Two cards- one post

I made this card a couple of weeks ago just before the Monochromatic challenge at CAS Watercolour started. As I am trying to expand my watercolour skills I wanted to have a go at this months challenge and also to continue my promise to myself that I would try and enter each month.

I thought twice about linking it when I saw the wonderfully talented Birgit, this months Guest Designer, had produced another wonderful watercolour for her DT spot which makes mine pale in comparison!!!
It was only when I realised that I would maybe not have time to do another that I made the decision to post.

So continuing with my entering the CAS challenges here's one made for the CAS Christmas challenge which has the theme of 'Warm and Cozy'.

I hereby announce that it is official - I am RUBBISH with digi stamps! I have never really got to grips with them although I must have amassed hundreds of them over the years.

I never seem to get the sizing right and so it proved on this card which maybe doesn't have enough white space - but am sharing it anyway to show that I tried!

Little Scottie is from A Day For Daisies and I paper pieced him a plaid coat to keep him warm and added a little sparkly ribbon collar.
Some light ink dusting and some secondary stamping using a Uniko pine branch and then stamped the sentiment.

Both these challenges are half way through so there is still time to enter!

There's also still time to enter the CAS Stencil challenge and I will be back tomorrow to share my mid month DT card. Pop over and get out your stencils!!

Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Hello Love!

I don't do Valentines.    He doesn't do Valentines.    We have never done Valentines.
That's because it is Dear Husbands birthday - (we don't do Birthday cards either which is surprising considering how much I like making them!) - and because everywhere is full of lovey doveyness on 14th we normally end up having a birthday meal at another time!
I have though made a card which is a CASE of a CASE that I did a couple of years ago.
It is not for Valentines specifically and I think it could also be used for Christmas or anything else so have CASE'd it again!

The image is from A Day for Daisies.
I don't use digis a lot (although I have loads of them) as I always end up not getting the placement right/ printing them out too small/too big/ not waiting long enough for them to dry before trying to colour etc etc etc. List is endless!
And I DO prefer to actually hold a stamp (or put it in the MISTI) but I think I need to try more digis as there are so many really nice ones out there!

A simple card and the colouring is not the best as I have seen this image with proper shading on her dress and it looked amazing - sadly I am not that good with the Promarkers!

I glittered her wings and halo and added a few sparklies.
The sentiment is by SU.

Lots of love themes around so am sharing over at
Cute n Crafty - Love
Use Your Stuff - Hearts
Dream Valley - Love
CUYL - Love

So kitchen slowly taking shape - no water connected yet - hopefully that will be in the next 24 hours - then at least I can get some washing done. I confess I am fed up with the white dust that pervades everywhere in the house - made worse by the bare concrete floor.
We are likely to be almost there apart from the floor by the end of the weekend - so at least I will be able to start putting some of the stuff that currently is living on all the bedroom floors back!
Will be round to visit you all a bit later! x

Ducks!

A quick post with a quick card - off for an eye test then a trip down the M6 - overnight stop in a nice hotel in Leamington Spa ( courtesy of a free voucher given to us by the hotel from a previous stay and it includes a 2 course evening meal!)

Lots of Spring and Easter themes about - just wish our weather would realise it is Spring - perfect for ducks at the mo with all this rain!
Card really is quite basic but I liked the image and the stripey papers were out on my desk!

Image from A Day For Daisies, coloured with Distress Inks, papers and twine from my stash, a couple of punched out flowers with pearls and a punched scalloped border all made with the leftover snippets - job done!

Challenges -

MTTC - Easter Animals
Crafty Boots - Easter
OLLCB - Easter
Challenge up your Life - Easter.
Glitter n Sparkle - Easter
Crafts 4 Eternity - Easter

That's it - got to dash - on the way out am popping into the Playground to say goodbye before I go on my little trip! Thanks for dropping by today. x

Another week!

The days after my last post were busy just finishing off bits for the Macmillan Coffee morning at the Club on Saturday. Just 2 hours Saturday morning saw us raise £480!
So added to donations already received we've now just over £1,000 and with two more events (both bowling comps) in July and September still to come I am hoping for a mega amount by the end of our season and our Charity year.

A little pic of the specially bought hoodie which is going to be worn a lot this year - the pic was taken whilst I was setting up the table.
I have a quiet couple of days before our friends wedding at the weekend and will be catching up with what I've missed over the last few days!

Card to share -  I have used this Day for Daisies image such a lot - just think it is serene (and I need some of that after a manic few weeks!)
I coloured it with Promarkers and rubbed some pastel chalk in a light beige/pink colour around it to remove the stark white.
Simply stitched onto a co ordinating piece of card.
White base card, then the same colour card then stitched the patterned paper (from my stash).
Wrapped some lace round another scrap piece from the stash box, added a paper doily then the main iamge.
The flowers are some old stash secured with a couple of brads and some punched out leaves.

The bird cage charm was a 'must' addition and it also had to have the smallest shoestring ribbon bow and the usual pearls! Sentiment is from TLC and inside decorated to match.

Challenges -
Fussy & Fancy - Ribbons and Lace 
RRR - Flowers and Ribbon
Lil Patch of  Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
Buckwells - Flowers
Ecletic Ellapu (Pink team) - Anything Goes
Sentimental Sunday - Lace and Pearls
CAGI - 3embellies(flowers,charm, pearls), 2 papers, 1 image

Thanks for calling in, have a great week. x

Just Peachy!

During craftie space time this week I've had a bit of a colouring fest! I'd stamped quite a few images and printed out some digis during the time when I wasn't 100% and as I'm feeling much better decided I'd better make a start on colouring them.

This ADFD image has been coloured with a mix of watercolours and distress inks.

I stitched it onto an odd bit of peach card and then just distressed the edges.
Apart from the main background piece (which is from the Prima Fairy Rhymes stack),all the other bits used were just odd scraps, so this is my passport into the Playground this week!

All the paper pieces were distressed, edged with Antique Linen DI and stitched onto other pieces of peach card.
Some dark cream lace wrapped round and the odd bit of slubby fabric ticked behind the image was given the Distress Ink treatment ( Wild Honey). The peach ribbon was the last piece in my stash box and I saved an absolute miniscule amount to tie through the top of the bird cage charm.
Two snippets cut into two banners and the cage secured round the banners.
Some pearls to finish and the inside decorated with other odd coordinating remnants of paper!

Challenges -
Allsorts - Any Occasion not birthday
Suzy Bees- Anything Goes with a Bow
Simply Create Too - Anything Goes
Red Carpet Studio - My Fair Lady
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
Crafts 4 Eternity - Two (2 papers, 2 banners, 2 pieces ribbon)
Thanks for looking in today - hope you're having a great weekend. xx

No time....

It is now 8 days since my last post and I have no idea where the time has gone. I have been busy with stuff at the club and travelling a fair bit but I honestly haven't had any 'ME' time at all - except for an hour and a half yesterday - when I made this.

I used up a few scraps of lace which had been cut off from an original length - the only way I could get them to fit was to make this diagonal shape!
The backing paper is from my stash (which STILL doesn't seem to be getting any smaller) and I stitched it onto some coordinating paper, distressing the edges lightly.
The image is of course from ADFD and I coloured her with promarkers and added a fair bit of glamour dust to make her wings sparkle!
The scalloped frame was cut from the same colour backing paper as were the two 'trellis' corners.
This solitary rose was lying on the desk and although I think the pic makes it look quite red, it is in fact a deep lush pink colour!
Just added a couple of pearls, a sentiment and decorated the inside to match.

Challenges -
Di's Digi's - Lace & Pearls
Inkspirational - Use Markers
Suzy Bee's - Anything Goes
Crafter's Cafe - Use a Digi
Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes
Divas by Design - Anything Goes

So my blogging buddies, please accept my apologies if I haven't been round visiting you all this week. I promise to try and play catch up in a couple of days - I am in the middle of the maddest month ever - I have two four day visits to the National Championships over the next 2 weeks then a 12 day stay coming up. Am hoping that on the couple of days I have back at home the middle of next week I will be able to 'wind down' a bit before getting 'wound up' again!
Hugs from me -and if you've left me a comment - THANK YOU!! x

Scrunched up Pansies!

I finally finished this after a lot of leaving it on the desk and looking at it wondering why on earth I chose to use this colour combo.... all down to the 'carry on using up the paper' theme which is my mantra at the moment.

I have no idea how old this paper is (nor in fact where it is from!) - it maybe a HOTP pad but who knows??? LOL
I am really unsure about the finished card .. but thought I would share it anyway.

With the bold pattern and dark colour of the background papers I found them quite difficult to work with.  I used minimal colouring on the image (which is from A Day For Daisies) trying to co-ordinate the colours with the papers., using Tea Green and Pastel Green shades on the fairy dress with some DI's on the flowers and the rest. 

Dark maroon card first with the patterned paper stitched on top. I cut out more of the maroon card using a fancy oval nestie then chopped it up to make the corner, adding a piece of co-ordinating paper and stitched it all together.
A couple more fancy corner dies stuck to the top of the card.

Strip of maroon velvet ribbon onto some more offcuts then the coloured image positioned over it. Few little sparklies added and some glamour dust to the wings.

The flowers were done using some old pansy shapes from my stash - I scrunched them up and stuck them together to try to make fuller flowers (am not sure if they overpower the card or not!) - added a few leaves and a couple of flourishes.

The sentiment hides some very erratic stitching round the top of the image! Papers also used on the inside to finish it all off.
Challenges -
Crafty Calendar - things with Wings
The Craft Garden - Use 3 (Ribbon/Floral paper/Green)
Cupboard Trilogy - Friendship
4 Crafty Chicks - Colour an image
Paper Crafting Journey - Anythning Goes
Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes
Crafty Hazelnut's patterned paper- Anything Goes

Thanks for taking the time to stop by - appreciate it and any comments you leave! have a great Sunday. x

Undies!

Sunny weather has departed over the last few days and it's been quite cool after being able to wander about without a coat last week!
Had a bit of a colouring session last night and made this card up. (Light here not very good today - very grey!)

The image is called 'Vintage Slip' by ADFD and I think it's so pretty.
I coloured it with DI and Promarkers then stitched it onto a scalloped blue frame.

The background paper is once again from my stash, matted and stitched onto blue background.
I used some Coredinations for the embossing and again stitched onto blue.

The hand dyed ribbon was from my stash and I added a couple of cherry blossom flowers - am still deciding whether or not to take off the leaves (which I coloured with Shabby Shutter DI) and change for another colour as I think they look too yellow.

I printed out a TLC sentiment, altered the font colour and after framing it stuck on a small silver bird charm.
Inside decorated to match.

Challenges -
ABC - H for Hair
Bearly Mine - For the Girls
Nat & Amy - Flowers
Gem of a Challenge - Female
MTTC - Charming
Suzie Bee's - Emboss It
ADFD - Anything Goes
Creative Corner - A Little Birdie
Hope everyone's enjoying their weekend and as always if you've left a comment or taken a look at my blog I appreciate it! x

Mermaid Secrets

Spent yesterday holed up in the craftie space - the rain was lashing against the windows!
So quite fitting that I made something on a watery theme..... LOL

This image is a simply gorgeous offering from A Day For Daisies - and the best thing about it was that it was a freebie!

I coloured her with a mix of pastel chalks and promarkers in varying shades of aqua, adding a wee bit of sparkly stuff randomly round the 'sea' and of course on the wee fishes!
I used three different papers from the Raspberry Road 'Seaside Chic' collection, distressed them all and then inked the edges with distress ink before layering up.

Added some lace and some slubby fabric suitably ripped before placing the image inside a frame die cut from the same papers.
The corner on the top right was a piece of the off cut from the frame and I just liked it!
A few shells, also blinged and some mosaic sparkly bits also used to give a 'reflective' effect.

The sentiment is also from the same paper collection and I love it.
I put some rope and fibres behind and a seahorse button before placing on the card.
Inside as usual done in the same papers to carry on the theme.

Challenges -
Country View Crafts - Layers
Card Crafters Circle - Portrait of a Woman
Sweet Pea - Fantasy
A&TEF - Magical Creatures
Southern Girls - Make Believe
Digitally Sweet - Anything Goes
4Krafty Girlz - Anything Goes
C2CU - Texture and Your Style (Am not sure I have a particular style as I feel equally happy with both CAS and fussy!)

Its quite a cool day and I haven't made my mind up what I'm going to do! Might pop out but then again might not! have a lovely day whatever you're doing and thanks for stopping by. 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