Birthday Girl!

A quick CAS card for a teenager's birthday to share with you all today - (again a post typed before I went off to sunnier climes and quickly updated!)

Asked to make a card in a hurry (less than 24 hours) and Mr Mojo disappeared off into the sunset so had to settle for a quick digi from All Dressed Up.

Love these stamps though - this one is from the 'Love to Shop' set and thought it was a reasonable choice for a very pretty grown up young lady of 15!

Printed both image and sentiment direct onto linen card and coloured our grown up girlie with Promarkers.
Matted the coloured image onto some orange card and then added a couple of banners from the cut off scraps of the orange sheet, running both scraps through two different embossing folders and then shoved the teeniest bit of orange card left into a heart punch and stuck above the sentiment!

The spotty ribbon and button from my stash.
Am sorry the pic isn't as sharp as it should be -don't know why.... think the really 'right between the eyes orange' of the ribbon and card overshadowed everything else!

Challenges -
Addicted to Stamps - White and one other colour
Pixies Playground Week 144
Gem of a Challenge - CAS
Di's Digis - Girly
Crafty Catz - Birthday Celebration
My Sheri Crafts - Buntings or Banners
Crafty Ribbons - Anything goes with Buttons and Ribbon
Passion for Promarkers - Autumn Colours (and I chose orange!)
All Dressed Up - Favourite Colour (love all colours but bright ones are my fave!)

Thanks for having a peep at  my CAS card - am off for a quick laze on the sun lounger by the pool! Have a great day whatever you're doing! x

Champagne!

Did you all think I'd left the country??? Well you're right, I Have!!! 3 whole weeks to be exact - currently sunning myself and chilling out with the odd glass or two of wine in 30 degrees of heat!

Typed this post up before I left and have just added challenges and stuff to it now I have a good internet connection - a commissioned card to share made for an anniversary for a friend's relative.
Still using up the paper stash and I am now soooo proud of myself that it has been almost 6 months since I bought a paper pad!!! Am still in danger of being buried under the paper mountain in the craft room and don't seem to have made any difference to the pile even though I have been trying to use it!

This card used a sheet of paper from the 'Exquisite' Pad by Papermania. This I think is only the second sheet I have used from this old pad!
Distressed the edges and then ran some Antique Linen DI round.
I used a paper doily and tucked some scripted vellum behind, then wrapped a piece of white organza ribbon round the card, layered some maroon satin ribbon on top and added a scrap of ric rac braid.

Next layer was a piece from Prima 'Fairy Rhymes' pad before topping off with the drunken mice!
I put some Stickles round the edge of the image and also on the champagne bubbles.
Finished with some pearls, a few flowers from my stash and a silver champagne glass charm.
Inside decorated to match.

Challenges -
Crafty Little Fairies - Sparkle & Bling
Card Mania - Doily
Sisterhood Snarky Stampers - D for distressing
Sweet Pea - Creatures Great and Small
Wags n Whiskers - Furry Friends
Alphabet - P for Pretty Petals
ABC - Flowers/Sentiment/Doily

Thanks for looking - apologies from me if I don't get round to visiting you all for the next couple of weeks - promise to play catch up again when I get back to England! x

Ribbons, Lace and Pearls

Jackie is hosting our challenge today at Crafty Cardmakers and her theme is 'Ribbons/Lace and Pearls', so she would like to see ribbons or lace, {or both} AND pearls on your creations.

For my DT card I made this -

Ribbons, pearls and lace HAS to be vintage and shabby as far as I'm concerened! 

It gave me an opportunity to dig out this much neglected stamp which is I think perfect for a vintage look.

Stamped it straight onto coloured cardstock, and coloured the roses slightly with Distress Inks. Added some pearls for the buttons (very fiddly - took me ages!!) and tied a tiny shoestring bow in the same colour as the backing card.

Ripped and distressed the edges.

The other papers are oddments from various pads - spotty one first, (Prima Botanicals) then overlaid with some very broad cream lace. Next layer paper is from 5th Avenue pad (a scrap I had left), and two pre cut pieces from a Paris themed paper pack from Craftwork (I think!).

All stitched then overlaid with another piece of lace before adding the stampoed image.

The large lace 'rose' is a recycled piece from a very very old sweater  and I stuck a white pearl in the centre.

Two more pearls added and the inside decorated to match.

Please pop over and join us this time round - 2 great sponsors - Woodware and Di's Digistamps- are offering prizes this time round! 

Other Challenges -
We Do Doobadoo - Feminine
Suzy Bees - Anything Goes
A Vintage Journey - With a Flourish
Choc, coffe and Cards - Vintage
Delicious Doodles - Fancy & Frilly
Charisma - Lace & Pearls 
ALBC - Distress It 
Joan's Touch - Vintage/Distress/Layers

Thanks for visiting - have a great day whatever you're doing! x

In the Garden

Have had a nice couple of days - made a few 'quickie' cards to bulk up the stash a bit, finished an order and then today have been out shopping for the 'essentials' for the impending sunshine holiday ( 6 more sleeps then the sunbed for me!!!)
As we've been having some lovely weather lately I made a card with a 'summery' flavour!

Polka dot background paper distressed and stitched, a scrap piece left over from something else torn and stitched then some old white lace overlaid across.
The image (from LOTV), stitched to a plain white die cut frame and I lightly glittered some of the flowers (although it doesn't show up very well!)
Flowers and pearls from my stash and the little wooden 'Friends' banner was part of a challenge win.
Inside decorated to match.

I have a small die cut butterfly which I think may find it's way to the front of this card just to the left of the flowerpots on the bottom of the frame!

Challenges -
Crafty Sentiments - Spots
Oldie But Goodie  - Stitching
S.O.S - Bird image
Tuesday Throwdown - 1image, 2 papers, 3 flowers
Bunny Zoes - Lace
Incy Wincy - Girly
Pennys Paper Crafty - Stitching

Hope the sun has been shining where you are - thanks for looking and if you've left a comment I really appreciate it! x

CASE'ing the talent

I tend to spend a lot of time oohing and aahhing over  so many beautiful creations on both Pinterest and Blogland that I usually find I have run out of time to actually MAKE anything myself!

One such blog is that of Birgit - who has to rank among the top makers of beautiful CAS cards which although supposedly 'simple' are full of amazing detail, lots of texture and delicate touches. Just love what she does and it all seems so effortless.
I saw her original version of this card a long time ago and have been meaning to try it for myself.

I am really happy with the way my effort turned out although perhaps the inked panel backgrounds might have been better a wee bit darker round the edges.

Linen textured card used throughout.
Inks were a mixture of Adirondack and Distress inks.
Die cuts from different companies.

Sentiment stamped with Versafine and tiny gold pearls from my stash.
This has been another few days that have whizzed past I have travelled from home to East Yorkshire to Cumbria and then back home! Few days of peace (I hope) - Club Finals at the weekend then will be on the massive chill out before the proper sunshine holiday!

Challenges -
Mema's September Challenge - Fall Colours
Seemacrafts - Autumn
Die Cut Divas - New things
Come & Get It - Autumn in the Garden
OSAAT - Use a Die
HIMCR - Fall
Just Us Girls - Leaves
The Paper Players - Happy Fall

Thanks for visiting today - if you've left me a comment I really appreciate it. Have a happy day! x

Pots

I finally managed to get into the craftie space yesterday - (still didn't get anything finished as had to go play in a County Final last night) but have ignored everything this morning (like cleaning) and put a few dabs of glue in the appropriate places and (almost) completed this!

I say almost as there's no sentiment yet - still thinking whether to leave blank on the front or not - but it's been so long since I posted I just took the pic as soon as I could.

The image is of course one of the 'Mice is Nice' series from LOTV. - Been lying in my stash for ages so thought it was about time I used it!

Papers were bought last year (yes I know - LAST year!!!) at a craft show in Manchester. At the stall I got talking to another crafter and we bought the 'bargain pack' (not cheap!) between us and then sat on the floor splitting up the pack - I wouldn't have bought them otherwise.

Everything on here is from my stash (and even though I am trying my best to use it, it ain't getting any smaller!!)
Inside is decorated to match.

I have planned to spend another ENTIRE day making messy with paper and glue - no distractions I hope!



Challenges -
Fab n Funky - Flowers/Ribbon/Pearls
Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes
Fantastic Tuesday - Anything Goes
TTCRD - Anything Goes
Clear It Out - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting - grabbing a cuppa and now going on a calling spree in Blogland....
oh and the aforementioned County Final?
 - Well a nice win for my four and a good way to finish off our 2014 County campaign -
only another 11 days to go and the summer outdoor season finishes!