Use your Dies

Hello one and all. It's my pleasure to be hosting this challenge at Allsorts and I've chosen DIES as the optional theme, Anything Goes is also most welcome. Going forward we are now  a fortnightly challenge and we have welcomed some new team mates too.

I have had a self imposed embargo on crafty purchases this year and have actually managed to restrain myself (apart from perhaps one or two accidental purchases!!). I feel that I have accomplished that mission and have used lots and lots of crafty goodies that have never been used/opened. One of them being the Sue Wilson die that is centre stage on my projects below.

The background papers (The Range) were leftovers from gift boxes that I made last year so I made the card bases to fit the sizes I had. Glittery green board was perfect for the sentiment trees and I stuck them on more scraps of the same pad die cut with a favourite Spellbinders Fancy Ovals set.

Both cards were finished off with die cut poinsettias and some gems.

3 prizes of Oakwood dies and coordinating stamps.

Before I go I would just like to thank you for your continued visits, comments and support and to wish you a very Happy and Peaceful Christmas xx

 

Falling Leaves

 Hello everyone. Lynn has chosen the alternative to anything Goes theme at Allsorts this week

🍂Falling Leaves 🍂

My quest to use unloved stuff continues and this time I unearthed a Spellbinders die set and a Dutch Dubadoo cloud stencil.

I stencilled the linen effect card blank using tumbled glass DI. Used all the dies in the set and cut them out in good quality white card and then coloured them all with Promarkers. The Best Wishes stamp is from a Clearly Besotted sentiment set.

Out of my comfort zone but I really enjoyed making this.

2 prizes from AALL and Create of A5 stamp sets

 

Thank you for your company today xx

Doing what you like, liking what you do....

Hello. I hope you have had a good weekend. The weather has been glorious here in Dorset, a couple of frosty starts but that's okay because the sunshine usually follows. I  sowed some tomato seeds and did a bit of faffing in the greenhouse yesterday and today I had an early ride while the surrounding villages were still asleep. I also managed to grab some crafty time and made this.

 I have spotted several feminine and Shabby chic challenges about so decided to steer clear of my cute stamps for a change and do something different. The stamped sentiment is from a very, very old grey rubber set from Creative Expressions. this was cut using a couple of Spellbinder oval dies that I duffed up a bit and distressed with a pink distress ink pad, that also coloured the ribbon to match. It has been quite some time since I opened my flower box so spent quite a while finding matching blooms to add to the card. Oh, the papers are Anna Marie Designs.

Thank you for your continued support and kind comments. See you next week xx

Some Challenges

Creations in Pink #31 - Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar March - Feminine

My time tocraft #452 - Make it feminine

Sweet Stampin' - Shabby Chic/distressed

A touch of shabby chic

I said I would be back didn't I? This is the card that was under construction!!

I have had more crafting time on my hands since New Year as my daft horse went and injured herself in the field galloping around like a crazy thing. Consequently I have had to make the decision to retire her as the injury is such that she is unlikely to make a full recovery. I am struggling to come to terms with this :0(  Anyway, the point being, while I was being creative with my time, I spotted some challenges that inspired me to make this.

I know, shabby chic and very pink, I was amazed too!!

I was inspired by these challenges

Moving Along With The Times #91 - A Little Shabby Chic
Double D Challenges - Pink and White
Sweet Stampin' - Love your pet
My Time To Craft #391 - Pink and girly

I think I am back again on the other side of the weekend with a little bit of Christmas, so will see you then. Have a good weekend, whatever your plans xx

Here is said "daft horse" on her evening stretch out of the stable pointing her poorly leg!!

AYLI favourite die

Gosh, aren't these weeks flying by? I can hardly believe that it's our second challenge at

We would love to see your projects showcasing your favourite die.

It was a no brainer for me. My Spellbinders circles, my Tonic scalloped circles and my Lawn Fawn banners are my most used dies. I love that the scalloped circles are large enough to make an almost 15cm card base that, in this case, I covered with some LOTV paper.

 The cute little stamp is from a very, very old Kanban set and I coloured the sweet little pair with Promarkers.

It would be lovely if you could join us.

Thank you for your visit, I know that many bloggers are also using other social platforms these days but, for me, blogger is still far more personal and I shall continue to post here as long as my blogging buddies keep visiting!!

See you soon xx

Some challenges

Little Red Wagon - Round

Crafty Creations #358 - Anything Goes
Crafty Gals Corner #157 - Anything Goes
Fab n Funky #377 - Girly

AYLI Favourite Die

It's a special day today, a new challenge at As You Like It and my Aunty San's 70th Birthday, she sometimes visits here

So, Happy Birthday Aunty San!!!!

The new theme is Your Favourite Die and I have no doubt about that (apart from the circles that I use all the time) my "go to" dies are Spellbinders Floral Ovals and Elegant Ovals. They add a touch of pretty without too much fuss, which I like!!

My DT card is the one that I sent her and I had a fancy for making a twist and pop card and followed a tutorial. It was far easier than I expected and this was my first attempt...result!!

The cake and numbers were free with crafting magazines

as were the sentiments that fit perfectly on the oval mats inside, hope she likes it!!

Thank you for your visit today and continued comments, they are much appreciated.

Some challenges

Unicorn Challenge #21 - Special  Occasion
In the pink #118 - Birthday
Fab 'n' Funky #349 - Lovely Ladies
The Crafty Addicts #36 - Anything goes/Use die cuts

Girl and her pup

Hello everyone. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your day with me. I managed to grab a bit of time to make this sweet card for the Sasayaki Inspiration Blog.

She is available here.

I coloured her with Promarkers and was even brave enough to have a go at a different hair colour which turned out reasonably well I thought. The pretty blue paper is from one of the paper pads that the wonderful Lucy sent for my Birthday and I teamed it with a lovely rich shade of purple. The (wonky) sentiment die is by Impression Obsession and another that I don't use nearly enough. The smudge was entirely intentional...not!! Oops!!

Some challenges

Love to craft challenge blog #8 -Anything Goes
The Ribbon Girl March Card Challenge

See you soon xx

Walking in a WOW Winter Wonderland!!

Hello peeps...me again, two posts in one day...get me!!

(My AYLI DT piece is here)

I have looked in awe at the fabulous WOW cards that have made an appearance in blogland this week in support of the latest Winter Wonderland Challenge and decided I MUST have a go. It was also a good excuse to play with a Tonic die set that was given to me for my Birthday and hadn't been used.

Normally I struggle with this kind of work but I really enjoyed making this one and am SO pleased with the result, I only wish I'd cut more pieces at the same time and made more!! I used Centura Pearl card for all the elements which is why I think this was successful. When I've done these before I have used up scraps of white cardstock and as we all know these vary so much in colour.

Hope you are bathed in sunshine like we are here...it's a miracle really, I never thought spring would ever arrive!! On that note, I'd better go and drag the lawnmower out!!

Thank you for sharing your day xx

Pastel or bright??

Hello crafty peeps, me again with a DT card for 

As You Like It Challenge

and the question this time is

BRIGHT or PASTEL

It will come as no surprise that it's largely brights for me. Why? Because they suit the style of images that I enjoy colouring. Like this one!!

The image is a digi from Pollycraft (now closed) coloured with Promarkers. The paper is from Doodlebug Designs and that's it!!

I'm off to join in at these challenges

Without Words - Purple and green (but no halloween)

Creative Inspirations #332 - Anything Goes
Crafting From the Heart #82 - Anything Goes
Pennys paper-crafty challenge #250 - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to stop for a while and for your lovely comments, it's much appreciated.

Keep crafting and see you soon xx

Just be happy

Hello everyone. Hope that you had a good weekend and are ready for another new week.

I have a very CAS card to share today using a sweetie from Di's Digis.

She was coloured with Promarkers, cut out using MB Stitched layers matted onto a matching pink scalloped circle and the little tags were cut from a paper pad. Simples!!

I am trying my luck at these challenges

Sweet Stampin' - Clean and simple

Paperbabe #12 -  Picture Inspiration

In the Pink #69 - Real or Faux Stitching

 (I hope die cut stitching counts, if not, feel free to delete me!!)

Creative Moments #68 - Anything Goes

Fab 'n' Funky #259 - Tag it

DigiDesigns Challenge - Load on those flowers

Wishing you a good week xx

CCAYR Mid-month reminder

Hello crafty people. I have another Vintage inspired Christmas card to share today as it's mid way through the Vintage challenge at

Christmas Cards All Year Round

I used a vintage collage style paper as the starting point for this card and it just evolved using various die cut layers in burgundy and gold and edged with stardust stickles. The (wonky..ooops!!) JOY rub on was a lucky find and I just added a sumptuous burgundy satin ribbon to finish off. A far cry from my usual efforts but it was quite nice to try something different, albeit a struggle!!

I am playing at these Challenges

ABC Christmas - 'J' for joy
Cuttlebug Mania - Ribbon
Crafty Boots - Ribbon or Lace

Thank you for dropping to visit me today, you are always welcome xx

Antiques

Hello everyone. In case you didn't know Squirrel is holding another of her fabulous Challenges and this time it's Antique Roadshow.

 Like all of us I have long forgotten gems hidden beneath all the latest dies, stamp collections and assorted paraphernalia that we really don't need (cough splutter)!! So here is what I made using one of the very first stamps and die sets I ever bought together with a card design that I haven't crafted for absolutely ages.  

The stamp is Bild Malarna Mimosa Chicken ( not sure why but feathered friends seem to be featuring a lot lately!!) I coloured her with pencils to compliment the  MME Fine and Dandy Girl paper. She was die cut using SB Labels 18. 

The side shot shows how the label holds the card up. 

The white leaves were cut using Marianne LR0226. The pretty flowers are by Petaloo, the tag from an IO set and the sentiment from a Clearly Besotted sentiment set.
See, not a new item in sight!!

While on the subject of Ornithology, we had a super lunch out last Saturday and as we were waiting for our main course to arrive spotted a seagull furtively casing the joint, the cheeky devil then hopped onto the bench and devoured the crisps that had been left behind!!

Oh and while Surprise and I were out on Sunday morning I heard the cuckoo for the very first time, which always pleases me enormously as I know summer is on the way. Not so pleasing though is that I shall have to remember to keep the garage door closed so that the naughty cuckoo doesn't throw out another nest of house martin babies...nature can be cruel :0( ...actually so can I...bear with I am in a bit of a chatty mood today!! We used to have hanging baskets at the front door, however, several summers ago unbeknownst to me Mr & Mrs Blue Tit built a nest among the bedding plants and it was only by chance that I discovered it, one morning as I was watering, complete with seven eggs !! I was so worried that I had saturated them and that they wouldn't hatch but lo and behold they did, all seven. I had to let the flowers die though because I was terrified I would drown the babies!!  Needless to say we now have plants in troughs and the baskets are redundant!!

I'm off to link up at Squirrel's World and a few others!!
Addicted to Stamps #104 - Spring with Birds/Eggs
Allsorts #310 - More than two die cuts
Through the purple haze - Spring Colours

Hope Wednesday is good to you xx

Floral overload

Hello my crafty friends, another week upon us and I hope yours is set to be a good one.

Yesterday I had a bit of a tidy up in the work room and in doing so found flowers, lots and lots of them from past visits to The Ribbon Girl and Wild Orchid Crafts. I have a "thing" about postage and don't usually embellish to the nth degree unless asked to. Well as it's officially early spring here in the UK I thought I might have a go at a flowery fluffy card and this is what happened...

I already had the base made up (stitched and everything!!) using a First Edition Pad (SNAP Asha!!) that I had distressed with Weathered Wood ink. The image is from All Dressed Up's Three Little Autumn Girls set and I coloured her to match the papers using Pro/Flexmarkers. I die cut her using Majestic Elements Labels 25 and popped it on Floral Ovals. There is also some lace which I edged with pearls and a TH pin holding the sentiment. Ooh and voile tied into a bow, with a pearly brad and dried stuff behind the flowers. 

Phew what a lot of ingredients!! Anyway I am really rather delighted with the result so don't be surprised if you see more of this girly goodness in the future!! 

Some Challenges to enter

The Ribbon Girl - March Card Challenge

Buckwell Crafts #6 - Flowers

Sweet Stampin - All or Nothing

Allsorts #300 - Brads

Natalie and Amy #30 - Flowers

Winter Wonderland - Tie a bow

Crafter's Cafe #105 - Lots of layers

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge #216 - Lots of layers

Creative Inspirations #302 - Luscious Lace

Have a lovely day everyone and I'll see you tomorrow with a Cuddly Buddly card xx

Cute Critters

Hello my blogging buddies. The first day of March...how did that happen?
 Anyway, back to Christmas!!

My card today is my DT piece for Christmas Cards All Year Round as

our March challenge starts today and we would love to see your

Cute Critters

Here's mine.

The stamp is from a PB Set Christmas Friends, stamped on linen card, coloured with SN pencils and cut out (yet again) with my fabby MB stitched die. The SB Holiday sentiments set had it's first outing. Not entirely sure about the papers but I have a sneaking suspicion they were Bo Bunny from many years ago. Finally a little bit of glamour dust to make the snow sparkle.

Fab 'n' Funky #248 - Christmas (snowflakes)
Crafty Catz #268 - Dies and punches
Creative Fingers #69 - Anything Goes
Crafting from the heart - Anything Goes

Your visit is appreciated, as always xx