Peek-a-boo Cutie pie

Tonight I've made five baby cards - no, I don't know about five new births - the cards will fill a gap in supplies for the future. While I was sorting some papers I came across some K & Co papers and frames that I bought years ago - I used some at the time and then the rest were left. So this is for Waste not Wednesdays (Wishcraft cards) 18: use your old stash.

The first two are to welcome a baby boy. The square frames were stuck on to some K & Co papers and other cut outs were added. There was a sheet of die cut pieces to match - I used some and cut some up in a different way to add to the cards.

The next three are to welcome a baby girl: The first one has the frame stuck over a piece of K & Co paper:

For the next two the frames have been put over piece of Tutti frutti papers - these are also very old and offcuts that I came across - another for Pixie's crafty snippets 19.

These are for:

Daring cardmakers: fussy cuts
Amusing challenges: fussy cutting
Everybody art 192: baby
Creative Belli 143: baby/new arrival
Bloggers challenge: oh baby
Alota 82: animal challenge
Papertake weekly: cute cute cute
All kinds of cards 53: frame
Crafty creations 169: frame it
Flourishes timeless Tuesday 168: pink-a-licious (the last two cards)
CES 85: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 80: anything goes
The paper shelter 63: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 88
Inspire me Fridays 58
52 card pickup 19

CHNC challenge 72: Traditional Christmas colours

It's Saturday again and time for challenge 72 on my CHNC blog - please click on the link to find out what it's all about - and hopefully join in - now that we're into May it's an ideal time to start making Christmas cards if you haven't already done so - it's never too early, as some of us know since we've been making Christmas cards all through the year and building up quite a stock.

So today's CHNC challenge 72 is to use mainly traditional Christmas colours of red and green.

My card is based on Fetch-a-sketch 23:

Bugaboo Stamps are kindly sponsoring CHNC 72 and supplied the lovely 'cupcake candycane' digital stamp that I used for my card, coloured with copics. I covered the white icing with diamond stickles. This is for Catch the bug May challenge: anything goes.

All papers (Dovecraft, Anna Griffin and Papermania) are from my Christmas offcuts box, so this is another  entry for Pixie's crafty snippets 19, also Hiding in my craftroom: super scraps Saturday.

This is also for the following challenges:

Phindy's Friday 105: Christmas in May
Christmas inspirations 45: bingo - I chose 'layers, green, glitter'
Squigglefly 1812: use stickles
Simon says: sweet tooth
Cute card Thursday 216: food or drink
Sassy Cheryl 114: stitch in time (the fabric Noel sentiment is stitched)
One stitch at a time 112: use a digi
Jacksons digital expressions: anything goes
Stampin' for the weekend: layers
CES 85: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 80: anything goes
The paper shelter 63: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 88
Inspire me Fridays 58
52 card pickup 19

With sympathy

This is another sympathy card using one of the Martha Stewart lily of the valley stickers.

The textured green and white square is from the Craftwork Cards Sweet Pea peas in a pod collection which I received as a prize for winning Penny Black Saturday challenge 198 - this is such a lovely collection and I am so grateful to them.

The sentiment stamp is Anita's simply inked with memento tuxedo black.

Colours were inspired by Inspired 23, particularly the picture of the green fern on white bottom right:

This is also for:

Dilly beans: texture challenge
Lawnscaping: clean and simple

Lily of the valley for sympathy

This is a sympathy card (insert says: With deepest sympathy) using the sketch for Totally Gorjuss 130:

I've kept is clean and simple, as I think a sympathy card should be, using some paper offcuts (another opportunity to get into the playground at Pixie's crafty snippets 19 (I really am beginning to notice the pile of offcuts decreasing a bit) and a Martha Stewart lily of the valley sticker - this is for Make my Monday 48: floral - lily of the valley flowers or white flowers.

This is also for:

Fairytale 40: yellow + green
Do you stack up 71: use a flower
Card a day: thoughts and prayers - sympathy cards (inside insert says 'with deepest sympathy')

Simply yellow

This is a one layer card for Clean & simple 189 sketch:

I've used mustard seed DI direct to the card to created the square panel - I was reminded of this technique by Joanne's splendid article in Craft Stamper for June. I then stamped with memento with an unknown stamp that I've had for years and still love - so simple, but I think effective. The butterfly is part of a Laura Ashley stamp and the sentiment from a Molly Bloom set.

The yellow is for Less is more week 66 colour challenge, also for Crafty boots: yellow.

I drew the freehand lines and dots border with Staedtler fineline pens - I'm no good at freehand, but I tried!

As this is a one layer card it's also for St Luke's one layer month, also for Top tip Tuesday 76: clean and simple.

Spring fling

This is for A la card Monkey 'anything goes' sketch 107:

Papers and chipboard pieces are Kate Knight 'spring fling' hence the title - I built up the chipboard 'best wishes' tag with foam pads over the tied ribbon.The nestie shapes surrounding the chipboard circles and the ribbon were offcuts, so another for Pixie's crafty snippets 19.

Colours are for The craft garden May challenge:

IRL the background is a lot more green than it looks here - and they say the camera never lies!

This is also for:

PaperPlay 19: chipboard
Paper pretties Monday challenge: use ribbon
Crafty ribbons 19: flowers
Crafts 4 eternity R70: Maypole ribbons

Bunny Zoe 23: ribbon or twine
Mema's crafts May: bingo - I chose pink, ribbon, die cut
Victorine 33: flowers
The sisterhood of crafters: May flowers
Joanna Sheen: flower power
Hooked on craft 20: flowers
The paper shelter 63: anything goes
2 sisters 90: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 88
Inspire me Fridays 57
52 card pickup 18

Pretty colours

This is for this week's Daring cardmakers where this colour combo for May was given:

The colour inspiration for Just some lines is very similar:

It's also for Sketches by Carly 55::

Papers are Basic Grey - background is two scoops and the pink strips are bittersweet - from my scraps box, so another one for  Pixie's crafty snippets 19 .

Basic grey 67 is a recipe - 1 image, 2 papers, 3 embellishments (lace, flowers, pearls).

The image is a Stampotique butterfly by Janet Klein, coloured with copics, cut out with a spiky nestie and edged with a copic. Lace, flowers and pearls from stash.

This is also for:

Jacksons digital expressions: anything goes
Stamps & fun = creativity 98: pearls and lace
Allways something creative 29: mother's pearls and lace
Creatalicious 33: butterflies and add some flowers
Anything goes 66: things with wings
L E J designs 2: things with wings
Tammy scraping corner 9: show me your punches and/or die cuts
Victorine 33: flowers
The sisterhood of crafters: May flowers
Crafty ribbons 19: flowers
It's all about the vintage and beauty 19: summery flowers
Joanna Sheen: flower power
Hooked on craft 20: flowers
Do you stack up 71: use a flower
Papercraft star 96: use a stamp
The paper shelter 63: anything goes
2 sisters 90: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 88
Inspire me Fridays 57
52 card pickup 18

Suzie's 365 photos day 131: sandy

There's no sand around here today, so this is a bit of a cheat - the nearest I can get for day 131: sandy - a little Hero Arts ink pad (strangely enough I actually used it a couple of days ago for the first time for ages, so it was quite handy):

Suzie's 365 photos day 130: woolly

The way the weather is atm I think I need to keep these handy (Suzie's day 130: woolly):

WOYWW 153

Firstly, many thanks for all those who take the time to visit and leave comments - it is so much appreciated. I actually managed to get round everyone last week - not sure that I'll manage that this time - we'll see!

I had a day of crafting yesterday and this is the state of my workspace this morning. Those of you who visit regularly know that I like to tidy away between sessions, but so far today I haven't.

You might wonder why I'm showing pictures of my workspace - well it's for WOYWW 153 - if you don't know what I'm on about, click on the link to Julia's blog and join in the fun.

So here is the view to the left of where I sit - boxes that need to be sorted and put away, distress inks, cards I made yesterday (plenty of blogging beneath this if you're interested):

In front of me - you can just see the ATC I made last night for the Stampotique challenge etc:

To the right of me - mainly Christmas stuff - I sorted a box on Monday and made up lots of decoupaged toppers - not sure whether I will make them into cards yet or put them back into the box! Up the corner under the windowsill are cards waiting for inserts and to be bagged.

I won't be doing so much crafting today because I'm going over to see mum and then a bit of essential shopping - which includes a visit to WHS to get Craft Stamper.

Yellow, black and gold ATC

For this ATC for Stampotique 53 I've used the lovely Stampotique bee stamp by Jo Capper-Sandon, colouring with an acid yellow copic. I stamped over the bees with Penny Black sparklers using versamark and heat embossing with detail gold powder.

The ATC was made from white card which was then distressed with mustard seed and the edges with black soot DIs.

This is also for Wicked Wednesday 30: spring fever.

The bees' wings have been highlighted with diamond stickles.

This is also for:

Crafty boots: yellow
Creative craft world April mini challenge: something black on it
Anything goes 66: things with wings
Crafty calendar May: things with wings

Fairy birthday wishes

This is for Sweet sketch Wednesday 152:

All papers were from my offcuts box, so another for Pixie's crafty snippets 19 - I'm doing quite well for using snippets today - so why is it that I still seem to have as many as when I started?!

The embossed flowers and gem centres (lot more sparkly IRL) are from stash. The image is from Lili of the Valley, coloured with promarkers - cool grey 1, satin, pastel pink, coral, blossom, lilac and buttercup - this is for I love promarkers 115: fairies. I've added diamond stickles to the wings for Squigglefly 1812: use stickles. This is also for Lili's little fairies challenge: anything goes.

It's also for:

Jacksons digital expressions: anything goes
Pile it on 19: fairytales, fantasy and daydreams
Bearly mine 34: fairies
L E J designs 2: things with wings
Anything goes 66: things with wings
Scrapbook sisters 82: gems & glitter
Totally stampalicious: sparkle, shine, glitter and glam
The stamping boutique 37: bling
Tammy scraping corner 9: show me your punches and/or die cuts
Penny's 78: happy birthday
Simon says: birthday
Papertake cute cute cute
Forever friends: flowers
Victorine 33: flowers
Paper and such: May flowers
Little darlings 22: flowers
Paper pretties 204: flowers
Pixie dust studio 125: flowers
Crafty catz 131: May flowers
Hooked on craft 20: flowers
I brake for challenges: I brake for flowers
Aud sentiments: anything goes
2 sisters 90: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 88
Inspire me Fridays 57
52 card pickup 18

Suzie's 365 photos day 129: prickly

With this photo for day 129: prickly, I'm up to date again. This is in the pot pourri container on our bathroom windowsill. I went randomly round the edge of the photo with a transparency brush to soften the edges in contrast to the prickly element:

Suzie's 365 photos day 128: woven

Here is my photo for day 128 (a bit more exciting than the previous photo, but not much - part of our linen basket):

Suzie's 365 photos day 127: bumpy

Here is my photo for Suzie's day 127 (not exciting at all - manhole cover (or in these PC days should that be personhole cover?!):

Monochromatic blue for a male

This is for The paper shelter 62: sketchy time:

I'm still trying to use up snippets - all offcuts of Papermania Persimmon collection - so another one for Pixie's crafty snippets 19.

The stamped image is a Personal Impressions stamp, coloured with copics - difficult to see here that the tyres etc have been coloured with light grey. The scalloped circle was cut with a nestie and distressed with stormy sky DI.

This is also for:

Fab n funky 119: celebrating male-ness
Ooh-la-la 104: make it manly
Cute card Thursday 215: one for the boys
Come and get it: let's hear it for the boys
Oldie but a goodie: die cuts and punches - the stamp is much older than six months
Corrosive 148: the man, the myth, the legend - Tim Holtz - I used distress ink
Cutie pie 17: monochromatic
Stampavie and more 167: monochrome

Another scripture card

Just like buses - you don't see one for ages and then two come along together!

When I made the previous card I printed the scripture verse on a piece of white card to begin with and then realised that I wanted to use cream, so I put the white one to one side. I thought I might as well use it straight away, so here is another card for Word art Wednesday 26 and Scripture Thursday linky part (Little bird blessings) 27. I distressed the die cut oval with stormy sky DI.

Once again I've used offcuts - this tim from the Papermania Persimmon collection - just right for another entry for Pixie's crafty snippets 19 - I used the sketch for Eat sleep stamp 171, which was just right for using snippets:

I used a ready embossed card blank to add a bit of interest. I think this would be suitable to send to a man, so it is for:

Ooh-la-la 104: make it manly
Cute card Thursday 215: one for the boys
Sparkles 31: men only

This is also for:

Craft your passion 109: torn or distressed edges
Creative card crew 10: sentiment as focal point
Card a day: thoughts and prayers - sympathy cards (inside insert says 'with deepest sympathy')
Raise the bar 103: report cards - text on your card
Wags n whiskers 78: distressing
Corrosive 148: the man, the myth, the legend - Tim Holtz - I used distress ink
Truly scrumptious 79: distressing & die cuts/punches
Tammy scraping corner 9: show me your punches and/or die cuts
Top tip Tuesday 76: clean and simple
Cutie pie 17: monochromatic
Stampavie and more 167: monochrome
Aud sentiments: anything goes
Digi doodle shops best 106: anything goes
Great impressions 3: anything goes
2 sisters 90: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 88
Inspire me Fridays 57
52 card pickup 18

The Lord is good

At last I'm taking part in a challenge on Word art Wednesday (I've been meaning to do so for ages), so this is for Word art Wednesday 26 where the verse from Nahum 1:7 was given. This is also for Scripture Thursday linky part (Little bird blessings) 27.

I've used blue, green and cream for this week's For Fun challenge (the oval with the printed scripture is actually more cream than it looks here).

And all papers used are from offcuts boxes, including the cream background for the printed scripture, which was then cut with a nestie, so this is another one for Pixie's crafty snippets 19 - papers and card are DCWV and the inky green sprayed panel across the middle is an offcut from creating my own background papers that you can read about here - I just went over the white background with a Hero arts sand inkpad to make it cream.

The inverted scallops on the blue borders were cut on my rotatrim and the oval that surrounds the text card was torn around a template - this is for Craft your passion 109: torn or distressed edges.

This is also for:

Creative card crew 10: sentiment as focal point
Fun with shapes and more 108: text rather than motif
Raise the bar 103: report cards - text on your card
Truly scrumptious 79: distressing & die cuts/punches
Card a day: thoughts and prayers - sympathy cards (inside insert says 'with deepest sympathy')

Christmas Decoupage

Instead of crafting today I've been sorting out my Christmas stash. I had lots of items that had been left over from kits, quite a lot of pieces that needed to be made up into decoupaged toppers ... so I spent time putting them together so that they are now ready for when I want to make them into cards.

And later, when I was checking on today's challenges, I found that Crafty bloggers network 21 was asking for 'decoupage'. So I've used two of the pieces I'd put together earlier to quickly make two cards.

The background paper for both cards was an offcut piece from a 12 x 12 My Mind's Eye Christmas glitter book. I mounted the decoupaged pieces on to some silver offcuts, rounding the corners. So these are for Pixie's crafty snippets 19 - my first opportunity to hop into the playground this week.

These cards are much more glittery than they look here - even the sentiments have glittered edges that just don't show here and the characters are all very sparkly as well as the background paper.

Colours for this second card are for The play date cafe 130:

These are also for:

ABC Christmas: I for icy inspiration (particularly the first card)
Creative Belli 142: animals - I certainly used old and forgotten stash
Creative inspirations 161: animal antics
Craft your days away 44: just for children (the first card)
Aud sentiments: anything goes
Great impressions 3: anything goes
2 sisters 90: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes

All about me

This is a 12 x 12 LO put together with the help of picasa, with pictures of me, my interests and family- this is for Hiding in my craftroom NSD 2: all about me - this is one of five challenges on Hiding in my craftroom to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day.

It's not really all about me - but that's all I'm going to share on it!

This is also for:

Stampin' royalty 122: scrapbooking
Our craft lounge 116: let's scrap

Sweet little birds

'Sweet little birds' is the name of the printed circles I cut out from some free paper with Making Cards. I used a piece of the blue paper to stamp on to with the Papermania Urban stamp from the bird print set, colouring with copics - I also went over the birds on the printed circles with a copic. All edges were distressed with tea dye and stormy sky DIs as was the piece of blue paper embossed with my creative expressions crackle embossing folder.

The embossing is for:

Cards for men 9: texture
Craft your passion 108: lots of texture
Craft room: emboss it
My mum's craft shop 55: embossing
Crop stop 70: emboss it

and the distressing for Wags n whiskers 78: distressing, also for Corrosive 148: the man, the myth, the legend - Tim Holtz distress inks

I used the sketch for Critter 113:

Colours are for:

Sunday stamper 204: don't it make my brown eyes blue - blue & brown
Tanda teaser 196: blue and brown (I love those colours together)
Quirky crafts 10: masculine with blue and brown

The birds are for:

Anything goes 66: things with wings
Crafty calendar May: things with wings
Clearlyistamp 51: what goes up, must come down

Sundays with Crissy 29: things with wings

also for:

Order of the opus gluei 130: beyond the garden gate
My time to craft 178: gardening gems - garden theme
Tuesday throwdown 96: in the garden
Alphabet: G for garden
Crazy4challenges 135: gardening or the great outdoors

This is also for:

Amusing challenges (stamped blessings): fussy cutting - the circles were cut by hand (I'm not too keen on doing that)
Do you stack up 70: circles
Hiding in my craftroom NSD 5: I'm thankful
Come and get it: let's hear it for the boys
Ooh-la-la 104: make it manly
Totally stampalicious: masculine
Going grey with Scrap creations: it's a boy thing
Cute card Thursday 215: one for the boys
Sparkles 31: men only
Little red wagon 131: stitch it up
Crafty Ann 64: stitching
Aud sentiments: anything goes
Bunny Zoe 23: ribbon or twine
PanPastel UK 17: anything goes
Great impressions 3: anything goes
2 sisters 90: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Papertake weekly: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 57
52 card pickup 18