Back from holidays.....

...spent a very relaxing week here...

at the Dreamplace Gran Tacande Hotel Tenerife.
I know - how lucky am I!

Relaxing strolls along the seafront...

...and some shopping here.

But I'm back now and have loads of catching up to do. First up a big wave hello to my new followers - welcome. Secondly, thanks for all the lovely comments on the cards I had scheduled while I was away - I really do appreciate them. And finally, as it's Saturday, I bet you are wondering where my Penny Black card is. Well, as soon as I have emptied my case and washed the sand from between my toes it will be on here!

may all your wishes come true

I saw these flower shaped card blanks in my local crafty shop and thought that they would make a nice change from my usual square shape. So this was a really quick and easy card. I simply watercoloured my Penny Black Mimi stamp. A couple of nestie circles. Some punched butterflies and a die cut flower. I think I will need to go back to the shop for more of these card blanks - any excuse eh!

TeddyBo Tuesday

I know what you're thinking! That's not a teddy! Well teddies aren't the only creatures you will find in the TeddyBo store - go have a peak for yourself.

I coloured the TeddyBoBea image 117 with prisma pencils (there is a link to my video on how to use these over there on my sidebar). The papers are Echo Park 'yours truly' and I added ribbon, heart stickers and card candi to finish it off.

Don't forget there's still loads of time to enter the current TB challenge - all the info' is here.

Papercraft Essentials magazine

Hi everyone - just popping on to give a shout about the current issue of Papercraft Essentials. I have a seven card article in the pull out and keep section - 'Quick Easter Cards for Children'.

There's loads of inspiration in the mag' including vintage delights, wedding fever and a masterclass article on colour theory. And this month there is a gorgeous free gift from Polka Doodles. And you might just see a card using the free gift on a certain blog soon!

Happy Easter

Good morning Penny Black fans!
I love it when the clocks go forward even though I lose an hours sleep it means lighter nights and, hopefully, some warmer weather on the way.

Well, last weeks challenge was popular, so many gorgeous creations. Pop over to the Penny Black Challenge where our lucky winner has been announced.

OK then, onto this week, and the challenge is....

Easter Eggstravaganza

And we are absolutely thrilled that Craftwork Cards have joined us as a regular monthly sponsor. A UK company who design and produce all their fabulous products in house. Beautiful card packs, gorgeous papers, embellishments and, of course, their delicious card candi.

And here is the prize. Papers, ribbon tags and card candi.
All from the Moorish Collection.

For all the details on how to enter and for some fabulous inspiration from my teamies visit The Penny Black Saturday Challenge.
See you there!

Happy Birthday

It's a beautiful day here today, and I hope the sun is shining wherever you are too! So here is todays little creation. Her name is Rosie and she can be found here in the DigiStamp Boutique.

I coloured with copics and promarkers and the papers are from the Alla-Prima collection. Added a bit of doodling to this one - been ages since I did that.

Teddy Bo Tuesday

Hi everyone and a warm welcome to my new followers. Thanks to those who left feedback on my video - will try to include your ideas in the next one.

Well, Tuesday has come around very quickly and it's time to show you the new bears. I have used TeddyBo 188 and coloured with prisma pencils. The papers are 'barefoot and bliss' by BoBunny.

It's also time for a new TB challenge...
'Easter'.
Find out all about the challenge here.

My video career begins....

I've been itching to do a video tutorial for ages but my lazy hubby wouldn't get the video camera out and claimed we needed to buy special editing software first. Anyway I finally persuaded him that we could shoot this using the ipad 2 and here are the results. Not bad I think and only took a "few takes". I am interested to get any feedback you might have and any ideas for other future video tutorials.

(Hubby now claims we need an ipad 3 so he can "shoot me in High Def "- not happening)

So, here is a link to the tutorial - Beginners Guide to Prisma Pencils.

There is also a permanent link on my sidebar with, hopefully, more videos to be added! And, finally here is the finished card from the video.

London

Good morning Penny Black fans!

Thanks for joining in the fun last week.
Pop on over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge blog. You might be our lucky winner.

So here we go! Another Saturday and another challenge.
And this week it's....

This, That and The Other!
(anything goes)

Once again we have a fabby prize from our regular sponsor...
Crimson Cloud
This gorgeous Penny Black stamp 'Japanese Maple'.

For my card I used the London cling stamp and the wood mounted stamp 'on guard' and coloured with Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils.
It's over to you now, we do hope you can join in the fun this week.

Mum

This is the card I will be giving my Mum on Sunday. We are taking her to the cinema and then KFC (she loves KFC!). She will be eighty later this year but loves a good adventure/thriller so I think we will go see Safe House. Has anyone seen it? Is it good?

My card fits three challenges....

Papertake...for the girls (mum)

Creative Inspirations...something for mum

Delightful...someone special

See you bright and early for Penny Black Saturday.

With Love

Here is todays creation. I'm not sure about the twine being at an angle - I'm a 'like things straight' kinda gal and this messes with my head a bit! Anyhoo, it's all stuck down now! But I do love the expression on Bo's face - I think he's as bemused as I am about the twine!!

I used TeddyBo 02 coloured with Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils, Papermania 'Bookprint' papers, rolled flower die, twine, charms and newsprint card candi.

I am entering this weeks Cute Card Thursday Challenge...Happy Birthday.

some bunny...

Yay! Sally-Ann over at the DigiStamp Boutique has come up trumps again! Three brand new sets of adorable digital images. There's Rosie, Dan and the super cute Easter Collection. From which I have used one of the bunnies.

I used prisma pencils to colour and chalk for the background and embossed part of the card. The papers are from the Me to You Collection 'spring chic'.

I am entering this weeks challenge at Digital Tuesday..think spring.

For loads more inspiration and to enter the customer competition you should check out the DigiStamp Boutique blog.

Teddy Bo Tuesday

It's time for my regular Tuesday post to show you the new bears!
Kites, cuddles and cars - how cute are they?

And, loads of new dies by Marianne Design and Cheery Lynn
- all with free UK p&p.

And don't forget the current 'Menu' challenge is open until Sunday 19th March.
A chance to win some cool bears.

Sunshine and Smiles

The making of this card has taken me on a nostalgic trip back in time. A simpler time when all I needed were scissors and some images to cut round. A time before stamps, inks, gorgeous papers, dies, die cutting machines and so on...and on. A time when everything was kept in a little plastic bag!

I am entering the 'going dotty' challenge over on Cupcake.

Six

Good morning Penny Black fans!

Thanks for joining in the fun last week.
Pop on over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge blog. You might be our lucky winner.

So here we go! Another Saturday and another challenge.
And it's....

The Young Ones (card for a child)

Once again we have a fabby prize from our regular sponsor...

1-2-3 Stitch

A $20 voucher to spend in their online store.

For my card I used one of the brand spanking new, just bought on Thursday at the Creative Stitches Show, designed by Mo Manning, PB cling stamps, 'sweet day'. I coloured my stamped image with Inktense watercolour pencils. I found the perfect paper in my scrap box - so sorry don't know the makers name.

OK then, over to you now. But for gorgeous inspiration from my PB teamies and for all the info' on how to enter visit The Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

See you there!

best wishes

Treated myself to one of the new Michael Powell stamps last week. I remember my Mum did a cross stitch of his many years ago that I always admired so had to have this stamp!

It was a little tricky to stamp out - bits of the image were missing. But got there in the end. I watercoloured with Inktense water colour pencils.

I am entering the anything goes challenge over on Papertake.

It's Teddy Bo Tuesday....

....and that means there's new bears and new crafty goodies in the TeddyBo Store!

And a new challenge.....

Pick from the Menu

No Teddy Bo card from me today, it's team A's turn for the next fortnight, you can see their gorgeous creations here.
And did you enter our last challenge? Find out if you are one of the lucky winners visit the Teddy Bo Challenge blog.
See you there!

May all your dreams come true

I'm so chuffed! I discovered that if I change my settings on my printer to draft or fast mode it will print digi images in a way that I can watercolour (in previous efforts with digi's the ink ran) . So here is my first watercolour of Bo. I used TeddyBo 051 which you can find here and coloured with Inktense watercolour pencils. The sentiment and hearts are from a Marion Emberson stamp set.

I have kept it clean and simple as I am entering the Less is More Challenge - neutrals.
Edited to add - It looks like Bo's sweater is yellow. I can assure everyone that I only used shades of brown watercolours. I did 'brighten' my photograph using Picasa and perhaps that's why it looks yellow - it looks pale brown irl!

Here are some sneaky peeks of the bears that are due to be released on Tuesday 6th March and as Rolf would say - can you guess what it is yet? And, new stock is arriving every day and as I wouldn't want you to miss out on anything why not take two ticks to sign up for the newsletter. Be the first to find out what's new in. All the details are here.

I love London

Good morning Penny Black fans!

It's true I do love London. In fact we love cities and have been lucky enough to visit a fair few including New York, Paris and Rome. However London has a special place in my heart - especially the boutique hotel in Belgravia where we stayed last time and the excellent stamp shop next to the British Museum!

Anyway, on to the business in hand. This weeks challenge. And it's....

'Case It'

A pretty card from our teamie Domi for you to 'case'. You can take inspiration from the layout, the colour or the shape. In fact anything that this card inspires you to do!

We have two cool prizes...

This lavender ribbon bundle from
The Ribbon Girl

And this rubber stamp from
Penny Black Inc

For more inspiration, to find out who is last weeks lucky winner and for all the info' on how to enter visit The Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

See you there!

London...with love

The little critters made me do it! They are just too cute to say no to! They made me buy Penny Black stamps from the new London Collection. Not that I needed much persuasion.

For this card I used 'london cabby' and the 'love london' transparent set. I coloured with watercolours and the stripey background is a Hero Arts stamp.

I am entering two 'anything goes' challenges...

Simon Says Stamp and Creative Inspirations.