Rose Garden mini album

Hello from a damp and dismal Cornwall - it's the start of the season here today so more people arriving and spring cleaning their caravans .. .. not the ideal day for it.

Anyway, I finally got around to taking pictures of the mini album I recently made.  The instructions were on YouTube for a full size cereal box album, but all I had at the back of the cupboard was a pack of out of date mini cereal boxes - so contents for the birds and a box for me to play with!  Lots of pictures now so hope you like them. The front just has a swirl cut from LR0271, little flowers from CR1210, and the pretty butterflies decorated with pearls. The spine I've decorated with a SB fancy rectangle, mainly to anchor the glued ribbons in place.

I have used the system called 'stack the deck' for attaching my pages, unfortunately on this small scale I probably have put in too many and it's not easy to lay the pages flat open.  This is the inside front cover.  I have used paper from the Marianne Design Rose Garden pack throughout, together with old SU! pale plum cardstock from my stash.  I've decorated with various Marianne Design dies and will list them as you see them.  Here for the fancy embossed pocket and the scallop on the inside cover I've cut with LR0243.  The rose corner of the pocket on the first proper page is cut with LR0215 and the butterfly is from set LR0261.

The next page is quite simple with pockets created from the same die, LR0243, embellished with a string of pearls and flower lace.

This next page is again just simple pockets and repeated later in the album.  I cut plain little mats for some of the pockets so the recipient could add pictures etc.

Moving along, this page has more of the scallops created with my favourite die LR0243 and embellished with the butterfly and a string of pearls.

This is the middle of the book, the left side has a corner pocket with a little tag in it.  I created the top of the tag by cutting 2 corners from the small die in set LR0285 and gluing them back to back, anchoring the tag between then.  The right side has a concertina lift up with extra pockets and areas to add pictures etc.

Then there is a repeat of the simple pocket page I mentioned earlier, then after that is this set of pages.

More pockets cut with the pretty scallop die in set LR0243 then embellished with strings of pearls and pretty die cut butterflies.  I've used a pearl maker pen throughout the album to add the individual pearls to the butterfly bodies.

A fancy pocket cut for the left side with the pretty embossed areas.  On the right side is another concertina, this time opening out to the side.

And finally, the inside back cover with another corner pocket and tag, and a pretty border pocket on the back cover ready for a picture.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my mini album.  It was fun making it and actually quite easy.  The hardest bit is deciding what to add to each of the pages and how to embellish it all!  I've kept the back of the album plain so it will sit flat when closed and tied up with the ribbons.

This morning I've seen another idea to create an album from one sheet of 12x12 card .. .. so guess I will have more fun over the next few days!

Thank you for stopping by and taking a peek.  Now, I have been leaving comments on some of your blogs if you have left me a comment, BUT, I've gotten emails saying they are undeliverable!  I don't know why .. .. I'll have to try and figure out what's going on.

Easter at CCT

This week at Cute Card Thursday we have a new sponsor, Kit and Clowder, and our theme is Easter.  So why not come join in the fun and show us your Easter creations. We are still a little thin on the ground with the DT, so many of us have other commitments but at least I seem to be back in the swing of things, even if it is just for a simple little card.

I do have several layers on this little square card with a piece of scrap Nitwits magazine paper I've first matted with white before fixing to my kraft base card.  As usual, I've added the embossed faux stitching and then tied a pretty ribbon around the card, tucking in a little die cut swirl under the bow.  The image is a stamp from the Don and Daisy Spring Scenery set by Marianne Design, the text a magazine freebie from last year, I think, and I've coloured my image with Copic markers before cutting out with the smaller square die in set LR0234.

The theme at Moving Along With the Times today is In the Wild, so my little spring lambs should fit in.  Crafty Cardmakers theme is Spring is Sprung so good for them too.

I am stalking the postman for new stamps .. .. something a little bit different to my usual style so looking forward to having a play at the weekend, if they arrive in time.

Thank you for stopping by to take a peek at my little Easter card, ta ta for now!

Daisy Springtime

Hello! Today I have a little Daisy card to share with you (the mini cereal box album still needs to be photographed).  I ordered this cute Daisy in the park stamp from Cuddly Buddly and after stamping I masked her to add the trees and little chick hatching, all from the Spring Scenery set.  I've coloured with my Copic pens to make a Spring scene, reminds me of myself having a cuppa in the garden over the weekend!

The new Don and Daisy blog challenge #22 theme is 'Spring is in the Air' and you can enter up to the 9th April, with Don and Daisy of course.

Here's my card entry:

I've used papers from the Marianne Design Flower Garden paper pad and finished the edges with the faux embossed stitching that I've inked with a Wheat Versamagic chalk ink - it's a new shade for me, darker than the Magnolia Bud that doesn't seem to be available any more, but more yellow than Sahara Sand that I often use.  I quite like it for a subtle vintage look and it goes well with these papers, I think.  I've decorated with a little piece of MD lace and various MD die cuts:

mat for image LR0234
swirls LR0112
flowers created with LR0106, LR0160 & LR0142
text from a clear PB set stamped onto tag cut with die in LR0187

The Crafty Cardmakers have just posted their new challenge theme: Spring is Sprung! so I'd like to enter my card with them too.

Thank you again for stopping by, and hopefully see you again soon!

Marianne Design Notebook with Tags

 

 I picked up a cheap shopping list notebook in Tesco the other day so I could have a play at decorating it.  I have used some rusty coloured card that has been in my stash forever and a pretty lacy paper from the Marianne Design French Roses paper pack. And of course, I've decorated with lots of MD die cuts and lace from the Red Christmas pack.

This is the front of my pad.  I've inked the edges of both the card and the paper with a black chalk ink, and used it around the edges of my die cut flowers too.   I really like my new MD edge die LR0343 called Anya's Border Chic. there are 2 dies in the set, I've used the fancy one to create a pocket on the front of my notepad for a little tag cut with LR0188, the tag and button set.

The leafy swirls I cut from some really thick glossy card (an acid yellow, yuk! on the top but a nice off white on the back) with LR0150 the forest branch. If you saw my Facebook post last Saturday I was playing with the new stencils and past I got at the Cornwall Craft Fair, well as the card was so thick I was able to use it as a stencil and mix up the paste with DI and glitter to see what would happen .. .. a very nice sparkly leaf that I will need to do something with!

The flowers are cut from a MD Craftables die set CR1203, the smallest flower, with centres cut from the stamen die in LR0111.

Here's a close up shot of the tag in the pocket, perfect I hope for the Moving Along With the Times challenge to Tag It!

The pink pearls are from my stash. The paper on my tag is just some lined notebook paper cut with the die then trimmed a tiny bit smaller and with the corners nipped out so it sits nicely on the tag.

And here is the back of my notebook. I've used the plainer die from my new set to create pockets for tiny tags top and bottom, and then the fancy edge in the set to create another deeper pocket at the bottom. The same Forest branch die and a flower finish things off.  The little tags are just cut with various SB dies I've collected over the years.

Well that's it for today.  Mum has visitors coming to see her this afternoon so I had better tidy up a bit, at least sweep up my crafty bits from under the dining room table!

I have just finished making a tiny album from a cereal box .. .. You Tube has a lot to answer for! I will take some pictures of it, but have no idea what to do with it as it's so small and will only be suitable for tiny pictures - perhaps just cut out bits then .. .. hopefully I'll be back to share with you tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a lovely weekend whatever you are doing.

Spring Fever at CCT

It's Thursday so time for another challenge at Cute Card Thursday.  Our theme is 'Spring Fever' and you don't have to make a card .. .. anything you like that fits the theme is ok with us!  We are sponsored by Whimsy Stamps for this challenge, stop by the blog to read all about it.

Well, I recently made a felt Easter Egg .. .. although bunny hopped off when my grandsons visited the other week!  I die cut the pieces from craft felt, it's not the best quality as I'm still learning and working with a thinner felt is easier on my fingers when hand stitching.  For his face and bib front I just used a dries clear pva glue to stick the layers together, it seems to hold well, at least so far. You can see from the picture that the bunny comes with a little fluffy tail (or a flower if you like).  The egg die is from an old X-cut set that comes out in the spring, Bunny is a Marianne Design die of course, COL1354, my attempts at cutting the felt bow didn't work - it kept disintegrating as my felt was so thin, so I added a pink satin bow instead along with the ribbon loop to hang up the egg.  The flower has a little pearl bead in the centre and a stitched stem leading to the leaves which are from a die cut flower, just snipped off a couple of petals to create the leaves.  I had fun making it, just don't scrutinise my hand stitching too closely!

We are enjoying sunny days here in Cornwall so I am making the most of them and starting to garden again.  A few things need splitting up as they have gotten too big, and others need shifting as they haven't done so well where they are.  I'm taking it easy, avoiding too much digging in one day and leaving the grass to grow long .. .. my mowing days may be over as my neck has disintegrated a little more and any vibration up my arms causes a headache for days.  I'll have to go wild and sow meadow flowers in the grass, or find someone to come cut it for me!

Thank you for stopping by, and look forward to your visit again soon.

It's a dog's life!

Here are some more little 4" square cards I've been making for St Francis Dog Rescue, and this time I thought I'd use my cute Penny Black puppy stamps.

I've been using up scraps of paper from the magazine box and the digi scrap box, along with odds and ends of embellishments.

Here are the individual cards:

This one is my favourite, although the colours aren't true as it should be a soft peachy pink - ah well! The ribbon is a rust, as are the leaves, you can make out the true colour in the flower centre. I wonder why that came out ok but the rest didn't?

Flower and skeleton leaves are Marianne Design dies, the fancy border is a piece from my bit box, I think a Nellie Snellen die, and the corners are old dies from the hand gadget that looked like a lever .. .. I still have it and a few dies, at the back of the cupboard!

This is quite a small stamp from one of the translucent sets, sorry can't get off my backside and go to the other end of the house to my craft stash and find out the name .. .. being a lazy bones this late in the day.  Izzy is flat out on my bed behind me, obviously an afternoon in the garden 'helping' me has worn him out!

The scallop piece across the join in the patterned papers is cut with my new Marianne Design die set LR0343.  I've been using this set a lot over the past couple of days .. .. playing!

My least favourite of the three cards.  I think because I stamped onto a smooth cream card that doesn't take Copics quite as well and then just coloured in shades of warm grey .. .. it looks dull to me.

Anyway, hopefully someone will like it and to brighten the card up I've added a smattering of diamante bling! The papers are Nitwits that came with a magazine, the ric rac strip was with it and a pain to cut out! the ivy die cut is a Marianne Design die and the flowers are made with Nellie Snellen punch and emboss sets of punches.

The Corrosive Challenge blog theme is 'our animal friends' so I can enter my cards with them.

MD Divas card for a man or boy

I've been absent from the Marianne Design Divas for the past few months, but hopefully will be able to get back into the swing of things now, especially as you all know I love my Marianne Design crafty goodies!

The new challenge is to create a card for a man or a boy, using your MD products of course.  See the blog for full rules and to drool at the fabulous inspiration from the rest of the DT .. .. I really do feel out of place there and need to 'up my game'!

Anyway, I stamped up skateboarding Don then masked him and stamped the little tree from the Spring Don and Daisy background set, unfortunately not too well and my attempt to add the outline to the leaves is a bit odd looking, I think I should have left the leaves faded .. .. or scrapped it and started again. But I thought it would be ok .. .. so by the time I'd coloured up my image I didn't have the heart, or the will, to start over.

Here's the card and details of the Marianne Design products I used with links to the Cuddly Buddly shop as they are sponsoring our challenge this time around, as well as Marianne Design too.

background paper from Garden Party bloc PK9108

stamps: skateboarding Don DDS3307 and Spring background DDS3332

die cut mat for image LR0234

bunting LR0329

little bows from set LR0328

balloons PP1401

I hope you will come join in this month, enter as many times as you like using your MD goodies, check for rules etc first juts to be sure.

Mothering Sunday has been a quiet day here, just me and Mum.  The boys visited last weekend and left me cards to open, but unfortunately the box of chocs didn't make it past mid week - oops!  The bottle of posh fizz I'll save for when they are here to enjoy it with me, and the two books should keep me out of mischief for quite some time! Thanks boys (and the rest of the family too).  I love the picture of my grandson that my DIL has put on her Facebook page today, he is doing crochet - way to go Tristan! I'll see if I can share it on my page .. .. 

CCT Celebrations!

This week at Cute Card Thursday we are celebrating our 7th birthday! I can't believe we are that old .. .. seems like only yesterday a group of friends started up the challenge blog because we all liked cute stamps - the rest, as they say, is history!

Our sponsor for our Celebrations challenge is Katharina from Whiff of Joy, Katharina was part of our original DT then went on to open her own craft store.

We are a little thin on the ground DT wise this week, life has a habit of getting in the way of crafting sometimes.  But there is some inspiration for you and with an easy peasy theme I'm sure you'll be able to join in our fun and Celebrate!

So, onto my card.  I made this one for my DIL who celebrated her birthday earlier this week, so it's now safe to share it with you.  She has recently adopted a little 'chalky' dog, who thankfully gets on with Izzy, although for the most part they tend to ignore each other. Of course, I have a preference for spaniels so love this cute LOTV stamp of Emma walking her duo.  I've coloured my stamped image with Copics, here's the card:

I've used papers from the Marianne Design French Roses pretty paper pack PK9106, did the embossed faux stitching around the edge and matted with red card stock.  I had an email from Sandi asking how I do the embossed faux stitches, it;s easy Sandi!  I line my paper up against the edge of Marianne Design border die LR0161 and then just run an embossing ball tool down the stitch line, moving the paper as I go as the die is quite short. Does that make sense to you?

I created the flowers from tissue paper cut with different sizes of dies from LR0145 then scrunched them up a bit.  I used a brad through the layers to keep it all together.  The spiky sprays are from  LR0107 and the pretty lacy red mat behind my image is cut from the big heart LR0299. The butterflies are created with a Nellie Snellen punch and emboss set I've had years now so don't know if it is still available.  Other bits and bobs are from my craft stash.

Moving Along With The Times blog are playing Bingo this week, and I have the diagonal line that includes a die cut (I've several), an image and gems or pearls (got both).

Thank you for stopping by again, and hopefully see you soon!

Happy Easter

A couple more Penny Black cuties for St Francis .. .. weather permitting I'll need to take the stash over to them this week. These two are also from the spring Garden Friends transparent set and the stamped images are coloured with Copics.  Oddments of paper with the embossed faux stitches then the stamped text that came free with a magazine a year or so back, and a smattering of tiny punched flowers, oh and a bow on the little chick card that I happened to have already coloured and tied in my bit box.  I started buying a reel of white organza then using my Copic pens to colour the ribbon so it matches my image, it does make the ribbon a bit stiffer, although that's not always a bad thing.

The pretty mats are cut with the small frilly Marianne Design die from CR1241 and the plain scallop oval behind is from my first ever Spellbinders set called classic ovals.  Not sure if it's still available, if so I need to get the second size .. .. they used to do two of each set so they would mat and layer but I only got one scallop and one plain. I forget to use them as old stuff tends to sit at the back of the die box .. .. I need to be better organised!

The Stampavie and More blog challenge is for Easter creations so I'll join in with them and my couple of Easter cuties.

Thanks for stopping by! I'm eagerly awaiting the postman for a little parcel of crafty stash I ordered at the weekend .. .. it's been dispatched so fingers crossed I can play later today!

Spring Bunnies

The MAWTT blog challenge is to show your bunnies! And as I had just finished up these two cuties I'd thought I'd share and join in.  They are from the Penny Black transparent Spring set and are a couple more of the little 4" square cards for St Francis Animal shelter. I've used up oddments of Nitwits papers, embossing the edges with the faux stitching, then decorating with lace flowers on the first one, and a sprinkling of blooms and pearls on the second.

The Allsorts challenge blog theme is Spring is in the Air, so I'll enter my spring bunnies with them too.

Well yes, I am back to entering challenges again .. .. fingers crossed! I can only add pics and leave comments with my old main computer but it does seem to be working much better now.  I've switched the wifi cable to one I had in a drawer .. .. and maybe now the holiday season is approaching the internet is working again?  I do wonder at times if they slow us down out of season as they think there's no one about .. .. Anyway, I hope you like my couple of cuties, I'll be putting them up on my Pinterest board in just a wee while.

Die Cuts at CCT

Good Morning! well it still is just .. .. I've been for a walk with Izzy and got chatting to people en route, once the sun comes out so do the neighbours!

This week at Cute Card Thursday we want to see what you can create with your die cuts and/or punches.  Our sponsor for this challenge is Nikki from Bunny Zoe Crafts, so stop by the CCT blog to read all about the prize and see what the rest of the DT created.

My card is all die cuts, and mostly all Marianne Design from the pretty paper  in the background taken from the Flower Garden Block PK9112, to the oddment of lace from the blue Christmas pack I've had ages, and of course all the floral die cut elements.  OK the pearls are from my stash, and the Birthday word is cut from a Joy die as the Marianne one was too big!

Here's the MD dies I have used:
fancy mat LR0116
daisy flowers LR0106
rounded flowers LR0107
leaves LR0162
butterflies LR0261 and LR0158

I'm still waiting for my decorator to turn up .. .. drekly is beginning to ware thin! I know the family had a horrendous time with the second baby's birth but he did say he would be here this week .. .. and I would like to get this place finished off before starting on any re-decorating! I think I'll have to stay put, although the price the Estate Agent quoted is feasible for where I would like to move to, the owner of the property I want is prevaricating and I refuse to pay over the market value.  Here I have plenty of space, the work has mostly been done, but it's just miles from family and just about anything else especially in the winter months.  I am getting to know the neighbours a bit more and must make the effort to get out even though driving on my own is nerve wracking.  Mum will just have to sit and sulk on her own as being at her beck and call almost 24/7 is doing my head in and at the moment the only time I go out is to walk Izzy!

A Micey Nice Day!

I've been making more of the little 4" square cards for St Francis Animal charity in Newquay.  I didn't get around to taking any in for Valentine's but hopefully will make it in time for Mother's Day and Easter .. .. although these have a stamped greeting that isn't specific so could be used for any occasion, except the birthday one that is.  It's been a good exercise in using up some of my paper stash, and I found another A4 box in the cupboard full of papers from craft magazines - I really shouldn't have to buy any more paper .. .. ever!

First up, from the clear Transparent Penny Black set called 'Micey Day' is this little card. There are actually 3 mice on the stamp, I carefully cut the small one at the end off so the stamped image would fit in my circle.  Magazine paper with embossed faux stitching and Marianne Design die cut flower and butterflies, together with an oddment of pink ric rac braid finish this card.

From the 'Critter Party' translucent set I've stamped the cupcake design, and the text is also from this set.  All my images are coloured with my Copic pens.  The papers are oddments of Nitwits, two designs with a length of little flower lace to hide the join. More of the embossed faux stitching and then a little butterfly I already had made up in my bit box to finish things off.

From the same set I've stamped this little mouse and one of the butterflies onto an oval lacy base die cut with Marianne Design CR1241.  The papers are from the old magazine box and I've simply embellished with the ivy die cut corners from CR1253.

The next two are from the 'Hugs' transparent set.  This is the first time I've stamped up this particular image, so cute and easy to colour.  The papers are Nitwits and again have the embossed faux stitching around the edge.  The text stamp is one from my stash and to embellish I simply added little gem hearts and a double organza bow.

The last one is also from the 'Hugs' transparent set. I've used a piece of Nitwits paper and found the small piece of raffia stuff in another oddment box .. .. it has a sparkle thread in it but that doesn't show up too well.  Because of the raffia I've had to use silicone glue to fix my image, but squashed it down so it would still be a flattish card.  Mind you, those pearls probably knock that idea for six!

Well that's it for today.  I managed a walk with Izzy this morning in the sunshine, although it's windy here, but then it's rarely not blowing from one direction or another this close to the Atlantic coast.  Now though it's pissing it down so he will have to make do with pissing in the garden! I think I will see what else I can make with my little PB transparent sets - it's getting me back into crafting again although my mojo for embellishing is still away, thankfully these tiny creations don't need too much thought for the St Francis Animal charity. Enjoy the rest of your day and thank you again for stopping by my blog to take a peek.  As usual, I'll be adding these to my new Penny Black Cute Critters folder on Pinterest if you'd like to see them there, and some of my older creations too.