Helping Margot

I've made a card using another of my Sarah Kay stamps- Helping Margot.  I remember collecting this sticker in my Sarah Kay sticker album when I was a little girl! I wanted to keep the card fairly simple as I think the image is so gorgeous, I didn't want to detract from it. I think the colours on it are so pretty. The paper was actually free with a magazine. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils- I hope you can see all the shading as it's quite pale. I think these stamps are the cutest ever and the quality of imprint is so good, I was really pleased with all the detail.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Sarah Kay); Watercolour pencils; Paper (free); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; White sheer ribbon

Cupcake Craft Challenge 2

This is my entry for this week's Cupcake Craft Challenge. This week's challenge is based on a sketch (see link). You can change it, rotate it etc as long as the original sketch idea can still be seen. The challenge closes at 12pm on 1st September.

My idea for the sketch was inspired by this gorgeous paper which arrived from Banana Frog this morning (see below). As soon as I saw it, I thought of birthday cupcakes. This reminded me of the Cupcake Craft Challenge and that I hadn't checked what this week's challenge was. When I looked at the sketch I thought I could use my cupcake idea whilst also being quite apt!!

I'm really pleased with how it turned out as it's very tactile. I used my snow writer for the icing on the cupcakes and whilst it was drying, sprinkled some tiny seed beads into it. The cupcake itself I just drew freehand though I've got my eye on the Hero Arts transparent cupcake set to buy at some point!

Crafty stash used: Black fine writer; Copic pens; Paper (Dream Street Papers); Assorted cardstock; Snow writer, Seed beads, Rub on (Papermania)

Here is the wonderful set of papers I received from Banana Frog this morning. They've got a sale on at the moment and some of their 12"x12" papers are reduced to 7p! This little (!) lot I got for just over a fiver!!!

Dotty party girl

I made this a couple of weeks ago for a friend's birthday. I love the image- very Stamping Bella-esque. I'm hoping to get a load of Stamping Bella stamps for Christmas (yes, I know, already I'm thinking of all the goodies I'd like to get for Christmas!! I'm toooo addicted!) I've been longing for Stamping Bella stamps for ages and though they're on my list of favourite stamp producers on my side bar, I still don't actually own any!!! I can't seem to find any UK stockists but I'm going to do a bulk buy from Canada at Christmas. 

I wish I'd had my copic pens when I'd coloured this image as I think they work really well for larger images compared to coloured pencils but I think this came out ok. I think the paper is really fun- I love polka dots!

Crafty stash used: Stamps- Image (Inky Antics), sentiment (Elzybells); Watercolour pencils; Paper (Making Memories); Assorted cardstock; Flowers (Lakeland); Button (free); Ribbon (Jo'Anns); Gems (Lakeland)

Photo accordian book card

Front

Inside

Close up

Back

I made this card for my sister's 40th birthday last week. As she was a child of the seventies I wanted to go for a retro look using retro papers and flowers and I wanted to use black and white photos of her to complete the look so I converted them from colour on my PC. I made the card itself by sticking together 3 normal cards to give 6 surfaces to decorate. I used my regular daisy punch for all the flowers and used my nesties and wingo zingo alphabet for the message on the back. I tied the whole thing together with a gold sheer ribbon. I was quite chuffed with how it turned out and thought it really had a seventies vibe to it and I think my sis was really pleased with it!

Crafty stash used: 3 card blanks; Photographs; Paper- Retro stack (DCWV); Assorted cardstock; Regular daisy punch; Nestabilities; Wingo Zingo alphabet (Sizzix); Basic alphabet (Xyron); Assorted gems (Lakeland); Gold sheer ribbon (recycled)

Cupcake craft challenge

This is my entry for the first Cupcake Craft Challenge. The theme is to use flowers- whether Prima flowers, die cuts, punches- anything goes! Post it on your blog and leave a comment at Cupcake by this Sunday 12pm. The "best" project plus a random entrant will be entered into the Grand Prize Draw on 30 September.

I just had to choose my lovely Sarah Kay stamp, Rose's Garden. I adore these stamps as I used to have the Sarah Kay stickers and album when I was a little girl, it just takes me back!! I wanted to use hot summer colours as I was wishing we'd have a long, hot summer! Wishful thinking, I know.

Crafty stash used: Stamp- Sarah Kay Rose's Garden; Paper (free); Assorted cardstock; Watercolour pencils; Regular daisy punch; Gems (Lakeland)

Have I got the best husband in the world???!

The answer is yes! Just look what my husband came home from his business trip with?! I couldn't believe it!! It actually proves that when I'm droning on and on about crafts that my husband is actually listening!!! I had been mentioning that I'd seen on some blogs these pens that look amazing but they were very expensive and maybe I'd start with a small collection for Christmas or something. And then he brings me home 72! Yes, I know I'm very spoilt!

Anyway, now I've got to learn how to use them as from what I can gather, they can be quite tricky. Am going to do some research and will post my finds at a later date.

I'm doing my 2nd craft show at the end of September so I'm trying to make up some stock for that at the moment. Here is my first go at a sympathy card which I found really difficult as most of my stamps are quite fun and not really appropriate! But I do have this lovely stamp by Stampington who are one of my fav stamp producers. I only used the top two thirds of the stamp and after I had inked it up, spritzed it with water to give a nice dewy effect. I like the muted colours and I love pastel blue and brown together anyway so I think it came out ok.

Crafty stash used: Stamps-Stampington,Elzybells; Tea dye vintage ink (Ranger) & water spritz; Assorted cardstock; Paper (Papermania); Gold ribbon (recycled)

BLOG CANDY ALERT!

Juliet is offering some great blog candy including Basic Grey paper, vellum words sheet, buttons, tags, sentiments and all sorts of other goodies. Closes Saturday 23rd August. Thanks, Juliet. Am loving your blog!

Blog candy!

Lauren is offering some great blog candy to celebrate 1,500 hits! The candy includes Olivia alphabet die cuts, a personalised wall hanging, 25 sheets of patterned paper, buttons, stickers, ribbons and stamped images. Entries close on 23rd August. 

Congrats, Lauren!

Thank you to such a friendly bunch!

I can't believe what a friendly bunch crafters are! After going on the Crafts Beautiful forum yesterday to put my blog out there (so to speak!), lots of you lovely ladies have left comments and been really welcoming and supportive. I just wanted to say thank you! I can't wait to visit all your blogs now and add you to my blog list. I can see I'm going to get as addicted to blogging as I am to crafting! 

I made this card last week for a male birthday. I always find it so hard to make male cards and really don't enjoy it that much to be honest- unless they're romantic ones! So I decided to let the paper give the masculine influence rather than the image. I love colouring the image to match the backing paper as it looks so much more professional and the colours just flow through better. I used to colour the image first and then try to find paper to match- doh!! And wondered why the result wasn't that great!! We live and learn!

Crafty stash used: Stamps- Penny Black Transparent set, Elzybells sentiments; Paper- Max (Papermania); Assorted cardstock; Watercolour pencils; Blue gems (Lakeland)

p.s. have you seen the new stamps announced today at Elzybells? I am SOOO in love with ALL of them! I think the fairy tale ones are sooo cute! Plus all the Christmas ones are really sweet- and I'd already told myself the Penny Black 12 Days of Christmas stamps I recently bought were the only additional ones I was going to buy for Christmas! Uh oh. I'm feeling the urge to spend already!

Wedding day

I made this card last week for our friends' wedding which was at the weekend. I love these cute stamps from Elzybells, they're such great designs- you want to buy them all! The text is also from Elzybells and is their sheet of words which you can pick and mix to make different sentiments- so useful and I love the fun font. I was really impressed with the quality of them and I've used them loads and not had one bad print from them! I'm really hoping they'll bring out another sheet of sentiments in the same font which you can mix in with these. Ones which have family words like Dad, sister, daughter etc. I emailed Elizabeth to ask as I think if you don't ask, you don't get so here's hoping...!! :-)

Crafty stash used: Stamps- Elzybells; brush markers; paper (Lily of the Valley); assorted cardstock; white sheer ribbon; heart gems; nestablities

Hello and welcome!

Hi! Welcome to my very first blog posting! I'm so excited to have my own blog! I have been so inspired by all you amazingly creative people out there, I just had to join in! I hope that some of you are just as inspired by some of my creations.

Do please have a look at my galleries and I'd love to hear any comments you have. Do leave me a comment and I can come and have a look at your blog too!

Here is a card I've just made using my Penny Black transparent stamps.

I wanted to create a doggie couple so I stamped the dog twice side by side. Then I stamped the tie separately from another transparent stamp and coloured and cut the tie out and glued to the dog on the left. The bow on the right hand dog I just drew freehand and coloured and cut out and added to the ear to create a girl dog! I coloured using watercolour pencils and added highlights to the roses with Crystal Stickles which I just love!

Crafty stash used: Stamps- Penny Black transparent sets, Elzybells sentiments; Watercolour pencils; Crystal Stickles; Black fine liner; Paper- Papermania Love kit; Assorted cardstock; Pink sheer ribbon (recycled); Red gems (Lakeland)