Blog candy celebration

As this post will be on top until 20 June,
please scroll down to see recent crafting.
Thank you.

In the next week or so I will have reached 40,000 hits to my blog since Sitemeter was installed - so, I'm celebrating by giving away some candy. Update: I've now gone past 40,000 hits.

To be in with a chance to win, all you need to do is leave me a comment on this post and also link back to me from your blog - either in a post, or by putting a link in your sidebar.

If you become a follower of my blog, or if you are already a follower, I will put your name in the hat an extra time - so you will have two chances to win.

I am very grateful for everyone who comes and has a look here and I always appreciate your comments.

This is what's on offer:



A set of five Dovecraft Wedding Premium Embossed Cards with envelopes
A set of five Dovecraft Glamour Premium Embossed Cards with envelopes
A set of Assorted Alphabet Bubble Stickers
A sheet of Kelly Panacci epoxy stickers
An Arctic Frog Lilly Pads Flower Show set of 6" x 6" papers
Baby Boy E-Z stick-on 3-D sticker embellishments
A Mr Men embossing board
A packk of Dry Transfer Lettering
A pack of Papermania sparkling trims - 6 x 1m lengths
Queen & Co brads - Textured Trios - Boy

so there's something for every occasion.

The draw is open to anyone and everyone, whether you're a frequent visitor or here for the first time - and I'm willing to post worldwide, so distance is no problem.

I will keep this post on top until midnight Saturday 20 June (GMT + summertime) and will do the draw the next day.

Please scroll down below this post for recent crafting.

Who's for golf?

This card is for the sketch on challenge 36 on Crafts 4 Eternity: 'one for the dads':

Sadly, my dad died a few years ago, so I no longer make a Father's Day card, but this card could be used to give to a man for any occasion.

Cupcake challenge 44 is also: 'Father's Day' (or a card for a male).

Day 110 on 365 cards is 'my guy' - 'Make a masculine card, and use an ARGYLE pattern'

Papers are Craft Creations Green texture, green diamonds and green meadow narrow stripe.



I've also shown this for Tanda Teaser 103 'Oh Daddy!'
If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in - less than a week to go now - and you've got to be in it to win it!

Black and a touch of pink

This card is for sketch 55 on Sketch Saturday:

Today (day 111) on 365 cards the theme is: 'say it with stripes' - 'Which means, that your challenge is to create a card with Bold Colors and Stripes.'

It features roses for ABC 'R is for roses' (lagging behind with ABC challenges) and Creative Card Crew challenge 15 calls for 'black plus one other colour'.

I used papers and embellishments from my newly acquired Papermania Touch of Pink kit (which I managed to get at a bargain price of £8.49 - I love a bargain, so I bought the Touch of Teal box as well - it is so easy on the internet!):


If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in - less than a week to go now - and you've got to be in it to win it!

Another commissioned card

I've been asked to make a card for a friend's grandson's 6th birthday, featuring a rocket.

This fits in with a few challenges:

365 day 108: 'oh boy!' - masculine birthday card, but not for an adult
Everybody art 43: 'numbers'
Mixed Media Monday: 'numbers'
Paperplay week 21: 'give it a twist' - 'Use your supplies in an unexpected way
For example, pink card for men, title in Braille, clock faces instead of the letter "O", anything with a twist!' - my twist is using a pink birthday sentiment on a boy's card, because it matches parts of the rocket. I also decorated the back of the card as well as the front.

I've used a K & Co Donna Ingermanson paper from the Rough and Tumble range. I scanned the rocket and increased its size. I didn't have a number 6 to match, so I inked and embossed a naked chipboard one. I also inked the birthday sentiment (it was originally a pale lilac).

I used some more of the paper to decorate the back of the card:


If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in - less than a week to go now - and you've got to be in it to win it!

Commissioned card: pile it on!!!

I was asked to make an 80th birthday card, pink and purple with flowers.

I used this week's sketch on Friday Sketchers challenge 56:


As I used two ribbons on the card (one across the middle and the glittery one tied at the side) I'm linking for challenge 2 on Pile it on: 'wrapped up in ...': 'We want you to use RIBBON on your project - at least TWO DIFFERENT RIBBONS! You must, of course, combine with at least one other challenge!'

The idea of Pile it on is to combine with other challenges - the more, the merrier! So, here are the other challenges that I'm linking for this card:

Lots to do challenge 24: 'no theme, you choose'
One Stop Craft challenge 33: 'add some sparkle' (the ribbon on the left is glittered and there are lots of gems on the butterflies, etc)
Double Dutch challenge 20: 'my one and only' - one colour: shades of lilacs
Created by hand: 'your choice'
Everybody Art challenge 44: 'Happy Birthday'
Simon Says: 'Happy Birthday'
Flutter by Wednesday challenge 62: open theme: 'This week the challenge is an open week as long as your card has a butterfly or fairy on it'
A Spoon full of sugar challenge 55: 'butterflies'
Just Bex: 'ways with ribbons' - 2 different ways
Tander Teaser 102: beautiful butterflies'

Wow! And all because I was asked to make an 80th birthday card.

I used BG Eva papers, made a 'nestie' oval with printed sentiment on computer, with the addition of flowers and ribbons from stash. The outer flowers were white, so I inked with wisteria chalk ink and did the same with the butterflies, edged with orchid pastel chalk ink.



I'm also submitting this for the Artistic Stamper June challenge on CBC - there isn't actually any stamping on it, but there is inking.

If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in - only a few days to go now - and you've got to be in it to win it!

Girly girl

Today (day 107) on 365 cards the topic is 'so girly': The word "Girl" must be somewhere on the card - and make the card very girly!

This card is also for Becky's sketch no. 4 for challenge 65 on My Time to Craft:

I turned the sketch over. The papers are all K & Co, taken from the Amy Butler and Sparkly Sweet ranges. I've had the pink and turquoise 3D shaker stickers for ages (don't remember where I got them) and have never found a use for them until now.

As there is a rather elaborate shoe on the card, it's OK for 'shoe time' this week on Papertake Weekly challenge blog.

I've just found the new challenge blog Pile it on - where we are encouraged to combine with at least one other challenge. The first challenge (I'm actually late for this, but still thought I'd join in) is to use a non-stamped sentiment or title, so I think the Girly girl qualifies.


If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in - less than a week to go now - and you've got to be in it to win it!

Commissioned silver wedding card

A neighbour has asked me to make three cards this week (one was for the 'music man' that I showed a couple of days ago). This one is for a silver wedding anniversary. I found a sketch that I thought would be good to use - and have just realised that it's for Just Christmas and Birthday cards challenge 35, and, of course, d'oh! this is neither Christmas nor Birthday, but I still want to acknowledge that I used this sketch by Simone:

I used an embossed base pearl card overlayed with vellum 'congratulations', with the addition of some 3D flowers etc.

Neither the photo:

nor the scan:

does the card justice - it looks better irl

If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in - less than a week to go now - and you've got to be in it to win it!

BF June ATCs

The subject for the June ATC swap on BF is 'squares'. I started making mine, but in the end wasn't happy with them - the paper I used was K & Co Donna Ingemanson 'rough and tumble':



so I made a different lot, this time using Core'dinations black magic card Cuttlebug embossed and sanded with squares cut from American crafts Bavarian paper, with the addition of a square gem here and there:


If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in - less than a week to go now - and you've got to be in it to win it!

Inchies: black, white and a hint of red

Now everyone else in the group has got theirs I'll show the inchies I made for the 'black and white with a hint of red' June swap on BF. I used pieces of BG scarlet's letter paper, used a Sharpie black pen to decorate the edges and coloured the centres of the daisies with a red copic (they were originally pink).

The challenge on Small world of inchies and twinchies this week is 'black and white with a touch of red', so I'm linking there.


And this is the lovely selection of inchies I received in the swap:


If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in - less than a week to go now - and you've got to be in it to win it!

365 cards day 103: card recipe UPDATE

This card definitely lacked something, so this morning I've added a couple of ribbons - and what a difference it's made:


If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in - less than a week to go now - and you've got to be in it to win it!

365 cards day 103: card recipe

This was the challenge for day 103 on 365 cards:

'Now for today's challenge, which is another recipe. And here are the ingredients:

4.25 x 5.5 card
Solid Background
2 patterned papers
Stamped Sentiment
3 Jewels

Try to stick to only these ingredients to create your card.'

I've used American Crafts papers: parfait and mousse. The Poundland bling is actually pink, but looks a bit odd on here. The sentiment was stamped with Brilliance cocoa bean and clear heat embossed.


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Multi-challenge card in more ways than one!

Challenge 38 this week on Rosie-dee is a sketch given by Deanne, asking us to use green and blue:

Using blue and green with the addition of other shades means this card is also suitable for:

Kwerner 54:

and Color Throwdown 46:
This card is also for day 102 on 365 cards: 'challenge combo' - we were asked to combine three challenges - one from March, one from April and one from May. My choices were:

day 31 (from March) 'I'm rounding the corners'
day 41 (from April) 'Feel better Friday' - Get well card, using five flowers'
day 80 'you're so plaid'

As I used five flowers, this is also good or challenge 11 on Paper Blooms: 'blooming' - to use at least three flowers.

I used papers that came with Creative Cardmaking issue 4. The central flower image is a rub on.



If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in.

Bright and cheerful

This was an opportunity to use some of my BG lime rickey papers. A few challenges are calling for something bright:

365 day 100: 'Manic Monday': 'use 5 bold colors on your card: RED, ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, and BLUE - No pastels! '

DCM: 'sizzling hot!'

Colour Create 18: 'colours of the rainbow' (didn't do the additional option this time)

And I used the sketch for Cutie Sunday 45:


The circle and semi circle were cut with a Nestability:


If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in.

Pink and brown triangles - UPDATE

This card is for a couple of challenges this week that call for a pink and brown combo:

Simon says (my first time there) and Charisma Cardz 23.

The card is also for day 99 on 365, using the sketch provided for 'super sketchy Sunday':

As I used a flourish stamp on the background paper, this is also good for 'flourishes!' on this week's Theme Thursday.

The background paper is American Crafts parfait, the flourishes stamp is a Dawn Bibby design, and the triangle is made up of nine individual triangles stamped on to K & Co pink paper with Brilliance coffee bean and embossed. The triangle stamp is a newly acquired bargain one (all of 99p).

Apologies that the scan has clipped the edged of the card so that the base of the triangle isn't quite fully there.



Update: I completely forgot to add the dragonfly for the extra for day 99 on 365, so here is the card again, with the dragonfly added:


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Card for a music man

I've been commissioned to make a few cards, one of which is for a musician who will be 70 this birthday. I used an A4 card that already had piano keys and a treble clef on it, using it so that the piano keys are on the back of the card.

I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment with versamark and heat embossed with gold detail and also swiped the versamark around the edges and corners, embossing in the same way. The piano keys strip and the 70 are gold foiled, although they don't look it here.

This week's Sunday challenge on Stamptacular is 'One for the boys!' - the card has to be for a man or boy - and only linked for that challenge and, of course, include stamping.




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BF CJ 'When you were born'

I haven't done much crafting in the last few days - feeling really tired. Things haven't been easy recently, but at least they were pleased with the progress of John's foot when he went up to Guy's this morning. We just need to be patient and pray for the healing to eventually be complete. Thank you for all the good wishes.

It's time to get the next BF CJ into the post, so this afternoon/evening I've got my bit done in Nicky's (madhousekeeper's) 'When you were born'.

I've used BG granola papers. As usual, you can read what I've written if you click on the pictures to enlarge:



If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in.

Salt: The community of faith

It was Lythan's turn to choose the topic for this fortnight's challenge on Salt and you can read what she wrote about 'The Community of Faith' here.

For my LO I've used some of the June kit from Bubblyfunk, which features bazill background and My Mind's Eye Andrea Victoria.

If you click on the picture you can read what I wrote:



I would encourage you to pop over to Salt and have a look at the lovely creations of the rest of the team - and perhaps join in the challenge - we'd love to see what this inspires you to create.

If you haven't left a comment for my blog candy, please take a look here and join in.

Fruity ATCs

Today I've received the lovely ATCs from the group on BF for May, with the theme of 'fruit':

My own cherries one is at the bottom right of the picture - I used a recently acquired stamp and copics to colour:


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365 cards day 98: it's an anniversary

This is my card for day 98 on 365 cards, where the challenge was: 'so I want to see anniversary cards....with a catch (of course). Make the dominant color white -- what!? Oh yes, it can be done - it just requires simplicity :)'

I think mine is a bit too simple - haven't done a card like this for a while. The card is hammered white, the champagne etc is from a Dena kit and the sentiment from stash, both mounted on to silver mirror card.



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Triple embossing

For this card I followed the sketch for Everybody Art challenge 42:

I prepared the chipboard flowers as follows:

Plain chipboard, swiped with versamark and heat embossed with pearl UTEE, twice
Stamped with Stazon blazing red using the Tim Holtz paisley stamp - this only left a very vague image
Heat embossed with clear UTEE and stamped into it while hot, using Funstamps paisley background stamp
Swiped over the shape and edges with Stazon blazing red

The papers are BG Infuse.

Cute Daisy May challenge atm is 'let's emboss', so I'm linking for that and for Net's 'cute card challenge' on CBC - and also for One Stop Craft challenge 32 'under pressure' (embossing).

This is also for Rosie's challenge 37 on Rosiedee: 'triple embossing'.

This week's challenge on Mixed Media Monday is 'layers', so I'm submitting this card there, as there are layers of UTEE.

I've just realised that the copics colouring is pants - I was so concentrating on the triple embossing that I didn't pay much attention to the colouring in - I'll try and put that right.

I have two more triple embossed chippie flowers to use on another project:



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Diamonds are forever

The challenge on day 97 (Friday) on 365 cards was Shape up 2: diamond.

I cut the diamong shape on my cricut (from the wedding/marriage cartridge), using some BG porcelain paper for the blackout shape behind the gold mirror card. The main background is also from BG porcelain range.

As I've used die cuts, this is also good for Cute Card Thursday 63: 'nip and a punch' - to use punched shapes or die cuts.


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