A quick birthday card

This card is for the sketch for Eat sleep stamp 69:

It's also for 411 colour inspiration 109:

It's also for:

Card-a-licious 33: 'three different papers and a tag'
Quixotic 13: 'tag it!'
A late one for week 4 'tags' on Lots to do
And, as all the papers used were from my offcuts box, it's another one for Creative inspirations 47: 'anyone for leftovers?'

And twisted Thursday is celebrating its first birthday this week, so the theme for challenge 42 is 'party, celebrate or birthday'

Lavender and lace

This is for the sketch on Moving along with the times 32:

The MAWTT challenge also called for the theme of 'childhood memories' so I chose a Cute Daisy May digi image of a girl on a swing. So this is also good for Alphabet K is for kids (late with this, but wanting to do something for every letter - this means I've caught up now).

This is also for this week's Cute Daisy May challenge: 'lavender and lace'. And 'lace' is the theme for Gingersnap 42 spicy challenge.

The background paper is some I've had for a long time - originally in a scrapbook pack from Poundland (they don't seem to do so much craft stuff nowadays).

I changed the colour of the CDM digi in Picture It and just added the white lace and the Craftime blossom.

And on Daring card makers this week the theme is the February birthstone: amethyst, so this is fine for that as well - there is a lovely prize this week donated by Craft Obsessions.

The key to my heart

This card is for the sketch for week 6 on Create 4 fun:

It's also for:

Kelly Jo colour chef 38: 'red, blue, cream (or white)'
Another for Susie's sassy 7 : 'red, white and blue'
Tellen's place 5: 'Valentine theme' - must use at least five hearts
CCEE: 'heart challenge - hearts and a charm'
Your next stamp 9: 'charms'
Another for Fun with shapes and more 39: 'hearts and stripes' - the 'something cut' is the die cut chipboard heart
Crafty pad 57: 'recipe: fancy edge, hearts, papers' - the fancy edtes are on the 'East of India paper chains' across the top and bottom, which also count as the papers, as does that on the heart
One powerful hour: 'birds'
Inky impressions 29: 'charming' - add a charm
365 day 346: 'Tuesday trio: scallops - ribbon - ink distressing' - the edging of the paper chains across the top and bottom, the ribbon holding the charm key and the ink distressing around the paper covered chipboard heart - it was sanded and edged with blue iris chalk ink
Cute card Thursday 98: 'spots & dots'
Divine diva inspiration 21: the red colour and the dots
Lucy's cards 5: 'polka dots'
Kaboodle 24: 'spots and stripes'
Lexi 7: 'spotted or striped' - both are here

WOYWW revisited

This morning I showed photos for WOYWW that showed nothing in my workspace. After that I faffed around for quite a bit of the day, but in the end I made a couple of cards and am just about to blog another one that you can see on here.

White space with a hint of pink

This card is for the sketch on today's 365 cards, calling for white space.

I have to admit that I cheated a bit on the white space. I ran some white card through my cuttlebug and embossed with an Ellison paisley texture plate (had a lot of goes at this before I had success because I couldn't remember the 'sandwich' recipe because I haven't used these plates for some time). I then slightly tinted the paisley texture with a pale pink chalk.

Instead of a circle, I recylced a lovely fabric covered dress that I saved from a card (shop bought) that was given to me. This fits nicely with today's Cuttlebug be inspired challenge 70: 'fabric galore'.

Secret crafter Saturday 69 is 'monochrome tones of one colour and white' and it's another card for La-la land 25: 'no DP'. I can't believe I've made a couple of cards today without touching any patterned paper.


It was difficult to get a photo (hence the light shining on the dress) - will try and take a better photo in daylight tomorrow and replace.

Yet more Valentine love

Love, hearts and Valentine theme still figure highly in the challenge world this week, so here's another card for that theme - it is for the sketch on Just us girls challenge 19:

It's also for:

Another for Pile it on 5: 'to the one you love' - and all these to go along with that:

Diva coffee break designs 164: 'Valentine's only' - bravo burgundy, pretty in pink, soft suede
Tuesday taggers: 'love is all around' - and the previous week was 'teddy bear'
Fun with shapes and more 39: 'hearts and stripes' - the circles have been cut on my cricut
Another for Die cut dreams 34: 'have a heart'
Another for Stamp with fun 45: 'hearts' (this time using a stamp - Newton was free with a magazine a long time ago)
My time to craft 78: 'hearts and kisses'
Stamp something: 'love somethings'
Another for By the cute and girly: 'love'
Another for Crafty calendar 5: 'love and friendship', optional: hearts
Fiskarettes Monday challenge: 'love'
Another for Ooh-la-la 47: 'love'
Die cuts R us 25: 'love'
Jacksonbelle: 'love is in the air'
Delightful sketches: 'love'
Another for Penny's challenges: 'Valentine/love'
Pixie cottage 9: 'love theme'
Simon says: 'What's love got to do with it?'
Stampin' royalty 6: 'love/Valentine'
Another for Charisma cardz 5: 'I love you'
Another for C.R.A.F.T. 36: 'love/Valentine'
Anotheer for Paperplay week 5: 'love notes'
Another for the Treehouse 35: 'colours of love - red, pink, white'
Another for Double Dutch 36: 'be my Valentine'
Another for Pink elephant 53: 'mushy gushy Valentine'
Created by hand: 'Valentine's'
Another for Creative card crew 44: 'Valentine's'
Everybody art 78: 'Valentine'
Another for Lili of the valley 46: 'Valentines'
ECP 5: 'Valentine theme for a man' (I think it's suitable to give to a man)
Stampin' for the weekend: 'Valentines themed'
Another for Challenge up your life 13: 'Valentine including heart'
Another for Crazy 4 challenges 23: 'be my Valentine'
Our creative corner: 'masculine Valentine' (I hope it's OK for a man)
Another for Mixed media Monday: 'romance'
Hand full of stamps 15: 'you animal'
La-la land 25: 'no DP' - I didn't use any designer paper for this card - the two circles beneath the image one have been stamped and embossed, using lipstick red chalk ink, one with a DB swirls stamp and the other with funstamps paisley background
Creative Belli 84: 'ribbons'
Just Buggin' 23: 'love ya' - I used the cricut for the circles (using Make the cut software)
Copic colour 50: 'E18 copper, E42 sand white, E77 maroon' - I used my nearest colours
Tanda teaser 133: 'quick and cute'
Fab n funky 10: 'shabby chic' - I think he's a shabby chic bear! and I've inked edges for a shabby look
Creative Inspirations 47: 'anyone for leftovers?' - I didn't cut into anything new for this (still trying to keep the ressolution to use up offcuts'
Lexi 7: 'spotted or stripes' - I opted for striped ribbons
There she goes 41: 'red, pink and brown'
365 cards day 345: 'Ad inspired' - this was the picture given (I used the colours):

This says it all

Today is WOYWW on Julia's blog - it's the time when we show what's on our workspace today. Mmmmmm - nothing!!

And I'd set aside today to do some crafting, but so far I haven't got into any. I've had a further sort out and tidy up (I think I get a bit fanatical about this at times), but would really like to get started and mess it all up again. I'm hoping that before the day has gone there will be a more productive picture of my space.

I really can't settle to much today - John's sister is having an op and I'm feeling anxious about her.

More Valentine love

This card is for a spoon full of sugar challenge 89: 'Let's get sketchy:

which is obviously just right for another Valentine's card for the following challenges:

Another for Pile it on 5: 'to the one you love', which calls for other challenges:

Fiskarettes Monday challenge: 'love'
Sew many challenges 3: 'red, silver & black with Valentine theme' - hard to see, but the glittered band across the cards with the hearts has silver streaks on it
Creative inspirations 27: 'Valentine red & black'
Incy wincy 29: 'pink (or red) and black'
Little paper shop 54: 'red, black and white'
Pals paper arts 28: 'melon mambo, pretty in pink, basic black'
Theme Thursday: 'pink and black'
Another for Challenge up your life 13: 'Valentine including hearts'
Another for Crazy 4 challenges 23: 'be my Valentine'
Another for Double Dutch 36: 'be my Valentine'
Another for creative card crew 44: 'Valentine'
Another for creative craft 6: 'roses are red - Valentine with option of roses'
Another for Penny's: 'Valentine/love'
Another for C.R.A.F.T. 36: 'love/Valentine'
Another for Lili of the valley 46: 'Valentines'
Another for Crafty calendar 5: 'love and friendship, optional extra: hearts'
Die cut dreams 34: 'have a heart'
Stamp with fun 45: 'hearts'
Another for La-la-land 24: 'hearts'
Another for Raise the bar 4: 'heart to heart talk'
Little red wagon 14: 'chipboard' - the hearts, which were raw chipboard coloured with copic and then glittered with stickles crystal ice
Copic creations 21: 'feather blending - red and pinks to colour the roses
Sunday stamper 90: the rose
Crafty angels 21: 'what's your colour?' - for crafting I love black, white and red together (although I also love purple, so perhaps I need to do another card for that)
365 cards day 339: 'love is in the air' - include 'love' in the sentiment

PS I have replaced the photo, having put a gem on each heart (there seemed to be a bit of a gap in the stickles on one, so this seemed a good remedy!

When people knew how to be in love ...

This card is for this week's sketch challenge on Paper Maniac Inspirations:

I've used a picture and quote from Sleepless in Seattle, which is the theme for this week's challenge 65 on Cinema Saturday - this had to include a red heart.

The main colours are right for ColourQ 18:Gingersnap GC41: 'chestnut challenge' is 'romance', so this is good for that.

There is an oval on here for Alphabet: 'O is for oval' and the 'tickets' paper is torn for Kraftin' Kimmie 16: 'be a little ripper'. It's also for the colour scheme on 365 cards day 293 (yes, I'm still trying to catch up!)

You are my sweetheart

Valentine challenges continue to be very popular atm.

Created by hand calls for 'anything but rectangle or square' so I created this heart digitally, using part of a photo of a rose that I took a couple of years ago - I faded and cloned some of the picture and then added the text. I'm not totally sure about this - think I could have made a better job of it, but spent quite a while on it and don't feel like starting again.

It is also for:

Another for Pile it on 5: 'to the one you love' - and PIO asks us to link to lots of other challenges:
Creative craft 6: 'roses are red - Valentine'
Simon says: 'photo inspiration challenge' - a rose
Paperplay week 5: 'love notes'
The treehouse 35: 'colours of love - red, pink and white'
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 21: 'colour challenge - pink, red, white'
Cupcake 77: 'red and white all over'
Mixed media Monday: 'romance'
Ooh-la-la 47: 'love'
Pink elephant 53: 'mushy gushy Valentine'
365 day 340: 'shape up' - heart as the dominant shape

All of these challenges are in addition to those listed last night for 'love hearts' (the only one I've repeated here is Pile it on) - and there are still lots of 'love/Valentine' challenges out there this week, so I might just be making a card or two for John.

E is for eye

Inchy by inch is this week up to the letter E, so I have taken a 1" z 1" section of my mardi gras LO to create an 'E is for eye' inchie:



Inchy by inch is going through the alphabet and so far I've only achieved B and now E, so I might at some stage try to do the letters I've missed.

Mardi gras

The challenge on Soartful this week is 'mardi gras' - sadly, we don't celebrate carnival in the UK, although, of course, we do have pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.

I downloaded some of the mardi gras elements being offered by Scrapbook flair and used them together with a picture from Tenerife carnival, to make a digi LO. I added the eyes behind the mask.

Quite a few years ago we were in Tenerife during carnival time and really enjoyed the colourful procession and all th 'party atmosphere' that went along with it - and one of the best firework displays I've ever seen.

This is also for this week's challenge on Crazy Amigo: 'carnival' and for 365 cards day 338: 'colour scheme'.

I'm also linking for Lots to do week 5: 'backgrounds' - using a digi bacground (hope that counts).

Love hearts

This is the first card I've made in nearly a week! I must be slipping! I did a couple of digi LOs, but nothing with actual paper etc since last Monday.

This card is for the sketch for Lord have mercy 59:

It's not surprising that atm there are a host of challenges with a Valentine or love theme - in fact, if I were to make a separate card for each challenge, I'd have more than enough for the rest of my life time!

So my card is also for:

Pile it on 5: 'to the one I love' - and 'Pile it on' encourages us to link with as many challenges as possible (easy this week!)
Cute Daisy May: 'oh sweet Valentine' - pink and neutral
Double Dutch 36: 'be my Valentine'
Fiskarettes Monday challenge: 'use a punch' - Fiskars flowers corner punch
Pixie dust studio 7: 'decorative border' - the flowers corner punch
Pink Elephant 52: 'all about pink'
Pollycraft 33: 'things with wings' - butterflies
Crafty creations 53: 'wings'
Flutter by Wednesday 95: 'open' - include butterfly, fairy or angel
Sophisticat 20: 'love'
Creative card crew 44: 'Valentine's'
Res-Q 31: 'check up time - do an inventory check up' - things you haven't used for a long time - the butterflies
La-la land 24: 'hearts'
Penny's challenges: 'Valentine/love
Papertake weekly: 'love actually'
Tanda teaser 132: 'for a loved one'
Charisma cardz 51: 'I love you'
C.R.A.F.T. 36 'love/Valentine'
Lili of the valley 46: 'Valentines'
Another for Dare U 2 digi 30: 'hearts/Valentine' - I've used a digi image from 'Sew many', coloured with copics
Another for Fussy & fancy 3: 'hearts'
Humble pie: 'love theme'
Raise the bar 4: 'heart to heart talk'
Another for Bee crafty 23: 'romance' - it includes a digi image
Challenge your life 13: ' Valentine including hearts'
Crazy 4 challenges 23: 'be my Valentine'
By the cute and girly: 'love
Crafty Calendar 5: 'love and friendship' - optional extra: hearts

I'm not sure why the scan looks more lilac than pink, because irl the colours are definitely shades of pink. The satin butterflies have an iridescent sheen that looks paler or darker according to how the light catches them.

The papers are from my offcuts box.

My schooldays

This is a very similar LO to the one I did for today's Salt challenge - a couple of posts below this one - using Smilebox digitally.

This is for 'schooldays' on DCM:

Ann's Creative Nook prize

I won challenge 74 on Ann's Creative Nook and received this prize today:

2 lovely cards, 2 spools of ribbon, a pack of buttons and some rubber stamps (for mother's day).

Thank you so much, Ann.

Salt: Beatitudes

It was my turn to choose the topic for this fortnight's challenge on Salt - you can read what I wrote here.

Having chosen 'the Beatitudes' or 'the blessings', I couldn't decide what to do for my own response to the challenge.

In the end I decided to focus on just one of the Beatitudes - "Blessed are the pure in heart" and it led me to consider the verse in Philippians 4:8 where St Paul encourages us with these words: 'Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.' (NIV Bible). The version I've used on my LO is from The Message - a modern paraphrase of the Bible.

I have made a digi LO using Smilebox, which speaks for itself. The photo isn't me, but one imported from Publisher clipart.

It took me longer to make this LO than it would have done with physical paper and materials, but nevertheless I enjoyed doing it.

Please visit Salt and have a look at what the rest of the time have created for this challenge - and we'd love you to share in our challenge with your own crafting - if you do, please leave us a comment so we can come and look at your creation.

WOYWW today - just about still Wednesday!

It's Wednesday (just about still Wednesday!) which means it's WOYWW on Julia's blog. It seems that today crafters have been showing their drawers! So I thought I'd better let you have a peep inside some of mine.

My top drawer just to the left of me houses all sorts of bits and pieces. I keep a lot of ink pads in boxes in my tall cupboard, but the ones I use the most I keep handy in this top drawer. You can see that I've got a box with inchies and twinchies ... waiting to do something with them - perhaps mini book, or mount them on canvas, or ...

The drawer beneath this houses chalks, alcohol inks, stickles etc - and lots of pens (there are more underneath the two boxes of chalks.

And then there's the drawer where I keep embossing powders and such like.

I thought I'd also let you have a peep inside the bottom of my tall cupboard, where I have a metal nest of drawers in the section that was built specially to house them - and just a few of my boxes.

If you like having a nose at people's crafting spaces, go over to Julia's blog and click on the comments and follow the links.

Viv la France

I've won this lovely selection of Viv la France on Dezinaworld:


I received the downloads last night and they are gorgeous.

I won them for this card:


I've also won some other goodies for challenges, but will show them when I get the prizes.

Unconventional Christmas papers

This card is for challenge 38 sketch on Fun with shapes - the 'buttons' are die cut shapes as detailed below:

It's also for:

Another for the Christmas 25th club on BF for February
Cuttlebug spot: 'silver and black' - the 'buttons' were cut using my cuttlebug with Ellison thin cut buttons
Sparkle creations 2010 Christmas card challenge week 6: 'dry embossing' - on the die cut buttons
My Grafico 34: 'metal' - the 'buttons' were cut from metal sheet
Jacksonbelle Tuesday: 'create an everyday card using unconventional designer paper' - the background is American crafts truly inspired, the glitter embossed diamond paper is unknown (think it might be DCWV), neither of which are conventional Christmas designs
Another for Lucy's cards 4: 'glitter' - on the diamond paper and the polar bear stamped image
Another for Cooking it up with Katie 9: 'recipe: use a 'non human image', add some texture, use a product you've never used before (the 'silver' metal sheet to die cut th 'buttons')
More embossing for Frosted designs
Another for Raise the bar 3: 'the older the better' - use old papers - both papers have been in my offcuts box for a long, long time (hence I can't remember what the diamond one is)
Stamp, scrap & doodle 25: 'open'
Another for Susie & Vikki's Christmas club 3: non traditional Christmas (the papers)
Crafty angels 20: 'buttons'
Another for Cupcake 76: 'four legged & furry'
365 cards day 312: 'metal mania'

I had to resort to a scan because the flash was bouncing off the metal and glitter, but this means that the glitter on the polar bear isn't showing too well (might replace with a photo tomorrow if the light is good enough):


The ribbons at the bottom of the card are DCWV (the only 'conventional' Christmas crafting goodie used on the card, well, apart from the lovely stamped polar bear).

Oh deer - another Christmas card!

This card is for sketch 98 on Paperminutes:

It's also for:

February cards on BF Christmas 25th club (I'm aiming to do 10 every month - this is the third one for this month)
Embellish magazine colour challenge with ribbon - 'turquoise, brown, pink (can add white or cream)'
Another for Basic Grey 12: 'animals' - using eskimo kisses papers
365 cards day 328: 'I'm a frayed not'
Cupcake 76: 'four legged & furry'

Take time for music

This card is for this week's TCP sketch on Dancing in pajamas:

It's also for:

Everybody art 75: 'brown/blue/white'
Flourishes Timeless 51:' inspired by the letter P' - paisley
Sweet stampin' 11: 'scallops'
Our creative corner: 'music challenge'
The craft garden February challenge: 'boys'
Color dare 53:
Kewl colour 15:

All items used were from a magazine give-away.