What a Surprise!

Well I haven't had much time at all to blog this week as I've been helping prepare for a nocturnal market in the little town where we live. The theme of the market was "Great Britain" so as I'm the only english person in the town (that I know of) I was asked to give a hand by the Town Hall. Anyway the market was on Friday night, and all went well, we even had a thunder shower just so the rain added an extra bit of British authenticity lol! Anyway, after packing up around 1am I was sitting on the terrace of the local bar having a well deserved drink when a lady came behind me and said "Bonsoir"... I turned to see my parents standing in front of me! What a huge surprise, they'd drove 16 hours to come and surprise me as I've been feeling a bit down in the dumps lately! So as they go home Tues morning, I won't have much time to blog! But what a lovely thing for them to do! I'm lucky to have parents that care so much!

Stamp Something...Embellish Something

Hope you're all having a fab weekend! The weather here in France is scorching hot!

I've been really busy over the last few days and didn't get time to upload my DT card for the Stamp Something challenge which started on Friday so here it is...


This week's theme is "Embellish Something" so you have to use at least 3 embellishments on your card. I used the gorgeous black & white gingham ribbon (kindly sent to each member of the DT) which you can by from My Little Ribbon Shop. I also added buttons and felt flowers, the image is one of the Gorjuss girls stamps and the paper is from an old pack by Dovecraft.

Hope you can play along this week with the challenge, there's a fab prize up for grabs from My Little Ribbon Shop!

Have a lovely Sunday afternoon!

The Next Level and It's Twins!

Firstly "Happy Father's Day" to all the dads out there! My friend's hubby is a brand new dad as my friend has given birth to twin baby girls this week, and they're adorable! Annae & Maellys are both doing well, and mum is recovering from a caesarian as Annae was breach so not in the right position for a natural birth. I went to visit them in hospital and just fell in love, they're so beautiful and so tiny (but not premature so they should be able to leave hospital in the next few days).

Obviously, I had to make a card, and I went for the fab sketch over at The Next Level, which is really unusual. I did flip the sketch to accomodate my image, hope this is ok...



Recipe:
* Cute Twins Image, Sugar Nellie
* Promarkers (Pastel Pink, Vanilla)
* Paper, Pink Leaves & Rose Leaves, Rayher
* Bootie Brads, Poppicrafts
* Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder
* Ribbon, buttons, etc from stash
* Baby verse on tag stamp, Elzybells
* All other text, done on PC

I've done a two sided tag to fit in the little pocket, and as this week at Cute Card Thursday the theme is "Tag, you're it", I'll also enter my card into the challenge (click on the tag pics for a better view).
Thanks for popping by, hope you have a lovely Sunday!

Stamp Something - Just Add Colour Somethings

Good Morning all! Well it's Friday again and another chance to take part in a new Stamp Something Challenge. This week the theme is "Just Add Colour Somethings" where you can only use black, white and one other colour...


So this is my DT card for the challenge, obviously my other colour is GREEN (it's one of my favourite colours as it reminds me of home - England is very green - something to do with all that rain lol). This week the challenge has been sponsored by Paper Makeup Stamps, which have the most gorgeous fairy stamps and some super cute monsters too! I think I'll definately do a few more cards with these cuties! I've used Promarkers to colour the image (Grass, Forest Green and Pastel Green) and thought I wouldn't get away with a fairy with green hair, but I don't think she's too bad. I've also added a bit of bling to her wings and hair...


The spotty paper and adhesive pearls are from Papermania, all other card and ribbon is from my stash (which is ever growing). I used the Cuttlebug Swirls Embossing folder to emboss my ribbon panel, just to add a bit more texture. Can you believe, in my mountain of stamps I didn't have a single "Good Luck" stamp so ended up writing this by hand!

Don't forget to pop by the other DT's blogs as they have created some beautiful cards with these lovely stamps this week, and of course you'll be in with a chance to win some fab candy if you take part! Good Luck!!!

My New Leanne Ellis for The Sugar Bowl

Good afternoon everyone! Hope you had a lovely weekend; we were bathed in sunshine this weekend but paid the price today as it's been raining since I got up this morning!

I managed to do a bit of crafting yesterday, and wanted to use one of my new stamps from Sugar Nellie, designed by Leanne Ellis...


I used the fab sketch by Lia over at The Sugar Bowl, so will enter this card into the challenge to win some lovely Sugar Nellie stamps. I used Promarkers to colour the image and all the papers are from a Papermania pack (Simply Elegant) that I haven't used for ages. I've added some special details...


The love charm and pink safety pin are from my stash, the pearl brad is Papermania and the spacer is from The Hobby House. The sentiment is from a little roll of ribbon I found in a cute gift shop while on holiday in Arundel, Sussex. I think it's just great for adding a little message to a card...

Stampin' for the Weekend Top 5 Award

I was awarded the Top 5 Award by the team at Stampin' for the Weekend, which is a fab new challenge blog. Thanks girls! The award was for my "Cat on the Moon" card I did for the first challenge "Dawn till Dusk". I shall display the award with pride on my blog!

Sketch Something

Hello! Wow, what a busy week it's been! I've hardly had any time to craft, so not much to show you except of course my DT card for this week's challenge over at Stamp Something. If you have time please pop by and join in with the challenge, it's a sketch challenge where you can win 8 stamps of your choice from Dog Gone Stamps...


I was given this snail stamp to work with, not my usual kind of image but I enjoyed making the card. I've coloured him with Promarkers, and added a bit of glitter on his snail trail! The DP and card is from Papermania, I've used my Cuttlebug to emboss (Swirls and Swiss Dots). The distressing was done with a nail file (snail file he he) and a Heidi Swapp Distressing Tool. The sentiment was one I did on my PC.

Thanks for looking, and don't forget to check out the Stamp Something blog to take part in the challenge!

Just Magnolia & Cute Card Thursday

Morning everyone! Well what a miserable week it's been weatherwise! The rain came on Sunday, and it's never stopped since! Oh well, I'll look on the bright side, at least my garden is getting a good watering!

I've made one little card for two challenges this week, using the lovely sketch by Rach over at the Just Magnolia challenge, and the theme this week at Cute Card Thursday which is "Nip & Punch" where we have to use dies and punches...


I've had to take the piccy indoors due to the rain, so the colours don't look as lovely as they actually are. Anyway here's what I used:

* Tilda with Rose Bouquet (Magnolia)
* Promarkers
* Nestabilities (Circle & Scalloped Circle)
* SU Scalloped Circle Punch
* Sissix Die (Ornate Corner)
* Perfect Paisley Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug)
* Ribbon, flowers and paper from stash
* Sentiment (RAK from Lyndsey, one of here own lovely designs)

Off to work now, see you later in the week!

Bonne Fête des Mères!

Hello! Firstly, it's Mother's Day in France today so "Bonne Fête" to all the "mamans" lol! Shame the sun isn't shining, it's a bit miserable here today!

Well I've made three cards (I know I surprised myself too)! The first I love, it's with my new Gorjuss (I know she's been around a few months but I just got her...


My Gorjuss Girl is coloured with brush pens, then layered onto a rectangular frame which I then cut the corners off with a round punch, I really like the shape it gives. The paper is Basic Grey and the sentiment is Cuddly Buddly. The flowers were a rak from Katy (thanks hun), I added buttons and cotton to them. I've also put some glossy accents on her hair, not easy to see on the photo. I made this card for Colour Create Challenge, where you have to use all colours of the rainbow. I have to say I'm really pleased with it, not often I use so much colour!

The next card is for the new Stampin for the Weekend Challenge, the first challenge is called "Dawn to Dusk" and the colours to use are purple and yellow...


The image is a Penny Black (RAK from Louby, thanks hun) and I think it's just adorable! It reminds me of a little cat I used to have. I've coloured him with Promarkers and chalks, notice the "glow" around the moon etc. I used Nesties to cut out the frame, then added some ribbon, star brads and gems. The sentiment is again from Cuddly Buddly, which I think goes perfectly with the little cat image! I also decorated the inside but have been too lazy to photograph it! Well, the weather is bad outside so that's my excuse. Nonetheless, another card I like!

Third and final card, this'll be short and sweet. It's was supposed to be for The Next Level challenge, which is a super new blog challenge, with tips and ideas aswell. The challenge is to make an aperture card, and include a lollipop flower (which I forgot duh)! I've struggled with this one and in the end I'm not at all happy with the card, here it is anyway...


The only thing I like about it is the image, which is a Sugar Nellie and is called "How time flies" by Leanne Ellis. The less said about the rest the better!

Have a lovely Sunday evening, thanks ever so much for taking the time to visit, and for enduring this post, it's rather long!

Something Old, Something New...

I just wanted to share my first card with you all as part of the Stamp Something Design Team! It's the first time I've been on a DT and I have to say I was pretty chuffed when Erin and Denise over at the Stamp Something Challenge asked me to be part of their team, so I hope I haven't disappointed them with my first offering! The challenge this week is sponsored by My Grafico, and the theme is "Something Old, Something New..."


We were given a set of rather funky digital images all wedding themed, and were asked to make a card. I have to admit I had quite a lot of technical problems, I am not the world's greatest when it comes to the technical side of computers! Once that was all sorted, I went for the wedding cake image, which caught my eye from the start! Here's how I went about making the card...

After printing out the cake image, I used my Promarkers (Blossom & Cool Grey 2) to highlight areas of colour on the cake and cake stand. I added some colour co-ordinating gems to the stand to give it a bit of wedding bling! I used my rectangle Nesties to cut out and frame the cake image. Behind the image I used the Swirl embossing folder on my Cuttlebug to emboss the white card, and mounted the layers using 3D foam so they stand proud of the card. The ribbon and pearls were added to give it an extra wedding feel. The background paper is printed from a Pink Petticoat CD, Doodlicious I think. Voila!

Just pop over to the Stamp Something blog to check out the challenge and all the other fab DT cards. Hope you'll be able to play along with us this week! Happy Stamping :)

Just a quick hello!

Just wanted to say a quick hello as I have to get cracking on my first DT card for the Stamp Something Challenge lol! I've had a few problems with this weeks theme but it seems sorted now so I'm eager to get started (I'll reveal more tomorrow).

I'm flying in by the skin of my teeth again for the Just Magnolia Challenge, this week the theme is "Animals and Insects"...



Thanks ever so much for all your lovely comments, I'll try to get round to do a bit of blog hopping tomorrow!

Fête des Pères

Good evening everyone! Thanks for all the lovely comments and encouragement you've sent me regarding my new DT post over at the Stamp Something Challenge, please pop by and show your support on Friday when the new challenge will be set!

Well I've just had a little bit of crafting time so thought I'd do a card for Father's Day (or Fête des Pères as it's called over here). I've used the lovely sketch by Domi over at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, I turned the sketch on it's side...


Card Recipe:

Stamp - Penny Black "kickin'"
Papers - Basic Grey "Cupcake"
Card - Bazzil
Cuttlebug Embossing folders - Swirls and Swiss Dots
Promarkers - Vanilla, Pastel Pink, Poppy, Cyan, Yellow, Gold, Forest Green
Sentiment is done on the computer and the rest is from my stash.

Thanks for popping by, hope you have a lovely evening!

I made the Stamp Something Design Team!

Hi everyone! I just thought I'd share my good news with you, I made the Stamp Something Design Team! Isn't that great! This is the first time I've been part of a DT so I'm looking forward to the challenge! I'll be working alongside a great bunch of talented girls who make up the team too!

If you're not familiar with the Stamp Something Challenge Blog, pop over and check it out! There's a new challenge set every Friday, with some scrummy prizes too! So what are you all waiting for lol?