Mulberry Wood is here!

It's a new week and I have the start of some sneak peeks for you from Ian Hallows 'Mulberry Wood' collection. The CD and stamps will be available from the 19th from Crafter's Companion and to tell the truth it was hard to put this collection down.

I have really enjoyed working with these little characters who are every bit as charming as their Christmas friends.

I was hard pressed to choose one card to start my sneak peeks this week and every time I coloured an image in, it became my favourite. :) 

This little lady won the toss and I think she is adorable but the altered bag just had to have a wee airing too, so I've included it today.

I've cut the card base with Go Kreate XXL Frilly #2 Frames from Centura Pearl card stock

The papers are from the accompanying CD and there is plenty to choose from - textured, faux embossed, delightful patterns and a lovely range of colours

The image has been stamped onto a Magic Mirror die - Crafter's Companion

All the mats have been edged with a Spectrum Noir pen - HB 3

The sentiment is from the stamp sheet

Ribbon and pearls are from my stash - with tons of thanks to Patricia who gifted me with a variety of delicious satin ribbon. :) 

The image is coloured with Spectrum Noir pens

Teddy - EB 1, 2, PP3

Hat - TN 1, 2, 4

Flowers - HB 1, 2, 3 PP 1, 2. 4

Leaves - CG 1, 2, DG 3, TB 1

A sideways view to show the layers

It's a very simple card but I think the image is the focus on this one and I didn't want to detract from it.

ALTERED BAG

As a wee extra I've popped in this simple altered bag - great to use for treats and it can be decorated any way you like for any occasion. I found lining up the apertures a tad hit or miss so I've made little frames to hide most of the oopsies!

You will find the original idea HERE - it's a lot tidier than mine!!!

I've used this adorable pair for the front of the bag. I love that kitten!

Papers are from the CD and I've used Centura Pearl card stock as my base

Brown bag cut to size

Die-Sire Lace Border 1 

Nellie's Choice butterfly die

Spellbinder label die for sentiment

The image is coloured with Spectrum Noir pens

Dog - 1G 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9

CR 4 - BG 1

Cat - TN 1, 2, 4 - CR 4 - BG 1

Cake - PP 3, 4, 5 - BG 1 - CR 8, 11 - OR 1 - CT 2 - LY 1

A sideways view to show the bag shape and layers 

Join me tomorrow for another challenge from PFP and I'll catch up with more sneak peeks in the rest of the week.

Have a smashing day whatever your plans. :)

Fresh colour combo today

Here we are at the end of another week. I'm so happy to have your company and I hope you enjoy today's card. My resistance to these wee images is nil but I'm trying to use them a few times each at least to get the most from them. :)

You will recognise her of course. She's 'Thank you' from Saturated Canary and I just love her to bits. 

I've gone for a different colour combo today and though I never thought I'd hear myself say it, I'm a bit sad at coming to the end of my Teresa Collins 'Carolina Breeze' paper pad. It's the first collection with yellow that I've been able to get on with and I put it down to the soft greys making the yellow a little easier on the eye.

As you know, if you follow the blog, I just love layers and there are a total of nine on this card. I love framing an image and keeping the layout relatively simple and letting the layering do a lot of the work. :) That's my excuse anyway. 

Onto today's card - 

Digi image from Saturated Canary

Papers - Carolina Breeze by Teresa Collins

Sentiment - Craftwork cards

Foliage - Marianne design dies

Flowers - Nellies choice embossing punches

I've coloured the image with Promarkers - not a pencil in sight today! 

I love this cool blonde colour for the hair - caramel, sandstone and daffodil bloom, though I may have mentioned that before once or twice. :)

The dress is coloured with soft lime, lemon and canary and I've also used cool greys 1, 2, and 3 with the blender pen.

The inside of the card has been decorated to complement the front

A sideways view to show the layers

Thanks so much for calling in. I hope you have a super weekend. Take care and I'll catch up with you soon. 

Colour Create Challenge #96

Here we are with another Colour Create challenge and it's my turn to host the challenge this time. I've a feeling that this will be a challenge as the colours are quite an unusual mix so I'm excited to see what everyone comes up with. :)

Here's the inspiration photo

Now I would like to see green, brown, white and a wee touch of lavender with the optional extra of a metal embellishment. Are you up for it? Use any tones you like of the colours. 

If you need more inspiration nip over to the Colour Create Challenge blog and see what the DT made of this combo!

Here are two cards that I made - one feminine and one masculine.

I've used a D'Arcy digi image - 041

 Crate Papers - Samantha

WRMK designer grommit

Nellie's Choice flower punch

X Cut birch leaf punch

Memory Box swirl die

Flat lace from stash

The image is coloured with Promarkers and Prisma pencils

Now onto a 'man's' card

I've made a more graphic card this time using my new 'favourite' die - Die-Namics fish tails

Card stock is brown, lime green and lilac from the Papermill

The designer grommit is from WRMK

Sentiment is from a Forever Friends set

Gem from stash

The inside has been simply decorated with matching cardstock

Now it's over to you. Have fun with it!

Strawberry Fun

Hi and good morning, welcome to the blog today. 

I've one of the new D'Arcys to show you today and she is just fabulous. She's called 'Strawberry Fun' and is  number 045 and if you just can't live without her, you will find her HERE! :) 

I've used Papermania 'Lincoln Linen' papers and ribbon

Marianne design swirls

Nellie's Choice rectangle frame die

Die-namics Fishtail dies

Whispers sentiment

Basic Grey button

Flowers from Wild Orchid crafts

Pearls by Habico

The image is coloured with Promarkers and shading has been added with Prisma pencils

I've decorated the card inside to complement the front

A sideways view to show the layers

Just a wee footnote:

Thankfully I've quite a few posts scheduled as I'm having a time and a half with my hands and wrists and my crafting is suffering. They are really painful at the minute so I may have to cut back drastically for a while to rest them. I'll let Mr Blogger take over until the scheduled posts run out and then have another think, see where I am pain-wise and then make any necessary adjustments. 

Please forgive me if I miss commenting at the minute. It's just too painful to be constantly typing. 

There, that's the grumbly stuff over. Thank you for joining me today. Have a great day whatever your plans and I'll see you tomorrow with a Colour Create Challenge.

Colour Create Challenge #95

It's time for another challenge over at Colour Create. This time the colours have been chosen by our lovely Kerry and she wants us to use pink, kraft and white with the optional extra of masking.

Here is her gorgeous inspirational pic to get those creative juices flowing

As it's also the halfway point for the D'Arcy challenge which coincidentally is also pink and cream or blue and cream I thought I would combine the two with a little artistic license re the cream bit!! :)

D'Arcy 037

Making Memories 'Kate' papers

Nellie's Choice open scallop circle die

Craftwork cards sentiment

Rubber Stampede 'Girlfriends' stamp

Rose coral seam binding

Basic Grey 'Sugared' button

Memory Box 'Elegant Scroll Work' die

Punched flowers and butterflies

Pearls from stash

I've coloured the image with Promarkers, Prismas and Polychromos pencils

The text background was stamped by using the masking technique. As it was a digi stamp it would be quite easy to print two and cut one out as the mask but I had printed one and couldn't remember the exact dimensions to reprint it. Instead I used a sheet of copy paper and traced round the coloured image and cut that out to use as my mask. It worked a treat and I was delighted with the result. 

The inside of the card has been decorated to complement the front

I made the bow on the mini Bowdabra - just love this wee gadget.

A sideways view to show the layers

 I did puzzle about how to glue down the scrolls as they were so delicate but I ended up using Sizzix double sided adhesive sheets that I bought a while ago for die cutting (funnily enough!) and adhered it to the paper I was cutting out so that all I had to do was peel away the backing and the delicate die cuts were ready to apply. No mess, no phaffing about with wet glue and the job was a good one. :)

Thank you for joining me today. I hope my wee hints and tips have been helpful, perhaps everyone else knows them already and I'm the last to find out. LOL It wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Have a great day and happy crafting. See you soon.

Colour Create Challenge #93

Wow! doesn't the time just fly by. It's time for our next Colour Create challenge already!

The entries for the challenges are superb, so thank you very much for joining us each fortnight, it's so enjoyable visiting your blogs and seeing your gorgeous creations.

Our colours have been chosen by Julie this time round and are

Deep Purple, Bright Green and Cream

with the optional extra of more Bows!
Here is the inspiration picture

This is my interpretation of the challenge

I've used a Lili of the Valley die cut square but recoloured it completely with Promarkers and Flexmarkers

The papers are from the K & Co. 'Watercolour Bouquet' collection

The mat has been die cut using one of my new Lifestyle nesting doily dies

Dark purple roses are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the gorgeous mauve and little cream roses are a gift from the lovely Sharon

The leaf swirl is a Cheery Lynn 'tropical flourish' die

The bows are on the little girl's hat and as an embellishment on the card. I've used cream seam binding and added two' Mei-flower' flowers to the centre of the bow

Sentiment is from Craftwork cards

Butterflies are Nellie's Choice dies

The inside of the card complements the front

Close up of the bow and butterfly arrangement

A view showing the dimension on the card

That's me sorted! Now it's your turn. We would love to see you over at Colour Create.

You'll want to pop over anyway to see the gorgeous creations from the rest of the team.

Have a great day and I'll catch up with you soon!

Colour Create Challenge #91

Today we have another fab challenge at Colour Create. It is Mina's turn to choose the colours and she has come up with a great combination. 

Here's the inspiration pic for you to get your mojo flowing!

Are you ready to have a go? We would love to see you take part, meantime pop over to the Challenge blog and have a look at what the DT have come up with.

Here's my interpretation. Hope you like it.

I've used a gorgeous stamp from LOTV that I've had for simply ages but rarely inked up. She's called 'Little Ballerina' (ST124) and she was a joy to colour in.

The papers are Carolina Breeze by Teresa Collins

Flowers are punched and embossed with Nellies' Choice and Woodware punches

Leaves are Marianne design dies

The sentiment is part of a Penny Black stamp (dance,sing, love 2695J)

Lace trim is a gift from a friend

The image is coloured with Promarkers

This is a wee view to show the layers though I kept the whole lo very simple. I've edged the sentiment mat with a Stamping Up scallop punch and popped a few pearls on the card to finish.

Don't forget to have a look and join in. 

Have a great day!

Under my umbrella

Here we are at the edge of the weekend. Hope you've had a good week and are looking forward to a bit of a break, though if it's anything like our house the weekend is usually the busiest time of all. :)
I have another of the simply gorgeous D'Arcy images for you today. I love the expression on their faces and colouring them in is just a treat.

I've chosen D'Arcy 006 'Under my umbrella'. Hope you enjoy this one today.

D'Arcy 006 'Under my umbrella'

First Edition 'New Leaf ' papers

Marianne design leaf dies

Nellie's Choice punched and embossed flowers

Whimsy sentiment and ticket die

Eggshell seam binding (bow made using the mini Bowdabra)

Spellbinder Petite Oval dies

Paper doily

Image coloured with Copics, Promarkers and Prisma pencils

Close up of flower arrangement

Close up of bow (I'm delighted with my new toy I have to say)

I shouldn't be telling you this but I'm sitting here munching on a whack of carrot cake that is so moist and delicious that I don't think I've ever tasted as good. Sorry if you are not munching a piece yourself at the mo.

My dear DH is so well recovered that he's back to experimenting with his baking again. My daughter and SIL got him a HUGE Master Chef book at Christmas as part of his present and he is in seventh heaven. He loves cooking and I hate it, so it works really well in our house as I don't get in his way. LOL. Now just in case you're thinking I eat carrot cake at eight o'clock in the morning, it's fair to tell you that this post is scheduled and it's actually mid morning in the here and now. 

Well, enough teasing and on with the day. Thank you so much for calling in, as I've said before, it means I'm not talking to myself all day. :) Have a good one!!

D'Arcy on her swing

I'm so late today. The time has just flown past and I'll soon have to be out and about collecting the boys from school. I think I slipped into lazy habits when they weren't here, so it's time to get up and go!!!!

I've another of the darling D'Arcy images for you today. It's by way of a sneaky peek as she hasn't been released yet. 

I've used First Edition 'Bird Song' papers

Stamping Up felt flowers from my stash

LOTV sentiment

Whimsy noteable die

EK Success open scallop edge punch

Copics and Prisma pencils for colouring

Nellie's Choice rectangle frame die

I've added a wee taste of crystal glitter to her wings and edged the image with antique linen distress ink.

A wee squinty look to show the dimension. My thanks to Sharon from Colour Create for the fabby lace trim.

Thank you for calling in today. Sorry for the brief post but I'm outta here - now!!!!!!!!!!!!  Have a good one!