Love you to Bits with Mo Manning

This card is made with loads of love. It's my Valentines card for my husband, but I also made it thinking of my lovely friend Lou who inspired the image. She's an amazing person who through her own recent diagnosis of breast cancer has been amazing at raising awareness and reminding everyone to check their boobies regularly. This image was inspired by the heart shaped cushion she's been given in preparation for her op. Lou you're amazing and I'm thinking of you loads.

Even without knowing the inspiration I love love love this image Love you to Bits from Mo's Digital Pencil

Clean and simple as is my favourite style.

Her's her close up.

I typed the sentiment in red and added a few layers of clear Sakura Glaze pen to give it some shine.

Copics used:

Skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04 with R20 Cheeks

Hair - E23, E25, E18, E29, E49

Heart - R24, R27, R29, R59, W7

Dress - BG45, BG49, BG09, B99, Wink of Stella

I hope she makes you smile xxx

I'd like to enter this into Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge - Anything Goes

A Little Bit of Birthday Happy with Mo's Digital Pencil

I'm so enjoying colouring again & am really glad that pesky missing mojo has come back. I fell in love with this little cutie from Mo's Digital Pencil and she just jumped into my basket. I knew she'd look great on birthday cards so here she is!

Cute or what? As usual I've gone for clean and simple with Dodi as the main focus and a sentiment I got a few years ago from Create with TLC

Here's her close up.

I think the sentiment works perfectly with her.

Copics used:

Skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04 with R20 Cheeks

Hair - E53, E55, E57, E49

YR18, E09, E18

B93, B95, B97, B99

G82, G46, G29

Y11, Y13, Y15, Y17, YR24

Y21, Y28

W2, W3, W5

I really hope you like her (and I hope my Mum-in-Law will too!)

call

I'd like to enter this card into the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Guest call (I don't yet own any Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps)

Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge #271 - Anything Goes (ends end of Jan)

Love you to the Moon and Back with Mo's Digital Pencil

I fell in love with this digi from Mo's Digital Pencil as soon as I saw it. How cute is Moon Baby!! The backing paper is a free one that was given in the Art by Mi Ran Facebook page a while ago. I thought they worked perfectly together. 

Here's Moon Baby's close up

Here's a close up of the moon. I love the shading you can get by using really light Copic colours. 

It's difficult to capture on camera but I've added some Wink of Stella to the moon to give it a subtle shimmer (which all good moons should have).

Copics used:

Skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04 with R20 Cheeks

Sleepsuit - RV52, RV55, RV66, RV69

Y000, Y00, Y02

Moon - BG10, BG11, Y000

I really hope you like it.

I'd like to enter this into 

Mo's Digital Challenge - #266 - Anything Goes

Happy Birthday to my Nephew

Yesterday my lovely nephew turned 1. I can't believe he's 1 already! It seems no time at all since he was born!

I made him this card with the gorgeous 'I Even Love the Box' from Mo's Digital Pencil.

I absolutely love this image and have used it on many occasions. 

 I just want to pick him up and cuddle him!

I added some Sakura Stardust pen to the Words (typed in Great Vibes font) 

and some Wink of Stella to the wrapping paper.

Oh and to the bow! You can't have a birthday bow without a hint of shimmer can you?

I chose the colours based on his Mum's favourites.

Here's a close up.

I coloured  'I Even Love the Box' with my Copics

Skin - E000, E00, E21, E11, E04 with R20 Cheeks

Outift - BG01, BG05, BG09, B99

Box - E51, E53, E55, E57, E50

Wrapping Paper - Y11, Y06, Y15, Y17, YR24, E35

Bow - YR04, YR07, R08, E19

Shadow - W2, W3

I really hope you like him.

I'd like to enter this into

 Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge #252 - Anything Goes with Optional Babies

Exciting News - I'm on the Hougie Design Team!

Very exciting news to share with you today! I'm very very lucky person as the amazing Kay Rutter of Hougie Crafts put out a call for a Design Team and I was lucky enough to be picked! I can't believe it & am still slightly in shock even though I've known for several weeks now. I'm so pleased to be part of a DT for a piece of equipment I use regularly & for a lovely lady like Kay.

I first met Kay years ago at one of the Westpoint Craft shows in Exeter when she was running a workshop for another company. The next time I went to the show she was there on her own stall - Hougie had been born! I bought a Hougie Board as I was planning to make my wedding invitations which involved accurate folding & the Hougie fitted the bill perfectly. It was a godsend for making the envelope fold design I'd chosen. Since then I've used my Hougie regularly in all my crafting. I often make card bases from scratch so even for that simple activity my Hougie comes out.

As a member of the DT I'm lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the soon to be released new project book - Everyone Needs a Hougie 3. I've made a few projects from it & have ideas for loads more. I hope you like what I've made.

In all of these projects I've used Die Cut Toppers from The Hobby House

Double Diamond Card

'It's a Guy Thing' die-cut topper by Kenny K from The Hobby House

(Alternatively the uncoloured digi Cool Trucker is available from Kenny K)

Papermania Chronology Urban Stamp - Cogs

Papermania Chronology - Brads

Anita's Peel Off Stickers

Centre Diamond Card 

in two colourways

I liked the red as it coordinates with the colour of the toppers, but the brown looked more mud-like

'It's a Guy Thing' die cut topper by Kenny K

(if you prefer the uncoloured digi Dirt Bike Mike stamp is available from Kenny K)

Papermania Chronology Urban Stamp - Cogs

I added 'mud' to the toppers so the motocross bike was doing what it does best. 

I used my Henna, Walnut, Chestnut & Burnt Sienna Promarkers 

Bendy Card combined with Corrugated Topper

Now this one is a bit more outside the box. I took the instructions for the Bendy Card in the Everyone Needs a Hougie 3 and thought it would look good as a big birthday cake. 

I used the technique from the Corrugated Topper to make the cake wrapper, scoring it at 1cm intervals as that corresponded to the 'dips' in the scalloped circle punch. 

The 'cake' was cut from white card & coloured using my Promarkers.

The candle was made by rolling the card around a pencil & glueing the join using 3M Quick Dry Adhesive. 

I cut two small slits in the bottom so it would slot onto the cake. 

I then coloured a flame & slotted it into the top of the candle.

I'm not sure it looks exactly as I was hoping, but hopefully near enough to give the idea. 

Card - DCWV Blossoms & Butterflies 8x8 Stack (Butterfly was cut from one of these pages)

shaped with Stampin Up Scalloped Border Punch

Bassil Basics Dotty 12x12 Card - Slipper

Anitas Peel Off Stickers

Promarkers - Cake - caramel, cocoa, satin, ivory

Candle - Red, Bright Orange, Canary

Match Box Gift Set

I loved making this - it took quite a bit of time to make all the pieces & glue them in exactly the right place but I think it looks great. It has 4 drawers and because I used the recommended mount board for the base & top it's nice & sturdy. I coloured the edges of the white mount board to coordinate with the covering card so the white edges didn't stand out.

'Day Dreaming' die cut topper by Mo Manning from The Hobby House

(Alternatively the uncoloured Digi stamp Thursday's Child is available from Mo's Digital Pencil)

Card - Lidl Card pack

Patterned Paper - Winter Wonderland - The English Paper Company

Brads - Papermania

AB Self Adhesive Rhinestones

White Lace

Hope I've not boggled you too much - more to come but probably not in this quantity all at once.

I'd love to hear what you think 

& don't forget to pop over to the Hougie Crafts Gallery to see all the other amazing creations.

Precious Twins - Robin & Flynn

My Cousin & his wife had twins recently & I had a lovely time making their congratulations card & gifts. I love being able to personalise things & this was a perfect opportunity.

I used Mo Manning's Plain Twins for the card - she has several different combinations of twins to choose from - girls. boys, mixed & plain. Colouring this made me realise how challenging it is to colour bald heads!!!

I created the circular sentiment in Craft Artist 2. It's great to find a programme that I can work out how to do this with - in the past I've got very frustrated trying. I foiled the words with my Foilmaster from Thyme Graphics. I love the effect it gives. I laid the foils on in a bit of a patchwork so the main bit of the words were gold, but the names were in pink & blue. Here you can see the light catching the pink & blue words

I made them personalised presents too. 

I bought some babygros & cut their names out of t-shirt vinyl on my Cougar cutting machine using the font Jokerman. I applied them using the iron & they stuck beautifully.

I love being able to make unique, personalised & meaningful presents for people.

Carolers become Birthday Singers

I've had a quiet few week crafting wise over Christmas so havn't blogged much. Yesterday was lovely as it's the first day I've had to sit & craft & it was such a treat. I worked on a few DT cards I had due & it was lovely to be crafting again. Come back tomorrow for a peek at my card for the Digi Galore Challenge Blog - it's another good one this time.

I thought I'd share this birthday card I made for a friend. The image is Carolers Three from Mo's Digital Pencil but I decided they would make a lovely choir singing Happy Birthday for a wintery birthday. I love being able to use images for more than they were intended!

I coloured the image with my trusty Promarkers & was even brave enough to try using patterned paper which I normally struggle with. The sentiment was cut out on my cougar in silver mirri card, then coloured with my promarker so it co-ordinates.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for the new Digi Galore Challenge

Exciting News

The amazingly talented Mo Manning had a 24hr freebie in her shop of her new digi 'Laptop Baby' over 1000 people grabbed it and she's now set a challenge to come up with a good sentiment to use with it. The freebie has ended now but you can buy this lovely image at Mo's shop.

Here's my entry. Many of my friends seem to be having babies at the moment but they all live a long way away so I don't get to see them very often - so I thought of this sentiment.

The Image is Laptop Baby from Mo Manning

The Sentiment is my Own

The Paper is from Sassy Designs

I coloured the image using my trusty Promarkers

Skin: Oatmeal, Blush, Pastel Pink cheeks

Hair: Primrose, Buttercup, Pastel Yellow, Mustard

Clothes: Baby pink, Antique Pink

Edges of Picot Circle die cut & mat for sentiment are coloured with Antique Pink

I also made a good discovery today. I have a great big pack of slightly pearlescent card banks which are great but sometimes look odd when made into cards as they're a different tone - not quite white. I experimented with the top half of this card and found that colouring with my baby pink promarker gave a lovely coverage & the pearlecense  shows through :D Yet another great discovery with my Promarkers!

I also made another card using the 'Hug Monster' sentiment from Create with TLC using a different digi than last time. This set of monsters comes from Birdie Brown. I think I like it better than my last attempt - possibly because I didn't try to do fur/ hair this time.

Image from Birdie Brown

Sentiment from Create with TLC

Paper from Sassy Designs

I can't remember which Promakers I used for the orange monster - it was a bit of a voyage of discovery. The Middle monster is Turquoise & True Blue & the other monster is Prussian.

I have other exciting news to share today - I've become a member of 2 Design Teams ...... yes TWO!!! Having never been on one before it feels great :D I'll let you know more details once things are settled.

Hope you're all having a wonderful day. Please leave me a comment - I'd love to know what you think x

Olympics & Challenges

Am I the only one loving the Olympics?! I watched the opening ceremony on Friday & loved it. What a spectacle - especially the cauldron at the end. I'd have loved to be there but must admit watching snuggled on the sofa at that time of night was the best option for me.

Today Deborah Gill set a 60 min challenge on Aly's Den - the crafty group on Facebook. She posted the theme 'Proud to be British' at 3pm and we had until 4pm to make a card & post the picture! It was quite a challenge - it makes you realised how long you normally spend making a card! I had also seen the current challenge on I Love Promarkers which is Gold, Silver or Bronze so I thought I'd combine the two. This is the result:

The Image is A Big Whoop from the wonderful Mo Manning of Digital Pencil Two. The circle is the largest Picot Circles Nestabilities which I really love, the outside is coloured with my metallic gold Promarker.

Promarker colours:

Skin - Oatmeal, Blush, Pastel Pink

Hair - Walnut, Cocoa, Cinnamon

Dress - Cardinal Red, Poppy, Red

Top - Royal Blue

Background - Powder Blue

The matting layers are plain white card coloured with my Poppy & Royal Blue Promarkers to ensure they matched.

It's not my best colouring but it was in a limited time frame.

The Sentiment is from Create by TLC - I added the 'is for British' myself as I thought it worked well both for the British Pride theme and the Gold, Silver & Bronze. I printed it on my lazer printer then foiled it with my Black Cat Foil Master from Thyme Graphics. I bought it second hand a month or so ago & havn't had a chance to play with everything that's gone on this month. It was really nice to put it to use. 

Here's a better photo showing the effect of the gold foiling.

As I had it up and running I had a play and foiled some words for an invitation & also some of the beautiful free vector ornaments available here. I love the effect the Foil Master gives! I need to work a bit on getting the temperature settings exactly right for the different cardstock & I need to play more with coloured card but I'm so impressed with the results.

I must play with this more - it's soooooo pretty!

Clouds!

The lovely Hazel did a brilliant tutorial on how to make clouds on cards & set us a challenge of trying the technique. I've been wanting to for a few day but was struggling to work out how to do it as I don't own a single blue ink pad or pot of blue paint so I was struggling to work out how to do it.

Luckily inspiration struck last night when I remembered the 'Blitzer' I had when I was a kid. 

It's basically a hand powered air gun - you put a felt tip pen in the holder so the tip of the nib sits just over the hole at the end of the Blitzer. Then you squeeze the bulb & blow a fine spray of ink over the paper. Not quite what Hazel suggested for the technique but with a bit of sideways thinking it did the job.

Update! I've just discovered that the inner barrel can be removed which means the main barrel is big enough to hold a Promarker!!!!!! What a brilliant discovery - I can see me using this lots!

I cut Hazel's cloud template out of doeflex template plastic on my Cougar (it's incredible to have a machine that can cut material that thick!). This means I have the templates there to use whenever I want them in the future & they also wipe clean which is great.

Following her tutorial I came up with these:

The image is one of the Superkids by Mo Manning

The sentiment is from Create with TLC

I then made one that's more appropriate for the lovely weather we've been having this summer:

I made it as a top folding card & added a layer of plastic over the top. I couldn't find my acetate so used a plastic document pocket instead. On the front of this I used glossy accents to create raindrops & a puddle for her to splash in.

The image is Waiting for Rain by Mo Manning

The sentiment is one I created myself.

Here's a close up of the raindrops - they cover the whole of the card but don't show up particularly well in the photo.

I'd love to hear what you think x