Have been sitting this morning thinking of warm sunshine, blue skies and gentle breezes rocking a hammock - 'cos we've just paid for our holiday! Certainly wasn't looking out of the window - rain, wind, grey skies... typical British Summer really!!!

I decided I needed to do something soft, gentle and soothing - couldn't afford a pamper day at a luxurious spa - so made a card instead.....................
I adored this Cheery Lynn Lace Faerie Queen die as soon as I clapped eyes on it.
I also saw it made into a beautiful card along similar lines to this and decided to give it a go.
Using just dies without images gives me an opportunity to use up some of the pieces of card that I have left over too.
The whole thing is made with centura pearl card.
I used Nestabilities dies for the fancy square frames, and inked the edges with versacolour Petal Pink ink, then layered them with 3d pads.
The 'lace faerie queen' was also inked lightly then given a little dusting with glamour dust for some sparkle and 3 soft pink pearls stuck on the body.
The flower was made using several layers of  the smaller of the Nestabilities Blossom dies and again it was given the ink and glamour dust treatment.
I had originally intended not to add any sentiment on the front at all but whilst I wanted to achieve 'clean and simple' - it looked 'bare and stark' -  (well according to me anyway!!) - so a greeting of some sort was needed.
This sentiment came from TLC -  and it's simple statement I thought meant the card could be used for any occasion. I  altered the colour in Serif and then cut it out with another fancy tag die, adding another pearl.
Tied some white organza ribbon round the side and popped a couple of pearls at the top. 


Challenges -
PaperPlay -  Use a Die
Crafty Ribbons - Clean and Simple
Delightful Challenges - Anything Goes
Divas by Design - To 'Die' For
Whimsy Stamps - White on White
Use your Stuff - Make it by Hand
The Crazy Challenge - recipe - and I chose Ribbon, Pearls, Dies

As ever, thanks for visiting - off to get a jumper 'cos it ain't very warm here at all! x

Sunshine!

It's been a lovely couple of days here - the sun finally decided to come out and stay for a couple of days! (Forecast from Thursday onwards ain't so bright but hey ho, make the most of it while it lasts!)
I've been busy with a couple of projects and have a few finished cards, pics all taken and saved but thought I would post this one tonight, before I go in to watch the footie... Don't know why I'm watching - they make me real frustrated when they give the ball away and real nervous as I never believe they're going to win!!! But in true patriotic manner I shall be shouting at the TV as per usual!So before all the manic behaviour I am sharing a serene card!!!!!!!!

Oh dear, look who's been shopping at Wild Rose Studio again??? I am soooooo ill disciplined.....lol

This one is called 'In the Meadow'.  Image was stitched onto a die cut frame cut from Coredinations cardstock.

The backing papers are from Imagine and were what were left from the 'Rose' post (see below) and just seemed perfect for the image. I stitched them onto the same pink card after distressing the edges a little.

The beautiful sparkling white lace was a present from Alessandra - isn't it gorgeous? Was gritting my teeth as I used it! I added the fabric flowers from my stash.

I coloured the seam binding with 'Pink Carnation' promarker, tied it into a bow and secured with a pearl buckle, adding 3 pins and a couple of pearls.

The sentiment was a freebie (and I'm really sorry I can't remember where from but thank you whoever you are) and I mounted it onto another die cut frame with a couple of flourishes.

The base of the easel was made with the rest of the polka dot paper and the scrap remnant of the pink card was cut using an MS punch (one of my birthday pressies from dear husband), and i stuck a couple of tiny pearls onto the flowers and some larger ones onto the prop.
This wasn't made for anything specifically - sometimes it's just nice to make to make if you understand what I mean!

Challenges -
Craft Your Passion - Flips and Folds
Cheerful Stamp Pad - In the Garden
One Stop Crafts - Pink, Green and White Easel
Sketch and Stash - Free choice of previous sketches - Sketch number 8 (tilted slightly)
Creative Card Crew - 1,2,3 - 1 image, 2 papers and 3 pins   
Papertake Weekly - Bingo and I chose Ribbon/Free/Blooms
Card Crafters Circle - Include a Sentiment
Pretty Little Ribbon Shop - Lots of Layers 

Hope the sun has shone in your part of the world and thanks for stopping by to see me. x

A card and a thank you

A card to share today which I made a couple of weeks ago for a family celebration. 
This week's challenge at LIM is 'Something Shiny' and I am going to submit this on the basis that it has lots of white space and yes,yes I know, it's got embellishments but there's not a lot.... well I don't think so anyway!! Am sure if I have exceeded the boundaries I'll be told.......... and I shall go on the naughty step!

Made using my basic white linen textured card with two strips of silver mirri attached to another white linen panel.
The die was an early birthday present to myself and I am afraid I am now well into fancy dies........ I thought this was such a versatile one that could be used for anniversaries if cut with different coloured card, Christmas, Sympathy, etc - all ocaasions really - well that was my excuse for buying it!!
I think the embossing effect on the flowers is lovely - am not sure though that you can see it on the photo - 'cos of the mirri card.
Stuck the die cut onto the centre panel and then I silver embossed the wooden numbers from my stash for more silver effect!
The silver organza ribbon was simply wound round the centre panel and secured with a suitably blingy heart buckle from my fave blingy site - Imagine.
 Shiny it is, and am hoping it's LIM enough for LIM!!!

Other Challenges -
DL Art - Recipe- 2 colours (Silver and White), Ribbon and Embossing
My Mum's Craft Shop - Clean and Simple
Unstampabelles - Ribbon

And finally - just want to say a great big THANK YOU to all my blogging friends who sent me birthday wishes, gorgeous presents and fab cards yesterday. It made me very happy!!!

Roses grow on you

Firstly, a huge welcome to all my new followers - Lynda, Berni and Sheryl - it's lovely to see you and I hope you enjoy visiting me - and thanks to everyone for all the lovely comments you leave me - I'm so happy that you take the time and I love reading them!
Today is yet another grey, cloudy and damp day, so don't be surprised if there's more than one post!
I recently won a whopping £25 voucher from Imagine and of course didn't wait long to spend it - I cannot resist all the blingy stuff on that site but they also have some gorgeous papers, so spent some of my prize on the lovely touchy feely designs.(Like I need more papers????!!!!!!!!!)

The ones that I used for this card are heavily linen textured and I think they're really pretty.
This was a really quick and simple card to make and I also used up some of the stuff laying about on the desk - stitched the papers and added a remnant of white vintage lace.

The 'rose' was made from pink tissue paper (another bit of recycling as one of my birthday pressies was wrapped in it!) cut with two sizes of scalloped nesties and scrumpled up to give a ruffled appearance. (idea for this came from my bloggin buddie Lynne). I had a bit of white lace from an old net curtain that had a flower pattern on it and a scrap of fuchsia pink slub linen so cut out two of the flowers from the lace and used a larger nestie to cut out from the pink material. I secured it all together with a pearl brad, then mounted it onto a fancy nestabilities tag cut from pearlised card.
The sentiment was computer generated printed onto the same pearl card and I coloured the punched butterfly with a promarker.


Challenges - 
Lollipop Crafts - Flowers In Bloom
Love to Create - Recycle (my net curtain and tissue wrap)
Bearly Mine - Dies/Flowers/Sentiment
Creative Card Crew - Inspired by a Song (Rose Garden, Lynn Anderson)
Everybody Art - Roses
TIOT - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Truly, Madly, Crafty - Monochrome


Well the rain is drizzling down again - so instead of pulling up the weeds I will have to  sit here and watch them grow! Have a great day! x 

I am managing to keep my promise to myself of doing as many LIM challenges as I can. This week's challenge was a one layer card and to use a flourish.
I am still not 100% sure about one layer cards but think I'm getting better - slowly!
There's not a lot of sympathy cards in my stash - in fact their sum total is 2 - so thought that this one layer CAS challenge might help increase the numbers - also slowly!

Plain white card and I embossed two straight lines a third of the way along - (still can't get my head round completely plain!) - The Elusive Images stamp was inked with Dusty Concord DI. I know that DI doesn't give a crisp finish to stamped images but I wanted ethereal rather than sharp and thankfully it turned out OK.

I masked off the butterfly once the ink was dry and used pastel chalks to colour the background - the colour IRL is a pale violety/pink shade and I quite like it.

I used yellow and blue pastel chalks for the butterfly which doesn't show up very well in the pic but looks just fine on the card (!), then some glamour dust for a tiny bit of sparkle and to give the winged thingy some definition without going overboard - this is a sympathy card after all!

The pearls are from my stash and the sentiment from Dovecraft also stamped with Dusty Concord.

After all the feverish glueing and assembling of embellies, flowers, die cuts and layers of the last few days making this this gave me a feeling of serenity - sounds daft I know but I DID find it quite relaxing - even though i had my usual panic of stamping straight onto card at the beginning!

A BIG warm welcome to all my new followers - it's great to see you -and I really love your comments - love visiting you all too - you're a talented lot!! Have a nice day whatever you're all doing. xx

Mono

Have been fiddling with this card for a few days! It's been one of those were I probably tried too hard to incorporate stuff instead of just making it the way I wanted - but - it is an order so the customer is always right - well not always (LOL) -but I thought I needed to make some sort of effort to put on SOMETHING that she wanted!
That said, I didn't do exactly everything although I did make it an easel card like she asked for - she said the 'birthday girl' liked music, did some beautiful cross stitch - oh and was the local methodist minister!
Not having any suitable images of lady vicars with dog collars I opted for the music and sewing theme.... wrong decision number 1. After a few attempts at incorporating both themes I decided to do only one - opted for sewing - wrong decision number 2! There are literally HUNDREDS of images of ladies with sewing machines, ladies sewing quilts but could I find ONE that just showed a woman cross stitching that I could use? NO!

The old music sheet paper was staring at me from the desk whilst I contemplated (well actually I was now beginning to get annoyed....lol) and I nearly succumbed and went back to pianos etc but  I found this silhouette from the Crafty Pad.

Printed it onto pearl cardstock, then clear embossed and layered onto a black scalloped oval. The spots on the backing paper have a wee bit of sparkle which I hope lifts the austerity of the monochrome a bit. I used the fancy oval die again too as a backing for the image.

The heavy white lace is one of my faves from my stash and I added a triple organza bow secured with a pearl buckle, a couple of die cut flourishes and some black, white and clear pins.

The roses were made from the same pearlised card.  
The sentiment was pc generated and I found this little cotton reel and silver thimble in a bag of unused buttons!
On the base I used the same DP, another die cut oval as a space for the greeting, a couple of pearls on the 'prop' and two more items from the unused button pack - a rather large lethal looking sewing needle (!) and a pair of scissors. 

Challenges -
Addicted to stamps - 1 or more pins
Robyn's Fetish - Add Lace
Just Some Lines - Black and White
CYDA - Bingo (Glitter/Lace/Pearls)
Card Crafters Circle - Monochromatic
4 Crafty Chicks - Monochromatic
Crop Stop - Monochromatic
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Flowers/Ribbon
My Mum's Craft Shop - Bingo (Flowers/Pearls/Die Cuts)
Truly Madly Crafty - Monochrome

As ever my desk is like the proverbial bomb site so suppose I'd better go clean up! But before I go I thought I'd share this with you - sent to me by fellow crafter Alessandra who saw them live (lucky girl) - just click on the link - hope you enjoy it. x
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usADINi17cI&feature=BFa&list=UUkfcMwocGcoeP5V3vJzH5nw

A try at something different

Have been continuing finishing off some cards that were ordered by a relative when I've had some spare time this week.
I decided to try something a little different for me and steer clear of images, stamps and flowers!
I even managed to not use any ribbon!
There are so many fabulous dies out there now and I have come to the conclusion that I want them all - I've seen some beautiful cards made using fancy dies and although I don't own many I thought now was as good a time as any to make something using some of the ones I had.

So here is my finished card.

I used centura Pearl card (which is my excuse for the poor qaulity photo) and first embossed with the trusty old Swiss Dots folder. Then I cut four corner flourishes and two of the larger fancy ovals after printing out the sentiment. I also cut a tag from one of the fancy tags sets and cut it in half.

The die cuts were all sponged lightly with VersaColor pigment ink in 'Bisque' colour. It's a pretty sandy/peachy coloured shade and am a wee bit upset that the pic doesn't actually show the true colour but am sure you get the idea!

I layered the 'cut in half' tag first then added the two fancy ovals so that the fancy edge of the tag was just visible. I stuck some pearls onto the ends of the tag and four very tiny ones onto the oval frame.

The two butterflies were given the same ink treatment, a little pearl each and a liberal dose of 'Diamond' stickles - well of course it was too good to be true - having resisted everything else I was not able to resist the 'bling'!

Am quite pleased with myself with this one, turned out better than I hoped and I've enjoyed making it - only trouble is, I now have to have more fancy dies - Definitely!
Challenges -
Southern Girls - Things with Wings
Lia Stampz - Things with Wings
Freshly Brewed - Pop It
Creative Belli - Sentiment Only
Ladybug Crafts - Big Birthdays
Crafting for all Seasons - Layers
Whimsy Inspirations - Things with wings
Emergency Crafters - Anything With Wings
Stampin for the Weekend - Bugs or butterflies
Once again we are blessed with wet, windy, cool weather! Think we had our Summer last week! Thanks for calling in - off for a cuppa! x

Fashionista Challenge - Simply Summer

Happy Monday! 
Am sharing this with you and you need to be gentle with me.. cos i'm very very scared at posting this...... this is my effort for my guest designer spot over at Fashionista. This is the first time I've ever done a GDT and was real pleased to be asked. I hope I've done a reasonable job and that my card inspires you to join in!
The theme for the new Challenge is 'Simply Summer'.
You can create any type of paper crafting project  and you may use any image and enter as often as you like! Just link back to the Fashionista Challenge in your blog post and then upload your entries to the Fashionista blog. The "Top 5" will be announced on June 18th, then the voting begins! The "People's Choice" winner, announced June 25th, will receive a $12 gift cerificate from this month's sponsor:-A Day for Daisies
How good is that! And if you cast a vote you too could be in with a chance of winning 2 digis from Saturated Canary.
So here it is - big drum roll pleas for my first ever GDT card......

I used this stamp called 'Collecting Seashells' and I think it's so lovely - reminds me of many hours with my Mum on the beach holding shells to my ear to hear the sea...
I coloured the image with promarkers and stitched it onto a nestie frame. The papers Nitwits 'Land Ho' collection and I stitched them onto a sandy coloured card base.
I had this striped ribbon in my stash and used it over a punched shell border, and popped on some tattered muslin type fabric, all frayed at the edges 'cos I wanted to give it a 'washed up beachy' feel. I tatted some more of the fabric and threaded through a pearl buckle to make a bow.

All the shells are real collected from the beach (I have a huge bag and it will probably take me forever to use them which is probably why there's so many on this card!).-
I glued a little pearl in the centre of the razor shells by the pc generated sentiment - which made me smile when I was doing it cos each time I asked Mum if there was something precious inside any shell she told me the mermaids had already been and taken it to keep it safe!  To me the sentiment is particularly poignant and oh so true.
A couple more pearls, a tiny 'post card', a couple of tags and a silver metal flip flop charm finished the front.

Inside was decorated with the same papers, a shell stamp (which was a freebie), and a metal embellie with shells on it.
Am entering this into the following challenges -
Joanna Sheen - Remember When
Crafty Boots - Anything goes
Wags N Whiskers - Summer Fun
Pixie Dust Studio - Summer
Paper Pretties- Summer
Raise the Bar - Hello Summer
Aud Sentiments - Any Sentiment
Inky Impressions - Summer Fun
Allsorts - Beside the seaside

Thanks for dropping in today - a big welcome to my new followers, and am wishing you all a good week! x

Vintage

What a dreadful day for the Jubilee celebrations - it's been non stop rain here in my part of the country all day and looking at some of the pics the rest of the UK has been much the same.
I have spent the day in the craftie space - a relatvie has asked me to make a few cards for special celebrations that are coming up this year in her family, a silver wedding and three 70th birthdays!
Have done the 25th anniversary card and will show it sometime in the future but wanted to share this one with you instead.

The stamp is a corset one by Hampton Arts. I cut off the bottom! For the stand I used another stamp from a dress form  which was a freebie from a magazine. Why not use the whole dress form stamp I hear you ask? Well it had flowers on it and it wasn't what I wanted!

So stamped the two in Versamark Sepia onto cream card and cut them out then stuck them together, then added a few tiny pearls down the front.

The papers are by K and Co and are a really lovely soft green. I stitched them and used a nestie to cut out the shape for the layer.
I really love this heavy lace - I thankfully still have quite a bit left in my stash in both cream and white  and used the cream for this card.

The seam binding ribbon was scrunched, dampened then dried with a heat gun and I used rather a lot to make the bow but I think it works. I secured it with two pearl pins.
The sentiment was PC generated and I sewed on a small pearl button then decorated the inside to match.

Challenges -
Corrosive Challenge - Not too Shabby
Pan Pastel UK - Something Vintage
The Crafty Pad - Ribbon
The Ribbon Girls - Use ribbon/lace
Secret Crafter - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz - Buttons and Bows

So that's all from me for now - am going to brave the rain and run back to the house to make a cuppa! As always, thank you for visiting. x

Steamboat

I have decided I need more stamps. I definitely need more stamps. I do not have enough stamps. I don't have enough men type stamps. I have to buy some men type stamps....(as well as other stamps)
so I did.............and made this man card!

I used some black cardstock and stitched paper from the lovely Melissa Frances Fifth Avenue collection as the base for my card.  
I then layered another piece from the same pad and sewed again after distressing all the edges.


The stamp is by Stampendous and called Steamboat Ride. I like it a lot as I think it will be good for vintagey grungy type cards as well as CAS ones. I used Versamark ink and stamped the image onto a blue/grey paper from My Minds Eye which happily for me was a great colour match to the other papers!  I highlighted the waves with a white gel pen, distressed the edges and then stitched it onto the same black cardstock.


The two tickets were downloads - one is an admission ticket for the princely sum of one dollar for one person  for a 'Midnight Cruise on the Robert E Lee' dated May 29th 1882 - (how romantic a steamboat ride in the moonlight - hope the owner managed to find someone to share the moonlight with!) and the other is a poster for the Missouri River steamboat trips between St Louis and St Joseph.


I used some twine and a button from my stash and a couple of black pearl to embellish the card. The edges of the image were decorated with some punched out scraps and I popped a metal corner onto the top of the card to finish it all off.


I was a tad bothered that the black cotton may make the card dark and sombre but I think it worked OK - so I carried on the theme inside!
Challenges -
City Crafter - Ticket to Ride
Paperminutes - Maritime
Crafty Cardmakers - Distress It
Lexi's - For a man/boy
Simon says Stamp and Show - 1 for the Boys
Here Come the Boys - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz - Male theme
Chocolate/Coffee and Cards - 4 the Boys
Sisterhood of Crafters - Many Layers
Incy Wincy - Vintage
PaperShelter - Vintage


Its been another warm day here but not a lot of sunshine about so it's felt very sticky! I know there's been some heavy downpours elsewhere cos my friend rang me to tell me about her horrendous motorway journey in the driving rain! So wherever you are I hope you're dry (and warm!) and as always thanks for coming to see me! x

Shaped Card

This week's Less Is More challenge is a 'shaped card'.
I have some grand nesties in different shapes and was considering whether to do label shape, circle shape, half circle etc etc. I thought I might do the shape in hammered cardstock instead of the usual linen and when I lifted it from the drawer to open the new pack underneath were these pre-shaped cards which I must have bought about 5 years ago! I did use one from the pack at some time - honest- either that or the pack only contained 4 instead of 5 and I was ripped off!!! LOL
It's also been a long time since I did anything oriental themed and as the screen fold blanks were intended for oriental or vintage, oriental won on this occasion.

I hope there is enough white space to satisfy Mandy and Chrissie. I had originally intended not to stamp at all on the third panel but it looked odd so stamped a little bit and left some space for a greeting.
I spread out a small selection of my oriental stamp pile (and yes some of them have NEVER seen ink - slap wrist....) the geisha/sumarai warrior stamps were put back as I thought they would be too big and I wanted to give a soft feel to the project. I used Versamark ink in Smokey Gray and Onyx Black and an archival rainbow ink pad called 'Peacock' for the dragonflies and flowers.

The stamps are from several different places. Majority are from a set that is mounted onto blue foam backing - also had these years!

The dragonflies are part of a clear set of 'winged things' but as I've thrown away the packaging again no idea who's they are!

I clear embossed them and although it doesn't show up very well they have a lovely shimmer to them.

The sentiment stamp is from Elusive Images and the die cut leaves were sent by Maureen and I just ran them across the rainbow pad.

It's another lovely day here so am off to try and do a bit of weeding - who said 'weeds are flowers too'? LOL

Thanks for dropping in! x

Hello Sailor!

'All the nice girls love a sailor' - or so the song says!
And who couldn't love this little man in his sailor suit?
He's part of a set called 'Sailor Boys' and I couldn't resist - (as with all things from the pen of Ms Manning),- there's 3 sailor boy images, this cute dog and some toy soldiers so no doubt I shall be colouring some more and making lots of sea themed cards.

I coloured the image with promarkers and used some watercolour pastels for the background. Stitched onto dark blue card and placed 3 red eyelets in the corner (they're suppose to remind you of port holes - LOL).
The patriotic backing papers were a free download - there's a set of ten papers all on the red/white/blue theme and you can grab them from here. (A great site!)
I decided to layer and stitch them onto the same dark blue card and used red cotton cos I thought it would stand out better than blue!
The ribbon is from my stash, placed onto a piece of white card with the edge punched out with an MS punch and layered onto the blue card.
The  sentiment was also a freebie (what a cheap skate I am...lol) from TLC and the silver sailboat charm was the last of the sea type ones from my stash with some sewing thread in the red/white/blue colours threaded through.
The inside is also co-ordinated using the same papers.

Challenges -
Papertake Weekly - Red/White/Blue
Desmet Designs - Red/White/Blue
Mo's Challenge Blog - World Traveller
Play Date Cafe - Colour combo - (Denim/Cherry/Baby Blue)
Order of Opus Gluei - Sew What
Charisma Cardz - No flowers
Forever friends - Use 2 images(one animal)
52 Card Pick up- week 21
It's another glorious day here so am off into the garden to enjoy the sunshine - hope you're all basking in the beautiful weather! Don't get sunburnt! x

LIM

The challenge over at LIM this week is a Baby card. I'd already made one which was definitely NOT suitable- (please see below post - lol)  so had a bit of my fill of babies this week but as I hadn't managed to enter last week's challenge I wanted to make sure i kept to my promise to myself of at least doing one LIM a month!

This is not, in my humble opinion, a very exciting card! Although I really do like CAS and have become more comfortable with it over the last few months, I think I am guilty of 'less and less and lesser' and somehow they always seem unfinished?

I am not even sure if the Head Girls will allow a shaped card, so am risking the naughty step by even contemplating submission. If I am firmly rapped on the knuckles then I shall just have to take myself off and try and do another one.
White pearlised card and two embossing folders (good old Swiss Dots and Houndstooth Check), some fabric rose trim from my stash, a wee bit of a pink ribbon and a LOTV sentiment and that was it! (Which is probably why I don't think it very exciting.......)

I am shamelessley touting for votes again too.......if you think my cross over wedding card over at Fashionista is the best, please would you register a vote? They have a bag of goodies for one lucky voter and it may just be you!

Have just come in from the garden - we've had a real busy few hours - we've cut the 150 foot long garden hedge and some of the shrubs at the front so we're both hot and tired now! But at least the sun is shining and is supposed to be with us for a few days - so am going to make the most of it!

Thanks for visiting, hope all is well in your world. x

Baby makes 3 and a second Top 5

Happy Monday!

And can you believe it?? I am sooo happy - I've been picked in the Top 5 again over at Fashionista!!

We're now at the 'peoples choice' stage again so please take pity on me cos I didn't win last time and pop over and vote for me... promise to share my lottery winnings with you if you do...when my numbers come up that is...lol

You may even win the goodies that Fashionista have put up for one lucky voter!

I've had a mad busy weekend and managed yesterday to find a spare hour to finish this for a lady at the Bowls club who has just added another grandchild to her family. I used the same image and colour scheme as one I did a few months ago - but made this one as an easel. This LOTV image rates amongst one of my favourites.

I stamped the image with Versamark onto white textured paper and paper pieced the little blanket. The tiny piece at the top across baby's little shoulder was a bit fiddly to cut out but managed it! Coloured the rest with promarkers, cut out the image with a nestie and stitched onto the scalloped frame.

The papers are all 'My Baby Love' from Raspberry Road and I think the soft blues and lemons work really well together and are great for a baby boy card where you want to escape from just blue!
I stitched most of the papers and last week I bought this ribbon in a tiny haberdashers in my local market town - she had lots of new ribbon in lovely colours and designs and I spent rather a lot of money - and before you ask - Of Course I NEEDED it............ lol

The sentiment on the front is by TLC, (I think it's just right for a new baby) and popped on some tiny lemon pearls in the bottom right corner, a couple of 'baby blue' buttons and a pram buttton from my stash.
I decided to put the new arrival's name on the easel base instead of the front - and tied a smaller bow using a thinner piece of the same ribbon, adding a tiny metal heart charm which says 'Made With Love'- the lemon teddy is also from the same button pack and then I put three more lemon pearls onto the base prop.

My desk unfortunately looks like an absolute bomb site and I have precisely two inches of space left, the floor is littered with all kinds of bits and I HAVE to clear up before I do anything else - which is really annoying - as I have three images somewhere under the pile that are waiting to be done ( if I find them and they're messed up I'll be cursing!!)

Challenges -
Fussy and Fancy - New Baby
CRAFT - Easel Card
Charisma - Use a Metal charm
I Did It - Anything Goes
The sun is shining brightly here and it's quite warm - I did a pile of washing and was just about to hang it on the line when my lovely farmer neighbour decided to muck spread the field opposite with some unmentionable concoction that smells what can only be described as 'less than pleasant'... and that's being polite!! But at least it's an excuse for me not to go and work outside - don't want to risk being gassed do I? So the craft desk and the floor it is..............any excuse????? You're darn right!
Enjoy your day!

Those Darned Men - Vol 2!

Bit like buses - no men's cards for ages then 2 come along at once....
A big hello to my new followers - it's lovely that you have chosen to follow me and to ALL my followers - I really appreciate that keep dropping in to see what I'm doing!

Second male themed effort to share with you all today - this image from Mo Manning really is just perfect for my dearly beloved.

This is him! I'm convinced Mo must know him - He sits here to my right with his two screens and his headphones and I can hear 'click click click click' as he plays on line with all his 'mates' from all over the world.. makes me laugh cos it sounds like they're a bunch of school boys when actually some of them are older than he is and in the rest of them there isn't one of them under 35!

'Boys and their Toys' was an expression designed for my very own Inspector Gadget..... he asked me the other night what I was doing and I told him 'Colouring you in'................ LOL

Mo's image 'Computer Guy' coloured with promarkers, matted, layered and stitched onto papers from my stash, some dark grey square brads and a PC generated sentiment.

The layout is based on a sketch this week from Willow Sketchie - I just tilted it slightly.

Challenges -

MAWTT - Keep it real
Willow Sketchie - 3 different papers/Sketch
Crafty Creations - Male Birthday
Dude time doodles - Masculine Birthday
Cards For Men - Kicking Back (and this is how my OH relaxes would you believe!)

Grey day here again - had a nice day yesterday strolling round Trentham Gardens with Maureen and her OH- and of course having coffee and cake......LOL - sun came out and although not very warm it was quite pleasant in the sunshine - really do wish this unsettled weather would vanish and give me some much needed blue sky and WARM sunshine!
Hope all is OK with all of you - have a nice day! x

Those darned men!

Why are men so difficult?
I don't mean the men themselves  -although I know one or two VERY difficult ones -
(and if my dear beloved husband is reading this - 'Not you dear - you are WONDERFUL!xxxxxxxx)

I mean making cards for them is difficult - I sit, plan, get the stamps and papers out, fiddle about for ages and then all my efforts end up in the bin 'cos I don't like them!

So I decided to not bother with papers this time and to use this stamp bought with the proceeds from a challenge win and selected specifically for men cards.

I don't like buying stamps for men cards - feel I'm wasting my money cos I'd rather be buying something pink and girly....LOL 
To be fair, I enjoyed colouring this in!

I stamped it twice onto bright white card then used a nestie to cut out one of the images.
After colouring with watercolours - (they're getting a lot of use just lately!!) - I mounted the circle onto the other stamped image with foam pads so that the ends of the flourish underneath were visible.

The two pieces were then stuck onto a layer of teal coloured card.
I scored a couple of lines onto the card base and used the same teal card for the band across the centre.
Stamped the sentiment, popped in a couple of eyelets in the same colour and cut out the little seagull.

Was quite happy with it when it was finished - (not like me at all!) and someone else must have liked it too, cos it sold yesterday!


A couple of male themed challenges -
Allsorts - Card For a man
MAWTT - Nautical
Pixie Dust - One for the Boys
Southern Girls - About the Boys
Divas by Design - One for the Boys
Try It On Tuesday - On the Beach

It's a beautiful day here - sun is shining- but appearances are very deceptive 'cos the wind is really cold!
Have a great day and thanks for visiting! x

Annabelle's Meadow

Definitely not weather for walking in any meadows here - cold, wet, windy - just a normal day's weather!
We're a bad lot us crafters - we see something, fall in love with it and absolutely HAVE to have it even when we don't need it!

That's how I was with the Wild Rose Studios range of 'Annabelle's Meadow' stamps - they were just so pretty and of course I didn't NEED them but I WANTED them! I did exercise some restraint - and only bought one (Feeding Birds) with my gift voucher from a challenge win - only because the others were out of stock...shhhh - will be notified by e mail when the others come back in......!!!!!!!
This was one of those very rare occasions when I bought something and inked it up within twenty minutes of the postman delivering it. Out with the watercolour pastels and just sat and painted - very therapeutic! Can't tell you how much I enjoyed colouring it - loved it.

I lightly distressed the edges of the image before mounting onto the background.
The papers are all from Pink Petticoat, stitched and layered.

I used some pink lace from my stash and a pearl buckle to create the bow.
The smaller pale blue flowers have been in my stash for ever so thought it was time I used them up! The pink and blue cherry blossoms were from a challenge win.

Stuck a pink and white pearl hat pin and a small pink diamante pin into the flowers and added 3 pink pearls to the top of the card.
I found this little pink ladybug in my stash - something else I have had for a long long time!

Same papers stitched and layered inside and I think you might be seeing some more of this stamp - cos I love it!

Challenges -
Clear it Out - Use up Flowers
Sassy Cheryl's - Stitching
Hooked on Craft - Flowers
Stamps and Fun - Pearls and Lace
Whoopsi Daisy - We Love Pink
The Crafty Pad - Girly Girls
Love to Create - Special Lady
Shabby Tea Room - Colour combo with a rose (and my rose is on the paper!)
Charisma Cardz - Pink and Girly
By the Cute and Girly - Spring is in the Air
Have a lovely day whatever you're doing - and let's hope it will soon be 'meadow walking' weather! x 

Monday first

Been a few days since I last posted - but in between doing all the usual 'life' stuff made some time to visit my blogging buddies and also to make a few cards - so today as I've promised myself a day in the warm craftie space you may be fed up with the posts. We have typical Bank Holiday weather here - cold, wet and windy!
First to share is my submission for the Less Is More challenge, which this week is YELLOW.
Agggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! I like it but don't like to use it!
However, it gave me a chance to use these Stampendous stamps which have never before seen ink.

I actually made this on Saturday night, but it was too dark to take any pics and then I was out all day yesterday so have only just got a chance to get out the camera!
I first stamped the Ranunculus direct onto the card but decided I needed to make it more dimensional even if I was going to enter it to LIM. So found some lemon and white polka dot paper and then stamped the flower heads again and stuck onto the card. I am always nervous of paper piecing but thought the outline of these flowers were good to try it.
The largest flower I stamped again and used some quite slim stickies to raise it a little. Still wasn't quite right so found some yellow marbled vellum, stamped again and then clear embossed. I cut away some of the outer petals and glued the centre - the top layer has curled just a little and I quite like the effect.
The rest of the image was coloured with promarkers and I made a small greeting tag.  I edged it with a very thin strip of the same spotty paper and resisted the urge to use any glamour dust anywhere!

I confess to enjoying making CAS cards as much as the frilly fussy ones - although it does tax my poor brain as I always want to add other things - this one may yet see a couple of tiny lemon pearls somewhere................... or a tiny butterfly..........or anything else that I may find lying on the desk!

Other challenges -
Paper Creations Ink - In the Garden 
Alphabet Challenge - G is for Garden 
Opus Gluei - Beyond the garden gate
Crafty Boots - Yellow

Thanks for looking - whatever you're doing I hope you're warm and dry!

Cross Over

Seen lots of examples recently of these 'crossover' cards that have a post card insert so thought I would give it a go.


I decided to  not to try and go overboard with papers and decorations, mainly because as it was my first attempt if it looked yuk when it was finished I wouldn't have wasted much so a plainish wedding card was decided upon!


I used white pearlised card and 'Budding Vine' embossing folder, layering it onto grey Bazzil card.(Which looks blue in the pic!)

Using up what was left of this satin lace I edged the two crossovers which left me with just enough to use on the insert!

The punched  butterfly was dusted with some glamour dust then I spent quite a while sticking on all the 'trail' gems individually!  The white satin bow was blinged up with another buckle from Imagine.

Outside finished I set about the post card insert.

I really like this LOTV stamp and used the same grey card for a scalloped border. Trying to maintain the clean look, I resisted the usual flowers etc and just used a shiny fabric heart and two larger sparkly gems.

I suppose it looks OK but am not happy with it!

I had several attempts at making the insert, I tried making one with ribbon 'pulls' so it could just be pulled out but it looked real overpowering with the two bits of ribbon sticking out from the top, so I tried it with just one piece of ribbon instead. Didn't look right.

Then I tried making a hanger from some scrap lace  - didn't like that either,
The post card insert ended up being stuck inside another piece of white embossed card and the way things are going it could yet well end up as a tag - or even worse consigned to the bin.  
There's no sentiment yet - until I've made my mind up on what I'm going to do with the inside I thought it best to leave well alone. 


Despite my reservations am submitting it into the following challenges -
Craft Room - Emboss It
Craft Your Passion - Lots of texture
My Mum's Craft Shop - Embossing
Fashionista - Wedding/Anniversary
House of Gilli - Ribbon and Sparkles
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes 

Thanks for being here - it's a lovely day and we currently have lots of blue sky and sunshine! Hope the weather is as calm and peaceful where you are. x