Happy birthday cupcake

This is another card similar to the previous one that uses some of the papers featured in my photos for Suzie's day 108: bold. They are freebies that came with Crafts Beautiful.

I've used the sketch for Sweet sketch Wednesday 149:

The scalloped lacy circle was cut with a nestie, as was the scalloped spotted cupcake in the middle.

This is also for:

Paper playtime 72: say it with sentiments theme 'birthday card'

One stitch at a time 109: bright

Ooh-la-la 103: bold & bright

Just inspirational 24: bright colours

Little Claire 20: doing the rounds - circles, spots and dots
The poodles parlour: going round in circles

Ruby's rainbow 26: birthday cake

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: seize the cupcake

Clear it out: based on a song - The Cuppycake song (it's about time I used some of these papers)
Craft your passion 106: die cuts and punches
Scrapbook sisters card challenge 79: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 85
Inspire me Fridays 54
52 card pickup 15

Hello cupcake

Having shown some bold and bright papers for Suzie's day 108: bold earlier today, I thought I'd better get on and use some, so this card has been made entirely with papers byJenny Ellory and Alison Butler that were free with Crafts Beautiful (not that they are really free because there's the cost of the magazine to take into account).

So this is for the sketch and theme for this week on Willow Sketchie. The theme is spots & stripes and this is the sketch:

This is also for:

One stitch at a time 109: bright

Ooh-la-la 103: bold & bright

Just inspirational 24: bright colours

Top tip Tuesday 74: spotty, dotty

Little Claire 20: doing the rounds - circles, spots and dots

Ruby's rainbow 26: birthday cake

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: seize the cupcake

Clear it out: based on a song - The Cuppycake song (it's about time I used some of these papers)

Why do I do it?

Buy craft magazines that I don't really need?!! Fairly recently I bought Crafts Beautiful - there was a Celebrations paper collection with it - well, I like papers, so surely that would get used? Well, a lot of the papers in it have bold and bright patterns and colours and not really the usual sort I would go for. However, I'm determined to use some of them, so I hope to be showing some cards very soon using some of these bright and bold papers.

Meanwhile, here are some of them for Suzie's 365 day 108: bold:

Now I really must get on and use some of them! Watch this space!

I just had to make a card

It's been a full day here  - I prepared a buffet lunch for a family gathering - John's nieces,  cousin and her husband and auntie - we had a lovely day and this evening I've felt tired, but I couldn't let the day go by without making a card. So this is for the sketch for Ribbon carousel 48:

The stamped silhouette is one that I received quite some time ago as part of a stamped image swap, so I don't know what stamp it is, but I like it. I decided to brayer, first with part of Big & juicy happy birthday rainbow pad and then with part of Big & juicy vibrant primary pad. The card is hammered, so the brayering has achieved a mottled effect, which at first I wasn't sure that I liked it, but now I think it looks OK.

The piece of ribbon and sentiment are from stash and the flower is a white one that was brayered.

This is also for Lawnscaping: stamp a scene and Craft a scene 4: silhouettes.

Suzie's 365 photos day 107: tree

For day 107 today Suzie says: Remember that we photographed earlier in the year? What's it doing now? Hopefully spring is springing and it is showing some signs of life! Let's see :)

Well the photo of the same tree today doesn't really look much different:

This is what it looked like on day 58:

And this is what it looked like earlier today:

But I promise you that by the summer it will have a mass of leaves and look completely different!

Meanwhile, while I was walking in the garden I thought I'd taken another couple of photos featuring trees:

Pearl anniversary card

I was commissioned to make a Pearl Anniversary card. I've used the sketch for Sketch challenge blog 2:

I used various pearlised papers that unfortunately don't show up very well here - difficult to get a photo because of the sheen. The fancy edged circle was cut with a nestie and matted on to gold. The punched strip is a Martha Steward punch and the flowers are MS too - I thought the card needed a bit of colour despite trying to stick to the 'pearl' theme, which is also why I chose to include gold. The sentiment was generated on the computer with codes for gold printing - better IRL. I've had the sprays of pearls for ages, so they came in handy. The gold glittered strips are by Paper Cellar.

I'm linking for these challenges:

Pile it on 16: pop it up - the flowers are popped up
Sentimental Sundays 98: frame it
Do you stack up 67: glitter/bling
St Luke's April: bling
Totally Gorjuss 127: bling
Bizzy Becs April: add some texture
Sugar creek hollow 7: die cuts or punches - I've used both
It's all about the vintage and beauty 17: circles
The poodles parlour: going round in circles
ABC: N for neutral
Stampin sisters in Christ 135: use something transparent - the anniversary strip is vellum
Paper pretties Monday challenge: use lots of layers (3 or more)
The pink elephant 143: flowers
Crafty creations 165: flower power
2 sisters 87: flowers
Lily pad: flower challenge
Card and scrap 30: use flowers
Paperminutes 212: spring flowers
Cute card Thursday 212: spring flowers
Deep ocean 23: song inspiration - I keep on loving you
Use it Tuesday 29: anything goes (using up papers I've had for quite some time)
Scrapbook sisters card challenge 79: anything goes
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 85
Inspire me Fridays 54
52 card pickup 15

I'm also showing this for the May Guest Designer call on Craft your passion

Suzie's 365 day 106: alive

I've just had a wander in the garden to take some pictures for Suzie's day 106: alive - there are signs of life after the stagnation of winter:

Bee happy

I seem to have a bit of an obsession with bees today - lol! as this is my second card today featuring them.

This card is for the April challenge on My Mind's Eye blog where they want to see hexagons.

I used both sides of MME Andrea Victoria 'golden damask' and MME Andrea Victoria 'golden beads', cutting the hexagons with my cricut having made the hexagons with Make the cut software. I stamped a Stampotique small bee by Jo Capper-Sandon on each hexagon, colouring the body with copic acid yellow.I then drew round each hexagon in black and wrote the Bee Happy in the empty hexagon. This was all then mounted on to MME Andrea Victoria 'black damask' paper and mounted on to a black card blank.

This is another card for Stampotique 52: oodles of doodles.

This is also for:

Getting cricky simply Sunday challenge: favourite project
Ladybug 58: shapes
Bloggers challenge: black, white and a splash of one additional colour
Paper crafting journey 7: 3 or more patterned papers
Incy wincy 141: cute critters
Critter 110: critters
Crafty ribbons 17: things with wings
PaperPlay 15: things with wings
Totally papercrafts 112: things with wings
Deep ocean 23: song inspiration - The bee song, by Arthur Askey
Use it Tuesday 29: anything goes (using up papers I've had for quite some time)
Scrapbook sisters card challenge 79: anything goes
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 84
Inspire me Fridays 54
52 card pickup 15

Suzie's 365 photos

I missed doing yesterday's prompt, so here it is now for Suzie's day 104: petal:

and today's for day 105: coiled (quite a boring photo, but hey ho - the coiled lead to John's razor):

I'm up to date again!

Time to follow your dreams

The challenge on Anyone for Anya this week is a photo inspiration:

The background stamping of various strips is from the Greeting farm Spotlight set, as is the 'Time to follow your dreams' sentiment. This is also for All that scraps Wednesday challenge where 'anything goes' as long as a qualifying stamp is used. It's also for Farm fresh Friday: classic patterns.

I've followed the sketch for Sketchy colors 112:

I've doodled around the edges of the card and have used the lovely Stampotique bee stamps by Jo Capper-Sandon, so this is also for Stampotique 52: oodles of doodles.

The papers are offcuts from Papermania lemon sorbet, so this is another chance to play in Pixie's crafty snippets 15 and have a turn on the swings while I'm there! Also for Hiding in my craft room 42: super scraps Saturday.

Not a very good photo - the yellow is more vibrant irl. The bodies of the bees were coloured with copic acid yellow.

This is also for:

Our daily bread 104: S P R I N G word challenge - I've used S for spots, P for patterns and I for insects
Pile it on 15: all about S - spots, squares, spring
Top tip Tuesday 74: spotty, dotty
Critter 110: critters
Incy wincy 141: cute critters
Lexi 62: focus on the sentiment
Aud sentiments 52: spring summer colours
Cupcake 187: spring is in the air
Crafty ribbons 17: things with wings
PaperPlay 15: things with wings
Totally papercrafts 112: things with wings
Stamp, scrap & doodle: things with wings
Deep ocean 23: song inspiration - All I have to do is dream
Use it Tuesday 29: anything goes (using up paper I've had for quite some time)
Scrapbook sisters card challenge 79: anything goes
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 84
Inspire me Fridays 54
52 card pickup 15

CHNC challenge 68: let's have a sing song

Yes, it's Saturday again and time for another challenge over on my CHNC blog - don't the weeks go by quickly?!

For today's challenge 68 I'm asking you to make a card based on a favourite Christmas song or carol - or you can incorporate music into your Christmas card - you can choose. This challenge is once again being sponsored by Bugaboo stamps who are offering $21 of digital stamps to the randomly selected winner and two of their design team have joined me this week - please do go over and visit them.


My card is for the song 'Jingle Bells' and uses 'snowman bells' and 'winter circle sentiments - jingle bells', both kindly supplied by Bugaboo Stamps which I coloured with copics. I printed out the sheet music for Jingle Bells on to an offcut of English Paper Company paper that I bought ages ago. It's difficult to see here, but the circular sentiment is mounted on to a nestie spiky die cut which has been tinged with a light grey blue copic.

I'm also linking for these challenges:

Pixie's crafty snippets 15
Sparkles forum Christmas challenge 15: colour me happy - I love blue and white Christmas cards
Christmas inspirations 44: use at least 3 geometric shapes - square card, circles, rectangle
One stitch at a time 108: use a digi
The crafty pad 165: it's just die-delicious
Deep ocean 23: song inspiration
Craft room: music
Daring cardmakers: hat boutique - I love this snowman's hat!
Use it Tuesday 29: anything goes (using up paper bought long ago)
Scrapbook sisters card challenge 79: anything goes
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 84
Inspire me Fridays 54
52 card pickup 15

Shades of green

Less is more 62 calls for a one layer card using three shades of green - I hope I'm forgiven because I've actually used five different greens.

I followed the sketch for Clean & simple 184:

I usied the flower stamp that came free with the May issue of Craft Stamper that I bought in WHS earlier today, inking it with Brilliance pearlescent jade. I then masked off the flower and used three different HOTP stitching stamps and a leafy one which is part of a V & A set, finishing off with a 'just for you' sentiment stamp by Crafters companion. The stitched stamps were inked with Brilliance pearlescent lime, pearlescent ivy and Stazon teal blue and the V & A leafy stamp inked with Stazon cactus green.

This is also for:

Delightful: stitches
Paper and such: CAS
Clearlyistamp 49: go green

Seize the cupcake

This card is for the sketch for Annabelle 48:

and for the colours for Daring cardmakers colour combo for April:

All papers used were from my offcuts box (background is WeRMemory Keepers, the flowery paper is DCWV and the nestie cut spiky circle is Basic Grey cupcake) so this is also for Pixie's crafty snippets 15.

The cupcake stamp is a Dawn Bibby Kanban one coloured with copics. This is for Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday 'seize the cupcake' challenge.

This is also for:

Sweet stampin: dies & doodles: die cuts and/or doodles
The crafty pad 165: it's just die-delicious
Bloggers challenge: to die for

Suzie's 365 photos day 103: shocking

I wasn't sure what to do for Suzie's day 103: shocking - but then I remembered this week's Closer magazine with this article:

Suzie's 365 photos day 102: elegant

This is one of the first circle journals I took part in, which is for Suzie's day 102: elegant:

Birthday bash

This is for The shabby tea room 109: birthday bash, where this inspiration photo is given and we were asked to create a birthday card inspired by the photo and include a cupcake.

For the background I used an offcut of a piece of Kanban Dawn Bibby designs cupcakes sugar dots, part of a kit I bought ages ago - the cupcake came from the same kit. I only really bought the original kit because there were cupcake stamps with it ... and I'm still trying to use up the rest of the kit! The bunting and cocktails are 3D stickers.

Banners or bunting figure in a couple more challenges this week:

Emerald faerie garden 21: let's see a banner
Frosted designs fabulous Friday challenge: banners

This is also for:

Pixie's crafty snippets 15
PanPastel UK 13: sweet treats
Ruby's rainbow 26: birthday cake
Pile it on 15: all about S - spots, stripes, sipping cocktails
Top tip Tuesday 74: spotty, dotty
Papercraft star 92: umbrellas (a cocktail umbrella)
My mum's craft shop 52: it's a celebration
Sassy Cheryl 110: anything goes
Use it Tuesday 29: anything goes (using up supplies bought long ago)
Scrapbook sisters card challenge 79: anything goes
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 84
Inspire me Fridays 53
52 card pickup 14

May all your wishes come true

I seem to be a bit stuck in a 'fairy' mode atm. Having used some of the 'fairy blossom' components from the  Hunkydory kit that came yesterday, I decided that, instead of putting the offcuts away, I'd make another couple of cards straight away - so that explains the concentration atm on fairies! So this is another birthday card - this time I've used a piece cut from an A4 card in the kit to make the border down the left hand side. I've used Craftwork cards sentiments, a folded doiley from Poundland and a little bunch of roses with bow and buttons.

This is for:

My time to craft 177: fairy nice
Stamp, scrap & doodle: things with wings
Flutter by Wednesday 198: birthday + fairy
House of Gilli 31: flowers
Pink elephant 143: flowers
Wags n whiskers 76: say it with flowers
Paperminutes 212: spring flowers
Crafty creations 165: flower power
Lily pad: flowers
Little red wagon: spring colours
My mum's craft shop 52: it's a celebration
The paper shelter 59: buttons and bows
Really reasonable ribbon 45: buttons & bows
There she goes 151: ribbon time
Freshly brewed 90: tie it up
Scrapbook sisters card challenge 79: anything goes
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 84
Inspire me Fridays 53
52 card pickup 14

More birthday flowers

This card uses up the remains of the Hunkydory fairy blossoms components, mixed with some Kanban flowers, Poundland buttons and Craftwork cards sentiment.

This is for the sketch for Totally Gorjuss 126:

Colours are for Hiding in my craft room 41:

This is also for:

Craft your passion 105: shaped cards
Let's craft and create 42: shaped card
Scrappy frogs: shape it up challenge - shaped card
PaperPlay 15: shaped card
Love to create 10: birthday
House of Gilli 31: flowers
Pink elephant 143: flowers
Wags n whiskers 76: say it with flowers
Paperminutes 212: spring flowers
Crafty creations 165: flower power
Lily pad: flowers
Twisted Tuesday 2: I never promised you a rose garden - flowers, but not roses
Blog a doodle: bold and bright colours
My mum's craft shop 52: it's a celebration
Scrapbook sisters card challenge 79: anything goes
Robyn's fetish 102: anything goes
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 84
Inspire me Fridays 53
52 card pickup 14

Birthday blossoms

This is another card made with Hunkydory birthday blossoms components - quick and easy. Flowers and brad from stash.

This is for:

Love to create 10: birthday
My Sheri 82: create a birthday card for a child under the age of 5
My time to craft 177: fairy nice
Stamp, scrap & doodle: things with wings
Flutter by Wednesday 198: birthday + fairy
House of Gilli 31: flowers
Pink elephant 143: flowers
Wags n whiskers 76: say it with flowers
Paperminutes 212: spring flowers
Amusing challenges: spring
Crafty creations 165: flower power
Lily pad: flowers
Great impressions 2: lots of flowers
Twisted Tuesday 2: I never promised you a rose garden - flowers, but not roses
Blog a doodle: bold and bright colours
Crafts and me 79: we are going 3-D (the flowers)
Little red wagon: spring colours
My mum's craft shop 52: it's a celebration
Scrapbook sisters card challenge 79: anything goes
Robyn's fetish 102: anything goes
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 84
Inspire me Fridays 53
52 card pickup 14

Make a wish

Having made a masculine card using a topper from a Hunkydory kit that arrived today, I decided to make a card for a girl with a fairy theme. It was difficult to get a photo because the image, surrounding mat and the sentiments were all edged with a bright pink foiling. Felt flowers with buttons are from Poundland.

This is for:

Craft your passion 105: shaped cards
Let's craft and create 42: shaped card
Scrappy frogs: shape it up challenge - shaped card
PaperPlay 15: shaped card
Love to create 10: birthday
Paper pretties 200: monochromatic card
My Sheri 82: create a birthday card for a child under the age of 5
By the cute and girly April: once upon a time, fairy tale
My time to craft 177: fairy nice
The squirrel and the fox 15: things with wings
Stamp, scrap & doodle: things with wings
Pollycraft 135: fabric (felt flowers)
House of Gilli 31: flowers
Pink elephant 143: flowers
4 crafty chicks 84: flowers
Wags n whiskers 76: say it with flowers
Twisted Tuesday 2: I never promised you a rose garden - flowers, but not roses
Lily pad: flowers
Blog a doodle: bold and bright colours
Robyn's fetish 102: anything goes
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 84
Inspire me Fridays 53
52 card pickup 14

Man of the match

This is a quick card for the sketch on Willow Sketchie this week:

 I used this sketch for a card the other day, but forgot the rule on Willow Sketchie regarding the number of challenges to combine, so I've made this card now instead. The alternative theme on Willow Sketchie was 'lots of layers' - I don't think you'd call this lots, although there are layers.

Papers are from my offcuts box (the striped one was originally from a magazine) - another for Pixie's crafty snippets 15 and the topper and sentiment are from a Hunkydory kit 'for the gentlemen' just received from Create and Craft (one of those kits that are useful for making up a lot of cards for selling for Tearfund).

Earlier today I blogged about the privilege of joining Shopping our stash again this week for their 'masculine theme or 'boy' colours' challenge 47, with this card., so this card is also for that challenge.

This is also for:

Make my Monday 44: men/boys vintage
Scrapbook sisters 78: men
Joanna Sheen: it's a man's world