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

Super Cute Snow People

Y'know when you just happen across something and think, wow, what a great idea, gonna have to try that????  Well, I'm one of those people who always has the best of intentions, but never actually gets around to trying something out - until now.  I saw these most adorable little snow people on a blog and just had to have a go.  They were made by one of the most talented, inspiring and absolutely hilarious bloggers I follow, Suzanne Dean, who posted a very simple step by step tutorial on how to make them which you can find here - and, now, a piccie of my little family of snow people, lol.

I made these in less than an hour with my 8 year old daughter Brooke.  She absolutely loved it - super quick and a brilliant little project to make with the kids with Crimbo just around the corner.  We didn't have a lot of choice with the socks (house full of boys and not many white socks), so we improvised with a pink and cream pair and made four little cuties out of them - and I can tell you now, I am definitely going to make more of these.  They will make fantastic little gifts for Brookes teachers at school.

Well, that's all from me today, thanks for visiting.

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.

Pink - and a lot of it

Hello my lovelies, I hope you're all keeping well.

Todays card has been made using the gorgeous Raining Hearts Tilda, which a very sweet blogging friend send to me (mwaaaah - you know who you are xxx) so I could try out some different watercolour paper.  I wasn't overly chuffed with the stuff I had for watercolouring and tbh, I was using my prisma pencils on it as it just didn't blend well at all with distress ink.  Probably got something to do with the fact that I'm a novice and need a little more time to move the ink around.  Anyhow, the paper used today is Langton, and I must say, it's fab, just fab - totally love it, and it didn't take me long to decide that's what I'm gonna use in future - although hubby says I have to use my current stash up first - pah, yeah right, I'll be here all year, lol!!!!!!!

Anyhow, I was asked to make this for a real girly girls 4th birthday - hence the overpowering injection of pink - hmmm, yeah I know, bit in your face for me but hey, the customer is always right - I think!!!!!

Like I said, the image was supplied by a blogging friend (x) and I've coloured her up with distress ink refills. I've used a large gardenia flower and some cherry blossoms from the amazing Wild Orchid Crafts and a doily and cheesecloth from Live and Love Crafts.  Again the papers I've had for ages, but I think the deep pink in the background is from Craft Creations along with the balloons - tuther paper stuff I ain't got a clue, lol.

The prezzies and cake are quickcutz dies that I found in a drawer - oopsie.  I cut a cheery lynn kiwi doily die out of the same pink paper, distressed it and layered it on top of the white doily just to break the white up a bit. The butterflies are a mixture of Martha Stewart, Joy and Memory Box.  I actually wish I'd matted them between the paper layers rather than on the top but hey, hindsight is a wonderful thing lol.  The little puffy clouds are also Memory Box dies.

Well that's it from me for today, I'm on a roll atm with Christmas cards, so I'm gonna get on before my mojo disappears out the window.

I'm entering this card into the current Marvelous Magnolia challenge - Birthday Bash. and Tilda's Town - Anything goes.

Have a lovely day

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,

1st Christmas Card - Halo Angel

Good afternoon crafty people

Well, I've actually finished my first Christmas Card.  I've seen sooooo many around blogland lately I started feeling all Christmassy, and as the weather had turned wet and cooler, I decided to make a festive card.  I was going to chuck this image in the bin as she was inked up with distress inks yonks ago and I didn't like the colour, but then I found some papers that kinda went with her (and I discovered frantage, hee hee) and then I decided she didn't look that bad - apart from the attempt at dress pleats that is, rofl.

The papers are from Dovecraft, Vintage Christmas I think.  I've recycled some sparkly tulle that I ripped off last years Christmas crackers to make a little bow, and popped a rose on from Wild Orchid Crafts.  The little orange apples (I think they're apples) were a delightful free gift from Live and Love Crafts which arrived with the frantage, cheesecloth and lace which I've also used on this card.  The swirl is a Marianne Design die.

I'm going to enter this card into the current Live and Love Crafts Challenge number 14 Warm or Cool Colours.

Thank you for visiting my blog today.

Rosetta - Wild Orchid Challenge

Good morning to you all - except that the weather here is anything but 'good'. It's dark, dank, grey and pretty horrid, eeeewwww, roll on a couple of weeks time when I can soak up the sun in Menorca - I'll obviously keep my fingers crossed that it will be warm and sunny here too.

Anyhoo, onto my card which I made for my mums 70th birthday which was on Friday just gone.  We had a little party for her on Saturday which was just perfect.  The bbq was finished by the time the rains came, perfectly timed - so we just sat under the gazebo until way after 10 pm having a right good natter and a laugh.

Mediums - Prisma Pencils

Papers -First Edition

The absolutely gorgeous image is called Rosetta from Wee Stamps, and she's my very first digi. I've been admiring her for such a long time and I eventually found some paper (neenah) to print her on which my ancient printer doesn't chew up and spit out - result.

The flowers are a mix of Wild Orchid, handmade using a rolled flower die and some really old daisy type flowers that I've had for ages.  The seam binding on the tag is also from WOC.

I'm entering this card into the current Wild Orchid Challenge - 82 Birthday Party.

Thanks for visiting with me today,

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.