Decision

I keep a box of cards at work and sell the odd one or two... I was looking at it today and decided its time for a revamp! I've got a few in there which have been in there a long time and are obviously going nowhere, and some ones I'm far more pleased with sitting at home waiting for inserts! So I bought the whole contents of the box home today and I'm going to go through it over the weekend, chuck out any I no longer like (having stripped them of anything re-useable first) and get some of the new stuff in there. I'm also seeing what "gaps" there are in there and definitely needed some more mens' cards, so I've made a couple today - the shirt and watch are from the bargain stickers that I bought at The Works the other day. I used one of my few remaining ink pads to distress the edges of the brown Bazzill on the shirt one and I'm really pleased with the effect.

Sketch Challenge

This one is for a sketch challenge on Cardmaking Friends. I used to have a bit of a thing for orange (usually teamed with green). This time I've managed only a trace of green and found it actually goes surprisingly well with pink! (Though it does look better in real life than in the photo... honest!)

Post Pals

At Cardmaking Friends we have started to choose a Post Pal every month to send cards to. Our January Post Pal was Chloe and you can read her story here. As its our first month we didn't have too many entries but hopefully she will have enjoyed the pretty cards that were sent and you can take a look at them here. We're having a vote on the forum for everyone's favourite which is why they are anonymous at this stage. Well done to everybody who took part!

New Papertake Challenge

The Papertake Weekly Challenge this week is.... hearts! I'm really pleased with this one (if I say so myself lol). Its a shaker card, image is from Cuddly Buddly again - it was fun as I had no intention of doing a shaker card when I started out, it just sort of "happened" that way!

PIF (Pay it forward) - for Bloggers

A little while ago I and two others won this on Challenge Addict's blog - basically the first three people to comment won a little prize - and we then have to do the same thing on our own blogs. Its taken me a week or so to sort out some little prizes but...... (drum roll) here we go!

The first three Bloggers to comment on this post will win a weeny craft prize and must then do the same on their blog!

So.... Ready, steady, Goooooooooo.....!

Woo hoo!

My Capture the Magic order finally arrived (we'd been out this morning and Postman came two minutes after we got home!)so I'm a happy bunny....

Cuddly Buddly

I'd heard people talk about Cuddly Buddly but hadn't checked them out until now.... I had a quick look last night and woke up dying to make a card, so here's a quick one before breakfast! The image here is from their free sampler but its really nicely done, I printed it on hammered card and it actually looks like its been watercoloured. I shall definitely treat myself to some more of their downloadable graphics :-) Funnily enough the colours just fitted with the papers I used for the buttons card yesterday so I've used up the offcuts. Waste not, want not! lol

Buttons

Just discovered Docrafts also do a weekly challenge (doh! never noticed that before) lol. This week the subject is buttons. I've been fiddling around with the computer doing text in circles in Word after reading an article in Simply Cards and Papercrafts (last month's I think) so I've combined the two.... I'm still playing with the Retro Florals as you can see!

Ssshhhh....

Just made my Valentine's card for Del (I'm not normally this organised but he's on an early shift at the moment and he's normally in before me during the week, so as they've asked him to work this weekend I thought I'd take the opportunity!) The template was from Splitcoaststampers (at the end of the first post) here

This is the front

And this is the back

Stampstash

You know I told you a few days ago about Shell's stamp of the month? Well she's moved things along (very rapidly!) and now has a very pretty little website. Take a look at Stampstash and grab yourself a bargain.

Papertake Weekly Challenge

Shell (Challenge Addict) has really got me into doing these challenges - they're brilliant for getting you doing things you might not have otherwise thought of and I'm pleased with the cards I've done this week. This one's for the Papertake Weekly Challenge, the challenge is "violets are blue".

Apologies the gold hasn't scanned too well. I was quite pleased with the greeting extending above the top of the card - Del took a quick look at it and said "you've cut that a bit long haven't you!" Ah well, I tried.... lol

Caardvarks challenge

Blissful relaxed day off today whilst Bel was at School so I got another challenge done. This one was for Caardvarks and the challenge was either blue tones or celestial. I decided on blue tones and this is what I came up with

A is for.....

Well actually "A" is the challenge that Challenge Addict has put on her blog this morning.

The challenge is this:

"Today I am using the Letter 'A'
You may make a card, ATC, Layout.......ANYTHING but it must have an A on it somewhere.

Examples:
Acetate
Amber (colour)
Apple
active
anonymous
Adhesive

It can have anything that you can relate to the letter A."

Here's mine... Just don't tell me he's a crocodile and not an alligator! He's off the Cricut Animal Kingdom cartridge, I have to say its the first time I've used him!

Shell's Stamp of the Month

Being on something of a crafting budget I'm always on the look out for a bargain. If you're in the same boat (or you're just a canny shopper!) you'll be interested in the new Stamp of the Month Club which has just been set up by Shell (Challenge Addict). Take a look here for some great bargains, lovely stamps and lovely prices too!

Another challenge

Oh I like these days off! lol. This one was for a sketch challenge on Daring Cardmakers.

Couldn't resist....

.... a play with my new goodies! Did this one for a sketch challenge on Cardmaking Friends. I do like those Retro Florals!

Day off

I'm on hols today, tomorrow and Monday so I've got a lovely long weekend! Del is working all weekend but he's off today and tomorrow, so we made the most of today and went to the Papermill Shop in Ashford. Got three boxes of paper, some envelopes and a few other bits - Del actually commented he expected me to buy more .... perhaps I should have gone back in! I'm pleased to report that Bel's leg is doing OK, she was seen by both the Doctor and the Nurse yesterday who said it looked as if it would heal well :-) She walked to school with no trace of a limp this morning - until she got to the playground and met up with her best friend, whereupon she hobbled across the playground leaning on her friend's arm! I'm expecting my Capture the Magic Order to arrive tomorrow too - I e-mailed them to check everything was OK yesterday, and got a very apologetic e-mail back that my order had been overlooked! They promised to send it first class yesterday, I did wonder if there'd be a card here waiting when we got back from Ashford but there wasn't, which is better really, it should arrive tomorrow morning when I'll be home (and checking for the postman every five minutes!). Here's my Papermill stash (except the the two packs of 3d stickers which came from The Works - they were so cheap it would have been rude not to buy them! I wasn't actually going to buy any papers, but the Papermania "Retro Floral" pack is rather nice - I can see me using a lot of the papers in there so it was worth it.

Poor Bel :-(

Sitting here this morning waiting for a phone call from the Nurse at the Doctor's Surgery, poor Bel dropped her dinner on her lap last night and has a nasty burn at the top of her leg. We did the plenty of cold water thing and Del rushed out for some special burn dressings which did help soothe it, but I just wanted to make sure we were treating it OK - phoned the Surgery this morning and they said they'd get the Nurse to ring back and let us know if she thought she ought to come in for an appointment. Lots of tears obviously when it happened but she seems quite comfortable with the dressing on and is actually complaining because she wants the Nurse to ring so she can get to School! Anyway, made this valentine pyramage to try to pass the time whilst waiting.....

The sheet is here, the vellum is here.

Easter Bunny

Been dancing this evening, so I decided to play with the computer rather than getting the craft stuff out. Here's an Easter Bunny 3d pyramage sheet and vellum for you to play with. Have fun!

Just click here for the sheet and here for the vellum.

I regret.....

..... ordering from Capture the Magic and choosing the free second class postage rather than paying for first class! lol Oh well my pretty things should be here any day now with any luck.... I'm just trying not to think I could have had them last week if I'd paid the extra! Serves me right....

Funky!

Three funky little ATCs! That's me done for the day lol

Change of style from earlier!

Hadn't intended to do another card for the blue, green and yellow challenge, this one just came out that way lol

Joanna Sheen

I had Joanna Sheen's Victorian Companion cd for my Birthday and I've just been having a play. I'm not 100% happy with this one - I did do another one I liked much better but its for the monthly papercraft competition on Cardmaking Friends so I can't show you that one yet. The second one is for a colour challenge to use blue, green and yellow. Please excuse my wonky scanning, I never seem to get it quite right! Just about to do the roast chicken but hopefully I'll get something else done later. What I'm really waiting for is my Capture the Magic order to arrive then I can really have fun!

My Birthday cards....

... from the some of the girls on Cardmaking Friends, they're all so different but I love them all!

Its my Birthday!

Yay! Have to change the bit at the side with my age on later lol. Just opened some beautiful cards from some of the girls on Cardmaking Friends :-)I'll try and put some pictures up later so you can all see.

So true!

Take a look here! I know there are tidy, houseproud crafters out there...................... but personally my flat is too small and hours in the day are too short to be one of them!

Apologies

A while ago, I put 2 baby boy sheets and vellums on and promised to add the matching baby girl sheets - and forgot! So finally here they are (blush!).

Click to download

3d sheet (1)
3d sheet (2)
Vellum (1)
Vellum (2)

Have fun!

Good morning!

Del gets up early for work and I always wake up too - this morning its howling a gale and pouring with rain so I decided not to try and go back to sleep, the downside of overlooking the sea is that when its windy, its very windy! I decided that I'd start the day with a challenge and actually ended up doing two, the first two are for the first challenge I've done from Daring Cardmakers. The challenge was this "I want you to create not just one but TWO cards ! But wait........there's more ! I want both cards to contain the same embellishments and papers, ribbons etc- but arranged in a different way for a different occasion....the only thing being different is the wording....I'll let you have different wording ! (How nice of me eh?) I'm well aware this is a really hard challenge, and that I have thrown everyone into 2008 off the deep end....but go on- give it a go - I DARE YOU !" So here's my attempt. Not being a stamper anymore, I had a bit of difficulty finding two embellishments the same but managed to find these little dresses.

Talking of stamping, I was in a quandry with a sketch challenge from Cardmaking Friends as it had to feature a stamped image - fortunately I remembered the set of Bang on the Door stamps that Bel was given recently! Well it makes a change for me to "borrow" things from her stash! Here's my card:-

Valentine's 3d sheet

Been trying to think about the next date in the "cardmaking calendar" and I guess it would be Valentines' Day. So here's a copyright sheet and vellum for you, the image is another one from Crafty Computer Paper.

Just click here for the sheet and here for the vellum, And don't forget to let me see what you have made :-)

Oh, and I did notice (but only just) that I've put the same card (the challenge tag one) on here twice over the last week or so. Nobody pointed it out, so I can only assume that(a) you're all too polite to tell me or (b) Nobody actually reads this! Ha ha!!

Scrapbook page

Well I did one! Here's Bel trying out the face painting kit Santa bought her for Christmas .... and at least this one matches the background!

Green!

Did this one for a challenge to use at least two different colour greens - well its certainly green! It would have gone nicely with my previous blog colour but as you see I decided to "redecorate" last night!

I'm hoping to do a scrapbook page later, haven't done a "real" non-digi one for ages, so hopefully I'll have something else to show you later:-)

Also, its my Dad's birthday today - so Happy Birthday Dad! XXXX

Challenges!

You may recall I mentioned that we'd started doing challenges at the end of last year on Cardmaking Friends. Well there's lots of challenges going on there at the moment, set up by Shell who has been really getting into the challenge spirit! You can read about what she's been up to on her new Blog Challenge Addict.

These are a couple I've done for recent challenges on there

The last one is obviously the same one standing up but its such a poor photo I scanned it as well! We'd love more people to come and join us in the challenges (and stay to chat!) so please feel free to come and visit!

Post Pals

On Cardmaking Friends we used to support the wonderful organisation Post Pals, and we're hoping to restart sending cards to them on a regular basis. If you haven't heard of them, they do great work brightening the lives of seriously ill children. Take a look at their site HERE to see the excellent work they do and to read the truly moving and inspiring stories of some very brave children

Two more cards

Well I'm starting the New Year as I hope to continue and getting some cards done! lol. The first one is just one I made while Del and his friends were playing on the X-Box and I was bored! The second one is for a sketch challenge on Cardmaking Friends - someone on there queried whether it was a sketch for a card or a scrapbook layout - it was actually for a card but thinking about it, it would make a good layout, maybe I'll have a go at it at some point!

Happy New Year!

Well I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and has a very happy 2008, our Christmas was very nice indeed and with the celebrations over I am back in the land of the crafting again!

I did make one card in between Christmas and New Year, a New Year card for my Mum and Dad - they still laugh about last year, somewhere between me making it and putting it the envelope the "H" fell off, so they had a card wishing them a 'appy New Year!" I checked my gluing very carefully this year!

We weren't doing anything for New Years Eve and I finished work at 3.00 yesterday so I had promised myself a craft afternoon/evening and I really had fun - I managed to make a few things that are "different" for me and was pleased with what I came up with - I've been using quite a bit of silver and gold recently, I'm sorry that it doesn't scan too well. I'm quite optimistic for the crafting year ahead, we're hoping to have plenty of challenges etc on the Forum and I've taken over running the RAK on there (a challenge in itself getting everybody organised!)