Allsorts Challenge - 26 March 2011

Over at the Allsorts Challenge this week the topic is "for a special lady".  I was asked to make a card for someone to show their love and they'll give it on Mother's Day to that special someone.  I decided to use on of my new Ching Chou-Kuik Sweet Pea Stamps for this card.  I have stamped the image with black Memento and coloured in with Promarkers and my Sakura Stardust clear pen to highlight areas.  The flowery backing paper is from K&Co and the green abstract paper is from Crafty Ann's Digi Store.  The card is then finished off with some lace, Papermania Glitterations, ticket sentiment with love stickers and a die-cut butterfly.

This card fits the following challenges:

In a Sweet Pea Dream - Spring

Crafty Emma - Die-cut crazy

Totally Gorjuss - Spring is sprung

Wee Memories - Anything goes
Sparkles Forum - Springtime
Kaboodle Doodles - Spring has sprung

Top Tip Tuesday - Nature inspired

Tuesday Throwdown - Florals

Scrapbook Sisters - Mother's Day or a card for a special lady

Craft us Crazy - Happy Easter and/or spring

Aud Sentiments Design Team Card - Thursday 31 March 2011 - Sentiment for a Child

Well we had some beautiful creations to look at for the last Aud Sentiments Challenge.  Click here to go and have a look to see if you are a winner.

This fortnight the topic is "sentiment for a child" and we are delighted to be sponsored by Digi Doodle Shop.  Digi Doodle Shop is the "baby" or a mother and daughter team and this is a little information about themselves:

"Digi Doodle Shop is the results of a mother and daughter’s love for the arts and crafts.  It was started just a couple of months ago with a little more than 100 stamps, and has since then grown to over 250 stamps - now available.  
Joy (the mother of this team) designs realistic images, while Judy (aka daughter) loves the “fun side of life”, and create images with cartoon flair.  Having these two complimenting styles have enabled Digi Doodle Shop to offer just about any type of stamp.  Plus, we also offer “custom made stamps”, and blog designs.  Our best work comes from request, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, just send us an email and before long you’ll see it in the shop.  It is a real honor and pleasure to sponsor this challenge, and we look forward to seeing all the amazing creations.  We thank the design team for their incredible creations, and wish all the participants the very best of luck in this challenge.  Thank you so much for having us, and again the very best of luck to all of you.  Sincerely,  Judy and Joy"

Here is my card that I have made for the challenge.  I have used this gorgeous image of a little boy with his dog.  The little boy is enjoying reading whereas the dog is just loving being with his best friend.  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers and distressed the edges along with the edges of all the scraps of paper/card I have used.  I have put some red mirri card through a star embossing folder to give a boy feel to the card.  I have raised the image and number on foam pads to give some extra height.  The card is finished off with a ticket sentiment, No 5 sticker, some chipboard page holders with stripy brads through the centre.


I hope you can play along this fortnight with the Aud Sentiments Challenge.

By the way, can you keep a secret?  On 14 April 2001 it is the start of the Aud Sentiments Blog Hop.  There will be lots of prizes to be won so it would be lovely to see people take part in this.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

Totally Papercrafts - Cuddly and cute

Mark's Finest Papers - Dry or heat embossing and raised
Wee Memories - Anything goes
Corrosive Challenge - Stars in my eyes
Sentimental Sundays - Cute and Cuddly
Paper Playtime - Digi Monday - Anything goes
Pollycraft Monday - Friends
Digital Tuesday - For the kids
Pile it On - Cutie Patootie
I Love Promarkers - Emboss it
Creative Inspirations - Cards for Men
Creative Card Crew - For a child
Ai Factory - Bright as day
Digi Doodle - Happy birthday

Card for my Mum for her Birthday

It is my mum's birthday on Monday and we are going over to hers tomorrow for her "birthday tea".  Yes, it's a day early but we've had to it tomorrow as my husband works shifts.  I am safe putting her card on here though as she doesn't look at my blog.

My mum loves gardening/anything to do with outdoors so I made this card with an image from Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew CD.  It's a decoupage that either goes on 2 or 3 A4 sheets.  It took a while to cut out but is very effective when decoupaged.  I have used backing papers from the CD as well and distressed the edges with Tim Holtz's Shabby Shutters distress ink pad along with the green card.  My mum loves green although I hate green so I am always unsure how things work on a card when I don't like the colour.  My husband normally tells me whether I've got it right or not and he says I've got it right so that is a relief.  For the "dead side" of the card I have used my Pampered Pets embossing frame and distressed the edges along with some paper/card.  The image has been coloured in with Promarkers some time ago - and before I now write in pencil on the back who the designer is - so I apologise for not mentioning the designer.  I have then done a personalised insert and on the "back page" I have used a Shelly's image coloured with Promarkers and distressed the edges.  The card is finished off with two lots of ribbon, some copper pearls, sentiment off the computer and I have embossed a swirl background onto some card for the sentiment to sit on.  I have highlighted areas of the image with my Sakura Stardust clear pen to add some sparkle.

I just hope my mum likes her card.

I am entering my card into the following challenges:

Incy Wincy - Embossing

Crazy Challenge - Any shape but square - this card is A4 in size

Everybody Art - Happy birthday

Creative Card Crew - Something using no stamp

Papertake Weekly - It's a Mom thing (or just be girlie)

Paper Pretties - Spring is in the air

Paperplay - Distressing

Crafty Catz - Pearls and swirls

Delicious Doodles - Floral fantasy

Stampin' for the week-end - For Mum/Mother's day

Crafty Calendar - Spring

Allsorts - For a special lady

Mark's Finest paper - Dry or heat embossing and raised

Totally Gorjuss - Spring is sprung

Wee memories - Anything goes
Cupcake Inspiration - Photo inspiration
Creative Inspirations - Mother's Day/Mum - hope it is OK to enter this birthday card for my Mum
The Crafty Pad - For the mums
Stamptacular Sunday - No KIDS allowed birthday
Sparkles Forum - Springtime
Gingerloft - Die-cuts and punches
Bunny Zoe's - Happy Birthday with lots of pearls

Dawn's Blog Candy

Dawn aka Dawn's Crafty Place is celebrating 2 years of blogging and 100,00 hits on her blog with some WONDERFUL candy.  It's such an achievement to get that many hits in 2 years.  If you fancy having a look at Dawn's lovely creations and taking part in her blog candy please click here.  here's to the next 2 years of blogging Dawn.

Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge - 25 March 2011

Today is the day for my first card made as part of the Sweet Pea Stampers Design Team.  Am I excited?  Maybe you might hear my squeals of delight across the world.

Onto the challenge.  The topic for this fortnight is "pack a punch" and you have to use punches or die-cuts on your card/project.  For my card I have used "Spring Spread" from Ching-Chou Kuik.  I have coloured her in with Promarkers and highlighted areas with my Sakura Stardust clear pen.  I then did a faux pyromage by putting next-but-one dies onto the image, taped and die cut.  The outside is flat, the next later has one lot of foam pads and the centre layer has two foam pads in height.  The backing papers are scraps from my box, some of which have been edged with my silver Pentouch pen.  I have embossed some card with Swiss Dots and then punched the edge with my Martha Stewart lattice punch.  I then die-cut some flowers with a Marianne Designs die, added a flower sequin and it's all held together with a brad.  The other flower has been made from die-cut book pages distressed with Tim Holtz's Peeled Paint and Shabby Shutters ink pad.  The button is held in place with some wire.  The card is then finished off with some gems, card candy and some gingham ribbon.

It would be lovely if you could take part in this challenge and also to visit the wonderful cards from the Design Team.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

Totally Gorjuss - Button it

Let's Ink it Up - Die-cuts/punches

I Did it Creations - Spring

Aly's Sunday - Spring

Cupcake Craft - Monochromatic

Shabby Tea Room - BINGO - I have used brads, flowers and ribbon

Pear Tree Designs - Happy birthday

Stamps R Us - Celebrate spring

Incy Wincy - Embossing

Wild Orchid Crafts - Dieing to punch it out

Passion for Promarkers - In the garden

Everybody Art - Happy birthday

Spoon Full of Sugar - Ribbon, pearls/rhinestones and flowers

My Time to Craft - Ladies day

Papertake Weekly - It's a Mom thing (or just be girlie)

Scrap-Creations - Spring has sprung

Anything Goes - Make your own embellishment

The Pixie Cottage - Sketch and/or sparkle
Paper pretties - Spring is in the air
Fresh Brewed Challenge - 2 or more embellishments
In a Sweet Pea Dream - "Hello Spring" Sweet Pea
Simon Says - Mother's day/girlie
Crafts and Me - Anything goes
I Love Promarkers - Dotty
The Paper Variety - Tic-tac-toe - I chose - scallops, make a card and use a stamped image or sentiment
The Artistic Stamper - Spring has sprung
Meljen's Designs - Get creative with punches
Do You Stack Up? - Shine on
Paperplay - Distressing
Sarah Hurley Challenge - Go green
Digi Doodle - Ribbons and bows
Crafty Purple Frog - Going green
Pattie's Creations - Flowers or flowers and pearls
Sew many Challenges - Spring fling
Stamp Something - Something spring
Crafty Calendar - Spring
The Stamp Man - Anything Tim
Delicious Doodles - Floral fantasy
Tellen's Place - Texture

Crafty Ann's Challenge #37 - Be inspired by an Elvis song

I have to admit when I saw the topic for this fortnight's challenge at Crafty Ann's was "inspired by an Elvis song" my heart sank.  My dad loved listening to Elvis Presley and also watching his films but I sadly lost my dad before I even left school.  For about 20 years I could never even listen to Elvis songs but I can now but it is tinged with sadness at the loss of my dad and also a wonderful musician/actor in Elvis.

For my card I have used Crafty Ann's image of a duck in his umbrella and the song behind this choice was "All I needed was the rain".  I have coloured the image with Promarkers and die-cut the image and distressed the edges.  The backing papers are Crafty Ann's wood grain in pink and purple as I thought the lines of the wood replicated the ripples of water and I also wanted spring-like colours as well.  The embellishments I have used are some fibres, sentiment off the computer, doily, some fab ribbon and some glittery gems.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Emma - Your favourite song or inspired by a song - "all I needed was the rain" by Elvis Presley

One Stop Craft - Diamonds are a girls' best friend

The Crafty Pad - Use a digi

Aly's Sunday - Spring - typical for us here in the UK for spring can be April showers

Cutie Sunday - Spring colours/images

Lexi's Creations - Ribbons but no bows or knots
Scrap-Creations - Spring has sprung

Paper Pretties - Spring is in the air
By the Cute and Girly - Springtime
Delightful Sketches - Pastels and ribbons
Ai Factory - Under the weather
Sew Many Challenges - Spring fling
Card Making Mamas - Animals
Stamp Something - Spring something
Crafty Calendar - Spring
Sew many Challenges - Spring fling

Please come over to Crafty Ann's Challenge blog and have a look at the other Design Team members' cards and why not have a go yourself.

Flashback Friday 9.0 - Friday 11 March 2011

The topic this month over at the Flashback Friday Challenge Blog is "first card you have posted with a window cut into the front of the card".  This was a difficult one for me as I don't normally do this on cards.  I found my first ever use of card with a cut-out front which was back in November 2005 and is this card:

but this was never posted on my blog because it was before my venture into blog land.  On checking my photos I have saved over the years I found the next card I posted with a window in the front was February 2009 - well I did say I didn't do this with cards much - and this was posted.  Here is a copy of what my card looked like:

and if you actually want to go and have a look at the actual post on my blog back in 2009 click here.  It's quite an education looking through my cards over the years - sometime scary thinking "did I make this?" but I enjoy taking part in the Flashback Challenge as everyone that takes part can see how they have progressed over the years.

Commissioned 40th Birthday Word Book

I was asked by my hairdresser to do a special 40th birthday card or "whatever" for her brother from her Mum and Dad and he's mad about Chelsea.  Yikes!!!  I decided as it was special to do a 40th birthday word book rather than a card and used my Funny Hands CD for this one.  It took a long time to prepare the pages by cutting out after printing on both sides, inking all the edges etc.  I then set about looking for pictures in relation to foot and used some See D's football stamps inside the book/decoupage of footballs but haven't included the inside on my blog as it was more personalised inside from the mum and dad.  The book was finished off with two ribbons and of course a personalised envelope as per the norm for me.  My hairdresser picked it up and said her mum and dad will love it but her brother will love it even more.

I am entering this word book into the following challenges:

Delightful Sketches - Shows us some green

Pixie Dust - Green

Paper Cutz - Any colour and any theme

Delicious Doodles - 3 dimensional project - hope this is OK as it stands up like a book

Tellen's Place - Sports
Funky Hands - Zing into spring - I've gone for spring-like colours

Saturday Challenge - Anything but a card

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Numbers on project

Pear Tree designs - happy birthday

Crafty Cardmakers - Special birthdays

Tuesday Throwdown - Anything but a card

Everybody Art - Happy birthday.

Commissioned Birthday Card

I was asked to make a very plain card for a man who likes wild animals.  For this card I used the Joanna Sheen Jayne Netley Mayhew CD and used one of the shaped cards where the elephants trunks are joined together but popped it onto a bigger card.  I just did some simple matting and layering and added some fibres.  I am told that the recipient said it was their favourite birthday card.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafty sentiments - Animals

Card making Mamas - Animals

Paper Cutz - Any colours and any theme

CD Sunday - Wild thing

One Stitch at a Time - Something for the boys

Everybody Art - happy birthday

Creative card Crew - Make something using no stamp.

Ooh La La Creations Challenge - 21 March 2011

Well another fortnight has come around and it is time for another challenge over at the Ooh La La Creations Challenge Blog and my second Design Team cards.  The topic this fortnight is Mother's Day/Special Friend.

For my card my card I have chosen a topper and backing papers from the Shoes in Bloom CD.  I have used some other plain cardstock for matting and layering.  The sentiment I have printed on the computer.  The card is finished off with some gems, three handmade flowers with brad centres, spotty ribbon and some green foil leaves.  Please go to the Ooh La La Creations Challenge Blog to see all the other lovely creations from the Design Team.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - Trio-tastic - 3 of something - 3 handmade flowers for me

Creative Craft World - Mother's Day and bling

Crafty Creations - Mother's Day

The Creative Cottage - Spring has sprung
Delightful Sketches - Show us some green
Pixie Dust - Go green

Easy Crafts Projects - Mother's Day
Lexi's Creations - Ribbons but no bows or knots

Paper Cutz - Any card and any theme

Crafty Catz - Mother's Day

Craft Your Days Away - For mum or a special lady

Crafty Emma - Your favourite song or inspired by a song - I want a Mum that will last forever by Cindi Lauper

Sugar Creek Hollow - Anything goes

One Stop Craft - Diamonds are a girls best friend

I Did it Creations - Spring

Dream Valley - Mother's Day
The Shabby Team Room - Bingo - I chose brads, flowers and ribbon

Aly's Sunday - Spring.

Third Thank You Card of the Week-end

Here is the third thank you card I have made this week-end.  For this card I have used a Just Inklined image and is called the Old Stone Wall.  Yet again green shone through on this card.  I tried some different browns but they didn't look as good as the greens.  It's amazing what we go through at times even just putting a card together isn't it?  The harlequin backing paper is DCWV but all the others are scraps from my scrap box.  I have coloured the image in with Promarkers and tore the edges and inked with a brown chalk ink pad.  All the papers/card used have got inked edges as well.  The card is finished off with a sentiment off the computer and some die-cut branches.

This card fits the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - Trio-tastic - 3 of something - three branches for me, two dark green and one light green

Creative Card Crew - Green

I Love Promarkers - Cards for the men in your lives
Delightful Sketches - Show us some green
Pixie Dust - Green

Shelly's Images - Anything goes

Digi Doodles - Anything goes

Paper Cutz - Any colour and any theme

Cardmadfairy's Digi days - Back to nature

Sugar Creek Hollow - Anything goes

One Stitch at a Time - Something for the boys

The Crafty Pad - Use a digi

Second Thank You Card of the Week-end

Here is the second thank you card I have made this week-end.  For my card I have used a Digi Doddles image of a boat out at sea.  I tore around the edge of the image and used a blue chalk ink pad on the edges.  The image I have coloured in with Promarkers and used a Letraset fine tip pen make extra waves.  I have highlighted areas with my Sakura Stardust pen.  The backing paper is from DCWV and the other papers/card are scraps from box used for matting and layering.  The card is finished off with a boat embellishment and a sentiment (I think it's from an Andy Carolan CD but I'm not totally sure).

This card fits the following challenges:

I Love Promarkers - Cards for the men in your lives
Paper Pretties - Masculine card

Digi Doodles - Anything goes

Shellys' Images - Anything goes
Sugar Creek Hollow - Anything goes

One Stitch at a Time - Something for the boys

The Crafty pad - Use a digi

Thank You Card

I needed to make a number of Thank You cards this week-end.  For those of you that regularly frequent my blog you know I don't like green so I am not sure how this character ended up green.  I was thinking of purple but hey ho I went in another direction.  I have used a Sweet Pea  Stamp image called Misty Reflections and coloured her in with Promarkers and highlighted areas with Sakura Stardust clear pen.  The backing papers are DCWV and I have inked the edges of them all.  I know it takes extra time but I always ink or use Promarkers on the edges to eradicate that white edges.  I have die-cut the image and done a faux Nestabilities layer of green underneath by cutting around the die and cutting out myself.  I have also die-cut some scrolls and some scallop circles to make a flower.  The card is then finished off with some daisy ribbon, computer generated sentiment, handmade distressed flower with a button centre, green pearls and a personalised insert.

This card fits the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew - Green

For Fun - Monochromatic green or St Patrick's day
Delightful Sketches - Show us some green

Crafty Purple Frog - Going green

Charisma Cardz - To die for

Totally Papercrafts - Add buttons

Raise the Bar - Photo inspiration

Totally Gorjuss - Button it
Crafts and Me - Photo inspiration - I chose green and white from the first photo

Let's Ink it Up - Die-cuts/punches

Fab N Funky - All things green or Happy St Patrick's Day

Some VERY exciting news!!!!

Last year a blogging friend sent me a card and I asked the make of the stamp.  I was told it was a Sweet Pea stamp and I went looking and was amazed at them so I had to buy some (well it would have been very rude not to).  One stamp felt lonely so I added more to my collection.  It's not as big as I would like but I still love these stamps and I will hereby addict I am a Sweet Pea Stamp ADDICT.

Over the last year I have taken part in challenges on the Sweet Pea Stampers Blog and recently saw on there that they were having a Design Team Call.  I um'd and ah'd as I see the wonderful creations that other crafters make but decided in the end to "go for it".  When I saw the other entries I thought I hadn't got a chance of making the Design Team but to say I was "over the moon" to get the request to join the Design Team I was amazed, excited, flabbergasted - so many emotions at one time - but had to say "yes" as I get to work with such amazing stamps, get to work with some wonderful crafters who make creations that are "out of this world" and I will also get chance to visit all those crafters that take part in the challenges as well to see what lovely creations they come up with.

I cannot wait for  the newbies maiden voyage next week so I hope you will come and visit the Sweet Pea Stampers Blog to support all the Design Team.

Created by Katie Blog Candy

Over at the Created by Katie Blog, Katie is offering some wonderful blog candy - a ribbon carousel.  If you are a ribbon addict like me click here to go and have a look on how to enter.  The blog candy ends 18/3/11 so you will have to hurry.

Aud Sentiments Design Team Card - Thursday 17 March 2011 - A get well card

Another fortnight has come and gone and we have seen some wonderful creations for the challenge for the last fortnight.  Click here to see if you were lucky enough to be a winner.

This fortnight we are sponsored by Sassy Studio Designs.  Here is a little bit of information about Sassy Studio Designs from Lindsay:

Sassy Studio Designs is a fresh new company. We have been designing and 
selling for a year now, and we have been kindly received into the community of 
digi stampers and crafters. I started designing images shortly after I started stamping, 
reason being...  I didn't hardly like anything else out there I was a young adult woman 
at the time I was engaged, had no kids, I wanted fun sexy images that I would enjoy 
using and my friends and hubby would enjoy receiving. I designed images for 
2 other digi stamp companies when my wonderful hubby kept trying to get me to go 
out on my own. So in June 2009 thanks to the few faithful followers I had, 
Sassy Studio Designs was born!  It has been a wonderful journey starting my 
own store. We have just grown so much these past months.  I still try to keep 
Lindsay Dyer: keep with my original philosophy and reason for designing stamps,
 make them fun and keep them sassy ... and yes sometimes even sexy! 

The topic for the Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog this fortnight is a get well card.  For my card I have used Little Honey's - Nurse Honey and coloured her in with Promarkers.  I then die-cut her out and then inked the edges with a chalk ink pad along with a paper doily.  The backing papers are a mixture from DCWV, Hot off the Press and Paper Blox.  To finish off the card I have added some lace, pearls, sentiment off the computer, flowers with a button centre.


It would be lovely if you could play along with this fortnight's challenge.  Click here to go and have a look.


I am also entering this card into the following challenges:
Res Q - Hint of pink (just a hint of pink in one backing paper and the bottom layer of the flower)
Totally Gorjuss - Pearls and lace
Little Claire's - Flowers
The Crafty Pad - Buttons
Lollipop Crafts - Let's make it with lace
Ann's Creative Nook - Thinking of you, sympathy or get well soon card
Charisma Cardz - To die for
Shelly's Images - Anything goes
Digi Doodles - Anything goes
Stamping Vacation - Start Here Challenge - Nestabilities
Stamping Vacation - Clean and Simple Challenge - Flowers

A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge - 8 March 2011

Another card I thought I'd posted.  Think I was definitely affected by my operation last week.

The Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge is anything with a vintage/shabby theme so I have used a My Craft Studio Art Deco CD.  I have used backing paper scraps so not sure where they are from.  The card is simply finished off with a sentiment and some card candy.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Aly's Sunday - Anything goes

Paper Sundaes - Keep it Simple

Top Tip Tuesday - Happy birthday
Tuesday Throwdown - Use up your scraps - this is only a 5x5 card as that is the size of the largest scrap of paper used.

Simon Says Challenge - 9 March 2011

This is a card I made last week when I was on leave recovering from my oral surgery and I thought I'd posted on my blog and I hadn't.  Over at the Simon Says Challenge the topic this week is "anything goes".  I coloured in a beautiful Sarah Kay image with my Promarkers, die-cut the image and layered onto different backing papers from my scrap box.  The card is then finished off with two large gems, two small gems, a ticket sentiment, large crochet flower and gorgeous button.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

Sir Stampalot - Spring is in the air

Kaboodle Doodles - Happy birthday

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle - Spring has sprung

Do You Stack Up? - Layers

The Crafty Purple Frog Challenge - 3 March 2011

The topic for The Crafty Purple Frog Challenge this fortnight is "fly away with us".  As I am "a little" addicted to the wonderful Crafty Purple Frog sheets - in fact I think I've virtually got all of the decoupage sheets as I prefer doing decoupage - that it gave me a dilemma on which beauty to use.  In the end I decided to use a new one I picked after coming 2nd place in a recent challenge.  I have used the image called Dark Royalty - isn't she gorgeous?  I have used some DCWV papers.  I have decoupaged the image and put on a die-cut shape.  The card is finished off with some gorgeous lace (I am loathe to use this one as it is so nice but I had to be brave and use a piece), pearls, quite a number of flowers, sequins, brads and a ticket sentiment from Crafty Ann's Digi Store.

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

Top Tip Tuesday - Happy birthday

Anything Goes Challenge - Die-cuts (mount for image and some of the flowers)

Southern Girls - Use flowers

Sarah Hurley - Flowers

Totally Gorjuss - Pearls and lace

Sugar Creek Hollow - Handmade flowers

Lollipop Crafts - Let's make it with lace

Fab N Funky - Make it girly
Cupcake Craft - Up in the air and the option of green

Victoria's Blog Candy

Victoria aka Angeldrummer has some lovely blog candy up for grabs.  Please click here to go and have a look.  The blog candy closes on 4/4/11.