Anna Griffin blue and yellow

I've been commissioned to make a large A4 card for a lady's 90th birthday. I've used all Anna Griffin supplies, added some blue gems, because I think they always 'go down well' with senior ladies. It's not actually needed for quite some time yet, but I just felt like getting ahead with it. The circle with a floral edge was punched with my new mini 8 punch - a very clever system that seems to work well - you can see one demonstrated here. I used the snowflake one for this card that I showed earlier today.

The sentiment was computer generated and printed and then cut with a nesti label and a backing one as well.

Some of the pansies are 3D, as are the butterflies.

This is for:

Cutie pie25: borders and frames

Paperminutes231: all from a paper series – Anna Griffin

Audsentiments 61: number’s up

Stamp-n-doodle: loaded with layers

CreativeBelli 150: winged things

Ruby’srainbow 35: butterflies

Cute cardThursday 231: bling it up

DL.ARTthankful Thursday: use flowers

Little scrappieces fun Friday: make it sparkle

The poodlesparlour: winged things

House of Gilli 39: add a sentiment

Whoopsi Daisy: include a sentiment
ATCs and cards with attitude 21: anything goes
Craft your days away 52: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 87: anything goes
A & T 11: anything goes
Make it Monday 103
Inspire me Fridays 73
52 card pickup week 34
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

CHNC challenge 87: for a couple

It seemed a good idea when I chose the theme for today's CHNC challenge 87: for a couple, but when I came to make the card I didn't really know what to do ... and I left it till last evening, which wasn't a good idea really and I was tired and didn't much feel like making anythying.

Anyway, in the end I decided to use some of a Hunkydory kit and I created the circle with the snowflakes edge with a punch that was delivered today. It is a We R Memory Keepers mini 8 punch - I saw it on QVC earlier in the week and couldn't resist it (and there's also a flower one too, which I hope to use soon).

The card blank is 8 x 8 because the snowflake circle is made from a 6 x 6 paper.

I bought a new camera today and charged it in time to use it to take a photo of my card - I haven't looked at the instructions, just switched it on and clicked, so it's not a wonderful photo and it's hard to get one with all the gold foiling anyway.

This is also for:

My time to craft 185: Christmas in August
Challenge up your life 76: Christmas in summer
Crafty Ann 72: Christmas in August
Willow sketchie: Christmas in August
Playing in paradise 81: celebrate any holiday
Winter wonderland: red and green should be seen
Forever friends 43: anything goes
House of Gilli 39: add a sentiment
Emerald faeries garden 30: punches/dies
Sparkles forum Christmas challenge 19: punch it
Cardmakin mamas: try something new - the mini 8 punch to create a punched circle
Cutie pie 25: borders and frames
Bizzy Becs August: spots and stripes
Pink gem 53: animals or teddies
Whoopsi Daisy: include a sentiment
ATCs and cards with attitude 21: anything goes
Craft your days away 52: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 87: anything goes
A & T 11: anything goes
Make it Monday 103
Inspire me Fridays 73
52 card pickup week 34
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

Getting fishy again

Virginmedia broadband is down this afternoon so i'm using my iPad with 3G with blogpress - although i've had this for some time I haven't used it much and am not that familiar with it - finding it's much more fiddly to link urls than it is normally - it's all good practice.

Having made the previous card I had the final card of the fish pack out and it seemed silly to put it away again so I've made another fishy card, this time embossing with the cuttlebug d'vine swirls folder and swiping with stormy sky and shabby shutters distress inks. The sentiment is once again made on my Letratag label maker.

You can't really see it on the photo, but I used a metallic silver pen to fill in the wavy cut outs and the eye.


This is for:

The paper girls challenge 14: get messy
Creative stamp friends 58: special shape
Moving along with the times 158: shape up
Stamping with the dragon: anything but a square or rectangle
Papelito 8: masculine cards
Penny's 90: masculine
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 14: kids
Fashionista 6: card for a child
Paper pretties Wednesday 220: cards for kids
Chocolate, coffee and cards 19: emboss
Desert island crafts 36: blue, green, swirls and flourishes, for a boy, no patterned paper, embossing
Catered crop: no stress to distres
Top tip Tuesday 83: one layer card
One layer Wednesday 102: make a card inspired by your favourite school subject - nature
Totally stampalicious: CAS - clean and simple
Tanda teaser 200: CAS
Stampavie and more 175: animals
Ooh-la-la 112: all at sea
Let's craft and create 52: stamp it
House of Gilli 39: add a sentiment
Whoopsi Daisy: include a sentiment
Sparkles 35: nature
Craft your days away 52: anything goes
Forever friends 43: anything goes
Simon says stamp and show: no rules
Tammy scraping corner 24: anything goes
Divas by design 49: anything goes
The paper shelter 78: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 87: anything goes
Forever friends 43: anything goes
A & T 11: anything goes
Make it Monday 103
Inspire me Fridays 72
52 card pickup 33
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Fishing u a happy birthday

This fish shaped card is for CAS-ual Friday 66: create a project featuring something you might see in or at the ocean.

I stamped the fish with a prima stamp inked with broken china distress ink, then I embossed with the spots with a folder through my cuttlebug, then distressed with stormy sky DI with a hint of shabby shutters.

The sentiment was generated with my Letratag label maker.

Please excuse the background - I put the fish card on a piece of white card to take the photo, but still trying to get used to taking one with the iPad.

This is also for:

Creative stamp friends 58: special shape
Moving along with the times 158: shape up
Stampin with the dragon: anything but a square or rectangle

Inking stamps with markers

CCEE 1233 asked us to use markers direct to our rubber stamp. I made five clean and simple cards, inking up the Lindsay Mason script robin stamp with red and brown whispers strokes markers by sugarloaf and then inking up the 'Christmas cheer' sentiment on the large Papermania 'a Christmas carol' stamp with the brown marker and stamping.

I made five cards because I sell packs of 5 nearer to Christmas to raise funds for Tearfund.

The stamping isn't blurred - it's the iPad photo (still trying to get used to using this as my camera is broken).

These are also for:

Stampotique 262: one layer card (sorry I haven't used a Stampotique stamp this time)
Top tip Tuesday 83: one layer card
Art impressions 77: there's only one layer
One layer Wednesday 102: make a card inspired by your favourite school subject - nature
Totally stampalicious: CAS - clean and simple
Tanda teaser 200: CAS
Crafty boots: tweet tweet
Creative Belli 150: winged things (I've had both stamps for quite a long time and haven't used them recently)
Penny Black and more at Allsorts August: whiskers and/or wings
My time to craft 185: Christmas in August
Crafty Ann 72: Christmas in August
Challenge up your life 76: Christmas in summer
Just keep on crafting: Christmas is around the corner
Stampavie and more 175: animals
Victorine 41: brown, white and 1 other colour of your choice
Let's craft and create 52: stamp it
House of Gilli 39: add a sentiment
Whoopsi Daisy: include a sentiment
Mema's crafts August: anything goes with a twist of red
Sparkles 35: nature
Craft your days away 52: anything goes
Mad for markers August: anything goes
Simon says stamp and show: no rules
Take time for you 74: anything goes
Tammy scraping corner 24: anything goes
Forever friends 43: anything goes
Divas by design 49: anything goes
The paper shelter 78: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 87: anything goes
A & T 11: anything goes
Make it Monday 103
Inspire me Fridays 72
52 card pickup 33
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

WOYWW 168

It's Wednesday, so it's time for WOYWW 168. I'm preparing this early because we hope to go out for the day for a belated birthday treat.

Apologies for the terrible pictures - taken with my iPad because my camera is broken - you can see it with the lens permanently open because the battery won't keep in the housing. Of course, I didn't think about the fact that the iPad doesn't have flash so I suppose taking a picture in the evening is really a no-no.

To the left of where I sit are boxes, including Anna Griffin supplies that I had out to make three cards that you can see in the posts below this.

To the right you can see a starter box of Pan Pastels that I won for their challenge a couple of weeks ago and a friendly plastic kit that I won from a Craft-room challenge. You can also see brushes for distressing, my favourite ATG tape gun and that wire box with the Christmas decoupage etc is still there (none used this week).

Happy WOYWW, everyone - and thanks for all the visits and comments I received last week - they are very much appreciated.

Adding daylight pictures (not sure there's much difference - might see if there's a way of changing the resolution of the photos that the iPad takes):

Blue and yellow

This is the third commissioned card using Anna Griffin supplies and a couple of butterflies from stash.

This time I've followed the sketch for One stop craft 196:

This is also for:

Dare to be sassy Thursdays 138: pop it up - the flowers are decoupaged
Creative Belli 150: winged things (I've had the Anna Griffin kit for some time now)
Flourishes 183: insects
Ruby's rainbow 35: butterflies
Paper crafting journey: celebration/birthday
Papelitos 7: celebration/birthday
Crafty sentiments: flowers
Let's craft and create 51: make it pretty
Unstampabelles 14: paper flowers
Papertake: pins and needles - stitching on the ribbon
House of Gilli 39: add a sentiment
Whoopsi Daisy: include a sentiment
Craft your days away 52: anything goes
Crazy challenge 127: anything goes
Tammy scraping corner 24: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 87: anything goes
A & T 11: anything goes
Make it Monday 103
Inspire me Fridays 72
52 card pickup 33
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

Pink and yellow

This is my second commissioned birthday card using Anna Griffin supplies with three bright pink pearls from Hobbycraft and a sentiment. The rose is decoupaged. I used a nestability die cut for the scalloped circle.

This is based on the sketch for Sweet sketch Wednesday 167 which is being sponsored by DigiStamp Boutique:

This is also for:

Craft your passion 124: power of 3 - 3 of something - the pearls
Made especially for you: three pearls
Creations by Gilli M August: colour inspiration - pink and yellow
The crafty pad 184: to die for
Emerald faerie garden 30: punches/dies
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 138: pop it up - the rose is decoupaged
Paper crafting journey: celebration/birthday
Papelitos 7: celebration/birthday
Crafty sentiments: flowers
Let's craft and create 51: make it pretty
Unstampabelles 14: paper flowers
House of Gilli 39: add a sentiment
Whoopsi Daisy: include a sentiment
Craft your days away 52: anything goes
Crazy challenge 127: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 87: anything goes
Eureka 2: anything goes
A & T 11: anything goes
Make it Monday 103
Inspire me Fridays 72
52 card pickup 33
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

Flowers and bees

I was asked by an older lady to make three birthday cards, so I wanted to make some that are quite traditional and pretty - what better could I use but Anna Griffin supplies.

So for this first one of the three I've followed the sketch for Divas by design 48:

I kept to a green and yellow colour combo. I tore round an oval perspex template with the yellow paper and then lightly brushed the torn edges with shabby shutters DI.

Because my camera is broken I had to take the photo with my iPad - although I've had the iPad for over a year I've never really properly used it to take photos, so I think I need to practise more:

This is also for:

Dare to be sassy Thursdays 138: pop it up - the flowers and bees are decoupaged
PanPastel UK 32: add decoupage
Creative Belli 150: winged things (I've had the Anna Griffin kit for some time now)
Flourishes 183: insects
Jellypark friends: summer bugs
Sassy Cheryl 129: happy birthday
Paper crafting journey: celebration/birthday
Papelitos 7: celebration/birthday
Crafty sentiments: flowers
All kinds of cards 60: flowers as the main motive
Let's craft and create 51: make it pretty
Art impressions 76: flowers
Unstampabelles 14: paper flowers
Sparkles 35: nature
House of Gilli 39: add a sentiment
Whoopsi Daisy: include a sentiment
Craft your days away 52: anything goes
Bearly mine 49: anything goes
Tammy's scraping corner 24: anything goes
Crazy challenge 127: anything goes
Forever friends 43: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 87: anything goes
Eureka 2: anything goes
A & T 11: anything goes
Make it Monday 103
Inspire me Fridays 72
52 card pickup 33
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

Suzie's 365 photos day 234: straight

This is a photo taken at Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne when we were there recently - plenty of straight masts for day 234: straight:

I couldn't take an up to date photo today because my camera broke last night - the battery won't click back into the housing.

Hip to be square

This is my third week as a Guest Designer on Tuesday Throwdown and today for challenge 112 the theme is 'hip to be square'.

I was provided with the lovely Stamping Boutique digital image 'Audrey with pleated dress' and I coloured her with copics and mounted on to offcuts of green and pink card.

The background paper is an offcut I had from a 12 x 12 paper from an unknown company - I just love the patchwork look of it and I'm glad that I still have another piece left to use later. So, having used offcuts, this is for Pixie's crafty snippets 34 and for Waste not Wednesdays 28.

The Craftime sentiment and the flowers are from stash - the second layers of the flowers are die cuts.

This is also for:

Creative cutter room: friendship
DL.ART thankful Thursday: friends
Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 121: friendship
Crafter's companion August 27: best friends
Little Claire 24: best friends
QKR stampede 1: end of summer
Paper pretties Wednesday 219: square cards
Art impressions 76: flowers
Crafty sentiments: flowers
Crop stop 85: the chosen 3 - flowers, dots and bling
Delightful: punches and dies
Emerald faerie garden 30: punches/dies (die cut flower layer)
Robyn's fetish 121: use a digi
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 138: pop it up (the flowers)
Whimsy 50: lots of layers
Stamptacular 176: let's hear it for the girls
Mad for markers August: anything goes
Jackson's digital expressions: anything goes 19 inks and such - I used copics
Craft your days away 52: anything goes
Simon says stamp and show: no rules
Bearly mine 49: anything goes
Tammy's scraping corner 24: anything goes
Crazy challenge 127: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 87: anything goes
Eureka 2: anything goes
A & T 11: anything goes
Make it Monday 103
Inspire me Fridays 72
52 card pickup 33
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

A mammoth catch up

When I started Suzie's 365 photos at the beginning of the year I was determined that I would take a photo every day - it all went (more or less) well until 22 July - because I had shingles I just couldn't concentrate or bother to take the photos, so I have lagged behind. Over the past week or so I've been getting together photos for the prompts I've missed and now I'm just about ready to catch up.

I don't expect anyone to take any notice of this because if you started at the beginning I'm sure you would be asleep by the end of the blogpost, so this really is just for my own benefit.

So, here goes:

Day 204: one:

Day 205: nine:

Day 206: 1, 2, 3:

Day 207: multiples:

Day 208: infinity:

Day 209: fire:

Day 210: rings:

Day 211: heavy - it's amazing how heavy reams of paper can be:

Day 212: dive (cheating a bit, but the swan had just dived!):

Day 213: stronger - John's definitely stronger than I am:

Day 214: faster (everyone seems to get faster and faster these days - people dashing here there and everywhere in the shopping centre or eating 'fast' food):

Day 215: point:

Day 216: joy - Mum on her 90th birthday:

Day 217: anger - this is a set up of John trying to look angry (he doesn't really do 'angry') - I was laughing so much I couldn't get a better photo - I gave up in the end because every time I tried he was smiling instead of looking angry:

Day 218: happiness:

Day 219: frustration - I think Chloe was getting frustrated at not being able to get further:

Day 220: relief - relief to find somewhere to sit down!:

Day 221: hope - Faye hopes her meal will come soon!:

Day 222: determination - John is only walking again after much determination, considering he couldn't move at all three years ago:

Day 223: higher:

Day 224: gold:

Day 225: exhaustion:

Day 226: silver - with red at Christmas:

Day 227: bronze:

Day 228: unity - sisters (not a clear photo, but I still love it):

Day 229: teamwork:

Day 230: curves:

Day 231: circular:

Day 232: square:

Day 233; triangular:

Back to school with a notebook

This is a quick notebook, using one that is ready made, covering with a piece of holographic card that I've had for ages and 3D stickers which were originally from Poundland. There are lots of 'back to school' challenges atm - when I was teaching I would have cringed at this because I didn't want to think about going back to school at this stage - lol!

This is for:

Eureka 1: back to school
Pink elephant 161: back to school
There she goes 169: back to school
Use it Tuesday 37: all about school (all supplies are old)
Penny's 89: back to school
Cute card Thursday 230: back to school
Bloggers challenge: back to school
Raise the bar 109: back to school
Simply create too 20: back to school
One stitch at a time 127: back to school
Crafty ribbons 26: feeling fruity - an apple for the teacher
By the cute and girly August: fruity
Dare to be sassy 138: pop it up
Squigglefly 3212: three layer dip
Whimsy 50: lots of layers
Craft your days away 52: anything goes
A & T 11: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 72
52 card pickup 33
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

CHNC challenge 86: include a building

It's time for a new challenge on my CHNC blog and for challenge 86 this week I'm asking to see a building or part of a building on your Christmas cards.

For my card I've used a Digi Doodle Shop digital image kindly supplied by them - they are sponsoring my challenge 86. The image is called Christmas church and I've just lightly coloured the sky with copic B60 pale blue grey and used this as well to highlight some of the snow.

I've used the sketch for Christmas cards with sketches 37 - to see the sketch please click on the link.

I've used lots of offcuts from my Christmas box - the sketch was ideal for this -  just squeezing in one more card for Pixie's crafty snippets 33 before Di closes the gates!

I kept to blues for:

Twisted Tuesday 19: are you blue? Twist: try to use only one other colour beside blue - silver
Annabelle:

Also for Charisma cardz 32: monochrome

This is also for Just some lines: layer it up