PTW Making Waves

Not my usual style but I was reading a thread on the Do Crafts forum today about stitching. The thread linked to a tutorial on this blog, which inspired me to make a card without using a rubber stamp! I struggled so much with rubber stamping at first, I think I almost made it an rule that I had to practice everyday and now it seems to be all I do.

This weeks PTW challenge is about using scallops and/or Zig-Zags. I really enjoyed doodling the borders and the flower petals.

I also chose paper and cardstock from my scrapbox, something Hubby is always encouraging me to do (he knows it is only delaying the inevitable stash shopping but it keeps him happy). I did get to use the Flora Doodles from Joanna Sheens site though so it's not all bad lol. I can't say I like the centres very much, they remind me of an old throat soother but the flowers are gorgeous and they come nicely packaged in a sweet little box which is just right for altering.

Tilda & co challenge ~13~ Mix and Match

Firstly, I'd like to say a huge thank you to the people running this blog challenge for choosing my week 12 entry. I'm over the moon!

This weeks challenge is all about Mix & Match
"Mix & Match 2 Magnolia Stamp images together to make 1 Image,Now this could be a simple as ,Taking a Tilda Stamp with a Basket and removing this and adding a Heart from another magnolia stamp so she is holding that instead of the basket, Or it could be as simple as Tilda's Head on a Magnolia Horse, Have a play and mix & Match your magnolia stamps to come up with a Unique Magnolia Image."

This is my attempt at Tingla's bedroom dresser. I used the Frame stamp and the Kitchen Bench stamp so I guess it's called a "Franch" lol.

I used:
Paper - Basic Grey & Imagination Project
Flowers - Prima
Gems - Papermania
Brads - Papermania (and inked with Cats Eyes)
Stamps - The comb and perfume bottle - See d's

Cute Card Thursday ~ Challenge 3 ~ People

I'm still feeling grotty but I think I'm on the mend. I have so many things to catch up on so I hope that tomorrow I'll feel much better.

This is my entry for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge. This weeks theme is people so I thought that I would dig out my Light the Night stamp.

I used:
Stamp - Light the night - Penny Black
Paper - Papermania
Cardstock - Papermania
Brads - Papermania
Flowers - Prima
Image coloured with prismacolor pencils and accented with H2o's.

Just a quick one.

It would seem that the jar in my previous post wasn't the only thing that my husband (notice that I've dropped the wonderful) gave me as I now have his cold too!

This is my entry for the PTW challenge which was to make a card from the sketch provided.

I must admit that I really like working from sketches especially when I'm not feeling too good.

I used:
Stamp - Whipper Snapper - Kitty Litter
Papers - Basic Grey
Cardstock - DCWV
Leaves - Papermania
Flower Tag - Papermania
Brad - Papermania

Tilda & Co template challenge ~12~

My wonderful husband went shopping yesterday, full of cold and whilst buying the essentials he took a special detour to find me a jar for all my flowers. How sweet is he? The jar he chose is absolutely gorgeous. Big enough for me to get my paw in and there is still penty of room for more.
Anyway it desprately needed some decoration so this is my entry for the Tilda & Co challenge. You needed to include their template and I thought this would be perfect.
I have called it Floral Fantasy.

I used:

Papers - Basic Grey
Ribbon - Local craft shop
Flowers - Prima
Label - Around the Block label writer
Liquid Chalk
Zig markers
Clear Sakura pen for the wings
Prismacolor pencils, blended with Zest-it

Cute Card Thursday ~ All Creatures Great and Small

As soon as I saw the challenge this week I knew that I wanted to use this stamp. Biggly is just so sweet stealing all the honey and making his getaway!

I used:
Paper - We are Memory Keepers
Cardstock - DCWV and Papermill
Stamp - Gruffies- Honey on the run, coloured with prismacolor pencils and blended with Zest-it
Thick Cuts - Bookplates
Rivets - Can't remember, had them ages!
Sentiment - printed on the computer and edged with Cats eyes fluid chalk

Papertake Weekly Challenge ~ Weather with you

This is my entry for Papertake Weekly
Challenge . The theme is "weather with you".

I really want the spring weather to hurry up and get here because that's when the year starts to get really fun and this is why I chose the wording on the card.

This time last year here in the UK we were basking in sunshine. The flowers were all out and there was a real sense that summer was just around the corner.

Alas, today is cold, gloomy and miserable.

Tilda & Co Challenge ~ Hidden Secrets

This is the first time I have ever made a slider card and I have to say that it was a little nerve wracking but it was lots of fun.

I made this with an H frame in the centre and a plastic food bag. It slides beautifully and I think it will be robust enough for my Daughter on her 10th Birthday next month.

Unfortunately I am not able to get any photos which show the wings and flowers glittered. It's all very sparkly in real life but the light here today is very poor so these photos will have to do.


This card is also my entry for the Tilda & Co Challenge Blog week 11 - Hidden Secrets which can be found via the link at the side of my blog.

Three in One!

This is my Son's Birthday card, he wants to go to the Download Festival this year (and has already bought his ticket) so I thought this and £200 spending money would suit his needs.

I used some pyramid studs from a denim jacket I wore when I was pregnant with him and made some barbed wire thread for the buttons out of craft wire. The papers are from Rusty Pickle.

This is also my entry for two challenges, the first is Papertake Weekly challenge (frame card), and the second is Tilda & Co (from boys to men).

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #1

Something new for me, my first EVER blog challenge! I'm very nervous but willing so please be gentle lol!

The challenge this week is to create a card with the theme as New Beginnings/First, the only other criteria is that the card has to be cute.

I have used:
Whipper Snapper - Sorry Pup stamp
K&Co paper
DCWV cardstock
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder
Prima Flowers
Cats Eye fluid chalks
Assorted brads
Prismacolor pencils and Zest-It to blend

In for another battering

It looks as though we are going to be hit by more strong winds tomorrow, so far (touch wood), we have been ok. My husband did inform me this morning that he had to retrieve our 2' X 6' tool shed as it was partly in our neighbours garden. We built it together about three years ago to cover a gate between the two houses. Our only plan was sketched on the back of a receipt and we had much fun painting it so I would be very upset if anything happened to it in this bad weather.

This card was a challenge because I find it difficult to work with orange (I think that I am also wishing for warmer weather).

I used:
Paper = Basic Grey & Papermania
Cardstock = DCWV
Brads = Papermania
Flowers = Papermania
Ribbon = Papermania
Adhesive Stones = Papermania
Rub-ons = Printed on the PC
Frame = X-cut shape cutter and scallop scissors
Embossing = Cuttlebug folder
Image = Raincoat Tilda, coloured with Prismacolors and blended with Zest-it.

Stormy Weather

With the weather being so awful yesterday I took the opportunity to make another card.

I'm really starting to enjoy making this style of card.

I used:

Paper = Basic Grey
Cardstock = DCWV
Labels = Around The Block
Brads = Papermania
Flowers = Local craft shop (then inked)
Frame = X-cut shape cutter and scallop scissors
Embossing = Cuttlebug folder
Image = Casual Tilda, coloured with Prismacolors and blended with Zest-it.

Today's efforts

Today has been a much better day, despite the manic tree die cutting session. I am pleased to say that all, grass, trees and fairies are now done!

I had a chance to play with another new Tilda today. Not as good, (in my opinion) as yesterday's but I really do struggled with this Basic Grey paper. Pink is a colour that I don't enjoy working with either but nevermind.

I do like these Prima Flowers though, I really ought to buy some more soon and I adore adhesive gems.

I've been very naughty...but paid the price today!

I ordered a few Magnolia stamps this week when I said I was going to watch my spending...tut tut. I did all the housework and washing last night in case postie was kind enough to bring my goodies today.

I was woken by my husband who had a parcel for me...yay...my Tilda's had arrived. So I got dressed after cooing over them in bed (not sure I should really be telling you that!) and got myself ready for a day of card making.

Hubby had other ideas though :( Whilst I was out of the way he decided to make a start on clearing his area. He sculpts wargaming miniatures, is incredibly dis-organised and we share the space (opposite ends of the table). So there was "his" stuff everywhere, at one point I was barricaded at one end of the room pleading for him to let me out so that I could "powder my nose"! Two and a half hours later he was finished. We ate lunch, which "he" made and then I started stamping up my new Tilda's.

Just as I was finding my mojo our sixteen year old announces that she needs help cutting some bits out for homework using "my" Big Shot! I asked her to give me a mo and duly packed all my stamps away ;( Well nothing is ever as simple as it seems. She needed lots of trees, grass and a gingerbread house but couldn't define how many lots was! As she is visually impaired I had to give her a lot of help. After two hours she was flagging and said "lets carry on tomorrow" (oh dear and there was me hoping I could get it out of the way in one hit). It has now transpired that she will need a total of 1 Gingerbread House, 33 pieces of grass and 57 trees as she is making a book with twelve A4 pages!!!

Anyway by the time all this was done with and I had all my stamps out again it was dinner time! So to cut a long story short, one card has taken me twelve and a half hours to make today...I'm pleased with it though as it's for my other daughter's 10th Birthday.

Ooh...the postie came...at last!

I've been like a school girl recently waiting for the Postman to arrive with my Nestabilities from the US. They arrived today so I have been playing around with them. I am still wondering whether I need the tan mat to use them to greater effect with the Big Shot. I think I'll just carry on playing around for a week or two and see what I can achieve before spending anymore money, after all I could buy a well needed stamp instead!
The Front

The Inside

The image is a Penny Black stamp, coloured with prismacolors (using Zest It), cuttlebug embossing folder (perfectly paisley) on the front of the card and Nestabilities have been used to frame, mount, mat and layer various elements.

It's arrived...

...my replacement Magnolia stamp. I was unfortunate enough to recieve a poorly cut summer tree in my last order. Thankfully Joanna Sheen is a star and managed to track down another for me. Her service is second to none and I would recommend her site to anyone.

Last night myself and Rik went out on the town with a few friends to see a couple of local punk-ish bands. We moved on to the local nightclub where people started to get a little bit silly so Rik and I decided to return home at a very respectable 1am. We walked in to be greeted by a huge row which lasted until 3am...kids eh? I kinda wished we stayed out a bit longer now but it would still need sorting so better to get it over with. This morning our world is still a little tense so I have immersed myself in a spot of card making just to reset my balance.