Thursday 27 June 2013

One I made earlier

Hello! and welcome to my new followers and old friends.  I'm sorry I've not been posting for a while, unfortunately I'm struggling with the ME again and having to take things easy. Plus, we are back to the lounge DIY so once again my craft stash is back in the sideboard.

Today see's the new Cute Card Thursday challenge - fly like a bird - and I had something in mind but just couldn't get it made so apologies to my DT friends for not joining you this week.  We are sponsored for this challenge by Alota Stamps, please stop by the CCT blog to read all about it.

So, on to the card I do have to show you today, this is one  I had almost made earlier.  The cute Bildmalarna stamp was a gift from a dear crafting friend ages ago, but I am sad to say that after initially stamping and starting to colour her in, she then sat in my bit box .. .. ..  I've had to darken the colours with my Copics as they had faded quite a bit, and then I put this card together.


Keeping to my resolution I've used papers from an old K&Co classic pad and made the base card from SU! Certainly Celery card that sadly is going to be discontinued! I've used my Marianne Design LR0161 die to create the faux stitching around the edge of my layers and gently inked with Sahara Sand Versamagic chalk ink.  As the paper is double sided the pretty flowers created from CR1203 have added interest.  Other Marianne Design dies I've used are LR0156 for the skeleton leaves, the flower stamens and swirls from LR0111, tiny flowers from the little stamen in LR0142, and the tag created from LR0187.  When it came to the finishing touches I simply added the little organza bow to the tag and fished out my pearl pen - unfortunately it blobbed and ran and caused me all kinds of problems - I think it got to warm out in the conservatory.  Thankfully I had a new one so was able to fix things in the centre of the large flowers, hopefully the little ones look ok, now I must remember to move the rest of the pens!

As I've not even switched on the computer since last Friday, I have no idea what topics the challenge blogs have running - but a quick scan down my reading list and I could see that Creative Inspirations challenge for anything goes with a touch of ribbon might be one to enter, and Stampin' for the Weekend also have an anything goes theme, while at Totally Gorjuss it's a birthday theme.

Well, that's it from me folks for a wee while.  I have no more half finished bits and bobs in my box so can't throw anything else together!  I am hoping that when the new Marianne Design July dies I have pre-ordered from Crafts U Love arrive, my mojo and crafting urges will return, but saying that I still haven't really had a play with the June dies - ah well, I am sure I will be back in a little while but for now I just need a bit more R&R in the sunshine.  Whatever you are doing this weekend, enjoy! and I hope the sun shines for you.

Byeee!

Friday 21 June 2013

Flowers and Bows

The next challenge over on the Totally Paper Crafts blog for team A (my team) is for flowers and bows.  Easy peasy I can here you say .. .. so how come I found it so hard!  None of the images that I had coloured up already seamed quite right so in the end I just made a card from die cuts - I call it my almost WOW wedding card, although I decided not to add a greeting so it could be used for any loving occasion.

There are two sponsors for this challenge, most exciting is Lili of the Valley, please visit the TPC blog to read all about it.


Here's my card.  I die cut a blank from white card with the plain scallop Marianne Design die LR0236 making sure it would open, then I cut another piece from the dusky pink card to fit on top. This makes a card that will fit in a C6 envelope so not very big, but then with the embellishments off the edge it will need a bigger envie/box any way. The pretty lattice layer is cut from textured white card and behind it is a layer of patterned paper I cut by drawing around the lattice die and then making sure I cut inside the lines.  The paper is an ancient piece from my 12x12 box with no name so I don't know who it is by, I think I must have got it when the Saltash craft shop closed years ago.  I've misplaced the middle die from this set that would cut out a piece for the centre, so I had to fiddle about cutting a section with the lattice die and cutting off the bits I didn't want .. .. I'll have to have a good look for the missing die, but saying that, this way the patterned paper piece fits perfectly on top of the lattice section - the die would have cut it smaller.

To decorate I cut my favourite flower die CR1203 from pearl paper and made the flowers.  The sprays are from the same lattice set, the leaves are from LR0226 and the hearts are one of the dies in LR0159.  The tiny hearts are waste from the snowflake doily die I used a few weeks back and the butterflies are the Nellie's Choice punch and emboss mini set.  To finish I tied a double bow from satin ribbon and added the little pearls.

I want to get a die set that I can use for making shaped card blanks and have been looking at the various ones by Go Kreate, but will have to restrict myself to the sizes that work with my Cuttlebug - the larger ones are obviously too big to fit.  Do you have any recommendations or favourites?

A Creative Romance challenge is not to be square so I can enter my almost WOW card with them.

Thursday 20 June 2013

In the Summer Time

Our challenge this week at Cute Card Thursday is 'In the Summer Time' - of course, now that song is going round and round in my head and fortunately the weather is still fine, for a few more hours at least according to the weather man. Our sponsor for this challenge is Whimsy Stamps - stop by the CCT blog to read all about the prize.

For my card I chose one of my older Sarah Kay stamps as watering the flowers in my garden is certainly one of the pleasures of my Summer Time.  This stamp is called Bernadette in her garden and is coloured with Copics in soft summer colours.



And here is my card.  I'm still sticking to my resolution to use up my existing paper stash and found I had printed out these pretty pieces by Nitwits onto cream paper ages ago.  I had a piece from the Thimbles Too collection large enough to cover the front of my cream base card then added little bits and pieces that were left from the Spring Whimsy Too collection I had used on previous makes.  Rather than add to the weight of the card by matting, I've simply dragged a brown chalk ink pad around the edges so that each one stands out.  I've die cut the pretty oval Marianne Design shape to mat my image then added the die cut swirls and punched flowers and butterflies, finishing off with the little pearls and a tiny LOTV text.

The Marianne Design oval is cut from LR0240 and the leafy sprays are from LR0271.  I've used the MS Hydrangea punch to create my flowers and the little butterflies are a Nellie's Choice punch and emboss set.

I couldn't find any challenges to link my card with so do let me know if you can think of any.  I am having to clear the craft table again so I can get my sewing machine out - my bargain quilt cover is 6" too long (probably why it was a bargain) so I need to shorten it before fitting it to the duvet I'm taking with me at the weekend in the hope to be camping out .. .. not so sure about the weather though and if it looks like rain I will stay on the lemonade and come home to a comfy bed.  Fingers crossed though for a wonderful Mid-Summer weekend and large glasses of chilled Pims!


Monday 17 June 2013

Hokey Pokey


This little cutie is a stamp by Nellie's Choice called Hokey Pokey, and is another of the images that I coloured up last year but never got around to doing anything with.  I've had to touch up the colours as, disappointingly, Copics do fade over time.

Keeping to my double resolution to make at least one Christmas card a week and not to buy any more patterned papers, I had to rummage about to find things that would match the colouring.  I've settled for the classic K&Co pack of double sided 12x12 thick papers that I've had for years - so it's about time I got them cut up!

So here's the card - a kraft base then layers of the pp matted with cream textured card, however, it makes for a heavy weight finished article so not one for the post!  I've used my favourite Versamagic chalk ink for adding highlights to the embossed areas on the die cut holly leaves and for inking the edges of my layers and the snowflake - I get on better with the chalk ink than I do with the DI.  Of course my die cuts are by Marianne Design: the mini poinsettias are created from LR0142, the holly bough is LR0244, and the snowflake is from LR0125.  The little bit of cream edging you can see is cut with the new die CR1250. The tiny flowers are punched from a MS hydrangea punch and I've finished of with pink pearls.

I've tried to catch up with the blog challenges this morning - it takes a while with my steam driven pc! Fortunately the Created With Love challenge has just been posted and it's for your favourite things .. .. mine is the Marianne Design dies and of course my Copics so at least I found one challenge I can enter with my festive card.

I've been dealing with hassle yet again after Mum's latest hospital visit - the doctor was very nice and patient with Mum especially as we were there for over 2 hours.  However, there was a mix up with the paper work resulting in Mum getting notes and a prescription in someone else's name!  I think I have it sorted out but potentially it could have been very dangerous - I am not sure who got Mum's notes though.  I eventually got the right prescription for eye drops for her glaucoma and am waiting for the appointment for her laser eye surgery to come through .. .. .  I did manage to get some clothes shopping done on Saturday with DH driving me to Kernow Mill, sadly he didn't stay for the whole weekend so I've not had the opportunity to dress up and go out anywhere nice.  I am waiting now for the sun to break through and dry out the garden before I venture to find out what has survived the high winds we have had for the past couple of days - hopefully it will be dry for a day or two now so I can get the grass cut before mid summer!  I can't believe that half the year has almost gone and by this time next week the days will be getting shorter again .. ..

Thursday 13 June 2013

Fairytales at CCT



Our new theme over on the Cute Card Thursday blog is:  Once Upon a Time .. .. interpret as you like.  Our sponsor for this challenge is Katharina from Whiff of Joy, see the CCT blog for details.

I have inked up one of my older stamps from a clear Kanban set with the story of the Princess and the Frog in my mind .. .. I hope you will like the card.  I've coloured the image with my Copics and added lots of Stickles, after all a fairy has to sparkle!


Here's my card.  I've used SU! card in Certainly Celery and Primrose Petals to mat my image and the piece of patterned paper by Nitwits, edging both with embossed faux stitches.  The little hearts and text are on the same stamp sheet so I added them then kept the decoration quite simple with pretty daisy lace and ric rac braid and a few Marianne die cut leaves from LR0226.

I found some challenges to enter with my card:  the My Time To Craft blog challenge is also for a fairytale creation, Stamp with Fun would like to see green and pink creations, whist Kreative Stamping Friends and Fab 'n'Funky are both looking for birthday cards.

Monday 10 June 2013

Sharing a Biscuit

I have another Christmas card to share with you .. .. I reckon I need to make at least one a week between now and the Festive Season if I'm not to panic at the last minute!  This little cutie is a Nellie's Choice Dawn clear stamp and was originally coloured up last year .. .. so I just added a few extra touches with my Copics and a little inking with Spun Sugar DI, plus of course some festive sparkle.  Finding a matching pp was a bit of a struggle but keeping to my resolution not to go buying any more, I made do with this little piece of polka dot paper and embossed some white card with my CB snowflake die and adding more ink to match.

I got a little bit carried away with my die cuts and more or less covered up the polka dot organza ribbon in the process .. .. you can still see the bow though.  All the dies are by Marianne Design and the embossed areas are coloured with the Spun Sugar DI - here's the list: of dies I used:

text greeting LR0225
mini poinsettias LR0142
straight poinsettia LR0122
snowflake doilly with waste hearts added at the side LR0185
twigs LR0245

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge is to use dies or punches this time - yep got the dies ok! and the Created With Love blog challenge is anything goes!

Saturday 8 June 2013

Wee Heidi with sledge

I have had this darling Wee stamps Heidi with Sledge in my digi collection for ages, but as both the printers here are playing up I could only get her to print out really small. Colouring then became a bit of a challenge with my poor eyesight but I managed with my Copics to stay within the lines.

We are looking into getting a new printer, one that is wire free so both Jason and I can send stuff to it to print off - and it could even be in a different room.  It obviously needs to have a good resolution for my digi papers and images, plus not cost an arm and a leg for decent ink or take up too much room .. .. all suggestions gratefully received.


Here is the card, another of the USA small sizes in a tent fold to fit the stash of envies I need to use up.  And talking of using up stuff, I have decided that I don't need any more Christmas papers - I have enough to last me several years of crafting!  Instead I will just treat myself to new dies .. .. which is what you can see on this card.  The pretty fancy square is one of the new Craftables from Marianne Design that creates the holes ready for you to stitch - this one is CR1249.  I have added silver stitching and cut out my image to fit inside the fancy frame, then 3d mounted it on to the card.  The paper is a very old magazine freebie piece from my stash and I've used Marina Mist and Bashful Blue card from SU! for matting and die cutting, along with a little silver snowflake as well.  Sorry the picture is so dark, I took it early in the morning before the sun had come around and it's not showing up the extra glitter sparkle I added to the pp over the snowflake, or the glitter on the image and around the text.

The challenge at Fun With Shapes and More is for stitching - perfect!

And the reason for me being up so early, well after having DH staying for the past week because he had work in the area and it was too hot for the dogs to be out with him in the van - things blew up again last night and he walked out at midnight.  I shan't bore you with the details except to say I am ok and resisting the urge to blub.  I will survive.  I am trying to think positively about things I could be doing .. .. places I could visit .. .. scary on my own but it's gotta be done.  Next weekend there's a new craft centre opening at Merrymeet near Liskeard so that's something to look forward to.  There's a craft shop in St Austell that runs classes that I've been meaning to try and get too .. .. then there are my friends back in Saltash that I've hardly seen since I moved here.  I have to leave Mum to her own devices and ignore her 'I'm not feeling too good today' and get on with my life or I could be stuck here for the next 10 years turning into a reclusive grumpy old woman!

Friday 7 June 2013

Lost Christmas


Well it could be Last Christmas, because that is when I coloured up this cute little Penny Black mouse, but then he got lost .. .. .. but when tidying up I found him again and put this little card together for the Totally Papercrafts challenge set by me, to use 3 or more different punches or dies.  As I've not be around much lately, and that situation, although improving, is still unchanged, Carol is hosting the challenge for me - Thank You dear! Our sponsor for this challenge is Meljen - so plenty to inspire you on the TPC blog.


And here is the card.  I've taken a piece of freebie magazine paper that is a Marianne Design with the look of more than one layer, but of course is not, matted with red card and fixed to my white base.  The little mouse has a red scallop circle mat then is fixed to a white textured card cut with Marianne Design die LR0129.  Beneath that the larger scallops in red and white and the little corner trims are all from die LR0180.  I've just added the little pearls to the corner trims to finish things off.  Keeping it simple and unadorned so the image pops out of the fancy die cut shapes, plus it will go through the post!

The ABC Christmas challenge is up to the letter K = kept safe - I could argue that the little mouse was kept safe from last year - so safe I'd forgotten where I'd put him!  The Charisma Cardz challenge is for tons of layers, well some of mine might be faked (the paper) but the die cuts total 4 plus the image = 5, then the paper and mat brings it up to 7 - hopefully that's enough!

Thursday 6 June 2013

Ebony and Ivory

Good Morning from a bright and sunny Cornwall! My garden is starting to bloom and Jason is busy building a deck in an area that catches the afternoon sunshine .. .. it's going to be a suntrap he says so best make a hole for the umbrella!

Today we have a new challenge for you at Cute Card Thursday, it's a colour theme = Ebony and Ivory, and we have our regular sponsor Nikki at Bunny Zoe's Crafts for this challenge.  Nikki stocks Marianne Design products so you can find the dies I've used to create my card in the store here.

I am slowly getting my craft stash back and managed to find some card stock in appropriate colours and a little pearl ivory paper to create my flowers from the smaller flower die in set CR1203 finishing them off with black pearls from my stash - they are so pretty and are my favourite way to make flowers - I have a tutorial here.


And here's the card: my base is a plain square ivory then I layered a black piece of textured paper over it before adding the ivory fancy die cut square - LR0234.  On top of that I've cut the ivy circlet - CR1213 from the black textured paper, although the embossed areas are not showing up.  This is an intricate die and doesn't cut well from thicker card but cut the heavy weight paper beautifully.  I've also cut the ivy spay and bird, with bird box - LR0206, and the leaves - LR0226 from the same paper.  To finish I've simply stamped the text in black, added a couple of black pearls and the pretty ivory bow.

Just the one challenge to enter with my creation today - another for Marianne's Design Divas to get your dies out - thankfully you can enter as many times as you like!


Tuesday 4 June 2013

Christmas is coming!


Are you surprised to see me posting again so soon!  Well, although I still can't get at my stamps and Copics to play, I did come across this little owl I had already coloured up for last Christmas but never got around to using.  He is from a set of clear stamps by Eline for Marianne Design, and the papers and diecuts are also Marianne Design, as well as the little piece of blue lace I tied in a bow.

The Marianne Design dies I've used on this card are: star CR1226, mat for owl  from LR0180, fronds from LR0107, leaves from Anja's leaves 1 LR0226.

Here's the card .. .. I have a selection of USA size envelopes ( a bit smaller than our C6) so cut a blank tent fold card from white card stock to fit.  Then I've added the layers - more than six for the Holly Jolly Christmas challenge - and finished off with the bow and die cut leaves and fronds.  I've fixed the star layer, the owl layer and the text with 1mm foam tape to give some dimension, but with the bow it will be too thick for the 'ordinary' postage slot so I will probably use this festive card for one of our neighbours.

Marinane's Design Divas challenge to get your dies out is still running so I can enter again, and over at the Papertake Weekly blog it's an anything goes challenge week so I can enter with them too.


And whilst I was sorting out some of Mum's things to settle her in to her new room, I came across a very old empty Yardley jar .. .. not sure what it contained originally but it has a pretty scallop design and looks sweet with a few blossoms from my garden.  The freesias smell gorgeous and the little white sprays have a perfume too, the little pink Sweet William should be perfumed but it's rather subtle, however, the combination is making my desk here feel decidedly like summer!