Alexandra Palace Weekend

And what a wonderful weekend it was! I met my lovely friends from the Charmed Forum and we had a grand time laughing, eating and buying stash - who could ask for more?
I enjoyed the show because there were lots of exhibitors who don't do the northern shows, and there were some very good demonstrations from Jayne Nestorenko, Wendi Rhodes, Stephanie Weightman and many others. I think I bought just about everything on my list, so that's me on a stash diet for a while.

Just need to get creating again!
xxx

Ooooh, I nearly forgot. I had a lovely surprise waiting when I got home from work today - I won Kathy's birthday blog candy - woohoo! No pressure Kathy, but I can't wait to see it - there's nothing like the anticipation of a surprise parcel is there? Thanks so much Kathy xxx

Dottie's World Sunday Challenge - Geometric

Just a very quick post with my card for this week's Dottie's World Challenge from Adele. I struggled so much with this, mainly due to lack of time, and I'm still not happy with it.
I've just got in from Alexandra Palace and am totally shattered and I have to go and look at my new goodies. Be back later ...........
xxx

Just a little something...

.....to show, because I've been so busy this week - mostly battling with call centres! Don't you just hate them? Well I do!!!This was an order and the lady loved it, so I did something right this week!
Off to Ally Pally this weekend to meet up with some of the girls from the Charmed forum, which I'm really looking forward to. Hope there's lots of lovely new stash there for me to bring home.
Have a lovely weekend and thanks for visiting. xxx

Basic Grey Challenge

The challenge over at Basic Grey Challenges this week is to use distressing on your creation. I decided to go for an Autumnal look as it feels very Autumnal today. The papers are from the Mellow collection, flowers Prima Essentials, bobbly ribbon from Ribbon Oasis. Tilda is coloured with Prismas and distressed with chalks. I also used my Cuttlebug for embossing and a fab acrylic stamp around the border of the image and sanded paper edges and even tore a bit - yikes! I do like the effect though.
A couple more things to say while I'm here; first a huge thank you to Gisela for the two awards - "THANK YOU GISELA!", and 'Hello' to Kirsty who I met at Harrogate at the weekend and I hope the sandwich tasted OK after being on your foot!
Thanks for visiting - I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment xxx

Dottie's World Sunday Challenge - Go Green

Pop over to Dottie's World today for another fab challenge, this week from Karen, where it's time to GO GREEN. The challenge is to use something recycled on your card plus 3 buttons or brads and some ribbon. I chose to go for Christmas again and all the downloads are from the Christmas Collection, available at Charmed.

The recycled bit on this one is the green dotty paper which came out of my bin.

The reycyled part of this card is the ribbon with the star charms - that came off a candle box.
I shaped the top three layers of this card.

Thanks for looking, xx

Friday Sketchers

There's a fabulous sketch today for the Friday Sketcher's challenge. The stamp is by Little Claires and I used Doodlebug flock for the polar bears (you can just about see it if you click on the photo), loads of stickles and the snowflakes are made with a Cuttlebug die. xx

Daring Cardmakers - All Mixed Up and The Same But Different (a bit late!)

The challenge over at Daring Cardmakers today is 'All Mixed Up'......

"How come the majority of girls cards are pink and flowery and the boys are blue and have absolutely no flowers at all? What about cars for girls??? hmmm? This week Tracie wants you to mix up those genders and create cards with a little bit of something not normally found for that sex."

I also used the saying from Kathy's dare last week, but which I couldn't get done in time, but I think it fits this card which is not your usual 'man' card. Even though I used a flower and lace, I kept colours 'manish'. Paper is Fancy Pants Victorian Lace, chipboard from Bubblyfunk and the phrase bubble is Dream Street. I stamped over the flower in script with a chalk inkpad, also colouring the branch with the same. The bird is painted using Ranger Distress crackle paint.


I am also going to enter this card into the Charmed 'Buttons' Challenge.
Thanks for visiting xx

Another ATC, A Card For A Friend, An Apology and a Giveaway

I made another ATC for the Basic Grey Challenge and it also fits with the Tilda and Friends ATC Challenge, which is to use pink, green and blue - I really enjoyed this one too. This card was made on Sunday for a friend who was feeling a bit low (hopefully to cheer her up), now that I know she's received it I can show here. Papers are BG Euphoria and flowers Prima. Tilda coloured with Prismas.

I seem to have picked up this achy bug that's doing the rounds so I had to cancel the crop this morning - sorry ladies, back to it next week all being well.

Becks Fagg has a fabulous freebie on offer on her blog - I shouldn't really be telling you though because I WANT IT!!!
xx

I Made an ATC!!

Not something you have seen before on my blog, but I REALLY enjoyed making this today for the Basic Grey Challenge and of course I can use it on a card too, so watch this space! I absolutely adore anything Basic Grey, (yes, even the new ones) but Blush has to be one of my all time favourites. I think I may be making more ATCs in future.
xxx

Dottie's World Sunday Challenge - Going For A Song!

Here it is - "All you have to do along with using a Charmed download, is incorporate the words of a song or the title of a song into your card but you're not allowed 'happy birthday' or 'congratulations' for your song, I know I said easy but that's a step too far along the easy road!"

There are some wonderful DT cards on Dottie's World to inspire - I feel a bit of a cheat really because I only used titles! Anyway, I used the Christmas Collection backgrounds and nativity scene, resized them in word and printed out several times as I decided to go for a layered look. I am not a decoupage person, but this card really does look 3D and the images work perfectly for this technique.


I usually enjoy colouring my own images but in this case I used the pre-coloured ones and just enhanced the colours where I wanted, which made for a much quicker make.

There is a chance for you to be a Guest Designer on Dottie's World this week too! All you have to do is submit your challenge card by Wednesday and the DT will choose our new GD from the entries submitted. Good luck and enjoy playing along.
xxx

New Baby ...

...No, not me!!! I had a few cards to make this morning and this is one of them. Paper is Bo Bunny, flowers Prima and I made the pram using punches, adding rub on lettering. When I was at the G-Mex show a few weeks ago I got an amazing bargain which I haven't yet revealed - a fabulous sewing machine which is in a well known High Street catalogue for £60, but at the show they were £25! It really is fab and I used it for the first time today to sew on the velvet ribbon. I will be using it lots and lots in future I think.
Had a lovely, unexpected, warm and sunny day here and doesn't it cheer you up!
Thanks for visiting xx

Cute Card Thursday - Cats and Dogs

The challenge at Cute Card Thursday today is 'Cats and Dogs'.....

I don't have many cat or dog images, but I dug this old Penny Black stamp out for this and coloured with Prismas. Cardstock is Core'dinations, which I love at the moment, ribbon from Ribbon Oasis, Prima flowers, lots of distressing, inky edges and rub-ons.
We began our scrapbooking sessions again this morning with the lovely ladies near where Iwork, and today we had a kit to work with using lovely vanilla ice-cream and dusky blue colours. Trouble is, they all forgot their photographs (what are they like?)......so remember next week because we're working with a sketch!!!! And I know you'll be reading this!
Good luck with your CJ entries and enjoy doing them. Looking forward to Thursday already xxx

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Autumn Haze

The challenge at Papertake this week is Autumn Haze - it really does feel autumnal doesn't it?

"This week we'd like to see some autumn themed cards - autumn stamps, autumn colours or anything you associate with autumn!"

I used yet another of my bargain stamps for this, coloured with Prismas, Basic Grey BP, Core'dinations cardstock, Cuttlebug embossing folders, Basic Grey vellum, Stickles and an assortment of buttons, oh and the little leaf stamp came with a Scrapagogo kit a while ago - I added the dots around the leaves and buttons. The sentiment stamp came free with a magazine.
I love these colours.


Thanks for visiting xxx

Double Challenge

Now I'm back at work I don't have as much crafting time, so I doubled up on this challenge .......Friday Sketchers and Cute Card Thursday (to use pink), and which combine beautifully this week.

I used two more of my new half price Tilda stamps, coloured with Prisma Pencils, Coredinations cardstock in Cuttlebug folders and distressed (also for the ribbons), BP is Papermania, flowers Prima, and the owl is K&Co Berry Sweet.

Hope you like and thanks for visiting. xxx

Dottie's Wonderful World Challenge - ...AND ALSO!

This week's challenge over at Dottie's World has been set by Nicola and was to make something with something else which is removable. I have used the new Halloween Collection for this one and a 12x12 cardstock sheet to make a card with two pockets. The images have been highlighted with Sakura pens and I hand cut the bats. The small tags say 'Trick?' and 'Treat?', with a cute frog on the trick one and flowers on the treat tag, and the large 'BOO' tag is large enough to be used as a bookmark.

If the glitter glue looks a bit messy, it's because I dropped the card on the floor before it was dry, so I have lovely purple glitter on my wood floor now!!!

TFL xxx

My Time to Craft Challenge - Animal Antics

Keeping with the Christmas theme, this card is for the My Time to Craft Challenge which is 'Animal Antics'. This Little Claires stamp is so cute; I coloured with Prismas and added Doodlebug flock. Papers are Basic Grey, snowflake is cut using Cuttlebug Die, the ribbon and the shaker sentiment are Dovecraft. I doodled using Sakura glitter pen, but it doesn't show up too well in the photograph.


First day back at school for me today and, although I missed being at home, it was really good to be back (I won't be saying that by Friday, lol!!).
TFL, xx

Papertake Weekly Challenge Sketch

We've been treated to another of Katharina's superb sketches over at Papertake Weekly this week. Here I used Anna Griffin and some freebie papers, Tilda coloured with Prismas, stickles, Bazzil border and Holly Berries from Craftwork Cards.
This is the only decent photo I got tonight, but I think you can see the sketch ok.
TFL xxx

Magnolia Challenge - Embossing

I have been out and about this weekend - Saturday to the G-Mex show and yesterday I had a lovely trip to Barnsley! There is a great craft shop at Elsecar Heritage Centre. The best thing though is that I picked up some fabulous bargains, my fave being loads of Magnolia and Sugar Nellie stamps at around half the usual price - well who could resist??? Aren't I a lucky girl!
This is one of my new ones for the Magnolia Challenge which is....

"*Challenge 34* Embossing
This week we are having fun with Embossing,
It Could be Heat Set Embossing, Dry Embossing, Embossing Boards, Embossing Folders The list can go on forever, So please show off your Embossing On your projects."



Paper is Bo-Bunny, brads and flower ribbon from stash, Bazzil Just the Edge Border Strip, and I embossed the scalloped circle, which was cut with my Nestability die, with a Cuttlebug folder. Image coloured with Prisma pencils.
Thanks for looking xxx