What have I been doing lately?....Here's a brief update

I must be the worst blogger ever, I am still finding it difficult to update my blog. I managed to go to the papercraft show at harrogate last weekend, and bought quite a bit, (just don't tell the hubby). I have been making a few cards over the last couple of months, teacher thankyou cards, retirement, stationary set and anniversary card for dear hubby. Here's some of them.....















Recently I've made some birthday cards, but forgot to photo them before I gave them, silly me, also i've made loads of Christmas cards, Patchwork Pals and Forever Friends, hopefully I'll get round to photographing them and uploading them onto here. Thats all the time I have now for a quick update I promise not to leave it as long next time. Goodnight all. xxx

MIA....not just me, but the name of my challenge.

I have not been about much lately, mainly because my laptop died last month and my husband has been made redundant, so I can't buy a new one :0( and every time I want to go on the computer I have to sneak into my sons room and use his.
Any way I have had time to play in my craft room as we are off school this week. I haven't really been able to follow any challenges, so just done my own thing.
I made this name book for my daughter, whose name as you can see is Mia. I used papers from the Lavender Fairy -CD - Crafters Companion. I added some photo's of Mia on her hols.
As I blinged it up a little with gems and a glitter button, I am going to enter it into the Cute Card Thursday Challenge - a bit o bling. I know it isn't a card and I haven't stamped anything, but I feel the need to enter a challenge, its been so long...sob, sob.

On a different note, my daughter has been sat next to me as I has been looking at some challenge blogs, she thinks that everyone is talking about her, when they say Mr Linkey is MIA. She sees her name and doesn't understand the rest. Oh well I won't shatter her idea, that she is so very popular and important, because she is to me.

A card for my friends mum...

I have just finished this card, a friend has asked me to make her a birthday card for her to give to her mum. As its got blue and green on it, and lots of paper piecing, I thought I'd enter it in this weeks Colour Create #15, as I'm not going to get chance to enter many ( if any )challenges this week. She asked for a boxed card, and to include turquoise blue and flowers. I used a couple of my glitter girls boards, white and coloured card, computer generated text and silver peel-offs. Thats it, no stamped images or patterned paper or fancy embellishments. Hope she likes it! Me thinks I'll make a couple of others, just in case.

Happy Birthday Bear

Here's my take on this weeks Friday Sketchers #50 Beatrix's sketch. As the sketch looks like a tall slim card, I copied it and so I'm also entering this card in the Stamp for fun challenge #5, their theme is make a 4" x 8" card.
The image is one I received in an image swap, I coloured with Zig Brushables and added a touch of glitter around the edge of the hat. The papers, flower and ribbon are all from Craftwork Cards, layered with gold mirror board.
Sorry about the photo, it doesn't seem to matter where I take my photo's they always look dark. I put a daylight light on facing card and try to take infront of a white background, nothing seems to work, what am I doing wrong?... any help please!

Combination challenge card

As I spent all day making my stationary box, I have had to combine alot of challenges, here go's.....

1st- Sketch Saturday #49. Debbie's DT Week (I followed Debbies sketch, but adapted slightly. Hope you don't mind Debbie)

2nd- Colour Create #14. Red, Cream and Chocolate (I used lots of red and cream, not much chocolate, sorry I'm trying to cut out the calories. lol :-) I did add the optional ribbon though.)

3rd- Penny Black Saturday Challenge #47. Shapes x3. (I think I covered this one, circles, scalloped border, hearts, flowers and a bow. I used a couple of PB stamps together, I think it creates a cute image. I watercoloured and highlighted all the heart bubbles with clear glaze.)

4th- Cute Card Thursday #58 Mirror Mirror. (I used loads of mirror board, a hologram heart peeloff and a gold heart charm.)

5th- Papertake Weekly - Spots and Stripes. (I know I'm pushing it with this one, but my paper has got spots and stripes on.)

My first attempt at a Stationary Box

I have seen these stationary boxes a couple of times when blog hopping, and thought I'd have a go. I downloaded a tutorial from here , Danni’s designs. For the box itself, I used a 12"x 12" piece of plain cream card, and a few smaller pieces of the same for the inner pockets. I used a piece of Anna Griffin paper for the lid and accessories. I made some cards, note-lets and tags, all using the same papers and embellishments, to keep the theme running throughout.
It took me all afternoon, but the box its self is quite easy, it took me longer trying to figure out the designs for the cards etc, as I wanted to keep them quite simple and for any occasion. I'm happy with the finished box and can't wait to make another, might go for something a bit more involved and fancier next time.
Need to catch up on some challenges now, not done any all week.

Corrosive challenge card

Here the card that I gave to my mum on Mothers Day, in the UK its mid March. I used the Flower Fairies CD from Crafters Companion. I made a gatefold card and layered papers from the CD, I decoupaged a large rose fairy on one side and cut out letters for the word MUM on the other.
Then inside I wrote my message on a matching insert and made an acetate pop-out with a smaller rose flower fairy on, also decoupaged. This lies flat, then pops out when the card is opened, the effect is lovely as you can't see the acetate, so it looks like she is free standing. It took me ages but it was a labour of love and well worth it, my mum loved it. Light pink roses are her all time favourites.
The photo's don't really do it justice, its so much nicer in real life. Hope you like it.
Hugs Sue x

Pink Toes the Dancing Cat

Here's my card following the Truly Srumptious Challenge 5 - sketch. Their challenge was also make a card for a child , so I stamped Pink Toes by Penny Black, and as the Penny Black Challenge this week is 'Anything Goes' I am going to enter this card there as well. I coloured my image with Zig Brushables. I followed the sketch as seen and used some papers I got free with a magazine. I finished with gems, a pair of ballet shoes button and layered flowers from stash, hanging a couple of charms on silver chains. My little girl loves it and has asked me to save it till her birthday, mind you her bithday isn't until December, no doubt she'll have bagsied numerous others by then.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #45 -Sketch

I have just got back from my holidays with mum and the children and although it was a very nice break, I have been looking forward to crafting again, so here's a card I made for this weeks Penny Black Saturday Challenge - week 45 , a lovely sketch by Nat.
I stamped Hedgehog Visit and watercoloured using Distress Inks and Marvy Le Plume and just highlighted the ladybirds with a bit of red Sakura glaze. The papers are Papermania creative tones pad - Raspberry Champagne, layered on to red card. A mix of Prima and punched flowers and leaves, with brads and a spacer finish it off. Hope you like it.

Saturday sketch

Here is the card for this weeks Saturday Sketch, this will be my last one for a week now as I'm away tomorrow. I used another image from my image swap with Carol, I think its called Picking Apples from Sugar Nellie, ( sorry if its not ).
I coloured using Distress Inks and Marvy Brushables, the papers are from yet another Kay & Co pad. The flowers are a mix of Flora Doodles and Prima with a brad center. Hope you like , thanks for looking, I'm off to start packing, should of started hours ago. Happy Easter everyone. Hugs Sue x

Lilli of the Valley Challenge

This is my entry to the Lilli of the Valley Challenge- Fun. I used an image I just received as part of an image swap from the very generous Carol, thanks again, as soon as I saw it I decided to use it for this challenge, just loved that cheeky caption :-) I coloured using Sakura gelly roll, the patterned papers are Dovecraft and I use the cuttlebug to cut the corners and emboss the card with swiss dots. A couple of gems from stash to finish. Quick and easy !

Sugar bowl Challenge Card

Here's my card for this weeks Sugar Bowl Challenge - #8 a sketch to follow this week. I used A Good Book by Sugar Nellie and coloured with Marvy Le Plume and Brushables. The papers are from a Kay & Co pad that I got at Harrogate show from The Hobby House stand where the very talented Bev (http://bevscrafts.blogspot.com/) was demonstrating. Sorry I can't link anything at the moment, but my laptop has gone completely caput and has all the details of how to link on it. If anyone can show me the details, I can save it on to this computer. Any how back to the card... I finished off with flowers punched from the same paper and used Stickles glitter glue in the centers.

Two more cards for two more challenges

The 1st card is for the Truly Scrumptious Challenge~ A Sketch and Flower Power. I used K & Co papers, cut the circles with cuttlebug, coloured the image which is Sugar Nellie - Flowers with Marvys and Distress Inks and flowers, ribbon and sentiment from stash.






This 2nd card is for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge~ Marshmallows and Chocolate (brown and pink) colours. Again I've used some different K & Co papers, and coloured my image with Marvys Brushables. As you can tell this image of Willow kneeling from Whiff of Joy Spring Set is my favourite at the moment and I especially like combining it with the Fall Grass also W.O.J stamp. The swirly bits are trimmed from a large Sizzix die - Flourish. Ribbon and Flora Doodles flowers to finish off.

Whiff of Joy Challenge Card

Here's my card for the W.O.J Challenge . This week it was a sketch from Katharina, I followed the sketch as it was, apart from instead of a scalloped border, I used the faux brads I got from Craftwork Cards at the Papercraft Show. I stamped Willow kneeling and Fall Grass using a masking technique, then coloured the image using Distress inks and Brushables. The papers are K & Co, Chelsea pad by Brenda Walton, with flowers and rub-on flourishes from stash. I love these colours, really Spring-like they really cheer me up, and I need it today as my laptop has gone again. I've had to take it in to be fixed again,they seem to think its the motherboard, so now I've nothing to play on for the foreseeable future. I'm back to blogging on my sons computer in his room, not ideal, but needs must.

A very distressed card

Hooray! I've actually been able to make a card, lifes been so hectic lately. This card is for the Whiff of Joy Challenge - Lets get dirty- Distressing, and I followed the sketch from the Friday Sketchers Challenge.
I have coloured in my image with Distress Inks and also used them to dirty around the edges of all the papers, I even dirtied the faux brads and edges of the flowers with them, not forgetting my hands and nails, even my nose,(I had an itch). Not bothered though it was fun to play. Hope you like. Sue