Simply a Christmas tree

The challenge for April on Christmas cards all year round was to use this photo as inspiration:

I printed out some of this pattern and then cut our the tree shape with a nestability, mounting on to gold mirror card and cutting round leaving an edge.

I've used the sketch for Papertake 67:

Papers are from my Christmas offcuts box - the far background was free with a magazine, the next paper is MME lost and found and I've also used a piece of gold foiled embossed card with holly etc. So this is another card for Pixie's crafty snippets 18.

It's also for:

Deep ocean 24: use punches/dies
Paper pretties 203: clean and simple
Phindy's Friday 103: clean & simple
Tuesday throwdown 95: use some sparkle (difficult to see, but as well as the foiled/mirror card the red stars are glittered
4 crafty chicks 87: no stamping zone
Amusing challenges (Stamped blessings): anything goes
Lollipop crafts 78: anything goes
Paper playtime 73: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Make it Monday 87
Inspire me Fridays 56
52 card pickup 17

Suzie's 365 photos day 121: dessert

If I go out for a meal I have to admit that I can give in to the temptation of a delicious dessert, but when I'm at home I really don't bother, except yoghurt. However, this is more my kind of dessert:

Day 121: dessert

When Santa got stuck up the chimney

The theme for facebook's Sunday's with Santa today is 'humour' so I reached for one of my favourite Anita Santa stamps - just coloured the chimney with a copic. I found a freebie clipart scroll on the internet, played around with it digitally to include the words of the song.

This is also another card for my own CHNC challenge 70 - to include a sentiment without the word 'Christmas'.

The background paper is an offcut, so this is my first visit of the week into the playground at Pixie's crafty snippets 18 - I certainly needed my wellies on and I didn't want to get a wet bottom on the swings! The little shiny Ho Ho Hos have been in my Christmas stash for ages (haven't a clue where they came from originally).

I stuck to a black and white theme with just a bit of red for 2 sisters 89: colour challenge - black and white with only a hint of 1 other colour.

For some reason the white here looks a shade of pink - IRL it is definitely WHITE.

This is also for:

Desert island crafts 29: I chose - no flowers, red and black and favourite song
Clear it out: based on a song - paper, stamp and Ho Ho Ho are old and needed to be used
Dare to be sassy 122: Christmas card with a sentiment
Christmas stampin all year long 8: anything goes
Sparkles forum Christmas challenge 15: colour me happy - I love black and white with a touch of red
Sentimental Sundays 100: cards for kids
Twisted Tuesday 4: for the funny kiddos
Aud Sentiments: anything goes
Let's craft and create 43: sentiments - main focal point (hope the song counts as a sentiment)
Victorine 32: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 56
52 card pickup 17

Suzie's 365 photos 120: lights

I can't quite believe that already we're up to day 120 on Suzie's 365 photos - it doesn't seem possible that every soon we'll be into the month of May.

Anyway, back to day 120 and this is my 'lights' photo:

Ooops, need to replace a bulb!

Commissioned wedding card

Why is it that sometimes it takes ages to make a card and it still doesn't seem right? I was asked to make a Wedding Day card - and I need to give it to the person tomorrow, so needed to get it done today. Anyway, whatever I thought of and tried just didn't seem to work.

So this is what I've settled for in the end. The background paper is Papermania - it has the look of being dusted with gold although that isn't obvious here. It was for that reason that I decided to stamp with versamark and heat emboss with detail gold, but on reflection I wonder whether it would have been better to have embossed with copper, but it's done now and I'm not starting all over again!

The inner piece of paper is from a K & Co La Boutique pad which I've had for ages. It actually had a border around it with a repeated wedding sentiment, but it included 'our wedding' which wasn't appropriate for someone else to give, so I cut it off. I stamped and embossed the image before I decided to print the sentiments directly to that piece of paper - I managed after trial and error on ordinary paper to get the sentiments in the right places, but in the process I got some printer ink smudged at the bottom - which is why I had to put the string of gems there and some more at the top to counterbalance.

The flowers are Martha Stewart - I very gently distressed the edges with fired brick DI to give a deeper pink and did the same around the outside of the card. Why is it that colours don't always look right on the photo (made worse I suppose by the poor light of a rainy day which resulted in using flash). The little punched hearts filled a space that looked odd without them.

I'm linking this for the following challenges:

Everybody art 190: wedding
Soartful: wedding/anniversary
Ruby's rainbow 27: brown & pink
Make all with love 27: celebration/party
Fashionable stamping 20: embossing
Kaboodle 116: emboss it
Crafts and me 81: embossing
Pixie dust studio 124: embossing
Deep ocean 24: use punches/dies
Truly scrumptious 79: distressing & die cuts/punches
Whimsy 36: distressing
The stamp man: show us your shabby chic or distressed style
Wags n whiskers 78: distressing
Desert island crafts 29: I chose: favourite song 'Love and marriage', embossing, distressing
S J Crafts 4: favourites (favourite song)
Craft-room: ink it
Sentimental Sundays 99: celebrating earth day - flowers
Paper creations ink 23: flowers
Little darlings 22: flowers
Moving along with the times: garden or flowers
Prairie fairy Fridays 77: anything with flowers
Cards and scrap 30: use flowers
Pile it on 17: sparkle & shine
Tuesday throwdown 95: use some sparkle
One stop craft 180: recipe - 1 image, 2 designer papers, 3 embellishments (flowers, hearts, gems)
Aud sentiments: anything goes
Victorine 32: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Make it Monday 86
Inspire me Fridays 56
52 card pickup 17

Suzie's 365 photos day 119: handmade

For day 119 today, Suzie is asking us to show something that is handmade.

Ellie was made by a dear crafting friend, Kaz and came to live with me some time ago now. She usually sits up on the high shelf with lots of other friends - you can see her here:

but today the naughty monkey clambered down the shelves to sit at my keyboard to help me with my blogging! Mind you, she encountered a bit of a problem because, as you can see, some of the letters have rubbed off and Ellie hasn't learned to touch type, so she found it really difficult!

Suzie's 365 photos day 118: art

I didn't get round to taking a photo for yesterday's day 118: art, so here it is today. It's a self portrait that I drew way back on 7 January 1973 when I was 26! It's laminated, so difficult to get a photo on a rainy day because of the flash, so I had to take the photo at an angle.

I look so serious!

CHNC challenge 70: any greeting/sentiment without the word 'Christmas'

It's Saturday and that means it's time for a new challenge on my CHNC blog. If you haven't discovered it yet, please head on over there and join in the fun and get a headstart with your Christmas cards.

Today's CHNC challenge 70 is all about Christmas without mentioning the actual word 'Christmas' - that's right, you can use any greeting/sentiment as long is it doesn't incorporate the word 'Christmas'.

For my card I've used the sketch given for Christmas challenges with sketches 25 (to see the sketch please click on the link).

Papers are all offcuts from My Mind's Eye Christmas glitter stack (these papers, thankfully, seem to be going on for ever - I love them!).

I used the Anit's angel stamp, stamping on to a piece of starry card and very lightly colouring with copics. I wasn't really sure about stamping over the stars, but quite like it now because it gives an ethereal look to the angel. Both scalloped circles were cut with nesties. The glittered ribbon is a piece that I had left over.

Week 21 for Christmas card challenges is a recipe to include 3 designer papers (tick), 2 stamps (I only used one), 1 ribbon (tick) and 2 buttons (I didn't include buttons) - however, it is stressed that the challenges are optional as long as the submitted card is for Christmas, so I'm linking there despite only adhering to half the recipe!

This is also for:

Dare to be sassy Thursdays 122: Christmas card with a sentiment
Crimbo crackers 14: angels
Christmas stampin all year long 8: anything goes
Fussy & fancy 61: punches and dies
Pile it on 17: sparkle & shine
Tuesday throwdown 95: use some sparkle
Aud sentiments: anything goes
Victorine 32: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
The poodles parlour: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 56
52 card pickup 17

Bold and bright owl

This is for this week's Catch the bug sketch:

And based on the bright colours and owls in this picture given for Pinspirational 4:

I've used some of the remains of the bright papers that were free with Crafts Beautiful (they are double sided, which gives them even more mileage) - another card for  Pixie's crafty snippets 17.

The owl in the oval was part of a Kanban Dawn Bibby kit (loads of this still in a box - I ought to use more of it).

This is also for:

Playing in paradise 64: friendship
Challenge up your life 67: owls
Crop stop 69: to the birds
Alphabet: F for feathered friends
Ooh-la-la 103: bold & bright
Totally papercrafts 114: saturated colours
4 crafty chicks 87: no stamping zone
Victorine 32: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
The poodles parlour: anything goes
Make it Monday 86
Inspire me Fridays 56
52 card pickup 17

Urban prairie spring

For this card I've used the sketch for Card Patterns 162:

Basic Grey 66 calls for 'spring colours', so I thought that BG urban prairie papers were just right.

I've just added a little glittery strip and buttons from Poundland, an unknown piece of ribbon tied in a bow with a Martha Steward flower with a lovely glittered centre.

This is also for:

Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 17: spring
Crafts 4 eternity R69: spring
Divas by design 32: buttons and/or bows
CES 82: button it
Always crafting Creative Monday 6: yellow and sunshine
The pink elephant 145: hello sunshine - use yellow
Tuesday throwdown 95: use some sparkle
Paper pretties 203: clean & simple
Phindy's Friday 103: clean & simple
4 crafty chicks 87: no stamping zone
Victorine 32: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
The poodles parlour: anything goes
Make it Monday 86
Inspire me Fridays 56
52 card pickup 17

Tuesday Alchemy DT call

I'm not sure why I'm doing this, except I was encouraged to do so, because I don't usually respond to DT calls. I've been privileged to be a guest designer for several crafting blogs over the past few months, but have not applied to become a regular team member.

Tuesday Alchemy have put out a design call for new people to join them for three months. The idea is that applicants show some examples of their recent crafting, so here goes.

This is a card I made and submitted for their challenge 11: black and white:

And here's a few of my recent attempts at crafting - the links show the original posts where there is more detail:

Butterfly bling:

Christmas family:

On the lookout (twinchies):

A set of ATCs:

Wow! what a day:

I craft and blog most days, so there is usually something up-to-date to see on this blog as well as once a week on my Christmas challenge blog: CHNC.

I would love to be successful and join the Tuesday Alchemy team for three months - thanks for the opportunity of applying.

Birthday crossword

For Sweet stop sketches 155 we were asked to choose any sketch from the past, so I chose 110:

I used one of my favourite Penny Black stamps, 'hedge-words' - so versatile and just right for quick cards - and, as I didn't use any patterned paper, this is for Penny Black and friends 198: no patterned paper, also for Craft us crazy 26: inspire us - favourite stamp company.

This was an opportunity to use up offcuts of sticky ribbons as well as offcuts of black and white card, so another entry for Pixie's crafty snippets 17.

This is also for:

Creative Belli 142: animals - the old and forgotten embellishments are the offcuts of ribbons and the crocheted flower with covered brad
CRAFT 152: animals
Cute card Thursday 24: animal magic
Di's digi designs: let's meet your animal friends
Really reasonable ribbon 46: black, white and one accent colour plus ribbon
Gingerloft 38: black and white and a touch of red
Tuesday alchemy 11: black & white
Crazy 4 challenges 133: make your card pop by adding black
Penny Black and more at Allsorts April: oh so cute
Let's craft and create 43: sentiments - main focal point
Celebrate the occasion 60: happy birthday + ribbon
Creative card crew 9: ribbon
Ribbon carousel 50: anything goes
PaperPlay 17: monochrome and ribbon
Sweet stampin: use more than 1 ribbon
Bunny Zoe 23: ribbon or twine
Craft-room: ink it
Crafty Ann 64: stitching
Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 104: stitching
Allways something creative 28: enchanting with seam (sstitching)
Paper playtime 72: say it with sentiments birthday
Penny's 78: happy birthday
Paper pretties 203: clean & simple
Phindy's Friday 103: clean & simple
Timbro scrap mania 46: anything goes
Crafty catz 130: anything goes
Victorine 32: anything goes
Aud sentiments: anything goes
Inky impressions: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
The poodles parlour: anything goes
Make it Monday 86
Inspire me Fridays 56
52 card pickup 17

To wit to woo

This is for the sketch for One stop craft 179:

I've used offcuts of the Papermania capsule blue papers that I used last night for this card, so this is another opportunity to join Di and other playmates in the playground at Pixiei's crafty snippets 17.

The owls digital image mounted on to embossed silver foil has been in my odds and ends box for ages, so I don't remember where it came from. The owls are for:

Challenge up your life 67: owls
Crop stop 69: to the birds
Alphabet: F for feathered friends

This is also for:

Digital Tuesday 157: winter blues
Charisma cardz 16: blue, black and white
Shopping our stash 49: starts with a 'b' - blue, birds
Simon says: anything goes
Willow sketchie: sketch and/or things outside

Authentic cutting edge

I'm late ... yet again ... for this week's Daring cardmakers challenge: tag you're it! sponsored by Tea house bridge.

For my card I've used Papermania capsule blue papers, a recycled kraft tag that was on a shirt I bought for John (I knew it would come in handy one day) with a sentiment added. The shirt is a Personal Impressions image stamped directly on to striped paper, with just the tie and buttons coloured with copic ultramarine.

This is also for:
Crafty boots: no girls allowed
One crazy stamper April: boy/men
Joanna Sheen: it's a man's world
Catered crop: get krafty
Party time Tuesday 65: anything goes + kraft
Divas by design 32: buttons and/or bows
CES 82: button it
Papercraft star 94: polka dots
Stamp, scrap & doodle: recycle

Suzie's 365 photos day 117: tradition

It's become a tradition for me to have breakfast sitting at my computer catching up with Suzie's photos, blogs, forums, challenges ... so this is for day 117: tradition:

WOYWW 151

We were at a funeral this morning and somehow the afternoon got frittered away, so I'm quite late in the day adding my post for WOYWW 151, the wonderful weekly opportunity for us to show our workspace and to have a look at everyone else's run by the wonderful Julia. I so enjoyed visiting everyone last week. I hope to be able to get round as many as possible this week.

So here is my space to the left of where I sit - a box of Christmas papers that are always nearby, one of my many boxes of ribbons, a box of ready stamped images, brads, sentiments, a stamp that should have been put way, a pack of skeleton leaves (not sure why they are there or why I bought them recently as I still have some tucked away from years ago). The Creative expressions masks were bought with a Joanna Sheen voucher that I won a while ago for a Rainbow Lady challenge.

To the right of where I sit there is a box of an Anna Griffin engraved botanica kit that I bought from QVC last week - just I gave in to the temptation again, but my excuse is that I make a load of cards to sell for charity and sometimes I need to make some quick ones. On top of the box are magazine papers and stamps waiting for more inspiration. You can also see some lovely Prima roses that I received yesterday as a prize from the Let's Craft & Create challenge and also a set of Aster flower topper shapeabilities that I bought with another Joanna Sheen voucher, this time won for a challenge on The crafty pad. Lurking in front are some images ready to be used.

I thought I'd also show the pull out drawers that are inside the cupboard to my right - very handy. They were built in originally to house a printer and my craft robo, but my robo was replaced with the cricut which now sits on top and my printer is now wireless, so is over the other side of the room out of the way.

And this is the keyboard shelf that pulls out where I sit - I don't use it for a keyboard, so it's so handy to house all those bits and pieces that then get pushed out of the way.

Sorry, this turned into a longer post than I intended!

I'm so grateful for all the visitors I had last week. Thank you to everyone who visits and leaves comments - I do so appreciate it.

Guest designer: For Fun

I'm privileged to have been asked back to join For Fun challenges as their Guest Designer for their 'Bunny but NO Easter' challenge. The challenge is being sponsored by K 'n K designs who sadly closed their digi doors on 31 March, but are still honouring the sponsorship by giving away three digi images.

I chose to use 'spring rain' that was kindly supplied by K 'n K, a sweet design that I coloured with copics and cut out with a scalloped nestie. I used WordArt in Publisher to generate the curved printing for the surround oval - printed on to a piece of Kanban blue sky card with clouds. The A5 card blank was ready printed with the design. With the addition of a few half pearls the card was finished.

This is also for:

Twisted Tuesday 4: for the funny kiddos - think this is suitable for a poorly child
Karen's doodles 10: something for the kids
Crafty sentiments: for a child
Die cuttin divas 62: pearls, pins and/or punches
Fussy & fancy 61: punches and dies
Lexi 63: use your punches and dies
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 17: spring
Stamp and create April: spring
Creative craft: let's see some animal antics
PaperPlay 16: animal antics
Di's digi designs: let's meet your animal friends
Crafter's companion 23: four-legged friends
Jellypark friends: little bunny foo foo
2 sisters 88: use a digital image
Raise the bar 101: cloudy skies
Sassy Cheryl 112: April showers
Hippity ippity 19: rain and/or showers
Use it Tuesday 30: April showers (using up a decorated card blank)
My mum's craft shop 54: the great outdoors
Creative Belli 142: animals
Digi doodle shops best 104: April showers
Little Miss Muffet 33: April showers
Mad for markers: April showers
Cardmadfairy's digi days: April showers
Stuck on u die cut challenge: April showers
Victorine 32: anything goes
Love to create 12: anything goes
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 86
Inspire me Fridays 55
52 card pickup 16

Suzie's 365 photos day 116: powerful

For Suzie's 365 day 116: powerful I've taken a photo of my good old heat gun. Having looked at the photo I realise how dirty it is -  it just gets used and put aside till the next time. It does get a lot of use and I've had it for ages, so it's not surprising. One of the crafting tools that I wouldn't want to be without.

Suzie's 365 photos day 115: tower

For day 115, Suzie said 'let's look for a tower'. Well, I wasn't going out today, so no chance of seeing a tower. I nearly resorted to showing a photo that had been taken previously, but looking to my left I saw a tower of boxes that need to be put away, behind which is a higher tower of paper trays:

Suzie's 365 photos day 114: cross

Suzie's day 114: cross: This is a stamp that is so handy for Easter cards, but also for sympathy, Christening and other occasions:

Baby card - a trip down memory lane!

It's a bit like a trip down memory lane today. I wonder how many of my visitors have supplies of handmade paper, angel hair (like I used on a card I showed earlier today) or mulberry paper (I'd almost forgotten what it was called) - I have loads of it - I remember that some years ago we used to use lots of it in cardmaking, but, like lots of other things, it's gone out of fashion. Even if I made a card with these supplies every day I'd be hard pressed to actually use it all up (not sure why I keep it all).

Anyway, here is a baby card that uses pieces of blue mulberry paper that has been wetted around the edge and torn (I remember when I used to do that quite a lot - brush the edges with a wet paintbrush, although a wet finger will do just as well). For some reason, shadow that's cast has made some of this look a bit pink, but it is all blue.

The little gingham teddy is one that I acquired ages ago with lots of other shapes (I've still got quite a lot of them and haven't used them for years) - and the same with the little transparent tag - I bought quite a lot of these years ago - perhaps I should use more of them in the coming days.

This is for:

Pixie's crafty snippets 17: snippets of mulberry paper and other bits and pieces bought years ago
Lollipop crafts 77: baby, baby
Bearly mine 32: baby days
More than favors wacky Wednesday 69: baby theme
Crafts4eternity R68: something new - new baby
Here come the boys 25: tiddly peeps - toddlers/babies
4 crafty chicks 87: no stamping zone

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Snowflakes, snowflakes and more snowflakes

Three cards using some pre-cut cards that have the edges of the snowflakes cut out to reveal some of the inside of the card. And I still possess some Christmas peel off greetings!

This first card has a holographic strip inside the card which shows through the cut out pieces of the snowflakes. To give definition, I went round the edges of the halves of the snowflakes that are on the front of the card. The black-looking little sticker snowflakes are, in fact, silver.

On this next card there is a strip of holographic paper on the front and on the inside - they are actually the same even though they look different here.

And this card has some magic mesh on the inside of the card to show through the cut out snowflakes (yes, I still have some magic mesh - haven't used any for ages and ages).

These are for:

52 Christmas card throwdown theme challenge 4: snowflakes
Scrappy frogs: shape it up challenge - shaped card - the edges are shaped with the snowflakes
Pile it on 17: sparkle & shine (the first 2 cards)
Tuesday throwdown 95: use some sparkles (the first 2 cards)
Moving along with the times 144: merry Christmas

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Columbia bicycles

A very simple card made up of a spare piece of background card (not a clue where it came from) and a topper that is etched with gold foiling with someone on an old fashioned bicycle, which, unfortunately, doesn't show to advantage here.

This is for:

Pixie's crafty snippets 17
Paper playtime 72: say it with sentiments theme 'birthday card'
My craft spot 53: things that go
Crafts and me 80: vintage
Bling it on April: monochrome
Sparkles forum 31: men only
Joanna Sheen: it's a man's world

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Bright birthday

This is a quick and simple card made with a colourful card black with a square aperture into which I've put some sentiment paper with a Charmed card and craft download from their world tour set, Madison in China, a pre-coloured digi.

This is for:

Paper playtime 72: say it with sentiments theme 'birthday card'
Crazy challenge 116: feminine/girly
Paper and such: just for the girls
Paper pretties 202: card for girls
Cardmakin mamas: getting girlie
Totally stampalicious colour challenge: red and yellow
Ooh la la 103: bold & bright

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Steaming ahead to retirement

This is a simple card using a jelly frame die cut from a Sizzix die (not used any of these in ages), a photo that I found in my recycled pictures and the sentiment, all mounted on to a black card blank.

This is for:

Crazy 4 challenges 133: make your card pop by adding black
My craft spot 53: things that go
Stamp, scrap & doodle: recycle
Lexi 63: use your punches and dies
Fussy & fancy 61: punches and dies
Sparkles forum 31: men only
Joanna Sheen: it's a man's world

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

To have and to hold

Another wedding card, this time with a panel of the wedding vows, matted on to silver and then gold before putting on to the silver card blank. The little embossed square with the wedding rings was bought long ago at a craft show.

This is for:

Everybody art 190: wedding
Scrapbook sisters 80: wedding
Soartful: wedding/anniversary
Pixie dust studio 123: texting

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

On your wedding day

A quick and simply wedding card, using a couple of bought die cuts and some angel hair (haven't used any of this in a long time) - ran it through the xyron to stick it - on to gold card matted on to the silver card blank.

This is for:

Everybody art 190: wedding
Scrapbook sisters 80: wedding
Soartful: wedding/anniversary
Crazy 4 challenges 133: make your card pop by adding black

Victorine 32: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Birthday tiger

A birthday card for an 11-year old boy, using a piece of tiger print card that I've had for ages and a recycled photo of a tiger taken from a magazine.

This is for:


Crafty boots: no girls allowed
4 crafty chicks 86: boys dig it
Sparkles forum 31: men only
Joanna Sheen: it's a man's world
Creative Belli 141: children - for a child - very old tiger striped card used

Creative craft: let's see some animal antics

PaperPlay 16: animal antics

Paper playtime 72: say it with sentiments theme 'birthday card'

Stamp, scrap & doodle: recycle

Do you stack up 68: stripes

Victorine 32: anything goes

Love to create 12: anything goes

Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes

Make it Monday 86

Inspire me Fridays 55

52 card pickup 16

Butterfly bling

This is for Flutter by Wednesday 199, which is to CASE this lovely card (sadly, this is the last challenge there):

I've used a favourite butterfly stamp, 'swirling wings' by Lindsay Mason, inking with versamark and heat embossing with silver detail powder. The embossing is for: Fashionable stamping 20: embossing and Kaboodle 116: emboss it.

The background black and silver foiled card is actually from a Christmas set, but I think it can be used at any time. I've added some rhinestones to the butterfly and also the lovely little white flower with pearls.

This is also for:

Pile it on 17: sparkle & shine
Tuesday throwdown 95: use some sparkle
Stampin' for the weekend 8: sparkle and shine
Bling it on April: monochrome
Our creative corner: butterflies - I love butteflies - I think they brighten anyone's day
The paper shelter 60: wings and things
Crafty ribbons 17: things with wings

Spring with Nitwit

For this card I've used 'spring whimsy' papers etc by Nitwit which were free with Simply Cards & Papercraft.

I've used colours for Color throwdown 188 (unfortunately, this challenge had closed before I was able to blog this, but I still want to acknowledge that I used the colour combo):

Colours also for Paper pretties: pink and green with at least three layers.

and I've followed Aunty Sue's card for Creative inspirations 159: case it:

This is also for Cooking it up with Katie 93: make it a green, gorgeous garden.

I layered the bunny so that it went over the edge of the mat behind it for The crafty pad 167: live on the edge.

This is also for:

PanPastel UK 15: add a flower

Sentimental Sundays 99: celebrating earth day

My time to craft 178: gardening gems

Paper playtime 72: say it with sentiments theme 'birthday card'

Ladybug 59: birthday

Creative craft: let's see some animal antics

PaperPlay 16: animal antics