A Spoonful of Sugar challenge - and this time I'm joining in as part of the DT!!

Yep, A Spoonful of Sugar is the second DT I've joined this year already!!  So that's four in total now - four cards a week for my chosen charities can't be bad right?!  Just hope I don't have to make any cards for people I actually know, lol!!

So this week's challenge over at A Spoonful of Sugar is with the theme "thank you".  For my very first card for ASOS, I used a long forgotten stamp from The Greeting Farm, Cheeky Mate.

 

 

She is sooo cool!  I originally wanted to try the distressed vintage style but ended up with my usual style of clean lines!  At least I went for muted colours!  The hemp string came loose when I took the photo but I didn't notice until I posted the pics!  Oh well - I can't be perfect all the time!  Okay, okay, perfection isn't a word that is normally associated with me, lol!  ;)

The rest of the DT creations are really gorgeous - go here to take a look!


I am entering this card into the following challenges:

• That's Krafty Thursday - use kraft cs
• Sparkle Creations - wrap it up
• Cute Card Thursday - out with the old (string, pearls, paper kit)
• PaperPlay challenges - clean and simple
• Aud Sentiments - only 2 words
• Totally Papercrafts - say thank you

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, My Minds Eye Andrea Victoria paper kit

Stamps: TGF Cheeky Mate stamp

Mediums: Copics, Sakura white gel pen

Accents: hemp string,Kaisercraft flat backed pearls, American Crafts rub on sentiment

Tools: MFT Die-namics rolled flower and leaves dies, Martha Stewart border punch, Cuttlebug herringbone embossing folder, Nestabilities label die (inside card)

A bucket full of puppy love

Here is my first official card as a DT member for Quixotic Inspirations!  I've been meaning to use this stamp by Chrissy Armstrong for Whimsey Stamps.  It's called Love In a Bucket (you can buy here) and my regular readers will know why I love it so much what with my two Yellow Labradors!  So here is the card....

 

 

 
As the sun is out and it feels fresh and bright (albeit very cold!), I wanted to create a card to reflect this too.  I used BasicGrey Marjolaine again and you can buy it here - it's so versatile.  I've created muted autumnal cards, sassy girlie cards and now this fresh look card with it - it's one of my all time DP favs!  I'm running low on it now but I must resist buying another paper pack as I have so many others to use up!!  (Sound familiar?!!)

That's it for me today!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

• Friday Sketchers - sketch #136 below
• Sunday's with Crissy - ribbons
• Crafty Emma's - all creatures great and small
• BasicGrey - dots and spots (the holes from the punch and the green paper has teeny tiny spots on it!  Honest guv!)
• CCEE stampers - check it out!  (checked papers)

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill white cardstock, Papermania grey cardstock, BasicGrey Marjolaine paper (you can buy here)

Stamps: Whimsey Stamps Love In a Bucket stamp (you can buy here), Pink Petticoat digi sentiment
Mediums: Copics and ProMarkers

Accents:Paperchase ribbon, buttons from stash

Tools: Martha Stewart border punch, Nestabilities label die (inside card)

Totally Gorjuss is back with a sketch challenge!

Happy Saturday everybody!  Today Totally Gorjuss is back for 2011 and our first challenge is a sketch!  This week we are sponsored by Joanna Sheen - I love this shop for their free postage and packing worldwide and ultra fast service - my kinda service!  So here is my take on the sketch...

 

 

I've been practicising my watercolouring and this time I used my Aqua ProMarkers that I won on another challenge.  They are really easy to use and I love the vibrancy of the colours!  I cut out the leaves from the paper and mounted them on foam pads to give it a little more interest.

Don't forget to visit the Totally Gorjuss challenge blog to see the other totally gorjuss DT inspiration! 

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Simon Says Stamp - show your newest stamp (well, it's one of several!!)
• Papertake Weekly - anything goes
• Scrapbook sisters - anything goes
• Fab 'n' Funky - anything goes
• Moving Along With the Times - ring out the old, ring in the new (new stamp, old ribbon and DPs)
• Southern Girls challenge - anything goes

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill white cardstock, Bazzill blue Bling cardstock, Bo Bunny Persuasion paper

Stamps: Sugar Nellie I give you my heart stamp, CC Designs sentiment (I think!)
Mediums: Aqua ProMarkers

Accents: Paperchase ribbon,pearl bead from stash

Tools: My Favorite Things Di-namics border and rolled rose flower die

Someone body pinch me!

Hi everyone!  At last, Friday!  And another post from me with NO card again!  Firstly, a HUGE thank you to everyone who commented on my last post on their views on die cutting machines!  My friend found them very useful and will no doubt be making her choice and treating herself this weekend!  I really appreciated you taking the time to share as I know how busy we all are catching up after the Xmas festivities!

On another note, over the past couple of months, I've been thinking about how I want to focus my crafting and decided that I want to make a lot more cards to sell for my local charities.  My first thought was to stop being on design teams as they are a big time commitment, but then I decided that my team mates are all so lovely (every single one of them!!) and they brighten my days.  And anyway, they just give me an excuse to make different styles of cards for my chosen charities - so you're stuck with me gals - sorry!!!

So, not only am I staying with my two current DTs - Ladybug Crafts Ink and Totally Gorjuss, I have also been invited to join the Quixotic Inspirations DT!  Thanks for having me on the team, Elaine!

I feel so privileged to be on these teams - my team mates are all so talented as well as being fabulous, funny and kind people - that I can't believe my luck being on them!  

Somebody pinch me!

I promise to be back tomorrow with a card and no more boring rambling from me!!

Your views on die cutting machines please!

Hello all!  No card today but wanted to ask your views instead.  One of my friends who is relatively new to cardmaking (no, honest guv, I didn't influence her!!)  and she is now looking at purchasing a die cutting machine.  On her list of choices at the mo are the Quickutz Epic Six, Spellbinders Raspberry Wizard and Provocraft Cuttlebug (2nd version).  She wants to keep the cost to a minimum too.

I have the Wizard and recently bought the Grand Caliber which I am very happy with but no experience with the others.

Any views on your favourites?  Are there any others that she could look at?  Or are they much of a muchness?!!  Thanks in advance!!

Totally Ladybug Tuesday - anything goes!

Thank goodness we are all back from the festive season - I've missed being with the Ladybug Crafts Ink design team and preparing for our challenges!  Before I get onto the challenge, I'd like to welcome our new DT member, Pami, for joining the LCI team!  Pami has been a past guest designer and a regular contributer to LCI so we know her style and she fits in perfectly with our mad team!  (Well, I'm not mad, it's the others...honest guv!)

Back to the challenge!  To ease ourselves back, we have a nice easy challenge - anything goes!  So you have no excuse not to join in especially as there are no restrictions on what you use - and for this week, you can use any image to win the main prize of a LCI stamp!

I thought I would go for a very apt image for me - Slobbing Nikki.  After all the partying and socialising from the festive period, all I wanna do is NOT put on make up, dress up and have a good time, lol!!  Blimey, I'm getting old...

 

 

I also used my recent present to myself (!!) My Favorite Things Die-namics rolled flower die - it creates these gorgeous shabby chic flowers - and then I added some pearls that I've had in my stash for years - voila!  Here's a close up of them...

And before I go, just to announce that we have a very special blog hop next week to celebrate a new Ladybug Crafts Ink release!!  I've been playing with them already and I can guarantee that you are just gonna love them!  To get a head start, you can use the banner below to put on your blog - aren't I sweet?  ;)

 

That's it for me today!  Don't forget to visit the LCI challenge blog and other DT blogs - top notch inspiration as usual!




I am entering this card into the following challenges:

• Craft Your Days Away - punch it out (the border)
• The Shabby Tearoom - use at least 11 elements
• Creative Inspiration - use something new (my MFT flower die)
• Make it Monday - share your creativity!

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, Papermania Rose Garden paper pack
Stamps:  Ladybug Crafts Ink Slobbing Nikki (buy here)and It's Only Words 2 (buy here)

Mediums:Prismacolor pencils and gamsol

Accents: organza ribbon and pearls from stash, Papermania flat backed pearls

Tools: My Favorite Things Die-namics rolled flower die (in the UK, you can buy it here), Martha Stewart border punch, Nestabilities label die (inside card)

Tickled pink!

Not in a great mood.  Back to work tomorrow, hmmph.  Been thinking about packing the day job and trying to make enough money making cards - but the sums just don't add up!  So back to work tomorrow, lol!!

Tonight's card is a birthday card for a little lady and I think those sweet Cherrie images are perfect for any girl  under the age of 14 - or older in fact!  I used the Tickled Pink Stamp monthly challenge sketch and here is my card...

That's it for today!  Back tomorrow for Totally Ladybug Tuesday so see ya then!

I am also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Secret Crafter Saturday challenge - buttons and bows
• Paper Sundaes - use something new (the digi stamp and DPs)

Paper/cardstock: Bazzill cardstock, Imaginisce birthday papers

Stamps: Cupcake Cherrie digi stamp, My Favorite Things sentiments 

Mediums: Copics and ProMarkers, Diamond Glaze (on balloons)

Accents: buttons from stash, Bazzill white floss

Tools: Martha Stewart border punch, Nestabilities label die (inside card)