Carnation

Morning Folks!

Thursday again which means it's time for another new challenge over at CRAFT, I know it doesn't seem 5 minutes since last Thursday!!

This week we would like to see your 

HANDMADE FLOWERS

I hope you have better luck with this challenge than I did!! This card finished up nothing like my original idea and I ended up a bit frustrated and a long way outside of my comfort zone!! I originally planned to do some gathered felt flowers but they are now in the bottom of the bin - embarrassingly bad - lop sided and however I layered them up they just looked wrong - lots more practice needed!! Attempt 2 involved gathered ribbon - again another messy mistake :-( 

Finally I decided to play it safe and go for a nestabilities flower using the carnation die set (another confession - only used this set once before!!) The end result is OK but then disaster struck again, I wanted to use some digi papers from one of our sponsors but my printer ran out of coloured ink after about an inch. Beginning to feel like giving up, I rummaged through my stash and found this single sheet of paper, I've no idea what it is because I got it in a swap. Still at least it matched. Looking to make the card more interesting I thought I'd stitch around the edge. Really I should have known better, set off boldly along the bottom and then ground to a abrupt and wobbly stop, big knot of thread and unhappy sewing machine. Through gritted teeth I snipped the paper and thread apart. Shoved it back under the machine minus any thread and just went for holes instead which I joined up later with a gold coloured glitter pen. I'm not a patient person and so by this stage I resorted to just going with sticking it all together and hoping for the best. Do you ever get the feeling some cards don't actually want to be made?? Here's the finished article:

 I do hope you can join us for this challenge and that you have more success than I did - LOL!!!

 We have 3 great prizes from our sponsors:

Crimson Cloud

Floppe Latte designs 

& AiFactory

I'd also like to enter the following challenges:

One stop Craft Shop - Handmade Flowers
& Cupcake Inspirations - Challenge 152
 

Smartie Bear

Evening Folks!

This is a rare event, two posts in one day but I finished a card this afternoon and I'd like to get it entered into the Pollycraft Monday challenge before it closes!! My mojo was a bit lacking today, which is typical - when I have time to play it disappears and when I have no time there are plenty of ideas going through my mind. Anyway, I found a new (to me anyway) challenge, called Ready Teddy Go, which has the theme 'It's a wrap' and so your piece has to be influenced by packaging and also feature a bear. This made it perfect for me, so here's my take on it :

Inspiration is Smarties packaging:

A few Smarties were eaten during the creative process too, which helped a lot!!

The gorgeous bear is Cuthbert from Pollycraft and I've used their sketch for this one too,  I just rotated it!

 

This has to be one of my favourite bears, so cute and easy to colour:

 The papers are quite old, I think they are by Dovecraft but I'm not too sure as they aren't in their original pack anymore!! Tidy, me - never!!

Here's a peek at the sentiment brad too, again antique stash by Around the block and at least 3 years old!!!

 Thanks for looking this evening and I hope you've had a good weekend!

P.S. I'd also like to enter the challenges at:

Birthday Sundaes - Animal Birthday card

Sentimental Sundays - Metal

Cute card Thursday - Happy Birthday

I love promarkers - Anything goes

Just some lines - Spring cleaning (old papers and brad)

Crafty Calendar - Spring clean (old papers and brad)

Painting Pup!

Happy Sunday everyone!

 I hope it's extra special if you're celebrating Mother's Day here in the UK, did you get breakfast in bed this morning??!

Sunday means it's time for another fun challenge over at Here Come the boys, we have a fun one for you this time:

DIY image or embellishment


This time around we want to see all your male cards with a DIY theme. You can use a DIY image or embellishment or maybe you want to use both.

We have a nice prize on offer from Ewe 2 can craft:

 

and Sharon is also offering a 5% discount to everyone who places an order in her shop for the duration of the challenge too!!  Just use the code Thanks5 when you go through checkout.

I have used a fun image from Di's Digi Downloads on my card, called DIY puppy. The backing paper is practically antique and is by Karen Foster, I've used a couple of nestie sets and some card candi. I also made the sentiment tag myself because I couldn't find one I liked!

 Here's a closer look at the little chap;

Thanks for looking today and please head over to the main HCTB blog to see all the challenge details and the great inspiration from the rest of the design team!!

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

Sweet stampin' - lots of green

Poodles Parlour - Anything goes

I love promarkers - Anything goes

On the move.....

Morning Folks!!

Here's a quick picture of me inching my way towards the weekend - LOL!!! 

Just need to get through a couple more days!!

Thursday of course means it's time for another great challenge over at CRAFT and this week our theme is:

HOUSES, HOUSE WARMING, OR MOVING HOME

As soon as I saw this challenge I knew I wanted  to use this super cute tortoise image from one of our sponsors, Digi Doodle Shop .I just love his expression and the idea of a tortoise moving house!! He is coloured with promarkers and then I turned him over and rubbed the back of the image with an embossing tool to give it a bit of a curved shape. He has foam pads underneath him too, to add to the effect. Here's the finished card, I wanted to keep the emphasis on the image and computer generated sentiment so it is a very CAS design:

I hope you can check out the rest of the design teams great cards and the lovely prizes on offer and join us at CRAFT this week!!

Thanks for looking!!


I'd like to enter the following challenges:


CES challenge - Charmed
Sentimental Sundays - go green or recycle
Crazy Challenge - No designer paper
Kaboodle Doodles- Show us some green
I love promarkers - Anything goes
Simon says stamp - A bit o' green
Fab n funky - Luck of the Irish


 

Under pressure....

Morning Folks!!

This image is for all of you who have had 'one of those' days/ weeks recently LOL!! It's called Crabby Cathy Download life from Bugaboo and it just cracks me up!! I've used it for the new challenge at CRAFT  which Bugaboo are co-sponsoring. This week we would like to see your 

INSPIRED BY A SONG projects.

The song I had in mind for this is 

Queen - Under pressure 

Here's dear old Freddie and the gang if you want to sing along!!

I decided to make myself a desk calendar in another effort to get organised!! Really simple 'tent card' but I'm pleased with it!!

Thanks for looking and I hope you can join us at CRAFT this week, we'd love to see your song picks and we have 3 great sponsors too!!

I'd also like to enter the challenges at 

Catch the Bug - Anything goes

Crafts4eternity - Digital delights

Polka Doodles - polka dots / stripes

Crazy for challenges - Fun folds

OCC - Making Melody

Papertake Weekly - Anything goes

Country Lady

Hi Folks!

I just wanted to share the card I have made for my Mum for Mother's Day with you! It's OK, my Mum doesn't like computers so there is no chance of her spotting this! I finished it this afternoon and for once I'm really pleased with how the finished result looks!! The stamp is an old one from my Penny Black collection called Country Lady, another one that is great for lots of different occasions! I have to confess the papers were a recent purchase at Make It in Farnborough. They are Princess fairytale by Dovecraft & were a bargain and so it seemed rude to leave them there - even though I probably have enough paper to keep me going for years!! 
I based my card on the CASE it challenge at Penny Black Saturday this week, I've used quite a lots of embellishments for me, including a long neglected butterfly punch! This definitely says Spring and better weather to me - can't be much worse than the horizontal rain and wind earlier!!

Thanks for looking and for any comments you might leave.
I'd also like to enter a few challenges:
Just Tracys challenge  - Hats
Passion for Promarkers - For Mum / Female
Penny Black & More - Spring
Delightful Sketches - Spring colours
Crafty Ribbons - celebrate your Mum
CYDA- Mother's day
Dream Valley Challenges - Mother's day
CES Challenges - Flower Frenzy
Oldie but a Goodie - mums the word
Crafty Catz - punches (butterfly) and dies (Nesties)
Papertake Weekly - Anything goes
Let's Ink it up - Show us your flowers
Cupcake Craftroom - Spring Bouquet
Sundays with Crissy - Animals
Crafters Companion - Spring
Crafty Calendar - Spring clean (Old stamp and butterfly punch embellishment)
A Gem of a Challenge - Pastels
Craft your Passion - Anything goes
Incy Wincy -Something Old (stamp), Something new (papers)
Stampin for the weekend - bingo (ribbons, glitter on butterfly and flowers)
Di's digi design challenge - Lace & Pearls
The Pink Elephant - 3 layers or more
I love promarkers - Ribbons and Bows
Simon says Stamp - Mother's Day
Flutter by Wednesday - Spring
Crafter's Cafe - Ribbon and / or lace
My Mums Craft Shop - Spring is Springing

EDITED TO ADD:
 

YIPPPEEE!!!

Batman

Morning Folks!

It's time to find your cape, get the mask on and get your underwear over your trousers (always a great look??!!) because today is the start of another challenge over at Here Come the Boys and this time the theme is

SUPER HEROES/ COMIC / CARTOON CHARACTERS

Now I must admit my first reaction was a sense of panic when I saw this theme posted - could have done with a crafting super hero - but then I remembered some Batman decoupage sheets I bought ages ago. After a serious amount of hunting I finally found them (I must get better organised it would save so much time and effort!! ) and here's the finished result which is also my first twisted pyramage and twisted easel card:

Here's another view:

Thanks for looking today and don't forget to join us over at HCTB, the rest of the design team have some great inspiration for you and we have a great prize on offer from our sponsors Bugaboo.

I'd also like to enter the Boys will be Boys challenge at Creative Craft Challenges

Flowers for Mum

Morning Folks!

Thursday at last - we are inching closer to the weekend and I can't wait!! We have an easy but seasonal challenge for you over at CRAFT this week:

MOTHER'S DAY 

so time to reach for the flowers etc!!

We have 3 great sponsors too:

   

 

& Wild Rose studio

For my card I have used a favourite Penny Black stamp that is useful for so many occasions! I love these hedgehogs and they are so easy to colour!! I raided my scraps again, I think these papers are Daisy & dandelion but I'm not 100% sure!! The strip of purple flowers is some adhesive ribbon I bought at least 3 years ago - I knew it would be useful..one day!! It's a bit hard to see on the photo but the flowers have some glitter and tiny gems in the centres. The sentiment is from Craftwork cards.

Thanks for looking and I hope you have a great day!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:
Stampin for the weekend - Bingo ( Top line Ribbons/ Sparkles/ Flowers)
2 Sisters challenges - Anything goes
Allsorts - Anything goes
The crazy challenge - Anything goes
Passion for promarkers- Pastel colours
Simon Says Stamp - Anything goes
Creative Inspirations - Anything goes