Joy

Here is yesterday's make - made using a Sugar Nellie favourite called 'Joy'. She has such a pretty face.  And..... big drum roll please......................... look at the STITCHING!!!! Can you believe it? Me?

(Note for Maureen.... LOOOKY HERE!!!!!)

Now then before I get too excited over conquering my fear of putting a needle through paper, I should point out that the stitching IS very basic and wasn't done using the big monster machine currently gathering dust under my desk, - instead I used a small battery operated tiny table top effort designed for quick small repairs purchased for the princely sum of £10 at my local Dunelm Mill about 3 years ago! (That too has been gathering dust under the table!)

So, onto the creation. Background papers are from K and Co (Madeline and McKenna stacks) stritched onto DCWV textured cardstock. 'Joy' was coloured using promarkers then cut out with nesties and layered onto the same cardstock. I put a cream skeleton leaf behind the image. The cream vintage lace is from my stash as are the flowers and pearl/gold embellishments. The two ribbons were coloured with promarkers to tone in with the papers. Finally I just popped on some paper pieces from a Kand Co embellie pack and put a small pearl in the middle of the one top right of the project.

Challenges -
I Love Promarkers - Stitching
The Creative Cottage - Flowers
Freshly Brewed - Ribbons and Bows
Cute Card Thursday - Sketch challenge 

Week 3

My internet speed is driving me to distraction! For three days we have had less download speed than 'dial up'. The air here is peppered with expletives and uploading is taking FOREVER!!

I am still working outside my comfort zone and taking part in the third week of the Less is More Challenge. I was overjoyed to find the card I submitted last week was selected for their showcase - it's a great feeling when someone who you consider to be so expert at a technique selects your effort as being worthy of recognition. This week, over on the blog Chrissie and Mandy have posted some tips on printing direct onto card and I for one welcomed their advice as this is something I have wanted to try and perfect.

It was a pity then that whilst reading the blog comments someone has seen fit to sumbit what can only be termed as 'less than flattering' comments about the technique used this week. Even more irritating as far as I'm concerned is this person did not have the courage of their own convictions and chose to post Anonymously. I have no problem with people posting their opinions about anything, but surely if you feel strongly enough about something then at the very least have the decency to use your name! Anyway enough of that.

Here's my card for this week's theme of Spring. I am just raising the bunting as I finally managed to position the text where I wanted to! I printed direct onto my favourite textured linen card and I am really happy how it turned out. The quote is attributed to Claudia 'Lady Bird' Johnson, First Lady of the USA and wife of Lyndon B. I think it is beautiful!
The image was a digi freebie which I printed out again on a separate piece of card and cut out with my nesties. I also cut out a slightly larger circle for mounting it onto. The background circle and the image were coloured with watercolours and I mounted the image using 3D pads. To finish I couldn't resist using a wee dusting of the usual 'Spun Sugar' distress ink around the card edges.
Thanks to Chrissie and Mandy for helping me overcome my reticence for printing direct onto card.
Am entering this into the challenge at Charisma Cardz which also has the theme of Spring and at Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday Challenge which has barred us from using any designer paper!

New Toy!

I have FINALLY taken the new toy from the box! And cut out lots of large labels! (Only because at the moment the labels are the only large nesties I have - but am sure that will be rectified soon.... lol)
So here's a wee bit of fluffiness made with a couple of the said labels.
I haven't mounted this onto a card yet and am not sure I will - might try and find a frame instead... will think about it.

I used white pearlised paper throughout. After cutting out,  I embossed the dots onto the smaller label and embossed round the larger label. I used Spun Sugar (which is quickly becoming one of my favourites) distress ink round the edges and then brushed over both labels randomly. The flourish is a Sissiz one which got the same distressed brush treatment! 

The LOTV stamp is one I have been promising myself for eons.... and I finally bought it when I had the recent mad spendie. I coloured it with promarkers and distress inks and added a teeny dabbing of stickles on the dress for a bit of sparklie girlyness...!

The flowers were from my stash - I like the pink pearl stamens especially and need to buy some flat backed pink pearls to match them (any excuse to spend some more). To finish off, I popped on some pearls, a couple of tiny fabric butterflies (these were real fiddly - don't think I'll be using them a lot despite having an entire string of them!) and finally added a small metal heart charm with a pearl top.

The love theme challenges are still ongoing so (takes a deep breath) here's a few challenges -

Craft Catz - Hearts

Craft Your Days Away - Photo Inspiration (and the photo made me think of weddings)

Cute Card Thursday - Hearts and Flowers

Paper Sundaes - Choose 3 toppings and I chose - Flowers, Distressing and Pink

Totally Gorjuss - Love

2 Sisters - Hearts    

Crazy 4 Challenges - Hearts
Paper Cupcakes - Shaped with embossing

In the Wind!

Well it's a lovely day here today (for a change).. usually I am away playing on a Saturday but I have a problem with my shoulder/neck/arm (again) so no bowling for me until further notice I'm afraid.... and even more annoyingly is I KNOW I'm going to feel guilty for being in the craftie space when I should really be outside doing some more tidying in the garden (one of the downsides about trying to sell your house is you have a ridiculous notion that it has to look like it's in the pages of Ideal Home ALL the time... which is impossible... well it is for me anyway!!!)
But I promised myself I would spend today catching up on posts and looking at everyone's blogs, doing a wee bit of crafting ... oh and I HAVE to tidy the work desk (cos I ain't got any space left...lol).
I treated myself to some new Lili of the Valley stamps. I know everyone rushed to buy them when they were released last month and I promised myself I would have the gorgeous Dandelion Clock if nothing else.... such good intentions.... several stamps later I finally added Dandelion cutie to the basket!
So here she is! She's coloured with a mixture of chalks and distress inks and some stickles. I have recently discovered 'Nitwit' designer papers - love them! Have used some from the 'In the Meadow' collection for this, the 'dream' text is from Inkadinkadoo and the lace, ribbon and flowers are from my stash. I discovered the sparkly blue flower charm in the embellie box and just HAD to put that on it too!
The LOTV  Challenge Blog had a fab sketch to follow this week!
Charizma Cards challenge is Mythical or Fantasy - and little fairy here has been entered!

Less is More (2)

Week 2 at Less is More has given us a challenge of a 'one layer card' with a theme of a flower or a tree.
Some time ago, I posted a similar card to this and the technique of using post it notes as masking and applying distress ink is one I like!
This stamp is also one of my favourites. I have used it for everything from sympathy cards to birthdays - and now I've made a thank you card with it!

I used Spun Sugar and Weathered Wood distress inks and the stamp is from Elusive Images.

The thing about these cards is they can be made in a hurry (!) and are so versatile - they also look so pretty for their simplicity -(well most people's do anyway...LOL)if you've never tried the 'less is more, clean and simple' look, give it a try - promise you'll soon be hooked!
Pop over to the blog and have a look at some of the fab creations from last weeks challenge -there's also some fab tips on positioning and how to make your cards look stunning with minimum effort!
I am also entering this into the Totally Papercrafts 'Clean and Simple' challenge this week.

Love

First of two from me today - have been playing about with embellishments and ribbon and stuff and this is what I came up with.
'The Kiss' just makes me smile every time I see it! I love the stance on the little boy - tentaively bent forward, holding her arms before he plants a smacker behind the hat! And her feet - one on tiptoe and the other off the floor - she is taken completely by surprise... or is she???!!!!!
Anyway - I coloured with promarkers and cut out using a Nellie Snellen die which I have had for a while and only used once before - I mounted it onto the same backing paper as I used for the background of the card. The pale blue paper is by K and Co and the design doesn't show up very well on the photo - it has flourishes on it in a slightly darker shade of blue.
The lace etc all came from my stash and the flowers are also things I've had for ages and am now deciding to use! I added a small chipboard flourish (coloured with Spun Sugar distress ink), a silver butterfly charm, some pearls and a pink metal heart and finally placed a metallic 'Love' sentiment in the top corner.
Lots of challenges this week, not surprisingly mostly Love or Valentine themed!
Cute Card Thursday - Hearts and Flowers
Painbow Lady - It's all about Love
Penny's Paper-Crafty- Hearts a flutter
C.R.A.F.T. - Valentines
Spoonful of Sugar - Show some Love
Passion for Promarkers - Have a Heart

Wishes

In complete contrast to Less is More, here's an attempt at 'tons of stuff'!! LOL
Am not sure wether this is another style I can add to my repertoire or not - whilst I love the large flowers am uncertain at how practical they are on a card- suppose I'll now need to make a box for this one to ensure it stays in one piece!

Anyway, I confess to quite enjoying letting the 'girly' side creativitity to come to the fore although I have no idea who is going to want this card!

The backing paper is from the Basic Grey Sultry collection and I distressed the edges before mounting it onto white then pale green cardstock. The image is from the Mary Hall 2010 collection by Sugar Nellie and is called Fairy Dust. After colouring her with my promarkers, I lightly glittered her wings and dusted a few stickles onto the starduse from her wand, then cut her out with a nestie and distressed the scallopped edges with Spun Sugar distress ink.

Challenges -

Sew Many Challenges - Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T. - In the roll of a Die

Delightful Challenges - Wings

PaperPlay - Stamp it Out

I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes

Less is More

After practising with the violet card to get the 'frothy fluffy adorn to death' creation out of my mind, (which I still haven't posted but promise I will later),  I remembered the new challenge blog which has just started - called Less is More and this is my first card for their first challenge.
Colours had to be pink, black and white.
I sponged the top of the thistle head with 'Spun Sugar' distress ink, matted and layered onto pink, then black card, a bit of ribbon and a sentiment stamp.... oh and couldn't resist the three tiny sparklies....LOL
Am also entering this into the Clean and Simple challenge at StampARTic.

I've had both a 'frothy' and 'clean and simple' day today! Frothiness will be posted a wee bit later!

This card is for the challenge over at 'Daring Cardmakers' which this week asked us to take inspiration from 'February flowers', namely primroses and violets.

This stamp is one of the very first I ever bought and is by Hampton Arts.
I remember the reason I bought it was because it reminded me of my grandmother - and no it's wasn't because she smelt of violets (LOL) but it was because when I bought my very first home she arrived on her first visit armed with an 'African Violet' house plant.I had never had to look after a houseplant before and I was terrified that it would curl up and die!
Happy to say, it sat cheerfully on my window sill in the kitchen for over 5 years - and gave me so much pleasure in feeling it's velvety texture and watching the lovely deep purple blooms flower. After almost six years I moved house and plant came too - it didn't like it's new home as much as I did unfortunately and went off to meet it's maker. I have never bought another one as it didn't seem right! 

Anyway back to the card. Textured Linen cardstock, cuttlebug flower folder, matted onto pale lilac card. Stamp coloured with a mixture of promarkers and watercolours and finished with a lilac organza bow.
I resisted any temptation to add a sentiment to this card or any further embellishment to try and maintain the 'clean and simple'!

Baroque and Bling!

Have set a challenge this month on the Art N Soul Flickr group to make a fan. The template is for a folding greeting card but it can easily be adapted for a mixed media piece of art. Looking through the Flickr site the possibilities are endless - there are fans made from paper, fabric, canvas, tin and all are uniquely beautiful. I have a couple of favourites which are Marie Antionette themed - all pastel pink and blue with lots of froth!

    For my fan I reverted back to the 'Paris Night's paper - flocked and embossed and strokable! I thought on reading the instructions that the fan would be really difficult to do, but this was a project that as you made it, all things became clear! I was really bothered about openoing and closing but it works just fine!

I cut some of my precious lace into single pieces and stuck onto the paper and added a bit of bling in the centre of each. On the top fan blade I glued some pearls. I am a wee bit disappointed that the small lace doesn't form a perfect circle when the fan is opened despite me trying very hard to align it. I cut into the black version of the white lace and popped a pearl brad in the centre for the bottom of the fan.Finished with some ribbon and pearls. 

Crafts and Me have a theme this week of Monochrome,
Crazy 4 Challenges' challenge is 'Vintage or Shabby Chic'
Stamping Vacation - Use paper that resembles cloth (and I think the flocked paper would make terrific curtains!)
Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Girlie
The Three Muses - Black and White

Whipped Cream!

Who can resist a cup of hot choccie topped with a ton of whipped frothy cream????? YUMMY!!!!! LOL I have to confess to loving a steaming mug of hot choccie and cream.           Anyway, I was too concerned in dreaming about aforesaid hot choc yesterday and didn't manage to play with the new Grand Caliber toy.... must rectify that today (after I've pressure washed the paths and the area in front of the greenhouse!).

Instead yesterday I coloured this fab image from Cheryl with my fave promarkers - and made a card!

The spotty backing paper I just found in my stash and layered it onto some DCWV white and brown textured cardstock. The two scalloped circles were done using paper from the 'Natural' mat stack. I found a flourish from Maya Road and sponged it with Tea Dye and Antique Linen Distress Inks. The sentiment was inspired by an Inkadinkadoo stamp. Both sentiment and image edges were sponged with Antique Linen Ink and matted onto the same brown cardstock with 3d glue dots. I added some flowers and punched out leaves, secured them with pearl brads,a couple of pearls and a small piece of stripey ribbon and a wee dab of stickles on the frothed cream topping. Finished with a tiny wooden heart.

Challenges-

Paperplay - Layer It Up

Secret Crafter - Hot Chocolate

Delicious Doodles - Spots and/or Stripes

Some Odd Girl - Scallops

Crafty Catz - Flowers
Crafty Creations - Heat it up
Sassy Cheryl - Love (And love hot choccie I do!!!!)
Gingersnap Creations - Coffee and Cream

Friendship

I was amazed to see it's a week since I posted anything - you may now be sorry as I try to catch up! lol.
I decided I needed to take part in some retail therapy this week - and bought myself a Grand Caliber. It's not been out of the box yet!!!!!!! I am though intending to play about today as we're having a weekend doing nothing!                                             So today's offering is a card made earlier this week using papers from the 'Lydia' collection by GCD studios.The pack has a mix of flocked, metallic and brights papers - the flocked ones are real 'touchy feely'!!Isn't this image by Mo Manning another good one? I really like the expression of happiness on the girl's face as she offers the flower to the bird. She's coloured with my usual promarkers and I distressed the edge of the image a little bit. (I'm considering buying a distressing tool from Sir Tim - need to speak to someone who has one to see if they're worth it!). I used these particular papers from the pad as the floral one reminded me of bright sunny day and I thought these flowers might attract the little humming birdie! I was a tad unsure about the colour combo but don't think it's turned out too bad.
A printed sentiment and a small humming bird charm with a bit of card candy finished the card.
Challenges -
Digis with Attitude - Use Digi People
Totally Gorjuss - As you Like It
2 Sisters - Girls just wanna have Fun

Fanciful Notions

I nearly got to the end of the images (or so I thought) when going through a paper pad I found another one! This image from Mo was inside a forgotten pad which only had half a dozen sheets of paper in it which I didn't really like - hence it got chucked into a drawer!

Don't know why I hadn't coloured this one as it's such a fab image - This couple could have been together forever and he wants to show her he loves her just as much now as he did when they first met or maybe they've just found each other and the gentleman is trying to make an impression with the surprise bunch of flowers- such fanicful notions I have today! But both notions make me feel warm inside so I won't apologise for being a romantic dreamer!

Anyway, back to the card. As always, it's coloured with promarkers and then cut out with a deckled edge nestie. The papers are the same that I used on the previous (what my OH calls) 'old persons card'  - (how cheeky is that???? LOL) - which I posted earlier this week and cut out with a scalloped nestie. The sentiment is from Inkadinkadoo and I coloured the flowers with promarkers for a colour match.

Challenges -

Craft Your Days Away - Love

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - I'ts a Couple Thing

Crafty Catz - A forgotten Stamp

The Pixie Cottage - Who Do You Love
Southern Girls - Totally Loved Up

Ageism!!

I am supposed to be clearing stuff but haven't got the inclination. If we do ever get a date for moving then I shall be running about like a raving lunatic (no change there then- lol). So instead of trying to get myself organised I am sitting colouring stamped images - now in place of the pile of uncolored stamped images which were laying about on the desk I now have a pile of coloured ones!

I made a couple of cards yesterday - nothing with a lot of frill and fancy - I may at some later stage decide to embellish them up a bit, but then again I may just leave them as they are - (you see I used to be indecisive - now I'm just not sure......)

This one is another image from the lovely Mo. She's beginning to get on my nerves now 'cos every stamp she does I want!!! LOL

I coloured with Promarkers and Distress Inks. The sentiment from TLC made me smile!

Challenges -

Lexi's Creations - Say it With Love

Passion for Promarkers - All you need is Love
Cheerful Stamp Pad (who are offering fabby Rogue Redhead Design Stamps this week)- Let's relax

Sulks!

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm definitley not a 'kiddie' person - so maybe that's why I like all these lovely images of cute and sulky kids - at least on paper you don't have to put up with any bad behaviour! LOL

I can always see this little madam stamping her feet and throwing an enormous tantrum - perhaps if my Mum was still here she might say it reminded her of me.... in fact there's no perhaps about it - she definitely WOULD say it!

Don't you wonder what brought about this little strop?

I coloured her dress/tights in Lavender, Lilac and Ivory promarkers and the backing papers are a free download from Jak Heath which I printed onto linen textured cardstock.

The sentiment is from TLC and when I saw it, I just knew it would be perfect!

The crown charm is from my stash and with the word 'Princess' on it, was something else that just had to be put with the sulky (but cute) face.

The image is from Mo Manning and have entered the card into the following Challenges -

PaperPlay Challenges - Cutie Patootie

Craft Your Days Away- Anything Goes

Totally Gorjuss - Cuddly (well someone might think so...lol)

Raise the Bar - Oh to be a Kid again

Secret kisses!

Am continuing with my 'cute' phase, but I do have a couple of messy projects on the go too!

More of them when they're nearing completion. In between inky fingers and paint spattered work table, I am still making cards!

This stamp is from Sassy Cheryl and I really liked it!

Coloured it with a mix of promarkers and watercolours and out with the nesties again. I can't believe how much use I'm getting from these 'shape cutter outers'!!

The papers were part of the shopping trip as described in the previous post - lol- and are called 'Sweet Owl' by GCD Studios - the pack has glittered and plain double sided chocolate boxy tape designs and of course a few owls thrown in for good measure.

I found the two tiny pink heart shaped gems in my bits and pieces container.... no idea how long they've been in there!

Challenges -

Paper Sundaes - Circles

Saturday Challenge - With Love

Phindy's Place - Valentine

Bunny Zoe's - Love is in the Air

Wags N Whiskers - With Love

Sassy Cheryl - Colour Me Challenge

Where's Alice?

I couldn't imagine using this image for anything else other than a 'late' birthday card!
Poor rabbit - he looks so glum! Maybe he's missing Alice? LOL
I have to confess - supposed to be good for the soul isn't it? Will it make me feel less guilty about the lack of finances I now have left in my purse??? Doubt it... but it sure made me feel good whilst I was disposing of the finances! (At least it did at the time!).
I was out shopping with OH when he remembered we needed a new outside brush... (he broke the other one during the recent spell of bad weather - I told him I didn't think you were meant to try and crack ice with the handle but ....... men will try to know better and in an attempt to prove I was wrong and he was right, he promptly broke the brush handle..... I resisted the urge to say those famous four words - 'I told you so' and thought smiling sweetly through this latest disaster might serve me in good stead in future.....) Once again I was proved right...........hence once the subject of the brush was brought up I seized my moment and suggested 'The Range' was near and maybe we could buy a new 'thing for breaking ice with' there..... Dear Husband ignored the jibe and that's how I came to end up spending. His fault of course - once he saw they didn't have what he wanted he took himself off for coffee thus leaving yours truly to the delights of paper packs - ah such bliss!
Who could resist?????? Certainly not me, so four paper packs and a considerably lighter purse later I went to find him in the coffee shop - he said 'You weren't long' - at this point I thought I'd better not push my luck any further and offered to take him into another shop where I KNEW they had the brushes!
Gorgeous textured and strokable touchy feely paper from the 'Ella Blue' collection by GCD Studios.
Sad wabbit by Mo Manning and coloured with promarkers. Circular 'I'm late' sentiment from TLC
Challenges -Kaboodle - Do it with DigisCupcake Craft Challenges - Something New (yummy papers!)One Powerful Hour - ClocksPollycraft - New ThingsRainbow Lady - New to MePapertake Challenge - Frosty Morning - use blues/greys
Play Date Cafe - Colour Challenge 64

Squeeze!!!

Ok own up, who loved their dollies as much as this???? LOL

You can FEEL she adores her favourite toy can't you?

It's a good job the dolly isn't a small baby 'cos it would have had the life squeezed out of it!

Yet another fabulous image from the wonderful Mo Manning and another I've had for a while and only just got round to using -the papers are by Papermania and the image as usual coloured with promarkers. The design of the card is quite basic and I'm hoping the colours in the papers and the image detract from my lack of imagination in the design!

I resisted placing a sentiment on here and instead opted for a large pink bow and a fabric flower group in the top right corner.

Challenges -

One Stop Craft - Card for Child

Stamp Something - Digi Day Challenge

Thank you Clarky!

Clarky sent me some stamped images. This was one of them - so thanks again matey!!!

Don't you just ADORE the expression on the mouse's face? He is soooo full of love and hugz for his birdie friend isn't he??? LOL

I decided to have another try at 'distressing' the papers... am not sure that I'm getting better at this technique, but will keep 'having a go'. I look at other peoples and their distressing always looks amazing whereas mine looks.............distressed?????!

Background papers are by Basic Grey and Papermania and the whloe thing mounted onto cream card with some layered flowers and some old cotton lace.

Challenges-

Papertake Weekly- Anything Goes with addition of Lace

Corrosive Creations - Sketch

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Paper Sundaes - Something New (the stamped image)

I'f I'd known you were coming....

I'd have baked a cake!!!! LOL

Well I know they're pies but if you've ever tasted my cooking you know you wouldn't be able to tell the difference......

Here's another one off the desk... and another quickie make. The image is from Sassy Cheryl and the papers are from the Basic Grey Sultry pack (which are really really scrummy!!).

I had forgotten about the 'baking' themed button pack which I had bought eons ago but pounced on the pack when I saw the little baking board with the 'Baked With Love' sentiment on it.

Not made it with anything or anyone in mind, so it will just go in my collection.

Challenges -

Saturday Challenge - Buttons and Bows

Fab N Funky - Quick and Easy Does It