April Showers

Todays challenge at Crafty Cardmakers has been set by Tracey, who has chosen the theme 'April Showers bring May Flowers' and her criteria is 'cards that include an image of something rain related and are embellished with at least 2 flowers'.

(Remember in order to qualify for one of the prizes from our two sponsors this time -  (a $10 gift voucher to spend at Di's Digi Downloads and a £10 voucher from The Stampman (and Lady of course!)) 

 
So here's my DT card - have you ever come up with something that you think is a good idea? And then when you come to try and execute your idea you wish you hadn't bothered??? Well this was one light bulb moment that maybe I should have turned off as soon as the light came on!

I fiddled about with it for ages until the finished article looked half way presentable! And then trying to photograph it was a nightmare as the light was terrible!

The shape is a template from Whimsy Stamps and this is why I had so much trouble - not the template itself but as I don't have a cutting machine I had to cut it by hand - and I am really bad at following lines!! Consequently it's a bit hit and miss if two sides actually turn out looking anything like each other!!!!

But it's not too bad now..... I don't think!!

I used 300gsm card for the actual template then covered with papers are by K and Co. The handle is simply colored with a promarker and finished with two eyelets.

Once all layers were assembled, I covered the inside with plain cream paper and stamped a few flourishes using Shabby Shutters DI to leave a suitable surface for writing a greeting.

Tracey wanted at least 2 flowers so I attached these tiny pink flowers to the points of the brolly and added a die cut flourish, some pink ribbon and a couple of suitable blinged Victorian Velvet Distress inked butterflies.

The sentiment was a freebie from BrossArt, printed onto cream card and cut out with a nestie. I attached it using a tiny peg.

Using the heavyweight cardstock as a base meant that the card stands up without any props (thankfully!!!).

Well there it is, hope it has inspired you to come over to CCM  and have a go this week!
I am currently in the process of moving house! Will try and catch up with you all as often as I can over the next few weeks -  Hugz from me. x

Challenges - 
Cheerful Stamp Pad - April Showers
Cute Card Thursday - Can't stop the Rain
Word Play Saturday - Weather
Kraftyhands - April Showers

Cardboard Boxes

Slipped away from the bubble wrap and cardboard boxes to do this quick post - after all the anquish of the last two weeks (and the previous 2 and a half years)  it now looks like we will finally be leaving here early next week.
Will be glad in one sense as it's far too big for us and the huge garden is now becoming a chore rather than a labour of love, but will also be very sad as I have been here for over 25 years. Time for a fresh start....
So I will try and keep popping in and out until we go - then will have to use the lappie as nothing connected in the new house and as it's all finally come together in the last 3 days it will be a while before we can get PC's up and running....
Made a couple of quickie cards whilst resting my back from the packing and also finally managed to add the finishing touches to this one -

He just makes me smile - not many in the Premiership of English Football look like this do they????? LOL
Don't know how he can see the ball with his round tum - never mind chase round after it!

All shapes cut with Nesties and the paper is odd bits from my stash.

The image is called 'Dunderton Academicals' from Dr Digi and I layered him up a bit to give him some definition from the background.

The sentiments are all PC generated and I applied liberal helpings of Antique Linen DI all over the place in an attempt to make it as grubby as his shorts!I can think of one or two players who live by the aforementioned 'Rules'.... LOL

I made a stand for the back as opposed to a 'flip open' card and covered the stand in footie paper.

Hope all is well in all your worlds and thanks for looking. x

Challenges -
Creative Corner - Unusual Shapes
Crafty Catz - One for the Boys
One Stop Craft - Not Square
1 Stitch at a Time - Use a Digi
Cards for Men - Anything Goes

Stress and Sentiments!

I have not had any inclination for crafting this last week  but yesterday sat and forced myself to make 'something'- I am hoping that it doesn't look too 'thrown together' and completely lacking in imagination!
We are currently going through one of the 3 (so they say) most stressful times in a person's life - having previously experienced 2 - divorce and death - this house selling is by far the worst time in my life to date. We are still in limbo, having had to cancel the removal firm once, we are running up huge solicitors bills, and all because we are waiting (as are our buyers) for their solicitor to get his act together. This has now been going on for weeks and quite frankly I am thoroughly sick of it all.
Enough of my personal problems - am sure you all have enough of your own without listening to mine....

So back to the 'something' card!

I have had this beautiful linen textured wedgewood blue colour patterned paper since last year - and I decided it was about time I steeled myself and used it.

Not having any enthusiasm/inclination for colouring images I just distressed and stitched the paper onto a plain darker shade background.
Added two pieces of gorgeous lace which was a present from a blogging buddy and edged a bit of shabby seam binding in between the two strips.

Made a bow and had a metal filigree circle (again in my stash for years) which I stitched to the bow centre. The blue/white resin cameo flower circle brought it all together.

Sentiment stamped onto a nestie tag using Adirondack 'Stonewashed' ink and hung a metal birdcage and birdie charm from the bottom of the tag with a scrap from another tag!

Finished with some pearl pins, a couple of flat backed pearls and die cut corners.
Inside co-ordinated to match.

Thanks for sticking with me whilst my blogging is sporadic - I appreciate that you come back and love reading your comments. Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Challenges -
Little Red Wagon - Cameo
Live & Love Crafts - Bingo (Lace, Vintage, Pearls)
Charisma Cardz - Colours of a Flag (Finland -blue and white)
Papercrafting Journey - Use a Sentiment
Craft Room - So Sentimental
Crafty sentiments - Pearls and Lace
Oldie but Goodie - Girly  (my paper and metal circle both over 6 months old)
Belli - Pastels
Totally Papercrafts - Monochromatic

CAS

I have had a week of ups and downs, none of which I will bore you with, but sometimes don't you wish that you could just get through one day without more bad news/stressful situations/illness and anything else that contrives to add up to a crappy day????
I try to keep reminding myself that there's millions of others who are worse off than me at this moment in time!!
So how did I try to cheer myself up and shake off all this doom and gloom??? By making sympathy cards of course................... I know, I know, probably wasn't the best idea but didn't have one single solitary one in my stash and on Sunday I was asked by 4 different people if I had any!
I won't depress everyone even further by sharing them all, promise! Will save them for another day!
Here's one which wasn't exactly intended as a sympathy card but is likely to be sent to someone to let her know we're thinking about her as she goes through a particularly difficult time.

I used basic linen textured card. After cutting out a panel to fit across the card I ran it through a houndstooth embossing folder and wrapped a length of brown and white gingham ribbon across the centre, then stuck it on the card using 3d pads.

The stamps are an assortment from different companies but all are inked with Versafine Sepia Ink. I added some Stickles to the seed heads in the centre oval for a wee bit of sparkle.

The ovals were cut with a nestie using the scraps from the card base.
Sentiment stamped on bottom with same ink.

Sorry about the poor pic - think my little digi camera is about to go to the picture gallery in the sky as my pics are not as good as they should be................. or maybe it's ME????? LOL

Challenges -
Crafty Creations - No Squares
Card Mania - Diecuts/Punches 
Card Crafters Circle - Die cuts/dry embossing
Cards by Lady Anne Stamping Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafty Bloggers - Anything Goes
HIMCR - Scraps Saturday
My Craft Spot - Anything Goes

It's been a gloriously sunny day here today - am just off for a stroll down the lane to feed the ducks! Thanks for calling in. x

Dragonfly Dreams

Hello from a wet and cold north west of England! After a couple of quite nice, sunny (if a bit chilly) days we are blessed today with rain and grey skies.
Everyone is talking about Spring - well it ain't sprung here! Think even the daffodils are sorry they've opened their heads to face the world.

In anticipation that Spring is just around the corner (well we can hope can't we???) I made a card using a stamp I longed for then when it was bought for me didn't ink! (Not until now that is....)

I used Stazon Timber Brown and stamped the lovely dragonfly and sentiment on ivory pearlised card - which is really hard to nab a decent pic of - must be to do with the reflection off the paper I think.

The 'Dragonfly Dreams' sentiment was part of a set from the Stamp Bug many moons ago and thought that it gave the card a 'neutral' theme so it could be used for many things. 
I also resisted the temptation to put on flowers, die cuts and all the other usual things that I automatically reach for.

The backing papers are from the 'use these up 'cos they're too big to throw away' box, think one was a digi download and all the elements were matted layered and stitched onto dark brown card.

I added some two tone cream and brown ribbon, tied a little bow, and a bronze pearl. (Knew I wouldn't be able to just leave it plain!)
Hope Spring has arrived where you are! x

Challenges -
Papercrafting Journey - Monochrome
Pan Pastel - Stamped Image
Rhedd & Rosies - Monochrome
Milk Coffee - Welcome Spring
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
Creative moments - Things with Wings

Lime & Green

This week at Less is More the challenge is a colour one.
Lime and Green are what we were given to work with - I finished one but have another in mind so who knows I may well get to put in 2 entries this week if I get my act together!!

I used the usual linen textured cardstock and in the scrap box found some bits of papers left over from the Basic Grey 'Sultry' pad.

This was a quick card and am pleased with the finished result.
The black frame was also cut from linen textured card.
I used a punch for the butterfly and dabbed a wee bit of Versa Ink across it in 'Key Lime' colour.
The black gems are from my stash as a girly has to have a bit of bling!
Sentiment stamped with black Versafine.

(Now that I've taken a pic of this card it looks less Lime than it does 'in real life' !)

Am also popping across to the 'Playground' this week with my 'sultry snippets' - and try not to spread my germs!

Thanks to all of you who have left me get well wishes - cough is not as bad but lingering!

Other Challenges -
Pixies Crafty Playground - Weekly Snippets (and a go on the swings!!)
Basic Grey - CAS
2 Sisters - Anything Goes
Hobbycutz - CAS

Enjoy your day whatever you're doing and thanks for visiting! x
 

Birds In My Hair

I used to sail through the winter months without a sneeze -  think it must be an age thing now 'cos for the last couple of winters I've been struck down with some nasty bug or other!
Have felt really terrible this past week - cough is still here (although the cold has gone) but am not feeling totally 100% yet - thanks to you all for your get well wishes - this virus thing is just a nuisance and people I know have all said it takes ages to get rid of - which hasn't cheered me up one little bit!!
But - I spent a little time yesterday in the craftie space - it was actually far warmer than in the house - and finished this card.

The colour was selected for no other reason than the papers were the last of a pad that had been left on the desk - but am actually pleased with the finished result.

Love this image from A Day for Daisies - but this is the first time I've got round to colouring it!
(On close inspection actually the colouring is not the best but I'll put that down to my trying to do it between coughing fits!)

All papers distressed, layered and stitched.

Some vintage lace which was a present from a blogging buddy which toned in perfectly with the papers -(don't you love it when that happens!) and some flowers from my stash.

I added an organza bow behind the flowers and a couple of pearl pins.
 
The sentiment is from TLC and I thought it fitted well with the image.

To finish off I stuck some seed beads into her hair.

I followed the same colour scheme inside and added a die cut bird cage which was coloured with Mica powders.



Challenges -
Creative Moments - Things with Wings
Mema's Crafts - Anything Goes
Crafty Bloggers - Anything Goes
A Little Bit Crafty - Anything Goes
Sparkles Forum - Birds


Thanks for visiting - will be calling by you all on a catch up mission to see what you've all been doing whilst I have been feeling sorry for myself! x

Crafty Cardmakers DT - New Challenge

As it's April Fool's Day, our latest challenge over at Crafty CardMakers is being hosted by Suze, who has chosen the theme of Humour. 
Suze says perhaps a use funny image or sentiment, or you might just want to add some googly eyes. Remember, laughter is the best medicine - so have fun! 

On offer this week is a $10 GIFT VOUCHER from DI'S DIGI DOWNLOADS and a fab prize from HOBBY ART
Please make sure tho' that you read and follow the rules for our challenges so that you can have a chance of nabbing one of these prizes!
 
I confess to scratching my head a bit with this challenge - mostly because I was bothered that what I found funny might not be someone else's idea of humour....... in the end I had a 'light bulb' moment and came up with an idea.

I settled on a monochrome colour scheme and opted for quite a CAS design.

The stamp set came from somewhere in the USA and I have had for absolute ever. I had intended to put it into the 'charity' basket last year (as with most of my 'never used' stash over 3 years old!) but am glad now that I forgot!!

All stamped with Memento Black onto white textured linen card.  

The spotty paper was a freebie download from I think Jak Heath (again a long time ago!) and I layered it and the stamped images onto black card.

The three different sizes of black buttons were from my Button Box and I threaded some black and white twine through them.

Someone else shares my sense of humour anyway, cos this card went into the 'Pink Stash' and was there about 5 minutes before it was bought!

Please pop over to my teamies blogs and check out their creations - they'd love to see you.
Have fun with this challenge and I can't wait to visit you all - 'cos there's nothing like a smile and giggle to brighten up your day is there?  

Other Challenges - 
Creative Card Crew - Masculine
Top Tip Tuesday - Funny
Tammy's Scrapin Corner - Funny
Cards For Men - April Fool
Craft It Up Linky Party - Buttons
Digi Darla - Laughter is the best Medicine
Created with Love - Funny 
Paper Playtime - Use a Pun