INTAAS - 4 Legged Friends

Please come along and join us at International Art and Soul to take part in our challenge theme of 'Four Legged Friends' which was set by Mimi.

My card blank is a 7x7 by Crafts UK. 

I think it was almost twenty years ago when I ordered a book of gold and a book of silver glitter paper and in that time I've used probably one sheet of each! They are by Papermania and I decided to use a sheet of gold for the background to this lovely image of our four legged friends. 

When I first started my blog in 2011 I entered a Stitchybear blog challenge and won three images = this was one of them. When Stitchy sent them to me she asked if I would let her see what I did with them and I duly did that. She then asked me if I would join the design team and so started my first role as a blog design team member. I've lost count of how many teams I've been on since but that has changed over the past few years as I've slowed down. INTAAS is my team now and we have a super group of team members. 

Back to my card - I coloured the image with my Promarkers and then set it directly on to the gold paper as the mat. My only addition was a Spellbinder die cut in top right and bottom left corners. They were cut in brown card by Sue Wilson. Another simple card but I like it and the gold is much brighter in reality.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Cards 4 Galz - Die Cuts or Punches

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Critter Crazy - Anything Goes with a Critter

Classic Design - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Crafty Animals - Anything Goes with an Animal

Sweet Stampers - Animals

MAWTT An Age Related Sentiment

The theme this week, over at Moving Along with the Times, is set by Jenny and is 'An Age Related Sentiment'. Perfect timing for me as it's my daughter in law's birthday on Friday.

I used a 7x7 Craft UK card blank and then matted a Papermania lilac paper on top. I have no idea where the purple card came from for the three purple glitter strips. I'm sure I didn't buy it anywhere so it must have been a gift from someone. The Bugaboo image was coloured with Promarkers and a Sakura diamond glitter pen for the icing on the cakes.I cut it with a Spellbinders die and used the smallest die from the same set for the sentiment - which is ALMOST from Bugaboo.The edges were all coloured with Dusty Concord Distress Ink. A strip of 'jewels' is the only embellishment,  again a gift from a crafty friend.

I hope I'm able to add my card to some challenges this week. My eyes weren't much better immediately after the injections but they seem much better now, almost three weeks later.

The challenges entered:
Crafty Sentiments: Anything Goes
Everybody for Art Challenge: For Girls
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
Craft your Passion: Anything Goes

Fitztown - Pink and Silver Christmas

This is my card for the Pink and Silver Christmas challenge over at the Fitztown Challenge Blog. Each challenge runs for two weeks and I'm here to encourage you to come along and join us - come on, you know you want to make yet another Christmas card! lol

My card blank is a large 8x8 square by Joanna Sheen. The pink card is from Papermill and the silver paper is from a Papermania pad - I have glitter everywhere. The image is called Winter 2 and you can buy it here at the Fitztown Store. I coloured it with my Promarkers but the candle I coloured with a silver Sakura pen. I added some pink glitter to the baubles but I don't think I made a very good job of that. I matted the image on to more pink card and then raised it on foam pads to stand proud of the backing mat. I used my Spellbinders dies to cut the sentiment base and the ornate pieces to the left. My Create and Craft 'dazzlers' came out for only the second time and I added three to the top left of the image. It's definitely pink and silver. lol

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Bearly Mine Challenge - Christmas cards
Card and Scrap Challenge - Christmas card
Christmas Cards All Year Round - No patterned Paper
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes Christmas
Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge - Make it Sparkle
Crafty Calendar Challenge - It's All About Christmas
Inkspirational Challenge - Christmas
We Do Doobadoo Challenge - Christmas

Fitztown - Anniversary/Love

My card this week uses the image Valentine 4 and it's available for you to buy here at the Fitztown Store. The theme this time at the Fitztown Challenge Blog is Anniversary or Love.

The scalloped card blank is by Craft UK. The gold glitter paper is by Papermania and I rounded all the corners using my Carl punch. I embossed a sheet of white paper using a Crafter's Companion embossalicious folder and then, after using a Spellbinder Grand square scalloped nestie, matted it on to the gold glitter. I coloured the image with my Promarkers and carefully cut round the heart leaving a very small white border. After adding the image to the embossed background I used a Memory Box die for the heart which I set in the bottom right corner. My Spellbinder dies came out and I cut 50 in gold card to add at a slight angle to the bottom left.

It would have been our 50th wedding anniversary on 14th of this month and this theme came just at the right time. We had a very happy marriage for almost 48 years and Eric's never far from my thoughts, but especially so at this time.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge - Anything Goes
Artbymiran Challenge - Anything Goes
Brown Sugar Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz Challenge - Anything Goes
Peachy Keen Challenge - Inspiration photo and thankful theme
Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes
Catch the Bug Challenge - Anything Goes
Mema's Crafts November Challenge - Anything Goes
The Sisters of Craft November Challenge - Anything Goes

Another one for fun

Today after doing my ironing I decided to make a card. I'm so pleased that I'm eventually getting back into my crafting, I enjoy it so much once I get going.

My image is Tropical Masquerade by Delicious Doodles and you can buy it at the Delicious Doodles shop.

I enjoyed colouring the image, though it's not perfect by any means. The card blank is by Joanna Sheen and so is the purple Mirri card. The two backing papers are by Papermania. I used the purple Mirri card to cut two Marianne die swirls. I bought the little masks, I think they might have been from The Works, probably a year ago and this is the first time I've used one. My Promarkers were used for the image as per usual.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Delicious Doodles Challenge - For the love of animals
A Creative Romance Challenge - Girly Creations
Crafty Catz Challenge - Anything Goes
Left of Center Challenge - Girly

I want to thank all those followers who come and comment on my cards regularly when I just haven't felt able to reciprocate. I'm hoping that once I get settled into a new home, with my son and daughter in law, and have everything sorted out I'll feel able to slip into a routine.

Thank you all.

MAWTT I'm Dreamin' of a White Christmas

This week come along and join us at Moving Along with the Times for our challenge of 'I'm Dreamin' of a White Christmas'. This was the theme set by our big boss Hazel (Didos). I made my card and then discovered that it really should have been white on white but my silver bits were allowed! I was just thinking of dreaming and white Christmas, doh!

My card blank is a small Craft UK card and the silver glitter paper is from a Papermania pad. I embossed a sheet of white paper with a Provocraft embossing folder and matted it on to the silver glitter. I used a very fine strip of the glitter paper across the card and topped it with a snowflake button from Create and Craft. The sentiment is from LOTV and it's embossed with silver powder before being centred on to a Spellbinders die cut in silver Mirri board.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Glitter, Glitter everywhere
Hobbybook Designer Challenge - Add a sentiment
Little Red Wagon - Seeing Spots

Thanks for visiting.

OSAAT #209 Favourite Things

This week at One Stitch at a Time the theme is Favourite Things. I chose the image 'Balloon Boy 1' by BBKakes at the Stitchybear Digi Outlet. The card is for my great nephew's second birthday and as I used 'Birthday Boy 1' for William's first birthday I thought it was ideal to use the same little boy for his second birthday. Thanks BBKakes.

The card blank is a large square by Joanna Sheen. The checked backing paper is by Papermania and it's matted on to Papermill's pale blue card.as the base. I coloured the image with my Promarkers and after cutting with my Xcut guillotine I used Distress Ink in the colour Barn Door on the edges. I used my Xcut heart nesting dies for the extra balloons and for the sentiment. I distressed the edge of the sentiment heart after printing on the computer. I added three small Card Cani pieces to the bottom corner.

My favourites? Well, first of all, little boys! I love little boys and having had two of my own I wish I'd had another ten. Secondly, dies - any sort of dies, I love them all but hearts are pretty special. Third on my list is Card Candi which is safer than using gems on a child's card. Following on from these are Promarkers (which are usually number one on my list) and Distress Inks. Then, of course, checked paper - anything in checks or spots has to be on my list of favourites. So you can see that I've used everything that's ever on my list of favourites, come and join us and let me know what are your favourites.

Check the OSAAT blog for the prizes this week.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
2 Cute Ink Digital Stamps Challenge - Celebration
City Crafter Challenge - Up, Up and Away
Shopping Our Stash Weekly Challenge - Tax Man
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Paper Pretties Challenge - Masculine
Rhedd and Rosie Challenge - Anything Goes
4Kraftygirlz Challenge - Anything Goes
TIME OUT Challenges - Masculine Birthday
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge - B is for.....balloons, boy, birthday
Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes

Thank you all for your best wishes and condolences that you left for me.

For a Special Female

I've been colouring this image for most of this week, starting and then stopping, as my eyes were playing up again. Eventually it was finished and I decided to tear it out rather than use a die. The image is called Delphinium and is by Delicious Doodles . I coloured it with my Promarkers and after tearing it I edged with Distress Ink. I generated the sentiment on the computer and tore this out too, edging it with Distress Ink and tying with a narrow lilac ribbon as a tag. My card blank is by Joanna Sheen and the backing paper is from a Papermania Capsule Collection in blue. I cut this with a Spellbinders grand nestie and matted it on to the purple card which is by Papermill. I used three little pearls in each corner and they are from Wild Orchid Crafts. It's a reasonably simple card but I think it looks quite effective and is for my niece's birthday (I have four nieces so I wonder which one will get this?).

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

Delicious Doodles - For Mother's Day or For a Special Female
4kraftygirlz Challenges - Anything Goes
Crafty Little Fairies - Add a Tag
Southern Girls Challenge - Floral Frenzy
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes
Scrapper's Delights Challenge - For a Special Lady

Thank you all so much for visiting, please call again.

OSAAT #200 - Use a Digi

I've used a small card blank from Craft UK for this week's card at One Stitch at a Time. The theme is Use a Digi and Shell chose the image for some of the DT to use this week. She chose Ike's image 'Fairy' which you can buy at Stitchybear Digi Outlet.

I coloured the image with my Promarkers and then cut it out using one of the cheap dies I bought from Joanna Sheen a while ago. After colouring the wings I covered them with a Sakura stardust pen to give them a sheen. I typed Believe and cut that out with a Spellbinders die. The dusky pink card that I bought from Payper Box is embossed with a Crafter's Companion embossalicious folder of clouds. I know it looks quite orangey in this photo but it is dusky pink, I promise. I matted the dusky pink card on to some gold glitter paper from a Papermania pad. All I had to do then was add three small shiny gold stars that I've had for ages and ages and they came from Create and Craft.

Please check ou the OSAAT blog for details of the prizes.

I'm entering my card into the following challenges:
Love to Create Challenges - Use Red and/or Pink
Through the Purple Haze - Anything Goes
Creative Card Crew - KISS, Keep it sweet and simple
Shopping our Stash - Use something shiny
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Twisted Tuesday Challenge - Theme: Look up in Sky with Twist: Something that flies in the sky
Word Art Wednesdays - Anything Goes
4Craftygirlz Challenges - Anything Goes
Brown Sugar Challenge - Use die cut or punch
Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes

MAWTT - Winter Wonderland

This week's theme over at Moving Along with the Times is Winter Wonderland and it was set by Hazel (didos). So come along and join us with snowy and icy scenes.

This is my card for the Winter Wonderland challenge set for Team B. I've used a small card blank from Craft UK. The silver glitter paper is from Papermania and I've matted on to that some paper that I won from a competition at Crafts Beautiful a few years ago. I don't even know if the Crafts Beautiful magazine is still around.  I used my Hobbycraft punch to cut a large snowflake. The tree is from a Memory Box die called Winterland Tree. To finish off the card I added some Diamond Dust by Provocraft.

I'm really poorly this week so I'm sorry if I don't get round to visit you.

OSAAT #185 - Winter Wonderland

This week's theme over at One Stitch at a Time is Winter Wonderland. I chose the image 'Humphrey Horse' by Barbara Jensen over at Stitchybear Digi Outlet.

I coloured the image with my Promarkers (and added a little Sakura to his mane and tail to make it look as if they were frosty!) and cut round Humphrey leaving a narrow white border. My card blank is a large square by Joanna Sheen. The backing paper is from a Papermania pack and the grey card is by Papermill. I used a sheet of silver card, sorry no idea where I got this one from, and cut a strip of icicles - well, that's what they're supposed to be. lol I added some silver snowflakes cut with a Hobbycraft giant punch. Poor Humphrey is sitting in some Floracraft's Diamond Dust. This is to give the impression that he's sitting on the ice, bless him. I generated the sentiment on the computer and added that as a speech bubble.

The prizes can be checked out on the OSAAT challenge blog.

I'm entering this card in to the following challenges:
Bunny Zoe's Crafts Challenge: Something Blue
Melonheadz Friends Challenge: Animals
Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
Creative Craft Challenge - Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Charisma Cards Challenge 40 - Animals
Brown Sugar Challenge - Anything Goes
Craftitude - Anything Goes or Things beginning with S - Snowflakes
Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything Goes
Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge - Sparkle and Shine
Pile it on Challenge - Humour

I'll be a little late visiting you all today as my son and DIL are coming down here for Sunday lunch. Yippee, I'll have some company! I'll see you later and I'll link up to challenges then too. Thanks for calling. I hope you're all enjoying your Sunday.

OSAAT #179 - Make One for Christmas

This week's theme is 'Make one for Christmas' and this is mine. Come over to One Stitch at a Time and join us.  I chose the image by Teri of Delicious Doodles over at the Stitchybear Digi Outlet. The image is called 'Candle and Ivy'.

This week I've used a small 6 x 6 square card by Craft UK. The mat is an embossed white sheet adhered to gold hand made glitter paper by Papermania, The Embossalicious embossing folder is by Crafters Companion.  I coloured the ivy and the candle flame with Promarkers. The candle is covered with gold leaf and some of it hasn't quite stuck but I'm quite happy with it - it looks distressed! lol. My son thinks it looks awful. :(   I cut the image out with a Spellbinders die. My new ivy dies are by Joanna Sheen who has designed a whole load of Signature dies at very reasonable prices. I've been waiting for my ivy die to appear in the post so that I could finish my card. I used two different shades of green from Papermill for the ivy and after adding those to my card I finished it off with two small gold pearls by Queen and Co.

Please check out the OSAAT blog for details of the prize structure.

I'm entering my card in to the following challenges:
Bearly Mine Challenges - Digi Days
Cuttlebug Mania Challenges - Die Cuts
Oldie but a Goodie Challenge - Embossing plus something at least 6 months old - gold leaf - donkeys years old!! lol
Through the Craftroom Door Challenge - Anything Goes
Digi Makeover Challenge - Embossing and Digi
Delightful Challenges - Make the Cut
Paper Crafting Journey - Anything Goes

I might be a little late in visiting you today as my son and DIL are coming down here for lunch. It'll be good to see them. My other son and DIL have just got back from Greece - they've been texting me most days. I'll be speaking to them on the phone later today. I've just been speaking to Eric's cousin who lives in Meadow Springs, Western Australia.I usually remember too late in the day and think 'oops, I'll ring tomorrow' - and then forget again. Today I remembered at a reasonable time - they are seven hours ahead of us, here in the UK. It's lovely to hear her voice, I have so many happy memories of our holiday out there in 2010.

Whoopsi Daisy Flowers Galore

Flowers Galore - that's the theme for this week's challenge over at Whoopsi Daisy. HOWEVER, if you use a Whoopsi Daisy image it's always Anything Goes. Please come and join us. The image is from sheet 346 and is available here.

I used a small card blank from Craft UK. I've coloured the image with Promarkers and cut with a Spellbinders nestie. I matted it on to a scalloped nestie in orange pearlescent card from Papermill. The flowery backing paper is from a Papermania pad of 100 papers that I've had for years. I matted that on to plain orange card. The small roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the beautiful flowers with the pearl centres are from my friend Nataliya . The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley - maybe I should have reduced it in size? Too late now, it's well and truly stuck down. I smudged the edges with two shades of Distress Ink.

With the help of all my friends, relatives, crafting and blogging buddies I'm feeling as if I'm slowly making my way forward. I've had hundreds of emails and messages of support and I'm counting my blessings as I know this is what Eric would have wanted. Thank you all.

I'm entering my card in to the following challenges:
Crafts and Me - My Sentiments Exactly
I Love Promarkers - Autumn Colours
Paper Pretties - Flowers
Whimsy Inspiration - Anything Goes
Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes
Simply Create - Anything Goes
Delicious Doodles - Flowers

#127 Back to School

This week the challenge at One Stitch at a Time is Back to School. I had Barb's image of 'Yo' to work with and it's available at Stitchybear's Digital Stamp Shop.

It's the first time I've made an A5 card for ages but by the time I'd cut the image with a Spellbinders rectangle nestie I felt this size card would suit. The pale blue and the navy blue card are both from Papermill. The spotted paper is from a Papermania pack. I coloured the image with Promarkers and then matted it on to the scalloped nestie. The buttons are from Create and Craft and the baker's twine is from Creative Expressions. I typed some 'sums', cut them, edged them with a blue marker and that was it.

The sponsor is Joanna Sheen - check out the challenge blog for the prize structure.

I'm entering the card in to the following challenges~:
Raise the Bar - Back to School
Simply Create Too - Back to School
Moving Along with the Times - Anything but Square
Digital Tuesday Challenge - Child's Play
Scrap Creations - Kids Theme
Twisted Tuesday - Are you Blue?
Use it Tuesday - All About School -I've had the pale blue card and buttons for years.

#122 Snowflake Butterfly

The theme for the challenge this week at One Stitch at a Time is Anything Goes, a nice easy challenge for you. I used the digi 'Snowflake Butterfly' by Gert over at Stitchybear Digital Stamp Shop.

The large square card blank is by Craft UK. The red backing card is by Papermill and the blue striped paper is from Papermania. I coloured the image with Promarkers and a white Sakura pen before cutting with a Spellbinders label die. I used some DecoArt Glamour Dust for the snow and the falling snowflakes on the digi. The silver card is all by Papermill and I used it for the frame of the image and for the two smaller Hobbycraft punched snowflakes. The large 'snowflake' is a Spellbinders motif and is cut in Papermania's silver handmade paper. The sentiment was generated on the computer and backed with more silver card before setting at an angle at the bottom left. 

The sponsor this week is Stitchybear - please check the challenge blog for details of prize structure.

I'm entering this card in to the following challenges:

The Crafty Bloggers Network - Anything Goes

Hooked on Crafts - Christmas in July

Lollipop Crafts - Christmas in July

Truly,Madly Crafty Challenge - Animals

Crafty Sentiments - Christmas in July

Jackson's Digital Expressions - Anything Goes

Ladybug Crafts Ink - Christmas in July

Divas by Design - Christmas in July

Little Red Wagon - Christmas in July

Jellypark Challenges - Christmas in July

Christmas Wishes

Here is my card for the first challenge on Joanna Sheen's Challenge Blog which has the theme 'Christmas Wishes'.

I've used a small House Mouse image of poor little HM shivering on the tree branch. The card blank is from Craft UK via Joanna Sheen's online store and the silver sparkle backing paper is from Papermania via Create and Craft. The two patterned backing papers are from Hot off the Press and My Mind's Eye. The HM image, from Joanna Sheen, was coloured with Promarkers and cut with a Spellbinders beaded circles nestie. Diamond Dust is added for the snow. Small silvery blue pearls are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The image is raised to give a little depth. The other image is a freebie digi from Shelly's Images and that has been given the Promarker and Diamond Dust treatment. The message, handwritten in Sakura Stardust pen, says Christmas is coming. Some small snowflakes have been stamped down the right top edge of the card and embossed with fluorescent glitter.

Let it Snow!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow - is challenge number 18 at Crafter's Companion. I used a Craft UK large square card blank and the backing paper is from somewhere but I have no idea where! I tore a strip of white paper to use as the snow and attached it to the blue snowy paper before backing with silver glitter Papermania paper. The image of Magnum, from Ladybug Crafts Ink, makes me smile every time I see him because he has such a wicked gleam in his eye. I coloured him with Promarkers, cut with a Spellbinders grand nestie and edged it with Distress Ink in broken china. I cut off the bottom edge so that it looks as if Magnum is standing  in the snow. Of course, he's throwing snowballs! I cut lots of white circles, topped them with Dreamweaver embossing paste and sprinkled some fine sparkles before the paste dried, to resemble ice. I piled the snowballs up beside Magnum, he's holding another one and he's had another couple thrown at him. lol I stamped a small sentiment 'Let it snow!' on to the same blue paper and edged that with the silver before setting it across the top left corner. The sentiment was a freebie stamp that I got in a  magazine earlier this week.

Winter Wonderland

.....is the theme for this week's CD Sunday challenge. It's my last week as Guest Designer and I've enjoyed the whole process. Thank you for inviting me, it was much appreciated.

I chose to use Joanna Sheen's Thomas Kinkade CD for my main image. I added Glamour Dust to the snow on the trees and bushes and backed the image with Papermania silver paper to give the whole image a look of wonderland. I used a Spellbinders Impressabilities Snowflake to stencil a piece of white paper in Broken China Distress Ink. A small panel of plain aqua paper was attached to the stencilled panel and they tied in with the colour scheme to match the door of the cottage in the image. The large silver snowflake was cut with a Hobbycraft punch.

I'm entering this card in to the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - Dies to Die For

First card this week!

I've not had much time to make a card this week so I've taken the opportunity today - before the moment disappeared! I've used a small Craft UK square card blank. The backing paper and card are from Papermill and the paper was embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. The image is a LOTV fairy from the freebie pack given in a magazine. I coloured her with Promarkers and cut out with a Spellbinders rectangle nestie, backing it with the scalloped nestie. The ribbon is from The Ribbon Girl, the brad is from Papermania and the pearls are from WOC.My only bit of glitter is on her wings, done with a Sakura gelly goll pen, however, it's difficult to see clearly.

I'm entering the following challenges:
Lili of the Valley Challenge 113 - Aqua, White with a touch of glitter
Crafty Creations Challenge 136 - Fairies
Flutter by Wednesdays - Must feature buttefly, fairy or angel

Christmas is Calling

The CD Sunday Challenge this week is Christmas is Calling. My card blank is a Craft UK card. Mottled red and gold card from Papermill is matted on to Create and Craft gold card as a base. The image is from Joanna Sheen's Enchanted Christmas cd. I've used a large star stamp from Papermania and I edged it with gold glitter. I've used four swirls from Spellbinders to echo the swirls behind the words.