Jukie's Stampin' Joint

Hoooooot

2009-07-06T16:51:00.000+01:00

Well as you can probably tell there is a story behind this card! OH and his brother have this on going debate about the size of each others noses, and who has the biggest one....to be honest they both have big noses....and I get to say that 'cause I don't, anyway the pair of them are like 3 year olds rather then 39 and 43, and I just sit there listening to them shaking my head. So when it came time to make OH brothers card I asked OH what theme he would like me to do.......I shouldn't of asked.... the best of a really bad lot was something about his nose ........right, thanks for that...........

In a flash of inspiration...it was quite painful I came up with an Owl, why well in the UK a nose is also called a beak normally when you are being insulting, and I then thought of Hoot....Hooter is also a name for a nose......see I told you it was painful

This is a digistamp - from Louby Lou, which I printed out, and coloured with copics, I created the sentiment on my pc and printed that out, the DP is some of my all time favourite 'boy' themed paper - by Cosmic Cricket. The sketch is a Flashback sketch from Poetic Artistry.

So what do you think?

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Digi stamp by http://digitaldelightsbyloubyloo.wordpress.com/
Ink: n/a
Cardstock: nonbranded
Patterned Paper: Little Boys by Cosmic Cricket
Accessories: Stars unknown, copics, nestabilities

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-04T14:32:00.004+01:00

Firstly Happy 4th July to all my American friends and blog readers! I hope you have a great day of celebration!

Secondly Happy Birthday Treak

and Finally.....our passports arrived back from the Canadian High Commission this morning, with our shiney new Canadian Visas in them, now OH and I can celebrate

Birthday Wishes

2009-07-04T10:00:00.005+01:00

Happy Birthday Treak

I was dilly dallying yesterday on SCS, and sorting photos getting them ready for this blog etc and I started to get things ready for this post......and then I looked at the time and realised that in my hand was the card I am going to show you today....and the post was going to be collected from the post box in about 45 mins....and if I didn't get it in that box there was no chance that Treak would get it in time for her birthday! The air turned blue, I turned into a sprint runner (not a pretty sight!)....and made it just in time

There is a thread on SCS about people who are like me and collect lots of dp and don't urm use it...so I decided I would make a special effort in honour of Treak and use some dp I had never used before.....this is so spangly and new it was still in it's wrapper...and I used 3 different dps from the collection...

The layout is this weeks sketch challenge on SCS SC234, I stamped and coloured the image, adding a bit of extra glitter on the sea to catch the light.

I used my American Craft Glitter Marker but I found that it rubbed the card, I would say almost to the point of going through the card, has anyone got these markers and had the same problem?

I used some of the dp from the front on the inside to carry the theme through.

So what do you think?

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Inkadinkado - Chelsea Sentiments, Only a Kid Once
Ink: Momento
Cardstock: DCWV
Patterned Paper: DCWV - Grade School
Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, gamasol, copics, American Craft glitter marker- pure glitter, stickles

Nursie Nursie

2009-07-03T14:27:00.006+01:00

Another niece turned 21......I am not old enough to have a niece who is 21well I have 3 of them who turned 21 this year so far and another one that turned 18....having said that I am not old enough to have a nephew who is 25......I wasn't even born when he arrived

Anyway Aisling is going into her final year of her nursing degree in September, and she is going to be very popular with her gentlemen patients...it might have something to do with her being 6ft tall, a body to die for, boobs in the right place, eyes that would melt your heart.......and she is really really nice, oh and to top it off she is intelligent........not sure quite where she came from must of been the milk man

The card is pretty simple, the image is coloured with Copics, and the background dp is from LLB's new collection Venaissance. I have been trying to improve my colouring technique with my copics and I found this thread (I can't access SCS at the moment but as soon as I can I will update post) on SCS invaluable. I have to say though for me the colours chosen are definitely for those living in a warm climate, so I will choose some paler ones in the future...this is all down to personal choice....and I am a snowflake!

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Clearly Stamps with Character Girls in Uniform
Ink: Momento
Cardstock: Blue Mirror Card unknown
Patterned Paper: LLB Venaissance Collection
Accessories: Nestabilities, numeric rub ons, 3d foam, grosgrain ribbon, copics

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T07:00:00.000+01:00

I miss you every day, the pain never goes away, but now the happy memories are stronger then the sad. I can't believe that 4 years ago today I had what was to be my last conversation with you, we didn't know it at the time. I have lived with a lot of 'if onlys' about that conversation but I know that you knew that I loved you and I know that you loved me and I guess that I have to hold on to that.

Don't remember me with sadness,

Don't remember me with tears,

Remember all the laughter,

We've had throughout the years.

Then when the summer sunshine

Awakes the flowers in bloom

I'll walk that light from Heaven

Around the corners of the room.

Do the things we did before

The same in every way

Just whisper a little prayer for me

At the dawn of every day.

Just think of me as present

Don't think of me as past

For my love is a blessing

In death it still can last.

Forget your troubles and your worries

They are mine forever more

I'll watch and care and love you

From Heaven's open door.

And when your road gets rough and rocky

Or you're down and need a crutch

Remember I'm right beside you

Just an inch to short to touch.

With Sympathy...

2009-06-19T08:40:00.003+01:00

Never the easiest of cards to make but ones that mean so much to those who receive them. Two close friends are going through some rough times at the moment, one has just lost a father, the other is preparing to lose theirs soon.

I was worried because I work away a lot from home that when the time comes I would not be able to take the time I would want to on the card for our second friend so I made one just in case (hoping that I won't have to use it anytime soon, but realistically knowing I will )

I used a layout from Splitcoaststampers sketches challenges to help in the process, the cardstock is all from the new range of DCWV La Creme, the image stamp is one of the new ones from Lawrence Llewellyn Bowen range, and I think the sentiment is from Stampendous. Both cards are slightly different but on just.

I put a poem inside each of the cards on a parchment insert that we used on my Dad remembrance bookmark, I will be sharing that poem with you on Sunday (Fathers Day). It is beautiful, and 4 years on I still have that bookmark on my desk and each and every time I sit there I see my Dads and occasionally I read the poem again and it manages to make me smile and cry all at the same time!

Pink Explosion!

2009-06-18T20:18:00.006+01:00

It was my god-daughters birthday earlier in the month, Ellie is a girlie girlie, pink loving, sparkly wearing 6 year old! and what kind of godmother would I be if I didn't make her a card to help her celebrate her pinkness! I might add that along with the card I bought her some positively pink outfits and sparkly hair accessories to go with them! oh and she is a budding crafter so she got loads of stickers and glitter and oh a whole host of fun stuff!

I got my Copics out for this image along with a bit of glitter provided by my American Crafts Glitter Marker Pure Glitter, there are actually 3 different stamps used on this card, the girl, the pig and the fence, so I had to do some masking.

The is a bit pink, well the whole card is a bit ott on the pinkness but you are only 6 once

I dusted off some of my flowers..... and stuck a button and threaded some DMC thread through it, added some more ribbon, a tag embellishment and some flower gems.

Very pink very girlie and the young lady loved it! It was completely over the top sugary sweet but I think it worked!

Thanks for looking.

Shop 'til you drop!

2009-06-01T07:00:00.000+01:00

It was one of my friends birthdays recently....and she does like to shop........rather she likes to go shopping but she doesn't seem to buy all that much......I am strange, I can't be bothered with all the tooing and froing....if I want it, can afford, I have it.....going around town looking at the same top just slightly different in 50 shops and going back to the first shop you saw it in 5 hours earlier is just plain HELL!

Close up to see how I used Diamond Glaze on my skinnie minnie to add a bit of weight to her

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Clearly Stamps with Character
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: Making Memories
Patterned Paper:
Accessories:Prisma blooms, glitter, cuttlebug, nestabilites and Prismacolor pencils

Shimmer and Shine

2009-05-30T14:37:00.000+01:00

On this one you are going to have to trust me...it looks a whole lot better in real life, it was a complete nightmare trying to photograph this card and try and get the colours, vibrance, and shimmer....

This card took a whole lot of work, layers upon layers of different embossing powders and I 'know' the recipient with chuck the card in the bin the day after his birthday....teenagers don't you just love them! and just to spit him....there will be no money in it!

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Recipe:-
Stamps: unkown
Ink: Stazon
Cardstock: craftworks
Patterned Paper:
Accessories: embossing powders, nestabilities, ribbon

Beer and a Pretty Girl what more could a man want...

2009-05-29T07:00:00.001+01:00

..........the easiest way to a mans heart!

A close up of girlie....!

(The puckering is not that bad on the actual card, it was because I used silicone glue as it was the only thing that would stick with all the glitter on the card stocks that I used)

Inside of the card....

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Clearly Stamps with Character
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: DCWV
Patterned Paper: Various
Accessories:Copics, even more glitter

Newsflash

2009-05-28T08:46:00.003+01:00

I have some news......here are some clues............

need another one?

no?

Well some of you lovely people that check out my blog on occasion (Thank You!) will know that my partner and I have been in the process of attempting to emigrate to Canada for the past 4 years.....OK to be fair 3 years and 9 months, with a good bit of work done before that, but our paperwork went into the High Commission 3 years and 9 months ago.....anyway you get the picture we found out yesterday that we have been accepted! Yes, we are our way...well not quite but we have done it...........this is such an amazing thing for us, we have been through some rough and rocky things in the past, but this has been a dream of ours for so long.....all the more poignant as the last conversation I had with Dad 4 years ago on Fathers day was about following our Dream of going to Canada and that no matter what happened we were to keeping going
....look Dad we did it!

2009-05-28T07:00:00.000+01:00

I love the image on this card, it harks back to when children could be children and the health and safety mad world was not even on the horizon!

Our friends little boy was turning 3 and he is a real 'boy' into everything and anything and outside exploring.....

so proud of his new friend!

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Recipe:-
Stamps: High Hopes
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: Craftworks
Patterned Paper: Trimcraft
Accessories:Prismacolour pencils, ribbon, nestabilities, and some gems

Relaxing when you are over the hill!

2009-05-27T10:00:00.000+01:00

A male friends birthday in March and this image I think suits most men his age down to the ground! I think his wife nearly wet herself with laughter when she saw it as this is the vision she sees most Sundays!

love the holes in his socks!

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Clearly Stamps with Character Golden Oldies
Ink : Memento
Cardstock: Basic Grey
Patterned dp: Basic Grey
Accessories: Prismacolor Pencils, Gamsol, Birthday Greeting rubon, brads and Brown ribbon

Rummaging around and look what I found....

2009-05-26T14:25:00.003+01:00

Hi there, I am going through and getting photos of cards off my camera and going through some that were on my PC when I can across an example of the layout for the cards I did for the majority of Christmas cards I sent out last year, the layout was the same for each but the images,backing papers, card stock colours and ribbon where all different.

Close of Grandad playing Santa Clause....I love the look of the two babies in his arms!

Accessories: Copics, Nestabilites, Ribbon, corner punch

2009-03-26T16:13:00.002Z

Sorry for the news black out for 5 months, my Mam's death really knocked me for 6 and I am not out of the woods yet. Last week as a trial, it would have been my parents 48th wedding Anniversary on the 17th of March, I am Irish so St Patrick's Day means a lot, and it was the 1st year without both of them, the 19th of March would have been my Mams 67th Birthday and the 22nd of March was Mothers Day..........so I have had any wind I had in my sails knocked out of me!

My mojo has packed up and left me, I have made a few things but nothing of much merit. I have started to ease myself back in though by reading blogs etc that I haven't done for months. So I am hoping that I can return soon.

Chirpy!

2008-11-14T20:25:00.005Z

I fell in love with this card by prbloom over on splitcoaststampers, I can't stop looking at it! I hadn't used my wonderful new Inkadinkado stamp that I had also fallen in love with so I joined them both in marriage!

And I am shocked........I had a comment on my last card from the one and only LEONIE.........and she recommended my 'ickle old blog her blog
Thank you Leonie and especially for mentioning the link to the Bowel Cancer website

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Inkadinkado
Ink: Memento
Patterned Paper: Making Memories Paisley
Accessories: Ribbon - American Crafts, Waterfall Stickles, Prisma Color Pencils, Sandsodor, Nestabilities and Cuttlebug

It's Bert Birthday!

2008-11-06T08:39:00.000Z

Well it is tomorrow....and I better get this posted or Bert will not be happy with me!I know, I know, it's either feast or famine round here, but hey that is what life is like!lol Bert is actually Roberta, and she is a wonderful friend, we don't see each other all that often but when we do we just pick up straight from where we left off.

I have the dentist this morning....to finish off a root canal...yuck...its the last tooth at the top right next to my throat....nice...who knew you could get so many medical instruments in your mouth at once!

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Forever Friends Do Craft
Ink: Momento
Cardstock: Kanban
Patterned Paper: Cherry Arte
Accessories: Prismacolor Pencils, Anita's 3 D Clear Gloss Finish, Prima Flowers, button, Dovecraft star border punch

Male Birthdays should be banned!

2008-11-05T16:29:00.004Z

If they are going to be so difficult to create for then they should be banned!

So I went for the KISS approach with these two cards (Keep it simple stupid) and I like them!

These images from Inkadinkado just make me chuckle!

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Inkadinkado
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: Craftworks
Patterned Paper: Dovecraft
Accessories: Copics, Anita's 3d Clear Gloss Finish

2008-11-05T16:23:00.002Z

I am going to take this 1 day at a time and see how I get on.

I have found my creative spirit has been severely affected by my grief, but I know that Mum loved my cards, in fact one of my last conversations with her was about my cards, and she kept every single one of them as I found out a few short days after her passing.

So this is it, I am going to start blogging again, as life does go on, it's not the same it never will be but I know I need to get back to 'normal'.

So here goes!

Taking a break

2008-09-29T16:38:00.004+01:00

I will be taking a bit of a break from blogging for a short while as I come to terms with losing my precious beautiful mum. She passed away on the 19th of September surrounded by her six children as had been her wish, she was just 66 years old. She has gone to join my Dad who left us just 3 short years ago again aged just 66.

She and Dad are forever in my thoughts and prayers.

Love to you.....

2008-09-12T08:00:00.000+01:00

I work quite a bit away from home which means I spend a lot of time on my own in the evenings in hotels............there are different ways to spend the time, some weeks I take a pampering kit with me, so I have a facial with scrubbing, plucking, moisturizing, masks etc and then I have a moisturizing session for my body etc...so I come home all smooth and pruned other weeks I take along a few good books and some magazines, and then other weeks I take along some craft things ...the reason I don't take craft stuff every week is that it weighs a ton!

I am also still (yes I know still) cataloguing all my stamps, they are all pretty much unmounted, I have 50 or so that are still mounted and of those maybe 30 will remain mounted. But the other thousands and there are thousands are unmounted, and I am slowly working my way through them to catalogue them. I have them in plastic cd wallets, each wallet has a piece of card stock of the same size, on this card stock I stamp the images in that wallet, I write a unique identifier e.g. Female 012 and the name of the manufacturer and the name of the stamp. I then have a book (the pages can be taken out and put into a folder once I am done) which I have divided into different categories such as Female, Male, Funny, Backgrounds & Scenery, Oriental, Children, etc and I stamp the image again on a page within that category,and mark it with the the same unique identifier and details as are on the wallet. The idea being that I can flip through the book choose the stamp, go to my boxes, flick to the right category and pick out the right wallet, and also ensure that the stamp goes back into the right wallet.....but it all takes time lots and lots of time!

To add into that mix, those above are just my rubber stamps and single clear stamps.......all my clear stamp sets are stored in their sets and therefore I have another book that I am stamping all their images in....which again can be placed in a file..........you know it all sounds confusing but it works for me (hmm what does that say about me!)

Why I started this long spiel was that I stamped this image and coloured it whilst away with work! She is from Lily & Milo and I coloured her with watercolours blended with my new tombow blender.....ok how did I miss this guy! this blender works a treat and you get great results instantly!

The template is the same as before from the Verve Forum over on SCS.

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Lily & Milo - Lily Springtime, Stampendous Love Messages
Ink: Archival Ink - Jet Black, memento sky blue
Cardstock: Watercolour carstock, kanban
Patterned Paper: Making Memories Fresh Anthology Eliza 'eyelet'
Accessories: Gingham ribbon, Blue stars Paper Cellar, Watercolour Pencils, Tombow blender, Prismamarker, Cuttlebug,Nestabilities, 3 d foam dots, white and blue signo pen

In Memory

2008-09-11T03:00:00.000+01:00

In Memory of those that lost their lives, my thoughts are with their loved ones today.

Girlie Rocker

2008-09-09T17:29:00.009+01:00

The good bits and bad bits of life have been getting in the way of me blogging and crafting of late, but I have a card to share with you today!

This card is my Girlie Rocker! For those of you who don't know me I am an avid fan of all things 50's , I rock 'n roll dance with my partner, we have to Wurlitzer jukeboxes in out sitting room......my nickname is Jukie.......ok you get the picture! I was at Colemans' Warehouse in Rushden Northants and Debbie Moore was there showing off some of her goodies when this set jumped out at me and popped itself into my already overflowing basket.

The design template that I have used is based on the sketches you can find over of SCS in the Verve Forum. I seem to find if I don't use a sketch it takes me hours, I need to minimse my choices so that I can create something or else I spend to long trying to make a decision.

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Debbie Moore Kerry Jo
Ink: Graphite Brilliance
Cardstock: Craftworks
Patterned Paper: K&Co
Accessories: Ric rak ribbon - papermania, copics, silver signo pen, fiskars cutting template for scalloped edge.

Hey! Look who has a new job!

2008-08-28T08:00:00.001+01:00

My card today is for one of my girls, Teresa is a superstar who looks after her family, is doing some Open University courses and has just started a new job!

The stamp is from one of the collections over at Clear Dollar Stamps, they are beautiful to work with, the card is a one I CASED by Kendra Giles, check out her blog Inkin' It Up! she is amazing .

A close up so that you can see the blending of the copics, I am pleased with how it turned out!

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Clear Dollar Stamps
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Cardstock: Craftwork Cards, Kanban
Accessories: Prima blooms, Glitter Glue, Copics, Black Signo pen
Design - Kendra Giles

Feeling prickily?

2008-08-27T07:46:00.004+01:00

I started this card yesterday, but didn't get it done before I went to the dentist for a filling...which turned into a root canal...and I finished the card this morning and I think my pain meds have affected my writing, sense of style (hmm still me pj's!) and my photographing skills so I may redo the camera work but as the card is for my mum she can have a laugh at my expense!

Mum is having a bit of a rough time of it at the moment and is spending some time in the hospice so I thought I would make her a silly card....she will have got loads of serious and well meaning Get Well Soon and Thinking of you cards but she loves a bit of light relief so I have the honour of doing that..... I struggled to find a sentiment to write that wasn't rude....if mum was at home I would have used on of those but since she isn't I had to be clean! (might do a second version for when she is home!)

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Clear Dollar Stamps
Ink: Graphite Black Brilliance
Cardstock: Craftwork Cards
Patterned Paper: Hot off the Press Earth Tones
Accessories: Copics, flat backed brown pearls, copper ink pen

Who inspires you?

2008-08-26T15:08:00.002+01:00

When I was younger I looked to popular culture or history to find inspiration and guidance, but over the last 3 or 4 years I realised that I was looking in all the wrong places, I didn't need famous people to inspire me, to be role models or to show me the right path. My mum, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer exactly 1 month after the death of my dad, who has battled cancer off and on for 3 years and yet always has a smile and warm hug, my partner Bob who is my cheerleader, friends like Lisa who lives her life to the full and shows such Independence its awe inspiring, Kristen who moved her family across to world to be closer to her mum, Debbie who has a young family and has set up her own business, Teresa who has a family, studies for Open University and now has gone out and got herself another job outside the home, Tracy who has a beautiful young family, who ran for my mum in the Race for Life, and last but no means least Celie, she is like wonder woman, I have no idea when she sleeps.
So yes I can admire the famous for all that they have achieved, and good luck to them, but I am humbled by the people that surround me.

So the question is who inspires you, you makes you think about your life and makes you reassess it to ensure that you are doing everything you can do make it the best life possible?

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Bling!Bling! 60's Car

2008-08-20T08:00:00.000+01:00

Yep! It's another teenage boy birthday.....I have 3 teenage nephews birthdays this month, I really need to speak to my siblings.....do they not know the male cards are a nightmare let alone teenage male cards!

I was going to keep this one pretty simple as the image on the glitter looked really effective but why I put on the black base card I just felt it needed a bit extra so I added the silver dots around the card, it still wasn't enough so I thought about some gems, but gems on a male card would they work, so I had a play and yes it is an unusually glitzy card for a male teenager but the gems pick up the bling from the glitter paper and it kinda works.....and he will like it as I AM his favourite Auntie (aren't I, if you are reading this)

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Papermania
Ink: Versamark
Cardstock: Kanban
Patterned Paper: Glitter Paper
Accessories: Embossing Powder; Stampendous Detail Black, Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, Silver Marker Pen, Gems

I am NOT Mr Grumpy!

2008-08-18T08:00:00.001+01:00

We have a really good friend whom we love but as with all good friendships there is a bit of banter and occasional (OK maybe not so occasional!) leg pulling. Mick is not known for his great sense of style, clothes are clothes and they cause him a great deal of consternation and I think if he could get away with it he wouldn't wear any, he is also a grumpy sometimes, not in a mean spirited way he just likes an easy life and if anything presents a challenge he tends to have a moan about it....and we as all good friends do, laugh at him Mick is also one of my avid fans and when last year I didn't sign the back of his card he got upset and I had to sign it the next time I was at his house!

I had fun with my copics, nestabilites, cuttlebug and I even used some unused dp!!!!!yeah me!

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Ibrakeforstamps
Ink: London Fog Mememto
Cardstock: Kanban
Patterned Paper: Rubber Soul - Shake it up collection
Accessories: Nestabilities, Copic Markers, Silver Signo Pen, Computer for Sentiment

You Rock!

2008-08-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

It is my nephew Cillian's Birthday today, he is 16, he loves his gaming, heavy metal/rock music and forensic science............ I went with the music theme!

I haven't played with my embossing powders in far far far to long and I had a few months ago added to my collection and I still hadn't used them and I had read a few blogs etc talking about faux metal..... so I decided to have a go and these are the results.

I have loaded up two pictures so that you can see the detail, as always with these things it looks better irl but you get the jist of what I was trying to achieve and I am really pleased with the result and I think it rocks

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Papermania
Ink: Versamark
Cardstock: Kanban
Accessories: Embossing powders:- Malachite Fire Aurora, Lapis Black and Tropical Pearl by Cosmic Shimmer, Black sparkle by Personal Impressions, Black Ribbon, Black Diamond Stickles

Munch!

2008-08-14T08:00:00.002+01:00

August is a month for Birthdays and I am some what disorganised what with being away, family crisis, and life..

So hopefully I can put on my big pants and get over myself and get going on all those cards!

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Recipe:-
Stamp - Clear Dollar
Ink - Graphite Black Brilliance
Copics
Paper -Hotofthepress
Card -Craftwork Cards
Ribbon - yellow satin
Cuttlebug /Nestabilities

Ribbet

2008-08-13T08:00:00.002+01:00

A really good friend of mine opened her home to me and some of our mutual friends back in July and I have not had the chance until this weekend to make a well deserved but very tardy Thank You card.

The lady in question loves Frogs, hence the theme

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Recipe:-

Stamps from Clear Dollar

Ink- Graphite Black - Brilliance

Copic Markers

Cuttlebug and Nestabilities

White Signo pen

Green Grosgrain ribbon

K&Co Berry Sweet Designer Paper

Design Team entries...

2008-08-02T15:11:00.004+01:00

I wasn't lucky enough this time to be chosen but in retrospect with everything that is going on in my life at the moment with Mum, Mother in law, work etc etc it is probably for the best as it would have been yet another thing on my plate, but it is something I would love to be successful at in the future. Here are my entries into the 2Sketches4u design team call.

I have been away working for the past week and I eventually got home gone 11pm last night, and feeling unwell. I had a great night sleep but woke really late this morning (it was gone 10!) and I just couldn't get myself out of bed, so I decide not to push myself and lay there and read my book for a bit, I think I am overtired, stressed and just need to chill out.....everything seems like to much of an effort! Oh I am having a pity party!!! I will go and kick myself up the behind....

Madeira.......

2008-07-25T17:31:00.003+01:00

Bob and I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Madeira for our holidays this year and I wanted to share with you the sheer beauty of this island.

Girlie vrom vrom

2008-07-21T08:00:00.001+01:00

I am working away this week so my postings may be few and far between for the next few days unless I get my bottom in gear and make some more cards to be able to show you!

As you will see today's card is carrying on a theme from yesterday, and its just a female version!

The DP is some I bought earlier this year, and has been stroked on occasion but never cut, but I got all brave and cut it today! Its from Center City Designs - Murray Hill is the collection and the two papers I have used in this card are called The Envoy Club and Avalon Court. The white and purple cardstock are just some I had in my stash I think probably Kanban. The Dino (Woodware Dino Friends) was stamped in Graphite Black Brilliance Ink and coloured with copics, the layout is Taylored Expressions latest cupcake challenge which you can see here and the gems and pearls are again from my stash but I believe are Papermania or Dovecraft.

Vrom...vrom

2008-07-20T11:24:00.004+01:00

I have talked about this before, I know, I know its a sign of old age to repeat yourself but I can't help myself but I find if I am to focus and get some crafting done I have to limit my choices....and I know I am privileged that I have the option of choice...the problem is that I have toooooo much of it and I can't make a decision and I spend hours looking, stroking, wondering, deciding, putting back and not doing anything

So I went to where my lovely Dp is located in my craft room, took out some scrapbooking paper that I had acquired earlier in the year that was to nice to use, I then headed over to all my stamps and randomly picked some packs of new stamps that have never been touched with ink....and said to myself ....USE THEM

and this is the result...............

The DP is from CollagePress.com Tell Your Story and the collection is called Seeds, it is double sided cardstock and it is beautiful visually as well as to use. The base card is 5ins cream square card, I also used some forest green cardstock from Bazzill (this is lush, its textured on one side and smooth on the other). The dino and the sentiment are from Woodware - Dino Friends and are both stamped using as usual for me Graphite Black Brilliance ink. The Dino was stamped on some white cardstock, coloured using Copics, cut out and mounted onto some 3d foam. You may also be able to see that I have used one of my Cuttlebug embossing folders on the green piece that goes the width of the card to give some more dimension. The overall layout is from this weeks sketch challenge over on Splitcoastampers, you can check out the sketch and the wonderful cards here.

Over on the wonderful Arty Girlz Challenge blog this week the challenge is make a male/man card and I think my card qualifies! again another great place to check out for great cards and designs, you can find it here

.........rain, rain and more rain

2008-07-17T15:27:00.005+01:00

OK who stole Summer.......all it has done this week is rain or attempt to rain or look like its going to rain......Mother Nature its JULY......humph...I hate stinky weather

I think I am feeling it as we are back from Madeira two weeks and I miss the sunshine...

I have two cards to share with you today, I made 1 complete yesterday and finished off the other one today but as I was busy as a bee yesterday I wasn't able to photograph them until today.

This first card is for this weeks sketch over on CPS ,if you haven't checked CPS out before or this week have a wonder over there as there are some fantastic examples on show. I got these stamps quite recently and I have only had a little play with them so I dragged them out and had some fun. Although my card is completely different I did gain my colouring inspiration from this card by Itsapassion over on Splitcoastampers.

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Recipe
Stamps:-Penny Black - Fresh New Day, Stampendous - Posie Greetings
Paper:- Making Memories - Emery
Glitter Glue
Brilliance Graphite Black
Pental Pens - White, Red and Black
Copics
CPS Sketch

My second card is using a sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You, again if you have not checked them out then I would highly recommend it! It started out as quite a muted card but when I was putting it all together earlier I felt it was crying out for bling... I am have gone OTT

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Recipe:-
Stamps- HOTP
Paper - Earth Tones - HOTP
Ink - Brilliance Mediterranean Blue
Blooms - Prima
Bling gems - Papermania
Sketch - 2 Sketches 4 You

Something of a departure....

2008-07-15T11:13:00.005+01:00

from my normal 'style' (if I even have one!) today.....and I am not sure at all about it....

I used the brilliant as always Monday sketch from Poetic Artistry , I love this layout and I will have another play when I get time, as I really am not happy with the way this card came out and I don't know which element just doesn't do it for me!
There are 13 layers on this card!

I started off with smooth cream cardstock as the base (15cms by 10.5cms) onto which I mounted some warm brown cardstock and some dp.

Using my Cuttlebug I cut out a large scallop circle in the same brown cardstock that I had used on the base, with a slightly smaller scalloped circle I cut out some dp in a co-ordinating pattern, and then a smaller plain circle in the cream cardstock. I stamped part of the Constellation stamp using the Rust ink and left it to dry.

Using my Cuttlebug I cut out a small scalloped circle in the same brown cardstock that I had used on the base, with a slightly smaller scalloped circle I cut out some dp in a co-ordinating pattern, and then a smaller plain circle in the cream cardstock. I stamped the Thank You sentiment with the Coffee Bean ink and left it to dry.

I measured up some more co-ordinating dp and mounted onto the same warm brown cardstock.

I cut out a small strip of cream cardstock which I mounted on the same warm brown cardstock, and added two flat backed warm brownie (technical term!) pink pearls.

I then assembled the card to match the sketch.

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Recipe
Stamps - Penny Black Constellation, HOTP
Ink - Pearlescent Rust and Coffee Bean by Brilliance
Pearls - Papermania
Bazzil Cardstock
DP - Basic Grey - Mellow
Cuttlebug, Nestabilities and 3d Zots

....there was something in the water ...

2008-07-14T11:09:00.005+01:00

...back in September/October time last year because I have another baby boy card to send out...luckily it would appear that this 'outbreak' was confined to the South East of the UK and didn't spread northwards.

I used the sketch that Gina K provided on her site in the last few days which you can find Here. She is/was running a competition with this sketch if you used any of her wonderful stamps. I am lucky enough to own a set of Gina's stamps but I really liked the sketch and I neeeeeeeeded to get this card done, so I decided to forgo the competition and just use the sketch as the set I have is not appropriate for new baby boys!

I stamped the image onto some smooth white cardstock, coloured in using some of my copic markers (looking at it now I should have gone a bit lighter on the colours of the image). Using my Cuttlebug I cut the image out with a scalloped edged diecutter, while I still had the Cuttlebug out on my workspace, I cut out a slightly bigger oval in a cream cardstock which I embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. I am not sure if you can see from the picture but I also embossed two rows of dots along the DCWV patterned paper just below the ovals, this was done using my new set of border embossing folders from Cuttlebug. The remainder of the card is created by following Gina's sketch, and I added 3 buttons on the folded back piece and a pram embellishment in the corner. I have to say I loved these DCWV designed card when I saw them and they are beautiful to use, such delicate colours for a baby boy....I also have the girls version

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Recipe
Stamp - Nellies' Choice - Kiddies baby
Ink - Brilliance Graphite Black
Copics
Card - Nana's Nursery - Baby Boy - Die Cuts with a View
Buttons- Making Memories
Embellishment - Papermania
Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots folder and Dots border folder
Nestabilities - Oval and Scalloped Oval

Baby Boy Blue

2008-07-12T20:28:00.005+01:00

With all that has been going on in my life recently I have got a little behind in sending some very important cards out. One of those cards is for a good friend of mine whose beautiful wife gave birth last month to a handsome young chap called Finley James 'Danger' Brooks.....'Danger' is a little joke that was started during pregnancy. I like it ! and I think it would be a great nickname for him to grow up with!
Following the sketch from Taylored Expressions, I started with a base card 7in by 5ins, and from there layered up different coordinating dp to follow the sketch. Stamped the image onto white card stock, coloured using my copics, added a bit of glitter to tie it in with the dp, and mounted using 3d Zots. Using my Nestabilities and Cuttlebug I made the circular dies and stamped the sentiment. I added the ribbon and the button to anchor it down on the card.

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Recipe
Stamps - Baby - Kiddies Baby set by Nellie's Choice, Sentiment - C-Dees
Ink - Brilliance Ink in Graphite Black
Copic Markers
Glitter glue by craftworld
Paper - DCWV Nanna's Nursery Baby Boy
Button - unknown
Ribbon - American Crafts
3d Zots
Design - Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #24

True Friends are hard to find

2008-07-11T10:00:00.001+01:00

You know sometimes you are lucky to have 1 good friend, you know the one that you can say things too, and they don't judge you, they laugh with you, cry with you, and most importantly just be with you when you need it most....I am lucky I have more then 1 such friend, and a group of us girls (OK women but are girls really!) spend far to much time chatting and laughing but we also on occasion send each other cards....it started out once a month but over time we realised that sometimes someone can do it every month and other times life just gets in the way....and that's OK.......cause we are friends.

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Recipe

Stamp - Stampabilities Know to much

Ink - Brilliance Graphite Black

Colours - Copics

Signo pens in black and white

Kanban cardstock in white,black and orange

Ribbon- unknown

Male Birthday Card

2008-07-10T15:45:00.000+01:00

This is a card I made for my brother in law, he loves cars, motorbikes etc. He is a bit of a mans man, you know doesn't do emotion etc but he was rather chuffed (English expression for pleased) when he got this card and it went straight onto the mantelpiece.

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Recipe

Stamps - Papermainia

Ink- Graphite Black Brilliance ink

Red Glitter cardstock

Black and white Kanban cardstock

Black and red Signo pens

Nestabilities

Flowers for you...

2008-06-25T10:00:00.000+01:00

a thank you card for my sister whom I stayed with whilst in Ireland visiting my mum...

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Recipe
Stamp- Penny Black
Copic Markers
Signo Pen - Purple
Pentel Pen - white
DCWV - Pocket full of Posies
Diamond Glaze

Just Be Claws

2008-06-23T10:00:00.001+01:00

a cute card to send to my mum....it's that weird humour of mine again....

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Recipe
Stamps - Gina K
Copic Markers
Pentel Pen - White, Black
Signo Pen - Red
Eyes - papermania
Cardstock - Kanban
Ink- Graphite Black Brilliance
Cuttlebug and Nestabilities

Birthday Bella

2008-06-22T10:00:00.001+01:00

It is one of my niece's birthdays next week, and I love this image from Stamping Bella, and I think its great for teenage girls and funky women....and my niece is now a funky woman! 20.....and she is not the oldest niece or nephew

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Recipe
Stamp - Bella
Graphite Black Brilliance
Colours - Copic Markers Papermania- Papermania
Glitter - Craft Planet

oh....I am going to be in sooooo much trouble!

2008-06-21T16:28:00.005+01:00

...my SIL Petra is going to kill me when she gets her Birthday card....as with all families we like to ummm take the mickey, pull each others leg, or whatever you want to call it in your country but generally make fun of each other! Now I am the Baby in my family and in OH's, and I don't make the most of it ....well not much anyway! But I am rather short ....and I partnered up with a 6ft plus family....so they all make fun of my lack of height...
and I have to retaliate in some way...

anyway Petra also likes Penguins....she lives in Canada, so some would say that it's an appropriate animal.....

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Recipe
Stamp - Ibrakeforstamps
Ink - Graphite Black Brilliance
Pencils - Prismacolor Pencils
Black Velvet ribbon
Cardstock - Kanban
Callouts- Computer Generated
Humour - mine I am afraid

Update on whereabouts

2008-06-17T10:43:00.002+01:00

Been taking sometime out from blogging, crafting and pretty much everything else as unfortunately my mothers prognosis is not that great and I want to spend sometime with her. I hope over the next few days to start creating again as it is such a great stress reliever.

Bling bling bling bling BLING!

2008-05-28T10:00:00.002+01:00

I absolutely love this fabulous glitter paper that I recently picked up, its from Crafttime and I found 6 packs and each have two different tonal colours…I am sure there are more but the one I am sharing with you today is actually the one that caught my eye and made me have a rummage around on the bottom of my LCS.

The final card size is A4 (14.8cm by 21 cm) folded in half. (This is my favourite card size for special cards! You know birthdays etc rather then Hi how you doing cards!)
The craft sheet was 14cm by 21.8 cm when I bought it so I just had to trim the length to get it to fit my base card; it was then mounted onto black card.
I cut out some black card (9.1cm by 17.1 cm) and mounted it onto some pale blue cardstock – leaving a small border around the edge showing.
The image is from Ibrakeforstamps.com and it’s on a sheet with several other risqué but fun ladies on bikes. The image was stamped onto some white smooth cardstock with Brilliance Graphite Black. Where necessary I touched up the image with my black Prismacolor marker.
Once the image was dry I mounted it onto some black and then blue cardstock.
The sentiment is from Creative Expressions and was stamped again using Brilliance Graphite Black and again mounted onto some black and then blue cardstock.
Using copious amounts of foam pads (I believe they are called foam pop ups in US and Canada) I layered the card together, it is easily 1cm at its thickest.
And as there wasn’t enough bling with the glitter background J I added 3 gems from Kanban on the left hand side.

Recipe
Ink - Brilliance Graphite Black
Stamps - Ibrakeforstamps.com, Creative Expressions
Cardstock – Kanban, black and pale blue
Everything else – Kanban Bling gems, Crafttime Glitter sheets, Prismacolor Marker, Foam pads

............how cute is she

2008-05-27T13:18:00.003+01:00

This is my beautiful neice Abby making her First Holy Communion............

Sympathy Card

2008-05-27T13:06:00.004+01:00

It’s never a nice thing to have to create a sympathy card, made harder when its for a dear friends family, but unfortunately life throws these things at us sometimes and we just have to bit the bullet and get on with it.

I wanted to create something that was masculine (as Merv had been a man’s man) but yet pretty and comforting for Joan.

The final card size is A4 (14.8cm by 21 cm) folded in half.

Working from the base of the card, I cut some paper from the Dovecraft Masculine pack (14.5cm by 20.7cm), which I adhered to the base card with DST.

I measured and cut (11.1 cm by 15.4cm) some coordinating paper from the same pack, mounted it onto some cream cardstock leaving approximately a 1 millimetre border around the edge.

I stamped my image (Amy Smyth Made It – The Garden Variety – Inkadinkado) using Brilliance dewdrop ink pads, in crimson red, graphite black and pearlecent ivy green, coloured the image in using Prismacolor Pencils and Gamasol, and highlighted the flower heads with Judi Kins Diamond Glaze. The image was cut out, mounted on coordinating paper and mounted again on cream cardstock.

Once I mounted the image onto the second piece of co-ordinating paper, I tied a piece of cream organza ribbon around this whole section, which I then mounted onto the base card.

Finally, I stamped the sentiment (Stampendous! – Encouraging words) using Brilliance dewdrops Coffee Bean, and mounted it on some foam pads to give it some dimension.

* inside the card I have created a insert using cream parchment paper, and created a verse using the stamps from Stampendous! – Encouraging words.

Recipe

Inks- Brilliance Dew Drops – Coffee Bean, Pearlecent Ivy Green, Crimson Red & graphite black
Stamps – Amy Smyth Made it – Garden Variety –Inkadinkado, Stampendous! – Encouraging words.
Papers- Dovecraft – Masculine
Cardstock- Kanban cream
Everything else – Organza ribbon, Diamond Glaze- Judi Kins, Prismacolor Pencils, Gamasol

Missing in Action.............

2008-05-22T08:25:00.002+01:00

If I could wipe out the past week or so I would......

We had to let our beloved Monty go, he hurt his back and it was to much for our little old beagle and we had to ask our Vet to put him to sleep. He died in our arms in no pain just as we would have wanted. It hurts so much as he was such an integral part of our family, and he is greatly missed.

We also lost a good friend to Cancer, Merv was a battler and he fought it tooth and nail but in the end he could do no more, he was a gentleman, a friend, a father, a husband and a real joker. He will be missed.

and last night............a boy racer trying to get home in time for the big match rear ended me, totaled his car, damaged mine and another.

so please excuse me if I am missing for a little while, the creative juices have dried up and I have much to sort out.

P.S we had a wonderful time at my neices communion, I have some beautiful photos of her, when I get the chance and inclinaton I will put download them to share as she is a beauty!

Accordian Card

2008-05-06T15:27:00.012+01:00

This is my entry into this weeks challenge at Papertake Weekly. I love the design and its one I would definitely use again, although maybe instead of using heavy paper or light cardstock paper I would go for a much more lightweight option as this card is very heavy...it doesn't fall over...but would cost a fortune to post, so it's definitely in the hand deliver pile!

I used coordinating papers from the Vintage collection on each of the folds, which I matted with rose pink cardstock, I cut 1 of the roses from the paper and placed it on the rose pink cardstock, stamped the sentiment, added the ribbon and faux stitching.

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Recipe

Paper - Making Memories Vintage Collection
Stamp - Creative Expressions
Ink - Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy
Ribbon - unknown
Card - Bazzill
Template and sketch design - Papertake Weekly

Did you know its International No Diet Day today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poetic Artistry Sketch

2008-05-05T14:05:00.006+01:00

Today's card is for our friend Lynn, she is a lovely lady who has two dogs, Polly and Totty, Polly is a tri-colour beagle like Monty. It was Lynns birthday yesterday, which she kept quiet, but we soon realised when we called round yesterday! lucky with a bottle of wine in hand, but since Lynn is have a bit of a time of it at the moment, Polly was diagnosed with diabetes last week, I thought I would make her a card to cheer her up......

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Recipe

Sketch - Poetic Artistry

Stamps - Printworks Great Birthday, Dovecraft

Papers - Daisy Cottage - Summer Cottage - Secret Garden and Courtyard

Cardstock - Bazzill

Ink - Brilliance - Mediterranean Blue

2008-05-04T16:48:00.007+01:00

Sorry for the absence, I seem to be doing that a lot lately! But unfortunately work gets in the way sometimes, and leaving the house at 5.55am and not returning until after 8pm does not leave me a whole lot of time to do much including unfortunately making cards.

I received a card yesterday and I was overjoyed…why you ask? Well a. because it was an invitation to my youngest niece’s First Holy Communion, b. my sister had hand made all her invitations stating that she had been inspired by me (!) and c. someone has been illegally opening my mail but they had decided to forward this card on to me. (Royal Mail are currently investigating!)

I used this weekends sketch by Beate to help me make a Thank You card. I, like many of you (yes YOU) hoard my paper, I stroke it but I never cut it………..heaven forbid! But today I reached into one of my many many OK many piles of blocks of paper and pulled out Stella Ruby by Basic Grey, I loved it the minute I saw it when I bought it ages and ages ago, but I flicked through it decided it was to nice to use and put it away………but today I CUT it…..OK I cut two whole pieces out of a pack of 36, you wouldn’t even notice they were gone but I did it!

Since the main paper that I have used has such a vibrant busy pattern to it I struggled to find a stamp that fitted, but in the end I went for an Oriental rose, that although is not the same as the flowers in the Basic Grey Papers I think still works. I stamped the image onto the plainer Basic Grey Cardstock using my favourite brown ink – Brilliance Coffee Bean. Using some H20’s I lightly coloured the rose to give it some definition. The sentiment was again stamped directly onto the plainer Basic Grey cardstock using the coffee bean ink.

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Recipe
Stamps – Exchangeable Clear Stamper, Creative Expressions
Ink- Brilliance Coffee Bean
H20 – Moss Green, Ginger Flower
Paper – Stella Ruby Basic Grey
Cardstock – Bazzill Basics

Upbeat, positive and ready for life....

2008-04-28T10:01:00.009+01:00

It's is so easy when it's dark, cold, dreary and depressing outside to bring that into your home and take on the mood of the weather....well today I decided that no matter what the weather was doing outside I was going to try an remain upbeat! So yes I have the obligatory piece of black clothing on but I have got a shocking pink top on to go with it!!!

The card I am sharing with you today is based on the current sketch challenge over on Splitcoastampers, it is a nice clean look, which is what I am tending to prefer at the moment. And like a good lil' girl I used some of my extensive range of papers that I have been stroking for years, and a stamp that I haven't used yet! I have also been looking at the current challenge over on Daring Card Makers, its called Most Distressing, I am pushing my luck by saying my paper is distressed...OK I admit I didn't distress it but it is very distressed looking!

The image was stamped with Graphite Black Brilliance ink and left to dry while I measured, cut and placed the patterned Paper Elements - Sweet Peppermint cardstock onto my white A5 card. I coloured the Geisha using my Copics and Prismacolor Metallic Gold pen, outlined her with cool grey, and then lightly brushed over the whole image and then focused on the edges with Pearl Ex Powder Pigment in Blue Russet. To help incorporated the gold that I had used on the Geisha into the whole card I placed gold dots using my Prismacolor Pen around the outside of the main mat area.

What do you think?

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Recipe -
Stamp - Dimension Fourth
Paper - Paper Elements - Sweet Peppermint, standard white cardstock
Ink - Graphite Black Brilliance
Accessories - Copics, Prismacolor Maker, SCS sketch

Did you know that today is Workers Memorial Day - international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work.

Sleep deprivation kicks in....

2008-04-27T11:14:00.008+01:00

I am owned by a 14 year old beagle who has developed Cushings
and some of the symptoms of the disease is excessive drinking which in turn leads to ...... and since his Dad 'Doesn't hear him' I have to get up with him when he needs to go out ...sometimes its once a night, more often it's 2 to 3 times a night but for the past 2 nights its been every hour...can you imagine being woken up every hour, getting out of bed, letting the dog out, waiting for the dog to do what he has to do, turn around and crawl back into bed...no wonder I have suitcases where I used to have bags under my eyes....it is hard sometimes, particularly at 3 in the morning, to remember that I love my little beagle!

Anyway enough winging....I created a card using the weekend sketch that Beate has done on her blog and I also checked out the challenge over on Cute Card Thursday which is Girls Wanna Have fun.

I think this little girl is yesterdays card older sister, and she pushed him into the water!

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Recipe
Making Memories - Cheeky Pad Abby - words and stripes
Stamps - Missy B - Beach Baby
Ink- Brilliance Graphite Black
Copics
foam pads
Sketch - Beate's Challenge

Did you know that today is Freedom Day in South Africa...its to celebrate the anniversary of the first non-racial democratic elections of 1994.

Time has just speeded up on me!

2008-04-25T16:13:00.008+01:00

I don't know how but this week seems to have flown by, yet other weeks seem to go on forever!!!! I finally managed to email off my entry into a competition, it will be judged around the 1st of May so I will post my entry once that has happened...its the first one I have ever entered!

Todays card is based on this weeks sketch on Poetic Artistry, it's a wonderful blog and she makes the most amazing cards so check it out if you haven't already done so!

I simply followed the sketch on Poetic Artistry and stamped the image on white cardstock and coloured it.

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Recipe
Cardstock - Bazzill, CosmoCricket - Little Boys - Baley Blues, Little Man
Stamp - Missy B Beach Baby
Ink - Brilliance Graphite Black
Copics
Pentel Pigment Gel ink white pen

Move it Move it Mooooooooooooooove it!

2008-04-23T13:19:00.006+01:00

As the as a military brat I have many memories of the military on parade, so when I was I stamped the image of Noah and the animals following him it took me back to my childhood!

Image was stamped onto white card stock, coloured using a combination of copics and prismacolor pencils smudged with mineral spirits. The dark brown mat is actually foam mounted onto the image to give it depth, with some gold doodling around the edges to soften the edges. The callouts were computer generated and printed out onto white card stock and then mounted onto the frame. The Happy Birthday sentiment was stamped onto matt cream cardstock, mat brown card stock was threaded through holes that I had created using a slot punch, both the faux ribbon and the sentiment were also doodled to help bring the whole image together.
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Recipe
Stamps - Noah's Parade High Hope Stamps , Happy Birthday Sentiment - Printworks Great Birthday
Ink - Brilliance Graphite Black
Callouts - computer generated
Cardstock - Kanban pearlescent cream and mat brown, white and cream
Copics, Prismacolor pencils, mineral spirits, Prismacolour metallic gold
Oval Nestabilites and Cuttlebug
Slot punch

Where have I been????

2008-04-22T12:34:00.010+01:00

Sorry for the lack of posts but I have been a busy little bee.....and if you don't mind I am going to share some of what I have been up with you...if you just want to skip to the cards they are at the bottom of this post!

The company I work for holds events 3 times a year for all its staff to get together as we are spread through out the country....and the spring party is traditionally the fancy best bib and tucker kind of event..and this year was no different. The trauma started when I realised that the dress I was planning to wear was too big...what a complaint but it was! so I whizzed myself into a panic...where on earth was I, Miss I don't wear dresses, going to find a dress for a black tie event in 1 day, as that is all the time I had....I went for the two prong attack, I ordered two dresses off the Internet on next day deliver...and headed for the shops as the dresses ordered may not be right ...(and for me this is a 30+ mile trip each way).....I found a dress....I liked the dress but knew I had two other choices arriving the next day... next day no other dresses...they eventually turned up 6 days later ...so I now had a dress....I shall go to the ball.... the event was held at the Celtic Manor Resort Hotel ....fabulous isn't the right word for it!

The day consisted of a team building event where we drove 4X4 land rovers blindfolded, clay pigeon shooting, pistols, Honda pilots, quad bikes and archery....I loved the archery ..below is a picture of my arm ...this bruise is now 11 days old...

yes it is over 3.5 inches long and nearly 3 inches wide...when I do these things I do them well! and remember this is 11 days old!

and this is some of the girls and me ( I am in red) after a glass or 3 of wine!

So that was 1 weekend and then the following week I was working in Bristol and this weekend it was my birthday! not that that was very exciting !

Whilst in Wales at the Celtic Manor I received a text to say a good friend had become a grandmother for the second time.... Celie is the most beautiful person inside and out, she has so much love to give and deals with life's challenges is such a awe inspiring way that she is a true role model.

Here are some cards I made for Celie and her husband Ted on the birth of their grandson

Recipe
Stamps - Printworks - SweetPea Baby
Ink - Brilliance Ink - Graphite Black
Copic makers
Cuttlebug and Nestabilities
Cardstock - Craftwork Cards - Lullaby Boy

Nicky Celie's beautiful daughter on the birth of her nephew

Recipe
Stamps - Will'nWay - Baby Bundles
Ink - Brilliance Ink - Graphite Black
Copic makers
Cuttlebug and Nestabilities
Cardstock - Craftwork Cards - Lullaby Boy

Tracey, Terry and Charlotte on the birth of their son and brother

Recipe
Stamps - Will'nWay - Baby Bundles
Ink - Brilliance Ink - Graphite Black
Copic makers
Cuttlebug and Nestabilities
Cardstock - Craftwork Cards - Lullaby Boy

Chocolate and Strawberry Bag

2008-04-08T12:13:00.004+01:00

I saw this challenge over on Papertake and I knew I had to take part as the examples shown by Claudia and the Papertake Design team are fabulous.....all I had to do was choose the DP card...and to complicate matters I needed two sheets of it...and I decided upon some wonderful card from K&Company Brenda Walton Chocolate Neapolitan range.

I followed the instructions on the Papertake blog for the larger of the two bags.. Once it had been assembled, I took some co-ordinating card and created a band to go around the middle, onto which I also mounted some chocolate coloured satin ribbon. Using my small scalloped circles and my large circle Nestabilites and Cuttlebug I cut and embossed 3 layers from the Chocolate Strawberry card range at Craftwork cards. The largest diecut is actually a very fine ribbled card and the most beautiful soft pink, using a fine marker I went around the embossed edge with little dots. The smallest diecut had the same treatment with the edition of a stamped image from the Brenda Walton Collection of Clear Stamps, using Versacolor ink. The three diecuts were layered onto of each other and placed in the centre at the front of the bag. For the handles I simply choose some co-ordinating pink grosgrain.

What do you think?

Recipe
DP - Brenda Walton K&Company Chocolate Neopolitan range, Craftwork Cards Chocolate Strawberry Range
Stamps - Brenda Walton Inkadinkado Pretty Flowers
Ink - Versacolor
Ribbon - American Crafts and local haberdashery store
Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Fine liner

It's Snoopy!

2008-04-07T12:50:00.008+01:00

Snoopy is an extroverted beagle with a Walter Mitty complex. He is a virtuoso at every endeavor- at least in his daydreams atop his doghouse. He regards hismaster, Charlie Brown, as "that round-headed kid" who brings him his supper dish. He is fearless though prudently cautious about "the cat next door." He never speaks- that would be one human trait too many- but he manages to convey everything necessary in facial expressions and thought balloons. A
one-man show with superior intelligence and vivid imagination, he has created
such multiple personalities as: Joe Cool, World War I Flying Ace, Literary Ace,
Flashbeagle, Vulture, Foreign Legionnaire, etc. Taken
from the official Snoopy site http://www.snoopy.com/

I loved the Peanuts crew when I was younger and when I saw that HMstamps
had Peanuts Stamps I HAD to get some! and even my Monty is a beagle so you see its ingrained!

The challenge over on Cute Card Thursday the Thursday just gone was 'Planes, trains and automobiles' and I got Snoopy already for it but then between life and the Splitcoastampers Virtual Stamp Night I wasn't able to finish him, so when I saw this weeks challenge sketch on Poetic Artistry I was sold....!

I started by stamping Snoopy and Woodstock on some smooth white cardstock, and colouring them in with Copic markers. Since the image was so bright and cheerful I went for some vibrant patterned cardstock from the Shake It Up Collection by Rubbersoul. To make sure that the image was not overwhelmed by the pattern cardstock, I matted and layered with some red cardstock and then mounted onto some beautiful green Bazzill card. I added a bit of bling in the form of 3 gems on the left hand side, and I scattered some prima blooms that had been glittered.

Thanks for checking out my blog today!

VSN Entries

2008-04-06T14:13:00.004+01:00

Had a busy weekend crafting as joined in the Virtual Stamp Night over on Splitcoastampers.... you have a challenge issed each hour, and 45 and only 45mins to create it from scratch!

Shrink to Fit

2008-04-04T16:56:00.004+01:00

Over on DCM they have a challenge today....

You are allowed to cover no more than a 5x5cms area of your card with paper or
embellishment - the rest of the card must be left plain

I just so happened to have some new stamps on my desk that I want to try out... they are Inkadinkado - Put your Stamp on it- Amy Smith Made It - the Flourish pack....this is an adorable set with doodle style flowers, butterflies, and birds.

I hope you can see from the picture it looks like a postage stamp as I embossed the scallops as well ....this card is going to my friend who has just bought a house in London...to say I hope she has fun in her new nest!

My image in total is actually 4cm by 4cm!

Recipe:
Stamp Inkadinkado - Put your Stamp on it- Amy Smith Made It - the Flourish Pack....this is an adorable set with doodle style flowers, butterflies, and birds.
Prismacolor pencils and Mineral spirts
Nestablities
Blue and white standard cardstock

2008-04-02T14:22:00.007+01:00

I think I am just being really indecisive at the moment! I was making a card for the Sketch Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers and I ended up making two cards, as I started 1 and didn't think part of it matched so made another one using the bit that didn't match....and I am still not sure....ahhhhh
This frog is for my friend Celie who loves frogs (I have no idea!) and she is having an operation today on her eyes.

Recipe
Stamps: Encouraging Words - Stampendous
Paper: Laura Ashley DP, Bazzill Basic Cardstock
Ink: Brilliance - Pearlescent Crimson and Pearlecent Ivy
Accessories: American Crafts ribbon

Recipe
Stamps: Butterflies- Laura Ashley, Sentiment -Will 'n Way
Paper: Bazzill Basic Cardstock
Ink: Brilliance - Pearlescent Crimson. Pearlecent Ivy, Pearlecent Orchid, Versa Color - Sage
Accessories: Fiskars embossing template

2008-04-01T20:09:00.006+01:00

I lost me umph...and went into I can't be bothered mode...made a card...hated it ...etc etc

Anyway I started this card last night, and finished it this evening...its late for the recipent but I know she won't mind.....its very tongue in cheek!

This is a terrible scan...it looks better honest! I will take a photo tomorrow! **Picture updated!**

This card uses PaperArtistry Challenge Sketch and meeds the Caardvarks latest Purple Challenge

Recipe
Stamps - Ibrakeforstamps - Humourous Seniors and Creative Expressions for Sentiment
Paper - Anna Griffin
Copic Markers
Ink - Brilliance
Blooms - Prima
Brads - HOTP
Layout - Paper Artistry

2008-03-29T17:50:00.003Z

I am so glad that week is over, in total I spent 3 out of the 4 days last week (monday being a bank holiday) at either at the garage or sorting my car out....and its still not been fixed...

Saturday is normally as day I get to spend with OH and Monty our beagle , but due to work pressures OH had to go into work today....and I was quite glad as with everything that happened last week I hadnt had a chance to do my housework and he drives me bananas if he is around when I am trying to do it!

Once my house was back to sparkling like a shiney new button I was able to sit down and play. Over a month ago someone contacted me as they wanted to know where I got a stamp...and to cut a long story short we decided to do a image swap, and I have used one of the images that I got today.
Due to the inclimant weather I had to scan my card today.

I coloured the image using some of my copic markers, cut and embossed using my nestablities and cuttlebug...just for your reference if you are struggle to emboss check on GinaK's website
as she gives a great pictoral demo on what to do. I mounted the image on some dark blue cardstock, and then used dp from Brenda Waltons Mira range, the greeting is from Hampton Art and inked using Brilliance inks in green and dark blue and then I simply placed 3 gems (which don't really show up that well on the scanned image) on the side of the middle panel.

Recipe

DP cardstock - Brenda Walton Mira

Ink - Brilliance

Gems - Papermania

Stamps - Cupcake Mouse - Whipper Snapper, Make A Wish - Hampton Art

2008-03-28T07:44:00.005Z

Here is a card that I made yesterday for this weeks sketch challenge on
Splitcoaststampers (you can find the info on the sketch here)
I don' think I like it!
But I decided it was good to load the good the bad and the ugly!

I have been having a nightmare with my car this week,
I took it yesterday to be fixed, left it with them and
2 1/2 hours later they phoned me to tell me they had
ordered the wrong part...........I had been sitting
in a cafe waiting for them.....
so I have to drop it off again at 10 today....
heaven help them if they don't sort it out today

Recipe
Stamps: HOTP, Autumn Leaves
Paper: Sola Amy Butler for K&CO
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Nestabilites
Techniques: Stamping

2008-03-27T08:49:00.007Z

Oh I have been a busy bee....two cards for you today!

This card is made for the DCM challenge this week – which is to include flowers on your card…. ones that you have made. Hmmmmm I decided to get some of my Mellow BasicGrey papers out …brand new yep Jukie has cut some of her designer paper

The flowers were created by using some chipboard flowers as templates, drew round them, cut them out, curled the petals and used a rust coloured brad as centre. Autumn Leaves stamps – Swirls v:1 and Flourishes v:1 were used with Versa Color brown and Anna Griffen gold ink to create the background. The sentiment from HOTP was stamped using the same gold ink, the brown paper was edged with the gold as well. Basic doodling around the outside edge of the card and the middle panel give the card a frame.

All the papers are from the Mellow range by BasicGrey so I didn’t have to worry about matching them up. It has ended up as quite a busy card, far from what I have envisaged when I started it!

Recipe
DP – Mellow by BasicGrey
Brad – HOTP
Stamps – Autumn Leaves and HOTP
Ink – Versa Colour Brown and Anna Griffen Gold
Fineliner Brown

This card is for the Papertake Weekly Challenge , on my trawl through some blogs I spotted the layout and decided to give it ago…. bit of a departure for me, and I decided to use my new SU inks that I bought back in February. If I am honest I am not sure they may grow on me (I bought Chocolate chip (which I used on this card) Certainly Celery and Ballet Blue) I find opening them and closing them to be a bit of a faff to be honest and I didn’t get the coverage that I would of liked, but I have only played once with them so I will give them another chance to find their way into my heart!

Recipe
Cardstock – K&Company Amy Butler Sola
Stamp – sentiment -Ibrakeforstamps medallion – unknown
Ink – SU Chocolate Chip
Ribbon – AmericanCrafts

Chocolate .......yummmm

2008-03-26T10:33:00.004Z

This card is for the Chocolate challenge over at Arty Girlz…when I saw the challenge I knew exactly what card I was going to use and I had just the right embellishment…chocolate chips.

The cupcake was stamped using Brown Versa Color ink onto some white cardstock, which I had die-cut into a circle with my Nestabilites. To take the whiteness out of the card I used some of my neutral chalks, having coloured the image using my copics makers and a bit of iridescent glitter. To give the overall feel of chocolate, and sumptuousness I used card from the Chocolate Strawberry range at Craftwork Cards, the dark chocolate card is pearlecent and has a golden glimmer to it, the milk chocolate is matt and textured, and the white chocolate card is pearlecent. To add a bit of a fun element to the card I added some chocolate chips. So lots of chocolate without the calories!

Recipe
Stamp – Pink Cat Studio
Ink – Versa Color Brown
Colours- Copics
Cardstock – Craftwork Cards
Chocolate Chips – Craftwork Cards
Glitter – Craft Planet

Back to work!

2008-03-25T12:19:00.006Z

The Try a New Technique Challenge (TLC161) over on Splitcoaststampers intrigued me when it was loaded on Monday, and it was something I knew I had to play with! I try to make as many cards as I can each month for Postpals, its a wonderful cause and anything that can bring a smile to sick children has to be a winner really hasn't it!

Today is a strange day really, the first day back to work for me since the 14th of March, not that I have been off sunning myself or anything more a case of being taxi for MIL. I have loads to do and little inspiration to do any of it! my excitement this afternoon is taking my car for its yearly MOT test....can I contain myself I wonder

Recipe
DCWV Teen Designer Paper and Cardstock

Plain Whitecardstock

Stamped image and sentiment from Woodware - Playtime

Ink - Stazon Jet Black

Colours - Copics and fine liner in black

Brad and chipboard arrow - Brenda

Easter Monday

2008-03-24T19:58:00.007Z

Well I didn't get the chance again to do any crafting..to busy doing housework
I hope everyone had a love Easter... back to the grindstone tomorrow....

Easter Sunday

2008-03-23T18:17:00.004Z

No chance to create today but I wanted to show some pictures I took this morning.....

Easter Saturday

2008-03-22T17:08:00.005Z

What a strange day, we have had bright splitting the pavement sunshine 1 minute and snow blizzard the next....very odd! Monty the beagle has very puzzled by the hail...he has been out in snow but he could actually feel the hail...so he proceeded to try to eat it....14 years old and still stupid!lol

Put two quick cards together today, 1 for the MIL.....she goes home tomorrow (images of Jukie jumping up and down!) and 1 for really good friends who have rescued us tonight and asked us to go to dinner with them tonight....

Recipe
Stamps - The Pink Cat Studio
Ink - Stazon
Gems - Papermania
Colours - Copic
and my rectangle scalloped nestabilites....

Countdown to Easter

2008-03-21T18:13:00.005Z

I had a chance to play today! yippeeeeee......

I wanted to make OH a special Easter card, but as he doesn't really do Easter I had to do something with a twist!

Recipe

Stamps from I brake for stamps and Pink Cat Studio

Colours - Copic

Ink - Stazon and Versa Colour

Paper -K & Company

Cardstock - Craftwork Cards

Heart shaped gems - papermania

Ribbon - Americancrafts

Layout - SCS

What a week!

2008-03-20T08:00:00.005Z

I feel so bad I feel like I have abandoned you...(seems odd talking to a screen :)) anyway as I have explained before work took me away, MIL is visiting (going greyer by the second with that one), it was St Patrick's Day on Monday and OH Grandmother was rushed into Hospital, Tuesday my sister had a EEG to try and help find out why she is having fainting spells, Wednesday was my mums Birthday, we didn't think we would still have her so it was a great day, and Grandmother came out of hospital, today my mum is going into have the results of her ct scans and to find out if the chemo has halted the spread of the cancer.....and I am mentally and physically drained...right that is the end of of the pity party....I managed to make a card last night.....and I managed to photograph it this morning.....I have been making cards but I just haven't had the time to photograph them!

This card is for a great friend of ours Geoff, he loves drag bikes, the 50's, and he loves my cards :) he always gets mine and moves all his others so that mine takes centre stage (much to the annoyance of others!lol) but it is wonderful to make a card for someone whom you know really really appreciates the time effort and skill that goes into making a card.

Recipe:

Stamps - Stampabilities - Snoopy's Chopper, Happy Birthday - Printworks Great Birthday

Cardstock - Bonfire Red, Canary Yellow, Nutmeg Orange, and Black from Creative Expressions

Ink -Versamark Ink, Brilliance Ink Platinum Silver

Embossing Powder - Cosmic Shimmer - Lilac Apple Aurora

Gems - Papermania

Markers - Copic -Yellow Y06, Honey Y38, Cadmium Orange YR07, Orange YR68, Cadmium Red R27, Cool Gray No 3 C-3, Cool Gray No 5 C-5

St Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T06:53:00.002Z

St. Patrick's Breastplate
I bind myself to-day
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
I bind this day to me for ever
By pow'r of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river;
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His brusting from the spicèd tomb;
His riding up the heav'nly way;
His coming at the day of doom;
I bind unto myself today.
I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the star-lit heaven,
The glorious sun's life-giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind's tempestous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea,
Around the old etrnal rocks.
Chirst be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity;
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One, and One in Three.
Of Whom all nature hath creation:
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Today would have been my parents 47 wedding anniversary, traditionally the only day in Lent they were allowed to get married. Over the years we had many happy celebrations across the world for St Patricks Day and for their wedding anniversary...we were known through out the UN for our famous parties!

2008-03-15T11:00:00.005Z

Petals Birthday Card.

I made this card a few weeks ago but I had to wait until the recipient received the card for her birthday before I could place it here on my blog, as I know she reads it!

I used the layout used by AmberDawn and you can see the card in question here

Recipe:
White and Red mat cardstock from Kanban
Designer cardstock from DCWV Nana’s Kids
Stamps from Ibrakeforstamps
Prismacolour pencils
White Spirits
Prismamaker to outline image
Cabouchons from Fred Aldous http://www.fredaldous.co.uk/
Nestablities

Quick Update

2008-03-06T15:55:00.003Z

Sorry for the lack of service.... One aspect of my job is to train new starters for our company.....its 2 weeks long and it happens about 200 miles from where I live, which means I have to stay away from home and it means apart from being separated from my OH and Monty I am also separated from my crafting goodies. Now many have suggested that I should be some along, but when you work away and stay in hotels you have a tendency to work longer hours and work in your room as well 'cause...well its not like there is a whole lot else to do!! so after doing a minimum of 12 hour days I don't think my eye for detail or for a straight line would be up to much!

and then to complete my month of March I have a the joys of the MIL coming to stay with us for a week......to give you a clue her dear son calls her Mrs Bucket.....there is no hope for me.... so come the last week in March I will either....a.be in an institution, b. become dependant on some kind of stimulant, or c. go on a mad shopping spree cause I gave up shopping for Lent..........................or d. all of the above

So please accept my apologies for the slight interruption if I could I would truly love to be crafting but life has unfortunately not dealt me such a hand...

TGI Friday....

2008-02-29T15:11:00.004Z

What an odd day, I woke up this morning and I have done something to my middle fingers top knuckle...if I didnt know better I would have said I had dislocated it and its slipped back in again...it really hurts...but I have dislocated my thumb and fingers before...from playing volleyball at school (I can slip my thumb in and out of its socket without hurting it!) so I know that I haven't done that to my finger becuase I would remember doing it!...who knows, all I know is that it hurts....:) Its just one of those days where simple tasks seem to be taking forever...ahhhh....

anyway enough moaning....

I am a regular Blog stalker, and one lady I always make sure I check out on a regular base is 4hounds, you can find her blog here. All her cards are amazing but one kept coming back into my mind to check out again and again, and when I was trying to think about what to do for my mams birthday card I thought you know what I am going to CASE that card...you see the card I am talking about here. Now my card is no where near as polished as Pam's but I think I captured the general feel, my ribbon blossom is pathetic but it took me so long and sooooo much of my lovely precious ribbon it was going on that card whether it was any good or not!lol

The medalion stamp was stamped and then heat embossed six times and cut out in ever decreasing pieces and layered onto of each other with 3d foam pads. The rest of the card is simply layering, apart from the ribbon blossom, which 4hounds gives instructions on how to do on her blog.

Recipe:
Stamps: Creative Stamping HH1031F, Best Birthday Wishes Whisper, SpringSwirl Autumn Leaves
Paper/Card/Vellum: Craftwork Cards, Kanban, K&Company,Anna Griffen
Ribbon: various grosgrain, sheer
Inks: Brilliance Pearlecsent Ivy, Pearlescent Orchid,Versamark
Embossing powders:Golden Mit Lustre and Tropical Pearl by Cosmic Shimmer
Brad: HoTP

Bella,Vino, Bloom

2008-02-28T06:16:00.004Z

Oh I am such a good girl....my mother would be proud of me, I used papers, blooms,brands and two stamps I have never used before *shock* and I kinda liked it!

There are some fabulous challenges over on SCS and I used two of this weeks challenges in this card, the Layout is from Sketch SC165 and the use of two different design papers on the card is from Techniques challenge TLC157.

I stamped the main image on white card stock with Brilliance Graphite black, coloured my Vinobella (great name!) with copic markers, mounted her on to some BasicGrey Gypsy paper, which I had mounted on some textured white card. I then mounted a coordinating BasicGrey Gypsy paper onto textured white paper. I mounted these two pieces onto my base mint green card following the sketch. I then added a Prima bloom (I am not sure what colour to call it, washed out Orange, very warm cream or something else!), I attached the prima to the cardstock with a HOTP Faux button brad in a chocolately brown. Finally I stamped the sentiment (stamp from Stampendous) along the bottom in Brilliance white, and then inked the stamp up again in Brilliance forest green and slightly ever so slightly (the joy of clear stamps) moved the stamp up and to the right so that it looks like the green has a white shadow. I love this effect!

Recipe:-

Stamps: Winobella by stamping bella, Posie Greetings by Stampendous

Paper:Basic Grey - Gypsy
Ink: Brillaince in Graphite Black, white and Forest Green
Accessories: Copics, Prima Bloom, and Faux Button brad by HOTP
Techniques: Copic colouring and shadow stamping

Fab Friends

2008-02-27T12:20:00.002Z

I got word this morning that the final person received their card so I can now publish it here on my blog! If you are looking for my Circles and Things with Wings challenge entry they are just below this post!

This card is for some fab ladies that I spend far too much time chatting to, we are like a right mothers meeting when we get going! When I saw this stamp at Ibrakeforstamps it made me chuckle and think of us so in it popped into my virtual shopping basket. When I got the stamp into my little hands I thought of the Red Hat Society papers that I had from K&Company….you can find out more about the Red Hat Society in America Here and the one in the UK here I have had these papers for quite a while and were in the too nice to cut pile but I am trying desperately to get over myself and use the beautiful goodies that I have…..you will notice thought I haven’t yet been brave enough to cut into the lovely embossed vellum that I have for this set **blush**…..but I have made a start!

The base card is bright Orange, then mounted some mat purple cardstock, then a section of the K&Company paper. I stamped the image using Jet Black Stazon, coloured it in using my Prismacolor pencils, mineral spirit and blender stump to blend. I then outlined the whole image with a 10%warm grey Prismamarker, in order to stop the white card from jumping off the card I inked the edges with some Brilliance ink in Pearlecent Crimson. As a final flourish of over the top clashing I added a red satin ribbon.

Fairy Bubbles

2008-02-27T08:33:00.004Z

And I don't mean liquid Fairy (washing up liquid here in the UK).

I saw the challenge on the Arty Girlz blog was Circles and I thought I know exactly what stamp or rather what collection of stamps I was going to use. This is a most adorable collection of Fairies that I got from Ibrakeforstamps , and it’s the first time I have had a chance to play with them.

While I was looking at some fabulous blogs yesterday I came across a new Challenge blog called My Time to Craft Challenge and their challenge this week is Things with Wings...so my little fairy qualifies for that as well....take a look at this blog as there are some great challenges.

In fact I have been very good on this challenge, as I have used lots of nice things that I would normally just stroke and put away again wink aren’t you proud of me!

The base card is the most beautiful soft baby pink textured card that I got from Craftworks, which I custom cut in to a square card (14cm X 14cm or 5 ½ X 5 ½ inch). I stamped the images on plain white standard cardstock, coloured with Prismacolor pencils, blended with white spirit. To add a little bit of glitz I outlined the fairies wings with the grey glitter Sakura pen, and finally outlined the whole main image and the bubbles with 10% warm grey Prismacolor marker. Using my Cuttlebug and circle Nestabilites (Standard Circle Large) I cut the image into a circle. While I still had my Cuttlebug all set up I again used my Nestabilites but this time my Petite Scallop Large to cut out two more circles but this time scalloped ones, the first which is just slightly larger then the stamped image I used paper from Hot off The Press Floral cardmakers Ultimate Pack (100 sheets of patterned paper + loads of other stuff had it for ages and this is the first time I have used it!). I used the largest die cut in this scallop Nestabilites collection on some glitter card (it cut through it like butter!) which is in the most beautiful girlie pink that I picked up at a craft fair at the NEC in Birmingham about oh I don't know 2 years ago! I have been using this glitter stack though honest…just not this lovely colour wink

I then used shock horror one of my blooms it’s actually an outsized 5inch bloomer in lilac to be precise! You can see the fantastic range of blooms at Sarah’s Cards Ltd again I have had these for well over a year (along with a whole garden of other blooms) but I just look at them…. but I actually used one!

All the components were then simply layered together, the bloom lifting the image off the page as I left its petals rest gently on its tips. For a final flourish of circles on the front I added 3 large cabochons from Fred Aldous

Inside the card I have cut a insert out of parchment paper as I do with most of the my cards and will stamp a sentiment later today.

Recipe

Pink Cardstock Craftworks
Bloom Sarah’s Cards Ltd
Cabochons Fred Aldous
Prismacolor pencils and markers
Glitter cardstock
Designer Paper – Hot of the Press Floral
Parchment paper – any stationery shop
Cuttlebug
Nestabilites – Standard large circles and Petite Scallop Circle large
Sakura pens in grey glitter
Stamps Ibrakeforstamps

The earth moved for me last night....

2008-02-27T08:31:00.002Z

yep we had a small earthquake here in the UK lastnight or rather early this morning....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7266136.stm

another two cards off my list.....

2008-02-26T16:42:00.004Z

But I can only show you one as one of the recipients reads this blog on a regular basis!
My oldest brother (he is 11 years older then me) has a birthday on the 9th of March, he is just like my dad was....a grump ....hmm I think it might be a family thing !:) He pretends that he is all hard and not bothered by things but I know that he will be chuffed to get card from me...he wont expect one, not because I dont send them to him normally I do, but he just doesn't expect people to remember his birthday!

As there is a bit of an age gap and the fact that he went off to boarding school as a teenager means that we didnt really spend much of our childhood together, and him being the oldest and me the youngest (there are 6 of us) he thinks I got away with murder (I did) and I think he is an old fart who is just jealous *wink* . I just think that by the time I got to my teenage years my parents had brought up 5 teenagers, they had seen everything, so they were way more relaxed about stuff and knew that if they just let me do stuff it wouldn't be as appealing as if they told me I couldn't!lol

Recipe
Layout from a sketch at Paper Artistry
main Stamp - Ibrakeforstamps
sentiment stamp- Hot off the press
Patterned cardstock - DCWV Nana's Kids
Brad - making memories
Copic Markers
Cuttlebug - Happy Birthday Embossing

2008-02-25T14:46:00.005Z

Another card off the list...........Its my neice Niamh's birthday on Saturday so I need to get this in the post asap! I used this weeks sketch from CPS along with the glimmer and the glitz and I also found inspiration from Rainy Days Creation blog.

Recipe

5X5 squarre Yellow base card

The English Paper Company - Fairy Fun papers

Copics

Pink and Blue Glitter Doodlebug Sugar coating from Craftsulove

Circle and small scallop Nestabilities

Navy, cerise and yellow fine liner pens

Stamp - Pink Cat Studio

It's Spring in my garden!

2008-02-25T11:00:00.007Z

Yep definitely its here, snowdrops, crocus, bird song (we are very privileged as we can to say we have a nesting pair of Thrush) and the sun is shinning, the sky is blue and its freezing! just the way I like it.

In my previous post I had talked about how I was finding it difficult to create my mams Mother's Day card.....well I did it yesterday....I like it ...its not perfect but I think she will love it.

The Poem that is going in side the card

My Mother

Who fed me from her gentle breast,

And hushed me in her arms to rest,

And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?
My Mother.
When pain and sickness made me cry,
Who gazed upon my heavy eye,

And wept, for fear that I should die?
My Mother.
Who dressed my doll in clothes so gay,
And fondly taught me how to play,
And minded all I had to say?
My Mother.
Who ran to help me when I fell,

And would some pretty story tell,

Or kiss the place to make it well?
My Mother.
And can I ever cease to be

Affectionate and kind to thee,

Who was so very kind to me?
My Mother.
- Anne Taylor

I found a great website for poems ...here and here

Recipe

Graphite Black Brilliance ink

Copic markers

Cuttlebug and Spellbinders Nestablilities

White Red and black cardstock

Mothers Day stamp MD9.f

Girl in the Rose Garden stamp - Tanda stamps

Red vellum for insert

I had to pop to the bank this morning....and I popped in to QS (a budget department store) and look what I found...the one in Rushden had loads of lovely boxes for storage...I was very tempted but I was good...ok not that because I got this little gem...I have no idea what I am going to do with her but she caught my eye.....for the princely sum of.......£3!!!

Cherry Blossoms.................

2008-02-23T16:01:00.004Z

I am slowly ploughing through the list of cards that I have to make; I spent time on cards that I can't show on here until all the recipients receive them... I am struggling with the two Mothers Day cards I have to make...Mothers Day is 2nd of March in Ireland and the UK. I am lucky that both my mam and my MIL both love receiving my cards and display them with pride **blush** so I know my efforts are not wasted, but this year Mothers Day has added meaning with my mam’s diagnosis. So I have found it hard to create the Mothers Day card of all Mothers Day cards.... but luck was on my side, one of my true friends reminded me that my mam would love whatever I made and to just pour my love into it rather then trying to make it perfect.......(I have still yet to make the card, but I have ideas of what I am going to do)

The card I am sharing with you today is the card I have made for my MIL, we have a strange relationship, it has its ups and downs, and at the moment its on an up so you have to take what you can get *wink*. For all the frustration, misunderstanding and stubbornness (on both sides) she has been nothing but supportive since we had mam’s diagnosis and the first words out of her mouth when she rings is to ask about my mam...and that builds many bridges. Anyway enough gushiness...

I was inspired by Michelle Redmans card that you can see here. I haven't got it quite right but I love the outcome and will be doing this look again!

I used cerise, pale pink and white card stock, I stamped the Bonsai tree image on the white card stock in Coffee Bean by Brilliance, coloured the images with my Prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits, and finally inked the white edges with Pearlecent Crimson by Brilliance.

Recipe:

Inks - Brilliance in Coffee Bean and Pearlescent Crimson

Prismacolor Pencils

mineral spirts

Cerise, pale pink and white cardstock

stamp from dimensions fourth

I feel like dancing....

2008-02-17T19:17:00.003Z

I am sorry its been a week since my last post, between work, life and other various traumas that life puts in our path, I haven't been able to blog.

I was contacted last week by a lady in America who was asking about my smiling beetle car stamp that I had got from Clevercut, and since she wasn’t able to get the stamp in the States I offered to send her some stamped images, anyway after a few emails we came to an agreement to send each other a set of 3 images stamped several times.

The card below is the card I sent with my images.
I played with my Adirondack alcohol inks again, this time on gloss paper with the blender, it was great fun and I loved the result. I simply stamped the image on white card stock, coloured it with Prisma pencils and blended with white spirit, and chalked the background. I matted it on to some coordinating green card stock and then blue card stock then the background I had created with the alcohol inks, and then black card stock and finally the base card! Each layer was finished with some dots in white, pale green or navy inks.

Recipe

Stamp - #MS114 from the Merry Stamper range at Ibrake for stamps
Adirondack Alcohol inks in denim and Bottle
Stazon ink in Jet black
Green Navy and Gloss cardstock
Prisma pencils
white spirit
White, pale green and navy Sakura pens
Blue chalk

And below is a little teaser for some young ladies who get cards from me every month or so.......what do you think I have made with the items below! **wink** if you aren't going to play fair neither am I **wink** (picture me sticking my tongue out here!)

Middle Aged old Fart......

2008-02-13T14:49:00.004Z

I am trying to get through some of my list of millions of cards and I was putting off my brother’s card. Male cards are not the greatest to make at the best of times but when you are making a card for someone who you know wont appreciate it just makes it worse! So to increase my enjoyment I decided to go with something that I know will annoy him (aren’t I great baby sister to have! lol) He thinks he is all hip and trendy but he is just a middle aged man going through a crisis *wink*.

The base of the card is made from DCWV Cardstack in Clove (that implies its green to me. …or is that me…but it’s a lovely brown) . There are actually 8 layers to this card, a combination of K&Company Maison range of designer papers and matt card stock in creams and browns. I used 4 brads from Making Memories to anchor some of the layers down. The image is from Ibrakeforstamps, which I stamped using Adirondack Pitch Black ink, coloured with Prismacolor pencils, blended with white spirit, and the whole card is chalked with chalks from Pebbles Inc.

Recipe

Base Card - DCWV Cardstack in Olive

Plan Card - Kanban

Designer Paper - K&Company Maison range

Stamp - Ibrakeforstamps - humorous seniors range

Ink - Adirondack Pitch Black

Colours - Prismacolor pencils

Brads - Making Memories - bronze

Chalks - I Kan' dee - Pebbles Inc in earth tones

That will teach me for playing...

2008-02-12T15:09:00.000Z

I decided my blog needed a face lift .....and I didnt like the result (its still a work in progress) but I lost all my extras along the way.....ahhhhhhhhhhhh.....anyway I will get there in the end.

And to make matters worse I had to do some WORK today....anyone would think they paid me...oh yeh they do...ok I guess I should do some stuff for them.....

Well over on a good friends blog she wrote a list of all the crafty things she had to do.......omg I did the same....and I am not doing very well on the striking off the list either so I need to pull my finger out......

February

2 Sisters Birthdays (both done)

1 Brothers Birthday

1 Nephew Birthday (done see below)

1 Mother in law Birthday (done)

1 Valentines (done)

10 Post Pals - cards for children

5 Friends - monthly cards

1 Penpal - sorry I have fallen off the face of the earth card

and I am sure some more will pop up

March is even worse

3 Neices Birthdays

1 BrotherBirthday

5 Friends Birthdays

1 Mums Birthday

6 St Patricks Day cards

6 Easter Cards

2 Mothers Day Cards

10 Post Pals

1 Penfriends

5 Friends monthly cards

I made this card last night for my nephew - quick and easy is the way to go with this list!lol

I stamped the image on white cardstock using Black Stazon ink, I coloured the image with Prisma colours, and used white spirit to blend. I then mounted the image on a dark blue card stock on which I had badly doodled in the corners (::) I then mounted that onto the Red 5X5 square card and added a dreaded peel off sentiment.

The Stamp is from Stamps Away who are also known as Clevercut.

Chick Hello

2008-02-11T14:56:00.001Z

The DCM challenge is sponsored by Paper Pesto! This week and it’s a sketch…so this morning lying in bed trying to pretend it wasn’t time to get up the idea of what to do came to me, and it pretty much turned out how I imagined (makes a change!)

I stamped the images on plain white cardstock, coloured them using Prisma pencils (Canary Yellow, True Blue, Orange and Poppy Red), blended with white spirit and using my Nestabilites and Cuttlebug I cut them into circles – I used to avoid circles at all costs before but not now! I then used a slightly larger scalloped edge die to cut some black cardstock to sit behind my main image. The base card is matt card stock (4 ½ by 5 ½) onto which I mounted some yellow card stock, which had been embossed using my Cuttlebug and the circle embossing folder. The ribbon is actually two different ribbons, black velvet and yellow gingham. The main image on the left-hand side at the bottom is raised on 3d foam.
Although this card is really simply, I loved making it, I find some cards inspire you others drain you…this one inspired me and I can’t wait to play again….thanks for looking.

Recipe
Ink - Black Stazon
Stamps - Chick Family from Stampendous!
Pencils - Prisma in Canary Yellow, True Blue, Orange and Poppy Red
Cuttlebug,circle embossing folder, velvet ribbon, gingham ribbon, 3d foam

Fancy a Ride?

2008-02-10T16:47:00.000Z

OH bless him loves Harley Davidson…. and it’s one of the things on his list to get when we eventually get to Canada…he has the money already having sold his ‘baby’, a Porsche Carrera last summer. I found a set of stamps at Ibrakeforstamps that are some lovely ladies that are draped all over what look like Harley’s and I thought I know just the man who would appreciate those! A fine pair of legs and a Harley his idea of heaven (at the moment he as neither! lol), he also is a cheeky boy and likes nothing then a bit of innuendo ….so put the two together and you get my valentines card for him!

On Saturday I dug out my brayer…I haven’t used it in ages and it’s a piece of equipment that I just haven’t mastered, hence probably why I haven’t used it in ages! I had a great time – its very messy or rather I got very messy and had blinking dye ink all over my hands, it took ages to get it off!

I used the sketch from SCS that you can find here, and it also qualifies for the Limited Supplies Challenge of the non traditional valentines that you can find here.

Recipe

Far East collection from Die Cuts with a View
Gloss card
Adirondack Autumn Sunset
Stamp from Ibrakeforstamps
Ink – Black stazon for image and for shading Brilliance Ink in Graphite Black and Pearlescent Ivy, ColorBox Ink in Robins Egg and Cyan
Gold pen

Razzle Dazzle Birthday

2008-02-07T14:40:00.000Z

The card today is based on the DCM challenge to use only red and white and the Spiltcoaststamper Sketch template that you can find here. I know the DCM challenge is late, I kept looking at it thinking ‘no can’t do it, where would I start?’ etc and then the penny dropped ummm it’s a challenge its not supposed to be easy! Doh

I used pearlecent red card stock as the base. I stamped white card stock strip with a flourishes stamp by Rhonna Farrer using Versamark, onto which I applied Ranger Rich Red embossing powder and heat embossed. I cut out a block of the same red cardstock that I used as the base; corner punched it and mounted it onto white card stock. I used Versamark ink and another stamp from Rhonna Farrer but this time I used Matt White embossing powder from Funstamps. The final layer is the red cardstock onto which I put white card stock, the sentiment stamps are from Stampendous Mega Happy range, which I inked in Versamark and embossed with Red Razzle Dazzle.

Stamps - Stamps

Cardstock - Craftworks and Wilkos(!)

Embossing Powders - Colemans

Happy Birthday to Moo! and The Girl at the Gate

2008-02-06T16:26:00.000Z

Happy Birthday to Moo! Is my entry for the SCS CC152 – It’s a colour challenge, using Apricot Appeal, Ballet Blue and Real Red, its even more of a challenge as these colours are Stampin Up! Colours, none of which I own, so I had a real close look at the fantastic entries and found as close a match as I could.

I also did the DCM Midweek challenge A little Extra Doodling, I added some faux stitching, but I also paper pricked the hole for some of the stitching and that is something that I have done before, but its something I will do again as I really like the effect.

I stamped the cow on white cardstock with Brilliance Graphite Ink and then coloured the image in using copics. (its not great but I am still learning!), I cut the image out using my Cuttlebug and small scallop Nestabilites die. I then used the same size die but the normal scallop on a blue card stock, which I mounted the image onto.

I cut out two stripes of card, one in muted yellow and the other the same blue I had used previously, faux stitching added, some pin pricking, and the edges inked with Mediterranean Blue Brilliance ink. I wrote Happy Birthday to Moo! Free hand and mounted onto the base cardstock which is red. I assembled all the pieces and added a final touch of bling with coordinating gems.

The stamp is from Dimensions Fourth
The cardstock in Kanban
The Gems are Papermania

The copics, and Nestabilites can be bought at numerous web sites.

The Girl at the Gate

The Girl at the Gate is stamped using Graphite Black by Brilliance onto white cardstock, coloured in using Prisma Colour Pencils, baby oil and prisma markers, mounted on some pale blue cardstock, then some forest green cardstock. The base card is a pearlescent gold, and a final touch is a dark green ribbon.

The stamp is from Ibrakeforstamps
The cardstock in Kanban and Craftworks
The ribbon is from a haberdashery department
The prisma pencils and markers can be bought at numerous web sites.

Trip to London

2008-02-06T10:21:00.000Z

I went to London yesterday to meet some friends, now to give you a bit of background I hate big cities, I hate the noise, the crowds, the smell, the dirt etc I have worked in London an to be honest hated every minute of it and sighed with relief when I got off the train in the evenings. Anyway as we are so spread out, London was the best place to meet. I decided to get a taxi to the train station so that I might partake in a glass or two with dinner *wink*. I was a bit early (planned it that way so that I wasn’t down the underground during rush hour) and as we were meeting up in Soho, I went to Oxford Circus and walked down Regent Street.....oh and just happened to go into Libertys.............I could spend hours in that store (in fact I have!) more then anything I love the architecture of the building its stunning. I found myself in the haberdashery department and lo and behold I managed to by some goodies *shock* . Now it was only a bit of ric rac and some ribbon.....but I might as well have been buying the most expensive handbag, the care that was taken with my little purchase ...the loose ribbon was rolled and placed in sealed bags, my receipt was folded and put in a receipt card, and everything was placed gently in the Liberty trademark purple bag........and none of this was done with an air of snottyness, and on your way out the doorman wishes you a good evening....no wonder they have been going since 1875!

We had a lovely evening, with tooooooo much champers (good thing we don't meet up that often!) and then I headed back the train station for the 10.00 train....................that finally left at 11.30...........good old public transport...........so I finally dropped my weary bones into bed at gone 1 am this morning, and I was up at 6......I think a can of red bull might be needed by this afternoon!lol

How do I love thee?

2008-02-04T13:31:00.000Z

The challenge on Cardvarks

Make a Valentine - it's that time, let's bang 'em out

I started off by stamping the poem ‘How do I love thee?’ using Brilliance ink in Graphite Black on mat white cardstock. I sprayed some glimmer mist in Candy Apple Red and Sunburst on to some acetate and then I placed the stamped image into the spritzed ink and moved the card around on the acetate until I was happy with the result. For layer 2 - the border of the black mat cardstock is punched out using a heart Fiskars border punch. For layer 3 – the same technique as used on the stamped image – spritz glimmer mists on acetate, and then corner punched. All are mounted on a matt back A4 piece of cardstock (8.3 × 11.7), which I scored and folded in half and then used a corner punch on all four corners, and finally a coordinating ribbon to add the final flourish.

Recipe:

Stamp:- ‘How do I love thee?’ from Ibrakeforstamps
Ink - Brilliance Graphite Black
Card- Black and white card stock
Emblesshments:- organza ribbon
extra:- Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels in Sunburst and Candy Apple Red

Sk8tor Boy

2008-02-03T15:47:00.001Z

I love days like today, I was up early and took Monty (the dog) for a walk across the fields, in the hour or so that I was out I saw 2 other people, but we did manage to see rabbits, a fox and a couple of squirrels, it’s at times like these you realise why its great to live in the country.

This card has been created for a forum buddies boy Ryan who is 5 today. The sk8tor image is from dimensions fourth which is a great online shop for those in the UK that want unmounted stamps…they will even make them to your design…. and at not an unreasonable charge.

I stamped the sk8tor image in Graphite Black by Brilliance, heat sealed it and then coloured him in using my new copics (oops did I not mention I had purchased those wink) I outlined the white cardstock with a coordinating blue thin line, mounted him on red paper from the For Boys to Men by Paper Pizazz.

I covered the A4 base card with some coordinating check paper again from For Boys to Men by Paper Pizazz, and went around the edge of the card marking faux stitches to help ‘ground’ the paper and added 3 square red gems from Papermania in the right hand bottom corner.

I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment from Creative Expressions in Graphite Black by Brilliance, edged the white card with Rocket Red by Brilliance, and outlined with a blue ink pen. I mounted the white cardstock on to some of the remaining check paper from Paper Pizzaz, and again anchored the paper with some faux stitching; this was all then mounted on some of the red paper.
Inside the card I ran a strip of the red paper along the bottom onto which I added a strip of the check paper, finally I add a further sentiment from Creative Expressions.

Recipe:-

Ink - Brilliance in Graphic Black and Rocket Red

Paper - Paper Pizazz - For Boys to Men

Markers - Copics

Gems - Papermania

Stamps - Sk8tor Boy - Dimensions fourth, sentiments - Creative Expressions

Serenity

2008-02-02T16:07:00.001Z

I wanted to actually do some crafting today rather then sorting and tidying so I went to splitcoasters where todays challenge is Inspiration.......you can see the image to be inspired by here - the idea is that the image/colour/layout, well actually any thoughts that are provoked by the image are put in a card/LO.

So I had the colours and the mood but not the actually layout I wanted I just couldn't get my head in gear to come up with anything until I saw the weekend challege by Beate that you can see on her Fresh & Fun Blog.

So now I had the colours I wanted to use, the mood I wanted to create and the layout, I then set about to find the right stamps, ink, cardstock, ribbon/fibre, and emblesshments.

What I used:-

Stamps by Judikins - Carols Cube, HOTP

Inks- Colorbox Fluid Chalk in Bisque and Robin's Egg, Brilliance dewdrop in Pearlescent Beige and Coffee Bean.

Fibre - Perhaps by Basic Grey

Buttons - Making Memories

Cardstock - Willow, Deep Taupe by Creative Expressions

Basecard - Duck egg blue tall card by Kanban

The images were created by first stamping the square in Coffeebean. Thenthe square image was masked out and the leafy image was stamped with Robin's Egg, Bisque and Pearlescent Beige inks. Each of the squares then had its edges inked . The images were mounted onto Willow card stock (its a very pale green), the fibre was added and the 'Just Because' sentiment attached to the fibre which was created using Coffeebean ink and cut out with a circle nestability.

The Deep Taupe cardstock was then taped to the inside of the base card. Using a craft knife the front of the base card was cut in half, leaving a contrast of colour between the front of the card and inside of the card. The Willow cardstock is attached to the front of the card so that it overlapped the edge of the now shortened front of the card. As a final touch three matching minature buttons were added to the lefthand side of the card.

the results......

2008-02-02T12:02:00.001Z

Well I finished.............thank God! I need to sort the final storage but the actual hard work has been done............. These boxes don't contain any of my SeeDees which are in Cd Cases, or quite a few clear acrylic stamps such as my Bella's and others .....They might go in when I get the final storage solution!lol

and a very rough guess is 2000+ plus before you ask *wink*

...am I mad?!

2008-01-31T15:10:00.000Z

Ok don't answer that as I probably am!lol But I had been thinking about unmounting my stamps for ages so on Tuesday I bit the bullet and started. Luckily I didn't have that many to do, about 250, and the majority came off easily, only a few tried my patience but with a little encouragement *wink* they were unmounted.

Since I had so much fun doing that *not* I thought I would treat myself by going through all my unmounted stamps and trim them all up, I tend to only trim as I use them, so I had sheets of rubber waiting for me. I had a migraine yesterday so I sat in a chair with my sissors and snipped away, relaxing. I got through about 80% of the rubber I had, and I went to bed with hands that smelt like rubber **yes I did wash them** and no jokes about condoms please I had enough of those from OH!

I had a 'ickle parcel arrive from I Brake for stamps this morning.....so I need to add that to my pile of rubber to cut....anyone would think I planned it lol!

Anyway with all this rubber cutting and sorting I havent had a chance to create any cards but I have been coming up with loads of ideas as I go through my stamps which I hope to create over the coming days, months years and possible decades the rate I am going!

Dahlia Fold

2008-01-29T13:46:00.000Z

Splitcoaster New Technique Challenge TLC153 – Dahlia Fold

Well judging the size of things obviously is not my strong point as I created my 8 circles and didn’t realise quite how bit it was going to come out **note to self to work this out before starting in the future**

I used Cardstock instead of paper (I do like to make my life difficult!) – the cardstock for the flowers is from The Pocket Full of Posies by DCWV – I love this cardstock but I have used all the ‘easy’ ones and now I have to get creative with the less obvious ones! I cut out the circles using my circle Nestablities die in my Cuttlebug. I then folded the card stock using the pattern that can be found here. Once all the pieces where shaped I flatted them down on some paper and started to play with my Adirondack Alcohol inks in Butterscotch and Wild Plum and a touch of blending solution. This is the first time I have used alcohol inks in this form and it was fun!

Once I had assembled the folded pieces and added a bit of glitter I realised just how big it was going to be….so I had to come up with a solution as I loved what I had created….the flower itself is just a shade under 61/2 inches wide, so I used some newly acquired 12x12 cardstock in a beautiful muted dusky pink, now even my maths is good enough to realise that 61/2 doesn’t go into 12 very easily, so I used some more of the The Pocket Full of Posies cardstock and inked it again with the alcohol inks and created a ‘feature edge’ on the inside of the card, anyone would think that it was supposed to be there *wink*

I felt the middle of the flower needed a centre so I punched a small circle out of the cardstock and using the wild plum ink I inked up the circle, added some crystal lacquer for some dimension which I distressed and finally added some glitter.

The flower was then mounted onto the same dusty pink cardstock, then more Pocket Full of Posies cardstock, which I had glittered, and then onto the base card.

This card is for my sisters birthday in February, so the pressure is on ‘cause all the relations in Ireland will see it **yikes**…its at times like these that I wish I could just send a shop bought card but if I did that I would be excommunicated from the family lol!