Handmade is best!

Hi all! Hope you're all enjoying your week. I made this card a while ago for my aunt's birthday (which is today!) but was waiting for the right challenge over at A Passion for Papertrey so I could enter it!! Now wasn't it a coincidence that the challenge during my aunt's birthday is "needle and thread"?!!

Anyway so here it is... a non-cute card from me!

This card is basically pretty much all PTI using the Button Boutique stamp set and matching dies. The handmade display card that the buttons are on was made using the stamp set stamped with SU ink and then die cut using the button card dies which include the cute little hanging bit die at the top. I then die cut the background piece of paper which the buttons are sitting on using another die. The buttons are also cut using a PTI die and PTI coasters (to make them more 3d) and then I die cut papers to glue on top and added hand stitching. Both the sentiments are from the stamp set too. Papers are by MME. I then added some paper lace in the background and material lace with a pearl pin.

I'd like to enter this into:

A Passion for Papertrey- needle and thread

Love to Create- add stitching

Stamps & fun = creativity- non cute

Crazy Challenges- anything goes

Victorine Originals- lace

Sentimental Sundays- lace and pearls

Allsorts- anything goes

Dies to die for- anything goes

Crafty Catz- b is for... buttons!

Little Miss Muffet Challenges- Fancy or lacy

Moving ALong With the Times- layers

Sarah Hurley Challenges- die cuts

Crafty stash used: Stamps (PTI); Inks (SU); Papers (MME); Coasters; Dies- button card, buttons, button background (PTI); Lace (local haberdashery); Paper lace (?); Pearls (K&Co); Pearl pin (JoAnns); Thread

Thanks for stopping by today, I'll be back on Saturday with another Sketch Saturday post! xxx

Sketch Saturday- Eat dessert first!

Hello peeps! How's it going? Sorry I haven't had the chance to visit any of you this week, I'm really busy at the moment so I'm finding it difficult.

It's Saturday so it's Sketch Saturday time! Here is my card...

I LOVE this image from Stamping Bella called Lulu's 2 Pies. As you know, I'm a big fan of the Lulu range, I love the retro feel of it. As soon as I was going to use this image I knew what papers to use- Echo Park Happy Days- how retro are these??!! So reminiscent of 50s America with soda pop and diners!! Love it! I coloured her with copics and some watercolour pencils eg for her apron. Lyra shading at the bottom as per usual. The sentiment comes with the image.

I'd like to enter this into:

Delightful Challenges- use patterned paper

Stamps & fun = creativity- use your favourite stamp

Moving along with the times- lots of layers

Papercraft Star- something from your kitchen

Penny's Challenges- anything goes

Crafty Boots Challenge- food glorious food

Make it Monday

Close up of colouring!

Here is today's sketch- I flipped it!

Today's prize is sponsored by the fabbie Craft Barn!

I also wanted to show you my new paper pads I bought as a little treat for getting on the Sketch Saturday DT (any excuse!!) Sorry I didn't have time to do a video. They are all MME except the Nordic Holiday one which is by Basic Grey. The new MME are amazing- in particular Dilly Dally (which is my fav one of all!) and On the Bright Side- 1 & 2.

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Stamping Bella); Copics; Watercolour pencils; Lyra pencils; Papers (Echo Park); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Nailheads; Button (PTI)

Anything Goes Challenge- Box it, bag it, tag it!

Hello all! Hope you had a lovely weekend. We had some gorgeous sunshine so it made a change from all the snow we've been having!! It's Tuesday so it's Anything Goes Challenge time. This week's theme is Box it, Bag it, Tag it! You can make a new or altered project- no cards this week!

Now I have to admit, I'm not really into creating boxes n stuff but it wouldn't be a challenge otherwise, right?! And I actually really enjoyed it, sometimes it's good to try something different!

I decided to make this cute little bird box for my Mum as a cute little gift. We've both recently purchased bird feeders for our gardens so I thought this was quite appropriate!

This bird box was created using this template on Nichole Heady's blog. It couldn't be simpler- really!! I used My Mind's Eye papers Urban Prairie- you need a 12" x 12" sheet for the main box. I used a round and a scalloped nestie to make the entrance. Can you see the bird seed inside?

The left hand side of the birdbox I decorated with the butterfly Die-namic die from MFT. The pretty gems are from The Craft Den.

The right hand side I decorated with a Magnolia tag die (available from The Craft Den), cute sentiment from the PTI Love Lives Here Holiday stamp set and a bird cut out from the papers I used.

I hope you have fun with this challenge, do check out the rest of the DT as their work is amazing this week!!

Crafty stash used: Stamps (PTI); Papers (MME); Assorted cardstock; Template (PTI); Nesties; Tag die (Magnolia); Butterfly die (MFT); Gems (The Craft Den); Ribbon (Recycled); Flower (Ebay); Pearl

Sketch Saturday- Happy Birthday to Ye!

Hello, hello! Hope you've all had a great week. Sorry I haven't posted in the past week but I've been trying to get ahead with DT work. I did say I was going to post a video showing you my new papers but my technical support (hubbie) and technical equipment (hubbie's laptop) was away so I didn't get the chance!

Anyway, here I am to show you my very first card as a Sketch Saturday DT member!! I'm so over the moon to be part of this team- I love doing complicated sketches!!

I have used this cute High Hopes stamp, coloured with copics and bottom shadow created using Lyra pencils. These papers are by Echo Park called Times and Seasons. Sentiment is also High Hopes and the number die and "th" are by MFT.

Close up of copic colouring!

Here is the sketch! As you can see I rotated it. Do please pop along to view all the other wonderful designs by the Saturdays! The sponsor this week is the fabulous Stamp Fairy who make THE cutest digis!!!

I'd like to enter this into:

Bunny Zoe Blog Challenge- celebrations

Creative Card Crew- masculine

Crafters Companion- anything goes

Desert Island Crafters- itinerary- I've chosen 2 or more patterned papers, green (paper), polka dots (paper), 2 or more diecuts

Kaboodle Doodles- boy/masculine

Stamps & fun=creativity- birthday

Crafty Emma- spots n dots - is my polka dot paper enough?!

Glitter Geeks- girls and boys

Thanks for stopping by today! x

Anything Goes Challenge- It's bingo time!

Hellooooo all! Brrrrr, it's very cold here in Essex! It's Tuesday so it's Anything Goes Challenge time again. We had a great response for the last challenge so here's hoping you'll enjoy this one just as much!

Anyway, this week's challenge is bingo! See here for the bingo board!

So I chose to do shaped card, bling, die cuts/punches and lace & ribbon. My friend has twin girls so I thought this would be perfect for them. I coloured with copics and added shading with Lyra pencils. The papers are October Afternoon called Fly A Kite. The sentiment is from The Stampsmith. The shaped bottom of the card was achieved by using the Edgers 3 die from PTI, I love the effect it gives but with minimum effort by me!

Don't forget you can buy all your lovely Magnolia stash from The Craft Den!!

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Magnolia, Stampsmith); Copics; Lyra pencils; Papers (October Afternoon); Edgers 3 die (PTI); Nesties; Gems (Prima); Bow (recycled); Lace (?)

Join me later in the week and I'll be showing you my new paper stash including some of the latest MME pads- I might even do another video!! xxx

Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Sunday! Have you woken up to 4 inches of snow like us??!!!!!

A card and a bit of news today! I'm so proud to say that I've been asked to join.....

I lurve Sketch Saturday so it's a dream come true!! Woo hoo!!!!!

So onto today's card. My sis asked me to make a card for her friend's birthday. She picked out Torn Paper by Elzybells as she says the dog looks just like her friend's little dog.

So I coloured the cute doggie with copics and added Lyra pencil shadows as usual. The papers are gorgeous MME Happy Heart. Sentiment is by Stampendous. Rolled rose is an MFT Die-namic die. The teeny heart on the corner of the image is a cut-out from the Magnolia heart border die which I was going to use then changed my mind so just used a cut-out instead!

I'd like to enter this into:

Allsorts- free and easy

Sweet Stop Sketches- sketch

Craft Us Crazy- anything goes

Simon Says- animal antics

My Time to Craft- a for adorable

Ditzy Crafty Mess- anything goes

Glitter Geeks- pets

Do you stack up?- anything goes

Oldie but a goodie- this stamp is over a year old (though my first time of using it!) - have a heart (see die-cut heart and heart paper).

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Elzybells, Stampendous); Copics; Lyra pencils; Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Rolled rose Dienamic (MFT); Heart (Magnolia die); Hot fix crystals; Brad

Thanks for dropping by today. I hope to get around to all my new followers this week to say helloooooo! x

Go Team!

Hi everyone! Hope you're enjoying your week and not freezing too much if you're in the UK!! Just a quick post today- this is a birthday card my Mum asked me to make for my brother. Now I know the colours are a bit bright (!!), and I hardly ever use yellow on cards, but my Mum wanted me to do a card in Watford football colours as my brother is a Watford fan.

So I used Football Ted from Elzybells (Elzybells are still a fav of mine, I miss them!! Though my beady eyes have definately spotted Elizbeth's designs in the new Penny Black collection!) I coloured him with copics in Watford colours and then used brush markers to add the thin stripes to his shirt. I used lyra pencils for the grass. The papers are Echo Park for the record- v handy as they include red, yellow and black ones!!! Sentiment is by MFT from A La Mode All Star. The little football was recycled from a card my Mum gave my hubbie a few years ago (yes, I keep and recycle everything, you never know when it might be handy!!)

I'd like to enter this into:

Cupcake Craft Challenges- recycle (football embellie)

Quixotic Paperie- sketch

Pollycraft- favourite things- Elzybells stamps are one of my favs!

My Time to Craft- a is for adorable

Simon Says- animal antics

Craft Us Crazy- anything goes

Sweet Stampin- animals

Close up! His cheeks are all rosy from all that running about!!

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Elzybells; MFT); Copics; Brush markers; Lyra pencils; Papers (Echo Park); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Nailheads; Football embellie (recycled)