Commissioned 80th birthday card

I've been asked to make four 80th birthday cards - all of them need to be A4 size because a lot of people will be writing in them. The first one needed to be done today.

I've had some Carol Wilson 12 x 12 embossed papers for two or three years and have never found a use for them, although I love the look and texture of them. So I decided to cut it into 4 and use overlapped corners on the A4 card, trimming where necessary. Of course, this meant that there were joins across the middle in both directions, so I used some DCWV textured card strips to hide the joins and add a bit to the pattern.

The central section is a piece of whitewash core'dinations which was run through my cuttlebug with a crafts-too frame embossing folder and then sanded to reveal the lilac core. The sentiment is fustamps Happy Birthday wish, stamped with versamark and embossed with detail gold powder. This was then matted on lilac and yellow and a few Craftime flowers added, as well as the 80s peel offs.

Unfortunately, the lemon on the Carol Wilson background paper looks paler on here than it is irl - it's not a striking yellow, but definitely more lemony than it looks here (poor light now) When thinking of what colours to use I was inspired by the challenge on Crafty sentiments this week to use 'lemon and lilac', a colour scheme that I don't often think of. And I think it's OK for Annabelle's 'say it in yellow'.

This is also for:

Woodware USA 14: embossing
Pixie cottage 57: embossing
Mami doodles 20: flower card
Bunny Zoe 9: spring ... flowers everywhere
Creative cottage 33: fabulous florals
One stitch at a time 49: birthday bash - make it pretty
Totally stampalicious: bling or glitter or glitz - glitter on the flowers
Dutch dare 100: sparkle/glitter/bling - glitter on the flowers
Pollycraft 80: special birthdays
For fun: happy birthday
Meljen 46: happy birthday
Cardmaking mamas 15: happy birthday
If the shoe fits 67: happy birthday
Stampin' with the dragon: birthdays
Tellen's place: birthdays
Fun at fairy knoll: birthday
Ooh-la-la 73: for someone special
Res-Q 71: Don't be S.A.D.: something that makes you happy - flowers and celebrating a special birthday
Pixie dust studio: don't be square
Allsorts 90: it's all about the sentiment
Digistamps4joy 13: going sentimental
Whoopsi Daisy: free and easy
Paper crafting journey 4: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Creative inspirations 99: plain and simple - maximum of 2 papers, maximum of 4 flowers

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Reeling in the ribbon

As often is the case, I'm doing a card for Daring cardmakers t the last minute - this is for this week's (just!) 'reeling in the ribbon', which is being sponsored by The ribbon reel.

The background paper is a piece left from making a Christmas card earlier in the day - although it's Christmas paper I think it works perfectly OK for a general card.

The challenge is to use:

Two items of ribbon/trim/twine

One or more buttons

At least one heart element

So I've used a piece of my sparkly, beady flower and leaf ribbon on top of a piece of wide sparkly red ribbon. The image is one from a Kanban set of Cavendish ladies day at the races, coloured with copics.

This was difficult to photograph because of he foiling and shine on the background paper, but you can just about see the scattered punched red foiled stars down the lefthand side. The four flower buttons finish off the card.


I'm also linking this for:

Stampavie 129: monochrome
Stampin' B 98: monochromatic card
Challenge up your life 37: tone-on-tone/monochrome
PaperPlay 7: add shine

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Yay! Fab is back

I was delighted this morning to find out that Fab has started up his Fab's big Christmas challenge blog again. For his February challenge he is asking for us to use peel offs or outline stickers. I had a bit of a problem because I only have Christmas sentiment peel offs, but I also used some gold peel off border lines - so I hope these count.

I used the sketch for Create4fun week 7:

As I've used a digi image (Dottie Claus), 2 papers and at least 2 embellishments, this is also for ABC Christmas: D is for double trouble.

This is also for:

Simply screate 37: it's bright in here
Aly's 35: bling, bling (the paper is much more blingy than it looks here
I did it 42: bling it up
Totally stampalicious: bling or glitter or glitz
Cute card Thursday 152: shiny happy cards - the background paper foiling is very shiny irl
PaperPlay 7: add shine
Whoopsi Daisy: free and easy
Digi doodle 57: anything goes (the image is a digi)
Creative card world: use a square card

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

A doiley Christmas card

This card uses the sketch for Friday sketchers 141:

It's also for Bah! humbug 6: doilies - I'm just about scraping in on time for this challenge (I took far too long trying to find the doiley).

The background paper is Kanban embossed and the other pieces are from my Christmas offcuts box. The image is one that was cut from a card received a couple of years ago, so this is good for Pattie's creations 14: recycle - something from a store-bought card


As there are sheep on here, this is also for my own CHNC challenge 7 which is 'feature a creature'. If you haven't come across my Christmas card challenge blog yet please go and have a look here and perhaps join in my current challenge. It's also for Delightful: animals.

It's also for Creative card world: use a square card.

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Salt: truth

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

I've used John 8:31-32 as the basis of my LO - Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'

In v36 of that chapter, John says: 'So if the Son (Jesus) sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Later in his gospel John records Jesus saying: 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' (John 14:6)

So I've concentrated on the freedom that truth and trust in Jesus brings.

I've used a picture of me jumping in the woods - this was taken when I was about thirty (gosh, that's over thirty years ago!). The circle beneath my photo is Websters, the other papers are from my offcuts box, the scalloped rub ons are PM Hampstead (when I bought them I thought they were card stickers - didn't look properly, but discovered they are glitter transfers).

The pink swirly circles were stamped with blazing red Stazon using an Anna Griffin background stamp.

As usual you can click on the picture to enlarge.

I've mainly used the colours given for Curtain call 69:

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Looking forward to spring

As most of my visitors will know, I love making Christmas cards (so much so that I now have my own Christmas challenge blog - why not visit and join in - you can see this week's challenge here), but I've come to the conclusion that I need to put some of my efforts into making some Easter cards, especially as I'll be selling them at our Women's evening fellowship at church on 18 March and also at home for Tearfund on Saturday 26 March.

So here is an Easter card using a new leaping sheep border stamp by Inca, which only required a little copic colouring.

The paper at the base is Forever Friends Spring time and the 'clouds' paper is some that I bought a few years ago (was originally to be used as writing paper).

I've used the colours for the Color dare 96: bashful blue, peach parfait (there is a minimal amount of peach on the bottom paper and I added a few more copic spots on the bigger flowers) and garden green.

And the spring theme is for Going grey: spring fever, also for Really reasonable ribbon 18: spring theme and there is plenty of sky on here for Try it on Tuesday: the sky's the limit. And the theme for Beary sweet 20 is 'winter blues' - what you do to get yourself out of the winter blues - look forward to spring! 'Spring' ... flowers is the theme for Bunny Zoe 9. And Phindy's Friday 42 is 'spring is on the way.

It's also for:

Karen's doodles 50: animal friends
CES 23: cute and cuddly
Pixie cottage 56: ribbon
Do you stack up? 6: ribbons
Whoopsi Daisy: free and easy
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Commissioned ruby anniversary card

I've been asked to make a ruby anniversary card incorporating red flowers. I've used the sketch for Sweet sketch Wednesday 88:

Papers are actual Christmas ones (but nothing to identify them as such) from BG jovial. The base card is stardream so it has a glittery sparkle to it. The congratulations panel has a piece of vellum stuck over it, which has a rose pattern on it, stamped with some swirls (I think the stamps are Papermania, but not sure). The beaded flowery ribbon, flowers, heart buttons and red gems are all from stash. I distressed the edges of one of the papers and the congrats panel with a red copic. The main paper has had the corners cut with Fiskars nostalgia scissors and the card corners rounded with an Xcut punch.

This is for Cooking it up with Katie 48: show me your reb ribbon corners

The colours are for Curtain call 69:

and Craft your days away 13: photo inspiration:



This is also for:

Aly's 35: bling bling
I did it: bling it up
Crafty pad 108: hearts
Let's ink it up 9: romance
One stitch at a time 49: make it pretty
Crazy challenge 54: weddings and anniversaries
Cupcake 129: I love you - incorporate at least one heart
Ooh-la-la 73: for someone special
Whoopsi daisy: free and easy
Totally stampalicious: bling or glitter or glitz
Flourishes timeless 104: button up
My time to craft 127: hearts and flowers
Oldie but a goodie 12: add a heart (the old stamps are the flourishes)
Papertake: have a heart
Spoon full of sugar 138: let's see some love
Try it on Tuesday (taggers): hearts and flowers
Tuesday throwdown 35: buttons
Crafts and me: it's red
Creative belli 110: jewelry (gems and beads on the flowery ribbon + forgotten flowers)
Creative card world: love card challenge
Fab n funky 59: tempting texture
For fun 51: hearts
Freshly brewed 33: anniversary
Paper pretties 140: inspiration colour challenge - use Valentine's day as inspiration
Penny's 46: hearts a flutter
Pixie cottage 56: ribbon
Scrappy frogs: love is in the air
Stamin' royalty: hearts , hearts and more hearts
Crafty purple frog: romance
Cute card Thursday 151: hearts & flowers
Delightful: get punchy
Do you stack up? 6: ribbons
Just add ink 55: just add love
Nightshift stamping 53: hearted
PaperPlay 6: hearts & flowers but not Valentine
Crafty Ann 35: love is all around
ECP 31: love
Picture perfect speciality challenge: love
Mami doodles 20: flower card
Stamp n doodle: colours red and/or pink and white plus 1
Stamp man 16: hearts theme
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Sukkersott 112: love card
Tellen's place: paint it with stripes
2 sisters 26: hearts
Basic grey 37: all hearts (papers are BG jovial)
Challenge up your life 37: tone-on-tone/monochrome
Crazy 4 challenges 74: hearts
Gingerloft 11: the colour red
My Sheri 44: love
One stop craft 118: love is in the air
Stamp, scrap & doodle: love is in the air
Totally Gorjuss 67: love
Stamp and create: love
Crafty calendar 17: love
Stamping vacation: Pick 3 challenge for February - vellum, heart, anything black

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Bee mine

This card is for the sketch on Sketch n stash 54:

It's also for Stampotique 24: Valentine or love - I've used one of their stamps: Jo Capper-Sandon's bee and coloured with copics. And, mentioning Stampotique, I was over the moon to visit their blog on Wednesday and discover that I'd won the $30 to spend in their online store for the previous challenge. I'll let you know when I've chosen what to spend it on (and there are so many gorgeous stamps to choose from).

I stuck to the yellow and black theme for Ann's creative nook 123: go stackers (which I have to confess doesn't mean much to me, but I realise that it involves black and yellow!).

The middle strip is a piece of Core'dination Black Magic card which is black with a yellow core, so I embossed with cuttlebug swiss dots folder (for CCEE 1106: embossing folders and Cutie stampers 94: embossing) and then sanded to reveal the yellow - it's a pity that a lot of this is covered up by the centre circle, but nevermind. The other papers are all Websters, including the one that was cut with the nestie to produce the circle with the circle border.

The circular sentiment was generated on Publisher and printed - I then cut the circle freehand to fit and added the image.

This is also for:

Paper cut 78: ladybugs, bees or butterflies
Paper issues: the birds and the bees
Annabelle: say it with polka dots
Creative inspirations 53: distress (the yellow dots revealed by sanding the embossed Black Magic card)
Sweet stampin': love bugs
Totally Gorjuss 67: love
Ellephantastic 23: distressing with a love theme
Let's ink it up 9: romance/Valentine's day
Sunday stamper 141: for your love
Cards for men 3: Valentine/love
Res-Q 70: lots of words ... murmurs .... of LOVE
Paper pretties 140: Valentine's day inspiration
Crafty Ann 35: love is all around
Sisterhood of craffters: in love with Valentine's
Tanda teaser 164: share the love
Creative card crew: for a loved one
Dutch dare 99: love is in the air
Pixie dust studio 61: be my Valentine
Just add ink 55: just add love
Wednesday stamper: expressions of love
C.R.A.F.T. 89: Valentines
4 crafty chicks 24: Valentine's day
Crafty Ho's: love theme
All kinds of cards (Karteallerlei) 21: Valentine's day card
Incy wincy 80: love
Partner in crafting crime 19: love minus the red and pink
Raise the bar 53: a Valentine's day card with NO pink or red
Spoon full of sugar 138: let's see some love
Creative inspirations 52: Valentines/love
Double Dutch 61: love is in the air
Creative card world: love card challenge
Bunny Zoe 8: love is in the air
Winter wonderland: to the one I love
Crafty calendar 17: love
ECP 31: love
Everybody art 128: Valentine
Pink elephant 93: be my Valentine
Crazy amigo: Valentine
Cardmaking mamas 14: Valentine
Paper issues: Valentine's day
Crafty purple frog: Valentine's day/romance
Scrappy frogs: love is in the air
Ooh-la-la 73: for someone special
My Sheri crafts 44: Valentine's/love
Stamp something: something for your Valentine
Craft your passion 44: anything goes
Dottie's world: Valentine challenge
Sew many challenges 43: Valentine
Sukkersott 112: Valentine/love card
One stop craft 118: love is in the air
Stamp, scrap & doodle: love is in the air
Stamp with fun 97: love
Stamp and create: love
Creative stamp friends 18: Valentine
Fiskarettes: Valentine using a different colour
Aud sentiments 21: corny Valentine's day sayings
Theme Thursday: words
Our creative corner: cut it out (I hand cut the white circle
Delightful: get punchy (I use nestie die cut)
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

CHNC challenge 7: feature a creature

This card is for my CHNC challenge 7: feature a creature - this time I would like you to 'feature a creature' - any kind of creature - perhaps a robin, a sheep, a camel, a mouse, even a teddy bear ... you choose. Of course, you must make a Christmas card. Please go over to CHNC for further details - I'd love to see your entries.

I used the sketch for Paperminutes 152:

The background paper is embossed and foiled (part of a QVC kit) and the silver stars are padded shiny material.

The image is 'the manger' by Penny Black, part of the Margaret Sherry collection, coloured with copics and mounted on to two different mirror cards (they don't show up here).

I kept to mainly blue colour so that I could enter this card for this week's 'no red, she said' challenge on Jingle Belles.

This is also for:

Critter 51: critter - animal image (sheep)
Going grey (Scrap-creations): animal antics
Fab n funky 59: tempting texture
Craft your passion 44: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Gorjuss Christmas card

Scraping in at the last minute for Net's sketch on Totally Gorjuss 66:

Foiled papers were part of a QVC kit, together with a Gorjuss pyramage, a piece of sparkly ribbon and a sentiment. One of those 'hard to photo' cards because of the shine - and you can't see the dimension of the build up of the pyramage, but it is there!


It's also for:

Aly's 35: bling bling
Cupcake 128: seeing red
Crafts and me: it's red
Gingerloft 11: the colour red
Fab n funky 59: tempting texture
Craft your passion 44: anything goes

Simply a stocking

This is for Die cut dreams Christmas 52: the gift of love - gifts featured on your card.

This is the most simple card, using a die cut stocking from a kit I bought a couple of years ago and a frame from another kit, mounted on to a 7 x 5 card.

It's also for Totally papercrafts 53: clean and simple.

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Simply with sympathy

This card is for Crop stop 6: pure and simple - the instruction is to use only white cardstock and either brown or black for stamping. I used one of the foam La Blanche stamps from QVC - I love these - good quality and not expensive.


My first card went wrong - smudged on the right hand side, so I've cut it down and will just put a 'with deepest sympathy' insert inside:


It's also for:

Stampin' B 97: use a bird on a card
Sir stampalot February: all creatures great and small (bird and butterfly)
Charisma cardz 5: 'What?! no embellies?!'
Craft your passion 44: anything goes
Sew many challenges 42: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Gold and silver glitter

Before Christmas I blogged quite a few Christmas cards made from an Anna Griffin kit - well, I still have quite a bit of the kit left, so I've used card, paper, glittered 3D baubles and bows for this card - and I've added a couple of buttons cut from metal with an Ellison thin cuts die.

This is for Bah! humbug 5: buttons and bows, also Crafty Ann 33: silver, gold and white and City crafter 43: all that glitters - gold and silver. It's another bling, bling for Aly's 35.

For week 10 on Sparkle creations Christmas 2011 this photo inspiration was given:


I didn't go for the colours, but for baubles.

As I've used ribbon bows I'm also linking for Woodware 13,ribbon for Pixie cottage 56 and Kaboodle 53: break out that ribbon stash.

The buttons are for:

Flourish timeless 104: button up
Tuesday throwdown 35: buttons

No embellishments

'What?! no embellies?!' is the topic for Charisma cardz 5, so I made this card out of scraps with no embellishments (I might be too late now - made it earlier and forgot to blog). As it was made out of scraps it's also for Wee memories 42: dust off those scraps.

It's also for:

Stamp, scrap & doodle: dots and stripes
Craft your passion 44: anything goes
Sew many challenges 42: anything goes

WOYWW 88

Wednesdays seem to come round alarmingly quickly (and I didn't even show anything for last week's WOYWW) and here we are again. This is my crafting area just as it is after yesterday's crafting - no activity here yet today (I was going to say 'this morning' but just realised that it's now already afternoon).



A big thank you to those who visit and comment - I'm very bad at getting round WOYWW-ers - I'll try, but I won't promise.

Just checking ...

This is for Clearly i stamp 22, where this sketch was provided:

The challenge requires the use of one of their Clear Dollar stamps or digis and a lovely freebie set is available for download: spring violets.

The sentiment was made with my dymo letratag and a few pearls added to the violets and to the bottom left. The base card is stardream, so there is a glittery sheen to it. Why is it that the colours don't look that true on the photo? - they do say that the camera never lies, but I do wonder!

This is also for this week's Daring Cardmakers which is asking us to create something featuring February flowers: violets or primroses.

This is also for:

Sweet stampin: spring flowers
For fun 50: spring
Digistamps4joy 12: flower power
2 sisters 25: the world is our oyster - pearls
Creative Belli 110: jewelry (the pearls, which have been a bit forgotten recently)
One stitch at a time 48: do it with a digi
Stamp something: February digi day challenge
Craft your passion 44: anything goes
Sew many challenges 42: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes

Butterfly with love

This is for the sketch on Hanna and friends 80:

and the colours for Color throwdown 127:
I used BG blush papers and a piece of kraft paper for the stamped butterfly image, simply inked with memento rich cocoa, added a paisley brad and five quite unusual buttons.


This is also for:

Flutter by Wednesdays 140: open + butterfly
Delightful: come fly with me
Critter 51: critter
Cooking it up with Katie 47: I need 2 brown metal papers - metal (the brad), add a little brown, 2 designer papers
Flourish timeless 104: button up
Tuesday throwdown 35: buttons
Pixie cottage 55: buttons
Dutch dare 98: buttons, buttons, who's got the buttons
Little red wagon 66: kraft
Stamp scrap & doodle: dots and stripes
Crafty Ho's: love theme
Crazy challenge 53: lots of love
Incy wincy 80: love
Stamp with fun 97: love
Stamp and create: love
Spoon full of sugar 138: let's see some love
PaperPlay 5: stamp it out
Craft your passion 44: anything goes
Pear tree 35: free for all
Sew many challenges 42: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Little Claire designs 1: anything goes
Craft us crazy: we want to see what ya got ... anything goes

Grow girl

This card is for Stampotique 23: orange & turquoise - I really enjoyed working with this colour combo - not one that I would readily think of using normally.

I used the sketch for Technostamper Monday lunchtime sketch 160:

Papers are BG blush and urban prairie and the gorgeous stamp (fast becoming one of my favourites) Grow girl by Janet Klein. I used copics to colour, including the edging and also for the larger of the flowers. I added a few pale orange gemstones to her bow, shoes and to replace the seeds on the stamped image, as well as the centre of the flowers.


This is also for:

Pile it on 6: bright and breezy
Creative Belli 110: jewelry - I used gemstones (the old and forgotten embellishments: the flowers)
PaperPlay 5: stamp it out
Top tip Tuesday 21: frame it
Sweet stampin: spring flowers
Craft your passion 44: anything goes
Pear tree 35: free for all
Sew many challenges 42: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Little Claire designs 1: anything goes
Craft us crazy: we want to see what ya got ... anything goes

Putting it right

The other day I did a CAS Christmas card that I linked for the current ABC Christmas challenge - but, d'oh!! I forgot that we were supposed to follow the given sketch.

So, with big apologies to the ABC team, I'm now showing two cards for ABC Christmas: C is for clean & simple, using the sketch provided:The background for both cards if Bo Bunny 'tis the season carol. The circular image and Christmas pudding are left overs from a QVC kit a couple of years ago, with the addition of other bits and pieces from my scraps box.



These are also for:

Wee memories 42: dust off those scraps (even the Bo Bunny backgrounds were left over from having cut into a 12 x 12 earlier - as well as all the other scraps)
Aly's 35: bling bling - the Christmas pudding and holly are glittered and foiling dots, as well as the foiled strip

Merry kiss-mouse

For winning challenge 40 on I did it I was able to choose a JLJ digi - I chose this cute 'Merry kiss-mouse image and couldn't wait to use it. I coloured with copics - and make a confession that I went over the edge of the tail and didn't want to bin the card, so I've added the little red bow, which I think looks kind of cute really. Papers are S.e.i Christmas mint and Winter song.

I used the sketch for CPS 204:

I'm putting this on my Craftyhazelnut Christmas Challenge blog as another card for challenge 6. The challenge this week is to use a digi - and it's being sponsored by Shelly's Images. It would be good to see your cards for this challenge - it's never too early to start your Christmas cards - you'll then have a head start on those who are in a panic towards the big day later in the year.

This is also for:

Stamps r us 13: animals
One stitch at a time 48: do it with a digi
Karber Christmas challenge 6: Christmas card with digi
Sew many challenges 42: anything goes
Stamp something: February digi day
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes

Round and round again

Having been neglected for a while, my cricut is doing a bit of overtime atm.

This is another 'doiley' card from the wild card cartridge, this time for the sketch on Mojo Monday 176:

The basic card is cut from DCWV textured, as is the darker shade insert on the front. The double sided paper is imaginisce twitterpated colorfall. The flowers are a beaded ribbon (lovely and shiny) that I picked up from a market stall a while ago.

The stripes aren't crooked - just the angle of the photo.

This is also for:

For fun 50: spring
Papertake: anything goes + flowers
Aly's Sunday 35: bling bling (on the beaded ribbon)
Creative Belli 110: jewelry (the beaded ribbon)
Sew many challenges 42: anything goes
Some odd girl: scallops galore
Whoopsi Daisy: any shape but square
Kort o mania 33: make a card not the usual square size
Stamp away color cue 11: