11 Long Years....

On Friday my poor long suffering husband and I have been together 11 years.  Poor guy! The intention was to make him a present - I've seen lots of tutorials for boxes so I was going to make one and fill it with his favourite Haribo! 


Now we like to call the time the children nap in the afternoon "The Happy Hour" and I'd planned to use Thursday and Friday's happy hour to make his present - but I was thwarted by the children who refused to synchronise their naps, so no box got made.  As a consolation, however, I made melting centre chocolate puddings for us to scoff when the children were tucked up in bed! 


He at least deserved a card, so last night after the children had gone to bed I was sat at the table in the dining room part  of our front room doing some making while he was sat on the sofa about a metre away in the sitting room part with strict instructions not to look over and spoil the surprise.


Anyway here's the result:

Although with all that red I admit it looks more like a valentines card.  Shame I wrote on the back otherwise I could have given him it again in two weeks!  The hearts and letters are chipboard, inked red and then heat embossed with with clear power and then sparkly red powder. Embossing is yet another skill I've need to master.  The letters look slightly better in this picture than they do in real life.


I think I'll enter this in a few challenges although if by sheer miracle I win any my husband has decided he should get all the glory!!   We'll see about that!

Before I do that I just want to say howdy to my two new followers: Pauline and Judie!!

This card is being entered into the following challenges:
(apologies for disgracing all the other lovely entries with this card!)


Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Valentines and Love
Craft Your Days Away - Love
Lexi's Creations - Valentines
A Spoonfull of Sugar - Valentine
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Love is in the air
Our Creative Corner - 3d Valentine (not sure if this really counts - hope it does!)
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Heart Theme


See you soon!

A Birthday Card

First of all a big hello to my latest follower:  ifat1962!!

Here's my latest card - this is really quite girly not me at all but I'm really pleased with the results.

I've coloured the stamp with promarkers and a pink watercolour pencil as I don't have any skin tone markers.  Yet another thing to add to the shopping list!

I've tried my hand at distressing, inking the edges of the papers (which are Pink Petticoat - I LOVE magazine freebies!).  I also tried to distress the pink card framing the image - I've not done a great job - and it doesn't show up too well on this photo.  Not surprising as I was too lazy to go and find some sandpaper and don't own a fancy distressing tool.  Instead I improvised and used a pair of nail clippers!

This card is being entered in the following challenges:

Crafty Cardmakers - Floral

Craft your Passion - Use Two Patterned Papers

Tuesday Throwdown - Distressing

Paper Sundaes - Distressing

Cupcake Craft Challenges - Food for Thought

Simon Says Stamp and Show - Childhood Memory (going to visit my nanny and knowing that she would have made lots of treats and searching through each cake tin to find out what was in each!)

Everybody Art Challenge - My Favourite Thing (Cake!)

Do You Stack Up? - Patterned Paper

Papertake Weekly - Sketch

Wish me luck!

Summertime Designs

My aim is to be a good follower and comment on as many of the blogs I am following as I can, so today I was having a good look around and via Paula Holifields Crafts blog I found Summertime Designs. 

Summer Driggs designs scrapbook kits and all her work is free to download.  Today I downloaded the Sweet Cakes Kit - it's lovely, there's some really sweet spotty paper I can't wait to use.

You should have a look and check it out too.

Thanks for looking!

Torn Paper Flowers

Cue more fan-girl screaming from me as I've now reached the dizzy heights of five followers - thanks people. So I just want to say a big hello to:

Irene, Kerri, Hippieaud (Aka Audrey) and a mystery anonymous person!!



I think I've figured out how to find your blogs so I'll be popping over for a visit later on!

After my efforts last week with the ribbon flowers I went in search of some new things to make - I didn't have to look very far as the Little Birdie Secrets blog used last week for the ribbon flowers had a tutorial for torn paper flowers.

Here's the experts picture:

and here's my attempt:

I'm really quite pleased with how they've turned out - especially the green and red ones - as the handmade paper (possibly Mulberry - but I'm not sure) has given a feathery effect.  I struggled to rip the yellow card - so used a water spray to wet the card first which made it heaps easier to tear.  I really can't remember where I saw that tip - I thought it was on the Little Birdie website - but when I read it back it wasn't there!

The yellow flower centre is a plain gold brad, while the red and green flower's centre is card candy - the layers are secured with a small blob of silicone glue.

The red flower is my favourite, I really want to make some more just because they are so pretty - so hopefully there will be a challenge somewhere this week called "use a red flower".

Thanks for reading!
x

Valentines Card - No1

When I logged in to Blogger this morning I had a little Fan-girl scream as I have my first follower!

Thanks Roni!

I did try to see if you have a blog but couldn't figure it out (not very technical!) so if you leave me your blog address and I'll be over to visit you!!

Here's my latest card - Valentines No1 - not sure what other challenges I'll be entering over the next few weeks, but there will definitely be a Valentines No2 as my lovely husband needs a card.

I'm really impressed with my new Promarkers and all the layering of colour you can do (if that's the right term?) The prickles on both the hedgehogs are done with the same pen, just the one on the right has about a thousand layers! I also did some blending (badly) to make their little cute faces a bit lighter. I think I'll need to get myself a blender pen to make it work better. But even then I suspect it will be a case of having all the gear and still no idea!

My cute hedgehogs are a digi stamp - as I suck at stamping. I found it via Free Digital Stamps - the artist is called Angelique, she is very very talented. Click the little link to visit her blog: Sliekje Digi Stamps and you can find the hedgehogs I used in this card here. You should pop over and have a look at her work, all her stamps are free and cute cute cute. I should know as I've saved a few of them and will be using them over the next week or two.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:

• Mojo Monday - Sketch
• Cute Daisy May - Pretty in Pink
• Tuesday Throwdown - Valentine
• Freshly Brewed - Valentine
• Simon Says - Bingo (Flowers, Buttons, Glitter (there is glitter on the ribbon dots, the little flower and the loveheart rain - honest!)
• Southern Girls Challenge - Totally loved up
• Stamp Something - Cute Somethings
• Do You Stack Up? - Pink
• If the Shoe Fits - Friendship
• Really Reasonable Ribbon - Hearts (and ribbon!)
• The Secret Crafter - It's a Couple Thing

Wish me luck!!

Sketch Challenge

I saw this sketch challenge on Clean & Simple Stamping and thought that looks a fairly easy sketch for a novice like me.
How wrong was I? For some unknown reason it took me three nights to produce a card - why I have no idea.
What I have realised is that I need to get my hands on some stamps / images to use on my cards and to pick up some more paper stacks instead of just buying pretty single sheets hoping I'll be able to use them at some point. In my defence though they have mainly been in a sale and it would be rude not to buy them.
Anyway here is my effort:

This card is being entered into the following challenges:

Clean & Simple Stamping - 123
Thanks for looking!

Ribbon Flowers Tutorial - AKA Don't give up the day job!

I found a great tutorial on how to make Ribbon Flowers here:



Here's my efforts (note to self - find a nicer background to take photo's on rather than using green cutting mat!!)

I think they are probably just passable for a stolen 30 minutes peace and quiet whilst my baby decided to take an impromptu nap.
x

Paper Sundaes - Blog Hop

I've found yet another blog hop to help me procrastinate my time away.

This one is hosted by Paper Sundaes to celebrate being one.

Penny Black Blog Hop

Today I've entered another blog hop this time it's one hosted by Penny Black @ Allsorts.

Click on the picture below if you want to take part.

It ends on the 22nd January!

Thanks for looking!

Lovely New Baby

Two of our very good friends have just announced the birth of their new baby boy - called Zac.

Very BIG congratulations to you both!

This is the card I made for them. It's also my first real go with the promarkers Santa gave me for Christmas.
I didn't have quite what I wanted in papers so I made the backing paper with his name on it myself. Not sure if I've pulled it off - perhaps the letters should have been smaller - leave me a comment with your thoughts!


This card is being entered in the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar Challenge - New Beginnings
Easy Craft Projects - Use old stash (all the card, paper and the image are old)
Stamp Something - Anything Goes
Stamping for the weekend - New and Blue
Allsorts Challenge - Teal Blue and Brown
Sundays with Crissy - Ribbons (both on the card and the image!)

Thanks for looking!

High Hopes Blog Hop

Well instead of creating card like I should have, the new True Blood Season 3 has started so I had to watch it! But I've also taken part in a blog hop for High Hopes Stamps to celebrate their 100th challenge!

Hooray another challenge to enter!

Here's the link if you want to take part! I've gone all clever and made the picture a link!



Thanks

Challenge Entry - Thank-you

Check me out - two challenge entries in a week!

Although it's only my second sketch challenge I think I really like them as it gives me some structure. I also really like having a good old nosy at the other entries to see what other people saw in the sketch.

Also in the vain hope someone is reading this!! I found some beautiful blog candy which you can see on my sidebar. Go and take a look.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:

Mojo Monday - 173

Craft Your Passion - Let's tie one on!

A Spoonfull of Sugar - Thank You

Craft Your Days Away - Anything Goes

Thanks for Looking!

Challenge Entry - Hello Tweetie

Here's a challenge card from me - I'm entering two challenges with this card.





I followed the sketch from Everybody Art Challenge to enter Challenge #124 and Our Creative Corner had an inspiration challenge - Hey Chickadee!

Thanks for looking!

Crafy Cardmakers - Challenge 36

After doing some blog hopping this afternoon to find some challenge blogs I found Crafty Cardmakers who run regular challenges aimed at new cardmakers and bloggers. The latest challenge is "First and Latest/Greatest".

There's no time like the present to start entering challenges. Wish me luck!



This card was my first I made, back in september it with some free papers from a craft magazine - I was really quite pleased with my efforts, but I was never brave enough to send it to anyone.



It never will be sent anywhere now as this card was pillaged a couple of weeks ago as I couldn't find my gems for another card I was making and this card kindly donated them!!





This is my latest card and is the christmas card I made for my Grandad. I was brave enough to send this one!


My very poor photography doesn't show up all the pretty glitter on it though!


Hopefully I haven't embarassed myself to much against all the other cardmakers.

New year Challenges

I need to get my butt into gear and start making cards with the large amount of stuff I have aquired over the last few months, rather than it sitting there getting dusty.

I'm going to enter some blog challenges to give me some more motivation and make me try a few different techniques and style. It'll probably be a bit embarassing submitting my work compaired to other people with far more skill and experience than me.

Wish me luck!