BF May inchies received

Once again the girls on BF came up trumps with the inchies for the May swap, with the subject of 'five' - all so different, but all so on target. Thanks, girls, they are super:

Mosaic Monday

While visiting Janice's lovely blog I saw hr mosaic photo for this week's 'Mosaic Monday' - I'd never come across this before, but visited to investigate and thought I would make a mosaic of photos I've taken of the bouquet I received from John for our anniversary. I used Mosaic maker to put the photos together.


As usual, if you click on the picture you will see a larger version.

Salt: Power to be witnesses

It's time for a new Salt challenge today and it was my privilege this time to choose the theme - you can read what I wrote here, based on this verse from Acts 1:8:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

I wanted my LO to reflect my thoughts on witnessing within my own home, my neighbourhood and further afield ... to the end of the earth, made possible nowadays by the internet.

I digitally put my LO together.

Important card left till the last minute

This is typical - make cards for everyone else and for no reason at all ... but until this evening I hadn't made an anniversary card for John for tomorrow. I was tempted to use one of the ones that I have in my box, but I felt I should make the effort to make one specificially for him.

I'm quite pleased with the result. I used Daisy Bucket Newbury Court brownstone square paper and stamped with swirls (I think they are by Papermania). The forever friends bears were cut out from a piece of paper from their 'with love' range. I added a couple of Prima 'say it in studs' and quite a few of their pearls of various sizes and complimentary colours. I coloured the white background sentiment with a copic - but why is it that the colour on here looks different than it does irl?

I'd already planned to make a card with brown tones and then in the post today I received a card and a surprise package from Pauline (one of our Salt team) of felt and button embellishments, so I've used one of them straight away on the card and here are the rest:


So, here's the card:

I'm linking for these challenges:

Incy wincy 43: 'button up!!!'
ECP 13: 'buttons'
Practical scrappers: 'felt, fabric or tulle' - the felt of the button embellishment
Loonie stampers 93: 'felt'
Shabby tea room 11: 'polka dots'
Meljen's designs 8: 'seeing spots'
One stitch at a time 14: 'furry friends'
Pile it on 20: 'out of the box' - the bear's paw going over the edge - I would never normally do this, but got the idea from:
The crafty pad 72: 'over the edge'
Quirky crafts 28: 'chocolate and cream'
Stamptacular 60: 'pearls and swirls' - this really inspired me to use the stamped swirls and Prima pearls
Totally Gorjuss 31: 'bling it on!'
Crafty creations 68: 'celebration' - our anniversary
C.R.A.F.T. 51: 'celebrate' - our anniversary
Creative cottage 11: 'one for the boys!!!' - male card
Copic creations 28: 'monochrome' - and I used a copic to change the background of the sentiment from white
Pixie dust studio 23: 'add a pearl'
Lots to do week 20: 'flourishes and/or swirls'
Sketchy colors 25: 'earth colours' - this inspiration photo was given:

High five to my Bubbly friends

The topic for the May inchie swap on BF is 'five' because it's the fifth month.

I wasn't sure what to do - thought of using 5 brads, 5 gems or whatever and then 'high five' came into my mind.

They are extremely simple inchies - a picture taken from the internet with the addition of the 'high five' text.

I hope my Bubbly friends like them.

Invertage scenes

When I had my sale at WEF someone asked if I would make a couple of these cards (I'd already done some before), so last night I made four - easy to do, just a bit fiddly.

The photos are worse than usual (and that's saying something - lol!) because I took them quickly this morning as I needed to take the cards to church with me. Although it was already sunny, the light inside wasn't that brilliant, so I had to resort to flash, which meant taking the photos at an angle to avoid glare - at least you can see the build up of layers, but can't see the finished scenes so well.





I'm linking these for:

Charisma cardz 20: '3D'
Dollies colour challenge: 'blue, green, brown and white' - the last card
Pollycraft 44: 'summer blooms' - the first card
Crazy challenge: 'something new' - the first one would make a lovely 'new home' card

Hot pink, black and white

Last August, I made a card that had a feather on it - you can see it here - and a friend bought it. She recently asked me if I would make a similar card for a friend's 40th birthday. This time I've used a hot pink background card, some irridescent black card that shimmers - the corners cut with Fiskars scissors - and hot pink feathers. The central piece is pyramage 3D - the surround is silver, not black as it looks here.


I'm linking for these challenges:

Magical crafts fortnightly 15: 'black, white + 1 more colour'
S2G Twisted Thursday 57: 'ladies with attitude - with a twist: favourite colour' - black, white and hot pink is one of my favourite colour combos
Raise the bar 19: 'it's all about the bag' - inspired by this bag - would love it
Charisma cardz 20: '3D'
Ooh-la-la 54: 'bright and cheerful'
Crafty Ann 15: 'lots of colour' - lots of hot pink
Sew many challenges 15: 'anything goes'

Thank you Daring Cardmakers

I was commissioned to make a card using a photo and given free rein as to what else to do. Tbh I just couldn't get inspiration, until I remembered the 'A-bunting we will go' challenge this week on DCM - so, thank you, Jo and all the girls on DCM for your inspiration.

I've purposely blocked out the faces on the photo. I know the bunting is wonky, but, hey, it often is irl, isn't it?!

Bobby the Pirate ahoy!

A quick boy's card, using a treasure map background and Bobby the Pirate download by Marjorie Ramsay - isn't he just the works!

It's for these challenges:

Stamping 411 colour inspiration 123: 'old olive, soft suede, more mustard, real red'
Stamp with fun 59: 'stripes'
The treehouse 49: 'masculine theme'
Our creative corner: 'masculine birthday - let's hear it for the boys!'
Stamp, scrap & doodle 40: 'masculine'
Cards for men 10: 'outdoors'
Shabby tea room 10: 'red, white and blue' - Bobby's clothes

Update: I knew that a friend was coming round today for some cards and that she needed a birthday card for a boy - she chose this one and I put the number 6 on the pirate's top.

One for the men

This is for Color dare 66: crushed curry, bashful blue, soft suede, old olive - I used up bits and pieces from my scraps box (I haven't forgotten one of my crafting new year resolutions) and images that were free with a magazine a long time ago. The colours are also good for Stamp away with me: 'colour cue 4 and for Dollies colour challenge: 'blue, green, brown and white (or ivory)'.

It's also for:

The treehouse 49: 'masculine theme'
Our creative corner: 'masculine birthday - let's hear it for the boys!'
Stamp, scrap & doodle 40: 'masculine'
Stamp with fun 59: 'stripes'
Cards for men 10: 'outdoors'
Creative craft: 'colour combo - blue, brown'
Practical scrappers: 'patterned paper'

Oh dear, confession time!

Somehow, probably something to do with not wanting to wait for the liquid pearls to dry, I've discovered that I got some of it smudged on the inside of the coffee mug card that I showed in the post below.

There is no way that I feel like fiddling to put an insert in, so I've rescued the front of the card and used it on a card which is based on the sketch for Paper Minutes 113:

Call round for coffee and cake

A while ago I received some PaperPopsicles digital images and templates as a prize. I decided to use the coffee cup template to make a shaped card. I transferred the image to Make the cut and then cut the shape on my cricut (much easier than cutting by hand).

The theme for this week's Paper popsicles Monday moosetrack is cardstock - my favourite is DCWV textured - I love it and have used it here, both for the template and for the computer generated words.

The 'froth and steam' is white opal liquid pearls (went a bit overboard with this I think! and couldn't wait for it to dry).

The cupcakes are from a QVC kit.

I'm also linking this for:

Lily-boo too May challenge: 'shaped cards'
Charisma cardz 19: 'sweet treats'
Stampin B 58: 'food or drink'
PaperPlay 19: 'brown and ?' - pink
Quirky crafts 28: 'chocolate and cream'



Update: confession time - please click here to see the above post: Oh dear, confession time!

BF non-retreats photo prompts

As part of the non-retreaters mini crop on Bubbly Funk forum, over the last two days Joanne has been giving us photo prompts:

1. Stamp - a collection by Tim Holtz:


2. Texture - in the kitchen:

3. Aperture:

4. Yellow - some yellow in my garden:


including one that shouldn't be there:


5. Energy - and I'm so glad that Joanne gave us this prompt, because the bulb in our bathroom had gone and I needed to put a new one in before it got dark:


6. Division - the wire fence that divides our back garden from our neighbour's:


7. Handmade - a tablecloth that I embroidered when I was about 7 (excuse the creases, but there was no way I was going to get the iron out):


8. Open - my printer/scanner with the menu panel open ready for use:


9. Mix - it's very obvious, but this was all my brain could cope with:


10. End - a soppy end of a story (a Jill Mansell book that I bought and still haven't read - at least I know now what the ending is!):


Thanks, Joanne, for organising this - I used to regularly take photos, but sometimes get out of the habit - good to be prompted into taking photos of things that we wouldn't normally think of.

Shabby postage

This is a quick card using some postcard background paper that I've had for ages and never used. The stamp is 'timeless memories', one of my favourites that I had given to me for Christmas. It was stamped on to a piece of the inside of an old envelope, torn and edged and sponged with brushed corduroy distress ink. A bit of distressing also around the edges of the card and across the sentiment and the card was done.


It's for:

Die cut dreams 47: shabby chic
Quirky crafts 27: 'postal theme'
Incy wincy 41: colour challenge photo inspiration - brown, green, cream
The crafty pad 71: 'tear it up'
Jacksonbelle: 'CAS'
ABC: 'U is for unused stash' - the background paper has been in my box for a few years
Crafty creations 67: 'around the world'
Gingersnap GC53 chestnut theme: 'read'
The treehouse 49: 'masculine theme'
Alphabet: 'C is for chocolate colours'
Simple doodles 17: 'you're on my mind'
Stamp, scrap & doodle 40: 'masculine'
Lots to do week 19: 'stamped collage'
Etsy inspired 88: 'creation designs' - I chose rusty tool chime with nuts and bolts, for the colours:

Pile it on 19: 'photo inspiration':

In love with brown and blue

This is for the sketch for challenge 63 on Corrosive:



I've used some more of the QVC kit that I started using the other day. I took the photo at an angle to avoid flash reflection on the silver, but it also shows the decoupage a bit.


It's also for:

Stampin' sisters in Christ 38: 'shades of brown, blue and white'
Sophisticat 31: 'colour challenge - blue, brown and cream'
Creative craft: 'colour combo - blue, brown'
PaperPlay 19: 'brown and ?' - blue'
Alphabet: 'C fis or chocolate colours'
Cas-tastic 3: 'CAS cards using circles'
Colour create 44:'khaki, aqua, brown and cream, optional extra: circles'
Creative inspirations 34: 'punches or die cuts'

Desk caddy

A few weeks ago I came across a challenge blog that asked us to make a desk caddy - I wasn't able to do this at the time and can't remember where the challenge was, but the tutorial is here and I'm very grateful to Kathleen for this.

I've shared this with my crafting friends on the Bubbly Funk forum - those of us who haven't been able to go on retreat are having a non-retreaters mini-crop.

I used BG papers - Sultry elite and stylish.

I don't know yet what I'll put in it - will have to have a think. In fact, I might give it to my mum - it's the kind of thing she'd like.

I confess that because I'm still not feeling well, I didn't bother with eyelets, but just made holes with my cropodile - perhaps when I feel better I'll undo the ribbon and set eyelets because it would make it stronger.




I'm linking for these challenges:

One stitch at a time 12: 'going dotty'
Everybody art 90: 'make a gift'
Creative Belli 91: 'hole punches' - used my cropodile for the holes for threading the ribbon through
Creative cottage 10: 'fancy folds'
PaperPlay 19: 'brown and ?' - pink
Twisted Thursday 56: 'home sweet home' - celebrate your home (something to use at home) + ribbon
Alphabet: 'C for chocolate colours'
Crafty Ann 14: 'anything goes'
Fussy & fancy 10: 'a May basket'
Basic Grey 20: 'punch it' - I used my cropodile to 'punch it' and BG papers
One stitch at a time 13: 'anything but a card'
Fun with shapes and more 53: 'gift bag'
Scrappy frogs: 'mother's day' - this was earlier in the year in the UK, but I might well give this caddy to my mum - think she'd love it

Teddy bears picnic

I've just had great fun playing with digi images to come up with an entry for today's Soartful theme: 'Teddy bears picnic'.

This is one of the pictures given on Soartful, a freebie from Dezinaworld - I digitally cut around her, as you will see in the final picture and added her behind the picnic picture.

I found this picture of a Teddy bears picnic here and once again created a cut out of the teddies and their picnic.

The final picture I used was this one that I found here.There wasn't going to be enough room to put the picnic picture, so I copied and right hand section a couple of times and added them on to the original picture - I then needed to do a fair bit of cloning so that the join lines were eliminated.

So this is what I eventually achieved:

As well as entering it for today's Soartful challenge, I'm also linking for:

Pile it on 18: 'cute and cuddly'
Oh Alice chapter 13: 'mushroom inspiration'
Stamp dreams 30: 'fliepi look'
Lexi's creations 13: 'animals' (well, teddies are animals, aren't they?)
KL stampin n scrappin 30: 'et's show our animal friends some love'
My time to craft 91: 'toooo cute!'
Crazy challenge: 'cute & cuddly'
Ann's creative nook 88: sweet memories (of childhood)
Rosie-dee 70: 'so yummy' (picnic of cakes and sandwiches)
Charisma cardz 19: 'sweets treats'
There she goes 54: 'make a scene'
Flourishes timeless 66: 'picture it'
One stop craft 80: 'summer breeze'
Crafty calendar May: 'the great outdoors'
Crafty Ann 14: 'anything goes'
Dare U 2 digi 37: 'anything goes'
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 34: 'rain or shine' - a lovely sunshine day for this picnic

What an excellent discovery!!!

Did you know that you can emboss with your cricut simply by turning the blade round the other way? No, nor did I till earlier this evening when I came across Joy's blog with her video tutorial - you can read about it and see the video here.

So I used the lion on the animal kingdom cart to try this out. I used metal sheet at first (silver) and coloured it with alcohol ink - was pleased with the outcome (very difficult to get a photo with flash) - on here it looks as if the lines have been cut, but irl it is genuinely an embossed look.

I thought I would use the lion on a child's card and then thought it wouldn't be wise to use this metal one, so I then cut another using gold mirror card. The papers are BG max & whiskers and I stamped the lettering (PM stamps) and coloured with ordinary colouring pencils, which seemed appropriate for a child's card - not a copic in sight!

The first picture is a scan, so the gold of the lion doesn't show up at all.

This is a photo taken at an angle to try and avoid flash reflection - still doesn't do it justice, but does show the gold a bit better.

I'm linking this for these challenges:

Paper cutz 40: 'child's birthday, using digi, stamped or cricut image of a zoo animal'
Sunday stamper 102: 'we are golden'
Critter 13: 'critter birthday project'
Double Dutch 43: 'easy as 1, 2, 3 - card with a number on it'
Lexi's creations 13: 'animals'
Squigglefly 48: 'embossing'
Crazy amigo: 'numbers'
Scrap-creations Going grey 10: 'animal theme' (I used BG max & whiskers papers)
Tuesday taggers: 'step out of your comfort zone' - have never used the cricut for embossing before
Fab n funky 23: 'metal mania' - the first lion I cut (and the gold mirror one looks like metal)
Gingersnap GC54 spicy supply: 'pencils'
Your next stamp 16: 'cut it out and pop it up!'
Pixie dust studio 22: 'cut it out'
Treehouse 49: 'masculine theme'
Stamp something: 'birthday somethings'
Crazy 4 challenges 36: 'what are little boys made of?'
Stampin' for the weekend: 'a card for a male'
Hand full of stamps 28: 'get your shine on'

If you've got a cricut, I would recommend you have a go at turning the blade and embossing - could open up all sorts of avenues - especially with the Make the cut as well as cartridges. I think it's something I'll be doing more of.