First black and white card

Flashback Friday 20 are asking to see our first black and white card - I don't think this is actually the first one I ever made, but it's the first I blogged back in October 2007.

As challenge 20 is a celebration one there is also a blog hop, so I'm now off to tour the blogs!

Suzie's 365 photos day 55: cloud!

These were taken about ten minutes ago for Suzie's day 55:

Ruffled ribbon

This is for Our craft lounge 105: ruffles - I used a length of stitched ribbon, drawing the threads to make the ribbon ruffled and stuck this around a piece of gingham card which was then mounted on the white card blank. I then added various stickers and sentiment from stash.

This is also for:

The pretty little ribbon shop 7: anything goes
Cupcake craftroom February: new beginnings
Lexi 59: monochromatic
2 sisters 79: stitching
Tuesday throwdown 86: winter blues - use blue
All kinds of cards 48: white & blue
Just inspirational: anything goes

Lollipop crafts 68: anything goes
Mema's crafts February: anything goes
Penny's 73: anything goes
Make it Monday 77

52 cardpick up week 7

Golden retriever

I love the Inkadinkado golden retriever stamp I've used for this card - reminds me of John's first guide dog. I stamped with memento rich cocoa on to a scrap piece of  BG cupcake mac n cheese.

The colours used for this card are for Chocolate, coffee & cards 6:

Papers are Basic Grey max n whiskers plus a piece of scalloped and glittered Papermania strip.

This is also for:

Rainbow lady 193: dogs
There she goes 144: animal theme
Crafty ribbons 13: paws for thought
Alphabet: A for animal antics
Allways something creative 24: animal
Die cuttin' divas 53: favourite pet
There's magic in the air magical Monday: all critters great & small
Truly scrumptious 74: all creatures great & small
Just inspirational: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 68: anything goes
Mema's crafts February: anything goes
Penny's 73: anything goes
Make it Monday 77

52 cardpick up week 7

Santa Tilda

It's a long while since I used any of my Magnolia stamps, not sure why not, anyway I thought I'd enter the Totally Tilda challenge 40: Tilda with a hat on ... but none of my stamps had Tilda wearing a hat, so I thought I would dress her in red and put a Santa hat on her for this Christmas card.

Tilda is obviously in celebration mood, so this is for Bunny Zoe 21: celebrations.

Papers are from my Christmas offcuts box - another one for Pixie's crafty snippets week 8 - strips of bling gems from Poundland, sentiment from stash. Tilda was coloured with copics R00, R11,R27, E29, R35, RV000, RV21, RV41, E08 and YR00 - another entry for Mad for markers: copics - pretty in pink RV or R copics.

This is also for Dilly beans: seeing red.

Post it!

A few days ago I got out the materials I wanted to use for a card for Daring cardmakers 'post it!' challenge, but hadn't got round to making the card till now.

The background paper is K & Co from a 6 x 6 paper pad that I've had for years. At one time I used to use quite a lot of the K & Co pads paper, but seem to have neglected them for ages. I tore off the right hand side of the paper because it had a postmark on it which wouldn't have gone with the stamped ones I wanted to use.

I chose a navy blue card blank and stamped the Papermania Utrban stamps with stazon ultramarine, also staining the Tim Holtz tissue tape with this ink pad. The postcard with the lovely picture of the dog is an Express yourself sticker. It originally had a deeper pink little rose in the middle,  but I swapped this for the paler pink because I wanted to dot more of these around the card - these are from a pack of PM satin buds (I carefully took off the green leaves).

Colours are for Love to create 3:  navy, pink and one other colour (creamy beige). The use of navy blue is also for Moxie fab world 'the cure for the winter blues' challenge. And Stampin for the weekend 3 is asking for blue with tones from cream to brown.

This is also for:

Do you stack up 60: distress
Rainbow lady 193: dogs
There she goes 144: animal theme
Crafty ribbons 13: paws for thought
Alphabet: A for animal antics
Allways something creative 24: animal
There's magic in the air magical Monday: all critters great & small
Truly scrumptious 74: all creatures great & small
The pink elephant 136: print it
The cheerful stamp pad 36: happy birthday
Incy wincy 134: birthday
Cooking it up with Katie 90: your 3 favourite things - patterned papers, flowers, stamping
Make all with love 22: flowers
Crop stop 59: is it blooming outside?
Lollipop crafts 68: anything goes
Mema's crafts February: anything goes
Penny's 73: anything goes
Make it Monday 77

Inspire me Fridays 46

52 cardpick up week 7

Suzie's 365 photos day 54: in the details

For Suzie's day 54 I'm showing the details on the back of a book of postage stamps:

Putting something in the post nowadays isn't as simple as it used to be a few years ago. Now we have to make sure it isn't too thick or too long or too wide ... and rumour has it that costs are going to soar yet again in April - time to buy up a few books in advance, I think.

Suzie's 365 day 52: sky high

As soon as I saw what the photo prompt for Suzie's day 52 was on Tuesday I knew what I wanted to capture - and I knew that we would be going up to Guy's hospital today for an appointment for John.

We've been regularly going backwards and forwards to Guy's for years, so we have seen The Shard develop over many months (when I say 'we' it's just me that can see it). It is now nearing completion and stands 310 m (1,017 ft) tall.

So I took my camera with me this morning and managed to get a few shots of this amazing building - to be honest I had to take the photos very quickly because we needed to get to the hospital on time, so I took the first one on the way in and the next two as we were walking back to London Bridge station and we didn't have any time to hang around, so it was just a question of point the camera and click.

Just before Christmas they took down the footbridge that used to connect London Bridge station to access to Guy's Hospital, so now it means that we have to go down to The Vaults and walk along to the hospital which takes us much more time. The old footbridge is going to be replaced with a new lift and escalators, I think by the end of May, so we look forward to that.

Christmas cocoa

This card uses a lovely pre-coloured digital image by Meljen designs called 'Christmas cocoa' (it was one I chose as part of a challenge prize) - this is for Meljen 97: anything goes using a Meljen image.

I've used the sketch for A la card monkey 96, which also includes 'moments' - I love 'moments' with a lovely mug of cocoa (I have one right beside me now!):

The background paper is Polka doodles 'bright Christmas'.

This is also for:

Crafty boots: food glorious food
Kaboodle 107: let's get cooking
Order of the opus gluei 124: warm fuzzies (lovely fuzzy warmth inside from a mug of cocoa)
My Sheri 79: warm wishes
Winter wonderland: Christmas card
CES 73: spots & dots
Let's craft and create 39: less is more - clean and simple
Lollipop crafts 68: anything goes
Mema's crafts February: anything goes
Penny's 73: anything goes
If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 99: anything goes
Make it Monday 77

Inspire me Fridays 46

52 cardpick up week 7

Bright birthday

This is for the sketch for Don't waste your Thursdays 125:

Papers are Basic Grey cupcake and urban prairie. The Happy Birthday sentiment panel is recycled from a card  received, as is the glittered vase of flowers to which I've added a few gems - flowers and gems from stash. I'm not really sure about this card - made it quickly because time was running out to meet the deadline for Don't waste your Thursdays.

Ooh la la 99 has this photo inspiration, which reminds me of the glittered bright flower arrangement I've used:

This is also for:

Clear it out: birthday card, use up your bling
Incy wincy 134: birthday
Crafty Ann 59: bold and bright
Stampin sisters in Christ 127: image must be or include a flower
Divas by design 23: bling it up
Phindy's Friday 93: bling it on
Hiding in my craft room 34: glitter! glitter!
Cutie pie 12: flower power
ABC: J for jazz it up
The poodles parlour: mother's day/card for a female
Mami doodles 43: pink, red, white
Stamp, scrap & doodle: more than two layers
Sassy Cheryl 103: no embossing
Cooking it up with Katie 90: your 3 favourite things - patterned papers, flowers, gemstones
Lollipop crafts 68: anything goes
Mema's crafts February: anything goes
Penny's 73: anything goes
If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 99: anything goes
Make it Monday 77

Inspire me Fridays 46

52 cardpick up week 7

Let's party

For this card I've used the sketch for Pals paper arts 129:

I've used a Mo Manning digital image Bella and Bronte celebrating for Mo's digital challenge 122: my sentiments exactly. I've coloured this with copics for iCopic lover 70 'colour an animal' and used colours for Inspired by challenge 11 - I've used the colours from this given picture:

I've used offcuts of BG cupcake papers and also a piece of BG urban prairie on which to print the sentiment - another snippet make for Pixie's crafty snippets 8.

I also took inspiration from the February challenge on Craft garden where this picture was given:

This is also for:

Use it Tuesday 25: it's a birthday party (I've used up scraps of BG papers that I've had for ages)
Nadia 25: party with stamp
The cheerful stamp pad 36: happy birthday
Incy wincy 134: birthday
Squigglefly 7: bright and sunny - use yellow on your card
Inky impressions:: bright colours
Crafty Ann 59: bold and bright
There she goes 144: animal theme
Crafty ribbons 13: paws for thought
Alphabet: A for animal antics
Allways something creative 24: animal
PaperPlay 7: critters
Going grey with Scrap-creations: critter
There's magic in the air magical Monday: all critters great & small
Truly scrumptious 74: all creatures great & small
Paper-crafting journey 3: make it cute
One stitch at a time 101: digi or don't - I used a digital image
The sisterhood of crafters: getting digi with it
The paper shelter 52: add a sentiment
Bunny Zoe 21: celebrations
Lollipop crafts 68: anything goes
Mema's crafts February: anything goes
Penny's 73: anything goes
If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 99: anything goes
Make it Monday 77

Inspire me Fridays 46

52 cardpick up week 7

Black, white with a touch of yellow

This is for Hanna and friends 132 sketch:

Also for Penny Black and more at Allsorts February challenge, where we were asked to choose a line:

Also for Our creative corner: black and white with a splash of colour, and Fashionable stamping 15: monochromatic plus one other colour.

I used an offcut of Kanban card that was originally used for this card so this is another one for Pixie's crafty snippets 8 (I really am trying to use up the offcuts, but the more I use the more I seem to have!).

The butterfly stamp is by Laura Ashley, simply stamped with memento tuxedo black and coloured with copic Y08 acid yellow. The scalloped circles were cut with nesties. The gold bling gems on the corners and on the butterflies are from Kanban (sorry the gold doesn't really show up here).

This is also for:

Sparkles 29: things with wings
PaperPlay 7: critters
Going grey with Scrap-creations: critter
There's magic in the air magical Monday: all critters great & small
Truly scrumptious 74: all creatures great & small
Whimsical Wednesday: time flies - something with wings
Crazy challenge 107: use a die or punch
Paper pretties Wednesday: use punches or die cuts
Scrappy frogs: die cut challenge
Stuck on u: die cut challenge
Lollipop crafts 68: anything goes
Mema's crafts February: anything goes
Penny's 73: anything goes
If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 99: anything goes
Make it Monday 77

Inspire me Fridays 46

52 cardpick up week 7

Embrace the joy of life

Among my offcuts I found some card stickers, some of which had been used long ago, but there are still some lovely ones on the sheet. I can't remember the manufacturer - I think they might be Dream Street or My Mind's Eye, but I'm not sure - if anyone recognises them I'd love to know. This is for Soartful challenges: kraft, red and pink.

This is for Eat sleep stamp sketch 160:

The card base is a kraft one and the background paper is an offcut of some Anna Griffin paper. So this is another card for Pixie's crafty snippets 8 (but my box is still just as full as it was at the beginning of the year!). I distressed the edges lightly with fired brick DI - this is for Lawnscaping 28:

A krafty note

This is a simple card using a kraft card blank, stamped music in memento cocoa bean with a La Blanche foam stamp, some natural twine and a couple of Cosmo Cricket die cut sentiments.

This is for:

Papertake: getting krafty
City crafter 97: it' all natural
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 112: kraft card stock
Lexi 59: monochromatic
Whimsy 27: monochromatic
Desert island crafts 25: I used kraft, twine and 2 die cut stickers
Celebrate the occasion 51: thinking of you
The paper shelter 52: add a sentiment
Let's craft and create 39: less is more - clean and simple
CRAFT 142: no designer paper
Rogue redhead rebel 8: stamped background
One stop craft 170: create your own background
Cutie stampers 121: self-stamped background
Lollipop crafts 68: anything goes
Mema's crafts February: anything goes
Penny's 73: anything goes
If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 99: anything goes
Make it Monday 77

Inspire me Fridays 46

52 cardpick up week 7

WOYWW 142

It's Wednesday again and in crafty blogland that means it's WOYWW day, so here is my crafting space for WOYWW 142.

This is a photo of the overall area in which I craft:

I decided that today I would try and take my photos more looking down on to the work surface, so here goes. This is the scene to the left of where I sit. You can see the baby card I've just made. My twinchies and inchies that I made yesterday are lurking behind that box of inks - they need to be posted today - there are some Cath Kidson papers to the left and some golf decoupage sheets that are needed to make a commissioned card.

This is where I sit, so the computer is always in evidence, but the keyboard is put out of the way to give maximum space to work in. You can see the little chick stamp that I actually bought to use on Easter cards, but it had it's first outing this morning on the baby card I've just made - you can see some baby offcut papers that weren't used. Over on the right are some stamps etc that are to be used on a card for this week's Daring cardmakers challenge (hope I get round to this soon).

To the right of where I sit you can see some Easter stamps that are waiting to be used - I really do need to get on with making some Easter cards as I have been asked to sell cards at our church's WEF on Friday 2 March - help, that's quite soon! There are also some fairy tale stickers etc that are ready to use in a circle journal that I'll be receiving soon.

I managed to get round to lots of blogs last week - I'm not sure how well I'll do this week, but I'll try and visit as many as possible. Thank you for all the kind crafters who visit my blog and leave comments - they are much appreciated.

For baby

When sorting through my craft stuff last week I came across a Baby gift card pocket that I'd put together some time ago and never done anything with it, so I decided to use it on a card this morning. I chose a tag shaped card that has a ready-printed coloured edge and stamped random chicks with a Personal Impressions springtime 'tinchies'. I inked the stamp with yellow citrus chalk ink and then embossed with clear detail - I was disappointed with the result because it was hardly visible. However, I then coloured the chicks with copic Y21 buttercup yellow - you can just about see the embossed outline of the chicks if the card is held in the right light!

The striped card inside the pocket has a couple of little cuts that will house a gift card.

This is for:

Crop stop 58: it's a baby
Totally stampalicious: baby card
Cupcake craftroom February: new beginnings
Crazy4challenges 124: stripes and polka dots
Alota 77: shaped card
CRAFT 142: no designer paper
Annabelle: say it with background stamps

Suzie's 365 day 53: ordinary

When I saw that Suzie's photo prompt for today is 'ordinary' I wondered what I could do - then I thought of our 'ordinary' glasses in the cupboard. Because John has very little vision we do have quite a few breakages of crockery and glass - particularly because our kitchen floor is tiled and anything that falls breaks.

We do have some 'nice' glasses that are hardly ever used - high days and holidays - but for everyday we use 'ordinary' ones that can be replaced without too much expense.

So here is my photo for Suzie's day 53: ordinary:

And, yes, I know that I haven't done anything yet for yesterday's prompt - that's got to wait till tomorrow - I have an idea for that.

Suzie's 365 photos day 51: fragile

I'm not sure why I didn't do this photo on the day, but nevermind, here it is now - my fragile eggs for Suzie's day 51:

Love inchies

These inchies are for this month's 'love' theme for the swap on the Bubbly Funk forum.

I used snippets of card that were left from making the ATCs earlier today - from paper by Tim Holtz in the vintage shabby range. I stamped an unknown heart stamp with warm red chalk ink and embossed with detail clear, just adding a heart gem to each of them.

I'm linking these for the following challenges:

Pixie's crafty snippets 8
Catered crop: seeing red
Fussy & fancy 56: with all my heart
Hooked on crafts 17: hearts
The artistic stamper creative team blog February: hearts
The pink elephant 136: print it - something with script, words, print on
The pixie cottage 108: anything but a card
That craft place 6: love is all around
Freshly brewed 83: red hot
Prairie fairy Fridays 72: let me call you sweetheart - love
Stamp and create: Valentine's day/love
By the cute and girly February: love is in the air
One crazy stamper February: love is in the air
Joanna Sheen 3: love is in the air
Lollipop crafts 68: anything goes
Mema's crafts February: anything goes
Penny's 73: anything goes
If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 99: anything goes
Make it Monday 77

Inspire me Fridays 46

52 cardpick up week 7

Love and seduction

'Love and seduction' is the theme for the twinchies swap this month on the Bubbly Funk forum.

I used my Hampton Art corset stamp, stamping with memento rich cocoa on to pieces of Tim Holtz vintage shabby papers in a neutral colour. I then coloured the corset with copics and added some fired brick distress stickles. The Love stamp is from Hobbycraft and the elongated heart is Dovecraft. I gently distressed the edges of the twinchies with fired brick DI.

The photo doesn't do them justice, but it's the best I could get (will replace with a better one if the light is good in the morning, before I put these in the post):

I'm linking these for the following challenges

Cards und more 48: glisten and sparkle
Catered crop: seeing red
Fussy & fancy 56: with all my heart
Hooked on crafts 17: hearts
The artistic stamper creative team blog February: hearts
Crafts and me 71: distressed
The pink elephant 136: print it - something with script, words, print on
Mami doodles 43: ink, red, white
The pixie cottage 108: anything but a card
That craft place 6: love is all around
Freshly brewed 83: red hot
Stampavie and more 162: love
Whimsical: colours of love
Prairie fairy Fridays 72: let me call you sweetheart - love
Stamp and create: Valentine's day/love
By the cute and girly February: love is in the air
One crazy stamper February: love is in the air
Joanna Sheen 3: love is in the air
Lollipop crafts 68: anything goes
Mema's crafts February: anything goes
Penny's 73: anything goes
If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 99: anything goes
Make it Monday 77

Inspire me Fridays 46

52 cardpick up week 7

ATC 'heart' swap

These are my ATCs for the February swap on the Bubbly Funk forum, where we needed to use a heart.

I started with a 12 x 12 paper from Tim Holtz's vintage shabby range, cutting into ATC sized pieces. I then stampedthe cArt-Us heart stamp with warm red chalk ink and embossed with detail clear powder. I then stamped two corners with part of the Dimensions crafts flourish, again using warm red chalk ink and embossing. I then distressed around the ATCs with fired brick DI.

I'm linking these for the following challenges:

Wicked Wednesday 19: quotes and words
Fussy & fancy 56: with all my heart
Hooked on crafts 17: hearts
The artistic stamper creative team blog February: hearts
Crafts and me 71: distressed
The pink elephant 136: print it - something with script, words, print on
Robyn's fetish 95: pretty in pink
Stamp dreams 121: pink
Mami doodles 43: ink, red, white
The pixie cottage 108: anything but a card
Whimsy 26: anything but a square card
That craft place 6: love is all around
Paper and such: love
Digistamps4joy 36: do it for love
Freshly brewed 83: red hot
Stampavie and more 162: love
Whimsical: colours of love
Pattie's: Valentine's and love
Timbro scrap mania 42: valentine
Prairie fairy Fridays 72: let me call you sweetheart - love
Stamp and create: Valentine's day/love
By the cute and girly February: love is in the air
One crazy stamper February: love is in the air
Joanna Sheen 3: love is in the air
It's all about the vintage and beauty 13: Valentine's
Ruby's rainbow 22: vintage
Crafty bloggers network 14: shabby chic
Lollipop crafts 68: anything goes
Mema's crafts February: anything goes
Penny's 73: anything goes
If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 99: anything goes
Make it Monday 77

Inspire me Fridays 46

52 cardpick up week 7