Pearls and swirls

Morning peeps and hope it is a good one for you all. Well this card today is for another fab challenge at One Stitch at a time and you can get all artistic this time as the theme is pearls and swirls.

I got to choose from the fab designs by Stef this time round and chose this fab silhoette of a flower. For my swirls I decided to do some dry embossing and a little ribbon swirling, just fro fun. Pearls , think I went a bit mad as I added a drop of liquid pearl to the end of each swirl, I really didn't think there were that many when I started and I think now less would have defintely been more but once I'd started I had to coninue.


The sentiment is from LOTV which I powder embossed, and I think fits perfectly as it's a card for my sister in law for sister's day on the 7th August.




We have fab sponsors again Digis with attitude!

http://www.digiswithattitude.com/

 and Flourishes with a Bling.

http://www.flourishwithabling.com.au/store/

Look forward to seeing all your pearls and swirls anddo't forget the Pretty in Print competition we have on at the moment too, your chance to be part of a magazine who could resist?

Oh best show you my finished card nearly forgot, not sure what my brain is up to these days.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Auds sentiments-anything to make someone smile/enjoy their day

craft us crazy-anything goes

Shelly's images-show us what you got

crafts and me-add a flower

for fun challenges-2 different ribbons

paper pretties-embossing

Deep ocean challenge-ribbons

Happileigh scrappin-make your own embelli

House of Gilli-anything goes

Sugar girls shopping book

Two girls and looks one book, this is my shopping list book , well note book I keep as I never have paper when I need to make a note and I like pretty things in my bag. I couldn't decide which sweet sugar nellie stamp to use so I randomly picked 2 images I had stamped and started from there. I used the sugar bowl layout of course but decided on 2 different looks. Hope you like them.

They are both coloured with a mix of sakura glaze pens and promarkers for skin tone and all the bits are scraps and from my stash.The book cost 63p but I think now looks way more expensive.

I would like to enter this project into the following challenges:-
The sugar bowl-layout optional lace
Papercutz-anything goes
Try it on tuesday-steampunk
for fun challenges-2 different ribbons
Playdate cafe-just a splash of colour(well one cover is)

Just to say too that over the next few weeks I won't be around much so apologies for my absence life is a bit hectic at the mo so many of the posts over the next few weeks will be scheduled and the rest will probably be scarce. I do have some cards still to make for family but these will only get posted if I can find the time, in case I'm not around to pop by here's wishing you all a wonderful summer and I promise I will try and visit your blogs though can't promise I will have time to comment. See you all in a few weeks/months.

He's a very friendly lion called Parsley

Wonder how many of you actually know what I'm talking about, shows my age but I used to love watching the Herb garden. Alas my friendly lion isn't green but I think he has similar curly hair on his mane.

I haven't done quilling for ages and had forgotten how frustrating it can be when the quills unroll until you get back into the routine and then it becomes quite therapeutic. I love how paper strips made into circles squashed into other shapes can turn into a 3D picture if you are clever or have a pattern to follow like me and some of the creations that proper quillers do are fantastic.

Anyway not much to say about my card other than it's suppose to be a lion see what you think , is he one big cuddly kitty or what?

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Allways something creative-yellow and one other colour

Alphabet challenge-K is for Kitty

Alota rubber-circles

Papertake-cute

Creative card crew-animals

Creative inspirations-around the world(Africa)

String tidy

Good morning all and hope the day is going to be a good one for all of you. Thanks for popping by again and what a fab amount of inspirational birthday cards you had to share with us all over at Penny's last time, really were some doozies.

This time we have a challenge that I always find hard, could really have done with all you talented crafters doing it first to give me some inspiration lol but then that's not the idea really is it.The challenge is ALTER IT!
We have a fab sponsor again Dewdrop crafts so well worth joining in.

I decided after much deliberation and some gardening  my source of inspiration that I would make a string tidy. I have a bad habit when tying up my plans of putting down my garden twine and then minutes later not being able to find it  wasting minutes looking for it. I then usually decide to try and keep hold of it whilst tying up the next plant so I don't loose it only to drop it and have it unravel everywhere. No more as I think my string tidy will stop both problems as if I can't see this pot I need strong glasses and the string shouldn't get tangled even if I drop the pot.

I started with a food pot that was big enough to hold my string, in my case a herring pot.


I simply covered in some magazine freebie paper that I thought was perfect for the job as it had my favourite daisies on. I also found a really cute freebie image over at beyond the fringe which I just had to add as it just reminded me of my garden., which is in dire need of maintenance as the weeds are winning the battle at the mo and everything looks gangly.



I coloured the image in a mix of sakura glaze pens and promarkers and stuck this to the pot. I finished by adding a strip of ribbon around the top and cut a slit in the top for the string to poke through.














I would like to enter this project into the following challenges:-

Allsorts-free and easy
secret crafter saturday challenge-holidays
Prairie fairy-what u doin' on your holidays-gardening
Crafty purple frog-summer colours
scrappy frog-summer flowers
digi design house -summer
KB cute monday-use a digi
stamps r us-through the garden gate

Build it up

Wow is all I can say to the amount of entries we had for the last challenge over at our new residence for Creative Craft Challenges. We were a little worried that with all the problems we had been having and the move that we would lose some of you wonderful crafters but boy what a boost to know you all care and followed us and nearly 300 entries too.

Thank you

Well this challenge is open to a bit of imaginative interpretation as Sandra has chosen a 3D it theme. The DT have some superb projects to share so please pop along and give them some love.

We also have some more wonderful sponsors too, a new sponsor to us Love to Stamp who will be giving the winner their choice of one of their 'Little Darlings'  stamps fab prize as these are all so cute.

We also have Stitchy Bear stamps and boss lady Sandra is offering up some peel-off and ribbons. Not bad prizes in all.

Now the lovely ladies at Love to stamp let us have a play with a couple of the wee cuties from the Little Darlings range, we had a choice of 'Go girl go' and the one I choose 'Nice to meet you'. I can also tell you there is a new release soon too so even more cute rubber stamps to choose from.

For my project I decided to make a photo frame for a friend, her son absolutely adores visiting the butterfly house not far from them and thought this so cute boy was perfect to add to a piccy of him with the butterflies.




The frame is painted in some gold paint that I have had that long I'm not sure where it came from and was surprised that it was still usable. The frame was one of a set of 3 plain wood frames from ikea bought many moons ago for a £1,so you can tell how long. I used brilliance ink to stamp a butterfly silhouette stamp onto the frame and then stamped the wee little darling several times and 3d him with foam pads cutting out various bits to sort of decoupage him. He was coloured with Promarkers. Have to say my friend loved it and it is now on her kitchen wall.

I would like to enter this project into the following challenges;-

Pollycraft monday-summer fun
Totally gorjuss-all about the boys
TSG-colour challenge
Little Claires-things with wings
Sugar creek hollow-things with wings
Papercutz-the skies the limit
Stampin for the weekend-wings and things
CRAFT-butterflies
Paperplay-things with wings
Crafty creations-boys to men
Craft room challenge-butterflies

Stitchy Bear stamps were also generous and let us have some images to play with. For my second project I mase another sister day card, not sure which sister in law this is for but it will be winging its way to either one of hubby's sisters or my bro's wife in time for August 7th.

I decided to again 3D it with foam pads printing several of the image and cutting out various bits. The base card I used a Fiskars embossing pad and stylus to hand emboss the pattern leaving a central oval for the sentiment  which I powder embossed. The flowers were coloured with promarkers(its a glitterbabe image which can be found at stitchy's store).

I was really pleased with the colours I'd used as I found I had an envelope that was the perfect colour and think it sets it off so well. I love the clean and simple look of the card even  if it's got a few layers in the flowers and hope whichever sis gets it they will love it too.




I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

St. Luke's charity-Black white and 1 other(purple)
 Crafty Ann's-dry embossing
Sarah Hurley-colouring
Pixie dust challenge-girly
Emerald faeire garden-girly( all things nice)
Totally papercrafts-girly
Allsorts-free and easy
Daisy doodles-anything goes
Incy wincy-black white and 1 other(purple)

Such a sweetie

Morning all sorry I guess that should actually be afternoon really but welcome to another Sunday challenge at OSAAT.

Wow what a super terrific turnout we had again you all really seem to be loving our challenges at the mo, and what an abundance of inspiration we all get when visiting all your truly fab blogs.

Have to say sorry to those who I don't actually manage to get to comment on as blogger is still being a fickle little bu**er and sometimes he will let me comment and others I get stuck in the sign in loop, some he offers me an name /URL way to sign in others I get zilch opportunity and what gets me most is it can be varied on the same blog so it might be that I can comment on one post and not on another on the same blog! It even happens when I try to comment on my teamies blogs too have to say it is slowly driving me nuts( well a bit more nutty really as I guess I went nuts quite a while ago really).

Right onto the challenge this time round and we have another super theme and bet we should get another barrow full of beautiful entries too as we want to see FLOWERS please lots and lots. I love flowers but get hay fever quite bad so am really looking forward to seeing so many beautiful blooms without the need for antihistamine to stop me sneezing lol.

The DT have pulled out all the stops as per and their blogs really are worth paying a visit too to find out how they put their projects together so please go leave them some love.

Our sponsor is the fab

and she is offering a £10 gift voucher and as she offers free P+P in the UK at least not sure about her overseas P+P policy you get to spend it all on goodies and I can tell you from personal experience she has some fab goodies and excellent delivery turnaround and any problems are sorted very quickly wonderful customer service so well worth winning.

My card I was lucky enough to play with a fab image by Sylvie of Sylvie's stamps  'boy with flowers which you can find here. I thought this would be a wonderful image for a sister's day card for my hubby to send to one of his sister's, for those who like the idea sister's day is the first Sunday in August so this year it falls on the 7th. Just for interest and as I only just found out too after much searching brother's day is celebrated on the Friday following the first new moon after 1st August so this year it falls on September 2nd.

My card I coloured with Promarkers which I seem to have had for ages and kept the colours fairly simple. The papers are some very old magazine freebies . I wrapped ribbon (again I have had for ages) and added some daisy buttons(old again) to finish off. The sentiment is simply a peel-off I know all you die hards will be tut tuting but still which I edges with white sakura pen.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Paper playtime-summer
Kreative stempel freundes-summer
Hooked on crafts-with love
Dream valley-summer
Crafts and me-summertime
Simon says-anything goes
YNS-buttons
Fussy n fancy-summertime
Pollycraft-the great outdoors
The Pixie cottage-sketch /wrap ribbon round
Craft your passion-just for you
SOS-show us your old or new stash-my image is new forgot to say
stamp insanity-summertime through colour
ABC challenge-Y is for yesterday( Aug 2009 B for buttons and Nov 2008 R is for ribbon)
Polkadoodles-long hot summer
MAWTT-favourite things-promarkers, ribbon,turquoise and daisies
Allsorts -free and easy


Quick reminder don't forget you can get yourself in print too see all the details below and more on the One Stitch site.

Jumbo Jellybean and another for Crissy's DT challenge

Morning all , where do the days go I can't believe it was Sunday the last time I did a post , hopefully when my son finishes school this week life will slow down a little but he wants to go to some university open days so who knows, and then there is the garden that is definitely winning the battle with the amount of weeds and twitch grass that's engulfing the flowers but I will not yet conceed the war but it might mean a little less craft and blogland time so apologies for any future absence.

My card today isn't really for anything in particular , really just as I love the image , always makes me smile as do many of Crissy Armstrongs images. This one I won as a digi prize and though I love my rubber I guess I wouldn't have been able to make a Jellybean this big with just a rubber stamp. The card is A5 size.

I coloured the image with cool grey promarkers and cut it out to make it a shaped card. I had to leave the white at the top as otherwise it would have fallen to bits(I got a bit carried away with the cutting).

The sentiment is from LOTV and the reason I added it was as I did wonder about sending it to my niece for her birthday, but this I need your opinion on as she is 20 and at university so not sure if she would like it or think it too childish. I myself at 40 something would love to receive such a card but then that's just me so let me know please if you think it would go down well or not?

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Paper pretties-animals
Creative inspirations-no flowers
Kaboodle doodle-use those scissors
Forever friends-not a square
Happileigh scrappin'-use a critter
Heart song inspired-summertime and or no patterned papers
The rubber cafe-shaped cards
CAS-ual friday-shaped card

Crissy Armstrong's DT challenge-http://sundayswithcrissy.blogspot.com/2011/07/design-team-call.html

Charlie the boxer

Well not sure if that is his name but thats who this fab digi reminds me of. The image is actually called 'Boxer pup'bySue from Beary dust and you can find it here at Stitchy stamps. Now the reason I call him Charlie is as my bro and sis in law had a boxer and he had this fab brindle colour so when I got to play with this super image I just knew I would be making a birthday card to go in storage for October for my bro in laws birthday.

I think by now that you have gathered its sunday and time for another fab challenge from the wonderful team at One Stitch at a Time.

We had some super entries for our use a digi challenge and boy was there alot of them and all so different, glad I don't have to choose a winner, it would be a real hard job.Why not pop over to the challenge blog to see who the lucky winner was and check out the DT inspiration cards for our next challenge, you'll not be sorry.

Now for my card as I said I used this fab Boxer image and coloured him with my promarkers, the rest of the card is a die cut deep red and simply scraps from my scrap stash.The sentiment is a 'shameful'(lol) peel-off but I think it just finishes off this card and suits the design, never understood the shame in them myself..

Anyway here's my card.

Oh suppose I should tell you our challenge theme, another one you are all going to play I'm sure as our theme-anything goes. Our sponsor this time the stamping boutique some yummy digi's as the prize.

Can't wait to visit all your wonderful creations.

Now I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:-

I love promarkers-clean and simple

Wags n whiskers-birthdays

Catch the bug-clean and simple

Allsorts-free and easy

My Sherri crafts-faithful companions

Marks finest papers-use a die cut as a mat

Art impression stamps-use something from your stash

Forever friends -birthdays

Ruby's rainbow challenge-happy birthday

Anything goes challenge blog-the letter D

Papertake weekly challenge-anything goes

craft your passion-anything goes

Ellephantastic-celebrations

sweet stampin-cute and cuddly

Polkadoodles-use stickers or rub ons-hope peel-offs count

Kaboodle doodle-celebrations

First of my sisters day cards

This fab image by Crissy Armstrong called 'Little Miss Innocent' I thought would make a perfect sisters day card for my little sis.

We use to have a poodle when we were little but she was white though before that mum bought a poodle that was apricot in colour for some friends with their parents permission and we looked after her until Christmas. It was such fun as the first few weeks of puppies are so wonderful. We didn't know what the boys would call her so when training her to 'come' when called we would call her 'mon a mon'. It was funny when she went to her new home as when we visited we found that she didn't come to the 'come' command but only to mon a mon and the family would call 'mon a mon Sunshine' and she would bound towards them. Not sure she ever chewed any shoes though.

My sis is definitely no little miss innocent even though she professes to be so this is the perfect image for her, and though like most sisters she is a pain at times I wouldn't swap her for the world. Celebrating Sisters day is a way I can tell her so.

The image I have had ages and never got around to using , I coloured with Promarkers and simply cut it out. I mounted on a freebie paper from Bearly mine and then on mirri card. The daisies are punched and liquid pearls added to the centres. The gems are again oldies and from my stash. The sentiment is from a set by LOTV and stamped in blue dye ink.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Charisma-all about flowers
Simon says-stitching
I love promarkers-clean and simple
Creative belli-make your own embelli's
Just some lines-layout
Oldie but goodie-anything goes
Digi's with attitude! challenge-anything goes
Try it on tuesday-flower power
pollycraft-celebrations
A spoonful of sugar-sewing
Bearly mine-anything goes
Crissy on sundays digi challenge-DT call

Jog of a memory

Hi all have just been doing a bit of blog hopping and popped across to Michele's at enchanted stamper. She was talking about favourite summer memories and it set me thinking about some of mine. I have quite a few favourites as my birthday is in august and we were usually on holiday in Devon or Cornwall so most of my birthday as were totally chilled and fun even without parties.

My wedding was also in august and in the morning the weather was much like the rain we are having today but in between showers it was dull. The sun started to appear and shine as I walked downstairs in my dress and the rest of the afternoon and evening was glorious.

I think my favourite summer memory would be of my son at about 2 or 3 years old. We were going out for the afternoon with friends and whilst we loaded his pram into the car and as were going for lunch at friends his high chair so he could sit at the table we left him playing the keyboard on the floor by the door where we could see and hear him, as the car was only in the driveway. In the short time it went quiet we flew back in the house to find the cushion he had sat on he had moved off and had collapsed asleep onto it. He stayed like this for the next hour sound asleep and looked quite puzzled waking at our friends house on their sofa.He looked so cute I had to take a picture and it makes me smile whenever I look at it. Now he towers above me at 17 time flies and they grow so fast , why can't children stay cute and cuddly for longer?

Hang on in there....

Hope today finds you all well and fighting fit, wonder what the weather will have in store for us all today.

My card as this is a quick post before I have to be on my way, is another card for my card drive to keep Peter's spirits up. I thought I would try and send him at least one card every few weeks, sad to say as yet haven't received any cards from blog land to help and only a couple of promises, but guess everyone is too busy with their own lives and worlds so hey ho.

This is another fab image by Crissy Armstrong and I just thought it is so appropriate as Peter really has got to hang in there with all the what must be horrible treatments and knowing that at best he will only prolong his life by another 3 years. Must be awful as he has 2 teenage daughters who he knows he is never likely to see blossom into womanhood and marry and have families of their own, just thinking about that would be enough to make anyone feel low.

I thought this image would make him smile to know he has support from his friends as he gets little from his family, and this wee guy is just so bloomin' cute too.

I coloured him with promarkers and the papers are a mix of scraps and bits from a card and scrapbooking kit which I think might be K and Co, but it was from QVC. The fancy edge is simply punched as are the rounded corners and the sentiment hand written in white sakura pen.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Craft your passion-anything goes
Papertake weekly-anything goes
SOS-use something you got in a rak or won(I was lucky enough to win the fab image)
Scrapalicious usa-use turquoise (I used different shades of turquoise)
Dude time-layout
Deep ocean-cards
Crafty Ann's-get well/ thinking of you/just because- hope this counts as its along those lines
Fuzzy wuzzy-get punchy
Stampavie and more-more than 3 layers
Bizzy Becs store blog-borders and frames
cardmad fairy's digi challenge-include an anilal
Crissy Armstrong DT call-see link below

and here's my complete card.

Let's party

Happy wednesday all and time for the new challenge at Penny's.

This time we have some exciting news as we have a new sponsor and she has some super duper cutie images too. Her name is Annie and her company is Digi my world , check her out here. We also have our other sponsor who also has fab images (spoilt for choice we are)  Some odd girl. Now we are all lucky girls as we got to play with a fab image from both companies and I decided that I would let them party together on one card.

My card is for a friends daughter and that is all I can say as I know they frequent blogland so don't want to risk them knowing it's for them. I decided on a gate fold card with my two cuties with balloons welcoming you to party. The images I coloured with Promarkers and the balloons with sakura glaze pens love how they shine. I of course had to add some glitter(stickles), well what girl doesn't like to wear a bit of glitter and sparkle to a party.

The card base I stamped with some stamps from a see-dee stamp set one of the first sets I got and I used brilliance inks for both the stars and swirls. The sentiment is die cut alphabets letters from one of the few dies I have for my bigshot, really should get some more.



Inside the card I used another stamp not sure of the make as its that old the writing or sticker has disappeared and I kept to a similar colour scheme with the exception of the cake which I made chocolate. So come on lets see how you decide to celebrate your birthday.

Ooops should I say our theme is 'Happy Birthday', join our party can't wait to see your creations.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:-
Bling it on-anything goes
Lollipop-anything goes
stamp something -digi
southern girls-childhood memories
Emerald faerie-girly
stamps r us-girly
craft room challenge-
the rubber cafe-birthdays
Timbroscrapmania-birthdays
Bitrthday sundaes-anything goes
Sentimental sundays-anything goes
Dasiy doodles-summer doodles
House of Gilli- lots of sparkle
Cupcake craft challenge-single layer
2 sisters-birthdays

Leo for a leo

well Courageous Carl but still. This is one of Crissy Armstrongs fab images and I just think he is so cute, but still just about manly enough for a male card. My step brother has a birthday that depending on which horoscope you read he is what they call on the cusp and some make him a leo and others a cancer, and I remember when he was little he always got cross if anyone dared to tell him he was a crab and not a lion, so hopefully he will appreciate courageous Carl for that reason. It's quite funny really as he is actually called Carl too.



I decided to have a play and try my hand at a step card, the challenge at crazy for challenges and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. It made it a bit easier being a 'male'card as I could keep it fairly plain. The papers are a mix of ooh la la cd printed ones stitchy  printed ones and from my stash not sure about the make but I think the dotty one is papermania. The plain brown that I distressed with blue ink and scissors use to be a pocket in an A4 cabinet but I love the buff effect and am now only using scraps that are left. The ribbon is the hanging ribbon from a summer top I recently bought. The image is coloured with Promarkers (of course) and the sentiment is a LOTV.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Crazy for challenges-centre step card
Crafty cardmakers-spots and stripes
Digi's with Attitude! challenge-anything goes
2 sisters-birthdays
sketchy colours-layout and colour challenge
Catch the bug-anything goes
Here come the boys-spots and stripes
Allsorts -free and easy
Sundays with Crissy - distress(also have a DT call)
Ladybug -summer birthdays

Summer retirement

Morning peeps hope today is a good one for you. My card this morning is my DT card for our challenge over at creative craft challenges, have to apologise to all you lovelies that entered as Mr Linky wouldn't show me who had entered so I didn't do any commenting though I think a couple of the team could comment as they could see your fab cards and I did manage to comment on the comment entries, but I am told they were all fab .Hopefully I'll have access this time around as we have a brand new blog in the hopes of curing all the problems we have been encountering of late.Please check it out and re-follow us, thanks in anticipation for your continued support.

Another fab challenge lined up for you all and perfect for this time of years well in the northern hemisphere at least 'Pretty blossoms'. Fab sponsors again in the form of LOTV and meljen,and a goody bag provided by our fabby boss lady Sandra.

Now my card well as you may have gathered from my title it's a retirement card for the lady who has been one of my sons NTA's during his time at secondary school.He is sad to see her leave as she has a greater appreciation of what he goes through since having had hip surgery and she will be missed by her greatly. Have to say as she was head NTA he is apprehensive about how things will pan out next year to say the least as he doesn't have a great deal of confidence in how the other staff and possible replacement will understand his needs and abilities more to the point as most of them just don't like to listen to anything he has to say and think they know best (in my opinion from what I have seen and encountered).

My card anyway is coloured with promarkers , background and images with the exception of the wee ladies shoes. Now that has hopefully got you intrigued as I am showing you the image I used , which happens to be a fab freebie meljen let us use, along with the image I used for my border.

The background is a rainbow crafts stamp called twirly daisy and was the same image as one of our prizes from the last challenge, wonder who the lucky winner was , will have to pop over here and check that out.

I kept the card fairly simple though my son says it's not my usual style and is a bit fussy , I just think it's bright and cheerful but hey ho we all have different opinions and my son at least is honest in what he says.The sentiment is a peel-off for ease of use more than anything.

Now I decide to decorate the inside too as this LOTV image just seemed to fit perfectly with the rest of my card and had to colour it in so she was wearing a red had , for the new member of the 'red hat brigade'. hope Mrs H sees the funny side of it, I think she will. again the image is coloured with the same Promarkers and same colours with a few additions, well thought just sticking to orange , yellow and red might look a bit odd.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-


Digi doodles shops best-anything goes
Lollipop challenges-anything goes
Crafty Catz-colours of summer
Alphabet challenge-I for insects
Lexi's challenges-It's a bugs life
By the cute and girly- wings
Stamp something-digi
Paper pretties-colour challenge
Craft us crazy-summer
LOTV-celebrate
MAWTT-here comes summer
CRAFT-gardening
Truely scrumptious-wings
I love promarkers-flowers