Penny Black Challenge

Didn't get to play too much today - can you believe it - I was so excited at the thought of playing with my new stamps I almost forgot I was meeting a friend for lunch today. It was a beautiful morning and so easy to get up early, so all the jobs were done and washing was on the line by 10am so I managed to finish my card for this weeks Penny Black challenge which is Spring.
The papers are Papermania (don't look to hard - one is upside down!) The fabric flowers were a freebie from somewhere? cant remember where! and they have sat in the drawer for about a year!!
I am also entering this card in the following challenges:
Passion for Promarkers - In the Garden
Simply Create - Monochrome
Cupcake Challenges - Monochrome
Craft Your Days Away - For Mum
Ladybugs Crafts Ink Challenge - Monochrome

Well thats it for now - I am going to play, I have lots of ideas buzzing around!

Thanks for looking and if you like what you see, please let me know and I will come and visit you.

Avril x

Penny Black Challenge

Enjoyed some me/crafting time last night and after browsing through 'blogland' (something I haven't had much time for this last week) made my card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, which is More than 1 fold, so - trusty Easel card! I have used the sketch over at Totally Gorjuss and Lemon Zingy from Papertake weekly.
Lemon/yellow is a colour I wouldn't normally pick but I love the clean feel this card has. As usual I have coloured the image with Promakers and added gold glitter to her heart jewellery. I embossed the yellow panel with Cuttlebug Daisy's and used my new MS Vintage Lace PATP.
I am also entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says - Anything Goes
Totally Papercrafts - Pearls and Lace
Fussy & Fancy Challenge - Embossing/Paper piecing - Yellow embossed panel
Sentimental Sundays - Pearls & Lace
Alphabet Challenge - R for Ribbons

Well, its obvious which blogs I visited last night, so I hope to catch up with you later tonight.

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

Avril

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

Penny Black Challenge

This is another challenge that I haven't entered for a while, I often start cards, but don't get them finished in time, so even though its been a busy week, I was determined to finish and enter it. (Busy - Avril's definition - out with hubby on Monday, lunch and shopping with my friend Jean yesterday (got some really good bargains in the sales. Well a girl can't have too many dresses!) - and my son was coming for lunch today, so knew if it wasn't finished this morning, it wouldn't get done as 'craft buddy' Diane is coming over tonight!)

The challenge at Penny Black this week is a 'card buffet' pick 4 items. I have gone for - papers - ribbon - a charm and 4 gems (one of which is in the charm). I have used a sketch set by Debby a few weeks ago, its such a lovely one to work with (thanks again Debby). The image is 'Gift of Flowers' coloured with Promarkers and the papers are MME which were a freebie last summer with a card mag.

This card is also being entered in Oldie but a Goldie - Bright & Cheerful. I have had the stamp for about 18 months and the papers are from last summer!

Well that's it, must get the kettle on for Diane coming over.

Thanks for looking

Avril x

3 Cards in One

What gorgeous weather we are having, too nice to be inside - well you don't really know how long it will last and it would be a shame to miss it!
Tonight was a bit chilly after tea, so a good excuse to make a card - not that I normally need an excuse. I had done my homework (checking out the challenges)earlier in the week, and have done 1 card for 3 challenges, make that 4 cause if also fits in with the Simon Says Challenge!

Penny black - Travel
Papertake Weekly - Sketch
Creative Crew - An Easel card
SimonSays Challenge - Friends

I have used 'Fly Away' image from Penny Black, which I have had a couple of weeks but its the first time I have used him, I used the sentiment that came with him in the 'Slapstick' pack.

The sketch on Papertake weekly was a nice one to follow but couldn't make my mind up between corners or brads or, which ones to use - how hard is that! It was easy to make into an easel card with the matching smaller check paper in the Blueberryhill paper pack.

Well I wonder if it will be nice again tomorrow?

Thanks for looking,

Avril

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

I seem to be having another busy week! My daughter is home from University for a week, before going on holiday to Ireland. I think I am looking forward to those two weeks to recover from this one! Although she will be home after her hols, it should be a bit more normal as she has a summer placement for 8 weeks before going back to Uni for her 3rd year.

I am so pleased I made a few cards when my hubby was away working a couple of weeks ago (end of May and June are the busy birthday months for me) and this one was made then. (Handy or what! considering last week it took me all week to finish 1 card and post it Friday night).

This week over at Penny Black Saturday Challenge its 'Lots of Dots' and this card certainly has that, so a pity not to use it! This is one of my favourite Penny Black stamps 'Tweet Talk' and the sentiment, another Penny Black 'A little Bird Told Me' goes so well, especially on an easle card. I have coloured her in with Distress Inks and gold glitttered her bracelet and necklace.
The papers are Wild Asparagus from My Minds Eye. I made another scrunched flower, I just love these flowers, and added a little glitter to that as well.







Back to another round of washing, pressing and organising - and I'm not even going on holiday!

Lanks for looking,

Avril

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Oh such a busy week - it was Tuesday before I even checked out this weeks Penny Black Challenge, and what a surprise - there was a list of winners from the Blog Hop and guess what - my name was there! I had to check that it really was me and click on AVRIL B just to be sure. I was so amazed - I think its the first prize I have ever won.

As I said a busy week, and it has taken until now to finish the card for the challenge which was to include flowers.




I have used my new Penny Black slapstick stamp 'Thinking of you' she is so sweet, with her teapot of tulips. I have used Papermania's Rose Garden papers and punched one of the layers with a Martha Stewart Pansey Edger - so 4 lots of flowers - papers/image/punch and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. I have coloured her with Distress Inks and distressed the edges of the image.



Thats it for now, thanks for looking.

Avril

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Blog Hop

Don't know what I did last week, but I didn't even make one card!
When I looked at the Penny Black Challenge on Saturday and saw it was a sketch and a Blog Hop, I though I really must get my act together for this one.
I have really enjoyed working with sketches, and this one with 2 circles really made me think!



I have used the 'Angel Frame' stamp, then circle cut around the 'angel' with my new large scalloped nestabilities. I cut the 'Angel at Heart' sentiment from the top of the frame to use as my sentiment! She is coloured using Distress Inks.
The papers are the Papermania Rose Garden, just love these papers.

This is the first time that I have 'entered' a blog hop, I usually just browse through and not always in the right order!

Thanks for looking

Avril

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Have had a busy couple of days decorating - not my favourite hobby! So after all the hard work you have to have a little 'me time' and mine was to make a card for the Peny Black Saturday challenge - 3 flowers, 2 buttons and 1 bow. Finished the card and then thought ooops forgot the bow! but I think it looks OK by the sentiment.
The image 'Friends Rain or Shine' was coloured using Distress Inks and the papers are the last scraps of some Melissa Francis that I bought ages ago. (I always feel a little sad when I use the last of a paper - cause there is no more, does anyone else feel this way or am I mad!)
The sentiment is Docrafts that I haven't used much, but does seen to go with this image.
One of the reasons for my blog was to enter into the fun of challenges and to be challenged. Although I have a button box, I forget to use them and usually just take the easy option of pearls - challenges are making me think of different things to use - can't be bad.



This blog has also helped me improve my computer skills and my photography, feeling quite pleased with myself!

Thanks for looking