Blog candy from Bev!

I found a blog candy offer right here.  I'd go and have a look if I were you........it's a great offer!
I found I was sitting there reading and I suddenly could hear myself going.....ooh!............ooh!........ ha ha! 
Good Luck with it!

Whiff of Joy Challenge # 86 - Janes sketch

I thought I would enter the Whiff of Joy Challenge blog this time. It's based on a sketch by Jane, and you need to use a Whiff of Joy stamp of course. Whiff of Joy are about to launch their new Christmas stamps, so I thought I would use an older one for my card, just because I love Henry Mouse, really! I hope you can see the picture ok, by the time I finished it this evening, I had to take a picture in artificial light. It seems ok, so I hope it still is by the time it reaches your monitor. All the details can be found at the link above, if you'd like to enter. In the meantime, here's my entry

Lots of glitter on this card..............but then it is for Xmas!

Here's a close up of the flowers. I glittered the edges of the petals with silver stickles. You might just be able to see that the mistletoe berries were done with platinum liquid pearls.

Thank You Andria!

My first award EVER!! Thanks to you, Andria, at Iona-Rose . especially as her card making designs leave me  in awe of her talent which makes this doubly appreciated! If you haven't seen her blog you should really pay a visit............and soon!
There are some rules to go with this award so I'll get that done now, before I forget!
1) THANK THE PERSON WHO GAVE ME THIS AWARD - Thank you once more, you can't imagine how pleased I am to get this
2) PLACE THE AWARD ON YOUR BLOG - Well, I did that first, ( just couldn't wait, y'see?)
3) LIST 3 THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF - Ohhhhhh difficult!  I'm pretty tolerant of others opinions, "live and let live" is my motto.  I like my eyes. I like to help others if I possibly can.
4) POST A PICTURE YOU LOVE - this took me a while to find, but was taken in April 2004. It features myself, my father and my very dear friends from Holland, and shows one of the happiest moments of my life. 

I have been unable to go and see them for about 3 years now, and miss them terribly. This was taken on a boat in the Ijsselmeer somwhere between Medemblik and Enkhuizen. This is also the only picture with all of us together.

5) PASS THE AWARD TO 5 OTHER PEOPLE - Gosh! How do you chooose just 5? If I miss someone, please don't take it personally!!   So in no specific order

1 - Squirrels World -  just cos I love her cards.

2 - Ikki's Cuttlebug Cupboard - This is an amazing site and has opened my eyes to so many possibilities of using the bug I would never have thought of myself. I don't suppose she needs  an award like this, her site is already so succesful and amazing, but she surely deserves it in my book.

3 - Jeanette  at Happy Thoughts and Inkspots  She's on several design teams and never fails to inspire me.

4 - Spyders Corner - because on my worst days, she still makes me smile when I read her blog. I would love mine to be half as much fun and as informative as this.

5 - And last but not least, ( and I hope this is within the rules ) I nominate  NB Mr David.

 Brenda and her husband are live aboard narrow boat owners, and she also makes cards, many of which feature wonderful scenes of the canals in all seasons of the year. She also sells her cards here, and was the person who first made me think about running my own blog. I follow her blog religiously, and its interesting to read about their travels as well as see her cards.

-

WOYWW

I cleaned up my desk a bit today, but it never looks really tidy I'm afraid. Three pictures sorta scanning from left to right. One day I'd like a set of shelves above my desk for all my stack of stuff.............under the desk is full already! The only things on show this week are a couple of challenge cards I think. But if you can spot anything else, it's not a secret! :-) Why not head over to What's on your Workdesk wednesday and join in?

Scrappers Delight - Challenge #1 Sweet As Candy

I've done this card for the Scrappers Delight Challenge - Sweet as Candy. I couldn't find a stamp of ice cream of any kind in my box, so I Googled an image and then hand  copied it onto card with a black fineliner. Then I coloured the ice cream with promarkers and water colours for the cone. Then I added some glitter to the edges of the colours, I've done the same for the vanilla flavour too, but it doesn't show on here, unfortunately.

The idea is that the theme is either food related or the colours are candy tones.....also, (most unfairly), you have to own up to what your favourite snack is................Apple Donuts is mine, and even worse I have a Bakers about 5 doors away from me! 

 About midnight every night I get the most wonderful scent of baking bread through the windows..........yummy!.......but it does nothing for my will power! Back later for WOMWW!

A Complete Days's Crafting & Little to Show For it!..............

.................but I did have fun!

I spent the whole day playing with stamps and water colours, and ended up with one complete card. I also have 5 toppers ready to play with tomorrow, but I just had a great relaxing day!

I just love LOTV, I have a hard job choosing my favourite rubber stamp suppliers as Whiff of Joy is up there too. But lilly of the valley have more cuteness to their 'humans', and of course, money helps too & they are slightly less expensive.

Doodle Diva's Challenge

This card was made for the challenge over at  Doodle Diva's Netherlands. I found all the details on Spyder's Blog, and fell in love with the image. Unfortunately, when it came to making it up my imagination failed. I don't usually make Halloween cards, and my mind went blank.................well,.....blanker than usual!!

 I entered it anyway, and I'm hoping I'll get a bit more inspiration before the end of October!!

The sentiment was computer generated , and I used the font "halloween spiders" available free from Dafont.

The backing paper was another freebie that I  think was available from Mad About Cards, and, now I've slipped away to check, apparently still is! (I know the link takes you to Printable Heaven, but it's the same company really!)

By the way...........the bats are a string of Halloween decorations I found in ASDA about 3 years ago!! I knew they'd come in handy sometime!

My latest LOTV stamp

Just enough time to dash in and out to show off my latest LOTV stamp. She's such a perfect little angel!!
Got to go and put a couple of cards up elsewhere tonight, so no time to chat, really. It's been a lovely day, my son came to visit bearing gifts........a joint of meat and some veggies, so dinner tonight was on him! It was wonderful. He's just gone so I have to catch up on everything I haven't done earlier today! Please ignore the very bad faux stitching around the edge of the card. It's my first attempt and it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be..............I should have known, the easiest looking techniques are always the ones with the ability to go pear shaped at the slightest opportunity!!

Hope you like her, see you soon!

WOYWW

For a while now I've been following Whats On Your Workdesk Wednesday and been blog hopping & being nosey! So I thought it was past time I should show off my mess. I do admit I tidy sometimes, but usually only when things start to fall off the edges of my desk as I sweep my arm across for more space in the centre.
I know it's bad.........but sometimes my imagination needs more space than I have desk, what can I say?
Anyway............here it is, in the corner of my living room. I just spend my days hoping I don't get visitors!!
I have this dream of my daughter leaving home and a spare room emerging............bliss! A room that is purely for crafting! On the other hand............I'd miss her like crazy!

I'm feeling at a bit at a loss today, as I've run out of card suitable for stamping and colouring with promarkers. My usual supplier (Mad About Cards) has been out of stock for days, so now I've run right out.

 I sourced a new supplier and sent off my order. I just hope it doesn't take too long to arrive. I ordered from PDA card & craft. I just hope Mac get some new stocks in soon cos there's a couple of other bits I need that they are out of stock of, too.

All Finished now, and a new image for me!

I finally got the wording through for the birth congratulations card I made, so I've added a couple of pictures to show the finished article here

I also received in the post my long awaited Lili of the Valley stamp "Angel Gabriel". I haven't made a card with it yet, but it was so cute, I had to colour it in straight away. It just makes me smile..........it's every nativity play in primary schools all over the country!

The last couple of days I spent making cards from Pink Petticoat images, to offer as design team entries.  They asked for cards, tags or projects,......... but only 2. Now I have to decide if the ones I made are good enough, whether I need to try again, or, if they ARE good enough, which two to choose, and finally whether my nerve will hold long enough to actually send them anyway. I made a little Origami box and decorated it lightly as a "project". I actually like this and think they would be great with one of those oversized quality chocs you see about at Xmas put in them. What a great tree gift!!

Then I made this little A6 card. The image is matted onto silver card

and has been watercoloured and the tree decorations glittered using a quickie glue pen and fine blue glitter. I added some silver lace down the card, which I threaded some dark green ribbon through and added a bow at the top. Not sure about this one I have to admit!

The next card was done with three panels, using 3 Christmas trees from the same set of digital stamps. After I made it I realised that it looked a little like a set of traffic lights (ARGH!!) but when I made it, I was thinking, Christmas colours - red, gold & green. Which in itself was a little unfortunate, cos all the time I was making it I then had Culture Club-Karma Chameleon running through my brain, and have done ever since!!  You have no idea how annoying that song can get after two days solid!

Anyway, the images I put a small amount of colour onto, using  sakura stardust pens, and outlined the main images using the Quickie Glue Pen, and silver glitter. They were matted a layered onto silver and coloured card from my stash. I placed a scarlet satin ribbon across the card, and tied a small piece of matching ribbon in between each image. The outside images are stuck flat onto the card and the centre one was put onto an extra piece of silver card using 2mm sticky pads and then attached to the card using another set of 2 mm pads to raise it up and give the whole card more 'interest'.

Last but not least is this little penguin. I've covered the card with snowflake design paper, a strip of pearlised blue paper and  punched the edges, and the edge of the actual card with my Martha Stewart punch. The penguin's hat was coloured with Pro-markers, and the spots, trim and bobble highlighted with Stickles 'Frosted Lace'. I matted and layered the image using nestabilites dies, raised on 2 mm sticky pads, & then I decoupaged the actual penguin.

 The black colour was added by cutting out a shape from the new Anita's outline stickers adhesive sheets , they give a slightly frosted sheen to his feathers, which I liked a lot.

To finish off I added some white plastic confetti snowflakes which I dipped in Aleenes Tacky glue and frosted with holographic glitter, (they sparkle very prettily in the light), and very last of all I added a blue ribbon tied in a bow down the edge. Quite a longish post today, but I hoped you enjoyed it!! Whatever is left of your Sunday, I hope you are having a great day.

Wishcraft's Anniversary Blog Candy.

Just a quick post, Wishcraft have a blog candy on offer for followers of her blog. It ends on 31st August if anyone is interested in entering, the link is in my side bar. I have to admit, I read her blog regularly as it's in my favourites list, but I hadn't registered as a follower til now. ( Still learning this blogging lark you see!). However, with the benefits of finding the follower link having been pointed out to me, I duly registered! If you decide to join me, may I wish you good luck!!..............just not  TOO much as I'd really love that Glamour Dust! hee hee.

Baby Girl Birth Congratulations

I have almost finished making a card for a new baby, (just awaiting confirmation of the wording required on it), but I couldn't resist showing it off cos I so enjoyed making this one.
 Thanks to someone for the idea of shading the image parts in grey, I saw the idea somewhere and was going to post a link, but the name has vanished from my brain without a trace...........hang on..........wait a bit...........GOTTIT!! .........   it was Spyder in her tutorial about paper peicing. Thanks Spyder, a simple idea, but I wouldn't have thought of it on my own.
Anyway.............the front of this card is done in acetate. The Messy Rabbit image & the ribbon by Joanna Sheen, The Ribbon slider/buckle and flowers by Wild Orchid and the butterflies are holographic peeloffs stuck onto acetate and glued on with silicon so they 'fly' off the page. The gingham paper was a download I've had 'forever', and the box was a purchased one.
 The box started off plain white, but I stuck the window panel on the wrong side of the box,....(DUH!)... and as it was my last one I had to improvise. So I covered the box with matching gingham paper, and added a silver butterfly from the papermania Gemstone stickers range. Sneaky huh?
I hope the pictures show it up ok, one day I'll have a really decent camera!

More about Lady Raven

Finally!............I never did get back to tell more about the stamp I used yesterday. Family life really takes too much time from my crafting!!

 Seriously tho', I have fallen for the Gothik Angelz stamps from Kenny K's. They are digital downloads, and so far I've bought two, but I see about 4 more I would lurve to own. I treated myself to Lady Raven first, which you saw yesterday, and I also bought "Star" who isn't actually in the new Gothik Angelz range, but is so similar in design, she fits in just fine.
I printed them off a little too large at first, but I can make them smaller next time I want to use them. I coloured them with Promarkers, however I really need a larger range of greys to do justice to them. I may try colouring them next time with twinkling H2O's.
 I've not made a card yet with Star, but I've coloured the image..............

I did the bangles and metal parts of the guitar with gold pen, highlighted her hair with sakura stardust dark blue pen, and the red parts with 'xmas red' stickles. Her eyes are glittered with stickles 'stardust' eyeshadow...........very Rock Chick! I really love that little eye peeping out at you, I can see myself using this a lot for teenagers birthday cards. I'd tell you more about the colours I used, but I always forget to take notes and can never recall afterwards all the colours I've used! ( I know, annoying aren't I, but I put it down to my age)                                                                                    Busy, busy day today so this is just a short one! Bye now.

Goth girl - Lady Raven

Only a quick post as I have to dash out in about 3 minutes..........My latest digital stamp........will edit later, I just wanted to get it online.

More Wedding cards

I have so fallen in love with this stamp from Lili of the Valley, I keep making wedding cards, even tho' I don't know anyone who is getting married!
I tell myself they can go up for sale on ebay or my website, but I know in my heart I won't get anything back for them. That still doesn't diminish my pleasure in doing them!
I've been experimenting with different colour schemes, instead of the traditional white or ivory. I just wanted to see how they looked. I love the pink and brown card, which all stemmed from wanting to do the Grooms suit in an alternative colour to the traditional black or grey.
I struggled at first with promarkers, but I'm gaining more confidence in them all the time. I do need more colours tho.............ha ha!  Who DOESN'T?????
The flowers as always are by Wild Orchid, except for the large blossom on the green and lilac card which was from my stash.

The brown card has had the flowers liberally covered in Stickles 'stardust', and the brides dress has tiny diamante stars stuck on it.

On a separate note,  Lili of the Valley have got the Xmas stamp I wanted back in stock, so I ordered that today, along with another cute one I don't really need but I just couldn't resist. What can I say?.....except.....just watch this space.

It's Lunchtime here, so I'm off to get something to eat. Hope you enjoy looking at the cards!