Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 17 - Anything Goes

Hi, hope you are having a good start to 2011.

This week at Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge, we're easing back into the new year with

Anything Goes

I needed to make a card for my Mum for her birthday, as she was 75 yesterday I knew I'd get shot if I gave her a card with numbers on it (she's a young 75, dresses appropriately but still loves a killer heel...) so I thought the Scrapbook Sister's Gayle Bond Digi's were perfect.  I've used two here - Flower 4 and Half Mask.  While I was at it I also got another one of the masks because I have some photos to scrapbook that I took years ago at the Venice Festival and these will work so well with them :-).

Here's my card, hope you like it



I cut out the stamps with scissors and a craft knife and domed sections before overlapping them and adhereing them to the card front.

Supplies:

Images:  Flower 4 and Half Mask Digi Stamps, Scrapbook Sisters; Sentiment - Papermania; CS - Black Bazzill and Lilac Cordinations; Copics; Purple Stickles; MS Border Punch; Gems; Prima paper; Silver Gel Pen

Looking forward to seeing your creations,

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Totally Ladybug Tuesday - Challenge 9 - Anything Goes

Good Morning and welcome to the first Ladybug Crafts Ink (aka Totally Ladybug Tuesday) challenge of 2011.  This week our theme is...

Anything Goes

And when we say Anything, we mean Anything... so this week we want to see all of your lovely creations, and cos it's an Anything Goes challenge any of the entries is eligible to win the prize, although we love to see Ladybug Crafts Ink stamps used if you have 'em!  As always the top three is open to all, LCI stamp or not :-)

After making seemingly endless Christmas cards I didn't make enough and have had to send some Happy New Ones, and Winestool Nikki seemed perfect for the job.  I wanted it quite blingy but glam so went for a mainly black colour scheme, with a bit or red as an accent.  HB looked at it and said it looked very Moulin Rouge-esque!  I think that was a compliment!!

Without further waffle from me, here's the pictures...

Hope you like it :-)

Supplies

Image - Winestool Nikki, Ladybug Crafts Ink; CS - Black and Red Dotty Bazzill; Papers - Bo Bunny "Alissa Twirls", Doodlebug Black Daydream Glitter paper; Prima Crystal/Pearl Swirl; Velvet Lace ribbon; Copics; Labels 4 Nestabilities; Black and Platinum Stickles; Charcoal Black Chalk Eye; MS Arched Lattice Border Punch; Sentiment - Mo Manning Facebook Freebie

I'd like to enter this card for these challenges:

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Ooh La La Challenge - Toast to 2011

Simon Say's Challenge - Time to Party

Charisma Cardz Challenge - Pearls and Lace

Digi Doodle Shops Challenge - Anything Goes

Totally Papercrafts Challenge - Time to Party
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes + optional extra of add lace

Looking forward to seeing your creations!

Before I go for today, just to let you know that next week we are having a blog hop to celebrate the release of a new range of stamps :-)  There are prizes up for grabs, so why not grab the banner now and pop it on your sidebar and spread the word!

Thanks for stopping by,  Sue xx

Favourite Five from 2010

I saw on my LCI DT friend Lisa's blog that she had selected her favourite 5 cards from 2010 that Debby is running over on her blog, so I thought it would be interesting to have a look back and see too...

As I only started making cards again in May after a rather long break I thought this would be easy, but there were still over 200 posts to look through!!  On account of the fact that I can't, errr, count there appear to be more than 5 here!!  Oops :-)

Fathers Day

New Home Magnum

Distressed!

Mermaid Card

Scared Cinders

Ribbons Galore

LOTV Christmas

Modern Christmas

Thanks for stopping by, new cards tomorrow, promise :-)

Sue xx

Sunday quick post

Well it was meant to be Sunday, but looks like I have tripped into Monday morning :-)

I made a couple of cards today, which I'll save for later in the week, but thought I'd share a one of the quick thank you cards I made to send to people whose house we visited, or sent presents to us or the kids.  I've quite a few to make so they are all the same, more or less.

I've used some Kraft-ish CS that I got from the Paper Mill today - although I ended up having to go to the one in Medway cos the one in Ashford has shut down.

I couldn't resist doing the insides with the left over papers though :-)

Supplies

Kraft CS; Brown Bazzill; Paper - Abbey Road Vine, Bo Bunny; Gems; Ribbon; Sentiment - Woodware; Timber Brown Stazon

Hope you like it :-)

More tomorrow (fingers crossed!)

I'd like to enter this card for these challenges

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Thank You

Cute Card Thursday - Thank You

Allsorts Challenge - Thank You

Sue xx

New Year, New beginnings...

Good Grief, I've been SUCH a bad blogger over the last couple of weeks, so firstly I hope you had a great Christmas and wish you a

Very Happy New Year

Gosh, where do I start!  Just a quick catch up - well I got ALL of my Christmas shopping done on the 22nd, then food shop on the 23rd, 24th was spent tiding up the house and (sob) clearing my craft stuff off the dining room table so we weren't eating off our laps, before taking the kids to the panto (VERY disappointed in it this year)

Christmas Day was at home with two very excited kids, and Boxing Day was at my in laws. 

We were supposed to be going up to my parents on the 27th (they had popped round for a couple of hours on Christmas Day), but my Dad was taken poorly again (he's been to the doctor and they have changed his tablets again, fingers crossed it's under control now), either way he wasn't up to it so we've postponed it until he feel well enough...

28th was at a friends then 29th and 30th HB and I went away for a couple of days - I had thought I could do a bit of shopping, and had checked out a couple of craft shops that I fancied a visit to, but he was surveying a couple of sites for his work (he works for a company that makes signs that go on shops, car firms, hotels etc), but I ended up helping him, and no time for shopping (humph!!), still it was good to get away and spend some time together without the ankle biters :-)

Last night we were joined for new year by my sister- and brother-in-law, and HB's parents,  after having a hectic few days I took the easy option and made a home-made lasagna - and it was very much a case of this is what I've cooked eat it or go hungry, and take us as you find us!!  We watched the fireworks on the telly and popped a bottle of something fizzy.  Mind you, by the time they had all left and I'd tidied up a bit it was 2.30am!! 

So today was the first day I have actually done any crafting, and it took me an age to get going, couldn't find the papers I wanted, then fussed over the colours.   It seemed quite appropriate that as it's a New Year that I should do a New Baby card... or two... if nothing else my SIL is expecting in March and has not found out if she's having Type A or Type B, so colouring practice on both is required!!  It also seemed quite appropriate as this stamp is (I think!) the very first stamp I bought, so a bit look back, look forward... oooh that's a bit philosophical isn't it!!

As my Mojo was still sleeping I took it easy and kept 'em simple - they are both the same, but I can't decide which one I like best so pics of them both!!

I used one of the Nesties sets Santa kindly gave me which I think looks really good as it echos the pattern on the paper (honest, that was deliberate!!), and one of the lovely border punches that I found under the tree too :-)  It also gave me a good excuse to use the rather cute teddy bear charms!!

Supplies:  Image - Stampendous; Papers MME; CS - Bazzill; MS Border Punch; Nestabilities Labels 5; Ribbon; Charms; Sewing Machine; MS Border Punch

I'd like to enter this card for these challenges

My Time to Craft - Brand Spanking New

Alphabet Challenge - I is for Infants

Fairy Fun Fridays - New Beginnings

Drunken Stampers - Use Something New (Nesties and Border Punch)

One Stop Craft Challenge - New Beginnings

Thanks for stopping by, I am hoping to get cracking tomorrow and be able to share something else!

Sue xx

Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 16 - It's a Man's World

Hi!  OMG we have only two days to get ready for Christmas!! well three including today :-)

I'm sure I am not alone in saying that the snow we have had uncharacteristically early here in the UK has seriously impacted my plans...

... Scrapbook Sisters are planning to be open today and tomorrow only for your last minute crafty gifts and they do vouchers too... perfect for the partner or husband who asks "Martha Stewart who?", and worries slightly at you sighing over someone called Tim Holtz :-)

I for one have armed HB with a FULL list... where to get it, prices and sizes where applicable are included but I know if the worst happens and we get another dose of the white stuff before he finishes work today then he will be able to get hold of Karen and she will make sure Santa is kid to me :-)

Seriously though, I'm Christmas shopping RIGHT now and have both a proper 4x4 ( prehistoric Land Rover, knobbly tyres) and a tractor on standby to get my useless rear wheel drive, automatic, usually-oh-so-efficient-but-completely-hopeless-in-the-way-of-a-duck-on-ice-german-built-monster out from whichever ditch I finally succumb to... I'm getting the sinking feeling it is a matter of time, no matter how careful I am :-(.  HB has been looking for a second hand Land Rover on eBay... and for once I am not protesting!! 

Right, enough rambling, onto today's card

This weeks Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge is

It's a Man's World

Here's my card

Please excuse the two interlopers into the picture... they wanted their 15 minutes of fame and who was I to say no :-)

Once I'd persuaded them to get out of shot...

I've used the lovely new papers by Echo Park for this card, which is for my neighbour... I think he'll appriciate it :-)

This is a lovely design, but I have used red and blue stickles on the dots to perk it up a bit more...

as I had a bit of paper left over I carried it over to the inside

The image is coloured with copics, and accented with Glossy accents and more stickles

Supplies: 
CS - Blue and White Bazzill Bling; Borders from Wintertime Collection, Echo Park: Image and Sentiment - Bugaboo; Ribbon; Woodware Fluffy Stuff; Red and Blue Stickles; Personal Impressions Sentiment; Stone Grey Stazon; Cricut; MS Border Punch; Woodware 3" Circle Punch;

Before I go I would like to thank all my blog followers for their support and encouragement for my creations, and to all my friends at Scrapbook Sisters (you know who you are!!) and to everyone who has taken part in the Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenges.  Merry Christmas!!

Thanks for stopping by, looking forward to seeing how you interpret this challenge :-)

Sue xx

Totally Ladybug Tuesday Challenge 8 - Song Title

Good morning and welcome to another Totally Ladybug Tuesday... this is the last challenge of the year (sniff!!)... but don't worry we'll be back in the new year (hurrah!!)

Firstly congratulations to all the winners from last weeks challenge and blog hop!!

This week the challenge has been set by the lovely Tams and it is

Song Title

Now this might seem a bit of a toughy, but I bet you can look at any one of your stamps and think of something... or, failing that, cheat and ask google for help :-)

Anyway, here's what I came up with

By happy coincidence a colleague of mine asked me to make a card for her Grandson, who is turning 18, mad keen on football, and who lives in Italy (are you still with me??).  Well I'd got the post-it note in my bag with the details on it, when on the way home...

My Name is Luca by Suzanne Vega

came on the radio... how spooky is that!!

And so, the idea for my card was born... I had SO many ideas for this challenge and was hoping to show a few more, but what with making Christmas cards nineteen to the dozen they kinda got parked :-(  Maybe if I get a chance this week I'll try and make a few...

Supplies:
Football Jack - Ladybug Crafts Ink; Sentiments from Sentimental Numbers set - Ladybug Crafts Ink
Dark Blue and Dark Red Bazzill; Papers - {you}th collection by Prima;
Buttons; Twine; Copics

I'd like to enter this card for these challenges
Cute Card Thursday - One for the Kids
Crafty Catz - Your Choice (I chose challenge 34 - Boys)
Allsorts - Anything Goes
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
The Crafty Pad - Anything Goes

I'm looking forward to seeing all your lovely creations for this challenge :-)

Most of all, thank you to everyone who has followed me during my first year of blogging, and who has joined in with the Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenges, I wish you a

Very Merry Christmas and a Happy Crafty New Year

Sue xx

Busy, busy, busy

Just a lightning fast post before I wake up my youngest, before wrapping the pair of us up warmly and setting off for work... I am taking a flask, drinks, snacks and blankets for us both, porta-potty for him (and me, if get really desparate!!) as it's not the getting out that worries me, but the getting home!  HB helpfully has informed me that they have shut off one of the hills just down the road cos there is a 4x4 that has lost control on a hill and is now on its side, oh great, that is SOOO reasurring!!  And there is me about to go out in what must be the most impractical vehicle going... just blooming perfect :-)

Honestly there is only about 8 inches of snow here, nothing really when you look how much the rest of the country has had, and pales into insignificance to the amount of snow in some parts of the US and the rest of Europe... but living in a backwater means we don't EVER see a snowplow, so it's 5 miles on packed ice before I get out of the lanes and onto a main road in a silly car ahead of me... wish me luck :-/

In my promise to keep my blog more updated (BEV this relates to YOUR comment the other night) I hereby promise to be good and post more often (unless I am stuck in a snowdrift somewhere, in which case I've got a good excuse!!), I thought I'd share some of the umpteen cards I have been making over the weekend... most of them are re-runs of stuff I have already posted, but there are some new ones, so here goes...

OK, these two have used the same design, same papers, but I'll show you both

Firstly a "Stella Image" from Bugaboo

Perfect for anyone that you know that is a bit of a "Bah-humbug"!!

Secondly the fabulous Shopping Girl Digi by Gale Bond available at Scrapbook Sisters

Doesn't she look amazing in her Red Coat!!  I have to say I was rather pleased how my colouring went on this one!  It almost looks like I know what I am doing!!  Shocking photo though... it didn't look that fuzzy on the camera screen!!

Supplies:

Images - Shopping Girl from Scrapbook Sisters; Santa Called Image and sentiment - Bugaboo;

Black and White Bazzill; Hot Chocolate "Glistening Snow" Fancy Panks Designs;

Cricut; Woodware Circle Punch; MS Border Punch; EK Success Snowflake Punch;

Copics; Fluffy Stuff; Glamour Dust; Glossy Accents; Stickles

Charms, Gems; Ribbon

I'd like to enter this card for these challenges please :-)

Craft Your Days Away - Punch It Out

Drunken Stampers - Christmas

One Stop Craft Challenge - Sketch

Craft Your Passion - Christmas

Right that's it from me ; -)

Hope you are all OK... keep warm and stay safe,

Sue xx

Update - made it to work and home again safe and sound - only a couple of sideways moments :-)

Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 15 - Non Traditional Christmas

Good evening!  Today's Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge is

Non Traditional Christmas

I have used some of the gorgeous papers by Doodlebug and Bo Bunny... just love these!!  They are just gorgeous, not Christmas papers or colours but rich and luxurious never-the-less :-)

I don't think the picture has picked it up very well but I have sewed snowflakes with my sewing machine down the right hand side of the card with a bronzey gold embroidery thread (good news on the sewing machine front, I found the box of discs I was looking for and am working my way through them to sew what I can use for my cardmaking!!)

I've printed out the Scrapbook Sisters Digi Stamp Shopping Girl, coloured her in then cut her out and layered her on  some scalloped ovals cut on the Cricut

I had a couple of scrap pieces left over that were too small to use on their own, so rather than put them in the bin I used them to decorate the inside of the card.

I could in all honesty make card after card with these papers (ok, so I have been), they just look so different in amongst the usual Christmas colours, and are perfect for any occasion from autumn on that I am seriously thinking about getting a secret stash before they discontinue them!

Loads more tomorrow, and I PROMISE to be a better blogger over the next week!!

Sue xx

Totally Ladybug Tuesday - Challenge 7 and an Extra Special Christmas Blog Hop

Hi and welcome to the 7th Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge and our Christmas Blog Hop... and have we got a Hop for you!!

As it's the season of goodwill each DT member is giving a gift!  So there are an amazing 11 prizes to be won .. as well as this weeks challenge prize!!

This weeks challenge has been chosen by Our GD Jovita and she has chosen....

WINTER WONDERLAND

If you have already started hopping I hope you have found your way from Kerry's Blog.  If not, then cos I'm hopeless at giving directions, it's probably better if you go back to the start and I'll see you soon :-)

Hopefully you have already got two letters (my question is somewhere in this post!!) and have left some lovely comments on the DT's work, and have grabbed a copy of the blog hop banner for your blog (if you have one)

OK, so the formality over, here's my take on the challenge... my question and a pic of my candy is at the bottom of the post

I've kept it fairly simple this week, but love the red machine embroidery silk I found in my sewing box, IRL it has a lovely sheen to it :-)  I just love the look on Sledding Magnum's face, he doesn't look at all happy!! 

And cos I was at a bit of a loose end I even did the inside :-)

Supplies:

Image - Sledding Magnum and Lily, Ladybug Crafts Ink; Sentiments - Personal Impressions;

Red and White Bazzill Bling; Paper "Glistening Snow" Fancy Pants Hot Chocolate Collection;

Ribbon, Gems, White Holographic snowflakes from stash;

Punches etc: EK Success Snowflake; Woodware Scalloped Circle and MS Border Punch; Label cut with Cricut;

Momento Tuxedo Black; Stone Grey Stazon; Copics; Glamour Dust; Diamond Dust; Glossy Accents: Sewing Machine

So... my candy...

In there is some papers, two packs of lovely flowers, some alphabet stamps and some glitter :-)

And my question is...

Silent ___________ ?

Easy huh???

Enjoy the rest of the hop - your next stop is Gaelle

I'd like to enter my card for these challenges

Digi Doodle - Animals/Insects

2 Sisters - T'was the Night Before Christmas

Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes Christmas

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Winter Wishes

Cupcake Challenge - Non-Traditional Christmas

Pear Tree - Christmas

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Christmas Cards

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Stampavie and More - Christmas

Totally Gorjuss - Snow

Thanks for stopping by, I'm really looking forward to seeing your creations :-)

Sue xx

Sunday night quick post

I'm so sorry I haven't been posting much over the last couple of weeks... my get up and go has got up and gone... and taking my crafty mojo with it for company... I'm hoping both come back soon.

I could blame spending most of last week on my own with the kids (HB away on business), or my work, but I just think it's just the time of year when there is so much going on and it's difficult to keep up

I have managed a couple of cards though, nothing overly inspiring but I thought I'd share them nevertheless :-)

The first one is a variation on the bronze one I did the other day - I really liked the design and wanted to try it in different colours, and also I aquired a silver promarker (shhh, don't tell anyone about that... I'm a copic girl!).  It's OK but I have got so used to the copics I don't think I'd swap, and maybe it's because it's a metallic but I don't think it blended as well as the copics.

I think I did OK with the colouring??

Supplies: Image - LOTV; Sentiment - Creative Impressions; White Bazzill, Silver Mirri; Silver Ribbon; Tree Charm; Cricut; Scalloped Circle Punch; Copics & Silver Promarker; Glamour Dust; Diamond Dust; Glossy Accents

I'd like to enter this card for

Tuesday Throwdown - Clean and Simple

Creative Inspirations - White Papers

The second card is another simple design - I'm afraid all my Christmas cards are going to be simple this year, and time is running out to the point that I think some people are going to get a bought one - still it can't be helped... I refuse to get all worked over a piece of card... there's only so much I can do in one day!!

I just love the rich colour of this ribbon!!

Supplies - White and Green Bazzill; Papers - Adornit??; Gems; Green Brad; Cricut; Charm; Ribbon; Image - Letter to Santa Ruby, Ladybug Crafts Ink

I'd like to enter this card for these Challenges

Allsorts - Last Minute Christmas

Let's Ink It Up - Christmas with Sparkle and Bling

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

P.S.  Please be sure to check back on Tuesday for an extra special Totally Ladybug Tuesday!!  There are so many fabulous prizes to be won, just cos it's Christmas!

 

Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge 14 - Snowflakes

Hi!  How appropriate is this week's Scrapbook Sisters Card Challenge as I think large chunks of the UK are currently shivering under a blanket of snow! 

Is it just me but it doesn't normally snow this much this early in the year??

I was wanting to use some shrink plastic snowflakes for this challenge, but I can't find my opaque shrink plastic - and I tried using white (which you'd have thought would be OK) but didn't like them, they looked too solid somehow, so gave up and cut some out on the cricut.  Mission for this week - find the Shrink Plastic I just KNOW I have!!  Anyway, this is what I came up with...

The rather happy snowman is Snowman with Scarf from the new release of Digi Downloads from Scrapbook Sisters.  The new range includes more from Gayle Bond and also from Sally West.  If you haven't seen these downloads yet, I hope you have chance to have a look - prices are from 99p and there is no minimum order value

This image is fab to colour as Gayle has managed to indicate where the shade should be without making the image is too prescriptive - nice one Gayle!!

I've added some glamour dust to his hat and glossy accents to his carrot nose and coal eyes, nose and buttons

Hope you like it

Sue xx

Totally Ladybug Tuesday - Challenge 6 - Pearls

Good morning, hope you are having a good week!

This week's Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge has been set by the lovely Gaelle, who would like to see pearls on your project.

Now somewhere I have a lovely pearl thingy-me-bob by Prima, but could I find it?  No!!  I'm suspecting it has been moved to a toy box somewhere or other as my 3 year old currently has a thing for all things sparkly... yesterdays sparkles came courtesy of my make up... very pretty... LOL :-)

Sorry, rambling... back to the card... so I changed direction at the last minute and set about adding pearls a plenty - I used a Bazzill template for the scrolls, so it's quite blingy, even for me but hey it's a Christmas card so it's allowed!!

And a close up of the lovely Tree Trimming Ruby

Hope you like it, and have time to check out what the rest of the DT have been up to by clicking on the links on the right

Supplies:  Cream and Chocolate Bazzil; Papers - Happy Together, Fancy Pants; Image - Tree Trimming Ruby; Sentiment - Personal Impressions Set; MS Punch; Scalloped Circles cut on Cricut; Copics; Pearls; Glamour Dust; Tuxedo Black Momento; Timber Brown Stazon

I'd like to enter my card for these challenges please

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Cupcake Challenge - Little Red Robin (the birds in the image are coloured as Robin's - hope that counts!)

Alphabet Challenge - Foliage

Totally Papercrafts Challenge - Christmas Punches

Crazy 4 Challenges - Sketch
Ooh La La - Christmas Song (Rocking Around the Christmas Tree)

Before I go, just a quick reminder that you still have time to take advantage of Kerry's special offer... buy one stamp, get one half price!  Buy two stamps, get two half price... click here to have a look at all the stamps :-)

And next week we are having a rather special blog hop!!

Thanks for looking :-)

Sue xx