Monday 29 February 2016

Gifts


Today I thought I would share a few of my latest gifts which I shall have on my stall on Wednesday at the hospital craft fair. I am starting with one of my gift boxes. Hubby paints these for me. The best paint we have found, and we have tried several is Rusteeze chalk paint. I imagine it is similar to Annie Sloane, another one we want to try but I don't think you can buy it in Norwich. I add ribbon and lace mainly from Crafty Ribbons, flowers from Wild Orchid and sparkly butterflies.




These are magnetic pegs. I actually bought these in America but usually I cover pegs with washi tape. I add magnetic tape to the back and wooden embellishments to the front, some of them coloured with Wink of Stella pens. I use a simple scallop border punch by Martha Stewart and the put them in cello bags.


Finally some more of the plastic canvas hearts I have been sewing. I love sewing these as I can do it whilst watching TV provided it isn't something which demands my full attention like Call the Midwife or a movie. I have made several in different colour combos and patterns. I add a ribbon loop and back with felt.

Sunday 28 February 2016

Let's get sewing


Another sewing themed card today, this one for my stall for Mother's Day.  I have my Mum's card half made so I will share that with you on Mother's Day. For this one I used a Hobby House topper and LOTV Dress Shoppe papers. The tape measure ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons. I don't like naked buttons unless thy are very tiny so I sewed them with baker's twine which I also wound around the wooden bobbin. The sentiment is from a very useful occasions set by Stamposaurus.

Challenges
The Ribbon Girl any image
Crafting from the heart anything goes
Simon Says anything goes 
Inky Chicks ribbon or lace
Winter Wonderland must use a sentiment

Looking forward to be treated to lunch out today by some very good friends. They went to Florida for the first time in Jan/Feb and we worked out all their itinerary for them, including booking some meals and rides at the Disney Parks. They were so grateful and followed it apart from the day they got lost putting in the wrong info for Kennedy Space Centre. Luckily we had left them a free day towards the end so they managed to get there the second time they tried. Time for some crafting first today.  Enjoy your Sunday whatever you are doing.

Saturday 27 February 2016

In the frame


Lovely warm colours today for this Birthday card using a LC Designs topper which I fussy cut.The sentiment is Craftwork Cards and I used Marianne corners and flowers from Wild Orchid.

Not much more to say about this card really. I realise a lot of my blog posts haven't been chatty lately but I am tending to schedule several at a time as I am very busy with magazine commissions, orders and making stock for my next fair on 2 March. I have been asked to design for another magazine this week which was very exciting news.

Challenges
Simon Says anything goes 
Inky Chicks ribbon or lace
Winter Wonderland must use a sentiment

Friday 26 February 2016

Get Well Bunny


Get Well Bunny is another of the returning LOTV stamps for a limited time. I coloured him with Copics and teamed him with LOTV Snow Princess papers. I also used some Crafty Ribbons ribbon and a lovely purple doily I bought in America. The sentiment is LOTV and the flowers are from Wild Orchid. I dug out an old Sizzix die and used Stick It. 

Now we crafters are very good at covering up errors and I made one by sticking the Stick It to the front instead of the back! So I used glue on the back and sprinkled glitter over the Stick It. Lovely added sparkle.

Challenges
Crafting from the heartanything goes 
Dream Valley Sparkle, bling and embellish 
Petal Lu anything goes 
Sweet Stampin' Glitter and sparkle
Penny's anything goes 
Simon Says anything goes

Thursday 25 February 2016

Birthday present


It's another anything Sugar Nellie goes challenge at The Sugar Bowl and I have used another of the fabulous furry friends. This one is actually free with any purchase. He has been coloured with Copics using the dot technique. I also used a Sakura gold star pen on the ribbon.. The papers and sentiment are LOTV. I used a Marianne die set for all the circles and part circles and added some baker's twine.

Challenges
Allsorts Birthday wishes 
Stamping Sensations anything goes
The Ribbon Girl any image
The Paper Shelter Animal magic
Simon Says anything goes

Wednesday 24 February 2016

An old favourite


If you are a Lili of the Valley fan I am sure you will have noticed that some old favourite stamps which were retired are back on sale for a limited time. Also the inspiration blog is back. We havea ll missed it so do check that out. This little cutie is one of the returning stamps so I got her out of my file to show you that you need her if you don't already have her. It is so lovely to get some of your older stamps out and I am trying to do that more this year. I am also using some of my older dies too and some of my older stash. Tick for all three - stamp, die, stash on this card.

Image - LOTV New Hat
Medium - Copics, Saura teal star pen
Papers - Graphic 45 Couture
Punch - MS border
Dies - Lawn Fawn stitched squares, Crealie flowers
Sentiment - Crafter's Companion SWALK
Other - patterned brads I have had for years

Challenges
The Ribbon Girl any image
Crafting from the heart anything goes
Petal Lu anything goes 
Simon Says Monday Inspired by a song (all around my hat by Steeleye Span)

Tuesday 23 February 2016

Waiting


I just had to buy the latest Simply Cards and Papercraft magazine when I saw the free gift of an embossing folder and dog and cat stamps. I am a cat person though we don't have one any more I do love them. I kno these stamps are going to be very useful for making cards to sell.

I embossed the window and backed it with flowery paper to represent wallpaper. The papers are LOTV Sunny Side Up. I used foam pads on the stamped dog. The stitched square and jumbo ric rac dies are MFT and I added some washi tape.

Challenges
Whimsy anything goes
The Ribbon Girl any image
Simon Says MondayInspired by a song (How much is that doggie in the window?)

Monday 22 February 2016

Snow Hugs


Looking forward to a trip to the coast today. We are going to visit a bloggig friend, Carol, who has moved to Lowestoft. I also have an order to deliver to a customer there.  Hopefully the weather will be ok and we can go for a walk on the beach after a spot of lunch. So yesterday we did lots of backing up on the external hard drive and updating on the laptops. I was going to use the newer laptop as I said on Sunday but I don't much care for Windows 10 so I think for the time being I will stick to using the older laptop and Windows 7.

 I was looking through some digis and found this cute pre coloured one from The Paper Shelter which I have never used. I teamed it with Carta Bella all bundled up papers, down to the last few sheets of these. The sentiment is from Pink Gem. Trees are IO and Joy. I used a white Wink of Stella on the larger trees but the sparkle doesn't really show on the screen. I love the white effect this pen gives, so glad I bought it, looks like snow doesn't it. The other tree was cut from an old Anita's topper I found in my must use up stash. The stitched snowflakes are Memory Box.

Challenges
The Paper Shelter make it digital 
Dream Valley Sparkle, bling and embellish 
Creative Inspirations anything goes 
Craftyhazelnut Cute or anything Christmas 
Sparkles Christmas Winter landscape 
Whimsy anything goes

Sunday 21 February 2016

Walkies!


Time to wake up, the dog wants a walk. This is such a great image isn't it.
Image and paper - Little Claire
Medium - Copics
Ribbon and buttons - Crafty Ribbons
Dies - MFT stitched rectangles
Other - burlap, twine

Well what a horrid day for weather yesterday, dull and wet. Had a lovely day in the craft room. I had 4 magazine commissions last week so I was finishing off the last of them and working on some orders. Went for a yummy carvery last night with friends. Looks like another wet day today so a day indoors again. I want to try using the newer laptop rather than the one I normally use. The new one has Windows 10 so that will be a learning curve. Nice roast, last episode of Dickensian and Call The Midwife. Enjoy your Sunday.

Saturday 20 February 2016

Wheels


Time for a new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge and it is one of my favourites, boy's Birthday. I love this cute image which has been coloured with Copics and die cut with MFT pierced rectangles. The paper is some from a lovely pack of denim papers by We R Memory Keepers which I bought on holiday along with the fab MFT zigzag dies. I shall be using these a lot. 

Challenges
Die Cuttin Divas kid's theme
  Sparkles something for the males 
ABC B is for B (you pick) (Bicycle, blue)
Creative Inspirations anything goes 
Fab n Funky male Birthday 
The Paper Shelter make it digital
Little Miss Muffet anything goes

Friday 19 February 2016

I love Sewing


Well I do love embroidery ad I am really enjoying using the plastic canvas shapes I bought, see an earlier post. The reason for my card today is the fabulous new sewing ribbons just released by Crafty Ribbons. Isn't that embroidery stitch one gorgeous. I fussy cut a Hobby House topper and teamed it with some MME papers, a doily and flower buttons from Crafty Ribbons.

Challenges
The Ribbon Girl a card 
TTCRD anything goes
Creative Knockouts In stitche 
Cute Card Thursday warm colours

Thursday 18 February 2016

More new ribbons


More lovely new ribbon released today by Crafty Ribbons. There are a range of these new word banner ribbons and will be great for so many occasions.

Image - Penny Black
Medium - Copics
Dies - Go Kreate frilly squares 10, Lawn Fawn stitched circle
Punch - Hobbycraft folk heart
Papers - MME Happy Day

Challengs
Penny Black use red and/or hearts 
Penny Black and more at Allsorts anything goes with a stamp and a die 
The Cutie Pie all you need is cutie love 
Winter Wonderland have a heart 
The Craft Barn heart not red 
Allsorts Circle 
Deep Ocean Hearts

Wednesday 17 February 2016

On the road


This is another sample card for Crafty Ribbons using one of their fabulous new travel ribbons. I teamed it with a vintage car topper I bought in Whitby last year and LOTV papers. I used a MS zigzag punch and added a Tim Holtz steering wheel, large button tied with twine.

Challenges
Sparkles Something for the males 
TTCRD anything goes

Tuesday 16 February 2016

Summer Days


I decided I really must find time for some scrapbook layouts as I want to print off some photos from my January holiday but still have lots of older photos to make layouts for. So here is my first layout this year. The photos are from our Yorkshire holiday last year. I used a Grace Taylor pack for the papers and border. The sun is a new MFT die and the title is a pocket page I bought I America. I also added a few enamel dots. I used the Feb 1st sketch at Stuck?!

Monday 15 February 2016

A Christmas wish


I love the cute Christmas Scottie stamp set by LC Designs and can see these being used a lot. I have used one of my favourite die sets, MFT pierced rectangles. The image has been coloured with Copics and the papers are LOTV. I am going to miss the LOTV papers when I run out of them. I used Marianne poinsettia dies and pearls. The sentiment is part of the stamp set.

Challenges
Stamping Sensations anything goes 
The Ribbon Girl a card 
ABC Christmas C is for cute critters 
Creative Knockouts furry friends

Sunday 14 February 2016

Candy winner


Thanks to everyone who entered my American candy. The luck winner is ..........

Number 17



Congratulations, my American candy will be off to Australia! So send me your address Annie and it will be on its way.

Valentine


Happy Valentine's Day. This is one of the cards I made for Making Cards magazine using a LC designs silhouette topper and LOTV Romance and Rose papers. The lovely ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and the heart banner from La La Land. I added 3 of the die cut hearts to the topper. The sentiment is from a really useful set by Stamposaurus.

Challenges
Deep Ocean hearts 
Creative Inspirations hugs and kisses 
The Paper Shelter Be my Valentine 
Cute Card Thursday Sweet Valentine 
Paper Creators Must be love
The Craft Barn Heart (not red)
Winter Wonderland have a heart

Saturday 13 February 2016

American candy


As well as bringing myself back some lovely new crafty stash I also brought home some goodies for one of my followers. So if you would like some stash all the way from Florida which includes MME paper pad, gorgeous purple doilies, baker's twine, brads and ribbons then 

Be a follower with Google
Add a pic of my candy to your sidebar with a link back to my blog
Add your name to the link below
Leave me a comment

Candy will be drawn on Valentine's Day, February 14

Playing with some new goodies


I haven't made many Christmas cards this year yet but buying some new stash in America which I couldn't wait to use was a good chance to make another Christmas card. Anyone who knows me will know I love snowmen and I couldn't resist buying this stamp when I visited the MFT shop in Florida. The yummy papers are also new, Bo Bunny Altitude. Fell in love with the colours and at about £4.50 who could resist. Even better when I got to the checkout they were half price!

I coloured the image with Copics and added some stickles and clear Wink of Stella pen to the heart. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and the trees were from Joy. I wanted them last year and when I saw that Noor! Deisgn Uk had 30% off  whilst I was on holiday I ordered them and they were waiting for me when I got home. Gotta love the internet. I used a white Wink of Stella pen on them and the MB stitched snowflakes. 

Challenges
Winter Wonderland have a heart
Penny Black and more at Allsorts anything goes with a stamp and a die 
The Cutie Pie All you need is cutie love
Penny's Favourite colour or embellishments (Purple and aqua, Christmas trees and snowflakes)

Last day to enter my candy, see post above.

Friday 12 February 2016

Love cupcakes


For my first LOTV inspiration card this month I have been playing with some of the new trios. I have used one each from the Patchwork Love and Tea for Two sets. I paper pieced the word Love with some scraps. The backing paper is Dovecraft. The images were coloured with Copics and sakura pens for sparkle. I also added some Wink of Stella. The sentiment is also LOTV and I added some lace and a Memory Box die cut banner.

Challenges
Graph'It Pink and white 
Inky Chicks Love and/or hearts 
In the pink With love 
Dies R Us Love 
Incy Wincy Love is in the air 
Delicious Doodles Love

Have you entered my candy yet?

Thursday 11 February 2016

New ribbons on sale


Crafty Ribbons have some fabulous new ribbons launching soon and the first of these are now available here. They are a great range of exclusive travel themed ribbons. I have used two of them on my card along with a stamp I bought a while ago and only just got round to using. It is from Woodware and I stamped it with brown ink on kraft. The pocket watch, moustache  and old suitcase dies, which looks like a briefcase, complete the business look.

Challenges
TTCRD anything goes 
Stamping Sensations anything goes 
Penny Black and more at Allsorts anything goes with a stamp and a die

Wednesday 10 February 2016

One of my fave images


Regular readers will know that I love the vintage girl digis from Pink Gem so when I was asked to make a card using this particular image I was delighted as I love colouring her.
Image - Pink Gem
Medium - Copics
Papers - LOTV
Flower dies - Marianne
Brads - Santoro
Other - ribbon, pearls, doily

Challenges
Cute Card Thursday In the pink
TTCRD anything goes 

Have you entered my candy yet, see top of blog?

Tuesday 9 February 2016

White Wedding


This is one of the new wavy stamps from LC Designs which I stamped in white on kraft for a change. I distressed all the edges and used Wild Rose Always and Forever paper. I added some wooden hearts, coloured with a pink Wink of Stella brush pen, and a little wooden couple. After two years I have made the difficult decision to step down from the DT. Sometimes you have to evaluate your commitments and I decided something had to go. I will be sharing some more of my recent samples with you and of course will be continuing to use their stamps for some of my cards.

Challenges
Simon Says Have a heart 
Creative Inspirations Hugs and kisses 
Inky Chicks Love and/or hearts 
Ribbon Girl A card
Noor! Design UK Love
Creative Knockouts love is in the air
Brown Sugar Valentine/Love

Have you entered my candy yet? See post above.

Monday 8 February 2016

Something new


I used to do a lot of embroidery and cross stitch many years ago and after sewing the two reindeer just before Christmas which you may have seen on my blog I realised I wanted to get back into sewing.  I saw Kirstie Allsop sewing plastic canvas on her pre Christmas show and thought that looked interesting so did some research. I found that you can buy hearts and stars as well as circles and squares and of course like most crafts it is cheaper to buy these products in America. So when we were in Florida I bought some hearts and stars, needles and yarn and had a go at making some.



I used different stitches and made it up as I went along. I stitched the ribbon loop to the back and then cut a heart out of white felt and sewed that to the back to give a neat finish. 

I am selling my crafts at the hospital shop today and these will be on my stall. I hope the customer like them as much as I enjoyed making them. It is good to have something to sew whilst watching TV. Some programmes demand my full attention but others I can watch whilst sewing. I thought the hearts would be suitable for any occasion whereas the stars are really more for Christmas decorations.

My candy ends on Saturday.


Sunday 7 February 2016

Thinking of you


This card was commissioned for somebody who is undergoing a major operation this month and her friend wanted to let her know she was thinking of her. Flowers, pink and glitter was the brief. 
Image - LOTV art pad
Papers - LOTV Dress Shoppe
Sentiment - Elizabeth Craft die
Flowers - Wild Orchid
Leaves - Lawn Fawn stitched leaves dies
Glittered butterfly - Poundland
Other - Go Kreate scalloped rectangle die, ribbon, pearls, Wink of Stella pen on some of the flowers

Challenges
Crafting from the heart anything goes 
Simon Says Monday ray of sunshine (hoping this will bring a little sunshine into her life) 

Check out my candy post above

Saturday 6 February 2016

She loves me


Time for a new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge and the theme is love is in the air. I used a cute pre coloured digi called Dandelion Wishes cut out with a Lawn Fawn stitched square die. The sentiment is from a very useful set from Stamposaurus. I added some small flowers from Wild Orchid and some wooden hearts.

Challenges
Bunny Zoe Hearts 
Natalie and Amy Hearts and flowers 
Paper Creator's Must be love 
Whimsy With love 
Incy Wincy Love is in the air
Dies R Us Love
ABC A is for animals
Simon Says Have a heart

Have you entered my candy? See post at the top.

Friday 5 February 2016

For some friends


I made this for some friends for their Wedding Anniversary which was on Wednesday so I can now share it with you.
Image - LOTV
Medium - Copics
Papers - Bo Bunny head over heels
Sentiment - LOTV
Burlap with lace - Ebay
Wooden hearts - MDF Craft Supplies (coloured with Wink of Stella glitter brush pen)
Punch - X cut corner rounder
Other - pearl pen

Challenges
Allsorts bring on the bling 
Bunny Zoe hearts 
Whimsy with love
Paper Creators Must be love 
Incy Wincy Love is in the air
Natalie and Amy Hearts and flowers 
Dies R Us Love
The Ribbon Girl Love
Inky Chicks Love and/or hearts
Simon Says Have a heart
In the Pink with love

Check out my post at the top for some candy.

Thursday 4 February 2016

Oops!


This is my second post today. Why the post title you ask? Well today goes to show that no matter how organised you are, with lists and charts, yes that's me, anyone can make a mistake. I usually schedule several posts at once, have lists for all my DT work and a rolling month listed on one of my whiteboards in my craftroom.  I had this one ready to schedule for next Thursday so imagine my surprise to find I had the date wrong and my DT card for the new challenge of animals only, no humans, at Crafty Ribbonswas due today. Oops indeed especially as I am the host!

So onto my card which features one of the cute furry friends images from Sugar Nellie coloured with Copics. The papers and sentiment are LOTV, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons obviously. I used a Clearly Besotted edge die and added some baker's twine and pearls.I would like to enter this into the anything goes challenge at Little Miss Muffet

Please scroll down for this morning's post and up to enter my candy.

Rock On


This is quite a simple card but very effective I think. The record image is actually a gift card! We were in a large book and music store in America and I spotted these gift cards. I immediately thought what a great card they would make. We did spend some money in the store and I'm sure they wouldn't miss a couple of gift cards. The name of the store is printed on them so I stamped the sentiment and star from a new set of MFT stamps I bought in the MFT shop in Florida, diecut using a MFT titched circle and placed over the printing. I found some old music paper and added the music ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, MFT stitched circle and some crimped punched stars.

Challenges
Di's Digis Use lots of red
The Craft Barn Triplets (3 stars)

Wednesday 3 February 2016

Flying High



I have two more Stamposaurus samples to share with you today using the new Spitfire stamp. The first card is a CAS card . The image is coloured with Copics and I just added some washi tape.


For the second one, again coloured with Copics, I used First Edition Man Made paper, enamel stars and baker's twine.

Tuesday 2 February 2016

Too pretty to use


I like to try different things for my craft stall and decided to have a go at decorating some wooden spoons. Hubby painted and varnished them to give a smooth finish. I added some ribbon, pearls and flowers from Wild Orchid.


Simple but very pretty. Having told one of my good customers about them she ordered one without even seeing it so I hope she likes it.

Challenges
Simon Says anything goes

Monday 1 February 2016

On our way


If you saw my post on 15 January you will have seen one of the samples I made for Stamposaurus using this set of new stamps.

I wanted to make a completely different card to show how these stamps can be used. I created a scene using Crate Paper Farmouse and DCWV gauze papers. I used Spellbinder curved border, Memory Box house, All Occasions birds and Lawn Fawn puffy clouds dies.

I stamped part of the sold sign onto a wooden sign I bought from Stamposaurus at the NEC and two of the stamps onto card.

Challenges
Simon Says anything goes