Spring fairy

This is for Arianne's sketch on Sunday sketch & stamp 23:

I used a Greeting Farm digi: 'spring fairy', so I'm linking for:

Anyone for Anya: 'spring fever'
Quixotic 17: 'altered Anya & friends' - I printed the image on to white card, then the spring green Craft creations paper for the fairy's clothes and then on to a patterned silver card, which I sprinkled with black detail and heat embossed before cutting out and sticking on the main image - I don't usually go for paper piecing, but enjoyed doing this

It's also for:

Your next stamp 12: 'distressing' - the torn and chalked oval
Stamp something: 'distres
Stamp, scrap & doodle 32: 'tearing'
In style March challenge: 'yellow and green'
Crafty pad 62: 'ovals & ribbons' - at least one oval, 2 ribbons
Curtain call 21: always artichoke, certainly celery, barely banana, whisper white'
Squigglfly 40: 'let it shine'
One stop craft: 'let it shine'
Created by hand: 'are you wearing green' - this fairy is
Digital Tuesday 50: 'lots of green'
Jacksonbelle: 'show us your new stuff' - I bought the Greetiing farm 'spring fairy' today
Creative Inspirations 52: 'white, yellow & green'
Digi shack: 'green'
Flutter by Wednesday 101: 'green' - I've included a fairy and a butterfly
KL stampin' n scrappin' 22: flowers and stitching - the bottom ribbon is stitched
C.R.A.F.T. 42: 'nursery rhymes' :

'Where are you going, sister Kate?
I’m going to swing on the garden gate
And watch the fairy gypsies dance
Their tim-tam-tum on the cabbage-plants'

Pixie dust studio 13: 'the power of 3' - 3 flowers, 3 gems
Frosted designs: 'think spring' - use a flower
Fussy & fancy 6: 'green'
Simple doodles 13: 'show a little green' - I've used a required digi
Allsorts 44: 'spring is in the air'
Bee crafty 26: 'spring' - I've included a digi
Crazy 4 challenges 29: 'spring'
Lots to do 11: 'springtime'
Secret crafter Saturday 75: 'spring has sprung'
Sweet stampin' 18: 'spring is in the air'
Daisy dooddles 4: 'artist choice' - must include a digi
Loonie 84: 'use a die cut shape in your design' - the spellbinder butterfly
365 cards day 13: 'a whole new dimension' - paper piecing on the fairy
Cutie stampers 47: 'spring'
Totally Gorjuss 22: 'ribbon'



I've just noticed that the gems look blue here, but irl they are silver.

Enough!! Relax!!

This card is for the sketch on CPS 158:



Today I came across a 'new to me' challenge blog 52 card pickup where challenge 11 is called 'enough' an refers to 'because we are worth it'.

I was already planning to do a card for Dottie's world 'pastel' challenge (oh dear, I've just realised that this isn't the current challenge - oh well, nevermind!) and this fitted in well, using Dottie bath time image, which I coloured with Derwent pastels (it's a while since I had them out of the box). I had a calamity with my first effort - I decided to spray the image with fixative - should have tried spraying it first because the nozzle was probably gummed up a bit and the 'spray' spurted all over the card, rather than actually spraying. So I had to start again - and this time I sprayed with hairspray (should have done that the first time!).

I'm also linking for:

Pile it on 10: 'pastel colours'
Alota rubber stamps 31: 'humorous cards' - hope it's OK to use a digi
Another for Cute Daisy May: 'anything goes'
Cuttlebug spot: 'the spot is going digi this week' - I used a border embossing folder
Another for Lucy's 7: 'clean & simple'
Another for ABC: 'Q is for quotation'
Hand full of stamps 20: 'remove the dust' - the Derwent pastels that haven't been out of the box for ages (and the fixative, but the least said about that the better!)
Stamping sisters for Christ 30: 'peaceful image' - relaxing
Sketchy colors 15: 'white/beige' - the card is a creamy beige colour irl - not pink as the scan shows
ECP 8: use these colours:

Why is it that this simple card has taken me far longer than a more complicated one? And the scan makes it look crooked, which it isn't! And the card on which the image is printed is actually a creamy beige, not pink - ah well!

ABC Christmas prize

Today I've received my prize for the E for elf challenge on ABC Christmas - you can read about it here and you can see my card here.

The prize was the lovely Whiff of Joy stocking stamp, but I was also sent some lovely stocking charms and a bundle of lace - a super package.

Hotel Chocolat easter egg give away

There's a Hotel Chocolat Easter Egg giveaway over on Jam and clotted cream - why not drop in there and join in to win a gorgeous luxury Easter Egg. Tempted? I love Hotel chocolat dark chocolate - you can see their range here.

Spring blossom

This card is based on the sweet stop sketch 47:

It's also for:

Cuttlebug be inspired 76: 'ring in spring' - I used the swiss dots embossing folder for the green paper
Stampotique 3: 'spring has sprung'
Crafty catz 24: 'spring'
Pink elephant 58: 'spring'
Another for Rosie-Dee 66: 'think spring'
Our creative corner: 'colour challenge - yellow, pink, green, brown'
Little red wagon 20: 'copics' - the trees image was stamped with memnto rich cocoa and green, yellow and pink colour added with copics, with the addition of some stickles
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 27: 'trees' - I used one of my favourite Inkadinkado stamps
Glenda's random amusing challenge 58: 'spring'
Digi shack: 'Erin go'bragh!' - use green
In style stamps month's challenge: 'yellow and green'
Sophisticat 26: 'new beginnings' - the newness of spring blossom
Pollycraft 36: 'sparkly things' - the stickles blossom
The craft garden March challenge: inspiration from the photo:

It was difficult to get a photo because of the sheen on the piece of Craftwork tutti fruitti that I used across the middle of the card and also the glint on the stickles that I added to the tree blossom, but you can get the general idea - it looks much better irl.

Picturing wonderland

This card is for the sketch on Oh, Alice! 4: 'picturing wonderland':

It's also for:

Charisma cardz 11: 'something for the kids'
The cottage studio digi rumble 1: 'quick birthday card using digi' - made within 15 minutes (once I'd googled and found the picture I wanted to use and chosen my paper etc)
Cricut cardz 17: 'child's birthday' - the scalloped frame was cut on my cricut using Make the cut software
Loonie 84: 'use a die cut shape in your design' - I hope the cricut-cut frame counts
Little paper shop 59: make something old new again' - I used my cricut that I've used many times, but it's the first time I've cut this frame
Fab n funky 15: 'it's all new' - use something new - the cricut frame
Die cuts R us 30: 'colour challenge - use one of the MME lush collection colours' - I chose blue
Penny's challenges: 'birthdays'
Lucy's cards 7: 'clean and simple'
No time to stamp? 131: 'clean & simple texture' - the card is DCWV textured
Totally Gorjuss 21: 'sweet'
Cute Daisy May: 'anything goes'
Dancing in pajamas TCP Tuesday: 'use your piercing tool' - although the scalloped frame was cut on the cricut I had to pierce the holes, which were hardly visible without doing so

The background paper is K & Co Addison.

Salt: penitence

As part of her reflections during Lent, Lythan chose the topic 'penitence' for today's Salt challenge. This is what Lythan said:

'IN my tradition we follow the season of Lent - a time of reflection and preparation for Jesus death and resurrection. It lasts for 40 days (not including Sundays) to echo the time that Jesus spent in the desert preparing for his ministry. I have chosen one of the themes of Lent as our next challenge -

Penitence

Which I would put simply as "being aware of what we have done wrong and seeking God's forgiveness" or having a sense of regret for sin and wanting to make a sincere change. The focal reading for me is this one 1 John 1:8-9
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Which comes before the prayer of confession in some orders of worship. What does it mean to be aware of our wrong doing and of the forgiveness we receive through Jesus Christ? How can we sincerely make a change in our lives? There are many ways that the word and the reading may take you.'

I reflected on the words in the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, usually called the Lord's Prayer:
'Matthew 6:12: Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.'

And then my thoughts went to Psalm 51, a prayer of penitence written by David, and I particularly focused on verse 10. Of course, unlike David, we have the privilege of living after the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His salvation is open to all those who believe and repent of their sin.

As Christians, we have the assurance of forgiveness - but today's topic is a reminder of the need for awareness and confession of our wrong-doings.

I used Bo Bunny papers for my LO, together with Bazill cardstock. The main background paper is Delilah you and me and the paper with trees is Delilah here's 2U. I wouldn't normally put pink and orange together, but I'm loving these papers.

The shapes were cut on my cricut using Make the cut software - I'm loving being able to use my cricut with my computer as well as with cartridges (which I hardly use now, because using Make the cut is so good).



Please take a little time to hop over to our Salt blog and have a look at the beautiful creations of the rest of the team - and perhaps join in and create something for this theme and leave us a comment so we can come and have a look.

I'm also linking this for:

Challenge up your life 16: 'flower compliment'
Jacksonbelle: 'show us your new stuff' - the Bo Bunny papers
Crafty calendar 6: 'flower power'

Going green in more ways than one

This is for Saturday sketch 142 on 411:

and also for their colour inspiration 114:

The background of my card was taken from an envelope I received:

so it's good for the recycling challenge on Inky impressions 32, although I apologise that there's no actual stamping, but the edges of the quotation have been inked.

It's also for:

Creative card crew 46: 'going dotty ...'
ABC: 'Q for quotation' - the friendship quote is a rub on
Penny's challenges: 'another birthday challenge'
Fussy & fancy 6: 'green'
La -la land 30: 'recycle'
Simon says: 'a splash of green' - use BG papers if you have them - the spotty papers are BG June bug
Another 'happy birthday' card for Kaboodle 26
Another for Cupcake 82: 'going green'
Another for Incy wincy 33: 'green'

Dream

This card is my interpretation of the sketch for Don't waste your Thursdays 24:

The current colour challenge on Design Dollies is 'red, orange and one neutral, so these are the colours I've used.

The spots are good for Crafty creations 59: 'spots and dots' and the same topic for One stop craft 71; also Creative card crew 46: 'going dotty'.

It's also another for Humble pie on Town scrapper: 'three buttons' (not easy to see red on red paper, but they are there in the lefthand corner) Crazy 4 challenges 28: 'masculine cards', Creative inspirations 29: 'male card' and Crafty catz 23: 'something for the boys'

The spotty paper is BG June bug and the other two pieces are from my scraps box. The dream circle is a rub on, but it didn't rub on well, so I had to touch it up with pen (doesn't look brilliant, but will have to do now).

WOYWW - well, it is still Wednesday

It's been a day of interruptions. I was going to take some photos for WOYWW much earlier in the day, but one thing led to another and time went by.

If you haven 't come across WOYWW yet, it's to be found on Julia's blog 'stamping ground' - it's lovely to browse the comments and visit other blogs to see what's on their workspace today. And why not show your workspace too?

There isn't much to see today. I'm showing the end of work surface where my paper rack is housed. Earlier today I was looking for paperss to do my LO for tomorrow's Salt challenge - I couldn't find what I wanted - and ended up taking quite a few of the papers off the rack - and now they need sorting - The two or three bottom shelves that you can't see are OK - they are particular manufacturers, but I never know whether to sort according to type, colour, manufacturer ...


I didn't find what I wass looking for, but chose some papers in the end that I was happy with, so my LO is done, but can't be shown till tomorrow. There's just a bit of evidence here of some cut outs from my cricut:

Anyone for rugby?

This card is for Color dare 59:

also for the sketch on My grafico 39:

It's also for:

Created by hand: 'Are you wearing green?'
Humble pie (town scrapper): 'three buttons'
Another for Crazy 4 challenges 28: 'masculine cards'
Another for Crafty catz 23: 'something for the boys'
Cards for men 6: 'happy birthday'
Kaboodle 26: 'happy birthday'
Artful inkables (think ink Tuesday) 16: 'birthday'
Sunday stamper: 'bits and pieces' - the card is very much made up with various 'bits'

The background paper is K & Co Addison and the piece of paisley paper is a last piece from a sheet free with a magazine - pity it's all gone now, really liked that paper and have loved using it for masculine cards. The rugby stamp was coloured with copics (stamped on to a scrap from my box).

Pink Persimmon blog hop prize

Recently Pink Persimmon organised a blog hop and I won these stamps on Samantha's blog - you can see the prize winners here - and they have now arrived in the post - I look forward to using them - what a lucky girl I am!

What a thoughtful RAK

What a lovely surprise when we got back from Guy's hospital today - postie had brought me a big package with all these cards and papers from a dear crafting friend, with a note saying the had got a few left over aperture cards and can I use them for my fundraising?

Thank you so much, Paula, for such a thoughtful RAK - yes, I can indeed use them - I'll enjoy doing so.

Frosty the snowmen

The current challenge on ABC Christmas is 'F for frosty' with the optional extra of 'snow'. It's also another one for Gingersnap GC46 spicy supply challenge 'frosting'.

And on Bah! humbug challenge 9 is 'cool combos ...' - combine at least three of the themes from previous challenges - so I chose glitter, snowmen and trees.

It was very hard to get a photo because of the reflection on the background cards with the trees - it looks gold on here, but it actually has a very pale green sheen. - the shine is right for Squigglefly 40: 'let it shine' and is sparkly for Pollycraft 'sparkly things ...' The shine on the background paper and the glint on the white glitter card makes it look 'wet', so I'm also linking for Saturday spotlight 22: 'you're so slick'

I tore white glitter card for the snow and the snowmen are chipboard, which makes it good for Practical scrappers current challenge.


It's also an extra card for March's BF 25th club and also for Christmas cards all year round for March.

A host of golden daffodils?

For this card I've used the sketch on Papertake 36:

This week's challenge on Daring Cardmakers is 'a host of golden daffodils' - my apologies to the team that, because I used one of my favourite spring stamps, my card has only one daffodil and not a host of them! I hope I'm forgiven.

As spring (we hope),St. Patrick's day and Easter are on the horizon, there are quite a few challenges around still that are asking for cards reflecting spring colour, particularly green, so I'm linking for:

Rosie-Dee 66: 'think spring'
Pink elephant 58: 'spring'
Stampotique designers 3: 'spring has sprung'
Tanda teaser 137: 'simply spring'
Stampin' B 49: 'spring or Easter card'
Theme Thursday: 'spring'
Susie's sassy 10: 'Easter'
Sew many challenges 7: 'Easter'
Cupcake 82: 'going green'
Incy wincy 33: 'green'
Kelly Jo colour chef 43: 'dark green light green, cream or white (I hope I'm forgiven for the yellow daffodil! - I'll try and do another one later with just green and white/cream)
Inky impressions 31: 'think green'
Penny's: 'green for St Patty's day'
Pixie cottage 11: 'the colour green'
Clearly I stamp 9: 'think green'
Raise the bar 8: 'go green'
Crafting pot 14: 'let your sham rock!' - gold, green or combo
Cupcake inspiration (Hope stamps eternal) 50
Crafty angels 25: 'butterflies'
Flutter by Wednesday 100: 'open - include butterfly, fairy or angel'
Charisma cardz 10: 'beautiful butterflies'
Magical crafts 10: 'things with wings' - butterflies on the left hand paper

The paper on the right hand side is BG urban couture and the other papers are Craft creations. The daffodil stamp is funstamps coloured with copics, label made on the Dymo letratag.

Bon voyage

For my final CBC birthday challenge 'another recipe' I've made a bon voyage card. The recipe is to include string, a tag and felt.

The papers are K & Co and the brown felt background behind the map was cut with the Sizzix parchment die (a long time since that's been out of the box).


I can't believe that in the end I've managed to do all the challenges. Thanks, Sue, for a good time, particularly in getting me doing some more scrapbooking.

This also fits the challenge this week on Kelly Jo 42: colour chef: 'yellow, green, brown, cream'. Also linking for Little red wagon 19: 'fabric' (hope felt counts - missed the previous week) and for Alphabet: 'T is for tag'. I think this could also be 'something for the boys' for challenge 23 on Crafty catz and Crazy 4 challenges 28: 'masculine cards'.

My favourite colour

This LO is based on Sue's sketch for 'a bit sketchy' - I'm getting near to the end of the birthday challenges on CBC - just one more to go after this (I think - need to check).

This is a photo of Faye taken in September (same occasion as the last two LOs shown). Faye wasn't even four at the time, but wanted to join in the stamping and colouring that her bigger sisters were doing. I think you can see what her favourite colour is. Just like Chloe, Faye is really concentrating to colour the stamped image of the 'gracious lady' by Hero Arts.

Papers are DCWV. Once again the naked chipboard arrow has been swiped with versamark and heat embossed with hot pink powder.

The large oval at the bottom was cut on my cricut using Make the cut and the scalloped edges were cut on my rotatrim. I then added a Craftime black blossom. Writing is computer generated and the labels Dymo letratag.

Once again, you can see the image enlarged if you click on it. Sorry about the angle of the photo.


I'm linking this for:
Created by hand: 'you GO girl'
Dutch dare 73: 'photo colour inspiration'
Allsorts 43: 'pink, black and white'
Crafty ho colour challenge: 'pink and black'

I'm concentrating on my crafting!

Sue set a challenge on CBC - a recipe: a brad, an arrow and some doodling. This LO depicts Chloe crafting on the same afternoon as Dani in the previous post.

The arrow was naked chipboard coated with versamark and embossed with hot pink. The white flowers are Pergamano rub ons. I did some white pen doodling around the pictures and added a few Dovecraft jewel black brads.

Chloe was crafting with one of my favourite stamps, 'gracious lady' by Hero Arts.

Sorry I had to take the photo at this angle - got too much glare if I tried to take it head on.

Please click on the picture to enlarge to see the writing, which was computer generated.


As I've used a white pen for doodling, I'm linking for Practical scrappers: 'white pens/white markers'; also linking for Wednesday stamper: 'doodling' - and I've used a stamp (the 'gracious lady'. It's also another for Crafty ho colour challenge: 'pink and black'.

Life in pictures 2

Another CBC challenge - this time 'Life in pictures 2'.

My LO sums up winter 2010. The background paper is My Mind's eye Andrea Victoria 'wishing flowers' paper - I know it's flowers, not snowflakes, but it seemed to go OK - and the MME journaling piece says it all!

The labels were made on my Dymo letratag. I would like to say that the snowflake was cut on white glitter card by my cricut, but in reality it was half-cut and I had to finish off the cuts (didn't have it set the the highest, so gave myself more work to do) - it was from the Christmas cheer cartridge. The gem in the middle of the snowflake is Prima.

Please click on the picture to read the journaling.

Life in pictures 1

Thanks to Sue and her challenges this weekend for the birthday celebrations on CBC, I'm doing some scrapping - something I intend to do more often, but don't seem to get around it - and what I like about it is that I get to keep the crafting for myself.

This LO is for Sue's 'Life in pictures 1' challenge.

Last September, Paul brought the grandchildren over. It was quite a nice day, so they spent some time in the garden, but then they came in and decided they would like to do some crafting, so here is Dani at work (or should I say, play). Paper is Imaginations 'family' and the circles were cut on my cricut with K & Co papers.


The colours on ColourQ 23 are on this LO, so I'm linking for that. There's also some orange for Stampavie 85.

Book it!

'Book it!' is another of Sue's challenges on CBC - 'I need a book of any type - the catch is you need to make the book'.

This is a notebook made with my BIA. Papers are K & Co, letters are American crafts remarks: runway, the rose is a DCWV epoxy sticker from their Princess range and the little owls were from Paperchase.




I'm linking this for One stop craft 71: 'spots and dots'