Happy birthday Brother in Law

As you probably guessed today's card was made for my brother in law's birthday which is tomorrow. He is a golf nut so I always try to make him a card with something to do with golf on it but I think after 10 years I might just have exhausted my golfing bits! I bought this Docrafts set of stamps last year so I knew I hadn't used these :)

As I said before, the stamps are designed by John Byars for Papermania (Docrafts), I think the papers are Trimcraft (I'm not sure as they were from my scrap box), the sentiment is a Clearly Besotted stamp from the set 'Many Messages', the ribbon is an off cut as is the brown card and the Card Candy is from Craftwork Cards.

Thanks for dropping by, see you tomorrow :)

Kathy's Waffle Sketch

It's week 3 of the challenge over on Kathy's Waffle Sketch challenge blog so there is still time to play along with us if you would like to. It's just for fun so the only rule we have really is that whatever your project is, we must be able to see the sketch used :)

and here is my card

Materials used are Full of Surprise, Make a Wish and Love Quotes clear stamps from Clearly Besotted Stamps and the stripey paper is  from the Hampstead collection by Papermania.

Thanks for dropping by, see you soon. x

Here's one I made earlier!!

Another scheduled post already, that's twice in one week. I have to take my youngest daughter up to Durham tomorrow to get a new passport. She used hers for ID in town and it has either been stolen or she has lost it. Apparently now the police have to send them straight back to Liverpool if any are handed in and if any of the regional passport offices get any handed in they are destroyed. They then sting you for £103 to fast track a new passport. She needs it urgently as she and a friend are going to a concert in Dublin in four weeks. I wouldn't mind but she has only had her (lost) passport for about 18 months :( Still, I suppose it gets me out of the house for a couple of hours and Durham is lovely. I haven't been for about 20 years so I suppose it will have changed a bit lol. My parents used to have a newsagents and tearoom in the town centre.

So more cards for you!

 I've had this Penny Black stamp for a long time and still use it quite a bit. I love the sentiment underneath it too.  

"A friend is like a good bra: hard to find, comfortable, supportive, always lifts you up, makes you look better, never lets you down or leaves you hanging, and always close to your heart."

Author: Unknown

 One of my favourite Lili Of The Valley images. Ribbon from Ribbon Oasis and finished with some small crystals.

 I didn't realise until I opened this that it was a Papermania card making kit, I thought it was just a decoupage kit. I will use all the elements separately though and get a few cards from the pack instead of just the one.

Another very quick and easy card to make. I bought this bassinet die cut years ago but haven't a clue where from. I think it was a pack of 10 and this might be the last one but I may come across others in my quest for organisation!! I put it all together onto a piece of white hammered card then mounted it onto a piece of the beautiful Kanban paper from the Sugar Buttons paper pad from Crafted By You. The ribbon, ric rac, teddy etc were all from my stock. I made this card for one of 'my couples' whose wedding stationery I made about two and a half years ago. Baby Alex is about 10 days old now....congratulations, Jo and Phil xx

That's it for now, I shall be back soon (unless I get kidnapped in Durham lol)

Assorted celebrations

 I'm in wedding stationery mode at the moment so I just manage to slip in the occasional card order when just a couple are needed and I've been stock piling the photos of them so I've decided to start adding them on days when I don't have DT cards to show. I will have wedding stationery to show later in the week though, once it's been delivered. :)

 Papers are Hey There Baby - Wishes and Kisses cd and Just Happy - Dreams Come True cd, an assortment of Martha Steward punches, Prima flowers ans sentiment stamp is by Inkadinkadoo.

 I don't know where these papers are from as they are out of my oddment box (ahem, drawer(s)!) The image is by Pink Petticoat and has been coloured with chalks, I think and the flowers are Papermania and Prima.......as they are combined could they be Primamania :)

My last card is using a clear stamp coloured with Promarkers. I think the stamp is a Magnolia one but I'm not sure.

Thanks for dropping by again.
Take care 

Men only!!

I thought it was about time they had a post to themselves as I've made a few 'male' cards today :) They are all very quick and easy and there are a couple that I would like to enter in the Less Is More challenge which this week is 

"So it's everybody's favourite this week.... One Layer Cards... and we have chosen a fab theme for you....

Sports or Exercise"

Here are my cards

I've used a selection of stamps from a Papermania set entitled Nostalgia Pastimes by John Byars and stamped them in either Sepia or Memento Black. The sentiments were printed from the computer.
The other cards were made using toppers from  Lili of the Valley and a Cuttlebug lion.

I hope they are ok, I would really love to know what you think. xx

Less is more

Hi everyone, I hope you have all had a lovely Easter and you haven't made yourself too sick from eating too much chocolate!


It's just a quick dive in for me to upload the card I made last night for the Less Is More challenge I mean to do this challenge every week but don't always manage it. However, I did last night and here is my card.

Stamps - Elzybells (no longer trading) and Papermania
Chalk inks
Everything else from my stash


Don't forget that the Funky Hand sale ends tomorrow. There are some fantastic bargains to be had.....Promarker sets at £6.65 (I got mine), backing paper cds from £1.50!!! Even the new download has been discounted.


Thanks for looking.

Less is more

Two very quick cards from me today as hubby is working tonight, doing a 50th birthday party but he hasn't been told if the party is for a lady or a gent!! My solution......make one of each then he has a spare for the next time :)
The Less Is More challenge this week is 

NEUTRALS

This could be anything from off white to black with any shade of beige, brown or grey in between

This one is done in shades of beige and brown with off cuts from the latest down loads from Funky Hand which are Steam Funk and Funky Kraft Stash, both can be found by clicking the links.

This one is the black and off white colour combination. The ribbon is an off cut off my tip of a desk and the flower is cut from a lovely shimmer paper but I don't know where it's from (I think it might have been a sample from somewhere). The glittered numbers are by Papermania and the gems are from my box.


Thanks for popping by and I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. I'm getting my stuff ready this evening for a wedding fayre tomorrow and my plan for Sunday evening is TV and blog hopping, I'm seriously behind with WOYWW this week!


PS I just remembered that I haven't added it to Di's Snippet challenge!

Less Is More

Why are simple one layer or no layer cards so scary to make? I find it far easier to chuck papers at my cards and hide bits with ribbon or flowers or something :)) having said that I do like the more simple cards rather than cluttered and I really, really stuggle with distressing and things like shabby chic although I do like to see that sort of thing, I just can't do it!

I'm pleased with this card after the initial shock of stamping and colouring straight onto my card blank lol I even got the chalks out to colour it as I didn't want my Promarkers seeping through to the back of the card.

The image stamp is by Elzybells (no longer trading which is such a shame)
sentiment stamp - Papermania
chalks
tiny gems on the flowers - Anita's

I'm entering this card into the challenges
Less Is More where the subject ONE LAYER CARD, with the subject of BIRDS and

Daring Cardmakers where Zuzana would like

MIRACULOUS SOCIAL NETWORKS

dare for you.
I would like to see Facebook, Twitter, Skype, You Tube ... on your cards.

You can use funny sentiments, colour scheme, fonts, style, layout or PC image.

This is the start of my first week catching up from distasterous week last week. My chest is still very sore and my ribs hurt from coughing but I have quite a few things to do. I have another couple of cards to make today as they need to be in the post asap, a fascinator to start and a couple coming this afternoon to discuss their wedding stationery....another lovely day.
Thanks for looking.

What started as one....

led to 7...cards that is! I bought a 6 x 6" paper pad ( First Edition - Hideaway) in the Range last week and decided yesterday morning that I would use it. It is so unusual for me to do that for two reasons, one is that it's very rare for me to actually buy papers at the mo (I'm still trying to deplete the paper and card mountain) and the other reason is that I have had it for less than a week and have used it already :) Normally I hang onto papers until they are well past their sell by date and I've stroked all the pattern off, and then I use them :)

I decided that I would use my pretty new papers to make a birthday card the new sketch on Kathy's Sketch File (which doesn't go live until next week). I then thought I would use the scaps to make another card and decided on an engagement card as I was down to the last couple on the rack, and this is what I came up with and it fits the new challenge at the Allsorts Challenge Blog, which is Lemon and Lime and the Papertake Weekly challenge which is "Here Comes the Sun - It was here yesterday but now it’s gone again, so for most of the UK girlies we will really have to use our imagination as we don't see the sun that often lol!!

So quite simply you just need to create a card that reminds you of summer or has a sunny summery feel."

The lace is from Creative Treasures, the ribbon, flowers and gems etc are from my craft stock and the butterfly is a MS punch.
Once I had finished this I thought I would use the remaining paper to make another card while it was on my desk but there wasn't enough so I had to cut into another sheet and I made this one which fits this weeks challenge at Passion For Promarkers which is "set by Andie and she has chosen “park life”.  We want you to dig out all your images that show what you can do in the park, such as play on the swings, walk your dog, ride your bike etc." It also fits the challenge for Penny Black at Allsorts and the remit is to use your favourite Penny Black Stamp. I really struggled with my choice of stamp as although I don't have many PB stamps, I do have a few faves :)

 The Penny Black image was coloured with Promarkers. 

The next card was made from the offcuts from the previous one (notice the pattern emerging?) with a strip from 

 another sheet used to cut the flowers and flourishes which are both Sizzlit dies. This card fits the Secret Crafter challenge of embossing as the brad was triple embossed and then dunked into some Glamour Dust.

 The next card was made for the DCM challenge from yesterday. It's Lythan's turn to set the Dare this week and her remit was to make a wedding card but I forgot my something blue, sorry Lythan. My card also fits the challenge at Moving Along With The Times which is "A card with clean lines, minimal elements, areas of white space and few or no embellishments." I haven't seen this challenge before but I love CAS cards.

I couldn't find a 'congrats' rub on so used a tiny peel off *sharp intake of breath* lol and the final card is made up of the tiny pieces left over from all of the above cards (Jules would be so proud of me :))

The image is from Pink Petticoat and the sentiment is a Papermania sticker. The gems are from my stash.


Well that's it from me for now. I am so pleased that I managed to do some challenges at long last and I'm off to bed now.


Night x

Father's Day...

isn't for another month (19th June in the UK) but I have to fit cards in between orders :) I have actually made more than this but it looks as though I have forgotten to photograph them before they went out for sale!! Ho hum.

 All papers are from Funky Hand.

 Papers from Funky Hand again, sentiment from Craftwork Cards, image from a magazine.

Image is from Bugaboo Stamps and is coloured with Promarkers, paper is 'Mistletoe' from a Christmas pad by Blonde Moments, scallop frame is from Craftwork Cards and the sentiment is computer generated.

 Papers are from the Love Love Love download and the image is from the Colour Me Happy cd, both from Funky Hand.

 Image from Karen's Doodles. Charms, buttons and ribbon from my craft stock.

 Papers and sentiment are from Cfraft The Year Away cd by Funky Hand, Card Candy is from Craftwork Cards and the image is a clear stamp by Imaginesce.

 Image is by Pollycraft and papers and sentiment are again by Funky Hand.

 Heart paper is by Pink Petticoat and everything else is from my stash.

 The image is from Digistamp Boutique and I'm not sure what the papers are as they were in my 'offcuts' box with the name bit cut off :)

 Image is one of the new Tatty Teddy stamps by Papermania, papers are more off cuts by Funky Hand, sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and everything else is from my stash.

Thanks for looking.

Christmas time....

mistletoe and wine...........I think that's enough of that one :)

I hope you all had a good weekend. Has all the 'fluffy white stuff' gone from where you are? Ours has and we are now back to green. I wonder how long it will last though as more is forecast for Thursday and temps are set to plummet again! I wonder what the country has learnt from the last three weeks or so and if they will put it all into practice :) Probably not and everywhere will end up gridlocked again lol

Below are the cards from an order I received last week. I managed to get them all finished by Friday and they are now all packed and ready to go.

The cards are made from an assortment of decoupage toppers and papers by Nancy Watt and Papermania. I've added the odd die cut here and there, a few gem, lots of Glamour Dust and typewritten sentiments. I hope you like them :)

Back soon, thanks for looking. xx

Sketch #80

on the ICS blog this week is sponsored again by Paper Romance

You will notice this time that I turned the sketch slightly as it suited my image better. I have followed the sketch properly but have just noticed from my photograph that, because I have used sheer ribbon on  a heavily patterned paper, apart from the bow, you can't actually see the ribbon!!!!

Paper - Papermania
Image - DewDrop Craftz
Promarkers
Glamour Dust
Sizzix corner die
Charm from stash and
Computer generated sentiment

By the time you read this post I should be home armed with loads of dirty washing and loads of well thumbed books. Thanks for looking.