Sketch & Stash DT card #34

Hi everyone, today's card is for Sketch & Stash, where we're being sponsored by Whiff of Joy this fortnight and Becky has designed yet another wonderful sketch for us.
Thank you to all those of you who managed to join us for the last challenge, the DT loved seeing all your entries.

Card Details:
* Image - Whiff of Joy 'Oakley with Slipover' and 'Tree Stump'
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers -Papermania 'Springtime'
* Sentiment - Greeting Card Factory CD
* Everything else from my stash

My new stash was my papers, I thought they looked great with this cute image.
I just loved using this sketch as it allowed the image to be the focal point, I really liked the uncluttered look of it.
I hope you get the opportunity to join in with us again this time and please pop over to the challenge blog to see what everyone else came up with.

CD Sunday Challenge 2 - Artfully Asian

Hi everyone, I'm back today with my card for the second challenge at CD Sunday where the theme this week is 'Artfully Asian'.
Now, I'm the first to admit that I'm not 'into' oriental style cards. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing what other people do with the lovely images, but personally I'm useless at making them look attractive. Consequently I never make oriental cards if it can be helped, so this theme really WAS a challenge for me.
In order to try to make my card a little more appealing, I decided to use the wonderful octagonal easel card template from Crafty Ann's.

Card Details:
* Image - Joanna Sheen's 'Oriental Dreams' CD
* Papers - K & Co
* Everything else from my stash

I used a Sakura Pen-Touch gold pen (also from Joanna Sheen) to edge the template, mounted the image onto some pearlescent paper, designer paper and gold miri card and finished off with a couple of oriental peel-offs.
The 'stand' part of the easel card was embellished with Spellbinder's Shapeabilities 'Fancy Tags' die cut and the sentiment was produced on the PC.

Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog DT Card #13

 Hi  everyone, today's card is my DT creation for Crafty Ann's Challenge where the theme this fortnight is a recipe.
Pop over for more details and to see what the rest of the DT have come up with, you won't be disappointed.
We're also welcoming a new member of the DT......
Irene has agreed to join us and I'm so happy as I've always adored her style of card making, so I'm absolutely thrilled to be working with her permanently from now on.

This image from Ann has to be one of my favourites, I think it has such a beautiful 'vintage' look to it.
I've made this a large card (8x8) and added quite a lot of embellishments to it as it's also destined to be my best friend's birthday card.
It's very sparkly, so she's sure to love it as she's a great believer in the adage that a girl can never have too much sparkle (now you know why we're best friends, we always think alike)
By the time I'd finished making this my whole house sparkled, so I think I'll have to pop a note in, to warn her to have her hoover handy LOL!

Card Details:
* Image - Crafty Ann's 'Music Collage 3'
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - Crafty Ann's 'Polished Brights - Earth Tones (pale brown)' and
                 Doodlebug Design Paper Potpourri 'Bon Bon Boutique- Daydream'
* Sentiment - computer generated (on tag) and Dawn Bibby peel-offs (on ribbon)
* Everything else from my stash

I used Crystal Lacquer on the violin and bow, to give it a glossy finish as if it were well polished wood (well that was the plan anyway) The tag was hand drawn and then stamped with Personal Impressions 'Swirls & Flourishes' clear stamp using 'Walnut Stain' distress ink. The dark chocolate satin ribbon is part of a prize of gorgeous ribbons that I have had sitting in my stash for ages, because I think they're much too beautiful to use.

I do hope you manage to join us, oh and if you joined in with our last challenge, don't forget to pop over to check who the lucky winner was.


Have you seen this fabulous candy being offered by Rach?
You have until 2/5 to enter, but please don't, as I really want to win this lol!

Just Magnolia - First Birthday Celebration

Hi everyone, I think I may just manage to make this challenge by the skin of my teeth!
As Just Magnolia are celebrating their 1st birthday and because I'm a HUGE Tilda fan, I really wanted to join in with this challenge and I've been trying to get my card ready and join in their bloghop for nearly a week now. Still, better late than never.
The sketch was from the lovely Mina and was an absolute joy to use (I shall be using this again and again) and there was also the optional twist of 'Thank You' which I decided to go for.

Card Details:
* Image - Magnolia 'Tilda with Tulips'
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - Laura Ashley and K & Co
* Mat - Nellie Snellen frame
* Everything else from my stash

I used my distress inks to edge the mat while it was still in the cuttlebug, but I don't think I did a very good job of it. I've seen this effect used on other blogs and it looks much better than mine, ah well, practice makes perfect.
I hope you like this as much as I do (I NEVER normally like my cards!) and I'll be back again on Friday with my DT card for Crafty Ann's challenge.

CD Sunday Challenge 1 - Wings and Things

Hi everyone, well today's the launch of Wendy's brand new challenge blog CD Sunday Challenge!
The first theme is 'Wings & Things' which should give you loads of choices for using your CDs. Will you go for birds, butterflies, fairies (like me) or something completely different?
Whatever you decide on, we'd love to see your finished creations, so please try and join in with us. If you need a little bit of inspiration, try checking out the DT cards, they're just amazing!
I made a silly mistake with this by deciding to tint  the punched edge with my Promarkers. It looked OK at the time, but it has bled rather nastily now, probably due to using pearlescent paper (something I shall have to remember for the future) 

Card Details:
* Image - My Craft Studio 'Walk in Wonderland'
* Punch - Martha Stewart deep edge 'Garden Trellis'
* Everything else from my stash

If you're anything like me, you have lots of CDs that hardly ever get used (I usually seem to forget about them until after I've made a card!) so I'm really looking forward to getting in the habit of using all those beautiful images, papers and embellishments that I'd forgotten I had, if you're the same, why not join in?
Maybe you already use lots of CDs in your crafting, if so, why not share the end results with us?
Either way the DT would love to see what you all manage to create and don't forget to let us know which CD you used......we may just have to add it to our wishlists!

A Family Card and Happy Memories

Hi everyone, I thought I'd just post this card that I made for my wonderful Uncle's birthday.
John is my Mum's brother and was the baby of the family, sadly he's been quite poorly for a while but he usually loves the vintage style cards that I make (not that he's biased or anything lol!) so I hope he likes this one too.
I've had these vintage car images for ages, so long that I can't remember where they originally came from, I'm afraid.

Card Details:
* Papers - K & Co and Hot Off The Press
* Alphabet Stickers - Brenda Walton (from QVC)
* Everything else from my stash

I'm entering this card for the following challenges:
Creative Card Crew #48 - Happy Birthday
My Time To Craft #87 - Pretty Pearls
Paper Cutz Challenge #36 - 3 Patterned Papers

Speaking of my lovely Mum, I thought I'd pop on a photo which I've just framed. It was taken 5 years ago at my eldest son's wedding. It was such a lovely day and this brought back so many happy memories. The photo originally included a couple of other people, but I scanned it and cropped them out as I wanted it to be just Mum and I.

I'll be back on Sunday with my first DT card for Wendy's brand new CD Sunday Challenge so if you're not otherwise engaged, why not pop over and take a look or drop by here to see what I've come up with.
Take care blogging buddies!

Sketch & Stash DT card #33 and some news

Hi everyone, here's my DT card for this fortnight's  Sketch & Stash challenge.
My new stash is the beautiful Whiff of Joy stamp and my neglected stash the lovely Fred She Said freebie flowers.
This fortnight the brilliant sketch is by Becky and it's also her turn to pick the next guest DT.
Don't forget to pop over to the challenge blog and see if you were lucky enough to win the Simon Says voucher last fortnight and just take a look at the DT and guest DT cards for this challenge, they're amazing!
We're being sponsored by Bunny Zoe this time and these are the gorgeous prizes on offer:

Card Details:
* Image - Whiff of Joy 'Shopping Willow'
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - Papermania 'Simply Elegant'
* Flowers - Fred She Said 'Pink & Mellow'
* Everything else from my stash

I have some news for you, starting on 18th April there will be a new challenge blog called 'The CD Sunday Challenge'
As the name suggests, this will concentrate on cards made using crafting CDs (whether it's papers, images or just embellishments) and the very exciting part for me is that I've been asked to be one of the DT!!!.
You may already be aware that Wendy has been making CD Sunday cards for some time and showcasing them on her blog, but now she's decided to start a challenge blog as the perfect opportunity to make better use of those gorgeous CDs we all seem to have. I always seem to forget about using them, how about you?
I'd love it if you could try and join in with us, just pop over to the challenge blog to see more details.

Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog DT Card #12

Hi everyone, this is my DT card for Crafty Ann's Challenge, where the theme this fortnight is 'Let the Sunshine In'. You can interpret this any way you wish, as long as it's to do with the sun or summer.
Pop over to the blog for further details and to see the other DT cards for some inspiration, and while you're there don't forget to check and see who our lucky winner for Challenge 11 was!
I couldn't believe how many of you joined in with us for the last challenge, I had such a fab time visiting all your blogs and I hope you'll manage to join in again this fortnight too.

Card Details:
* Image - Crafty Ann's - 'Bluebell Sheet'
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - Crafty Ann's - Polished Stone 'Pastels'
* Punch - Martha Stewart deep edge 'Garden Trellis'
* Everything else from my stash

I'm afraid I haven't managed to do much lately. A mixture of neck and back pain, together with a large case of the blues struck, so I've decided I'll just have to 'go with the flow' and craft and blog when I feel up to it.
I'm sure a lot of this is to do with losing Mum earlier this year, so I'm expecting it all to be an ongoing problem for a while yet.
I'd like to say a huge 'Thank You' to all of my friends who continue to visit and leave me such lovely comments, they mean so much to me.