Best Friends

I seem to have missed the Lasting Memories Bows & Buttons deadline, but hopefully there'll be a few challenges I can enter anyway.

This is my best friend Susan, whom I've known since high school and she's the best friend anyone could wish for - supportive, enthusiastic, good listener, fun, lovely.....!  And I've finally done a layout including her.  It was taken at Susan 's sister's wedding 5 years ago, so we've both changed a bit but the essence will always be there. 

I've used paper from the fantastic Costco set, together with Hobbycraft Rafia lace, ribbon, flowers from stash and some lovely Prima ones that Elaine sent with my Hanglar prize.  Lots of buttons, bows and stitching and very little text - the label says it all!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

One Stop Craft - Patterns

Crafty Angels - Something old (photo) Something New (paper, flowers)

Crafty Catz - Material Girl (fabric - lace, ribbon, flowers)

Raise the Bar 29 - Use a sticker (Forever Friends sticker)

Fussy and Fancy - Pink and Black

PaperPlay - Anything Goes

Fab 'n' Funky - Buttons and bows

Some Jewellery - my new obsession!

Ok, so I've recently been through a scrapbooking obsession....well now it's jewellery!  I used to make a lot of jewellery, but cards took over as it's easier to pick up/put down in between looking after the kiddywinkles!  But I needed to make my sis a pair of earrings for her birthday (as New Look didn't have any that matched the necklace I bought), so I HAD to buy a couple of bracelets, break them, make 2 bracelets and a pair of earrings and it was so much fun! 

For going out with Clare and Andrew on Saturday night (for a grown up, child free night!!!), I decided I needed to make a necklace, bracelet and earrings to go with my lovely cobalt blue top.  Hubby kept telling me that we could go to a shop and buy something, but I think even he could see that I was having fun!  (Fantastic night, by the way - loads of fun, chatting a a little boogie!!)

So while all my stuff is out (and, ahem, after I bought some bits on Friday...), I made this red and black set too.  Oh, and had fun decorating some old boxes to co-ordinate! 

Do you think that £10 for the necklace, £5 for the earrings and £5 for the bracelets are fair prices (including the decorated box)?  

I've had a little browse, but unfortunately I can't find any challenges to enter with it, but nevermind.

Oh, and I was drawn to win Elaine's Hanglar set - how lucky am I?!  They were attempted to be delivered today, but unfortunately I was taking Lou to athletics this morning, so I have to wait until tomorrow to actually have them....

Sugar Bowl Daisy

Can't believe I haven't posted her yet, what have I been doing?  Anyway, just a quick post as the sun is still shining and I don't want to miss it!!

Daisy has been coloured with Promarkers and Stardust Stickles.  I've even given her dark hair for a change - normally it's blond or brown.  I love this blue-green paper (thanks, Clare), with Teal card for definition.  The turquoise pearls were a bargain out of The Works. 

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Sugar Bowl - Sketch and Blue

Allsorts - Summer Days

Crafty Cardmakers - Photo challenge

Everybody Art - Blue and white

Papertake Weekly - Cutie Patootie

Crafty Catz - Summer Time

More Scraptastical Creations

I was playing with more scraps and created these offerings.  Apologies for the shadows, but it's chucking it down with rain and I'm not so good with un-natural lighting!!

The first is my favourite, created with loads of pink scrap paper strips, the frame from my Nellie's die, which have been embossed with a Fiskars swirls plate.  A thick strip of Butterflies and Blossoms paper has been used across the centre and the butterfly is an Impress die layered up.  So, I've re-used my paper scraps and frame and recycled some rafia from a bunch of flowers (sadly not my flowers, sniff!).

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

Fab 'n' Funky - Reuse or Recycle

CAS-tastic Challenges - Inspired by Summer

Allsorts - Summer Days

 The Thank you card is a bit simpler, but similar.  And the last one used to be part of a larger card that I didn't like, so I cut up and used the elements in 2 separate cards, with this my fave of the 2. 

Some Male Simple and Scrappy Cards

You know how I like to use up my scraps..and I have a lot of scraps!  And I've also borrowed Labels 2 Nesties from Clare, so I decided to try and make a male version of my scrappy card. 

I love the colours in this one - a mix of MME Bloom & Grow and DCWV Masculine papers and some brown card.  The twine has been recycled from a clothes label (thanks Susan) and the button is from a Woodware pack.  I'd like to enter the following challenges:

The Crazy Challenge - Boys will be Boys

Crafty Angels - Shabby Chic (if you don't think it qualifies, please delete)

The Pink Elephant 76 - Brown

Crazy 4 Challenges - Buttons

And this is the second one I made.

The bairns had a fab time in the rain yesterday - needed a change into PJs before tea but they had a ball!  Off to Susan and Lily's today.  Have a great day! 

Hanglar Aimee

My goodness, I'm getting organised - this is a card for one of Louise's friends, Aimee, who is having a joint birthday party with (another of Lou's friends) Eve in August.  Eve's card is also made and can be seen at the bottom of the post.

 I've coloured the lovely Hanglar image (thanks Clare) with China Blue, Denim Blue and Pastel Blue promarkers for her dress, Ice Grey 1 for her top and tights, Blush, Baby Pink and Almond for her skin and I've tried blond hair using Tan, Pastel Yellow and Ivory.  Her ribbons, dots and top of her boots have had Stardust Stickles added.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Lovely hAnglar only - Glitter

Sketch Saturday - the fab sketch followed

Raise the Bar 27 - Something old (Itallics no 6 die), something new (hAnglar image), something borrowed (the Label 2 Nesties from Clare) and Something Blue

CRAFT - Card for a baby or child

Pollycraft Monday - Happy Birthday

And I got Top 3 at Lasting Memories - hurray!!!

Elegant Anniversary

The colour scheme is a bit different for me, but I really like it.  On Monday night, Clare very kindly punched some card with her Martha Stewart heart border punch.  It's gorgeous, especially when it fell beside a scrap of this Victoria and Albert paper!  Clare also punched some Martha Stewart butterflies for me, so I decided to combine the butterfly, border and paper together. 

I decided that together it all looked quite romantic, so chose this sentiment from my Papermania Anniversary sentiments.  I've coloured the butterfly with Tan, Blush and Ivory Promarkers and Stickles.  There's also some Papermania card for matting and the background has been stamped with Clare Curd flowers (that Clare lent me on Monday night) with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and coloured with Ivory promarker and Stickles.  Some Sheer ribbon and a couple of roses to complete. 

And I can enter it in the following challenges:

Frosted Designs - Border punches

Totally Papercrafts - 1 image, 1 ribbon, 2 papers and 3 embellishments

Flutter By Wednesday - Layers

My Time to Craft - Butterfly Bliss

Have a lovely weekend, folks.  Scott's working this morning, then we're off to Susan's for a lovely afternoon.  Pity about the rain...

Willow Dressing Up

I adore this stamp, Willow Dressing Up.  I don't know where she's going, or where she bought her dress but she looks very pretty!

Originally, I was going to use the fresh Summer Bloom papers but it didn't look right.  But these lovely pink and chocolate papers (from my Costco bargain) look much more fitting for a night out!  The charm is a cosmetic bag (bought from The Works) and fitted the theme well and I thought that a rose, some ribbon and pearls just finished it off nicely without looking too much.  I used the fab Whiff of Joy sketch for challenge 83 (and there's also a design team call this challenge).

I would like to enter the following challenges:

Whiff of Joy - Sketch

Craftalicious - Birthdays

Mamidoodles - Anything Goes

Colour Create - Warm Pinks, Chocolate and White with optional extra of Girly

Charisma Cardz - Pink

Catch up and Stuff

Ok, I'm afraid this is going to be another mix of stuff as I make the most of time on the computer to enter competitions candy and detail an award.  Are you ready? Then I shall begin.

Firstly, Crafty Emma has opened up her web shop and is offering the chance to win a £10 voucher for helping to publicise it.   There's a link on my side bar to take you quickly to her shop.

Fi has given me this award.  Thank you so much, Fi.  I like nice and simple rules too and the one rule is to say "Thank you", so thank you to all my lovely followers for leaving such lovely comments and cheering up my days!  I'd like to pass it on to Clare, Melly, Elaine, Debby and Jennifer. 

Secret Crafter Freebie Friday is the chance to win the beautiful 'Warm Apple Pie' Belles & Whistles stamp.  The rules to win are here.

And finally (for now!), Janet at Pink Gem is giving away some awesome candy - a link on my side bar can be found for speed.  Good luck everyone and hopefully I'll be back later with a card!!

Frosted Designs Top 3 and a Card

Wooohooo, I made top 3 at Frosted Designs!  Their challenge this week was to use felt and I used one of the gorgeous Henbury butterflies on a keepsake box for my friend's new daughter, Aoife.   I am so chuffed!

Yesterday was hubby and my 10th wedding anniversary.  We made a conscious decision NOT to do anything special last night as we've normally found that when we plan to do that, somebody decides to visit us or one of the bairns is up.

And predictably, Euan would not settle and was still awake at 9.30pm!  Don't know what was up with him - he normally goes down no bother round about 7pm and that's him til the next day.  Although I DO remember Lou going through a similar phase so maybe his brain's just computing some new info, or something!  Anyway, it just proves that it was the right decision last night and we'll have a special dinner another night.

It's just occurred to me that I STILL haven't posted the anniversary card I made Scott a few weeks ago!!  I'd like to enter the following challenges with it:

Fussy and Fancy - Stitches (all the beads), Scallops (around the large heart) and Sparkle

Stampavie and More- Anything Goes

Allsorts - July Love
Abc - Y is for You and Me

Off to drop Euan at nursery before taking Lou to get her school uniform (hopefully) and to let her spend some of her holiday money.

Will hopefully be back later with the 2 cards I made last night... Have a lovely day!

Moira's 50th Card

My MIL asked me to make 50th birthday card for her friends Moira and Fiona, who are twins.

Moira's proved a little more tricky than anticipated.  I used the Rose stamp from the June goody bag and thought that I'd cut it with oval nestie and colour it with distress inks and layer it, but it looked really old fashioned. 

So then I tried it as a rectangle and coloured with Promarkers and was much happier with the result.  I also cut the distress ink roses from the oval and layered them onto this card.  The papers are the beautiful Papermania Summer Bloom. 

I've used the Friday Sketchers sketch, which I really like as it suits my simpler style.

We've had 2 lovely days of sunshine (thanks Mandy, Mandy and Rica for sending it to us!!), but it's back to chucking it down with rain today!  Nevermind, we've still had a lovely day today with Susan and Lily over to play - hope you didn't need a boat to get home!

Truly Scrumptious Sketch

Well so far, it isn't raining, although the sky does look a bit dark in places!  We're off to visit my mam and dad today, so off out very soon.

And on to the card: I loved this Truly Scrumptious Sketch and their theme of How does your garden grow, so had to have a go.  And I had a pile of scraps, plus my beautiful new Summer Bloom paper to use.

So, this nice and simple card (using the sketch) has the frame from the Sizzix vine I cut for a previous project, edged with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink and Stickles and mounted onto MME Bloom and Grow checked paper, then onto mirri card and a scrap of DCWV Butterflies and Blossoms card and Gemstones card.  The sentiment is Clare Curd. The amazing green and black flower is Prima Rebellious, with punched circle middles and punched flowers.  And the dotty paper is the new Papermania Summer Bloom, edged with ink.

Have a lovely day folks, and any of you in the warmer south, PLEASE send up some heat and sunshine:0)  The garden is sodden and the bairns are only getting out briefly to play in between showers (although the wet weather did mean that we had a cinema visit yesterday to see Shrek, which was FAB!!).

A Scrappy Weekend

Well, yesterday afternoon, we decided to pass a rainy afternoon (after an already soggy morning) with a visit to Costco!  And I am soooo glad we did as they had this amazing scrapbooking kit for only £35 and already I've done 3 layouts and can't stop raving to hubby about how fab the kit is and thanking him for agreeing to me buying it (bearing in mind that it was £35 of craft stuff I don't NEED and the box was about a metre long!!)  So, it contained:  2  12x12 albums, 24 papers, ribbon, chipboard shapes, the most amazing brads I've ever seen, stickers, frames, sticky ribbon, tags, photo corners, alphabet stamps, pattern stamps, LOADS of beautiful stuff!

Ahem, so I decided that it was Lou's turn to have a photo scrapped and chose the one from this holiday (CHANGE layout) and then came across this photo from last summer that I just though was perfect for my wonderful new papers from my fabulous new kit!  From the kit, I used paper, chipboard shape with letter stickers, scralloped velvety ribbon, LOVE sticky ribbon, tag, shaped chipboard that was around the box (and I echoed this shape on 2 other paper strips, gem brads, metal flower brad, dragonfly brad, shiny opaque brads, photo corner, alphabet stamps...and added my fab Prima Rebellious flowers (that I won from Craft Garden a while back), with some from my stash.  And I am so pleased with the layout and all the embellies and we get to KEEP a scrapbook layout...!

Anyway, I'd like to enter this layout in the One Stop Craft - Monochromatic.

The second layout is called Change and details how my little girl has changed in the last year.  I used the lovely Creative Scrappers sketch 111.  Again lots from the kit used, plus some diecut flowers from Melly, and flowers from stash.

I'd like to enter THIS layout in the Creative Scrappers - Sketch 111 and PaperPlay - Your number's up! challenges.  

And this is a photo of the packaged fantastic kit (and my messy craft floor)!

And finally a question - does anyone know if you can buy 12 x 12 photo frames, or would I (or perhaps hubby) need to make some? - THANKS

Simple Butterfly

I LOVED the sketch over at Our Creative Corner - it's so simple and beautiful that I had to have a go!

I decided on an unusual colour combo for me: blue, chocolate and orange - it just appealed that night!  Gemstones chocolate and orange paper and Core'dinations So Mod card, embossed with Sizzix Swirls and sanded.  Some Papermania buttons and some beads have been sewn onto the butterfly and bow. 

EDIT - Aaaargh - just realised I've missed the closing time and it's a new challenge now.  Ah well, nevermind!

Hanglar Baby Girl

Phew, hopefully just making it in time!  Can't believe I haven't posted this card - I've had it made since Sunday!

Anyway, I've used the fabulous sketch from Sketch Saturday, together with my cute Hanglar Baby Girl (coloured with Tea Green, Blush, Baby Pink, Almond, Tan and Ivory Promarkers).  The beautiful papers came from Melly (thanks, Hun x). Also used the green Core'dinations card and daisy ribbon (cut into individual daisies) from the June goody bag.  A couple of the Sweetie brads and ribbon to complete.

(I was going to use this card for my friend, but decided to make one to co-ordinate with the box I decorated. )

I would also like to enter this card in the Craftalicious Challenge - Cute.

Aoife's Keepsake Box

One of my really good friends had a baby girl on Monday, so in addition to a very cute soft dolly I found for her, I also wanted to make a special keepsake box!  I know it's not a traditional baby girl kind of design, but hopefully it SHOULD appeal to my friend. (By the way, Aoife is pronounced Eeefa and is Irish for Eva- had to look it up in my baby names book!)

I've used Clare Curd paper, Core'dinations Aquamarine card, the gorgeous felt butterfly from the Docrafts goody bag, Sizzix vines, a mixture of flowers, charms from The Works, a Sizzix swirl, blue lace from The Works, pink ribbon from stash, Sizzix elephant and rabbit, Nellie Snellon circle, Swiss Dots embossing folder, flowers and pearls from The Works.  It's been a real labour of love, with LOADS of handstitching and doodling but it's been sooo much fun to make.

And I can enter the following challenges:

The Creative Cottage - No cards allowed!

Fab 'n' Funky - Get into (die cut) shape

Flutterby Wednesday - Open

Frosted Designs - Felt

Totally Papercraft - Swirls and Pearls

Magical Crafts - Flower Power

Peek-a-Bunny for Elise

My goodness what a busy week: catching up with Gran, Gran and Susan, plus an activity each day for Lou, plus trying to get the house in order again AND find time to craft (an absolute must)!!

 Isn't it funny how, sometimes when you make a card, at the time you're really not convinced about it, then in the morning you think it looks fine?!  This is what happened with this one!  I used Judy's fab sketch over at The Sugar Bowl, and even managed the optional them of scallops!, with the Papermania Heather Capsule papers, Henbury and Papermania flowers, Sizzix vines, Hobbycraft rafia lace, purple cord and fab turquoise pearls from The Works.

As well as The Sugar Bowl, I can also enter Hanna and Friends - Unused Stamps, as poor Peek-a-Bunny has been neglected for a while!  She's been coloured with Promarkers and Stickles. 

Water Fun

We had a fantastic holiday in Spain - lots of time together, sunshine and swimming in the pool.  But what else can be done on a wet Sunday but craft?  Oh what a shame!!

I'd already flagged my favourite photos with the intention of scrapping some of them, so when I saw the Lasting Memories theme of Red, White and Blue, together with Melly's sketch, I knew I HAD to get back into scrapping! I started following Mel's sketch, but then changed it along the way as I chose paper and layered it all.  And I remembered about these fab Techno Pop embellies that I won from Craft Garden a little while back  and the circles were perfect for bubble effect!

The water paper was from Clare ages ago - thank you and is perfect for the watery theme. 

So, I would like to enter the following challenges:

Lasting Memories - Red, White and Blue

Secret Crafter - Water

Crafty Calendar - Summer

Pixie Dust - Red, White and Blue