Tuesday 28 February 2012

Wedding no 2

I thought I'd have a quieter week this week, the first of the monkeys were posted at the weekend and work was looking quite manageable with only one afternoon's overtime on top of my normal 17.5 hours so I expected to be able to relax a little and maybe start the next batch of monkeys but one of my poor colleagues has come down with shingles and suddenly I have another three shifts so not much time for crafting after all :o(

This is the second of the 4 wedding cards I made at the weekend (see last post), again I have left off any personalisation before showing this on my blog, I don't want the happy couple to come across it inadvertently! The image is from Meljens and the papers are First Edition from Trimcraft. The ribbon and lace were in my stash - I think the ribbon was actually part a Christmas gift. The sentiment again comes from an Inkadinkado set.

 

Entering it on these challenges: 
Crafty Bloggers Network - Spring time 
House of Gilli - Green 
Make it Monday - Always anything goes 
Nettie G's Digital Gems - Anything goes  
Squigglefly - Spring is in the air
There's Magic in the Air - Critter in the image
PanPastel UK Challenge - Use a ribbon
Hiding in my Craft Room - Bring on some spring

Monday 27 February 2012

4 weddings......

A good friend of my daughter's asked me to make 4 wedding cards for friends getting married this year and today's card is the first of the four, I'm showing it before adding any personalisation just in case.....!
The image is from Tiddly Inks and I've coloured it with Promarkers, I've mixed the backing papers - 1 from 7 Gypsies and 1 First Editions by Trimcraft. I die cut the hearts with a Sizzlits die and distressed the edges and cut the bird from the 7 Gypsies paper by hand then inked the edges. The sentiment is from Inkadinkado.


Again I just wanted to acknowledge and say thanks
for two more top 3 places




and a Sassy Studios win from my recent challenge entries,
thanks so much!


Entering today's card for the following:
That Craft Place - Anything Goes 
Little Claire's  - Romance 
Delightful Challenges Use patterned paper
Do You Stack Up? Distress 
Sassy Cheryl's - NO Embossing 
Crafty Sentiments - Designer/Different Papers
Southern Girls Distressing

Friday 24 February 2012

A quickie

I've a quick card to share today before I go and start sewing eyes and mouths on the sock monkeys I've been working on for the past couple of days. I felt that I needed to go and do some colouring to have a short break from sewing so I picked this digi from Pollycraft which had been sitting on my desk and coloured her with Promarkers. I used  Bloom & Grow papers from My Mind's Eye, die cuts from Cheery Lyn and Whimsy Stamps and a sentiment from Pink Petticoat. 

Must get on now - the monkeys are waiting :o)

 

Entering challenges at: 
Crop Stop - Include at least 3 flowers 
Moving Along With The Times Lots of layers 
Paper Pretties - Punches/diecuts 
Sisterhood of Crafters  - Use a digi 
Simon Says Stamp - 3 different papers 
Digital Tuesday - Make it sparkle  
Top Tip Tuesday Magical, mystical, fantasy  
Make it Monday - Always anything goes 

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Jumping for joy

Today's card expresses the way I'm feeling at the moment - if you are a regular visitor to my blog you might remember some of the other crafts I enjoy, one of which is the sock monkeys I make and ocasionally sell at craft fairs. Well I have just had an order for 250 of them! A lot of hard work ahead but I'm very happy to take on the challenge although my cardmaking may have to take a bit of a backseat for a while. I've not been told the timescale yet but I know that there isn't an early deadline so I hope to be able to fit in some cards and blogging when I can.


I have used a recent freebie from the fabulous Mo Manning which I colored with Promarkers. I can't remember where the fabric flowers with their glittered centres came from - I've had them for such a long time! - the backing papers are from Making Memories and the sentiment is from Woodwares.
Oh and before I go I'd like to say a huge thanks for the three top 3 places from my last week's challenge entries!


Entering challenges at:
Creative Mondays - Anything goes
Lollipop Crafts - Anything goes 
Make it Monday - Always anything goes
MyGrafico - Flowers   
The Crazy Challenge - Use a die or punch
Addicted to Stamps - Birthday card with dots 
One Stitch At A Time - Use a digi or no image 
Paper Sundaes - Birthday

Sunday 19 February 2012

Thinking ahead

I don't know about you, but the fact that it's getting a little bit lighter in the evenings has got me looking forward to the summer time and the long, light evenings. We are also having some lovely clear sunny days at the moment, our little part of Scotland has escaped the wintry weather that is afflicting the north and west of the country and it looks as if it's warm as well (- it's really not!!) but when you look out of the window at the clear blue sky it does lift the spirits a bit :o)

My card today has very summery feel, I based it around the fun ribbon which I've had in my stash forever and coloured the lovely Sugar Nellie image - which I chose because the detail in her clothes and hair band matches my ribbon so well - with Promarkers. The backing papers are a mix of Basic Grey and Trimcraft First Editions and are both shades of my favourite turqouise/teal colour.


Entering it for these challenges:
Crafty Ann's - Bold & Bright 
Crafty Catz - Favourite Things (colour)
Guylou's Inimitability - Girlie, Girlie 
Totally Papercrafts – Ribbons and / or Bows 
Craft Us Crazy Favourite colour or embellishment 
Pretty Little Ribbon Shop  Anything goes with ribbon 
Sparkles Forum Challenges - Things with Wings 
Flutterby Wednesdays - Anything with wings

Friday 17 February 2012

Don't be square

Anything but a square project or card is our theme this fortnight at Cardmadfairy's Digi Days so I have made a tag with a pocket for a gift card as my dt project. I used the digi stamp Fender, available here and added embellishments including lace, sticky gems, ribbon and a guitar pick from my stash. I also used my new mini ticket stamps and die from Whimsy Stamps.


Entering these challenges:
Cooking It Up With Katie - Something spooled, metal, sentiment
Crafts and Me - Distressed
Inky Impressions - Punches/dies
Whimsy Inspiration - Anything but square card
Anything Goes Challenge - Eyes down bingo board (top left to bottom right)
Digital Tuesday - Use your stash 
Kaboodle Doodles - Boys or masculine 
Make it Monday - Always anything goes 
 

Thursday 16 February 2012

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary is the theme at Charisma Cardz this week, so much love around at the moment - makes you feel all warm & fuzzy :o) 
My card was made with a digi image from Squiggle Stamps which I coloured with Promarkers then cut around and stuck on an embossed and die cut circle. The papers are First Edition from Trimcraft and the banner is one of my own digi stamps. 
I can't say I'm very happy with my card today - it definitely looked a whole lot better in my head!!


These are the challenges I'm entering:
Crafting for all Seasons - Love is in the air 
Digistamps 4 Joy - Love  
Divas by Design - Wings
Truly Scrumptious - All creatures great and small
Crafty Bloggers Network - Love is in the air
That Craft Place - Love is all around  
Crafty Calendar - Love and marriage 
Delicious Doodles - All loved up

Wednesday 15 February 2012

A gift box

I made this gift box for my niece Rachael's birthday present, The steampunk style necklace I chose for her had a key dangling from it so I decided to use a key stamp from Stampin Up to carry the theme on - it seemed quite appropriate for her 21st birthday. 


The backing paper is from a really old set of papers I bought at Costco around 5 years ago and I used the reverse of it to die cut my matting layer. The edges were all distressed either with ink or my special distressing emery board :o) The flowers all came from Wild Orchid and the die cut flourishes are from Whimsy Stamps. I finished it off with some lace from my stash and a fabric covered bird which was also from Wild Orchid.

I did take a picture of the necklace and earrings in the gift box but it was too out of focus to show so these are the pics from Bitter Island the great Folksy shop I bought them from:

 

Entering these challenges:
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Celebrations 
Make it Monday - Always anything goes
The Cutie Pie Challenge - Anything but a card
Oldie But Goodie Challenge - Lace (the backing paper is my old item)
Scrappy Frogs - Die Cuts 

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Time Flies

Today's card is the Valentine’s card I made for my husband Neil, unbelievably this is the 26th year we've exchanged Valentine's cards and I can still remember the first one he gave me - seems like only weeks ago not more than a quarter of a century!

The stamps I have used are from the Time Flies set by Whimsy Stamps so I'm entering this for their Love themed challenge.


Also entering these challenges:
Cards For Men - Valentines day/ Love 
Crafty Bloggers Network - Love is in the Air
Crafty Boots - Valentines
Creative Stamp Friends - Valentine
Lexi's Creations - Love
Ooh La La Creations - Be My Valentine
Scrappers Delights - Love
Stamp and Create - Valentines/Love 
The Crazy Challenge - Valentines day
Victorine Originals - Love/Valentines
Addicted to Stamps- Valentines/Love
Dream Valley Challenges - Valentine
Gingerloft - Love is in the Air
The Squirrel & the Fox  - Valentines day   
Whimsy Stamps - Love themed     

Sunday 12 February 2012

Happy Birthday Rachael!

My lovely niece Rachael who has been in town since Friday celebrating her 21st with some of her Scottish chums is now on her way out of Edinburgh on the number 37 bus to see us here in Penicuik, the Leek & Potato soup is ready and the Cappuchino cupcakes await her imminent arrival!


I just have time to share the card I made for her birthday:


I have used a digi stamp from Crafts & Me called Hidden Treasures but I have only used a small part of the image - because her hair reminds me of Rachael's but my niece is not actually a mermaid so I cut off her tail lol!
Image was coloured with Promarkers, the dps are by Crate Paper.

Entering these challenges:
Allsorts - Free and easy February
Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Red, white and pink 
Poodles Parlour - Anything
Craft Us Crazy - Anything goes
Sassy Studio Designs Birthday card
Scrapbook Sisters - Anything goes
Ribbon Carousel Challenge - Anything goes
Robyn’s Fetish - Square Cards
The Hybrid Chick Card Caravan - Use Ribbon

Friday 10 February 2012

Panda Love

Oh we love our new giant pandas here in Edinburgh, with Yang Guang and Tian Tian settling nicely into to Edinburgh Zoo their popularity has really taken off so I wasn't completely surprised when Jack, a friend of my son Owen, asked me to make a Valentine’s card for his girlfriend featuring, you guessed it, a panda!
I found a free digi image here at Sliekje’s Stamps and I swapped out the bamboo leaves for hearts to make the image appropriate for my purpose. The sentiment was computer generated and for a change I also decorated the inside of the card


Entering the following:
4 Crafty Chicks - Valentines/Love 
C.R.A.F.T. - Valentines 
Forever Friends Valentine 
Hanna & Friends Be my Valentine
Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Valentines & love 
Rainbow Lady's - Have a heart
Crafting for all Seasons Love is in the Air 
Creative Belli - Hearts/Valentine 
Digistamps 4 Joy Love 
Divas by Design - Love 
I Love PromarkersLove 
My Mum's Craft shopLove 

Thursday 9 February 2012

Sassy

I'm sitting here this morning waiting for a phone call, I've twice missed a call from someone I've been waiting to hear from but when I've tried to return the call the number has either been engaged or the person has been out of the office. Why is it that when you are available and waiting the phone never rings but when you're in the bathroom, flying out the door on the way to work, driving, or trying to eat your dinner it does! So frustrating :o)

The image I've used on today's card is one of a couple I have just won from Sassy Design Studios, I really enjoyed colouring her up using my Promarkers and giving her some lovely red hair! I have used papers from Basic Grey, both Hello Luscious but one from a 6 x 6 pad and one 12 x 12. I've embellished with a variety of flourishes, part of a doily, some chipboard flowers & sentiment, lace, a couple of pearls and a punched bird from Stampin Up. I also added some faux stitching to finish my edges off nicely.


Entering it for these challenges:
Crafts and Me - New image
Celebrate the Occasion - Anything goes birthday
Crafty Sentiments - Let's get girly
Flourishes - Fly away with me
Paper Take Weekly - Anything goes 
Make it Monday - Always anything goes
Paper Creations Ink - Recipe: 1 image, 2 patterned papers, 3 embellishments 
Sew Many Cards - Birthday 
Squigglefly - Birthday Card

Tuesday 7 February 2012

I loved the free digi stamp this month from Silly Dilly Stamp Club and had to make a card with it immediately!! I printed the image out three times at 2 sizes and using the larger image I cut out the image then coloured the background with distress inks and spritzed it with a little gold glimmer mist before colouring the image with Promarkers. I also cut out some hearts from one of the smaller images and coloured them to match, finally giving them all a good covering of glossy accents. When the hearts had dried I put the card together with papers from basic Grey and DCWV. I added a length of glittery black ribbon and part of a sentiment from a Papermania set and doodled a length of string to match the image and to hang the spare hearts from. In case you're wondering, the other image I printed out is destined for an art journal page I'm working on :o)


Entering the challenges at:
Dilly Bean Stamps - Zombie Love
Crafty Boots - Valentines 
Creative Stamp Friends - Valentine
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge - Valentine's day
Hooked on CraftsHearts 
House of Gilli - Love 
Lollipop Crafts - Valentine's day Card 
Make it Monday - always Anything Goes 
My Craft Spot - Valentines
Stamp and Create - Valentine’s/Love 
Stamp with Fun  - Love 
Stamps & Fun = Creativity Hearts
Stamps R Us - Valentine/Love 
Victorine Originals - Love/Valentines

Sunday 5 February 2012

A perfect pair

I was asked by a colleague to make a wedding card for a couple who were very outdoorsy and who bought each other walking boots for Christmas so I thought I'd have a little fun with the idea and created a card around the boots! 

I used Photoshop to create the image and printed it out in black and white adding some subtle colour with Promarkers before adding Glossy accents to “his” and Stickles to “hers”. The card was completed with some K&Co backing paper, flowers from Wild Orchid, a chipboard heart covered with more K&Co paper, computer generated text and a little die cut tag - the wording ‘a perfect pair’ suggested by my youngest son Evan :o)
 
 

Entering the following:
Catch The Bug - February Anything Goes
Crafty Calendar - February Love and Marriage
My Sheri Crafts - Love is in the Air 
Our Creative Corner - Love is in the Air
Crafty Ann's - Love is in the Air
Delicious Doodles - All Loved Up
Fairy Tale - Love, Love, Love 
By the Cute & Girly Love is in the Air 
Cupcake Craftroom New Beginnings 
Joanna Sheen Challenge Love is in the air 
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Love is in the air

Friday 3 February 2012

Hearts

Another very cold morning here in Scotland but no snow for us yet, it's still bright and sunny but is that about to change?
For the next two weeks the theme at Cardmadfairy's Digi Days the theme is Hearts - should be easy enough with Valentine's Day just around the corner! I have used one of my older digi stamps, Lulu, for my dt card. I decided to paper piece her clothes and heart and coloured the rest of the image with Promarkers. The papers I have used are 7 Gypsies Victoria. The embellishment in the bottom right hand corner is from an old belt which I dismantled to recycle on craft projects. Hope you like it!


Challlenges entered:
Creative Belli - Hearts/Valentine
Fab 'n' Funky - Use a digi
Flutterby Wednesdays - Open
Little Red Wagon - Valentine's Day/Love
Paper Pretties - Ribbon or twine
Paper Shelter Challenge - Love is in the air
Penny's Paper-Crafty - Love is in the air
Truly Scrumptious - Love and hearts
Craft Room Challenge - Valentines
Oldie But Goodie Challenge - Have a heart
Stamp-N-Doodle - Romance, Love, Valentine's
The Stamping Boutique - Valentines

Thursday 2 February 2012

Vintage

Good morning all and a very cold and frosty one it is too, but beautiful - the sun is shining and making the frost sparkle. I'm happy that I have the morning off and can enjoy the view from our window while I catch up with a few chores before heading off to work.

Today I have my dt offering for the Charisma Cardz challenge to share, our theme this week is Vintage and we have two great sponsors: Simon Says Stamp and Pink Cat Studio. I have used one of Leanne Ellis’s images from Sugar Nellie, which I coloured using a mix of distress ink and Promarkers, I was trying to acheive a kind of sepia look to tie in with the vintage theme. The ribbon and the backing paper have been in my stash forever so I've no idea who the manufacturers are. The little tea roses I picked up in Hobbycraft - they have such a great range of colours I always struggle to choose between them but these ones turned out to be perfect for this card! I used some gold Glimmer Mist on the doily to age it a bit and used my nesties to cut the scalloped circle and the image out of cardstock.


Entering these challenges:
Divas by Design - Anything goes
Whimsical Wednesdays - Something old
Crafty Sentiments - Punches &/or dies
Die Cuttin' Divas - Anything goes
Creative Stamp Friends - Old-fashioned or antique
Kaboodle Doodles - It’s all about girls
Make it Monday - Always anything goes 
Craft Your Days Away - Distressing
Secret Crafter - Ribbons