You're Simply the Best

Hi, and a happy crafty day to you all.

The humidity has broken!  Hoorah!  I’m not too sure I can cope with any more sleepless nights.  My keyboard is looking very inviting as a pillow right now.

Anyway, today I would like to show a card I made whilst experimenting with my colouring. (To be fair I am always experimenting with my colouring but there you go.)  Of course I reached for one of my new (well new to me) Saturated Canary stamps and the one I chose was Nevaeh (sorry,  sweetie).

I call this card, ‘Whatever the Feather ’.

Crystal glitter, gems and feathers - these are a few of my favourite things!

So I didn’t want to make it easy for myself did I?  I chose one of the most challenging hair colours out there but I wanted this for my sister-in-law and as her hair is black (selfish) I had to go for it.  It may have been easier to buy her a box of Nice ‘n’ Easy though!  So with my usual gung-ho attitude I went for it.

Well poor Nevaeh (sorry again, sweetie) was my guinea pig and I coloured her using Pro & Flexmarkers.

As always I chose my DP’s ( by Kate Knight) and then picked my markers to match.

I wish I had hair like that.

I love this colour combo.  Black and hot pink/cerise is so fab.

The dies I used are Spellbinders Jewel Flowers & Flourishes, A2 Bracket Borders 1, Labels 17 and Cheery Lynn’s fabulous Fanciful Flourish.

I thought I would do an easel card as I love this fold and think it looks so good.  However it is not the most non-crafter friendly fold there is.  Most recipients of this type of card need the mechanism explaining to them. I gave an easel card to a work colleague once and it wasn’t until half way through the day that I noticed she had it on her desk on its side!  It seems the fact that the image and sentiment were all facing the wrong way had not seemed strange to her in the least!  Hey ho.  Maybe in future I will add ‘how-its-supposed-to-go’ instructions.

Smiling always (well, I’m feeling cooler)!

Jane x

Now to the interesting (for me) bit, I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Saturated Canary – Challenge #48:GLITZ & GLAMOUR

Passion for Promarkers – Challenge#208: EASEL DOES IT!

Penny Black and More - JulyChallenge: DIES & PUNCHES

Challenges 4 Everybody – Challenge#25: ANYTHING GOES

613 Avenue Create - Challenge #29:ANYTHING GOES

Ladybugs Crafts – July Challenge:FAVOURITE EMBELLISHMENTS (Feathers, flowers, jewels, glitter etc!)

Graph’it Markers – Week 3: BLACK HAIR

In the Pink - Challenge #25: HOT PINK

Raspberry Ruffles

Hi

Oh dear, it’s another scorching and humid day here in the south.  If anyone would like to prod me I’m sure I’m well and truly cooked!!  Crikey, I don’t do hot weather very well, my craft room is like a sauna.  Sorry, don’t mind me, I could moan for Britain!

Anyway first things first, thank you so much for all the lovely comments I received from the DT members of the challenges I entered with my last two cards.  I had no idea what a moral boost it would be to have someone say something nice about one of your creations (my family are not very forthcoming about that sort of thing).  So once again, thank you for taking the time to do that.  It means a lot to all us challenge entrants I can tell you.

Any road up here is today’s card.  I have named it ‘Bunting Bonanza’.

I have just come into possession (legally of course) of my first Saturated Canary Little Darlings Stamps.  (Well done, Jane; way to go catching up with the times! :D)  What gorgeous images they are and the quality of the stamps themselves (maybe not my stamping) is excellent.

Anyway I used Krafty Kate, she’s having a fine time making her bunting, and coloured her using my Flex & Promarkers. 

Now I saw the current challenge on the Graphit Markers Blog asking to use your favourite candy colours and my favourite sweets of all time are Raspberry Ruffles.  For those of you who have not heard of them they are raspberry flavoured desiccated coconut sweeties covered in dark chocolate.  Deeeeelish!!  I actually haven’t had one for quite a while.  I remember always getting them at Christmas in a Pick ‘n’ Mix bag from Woolies (sniff).  I absolutely love them.  In fact it was a toss-up between them and Jelly Babies but the colour palette for Jelly Babies is rather broad to say the least! 

{Note to self:  I have just discovered that Raspberry Ruffles now come in a BAR!  OMG!  Be still my beating heart (and ever increasing waistline).}

Anyway, I digress.  I sought out my raspberry and dark chocolate colours (sorry, just drooling then) and then picked out my markers.

Shrink plastic cotton reel & scissors.

I decided to extend the bunting theme throughout so that Kate was surrounded by her creation.

The DP’s are Brenda Pinnock’s.  This is a huge 12 x 12” pad I have had for donkey’s years.  It’s proved very useful, and I always seem to find exactly what I’m looking for in it.

 I cardalso used American Crafts, Silky Crush Ribbon and my favourite La-La-Land banner die.  The corners are from Tattered Lace. 

Smiling always (well, thinking of Raspberry Ruffles of course)!

Jane x

Now to the ‘not too sure what I’m doing’ bit; I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Graph’it Markers – Week 3: CANDY COLOURS

I Love Promarkers – Challenge #177: ANYTHING GOES

Anything Goes Challenge Blog - ANYTHING GOES

Avenue 613 – Challenge #28: ANYTHING GOES

Tuesday Throwdown – Challenge #156: ANYTHING GOES

LEJ Designs – Challenge #62: ANYTHING GOES

Crafty Cardmakers – Challenge #96: BIRTHDAY

Just a Touch of Pink

Hello

Wow another night of broken sleep.  Not helped by the fact that my dogs insist on sleeping in the room with me, heating it up by another few degrees.  I never thought I would say it but BRING ON THE WINTER!  Sorry, hope I haven’t jinxed the rest of the season.

Any road up, to my card for today.  I call it (imaginatively) ‘Just a Touch of Pink’.

Pink and pearls, what could be better!

I have to say that this is the pinkest item I have ever made. Not too sure why as I love pink.  I have to admit to being quite surprised as to how many shades of pink there are, borne out by my variety of Pro and Flexmarkers (used for the colouring) and all the beautiful papers I have.  Never underestimate the power of pink!

My gorgeous image is another stunner from LOTV.  I love her oversized dress and shoes and I thought she deserved a ‘real’ pearl necklace and bracelet.

I used kraft card for my base and the DP’s are EMMA’S GARDEN by Jennifer Ellory.  I made the flowers from tissue paper using the Delicate Asters die from Spellbinders, and using  tissue paper meant I could cut 8 flowers in one go.

 

I hope that necklace is not too heavy for her!

The other dies I used were SB (what else) Labels 23 and A2 Scalloped Border.  I love both these dies but have had them quite a while and never used them (for shame).  That won’t happen again.

My other dies are Marianne Creatables Anja Vintage Swirls (that didn’t want to release from the die) and a Tattered Lace corner (that practically flew out!).

I finished with flat back pearls and a Kandan sentiment.  And there we are. 

Back soon with probably more pink stuff (could get addictive).

Smiling always (if it gets any hotter I’m emigrating to Iceland (the country not the frozen food shop))!

Jane x

Now to the new and exciting bit, I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Challenges 4 Everybody – Challenge #24 Anything Goes

Great Impression Stamps – July Challenge Anything Goes

In the Pink – Challenge #24 Pink & Pearlie

Lili of the Valley – Monthly Challenge Pretty in Pink

Ladybug Crafts - Birthdays

Teddy Bears Picnic

Hello

Well here in Oxfordshire the sun is threatening to melt me so it’s indoors for crafting and sitting in front of the fan. 

Now fans and paper are not a match made in heaven and after chasing my doily’s round my craft room for the third time I decided to turn it off. 

So here is my effort for today.  I call it ‘Keep Your Eye on the Slice!’

Whose going to get that cake?

I coloured the image using my Pro & Flexmarkers, the image being TEDDY BEARS PICNIC from LOTV of course, and all the little bears appear to be eyeing up the last slice of cake.  Not too sure who my money is on the claim that prize!  

 

They are all the same colour, it's just that the light is coming from the right (oops)

My DP’s are from Dovecraft and are appropriately call TEA PARTY.  The dies are Spellbinders Scalloped, Picot Edge and Tear Drop circles and a La-La Land bunting banner.

Being still ever so slightly in love with shrink plastic I found an old stamp set with a nice teapot and teacup and shrank them to fit in the corner and added a paper clay butterfly from the Martha Stewart range.

All done.

Still lovin' that shrink plastic!

I am now off to bath myself in Haagen Dazs.  Hope that’s legal!

Smiling always (but with ice cream in my hair)

Jane x

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:
Challenges 4 Everybody - Challenge #24 Anything Goes 
Cutie Pie Challenge - Challenge #48 - Cute & Cuddly
Great Impressions Stamps - Anything Goes
Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT Challenge - Birthdays
Lili's Little Fairies - Birthdays

Wake Up Dad!

Hi

OMG Andy Murray has just won Wimbledon!!  Wow!  I didn’t watch the match (not too keen on tennis), my nerves couldn’t take it anyway.  But well done him.  What a star!

Anyway it is another scorcher here in Oxfordshire.  My poor dogs are walking around with their tongues permanently hanging out.  Wish I could do that.  Might try it later!

So, to my offering today.  I call it …..’Wake Up, Dad!’

 

War & Peace, a right riveting read.

I used Brenda Pinnack DP’s and the stamp is Fizzy Moon coloured with Pro and Flexmarkers.

Close up.

The sentiment and ornate corners are Tattered Lace dies and the word ‘Dad’ was made up using Britannia alphabet dies.  I cut a ‘shadow’ for them all from the brown card I used for matting.

Shadow die-cutting.

I decided that the whole design needed something extra so I made a book using a Spellbinder die and scribbled words on the page (Shakespeare it isn’t!).  However I included a book mark to make sure Fizzy Moon did not lose his place.

My literary classic!

And there it is.  I am now off for a cold drink and probably a Magnum.  

Mmmmmm Magnum.

Smiling always (melting like my Magnum actually)

Jane x

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

Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog
Simon Says Stamp & Show
Love to Scrap Challenge Blog
An Inky Situation Challenge
Totally Papercrafts Challenge
Graph'It Markers Challenge
I Love Promarkers Challenge

Silly old bag!

Hi

Boy it’s warm today, even in my office!  I am very typically British in that I like to moan when it’s too cold and then moan when it’s too hot.  You see, I am always happy to ‘fly the flag’.

Well, today’s offering was inspired by Create and Craft’s premature Christmas shows and all the lovely Christmas cards that seem to be popping up in Blogland. 

I call it…… umm ‘Bag’.  Well I couldn’t think of anything else.

The first side.

Close up of my slightly dodgy cutting out.

Love this image.

Who knew that Pumice Stone DI would turn silvery on Centura Pearl?

The other side.

More slightly dodgy cutting out.  Oh dear.

I think that snowball gave that snowman his black eye!

I like to use things that have languished in my crafty stash since the year dot!  And while rooting through I found some old Papermania Christmas papers in gorgeous icy lilac and chilly grey and my winter S.W.A.L.K. stamps.

I really enjoyed colouring these images with my Pro & Flexmarkers and I used some white gel pen for the highlights.  I also used a lamppost and snowball image from Jane Nestarenko’s Cute Companions range.  Well I did have a good old delve!

I treated myself the other day to the Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia and 2013 Snowflake Pendant, so they have made an appearance too.  Some pearls and Stickles later and I was done.

I wish I had fussy cut the images a little closer than I did but I wanted the little girl to still have her snowflakes falling on her.  Oh well, will try harder next time.

Smiling always (and ‘glowing’ a bit too)!

Jane x