Thursday 28 May 2015

CCT Just too cute!

Today's Cute Card Thursday theme is just Too Darn Cute!  We would like to see you create a real cutie, and what is more cute than a baby card!

I have used the baby stamp from Don and Daisy and coloured with my Copic pens. The postmark across the corner is stamped with Orchid Brilliance ink and I just added the star in the middle, colouring a clear one with a Copic pen, it is very subtle but pretty I think.  Want to see more .. .. here's the card:


The background paper is a scrap from my digi box, originally from Cuddly Buddly I believe.  I've added various Marianne Design die cut pieces, a tiny organza bow, punched stars and a touch of bling with more stars.  I've inked the forget-me-not flowers with a darker pink Momento and a green chalk ink for the leaves, and used the same pink ink to stamp the text.  The Marianne Design dies I used are CR1249 to cut out the stamped image, CR1307 forget-me-nots and DF3404 for the chicken wire tucked in behind.

The Die Cuttin Divas theme is Baby Love so one I can definitely enter.

Tuesday 26 May 2015

Turkey Dinner

 I managed to put together another Christmas card over the long Bank Holiday weekend, it does take a while when the garden needs tending, the dog needs walking and Mum needs sorting out - but finally, it's finished!

This is the Turkey Dinner stamp by LOTV, one of my old favourites because it has a puppy and that huge turkey, not to mention that pud on top of the stove, they are going to enjoy their festive dinner to be sure! I've coloured with my Copics and added just a touch of sparkle to the pup's Christmas hat.

Here's the card:


As I said, I started this card last week, after seeing that the Winter Wonderland blog challenge was for Festive Food and knowing I had this stamp already in my Christmas 'half-made' pile.  I also had the background paper all layered up on the card so it was a matter of layering up my image to match and adding my die cut snippets - another one for Pixie's Snippets Playground - and thank you Diane for sharing my Rudolph card, I am glad you liked it!  I will almost always have snippets on my makes as I love to use my Marianne Design dies for embellishing, I think they add interest without too much sticking up so can go through the post!

On this card I used the mini poinsettia die LR0142 along with leaves from the bigger poinsettia set LR0122.  The pine cones are from set LR0286 and the holly sprays from LR0244. I coloured the white pearls with a Copic red to match in with everything, oh and I nearly forgot, the text is cut twice with die LR0225 then layered up.

And thank you to from Scraps of Life for letting me know about the Rudolph Days challenge on her blog with fabulous prizes, starting on the 25th of each month until the end of the month, and always anything goes, so here's my entry!

The Christmas Card blog challenge is anything goes, so I'm entering with them too.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek at my creations, hope to see you here again soon!

Sunday 24 May 2015

Uptown Girls cards

 Hello again! well after a lovely sunny day yesterday, today here on the north coast of Cornwall we are enveloped in 'fizzle' that's fog and drizzle all mixed together, and although the plants in the garden love it, I don't!

I have a couple of cards made with the Stamping Bella Uptown girls to share with you, this one brand new, the second a reworking of an earlier make.

This first one is Opal the Optimist and the text comes with the stamp.  I made it for my eldest son's partner for her birthday and hopefully she has received it by now as I will probably add to my Facebook page via Pinterest, and she will get to see that .. ..

I printed off a piece of Nitwits paper and because a couple of my inks are getting low the shades are quite different but I liked it and it worked with the red mats and the sandy coloured card I used for the base and for the die cut swirl and punched layer.  I don't actually own that MS punch, it's a piece I've had in my bit box a very long time from before I moved here when I was still able to meet up for crafty Monday afternoons with friends - not sure which friend the punch belongs to though.  I've added the roses and little buds, a tiny red bow, red lace and the die cut butterflies then embellished with gems.  Simple as it had to go in the post - I hope it arrived safely.


And here is my reworked Maybelline card.  I've added the pretty lavender mat and fixed to a bigger card base, looks much better now I think.

Well that's it from me for today.  I have to clean up the mess from under the craft table plus the bits from Izzy's annihilation of a pine cone .. .. but it did keep him quiet whilst I was trying to craft!

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your Sunday and hopefully you have better weather where you are.  Still, it means I can't spend time in the garden so maybe after the tidy up I shall craft and make it all messy again .. .. ..

Friday 22 May 2015

Rudoph's Helpers!

Hello again! I am back with a little oddity card to share with you - oddity because it's made from odds and ends.  The base is a narrow strip left over when cutting a square card out of an A4 sheet of cardstock, and seems too big of a left over to add to my bit box for die cutting so I turn them into small cards that will fit in a 5" square envie.  The topper on the front is one of my older Penny Johnson stamps for Stampavie and I just coloured with my Copics and added Stickles and glaze.  I had a lot of problems with the red on that nose though .. .. red Copics are tricky and bleed easy.  Anyway, from a distance it doesn't look so bad, and with the warm grey shades I used for Rudolph it just adds to the shadow .. .. right?

I covered the base card with a scrap of Marianne Design paper, and an oddment of die cut chicken wire, then added the bow and more die cut bits and pieces embellishing with more Stickles.  I'm quite pleased how this little card turned out considering it's made from oddments of scrap.

The Marianne Design dies I used were chicken wire - DF3404, mini poinsettia - LR0142, bells and holly leaves from COL1363.

The Incy Wincy blog challenge theme is for wild animals - I have Rudolph the reindeer plus his wild robin helpers.  And the Crafty Ribbons challenge is for animals plus ribbon - so I can enter with them too.

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge just want you to use some of your favourite things, mine are colouring with my Copics, and of course my Marianne Design die cuts, especially the flowers I use to embellish nearly all my projects!  And, I won the last challenge and have received a lovely package of Kanban goodies already - thank you!

And a big thank you to Eve for giving me the link to Pixie's blog and the Snippits Challenge, I shall be joining in and adding Pixie's blog to my blogs I'm following list.

I'm scheduling this post so fingers crossed it pops up tomorrow morning whilst I'm busy - I'll come along later in the day to do the linking up. Thank you for stopping by to take a peek, and if you leave me a comment I'll come visit you too.

Thursday 21 May 2015

CCT School or Sports theme and GDT call

Hello! It's time for our next challenge at Cute Card Thursday, this time we would like you to take inspiration from school, or sports.  Of course, this is the time of year when many schools hold their Summer sports days, but, I went for a Winter sport for my card.

Our sponsor for this challenge is Whimsy Stamps, stop by the blog to read about it and for inspiration from the DT.  And, yes we are very thin on the ground and just haven't had time to put a proper DT call out.  However, if you are interested in joining us as a guest for the next month, or so, then please add GDT after your name when linking your entry to the challenge.

Back to my card, I have stamped skiing Don and used stamps from the Don and Daisy Winter scenery set in the background.  Coloured with my Copic pens and added the flakes and fine glitter for snowy effects, as well as a clear glaze over his goggles. Here is my card:


I have used a piece of background paper from one of the Marianne Design Christmas packs, a slightly awkward colour to work with but the old Almost Amethyst card from SU! is a good match!  I made more of the pearly poinsettia flowers with my little pots of pearl paint then decorated with liquid pearls, and more die cut bits and pieces.  Sorry no list of my MD dies today as I am pushed for time .. .. but I am sure you will be able to find them in the catalogue as they are all old dies that have been out for a while now.

I hope you will come and join us, and maybe think about being our GDT for the summer?

Saturday 16 May 2015

Marianne Design Divas in the Pink

Sorry I am late posting my card for the
Marianne Design Divas  challenge - but you have a whole month to join in our PINK theme.

For my card I've stamped the Don and Daisy 'Coffee Time' image then cut out with a circle die so I could layer it onto my fancy die cut mat.  I've coloured the image with Copics and added the pearl string around the edge - I've gone really girly for this one!  We are being sponsored by Marianne Design and Cuddly Buddly this time around, and I have linked up the products you can buy from CB - who have revamped and renamed as Buddly Crafts.  The pearl string I have used around the image, and snips in amongst the flowers is from them and you can find it here.

Here's my pink creation:


Marianne Design goodies I've used:
Papers from Hello Sweet Baby pack PB7041
Die cuts
Birthday COL1349

The Cutie Pie challenge is to keep it cute and layer it up - hope my card fits that theme too.  

I have the grandsons coming tomorrow so need to tidy up my crafty dining table .. .. but just a couple things to finish off first so must get a wiggle on! Enjoy your weekend, and hope you can find time to craft - maybe in Pink with your MD goodies for the Marianne Design Divas?

Thursday 14 May 2015

CCT Lovely Lace


Sorry I'm late! It's been one of those days/weeks and I've just not had enough free time to sit and write up my post for this week's Cute Card Thursday challenge, to show us some lace.  Our sponsor this time around is Katharina from Whiff of Joy, please pop over to the CCT blog to read all about it, and keep an eye open for our DT call coming very soon.  I'm guessing we have all been under a bit of pressure this week so having some lovely ladies, or gentlemen, join us will be a great help!

This is the card I made for my granddaughter Lauren's 15th birthday last month, so it's safe to share it with you now.  I've used another of my new Stamping Bella Uptown Girls stamps, this is Paisley has a pressie, and the text is part of the package.  I've coloured with my usual Copic pens, found a scrap of digi patterned paper in my bit box that matched, and of course the lace too.  Lauren doesn't do pink, but I do, so there's just the touch in the bow and pressie.  I have gone slightly overboard on the Stickles though .. .. and those big blooms I made with inking, spritzing and scrunching up some of my MD flower dies, I hope she likes them, perhaps they might come off the card and fix onto something else .. ..?  Oh, and my touch of lace is from my stash, the pretty lace flower border.

The MD dies I used to create the flower sprays were LR0111 and the small die from CR1204.  The leaves were from LR0162 and LR0192.

I have to dash away again now, so no extra challenges for this one.  I do hope you will come and play with us at Cute Card Thursday this week, it will be lovely to see you touches of lace!

Saturday 9 May 2015

Krafty Christmas Baubles

It's been hard getting back into crafting this week after visitors and lots of diy jobs last weekend. But, finally today, I've managed to have a play with my stash.  First up, my pictures are looking grey instead of brown, I've used kraft card for my base and lots of my die cuts too, and that piece of ribbon is a light brown as well - I really don't know if it's my camera or the light levels that are making things looking washed out.  Anyhow, I've made a card and an ornament using the Marianne Design bauble dies that I recently got on offer .. .. and time is passing by and so far I've only made one Christmas card this year!

I've also been playing around with paints, after watching the Shena shows on C&C and seeing the pre-views on Facebook.  I have lots of little pots of paint so fished them out .. .. My flowers are die cut with the mini poinsettia dies just out of thin copy paper, then I've painted with red pearly water colours, you know the little pots that are solid and you have to spritz or just drop on water .. .. can't remember what they are called, but I have a box of them!  Once dry I've moulded them and stuck the layers together, the paint stiffens the paper quite a bit and I'm pleased with the results, just a bit of scrap paper and hey presto a gorgeous pearly red poinsettia!  Here's the card:


I've used Marianne Design Winter papers for my bauble and behind it.  As I said, it is kraft card and apart from a little matting and the faux stitches inked with brown chalk ink, the base card is quite simple.  I die cut the paper and bauble the same size, embossed the edge then stuck together to make it a bit firmer and better to 3d fix.  The edge of the bauble is also inked in brown.  The fibre stuff is from my stash and should be showing cream, the scrap of MD lace is ivory and the pearls on the tree made with my pearl pen are also ivory.  The bits of string are brown and the die cuts are either kraft or cream card with ivory snow added here and there.  It's quite a country looking creation in real life!

This is a close up of my kraft bauble, and the trees are a much darker green too, and the poinsettia is red!  The snow on the tree this time is white, so the camera got that bit right!

Here it is:


Well, if you can imagine it brown instead of grey you can see where I was going.  I've cut the paper by drawing around the inside of the die then cutting out and inking the edge before sticking down. I've also dabbed just about everything with the Snowcap dabber to look icy .. .. did it work?  I cut two of the hanging loops and stuck them back to back to make the top firmer so I could loop the string through without fear of the card tearing.  Again, all MD papers and die cuts, except for the Martha Stewart frond punch.

Here's the MD die list I used on both the bauble and the card:
Bauble set COL1361
Christmas tree LR0136
mini poinsettia LR0142
pine cones and branches LR0286
pine needles from set LR0227
background row of trees on bauble CR1287
snowflake on card from set CR1225

The Allsorts challenge is to use at least 3 die cuts on your creations, think I can well and truly tick that box for them!

Crafty Hazelnut's Chrimstmas Challenge this week is for Vintage or Shabby Chic designs, hopefully my card and bauble fit that theme too.

Thursday 7 May 2015

CCT Add a brad


It's Thursday again so time for a new challenge on the CCT blog.  This week all you have to do is add a brad, or two, or lots, to your creation.  Our sponsor for this challenge is Nikki from Bunny Zoe crafts.  You will see from the CCT blog that we are a wee bit thin on DT cards this week, so there is going to be a DT call coming soon - keep an eye on the blog if you are interested in joining the most laid back design team out there!

To my card then: I have inked up another of my new Stamping Bella Uptown Girls, this is Brynn has a baby shower, and I've coloured with my Copic pens then added touches of Stickles and a white pen on the polka dot trim on her dress.  Papers are from my scrap box and to decorate I've added the flowers with mini sparkle brads in the centres.  Die cuts are all by Marianne Design, of course!  Here's the list:

nappy pins from LR0217
lace edge (plus same die used to create my faux stitching) LR0161
swirls LR0271
centres of flowers from LR0105
flowers from COL1323

The My Time To Craft blog theme is new baby, perhaps a little premature but certainly expecting a special delivery!

Saturday 2 May 2015

Guest DT spot on Don and Daisy blog

I was asked to be a guest designer again on the Don and Daisy blog, and here is my card for the new butterfly challenge - to have butterflies as well as a Don and Daisy stamp or cutting sheet design on your creation, plus as many Marianne Design goodies as you can muster!

I have stamped Daisy in the Sunshine and coloured her with my Copic pens, the sky is the pale BG shades but isn't showing up too well, and even less in the main picture.

I took another photo and this time, on a dull day, the grass does at least look green instead of blue!


I've used lots of different Marianne Design goodies, so here's the list:

Daisy in the sunshine stamp DDS3320 with a couple of extra butterflies stamped too.
Garden Party paper pack PK9108 (trying to match the greeny/blue is what got me into trouble!)
Square mat for my image from LR0234
Bay tree and butterfly LR0261
Swirl from LR0112
Flowers COL1323
Butterfly border CR1267

I coloured my clear domes and pearls with a Copic so they would match in, and made the bay tree into a standard topiary design. As I had a piece of waste paper from a previous project I fussy cut the design and 3d mounted to just below Daisy, linking her to the paper behind .. .. ..  I've omitted a sentiment so I can use the card for any occasion by adding something inside when I need it.

I hope you like my Summertime Daisy card and will stop by the Don and Daisy blog to see what the DT have made for the butterfly challenge.  Perhaps you can come and join in too?

Friday 1 May 2015

Don and Daisy moving house

That should read Jay and Maria just moved house! My visitors arrive later this evening and I made this card for them as they recently moved house (made a chocolate cake too).

And, I also made it for the Marianne Design challenge to create something with Don and Daisy.  I've stamped up the main image then masked and added the window and clock from the At Home scenery set.  Colouring with Copics as usual, here is the card:


My paper in the background is from the Hello Sweet Baby pack, plus a scrap from another set by MD. I recently treated myself to a couple new dies, the sweet forget-me-nots and the New Home. I cut the main forget-me-not flowers a second time from ivory card then inked through the die to give the flower petals, and finished them with a lavender Liquid Pearls.  I've also inked through the new home die and then cut out a mat from the lavender card by drawing around the outside of the die and cutting out.  A little bow finishes things off.

So, here is the list of MD goodies on this card:

The papers from Hello Sweet Baby pack PB7041
Don and Daisy moving stamp DDS3302, At Home scenery stamp DDS3343
scallop edge die CR1273
Forget-me-nots die CR1307
New Home die CR1314

And on the inside I used the house die and a stamp that comes with it - COL1333


Thanks for stopping by, and see you again soon!