Boys/Men Cards

I get stuck with boy cards cos I can't stick ribbon or flowers all over them but still force myself to have a go with them as I like to give cards that I've made rather than buy them. I bought the Painting Max stamp from Pink Gem Designs this month and think this is so useful for men and boy cards. I've used it this time for a card for my uncle...

Card blank - Craftwork Cards
Papers - Basic Grey Archaic
Image - Painting Max by Pink Gem Designs coloured with Promarkers
Sentiment - Craftwork Cards
Tools - my favourite scissors to distress all my edges!

I quite like the result of the cream and brown so decided I would tackle another male card, this time I used a cute football bear stamp (this is it's first outing!)...

Card blank - Craftwork Cards
Papers - Basic Grey Infuse
Football bear - Penny Johnson stamp from Dies To Die For coloured with Promarkers
Red card - from stash
Red dew drops - Quixotic Paperie
Sentiment - Craftwork Cards
Tools - scissors, Woodware inverted corner rounder punch

I would like to enter the football bear card into the current Quixotic challenge - One for the Boys.

Thanks for looking x

My First Easter Card

I've been meaning to get started on Easter cards for ages but only just made my first one. I followed this fab sketch on the Pink Elephant blog...

Here's my card. I've distressed all the edges of the papers but with my crap photography skills you can't see them!

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

The Pink Elephant - Challenge 55, Time for a Sketch

Passion for Promarkers - Week 40, Colour Combo & Theme (chick coloured with Tulip Yellow, flower coloured with Baby Pink and faux stitching on pink gingham paper)

Die Cut Dreams - Challenge 36, Easter - oops, I missed the deadline!

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge 101, Ribbon-tastic!

CRAFT - Challenge 39, Ribbon and Sparkle (used Stickles glitter glue on flower centre)

Card blank - Craftwork Cards

Papers - Forever Friends (think the paper pad is called Hugs and Cuddles?)

Piece blue card - Coredinations

Image - Elzybells coloured with Promarkers

Stickles Icicle glitter glue

Pink dew drops - Quixotic Paperie

Organza ribbon - from stash

Tools - scissors and Fiskars edge punch, Inkessentials white pen for faux stitching

Prima are giving away a load of lovely goodies!!!

The lovely people over on the Prima blog have a secret and they are going to share it with us really soon. In the meantime they have gathered together 2 huge baskets of goodies to give to 2 lucky people so hop on over to the Prima blog!!!

Another Tilda in the rain but a different colourway...

I had to have another play with this stamp as she is soooo beautiful!!! This time I've used her on a birthday card for my mum. I have distressed the edges of the papers with scissors.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Simon Says Challenge - Recipe Challenge, 3 embellishments, 2 papers, 1 image my 3 embellishments are: paper flowers, pearl brad and a sentiment

A Spoonful of Sugar - Challenge 91, Spring Time

Crafty Creations - Challenge 55, Stitching

Card blank - Craftwork Cards
Papers - Basic Grey Two Scoops
Tilda in Spring Rain - Sir Stampalot coloured with Promarkers
Pearl brad - Quixotic Paperie
Sentiment - Craftwork Cards
Stitching on blue band - used a Dovecraft Paper Piercer and Papermania Stitching Template and blue embroidery thread
Flowers - from stash

Card for a Friend

I made this card after finding the papers in my stash and I had forgotten about them. They are beautiful and I don't understand quite how I could have left them untouched for so long!!! I have used my scissors to distress nearly everything in sight and added some sticthing too. I love the effect of both.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Passion for ProMarkers - Week 39, Buttons and Bows
Allsorts - Week 40 Challenge, Use a Tag, Ticket or Label
Cupcake Craft Challenges - Challenge 79, Friends

Card blank - Craftwork Cards

Papers -Basic Grey Two Scoops

Tilda - from ebay coloured with Promarkers

Ticket stamp - Pink Gem Designs

Clear dew drops - Sarah's Cards

Stitching on blue paper strip - pierced holes with a Dovecraft Paper Piercer and a Papermania stitching template, used embroidery thread

Flowers and button - from stash (have threaded embridery thread through button holes to make a 'x'

Ribbon - from stash

Mother's Day easel card that's also a box

Here is my second Mother's Day easel card and box. I followed the fab tutorial on my friend Debbie's blog and had far less trouble making the lid than I did for the first box. This one is for my MIL and the box contains a bracelet that I bought from M&S. It's really pretty and think she'll like it.

I would like to enter my card box into the following challenges:

The Secret Crafter - Challenge 71, Mother's Day

Quixotic Challenges - Challenge 14, Something for mum

Money Saving Expert - make something for mum

Magical Crafts Fortnightly Challenges - Challenge 9, Something for mum

Cardstock - The Papermill Shop

Papers - MME Pretty Please, free with cardmaking mag last month

Image - Pink Peticoat coloured with Promarkers

Card candy dot (propping easel up) - Craftwork Cards

Ribbon - from stash

Tools - XCut guillotine, 2.5" circle punch and 3" scallop circle punch both by Woodware

Tilda in Spring Rain

I have loved the Tilda in Spring Rain stamp for what seems like forever but I have only just come into possession of her. I had a spendy splurge about a month ago and ordered her from Sir Stampalot but have had to wait for her to arrive as she was out of stock. So here she is, god I love her, think she is my favourite Magnolia stamp. For my card I dug out some old Basic Grey Two Scoops papers, not sure why I haven't used them before as they are lovely! I stitched the circles paper by hand with some pale pink embroidery thread and added two pieces of pink organza ribbon. I distressed the edges of the blue paper with a pair of scissors. I love the Paper Makeup sentiment: "Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness had never danced in the rain". I just think that is beautiful and perfect for this beautiful Tilda and want to say a HUGE thank you to Mel for givng it to me x

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge 4, Dazzle Us

Stamp Something Challenge, Touch of Spring Somethings

Card blank - Craftwork Cards
Tilda in Spring Rain - Sir Stampalot
Papers - Baisc Grey Two Scoops
Pink dew drops - Sarah's Cards
Sentiment - Paper Makeup Stamps

My Swap Creations

This is the card I made for Val for the Crafty Place card swap - hope you liked your card Val. I would like to enter it into the Cute Card Thursday challenge, Metal Mania.

Card blank - Craftwork Cards
Papers - Basic Grey Nook & Pantry
Tilda image - given to me by someone lovely, coloured with Promarkers
Metal heart - ebay (bow tied with embridery thread)
Flat back pearls - local craft shop
Ribbon - from stash

This is an ATC I made for Oona for the Crafty Place Bling challenge. Blimey I struggled with making something blingy that I liked. I used flat back pearls in the corners and a large fabric covered brad with little gems inset. Sorry it wasn't blingier Oona x

ATC was covered with Basic Grey Origins paper
Flowers were given to me at Xmas by my lovely friend Mel
Brad was in a pack I won from a Basic Grey candy giveaway (they are gorgeous and this is the first one I have used!)
Flat back pearls - from lovcal craft shop

Melissa is giving away a huge amount of candy...

Melissa over at Creating from the Heart has loads of beautiful goodies to share with someone...


Please pop over to Melissa's blog to enter her candy and have a look round her beautiful blog. She's was away for a while but is now back and creating!

I've received lovely cards...

These beauties were sent to me for the Crafty Place swaps this month, aren't they gorgeous, thank you ladies xxx

This bright and beautiful card and goodie bag is from the lovely Val...

And this gorgeous blingy card and ATC are from Oona, thank you x

Hope you are both ok with the swaps I sent you x

Hedgehog Cards...

I've made a couple more cards with my fab Penny Black stickers. I love how easy these stickers are to use and how beautifully they are coloured.

I would like to enter this first card into the following challenges:

Cupcake Craft Challenges - 78, Keep It Simple

The Pink Elephant - 54, Ribbon

Card blank - Craftwork Cards
Cardstock- Core'dinations
Papers - Basic Grey Nook & Pantry
Image - Penny Black Stickeroo
Dew drops - Sarah's Cards
Brown organza ribbon - from stash

I really liked making the card above so thought I'd use another of the fabby stickers and make another simple card...

Card blank - Craftwork Cards
Papers - Basic Grey Nook & Pantry
Image - Penny Black Stickeroo
Cardstock - Core'dinations
Card candy - Craftwork Cards
Lace - from stash

I bought some stickers...

After seeing the fantastic cards Helen makes and shows on her blog It's All Fiddle Fart, I decided to take a trip to Accessorize. I bought a couple of packs of the puffy stickers as used by the brilliant Helen and a pack of 3D butterflies. I made this card with one of the butterflies. As you can see I have chickened out of leaving lots of white space like Helen often does and have used a format more familiar to me and covered nearly all my card front with patterned paper! I think it takes a lot of courage to leave lots of blank space on a card. Anyway, thank you for the advice to get myself into Accessorize Helen, I found some beautiful stickers. These butterflies were £1.50 for 8 which I thought was a bargain!

Card blank - Craftwork Cards
Papers - Cosmo Cricket Early Bird
Butterfly sticker - Accessorize
Cardstock - Bazzill
Dew drops - Sarah's Cards
Tools - EK Success 2" scallop circle punch, Dovecraft 1.5" circle punch, Woodware flower punch

Card for a man...

I always struggle like crazy with making male cards, I'm not a hugely girly girl but do like my ribbon, lace, flowers, gems etc... I bought the fab Painting Max stamp from Pink Gem last week (for the bargainous price of £2.44 plus p&p!!!) so decided to make a card with my new stamp for the Charisma Cardz 'Male' Challenge. This card came together really easily once I'd picked the colours I was going to use on Max, the papers had to be Basic Grey Origins and think the main paper I've used suits 'painting' perfectly. The colours are a touch richer in real life but as you know by now I can't take a decent photo ;-)

Card blank - Craftwork Cards
Papers - Basic Grey Origins (I've used a whiteish paper under the green stripey paper and a strip of green across that I've torn to expose the white core
Image - Painting Max from Pink Gem Designs (he's on offer til the end of Feb for £2.44!)
Sentiment - Craftwork Cards
Lime green button - Basic Grey, think it was from the Lemonade pack?
White string - Ikea

Wendy has a beautiful stamp to giveaway

Wendy is giving one of her followers the chance to win a brand new Pepper & Friends stamp, she will pick the winner from all those that leave a comment and post a link on their blog. I love the new range but haven't bought any bits yet x

One Stop Card Craft Challenge 66 - 2 Cards!

I had real trouble making a card for the One Stop Card Craft challenge because I couldn't decide what papers to use so I ended up making two cards ;-) The colour combo of apple green, chocolate and clotted cream is just divine, thank you for a gorgeous challenge! My layouts are very simple as the papers are so busy.

Card blanks - Craftwork Cards
Digi images - Pink Peticoat coloured with Promarkers (Apple, Cinnamon and Vanilla)
Papers - Basic Grey Origins
Pearl pin - Quixotic Paperie
Ribbon - from stash

A card for a brave little girl...

I read this post on Dustin Pike's blog and just had to join in and make an owl card for Delia. I hope she likes my card and receives hundreds from all over the world.

A few cards for my mum's card box...

I made a few cards last night for my mum's box of cards that I am going to give her for her birthday...

Card blanks - Craftwork Cards

Sentiments - Craftwork Cards

Hedgehog images - Penny Black stickeroos (these were fab to use, want to get some more!)

Wheelbarrow images - Pink Peticoat coloured with Promarkers

Papers - Cosmo Cricket Earth Love (I thinki?) and MME - Pretty Please

Pearl pins - Quixotic Paperie

Tiny adhesive half gems - Papermania

Lilac half pearls - Basic Grey

Ribbons - from stash

Sweets for my sweet...

We don't go overboard about Valentine's Day in our house but always do cards and give a little something. It's my OH's birthday the day before so Valentine's is usually overshadowed by birthday celebrations!!! Anyway after making my first dinky basket using the fabby tutorial on the Belles n Whistles blog I thought I'd make one for Rich and fill it with some yummy chocolates - for us to share of course ;-)

I would like to enter my basket into the following challenges:

CRAFT Challenge - 36, Love/Valentines

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - 68, Hearts

I used white cardstock from The Papermill Shop to make the basket
Red paper is by Bo Bunny, not sure of design?
Gingham ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons - leftover from Christmas!
Tools used - EK Success 2" scallop circle punch, 1.5" Dovecraft circle punch, heart punch from Hobbycraft

A Special Birthday Card

I always struggle with making a card for a man but this card is for a special man, my OH :-) I followed this lovely simple sketch on the fab blog Cards for Men and I am entering my card for the current challenge.
So here's my card....

Card blank is from Craftwork Cards

Circle Paper is Cosmo Cricket - an old design, Snorkel I think?

Red paper is Bo Bunny, not sure of range?

Image is a stamp from Paper Makeup (I love this stamp!!!) coloured with Promarkers

Sentiment is from Craftwork Cards

Red ink from stash

Tools used - Woodware 2" circle punch

Pink Gem Designs Candy!!!

Janet, owner of Pink Gem Designs is giving away 6 stamps to one very lucky person to celebrate her birthday and the starting of the new Pink Gem Designs Challenge Blog. Hop on over to the Pink Gem blog to get your name down in the prize draw, you get to choose the designs too!!! I'm going to start a list, just in case I win ;-)

Prettied my basket!

Sorry for the rubbish dull photo but it's the only kind I seem to be able to take ;-) This is the basket I showed yesterday but I've added some lovely cotton lace and half pearls in a co-ordinating shade. I love it and still can't quite believe just how easy it was to make. I am going to add some tissue paper and some sweeties for my mum for Mother's Day.

Forever Friends Challenge Card

I have made this card to enter into the current Forever Friends 'Inside Out' challenge. I chose to make an easel card as I love the design and find then nice and easy to put together. The card size when flat is 4.5" square.

The card was made from a piece of 12x12 white cardstock from The Papermill Shop. The papers are MME Pretty Please, stamped image is coloured with Promarkers, sentiment is from Craftwork Cards, dotty ribbon is from Anita's (thank you Rusty and Bunbun!), mini pink paper flowers are from my stash with dew drops in the centres.

A few decoupage cards

I made 3 decoupage/pymamidage(?) cards last night...

The Forever Friends card was made with a beautiful decoupage set given to me by Rusty and Bunbun for my birthday. The papers are MME Pretty Please Spring papers (yep again!!!). The other two cards are made with a Honey & Huge set that I bought cos I thought the animals were just too cute!!!

I just had to have a go and make this...

I was browsing updates of blogs I follow this morning (delay tactics concerning the huge mountain of ironing that has my name on it!!!) and came across a brilliant tutorial on the Belles n Whistles to make a paper basket. I fell in love with the dinky basket and had to have a quick go. So this is the result of my frantic craft moment - with 2 poorly boys in the house it was difficult but I was determined to try (my crafting is ALWAYS done at night when I can make mess, leave scissors on the floor and not have to worry about little hands!). My basket is nowhere near as fabulous as the one featured in the tutorial but I am thrilled to bits that I could make one. I want to decorate it with ribbon, flowers maybe. What you see below took me about 5-10 minutes so it needs prettying up ;-)

I used Bazzill cardstock in 2 shades of plum, Basic Grey Wisteria paper and a sentiment oval from Craftwork Cards (thank you lovely lady Karen). The scallop circle is cut with a Ek Success 2" punch and the circle is cut with a Dovecraft 1.5" punch.

Thanks for looking and get basket making, it's fab!!!

Look at this gorgeous boy!!!

A friend of mine recently added a card to her blog using this beautiful boy image. I'd never seen it before and instantly fell in love with him!!! Toni is very lovely and very kindly sent me some stamped images so I could have a play and this card is the result of my first play. It was lovely colouring in the image, it's quite delicate so I needed to be careful. I chose Autumnal colours as I thought these suited well.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:

Allsorts - Week 37, Sketch

The Allsorts challenge this week is to follow this beautiful sketch...

Here's the card I made...

Card blank - Craftwork Cards

Cardstock - Core'dinations

Papers - Basic Grey Cupcake

Image - from my lovely friend Toni coloured with Promarkers

Sentiment - free clear stamp with a DoCrafts mag ages ago, stamped with Stazon

Flowers - Prima Eline white flowers coloured with Promarkers

Brads - from stash

Ivory dew drops - Sarah's Cards

Tools used - Woodware leaf punch

Any shade so long as it's brown...

I love brown cards but rarely make a brown card, not sure why? So I've had this beautiful Lili of the Valley image in my stash for a few months and I've finally used it - whoohoo!!! Got the rest of the die-cut sheet to use now ;-)
It is rare these days that I don't use stamped images on my cards so I coloured my flowers with Promarkers to match the tones of the card.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Passion for Promarkers - Week 37, All Creatures Great and Small, any colour Promarkers

Cupcake Craft Challenges - Challenge 76, Four Legged & Furry

Card blank - Craftwork Cards
Papers - Basic Grey Cupcake - LOVE these papers!!!
Image - Lili of the Valley, Girl on a Swing
Flowers - Prima Eline white flowers coloured with Promakers - Cocoa, Cinnamon, Apricot
Pearl pin - Quixotic Paperie

Ivory dew drops - Sarah's Cards
Brads from stash
Brown organza ribbon from stash
Tools used - Woodware leaf punch, Fiskars edge punch

A Pretty Card

I was desperate to make a couple of cards last night as I was having serious withdrawl symptoms after not making anything for a whole week!!! I actually coloured this cute little girl image ages ago but never got round to popping her onto a card.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge...

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge 97, Blooming Gorgeous

Card blank - Craftwork Cards
Papers are MME Pretty Please Spring Papers - freebie with Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine
Image - not sure of name, bought from ebay and coloured with Promarkers
Sentiment circle - Craftwork Cards