A Hurricane - I hope

A friend asked me to make a birthday card with a plane on for a friend who has restored a WW2 Hurricane.  I found this image on a Joanna Sheen Nostalgia CD Rom and having Googled Hurricanes I reckon this is one.  Hope so!  Very C&S card with some scored paper behind the image which was cut out with a Nestie.  Some twine and a sentiment finish it off.
I'm entering my card for:
Simon Says - transport
Joanna Sheen - Father's Day/Male
Crafty Calendar - things with wings
Gem of a Challenge - Father's Day/Male
Jellypark Friends - masculine
Simply Create Too - Father's Day/Male
Milk/Coffee - Father's Day/Male
Crafting by Design - male
Crafting for all Seasons - one for the boys

Need for Speed

Better late than never, here is my one layer card for this week's Less is More Challenge.  The bicycle and sentiment are both from Little Claire, I've added colour with Inktense pencils, it's been a while since I've used them!
My card is also for:
Simon Says - Transport
Addicted to Stamps and More - CAS

Fine Plumage

Here's my card for this week's CD Sunday Challenge where the theme is Fine Plumage.  I used the Josephine Wall CD and book, but made my own variation of the card.  I LOVE this concept of the book with all its inspiration, perfect to spark off ideas when the mojo is missing :).  Do please click and enlarge the photo to see all the amazing detail in the image, which is decoupaged.  Background paper is also from the CD and I've added Memory Box diecut keys and poppies as well as some orange ribbon.
I'm also entering my card for:
Charisma Cardz - tons of layers
Deep Ocean - for a girl
Scrap it Girl - die cuts

Forever in blue jeans

It has been a more than usually hectic few weeks and I had planned to catch up on my crafting at the weekend.  However I ended up doing very little other than the usual taxi-ing around of offspring, dog walking, grass cutting, chicken cleaning out etc. etc.  I'm now enjoying catching up on some crafting and on some of my favourite challenges. 
Today's card is a masculine card that would be suitable for Father's Day, that uses the new House Mouse CD from Joanna Sheen.  The image is decoupaged and I've added extra clothes pegs across the card.  In real life, the ribbon is a perfect match for the orange card that I've used to mat and layer.  Matted onto orange and kraft. Some stitching and a scattering of stars finishes off the card.
I'm entering my card for:
Simon Says - masculine/Father's Day
House Mouse & Friends - Father's Day/ male
Charisma Cardz - tons of layers
Papertake Weekly - hello boys
Really Reasonable Ribbon - masculine with ribbon
Crafters Cafe - Fathers or for a male
Crafty Cardmakers - Father's Day
Creative Creations - for you Dad/masculine

Less is More and Housework

Nearly a week since I have blogged or made a card, things have been so busy here.  Here is an entry for Less is More Challenge has had the shocking effect of forcing me to do some housework.  This week the colour challenge is to take the colour(s) of your front door and asks for a photo of it.  My door is white with a black frame, but when I went to take the photo I was embarrassed by all the dust on it!  In my defence, we rarely use the front door and it opens almost straight onto a rural street...  Photo after a wash and brush up :)

Less is More.  This week's

I've used a fab Acid Drops and What-Nots stamp and frame and added a touch of purple to his waistcoat and handkerchief, to pick out the Clematis beside the door.  One layer, coloured with Copics.
My card is also for:
Crafty Sentiments - black, white and one other
Simon Says - masculine/Father's Day
Cards for Men - Dad
Try it on Tuesday - one for the men

Decoupage can be c&s too!

Today's card is a Joanna Sheen decoupage, with lots of lovely layers.  I've kept the card very simple - too simple?  Not sure, what do you think?
I'm entering my card for:
Simon Says - anything goes
Creative Moments - lots of layers
Stamp 'n' Doodle - so many layers

Aged to Perfection

This week's CD Sunday Challenge is Aged to Perfection.  I've made a fairly c&s card for Father's Day or a Dad's birthday.  The image comes from Joanna Sheen's Nostalgia CD, quite an aged CD but a very good one!  The sentiment is a House Mouse stamp and the "Dad" stamp[ is part of a large Woodware stamp that I've cut out, overlapped and popped up with Pinflair. Some matting and layering and twine finish off the card. Sorry about the flash reflection on the Dad word, it is so dingy here today that I couldn't take a photo without flash...

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:
Cards for Men - Dad
Digi Darla's - Father's Day
Melonheadz Friends - Father's Day
My Sheri Crafts - Father's Day
Hiding in my Craftroom - Father's Day
Creative Craft Challenges - for the fellas

Body of a twenty five old

This week's challenge at Less is More is Humour, which is the perfect excuse to use my Acid Drops and What-Nots stamps, which happen to be their sponsors for this month.  I'm a bit out of practice at colouring with my Copics but luckily the stamps look fine with very simple colouring!

It's a hard life...

Here's a bit of wishful thinking for the Bank Holiday weekend, a Gruffy Bear decoupage card with warm sunny colours.  The decoupage is pretty complex so I've kept the card very simple, with some K&Co paper and giant ric-rac that I bought in a shop in Hay-on-Wye some years back.
I'm entering my card for:
Charisma Cardz - here comes summer
House Mouse & Friends - flower power

Less is More meets Sketch Saturday

I'm so glad to be able to enter my favourite challenges now I'm back online.  This very c&s birthday card is for Less is More's cats and/or dogs challenge and uses the layout for Sketch Saturday, though as you can see my sentiment doesn't quite follow their sketch!  The stamp is by Katy Sue Designs, fell for it at the NEC but shamefully this is the first time it's seen ink...
I'm also entering my card for Craft Your Passion where the challenge is Party Animals.  Looking forward to catching up with a few blogs today, bye for now.

Poppies for Mum

Mum loves poppies, so this Joanna Sheen decoupage made a perfect "just because" card that I sent to her last week.  I've added some buttons and some dotty Papermania DP, happy to report that she loved it.
I'm entering my card for the following challenges:
Simon Says - flower power
My Sheri Crafts - flower power
Three Scrappy Gals - who's your mama?
Mema's Crafts - optional Mother's Day, flowers
Songbird Challenges - bloom and grow
Paper Playtime - buttons or brads

Go Green

 
At last I'm back online and today, after 3 weeks, I seem to have my phone number back at last, hoorah!  Who would think that BT could make such a mess of a simple change of initial...

Now that I can upload to my blog it is time to catch up with some of my favourite challenges and here is my entry for this week's CD Sunday Challenge, Going Green.  The image (printed twice and decoupaged) and backing paper are from the gorgeous new Joanna Sheen House Mouse CD.  The sentiments are from House Mouse unmounted rubber stamps and I recycled the buttons from White Stuff clothes labels.  I've been collecting the labels to use and there is no truth in the rumour that I shop there just because they provide crafting stash with each purchase lol!
I'm also entering the following challenges:
Dream Valley - animals
Corrosive Challenge - sentiment on the front
Stampin' for the Weekend - button it up

Less is More

I have had a deeply frustrating week without broadband and without "my" phone number.  I have wasted many hours on the phone to BT and had many promises broken.  I am now told this will not change until after the weekend.
I have borrowed the work computer to enter the Less is More Challenge as this is one of the two that I don't like to miss entering.  I used my fabulous Acid Drops and What-Nots stamps (they are this week's sponsors) and my opposite colours are yellow and violet.  Apologies for the poor photo, I have no photo editing available to crop or tinker about with it.

Teen Dude

Today's card continues with my mission to use up some of my 6x6 pads, I've used Basic Grey Marjolaine and paper pieced a Dylusions stamp.  The sentiment is Hero Arts and I've based the layout on this week's Sketch Saturday Challenge.
I'm entering this card for:
Sketch Saturday - sketch
Basic Grey - masculine
Crafters Companion - masculine
Moving Along with the Times - one for the boys

Purple Paradise Shoes

Here's my card for this week's CD Sunday Challenge, I've got my card in a bit more promptly this week!  It's made using the Katy Sue Fabulous Shoes CD.  I'm really enjoying making up the decoupage on this one.  The background paper is also printed from the CD, it has a lovely faux embossed look to it.  I have added some gems and lots of Glossy Accents, the sentiment is Hero Arts.
I'm entering my card for:
CD Sunday Challenge - purple paradise
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Papertake Weekly - sketch free for all, sketch 54
Party time Tuesday - anything goes

Chocolate mice

I've some Joanna Sheen House Mouse decoupage to show today; I started off with the Sunday Sketch & Stamp layout, moving the ribbon from centre to below, letting the mice and the bows spill off the image.  The DP is Basic Grey Kioshi from my stash and I've embossed the big white square behind it.
I'm also entering the following challenges:
Artistic Impressions - lots of layers
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Use Your Stuff - spring into pastels
Tammy's Scrapin' Corner - lots of layers
Cutie Pie - lots of layers
Paper Nest Dolls - emboss it
Paper Playtime - emboss wet or dry

Two Challenges

 There are two challenges that I'm trying to do each week and this is a last minute entry for CD Sunday, which was a bit of a challenge this week.  They had a great theme for the Queen's birthday:  Majesty.  OK this one had me stumped :).  I have a lovely Queen Mother image on a Faye Whitaker CD but I can't think why I'd use it on a card...  In the end I settled for a very majestic looking lynx and fairy from Josephine Wall, with a DP printed from the Artylicious CD Season's Greetings.  Martha Stewart punch used on the corners, will add a sentiment when I send it...
I'm also entering my card for:
Penny's Papers - anything goes
Simon Says - anything goes

My second card is for this week's Less is More challenge, which has a sketch to follow.  The bird branch was cut using my Silhouette, the sentiment is Hero Arts.  I'm also entering my card for:
Creative Corners - clean and simple
Nutcrafters - anything goes

St George's Day 25 years ago

I'm not quite sure how you mark  a silver wedding anniversary where he has left for someone else but divorce hasn't yet happened.  Our wedding day was St George's Day, Desert Orchid won the Whitbread Gold Cup at 11/2.  We made the cake and I decorated it.  It was so sad looking through the wedding photos, not just for the obvious reason, but also when I realised how many people have died/divorced/lost touch over the years.  I may not be celebrating but I am thinking about it and marking the day...  I can't regret something that gave us nearly 24 years of happiness and blessed me with two wonderful sons.  I'm keeping myself busy, had lunch with a friend in Marlborough in the sunshine and then went and tried on loads of dresses for my older son's graduation this summer.  Didn't find the right one but enjoyed looking! 

CASEing LIM

This week's Less Is More Challenge is to case one of the cards made by Chrissie and Jen.  I have CASEd the colours of Jen's card, using a slightly darker brown which worked with the ribbon that I bought at Ally Pally last week, gorgeous isn't it?  My older son is back for a night as he has to go to Cardiff tomorrow and he asked me to make a 21st birthday card for one of his housemates at university.  I used my Silhouette to cut the numbers, raised the layer up on padded tape and added another couple of layers.  Felt it looked a little bare, so I added the pearls.  I'm also entering my card for CASual Friday's Birthday Bash and Crafting for all Seasons no stamps allowed challenge.

I've not had much time to craft cards this weekend, been working on a sewing project.  But here's some Jayne Netley Mayhew for Joanna Sheen decoupage that is perfect for a spring day.  DP is Stampin' Up.  I'm entering my card for:
Dream Valley - things with wings
Scrappy Frogs - think spring
Milk, coffee, stamps - welcome spring

Hollypond Hill

Today's card comes from Joanna Sheen's Hollypond Hill CD and was made at a friend's request.  The image has one extra layer on it, the borders behind the sentiment are from a backing paper from the same CD and the DP is Basic Grey Nook & Pantry.I matted the image and then added some MS punched borders with Liquid Pearls added.

I'm entering my card for:
Crafting for all Seasons - no stamps allowed
Inky Impressions - punches or dies
Paper Pretties - happy birthday to...
Sisterhood of Crafters - animal antics

A Mixed Bunch

 Good morning and I have a mixed bunch of cards to show today.  First up is some paper piecing using a Dylusions clear stamp and some Craftwork Card pearlised paper from my stash.  I've added a mirri board border and some bling.  I'm entering this card for:
Papertake - one papertaker
Everybody Art Challenge - bling

 Continuing with the fashion theme, this decoupage comes from House of Zandra.

 Next two cards are both Joanna Sheen decoupage, I used some more of my 6x6 pad on the Gruffy Bears card.

With Thanks

I'm trying to play along with CD Sunday each week and this week their challenge is the simple one of "Thank You".  I had already printed the lovely pansy wreath from Jane Shasky's In the Garden several times with the intention of decoupaging it.  I printed out the sentiment that matched it and now it works for the challenge - perfect!  There are three layers of flowers on the wreath.  I have just got a raspberry plate for my Grand Calibur so that I can use large embossing folders (well actually it's an albino raspberry as it's a lookalike plate!) and I used an embossing folder that I got at the NEC in March.  I used some gilding wax rubbed onto the embossing to give it a shine, not sure how well it shows in the photo.  A few brads and some ribbon complete the card.
I'm also entering my card for:
Pile it On - embossing
Totally Gorjuss - spring shades
Card Crafters Circle - dieing to impress (I chose to emboss)
Blogger's Challenge - emboss me
Delightful Challenges - round up

Meet Algernon

This is Algernon, I just know that he and I are going to be good friends.  Algernon comes from a new to me stamp company that I fell for in a big way at Ally Pally yesterday, called Acid Drops and Whatnots.  I went to the show with Lady Limette herself, Chrissie, and we both bought stamps from this series, can't wait to play with them.  I've used a fairly sedate sentiment here but there are some quite risque ones to enjoy.
Anyhow, Algernon is perfect for this week's Less is More Challenge, which is a one layer card inspired by a film.  I've picked High Society.  Algernon is coloured very minimally with Copics, the frame is also from Acid Drops and Whatnots.  I'm also entering the following challenges:
The Squirrel and the Fox - inspired by song or movie
Gingerloft Creations - for the guys
Crafting when we Can - at the movies
Aud Sentiments - for a guy


It was lovely to meet up with fellow Limettes, here are Val, Chrissie, myself and Jenny; Sylvie (Gibmiss) was at the show but missed the photocall:)

I've another couple of Joanna Sheen decoupage cards to share.  First is a Jayne Netley Mayhew flower bunch, IRL the ribbon is blue and a much better match to the matting layers! 

 Last card is Josephine Wall, with a MS punch border and some Artylicious DP.  I'm entering this card for:
Kenny K's Krafty Krew- dies and punches and Forever Friends and Co diecuts and punches.

A Couple of Challenges

 Good morning, I've a few cards to show today.  I always try to enter the Less is More Challenge run by my friend Chrissie, which often challenges me!  This week was no exception and for some reason the lime and black colour scheme completely had me stumped!  So this entry is in the nick of time and after a few false starts...  Stampin' Up paper (I think), Memory Box labrador die and Hero Arts sentiment.  I'm looking forward to a day out at Ally Pally with Chrissie tomorrow and hope to meet lots of other Limettes there :).

 Now that I've rediscovered my CDs I am trying to enter the CD Sunday Challenge each week and this week I was tempted into buying a CD of window images from Ebay.  Unfortunately the postman has not co-operated and I don't yet have my disk :(.  So, Plan B was to look through my disks and I found a lovely window with herbs drying on my Jane Shasky CD.  I cut out and decoupaged the herbs onto the window for a start, made it into an easel card with some garden raffia on the base and added the little detail images that are printed on the image sheet.  Decided to use some of my precious lace for a "curtain" to accentuate the window effect.  The lace was added after my friend thought the window was upside down on the card!

Don't know if you remember, but I'm trying to use up my 6x6 DP pads, one by one.  The Basic Grey Out of Print pad that is sitting on my desk is now nearly used up; here I've used another sheet and some scraps for a background to a Gruffy Bears decoupage.
 
Anyhow my last card is also from the Jane Shasky CD, I fell for this image and had to print it off when I was looking for window images!  A MS border, some twine and a Craftwork Cards sentiment finish off this card.

April Showers

 

At long last it is beginning to feel like Spring.  It was warm enough not to wear a coat today but now we're getting the April showers as well as a rainbow to go with them!  I've a few more of my decoupage cards to show, all Joanna Sheen.  The first  is a cute House Mouse image, with Basic Grey Kioshi paper added, a Martha Stewart punched border and some Stickles on the raindrops.

I'm entering this card for:

Simon Says - April Showers
DL. Art - rain
Happy Campers - flower power
Divas by Designs - flowers

 
Next card is Jayne Netley Mayhew, with a bit of bling, a Craftwork Cards sentiment and my favourite punched border from EK Success added.  I'm entering my card for:
Twisted Tuesday - animals and flowers
Creative Belli - pastels
Fab'n'Funky - spring colours
Paper Shelter - spring delights
Sisterhood of Crafters - animal antics

 
Last card is printed from the Faye Whitaker CD and it is simply matted and layered with the Die-namics bow and a Craftwork Cards sentiment added.  I'm entering this card for:
Vicky's Place - teddy with a friend
Loves Rubber Stamps - pop your image 3D style

A spring in my step?

Good morning!  Today it's grey and rainy but at least it's getting a bit warmer (or I think so!).  I have some House Mouse decoupage from Joanna Sheen to show you, I assembled all the layers but it has been hanging around waiting to be finished up.  I have some matching backing paper from a pad and kept trying to make the two work together, but it just ended up too busy.  So I've opted for a white embossed card, using the Sketch'n'Stash layout, love the honeycomb folder from Darice, bought it at the NEC.  A Hobby Art sentiment on a Spellbinders label some ribbon and a few gems finished this off, I'm quite pleased with it now it's done.
I'm entering my card for:
House Mouse & Friends Monday - springtime
Joanna Sheen - spring into spring
Sketch'n'Stash - sketch and embossing
Love to Create - white on white with splash of colour
Make my Monday - create your own background
Pretty Little Ribbon - spring is in the air

Where is Spring?

 

I seem to keep harping on about the weather but goodness it's cold today again.  And despite that wet winter, everything is starting to look rather parched after a fortnight of drying winds and frosts.  Oh well, back to the decoupage for some spring looks:).  All three cards are Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew decoupage.  The rabbit is a very large image, I've added some striped DP and moved some of the primroses from their "right" setting to the top corner.

I'm entering this card for:

 My Sheri Crafts - spring has sprung

Allsorts Challenge - spring has sprung

Simply Create Too - animals

Brown Sugar - spring 

Scrappy Frog - think spring

  

The owlets are matted onto gold cardstock, with some Marianne Diecut leaves added and a Craftwork Cards sentiment.  The DP is Basic Grey Nook and Pantry, had this 12x12 DP for years! 

I'm entering this card for:

CCEE Stampers - things with wings

 Wags'n'Whiskers - April showers/ spring

Brokenboxstock - spring

613 Avenue Create - anything goes spring fever

 

 And the swallows (or are they house martins?) have some stripy ribbon and Prima DP added, this is a lovely image but more summer than spring to me:).

I'm entering this card for:

One Stop Craft Challenges - birthdays

Simon Says - happy birthday

Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon

Corrosive Challenge - spring fling

Joanna Sheen - spring into spring

Dream Valley - happy birthday

Sugar and Spice

Just one card to show off today, though I've been happily cutting out while watching the racing from Aintree and hope to have some more cards finished up soon:).  This is printed from the Josephine Wall CD by Joanna Sheen, I love the details in this, FOUR images in the bubble she's blowing.  It's a big image, just about fills an A5 card, so all I've added is the sentiment and a MS punched border on the mirri mat.
I'm entering my card for:
CD Sunday - sugar and spice
Totally Papercrafts - birthday girl in pink
Simon Says - Happy Birthday
Papertake - anything goes
My Heart Pieces - angels or fairies
Crafty Creations - flowers or fairies

Warm weather cards on a cold day

 It's bitingly cold outside and snowing again, so I have finished up a trio of warm weather image cards.  First is a lovely Jane Shasky decoupage, printed out from the Joanna Sheen CD.  I've added a few gems, a ribbon and a MS punched border.
I'm entering this card for:
Divas by Design - spring colours
Creative Moments - things with wings
Sparkles Forum - birds
Lia Stampz - birds, nests and eggs
House of Gilli - anything goes with flowers and/or ribbon
Partytime Tuesdays - ribbons and blooms

 Next card is a David Wolverson decoupage. I've added gold dotted Craftwork Cards paper and sentiment.  I'm entering this card for:
Crafty Creations - flowers or fairies
Crafting for all Seasons - floral delight
Cupcake Craftroom - summer blooms
Through the Craftroom Door - anything goes

Finally a seaside scene from Faye Whitaker with a punched border and some twine.  I'm entering this card for:
Lexi's Creations - punches and/or dies
Creative Stamp Friends - punchings
Heck of a challenge - just add water
Papertake - anything goes
Lady Anne's - anything goes