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Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Southern Girls Challenge - Ribbon Madness

Hello!

Before I get chatting and forget I must apologise for my pictures. I don't know what I have done but I seemed to be completely incapable of taking a decent picture of my card, this is definately one where the pictures do NOT do it justice.  I tried and tried but ended up getting all cross and stressed, but I think you can see what you need to!  This wasn't the only thing that happened when I was making this card, but I'll get to that in a but :-D

Right excuses over... this week it's Lou's team's turn over at Southern Girls and the theme is 



I was lucky enough to be given one of the stunning Tickled Pink images to use who are sponsoring this fortnights challenge along with Joanna Sheen and Stamp Fairy

This image is from the Lil Victorian Christmas range and she's called Lolita Christina and you can get her as a digi or as a stamp from the store... gorgeous!!

To my horror I coloured my image, put her aside to dry and assembled my card... then I decided to pop a touch of glossy accents on her glasses.  It's NEVER done this before but when I looked at the card the following morning somehow she'd got rose tinted specs!  I've used glossy accents on glasses before and it has never picked and bled the colour out like this!!  I was gutted as I really loved the card and had spent hours on it :-(  After a lot of umming and ahhing and wondering what to do I decided to leave it - she looks kinda cool with her shades on!  Did I get away with it?


I couldn't decide if she was wrapping the pressie, opening it, or had been caught having a sneeky peek :-D, so I decided to print out a sentiment on the PC and distress it with some Distress Inks


All the edges of the CS and papers have been distressed with my scissors (I must put a distressing tool on my Christmas list!) and with Victorian Velvet distress inks, and I tied the deep red wired organza into a lovely big bow (sorry I am SO into big bows at the moment!) and added a spacer flower and gem to the middle.  She's hiding behind a TH fence die cut for a bit more of a gothic feel :-D






Scrapbook Sisters Challenge 62 - Anything Goes

Hello!

This week it's a really easy challenge at Scrapbook Sisters, as it's Anything Goes!

I decided to get the embossing powders and distress inks out to make a lovely Christmas card with the Kanban Christmas Tree stamp I picked up the other day when I was supposed to be just getting white organza and ended up with some burgundy as well, the stamp set and this rather lovely satin which is a gorgeous toffee colour... and a few other bits and bobs that just happened to fall in my basket on the way to the till... ahem :-D


I stamped and embossed it with white embossing ink, then added distress inks all over, then popped a few more flourishes on and a sentiment.  



I can't find a link anywhere to this stamp set - sorry!!  All the rest of the links are at the bottom of the post.  Anyway, I popped some gems here and there on the tree just for a bit of sparkle, cos you can't have a Christmas card with no bling whatsoever... It's just not allowed!!
Hope you like it, thanks for stopping by




Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge 48 - White on White

Hello!

Can you believe we are nearly into December!  Only 4 weeks to Christmas... eek!  I've not got any shopping done, and I'm still loads of cards short!  Of course doing a Christmas fair at the weekend and selling a whole load of the ones I actually had done hasn't helped... still there's always good old M and S if time runs away with me :-D.

If you entered the Guest DT call from last weeks challenge, make sure you head on over to the challenge blog - it was a tough decision to make and I loved all of the entries!   Right enough waffle, and onto the card!!  I needed a break from making Christmas cards, so as the lovely Pam has set this weeks Ladybug Crafts Challenge and has chosen

White on White

I went for a wedding card using one of the new digi's from the Love and Marriage collection -  this one is the Bride and Groom


I went embossing mad on here using three embossing folders and a Stampendous Heart Vine background stamp with some clear embossing powder too.  Actually this last bit turned out better than I was expecting, must use that one more!!  I went for a pop of red on his tie and waistcoat and her bouquet, and I used some white satin ribbon flowers from my stash over two MS Heart Lace borders.

An organza ribbon tied with a sparkly button and some die cut butterflies embossed with holographic embossing powder along with some of my much neglected Sizzix flourishes finished this card off perfectly :-D.  There should be a linky thing at the bottom of this post with all the links to the bits and bobs!  If not I'll head on back later and fix it :-D

The sentiment is from the Baby Baby collection, as I still have no idea where my wedding sentiments have disappeared to and my printer decided to print in navy and not black, which just looked odd!!

I hope you like it :-D  Please may I enter these challenges

Thanks for stopping by




Wednesday, 23 November 2011

Southern Girls Challenge - Bingo week 2

Hello!!

Just a quick reminder for this weeks Bingo challenge at Southern Girls - you know how this works right?  Pick any three items that are in a row, column or diagonal and use 'em on your card.

Now it's only as I write this that I realise my uh-oh moment as I have got myself all confused, and have leapfrogged around the board but hey ho, nothing I can do about that now, so I'm showing you anyway, because I REALLY like this card!  I guess that's what happens when you get a creative urge!!

Anyway, here's my card - links to all the ingredients are at the bottom of the post


I adore this image!


Please may I enter these challenges
Bearly Mine Challenge - All My Favourite Things (MME papers, flowers, ribbon, lace, pearls, pins and kraft c/s!)


Thanks for stopping by - hopefully there will be more tomorrow, asuming I'm not all stressed about the Christmas Fair that I have agreed to take a table at on Saturday!







Scrapbook Sisters Challenge 61 - Winter Wonderland

Hello!!

This week at Scrapbook Sisters the challenge is Winter Wonderland, and I went for an unusual colour scheme for a Christmas card, but I like it as it's quite striking and different!

All the details of the materials I've used for this card are in the linky thing below


I just love this image - Shopping Girl - which is available as a digi from Scrapbook Sisters.  I've coloured her simply in greys and added glamour dust and black glitter here and there, with a bow on one of her bags.

Tuesday, 22 November 2011

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge 47 - Winter Blues and a GDT call!

Hello!!

This week at LCI the challenge has been set by Laurie and she has asked us to share our Winter Blues... well seeing as I'm one of those people that would quite happily be snuggled under a duvet from now until April that could take some time... so I'd best just get on and share the card I made :-)  Actually, I think that is where Laurie is as I think she is poorly at the moment - get well soon hunny!


I used this months Stamp Of the Month, Nikki and Buttercup building a Snowman which you can get for the bargain price of £3.50 until the end of the month.  I think it is really cute, and isn't just for Christmas either, as it looks fabby for any wintery occasion!
 
As another early Christmas pressie to everyone that has played along with us over the past year we are looking for some Guest Designers this challenge - interested?  Then add GD after your name in your entry!!


I used some American Traditional Designs papers from a couple of years ago with some MME Portobello Road, I think it looks OK, and tones in quite well

One thing I love about this image is that it's really quick for those last minute Christmas makes, not too much colouring, loadsa glitter!!


The lace is also from LCI and you can get it here - or check out the new thingy below (fingers crossed it works!)





Please may I enter these challenges
Thanks for looking

Sunday, 20 November 2011

It's Going to be a Bright Christmas

Hello!

I hope you've had a good weekend!  I have had one of those days where I have been busy all day, but don't seem to have done much!  Still both kids are bathed, fed and watered, the fire is going nicely and I can settle down to a nice evening of colouring and creating :-D

Before I do, just time to share another of the cards I made for one of the Scrapbook Sisters Card Classes.  Apologies for the quality (or lack of it!) of the pictures - HB had nicked my camera and I was left with the point and shoot and I just can't get the hang of something simple anymore!!


Anyway, Julie gave me these papers which are from a Trimcraft stack, and I think they had been left to last as the colour was quite difficult!  I have to admit orange is not one of my favourite colours, but I was really pleased with how this one turned out.  I decided that the design needed to be kept quite simple, and the papers needed a young, fun image to go with them, and one of the Christmas Nikki range was perfect - this one is Nikki and Buttercup Snow Angels  from Ladybug Crafts Ink:-D.

This is one of those cards where the front is folded back on itself... nope no idea what it is called, but you'll excuse me 'cos it's a Sunday and my brain is fried right!!  Here's a picture of the inside and you'll hopefully get what I'm waffling on about!!
The sentiment is by Penny Black (I think!), and is one of my favourites and works really well with this happy image :-D

Please can I enter these challenges

Right, no more procrastinating... must get on!

Thanks for stopping by




Saturday, 19 November 2011

CAS Snowflakes

Hello!

Tusk, I've been a bad blogger again, and not posted anything for a couple of days, it's not like I have any excuse because I have been creating, especially since I have been asked to do a Christmas fair at my friends son's school but eek!, it's next weekend!!  I'm going to take whatever is in my box already done and what I manage to make this week.  If I don't sell anything then it was worth a go, if I do then it's more towards the Christmas fund :-D
Today's card is one I designed for this weeks card class at Scrapbook Sisters, I think the ladies liked it :-D






As you may know, CAS really isn't my style... it freaks me out to be honest!  I was intending on using a large snowflake in the middle of the card, but it has been borrowed by the pixies and it is NOT where I left it.  At least that's my excuse, I can't possibly have misplaced it can I?!  Anyway, I used some snowflake stamps that I got from Lakeland Plastics a couple of years ago when they used to do craft stuff, embossed them with white glittery embossing powder, then rubbed distress inks over.  I quick spritz of Moonlight Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist to give a bit of a sheen.  I then cut the panel into three and matted it onto dark blue CS and attached it straight onto the card.  The sentiment is from another Lakeland set.  Quick and simple, but quite effective I think!

Please can I enter these challenges

Thanks for looking - I'll try and post something tomorrow!!

Wednesday, 16 November 2011

Southern Girls Challenge - Bingo!

Hello!

Not my teams week this week over at Southern Girls, but I couldn't resist doing a card :-D  This week is a Bingo Challenge, and you can pick to go up and down, left to right or diagonally - but check the challenge blog for the full details!  I really don't want to be responsible if I don't explain it properly!!


I love the Paper Shelter images who are one of this fortnights sponsors, they are fabulous to colour, but I decided to use Victorian Morticia to make a Christmas Card, going across the middle line of the bingo board - Die Cuts, Gems and Ribbon (and yes I know my papers have glitter on them, but it's on there already, I didn't add it, so I have not counted glitter as one of my items!!)

I used both my MME Lost and Found Christmas pad and the 12x12 papers from the same range to create my card, and I noticed an off cut had a perfect image so I die cut a tag and shaped the paper to fit - I've tucked it away though :-D.  Unusually for me there is very little matting of the paper, but I distressed the edges of the papers with some Antique Linen Distress Ink.


This is quite a busy card, but I think the strong image can take it!


There's a gem in the centre of her necklace and on the pin heads, and more in the corners of the card.  I guess you can't help but notice the big ribbon!

 Recipe:
Papers - MME
Colours - Black, Cream, Red
 Images - The Paper Shelter
Inks - Copics, Distress Ink
Tools - Marianne Die Cuts
Misc - Ribbons, Flowers, Pinks, Pearls, Gems

Please may I enter these challenges
Daisy Doodles - Anything Goes with a Digi
Bunny Zoe's - Anything Christmas with Pearls
Hooked on Crafts - Punches/Die Cuts
 Make It Monday - Anything Goes
The Catered Crop - Follow the Recipe (my recipe above!)
Paper Sundaes - Digi Images
Crafty Emma's Store - Roses and Ribbons
Digital Tuesday Challenge - Christmas Time 
By The Cute and Girly - Christmas Girls


Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Southern Girls Challenge - Bingo!

Please see here for reloaded post - blogger issues again!


Scrapbook Sisters Challenge 60 - Winter Wedding

Hello!!  I hope you are enjoying the week!  Just a quick post from me today, I'm sharing my DT card from this weeks Scrapbook Sisters card challenge - this week the theme is Winter Weddings

Now I got married in January, and my Mum organised the local farmers to be on standby in case it snowed to get me to the register office, honestly anyone would think she was trying to get rid of me!!  Anyway, I think that winter weddings suit a more muted or icy colour palete, so that's what I went for


I used my Bride Nikki from Ladybug Crafts Ink and mounted her simply on a lovely Marianne Die - I love this stamp, she is so classy, and how her dress flows, just gorgeous!! 

I'm desparately short of wedding sentiments though, so I didn't put one on the front!  I know I have one somewhere but I have no idea where!!  I stamped the inside with a congratulations stamp though! 

Please may I enter these challenges

Thanks for stopping by

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge 46 - Fairy Magic

Hello!


Before I get started on today's post, a quick thank you to everyone who left such lovely comments on my blog following the new release and our blog hop/blog candy - it was great that the new images went down so well, and I'm not surprised as they are so unique!  If you missed them last week, you can take a peek here

I'd also like to say a huge congratulations to Sue who won my celebration Blog Candy - well done hun!  If you pop an email to the email addy on the challenge blog with Sue's Candy Winner in the title I will get your goodies out to you quick smart :-D

It's the head ladybug, Kerry's turn to set the challenge over at Ladybug Crafts Ink this week, so no slacking allowed :-D

I used Letter to Santa Ruby, and teamed her with some MME Christmas Lost and Found Papers


Oddly, despite not having inked this stamp in a little while, she was picked by at least 2 other members of the DT this week!  She is so sweet, standing on her tippy toes to reach the postbox


She's glittered to within an inch, and I used Frosted Lace stickles to build up the layers of the snow.  I found an ancient snowflake border stamp and decided to give the edges a bit of glitz too. The Personal Impressions sentiment has been embossed with black sparkle embossing powder. 


I found a set of Crafty Individuals stamps the other day that included an air mail stamp and some postmarks etc, so there are little stamps all over this card, hiding amongst the text background :-D


Thanks for stopping by - more tomorrow

Monday, 14 November 2011

Monday Monday

Hello!

I hope you had a good weekend, I was intending on blogging all weekend, but I was bitten by the creative urge and made 9 (count 'em 9!!) cards.

Today's card is one of them, although the photo does NOT do this one justice as I was using HB's little camera, not my one which he had borrowed to take pictures of buildings (I kid you not!!) - but it was for his work for a job they have coming up and my camera has a better zoom on it.  Anyway, as I said it looks better IRL than the picture!!


I'm really sorry but I have no idea who the paper is by, but I love the colours.  I teamed it with Teal CS to make a Just Because card, with some East of India Ribbon, Papermania sentiment stamps, Joy butterfly die and a butterfly stamp.  Quite simple, but I like it!


I am quite amazed that I managed to get so much done as I was quite busy really - what with taking big son to the opticians on Saturday, and then to the Rememberance Day parade yesterday, getting the boiler serviced (not by me I hasten to add!!) plus the housework, washing and ironing

I'll be sharing some more of the weekends endeavours over the next few days, thanks for stopping by




Wednesday, 9 November 2011

Just Elfing around

Hello!  

I had time to make a quick card using one of the images from this fortnights Southern Girls Challenge international sponsor Sassy Design Studio - this little cutie is Emily the Elf.  If you haven't entered the challenge yet, you have a week to go to enter the Inspired by a Song challenge - this one is inspired by Santa Baby

 Iused some MME Jolly Holly papers which I like, although it's more traditional than I would normally buy, maybe it's my age! :-D.

There's glitter all over her tunic, which was a *nightmare* to photograph (!) and she's dressed in traditional elf attire colours :-DAnd check me out, getting down with the blond hair!  I'm trying to be brave as my natural tendancy is to colour hair brunette!

When I was routing through my craft box the other day I found some shrink plastic which I haven't used in ages, so stamped the sentiment on it, and cut and got shrinking - so satisfying!!


Supplies:
Image - Sassy Design Studios; Sentiment - Penny Black; 
MME Jolly Holly 6x6 pad;  Kraft and Green Bazzill;
Olive Sheer Striped Ribbon; Charm, Button and Pearls all from stash
Copics; Glamour Dust; Marianne D die; Spellbinders Labels 4 die

Please may I enter these challenges
Thanks for looking!


Scrapbook Sisters Challenge 59 - Baby Baby

Hello!

Wow, I just couldn't believe the number of entries there were for the last Scrapbook Sisters Card challenge - I think 304 is the record, even though this was a two week challenge, so a huge thank you to everyone who entered.  I tried to get to have a close look at as many as I could, but apologies if I didn't get to visit you!  Lovely to see such a wide variety of projects too :-D

However, it is a new week and there's a new challenge for you, and this week the theme is 


I decided to use one of the first stamps I ever got, a little sweetie fresh and fragrant from the bath by Stampendous, with some papers from my stash by Paper Adventures

The tag is my new Marianne die, and I have lined the centre with some more of the main paper.  The ribbon is by Bo Bunny, sentiment by PTI, and the ribbon, charm and button are from my stash


I added a touch of glossy accents to the water drops on his head and foot, and to his duck, which was nearly my undoing as dizzy here stood her card up before the GA was dry and it dripped down the card, but I fixed it, what with that and the image-stuck-stuck-to-a-cat incident from earlier in the week I am a one-woman disaster zone!

Hope you can join in the fun this week!

Please can I enter my card into these challenges

Thanks for looking


Tuesday, 8 November 2011

Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge 45 - Getting Hitched, an Anniversary and a huge celebration

Hello!!

Today is a VERY special day at Ladybug Crafts Ink as it is the first blogaversary since the challenge blog was started!!

To celebrate we have a whole host of fun for you to get involved with, with lots and lots of prizes along the way, so why not grab yourself a cuppa and get involved

First up we have a new release of Digi stamps - from the Love and Marriage Collection, and the DT have used the new images for their cards.  The images are a steal at £1.75 each or £9 for all six!

  We are having a blog hop to celebrate - if you are hopping already you should have arrived from the lovely Tams if not and you want to take part pop on back to the Challenge blog, and I'll see you again in a little while!! 

  If you are hopping, I'm sure you know all the rules by heart by now, but just in case

Display the blog hop badge somewhere on your blog, leaving a comment on each of the DT's blogs, and then heading on back to the challenge blog (your last stop after me!) to leave us a comment letting us know what your favourite image is


The prizes for the hop are all six images in the new release for the overall winner, and one image for 5 lucky runners up!!

But that's not your only chance to win, as some of the DT have raided their own stash and will be picking winners from the people who have commented on their personal blogs.  Just as a little bit of temptation for you here's mine


I've included a length of gold satin ribbon, a Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink pad, and the rather lovely Lost and Found Christmas pad, which I believe is getting pretty impossible to find!!

And... as always there will be one winner and a top three picked from those who enter the challenge, which, naturally, is

I made two cards, so there are quite a lot of photos!


This one combines one of the new digis - The Bride and Groom with MME Lost and Found Portabello Road papers, the bottom panel has been overstamped and embossed with a Prima background stamp, MS border punch, Berrisford "Orchid" wide satin ribbon, lace, pins, WOC flowers, and some gems from my stash


I love this image, it's so sweet and I just love how I got his suit, my colouring almost looks professional!!  There's just a touch of sparkle on her flowers, tiara and necklace.  The sentiment is from the Baby Baby set which you can get here

I decorated the inside using some left over papers


Do you like it?  I have to admit I was having a bit of a panic attack over the colour scheme, but I think it works OK now!!


Now I'm going to tell you that I had a complete nightmare with my second card, you see I had one of those really brilliant ideas, that when you do it you wonder what on earth you were thinking about!  Seriously I emailed a pic of it to the boss lady and she thought it was hilarious - I'd had this brilliant idea to do something with some black feather things behind the image.  But OMG, it looked like i'd stuck this lovely image to someones wig!! Or Cat!!  Needless to say it all came apart pretty quickly (but not before Kerry had had a jolly good giggle at my expense!!  

But in so doing I ripped one of the legs of the cake stand, and as I really liked how I'd coloured this image had to get a bit choppy with the scissors  - so sorry!!  Anyway, this image is called The Cake


I actually wanted this to be a CAS card, and let the image do the talking, and I think I got there in the end... and no actual cats (or wigs) were harmed in the process!


Please can I enter these challenges
Bride and Groom card
Sketch Saturday - Sketch (I flipped the sketch 90 degrees - hope that is OK!)

Cake card

Before I go, as much as today is a celebration, it is bittersweet as it is the last LCI challenge for two of the DT - I shall miss you Mary and Amanda, your friendship has been incredible and I have been so inspired by your creations, and it has been a real honour to have worked alongside you.

Right, better go now before I get all over-emotional and have to do the hand flappy thing!! Hope you like my cards and the new images, and have fun entering the challenge and on the blog hop!!