Second Easel Card and PaperCutz Challenge 13/11/09

I have used a Whiff of Joy stamp and again some Allissa's Design Studio papers and made by second easel card.  I quite like making these now.  This card fits the bill for the PaperCutz Challenge this week as you had to use a stamped or digital image.

My First Easel Card

I have seen the appearance of easel cards and thought I would have a go at one.  I'm not very good following instructions on paper but came across some diagrams on Crazy 4 Challenges which helped me a lot.  The stamped image is from Pollycraft Designs, the gorgeous papers are from Allisa's Crafting Studio, backing paper from my stash and the lovely blossoms from Jak Heath.

This card fits the criteria for 8 challenges:

Pile it On - Leaf of leaves

Sophisticats - Wings

Creative Card Crew - Doodles

Quixotic Challenges - Stitching

Lots to Do - Distressed

Crazy 4 Challenges - Easel card

Saturday Challenge - Easel card

Allsorts - Bling.

Another Calendar for the Stall

This is a calendar mainly aimed at the boys but I know some girls like planes.  It is from another Craftylasses digital download and has been decoupaged up.  The calendar is finished off with some holographic card, calendar pad, fibres and card candy.

Alphabet Challenge - 5 November 2009

Here is another calendar I have made for the stall.  It fits the criteria for the Alphabet Challenge Blog this week with the topic of D for Decoupage.  I have used a backing paper I received in some recent blog candy, a Scrapbooking Mad Digital free pyromage sheet, a calendar pad and some card candy.

Paperplay Challenge Blog - 29/10/09

I have made this calendar for my son to take to my stall I've got this week for charity.  Calendars seemed to sell quite well last year for me so I thought I'd have a go again.  The ? French script paper (not sure really what nationality it is) is from a Papermania pad I won in some blog candy recently, the grey swirly paper I'm not sure where it is from as I won this in another blog candy, the image is from Craftylasses and it is finished off with some fibres, the calendar pad and some card candy.

This fits the criteria for the Paperplay Challenge of Parlez Vous.

Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog - 6/11/09

Ann has started a new challenge blog this week.  I wish Ann and her wonderful Design Team all the best for their new venture and I will try to enter as much as possible.  The topic for the first challenge is celebrate so I decided that this A4 card would fit the bill.  The image is from the Card Creations Art Deco CD and I have used the snapshot tool to make the image bigger.  I have used a backing paper from the CD, two different pearlescent paper and a purple vellum and used my Fiskars corner edger scissors on all the layers.  The card is finished off with a sentiment, some gems, a lovely crocheted flower that I got in some recent blog candy and some fibres.

By the Cute and Girly Challenge - 1/11/09

It's challenge two for the By the Cute and Girly Design Team and this time the chosen topic is Winter Wonderland.  I know this isn't a Christmas card but the lady with her thick hat makes me think of winter.  The image is from the Card Creations Art Deco CD and I have used the snapshot tool for the image to be the right size for an A4 card.  The card is adorned with a sentiment from the computer, some ribbon I won recently in some blog candy and I thought the red shades of these leaves match perfectly the leaves in the image.

Susie's Sassy Challenge - 5/11/09

I have made this A4 card for my charity stall and realised it met the criteria for the Susie's Sassy Challenge first ever challenge as the topic is Christmas.  The printed backing paper is a digital download from Fred She Said.  The other backing paper was given to me by a friend.  The topper is from Michelle Marsden Triple Treasures Christmas CD from last year and is such a gorgeous image.  I have embellished the card with a sentiment off the computer and some gorgeous poinsettia images that were a free download from Jak at Crafter's Kitchen.

Cute Daisy May Challenge 2/11/09

Over at the Cute Daisy May Challenge Blog the topic this week is Blue Christmas.  I was in midst of making this A4 card for my charity stall when I thought I'd use this card.  It is made with an image from Joanna Sheen's Messy Rabbit Christmas CD.  I used the snapshot tool and made the image bigger.  The backing papers are from the CD and also from the freebie Christmas papers CD courtesy of the Create and Craft Club recently.  The card is finished off with a sentiment off the computer, some silver tinsel-style ribbon and a blue snowflake that I coloured recently with distress inks, clear embossed a scroll stamp onto it, heat embossed and then put on more blue Faded Jeans Distress Ink.  Inside the card is finished off with a piece of notepaper from Messy Rabbit Christmas CD.

Regular Monthly Card Stall

The time has flown by and it was time today for the stall to be set up.  I chose the same charity as last time to try and build up the amount a bit more - Help for Heroes.  I had of hoped to have made some A4 cards to go on the stall – 2 everyday and 3 Christmas but I wasn’t well yesterday.  I hope to get the cards stuck together over the week-end and then my son can take up there on Monday as it’s his day off from college.  

I am very upset this morning

I got up this morning to a post about my blog on another person's blog:

While I am sure Kym's cards are lovely they are nothing to do with me. Links to someone else's site have appeared at the bottom of the comments section of at least my last 2 postings. These links my lead people to think that I in someway endorse this other site . The site you are directed to has nothing to do with me and does not have my permission to add a link from here.

We all go 'blog hopping' and follow all sorts of links its part of the fun of being part of this community quite possibily you found your way here on a blog hop! We all enjoy (hopefully) the journey and lessons found along the way, where you go next is a treasure waiting for you to find it. Trying in direct more traffic your way by cheeky opportunism on others Blogs is on, at least not in my world view.

Have a good all and enjoy your travels.

This is the post I have put on as a reply:

I certainly don't like the tone in this post on your thread. I DON'T link to other people's blogs unless they are offering blog candy or if it's a direct link to a challenge. I know enough on my blog land to do posting and even had to get advice regarding posting my own blog candy recently and how to keep the post at the top - so to hint that I had linked to your blog deliberately is certainly not fair and has been very upsetting for me this morning.

I make all my cards to sell to raise funds for different charities so being deceitful isn't in my nature and I am very hurt and offended with this thread and also the comments that others have put. 

Maybe before people put comments like this they should know the fact before posting. I had come across your blog from another avenue and have put a link in my "blogs I like to watch" section but needless to say I have removed this as I can do without upset like this.

This incident has really upset me this morning.  I am 100% honest and would certainly not do anything under-hand and wouldn't even know how to anyone.

I just hope the comments made by these other people won't stop others from visiting my blog as I really appreciate your visits and take on board comments.

Commissioned Anniversary Card

A customer wanted a 1st wedding anniversary card for her daughter and son-in-law.  It doesn't seem a year since they got engaged last August and married last November.  I have used a Craftylasses image which is so beautiful and very magical looking.  I have adorned the card with a flower/feather from Joanna Sheen's website, a sentiment from the computer and some organza ribbon.

This card fits the criteria for Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog of the topic of anniversary as she is celebrating her 23rd wedding anniversary.  Congratulations and all my best wishes.

Commissioned Birthday Card

A customer wanted a birthday card for her 6 year old grandson who loves animals.  I have used this Cuddly Buddly download and coloured it in with my Promarkers.  As I used some light colours the shading hasn't shown on camera.  Think I still need more practice but it's fun having a play.  I have used a Dottie's World image for the insert - I cheated though and used a pre-coloured one.


This card fits the criteria for the Passion for Promarkers Challenge this week.  The topic is open this week but needs to include an animal - I've got three animals coloured with Promarkers ie the bird, the pig and the cow!!!

Another Commissioned Card

I was asked my a customer's husband to make his wife a card for her birthday. Her Mum has asked me to make a Tigger card so I thought I'd do a nice Art Deco lady with her dog. I have used the Card Creations Di Kaye Art Deco CD for the image and backing paper. I don't like having to type in all the text for the insert as my spelling can be wrong at times when I'm tired so I took a snapshot of the image and did the insert in Word. I have decoupaged the lady up on all layers as my husband will take the card into work for the mum to pass to her son-in-law.

My Blog Candy Winner

Well, it's taken a while tonight to write all the names out and put them in the bag to be tossed around to pick a winner. I was going to ask my husband but my 17 year old son asked if he could watch the X-Factor. I said "yes" as long as he picked my name out of the bag and had a photo taken of the winning name. He didn't want his face showing as he hates having his photo taken - just like his mum - so I had to agree didn't I?

I had a lovely response and have been communicating over the weeks with some lovely people and hope to continue this. I have met so many lovely people during my time in blog world and that's why I wanted to give a little something back to say a big thank you. A few more things have made their way into the bag as a little surprise for the winner. Thank you to all those that entered.

The name of my blog candy winner, hand picked by my son is ..............

......................

......................

......................

......................

IreneM.

Please contact me Irene at p.upshaw@ntlworld.com and I will make arrange for your package to be posted to you ASAP.

Commissioned Birthday Card

I was asked to make a card for a customer to give to her friend's grand-daughter. She's a girly-girl and therefore I thought Popcorn and Souflle would fit the bill for this card. I have used my Crafter's Companion Popcorn Birthday CD and decoupage bits on it and used my new card candy (I have a lot to thank Lisa for - not - as she used these on my birthday card and fell in love with them. I know have adhesive stonesitis and now card candyitis - thanks Lisa!!!! On a serious note I think they are a fab idea as sometimes you think a card needs just something and if you've stuck it together you can't use brads. They also come in such lovely yummy colours).

Commissioned Birthday Card

I needed to make a card for a daughter who is into Tigger. I did buy some decoupage last year with Tigger but couldn't face the cutting out - it was before the die-cut Disney ones came in - but last year I couldn't face cutting it out. This year I couldn't face it either but then I felt sorry for it sitting in the drawer unloved so out it came. Needless to say it's only got two layers as I couldn't face that tail anymore. I'd also already got the pottery Tigger/Winnie the Pooh so I have stuck this on with Pinflair Glue Gel. Just hopes she likes it.

Simon Says Challenge 26/10/09 and Creative Card Crew Challenge 27/10/09

I have made this Christmas card from a freebie from Cuddly Buddly and this snowman is sooooooooo cute. He's been coloured in with Promarkers and highlighted in some areas with Stardust pens to make him sparkle. The two backing papers are from a new design set from Summer Driggs are a gorgeous blue colour so I couldn't resist using them.

For those of you that I don't do messy I have excelled myself on this card. The border around the snowman has been edged with Twinklets Diamond Dust Glitter which I got from Joanna Sheen. I love the effect this has given. The large snowflake I bought recently from an Open Day at Stamp Addicts. I have used cut-and-dry foam and an Adirondak ink pad and a Distress Ink pad to colour the background. I then used an embossing liquid and then stamped onto the snowflake with a U-mount swirl and then added some blue embossing powder. After heating up the embossing powder I then sanded the edges to distress. Not bad for me eh???

This card fits the criteria for two challenges:

Simon Says Challenge - All that sparkles (well I have the holographic card in the background, the Sakura Stardust pens and the gorgeous twinkly diamond dust)

Creative Card Crew - snowflakes (snowflake overload here - some on the backing paper, some on the image and one decorated one!!).

Second Halloween Card Made Today

This is the second card I've whipped up today for the neighbours nephews. I've got the four little bags of sweets put with the four cards on the window ledge in the porch. ALL sweets in each pack are the same and I've put post-it notes so in case I'm busy, my husband will hand the right cards over for the right person!!!

This card is made with the Mummy and Boo backing paper from The Creative Cottage Digital Download along with the ribbons and sentiment. I certainly wouldn't want to meet up with this Mummy anytime!!!

This card fits the criteria for the following challenges:

CRAFT Challenge - Halloween

Saturday Challenge - Halloween.

Crazy 4 Challenges Challenge 31/10/09

My neighbours normally come around doing "trick or treat" with their children so I have made both their children a card. I know they've got some relatives up for the week-end so when I heard the cars starting up I popped out and asked if it was nephews or nieces or both up. I'd got a spare girls Halloween card but they are two boys so I've whipped up two more cards - I know I'm silly - but I don't want the nephews feeling left out.

I have used the Dracula download from The Creative Cottage along with using their ribbon and sentiment. The backing paper is the lovely spiders web from Summer Driggs.

This card meets the criteria for the Crazy 4 Challenges topic this week of Halloween.