Surprise...........Happy Birthday Sandie!!!

Hello Everyone

It's my teamie's birthday today and the lovely Nonni from Korttikarkuri and Lynn from The Mango Boys & Me have put on a birthday linky party for Sandie of London Days.

I decided to use this great image from Polkadoodles which is a digi called "To Die For"!  Appropriate eh?

I die cut the base card using my Nesties Grand Labels 1 and the toppers using Decorative Labels 1. The backing paper is First Edition "New Leaf". The digi has been coloured using Flexmarkers. The sentiment is a recent one from Create with TLC and it fits this card (and Sandie!!!) beautifully......hehe.  Flowers and ribbon from stash. Finishing touch was the addition of some Liquid Pearls.

Have a wonderful day Sandie - hope you enjoy the party.  Hugs.

Another new home card...........

Yet another set of friends and neighbours have moved out of the village........that's two couples in one week which is very unusual for such a small village.  However they have only downsized and moved to the next village so will still see them.  Here is the card I made for them.

I die cut two Poppystamps Grand Gothic Iron Work and two Grand Gothic Windows and attached them with acetate in the back.  I have again used my Chocolate Baroque Home Sweet Home stamp set and stamped on the waste part of the Grand Gothic window so it looks like the landscape continues through the two windows.  I masked the houses to put in the background using DI's and they were coloured using Flexmarkers.  I've used an Anna-Marie's 8x8 scalloped card and cut a piece of her pearl card a little smaller than the base card so I could put it through my eBosser using Creative Expressions Basket Weave e/f.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set punched using my SU Modern Label punch.  The ivy is Joanna Sheen's Ivy Flourish and Ivy Corner dies.  Flowers and ribbon from my stash.

Thanks for dropping in and taking the time to leave your comments.

Happy crafting.

Christmas Card Club - Challenge #5 Robins

Hello everyone, it's time for another challenge for the girls in the Christmas Card Club and this time it's been set by the lovely Margaret and she has chosen ROBINS.  Come and see what I made.

I've used the robins on the Penny Black Winter Wonderland stamp set, aren't they cute?  I die cut some ivy from the Joanna Sheen Ivy Flourish die and popped it up using Pinflair on to my base.  The robins have been coloured with Flexmarkers and I added Stickles to their hats and the ivy. I shaped the robins slightly and used Pinflair to add them to the card.  The sentiment is also from the same stamp set and I added some Liquid Pearls.  The b/p is from my stash and also includes robins hopping cross the paper.

I am also entering this into Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Goes and into the brand new Completely Christmas Challenge.  

Thanks for dropping by.  Hope you're having a great weekend.

STAMPlorations #6 & February challenge and just how kind are crafters??????

Hello everyone from a much nicer day here in Somerset........we actually have a bit of blue sky and some sunshine (in between the showers), so fingers crossed the weather is on the turn..........you realised I didn't say I was holding my breath!!!!! lol

It's a new bi-weekly sketch challenge over at STAMPlorations and here it is:

I really fancied joining in this one and here is my card:

I used my Lil'Inkers stitched circle mats to die cut  an off the edge circle and the next size up for the frame which was cut off short for the side.  I embossed the top mat with a Couture Creations Breeze e/f.  The stamp set with the cupcakes and sentiment was a freebie from a magazine, coloured with Flexmarkers and a bit of glitter on top.  The sentiment was cut out using my SU punch and a pink dotty ribbon added to the side of the frame.  This also links up with STAMPlorations February challenge Stamps & Stitches so will be entering that challenge as well.

Now, I think you all know the answer to the second part of my post title - very eh?  Last week a lovely lady called Petra in South Africa submitted a card for our Love challenge over at Addicted to CAS.  I loved the card and the stamp she'd used.  So I went on a hunt for it.  Now I just saw Great Impressions but could I find a similar stamp??? NO - so I emailed Petra asking her about it.  Turns out the shop she bought it in was called Great Impressions (duh!!!) and it was one of their own stamps but she offered there and then to go and buy one and post it off to me.  See what I mean?  Anyway I couldn't ask her to do that but she was very insistent and so after a while we came to an agreement that I would send the money to her via PayPal and she would send the stamp to me.  Anyway she had to post it first to see how much that cost and when she emailed said she had put some goodies in as well!!!  So this is what arrived today in the post:

A sachet of Cappuccino, some Redbush teabags and a bar of chocolate all contained in the most gorgeous box - oh and the stamp!!!!  How kind was that - it really made my day - and I can't begin to thank her enough.  So please pop on over to Petra's blog and check out her amazing cards.  If you scroll down the photos for her entry to the ATCAS challenge you will see someone else trying to get in on the act!!! lol  Thanks again Petra - you're a star.

So that's me for the day - should have a couple of cards to show you tomorrow.

Happy crafting.

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #31

Happy Saturday to all my followers and fellow bloggers.  Hope you are all safe and well.  Can you believe it's time for another new challenge at Addicted to CAS?  They seem to come round so quickly and we are delighted to have had so many fabulous entries in the latest challenge #30 New. There were 164 amazing entries at my last count.......thank you all so much for playing along with us.

This week your hostess is the fabulous Jaydee and here is the code word she's chosen:

Our Sponsor for this challenge is:

http://www.whimsystamps.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13_38

Prize is 5 free digis

____________________

Anni Lerche will be our Guest Designer for the month of February.  

Welcome Anni!!

"Hello, I am Anika (aka Anni or Annikarten) and I’m from Germany. For 15 years now I´ve lived in the beautiful city Berlin and I am married. I work as a math-teacher at a vocational college; to perform handicraft work is a perfect compensation for that.

From the cradle I grew up in a family of creative hobbyists, whereas I always only loved working with paper – I am wasted on needlework.  Into stamping I am since 2008, I love clean and simple cards, and yet eventually my cards often turn out to be somewhat more complex. I love the soothing paper piecing and resist techniques. You can see all my projects at annikarten.blogspot.ca."

Now, onto my DT card for this challenge.  I've used one of Kathryne's lovely images called  Filled with Love.  I've printed the digi out twice; the first time on white printer card and the second on designer paper so I could paper piece her dress and hair bow.  Image coloured with Flexmarkers.  I cut out the heart balloons separately and added some bakers twine which I attached to her hand and then decoupaged her hand (paw?) on top.  The hearts are Spellbinders and she was popped up with Pinflair.  The sentiment is Tim Holtz Stacked Words: Valentines and die cut out of the same d/p.  The heart balloons and the heart on the sentiment had Crystal Lacquer added.  The base card was embossed using a Cuttlebug border e/f.

Now pop on over to Addicted to CAS and have a look at the fabulous DT cards.  Looking forward to visiting your blogs to see your wonderful creations.

Have a great weekend - happy crafting!

Cure For The Monday Blues Challenge #1 Bohemian Rhapsody

Hi everyone from a very wet and windy Somerset..............someone up there is certainly testing our mettle and my thoughts go out to people living on the Levels.

Anyway one way to banish thoughts of this miserable weather is a fab new challenge called Cure for the Monday Blues run by the lovely Taheera.  Every Monday she will be posting an inspirational photo and here is the one posted for this very first challenge:

Aren't they the most gorgeous colours?  Makes you think of summer sun, sandy beaches...........oh well, we can only dream eh?  Here's what I came up with.

There's been a lot lately about spray painting using a hand pressed air tool with your alcohol markers.  This seems to have come about from the recent CHA exhibition.  When I saw it I thought, I've got one of those - so went hunting and sure enough I have got one but it's called Blitzer and my sister bought it for me donkey's years ago along with a video (shows how old eh?), marker pens and stencils.  So I dusted it off and got some Flexmarkers ready.  I've used a Clarity Stamp Stencil on a piece of white cardstock and sprayed the colours I needed.  It's surprising how much ink gets blown out over the card by just squeezing the bulb of the spritzer.

This was mounted on a 5" square card.  I die cut the two bottom corners using Cheery Lynn Fancy Corner Cuts #4 - these are great as you get three styles but two dies of each so you can cut the edges in one go.  I used the waste from the corners at the top of the spritzed card, added a ribbon and the sentiment is Stampin Up Whimsical Words which was cut out using SU label punch.  Final touch was some Liquid Pearls.

Thanks for dropping by.

Christmas Card Club Challenge #2

Hello everyone.  I've been lucky enough to be invited to join in with the challenges at the Christmas Card Club which is made up of some lovely ladies (see details to the right) who wanted to make Christmas cards throughout the year.  I definitely need an impetus otherwise I end up panicing at the last minute - so here is my card for my first challenge which is "Cooking up a storm - anything to do with food".

I actually don't have much in the way of Christmas food but came across this cute Forever Friends stamp of teddies making the Christmas cake.  I stamped in Memento black ink and coloured with Flexmarkers.  Die cuts are Spellbinders Labels 28 and I've used Papermania b/p from my stash.  The sentiment is computer generated.  The felt holly flowers were a freebie gift in with a recent order from someone in America.  I've added a couple of pompoms to the hats and some Stickles glitter across the fur borders.

Hazel over at Craftyhazelnuts (fabulous name for a blog!!!) also has a Christmas card challenge on which runs for the month of January so I am entering my card into that as well.

Thanks so much for popping by - I really enjoy reading all your comments.

Happy crafting.

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #19

Hello everyone.  We've whooshed around to Saturday once again and it's time for a new challenge at Addicted to CAS.

For this challenge your hostess is the creative Sue who has chosen the code word:

Our sponsor today is:

Joanna is offering this prize to the winner of the challenge - a $20 GIFT VOUCHER

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO READ OUR RULES HERE SO YOU ARE IN THE RUNNING FOR THIS FABULOUS PRIZE!!

Here's my first DT card.  I've used a Stampin Up stamp (second one below) but it's obviously come adrift from it's box so I'm not sure what it's called.  I've stamped it in Memento ink on a scalloped circle die cut (which I then put through with a smaller scallop die to emboss the shape and then sponged with DI Tumbled Glass).  I've coloured using Flexmarkers, added some ribbon which has been added to the circle with a pearl brad.  The sentiment is SU Circle of Friendship and is really a Christmas sentiment but I masked the words in the centre before stamping it and then added a flower image.

For my second card I took a piece of cream card and used my nesties to die cut an aperture and then put it through my machine with an embossing folder (Spellbinders M-bossabilities Garden Lattice).  The sentiment is Stampin Up and was again die cut using the same nesties and for the mat I used the waste from the first die cut.  I stamped the couple sitting on the beach (Stampin Up) and coloured using my Flexmarkers.  I used Distress Inks for sponging the sun and sky.   I added the image to the back of the aperture and then popped the whole lot up using d/s foam onto the main A5 card.

Please go on over to Addicted to CAS to look at the inspirational cards the rest of the DT have made for you and then we all look forward to visiting your blogs to see your lovely creations.

Have a lovely weekend - happy crafting.

New Home card

Morning everyone - from a much cooler Somerset.  We were forecast to have torrential thunderstorms from about midnight last night but got NADA!!!  However about 10 miles away they got the deluge.............luckily I watered the garden last night.

Thought I'd share a new home card I have just made for friends of ours who moved yesterday.  I've used the lovely Lattice Edge die and Open Window die, both from Britannia Dies.  The flourish is Harrington Vine by Simon Says Stamp!

I used the Lattice Edge die at the ends of a landscape piece of A4 card and then die cut the window.  I diecut a separate window and added some acetate for the windows before adhering to the back of the main window.  I ran this piece through my machine using a Tim Holtz Alterations embossing folder to give the texture of brickwork.  I cut the A4 card down to size to match up with the lattice edges.  I then stamped the image of the house and the word Home (Chocolate Baroque) and coloured in Flexmarkers.   I then took another piece of A4 and cut it to the same size and lined up one lattice edge and glued that to the bottom and then I bowed the front enough to get my flowers in the window and glued the other end to the back of the card.  All the flowers and ribbon are from my stash.  The sentiment is computer generated and die cut using nesties.  The Home Sweet Home is from the same stamp set and I used my SU labels punch to cut it out.

I made a box to hold the card and covered with d/p.  The name label on the top was computer generated and die cut with Spellbinders Majestic Elements.  I then added more flowers and ribbon.

Thanks for dropping by.

Addicted to CAS - Challenge # 18

Happy Saturday everyone - where does the time go eh?  It's time for a brand new challenge over at Addicted to CAS and your hostess for this challenge is the very talented Shana.  She has chosen the code word:

and our Sponsor for this challenge (who is offering FOUR images of your choice):

 

 

I've used the Delicious Doodles "Snowy Mailbox" image for my card.  I printed it out and coloured using Flexmarkers.  I then added glitter glue for the snow .  I die cut a frame using my nestie rectangle dies and popped it over the image using d/s foam pads.  The sentiment is a clear stamp that I had made.  I'd seen the sentiment somewhere on the net and then played with different fonts til I liked what I saw and got a lovely person in China to make me a couple of cling stamps in different sizes.

 

 

Close up showing glitter

Thanks for dropping by.  Pop on over to the Addicted to CAS blog to see what the DT have come up for you for this challenge.  We're excited to come and visit you to see your creations.

Happy crafting - have a great weekend.

 

 

Less is More Week 128 - One Layer

Hello everyone from a very, very hot Somerset!

This week's challenge over at Less is More is the eponymous One Layer card.

For our 

One Layer Challenge 

this week we like to see cards which are 

NOT SQUARE or RECTANGULAR

Although they've asked for a shaped card not square or rectangular and there are some amazing cards posted already I think my brain has been fried with the heat!!!  lol  It was 31 degrees here yesterday and it's hotter today - no breeze, just very still.  I know some people love this weather but it's definitely too hot for me.

So I've come up with a circular design which I die cut using my Grand Decorative Circles.  I sponged around the edge of the die using DI Marigold.  I've stamped the lovely cherry blossom stamp from my Clearly Besotted Happy Everything stamp set and coloured with Flexmarkers.  The sentiment is from the same set stamped in Versafine Sepia - I've only put the "Happy" on as I thought I'd decide whether it was "birthday", "anniversary" or "everything" later on.  Final addition of a matching bow finished off the card.

If it cools down I may be back with a more original shaped card but don't hold your breath!!!  lol

Thanks for dropping by.

Happy Birthday Ardyth - Part 2........

Following on from my post yesterday here is another card for Ardyth which I think is more her style..........loads of colour and CAS!  All Ardyth's birthday cards are on show over at Darnell's blog so pop on over and have a look - and maybe join in the fun.

Very quick and easy - I've stamped the image in black Memento ink.  It's a very old Whispers stamp but doesn't have a a name on it.  Coloured with Flexmarkers and glittered with Atyou Spica pens.  I've added Crystal Lacquer to all the flames although not sure the photo does that justice.  The sentiment is again from Clearly Besotted "Happy Days" which is so versatile - inked using a Kaleidacolour Pastel rainbow pad.

Thanks for popping by.

Less is More - Week 121 - Recipe

Hello from a persistently rainy day here in Somerset - it hasn't stopped at all and I know it's good for the garden (!!!) BUT...........

Anyway it's playtime again over at Less is More and their challenge this week is:

As our sponsor this month is Acid Drops and Whatnots, we thought that our recipe this month should be 

Humour

 

 This was such a quick and simple card to make.  The image is a digi called Madge but not sure where I got her from and the sentiment was computer generated.  Image coloured in Flexmarkers and popped up with d/f foam onto the base card.  She looks how I feel!!!!  lol

Thanks for popping by.

 

Less is More - Week 118 Colour

Hello everyone - hope you all had a fantastic Bank Holiday weekend with glorious weather.  It was beautiful down here in Somerset and continues today - although tomorrow and Wednesday don't look good at all!!!  Typical eh?

Anyway onto the Less is More challenge which is:

Colour Challenge 

This month we would like you to choose TWO opposite colours from this Colour Wheel

For my card I chose to use my Woodware stamp Fuchsia Spray which I first saw my friend Jill use.  I've stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black and then decided to use the colours Yellow-Green and Violet-Red.  Happily I have a Flexmarker called Violet-Red ........ how lucky was that? lol

 

I stamped onto white card for the base and coloured with Flexmarkers, I then stamped again so I could use the three main flowers to decoupage and finally stamped again onto vellum for the top layer (calyx or sepals I think they are called).  I die cut the main image using my Spellbinders Nesties Labels 1 and then I used Pinflair Glue Gel for the decoupage.  I mounted onto a matching mat and then added it to a square card blank.

Thanks for dropping by.  Don't forget we've got a new challenge over at Addicted to CAS with a great prize up for the CAS Perfectionist.  The code word is RAINBOW.

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #11

Happy Saturday everyone - hope you're looking forward to a relaxing weekend.  Where do the weeks go?  It's time for another challenge at Addicted to CAS and this week the theme has been chosen by the lovely Caz.  Here are the details:

Our amazing sponsor this week is Bugaboo Stamps!!!! They are generously offering you a pack of 7 digi's from their store!!!

I've made two cards, both with images from Bugaboo.  The first is using their SCENEIT Ladybugs and on the second I have used their Silhouette Hummingbird Flowers digistamp.  

 

I printed out the ladybugs digi onto printer card and coloured with Flexmarkers.  I then used a Spellbinders nestie to die cut the image in the shape of a flower and before I took it out of the die I sponged DI Dried Marigold around the edges.  I added Crystal Lacquer to the flower centres, the ladybugs, butterflies and water drops on the petals and leaves.  The sentiment is from the Stampin Up Circle of Friendship set and was die cut and sponged as above.  It looked a little stark just putting it on a plain white card blank and then I remembered I had an embossing folder that had flowers of a similar shape......so off I went and it was exactly where it was supposed to be.....hehe.  It is the Creative Expressions EF-004 Floral e/f.  I placed the card blank in it so the central panel would be embossed and then I embossed a line top and bottom of the design.  Image and sentiment were popped up on d/s foam pads.

For the second card I printed off the silhouette image on my laser printer and then foiled it with a lovely blue foil.  It was then mounted on a matching piece of mirri card which I die cut using my Spellbinders Lacey Circles.  The sentiment was computer generated and foiled.  It was then die cut and matted using my Spellbinders D-Lites Ornamental Tags 2 dies.  The embossing down each side was done using my Stampin Up Simply Scored Borders Plate.  Please pop on over to the Addicted to CAS blog and see what lovely cards the DT have come up with and we look forward to seeing all your fantastic creations and visiting your blogs.

 Have a great weekend.

 

 

Magic Card

Hello everyone.  Well although it's pretty chilly and very breezy we have, at last, got blue skies and sunshine......long may it continue.

We are still slogging on with the new bathroom and ensuite but I managed to get away for a bit of play time. 

I found a brilliant card design by the very talented Marianne Skjelstad and you can find her tutorial here. 


I really thought it was such a pretty design I couldn't wait to have a go and as it's my friend Barbara's birthday soon I made it with her in mind. 

Not sure why it's called a "magic" card but from what I understand Marianne's son was showing her some magic tricks to do with paper folding and this idea came to her.........

I'm not going to list exactly the sizes and method as you can find that in the tutorial but I have used my Martha Stewart edge punch and card/paper from my stash.  The image is a lovely digi stamp called "Noon" by Sara Burrier and has been coloured with Flexmarkers, Glamour Dust added to her wings and then fussy cut and popped up on Pinflair Glue Gel.  The sentiment on the front is from my Heartfelt Creations Heartfelt Expressions stamp set stamped in Sweet Plum Memento ink.  Inside the card the ovals and scalloped ovals have been die cut with Spellbinders Nesties.  The sentiment on the inside of the card is from Elusive Images and the actual greeting was computer generated.  Flowers, pins and pearls from stash and I've added Liquid Pearls to the centre of the flowers on the front of the card.

I was really pleased with the way this card turned out and hope Barbara will like it.

Thanks for dropping by - don't forget to come by tomorrow for our latest challenge over at Addicted to CAS.