One stamp - two cards...

This is the stamp used on the thank you card I made yesterday using the Perfect Pearls sent to me by Max.

I love this stamp by Magenta. I didn't do the black blodge on the top edge - for some reason the Magenta stamps I've bought never seem to have a good finish on the wood, but the designs are fabulous.

Here's yesterday's card again using the stamp just as it is.

This is my new take on the stamp. I stamped the image quite a few times again dusting it with the Perfect Pearls, but this time I cut the vase out and used it to make a sort of pinwheel flower. Then I cut out the leaves and added those to the pinwheel finally adding one of the flowers to the centre and a pearl.

Hope you like it - have a fantastic weekend.

Thank you Max...

Max at Max's Craft Creations has been having a little clear out for a little while now and I was lucky enough to be one of the winners of her blog candy. I received some Perfect Pearls, a pack of misters and a Dawn Bibby DVD so that I knew what to do with the goodies. Isn't that brilliant? I was just over the moon. Thank you so much Max and I'm really pleased you liked the thank you card.

Well I had a play last weekend and this is one of the cards I made - another will be on my blog shortly. Haven't got a photo of it yet. The flowers in the vase image is a stamp by Magenta. I stamped it on to the brown card using the Perfect Pearls Medium pad and then dusted the image with antique gold. I added an extra flowers with pearl centres to add interest.

The main image is matted on to a background created using core'rdinations cardstock embossed and sanded using Swiss Dots folder. Brads, peel offs and a tag add were added to embellish the card.

As the challenge at Cute Card Thursday is to use any kind of flowers I think my Perfect Pearl ones will count.

PS: - I think there is still time to join in the fun at Max's but you will have to be quick!!

The Purple Hat...

I was sent this in an email today and it is something I have read before, but I feel it's well worth sharing here.

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER

by Erma Bombeck

(written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.'

There would have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.'

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute.look at it and really see it . . .

Live it and never give it back.

Top ten blog award...

How cool is this? To think I have been given this award by one incredibly talented crafter who has actually thought of me when thinking of her top ten blogs. Wow - thank you so much Chrissie at Simply One of a Kind.

Pastel Pink Pollycraft...

A thank you card using one of my new Pollycraft stamps - my extra Mother's Day gift from Shelley. Sometimes having kids turns out well!!

The sketch is from CPS - love their sketches. This is number 111 and all the past sketches can still be accessed on the blog - so useful.

The papers I've used are from my favourite craft shop - the man at Wath Market, who is on holiday in Turkey this week and is saving me a fortune!!

My card is also for the challenge at Papertake Weekly, where the challenge is to use pastel colours.

Chocolates hmmmmmmm...

Yeah - the challenge at Cute Card Thursday is marshmallows and chocolate (pink and brown) - a yummy combination and one that gave me chance to use some more of the chocolate box card I bought on my last visit to Kanban. Think I bought too many of these but not to worry only another 100 cards or so and I will have used it all up.

I used the fantastic chocolate selection backing paper and matted and layered it on to brown and pink card. This was finished off by using the pink chocolate box topper matted on a brown nestie scalloped circle as a centre piece.

Then surprise, surprise look at the hidden bit!!!


The chocolate box flap opens to reveal the birthday message!

At Daring Cardmakers the challenge is 'Hide and Seek' so I think my card is well suited to their challenge too.

Pink Elephant Day...

Time for a colour challenge at the Pink Elephant Challenge Blog and our chosen colours are...

Pink - Pale green and Pale yellow - a stunning combination.

This week we have been sponsored by the Greeting Farm and each member of the DT have used one of the Greeting Farm's digi stamps in their designs for the challenge. I've only discoverd these digi stamps recently and oh my I really love them.

My card features Dorothy and her little Scottie dog - isn't she cute? I coloured her with my Promarkers and I must say the very thick black lines on the digi stamp made colouring the image very easy for a Promarker beginner like me. I need more colours ASAP - particulary a yellow and a pale green as the green on her dress was too dark really for my liking, but ah well they can go on my wish list!!

Using digi stamps also means that you can play around with the size of your image, which (apart from using shrink plastic) is something you can't really do with rubber stamps. I used the image to create simple, but pretty inner for my card.


The inner is actually a double layer - one layer of pink with a punched border and one layer with a computer generated sentiment and the digi stamp reduced in size to adorn both corners.

The ABC challenge has reached the letter I and the theme is 'inners' so my card is also for their challenge. I can't believe they have reached 'I' already. I am determined to do all the letters this time - wonder what we will be given for 'J'?

Happy Easter...

I just couldn't resist putting this photo on - Shelley was so impressed with her card and bag that she took a photo of it.

I filled the bag with chocolate eggs and then saw these cute marshmallow chicks which looked perfect to put on sticks to jump out of the bag. There was even Pink bunnies in the same pack which worked great for Laura's bag. There were blue bunnies too, but they didn't match anything so I had to eat those - well it was a dirty job but someone had to do it!!! I dread to think how many E numbers I consumed, but oooooooooooooooooh they were lovely!!!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic Easter - see you tomorrow for the new Pink Elephant challenge.