Happy Christmas!

Hi everyone, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous new year!

I hope you all have a wonderful time with your family and friends.

Lots of love from

Karen and children xxx

Karen's Doodles and Doodle Divas Blog Candy Offer

It really would be worth your time to look at  Karen's Doodles Doodle Diva's blog. If you haven't then you don't know what you are missing, these digital images are outstanding and so cheap too. Hop on over and have a look because not only will you want to purchase them all they have 11 of the first images created as blog candy but wait they are not digital they have been made into rubber.

This offer ends on 19th December 2009.

Forever Friends "Anything Goes Challenge

I've entered this card into the Forever Friends Challenge with the theme of "Anything Goes!"

Though this is a card I made a while ago, I love this card and I hope the people over at Forever Friends Challenge Blog will love it too!

Friday Sketchers Challenge #82 and Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge #28

I made this card on Saturday night but due to family commitments I haven't been able to add it to my blog till today. The challenges I would like to enter these for are as follows:

Friday Sketchers Challenge #82 - Sketch to follow

Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge # 28 - Blue and Brown

Apologies for the gem in the centre of one of the flowers being out of line, as it was laying drying it obviously  moved. I tried unsticking it but it's well and truly stuck on the card and I don't want to ruin the card by trying to move it.

The sketch I've followed is below and the picture of the card I made for the challenge is below that.

Thank you for viewing my blog.

Crafts4Eternity Challenge, Our Creative Corner Challenge and Passion for Promarker Challenge

I'm sorry I haven't posted anything on  here for a while, I needed to get some other things done.

I've missed entering the challenges but with the onset of Christmas I've had to concentrate on getting  presents and other things ready for the festive period.

I have made a card today though, and I am going to enter it into the 3 different challenges as follows:-

1) Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge #8 - Following a recipe to (a) use a sketch (b) add a flower or 2 (c) add a sprinkle of glitter

2) Our Creative Corner Colour Challenge - using colours close to cocoa/pumpkin pie/white/choc chip

3) Passion For Promarkers #27 - Theme of "Vintage"

I enjoyed making this card, and loved using glitter again, I've not used it for a while, though I'm not sure why. I used the glitter on the presents the girl in the image is  holding, and on the flowers I punched out.

I felt the colours of the papers fitted in well with the "vintage" theme as,

 quite often, those colours were used.

The cardstock I used was from The Paper Mill, and the backing papers were from  Papermania Regency Signature range,  I also punched the flowers out of this paper too.

I didn't have a  pattern like on the image (the pointed piece of card at the bottom of the image), so I cut one out by hand as best as I could.

The glitter I used was Stickles Diamond. I find this one changes colour slightly depending on the background you apply it to. ie, it looks a different colour on the presents than it looks on the flowers, yet it's the same stickles that I've used.

I hope you enjoy my card as much as I had making it!

Wonderful Chance to Win A Gypsy Cricut!

This is to all the Cricut lovers! Wow! What a wonderful chance to win a new Gypsy from Cricut! Pop over to  The Gypsy Spot   where they have new blog and they will explain how you can win one. 

The Gypsy has been generously by Custom Crops. This giveaway ends on 1st December 2009. 

Good luck everyone!

Friday Sketchers #79 Challenge

I made this card for my special friend's son who is 15 on Monday. I just hope he doesn't see this blog before he gets the card! 

The challenge I've entered this into is Friday Sketchers # 79 which asks that we make a card following the sketch they have given us this week. The sketch is below, along with the card I made.

Supplies:-

K & co Hopscotch Designer papers

White & blue cardstock - The Paper Mill

Ribbon - local craft shop

Ornate corner die - ebay

Setiment - Colemans Stationers

Car Decoupage - Colemans Stationers

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #44

This was a quick Christmas card which I made with the sketch from Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #44. 

I decided to rotate the sketch clockwise as my image fitted better that way.

The items I have made this card with were all card stock from The Paper Mill. I used a christmas stamp and coloured it in with promarkers, used a few gem stones and some christmas ribbon and voila! here's the card!

I hope you like the card, I enjoyed making this.

Forever Friends Challenge and Friday Sketchers Challenge

Hi everyone!

I've had a go at combining 2 challenges into 1 card today.

The 2 challenges I have entered are as follows:-

Forever Friends Challenge - Theme is Glitter

Friday Sketchers Challenge # 78 - Sketch (below)

Anyone that knows me, knows I love bears, so I never have a problem with making a forever friends card. I wanted to include in the sketch from Friday Sketchers as I loved the design of the sketch but at the same time it looked simple yet classic, if you know what I mean.

I hope you like my card!

Supplies:-

Forever Friends backing papers - Colemans Stationers

White/Lilac cardstock - The Paper Mill

Glitter - Stickles Diamond (on petals of flowers and lilac card)

Silk flowers - Local craft shop

Silver Gemstones - Ebay

Crafty Sentiments First Blog Hop

I needed something to wind down a bad day for me, and this has certainly cheered me up, as everything I've achieved so far today hasn't gone right, but I managed to do this and got through it fine!

I entered the Crafty Sentiments Blog Hop, their first one, and I hope,  first of many!

All you have to do is to be a follower of their blog, which I am, and to leave a message on each of the DT's blogs along the way.

Then when you have followed to each of the 6 DT's blogs, you then go back to the original post, at Crafty Sentiments Blog Hop and let them know you have done it.

Simple!!

Now all you have to do is sit back and wait till the 18th November to see if you have won!

Good luck everyone!

Love Karen xx

One Stop Craft Challenge, Stamp Scrap & Doodles, Crazy for Challenges and Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge

Good morning everyone. 

I attempted making an easel card yesterday, which fits into several challenges. 

I'm quite happy with the results. Instead of using a brad or button to hold the top part of the card up, I have stuck the sentiment with foam pads to the base, so it is slightly higher than the rest of the card, so this holds the back of the card up.

As this was only originally a "test" card (to see if I could do it) I used spare bits of card. I had some green, gold and red card which I had left over from last years' christmas cards and just added a Father Christmas stamp and sentiment.

The challenges this is being entered into is as follows:-

1) One Stop Craft Challenge #54 - "Cards for Kids"

2) Stamp Scrap and Doodle Saturdays - "Special Folds"

3) Crazy for Challenges Week 10 - Easel Card

4) Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #57 - Easel Card

I've taken 2 pictures of my card so you can see it from the front and also from the side.

What terrible news I've just heard

I've just heard some really terrible news. 

A good friend of mine whose own daughter had cancer a few years ago, has been supporting a family whose little boy, aged 3, has an incurable tumour. I've been concerned for the family of course, and sent my wishes and love on to them whenever possible. He's been in agony with all this bless him. Well tonight, he lost his fight for life.

He lived far beyond expectations. There were so many times the doctors didn't think he would live past a certain time but he did.

I am sure his family will probably never even see this blog but I wanted this to be my tribute to a wonderful little boy, Callum Cullinan.

R.I.P. Callum xxx

I won my very first Challenge, yayyyyyy lol

Wahooooooooooooooo Yay me! I just won my first challenge, over at Dutch Dare Card Challenges! I was starting to lose hope to be honest, but here I am now, with a stamp set on the way to me! 

So to any of you that haven't won  yet, or who haven't won anything for a while, persevere, because it really does happen! 

I'm sure you will all see my new stamps incorporated into my cards once I receive them.

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a good day.

I'm going to have a go later at making my first Easel Card, I've seen a few challenges that are asking for them so this is the perfect opportunity to find out how to do one and to enter it into a challenge at the same time.

Happy Crafting everyone! xx

Stamp Something Challenge Blog

I entered the Recipe for Love Somethings Challenge over at Stamp Something Challenge Blog.

The recipe thie week is for 

1 ribbon

2 papers

3 embellishments

I had some papers left over from making another card a few weeks ago, and I don't like wasting stuff like that so I used the "scraps"

I also had some peach adhesive ribbon, so I stuck that diagonally across the card.

I  thought of things that a lady would love, ie presents, flowers and handbags, and so I used 3 embellishments of these to decorate the card.

I finished the card off with a Happy Birthday sentiment.

Crafty Calendar Challenge

I made this card earlier today but I had to go rescue the dog as he ran away, I only got a few yards from the front door before I fell over and then had to come back in, the dog is back now so thats good, but I'm listing this card on here and then going to lay down.

The card I have made is being entered into the "Crafty Calendar Challenge for this month, and the topic is "Weather". The extra options are "Pearls".

The card is from my local craft shop and the pearls are from my craft stash which I've had for ages.

I hope you like the card.

Charisma Cardz Challenge #44 and ABC Challenge

There are several posts for today. Please scroll down for further posts, thank you.


This card fits into 2 challenges, one of them for the sketch which has been provided for us by Charismacardz Challenge #44 and the other to fit the colour scheme which is "G for Green" from ABC Challenge

The colour promarker pens I have used to colour this image are: Ivory, Berry Red, Cinnamon, Henna, Forest Green, Olive Green, Grass Green, Pastel Green & Lime Green. I also took the opportunity to use my new die which I bought  yesterday which gave me a wonderful scrolling decorative corner. I cut this out of Green Mirror Card.

3 challenges in 1 card!

This card was very simple and could be made so easily for a quick card. I've made this and included it into 3 different challenges!

1) Creative Card Crew Challenge - Ribbons & Gems

2) A Spoonfull of Sugar Challenge - Sketch to follow

3) Promarker Challenge  - Grass Green & Canary Yellow

I used all  my spare craft items for this card. I recoloured a "With Love" sentiment to match in with the  colours needed for the challenge, and I also coloured in the gem, bottom right, to make this green.

Cupcake Craft Challenge & Cute Card Thursday Challenge

The card below was made originally for just one challenge but then I saw another challenge that it would fit into. 

The 2 challenges are Cupcake Craft Challenge which asks us to follow a sketch, and Cute Card Thursday Challenge 85 which has the theme this week of "Primary Colours" of Red, Blue and Yellow.

Rather than a butterfly on the sketch, I used a flower, as the colours of the petals were the perfect colours for the card.

Forever Friends Challenge!

Though I have had a bad week health wise I wanted to have a go at the Forever Friends Challenge, who have set us a sketch to follow this week.

I have a friend who has a birthday in 10 days time and I think this will suit her perfectly.

I had some forever friends backing papers, and I also had some mid pink card which I die cut out with my new "Happy Birthday" die which arrived today.

I added some pink dome gems and some pink and white ribbon.

I hope you like my card!

I Love Promarkers Challenge #4

* There are 2 posts for today, so please scroll down thank you*


The site for the next card which I have made describes me to a tee, as it's called  I love Promarkers Challenge #4 

They gave a sketch to follow which is below. I used some christmas backing papers which I had in my craftbox, and used some classic red card to use as a layering. I also used this same card to use a circular punch on, on which I stuck a Happy Christmas Peeloff.

The image I used (not sure of the name, sorry) was stamped for me by my very good friend Kim (Thanks Kim!x) but it was coloured in by me, using Berry Red, grey, and Forest Green Promarkers.The holly is an image I found online and printed out.

I'm pleased how this card finished. I hope you enjoyed my card!

Stamp Something Challenge Blog, Stamptacular Sunday Challenge and Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge

I incorporated 3 challenges while creating this card.

The 3 challenges I have entered this into is:-

Stamp Something Challenge Blog - "Cute and Fuzzy"

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #31 - Theme "Friendship"

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #42 - To follow the sketch below

I'm pretty pleased how this card turned out. I used card stock from The Paper Mill and the pens I used to colour the images in were Promarker pens. 

I hope you enjoy viewing my card as much as I had in making it.

ABC Challenge and Friday Sketchers Blog Challenge

I have made a card today for Christmas and incorporated it into 2 challenges.

The 2 challenges I've entered it into is the ABC Challenge which has a theme "G is for Green" and also the "Friday Sketchers Blog" # 76, where they ask to follow a sketch, which I've copied below.

Supplies:- 

Promarkers - Grass Green, Olive Green, Pastel Green, Forest Green, Line Green, Berry Red, Cinnamon, Ivory and Blush

Cardstock - The Paper Mill

Image supplied and stamped by my friend Kim but coloured by me

Tag - local craft shop

I'd like to share with you the card I've just made

Good morning everyone.

I have been asked to make a card for a little girl who is 3 years old tomorrow. She is a huge Tigger fan and I was thinking of colouring in an image but then my very good friend Kim has the use sometimes of a Cricut machine at a crafting class she goes to and she cut this image out for me and posted it. 

I wanted to keep the card itself plain but pretty, but I wanted to focus on the gorgeous Tigger.

For the little girls name I printed it out on card and then cut it out.

The "Happy Birthday" and "3" is actually a peel off which I don't tend to use that often nowadays but looked great once I had coloured them in with a black promarker. Also the stars are peel off's but I left these the original colour.

The background to Tigger was die cut on my Big Shot machine using the Scalloped Square Nestablilities.

The card stock was from The Paper Mill.

I'm really pleased with this card. 

Thank you Kim for your help with the image. xx

And thank you for looking at my card!

Marianne's Craftroom Blog Candy

Pop over to Marianne's blog and have a look at the blog candy she is offering till 12pm GMT on 31st October 2009. 

Below is a picture of what you could win. 

Good luck everyone!

Stamps & Smiles Sketch Challenge #37

The sketch given to us by The Fresh Batch Stamps & Smiles Sketch Challenge is below. I've made the "pocket" on the front of the card a little smaller as I wanted to display the greeting which goes into the pocket as well.

I tried to keep the colour combination simple without any pattern as such as I wanted to show off the scalloped edges of the card to full effect.

Friday Sketchers and One Stop Craft Challenge

The card I have made is going to combine 2 challenges.

I have followed the sketch given to us by Friday Sketchers #75, which I rotated round as I felt this fitted the image I chose better. Also One Stop Craft Challenge #52 has a theme of "Celebration's".

I'm pleased how this card turned out. 

Colour Create Challenge #30

The theme for the Colour Create Challenge - Challenge 30 - is "All White"

The only colour I put on the card was the image.

I used one of the Papermania Ornate Punches for the corners, cut as close to the corners as possible so it would appear as if the corner of the cards had been cut away.

I then used a scalloped square nesties to cut the diamond shape then used the 3rd smaller nestie to cut it again to make a "frame".

I then used a smaller square  scalloped nestie again to  use the inner square.

I hope you like my card, I'm quite proud of this one! Please see below for my card!
Please believe me this card is really white and not cream, I didn't use a flash when I took a picture so it came out darker than it should have.

My new look blog!

Welcome to my new look blog! Thanks to my son Martyn who has just finished a 2 year Media Course at college. He's done quite a few "photoshop" jobs for people, and loves playing around with things like this, so the other night, I asked him to have a go at giving me a unique looking blog. All the background pics are cards of mine or items that I use for crafting!

Thank you Martyn! xxxx

Marianne's Craftroom First Blog Candy

Marianne's Craftroom has their first blog candy on offer!This is on offer till 12pm on the 31st October 2009.

Look at all the wonderful things she's offering!  

Craft Challenge # 22, Treehouse Stamps #20 and Dutch Dare Card #63 Challenges

I have made a card tonight and have incorporated 3 Challenges into it. I made it A5 size (A4 card folded in half)

The challenges I have entered this card into are as follows:- 

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #22 - Theme "Anniversary" - this needs to be entered by Wednesday 28th October at 8pm.

Treehouse Stamps Challenge # 20 - The theme of this challenge is Embossing, either heat, dry or faux. I chose dry embossing and embossed the lilac piece of card with a cuttlebug embosser.This challenge will be on for a week till the 29th October 2009.

Dutch Dare Card Challenge # 63 - This was to follow a Sketch by Cathy. This challenge will be on for 2 weeks from the 22nd October 2009.

The sketch is below that I had to follow, and below that is the card I made from it.

A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge, Creative Card Crew Challenge and Passion for Promarkers Challenges

I have  combined 3 challenges in with this next card I have made.

I have entered the following challenges:

A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge 74 - to follow the sketch provided

Creative Card Crew Challenge 33 - Babies and Children (I used a stamp with children on it)

Passion for Promarkers Week 22 - Colour Challenge Poppy Red and Forest Green (my daughter wanted to help me with this challenge, so she  coloured the stamp in with these colours)

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #40 and Forever Friends Challenge

Have had a few days break from blogging and cardmaking due to not being well.

I've just made this Christmas card though, and I would like to incorporate it into 2 different challenges.

The Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge team have set a sketch for us to follow, I wasn't sure which image to use but then I remembered on Saturday I bought a new Forever Friends stamp, so this fits in with the Forever Friends Challenge. As the theme for the forever friends challenge  is "Christmas" and this wasn't originally a Christmas stamp, I have added some christmassy papers to the card, and I have stamped holly and a "With love at Christmas" sentiment around the image.

Supplies:-

Papermania Christmas papers - from paperstock

Cardstock used - from The Paper Mill

Forever Friends stamp - Coleman's Stationers

Circle Punch - The Paper Mill

Foam Pads - local craft shop

Hi everyone

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST MESSAGE OF THE DAY, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR OTHER POSTS, THANK YOU!

Hi everyone! 

I am a happy bunny today!

I popped into my local Coleman's store in town today to get a few crafting bits and pieces, (ended up spending too much as usual!) and had a chat to the girl assistant there, and she said she's going to  Hobbycraft tomorrow.I said how there isn't one near here, and where was the nearest one, she said the nearest to here is Northampton, BUT she said one is being built near here! I asked where, she said in Eye, I nearly fell off my scooter as I live about a Mile away from there!!!! Looking at the map on the hobbycraft site though when I got home, it looks like it will be a couple miles from my house.

Wahooooooooooooooooo!!!

Imagine that, a Hobbycraft almost on your doorstep! Excellent!

It isn't opening till Spring next year, but it's something to look forward to!

Have a good day everyone.

Love, Karen xxx

Friday Sketchers #74 Challenge

I've gone very plain and simple for the Friday Sketchers #74 Challenge This will be running until 23 October 2009.

All I've used on my card blank, is an embossed piece of mirrorboard, 4 squares of deckle edged cream paper, and a peel off of a butterfly and a dragonfly.

I've topped it up with a tag which is embellished with a butterfly image.

Here is the image to follow and a picture of my card. Thank you for looking!

Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge # 20

Stampin' For the Weekend have set a challenge this week for their Challenge No 20. They have done a sketch for us to follow.

I fancied making a plain card that could be for any occasion.

All I used on this card was my cardstock which I got from The Paper Mill, my silk flower embellishment, attached to the card via a brad.

Here's the sketch and  my card. Thank you for looking!