A quick birthday card

Yesterday we were invited to the 40th birthday picnic for a friend/co-worker of his. I didn't have time to do a card before so had to do it yesterday morning before heading out which left me about an hour. I basically created with what was on my desk and am quite pleased with the outcome. Thankfully she liked it, too. Phew!

Papers, cardstock, ink, stamps and the single pearl are all SU, die for the panel on the side and the single flower and the grass (upper, fussy-cut) are by PTI, seam binding from stash.


Thanks for dropping in again and hope you like tonights offering. I am off to prepare tonights class.

Less is more!

Hello bloggers!
I am SOOOO busy right now, it's crazy! But it's all great stuff!
I got my craft club running and have two classes this week, one was on Monday and the next is tomorrow night. Preparations are all done so it's not too bad but I also got a deadline for my next publication in Creativity! and need to send this off this week as well as my first workshop in the Glitterpot on Saturday.
I am thrilled to be teaching there, but it's daunting to start a new venture. I'll keep you updated on how it goes if you want to know that...
Now on to something more fun than my ramblings... a card for the Less is more challenge. This week it's a one-layer card that focuses on the sentiment. I've been itching to try my hand on one of their challenges, I am very much a LIM girl at heart, maybe sometimes even a little too minimalist. Can't seem to do those beautiful cards with loads of embellishments without it looking silly... maybe I need to try more?
Another thing I've been itching to do is colour the gorgeous crab apple blossom from Ruth of A Passion for Stamps. It's just so nice, but I wasn't sure I could incorporate it into this challenge easily. I first did this card: 

But it doesn't really do the image justice and looks a bit cobbled together... so back to the drawing board.

I printed the image with only 50% opacity to lighten it and wanted to overstamp after colouring with Coloursoft pencils. But even at 50% it looked a bit too dark so I had an idea that I am quite pleased with now, although it's strictly speaking not a one-layer card anymore: I cut a sheet of vellum to fit over the card to soften the image and stamped the sentiment (Stampin up, on both cards) on the vellum with Staz-on ink. 

I am very happy how it looks and hope it still qualifies for the challenge at Less is more! 

The challenge on the Paper Variety blog is flowers, which fits so I am also entering it in this one.

Thanks for looking and even more if you choose to leave a comment!

Spring is in the air!

Hello bloggers,


have you missed me?? *lol* I have been away to visit my parents and an aunt who celebrated her 80th birthday last week. It was a very busy week for me with lots of travelling, organising etc. but fun, too!  I got to see my parents which was lovely and my mum spoilt me rotten. She cooked my favourite foods, took me shopping and eating ice cream! 
But now it's time to go back to "work" and show you a couple of cards I did. Spring has come to this part of England, everywhere there are flowers and colours and lovely smells so I couldn't resist to use these images from Ruth's new release of digis.
Tulips being my favourite flower it was easy to decide to go for that one and I love the look of the Hyacinth as well so had to make a card with that one, too.

The paper I used is by Papermania, as is the ribbon. I paperpieced the blossoms witha  Basic Grey paper (Eva collection) and shaded with Copics. The rest is coloured with Copics as well. Pearls are by SU and I used a Fiskars punch on the tulip card and a MS punch (butterfly) on the Hyacinth card as well as a scalloped border die by PTI. Sentiments are both by PTI.


I am entering into these challenges:
Totally Gorjuss - Challenge 73: Spring has sprung
Prairie Fairy Friday - Oh so spring
Sew many challenges - Challenge 48: Spring fling
Stamp Something - Spring
Creative Stamp Friends - Spring
Stamps R Us - Celebrate spring
Creative Inspirations Paint - Inspired by Flowers

Really quick birthday set...

Hi there bloggers!
Yesterday my little one was invited to a birthday party and although I did get the presents in the morning, I had other things on so I only had about 45 minutes to make a card and wrap the presents.
A bit of a challenge but it worked out fine I think as I made the card in super-speedy 10 minutes and made gift tags to match in a few minutes as well which left me with a good 20 minutes to wrap the presents and grab my kids to head off *lol* 

I used the Mat stack one die as well as the By the Numbers die from PTI, the star punches are Fiskars and SU, the large oval is a punch by SU. Papers are Papermania Capsule Collection Blueberry Pie and I used some ribbon from my stash. Stamps are by PTI, Big Birthday wishes and Border and Corners Ovals. 

As I said, it was very quick, but not too bad, what do you think?

Spring-time!!

Hello bloggers,


Ruth from A Passion for Stamps has got a few new digis out and I couldn't resist this lovely snowdrop image from her spring flowers release. It just is beautiful!

I used a plain white card base that I embossed with polka dots (Papermania embossing folder) and then just coloured the images with Copics and decoupaged some of the petals to give it dimension on the card. I raised the panel with foam dots and added some detail with piercing an edge around the panel. The ribbon is from Stampin' up, as is the sentiment. 
Here is another view so you can see the dimension a bit better:

As I also wanted to play with my new PTI goodies I thought a little bag with those snowdrops would be nice, so I made this:

I printed the snowdrops and coloured them, then cut out with my new mat stack die. I put another SU stamped sentiment on and adhered it to the front of the Favor-it box (also PTI).
Here is the back, where I used my new blooms dies from PTI:

I am entering this into the following challenges:
Papertake weekly - Anything goes
Paper Romance Challenges - Anything goes
Guylous Inimitability - Anything goes
Fun at Fairy Knoll - Feeling a little green
Little Claires Designs - Anything goes
Sentimental Sundays - Anything goes
Dream Valley Challenge - Anything goes
Woodware USA Clear Stamps - Anything goes
House of Gilli - Use green
One Stop Craft Challenge - Spring flowers


I feel like I am cheating a bit with all these "anything goes" challenges, but what the heck *lol*

2nd Mo Manning card for teenager

Back again... ;-)

For this card I matted the image (Copics again) onto dark blue cardstock and added the rounded tap punch out (SU) which was stamped with a star and sentiment by PTI. The light blue card was embossed with a Fiskars embossing plate (music notes) and edged with Faded Jeans Distress Ink. The base of the card was stamped with a music note stamp from Impression Obsession in Not quite Navy ink by SU and edged with Faded Jeans again. I wrapped a bit of twine around a corner to finish.

I am entering this into these challenges:

Bearly Mine - #3 - For Men or Boys

Delightful Challenges - Get Punchy

Samuel Taylors - Copic Chic/Promarker Gal

Craft Your Passion - #44 - Anything Goes

One Stitch At A Time - #48 - Do It With A Digi

Catch The Bug - Anything Goes

Copic Creations - #43 - We're Cool

Little Claire's Designs - #1 - Anything Goes

Stampin' With The Dragon - #19 - Anything Goes

Fuzzy Wuzzy - #6 - Birthday Wishes

Hope you like them and as always, thank you if you choose to leave a comment!

Just noticed I didn't keep it that brief actually... sorry ;-)


Edit: Oops, didn't realise you had to use animals as the subject for Fuzzy Wuzzy... it would help to read those posts properly, wouldn't it? 

Teenage Boys Cards curtsey of Mo Manning

Hi bloggers,


my little one has been very poorly yesterday and gave his bug to me, so I keep this brief as I have a blazing headache...
I had to make 2 birthday cards for teenage boys, one a keen gamer and the other for a music lover, Mo's digital pencil had the perfect images and as I had them coloured ages ago (I mean months, not weeks!) it was very quick work as well! 

I used a Basic Grey paper for the background and mounted the cut out image (which was coloured with Copics) with foam pads to give a bit of depth. The sentiment is by PTI and stamped onto white card that I distressed with Antique Linen Distress Inks. The border on the side was cut by hand with a homemade template. I pricked holes and added faux stitching as well as distressing again with Distress Inks in Antique Linen.

I am entering this in these challenges:

Bearly Mine - #3 - For Men or Boys

Samuel Taylors - Copic Chic/Promarker Gal

Craft Your Passion - #44 - Anything Goes

One Stitch At A Time - #48 - Do It With A Digi

Catch The Bug - Anything Goes

Little Claire's Designs - #1 - Anything Goes

Stampin' With The Dragon - #19 - Anything Goes

Fuzzy Wuzzy - #6 - Birthday Wishes

As I can't post both cards into the same challenge if it's in the same post, I'll repost the second card in a minute....

I have a confession...

Hello bloggers.

This morning I have a confession to make. I am a Gleek. I watch Glee almost religiously. It's on on Monday evenings and I record it as I can't always watch Monday nights.

What I love about it most I guess, is that it makes me laugh, it makes me feel cheery and is lighthearted without being totally superficial. Well, I just watched the latest episode called "Grilled Cheesus" and it started just as I was used to it, very funny. But, without wanting to give anything away to others that still want to watch it without spoilers, it turned into something completely different.

It was still great, but let me tell you, my face is red and blotchy right now and I cried almost for the whole of the show! It's about religion, spirituality and what's sacred in life and although I am not really that religious, that didn't matter. It moved me. Very much.

I guess now I can just expand my earlier statement about Glee to : It makes me laugh AND CRY.

Ok, sorry about this diversion from usual things, I just wanted to get this off my chest. I feel better now and I hope I didn't spoil anything for anyone. On to some cards...

These cards were made for two of my best crafty mates, Julie and Lesley, who came to play earlier this month and whose company makes me happy.

Julie had left a couple of things at mine when she left and I sent them

on to her and took the opportunity to slip in a card for her.

I used the "Studio Style" set by PTI, coloured with Copics and white and red cardstock. The twine ribbon is Pure Poppy by PTI. The little notelet was cut by hand and I made holes with the Crop-o-Dile before snipping them. Some light edging with Antique Linen distress ink and some glossy Accents on the button jar to finish.

Lesley let slip on the day she was here that it was her birthday the week after and because she likes frogs I made her this card:

The frog image was a freebie, but I can't find where from :-( Sorry! He is coloured with Copics and cut with a Spellbinders Label die.

The DP is from my scarp box, the scallops were cut with a PTI border die. The flowers are Primas and punched from a SU punch, buttons are PTI and pearl is from stash.

Sentiment by PTI and I inked the edges with Distress inks in Antique Linen.

Hope you like them!

Multi challenge celebration card

Hello bloggers,

can you tell my new years resolution was to be more active on the old blog? Here I am again with a card I just finished this morning. And I have to say, I love it! Ifound a few challenges I liked the look/sound of and decided I challenge myself to incorporate all of them together with an image I have been itching to use. And the result is this card...

What do you think? I REALLY like it and I rarely say that about my cards.

I am entering in the following challenges:

Simon says stamp and show - Polka dots

Digital Tuesday Challenge - tropical warmth

Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch 85

Creative Inspiration - Celebrate

Truly Scrumptious - Pink, Brown and Green

Delightful Sketches - Celebration

I used one of the adorable images from A Day for Daisies, coloured with Copics, and mainly SU cardstock. The green layer was stamped with Polka Dot Basics by PTI and the sentiment is from PTI as well - Out on a limb sentiments.

Ribbon is from Pebbles and I did some handstitching next to it. The flower is punched from different punches by SU and Woodware.

Pinching...

Hello bloggers!

Last night I shamelessly pinched a card design from the extremely talented Kerry. I just love her style! This one card caught my eye especially and I asked her if I could try my hand on the design.

I didn't have the images she used and my colours are totally different but I did copy the layout basically one-to-one.

It's not nearly as good as Kerry's but I am pleased with the result.

Image is PTI - In bloom, sentiment from SU, both stamped in Hibiscus ink by PTI.

I coloured the flower inners with a white Prisma pencil and the scoring (not very visible on my photo) on the main panel was done on my MS scoreboard.

Copying someone else is really out of my comfort zone, so I am entering this card in the Passion for Papertrey challenge.

A crafty day...

Hello bloggers!

I had a wonderful day on Saturday with my crafty friends Julie and Lesley and after a quick visit to the Glitterpot we played almost all day in my little room.

I was quite industrious and made 6 cards, can you believe it?! But admittedly, most of the images were already coloured in and waiting to be used!

Three of them use the newest images by Ruth from APassionForStamps and I hope I did them justice!

All images were coloured with Copics and I used Nesties for the mats, ribbon and flowers from stash. All sentiment stamps by PTI.

The next card is for a very dear crafty friend who just moved, hoping she doesn't see it before it arrives *hehe*

The image is from the very talented Mo Manning and coloured with Copics again. I used the very technical help of a saucer to make the card shape and twine from SU to give it a bit of a rustic feel. The scallops were done with punched circles.

This image from the wonderful Tammy at ADayForDaisies was coloured with Copics ages ago and I really wanted to use it, so this is my first christmas card for 2011! The strip of glitter s doe with DST, the scalloped edge is a PTI die and the Twine is from Anthropology. Sentiment is from a Paula Pascale set.

This image was done months ago and I didn't know what to do with it until Saturday... The background is done with Distress inks and I stamped a SU stamp on top. Sentiment is from a Personal impression stamp set. I added some tiny pearls to balance and just matted onto grey-blue card.

Lastly (I am sorry you have to endure these mega-posts after me not posting much for ages!!!) two cards I made with a challenge pack from my SU demo Joanne, who is an amazing card maker (go check out her stuff!).

One was done on Saturday, the other yesterday. Supplies almost all by SU.

Sorry about that slightly unfocused picture, I didn't realise at the time and then couldn't stand the thought of having to set up again...

Well, thanks for staying with me for so long and I hope you like what you saw! Night, night for now!

Two cards...

Hello again,

it didn't quite happen to post again the next day but here are a couple of cards I did recently...

I had a christmas fair and it took a bit of my time. Maybe I can share a few pics of the fair with you soon.

This first card is made with a lovely Hanglar stamp coloured with Copic markers. The background was stamped with SU frost white fluid ink onto white card and coloured with Distress inks afterwards. Unfortunately I can't remember where I got the stamp from, it's an unmounted red rubber I bought from the US but can't remember the name, sorry!

The scalloped border is cut from Core'dinations with a PTI die. The mat is also Core'dinations and the ribbon is adhesive backed ribbon from Martha Stewart Crafts. Sentiment is from the PTI set "Signature Greetings" from Dawn McVey.

This next card is rather simple and I took inspiration from a card I saw on a blog a little while ago. Unfortunately I can't remember which one it was, if you know, please let me know so I can give credit! I cut the nativity scene on my cricut and I stamped a greeting on white card and stuck it to the front. The stamp is from the PTI set "A wreath for all seasons" and I drew lines to anchor it on the card.

I hope you like my offerings today and come back soon for more!

A quick birthday card

Hello, me again,

I forgot a birthday card I did for a friend of my hubby from work. She seems to really like my cards I make for her and I hope this one was to her liking as well.

It came together rather quickly with almost all stash from SU. Only the ribbon is East of India Company and the border punch is by Fiskars. I used Lovely Lilac and Soft Suede as well as Naturals Ivory for the base and image panel.

A Mo Card for the DT challenge Blog

Hello Bloggers,

I have had this cool "Big Guy grilling" image for a while and wanted to colour him with a summery feel for a card but after doing this I kind of lost my Mojo for it and didn't know what to do with him. Mo's DT challenge to the rescue! They simply asked for an Easel card with a Mo image and I don't know why but it suddenly all fell into place.

I used some free digi papers I found ages ago (sorry, can't remember when or where) to paper piece his shirt and trousers and added shading with my copic pens which I also used for the rest of the image.

The card base is orange cardstock from SU that I partly stamped in white with PTI "Star Prints" set, the sentiment on the outside is from the same set. It was stamped onto SU wide Twill tape that I wrapped around the card. I cut out different sized stars from blue and light blue card stock that I also used to mat and layer the image. Buttons are Basic Grey and PTI and I used Linen thread to tie knots in them and to wrap around the matting. Sentiment on the inside is from a Hero Arts set.

Hope you like it and I hope the DT on Mo's Blog likes it, too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Quick cards...

Hello fellow bloggers,

I am a little miserable old mum at the moment because I don't get enough crafty time at all lately. I have had the odd half an hour here and there, but nothing "proper" for about two weeks now! Scandal, don't you think?

Well, as I still had to do some swaps and a birthday card to make, they all had to be quickies. I am usually rather not that fond of my quick cards, but some of these turned out better than I expected, considering none of these cards took longer than 45 minutes to make. I hope you agree ;-)

This first card is a birthday card for a friend of my husband. I've met him and he's a very nice guy, so I made him this. It only took 20 minutes, which I'm rather pleased with. I forgot to take a picture of the inside, where I stamped another sentiment in, but it's gone now...

Papers are Basic Grey Archaic, SU linen thread and star punch, Fiskars medium star punch, metal button from stash and sentiment(s) are PTI - Signature Greetings.

This next one is for a very nice lady in Germany that I "met" on a cricut yahoo group. Unfortunately the picture isn't that great, it doesn't show the glaze on parts of the focal image nor the pearlised cardstock or glitterpaper. Hope you still like it and that Ingrid does, too!

Not much I can say about supplies on this as image was donated and I haven't got a make, glitterpaper and pearlised cardstock are from PDA cards and crafts (I think...), I used a Martha Stewart punch set for the rings, Copics for colouring and Diamond Glaze on top, sentiment is from Whiff of Joy and Ribbon I found in the Range, no brand that I can detect, sorry!

This card didn't photograph too well, the base card is actually a leather textured black card with red/pinkish (Mica?) shimmer on it. It was made entirely from scraps and I am rather pleased with the outcome, although it looks better in real life.

The paper I used is Papermania Chatsworth Collection, Ribbon is very old stash, I used a MS border punch and Butterfly punch and a butterfly cutout made with my cricut that I glittered with Stickles. Sentiment is again from PTI - Signature Greetings and I added a couple of heart shaped gems for interest.

This next card was made to fit with the floral challenge on DoCrafts at the moment, which said to focus on a sentiment and put flowers on opposite corners of it. I think this fits the bill.

Paper is Papermania Chatsworth Collection, sentiment from My Sentiments exactly, placed on a cricut cut out. Flowers are from stash and I added some ivory and cappuccino coloured half pearls in the flower centers and around the card. The ribbon is recycled from a T-Shirt...

I liked the feel of those colours and made another card in a similar style but still different.

No flowers this time but some nice little birdies.

Papers are again Papermania Chatsworth Collection, sentiment is from PTI set "Out on a Limb Sentiments" on a cricut cutout that I threaded some more recycled ribbon through. The birds on branches are from an SU punch.