TYI and Cuttlebug Challenges

I missed both these challenges last week - I had a stinking cough, cold and sore throat that my mojo went on a 'go slow'.
The TYI challenge was purple. I found some wonderful butterfly and script paper in my stash and created my tag around this. I actually ended up covering most of the butterflies up - silly or what?
When I'd finished this I decided to use the same paper for the Cuttlebug challenge which is distressing (ooh - I do love distressing). I was deciding what to use as an image and the Tag kept catching my eye - why not I thought they match perfectly.

The Tag

The card

And finally together

Materials
BC - bazzill : Papers - Imaginations Buttery Text : Cuttlebug & Spots & Dots folder, Textile folder and QuicKuts flourish : Butterfly stamp - Creative Stamping :
EK Success - Retro flower punches : Rest from stash

Basic Grey Sketch Challenge

This week's Basic Grey challenge is is wonderful sketch by Martine. I used Basic Grey Urban Prairie papers and the image - Wish by Leanne Ellis - is coloured with pastels. The sentiment is computer generated and cut with the cuttlebug. I attached it with a chain onto the ribbon.

Materials Papers - Basic Grey - Urban Prairie : Image - Sugar Nellie - Wish by Leanne Ellis : Derwent Pastels Flowers - Petaloo Ribbon : brad, chain from stash

Whiff of Joy challenge & Cute Card Thursday

This week's WOJ challenge is a Valentine's project. I decided to stay away from the traditional reds and pinks and went for blue. I used bazzill bc and downloaded bp's (which I can't for the life in me remeber who they are by - shame on me!). Lizzie is coloured with my current favourite medium - pastels and the cuttlebugged embossed hearts I've attached to a 'stalk' (flourish). As Cute card Thursday is also Valentine's I have managed 2 in 1.

I've just noticed this photograph is not straight - I shall be glad when I get rid of this horrible cough and cold and my Mojo starts to work on all 6 cylinders again.

Materials
Bazzill basic cardstock and downloaded backing papers
Cuttlebug - Heart die - Spellbinders, Sizzix flourish and alphabet dies and Cuttlebug border embossing folder
Image WOJ - Lizzie with muff
Derwent pastels
Flowers, brads and charm from stash

Photo Tag

I have been sent a photo challenge by Barbara at Hunnybunny cards and the challenge is to go into your picture folders and pick the 6th one, then choose the 6th photo, post it on your blog and explain the photo! You never know what you will find!
Here is the difficult part - I only have three folders, each of which has sub-folders. I have holidays, friends and family, no sorry I have four, the fourth is miscellaneous.
What I decided to do is go into the 3rd folder and the 3d sub-folder (that makes 6) and choose the 6th photo from there.

Somewhat 'spooky' but it could have been worse (even embarassing) This is a photgraph of my little green-eyed furry friend, Chester that my S-i-l took on my camera one weekend when she was staying with me. I think if we had tried to get his eyes glowing like that we couldn't have done it. He's looking rather scruffy in this photograph, but not as scruffy as my dog used to look. She was a bearded collie with long hair and as soon as I'd groomed her she would roll about on the floor and end up looking worse than she had before I's started.

Now I have to pass this photo challenge on to 6 people.
I shall leave this until tomorrow and I'm tired, I've had a stinking cold, cough and sore throat this week and I wanna go bed!

House Mouse DT Call

The House Mouse challenge blog is looking for two DT members for 12 weeks.

QUOTE:
If you are interested in joining our DT team then this is what you need to do:

Make a post on your blog containing the following:
1. Why you would like to join the team
2. Show three samples of your best work on the post (please post pictures and not links to help save us time), they don't have to be new work and do not have to contain HM stamps (though we would like to see at least one)
3. Leave a comment on THIS POST with a link to your application post.

So, if you think you can meet the above requirements then what are you waiting for........go get posting......

1.How could I resist this call - I just love my little mousies and couldn't imagine a week without the challenge and being part of the amazing and friendly team would be the 'icing on the cake' for me.
2. I love 99% of my HM cards but decided to only show one. The other two are my current favourites, though not necessarily my best cards.

3. I'm off now to create my link.

House Mouse challenge - Paper piercing

Have you all seen the new Bo Bunny papers - they are so gorgeous I was reluctant to put an image on this card at all. Some of them are double sided and this one is called 'Beau Jardin Bleu. I eventually overcame my reluctance and added just a small image which I feel works perfectly well.

The House Mouse challenge this week is is paper piercing. I pierced around the edge of
the card and also around the edge of the image which I coloured with watercolours.
Rather than use my piercing grid I used an Avec stencil with both embossing and piercing templates on it.

Materials
Cire-dinations cardstock
Bo Bunny papers - 'Beau Jardin Bleu'
Image - House Mouse - coloured with watercolours
Petaloo flowers
Martha Stewart punch - inside
Ribbon, brads and pears from stash

Magnolia vs Stampavie and Cute Card Thursday

Magnolia vs Stampavie challenge this week is Double Trouble, I think I've more than fulfilled that criteria as I've used 4 stamps, some of them more than once. I used Alva last week so I thought I would used Alf this week (another cutie!). I used pastels to colour the images and Basic Grey Archaic papers. I ripped and tore the Green to look like hills (hopefully) and set this on top of the bluish sky.
When I'd finished I suddenly thought that this also fills the Cute Card Thursday's challenge Create a Scene.

Materials
Basic Grey Archaic papers
Magnolia images - Alf, trees, mushrooms and log
Derwent pastels
Brads from stash.

Friday Sketchers & Penny Black

I used the sketch from Friday Sketchers and used the Penny Black request to 'Frame it'.
This poor bear has had four different frames - I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but when I did it - it looked frankly 'naff'. I have plenty of buckles in my button box - but did I have one that suited - no!! I tried to take the middle bit of this one and ended up with a hole in my finger so gave that up as a bad job. I've taken so many photographs of it - not one was acceptable - my camera came very close to being 'hurled' through the window. Try As I might the image is not as clear as it should be for some strange reason.
I decided to 'bin' it - but then I thought - NO - rarely has a card caused so much time, effort, heartache and physical pain - it can stand as one of my pathetic efforts.
Now Ive just noticed a pearl has disappeared from the top of the frame - should I photograph it again (+ pearl)? - not likely this one has had it's lot!!

Materials
Papers - Basic Grey Boxer
Image - Penny Black
Derwent Pastels
Sentiment - Inkadinkado
Cuttlebug + Oval nesties + Boss Cut flourish die
EK Success Retro flower punch
Buckle, ribbon, brads and pearls from stash

Beautiful Blog Award

Look what I just got from my blogging buddy Dawn. Thank you Dawn (the photograph reminds me of a picture of my Mother when she was young - how cool is that?)

I have to pass it on to five others so I am passing it on to some of my new playmates at Colour Create. Katy Tab Judy Sarita and Sharon

Unfortunately I have to leave our Tara, Jo and Chris but as they have had awards from me in the past week or so I'm sure they'll understand

Sketch Saturday #35

A wondeful sketch this week at Sketch Saturday. I used this adorable stamp from Alota stamps and coloured her with pastels. The basic cs is bazzill, a rather strange green which I wondered why I had bought, but found it matches the Basic Grey bp from the Eva collection perfectly. I used the Martha Stewart punch either side of the band and the EK success retro flower punch for the flowers. The sentiment from Hero Arts is stamped with a Hero Arts shadow ink and heat embossed with Funstamps Plum Pearl.

Materials
Bazzill basics cs
Basic Grey Eva bp
Stamps Alota & Hero Arts
Punches - Martha Stewart & EK Success
Ribbon & pearl brads from stash.

Basic Grey - Challenge #19 A recipe

Basic Grey challenge #19

This week over at the BasicGrey Challenge Blog......

"For this weeks challenge we would like you to follow a recipe, you can of course add more embellishments etc to your creations but please make sure to use all of the ingredients in the recipe on your creations, and of course not forgetting to use at least one item from BasicGrey"

Ingredients
2 Patterned papers
1 Button
1 Ribbon and Bow
3 Brads

I used Granola papers this week and the flourish along the side of the image is a
Granola element sticker. I coloured the Sugar Nellie image (Hug in a Mug) with Pastels, attached the three brads to the bottom right of the image and at button to the bow.

Announcing a New Challenge Blog

COLOUR CREATE

How excited I was when I received an Email from my 'matey' Tara (Happily ever Crafting)
asking would I be interested in being a DT member for a new colour challenge blog along
with seven others. And oh boy has she chosen some talent!!
I've seen these colour challenges on US blogs and thought how great they were. and am really excited at being in at the ground on this.

The purpose of this challenge blog is to give everyone a different colour palette to work with each week along with an optional theme and the news you will all like is that you will be able to combine this challenge with all the others that you take part in so if you are short of inspiration, visit us !!

The first challenge will take place on 1st February and challenges will take place each week on Sunday. There will be blog candy to celebrate our launch together with our first ever challenge so please come over and have a look at our new challenge blog and the wonderful and talented DT and their creations.

Have a look at the blog (COLOUR CREATE) and we hope to see you there

Whiff of Joy Katharina sketch challenge - 15

A wonderful sketch by Katharina is this weeks Whiff of Joy challenge. I decided to bring this little lady out to play before summer sets in (that is if it does!!) I coloured her with pastels. The backing paper was a gift from my S-i-l, it has now name on it so heaven only knows who it by. I had to make my own flowers - again. How is it, it doesn't matter how much stock you have there is at least one thing that is not quite the right colour or shade? I struggled photographing this due to bad light - even with a day light lamp!

Materials
Basic cardstock - Bazzill
Stamp - Whiff of Joy - Lizzie with chocolates
Derwent pastels
EK success retro flower punches
Leone Em branch punch
Cuttlebug + round nesties and tag from Harmony alphabet die set
Martha Steward Doily Lace punch
Rest from stash

A Lemonade Award

Thank you so much for this award Georgia - it's great and I really appreciate your thinking of me. Georgia is new to blogging and if you haven't visited her blog do so - I reckon she's be taking over from Mum (Tara) - if Mum doesn't watch out.

This Lemonade Award is given by a previous winner to 5 people who have shown a great attitude or gratitude this week. It’s a great way to show these people that you appreciate them.
I would like to pass this award along to the following people in appreciation of all the lovely comments on my site, and for the extra little things they do for me.

Anesha Lorraine Eileen Emma Natasha

WOW - WHAT AN AMAZING HONOUR!!

Imagine my amazement at being asked would I be willing to be featured on the
Inspiration Craft blog
What a silly question - would I - I certainly would!!! I was speechless, over the moon, elated and choked with emotion at being asked to appear with such talented crafters.
If you've never visited the site do so - you will be amazed at the wonderful creations you find there. They also have a Inspiration Tip and Techniques section with wonderful tutorials with some really 'fun' creative ideas.

Inspirational Craft Blog

A Hug Award

How cute is this award. I am truly honoured that Eileen at Ikki's Corner should think me worthy of this award.

It is given in appreciation of your lovely and witty comments and for always knowing the right thing to say at the right time....just how nice is that!

A great way to give someone a hug that you've never met but who means something special to you.

I have to pass this on to ten people - this is the difficult part - so many people have shown me so much love and kindness - but here goes - in no particular order
Ann Dawn Eija Tara De Sam Gisela Moni Anchen Larissa

Sketch & Stash challenge 2

A lovely sketch at Sketch and Stash this week. The rules are:
Use your new or never used (or neglected) stash on your cards and let us know what these items are, it's as simple as that!!
My NEW is the Magnolia image Angel of the Year 2008, which I coloured with my Derwent pastel (OLD - about 25yrs) which I have just decided to start using again. The Bc is bazzill and the paper I used (OLD) HOTP. I finished the corners off on the image with a stamp from the Basic Grey collection - Boxer (NEW). The panels I cut with the Martha Stewart punch and added ribbon around the centers. I tried very hard not to use a flower but failed miserably, although I did use the center for the computer generated sentiment.

Materials
Papers - Bazzill & HOTP
Stamps - Magnolia Angel of the Year & Basic grey Boxer
Derwent pastels
Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch
Rest from stash.

AN APOLOGIE

I've been having computer problems (yet again!!) My 'electrics' had a hissy fit during yesterday's snowstorm and my computer crashed.
Since then I could not get my House Mouse posting to link - I tried everything including editing the Html to no avail so ultimately I started from scratch and reposted it. If I've caused any confusion - SORRY!!!
One or two people had left comments and unfortunately these also ended up deleted.
Believe me I love and value each and every comment and I appreciate the time you take to make them so if your comment was deleted I apologise and am so sorry.
The only thing I have to work out now is why my dashboard, posting page etc. are in miniature or I shall be ending up with eyestrain, headaches or both (lol).

Tag You're It - Sugar Candy Kisses

Tag Your'e It's challenge this week is Sugar Candy Kisses.
I made this tag last week but there was something about it I didn't like so I haven't posted
it until now.
I really wanted to do a cupcake but don't have a stamp. so it was start from scratch. Getting it the right size was about the most difficult aspect. I used BG Phoebe papers and decorated my 'cupcake' with beads and a dewdrop as cherry for the top. I added cuttlebug vintage corners and a pink bow at the top.

Materials
Basic Grey Phoebe papers
Cuttlebug + oval nesties and vintage corners
Ribbon, beads, eyelet and dew drop from stash.

House Mouse challenge 21 - colour challenge

This weeks House Mouse challenge is a colour challenge.
Cameo Coral (a slightly peachy pink), OLD olive (a rich olive green) and Night of Navy (navy blue in its finest)
When I first saw this I was somewhat daunted but - hey - that's what a challenge is all about and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. I'm not sure my colours are exact but they are what I had available.
I thought I had better get my sewing machine out as 'Gruffie' is using his. I stitched round the edges of the green and the peach. I coloured the image with a mixture of pastels and watercolours. The sentiment is computer generated and I decided I didn't want it too flowery so I added one of the circular flowers I have seen on various blogs. I did decorate the inside of the card (I'm nearly on track this year - about 99% as opposed to about 50% last year) but I couldn't photograph this without it being blurred for some strange reason.

Materials

Green paper - HOTP
Peach & Blue - Core-dinations
Iamge - House Mouse - not sure of title of this one
Derwent pastels & watercolours
Cuttlebug & Round nestabilities
Leone Em branch punch

Sewing machine
Rest from stash

OH - I'm in Love!!!

How could anyone resist falling in love with this little 'cutie'.
Magnolia vs Stampavie challenge this week is hand made bows. I used the Magnolia Alva with flower image and used pastels to colour her. The red paper is from a download (I had to play around with it to alter the colour slightly, the beige I stamped with a 'freebie' from a magazine and highlighted the flowers with a white gel pen. I agonized for hours what to use in the top left and bottom right corners - it needed something to take the eye to the center and not let it wander off the page. I had every embellishment known to man spread over my table the floor, the sofa (oh what a mess!!) but in the end it was two simple little photo corners that did the trick.

Materials
Image - Magnolia - Alva with flower
Derwent pastels
EK Success Retro flower punch
Spacer, brad and ribbons from stash

Oh MY GOSH

So many awards from so many lovely creative people. I'm totally overwhelmed!!!! This one is from my lovely adorable friend Gisela and Sheena a new blogging friend.

I'm passing this one on to Georgia, Tara (got to pass it to Mum as well as daughter otherwise she might resent Georgia pinching all her goodies) Ann, Dawn and Emma

This next award is from Sem and Carolyn

I'm passing this one on to
Cathy Debbie Gina Pascale Chrissie


This third one is from Anthea
and I would like to pass this on to

Bev Moni Carolyn Jo and Els

Penny Black - 32 - Let's Get Dotty

A brilliant challenge at Penny Black this week - I love spot and dots. The basic cardstock is bazzil and the dotty paper is a download by Mechelle Conrad. I coloured the image with pastels and matted and layered him (or is it a her?) on bazzil cut with square nesties and used circular nesties to cut the bottom left upon which I have placed the sentiment.
I haven't done the inside of this one as yet - I'm have family coming for a meal and I real think it's time to start preparing food otherwise I shall have a very dissatisfied family. They might have to eat on the floor as at the moment my dining table cannot be seen (Lol)

Materials
Cardstock - bazzil
Papers - Mechelle Conrad dowload
Stamps - Penny Black & Royal Langnickel sentiment
Derwent pastels
Cuttlebug & Nestabilities
Leone Em punch
Flowers, brads & ribbon from stash

Sketch Saturday - 34

Sketch Saturday have given us a wonderful sketch to work with this week. I used the beautiful K & Co Blue Awning papers and coloured Tilda with pastels, cut her out and mounted her on two 'nestie' circles. Unfortunately the inside wouldn't photograph without looking blurred - I gave up after six attempts.

Materials
Papers - K & C0 Blue Awning
Image - Magnolia - Tilda laying
Derwent pastels
Sentiment - Aud designs
Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch
SU - white flower & pearls
Ikea - Blue cord
Cuttlebug & round Nestabilities & sissix swirly die
Bue flower - ?

Basic Grey - Challenge 18 - Digital download

We have a special challenge for you this week :), we would like to see you use one (or all even if you want to) of these fabulous illustrations which have been designed by our own fabulously talented
Kim , (Only people taking part in this challenge are allowed to use these images (for now anyway) and of course when the challenge is over you can continue to use them if you wish but please remember that these images are copyright to Kim and should only be used according to her terms of use), oh and course not forgetting to use at least one item from BasicGrey somewhere on your creation :),

Kim gave us three wonderful sketches to choose from - I chose two, the girl and the word Valentine. I used Sugared papers, cut out the image, which I coloured with pastels, then edged it with hearts cut from the cuttlebug alphabet dies Hippie Chick. I found I hadn't room for the Valentine word on the outside so used it to decorate the inside.

Materials
Papers -Basic Grey - Sugared
Image - curtesy of Kim
Derwent pastels
Cuttlebug & Hippie Chick alphabet dies
Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch
Ribbon, brads & charms from stash

Sugar Bowl & Friday Sketchers challenges

The Sugar Bowl challenge this week is to use three different design papers and three different types of embellishments. I followed the wonderful sketch by Mumur on Friday Sketchers and used the Simply Elegant papers by Papermania. Daisy is coloured with pastels and for some silly reason her top looks more red than magenta in the photograph. My three embellishments are the clip holding the sentiment, the flower, ribbon and a pin holding the ribbon on. I know - I can cound that's four and if you count the ribbon on the inside - that's five. I don't always know when to stop.

Materials
Cardstock - core-dinations
Papers - Papermania - Simply elegant
Image - Sugar Nellie - Daisy
Derwent pastels
Sentiment - Penny Black
The rest from stash

Cuttlebug Challenge - 14

The Cuttlebug challenge this week is to use your favourite folder. Hah!! Just how many folders can one get on one card? My favourite folder changes from card to card, depending
on what I am doing. I do tend to use Textile more than others, but I love Swiss dots and Swirls, and ....................
Well anyway with the card I decided to make D'vine Swirls is my favourite to use. I inked over the swirls to give them more definition and distressed the edges. I used this sketch
as it covered the join in the embossing as the card is wider than the folder. I used the Hero Arts quote stamp as the center piece and Basic Grey flourish stamp from the Boxer set
around the edges.

Materials
Basic cardstock - Core-dinations
Cuttlebug + D'vine Swirls folder
Stamps - Hero Arts quotes and Basic Grey Boxer
Inks - Ancient Page - chocolate & Brilliance Moonlight white
Brads, spacer, ribbon and flowers from stash

Whiff of Joy challenge - 14

Whiff of Joy challenge this week is Purple & Green. I love purple and green together to the extent I even have the paper in my stash. This paper is Paper Adventure's Dazzle Diamonds. I used pastels to colour the image, which I matted and layered onto core-dinations card and added Cuttlebug vintage corners. The layout developed itself, in fact the whole card did it's own thing (funny thing is I usually like the cards that create themselves). The only stumbling block was the lack of 'nice' green flowers in my stash, apart from ones with brown spots - OK - the only thing to do was to turn the brown spots purple. In real life the ribbon is the same colour as the card, why when I photograph it does it look different - can anyone tell me?

Materials
Whiff of Joy - Melinda Blowing Kisses
Derwent pastels
Cuttlebug - Textiles folder - Vintage corners
Cardstock - Paper Adventures Dazzle Diamonds - Core-dinations
Eyelets, brad, spacer and ribbon from stash

Double Dutch & Stamp Something

This week's Double Dutch challenge is 'Going Round in Circles and I love doing circular cards.
Stamp Something is 'NO' stamping - great - there's certainly no stamping here.
I cut it with the Round Nesties, just leaving the two top scallops just off the folder paper so that the two halves remained joined. I attached lace around the inner edge, cut the flowers with the EK success Retro punches, embossed them and highlighted the embossing with a white gel pen. I covered half the card with the brown base cardstock and cut the edge with the Martha Steward Lace Doily punch. I finished it with brads, spacers, ribbon and the two white central flowers from stash.

Materials
Bazzill basic cardstock
EK Success Retro flower punches
Leone Em Leaf punch
Martha Stewart Lace Doily punch
Cuttlebug & Textile embossing folder
Rest from stash

Magnolia vs Stampavie - Make a Gift

Magnolia vs Stampavie's challenge this week is to make a gift, so I've made myself a gift!!
I am forever making bookmarks only to end up giving them away, very often to the same people - what do they do with them? This one is MINE - and I'm not giving it away.
I used and old Tilda image, coloured it with Pastels, matted and layered it onto K & Co Poppy Plaid paper. I backed it similarly and fastened ribbon between the layers. I normally laminate them, but hesitated to do so as I had that feeling that photographing it would then become difficult.

Materials
Magnolia - Tilda
Derwent pastels
Cuttlebug - Vintage corners & Spellbinders Nesties
Ribbon from stash

House Mouse challenge - 20 - an ATC

Oooh goodie - I like doing ATCs - although I only ever done two before - but they were fun.
Isn't this image so cute - he makes me giggle every time I look at him. I coloured him with a mixture of watercolours and pastels, set him off center on three Nestability cut circles and mounted these on Basic Grey Archaic paper. I used a circle (quartered) and fastend them to the corners with eyelets and finished it with a ribbon bow.

Materials
Bazzil cardstock
Cuttlebug & round Nestabilities
Basic Grey Archaic paper
Eyelets, ribbbon and letters from stash

OCC Colour challenge

Two blues and a neutral is the challenge this week at OCC. I decided to use the Sugar Nellie stamp Braveheart - but whoops I've lost him, can't find him anywhere. Fortunately when I first got him I stamped one or two images and so used one of these and I coloured him with pastels. I thought this could be a 'male' card so kept away from the frilly and flowery embellishments and used corners from the Cuttlebug vintage corner die. The blue stripe paper is from HOTP and doesn't like cutting with the Martha Stewart punch so I ended up using a whole sheet for the few bits I have on the card and had to cut into a different sheet to decorate the inside of the card.

Materials
HOTP Papers
Sugar Nellie Image - Braveheart
Cuttlebug & Vintage corner die
Derwent Pastels
Ribbon from Poppiecrafts

One Lovely Blog Award

Look what I got from my lovely friend Gisela (das is nett von Ihnen - Gisela). If you haven't already visited Gisela, do so - her blog is amazing!!

I have to pass this on to 7 other blogs - and I passing it on to my DT playmates at Basic Grey challenges. Don't count - I know that's 8 but I couldn't possibly leave my matey Tara (Guest DT) out - could I now?

Anthea
Chris
Jo
Kim
Kristen
Martine
TaraG
Tara

Penny Black challenge 31 - Pink and Brown

This weeks Penny Black's challenge is a colour scheme - pink and brown. Great - I love brown with all pastels and especially pink. I used core-dinations cardstock and Basic Grey Sugared paper. I machined round the edges of the core-dinations and lightly distressed the edges. I used pastels to colour the 'Buzz in the Air' image and matted and layered in onto three layers of cuttlebugged circles. I used three layers of ribbon - broad white satin, pink spotted grosgain and a thin white satin which I left on the top. I'm not sure about this and would greatly appreciate suggestions.

Materials
Core-dinations cardstock
Basic Grey Sugared paper
Cuttlebug and Spellbinders nestabilities
Ribbons, flower, pearl from stash

Sewing machine

Sketch Saturday - 33

Sketch Saturday have a wonderful sketch for us to work with this week. I used a basic Papermania cardstock and a paper I've had for ages - I can't say who by as I stupidly cut the bottom off and used that on the card. This delightful image is Sugar Nellie - Reflective by Elizabeth Bell which I coloured her with pastels.

Materials
Papermania basic cardstock
Image Sugar Nellie - Reflective by Elizabeth Bell
Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch
Derwent - pastels
Cuttlebug - Vintage corner die
Anita's Happy Birthday stamp
Ribbon, brad, spacer, charm and pearls from stash
Sewing Machine