My first Rachelle Anne Miller card!

With the arrival of my bargain stamps yesterday I just couldn't resist a bit of "crafty time out" just playing. I decided to go along with the sketch challenge over on Papertake Weekly but just couldn't decide what papers to use. Desperate to start colouring I chose to work with some basic white card, embossed in a CuttleBug folder.

I had fun trying to work with a bolder mixture of bright colours but not quite sure of the overall effect of the finished card!

...and yes, the glossy accents are still wet!

Black Magic!

My mumasked me to make a card for my nephew's 18th birthday. I don't see him very oftne at all, he isn't "into" anything so I was struggling for a theme. Eventually late last night I threw this together. Not happy with it, I suppose I have been putting more detail into my cards recently and it looks a bit bare...not sure about the colour combinations either but it seemed OK last night!LOL. Anyway, it done now!

I used inspiration from a challenge over on Crafts by Carolyn called Black Magic where the challenge was simply to make something with a black base. I must admit it has become the norm to reach straight for my white linen card stock. I have another few ideas to try out with this challenge in mind but unfortunately I MUST catch up first before I can play!

Sat hello to Rag Doll Charlotte

Here is Charlotte Rag Doll, one of Nikki's new stamps over on DewDrop Craftz I love her she is so much fun, easy to colour and so quirky. Poor Charlotte had lost one of her button eyes but for this card I choose to print a few extra eyes and layer on her little bright green buttons so she could see you all and say hello properly! (Yes OK, I have finally flipped, must be the peace and quiet of an empty CHILDFREE house!)

I also treated myself to some swirls....I can see these are going to get used over and over!

I used this card to join in with the first ever challenge over on BasicGrey Challenges where you obviously have to use some BG and buttons! Well as you can see I cheated a bit and stretched the boundaries by using Charlottes little button eyes! I do hope that qualifies otherwise I might have to force out the brad and put a little button in the flower centre!!! I used an offcut of what I believe to be BG Karina from the Oh Baby! Girl- collection.

Must rush, I will be back again soon and so will Charlotte!

Emboss this!

Over on Tilda & Co this weeks challenge was to emboss....now how could I resist with my love of my Cuttlebug folders!

Circula Greeting from the Dottie & George Download over on Charmed!

Cold as Ice!

I have completely lost my mojo today, I have dillied and dallied nearly all day not really able to settle into anything. Shuffled a few papers around, then put them away again. I have so many ideas in my little head but just enough time to really put any of them into action. At least the weather was kind enough to let the children have a little bit of time out in the garden this afternoon...it's like monsoon weather again now!

Whilst the children were out on the trampoline I gathered up my pencils and a few images and I sat and coloured.......very relaxing...well as relaxing as it can be with 2 children bouncing around and screaming at the top of their voices!

This evening I have made up a card for this weeks Tilda & Co Challenge using 2 of the images:

The sun is now drifting away very fast and soon it will be as cold as ice....
Using the colours Blue & white Only . Show us how cold your projects can feel this week.

I used the round sentiment download from the Dottie & George Xmas collection!

Dottie Goes- Pink, Pink, Pink!!

Over on Dotties World this week the challenge is PINK, PINK, PINK!

"Right, this week Karen wants us to go pink pink pink with our cards, she also wants us to add a bit of glam in the form of beads, jewels and/or charms you can use just one or loads it's up to you as long as your main colour is pink and you USE ONE OF THE CHARMED DOWNLOADS."

I decided to go for a "Pink Christmas" and had such fun colouring the images...I have coloured in a few extras so they are all ready in my little box for a "quick make card!" I was a bit dissappointed with Dotties wellies though, once I made them all glossy with my glossy accents they looked a bit too red for my liking. I had such fun with the Xmas tree from the Xmas Downloads collection. I paper pieced it by printing onto green card, pierced holes in each of the baubles and then spent a very relaxing time sewing on each of the little seed beads....I will HAVE to do more of these in different sizes..I just love the texture of it...and it make use of the huge amount of sead beads I have!!!!

And what have I achieved today...

...LOL......Not a lot!

I have made two cards...here is one of them-my attempt at this weeks Friday Sketchers Challenge. I used another one of my bargain £2 Sugar Nellie stamps and a tiny little flower stamp (unknown) that a lovely crafter sent me ages ago. Hmmmm now I am getting into my stamping, me thinks I may need for swirly florishy stamps next!

A Funky Fairys Challenge!

I needed to make a card today! So I tidied up a little square off my craft table and set to work using a sketch from this weeks Funky Fairys Challenge.

Now - IF I can decide what to buy, I may have a chance to treat myself to some new goodies before I have to collect the children from school. Amelia is staying later tonight at her first after school club....YOGA BUGS!!! Right quickly, kettle on.....new stash alert!!!!!

2 more cards, more challenges!

Here are the cards I finished last night!!

Both cards meet the challenges on;
Crafts by Caroyln - Easy as 1,2,3 where you are challenged to make a card, layout or anything else you fancy with one or more numbers on it.
Papertake Weekly Challnge - Elegant Embossing where you need to make your project with the 'Elegant Embossing' theme (wet or dry embossing!).

At one with Nature!!!

A fabby challenge over at The Bumbleberry Café where Rach has got us going back to nature!

Right a challenge for all card makers, and scrappers alike!..... I would like you to get "at one with nature", and that leaves it wide open!, so no excuses!!! Make a card or LO using either the colour tones of nature? using a photo of your fav flower perhaps? a fav scene? anything goes really.

Not really sure that this fits in 100% but I love the earthy colours, the blooms and of course the feather. Loads of ideas for this one, might have to make a few more, there is so many angles with this!! (oh no....not good at decisions!)


Paper-Laura Ashley, stamped image- The Artistic stamper, Cuttlebug -Paisley folder.

Another holey challenge!!!

So taken by the earthy colours I used for the vintage swap I was drawn to using a few more for my next challenge card. I cheated a bit on this one by including two challenges into one card, not something I like to do but with so many fabby challenges and the kiddies off school..it was either that, completely fail, or tear my hair out!!!!

I used a faux stitching effect by piercing the paper- again something I don't usually do-if I want a "true" stitched effect I usually get my sewing maching out- but I enjoyed trying out something a bit different for me! This meets the challenge over on My Time To Craft (Try sewing stitches by hand, use a sewing machine, rubber stamps or hand draw them. You can make a Card, Tag, ATC, Skinny, Scrapbook page, Fatbook Page (4x4) Gothic Arch, Moo Mini card, Skinny, Inchie or Altered Art. )

I have also attempted my first Sketch Challenge (#4) over on Charmed Cards & Crafts.

Hole in One!!

Another Dottie, another challenge. This time I used Princess Dottie and took inspiration from the "lace" on her dress to make a picture frame. It fitted in perfectly with a Challenge over on Crafts by Carolyn.

" Hole in one - Your challenge today is to make something that includes piercing. Lots of little holes are what we want to see. You don't need any fancy equipment for this one - if you don't have a paper piercer (I don't!) then grab a map pin or something similar and you're off. "

I had to hunt high and low for the scrap of "little princess paper" I had left over! (if I remember rightly, I THINK its frm 3 bugs in a rug!!)

Meet George!

This is George- he is a handsome chappy isn't he...well Dottie thinks so! You will have to excuse him though...his boot polish is still wet in the rush to get Amelia to bed as Chris collects Jack from Karate!!!!

Footballer George meets this weeks challenge over on Funky Fairys where ....Your challenge for week #15, if you wish to accept it, (and why not? You're brave), is to design a MALE/BOY themed card.

My 2nd Dottie!!

Been a busy gal today, after making a scrummy spag bol, with Amelia's help (well actually the phone rang and she threw the rest of the uncut peppers into the bin with the scraps!!!) I left Chris to look after the children while I shut myself away to craft for a while.

First I mounted the blue tag onto a backing and made up a complete card.

Then I set to work on my 2nd Dottie. She is such fun to work with, I suppose it's her quirkiness that made me feel a bit more adventurous with colours as well as attempting my first ever freehand scallops!!!! LOL......I really feel I went over the top with little Charmed Dottie no.2 , but I love her!! Loads of texture with the tiny bubbles CB embossing folder and yet more dots on the BG paper. Look closely and you may see that I have used have a tube of glossy accent too!! But Dotties a very extrovert young girl it seems!!!!

A quick tag!!

I found this challenge on blog by the fanstastic Jules and I thought it looked quite a quick and easy challenge to do while the children are around. I have had Amelia in here with me doing the embossing on the CB!!!

Tag You're It!- the first challenge was "Shade of Blue!" I am not sure about the finished tag, but had fun making it and tried a different effect by doing some freehand embellishes with my glossy accents just to add a bit of dimension!!! I used a friend stamp from Hero Arts, as a collage effect for the large tag and the little girl stamp is by Crafty Individuals....and of course my beloved CB embossing folder!!!

Looking forward to the next one of these.

Hello Dottie!!!!!!!

My first (of what I am sure will be many) Dottie card....meet Charmed Dottie!

This is also my first challenge over on Charmed Cards & Crafts.

Round 2 challenge 4 by LouRight ladies this is a nice easy one, so easy in fact I’m only giving you a week to do it (evil laugh). To celebrate the launch of Dottie I challenge you to make a ‘Dottie’ card (Dottie the character, not polka dots LOL).

Okay so here are the points·

For making a Dottie card........ 30 points·

For adding Scalloping...............10 points·

For Dry embossing.....................5 points·

For using buttons.......................5 points.

50 points in total

I love her so much I am going to treat myself to some downloads later....if the children give me a few spare minutes that is!!LOL. This is another first for me as she is my first card made with a download. I was a bit concerned that the ink would run so I used my marvy markers more than actual water colours, and of course a few features were hilighted with my glossy accents..but not shown that well in pics-sorry.

It's finished at last....

....the card that has been sitting on my desk for 2 days that is!!!! I have been quite low again today, just struggling to get motivated and not knowing what to do first really. So much is on hold for one reason or another and I cannot tick the box and say it's done if you know what I mean. BUT it's another card off my "To do list" and it also meets the latest challenge over on Cute Card Thursday! Our challenge this week is 'Planes, trains and automobiles'
but of course we wouldn't restrict you to just those vehicles, absolutely any mode of transport is allowed!

Using my little Hamish with Tractor stamp, picked up on the background swirls on the papers and used my devine swilrs CB folder....and of course finished with a few glossy accents!!

Mr Postie has been!!

I got back from the school JUST in time. I had just put the kettle on, looked out the window and there was the red van!!!I got all excited but I still have more to come!!

Today I have got;

My Easter Swap from Champs. A huge thank you, the chocolate looks great- will tuck into some of that tonight with hubby!

and a little parcel of crafty goodies. I was hoping it would be some of the new stamps I have ordered but it was 2 more CB folders!! Yipppeee, I now own "Swiss Dots" and "Perfectly Paisley!" Now I am off to try them out with my fingers crossed that when Mr Postie arrives later with letter post, some stamps will arrive too.....greedy aren't I!!!

Long time - no craft!

Goodness it seems like ages since I have done any crafting but thinking back it was last Sunday. So much has been crammed into this last wek but I still feel I have nothing to show for it. Thursday was really tough, I had so many appointments I travelled to the school and back 5 times- by the evening I couldn't even out weight on my poorly heel. Friday I went off to work and had to leave early as Amelia was poorly, but when I got home I bandaged my foot up and hunted for my crocs which were somewhere at the back of the wardrobe- thank goodness today my heel feels a little better.


I decided to treat myself to some crafty time today- been quite self indulgent actually as all I have made is one little card, but it was very theraputic! I have made my first ever challenge from My Time to Craft! http://www.mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/

Challenge 5: Tickled Pink

"Hi everyone! Thank you for taking part in last week's challenge, looks like you had a lot of fun with it. This week's challenge is - Ticked Pink! So add plenty of pink to your projects! Remember make anything you want using our theme, an ATC, Card, Tag, Skinny, Scrapbook page, Fatbook Page (4x4).We will have some new designers next week - so pop by to see their work! "



and boy oh boy...is my card pink!!!

Out of my comfort zone!

Made another card this afternoon and I am really not sure of it, it's probably the colours that are my biggest concern!! Whatever way I look at it though I still thoroughly enjoyed trying out something a bit different.

I met 2 challenges along the way too!!

Rip it up on Crafts by Carolyn-"ripping and tearing it doesn't matter what you tear - just getting ripping! "

and Fantastic Plastic over on Daring Cardmakers. "This week it's Rhi here to dare you and I'm on a recycling mission. I dare you to look again at the plastic packaging around you and transform it into a brand new card. It could be food packaging, craft packaging or just something plastic that's destined for the bin or recycling. Trim it, die cut it, alcohol ink it, crop-o-dile it, give it a new lease of life then share it via your blog for us all to see. Happy Recycling! "

Here it is- please don't be too harsh!!! Runs off and hides under her new stamps!!!