Party time with the Simpsons

I needed to make a birthday card for one of my great nephews who is Simpsons mad, so I found this Simpsons party download - a simple card with just the addition of 'Party time' and the printed sentiment at the bottom, both raised up with 3D foam.

This is for:

Karen's doodles 51: masculine
Craft your passion 46: male card
ECP 32: something for the boys
For fun: happy birthday
Meljen 46: happy birthday
Cardmaking mamas 15: happy birthday
If the shoe fits 67: happy birthday
Whoopsi Daisy: someone special
Frosted designs fabulous Friday: no patterned paper
Creative craft: cards for a teen (George will be 13)
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Raise the bar 54: children's cartoon characters
Creative card world: use a square card

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Shaped Easter card

In a mad moment a couple of weeks ago I ordered 50 shaped cards like this one (half in white, half in cream). I thought I would be able to use them with the largest of my nestie labels of the same shape and I think it's worked quite well.

I randomly stamped the white card with a PM swirl stamp with Stazon cactus green. The image is a Robyn's Fetish one called 'cross and flowers' which was one of the images I chose for winning Creative card crew 'for a loved one' challenge. The image was coloured with copics.

I very lightly distressed the card with mustard seed DI and more heavily on the nestie shape.

This is for:

One stitch at a time 50: anything but a square
Pixie dust studio2: don't be square
Mixed media Monday: shape up
Alota 53: using nestabilities
Digital Tuesday 98: use a die cut (plus a digi)
Crazy4challenges 75: use dies to create your card
Drunken stampers 55: absolutely to die for
Stampin' royalty 59: mark it up - use markers
Incy wincy 81: colour me wonderful - use a minimum of two different mediums - copics and distressed inks
DYSU 7: dots (the background is stamped with dotted swirls)
Totally papercrafts 54: do it with digis
Creative inspirations 53: distress
Cardmadfairy's digi days 2: distress it
I did it 43: anything goes (and I've used one of their digis)
Digi doodle 57: anything goes
Rubber cafe 5: no patterned paper
Frosted designs fabulous Friday: no patterned paper
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Simply Easter

This is a very simple Easter card (I need to make lots before 18 March, so I need to make some that don't take too long) made with a piece of PM Honey & hugs paper (I bought this paper pad quite a while ago and had forgotten I'd got it) - I chose this because it has rainbows on it, so I'm submitting it for Flutter by Wednesday 142: use a rainbow - and, of course, I've added some gold foiled butterflies.

Penny's 47 gives a photo inspiration which includes a rainbow, so this was another starting point for this card:

The sheep image is from the Kanban Easter kit.


This is also for:

4 crafty chicks 25: butterfly
Just for fun week 2: on the wings of a bug
Paper issues: birds and bees (and butterflies) - there are chicks and butterflies
Crafts and me: time to spread your wings
Delightful: animals
Gingerloft 12: our furry friends
Charisma cardz 7: spring has sprung
Creative card world: use a square card

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Pink Easter joy

This is for the sketch for Critter 52, which also asked for the colour pink:

Papers are Forever Friends spring time double-ided and the scalloped edging (it's gold foiled although it looks more like black here), the egg and sentiment are from a Kanban Easter kit.

This is also for:

Craft your passion 45: use pink
Charisma cardz 7: spring has sprung
Bunny Zoe 9: spring ... flowers everywhere
City crafter 44: cute stuff - using the colours from the inspiration picture:


I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Just for you at Easter

This is for the sketch on Order of the Opus gluei 90:

Because of having to use flash the photo isn't very clear - the sentiment in the circle says: May you enjoy every lovely gift that springtime has to offer Happy Easter' and the scallops around the flowers across the bottom are edged with gold foiling too.

The background paper is imaginisce twitterpated colorfall and the other components are from an Easter Kanban kit.



This is also for:

Going grey (Scrap-creations): spring fever
Charisma cardz 7: spring has sprung
Less is more 3: theme challenge - spring (CAS)
Stampin' sisters in Christ 75: keep it simple sisters

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Tools for men

For this card I chose the colours of papers from my offcuts box (I think the papers are K & Co) and the stickers (coloured parts with copic to disguise brighter colours) for Irish teddy's 'black/brown' challenge.

I've used the sketch for Corrosive 103:


This is also for:

ECP 32: something for the boys
Claudia & company 75: about a boy
Creative card world: use a square card

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Howdy cowboy

This is for the sketch on CPS 205, which I turned round to the left:

It's also for Totally Gorjuss 68: check it out - I printed the gingham background papers, changing the colours and size in Picture It. All the strips of gingham across the bottom are sticky ribbons - also for Pile it on 7: love plaid.

I used Express yourself stickers for the country or western theme for Paper cutz 79:: child's birthday.

This is also for:

Paper pretties 141: card for a child
One powerful hour: child's play
For fun: happy birthday
Meljen 46: happy birthday
Cardmaking mamas 15: happy birthday
If the shoe fits 67: happy birthday
Fun at fairy knoll: birthday
ECP 32: something for the boys
Claudia & company 75: about a boy
Dutch dare 100: sparkle/glitter/bling
Creative card world: use a square card

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Two more men's cards

Two more cards for the men - using the same papers in the same way as I did for the previous two cards for 'Steampunk ... or is it?'

Not really sure whether to link these to DCM 'steampunk' , but I'll risk it!


They are also for:

Crafty catz 70: one for the men
ECP 32: something for the boys
Creative inspirations 53: distress
Claudia & company 75: about a boy (mmm wonder if an older man can still be classed as a 'boy'?)
Phindy's Friday 43: monochrome
Challenge up your life 37: tone-on-tone/monochrome
Creative card world: use a square card

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Steampunk ... or is it?

Having seen yesterday that this week's Daring Cardmakers topic is 'steampunk' I was looking for something else when I came across papers that I've had for ages - think they were free with a magazine and also a paper with lots of pocket watches printed on it.

Anyway, they were so easy to make. I distressed edges of the 'pocket watches' paper with old paper DI and then it was just a matter of tearing the other papers and putting together.

I hope these qualify as 'steampunk':



These are also for:

Crafty catz 70: one for the men
ECP 32: something for the boys
Creative inspirations 53: distress
ABC: O for oldfashioned

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

CHNC challenge 8: the white stuff

This is for my CHNC challenge 8, which this week is 'the white stuff' - please go over to my Craftyhazelnut Christmas Challenge blog to read more about this challenge and, hopefully, join in.

I've used the sketch which is being combined this week by two challenge blogs: Sketchy Thursdays and Jingle Belles. I'm also linking this for Die cut dreams Christmas club: I'm dreaming of a white Christmas and also Winter wonderland: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
I'm afraid I had to resort to a scan instead of a photo - it's so difficult to get a true representation of white - it's much whiter irl.

I used a spotty embossing folder and a border snowflakes folder with my cuttlebug.

The snowglobe image is from Daisy Doodles, which is just one of the images I chose when I was given 10$ to spend in their digi shop for winning challenge 27, coloured with copics.


It's also for:

Woodware USA 14: embossing
Pixie cottage 57: embossing
2 sisters 27: embossing
Craft us crazy 2: brrrr it's cold outside - winter theme
Creative card world: use a square card

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Commissioned 80th birthday card

I've been asked to make four 80th birthday cards - all of them need to be A4 size because a lot of people will be writing in them. The first one needed to be done today.

I've had some Carol Wilson 12 x 12 embossed papers for two or three years and have never found a use for them, although I love the look and texture of them. So I decided to cut it into 4 and use overlapped corners on the A4 card, trimming where necessary. Of course, this meant that there were joins across the middle in both directions, so I used some DCWV textured card strips to hide the joins and add a bit to the pattern.

The central section is a piece of whitewash core'dinations which was run through my cuttlebug with a crafts-too frame embossing folder and then sanded to reveal the lilac core. The sentiment is fustamps Happy Birthday wish, stamped with versamark and embossed with detail gold powder. This was then matted on lilac and yellow and a few Craftime flowers added, as well as the 80s peel offs.

Unfortunately, the lemon on the Carol Wilson background paper looks paler on here than it is irl - it's not a striking yellow, but definitely more lemony than it looks here (poor light now) When thinking of what colours to use I was inspired by the challenge on Crafty sentiments this week to use 'lemon and lilac', a colour scheme that I don't often think of. And I think it's OK for Annabelle's 'say it in yellow'.

This is also for:

Woodware USA 14: embossing
Pixie cottage 57: embossing
Mami doodles 20: flower card
Bunny Zoe 9: spring ... flowers everywhere
Creative cottage 33: fabulous florals
One stitch at a time 49: birthday bash - make it pretty
Totally stampalicious: bling or glitter or glitz - glitter on the flowers
Dutch dare 100: sparkle/glitter/bling - glitter on the flowers
Pollycraft 80: special birthdays
For fun: happy birthday
Meljen 46: happy birthday
Cardmaking mamas 15: happy birthday
If the shoe fits 67: happy birthday
Stampin' with the dragon: birthdays
Tellen's place: birthdays
Fun at fairy knoll: birthday
Ooh-la-la 73: for someone special
Res-Q 71: Don't be S.A.D.: something that makes you happy - flowers and celebrating a special birthday
Pixie dust studio: don't be square
Allsorts 90: it's all about the sentiment
Digistamps4joy 13: going sentimental
Whoopsi Daisy: free and easy
Paper crafting journey 4: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Creative inspirations 99: plain and simple - maximum of 2 papers, maximum of 4 flowers

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Reeling in the ribbon

As often is the case, I'm doing a card for Daring cardmakers t the last minute - this is for this week's (just!) 'reeling in the ribbon', which is being sponsored by The ribbon reel.

The background paper is a piece left from making a Christmas card earlier in the day - although it's Christmas paper I think it works perfectly OK for a general card.

The challenge is to use:

Two items of ribbon/trim/twine

One or more buttons

At least one heart element

So I've used a piece of my sparkly, beady flower and leaf ribbon on top of a piece of wide sparkly red ribbon. The image is one from a Kanban set of Cavendish ladies day at the races, coloured with copics.

This was difficult to photograph because of he foiling and shine on the background paper, but you can just about see the scattered punched red foiled stars down the lefthand side. The four flower buttons finish off the card.


I'm also linking this for:

Stampavie 129: monochrome
Stampin' B 98: monochromatic card
Challenge up your life 37: tone-on-tone/monochrome
PaperPlay 7: add shine

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Yay! Fab is back

I was delighted this morning to find out that Fab has started up his Fab's big Christmas challenge blog again. For his February challenge he is asking for us to use peel offs or outline stickers. I had a bit of a problem because I only have Christmas sentiment peel offs, but I also used some gold peel off border lines - so I hope these count.

I used the sketch for Create4fun week 7:

As I've used a digi image (Dottie Claus), 2 papers and at least 2 embellishments, this is also for ABC Christmas: D is for double trouble.

This is also for:

Simply screate 37: it's bright in here
Aly's 35: bling, bling (the paper is much more blingy than it looks here
I did it 42: bling it up
Totally stampalicious: bling or glitter or glitz
Cute card Thursday 152: shiny happy cards - the background paper foiling is very shiny irl
PaperPlay 7: add shine
Whoopsi Daisy: free and easy
Digi doodle 57: anything goes (the image is a digi)
Creative card world: use a square card

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

A doiley Christmas card

This card uses the sketch for Friday sketchers 141:

It's also for Bah! humbug 6: doilies - I'm just about scraping in on time for this challenge (I took far too long trying to find the doiley).

The background paper is Kanban embossed and the other pieces are from my Christmas offcuts box. The image is one that was cut from a card received a couple of years ago, so this is good for Pattie's creations 14: recycle - something from a store-bought card


As there are sheep on here, this is also for my own CHNC challenge 7 which is 'feature a creature'. If you haven't come across my Christmas card challenge blog yet please go and have a look here and perhaps join in my current challenge. It's also for Delightful: animals.

It's also for Creative card world: use a square card.

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Salt: truth

It was Ruth's turn to choose the topic for today's Salt challenge - she choose 'truth' and you can read what she wrote here and see the beautiful crafting responses of other design team members.

I've used John 8:31-32 as the basis of my LO - Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'

In v36 of that chapter, John says: 'So if the Son (Jesus) sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Later in his gospel John records Jesus saying: 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' (John 14:6)

So I've concentrated on the freedom that truth and trust in Jesus brings.

I've used a picture of me jumping in the woods - this was taken when I was about thirty (gosh, that's over thirty years ago!). The circle beneath my photo is Websters, the other papers are from my offcuts box, the scalloped rub ons are PM Hampstead (when I bought them I thought they were card stickers - didn't look properly, but discovered they are glitter transfers).

The pink swirly circles were stamped with blazing red Stazon using an Anna Griffin background stamp.

As usual you can click on the picture to enlarge.

I've mainly used the colours given for Curtain call 69:

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Looking forward to spring

As most of my visitors will know, I love making Christmas cards (so much so that I now have my own Christmas challenge blog - why not visit and join in - you can see this week's challenge here), but I've come to the conclusion that I need to put some of my efforts into making some Easter cards, especially as I'll be selling them at our Women's evening fellowship at church on 18 March and also at home for Tearfund on Saturday 26 March.

So here is an Easter card using a new leaping sheep border stamp by Inca, which only required a little copic colouring.

The paper at the base is Forever Friends Spring time and the 'clouds' paper is some that I bought a few years ago (was originally to be used as writing paper).

I've used the colours for the Color dare 96: bashful blue, peach parfait (there is a minimal amount of peach on the bottom paper and I added a few more copic spots on the bigger flowers) and garden green.

And the spring theme is for Going grey: spring fever, also for Really reasonable ribbon 18: spring theme and there is plenty of sky on here for Try it on Tuesday: the sky's the limit. And the theme for Beary sweet 20 is 'winter blues' - what you do to get yourself out of the winter blues - look forward to spring! 'Spring' ... flowers is the theme for Bunny Zoe 9. And Phindy's Friday 42 is 'spring is on the way.

It's also for:

Karen's doodles 50: animal friends
CES 23: cute and cuddly
Pixie cottage 56: ribbon
Do you stack up? 6: ribbons
Whoopsi Daisy: free and easy
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Commissioned ruby anniversary card

I've been asked to make a ruby anniversary card incorporating red flowers. I've used the sketch for Sweet sketch Wednesday 88:

Papers are actual Christmas ones (but nothing to identify them as such) from BG jovial. The base card is stardream so it has a glittery sparkle to it. The congratulations panel has a piece of vellum stuck over it, which has a rose pattern on it, stamped with some swirls (I think the stamps are Papermania, but not sure). The beaded flowery ribbon, flowers, heart buttons and red gems are all from stash. I distressed the edges of one of the papers and the congrats panel with a red copic. The main paper has had the corners cut with Fiskars nostalgia scissors and the card corners rounded with an Xcut punch.

This is for Cooking it up with Katie 48: show me your reb ribbon corners

The colours are for Curtain call 69:

and Craft your days away 13: photo inspiration:



This is also for:

Aly's 35: bling bling
I did it: bling it up
Crafty pad 108: hearts
Let's ink it up 9: romance
One stitch at a time 49: make it pretty
Crazy challenge 54: weddings and anniversaries
Cupcake 129: I love you - incorporate at least one heart
Ooh-la-la 73: for someone special
Whoopsi daisy: free and easy
Totally stampalicious: bling or glitter or glitz
Flourishes timeless 104: button up
My time to craft 127: hearts and flowers
Oldie but a goodie 12: add a heart (the old stamps are the flourishes)
Papertake: have a heart
Spoon full of sugar 138: let's see some love
Try it on Tuesday (taggers): hearts and flowers
Tuesday throwdown 35: buttons
Crafts and me: it's red
Creative belli 110: jewelry (gems and beads on the flowery ribbon + forgotten flowers)
Creative card world: love card challenge
Fab n funky 59: tempting texture
For fun 51: hearts
Freshly brewed 33: anniversary
Paper pretties 140: inspiration colour challenge - use Valentine's day as inspiration
Penny's 46: hearts a flutter
Pixie cottage 56: ribbon
Scrappy frogs: love is in the air
Stamin' royalty: hearts , hearts and more hearts
Crafty purple frog: romance
Cute card Thursday 151: hearts & flowers
Delightful: get punchy
Do you stack up? 6: ribbons
Just add ink 55: just add love
Nightshift stamping 53: hearted
PaperPlay 6: hearts & flowers but not Valentine
Crafty Ann 35: love is all around
ECP 31: love
Picture perfect speciality challenge: love
Mami doodles 20: flower card
Stamp n doodle: colours red and/or pink and white plus 1
Stamp man 16: hearts theme
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Sukkersott 112: love card
Tellen's place: paint it with stripes
2 sisters 26: hearts
Basic grey 37: all hearts (papers are BG jovial)
Challenge up your life 37: tone-on-tone/monochrome
Crazy 4 challenges 74: hearts
Gingerloft 11: the colour red
My Sheri 44: love
One stop craft 118: love is in the air
Stamp, scrap & doodle: love is in the air
Totally Gorjuss 67: love
Stamp and create: love
Crafty calendar 17: love
Stamping vacation: Pick 3 challenge for February - vellum, heart, anything black

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Bee mine

This card is for the sketch on Sketch n stash 54:

It's also for Stampotique 24: Valentine or love - I've used one of their stamps: Jo Capper-Sandon's bee and coloured with copics. And, mentioning Stampotique, I was over the moon to visit their blog on Wednesday and discover that I'd won the $30 to spend in their online store for the previous challenge. I'll let you know when I've chosen what to spend it on (and there are so many gorgeous stamps to choose from).

I stuck to the yellow and black theme for Ann's creative nook 123: go stackers (which I have to confess doesn't mean much to me, but I realise that it involves black and yellow!).

The middle strip is a piece of Core'dination Black Magic card which is black with a yellow core, so I embossed with cuttlebug swiss dots folder (for CCEE 1106: embossing folders and Cutie stampers 94: embossing) and then sanded to reveal the yellow - it's a pity that a lot of this is covered up by the centre circle, but nevermind. The other papers are all Websters, including the one that was cut with the nestie to produce the circle with the circle border.

The circular sentiment was generated on Publisher and printed - I then cut the circle freehand to fit and added the image.

This is also for:

Paper cut 78: ladybugs, bees or butterflies
Paper issues: the birds and the bees
Annabelle: say it with polka dots
Creative inspirations 53: distress (the yellow dots revealed by sanding the embossed Black Magic card)
Sweet stampin': love bugs
Totally Gorjuss 67: love
Ellephantastic 23: distressing with a love theme
Let's ink it up 9: romance/Valentine's day
Sunday stamper 141: for your love
Cards for men 3: Valentine/love
Res-Q 70: lots of words ... murmurs .... of LOVE
Paper pretties 140: Valentine's day inspiration
Crafty Ann 35: love is all around
Sisterhood of craffters: in love with Valentine's
Tanda teaser 164: share the love
Creative card crew: for a loved one
Dutch dare 99: love is in the air
Pixie dust studio 61: be my Valentine
Just add ink 55: just add love
Wednesday stamper: expressions of love
C.R.A.F.T. 89: Valentines
4 crafty chicks 24: Valentine's day
Crafty Ho's: love theme
All kinds of cards (Karteallerlei) 21: Valentine's day card
Incy wincy 80: love
Partner in crafting crime 19: love minus the red and pink
Raise the bar 53: a Valentine's day card with NO pink or red
Spoon full of sugar 138: let's see some love
Creative inspirations 52: Valentines/love
Double Dutch 61: love is in the air
Creative card world: love card challenge
Bunny Zoe 8: love is in the air
Winter wonderland: to the one I love
Crafty calendar 17: love
ECP 31: love
Everybody art 128: Valentine
Pink elephant 93: be my Valentine
Crazy amigo: Valentine
Cardmaking mamas 14: Valentine
Paper issues: Valentine's day
Crafty purple frog: Valentine's day/romance
Scrappy frogs: love is in the air
Ooh-la-la 73: for someone special
My Sheri crafts 44: Valentine's/love
Stamp something: something for your Valentine
Craft your passion 44: anything goes
Dottie's world: Valentine challenge
Sew many challenges 43: Valentine
Sukkersott 112: Valentine/love card
One stop craft 118: love is in the air
Stamp, scrap & doodle: love is in the air
Stamp with fun 97: love
Stamp and create: love
Creative stamp friends 18: Valentine
Fiskarettes: Valentine using a different colour
Aud sentiments 21: corny Valentine's day sayings
Theme Thursday: words
Our creative corner: cut it out (I hand cut the white circle
Delightful: get punchy (I use nestie die cut)
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

CHNC challenge 7: feature a creature

This card is for my CHNC challenge 7: feature a creature - this time I would like you to 'feature a creature' - any kind of creature - perhaps a robin, a sheep, a camel, a mouse, even a teddy bear ... you choose. Of course, you must make a Christmas card. Please go over to CHNC for further details - I'd love to see your entries.

I used the sketch for Paperminutes 152:

The background paper is embossed and foiled (part of a QVC kit) and the silver stars are padded shiny material.

The image is 'the manger' by Penny Black, part of the Margaret Sherry collection, coloured with copics and mounted on to two different mirror cards (they don't show up here).

I kept to mainly blue colour so that I could enter this card for this week's 'no red, she said' challenge on Jingle Belles.

This is also for:

Critter 51: critter - animal image (sheep)
Going grey (Scrap-creations): animal antics
Fab n funky 59: tempting texture
Craft your passion 44: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here

Gorjuss Christmas card

Scraping in at the last minute for Net's sketch on Totally Gorjuss 66:

Foiled papers were part of a QVC kit, together with a Gorjuss pyramage, a piece of sparkly ribbon and a sentiment. One of those 'hard to photo' cards because of the shine - and you can't see the dimension of the build up of the pyramage, but it is there!


It's also for:

Aly's 35: bling bling
Cupcake 128: seeing red
Crafts and me: it's red
Gingerloft 11: the colour red
Fab n funky 59: tempting texture
Craft your passion 44: anything goes

Simply a stocking

This is for Die cut dreams Christmas 52: the gift of love - gifts featured on your card.

This is the most simple card, using a die cut stocking from a kit I bought a couple of years ago and a frame from another kit, mounted on to a 7 x 5 card.

It's also for Totally papercrafts 53: clean and simple.

I am celebrating with some candy - you can read about it and sign up here