Monday 30 September 2013

Cutie Pie Challenge Blog – Cute Birthday Sketch

Hello, how are you keeping?

There are some exciting things happening over on the Cutie Pie Challenge Blog. Not only do we have some Followers Candy up for grabs for all our wonderful 700 followers, (woo hoo), which includes a paper bundle and stamp but we also have some Birthday Candy on offer too to help us celebrate our 2nd Birthday, which includes a Paper Bundle, Card Stock Bundle, Stamps, Die Cuts and Cute Digi Stamp from Pollycraft! 











The Birthday Candy and Followers Candy Mr Linkys are in the blog sidebar here for you to enter and the winners of the candy will be chosen in 12 days’ time.  The winners will be posted along with our next challenge, so make sure you're a follower and get your name in the draws to win some awesome goodies!! (I can’t enter; booooo)

Anyway, today, to coincide with all these wonderful goings on, we launch a brand new Cutie Pie challenge and our theme this fortnight is Cute Birthday Sketch.  The sketch was devised by our lovely Lisa and we are lucky to have two fantastic sponsors.  Our first generous sponsor is the Fabtabulous etsy shop FLAT FRIENDS BOUTIQUE who have a fantastic selection of Digis on sale over at their ETSY Store.  One lucky winner will win 4 digi stamps, so if you can't wait, then why not pop over and see if there's something that inspires you!?! 




Our second sponsor is the wonderful JUST SOME LINES Etsy Store and one lucky winner will win a $12 gift certificate!   





So get out your cute images and get creating!  If you’re stuck for ideas pop over to the Cutie Pies blog  to see the amazing inspirational designs by my team mates.

So what did I create?  Well I chose to use a Flat Friends digi called ‘Birthday Wishes’ and I coloured her with Pro/Flexmarkers, 3Ding the cake for a bit of definition.  The papers are the uber lush First Edition Dreamcatcher (purpley and sparkly, what’s not to love?).





Both the image and the sentiment are cut using Sizzix Framelits dies and the flower is made using Heartfelt Creations’ Sun Kissed Fleur die which I embossed and inked.



Some flat backed pearls and a liberal sprinkling of Frantage later and we’re all done.

Wonder if she’s gong to be offering that cake around?

See ya!

Smiling always (cake always makes me smile)!

Scribbly hugs
Jane xx

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:




Sunday 29 September 2013

Mike TV?

Hey, hope all is well with you and yours.

Today I would like to share a card that I had to make.  Sounds a bit dramatic that doesn’t it but it was one of those ‘itches’ that needed scratching so it had to be done.

Ever since I saw the LOTV stamp Yee Haa! I have thought of Mike TV from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Why?  I don’t know, but as you know he is obsessed with TV and eventually ends up in one.  So that’s what I did.  I put little Yee Haa! (Mike to his friends) inside a TV and of course it could only be black and white western.  I have been thinking about making this card for a while now and knew that if I didn’t get it done it would drive me mad.  So here we are.




I coloured ‘Mike’ and little ‘Spot the Dog’ with Promarkers and made my ‘Telly’ from the autumn collection by American Cardstock.  I printed a ‘TV Guide’ from my computer and added Vintage Photo DI to dirty it up a bit and used the end of a pen lid to stamp some ‘coffee rings’ onto it.  However in ratio to the guide that must be one big coffee mug!



My control buttons are cut using Spellbinders die and the sentiment from a Tattered Lace die.  And to add a bit more interest I added some star metal brads.
And there you go, all done

See ya!

Smiling always! (I can stop thinking about it now!)

Scribbly hugs
Jane xx

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:


Thursday 26 September 2013

A Sled Full of Goodies!

Hello, hope you are well?

Another Christmas offering today inspired by the Graph’itMarkers Blog Challenge ‘No Characters; Colour an Accessory’   Eeeeek!  No characters!  What, no cute animals or adorable kids!  Oh heck!

So what did I manage to come up with?  Well I have a fab stamp set from Woodware that has a lot of Christmas ‘accessories’ on it all full of wonderful spaces to add colour.  I love this set.  The designs are so stunningly simple but no less beautiful for it.   I chose to use the sled full of pressies (mmmmmm pressies).





I coloured with Pro/Flexmarkers and added patterns to all the gift wrapping for added interest.  I embossed the background and inked round the edges with Barn Door DI.



I cut a La-La-Land banner and added some holly that I stamped and coloured from the same Woodware stamp plate .



The sentiment is LOTV embossed with WOW powder and cut using a Spellbinders circle die (well I can’t cut a circle to save my life! I can’t cut a straight line either!).

I felt the need to add a touch of glitter (would be rude not to) and some gems and there we go; all done and not a character in sight.

Might have to have a lie down now!

See ya!

Smiling always (could get used to this no skin, no fur thing)!

Scribbly hugs
Jane xx

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

As You Like It – Challenge #11: FAVOURITE SENTIMENT &WHY (‘Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year’ my favourite sentiment for my favourite time of the year by far!)





Monday 23 September 2013

Sledging in a Snow Globe

Hey, hope all is well with you and yours.

Another Christmas card today I’m afraid but I made this base ages ago and just had to use it.

Now, just some trivial information for you, I am an avid collector of snow globes.  There I said it.  I have too many to count and I absolutely love them.   I know that I am old enough to know better but I just can’t help it.  So therefore a snow globe card was inevitable.



I started by cutting some Centura Pearl card into 2 circles with my EK Success Circle Scissor.  I then embossed one of the pieces with an old snowflake Cuttlebug folder I have and then inked with Stormy Sky DI.  To create a little more dimension I added some silver glitter and liquid pearls.  The base is a Spellbinders Label 22 that I cut it in half.  I then sparkled it up using a snowflake background stamp and WOW embossing powder (mmmmmmm sparkly).



The sentiments are both LOTV as is the image which I coloured with Pro/Flexmarkers.  The snow is torn pieces of paper covered (well covered) with Pinflair Ice Diamond and Snow Dust.

And there you go, some bakers twine and we are all done.


See ya!

Smiling always (!)!

Scribbly hugs

Jane xx

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:







Sunday 22 September 2013

A Makey Bakey Christmas Mouse!

Hey, hope all is well with you and yours.

I am well and truly geared up for Christmas now (don’t worry, my decorations aren’t up yet) and have another Christmas card to show you.  Wow, I’ll meet myself coming the other way soon!

Today I have used a stamp from a set I treated myself to recently called Makey Bakey Mice from Crafters Companion available here.  The plate I chose to use is called ‘Christmas Seasons’ and has the most adorable little guy on it.  Isn’t he a cutie? 

He's waving at you; wave back!


I stamped him onto Neenah Solar White and coloured him with Pro/Flexmarkers.  I set him in an embossed frame using a Die’sire Embossalicious folder also from Crafters Companion called Regal Frame.

Awwwwwwww.



The sentiment is from the same stamp plate.  It is actually a circle but I decided to cut it out using a Spellbinders bauble die and then embossed with WOW Red Glitz embossing powder. Love, love, love this stuff.  It is the perfect Christmas red.



I added coloured cabochons and ribbon from my stash to finish and ended up with a fairly CAS card for me.

See ya!

Smiling always (but where did the sun go!)!

Scribbly hugs
Jane xx

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:



Divas by Design - ANYTHING GOES

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Shabby Chic or Just Shabby ?

Hey, hope all is well with you and yours.

Today I would like to share a card I made to join in with the current Saturated Canary Challenge blog challenge, Shabby Chic which can be found here

Now this is new territory for me and I think it shows.  I’m not too sure if I have achieved Shabby Chic or just Shabby Shabby!!  It could even be Vintage Shabby, I’m not sure.  But either way, whatever it is I loved making it!



The image is Rose Red by the uber talented Krista Smith available here.  I coloured her on kraft card with pencils and paper pieced her dress.  The die is Spellbinders Floral Oval, used to cut out the image and then cut again in a mottled gold mirri and the centre removed to create a frame.  My DP’s are from LOTV Nit Wit Country Lady Collection.



I stamped on tissue paper with Vintage Photo DI and crumpled it to create my sentiment and a ‘page’ you may just be able to see behind the frame.

The flowers are a Sizzix Bigz die distressed with scissors (I was distressed after rolling up all those flowers so I did add some pre-made ones too) and I dabbed Stickles on them for a bit of bling.  The leaves are the new dies from Tonic which are fab and cut like a dream.



I was not entirely happy and quite a bit of tweaking took place involving an inked doily, hat pins, flat backed pearls and some lace ribbon.  The key is another magazine freebie, bless it!



And so there you are my first and hopefully not my last foray into the world of Shabby Chic, Shabby Shabby, Vintage Shabby or whatever I’ve achieved.

See ya!

Smiling always (this crafting thing really is a journey isn’t it!)!


Scribbly hugs 

Jane xx

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:


Monday 16 September 2013

A Bugs Anniversary!

Hey, 2nd post of the day, oh my!

So I would like to share a card I made for my other brother’s wedding anniversary that’s coming up in November.  Yes I know I’m a tad early but I am making Christmas cards so like a boy scout I am being prepared!

I remember my brother’s wedding way back in 2000 for being absolutely freezing!  It was a beautiful sunny day though and he got married in the gorgeous grounds of Stowe School in Buckingham.  The trees were covered in golden leaves (they have some amazing wedding photos) and the ceremony was held inside one of the stone temple thingies.  However this temple thingy was completely open to the elements (bracing north east wind anyone!) and as the name would suggest the stone temple had stone seating.  No cushions provided!  I will let you imagine what that was like!  But thankfully my sister-in-law was forward thinking enough to provide copious amounts of mulled wine (mmmmm mulled wine).  Beverley you’re a genius!



Anyway I hope they like this card.  I used one of the fab toppers from Hobby House that you can get here, a gorgeous drawing by Sylvia Zet called ‘Love Trip’.  They are just too cute. My DP’s are very old but matched perfectly and the dies I used are Spellbinders A2 Filigree Delight and Heartfelt Creations Sun Kissed Fleur; I also used the matching stamp set.  I do love my flat backed pearls so they had to make an appearance along with a bow made from Sheer Wrinkled Edge ribbon.



So there you are.  Another brother’s anniversary covered.  My third brother’s is not until July.  Too early to make that now do you think?

See ya!

Smiling always (I’m too organised for words!)!

Scribbly hugs
Jane xx

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:









One for the Boys at the Cutie Pie Challenge Blog!

Hey , hope all is well with you and yours.

Today launches a new challenge over at the Cutie PiesChallenge Blog and our theme this fortnight is ‘One for the Boys’.  Now we all know those male persons in our lives are notoriously difficult to cater for so pop over to see what my fellow Cuties have created here. They have designed some amazing makes that can’t fail to inspire you.  And don’t forget to make them cute.  Yes, hard to believe, but boys can be cute too!

This week we are sponsored by Di’sDigi Downloads and one lucky winner will win a selection of digi stamps from Di’s fabulous online store. 


For my card I chose to use a Di’s Digi called ‘On the Bench’.  I love this little guy and his dog is so cute (and so good!).  I coloured him with Pro/Flexmarkers and created grass and a cloudy sky so he wasn’t ‘floating’.  I used Glossy Accents on his boots; the black areas of the footballs and of course the little doggie’s nose.  He is being a very good boy that dog.  If that was one of mine they would off down the football field eating the ball before you could say “SIT!” (Sigh!)




Anyway, I have a bit of a fetish for making things! “Really”, you say, “you’re a card maker you Wally, of course you like making things”.  No, what I mean by making things is exactly that; ‘things’: ‘things’ or ‘objects’ to put on my cards.  And in this case my ‘things’ are a goal, a flag and a scarf.  I know I really should know better and stop embarrassing myself in this way, but I get these ideas and I’m like a runaway train; there’s just no stopping me!



So, in full ‘must make a ‘thing’’ mode I started with my goal.  The mesh is made from a Spellbinders lattice die and the posts are simply rolled up pieces of paper. To hide the joins I stamped a football and added a flag made from a toothpick and a Spellbinders Ribbon banner die with the end chopped off!  My ‘scarf’ is cut freehand (that’s why it’s hidden behind the images :{) from stripy paper with bakers twine tassels tied on the ends for extra scarfyness!



So there you go, some Tattered lace corners to finish and we have ‘One for the Boys’.

See ya!

Smiling always (I have 3 brothers; this one has a home already!)!
Scribbly hugs
Jane xx

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:



Saturday 14 September 2013

Happy Anniversary J & J!

Hello.  Well what a miserable day.  The dark cloud of Oxfordshire is looming large and ugly over us today! Yuck!

Today I would like to share a card I made for my brother and his wife (the J & J of the title) to celebrate their anniversary this month.  They have just returned from a rather soggy holiday in Cornwall (my other brother and his wife are in tropical Thailand so there’s no envy there then!).



The image I chose for them is ‘Times to Treasure’ from LOTV.  Instead of using my usual Promarkers I decided to colour with pencils.  I am still trying to get the hang of these and need to learn some blending techniques but I think it came out ok.  I stuck a couple of heart peeloffs on the cover of the book they are studying as it’s all about the love!

Awwwww! True love!


My paper is from Dovecraft and I used a script background stamp to make a ‘page’ to sit behind the image.  My dies are Spellbinders Labels 1 and Tattered Lace corners and the sentiment is an All Occasions die.

The flowers and twine are from my stash and the heart charm was a magazine freebie.  Gotta love freebies!



My colour choice is all down to the colours that they had at their wedding.  Yes the bridesmaid’s wore green, looked fab I have to say, and the flowers actually reflect those in her headdress.

You see, I don’t just throw these things together (even though it may look like it)! J

See ya!

Smiling always (this card was not a last minute job for a change)!
Scribbly hugs
Jane xx

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:



Thursday 12 September 2013

Pink Umbrella!

Hey, hope all is well with you and yours.

First of all I would like to say a huge thank you for all the comments that I received for my last card ‘Pink Christmas’.  This must be my most successful card ever!  I made Top 3 in both the C.R.A.F.T challenge  and the Crafty Ribbons challenge.  And then if that wasn’t enough I made Top 5 Passionista over on the Passion forPromarkers challenge for the third week running!  That’s a hat trick! Oh boy how amazing.  I am totally overwhelmed and extremely grateful.  Thank you, thank you so very, very much.



Any road up now I’ve stopped gushing, today I would like to share another pink card that I made as a result of some experimental stamping I did with different coloured inks.  I do like to ‘have a go’ don’t I?  I have used this Gorjuss image in another project here , where I stamped her with my usual Memento Tuxedo Black but then I decided that it might be nice to like to try the ‘No-Lines’ technique. So I reached for the only other 2 paler Mementos that I have which are London Fog and Desert Sand.  It was at this point that I had not reckoned without my declining eyesight.  The image stamped with London Fog is the one used on this card.  It did not come out too badly, looking rather like a pencil line but still visible once coloured so not really ‘no-lines’, therefore I had no problem with this.  But Desert Sand, oh dear, I had a hard time even locating the image on the paper!  I have to admit to trying to do this in bad light which served me right really.  I will get my Ottlite out and try again.



So enough waffle, what did I do.  Well my paper is from Papermania as is the pink card.   I coloured with Pro/Flexmarkers and cut my image out for a 3D effect.  The die is Spellbinders Floral Oval and I cut this from Centura Pearl edged with Victorian Velvet DI. The message and corners are from Tattered Lace and the ‘raindrops’ are from my stash.  

Quite simple really and I do love this stamp.  Let’s see if I can successfully use my other image to attempt ‘No-Lines’ next time.  That’s if I can find where I stamped it!

See ya!

Smiling always (but despairing over my rubbish eyesight; I have new glasses as well!)!

Scribbly hugs
Jane xx

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:




Monday 9 September 2013

A Pink Christmas

Hi

Hope the weather is fine wherever you are.

Today I would like to share another Christmas card with you (crikey, I’m rattling through these like no one’s business, I’ll have some for next year at this rate!).  I call it Pink Christmas for rather obvious reasons.



I used an image from LOTV called ‘Christmas Candle’ and coloured her with my usual Pro/Flexmarkers.  I surrounded her with liquid pearls that I am still trying to get the hang of and a touch of Spun Sugar DI.   The yellow on her face and scarf is supposed to represent the glow of the candle.  Not too sure if it comes across that way or if it looks like I was careless with the colouring (or she messily ate a hot dog; heavy on the mustard!)

The yellow on her face & scarf is neither mustard nor custard!!


She is matted using Spellbinders circles and scallop circle dies onto papers I printed from an old Crafters Companion CD-ROM I have.  I used lace and ribbon from my stash along with bright white flat backed pearls from Creative Expressions (yum).

I found some wooden embellies that I got free with a magazine and decided to use one of those.  It was a bit dull so I covered it with Fran-tage Chunky White Embossing Enamel and some Silver Halo Glitter (adore this stuff) and attached it to my bow.

That Halo Glitter looks like Christmas lights!


I added a LOTV sentiment and there you go Christmas is most definitely coming!  Would you believe Delia’s Classic Christmas was on the other night!

See ya!

Smiling always (oddly thinking about mince pies)!
Hugs Jane x

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:










Sunday 8 September 2013

A Red & Green Christmas

Hi

Hope all is well with you and yours.

It’s migraine day today hoorah (sarcastic cheering going on!)!  But I’m not too bad so I thought I would celebrate with a card.  Today I am in Christmas mode again (pain in the head not withstanding) and have created a simple card using traditional Christmas colours.

The image of the boy and girl is ‘Together at Christmas’ from LOTV and the other image of the rather sparse Christmas tree is from Kanban.




I coloured with Pro/Flexmarkers and added Stickles for sparkle.  The papers are all LOTV from one of their lush Christmas pads and the ribbon and cabochons are from my stash.

Aren't they just too cute!  Tree's a but scrawny though!


Simple, sweet, and another to add to my pile.

See ya!

Smiling always (mild migraine today, am I winning?)!
Hugs Jane x

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Monday 2 September 2013

Time for Tea

Hello

My 2nd post of the day, oh my! Not too sure what happened there.

I have a card to show you using one of my favourite images of all time, Elisabeth Bell’s Coffee Time.  Now I know I have tilted this post Time for Tea but that is what she looks to be drinking to me out of that fine china cup and saucer so I hope you’ll forgive me.




As I said I love this image so much and it is a joy to colour, which I did with my Pro/Flex markers.  I just adore that little cat sitting at her feet.



My papers are from Dovecraft and I distressed all the edges with Vintage Photo DI.  My sentiment is from Lili of the Valley.

Hilda Ogden would love them!


Now my 3 little birdies come from the idea that our little lady is sat in and old fashioned living room enjoying a cuppa, what with that floral wallpaper, skirting board and patterned carpet.   And it was because of this that I immediately thought of putting 3 porcelain ducks on the wall a la Hilda Ogden!  So imagine my surprise when this morning on Create and Craft one of Barbara Gray’s design team had done exactly the same thing on a card for her show.  How rude!  Of course theirs was much better than mine as the stamps they’d used were actually ducks whereas mine are some generic birds of undetermined species!  Oh well, we all inspire each other don’t we.  So once I’d found some vaguely flying duck like birds (!) I needed very little encouragement to get the shrink plastic out. Once I had added Glossy Accents to them I had my porcelain um duck-bird-flying-thingies.

See ya!

Smiling always (shrink plastic rocks, and flies apparently)!
Hugs Jane x

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:




A Moosey Christmas

Hello

Today launches a brand new challenge over at the Cutie Pies Challenge Blog and our theme is ‘Cute Christmas in September’.  So if you haven’t started your Christmas cards yet this is the perfect excuse to take up that glitter and snowflake punch and get started.  Don’t forget to join in with us you have to make your cards cute, cute, cute, and with so many adorable images out there it should be easy!

We are sponsored this fortnight by Crafty Ribbons who aim to offer ribbon lovers and crafters a wide and varied range of some of the world’s best ribbons, at affordable prices. They design and manufacture their own range of ribboncraft kits, including ribbon embroidery, weaving, mitred patchwork, teddy bears, and cushions.  Crafty Ribbons are generously offering a £10 gift voucher to one lucky winner of our challenge to spend in their fabulous online store here, p&p not included.  So how could you not want to join in?!

Check out all the amazing DT inspiration from my team mates here, they will blow you away!

So what did I do?  Well I decided to use one of my Mullberry Wood stamps called ‘Giving’ (soooooo cute).  I think my two little guys are moose (is there a plural of moose?  Is it mooses or is it mice, no clue) as the antlers are too big for reindeer.  I have therefore concluded that they must be moose(s) and I coloured them with my Pro/Flexmarkers and a touch of Stickles. 



I kept my colour scheme simple by using mainly blue and white (nice and cool and Christmassy I think). My snowflakes are made from layering white card and glitter card cut using a Spellbinders Snowflake Pendant die and a Martha Stewart punch.  And my sentiment was stamped, embossed and cut using a SB Ribbon Banner.

Awwwwwwwww! Bless!


Gems, satin ribbon and an envelope charm finish the design.

And there you go, another Christmas card under my belt.  I’m feeling a bit smug now!

See ya!

Smiling always (only 20 to go)!
Hugs Jane x

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:


Sweet Stampin Christmas - Challenge 9: WINTER ANIMALS
Sparkles Christmas Challenges - Challenge #32: NON TRADITIONAL COLOURS
Creative Creations Challenges - Challenge #18: EARLY CHRISTMAS MAKES