make a wish......

This card is one I made last year for a dear friend who was battling cancer, a group of us made cards to send to give her a boost and let her know we were thinking of her.

It's hard to know what sort of card to do in such circumstances, but knowing she liked butterflies I set to work with stamps, distress inks, gilding flakes and a crealie die. 

Sadly my friend lost her battle earlier this year. 

Today a random comment lead to a conversation about her and it made me smile so I thought I would post this on my blog as a permanent reminder of a lovely lady, who is never far from our thoughts.

what a week!

It's been a hectic week where I trialled a new job, sadly it wasn't the one for me and I had to make the tough decision not to continue with it. It was madness going out the door before 7am and not getting home again until after 6pm. The last thing I felt like doing when I got in was cooking the evening meal and crafting......however, today has been much nicer, I went to the Clarity East workshop and got to play with some lovely Clarity Stamps and stencils. The classes are really good, we learn new techniques and ways to use the stamps while crafting, then there's the chance to have a chat over coffee and cakes.

Most of the Clarity stamped cards that I make are given to my nearest and dearest, however, several times a year I co-host a workshop with two other ladies and I am in charge of the stamped cards. Last month I decided to use a Clarity stamp I received as a member of the New Design Club for one of my cards. I kept it small and simple with a distress ink background and then embossed a snowflake stamp in the middle to tone with the mirri used to mat and layer it. Quick but effective, we also made it in green and red, both of which looked stunning. A variety of colours in a handmade box made a nice gift for a local charity tombola as well.

I've decided to enter it in the Clarity Blog challenge. For November it's a Christmas theme, so this should fit in nicely, the other entries are fabulous - as always, go and take a look, you won't regret it :-)

http://claritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/challenge-9.html

Ok, I have been very neglectful of my blog, despite my good intensions. I find there are not enough hours in the day with being a full time Mum, grandmother, crafter and worker...until recently when I was made redundant. Who knew finding a new job would be a full time role in itself!! I'm still unemployed, but hopefully that will change soon.
In recent months my son has married, my grandsons are growing quickly (and a joy to spend time with) and I am crafting whenever I can. I am a big fan of Barbara Grey and have many of her stamps, however, like chocolate, a girl can never have too many :-)
As well as watching Barbara on tv and her fantastic DVD's, I have been going along to the Clarity East stamping classes, run by the very lovely Janet. I have learnt so much from the classes and made many new friends into the bargain. The crafting world is certainly full of some wonderful people.
Barbara recently started a blog and I have been following it daily, but been unable to leave any comments. Until today...when I logged on with my laptop rather than the ipad.....problem solved :-)
One of Barbara's posts included a challenge, to get up to speed with the blogging world, and post a link to her blog, so other people can enjoy her posts. The bonus is a chance to to win a fantastic giveaway. It got me thinking it was high time I dusted off my blog, made it feel a bit more loved and got to grips with how it all works.
So here I am, ready to have a good look at what needs updating, what's new in blogger world and to have a peek around the blogs I have previously enjoyed visiting...maybe even find a few more :-)
I suspect my day is about to disappear into blogland, but with the miserable weather outside...why not  :-)
If you haven't already visited Barbara's blog, go take a look, I promise you will love it, the link is on my sidebar

Happy Easter everyone.

I am on cloud 9 at the moment, my son and partner became the proud parents of a baby boy yesterday. After 4 tough years losing 3 babies they finally have their own little baby to take home :-)

 I can now boast of two wonderful little grandsons, and can't wait to spend more time with the newest member of the family.

This is the card I made for the new parents, I was so caught up in the 'getting him here safely' bit that I clean forgot to make a card, so this was a bit rushed, but I couldn't possible turn up at the hospital without a card for him.

from black and white to pink and grey......

I'm at my happiest when getting inky fingers from playing around with stamps. This is a card I made using a Clarity stamp and mask, I really like the colours and layout and it's encouraged me to try other masks and colour combinations.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenge

ladybugs crafts ink challenge blog - think pink

Black and white card

This is a very early card that I made, I found the picture lurking in my album, so thought I would post it on here. I am determined to try and post once a week, so expect to see quite a few old card popping up in the next few weeks. It's been quite a challenge trying to remember how to link up etc, so apologies if anything isn't working properly, please let me know so I can fix it :-)

I would like to enter this in the following challenges

Joanna Sheen - Black and white

I really must try harder......

to post more often! After giving up on blogger many months ago due to access issues, I had forgotten all about it. A comment from a friend reminded me it had been a while since I checked in...well 17 months near enough.....so after finding it's working I have updated my 'About me' and will make sure I post at least once a month in future. I just need to try and remember how to post pictures and link up and with a bit of luck I can start joining in with some challenges etc.
So watch this space :-)

twice in one day!

Well what about that, nothing for weeks then 2 cards in 24 hours! This one was for a particular challenge that i wanted to enter, i really struggled to stop at this as i really wanted to keep going and add more, but had to rein in the urge :-)

To make this card i have used my new card-io stamps - Gerbera Garden, they are one of three sets i got recently, but this is my first attempt at using them...it certainly won't be my last, i love the little bee. I used a variety of inks, distress, memento and papermania, the bees were coloured in with a promarker and the wings and flower centres were highlighted with Kuratake's wink of stella pens. Sadly my camera is dying so i couldn't get a better picture and pick up on the sparkle...but they really do 'wink' as you move the card.

I would like to enter this into the following challenge:

Charisma Cardz - challenge 33 negative space

It's been a long time

since i have posted, mostly because i couldn't access blogger but also because i have been so busy. Not that being busy has stopped me crafting and i have loads of new cards made, including some for Christmas....i don't normally think about Christmas until after hubby's birthday in November, but that was before i started crafting lol.

Anyway, here is a card i made while awol. Originally i made it in green but then i was asked to make it in peach for a wedding card, it was quite a challenge to find peach tones papers but i found them eventually. The flowers are handmade, the ribbon is a scrap of paper put through a Marianne die cut, the butterfly was one of several sent to me by a friend that i coloured with pro markers and then i added lots of glamour dust. The leaves are from a Crealies die cut that i absolutely love.

I would like to enter this in the following challenges:

creative card crew - hand made flowers

Try it on tuesday - anything goes

paper creations ink - show us your flowers

flutter by wednesdays -challenge 167

beautiful butterflies

A few weeks back i invested in this lovely butterfly die after using one belonging to a friend, it's inspired me to make lots of pretty cards but this is one of my favourites. I used holographic card for the butterfly and tail, then i taped velum to the inside of the card which i cut diagonally and folded back through the aperture, the points are held in place with some brads from my stash. Pretty lilac backing paper to cover the inside and tone with the brads really makes the butterfly stand out and it was all finished off with some little silver peel off corners.   

I would like to enter this card in:

One stitch at a time - things with wings

Make it monday - Anything goes

Fathers Day approaches

With Fathers Day fast approaching i thought i should get crafting, i wanted to do something a bit different to a standard card shape, but wanted to stay fairly masculine, so using peel offs. promarkers and a couple of backing papers i came up with this. 

I would like to enter this into:

C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Fathers Day
Craft us crazy - Fathers Day and/or Masculine Colors/Theme
Delightful Sketches - Fathers day challenge
Paper Play Challenges - Fathers Day/Man's card
Ambers Crafts and Stuff.com -Special man
Crafting for all seasons - Fathers Day
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Celebrating dad/man in your life
The crazy challenge - Fathers Day
Lexis Creations - Fathers Day or mans card
Creative Inspirations Challenge - Fathers Day
Here come the boys - Fathers Day/Hubby/Partner
Sparkles forum challenges - Fathers day

iris folding

I had a go at iris folding a few weeks ago using this pre-cut sail boat card, it was really fun to do using paper scraps and quite relaxing, however i was unsure what to do with all the white space on the card. Then i got introduced to chalks and thought the soft focused two tone blue made a really nice sky and sea background without actually detracting from the lovely effect on the sails. I will definitely be giving this technique another try, i just need to find some card blanks that i like and then i'm away :-)

Flowers and peel offs again.....

after my play around with black peel offs on my black and tan card i decided to do a busier, more colourful card, and this is what i came up with.  The backing paper, ribbon and candy were from stash and the flowers and sentiment were coloured using pro markers 

I would like to enter this into -

Crafty Creations - May flowers (flower, patterned paper and ribbon)
Paper Pretties - flowers
Claudia and company -girls birthday card
Clear it out challenge - Colors

A great give-a-way......

if you are not already a member Crafters Digital Art Centre then you may not be aware of what a great site it is, or of the great giveaway that is currently running.
Please see the links on the side of my blog and go and have a look, you won't regret it :-)

The Black and Tan effect

I recently got some black peel offs to play around with and with this card i decided to keep it simple by mounting the hat silhouette onto white then bronze coloured card that had been cut out using nesties. I then mounted the flower peel offs onto white card, cut them out and coloured them with promarkers to tone with the bronze card. To keep with the bronze theme i then added tiny bronze coloured gems on alternate scallops to bling up the card. I haven't added a sentiment as i didn't think the card needed one and this way i can make it relevant on the inside when i want to use it.

I would like to enter this into - 

Card Cupids - No patterned paper

Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything goes

Creative Inspirations - Glitz & Bling

The Paper Shelter - Black + White + One

new look and new cards

After a busy couple of months ( i became nan to a gorgeous little boy in March) i have finally found time to sit down, create some cards and give my blog some attention. To mark the return i have updated the look and name, what do you think?

I've made quite a few cards over the past few weeks so will try and get them on here at a steady pace rather than all in one go. The first is a diamond fold card i made this week.

The sentiment and central topper were given to me, so i don't know where they came from but i really liked playing with such a different shaped card and will definitely make more.

I would like to enter it into :


One Stitch At A Time - Fancy Folds

a good luck card for a friend

This lovely little Mo Manning image called Sprout is part of the Help for Katie package that Jak Heath is running in aid of a lady with cancer. I thought it was perfect for a friend at work going into hospital for a mastectomy, she loves her gardens and i thought the little seed starting to grow represented the start of her beating her own cancer battle.

I coloured Sprout in with Promarkers and used a backing paper from the Wedding collection from Paper Cellar. The ribbon was two different ones from Crafty Ribbons that i doubled up to give the rusty pink colour that i wanted. The flowers were from stash and also coloured with Promarkers.

another birthday card

I love this card that i made for my teenage neice. The backing paper was freebie in a magazine, the topper was made from white card i inked up with Tim Holz distress inks which i then stamped and coloured using my Promarkers, i  mounted it on glitter paper from Hobbycraft. The handbag, silver shoes and sentiment came from candy i won last year.

my poor neglected blog :-(

Things have been so busy at home that i haven't got round to updating my blog for far too long, but i have been busy making cards and crafting.
My camera was poorly so all pictures posted today were taken on my mobile, hence the poor quality. It's fixed now so the next lot will hopefully look better.

This card was for my youngest brother, known for his love of fishing.

and this one was for his young son who loves all things skate board related.

Both cards were free digi images that were coloured with Promarkers, and mounted on card and papers from stash (which were kindly donated when i started crafting)

Playing with alcohol inks is messy....but oh so much fun :-)

I made this card for a work colleague to say Thank You for doing something really kind for us this week.
I made the image by blending two colours of Rangers alcohol ink and the silver mixative, then overstamped with a tiny rubber stamp i picked up in a sale using Stayzon ink, i mounted it on card stock and decorated with ribbon from Crafty Ribbons. The sentiment is another stamp from a sale, i wasn't 100% happy with the way i stamped the edge so i cut it down using my Big Shot and a scalloped circle nestie. Unfortunately the metallic look hasn't shown up too well in the photo but i was really pleased with it.


I would like to enter this card into the following challenges


Crafty Catz Challenge 65 - Thank you
Delicious Doodles  - Use 3 colours
Fairy Knolll Challenge - Thank you