Back to school inchies

The theme for this month's BF forum inchies swap is 'back to school' - my problem was: how do you capture this on a piece of card just one inch square?

I used part of a Meljen's digital designs, colouring with copics - I resisted the temptation to do anything else to them. I hope they are not too simple - although I suppose I could say they are just as simple as ABC!


I'm linking for these challenges:

Just scraps 19: 'back to school'
Critter 31: 'school, school, school'
Hanna and friends 62: 'anything but a card'
Gingersnap GC71 random redhead: 'inchies'

It's not craft but ...

... I thought I would show the chocolate muffins that have just come out of the oven.

Some of my followers will know (although I haven't been broadcasting it much) that I've been on the Dukan diet since Easter and have now lost 2 stone.

One of the ideas of the diet is to have some oatbran everyday - I usually make this into a pancake, occasionally I make Dukan bread with it or just mix it in with yoghurt, vanilla, Splenda etc - usually adding a spoonful of cocoa because I miss chocolate. In fact, mentioning chocolate I have to confess that yesterday I had a bar of Bournville dark chocolate (it was one of the small bars, so not so terrible really) and it was delicious - first time I've had any choccie since my birthday.

Anyway, I digress ... when I first went on the diet I tried some of the recipes for Dukan muffins ... and each time was a disaster - they either stuck to the bun tins or stuck to the paper of the paper cases, so I gave up. But, having read that the silicone muffin cases from Poundland (you get 6 in a pack - I chose the bright pink ones) give good results I thought I'd have a try - and these are the result:


Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so, as soon as they have cooled, I'll be testing them.

And, just in case anyone wants to give them a try, the recipe is here.

Having eaten three of them, I can confirm that they are very good, although too sweet for me - will cut down on Splenda when I next make them. Oh and just to say that they needed longer than the recommended 15 minutes - probably about 22 minutes altogether.

A true act of kindness

Postie has just been and among the other less exciting mail there was a package of beautiful cards from a blogging crafting friend who knows that I'm having a sale soon to raise money for Tearfund. I think these will sell like hot cakes - gorgeous cards.

This is a true act of kindness and generosity - so much appreciated.

WOYWW 67

It's late in the day, but just squeezing in with a photo for WOYWW 67 on Julia's blog.

I'm just showing some papers tonight, partly because the rest of the space is in a right state (yes, it does get like that despite me liking being organised) and partly because there's nothing very different to see.

I've been using these papers tonight for my card for tomorrow's Salt challenge - it would be lovely if you came back tomorrow to see what I did with them - all will be revealed on Salt at 10:00 in the morning and on here a bit later on.


PS - the card I made is now up on my blog and on the Salt blog - you can see it here or here.

Friends forever

For this card I've used a friendship acetate tag which I stuck on to a chipboard clock (I received this is a RAK a while ago) to depict 'forever friend' - friendship which is 24/7.

The paper is HOTP.


This is for:

Crazy challenge: 'friends forever'
Crafty Ann 23: 'monochrome'
2 sisters 6: 'monochromatic'
Paper romance 15: 'clean & simple'
The three muses 68: 'the printed word' - on the friendship tag and also on the paper, although difficult to see here
Creative inspirations 78: 'tag it!'
Paper cutz 58: 'tags'

Growing up is optional

This is a very simple card that uses a picture from a recycled card, with the addition of text generated on my Dymo letratag. I'm afraid the picture isn't good because the light is poor. The card is totally black and white.

It's for:

Crafty Ann 23: 'monochrome'
2 sisters 6: 'monochromatic'
Paper romance 15: 'clean & simple'
Inspiration Avenue: 'metamorphosis' - child to woman and back to childhood!
Mixed media Monday: 'I have been wanting to ...' play hopscotch!
The three muses 68: 'the printed word'
The treehouse 66: 'recycle'
Frosted designs: 'quote challenge'

Just a couple of Christmas cards

Apart from the twinchies I showed on Sunday I'd done very little crafting in the last week until yesterday afternoon/evening, when I managed to make 32 cards. I took a break from blog challenges because it would have taken far too long to photo, blog etc.

However, I'm sharing just a couple of the cards I made.

The first one features choirboys around the tree, which has been recycled from a card received a couple of years ago, die cut with a nestability, as was the surrounding white glittered card. The greeting has green glittering and the tree is also glittered - difficult to see here.


The next card has a background of handmade red paper with silver stars and stitching. The central image was cut from an old Christmas card - you can just about see that the bottom of the image is glittered.

These are for:

Sparkle creations 41: 'Christmas trees' (first card)
Aly's 25: 'sparkle & glitter' (both cards)
Fab n funky 39: 'what'eva' (both cards)
Paper romance 15: 'clean & simple' (both cards)
Alphabet: 'T for trees' (both cards)
The treehouse 66: 'recycle' (both cards have recycled elements)
Fussy & fancy 19: 'Christmas colours' (both cards)
Stampin' sisters in Christ 56: 'stitching' (second card)
Creative craft: 'black and white plus 1' (second card)
Pixie dust studio 39: 'in between the newsprint - black/white and one other colour' (second card)

Autumn twinchies

Autumn is fast approaching, although today has been pleasantly warm and sunny at times, so perhaps we can hang on to summer for a little while longer ... in fact today was better than many days during August.

Anyway, the theme for the current twinchies (2" x 2") swap on BF forum is 'autumn'. As there are ten people in the swap, I needed to make ten twinchies.

I've used a Hero Arts stamp that I love - it's one I've had for ages - I bought it second hand, so it has been well used, both by its former owner and by me.

I stamped with TH brushed corduroy distress ink and then coloured by dabbing distress inks on my crafting mat, picking up with a water brush. I used these distress inks: spiced marmalade, shabby shutters, worn lipstick and mustard seed.


I'm linking for these challenges:

Creative craft world: 'autumn - reds, oranges, yellows, browns and greens'
Anything goes (Craft Den) 5: 'autumn'
PaperPlay 36: 'autumn is a comin'
Theme Thursday: 'autumn'
Allsorts 69: 'colours of autumn'
Wee memories 22: 'fall into autumn, with this inspiration picture:

Ann's creative nook 104: 'fall flair'
Tuesday throwdown 16: 'celebrate fall'
Divine diva inspiration 35: 'call colours' with inspiration photo:

Speedy the cat (Mark's finest papers) 20: 'fall colours'
Raise the bar 35: 'orange, brown, green'
Stempel magie 19: 'autumn colours'
Creative stamp friends 7: 'distress'
Artful inkables (think ink Tuesday) 28: 'distressed out'
Stamp man 5: 'distress'
Creative belli 99: 'old stamps'
Tellen's place: 'anything goes'
Order of the opus gluei 71: 'alphabet soup - A is for Autumn'
Other lovelies thoughtful Thursday 24: 'A is for Autumn'
Fab n funky 39: 'what'eva'
Paper romance 15: 'clean & simple'
Little paper shop 84: 'we like it clean and simple'
Karber monthly challenge 1: 'anything goes'

It's so boring ....

... putting inserts into cards, bagging and labelling them - and I had so many to do that I just had to call a halt to crafting and get on with them.

I think I ought to take John's advice and do a few at a time instead of letting them pile up ... but I daresay it will happen again!

I've only got a few to do now - some A5, tall cards and one or two odd sizes that have to have inserts specially made - and then there's the Anna Griffin cards that don't quite fit into my cello bags - arrrgghh!

I don't know whether others find this, but if I don't do any crafting for a few days I find it quite difficult to actually start again - I know that if I do, then I'll be able to get on with them.

So, watch this space because there might be something to show soon (hopefully).

Another cat card

Another cat shaped card - the front was covered with a piece of grey BG ambrosia and then coloured with C-1, 3 and 5 copics. The inside is a piece of BG max & whiskers.



It's for:

Paper romance 14: 'furry friends'
Pear tree designs 16: 'animals'
Spoon full of sugar 120: 'animal crackers'
Twisted Thursday: 'animals'
Loonie stampers 108: 'animals'
Polka doodles week 35: 'shaped card'
Paper players 14: 'clean and simple'
Little paper shop 84: 'we like it 'clean and simple'
Secret crafter Saturday 99: 'clean & simple'
Inspiration Avenue: 'simplicity'
Res-Q 61: 'tools of the trade' - scissors - lots of fiddly cutting out - although the card was already shaped, I stuck a piece of BG paper on it, so I had to then cut round that

Doggy Santa

For this card I've stamped this lovely Magenta three dogs stamp with memento rich cocoa and coloured with copics. The papers are BG max & whiskers. Last year I got a bag of Santa hats and only used a few, so I thought it was time to start using some of them this year.

This is for:

C.R.A.F.T. 66: 'man's best friend'
Paper romance 14: 'furry friends'
Pear tree designs 16: 'animals'
Spoon full of sugar 120: 'animal crackers'
Twisted Thursday: 'animals'
Loonie stampers 108: 'animals'
Stamp, scrap & doodle: 'Christmas'
Simon says: 'holiday fun - Christmas'
Karber Christmas challenge 1
Kelly Jo's colour chef 62: 'brown, red, cream'
City crafter 21: 'one for the boys'
Creative cottage 22: 'celebrations' - Christmas
Fab n funky 39: 'what'eva'
Freshly brewed 14: 'brown - as little or as much as you like'
Stamp something: 'something cute'
ABC Christmas: 'S is for Santa'
Cowgirl: 'anything goes'

Frosty the snowman ... and his missus!

Another quick Christmas card, using free papers and a couple of die cut snowmen (anyone remember the QVC pink die cutter that was like the sizzix? - the snowman is one of the dies that came with it).

On CBC forum Sue has set a TTC006 getting into Christmas challenge to make a card using punches or dies, so this fits the bill for that.


It's for these challenges:

Charisma cardz 35: 'inspired by a song' - 'Frosty the snowman'
Pollycraft 60: 'Christmas with no red or green'
Stamp, scrap & doodle: 'Christmas'
Sparkle creations 40: 'clean and simple'
Paper players 14: 'clean and simple'
Little paper shop 84: 'we like it 'clean and simple'
Secret crafter Saturday 99: 'clean & simple'
Inspiration Avenue: 'simplicity'
Ooh-la-la 62: 'stripes'
Simon says: 'holiday fun - Christmas'
Meljen 23: 'stripes'
Simplicity 19: 'black & white with a spot of colour'
For fun: 'black, white and one colour'
Aly's 24: 'pretty in pink'
Denami colour challenge 4: 'white, hot pink, black'

WOYWW 66

For various reasons I haven't done much crafting since the last WOYWW, although when I look back I've done a bit more than I realised. We had visitors here on the weekend and yesterday I went with a friend to help her choose a new computer and have been to hers this morning to set it up for her, load software etc, so crafting has taken a bit of a back seat.

So there isn't much to show really - just evidence of the bits and pieces left out from making the few cards I did in the last day or two.



If you like to nose at other people's crafting spaces (and we all do, don't we?) then go along to Julia's blog and have a peep - and perhaps join in too.

Now I ought to get on with actually doing somethin constructive - my sale for Tearfund is on 2 October, which isn't that far away now.

Merry Christmas baubles

Another couple of cards for the BF forum September 25th club. These were made with magazine papers, sticky ribbons, baubles from a last year's kit - the pink ones were coloured with copics - and added sentiments. They are more sparkly and shiny than they look here. As is often the case, difficult getting photos without glare from flash.


They are also for:

Pollycraft 60: 'Christmas with no red or green' - sorry, there's some green on the second one, but not the first
Stamp, scrap & doodle: 'Christmas'
Sparkle creations 40: 'clean and simple'
Oh Alice chapter 29: 'what makes you shine or sparkle'
Sundays with Crissy 9: 'sparkle and shine'
Paper players 14: 'clean and simple'
Little paper shop 84: 'we like it 'clean and simple'
Secret crafter Saturday 99: 'clean & simple'
Inspiration Avenue: 'simplicity'
Ooh-la-la 62: 'stripes'
Meljen 23: 'stripes'
Denami colour challenge 4: 'white, hot pink, black' (the first card)
Cowgirl: 'anything goes'

Merry Christmas presents

A couple of quick cards, using two more of the shaped ones that I got with a magazine and this time I've used papers free with another magazine, with the addition of toning stickles on the bows.


For the 25th club theme for this month on BF forum, Kaz has said: 'Make your cards with bright and funky colours, so getting away from the traditional ones would be fab.' I hope these are bright and funky enough!

They are also for:

Pollycraft 60: 'Christmas with no red or green'
Stamp, scrap & doodle: 'Christmas'
Sparkle creations 40: 'clean and simple'
Polka doodles week 35: 'shaped card'
Oh Alice chapter 29: 'what makes you shine or sparkle'
Sundays with Crissy 9: 'sparkle and shine'
Paper players 14: 'clean and simple'
Little paper shop 84: 'we like it 'clean and simple'
Secret crafter Saturday 99: 'clean & simple'
Inspiration Avenue: 'simplicity'
Ooh-la-la 62: 'stripes'
Meljen 23: 'stripes'
Denami colour challenge 4: 'white, hot pink, black' (the second card)

Cat card

This is another card made from a freebie shaped card. This time I stamped using an Anna Griffin background stamp repeatedly with memento tuxedo black, added gems for eyes, black pearl for nose, black pen outlined mouth and ears and lined the inside with a piece of BG max & whiskers.

This is for:

Polka doodles week 35: 'shaped card'
Oh Alice chapter 29: 'what makes you shine or sparkle'
Sundays with Crissy 9: 'sparkle and shine'
Crafts and me: 'gems and sparkle'
Pear tree 16: 'animals'
Twisted Thursday 72: 'animals'
Loonie stampers 108: 'animals'
Paper romance 14: 'furry friends'
Paper players 14: 'clean and simple'
Little paper shop 84: 'we like it 'clean and simple'
Secret crafter Saturday 99: 'clean & simple'
Inspiration Avenue: 'simplicity'
Ooh-la-la 62: 'stripes'
Meljen 23: 'stripes'

Butterfly card

This card is made from a butterfly shape card that was free with a magazine. I coloured the middle with shock pink copic, stamped the wings with a Tim Holtz paisley stamp with vibrant violet stazon and then sponged with worn lipstick distress ink, added a few Poundland gems and lined the inside with a piece of BG sugar rush.This is for:

Polka doodles week 35: 'shaped card'
Lots to do week 35: 'butterflies and/or insects'
Oh Alice chapter 29: 'what makes you shine or sparkle'
Sundays with Crissy 9: 'sparkle and shine'
Crafts and me: 'gems and sparkle'
Aly's 24: 'pretty in pink'
Other lovelies thoughtful Thursday 25: 'B for butterfly'

Starting school

I created this digi LO using Smilebox (some of you have seen this picture of me before). This is the earliest school picture that I've got - in this picture I was a bit older than when I actually started school - probably in the second year by then - the other picture shows me with some of my classmates:

It's for:

Design Dollies elements: 'back to school' - scrap about yourself
Incy wincy 57: 'back to school'
Pink elephant 83: 'back to school'
Creative card crew: 'back to school'
Pixie dust studio 38: 'back to school'
Fussy & fancy 18: 'back to school'
One powerful hour: 'hitting the books - back to school'
Simple doodles 25: 'back to school'
Our creative corner: 'ABCs and 123s - letters and/or numbers'
Paper garden projects: fourth Friday fun challenge for August: back to school project
Allsorts 68: 'new beginnings'
Bee crafty 37: 'anything goes' - the LO is digi
Daisy doodles 16: 'anything goes' - the LO is digi
Crafty calendar September 12: 'blue & flowers'
Sisterhood of crafters: 'anything but a card'

Something completely different: 'of the sea' torso

The Something completely different challenges are new every Friday, so the first one for September is already up, but I wanted to do the fourth torso challenge, which was 'of the sea'.

The paper is DCWV pocketful of posies 'blue squiggle, which I thought is a bit like waves. I've embossed with my new Spellbinders impressabilities 'sea scape' which came in the post today (which is one of the reasons why I didn't make this torso till now). I sponged the embossed areas with spiced marmadlade distress ink.

This is the 'sea scape' impressabilities embossing:

which I purchased with some of my £10 voucher from Joanna Sheen for winning the Totally Gorjuss challenge 42. I also got:

Thank you, Joanna Sheen and Totally Gorjuss challenge blog for these lovely prizes.


I'm also linking this for:

Lexi's creations 21: 'emboss it'
Our daily bread 27: 'texture it'

Gorjuss Christmas

This card is for this week's (well, it's just about on time) Totally Gorjuss challenge 45: 'Christmas in August'.

Talking of Totally Gorjuss, today I received the goodies that I bought with my £10 voucher from Joanna Sheen for winning challenge - you can see them here, where I've used the 'sea scape' impressability.

I've used some Gorjuss decoupage and the papers are also from the Gorjuss range.

I've used the sketch for 2 sisters 5:


This is also for:

Paper sundaes 33: 'Christmas in August'
Creative inspirations 41: 'Christmas in August'
Sundays with Crissy 8: 'your favourite time of year'
Secret crafter Saturday 98: 'make a start on Christmas' - regular visitors to my blog will know that this isn't really a start because I've been making Christmas cards since last Christmas
Bah! humbug 34: 'Christmas Carol or song' - 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas'
Gingersnap GC67 random redhead: 'go 3D'
Sarah Hurley 7: 'something 3D'
Oh Alice chapter 28: 'little girl theme'
365 cards day 181: 'opposite day' - it's been a lovely sunny day, so I've made a snowy Christmas card

Simply stamping

Having done very little crafting this week, and having been out earlier today with John for a hospital appointment, I thought it was about time to make a card or two.

I chose Andrea's Simply Saturday 'simple stamping' challenge - one colour of cardstock, one colour of ink.

I'm showing two cards for this because I made the first one and then didn't feel happy with it - stamped the sentiment too near the top.

For both cards I've used Stampers anonymous 'newsy leaf' stamped with memento rich cocoa ink.

It made a change to make a couple of cards with no patterned paper in sight!


I'm also linking for:

Sentimental Sundays 18: 'clean and simple'
Papertake weekly: 'just the one' - one colour stamping
365 cards day 187: 'Friday favourite' - my favourite food inspiration: chocolate (although forbidden atm because I'm losing weight
Fiskarettes: 'no patterned paper'
Crafty Emma 1: 'anything goes'
Paper players 13: 'anything goes'
A crafty little place 54: 'anything goes
Critter 29: 'think fall'
Wild flower Wednesday 30: 'fall colours'
No time to stamp? 155: 'falling leaves'
Allsorts 67: 'park inspiration' - won't be long now before autumn comes and the leaves start turning colour and falling
Pollycraft 59: 'add a little nature'
Three muses: 'back to nature'
Divine diva inspiration 35: 'fall colours' - this picture was given (I've concentrated on the brown):