Sunday 30 January 2011

Sometimes only chocolate will do!


 Enough said :o)


Recipe from Nigella 'Feast' - available here

Saturday 29 January 2011

Chase those winter blues away

Is it dull and gloomy where you are right now? Well, over at CES Challenges we have a solution to brighten your day and chase those winter blues away. This week the challenge is 

Bold and Bright

So dig out all your bright papers and embellies and get creating.


I went for a patchwork theme with this card, and chose some bright dps from My Mind'e Eye, Magnolia Pad. I even managed to get my sewing machine to co-operate with a zig-zag stitch.
I added some blooms and  cute buttons.  Check out the fab range of cute buttons and flatbacks available at Crafty Emma's Store
The 'It's your birthday stamp' is Catslife Press - also available at Crafty Emma's
Magnolia Tilda with Heart Present, is coloured with Copics, her dress is paper-pieced and she has stickles glitter on her wings.


Challenges - 
Just Magnolia - Going Dotty
Stampin' for the Weekend - Getting Warmed Up

Friday 28 January 2011

Totally Papercrafts #51 One for the kiddies.

We have a great challenge for you over at Totally Papercrafts this week and our host is the lovely Joey and she has chosen the theme of 

One for the kiddies

So, we would like to see any cards or projects with children in mind.
We have 2 great sponsors for you  - Digital stamp Boutique and Simon Says Stamp.
Check out the challenge blog for the prizes on offer and take a look at the great work of my fellow teamies. Please also say hello to our newest team member Vicky - Vicky makes stunning cards and I know you are going to be inspired by her work.

I was lucky enough to get to use one of the great stamps from Digi Stamp Boutique for my card.
This is the adorable Feddie and Dino.


I paper- pieced Dino with some of the Kaisercraft, La Di Da, dp, and the rest of the stamp was coloured with Copics. The bottom edge and the arrow are both cut outs that come with the papers.
The 'it's your birthday' stamp is from the Papermania, Stamping for him, set.

Challenges:
Fab 'n' Funky - Delight in your Digi
Do You Stack Up? - Patterns


Saturday 22 January 2011

Fairy Wishes

This week's challenge theme at CES is Angels and Fairies. 
Whenever I think of fairies I am always reminded of the Cottingley Fairies story. Do you know it? In the early 1900's two young girls took pictures of themselves, with the fairies that lived at the bottom of the garden! They managed to fool a lot of people, including the great Arthur Conan Doyle ( who wrote Sherlock Holmes )  that the photos were real. :-))
Here's my little fairy offering for you... the adorable 'baby flora fairy' from Mo's Digital Pencil.


I used two triangles, covered in DP ( DCWV Nana's Nursey) and stitched to my card base, to create a little pocket - then added some pretty, pink pearls to the edges - there is a great range of these pearls and other gems at Crafty Emma's Store.  The 'little girls' sentiment is from the Making Memories Craft Kit.
 

For inside the pocket I used a piece of card, covered in the DP and added 2 ribbon tabs. I coloured Flora with Copics and used some fine art glitter on her wings. I never really know where to use the white highlighter pen, and I think I went a little overboard with it!

Entered for challenge - Do You Stack Up? - Pink
 

A Gem of A Challenge - Ribbon and Lace

Hello everyone...   you can relax - it's the weekend!! Put your feet up and head over to A Gem of A Challenge, where this week's challenge is hosted by the fabulously talented Debby and the theme is

Ribbon and Lace.

You can use the real kind, or make your own with punches and paper etc.

I admit, when I first saw this theme, I thought of the new Cutie Pie papers, all pink and girly, but in the end I just couldn't resist the Oh Boy papers and Decoupage sheet.


I made a little set with a New Baby card and a little bag to hold a present.
I wasn't sure about the lace - for a boy - but I think it works ok.


 This was a very easy little box/bag to make - following the great tutorial by Makeesha Byl.
(I added a strip of the DP for the handle instead of ribbon). There's not much room in this box for a pressie, but if you wanted to, I think you could easily scale it up.


For the card I used the Oh Boy Decoupage sheet. I just love how this turned out and these sheets are so handy to have if you want to make a quick project. (The picture below shows the layering).

Challenge - Allsorts - Male/Boy


Pink Gem Designs Oh Boy papers and decoupage sheet.
Martha Stewart lace border punch.  Card Candy.   Ribbon and lace from my stash.

Friday 21 January 2011

Totally Papercrafts #50 Add A Heart

Time again for another challenge at Totally Papercrafts, and our lovely host, Sue, has chosen the theme
Add A Heart
Hearts are a great embellie to use on all sorts of cards - birthday, anniversary, wedding and, of course, with Valentine's Day just a few weeks away, you could make a card for that special someone!
Our sponsor this week is Lili of the Valley  - I just love their cute stamps - and the prize for one lucky winner will be 2 stamps of their choice.


 I have used their adorable wedding couple stamp - coloured with Copics and, with invisible thread, I stitched some little beads to the wedding outfit and flowers.
 I found the hearts at the bottom of my craft box and covered one with some very fine Art Institute glitter. IRL this glitter is GORGEOUS. I wonder if they sell it by the bucket load!!
Don't look too closely at the stitching -my sewing machine decided to throw a wobbly!! I have tried to cover the worst of it up.


Challenges - 
Cupcake - Weddings               Pollycraft - Pastels    
Papertake - Ribbon and Pearls                  Top Tip - All Sentimental
Simon Says Stamp - Bingo ( Gems, Glitter, Ribbon )



*******************************************************
Sentiment Stamp - from the Whiff of Joy, Aladin 2001 Nights Collection.   DP - Papermania, Blueberry Hill.  Fancy corner - Sizzix Die, Architectural Accents. Heart charm from the Hobby House. Lace, pearls and ribbon from my stash.


Saturday 15 January 2011

Can you go without ?

Without Designer Paper, that is!   That's the new challenge over at CES this week.   So, step away from your new stacks of DP and show us what you can come up with.

This really was a challenge for me  - and I racked my brains to come up with something. In the end, I made my own DP with a little heart stamp - something I have NEVER done before - so I was pretty pleased with the result.
I also added a little bit of glitter, but the light is so bad right now, it's not really picking it up.


The Catslife Press Birthday Stamp and  Card Candy are available from Crafty Emma's Store   Check out the fab range of other goodies that Emma sells and, if you're looking for Wedding supplies, Emma has just opened her Wedding Shop with lots of gorgeous stationery for your special day.

The heart stamp was from the Stampin' Up set, 'Doodle That' - inked with Papermania pink ink.  Ribbon from my stash.

Friday 14 January 2011

Totally Papercrafts #49 Happy Birthday

Hello everyone, my teamie Lols has chosen a nice easy theme for you at Totally Papercrafts this week...

Happy Birthday

A great excuse to get a head start on your stack of birthday cards. This year the fabulous Meljen's Designs will be sponsoring us once a month, starting with this challenge, and the lucky winner will get to choose 4 digi images.

Are you one of those crazy people who sends cards to your pets???? This year Suzie had her own little pile of presents under the tree, so I thought.. why not a birthday card!!!   I know....   I need to get out more!!!   ;-)


I used the cute Bulldog's Bear digi, from Meljen's Designs - coloured with Copics and 3D'd. I kept the design of the card pretty simple, to show off the gorgeous Basic Grey, Max and Whispers DP.
For the pooch in your life I added some doggy treats, tied on with string - and the little bone and 'I love dogs' embellies are buttons.


Saturday 8 January 2011

All Creatures Great and Small

Did Santa bring you lots of new crafting things to play with?? Don't worry if he didn't - just head on over to Crafty Emma's Store and check out all her delicious goodies.
I was thrilled when Emma asked me to be a Guest Designer this January - and this week's theme at CES Challenges is

All Creatures Great and Small

Check out the blog to see the awesome work of Emma and her DT.
Here's my card


I used these cute lovebirds from Digital Stamp Oasis, coloured with Copics and a sprinkling of stickles glitter.
The bloom is a Making Memories dyable blossom ( pansy)  part of the MM Craft Kit available at CES. I edged the blooms with a blue Copic and then sprayed them with glacier Glimmer Mist, adding a pearl brad to the centre.
The butterflies were cut on my Slice machine ( Parties design card), sprayed with glimmer mist, and I added a centre pearl. Emma has a fabulous collection of these flat backed pearls in her store - here.
I wasn't sure whether to use this card for an Anniversary or a Wedding, so I haven't added the sentiment yet!


DP is Memory Box, Spearmint.  You can also find Memory Box papers at Emma's Store.   Fancy corners are Sizzix, Architectural Accents.

Spring is in the air!

Well, it's definitely not springlike here in Yorkshire, but we live in hope!
I am excited to show you my card today, as it's my first one as Guest Designer at A Gem of A Challenge
If you haven't joined in with Janet's challenges before, go and check them out. They are now going to be running fortnightly and Debby is the host this time around, with a wonderful sketch to follow.



It's so nice to make something other than Christmas cards - and I couldn't resisit using this cute Spring Chloe, all wrapped up against the chilly spring weather, in her pretty coat and ugg boots, and her cat by her side.
Spring Chloe and the Happy Birthday circle are on sale as polymer stamps at the Pink Gem store, so head on over there and grab yourself a bargain!

This challenge is being sponsored by Letraset and the prize for one lucky winner is a set of Promarkers.


Stamps are coloured with Copics and the little flower was dusted with Making Memories Scrapbook Shimmer.  DP is K & Co, Classic.  Lace and string from my stash.

Challenges -
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes with the optional extra of adding some lace.


There are some fab new products in the Pink Gem store for January. Janet has made some Cutie Pie papers and gorgeous, matching decoupage sheets.
Here's a quick peek at the 'Oh Boy' papers.

Friday 7 January 2011

Totally Papercrafts #48 Thank You

Hello everyone... hope you've all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It's our first challenge of 2011  at Totally Papercrafts and our host, Emma, has chosen the theme. Emma has decided to step down from the team to concentrate on her fab Crafty Emma's Store. We are really going to miss her, but we wish her well and, so this week's theme is, appropriately...

Thank You

You must need a 'thank you' card for great aunt Mable, (who gave you the forest fern talk set) or for cousin Clarence, (who mistakenly wrapped up and sent you his TV remote!!)   :-))  Or maybe the kids need some quick thankyou's to hand out to friends and rellies.  So, pop over to the challenge blog and join in.
I made this little set for my girls.


This week we are being sponsored by Pollycraft  and I have used a couple of Paula's cute images - 'Bridget thanks' and 'Flo, the simple things' - cropped down to fit my cards.  They are coloured with Copics and mounted onto card and My Mind's Eye, Quite Contrary DP. I added some ribbon and a bow, silver thank you stickers and some pearls.
I raided my used packaging box and found this clear box that once contained wine stoppers!! Don't  ask me why I bought wine stoppers... WHO has left over wine??? ;-))
I added a couple of tubes of sweets, covered in the DP - 'cos writing thankyous can be hungry work!


Do you like their little glitter flowers? I made them with glitter stickers. Aren't they fab? They are sticky on both sides, so one side you stick to your project and the other, can be covered in fine glitter. ( I used scrapbook shimmer ).  I got these from the lovely Emma as part of the Making Memories Craft Kit, available in her store  here.

Challenges ~ 
Fab 'n' Funky ~ Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments ~ Only 2 words