Cuttlebug challenge - sanding your embossing

Well, even though it is minus however many degrees outside, spring is around the corner. My card box is looking a bit drab ,so I made a best wishes ( multipurpose) card. The cuttlebug challenge is back this week, they want us to sand our embossing. I started making another card for this one however the card was not right ,for this particular challenge. It will reappear for some other challenge, I am sure. I used some pearlescent pink scrap card and embossed and sanded it. I stamped an image ,that has been in my stamp box for ages. I used promarkers to colour in. I added a bright ribbon and some more cardstock from the stash. Although this is simple I sometimes like cards like this. I am staying in tonight. I have four small children so have done so for quite a few years. I normally hear the fireworks that are let off on the River Thames so I put the T.V on and listen and watch!!! Much cosier this way!!! I wish all my lovely crafting and blogging friends a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A friend for Tilda!!!!

Thought I oughta make some boys cards as no doubt my son will be invited to a party and I will need to produce a card. As you can see I have acquired a friend for the lovely Tilda. Edwin arrived very quickly from "The glitter pot" through my letterbox. I also got myself a christmas pressie...Promarkers. Did some cleaning this morning but other than crafting a really lazy day!!!!

2 sketches for you - Laura's sketch #16

I have not joined in with this challenge for a very long time. I have just been admiring' the amazing cards that are made for it.

This is my take on Laura's sketch 16. I used some papers and sentiment from a TSV on QVC ( a very long time ago). These are apparently the must have colours for the spring/summer. I then made my flower and butterfly using sizzix dies. I added some bead charms, that I made and gems. I doodled the stitching and bottom using sakura gelly pen.

Oh What a night?

I had my gammon roasting in the oven with it's honey coating... potatoes on the boil.... so I was colouring in some images when suddenly all went dark! I thought it was because the electric meter had run out.... but no it was a power cut. Not the block next to us or the houses over the road but our block and 2000 other properties in the vacinity. I had to serve the dinner by candlelight to my hungry brood. Potatoes were a little hard but still could of been worse. Could of been like the christmas episode of "The Royal family". All is well 2 hours later and the leccy came back. I have been busy transforming a washing tablet box into a storage soloution.

I used glimmer mists in four shades to create the background. I then attatched them to the washing tablet box. I then coloured in Tilda's using the glimmer mists that I had used for the background and a touch of gelly roll pen. I then stamped the flowers onto the paper and added some gelly roll pen. I collaged these onto the covered box. I added some hearts and some ribbon.

Yet more Tilda, No I am not bored yet!!!

I wish I had taken the plunge and brought these stamps earlier. Everyone you do has it's own identity! I am loving colouring them in. I made this card using the new papermania papers, I aquired recently. I looked up the spring colour chart for 2009 and plum/fuschia and teal blues feature on it. I love working with colour. I made a frame and a swing ( not 100% about the swing) I used ribbon from a top..... I am actually wearing today. I used some vintage corners to add detail, gems and a sentiment from my stash.

A really lovely surprise!!!

http://siggi-shop.blogspot.com/ This was given to me by the lovely crafting diva at http://craftingdivadesigns.blogspot.com/. pop over and have a look at her great blog. She also has a lovely cat. My chosen seven to pass this onto are:

http://dawnscrafttime.blogspot.com/-DAWN FOR HER AMAZING ART AND HEARTWARMING COMMENTS.

http://ricas-haven.blogspot.com/ - HEATHER fOR HER bEAUTIFUL CARDS AND HONESTY.

http://joeysworldofstuff.blogspot.com/ -JOEY FOR HER DAILY RAMBLINGS AND HER FAB CARDS

http://terriebaileys.blogspot.com/ -TERRIE B FOR HER UNIQUE STYLE.

http://passionforcrafts.blogspot.com/ - DEBBIE FOR THE PLEASURE HER WORK BRINGS. AND HER KIND HEART.

http://siggi-shop.blogspot.com/ - JO FOR HER GREAT SKETCH CHALLENGE

http://artygirlzchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - MY FAVOURITE CHALLENGE BLOG

Sketch Saturday - Your choice

Hello I chose the sketch at the top as my favourite. The card underneath is the original card I did for the sketch and the one with Tilda on is my interpretation for this time around. I used basic grey "two scoops" and I added sequins and gems. I used my tag best wishes sentiment to which I added an eyelet. I love Tilda so I used her again!!!!! I cut out the flower on the bottom backing paper and layered it onto the top to add interest to the sketch.

More Tilda and thank you's...

Had to colour in another Tilda and have to make lots of thank you's! I wanted to create a shabby vintage look to this card. I used BG papers and I added some stamping to them to vintage them a bit. I then tore the edges and inked them to create a shabby feel. I added a thank you tag I made and of course my Tilda topper. I also added some corners and a bit of ribbon. I have been a bit hungover today so nice to get some crafting in to make me feel refreshed!

Boxing Day quickie!!!

Well ... we came home this morning from my partners sisters house. I had coloured this Tilda on christmas morning. I decided to make a quick thank you card. I used papermania papers, I used my quickcutz die cuts to cut the ovals. I added a sentiment stamp some buttons and bows. I am so shattered ,after a fun christmas day! Santa came for the kids so we spent most of the morning opening presents...we were then picked up ... our motor is off the road at the moment. We ate a cracking roast turkey dinner all the trimmings!!!! Had a cracker fight. Opened more presents, drank wine and baileys, watched Mamma Mia on DVD. Ate cheese with crackers, drank more wine. Watched Christmas Eastenders ...... Finally got the kids to sleep at 9.30pm. We crashed fairly soon after. I never sleep well at others houses. So in all truth I am glad to be home.

Cute Card Thursday - Open theme

The theme for Cute card Thursday is open theme. I am adoring my new Tilda stamps so have made another Thank you card with this gorgeous image. I also had a visit by Mr Postie who brought me a lovely brown box filled with goodies from Crafty Devils. I used the papermania papers that were "a pound" for 50 sheets and the See-D vintage stamps for the faux stitching and corners. Guess I will be colouring in over christmas!!!

Papertake weekly - Dawny's sketch

Well into the Thank you card making now!!! Oh .... and I have found a new addiction... yes creating Tilda's! I have made this little thank you card using the beautiful sketch over at Papertake weekly. I stamped my valentine Tilda stamp and coloured her in using sakura pens and Marvy's. I used Dovecraft hint of pink papers. I used my quickcuts to create a frame for her to sit on. And the red plastic is a wrapper from my favourite strawberry quality street. I ran it through the cuttlebug to give it some character. I inked the edges and I added a sentiment and some gems from the stash. I am having to get thrifty as OH gets made redundant next month. Merry Christmas to all you lovely crafters in blogland!!!!

Magnolia vs Stampavie - sketch

A first time for me joining the Magnolia vs Stampavie challenge. I brought some Magnolia stamps having been ooogling them for ages on other peoples blogs. I treated myself to 2. They are a sheer joy to work with. I have coloured these with my sakura and Marvy's. The other items papers and embellishments are from the stash. Such a gorgeous sketch and I hope to join in more in the New Year. Off to finish the wrapping!!!!!

Thank you card

I have made a start on my Thank you cards. I made this one this afternoon ,as no mad rush to pick up my babies. I used my new glaze pens to colour in the image and the cuttlebug border and the sentiment. I put the image onto felt that I had put through the cuttlebug, I then matted onto pink card that I edged with purple sakura pen. I layered that onto some green card that I put through the cuttle bug. I made some felt flowers and added gems. I used a creamy colour for the main card and added some swirls.

Sketch Saturday

Hi I have made a birthday card for the sketch saturday challenge. I have used glaze pens to colour in most of the image and create some doodling on the frame. I used a paperartsy stamp and added glaze pen and gems on the edges of the card. I used the cuttlebug and some dovecraft papers and some ribbon from my stash and a birthday sentiment. It is my interpretation of the sketch so I hope it suffices.

Penny Black challenge - Multi fold

Hiya, I have made a card for the OH..... sshh he is celebrating his forty something two days before christmas. He has walked in and out during the construction of this card and not barely noticed. That's men for you! The challenge at penny black challenge this week is to make a multi fold card incorporating a penny black product. I made this pop up card. I used sakura stardust and glaze pens to colour the images, the papers are by dove craft and the sentiment are cosmo cricket. I used the tissue paper technique to get a mirror image again and then made a twirly centre thingy for my pop up ( hmm hope that makes sense). What a fabby prize santa has produced (Wowee!) a Funky hand CD rom.

Daring Cardmakers - Traditional Gold and Silver

Hi this is my card for Daring Cardmakers challenge. The challenge to use traditional gold and silver. I am now onto the Thank you cardmaking! This is a thank you card I made. It is made with Mirrorboard that I have embossed to make it look corrugated. I then added some squares of patterned paper matted with silver mirrorboard. I die cut the heart tag added some ribbon and made a thank you sentiment.

Tag your it! - Secret Santa

Hi, I am salivating over the prize on offer. Funky Hand Christmas CD!!!! The challenge has been set by the very inspirational Dawn. It is secret santa and you have to create a tag that reflects this idea. You remember in the office when you used to put all the names of the people in a hat and you pulled one out. You had to buy a present for a set amount of money. It may be a funny present(tag) or one that reflects the personality or simply be a secret santa tag.

I have been terribly boring and made a collage tag. I used an old image of Santa and sentiment from a recycled card. I then stamped a smaller tag and put a question mark on it to be the secret part.

All my babies have finished there school and nursery. I have an abundance of wrapping to do. Having to develop a stradegy to keep the children out of the way so I can wrap it all up. So I better start on the tags as I will have to put those on as I wrap to remember who's is who's!!!!!

Cuttlebug challenge #11 - Criss cross card

Hi, this week over at the cuttlebug challenge blog. there is a tutorial link on how to make a criss cross card. So they have challenged us to make one. I made this baby card. I stamped onto baby blue pearlescent card a crown stamp that came free with craft stamper. I then added some triangular borders. I ran my inked congratulations folder through the cuttlebug and placed inside the card. I made a holder from ribbon and added the sentiment boy and made a motif. I then doodled everywhere as I am a little bit addicted to it. A great idea that I will use time upon time again. Thanks cuttlebug team!

Arty Girlz challenge

I made this ATC for the challenge over at artygirlz. You need to make an ATC or anything the size of an ATC or smaller. You can make an inchie,twinchie, card topper. I am in the christmas vibe so I have made a christmas themed atc. I used glitter mists and cuttlebugged the background then used felt pen to highlight some of the embossing. I added a piano and a robin and the caption. Feeling a bit worse for wear today. How I managed to get up and take the kids to school I will never know. I consumed at least a bottle of wine at my reunion with my old uni pal. We ate yummy tapas and remembered. He treated me as it is chrimbo and he is working! I had an amazing evening and can't wait to do it all again.

Final teacher present

The mojo came back this am! I have had a fabby day and still more of it to come. I gave out the pyramid boxes today and spent 10 minutes with my son's teacher discussing how I created it. She loved the glimmer mist effect. Before I even took the kids to school I made the candle. It took about 15 minutes and it is the second one I have ever done. Coloured in using the colouring pencils and stardust pens. I made a co-ordinating card and box too. I hope she likes it! I used the same colours as on the candle but it shows how much tissue paper sofens colour. I am off out with a friend who contacted me on friends reunited. He is about 18 years older than me. We met at Uni and have not seen each other for over 15 years. I am nervous and excited. We are going for a drink and then for something to eat. We had a great bond back then so I hope that is how we will be now.

Ahh that is better!

Well spent the last two hours playing with my blog design!!! ...... been meaning to have a makeover for a while. I have not got a mojo for craft design today. I need to make a gift and a card for the head ,who is leaving school and I need to make a gift and some cards for the teachers at nursery. I am going to do a candle for the head but need big inspiration and it is not coming!!!!! Right c'mon P think really hard what would she like. I am off to search the stash and try to create a masterpiece. She will want perfection. C U all later.

Christmas gifts for the teachers

Hi, My daddy came up to see me today. I have not seen him for 6 months or so. He moved to Cornwall ten years ago.... when my mum and him seperated. I see him for a few hours every six months ,so I get emotional with it all. I love him ,but our relationship has somehow disintergrated ,due to the fact we see so little of each other nowadays. They don't get on ,so it means that we can never be together as a family, ever again. I being the sensitive type find this incredibly difficult. Never mind, I got out the glimmer mists and made these triangualer gift boxes for the treelight candleholders I brought for the kids teachers. I just sprayed the card with red and green glimmer mists and then stamped using various paperartsy stamps. I then created some matching tags and added some ribbon to co-ordinate. I am dead happy and I love making these as it takes one piece of A4 card and no gluey mess just a few folds.

Penny Black Challenge - 3,2,1

It's a recipe! 3 flowers, 2 papers and 1 ribbon. I made this birthday card. I stamped the image onto tissue paper on opposite sides to create a mirror image. I then glued it using PVA to some white acrylic paper. I coloured the image using marvy's and colouring pencils and chalks. I added some doodles and a crystal lacquer. I then used hint of pink papers on the inside and outside of the card. I turned the corner to add some interest and to show the two papers. I used a ribbon from my new stash and I added 3 flowers to complete. I also added a bunch of flowers in the corner to brighten it up. I will use it for one of my daughters friends or a girlie friend. Horrible day here in London, windy,wet and wintery! My daughter is going to diggerland with the brownies, I have just dropped her off and I am not sure they are going to stay very dry. Here's hoping!

Daring cardmakers - Ten minute Christmas card

Hi, here is my ten minute card for Daring cardmakers challenge. I made the backing paper last year using my graphics program ( now obselete since computer crashed big time). I cut out a square from some wrapping paper and matted and layered to make the topper and added some peel offs. Just had a diagnosis for my OH he has Inflammatory Polyarthritis. He has had the medication bumped up again. At least the rheumatologist seemed helpful this time around. He spent 6 hours waiting at the hospital. If anyone prays please pray for him!

tag your it - aqua and brown

A stunning colour combination to work with! Sarah has chosen aqua and brown as the theme for this weeks tag your it challenge. I decided to get arty and I used acrylics to paint my backgrounds a rich copper brown, and for the aqua I mixed blue,green and white. I added some swirls a stamp and some gems and ribbon from my new stash. I did a bit of doodling to finish off. Promise it looks better in real life. Photo mojo just shot to pieces. I have been poorly spent yesterday flaked out so that can be my excuse. My eldest daughter was very sick too..... she was actually sick! I was meant to go out last night and tonight so it was just my luck to fall ill.

Ribbon frenzy!

Hello all ribbon addicts! I found a really cool website http://www.craftyribbons.com/ I ordered and received the very next day! I ordered this little bundle (59 metres) it cost just under £10.00 and I even got a freebie. They do some great value packs (£3.00 for about 18 metres) and the selection of ribbon is huge. Take a peek! LOL Px

Christmas frenzy!

I thought it was all over making cards etc for christmas but alas I had to make some last minute ones. We are putting together a hamper for a needy person and I had one or two that I needed to make last minute. I did a challenge a long while back for the basic grey challenge and I loved the card I made so here are some variations.

Penny Black challenge - Sketch

I have made a birthday card, yes I have put down the glitz and glitter of christmas and made a non christmas card for the for the first time in ages for the penny black challenge. I have made a birthday card for the pretty sketch. I used the mice with the cake image by penny black. The sentiment stamp is stamps away. I used chalks and colouring pencils for the image. I also stamped another penny black stamp onto some Basic Grey paper. I added some tissue paper and some ribbon to comply with the sketch.

sketch saturday - 28

For this fantastic sketch I dug out the TSV, stroked the paper and started to create. I used the DL card that came with it. I then picked out a co ordinating border and backing papers. I attatched a scalloped oval ( clevercuts) that I had inked to one of the backing papers. I stamped an owl onto the branch that is on the paper. I put some 3D laquer onto this to give it some definition. I then inked some vellum flowers added gems to decorate. I added the sentiment and the card is made. This sketch is fabulous to work with. I am off to eat my lamb shanks smothered in rosemary and garlic, potatoes, carrots and peas!

Basic Grey challenge - Oh so charming!

Hello sorry to everyone who is bored with christmas cards, but I still have some to get done. I made this using "two scoops" papers. I got the ribbon technique from Kaths blog. http://kath-allthatglitter.blogspot.com/ I got the label templates ( which I think are similar to new nestibilities) from the following blog Mel's stampz http://melstampz.blogspot.com/2008/12/square-label-or-note-shape-templates.html An aladdins cave of tips by the way! I made the little charm and stamped a merry christmas sentiment onto the label and used a paperartsy stamp to add some interest.

Hi this week daring cardmakers theme is "This week you can make any card you like - so it can still be for Christmas, or to say Thank You or a card for any occasion you like, but I'd like you to look for your inspiration right there, in your home." I made this card inspired by the lights we put up for christmas. I know there will be an appropriate time for it's use. I used my christmas paperartsy stamps ,to stamp the lights onto photo copying paper, stuck onto card and doodled around them. I then printed the sentiment from Microsoft word and stuck it on. Great challenge and fun to do. Thanks.

Tag your're it! - Triangle

Sorry another christmas one! I used the papers and templates that came free with a copy of crafts beautiful and a lovely couple of paperartsy stamps and of course some doodles. I used cream card and as one of my stamps messed up I sponged on some of the same colour ink all over. Great challenge Carol! Endless possibilities.