The balloon seems to stand still in the air ...

... while the earth flies past underneath.

I've used this saying with a clipart picture from Publisher to make this simple card with a piece of Trimcraft Up up and away background paper.

This is for:

CAS-ual Friday 64: on cloud 9 - things you see in the sky
The stamping boutique 45: balloons
Tanda teaser 200: CAS
Daisy doodles 65: outdoors

Rejoice in the Lord

This card was prompted by the August colour challenge on Daring cardmakers where this lovely photo inspiration was given for A Mediterranean corner, featuring whitewashed walls, fresh green and hot pink, a dash of powder blue and a smidgeon of purple:

I used a piece of Basic Grey euphoria for the background, which included all the required colours, a couple of pieces of spotted ribbon and a picture of a lily pond downloaded free from the internet. The text from Psalm 33 was given with Word art Wednesday 40, so this is also for that.

This is also for:

CASology week 5: pond
Basic Grey 74: bright and bold
Tanda teaser 200: CAS
Papertake: anything goes
2 sisters 103: anything goes
Challenge up your life 75: everything goes
Make it Monday 101

Inspire me Fridays 70
52 card pick up week 31
DL.ART Birthday Linky party
DCC & friends 1: anything goes

Up, up and away!

'Up, up and away' is the name of the background paper by Trimcraft for this card. The stamp by Faye Whittaker in the 'All our yesterdays' range is simply called 'kite' and is just right for CropStop 83: flying kites, coloured with copics.

I've kept the card simple because the paper needs some space of it's own and the area of the image is quite big - I just added the computer generated sentiment.

This is also for:

Squiggle stamps: stash attack (I've had the stamp for some time but it had never been inked till tonight)
Waste not Wednesdays 28
Mad for markers August: anything goes
Crafty sentiments: clean and simple
Tanda teaser 200: CAS
Lexi 71: sparkle and shine
Bearly mine: it's all sparkle & shine this week
Fashionable stamping 27: anything goes
Cards und more 62: anything goes
Pattie's 49: animals or insects
Great impressions August: a walk on the wild side (animals)
Take time for you 73: vintage
Sugar creek hollow 23: something old (the stamp), something new (the paper)
Craft a scene August: anything in the great outdoors
Here come the boys 33: boys' toys
PanPastel UK 30: summer fun
Timbro scrap mania 53: summer
Anything goes 73: summer days
Everybody art 201: summer
Whimsy 49: summer fun
Just Hanna and friends 151: summer
Moving along with the times 157: summer
Truly madly crafty August: summer fun
Creative Friday: summer, sun & holidays
Papertake: anything goes
2 sisters 103: anything goes
Challenge up your life 75: everything goes
Make it Monday 101

Inspire me Fridays 70
52 card pick up week 31
DL.ART Birthday Linky party
DCC & friends 1: anything goes

WOYWW 166

I haven't taken part in WOYWW for a couple of weeks, but thought it was about time that I joined in again and showed the state of my workspace for WOYWW 166.

Thank you to all those WOYWWers who have recently left comments and wished me well. I still have some lingering effects of the shingles, but nothing like it was at its worst.

So here is my space today:

I've been asked what's in the crates towards the top of the shelves - unmounted stamps (just some of them - the rest are housed in boxes which sit on the unit the other side of the room).

So here is the view of the left of where I sit - mainly boxes that need to be put away - although there's probably little point because I'll probably only want them out again!

And to the right of me are piles of cards that I've made recently that need to have inserts put in and bagged and labelled. At the beginning of the year one on my crafty resolutions was to do this every Monday so that the job didn't get out of hand. Well, I didn't do any last Monday, so I think I need to get on and do them before the piles get much higher - but I'd far rather be crafting!

The little mesh box with Christmas toppers (decoupaged etc) ready to be used is still there, but I have used some of the pieces recently, so that's a bit of progress.

I look forward to getting round to see some of the workspaces of WOYWWers.

UPDATE:

I've actually entered some more photos as #138 at WOYWW 166 because I know that some of you think that I never get untidy!! You can also see them here.

Relax! It's your birthday!

Having made the previous two cards with some of the remains of the Kanban everyday essentials kit, I just had to make this one - mainly because I accidentally put adhesive on the back of the shaped piece that I've used for the middle when I was making the previous card - so I couldn't put it away. The only trouble was that I have very little of the kit left, so I've used bits and pieces of it to create this card - a true concoction made with snippets! (actually I still have one or two odd bits left, so I'll have to find other stuff to go with those to use them up - don't like to throw anything away!).

This is for:

Pixie's crafty snippets 31
Squiggle stamps: stash attack
Crafty sentiments: clean and simple
Cute card Thursday 228: clean & simple
Fashionista 5: baby or birthday
Papertake: anything goes
2 sisters 103: anything goes
Challenge up your life 75: everything goes
Make it Monday 101

Inspire me Fridays 70
52 card pick up week 31
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

To mew from meow

This is another card using some of the remains of the Kanban everyday essentials kit from the 'pet' section.

The three ovals held in place by brads aren't glued down so they can move and swing. I was fortunate enough to be asked to be a Guest Designer on Tuesday Throwdown for the month of August,  so I've already shown a card for challenge 110: on the move (you can see it here), but I'm also submitting this card for the challenge.

This is also for:

Crafty sentiments: clean and simple
Cute card Thursday 228: clean & simple
Pile it on 32: add some metal
Crafty pad 182: show some metal (brads)
Fashionista 5: baby or birthday
Papertake: anything goes
2 sisters 103: anything goes
Challenge up your life 75: everything goes
Make it Monday 101

Inspire me Fridays 70
52 card pick up week 31
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

Inspiration kitty

This is for Simon says 'inspiration kitty' challenge where this photo was given:

The striped paper is an offcut - another for Pixie's crafty snippets 31 and Squiggle stamps: stash attack. The spotted ribbon is from stash and the other components are from the Kanban everyday essentials kit.

This is also for:

Cutie pie 24: spots & stripes
Crafty ribbons 25: seeing spots and dots
Corrosive 155: they say it's your birthday
Fashionista 5: baby or birthday
Pink elephant 160: ribbon
Papertake: anything goes
2 sisters 103: anything goes
Challenge up your life 75: everything goes
Make it Monday 101

Inspire me Fridays 70
52 card pick up week 31
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

Miss you

This card is for Stampotique 59: birds and buttons, using the lovely 'bird legs' stamp by Janet Klein, coloured with copics, adding two tiny buttons on to the shoes.

The papers are from my offcuts box, another card for Pixie's crafty snippets 31 and Squiggle stamps: stash attack. Flower ribbon and sentiment from stash.

This is also for:

Crafty mess 14: birds
That craft place: things with wings
Clearlyistamp 57: things with wings
Penny Black and more at Allsorts August: whiskers and/or wings
Cutie pie 24: spots & stripes
CCEE 1231: include red
Do you stack up 83: polka dots

Green with envy

Before I show my latest card I just want to thank those who visit my blog and leave comments - they are all very much appreciated. And thank you to all my followers - when I started this post I had reached 400 followers (how on earth did that happen?) and now I notice that there are 401 - thank you, everyone, for your interest in my little crafting corner of the internet.

This is for sketch for All kinds of cards 59:

I've chosen shades of green for Crafts and me 95: green with envy, also for Lollipop crafts: monochromatic and Totally papercrafts 128: monochrome.

I used all offcuts, so this is another for Pixie's crafty snippets 31 and Squiggle stamps: stash attack.

The stamp is from a Kanban set, ribbon, gems, flowers etc from stash.

This is also for:

Paper-crafting journey: anything goes
DCC & friends 1: anything goes
There's magic in the air magical Monday: decorate with doilies
It's all about the vintage and beauty 24: doilies
Creative stamp friends 57: scene stamp
Waste not Wednesdays 28 (although the stamp is old I confess that it had never been inked before)
Oldie but a goodie: friends (I used a stamp that is more than six months old)
Crafty sentiments 43: girlfriends
Little red wagon 144: girlfriends
Fairytale 47: friends
Crafter's companion August 27: best friends
Gingerloft 45: silhouettes
Tammy scraping corner 22: show us your bling
Victorine 40: bling
Emerald faerie garden 29: bling
Our creative corner: bling bling
Really reasonable ribbon 53: bling with ribbon
Lexi 71: sparkle and shine
Bearly mine: it's all sparkle & shine this week
The paper shelter 75: glitz and glimmer
Pink elephant 160: ribbon
Papertake: anything goes
2 sisters 103: anything goes
Challenge up your life 75: everything goes
Make it Monday 101

Inspire me Fridays 70
52 card pick up week 31
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

Guest designer for Tuesday Throwdown

I was surprised and delighted to be asked to be a Guest Designer for Tuesday Throwdown for the month of August.

So this is my first card for them, for today's challenge 110 'On the move'. I was supplied with 'choochoocharlie', a digital image from Robyn's Fetish who are sponsoring the challenge. Please click on the link to the challenge to see the wonderful crafting of the team and join in.

I decided to make a moving 'waterfall' card, splitting the image up so that I could use it on the invididual squares, repeating one for the final one and adding a peel off sentiment (I meant to print the 'Happy Birthday' before putting the card together, but I forgot, so I rescued the situation with the peel off).

The printed pictures were coloured with copics. The background paper is Basic Grey Oh baby boy 'porter'. Because the card will be given to a youngster I deliberately didn't use brads to hold down the bar at the bottom, but used adhesive instead - this was fine because the card was wide enough to allow for this. I used some sticky ribbon that I've had for some time to add a bit more colour to the strip at the bottom and also to create a little pull tag.

Everything was then mounted on to a red card blank.

I'm also entering this into the following challenges:

DCC & friends 1: anything goes
Here comes the boys 33: boys toys
Sassy Cheryl 127: all about the boys
Hiding in my craftroom 51: masculine birthday
Basic grey 74: bright and bold (the background paper is BG Oh baby boy porter)
Going grey with Scrap-creations: D - for digital images and 'down' (the waterfall effect)
Desert island crafts 35: I chose: red, lots of layers, something that moves
PaperPlay 31: layer it up
Corrosive 155: they say it's your birthday
Fashionista 5: baby or birthday
Stampavie & more 173: birthday
Delightful: delightful birthday
DL.Art: happy birthday
Marker pop colouring challenge 4: bright colours
CCEE 1231: include red
Pink elephant 160: ribbon
Creative belli 149: vacation/travel - the ribbon and background paper were old and forgotten
Jackson's digital expressions 17
My heart pieces: use designer paper
Mema's crafts August: anything goes with a twist of red
Papertake: anything goes
No matter which 1: anything goes
Craft your passion 122: anything goes
2 sisters 103: anything goes
Challenge up your life 75: everything goes
Make it Monday 101

Inspire me Fridays 70
52 card pick up week 31
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

Solid as a rock

This is for the sketch for Cards und more 61:

I've only used solid colours, no patterned paper, for City crafter 120: solid as a rock. And all pieces came from my offcuts boxes (yes, I have 'boxes' - one for coloured solid cardstock and another for white) so this is another one for:

Pixie's crafty snippets 31
Squiggle stamps: stash attack - I used offcuts

I used a crafts too embossing folder for the raised spots for Crafty ribbons 25: seeing spots and dots. The stitched ribbon across the bottom and the Craftime sentiment are from stash.

The black bows with gems were from Hobbycraft and the blue buttons from Poundland - these are for:

Craft room: buttons and bows
Brown sugar 4: buttons & bows
Nutcrafters 23: butterflies and/or bows
Penny's 87: butterflies and/or bows
Digi doodle shops best 199: ribbons and bows

I chose the colours for:

Woodware UK week 63: black and white with a pop of blue
The house that stamps built DCC81: colour challenge - black and white plus one other colour
Crazy challenge 126: black, white & 1 other

I chose the Penny Black floral silhouette stamp for Gingerloft 45: silhouettes.

This is also for:

Paper-crafting journey: anything goes
DCC & friends 1: anything goes
Ribbon girl: select three items in a line - I chose flower, bow, buttons
Top tip Tuesday 82: focus on the ribbon
Really reasonable ribbon 53: bling with ribbon
Corrosive 155: they say it's your birthday
Fashionista 5: baby or birthday
Stampavie & more 173: birthday
Delightful: delightful birthday
DL.Art: happy birthday
Inky impressions: embossing
Card and scrap 36: use stamps on your contribution
No matter which 1: anything goes
Fashionable stamping 27: anything goes
Craft your passion 122: anything goes
Simply create too 19: anything goes
2 sisters 103: anything goes
Challenge up your life 75: everything goes
Make it Monday 101

Inspire me Fridays 70
52 card pick up week 31
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

More Christmas purple

This is another card for my CHNC challenge 84: favourite colour(s) - another purple one. I've used a pyramage oval from Kanban that had been put together some time ago and it's been waiting to be used on a card. The main background is an offcut from the previous purple card and the other piece is also an offcut. The sentiment is from an old Kanban kit.

Yesterday's facebook 'Sunday's with Santa' challenge was 'many layers', so this is also for that.

This is also for:

PaperPlay 31: layer it up
Creatalicious 36: Christmas in July
Pixie's crafty snippets 31
Squiggle stamps: stash attack - I used offcuts
Stamp n doodle: use your favourite colour
Totally papercrafts 128: monochrome
Hotshot 10: Kanban
Craft your passion 122: anything goes
Simply create too 19: anything goes
2 sisters 103: anything goes
Challenge up your life 75: everything goes
Make it Monday 101

Inspire me Fridays 70
52 card pick up week 31

DL.ART Birthday Linky party

When life gives you lemons ...

... make lemonade

I was asked to make another card with this saying. I found the lemonad picture and the clipart saying, put them together and mounted them on to a scrap piece of Papermania lemon sorbet paper. The background paper is from a pad by Raspberry Road papers. I cut into the design in three places to slot the checked paper into. With the addition of the flowers and the gems, the card was done.

Inspired by the yellow colours of the inspiration picture given for Alota 88:

This is for:

DCC & friends 1: anything goes
Stamp dreams 144: fruit/vegetable
By the cute and girly August: fruity
Crafty creations 181: cool summer treats
Divas by design 46: flowers
Squigglefly 3012: speak to me - add a saying to your card
Pixie's crafty snippets 31
Squiggle stamps: stash attack - I used offcuts and paper that had been supplied with a magazine
Our creative corner: bling bling
Simply create too 19: anything goes
Jackson's digital expressions: anything goes 16
Amusing challenges: anything goes
2 sisters 103: anything goes
Challenge up your life 75: everything goes
Critter 126: anything goes
Make it Monday 100

Inspire me Fridays 70
52 card pick up week 31
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

CHNC challenge 84: favourite colour(s)

We're into August now and getting nearer to the time when some people start thinking about making Christmas cards. Of course, some of us have been making them all year, which is why I started my CHNC blog at the beginning of last year so that I wouldn't be panicking towards the end of the year.

So it's time for CHNC challenge 84 which is to use your favourite colour(s) - couldn't be simpler!

I love using purple in cardmaking, particularly for Christmas cards. I've kept my card simple and have used card and other bits from the 'classic' section of the Hunkadory luxury card collection. I added a heart that has been in my Christmas bits box for a few years (originally came with a Kanban kit), which I mounted on silver mirror card and added some silver and lilac gems.

This is also for:

Cutie pie 23: Christmas in July
Lexi 70: Christmas in July
Creatalicious 36: Christmas in July
Christmas card challenges week 35: no stamping
The crafty pad 181: things with wings
Cute card Thursday 228: clean & simple
Totally papercrafts 128: monochrome
Stamp n doodle: use your favourite colour
CASology 4: bird
Crafty mess 14: birds
Our creative corner: bling bling
2 sisters 103: anything goes
Challenge up your life 75: everything goes
Paper-crafting journey: anything goes
Critter 126: anything goes
Paper playtime 80: anything goes
Make it Monday 100

Inspire me Fridays 70
52 card pick up week 31
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

Carol singers

This is another card for Daring cardmakers challenge 'the house that Jack built'.

I've used up some of the rest of the red patterned card that I used for the previous card, so this is another quick pop into the playground at Pixie's crafty snippets 31 and Squiggle stamps: stash attack - used an offcut.

This is also for:

Hiding in my craftroom 56: Christmas in July
2 sisters 102: Christmas in July
Cutie pie 23: Christmas in July
Lexi 70: Christmas in July
Creatalicious 36: Christmas in July
Bloggers challenge: Christmas in July
Sugar creek hollow 22: vintage Christmas in July
Christmas card challenges week 35: no stamping
Cute card Thursday 228: clean & simple
Clear it out: Christmas in July - something red or green or both
Paper-crafting journey: anything goes
Critter 126: anything goes
Paper playtime 80: anything goes
Make it Monday 100

Inspire me Fridays 69
52 card pick up week 30
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

The house that Jack built for Christmas

'The house that Jack built' is this week's Daring cardmakers challenge so I've used the sketch for Sketches by Carly 61 to make this Christmas card, using Hunkydory supplies:

This is also for:

Hiding in my craftroom 56: Christmas in July
2 sisters 102: Christmas in July
Cutie pie 23: Christmas in July
Lexi 70: Christmas in July
Creatalicious 36: Christmas in July
Bloggers challenge: Christmas in July
Sugar creek hollow 22: vintage Christmas in July
Christmas card challenges week 35: no stamping
Cute card Thursday 228: clean & simple
Clear it out: Christmas in July - something red or green or both
Paper-crafting journey: anything goes
Critter 126: anything goes
Paper playtime 80: anything goes
Make it Monday 100

Inspire me Fridays 69
52 card pick up week 30
DL.ART Birthday Linky party

Simply less is more

This is a card for any occasion, using the sketch for Less is more 78 (I turned the sketch upside down):

I used a scrap of pink paper to make the butterfly border with a Martha Stewart punch, with the addition of some stitched ribbon and sticky flower ribbons.

This is also for:

Charisma cardz 30: pink + 1 (black)
Card crafters circle 33: clean and simple
Cute card Thursday 228: clean & simple
Pixie's crafty snippets 31

Clean and simple blue and green

This is for the CAS sketch for Annabelle absc052 (I turned the sketch upside down):

Why is it that such a simple card took me three attempts?!

I've used some stitched ribbon and some flowers that have been in my stash for ages and ages.

This is also for:

Cute card Thursday 228: clean & simple
Card crafter's circle 33: clean and simple
Divas by design 46: flowers
Paper pretties Wednesday 217: thank you cards
DL.Art Thursday challenge: thankful
Art impressions 74: stitching or fabric

Happy ice cream day

Another ice cream themed card, this time using some offcuts of DCWV summer papers that I've had for a few years now. The ice cream was cut from a paper (it had two more layers on top, but I've kept it to three) and I added some stickles. I used some pink ribbon that I've had for ages either side of the DCWV striped offcut.

The sentiment was computer generated and printed.

This is another card inspired by Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 23 photo:

This is also for:

Pixie's crafty snippets 31
Squiggle stamps: stash attack - used offcuts
Tuesday alchemy 25: ice cream social
My sheri 90: national ice cream month
Soartful: colours of ice cream
My mum's craft shop 68: ice cream flavours - my flavour: strawberry yum yum!
Crafty creations181: cool summer treats
Dream valleyt 37: summer
Robyn's fetish 118: summer fun
Victorine 39: summertime
Creative craft: summertime
Everybody art 201: summer
Whimsy 49: summer fun
Creative cutter room: summer fun
Creative Friday: summer, sun & holidays
Mishelflo's August: long hot summer
Crazy 4 challenges 147: what you love to do on a hot summer night - eat an ice cream
Really reasonable ribbon 53: bling with ribbon
Deep ocean 31: anything goes
Critter 126: anything goes
Paper playtime 80: anything goes
Make it Monday 100

Inspire me Fridays 69
52 card pick up week 30

Recycled cupcake

The cupcake I've used on this card was cut out from a leaflet that came through the post today - too good to just put in the paper bin.

The offcut of We R Memory Keepers paper was already out on the work surface, so I used that with a couple of sentiment strips. The cake had some silver balls on it so I put some golden gems over them to match up with the golden foiling on the sentiment strips.

Colours are for Color throwdown 203:

This is for:

There's magic in the air magical Monday: waste not - something recycled
Pixie's crafty snippets 31
Squiggle stamps: stash attack - used offcuts
Lollipop crafts: celebration
Kaboodle 130: birthday or any special day
Fashionista 5: baby or birthday
Hooked on craft 23: let's celebrate
Quirky crafts 16: quirky cupcakes
Deep ocean 31: anything goes
Critter 126: anything goes
Paper playtime 80: anything goes
Make it Monday 100

Inspire me Fridays 69
52 card pick up week 30

I scream for ice cream

This is for All that scraps challenge: let's piece those papers.

The background paper is an offcut of Basic Grey and the striped paper is another offcut (DCWV). I've paper pieced the clothes and the ice cream on the Meoples I want candy digital images from All That Scraps, with additional copic colouring.

I've followed the sketch for My time made easy 67:

The photo is awful because of having to use flash this evening - the die cut bow is a deep bright pink mirror card which just doesn't show up here at all.

This was also inspired by Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 23 photo:

Adding a photo I've just taken outside - it shows the bow better:

This is also for:

Pile it on  31: cute as can be
Pixie's crafty snippets 31
Squiggle stamps: stash attack - used offcuts
Anyone for Anya: last summer fling - summery
Farm fresh Friday (splendid stamping): die cuts and/or punches
Tuesday alchemy 25: ice cream social
Celebrate the occasion 73: I scream for ice cream
Little Miss Muffet 40: Neapolitan icecream
My sheri 90: national ice cream month
Soartful: colours of ice cream
Dream valleyt 37: summer
Robyn's fetish 118: summer fun
Paper makeup digi makeover 47: endless summer
Victorine 39: summertime
Creative craft: summertime
Everybody art 201: summer
Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 118: juvenile birthday card
Die cuttin' divas 76: anything goes (die cut bow)
Kaboodle 130: birthday or any special day
Fashionista 5: baby or birthday
Paper pretties Wednesday 216: birthday cards
Hooked on craft 23: let's celebrate
My mum's craft shop 67: birthday girls
One stitch at a time: use a digi
Jacksons digital expressions: anything goes
Critter 126: anything goes
Paper playtime 80: anything goes
Twisted Tuesday 17: free for all
Amusing challenges (stamped blessings): anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Crafts and me 94: anything goes
Make it Monday 100

Inspire me Fridays 69
52 card pick up week 30