Saturday, May 17, 2008

Exploding box

I managed this whilst looking after a friend's salon this week. It was ordered by a friend of a friend whose son had been travelling with his girlfriend and missed Christmas, Easter and their birthdays, hence all the different themes running through the box :)

Assorted bits and pieces and assorted papers are from my stash!

I took an order yesterday for three cards to be delivered on Monday and my desktop is littered with challenges and templates so I shall now see if I can use some for the cards. I have mum and dad coming for lunch tomorrow but should be able to craft tomorrow evening too and the salon isn't open on Monday so I get all day to catch up with my work....................then play :)

See you soon.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Happy birthday to you!

This week's Little Extra at Daring Cardmakers is

Paper or Clocks
Another Midweek challenge based on the traditional and modern gift lists for Wedding AnniversariesThis time we've chosen the 3rd Anniversary, so you have the choice ofPaper or Clocks to inspire your card making this week - which is nice and easy don't you think?Remember, your card doesn't have to be an anniversary card, it can be for any occasion, we're just using the themes for inspiration purposes!

It's a friend's birthday tomorrow and she is off to Malaga for a week (lucky so and so :)) so I took her birthday card and pressie round today. She opened her pressie (but not her card) and was really chuffed. I made her a pink Swarovski phone charm as she loves all things pink, hence the card! Bodice is Stampendous, patterned paper is Pink Petticoat and ribbon is from Ribbon Oasis feathers and flowers are from my stash. Sentiment was generated on the pc and made to look like a clock with the hands being cut from the top half of the Eiffel Tower die by Quickutz.

I may be awol for a few days as I'm looking after the salon while Caron is sunning herself in Spain. She stocks my cards and jewellery so it's the least I could do and I'm about to sort some of my work to take with me. I also want to take some stamped images to colour so I have some in reserve.

Right, got to go now as I have to go and spend some money on beads (purely in the line of business you understand! LOL)

Back soon, take care and thanks for looking.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Another day.....

..............another (dollar :)) thank you card! This time I've used the new Page Plans card sketch 7 and I'm really pleased with the result.Spotty paper is by Junkitz, blue and pink card is Bazzill and the flowers are Prima. The blue corner card has been run through the Swiss Dots embossing folder by Cuttlebug and edged with pink ribbon. The greeting this time is the flower centre attached with a large pink spotty brad.

Monday, May 12, 2008

More fab news and a thank you....

....card!

Anyway, my news first. I did the challenge on the Page Plans and won!! How fab was my weekend. All that and wall to wall sunshine makes Jackie one very happy lady!!! :)

My customers seem to be a really polite bunch at the moment. I made the following card on Saturday, posted another one out this morning and a friend ordered one to be collected on Wednesday. Oh and I'm also making another 100 as part of a wedding stationery order.

This card was again made with last week's Page Plans sketch. The papers are Papermania, flowers are a mix of Prima and Papermania held together with a sugar coated brad by Doodlebug and the sentiment is Quickutz Olivia.

Thanks for looking :)

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Guest Book

The guest book is from an order sent out during the week and I really enjoyed doing it.

I found it quite difficult to photograph though as the background on the book is silver mirri card and it kept reflecting my image, which is why I took it outside!! It's a hen weekend guest book and the girls are going to Edinburgh for the weekend hence the Scottish flag. The glass was cut from acetate and the edges were glittered using iridescent glitter. The details of the weekend are on the tag attached to the ribbon.

Take care and enjoy the sunshine.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

I've won, I've won

Who's a lucky girl then.............I've just logged on only to find out that I am a winner of blog candy over on Kath's blog Whoo hoo, I've won a Brenda Pinnick album, thanks Kath and Brodie :)

Rock a bye baby

I came into my studio last night to make a birthday card for DH for work tonight, two thank you cards and a birthday card for a teenager and this is what I ended up with!

I'm not sure where the idea for this one came from but I'm really pleased with it and it also fits the first challenge on a brand new blog called Stamp Something and this is what they were looking for OK, now to the challenge! This whole endeavor is a first for all of us, so in keeping with the theme of "Firsts," our challenge this week will be "First Somethings." Challenge yourself to try something entirely new. Attempt a new layout or color combination or a new technique or fancy fold/card style that you've been wanting to try but have been putting off. You could also just keep with the theme of "Firsts" and make a card for a first birthday, a first baby, a first house, a first car, or any other first you can think of. Keep it as simple or as complicated as you'd like.

The image was sat on my desk from playing with my new stamps the other day. It's another Maggie stamp and I thought it was perfect for a new baby card (I plan to make another one later in blue) The curtains were cut from Pink Petticoat paper, the 'wallpaper' is from The Funky One Bows and peel off are from my stash.
The second card is the one I came to make for DH. He is DJing a 50th birthday party this evening and always takes a card for the client.

The numbers are handcut again using a paper from The Funky One by Anice, the background has been Cuttlebugged using the Swiss Dots folder and the birthday cake is a Sizzlit die.

My last card for now is one of the thank you cards I needed to make.

Paper is from one of the new Papermania 6x6 pads, the stamp is Hero Arts coloured with pearlescent paints and tied with pale pink organza ribbon and the greeting is from Craftwork Cards. Sorry about the naff photo but it was taken at about 11.15 last night.

Now I need to make another thank you card and a birthday card for a teenage girl and then back to the stationery.

Whatever you are up to this weekend, have a good one. Thanks for looking.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Blog Candy

Michelle over at The Card Grotto has some fab blog candy on offer to celebrate receiving 40,000 hits on her blog (how brilliant is that) and she only started last August............if you saw her work you would know why.

Another dare, a sketch and er...another sketch

Well, I am more or less caught up with all the bits and pieces I need to do thanks to assorted dares, challenges and sketches etc.! So here are another three, the first one being the Daring Cardmakers
This week we have a team dare for you ....and we have been looking at Recycling once again. BUT there is a tiny twist! (you'd expect no less eh?) We want you to have a look at old shop bought greetings cards, wrapping paper or gift bags which you have received in the past and recycle any elements to make a card of your own.You could use them to make backgrounds, cut small focus pieces out, or use the flowers, ribbon and other interesting bits and pieces that are often attached to the cards.The card I used for the squares was part of the spine of a card I received about three years ago. I liked it enough to cut it off but didn't know what to do with it, thanks DCM :) Letters were cut on the Robo and the flowers are Cuttlebug.
The next one is for Di Hickman's sketch this week (which is quite good as I only did last week's yesterday!!!)


This is rugby Hamish, another one of my new stamps. He is coloured with my cheapy water colours and is just so sweet. Paper is K & Co.

My last card this time is for the Page Plans blog and is another sketch.

This is another one of my new stamps from Pixiedust and I love it. Paper is K & Co with a doodled border (!) and everything else is from my stash.

I still have two thank you and a teenager birthday cards to make (as well of millions of wedding related things :)) but I shall do those this evening and then have a blog hop, which I haven't done properly for ages. Thanks to those of you who have been kind enough to leave comments on my blog and I will be paying you a visit shortly :)

I'm now going outside to pull a few more weeds and take advantage of this glorious weather. The joys of working at home :)) Thanks for looking. xx

A dare, a challenge and one for luck

I managed a couple of challenges before bed last night as I have a couple of orders to do, but was too tired to blog. The DCM Little Extra on Tuesday was
This week we are hoping to inspire you with the modern and tradional gifts for the5th Anniversary, which is Wood or Silverwarewhich has been randomly picked- just to keep you on your toes ! :)Do with it what ever you wish, it doesn't have to be aniversary card, just inspired by the gift theme.

I only just got this one in before the new dare comes out today! Papers are from the Antique Cream 6 x 6 Papermania pad and the glasses are from a Thin Cuts die.

The next card is for the challenge on the Cute Card Thursday blog. This is the remit this week Gems and JewelsThis week our challenge is to use gems or jewels on your card, it's as easy as that!The pink gingham paper is from the 'Kate' pad by Making Memories and everything else is from my stash. The image is Penny Black and was stamped for me by my friend Jo a little while ago. I wanted to see if I could do them justice with my colouring before I succumbed and bought some and Jo sent me loads! I decided that they were too cute to use which is why they haven't seen the light of day until now. :)

And here is the one for luck! I bought some stamps last week and this is the first time I've had the chance to use them.

The image is another stamp by Pixiedust on ebay. Sally-Ann is a fab seller and I love her stamps. I coloured the image with my sparkly water colours from the Works (UK) and matted it onto pale pink card. The papers are this time I think are by Dovecraft. I've lost the front cover from the pack which is why I'm not sure LOL Ribbon is from RIbbon Oasis and the crystals are from my stash.
I still have some cards to make so hopefully I will be able to use a couple more challenges for those.
Thanks for reading, take care.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Thank You

I had a thank you card to make for my parents for doing the wedding fayre for me on Sunday and decided to use Di Hickman's template to make it and here it is.


The paper is from the Antique Cream 6 x 6 pad by Papermania and it is just so pretty. The scanner doesn't pick it up very well but it is actually a coffee and cream mix with a brown swirl and a border down the right hand side (I've used it upside down!) The large daisy was cut from another piece of the same paper and decoupaged. The other large daisies are punched with a diamante in the centre and the butterfly is Quickutz.

I also made a guest book yesterday but haven't photographed it yet. I will post it as soon as I have and I'm hoping to do another challenge today too but don't hold your breath. :))

Monday, May 05, 2008

Playing catchup!

Yesterday was the last of my wedding fayres until September (unless something fab comes along ;)) so I can now go back to doing a couple of challenges amongst the wedding stationery, I hope! The first one is for a template by Sue on Just Bex forum and it's a template

and here is my take on the templateIt also fits the challenge on Cute Card Thursday which is

Challenge 8 - In the garden
This week, a nice easy theme, anything to do with gardens. Could be people gardening, having fun in the garden, a garden scene or perhaps some little animals you might find in the garden

Papers are from Pink Petticoat, brads are Doodlebug, the charm is from Crafts By Carolyn and the cute little gardener is by Stamps Away.

Just got the Di Hickman template from last Wednesday and the DCM dares to do and I will have caught up a bit. I also have some new stamps which came last week and I neeeeeed to play with them :) so I will be back this evening with more to show.

BFN xx

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Page Plans

Another fab card template and me playing catch up (again)!!


Papers used are Basic Grey and English Paper Company. tag is embossed using a Cuttlebug folder, suit is Quickutz and I think the baby is a Bosscut die but not 100% sure. Brads and ric rac from my stash.

One down, three to go (so far)..........challenges that is. I'm also trying to get stuff together for two wedding fayres on Sunday, I have appointments all week and I organising a 30th birthday too. :) Good job I work well under pressure and another good thing is that it leaves me no time for household chores ;) so if you come to visit..........bring a duster!! :)

Back soon, thanks for looking.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Blog Candy

Have a look at Kath's blog for some fab candy she is giving away to celebrate 5000 hits on the blog. I like the look of the Brenda Pinnick kit :)

Friday, April 25, 2008

Papercraft Essentials

I've been published in the new edition of Papercraft Essentials. Not just any old article but an EIGHT page feature on wedding stationery. There are also six pages of templates to supplement the article. I think I'm going to burst with pride so I just had to share. I am so pleased with it, the photos are fab. See for yourself


This is me!!!

I'm also mentioned in Cardmaking and Papercraft this month (just my name) but my card can be seen on their web site If you scroll down to the English Paper Company section, my card won second prize. :)

Gosh, I am one happy bunny today.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Cute Card Thursday

I only came across this blog at the end of last week and have managed both challenges since. So this week's challenge is Challenge 7 Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. As we had male cards last week, this week we would like you to make a card with a female theme.The image and greeting are from Pink Cat Studio. The image is coloured with pearlescent paint in lilac and pink with the addition of a small Prima flower and a couple of crystals. The lilac card has been Cuttlebugged using the Bloom Dots folder. Pale pink organza ribbon is from Ribbon Oasis . The greeting has been finished with a couple of Quicklets.
Thanks for looking and for all the lovely comments. :)

More blog candy

http://funkyhand.blogspot.com/

http://www.marking-the-occasion.blogspot.com/

http://www.pinkangel-traciejane.blogspot.com/

http://going-buggy.blogspot.com/

http://stempelchaotin.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/das-etwas-andere-blog-candythe-other-blog-candy/


Wednesday, April 23, 2008

A challenge a day.........

..........is what I keep trying to make time for. I don't always manage it but haven't done badly this last couple of weeks. I'm just a bit late today as I was late deciding to make a card!
Anyway, this is for Di Hickman's template

and here is my cardThe papers are all by My Minds Eye and I think they are just beautiful. I'm nearly out of it though so I will have to have a look to see if I can still get it. The card also fits a competition (I think) on the Crafts By Carolyn forum so will go and post it on there.

Wish me luck!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Copper top!

I've just finished my card for the DCM Little Extra and.......................I love it!!! It's not very often I say that, but I'm really pleased with this one. The remit today is We are introducing a new series to our little mid week dares, based around traditional and anniversary gift themes to inspire a design. We are not necessarily looking for an anniversary card (although obviously that’s allowed :) the card can be for any occasion but it should be inspired by the gift theme of the chosen year.Now, we could start with 1st Anniversary, but that would mean you'd be able to guess the next dare in the series, and that would be too easy eh? :) So we've decided to pick the dare year randomly and we are starting off with'The 7th Anniversary'We’d like you to make a card inspired by the Traditional or Modern gift themefor a 7th Anniversary, which is……'Wool or Copper'
The papers are from the Sugared pad by Basic Grey and K & Co mat stacks. The sentiment was printed straight onto a piece of co-ordinating paper, using a selection of fonts, which was then cut up and edged with copper ink. The key was cut by hand from a template which was a freebie from PaperCraft Inspirations and the copper heart is from my stash. I can't remember where it came from as I bought it about four years ago! I've left the greeting off as I think it could be used for lots of different occasions.

I've done really well now and remembered to photograph these bookmarks before I've wrapped them in tissue (I usually have to unwrap them :))

They are both made using AB Swarovski crystals and Czech beads and sterling silver charms.

I'm now going to parcel them up and get them in the post.

BFN :)

Monday, April 21, 2008

Pop up card

I decided to clear my desk in order to make the bookmarks and start the wedding album but got ever so slightly sidetracked!! Whilst I was putting some stuff in a drawer, I found my pop up template and thought I would do the challenge that Jo has on her blog :) I already had the 'Hamish' image coloured and the car cut so it was really just a case of putting it together. I hope she likes it!I don't know where the papers came from, I found those in the drawer too. LOL I think I have enough pieces of left over paper to last me until about 2014! The brads and birthday tag were from Crafts by Carolyn ages ago.
That's it for today, I really must do the bookmark order but as I still have a couple of cards ordered, I will be back tomorrow hopefully with the DCM Little Extra.



Blog Candy

There are various people offering blog candy at the moment, so as I find them I will add them to this post.

http://funkyhand.blogspot.com/

http://www.marking-the-occasion.blogspot.com/

http://www.pinkangel-traciejane.blogspot.com/

http://going-buggy.blogspot.com/

http://stempelchaotin.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/das-etwas-andere-blog-candythe-other-blog-candy/

Cutie Pie!

I think I must be a couple of years behind everyone else. I've had a few cards ordered this weekend and found a couple of templates/challenges that I've never tried before, the first being Cute Card Thursday who state This week we would like to see your cards made for the men and boys in your lives!

One of my cards is a 'boy' card so I think this one fits their remit :) I also used a template from a challenge but unfortunately I saved the template but forgot to save the link so I don't know where it came from! *blush* If anyone recognises it could you please let me know so that I can credit the person who came up with it? TIA Sorted now, thanks Jo http://artfullyila.blogspot.com/2008/04/i-have-3-high-hopes-stamps-to-offer-as.html
I've used more paper from my left over box so the only paper I recognise is the green one which is from the sheet of Funky Hand paper which I printed off the other day. The stamp, which I have coloured using my cheapy paints from The Works, is from the Stamp Boutique on ebay and everything else is from my stash.


My second card is also from a template challenge but I know where this one is from :) I came across Page Plans via Jennifer's blog and thought I would give the challenge a go.
This is another stamps from The Stamp Boutique, again coloured with the paints. The backing paper is from one of the old K & Co 6x6 pads and the offcuts are from my bit box. The greeting and crystals were on my desk.
I now need to try and clear my desk as I have two bookmarks to make and and a duplicate wedding stationery album. I've been asked to do two wedding fayres, on the same day in two weeks time, so have roped my Mum and Dad in to do one for me. My Dad has done a couple as he was a Relief Manager with Greenwoods, (the mens clothing and wedding suit and kilt chain). My Mum has never done one though but they both like talking to people so I thought it might keep them out of mischief for a few hours ;))
Thanks for reading.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Hi Maggie!

Yesterday saw the release of the new DCM dare and the brief was

"This week's Dare theme is a team effort rather than a challenge just thought up by just one of us. We'd like you to take the phrase"Hot and Spicy" and make of it what you will.
It could be colour themed, food themed or maybe have just a hint of saucy spicy-ness"
so I decided to use my Maggie stamp (hence the title!) and here she is

The papers are from The Funky One by Anice and they are lovely. As you can see, I used pale pink and green together and decided that my accent colour would be hot pink. Maggie was watercoloured using Marvys and a water brush (colouring isn't my strong point but I think it is passable :)) Flower, ribbon and eyelets are from the Papermania embellishment kit and the greeting was generated on the computer. The front was cut off the card because i decided to be clever and stamp straight onto it..............but it went wrong LOL so rather than waste the card, I 'trimmed' it!!

The rest of my week, apart from the cards I've already blogged, was taken up with a wedding order. The colour of these is lovely. It's almost like Cadbury's purple........

but the colour doesn't show up too well in the picture.

I've just taken delivery of a new stamp and found another template challenge so will have a go at that shortly. We haven't got anything planned for today as DH is working this evening and tomorrow we are popping over to have a look at my parents new house. They are moving back to the place where they met 52 years ago. It's an ex RAF camp, dad was stationed there and mum worked for NAAFI, and they are moving into an ex married quarter! I think it's so romantic..............but I'm like that :))

Whatever you are up to, have a good weekend.

Take care.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Blog Candy

I've just been having a bit of a blog hop and came across this lovely blog.........Pink Angel Tracie Jane is offering some fab blog candy as she celebrates her birthday next week.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Di Hickman's Card sketch

I do love card sketches, they make my life so easy but I've never actually thought of doing my own. I just decide what I'm using on a card and shuffle it till it looks right LOL (Note to self-start using one of my millions of note books and making my own sketches). I do like Di's though and here is this weeks.The blue paper is from an old Sizzix pad and I'm not sure what the stripey paper is as it was in a kit I bought a while ago. The stamped image is by Stamps Away and the charm is from my stash.

My next card is another one from Lythan's tutorial, this time on yellow card :)


The card is actually yellow Bazzill Bling although it looks orange here. The paper is again from the card kit. The house and clouds are again from Marieke's blog I love the colours in this one.


And now back to my left overs! Here are a couple more that I did this morning.


Patterned paper used is from one of the K & Co mat stacks. Not sure where the lilac card is from but I ran it throught the Swiss Dots folder by Cuttlebug. The stamp is one of the Maggie stamps from Sugar Nellies and the ribbon and heart are from my room full of goodies. :)

Paper is by the English Paper Company (part of my prize from a comp last year in Cardmaking and Papercraft) and the stamps again is by Stamps Away. The rest is from my stash.
The stamp is City Divine by Penny Black. The backing card has again been Cuttlebugged and the flower and brad are from a Papermania mini embellishment kit.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Right outside of my box!!!

Crikey talk about tough! Today it is Lythan's turn to set the little extra over on the Daring Cardmaker's blog and she has come up with a fantastic tutorial which can be seen here and here is the starter :)
Hello there, it is Lythan here with the second in our occasional tutorials. I'm going to share something I absolutely love doing - adding a little extra to patterned paper.To do this you need to chose paper with quite a bold pattern. Papers such as those by American Crafts; the more modern K and Co; Sassafrass Lass and Scenic Route are good places to start. I am using Piggy Tales in these examples. I love these papers as they are so bright and colourful and also have a matching plain colour on the back. This technique works well for cards using punches and loads of white space. They often solve my problem of what to put on men's cards!
Here is my card and it is so not me!

The house and cloud images were downloads from Marieke's blog last year and all I did was to 'glaze' the windows and door with Glossy Accents. The flower is a silk one, not sure where from and the journalling circle is from Cherry Arte. It was in a cardmaking kit from the Scrummy Stash Cafe Again, this was bought last year! Not sure what the paper is as it was from a kit from Sarah's Cards I doodled around all the flowers with a black journalling pen and a white gel pen.This is what the paper looked like to begin with

Not much difference is there? I also doodled faux stitching on the Doodlebug page frill and the yellow Bazzill Bling square with a white gel pen. It doesn't show up very well though. I actually made this card for parents as they move house next Wednesday...............I shall let you know what the reaction is. LOL

My second card was made for a challenge by Nickynoo over at the JB blog and she says "Here we go with a nice 'n' easy card challenge for you.......... Make a card with a number on, any number! It doesn't have to be an age card, I'm thinking maybe 'text-speak', or some kind of play on words - in fact, I'd love to see what you can come up with that isn't an age card! Here's mine - ok, I went for the easy option."
And here is my creation again

This card was way out of my comfort zone too, thanks Nicky :) The papers and birds are from a Kate Hadfield download which I bought a few weeks ago. The letter U and the bookplate are both covered with the same paper and it has all been inked with a pink chalk ink pad. The greeting and number 2 are computer generated.

I finished a wedding order this morning too and that has been collected by the couple this evening. It has been mad here all day so I am going to bed shortly. I hope you are having a good one whatever you are up to.

Take care.