Stitched ATC

This is a bit of a trial run (the second one actually because the first one had to be ditched) before I make the rest of the ATCs for the monthly swap on the Bubbly Funk forum, which for May is 'sewing'.

I was spurred on to make this tonight by the Annabelle challenge: say it with ... stitching.

The stamp is a Dawn Bibby design by Personal Impressions, inked with memento and then coloured with copics V000, BV00 and G21 before stitching with some embroidery threads.

I distressed the edges with dusty concord DI.

This is also for:

Creative Mondays (always crafting) 8: stitching
Cutie stampers 127: stitching
Sweet stamps 65: my favourite colour (purple/lilac)
For fun: I smell flowers
Creative craft: distressing
PaperPlay 20: destruction - distressing

Now I just need to make four more for the swap ... but not tonight!

Suzie's 365 photos catch up

I'm behind with Suzie's 365 photos, so it's time for a catch up.

On Friday for day 132 the prompt was unforgettable - it made me think of many occasions - most of them very happy, like special birthdays and mum and dad's diamond wedding anniversary, but also some sad occasions that are unforgettable. It so happens that on Friday we went to a funeral of one of the helpers from John's blind bowling club - a lady who had bravely battled with cancer.

Before others came in, I managed to take a quick photo of the front of the church:

For day 133 Suzie asked us to show a self portrait. Like many others, I hate having my photo taken, but here's one I took a few minutes ago (caught me today with my specs instead of my contact lenses - and why is it that my hair looks much darker here than it really is?):

Day 134: portrait of a woman - my mum (shame about the reflection on the glasses) - unfortunately, the picture isn't very clear because it is a small section taken from a much bigger, more detailed, photo:

Day 135 called for a 'faceless portrait' - those things you see that make you go'OH! that is so ...' - this is so John - his laptop and headphones with microphone - because he is visually impaired he uses a speech input program to communicate with his laptop:

For day 136 Suzie asked us to show a portrait of a stranger. I went into London yesterday and met up with a friend and had time to stand around on Charing Cross Station on the way back to wait for a train, so I looked around and took a quick photo - I wasn't that close to him, the photo is zoomed:

For day 137 a candid photo taken recently when our grandchildren came over:

I didn't realise how many days I had got behind, but here I am up to date with today's prompt for day 138: group:

Floral card

I had a request to make a floral card suitable for an older person, so I've used Anna Griffin supplies from the engraved botanica kit I recently purchased. It was a very quick and easy card to make because the supplies did all the work, but I'm not complaining! It's A5 size to accommodate the large rose and butterfly decoupaged items.

This was inspired by the photo for Scrap-cards 28 (the pink roses):

And pink for Divas by design 35: we are tickled pink, also pink and green for Totally Gorjuss 131.

This is also for:

Sentimental Sundays 102: birthday theme with embellishments that start with B - borders, butterfly, blooms
The paper shelter 64: birthday cards with sentiment
Crafty catz 132: happy birthday
Joanna Sheen: happy birthday
Whoopsi Daisy: spring colours
Crafter's companion 24: here comes summer
Amusing challenges: flowers
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 19: flowers
Critter 115: flowers
Tammy scraping corner 10: show me your flowers
Die cuttin' divas 65: flowers
The sisterhood of crafters: May flowers
Crafty ribbons 19: flowers
It's all about the vintage and beauty 19: summery flowers
Cardmakin mamas: May flowers
Hooked on craft 10: flowers
Fairytale 40: things with wings
Catch the bug: things with wings
Craft your days away 45: all creatures great and small
Crafty bloggers network 21: decoupage
L E J designs 3: lots of layers (the roses, butterfly and sentiment are decoupaged with lots of layers)
Bunny Zoe 24: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
CES 85: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 80: anything goes
Whimsy 39: anything goes
Little Miss Muffet 35: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Make it Monday 89
Inspire me Fridays 58
52 card pickup 19

WOYWW 154

It's Wednesday again (only just, as I'm preparing this a little after midnight ready to link later) and that means it's time to have a peep at crafting workspaces around the world, thanks to Julia - why not click on the link for WOYWW 154 and find out what it's all about (as if there's anyone left who doesn't know) and join in the fun.

For the past few days I've been having a sort out of my craft stuff - always seem to be doing that, probably because I like to have everything in its right place and boxes labelled etc.

I'm on the final hurdle, so just a few boxes on my workdesk that now need attention.

To the left of me are ATCs, inchies, twinchies etc that I've received in swaps, You can see that there are a couple of PM folders ready to house these (I've already got quite a few of these full).

On the other side of where I sit you can see a box with toppers etc - some that I put together ages ago and still haven't used - the box needs sorting and perhaps I'll start to use some of the contents. At the back you can see the Christmas decoupaged pieces that were there last week, except now they are housed in a container - the idea is that if I leave them there I'll start to use some of them - hopefully!

Just realised that you can see the CDrom poking out of the side of my computer - since upgrading to windows 7 I can't get the scanner to work with my network printer, so I tried installing again, only to find that it still doesn't work - have now found drivers online for windows 7 and am in process of downloading (taking ages even though I have fast broadband) - hoping it will work then because I need to scan a photo for a card I've been commissioned to make.

I managed to get round everyone last week, but doubt I'll do that this week, but I'll do my best. I'll be out later today - meeting a friend to go and see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - we should have gone two or three weeks ago, but had to postpone, so hope we'll actually get there today.

25 December

No, I know it's not 25 December yet ... and nowhere near ... but the weeks go by and it makes sense to get lots of Christmas cards done early in the year to avoid the panic nearer December.

I've been quiet on my blog for a few days because I've been sorting craft stuff and also putting inserts into cards, bagging, labelling etc - I actually had 95 of these to do - I need to go back to my new year crafty resolution to do this once a week to avoid the build up.

Anyway, I digress. While I was sorting through my Christmas stuff I came across a card that had been started and left. I'd used an offcut of My Mind's Eye glitter book paper for the background, stamping the days and months of the year with Sally Moret stamps. It didn't need a lot more on the card and I found a lovely glittery Santa with his reindeer and a couple of trees - shame that the glitter doesn't really show here, but it is there, honestly!

This is for:

Pixie's crafty snippets 19
Hiding in my craftroom: super scraps Saturday
Phindy's Friday 105: Christmas in May
Christmas card challenges week 24: old/neglected stamps (I've had these calendar stamps years)
Paper pretties Monday challenge: glitter
Sparkles forum Christmas challenge 16: Christmas tree
Stampin sisters in Christ 139: any type of animal
Crop stop 71: show us the animal in you
Craft your days away 45: all creatures great and small
Forever friends 36: use 2 images (two separate stamps used)
Desert island 31: I chose what's your number, 2 images, something old (everything!)
Bunny Zoe 24: anything goes
CES 85: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 80: anything goes
The paper shelter 63: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Make it Monday 89
Inspire me Fridays 58
52 card pickup 19

Back to the sorting now!

Peek-a-boo Cutie pie

Tonight I've made five baby cards - no, I don't know about five new births - the cards will fill a gap in supplies for the future. While I was sorting some papers I came across some K & Co papers and frames that I bought years ago - I used some at the time and then the rest were left. So this is for Waste not Wednesdays (Wishcraft cards) 18: use your old stash.

The first two are to welcome a baby boy. The square frames were stuck on to some K & Co papers and other cut outs were added. There was a sheet of die cut pieces to match - I used some and cut some up in a different way to add to the cards.

The next three are to welcome a baby girl: The first one has the frame stuck over a piece of K & Co paper:

For the next two the frames have been put over piece of Tutti frutti papers - these are also very old and offcuts that I came across - another for Pixie's crafty snippets 19.

These are for:

Daring cardmakers: fussy cuts
Amusing challenges: fussy cutting
Everybody art 192: baby
Creative Belli 143: baby/new arrival
Bloggers challenge: oh baby
Alota 82: animal challenge
Papertake weekly: cute cute cute
All kinds of cards 53: frame
Crafty creations 169: frame it
Flourishes timeless Tuesday 168: pink-a-licious (the last two cards)
CES 85: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 80: anything goes
The paper shelter 63: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 88
Inspire me Fridays 58
52 card pickup 19

CHNC challenge 72: Traditional Christmas colours

It's Saturday again and time for challenge 72 on my CHNC blog - please click on the link to find out what it's all about - and hopefully join in - now that we're into May it's an ideal time to start making Christmas cards if you haven't already done so - it's never too early, as some of us know since we've been making Christmas cards all through the year and building up quite a stock.

So today's CHNC challenge 72 is to use mainly traditional Christmas colours of red and green.

My card is based on Fetch-a-sketch 23:

Bugaboo Stamps are kindly sponsoring CHNC 72 and supplied the lovely 'cupcake candycane' digital stamp that I used for my card, coloured with copics. I covered the white icing with diamond stickles. This is for Catch the bug May challenge: anything goes.

All papers (Dovecraft, Anna Griffin and Papermania) are from my Christmas offcuts box, so this is another  entry for Pixie's crafty snippets 19, also Hiding in my craftroom: super scraps Saturday.

This is also for the following challenges:

Phindy's Friday 105: Christmas in May
Christmas inspirations 45: bingo - I chose 'layers, green, glitter'
Squigglefly 1812: use stickles
Simon says: sweet tooth
Cute card Thursday 216: food or drink
Sassy Cheryl 114: stitch in time (the fabric Noel sentiment is stitched)
One stitch at a time 112: use a digi
Jacksons digital expressions: anything goes
Stampin' for the weekend: layers
CES 85: anything goes
Truly scrumptious 80: anything goes
The paper shelter 63: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 88
Inspire me Fridays 58
52 card pickup 19

With sympathy

This is another sympathy card using one of the Martha Stewart lily of the valley stickers.

The textured green and white square is from the Craftwork Cards Sweet Pea peas in a pod collection which I received as a prize for winning Penny Black Saturday challenge 198 - this is such a lovely collection and I am so grateful to them.

The sentiment stamp is Anita's simply inked with memento tuxedo black.

Colours were inspired by Inspired 23, particularly the picture of the green fern on white bottom right:

This is also for:

Dilly beans: texture challenge
Lawnscaping: clean and simple

Lily of the valley for sympathy

This is a sympathy card (insert says: With deepest sympathy) using the sketch for Totally Gorjuss 130:

I've kept is clean and simple, as I think a sympathy card should be, using some paper offcuts (another opportunity to get into the playground at Pixie's crafty snippets 19 (I really am beginning to notice the pile of offcuts decreasing a bit) and a Martha Stewart lily of the valley sticker - this is for Make my Monday 48: floral - lily of the valley flowers or white flowers.

This is also for:

Fairytale 40: yellow + green
Do you stack up 71: use a flower
Card a day: thoughts and prayers - sympathy cards (inside insert says 'with deepest sympathy')

Simply yellow

This is a one layer card for Clean & simple 189 sketch:

I've used mustard seed DI direct to the card to created the square panel - I was reminded of this technique by Joanne's splendid article in Craft Stamper for June. I then stamped with memento with an unknown stamp that I've had for years and still love - so simple, but I think effective. The butterfly is part of a Laura Ashley stamp and the sentiment from a Molly Bloom set.

The yellow is for Less is more week 66 colour challenge, also for Crafty boots: yellow.

I drew the freehand lines and dots border with Staedtler fineline pens - I'm no good at freehand, but I tried!

As this is a one layer card it's also for St Luke's one layer month, also for Top tip Tuesday 76: clean and simple.

Spring fling

This is for A la card Monkey 'anything goes' sketch 107:

Papers and chipboard pieces are Kate Knight 'spring fling' hence the title - I built up the chipboard 'best wishes' tag with foam pads over the tied ribbon.The nestie shapes surrounding the chipboard circles and the ribbon were offcuts, so another for Pixie's crafty snippets 19.

Colours are for The craft garden May challenge:

IRL the background is a lot more green than it looks here - and they say the camera never lies!

This is also for:

PaperPlay 19: chipboard
Paper pretties Monday challenge: use ribbon
Crafty ribbons 19: flowers
Crafts 4 eternity R70: Maypole ribbons

Bunny Zoe 23: ribbon or twine
Mema's crafts May: bingo - I chose pink, ribbon, die cut
Victorine 33: flowers
The sisterhood of crafters: May flowers
Joanna Sheen: flower power
Hooked on craft 20: flowers
The paper shelter 63: anything goes
2 sisters 90: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 88
Inspire me Fridays 57
52 card pickup 18

Pretty colours

This is for this week's Daring cardmakers where this colour combo for May was given:

The colour inspiration for Just some lines is very similar:

It's also for Sketches by Carly 55::

Papers are Basic Grey - background is two scoops and the pink strips are bittersweet - from my scraps box, so another one for  Pixie's crafty snippets 19 .

Basic grey 67 is a recipe - 1 image, 2 papers, 3 embellishments (lace, flowers, pearls).

The image is a Stampotique butterfly by Janet Klein, coloured with copics, cut out with a spiky nestie and edged with a copic. Lace, flowers and pearls from stash.

This is also for:

Jacksons digital expressions: anything goes
Stamps & fun = creativity 98: pearls and lace
Allways something creative 29: mother's pearls and lace
Creatalicious 33: butterflies and add some flowers
Anything goes 66: things with wings
L E J designs 2: things with wings
Tammy scraping corner 9: show me your punches and/or die cuts
Victorine 33: flowers
The sisterhood of crafters: May flowers
Crafty ribbons 19: flowers
It's all about the vintage and beauty 19: summery flowers
Joanna Sheen: flower power
Hooked on craft 20: flowers
Do you stack up 71: use a flower
Papercraft star 96: use a stamp
The paper shelter 63: anything goes
2 sisters 90: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 88
Inspire me Fridays 57
52 card pickup 18

Suzie's 365 photos day 131: sandy

There's no sand around here today, so this is a bit of a cheat - the nearest I can get for day 131: sandy - a little Hero Arts ink pad (strangely enough I actually used it a couple of days ago for the first time for ages, so it was quite handy):

Suzie's 365 photos day 130: woolly

The way the weather is atm I think I need to keep these handy (Suzie's day 130: woolly):

WOYWW 153

Firstly, many thanks for all those who take the time to visit and leave comments - it is so much appreciated. I actually managed to get round everyone last week - not sure that I'll manage that this time - we'll see!

I had a day of crafting yesterday and this is the state of my workspace this morning. Those of you who visit regularly know that I like to tidy away between sessions, but so far today I haven't.

You might wonder why I'm showing pictures of my workspace - well it's for WOYWW 153 - if you don't know what I'm on about, click on the link to Julia's blog and join in the fun.

So here is the view to the left of where I sit - boxes that need to be sorted and put away, distress inks, cards I made yesterday (plenty of blogging beneath this if you're interested):

In front of me - you can just see the ATC I made last night for the Stampotique challenge etc:

To the right of me - mainly Christmas stuff - I sorted a box on Monday and made up lots of decoupaged toppers - not sure whether I will make them into cards yet or put them back into the box! Up the corner under the windowsill are cards waiting for inserts and to be bagged.

I won't be doing so much crafting today because I'm going over to see mum and then a bit of essential shopping - which includes a visit to WHS to get Craft Stamper.

Yellow, black and gold ATC

For this ATC for Stampotique 53 I've used the lovely Stampotique bee stamp by Jo Capper-Sandon, colouring with an acid yellow copic. I stamped over the bees with Penny Black sparklers using versamark and heat embossing with detail gold powder.

The ATC was made from white card which was then distressed with mustard seed and the edges with black soot DIs.

This is also for Wicked Wednesday 30: spring fever.

The bees' wings have been highlighted with diamond stickles.

This is also for:

Crafty boots: yellow
Creative craft world April mini challenge: something black on it
Anything goes 66: things with wings
Crafty calendar May: things with wings

Fairy birthday wishes

This is for Sweet sketch Wednesday 152:

All papers were from my offcuts box, so another for Pixie's crafty snippets 19 - I'm doing quite well for using snippets today - so why is it that I still seem to have as many as when I started?!

The embossed flowers and gem centres (lot more sparkly IRL) are from stash. The image is from Lili of the Valley, coloured with promarkers - cool grey 1, satin, pastel pink, coral, blossom, lilac and buttercup - this is for I love promarkers 115: fairies. I've added diamond stickles to the wings for Squigglefly 1812: use stickles. This is also for Lili's little fairies challenge: anything goes.

It's also for:

Jacksons digital expressions: anything goes
Pile it on 19: fairytales, fantasy and daydreams
Bearly mine 34: fairies
L E J designs 2: things with wings
Anything goes 66: things with wings
Scrapbook sisters 82: gems & glitter
Totally stampalicious: sparkle, shine, glitter and glam
The stamping boutique 37: bling
Tammy scraping corner 9: show me your punches and/or die cuts
Penny's 78: happy birthday
Simon says: birthday
Papertake cute cute cute
Forever friends: flowers
Victorine 33: flowers
Paper and such: May flowers
Little darlings 22: flowers
Paper pretties 204: flowers
Pixie dust studio 125: flowers
Crafty catz 131: May flowers
Hooked on craft 20: flowers
I brake for challenges: I brake for flowers
Aud sentiments: anything goes
2 sisters 90: anything goes
Just keep on creating 2: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 7: anything goes
Make it Monday 88
Inspire me Fridays 57
52 card pickup 18

Suzie's 365 photos day 129: prickly

With this photo for day 129: prickly, I'm up to date again. This is in the pot pourri container on our bathroom windowsill. I went randomly round the edge of the photo with a transparency brush to soften the edges in contrast to the prickly element:

Suzie's 365 photos day 128: woven

Here is my photo for day 128 (a bit more exciting than the previous photo, but not much - part of our linen basket):

Suzie's 365 photos day 127: bumpy

Here is my photo for Suzie's day 127 (not exciting at all - manhole cover (or in these PC days should that be personhole cover?!):

Monochromatic blue for a male

This is for The paper shelter 62: sketchy time:

I'm still trying to use up snippets - all offcuts of Papermania Persimmon collection - so another one for Pixie's crafty snippets 19.

The stamped image is a Personal Impressions stamp, coloured with copics - difficult to see here that the tyres etc have been coloured with light grey. The scalloped circle was cut with a nestie and distressed with stormy sky DI.

This is also for:

Fab n funky 119: celebrating male-ness
Ooh-la-la 104: make it manly
Cute card Thursday 215: one for the boys
Come and get it: let's hear it for the boys
Oldie but a goodie: die cuts and punches - the stamp is much older than six months
Corrosive 148: the man, the myth, the legend - Tim Holtz - I used distress ink
Cutie pie 17: monochromatic
Stampavie and more 167: monochrome