Friday Sketchers Challenge

This week's sketch over at Friday Sketcher's is quite a simple one by Kristine. The sponsor is The Greeting Farm and they are offering some lovely new set of stamps called the Miss Anya Collection. I must admit I wasn't too sure about the Anya stamps but they are growing on me and I really like this particular set.

So here is my entry, sorry the photo is a bit rubbish. My sister asked me to make a card from her for my brother's birthday so I decided to use this sketch. The stamp is Beerafella by Stamping Bella and is coloured in with watercolour pencils and shadowed using a grey copic. I mounted the image on red and grey card. The 2 background papers I bought from Banana Frog (can't remember the make) and mounted on red card. The sentiment is by Lili of the Valley mounted on matching red and grey card. I finished off with a recycled ribbon and a Quickutz beer mug die cut I bought off Ebay.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Stamping Bella); Watercolour pencils; Copics; Assorted cardstock; Paper (Banana Frog); Ribbon (recycled); Sentiment (LOTV); Quickutz die cut

Enjoy your day and have a nice weekend x

Cute Card Thursday Challenge

This week's Cute Card Thursday Challenge is "Signs of Spring" and there are some great designs by the DT. As I had a 1st birthday card to make for my friend's little girls, I thought I'd use this gorgeous baby hedgie stamp which is very spring-like looking.

I coloured the hedgie with watercolour pencils and added some Crystal Stickles to the butterfly to make it all glittery. I then cut out the image using circle nesties and mounted it on a baby pink scalloped circle. The background paper was from Banana Frog (double sided) which I mounted on matching pink and brown card. I then cut some cute buttons using a Sizzix die and threaded some pale pink ribbon through 2 of them and mounted them on 3d pads. I finished with a Lili of the Valley sentiment.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Penny Black); Watercolour pencils; Crystal Stickles; Paper (Banana Frog); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Buttons die (Sizzix); Ribbon (recycled); Sentiment (Lili of the Valley)

Elzybells Blog Candy

Another quick post from me today. I just remembered that today a new range of stamps are being released by Elzybells. I love this new range of stamps which feature cupcakes, cookies, coffee, tea and eggs and some fab sentiments. They look really versatile and my fav ones are definately the Just Desserts sheet-how cute is she?!!

So Elizabeth is giving away the WHOLE range of these new stamps (can you believe it?!) All you need to do is visit the website and check out the new releases, tell everyone on your blog about it and then leave a comment on her blog. What are you waiting for?!

Marie Curie Create a Card for Cancer Care Appeal

Hi. Here are some more A6 cards I've done for the Marie Curie Create a Card for Cancer Care Appeal. Again, I've done fairly simple cards but hopefully the detail is in the colouring in! This first card is another one of my new Forever Friends stamps which I coloured in with watercolour pencils. I layered the image on a couple of colours of assorted cardstock. The background paper is from the Retro stack by DCWV and the little sentiment is by Pink Petticoat and I cut it out with a tiny scalloped oval nesty.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Forever Friends); Watercolour pencils; Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Paper- Retro stack (DCWV); Sentiment (Pink Petticoat)This second card is using a Changito Monkey stamp which I love! I coloured in with watercolour pencils and cut out with scalloped rectangle nesties. I added some doodling around the edges before mounting on aqua card. The brown background is run through my Big Shot using the Spots and Dots embossing folder and then mounted on aqua cardstock. I finished with a matching strip of card.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Stampendous); Watercolour pencils; Nesties; Spots and Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Assorted cardstock; Fine black linerThis last card was done using another new stamp by Magenta. I haven't seen this one around and got it on a trip to New York. I coloured the stamp in using watercolour pencils and added highlights with Crystal Stickles. I then cut the whole image into 3 separate pieces and mounted on peach and brown card. The background paper is from the Retro stack by DCWV and is again mounted on peach card.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Magenta); Watercolour pencils; Crystal Stickles; Assorted cardstock; Paper-Retro stack (DCWV)

Marie Curie Create a Card for Cancer Care Appeal

Hi. I've just started making some simple cards for the Marie Cure Create a Card for Cancer Campaign. For those of you who don't know anything about it, you can create A6 cards of your choice, put them in a Marie Curie card bag (found at Do Crafts stockists or your nearest Marie Curie shop) and send them off to Marie Curie by the end of April who then sell them to raise funds.

I'm ashamed to say that I haven't participated before but because of my Dad, it was something I knew I had to do this year and that he would be proud of me for doing it. So this is for you, my dearest wonderful Dad xxxx

Because the cards are only A6 size, they need to be kept relatively simple but I thought I'd make up for it by doing some really detailed colouring instead. These are the ones I've made so far. This first one is, of course, a Forever Friends stamp. I coloured it in using watercolour pencils. I then stamped the image onto a post-it note and used that as a mask so that I could stipple on some lavender distress ink. I then cut the image out using scalloped nesties. I mounted on some Dovecraft paper and assorted cardstock. The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Forever Friends); Watercolour pencils; Assorted cardstock; Paper (Dovecraft); Sentiment (Lili of the Valley); Nesties

Another Forever Friends image, again coloured in with watercolour pencils and mounted on assorted cardstock. The backing paper is Artic Frog from Banana Frog. I then ran some matching card through my spots and dots embossing folder and added a strip of orange card.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Forever Friends); Watercolour pencils; Paper- Artic Frog; Assorted cardstock; Spots and dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug)... and yet another Forever Friends stamp! Coloured in with watercolour pencils and mounted on green card cut using square nesties. The sentiment is Pink Petticoat and the ribbon is from Poppicrafts.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Forever Friends); Sentiment (Pink Petticoat); Watercolour pencils; Ribbon (Poppicrafts); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Gems (Lakeland)

I do hope you like them and will join the campaign. Cancer is a horrible, horrible disease and affects so many people and so many families. Though we feel alone, the awful reality is that so many of us are affected by it. Please, please join in x

Blog candy and Elzybells showcase

I'm so chuffed my lilac Elzybells wedding card has been displayed on the Elzybells' showcase this week. I love the Elzybells stamps so much so this is a big honour!

Mel over at Mad4creations is celebrating over 2000 hits on her blog with some fabulous blog candy and Michelle at the Card Grotto is celebrating 100,000 (gulp!) hits with some gorgeous Easter candy!

Congratulations to both of you and thanks for your generous candy!

Valentine's Day

Hi. Happy Valentine's Day to you all. Here is the Valentine's Day card I made for my hubbie- isn't it cute?! The stamps are a Changito Monkey clear set which I coloured in with watercolour pencils. I then cut round the image using my rectangle nesties and added doodling around the edges. I then used some larger nesties to cut the polka dot brown paper (can't remember where it's from). I then mounted on some brown card (one layer of which I embossed using the Spots and Dots embossing folder) and some lime card. I then cut out some vines in a slightly darker green and added a green brad. The sentiment was also from the set, cut out using oval nesties and mounted using sticky pads for a 3D effect.

For the first time ever I did something inside the card too and used another sentiment from the set mounted using my oval nesties. Hope you like! x

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Stampendous); Watercolour pencils; Assorted cardstock; Paper (?); Nesties; Spots and Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Vine (Boss-Kut); Brad (Poppicrafts)

Mojo Monday

So I decided to do another Mojo Monday sketch (above). I quite liked the look of this one and thought it would fit in with the horizontal image I was using to make my friend another wedding card! My Mum wanted me to make one to give to my friend so here it is!

The stamp is Lili of the Valley coloured in with copics and highlighted with Crystal and Gold Stickles. I used a Basic Grey paper for the background which I mounted onto green cardstock. The image I cut round using rectangle nesties and mounted onto a matching Basic Grey paper and then matching green cardstock. The sentiment is Lili of the Valley from their wedding sentiment collection and the flowers and fabric brad are from Poppicrafts. The ribbon is recycled.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Lili of the Valley); Copics; Crystal & Gold Stickles; Assorted cardstock; Papers (Basic Grey); Sentiment (Lili of the Valley); Flowers (Poppicrafts); Brad (Poppicrafts); Ribbon (Recycled)

Friday Sketchers

Friday Sketchers challenge this week is the above sketch by Claudia. I needed to make a wedding card for my friend who's getting married in a few weeks so I decided to use this sketch to make her card.

I wanted to go for something a little bit different so used slightly darker colours for a more dramatic effect. The stamp is by Elzybells and I coloured in with my copics and highlighted certain areas with Crystal Stickles for a bit of glamour! I then cut round the image with my circle nesties. I masked out the image using a large post-it note which I'd stamped on and then sponged around the image with lavender distress ink. I then used my scalloped circle nesties to cut some lilac cardstock. The background paper is from the Old World Stack mounted on lilac cardstock. I then used some lilac flower paper by Lily of the Valley and some lilac card embossed with Divine Swirls Cuttlebug folder. I finished it off with some sticky lace strips (a new purchase!) and a gorgeous purple flower and glamorous jewelled brad.

Hope you like it! x

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Elzybells); Copics; Lavender Distress Ink; Crystal Stickles; Paper (DCWV, Lili of the Valley); Cardstock (American Crafts); Divine swirls embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Nesties; Flower & brad (Poppicrafts); Sticky lace

Mojo Monday

I had my first visit to Mojo Monday and I loved the sketch (above) so thought I'd have a go and make a card for my friend's birthday.

So this is my interpretation of the sketch using one of my fabulous new Stamping Bella stamps. I have to say that although the Bellas are quite small, the quality of the image is amazing. You wouldn't believe that on Billboardabella you have a choice of text to stamp on the billboard. The text is TINY but it comes out so clear!! I LURVE Bellas!

So I coloured Billboardabella with watercolour pencils and highlighted the heart on her tshirt with Crystal Stickles. I cut out the image using my new rectangle nesties and added some doodling around the edges. I used my nesties to create a scalloped fringe to add to the bottom of the image. The 3 papers were from Banana Frog (can't remember the make) and the cardstock is American Crafts. The ribbon, flower, button and brad were all from Poppicrafts.

Hope you like!

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Stamping Bella); Watercolour pencils; Papers (Banana Frog); Cardstock; Crystal Stickles; Nesties; Black fine liner; Ribbon (Poppicrafts); Brad (Poppicrafts); Button (Poppicrafts); Flower (Poppicrafts)

Papertake Weekly Challenge

This week's challenge over at Papertake Weekly is "Hearts and Flowers". You can make a card with hearts or flowers or both! Above is my entry. It's a pre-wedding card for my friend who's getting married in a few weeks. I love this Pink Petticoat image so much but you can't really give someone a wedding card with only a bride on can you? So I thought I'd make her a cute girly bride card to give to her before the big day.

The gorgeous papers I've used here were given to me by my lovely blogging friend, Linda. I coloured in the Pink Petticoat image using watercolour pencils and highlighted with Stickles. I cut out using my new oval nesties and doodled around the border and then cut out a scalloped oval border. The cute sentiment is from Lili of the Valley and the flowers from Poppicrafts. I can't believe I even had cute daisy brads in my stash too! The swirl I think is going to be a big feature in my cards as you can probably tell!

Crafty stash used: Image (Pink Petticoat); Watercolour pencils; Paper (Basic Grey); Stickles; Flowers (Poppicrafts); Brads (Poppicrafts); Swirl (Sizzix); Sentiment (Lili of the Valley); Nesties; Black fine liner pen

Cute Card Thursday Challenge

This week's challenge over at Cute Card Thursday is to make a Valentine's card. I made this for my sister to give to her partner. The stamp is Penny Black called "Love Graffiti". I coloured it in with watercolour pencils and cut out using my circle nesties. The 2 papers are from a Love kit by Papermania and I used a third paper from that set to cut out the scalloped circle to frame the image. The swirl is a Sizzix one and I used the same paper as the background red. Finally I finished it off with flowers and buttons from Poppicrafts.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Penny Black); Watercolour pencils; Nesties; Paper (Papermania); Flowers (Poppicrafts); Buttons (Poppicrafts & recycled); Swirl (Sizzix)