Sketch N Stash # 123

Morning all, I think you may need a warning about long posts today, well this is a long post! lol

Many thanks if you remain with me until the end.

Here we go again with another Sketch N Stash Challenge, can you believe we're up to #123?
Our optional theme this time is Pearl and Swirls, right up my street!

 

We are being sponsored again by A Day For Daisies who are offering one lucky winner a $10 voucher to spend in their online store. 
For my card I have used the gorgeous 'Hepburn Dress' image which is absolutely FREE from their store.

Card Details:
* Image - A Day For Daisies 'Hepburn Dress'
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - Prima 'Almanac'
* Punch - Paper Shapers 'Wave Flourish'
* Everything else from my stash

I hope you can join in with us, the DT have given you lots of inspiration with their wonderful cards again, just take a look.

On another topic completely, it was my birthday last Thursday (I won't tell you which one because I'd rather not think about it, suffice to say I'm staying the same age as last year and I'm planning on counting backwards for all future ones!) and I had the most wonderful day. I received some lovely cards, some of them stunning hand-crafted ones.
My darling hubby bought me a beautiful ring, well I chose it you understand, but he bought it. This is not at all my usual style but I absolutely fell in love with it as soon as I saw it.

Then my 3 best friends and I went on a girly day out shopping to Norwich where I purchased a new winter coat (love, love, love it!) and a gorgeous pair of earrings and in the evening one of my friends cooked an italian birthday dinner for 7 of us. How spoilt was I? It must rank as one of my best birthdays ever, coming in at a close 2nd to last year's 'big one'.
I can't believe how much my life has changed in the 2+ years since moving up to this village in Norfolk, DH and I have made the best friends of our lives here and we've never had such a busy social life or so many fun times, we both love it.

Congratulations to anyone still reading, you made it to the end, consider yourself a true friend! lol

Sketch N Stash # 122

Time for this fortnight's Sketch N Stash Challenge and this time we have TWO wonderful sponsors offering prizes to TWO lucky winners!

 Inky Impressions prize is $10 to spend in their store

 and Dies to Die For are offering £10 to be spent in their shop.
 
My card was a commission for someone who has just bought a kayak (my friends never believe in making my life easy do they?) I know it's unbelievable, but I didn't have an image with a kayak, so I had to google to find this one.

Card Details:
* Image - Internet
* Punch - EK Success 'Photo Corners'
* Everything else from my stash

Our optional theme for the challenge is 'Birthdays' and I'd love it if you could join in with us and if you're in need of a bit of inspiration just check out what our clever DT have done. Oh, and while you're there check if you are our winner or one of our Top 3 from the last challenge.

A Couple of Cards for a Couple of Challenges

Afternoon all,

I wanted to enter a couple of challenges and as my boys will be arriving tomorrow for the week I thought I'd better get cracking, so here are the cards.
The fact that they both seem to be following a black and white theme is purely coincidental (I didn't really notice until I was about to post them here)

This was made for a very sweet lady's birthday later this month.
I'd like to enter this into Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes

Card Details:
* Image - Acid Drops & Whatnots
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Dies - Nestability Scalloped Rectangles
* Papers - Papermania Capsule Collection and Polka Doodles
* Everything else from my stash

This was for my best friend's hubby who has been a fabulous guitarist for most of his life.
I'd like to enter this into My Mum's Craft Shop - Boys Only

Card Details:
* Image - Doctor Digi - Davey Dunderton
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Dies - Nestability Labels 4
* Border - Card Creations 'Art Deco' CD
* Everything else from my stash

I may find time to pop on next week, but if not I'll see you again when my sons leave.

Technologically Challenged

Afternoon all,
Do you like the title of my post?
It's not about me you understand, oh no I'm a techno wizard (yeah, right) but a lovely friend of mine who embraces technology, but unfortunately, hasn't got a clue about using it.
I say this as the person who gets phone calls that start with "Help!" and then go on to tell me that she can't get her Laptop/ Kindle/ TV/ Freeview Box to work and could I just pop over and sort her out?

In view of this, I thought this fabulous image from Mo Manning, together with the computer generated sentiment, was perfect for her birthday card.

Card Details:
* Image - Digital Pencil Too 'Checking FB'
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - Papermania 'Portobello Road'
* Everything else from my stash

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Mo's Digital Challenge - Say It With Flowers
Country View Crafts Challenge - Layers

My 'Stuff'

Afternoon all,
A few posts ago I said that I was in the process of creating some 'stuff' which I thought I'd share with you now I'm finished.
Every now and then I get the urge to do something other than cards, usually at that point I make a plaque as I love messing about with them. This time I not only made a couple of plaques but I also made a name banner for my craft room.

In case anyone is interested in where I got the plaques I bought them from Joanna Sheen's Online Craft Shop. It's a standing joke among her 'Sheenies' that this shop has wobbly shelves. You pop in for just one thing and those darned shelves wobble and throw loads of other gorgeous things into your basket.

This was made for my friend's birthday, she loves those funny plaques you see everywhere so I thought I'd make her one.

This was made for a sweet friend's house-warming present. She LOVES shoes and has so many beautiful and unique pairs that when she arrives anywhere, the first thing we all do is look at her feet to see what she's wearing.

This is my banner to be hung in my craft room, I had lots of these little MDF hearts so thought I'd make a little something for me out of them.

I sometimes get caught up in making certain kind of cards and at the moment it's funny ones, mostly for ladies of a 'certain age' so prepare yourselves to be seeing quite a few of these in the near future.

My two gorgeous sons are coming up to visit for a week from Monday, so if I'm not about much it's because I'm catching up with them (and hopefully getting lots of hugs into the bargain)
I absolutely love living in Norfolk and the last couple of years since moving here have been a dream come true. We have made some wonderful friends and have the busiest social life ever, but I do miss my 'boys' so much.

A Slight Problem

Evening all,
I'm sorry that I haven't acknowledged any comments for the last few days but it seems that my PC suddenly took a distinct dislike to Firefox and decided it would not let me post, edit or do anything else on my blog.
I've changed over to Google Chrome and it looks like things are OK now (fingers crossed!) so hopefully normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

Sketch N Stash # 121

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I can't believe another fortnight's flown by already, but it has and it's time for our Sketch N Stash Challenge.
Another fabby sketch from our archives and our optional theme is 'Time' (preferably vintage in style)

This challenge we are being sponsored by Live and Love Crafts who are offering our winner a £10 voucher to spend in their shop.

My image is a rubber stamp that is part of the Papermania range and came free with a crafting magazine, I absolutely love these Art Deco ladies, so elegant!
The strip of paper at the side of the design is gorgeous, it's flocked and glittered but the glitter on this card is not showing up too well.

Card Details:
* Image - Papermania Tall Urban Stamp
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers -Hot Off the Press, Papermania and Doodlebug 'Daydream'
* Everything else from my stash

I do hope you can join in with us for this challenge, there is lots of inspiration from the DT on our challenge blog and don't forget to check of you were our winner or one of our Top 3 last time.
 

Wheelbarrow of Flowers

Morning all, I had a card to make for a relative's birthday so I thought I'd use the great sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketches for my starting point.

I'm in the process of creating quite a lot of 'stuff' at the moment so I needed something quick and easy and this download from Fred She Said was perfect. It's two whole sheets of already coloured wheelbarrows so they're just the job for times like this. 

Card Details:
* Image - Fred She Said 'Wheelbarrow' coloured sheet
* Papers - K & Co and DCWV
* Die - Nestabilities 'Fleur De Lys' Squares
* Everything else from my stash

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
Tuesday Morning Sketches
4 Krafty Girlz Challenge - Anything Goes

I'll scream if I want to

Morning all,
Today's card uses one of my favourite images from Mo Manning (only one of them because I love all of the ones I've bought, and that's a LOT!)

I've tried to give this more of a CAS look as I love this style, but I'm not very good at it. Why is it that other people's CAS cards look fabulous but mine just seem to look bare?

Card Details:
* Image - Digital Pencil Too - Two Tasha
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - English Paper Company
* Die - Nestability Scalloped Circles
* Everything else from my stash

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
DP2 Challenge -  Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday Challenge - Pretty in Pink

 

Kiss The Cook

Morning all!
Today's card was made for a neighbour's birthday. He just LOVES to barbecue and will offer to be chef for a 'get together' at the drop of a hat. As we seem to have a lot of get togethers where I now live, he's a very handy man to know!

Card Details:
* Image - Just Inklined 'Kiss The Cook'
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - from Stash

I'm also entering this card into a couple of challenges:
Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes
Oldie but A Goodie Challenge - Spots and Stripes

Fabulous 40!

Today I'd like to show you 2 commissioned cards that I recently made for my friend's daughter's 40th birthday.
They both use Mo Manning's fabulous digis, I love the impact of her images on light hearted cards, don't you?

This one was from DH and I

This one was from her parents.
I had used the same image and sentiment for my friend's birthday card and she liked it so much that she wanted the same for her daughter's card.

1st Card Details:
* Image - Digital Pencil Too- Party Girl
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - K & Co
* Dies -Nestability Classic Circle & DieNamics Photo Corners
* Everything else from my stash

 2nd Card Details:
* Image - Digital Pencil Too - Little Umbrella
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - Hot Off The Press
* Dies - Nestability Mega Scalloped Rectangles
* Everything else from my stash
 
I would like to enter these cards into the following challenges:
I Love ProMarkers Challenge - Use A Number
Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - You Can Stick It!

Getting There

This is my 2nd men's birthday card, only one more left to make and then I can get back to nice, girly images and papers again.
I used a stamp that I bought ages ago in The Range, it was in the Sale bin and I thought it might come in useful for those pesky men's cards (and it did!) It's by an artist called Michael Powell and I really like the sketchy, seaside look of it, although it was a bit of a pain to colour.

Card Details:
* Image - Michael Powell 'On The Lookout'
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - K & Co
* Everything else from my stash

I'm entering this into the Papertake Weekly Challenge where they are having a Sketchie Free For All, I chose Sketch #27 for my card.

Just the First

If you're wondering about my post title I'll explain. I have a few birthdays coming up in September and they're all for MEN!!! If you know me you'll know that these are my least favourite cards to make so this is 'just the first'

I'm entering this into the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge as I used their fabulous sketch for this. I do find that using a sketch helps with cards that are difficult to make, at least it does for me.

Card Details:
* Image - Just Inklined 'The Good Life'
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - K & CO and stash
* Everything else from my stash
 
 

Sketch N Stash #120

Another fortnight has flown by and it's time for our next Sketch N Stash Challenge.
We are being sponsored by Crafty Individuals this time and they are offering a wonderful prize to our lucky winner, just see below...

I used one of their stamps for my card and decided to go with a vintage theme as well as this fortnight's optional theme of 'Monochromatic' although I did change the sketch about a bit.
I know my image may look partly pink but trust me it's brown, obviously my scanner doesn't like it!
 
Card Details:
* Image - Crafty Individuals 'Dancing until 1 o'clock'
* Colouring medium - Water colour pencils
* Papers - K & Company
* Punch - EK Success 'Retro Flower'
* Everything else from my stash

It was my turn to choose the Top 3 from our last challenge, so don't forget to pop over and check out whether I chose your card or if you were our lucky winner. Our fabulous DT have yet again come up with some real little beauties to inspire you.

Cheers!

I had a male card to make for a neighbour and as I really don't enjoy making men's cards, I thought I'd take the opportunity to join in with a couple of challenges.
I know he likes his beer, so I thought this image might be welcome.

Card Details:
* Image - Just Inklined 'Cheers Chalkboard'
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - Papermania
* Punch - Martha Stewart
* Everything else from my stash

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
Oldie but a Goodie - Boys/Male cards
Passion for Promarkers - Sketch

 

Sketch N Stash #119

 

Hi there, time for another Sketch N Stash Challenge and this time we're being sponsored by Ooh La La Creations who are offering our lucky winner a craft CD of their choice plus some bling, Wow, what a fabulous prize!

As you will see I rotated the sketch to get my design to fit properly. I chose to use another of my favourite Mo Manning images, this one is called 'Hoping' (I know that feeling only too well) I adore these adult digis of hers and find them perfect for friends and family of a 'certain' age.
The pretty K & Co tag is 'Classic K Margo' one of a number of their tag pads I have had for years (something else I normally forget to use)  The papers are 'Almanac' by Prima and are so pretty, the sentiment was computer generated and everything else is from my stash.
I used the EK Success small 'Retro Flower'  punch to make this fortnight's optional theme of handmade flowers.

I hope you will decide to join in with us and do pop over to the Challenge blog and get inspired by the gorgeous cards our DT have created, plus meet our new team members.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Challenges 4 Everybody #26 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes

 

Entering a couple of challenges

Hi everyone, I made this card for a very dear friend's birthday recently (she likes the 'occasional' tipple!)
It uses one of Mo's fabulous images, some diecuts and some punches, a very simple card but I'm not up to anything else I'm afraid.
I thought I'd join in with a couple of challenges as I haven't entered anything for ages, so I'm popping this into:

Totally Papercrafts - Summer Fun
Cute Card Thursday - Die-ing to Punch
Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - Anything that looks like Summer

Card Details:
* Image - Mo Manning's 'Little Umbrella'
* Sentiment - computer generated
* Colouring medium - Promarkers
* Papers - Freebie from Jak Heath
* Punches - EK Success Retro Flower and Photo Corners
* Dies - Nestabilities 'Labels 4'
* Everything else from my stash

I hope to be back in a couple of days with some more things