Penny Black Christmas

Here's the second of this year's Christmas card creations...

Supplies:
Image: Penny Black "Jolly Friends" stamp set, coloured with Promarkers.
Paper: Forever Friends "Santa's on his way" paper pack
Tools: Crafts Too Embossing Folder for sentiment
Embellishments: Glitter, Flowersoft Polar White

Challenges:
Charisma Cardz #44 - Cutesy
Inky Impressions #32 - Glitter it Up
Crafter's Companion Monthly #18 - Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
Cardmaking & Papercraft Challenge - Christmas Tree
Penny Black @ Allsorts November - All Creatures Great & Small
Winter Wonderland - Make you card sparkle
A Gem of a Challenge #33 - Cold & Frosty

Thinking of You Bear

Supplies:
Image: "Bentley Bear" from Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine stamp set
Tools: Nestabilities deckled edge rectangles, & blossoms die, XCut border punch
Embellishment: Peel off sentiment & flowers

Challenges:
Simon Says Challenge - Dies +/or punches
Allsorts Challenge #122 - Keep it simple
Paper Sundaes #88 - Anything Goes
Cupcake Craft #161 - If you go down to the woods today...
Die Cut Dreams #99 - Brown, Pink & Cream
Ooh La La Challenge #89 - Punches/Dies

Dad in his Deckchair.....DON'T LOOK DAD!!!

We're off to Padstow in Cornwall next week so I'm busy trying to get all my cards sorted that need doing before then! It's Dad's Birthday whilst we're away, so here's the card I've made for him - hopefully a reflection on what he'll be doing on the beach!

Supplies:
Image: "Deckchair Dreaming" from Lili of the Valley, coloures with Promarkers & chalks.
Papers: All three papers from DCWV Scrapbook kit in a stack "All Occasions"
Embellishments: Handmade green bow, green/blue sticker from DCWV kit, peel off sentiment.

Challenges:
Lili of the Valley Challenge #110 - Sketch
Bizzy Bec's Challenge September - Blue, Green & White
Crafty Calendar September - Let Sleeping Bears Lie
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Charisma Cardz #35 - Anything Goes
Stampin' for the weekend #15 - Holidays
Allsorts Challenge #119 - Green & Blue
Crafty Cardmakers #51 - Summer Holiday Memories

FlowerSoft - Thank You Bouquet

Here is the Thank You card I made for Rachel's parents, Helen & Duncan after the wedding.
I thought I'd have another go at a FlowerSoft bouquet as I hadn't done one for ages and had some new colours to play with!

Supplies:
Paper: Papermania Capsule Collection Lemon Sorbet
Embellishments: FlowerSoft Ultrafine Raspberry Fizz & Citrus Crush (plus the ribbon). Chipboard sentiment from a Cardmaking & Papercraft freebie.
Tools: Nestabilities Blossoms (for the aperture and cutting the tissue paper for the bouquet), Nesties deckled rectangles.

Challenges:
Allsorts #117 - You've Been Framed
Sir Stampalot August Challenge - Whatever You Fancy
Craft us Crazy #15 - Anything Goes
One Stop Craft #145 - Bold & Bright

Wedding Box!

Here's the box I decorated for Rachel - I wanted to give her something to keep some of her wedding "memories" in, and also put a few little keepsakes in. I knew she had her something old, something new & something borrowed, but I thought she might need something blue (and a silver sixpence for her shoe)!

The flowers are handmade - a technique I learnt at a recent Trimcraft demo! Basically cutting some scalloped circles, wetting them, folding them/scrunching them, then securing with a brad.

 Supplies:
Basics: Papermania nested box, Artiste Pearl "Ice Blue" acrylic paint
Embellishments: Chipboard bookplate, peel off, pearl brads, ribbon, gems
Tools: Nesties blossoms (for the flowers)

Challenges:
Allsorts Challenge #116 - Anything But A Card
Creative Craft Challenges - Anything But A Card
Creative Card Crew - Hand made flowers
Papertake Weekly - Blooms, Pearls & Free (gems)
Crafts and Me #48 - Blues
Crafty Your Passion #71 - Anything But A Card

Wedding Day Celebrations!

My best friend from school got married on Monday, and I was one of her bridesmaids. We all had a wonderful few days (stayed at the beautiful hotel the night before and the night of the wedding) and I can finally post the crafty things I made for her on here!
Rach made her own bunting - BY HAND - in the colours on the card, and there is a little running joke about bay trees, as they have one that they decorate instead of a Christmas tree. (They also had bay trees at the wedding, and on the invitations!)

Supplies:
Images: "Wedding Couple" from Lili of the Valley, bunting from Whimsy Stamps  Celebration Pennant  stamp set, tree from Papermania Born To Shop "Go Green" stamp set, all coloured with Promarkers.
Paper: Papermania "Raspberry Champagne" paper pack
Tools: Marianne Die ribbon border & flourishes.
Embellishments: Ribbon, Glamour Dust.

Challenges:
Hooked On Craft #3 - With Love
Crafty Sentiments - Happily Ever After
Craft Us Crazy #13 - Anything Goes
Allsorts Challenge #112 - Free & Easy

Flowersoft Oriental Window

Here's some of the goodies I won on the Flowersoft blog hop a while back.

Supplies:
Paper: Flowersoft Scenic Windows Oriental, Papermania leaf paper
Embellishments: Flowersoft Russet Red, Ultra Fine Pink Fizz, Ultra Fine Citrus Crush, Ultra Fine Burnt Sienna.

Challenges:
Flowersoft Challenge #32 - Bright Colours
Creative Craft Challenges - Pretty Blossoms
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Charisma Cardz #27 - All about flowers
Allsorts Challenge #111 - Free & Easy
One Stitch At A Time #70 - Anything Goes

Sweet Little Donkey!

It's my cousin's daughter's first Birthday next week, and I've made this little card for her!

Supplies:
Image: "Sweet Little Donkey" by Meljen's Designs, coloured with Promarkers
Paper: All three papers are from Smirk "Naughty but Nice" pack.
Embellishments: Peel off sentiment, brown ribbon, 3D butterfly from Papermania, gems, punched flower.

Challenges:
Crafty Emma's Store Challenge #30 - Children
One Stop Craft Challenge #125 - Spots & Dots
Sketch Saturday #149 - Sketch
Secret Crafter Saturday #128 - Butterflies
Allsorts Challenge #97 - Blooming Blossoms
Dream Valley #4 - Things with Wings
Paper Sundaes #63 - Spring Blossoms
The Crafty Pad #115 - Flowers
Paperplay Challenges #14 - Critters Galore
C.R.A.F.T Challenge #97 - Animals/Pets
By the Cute & Girly April - Cute & girly

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

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

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

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

Distressed Autumn

Well, I've just come back from having a lovely time in Derby at Mum's godson's wedding. The sun was shining, the bride was beautiful, and a good day was had by all! I stayed at my Aunty's overnight (as she and her husband looked after the dogs for me while I was at the wedding). So I didn't have time to show you the card I made on Saturday for my other Uncle's birthday... I had a go at distressing (after the arrival of my Making Memories edge scraper) but wasn't quite brave enough to use the one Tim Holtz distress ink I have (as I have no foam pad thingy), so I used a little bronze inkpad instead! I also used some old handmade paper (not by me, though), and ripped the edges of that. The image is from Joanna Sheen's Pamela West Collection CD-Rom, and perfect for the time of year we're approaching! The spotted & striped papers are from Dovecraft Masculine paper pack.

Challenges I'm entering:

Papertake Weekly Sketch #47 - Sketch

Sir Stampalot September - All Distressed

Creatalicious Challenges #13 - Vintage

Allsorts Challenge #69 - Colours of Autumn

Paperplay Challenge #36 - Autumn Is Coming

Pollycraft Challenge #61 - Autumn Colours

Wedding Bells!

I'm going to a wedding next weekend, and I found these lovely digital papers/toppers on Jak Heath's blog. If you haven't visited already please do as her creations are beautiful and she has some fab tutorials and downloads to help inspire!! I've added to it, some gold ribbon, and three lovely flowers.

Challenges I'm entering:

Cupcake Craft #106 - Digital

Creative Cottage #22 - Celebrations

Allsorts Challenge #68 - New Beginnings

Summertime!

I made a girly birthday card for a sun-worshipping friend:

It's an Anya stamp from The Greeting Farm coloured with my Promarkers! I've used some Papermania circle paper, some spotted pink paper from a magazine freebie, and a strip of yellow card punched with the XCut heart border punch. There's a Papermania Capsule collection flower & button & the pink is one of Mum's old silk flowers (it fell off the arrangement!!).

Challenges I'm entering:

Stamping for the Weekend #40 - Summer/Travel

Farm Fresh Friday - Sketch

Donna's Den #1 - Happy Birthday

Allsorts #56 - Lace or buttons

Quirky Crafts #30 - Summer

World of Nonsense!

I've finally gotten around to using this fantastic Alice in Wonderland word art from Paulette at Create-with-TLC. The card is for my friend Fiona from school, who actually bought me the Disney film on DVD for my 21st Birthday! It was always a little bit of a running joke at school that we loved the film!!

I found the image of Alice from Dezina World and coloured her with Whispers pens (ages ago - before my Promarkers). The paper is from a Daisy & Dandelion pack. I made the wire word myself, and I've added some flowers (2 paper from Papermania, & 1 fabric), pearl brads for the centres. On the yellow flower I've added some gems!

Challenges I'm entering:
Papertake Weekly #43 - Say it with flowers
MelJen's Designs #8 - Seeing Spots
Alice in Wonderland Challenge #13 - Mushroom inspiration
Allsorts #52 - Birthday
A Spoon Full of Sugar #104 - Cute & Girly
Quixotic Challenge #26 - How Sentimental
Fab N Funky #24 - Make it yourself

Postal Theme for Quirky Crafts

I found this cute Penny Black stamped image from a RAK, and thought it would suit a thank you card! I think it's called "Team Effort"!

I've coloured the image using my new Promarkers!! (Woohoo) The two designer papers were free with magazines, and the ribbon is from Hobbycraft. I added three punched flowers, with gems and three dots of pearlescent glue at the bottom.

Challenges I'm entering:

Quirky Crafts #27 - Going Postal

Crafty Ann's Challenge #14 - Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge #51 - Sketch

KLSNS Challenge #29 - 1 ribbon, 2 designer papers, 3 embellishments

Secret Crafter Saturday #82 - 1 image, 2 designer papers, 3 embellishments

Pile it On Challenge #18 - Cute & Cuddly

The Crafty Pad #70 - Use a punch

One Stitch At A Time #12 - Going Dotty

Thank You!

Here's a little thank you card I made yesterday.

The image is "Girl with Dog" from Wild Rose Studio that my Mum bought me on Thursday for my Birthday when we went to Bee Crafty in Evesham. It is coloured with Promarkers (Mum bought me 4 on Thursday and we've ordered 2 packs of 5 from Joanna Sheen!!) The green check paper is from Papermania Capsule Collection and the purple flowery paper is a download from Cuddly Buddly. I've added a bit of Flowersoft along the paper joins!

Challenges I'm entering:
Incy Wincy  Designs #40 - Anything Goes
ABC Challenge - T is for Thank You
I Love Digi #6 - Thank You
Allsorts #50 - Animals
CPS Challenge #165 - Sketch

Happy Hen Weekend!

I'm off up to Lancaster on Saturday for the hen weekend of a friend I've known all my life. We're going to a spa hotel so with a few of her friends, and her mum & sister. Should be good! It was only her birthday on Saturday, but I've just done a card for the weekend! I know she's had a busy time at work and the wedding is 3wks on Saturday so I thought I'd give her this card to tell her to enjoy herself and relax!

The image is, I believe, a Penny Black called "Primp" (I got it with my blog candy from Kate). I thought it was the perfect picture for a girls pampering weekend!! The main paper is from Daisy & Dandelion paper pack, and the gorgeous flowers were from my latest blog candy from Jude. I've used my nestie scalloped circles and deckled rectangles, some little gems and some pearl/metal brads (bought ages ago and only recently re-discovered).

Challenges I'm entering:

Sketch & Stash #33 - sketch

Pollycraft #39 - Pink AND brown plus yellow or green

The Pink Elephant # 62 - 1 image, 2 dies (nesties), 3 fave embellishments (flowers)

For Fun Challenges #8 - Encouraging card#

Quixotic Paperie #21 - Heavy Metal

Allsorts #47 - Petals & pearls

Sweet and flowery elephant!

Here's a card I made using our new Martha Stewart floral border punch. I've used a Pickles & Onion stamp (coloured with Whispers) and a wire word I made myself ages ago and forgot to use last year! I've added some flowers, brads and glitter!

Challenges I'm entering:

Cooking it up with Katie #14 - Something old (wire word), something new (MS punch) & something sweet (image)

Creative Cottage Challenge #4 - Pretty Pink

Polka Doodles #13 - Birthday

Lucy's Cards #8 - Photo Inspiration (Flowers)

For Fun #7 - Anything Goes

S2G Challenge #50 - Anything Goes

Stamp Something - Pink

Allsorts #46 - No designer papers

Magical Crafts #12 - Animal Antics

One Stitch At A Time #7 - Anything Goes