Raindrops are like fairy whispers

This card is for Diva coffee break sketch 183:


The fairy image and sentiment (it says: raindrops are like fairy whispers - I hope the silver gems look a bit like raindrops) are from Hunkydory fairy flutterbyes collection. The main background paper is BG porcelain and the diagonal pieces from BG lemonade.

This is also for:

Cutie Sunday 99: 'fairy tale'
Magical crafts 18: 'flower power'
We memories 13: 'free for all
Crazy challenge: 'up in the air' - well, fairies fly, don't they?!
Scrap creations Going grey 18: 'summer'
Stampavie 101: 'sparkling' - the silver gems are very sparkly irl
Twisted Thursday 63: summertime' + twist: sparkles
Alphabet: 'J for jewels'
Craftalicious 3: 'cute'
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 40: 'spread your wings'
Prairie fairy 26: 'anything goes'
The craft garden July: 'fairy'
Cupcake inspirations 66, which gives this picture (I used the colours):

Have a yummy birthday

This card uses Creative Inspirations 67:

The card blank is brown Stardream and everything else, except the dotty ribbons, are from the QVC cupcake kit that I bought a while ago (and am still trying to use up!).

This is also for:

Craft creations 74: 'ice cream and cakes'
Rosie-D 74: 'summer birthdays'
Paperminutes 121: 'brown, yellow, pink'
Pink elephant 74: '3 layers, 2 die cuts and ribbon' - the circle die was cut on my cricut and the cupcake was a ready die cut
Speedy the cat 10: 'use a die cut'
Creative card crew 54: 'to die for' - use a die cut
Creative craft: 'summer lovin''
Kaboodle 34: 'celebrate summer'
Stampavie 101: 'sparkling' - the cupcake is very glittered (not easy to see here)

Some more prizes and guest designer slot

Postie brought me a lovely prize this morning - this was for challenge 52 on Creative Card Crew sponsored by Victoria - you can see the challenge here and my card here.

And here are the lovely goodies I received:

I've also won £10 to spend at Nutcrafters for winning the prize for challenge 18 on Nutty Nutshells - you can see the challenge here and my winning card here.

I'm also excited to say that I've been asked to be a guest designer on a challenge blog - I did my card for this yesterday, but, of course, can't show it till the challenge is launched - watch this space in a couple of weeks' time.

Awww ... little angels

For this Christmas card I've used the sketch on Cas-tastic 10:

I used a picture of girl angels from Art Freebies. The background card is black Stardream and the ripped sentiment paper is vellum, with just a tiny piece of scalloped PM 'a Christmas carol' running down the side, with the addition of the stitched ribbon and a sentiment added.

This is another card for this month's 25th club on BF forum, where the subject is 'angels' - I've now done six cards for this - another four to do.

It's also for:

Pile it on 26: 'my favourite things' - making Christmas cards (have made nearly 100 so far this year)
Tuesday throwdown 6: 'black and white with a splash of colour'
Corrosive 71: 'Christmas time'
Flourishes Timeless 74: 'Christmas in July'
Fussy & fancy 14: 'Christmas in July'
Simple doodles 21: 'tme for some holiday fun' - Christmas
Fab's big Christmas week 24: 'titched ribbons and usin toppers'
Bah humbug 25: 'less is more'
Christmas stampin' all year long 55: 'stitch it up'
Craft your passion 13: 'real or faux stitching'
Papertake: 'in stitches'
Artful inkables Think ink Tuesday 24: 'sewing'
Fab n funky 29: 'sew n sew'
One stitch at a time 20: 'lace, ribbons and bows; - ribbon
Quirky crafts 31: 'ribbons'
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 40: 'spread your wings'
Prairie fairy 26: 'anything goes'
My time to craft 98: 'angelic'

BF June ATCs received

These are the fab ATCs that I received yesterday from the 'textures' swap for June on BF forum:

Thanks, girls - and to Ali for once again hosting.

Red, white and blue Christmas

This card is loosely based on sketch 97 on Clean & simple:

On the Clean & Simple blog Natasha said: ' It essentially has 4 items on the card front.' As well as the English Paper Company background paper, I've added the snowman, tag, greeting and a snowflake, so I think I've entered into the spirit of the sketch.

There are a lot of challenges this week that ask for 'red, white and blue', understandly as it's 4 July tomorrow - sending best wishes to all blogging friends 'across the pond'.


All of these challenges this week call for 'red, white and blue' (or patriotic colours of our country):

Cupcake Inspirations 65
Wee memories 12
For fun: 'patriotic pride'
Simplicity one layer: 'patriotic cards'
Meljen's designs 14
One powerful hour
Pixie dust studio 29
Stamp insanity 16
Raise the bar 25: 'colours of your flag'
Oh Alice 20: 'in my country'
Pals paper arts 49: '4th July inspiration' - the area around he snowmen remind me of fireworks and I've used red, white and blue
Freshly brewed 9: 'fireworks' - anything that makes you think of fireworks - see above

It's also for:

Fussy & fancy 14: 'Christmas in July'
Bah! humbug 25: 'less is more'
PaperPlay 26: 'card for child'
Flourishes Christmas spirit challenge: 'Christmas song' - Frosty, the snowman

Hope you have a strawberries and cream Birthday

This is for Card Patterns sketch 70:

The background card is a PM scalloped one - it's actually cream, which contrasts with the white, but doesn't show too well here. The strawberries were stamped and masked with a free stamp given a few months ago with Craft Stamer (I'd lost it and fortunately came across it recently), coloured with copics. The sentiment is computer generated.

It's also for:

Secret crafter Saturday 89: 'strawberries and cream'
Quirky crafts 31: 'ribbons'
Rosie-D 74: 'summer birthdays'
Ann's creative nook 94: 'the fruits of summer'
Crazy challenge: 'make it in an hour'
Ooh-la-la 57: 'simply summer'
Stamp with fun 65: 'birthday'
Everybody art 97: 'birthday'
There she goes 61: 'going green - colour and some sort of plant'
Flourishes timeless 73: 'fruit inspired'
Papertake: 'in stitches'
Creative craft: 'stamp it up'
Party time Tuesdays 5: 'anything goes Birthday'
Creative cottage 17: 'summer surprise'
Delightful: 'it's all about summer'
Cutie stampers 62: 'fruit'
Prairie fairy 26: 'anything goes'
Let's get shabby 13: 'birthdays and stamping'
ECP 16: 'summer'
Crafty calendar 10: 'summer'
Andrea's stampin' moments: 'simply repeated'

Vellum and gems for a Christmas angel

This is the fifth card I made last night for the 25th club on BF forum, with the subject of 'angels'.

The card base is a matt gold one - the greetings paper is vellum and once again I've used a favourite Christmas 'Hark the herald angels sing' stamp, partly coloured with copics, with glossy accents on the halo. The pearl gems are Prima.


This is also for these challenges:

Sparkle Creations Christmas week 30: 'favourite Christmas song'
Incy wincy 48: 'things with wings'
Fussy & fancy 13: 'monochromatic and wings'

Simply angels

My fourth card this month for the 25th club on BF forum (subject: angels).

Once more I've used the free downloaded sheet music for Hark the herald angels sing. I stamped the Anita's angel stamp and then stamped again so that the second one was faded. Just a hint of colouring with copics. You can't see it here because the white card covers it, but the base card is a matt gold one.


This is also for these challenges:

Sparkle Creations Christmas week 30: 'favourite Christmas song'
Susie & Vikki's Christmas club 22: 'all white Christmas'
Incy wincy 48: 'things with wings'
Stampin' royalty 26: 'seeing doubles'
Andrea's stampin' moments: 'simply Saturday simply repeated'
Fussy & fancy 13: 'monochromatic and wings'

Simply ribbon and angels

A third card for this month's 25th club on BF forum.

This time I've stamped the Anita's stamp angel twice, using the masking technique, coloured with copics. The background card is a gold embossed foil card. The ribbon is tied in a 'faux' bow - a piece of ribbon at right angles under the main strip, which is then tied to make the knot.

This is also for these challenges:

Sparkle Creations Christmas week 30: 'favourite Christmas song'
Susie & Vikki's Christmas club 22: 'all white Christmas'
Incy wincy 48: 'things with wings'
Stampin' royalty 26: 'seeing doubles'
Andrea's stampin' moments: 'simply Saturday simply repeated'
Quirky crafts 31: 'ribbons'

Another angel card

Another Christmas card for the 25th club on BF forum.

Once again I've used the free downloa sheet music of 'Hark the herald angels sing' for the background. The stamp is Anita's, coloured with copics and glossy accents on the halo and parts of the wings - the image has then be mounted on gold mirror card.


This is also for these challenges:

Sparkle Creations Christmas week 30: 'favourite Christmas song'
Susie & Vikki's Christmas club 22: 'all white Christmas'
Incy wincy 48: 'things with wings'

Cracking on with Christmas cards

For the 25th club on BF forum, Janice has chosen the subject of 'angels', which is a good opportunity to use one of my favourite Christmas stamps.

Last night I made five cards for this theme - I pledged that I woul make ten cards each month for the Christmas 25th club and so far I've been able to meet that target - and, gosh, half the year has already gone.

I downloaded free sheet music for Hark the herald angels sing, coloured parts of the stamped image (Rubber Stampede 'angel collage') with copics and added glossy accents to the halo. The image was then mounted on gold mirror card.

This is also for these challenges:

Sparkle Creations Christmas week 30: 'favourite Christmas song'
Susie & Vikki's Christmas club 22: 'all white Christmas'
Incy wincy 48: 'things with wings'

CBC June ATC swaps

These are the lovely shaker ATCs I've received from the June swap on Crafts by Carolyn:

Thank you to Jackie and Andrea for these amazing ATCs.

WOYWW 56 - late again!

Where did Wednesday go to? In fact, where has the week so far gone to? We've had two hospital visits, a visit to the GP's nurse, a visit to the doctor ... and another trip up to Guy's tomorrow - so I suppose that explains what's happened to some of the time.

So I missed WOYWW yesterday, but here is how my space was left from last night.

I had nothing to show yesterday, but last night I made some Christmas cards, so my workspace did get a bit messed up:

I haven't blogged the cards yet - I had to let a bit of glossy accents dry overnight, but you can get a peep here:


This is how the right hand side looks:


And I thought I'd show that when I swing my chair round this is the view I get out into the garden - and so nice to have a door so that a bit of a breeze can come in (although for a couple of weeks it was kept shut because the hayfever was bad, but now seems more under control with the daily tablet):

Pink fairy

This is for the sketch for Friday sketchers 108:

The papers (well, card really) that I've used is from the QVC cupcake kit that I'm still using up and the fairy is another of the Hunkydory fairy flutterbyes collection. The buttons on felt are some I received from a crafting friend - aren't they lovely?

This is for these challenges:

Fussy & fancy 13: 'monochromatic and wings
Incy wincy 48: 'things with wings'
Pollycraft 50: 'pinkalicious'
Everybody art 97: 'birthday'
Party time Tuesdays 5: 'anything goes birthday'
Gingersnap GC59 random redhead challenge: 'fairies'
Paper sundaes 24: 'birthday card'
Bunny Zoe 1: 'nice and girly'
Hanna and friends 50: 'favourite colour' (pink is one of them - love so many colours)

Vintage pyramage

This card uses the sketch for OCC 21:

It's also for Just scraps 14: 'make mine a double double' - the idea is to get rid of half finished stuff (the pyramage pictures had been hanging around in my 'to do' box for far too long) and also to double something up in the creation - well, the pyramage is actually 'quadrupled up', so I hope that counts!

The background paper is American crafts 'truly inspiring' and the striped piece across the card is Dream Street simply stated - straight talk, with a piece of stitched ribbon across it, the little grey bow is Papermania. I've had the pyramage pictures so long that I can't remember where they're from.

The pyramage actually stands out more irl - even though I've taken the photo on an angle, it doesn't look as 3D here as it really does.


This is also for:

No time to stamp?145: 'colour challenge' - inspiration photo - we were asked to use mainly yello, grey and black:

Anything goes 5: 'vintage'
Challenge up your life 23: 'vintage'
Tanda teaser 149: 'yesteryear'
ABC: 'X for Xtra dimension'
Tuesday throwdown 6: 'black and white and a splash of colour'
Lexi's creations 17: 'layers'

Garden fairies

This card is for the sketch given for the Pixie cottage challenge 24 (although I didn't go for the option of decorating the inside):

It's also for Colour throwdown 98:
I used BG porcelain paper and the fairy image and sentiments are from Hunkydory fairy flutterbyes collection.

The writing on the tag says: 'Garden fairies come at dawn, bless the flowers then they're gone.'


It's also for these challenges:

Paper sundaes 24: 'birthday card'
Rosie-D 74: 'summer birthdays'
Crazy challenge: 'make it in an hour' (took less than that, although I did ruin a piece of paper first)
Incy wincy 48: 'things with wings'
Pollycraft 50: 'pinkalicious'
Everybody art 97: 'birthday'
Party time Tuesdays 5: 'anything goes birthday'
Gingersnap GC59 random redhead challenge: 'fairies'
CCEE: 'it's summer time - include flowers
Treehouse 55: 'colour combo: pink, mellow moss white + one of your choice - brown)

I love these willow pattern stamps

For this card I've used the skinni I made the other day for a challenge on Something Completely Different - you can see the post here.

I've used the sketch for Pals paper arts 48:

Papers are from BG lime rickey collection, so all I've added is a couple of sticky ribbons.

This is also for:

Cas-tastic 9 colour challenge: 'blue, yellow and a neutral
Fab n funky 29: 'sew n sew' - stitched ribbon

Prize for ABC challenge 'W is for weather'

I've been fortunate enough recently to win one or two prizes for challenges. I've also been selected for top cards on a few crafting blos - the awards are in my sidebar. I'm very humbled by being chosen. I craft because I enjoy it and also, from time to time, sell or give cards for charity, not to win prizes or acknowledgement.

I'm also very grateful to those who visit my blog - thank you for all your lovely comments - they are much appreciated.

This is the prize I received from ABC for being chosen at random as the winner of 'W is for weather' - with the card that you can see here.

The challenge was sponsored by The Secret Crafter - I'm very much looking forward to using these stamps.

Bright and cheery cupcakes

It's been a hot, tiring day, not that I'm complaining about the heat, but we had to go up to London to Guy's for John's appointment and the trains were a bit delayed coming back and it was hot standing waiting on London Bridge Station.

So I've just had a bit of relaxing crafting - easy peasy sort - using some of the cupcake kit I bought a while ago from QVC - I was attracted to it because it had cupcake stamps as well as card and die cuts, but so far I haven't even had the stamps out of the wrapper because I've been using the rest of the kit - comes in handy to make a quick card.

I used the sketch for challenge 72 on Flourishes Timeless:


The above is a scan, which doesn't show the irridescent sparkle of the stardream black card - this photo shows it a bit - so difficult with a flash photo. The edges of the scalloped oval and the little sentiment are glittered.

This is also for::

Anything goes 4: 'cupcakes and colours: bright'
Cards & things colour challenge 37: 'kraft, pink passion, basic black'
Crafty creations 73: 'we want to see you shine' - stardream card and glitter
Oh Alice 19: 'twinkle, twinkle' - twinkling, glittery or sparkly

What's going on? update

Having shown my workspace yesterday for Order of the Opus Gluei challenge 61 - you can see it here - I've now cleared up this morning and this is what it looks like now:





No crafting yet today - had to go to the GP surgery this morning and this afternoon we're off to Guy's for an appointment for John, but I expect there might be some crafting this evening, so the workspace won't be staying like this for long.