Forever Friends- Let It Snow!

Hellooooo! 

Back to Christmas cards again today and I'm sharing a really old stamp! I never throw away stamps because I love re-visiting them from time to time and this Forever Friends stamp is a good example of this. I want to call this stamp Hot Cocoa but I'm not really sure that's right...

Anyhoo I stamped out this image on the card blank and then masked it. I then also masked the rest of the card blank to create a strip which I then blended with Distress Oxides. I then splashed with water and added white gel pen. I then stamped the image on copic paper and coloured it in and then fussy cut leaving no white space. I then added white gel pen across the image and then adhered it on top of the bear already stamped on the card blank. I then stamped the Lawn Fawn sentiment and added a teeny die cut heart.

Here's your close up! So sweet!!!

Thanks for stopping by today x

Supplies: Stamps (Forever Friends, Lawn Fawn); copics; White gel pen; Distress Oxides; Dies (Mama Elephant)

Anything Goes- Polka dots with a birthday!

Helloooo! Can't believe the weekend has gone it's Tuesday already!! Today's challenge over at Anything Goes this week is Polka Dots with a birthday!

I have used this gorgeous Forever Friends bear that I coloured with watercolour pencils and then added a lyra pencil shadow at the bottom and copic warm grey shadow behind. I paper pieced his party hat. These gorgeous papers are by Echo Park- Little Boy. The sentiment is MFT from their By The Numbers and the "4" die is made using the matching Die-namics. The stars are made using Nesties.

Close-up! Don't forget you can buy your Forever Friends stash from Lynne at The Craft Den!

Pop over to the Challenge blog and check out the rest of the DT's designs!!

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Forever Friends, MFT); Copics; Watercolour pencils; Lyra pencils; Paper (Echo Park); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Number Die-namics; Button; Bakers Twine

Anything Goes Challenge- blue with one other colour

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, ate and drank plenty and were exceedingly merry!! I also hope Santa brought you all your crafty heart desired!! I will reveal my Christmas crafty stash very soon!

So it's Tuesday again and it's the very last Anything Goes Challenge of 2011! The theme this week is the colour blue with one other colour. Do pop over to the Anything Goes Challenge and check out all the other DT work, it's gorgeous!

So here is my design:

I used this gorgeously cute Forever Friends bear stamp and coloured him with watercolour pencils and Sansador. I outlined in a warm copic and added a frame of Crystal Stickles. Sorry I don't know where the paper is from, it's a 12 x 12" sheet but I can't find it!! The snowflake is a Sizzix Sizzlits die. Sentiment is Waltzing Mouse.

Little close up of the cutie! As you can see, I also added Crystal Stickles to the snowflake.

Even closer! Wonder what he's saying to the robin?! Don't forget you can buy your Forever Friends' stash from Lynne at The Craft Den.

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Forever Friends, Waltzing Mouse); Paper (?); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Watercolour pencils; Copics; Snowflake die (Sizzix); Nailheads (Josy Rose); Crystal Stickles

A snuggly Christmas!

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing good! First of all, I'd like to say hello to my new followers and to say thanks, I will come and visit you! x

Have been busy again this week so no time for crafting but have a few cards in reserve I've previously made so I can at least show you those when I'm busy! I was so lucky last week- I had 2 challenge wins! I won 10 digi images from Pollycraft and a wee stamp set from A Passion For Papertrey- thanks guys!

So my card today is a simple Forever Friends Christmas one. A bit of a less is more card as I'm hoping the colouring does the talking! :0)

I coloured him with watercolour pencils blended with Gamsol. Originally when I coloured, I used water with my watercolour pencils (unsurprisingly!!) which is why I bought lyra pencils to use with Gamsol to try a more blended approach. A couple of months ago I decided to try watercolour pencils with Gamsol and found out that they work just as well as lyra!! Anyhoo -now I have a bigger selection of colours to work with and find that I enjoy mixing up media and using different medias all at once. Now sometimes when I colour with copics, I add watercolour/lyra shading over the top. It's good to mix it up and experiment!

Paper is by MME I think.Usual close up! Doesn't he look cute and snuggly?!

I'd like to enter this into:

Forever Friends- anything goes

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Forever Friends); Watercolour pencils; Copics; Paper (MME?); Assorted cardstock; Gems; Sentiment (Craftwork Cards); Ribbon; Star brad (Lakeland)

Anything Goes Challenge- Happy Birthday/Celebration

Hello hello!!! I hope you are all well. Today's post is for the Anything Goes DT. The theme this week is Happy Birthday/Celebration! A nice and easy one for you all!

There are some gorgeous gorgeous cards by the DT so pop along over to get some wonderful inspiration! Don't forget you can buy your Forever Friends stash from Lynne at The Craft Den.

I have used this cute Forever Friends bear to make a card for a friend's son. I coloured the bear with watercolour pencils, used lyra pencils for the underneath shadow and outlined him with a warm copic (as usual!!) I paper pieced his hat with these cute October Afternoon papers. I used a notebook die from MFT to make the alphabet notebook paper which I ripped a little. The sentiments are also by MFT from the A la Mode "All Star" stamp set.

I'd like to enter this into:

Crafty Catz- back to school

Here Come the Boys- critters

Spoon full of sugar-happy birthday

Usual close up! I love colouring FF bears, they look so effective if you can get the light right.

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Forever Friends; MFT); Watercolour & lyra pencils; Copics; Papers (October Afternoon); Assorted cardstock; die-namics die (MFT); Button; Baker's twine

MaskIng Challenge and Blog Hop at AnythIng Goes

HI everyone, It's a very excItIng day over at AnythIng Goes! Today we are celebratIng AnythIng Goes' 1st bIrthday and The Craft Den's 3rd bIrthday so a bIg happy bIrthday to Lynne!

We thought we'd celebrate by havIng our very fIrst blog hop and Lynne Is havIng a mega sale at The Craft Den!

How do you play?

All you have to do Is vIsIt each of the DesIgn Team members' blogs, leave a comment, collect 1 or 2 hIdden letters and unscramble them to uncover a 2 worded phrase. Then return back to the AnythIng Goes blog and leave a comment wIth the correct answer. All correct answers wIll be entered Into a draw to wIn a prIze of craftIng goodIes from the Craft Den. WInners wIll be announced on Tuesday 14th June.

So what's the order of the blogs I need to vIsIt?

AnnIe

Cheryl

Deb

Kathryn

Katy

Leesa

Lynne- Lynne's PC is not working so Lynne's letter is "b"

Sandra

Steph- that's me!

Val

Tamara

So you need to vIsIt Val next!

As an added bonus, the DesIgn Team also have IndIvIdual blog candy to gIve away so you really are spoIled!

DON'T FORGET THE CHALLENGE THIS WEEK!

Don't forget we have our usual challenge too! ThIs week the challenge Is "maskIng". As an added bonus, If you enter a project Into the challenge, you wIll get entered Into the draw twIce!

I chose to use 3 Forever FrIends stamps. I masked out the central bear In order to stamp the 2 bears behInd. I coloured wIth watercolour pencIls and outlIned with copIcs. Papers are by AmerIcan Crafts and were used to paper pIece as well as for background papers. Do you love my new DIe-namIcs banner dIe and stamp set from MFT?! Cute, huh?!

Here Is a pIc showIng you how I dId the maskIng.

Usual close up!

And another so you can see the banner a bIt better. I used some Baker's TwIne purchased for the purpose of the tIes!

Don't forget that you can buy your Forever FrIends stash from Lynne at The Craft Den!

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Forever FrIends; MFT); Watercolour pencIls; CopIcs; Assorted cardstock; Papers (AmerIcan Crafts); Dies (MFT); Baker's twine; Buttons & thread

And fInally here Is a pIc of my blog candy. Up for grabs Is an amazIng SIzzIx texture plates kIt! Not only that but over 40 sheets of 6 x 6" desIgner paper and some assorted chIpboard shapes. And my card! All you have to do Is to wIn my candy Is to leave a comment (whIch you wIll already have done If you want to wIn the maIn prIze), then advertIse my candy on your blog and become one of my followers. The wInner wIll be drawn randomly and announced on Tuesday 14th June.

Hope you have fun enterIng our challenge (don't forget, double entry Into the maIn draw If you do!) Good luck! x

Stamping is my therapy!

Hello everyone! Hope you're all having a fun week. The last week has been fairly quiet again here so I've managed to make a whole host of cards- well 4 to be precise! My Mum is back in Basingstoke Hospital. She went in yesterday to have her stent in her liver replaced and we found out today that they will be taking her drain from her liver out tomorrow!!!!! This is HUGE news! Mum has had this drain in since November and has been painful and awkward for her. It has also prevented her from getting chemo. This is a really big step to hopefully things starting to move forward. One worry though is that last time she had the stent put in she developed pancreatitis so we are desperately hoping this won't happen again - last time it developed overnight so I hope she will be OK tonight.

Anyway, onto this week's cards...

My first card is for one of my blogging buddies and is using the cutest stamps from Elzybells. Don't you just love the sentiment?! I miss Elzybells!! I've coloured her with copics and used watercolour pencils on her hair. The papers are by MME. Do you see how she has the same designer papers as me??!! lol.

I'd like to enter this into:

Sketch Saturday

Crazy 4 Challenges- use flowers

Sweet Stampin- girly

Crafty Catz- for a friend

Stamptacular Sunday- use a frame

A little close up! I love how she looks in a total crafting frenzy!!

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Elzybells); Copics; Watercolour pencils; Papers (MME); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Flower (Poppicrafts); Button (Bunny Zoe's ?)

Next up is another card for my brother's birthday- from my Mum. I coloured Riley with copics and paper pieced the couch and cushion. Do you like the room I created? I used copics on the carpet and sponged brown ink for the walls. The sentiment is by Papertrey Ink. Papers are by Papermania.

I'd like to enter this into:

Friday Sketchers

Sentimental Sunday- anything goes & sentiment

Alphabet Challenge- quote or saying

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Riley, Papertrey Ink); Copics; Papers (Papermania); Assorted cardstock

Next up is my first Christmas card of the year!!!!!! I've never made Christmas cards before October before but I was determined to start early this year. I'm dead chuffed with myself. So I used, who else, but Stamping Bella's Snowbunnybella which I got for Christmas. I've coloured her with watercolour pencils and paper pieced her coat and boots. I added Stickles to her and Faux Snow on the ground. The snowflake and stripey paper is by 3 Bugs in a Rug, I can't find where the pink is from. Sentiment is Elzybells.

I'd like to enter this into:

DieCutDreams Christmas club- sketch & pink & blue

Papertake Weekly- anything goes & something old/not used before

Cutie Sunday- your favourite stamp (anything by Stamping Bella!!)

Christmas cards all year round- 3 papers & 3 embellies

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Stamping Bella; Elzybells); Watercolour pencils; Papers (3 Bugs in a Rug); Assorted cardstock; Snowflake die (Sizzix); White snowflakes (The Works); Brads (Woodware); Pearls (Wild Orchid Crafts); Buttons (Walmart); Stickles; Faux snow (Art Institute)

Wooo! Four cards this week! I'm on a roll. I made this in a bit of a hurry today. I've made this for the new tenants in my Dad's shop. We finally have some tenants who have refitted my Dad's shop- it's now a wet fish shop!- and have their opening this week. We thought we'd send them a card to say good luck and congratulations. It will be bittersweet really. Obviously for business reasons, it's good to have tenants (!) and it's nice to have a new business in their instead of it lying empty and neglected but it will be a bit emotional seeing someone else in there with a new sign up. I think my Dad would be proud that we've kept the business running so I'm sure he'll be pleased.

So I've used this Forever Friends image I had and coloured with watercolour pencils. The papers are by My Mind's Eye. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink, the scalloped edge by Die-namics and I've rounded off with a corner punch.

I'd like to enter this into:

Mojo Monday- sketch

Pals Paper Arts- use scallops

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Papertrey Ink); Image (Forever Friends); Watercolour pencils; Papers (MME); Assorted cardstock; Corner punch; Nesties; Scalloped die (Die-namics- MFT); Button (Walmart); Stickles

Thanks for dropping by this week. Have fun! xx

The original Bella!

Hi everyone! Hope you're all OK. I'm still continuing with our throw out before moving but I don't really seem to be getting anywhere. You know when you're tidying and you just seem to be making more mess?!! Well, that's my house at the moment!!

Firstly I must apologise for the quality of these photos. I think the setting has changed on my camera so everything is coming out a bit dark. I know nothing about cameras so will have to confer with hubbie so sorry they are so rubbish!! So onto my first card of the day, here's a birthday card I've made for a crafty friend. We keep saying we're going to have a crafting day so I put this card together with that in mind. I've used the original Stamping Bella! I've coloured her with a mixture of Lyra pencils and copics and have done alot of paper piecing on her- check out her crafting tote! I added a bit of sparkle to her as I think you should always look your best when crafting! lol. The papers are all Dream Street. The sentiment is from the Hero Arts tags and tickets set but I just cut out the sentiment.

Here is a close up of her. I love that her dress matches her tote- imagine being that colour coordinated!!

I'd like to enter her for the following challenges:

Friday Sketchers- "Sketch"

One Stop- "Pink"

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Stamping Bella, Hero Arts); Lyra pencils; Copics; Paper (Dream Street); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Punch (MS); Stickles; Gems (free); Button (recycled); Thread (Arty Miss)

My second card is for a friend's little boy's birthday. I've used the cute little FF bear and coloured with watercolour pencils. Again, I've done some paper piecing and added the recipient's name on the tag and a bit of doodling round the edge. The papers are all by Making Memories. The sentiment is Elzybells.

Here is his little close-up. I like how the paper piecing turned out on the pressie.

I'd like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Our Creative Corner- "Sketch"

Saturday Spotlight- "Clean and simple"

Stamp Something-"Use paper, ribbon & a button"

Cute Card Thursday- "Use ribbon"

Crafty Catz- "Use a fancy edge & a ribbon"

Creative Card Crew- "Celebration"

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Forever Friends; Elzybells); Watercolour pencils; Papers (Making Memories); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Ribbon (Poppicrafts); Button (Poppicrafts); Fine black liner; Gems (Lakeland)

And finally my sis asked me to make her a card for my Mum for Mother's Day so here it is! The various flower stamps are from the Autumn Leaves Fine and Dandy set. I coloured with copics and added some glitter and hot fix crystals. I also sponged blue ink around the edges after I'd cut out with nesties. The papers are all from DCWV Fun in the Sun stack. Sorry, the photo is particularly bad on this one and doesn't do the card any favours, it looks much nicer in real life! lol. I put the image on foam pads to make it pop a bit and added this gorgeous spray that I won in some blog candy.

I'd like to enter this for:

Sketch n Stash- "Sketch"

Allsorts- "Mother's Day"

Paperplay- "Mother"

My Time to Craft- "Just for Mum"

Crafty Creations- "Pop it up"

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Autumn Leaves); Copics; Stickles; Papers (DCWV); Lace & spray (won in candy); Hot fix crystals; (London Bead Co); Ribbon (Joanna Sheen); Sentiment (free); Nesties; Punch (Woodware); Blue ink & sponge; Assorted cardstock

Hope you've enjoyed popping by today. Have a great week- hopefully this sunny weather will last!! x

What a star!

Hi everyone! Hope you're all OK. Just a quick post from me today and only one card as I've not been feeling too well this week and have had no energy. This card I made at the weekend but have only felt well enough to post today. Also, I just wanted to say how pleased I was that so many of you have entered my blog candy, I'm really pleased you like what I've put up for grabs. I will get round and visit all of you who have become followers as I'd love to see your blogs but it might not be til the end of the week when I'm feeling a bit better.

Anyway, enough rambling and onto my card. It's a birthday card for my friend's little boy. The image is of course Forever Friends and I cut off the sentiment from the main image and used separately. I coloured the image with watercolour pencils and paper pieced the cake. The papers are by Piggy Tales I think. I used the sketch by Unscripted Sketches which I thought was quite an unusual one so I had fun using it- thanks, girls! I was really pleased with the little star embellishment which I decorated to match the background papers. The top star was actually pink but I coloured it brown with my copics to match! Then I finished off with a little trail of gems to represent a shooting star.

Here is a little close up of my FF bear and the little bit of paper piecing around the cake. I hope to be back with a few more cards next week when I'm feeling a bit better and, if I'm feeling well enough to go, tales of a very exciting night out!!!!!

I'd like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Unscripted Sketches- sketch

Kaboodle- "Spots and stripes"

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Forever Friends); Papers (Piggy Tales); Assorted cardstock; Watercolour pencils; Copics; Star (The Works); Gems (Ebay)

Forever Friends, Penny Black, Elzybells and more.....

Hi everyone! Hope you're all OK. We've got snow at the moment here in Essex, I can't believe it! I am a very happy bunny today as my husband is home (now sleeping off his jetlag) after his week long trip to LA where he won a Best Studio Award at the Video Games Awards. It was a star-studded night and was on TV last night. I'm so proud of him as he's worked so hard in setting up his company and to get this award is amazing. They also won 3 other awards at the Inside Gaming Awards for his game Batman: Arkham Asylum- you may have seen it advertised. Anyway, enough rambling. I made this card for my hubbie to say congratulations. I'm so glad he's home, I hate it when he's away!

It's for the Forever Friends Challenge and Creative Card Crew who've both got the challenge "Anything Goes". The papers are all by Basic Grey. I love this set as the colours are so vibrant. The image was coloured in with watercolour pencils and the champagne has gold Stickles added to it. If you click on the picture you can get a better view of the shading in more detail. I then cut out with nesties and mounted on card. The sentiment was a free rub-on from a magazine. I then used a zig zag punch to create the edge and added some of my new faux pearls which I'm liking alot!

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Forever Friends); Papers (Basic Grey); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Rub-on (free); Pearls (Ebay); Punch (Martha Stewart); Gold Stickles

My second challenge is for Penny Black Friends and is my Christmas card for my hubbie. The theme is "Red and Gold". I won this cute image in the Penny Black Christmas blog hop the other week. I won an amazing set of images, ribbons and embellies from the lovely Tracie so I thought I'd celebrate by using them straight away. I coloured this cutie image with copics and cut out with nesties. The paper is I think by DCWV. I gold embossed these Hero Art's hearts and finished off with a gold ribbon and rub on.

Crafty stash used: Image (Penny Black); Stamp (Hero Arts); Copics; Paper (DCWV); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Ribbon (Recycled); Gold embossing powder; Rub on (K&Co)

Here's a little close up of their cutie mousie faces!

Finally here is an Elzybells card I've made for the Secret Crafter Challenge who's theme is "Snow" . It's for my sis for Christmas. I love this image so much! I coloured her in with copics and have paper pieced her woolly jumper and the presents under the tree. The papers are by DCWV Christmas stack. I added Opal Liquid Pearls to the snowflakes and to create snow in the window frame. I cut out some Christmas trees which were on a matching piece of paper and added a punched snowflake. The sentiment is a Lili of the Valley one.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Elzybells); Copics; Papers (DCWV); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Punches (Woodware); Opal Liquid Pearls; Sentiment (LOTV); Ribbon (recycled)

And finally another little close up so you can see the snow and paper piecing a little better. I think she looks very thoughtful, I wonder if she's waiting for Santa to come!

Thanks for dropping by! x

A spoon full of sugar, Forever Friends & Sketch and Stash Challenges

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well. I've made a couple of cards today to fit 3 challenges. This first card is for the Sketch and Stash Challenge and A spoon full of Sugar Challenge. The Sketch and Stash sketch for the week is posted below. I really enjoyed this sketch so much so that I used it for my other card! The challenge over at Spoon Full of Sugar is to make a celebration card so this fits the bill on both counts.

The stamp I've used is by Paperbag Studio and I really love it as it's funky and quite graphic design-ish. The papers are all from my new stash by Basic Grey and I got them from Do Crafts last week as they've got a sale on. I really love the acidy colours. The jute is from Arty Miss (new) and I've played with my other new Martha Stewart punch from the Hobby House.

Here is a little close up!

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Paperbag Studio); Papers (Basic Grey); Punch (Martha Stewart); Sentiment (Elusive Design); Flowers (Poppicrafts and recycled); Jute (Artymiss)

Here is the sketch both my cards were based on- a great one from the Sketch and Stash team.

And here is my second card of the day and it fits all 3 challenges. This fits the Forever Friends Challenge which is to make a card for a "birthday boy", the Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge (celebration) and the Sketch and Stash Challenge cos I've used the sketch again!

The image, of course, is by Forever Friends and coloured in with watercolour pencils. I have paper pieced his crown. All the papers are from the Max set by Making Memories. Again I have played with my Martha Stewart punch and added a sentiment by Lili of the Valley.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Forever Friends); Watercolour pencils; Papers (Making Memories); Sentiment (Lili of the Valley); Punch (Martha Stewart)

Here is a wee close up!

Have a great day! I'm off to do my bookkeeping homework!!