Scallops and Sunshine

 This week's challenge at Less is More is Scallops and I've used a frame that I intended to use for LIM a couple of weeks back and never round round to.  The embossed, scalloped frame, the embossed sentiment (says Happy Birthday around the flower on the circle)and the scalloped card all come from Craftwork Cards.  The pink DP that stops it being completely white on white is from my Basic Grey Out of Print pad, that is sitting on my desk slowly being used up.

My second card is full of warm sunshine.  I know, I should be glad that we have sunshine at all today, but oh it's so cold in that wind!  It's decoupage from a Jane Shasky/Joanna Sheen CDRom.  I used a shaped card and cut slits in it to thread the ribbon through. didn't want to add any more.
I'm entering this card for:
Brown Sugar - flowers
Crafty Ribbons - anything goes using ribbon

A mixed bag

 Today I'm enjoying an unusually quiet Good Friday with my sons and my Mum.  Quiet because the Lambourn Open Day has been cancelled because of the weather, we usually have upwards of 10 thousand visitors to the village today and I am kept busy doing car parking, raffle and other such tasks.  I've a variety of cards to show today:  first is a very simple wedding card that a friend requested yesterday - for a wedding today!  The sentiment is Waltzing Mouse and the heart is Stamps by Chloe.  My Perfect Layers tool, that I've had for well over a year now, continues to be a favourite gadget to mat and layer and do exactly what it says...
I'm entering this card for:
Simon Says - anything goes
Dutch Dare - clean and simple

 I was asked to make a birthday card with snowdrops on and came up with this card.  I have no idea who makes this lovely stamp, it belongs to my dear friend Val and in my early days of stamping we would stamps out sheets of each others' stamps; luckily I remembered I had this one.
I'm entering this card for:
Jen's digi crafts - spring
Inky Impressions - Easter/ spring
DL Art - spring
Charisma Cardz - happy birthday

Third card is from the Joanna Sheen/ Jane Shasky CD, which I am loving using.  It's a very simple decoupage shaped card and I've added tiny pearls to the centres of the hydrangea petals and some slightly larger ones on the main card.
I'm entering this card for:
Digital Tuesday - spring colours
Penny's Paper-Crafty - anything but square
Milk Coffee - anything but square
Happy Campers - add dimension

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend and that it warms up soon.

An Easter Extravaganza of Decoupage

 Well I got my request for 8 Easter decoupage cards completed in time and here they are!  All are Jayne Netley Mayhew for Joanna Sheen.  First up has My Minds Eye DP, punched at the corners with a MS punch and a Spellbinders tag.

Next in line just has some card candi added.

The hyacinths use the same MS punch on the matting and the card edge.

The cats card uses my current favourite die, the bow by Die-namics.

Love these blue tits on blossom, with an EK Success punched edge and a Spellbinders label.

 

last up, the hen and chicks have some raffia ribbon and ribbon added to Kraft card.

Beads and Bunnies

 I'm quite late getting to my Less is More Challenge this week, it has been a busy few days.  I enjoyed a lovely visit to the NEC with Lady Limette Chrissie and then the next day was off down to Plymouth for applicant day at the Uni with younger son.  Today I am catching up on the chores before collecting older son from Uni, no peace for the wicked!

Chrissie and I both bought some tapestry stamps from Card-Io and I used some to make a simple Easter card this morning, hope it has enough white space to be LIM!  The challenge is to use beads and if you look carefully you can see that there are seed beads stuck to the centres of the flowers.  Sentiment is Waltzing Mouse.
This card is also entered for:
Addicted to CAS -  Spring
2 Sisters - Easter/spring
Cardmaking Mamas - spring colours
Simon Says - Easter/spring

On Thursday I was asked to make someone EIGHT decoupage Easter cards!  Having not been home until now this is a bit of a challenge, but here goes with the first one, another Jayne Netley Mayhew/ Joanna Sheen decoupage.  This card is also entered for:
Speedy Fox and Friends - bunnies or Easter
Chocolate, coffee and cards - bring on spring
Crafts4Eternity - egg-cellent Easter
Creative Corner - layer it up
Raise the Bar - spring is only a hop away!
Off to get older son's room ready and then play with my NEC goodies, keep warm everyone.

You don't look a day over fabulous!

 

Yesterday I had a fun packed day at the NEC with my friend Chrissie.  I bought some Katie Sue sentiments which included:  "You don't look a day over fabulous!".  I thought this was brilliant and used it on my first card to show today.  A Faye Whitaker decoupage with some raffia ribbon added over an old K&Co DP, if only spring would come never mind summer! 

I'm entering this card for:

Aud Sentiment - card for a girl with appropriate sentiment 

Paper Crafting Journey - ribbon or lace

Second card is another Faye Whitaker, with very old Papermania DP from my stash as well as a Spellbinders label and some yellow ribbon.

 I'm entering this card for:

Cute Card Thursday -  Easter Parade

Little Miss Muffett - Happy Easter

Little Red Wagon - Easter 

Ruby's Rainbow - Easter 

Simon Says Stamp - Easter/Spring

a mixed bunch

 This has been a very busy week, however I have finished up another bunch of decoupage cards to show you.  First up is an Easter card from Jayne Netley Mayhew decoupage, with a Martha Stewart border and some ribbon added. I'm entering this card for:
Simon Says - Easter or spring
Papertake Weekly - Easter treats
Celebrate the occasion - Happy Easter
Cutie Pie - Easter
Crafty Bloggers Network - spring or pastel

 

Next card is printed onto some shiny textured card I bought at the NEC last year.  Wish I'd bought more of it, it is lovely to print on.  Image is from Joanna Sheen Jayne Shasky CD, I've added some garden twine and used my favourite punch. I'm entering this card for:

CD Sunday - wonderful wings

Through the craft room door - anything goes

Pretty Little Ribbon - happy birthday

Sparkles Forum - birds

 

 Also from a Joanna Sheen CD, this time Enchanted Dreams, this lovely image just about fills an A5 card so all I've added is some transparent ribbon on top of the image.  I'm entering this card for:
Cupcake Craft - mythical creatures
Bunny Zoe - girly
Crazy Challenge - fairies and flowers

Last up is a Faye Whitaker decoupage image teamed with some twine, card candy and a Martha Stewart punched border.
I'm entering my card for:
Bearly Mine - anything goes
Anything goes - seeing double (two boys)
Whoopsie Daisie - punch it out
Stampin' for the weekend - childs play
Delightful Challenges - one for the boys

Too good to use...

 I've had a long and tiring day liberating an old friend from gaol - I mean hospital - and it's not over yet.  After waiting and waiting for the doctors to come round we were told there would be at least another 2hr wait for all his medication.  My friend and his elderly wife both blew their top about this and I ended up agreeing to take them home and return tonight for the pills and potions.  So that's two 60 mile round trips not one!

It was good to come home and have half a hour in my crafting space making my Less is More card even if this isn't the card I was intending to make.  It uses a Waltzing Mouse frame stamp and sentiment, stamped in Versafine Olympia Green, along with some Prima flowers that have been in my stash for a very long time.  One of my personal dislikes is the comment "it's too good to use", whether it's about fabric, paper, embellishments or otherwise.  So how did I avoid using these for so long?  Umm, no defence really, think I just forgot I had them lol.
I'm also entering my card into:
4 Crafty Chicks clean & simple  challenge

My other two cards continue with my infatuation with decoupage, both are Joanna Sheen, the House Mouse one has Crafty Individuals DP and an Impression Obsession sentiment over the ribbon.  I'm entering this card for One Stop Card Craft's anything goes challenge.

The Easter card is a Jayne Netley Mayhew teamed with my new favourite die, the Dienamics ribbon bow.  I'm entering this card for Moving Along with the Times spring is in the air challenge and Cute Card Thursday's anything goes challenge..

Spring is coming

 Spring is coming but could someone please turn the temperature dial up!  I've finished up another three Joanna Sheen decoupage cards, two of which are very spring like.  First card up is a Faye Whitaker, I have caved in and bought the CD too, the DP is printed out from this.  All I've added are some flowers with brad centres and some matting and layering.
I am entering this card for:
Celebrate the Occasion - spring is in the air
Try it on Tuesday - hats and Easter bonnets

 

I love the second image, from the Enchanted Dreams CD, teamed with some Elusive Images DP from my stash.  I cut out a shaped border from the DP and teamed it with a punched layer.
I am entering this card for:
Flutterby Wednesday - any winged creature
Card Mania - lots of layers
Incy Wincy - things that begin with F - fairy

 

Final card is Faye Whitaker again, using another background DP from the CD and with a cheerful check ribbon added.

I am entering this card for:

Ribbon Carousel - spring is in the air 

Ooh la la - four legged friends

Cute Card Thursday - anything goes

An Easter Bunny

The first day of my week off is perishingly cold with snow flurries, a good day to be indoors crafting.  Alas no crafting, I've done the supermarket run and I'm due to take a friend to visit her husband in hospital at Oxford after lunch.  All of which is an excuse for only having one card to show you today :).
My Easter Bunny is another Joanna Sheen House Mouse decoupage.  I used a Spellbinders label for the sentiment, the DP is from Elusive Images from when it used to be mailed out monthly to club members.  My favourit border punch, from EK Success, and a touch of ribbon finishes off this green, spring-like card.  Now we just need the weather to go with it!
My card is entered for:
Allsorts Challenge - springtime
One Stop Craft Challenge - springtime
Hybrid Chick - fur or feather
The Squirrel and the Fox - autumn or spring
Avadares - Easter or spring
Card Making Mamas - green inspration
Jellypark - bunny hop
Wags'n'Whiskers - go green
Totally Papercraft - punch it
Simon Says - a bit o'green

Party Animal

 It's Saturday so it is time for the Less is More Challenge, which is stripes and spots on a one layer card. For once, I knew what I was going to do straight away, but I have been out all day and couldn't get to the craft room until now.  I love the Technique Tuesday zebras and the sentiment that goes with them.  Stripes, sorted.  And one of my most useful stamps ever is from the Dotty range by Stamp Addicts.  I didn't mount the stamp onto a block, I just hold it folded lightly in half and use it at random, makes a fabulous grounding, sky, hills, anything really.  This took maybe 5 minutes from start to finish but I really like it, what do you think?

 I'm continuing with my decoupage deluge, here is a Faye Whitaker with some Memory Box buckle diecuts on ribbon and a House Mouse card that uses my new Die-namics ribbon die.  Back later to enter the decoupage into some challenges...

PS Rebecca has a fab giveaway here

TGI Friday!

 Whew, that was a long week!  I'm happy to say that it is now the weekend and I also have next week off work.  Hooray!  I have some more decoupage to show you today, I haven't been very productive this week but I did manage to finish up these three Faye Whitaker cards.  First up uses a brilliant new die that I got from Die-namic Dies, it has two 3 piece bows on it and this is the larger of the two.  Makes a fab bow with just a dab of glue.  I put Glossy Accents on the centre of the bow - because I got a bit of glue on it that looked messy :).
I am entering this card for:
4 Crafty Chicks - dies to die for
Craft us Crazy - anything goes
Simon Says - a bit of green

 Second card uses one of my favourite punches, which is an EK Success one that I bought some years back.  Sentiment is Hobby Art and there is a little card candy added.
I am entering this card for:
Totally Papercrafts - punch it
Cute Card Thursday - spring fever
Crafting for all Seasons - spring into spring
Shopping our Stash - border punches
Craft Your Passion - that is odd (odd number of embellies)

Last card is my card for Mum for this Sunday, nothing other than the sentiment provided added to the card.  Mum loves poppies and I think she'll love this card, hope so anyway.
I am entering this card for -
Stamp'n'Doodle - mother's day
Bearly Mine - mothers day
Creative Craft Challenges 2 - mothering sunday
Creative Creations - just for mum
Songbird Challenges - mama I love you

Monday Morning...

and another helping of decoupage :).  First up is a Faye Whitaker card, no embellies, just a stripy Papermania DP.  I'm entering this card for:
Here Come the Boys - no stamp allowed
Divas by Design - anything goes

This is followed by a House Mouse card with some raffia ribbon over Prima DP, love the sentiment on this card.  I'm entering this card for:
Craft Us Crazy - anything goes
Simon Says - anything goes

Finally another of those gorgeous Josephine Wall decoupage sheets, Craftworks Cards sentiment, Elusive Images DP from the packs they used to send out, MS pansy border added and some lace.
This card is entered for:
Sugar Creek Hollow - lovely lace
Sparkles - lace it up
Card Crafters Circle - it's only make believe
Stampin' for the Weekend - use lace
Allsorts Challenge - for a lady

Another day, another decoupage

 Yet more decoupage to show you today:).  Both are Joanna Sheen, but very different.  The first is a Faye Whitaker with some old DP by Crate Paper and twine added.  This card is for:
Penny Black Allsorts - one for the boys
The Ribbon Girl - add ribbon or twine
Simon Says - anything goes

Next up is a magical Josephine Wall image, with some Elusive Images DP added and an EK Success border punched into the card.  This card is for:
Joanna Sheen - layer it up
Pile it On - happy birthday
Sentimental Sundays - fairies with wings
The Squirrel and the Fox - fairytale or fantasy
2 Sisters - fairy tale or fantasy

Less is More Colour Challenge

Hmm I'm not sure why today's Less Is More Colour Challenge was such a, well, challenge.  But challenge it was and I have been staring at cardstock and papers for ages! 

Eventually I found a lovely piece of textured card that I had used with shaving foam to make a background.  I diecut some squares from it, matted and layered them and added a diecut butterfly from Craftwork Cards, which has a sentiment on it.  I wanted to add some more butterflies but then they dominated the card, so I cut 2 tiny ones from the waste card that the diecuts were on and added them.  Couple of lines of scoring above and below the squares and it is complete.
My card is also for:
Card & Scrap - pastel colours
House of Gilli - anything goes + pastels
QKR Stampede - 3 of something


 I lapsed with my resolution not to buy more DP and fell for this My Minds Eye 12x12 DP, which is a perfect match for some more Joanna Sheen decoupage.  The DP is double sided and I showed off the lovely dotty side by folding back corners and securing with brads.
My card is for:
Dutch Dare - for the boys
Simon Says - anything goes
Whimsy Stamps - add some metal (brads)