Altered Poppy card

Hello All,
Thanks for all your well wishes and I'm pleased to say they worked - woke up Monday feeling OK, so I think the horrible cold for the day must have been the reaction from the Flu jab.
Is been a really dark and miserable day today, and although apart from lack of natural light, perfect to stay indoors and craft, I decided I had better tidy up my rather messy craft room - (spare bedroom) and do a bit of re-organising.  (That's because I couldn't find anything since finishing the Christmas cards).

So tonight, in a nice tidy room, I thought I would share this card, it started off as my DT piece for FSC 'Coffee & Cream' with coffee coloured poppy heads, BUT -  DH said 'Poppies have to be RED'.  So it was put aside for a couple of days, and as I liked the idea of the printed background, kept to the original idea but paper pieced the poppy heads after stamping in black and heat embossing with clear powder, and added a bow.  I also cut the card down and matted on to a red card base.
The poppies are Hero Arts and the text is the sentiment from Inkylicious.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
  Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes PLUS Brown
  Heart Song Inspirations - Anything Goes
  The Crafty Pad - Paper Piecing
  2 Sisters - Ribbon
  Allsorts - Anything but Square
  Challenge Up Your Life - Friendship
  Our craft Lounge - Distressed and Stressed
  Rainbow Lady's challenge - Remember with Poppies

Well, thats it for now, been on here too long. I'm still having poblems with my neck, but the weekly physio sessions are definitely helping, I'm not getting the pins & needles in my arms now and can move my neck more. One good thing from it, I don't do any lifting of shopping!!

Take care

Avril xx

Fashionable Stamping Challenge - Times Gone By

Its time for another Challenge at Fashionable Stamping, this time we would like you to think of 'Times Gone By',  there is some fabulous inspiration from the Design Team, so please pop over and take a look, you won't be disappointed.  There is also a gorgeous stamp to be won!

For my card I went with  Fashion  from Times Gone By.  I used a Crafty Individuals stamp, coloured with Promarkers, and  DI Spiced Marmalade for the followers and shading on the image. The tag is also from CI.l
The clock, ticket  and stamped corner Flowers were 'freebies' with my last order, that's one of the great things about ordering direct from CI, you get a little packet of 'freebies', I can't wait to ink them up and see what they are!  The DP is MME Lost & Found, there are some gorgeous papers in this pack.

I am also entering this card in the following challenges:
  Addicted to Stamps - Shabby/Chic/Vintage
  Dream Valley - Anything Goes

Just a quick post tonight, I had the Flu injection on Monday and just haven't felt great since and today I have started with the cold from h............!   hopefully it won't last.

I would like to say 'hello' to Stephanie my new follower, thanks for following.

Avril xx

Time to Share

Hi All,  now that I have finished making the Christmas cards, I must start and show them.  This is one of the last ones I made, it is probably a 'one off' - due to the fact that I stuck the matted image on the card upside down!!  So... it couldn't be wasted, hence the Easel card, inspired by the challenge at AllSorts this week which is Christmas Easel card.  The image is a new stamp, bought at the Purely Papercrafts show a couple of weeks ago, it is by IndigoBlu,  I heat embossed with Stamp-N-Stuff EP in Jeweled Gold, it really does have a great sparkle.  The snowflake corners are Clarity, the sentiment is an old one from Anitas.
Found a couple of other challenges for this card:

  4 Crafty Chicks - Die Cuts - its a Nesti scalloped oblong under the sentiment.
  For Your Inspiration - Photo - Black & Gold
  Stamp & Doodle - Embossing
  Always Something Creative - Must Sparkle
  The Craft Garden - Christmas - No Red or Green
  HeartSong Inspirations - Embossing/and or 3 layers
  One Stitch at a Time - Christmas
  Stamp, Scrap & Doodle - Monochromatic

Before I go I would just like to say 'Hello' to Monica - my new follower, its lovely to see you, and thanks for following me.

I hope you all have a good weekend, weather forecast isn't too good, but it just might be perfect crafting weather!

Take care

Avril xx

Wishing on a Star!

                                        

Doesn't this make a change -   It's only Tuesday and my card is ready for LIM!!
The challenge this week is 'Stars' and I have used  Lavinia fairy and stars stamps that I am ashamed to say I bought at Harrogate in September and this is the first time they have seen ink!!  The sentiment is from an Inkylicious set.  All stamped in Black Memento with just a dash of Glamour Dust.

I am also entering this card in the following challenges:
  Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
  Bows & Berries  - CAS
  Make It Monday - Always Anything Goes
  Dream Valley Challenge - Anything Goes

I had problems with my internet connection again last week, and its surprising how much time you make for crafting when there are no other diversions - I only have 3 more Christmas cards to make!!!  I have been in 'factory mode' at least 6 of each design, but they are done, in envelopes and the address labels on - just need stamps (big sigh), so it must be true - every grey cloud has a silver lining!

Thanks for looking, and I hope to catch up and visit soon.

Avril xx

Dotty for LIM!!

Hi All,

This week at LIM the theme is  -   POLKA DOTS

So for my little offering I have inked up a very neglected stamp, the image is by Stamps Happen and is one of the first stamps I bought!   For my 'Polka Dots' I paper pieced her jumper and added a strip of the same BoBunny paper down the size.  The rest of the image is coloured with Promarkers.  Didn't even need a sentiment!!

I am also entering this card in:
  Make It Monday - Anything Goes
  Partytime Tuesdays - Anything Goes
  Papershelter challenge - Anything Goes
  Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

I would like to say 'Hello' to Vicky my new follower, Lovely  to see you!

Enjoy the rest of your week, and Thanks for looking

Avril xx

House Mouse Challenge - Fall

This is my second Spot as Guest Designer for the House Mouse Challenge Blog and the theme this fortnight is 'Fall', very appropriate for this time of the year.  The girls on the Design Team are a very talented group and have made some fabulous creations for your inspiration, so do please pop over to the blog and have a look, and hopefully you will join us. 

For my card I have used one of the unmounted Fall stamps from Joanna Sheen.  I stamped the image, coloured with Promarkers and used chalks for the sky.  I stamped and coloured a few extra leaves,and added some Glamour Dust, (the original stamp only has 3 falling leaves), there are also some smaller leaves in the set, so I stamped these onto the panel at the bottom.  I inked the base cardstock with Bundled Sage, Antique Linen, Tattered Rose and Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks.

I am also entering this card in the following challenges:

  Make It Monday - Anything Goes
  Quirky Crafts - Autumn Leaves
  One Stop Craft - No Designer paper
  I Love Promarkers - Cute
  Little Red Waggon - Autumn

Coffee & Cream with a hint of Dark Chocolate

The Challenge this week at Fashionable Stamping Challenges is 'Coffee & Cream with a hint of Dark Chocolate' Mmmm!

So, we would like to see your stamped creations using Coffee and Cream with the option of Dark Brown or Black. and as usual there is a fab prize from Marina, at Cottage Crafts our sponsor.

For my card I have used 'Dandelion Wishes' set of clear stamps from Inkylicious.  I repeatedly stamped the sentiment on  cream cardstock in Antique Linen Distress Ink  I stamped it again on spare card in Vintage Photo, tor the edges and distressed using a combination of both. I stamped the Dandelions on a nesti cut from the same cream cardstock and again, distressed this.  I added Glamour Dust to the little seed heads.
For my hint of Dark Chocolate, I used a Dark brown card base and ribbon.

The Design ~Team have made some absolutely fabulous samples for you inspiration, so please pop over and check them out.

I am also entering this card in One Stop Crafts challenge - No Designer Paper
  Sugar Creek Hollow - Shades of Fall -(shades of brown)
  Totally Papercrafts - Layer on Layer (there are 3 layers here - I think that counts)
  Fab & Funky - Distressed or torn
  TopTip Tuesday - Layer It
  HeartSong Inspirations - Use Flowers/Felt
  Moving Along with the Times - Vintage