Rush rush rush ....

.... I started the card for DH's grandmother yesterday morning, thinking we were leaving for the party at about 3.30 and I had loads of time.  The kids were at the cinema with DH, nice quiet house, no hurry on me.  So I changed a few bits as I was going along, experimented with things, broke out the crackle paint and the rock candy stickles, until they came home at 1.30 and he said we needed to go at 2.45.  WHAT?!!!  So I put it all together in a massive hurry, photographed it, got changed, into the car, painted my nails one at a time every time we hit a red light, and now as I look at the photos, I realised I forgot to stick pearls on the image.

I've used Martine's lovely sketch on this fortnight's Basic Grey Challenges, and broke into my gorgeous new BG Capella papers, which are my absolute favourite of their recent releases, I love the colours.

I'm also entering this card on A Spoon Full of Sugar (celebrations), Crafty Creations (use your favourite stamp - I do love this set), Creative Inspirations (Distressing), Quixotic Challenges (Emboss it), Simon Says Stamps (pink/blue and green and brown - all here I think!) and ABC Challenge (Vintage).

I was faffing about with three of the set of these Hero Arts stamps, two with leaves, trying to get them to look like a bouquet, and it wasn't working - so I cut the leaves off two of them and just used them with the one single flower.  And I had meant to put tiny pearls on those little circley bits, but ran out of time.  Here's an image close-up:

Recipe:

Papers: BG Capella

Stamps: Hero Arts "Peeking Posies"

Colouring Medium: Prismacolour pencils and sansodor

Other: Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Crackle Paint, Distress inks, Maya Road Pins, lace from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

Now I'm smooookin' ....

.... second post in one day!!  Will probably never happen again! 

I've finished another communion card, for our friends' little girl - we're going to this one 'cos it's on Sunday, the day after the 90th birthday party (I have yet to make the card for the 90th birthday girl - next on the long list!)

I've used this week's lovely sketch on Just Magnolia and made my second Tilda card (I think this one is supposed to be a bridesmaid but I figured she could be in a communion dress either!).  Here it is:

I don't think I've ever made such a girly card and the lilac/yellow colour combo is a definite first for me!  Originally, I only had the yellow ribbon, but when I was sticking it down, I pulled the sticky tape funny and a great big ladder appeared in the ribbon.   Aaaaagh!  I couldn't change it 'cos everything was stuck down too well, so I used the little bits of lilac gingham to cover the disaster.  It actually looks nicer with that addition.

I'm also entering this on A Spoon Full of Sugar (celebrations), Creative Inspirations (distressed), and ABC Challenge (V is for Vintage).

I coloured Tilda using Distress Inks - I am just loving this method of colouring - thanks Mina!!!  Here's a close-up of the image:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey Kioshi

Stamp: Magnolia Tilda - image from Mina - thanks!

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: MS Valentine Lace punch, Nestabilities, ribbon from stash, needle + thread.

Thanks for looking - wish me luck as I crawl back up the stairs to start the Happy 90th Birthday card!!

Back in action ....

.... I had no choice, I had a lot of cards to make this week.  Some of my son's classmates are having their first holy communions on Saturday - he was invited to two of their parties, but sadly for him, his great-grandmother's 90th birthday party is on the same day and he has to go to that.  He is not one bit happy and I don't blame him, what 8 year old boy would pass up on bouncy castles and mountains of sweets to go to a meal with a bunch of geriatrics and an accordion player?!!!!

Anyway, this is what I made for his friends, and it's also my PaperPlay DT entry for this week.  Set by the lovely Deirdre, it's called "Up in the Air"  - "We want to see things that fly. It can be butterflies, fairies, aerplanes or even balloons."

I don't have any religious-y stamps or embellishments, so I went with a Hero Arts dove that I've used before for communions.  I also stitched a little cross beside the name.  Here's my card:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Archaic" and "Basics - Kraft"

Stamp: Hero Arts "Holiday Doves"

Colouring Medium: Prismacolour Pencils and Sansodor

Other: Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Tea Dye Distress Ink Needle + Thread

I've used the sketch from this week's Double Dutch Challenges, and am also entering it into A Spoon Full of Sugar (celebration), Creative Inspirations (distressed), and Quixotic Challenges (Emboss it).

Thanks for looking!

It's been a while ....

.... I was so so tired for the whole of last week - did very little of anything at all, no blog-hopping even, never mind crafting!

But as it was my brother's birthday on Friday, and he was coming round for dinner this evening, I had to shift into gear and make a card for him.  He's not someone I would make anything cute or sparkly for, so it's quite plain - the only personalising element is the font I've used - "Simpsons" - little bruv is a long-time Simpsons fan!

I'm entering it in the following challenges: Quixotic Challenges (use sentiment as focus), Creative Cottage (One for the Boys), Basic Grey Challenges (Punch it - I've used MS zig-zag punch and new Max + Whiskers papers - nice colours) and Practical Scrappers (use Patterned Paper).

Thanks for looking!

They do exist ....

.... baby boys that is.  I know because my brother-in-law and his partner just had one!!

It's my challenge this week on PaperPlay and I've called it "Brown and ? - I don't wear brown, I have no brown in my house, but my goodness, I use it a lot in crafting!!!  Easy challenge, you must use brown and another colour (or colours)."

So I made this card for the new baba:

I've used the sketch from this week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge and the colour scheme of khaki, aqua, brown and cream from this fortnight's Colour Create Challenge. I'm also entering it into SFTW (card for a male), The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge (3 embellishments, two papers, 1 image), and Cute Card Thursday (someone special).
 

I really need to invest in some new baby stamps, I have only three - and in my current phase of colouring mania, this is the only one that will do!!!  I've coloured with Prismas and glittered with stickles - and I made the chipboard letters.  Here's a close-up of the detail (hmmmm, the embossing seems to have disappeared in the photo!!)

 

 

Recipe:

Stamp: Penny Black "Cat in the Moon"

Papers: October Afternoon "Weather Vane"

Colouring Medium: Prisma Pencils and Sansodor

Other: Cuttlebug embossing folder, nestabilities, BG Bittersweet buttons, stickles, ribbon, needle + thread

 

My daughter's ballet show was wonderful last night.  It's on again tonight, tomorrow, Sat afternoon matinee and Saturday night.  What a long week!!

 

Thanks for looking!

Oooh, me aching back ....

.... my daughter's tri-annual (does that mean once every three years?  That's what it is!) ballet show is on this week, so we've been at dress rehearsals, practices etc. and the house is full of hairpins and bun nets.  I'm watching the show tonight and on Saturday night, but am helping backstage for the rest of the performaces.  Last night was the first show, and I was a "backstage runner" - meaning I had to get groups of performers in the wings and back to dressing rooms at the right time, find things, fix things, shush over-excited children and generally stand for hours and hours.  So my back is sore!!!  I wish I could show you the tiny 4 year olds who were dressed as fairies, and the slightly older ones who were mice - grey velvet knickers on their tutus - I would happily run away with them!!!

Anyway, I was up late last night and early this morning finishing a DT project, so decided to photograph my desk for WOYWW for the first time.  Here's what it looked like:
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I had to turn the finished card upsidedown, 'cos it's not due until tomorrow, I'll be posting it then.

Here's a bit to the left of my desk with some new ribbons I bought strewn about:
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Thanks for looking!

Oh my, all my friends ....

.... are turning 50, and policemen are definitely looking younger - does this mean I'm getting old?!!!

I had another 50th birthday card to do this week, and have used it for my PaperPlay DT entry, which this week is to "use a stamp and some bling".  We are sponsored this week by Stitchy Bear Stamps, the prize being 4 of their digital images.  Right, on to business, here's my card:

Excuse slightly blurry image, I took the pictures in a wild hurry before leaving for school, and had to hand the card over there so couldn't re-take.  I've used the sketch from Sketch Saturday (lovely to work with it was too!), and I'm also entering this on Crafty Angels (1 ribbon, 2 papers, 3 flowers - my papers have at least three flowers!), Simon Says Stamps (Birthdays/Celebrations) and Bunny Zoes Crafts (3 flowers, 2 papers, 1 ribbon or lace).

The lady who is getting this card, although she's Irish, lives in Finland, so I went with a slightly Scandi vibe with the colours on this card.  I did try to put three actual flowers on it, but the papers are so very busy, they were practically invisible, so I didn't use them, and decided that there are enough flowers on the papers to fulfill any flowery requirement!!!  The tag has Happy 50th Birthday on one side, and "Marion" on the other with some blingy bling.  I've also blinged the image, put stickles on her collar and gems on the little sticky-out bits of her dress - here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Stamp: "Poinsettia Girl" by Leanne Ellis for Sugar Nellie

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Early Bird"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Ribbon, Stardust Stickles, Hero Arts Gems, Scalloped Oval Nestabilities, needle & thread

Thanks for looking!