Pink 65th

Request from my neighbour - a 65th birthday card for a friend.
I do love doing the easel cards so persuaded her this was what she wanted, hee hee.

For the following challenges -

Cute Daisy May - Flowers
Friday Sketchers - Sketch
Spoonful of Sugar - Distress ink, pearls & glitter
Totally Gorgeous - Flower power
Simon Says - Vintage with flowers
Penny's Paper-crafty Challenge - Birthday
Tanda Teaser 135 - Riots of petals

This lovely image and the square are distressed around the edges with a tiny bit of TH vintage photo distress ink. Rouge ColorBox chalk was used on the rest.
There is a tiny bit of glitter on some of the flowers...but I can't see it in the pic.
Used fancy scissors to cut around the black mat and edged it with gold Pentouch.
I did some stitching around the square mat, made a stick pin and went overboard with the flowers.



I made a small flower from a piece of the main pink BP using one of
Crafty Ann's digi images. I do love this flower...so useful and quite easy to cut out.
There are 3 layers but I only cut out 2 for this
I added a very discreet No:65 peeloff to the centre



Paper - 'Classic' from the Crafty Secrets vintage collection bought aaages ago from Joanna Sheen
Colouring - Copics
MS border punch
Pearls, flowers, leaves etc. from stash

Thank you for stopping by and for all the lovely comments you are kind enough to leave....so very encouraging and very much appreciated.
See you again soon.....I hope :-)


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Daughter's Card - Take 2

I've made another card for my daughter.

This follows the Charisma Cardz challenge 7 sketch








Papers - free from Making Cards mag
Image - Crafts-u-print
Love stamp - Dovecraft
Nellie's Multi frames - Cutting Edge Crafts
Doily, pearls, flowers etc from stash

Thank you for stopping by

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Daughter's card

We've had a good layer of snow today. Grandson, who I was entertaining for the day was delighted. Fortunately he didn't suggest we go out and play in it, so saved me thinking of an excuse.
I was hoping it would be gone in the morning but it is still snowing. Darn it!!!! I thought we'd seen the last of this white stuff.

Crafty Ann's challenge 8 - If music be the food of love
Sweet Sketch Wednesday 37

About this card....I had a play with my one and only Distress Ink, Tattered Rose, although it looks more like orangy peach to me. As I haven't got any of the blending stuff, I spritzed it with Isopropyl Alcohol and sprinkled on some gold embossing powder to liven it up. As it actually looks quite nice (although it doesn't show too well in the pic) I was detemined to use it for this project.

I stamped the lilac BP with butterflies embossed with clear EP.
The music is a Penny Black stamp and embossed with gold EP. Same for the 'Love' tag.
I am not really happy with this card though. It doesn't look balanced to me...I can't fault the sketch, it is lovely...I think it is because I used a landscape shape rather than the square. I will probably add something to the bottom left...maybe a punched butterfly or 3 gems.



Can you see the shiny gold ?



Thank you for stopping by :-)

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Get Well

This card came together so easily, for a change...it is usually a matter of shuffling papers around for ages before I get going...but not this time :-)

I wanted to use one of the New images from sheet6 that I won from the Cute Daisy May Distressing challenge and the gorgeous free papers in the current Making Cards mag.

It is for my daughter to send to her friend in hospital at Oxford.
The poor girl broke her ankle last April and has had nothing but trouble since. Everything that could go wrong has, so we hope this latest operation she had yesterday will be the last and she can get on with her life.



A closer look at this pretty little lady.



It is made for the following challenges

Sketch - Sketch & Stash 29 - new items, papers, image and ink pad
Image - Cute Daisy May - Bright and Cheerful...not particularly 'bright' so I hope this qualifies
Recipe -Allsorts 39 - 3 flowers, 2 papers, 1 image/ribbon
Craft challenge - colouring Digi's

Thank you for visiting and all the lovely comments...each and every one very much appreciated :-)

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18th Birthday

A5 size easel

I didn't expect I'd win the Floral Fantasies fab Big Shot prize....and didn't...well done to Emma, who did :-)
I didn't expect my freezer to conk out on Saturday night either...and it did :-(
Ooooo, just think of all the goodies I could have bought with the money I've had to dish out for a new one.

The good news is.....
Yippee...I have found a new crafty buddy, Teresa. I am hoping we can arrange some crafty afternoons together.
She is a friend of my daughter Jo's in-laws. I've met her a few times when she
pops in with her two little doggies and it happened that I'd taken the Kingfisher card for Jo to see and Teresa was quite impressed with the easel style, and found that she is a cardmaker too.

Now, how about this for a compliment.....even though she makes cards herself, she asked me to make her a card for her grandson's 18th.

He is a fan of Northampton Saints RFC so I've made this with the Saints badge as the BP.



The teams colours are green, gold and black so no worries about colour choice, but it was quite a fiddle to get the badge to fit the BP size.
The rugby ball is shaped and fixed with silicone to give it shape.

I followed the sketch at Cards for Men and missed the deadline....but the current challenge is 'Green'.... how fortunate is that
The theme at Charisma Cardz is Male so a fit here again too.

Thank you for stopping by and for all the lovely recent comments....I really appreciate them all. I hope to see you again soon :-)

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8th Birthday

Magical Crafts challenge 8 is 'Something For The Kids' and this card is for my great nephew....
Charisma Cards Wk6 the theme is Male




The cute digi stamp is a freebie from Kerry Steptoe (Curly Girly Me).
I think this is the first time I have used it....I knew it would come in handy :-)



Thank you for stopping by....I hope you'll visit again

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Stan's Card

I thought I'd show you the card I made this afternoon for youngest grandson's friend.
The two of them are dotty about Star Wars and are often play the Star Wars Lego game when they are together.
Well....Grandma is just a bit fed up with making Star Wars cards so as they went to see a Chipmunks film recently I went for this....for a change



Once again...papers from 'already printed pile'.
Big number made in 'Word' and cut by hand edged with some narrow peel-offs.

Thank you for stopping by

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Carol's Sketch Fun

Carol has provided a lovely sketch here Carol's Sketch Fun 20 this week and I've used it for this valentines card for my daughter to give her husband.

Daring Cardmakers challenge this week is - Have a Heart
Cute Card Thursday 99 - In the Name of Love!

This is a really grotty pic :-(...must be one of my worst...nothing looks straight and the 'stop' is the same paper as the three tags.

This is an A5 size easel card....I know most of them are square but thought I'd try a different size for a change.



I hope Carol doesn't mind that I have swapped the oval for a heart but I think everything else is is order.

I can't add to the description of this as the BP is out of my file of already printed digi papers...I am still being good and using up my stuff

Thank you for stopping by

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A Few Challenges

This is made with a few challenges in mind.
Sketch & Stash 28 - Sketch and some neglected lace
Cute Daisy May - Lavender and Lace
SCSC69 - Monochrome tones of one colour & white
Allsorts 38 - Distressed with button and bow
A Spoonful of Sugar 90 - Recipe - 1 pattern paper,1 Embossing,1 Button,1 Ribbon.
Crafty Catz 19 - Buttons and bows








Thank you for stopping by and for all the recent lovely comments

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Valentine

My youngest grandson, who is seven, asked me to make a valentine card for his girlfriend at school, bless him :-)



I guess she would like her name on it and I've added a fair bit of glitter....all girls like glitter whatever age, right?..though it doesn't show up in the pic too well.
I chose this cute little feller from the Pollycraft Promise collection...I thought it would make a change from teddies.

The Pollycraft Monday Challenge 33 is 'Things with Wings' and I hope that the three little punched butterflies will qualify.

Image - Pollycraft Promise collection
BP's - digi's from Gina Miller - Summer Sorbet and Semi Solids
(leftovers from another project)
Heart and sentiment computer generated
Net bow, Prima flower and rose from stash

Thank you for stopping by :-)

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Special Challenge & Blog Hop

Floral Fantasies is hosting a very special challenge and blog hop.
Sir Stampalot has moved to new, larger premises in Peterborough and are the sponsors of this special challenge.
The magnificent first prize is....a Sissix Big Shot...there are also some lovely prizes to be won in the blog hop

The challenge is appropriately all about

"MOVING"

Your project can be a card, box, scrapbook layout, whatever you choose and the theme is open to interpretation, moving home, kinetic card, vehicle or as simple as a dangling charm as long as it represents movement.

I have used a dangly flower charm.
My jump rings are too big and I didn't know what to 'dangle' the charm from....then I had a brain wave and used a small length of the old neckalce that I used to make the pearl circles on the blue 40th card

'Love' is the theme at By the Cute & Girly
and the same at Charisma Cardz and
CRAFT challenge 36 - Valentines or Love
La-La Land 24 - Hearts
Magical Crafts 7 - Valentines
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge - Valentines or Love
Lili of the Valley - Valentines

.....so this looks appropriate for these challenges too




The rose is stamped and embossed on plain black card and with Silver Pearl embossing powder.




I am happily making good use of my lucky blog candy winnings.
The stamp is Penny Black from Kym.
The Papers are Anna Griffin from Steph
The charm from Crafty Catz

Thank you for stopping by and for your wonderful support :-)

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Fun 40th Birthday

Another last minute request from my daughter for a friends 40th.
Of course I asked about any special interests and she just said... 'beer'!!

I didn't ask which brand he prefers and as there is a Carlsberg brewery near to us in Northampton he's got to settle for this.

Cards for Men challenge 3 has a good sketch so this is what I used. I have to admit to not reading the instructions properly and didn't see that there is the optional theme of 'Love/Valentine' until after I'd made the card.




I changed the motto on the beer mat in my graphics prog then went over the Carlsberg logo with 3D clear gloss




Images - courtesy of Google
BP - CB'd with Happy Birthday embossing folder and Swissdots

Thanks for stopping by :-)

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Blue 40th

8inch square

I really enjoyed making this card...another biggie...and I'll have to make a wrapper for it. I think it is going to be delivered personally... I forgot to ask.

Sketch Saturday 88 has provided the perfect sketch for this.
One Stop Craft Challenge 65 is - Make it personal




The ovals are cut with fancy scissors... my oval nesties didn't fit.
The number 40 is from a digi set...forgot which...and is glamour dusted.



The lovely Madison from Charmed Cards coloured with copics and promarkers



I made a scrunched up flower and added a pearly button and made the pearly circle from an old necklace and some wire from a bottle of wine....I'm very proud of that :-)...invention being the mother of necessity...or something like that, hahaha
The flourish is half of a big Sissix flourish die, glamour dusted



The wrapper




Image - Charmed Cards
Papers - Pink Petticoat
Flourish - Sissix
Feather and lace from stash

Pinky kindly left a comment a few posts back (thanks Pinky) and suggested I make my pics bigger...if you look in again...are these better :-)

I suppose I just leave it to visitors to click on the pics for a larger image if they want to, but maybe they don't come up much larger.

If anyone wants to let me know if this is better I will appreciate it.

Thank you for stopping by and for all the lovely comments left recently. You wouldn't believe how much I appreciate them :-)


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Hearts

A side opening A5

Crafty Ann's challenge 7 is Metallic...colours, paper, embellishments etc
and I have used
Carols Sketch 19
Fussy & Fancy challenge 3 - is Hearts
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge 68 - Hearts
Polka Doodles challenge 4 - is also Hearts



For a change, I have followed the sketch quite accurately :-) although I've yet to add a sentiment

The main metal element is the biggest heart. It is made from Metal Magic stamped with black stazon. I used one of the lovely Penny Black stamps I received in Kym's blog candy.
You can visit Kym here and see her latest wonderful display of cards for the Haiti Earthquake Appeal.





The hearts are raised with foam pads and two have a glittery edge.



Papers - Easter Joy from Studio Girls
Heart - Metal Magic
Stamp - Penny Black heart
Gold Mirri card, ribbon and flower from stash

Stop Press - I am thrilled to say that I have been invited by Crafty Ann to be a guest designer along with Linda for two challenges in March. Definitely chuffed but I am also very nervous too,

Thank you for stopping :-)

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In the Pink

I just had to play with this little darling again, she is so lovely.

It is made with these challenges in mind

Cute Card Thursday challenge 97 is 'Blooming Gorgeous'
Crazy 4 Challenges 21 is Pretty in Pink
Creative Inspirations - Feminine
My Time to Craft - Elegant Rose
The Pink Elephant 51 - Polka Dots, a bow and pink


I used one of Crafty Ann's digi frames, enlarged it to fit A5 size and with a bit of fiddling made it into a top fold card.
I isolated the bow, printed it out on the pink spotty paper and fixed it over the original bow with silicone to give it some shape.




A sideways view...the image circle is fixed with foam pads



Another poor close up...I am sure I've got the camera on the right setting but they all turn out the wrong colour...aaaaggghhh.



Digi image - Cute Daisy May
Papers - forgotten as they were printed a while ago
Flowers - Wild Orchid
Leaves - punched from green inked paper

Thanks for stopping by

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Cute Daisy May

I adore this image....what a good excuse to buy her specially for the current challenge...I am sure this will not be her one & only outing
Cute Daisy May - Vintage
I have used the sketch from
Mojo Monday 123 and although it is not exact I hope it is near enough to qualify
Rainbow Lady's challenges 87 & 88 for the next 2 weeks is Fur and/or feathers...my feather is only a little one in with the flowers
A Spoonful of Sugar 88 is Freestyle
Ooh-la-la challenge 46 is Distressing



Image coloured with copics



I tried a new way with the ribbon....I can't make up my mind if it is successful or not





Image - Cute Daisy May
Papers - Music one from Joanna Sheen, the other two unknown
Lace - dyed with cold tea
Organza ribbon, feather and flowers from stash

Thank you for stoppong by :-)

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Key of the Door

8inch square

A 21st birthday comission

Another biggie.
I enjoyed making this but spent too much time faffing around as to what papers to use...this seems to be the norm lately.
I have also had to make a wrapper again as I don't have envelopes for this size.

I have used the lovely sketch at Carol's Sketch Fun 18
Icy Wincy Designs want to see buttons, bows, ribbon, and lace!!!!
A Spoonful of Sugar challenges us to layering.
At Dottie's World the theme is leaves. There are also leaves on the BP.
Raise the Bar - use something given to you....the key charm
Pile it On - Warm Wishes




I used one of the gorgeous charms I won from Crafty Catz...I can be generous, after all, it is a special card :-)



A funny coloured pic of the number 21 cut from gold mirri card and a handmade flower.




Image - Madison from Charmed Cards
Papers - Susan's Crafty Chaos
Flowers - made from paper from Audrey Jean's Antique Rose collection
Roses - Wild Orchid Crafts
Charm - blog challenge win
Lace & Ribbon - from my stash

Thanks for stopping by....

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A Special Challenge and Blog Hop

On the 1st February there will be a very special ‘One Off Challenge’………with some rather special candy as the main prize.
No ordinary candy I hear, but a really serious piece of equipment that all of us would love to have in our craft rooms.

As well as the main challenge prize, there will be runners up prizes and a Blog Hop with prizes to be won at each stopping point.

To read the full details visit Brenda at Floral Fantasies

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Black and Gold

This is for my sister's birthday on Monday. I have some nice black cardstock with a finely ribbed finish and thought it about time I used it so I have done lots of gold embossing on it.


Crafty Ann's Challenge 6 is Embossing and this will be the second card I've entered.

The black top panel is edged with a fine peel-off border then layered onto gold mirri card with foam tape

I don't know what my sis will think of being given a black card but it does look rather nice...if I say so myself.
Unfortunately I haven't done a very good job with the photo...it does look nicer in real life....honest.




The double layer of the butterfly wings are shaped and held up nicely thanks to a generous blob of silicone.



I've added some bling on the tips of the antennae and down the b/fly's body.

The 'sister' sentiment oval took some doing....but I managed it by printing the word on to some cream pearly card and then quickly embossed it...cut around it and used it as a template on a piece of the black then cut around it with fancy scissors.
These two are layered together and fixed to the last one with foam pads.
The larger oval was printed on the reverse of some gold mirri card and edged with more of the fine peel-offs. I did actually cut it quite smoothly but the peel-offs match the top layer as well as hide any unevenness there might have been.






Thank you for stopping by...I love to read your comments...so 'thank you' if you have time to leave one.

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Grandson's 16th

Gosh!!! three cards in one day....I need to lie down in a darkened room...:-)))

These are for my eldest grandson's 16th birthday on Sunday.

Bizzy Becs Creatalicious Challenge 6 is - No stamped images.

From Mum and Dad - this is a biggie - 8inch square



A5 - From me and grandad....he follows Liverpool FC



A5 - From Uncle and Auntie....he also follows Northampton Town FC and is able to go to their matches. The BP on the no:16 is the NTFC badge made in 'Word' from an image copied from Google.





Thank you for stopping by...your comments are really appreciated...thank you.

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