Pretty in Pink

Hello everyone, thanks for your visit. Today we begin a new

challenge at the two weekly challenge for the ladies -

Cardz 4 Galz 

helen has chosen for us for the next two weeks 

Pretty in Pink

We are so looking forward to seeing your cards. 

Please pop over to see the DT cards. 

I have used a mixture of card and papers from my stash. 

The roses were made using a Marianne die, the leaves are

also from a die. The greeting is from LOTV stamps.

The Gorguss girl stamped, by Santoro - coloured with Promarkers.

Congratulations

Hi, welcome ot my blog, I appreciate your visit.

Today sees the beginning of a weekly challenge at 

Cardz 4 Guyz

It was my turn to choose the challenge and as my

husband and I will be celebrating  our

Golden Wedding Anniversary this weekend, I thought

it only fitting to have for the challenge

CONGRATULATIONS

I didn't tell anyone about this, not wanting to influence their

creative thoughts and it worked for the fabulous DT and Guest

have produced such a variety of Congratulations cards. 

For my card, which will be used for friends of ours next month, I used a 7"

square card with scalloped edges. Matted with gold mirri sheet.

Stamped a large corner stamp from My Perfect World with

Versamark, gold Embossing Powder heated. 

Computer generated greeting matted an layered on white and gold card.

The 50 ( Sapphire) and butterflies( Marianne )  are dies.

Gold gems added to the butterlies.

Thanks - hope you enjoy the challenge. 

Teddy Bear's Picnic

Hi, hope your well and enjoying your craft.

Today the new challenge for the next two weeks starts

at Fantasy Stampers.  

We are a Stamping Challenge blog,

please no digis, we need your image to be stamped.

We also need to see a Teddy Bear on your project.

Please pop over for the wonderful inspiration from the DT.

I have based my card on a white scallop edge card. I used 

black card and pink papers from my stash - Papermania designs.

A spellbinders circle die, a scallop edge die

and two die cut butterflies  from Marianne dies.

The Teddy Bear stamp is from Craftwork Cards - Alfie Just For You.

Coloured the bear with Promarkers.

Get well stamp from Crafter's Companion. 

Glossy Accents to the eyes, nose and small butterfly. 

Black ribbon from my stash. 

No Images or Photos

Hello again, thanks for popping by.

 On CD Sunday Challenge Blog

their challenge for the next two weeks intrigued me. I'll go so far to say

I was truly challenged with 

'No Images or Photos' 

This challenge made me realise how much I depend upon a topper,

usually an image I have stamped and coloured. 

All of the above papers, including the flowers are from a CD,

I've had for ages, it was an old one when I bought it,  I've never

used it, but after today, I will be using it a lot more. There are some

gorgeous papers with fabulous colours. 

CD  by Kanban - Seasons Collection - Backgrounds and Extras.

The large die is by Sweet Dixie, the smaller circle is a Marianne die.

The verse is by Phill Martin - Birthday Verses 2

Purple gems added. 

Thanks for the challenge ladies, I really enjoyed doing something different.

Stitching Faux or Real

Hi everyone, welcome to my blog, I hope your well, 

and keeping warm, it is so much colder here in the UK.

For the next two weeks at Make My Monday (MMM) our 

challenge is for us to see on your project 

Stitching Faux or Real

Plaease do go to check out the blog for details and inspiration.

For my card which I hope will inspire, I used an A6 black card

to place my Spellbinders Label Die cut piece of black card.

I used a Sakura white pen to create my white faux stitching around

the label and the punched circle greeting.

Using Versamark and Stampendous White E.P I stamped 

the Funky Flowers from Kanban.

I die cut two Marianne butterfly die, embossing as above.

The Smile stamp is from my stash, including the pearls added

 to the flowers and butterflies. 

A sketch at MMM

Hello again, thanks for your visit. Today at Make My Monday for the 

next week our challenge is a sketch, as seen below.

It's always interesting to see how sketches are interpreted, 

Please pop over to see the wonderful samples from the DT.

For My Card

A white scallop edge card - striped paper added top and bottom.

Patterned paper edged with green card.

Circle - Spellbinder die - stamped with a 'Potted plants' stamp

from Little Claire stamps range. The stamp was masked twice

to extend the design.

Coloured with Promarkers. Greeting stamp from LOTV. 

Butterflies - Marianne Dies. 

All the papers are from 'Garden Party' paper pad from Papermania. 

Have fun 

A Recipe at Make My Monday

Hi everyone, sorry for the dull photo, hardly any good light 

during the day I took the photo of my card.

Over at Make My Monday we have a Recipe from Marina

Recipe

Teal or Turquoise

Sequins

Twine

Check out on the blog to see the inspiration from the DT.

For my card

White scallop card covered with teal spotted paper

from Papermania Blueberry Pie Paper pad

Strip of silver mirri card matted with white spotted paper

from my stash. Marianne oval die.

Punched snowflakes, turquoise and cream sequins.

White snowflakes from a punch

Main image - Stamp from LOTV - Perrfect Snowman.

Greeting Tags also from Lily of the Valley (LOTV) tied with twine

Image coloured with Promarkers. 

*************

Die cuts or Punches

Hi again,  for the next two weeks at Ruby's Rainbow 

our challenge is to be

DIE CUTS OR PUNCHES

Please pop over and see how the DT have been playing with their dies and punches.

For My Card

A white scallop edge card. 

Background paper from Papermania Green collection

Dies by Marianne, Britannia, Papermania  and others. 

Lace, Jewels and Pearls from stash. 

Have fun and enjoy playing with your stash. 

**********

It's A Blue, Blue Christmas...........

.......here at Sparkles Christmas Challenges for the next month.  Please pop over to the blog to see the super blue inspired cards from the Design Team.  I love blue and white cards, they can look so elegant and they don't always have to be snow scenes. For my card the background paper is from a CD - Walter and Winnie Does Christmas. The sprig is a Marianne die - our sponsor for the month- 

the stamps are from a set which were free last year with a magazine. I used DI Chipped Sapphire and Brilliance - Mediterranean Sea to stamp with and to blend the edges of the card. A few strings of  peel offs to hang the baubles along with a peel off greeting. This was an easy card to make, so I think I'll be making a few to add to my stock. Have fun everyone, don't get too cold when your working on your Blue, Blue Christms project. 

Thanks again to our sponsor for this challenge.

  Marianne Designs 2 Dies or 1 Die & 1 Stamp

Die Cuts Only

For the next week at My Time To Craft  the challenge is Die Cuts Only - A sentiment is acceptable but NO Images.  I know challenges are meant to challenge, well that is what it is all about isn't it? To help us to develop as crafters, to try doing some things we wouldn't normally try. Well, you may not realise this but we the Designers are in the same boat. Take me for example, I am a stamper, through and through like a stick of rock, no images, OMG what was I to do? Find pretty papers, done. Look at the small number of dies I have in my craft room and see what I could create.  Surprised that what I had could actually create a card.
Papers are from Papermania - Capsule collection Eau de Nil and Oyster Shell
Dies - Butterflies- Rose are Marianne dies. Small Flowers and scroll  - sorry don't know the make.
Stamp sentiment from HobbyArt. Label Die from Go Kreate. So if I can do it, I am sure you can. Have fun, I'll be popping round to see you.

Celebrate for Mum or for a Special Lady

Our wonderful sponsors this month are 

 who will provide for the winner of this challenge either

2 Dies OR 1 Die and 1 Stamp.

For this month, at Sparkles Monthly,  we are Celebrating Mum or a Special Lady. For my DT card, no apologies, but following my recent visit to the Lili of the Valley 10th Birthday Celebrations at their HQ in Leeds I was so inspired with the wonderful and beautiful style of all of the DT ladies and of the designers themselves. I pulled at the deep rooted the soft feminine side of me, to create this month's card for the Special Lady. 

My Ingredients are....

All papers from Nitwits Pad Petal Fresh - LOTV

Stamp - Fairy Bouquet - LOTV

Scroll, butterflies, dark blue scrolled flowers - Marianne Dies

All of the remainder from my stash. 

Coloured with Promarkers. 

I look forward to visiting during the next four weeks, have fun everyone.

Please do pop over to the main blog at Sparkles Monthly to see the wonderful inspiration from the DT.

Take care of yourselves and have fun.

Create a Summer Scene

Hello everyone, I'm back to crafting. I have so missed being able to create, but my mind has been elsewhere.  My husband has recently been very ill, but after heart surgery he is now recovering and will hopefully be able to return home soon. My mojo has returned. I would like to thank Jacqueline and the girls on the MMM Design Team for their support and understanding during the last month or so. Back to Business.

This week at Make My Monday,  the challenge chosen is for you to Create a Summer Scene, thank goodness we in the UK are experiencing some warmer days. I made a wall plaque recently for an arranged swap, which I am using for my DT piece, for it's first outing onto my blog, I created this onto a piece of mountboard,  which is the material used when framing pictures etc. I used several of the yellow - orange colours of Distress Inks, stamped for the background a crazy pavement background stamp. and also rubbed  Distress Ink over a piece of bubble wrap, which I pressed onto the board. After drying I started adding the stamps. I used black, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain, I added a small piece of mountboard to lay on a  butterfly. All, escept the bees, are from Inidgo Blu Meadow and Nature 1. The flowers were made with both a Spellbinder die and a Marianne die for the smaller flowers. Have fun with your project, remember to create a summer scene, which can be any project you wish and of course any size. For fun here is an extra project, 

as an example of a small sized scene. All stamps used are from Hobby Art  Coastal set.

Handmade Embellishment

Happy Bank Holiday to everyone who is having one today. Today at Make My Monday Fliss has chosen a really interesting challenge, to make a handmade embellishment for your project. It seems that pin wheels are becoming fashionable at present. So to be in vogue (as they say) here is my card with a home made pin wheel. I have used paper from a 12  x 12 scrapbook page, for the background, on the reverse is the white spotted paper which I used for the pin wheel. The butterfly is from a Marianne die, I used some red stash paper and edged it with black, adding three black gems for the torso. The greeting is from Words - stamps by Sheena Douglas.

Literary Inspiration @ MMM

  

This week at Make My Monday, Mynette has chosen a Literary Inspiration, which happens to be one of my most favourite novels, Jane Eyre. We are asked to create a project and to explain how we were inspired. We can gather the inspiration from either the book presentation, the images, any part of the story. I chose for this challenge to go with the book design. Very simple, understated really, this was the first thing I thought when I looked at the picture of the book. I have used a light grey card, using a Marianne oval die, I stamped the pretty lady form a set called 'Across The Miles' from The Stampman. The sentiment, 'It's Your Day' is from a set of Words Only form Sheena Douglas. I do look forward to seeing how you are inspired. Please do look at the blog, for the Design Team have crated some lovely cards to suit the challenge. 

A quick hello to my followers, I see I have a few more added, your so kind, I do hope you continue to visit and enjoy my creations. many thanks to each and every one of you. 

Z = Zig Zags

 

Well we have come to the end of the alphabet once again at Alphabet Challenges, Mari from our Design Team has chosen for the letter Z - Zig - Zags. I couldn't believe in  my stash of papers I couldn't find any papers with a  Zig Zag pattern. I next searched through my ribbon boxes and found lots of Ric Rac braid. I made the flower using a Marianne die, the image is from LOTV stamps cut with a Spellbinders die.Coloured in with Promarkers. I look forward to seeing how you achieve your Zig Zags, most of all please enjoy whatever time you spend making your project, remember, though we do tend to demo cards, we do accept any hand crafted/paper project. 

Die cuts/ Punches

Hello everyone again. This week at Make My Monday, it is the turn for Fliss to choose the topic and she has chosen another popular theme Die Cuts and or Punches, whichever you choose, or even both. We would love you to take part and have fun. Please pop over to our blog  for more details and of course to see the lovely projects made by the DT.   This is my card, I used both dies and punches.

Materials used are 

Background paper from a Humphrey's Corner Pad

Centre punched Panel both sides punched with an X -Cut lace trim. Green ribbon added.

Butterflies are Marianne Die cuts.  

Greeting circle is a stamp -Personal Impressions -punched with a circle punch.

Bluebells stamp from Chocolate Boroque - coloured with Promarkers and Peeled Paint Distress Ink

Oval Die and a Nellie Snellie Patterned Oval Die.

Thanks for any comments you may leave, I will be popping onto your blogs and leaving a comment. 

Frosty Days - CD Sunday

Hello everyone on this cold, cold Frosty Day, what perfect timing from Beryl this week at CD Sunday Challenges. It is so cold, freezing at times, thank goodness we don't have the snow as in this picture from Maria G Designs - Christmas Scenes CD. Sorry about the picture, there is more cold blue, and it may be a little over-exposed in an attempt to lighten it. It has been so dark here most of the day. I added the scene onto dark blue mirri card, with a few gems in the corners and part of a couple of die cuts using a Marianne die. I am hoping when you click and enlarge you will see all of the glitter I have added to the picture. I look froward to visiting you all, to see your wonderful creations once again. Have fun ladies and please stay warm.

T is for Tags

Already we at Alphabet Challenges have reached the letter T, which for the next two weeks is for Tags. I am so much in the creative mode preparing for Christmas. I will as normal be making the tags for my family and friends this year. Tags can come in all shapes and sizes, whatever you want them to be. I used two Marianne Dies for the shape. I used Habico snowman and snowflake stamps, with an Archival brilliance Mediterranean Blue ink pad. Finishing it with a Christmas greeting and a selection of fibres. I again look forward to visiting you to see you creative tags. I greatly enjoyed the spooky creations the last few weeks, many thanks to everyone who had a go. 

Use Your Scraps

Use It Tuesday are challenging us this week to Use Scraps - this fitted in so well with an idea I had to use up some small squares I had left over from another project using TH Shabby Chic paper. The Butterflies  and upper sentiment are stamped using Lyndsay Mason Tattered Butterflies set. The flowers and swirls are made using  Marianne dies.

A Victorian Romance

At Make My Monday we are continuing our monthly theme for February of Romance. This week we would like to see some Victorian Romance - whatever you see as being Victorian. We are thrilled for the whole month how Marianne Designs are sponsoring, please check the challenge blog for full details and see the lovely cards from the remainder of the Design Team and from our lovely Guest Designer Meggymay /Yvonne

I used a sheet from a pack for the background, the stamp of the loving couple is from Inkadinkado, a favourite of mine. I still love wooden stamps. I coloured it using TH Distress Inks as watercolours. I punched a few small butterflies and a Marianne Swirl Die to add more texture and interest. I will also be entering this card in other challenges :-

St. Luke's Charity Cards - Love and Lace
Crafty Blogger's Network ~Shabby Chic