Male Birthday

Hello All !!,
Yes I am still here, but with an absent creative mojo and other problems, I've not been able to make anything for a while. However, it's my Step Dad's and Sisters birthday this week, so I've had to come up with something for them.

For my SD Dave's card, I've combined 2 challenges.



The first is Simply Stampin where they had this sketch

and ColourQ where they had this colour palette

 This is the card I made



I coloured the tree with SU write markers which took some time to do, so I had to huff and puff on the stamp to moisten the ink again before stamping on to white card.                                                        I used a border punch on the edges of the layered cards, and on a strip of brown underneath the tree that was raised on 3D pads. I also added green ribbon either side of the brown card.

Recipe :

Card = Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight, and white square card FMS

Stamp = Leaves of a Tree, and Basic Phrases

Inks = Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz, and Adirondack Butterscotch ( the nearest I have to Mustard ) 

Tools = Martha Stewart punch

Extras = Ribbon

Thanks for dropping by today, and I'll show you the card for my Sister tomorrow if you'd like to come back then.

Bye for now



Dog Roses

Today I've made a card for these challenges, Make My Monday where they have these colours for us









and Simply Stampin' where there is this sketch

and CAS-ual Fridays where they want some Bling



 This is my interpretation 

The ribbon is wrapped around the green card, and the foliage is stamped on some white card that is up on 3D pads. The Dog roses ( I think that's what they are?? ) were stamped on white card and washed over with an Aqua painter to spread the inks colour, before being laid in place and the stamens being highlighted with Cosmic Shimmers.

Recipe : 

Card = Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, and CB from MS

Stamps = Everything Eleanor and Verve

Inks = Pear Pizzazz and Pixie Pink

Extras = 3D pads, Pixie Pink ribbon, and Cosmic Shimmers Twinkles

I've been dieing to use these stamps since they arrived last week, but after straining my right arm and back while doing the gardening on Monday, I've had a RA flare up and have not been able to brush my hair let alone do any crafting!!.

Anyhow, I hope you all have a good weekend, whatever you are doing to help "Lizzie" celebrate her Diamond Jubilee, and I'll be back soon ( I hope??)

Thanks for dropping by

Wild Green Flowers

Today I've mixed several challenges for my card.

 The layout came from this sketch at Mojo Monday


the theme is Wild Flowers and Grasses from Make My Monday


and the colour way from Simply Stampin where they want MONOCHROME with a dash of colour



I chose Green and White as my colours, with a hint of brown ( hopefully not too much?), and so as not to be too predictable for me at MMM, I resisted the urge to get out my sponges and do my favourite sponging technique, and went down the more CAS route.

This is my card



Here is a close up of the dragonfly on the wild flower

Recipe :

Card = Chocolate Chip, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White, and White CB from MS

Stamps = Garden Silhouettes, Organic Grace, and Verve

Inks = Pear Pizzazz, and Chocolate Chip

Tools = Big Shot, Nestabilities, and Martha Stewart punch

Extras = 3D pads and ribbon

I'm not firing on all cylinders this afternoon, so I'll be back soon.

Oh, I must thank Vicky for sending my latest SU order which Louise brought around to Jacquelines crafting morning, and if you too love SU products you can order from Vicky here

Bye for now





Friends card

Staying with the One Layer card, I've used the Simply Stampin challenge colours

and combined it with the Simplicity OLW #88 challenge, where GDT Heather Telford wants a 2" x 2" square design.

This is what I did

The front card is the one for the challenge, but I made a cream one while I was at it. The 2" x 2" square was masked with Post Its, and then I stamped the F inside with Versamark and heat embossed it with white powder. I sponged over this with the 3 colours so that the letter jumped out, and then the Post Its were removed.

Recipe :

Card = FMS

Stamps = Vintage Vogue

Inks = Regal Rose, Real Red, Island Indigo, and Versamark

Extras = Post Its and White embossing powder

Thanks for dropping by, and I hope to be back soon

Simple One Layer Card

I have been so busy today and I've had no time to myself until now. So to unwind from my day I decided to craft............however, I didn't know where to start!!

In the end I went with the yummy colours at Simply Stampin challenge

and then over at Less is More it's a real tricky challenge of a ONE LAYER CARD using THREE stamps

Well, after what felt like a lifetime, I made this simple card 

Those of you who are not aware of Stampin' Up, ( which I use most of the time!!) may think that this is 2 stamps, but the butterfly is a 2 step stamp. The pink wings being 1, and the flower markings and body being 2, and the words are the third. For once I have stuck rigidly to Chrissie and Mandi's brief, so I hope I wont be on the naughty step today ( fingers crossed )

Recipe :

Card = White card base FMS

Stamps = Flight of the Butterfly

Inks = Regal Rose, Real Red, and Island Indigo

Tools = Stamp-a-ma-jig and Corner rounder

Tomorrow, I'm out again, but hope to be home in the afternoon for more crafting



New Home

Yaaaaaaay !! I've come Top3 at Make My Monday again, I'm really chuffed that someone else likes my creations, so Thanks Very Much to their DT.


Today I've made a quick "New Home" card using the colours from the Simply Stampin' challenge

and over at Less is More  Chrissie and Mandi are asking for a charm to be part of the project.

Here is my card made with a new eBay purchase.

I love this colour combo, but I don't have any Pink Pirouette, so I've used Blushing Bride for the house, and then I've coloured the edges of some Very Vanilla with the same SU Write Marker to make the Nestabilitie matt. I have also had to substitute the Marina Mist for Bermuda Bay, so I hope that my card is acceptable to the Simply Stampin' DT?. The sentiment is raised on 3D pads so the charm can hang and dangle from the ribbon bow.



Recipe :

Card = Very Vanilla, and cream card base from my stock

Stamps = Good Neighbourhood and Flower Soft sentiment

Inks = Soft Suede, Blushing Bride, and Bermuda Bay

Tools = Big Shot, Nestabilities, and Stamp-a-ma-jig

Extras = Ribbon, 3D pads, and Silver metal heart charm

I'll be busy tomorrow, battling my way around Tesco's with Angela in a wheelchair, so if I survive that I should be back over the weekend with some more projects ( fingers crossed! )

Thanks for dropping by



Just for you

Today's card I am going to enter in for the Simply Stampin challenge where they have this lovely warm colour palette,

and the Pals Paper Arts challenge where they have this sketch


I went around to Jacqueline's today to craft ( and chat as usual!!), and the first card I made was admired by Louie ( the handsome black cat), but he decided it needed a little something extra so inked up his paws and added his marks to the flower design!! Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!



So after his help, I redid the design and ended up with this card

The ribbon was some candy I won ages ago, but it matches the Melon Mambo perfectly.

Recipe :

Card = Pretty in Pink, Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White, and Clarity Silk card

Stamps = Just Believe

Inks = Wisteria Wonder, and Melon Mambo

Tools = Martha Stewart punch

Extras = Ribbon

Thanks for looking today, and I hope to have time to visit some of your blogs to see what wonderful creations you've been making.  



Baroque Noel

This afternoon I've been to Jacqueline's to get some crafting done, ignoring all the chores I should be doing!, but my excuse is that with lack of sleep through pain, I'm too tired to do anything ( except craft that is!!)

The card I've made is for the Simply Stampin Challenge where they have this sketch


and the colours are from the ColourQ challenge

This is the card, and although these colours are not associated with Christmas I was happy with the outcome. What do you think?

I turned the sketch on its side and stamped the swirl onto some white card, and then layered it on some brown card. I then cut 2 strips of cherry card in different thicknesses and laid them horizontally on a white card. I inked up just the NOEL sentiment on the SU roller and stamped it onto one end of a white card strip ( using the Stamp-a-ma-jig ) that was then matted onto brown card and positioned between the cherry strips. The swirl panel was then stuck vertically across the strips. I then stamped the gingerbread men, candy canes, and baubles onto white cards and cut them out. The baubles were placed on 3D pads and placed as if hanging from the swirls, and the gingerbread men in opposing corners of the card. The one cane was added to cover an ink mark, and the other to even out the picture.

Recipe : Card = Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, and white card stock from my stash

Inks = Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie, Cherry Cobbler, and Daffodil Delight

Stamps = Baroque Motifs, Jolly Jingles, and Hung Up on the Holidays ( borrowed from Jacqueline)

Extras = Stamp-a-ma-jig, and 3D pads

Thanks for looking at my blog today, and I hope you liked what you saw.

I hope you all have a good weekend, and I'll be back soon.



OLC Leafy Thank You

This afternoon I had my RA treatment injection, so now I am resting on the sofa with a throbbing leg!!

Of course I couldn't sit doing nothing, so I've made 2 cards for the Less is More challenge where they want a OLC with Leaves as the theme, and the Simply Stampin challenge where they want something Leafy.

This is the first

I masked a strip off with tape and randomly stamped some leaves with Versamark and heat embossed them with clear powder. I then sponged and stamped over them with green inks and drew a wavy line across the top and bottom of the border. I stamped the sentiment, and then heat embossed a Versamarked stamped Fern leaf that lay over the coloured area. 

and this is the second

I drew the wavy border again but this time incorporated the sentiment in the bottom line. Between these I stamped 4 suede leaves that had gold embossed highlights, and 1 brown leaf with no added extras.

Recipe :  Card = square white cards from my stash

Stamps = French Foliage, Organic Grace, and Just Believe

Inks = Certainly Celery, Pear Pizzazz, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede, Adirondack Rust, and Versamark

Tools = Heat gun

Extras = Gold and clear embossing powders

After making these I realise that I dont feel too good so may have to have a lie down. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow, so I'll say TTFN

Orange trees

Today I've rushed around like the squirrels burying their nuts for winter!!

I did manage to squeeze in a few hours at Jacqueline's, and at the last minute before I left, decided to enter the colour challenge at  Simply Stampin where they have these yummy  new colours.

The only SU stamps I had with me was my trusty Lovely as a Tree, so out they came. I've then had to finish it off at mum's friends house ( while they gossiped ) as I was running out of time to enter, so fingers crossed I've made the deadline.

Here's my card using one of my favorite techniques of "sponging". 

On some Very Vanilla card I've sponged the yellowy sky over a Post It sun and a torn scrap paper hill, and then stamped the trees in the snowy foreground. I used the edges of the branches to make hedges along the crests of the hills, and the large pine tree to make a fir tree frame around the card edge. I finished by sponging the foreground to make small hillocks ( sorry they're hard to see in the photo), and drew 3 birds with a write marker.

Recipe: Card = Very Vanilla and square cream card from my stash

Inks = Daffodil Delight, Peach Parfait, and Soft Suede

Stamps = Lovely as a Tree

Extras = Post It

Hope you like it. Tomorrow I'll show you what I did make at Jacqueline's.

Have a good weekend.

Reindeer Christmas

Today I've made yet another Christmas card, and I'm entering it in to mSimply Stampin Challenge#28 where they had this sketch.

I'm pushed for time so hope I make the deadline.





Anyway, here is my take on the sketch

The reindeer was stamped on white card and coloured with Pro markers and a gem added for his nose.

The large fir tree was  Versamark stamped on green card and heat embossed with white powder, as were the trees on the red card. The sentiment was stamped in red on a disc of white withe the edges sponged in green. The holly was treated the same way. All the cards were layered as per the sketch on a cream square card, with the 2 discs being stuck on 3D pads to add dimension.

I hope you like him as much as I do.

Recipe : Card = Garden Green, Real Red, Whisper White, and cream card from my stash

Inks = Basic Black, Versamark, Real Red, Hunter Green, and Always Artichoke, and Pro markers

Stamps = Lovely as a Tree, Clarity, and Woodware sentiment

Tools = Heat Gun and Martha Stewart punch

Extras = White embossing powder and red gem

Thanks for dropping by today, and I hope you have a good weekend.

See you soon

Christmas Tree

I must start this post with a "Hello" and "Welcome" to my new followers, Linby and Kym, Thanks for joining my Followers and I hope you like some of what I do.

Anyway, again this week has been busy, on Tuesday at Jacqueline's, I started a card for Nathans 4th birthday, but as usual more chatting than crafting was done as another friend, Louise joined us. I will show you the card when it's finished.

Meanwhile, I made a card for the Simply Stampin challenge #25 where they have this sketch to follow.

As I'm still making some Christmas cards for my friend, I thought I'd make this card in that theme.

I started with a white square card and layered it with some bright green card that I had stamped snowflakes on in Versamark and heat embossed them in white. I then cut a strip of dark green card and did the same with the snowflakes. I cut 2 strips of red card and randomly stamped them with a fir cone sprig in dark green, and all 3 were stuck down staggering each other. I then cut white, red , and dark green labels in the Big Shot, layering the white on the red, and then on just the bottom of the green. The large fir tree was then stamped in dark green on the white label and cosmic twinkles added to the branches and centers of the snowflakes. Two smaller labels with the sentiment on were added on 3D pads for dimension, and finally a thin green bow was placed on the green label.

This is how it ended up



You cant really see the Cosmic Twinkles, so here is a close up ( which still isn't brilliant, but my RA is really bad today and my hands are shaking terribly so I hope you can forgive the poor quality pictures.)


Recipe : Card = SU Whisper White, Green Galore, Real Red, Garden Green, and white square card from my stash
Inks = Always Artichoke and Versamark
Stamps = Lovely as a Tree, Woodware, and Snowflakes ( I think came in a kit from Argos?)
Tools = Big Shot, Nestabilities Labels, and Heat Gun
Extras = White embossing powder, Cosmic Twinkles, Thin green ribbon, and 3D pads

 All my family have gone down with a flu bug, and I am desperately trying to avoid it, but after playing with Nathan and Sophie yesterday, I cannot stop sneezing and blowing my streaming nose today, so I am drinking hot honey and lemon by the bucket load. Sadly though it is not stopping me from doing the housework and washing.........if only it was "Man Flu" then I could take to my bed for a few days!!!

This post was supposed to be issued hours ago, but I've been dealing with a medical emergency nextdoor, I'll tell you all about it tomorrow

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you can come back again soon.

Rose Easel card

After such a bad week, what a lovely relaxing afternoon I've had !.

While the rain came down outside, I've sat vegging out in front of the TV with a nice Cappuccino and a bar of Nutty chocolate, creating a card for a friends birthday next week.

And Yes, I've made it with a challenge in mind, using the colours set by  the Simply Stampin challenge #23

She loves roses so here's the result ( sorry about the picture quality but it's so dark outside )

and here's a close up of the base

I started with a white square card and scored the front in half diagonally, and on the bottom triangle layered it with white, purple, blue and again white card. The top white card had been stamped lightly with some script and splats, and 2 leaves, before the edges were sponged with blue. This process was repeated for the base of the card except for the leaves. I then stamped 8 roses on some pink card and cut them out making 4 smaller for the centers of the flowers raised with 3D pads. Three roses were placed on the front in the left hand corner, and another on the base panel in the right hand corner.I then stamped 2 butterflies using blue and pink onto white card, cut them out, and placed one on the front and one on the base. The antennae were drawn with a pink marker. The base panels were wrapped in pink and purple ribbon with a bow, and a stamped panel with Just for you sentiment added with 3D pads to keep the easel up.

Recipe : Card = Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Melon Mambo, and Lavender Lace ( I haven't got any Perfect Plum )
Stamps = French Foliage, Growing Green, Strength and Hope, and Just Believe
Inks = Melon Mambo, Bashful Blue, and Elegant Eggplant
Extras = Purple and Pink ribbon from my stash ( the pink is from the Make My Monday candy prize )

As it's a Grand Prix weekend I hope to be on the sofa tomorrow, but the race will have to be recorded on Sunday as I'm off to my stepsister, Cassy's in Market Harborough.

I hope you all have a good weekend and I'll see you next week.

Punched Peacock Side Step

Well that's nearly another week gone, and I've still not had any real time for crafting!!

Hello to my new follower Helen T, how spooky is it that you and my last joinee are both Helens??  Anyway, you both are welcome and Thanks for becoming a follower.

I have had a go at the Simply Stampin challenge though. They call it "Punch it Up", and requires using punches in the design.

After a long think, and ignoring the urge to reach for my Big Shot, I decided to use my Blossom Petals punch to make one of my favourite birds, a peacock.

Here's what he turned out like

I started with a cream card from my stash, scored, cut and folded a strip at the side to make the side step. I mounted some aqua coloured card from my stash onto some Garden Green to create the front and 3 side panels.I then used my blossom punch to cut 5 large petals (for the tail), 1 long petal (for the body), 2 plump petals( for the wings), and 1 small petal ( for the head) from GGreen. 6 long petals were punched out of Taken With Teal, 5 for the tail and 1 to be cut in half for his neck and breast. I then used a borrowed Owl Punch ( Thanks Jacqueline) to punch 5 Whisper White circles ( Owls eyes) and 5 hearts from stash card, and one Crushed Curry Owl was cut up to make the legs, head crown and beak. The white eye came from the Owl punch and I drew his pupil with a black pen. Before sticking together I sponged each petal with Archival Opalite Cypress Frost and Sterling Frost, to try to give the bird the shimmery tinge to the feathers that the real peacocks have. It didn't quite work as I'd hoped, but I've run out of time before the challenge closes, so I hope to try the peacock again soon. The body was stuck with 3D pads to give him more dimension.

Here's a close up of the Opalite on the petals/feathers

The side panels were stamped with a Verve sentiment and a Peacock feather which I had designed and had made for me by TandaStamps. in Handsome Hunter, and coloured with a white gel pen and Bermuda Bay SU marker.

Recipe : Card = SU Garden Green, Taken with Teal, Whisper White

Punch : Blossom petals and 2 step Owl

Inks : Archival Opalites in Sterling Frost and Cypress Frost, Crushed Curry marker, and Handsome Hunter

Stamps : Peacock Feather and Verve sentiment

Extras : 3D pads and White gel pen

Right, I've minutes before the challenge closes so I'm rushing off to get this posted but I'll be back soon.

Thanks for dropping by, and I'd love your comments on my bird if you get a few seconds spare.