Craft Your Days Away!!

Morning!!

It's Saturday - I love Saturdays and this one is extra special as it's my first card as part of the Craft Your Days Away Design Team.

The theme of this current challenge is Just for Men/Boys + Buttons.  Our fabulous sponsor for this Challenge is Crafty Emma's Store and there is a £10 voucher to be won!  So here's my card:

The image is Pollycraft, the papers are from My Minds Eye and the ticket was a freebie from ages ago, plus I've used some glossy accents on the bike frame to give it a bit of shine!  Do you like my little star shaped buttons?  I think they are so cute - I love my local craft shop, it does nice mixed bags of buttons for £1 - I always pop at least one in my basket when I go there!

Anyway I do hope you come over and join us at Craft Your Days Away for our challenge - it would be lovely to see you there - plus you'll be able to see all the fabulous work my amazing teamies have done!  Just click on the logo above to get there.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Simon Says - Bit O Green
Allsorts - Three in a Row
Card Mad Fairy - Add a Sentiment
Sassy Cheryl's - Wearin' of the Green


Thanks for looking - enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

Julie xx

Some Presents, Some Exciting News and a Card

Hi,

I have had an amazing week!  Firstly it was my birthday (21 again!) and I got a new all singing and dancing paper trimmer from my husband (I picked, he paid, ha ha!).  The girls from work were amazing and I was given a little sewing machine so I can now do stitching on my cards. I have made the rather large assumption that I will be able to take it out of the box and be a pro right away... so it may be a while before you see any stitching on cards!

Yesterday I got the exciting news that I had been successful in the DT Call for Craft Your Days Away!  I'm so pleased - especially as there are so many talented crafters out there!  My first card for them will be on the 17th March - I can't wait to find out what the first challenge is!  Also my card got picked for their top 3!

So here's a card I made last night - it's for my Sister-when-my-brother-in-law-finally-puts-a-ring-on-her-finger-To-Be.  It's her birthday next week.

I used the sketch from Papertake Weekly, I think I'll add that to my file to use again as the card came together quite quickly!  The image is from The Stamping Boutique and the papers are MME.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Sassy Cheryl's - Spots and Dots
Everybody Art Challenge - Monochrome
Papertake Weekly - Sketch
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Paper Sundaes - Circles
Lexi's Creations - Monochrome
Ladybug Crafts - Pink and Girly
Catch the Bug - Anything Goes

Thanks for looking!

Julie! x

Star Shaped Card ..

Hi,

Hope you're all having a fab weekend!

Here's my latest card - it was for my niece Molly on her 10th birthday.  I found a tutorial here and though to myself "that looks easy!". Let's just say it took longer than I thought it would - which I'm sure is more down to my lack of brains than anything else.  As always the picture is rubbish as I finished it late and it needed to go off in the post the next day!

Above is the card as you see it when it's opened out, (before I added the image), and below is the folded card.  I think it looks pretty swish even if I do say so myself.  I may make a few more of these for Christmas. The image is from Pollycraft.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Tuesday Throwdown - Think Pink

Crafty Creations - 3, 2, 1 (Three papers - the third is just just under the pink panel in the centre, 2 embellis - the ribbon and the little gems, and 1 image)

Lexis Creations - Pink for Boobies

Little Miss Muffet - Girly Girl

Di's Digital Designs - Girly Creations

The Stamping Boutique - Think Pink

Crafty Cardmakers - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Get in Shape - my three shapes are the star, triangle and the wonky rectangle which a quick search on the net tells me is an Isosceles Trapezoid (you learn something everyday!)

Anyway - thanks for looking!!

Julie xx

A Birthday Card

Hi,

It feels like ages since I last posted or made a card.  A month seems to have flown by somehow!  I've also been really rubbish at commenting on everyone's beautiful blogs - but I'll be getting back on track over the next day or two!

Here is my latest card - my attempt at a shabby / vintage type - well the papers are called Vintage ... something .. so it must be right.  They are Pink Petticoat and were a magazine freebie. The dress was also a freebie from Michelle Perkett Studio - it's so cute!

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Simon Say Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
Sew Many Challenges - Anything Goes
Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
Paper Sundaes - Anything Goes
Auds Sentiments - Happy Birthday
Southern Girls - Anything Goes

Thanks for looking!

Julie xxx

Happy Birthday

Morning!

My beautiful little girl turned 3 this weekend and I've no idea how that happened.  Somehow my tiny little dot has grown up.

So here's a little picture of her blowing out her candles on her cake!  You'll have to excuse all the mess in the background!  She couldn't decide what animals she wanted on her cake but most seemed to be a farm theme, so I got a good friend to make some sugar paste animals and all was well until the night before that she told me she wanted a monster, a lion and a big bad wolf on her cake!  Never mind - she was pleased with her farm animals and once she got a slice of chocolate cake the big bad wolf had been forgotten!

Here's the card I made for her birthday:

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - Anything goes (Flowers)
Stamp Something - Digi Day
Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
Crafty Card Makers - Summer Holiday Memories
Auds Sentiments - For a girl
Card Mad Fairy - Add Flowers
Stamping for the Weekend - Holidays
St Luke's Hospital Challenge - Buffet (Patterned Paper, Embossing, Ribbon, Flowers)
Papertake Weekly - Sketch

Thanks for looking!

Julie x

Sir Mike

Hi,

We're off to the museum this morning for a children's fairy tale event.  Hopefully we'll all have a fab time and I won't be too stressed out trying to stop two small people from running around!

Here's the card I made for my Brother-In-Law for his birthday.  He loves nights and medieval stuff (even at 33!) - although I should have found a castle background to put this on - not sure why I didn't think of this at the time!  I also should have made the image bigger - but I used my last page of card to print it out on and being last minute I didn't have time to go and get some that I could use pro-markers on without them bleeding everywhere.

The knight is a Jelly Park image - he's so sweet - he did originally have a feather on top of his helmet - however it had a little accident when I was cutting it out!  Oops!

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:

My Grafico - Monthly Challenge
Whoopsi Daisy - Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown - None Stamped Sentiment (his name is in wire covered chippie letters)
A Spoonful of Sugar - Happy Birthday

Thanks for looking!

Julie x

Hangin' Out..

Hi,

Hope you've all had a nice weekend! 

Here's my latest card - I've seen images where people get part of it to hanging out of the die cut and always wondered how they did it. I saw on Barbara's blog here a tutorial on how to do so I gave it a go. So thanks for that Barbara! x

It's a fairly conservative effort for a first go - but I was pretty chuffed with myself!

I'm going to enter this card into the following challenges:

Everybody Art Challenge - Sketch
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
For Fun - Anything Goes
Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
Our Creative Corner - No Flowers
Little Miss Muffet - Outside the Die Cut
Craft Your Days Away - Birthdays
Stamping for the Weekend - Spots and Dots
My Grafico - Anything Goes

Thanks for looking!

Julie x

Happy Friday...

Hoo-ray it's the weekend! Hopefully the weather will stay nice as we've had a lovely afternoon in the park today. Although my fitness levels leave something to be desired as I'm shattered from chasing my (almost) 3 year old round!

Here's my first card for August - a birthday card for my Aunty Anne - and I'm feeling quite proud of myself as her birthday isn't until Thursday which is exceedingly organised for me.

I've followed this weeks PollyCraft Sketch - the DP is Pink Petticoat ( a magazine freebie stack) and the image is a Heather Ellis Digi - not sure if you realised I like these stamps as I've only used them one or two (hundred million) times.

Here's my challenge list for this card:

Allsorts - Free and Easy
Creative Inspirations - Summertime
Bunny Zoe - Fun in the Sun
Sundays with Chrissy - Keep It Simple Stamper
Pollycraft - Sketch
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown - Summertime
For Fun Challenges - Anything Goes
Stamp Something - August Digi Day

And a big hello to my new follower Shannin!

Thanks for looking!

Julie x

and another Birthday Card...

Evening all,

I'm back with another birthday card.  This time it's for my sister who is 22 this week! My little girl has also made her card - I'll have to remember to take and post a picture of it tomorrow - it's quite cute.

The image is another one of the lovely images I chose as my prize from Tuesday Throwdown from The Stamping Boutique. The DP is My Minds Eye - Lime Zest.  The DP and flower are from blog candy winnings from Audrey a couple of weeks back.

I'm going to enter this into the following challenges:

The Stamping Boutique - Monthly Challenge
Do It With Digis - Spots or Stripes
Allsorts Challenge - Free and Easy
Ladybug Challenges - Summer Birthdays
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Everybody Art Challenge - Use Shapes
Cupcake Craft - 148 Cooking Up a Storm
Craft Your Passion - Just for You

Thanks for looking - have a great evening!

Julie x

30th Birthday

Afternoon!

My husband is 30 tomorrow - so I've been working on his card this morning.  I've already given it to him though as I didn't got an envelope big enough, plus he was milling around whilst I was cursing and cutting out the little boy and his car - I need to either get some decoupage scissors or get a new blade for my craft knife!

He really liked it and said that it reminded him of playing outrun in the arcade machines when he was a teenager ( Which is a very long time ago now!! ha ha!)

 

The image is called AJ - the race car driver and it's one of the images I chose from The Stamping Boutique as part of my prize from Tuesday Throwdown a week or so ago.  The image looks really flat on this photo, but I've done it in three layers.  I'm also loving Core-dinations card at the minute.

I always forget how hard it is to get really nice DP for male cards - there are literally thousands for the girls, so I did a little happy dance when I spotted this at the craft store!  It's lovely and so summery!

There are loads of challenges to enter with this card:

• Pollycraft Monday - Celebrations
• Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
• Stamp Something - July Digi Day
• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Secret Crafter - Here Comes Summer
• Allsorts Challenge - Free and Easy
• Whoopsi Daisy - Hot Hot Hot
• Southern Girls Challenge - Bring Out Your Inner Child (my husbands not mine!)
• Sundays with Chrissy - Distressing

Plus have you seen my new badge on the sidebar - my pink Christmas card made top three at the Winter Wonderland Blog! I was a very happy bunny when I caught up with my blogs last night!

Thanks for stopping by

Julie x

Pink!

Here's yet another birthday card from me. Everyone seems to be having their birthday all at once.  I've still got another two to go in the next two weeks! This time, though, it's for my mother-in-law - she is so lovely - not the like the dreaded mother-in-law everyone else seems to have!

However it's probably not the most grown-up card for a lady of a certain age.

I'm going to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Everybody Art Challenge - Anything Goes
• CPS - Sketch
• Do it with Digis - Monochrome (ok so there is a tiny, tiny bit of blue and green among all that pink!  oops!)
• My Grafico - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie

Another Birthday Card...

Hello,

Just a quick post for me as it's late and I'm tired, but I won't have chance to post this tomorrow as I've got to work late and then go and cheer up one one of my best bud's up as she's having a bit of a poo time at the minute.  I'll take her some cake I think - that always cheers me up!

This card is for Auntie Ruth as she is 60 at the weekend!  I like to put my cards on top of the fireplace for a day or so before sending to decide if I like them or not and I think I'm going to alter it before I send it to add a sentiment.   Anyway, I really love this paper, the picture doesn't do it justice, partly as the photo was taken about 10 minutes ago and 11.30pm isn't known for it's abundance of natural light.  It's from Papermainia but I have no idea what it's called!

I'm also fairly chuffed with myself as I stamped this image myself rather than the digi's I prefer to use.  I freely admit that I SUCK at stamping, as I always end up with parts of the image missing, even following the billion expert tips I've been given - good ink & paper, ink pad to the stamp etc.  So what did I do this time?  I inked up the stamp and then put it on the table and pressed the paper on the stamp.  I'm sure I've made some horrible stamping faux pas however it worked for me!

I'm going to enter this into the following challenges:

• Cupcakecraft - Sketch
• Stamp Something - Pretty Papers
• Southern Girls - Anything Goes

Also hello to my not so new follower who I think I've missed off my hello's - Almondeyez2000!

Anyway I'm off to bed in a min so night night all - thanks for looking! 

Jules x

A birthday card..

Morning!

I made this card last night as my friend's little girl is 4 next week.

 I'm going to enter it into the following challenges:

• Cupcake Craft - Orange, Yellow, Green and White (ok so only the little bird and the grass is green - hope it still counts!)
• Papertake Weekly - Sketch
• Do You Stack Up - Orange
• Stamp Something - Anything Digi
• Catch the bug - Anything Goes
• Bee Crafty - Summers Here!

Plus I have two new followers - Laura Jane Quick and Aussie Loz - HELLO!
Check me out - that's 18 followers now!!

Thanks for popping by!

Julie

Going Green!

Here's my latest challenge card:

The DP is My Minds Eye - Quite Contary and the flower is one I made a while back.
I'm going to enter this into the following challenges:

Clean and Simple - Sketch
Do You Stack Up - Green
Reasonable Ribbon - Green and Ribbon
Easy Craft Projects - Green
Simply Create - The Power of Flowers

Thanks for looking!

x

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!

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!