Splish Splash!

• This week on Cute Card Thursday our theme is splish, splash .. .. little April showers, although we have had very little rain here in North Cornwall during April, things are beginning to dry out and I'm using the water butts to fill the watering cans already! Not to worry though as the weather man says that by Sunday it will be splishing and splashing in a little April shower.  Our sponsor for this challenge is Whimsy Stamps, stop by the blog to read all about it and take a look at the rest of the creations the DT have put together for your inspiration, then come join in!

So, going with the theme of watering the garden, allbeit with the watering can, I've inked up one of my old Sarah Kay stamps and coloured her with my Copic pens to match the new Marianne Design Rose Garden pretty paper pad I just got.

Here's the card: I've added my signature faux embossed stitches around the edge of the pretty paper then inked with a soft aqua chalk ink, using the same ink to highlight the embossed areas on my die cuts.  And, as you would expect from me, the die cut pieces are all Marianne Design, here's the list:

Petra's large fancy oval LR0240- I cut out the middle to make a frame for my image.
daisy flowers LR0106 with stamens cut from seed heads in LR0105
white open flowers from the set LR0112 with stamens from mini poinsettia set LR0142
leaf sprays LR0150
tiny butterflies LR0261

The ABC challenge blog are up to the letter J for just as you like - so anything goes then!  As they are being sponsored by Marianne Design I'm going to enter my card with them.

I'm a Marianne Design Diva!

My first card as a Marianne Design Diva! oh what a buzz when Blankina asked me if I'd like to join - oh yes please!  Now I have just got to keep adding to my collection of MD goodies - no excuses!

Well, this is my card for the Anything Goes challenge, so a nice easy one to get started.  I managed to get a couple of the pretty paper pads from Nikki at Bunny Zoe's when she had an offer on recently, and a couple of the new stamps from Cuddly Buddly (plus a die or two) so I was all set to go.

This stamp caught my eye as I thought it could be used for so many different romantic occasions.  I've coloured the image with my Copic pens and added white pearl highlights with a white Souffle pen.  Here's the card:

It's bigger than I have been making recently but I needed something to show off the different Marianne Design products.  I think you can see what is where so I'll dive in with the list:

patterned papers from Hello Sweet Baby bloc PB7041
embossed faux stitches around edge of paper created with LR0161 and inked with Pumice Stone DI
Richelieu lace JU0865
stamp HM9463
text stamp CS0886
heart die CR1225
flowers created from smallest flower die in CR1203 plus pink stamens from mini poinsettia set LR0142, spiky flowers cut with stamen die from LR0111
leaves with smallest die in LR0156
bay tree in a pot and butterflies LR0261

There are two sponsors for each Marianne's Design Divas challenge, the first this time is Nikki from Bunny Zoe's (prize to be announced) and the second prize from Marianne is two sweet baby dies (wish I could win them!).

Here's my youngest grandson showing off his Easter Egg!  We die cut the egg shape and the background paper, then added ribbon (including the hanging loop that he thought would best be shown off via his mouth) and die cut flowers and leaves - Marianne Design of course.  He had fun turning the handle on my old CB and adding glitter glue and liquid pearls to the flowers.  Well done Tristan!  His big brother made an owl from felt but I forgot to take a picture of it when we came back from the beach.  Tristan has taken his die cut felt owl pieces home to finish with Mum - I'm looking forward to seeing the results.

I had a lovely day with them all and enjoyed a bracing walk along the beach at Treyarnon Bay, then a glass of cider at the Youth Hostel overlooking the bay, it's a fab place for sun-downers should you be visiting down this way.  Unfortunately, I risked having some of the delicious Mediterranean bread with the bbq and have been suffering ever since .. .. well at least I know I can't have the gluten without the aches and pains returning, not to mention the huge bloated tummy and cramps.  I can cheat a little bit on the lactose, but no way on the gluten!

Easter Basket

I am rather late sharing my card for this week's Easter challenge at Cute Card Thursday, but as they say - better late than never!  Our sponsor for this challenge is Whiff of Joy stamps, and I already see lots of Easter baskets, bunnies and chicks have been entered!

My simple creation is what I call a left overs card - left over papers from last year's Spring pack, left over card and a scrap of left over lace and ribbon too.  The little eggs are die cut from scraps, the rest of the die cuts are by Marianne Design.  I've inked the embossed areas and edges of the papers with Sahara Sand chalk ink and then finished off with the pearls.

So, for the list of Marianne Dies I used:
basket is CR1206
the embossed faux stitches are made with LR0161
the little butterfly is from LR0261
and the pretty flowers are from COL1323

Moving Along With The Times have a spring/Easter challenge and so do Papertake Weekly, so I can enter my Easter basket with both of them.

Enjoy your weekend - I am looking forward to seeing my grandson's on Sunday, perhaps the Easter bunny will come early for them!

Marianne Design Tag Challenge

The Marianne Design blog challenge #101 running until 9th April is to make two gift tags, or a mix of tag and gift card, I think that's the translation anyway. So this afternoon in between cutting grass and walking dogs I've managed to put these two tags together.  I had a couple of plain white labels to start with then got a bit inky and added the patterned paper and die cuts.  Here they are close up:

This is the pink one and the second one I made, and perhaps not my favourite.  The post man brought me the pretty bird die but I had several failed attempts at trying to ink through the die to pick up the embossed areas - every time I got ink under the die and smudged on the birds so in the end I just cut, embossed and then added a bit of soft ink all over the top.

And this is the green one with touches of blue.  I found the green ribbon in my stash from ages ago, it is double sided and I quite like the look I got when I tied the bow.  I've been playing about at making flowers with my dies (more successful ones to show another time) and fiddled about making the blue flowers by cutting in to the centre of the die cut flower and overlapping a couple of the petals, then cutting between the petals to give a more realistic look, although the coredinations card stock I used is really a bit to thick.

So this is the list of Marianne Design products I've used:
Both the pink and blue papers are from the Beautiful Butterflies pad PK9089 with faux embossed stitches created with LR0161 then inked up with chalk ink to emphasize.
Both have a layer cut from LR0117 also inked.
The birds on the pink tag are LR0298 and then I just finished off with pearls and the satin ribbon.
On the green tag I stamped a text then added the butterflies from LR0158 with pearl bodies.  The blue flowers are made from the smallest die in LR0145 with pearl stamens pushed through.  I've embellished with snips of green swirl cut from LR0116, fronds from LR0107 and blue seed heads from LR0106.

At Crafty Ribbons it's anything with a ribbon so I can enter with them as well.

CCT All Boy

Hello again! it seems an age since I was last sharing a card with you .. .. so much else going on just now with family and the house that crafting has been on the back boiler - but I will have some good news to share with you soon.

It's time for our next challenge at Cute Card Thursday and this time it's all boy - a card for a man or boy. Nikki at Bunny Zoe's Crafts is sponsoring our challenge this week so why not stop by the CCT blog to read all about it and see what the DT have come up with for your inspiration.

I finally got to colouring in this chap from LOTV - I got him a while ago but apart from stamping and cutting out the circle that's as far as I'd got.  I've coloured with my Copic pens to match the papers from the Maja Design Life in the Country pad I won recently - lots of pretty flower pages along with checks and plaids on the reverse sides so perfect for all kinds of occasions.

My base card is another of the off cuts from the square cards I've been making so hanging the circle design off the edge adds interest as well as fitting the square envelope.  I'd got the golf club charms as a prize too a while back so fixed them to the stamped text tag with a little red brad.  I've run the edges of the papers down my Marianne Design die LR0161 to give the faux stitching and highlighted with a brown chalk ink, a sprinkling of punched stars and a trio of brads finished it off.  Now I would have loved to embellish with flowers and swirls but this is a manly card - so stars is all it gets!

The Corrosive Challenge blog want to see metal this time around so with my metal brads and charm I can enter with them.

That's it for the craft chatter, however, I have been pondering a question this week and would like your thoughts.  As many of you know, I live with my elderly mother who is almost housebound, only venturing out in a wheelchair for hospital appointments (although I am hoping she might like to get out a little more come the warmer weather).  Monday morning a nurse walked in, unannounced I might add, to take blood from Mum.  I had no idea she was calling and Mum was just getting out of the shower, and I was still in my dressing gown (I wait until Mum is dressed before I get myself sorted - just in case).  I stopped her from barging in on Mum, naked, which she didn't like .. .. nurse or no nurse, Mum deserves some privacy!  I queried why she had called without phoning first to make sure it was convenient .. .. her reply was that medical staff don't need to make appointments to see house-bound patients and can just turn up and walk in when they like, for whatever reason.  As it happens the front door was unlocked (we live in a relatively safe area and rarely lock the door during the day if we are home as neighbours will come and go, but at least they shout out before coming past the porch area.  I asked the nurse what she would have done if the door had been locked .. .. she said that as Mum was housebound it wouldn't be and asked me if I locked my mother in when I went out - as if that was a crime!

It has set me to thinking - what should I do? Do all housebound people have to leave their front doors open just in case a doctor or nurse should call?  If I pop to the shops I'm gone for at least an hour, or the local shop up the road can be half an hour if I meet someone for a chat.  I've never thought about it before and generally have left the door unlocked.  But, what if some no-do-well had come along, walked in and attacked Mum and taken stuff?  I wouldn't be insured against the loss as I'd left the door open, and Mum could be seriously hurt.  But, if I lock up an elderly old lady am I being cruel and heartless (as implied by the nurse) and breaking some other humanitarian law?  I know some of you are or have been in similar situations and I would like to know your thoughts and experiences on the matter - either here or email me at anniejuk@yahoo.com

Bye for now
xx

CAS Christmas

I hate computers!  I have some free time so have been trying to leave comments but more times than not nothing happens when I click on a 'leave comment' box and a message pops up that the blog doesn't exist - excuse me! what then am I looking at!

Anyway, deep breath, and when I checked my blog post listings I saw Charisma Cardz are looking for CAS designs this week.  This card I made a while back and is just a plain ivory base, the red you see behind it is the envelope. I've cut out the fancy red layer from red card then added a stamped and fussy cut oval layer with 3d tape.  It's one of the stamps on a My Paper World Christmas set and I've coloured with Copics then added touches of sparkle.  The text in the middle is, I think, from LOTV stamped in red - clean and simple!

And over on the Christmas Card challenge blog it's anything goes so I can enter with them too.

I have to clear away my craft stash from the dining table and sideboard as the family are descending for Mother's Day.  I commented to my eldest that although it's lovely to see them all I didn't fancy slaving in the kitchen to feed 8 people a roast dinner - so he said he'd cook it!  That will be something to look forward to, perhaps someone might even bring me breakfast in bed .. .. but I'd better not hold my breath!

CCT Floral Delights

So sorry I'm late! it's been one of those days, but at least I got most of the things done on my list of chores.  This week on the Cute Card Thursday blog we are celebrating with flowers and our sponsor is Bugaboo Digi Stamps - stop by the CCT blog to read all about it and see the rest of the DT's makes.

I have gone back in time with my card, using an old wood mounted rubber stamp by Anna Griffin to stamp with grey Momento ink before colouring with my Copic pens.  I like the soft look and the way it turned out, although I didn't notice the tail of the ribbon covering up some of the design, but I think you can see it ok and get the general look of what I did.  Here's the card:

It's a simple layout, square on square with a little foam tape here and there for dimension.  The white embossed layer is created with a new Crafts-Too embossing folder I got recently, it's a rectangle but easy to cut in half and layer to make the square and then hide the join with ribbon.  The pretty heart button is from my stash. and the patterned paper is more from the Maya Road pad I recently won with edges softened with snowcap Distress marker thingy (it's late and my ME brain isn't working at remembering the names of things).

Divas by Design theme is for button and bows, and Crafty Ribbons it's Ribbon and buttons - hope just the one is ok.

I need to get to bed now or I'll be useless tomorrow - so catch up again soon.

Eline's Baby Bear in a Basket

The current challenge over at Marianne Design Divas blog is for a baby creation, using at least 3 different MD products of course. Marianne has just brought out some beautiful baby dies and stamps, but unfortunately I'm not able to add them to my collection just yet (need to pay the car insurance first).  So, I have made a simple little card with a digi image and papers from Eline's baby sets available at Cuddly Buddly - you will recognise the style as Eline also has created lots of stamps and dies for Marianne Design too.  And, whoopie! my printer is working again .. .. unfortunately the pc was not working over the weekend having gotten itself a nasty bug or two so that didn't help things much!  It's going to need a little more tlc before fully recovering but at least I'm able to blog a little and browse Pinterest so I'm happy again.

And here is my card - I took the picture yesterday in the conservatory as the sun was glorious for a little while, but of course it has given me shadows too although that helps you to see the embossed faux stitches around the edges of my patterned paper.  I coloured the cute teddy bear image with my Copic pens then cut out and matted with a lace doily.  The die cuts are of course all by Marianne Design and the white flowers I've cut out of sparkly felt for a little touchy feely texture. A length of gross grain ribbon and a pearl button, plus the pearls in the centre of the flowers and the butterfly body finish things off.

These are the Marianne Design dies I used:
lace doily CR1201
lace strip and faux embossed stitches LR0161
white sparkly felt flowers LR0145
pink flowers from the cupcake die LR0160
pink swirls LR0116
little butterfly LR0261

At last it has stopped raining, although the wind is still not far short of a gale .. .. I wonder if it would be mad to finish painting the fence?  That tin of blue paint I told you about, well it was old and didn't mix too well so by the time I was half way through it was pale blue, and then at the bottom almost white!  I've gone over the original coat of blue so now all except the top bar is looking sort of blue/grey, which I like a lot better! I have a tin of Jasmine white wood paint I can use to go over the top rung and do the other side - that is so that I can see the fence in the dark when I'm driving towards it and stop in time!

Shabby Chic Butterfly

It was a miserable afternoon yesterday and impossible to do anything in the garden, so I thought I'd have a bit of a play.  The cover of the March issue of Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine caught my eye recently, with cards created by Fleur using two sets of the Viva Decor My Paperworld stamps that I have, so I got it to see what she had made - some beautiful cards for inspiration.

I dug out my heat gun and some old white embossing powder (I must try the Frantage stuff some day) and got to inking and heating .. .. this is my first effort with white embossing powder on kraft card:

The finished card, another of the off cut bases and a pretty piece of paper from a Maja Design pack called Life in the Country that I recently won from Live & Love Crafts. I've added snowcap dabber to the image oval and the kraft scallop oval and the edge of the patterned paper, although it is not to clear in the picture.  I've also added Picket Fence Distress Stickles around the edge of the image and to some of the flower, again not showing up!  My embellishments are Marianne Design die cut leaves and swirls, punched flowers from the same paper with the edges inked with Pumice Stone DI, and little pearl stamens also from the same prize win. I've added pearls to the centres of my flowers with a Waco pearl pen, I see some have spread a bit, ah well perhaps it adds to the shabby chic style!

I saw this morning that the Fussy and Fancy Friday challenge is for Shabby Chic this week - perfect!

I have to go on the drug run this afternoon for all Mum's pills so will do a bit of shopping at the same time, although Tesco in Padstow is small and doesn't have everything I need but at least I can stock up on fruit and veg.  One side of the fence is painted blue now, I managed to get out between showers this morning, apart from the bottom piece that still has to be put on.  There wont be enough paint to do both sides, but I'm not totally convinced about the colour anyway .. .. still it might grow on me!

It's a Wild World!

It's Thursday so time for another challenge at Cute Card Thursday - this week we are going wild!  I've been rather poorly so the Easter Bunny is about as wild as I'm feeling just at the moment, and he's one of my older LOTV stamps I've coloured with my Copic pens then cut out with an egg shaped die. I have given his fluffy tail a wee touch of sparkle with Lace Stickles .. .. I do hope he doesn't land in the middle of those daffs!

Our sponsor for this challenge is Whimsy Stamps, do stop by the CCT blog to read all about it and see the rest of the DTs creations for inspiration, then come join in the fun!

And here is my card, another of the off cuts from creating a small square base so room to hang an embellishment off the side and still have it fit the square envelope.  I've used up some of my Easter pad papers from last year and green Coredinations card from my stash that was a good match.  The rest is just odds and ends of ribbon and pearls and butterflies die cut from a scrap of orange card.  The text came as a magazine freebie and although I've layered it and the egg with 3d foam, it's barely 1mm thick so doesn't add too much dimension to the card for posting.

I will have to browse the challenges to see if I can link up to any, my tummy is still not right but I am on the mend, just feeling drained and tire at the slightest effort of doing things.  Everyone else has been ok so I put it down to a bug at the Hospital last Friday when I took Mum for her appointment - we were there for hours, and hours and with lots of doors to push open, goodness knows what I picked up.

I found a challenge to enter: at Crafty Ribbons this week it's anything goes with ribbon, so with my acid yellow organza I can enter with them.

I am itching to paint the fence that Jason has made in the garden and at 2am remembered I had a tin of blue wood paint in the shed!  I'd brought it with me from our old place, although I can't remember the shade of blue and the tin was never opened so there should be more than enough to give the fence a couple of coats, as long as I can find it, and if it  doesn't rain too heavily over the weekend that's what I plan to do.

Spreading Wings

I'm scheduling this one, so fingers crossed you get to see it!

My card today is one I made with the cut off card piece from yesterday's square card, but with overhangs so it will still need the square envelope. I've inked one of my LOTV robin stamps and coloured with my Copic pens for a traditional card in shades of red and green.

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge is called 'spread your wings', whilst the Crafty Little Fairies want to see things with wings this week - so I can enter this card with them.

Here's the card.There's some plaid and stripe paper in the background with the faux stitch edging inked in brown chalk ink.  I've decorated with various Marianne Design die cuts, pearly red gems and a scrap of brown ric-rac ribbon. I hope you like it.

These are the Marianne Design dies I used:
banner COL1324 with text from COL1325
mini poinsettias LR0142
ivy sprays LR0206
twigs and pine cones LR0286

Girls, Girls, Girls!

I'm back!  I've gone back to Chrome and things seem to be working, Jason used Safari and that was useless for pictures, so hopefully now I will be able to blog, browse and maybe even do some commenting!

This week's theme at Cute Card Thursday is an easy peasy one - Girls, girls, girls!  Our prize is from Whiff of Joy and you can see the rest of the DT's creations on the CCT blog - I'll go and load mine once I finish here.

I had this cutie already stamped up, she is called Dawn Sharing a Biscuit from Nellie's Choice stamps and I've coloured here with my Copic pens then added touches of Stardust Stickles for the snow.

And here's the card - another of my small squares created with SU! card then a scrap piece of Nitwits paper with a white mat.  I've given the image a mat as well and added the embossed faux stitches around the edge.  I actually had the image coloured up in my Christmas box already, left over from before last Christmas and I had planned to keep things quite plain and simple, my version of CAS!  But, I just had to have a little embellishment especially as I wanted to use the sparkly red berries I recently won.  I die cut the pine cone from Coredinations and sanded it back then added the pine leaves, topping things off (to hide the glue mess) with the text on a die cut banner.  All Marianne Design dies of course, here't the list:

faux stitches with LR0161
pine cone from LR0286
pine leaves from LR0227
banner from COL1324 with text from COL1325

Not sure if there are any challenges I can link up to as I've been without the pc for the last week and haven't caught up yet - I might find some and add in a bit .. ..

I have to take Mum to Trelisk Hospital tomorrow so will schedule a card for the morning, fingers crossed it works.  Then I have no idea what is happening at the weekend as DH has a broken van, again!  We had planned to visit the Farmers's Market at Bodmin Herbs on Saturday morning then go for a carvery lunch at the Weighbridge garden centre as I have a voucher - plus no doubt there would be a plant or two to catch my eye!  And hopefully now that Jason is back home we can do more to finish off the jobs around the house and garden .. .. the gravel area by the shed is now finished, Jay just wants to put a fence across to give some privacy and divide things up a little.  He's dug out a semi circle of lawn around the drain cover ready to lay a brick edge and then infill with the left over gravel to give an area for the BBQ or seating - just need to get stuff from the builders yard to actually do the work (plus a little more gentle nagging from me!) So weather permitting I will be in the garden, but if I do get a moment to myself I'll try crafting a little and catching up with you all.  Whatever you have planned, I hope the sun shines and you enjoy!

Having problems

I'm having BIG problems with my 'new' pc .. .. I have my son's old machine as it was supposedly going to be faster and has more memory and operating capacity HA! I can't get on to Pinterest at all, (and I could live on that site) and since last night I can't get into Facebook either.  I can't load pictures, see pictures, or click on anything with pictures including my emails.  So, apart from chucking it out the window I'm not sure what I will do - well me, nothing.  I will have to do a lot of moaning and groaning to my son and hope that he can fix it.  So far the excuse is that 'something' is blocking the internet signal between my bedroom and the box in the living room - so it wasn't entirely my old machine at fault then.  But even so, my old machine could load pictures with just 3 bars of signal, this one can't and most times I'm only getting 2 bars - oh for the days of a 5 bar signal .. .. just once, now and then.

I will be back, don't know when or how - so until then friends .. .. ..

A gem of a challenge!

This week we have a gem of a challenge for you at Cute Card Thursday - yes, we want to see a touch of bling!  Well, the postman came with this cute Marianne Design basket die (and a few other bits and pieces) I found at Bunny Zoe's craft shop, it has been on my wish list a while but being an older die is not always available, so I grabbed it quick!  Nikki is sponsoring our gem challenge and did you know she is offering 20% off stamps .. .. I had to have a few of those too!  Anyway, as soon as I opened the die I had to have a play with it, and with the gem theme in mind I got out a little bag of flower gems I got at a show way back, fiddled about with other little die cut pieces and this is what I made.  It's a small C6 card and fairly flat despite the flower gems.  The bigger flowers, the clear ones, have a dip in the centre so I added little pink gems to them and to the bodies of the tiny butterflies too (from another new to me die set - they are so sweet).

Here's the list of Marianne Design things on this card:
Pretty Paper bloc PK9089 Beautiful Butterflies for my pink patterned background paper I've edged with pink Stickles.
ivory lacy background die cut from LR0272
basket die CR1206 and tiny leaves CR1210
larger leaf sprays LR0192
butterflies from LR0261
banner with text stamp COL1324

I couldn't see any other challenges to link up my flower basket too, perhaps you know of one or two?

This morning I've woken up with a stiff neck and headache, due no doubt to carrying a large heavy pot of lilies from one end of the garden to another .. .. I should know by now not to strain my neck muscles.  So, I've dosed myself with Ibruprofen and after another cup of coffee will have to get the car out and go to Tescos or I can't do any laundry, and I need to do change Mum's bedding today.  I'll take it easy, and maybe craft a little when I get back, although with the boxed set of A Song of Ice and Fire to read, a gift from DH, I keep getting distracted.  I'd told him that I'd like to ready and/or see the Game of Thrones, so he got me the set at a bargain price - that's 7 big fat paperbacks to read!  Well I've just finished the first one, Game of Thrones, and enjoyed it, but found I needed to concentrate as there was a lot of 'story' going on.  I'd seen the first few episodes on freeview tv a while back and would like to see the rest so need to find a friend with Sky!  I was pleased that the tv series seemed to be sticking closely to the story in the book - I wonder how it will turn out, a few heroes already dead or done for, and a few villains too, but as each chapter is written from a character's view point, you can find out that not everyone is as they seem!

Christmas Shopping

Where does the time go!  I have been busy in the garden, digging and lugging buckets of gravel from front to back to create a mud free area by the shed and water butt, then trying to dig over the compacted clay that is the rose bed.  Oh my! I think I'm getting muscles!

Anyway, this card was started last week for the Crafty Little Fairies challenge 'shopping'.  I got the cute LOTV lass and her spaniel stamped, then blanked her out to add the background from a My Paper World Christmas set, I rather like the result.  I've coloured the image with my Copics and added lots of sparkle with Stardust glitter.

And here is the card that I've finally managed to finish decorating this morning, the Stickles on the flower is still wet!  The papers, stamped text and die cuts are all by Marianne Design and I simply finished off with more glitter on the poinsettia and the blue pearls.  Here's the list of MD dies I used:
Poinsettia - LR0122
red doily snowflake - LR0185
blue snowflakes - LR0123 & LR0124
red twigs - LR0286

I had better be quick and link up to the Crafty Little Fairies blog as the challenge finishes in a few hours!  I can also enter the ABC challenge that is G for girls, Crafty Catz where it's anything goes, and Stampin' for the Weekend where it's sparkle and shine.

I'm still having computer problems so not using it much - think I will have to get a new one or convince Jason to let me have use of his as he's no longer living here .. .. but I will need to get a new tv/monitor to go with it, and I guess a printer too. I keep putting it off and trying to muddle by but am finding anything to do with Yahoo (my email) is dreadfully slow and half the time doesn't load, and blogger is also a bit of a slow coach especially if I'm trying to add comments to an already picture heavy blog.  So, yet again apologies for not commenting, but I do still stop by to visit my favourites and friends!

Springtime

This week on Cute Card Thursday we are celebrating Spring .. .. wishful thinking for some perhaps, but I have crocus, snowdrops and daffs all in flower in my garden - and lots of other things popping up .. .. I'm frightened to weed in case I inadvertently get rid of a real treasure!

For my card I've taken scraps of paper and bits I'd coloured for fun a while ago, and somehow it all came together.  The egg and bunny are from the My Paper World springtime set and his yellow bow is from the Easter set, coloured with my Copic pens then fussy cut out.  The flowers are a very old stamp (same one I used for a condolence card last week) and I just cut them out too.  Here's the card:

The base is the bit that gets cut off when I'm creating my little 5" square cards from a sheet of A4 cardstock, the idea being that I can hang things off the edge and the finished article will still fit the envelope.  Unfortunately I forgot which edge with the text so that's going to be a bit of a problem .. .. never mind, I think it will fit in a C6 envie instead.  The papers are from last year's spring pack and I remembered I had a set of egg dies so cut one out to fit over the pink gingham layer, the rest is Marianne Design die cut bits and pieces - blue mat behind bunny from LR0180, green swirls LR0271, and white lacy border CR1250.  Inside there's a smaller bunny facing the other way and I've coloured him to match, without the bow though.  I am very pleased with the Viva 'Magic Transparent' Perle Pen that I got from Cuddly Buddly a while back - I've used it in the centre of the yellow flowers and they have dried clear (goes on milky) and rock hard.  The pearls I've made in the past with my Wacco pearl pens can flatten even with the slightest weight on top of them, but these Viva dots are staying perfectly round - I will have to get more colours!

The challenge at Totally Papercrafts has been for Spring, so I can just about squeeze in with my card.

Valentine Scrapling

I didn't think I had a card ready to share with you today, but when checking my blog reader list I noticed that Creative Inspirations challenge is for boy/man things this week.  It reminded me that I hadn't shown you the scrapling/bookmark I made for DH as a valentine gift.  We don't do cards, but he is an avid reader so I knew that 'a little something' would be useful!

A scrapling is the piece of card that get's cut off when you are 'squaring up' and in this case is just a bit short of 2" wide by 10" long strip folded in half for a tent fold.  My image is the ship from the clear My Paper World sheet, stamped with dark blue chalk ink (works best on the acrylic stamps) then coloured with my Copics and fussy cut out. Everything except the ship is stuck down flat so it wont make the pages of the book bulge out too much, I did add a 1mm foam tape behind the ship just so it looked a bit nicer.

And here is my scrapling bookmark.  I've stuck the top together and created a tag opening with one of my MD label dies, it reinforces things a bit and gave me an opening to push the shank of the heart button through.  The grey patterned papers are Cuddly Buddly digi scraps from my basket, and I've added the faux stitching around the first layer then inked the edges with a black chalk ink.  The ship I stuck to a circle die cut layer, with embossed hearts on the white layer, then finished off with a couple of the corner MD dies from LR0285, inking the raised embossed areas.  I threaded fine rick-rack through the shank of the button before sticking it down.  Inside I found a pretty heart stamp and text to finish things off but I cant show you as it's embarrassingly lovey dovey!

Well the sun is shining in Cornwall, although it is still breezy, so I might wrap up and try to tidy a bit more of the garden.  Later I have a couple of bananas that have gone past it so will turn them into the banana and walnut cup cakes I made once before - I have my lacto free 'butter' already out on the counter softening up!  Enjoy your day, thank you for visiting me and come back soon!

Snoesjes Baby Tag card

I am cutting it fine again with my entry for the Marianne Design challenge to create with a tag/label, at least that's the translation that Google gave me.  Looking at the beautiful creations by the DT, it seemed that some were lots of labels and tags on one creation, some were a label shaped card, and one had a tag on a card - that's what I've done here so hopefully it will be ok.

My stamped image is a little Snoesjes stamp, HM9443, coloured with my Copic pens then I cut out in a label shape, edged with the faux stitching using LR0161, and then fixed to my base with 3d tape.

Here's the card:

And again it's a small square base created with SU! cardstock, although with my tag sticking above at the top I'm not sure if it will fit the envie after all.  I've added a couple of layers with ivory then a white patterned digi paper scrap from Cuddly Buddly on top (not that you can see much), with the faux stitched edge of course!  I've decorated with ivory corners cut with LR0285 and used the biggest one to top my tag. And the rest of the decoration is various Marianne Design die cuts too:  the text stamped onto COL1325, the little flowers and tiny leaves from CR1210, the sprays with leaves from LR0271, the nappy pins from LR0217, and the butterflies from LR0158.  The pink ribbon is from my stash and I finished the card off with pink pearls.

The challenge at Crafty Ribbons is anything goes so I can enter my baby card with them too.

Sam's Christmas Sketch

I will have to be quick as I need to get to Tesco before the weather turns nasty again. I wanted to make something for the Christmas With Sketches challenge as Sam did a lovely sketch, and I like easy sketches. I have tweaked it though, having my image circle in front and a die cut snowflake doily by Marianne Design in behind.  There was no indication on the sketch which way around it had to be so I decided to be different!

Although the paper selection was easy finding an image to fit a small circle wasn't .. .. in the end I experimented with this cute LOTV stamp that is in a square .. .. hope it's worked.  I've coloured the stamped image with my Copic pens then added crystal Stickles to her fur trims and the angel wings.

Here is my card, another little square base from SU! cardstock then scraps of digi paper from the basket matted with green, then snips of gross grain ribbon across and the die cut and image.  I left off a sentiment - that will go inside when I get around to it.  I did find a little jar of wee red hearts when tidying up the other day so added them for decoration.  Hope Sam likes what I've created with her sketch.

The Jingle Belles Christmas blog want to see a fair amount of red .. .. I would say it's my main colour on this card.  And at the Christmas Card Challenge blog it's an anything goes theme so I can enter with them too.

Home Sweet Home

Hello again! I've yet another little square card to share with you today.  I'm finding that some of my older stamps fit better on these, both stamp designs and cards seem to be getting bigger, but I still have that stash of small envies to use up!

The image is a Helz Cuppleditch design for Stampavie and being a clear polymer stamp it works beautifully with Momento ink so I can colour with my Copic pens without any worries. I couldn't see this image back through my blog so it must have been several years ago that I used it .. .. and then I think just the once so it's about time it saw ink again!

The base card is created with SU! card from my stash to match the piece of flowery printed digi paper in my basket.  I've cut mats from white and burgundy coredinations card (taking an emery board to the edges of the burgundy) then die cut the embellishments - all Marianne Design of course.  To finish I've stamped the greeting that came with another MD die and stamp set, and added the white liquid pearls to the centre of the flowers.

These are the Marianne Design dies I used on this card:
white fancy mat CR1248
burgundy mat LR0141
green swirls LR0116
burgundy sprays and white flower LR0105
burgundy stamens at centre of white flower LR0111

The Papertake Weekly challenge is for lots of layers - I've quite a few on my card even though they are stuck down flat for the postage! Divas by Design have set a rubber only challenge (no digis) and I'm hoping polymer is ok. My Time to Craft would like to see something for a new something - a new home in my case!

Well, I had hoped to post this card on Friday, but in the end got stuck with DIY as Jason and Mark came to help fix things.  Yesterday I was busy in the garden as well as making a cake and a roast dinner, but I did find time to do a little crafting in the evening with one eye on the Rugby match!  Today the plan was for more gardening but the wind is so strong we would be struggling to stay upright .. .. the bird feeders have already blown off the hooks on the bird table and the poor gold finches are huddled in the shrubbery waiting for a calm spell to descend, but I don't think it's going to drop for a while yet! Ah well, perhaps I can play a little more this afternoon then.  The internet is like being stuck in a traffic jam, you go forward thinking yeh! we're off, but then almost straight away grind to a halt for 10 minutes!  I am not convinced that this part of Cornwall has fast broadband (but we are paying for it), let alone super-fast!

Buttons 'n' Bows

Time again for a new theme on Cute Card Thursday, this week it's 'Buttons 'n' Bows'.  We look forward to seeing what you create and have a prize from Whimsy Stamps for our winner - do stop by the blog to read all about it and get some inspiration from the DTs creations.

My card took a while putting together yesterday and bits got pulled off a couple of times!  I wanted to join in the new Sketch and Dies challenge that has just started up so that was my starting point.  For the main circular element I had to change my mind and find something small enough to fit the already cut navy circle .. .. and found this cute little lad I'd already stamped out and started to colour with my Copic pens.  He's one of the LOTV designs I got a while back together with little leafy sprays I've stamped from the LOTV lazy days design.

And here is the card. Another small square with various layers added along with bits of paper from my digi scrap basket, and of course the embossed stitching around the edges that I've inked in navy chalk ink.  I've added Marianne Design die cut buttons and the white scallop mat behind the image so as not to go too dark, then finished off with string.  In the end it was a quick card to put together, but just took ages for me to figure out what I was going to do!

Marianne Design dies I used on this card:
embossed stitching with LR0161
buttons from LR0188
banner tags LR0187
fancy white circle mat with LR0129

I can also enter my card with the Oldie But a Goodie and Creative Inspirations challenges for buttons, and at Crafty Little Fairies this week they would like to see cards for boys.

sympathy card

I've been having one of my bad days today, woke up with a thumping headache and feeling sicky .. .. and tired, oh so very tired! I guess lifting, or trying to lift, paving slabs yesterday was a bad idea and my neck is now in spasm .. .. Ibruprofen + paracetemol just about keeps me upright.

Anyway, this card is one I made a while back for a friend who's Nan died.  The base is yet another small square card from old SU! cardstock and I've simply gone for a white top layer with the embossed faux stitching around the edge, a stamped text and a floral spray (very old stamp) coloured with Copics and finished with tiny gems.

The My Time To Craft challenge is for sympathy cards, and Crafty Creations want you to Keep It Simple - so I can enter those challenges.

Hopefully I'll be back later, but for now I'm going to make Mum's tea then go for a lie down.

Pirates!

Ahoy! and shiver me timbers!  Today's card is another of my little square creations kept simple for the charity box.  My inspiration came from the Charisma Cardz challenge blog and the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean - well the challenge was to be inspired by film.  My little pirates are Nellie's Choice stamps I've inked, coloured with my Copic pens then fussy cut out to fix with smelly glue (silicone) on my card.  Here it is:

Another base with SU! card and a scrap of printed out digi paper in blue.  I've added the embossed faux stitches as usual before inking over the edge with a brown chalk ink.  I've used the same ink to add the little starfish and stamp and cut out the anchor.  They are from a My Paper World set, as is the map in the background - that's stamped in blue chalk ink then I've torn the edges and inked to give it an old map look.  A final little circular greeting I found already stamped (LOTV) out and a scrap of soft blue gross grain, and job done!

The sun is shining today, and hardly any wind so I feel the call of the garden.  I have to go into the village to post a card for Mum so will get the car out .. .. perhaps I can do that before lunch then have the afternoon to potter.  Catch you all later on when the sun goes down over the yard arm!

Lovey Dovey

After 2 days without the wind it's back along with the rain and blowing from the south again, and that's not a good direction for us!  I am shattered today, aching from bending and digging in the garden yesterday, plus driving a fair amount on Saturday.  I drove from here to Saltash to pick up DH, then all the way to Somerset for the Aero fair and I noticed that we were closer to London than to Cornwall!  Thankfully DH drove back as far as Saltash, and it was shorter and quicker coming home along the old A303 than on the motorway, something to remember for next time.  I then had to take over at Saltash and drive home with him following me in the van, just in case .. .. I was pretty knackered by then!  I am glad I did it - a great confidence boost and hopefully I wont feel as nervous doing a longer journey on my own now.  It will do me good to meet up with my friends and maybe travel a bit further afield to crafty events.  And, despite my worrying, Mum was fine and managed to feed herself both lunch and tea from the selection I'd left in the larder cupboard.

Anyway, I do have a card to share with you today - one of the little ones I've been making with printed out pieces of digi paper left in my basket, along with SU! cardstock for the base cards to fit the stash of envies I need to use up.  The image is from a clear set of stamps I've had quite a while and can't remember who they are by .. .. reminds me of LOTV though, but isn't.  I've coloured with my Copic pens and added the little polka dot hearts from the same sheet, touches of Stardust Stickles and then a dusky pink chalk ink around the edge.  The pretty doilly mat is Marianne Design die CR1248 and the patterned paper a digi design from Cuddly Buddly.  Here's the card .. ..

I've kept it simple, not a lot of room in any case once the image was stuck down.  The base is the now retired close to cocoa shade from SU! and I've simply added a white layer between the base and the digi paper, with the embossed faux stitches created with MD die LR0161.  To finish I found my pink pearl pen and added the pearl dots, ok not too straight but wonky is cute, right!

The theme at Totally Gorjuss is Lovey Dovey so that's what I've called my card.  The Cutie Pie challenge blog want to see cute with spots and dots - I have the polka dot hearts and there are spots on the butterfly patterened paper, as well as my dotty pearls.  Crafty Little Fairies are looking for teddies so I can enter with them too.

Snowdrops

We are battening down the hatches here in Cornwall, waiting with bated breath for the next BIG BLOW, which is coming in from the south first of all so not a good direction.  Most of the harbours are built to be protected from the prevailing storm winds, that's usually from the south-west, so when the wind blows from a different direction it can be a problem.  The weather man said that this might be the last storm for a while .. .. I do hope so.

Today's card is one that evolved as I went along, sometimes they are the ones that turn out the best!  The image is another of my old Elusive Images flower stamps, snowdrop script, and I've coloured with my Copic pens before die cutting with an oval Nestie and adding a touch of sparkle to the edge.  Behind the image is a fancy MD die cut layer, LR0116, and then the blue scallop Nestie shape embossed with Swiss dots and sparkled along the edge.

And here's the card, another little square to help use up the pile of envies.  Behind the image layers I've embossed a plain white layer with a heart CB folder and matted it in blue, then fiddled about with bits and pieces to create the rest of it.  The scallop edge is another MD die, LR0201.

Stampin' For The Weekend would like to see flowers so I will enter my little snowdrop card with them.  The snowdrops in my garden are surviving the storms, and even the daffs are well up now.  I only grow the short varieties as even in the calmest of winter and spring weather it's always windy this close to the Atlantic Ocean! It will be interesting to see what has survived this winter's atrocious weather .. .. and plant more.  I do need to get in hedges or shrubs that will grow big enough for the birds to shelter in.  Since my neighbour took down the pines, and another neighbour is threatening to cut down his hedge (bad idea as it's protecting his garden from any NW winds) the poor birds struggle to find anywhere to shelter.

Clever Cuts and Cute Card Thursday

It started out bright and sunny here in North Cornwall, but now it's dark and hail stones are once again hitting the windows.  Thankfully I managed to rescue the bird feeders that had blown away and top them up again before the hail storm arrived.  Yesterday the wind was blowing the nijer and sunflowers out as fast as I could top them up. I am hoping the birds will find the seeds on the lawn or I could have an interesting wild flower meadow!  It is a bad time all over the UK now with floods and wind damage and even if the weather does improve it's going to be months before things get back to anything like normal.  The spring flowers are struggling to come through in the garden and I am itching to get out there and tidy up, but with everything so wet and the bitter wind, it's going to have to wait a while yet.

The theme this week on Cute Card Thursday is 'clever cutting', however you'd like to snip away we'd like you to share with us.  Our sponsor for this challenge is Whiff of Joy, stop by the CCT blog to read about the prize and see what the rest of the DT have made.

I've inked up one of my old Elusive Images stamps, the bunch of daffs, coloured with my copic pens then fussy cut it out before fixing with silicone glue (stinky stuff) to the centre panel of my Anja Design die cut piece by Marianne Design.

Here's my card.  It's a 7" x 5" size (not so many envies this size to use up, so don't expect to see many of them) plain white base then a layer of smooth ivory I put through the Swiss dots CB folder.  I've fixed the centre panel with 3d tape and the die cut corners with stinky glue.  I do so admire the detailed die cut cards I see on Pinterest, but somehow don't get the same results .. .. ah well, it's pretty enough and Mum can use it for either Easter or a spring birthday card.

The die cuts I've used from Marianne Design are Anya's Oval LR0236 and corners LR0143.

I'll have to see if I can find any challenges to link up with my card, let me know if you can think of any.

Home is where the heart is

Oh my is it blowing here today! Yesterday finished up with a shower of hail stones like marbles that piled up against the patio doors and the decking, but that has been blown away.  The rain has been heavy this morning but I think the worst has gone through as now it is just sharp showers .. .. but the wind is as bad as any we've had so far - not a day for venturing outside.

I have another card to share with you created with a cute Marianne Design Don and Daisy moving house stamp that I've had a while, but sadly neglected.  Anyway, here it is coloured up with my Copic pens, although I was a little unsure how to colour her head scarf so opted to add pink over the brown hair in the hope it looked right - a gauzy scarf?

After colouring I've die cut the image with a circle Nestie, inked the edge with a soft pink chalk ink then matted with a pretty MD doily die.

The card base is another small square cut from my SU! card stash and a pretty piece of digi paper by Cuddly Buddly that was in my printed paper basket.  I've embellished with a stamped text, flowers and leaves and the key die cut - Marianne Design of course!  Here's the list:
key - LR0193
doilly mat - CR1201
daisy flowers - CR1201 with the edges inked in soft pink chalk ink
leaves - LR0226

The Papertake Weekly challenge is for something with a heart, mine are the pink pearl hearts top right and the heart in the text.  The Don and Daisy challenge is pretty in pink, I have pink in my creation so hope it meets the theme.

Hey, we have patches of blue sky outside! Sunshine at last, now if only that wind would die down .. ..