LOTV Challenge

Well, as I said, not much crafting was done on Thursday night - thats what happens when we haven't seen each other for 2 weeks! But we had both been spending, we both liked the new Marianne Large Frame dies, so I bought one and Diane bought the other -the Cuttlebug took a hammering!
Made a card last night for the LOTV & Simon Says Challenges and used the sketch on Cute Card Thursday, which was great to work with.
I have had the papers for about 6 months, bought out of the 'oddments box' in my local craft shop -5 12 x 12 D/sided papers for a £1 - bargain or what! Does anyone have papers that they just look at? well these have been looked at a lot waiting for the 'right card' - it was difficult to cut into them though!
The LOTV image was coloured with Promarkers and I kept the colours pale for a vintage look to go with the papers, which I distressed with Walnut stain distress inks. I used Stardust stickles on her wings. The flowers are ribbon roses glued on prima flat flowers. The sentiment is from a set that I won on the Papertake Blog hop a while ago.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
LOTV - use circles
Simon Says - Coffee & Cream
Cute Card Thursday - Sketch by Christine
Do You stack Up - Anything Goes
Ribbon Girl - Cream, Pink & Brown (Pink flowers)
Anything Goes Challenge - Distressing.

Thats it for now, enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Thanks for looking and if you like what you see, please pop back.

Avril

Oldie but a Goldie

Yep, this is definitely an Oldie but a Goldie and she hasn't been inked up for quite a while, which is a shame because these Sara Kay stamps are still so cute.

The challenge at Oldie but a Goldie this week is Spring is in the Air, so thought this little gal with her picnic basket fits the bill!

I have made a Tent card, I like these cards and think they look good on display. I cut the oval with a plain & scalloped nestie, did think about adding pearls all the way round, but didn't have enough of the right shade. She's coloured with Promarkers and the flowers have been coloured as well. The papers are from an old Laura Ashley pack, so this card uses lots of 'oldies'.

I am also entering this card in the following challenges
ABC - Ovals
Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge - Fancy Folds
Pixie Cottage - Cute option
Do You Stack up - Anything Goes

Well thats it for tonight - its Thursday and my friend and craft buddy Diane is coming over -we pretend to craft and share goodies, but really we talk more than we make - must go and put the kettle on.

Thanks for looking and if you like what you see, please leave a comment and I'll come and visit you.

Avril x

Penny Black

Where did the weekend go! I promised myself a crafting day on Saturday as the weather wasn't very nice and started my card for this weeks Penny Black challenge which is men's cards, something I usually struggle with. I used this cute PB stamp - Fly Away.
I paper pieced his hat and jacket with textured papers to look like material, and I stamped his plane onto an old silver Christmas card to give it a metallic look and then coloured with Promarkers. The reason for this was to enter 'I love Promarkers challenge - Paper Piecing', but by the time I finished the card, Mr. Linky had closed!
I followed the sketch this week on Papertake Weekly and used the 2 different sized check papers from the Papermania Blueberry hill pad - the challenge this week on Totally Gorjuss is checks so I will be entering it there!
I am also entering it in Passion for Promarkers - One for the Boys
and Craft Your Passion is also Male cards.
Alphabet Challenge Blog - P for Paper piecing
Your Next Stamp Challenge - Paper piecing

Well that it for now, I have a little job to do - DH runs a special needs youth club and they want to make Mothers Day cards, (I think he's giving me plenty of notice cause its not till the beginning of April!) so he has 'commissioned' 10 easel card blanks and suitable stamped images and embellishments - it'll be my good deed for the day! Oh! and he needs a lesson in making easel cards!!!

Thanks for looking and if you like what you see please pop back,

Avril x

House Mouse - Some bunny loves you!

I have had a great couple of days away, the Tutankhamen Exhibition in Manchester was fabulous and very well presented. I know they replicas, but you forget that when you look at them, and its not as crowded as in the Cairo museum! We visited the Vally of the Kings a few years ago and the tomb, so this was just like the icing on the top! (You might have guessed - I am fascinated by Ancient Egypt).

Its back to normal now, so after shopping this morning I have finished my card for this weeks challenge at House Mouse.

The challenge is to use your favourite stamp - WELL they're all my favourite, OK I do have a couple of favourite favourites, but this one is a new one and I had coloured it up - just waiting to be used!

I don't know what the paper is, but thought it went well with this image and although the plain paper and mats look grey, they are really 'green'! The flowers once again(because I only have one colour in the cherry blossoms) are coloured purple with Promarkers to match the flowers in the image. The sentiments are computer generated.
I am also entering this card in:
House Mouse & Friends Monthly challenge - Love
Fuzzy Wuzzy Challenge - Birthday Wishes

Nearly forgot to say, I won Katina's blog candy - some gorgeous papers, Thanks again Katina.

Thats it for now and if you like what you see please pop back.

Avril x

Twisted Easel Card

Just a short one tonight as I am running out of time. We are going to the Tutankhamen Exhibition in Manchester, and staying for a couple of nights, so if I don't do this now, I will miss the Penny Black Challenge, as I do most weeks!

I have seen the Twisted Easel card on a couple of blogs this last week, so thought I would give it a go, it may look complicated, but its really easy.
This card is for this weeks Penny Black Challenge - Pink, and I have used a 'Gift of Flowers' image, coloured with mostly pink Promarkers! The sentiment is also PB, I have used 3D pads and curled the sentiment slightly. The papers are Papermania Blueberry Hill.
I have followed the sketch on Sketch Saturday. I wasn't too sure how well it would 'stand up' so I thought buttons might be a good idea, and after sticking them down, thought about the flower! So to tie it all in, I demolished a cherry blossom and added another button to the centre.

I am entering this card in the following challenges
Penny Black - Pink
Sketch Saturday - Sketch
Penny Black at Allsorts - Say it with Flowers
Craft Your Passion - Use pink

Thanks for looking,

Avril x

A Blog Award!

I had 2 lovely surprises this week. I received a Blog Award from Katina. I was so pleased, Katina always leaves lovely comments about my latest 'creation'. Thank you Katina for your support.

In accepting the award I've had to agree to the following conditions:
1) You have been tagged, do you want to accept? YES! then create a post on your blog and post the love blog photo.
2) Link back to the person who gave you the award and say if you accept.
3) Choose 3-5 of your favourite blogs to tag, link these in your post too and tell the lucky people they have been tagged.

The aim of this award is to bring unknown good blogs to light, so we're asked not to tag somebody "with 3000 followers". I would love to pass on the award to these wonderfully talented ladies some of whose blogs I have followed for a while, some I have just found, but they have given me hours of enjoyment and inspiration.
Jenni
Christine
Alison
Mary J
Shirl

My other surprise was that I had won over at Digis with Attitude! with my first ever digi image card!!!

Its back to my original love of stamping for this weeks card.


It is for my Daughter-in-Laws birthday. The image is one I bought when I first started stamping,(Stamps Happen - En Vogue Shoe) and although I love this stamp, it does get neglected.
The DP is from a Laura Ashley pack with flock papers that DD bought me a while ago and she keeps asking if I have used them, so, with the intention of using 'old' stash, thought the 2 went really well. I stamped an 'extra' shoe onto red pearlised card and coloured the buckle with a silver gel pen. I used Distress Inks around the image and used the red pearlised card for a mat. The ribbon was from stash (off a chocolate box I think).

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
OhhLaLa - Someone Special - My Daughter-in-Law is Special
Fab & Funky - Texture - Flock & ribbon and layers
Stamping with the Dragon - Anything Goes
Craft You Passion - Anything Goes
Totally Papercrafts - Clean & Simple
Do you Stack up - Ribbons
Cupcake craft challenges - Seeing Red


If you're still reading - thanks for looking and please pop back.

Avril x

BAD DAY!!!!

Oh dear - What have I done!!

I complained to my hubby that my PC seemed slow and he asked if I ever 'clean it' (browsing history etc.) - well I haven't done that for ages! and as Saturday was a miserable day weather wise, and I couldn't find any inspiration to craft- decided to 'clean' the PC. I hit the delete button and cleared out lots of rubbish. After a while I got a bit board with that and decided to look at my blog. I must have still been in 'delete mode' ,and deleted lots of 'old' posts without thinking it would delete the blog!!!! So, now half the blog has gone!
Hubby says I will just have to be a better blogger to make up for it!

Well, enough rambling, had to cheer myself up and make a card.



This is another of the Bugaboo 'JJ' digi images,along with the sentiment, I got the 'bundle' so am looking forward to using the others. She is coloured with Promarkers and the papers are Papermania Henbury Lane. I followed the sketch on Totally Gorgjuss Challenge this week, at least I did that right! I made the roses - think I need a bit more practice, but after seeing Jenni's flowers each week, I thought I would give it a try. Pop over and have a look at the gorgeous ones Jenni creates.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Bugaboo - Anything Goes
Digis with Attitude - Pink & White
Stamp somethig- Use Digi
One Crazy stamper - Pink

Thanks for looking, and if you like what you see, please pop back.

Avril x

Ice Cream

The challenge at House Mouse this fortnight is 'Hearts' and the DT have made some fabulous cards.
My first thoughts were that I didn't have any 'love/heart' images to use for this one, but then thought about this image from crafty buddy Diane.
I have a Cuttlebug Heart die and 2 small X-cut heart punches and that's it! So I made my own heart 'border' with the small punch and used the cut outs around the card. I punched out a 'country heart' in red card, poked 2 holes in and used a VersaMark Dazzle 'Frost' pad and heat embossed with UTEE to make my 'shiny button'. I attached this to my ribbon bow with gold thread. I used Sardust stickles around the image and Cuttlebug heart.

Considering I didn't think I had anything suitable to use, its not bad!

Nearly forgot to tell you, after the last HM challenge one of my 'comments' was
from Barry Percy, inviting me to upload my HM cards on the the official House Mouse website in the - 'Handmade by Me' section!!!

I am also entering this card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Challenge - 'Love'
Stamping for the Weekend - Valentine
Die Cut Dreams - Lots of Hearts - No Sentiment
Wild Orchid Challenge - Love is
Sir Stampalot - All Creatures Great & Small.

Thanks for looking, and if you like what you see, please pop back.

Avril

RED!!

I seem to have had a busy week - don't really know where the time has gone, but the week has just disappeared! But one thing I did do was make a card for a friend whose favourite colour is 'red'. I like red, but its a colour I don't really wear, apart from red gloves and a red bag. My friend Jean looks great in red and has quite a lot in her wardrobe - hence the red card.

I have used 5 Clarity stamps on this card - Velvet Lady, Lamppost, Moon shadow and a corner stamp for the steps and building in the background of the image. I paper pieced the ladies coat and used a lot of chalk for the background. The card base is the Clarity swirl, stamped and heat embossed with gold directly onto the red card stock.

I am entering this card into Crafts & Me challenge which is Red.
Also By the Cute & Girly challenge is 'Red is all around us', so I am entering it there.

Have promised myself a 'crafty night', must get my House Mouse challenge card made!

Thanks for looking, and if you like what you see, please pop back.

Avril x