It's all birthdays at the moment!!

Just a quickie to show you my Dad's birthday card - it's just one birthday after another for me at the moment!!  Dad's a really keen bird watcher and seeing as I haven't used this Tim Holtz birdcage die yet, I thought I'd better show it some love! 
I've seen lots of these gorgeous criss-cross cards around lately so thought I'd give it a go, following a fab little tutorial by Gio.  I used double sided papers for speed and as I got this pennant die from Whiff of Joy today, which Gio also uses, I couldn't resist placing it just as Gio has!!!

The circle birthday stamp is by Cat's Life Press and that also arrived today from Crafty Emma's store - love it, and the super quick service!!

Talk about taking inspiration and believe me, I really have!  Gio is one of my fave bloggers so go and take a peek if you don't already follow her!

PFP is here again!!

Goodness the weeks are just racing by - is that a sign of old age?  It wasn't even me who was 50 at the weekend!!  Still, it is Tuesday and therefore it is time for another challenge at Passion for Promarkers and this week's has been set by the super Sue C, and she's chosen vintage/shabby chic as her theme. 


I've chosen this Kitty image from Funky Kits which I don't think I've ever used but I love it - what a norty girl I am!!  I coloured her with Aquamarkers and then thought I'd spot around the edge to enhance the shabby feel!!  Not 100% about it but don't mind it although I don't think my photos are great here - bit washed out!  I've distressed and inked the edges too to go along with the shabby chic theme.  Followed the sketch over on the Sugar Bowl this week which was very simple and so great to use ( I have rotated it to fit my image better).

Just a little side view of the flowers - Wild Orchid lovelies!! 

This week our sponsor is Joanna Sheen and you could win a £10 voucher to spend there!!  Lucky peeps!!

There were some gorgeous home-made flowers on last week's challenge entries so check back to PFP later to see whose floristry skills Michelle has chosen for her top 5!

I've very behind with my personal commenting at the moment so really hope to catch up with you soon, I hope I'm not in your bad books!

OH's 50th for Friday Sketchers

Just finished clearing up after a great family do for Nick's 50th birthday last night! We had such a good evening and crowned by his brother arriving from the Lake District as a surprise!! Wow, it was such a happy evening. This is the card I made for him with a Third Coast Rubber stamp, coloured with Promarkers.

My papers are a combo of Basic Grey and 7 Gypsies Zanzibar,  Followed the sketch over on Friday Sketchers - you can always rely on them for a great sketch!!

 I'd started to make a concertina card with the new Pin Up images from Kraftin Kimmie but my girls told me it was too girlie so I just used it as a banner.

 

And a couple of close ups:

Finally, Nick is always complaining that I have a pic of my lovelies on here but not him, so thought I'd show you the birthday boy himself!!

I've been trying to make a DT card and I'm obviously still feeling the after effects of last night as I've just given up!!  I'll give it another go after dinner!!

Colour Create's All White!!

The week is just zooming by and here we are again at Colour Create with our challenge, no 44, set by the fab Sharon L which is All White with the optional extra of embossing. You are allowed to colour your image though! Talking of images, I've used this gorgeous bridal image from our sponsor this week,  Sassy Studio Designs,  isn't she a beauty!

This is the first time I've ever made an all white card and quite honestly, didn't know where to begin when I started!  But eventually got going and now rather like the finished effect.  I've embossed the background with a Cuttlebug  folder and an edging folder, the swirls and flourishes are cut with Quickcutz dies and the fabby large flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts - luscious!  The rest of my embellies are from stash! 

Must dash now as I forgot to schedule this post and I need to dry my hair pronto!!  Be back later and shall look forward to seeing a sea of white!!!

Passion for Promarkers does Friday Sketchers!

 Where has the last week gone - surely it's not 7 days since the last challenge!!  We have has some gorgeous entries though for my photo inspiration challenge so check back on the PFP site later to see who the lucky winners are.

This week our challenge has been chosen by the super-talented Michelle, and she has challenged you to make your own flowers for your card.  We're being sponsored by  our very own Emma who owns Crafty Emma's Store and you could win a set of Aquamarkers!

For my card I used  a Heather Ellis Pure Innocence digi image - love them!   I used the papers that I won from Distressed Miss in her recent blog candy - Doodlebug pink selection and they are just super sweet!   I did a bit of embossing with a snowflake folder and edged the mats with stickles.  My homemade flowers were made by use a Nestibility flower die, adding a sparkly brad and spritzing with glimmer mist. The snowflake flower was made using a Stampin Up flower punch.

I used my promarkers and followed Sketch number 120 over on Friday Sketchers.

Do  go and look at the beautiful cards and flowers made by the rest of the PFP team - they are gorgeous! 

I've got my work cut out this week - it's hubby's 50th on Saturday and I've barely started on his card!!  I'm working all week and having family round to celebrate on Saturday so lots to do!! Have fun with the challenge!!

JULIExx

CES Challenges Baby Bonanza

Saturday's here, hoorah, and that means it's time for another challenge over at Crafty Emmas Store Challenge Blog. This week's challenge has been chosen by the so fabby Vicky, who always makes me smile whenever I read her posts! Oh and the challenge is Baby Bonanza - we want to see lots of lovely baby cards!

I used this gorgeous Mo Manning Digi Image, Sumpins Wrong -  I even love the name! I followed another great sketch over on Sketch and Stash (no 44) but have flipped the design over. I coloured this little chappy with  Promarkers and used Prima Jack N Jill Paper which is just too cute!  You can just see the little doggie under the ribbon which is perfect with the sentiment!  The promarkers, papers and the little boy charm can all be purchased from Emma's On Line Store here.  The ribbons and boy/cute sentiments are from my stash and I made the little abacas with a  cocktail stick, wire and beads! 

You could win these gorgeous MME brads and ribbons this week, so looking forward to seeing a Baby Bonanza this week! 

Do visit the CES challenge blog to check out the  cards made by my inspirational teamies - so many lovely creations!! You'll also be able to see the winner of last week's challenge, and the top picks!!

I'm out for the day for a girly lunch with some ex work colleagues - one of my favourite ways to spend a Saturday if I'm not crafting!!  Catch you later!

Tokyo Boy, Dew Drop Craftz and Rica's Inspiration!

Just realised that I hadn't blogged my son's birthday card from August!  I loved this Tokyo Boy digi image when I saw the fab tutorial and card over on Rica's Blog here.  I was totally inspired by Rica's card and thought the image would be perfect for my Harry's  20th birthday.

I wanted to do a fairly monochromatic card, so coloured the image in shades of grey and a little purple, using Distress Inks.  I then masked the image and overstamped with a Stampin Up large block stamp called Sanded to give it a grungy feel.  I layered up the image onto  a colour core mat embossed with a Tim Holtz folder, Cracked Glass, and then sanded the embossing to reveal the colour beneath. The background paper is from the Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby pad, the circle stamps are Autumn Leaves and I think the Bracket stamp is Hero Arts.  Oh, and I used an 8 by 8 card blank!



I should also tell you about the fantastic service that I had from Nikki over at Dew Drop Craftz.  I had a fair bit of trouble downloading the digi and Nikki was so patient and helpful, responding quickly to my emails and cries for help!!  Thanks so much Nikki!

Need to go to beddy byes, night nights now!!  Sleep well!!

Photo Inspiration at Passion for Promarkers

Tuesday again and so time for our next challenge at Passion for Promarkers and my turn to pick the theme.  I decided to go with some photo inspiration - I just love this little bag!!

I think there's loads of inspiration to pick from here, it could be the colours, the flowers, the shape - as long as you use either your Promarkers or your Aquamarkers!  Our sponsor this week is Sugar Nellie and you could win 3, yes 3 Sugar Nellie stamps of your choice!!!

Don't forget to check back over at Passion for Promarkers later to see who Tracy has chosen as her top picks and the lucky prize winner from last week's challenge - so many gorgeous Sweet Treat cards!

I've actually made two cards to show you this week, both exactly the same image but one coloured with Promarkers and one coloured with Aquamarkers just to show you the different finish that you achieve with each type of marker.  I've used this absolutely gorgeous image (well half of) from Sugar Nellie called Christmas Dress Up and the little girlies are just so cute and dinky.  The other half of the image is a little girl dressed as a Christmas Pudding!!  I couldn't fit her in with the photo but this does show that you get three different images with this stamp - two singles and one both together!!!

Promarkers

Aquamarkers

I think the main difference between the two markers is that the PMs give you a much brighter finish but I love both types and it means you get so much versatility!  I made my card bases by using my largest scalloped circle nestie but not quite cutting the whole circle. 

Don't forget to take a peek at the cards made by my fabulous teamies over at PFP - I wish I'd made each and every one!!  See you through the week to see lots of your gorgeous makes!

Five lovely peeps, Two lovely awards, One bad me!!

Do you know, I am such a rubbish person!!  I have been so lucky to have been given a couple of lovely awards from five fab crafty friends recently but I haven't shown them here!!  My problem is that I know I have to pass them on but I can never decide who to give them too!  I follow so many fantastic blogs and to pick only a select few - well, I just can't do it!!  So I thought, I should at least show my gratitude to the girlies who have been so kind as to give them to me - and believe me, I do love to receive them!  Then, I think I will go away and ponder a bit more about what to do.  So onto the first award:

This gorgeous award has been given to me by Kathleen, Vicky and Coops - three lovely people, who I feel are true friends and Kathleen and I have even got together for a couple of crafty days!!  I have to do five things in accepting this award:

1. Thank the ladies who passed it onto me - thanks ladies!
2. Show the Award - Tick
3. Tell three things I like about me - hhmmm - I love, love, love my lovelies, I like my hair and I like my jokes ( even though no-one else ever laughs at them!)
4. Post a favourite pic - well it has to be a pic of my lovelies!

 5.  Now onto the difficult bit - passing it onto only five people - can I do it?  Don't    know -  come back later to find out!!!

This next award has been given to me by two other bloggy mateys, and one of them is my oldest matey in 'real' life too!  They would be Lesley, who I've known since primary school, and the lovely Jules, who I've known for a few years now 'on line'! Thanks both!!

This one I'm need to pass onto seven people, so let me have a think!

Hope I'll be back later!!

 

Sketch and Stash/Cards for Men

I've used this image before but it's perfect for the recipient - an old school friend of Nick's who's just about to hit the big   5-0.  He's a horticulturist by trade so hope he likes this rather swarthy outdoorsy looking guy!


I followed the sketch over on Sketch and Stash,  no 43, coloured with Distress Inks and edged the image with an Inkadinkoo leaf flourish.  The flower pot and leaves were die cut as was the  itty bitty tag, with the trellis punched with a Martha Stewart Punch. 


I'm also entering my card into the current Cards for Men challenge which has a theme of long, summer days so this should fit the bill!  Gardens and beer - perfect!!

Need to go and catch up on my blogging now - see you soon.

Just Magnolia - Week 72 Sketch

Hi everyone

Busy day today - we took our son back to Uni for his second year - sharing a house with four others!  Typical student digs - rather tired and shabby but they seemed happy!!  At least there'll be food in the fridge for a while!   

Picked up this stamp at Sir Stampalot last week  and just felt like making a card for  well, just because!!  So I  popped over to  Just Magnolia to see what their latest challenge was and they had this gorgeous sketch created by Dawny P.  I'd fancied doing a pink card but this hasn't quite turned out like that! Rather bright and colourful but I like it!  I also used this gorgeous paper that I got when I won Dena's Candy recently - it's a My Mind's Eye pad and it's delicious!  Thanks again Dena! 

 The flowers are from Wild Orchid - I have got the most wonderful basket of them now and yet I still find it hard to use them- they are just so gorgeous!! I've stickled the lace on her dress and the roses on her hat and that's it!!
 

Colour Create Christmas cards!

I loved the colour combo for this fortnight's challenge over on Colour Create - Red and Gold with cream or white, and with an oriental or Christmas theme, as chosen by the lovely Liz on the CC DT. It also meant that I got my Crimbo card making underway! 

This is the fab picture chosen by Liz - what a great bedroom eh - and here's my card.

When we were away, I got Nick to make a small detour on the way home (for small, read massive!) to Sir Stampalot which is where I bought this Christmas Usher image by Penny Black - I so love these stamps but only bought one as I don't need any more Christmas stuff! Nick nearly had a fit as it was as I spent just over £40 - he got an instant headache!!  I thought I was very restrained!  The papers are from the My Mind's Eye Glittered Christmas pad which I bought last year.  I coloured the image with my PMs and then added lots of stickles to the image edge and flowers.  I followed the current Friday Sketcher's sketch, no 118 for my card which had lots of lovely layering and embellies.

Now I have well over a 100 Christmas cards to make, and there's no way I can make that many with so much matting and layering.  So I also used the stamp to make some Clean and Simple versions, stamping directly onto the card blank, with a quick bit of colouring and a sentiment stamp!

I'm sure we'll see some amazing cards with this colour combo - the DT at Colour Create have excelled themselves this week - do go and have a nosy and grab some inspiration!.  Our sponsor this week is Michelle's Scrapbooking so you could win something  lovely from there!!

Challenges I'm entering:

Friday Sketchers - Sketch

Stamp Something - Something Cute - I think she's rather cute!

Stampin for the Weekend - Shabby or Vintage

Christmas Card Challenges - Clean and Simple ( 2nd Version)

Thanks for looking peeps!