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

 

 

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

Little Red Wagon #177 - Easter

Oldie But A Goodie - Easter

(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,

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

Everybody-Art #228 - Spring

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

Passion For Promarkers #190 - Butterflies

Bunny Zoe's Challenge (March) - Girly

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,

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.

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:

Penny Black  & More @ Allsorts (March) - One For The Boys

Crafty Ribbons #41 - One For The Boys

Sweet Stampin' - Males

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,

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

Fussy & Fancy #84 - Flowers

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

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

 

 

and J&C Creations

 

 

 

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:

Sketch Saturday #249 - Sketch

 

 

Live & Love (March) - Easter

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 #212 - Use 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,

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 #188 -  One For The Ladies

Simon Says - A Bit O' Green

Totally Gorjuss #123 - Anything Goes With Pink

Totally Papercrafts #157 - Punch It!

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,

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

Creative Card Crew #31 - Ribbon

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

Fab day out at Lili of the Valley's Birthday open Day

Hi everyone - hope you're all having a good weekend. No card from me today, as I was a bit busy yesterday ... I went with my dear crafty friend Lil to the 9th birthday Open Day at Lili of the Valley in Farsley near Leeds. A bit of a trek for us as it is about a 140 mile round trip, but we both had a wonderful day and were really glad that we went.

Neither of us had ever been to the shop before, and we certainly weren't disappointed - the shop is lovely with cards on display for each stamp, plus a good selection of dies by Memory Box and Cheery Lynn amongst others, paper, card, Wild Orchid Craft flowers (in nice little bunches so you can buy a variety without breaking the bank!), Promarkers and Copics ... OMG we were like kids in a sweet shop!!

The shop has a cafe upstairs which was serving yummy sandwiches and cakes, and the 2 ladies serving us were really friendly and nice. We also met Laila and Lisa the owners of LotV, and they were so welcoming and chatted to us for quite a while. I also got the opportunity to meet and say hello to Anne and Lucy who work for LotV, and Annabel Spencely who is one of the stamp design artists. An artwork board upstairs also showed sketches for the next upcoming release of stamps which was very interesting and exciting, and Annabel had some sketches of future releases she is working on now. 

(l-r: Laila, Lisa, me, Annabel (LotV designer), my friend Lil, Anne)

The team had a few other events and promotions going on - all visitors received a goody bag which included a free stamp and some die cut toppers, a free raffle with 2 gorgeous hampers of LotV goods, Lucy was tapping away into her laptop as she hosted the Facebook party, and the cafe was done out really nicely with balloons. A bit later Laila and Lisa were presented with baskets of flowers, and all the team and customers in the shop sang "happy birthday" :-)

Last but not least I was able to catch up briefly with Dawny P, although she was pretty busy pinging in and out of workshops she was hosting.  Lil and I also got talking to a few other crafters in the shop, swapping ideas and tips, and I'm hoping a couple of ladies may call by to visit my blog.

Well done to all at LotV for hosting such a great day - it was obvious a lot of effort had gone into setting it up, and it looked to us like a great success. We arrived home tired but happy and can't wait to get playing with our purchases! Here's to the big one-oh! in twelve months' time!! :-)

Hugs,

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Spring Into Spring!

Good morning everyone and welcome to a new monthly Penny Black Saturday Challenge. Thanks so much to everyone who joined in with last month's Love & Marriage challenge - what a loved-up lot you are! Indeed your efforts were completely lovable and adorable, so don't foget to check the main challenge blog to see if you have won one of our fabulous prizes.

Wow where is the year going to?? I can hardly believe it's March already, and spring is round the corner. At least I hope that's the case, 'cos I'm sure you'll all agree the weather since Christmas has been pretty atrocious, what with snow and freezing temperatures in the UK, or melting temperatures, floods and bush fires if you're in Australia!

So this month our thoughts are turning to spring, and our challenge theme is

Spring Into Spring

What could be easier than that?? Pretty pastel and/or light colours, spring flowers, Easter images ... the possibilities are endless. Just please remember that in order to qualify for our challenge prizes you need to submit a project using a Penny Black image stamp, large sentiment or stickeroo as its main focus.

This month we have a fab selection of prizes as always ... though I'm scheduling this post in advance so please do go check out the main blog for details.

The rest of the DT have produced some beautiful cheerful spring cards to inspire you - here's mine.

I really love this pussy cat - he always makes me smile and I think he is very versatile for birthdays, Easter, or even get-well or thankyou cards. In fact this could probably be used for most of the above occasions!

Stamps: Penny Black slapstick "You Are The Bestest"; LotV "Everyday Grunge Messages";

Media: Promarkers and Flexmarkers;

Papers: Pink Petticoat (gingham) and Paper Adventures (checked);

Supplies: various flowers including Wild Orchid Crafts and Crafts4U2Do; lace from The Ribbon Box; pearls from The Hobby House; ribbon recycled from a cake :-);

Tools: Magnolia Doohickey "Heart Swirl Branch" die.

Challenges:

My Mum's #3 - Spring Has Sprung

Crafty Catz #172 - St David's Day (daffodils)

Pile It On #8 - Sunshine

Forever Friends (monthly) - Lots Of Flowers

I ♥ Promarkers #157 - Lace &/or Pearls

Stampin' For The Weekend - Use Lace

Cute Card Thursday #258 - Something Old (my PB stamp)

Simon Says - Anything Goes

Look forward to seeing your springtime creations this month.

I'm hoping to have a day trip today (Saturday) to Lili of the Valley's birthday Open Day at the shop in Farsley near Leeds - a 140 mile round trip but myself and my craft friend Lil are gearing ourselves up .. woo hoo! Have a great weekend too whatever you're doing!

Hugs,