Helping hand for a new home

This is for this week's sketch 31 on Crafts4eternity:

The card is also for Creative Belli challenge 65, a colour challenge:

And for Mixed Media Monday 'helping hand' (I think the silhouette image is appropriate).

The subject of March 3 challenge on JB is 'home sweet home' and Alphabet Challenge this week is 'H is for ...' so mine is 'home' .

Bravely (or foolishly, whichever way you look at it) the sentiment is handwritten, so qualifies the card for day 74 on 365 cards: 'DIY, handwritten sentiment'.

Background paper is Tutti Frutti. I've used a small piece of one of my 'shaving foam technique' patterns, shown earlier in the day, across the bottom of the card.

BF NRC PP5 L for leather

This is the last BF NRC photo prompt for today: L for leather:

More to come tomorrow.

BF NRC PP4 B for bottle

My prompt for PP4 is 'B for bottle'.

This shot is taken from above my box of stickles and alcohol inks:

Call in 4 a coffee

For this card I've used one of the 'shaving foam technique' patterns that I showed earlier - although, sadly, I've covered much of it!

I've used the sketch that Kathy has supplied as a challenge on FB NRC: I used a coffee image for day 75 on 365 cards: Imagine this: coffee.

The colours used are right for Kwerner Design color inspiration 51: chocolate, rose, mustard, white (although I've just discovered it's too late to link for this - nevermind). This is also appropriate for One Stop Craft challenge 29: colours pink and brown.

Another one for CBCC096: 'cafe culture' and also appropriate for Everybody Art challenge 39: 'friends and family'.


You can't see the mustard ribbon strip very clearly here - it's embossed and looks much better irl. The 'friends's is Brenda Pinnick.

BF NRC PP3 B for beauty

PP3 for BF NRC is 'B for beauty'.

I have to confess that I'm showing some photos that have been seen before on my blog, but they fit the prompt so well (and I haven't had the inspiration or time to find anything better this morning).

I'm hoping that this one will give plenty of scope for the girls on BF to join in.

BF NRC foam fun

Gez gave instructions for the fun foam technique - involving shaving foam and alcohol inks.

The first one uses stream, denim and wild plum inks:

The second one uses red pepper, butterscotch and oregano inks:

I enjoyed having a messy time with this technique.

I'll use these on a card later.

BF NRC PP2 U for underneath

The second photo prompt for BF NRC is 'U for underneath'.

For this I've used old photos and scanned them.

The first one is my dear cat Misty, who sadly became ill at the age of 6 and had to be put to sleep - that was way back in 1989. She was such a character and beautiful too. This is a picture of her 'underneath' a chair.

In 1996, John and I welcomed a kitten into our home and here he is sheltering 'underneath' a nest of tables:

And here he is when he was a bit older, enjoying a snooze 'underneath' a drying umbrella:

BF May inchies swap

These are the inchies I received in the BF May swap - aren't they just gorgeous?

BF NRC PP1 B for blue

As part of the BF NRC this weekend, I'm giving folk the challenge of taking photos for various prompts - or showing photos that have been taken in the past.

The first prompt is: 'B for blue' and this is my 'blue' composition:

BF NRC ten minute mini book

For the BF NRC Kathy gave us a link with instructions for making a ten minute mini book. I actually made this last night - took me fifteen minutes! but the piece of ribbon I wanted to use was very creased, so I needed to get the iron out this morning so I could finish off the little book. I used Dovecraft retro floral prints papers throughout, with a piece of DCVW textured card for the cover (I cheated a bit with that). The papers were 8 x 8, which made it a bit easier to prepare the 8 x 4 sheets.

Thanks, Kathy, for a lovely challenge. I'm not sure what I'll do with the mini book, but think I'll definitely make more of them.

Lythan's Bloggyversary Draw

Lythan has some super blog candy on offer to celebrate her three years of blogging.

I love to visit her blog - such inspirational crafting as well as what she has to share in writing.

If you visit, you won't be disappointed.

Looking through my window

This card is for sketch 14 on Card Patterns:


This is so much like a window, that my card is also for challenge 30 on The Cuttlebug Spot.

This is my first time on both of these challenge blogs.

I stuck the white frame over a photo taken a couple of years ago - it is the view of our garden from my craft room window.

The trim at the bottom of the card has been embossed with a Cuttlebug border embossing folder.

BF NRC getting distressed!

Joanne challenged us to get distressed! using one of the technique on Sir Tim's video.

I used his second technique - patting distress ink pads on my craft sheet and spritzing with water, then dabbing the paper on to it, heating and doing it again. For the background of the card I used a piece of BG ambrosia (a light grey) and used old paper and tattered rose distress inks. For the panel I used these inks with the addition of brushed corduroy and then stamped with black soot using Hero Arts Distressed Spring background stamp.

Thanks for another good challenge, Joanne.

Bubbly Funk Non Retreaters Crop (NRC in future)

Today some of the members of the Bubbly Funk forum are meeting up for a weekend retreat. Some of us haven't been able to join them, so Kathy had the super idea of us having a 'Non Retreaters Crop'.

So this is for Joanne's 'Pop up gift card holder'.

The papers are American Crafts a la Mode Parfait and Eclair - which are both double sided.

I've slipped in my Boots advantage card to show where a gift card would be slotted in.

Orange, black and white

I've missed some of the BG challenges (I love any excuse to use BG papers), but have done this week's challenge 34 based on Anthea's sketch:

I've used ambrosia papers. As these are black, white and orange, I'm also submitting this for challenge 59 on My Time to Craft 'black and white plus one' (yes, I know it's very late for this).

Bex challenge us (JB April 1) to make a card with orange as the main colour (I think there's enough orange on this one).

CBC ATCs for May

This month the ATC swap on CBC is based on this sketch template:
I've used BG Scarlet's letter papers and a stamp from the Daisy and Dandelion 'Pickles and Onion' range - it's the smaller of the two elephants - think that must be Onion, but I'm not sure which is which - perhaps someone can enlighten me?! I used copics to colour. The pieces of ribbon are Craft House.

Anyway, as it's an elephant, I'm linking for Alphabet Challenge E is for ... elephant.

The challenge this week on ABC is 'N is for ... not a card' and on Daisy and Dandelion it's 'anything but a card', so these ATCs do nicely for both.

As these ATCs have pockets, I'm linking for Dewdrop Craftz challenge: 'Pocket full of ...'

And, lastly, 'animal antics' for this week on Papertake Weekly.

Salt: God's Strength

Julie has chosen 'God's strength' as the theme for this fortnight's challenge on Salt. You can read what she says here.

This verse is such an encouragement to me and one that I have proved time and time again through various circumstances. All my life I've had health struggles (or should that be ill-health struggles? - depends whether you see the glass as half full or half empty, I guess!). As a couple we have been through many difficulties times for one reason or another - and through all of this, I have always found that indeed God's grace is sufficient and He is our strength in our times of weakness. Many of you know that in recent weeks we have been concerned once again about John's health. The news we got yesterday is a testimony to God's goodness and His grace towards us and we pray for His continuing strength to see us through this time.

I decided to make a card for this challenge, one that can be used to encourage someone who is going through a difficult time.

The background paper is Imaginisce Go for Baroque Rendez-vous Who? - it is double sided, so the square in the middle has been turned over. I love the blend of colours in this paper. The leaves, swirls and flowers all came in the swap RAK I received this week.



Please pop over to our Salt blog and see the beautiful crafting of the team. And perhaps you will feel prompted to make something and share with us - we would love that.

Daisy and Dandelion challenge 9

Sketch 3 by Clare for Daisy and Dandelion challenge 9: K & Co and Dream Street papers:

I've included the option 'just for you'.

Magnolia - love or hate?

This was a question I came across the other day - a bit like Marmite, you either love it or hate it: Magnolia stamps, Tilda in particular.

Well, I had my doubts for quite a while (the lack of nose and mouth) but I have to say that after I'd received some Tilda stamped images in a swap, I quite warmed to them and am now the owner of a few Magnolia stamps.

So I've used one for this sketch by Vee on Charisma Cardz for challenge 18:
Magnolia is the topic this week on Rosiedee challenge blog, so this is being linked there. It also fits the Just Magnolia challenge 4 (first time doing a challenge there): 'in stitches', as the grosgrain ribbon down the side is stitched.

The papers are a mixture of Anna Griffin, Brenda Pinnick and Dream Street. Tilda was coloured with copics.



Challenge 28 on One Stop Craft this week is 'cut it out'. More often than not I just stamp on to the card shape, but this time I cut out the stamped image and stuck on with 3d foam to give it a bit of a lift, as you can see here:

A lovely RAK and some good news

I know this is a craft blog and I usually try and keep it to that, but so many readers have been concerned about John, so I thought I would share the good news:

John had to go today to see the consutlants (thinking he might have to go back into hospital) - they said that the scan shows that the blockage was cleared by the balloon angioplasty and that the antibiotics are working on the foot. There is even some hope that the toe might actually heal - will just have to wait and see. So John has to keep on the ABs and go up again next Wed (and probably continue weekly after that). Even if he has to eventually have the toe amputated - and he might not have to - the news is still good.

I thought I'd also show a picture of some flowers I received a couple of days ago - a complete surprise - from a craft forum friend:


Thank you to everyone who has been concerned about us. We feel that this outcome is such an answer to prayer. We appreciate that many were praying along with us and will continue to do so, for the foot to heal and even for the toe itself to heal.

Miss you

This card is based on Kazan's sketch 26 on this week's 2 Sketches 4 you challenge:

The lovely dog image is one that I received in my swap RAK from CBC.

I'm linking for this week's Copic Colour challenge 12, which is to use RO2, E33 and E57 (I didn't have E57, so I substituted E37).

The 'dogs' paper is from PDA and the torn card at the top is Core'dinations. As I tore the edge of this, it's good for 'J is for jagged edge' on ABC challenge (one that I missed).

Day 59 on 365 was 'miss you', so this card is also for that.

And, lastly, the challenge this week on Papertake Weekly is 'animal antics', so this fits that.