Sweet stop card for BF 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using the Sweet stop sketch 38:

This is a simple card, using a picture recycled from a card received, a few gems added to the silver holly swirls and some inking of edges with chalk ink. Stickles crystal ice has been added to the picture to create glitter.

This also includes Bah! humbug 1 and Glue scissors paper 12.

Unscriped Christmas card for BF 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using Unscripted sketch 37:

This card was very difficult to capture, particularly taking a photo in artificial light (might try to replace tomorrow if light is OK) because of the reflective nature of the card in the bottom left - it has silver swirls within it. I've used a mix of offcuts of papers and Poundland chippie and a strip of silver gems.

Tenth card for January BF 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using CPS sketch 149:

Once again you can't see the pattern on the reflective card on the left because of the flash photo. This simple card was made using offcuts of papers, including the English paper company piece across the middle. Gems have once more been added to the silver holly swirl. It's not easy to see it here, but Stickles crystal ice has been added to the trees.

Cricut: Make the cut

I haven't achieved any crafting today. This morning I did a couple of jobs out of my resolutions job box - more info if you click the link to the original post:

I've now done 7 or 8 of the jobs so far, so that's not bad going for this stage of the new year - I have to confess that a couple of days ago I asked John to pick a paper and it turned out to be something I really didn't want to do, so we put that one back and chose another.

For part of my Christmas present, John said that I could buy the download for Cure Cuts a Lot to enable me to use my Cricut for computer generated designs as well as from the cartridges, thus using it like the craft robo. I do have a craft robo as well - the idea now is to sell that and just use the cricut - in the space I've got it will be far more manageable to just use the one machine.

Anyway, I was all set to get Sure Cuts a Lot, having downloaded the trial version before Christmas and seen how good it was - and then I learned that there is now software called 'Make the cut', which is very similar to SCAL. I've spent time this afternoon and earlier this evening researching it, comparing the two - and downloaded the trial version so I could see for myself.

I've come out in favour of the Make the cut software, so I took the plunge and bought it. I've had a play and cut a few scalloped circles etc and then downloaded a free svg file 'holly swirl' from here and imported into MTC and then made duplicates within the file so that it cut six at a time. I used silver mirror card to cut them (it's not too thick, which is just OK for the cricut to manage with the ordinary blade) and here's the result:

Now tomorrow I need to get on and use these for my Christmas cards for the 25th club on Bubbly Funk before the month goes on any further.

Dogs ... just for you

This card is for the recipe 15 on Crafts 4 eternity, which includes this sketch:

We were also asked to include a dog or dogs and a check pattern.

I couldn't resist the opportunity to use my labrador stamp, coloured with copics.

I'm still trying to stick to one of my crafting resolutions and use up some of my offcuts, so that's what I did for this card, using some 'dogs' paper from PDA, some dogtooth check paper (lol - how appropriate - 'dog'tooth) and other paper, both of which are BG and a few other bits and pieces from my general stash.
These colours remind me of hot chocolate, which is the topic for Quixotic 8 and also Simon says challenge this week; also for Divine diva inspiration 19.

No crafting yet, but some bargain goodies

I haven't done any crafting to show yet today, but I have got some crafting goodies to show. When the postie came this morning he brought me the goodies that I'd ordered Sunday evening from Paper n Lace - they have a sale on atm - plenty more craft goodies to drool over.

I admit that I've quite often in the past thought of getting the large roses stamp - and now the price was better so that it didn't seem so extravagant. And, of course, I couldn't resist a couple of BG pads (although I have to amit to already having about 30) - and the 7 gypsies papers are lovely - in fact I hope to use some of it soon to make something for the DCM 'garnet' challenge.

I've just come back to edit this post to add that I also got these from P n L (how could I have missed them from the original picture?):

QVC also had a craft clearance last week and I weakened and ordered this Christmas set - it will be ideal for some of those quicker cards to make for when I have a Tearfund sale.

Happy Anniversary in black, white and yellow

This card is for the sketch this week on Dottie's world:

As usual, we are required to use a Charmed image and I've chosen the 'Happy Anniversary' one from the Love and Marriage collection, changing it to black and white.

The black and white combines with the yellow for colour chef 34 on Kelly Jo this week: 'black, yellow, white' and for Flourishes Timeless 48 colour challenge: 'black and yellow + another colour of your choice' (the added white and tiny dots of red). I hope there's enough yellow for the My grafico challenge 31: 'yellow'. It's also another one for Lucy's cards 3: 'monochromatic' - one colour along with black and/or white, also Crafty creations 49: 'black and white with a splash of colour'.

The current challenge for Creative inspirations 42 is 'Anniversary card', so this is good for that. And it also fits No time to stamp? 121: 'love is in the air', Saturday spotlight 13: 'love without hearts' and Ann's creative nook 73: 'love is in the air',

The torn script paper is just right for Corrosive 46, Creative inspirations 24 and Creative card crew 42, which all have the current theme of 'distressing'.

Say Happy Birthday with flowers

This card is for Mercy's sketch challenge 55:

and also for ColourQ challenge 14:
Everything I've used, except the ribbon, raffia and sentiment, is from the Laura Ashley contemporary range - the papers, the stamp (which I inked with Brilliance pearlescent crimson and heat embossed with clear detail) and the fabric covered brad.

It's also good for:

Today (day 317) on 365: 'crazy eight' - use 8 colours: lilac, purple, yellow, green, pink, fuschia, brown, crimson, blue ... at least 8 here
2 red bananas: 'think round' - create something with curves - plenty on the flowers
Cute daisy may: 'ribbon and flowers'
Design dollies colour challenge: 'fuschia and pale yellow'
Fiskarettes: 'layering' - a few layers here
Pink elephant 49: 'birthday'
There she goes 37: 'embellish x 3 - ribbon, raffia and brad
Another one for Stampin' royalty 1: 'birthday theme'
Another one for Your next stamp 7: 'embossing' - the heat embossing on the central flower
Another for Hand full of stamps 11: 'say it with flowers'
Another for Frosted designs: 'ink challenge' - this time heat embossing a pigment ink
Another too for Crazy 4 challenges 19: 'birthday'
Sweet stampin' 8: 'colour combo' - certainly celery, rose red, pretty in pink, almost amethyst
Sunflowers and dragonflies 23: 'faux stitching' - on the green ribbon
Crafty catz 14: 'bright and sparkly' - the purple edging of the sentiment is glittered, as well as the pearlescent sheen of the embossed ink

Chance encounter

This colourful ticket sheet was the inspirational graphic given this week on Soartful and the theme is 'chance':

I downloaded a free image from here and simply enlarged, rotated a bit and superimposed on the original given image - my very simple effort this week:



This is what the poem says:

A chance encounter of the best kind
A meeting arranged by fate.
Two souls have come together
Two hearts can now relate.

Exploring has uncovered
A tender love sublime
Whose roots are strong and deep
To withstand the test of time.

This much I know within my heart,
That you are meant for me:
To share with me the joys of life
Throughout Eternity.

And here I found a final verse:

So now I ask with open heart
Baring my soul to thee;
Will you, dear (NAME), my soulmate
Take a chance and marry me?

Copyright © 1983 Ara John Movsesia

Top hat and tails

This is my effort for Sunday Postcard 'top hat and tails'.

The bride and groom are a download from the Charmed Love and Marriage Dottie and George and they have been superimposed over a photo of the view into a church at a wedding (Dottie and George cover the original bride and groom):

Stamping with Leonardo

This card is for the sketch on Ooh-la-la 44:


It's also for:

Sunday Stamper 85: 'faces'
PaperPlay 1: 'precious metals' - the pink clip
Humble Pie: 'flourishes'
KL stampin' n scrappin' 12: 'pink, black and a neutral (grey)
Ildi Co 7: 'scrap & metal' - use only scraps (they were - part of one of my new year resolutions) and some type of metal - the pink clip
Kraftin'Kimmie 12: 'heavy metal'
365 cards day 303: 'with a flourish' - 'To meet the requirements for today's challenge, you need to add at least 3 flourishes to your card. They can be stamps, rubons, patterned paper, etc.' I used one of my favourite flourish stamps by Dawn Bibby to randomly stamp the pink card.


The Leonardo (Stampington) stamp is one I had for Christmas - I just lightly coloured the face with a pink copic (doesn't really show on here), so, as the stamp is new - it's the first time I've used it - it's another one for Crafty Ann 5: 'new year' new inspiration', Fussy & fancy 1: 'new' and the Craft Garden January challenge: 'new'.

The pink card etc is more pink irl.

Love without hearts

This card is for sketch 73 on Cutie Sunday:

It's also for:

Dottie's world: 'B'ring out the old, B'ring in the new' -the old is the HOTP papers; the new is the prima flowers and centres (among the goodies I received from Quixotic for winning a challenge)
Cute Daisy May: 'love!'
Digital Tuesday 40: 'Valentines!' - I used a digi download from Charmed
My time to craft 73: 'blue & brown'
Quixotic 8: 'hot chocolate' (I concentrated on the colour)
Divine Diva inspiration 19: 'chocolate'
Hand full of stamps 11: 'say it with flowers' - the young man has given his sweetheart flowers - and there are prima flowers on the card
No time to stamp? 121: 'love is in the air'
Saturday spotlight 13: 'love without hearts'
Creative Inspirations 42: anniversary card
Another one for Penny's: 'chalks' - I chalked the flowers with chestnut brown chalked ink because they were too pale without
Also another for Frosted designs: 'ink challenge' (the chalk ink on the primas) - I like the way the chalking accentuates the embossing

I used HOTP papers that were in my scraps box, which ties in with my resolution to use up offcuts rather than cut into new 12 x 12, so this is good for:

Dollies elements: 'resolutions'
3 clovers 46: 'new year resolutions'

Pretty as a peacock

This card is for CLP 15:

It's also for:

Tanda teaser 129: 'pretty as a peacock'
Another one for Incy wincy 24: 'bling it up!'
Copic buzz: 'ribbon'
Dancing in pajamas TCP: 'glittereific' - the glittered silver borders on the blue mat
Copic colour 45: YG03 yellow green, BV02 prune, B93 light crockery blue (late for this one)
Stampin' royalty 1: 'Birthday theme'
Crazy4challenges 19: 'birthday'
Stamp, scrap & doodle 22: 'celebrations' (birthday)
Tellen's place: 'silver and blue'
Treehouse 31: 'bird, button and bling'
365 cards day 306: 'digging deep' (I've had these BG papers a long time now - haven't used much of the mellow pad at all before)
Basic Grey 11: 'photo inspiration':

Here is my card:

The background paper is BG wisteria and the cloudy blue piece is BG mellow. The glittery silver strips are PM. The peacock is a digi image that I won as part of a prize recently from Paper Popsicles and was coloured with copics and highlighted with glossy accents (shame this doesn't show up here - on the body of the peacock and the 'eyes')

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet ...

This card is for the sketch on Limelight 38, which also calls for the use of buttons (I turned the sketch on its side):


It's also good for:

Get funky January: 'spots and stripes' - using a freebie Funky Hand download, I changed the colours in Digital Image Pro
Crafty pad 52: 'buttons'
So artful: 'rose' - the picture of the dog and the rose was downloaded from Art Freebies
Color dare 50: 'ruby red, creamy caramel, Bermuda bay
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 17: 'chipboard' - the three 'buttons' are chipboard
365 cards day 290: 'Tuesday trio': 'chipboard, blossom (the rose in the picture), button'
Our creative corner: 'clean and simple'

Cream, blue and pink bling

This card is for the sketch on Allsorts 33, which also calls for 'old or new', so I'm using a new raised sticker with a rose in the middle and also some new heart gems (Poundland):

As I've used new stash, this will fit this week's Flutter by Wednesday 91: 'new' - and, of course, it has butterflies, which qualifies it, also Cute card Thursday 94: 'all new' .

It's also for this fortnight's week 10 challenge on Basic Grey to use the colour combo of cream, pink and blue - I always love the opportunity to use BG products - this time I've used urban prairie papers. The colours are also right for Cupcake Inspiration (Hope stamps eternal) 40

There are also similar colours at Manic muffin totes for Etsy inspired 69:

This is a 'thank you' card, which makes it good for Magical crafts 5, Lili of the valley 44 and Totally Gorjuss 11 (sorry, there's no cute image).

So here is my card (irl the hearts are much more pink):


With the pink heart gems, this is also another one for Incy wincy 24: 'bling it up!!' and Creative Belli 82: 'glitter or rhinestones', also for Spoon full of sugar 85: 'hearts'.

Penny's challenge this week is to use chalks - I used pink chalk ink to colour the scalloped circle (I didn't have one of the right colour, so I inked a white one) and 'Ink challenge' is currently on Frosted designs.

A couple of prizes

I was randomly picked for the prize for challenge 23 on Incy Wincy Designs - yay!! This was for the Happy Birthday Friend card. I've won some rub ons, some charms and a spool of ribbon.

I was also picked as winner of challenge 47 on Crafty Creations - for the Hidden Happy Christmas card. I've won $10.00 to spend at Digi Kitty.

'You are in our thoughts' card

I made this card last night, but didn't get round to showing it.

The challenge this week on Encourage joy is: 'if it ain't broke - don't fix it' - find a card you like and duplicate it in your own way. So I cased one of my own cards, originally seen here, which was inspired by a challenge from Sketch Saturday. In fact, the card was one of my choices for my top 12 of 2009 - why not have a look at this and I'd love you to leave me a comment to show me your top 12 for 2009.

Back to this new card, I used DCWV background paper and also an older piece of DCWV black and white spotted paper that I scalloped the edges.

I used a funstamp ' in our thoughts' stamp and stazon to stamp on white ribbon - 365 day 308: 'stampin' Saturday' - 'For this one, you need to stamp on some ribbon. Stamp a pattern or a sentiment - or both!'

I used a free image from the vintage moth, which I changed to black and white and then duplicated digitally to create the circular 'spotlight' in colour - you can see the 'spotlight' better in the second picture.



The card is also good for the following challenges:

Pile it on 29: 'anything digital' - and this challenge always encourages us to 'pile it on' by finding other challenges for the same piece of crafting
Copic buzz: 'use ribbon' (I used a copic to edge the image background and on the white flowers
Corrosive45: 'these are a few of my favourite things' - use two of your favourite embellishments (flowers and gemstones)
Lucy's cards 3: 'monochromatic' - one colour (pink) along with black and/or white
Creative belli 82: 'glitter or rhinestones'
Our creative corner: 'clean and simple'
Little paper shop 49: 'bright pink, black and white'
Crafty creations 49: 'black and white with a splash of colour
Humble pie: 'black tie event' - black and white, with the option of one other accent colour
Sunflowers and dragonflies 22: 'spotlight technique'
Rosie-dee 61: 'free choice'
Incy wincy 24 'bling it up!!'
My grafico: 'out with the old, in with the new' - the new item is the stamp and the re-purposed item is the sketch/card that I cased
Whimsical Wednesday 17: 'perfect makeup inspiration'
Crazy4challenges 18: 'polka dot fun'

Salt: faith, hope, love

It was Stacy's turn to choose the topic for today's Salt challenge - you can read what she wrote here and also see the beautiful crafting of other team members.

My response to Stacy's challenge is in the form of a digi LO, using part of a download I bought from Designs by Angel. I used some parts of the kit earlier to make a New Year card.

It would be lovely if you could visit Salt and see what the rest of the team have been up to - and perhaps you would like to make something for the challenge this time.

First card this year (at last)

I don't know what happened to time, mojo and good intentions, but this is the first card I've made this year, in fact, the first card for over a week. I did make my resolution job box last week, but perhaps the least said about that the better - I finally took out the first paper a couple of days ago, got all set to do the stated job ... and then a friend turned up for a coffee and a chat and I never did get the job done - hopefully, I might do it today. I really needed to get on with this card earlier because I wanted to send it before we get towards the end of January! But now that the snow is really set in again I won't be going out to the post yet anyway.

I stamped up a few images yesterday afternoon, using a couple of new stamps I had for Christmas, but I didn't get any further than that - was looking for a sketch to motivate me ... finally, I found the one that Tamara has given for her challenge 101, which is actually for a LO, but was just right for a card to accommodate the labels I'd already prepared. So this is the LO sketch:For my card I used my lovely new Penny Black Fantasy stamp (Santa really did take notice of my list), stamped with Elzybells sugar candy pigment (I would highly recommend this) and embossed with clear detail. The words were done on my dymo letratag. The striped paper is old from a DCWV pad. I ripped the edges and stamped over them with one of my HOTP stitch stamp.

There are a few other challenges around atm that this card fits:

Pile it on 30: 'crystal clear' - I hope the detail clear EP counts!
Ann's creative nook 72: ' it's a brand new year' - use any new item (the stamp)
Fiskarettes: 'new year resolutions'
Dollies elements challenge: 'resolutions'
Crazy Amigo: 'brand new start'
Charisma cardz: 'celebrations!' (New Year)
3 clovers 45: 'celebrations!'
Dancing Pajamas TCP challenge: 'something new' - not just a 'new year' card, but using a new stamp
Papertake 32: 'new beginnings' - new year and new stamp
Lili of the valley 43: 'new year card'
PaperPlay 46: ;new beginnings' - anything for 'new' - new year card and new stamp
Rainbow lady: 'new' (card and stamp)
Cards for men 2: 'new'
Crafty Ann 5: 'new year, new inspiration'
Daring cardmakers: 'new beginnings'
Frosted designs: 'new year card'
Fussy & fancy 1: 'new'
No time to stamp? 120: 'new things'
Stamp something: 'new somethings' (new stamp)
Stampin' for the weekend: 'new beginnings
Penny Black 82: 'Happy New Year'
Secret crafter Saturday 64: 'new beginnings'
By the cute and girly: 'something new'
The craft garden January challenge: 'new'
Lucy's cards 3: 'monochromatic'
Kelly Jo: colour chef 33: monochromatic
Artful inkables think ink Tuesday 11: 'monochromatic'
Tuesday taggers: 'black and white'
Humble pie: 'black tie event' - black and white
Everybody art 72: 'favourite colour combo' - I still absolutely love just black and white together
ABC: 'L for layering'
Fab n Funky: 'make anything you want for any occasion'
Gingersnap GC37: 'chestnut theme challenge: time'
Your next stamp 7: 'embossing' (heat embossing)
Creative card crew 42: 'distressing' (torn paper edges)
Mixed media Monday: 'leftovers' - the Paper Cellar snowflakes - and also the striped DCWV paper
One stop craft 61: 'something beginning with B' - black
Sophisticat 16: 'fancy borders'
Stamping vacation: 'it's all about the theme': 'monochromatic', so my three things to compliment are the background paper, the embossed image and the borders
Created by hand: 'it's a freebie' - anything

WOYWW today?

WOYWW today? The answer is: 'not a lot'! Not much crafting activity yet this year. As you can see from the scattered bits and pieces, I inked up and embossed a few images yesterday afternoon, using a couple of my new stamps from Christmas ... but as yet nothing more has developed. You can even see the card blank, still blank, waiting to be used ... hopefully I'll feel like doing something with these later. I think just the sight of the snow must be numbing my brain and my mojo!




If you haven't yet discovered WOYWW, then why not visit Julia's blog and then you can have a nosey at everyone else's workspace.

Annoying unwanted comments

Annoyingly I've been receiving a few comments lately that are clearly spam, most of them as anonymous. I've therefore taken the step of not allowing anonymous comments to see if this stops it. I'm really sorry if this is inconvenient for anyone genuine who wishes to comment who can't - it does still include open ID as well as google accounts, so I think most people would still be able to leave comments.

What a nuisance these spammers are.

And if any spammers are reading this, I do remove your comments, so it's not worth your efforts.