Black & White Christmas

Good morning crafters!

Can you believe it's October already? And with weather hotter than it's been this summer, you could easily forget that we're only 82 days away from Christmas, YIKES! I'd better get a move on with my card making!!!

Good job our challenge at Cupcake this week is 'Black & White Christmas'... a fab theme from Sandra who won our Choose The Challenge Competition recently! I have to admit though, I did struggle a bit, I just couldn't get my mind into thinking of Christmas with all the lovely, hot weather we've been having!!!

I dug out one of my older stamps, which I love, but forgot about. It's from a Canadian stamp company called Magenta, I stamped it with Memento and then used Distress Ink (Black Soot) to do the shading. The background paper was handdrawn with a white gel pen on black paper. I added a few bits & bobs and some sparkle and finally the sentiment tickets, which are freebies I found on the internet (sorry can't remember where from, I printed them last year).

We have some fab sponsors for you at Cupcake, our weekly sponsor is Simon Says Stamp who are giving away a $20 Gift Certificate. We also have TWO new monthly sponsors, Polka Doodles who are giving away A fab Pretty Sweet mini CD Collection, and our second monthly sponsor is my lovely friend Nadia from A Scrap Affair, who is giving away a set of 5 Promarkers! Pop over to Cupcake to check out all the details, and to see the fabulous DT cards! Now what are you waiting for... a Black & White Christmas?!

October Challenge at A Scrap Affair

Good afternoon peeps! I'm a day late in posting this (oops, sorry) but here is my DT card for the October Challenge over at A Scrap Affair. This month we have a photo inspiration for you... I love these photos...

For a change I've used some yummy Distress Inks to colour my image, you can buy these over at A Scrap Affair Online Store. The sentiment is Penny Black called 'You are kind'. So, there's your inspiration... and the prize... Mmmm... a pack of Promarkers and some Kaisercraft Flourishes!!! Pop by our blog to see all the DT projects and of course to join in with our challenge!

A Scrap Affair Blog Challenge - Polka Dots

Hello... just to say there's a fab new challenge over at A Scrap Affair blog... POLKA DOTS! Now there's an easy one for you all! The lovely Dianascarlett at A Scrap Affair has a fantastic prize up for grabs for the lucky random winner... TWO rolls of Baker's Twine and lots of tickets!!! You have one whole month to enter this challenge!

For my card I used lovely papers by Melissa Frances from A Scrap Affair online store, the flowers on the top left are stamped using an Anna Griffin clear stamp, also from A Scrap Affair online store! The sentiment is from The Creative Cottage, sadly no longer trading, and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The lovely image was kindly sent to me from Dianascarlett!

Hope you can join us, all you need is a few Polka Dots! pop over to the blog to check out all the fab DT cards, and the super prize on offer!

Shabby Sparkle at Cupcake

Hi! We have a super challenge for you over at Cupcake Craft Challenges this week, Shabby Sparkle, set by our lovely Sari! So go crazy with your sparkle but remember to shabby it all up a bit! We are sponsored by Sassy Design Studios this week, and this week is also your last chance to be eligible for our monthly prize, sponsored by Polka Doodles!

For my card I've used a pretty Anna Griffin stamp and papers, supplied by the lovely Nadia from A Scrap Affair, with an ornate corner stamp and a lovely Prima flower. The shabbiness comes in the form of tearing and distressing using Distress Inks. The sparkle is of course the gems and pearls.

Pop over to the Cupcake blog and check out all the other lovely DT creations! Thanks for popping by, back with you all very soon!

A Scrap Affair Challenge - Design Your Own Paper

Hiya! Just wanted to let you know that there's a new challenge over at A Scrap Affair, and it was my turn to choose the theme so I've chosen 'Design Your Own Paper'!

For my card I've used an Anna Griffin clear stamp for the background paper, stamped 4 times (this can be used to stamp as big an area as you want, you just have to line it up) then coloured with Distress Inks. I've chosen a sweet Sarah Kay stamp from Stampavie as the main image. I do love this little image, so cute with the kitten! The sentiment is a stamp from Paper Make Up Stamps. I've also used distress inks to colour the little girl and kitten image (these inks and the Anna Griffin Stamp I used for the background paper are available to buy in the Scrap Affair Online Store). The little flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, and the lace detail is old, french lace I had in my stash. I'm entering my card into the challenge at:

Cute Card Thursday - Lets Get Krafty

By the Cute & Girly - Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin Challenge - In the Garden

Pop over to the blog at A Scrap Affair to see the lovely prize and the other fabulous DT cards!

Cupcake Craft Challenge - In The Garden

Hello and good morning! Spring is well and truly here, and although everything looks so green at the moment, I fear that it won't stay that way as we are DESPERATE for rain! I do love my garden, but it's impossible to water everything (the cost for one thing) and I'm sure we'll not be allowed to soon due to the drought! I'll just have to make the most of my garden now!

Ok, this week at Cupcake Craft Challenge our theme is just that... IN THE GARDEN... need I say more?! Well, the lovely Faye (she's the boss at Cupcake) has chosen the challenge and she would like to see things you find in the garden on your cards/projects! I've gone for a fairly simple card, using lots of green and this cute stamp from Penny Black. I've used Distress Inks to colour the image, not a medium I use often now but I do love the effect, and have kept my embellishments to a minimum. I wanted the attention to be on the sweet snail and hedgehog image! I'm entering this card into the challenge at:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Clean & Simple

We are sponsored this week by Sassy Studio Designs and our monthly Icing on the Cupcake Sponsor is Crafts U Love... also to celebrate Jane's arrival, The Ribbon Girl are kindly giving us this lovely stash of Baker's Twine to give away...

Now why not pop over to the Cupcake blog to check out all the prizes on offer and also the other DT cards, you'll be green with envy lol! Thanks for your visit today, hope you have fun with your gardening project!

Calming Green & Blue

Hello peeps! Well, it's cold here... perfect for crafting & blogging! I will definately be getting cosy in my craft room later! It's too cold for anything else!

I just wanted to share this little card which I made... I've used my fave colours, so calming... that's maybe why my last three cards are green!? The little fisherman is a clear stamp from Prima... I was kindly sent it by my friend Dianascarlett... thank you so much! I've coloured him with Distress Inks... it's been ages since I used these! I love the wash effect we can achieve with these! The papers are old ones from Papermania. You can buy the stamp and Distress Inks in 'A Scrap Affair' Online Store as well as lots of other lovely crafty goodies!

I'm entering this card for the challenge at:

Simon Says Stamp - Happy Birthday

Colour Create - Greens/Olive Green, Brown, Cream, Black

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Slugs, Snails & Puppy Dogs Tails

Well, hope you have a lovely weekend... especially those visiting the craft event in Harrogate this weekend (I am so jealous)!

Autumn Is Here

Autumn has finally arrived... and not in half doses... it's windy and raining! Brrrrrr! So to fit in with today's weather I've done a little card using one of my favourite Stampavie stamps, Lucy with kitten! I've done this card for my mam, hope she likes it. The image is coloured with Distress Inks, I've also used these to distress around the edge. The little sentiment stamp is from Paper Make Up stamps. I've followed Dawny P's sketch over at Papertake Weekly Challenge, and have added some pearls etc for good measure. The lace detail has been recycled from some trim.

There's a few autumn challenges this week, so I'm entering my card into the following ones:

Stampavie 'Fall'

Simon Says Stamp 'It's Autumn'

Thanks so much for all your lovely comments, hope you have a nice weekend!

Distressed Kitty

Evening Peeps! Oh, don't worry about the distressed kitty, it's not a real one! The nearest my cat is to being distressed is from the noise of the heatgun... he's flaked out in my craftroom on HIS sofa! Talk about easy life!

Just wanted to share this little card with you... and nope it's not done with Promarkers! Yup, I've resisted THE pens and have tried my hand with Distress Inks (seeing as I had some new colours I'd never used)... it's been ages since I've used inks to colour! The stamp is a Sarah Kay from Stampavie, just so so cute! I've used Bev's lovely sketch from the Stampavie challenge. The little kitty is a hommage to my cat Réglisse... not easy to colour a black cat! I've used paper from my Basic Grey 'Sugared' pack, it fits with the distressed feel. The challenge over at Basic Grey Challenges is to use pearls on your card, so I'm entering mine.

Have a lovely evening, thanks for popping by!

In Distress...Sarah Kay that is!

Ok, hands up all of you who watched even the tiniest bit of Craft Day on QVC this week (I'm sticking my hand up)... to be honest I rarely watch craft on TV as I find some of the demos rushed (especially on QVC)... they're more interested in selling their product than showing people how to use it. But hey, didn't stop me tuning in a bit to watch Tim Holtz. I only have one of his products... Distress Inks... but I haven't used them for AGES! So you could say he's inspired me to get them out for a little play, hence my card...

I followed the sketch from Sketch Saturday, and have gone with the theme from Simon Says Stamp "Vintage with Flowers". I'm also just in time to enter the February challenge at By the Cute & Girly which is "Love". I'm not sure if there's a bit too much distressing going on, but I kinda like it! The little Sarah Kay stamp is one I won from Stampavie recently, isn't she pretty? I think this has to be one of my fave SK stamps (well I only have two lol)!!!

• Stamp "Lucy with Kitten" Sarah Kay for Stampavie
• Colouring Promarkers/Distress Inks (Old Paper & Frayed Burlap)
• Papers 6x6 Isabella Pad, K & Co
• Sentiment Stamp, Woodware Tiny Phrases
• Flowers Prima
• Charm, Bunny Zoe's Crafts
• Brads, lace from stash

So it's almost the weekend again, don't the weeks just seem to fly by! Thanks so much for popping by today, I appreciate all the lovely comments I receive from you!

Sundays are for crafting!

Hi, hope you're all having a lovely weekend! Well despite it being a lovely sunny day in France today, I still managed to make two cards! The first one is for A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge, where you have to add lace to your card...


The image is an Elisabeth Bell design from Sugar Nellie. I also used DP from Stampin' Up (Summer Picnic), Bazill red card, sentiment from Cuddly Buddly and rest is from stash. The image has been coloured with Distress Inks...


The second card is for the new Passion for Promarkers challenge blog...


It's my second Promarker card, I'm still getting used to my new pens. I'm finding that they bleed a little depending on what type of card the image is stamped onto, I suppose it'll be a case of trial and error with this. Anyway, the image was a RAK, I think it's from The Greetings Farm, all the papers are from a pack I got in Aldi (France) a while back, the charm is from the Hobby House and sentiment done on Cuttlebug. The Promarkers I have used are: Pastel Pink, Magenta, Blossom, Cool Grey 1 & 2, Gold and Yellow.

Off for a relaxing Sunday evening, hope you enjoy it too!

Football (don't groan please) and Clean and Simple!

Newcastle 0 - 1 Fulham!!! OH NO! I won't bore you with all the details but basically Newcastle haven't done themselves any favours at all! I can feel the breath of relegation on the back of our necks, it's not good! I'm glad I've distanced myself from all this living in France now, but I still like to see my team win, or at least not get relegated! Oh yeah, congrats to Man U AGAIN, it's getting boring...

So onto cards, obviously more interesting, I've made a couple of "Clean and Simple" cards as this week over at Stamp Something the theme is just that with a Thank You twist...



I've used my new Stampin' Up papers "Tea Party" that I got yesterday (my first SU paper!!!) and my SU scalloped edge punch. The sentiments on both cards are also SU, kindly loaned to me by my SU demonstrator Sylvie (thanks Sylvie). The cards aren't my usual style but I like them all the same. Not too much detail means they were pretty quick to make, unlike my usual cards!

I also made a card for A Spoonfull of Sugar challenge which is "Buttons Galore"...


Peter Rabbit stamp is coloured using Distress Inks, papers are Basic Grey and buttons etc are from my stash.

Well I shall go and have myself an "apero" (they love this in France...basically a drink...usually alcoholic...before having a meal) to help erase Newcastle's dissmal performance today.

Just Magnolia & Penny Black Challenges

Hi everyone! Just a quick post tonight as off to bed, promise I won't go on! Just thought I'd better post my card for the Just Magnolia Challenge, a fab sketch from Bev this week! As usual at the moment, it's last minute for me yet again...


I must apologise for the awful photo, but I have to blame the camera and rubbish lighting...nothing to do with me of course! Tilda is coloured with Distress Inks, papers are Papermania Creative Tones Venetian Skies, buttons are from my hubby's shirt (well it was getting thrown out so I couldn't waste the buttons), wool from stash. I shall put a sentiment on it at a later date.

The second card is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, where you have to use 3 shapes on your card. Well I think I have safely covered that what with the Nesties, die-cuts, buttons etc...


Image is of course Penny Black, paper is DCWV, die-cuts are Sissix, sentiment Cuddly Buddly, rest is from stash.

Hope to get time to do a bit of blog hopping soon! Almost the weekend, hope you have a great one.

Little Piggy Kisses

Hurray! It's the weekend at last! I couldn't wait to get in from work tonight so I could put my feet up, they're killing me! And it's supposed to be a lovely sunny weekend here so tomorrow I shall try to do a bit of gardening. Isn't it lovely when all the spring flowers come out, I have some gorgeous hyacinths along the side of the house which give off a wonderful scent when you walk past them. And my little pansies are blooming like troopers in their window boxes!

Anyway, back to the crafting. I've just realised that tomorrow is Saturday and I haven't yet posted my card for Sketch Saturday (last weekend), which of course is a sketch, so here it is...


And a close up on the layers...


I used:

- Piggy stamp from Penny Black
- Sentiment stamp from Stampin'Up
- Papers are Basic Grey "Sugared"
- Distress Inks to colour
- Flower punch from Woodware
- Rest from stash

Well I kinda surprised myself, I don't usually do much decoupage (not the biggest fan of cutting out) but I actually enjoyed doing this little piggy. I'm not sure yet what to write on his little scroll, depends who I'm gonna send the card to really.

There's a Craft Fair in Paris this weekend (a VERY rare occassion here in France) and I'm debating whether or not to go. I fancy it but don't want to be disappointed as a friend went to a similar type of thing last year and said it wasn't much good. It's called "Version Scrap" and is supposed to be about Scrapbooking and scrap type papercrafts etc. Does anyone have any experience of this show (maybe there are some french bloggers who can help me out on this)?

Finally, have you seen the blog candy up for grabs with Charmed Cards & Crafts? They have an amazing 72 pack of Copics markers to give away, but don't dilly dally, you only have until the 10th of April!

Well, that's it for tonight, off to lie on the sofa and watch a bit of TV. Hope you have a lovely weekend and the sunshines wherever you are!

Thank You Very Much!

Firstly I'd like to thank everyone who has left such lovely comments on my blog regarding my recent loss. It's heart warming to know I have some lovely blogging friends out there in cyber space! I've decided to make a memory book (idea from my friend Shannon, thanks hun) with all the beautiful photos I have of Pepsi. It's a bit too soon just yet, I'll wait a few weeks before I start collecting my photos together.

Secondly, I have just made the worst chocolate cake ever! I'm usually ok with baking, I don't do much but when I do things tend to turn out ok. But for some reason unknown to man (or woman) my choccy cake looks like a frisbee! I wanted to surprise my hubby when he came in tonight, shock will be more his reaction when he sees the "cake"! Never mind, it's the thought that counts. And yes, I did use self raising flour!

Thirdly, I promise I'm nearly at the end now lol! I've made a card for my MIL whose "Fête" it is tomorrow (Saint Huguette). I've combined two challenges, this week's Cute Card Thursday Challenge which is to make a card for someone in your family, and I've used the fab sketch from Friday Sketchers...


I used:

-Tilda in Cherry Dress image coloured with Distress Inks
-Sentiment stamp by Artemio
-Papers are Papermania Creative Tones
-Bazzil card run through Nesties Circles & Swiss Dots folder on Cuttlebug
-Flower is Papermania
-Ribbon etc from stash

The photo isn't great as my camera is on the blink so have used a different one, also the sun was shining through the window (it's lovely to see the sun). I think my MIL will appreciate it though.


Lastly I'd like to thank Tracy for passing on this fab award to me, thanks so much for thinking of me hun! If you don't know Tracy's blog (where have you been hiding), pop over and say hi to her, she will be so pleased you popped by! Plus congratulations Tracy on your blog's first birthday! Now I have to pass this on so I'd like to pass it onto all the lovely blogging friends who've left kind comments recently, I really do appreciate your support! Thank you all so very much!

Well, better go and see if I can rescue something out of my flying saucer... ooops... I mean cake lol!!!

Cute little kitty!

Hi everyone! Hope you're all enjoying the weekend! Weather here is miserable so I'm gonna stay in and do a bit of crafting (if I ever get off this computer lol). I've made a little card for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge, # 50 which is "Wine & Dine". You have to include food or drink on your card, mine's not exactly Cabernet Sauvignon but it fits, I think...


The image is a Sugar Nellie by Elizabeth Bell, coloured with Distress Inks and framed using my Nestabilities. Papers are Dovercraft "Pets". Sentiment is Cuddly Buddly (I think), sent to me from Tracy, thanks hun! I've used my Fiskars lace border punch and added ribbon and charm for detail.

Well, I've got a footie card to do now (YIKES) for an 18th birthday! I'm a bit stuck with it but have got an image to start with, it's gotta be in the colours of Paris Saint Germain. HELP!!!

Scooting off to put the tea on!

Just finished my card for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge and thought I'd better be quick and post it seeing as the challenge changes tomorrow! The theme is "Animal Magic", you have to have an animal on your card. I've used a Penny Black image sent to me by Louby, thanks hun! He's coloured with Distress Inks, paper is from Dovecraft "Pets", used crop-a-dile to set eyelets, sentiment is one of Lyndsey's designs (thanks) and buttons from stash. The card also fits in with this week's Colour Create Challenge which is blue and brown (ok there's a bit of green in there too - hope that's ok), it's the first time I've entered this challenge...



Better scoot off and get the tea on now...tatty byeeeee!

Love and Romance in Lilac

Just wanted to upload this card I did earlier tonight, it's for the third Sugarbowl challenge which ends at midnight (GMT) tonight! I've just got it done in the nick of time, kinda didn't know what to do really. The theme is Love and Romance but my creative side just wasn't having it tonight. I went with this little Nellie holding a heart, first time I've stamped her (she looks much nicer coloured). I've stamped a "Just for you" sentiment (Penny Black) as I want to send this to a friend, so a romantic sentiment wouldn't have been appropriate. I've used Distress Inks to colour, Cuttlebug Hearts embossing folder and papers from Papermania Creative Tones. All the other little things are from my stash.

Thanks for taking a peek, nighty night xx

Special Treasures!

Everything in my craftroom is a special treasure to me, but my favs are my stamps (of course), ribbons, buttons and flowers (I love it all really). So I used all four on this card which is for the Magnolia vs Stampavie Challenge this week. You have to use the following colours...








I used my "Tilda with heart cookies" stamp from Magnolia, coloured again with Distress Inks. The sentiment is a stamp called "...special treasures" from Penny Black. The papers are from the Nostalgia Collection from Papermania, and I used blue Bazzil card. The swirls are stamped using Inkadinkadoo clear stamps, and the rest of the "treasures" are from my stash! Inside the card I stamped a little verse, one which I bought from Elzybells, and added a little flower and button to finish it off.

Well, off to make me something yummy to eat, just got back from work so I'm starving! Hope you all have a great Friday night (in or out)!