Happy New Year!

Hi there!
I've been quiet on here, sorry for that, but though I wasn't crafting for a while, I'm now making loads of cards, and donating some of them to charity shops to raise money for their charities, so my apologies for being quiet but I'll be back blogging soon!
Have a wonderful 2013! xxxx

Promarker, Pink Elephant and Mojo Monday Challenges

Hi everyone,

Sorry I've not been around for a while, I've had a few family problems which are taking an awfully long time to sort out.

I haven't been able to get my head round anything so making cards wasn't really on my agenda, but I decided to have a go earlier today, and have entered my card into 3 different challenges.

The challenges are as follows:

1)  Passion for Promarker Challenge #142, Their theme is "Ribbons & Buttons"

2) The Pink Elephant Challenge TPE141. Their theme is "Butterflies"

3) Mojo Monday #234. Their challenge is to follow their sketch, which I've copied below. They gave a choice of doing a circular or a square card, I've chosen to go with the square option.

I added metallic ribbon over the first layer and coloured it with a pink Promarker pen, then  stuck buttons onto it, then I added a butterfly too. The paper was from my craft stock, and the gems I've had in my craft stash for a while.

Thank you for viewing my blog, and hopefully I will be making another card soon! 

Love and best wishes, 

Karen xx

Happy Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Sorry I haven't been on here lately, there's a lot of family problems here which need to be sorted out. I would like to wish all my crafting friends, old and new, a very Happy Christmas. I hope you get all you wish for and more, and that you have a really good time.

Love to you all! 

Karen xxx

woohoo I've won!

Hi everyone! 

I just wanted you all to know that I've won a lovely stamp from Crafty Sentiments Designs! 

I'm not sure yet which of the lovely stamps I have won but as soon as I find out, I'll let you all know!

Have a good day/night everyone! 

xx

Stampin' For The Weekend No 13

Stampin' For the Weekend Challenge No 13 have  a theme which this week is "Paws for Thought" (Animals... Cats.... Dogs... Anything with 4 legs!!!), so I thought I'd use this cute digital image of a Giraffe. OK so a giraffe doesn't have paws but they DO have 4 legs! I love the colours of this card. When I stamped the giraffe, before colouring the giraffe itself, I used a make up sponge, and got sky blue promarker and daubed the end of the sponge with ink, then made a blue mottled background effect to replicate the sky with wispy clouds, and then I coloured in the giraffe and tree approriately.

Though I've added a few gems to the corners to take the plainness out of the paper, I have tried to keep this card simple as it is intended for a child. 

Thank you for viewing my card!

Papertake Weekly Sketch & Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge

Papertake Weekly Sketch # 58 are asking us to follow a sketch (copied below), I had to slightly move things from the design given, as the image I printed out was a bit too big for the card I had planned but I have stuck to the basic shapes asked for. 

For the Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge # 92, I used either purple or lilac based colours along with the grey for the groom's suit, so this would fit in with the "No Pink or Blue Allowed". 

I've made this a wedding card as I had originally planned to enter this into a "happy ever after" theme but  due to other commitments today, sadly I was too late to enter it into this one.

Alphabet Challenge and Stampalot July Challenge

Hi! The weather here the last few days has been terrible, I think the same can be said for the whole of the UK so I know I'm not alone. I just hope we see a bit more sunshine before the Summer turns eventually to Autumn.

Thanks for taking a look at my blog. I'm entering my card into 2 challenges today, the theme for the Alphabet Challenge Blog is "K for Kitty Cats" and the Stampalot Challenge  for July is "Anything Goes".

 I started by using my Hougie Board and scoring a brick pattern into some dark brown card, which is slightly smaller than the A5 card blank which I am using for this project.

I had some  stamps  which I printed out some time ago, sorry I forgot where they come from, I cut out the cat after colouring her in a Cool Grey Promarker, and the bowl and window. I stuck some paper behind the window to give the effect of either wallpaper or curtains behind the window, and I placed the cat as if she is sitting on the window ledge, and placed the bowl next to her. 

There was a sentiment which came with the images, which said "Have a Purrfect Day!" so this was purrfect (lol sorry) for the theme of the K for Kitty Cats.

Crafty Sentiments Design Challenge

The card I made today,  I am entering into the

 Crafty Sentiments Design Challenge 

Their theme this week is "Use Stitching Challenge".

    I intended making an easel card for this challenge originally,  but then I was messing about and made a couple of card blanks and when I looked at this one, I had an idea.

I found some black card, and some silver thread, and remembering a pattern I used to do at school I started to sew a pattern on to  it. Then I found a lovely image I've had for a while, and coloured it with Rose Pink, Mint Green and Red Promarkers.

The card I used was a cream pearlised card which I scored using my Hougie Board, then I used a nice striped but subtle paper to matt onto the card, and found a silk flower in my collection, then used a pink sparkly brad to fix it to the card.  

I fixed some ribbon onto my card with double sided tape, and then I made a bow with the same ribbon and stuck it onto the card.

For the sentiment, I printed out the words Happy Birthday using the Quiggly Wiggly font, then cut it out. 
I then  cut another piece of white card, slightly bigger than the piece with Happy Birthday on, and coloured it with my Rose Pink Promarker.  Then I matted and layered the Happy Birthday piece of card onto it, and then fixed it to the card with double sided foam pads.

I finished the card off by cutting out the image of the girl, and stuck it onto the black stitched diamond shape with foam pads. Then I finished it all off by adding gems to the corners for a little more sparkle.

I hope you like my card, thank you for looking.

Crafty Sentiment Designs Challenge

Hi there,  today I thought I’d enter a challenge over at  Crafty Sentiment Designs  and this week they are challenging us  to 'Craft With A Child'.

I do have children, but they are a bit old now to want to craft with me, so I am going to enter this challenge based on me Crafting for a child, which is also allowed. A son of  a friend of mine is turning 2 years old next week so I took this opportunity to make a simple card for him. 

I  saw a  free stamp which was available last night from Sweet and Sassy Stamps, and the bear is called Rhubarb, he was so sweet, I just had to use it on this card.

Crafty Sentiments "Christmas in June" Challenge

I'm entering this challenge even though all my Christmas crafting items were tucked away in a corner, I felt they needed dusting off, to give them a little "outing" and this challenge from  Crafty Sentiments fitted the card I made perfectly, as their theme is Christmas In June.

The card had an oblong aperture in the front the card, and I stamped the Santa image onto the inside of the card, so it was visible through the aperture. I coloured the Santa Claus' suit, hat and mittens Berry Red, and gave him a caramel coloured belt and boots. I used pearl gems to simulate the snow. Then for the sentiment I  used a stamp which I've had for ages, since the first Christmas I crafted, but not used yet.  I matted that onto red card, and stuck 3 pearl hearts onto the side of the sentiment.

Thank you for viewing my blog, I hope you enjoy my card as much as I enjoyed making it!

Whiff of Joy Blog Candy

Katharina is giving away a fabulous, summer blog candy, 5 Whiff of Joy summer stamps of your choice!!! 

Hurry on over there, it ends on 9th July!

Good luck everyone.

Crafty Sentiments Challenge and Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge #59

Sorry I've not been making that many cards recently but I've not been too well. I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things now.

I've entered my card into 2 challenges, listed below.

1) Crafty Sentiments Challenge - "Add Some Sparkle"

2) Sunday, Sketch & Stamp Challenge #59 - Follow the sketch (pictured below)

The digital stamp I've used  is from teddybo.com and it's called "Bea's Tired & Needs a Cuddle", I love them, they're so cute!

First of all I placed some pink mirriboard on the card, then I found some coordinating patterned paper, to place on the card too.

I have an oval embossing folder with leaves in the bottom corner, and I used this around the digital stamp of Teddy Bea. For the sparkle, I used some flower/star shapes which have a holographic effect on them. I also used some pink stickles glitter on the ribbon and around one of the pieces of backing paper and also on part of the digital stamped image.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with the card and it only took me  a short while to make too!

Thank you for looking!

Alphabet Challenge Blog

I made this card for my daughter's boyfriend's 18th birthday, which is on Sunday, but I couldn't  pass the opportunity by and not enter it into a challenge, so I'm entering it into the Alphabet Challenge Blog who's challenge this week is "M for Men"

I bought the football decoupage from Wilkinson's in town.

I got the "18" from a craft shop in town to go on the card, and matted and layered up a Congratulations sentiment and added some gold ribbon  to it.

My card is pictured below.

I Love Promarkers Challenge, Truly Scrumptious Challenge and The ABC Challenge

I have made a card to enter into 3 challenges today. 

The card blank I used was a magenta colour but it looks slightly reddish on the picture but it really is pink. I'm saying this because one of the challenges I'm entering into is a colour challenge.

Here are the challenges I'm entering today: 

1) I Love Promarkers No 49 - KISS Keep It Sweet & Simple

2) Truly Scrumptious No 49 - Colour Challenge Brown, Pink & Green

3) The ABC Challenge- M is for Magical. There was an optional extra of a sketch to follow but I didn't do this part as it was a bit fussy and it wouldn't have fitted in with the Promarkers challenge.

The promarker colours I used for this challenge were  Cinnamon for the hair, Baby Pink for the tights, wings and belt, Rose Pink for the shading on wings, Ivory for the skin, Magenta for the tights, bow and belt and Lime Green for the dress.

I used a Magenta A4 card folded in half to make an A5 sized card.

I cut some green embossed hand made craft paper and placed this on the card. Then I used a digital image which I bought yesterday and coloured it  in, cutting it out and adding it to front of the card with foam pads, to give it depth. Then, on the wings, I used Anita's 3D clear gloss finish, to give the wings a bit more definition. It's a shame it hasn't shown up on the photo, as it looks really effective. To finish, I added a pale pink ribbon on the left, I clipped the corners with a rounded corner punch and I used some alphabet clear stamp letters for the greeting. As the card colour was quite dark, you couldn't see the inked greeting too well so I went over it with a thin marker to make it stand out more.

Sorry about the blurry picture, my hands were shaking taking the picture, and this was the only  one I had which showed the colours best.

I hope you like my card. Thank you for taking the time to view my blog.

Truly Scrumptious Challenge No. 48

When I made this card for the Truly Scrumptious Challenge Blog last night I was feeling less than well. I had planned so much for it and nothing went to plan. Not to mention spilling something onto the project half way through and having to disguise the mark with something or start it all over again.

Anyway, eventually I got it finished!

The challenge was to follow the sketch given, which I did. Rather than use a stamped image, I thought I'd use a decoupaged image as I felt it fitted in rather nicely. Hopefully this will be ok. I decided to rotate the image too, as it fitted in better with the picture I was using.

Though I didn't actually set out to include the optional extra of "Dreaming of Summer",  looking at the woman's face on the picture, she looks like she's daydreaming so she very well could be!

I hope you enjoy my card, thank you for taking the time to view my blog! 

4 Challenges, 1 Card!

I made this card last night, hoping to incorporate it into 3 challenges at first, but then realising I could enter it into 4.

2 of the challenges are for Thank You cards, one offers a sketch and the other asks to make a card for a man or boy. Listed below are the challenges I have entered into and below that is the sketch and photo of my card. 

1) Crafty Sentiments Challenge - "Thank You card"

2) A Spoonfull of Sugar Challenge number 134 - "Thank You card"

3) Corrosive Challenge Blog Challenge no. 98 - Follow a Sketch

4) Forever Friends Challenge Blog  - Card for man or boy

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog, I hope you have a good day! 

Love Karen xx

Happy 2011!!!

Happy New Year everyone! I'm sorry it's a bit late, but I've only thought to do this now. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! 

Here's to a fantastic crafting year ahead! 

Love, 

Karen xxxx

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge # 85

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge # 85  calls, as usual, for a sketch to be followed. As my daughter's 16th birthday is coming up on Sunday, I thought I would incorporate her birthday card with their challenge.

My printer isn't printing out too good right now, so I'm sorry for the quality of the photos which I've put on the card. I  hope my daughter will like it.

I've put an up to date picture of her on the inside of the card with a very sentimental sentiment lol.

I used a white pearlescent A4 piece of card, folded in half for the card blank. Then I  used a magenta piece of card for the back ground of the card, and a purple piece of mulberry paper.

On the piece of card which I stuck the pictures of her, I edged this with a gold holographic border peeloff. I finished it off with a "Wonderful Daughter" peel off, as this summed her up completely. Of course, I had to add a 16 in there somewhere, so I put that on the top centre of the card.

I hope you like my card.

Crafty Sentiments # 34 & Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge # 100

I was asked to make a card  for a friend who is mad on pink and purple, but I was stuck for a design or what to put on it, then I saw a couple of challenges and decided to combine making a card with doing a couple of challenges at the same time.

The people over at Crafty Sentiments are asking us to "use a digi", well that was simple! The other challenge from Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge  is that we follow their sketch design. Again, pretty simple!

I used a plain white square card blank which I bought from my local craft shop, then I added some lovely purple  mulberry paper which I have had in my craft box for ages, waiting for the right moment to use it. Today was the day! Then I added some pink card to the left hand side, and out of the same card, I punched a butterfly to use as part of the design instead of a second smaller circle. I added a felt glittery piece of ribbon and 3 gems for embellishment and topped it all off with a digi stamp which I won 2 weeks ago on another challenge!

As the card is for quite a young person I kept the card very simple, and I tried to make it "touchy feely" as she has learning difficulties and she loves feeling different textures. I thought with the smoothness of the card, the suede feeling of the ribbon, and the fact its glittery would attract her, and of course the mulberry paper is very tactile too.

My card is pictured below, I hope you like it.

Creative Inspirations Challenge # 42 & Alphabet Challenge Blog

I've entered this card which I've made, into 2 different challenges this week. The first challenge was to make a card for Creative Inspirations Challenge # 42 which isn't square or rectangular, and the other challenge was the Alphabet Challenge Blog , the theme for this week is "S for Scallops". 

I found a design for making a cross shaped card, which you could use for Christmas or Easter, so I based my card on this. I cut it out of Lilac coloured card, and used 3 of my scalloped Nestability dies, cutting different coloured coordinated cards and layering them up to create a centre piece for the cross. I used some silver large and smaller gems to embellish the cross' centre, and then I placed gold border peel off's, which had a scalloped design to it, to border the card. I then stuck some straight border edging  peel off's to decorate out from the centre of the design, then  placed a pink gem at the end of each of these.

I have photographed my card, and this is pictured below. I hope you like it.

Friday Sketchers Blog Challenge # 118

I had intended to enter this card into 2 challenges, then I realised that the image I used wasn't correct for the other challenge, so this is just being entered into the Friday Sketchers Blog and the challenge was to follow the sketch, which this week was pretty complicated as you can see below.

First of all I found some papers in my craft stash which matched each other, and then I laid out the papers  and cut them and layered them into the pattern which was asked for.

I mounted all the designer papers onto a gold mirror card.

Rather than adding another piece of paper onto the design, I stamped the design onto the top piece of designer paper and coloured them in coordinating colours to match the  colour.

I hope you like my card, which is pictured below.

Thank you for taking time to view the card I've made. 

ABC Challenge, Promarker Challenge, Belli Challenge, Crafty Creations Challenge, Truly Scrumptious Challenge & Penny's Challenge

Wow what a lot of challenges I've entered for today's cardmaking challenge. This is, by far, the most I've entered one card into for quite a while, so here goes, here's the challenges which I have entered my card into.

1) Penny's Challenges # 37 - Happy Birthday Challenge

2)Truly Scrumptious Challenge # 40 - Use sketch & added option of adding a knot to the design

3) The ABC Challenge - C is for Charms

4) Passion for Promarker Challenge Week 67 - Teddy Bear's Picnic

5) Belli Challenge # 99 - Old Stamps

6) Crafty Creations Challenge # 83 - White plus one other colour

I've used a white card blank, and added various brown papers and card from my craft stash to the front, to fit in with the sketch design. 

I used a few different brown promarkers also, and with the white ribbon which is knotted, plus the white birthday banner and the white background on the stamp, this also fits in with the white plus one other colour challenge too. The stamp is a digital stamp which I've had for ages, so this fits in with the "old stamps" challenge. The charm I've used is a teddy bear charm, though you probably can't see that on the photo, but take my word for it, it is!

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm mad about Teddy Bears, so this card was a delight to make, I hope you like my card as much as I enjoyed making it.

Thanks for taking the time to view my card!

xxx

Flutterby Wednesday's Challenge # 120, Creative Inspirations Challenge and Simon Says Stamps Challenge

I have made a card today to fit in with several challenges.

I used a pastel green card blank, and found some lovely pink card to use. I love this pink, it's so vibrant.

I've had an angel digital stamp for a while and as one of the challenges  calls for angels, I decided to use this, plus the colours I needed to use fitted in with the stamp too. I used some antique lace which I've had in my storage box for ages, and this in fact was from my mum's sewing box from many years ago. I finished it off using some pearls for decoration along the bottom.

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

1)  Flutterby Wednesday's Challenge # 120 - Follow Sketch & use a butterfly, fairy or angel on it

2) Creative Inspirations Challenge - Pastel Green, Pink & Cream

3) Simon Says Stamps Challenge - Pearls & Lace

The sketch image is below along with the photo of the card I made.

Thanks for looking! 

xxx

Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge # 48

The card I made today was one I made by following the recipe and sketch given by Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge # 48.

The recipe is: 

1) Use the sketch (pictured below).

2) Use your favourite colour.

3) Use your favourite image.

I used papers in my craft stash, and I used  a heart border peel off to edge the card. I used one of my SWALK stamps, which I love so much right now. I backed this with silver mirror card and I used one of my favourite combinations of colours, which is pale blue, and pale pink.

I put all of this onto a Cream Pearlescent C5 Card.

I hope you enjoy my card as much as I enjoyed making it.

Thanks for taking the time to look!

Sunday Sketch & Stamp Challenge

I made a card today to fit in with the Sunday Sketch and Stamp Challenge.

The sketch they gave is below, and I've photographed my card for you to see.

The stamp I used is one which I got as a free gift on a magazine last week, but he's soooooooo cute. 

I cut 2 oval shaps with my nestability dies, the 2 larger sizes. 

I also stamped Happy Birthday sentiment  from the same set as the hedgehog stamp, and stuck this to the card with foam pads.

I used some decorative papers, which I've had  for a while, and mounted this onto a square Lilac Card blank.

Though the sketch design shows different shaped circles on the right corner, I thought I'd change it by putting stars on it, but in the same pattern.

I hope you like my card.

I Love Promarkers # 28 & OCC Sketch Challenge OCCSC29

I  made this card this morning to fit in with 2 challenges.

The I Love Promarkers # 28 challenge blog has a theme this week, entitled "The Seaside", so I found a digital image from my images stored on my PC, and coloured them in using pale yellow, dark blue, poppy red, brown and ivory promarkers. 

The OCC Sketch Challenge Blog gave a sketch to follow, which I have put below.

 I stuck them onto a pale blue card, which I die cut using a nestability die. I used a blue ribbon and some paper from my craft stash to back it all off, and added a sentiment and a button for decoration.

I hope you're all having a good day xx

Crazy4challenges C3C50 Blog Challenge

I just had to enter this challenge when I saw it. Anyone that knows me personally will know that I love Elvis Presley's music, and the man himself, so when I saw Crazy4challenges C3C50 Blog's challenge for this week, and I saw that the theme was "music somehow on your card", also saying that if you used an Elvis stamp I would get double points, I couldn't resist entering it!

I have had an Elvis stamp for ages, which I bought on Ebay from someone in America, and though I have used it to make cards for friends, I haven't had chance to enter it into any challenges, but now is the time for it to make it's challenge premiere!

The backing paper I used was Hollywood Greats, which also depicted an image of the man himself. I used some dark paper, cut from the Hollywood Greats pack, to back the white card which I stamped the Elvis image onto. Then I sprinkled some Clear Glossing powder onto the stamp, and heat embossed it with my heat gun.

I finished it off with a Black and Gold Happy Birthday peel off.

 I hope you like my card.

A Thousand Sheets of Paper Blog Candy!

Amy over at A Thousand Sheets of Paper is giving away some  candy which can't be missed, she is giving away sooooo much!

To start with, she is offering 200 sheets of 6 x 6 paper to 5 lucky people! (1000 sheets in all)

Also she's giving this lot too!

• Sweet November Coral Reefweaver, Chanter Heartsong, Coriander Fairy and Darby & Penelope
• CC Designs Lil Emma Bug, Cherry Emma and Halloween Hansel
• The Greeting Farm Miss Anya Dressy set, Fairy Chloe and Fairy Eva
• Tickled Pink Lil Lolita Ivy and 60's Mod Ivy
• Simply Betty Stamps Lola and Miller
• Stamping Bella Maisy Ketto
• Christy Croll Appley bowl Huggabug (since I couldn't include one of her fab Tiddly inks digis)
• My Favorite Things Pure Innocence Fairy Girl
• Sugar Nellie Gorjuss Girl "Just a girl"
• Kraftin' Kimmie Drucilla and lots of little extras
• Lili of the Valley Tiptoe fairy

The closing date for this blog candy is 3rd September.

Good luck everyone!

Picture of both the cards and the stamps on offer are pictured below!

Love, 

Karen 

xxx

Sugar Bowl Challenge Blog # 40, Sir Stampalot Blog August Challenge & Dutch Dare Card Challenge # 83

I made this card this morning to fit in with 3 different challenges.

All card I bought from The Paper Mill and Hobby Craft, I used some gold peel offs and I used a Sugar Nellie Image on it as well to fit in with one of the challenges. I used a patterned circular template to cut out the aperture on the front of the card by hand, and instead of putting an insert into the card, I  put used another piece of coordinating card, and I stamped the image onto that, so it shows through the aperture.

For the bling, I used a sparkly card but this doesn't show up very well on the photo, sorry about that, I also used a pearl brad on the centre of the flower, which I cut out for embellishment.

On the sketch which Sugar Bowl Challenge have given us to follow, it shows a pattern around the image, instead of using card and laying it into a pattern, I re created the pattern by using peel off's and laying them on the front of the card in the same pattern for a more subtle effect.

The Challenges I'm entering are as follows:-

1) Sugar Bowl Challenge Blog # 40  -  Do It Yourself!

2) Sir Stampalot Blog August Challenge - Bring on the Bling

3) Dutch Dare Card Challenge # 83  -  Anything Goes

I hope you enjoyed my card as much as I enjoyed making it.