Dream Valley Challlenge 17 - Monochrome

I love monochrome.....but I don't particularly love purple....But for Dream Valley's Monochrome Challenge, I decided to challenge myself by using Purple and using a 5 x 7 card blank (I do love my square ones). 

This lovely cute image is Party Princess and she's been coloured with Promarkers.  The papers are a Papermania Henbury Lane with a few (normally neglected) items from stash.  I've also used my Cuttlebug embossing foldres for the heart background and the spotty hearts.  I use these folders SOOOO much in my cards, especially lately with the wedding/anniversary orders I've had. 

This fortnight we are sponsored by the fabulous One Stop Card Crafts, so what monochrome project will you come up with.....I can't wait to see!

I would also like to enter the following challenges:

CES Challenge - Totally Gorjuss / Pretty Girls

The ABC Challenge - A is for Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

A Few Challenges

 This first card is made using the extremely cute Dougal from Sugar Nellie.  I've coloured him with Promarkers and teamed him with some Dovecraft Sugar and Spice paper (the brown one) and some First Edition Up, Up & Away papers.  With just a simple sentiment and some rafia to finish.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

*Mojo Monday - The fab sketch I followed

*One Stitch at a Time - Favourites (the First Edition Up, Up & Away paper, Promarkers and circle/scalloped circle nesties)

*Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes

Paper Sundaes - Anything Goes

*Anything Goes - Anything Goes

*Hanna and Friends - Anything Goes

*Papertake Weekly - Creature Comforts
*Here Come the Boys - Bingo (Rafia, Cute Image, 2 Squares)

And my next card was a last minute order for a friend: 5oth Birthday with a caravan theme.  The caravan is a picture from the web, decoupaged, with papers from stash, which I think came from Clare. 

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

*Creative Inspirations - Let's Celebrate

*One Stop Craft Challenge - Easel Cards

*The Paper Shelter - Anything Goes

Hope you've had a good weekend, folks.  We've had a lovely weekend: Loch Katrine yesterday and Peebles today.  Absolutely stunning scenery in both places.  Today, we were checking out the mountain biking place at Glen Tress, so hopefully we'll get there next weekend.

Take care!

Another Sugar Bowl Entry

Wow, don't tell anyone, but I think I might be getting my act together again with this blogging lark!  I'm trying to blog more regularly and enter more challenges again, just need to manage my time more effectively and hope that life doesn't get in the way again!  And I'm entering the Sugar Bowl again.

Anyway, this is the beautiful Simply Sassy City Girl.  I LOVE her hair and her dress sense, although I wouldn't have the bottle to wear those boots!  I've coloured her with Promarkers and been a bit more daring with the hair (using Ivory for the light bits) and I'm really pleased with the result.  Must be more daring more often.....maybe I should get those boots after all, huh?!!  The papers are a mix of Memory Box Spearmint and First Edition Up, Up & Away - using up my scraps.  I've also cut a scalloped bit of mulberry paper I've had for ages and pleated some scrap ribbon.

I think I'm becoming addicted to these Sassys, thanks to Elaine (yep, I'm blaming you AGAIN!!) sending some images to me a while ago.... and the new release......I need to sell some crafty stuff to pay for my addiction, methinks!!

Little Pom Pom

Good morning peeps.  I'm just sneeking a bit of blogging time before collecting Euan from nursery as I've been so good with the housework!

So, this is little Pom Pom from LOTV - cute, isn't she?  Thanks, Clare, for letting me stamp her a few weeks ago.  I've coloured her with Promarkers and a few different kinds of Stickles (Stardust and Silver, I think).

The papers are my beautiful First Edition Summer Bloom ones - they're so nice, and Pom Pom is so cute that the layout is really simple, with just a bit of matting and a little bow.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

*Top Tip Tuesday - One for the Kids

*Anything Goes - Anything Goes at Anything Goes!

*Stampin' for the Weekend - Tickled Pink

Dream Valley Challenge 16 - Buttons

Well, I REALLY can't believe that we are on challenge 16 over at Dream Valley already....where on earth is time going to?

This challenge is "Buttons" and we are sponsored by Digis With Attitude.

For this challenge, I have used my new Peek a Boo from Funkykits.  Isn't she adorable?  And she looks just like Lily, who gave this card to her daddy and orange is her favourite colour!  And, as LIly is as cute as a button, it was fitting that I included buttons as the flower centres and as embellishments!!

As it is all orangey, I think I could enter some autumn challenges, so:

Crafty Purple Frog - Fall into Fall

Craft us Crazy - Goodbye to Summer

Heidis Hobbystuggo - Fall Colours
Delicious Doodles - Cute as a Button
Digi Doodle Shop - Autumn Colours

Have a fantastic Sunday and happy crafting!

The Sugar Bowl Challenge 67

I've finally had time to join in with the Sugar Bowl challenge.  It's a fab sketch and I just HAD to play with my gorgeous new fairy, Hello Little Friend.  I adore this stamp!  This is my first attempt at colouring her, using Promarkers (and, of course, Stardust Stickles), and I'm actually quite chuffed with it.  Can't wait to colour another one up in a diferent colour combo!

I've used First Edition Up, Up and Away papers, with stars and flowers punched from scraps.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

The Sugar Bowl - Sketch and "Use Your Scraps"

PaperPlay Challenges - Punches and Dies (2nd entry)

Papertake Weekly - Things with Wings

CES - Make it Magical or Spooky (magical!)

My First Christmas Card

Thanks to my wonderful friend, Susan, I have finally made a start on my Christmas cards!

Susan gave me this gorgeously cute Furry Friends for my birthday and it is a dream to colour.  I've coloured this one with Promarkers and Stardust Stickles.  The papers are Memory Box Spearmint (thanks Elaine x) and I've deliberately kept the layout simple to show off the image, so just my scallop nesties and some punched snowflakes to finish.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

PaperPlay Challenges - Punches and Dies

Moving Along with the Times - Sparkle

Stamp Something - Anything Goes

Creatalicious Challenges - Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes

Papercraft Star - Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challenge 15 - Photo Inspiration

It's time for a new challenge at Dream Valley and this fortnight, our challenge is a photo inspiration using the following picture:

It's beautiful, isn't it?  Looks summery, or maybe wedding-like and the colours are gorgeous.  So, this fortnight, we are lucky enough to be sponsored by One Stop Card Crafts AND Sassy Studio Designs.  The team were very kindly given a few images to play with and I decided that Sock Hop Sweetie 2 would be cool with the papers I had in mind.

Some flowers, leaves and ribbon from my stash and I even found a music charm to complete it!

I also had a play with Pirate Penny and even distressed the papers and image (OMG I don't know what came over me!!).  My colouring of this image is sooooo inferior compared to my teamies, but I DID have fun with it AND stepped out of my comfort zone to have another go at distressing! 

Happy crafting....I'm looking forward to seeing your Dream Valley projects using the photo as inspiration! 

Sugar Bowl Challenge 66

Wow, what a hectic 10 days it's been......first, there was Gran's 70th birthday party, a day in Edinburgh (which included a picnic in St. Andrew's Square), then there was Louise starting back at school, Gran's ACTUAL birthday, then it was my birthday (which was fab, this year!), then it was my nephew, Sandy's 11th birthday, a weekend catching up on lots of DIY jobs, and my lovely hubby was on holiday yesterday, so we got a few more jobs done and enjoyed walking Lou to school/taking Euan to Jazz/Lou to ballet/etc.  Phew!!

So, at some point over the weekend, I finally finished colouring this little Sugar Nellie Cutie, Purrfect Playmates.  I've coloured her with Distress Inks, after FIRST choosing which papers I wanted to use....now, I'm guessing this is pretty normal for the majority of people, but I normally just colour my images (in lots of 5/10/15 minute blocks) then choose papers, which (hopefully) co-ordinate AFTER.  Not sure it's made a huge difference, but at least I knew for sure that it would look nice with the papers. These papers are First Edition Up, Up & Away, by the way, and are absolutely stunning!

So, I would like to enter the following challenges:

*Sugar Bowl - Sketch & One for the Girls

*Stamps R Us - Anything Goes

*Totally Gorjuss - As You Like It

*Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

I've got loads of other cards and jewellery to show you, including a Handbag "card"....I just need enough computer time to blog them!

Dream Valley Challenge 14 - Colour Theme

 

Happy Sunday, everyone!  It's time for our 14th challenge over at Dream Valley and this fortnight, we have a colour theme of Lemon, Orange and Lime, using the following photo:

Aren't these colours fab?  As soon as I saw the lime green I was reminded of Lou's ballet outfit for her dancing show this year.  And I was chuffed that I managed to find a large enough sheet of paper and coordinating ribbons to match - meant to be!!

The little fairies I've added are Rainbow Magic Silhouettes from Stitchy Bear, our sponsor for this challenge.  They have some fab images and the lucky winner will receive $10 to spend at their store!

So, what does this colour combo make you think of?  What are you going to create for Dream Valley this challenge?  Happy crafting!!

Monochromatic Fairies and Flowers

Wow, I haven't made a monochromatic card for ages, but this beautiful Stitchy Flight of Fancy image (and the fact that I'd printed 4 of them in a row) just seems to scream to me to do that! 

So, I have kept it really simples (as usual!!) with black matting, some swirly embossing, white ribbon, silver peel off lines, Sizzix vines and punched flowers with silver Stickles.  The Fairies' wings each have 3 shades of Stickles, although the pic hasn't picked that up!

I would like to enter the following challenges:

*Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Monochromatic - now finished!

*The Crazy Challenge - Embossing

*My Time to Craft - Fairy Tales

*PaperPlay - Create your own DP (embossed white background)

*One Stitch at a Time - Use a Digi

*Crafty Catz - Emboss it

*Fussy & Fancy Friday - Use a Lot (I LOVE these retro punched flowers with Stickles)

*Craft Your Days Away - Birthdays

*Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes

*Anything Goes - Birthday / Celebration

And a few more cards I've made using photos taken last year and more black card for matting!!!

 

Rosie Posey - Roses

At last I've been able to blog my Rosie Posey card.  She's so cute, isn't she?  And she suits so many occasions and people!  I've coloured her with Promarkers, using a bit of an unusual colour combo for me, but I rather like it!  I decided to make little bouquet of flowers as an embellishment, which includes a few beaded/spiralled wires too.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

*Lili of the Valley - Roses

*Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes

*Anything Goes - Birthday / Celebration

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Happy Birthday

*Stampin for the Weekend - Spots and Dots

LOTV - Me and My Pony

This is the first I've coloured this stamp, but it'll be used alot!  It's LOTV "Me and My Pony", coloured with Distress Inks.  Making sure that the horse showed up against the stable door was a bit of a challenge with my 2 cream/brown shades, but I think it works.  Definitely neeed to invest in a darker brown DI, though..

I've used my new First Edition Up, Up & Away papers, which are beautiful and nice and summery, just like today!  I thought I'd followed the sketch at Everybody Art, but it would appear that I've missed off a square, so can't enter.....but I CAN enter the following:

*Stampalot - Whatever You Fancy

*Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes (and optional metal - not used)

*Stampavie and More - Summer

*Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challlenge 13 - Distressing

Happy Sunday everyone!  It's time for another challenge at Dream Valley and this fortnight we are lucky enough to be sponsored by Digi Doodles  AND One Stop Card Crafts!

Our theme is "Distressing"  Now, I have to admit that this is a HUGE challenge for me, favouring clean and simple as I do......what do you mean I have to rough up my lovely papers and add ink!  Some people are so amazing at this style, like my teamie Sara, but here is my first attempt, using Digi Doodles Daisy Girl:

I promise that that the edges have been roughed up with a pair of scissors and inked..........And my 2nd attempt, using Digi Doodles Country Path - the distressing is a little more obvious here!

So, if I can do distressing, ANYONE can, so please come and join us at Dream Valley!

Sugar Bowl Entry 2

I really enjoyed using this Sugar Bowl Sketch and when Debbi advised us on the Sugar Nellie Facebook Forum that if the entries reached 100, the prize was going to increase to 6 Sugar Nellie stamps, I knew JUST what to do with the Sassy I had coloured last week!

The image is Sassy Luv a Latte and she has been coloured (a little too heavily on the denim skirt!) with my beloved Distress Inks.  I've used my new First Edition Summer Bloom papers and cut 2 of the flowers with a craft knife to lift the flowers and act as embellishments.

Here's a pic of the fabby sketch

I'd love to have a surf and enter a few more challenges, but peaceful computer time is coming to an end and I've just remembered that I haven't yet put my (made yesterday) lasagne in the oven:0(  Maybe I'll have more time when the kids are in bed.........maybe not.........

Tiny Tiddler Card

Well, with the exception of today, we've been having gorgeous weather lately!  Lou has been able to do her athletics outside this week and there's been lots of outside time and ice lollies!!  (Today is chucking it down, but hopefully tomorrow will be back to sunshine...

The ever-so-cute Tiny Tiddler was one of the images sent by Elaine and I've coloured her with Distress Inks.  She's a joy to colour, so I've added HER to my wishlist too (NAUGHTY Elaine, lol!!)

I've used a mix of Basic Grey Marjolaine papers and the gorgeous (but obsolete) Memory Box Spearmint papers - these really are my kind of colours.  (Incidentally, the Spearmint papers will be the only paper EVER, so far, that I have completely used up - there are only a few sheets and scraps left.  Normally, I have loads left........although I suspect that the First Edition Summer Bloom and Up, Up & Away pads that were delivered today will be much the same!)

I would like to enter:

*Sugar Bowl - Sketch & Lace (I've used rafia lace)

*Clear it Out - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

*Paper Playtime - Summer

*Craft Your Days Away - Summer

*Allsorts - Free and easy July (3rd and final entry)
*Divas by Design - Here Comes Summer
*2 Sisters - Anything Goes

Ladybug Nora

(For some reason, it's the UNcropped photo that has been added - grrr!!)

As you may have read before, my lovely friend, Elaine sent me some brilliant card and some images for painting with Distress Inks.  Ladybug Nora was the first image I coloured and I love her - she's soooo cute and DEFINITELY on my wishlist!!  I'm really pleased with her face and hair, but I think I need more practice working with the red. 

But anyway, I've layered her on my Nesties and Clare Curd papers.  I managed to find some red ribbon and decided that I'd make a few pins for embellishments as I've never made a card using these before.  Predictably, I've used Stardust Stickles for her wings.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

*Stamp Something - Something Embellished

*Crafty Catz - No Pink or Blue Allowed

*Papertake Weekly - Getting Cute

*Everybody Art - Dots

*Clear it Out - Anything Goes

Your Next Stamp Challenges - 3 embellishments, 2 papers, 1 image

*The Stamp Man - Anything By T!m

*Stampavie and More - Birthday

*Allsorts - Free and Easy July

Dream Valley Challenges 12 - Surprise!

Dream Valley Challenge 12 is sponsored by Digi's with Attitude and the lucky winner will win $10.00 Canadian dollars to spend in their shop.....and all you have to do is make something with a SURPRISE element- a flap, a pop-up, hidden element, etc.

The design team were lucky enough to get an image to play with, so I chose this one, Moviestar Tween.  I've coloured her with Promarkers and added eyeshadow and detail to her shoes and dress using fineliners (as I don't have any fine Promarker nibs yet) and some Stardust Stickles. 

 And my surprise element is:

 A pair of earrings hiding behind the image.  (I'm not clever enough to come up with a witty sentiment, so it's earrings instead!)

And here's another card with a hidden tag, using the gorgeous Worried:

I've also made an envelope album using this link, but need to fill it with photos or something first, but I'll share with you as soon as I've done that.

So, happy crafting, peeps!

Gifts for Teachers

Well, our schools broke up last Friday, so we're one week into eight and the first week's been pretty good!

This year, Louise has had 2 teachers, so I made these 2 gifts:  the blue one for her main teacher, Mrs Leitch and the red one for Miss Wylie.  Both have been made with practicality in mind - a short necklace that sits approximately in line with the collar bone, and bracelets made with elastic and no clasps, making them quick and easy to remove for art / gym lessons.

Crystal Rose Flower Necklace

 £8 unboxed - SOLD

This necklace is 22.5cm, including the drop.  The 30mm pendant has been recycled from another necklace, and the beads are a collection of 10-15mm clear, pale pink and rose pink beads, with silver spacers between each one.  Lobster clasp and spring ring fastening.  Extension chain can be added.