Rose Garden LOTV

Hi everyone, hope you're all feeling in tiptop condition and enjoying your day.

Today I have a card to share that I've recently made for a friends birthday which is coming up in September.  We are in the process of moving house (still) and I really need to get on top of upcoming birthday cards.

The image is a sweet little one from Lili of the Valley stamps called Rose Garden.  I've coloured her up with distress ink and I decided to do a little paper piecing on her dress and hat as I made a complete mess of the colouring.  I've used various dies, and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and also some I've made myself.

The paper and card are all from my stash.

Hope you like it.

Thinking of You

Hi all

Some time ago, a friend asked me to make her a card for a friend of hers who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. She had looked and searched in the shops for a card to send to her, but couldn't find a card with a sentiment which seemed to fit.

This is the first time I had coloured up my 'Thinking of You' stamp with distress inks, and absolutely loved it, albeit a bitter sweet reason to use it. I teamed the whole card with various dies and flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. When I handed her the card, my friend was over the moon. She said the sentiment was just perfect, and the fact that the card had beautiful flowers on it which would be with her until the end, just completed it beautifully.

 Here's a close up of the coloured stamp 💖

That's all for today, hope you enjoy the rest of the week, whatever you have planned

White Rose Garden

Hi all, hope this post finds you well.

Todays card that I'd like to share with you was made for The Ribbon Girls current colour challenge of 'White'.  Cool, I thought, don't have to think about what colour paper to use etc etc, but OMGoodness, this has to be one of the hardest cards I've ever made...... and I've learnt something - I had absolutely NO IDEA how many different shades of white there are.  I always thought white was just, well white - ooooh no, not where my paper stash is concerned, lol.

So anyway, I decided that layers and depth were needed here to counteract the fact that there ain't a lot of colour, sooo, I've added a bit of white corrugated card from stash, a cheery lynn doily, tim holtz clock, marianne swirl, christmas lace doohickey, shed loads of marianne rolled flowers covered with snowtex and twinklets,  and some 3D stars made using a xcut die.  The pale grey spotty DP is from Craft Creations.  I also added a coupla scrolls made with Kraft and tied together with some twine. The image is LOTV's Rose Garden.  I picked this image as the card is for an upcoming birthday in December, and I steered away from Christmas embellishments as I didn't want it to look like another Christmas card (epic fail me thinks lol), but I did add the snowtex coz it's bound to be frosty on your birthday if you were born in December lol.

Rose Garden has been coloured with DI's.

Well that's it from me today, loads to do and kids to get to school.

Have a great day, and wrap up if you're going out coz it's gonna be a chilly 'un.

All Wrapped Up - and ready for the Lovely Lili Challenge

Good morning all, and what a beautiful sunny day it is up here in Cumbria - albeit very very cold, brrrrrr. Had to put my fluffy earmuffs on this morning to walk Brooke to school as that wind was just biting - might just have to invest in a fluffy handmuff like the lovely little lady on my card today lol.

Todays card features All Wrapped Up from LOTV. Again, another older stamp, and the first time I've inked her up - honestly, how could I leave her so long, she's adorable - but at least she eventually made it onto a card.  I've got a stack more that have never seen the light of day, and a cuddy load of new ones that I soooo long for......... watch this space lol.

Anyhow, I've coloured her with distress inks and was hoping the piccie wasn't going to make her look too orange as IRL she is really red.  Really don't like colouring in red with DI's, as the paper I currently have completely changes the DI colours, but I just kept lathering on layers and stopped when I achieved the shade I liked.  I lathered the handmuff in glossy accents then added white fun flock to make it appear even more fluffy.

The DP is from Craft Creations, as is the red card used for the card base, poinsettia and layering.  The snowflakes are cut from an old cuttlebug die and I've lathered them (I seem to do an awful lot of 'lathering' lol), along with the spellbinders floral oval, in crystal glamour dust.  Again, IRL, they are really sparkly, but the photie doesn't show it so well.  The ribbon and pearls were from a friend, who I believe got them from The Ribbon Girl.  I punched some holly shapes and covered them in Holly Stickles and popped them onto the top of the sizzix fence.  The sentiment is also LOTV, the bottom one with names was computer generated.

Well that's it from me for today, happy Thursday to you all - nearly the weekend, yippee.

Challenges I'm entering

The Ribbon Girl - Lovely Lili - Sparkle

Pink and White - with a splash of silver

At last I've woken up without the sound of pitter patter raindrops on the bedroom window - what a delightful change - the weather up here in Cumbria has been downright dismal.

Anyway, enough jibber jabber about the weather, and onto todays card.  I had a play yesterday with my distress inks and decided less is definitely more on this gorgeous image by LOTV - can't you tell I love those stamps lol. So, here's my card for today

I love the way soooo many people colour these sweet images with just a little dash of colour here and there rather than over the whole image so I thought I'd give it a little try.  I didn't want to overload this card too much especially with the pompom trim around her which I got from LLC, so I kept it the same as the colouring - less is more.  I also added a dottle or two of liquid pearls around her.

The snowflake is a spellbinder die which I lathered in silver glitter, coz it just didn't look right on the card in white, and the Christmas tree is cut out of coredinations cardstock with a Dees Distinctively Die and sanded on the edges - OMWord I gotta tell you I love this tree.  I bought the large one and believe me, it is sooooo versatile.  You can make little dinky trees with the two small sizes at the top of the tree, or cut the whole thing twice and make it the size of a 150cm card.  Spiffing if you ask me.

The sweetheart blossoms and aster daisies were of course from WOC and I rolled the two pink ones myself using a marianne die.  The papers again are very old stock from Craft Creations but you can still get them.  The little fence is an old sizzix die.  The double bow which is hiding the rest of the coloured holly on the image is made from some hemming web I bought to take up my daughters school trousers.  It was totally naff for that particular job and I was going to lob it in the bin but then had a play and realised it makes the most gorgeous shimmery bows - recycling eh, the possibilities are endless rofl.

Anyways, enough blabbering on, coz it's just too early lol. Hope you have a lovely day wherever you are and thank you so much for visiting with me today.

Challenges I'm entering

Lili of the Valley - Pink and White
Crafty Little Fairies - Christmas in November

Gotta Love a Teddy

Don't adjust your computer, yep, I actually have posted 2 cards in one day, shocking isn't it rofl.

I said in my last post that I'm on with Christmas cards and I just had to share this one with you - it's for my brother and his girlfriend so I just hope he doesn't peek on here before he gets it lol.

Yet another adorable image from LOTV called James in the Snow.  I just love this little bear.  I'm saving up for some of the new ones that have just been released, but thought I'd better ink up the ones I have already otherwise hubby'll have something to say heehee.

I actually know the name of the papers used on this card for a change, they are Dovecraft Back to Basics Vintage Christmas - but I'm not sure if you can still get them.  I fell in love with them last year, but then lost my mojo, so they didn't get used, a-hem!!!!!

The gorgeous lace is from Live and Love Crafts, along with the white pearls.  I've threaded a bit of maroon coloured ribbon through the lace to match in with James' scarf and the flowers from WOC.  The sentiment and postmark stamps are also LOTV.  I've used glossy accents on his hat and then lathered white fun flock over the top.  The lamp post is a die cut shape that I bought from ebay ages ago and I'm down to my last few, so may have to invest in a lamp post die myself shortly.  It has had a bit of the snowtex treatment.  I used my prisma pencils to colour a soft glow from the lamp as well as the image.

If I've missed anything that you wish to know, please feel free to ask.

I'm going to enter this card into the current Wild Orchid Challenge - Ribbon and Lace, and the current Deep Ocean Challence of Winter.

And that's my lot for today, keep warm folks.

Little Things

Oh my poor neglected blog, lol - and I'm not going to sit and type a thousand word essay on excuses, no sir'ee, just a heap of family stuff etc etc going on that I ain't gonna bore ya with, so, onto my card.

Another gorgeous LOTV stamp, an oldie but a goodie, which I have used on a Platinum Wedding Anniversary card I was asked to do.  Apparently it was a struggle to find one in the shops, so I whipped this up in super quick time - well, I say super quick, the image took about 3 and a half hours to colour with my prisma pencils, as I tried the (slightly) no line technique, lol.  I haven't got a pale inkpad, so I used black and stamped the ink off onto a scrap piece of paper about 3-4 times, then stamped onto the Neenah card after that.  First attempt and I'm quite pleased with the results.  What'cha think???

I'm still not great with the photo taking as the colours are much paler in the picture than IRL, but I was pleased with the end result.  All the flowers are WOC, the image and anniversary sentiment are LOTV.  I've used 2 doilie dies behind the image and flowers and a martha stewart branch punch.  The paper is years old but was the perfect platinum colour I was after.  The ribbon is from my stash.

I hope to have a little bit more time next week once the kids go back to school, so I'll be having a gander at your blogs, which I do visit often, but don't usually have time to comment. I think I'm going to leave a little heart from now on, just so you know I've been - a bit like Santa, but I suppose he always leaves a prezzie, awww well, can't compete with the Big Guy lol.

Oh, and I've just realised Crafty Little Fairies are having a "One you Love" challenge, so I'm gonna to enter this card into it lol.

Hope you're all well and keeping safe and warm.

No 7 Bear - LOTV

Hi all, flying visit from me again today as I need to dash down to the postbox to post this card before I end up having to add a belated sentiment onto it, lol.

LOTV's No 7 Bear has been coloured with distress inks and a little shading done with prisma pencils.   Papers are from Craft Creations and a old paper pad that I've had in my stash for ages, as are the buttons.  The football was cut from a quickutz die and the number 4 is sizzix.

I have to admit that whenever I have to make a boys card, the first thing I do is visit the LOTV Inspiration blog.  I always end up having a major meltdown at the thought of layout/embellies etc on boys cards as someone once gave my son Andrew, who is now 17, a card with a teddy and flower on it - to say he was disgusted is an understatement, lol.

Thank you so much for visiting with me today, take care,

School's out for Summer

Just a quickie post to let you know I'm still alive and kickin' as they say and a couple of piccies of thank you gifts that my daughter Brooke wanted to take into school for a couple of her teachers.

It was rather new to me making gifts for teachers as I have 2 older kids who are boys, who weren't into present giving at the end of the school year.

I decided to have a go at stamping onto candles - something I've seen on a lot of blogs, so I found a tutorial here, and this is the result.

I'm actually quite pleased with my first attempt, although I think I need to colour slightly darker onto the tissue paper as it faded quite a bit once it was heated onto the candle.  The candles btw were from Morrisons - £1 each, bargain.  You can't get a box of choccies or a bunch of flowers for that.

I also made a very simple thank you card to go with each candle in matching colours.  The fairy on tiptoe is coloured in prisma pencils, apart from the skin which was coloured with copics - yep, I treat myself to a couple of skin tone copic ciaos to see how I get on with them - oh me oh my, I need ALOT of practice, but hey, you've gotta start somewhere lol.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog.

Brooke's Birthday

Hi to all in blogland, I hope this post finds you all fit and well.

So, onto my card.

Ingredients

Mediums - Prisma Pencils/Sansador

Image - LOTV Emma Swing

DP's, Die behind envelope and Doohickey lace border

Flowers and Seam Binding - Wild Orchid Crafts

I must admit, I absolutely loved making this card, however, cutting into that First Edition Love Letters pad took some willpower.  I absolutely love pink.  If I could change the whole world pink I would - no hesitation.  I almost cried, the tension in the house was at an all time high, so, to ease the pressure, I ordered another one, lol. Using a paper pad to make a card is soooo much easier as all the papers compliment each other - well they do in this pad anyhow. I have got such an almighty stash of old stuff it's scary, and trying to match them up is a nightmare, but hubby said I could really do with getting them used up before buying more - I mean really...... he has absolutely no idea how difficult that is with all the lush stuff out there.

It's Brooke's 8th birthday in a few weeks, well a month actually, but I saw a lovely sketch on the Sketchy Challenge blog, and liked it so much (never followed a sketch before but it was a pretty simple one), I decided to get my rear into gear, follow the sketch and cross another birthday card off my list.  All our birthdays are March and April, and what with other family members asking me to make cards for them.....for us.....I thought I'd better get a shifty on.

I've got the biggie-ish 40th birthday coming up in April, but they do say 'life begins', so hey, bring it on.  I have, however, point blank refused to make my own birthday cards. You just have to take a stand on these things, lol.  Hubby even tried to con me with, "I need a 40th birthday card for someone - would you mind". Blimey, do I really look that gullible, rofl.

I'm entering this card into The Sketchy Challenges (Karens Sketch) and Wild Orchid Crafts Challenge 69 - Anything Goes.

Well that's all from me for now, take care and al be round as soon as I can to see what you've all been busy with.

Book Card - Eventually

Woohoo, eventually managed to finish a book card which has been sitting on my table for, like an age.  I got the 'pages' made and the cover scored at the weekend and then it's just sat naked waiting to be finished but I hadn't a clue what to do with it.........then, my LOTV order arrived with my new stamps.  They were on offer at £3 a pop - bargain or what, so I treat myself and ordered five, hee hee.

Ingredients

Image - LOTV Emma Swing

Mediums - Prisma Pencils with Sansador to blend

Sentiment - LOTV Dreamy Days

Doily - Hobbycraft

DP's and Card - Craft Creations and The PaperMill

Dies - Memory Box Puffy Clouds, Marianne Design Swirl

Ribbon, Lace, gems and pearls from my stash

I punched the flowers from a large and small EK Success flower punch and then with my embossing tool on my rubber shimmy mat thing, made circular movements on the petals so they curled up - just thought it added a bit of definition.

As you can see I need a little more practice with me camera, lol, but hopefully you get the idea, and I thinks I'm gonna enter this into the current LOTV Challenge which is Anything Goes and the current Deep Ocean Challenge of Anything But a Square.

That's all from me for today, but if this snow persists, I might have another card tomorrow.  I certainly ain't going out in that silly soft stuff, so I might just sit and colour a few more of my new stamps.

And before I forget, I had a massive amount of help from a certain Becky to sort out my bloggie issues - thanx chick.

Stay safe and warm you lovely people.

Happy New Year

Good Morning to all and I hope a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year was had by all.

I must confess that my very first follower was my 13 year old son - he felt sorry for me!!!! however, I wish you could have all seen me when my first genuine follower Fleur appeared. OMW I was aghast.  Fleurs cards are some of the most amazing creations I have seen in blogland. Her unique style is positively breathtaking and I am in awe every time she posts a new card.  Hopefully, by the time this post is read, I will have linked Fleurs blog to her name so you can see for yourself.  Simply stunning - nuff said!!!!

So, onto my very first blogged card, which, may I add, was supposed to come 'alive' yesterday - part of my New Years Resolution, but it took me an age to work out how to import a piccy.  It was almost the middle of the night!!!!! A-hem, mental note to oneself - research, research and research some more.

Aaaaaanyhow, without further ado, here is my 'ickle card.

This was my very first purchase from LOTV and I soooo lurve her. I just love the way she's on her tippie toes so she can get a whiff of the flower - hence the name Fairies - On Tiptoe!!!! State the obvious Jo why don'tcha, teeheehee!!!!! Nuther note to oneself - work out how to link name of stamp to place purchased, lol.

The image was painted with distress inks refills, although I have purchased a few prisma pencils and have been messing with those for a couple of days.  The gingham paper is from Craft Creations and the other was a piece of Magnolia paper which I'd left on the window sill and it faded with the sun (oops) but it went quite well with the fairy colours and the Wild Orchid Crafts flowers (currently 10% off). Ribbon, lace, button and pearly flowery things from my stash and the sentiment is from LOTV.

Well I hope my first proper post on blogger is politically correct (!!) and I'd like to thank you soooo much for visiting with me.