Wishing you happiness...

After two weeks with the 'flu and a couple of days without internet access I'm finally here to wish everyone 'Season's Greetings!'

Just looked out of the window to discover it is snowing... ALOT!
Keep warm and happy and healthy... and creative too!

A case of CASE-ing...

Boo hoo, I'm poorly again and have had to succumb and rest up for the day. Thankfully, I have my PC and Blogland to keep me company.

I thought I'd share a little card I made after seeing the super talented Jennifer Mullens' adorable make in the November Craft Stamper Magazine. I can't say this card is 'Inspired by...' as it is an out-and-out CASE but I thought I'd share it as it shows what you can achieve with similar sized stamps to the ones Jennifer used.

I'm loving my new Stitched Border dies as they give a beautifully professional finish. I printed the sentiment on the computer. The little cups are from Lawn Fawn's Love You A Latte set which is getting plenty of use right now.

I thought I'd used the colour palette from the current  Less is More Challenge  but having just opened the site to link up I'm disappointed to discover I've chosen the wrong shade of green. I hope the girl's will forgive me as I purposefully picked my Promarkers to enable me to play along. Doh!

Have a happy day everyone, I'm off to climb into my PJs and return to bed!

November Card Chain Challenge Reveal

It's reveal time again for the Card Chain Challenge.
I sent this little slice of craziness to my recipient, Nicole in the Netherlands:

I doubt if you can tell but the little The Alley Way bird in the foreground has Diamond Glaze 'tears' in his eyes!

I received a totally gorgeous and oh, so girly card from my long time blogging buddy Monika in Germany. You can see Monika's card and the creations of the other participants over at Deborah's blog. There won't be a December Challenge due to the holiday season but you can sign up for the January Challenge after Sunday 7th December here. As always, a very big 'thank you' to Deborah for all the hard work she undertakes in organising this fun challenge.

Happy crafting everyone!

Winter Holidays!

Hands up if you are crazeeeeeeeeeeeee busy right now? Yup, thought so... 

With the festive season very nearly upon us and so many other holidays fast-approaching (Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, New Years) who isn't especially busy this time of year trying to keep up with everything. To try and ease the pressure Tobi and the Naughty or Nice gang want to keep this month's challenge nice and simple so we're going with: Create a Winter Holiday Card.

I enjoy making comical cards for my friends and family and often start by searching for a funny saying or quote. I Googled 'funny Christmas quotes' to get some inspiration. Let's just say that most of the 'quotes' were X-rated and leave it there but at least I found one I knew I could work with!

I printed the quote on my computer and used my trusty stamp positioner to add the image. I masked off the wording on an Emerson Quillin Stamp and coloured with Promarkers. The holly leaves are from a Penny Black stamp found (eventually) in the depths of my Christmas stamp box. I added some tiny red gems as holly berries and gave her some tiny gem earrings too.

Take a look over at Naughty or Nice December Challenge to see what naughtiness my lovely teamies have cooked up. Now all I have to do is decide who to send this card to... 

On the Naughty List!

Hi everyone, sorry that I have been lying low recently but I've been poorly with severe back and neck pain AND a heavy cold.

Today I finished a card that had been sitting on my workdesk for a couple of weeks.

I stamped the sentiment from Wplus9 'Lucky Stars' in Versamark, clear embossed and then created a night sky with Distress Inks. The tiny stars were added with paint. I fussy cut the cat (from Eat Cake Graphics) and added the candy cane from Lawn Fawn's 'Love you a Latte' set.


Here's the inside of the card.

I hope the recipient gets the joke that kitty needs an alibi because he broke the baubles while snatching the candy cane from the tree. This little cat  is definitely on the Naughty List... and therefore a perfect reminder that there are just a few days left until the Festive Furballs Challenge closes on Tuesday 25th November over at Naughty or Nice. Come on over and show us your naughty side...

Have a good weekend, and happy crafting!

Festive Furballs!

And cue the whooping and hollering.... yes, its official: I'm a troublemaker!
I'm doing a 'guess-who-made-the-design-team-for-the Naughty or Nice Challenge-dance' right now.
A big thank you to Tobi and the gang for being so welcoming and friendly. I'm still feeling very new and nervous but the girls are making us newbies feel right at home.

The challenge for November is a super fun one: Holiday Animals.

Plenty of scope for those adorable NICE cards and for those very NAUGHTY ones too!

I couldn't resist breaking out this cute little kitty from Stampendous for a CAS watercolour card. I've coloured him to look like Custard but to be honest the amazing Mr C. is a model of restraint around our Christmas tree.

My first effort went into the bin when the Distress inks 'spread' too much. I stamped a second image using Versafine ink and clear embossed. This meant the inks stayed just where I wanted them.

Why not head on over to the Naughty or Nice blog to see the gorgeousness the Troublemakers have created with this fun theme...

October Card Chain Challenge Reveal

November.... Seriously, who stole October and the other months in 2014???

OK, so I might just be a teeny bit in denial about just how far through this year we are but one thing I am sure about is that the October Card Chain Challenge Reveal is one of the best yet!

I sent this little card to Nancy in New York (I'm so in love with these little Lawn Fawn cups)

and was lucky enough to receive this little piece of spooktacular fun from Lucille in Colorado.

The October chain had a grand total of thirty-four participants. This is a challenge where we all get to be the design team AND we 'win' a gorgeous handmade card from the person below us in the chain. All the participants are super friendly and you often find a little gift tucked in with your card when it arrives, which is a sweet bonus!
I'm heading over to Deborah's to sign up for the November Challenge, so why not follow me there and join in the fun!

Thanks a latte!

Hi, everyone, sorry to have been absent for a little while. Work has been very busy plus I've been laid up with a bad back. It was great to finally sit at my workdesk again this afternoon. I'm still very sore but at least I managed some crafting!
And what fun I had using the little coffee-to-go cups from Lawn Fawn's Love you a Latte set. So, so cute.

I printed the top phrase on the PC and then added the thank you stamp from a very old Hero Arts set.

I love all the little bits and pieces and details that you get in this stamp set: those little faces are genius!

I've created this card to link up over at the October Naughty and Nice Challenge. The theme is 'give thanks' so I thought a cheeky thank you card would be perfect to join in the fun!

Tobi and the gang have got a DT call out until the end of today. I've been a big fan of this fun challenge since day #1 so have decided to throw my hat into the ring and apply for a DT place. There would certainly be a nip o' something in my coffee to celebrate if I made the team!

Have a great weekend and happy crafting!

September Card Chain Challenge

Yay, I'm right on the money time-wise for the September reveal! I think this is the first time ever.

Here's the card I sent to my recipient Nikki.

Don't you just LOVE this little Mama Elephant cutie? She is my homage to Nikki's uber cute card made using the same set. The card I'm to receive is still winging its way across the sea from Sabrina in California but I've had a sneak peek and can't wait for it to arrive.

If you are thinking of taking part in a Card Chain Challenge I'd advise you to jump right in. We're a friendly little community and Deborah is a witty and genial host. I've made some great new blogging buddies as a result but be warned, this challenge is totally, TOTALLY addictive! The October sign-up page is here.

Happy crafting everyone.

The same but different...

Hi everyone, and a happy Sunday to you all.

Today I'm sharing a card made using my favourite stamp from the lovely Paper Smooches  set 'Leafy Greens'. I'm more than a little obsessed with this image and haven't inked up any of the other stamps in this set as yet.

The design is pretty much the same as the second card featured in this post a few weeks ago, I've just used different stamps and colours.

I'm linking this card with the lovely ladies over at Seize the Birthday. I was also going to link-up with the Anything Goes Challenge at Paper Smooches Sparks, but I missed the deadline. However there's a very tempting sketch on offer for the new challenge which is calling my name. The inspiration cards are as brilliant as always.

We're enjoying some unseasonably bright, warm weather in the UK today so please excuse me as I slip away to enjoy a little more of it!

Happy crafting everyone!

Here's one I made earlier...

I've been in two minds about whether to share this card. A few weeks ago I discovered a colleague was about to celebrate her Silver Wedding anniversary and had to get super speedy with the crafting as it turned out to be the next day! However 'super speedy' doesn't always make for a good end result.

All that said, this is the perfect Tiddlyinks image for the happy couple as Jayne teaches dance where I work, and wears her hair in a neat little bob. I tried to colour the image in grey tones but it looked rather washed-out, so I decided to 'pep it up' with some turquoise highlights and pretty papers. 

Thankfully Jayne loved the card and even did a beautifully choreographed happy dance to prove it!

Happy crafting everyone!

Very revealing...

Its the August Card Chain Challenge reveal!

Here's the card I sent to Oreet, who was my recipient this month. I decided to go bright and cheery... and totally whimsical with this cute stamp from Tara Wakefield. As always the big reveal over at Deborah's is well worth a visit as there are some very talented crafters who take part each month.

My sender for August was Dawn in NZ. I love her sweet Tiddlyinks card, as does my mom who would have quite happily taken it home with her if I had agreed!
.

The Card Chain Challenge runs each month under Deborah's watchful eye and if you click here you can go and sign up for her September Challenge. This month she has bagged another fabulous challenge sponsor meaning one lucky participant will be winning some gorgeous Lawn Fawn goodies at the end of September.

Finally, to further enhance my credentials as a crazy cat lady I'll point you in the direction of this fabulous post over at The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee. Scroll through and enjoy all of the sweet kitten photographs but pause at picture #5 to see the world's happiest kitten ever! Guaranteed to brighten your day and melt even the hardest non-kitten-loving heart.

Happy crafting everyone.

A Sunny Sunday Morning

Hi everyone, I hope your Sunday is as bright and sunny as it is here!

I had a little time to get crafting yesterday while Hubby went to the football so I broke out one of my favourite stamp sets: Ranunculus by Stampendous. I need a batch of birthday cards to see me through September and October so decided to check out the challenge over at Seize the Birthday. This week the topping is 'black and white' and the DT girls have really pulled out all the stops with a fabulous selection of inspiration. I was especially taken with Janet's beautiful card and decided to have a go at the technique she'd  used.

Janet's original is stunning and so well made. My homage (or CASE!) is a little shaky but I think it's ok as a first attempt. Stamping across three layers proved to be difficult and in places I had to ink-in the lines that were faint or missing.

My second card uses the same stamp but this time I embossed in gold and added a die-cut. I think this card would also work well as a wedding or anniversary card in these colours.

Finally, here is a slightly blurry picture I snapped out in the garden earlier.

It really is begging for a caption so feel free to leave one as a comment if the spirit moves you!

Back to school/work tomorrow: where did the summer go?

Pandamonium too!

I'm road testing a new camera so please forgive that I am back to post a companion card to the one I posted yesterday.

While I was setting up my card a single leaf twirled down beside it. I liked that it matched my colour scheme so left it where it landed.

Looks like the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness isn't too far away.

Pandamonium

Here I am again ready to share a card AND some holiday pictures.

If you want to skip the holiday pictures just take a quick peek at this rather cute card made using the Pandamonium Clear Stamps from Mama Elephant, The pandas, lanterns and sentiments are adorable and this set requires very little colouring or fussy cutting. I created the background using an embossing folder and Distress inks. Unfortunately, after assembling the card I added too many sequins but never mind.

So now for the holiday news... We are just back from a lovely break in the tranquil town of Cavtat in Croatia.  We stayed in an enormous hotel (unusual for us) and lazed around eating too much and enjoying the scenery. Here is the view across the bay from our hotel.

We visited beautiful Dubrovnik by boat.

 And went up in the cable car for a breathtaking view and a rather tasty lunch.

Each day the harbour in Cavtat was full of an assortment of truly amazing boats. Here's the one I'll be buying when my lottery numbers come up! If I look a bit bedraggled it's because we were drenched  by a wave on the return trip from Dubrovnik. We were quite literally soaked to the skin so thank goodness it was really warm and sunny.

If only every day could be like this...

July Card Chain Challenge Reveal

I am always, always late in posting my 'reveal' for Deborah Card Chain Challenge!

Here is the card I sent to the lovely Joy.

I hadn't inked up a Gorjuss Girl in ages so decided to use a Santoro cling stamp bought in a sale a while ago. Unfortunately, I discovered that the cling part of the stamp was really tacky and had stuck to the packaging. Perhaps this is why the stamp was in the sale? Luckily, it doesn't seem to have damaged the stamp, just the illustration but you might want to check your own stamps by this manufacturer just in case.

After stamping the main image I carefully masked it so I could create a background using Hero Arts stamps with Versacolour ink in grey and silver, with highlights of blue. These were Deborah's colours for July and I have to say that I love this pretty colour combo.
I was lucky enough to receive a card from Mynette in Kansas, USA this month and am very proud to have such a pretty card sitting on  my mantelpiece!

You can sign up for the August Card Chain Challenge over at Deborah's blog. I've made some lovely new blogging buddies through taking part in this challenge and would urge everyone to give it a go.

Finally, I thought I'd share a picture of the amazing Mr C.
Sweet Custard the cat has a choice of four sofas, some soft rugs, and three cat beds for snoozing during the day but right now he seems to prefer a dusty patch of garden. Guess who was given a thorough brushing before he was allowed in the house...

Have a happy day!

Trying something new... Part 2

Good morning everyone, I hope that you are all well and finding time to get crafty!
I really should be sanding and repainting the window sill in the back bedroom today but once again my stamps and inks are calling.

Here's a little card made using the beautiful little background stamp 'Tiny Triangles' by Neat and Tangled. I started by colouring some watercolour paper with Picked Raspberry Distress ink and then spritzing with water. Once this was dry I stamped in Versamark and embossed in gold.
The gorgeous Peace stamp is an oldie from Dawn Houser for Inkadinkadoo. I have had this stamp for a very long time but have never really known what to do with it until now.

To finish the card I added sequins and tiny gems, twirled some thread and mounted on black cardstock. I think this works well as an alternative style Christmas card so I'm linking up with The Sparkles Monthly Challenge: Christmas in July and Christmas Card Challenges: Anything goes.

Now then: window sill or crafting? Its a hard choice. Perhaps I'll just have a cuppa while I decide...

Scared to share... trying something new Part 1

Seriously, please be kind... this is the first card of this style I have ever made. Yes, it shows but I think I'll try making more and hopefully improve.

I've been loving all the gorgeous embossing folder/Distress ink backgrounds that Karen  has delighted us with recently. I decided to give this technique a try and accidentally added far too much water! However, as I quite like the super swooshy effect I used it anyway.

I'm sorry that these pictures are so poor. My Dad has offered me his very posh (and rather complicated) camera and I think its time to accept his kind offer so I can take better pictures.

Although I feel very shy about this card I'm taking a deep breathe and linking up with the lovely ladies at Seize the Birthday; their topping this week is String or Twine.

Have a happy day everyone, I'm off to play with my embossing folders again!

School's out for Summer!

Ah, the school holidays... Or as I like to call them my 'Six Week Summer Craft-fest!'
Yes, in the words of Alice Cooper "School's out for summer." On Friday we said goodbye to our lovely Year Six children in an emotional leavers assembly (I blubbed throughout) and have now broken-up for the summer hols.

My plans for the summer are simple: relax, make things, read (lots), see friends and family, hangout with the cat and go on holiday to Croatia with my DH. Sounds good, huh?

Here's a very simple card made using Krista's 2000 Facebook followers freebie.
Isn't she adorable?

I printed her out and also printed a mask on a long Post-it note. This was so I could add the coffee cups background and quote from a set called Smell the Coffee from Impression Obsession. This is quite an old clear stamp set and doesn't seem to widely available anymore. I've only made one other card using this set, which is odd as I think the images are gorgeous. You can expect to see a few more cards using these images! BTW, the colours look really weird on the screen, especially the base card which is actually deep pink and matches her lip colour.

So, I'm booking my place on the sofa between hubby and the cat for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth games tonight, despite having only just recovered from The World Cup and Wimbledon.

Happy crafting everyone!

Black and white...

Two posts in as many days... I'll wager you're nearly as shocked as I am!
I had to post this card (made yesterday) after I found Godelieve had posted this little piece of fabulousness to celebrate her 200th make in her Black and White series. Big congratulations to Godelieve for reaching this creative milestone in truly glorious fashion.

This card was made as a birthday card but I'm not sure if it isn't a little too sombre: or does the 'pop' of red give it enough lift?

Right then, now I'm off to paint my toenails and do some ironing. There's a busy week ahead at school with the annual end of term production on Monday and Tuesday. This year the children are performing 'Yeehaw' which, judging from the number of cowboys and showgirls seen recently on the playground, is a wild west themed musical!

June CCC reveal

Goodness me, I am one tired bunny this morning after a very busy week. As usual I am a wee bit late posting my Card Chain Challenge card (which reached the lovely Dawn in NZ in record time).

I hope its okay that I feel rather pleased with this little card. Yes, my stamping could be straighter, my colouring could be better but I like the composition of this card and the fact that it turned out just as I planned!

I think this little sweetie is simply adorable and always have such fun creating with Krista's beautiful digis.The stencil is by Memory Box and was a birthday present from my parents. As this stencil is rectangular I masked the lower portion to give me a square. I love this gorgeous script W&W stamp (now there's a stamp company going from strength to strength!) against the Distress Inks.

I'm going to link this card with the current Winnie and Walter Challenge which is to combine Distress Inks and a W&W product. The prize is a gift card for a yummy $30.00!

Finally, here's the link to Deborah's Card Chain Challenge sign-up for July. This month there's a special 'twist' to the challenge with a rather desirable prize on offer! As always Deborah is doing an amazing job with organising this challenge, which is one of my favourites to play along with. I enjoy the crafting element of the challenge but I also love 'meeting' other members of the crafting community when we email to exchange addresses. And, let's face it, there's nothing like receiving a beautiful handmade card from a fellow crafter.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Lynne's birthday card!

Just a quick "hello" as I drop by to share a card made for my sweet blogging buddy Lynne.

A really simple design in some bright, fun colours which I'll link up at the current Seize the Birthday Challenge.
Must dash as I have loads of things to do... Including make a card for hubby's big 5-0 next weekend!

Less is More - Colour Challenge

After a busy Monday it's good to come home and indulge in a few minutes catching up with my crafty pals in Blogland!

Over at Less is More it's week #175 and the girls want to see cards featuring 'The colours in your bedrooms'. Anyone who visits my blog will not be surprised to discover that my bedroom, and therefore my card, is heavy on the turquoise! Such a wonderful colour and I love it in combination with other colours too, especially pink and lime.

I'm sorry about the quality of the picture. I've already given this card to my friend Claire (it's her birthday on Wednesday) so I can hardly ask for it back to photograph again!

I love the big Mama Elephant sentiment... just what my stamp collection needed. I coloured that adorable Saturated Canary image, fussy cut her and popped her up on dimensional tape to tuck alongside the sentiment. The card looked rather plain until I hit on the idea of colouring the doodled border. I think the additional 'pops' of colour really pull the card together.

I'm also linking up with the lovely girls over at Seize the Birthday. They have an optional 'topping' of Summertime for this challenge. I'm hoping that my vibrant colour combo simply shouts 'summer' for them like it does for me.

Have a great Monday evening everyone and happy crafting!

May Card Chain Challenge reveal!

Its reveal time over at Deborah's again!

I sent my card to the lovely Loly in Alabama as my link in the chain.

I enjoyed colouring this sweet LOTV image, although I must confess I accidentally rode rough-shod over Deborah's colour combo for the challenge. I thought it was yellow plus light and dark orchid... but it turns out it was lime!

I've just checked out the sign-up for the June challenge and discovered that, in a happy twist of fate, Loly will be sending a card to me this time!

Happy crafting everyone!

How I love half-term!

What a pleasant day... a little bit of a lie in, a quiet twenty minutes spent reading, a trip to the hairdressers followed by a catch-up with my cousin and now some blogging. I do love half-term breaks.

The Less is More Challenge for Week 173 is 'die-cut'. Seriously, how did we all manage before dies and die-cutting machines arrived on the scene? Although I never mind a bit of fussy cutting I do love feeding a die through my Cuttlebug and marveling at the crisp professional result that miraculously appears.

For this super simple card I coloured some off-cuts of watercolour paper with three different Distress Inks, smooshed with Glimmer mist and cut with a Spellbinders heart die. Using another scrap of card I cut three heart shaped 'holes'. I stamped and scored, inserted the heart shapes and then added this to a 5 x 5 card. Soooooooo easy.

I'm disappointed that this card hasn't photographed well as it looks really pretty and sparkly IRL.

I'm contemplating a possible second version of this card in kraft with star cut outs and pattern paper inserts. Might make a good masculine option methinks.

And now I feel the need to do a bit more relaxing... I'm so lazy!

Happy crafting everyone!

Here's one I made earlier!

The old mojo has gone into hiding this weekend. I have ideas for three separate cards but can't get any of them to come to fruition. Lots of wasted card and ink with no result - boohoo.

So here's one I made earlier... well, last week.

I stamped the circular images on watercolour paper and then coloured with Distress inks and my water colour pen. I use these circles over and over again. They are from a Kelly Panacci set I've had for ages, but which does not seem to be available anymore. I think I'd take this set as part of my Desert Island crafting kit!

Once the paper dried I stamped the gorgeous Winnie & Walter 'hello', doodled a border and mounted on black card. A very quick and simple card, but fun to make!