Sunday 31 March 2013

Sending You Easter Wishes!

 
Good afternoon everyone - just a quick post from me today to wish all my followers and visitors a
 
Happy Easter
 
Hope your day is filled with love, peace and chocolate!!
 
Here is a CAS Easter card I made last weekend - actually one of 5 identical I made to catch the post and send a few Easter Wishes.
 
 
Not a great photo I'm afraid - poor light on the day I needed to post these, and my camera didn't seem to be getting on with photographing green (the ribbon colour is actually very close to the colour of the paper!)
 
Stamps: LotV "Arranging Flowers"; sentiment from Easter See-D;
Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;
Papers: Me To You "Spring Chic";
Supplies: green gems from The Hobby House; yellow gem from Papermania; ribbon from my stash.
 
Challenges:
OSCC #222 - Easter
Fun With Shapes & More #131 - Last Minute Easter
I ♥ Promarkers #161 - Spring Is In The Air
Corrosive #171 - Spring Fling
Simon Says - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesdays #130 - Anything Goes
 
Thanks for looking - enjoy the rest of your Easter weekend.
Hugs,
 

Thursday 28 March 2013

Lili's Little Fairies Team B Challenge - Buttons & Bows


Good morning Lili fans, and welcome to the latest Lili's Little Fairies challenge. Thanks to all our supporters for bearing with us ... we've had a bit of disruption and upheaval over the past few weeks with Mummy Fairy being indisposed and several departures from our happy band; but we're hoping to get back on track now, and for the time being we're in the capable hands of Aunty Fairy Squirrel (be afraid, be very afraid!!) - we also have a DT call in progress so do check it out on the main challenge  blog if you'd like to join our happy throng!

So, onto business with this week's challenge, and our theme is
 
Buttons & Bows
 
You can interpret this to your  heart's desire - the only rule is that you should use a LotV image or die cut topper on your creation :-)
Our DT is a little short on numbers right now, but the ladies have more than made up for it with the quality of their samples -  here's my effort.


I do so adore LotV teddies and this one is just soooo sweet peeping out from his box :-)

 
Stamps: LotV "Patchwork Teddy"; "Everyday Grungy Messages" and "Everyday Tags";
Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;
Papers: LotV "Nitwits - promises";
Supplies: flowers by Wild Orchid Crafts; ribbon from John Lewis; button and pearls from The Hobby House; doily from my stash;
Tools: small, large and classic scalloped circle nestabilities; Cheery Lynn "Queen Anne's Lace" die; Leone Em "Ash Family" leaf punch.


Challenges:
Wild Orchid Crafts #73 - Buttons & Bows
Cheery Lynn #73 - Celebrate!
Simon Says - Anything Goes


I really hope you can join us this week - we've a long Easter weekend coming up so hopefully everyone should find some time to play!

Hugs,

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Papertake Weekly GDT - Sketch!


Good morning Papertakers,. and welcome to the latest Papertake Weekly challenge - and alas my last as Guest Designer as I really do love the PTW challenges. But looking on the bright side I'll be able to enter for the fab prizes again from next week - yay!
 
Anyhoo, as always for the last Tuesday of the month we have a sketchie free for all ... don't forget you can either use this month's sketch or any previous one from PTW challenges - just let us know which one you have used!
 
Here's Dawny's sketch for this month.
 
 
Once again we are sponsored by the fabulous Simon Says Stamp
 
Simon Says Stamp
 
with a brilliant $20 online store voucher - so let's get to it!
 
I actually gave everyone an inadvertent preview of this sketch a month ago due to a teeny bit of a mix up, but seeing as it was such a good one I've had another go with it :-) Here's my card - I have rotated the sketch by 90 degrees.
 
 
Yep, my blog has gone somewhat bunny-licious this week (and it's not over yet!!) as I did my best to get some Easter cards done to the exclusion of all other considerations !

Stamps: LotV "Arranging Flowers"; Penny Black "Happy Easter" (2855D)
Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;
Papers: Me To You "Spring Chic";
Supplies: blue gems by The hpbby House; yellow gems by Papermania; ribbon from my stash;
Tools: Fleur-de-lys square nestabilities; La La Crafts corner flourish die; Martha Stewart "Monarch Butterfly" punch.

 
Challenges:
Simon Says - Easter / Spring
(old papers and ribbon)
Kaboodle #164 - Easter / Early Spring
Cute Card Thursday #261 - Easter Parade
Raise The bar #136 - Hop Into Spring (bunny, chick or baby animal)
Craft Your Passion #155 - Make It Cute!
Charisma #11 - Die Cuts
Papercrafting Journey - Ribbon or Lace
Crafty Boots - Flowers
 
Hope you'll take your minds off the miserable and bitterly cold weather by joining in this week - can't wait to see what you create.
Hugs,

Sunday 24 March 2013

Easter Bunny

 
Good morning everyone - hope you are all safe and warm given the appalling weather conditions we've been suffering again here in the UK - definitely a day for staying indoors and maybe getting some crafting done ! :-)
 
I've not had a lot of time for making Easter cards this year what with one thing and another, but I managed to get a couple made yesterday - here's one of them.
 
 
This adorable bunny stamp came free with this month's edition (no. 111) of Quick Cards Made Easy magazine - I don't generally  bother much with craft mags nowadays but I had to have this bunny!
 
 
Stamps: "Some Bunny Loves You" (free with Quick Cards Made Easy issue 111); Penny  Black "Happy Easter" (2855D);
Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;
Papers: Me To You "Spring Chic";
Supplies: flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts;  Docrafts bakers twine, Papermania gems; ribbon from Hobbycraft; wooden butterfly in a set from my friend Lil (thanks hun, they're lovely!); button from my stash;
Tools: Cheery Lynn "Queen Anne's Lace" (B160) border die.
 
 
Challenges:
Cutie Pie #40 - Easter
Simon Says - Easter / Spring
In The Pink #17 - Spring / Easter in Pink
Cheery Lynn #72 - Think Spring
Fussy & Fancy #85 - Spring Days
Penny's Paper Crafty #119 - Gingham / Checks
Crafty Catz #175 - Sparkle With A Bow
Crafts & Me #125 - Buttons & Bows
Really Reasonable Ribbon #68 - Flowers & Ribbon
I ♥ Promarkers - Anything Goes
Shabby Tea Room #158 - Anything Goes
The Ribbon Reel #49 - Pink + Yellow + Aqua + Ribbon & A Flower
 
 
Party Time Tuesdays #112 - Colour Inspiration
 
  
That's all for today.
Hugs,

Saturday 16 March 2013

A Magnificent Achievement!

 
My mum and dad are celebrating their Diamond Wedding Anniversary today - yes, that's 60 years of marriage!! Woo hoo and congratulations to them on this magnificent achievement.
 
For once my handmade card was, quite rightly, not the star of the show as they received their congratulatory card from the Queen, but nonetheless they were delighted with the card I made them :-)
 
 
I decided to keep this card very classic and fairly simple primarily white with silver to reflect the occasion. the only colour is the soft pink and blue edging on the butterflies' wings.
 
 
Paper: Best Creations Inc;
Supplies: Papermania clear gems; heart gems and silver gauze ribbon from Hobbycraft;
Tools: "floral ovals" neatabilities; Cuttlebug "butterflies" die; Stephanie Weightman "tattered lace" alphabet die (from Hobbycraft); Cuttlebug "Hippie Chick" alphabet dies for numbers.
 
Challenges:
Anything Goes #88 - Seeing Double
Totally Gorjuss #175 - Something Old
(the age of my parents' marriage, my Cuttlebug butterflies)
The Ribbon Reel #48 - Romantic Elegance
(pink and blue required colours on butterfly wings)
Cupcake #233 - It's Only Words
Kaboodle #162 - Three-Dimensional
OSCC #220 - Anything Goes
 
Tomorrow we are going to have lunch with mum and dad to celebrate. Hope you will enjoy the rest of your weekend whatever you're doing.

Friday 15 March 2013

You Are So Very Very Special


Yesterday was my dear husband's birthday, so I was up 'til silly o'clock on Wednesday evening beavering away to get his card done ... I seem somehow to have got really behind with everything recently, but despite the late hour when I finished this one (12:45 am, with work the next morning!!) I'm actually pretty pleased with it - here it is.

 
Yet again I have used an adorable LotV bear ... I can't get enough of them! This cute little guy has been in my stash since last year, so I though that despite the awful weather, now was the right time for him to go for a little drive with the top down lol!

 
 Stamps: LotV "Mini Bear"; sentiments from LotV "Everyday "Grungy Messages" set;
Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;
Papers: LotV "Nitwits - Petal Fresh" (another purchase from my trip to Farsley!! :-) )
Supplies: Jute ribbon and twine from The Ribbon Girl; wooden heart buttons from my stash;
Tools: large and lacy circle nestabilities; Stephanie Weightman alphabet die set (from Hobbycraft).

 
 Challenges:
Crafty Ribbons #41 - One For The Boys
Crafty Cardmakers #86 - Masculine Birthday Featuring Technology Or A Gadget
Deep Ocean #47 - Cute & Cuddly
I ♥ Promarkers #159 - Ribbons & Bows
ABC - J Is For Just As You Like
 
Thanks for visiting today.
Hugs,

Thursday 14 March 2013

Lili's Little Fairies Team B - Top Of The Pops!

 
Good evening Lili fans, and welcome to the latest Lili's Little Fairies Team B challenge.  Sorry I'm running late today as I was up very late last night making two very special cards ... but more of that later .. so I didn't have time to write this post ahead of time. I also see that the main challenge blog hasn't gone live .... not sure what has happened but please do bear with us!!
 
Thanks so much for joining in last week's challenge - gorgeous creations as always.
 
This week's challenge theme is
 
Top Of The Pops
 
We would like you to be inspired by a pop song - do tell us when you enter which song has inspired you (just in case it's not obvious lol!!)
 
Don't forget in order to be eliigble for our prize you need to use a LotV stamp or die cut topper as the main focus of your creation.
 
The rest of the DT have created a real hit parade of inspiration samples for you ... here's my card inspired by Blondie "Hanging on the Telephone" :-)
 
 
Stamps: LotV "Telephone Ted", sentiment from "Words for Scroll" set;
Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;
Papers: LotV "Nitwits - Country Lady";
Supplies: flowers by Wild Orchid Crafts; pearls from The Hobby House; jute ribbon from The Ribbon Girl; red ribbon, lace and checked ribbon from my stash;
Tools: small, large and lacy circle nestabilities; Martha Stewart "Eyelet Lace" PATP punches; Leone Em "Ash Branch" leaf punch.
 
 
Challenges:
Incy Wincy - Things That Begin With F (Flowers)
A Gem Of A Challenge #70 - Floral Frenzy
Crafts & Me #124 - Ribbons & Lace
Fab 'n' Funky #162 - Add A Sentiment
 Cute Card Thursday #260 - Anything Goes
 
Looking forward to seeing your creations this week!
 
I'll be back over the next couple of days with my darling husband's birthday card, and a very special card I made for my parents .... 'til then :-)
Hugs

Tuesday 12 March 2013

Papertake Weekly GDT: 3-2-1

 
Good morning Papertakers, and welcome to another Papertake Weekly Challenge. Thanks so much to everyone who entered last week's Anything Goes Challenge - always a popular theme!! Don't forget to check the main challenge blog to see if you have won last week's prize.
 
This week our challenge theme is
 
3 - 2 - 1
 
Yep, we would like you to use three of something, two of something and one of something else!! It's as easy as that!
 
This week we are sponsored by Whiff of Joy
 
WoJLogo_180x130
 
 
image_thumb[11] 
 
Here is my card for this week, using three gems, two patterned papers and one bow.
 
 
As you can see, this weekend my thoughts turned to spring and Easter ... rather peculiar it now seems, in light of the harsh wintery conditions now battering the UK!! However Easter is in fact only two and a half weeks away, so I thought I'd better crack on regardless!
 
Stamps: LotV "Arranging Flowers"; Penny Black "Happy Easter.." (2855D);
Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;
Papers: Forever Friends "Springtime";
Supplies: flowers by Wild Orchid Crafts; gems by Papermania; ribbon from Hobbycraft;
Tools: "Labels One" nestabilities; Magnolia Doohickey "Heart Swirl Branch" die; Martha Stewart "eyelet lace" PATP border punch.
 
 
Challenges:
 
 
CRAFT #197 - Easter / Spring
Allsorts #197 - Springtime
Crafting For All Seasons #47 - Spring Into Spring
Cute Card Thursday #259 - Spring Fever
Really Reasonable Ribbon #67 - Show Me The Green + Ribbon 
 Simon Says - A Bit O' Green
Crafty Creations #212Use Some Green
 Sentimental Sundays #145 - Three Embellishments That Start With a "B"
(Bow, Blossoms, Bling)
 
Hope you can join us this week - can't wait to see what you create!
 
Hugs,

Friday 8 March 2013

For A Very Special Mum


Hi everyone, and hope you're all looking forward to the weekend. This evening I'd like to show you a card I made earlier in the week and posted to my mum for Mother's Day. I'm a bit later blogging this than I would have liked, but our PC has been under the cosh since the beginning of the week, so tonight is the first time I've been able to get online, display my blog properly with all its links in the sidebar (to help me find the challenges I want to enter lol!!) and open Mr. Blogger properly - yay!


Everyone's mum is special, aren't they?? Mine's no different in that respect, but she is also a very special lady in her own right as she has been very seriously ill for the past six and a half years now, to the extent that we have spent all of that time living in the present and making the most of each special occasion such as birthdays and Christmas as they come. So every time Mother's Day comes around I pour a humungous amount of effort into making her card "special" - and this year although I say so myself I think I've made one I'm pretty proud of.

Here it is - hope you'll excuse the photography but steppers aren't very easy to photograph at the best of times and yesterday was such a dull day !!


I have made another stepper card, decorating the main panel in the normal way with image and flowers etc, but also highlighting the steps with border die cuts - I always like to create a mini garden with a fence, a floral border and some butterflies! :-). This is my first outing for  my new Memory Box "Nottingham Border" flower border die which I bought at Lili of the Valley's shop last Saturday (along with the stamp and some of the flowers lol!!)


Stamps: LotV "Watering the Flowers" and 2 sentiments from "Everyday Grungy Messages";
Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;
Papers: LotV "Nitwits - Perfect Pair";
Supplies: flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts; berries by Magnolia (from The Glitterpot); silky crush ribbon from The Ribbon Girl; lace from John Lewis; green gems and small pearls from The Hobby House; stepper card blank from Hobbycraft;
Tools: large classic circle and lacy circle nestabilities; Memory  Box "Nottingham Border" die (pink flowers); Magnolia Doohickey "Lovely Fence" and "Heart Swirl Branch" dies; Cuttlebug "Hippie Chick" alphabet dies; X-Cut small butterfly punch.


Challenges:
Creative Inspiration #204 - Happy Mother's Day
Bearly Mine #76 - Mother's Day
In The Pink #15 - Floral / Mother's Day
Ready Teddy Go (March) - Mum's The Word
Passion For Promarkers #188One For The Ladies
Simon Says - A Bit O' Green
Totally Gorjuss #123 - Anything Goes With Pink
By The Cute & Girly (March) - Favourite Things
(LotV everything, flowers, ribbons, lace, memory Box dies ... I could go on!!)
Ribbon Girl Card Challenge (March) - Add Ribbon or Twine

Thanks for looking and have a great weekend, whatever you're doing.
Hugs,

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Papertake Weekly GDT



Good morning Papertakers, and welcome to another Papertake Weekly challenge.

Sorry this is a short post from me today - my computer is really playing up as we have been reinstalling software, so I haven't got all my normal links - so no links to this week's prizes or to other challenges until I can get it sorted. However I hope you will hop over to the PTW blog to see all the details.  

This week's challenge theme is

Anything Goes

(with the option of "for mum or a special lady")

Easy peasy!! here's my card.


A fairly feeble effort from me this week ... I've got so behind with everything since my bad cold and then I was out at the weekend ... so this was a real rush job I'm afraid!  I took advantage of one of the die cut toppers included in my LotV Open Day goody bag - thank God I had it or I don't think I would have got a card done at all!

Image: LotV die cut topper;
Sentiment: Craftwork Cards;
Papers: LotV "Country Lady";
Supplies: pearls from The Hobby House; gems from The Hobby House and Papermania; ribbon from Hobbycraft; lace from Wild orchid Crafts;
Tools: Fleur-de-Lys square nestabilities; Cheery Lynn lacy die; Martha Stewart butterfly punch.

Challenges:
Pile It On #9 - Happy Birthday
Pretty Little Ribbon #20 - Happy Birthday
Ooh La La - Four Legged Friends
Everybody Art #226 - Butterfly
OBAG - Feeling Floral
(old item is my butterfly punch)
Simon Says - Anything Goes

Apologies some of my links are missing - I know they are a condition of challenge entry but I can't physically make most of them at the moment!! Sorry for the disruption - hope all will be sorted soon, so i will be able to come to visit :-)

hugs