The right shoes...

I'm off to Birmingham tonight til Sunday for a veterinary conference, and one of my best friends from school  has very kindly offered to have me to stay! I've made her this card to say thank you (and I've made some chocolate chip cookies to take too)!

Supplies:
Image: "Fancy Pants" by House Mouse Designs, coloured with Promarkers
Sentiment: "You can deal with anything if you have the right shoes" from MM Designs
Paper: Smirk "Naughty but Nice"
Tools: Nesties Classic Squares Large
Embellishments: Yellow bow from Papermania Capsule Collection, keyring charm made by me, yellow flowers.

Challenges:
House Mouse Monday #92 - Sketch
Moving Along with the Times #91 - Precious Metals
Sentimental Sundays #48 - Cute & Cuddly
Crafty Creations 112 - Bunnies

Happy Hedgehogs!

Some more goodies to show off from the NEC - the MS flower punch (from Oyster Stamps) and gorgeous springy Smirk paper (from Every Crafts A Pound)!

This card is for Sophie, who I've known all my life. We don't see each other that often (haven't seen her since her wedding last May), but she's still a very special friend.

Supplies:

Image: "Partying" from Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers. Sentiment from Digi Doodle Shop.
Paper: Smirk "Naughty but Nice". Pink vellum/parchment
Tools: Martha Stewart scalloped border punch, MS floral double edge punch.
Embellishments: Glamour Dust!

Challenges:
Sketch & Stash #58 - Sketch (new punch & paper)
Allsorts Challenge #96 - Special Lady
Totally Gorjuss #73 - Spring has sprung
Pile It On #13 - Cutie Patootie
Colour Create #67 - Pastels
Creative Cottage #35 - Spring has sprung
Bee Crafty Challenge #20 - Spring has sprung
Incy Wincy Designs #87 - Sparkle & Shine

Christmas in Spring!

Well, we're out of winter now - the clocks have changed, so Christmas seems like so far away...

Supplies:
Everything is from the Papermania Henbury Lane Poinsettia decoupage pack!

Challenges:
Winter Wonderland - Oh Baubles
Secret Crafter Saturday #127 - Christmas in Spring

Deckchair Dreaming!

Well, I just couldn't wait to create something with this gorgeous stamp I brought back from the NEC!

Supplies:

Image: "Deckchair Dreaming" from Lili of the Valley, coloured with Promarkers.

Paper: Blue flowery paper is from Papermania, checked is a magazine freebie.

Tools: Nellie's Multiframes MFD 005, star punch

Embellishments: blue/white baker's twine, inked edges.

Challenges:

Lili of the Valley #89 - Punch It

Fuzzy Wuzzy Challenges #7 - Sketch

Craft Your Passion #51 - Grin and "bear" it

Crafty Purple Frog Challenge #11 - Going Green

Totally Papercrafts #59 - Cuddly & Cute

Anya with flowers & some butterflies!

Supplies:

Image: Anya with flowers from The Greeting Farm, coloured with Promarkers

Paper: Blue with white dots from Daisy & Dandelion paper pack

Tools: Screen fold template, deckled rectangle nestabilities, XCut butterfly punch, MS scalloped border punch.

Embellishments: Gems

Challenges:

Farm Fresh Friday - Spring Break
Creative Inspirations #104 - No square cards
Fab n Funky Challenge #65 - "Do it more than once" (more than one fold)
Meljen's Challenge #51 - Get creative with punches

Crafty Emma's Store Challenge #29 - Die cut crazy
Pollycraft Challenge #86 - Friends
I Love Promarkers #58 - Go Dotty
Stamp Something - Spring
Polka Doodles #12 - Spring has sprung

Relax....

Here's a card for a very hard worker!

Supplies:

Image: Forever Friends Decoupage (as is sentiment)

Paper: From FF Decoupage pack

Embellishments: Clear Zoomz

Challenges:

Forever Friends Challenge - Blog Candy

Creative Card Crew - No Stamps

Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight - Decoupage

Off to the NEC!!

Super quick post just to tell everyone how excited I am to be going to the Hobbycrafts show at the NEC today!! Just about to leave with Mum, and I can't wait. I have a list (although it's not "exhaustive" - I believe that's what they say when the list is really just the bare minimum)!

Woohoo!!

Mother's Day Gift Box & Jewellery!

Mum's been asking me to make her some hair slides for AGES, and I have now done two different ones (although keep trying to distract her so that it's a surprise for Mother's Day)! I've also made her a bracelet, and having had some nesting boxes sitting on my desk for ages, thought that one would make a good jewellery box!

Supplies:

Image: "Wee Suzi" by Wee Stamps coloured with Promarkers. "Happy Mother's Day" from Delicious Doodles.

Paper: Pink Petticoat Vintage Rose Collection.

Embellishments: Chipboard flowers coloured with Promarkers.

Base: Nesting box from Papermania

Supplies: 80mm Hair barette, green bugle beads, acrylic flowers/leaves, 4mm pearls & nylon thread

Supplies: 80mm hair barette, 4mm red firepolish beads, 4mm red/black bicone crystals, red/black seed beads, nylon thread.

Supplies: Textured silver plate chain, black suede cord, silver plated head pins, Swarovski cubes, cord ends, lobster clasp.

Challenges:

Allsorts Challenge #95 - Make a gift box

Stamping for the weekend #6 - Mother's Day
Crafty Catz #74 - Mother's Day

Craft Your Days Away #16 - For Mum
One Stop Craft #123 - Diamonds are a girl's best friend

Secret Crafter Saturday #126 - Anything but a card
Dream Valley Challenge #3 - Mother's Day
Simon Says Challenge - Mother's Day
Papertake Weekly - It's a Mom thing
Ooh La La Challenge #76 - Mother's Day
Die Cut Dreams #85 - Mother's Day

Daisy in the Garden!

I really must look for some more Sugar Nellie's at the NEC Hobbycrafts show this week - poor Daisy looks a bit lonely and she's the only one I have!

Crafty Emma's Store Challenge is asking for a card inspired by a song...mine is:

"Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do...

I'm half crazy, all for the love of you,

It won't be a stylish marriage,

I can't afford a carriage,

But you'll look sweet upon the seat,

Of a bicycle made for two."

I remember Mum singing this to me when I was little.

Supplies:
Image: "Daisy" from Sugar Nellie coloured with Promarkers
Papers: Blue butterfly & yellow striped paper from Papermania
Embellishments: Chipboard flowers & tag (inked yellow), with gems & peel off sentiment

Challenges:
The Sugar Bowl #55 - Sketch & Spring
Passion For Promarkers #92 - In the garden
Truly Scrumptious #53- Tag It
Crafty Emma's Store Challenge #28 - Inspired by a song
Stamp Something - Sweet

One for the boys!

Finally a man card! Oakley's been ready to go for ages but I just didn't have a need for boy cards in the start of the year! (Now there's loads all in April!)

Supplies:

Image: "Cool Oakley" from Whiff of Joy coloured with Promarkers.

Papers: Both from Dovecraft Masculine paper pack

Embellishments: Eyelets & die cut sentiment from Forever Friends Spring Time.

Challenges:

Cards for Men #6 - Sketch

I Love Promarkers #57 - Men's Cards
Whiff of Joy Challenge #100 - Let's celebrate & Blog Hop
One Stitch at a Time #54 - Something for the Boys

Ginny with Flowers!

Supplies:

Image: "Ginny with Flowers" from Pink Gem Designs coloured with Promarkers.

Paper: Freebies from a magazine

Embellishments: Chequered ribbon, peel off sentiment

Challenges:

Do it With Digis #6 - Children themed cards

Digi Doodle's Best #51 - Anything Goes
Paper Cutz Challenge #83 - Anything Goes
2 Sisters Challenge #31 - Furry Friends
The Crafty Pad #113 - Use a digi
Simon Says Challenge - Happy Birthday
Crafty Sentiments - Animals

Whimsy Stamps March 2011 Release!

Woohoo! Whimsy Stamps have a new blog hop to celebrate new rubber stamp & dies being released!

To hop along, go over to Crystal's blog to start!

Good Luck in Green!

Well, it's St. Patrick's Day tomorrow. Lliving near Cheltenham, home of the Gold Cup (aka Cheltenham Festival) I know there will be a lot of Guiness-drinking leprechauns around! Was hoping to go to the races myself, but didn't get around to finding a ticket in time, so I suppose I'll just watch it on the tv. I thought this card was perfect to celebrate!

Supplies:

Images: "Good Luck Frame" from Create with TLC (printed over the paper)

Paper: The green shamrock paper is from a Papercraft Inspirations download.

Embellishments: Chipboard shamrock, inked green & decorated with gems.

Challenges:

Sentimental Sundays #46 - Let's Go Green

One Stop Craft #122 - Clean & Simple

Allsorts Challenge #94 - Luck o' the Irish

Meljen's Designs #49 - Green

Inky Impressions - Monochromatic

Fab n Funky #64 - Going Green/St Patrick's Day

Papertake Weekly - Trio-tastic (three shamrocks)

Creative Card Crew - Green

Bee Crafty Challenge #18 - Festival

New Baby!

Supplies:

Image: "Sleeping Infant" from Digi Doodle Shop coloured with Promarkers. I won a gift voucher in a challenge and this is one of the images I chose!

Papers: The yellow gingham paper is from Papermania Capsule Collection Lemon Sorbet, and the bluey-green swirly paper is from Papermania Henbury Lane.

Embellishments: Buttons & bow from Papermania Capsule Collection Lemon Sorbet, the baby feet charm is a new edition to my stash, from MadCowBeads. The sentiment is a rub-on.

Challenges:

I Love Promarkers #56 - Babies

Digital Tuesday #101 - Welcome Little One
2 Sisters #30 - Oh Baby
Dream Valley #2 - New Beginnings
The Crafty Pad #112 - Buttons
Sketch & Stash #57 - Sketch
Creatalicious Challenge #20 - Two Tone

Simple Thank You!

This is a card for my "best friend from school" Rach's parents - they took us (Rach and I) to Birmingham on Saturday to go bridesmaid dress shopping. (Rach gets married in July and all three bridesmaids live in different counties so this was my turn to dress up)! They took us for a lovely meal at a great Italian restaurant before the shop-trawling began. Obviously it's not really a "dad" experience so Rach's dad went off to the technology dept of Selfridges to watch the sport! Then it was just Rach, her mum and I - we got a lot done, including a little side-track to Jane Norman (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE JN!) and we may have narrowed it down to 2 dresses, which the other girls will try and then we can start with the accessorizing!

Supplies:

Image/Sentiment: The lovely bunny is from the "Daisy & Dandelion" range, and coloured with Promarkers. "Thank You" sentiment is from Raindrop Echo Designs.

Papers: Both the flowery and spotted papers are from Papermania's Capsule Collection "Lemon Sorbet".

Tools: Nestabilities deckled rectangles.

Embellishments: The yellow ribbon is also from the Capsule Collection.

Challenges:

Crafty Calendar #18 - Spring

Stamp & Create #9 - Spring Break

Papertake Weekly - Lemon Zingy

Stamp, Scrap & Doodle - Spring has Sprung

Paper Sundaes #60 - Keep it Simple

Wishing you the Fairy best!

Wow two cards posted in one day! For some reason at the moment I find sketch challenges seem to have me stumped! I spend so long trying to find bits and pieces to fit that I never get anywhere! So here's a sketch-less creation!

Supplies:

Image/Sentiment: "Fairy 1" from Digi Doodle Shop (that I won in the Forever Friends Monthly Challenge), coloured with Promarkers, "Wishing you the fairy best" sentiment is from Create with TLC.

Paper: Both the floral and pink polkadot papers are from the Pink Petticoat, Vintage Rose Collection. The edges are chalked.

Embellishments: Handmade pink bow tied with Reflecta silvery thread!

Challenges:

Cupcake Craft #132 - Pink Polkadots

Crafty Cardmakers #41 - Fabric
Incy Wincy Designs #84 - Pastels
Fab N Funky #63 - Make it Girly
Crafty Purple Frog Challenge #10 - Fly with us
The Crafty Pad #11 - Use a ribbon

It's that time again!

A little combination of real stamping and digi stamping here!

Supplies:
Images/Sentiments: "Thinking of You" from Penny Black Slapstick Stamps, coloured with Promarkers. "Happy Birthday", "It's that time again" and the "clock" are from Raindrop Echo Designs.
Papers: Yellow & Green spotted paper from Daisy & Dandelion paper pack. Yellow striped paper from Papermania Lemon Sorbet collection.
Tools: Nestabilities Blossom die & Shapeabilities Pendant Kaleidoscope (for the corners)
Embellishments: Little green gems, green bow from Papermania Capsule Collection.

Challenges:
Penny Black Saturday #141 - More than one fold
Crafty Catz Weekly #73 - Green & Yellow
Truly Scrumptious #52 - Sketch
Bee Crafty Challenge #17 - Spots & Dots
Charisma Cardz #10 - Easel Cards
Top Tip Tuesday #25 - Birthday

Forever Friends Anniversary!

I was so excited to have won some digi stamps from the Digi Doodle Shop in the February Forever Friends Challenge that I decided to print them out and colour them in straight away!
It's a first anniversary card for my friend who I was a bridesmaid for last year

Supplies:

Images/Sentiments: "Across the Bridge" from Digi Doodle Shop, coloured with Promarkers. The Forever Friends is a "Going to the Chapel" die cut (sentiment from the same pack).

Paper: Plain blue paper

Tools: Xcut heart border punch

Embellishments: Pink heart gems

Challenges:
Forever Friends Monthly #3 - No DP
Craft Your Passion #48 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
Meljens Challenge #48 - U R Such an animal
Moving Along with the Times #88 - Anniversary
Stamp Something - March Digi Day
Sarah Hurley Challenge #32 - Four-legged Friends
Die Cut Dreams Challenge #84 - Spring Garden Scene

Creeper Crew Thursday!

Supplies:

Images: "Creeper Crew Thursday" from The Greeting Farm, coloured with Promarkers.

"Whatever it is... I didn't do it" from Raindrop Echo Designs (downloaded from the Sentimentals Sundays challenge blog)

Papers: The purple striped paper is from a magazine pack, the green flower/lace paper is Papermania Capsule Collection and then just some plain purple!

Embellishments: I've punched 3 purple flowers with the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die, added 3 purple buttons tied with green cotton.

Challenges:

One Crazy Stamper March - Sketch

Creative Card Crew - Gothic
I Love Promarkers #55 - Green & Purple
Allsorts Challenge #93 - Card for a teenager
Paper Sundaes #59 - Stripes
Polkadoodles #9 - Flower Power

Springy card!

Continuing with my experimentation on card styles, I had a go at a Diamond-Fold card (using a tutorial from Crafty Devils Papercraft website).

Supplies:
Images: "Mudpie's Munch" by House Mouse Designs - coloured with Promarkers, the "Thank You" sentiment is from Sentiments 4 You.
Paper: The striped paper is from Papermania Basics pad, and the spotted paper is from Papermania Capsule Collection "Lemon Sorbet".
Embellishments: The buttons, brads & flower are all from Papermania Capsule Collection "Sunshine".

Challenges:
Pink Gem #15 - Buttons, brads, beads, bows (I went for buttons and brads)
Corrosive Challenge #105 - Distressing
Sentimental Sundays #44 - Anything Goes (plus a sentiment)
House Mouse & Friends #90 - Multifold
Incy Wincy  Designs #83 - Spring is in the air
Dream Valley Challenge #1 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp challenge - 1 image, 2 designer papers, 3 types of embellishment
Charisma Cardz #9 - Four-legged Friends
Cute Card Thursday #154 - Signs of Spring
Dutch Dare Challenge #102 - Who's who in the zoo?
Cooking it up with Kate #51 - Springy Yellow Flowers
Stamping for the Weekend #5 - Springtime

First Twisted Easel Card!

Well, I've seen everyone else having a go at these twisted easel cards, so I thought I'd give it a go - after a bit of puzzling over which way up to stick the image, I finally worked it out!
This is a card for someone who I won't name as it will spoil the surprise, but it is a thank you for something!! I thought I'd go for a bright, flowery theme as it's Spring, even though it's really miserable and gloomy outside!

Supplies:
Images: Miss Anya with Flowers from The Greeting Farm, coloured with Promarkers, "Thank You" from Raindrop Echo Designs
Paper: My Mind's Eye - Summer
Tools: Nestabilities Blossom die
Embellishments: Flowers & brads

Challenges:
Sir Stampalot March - Spring is in the air
Creative Craft Challenge - Thank You
Top Tip Tuesday #24 - Favourites - I think easel cards are my fave style, and I love my nesties!
Inky Impressions - Easel card
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Challenge - Easel card