Thursday 26 February 2015

Fancy Corners at CCT


It's Thursday so time for another challenge at Cute Card Thursday! This week we want to see some fancy corners on your creations and our sponsor for this challenge is a gift certificate from Sugar Pea Designs. Stop by the CCT blog to read all about it and see what fancy corners the rest of the DT came up with!

Now I have to admit, this card has been sat in my 'almost done' box for a year! I had coloured the tulips (an old Elusive Images stamp) and fussy cut them out before fixing to the fancy cut base.  Even the corners were done, in fact it was all made but looking plain despite the fancy cut work.  I knew it needed something, a bow or a text .. .. but didn't have any ribbon in lilac or the colours in the tulips.  So, thinking white would fit the bill I decided to use some of the Marianne Design Tulle and tied a triple loop bow then fanned it out. My original idea was to keep the card flat for posting, oh well! The bow was certainly what was needed.

The Marianne Design dies I used for this card: LR0236 for the fancy oval mat and LR0285 in the corners. I've chalked the embossed areas through the die with lilac chalk ink. The papers are old pieces from my stash.

I've been crafting a little more over the past few days, some little ones for St Francis so will hopefully be able to share them with you once I've finished titivating! Those little cards sometimes take just as long as a bigger one!

As usual, I'll pin to my Pinterest album very soon. Thinks for stopping by to take a look (((hugs to all))).

Sunday 22 February 2015

Boy or Girl?

I am back again .. .. sorry to miss out with a DT card for this week's Cute Card Thursday floral theme - should be an easy one for everyone to join in.

I spent Monday and Tuesday pottering in the garden, digging up and splitting some of the clumps of ornamental grass I'd planted in the new garden last summer. They had really gotten big and I had to take a saw to cut them in half!  They look good now in the rose bed out the front being blown about in the wind!  I did suffer though with dreadful head and neck ache and consequently dosed myself with paracetamol and ibruprofen just to stay upright!  I really don't want to have to give up gardening, it keeps me sane and gets me out of the house.

The second half of the week I felt I was coming down with something .. .. a lot of it about so they said in the local shop. Thankfully I've had the flu jab otherwise it could be worse .. .. Izzy still needed to be walked though and this morning despite the dreadful weather I felt more like my old self, so hopefully whatever bug it was has given up!

Enough wittering on! I have a couple of simple baby cards to share with you today, they are the tiny 4" square cards I'm making for St Francis Animal shelter, but I might need one myself as I'm still waiting for my decorator to get back to me .. .. baby was due on 2nd Feb and there had been lots of false alarms but still nothing happening by the 10th. I've not seen or heard anything from him since but hope that all went well. This first card is a Marianne Design creation using scraps of paper from the Sweet Baby pack, a little lace trim and some die cut pieces.  I've finished off with pearls and an organza bow.

Now had I been on the ball and up with my DT work, I could have shown this one for the latest Marianne Design Divas challenge, to use ribbons and/or pearls.  Fabulous prizes on offer as always from both Marianne Design and Bunny Zoe. Some fabulous inspiration from the lovely DT ladies and stunning entries too! I always like to take a look and add some to my Pinterest boards.

And this is the baby girl card.  I'd already got the stork coloured and cut out, it's a My Paper World stamp. I found the scraps of Nitwits paper then simple embossed the stitch edge and added the pearls.  There is some sparkle pen on the image but it's not showing up.

So that's my news to date.  Still nothing happening on the house sell and buy front, but I'm in no immediate hurry. Mum seems to have got her memories sorted out now, thankfully, I just have to be careful to look out for wee infections in the future, plus she is now bordering diabetic too but no treatment for it at this stage.  I've just told her she will have to cut back on the chocolate and sweets! Not fair when you are stuck in one room and nearly 90 years old.


Thanks again for stopping by to take a peek, as always I'll add to my Pinterest boards shortly.  I might even get time to finish off a couple more simple little cards if Izzy doesn't want to play ball all afternoon!

Thursday 12 February 2015

Perfectly Pink at CCT

This week at Cute Card Thursday we are going 'Perfectly Pink', and oh boy did I take it literally! Our sponsor for this challenge is Katherina at Whiff of Joy. Please stop by the CCT blog to read about the prize and see the rest of the DTs inspirational makes.

My little girl is a Bildmalarna stamped image I coloured with Copic pens then added the sparkle with Stickles and touches of clear glaze. And here's the card:


The background paper is a scrap from my bit box, the flowers and leaves are Marianne Design die cuts and I've added colour to the clear dome centres and little stars with my Copic pen - works great with the Papermania domed sticky back shapes so now I just buy the clear ones when I see them at Trago, they sell out quick though so I'm not always lucky, guess I'm not the only one that figured out how useful they are!  The picture is looking rather washed out .. .. it's been dull and cold here in Cornwall for the past few days. Despite the snowdrops and crocus coming into bloom and even signs of early primroses, Spring seems a long way off yet.

I used these Marianne Design dies: the flowers are cut from COL1323 and the skeleton leaves from LR0156.

Thanks again for stopping by and sorry I'm not getting around much these days.  I can see that I'm getting some views though, so appreciate that you like to look .. .. and I do try to add my cards to my Pinterest boards as soon as I've blogged them so you might see something there that catches your eye too!


Monday 9 February 2015

New Little Poppets and Paws stamps


I treated myself a few weeks back to a set of new stamps by Cuddly Buddly called Little Poppets and Paws.  Finally, I can share my little creations with you .. .. it's taken a while to get them put together with all the other 'stuff' going on, plus I was determined to use up odds and ends as well.  Here's the individual cards:

This is the little girl with her kitty kat, stamped and coloured with Copics then I've added clear glaze over the flowers in her hair.  The papers are scraps of CB digi designs and the flowers and swirls are Marianne Design die cuts.

There are two main stamps in the clear set, with little texts and a couple extras - the ball of wool on this card and the doggy bones on the next one.

And this is the little boy from the set, this time stamped, coloured with Copics then fussy cut out.  Scraps of old digi papers and Marianne Design die cuts with punched flowers finish this one off.  The base card is an off cut but with the swirls overhanging it will fit in a square envelope.  It's a way of using up bits and making a small dent in my envie stash!

Two more for St Francis animal shelter, I just need to take a drive over to drop off my latest makes!

Not sure of any challenges again .. .. but as I said, I'm crafting for pleasure and de-stressing at the moment.  My decorator has been delayed as baby still hasn't arrived, I do pity his wife as she has been 'ready' for 3 weeks according to the midwife and is now well over-due her due date .. .. I recommended a hot curry! He doesn't want to start my wallpapering and have to rush home mid way through the job, so for now I have time to craft a little more!


Thursday 5 February 2015

Crazy in Love at CCT

Hello again! It's Thursday so time for another challenge at Cute Card Thursday, and this week we are 'Crazy in Love!'

Our sponsor is Bunny Zoe, with a £10 gift voucher to spend in the store, so with Valentine's around the corner come and join in the fun!

I've made another little C6 card for St Francis Animal shelter where I found Izzy .. .. and created a little scene with an old Penny Johnson stamp design for Stampavie and the Summer Scenery set for Don and Daisy at Marianne Design.  I've coloured with Copics .. .. .. here's the card:


The papers are by Nitwits and I've used a Marianne heart die and coordinating stamps for my embellishment along with the little red heart gems.  A simple design, but I like it!

Browsing through my blog role posting list and saw Deb had put a little cutie onto a challenge called 'In the Pink' - not heard of them before but then I've been out of things for a while, anyway thank you Deb for introducing them to me.  Their challenge is for love and hearts, in addition to lots of pink, so hopefully they will like my card too!

Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you again soon!

Monday 2 February 2015

Vintage Sarah Kay

Today I've a vintage Sarah Kay stamped image on my card and as it was such a miserable day when I took the picture I've hit the auto adjust button, which has brightened it a little too much, hey ho!  I can't remember what the stamp was called, but love the image of the little girl and her puppy I've coloured with my Copic pens.

I've made a C6 card as I got a stash of this size at Trago thinking I'd make cards for St Francis charity, but then discovered that most of my newer stamps are far too big! Thankfully some of my oldies are certainly goodies so there's going to be a trip down memory lane with the next few designs on my blog!

Here's the card: not too much to it, just some layers of Nitwits papers that I've added the embossed faux stitching too then inked with Pumice Stone DI. I also put the pink layer through an embossing folder with the rose design and cut the edge with a Marianne Design die.


A few waste hearts and little ivy sprays together with a text and there you have it!

Thanks for stopping by, and see you again later in the week!

Sunday 1 February 2015

Fairy Wishes

Yes, it's me! I've been busy with Mum after another stay in the hospital, and then a week of madly cleaning and tidying up ready for a house valuation.  Rather a disappointing result though, it seems I could have Buckingham Palace here and it wouldn't sell above a certain amount.  It does mean I'm short of what ideally would make a comfortable move closer to my youngest, although not impossible if I'm careful and the price is right on the property I have in mind to renovate to suit Mum and me.  It would be easier for me then to 'get a life' as there would be someone to help out with Mum if I ever wanted to take a craft class or go dancing!

Anyway, after a couple of days of feeling very sad and down in the dumps I got out my crafty stash again and had a play.  This is one of the little cards I've put together with odds and ends from the bit box ready to take to St Francis Charity.  The little fairy is one of the first LOTV stamps I had in my collection and I've coloured her with copic pens then added sparkle and glaze to the flowers.  The background paper I had stuck down on the card for ages, can't remember where it's from but most likely a digi piece, possibly Nitwits. The die cuts are all Marianne Design and the  little bits of lace and odd embellishments are just that, odd!

These are the Marianne Design dies I used:
background mat for my image, and also used to mark out cut for image CR1249
the flower with the stitched centre and inked petals, and the leaves are from the same set.
the border is the matching CR1250
the swirls are from sets LR0111 and LR0116 and the open flower from LR0112.

I hope you like my little fairy card.  I'm not sure of any challenges she would fit, and to be honest, I'm just making things these days for my own amusement as and when the spirit moves and time allows. I've actually got 3 more little creations to share with you, so best get them added and ready to post over the next few days - see you soon!