Hangin' around to say hello!

Happy Monday everybody! This is one of the very few times that I love Mondays and that's because it's a Bank Holiday, yay!!! So of course I had some time to make a card this morningand here it is...

I am submitting it into the Cupcake Craft challenge "let's get digital" and NO sketch (yes, really!). Anyway, off to have some Bank Holiday fun and the last of my birthday celebrations so see you all later!

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, BasicGrey Sultry paper pack
Mediums: Copic Caios
Stamps: Pollycraft Twiddly Wings Climbing
Accents: American Crafts Purkey rub on alphas
Tools: Nestabilities circle dies, scallop scissors (inside card)

Imagine...

...me with a full time DT post! Yes, that lovely Kerry at Ladybugcraftsink has offered me a place on the Ladybugcraftsink Design team and of course I snapped it up! I am joining a hugely talented team of ladies...

Lisa J (who will be organising us - good luck to her then!)Tams
Hayley
Pinky
Gaelle
Michele
Sue
Anita

Go take a look at their creations - I have a lot to live to up to! (Performance pressure rising already...) So in celebration, I inked up and made a card with one of Ladybug Ink stamps using this week's Sweet Stop challenge sketch...

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everybody - hope you are going to do lots of fun stuff like me!

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, October Afternoon Farm Fresh paper pack

Mediums: Copic Caios

Stamps: Ladybug Ink Coffee Nikki, TGF sentiment

Accents: My Minds Eye pearls, Stampin Up striped ribbon, lace from Bunny Zoe's here

Tools: Nestabilities rectanble die and book die (inside card), Martha Stewart border punch

Totally Gorjuss challenge #45 - Christmas in August!

My first Xmas card for 2010! Yay, only over 50 more to go! This week's challenge at Totally Gorjuss is Christmas in August and it's sponsored by Cupid Stamps - I love the baby cuties! I haven't seen theirs before, but they are lovely!

So here is my card...

I used the sketch over at Paper Sundaes and I'm also going to submit it to Sir Stampalot for Bring on the Bling (the snowflakes are very very shiny in real life!) and Cute Card Thursday Dieing for a Punch (not to use dies or a punch - that's very hard for me! I didn't use it on the front so I hope it still counts!!).

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, BasicGrey Wassail paper pad
Mediums: Copic Caios, Glamour Dust, glue pad (for snowflake border stamp)
Stamps: Pollycraft Cherry Kisses Wreath, CC Designs sentiments, Hero Arts Joy borders
Accents: fluffy balls from stash, Bazzill floss
Tools: Nestabilities label die (inside card)

Two cards, no kidding!

I got the creative bug this morning and made two cards before 9am! The first one is for the first anniversary of Anyone for Anya challenge blog. I used the Waltzing Mouse sketch - it's the the first time I've done this challenge and of course I missed the deadline for it!

For the second card I used Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge ...

I love the sentiments that go with this set! I have a lot of friends that go off travelling, taking a year off work, etc so I am sure I will use it A LOT! I used the EK Success zipper border punch, but I think it looks more like a row of candles upside down! Ho hum.

Anyway, a happy weekend everyone, see you tomorrow with some exciting news!

Birthday card

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, October Afternoon paper pad

Mediums: Copic Caios

Stamps: CC Designs Sugarplums Balloon Emma and sentiment (inside card)

Accents: BasicGrey buttons

Tools: Nestabilities circle and scallop circle dies, scallop scissors (inside card)

Ciao baby card

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, BasicGrey Granola paper pad

Mediums: Copic Caios

Stamps: My Favorite Things Joy Ride

Accents: none

Tools: EK Success zipper border punch

Wishes

I wish that it was the beginning of the week again! I mean, where did it go again?! I have a ton of images all coloured in and intended to make a card every day! Real life getting in the way - rubbish! Well, actually I'm sooo pleased it's Friday really! I'm still celebrating my birthday so have more things planned for the weekend and I hope you have something lovely planned too!

Enough of the waffling. Today's card is a total surprise to me - I wanted to use the sketch over at Sweet Stampin and I thought it would be mega difficult but it turned out not to be! Diana over at Kraftin Kimmie's challenged us to use stars so I combined the two and voila....

That deer is so sweet! I thought it would be perfect for a 'deer' friend, hah! Promise to be back tomorrow with a new card - well it will be Totally Gorjuss!! (Goodness, I made myself giggle there...)

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, SEI Happy Day paper pad
Mediums: Copic Caios, Diamond Glaze (on star)
Stamps: Kraftin Kimmie Dorothy, CC Designs sentiment (inside card), American Crafts mini marks Purkey alpha rub ons (wishes)
Accents: BasicGrey buttons
Tools: Woodware star punch, Nestabilities label, circle, oval and large scallop oval dies, Corner Chomper

A happy birthday to me - with a cherry on top!

Hello everyone! It's my birthday today (42 - gulp, what happened to my 30's?!!) and my first lovely surprise this morning is an award I saw from my lovely blog mate, Lisa Jane.

So with this award, here are the rules...
1. Pass this award to five bloggers who you love and inspire you
2. List 3 things you love
3. Show a picture you love and explain why

My five bloggers for this time (and this would include Lisa Jane but hey she's received too many recently!) are...

Carly - who is just brilliant at all styles, especially CAS and shabby chic (my worse!)

Mari - who always does something a little different and inspires me to too!

Emma - who is amazing at colouring

Diana - who is a caring and wonderful lady who asks after my dogs! And I love her colour combinations

Pam S - who does the most amazing things with Magnolia stamps (my new found love!)

Three things I love...

• My hubbie, Steve - the rock in my life, who grounds me and appears to adore me right back!
• My Yellow Labs, Poppy and Lulu - fun, loving and cuddly. And give me a good excuse to exercise with those mega long walks!
• The sea - the sounds and smell make me feel soulful and content

I've got a bit of a prob with my photos as they are sitting on my other computer that isn't working! So here is a photo of Lulu, now 10 months old, sitting on Winchelsea Beach in East Sussex...

Well, that't is for now, may have a card tomorrow!

Totally Gorjuss challenge 44 - you're a star!

A happy Totally Gorjuss Saturday everybody! That's right, it's another super challenge at Totally Gorjuss and this week the theme is "you're a star" sponsored by Crafters Companion. I created another baby card as I have a lot of friends having babies very soon so it just helps me keep ahead!

Isn't this image gorgeous? She is Twiddly Wings Shooting Star, a digi stamp from Pollycrafts. Obviously I am entering her into the Pollycraft Monday challenge to use stitches and used the sketch from Papertake Weekly challenge below. I love the quote inside - isn't it wonderful? Makes my heart melt!

See you tomorrow with another card!

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, K&Co Small Wonders Girl

Mediums: Copic Caios, Glamour Dust

Image/stamps: Hampton Arts Our Baby sentiments

Accents: lace from stash, Bazzill vanilla floss

Tools: Martha Stewart lace heart border punch

Enjoy the trip!

Goodness, how can it be Thursday already?! What happened to my week - it was Monday and then suddently it was Thursday?! I seem to lose a lot of days too often...

On to the card! I used this week's Just Magnolia sketch and I'm also submitting it into the new All That Scraps Magnolia challenge...

Sorry it's a quick one, hope to be back tomorrow!

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, Crate Paper Brook paper (grey patterned), K&Co Actopus to Zelephant paper (yellow spotted)
Mediums: Copic Caios
Stamps: Magnolia jeep, leaves, flower and jungle signpost
Accents: twine from John Lewis

Tools: none

Having a blue week?

Well, I'm not, but perhaps as I am as my blog mate, Lisa J, has noticed that all my recent creations are on the blue side! And tonight's post is no exception....!

I had this little lady all inked up and coloured in weeks ago but only found the inspiration to put her on a card when I saw this week's Friday Sketcher's sketch. I also got inspiration from the All That Scraps challenge to use die cuts - I have loads of those to use up so what a great excuse! So here she is...

You can't really see the stitching in the photo around the edge - I did it all by hand and it took me an hour - an hour I can't really spare! Still, the overall effect is very sweet. For the die cuts, I used the trio flower from the paper collection plus die cut the squares using my trusty Nesties. And isn't that CC Designs Honey so so sweet? I love all of those Honeys! But must not buy...must hide credit card...

Papers/cardstock: Doodlebug brown cardstock, Crate Paper Sweet Branch paper collection

Mediums: Copic Caios

Stamps: C.C. Designs Honey August

Accents: Doodlebug gems
Tools: Nestabilities label die (inside card) and square dies, Martha Stewart fence and grass border punches

Alter it!

Ever made a card that just doesn't seem to come together and you end up accepting it as it is cos you've just spent far too long on it already?!!! Well, I have several of those! This weeks challenge at Quixotic challenge blog is to alter an item - it gave me a good excuse to take one of these cards and improve it! I also altered the flowers by shaping them - not sure if that counts though! Here it is altered...

And here it is in its original form. I made it for a challenge but it ended up forced and I hated it, it's like having cognitive dissonance when the world just doesn't seem right! Alright, being a bit over the top with that but at least I like it now!

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, DCWV Far East paper
Mediums: Derwent Colorsoft, Sansol

Stamps: The Greeting Farm Geisha Anya and sentiment

Accents: textured "ribbon" (from Bunny Zoe's Crafts here), brad from stock, BasicGrey buttons
Tools: Woodware flower punches

Mini beasts!

Happy Monday everybody! Well, it isn't normally for me, but I had a day off work and it was fab! The weather turned out surprisingly gorgeous so went down to the coast and had lunch at a marina, then a long stroll along the beach and finished off with sitting in the sun for a couple of hours and swimming with the Labs in the sea - wonderful!

To the card! I used the sketch from Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge, but of course I've missed the deadline again! I also used inspiration from C.R.A.F.T. challenge to use mini beasts (what a great way to describe insects!)....

I love that felt ribbon - so tactile and yummy! It's only 2 inches wide so I butted up three lengths of it together to create a wide border. I also trimmed off a few flowers to decorate the inside. It's brilliant stuff!

Should be back tomorrow with another card - I'm on a roll!

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, DCWV Nana's Nursery Baby Boy paper
Mediums: Copic Caios
Stamps: Aspects of Design dragonfly stamp set
Accents: Queen and Co felt fusion "ribbon", BasicGrey buttons

Tools: Nestabilities label die (inside card)

Totally aqua!

Hi all! This week's challenge at Totally Gorjuss is to use aqua shades and is sponsored by Lili of the Valley. I love aqua but I always get confused on how green or how blue it should be! So I made my first card and it turned out far too blue (I used it for yesterday's post instead so not wasted)! Anyhow, I checked out my Copic pens and found one called aqua and managed to match up some cardstock to it.

I made this card for my assistant who has just bought her first home and is about to finalise. I remember when I bought my first flat nearly 13 years ago - all that responsibility and not being able to walk away from a six month rental contract - scary! I'm so excited for her - she's becoming a grown up!

I hope you can play along this week! Have a super duper weekend all.

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, Stampin' Up whisper white cardstock
Stamps: Elzybells bye bye birdie and brighter tomorrow (cloud stamp), Lizzie Anne Designs sentiment, Hero Arts houndstooth background stamp
Mediums: Copic Ciaos, Glamour Dust on bubbles
Accents: American Crafts ribbon

Tools: Nestabilities scallop circle and circle dies, Fiskars scallop border punch

Fintastic friends

No, I haven't misspelt it! I've made this card for my brilliant friend, Audrey, who is always there to support me at work. I've had quite a crap couple of weeks at work due to a certain colleague and after talking it over at lunch with Audrey I felt much better afterwards. Brilliant friend, as I say.

It took me hours and hours to make this card. I knew what image I wanted to use but none of the current sketches or challenges gave me any inspiration! Yeah, that doesn't make sense, does it, that's what they are for?!! Anyway, after much experimenting, I ended up with this...

It really bright - even by my standards, but I like how it came out - eventually! I'll be back tomorrow with my next DT card for Totally Gorjuss - hope you can come back and see it!

Papers/cardstock: Doodlebug cardstock, Bazzill Bling white cardstock (embossed bubble background)

Stamps: Magnolia mermaid and sea shells, CC Designs sentiment

Mediums: Copic Ciaos, Glamour Dust on bubbles

Accents: none
Tools: Cuttlebug bubble embossing folder, xcut border system, Nestabilities label die

Cheers!

Hello peeps! I hope you are having a great week. I decided this morning to take this Friday and Monday off work for a long weekend so mine has just got better! I also found out earlier this week that I've been chosen to be a guest designer for next month's Bunny Zoe's Crafts challenge blog! I've seen the challenge already and I can't wait! No more said...

Today I pulled out a stamp that - I'm embarassed to say - have never used. I bought it last year some time, but as I was still finding my style, was scared to use it! Yeah, daft but I wanted to do it justice so I put it away and promptly forgot about it! I remembered it when my blog mate, Lisa J, told me that Kerry, owner of Ladybug Crafts Ink, was looking to set up a DT. If you're interested in joining her DT, click here for details. In the meantime, here is my card using the fabulous Winestool Nikki. Now I am often on wine stools, but never with a flat tummy like that!!

I used this week's Mojo Monday sketch and took my colour inspiration from the Sweet Stampin' challenge "pretty in pink". I'm also entering it into Paper Sundaes challenge #30 to use metal (the label holder and brads).

I'll be back with another card tomorrow. Behave yourselves for now (if you want to be boring, that is! :)

Papers/cardstock: Bazzill grey and black cardstock, Bazzill vanilla bling cardstock
Stamps: Ladybug Ink Winestool Nikki and It's Only Words 2 sentiments
Mediums: Copic Ciaos, Glamour Dust
Accents: Stampin Up ribbon, metal label holder from stash, BasicGrey brads

Tools: Corner Chomper, Martha Stewart border punch