Just whizzing by ....

Hi Folks!

I'm running late again! Somehow this weekend has not gone quite to plan but I'm here at last with my DT card for Sweet Stampin' 

Our new challenge is underway - this week the theme is 

LET IT SNOW!

Personally, I'd rather it didn't snow for a while yet but it's definitely a great theme for getting a few more Christmas cards made. We also have a great prize to tempt you from our sponsor 

Here's my card using one of my favourite Gruffies stamps ever, Beary Fast Sled, which usually gets used at least once during the Christmas season. I was trying for a masculine feel to this card as I think I might send it to my son! The papers are mainly Dovecraft traditional back to basics Christmas along with a couple of Memory box dies:

Must be Christmas coming, I've got out the flower soft, stickles and glitter!!

Also covered myself in the process!!

Thanks for visiting!!

I'd also like to enter the challenges at:

Cute Card Thursday - Ginger Spice 

Crafty Catz - Anything goes

Fussy and Fancy Friday challenges - Happy holidays

Simply Create too - Snow, snow, snow

4 Crafty Chicks - Die cuts

Creative Knockouts - All that glitters

Nutcrafters - All that Glitters

The Cutie Pie challenge - festive furry friends

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes

Party Preparations

Evening Folks!

Just popping on to share a card I started last Wednesday week and finally finished this afternoon - think that might be a new personal best in the slowest card ever made category !!

Anyway, here's my  Gruffie creation for the Masculine challenge over at House Mouse and Friends.

The stamp is 'Party Preparations' and he is coloured with promarkers. The papers are actually from the Christmas collection - Blissful Blizzard by Fancy Pants. The sentiment and matching die are by Stampin up and the 'Simple Banner' is by Poppy Stamps. 

The balloon is paper pieced and stuck on with foam pads to give it a bit of dimension.

Thanks for looking!

I'd also like to enter the following challenges:

Sunday Sketch and Stamp - Birthday Celebration and hop

I used sketch #190

Crafting for all Seasons - Dies and Punches

Simon Says Stamp - Happy Birthday

Divas by Design - Anything goes and hop

Papertake Weekly - Anything goes

Sister Act - Anything goes

Alphabet challenge - D for die cuts

The Cutie Pie challenge - Cute with dies and punches

As you like it - Favourite animal - 

I love nearly all animals but Bears are a particular favourite. The love affair started with my Teddy who was given to me when I was a few days old! I love real life bears because of their power, intelligence, 'big fur' and wonderfully cute faces.

Lilacs

Afternoon Folks

It's a beautiful Spring afternoon here in Hampshire, I love it and I've got my fingers crossed that the weather stays nice like this for a while! Hope the sun is shining where you are??

Just thought I should share the card I made for my Mother in Laws birthday next month, I think it has a Spring feel to it. I've also tried to make it a bit tactile too as her eyesight is not that good. The cute Gruffies stamp is called 'Lilac bouquet' and it's another stamp rescued from Ebay just before Christmas. 

Can't you just hear him sniffing!! By the way the mottled effect on the lilacs is my new Wink of Stella pen which looks quite glittery in real life but just looks splattery to my camera - grrrr!!

I've used a whole stack of MB dies on this:

Pippi Butterfly, Isabella butterfly, Fancy blossoms,

and Lavish branch

Coloured with promarkers and wink of Stella and liquid pearls

Sentiments - LOTV

Papers - Basic grey, Papermania and scraps

Doily, lace, twine and gems from stash

Of course I can't resist entering some challenges:

House Mouse and Friends - Lost and Found - I 'found' this stamp on Ebay

Gruffies and Guests - Fit for Mum or Special female 

Natalie and Amy - Flowers

Craft Mojo - Spring flowers

Crafty Hazelnuts patterned paper challenge - Anything goes

Country View Challenges - paper chase

Crafty Calendar - Animal Antics

My Mum's Craft Shop - Spring/ Easter

Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Monochrome

Crafting by Designs - Anything goes

Passion for Promarkers - Monochrome 

Divas by Design - Flower Power

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Glitter It (used wink of Stella Brush marker)

Inky Impressions - Think Spring

Papertake Weekly - For Mum

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge - For a special lady

The Cutie Pie Challenge - A cute one for Mum

The Crazy challenge - Flower Frenzy

OLLCB - To a Special lady

Whoopsi Daisy - Add a tag

Sentimental Sundays - Cute and Cuddly

That Craft Place - Flowers or Mother's Day

A gem of a challenge - Mother's Day / Female birthday/ Special lady

Alphabet Challenge - C is for Country Flowers  

Stampin for the Weekend - Anything goes

Sister Act - Anything goes

Little Miss Muffet - Doilies and Lace

Thanks for visiting and for any comments you leave! 

EDITED TO ADD: LUCKY WINNER AT

Choccy Box Raid ...

Afternoon Folks from a very grey and soggy Hampshire!

I grabbed some time to myself this morning and made a card that I have been thinking about making all week - just never quite found the time!!

I've had this Happy Hoppers set from Joanna Sheen since last year and I thought it was perfect for Valentines day so it finally got some ink on it!!

Such a cutie, although I've never had a rabbit that would eat chocolate !! My Rupert is more partial to a grape or three!

Papers - First Edition & Echo Park Yours Truly 

Sentiment - LOTV

Dies - Simon Says Stamp Heart Banner

Pearls - Mei Flower

Ribbon - Art of Craft and Wilko!

I'd also like to enter the following challenges:

House Mouse & Friends - Show some love

Simon says stamp - have a Heart

Wags N Whiskers - Bingo - Middle row

A gem of a challenge - All you need is love

Natalie & Amy's Challenge - love is all around

Crafty Catz - Love is in the Air

Totally Papercrafts - Hey Cutie

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Be my Valentine

Crafts 4 Eternity - with Love

Crafty Ribbons - Anything with ribbon goes

Crafty little fairies - Love

Cute Card Thursday - Lots of Love

4 Crafty Chicks - Flags / Banners

The Ribbon Girl - Hearts

Divas by Design - Die cuts

Crafting for all Seasons - Romance

Papertake weekly - Anything goes (and optional shaped card)

Creative Craft Cottage - Love

Crafty sentiments - Love is in the Air

The Cutie Pie Challenge - Valentines

Craft Your passion - Love is in the Air

Gruffies and Guests - Love is in the Air

Feeling Crafty - Dies and punches

My mums Craft Shop - Spots and/ or stripes

That Craft Place - Valentine

Crafty Calendar Challenge - love is all around

A creative romance - Show us some love

Craft Mojo - Love

Thanks for visiting!!

EDITED TO ADD:

Play it again.....

Evening Folks!

I managed to get a little time to play today and I'm squeaking in at the last minute for another challenge!! This one is for one of my fav challenges - House Mouse and Friends, where they'd like to see you ink up a stamp you haven't used before. Now, I must confess there are quite a few in my HM collection that fall in to that category so it was a tough choice!! This one is from a Joanna Sheen set called Friends like you.

I just love the look of concentration on his face as he thumps the keys!! Pretty much my own piano playing style!

He is of course coloured with promarkers (nearly all the shades of grey!!) and the papers are mainly papermania capsule collection.

Thanks for visiting and for any comments you leave!!

I'd also like to enter the challenges at:

Crafty Cardmakers - Black and white

Craft your passion - Face the music

Papertake weekly - Bow Dies

Passion for promarkers - Ribbon, lace or twine 

Inky Impressions - Ribbon

Gruffies and guests - Anything goes

Totally Gorjuss - Furtastic 

Crafty Catz - Monochrome

Heck of a challenge - New (new stamp)

EDITED TO ADD:

Office Bear

Evening everyone and a belated Happy New Year!

I'm a running a bit late today, just realised if you schedule a post it does need to be on the right day for it to publish.... sigh!

My card is part of the midway reminder for the challenge over at Ready Teddy Go where the theme is 

NEW BEGINNINGS

We have a great  prize on offer from Hobby House to tempt you!! Sadly this is going to be the last Ready Teddy challenge for a while but hopefully it may return!

I've used a Gruffies decoupage sheet from Joanna Sheen teamed up with First Edition papers to make quite a CAS good luck card,  just love that big old bear snoring away!!

I'd also like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Oldie but a Goodie - New beginnings (all old stash that I have been hoarding!!)

Through the Craft room door - Anything goes

Crafty Cardmakers - Bear with me

Gruffies and Guests - Anything goes

Yippee - 

I made the top 5 at Crafty Cardmakers and more:

Ice staking bear

Morning Folks!

Hope you're all OK and those Christmas preparations are coming together... if you're as disorganised as me, don't panic there's still a few sleeps to go yet!! Today, I'm sharing my last Guest design team card for the new challenge over at House Mouse and Friends, where the new theme is 

SILVER or GOLD

I've had a great time joining in the House Mouse fun for the last few challenges and I'd just like to thank all the HM team for inviting me to join them and to wish them all a very Happy Festive season!!

So onto my card..

I went for the silver option because I generally prefer it to gold, even in real life  which is unusual because I normally have expensive taste - LOL!!

This little chap looks a bit nervous I think, not exactly a confident skater!! He is one half of the skater pair on the Dancing Queen Gruffies set from Joanna Sheen. He's been coloured with promarkers and a bit of glitter pen and stickles for the ice.

The frame is made from four Memory Box Snowflake corner dies and lots of aqua bling. Sentiment is from Crafters Companion and the snowflake ribbon is a bargain from the xmas gift wrap department at Asda.

Thanks for looking in today and for any comments you leave, much appreciated and please try to find the time to join in over at HM&F - it runs until January 11th so you could do it after the big HO, HO, HO!!

Wish me luck, today's mission is to the post office with a few parcels.... 

I'd also like to enter the following challenges:

CHNC Extra - Christmas

Come and get it challenges - Christmas & blog hop

Joanna Sheen Challenge - Make it Sparkle Christmas challenge

Crafty Calendar - Cold and Frosty

My Mum's Craft Shop - Winter/ Christmas

Stamping Sensations - Free and Easy

Natalie & Amy - Cute and cuddly Christmas

Cute card Thursday - Christmas catch up (this card is for a blogging friend)

A gem of a challenge - Anything goes

That craft place - Christmas

Passion for promarkers - Christmas and a sentiment

Sentimental Sundays - non traditional Christmas colours

Dream valley challenges - Christmas

Sister Act card challenges - Challenge 37

Wags n Whiskers - Christmas

Oldie but a goodie - Winter (I've had this stamp for ages)

Papertake weekly - Christmas creatures

Chocolate, coffee and cards - Happy Holidays

Crafts 4 eternity - Christmas chaos

Totally papercrafts - Christmas with non traditional colours

Polkadoodles - Anything goes

Crafty Catz - Anything goes

Divas by design - Anything goes

Christmas at Sweet Stampin - Snow

MAWTT - Walking in a winter wonderland

Crafty ribbons challenge - Anything goes

Stamp and Create - Anything goes

Ali craft challenge - Christmas

Delicious doodles - hairy legs

Time for cake.....

Afternoon Folks,

I just wanted to share my card that I finally managed to finish this morning for the 100th House Mouse & Friends challenge and blog hop. I coloured this cute Gruffies image on Monday night but it has taken me the rest of the week to get the card finished - I think I must be the slowest crafter in the country!! The speed wasn't helped by the fact that I didn't the right width of ribbon for the bottom until I went shopping yesterday. My husband couldn't believe that despite having a huge ribbon collection, I didn't have something 'that would do' - I was trying to explain that the idea that 'something will do' doesn't work for me - it has to be how I want it to look!! Not sure he got my meaning but he is very tolerant and didn't roll his eyes too much when I left the shop with more ribbon!!

Here's a closer look at the image called Beary Nice Celebration, isn't he so cute stuffing his chops with cake!! I've coloured him with promarkers and added stickles to the frosting and candles to make them sparkle - wish the picture was a bit better so you could see the glitter on the image and the papers properly.

The finishing touch is a few ribbon streamers - I love the internet, I googled ribbon twirls and found this great tutorial on how to bake grosgrain ribbon!! Yes, my husband is now certain I have lost the plot after I removed a baking tray of cooked ribbon wrapped around wooden spoons from the oven!!! I'm really pleased with the finished effect though!!!

Thanks for looking I'm off to complete the House Mouse blog hop.

I'd also like to enter the following challenges too:

The Crazy Challenge - Ribbons

Hooked on Crafts - Cute and cuddly

Forever Friends - Pastel colours

Passion for Promarkers - Animal Crackers

Top Tip Tuesday - Make it girly (hope this is suitable??)

I love promarkers - Anything goes

Truly Scrumptious - Buttons and Bows

Stampin for the weekend - Paws for thought

Crafts and Me - Ribbons

Wags n whiskers - Buttons & Bows

Card Makin Mamas - Food and drink

Charisma Cardz - 4 legged friends

Craft Us Crazy - Anything goes

Totally Papercrafts - Bling it up (glitter paper, stickles and pearls)

Simply Create - Favourite Animals (it has to be bears!!)

Edited - Lucky winner at:

& lucky blog hop winner too:

and a lucky winner at

Relax & enjoy!!

Happy Thursday Folks!!

It's time for another challenge at CRAFT and this time our theme is:

FATHER'S DAY

which is fast approaching, so a good time to get your card made!!

I've had this Gruffies decoupage in my stash from Joanna Sheen for ages and I must admit I'd forgotten about it until I was having a bit of a tidy up!! Can you have too much stash I wonder??!! Anyway I decided this would be a perfect image for my Dad, who has a reputation for falling asleep as soon as he sits down on the sofa!! I had also forgotten how long it takes to do decoupage...it took forever to cut this out and I nearly gave up!!

As the finished image is quite big I decided to keep the rest of the card really simple with just some matting and layering. The sentiment is a bit hard to read in the photo but it says 'It's a hard life'

Isn't he so cute...

Side view of the layers:

Finished the card off with this resin sunflower which I have also rediscovered, I bought this in a Craft Central closing down sale, probably 2 years ago - I knew it would come in useful.....eventually!!

Hope you can join us at CRAFT this time, we are sponsored by Some Odd Girl

so you could be the lucky winner of 3 images .

I'd also like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Fussy and Fancy Friday: Card for man / boy

Creative Inspiration: Card for Dad

Sparkles Forum: Father's Day

Paper Sundaes: Include a sentiment

Craft your passion: Anything goes

The Crazy challenge: Father's Day

Pear Tree design : Summer delights

Blankey

Evening Folks!! I know 2 posts in one day, now that hasn't happened for quite a while!

This afternoon, I decided to break away from doing DT cards and do a card to join in with the House Mouse Monday Blog hop. I've been following the blog for a while but this is the first time I have joined in. The stamp is a new purchase called Blankey and it seemed appropriate for the New beginnings challenge.

Here is the little cutie in a bit more detail:

The pictures aren't great because I had to use flash - roll on spring!!

I'd also like to enter this one into the following challenges too:

Sketch & Stash - Sketch ( New stamp, old papers!)
Craft your Passion - Anything goes
Simon Says - New beginnings
Creative Card Crew - New Beginnings
Cute Card thursday - Out with the old (Papers, ribbon and charm are all old!)
STamp Insanity - Hardcore hardware
MAWTT - Ring out the old, ring in the new (Old papers & embellis & new stamp)
Paper Cutz - Include metal
Sarah Hurley Challenges - New Beginnings
Crafty Calendar - New Beginnings
Creative Craft world - Anything goes
CES - All creatures great & small
Let's Ink it up - Anything goes
Card Ideas - Something old, something new
Bee Crafty - what's New? (stamp)
Cupcake Inspirations - Challenge 93

& The Fuzzy wuzzy challenge - Anything goes

Thanks for looking, off to do some dinner now!!