Game on

'Game on' is the theme for Crafty creations 163, so I've made this card using the sketch for Eat sleep stamp 165:

All papers used were offcuts, so it's another for Pixie's crafty snippets 13.

It's a masculine card for Love to create challenge 8 and Pile it on 13: for a man; it includes grids for Frosted designs fabulous Friday challenge and is also for Kaboodle 112: circles and squares. And circles for Shopping our stash 45.

This is also for:

Cards for men 7: the great outdoors
Little darlings 20: outside
Gingerloft 36: happy birthday
Make it Monday 82
Inspire me Fridays 51

Simply monochromatic

These cards were quickly made with elements from a Kanban kit purchased some months ago. They are both aperture cards, but I scanned them flat because I couldn't get any decent photos of them - you can just about see the feint line which is the aperture, so that the inner shapes are on the inside of the cards. The lines which look rather black or grey are in fact silver - much better IRL.

These are for Craft your passion 103: monochromatic, Art impressions 56: monochromatic. It's also for Crop stop 64: flourishes,

The second card has three heart shapes (and each one is a shape within a shape as well), so this is for Creative belli 140: 3 shapes (and I've been using up old and forgotten stash).

This is also for:

There's magic in the air magical Monday: less is more
One stop craft 175: clean and simple
One stitch at a time 106: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 73: anything goes
Squigglefly 12: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Cute card Thursday 209: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 82
Inspire me Fridays 51
52 cardpick up week 12

Cat notebook

This is an altered notebook for Creative craft: anything but a card. The background card was in my offcuts box (no idea where it came from originally) - another for Crafty Pixie's snippets 13 -  and the two lovely cats and ladybirds are stickeroos by Penny Black.

I think these cats look cute and cuddly (well, I'm not sure about the top one - a bit scary - lol!) so this is also for Dutch dare 157: cute & cuddly, also for The pixie cottage 114: cuddly critters,Top tip Tuesday 73: easter or/and animals and Phindy's Friday 98: animal planet.

This is also for:

There's magic in the air magical Monday: less is more
One stop craft 175: clean and simple

Autumn colours for Christmas

For this card I've used the colours given in this beautiful autumnal photo inspiration for For your inspiration 26:

Colours are also for Cards and things 113:

Also for Winter wonderland photo inspirational:

Simply made with a striped card blank, a sentiment that's been around for ages and flowers cut out from an old card received.

This is also for:

There's magic in the air magical Monday: less is more
One stop craft 175: clean and simple
Fun with shapes and more 105: stripes (lots of cutting by hand for all the tea time images)
One stitch at a time 106: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 73: anything goes
Squigglefly 12: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Cute card Thursday 209: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 82
Inspire me Fridays 51
52 cardpick up week 12

Dinner time and breakfast

I took a photo for Suzie's 365 day 87: dinner time last night, but forgot to show it. This is what I cooked for our meal:

And this is for today's prompt - day 88: 9am - my breakfast dish. A couple of years ago I went on the Dukan diet and lost three stone, some of which has sadly gone back on again. I don't fully follow the diet any more, but I do still eat according to some of the principles of it. Nearly every morning I have a couple of spoonfuls of oatmeal bran with very low fat yoghurt and I often top this now with some grated dark chocolate (definitely not part of the Dukan plan - lol!):

Wild wild west

This is for For fun: wild wild west. It's a mixture of papers from my offcuts box, so another for Pixie's crafty snippets 13.

I've used the sketch for Inky impressions:

This is also for:

Kort o mania 59: the guys boyz
Crafting when we can 14: one for the boys

Tea time just for you

For this card I've used digital papers and images from The Paper Shelter. Papers are from their birthday range and the teapot, jug etc and cake are images from their tea time collection, which I won as a prize for a challenge on Party Time Tuesday last year.

I'm using the sketch for Willow Sketchie this week, which also incorporates the optional theme of 'let them eat cake':

It's also for Crafty creations 162 photo inspiration:

and CES 78 photo inspiration:

Colours are also for Paper-crafting journey 5: pretty pastels. And this is also for Paper-crafting journey 6 for this photo inspiration (pink and cake!):

The tea time theme is also for Drunken stampers 85: I'll drink to that.

This is also for:

Crafts 4 eternity R64: in the kitchen
By the cute and girly: in the kitchen
Ladybug 57: spots and stripes
Totally Gorjuss 124: spots and stripes
Scrappy frogs: seeing spots
Freshly brewed 88: lots and lots of dots
Fun with shapes and more 105: stripes (lots of cutting by hand for all the tea time images)
My mum's craftshop 49: let's get digital
One stitch at a time 106: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 73: anything goes
Squigglefly 12: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 61: anything goes
Scrapbook sisters 76: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Cute card Thursday 209: anything goes
Sweet stampin: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 82
Inspire me Fridays 51
52 cardpick up week 12

Suzie's 365 catch up

A little catch up of my photos for Suzie's 365.

Day 82: calm - day 82 was anything but calm for me!! So I've resorted to a photo I took while on a walk in Eastbourne last year - it had a calming effect:

Day 83: clock - John's clock radio - essential for getting up in the morning:

Day 84: bedtime - it's permanently bedtime for this teddy:

Day 85: 9pm - a welcome cuppa after watching the Dancing on ice final:

Day 86: morning routine - one of the first things I do is take my tablets - I keep them in a little drawstring bag:

So now I'm up to date again.

My Mind's Eye Christmas glitter

I'm just scraping in with an entry for the My Mind's Eye blog challenge 33 card featuring this sketch:

 The challenge rule is to use at least 80% MME products. Everything used for this card is MME except the sentiment and the turquoise aqua gems which were from Poundland.

The papers are all offcuts from some I'd used earlier, all taken originally from the MME Christmas Glitter Book (I so love those papers).

Edges were distressed with stormy sky and broken china DIs. The border strips were punched with a Martha Stewart punch and the flower shapes were die cut with nestabilities.

This is my first card of the week for Pixie's crafty snippets 13 because all papers were offcuts.

This is also for:

Papertake: eyes down, look  in, bingo - I chose the top line: gems, die cuts, flowers
Gingersnap GC142 spicy supply challenge: border punches
Woodware UK 44: pull out the punches
CRAFT 147: handmade flowers
Divas by design 27: distressing
52 Christmas card throwdown embellishment challenge: patterned papers
Secret crafter Saturday 178: shabby chic/vintage
Bunny Zoe 22: shabby chic/vintage
Scrapbook sisters 76: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Cute card Thursday 209: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 82
Inspire me Fridays 51
52 cardpick up week 12

I'm also sharing this for Kath's challenge on CBC forum to make our own embellishments.

Swirls and pearls for Christmas

It was my turn to choose the challenge for the Christmas Card Club for this fortnight and I chose 'swirls and pearls'. I originally had in mind to use some of my swirly snowflake stamps, but changed my mind and instead I used swirly card from Hunkydory. The panel in the middle of the gate fold card has been recycled from a card received, mounting it on to layers of mirror card.

The paperclip is just to keep the gate fold closed for the photo - one of those very difficult to photo cards because of all the foiling, but I sort of got there in the end.

If you'd like to join in with the Christmas Card Club and get ahead with your Christmas cards just get in touch with one of us - the list is on my side bar.

I'm also entering this into the following challenges:

It's all about the vintage and beauty 15: swirls and pearls
Crop stop 64: flourishes
ABC Christmas: F for furry and/or feathered friends
Polka doodles 11: animal or a bird
Incy wincy 137: things with wings
Paper creations ink 21: things with wings
Hooked on craft 18: more than one fold
Chocolate, coffee & cards 9: fancy folds
Aud sentiments 50 :song title inspiration - Joy to the world
Facebook Sunday's with Santa: shiny sparkles

Easter bunnie

I've had a bit of a break from making Easter cards - made a lot before my sale last Saturday, but none since then. Now I realise that I need quite a few more, so here is a fun one to begin with.

It's for this sketch on CPS 257:

 And colours are for these on Amusing challenges:

The background card is Kanban spring Easter eggs, the decorative 3D strip is from Hobbycraft and the two little strips behind the chipboard Easter bunnie are paperchains, both from Poundland.

This is also for:

Stamp, scrap & doodle: bunnies
Dream valley 28: Easter
Crafty boots: Easter
Lexi 61: Easter
There she goes 148: Easter and animals
Anything goes 63: get ready for Easter
Riley and company: spring/Easter or polka dots
Scrap-cards 24: Easter
The pixie cottage 113: Easter or spring
Craft us crazy 23: religious/Easter and/or something sweet (Easter eggs)
Delightful: Easter treats
Moving along with the times: Easter wishes
Bloggers challenge: Happy Easter
Crafty Ann 61: spring into spring
My Sheri 81: Easter
Little Claire 19: spring/Easter
Joanna Sheen 4: spring is in the air
House of Gilli 28: the colours of spring
Woodware UK 43: colours of spring
Celebrate the occasion 55: welcome spring
Crazy amigo: spring
Sassy Cheryl 107: think spring
Crafts and me 76: light airy spring colours
Little darlings 19: colours of spring
Papercraft star 89: spring
Whimsical: celebrate spring
PaperPlay 12: spring colours
Crafty catz 125: spring is in the air
Our craft lounge 110: spring things
Prairie fairy Fridays 75: spring fling
Simply create too 9: it's spring
2 sisters 84: spring is in the air
Sparkles 30: mother's day or spring
Allways something creative 26: spring awakening
Crafters companion 22: spring
Phindy's Friday 98: animal planet
Kaboodle 111: how cute is that?
Scrappy frogs: seeing spots
Totally Gorjuss 124: spots and stripes
Freshly brewed 88: lots and lots of dots
Scrapbook sisters 76: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Cute card Thursday 209: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 81
Inspire me Fridays 51
52 cardpick up week 12

Cute Christmas

A quick CAS card with a cute reindeer for Crimbo crackers 11: cute. It's also another entry for ABC Christmas: F for furry and/or feathered friends.

It's also for:

Phindy's Friday 98: animal planet
Polka doodles 11: animal or a bird
Kaboodle 111: how cute is that?
Dutch dare 157: cute & cuddly
Little red wagon 125: clean & simple
One stop craft 175: clean and simple
Dutch dare 157: cute & cuddly

Wishing you a glorious holiday season

A clean and simple Christmas card using Anna Griffin supplies (yes, I've still got some!).

This photo is given for inspiration for the current Winter wonderland challenge - I've gone with the red and green colour combo:

The sentiment panel is for Craft your passion 102: just sentiment - sentiment is the main focus, also for Lollipop crafts 72: sentimentally yours - sentiment is the focus and CCEE 1212: focusing on the sentiment.

This is also for:


There's magic in the air magical Monday: less is more
Little red wagon 125: clean & simple
One stop craft 175: clean and simple
Wags n whiskers 75: luck of the Irish - use green
Scrapbook sisters 76: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Cute card Thursday 209: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 81
Inspire me Fridays 51
52 cardpick up week 12

CHNC challenge 65: home for Christmas

Saturday comes round so quickly ... it doesn't seem a week since the last challenge was launched on my CHNC blog and here we are with another new one. Today's challenge 65 is 'home for Christmas' - to feature a house or part of a home - you might want to show a fireside scene, a window scene ... anything that relates to house or home.

I've based my card on the sketch for Sunday sketch & stamp 98:

I used an offcut of Bo Bunny 'tis the season fa la la for the background, a piece of recycled card from a Christmas cracker from the year before last (yes, I've still got some - lol!) and a circle of card that was originally cut on my cricut for another card, but I didn't use it at the time because it was the wrong size.  I have used an image I bought from The Crafty Pad (this week's sponsors) called 'snowglobe', which was ready coloured and I just added the text digitally before printing out, adding some crystal ice stickles to the snow, some habico gems and a sentiment. No new papers were cut for this card, so it's another one for Pixie's crafty snippets 12.

This is also for:

Christmas stampin all year long 3: anything goes

Craft room: bling and glitter/sparkle

Cupcake 184: going round in circles
Blog a doodle: let's see some circles and/or ovals

Aud sentiments 50 song title: home for Christmas

Cardmadfairy's digi days 29: add a sentiment
Rainbow lady 197: house and home
Jingle belles: happy hybrid holiday - incorporate a digital image
My mum's craft shop 49: let's get digital
Hotshot craft 6: red
Stampin' for the weekend 6: anything goes
Pattie's creations 40: anything goes

Scrapbook sisters 76: anything goes
Whimsy 31: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Cute card Thursday 209: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 81
Inspire me Fridays 51
52 cardpick up week 12

Simply pink and orange

This CAS card uses one of my all-time favourite Penny Black stamps 'sparklers' inked with brilliance pearlescent orange and heat embossed with detail clear. The corner piece stamp is also from Penny Black inked with versamark and heat embossed with hot pink powder. The 'thinking of you' sentiment is from the Marion Emberson stamp set used on the previous card.

Because of the white background and the shine of the embossing it was difficult to get a photo, so this is the best I can do (it doesn't really do the card justice):

This is for:

One layer Wednesday 84: pinks and orange (white based)
Penny Black Saturday193: this, that and the other
There's magic in the air magical Monday: less is more - clean and simple
Creative Belli 139: clean and simple (the corner piece stamp has been forgotten for quite some time)
Little red wagon 125: clean & simple
Hiding in my craft room 38: KISS - keep it simple sweetie
Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 99: clean and simple
Pixie dust studio 119: your favourite things - stamping and embossing
Scrapbook sisters 76: anything goes
Whimsy 31: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Cute card Thursday 209: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 81
52 cardpick up week 11

Silhouettes and buttons

I bought some new Marion Emberson stamps today and thought I'd try them out straight away - simply stamped with memento tuxedo black. The two larger buttons are from Poundland and I coloured the smaller one with an orange copic because I didn't have one that colour and wanted to keep to pink and orange. The addition of a bright pink butterfly and the card was done - clean and simple.

This is for Little Miss Muffet 31: silhouettes, The paper players 87: CAS with buttons and Shopping our stash 44: buttons and/or bows.

Happy Birthday Dottie

Happy Birthday Dottie (from Charmed cards & crafts) is the name of the pre-coloured digital image I've used for this CAS card. The striped paper and the spotted one were from my offcuts box. The glittered strips were from Poundland and a couple of spotted flowers from the 99p shop.

This is for:


Digi doodle shop 99: people (I just scraped in at the last minute!)
One stitch at a time 105: girly
Nadia 27: girls
My mum's craft shop 49: let's get digital
Dare to be sassy 116: monochromatic
Gingerloft 36: happy birthday
Crafty ribbons 15: birthday
Squiggle stamps: birthday bash
Bearly mine 27: dots
2 sisters 83: spots n dots
Scrappy frogs: seeing spots
Freshly brewed 88: lots and lots of dots
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 81
Inspire me Fridays 50
52 cardpick up week 11

A Christmas house

This is for CRAFT 146: house challenge. The house image was recycled from a card received (too good not to use) and the background sentiment card was also from another card. The silver card with gold stars is an offcut from years ago (I've still got some of this kind of card untouched in a box - about time I used it, I think! - perhaps another day).

This is also for Jingle belles: neutral Noel (hope the colours are neutral enough).

It's also for:

Aud sentiments 50: song title - Home for Christmas
Card crafters circle 14: pot of gold
Craft room: bling and glitter/sparkle
Creative inspirations 155: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 81
Inspire me Fridays 50
52 cardpick up week 11

The frog prince

This is for another CJ for the group on Crafts by Carolyn forum, this time it's for Christine's 'Once upon a time' journal ... fairy tales.

I chose The Frog Prince. The papers I've used are Dovecraft Princess Fairyale and so are all of the stickers except the coach. I printed out the story which was longer than the paper, so I decided to scroll the bottom and use paper clips to keep it in place, but it can then be unscrolled to be read. I did make a mistake though because I stuck the story down on the paper before I remembered that I would need to have the holes for the rings of the CJ, so I'm hoping the recipient will still be able to read what it says.

I'm linking for the following challenges:

Corrosive 145: things are looking Grimm - inspired by fairy tales
Stamp dreams 125: fairy tale
Flutter by Wednesday 195: open + butterflies and fairy
Fairytale 37: fairy tale
Craft room: bling and glitter/sparkle
Creative inspirations 155: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 81
Inspire me Fridays 50
52 cardpick up week 11

Two special dogs

These are my pages in Carole's CJ for the group on Crafts by Carolyn. Carole has asked us to show our favourite photo(s). The choice was easy for me.

John's ex-guide dogs were very special to us both and, of course, particularly John. Unfortunately, Oscar was put to sleep last year, aged 13+. Josey is still enjoying her retirement in her new home in Sittingbourne.

The background paper is from PDA and the torn/distressed strips are HOTP. I kept the design simple to give the photos the prominence they deserve.

Edges were distressed with tea dye DI.

So here is my 8 x 8 double layout:

 I'm linking these for the following challenges:

Whimsy 31: anything goes
Create me pink 8: tear it up - tearing and/or distressing
Divas by design 27: distressing
Prairie fairy Fridays 74: distress it
Creative inspirations 155: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 81
Inspire me Fridays 50
52 cardpick up week 11

Suzie's 365 photos day 81: an everyday sight

Today Suzie is asking us to show 'an everyday sight' for Suzie's day 81 photo prompt.

There's so much to choose from today, but I thought I'd show something that is very much 'everyday' for John - his testing kit and insulin: