How to lose 3 kilos in 3 days and... Autumn Leaves

Hello! Sorry I'm late in posting my Cupcake Craft Challenge DT card today... I've had a gastric bug for several days now and I'm still not feeling myself . Very effective way of losing weight quickly, but not the nicest :(

This week it's my turn to choose the challenge theme, and I've called it 'Take a leaf out of my book'... I'd like to see LEAVES as the MAIN focus on your card. That means the image can be leaves, or you can use papers with leaves or use leaf punches to create a focal point on you card, as I've done. I came across a super idea whilst wandering around Blogland a while ago, so my card is inspired by the beautiful creations from Kittie's Blog... this lady creates the most stunning cards using punches, you really need to go and check out her beautiful work!

I'm entering my card for the challenge at:
Card Makin Mamas - Cut It Out (die cuts, punches etc)
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Borders & Frames
Charisma Cardz Challenges - Anything Goes
Make My Monday Challenge - Autumn Leaves

Our sponsor this week at Cupcake is Tickled Pink Stamps, who are offering either one rubber stamp or two digital stamps to the lucky winner! Not forgetting our monthly sponsors, there are two, Polka Doodles who are giving away a Pretty Sweet mini CD Collection, and our second monthly sponsor is my lovely friend Nadia from A Scrap Affair, who is giving away a set of 5 Promarkers!

Please pop by the Cupcake Craft Challenge blog and see all my DT buddies lovely creations... they've really embraced my autumn theme this week! Thanks girls!

Oh, and I nearly forgot... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

A Scrap Affair Recipe Challenge

Good morning! Ah finally my internet connection is back... but STILL NO TELEPHONE!!! It's got me round the bend, and I'm paying for the priviledge of having a service that I DON'T HAVE!!! I've just had the technical guy on, who says the problem is TOO TECHNICAL... how can it be, it's his job!!! Anyway, I now have to wait until Saturday for the even more technical guy to TRY to sort out the problem! Grrrrrrrr!!!

On a happy note (cos I'm still not a happy bunny)... we have a new challenge over at A Scrap Affair Blog! This month we'd like you to create a card/creation with a RECIPE on it, or make a recipe card. Yummy or what! You have one month to take part in this challenge, pop by the Scrap Affair Blog to see all the other DT creations! Just so you know, you MUST use an image that you've coloured yourself, not a ready coloured one, and your creation must be a new one. That's it! The yummy prize is TWO bottle of Ranger Perfect Pearls Mists (these are lovely, I used them on my recent Halloween cards HERE).

My card is an Anniversary card, I've used a gorgeous digi stamp from DigiStamp Boutique called Cute Love Birds, coloured with Promarkers/Flexmarkers. The pretty paper is from my friend Dianascarlett, it's available in her online shop A Scrap Affair, along with lots of other yummy goodies!!! I made up the little 'recipe' and typed it on the PC. I've added flowers, sparkles and pearls for a romantic look! Et voila! I'm entering my card into the monthly challenge at DigiStamp Boutique Blog and also at Creative Card Crew - Fallin For You.

Denim & Lace at Cupcake Craft Challenges

Hello! Well I'm in less than a good mood today... I'm having BIG problems with my internet and telephone connection... I am NOT a happy bunny!

Anyway, today we have a new challenge at Cupcake Craft Challenges! Our lovely Sari has chosen 'Denim & Lace' for you this week! Now I have to admit, I couldn't get 'in the zone' for this challenge, so I'm not at all happy with my card! I used this cute cat digi called Spotty Cat from DigiStamp Boutique, and made the backing papers using a black outliner and my Promarkers. Not sure what happened, I just couldn't connect with this card, but I'm going to enter it into the October comp at DigiStamp Boutique anyway!

Our fabby DT have come up with some lovely projects, much better than mine! So please pop by the Cupcake blog to check them out, and say hi! We have some fab sponsors again... this week our sponsor is Crafty Emma's Store, who are giving away a £10 Gift Voucher! Not forgetting our monthly sponsors, there are two, Polka Doodles who are giving away a Pretty Sweet mini CD Collection, and our second monthly sponsor is my lovely friend Nadia from A Scrap Affair, who is giving away a set of 5 Promarkers!

Right, now I'm off to fight chat with the helpline of my internet & telephone provider! I shall try to keep calm, but I can't promise!

Hubble, Bubble...

Halloween is just around the corner, but here in France it's not really celebrated, so I kinda miss it, even if I do have a pumpkin (I'm such a big kid). Oh well, I'll just have to eat all the sweets I've bought for the Trick or Treaters, cos I definately won't get many spooky visitors here (well to be honest I'll get none)!

Halloween is the theme at Digi Designs Challenge this fortnight, so get all your spiders and ghosts, witches and monsters at the ready!

I've used a really cute digi from Di's Digi Downloads called 'Now What', cute eh? The little cat on the image IS my cat, but I don't look like the little witch lol! I am married to a Frenchman though, so he could be the frog lol (well it's a toad but let's not split hairs)... hope he doesn't read this cos he'll kill me for saying that! I'm entering my card into the challenge at ABC Challenge - B for BOO, and also Allsorts Challenge - Halloween!

Di has loads of fab images, and some real spooky cuties too! I've coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers, used Distress Ink to shade the edges of image, added a cute sentiment printed from the computer, made a spider, added card candy (Trick or Treat) and used some of last year's paper from The Creative Cottage.

Pop by the blog to see the other DT girls projects. This fortnight we're sponsored by the fabulous Joanna Sheen Online Store

who are kindly offering a £10 Gift Voucher for one lucky winner! This is where I buy all my Promarkers/Flexmarkers, they're second to none on price, have free postage and packing and their customer service is fab!!!

It's Freezing Brass Monkeys!

Brrrr, I'd forgotten what frosty mornings felt like... I've just been reminded! Flippin' 'eck... and we've got months of this to go yet!!!

Just wanted to share a little card I made yesterday, it's for my friend back in the UK who is moving into a new home. I hope she likes pink!!! Don't you just love this cute Digi Stamp Boutique image (shame it's retired)... that's definately my cat on the roof! I'm entering my card into the monthly challenge at Digi Stamp Boutique Blog, Simon Says Stamp - Nursery Rhymes (This is the house that Jack built) and also the challenge 'Aint it Cute' at I Love Promarkers.

Well, better get me skates on (yeah ice skates by the looks of the weather today)! Make sure you keep wrapped up!

Card details:

Image - Digi Stamp Boutique (now retired)

Colouring - Promarkers/Flexmarkers

Papers - Pink Petticoat Freebie from Quick Cards magazine

Sentiment done on PC using font from Dafont

Card Candy - Craftwork Cards

Button, Twine, Mesh from my stash

Buttons & Bows at Cupcake Craft Challenge

Hi! We have a lovely challenge this week at Cupcake Craft Challenge, RIBBONS & BOWS, chosen by my DT buddy Rachel! I have to say I do have a soft spot for these two embellishments... who doesn't?!

This week our sponsor is Digi Doodle Shop, who are giving away a $10 Gift Voucher to spend in their online store! They kindly offered the DT images to use for this week's challenge, and I jumped at the chance of using this beautiful image called 'The Horse Kiss'. This could have quite easily been modeled on me when I was little, or even now for that matter... I love horses! I've coloured using Promarkers in very pastel shades. The papers are Pink Petticoat (freebie on a craft mag this summer). The text was a freebie from the internet that I downloaded a while back... sorry I can't remember what site I got it from. The pretty satin ribbon is from Wild Orchid Crafts.

I'm entering my card into the challenges at:

Jellypark Friends Friday Challenges - Use Pink & a Ribbon for Breast Cancer Awareness

Raise the Bar - Pink is In

Divas by Design - Button Up

Craft Your Passion - Double Up with Pink

Now, we also have TWO fabulous monthly sponsors, Polka Doodles who are giving away a Pretty Sweet mini CD Collection, and our second monthly sponsor is my lovely friend Nadia from A Scrap Affair, who is giving away a set of 5 Promarkers! Pop over to Cupcake to check out all the details! Also have a little look at all the beautiful DT projects this week, lots of fab inspiration!

More Halloween but with a bit of a difference...

Ok to be honest I haven't done much crafting at all lately, I've been feeling a bit down lately and out of sorts and just haven't felt creative! However, my lovely friend Dianascarlett sent me some goodies that she sells in her online craft store, A Scrap Affair, and I just had to have a little play! The products are all from the Ranger/Tim Holtz range... so to say I had inky fingers is an understatement lol ;)

Anyway, to get my colourful halloween backgrounds I used Distress Inks (Spiced Marmalade, Dusty Concorde and Black Soot). I applied the ink from the pad directly to my non-stick craft sheet then spritzed the ink with water using a mini mister. I then dipped the card into the ink to get the colourful, patterned background and dried it with my heat gun. On two of the cards I then sprayed Perfect Pearls Mists (Mandarin) to get a lovely sheen (you can best see this on the first photo above).

On the above card I stamped some script (using a Prima clear stamp) on the background and then stamped the Halloween Silhouettes on acetate using Staz On ink. I then outlined the bats & cat using a gold Promarker.

On this card I simply stamped onto the background of Distress Ink & Perfect Pearls Mist with the script and floral flourish stamps and then with the Halloween Silhouette Stamps using Distress Ink (Black Soot).

And my last card was a bit of an experiment... the moon was heat embossed using Distress Powders (Old Paper), the cat is from the stamp set, but the rest of the images were hand drawn using a black permanent pen... not too bad I think?

I'm entering my cards into the following challenges...

I love Promarkers - Autumnal Colours - Golds, Oranges, Greys (that's the weather)

Simon Says Stamp - Halloween/Goth

Well, if you fancy treating yourself to some of these goodies, don't forget to pop by A Scrap Affair Store... it's packed full of lovely crafty treasures!

Thanks for visiting me today!!!

Haunted House

Can you believe we're in October already?! Where do the months go?

October means Halloween, right!? So our challenge this week at Cupcake Craft Challenges has been chosen by Louise, and it's a spooky one... Halloween!

Keeping my card C&S this week. I've used a freebie Haunted House digi image from Stampers Best, you can find it HERE. I used my Promarkers/Flexmarkers to colour. I added a handmade bat, and corrugated orange card as the background. I'm entering my card into the challenge at:

I LOVE Promarkers - Spooky

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Spooky

We're sponsored by Cupcake Cards & Crafts this week, who are giving away a fab paper collection of the lucky winner's choice!!! We also have TWO fabulous monthly sponsors, Polka Doodles who are giving away a Pretty Sweet mini CD Collection, and our second monthly sponsor is my lovely friend Nadia from A Scrap Affair, who is giving away a set of 5 Promarkers! Pop over to Cupcake to check out all the details, and to be spooked by the super duper DT cards & projects!

Oh So Girly

Morning! This fortnight at Digi Designs Challenge Blog we're going all GIRLY! So why not join in the fun and do us a real girly card... how simple can that be?!

I've used a super digi stamp from Di's Digi Downloads, coloured with my Promarkers/Flexmarkers. The lovely paper is Anna Griffin, the chipboard butterfly is Prima, both from 8, and the flower border is done using my EK Success punch. I'm entering my card into the challenge at:

ABC - Anything Goes

By The Cute & Girly - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp - Sparkle & Bling (on my paper, image, chipboard butterfly... some sparkle is hard to see on the photo).

Our sponsor at Digi Designs Challenge Blog this fortnight is Crafty Boots, an online craft store based in the UK.

Pop by the challenge blog to see all the details of the challenge, and be inspired by my DT buddies!!!

Black & White Christmas

Good morning crafters!

Can you believe it's October already? And with weather hotter than it's been this summer, you could easily forget that we're only 82 days away from Christmas, YIKES! I'd better get a move on with my card making!!!

Good job our challenge at Cupcake this week is 'Black & White Christmas'... a fab theme from Sandra who won our Choose The Challenge Competition recently! I have to admit though, I did struggle a bit, I just couldn't get my mind into thinking of Christmas with all the lovely, hot weather we've been having!!!

I dug out one of my older stamps, which I love, but forgot about. It's from a Canadian stamp company called Magenta, I stamped it with Memento and then used Distress Ink (Black Soot) to do the shading. The background paper was handdrawn with a white gel pen on black paper. I added a few bits & bobs and some sparkle and finally the sentiment tickets, which are freebies I found on the internet (sorry can't remember where from, I printed them last year).

We have some fab sponsors for you at Cupcake, our weekly sponsor is Simon Says Stamp who are giving away a $20 Gift Certificate. We also have TWO new monthly sponsors, Polka Doodles who are giving away A fab Pretty Sweet mini CD Collection, and our second monthly sponsor is my lovely friend Nadia from A Scrap Affair, who is giving away a set of 5 Promarkers! Pop over to Cupcake to check out all the details, and to see the fabulous DT cards! Now what are you waiting for... a Black & White Christmas?!