on your birthday

I have just discovered TeddyBo and I am in love! Soo cute, and looks like he loves his honey!

I coloured with prismapencils and the papers, flower and sentiment are all from Craftwork Cards.

My creation is for two challenges....

Cupcake....orange, yellow, green and white

A Spoon Full of Sugar....flower power

it's a girl!

The challenge this week over on Less is More is 'pick a square'. I have picked the middle square. I stamped this little baby hedgie from the Penny Black set 'bundle of joy' directly onto my card blank. I then coloured with inktense watercolour pencils.

Now I love my copics, promarkers and prismapencils but watercolouring has to be my favourite. I love the lightness of it and it is very therapeutic.

thanks so much

Just a quick post from me, want to make the most of my day off work catching up with everything... washing, ironing, windows, gardening, using my new stash I bought yesterday! There are 72 hours in a bank holiday aren't there?

I wonder what bit of the list won't get done, not the last bit that's for sure! Anyway, this is a card using up some final bits and bobs from my Simply Create kit. The papers are from the neighbourhood collection by crate paper and the stamp is 'little fancy bird' by Hero Arts.

birthday girl

Good Morning Penny Black fans.

It's Saturday and that means a brand new challenge....

One for the Girlies

Fab challenge, don't you think? So time to look out some 'sugar and spice and everything nice' and make a pretty girlie card!

For my girlie card I used 'sealed with a kiss' Penny Black stamp and coloured with inktense watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'springtime' range by echopark. I finshed off with flowers and buttons.

For all the info' on the challenge, to find out about what you could win and to see some fantastic girlie inspiration pop over to the Penny Black Challenge.
See you there!

just for you....willow sketchie

It's Thursday so that means it's Willow Sketchie time, thanks for all your gorgeous entries last week. Check out the challenge blog to find out if you were our lucky winner.
This week we have a very cool sketch by Saskia.
Right up my street, I love bunting!

And this weeks prize is the fabulous Walter and Winnie do Christmas CD Rom.
With over 150 printable items that would be Christmas sorted!

I have used Precious by Willow Designs on my card but you can use any image you wish, as long as you use the sketch for inspiration we're happy.

Edited to add - the bunting is a Molly Bloom stamp I coloured with promarkers.

cute as a button!

Tonight I have a little baby card to share. This was fairly quick and easy 'cos I am slap bang in the middle of a magazine commission that is totally taking me out my comfort zone.

Quality control is putting his tuppence worth in and it's driving me crazy. So, here's the thing, when you are cutting out a butterfly should you try and keep their antennae on even though it doesn't look neat or is it OK to chop them off!

I cannot say any more about it but you will see what I mean in the July issue of Papercraft Essentials!

Anyways, back to tonight's card. I have used a little hedgie from the Penny Black set 'bundle of joy' and watercoloured him. The background is also a PB 'cute as a button'. Stamped, heat embossed and given the distress ink treatment.

This weeks Creative Card Crew challenge is anything goes so that's where he is going!

See you all tomorrow for Willow Sketchie time.

Ava says Happy Birthday

I love little Ava she is one of the latest images to arrive at the DigiStamp Boutique. The papers are from Craftwork Cards and I have paper pieced Ava's dress and used promarkers and copics to colour. The clouds, flowers and butterflies are all diecut, I hope my bigshot never breaks!

Went a bit mad doodling round the edges but it gives a sort of homespun feel. I made this for the challenge over on A Spoon Full of Sugar ' things with wings'. I hope my three little butterflies makes it qualify. It did nearly have bigger butterflies but then the cloud idea popped into my head (I wonder if a certain ash cloud had something to do with that).

So, are you a really organised person who loves to have all their Christmas cards in the bag before their summer hols? If so, the boutique has 20% off all Christmas images. But be quick the offer ends on Friday.

thanks...for being so kind

Don't know about your part of the world but it's just a tad breezy here today. A tree came down took a pylon with it, the lights started to flicker, all the 'puters went black, the fire doors locked and the toilets stopped flushing (something to do with the water pumps being electric). So early finish from work for me!

Anyhoo, here is this weeks Less is More card 'butterflies'.

And, an award, passed on to me by the supremely talented Emma. Check out Emma's blog, you will not be disappointed.

thank you teacher

Here are Ava and Ben from the DigiStamp Boutique. They could be used, as I have done, to thank a favourite teacher. Or maybe a first day at school card. Either way, two little cuties don't you think?

I have coloured with promarkers and the papers are 'cupcake' by basicgrey. The little stars are from Paperchase.

I am entering the Ava version into the challenge over on Creative Card Crew 'cute and girly'.

Remember the Boutique competition and give-away are still running here.

sew nice

Well Penny Black fans you sure love your clean and simple card style. There was a bumper number of entries last week, thanks so much for joining in the fun!

This week we are asking you to do the opposite......

Fussy and Fancy

So time to go make a card with wild abandon and throw everything at it!

We have this gorgeous prize kindly donated by our teamie Pauline......

To find out if you were last week's lucky winner, for fabulous inspiration and for all the info' on the challenge visit the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

mmm.....cupcakes

Tonight's creation is for the challenge over on the Ribbon Girl blog....pinks and lilacs. The Ribbon Girl is one of my favourite little online shops. Gorgeous things to buy and great customer service.

I used some Molly Blooms stamps I got free with a mag'. First off I stamped the lined background and distressed the edges with lilac ink. Then stamped, coloured and cut out three cupcakes. Finished with some lilac twine.

See you all bright and early tomorrow for Penny Black Saturday.

thinking of you

Good evening everyone in blogland. I've been suffering from a bit of a migraine since yesterday morning and have not felt up to my usual nosey round the blogs. Hopefully it will clear soon and I will catch up with what you have all been up to!

Anyways, it's Willow Sketchie time. No need to use a Willow image, although we love it when you do, just follow the sketch. Simples!

I have used Alfie and the Bumble Bee by Willow Designs and coloured with Promarkers. You can find out all about the challenge and see some fab inspiration here.

I am entering my little Alfie card into this weeks
Truly Scrumptious Challenge....anything goes.

I just called to say.....

....I love you. Awww.

New gas boiler being installed today so I have the day off work and I am staying well out of the way in the crafty room.

I have had this stamp set by Kanban for a little while now and this is the first chance I've had to ink up. I coloured with watercolour pencils and the papers are from the springtime collection by Echo Park.

I am entering into two challenges....

A Spoonful of Sugar.....anything goes

Papertake Weekly.....bloom and grow

New kitchen in about 2 weeks time, not looking forward to clearing out those cupboards!

love me....

.....how could you refuse? Look at his face, pleading for a doggie biscuit or just wanting to be loved! Wallace is this month's give-away prize (plus £5 voucher) over at the DigiStamp Boutique. You can find out all about it here.

And, remember there is the customer competition too. All the info' about that is here.

For my card I paper pieced Wallace's basket and blanket with papers by Basic Grey 'Max and Whiskers'. Coloured Wallace with prisma pencils stamped out some papermania letters and cut out. Finshed with a button and twine.

I am entering my card into the challenge at Stamp Something - anything goes.

party time

Party time for the Less is More challenge this week which is 'one layer - embossing'.

I decided to use my 'cocktails' stamp set by Woodware. I made a card blank from a fruity orange colour to fit with my theme. Stamped the cocktails and sentiment with a black versafine pad and heat embossed with clear powder. Added a little touch of colour with prisma pencils.

Off now to have a nosey at the other entries.

happy birthday

Ahh, Sunday. A couple of hours crafting and having a nosey round blogland in the morning. And then coffee, cake and a natter with my friend in the afternoon. Bliss.

A quick and easy one this morning using one of the pre-coloured LOTV images. Papers and sentiment from the new range at Craftwork Cards. A few flowers to finish. I am loving doodling these 'straight' lines at the moment but think I may need a finer black pen. Might just have to track one down this afternoon.

So this is for two challenges....

Cupcake....gingham and roses (are those flowers roses? If not just ignore me!)

Creative Crew....may flowers

wish you were near....

Good Morning Penny Black fans.

Another week has passed and here we are at Saturday morning.
This week the challenge is....

Clean and Simple

This style is very popular at the moment so let's see what you can do!

We have a fabulous prize from our sponsor 1-2-3 stitch. $20 to spend at their store.

For my card I used a Penny Black slapstick stamp 'fly with me' and stamped straight onto the card blank. I coloured with watercolour pencils and I chalked round the image for the blue sky. Added a couple of diecut clouds and a sentiment and job done.

So, for gorgeous inspiration from my teamies, to find out who is last weeks lucky winner and to enter your creation visit the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

on your birthday

Good evening Willow Sketchie fans. It's Thursday so that means we have a brand spanking new sketch for you to try.
This week designed by my talented teamie Hazel....

Now, I have used Walter Owl digi from Willow Designs but remember that you can use any image at all. Just as long as we can recognise the sketch.
And here is this weeks super prize....

I am entering my card into this weeks Delightful Challenge 'flowers'.

Any early favourites in The Apprentice? I think the Irish guy is one to watch!

papercraft sampler........

......well that's what I'm calling it because it sort of reminds me of those embroidered samplers which were made by Victorian ladies to show off their sewing skills to prospective husbands!

Anyway, I cannot claim it was an original idea. I saw one in blogland a while back (please let me know if it was you and I will link) so when this frame arrived in my Simply Create bundle I knew exactly what I was going to do with it.

So, first up I painted the frame with distress crackle paint 'picket fence' by Ranger. Cut a piece of card to fit inside. Then had great fun choosing what to put in all the little squares. All papers are from the 'neighbourhood' collection by crate paper.

I am entering my frame into this weeks challenge at Papertake....fancy a punch.

just wanted to say.....

My design kit this month from Simply Create included this Hero Arts stamp 'little fancy bird'. So I fancied doing a bit of experimenting. After looking on you tube for some inspiration I decided to make my own piece of background with distress inks and embossing.

So first I heat embossed my 'happy definition' background stamp with white powder onto watercolour paper. Then I inked up 'silhouette flower' with distress inks and spritzed it with a little water. Then I stamped, coloured and cut out the little bird and attached to the centre of my panel. Finished off by adding twine, a button and the sentiment.

I'm rather pleased with myself!

Three challenges are perfect for my creation......

Creative Inspirations....embossing

Allsorts.....use at least three different stamps. I used five, all Hero Arts.

CAS-ual Fridays....texting skills. I used 'happy definition' to make my background.

And finally, big wave hello to my new followers! Great to see some new faces over there on my sidebar. Hope you like what you see!