Its been a long time......

A new month and a new challenge...... I am challenging myself to TRY and post every other day at least this month. I don't know where the time has gone the last couple of months, I've been busy but just not managed to blog. I've had computer problems and a new camera which I am still trying to get to grips with as well as my mojo going on holiday, so bear with me :-)

I thought if I treated myself to some new stamps my mojo would come back but its taken me 2 weeks to get this stamp inked up! I've been after this stamp for ages but its only just recently he hopped into my shopping basket along with a several others which will be seeing ink over the next couple of days.

The image is coloured with copics, papers from a Papermania pad. The star embellie is cut from an SU flower punch with the petals trimmed, the top star, the sentiment and the framework of the bike have been given the glossy accents treatment.

I am entering this into 3 challenges

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Summer - bit of a fair weather cyclist myself!

Papertake Weekly - Fun, Fun, Fun

Cupcake challenge - Summer Delights

Catch up soon
x

Create4Fun Candy

Look at this wonderful candy that is up for grabs from Create4Fun, as they have hit the 50,000 visitors target. Congratulations.

Go and visit the blog to be in with a chance of giving this piece of kit a new home....

xx

Help please!!! and a card

Help - I have to make about 80 invites for a retirement do, although it could be more as the list gets longer by the day!
Has anyone out there have some ideas for quick and easy invites please, am off to check out splitcoast stampers as there are usually a lot of ideas there but I would be very grateful for any suggestions. Hope to hear some fabby ideas soon - please :-)

Onto my card for today.....



The layout is from the sketch at Papertake Weekly. The image is one of the Magnolia stamp club kits, last autumn I think, coloured with copics. Papers from an MME paper stack. Flowers punched with X Cut punch finished off with a lil' button tied with linen thread from SU!
Not used to working with such pale colours, but I'm sure this card will grow on me - let's hope it does anyway.

I'm off to do some cupboard clearing, hope to squeeze in a little crafting later. Have a great Sunday whatever you are doing.

xx

At last a card....

I started colouring this image on Monday and its only just made it onto a card...



The layout is from Create4Fun but unfortunately too late for the challenge as a new one was launched today :-( but all is not lost as I've discovered I can enter it into the Secret Crafter Saturday challenge which this week is to use 3 embellishments, 2 papers and 1 image. I am also entering it into the Roses on Paper challenge which is to have pink, yellow and orange on your card.

Image coloured with copics, with a little bling added with Glamour Dust, a silver glittery gelly roll pen and a little glossy accents added to hair bobbles and lollipop. Papers are DCWV, can't remember the name of the stack, sentiment from Craftwork Cards. SU & MS punches, ribbon and brad from stash.

Off to put my feet on the radiator under the worktop in my craft room. Catch up soon.

xx

Citrus Manga Girl

When I saw the challenge at The Sugar Bowl I just had to give it a go, especially as there are 6 fabby stamps on offer for the lucky winner this week, don't hang about though as you've only got until Wednesday to enter. It's a sketch challenge with lots of layers and you have to use punches, I have used SU circle punches to the mat the sentiment on.

I decided to use the DCWV Citrus stack as it is so bright and cheery. I coloured the image with copic markers and distressed the edges of the layers with Tea Dye distress ink. Blooms are ones I got on Saturday, sentiment from Craftwork Cards, the rest of the goodies are from my stash.

Hope you've had a great weekend....


xx

Pirate Edwin gets distressed

I hope you are enjoying the long weekend, even though the weather isn't very nice today... but what better excuse to get crafting!

I had a wonderful day yesterday, we went for a drive and ended up at Crafts U Love and The Glitter Pot, I love online shopping but sometimes a girl has to have a stroke of craft goodies before you buy! I was pretty restrained, ended up with quite a few papers which I hope will end up in scrapbooks rather than on cards, some embellishments and a couple of stamps. I also bought a bag to store my copics in that is more easily transportable than the plastic boxes they are in at the moment - not sure they are all going to fit in there tho so I may have to buy another!

Here's the stamp I bought, which just had to be inked up as soon as we got back! Then it had to go on a card which I designed to meet a couple of challenges.



I am pleased with the way this turned out, I often struggle, like a lot of crafters, in making cards for males so when this stamp jumped into my basket yesterday, how could I put it back on the shelf?
I dug out my distress inks, haven't used them for ages, and got painting. Perhaps I should have bought some of the new colours on my shopping trip yesterday! Best start a shopping list....

I'm loving my EK Success circle cutter, it is just so useful, as you can cut so many different size circles, I used it to cut the circle Edwin is on and the ones used for the sentiment. The stars are made with my SU flower punch with the rounded edges trimmed off, finished off with buttons tied with elastic cord.
The patterned papers are from an SU stack that was a hostess gift, other goodies from stash.

I am entering this card into 2 challenges,
Quixotic challenges - How distressing
Sketch Saturday - layout.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.




xx

Summer time - if only!!!

Hey second post of the day....
I was really chilly this afternoon so shut myself in my craft room to play (after turning the heating on!) I thought this summery image might warm me up, but not as much as my feet on the radiator under my worktop! What a very co-ordinated young lady we have here, with her rubber ring matching her swimmers!

I love these stamps which were from the Magnolia summer kit last year. Coloured with copics, forgot how much I like working with these, and I cut the circles with my new toy, an EK Success circle cutter which I bought recently when I was at a scrapbooking workshop. It is so easy to use, so expect to see a few more circles on my cards in the coming weeks!

I had a browse round some of the challenge website this afty too and am entering this card into 4 of them.

Just Magnolia - anything goes
Sketch Saturday - sketch, deviated from the sketch slightly, only by replacing the rectange with none other than a circle and put my embellies vertically rather than horizontally but hope this will be OK.
Secret Crafter Saturday challenge - use distressing, you can see some there if you look hard enough, used distressing inks on the image and lilac layer and distressed the edge of the white/green cardstock - honest....
Copic Colour challenge - use B02, BV02 & YG03.

That's me for today, catch up soon.

xx

WOYWW

I know its Thursday but here's how my craft room looked last night when I had finished out there! It's more untidy than usual as I've recently started scrapbooking so some of the worktop that's out of shot has photos and work in progress on! I don't know about you but I love having a nosy at other people's workspace, why not join in the fun at The Stamping Ground.

I guess one of my first jobs today is to tidy up the mess. Am off to WW this morning, haven't been for ages so gonna see the damage Easter did then to local habby shop to buy some wadding and material to back a quilt I've recently made. Should be back later with a card.

See you soon, have a lovely day whatever you are doing.

xx

Long time no cards and some news

I have decided to step down from my DT post at the Creative Card Crew - I really enjoyed my time on the team but found I was spending far too much time on the laptop and not enough time with my family or crafting! It was great working with the team who are very talented. I hope you will check out today's new challenge, who knows I may even join in this week!

Here's the first card I've made for about a month now, forgot how relaxing colouring was :-)
I am going to take my return to cardmaking slowly, so have not checked out the ever increasing number of challenges this week. I am entering this card into the Anyone for Anya challenge which is a fab sketch by Dawny.



I dusted off my copic markers, dragged out a paper stack from the bottom of the pile and began creating. Not colours I would usually put together but I'm pleased with the end result. Think I definately need to stock up on flowers, any suggestions for good places to shop for flowers? Added a little touch of glamour dust on the wings, a card is not complete without a bit of bling is it?

Hope everyone is keeping well and enjoying the sunny weather, wish I could work outside when its like this!

That's me for today, am off for a wallow in the bath now. Take care, catch up soon.


xx

Back in the world of blogging

It's been a while since I have posted anything on my blog, I felt I needed a break as it was beginning to take over but I certainly haven't been idle! I will post some pictures of my recent makes sometime soon.

I've been checking out a few blogs over the last couple of days and discovered this wonderful candy Rach is offering

If you want to be in with a chance of winning this scrummy candy, you need to visit Rach's blog at the above link before 10pm on Sunday 2 May.