The Ribbon Reel Challenge

Hi all, just popping by to let you know about a new challenge blog, The Ribbon Reel, which starts on Monday. I am very excited as I was asked by The Ribbon Reel owner Keilly Mulvihill to join her design team. My very first one!! Well, I was delighted, and of course I said 'Yes!'

My fellow team-mates on the design team are:

Keilly Mulvihill (owner) - Keilly's Little Blog

Debbie Marcinkiewicz - Simple Treasures

Clare Buswell - Clare's Creations

Zuzana Obert - Jelly Welly

and Me!!!!!!!

The challenges will be fortnightly and will begin on Monday 2nd May, with entries to the challenge to be completed the Sunday before the end of the challenge 11.59pm GMT.

For more information please see the challenge rules HERE.

If you are a regular visitor here or just happened by my blog, I would just LOVE you to join in the fun with us!!

So, on another note entirely, I have watched the Royal Wedding today, enjoyed a street party, and am now looking forward to the repeats on telly tonight lol!

Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you on Monday!!

Pauline xx

Less is More

Hi all, today I have a card for the Less is More challenge. This was one of those inspired 'what can I do with this?' kind of cards, as most of the elements are left over from a card I made today which I will post at the weekend.

Less is More would like a CAS card with the theme being 'Off Centre'.

So here's my take:


The die cut circle is a Nelle Snellen die using paper from wild Rose Studio. I then stamped the butterfly using Wedding Butterfllies stamp set also from Wild Rose Studio in Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. I then dotted some White Opal Liquid Pearls on the wings of the butterfly.



Then mounted onto a kraft card base layered up with some pink satin and daisy lace ribbon.
Added some gems as the antenna and finally stamped the greeting from Waltzingmouse Stamps in Memento Rich cocoa.

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline xx

Music Saves my Soul - Easter Sunday Styleee!!!

Hi all, quick post from me for Music Saves My soul, at Marceas Crafting Corner. Love this tune, enjoy!




I'm on hols at the moment so computer access is limited, so will try to get round to everyone elses songs later this week.

Pauline xx

The Play Date Cafe, Sketch Saturday

Hi all, I have a card today for The Play Date Cafe and Sketch Saturday.

The colours this week are gorgeous, inspired by Cath Kidston, a retro feel in red, blue and pink.

Here are the inspiration pics:


And here's my take:



I have turned the sketch on it's side here.

I have used a new image called Tatty Buttons - Lets's Go Fly a Kite, from a company called Creative Expressions. I saw this range of stamps at Ally Pally the other week, and I bought four!! They are wonderful images, I just had to get some, and this is the first one I have inked. She really is a sweet image to stamp and colour, although here I have paper pieced her dress using some Melissa Frances paper.

I have coloured her hair, the kite ribbons and the little mouse on the end with Promarkers.


The lovely Polka Dot papers are from two different Wild Rose Studios paper packs, called Polka Dots and Girly Polka Dots! The heart paper is from one of their other ets, but can't remember which one!

I had coloured the kite in pink and blue, but it looked wrong when layered all together, so I stamped another one and layered this up and left it plain.


I added some red and blue gems and some wonderful Opal Dust to her dress and the flowers, I can't get enough of that stuff!

Finally added some pins and leaves cut from some leftover card from my last post, which has been stamped with a Waltzingmouse Text-it stamp. The little 'Thank you' in the corner is alsom WMS, from Teeny Trees.

I am entering this into :

The Play Date Cafe

Sketch Saturday

Happy Easter everyone!

Pauline xx

CR84FN 24, WMSC #43

Hi all, I have a card today for the CR84FN colour challenge, and have combined it with the Waltzingmouse sketch Challenge - my second entry for this week's challenge it's a great sketch this week so check it out - there's a prize up for grabs!

Before I get onto the nice stuff, I have to have a little scream - ARRRGGGHHH!!!! Phew, that's better! I have been trying to upload this card to blogger for about 6 hours - I have had no internet connection! Oh my goodness, how frustrating!! Grrrr!!! Now, all of a sudden I have, so I'm going to get this done quickly before it decides to bail out on me again!

Here's the inspiration:



And here's my take:




I have turned the sketch on it's side - it just looked better with the image and the flowers this way.

The stamped image is a new purchase I got yesterday whilst on holiday in the New Forest - every time I got down there, I try to get to Emerald Crafts in Lyndhurst, they always have something I need!

It's by Hero Arts, called Let's Garden Silhouette, stamped in Distress Ink Tumbled Glass onto cream card, and cut with a square nestability. I then cut a larger square and edged the inner embossed edge with Versamagic Turquoise Gem. Then layered the stamped image on a slant onto the edged square.




The embossed floral background is again a new purchase from said shop, by a company called Creative Expressions - it makes a lovely, crisp, embossed effect, and here I have used it on some pale blue Core'dinations card stock, and some cream card, from which I cut some flowers for the corners.

The cream flowers were edged with Versamagic Sea Breeze, and layered onto some leaves stamped using the leaf/heart images from Say it With Style from WMS, and also a stamped text image from Text-it also from WMS, using Turquoise Gem and Memento London Fog.

The centre of both flowers has some turquoise micro beads added, using Glossy Accents.




The lovely sentiment is from WMS Earthangel set, stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black onto cream card.


Before assembling all together, I added some cream chiffon and some daisy lace, then. layered up using foam dots. Finally added some gems and a little cream flower to the corner of the sentiment.


I love this card! I love my new stamp! I love my new embossing folder! I love these colours! I think I may go and make another one! Let's hope the internet doesn't go all interNOT on me again lol!

Just one more thing - the bottom picture is taken using my light tent in the garden in the wonderful sunny weather we are having right now - and the first picture is taken in the light tent but in the full glare of the sun - I don't know which I prefer, but I thought I would use both for a comparison.

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline xx

PDCC 77, WMSC #43

Hi all, happy weekend woo-hoo! I have a card today for the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge, and for the Play Date Cafe.

Boy, this card took me 3 hours!! Why, I don't know, but a lot of faffing went into this one, and I'm still not over happy with it! I was going to use a few of the cup images, then the little teapot images, then I settled on the flourishes! As Precious Little would say 'We got no cups!' Love that programme hope they make another series, but I digress!!

However, I have to get this posted as we are going away this afternoon to the New Forest, to stay with my in-laws and won't be back til Tuesday which probably means I won't get time to craft til the end of the week! Ho Hum.

Well, here are the inspiration pics:



And here's my take:



I have used Waltzingmouse Stamps Afternoon Tea, I had them out for my card yesterday, and realised I hadn't used them for a while.

The background is stamped in Distress ink Peeled Paint using two of the little label stamps from Afternoon Tea, onto some patterned paper from Trimcraft called Love letters - this paper stack is the business, I just love them!

I then stamped the main label in Versamagic Sahara Sand onto white cardstock, and layered it up onto a frame stamped with Waltzingmouse Stamps Very Vintage Labels 4. stamped in Peeled Paint.


The flourishes are from Very Vintage Labels 2 stamped in Peeled Paint and hand cut.


Finally added some gems, and distressed around all the edges with Antique Linen and Walnut Stain and mounted onto kraft card. I now have very inky fingers lol!

I've only just noticed the frame shape matches the shape of the bookcase frame in the PDCC pic, I love it when that happens lol!

Have a great Weekend and thanks for stopping by,

Pauline xx

Less is More 10

Hi all, I have a little card today for the Less is More challenge, which this week is a one layer card, making the sentiment the focus. I haven't had time for this challenge the last few weeks, and I've almost run out of time again, but when I saw the challenge this week I knew immediately which sentiment I wanted to use.

This is actually my second attempt at this card, as the one I made last night looked wrong, so i slept on it and changed it about a bit.

The sentiment and images are all from Waltzingmouse Stamps Afternoon Tea, and Afternoon Tea Sentiments. I love these sets, and don't use them nearly enough, and this sentiment is one of my favourites, and so true!


The cup and sentiment are stamped in Tuxedo black, and the cup is coloured in with Promarkers Lilac, Orchid and Plum.



The little flourishes are stamped in Versamagic Purple Hydrangea, and I topped it all off with some stickles and lilac gems.


Now below is the card I made last night - looking at it here on the screen, I can see the proportions are wrong, and the tablecloth effect I was trying to achieve along the bottom is just too much. I also smudged the top left hand flourish, so that really decided it for me!



However, I am not going to bin it, I'm going to recycle some elements (watch this space!)

As I am very late in posting this week, I am going to apologise in advance of the fact I will stuggle to get round to all your blogs to leave a comment - it's the Easter Holidays here in the UK, and I have 3 children running amok lol, so I will try to get round to some of you later this evening once they're all pooped and in bed!

Thanks for stopping by and I do appreciate the time you take to leave me a little comment,

Pauline xx

WMSC, PDCC

Hi all, a quick post this evening, I'm running out of time for a few things, so very briefly, I'm entering this card into The Play Date Cafe and Waltzingmouse Stamps sketch challenge.


The doily stamp is by October Afternoon, stamped in Memento Pear Tart, Danube blue, then Versamagic Brilliance Sky Blue, cut and layered together.




The sentiment is by Waltzingmouse Stamps.



The metal floral motif is by Mic.


Added some opal dust for some greeny blue lustre - this stuff is heavenly when dry!



Layered up onto some green and blue cardstock, onto a white card base.

Thanks for looking

Pauline xx

A card for a Few Challenges

Hi all, hope you're enjoying the weekend - we have glorious weather here again today, we've got the pool out in the garden, it's like summer!

This morning I checked the colour inspiration from this weeks CR84FN and they are just dreamy!



As I bought some new stamps yesterday, I really wanted to use them, so I set to, and made this:




The card base is pearlescent cream card, layered up with pearlescent pale pink card.

Then using a text stamp from Waltzingmouse Stamps, I stamped a panel in Tuxedo Black, and efged it with a fancy edge punch by Tonic.




The beautiful rose stamp is a purchase I made yesterday, it was in a bargain bin would you believ, so I snapped it up quick - it's absolutely gorgeous, and stamps like a dream.

I stamped it in Versamark onto some pale pink pearlescent card, then black embossed.


I used my nestabilities lacy squares to cut it out, and layered it onto some black and pink panels.


Added some black and some ribbon, a bow, pink pearly heart and some black gems, and finished off with a sentiment from WMS.

The pictures look a bit washed out today, as the pink card itself is a deeper colour IRL, but I'm not complainig about the light, not today!

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

CR84FN

Crafty Catz

The Stamp Man

One Stop Craft Challenge

Creative Inspirations

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline xx

New Stash!!!

Hi all, guess where I've been today? Ally Pally for the Craft show! Who - Hoo!! However, it did take me 3 hours to get there, and I felt a bit unwell on the train - I think I must get travel sick if I'm travelling for a long time.

Anyhow, like Bilbo Baggins, I made it there and back again, absolutely exhausted, and I got some new things!


I got some new stamps by a company called Tatty Buttons, which I had never heard of; two wood mounted stamps as they are gorgeous - one is a houndstooth pattern which I have wanted for a while, and the other is a garden rose image with sentiment; a set of clear stamps by October Afternoon, just for the wonderful doily stamp in the set; two Cosmo Cricket paper pads, as they were reduced I just had to have them!; and my very first Lili of the Vally stamp - the show offer today was 4 stamps for £15, so I duly chose 4 and produced my credit card only to be told they didn't take payment by card for less than £30!! So my choice was to buy another 4 stamps to make the 30, or just pick one as I only had £5 in my purse (they were £4 each) grrrr! I chose to stick with the one stamp, as I felt it wasn't worth spending £30 just to save £2!

See, I restrained myself lol! And there were so many other things I could have purchased - isn't there always? But sadly, money doesn't grow on trees!

Well, I am off for a shower, it was terribly hot on the train and the Underground, and hubby is prepping the barbie as it's a gorgeous day today.

Hope you are enjoying the weekend wherever you are!

Pauline xx

Mojo Monday, CR84FN

Hi all, I have a card today for two challenges: Mojo Monday and CR84FN.

I am giving this to a special friend who has just been told she has a new job, I'm just hoping she doesn't log in here this weekend and see's this before I have a chance to give it to her!

Here are the inspiration pics:



And here's my take:



I have used a kraft card base, and used papers by Trimcraft Love letters paper stack, and Papermania Chatsworth Vintage Collection.




I have cut the flower using papers from the Trimcraft pad, and V&A Linen paper Quilts stack using my Nestabilities Blossoms set.

I scrumpled the different sized blossoms up, then stuck together with glue dots, and added some Opal Dust for some glimmer and glitz.



The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Stamps Fancy Phrases, as it the dotted frame around it, stamped in Distress inks Walnut Stain and Crushed olive.



The frilled bottom is a Waltzingmouse border stamp from the Victorian Frippery set, stamped in Versamagic Sage, and hand trimmed.

I finished off the card with some green twill, rescued from my Mother's Day bouquet from Waitrose (the underside of the ribbon has 'Blossom and Bloom' printed on it!) and a copious amount of gems.

I love this card, and I can't wait to give it to my very special friend, for whom I'm so happy for :-))

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline xx

3,2,1.. and She's back in the Room!

Hello, I am here, I'm back and I can't believe I haven't posted anything in a whole week!!

Well, I made some cards today for the PDCC and WMSC, took loads of pics and they wouldn't load. So, I had to wait for Himself to arrive home with his computer expertise and general techie knowhow to inform me that as I use the card reader so much, I've worn it out! ME! It's my fault! LOL!

Thankfully he was able to download my pics to his laptop and from there to the MAC, don't ask me how, I'm just not worthy.

So this week the Play Date cafe wants us to use Pink, Blue and silver, and Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge would like a little batch of notelets/mini cards.

Here's the inspiration:


And here's my take:


I have used white linen card bases for all three cards. The patterened papers are a mix of pink and blue gingham by Craft Creations, and papers by Pink Petticoat that were a magazine freebie last month.

On this card below I have silver embossed the heart from Waltzingmouse stamps Seasons of Love onto some Pink Petticoat paper, and cut with my Heart Nestabilities, then cut a scallopped heart from some blue Craft Creations paper and layered together.

I then paper pieced the background using more Pink Petticoat papers and some pink and silver sticky ribbon by Anita's. Added a pink flocked brad and some silver polka dot ribbon.

The sentiment is stamped in silver ink and is from WMS Victorian Frippery.


On this next card I have clear embossed the heart onto some Pink Petticoat paper, and mounted onto a gingham scalloped heart. Then layere this onto some pink gingham, blue ribbon, added some clear gems to the corners, and a sparkly blue button to the centre.


On my final card I have clear embossed the WMS heart onto some blue craft creations paper, then layered onto a gingham scalloped heart, mounted onto some Pink petticoat paper, with a blue gingham strip added to the middle.



I cut two butterflies out in silver mirri card, and layered them together with a blue acrylic(?) flower and bead, and added a pink pearly heart. Shiny shiny shiny :-)



These little cards didn't take too long, and I am very pleased with how they turned out. I can't say which one I prefer, the colours look so lovely together.

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline xx

Hello!

Hello fellow bloggers, ,I'm just quickly popping by to say I'm still here lol, but I've had some migraines this week, which seems to have a detrimental effect on my crafty mojo. I'm really hoping I can get round to rustling up something tomorrow.

Pauline xx