Decorated tissue box

Hi and welcome on this dull and rainy Saturday. It's so dark here it's like late afternoon or early evening. 

I'm sniffing and sneezing like a good 'un here so I thought I would decorate my tissue box to cheer myself up a bit. :)

I love these oval boxes of tissues but they are a tad more expensive than the little cube ones so I did a little yanking and tearing and opened up the bottom so now I can refill the box with more modestly priced tissues and still have the shape I like. 

Although the pattern on the box wasn't bad, it didn't really match the setting so I sought out some of my old designer pads and hit on this combo.

K & Co - Watercolour bouquet papers

Heartfelt Creations Sun Kissed Fleur stamps and matching die

Tonic Victorian border punch; Frond finesse and assorted butterflies

Ribbon from stash

The wee floral panel

A view to show the top of the box. Of course I didn't have enough of the little patterned flower papers left so I had to resort to another one, but I'm sure no one will call the DP Police and have me arrested.

I didn't have an oval die to fit the shape so I was a little bit challenged re: cutting the oval top out. 

I ended up inking the plastic rim of the box and pressing the wrong side of the dp on top to get the shape. I used Spellbinder petite ovals for the centre.

After getting the 'template' I cleaned the edge of the box and I'm glad to say it worked!

I hope you have a super week end and find some time to have a crafty play. 

I suppose I'd better pretend I'm actually doing something and get myself dressed. Oh! I can hear the wee man from Hermes at the door - it must mean my latest Tonic Intrica dies and punches have arrived. I know what I'll be doing this afternoon!!!!!!!

See you soon! :)

Butterfly Princess Birthday Wishes

The sun is shining here and it's a brisk, bright day. Lovely to see but not so good for taking pics.

I hope I find you well today. My back is still creaking but not so bad thank goodness. Getting old definitely isn't for wimps!

Onto today's card.

It's an 8 x 8" to give you a sense of the size of the die cuts.

Papers - K & Co - Addison

Tonic - Butterfly Princess, Sensational Sprigs corner, Everyday Sentiments Die Set 2

Blue vellum

X Cut flower punch

Nellie Snellen flower punch

Jewel brads and gems from stash

Shabby shutters, tumbled glass, peacock feathers distress inks

Rangers Antiquities frosted crystal ink (on flowers)

I've decorated the inside of the card to complement the front but couldn't get a decent pic with the sun glaring in - hence the bright spots here and there. :)

Close up of the vellum flowers - I've punched 5/6 layers and held them together with a brad. I then spritzed the vellum with water and let the flowers dry naturally. They curl and fluff up on their own. I then swished white ink over them and on the edges to lighten them up a tad. 

Thank you for popping in today. Have a good one!

Fab news today!

THIS POST IS A STICKY UNTIL 28TH SEPTEMBER -  just scroll on down for other posts in the meantime. :) 

Good afternoon and welcome to my blog today. I have some really fab news for you and I hope you will be as excited as I am. :)

The lovely Karen Mortensen from Charmed Cards and Crafts has offered me a digi kit to give away to one of my commenters on the blog. The winner can choose so it's up to you which one you would like - there are over 20 to choose from and each is crammed full of fabulous images drawn by the talented Louise Brigden.

Please just leave a comment and when the winner is chosen Karen will give you the link to the kit of your choice. 

I will leave this fab offer open until next Friday, the 27th September so that you have time to enter.

Here are some of the cards I've made so far from four of these choc-a-bloc with images bundles! 

Today's card - closer view

 Please don't forget to comment to be in with a chance to win one of these fabulous digi collections.I will draw the winner by Random.org next Friday  at 8.00 pm and post the winner on Saturday 28th September. Good luck everyone!

Draw now closed. Winner will be announced tomorrow!

Keep calm and smile

Now here's a gal who is dressed for a day's work! She is, of course, another of the fab Land Girls from Charmed Cards and Crafts and you can find the whole set + sentiments HERE.

My rustic lass has been set against K & Co Wild Saffron papers

Memory Box Tulepo circle

Marianne design branch die

Tiny punched daisies

Mei Flower black gems

Sentiment from download

The image is coloured with Promarkers

Skin - soft peach, oatmeal, blush, baby pink

Greens - olive, pear, lime

Reds - Burgundy, poppy, red

Hair - caramel, sandstone, daffodil bloom

Belt and boots - Raw sienna, mustard, buttercup

The image has been inked round the edges with shabby shutters and tumbled glass distress inks

The inside has been decorated with matching papers

A sideways view to show the layers

Hope you have enjoyed this little peek at the new digis. :)

Have a great day and thank you for calling in.

Tri fold shutter card

It's the middle of the week again and doesn't time just seem to fly by!

Sunrise Crafts did it again and my new stamps arrived yesterday morning so I just had to play spend some time getting to know them, you know you have to. :) 

I chose to make a tri-shutter card as I haven't made one of these in ages. I've used K & Co. 'Wild Saffron' papers for the mats and kraft card stock for the base.

You can get the template HERE. I've used A4 sized card stock cut to 5.75 x 10.5"

Score your panels at 1 3/4, 3 1/2, 7, and 8 3/4"

Cut from the score line at 1 3/4" to the score line at 8 3/4". You can make the depth of these panels to suit your own design, I chose 1 1/2" top and bottom. Then just fold as you see in the pic, it couldn't be simpler. :)

I cut the decorative panels to fit the separate sections and inked round the edges with vintage photo distress ink.

The border is one of my new stamps from the Sun Kissed Fleur range by Heartfelt Creations.

This was stamped onto bronze lustre card and coloured with Promarkers.

The swirls are from Marianne Design and the butterflies are movers and shapers dies from Sizzix

The sentiment is an old favourite from Hero Arts

This view shows the central panel which used the bronze card embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and inked inside the folder with vintage photo distress ink

 A close up of the floral border

I've decoupaged the main flowers for added dimension.

I've used Promarkers for colouring. I had to use quite strident colours to get them to show up against the bronze cs.

Flowers - Burnt orange, gold, summer sun

Turquoise, mint

Leaves - Green

I'm sure you will be seeing a lot more of these stamps. I'm in love!!! LOL

Thank you for calling in today.

Just a wee mention of the tragedy that has befallen the people caught up in the tornado in Oklahoma. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they try to come to terms with what has happened. Losing your home is bad enough but it's the awful loss of life that hits the hardest, especially when children are involved. 

I hope all the stops are pulled out to offer them practical and emotional aid in the days and weeks ahead.

Flower Pot gift card

Well, I set out to make a little gift card from my flower pot die set. I knew it would take a while making the flowers, no not even that, deciding which flowers to make, papers I wanted to use, embellies I needed etc. We've all been there. It took most of the day, punctuated by cups of coffee and grandson's homework and then tea time, but I got there in the end.

Cardstock - from the Papermill - it has a sort of shimmery look that is just that wee bit different

Papers - K & Co 'Watercolour Bouquet'

Magnolia flower dies

Marianne rose dies

Sentiment - Papertrey Ink

Metal butterfly embellishment from stash

Marianne vintage dies for the top of the flower pot

I didn't have a gift card to put inside so I made a faux one to fill the blank space.

I've used brushed corduroy distress ink for all the edges, worn lipstick for the flowers and peeled paint for the foliage.

Prima wooden heart button and linen thread

Papertrey Ink Beautiful blooms stamps

I just love this die set and though I don't have all the Heartfelt swirls etc I was pleased to be able to use the Marianne dies to make an ornate frame for the top. 

A sideways view to show the extra card stock piece I added so that I could prop the card up - so it does double duty. :)

I've entered this card into the Marianne's Design Diva's challenge which this time is 'Dies'. Probably won't stand a chance but no harm in trying. :) 

Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope you have a super day.

On a sad note I have just stepped down from my DT spot on the Crafter's Companion team. To say I will miss the girls is an understatement. They are the loveliest bunch of ladies anywhere, not to mention the wonderful Sara, Leann and Louise and all the team at Crafter's. I have had a ball but just felt that it was the right time for me to leave. 

All my love girls and thank you for a wonderful experience. 

All the best for the future. A million hugs xxxxxxx!

Altered fruit containers

Hi and good morning. Welcome to the blog. :)

I've been playing and have ended up altering jars that originally contained fresh fruit pieces. I've been eating fresh fruit and natural yoghurt for dessert most days and these jars tend to accumulate! I hated to throw these away so I've popped some endy bits of ribbon in one (you know the bits that are too long to chuck out but too short to use across a card) and I'm not entirely sure what I want to put in the other one. I thought of buttons as I have so many but they would be too hard to get out without tipping up the container every time so I haven't quite decided as yet. 

I suppose the craft clear out brought lots of papers to my attention that I had forgotten about so I've used K & Co 'Wild Saffron' and 'Watercolour Bouquet' for these two. 

I used Tim Holtz's Tattered flower die for the big blossom on the first jar together with a foliage die from Spellbinders and a small stamen punch from Leone Em. The edges have been inked with walnut stain distress ink though I see I've missed a bit here and there. :) 

The blossom on the top of the jar is also from the Tattered flowers die

On the second one I've punched a little bird and embossed it with a Cuttlebug folder. He's inked with walnut stain and 3D'd onto the tree, cut with a Marianne Design die.

The roses are from my latest fad and were made using the Marianne Branch and flower die 1

The butterflies you can just about see on the sides of this jar are goldie oldie 'butterfly reflections' from Spellbinders

I've repeated the bird (sans embossing) for the top of the jar and again 3D'd it for some dimension. The flowers are from my roses stash. :)

The little branches are also part of the punch set from Stamping Up and I've used kraft card from Papermania for these bits.

Well as they say, little amuses the innocent. I can't imagine how many of these I'll collect in the future so I'd better think of good ways to use them.

Thank you for calling in today. Have a lovely day whatever your plans. I have a good friend popping round for tea tonight so I'd need to get busy and tidy up a bit.

Thank you card 2

Morning! Hope you are all set for a new week and managed to get a bit of relaxing done over the weekend.

I've another thank you card today and I've delved deep into the stash for these papers.

It's wonderful what a clear-out will uncover - I'd totally forgotten about these lush papers.

Papers - K & Co. - Wild Saffron

Spellbinders petite ovals

Memory Box - Phlox flower die

Cuttlebug butterfly die

Sentiment - Stamping Up 'Sincere Salutations' stamp set

Bo Bunny pearls

A view from the side. I've decorated the inside of the card with more of these gorgeous papers and added a punched butterfly edging using a Martha Stewart punch.

I just love the combination of colours in this particular paper - dreamy aqua and soft brown - lovely.

It's another CAS card but I'm pretty happy with it. I'm just glad to have any sort of mojo at the minute. :)

Hope you have a lovely day and I'll see you tomorrow with a really CAS number!

Playing with a new die

 Well, it's another lovely day here. The sun has put his hat on and it's bright and cheerful - long may it last. ;)

I received a new die from Country View Crafts and thought I would have a wee play since it didn't involve me having to colour in or having to do particularly detailed work. I don't expect much comment for these two beginner cards but I thought I would post them anyway so that any future ones I make will hopefully be a vast improvement. 

I just love getting a new die and cutting it with anything I have within easy reach just to see what it looks like. Do you do that?

So, within easy reach I found some Basic Grey (?- sorry can't remember the collection name - they are nearly as old as me!) and K & Co. 'McKenna' papers.

Here's the front of the Basic Grey card - my first attempt. 

Sizzix Pop 'n Cuts base die

Tim Holtz Movers and shapers butterflies

Inkadinkadoo scroll stamp

Basic Grey self adhesive alphabet

Vintage photo distress ink

Hero Arts definition stamps

The inside of the card - just very basic as I was trying to get everything to fit!

The sentiment stamp is my all-time favourite from Hero Arts

A sideways view to show the pop up section

Having got the logistics sorted (it's not hard) I started on my McKenna papers.

I've used offcuts and wee bits and pieces I had stored so it proved a good way to use up some of those annoying little bitty pieces.

The sentiment is from one of the papers

K & Co 'McKenna' papers

Memory Box Phlox die

Bo Bunny pearls

The inside of the card

Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers word die

Sentiment and foliage stamps from Inkylicious

Stamping Up edge punch

I've had my eye on this die for some time but kept missing it when I was ready to buy it. I eventually pinned it down in Country View Crafts at the best price I've seen anywhere.

I know these two examples are not brilliant but I thought it would be fun to show how I like to work with a die using scraps at first. Because I've used designer papers the cards are not as sturdy as normal but they are not that flimsy either, so there's another way to start using up those left overs. There must be a zillion ways you can decorate this 'shape' with another plus being that it is a small card, easier to post and it packs a punch!

Thank you for calling in today and I hope you have a good one.

Christmas Nevaeh

Hello and welcome to the blog today. It's the start of a new week with lots to do and things to show, so without further ado I've got a variation on one of my favourite Saturated Canary images for today's card.

Image - Saturated Canary - 'Nevaeh'

Papers - K & Co. Elizabeth Brown papers (golden oldies from stash)

Holly and branches - Sizzix dies

Sentiment - Craftwork cards

Music - Memory box 

Aged mahogany distress ink

The image is coloured with Promarkers

Hair - Black, walnut, cocoa, cinnamon, tan, almond

Dress - Cardinal, ruby red, antique pink, rose pink

Cool greys 1, 3, 5, blender

Shoes - Ice grey 1 - 5

Skin - ivory, blush, vanilla, oatmeal, baby pink, antique pink

A sideways view to show the layers

Now, as you can see, I need all the help I can get with shading. I'd love to be able to know how to use greys etc in shading folds but I thought I would just post this in the hopes that someone could give me a bit of advice, guidance and assistance! Feel free to put a helpful suggestion in the comments. :) I look forward to reading them! 

Have a great day and a good week ahead. 

See you tomorrow with my Passion for Promarkers challenge card.

Always Playful

Hi and welcome to the weekend. I hope you have lots planned to do and can fit in some luverly crafty time as well.

I'm still 'relaxing' though, truth be told, it's very hard to keep away from the computer so I pop in to FB every so often and visit my favourite blogs just to keep in touch. 

Today's card is more of an experiment than anything else. I wanted to try colouring in a red head so this is my first attempt. I've since done another with different colours but I'm not really sure which one I prefer. I did make an oopsy with her kiss curl - it's a bit blunt and not wispy at all. I think I leaned too heavily on the pen but at least it's a lesson learned for another time. 

Digi image - Saturated Canary - Whispy

Papers - K & Co 'Watercolour Bouquet'

Memory box 'Virtuoso music' and 'Prim Poppy' dies

Die-namics 'Mini wavy pennants' die

5" doily

Blue cardstock DCWV 

Rust brown cardstock - Papermill

Sentiment - Autumn Leaves

The image is coloured with Promarkers

Skin - ivory, blush, vanilla, oatmeal, baby pink

Dress - dark blues - Midnight, Aegean and sky

Light blues - Celestial blue (Flexmarker) Glacier blue (Flexmarker) and Powder blue

Hair - Burnt orange, spice, honeycomb, oatmeal, sunkissed pink

The inside of the card is simply decorated

A sideways view to show the layering

I'll post the alternative 'red head' tomorrow so that you can see the difference.

Have a smashing weekend and thank you for calling in today.