloon in pink.  I really can't like that colours, struggle saying it ... but Fiona who sets the Sugar Nellie FB challenge picked it ... and she knows how much I dislike it!!!  The image is coloured in using my promarkers and the dp is Making mwmories I think.  Just some ribbon and some card candy ... very simples.

CHallenges -
Sugar Nellie FB page - pink
Passion for Promarkers - card for a teenager

Lurve a latte

I love this image from Sugar Nellie, I wish I had her hair!!!  I coloured hre using my promarkers and 1 copic (aqua) before cutting her out.  The dp is a mix of BG Oh Baby Girl and NitWits, and I matted it onto green cardstock.  The sentiment is fabulous isn't it (its from Inkadinkado) ... thats how I feel some days!!!!  I added a few flat backed pearls to finish.

 Challenges:
Colour Create - aqua, purple, green and white  (I used cool aqua promarker and aqua copic .. but still looks blue to me!)
Totally Gorguss - sketch
Passion for Promarker - for a teenage ... I know just the teenager!!!

 

Less is More - White on White

 My Mum has asked me to make a card for one of her friends ... no cute image and very clean and simple (she said plain and not fussy!.  Now my Mum is very particular .. .so I kept to her orders ... or so I thought ... and came up with this ...

I simply cut and embossed two squares of white cardstock, and inverted one of them.  I made the flower and leaves using a die I have.  I added the brad to the centre and voila!  Plain, simple, unfussy ... not in Mum's book .. it is too white, but she likes the design!  Can I do it again with some colour please!!!

Challenges:
Less is More - White on White
Crafts and Me - swirls

So sample 2!!!

Sort of the smae, expect the squares are titled the opposite way, and the flower, leaves and cardstock have been inked in green and pink liquid chalk.   Oh and I added some ruffled organza ribbon, and layered the smaller square up on 3D pads so it sat over the ribbon.  She likes this one better!!!!
 
PS the fantastic Debbi ( andf my Promarker guru!!) has some fab candy on offer - including a set of promarkers, a Sugar Nellie stamp (mt fave stamp company!) and some gorgeous other things ... please don't pop over to look as I want to win!!!!!!!! Only kiddying ... go take a look and have a look at her amazing creations while you are there.
 

Totally Papercraft Challenge DT card

I've been bursting to tell everyone ... I have been asked by the fab girlies over at Totally Papercraft Challenge to be part of the Design Team ... I confess to a nano-second of thought before I said yes!!!!!

This week's challenge is a recipe ... 1 image, 2 papers, 3 embellishments.

I used Winking Student from Sugar Nellie's Simply Sassy range, and coloured her using my promarkers, and paper pieced her top, skirt and one of the books.  Remind me not to paper piece again with this image ... lots of fiddlly little bits!!!  The dp is a Nitwits one, and the embellies are all from stash.

We are sponsored this week by ...

£10 voucher to spend in store (p+p not included).

Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - Paper peicing

ABC Challenge and WOYWW

This week's ABC challenge is T for two images ... so we want to see two images on your card, either images masked or separate, it doesn't matter.  Sentiment stamps don't count ... it has to be 2 images.  We are sponsored by the lovely Dulcie from Wild Rose Studios.

 I went for my Magnolias as I have a feew of the accessory stamps, so Tilda is masked onto the the wheelbarrow of tulips.  I used my promarkers to colour her in.  The dp is Basic Grey Oh Baby Girl, I just LOVE this range, and the gingham is Pink Petticoat.  The flower is from  marianne Creatable die, the ribbon from my stash, and the sentiment is a Craftwork Cards one.
Challenges -
Stamp with Fun - ribbon/lace
Cupcake Craft Challenge - something beginning with C -cute! (I could have said card LOL!!)
 Pink Elelphant - sketch
I love Promarkers - song title (Tulips from Amsterdam)

For Fun Challenges - Spring

OK and its Wednesday so time for a snoop round the lovely Julia's desk and everyone else who wants to join in ... here's my desk this week.

I get lots of tidy comments so I thought I would take a picture mid creating .... but I still look tidy!!!!  I was hoping to get a pic mid creating ... but my mojo has gone walkabout, so I spent the evening colouring.  Now what is bad for me is the fact that the stamp is still on the acrylic block, cleaned, but still not put away!!  I have an image coloured in the background, just need a sketch to use it, and on top of the basket another image I began to colour, but didn't like how the hair turned out.  Hopefully the colouring will be finished later and a card created .. hopefully!!  I love noseying round people's desks ... and have gained some many tips over the weeks ... there are some very generous people out there who are happy to share their tricks with us all.  Thank you to the ladies who emailed with advice during the week :)


 

Thoughts on being a Mum ...

I am a bit of a stalker of Krista's blog .. .and highly addicted to her Sugar Nellie Simply Sassy range of stamps.   At the moment Krista is pondering the meaning of being a Mum and her post today is quite thought provoking ... she asks some questions and then says ...

"What are some of your answers to these questions? And even if you aren't a mom, maybe you've learned something special from your own...I'd love to hear your thoughts!...We are all on a journey...It's kinda nice when you have someone to walk with for a bit:)..."

So here are my ponderings of those questions ...

Favorite meal to make the fam: Spaghetti bolognese
They all love pasta, and bolognese, my bolognese, not Daddy's.  I have to clarify that, because if I asked the children what their favourite meal was they would probably answer ... Daddy pie (shepherds pie to the rest of us!!). But my bolognese is the best ... better than Daddy,s or Naini's or even school's so high praise!!!!

The Promise I Broke:  never to scream
I promised that i wouldn't scream at my children the way my Mum had screamed at us (we were terrors mind!!) ... but Beth hit two and a half and that promise winged its way out of our house ... thankfully I scream less now!!

Song (that makes me teary-eyed): Not one that I can tink of ... is that bad!!

 Young Mamas I Look Up To: My friend Jo, and Jess

Jo as she had Meg when she was very young, and has inspired me to raise my children the same way, firm boundaries, clear direction and consistency in reward and consequence... although Jo's favourite phrase is "I have 1 daughter ... you have 2"!!!!
Jess  - the mum of my older daughter's best friend ... an amazingly calm, dedicated and devoted mum of 4 who lives in a council house, has the politest, modest children going, who all have a quiet confidence.  I wish I had her secret!

Best Family Vacation: Beckfords Tower Bath

Ellie loved staying in a 19th century tower folly near Lansdown Racecourse ... she still calls it her tower.  Its the first place she saw a deer and a fox early in the morning ... and Beth started crawling while we were there.  It was our first real holiday away with the girls and it was bliss ... so relaxed and the tower was beautiful.

Favorite Family Outing:  Dunham Park
Its a Georgian estate owned by the National Trust not that far from us with a fantastic house, gardens and grounds.  The girls love feeding te ducks stale bread, riding their bikes, and going round the gardens with the children's quiz.  Gorgeous creamy ice cream finishes it all off brilliantly.

What I've Relaxed On (just a bit):  Beth.

OK this might seem strange but I have a daughter who lives on percentages .. if she jumps of the step 10 times and hurts herself the 11th time, unlike her older sister she doesn't go "Ouch, mustn't do that again"  Oh no Beth says I did it 10 times OK so I can do it 10 times again before I might hurt myself ... it makes life as a mum incredibly scary!!!  Constantly waiting for the next accident, trip to A&E etc ... but recently I have resigned myself to the fact that she rarely hurts herself badly (only 4 trips to A&E, average 1 a year!) and she isn't going to change.  I have learned to accept or spend my life quaking and saying "Don't Beth".

Fave Mom Style:  Cargo pants and sloppy top

Why dress up to get smeared in snot, dribble and blood, and the pockets are so useful for storing the discarded hair bobbles, clips, tissues ...!!!

Never Thought I'd:  have a crumple button

Do you know your crumple button ... its that thing that your adorable little ones do that has you spinning up into the stratosphere, while your loving partner shakes their head in confusion ... yep its that little thing your little darlings do that makes you react with sanctions, shouting ... as a teacher I saw so many parents experience this button and talked so many of them through how to deal with said button ... never thought I would have one ... but I so do!!  When i work out how to defeat it I will let you know!

Best Mom Advice:  Apologize to your kids when you mess up.
 It's very humbling...and sets a good example.    I can't agree more with Krista ...

Ellie Got My: lack of confidence
oh i so wish she had the confidence of her dad and sister ... oh my persceution complex ... so called by my Dad - everything is my fault, or everyone always blames me ... not good really.

Beth Got My: mischeviousness
My Mum just looks at me when I tell her about Beth's latest mis-doing, smiles and says "You reap what you sow" ... I am sure I wasn't as challenging as Beth ... not just being naughty, but playing out of the box.

I Wish I Didn't: Expect too much
I do have high expectations of my children, and both of them are bright cookies, so I KNOW I expect more than I should for their ages ... and while that can be positive as it always stretches them, it is also not good as it means they can't just be 4 and 6 ... my New Years Resolution for 2011 is not to expect too much ... trying really really hard still!!

Fave Three Kid Movies:Tangled, Jungle Book, to be honest anything other than the Tinkerbell Movies LOL!!

A Mom I'd Love to Meet: My hubby's ...well I have met her, but not as her daughter in law ... I would love to have been able to share these moments with her.

My Time (without kids): Crafting
Being in my craft room, with my i-pad and CD player is the time I treasure .. often I don't craft, just listen to music and look through my stamps and papers, pondering the next project ... oh and noseying at what is happening in the street, which is usually not alot!!  I hate the times they invade and start fiddling .. so much so that we now have a craft bag that they use.  They are allowed to invade my space for long enough to choose images, and get them stamped .. .and then it is back down to the kitchen table!

 So there you go ... my thoughts on being a Mum ... I adore my children, struggle to remember a time without them, and would not ever be without them now.  I am as lucky to be their Mum as they are to have me as their Mum!!

My lovely, wonderful friend Ali has posted a poem on her blog about being a military mum ... its brilliant and so touching ... worth a read if you have a moment.

Its my party ...

And I can kick the present if I want to!!!!!!

 You just have to love her don't you ... and i wonder how many of us with daughters have seen this little scene before?!!!!!  I coloured the image in using my promarkers.  I have kept the paper very simple ... loving gingham at the moment, and Pink Petticoat's gingham is fab.  The sentiment is cut in half, and seems VERY appropriate for the image!!  I embossed the white cardstock, and added ribbon and flower with a brad for the centre from my stash.

Challenges:
A Spoonfull of Sugar - white +1
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Passion for Promarkers - fit for a Princess
Cupcake Craft Challenge - something beginning with c ... CROSS!
 Pink Elelphant - sketch
 Stamp with Fun - lace/ribbon
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
 

Sassy's Sunday

I have been playing with my Simply Sassys ..trying to make sure all of them get some inky love!!

First up is ...

 Winking Student.  I coloured her in using my promarkers, keeping the colour scheme really simple.  The layout is simple too, using PP gingham paper and black and apricot cardstock.  I did some faux stitching, added some braid and 3 brads of different sizes.  I am entering this into this week's One Stop Craft challenge, which is stitching.

2nd up is ...

Laid up Dude and Ohh La La.  I think these two images go so well together, both have that bashfulness of first love!!  I have been experimenting again with my Prisma pencils, still struggling getting the shading right.  Again I have gone for a very simple colour scheme, and PP gingham papers.  I used a Marianne Creatable die to create the buttons, and wrapped black organza ribbon round the dp.  I used Marlena's sketch from this time's Sugar Bowl challenge.

And finally ...

Tammy, again coloured using my prisma pencils.  More PP gingham, I had forgotten i had this until recently!!  I embossed some green cardstock using my snowflakes folder, added some purple ribbon and some green card candy.

So there we are .. Sunday's creations.  I would have liked to have spent some time in the garden, but the windy conditions are not helping my hayfever.