Passion for Promarkers - yummy Gingham or Checks

Hello everyone - can I firstly say I am so sorry for not visiting many blogs this last week or so!  I still have the dizziness although mostly first thing and in the evening but I've also had a dreadful headache for the last couple of days.  I've been making sure that I keep up with all my DT committments but just haven't felt I could do much more on my PC. Dr Jane has diagnosed me with possibly having Labrynthitis which sounds about right but I just so wish I felt more tickety boo!!

I've struggled to make myself go to my little craft room to make cards, but you know, once there, the pleasure takes over and I've actually felt distracted from the headache and nausea.

Anyhoo, our challenge at PFP this week is Gingham or Checks.  Really enjoyed making my card as I don't use my lovely ginghams enough!

Plus colouring this little Mo Manning cutie was no chore - I love his/her? sweet little expression - this is one of the set of three baby fairies that you can find here.

Not entirely happy with the hair colouring, but thought I'd show you the close up anyway!! 

A lot happier with my face colouring though - I just wish I was one of those colourists who are consistently amazing - or even just occasionally would do me!!

My gingham papers are Papermania and the others are Garden Party by DCWV.  The flower branch is a Memory Box die and stamp combo, Dogwood Rose.   I coloured the stamp directly with my PMs and then coloured in the centres after stamping out the image. There's also a  Martha Stewart floral punch,  Stampin Up edger and mini flowers punches and the music is a LOTV stamp as is the sentiment. 

This week's fabulous sponsor is the Digi Stamp Boutique and you could win 6 digi images of your choosing!! 

Do check out the rest of the DT makes here - they're fabulous!!

Fun in the Sun!! (If we had any!!)

Fun in the Sun is the theme for our new challenge today at Basic Grey Challenges!!!  Bet we thought we'd be enjoying the nice hot weather in July when that theme was chosen a few months ago!!   Looks like my card is the nearest I'm going to get to any fun or sun for a while! 

I've chosen this glorious new image from Mo Manning and she is just that as she's called Gloria at the Pool.  I used Indian Summer Basic Grey papers as I wanted to create a hot tropical vibe with the colours and papers. 

The sentiment is a new PTI stamp which stamped with Memory Box Bamboo die, the leaves are cut with Marianne dies and the flowers are mostly from Wild Orchid Crafts.



We have our regular sponsor with us - as always the fabulous Simon Says Stamp. and you could win a great $25 dollar voucher to spend with them in their on-line store.

So happy that it's the weekend, although still have this feeling of vertigo, so may go to the Drs next week. Today though I'm going off to look for some shoes for a wedding and tomorrow , I shall be glued to the TV cheering on Andy Murray in the Wimbledon final - go Murray!!!!

Hope that you'll play along with us at BG Challenges over the next fortnight and if you'd like some summery inspiration check out the awesome makes from my BG teamies here!!

Laters!!  ;)

Whiff of Joy Stars and Stripes- Happy 4th of July!

Of course, we had to go with the Stars and Stripes theme at Whiff of Joy Challenges - Happy 4th of July to all my bloggy American friends!

As you can see, I've gone with a red and white theme using the cute little Henry with Cake!

I recently purchased a couple of Hero Art stamp and emboss sets in the sale and this is one of them.  You just pick up the embossing detail in the above picture, and I'm rather pleased with my purchase! The Hugs and Kisses borders were cut with a Whiff of Joy die, the Ribbon was a purchase ages ago from Ikea and the sentiment is best matey's, Lesley's which I borrowed during our fab play day at the weekend.

A couple of Woodware punch stars, a bit of Baker's Twine and some Card Candy and I was done!

This fortnight we are being sponsored by the fab Katherina at Whiff of Joy (got my order last night, thanks Katherina!) and you could win a  luverly voucher that entitles you to 15% of your next order with WOJ!

 

You can check out the awesome makes of my WOJ teamies here and we have our new DT members joining us from this challenge, so take a peek here for a treat!

 

I had a really odd dizzy spell yesterday morning - woke up and felt like I'd drunk about three bottles of wine and everything was spinning!  It eventually stopped and managed to get into work, but still feeling a little light-headed and queasy today.  wouldn't mind if I had one or two over the top!

Thanks for popping in!

SNS - New Sketch

So sorry this is late today, I've been having dreadful problems with my lap top and was hyperventilating when I thought I couldn't get onto my blog!  Also tried to publish this at work in my lunch hour, but I was getting malicous malware messages.  I know my matey, Lesley, has trouble leaving me comments -  if any one else does please let me know!!  I've checked my blog today against Google's safe Diagnostic tool and it's saying it'as all clean!  Phew!

Quickly onto my card which is for our new challenge at Sketch N Stash and we have a fabbie sketch designed by our fabbie Gemma!

I've used a very old stamp that I've had for several years , don't know who it's by, but hubby wanted a high priestess type image for someone, (don't ask) and this is the nearest I had!

Closer and then........

....even closer!!  I wouldn't withstand that close scrutiny!!

My papers are Authentique Genuine, and I've also used a Memory box wreath die behind the image.  The sentiment tags are from Lili of the Valley and the rest is from stash.  Not a lot very new on there at all!!

This challenge is being sponsored by the fabulous Kenny K:

Digi and rubber stamps from KennyK are a fun and edgy way to add the perfect dose of attitude and style to all of your creations!

The creator, the artist, the man: KennyK is a NYC-born professional illustrator who has brought his funky-but-slick, urban-influenced look to the cardmaking and papercrafts world. His signature style can be seen throughout his various collections of sexy pinup babes, sweet'n sassy girls, cool rockin' dudes, kid’s stuff, retro characters and more at KennyKDownloads.com.
 

Prize for this challenge - 5 digi images of winner's choice

How fab is that!!  You can check out the cards made by my terrific teamies at SNS here - some of them using Kenny K images.

Thanks for stopping by.

Under the Sea with Melia!

Couldn't wait to show you this beauty from Mo Manning - I just love her.  It's Melia on her Shell Phone  just calling to say hi! 

The paper background is Kaiser Crafts Utopia and as it's so dramatic I didn't use any other papers. I also thought the flowers were a little shell-like. I hope I've created an underwater scene with Melia surrounded by lots of seaweed.  The large leaves are Tim Holtz Tattered Leaves, there's a Memory Box Chloe Die, a Cheery Lyn Vine die and also used a Fir Cone die which sort of looked like smaller seaweed plants!

I've dotted some dew drops around the netting  and also added some Spica glitter pen to the conch shell and star fish in her hair. 

Finally I added a little border at the bottom - it's of an upside down Martha Stewart Icicle punch!  The sentiment is from the Cupcake Party Set by Crafty Secrests and the little cabouchon flower was from Ebay!

That's me done then - have a fab weekend everyone!

Boxes!!

No card tonight but just thought I'd show you a couple of  memory boxes that I decorated for wedding shower presents for my nieces.  This first one was made this year for my niece who is getting married on Friday the 13th!!!  

I've covered it with distress inked Portabello Road 12x12 papers from Papermania. 

 I've also lined the inside with some advertising 12x12 papers.  It's rather nice with the glass lid so that you can keep treasures and keepsakes in it, wedding day or otherwise.

The flowers were made with a Spellbinder die and then I've added some lace and some Tim Holtz metal corners and label plate on the front. 

The next box, I made in 2010 but have just realised that I'd not blogged it - think it may be because the pics are  not so great. 

It started out as a plain brown gift box, which I covered with white acrylic paint and then crackled and distressed it up a bit.  The large corner flourishes are Viva stamps and I made the metal C and A plate from metal sheets,as I did the hinges which wer cut with a Tim Holtz die.

You can just see the fake eschuteon on the front, again cut with a Tim Holz, and although it doesn't unlock (no hole!) I blacked out the centre to make it more realistic.

You can just see the Tim Holtz corners here (same as used on the first box) and also a bit of the edging on the centre plate - I love metal working like this and don't do nearly enough (despite doing a class a couple of years ago at the Craft Barn!). The lace that I've used is also vintage for that final finishing touch.

Thank goodness it's Friday tomorrow, and the weekend is nearly here!!  Yayyhhh!

It's a Cupcake Kind of Day!

Yes, it's time to abandon your diets and throw out the scales, we have a yummy theme of Ice Cream and Cupcakes for you this week at a Passion for Promarkers, as chosen by our fabby Heidi! 

I've gone with this brilliant image from Mo's Digital Pencil called The Cupcake Thief which you can find here, I love the sense of movement she has and her facial expression!!

My papers are Basic Grey Nook and Pantry - I've  distressed the edges for a bit of texture.  The stamps are cut with some ancient Provocraft dies and I coloured the edges with my PMs to get the exact colour match I needed.  The little cupcake stamp has been in my stash an age too - probably a bargain bin purchase.  The sentiment is by Cat's Life Press.  I do have a sentiment that says  It's a Cupcake Kind of Day but couldn't remember where it was - I have now, too late, but it was a Kraftin Kimmie one which would have been perfect!!

Our sponsor this week is the fabulous Joanna Sheen and there's a very yummy £10 voucher on offer for one lucky PFP challenge entry!

 

For more yumminess, check out the mouthwatering cards made by my fellow teamies at PFP!  Enjoy!!

Favourite Colour Combo at Basic Grey

Oops - a bit late this morning - it was just too cosy in bed and I don't very often get a chance for a lie-in!  My hair looks a bit like this bed-head beauty's tresses!

This is my card for the new challenge at Basic Grey Challenges and our theme is your

Favourite Colour Combo.  What to choose, what to choose, so many favourites, and so little time!!  In the end I was drawn by the papers in my new PB&J and What's Up pads and went for Red and Duck Egg Blue - I do absolutely love these colours together and the pads are fabulous! 

The image is a A Day for Daisies from the Birds in my Hair collection.  Colouring looks a bit top heavy though - she looks like she's got the wrong colour foundation on!!

I've used a couple of Tim Holtz dies to go with the bird theme - Bird Cage and the Twiggy Tree die.  I've added some blossoms cut with a Stampin Up punch and a few centre pearls.

I've seen a few people in blog world using this torn edge technique for their sentiments and so thought I'd try it out! 

Now on to the business end - we're being sponsored, as always, by the fabulous Simon Says Stamp and we have a $25 voucher on offer for the lucky winner. 

 PLEASE, please remember that you have to use a Basic Grey product on  your card to be eligible!

My fabbie BG DT maties have made some gorgeous cards in some wonderful colour combos to share with you, so check them out here.

Off to get dressed now! 

It's hopping time with Mo's Dream Team!!



Ooh I love the third Thursday in the month when Mo's Dream Team all come together and have a little hop to show you a selection of the fab Mo Manning's images.

This month, the theme has been chosen by our awesome Debbie P, and she's chosen

ETHNIC SKIN TONES

Hopefully, if you're hopping, you should have arrived here from the uber-fab Jane's blog, if not, and you want to start at the beginning, hop back here to the lovely

 Debbie P's blog.

Yikes - ethnic skin colouring is a  first for me, but so great to have a go and here is my little beauty, called Waiting for the Parade which you can find here.  She looks a little blotchy in my pics but overall  I was quite pleased with the result!!

The papers are a bit of mix from a new 12x12 pad  by Grace Taylor called Vintage, I think there's some Echo Park  scraps in there too!

The sentiment is from Whimsy stamps, the corner dies are Memory Box and the Pom Poms, hhm not sure but the fab flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. 

Next stop on the hop is the ever awesome, Heidy - I bet she has a stunner of a card to share with you!!  Don't forget to leave a comment on each of the DT's posts as there are a couple of $5 dollar vouchers hidden somewhere for a couple of lovely peeps!!

Have fun and thanks so much for playing along with us!!