Willow writing recipes

Hmm... yesterday there was some definite thawing and it was much warmer; we hoped for some improvement and sadly we didn't get it. There was just an inch or so of new snow, but this was enough to delay the school buses and with my older son doing an A Level this morning being late was not an option. So I drove a bunch of exam teenagers down a road that is now not gritted due to the government's cutting the routes treated and returned to collect them a few hours later, which wasn't conducive to a productive day at work. Tonight's bad news is that only contingency routes will be gritted, which doesn't even include the main road north out of the village, which leads to my nearest craft shop (oh and Sainsbury's) :(. OK enough whingeing and on to my card.

Whiff of Joy has a challenge to use aqua and red this week, I've seen some beautiful cards using this colour combo but it's one that gives me a lot of trouble. I couldn't find any DP in my stash to help me but eventually found some free downloads from the generous Summer Driggs with the required colours. They are Christmassy papers so I've used the winter 09 stamps. Having found the DP I coloured three images and hope to post the other cards tomorrow, they're not complete. I've based this card on the Sketch Saturday Challenge and I'm also entering it for Crafty Cardmaker's Challenge which asks: What's new? I bought the stamp in Whiff of Joy's pre-Christmas sale and haven't used it until now, so it was uninked and new. Love the stamp, just haven't had a chance to play yet...

Willow writing recipes is coloured with Copics and edged with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink. I paper pieced her top from DP, avoiding the snowflakes on it. I then needed to paper piece her apron as otherwise it looked odd for it to be further away if you know what I mean! The sentiment is Craftwork Cards, as are the embossed scalloped borders. I've moved my Prima flowers off centre as otherwise there wasn't room for them on my card. Oh, the scalloped card is also from Craftwork Cards. More aqua and red tomorrow, is it just me who thinks they look like the colours of Best Mate (the racehorse) or West Ham football club? :). Keep warm everyone and let's hope the white stuff goes soon.

Birthday Bronte

This is a birthday card for Daisy, who will be one in a few weeks time. It uses an image from the very talented Mo Manning called Bronte and Louis which was a free image provided for Mo's Papercraft Planet group. I love Mo's drawings with Bronte the dog in and this is no exception :).

I'm entering it for Mo's Challenge Blog, DP2, this week's challenge is birthday cards and also for Allsort's Challenge which follows a sketch by Emma. On the DT, Sally-Ann of Digi Boutique split her DP into offset wedges and I've CASEd her idea here.

Bronte and Louis are coloured with Copics and cut out (because I messed up the background), then decoupaged onto the circles, I've sponged Distress Inks onto the main circle. The DP is Basic Grey Cupcake and the tags are jewellery tags.

Paper Sundaes - New challenge blog and hop

Paper Sundaes is a new Challenge Blog that is launching next Sunday, one of my fellow Glitterbees, Carla, is part of the team at Paper Sundaes. Right now there is a blog hop at Paper Sundaes with lots of great candy to be won on the way. Looks a lot of fun, I'm looking forward to their first challenge :).

Wish I Was On The Beach...

We've got icicles...
but we went up to Membury for some fast food and there are some seriously impressive icicles at the service station, these are a good 6-8' long.
So I decided to make as warm and sunny a card as I could :).
This week's House Mouse Challenge is "On the Beach". I don't have a huge collection of House Mouse stamps yet, but I did pick this one up late last year and haven't yet inked it up. I used a fun sketch designed by Denise for Stamp Something's Challenge this week, and I added a sentiment that fitted both the House Mouse idea and the theme at Saturday Spotlight - love, without hearts - meaning a card representing love without using hearts anywhere on the card. Great theme!

The image is coloured with Copics and some Glossy Accents on the bottle and the seashells, it's edged with Broken China Distress Ink. The papers are K&K, the sentiment was made with alphabet stamps. Do you feel any warmer looking at my card? I hope so :)

Mojo Monday meets Lili of the Valley

This is a card made with a neglected stamp set, I refuse to beat myself up about my huge craft stash as a January ritual, but I *do* intend to use and enjoy what I have :). I've used a stamp from Tall Trees, an Elusive Images that called my name but then sat mute in its box for some time...

I've used the Mojo Monday sketch; the image and the sentiment (also Elusive Images) are stamped in black Versafine onto glossy card with Kaleidoscope ink brayered onto it. I have re-done both the sentiment and the image as I was surprised to find that my Aleen's tacky clear glue had some kind of weird bleaching effect onto the ink... There were a few blobs on the image that looked bad, but just look at the sentiment!
I don't use DS tape very much now as I found it isn't very long lasting, but the brayered glossy definitely needs something other than the glue. It might be an interesting effect for another project though...

This is also an entry for the Lili of the Vallege Challenge this week - a Thank You card

DP is Basic Grey Indian Summer, I've used a Cuttlebug folder with leaves, highlighted with a bit of chalk ink, as well as a Martha Stewart punch. The paper is 6x6" and not big enough for the card; I was able to cut it and hide the join under the central border.

Hot Chocolate - yes please!

The weather is cold and snowy and hot chocolate sounds really inviting - if the delivery of milk gets through the snow to the local shop that is - the shelves have been bare for a couple of days, but today the newspapers arrived in the village, which has to be a promising sign :).

Amazingly there are two challenges this week themed to hot chocolate so I reached for the first Whiff of Joy stamp that I bought - Willow with hot chocolate, which is still one of my favourite stamps. This cards was made for the following Challenges:

• Simon Says Hot Chocolate
• Quixotic Challenge - Hot Chocolate
• ABC Challenges - L is for Layering - lots and lots of layering
  
• Corrosive Challenges - a few of my favourite things - favourite embellishments of flowers and ribbons
• Fussy & Fancy - New - Gorgeous new Prima flowers that I won in blog candy from the generous Belles & Whistles
• Sketch Saturday - great sketch from Simonne
• Charisma Cardz - colour combo of pink, brown, cream & toffee - yum!

I'm really pleased with the look of the card, Willow is coloured with Copics and a white Inktense pen. The gold & white stripy and spotty papers are from Craftwork Cards, as is the gingham ribbon, the flower DP says "the paper element" and has been maturing in my stash for a few years :). The beautiful Prima flower came from blog candy, isn't it stunning? There are multiple layers of brown shades of cardstock matting the papers as well as a little bit of gold mirricard on the corners.

Freebie alert!

I got an email today from the publishers of Creative Cardmaking, they have made Issue 8 available free to download online, including the gorgeous freebie papers. I bought the magazine and I'm really chuffed that I can download those papers and use them again...

Free issue of Creative Cardmaking online

DT Post - Twisted Thursday is back! Challenge #38

It's Twisted Thursday Challenge time again! Shirleys2Girls are back and are now busy designing solely for the digi image market. We have a fantastic new Design Team and just wait till you see what this talented bunch has made with Zola, one of the saucy new Valentine's digis, you can buy her as an instant download here. You challenge is to follow a sketch - with a twist! Here's what you have to do: Create a card, following this week’s sketch and then add a “Twist” by using hearts somewhere on your project. You are not required to use Shirley’s 2 Girls images, but if you've got them, we'd love to see you use them!

Upload your card to your favorite online gallery and/or your blog. If you upload to SCS or PCP, please use the keywords S2GSC38 AND shirleys2girls. Post a direct link to your card using Mr. Linky on the Challenge Blog, here. The deadline for uploading your card is Wednesday, 13 January 2010 at midnight PDT. Not one, but TWO winning cards will be chosen by Random.org, the lucky winners will get to choose an image from Shirley’s 2 Girls, they'll get a "Winner" blinkie to display on their blog and the winning cards or other project will be showcased on the Shirley's 2 Girls Challenge Blog. Please do visit the other Ladies with Attitude, check out their amazing creations and leave them some love, here's the new team: Ann, Anne (me), Carlie, Cat, Deanne, Debbie, Georgia, Gina, Jana, Jane,Jeannie, Jennifer, Judy and Lisa.

My card was based around the black lacy DP that is an old one from Stampington. I looked at it and saw that it would make brilliant fishnet stockings for Zola, who looks to me like a fishnet stocking sort of gal :). So I paper pieced her stockings, coloured her with Copics and added a Dimension Fourth sentiment. The circle is an Artylicious CD paper, edged with a silver pen and the hearts are cut with a die that came with my Big Shot from a black and silver DP. I've doodled more hearts in the corners with a red pen and that's about it. So, what do you think of Zola? I think she's a fab image and I had a lot of fun making this card :).

The snow is here...

Not much snow on the roof... we need to up our insulation :)

The horses weren't too impressed by the lack of grass


The hedgerow looks beautiful

It takes all sizes...

Shirleys2Girls are sponsoring this week's Digital Tuesday Challenge, which is to create a Valentine's card for a loved one. I've used the adorable digi image "All Sizes" which is part of S2G's relaunch as a digi company. I printed the image twice and decoupaged the elephant couple as well as adding a few extra hearts. Coluoring is with Copics and Stickles, the black sparkle embossed sentiment is from Elusive Images. The DP has been in my stash forever, sorry don't know who made it and I've cut a scalloped rectangle with a Nestie. I'm also entering my card for A Spoonful of Sugar's Challenge, which is to include Hearts, and for Pile it On's challenge to include anything digital.

Mrs Comfy and her knitting

I've coloured in another Mrs Comfy digi image from Phindy O'Neill, I love these quirky drawings with all their details :). I've followed the sketch from Sketch & Stash Challenge and, as is customary, I need to tell you about the new and neglected stash used. Mrs Comfy image is new but unused until now and the Basic Grey paper is also new. Can you believe DH went into my local craft shop to choose me some presents and a Nook & Pantry pad had been put by for me as I'd expressed an interest in it. He decided it wasn't fair to buy it for Christmas as I'd already planned to get it (except I hadn't made my mind up!) so he paid for it anyway and brought it home as well as buying presents. Yes, I'm a very lucky person and no, sadly he doesn't have a brother :).

Image coloured with Copics, edged with Distress Inks in Peeled Paint and Scattered Straw. Sentiment from Papermania, card candy from Craftwork Cards, Basic Grey DP and flowers from Belles & Whistles advent blog candy.

Yesterday we went for a walk to Upper Lambourn and enjoyed the sunshine on the sprinkling of snow.

Some of us thought it was so cold we had to wear two hats...

Another Christmas Card for 2010!

Here's another Christmas card made before we get out of this snowy, wintry weather. I'm starting to run out of steam with Christmas and have some really fun DT work to post soon, so Christmas will soon take a back seat :). I've copper embossed a Tim Holtz reindeer onto a background of tree stamps and sponging with Distress Inks. The card is matted onto copper pearlescent card and then onto more of that lovely Magnolia DP I've been hoarding. I've rotated this week's CPS Challenge sketch, added a Craftwork Cards sentiment and some ribbon from my stash. Again, I've stuck to my resolution to minimise embellishments to avoid all that extra postage on my Christmas cards :). It's not quite so bad when it's a birthday card here and there but it's quite a shock when you're posting 30 or 40 cards at once!

A is for Angel

I'm playing along at ABC Christmas Challenge, with the intention of having a good amount of Christmas cards done in good time for next year! The first Challenge is A for Angels, with the added option of a charm. I've left off the charm as I had a real shock when I posted a lot of cards this year as so many needed extra postage thanks to my embellishments :). I've based the card on a sketch challenge by Caz at Cute Card Thursday. Caz says it's only her second sketch - great sketch Caz, thanks.

The angel stamp is a Lili of the Valley stamp. I stamped it onto watercolour paper with the intention of using Distress Inks, but when I coloured it this morning I reached automatically for my Copics. They are meant to be best used on smooth paper, but I found they were ok on the textured paper though the colours were much brighter and stronger than usual. The angel is cut out with a deckle-edged Nestie and her wings painted with Glossy Accents. The music paper in the background is another Magnolia Christmas DP that I didn't cut into before Christmas, isn't it beautiful? Sentiment from Craftwork Cards, ribbon from stash.

Happy New Year and First Card of 2010

Happy New Year to everyone and I hope you had a wonderful start to the new decade, whether you were partying or spending time quietly at home. We've had the most frustrating start to the New Year, having planned to go to the racing at Cheltenham after collecting sons from various parties this morning. There were two inspections of the course, we had just about arrived when it was confirmed at 11.30am that the racing was on. The first race was run and it was clear that some trainers and jockeys were unhappy with the ground and there was a delay of nearly 3/4 of an hour while a deputation walked the course and finally agreed that racing continue. But over a third of the horses due to run were withdrawn, including most of the star horses we'd travelled to see. Whatever the decision, the racecourse staff would be unpopular, this seemed to be the worst of all worlds though... Oh well, such is life:).

Back to cardmaking, I finished this card last night, which began when I read Crafty Cardmaker's Challenge, which is called Favourites of 2009. No, I'm not listing my favourite cards, this is about new/favourite products or techniques and I've included several in my card. 2009 has been the year that I reverted to my childhood and enjoyed colouring in :). So my favourite new products have to be Copics, which I'm beginning to get to grips with. An also-ran for 2009 is Spellbinder dies; I'd just begun to use Nesties last year and they are high up on the favourite list. The technique that I've really enjoyed using is masking, following a demo I bought some Frisket mask and have really enjoyed combining images ever since, as I've done here with the two Whiff of Joy stamps.

I've used Nikki's sketch from A Spoonful of Sugar for my card, tweaking the circle into the large snowflake. The colourway is based on this week's Copic Colour Challenge, which uses YG03, BV02 and B93. I must be slipping, I only have Light Crockery Blue and had to substitute for the other two :). Lovely colourscheme though, which gave me the chance to use the spotty Fancy Pants DP which I bought and stroked but hadn't cut into. The green DP is a Magnolia paper that, again, I hadn't cut into. Small snowflakes are from a Woodware punch, large flakes a Spellbinders die, ribbon from stash.

Warm wishes for Whiff of Joy

I'm still in Christmas card making mode here, this uses a stamp I got from the Whiff of Joy Christmas sale and didn't get a chance to use before Christmas :). For some reason I had a struggle with Bev's sketch for the Whiff of Joy Challenge and I'm not sure I've really nailed it...

Papers are DCWV, sentiment is from Craftwork Cards. Image coloured with copics and Glossy Accents for the candlelight. Ribbon from my stash.

Warm wishes and a Happy New Year to everyone :)

Birds Go By

We all need "thinking of You" cards and I've made a card that will work for most people, using Phindy O'Neill's tranquil digi image, Birds Go By. I've more-or-less followed Dawny's sketch at this week's Papertake Challenge, within the limitations of the size of paper scraps I was using up :). The PDs are both Papermania, as is the sentiment. The brown cardstock was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and I've gone over it with chalks to highlight the script. The image was paintedusing Distress Inks and a watercolor pen.

Charisma Cards Celebrate!

Charisma Cards Challenge Blog is one year old today! To celebrate they have a theme of Celebrations, with FIFTEEN prizes to give out - count 'em - FIFTEEN! There is also a fun blog hop with prizes along the way and some great projects from the DT to enjoy :). I've hopped and now I need to make a Celebration card - don't forget to join in!

Mojo Monday meets Shirleys2Girls

I made this card with the intention of making it as colourful and cheerful as possible on a grey, rainy day. It's a bit too busy, but hey, it's cheerful :). It uses Maizie at the Beach, a clear stamp from Shirleys2Girls. S2G is relaunching as all digi and you can buy Maizie at 45% off. Be quick, when the stamps are gone they're gone :). Flowers are Prima, a Christmas present from my DH, DPs are old stash, can't find a name on them. Blue flowers stamped around the sentiment are from Stamps by Judith. I've followed the fun sketch from Mojo Monday's Challenge .

Woo hoo! I'm on the Shirleys2Girls Design Team!

I'm so excited to announce that I'm no longer a Guest on the Shirleys2Girls DT - I'm part of their new Design Team along with a dozen other creative Ladies With Attitude. Here's the list of blogs for the DT:

Ann English
Anne Ray
Carlie Mays
Cat Darling
Deanne Burton
Debbie Daniels
Georgia McDonald
Gina Lindsay
Jana Mays
Jane Wetzel
Jeannie Thomas
Jennifer Scull
Judy Applegarth
Lisa Futch

I'm so looking forward to working with this talented group and I can't wait to see what new delights Shirleys2Girls have for us to work with. I've made a quick celebratory card but it can wait until morning ... it's late here and I'm at work in the morning :)

Wintry Holly

Here's a quick blogging of a card made for a Challenge at Papercraft Planet on Michelle Perkett's group. The image is Holly, the Christmas friendship fairy, from Michelle's Etsy shop. Jana provided a fun sketch to use and I chose wintry colours for my card. Both DPs are from Artylicious CDs, they are edged with a silver pen. The pen blotched all over the place when I was edging the large piece; I decided it was a great effect and left it alone :). The sentiment is from Elusive Images, silver embossed onto vellum. Fairy is coloured with Copics and has Flowersoft "fur" edging her robe. The background uses the palest shade of purple in Copic.

Mrs Comfy has a fantastic day

Mrs Comfy is a digi character created by Phindy O'Neill; here she is taking her dog Pogg for a walk. I bought the image before Christmas but have only just had a chance to use it, there are a lot of lovely details to highlight and play with in the drawing.


I used the sketch from Truly Scrumptious, which is ideal for an image like this that needs to be the main part of the card. The challenge is to use the sketch and include vellum somewhere in the card; I've added an Elusive Images sentiment on vellum to the card.

The image is coloured with Copics, Stickles and lots of Glossy Accents for the rain and the puddles, the background is coloured with Distress Inks. Papers are Que Sera from K&K. I hope you like Mrs Comfy as much as I do :)

New Year Resolutions

At last, back into my craft room :). It's been fun having visitors but it's also nice to be just the four of us. Today is my free day, the last visitor left yesterday, tomorrow I have to go back to work. I'm hoping to get a few cards done, we'll see how the day goes... Here's a bright, cheery card that's based round a New Year's Resolutions Challenge, which takes in a few other challenges at the same time.

Corrosive Challenges is asking for a creation that has a connection with New Year's Resolutions. My only formal resolution will be to continue with last year's resolution, which is to pick up a piece of rubbish from the street each day and put it in the bin. It does make a difference, please think about doing this :). But that doesn't make a very pretty card, so I came up with this: 1.Being thankful for what I have, 2.Flowers because I want to get the garden really looking good this year; the hard landscaping is mostly done but I need to weed and to plant; 3.Enjoying and using the vast amount of crafting stash that I have.

Papertake Weekly's Challenge is a great one for this time of year - Thank You cards.

I've used the sketch from Sketch & Stash, for which I need to tell you what new, never used or neglected stash I've used. The stamp is a lovely new one I got for Christmas (Hero Arts), the MS punch is also new Christmas stash. The papers are old stash and the Big Shot die used to make the flowers is neglected stash. The picot lace is very old stash from my sewing days...

I added the lace in, just the right shade for the card, which means the card is eligible for the Quixotic Challenge, to use lace.

Dutch Dare's Challenge is to "make it happen" - using home made embellishments. I've made the flowers for my card with a die and a small punch.

Hero Arts stamp was stamped in Kaleidoscope blue inks onto glossy card. Sentiment is Elusive Images. Papers are K&K.

Guest DT - Cute Card Thursday - Happy New Year

This is the second and final week of my Guest DT spot for Cute Card Thursday, it has been great fun being part of Caz's talented bunch of crafters, thank you :). This week's Challenge is Happy New Year. I'm also entering my card for the Simon Says Challenge of Simon Says - Party! Lili of the Valley Challenge with the theme Happy New Year and Cupcake Craft Challenge us to make a celebration card.

The stamp I've used is by Rubber Romance, it's one of the first stamps I ever bought and she's ideal for lots of celebration and party cards. Martini Girl is coloured with Copics and seriously blinged up with gems, Stickles, silver ribbon and Glossy Accents for her cocktail. Cut out with Nestie Labels 4, she's matted onto a piece of brayered cardstock and layered onto K&K paper.

I have today off from work and go back on Tuesday so that's 5 days off -hoorah! I hope to get some crafting time after Christmas Day but in the meantime I am so behind on everything, the 18th birthday party at the weekend rather took over from Christmas and now I have to catch up :) - the bad weather hasn't helped things either. I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year.

ABC Christmas Challenge Blog Hop

ABC Challenge is launching a new blog challenge - the Christmas Challenge Blog - here's why:
"After speaking to many people it seems to be a common problem that Christmas creeps up on us every year! So this challenge will run on a fortnightly basis, on alternate weeks to our Sister blog ABC Challenge. The Idea is to have fun and create 25 cards or Projects in time for Christmas 2010 your projects will be based on a theme or technique using the letters of the alphabet in turn. We ask that you create a new piece of work for the challenge,Please do not add items published before the challenge date."

To spread the word about the new Challenge there is a blog hop, starting at the Challenge Hop and open until 29 December, with lots of prizes to be won. Check out the Challenge blog for all the details :)

Bling - or why is mirricard so camera shy?

I think mirri card must be the hardest thing ever to photograph - this card looks a lot better in real life, I promise. I took loads of photos and these two poor pictures are the best I can do :). No chance of another try, this is the final Christmas card (I hope) and went through a letterbox tonight...

The image is an exquisite digi freebie from Fred She Said that I have decoupaged and glittered. Background is papers from Dovecraft matted onto navy card and that dratted mirri card that looks so good until you try to take its picture. Sentiment from Craftwork Cards.

This card is for Corrosive Challenges' Bling theme and also for Digital Tuesday's Let it Snow challenge - lots of snowflakes in the DP and the digi could be a fantasy flower, or it could be a snowflake - what do you think?