The sun is peeping through the clouds

When I was looking for something else the other day I came across some packs of cards - four square apertures - I decided it was about time I used one of them - very simple card with four images from Poundland (bought ages and ages ago) peeping out of the apertures.

This is for:

Dream valley 4: things with wings
Pixie dust 68: fluttering wings
Secret crafter Saturday 128: butterflies
Polka doodles 13: no printed backing papers
Craft your passion 52: anything goes
Bugaboo: anything goes

Christmas gang sketch

I've been privileged to join in with the Christmas card gang - you can see who else is in the gang on the list in my sidebar. Just click on the names to be taken to their blogs where you can see their Christmas cards for the fortnightly challenges and, of course, the rest of their lovely crafting.

Anyway, this is a lovely group of girls who have formed a gang to encourage one another - and anyone else who'd like to join in - to make Christmas cards regularly throughout the year. As I started my own Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog this year, I'm keen to join with those who also want to spread the load of making Christmas cards throughout the year.

So, for my first card with the gang, this fortnight Sally has given us a sketch to work with:

I used papers, borders and sentiment from My Craft Studio collection 'beautiful baubles' that were given with Making Cards and the pink and silver paper is fro an old QVC kit. The image was recycled from a card that was received two or three years ago. I chose the colour scheme for ABC Christmas 'G for girly', which asked for these colours:


This is also for:

Winter wonderland: Teddy Bear's Christmas
For fun: Christmas is here
Kaboodle 61: let's get girly
Craft your passion 52: anything goes
Bugaboo: anything goes

Lilac Easter

Another Easter card, this time with a lilac colour scheme, with a bit of yellow.

The digi is Delicious doodles crocus, one of the digis I choose as part of my prize for winning Delicious doodles challenge 17. I copied the image into Paint and then coloured it digitally - this leaves a few white bits here and there, but I like the slightly sketched look it achieves.

This is for Stamping vacation inspiration station challenge: 'crocus in the snow':

The background paper is Forever Friends spring time and the sentiment is from the QVC Kanban Easter kit:



This is for:

Paper playtime 42: digi Monday - anything goes
I did it: anything goes
Stamp something: April digi day
Bugaboo: anything goes
Paper garden projects: a little Friday fun challenge: anything digital
Bee crafty 49: Easter
Cardmadfairy's digi days 5: Easter
Ann's creative nook 129: Easter
Spoon full of sugar 145: Easter
Creative card world: Easter is around the corner
Let's craft and create 16: Easter
Craft us crazy 5: Happy Easter
Fun with shapes and more 80: Easter
Paper cutz 85: Easter
Stamping vacation occasions oasis challenge: Easter
Sundays with Crissy 16: spring is in the air
Prairie fairy Fridays 49: oh so spring
Little Claire designs 4: spring celebrations
Clearly I stamp 25: clean and simple
Corrosive 110: pastel colours
Colour create 67: pastels + optional Easter
Delightful: flowers

An Easter verse

An Easter card with a verse:

As bright flowers burst forth to welcome the spring
May you know every joy that EASTER can bring

This is for 365 cards day 31 'a piece of poetry'.

It's also for:

Ann's creative nook 129: Easter
Spoon full of sugar 145: Easter
Creative card world: Easter is around the corner
Let's craft and create 16: Easter
Craft us crazy 5: Happy Easter
Fun with shapes and more 80: Easter
Paper cutz 85: Easter
Stamping vacation occasions oasis challenge: Easter
Kaboodle 60: spring has sprung

Self portrait

This week's challenge on Inspiration Avenue is 'self portrait'. I thought I might supply a photo, but then remembered that I had sketched a self portrait when I was much younger. It's been on the bottom of the top shelf of my wardrobe since we moved in here (and was in a similar place wherever I've lived in the last thirty odd years. I drew this on 7 January 1973 - when I was 26. Don't I look serious ... or perhaps sullen! I'm not sure I should be showing this in public - lol!

I had to take the photo at an angle because of flash glare.

A card for mum

Why is it that we often leave the more important cards till the last minute? Well, I'm afraid this was the case for a card for mum for tomorrow - and, as we had visitors today, I wasn't able to start on the card till this evening. Fortunately, I knew that I wanted to try making a twisted easel card (first time for making a twisted one) and that I wanted to use the Penny Black sweet peas stamp, which I coloured with copics and cut out with a nestie, sponging the edges with worn lipstick. I particularly wanted to use this stamp for this week's Daring cardmakers 'Daisies and sweet peas for April'.

I then mounted the die cut image on to a piece of card that had been run through the cuttlebug with a spots embossing folder and inked on the raised dots first with tattered rose DI and then around the edges with worn lipstick. I used my corner rounder on this.

This was then mounted on to the pink card with the corners punched with a Fiskars flower punch - and that was then mounted on to the lilac card.

The Happy Mothering Sunday was computer generated and printed, with spotted sticky ribbon either side and the little flower buttons added.

The thing I had the most difficulty with was the ribbon with the bow - firstly, I had to iron the piece of ribbon (my iron never gets much use so this was a rare outing!) - and then I had to get the bow right - I got there in the end and am pleased with it.

I will write in the space behind the stand up bit.



I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Quirky crafts 7: twisted easel and/or mother's day gift
Creative inspirations 56: mother's day/mum
Dream valley 3: mother's day
One stitch at a time 55: mother's day
Ooh-la-la 76: mother's day
Pear tree 42: mother's day
Crafty sentiments: mother's day
Stampin' for the weekend 6: for mum/mother's day
Cupcake 135: flowers for mum
My time to craft 134: mum's the word
PaperPlay 13: for mum
Sarah Hurley 36: mum's the word
Delicious doodles 19: for mum
Paper crafting journey 7: for the ladies in your life
Cupcake inspirations 104: spring flowers
Allsorts 97: bloomin' blossoms
One crazy stamper: April flowers challenge
Drunken stampers 61: are you sponge worthy?
Gingerloft 14: die cuts and punches
One stop craft 125: spots & dots
Really reasonable ribbon 21: use dies or punches & ribbon
Sunday stamper 147: not fade away - texture fades/embossing folders
Dutch dare card 106: distressing
Creative Friday 40: embossing
Tellen's place: embossing
Inky impressions 12: die cuts
Delightful: flowers
Stamping vacation pick 3 challenge for April - I chose dry embossing, corner punch, anything pink, a sentiment
Res-Q 76: use your corner rounder
Pals paper arts 87: punches
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: getting punchy
Copic creations 47: your favourite copic technique - blending
Stamp man 19: anything Tim - lots of distress inking
Cardmakin mamas 18: embellish it
Fun at fairy knoll: whatever

CHNC challenge 14: Christmas foliage and/or flowers

It's hard to believe that a quarter of the year has already gone and we are now into April. It's the first Saturday in the month, so there's a prize up for grabs on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas blog - this week I'm being sponsored by Robyn's Fetish - please hop over to my challenge 14 for all the details and to see the beautiful card made by my first Guest Designer, Georgia.

For my card I used Christmas Wreath and also Corner Holly, which were given to me by Robyn's Fetish - a bit THANK YOU to them. I arranged the images and my own sentiment in Publisher and printed on to Basic Gray Winter Mint paper and coloured with copics, adding some glossy accents to the centre berries of the holly corners.

I'm also entering this into these challenges:

For fun: Christmas is here
Sparkle creations Christmas 2011 week 17: no stamping
Fab's big Christmas cards: April - baubles and ribbons- well, there's a ribbon

Salt: the cure for worry

It was Kim's turn to choose the topic for today's Salt challenge - you can read what she wrote here.

I've chosen a verse from Philippians that has actually been featured this week on Stapin' sisters for Christ for their challenge 82 (I have yet to make something for this). When I saw their challenge on Sunday I knew straight away that I would use those verses for this week's Salt crafting.

I decided to make a card this time rather than a LO. I used a variety of papers and elements as I'm entering this into 365 cards day 30 'mix and match' - use products from at least 5 different manufacturers. The base paper is 7 Gypsies, the striped paper is from Craftwork cards vintage rose paper pad, the smokey grey mirror card behind the main paper and the scripture verse is Kanban. Each flower has two different layers (two different manufactuers, but can't remember who) and the ribbon and the gems in the flowers are from two other manufacturers, so I think I've met the conditions of the 365 cards challenge! Oh, I nearly forgot, that I used a piece of sticky mesh (can't remember what it's called) - I've had that for ages and ages.

You can read the verses better if you click on this picture to enlarge.

I'd also like to share this for:

Delightful: flowers

Please go over to our Salt Faith challenge blog and see what others in the team crafted for this challenge - and we'd love you to join in - just leave us a comment with a direct link to your creation and we will come and have a look.

Signature sentiment

'Signature sentiment' is the challenge for today's 365 cards (day 29). I thought about this and wondered what I could do and then I thought about the fact that I often say 'take care' to people, particularly when saying goodbye to them. But I've never used those words on a card before - so here is a first!

I've used the sketch for Eat sleep stamp 123:

and the colours for Diva coffee break 220:

Papers are all from BG eva and the image is Penny Black sparklers, stamped with brilliance pearlescent purple and heat embossed with detail clear powder. It was then cut with a nestie oval. I rounded all corners with my Xcut corner rounder punch.

This is also for:

CES 29: die cut crazy
Gingerloft 14: die cuts and/or punches
Kort o mania 36: use dies or punches
Let's ink it up 11: die cuts/punches
Stamp insanity 52: punch it out
Meljen 51: get creative with your punches
Rubber cafe 10: embossing
Creative Friday 40: embossing

ABC Christmas sketch

This is for the sketch on ABC Christmas F for freebie, using the digital image that was given for this:I'm not that happy with this card (everything seemed to go wrong), but wanted to get it done before the deadline for the ABC challenge, so here it is.

The papers are all from the PM classic collection. The image was die cut with a nestie and coloured with copics. The big brad is DCWV.

This is also another card for my own CHNC challenge 13 to make a square card - if you haven't yet discovered my Christmas challenge blog, please go over there and have a look - I'd love you to join in.

This is also for:

Sparkle creations Christmas 2011 week 17: no stamping
Jingle belles: the holly & the ivy - holiday foliage
Winter wonderland: oh baubles
Secret crafter Saturday 127: Christmas in spring
CES 29: die cut crazy
Gingerloft 14: die cuts and/or punches
Kort o mania 36: use dies or punches

You inspire me

When I saw yesterday's challenge on 365 cards (day 28) I thought of my niece's husband who is a keen rugby fan - and John is too - and I needed to make a card for mum to send to him for his birthday.

The torn paper is from the Men2 collection by Paper Cellar. The sentiment is computer generated and printed. The image was stamped and coloured with copics. I added a Eastern Treasures 3D sticker in place of the stamped rugby ball to add a bit of dimension., likewise the stars and the fancy strip of white and gold down the lefthand side.

This is also for:

Sisterhood of crafters: let's hear it for the boys
Stampin' B 103: make a masculine card
Stamptacular 104: no kids allowed ... birthday
Corrosive 109: stars in my eyes
Creative Inspirations 104: no square cards allowed

Corner bookmark

The theme for the current challenge 28 on Karber is 'books', so I bought Karber 'reader Leslie' digital image to use on a corner bookmark.

I don't know why, but until today I had never made a corner bookmark, preferring to make a straight long one. This was so easy to make and used up a piece of dotty paper from my offcuts box - I followed the tutorial on It takes all kinds.

So this is also for Creative craft 'bookmarks' challenge and also for Daring cardmakers 'the book club'.


It's also for:

Paper playtime 42: digi Monday - anything goes
Digital Tuesday 104: for the kids
Sketchy colors 64: pink, orange and white
Pink gem 17: anything but square
Creative Inspirations 104: no square cards allowed
Crafts and me 27: anything goes

Karen's Easter cross

When I saw that the theme for this week's Karen's doodles challenge is 'Easter' I had a look at their digis and couldn't resist buying the Easter cross, so I'm entering this card into their challenge.

Having made quite a few Easter cards (and sold a lot of them to raise money for Tearfund) I've had a few more requests, so I need to make more - good job Easter is late this year - gives me a bit more time!

The base card is a slightly textured pale lemon. The image was coloured with copics and the sentiments computer generated and printed, backing with a gold card that is a cross between matt and mirror.

This is also for:

Ann's creative nook 129: Easter
Aly's: happy spring
Creative cottage 35: spring has sprung
Wags n whiskers 50: spring
Mami doodles 22: celebrate spring
Paper pretties 146: spring
Polka doodles 12: the spring has sprung
My Sheri 50: spring
Paper playtime 42: digi Monday - anything goes

Super sketchy Sunday Easter card

This is for the sketch on 365 day 27:

I've made a very simple Easter card using components from the QVC Kanban kit I bought recently, rounding the corners of the card blank with a PM punch (because of the double thickness of the card I had to stand on the punch!).

This is also for:

Ann's creative nook 129: Easter
Aly's: happy spring
Creative cottage 35: spring has sprung
Wags n whiskers 50: spring
Mami doodles 22: celebrate spring
Paper pretties 146: spring
Crafty calendar 18: spring
Prairie fairy Fridays 49: oh so spring
Totally Gorjuss 73: spring is sprung!
My Sheri 50: spring
Stamping vacation: occasion oasis challenge - Easter
Colour create 67: pastels - optional extra: Easter
Crafts and me 27: anything goes

Less is more ... more white

For week 8 on Less is more this sketch is provided:

So I used an A4 tall card and embossed the top part with a cuttlebug embossing folder so that the front was debossed and the back embossed. The strip across the bottom is a piece of slightly foiled white card - just a hint of sheen to it. It's always difficult to get flash pictures at night, particularly when the card is predominantly white, so I'm sorry the quality isn't up to much - the card is much better irl:


The ribbon across the front and back is wired and has a very sparkly look that just doesn't show much here. The image is one that was left over from a kit. I haven't yet decided what insert to put in it - it could be 'Happy Anniversary' or 'Congratulations on your Wedding Day'.


This is also for:

365 day 26: ABC of crafting: STW - W is for white (and I think the ribbon might qualify for T for toile)
Stamping vacation: white space challenge - one layer
Stamping vacation: clean and simple challenge - no tools except a cuttlebug folder
Dutch dare card 105: celebration

My perfect day

'My perfect day' is the theme of Gez's lovely CJ for the group on BF forum. For my DLO I've chosen to share a crafting day with our granddaughters.

The background paper is one that I've had for ages - the sort that you buy because you know it will be useful, but until now have never used it ... and then today it was perfect for what I wanted for the CJ because bright pink and orange seem to figure in the girls' colouring in, particularly Faye's. All three of the girls really enjoyed a stamping session.

The wording was done on my dymo letratag - and just the addition of sticky ribbons, flowers, gems and a slotted brad with ribbon to finish it off. I've kept it simple to let the photos speak for themselves and because I didn't want to hide too much of the background paper.


Gez asked us to supply a photo of ourself, so I thought I would put me with mini pictures of the girls around me.
I'm linking this for:

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: think warm - warm colours
Sketchy colors 64: pink, orange and white
Lexi 36: ribbons but no bows or knots
Picture perfect creations speciality challenge 5: show us your creative space
Tuesday throwdown 41: anything but a card
Crafts and me 27: anything goes
Shabby tea room 54: bingo - 3 in a row - I chose one of the diagonals - brads, flowers, ribbon

Just because

This card uses the Mami doodles Paddy's frame digi coloured with copics, with the additon of some pearls and the 'just because' Anna Griffin sentiment stamp. The corners have been rounded with a PM punch.

This is for:

Our daily bread 54: frame it
Pollycraft 85: swirls and pearls
Crafty catz 75: pearls and swirls
Alota 55: include colour green somewhere
Crafty purple frog: going green
Sarah Hurley 35: go green
Cupcake: monochromatic
Crafts and me 27: anything goes

Gift cards for baby

Two more cards very similar to the previous one - another entry for Stampin' sisters in Christ 81 and Crafts 4 eternity R12 technique/theme challenge, both of which call for something that is hidden - again, the tag inside the pocket has semi-circular slits top and bottom to accommodate a store gift card.

The background paper for the baby boy card is American Crafts the goods Jack.

The background for the baby girl card is BG sugar rush.

This is also for:

365 cards day 25: ABC of crafting: PQR - P for polka dots
Truly scrumptious 53: tag it!
C.R.A.F.T. 95: new baby

Thank you gift card

There are a couple of challenges that call for something hidden:

Stampin' sisters in Christ 81 and Crafts 4 eternity R12 technique/theme challenge.

The pocket on this card houses a tag that can incorporate a store gift card - you can just see the little semi-circular cut (there is another one towards the base of the tag) to accommodate the gift card. The background paper is BG euphoria.

This is also for:

365 cards day 25: ABC of crafting: PQR - P for polka dots
Truly scrumptious 53: tag it!
Craft your passion 50: show your appreciation

Yellow and white Easter

Another Easter card (I've made quite a few over the last couple of days), this time with Forever Friends spring time paper, some sticky ribbon that I've had for ages and a dove and cross stamp, coloured with copics and white sakura pen for the dove, which was then covered with stickles crystal ice. The sentiments were computer generated and printed.

Cupcake inspirations 103 gave me the idea for the colour scheme:


This is also for:


Aly's: happy spring
Card cupids: spring inspired card
Cutie Sunday 136: spring colours/images
Inspiration Avenue: hello spring
Creative cottage 35: spring has sprung
Wags n whiskers 50: spring
Mami doodles 22: celebrate spring
Paper pretties 146: spring
Crafty calendar 18: spring
Whoopsi Daisy: Easter time
Digistamps4joy 15: clean and simple
Hanna and friends 87: spring
Stamp dreams 75: spring colours
Creative stamp friends 21: spring
Stamp with fun 103: spring
Stampin with the dragon: bring on spring
Stamp and create 19: spring break
Prairie fairy Fridays 49: oh so spring
Sew many challenges 48: spring fling
Stamp something: spring somethings
Sukkersott 118: spring, where a bird is part of the design
Totally Gorjuss 73: spring is sprung!
My Sheri 50: spring
Stamping vacation: occasion oasis challenge - Easter
Crafts and me 27: anything goes

CHNC challenge 13: square card

This card is for my own challenge 13 on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog. My challenge this time is to make a square Christmas card - such an easy peasy challenge. If you haven't yet discovered my Christmas blog, why not hop over there and then join in - it's never too early to start making Christmas cards.

I was running out of time to get this done this week because I've been busy getting cards, including Easter ones yet to be blogged, ready for my sale today to raise money for Tearfund.

So I needed to make a quick card - I used some K & Co Secret Santa paper (I received a whole 12 x 12 pad of this from generous crafting friends at Order of the Opus Gluei). I used rub ons by Kaisercraft for the sentiments and dotted around a few gems and a couple of stars.

I like to try and regularly support other Christmas card challenge blogs, so this is also for:

Sparkle creations Christmas 2011 week 16: recipe: 1 designer paper (OK I cheated a bit by using doubled sided paper), stars and rub ons
Bah! humbug 12: Christmas trees

It's also for:

CCEE 1112: Christmas/winter holiday card
Secret crafter Saturday 127: Christmas in spring