James Butterflies

Today's card features an old Lili of the Valley bear image called 'James - Butterflies'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, then coloured him using watercolour pencils. I layered up some papers from the 'Spring Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations to make the background...distressing the edges a little, then adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I added a couple of paper flowers (from Poppicrafts many, many years ago!), layered up and held in place using a BasicGrey brad, and a die cut fence, cut using my Die-namics 'Picket Fence' die.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Summer Colours
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Tree Mobile

Yet more new goodies used on today's card...and another Christmas creation...sorry! I've used another of the cute stamps from the new 'Joy to the World' set by Penny Black...love this hedgie speeding along with his tree & presents! The papers are from the 'Wonderful Winter' and 'I Believe' pads by My Mind's Eye, and the little brads are BasicGrey.

Challenges for this card:

• Celebrate the Occasion - Christmas in August
• Cutie Pie - Spots & Stripes
• Just Some Lines - Lots of Layers
• Love to Create - Sparkle
• Papertake Weekly - Spots & Stripes
• Seems a Little Sketchy - Sketch 
• Simon Says Stamp - Animal Antics
• The Stamping Boutique - Show Me the Presents

Birthday Monkeys

This is another of the cards I made on last weekend's retreat. I followed the sketch from A Spoon Full of Sugar...rotating it to fit my 'Birthday Monkeys' image (by Rachelle Anne Miller for Stampavie). I usually colour this image in using masculine colours...but I thought I'd make them girls for a change. The papers are from the 'Bittersweet' pad (by BasicGrey)...the brown one has been embossed using the 'Spots & Dots' Cuttlebug folder.

Lavender Dreams

This is one of the cards I made on the craft retreat...used some of my birthday goodies too! ;0)
I followed the fab Papertake Weekly Challenge sketch, using a cute House Mouse image ('Lavender Dreams...sent to me by my lovely friend Kaz)...which I thought would go really well with some of my new 'Wisteria' papers by BasicGrey. I'm also going to enter this card for the Allsorts Challenge...where the theme this week is 'In an English country garden'. I embossed the central panel with the Cuttlebug 'Victoria' folder, used some grosgrain ribbon (from Poppicrafts) to add a bow, and finished off with a sentiment from the Clare Curd Signature Range (by Papermania).


I'm sending this card to my partner for this month's Friendship Card Swap on the Docrafts forum...where we've been challenged to make a card using some of our partner's favourite things...mine says her favourite things are 'Greens & browns...and natural outdoor things'! I know that there's more purple than brown...but I hope she thinks that this is ok! lol

Just for you

I really am having a crafty day...this is my third post...and I'm not done yet! This card combines a few challenges:the fab Mojo Monday contest sketch; A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge 'Hearts' theme; and the Papertake Weekly 'My Favourite Things' challenge. I used a Sugar Nellie Gorjuss Girl stamp ('Bear Hug'), watercoloured in one of my favourite colour combos, to match the gorgeous BasicGrey 'Bittersweet' and 'Blush' papers (another of my favourite things). The sentiment is a freebie stamp from a Docrafts Creativity mag, and I just had to add some of my favourite card candy (by Craftwork cards).

Sugar & Sparkle

There's another great sketch for this fortnight's Sugar Bowl Challenge...with the additional challenge to include some 'Sparkle'...how could I resist?! I used 'Snowflake'...so it's yet another Christmas card from me! I watercoloured her to match the yummy 'Figgy Pudding' papers by BasicGrey. The flowers are by Prima and the sentiment stamp is by Penny Black. The 'Sparkle' is is the form of adhesive gems...in the corners, and in the centres of the snowflakes on the stamped image.


I did flip the sketch, as I felt it suited my image better this way round...I hope that's ok!

I wish it could be Christmas everyday!

It's another Christmas card....this time using the fab Sketch Saturday sketch. I've used my Sugar Nellie snowman, and BasicGrey ('Figgy Pudding') papers...which I think have a 'vintage' feel...so I'm also entering this card for the Winter Wonderland Challenge where the theme this week is 'Christmas Past'. The sentiment stamp is by Penny Black, the snowflake brads are by Woodware, and the ribbon is by Anita's.

'Blue & Green...

...should not be seen without a colour in between'...what nonsense - I love blue and green together! There are plenty of gorgeous cards to prove the saying wrong over on the Daring Cardmakers blog too, which has this colour combo as their dare this week. I followed the sketch from this fortnight's Carol's Sketch Fun Challenge (this is my first time entering one of her challenges); and managed to use the Whiff of Joy Challenge recipe of '3 papers, 3 flowers & 1 ribbon' too.
I used 'Kneeling Willow', an image sent to me in a swap by my lovely ABC DT mate Vicky, colouring her to match these yummy BasicGrey papers (from the 'Two Scoops' pad). I embossed the 'plain' one using the Cuttlebug 'D'Vine Swirls' folder, and tied a piece of ribbon (from Poppicrafts) around it. The roses are from Hobbycraft, the sentiment is from the Clare Curd Signature Range set by Papermania, and I couldn't resist adding some card candy to fill the empty space in the top right-hand corner.

Whiff of Joy Blog Hop

To celebrate the first anniversary of Whiff of Joy stamps, Katharina is hosting a guest designer call for WoJ fans, to take part in a special blog hop. She's designed a fab sketch for us to use...and I will admit to being a bit scared of the shape at first, but really enjoyed it once I got going! lol
I chose to use 'Henry - Celebrating Mouse' as he's my favourite WoJ stamp...and he fits perfectly in the circle shape on the sketch. I coloured him with watercolour pencils, then added a touch of glitter to the frosting on his cake. The papers are all from the 'Bittersweet' pad by BasicGrey - I love the rich pinks and browns. The flowers and ribbon are all from Poppicrafts, and the sentiment is from the Hero Arts 'Cupcakes' set - I had to place it slightly lower than in the sketch to cover a mishap while I was inking all of the edges! lol


As I only shaped the front flap of my card, the inside is partly visible, so I've decorated that too, using more BG paper, and Hero Arts stamps:


Here's a view of the card laying flat, so that you can see how the inside is showing around the curve:

If you fancy your chance to join in with the blog hop fun...and get your hands on one of the new release of stamps!...you'll need to be quick, as the DT call ends on Wednesday 8th July.

The Sugar Bowl Challenge #13

There's a fab sketch for this fortnight's Sugar Bowl Challenge, with the additional challenge to use 'kraft coloured card' on our cards. I don't have any 'kraft' card, but found a sheet of a similar colour in my BasicGrey 'Granola' pad, which I embossed with the Cuttlebug 'Birds & Swirls' folder. I used another sheet from the same BG pad for the background, and coloured 'MacBeth' to match. The two larger flowers are from Poppicrafts, and the rose in the centre is from Hobbycraft. The bow is tied using a piece of tape that I've recycled from the label on a skirt I bought last week! lol
I couldn't resist adding a few pieces of card candy to the bottom right corner, as it looked a bit bare.

Distressed Melinda...

...well actually it's 'Confirmand Melinda'...but she is quite distressed too! lol
I used the fab Friday Sketcher's Sketch...but I was a little naughty and left off the sentiment...I just couldn't decide what to use...but I may add one when I come to use the card. I paper pieced her dress and hairband with some gorgeous K&Co paper ('Blue Awning - Polka Dots'), so I'm also entering this card for the Whiff of Joy and Creative Inspirations Challenges, which both have the theme of 'Paper Piecing' this week.


I used the same K&Co paper for the background of the card, with a strip of paper from the 'Boxer' pad by BasicGrey, and a piece of Core'dinations card embossed with the Cuttlebug 'Textile' folder underneath the image. As I'd used a deckled edge Nestie to cut out Melinda, I decided to have a go at distressing the edges of all of the papers with ink and sandpaper to stop them looking 'too neat'. The flowers are a mixture from Poppicrafts and Hobbycraft, and I also inked the edges of those to match the papers.

Happy Birthday PBSC!

My favourite challenge blog...Penny Black Saturday Challenge...is celebrating it's first birthday this week...Happy Birthday ladies! I love the PBSC...I've entered every challenge...and I hold it (and it's fantastic design team) wholly responsible for my addiction to blogging and blog challenges! ;0)

The theme of their challenge this week, is 'Celebrations'...so I inked up one of my favourite Penny Black stamps ('Birthday Dog') to make a birthday card. I've combined him with papers from the 'Cupcakes' pad by BasicGrey and 'Pocket Full of Posies' stack by DCWV. The sentiment stamps are by Hero Arts, the stars were all cut using Nesties, and I used the 'Swiss Dots' and 'Spots & Dots' embossing folders.


Congrats PBSC on a fantastic first year of challenges...and thank you for all of the inspiration from your wonderful design team cards...long may it continue! :0)

So Sweet...

There's another fab sketch over at the Sugar Bowl Challenge...a perfect excuse to use some of my new rubber...this Gorjuss Girl stamp - 'Bear Hug', and 'so sweet' sentiment stamp. The additional challenge is to use 'Blue & Green' on our cards...my favourite colours. All of the papers are by BasicGrey (from the 'Two Scoops' pad), and I embossed one using the 'Perfect Paisley' Cuttlebug folder. The ribbon and flower are from Poppicrafts, and the raffia lace is from Hobbycraft.

Yummy, yummy, yummy...

...it's Henry...and multiple challenges...again! This time I've combined the Whiff of Joy Challenge sketch, the colour combo of 'Pink, Brown & White' of the Pink Elephant Challenge, the One Stop Craft Challenge 'Sparkles' theme, and the 'Something Yummy' of the Charisma Cardz Challenge.
The papers are all from the 'Bittersweet' collection by BasicGrey, the cute little sentiment stamp is by Hero Arts (from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set), the ribbon and flowers are from Poppicrafts. It doesn't show up terribly well in the photo, but I added some Stickles to the frosting on the cake, and a touch of sparkle to the flowers and candle flame with a Sakura Stardust pen.

Sketch & Stash meets Allsorts

I've used a couple of new things on this card, made with the fab Sketch & Stash Challenge sketch...the rosebuds in the centre of the flowers (from Hobbycraft), and the image is a Penny Black stickeroo...I bought a sheet of these a while ago (to make an order go over the minimum order value), but this is the first time I've used one. I've used swirly paper (from the 'Two Scoops' pad by BasicGrey), and my Cuttlebug 'D'Vine Swirls' folder...so I'm also entering this card for this week's Allsorts Challenge where the theme is 'Curly Swirly'. The pink flowers and the ribbon are from Poppicrafts, the lace is from Hobbycraft, and yes...there's yet more Craftwork Cards card candy! lol

ETA - I'm getting lots of lovely compliments on my colouring on this image...if only I could watercolour that well...the stickeroos are already coloured...so I'm afraid I can't take the credit! lol

Mojo Monday meets the Secret Crafter

I've combined the fab Mojo Monday sketch with the colour scheme of 'Pink, Turquoise and a hint of Brown', of the Secret Crafter Challenge. I've used an image from the 'Critter Party' set by Penny Black, and carried the dotty theme of the hedgie's parcel through to the BasicGrey papers (from the 'Blush' range), some of which I've embossed with the 'Swiss Dots' and 'Spots & Dots' Cuttlebug folders. The sentiment stamp is by Hero Arts, the flowers and ribbon are from Poppicrafts...and I've used yet more Craftwork Cards card candy!

Happy Birthday Cathy!

My lovely friend Cathy is celebrating a milestone birthday today...but I'll be kind, and not reveal which one! lol She loves her Sugar Nellie stamps, so I decided to use the Sugar Bowl Challenge sketch to make her card. I've used 'Pen Pal' as the main image...in fact I think that Cathy may have sent it to me for my birthday last year...I hope she doesn't mind me sending it back! lol The papers are a mixture of K&Co and BasicGrey, and I embossed the plainest one using the Cuttlebug 'Textile' folder. The sentiment is from the 'Critter Party' set by Penny Black, the flowers are all from Poppicrafts, the raffia lace is from Hobbycraft, and I added pieces of Craftwork Cards card candy in each corner. I managed the additional challenge of 'Pearls', with a few adhesive pearls in the corner of the image in place of the photo corner in the sketch, and the Papermania pearl brads in the centres of the flowers.


Hope you're having a fabulous birthday Cathy...and enjoying your holiday too!