Tuesday 26 January 2010

Excuse my appearance!

Hello!!!! If you see some wonky-donk things happening over the next few days, ignore it!! I am playing with my blog in preparation for its brand new shiny makeover. Watch this space for my new look and some celebratory candy!!

Sunday 24 January 2010

Get punchy!

Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying your weekend. We've been busy having a clear out in our house in preparation for moving house (fingers crossed!) but I've managed to fit in some crafty time this week though. Thanks to everyone for their kind comments on me starting my new job. It went OK- lots to remember- which is always the scary bit but I think I'm going to enjoy it.

So here is a card I made for my Auntie who's 81 next month. This card took me absolutely ages to do and there were times when I thought it wasn't going to turn out how I wanted. You know how you get an idea in your head and you're not sure whether it's actually going to work- well that happened with this card but I am pleased with how it turned out in the end!!

So this card originated with the idea of seeing a couple of challenges who's theme was to use punches which I'll admit I don't use that often. I also wanted to use this gorgeous image from the Autumn Leaves' Fine and Dandy set so I set out with trying to come up with an idea which incorporated the 2!

The Autumn Leaves stamp I embossed with red embossing powder and then added a couple of mini punched flowers and some gems, pearls and hot fix crystals. I saw the idea of punching a window and then forming a lattice of punched shapes over the top in a craft book by Julie Hickey. It was pretty fiddly glueing all the flowers down but the effect is worth it I think.

So here is a close up. Hopefully you can see the window and punched flowers in a bit more detail.

These are the 3 punches I used! The square punch was used repeatedly to form the window.

I'd like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp DT call- "Punch it"
Creative Card Crew- "Punch it"
Spoon Full of Sugar- "Use layers"

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Autumn Leaves); Red embossing powder; Paper (Basic Grey); Assorted cardstock; Punches (Woodware & Personal Impressions); Pearl embellie (Ebay); Gems (Joanna Sheen); Hot fix crystals (London Bead Co.); Ribbon (recycled)

My next make is an ATC- again not something I make very often so I thought I'd give it a go for a change.

I made this Sizzix ATC using the Chloe Sizzlit die and Buttons Sizzlit die. ATCs are so great for using up scraps of paper and card. Her body and face I actually coloured with copics as I find it's hard to get good skin toned card. The sentiment is Elzybells which I cut out and backed with one of the larger Sizzlit Buttons.

I'd like to enter this for the Creatalicious Challenge- "Nothing Stamped"- sentiments allowed.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Elzybells); Dies (Sizzix); Assorted cardstock; Assorted paper scraps; Copics; Ribbon (recycled); Gem (recycled); Fine black liner

And lastly, how lucky am I??? I won these two fantastic stamp sets in the Elzybells blog candy draw. These are Elizabeth's new releases and I'm chuffed I won some of them!!! Thanks, Elizabeth!

Hope you've enjoyed popping by today x

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Mice and monkeys!

Hi all! Hope you all had a lovely weekend. I'm sorry I didn't get round to visiting many of you but I had a bit of a busy week last week. I'm starting training on Thursday for my new job! I had CFS for about 4 years (though thankfully only have occasional flare ups now) so I haven't worked for ages. Then last year just as I was getting better, I was thrown in at the deep end as I had to run my Dad's business when he passed away. We scaled back the business hugely so now I just do paperwork for the family business so am able to take on some other part time work. I'm really looking forward to doing something different though am a bit nervous!! Wish me luck!!

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, onto some cards.....

My first card is a birthday card for a male friend and is this using this cute Whipper Snapper stamp. I love how chilled out he looks! Wish I was where he is!!! I coloured the image with copics and then the shading around the edge is done with lyra pencils to give a softer effect. I love the writing, it's a Sizzix phrase set. I bought it in their Winter sale. By the way, have you seen my cute flip flop brad?!

I'd like to enter this for a number of challenges:

Cupcake Craft Challenges- sketch (rotated)
Paperplay Challenges- "Furry friends"
Copic Colour Challenge- "Blue, grey and green"
Crafty Catz- "Birthday card"
Paper Cutz Challenges- "Beach/summer"
Crafty Calender- "Keeping warm"
Sophisticats- "Spring/bright colours"


Here's my usual little close up to see a bit of copics shading. I still need practice but I'm definately improving!

Crafty stash: Stamp (Whipper Snapper); Copics; Lyra pencils; Nesties; Phrase die (Sizzix); Papers (Making Memories); Assorted cardstock; Brad (Poppicrafts)


And my second card of the day is also for a male birthday. I've got so many birthday cards to make at the mo!! This Changito monkey stamp I got for birthday or Christmas and have coloured with lyra pencils. I stamped a frame around him from the Doodley Frames set by Autumn Leaves which I love. The sentiments are both by Elzybells but from different sets- one is from the sheep set and the "hey buddy" is from the "missing you" set. The little sentiment holder (I know that's not the word I want but it escapes me!) is another little Sizzix bargain I got in their sale. I don't know if you can see but I cuttlebugged the strip across the middle.

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Stampendous, Elzybells, Autumn Leaves); Lyra pencils; Paper (?); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Spot and Dots folder (Cuttlebug); Tag holder (Sizzix); Ribbon (recycled)

And for this card, I'd like to enter it into:

Paperplay challenges- "Furry friends"
Crafty Catz- "Birthday card"
Sketchy colours- "Brown and turquoise"

Thanks for dropping by. Can't wait to see your creations this week x


Tuesday 12 January 2010

Spring flowers and Craft for Life

Hallo everyone! Hope you all survived the bad weather. We're thawing here in Essex which is very good news cos I'm very sick of the snow! C'mon the sun!

Anyhow, this is a card I've made for my Aunt to thank her for my birthday and Christmas money. I used this amazing Bigz die from Sizzix to create the card base. It does produce a smaller card but I quite like the challenge of working with a smaller card plus I figure I can use it for all my smaller sized stamps eg like the Penny Black sheets of stamps. The gorgeous paper is from the Fun in the Sun stack I got for Chrimbo. The stamp is Stamping Bella coloured with Lyra pencils and a bit of bling is added with Stickles. Now aren't you amazed I did a little bit of stitching for the first
time?!! OK, it's not exactly straight but I quite like that! And I even stitched on a little button onto my ribbon (in case you didn't know, I can't sew and have trouble with something as basic as that!!!) The sentiment stamp is by Hero Arts.

So I'd like to enter this for the following challenges:

Just Us Girls- "Stitching"
2 Red Bananas- "Curves"
Cupcake Craft Challenges- "Going Girly"
Crafty Catz- "Bright and sparkly"
Crafty Angels- "Can you feel it"


Here is a little close up of my colouring and bling!

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Stamping Bella, Hero Arts); Lyra pencils; Paper (DCWV); Nesties; Ribbon (Poppicrafts); Button (recycled); Sewing machine; Bigz die (Sizzix); Flower (The Works)
And lastly I just wanted to draw your attention to Craft for Life which has just been launched. Docrafts are launching this new appeal this year instead of the Marie Curie one and all proceeds are going to Cancer Research. All you have to do is make some A6 cards, put them in a cello bag and take them to your local Cancer Research shop or post them. Full details can be found here.

Having lost my amazing, beloved Dad a year ago this week to this awful disease, I am unfortunately only too aware of how devastating this condition is to sufferers and their families. I feel like my heart is broken, I miss my Dad so much. So please if you can spare a couple of hours over the next 4 months, make a couple of cards for Craft for Life.

Thanks for stopping by x

Wednesday 6 January 2010

A new stamp!

Hi everyone and a Happy New Year to you all! Hope you're all bearing up (no pun intended!) under the bad weather. Brrrrrr! Why are we NEVER prepared for bad weather? They knew it was coming and yet there's never enough salt, grit etc! Anyway, being house-bound is a great excuse for crafting....

So here is a little card I made to say thank you to a lovely blogging friend of mine. Can't say who it is as I haven't sent it yet!!! The stamp is new to my stash from Lili of the Valley- I love these new stamps they're producing, they're so sweet and this is definately one of my favourites, it's so versatile too. I coloured the image with Lyra pencils and blended with Sansador, I then added some glitter to bling it up. I cut round the image using Nesties. As the outer nestie was too big I freehand cut it to make it a bit smaller- I don't think it looks too bad. I really love these flowers and leaves which I got for my birthday, they add great texture.

So I'd like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Fussy and Fancy- "new" eg my new stamp and new flower and leaf
CRAFT- "thank you"
Sophisticat- "fancy borders" eg using my nesties
Sketchy colours- "yellow, pink and details in bronze"
ABC- "layers"

Phew! That's the most challenges I've entered in one go!

Here is a little close up of my colouring and hopefully you can see the glittery bling!

Crafty stash used: Stamp (LOTV); Lyra pencils; Paper (Basic Grey); Assorted cardstock; Stickles; Flower and petal (Ebay); Gems (Ebay); Rub on (free); Bow (recycled)

Thanks for stopping by! x