Good Luck card

I wanted to make a card for a friend who's moving to another job and I ended up with this CAS card.What's going on?! I think I'm becoming addicted to them. I chose this Art Journey stamp as I felt it summed up everything I wanted to wish for my friend.

A few ATCs

Got the urge to make a few ATCs the other day but only just got the time to do it tonight. Had a play with my Cosmic Shimmer paint and some stamps from Stampotique and Stampin' Up. I just love that Eiffel Tower!

The background is a much richer blue than the photo shows, and a bit more shimmery!

I tried some Crocor crackle on these backgrounds but it doesn't really show. I've fallen in love with little Smile!

White on white-Less Is More

I really wasn't happy to see the challenge this week at Less Is More. A white card with only white! No colours! I almost felt like giving it a miss. But that would've been the chicken's way out so I did what I always do when I'm in trouble-sucked it up and got on with it!
Did not enjoy doing this- it was hard to keep the card clean! Can't see myself making any more white on white soon-and from the photo you'll all be glad of that!

Happy Birthday Ivy!

Ivy is a wonderful lady who's been making cot blankets for the Special Care Baby Unit and Children's Accident and Emergency for the last few years. Today is her 90th birthday and I want to wish her many happy returns and to say thank you for all the wonderful blankets, bonnets and bootees.
HAPPY 90th BIRTHDAY IVY!

Stampotique challenge card

The challenge at Stampotique at the moment is a sketch. I made myself a picket fence and took it from there!

Thank You card

This week's challenge on Less Is More is to make a Thank You or Congratulation card-or both!
I started with a Thank You card because you can never have too many of those! It's an embossed image which doesn't really show up that well on the photo. 

This week's Sketch Saturday card

I've been pottering about in the kitchen/craft room and over the morning have made a card following the latest Sketch Saturday challenge sketch.

Laugh card

This is my entry for this week's Less is More challenge, which is to make an off centre but balanced card. It's also an entry in my own little challenge to use more of the stamps I haven't used for a while...because if I use them more often I can justify buying more!

Thanks for the award!

I'd like to say thank you to Jacki for sending me this award which was a nice surprise after a busy day at work!
Of course there are some rules attached!

Rule 1 Thank the person for giving you the award and link their blog in the post.
Rule 2 Tell 7 things about yourself.
Rule 3 Pass the award on to 15 other deserved bloggers.

Do I have seven things to say about myself? That's a bit of a challenge!

1. I love Skittles but can only eat them in even numbers!
2. I've tried crafting without stamping but I just can't do it!
3. Chocolate - need I say more!
4. Could I be anymore of a Friends fanatic!
5. I love purple and orange.
6. I never leave the house without eyeliner,mascara and lipstick.
7. My kitchen table is my craft room!

I'd like to pass this award onto these fabulous bloggers-but where do I start?!
Monica
handmadecardswithlove.blogspot.com
Helen
rainsdropsnroses.blogspot.com
Hazel
threelabradors.blogspot.com
Hannah
handmade-hannah.blogspot.com
Sanna
korttipajasannas.blogspot.com
Liz
buttonsforbrains.blogspot.com
Sarita
littleprincesscards.blogspot.com
June
dezinaworld.blogspot.com
She
craftyshe.blogspot.com
Weasel
weaselwise.blogspot.com
Sarah
sarahs-scrap-book.blogspot.com
Alison
craftytrog.wordpress.com
Kirsti
onemadmoo.blogspot.com

Easter trinket box

I bought some little cardboard trinket boxes before Christmas with the foolish notion of decorating them as presents (like that was going to happen!). As I've been off work this week and stuck at home with a son who refuses to go out, I decided to resurrect the trinket box idea and have a play!
I've never done one before but I have to say I had a great time getting all sticky!

I painted the box with acrylic paint and embossed it using my favourite Stampin' Up set, Artistic Etchings. I embossed the medallion on the top and the scroll and key along the sides.



Inside the box there's a pop out Eiffel Tower and two chicks!(My son came home from the shops with a box of 10 chicks as a present for me.Well, two down, eight to go!) 

I'm giving it to a friend who likes quirky things and Paris. Hope she likes it!!



  

Boy's card

I thought it was about time I had a trial run for my son's birthday card!
I've been looking for some rocky type stamps for a while and found these by Inkadinkado-perfect!As I haven't got round to the Sketch Saturday challenge for this week yet, this was the ideal opportunity. .

Clean and simple

I'm loving the Less is More blog and even in between challenges find myself making a few cards. It's giving me chance to use all the stamps that have been languishing in the bottom of the box. Found this one today and couldn't resist it!

Bunting!

I love bunting so couldn't pass on this swap on UKS. It's taken me a few days to get going but they are now finished and ready for the off. Can't wait to see what I get back to string on my wall!

I love this stamp of the woman's face. I don't know which company it's from because I bought it in a job lot off the auction site! It gives a fab image every time.

Get Well Card

The challenge on Stampotique at the moment is to use newsprint or old book pages in your creation. It seems that whenever there's a Stampotique challenge one of my friends falls ill and I have to do a get well card! This was no exception!
As well as old book pages, I used old cola cans to make the flowers and I must say I'm quite pleased with how they turned out.

It's in the Mail ATCs

These are for the monthly theme swap on UKStampers.
After waiting a month for some stamps from Art Journey after they went MIA, it's in the mail means lost in the post to me!I made these while I was waiting for them to arrive and I'm secretly a little sad they came because I was going to treat myself to a trip to the Art Journey shop to buy their stuff in person-ooh heaven!

Acetate card

The challenge on Less is More this week is to make a card using acetate. Got to admit I panicked when I read that!
I managed to find a scrap of acetate but then found out my StazOn was dried out. Instead I used some Cosmic Shimmer and used the acetate as the front of the card.The hardest bit of all was getting a decent photo-am still trying!

Card

A very quick card for Sketch Saturday with my new Art Journey stamps which are just fabulous!

Tag

Tags aren't something I usually do but I couldn't pass over the chance to make one for the Art Journey challenge. And because I've distressed it a bit round the edges and used Croco to crackle it(doesn't really show here) I'm also going to pop it in the Simon Says challenge-woo living on the egde!
This is one of my favourite Art Journey stamps and  I just felt it had to be orange!The little clock embellishment is from a bangle I bought in Claire's in the sale!

More Less is More!

I'm so glad I found this challenge as it's a great opportunity to use up all the blank cards I bought that I've been hoarding since I started making them out of my own card!This week's Less is More challenge is make the sentiment the focus. I don't have many sentiment stamps but this is one of my favourites.

Less is More card

I tried a sketch for the first time the other day so I thought I'd try a Less is More card. This was a bit of a challenge as usually I don't know where to stop and just keep on adding things willy nilly!
The challenge this week is to use a touch of red. I might use this as a leaving card for a friend but I can already feel the itch to add!

Birthday card

I've never made a card following a sketch so I thought it would be interesting to have a try! So I had a peep at Sketch Saturday and followed the latest sketch challenge. I think I'll be doing more of these as I really enjoyed working to a layout.

ATCs

As well as the ill fated Mother's Day card, I also made a few ATCs at the crop, but have to admit to getting sidetracked by the chatting! I might need to touch these up a bit before sending them off!

Mother's Day card

You know when you get all the bits ready and imagine what the card will look like but it just won't come together? That was me with this card! I got all the bits ready at the Rochdale crop yesterday but didn't get chance to put it all together til this morning and just couldn't get it right. Ah well that'll teach me to be more organised. Just loved all the stamps though- they're all Stampin' Up.

Stampotique challenge

The challenge over on Stampotique at the moment is to make a triptych card using Stampotique stamps only.
What a great opportunity to get my new stamps out!I haven't had as much time to play as I wanted but have really enjoyed doing this as I've never made a triptych before!

One day my prince will come-well we can all dream can't we!!

Not a very clear picture, it's these energy saving lightbulbs!

Thank you card

When my son was feeling guilty for the psychological torment he puts me through every day, he bought me a book from The Works. It's about rubber stamping but there's a page on paper folding which caught my eye.
So- I just had to have a try!
I have to say I found it very therapeutic cutting and folding the paper and although this first try isn't perfect, I can see myself doing it more. (great way to use up all the paper that's languishing in my stash pile!)

Stampotique stamps

I'm a happy bunny today because the three stamps I bought with my $30 gift certificate landed on my doormat!
Can't wait to get the ink out and have a play!

I chose Hanging hearts, Smile and Girl with heart shaped purse. They're just fab!(well, I think so!)

Birthday Card

It's my friend's 50th this week and I wanted to make a huge 50 but was told that the age was NOT to be on the card anywhere or else! I made this instead. I got a bit carried away but am hoping she likes it because I had so much fun making it. All the spraying, sticking,glossing-there's nothing better!

Rochdale Crop ATCs

Yesterday I went to the Rochdale Crop for the first time, first time ever at a crop! It's run by Cal from UKScrappers who kept us plied with cake, unaware of my willpower problem!

I took a small bag of ATCs that I'd shimmered and stamped, along with a bag of stuff to stick on them (can't carry a lot on the bus!).
The first two I made with images from a Joanna Sheen CD.

After lunch I found the craft room. It was heaven! Full of stamps and punches from Stampin' Up. I fell in love with this Eiffel Tower stamp and used it on the rest of my ATCs. There's only two finished, the rest are stamped up but I haven't chosen images for them yet!

I loved it! I had a great time and now I know that the stamps are there, I'll be making full use of them all next time!
And a big thanks to Hazel for popping in with my blog candy. It was great to put a face to the name and I'm looking forward to playing with it all!

YAY!!!

Just a very quick note to say I've won something!

I was a random winner at the Stampotique Challenge and have won $30 to spend on Stampotique stamps. I just can't wait!

I'll pop the goodies on here once I've decided which to have-sooo spoilt for choice! And sooo excited!

ATCs-Art Journey challenge.

The challenge on Art Journey at the moment is You used what?!! 
The idea of this is to use things that maybe you wouldn't usually, like things from the kitchen, recyled things etc.
I cut the backs of my ATCs from old cereal boxes (not just for this challenge-I always do it!).

I used corregated cardboard to stamp the lines on the background and stuck a leftover piece to the front of the card



I used the corregated card again and then a piece of string that was lying around in a drawer!

Really enjoyed making these! 

Stampotique challenge

On Stampotique the latest challenge is to make something using the faux barnwood technique. I needed to do a get well card so thought this would be a great opportunity to do the two together!
I used my favourite Stampotique stamp, Sheer, and did the faux barnwood background in red/orange and silver. I really enjoyed playing around with this technique and now have several background sheets in various colours waiting to go! I need to get through my obsession with using flowers on everything though!

More flutterbys!

Since the ATC butterfly swaps I made earlier this month, I seem to have become obsessed with the things! It made it easy to decide what to play about with next for the ATC trail on UKscrappers.
A bit of Shimmerz spray, a few die cuts and glitter later, I had this made! I quite like it I have to say but then again, it's purple. What more could I need!!

Experimenting!

As I have a week off work-YAY!- I thought I'd do a bit of messing about! I've been trying to use up all the papers that I've got so I decided to try a bit of paper blending. I'm quite happy with the background effect and when i covered it with Crocor crackle pain it gave it a bit of a distressed look- you can't really see it in the photo. I'll probably not send this ATC anywhere because it's a mess-about but I'll definitely be trying the background again.

Quickie card

I needed a card in a hurry for a friend who sadly lost her grandad. She hates condolence cards, sympathy cards etc so I wanted a card that felt sad without saying it! I thought Moon Girl would be ideal-love this stamp!

Wedding invitations.

Finally I can sit down! I've been standing at the kitchen surfaces all day making the remainder of some wedding invitations I started a short while back. I still have the RSVP cards to do but I need to rest my swollen ankles now! This is the first time I've made invitations and it was a bigger responsibility than I imagined!


                                          

Birthday card

I don't know what it is but even though I have a year's warning that somebody's birthday is coming up, I always seem to be right on the last minute! This is my mum's birthday card for tomorrow. I wanted a vintagey look-hope she likes it!

Smile ATC

This is for a swap on UKScrappers.I had some backgrounds left from the In The Woods ATCs and really wanted to use the stamp of the girl again.(Paperbag Studios-fab stamps!). I finished it off with some Cosmic Shimmer paint and distress stickles. 

Butterfly ATC

This is for a swap on UKScrappers which is all about butterflies!

I thought this would be easy.I have so many butterfly things but it's taken me ages to even come up with one ATC! Quite by accident though I discovered that if you brayer big and juicy over gesso then blot it off it dries with a chalky finish!

ATCs-Heal,Hope and Happiness

I did these for a swap on UKStampers. I had this image in my head of what I wanted but try as I might, I just couldn't get them to look the way I saw them in my head! I gave up trying in the end but couldn't bring myself to throw them away-I just love this stamp too much!

Quick card

A quickie hello card for my niece.It's one of my favourite stamps.I coloured my own background with distress ink reinker and a bit of perfect pearls in a spray.I love making my own because I can get the colour I want-and get messy at the same time!

In the Woods ATCs

Should have been going to bed but had the urge to make some ATCs so I did these for a swap on UKStampers.Any excuse to spread ink about!

Plus I had some exciting news from Hazel on her blog Just Add Glitter-I won some blog candy!!!
I'm so excited because I've never won blog candy before.Thanks so much Hazel (and hubby who did the draw!)