Chocolat, lovely chocolat!

One of my favourite films is 'Chocolat' - if you haven't seen it, I'd thoroughly recommend it - or, of course, you can read the book (by Joanne Harris - no relation , which is such a good read.

This week's challenge on Dottie's world is 'let's go to the movies', so I've used one of the Charmed downloads from the Dottie at home collection - Naughty Dottie - I chose the coloured version to save time. Naught Dottie has been at the chocolate - so reminds me of a part of the Chocolat film. The theme for this week's Crazy amigo challenge is 'film/movie and Hanna and friends 55 is 'favourite movie', so I'm linking for those too.

I've used the sketch for Eat sleep stamp 93:

and I've used the photo inspiration on Off the wall 17 for the colour combo, using raspberry fizz, Hawaiian shores and purple - can also use black, white or cream':

The background paper is Chloe's closet Wonderland, the striped one is a scrap of DCWV lurking in my scraps box - the scalloped circle cut with nestie is DCWV from the garden party stack.

This is also for:

Digital Tuesday 69: 'dazzle me' - the colours are lovely and bright and dazzling and there's turquoise sparkle surrounding the sentiment.
Digi doodle 18: 'punch or cut me' - the scalloped circles were cut using nesties in my cuttlebug
Mami doodles 7: 'anything goes'
Stamp, scrap & doodle: 'digis'
Crazy challenge: 'all about birthdays'
Ooh-la-la 59: 'birthday'
Totally stampalicious: 'birthday'
Party time Tuesdays 9: 'anything goes birthday'
Paper romance 9: 'birthday/celebration card'
Stampin' B 69: 'make a birthday card'
Stampin' royalty 30: 'keep it simple, sweetie'
C.R.A.F.T. 61: 'hot and spicy colours'
Whoopsi Daisy July: 'hot - vibrant colours'
For fun: 'bright colours'
Scrappy frogs: 'are you a girlie girl?'
Paper Play 30: 'anything goes'
Dutch dare 83: 'anything goes'
Creative inspirations 39: 'anything goes'
Sisterhood of crafters: 'funnies'
Paper pretties: 'glitter' (around the sentiment)

CBC July ATC swap

The ATC swap on CBC forum this month is 'fabric'. A couple of years ago I had some fun stamping on evenweave material, so I thought I'd do so for this swap. However, I couldn't find the material I wanted to use, so I've used a high count aida, but it didn't stamp so well. I hope others in the group aren't going to be too disappointed.

I stamped the Laura Ashley flower vibrant violet stazon and the Anna Griffin background stamp with cactus green. As the flower really didn't show up too well, I've added an organza flower to each ATC - well, it is a fabric, isn't it?! I got these flowers ages and ages ago at Early Learning Centre - the lilac ones have all gone now - pity they don't do them any more.

I then frayed the edges and stuck on to rich purple stardream card.



I'm linking this for Mixed media Monday, where this week's challenge is 'a few of my favourite things' - past loves: something you really loved doing but haven't done in a while' - stamping on material

WOYWW 60

Wednesday has come round again - so quickly!

So it's time for today's WOYWW on Julia's blog - why not pop along and have a nosey at lots of lovely craft spaces.

My space today is a bit cluttered (for me!), so I'm going to have a tidy up and put things away before I start any more crafting.





I'm also linking this for Tellen's place who are this week asking us to show our workspace.

For anyone visiting from Tellen's place you can see how my craft room was originally set up here and a bit of a view of some of my shelves here.

Cute as a cupcake

This is for Deb's sketch on Cute card Thursday 122:

The base card is another stardream one - the cupcake and sentiments are from a QVC kit (trying to use it up - only bought it really because I wanted the stamps that go with it and so far I haven't used them!).


It's also for:

Crafty creations 77: 'happy or sweet'
Ann's creative nook 98: 'sweet black vanilla cherries'
Fab n funky 32: 'reuse or recycle' - the spotted doiley

All at sea

This is for Friday Sketchers 112:

Background paper is unknown from my scrap box - the band across the middle is from 'It's a guy thing' - the photos were with a 'men' kit from QVC quite a while ago - these have proved to be very handy for quick cards like this.

The scan has cut the top of the card a bit (if the light's good tomorrow I might replace with a photo).


The colours are those given for Color Throwdown 102:

It's also for:

Tanda teaser 151: 'all at sea'
Alphabet: 'M is for men'
Speedy the cat (Mark's finest papers) 13: 'masculine card'
Pile it on 29: 'stretch that plastic!' - the buttons

Peace on earth

This is for the sketch for Cuttlebug be inspired 93:

The base card is gold stardream, the green and gold foiled frame is from the recent QVC kit, the diamond behind that is a matt pale gold and the gold mirror card across the bottom was embossed with cuttlebug swiss dots - the folder isn't long enough for the width of the card, but it was just right that this strip was hidden by the frame, so no join is seen. It's a pity that a flash photo doesn't do it justice.

The 'peace on earth' stamp is personal impressions, stamped with versamark and heat emhossed with gold detail.

This is also for:

2 sisters 2: 'Christmas in July'
Sundays with Crissy 7: 'Christmas in July'
Christmas cards all year round July: 'anything goes'
Polka doodles week 29: 'Christmas in July'
Drunken stampers 26: 'Christmas in July'
Creative inspirations 39: 'anything goes'
Stamptacular 69: 'Christmas in July'
Tuesday taggers: 'Christmas in July'
Tuesday throwdown 10: 'Christmas in July'
Delightful: 'it's so simple' - no designer paper or embellishments
Annabelle: 'say it with ... embossing' - cuttlebug folder and heat embossing

More Christmas in July

This is for Martine's sketch on Simon says:

There are still a lot of 'Christmas in July' challenges around (I guess it will soon before 'Christmas in August'!) - for this card I've used the Penny Black stamp 'the manger' coloured with copics, as 'It's Christmas in July' is the challenge this week on Penny Black for week 111.

The base card is stardream, which sparkles nicely, the first layer is English paper company, the paper with stitched swirls and stars is unknown as is the piece across the bottom - in my Christmas scraps box from last year.

This is also for:

2 sisters 2: 'Christmas in July'
Sundays with Crissy 7: 'Christmas in July'
Christmas cards all year round July: 'anything goes'
Polka doodles week 29: 'Christmas in July'
Drunken stampers 26: 'Christmas in July'
Creative inspirations 39: 'anything goes'
Anything goes (Craft Den) 8: stars
Stamptacular 69: 'Christmas in July'
Tuesday taggers: 'Christmas in July'
Tuesday throwdown 10: 'Christmas in July'
Stampotique 11: 'Christmas in July'
Bah! humbug 28: 'Christmas scene'
Cutie Sunday 102: 'swirls' - the stitched swirls
Frosted designs: 'songs of our life' - the all time children's Christmas favourite: 'Away in a manger'
Fiskarettes Monday challenge: use a stamp

Chocolate and mint

This is for the sketch on Pals paper 52:

Papers are Fancy pants Antique (double sided). The sentiment stamp is Funstamps, inked with memento riich cocoa and edged with copic burnt umber. The brown 'button' is a thin cuts die.

This is also for:

Creative Inspirations 70: 'chocolate and mint' (ideal paper for this)
Cowgirl: 'anything goes'
Wee memories 15: 'Simon says stamp!'
Fiskarettes Monday challenge: 'use a stamp'
Ooh-la-la 59: 'birthday'
Totally stampalicious: birthday'
Crazy challenge: 'all about birthdays'
Stampavie 102: 'anything goes'
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: 'birthday'
Party time Tuesdays 9: 'anything goes birthday'
Creative inspirations 39: 'anything goes'
Donna's den of crafts 4: 'we want to see your 'green' cards'
Created by hand: 'green'

What do you do when you've got no ideas?

It's the last possible moment to get my inchies done for the BF forum July swap, which this month is 'America' - I've been thinking about this for days (not all the time, of course, but off and on), trying to rack my brain as to what to do ... and today I still hadn't got a clue.

So, I'm sorry bubbly girls, but I had to cheat and google 'stars and stripes' and this is what I've come up with:


I'll try harder next time, I promise!

Pink and chocolate birthday

This is for City crafter 14 sketch challenge:
and also for Colour create 49: 'warm pink, chocolate and white', with this inspiration picture:

I used an A6 card that already had three squares cut out. I stuck the diagonally striped paper, cut the squares out with a craft knife and then stuck the double sided paper so that the stripes were inside and the plain brown showing through the squares. Lastly, I stuck the pearl pink panel over and added the flowers with the brad centres and the sentiment panel.

This is the inside:

This is also for:

Ooh-la-la 59: 'birthday'
Totally stampalicious: birthday'
Crazy challenge: 'all about birthdays'
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: 'birthday'
Create4fun week 30: 'use flowers'

Fantasy tree

This is for the sketch for Freshly brewed 12:

I've used Bo Bunny Delilah here's 2U and Delilah stripe, tearing the latter and edging with copic crimson. The stamped image is Penny Black's fantasy (I've usually used this as a winter tree with snow, but thought it would be OK for a blossom one), dotting here and there with Sakura glaze pens.

I'm a bit disappointed that, once I'd put the striped paper and image on, there's no sign of the pink trees on the Bo Bunny paper - wish I'd worked it so that there was a pink one showing - nevvermind.

I chose the colour combo to go with the challenge 41 on Cards & things: 'regal rose, chocolate chip, pumpkin pie, pretty in pink.

It's also for:

Pile it on 29: 'stretch that plastic' - the buttons are plastic
Cowgirl: 'anything goes'
Wee memories 15: 'Simon says stamp!'
Caardvarks: 'my favourite things - birthday card' - one of my favourite stamps and Bo Bunny papers are among my favourites
Fiskarettes Monday challenge: 'use a stamp'
Ooh-la-la 59: 'birthday'
Totally stampalicious: birthday'
Crazy challenge: 'all about birthdays'
Stampavie 102: 'anything goes'
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: 'birthday'
Practical scrappers Monday challenge: '7 or more items' - base card, 2 design papers, copic, pink card, stamp, memento rich cocoa ink pad, sakura glaze pens, card mat under image, sentiment
Raise the bar 28: 'distressed, torn, ripped, broken'
Creative inspirations 39: 'anything goes'
Our daily bread 22: 'distress it'
Stamping with the dragon 6: 'distressing'

Two little angels

This is for Unscripted sketches 65:

The papers are BG eskimo kisses, the frame is another one from my recently acquired kit from QVC and the rub on glittery angels have been put directly on to it. I then just added three punched out gold mirri card stars (pity that the photo doesn't do it justice).


This is an extra card for this month's 25th club on BF forum. It's also for:

Our creative corner: 'colour challenge - green, red and black and white'
2 sisters 2: 'Christmas in July'
Sundays with Crissy 7: 'Christmas in July'
Christmas cards all year round July: 'anything goes'
Polka doodles week 29: 'Christmas in July'
Drunken stampers 26: 'Christmas in July'
Flutter by Wednesday 114: 'Christmas in July' - I've included angels
Creative inspirations 39: 'anything goes'
Anything goes (Craft Den) 8: stars
Hand full of stamps 37: 'punch the stress out' - the stars were punched
My time to craft 100: 'check it out!'

Simply an angel

This is for Critter sketch 23, which also calls for 'Christmas in July':

The background card is some left over from a kit from last year. The green and gold foiled frame is from the recently purchased QVC kit. The inside background of the frame was originally green, so I cut a piece of gold mirri card to fit and added the angel rub on and the three gold mirri punched out stars.

Because of the flash photo it's not possible to see the gold mirri as it is irl and the rub on angel is glittered.

This is my tenth 'angel' Christmas card for the 25th club challenge on BF forum.

It's also for:

2 sisters 2: 'Christmas in July'
Sundays with Crissy 7: 'Christmas in July'
Christmas cards all year round July: 'anything goes'
Polka doodles week 29: 'Christmas in July'
Simplicity one layer 13: 'Christmas in July'
Drunken stampers 26: 'Christmas in July'
Flutter by Wednesday 114: 'Christmas in July' - I've included an angel
Creative inspirations 39: 'anything goes'
Anything goes (Craft Den) 8: stars
Hand full of stamps 37: 'punch the stress out' - the stars were punched

Simply seasons greetings

This is for sketch 1029 on CCEE, which includes the theme of 'Christmas in July':



So it didn't take me long to get back to making Christmas cards - lol!

The seasons greetings embossed/foiled background card is some that I bought a couple of years ago. I embossed the gold mirror card strips using the cuttlebug swiss dots folder and simply added one of the greeting from the recently bought QVC kit.

This is also for:

Ooh-la-la 58: 'Christmas in July'
2 sisters 2: 'Christmas in July'
Sundays with Crissy 7: 'Christmas in July'
Christmas cards all year round July: 'anything goes'
Polka doodles week 29: 'Christmas in July'
Cuttlebug spot: 'Christmas in July' - I've included cuttelbug embossing
Annabelle: 'say it with ... embossing'
Donna's den of crafts 3: 'it's a man's world' (I think this is a suitable masculine card for Christmas)
Alphabet: 'M is for men'
Aud sentiments 7: 'choose your own Christmas sentiment'
Simplicity one layer 13: 'Christmas in July'
Drunken stampers 26: 'Christmas in July'
Creative inspirations 39: 'anything goes'

Craft your days away

The girls from the Magical Crafts blog have set up a new Challenge blog after the closure of the other one. It's called Craft Your Days Away. Their first challenge will start on 7 August at 9:00 and to celebrate all this they have three amazing prizes to give away. All you have to do to qualify for the blog candy draw is to post on your blog and link your name by 16:00 UK time on 6 August.

So, to be in with a chance visit Craft Your Days Away now and help spread the word of the new challenge blog.

I'm also putting a notice in my side bar so that it can be seen up until the draw for the blog candy.

I love burgundy

I do love burgundy - it was the colour I chose for my bridesmaids. So I was pleased to make a card for Rosie-D 75, using burgundy, pink & cream (well, tbh, I'm not sure that I've used cream - it's probably more like white).

I used the sketch for Techno's Monday lunchtime sketch 131:

Papers are BG bittersweet and the image is a download from Dezinaworld, called 'pink lady'. I've torn the striped paper strips to give the card a distressed, vintage look.

This is also for:

Raise the bar 28: 'distressed, torn, ripped, broken'
Stamping with the dragon 6: 'distressing'
Our daily bread 22: 'distress it'
Sweet stampin' 36: 'vintage'
Creative stamp friends 3: 'vintage'
Crafty angels 41: 'shabby chic'
Dollies elements: 'think vintage ... movies that is!' - reminds me of My Fair Lady
Digi doodle 17: 'anything, I mean anything goes!'
Clearlyistamp 15: 'gratitude'
Stamp scrap & doodle: 'digis'

The summer feeling

This week's challenge on Dottie's world asks for a card shoing 'the summer feeling' and Louise said: 'I would like you to use a CHARMED DOWNLOAD to make a summery card - or something else if you prefer! OK so that doesn't sound very challenging.......I would like you to make your summer item DIFFERENT to what you would normally make. Maybe you always make tent fold cards so try a side fold card or something completely different! Maybe you always make big cards so make a teenie weenie one, do you get my drift?'

So I decided to make a fold back card (haven't done one of these for ages and ages, so it's certainly something different for me).

I used the 'gift for mummy' download from the Sugar and Spice set; the blue papers are BG phoebe and the purple and pink is BG wisteria. The tan card is from my scraps box.

This can looks a bit wonky, but it isn't irl.





I used the colours for Picture Perfect 22:

It's also for:

Crafty catz 42: 'summertime'
Stampalot for July: 'lazy hazy days of summer'
Bunny Zoe 2: 'summer days'
One stitch at a time 22: 'it's digi madness' - I've used a digi
Digi doodle 17: 'anything, I mean anything goes!'

Donald calls in to say Happy Birthday

This is for CPS 176:

Two or three years ago I bought a Disney kit - lots of bright papers and Mickey Mouse stamps etc. Well, I still had quite a few papers left, including little scraps, so I've looked them out for this card and used a digi Donald Duck.


I'm also linking for:

Corrosive 73: 'cartoon time'
One stitch at a time 22: 'it's digi madness' - I've used a digi
Craft your passion 15: 'orange, yellow and blue'
Crazy challenge: 'boys will be boys'
Pollycraft 53: 'Haappy Birthday'
Digital Tuesday 68: 'Happy Birthday'
Craftalicious 4: 'birthdays'
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: 'birthday'
Digi doodle 17: 'anything, I mean anything goes!'
Practical scrappers: 'using your stash older than 1 year' - definitely at least two years old
Other lovelies thoughtful Thursday 21: 'yellow, orange and red'
Rainbow lady 113: enjoy life with oranges and lemons'
Twisted Thursday 66: 'orange you HOT???'
Allsorts 62: 'card for child'
Oh Alice chapter 23: 'birds'
Speedy the cat (Mark's finest papers) 13: 'masculine card' - for a boy
Whoopsi Daisy for July: ' hot - vibrant colours'

Christmas shades of blue

This is for Sketch Saturday 112:

My base card is sapphire stardream, which sparkles. The snowflakes card is from last year's Patchwork Pals kit (I like to mix and match rather than use the supplies as suggested). The fancy foiled sentiment is from the QVC TSV kit received this week.



The card is also for:

Magical crafts 19: 'Christmas in July'
Ooh-la-la 58: 'Christmas in July'
2 sisters 2: 'Christmas in July'
Sundays with Crissy 7: 'Christmas in July'
Christmas cards all year round July: 'anything goes'
Polka doodles week 29: 'Christmas in July'
Alota 39: 'glitter and pearls'
Everybody art 100: 'blue/white'
Sentimental Sundays 12: 'for men' (I think this is a suitable masculine card for Christmas)
Donna's den of crafts 3: 'it's a man's world'
Alphabet: 'M is for men'
Aud sentiments 7: 'choose your own Christmas sentiment'

Sparkly Christmas

I'm still in Christmas mode (need to stop this trend soon and make some other cards). Anyway, this card is for the sketch given for Always playing with paper 7:

I love making Christmas cards that involve stamping, but I need to make a lot of cards (with what we send and what I sell I usually make about 600 Christmas cards), so I need to be able to make some that don't take too long, but still look presentable enough for people to want to buy them. So I succumbed again recently to buying a Christmas TSV from QVC, so this card uses some white and gold foiled card in the background. The image has been layered and decoupaged. The strip of green across the middle is a piece of PM A Christmas Carol. The baubles and stars are glittered on top of the foiling.


I'm also linking this for:

ABC Christmas: 'O is for ornaments' (I hope baubles and stars count)
Magical crafts 19: 'Christmas in July'
Ooh-la-la 58: 'Christmas in July'
2 sisters 2: 'Christmas in July'
Sundays with Crissy 7: 'Christmas in July'
Christmas cards all year round July: 'anything goes'
Polka doodles week 29: 'Christmas in July'
Anything goes (Craft Den) 8: 'stars'

BF July ATCs

The theme for the July ATC swap on BF forum is 'girly'.

I used a Charmed download, 'Louise', from the Girls about town set (I love the Charmed downloads - I think I've bought nearly all of them - and I noticed there's a new one I haven't got ... might have to treat myself).

I printed it on to a shimmery pink card which enabled me to quickly put some clear embossing powder on and heat, which has given a lovely shiny look to it. I took the photo in a hurry because I wanted to get the ATCs into the post (I didn't even check the photo), so it's pretty poor, but does, in fact, show the sheen on the pink card and the embossed look - much better irl.

I rounded the corners, inserted some ribbon and then backed them with some shimmery slate grey stardream card.


I'm linking these for Scrappy frogs: 'Are you a girlie girl?'