Finally Forever Friends!

I'm feeling a lot better today, after my recent lurgy bout so have managed to do a card! I think this has got to be the first Forever Friends card I've put on my blog. I got this stamp from my hubby for Christmas and thought I'd better ink it before he say's if I don't use it he's not getting me anymore (oh no)! This is a nice size stamp with some lovely detail, and I was secretly pleased that my hubby had picked this stamp as I was wanting to buy it on my next trip to the UK. The card fits with two challenges; the super sketch on Sketch Saturday Challenge Blog, and also the theme on Forever Friends Challenge blog this week "Oriental" (well the papers are kinda oriental and I've used red too).


I've used some Anita's Glossy Accents on the champagne bottle and the bubbly...


And as I've seen lots of peeps decorating the inside of their cards (they all look fab) I thought I'd have a little go. I kept it fairly simple for my first try...


The papers are from Papermania (Simply Elegant), image is from Do Crafts Forever Friends range (coloured with w/c pencils), sentiment stamp is Penny Black, border is cut out using a corner punch (don't have any border punches but love the Martha Stewart ones I've seen on other peeps blogs), used square nesties to cut frames, rest is from stash.

Thanks for all the lovely well wishes I've had over the last couple of days! I'm now looking forward to getting back into my crafting more (after I've worked two 13 hour shifts this weekend - gggrrrr)! Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

The dreaded lurgy - AGAIN!

What is it with this time of year and illnesses! Everyone seems to be coughing, sneezing, or ill with a stomach bug! Well in my case it's the later, yep I spent my day off today in bed trying to catch up on sleep and get myself pulled together after a hairy night shared with a bucket! I just can't seem to shake the bug off, considering it's the second time in three weeks since I've been like this! So I have to admit due to my state and having felt very sorry for myself today I haven't even had the energy to make anything! I did make this little card a few days ago, which is quite fitting for this post! It's also for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge, which is to "create a scene"...



I used:
* Magnolia Pond Background Stamp
* Get Well Tilda Stamp
* Sentiment Stamp from Woodware
* Distress Inks to colour
* Flower Punches from Woodware
* Gems from stash

Tilda and her bench are both cut out and decoupaged onto the card, but as I haven't took a photo from the side you can't see the raised effect.

Thanks all so much for the lovely comments you've left on my blog recently, they really cheered me up tonight! Hope I'll be feeling better tomorrow to get a bit of crafting in. Take care, and watch out for the dreaded lurgy lol!

New Awards!

Today is the first time I've had a chance to do a quick bit of blogging since before the weekend! And guess what I found, some lovely awards kindly passed on to me by Tracy and Holly, thank you so much girls! Tracy took a little time out for a while, it's lovely to see you back with us, I missed popping by your blog! If you haven't visited their blogs, pop by to say hi! I have to pass these awards onto 5 people so I'm going to choose some blogging friends who often visit my blog and leave lovely comments, tips etc. Not to mention that they are very talented and have fab blogs that I love visiting too! Ok here goes... I'd like to give these awards to Katy, Denise, Lyndsey, Louby and Pascale. Thanks for all your support girls! Sorry no cards today, just not had the time! I'm off work tomorrow so I'll try to be back with some cards xx

A few more awards!

Just wanted to say thank you to Denise at The Crafty Den, who always pops by my blog to say hi and leaves lovely comments! Denise has passed on a few awards to me, so I wanted to share them with all the lovely blogging friends I have!

Sometimes you just need a few kind words to pick you up when you're down, and I know I can rely on my blogging buddies for this. I love crafting, but sharing it with others and being encouraged and inspired by all you lovely crafters out there makes it even more enjoyable! Thank you xx

Born to Shop!

This'll be me at the weekend when I head across the Channel again to bag a few bargains from Blighty! Yipee! Got me plastic at the ready!!! My card is for Friday Sketchers Challenge, which this week is a super duper sketch from Murmur! I've gone all out on the bright colours, seeing as it's sooooooo miserable outside at the moment!

I got the paper from Aldi (yup Aldi as in supermarket) a little while ago, I think it's fun! Stamp is of course Rachelle Anne Miller "I love shopping", coloured with w/c pencils, sentiment is from Elzybells. Swirls alongside image are stamped using "Clearly in Love" set from Penny Black. Rest is from stash as usual.

Thanks for taking a look xx

This is why I needed a round sentiment!!!

Well, after spending most of the afternoon looking for a round sentiment on the net for my card (wasted half my day for nothing really - once I'm on this bl**dy computer I can't get off it), I ended up improvising! So here it is, my card for Sketch Saturday (#34 fab sketch this week)...


A little close up of the flowers, unfortunately I can't take credit for making then, my friend brought them over from Romania! They're lovely but I only have a few, shame!


I used:

* Tilda image (RAK - thank you) coloured with w/c pencils
* Sentiment stamp Studio G
* Papers K & Co
* Nestabilities Circles
* Buttons, lace, flowers & ribbon from stash

Thanks girls for the offers of round sentiments, I'll try to do 'em justice on my future creations!

Driving me ROUND the bend!!!

Arrrrgggggghhhhh! I've been looking all over the www this afternoon for some "ROUND" sentiments but just can't find what I want! I want to put one on a card I've nearly finished but was hoping to get a download somewhere, stamps are fab but take time to arrive! I've seen some on the Funky Fairys Papercrafts website which are nice, but they don't have a big selection! Honestly it's driving me round the bend! I've seen lots of cards with these type of sentiments on them, where do you all get them from? Please can anyone put me out of my misery?

Three is the magic number!

The second week of The Sugar Bowl Challenge is drawing to an end, so I thought I'd better get my skates on to finish a card, seeing as I've got lots of new Sugar Nellie stamps! The challenge is to do a card etc using 3 different DP and 3 different embellishments, and of course a Sugar Nellie stamp (or 3 if you're brave). I just love Sugar Nellies, and had a struggle choosing which stamp to use, but I finally went for "Cheddar" from the Home Grown range...



I used:
* Sugar Nellie Stamp "Cheddar"
* Wording Stamp from Tanda
* Three DP "For Him" Papermania
* Three Embellies: ribbon, gems & little mouse button
* Image coloured with Distress Inks

Well, short & sweet tonight as I've got a lot of early starts this week. Urgh! I've gotta be up at 5am for work tomorrow, and I'm not a morning person so I just know it's gonna kill me! Dark, cold, miserable January mornings, roll on Spring!!! Bonne Nuit xx

Paper Piecing

Oooh, I like this! Well this is the first time I've tried this technique although I've seen it around, it's called Paper Piecing. Basically, you stamp your image onto plain card, then stamp it onto patterned paper and cut out the bits you want. The bits you cut out are then stuck onto your plain image instead of colouring in the usual way. So for my card I've stamped Splashing Nellie (she's gorge) onto plain card, then I've used paper piecing with DP for her umbrella, coat and boots. I think it gives a lovely effect, and I'm sure I'll be doing more of this technique! I'm entering this card into the Spoonfull of Sugar Challenge this week, as the theme is paper piecing!


I used:

* Sugar Nellie stamp "Splashing Nellie"
* Studio G Clear "Hello" stamp
* Dovecraft DP Amethyst
* Nestabilities (plain & scalloped circles)
* Bazzil Basics card (purple)
* Ribbon & Buttons from stash

Hope this has inspired you to do some paper piecing, if like me you've never tried it!

Got an Award!

Just wanted to say a big "Thank You" to Louby, who has given me this lovely award! Thanks for thinking of me Louby, hope you pop by again soon!

I'd like to pass on this award to anyone who visits my blog, thanks for taking the time to call by!

This Little Piggy...

Oh thank goodness it's Friday and I can have a bit of crafting time tomorrow! This little piggy was another of my Christmas pressies, it's the first piggy stamp I have so I thought I'd use him for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, which is "Brown & Pink". I also used my new Nestabilities, got a few sets of these for Xmas too!

So here's my little piggy card...



I used:
* Penny Black "Sealed with a kiss" stamp
* Distress Inks (Tattered Rose & Black Soot)
* Nostalgia Paper Collection Papermania
* Ribbon is Bazzil Basics
* Flowers/buttons from stash
* "with love" on scroll is hand written

Well, hope you all have a lovely weekend, and have the time to relax with a bit of crafting xx

New Challenge Blog - The Sugar Bowl

Ohhh! For those of us who like Sugar Nellie stamps there's a new challenge blog called "The Sugar Bowl". The challenge up until tomorrow is to do a card (or atc etc) using the sketch by Tiets. Up for grabs are some fab Promarkers (I don't have any of these - yet), what a great prize! Anyway, I really liked the sketch so I thought I'd have a go! I did a wallet card and used one of my new Sugar Nellie stamps I got for Christmas...


I used:
* Sugar Nellie stamp (Little Cotton Rabbits Collection)
* Distress Inks to colour (Dusty Concord - purple, Shabby Shutters - green)
* Penny Black "Just for you" stamp
* Paper from Dovecraft
* My new Big Bite to set the eyelets
* Ribbon & gems from stash

This is the first time I've used just purple/lilac and green and I'm pleased with the colour combo so think I'll be using it more often!

Last Christmas Card for a while...

This was the Christmas card I made for my Mam & Dad for Christmas 2008. I thought I'd share it with you, as I didn't get a chance to put it on my blog before the 25th Dec, better late than never eh?

The card took AGES to make, best part of a Sunday afternoon in fact. I entered it in a French card mag competition, where the brief was to make a card in the shape of... in my case a Christmas Tree. Unfortunately I didn't win the comp, but my Mam & Dad were chuffed to bits with their handmade card so the effort was worthwhile!

The tree was hand drawn and cut out, the fir effect was done with a stamp from a See D's set. Bears and hedgehog are Penny Black, cut out and decoupaged. "Noel" is stamped from See D's Christmas Alphabet set. All the other embellies etc are from my stash.

I was happy with the finish, but it took a long time to make so can't say I'll be doing another one in a hurry! At least not in the next couple of months!

It's Snowing!!!

Hello All! I'm back (if only briefly today) after the Holiday season, but start 2009 with flu, sinusitis and a gastric bug! Hurray! Never mind, I've got a carrier bag of medication to take from the doctor so hopefully it'll put me right. I hope you're all fighting fit, and raring to get on with some crafting!

I made this little card for my friend's Birthday last week, just thought I'd share it with you hoping it might bring us a bit of sunshine as it's snowing over here! Another Tilda card (I got loads of new stamps for Christmas including Tildas, Penny Black, Sugar Nellie...) As soon as I'm feeling better I'll do some cards with them. Promise...


Thanks for all the lovely New Year wishes I've received, and all the best for 2009!