Finally A Share!!!

HELLO BLOGLAND! Have missed you.
20 days since I have been able to post anything - and am only here for a fleeting visit before off I go again.
Thanks to everyone who is still following me.
Have a commissioned card which I have made over the last couple of days whilst waiting for the washing to do and in between the ironing!

I don't often use digi stamps but this was one in my digi folder which I think was a freebie some time ago from Just Inklined.

The person who ordered the card thought it was a fun image for the bride and groom and I was asked to tie it in with a pink theme as the bridesmaids are wearing pink.

I confess I found this card really difficult to do - it's been such a long time since I have done ANYTHING but even longer since I've made anything that hasn't involved ink dusters and stamps!
Even worse I used the dreaded white pearlised card - which is just pants when it comes to photo taking!

Embossed the first layer with a swirly folder to give the background some texture.
Printed out the digi and clear embossed before cutting out with the oval frame die, then coloured with Promarkers. Added teeny flecks of glamour dust onto the edges of the bow on the shoes and a pink sparklie.
The flowers were all made from the rest of the pearlised card. I inked the edges of each of them with Spun Sugar DI and added a little more glamour dust.

A big pink bow and a couple of silver charms - the heart because it IS a wedding after all (!!) and the key for the poor groom to unlock his ball and chain!!
Can only hope they like it!

As it's been an age since I linked into any challenges am heading over to join in at
Crafty Catz - Make your Own Flowers
Fussy and Fancy - Flowers
In the Pink -Embossing
Simply Create Too - Use a Digi stamp
Creative Knockouts - Embossing

I cannot tell you all how much I appreciate that you are bearing with me this year. It is soooo busy and the travelling is immense. BUT - I am getting to visit lots of lovely places and meet lots of really nice people so being tired is worth it - and - you only get one go at it so you have to make the most of it!
Hope all OK with you and yours my blogging buddies. xxx

Back In Time

As I am so short of any creativity I have resorted to CASEing my own cards!
To be truthful I am sacred of bees and wasps but liked this card the first time I did it and think I've made a better job of it this time.

When I did this first time round it was when I was experimenting with digi stamps. Although I prefer hand stamped images (just my personal choice) there's no doubt that some digis rank amongst my faves and I always thought this was a pretty stamp.

I made our little stingy stripey friend 3d by printing out again and fussy cutting then mounting on foam pads.
A little bit of blingy to the wings was definitely required after colouring the image with Distress Inks.

I am trying to remember who I should give credit to for the stamp and sentiment. I think it was TLC - but to be fair it was that long ago I'm struggling to remember.

At least I have made SOMETHING!!! Am starting to get really frustrated as I am only home for another day before my Vice Presidential duties are upon me again for another week away - and no matter how hard I have wanted to make messy all I have done is stare at an empty and clean desk!!!

Challenges -
Addicted to CAS - Fly
613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes with optional twist Sights of Summer
Crafty Boots - Summer
CCB - Winged things

It's currently nothing like Summer here - hasn't stopped raining!
Hope all is well where you are. x

10 days????

Cannot believe it is 10 days since I last posted! All of the days are now blurring together a little although we have been blessed with in the main good weather - just 2 days of drizzly rain - notably when the MEN arrived for the start of their 2 weeks! The ladies had great weather for their Championships!

So another full couple of weeks left for me - the rest of the National Championships (until Sunday) then off on another road trip for 2 more Celebration matches next week, a day at home then away to Yorkshire for the Northern Counties Championships. This will be followed by a trip to the Junior Mens' Internationals in Oxford AND THEN I SHALL BE HOME AND ABLE TO SLEEP IN MY OWN BED FOR MORE THAN ONE SINGLE NIGHT!!!!!! 

I had a bit of an inky session though on my day off but one is not finished so can't show it! This one was done also on Sunday - a CASE of one that I saw on Pinterest a long long time ago.
It is a mixture of a digital bird cage stamp printed in black onto white textured card  then over-stamped with a foliage stamp in Shabby Shutters DI. It is a tiny (old) stamp and I can't remember where it came from but know it was part of a set originally!
Used up some old striped cardstock (which I bought the last time I visited a craft show in 2013!) layered onto black, stamped the sentiment then die cut, added some black ribbon and a few black pearls.
Probably not everyone's fave colour combo but hey not bad effort considering it was just from a few bits I brought with me!

I am longing to get home properly as I have some new dies and stamps to play with.... roll on 17th September!
Challenges -
Use Your Stuff - Anything Goes
Paper Nest Dolls' - Anything Goes
Pennys paper Crafty - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes

Once again thanks so much for sticking with me whilst I am blogging so infrequently - just that at the end of the day I am so darn tired I don't have the energy to do anything!x
Have a great time whatever you're doing until I catch up with you again. x

Age is just a Number!

I hope everyone enjoyed the recent festive days and thanks to everyone who sent me messages, cards and prezzies!!!
We had a lovely quiet couple of days in our first Christmas in our new house and am keeping my fingers crossed that the current hailstorm will turn to snow 'cos I can't wait to see the hills and valley at the back all white!! (Yes I am definitely crazy wishing to be snowed in I know!)

My share for today is a commissioned card for a 70th Birthday.

The recipient is someone who can only be described as 'a party gal' and I was asked to reflect that in the card. The lady in question certainly knows how to have a good time and is the life and soul of any celebration and I hope I have captured her personality as asked.

I opted to use a centre step scalloped edge card as a bit of a change from my recent squares and rectangles.
The background is embossed although it doesn't show up very well (light here is not good - aforesaid hailstorm!!), and I matted it onto some red card.
The image is of course from Mo Manning and called 'Veronica' - she makes me smile! I coloured her with a mix of promarkers  and distress inks and decoupaged her onto a fancy oval frame.
I added a few tiny sparklies for a bit of bling and some spotty ribbon and a pearl buckle.
The 'pink martini' was a download, coloured then some stickles added for bubbly bits, and the numbers were also a download.
I finished with a few punched out stars and a sentiment from TLC which I cut out with a fancy tag die and I think is absolutely PERFECT to describe the 'party gal'!!!!!
Mo's DP2 has a challenge called 'Your favourite Mo card of 2013' - I have made many this year and can't choose really - so have opted to link the latest one!
 Challenges -
Digitally Sweet - Anything Goes
Delicious Doodles - Let's Party
Digistamps 4 Joy- Anything Goes
I Love Promarkers - More than 1 fold
Whimsy - Party Time
Digi Galore - Anything Goes
Pile It On - P is for - (Party, Pearl, Polka Dot ribbon)

Have a great day. x

Sufficient Sparkle!

I have been getting on with the commissioned cards - only a couple left to do then I can concentrate on getting back to my own Christmas ones as well as my DT's!
This is part of the order - no instructions other than a 'girly' card!
I bought this image from Mo's last year and this is the first time I have coloured her.
I am so pleased with the final result of this - although as ever the light here isn't very good so hope you can imagine what it's like IRL!

Bright white linen textured card ran through the 'Swiss Dots' folder, then a circular aperture cut out.

I coloured the image with Distress Inks, then got out all the sparkly stuff!!!
And before you ask, yes I DO have some left! But she seemed to be crying out to be 'sparkled' to within an inch of her life.................so I put it EVERYWHERE - on the background of the image, on her socks, hat, frill of her dress, wings, snowballs - oh and for good measure used some liquid pearls on her skirt. LOL

All the snowflakes were cut from white glitter paper and this really doesn't show up in the pic - but you get the idea!
Finished with a couple of sparkly gems.

Challenges -
Glitter n Sparkle - Add Glitter n Sparkle
Totally Gorjuss - Snows the way to go
Crafty Hands - Sparkle and Bling
Simply Create Too - Snow
Wags n Whiskers - Things with Wings
Happy Campers - Glitter It
OSAAT - Use a Digi
Gem of a Challenge - Winter Wonderland

Hope you've all had a great weekend! x

First today!

This is the first of a couple of posts today - my DT card for Crafty Cardmakers will be along in a little while!
Have had a mad few days since the middle of last week - meetings to attend, minutes to type and in between a really nice night at the Annual National Presentation Dinner in the Midlands -  (And yes for the second time in succession I wore a DRESS!! - Not the same one as last year either!!! No Pics to share though!). Also plucked up the courage to go and have my hair cut!

In between all this madness I found time to make a few cards yesterday which was the first day I have really had where I haven't had to be busy (should have been doing housework... hey ho..)

I also haven't had the time to enter any LIM challenges for a while so set to and rustled this up in double quick time -
 Don't you love these little birdies!
The ear muffs crack me up!
The stamp was a freebie I managed to snag from From The Heart Stamps a while back.

I printed direct to the linen card and then used lots of my Distress Inks to bring the feathered ones to life - the blue background was not DI but watercolour pastel.
Added some stickles to the hat and glossy accents to the two stars and there you are - another Christmas card done!

Challenges -
LIM - Birds
That Craft Place - Stars
One stitch at a Time - Bingo (Blue/Stickles/CAS)
CAS on Sunday - Winter Theme
Addicted to CAS - Pet (hope my birds qualify!)
So am off to take some more pics of yesterdays makes whilst the light is good here... thanks for visiting -will catch up with you all today and hope you will come back again later to see my DT card! x

Moment

Hello to my new followers - it's lovely to see you here!
We are off for a bit of retail therapy today - the boring kind like new crockery - not the crafty kind!!
A card to share before we go -

I really have to say a HUGE thank you to Tammy from A Day for Daisies - I didn't buy this image first time I saw it - went to purchase it ('cos I finally remembered) and searched their site for ages - lots of lovely digis, (quite a few that are now on my 'HAVE TO HAVE' list), but no sign of this one apart from in a clear set.

I had almost given up hope but decided to mail them to ask if it had been discontinued and lo and behold I got a reply with the digi attached and an apology saying their site was being re-vamped and some of the stamps had gone AWOL! How kind was that - offered to pay for it but the offer was refused - what a great company.

'Braid in my Hair' coloured with promarkers, background sponged with Tumbled Glass DI, cut with nestie, distressed and layered onto scalloped nestie.
Backing paper is from Raspberry Road, distressed and edged with Evergreen Bough DI.
The lace, flowers and pearls are all from my stash and the sentiment is from TLC.
Inside co-ordinated to match.

Challenges -
Card Crafters Circle - Winged Things
Creative Creations - Bingo (Flowers/Image/Distressing)
Stamping Sensations - Winged things/Vintage
Come and Get It - Things with Wings
Card Mania - Fave Embellishment - (has to be pearls cos I use them on everything!)
Crafty Bloggers - Favourite things - (Pearls - and I like lace/flowers too!!)
Digi Makeover - Vintage
Live & Love Crafts - Cool Colours

Thanks for taking the time to come along today - have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Card making by Numbers! - Crafty Cardmakers DT

Time for another challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers and this time the challenge has been set by  Elaine who has chosen the theme '1,2,3' -  so projects have to have - 1 image, 2 patterned papers and 3 embellishments  (and you must have the required elements in the required quantities to qualify for a winner or Top 5 slot!).

Our sponsors this week are  THE PAPER SHELTER and SIR STAMPALOT

  So here is my DT card - using one of the fab images and co ordinating papers from the Paper Shelter - called 'Trattoria Chef'. He is all rotund and happy - just like I imagine chefs should be (after sampling all their own food!! LOL)

I printed him out a couple of times and decoupaged him for a bit of depth.
I stitched all the papers and printed out a 'menu'. The wordart in the centre of the menu was a freebie from TLC and I added a little scalloped edge cut with the leftover paper, a tiny bow and attached it with a tiny wooden peg.

I made two 'napkins' from scraps of paper and lace and popped a tiny pearl in the centre, a couple more pearls and a 'recipe' and spoons from my stash.
I continued the papers inside but have yet to put a greeting on it as I'm not sure if it needs one or not!

Challenges -
Craft Your Passion - 3D it
Paper Shelter - Anything Goes
Tammy's Scrappin Corner - Use a Digi
Addicted to Stamps - Lots of Layers
Crafts 4 Eternity - Anything Goes


Thanks for looking - do pop over and see the other projects from my DT buddies and have a great day whatever you're doing! x
  

First Birthday

The days have just disappeared in the last week so I have had no time to blog - in between running about like the proverbial headless chicken I have been trying to complete an order. This is the second card - for a little boy's first birthday.
The papers are from Summer Driggs and are called 'Easton' and I really like the bright sunshiney colours (just apt for the glorious weather we're having at the moment!!)
The image is a digi stamp from I think Digi Stamp Boutique, (I apologise if it is from somewhere else but honestly can't remember!) and I printed out a few times then layered it up to give it some dimension.
The addition of a few buttons,some bright orange thread and a teeny bit of stickles finished it!
Challenges -
One stop Craft - Anything Goes
HCTB - Use a Digi Stamp
Crafty Catz - Childs Play
Totally Papercrafts - Let's hear it for the Boys
Wags n Whiskers - Cute as a Button
Sweet Pea Stampers - For the Boys

Thanks for calling in - am off to finish another card then hopefully will get a couple of hours sitting enjoying the view outside!
Will catch up with you all later tonight! 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

Match for the Linen Closet

Have made rather a mess of my fingers with some inks and paints today - I have been fiddling about with a project for what seems like forever and it still doesn't look right so once again the sand paper etc will be out tomorrow and I'll strip it back to the bare bones and start again!
I thought I would just pop on and share this card with you.

I have had the 'Linen Closet' papers for EVER and never used them - mainly because they;re not square and the majority of cards I make are square ones!

This yummy image was sent to me by a fellow blogger and after having found the tiniest scrap of velvet ribbon in my ribbon drawer I teamed her with the Linen Closet papers as the papers matched the ribbon! Waste not want not..........

She was cut out with a nestie  - (been a long time since I went 'over the edge' LOL) then layered onto another scalloped nestie cut from some co-ordinating cardstock and a couple of flourish die cuts in the same card added.

The cotton lace was also a scrap left over from a present from the lovely Alessandra and I was really happy to see that it matched the colours perfectly!

Some suitable bling in the shape of a large square buckle showed off the aqua velvet ribbon much better than my original idea of  just knotting it (trying to knot a tiny scrap of wide velvet ribbon was such a silly idea but my brain cells still insisted I try..........)

Added some glamour dust to her wings and decided against adding any sentiment on the front as I thought there was enough to look at!

Challenges -
Flutterby Wednesday - Winged Things
Penny's paper Crafty - Ribbons and Die Cuts
Crafts and Me - Ribbons and Lace
Creative Card Crew - Ribbon
Cutie Pie - Magical
LEJ - Things with Wings

We've had the full round of weather again today! Gorgeous sunshine this morning, (not warm tho'), then grey skies, a bit of rain, some hail stones then more sunshine!! Weird!!
Have spent a little while blog hopping tonight after the disaster with the altered piece and think I will now call it a night and go watch a bit of TV before my eyes shut...catch you all soon. xxx

Man Card! - Crafty Cardmakers new Challenge

Today sees a new challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers and this week Rebbeca asked us to make 'a masculine birthday card that includes some technology or a gadget. The technology or gadget could be a computer, games console, rocket or car for example.'

Although many of you are aware that I am married to my very own 'Inspector Gadget' I actually managed to make a card that did not have the current up to the minute technology that is so coveted by my dearly beloved! 

Instead I went for something that was the complete opposite - a steam train -
the image is by Just Inklined and is called 'Old Chuffa' - (heaven forbid I should have likened this to my 'long suffering' with a title like that! LOL).

So my technology refers to the 'age of steam'. it may be old technology but without it we wouldn't have developed transport across sea and rail would we?

I altered the colour in Serif to blue and teamed it with more papers from my stash - (which I think are My Minds Eye but as the cover has long gone I'm not sure!) 

Thought this sentiment was very apt for an avid train spotter and I finished the card with some Card Candy coloured with promarkers which were all the embellies I allowed myself 'cos it's for a man! Inside is co ordinated to match.

Thanks for calling today - please check out the other creations from the CCM DT and if you're like me and struggle with ideas for masculine birthday cards, swell your stash by joining in with our challenge and you could win one of the prizes on offer this time from Di'sDigi Downloads ($10 GIFT VOUCHER) or The Stampman  (£10 voucher)!

Other Challenges -
Ladybug Crafts - Colour Blue 
Dutch Dare - For the Boys
Divas by Design - Anything Goes
Sisterhood of Crafters - Birthdays
Anything Goes - Make it Manly 
Craft Room Challenge - Something for a Man 
Digital Tuesdays - Birthdays

'nother Card!

Forgot about this one!!!

'Here's one I made earlier'........................

and as it fits with challenges from -

Cute Card Thursday - 'Whateva'

Charisma Cardz - Teddy Bear

Penny's PaperCrafty Challenge - Anything Goes

Fab and Funky - Spots and Stripes

- I decided to post it!

Sweet dreams!!

 This is the second time recently that I have used this image and sentiment on a card but it makes me smile so I'm not apologising!!!!!
I decided this time to try and make it a bit more 'girlie', hence the use of the pink and green colour combo.
I coloured wine-full sleepy bear with promarkers and water brushed some green ink to soften the edge. Mounted onto DCWV pale green cardstock. The patterned background papers were from a stack that I bought when I first started card making (who says I'm a hoarder????????) and I've had them that long I have no idea who made them or even if they're still available!

Creative Inspirations theme this week is Animal, TIOT has a challenge of 'Animal Stamp' this week and My Time To Craft's challenge is 'Drink it Up' (and there's no doubt at all that sleepy bear here has done just that!!!)

Another Card!

Had a few hours in the crafty space despite the glorious weather!

This card is just one for the stash - I might pop it into the 'Pink Box' or may use it myself as we have one or two men's birthdays looming at the Club!

The photo has a bit of an orangey tint to it - don't know why - the background is actually a dark red - but am sure you get the idea....

The image is a digi freebie called 'Light My Life' - I usually make a note of who offered the freebies so I can say thank you on here when I use one but am afraid I haven't kept where this one came from. I coloured it with Promarkers before layering onto dark red and blue cardstock. The striped paper was a present from Maureen and I again layered it onto blue cardstock before adding the 3 blue eyelets (supposed to look like portholes - LOL) and the plaited rope. The sentiment was printed out on the PC.

The card fits several challenges -

S2G - Create a card for a man using a masculine image

Crafts and Me - Distressed (no not me, the stripey paper! LOL)

Dare U 2 Digi Stamp - One for the Boys

I Love Digi - For my Dad (and even though I don;t have a Dad if I did I'm sure I would send him a card like this!)

Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog - Home Sweet Home

George

I have a letter from my Mum to explain my absence for a week....LOL! The time has just whizzed past since my last post - have been working on a small project which once finished will post.

In the meantime to prove to you all that I have been making a few cards, here is George the Friendly Giraffe. Have no idea why I called him George.... but it suits him I think!

The image was a digi freebie from Meljen's and I coloured him with promarkers. I sponged the background of the digi image with some Whispers orange ink. I thought the bright papers background might be a bit too much but once I added the cream layers and the ribbon, tag and the tiny gems I thought the card had a more balanced look.

'George' was only one of a few cards I've made over the last week and once this annoying internet speed gets back to normal and doesn't take forever to upload I'll post some more!

The challenge at Totally Gorjuss this week is Ribbon so George has gone in!

I'm off to the NEC tomorrow with Maureen and we're meeting Anne for coffee to recharge the batteries before the afternoon stall onslaught!! No doubt I shall be completely 'spent out' by the time I get back on the train home!

Shamrocks

Another card made for my charity stash.

Image was a digi freebie from Tiffany's Garden.

I printed it out onto inkjet watercolour paper for texture (which doesn't show up very well in the pic!) and coloured with promarkers, then just used a corner punch to give the edge a bit of decoration.

I think although this is a plain card, it's quite a nice one! (Even if I do say so myself!!LOL)

Card submitted into these challenges -

Shirleys 2 Girls

Tuesday Taggers

Cute Card Thursday

Tellens Place

which all have a 'green' theme and the challenge over at One Powerful Hour is Luck.

Flowers.

This card is for my Mum to send to a relative. I used Kay and Co papers, the Sarah Kay image was a freebie from a crafty friend and I coloured it with promarkers. The greeting is an Inkadinkadoo stamp which I stamped once onto white card then onto pink and cut out the pink and stuck it onto the white base. The lacy edges were done with a Martha Stewart punch.

The card fits in with a couple of challenges -

The Pink Elephant - add Green to your colour combo

Digital Tuesday - Use scallops (hope the greeting is scalloped enough!)

Cute Card Thursday - Use Ribbon

OSCC - Optimistically Pink

Simon Says Stamp - Girly

Floral Circle

Quite enjoyed doing this although cutting out the floral circle needed me to exercise patience which is not one of my strogest points!

The image was a freebie from Bugaboo and I thought it would be perfect for a lot of occasions like get well, sympathy or even just to drop a note to someone.

I coloured the image with watercolours, and then ran a black promarker round the edges to make sure none of the base white card was showing after I'd cut it out and I used 3d pads to raise it from the background.

The good old swiss dots folder used again and mounted onto lemon cardstock before placing onto a white deckle edged card.

Coffee Time

An apt card I think for the challenge at 'Play Date Cafe'!

This week it's a colour challenge and the colours given are Red, Brown and Linen. This image is a digi freebie and I wanted to make a basic card which would be suitable for anyone to receive or send, be it just to drop someone a note or for any other occasion.

Cream base card, layered with red card and then the brown houndstooth patterned paper (which i have had in my stash for ever!). I coloured the image with promarkers using the 'Ivory' one to colour in the sentiment and the 'wall' behind the coffee pot as I foolishly printed them out onto white card!

I added another 'daisy' from the new punch (getting my money's worth!) and some cream ribbon.

I think this is an 'OK' card - not spectacularly pretty or adorned with embellishments, but hopefully one that the recipent might appreciate.