Thursday, 30 April 2009

Scrappy Frogs Challenge #3



Good evening to all my visitors, I hope you've had a good day and that the weather where you are has been better than here, as it's been raining all day.

I decided to do things slightly differently with today's card, usually I would make the card to fit the challenge (and trust me when I say this is much the easier way!) but I made the card first and then set about trying to see if it matched any challenges. However, I did manage to find a new challenge site to me, it's called Scrappy Frogs Challenge Blog and they're up to challenge #3 which is 'It's Spring - For this challenge we thought we would do an easy one....just submit a card, layout, project etc in the theme of spring flowers!' Hopefully this card fits the brief.

Card Details:
* Image - PC Crafter download kit 'Buttons and Bows'
* Sentiment and Embellishments - from same kit
* Little gems and pearls - from my stash

The reason I've gone about things back to front is because I received my weekly e-mail from PC Crafter this morning showing their new items, and absolutely fell in love with the sweet little characters in this new download kit. This meant that I had to immediately zoom over and buy them, then print them and make a card, I just couldn't wait!
Obviously, once I was at the site downloading this, I just had to see what else was about and I ended up buying another kit from the same Designer (If you've read my recent posts you may be getting deja-vu at the moment, as I did this last week at Daisie Company. I really MUST be more self controlled!!)
In case anyone is interested, the artist was Shelly Comiskey and there are more cuties to come from both of these kits, so guess what you're likely to be seeing for the next few days? LOL!
I wanted this card to be very simple and unfussy, so I just added the sentiment and a couple of little embellishments from the same kit and decoupaged the girls so they stood proud of the little frame. I then added some little gems and pearls to the flowers, some scrap paper from my stash as a mat for the sentiment and that was it. Very easy peasy, just how I like it!

Wednesday, 29 April 2009

Another 3 challenges with 1 card?


I can't believe that I've actually achieved this for the second time, I'm usually absolutely useless at making my cards do more than one challenge at a time!
The first challenge is Cute Card Thursday where I've just scraped in by the skin of my teeth with their challenge of 'Getting Edgy', I sanded the edges of my card and also added some doodles for good measure.
Second challenge coming up, Papertake Weekly who asked us to use 'Spots and Stripes', well I've used the spots and I'm hoping that the blocks of colour on this paper together with the edging I doodled will count as the stripes (not 100% sure about that, so fingers crossed)
The final one today is for My Time to Craft and their theme this week of 'Black and White plus one'. For some strange reason I always use red in these challenges and I vowed not to this time, but c'est la vie, I used red again!

Card Details:
* Image - Tilda with Ladybird
* Colouring medium - Caran D'Ache watercolour pencils
* Papers - Mmmm not sure, I think Papermania
* Embellishments - from my stash

I hadn't used this sweet Tilda before and unfortunately, she's not looking her best as I messed up with the pencils and water pen. I'm so used to using promarkers for colouring now that I found this really difficult, but I'm thinking - ladybird...summer...bit of sunburn - what do you think, does it work? LOL!
This is also the first time that I've given an image black hair and trust me, it's not easy getting that right either, so all in all a bit of a disaster. I've just realised that my scanner has made the colours look a bit blurry, so she looks even worse here than in real life now. Just don't look too closely!!!

Tuesday, 28 April 2009

Three Challenges, One Card


Well I didn't think I was going to get a card posted today, it's been one of those days, although looking back I've actually achieved lots of things I've been trying to get to for ages, so it hasn't been all bad.
The good news is not only have I managed to post my latest card but it actually fits THREE challenges WooHoo!
The first challenge is Stamp with Fun which was a sketch set by the lovely Bev. I don't actually know how she manages to make her cards so fabulous time after time, but I wish she'd share the secret! This was her sketch as you can see I rotated it a bit, but I hope it's still recognisable.
The second challenge is for Cute Daisy May which was to use Gems well I've used two on my card, so that should be OK.
The third and final challenge is this week's A Spoon Full of Sugar colour challenge to use Blue and Green.

Card Details:
* Image - Daisie Company 'Inspirations' download
* Papers - K & Co
* Scalloped mats - Nestabilities
* Punch - Martha Stewart Doily Lace
* Flowers and gems from my stash

This is another of (three) Sandi Gore Evans' kits that I downloaded from Daisie Company the other day, they are such sweet little images.
I just want to point out the adorable little 'Miffy' charm which is one of lots of new charms that arrived this morning. This seemed a perfect card to use it on, so I did!

I hope you've all managed to have a good day, the weather here was lovely today so I hope it was where you are too.
I received a beautiful card from my dear blogging friend Irene this morning, thank you so much for your thoughtfulness Irene, DH and I really appreciated it. Irene always manages to make the most exquisite cards, so please pay her a visit and see for yourself.
Finally, I'd like to thank you all for visiting and also for all the lovely comments you've been leaving me.

Monday, 27 April 2009

Sketch and Stash challenge #9


Another fabulous sketch from Becky again this week for Sketch and Stash challenge #9, can you believe we're nearly into double figures! A huge thank you to all of you who've been joining in the fun, what fabulous cards you've been making!
If you fancy joining in again this week be assured that the sketch was a great one to play with, and it's your choice where you put your embellishments and sentiments.
It's my turn to pick the next GD for challenges 11 and 12 so I'll be visiting you all over the next week, please pop 'GD' in your comment if you'd like to be considered for this.



My card this week used a new download image from Daisie Company. I love this place but hadn't visited for a while so I managed to find quite a few kits that I couldn't live without! Funnily enough they were all from the same artist, Sandi Gore Evans, I just love her stuff!
I also managed to use another new item on the card and that's the burgundy raffia (I'm not sure if it is actually raffia, but I don't know what else to call it) more about that in a minute!

Card Details:
* Image - 'Mama's Garden' kit at Daisie Company
* Papers - K and Co
* Lacy edge frame - Martha Stewart Doily lace punch
* Raffia ribbon - part of blog candy
* Everything else from my stash

I do hope you like my card and I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

I was lucky enough to win some blog candy from the lovely Helen a little while ago and the raffia ribbon was part of it, see the piccy for the rest of the candy, aren't I a lucky girl?

If you haven't visited her before, Helen's blog is a joy. Thank you Helen, my goodies are all gorgeous!!

Thanks so much to all my friends who have continued to visit me even though I've not been joining in much, be assured that your comments have cheered me up no end.

Sunday, 26 April 2009

A Card for Two Challenges



Today's card actually fits both the Penny Black challenge - Anything Goes - the only RULE is to ensure you use at least 1 PB image/sentiment on your card
and this week's Colour Create challenge - Orange, Green and Brown


Card Details:
* Image - Penny Black 'Sharing a moment'
* Colouring Medium - Letraset Promarkers
* Papers - Hot off the Press
* Border punch - Martha Stewart Doily Lace
* Sentiment - K & Co

I just adore these vintage Penny Black images, they have such charm and innocence, I only wish I had more. I've noticed some gorgeous ones that I'd never seen before turning up on some of my favourite blogs recently, just goes to show why they're my favourite blogs, we obviously have the same taste!!

Saturday, 25 April 2009

Just Magnolia Challenge #2


Hi everyone, well we're back from our travels to far flung Suffolk and I've been experiencing major withdrawal symptoms from blogging and crafting, so I was thrilled to see that challenge #2 was up on the Just Magnolia blog.
The theme this week is - PINK and GREEN - so anything goes as long as your creation is done with these colours and has a Magnolia image on. Do pop over and take a look at the gorgeous cards that the DT have created.
It's no wonder that I love everything they do, as most of these people were already in my 'favourites' list and those that I had managed to miss before will be going on my list asap!

I've chosen to use a newer Tilda today, I do love the way she just seems to get prettier with each new kit.

Card Details:
* Image - Tilda with large bouquet of roses
* Colouring medium - Letraset Promarkers
* Backing papers - K & Co
* Punch - Martha Stewart Doily Lace
* Sentiment - Cuddly Buddly
* Embellishments, brads and ribbon - from my stash


I loved using this colour combination, it's so fresh and summery, I hope you like the card as much as I enjoyed making it.

Thank you to all my visitors who've been leaving such lovely comments for me. I've already started visiting some of my favourite blogs again, I'm just sorry that it's been so long since I last visited you all, but I'm enjoying catching up with all your delicious creations.

By the way, I've given my blog a much needed facelift, I wanted something light and fresh, but very unfussy. It took me absolutely ages to find the sort of thing I was looking for so I hope you like it!

Sunday, 19 April 2009

Just Magnolia challenge #1


I just popped online yesterday to check up on what was happening in Blogland, as I was having withdrawal symptoms, and I noticed that there was a new challenge called Just Magnolia which is exactly that, a challenge site just for Magnolia stamps. Now, as these are my all time favourites I really wanted to join in for their first challenge (not to mention their prize making my mouth water LOL!) so I set about making this card from their sketch.
I must say I found the sketch quite tricky (but that could be due to me being out of practice lately) and as there was quite a lot to it I decided to use quite muted colours, I now have the feeling that could have been a mistake but c'est la vie!

Card Details:
* Image - Cross stitch Tilda, flowers and butterfly - Magnolia
* Colouring medium - Letraset promarkers
* Backing papers - K & Co
* Flowers - Digital Scrapbook download
* Sentiment - done on PC


I hope you like the card, I won't tell you how long it took me to decide which Tilda to use, suffice to say that it was more than a few minutes! I'm blaming Magnolia for that as each new kit manages to be cuter than the last (I have no idea how they manage to keep doing that!) Little cross stitch Tilda really does have to be one of my all time favourites though and she always reminds me a little of Alice in Wonderland.

Alan and I are popping up to Suffolk tomorrow to visit family for a while, but I should be back next week and I'm hoping that things will settle down a little then and I'll be able to get back to crafting and most importantly, visiting all my favourite blogs and seeing what you've all been up to while I've been missing, so expect to start receiving comments from me again soon LOL!!

Monday, 13 April 2009

Sketch & Stash Challenge #8



Hi everyone, well I managed to make a card for the latest Sketch & Stash challenge and that's quite an achievement at the moment, believe me!
I'm really missing visiting you all, not to mention how much I'm missing my crafting and blogging, but I'm hoping to be back by May. What a gorgeous time I'll be able to have then catching up with all your fabulous blogs, I'm planning on doing nothing else for a few days, so expect to receive lots of comments on your creations from me then LOL!

On to the card, another brilliant sketch from Becky again, she certainly designs these well, they're always a joy to follow. A huge 'thank you' to those of you who have been joining in, I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to check out your cards and leave comments again, I promise I'll try to do better once real life calms down a little for me.
This week we say goodbye to our GD Joanne, thank you for joining us Joanne, I hope you've had fun and I look forward to getting to know you better in the future.
Cathy will be on the lookout for a new GD for the next 2 challenges, so keep those entries coming!

The new items on this card are as follows:
A lovely stamped image recently sent to me, together with my new K & Co papers and Poppicraft flowers and brad

Card Details:
* Image - Sugar Nellie
* Coloured with Letraset Promarkers
* Backing papers - K & Co
* Lace papers - Joanna Sheen
* Butterfly charm - QVC
* Flowers and brad - Poppicrafts

Have fun with your cards if you're joining in and I look forward to chatting again soon.