Pink Anya

Just a quick post from me this afternoon with my first ever Anya card - I love these images, which I was sent by the lovely Marcea ... I've been meaning to use them for ages but I just felt this one was right for this sketch and paper combo today. I ahve to say that i think these images are probably much more suited to being coloured with Copics or Promarkers, but as I ain't got any of those yet I had to do my best with my old faithful watercolour pencils. Not entirely pleased with the results, but hey! it's done now lol!

I used the sketch from this week's Papertake Weekly #35

and would also like to enter the card for this week's Stamp. Scrap & Doodle Saturdays #29 - Sparkle, and One Stop Craft Challenge #69 - Optimistically Pink

Recipe:
Main image: Greetings Farm "Anya" coloured with watercolour pencils;
Sentiment: Craftwork Cards;
Papers: Bo Bunny;
Supplies: Prima & papermania flowers; spacers from The Hobby House; Doodlebug sparkly brads; sparkly gems from my stash;
Tools: large classic scalloped rectange nestabilities.

Hope you're all enjoying your Sundays!

Penny Black #90 - sketch by Carole

Welcome to another Penny Black Saturday Challenge - it was wonderful to see everyone's entries last week using the scrummy colour theme - the spring-like colours were a welcome relief from the awful weather we've been having ..... is winter never going to end?? One lucky entrant will have won last week's randomly drawn prize, so why not hop on over to the challenge blog to see if it's you??

This week we're ringing the changes with a sketch designed by Carole ... and it was really fab to work with.

The other DT members have come up with some brilliant interpretations which I hope you will check out - here's mine.

Perhaps I should say that the little flowers are actually lilac/blue and a lilac/pink glitter card - not as bright blue as they look in the pic!!

Recipe:
Main image; "Raining Daisies" (?????) which was an RAK from my lovely friend Kaz, coloured with watercolour pencils and Marvey markers, and the edges distressed with lilac ink;
Sentiment: Whiff of Joy;
Papers: unknown - offcuts from my stash;
Supplies: Papermania shimmer dots in lilac and purple, and Papermania "sparkly trims" ribbon;
Tools: "peony" nestabilities; X-cut small flower punch; Dovecraft floral border punch.

I also made this card for the following challenges:

Just Cute Bears #5 - Lilac ... in fact I specifically chose the image and papers so i could enter this one :-)
Paper Sundaes #6 - distressing ... I have lightly distressed my image edges with lilac ink.
C.R.A.F.T #39 - ribbons & sparkle ... well I've got sparkly ribbon as well as shimmer dots so hope that qualifies!
Cute Card Thursday #101 - Ribbon-tastic
Raise the Bar #7 - 3's company (I have used 3 papers)

As always the PBSC has got a fantastic prize for one lucky randomly chosen winner ... this week it is a lifetime 15% discount voucher from the wonderful Dick at

So what's not to like?? Looking forward to seeing your creations, and have a great weekend!

Penny Black #89 - Colour Combo

This week has just raced by .... already it's Saturday again, and that can only mean one thing ...it's time for another Penny Black Saturday Challege.

Some of you may have noticed I had a week off last week ... but it's fab that so many of you were in lovey-dovey mode for the Valentine Challenge ... as always, don't forget to pop over to the challenge blog to see if you have won the prize

This week our thoughts are turning to spring, with a lovely spring-like colour combo for you

Pink + yellow + green

All the DT members have been pulling out the stops to make some fabulous samples so please do visit them and have a peep!

This week we also have an adorable prize for you ... it's this darling stamp "A Tender Hug" donated by our very own Carole - thanks hun!



Without further ado, here's my card.


I had a slight panic over this, as I didn't have any papers which would successfully pull all three colours together .... although I've got a 6*6 "Two Scoops" pad, the paper I have used for the background is all gone ... so in the end I just had to buy a single piece of 12 * 12. Why the panic about that??? I hear you ask. Well ... I am part of a group of crafty friends where some dear crazy woman (you know who you are pmsl!!....) has suggested giving up stash buying for Lent ....WHAAAATTT?? Lent started on Wednesday ... and I discovered I needed this piece of paper on ... er ... Thursday morning lol!! So I just brazened it out and bought it as an "essential" .. but I'm now probably in the doghouse rofl! It's going to be a tough 6 weeks tee hee!

I'm really loving my newish MS border punch .. it really makes me think of a white picket fence and I can't help but decorate it every time with butterflies and flowers :-) Hope it gives an impression of spring!

I would also like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Creative Belli #85 - Butterflies or dragonflies
Stamp Something - A Touch of Spring
Paper Sundaes #5 - Glittery Spring
SophistiCat #22 - Stitching
Crafty Creations #55 - Stitching
Corrosive #51 - Sew it up!
Cute Card Thursday #100 - Metal Mania (metal spacers)
Gingersnap Colour Challenge #43 - 3 colours you love
Totally Gorjuss #18 - Flower Power
Cute Daisy May - Bright & cheerful

Recipe:
Main image: "Teddy & Company" transparent set; coloured with watercolourp encils;
Sentiment: Craftwork Cards;
Papers: BasicGrey "Two Scoops";
Supplies: flowers by Woodware; sparkly brads by Doodlebug; spacers from The Hobby House; pearls from my stash;
Tools: large classic oval and large classic scalloped oval nestabilities; shapeabilities "Fancy tags"; Martha Stewart "garden trellis" border punch and "large monarch butterfly" punch; Leone Em "Ash Family" leaf punch.

Hope you're having a great weekend whatever you're doing, and looking forward to seeing your creations.

What a dopey cow!

No ...it's not me .... at least not this time lol!! The "dopey cow" I'm referring to is this darling Christmas image which my dear friend Helen sent me as part of my winnings on the ABC Christmas Challenge launch candy.

This week the ABC Christmas Challenge is D is for decorations ... so it really would have been rude not to use this image :-) Quite a lot of the other card components are also from the same candy winnings - how brilliant is that??

I used the sketch from this week's One Stop Craft Challenge #67,
and I would also like to enter this card for

Simon Says - 3,2,1 Recipe - 3 types of embellies, 2 patterned papers, 1 image

I have used a patterned and an almost plain paper (just some faint Chrimbo wording on it), and my 3 types of embellishment are ribbon, bells and card candy.
Allsorts Challenge #39 - 1,2,3 recipe

I have used 1 bow, 2 li'l bells and 3 pieces of card candy.

The Pink Elephant #54 - ribbon

Incy Wincy #30 - Punch it out.

Recipe: main image: Penny Black "Bedecked Antlers" (2520J) (candy winnings from Helen);
Sentiment: Craftwork Cards;
papers: from my stash;
Supplies: ribbon, bells and card candy all from Helen;
Tools: Martha Stewart edge punch.

Creative Card Crew #45 - Get Well Soon

Happy Tuesday everyone and welcome to another Creative Card Crew challenge. It was fabulous to see everyone's Valentine projects this past fortnight ... what a romantic lot you are!! Don't forget to pop over to the challenge blog to see if you have won last week's prize.

On then to this week's challenge, which is

Get Well Soon

So you can make a card to cheer someone up who's under the weather, or just to have ready in your card box just in case :-).

This week's prize is a scrummy selection of ribbons, buttons and charms form our sponsor

Truly Scrumptious Crafts

So without further ado, here's my card.... hope you'll also check out the fabulous creations from the rest of the DT :-)

I followed this week's fab sketch over at Sketch Saturday #90 for inspiration ....

...and I would also like to enter this card for this week's Stamp Something - Something Cute.. I just couldn't resist inking up my new LotV teddy ... I really do think this range of stamps is the cutest!! I'm just waiting patiently now for my EZ Mount to arrive and then I'll be able to ink up the rest of the stamps I ordered loL!

I think teddy is looking quite spring-like what with the profusion of flowers and happy colours - so I hope this one also qualifies for this week's Spoon Full of Sugar #91 - Spring is in the Air.

Last but not least, I would like to enter this card for Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #54, which is All About Me - ie to use the things you love :-) Well I'm really loving these LotV teddies, and I always love my flowers, spacers and large pearl brads.

Recipe:
Main image: LotV "Teddy with Flower", coloured with watercolour pencils;
Sentiment: die cut using Cuttlebug Cut & emboss set "Everyday Greetings";
Papers: My Mind's Eye "Pretty Please";
Supplies: pearl brads and spacers from "The Hobby House"; flowers and wrought iron brads from my stash;
Tools: large classic circle and large classic scalloped circle nestabilities; Leone Em "Ash Family" leaf punch.

Looking forward to seeing all your creations.

All You Need is Love

Crikey!! I don't know where the past week has gone to ... been very busy what with work and one thing & another , so didn't get any crafting in last week at all. Luckily I was able to have a really good sesh on Sunday, although being the slow-coach that I am I still didn't exactly make a mountain of cards lol!!

Anyhow, as there are still so many romantic themed challenges about, I decided to get ahead of myself (unusual for me!!) and make my mum and dad's wedding anniversary card, although their anniversary is a month away.


I followed the fab sketch for this fortnight's BasicGrey challenge #13 - I stretched it a bit to make a C5 card but the basic elements are still there.


I would also like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Simon Says - What's Love Got to Do With It?
Cute Card Thursday #99 - In the Name of Love
Totally Gorjuss #17 - Feel the Lurve

Tree House #36 - Say It With Love
Pixie Cottage #9 - Love
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenges - Valentine/Love

Daring Cardmakers - Have a Heart
My Time to Craft #78 - Hearts & Kisses
Polka Doodles #6 - Hearts & Flowers

Sassy Susie's #8 - Hearts & Flowers

Quixotic #13 - Tag It
Fussy & Fancy #4 - Dazzle Us!
Pile it on #6 - Flowers

Recipe:
Main image: Penny Black "Long-Stem Cuties" (1648K) (an RAK from the lovely Squirrel), coloured with watercolour pencils and Cosmic Shimmers, and the rose dusted with glamour dust;
Sentiment: rub on from stash;
Papers: BasicGrey "Sugared" (roses) and "Two scoops" (plain);
Supplies: lace from Quixotic Paperie; roses from Hobbycraft (decorated wtih diamond Stickles); pink heart gems by Papermania; pearl spray from my stash;
Tools: curved rectangle nestabilities; Leone Em "Ash branch" leaf punch.

Diamonds and roses

This coming Thursday it is my aunt & uncle's diamond wedding anniversary - wow, 60 years of marriage - what an achievement!! And of course, a perfect opportunity to really go to town and make a "special" card. For this one I did actually go out and buy paper, matching bazzill, ribbon and some red paper roses specially, and I hit on the idea of using spray diamantes (rather than spray pearls) to represent the "diamond" in diamond wedding.

Luckily with Valentine's Day just around the corner, there is no shortage of romantic themed challenges that I could enter with this card. First and foremost, Simon Says this week has a photo inspiration which is a picture of a red rose - how perfect is that for this theme?? I would also like to enter this card for the following:

Papertake Weekly - Love Actually
Charisma Cardz #5 - Love
By the Cute & Girly - Love

C.R.A.F.T. #36 - Valentine or Love
Stamp Something - Love Somethings
Paper Play #5 - Love Notes
Ginger Snaps #41 - Romance

Raise the bar #4 - Hearts
Stamp With Fun #45 - Hearts
Die Cut Dreams #34 - Have a heart
Creative Belli #84 - ribbons
Cooking It Up with Katie #10 - home/family theme (uncle & aunt's diamond wedding); punch something, and stickers (hope my silver rub ons and peel offs count?)

Sweet Stampin' Challenge #12 - Floral Frenzy


Recipe:
Main image: Penny Black "You're a Treasure" (1589F) coloured with watercolour pencils and gelly roll sparkle red pen;
Sentiment: rub ons and peel off for "60th";
Paper: make unknown - from Craft In Time;
Supplies: paper roses and diamante spray from Hobbycraft; lace from Quixotic Paperie; ribbon from my stash; Tools: large and small circle nestabilites; Nellie Snedden scalloped circle dies; shapeabilities tag; Martha Stewart "Valentine Lace" edge punch and "scalloped lace heart" punch.

Thanks for looking !

Penny Black Challenge #87 - Pins & Pearls

Hi everyone - hope you're all having a great weekend and are feeling ready to go with the latest Penny Black Saturday Challenge. It was wonderful to see last week how so many of you were able to make a card for someone special ... awww! If you entered don't forget to pop over to the challenge blog to see if you have won the fab discount voucher from PB Stamps.

This week's challenge is

Pins and pearls

As always you can interpret this however you like, so long as we can see at least one Penny Black stamp or sticker on your creation.

To help get your creative juices flowing we have got another fab prize on offer for one randomly chosen winner - from our regular sponsor Valentine's - a PB clear "Robust" alphabet set.

The other members of the DT have created some really fabulous samples this week, so do go and check them out, including our fab new Guest Designer for February - Janneke.

Here's mine ....


Now I have to confess that I struggled with this a bit initially, as I was very nervous about the prospect of using pins on a card. All the fancy head pins I've seen seem to be proper sharp pins without any guards for the point ...and I'm very puzzled as to how people keep them safe and what they do about posting them?? Anyhow, I resolved this dilemma when I saw some double-ended "bar" type pins in Hobbycraft .... so that's the route I went down.... and now I'm unexpectedly pleased with the finished result so I'm glad I did lol!

I'm having a real roses and butterflies phase at the moment ... here are a couple of close ups of those embellies - I gave the roses a good dusting with diamond dust Stickles lol!

Recipe:
Main image: Penny Black "...dreams..." (2711F) inked with Brilliance pearlescent ink;
Papers: Kaisercraft "Wish Upon" (from The Hobby House);
Supplies: large two-tone rose from John Lewis; smaller roses from Hobbycraft; baby's breath pearl flowers from Edwin Allen; white lace and pearl gemstones from my stash; double ended pearl pin from Hobbycraft;
Tools: "Labels Four" nestabilities; Craft-Too "butterflies" embossing folder (used on green matting); Martha Stewart large "monarch butterfly" punch.

I'd also like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Pollycraft #33 - Things with Wings
Flutterby Wednesdays #95 - butterfly, fairy or angel
Crafty Creations #53 - Wings
Pile It On #4 - Enough of Winter Colours
The Pink Elephant #52 - It's All About Pink (not sure whether this is pink enough ... but I hope so :-) )
Crafty Calendar #5 - Love & Friendship (I see this as a friendship card)
ABC - N is for New. Well ... that would be my two tone and cream roses + my pearly pin ... and the nesties have only been used once before lol!

Have a great weekend, and look forward to seeing your creations.

C.C. Designs Sugarplum kids spring candy

Yummy!! Kellie Winnell is generously offering the stunning Sugar Plum Kids spring kit as candy ... the pic shows just some of the fab designs. Reluctant as I am to highlight this to other peeps who might want to add their names to the draw and thus diminishing my chance of winning these little beauties (lol!!) I just have to do it ..it's the law! So get over there before Feb 18th ...you've got to be in it to win it!!

Creative Card Crew #44 - Valentine

Hello everyone, and welcome to another Creative Card Crew Challenge- my second as part of the DT. Wow what an amazing set of entries this past fortnight - there were a whole lot of punches flying and it was all in a good way :-). Don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see whether you have won last week's prize.

This week we have a challenge for you in keeping with the time of year ... yes, it's

Valentine

So it's time to get lovey-dovey, and see if you can be the lucky randomly picked winner of this week's fab prize which has been donated by

and is this adorable stamp.

So without further ado, here's my card.

I always struggle with Valentine's as my husband doesn't like the colour red, and I can hardly make him a card with pink hearts on it, can I lol!!??!! I already knew I was going to use this darling image which was an RAK from my fab friend Squirrel, and as I cast around amongst my papers I suddenly spotted this BG "Porcelain" sheet and decided to go for green with red accents ... like the green tree with li'l red hearts growing on it ...aww! I kept the card reasonably unfussy as it is for a man.

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes #3 - Valentine
Lexi's Creations #6 - Valentine
Double Dutch #36 - Be My Valentine

Challenge Up Your Life #13 - Valentine with Hearts
Stampavie & More #79 - Love/Valentine

Magical Crafts #7 - Valentine
Sophisticats #20 - Love
Corrosive Challenges #49 - All You Need is Love
Creative Belli #83 - Hearts
Caardvarks - Red Hearts
Cupckake # 76 - 4 legged and furry. Now I know that hedgies are renowned for being a bit prickly, but I bet their tummies are furry lol!!
BasicGrey #12 - Animals (2nd entry - wow have they got a fab prize on offer this time :-) )

Stamp, Scrap & Doodle #25 - Open theme

Recipe:
Main image: Penny Black "T.L.C." (3924K)(RAK from Squirrel), coloured with watercolour pencils and Gelly Roll red sparkle pen;
Sentiment: computer generated using "Gina" font;
Paper: BasicGrey "Porcelain" (green); My Mind's Eye (red);
Supplies: Papermania silver heart gems;
Tools: Martha Stewart "lace scallop heart" punch; Fiskars paper trimmer "deckle" blade.

Look forward to seeing your romantic creations, and don't forget to check out the lovingly created cards form the rest of the DT.