Just Magnolia

Oh dear!!! My mojo has gone walkabouts - I just hope I haven't packed it away already. I'm seriously thinking of putting up a reward for anyone who finds it and sends it back home, I'm missing it and I need it.
I've been making this card for Bev's fabulous sketch at Just Magnolia for about 3 days, of course spilling glossy accents everywhere did slow me down somewhat. I really did want to use my Magnolia animal collection for this card and chose the elephant and the African sun but they turned out huge (well elephants are aren't they?) - but isn't he cute!! I coloured the images with Copic markers and couldn't make my mind up about the background - so I just used shading - wrong choice I think. I don't think the Amy Butler K&Co corners I've used were the right ones either. I decided 'proper' flowers wouldn't do for an elephant so die cut some with the Provocraft flower die and added leaves cut with my ancient Woodware punch. I used an old Fiskars border punch for the bottom panel as I'm trying to justify keeping it when I've ordered some of the new EK Success border punches. I had the priviledge to try some out a month or so ago and found them brilliant. They cut through card like butter and even cut through mirri board. Not quite a pretty as the MS ones but certainly more practical for someone heavy handed like myself. The sentiment is from another ancient set so like it says - "Have a Fun Day".

House Mouse Challenge #44 - Paper Tole

At House Mouse this week it's Pat Rose's challenge.............:~ Paper Tole!
I must admit that I didn't know what this was until I was shown a tutorial on Mary's blog which you can find here but I'm still not 100% sure I got it right though it looks OK. The winner of last weeks prize will be announced in a seperate post.
Check out what our lovely DT have come up with to help inspire you. Don't forget to check out their blogs for more details!!

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I used the image Gentle Rain and coloured it with Copic markers, once done I cut around the mousie's face and ears, some. but not all of the daffodil petals and some, but not all of the leaves. At this point I turned over the image and using a largish ball point embossing tool gently worked over the cut area to stretch the paper. I padded the embossed area with silicone glue to create the dimension. I have seen a tutorial where they said you could use paper, foam or card to pack the embossed piece but I think silicone is more malleable. On some tutorials inc. Mary's the card is not cut so I think it's merely a personal choice. If you zoom in you should be able to see where the card is actually cut. Hope this helps any of you who are not sure - give it a go please - I certainly had heaps of fun trying this out.

Two/three awards

This first award is from the lovely Sandra - thanks so much sweetie for thinking of me - check out her fabulous blog.

These two from the fabulous Christine
my bloggy friend from DC - another blog worth checking out for fabulous cards and great inspiration.

I would like to pass these onto
Tara
Georgia
Moni
Di
Dena
Cheryl
Stephanne
Julie
Jan

Now all that is left is for me to visit their blogs and let them know of their awards, but i am so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open so that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Motivet Blog candy

Just look at this amazing blog candy from Motivet. Don't you
just adore Doraline and Dexter these two cutie squirrels.
Head on over there to enter.

Double Dutch & Stampavie & More

Two in one with this card, firstly Double Dutch which is to use one colour only and I used the sketch from Stampavie & More coloured the Sarah Kay image (Picnic with Daisies) with distress inks and used papers from my 'bit box'. I used the cuttlebug folder distressed stripes and the Friskars Fleur de lys punch. The flowers are from my stash and I am so annoyed that the hydrangea one looks totally different shade to the rest when it isn't.
I'm not quite as late with the Double Dutch challenge as I was last time - please don't shout shout at me Erica, I'm trying hard to be early!!!

Materials
BC - brown bazzill
Image - Sarah Kay Picnic with Daisies
Range distress inks
Provocraft Distressed stirpes folder
Friskars Fleur de lys border punch
Rest from stash

Eye Candy for the lovely Tara

Here you are Tara ((((waves)))) especially for you - 'Hunky Gary Barlow'.

What an amazing concerts Take That put on - this latest one - The Circus is totalling amazing. We were so lucky with the weather, fine and sunny to start but not too hot - perfect outdoor concert weather. I took loads of photgraphs but unfortunately because it was dusk they're not brilliant. Here are just a few of the better ones, finishing with fabulous fireworks.

Tara's piccy.

Just look at that amazing elephant on which they arrived on stage.




Oh - those eyes!!!






Ohhh!!! an experience to be remembered - must get the DVD now.

Colour Create 21 - Pistachio green, aqua & powder pink

This week's challenge at Colour Create has been chosen by our lovely Juliet and I think she has picked a perfect colour combo, it's so pretty! Sadly, we are actually saying goodbye to Juliet, who has decided to take a break from crafting for a while as she has just returned to work. We will miss her beautiful creations so much and hope to see more from her in the not-too-distant future ;o)

So, onto the details then:

Here is a picture to help you out a bit..........

And now for the optional extra...... a nice easy one this week which is to use buttons somewhere in your creation. Please remember that this isn't compulsory though and that you may combine our challenge with any other you feel like entering ;o)

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What fabulous colours we had to work with this week. I'm loving my new Anyas - they are such a delight to colour and I used Derwent pastels for this one. The papers are various downloads, the flowers and leaves a mixture and the sentiment Inkadinkado. Why did I add a dragonfly - I really don't know (just in that mood!!) - it needed something down there but I'm sure I could have thought of something better -lol. The lace also was an afterthought so I had to seal the ends with Glossy accents and there we have it. Go check the other DT's work - what fabulous creations they have come up with yet again.

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I am so busy at the moment trying to co-ordinate my move to Germany and my grandson's move to his new house I'm getting further and further behind in my blogging but I think it is past time I posted a few awards (Guilt - has taken over!!!) I'm not passing them on as I think by now everyone has them - if you haven't and you would like - please, please help yourself - with my love.

I received these awards from my favourite Norwegian blogger Hanna, who is 12 years old and produces the most amazing cards. Pop along and have yourselves a look......you'll be "Gobsmacked" believe me. Thanks Hanna for being so sweet as to think of me.

Truly Scrumptious 10 - a Sketch

This weeks challenge at Truly Scrumptious is a sketch from Sharon with the additional challenge of using some of your neglected stash. Have a good rummage through your drawers and dig out some stamps, papers and embellishments that you've forgotten you had!

We're delighted to welcome back Crafty Individuals as our sponsor this week. They have a huge range of gorgeous stamps and the winner of this challenge will win these three stunning stamps:

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I went into panic mode when I read the extra challenge of neglected stash - all my neglected and little used stash has been packed away ready for removal. I didn't think I was going to be able to fulfil this part of the challenge until I sat sorting out some invoices and found one from Charmed Cards and Crafts and realized I had the Holly & Madison downloads that I had never used - problem solved. I also found some unused downloaded papers from Raspberry Road. I coloured Madison in Venice with Derwent pastels and stamped around the edge with a Stempelglede grunge stamp. The corner is cut with the EK Success corner adorner punch and I finished it with a feather and a ribbon rose to which I added pearl sepals.

Materials
Papers - Raspberry Road
Image - Charmed Cards & Crafts - Holly and Madison download
Derwent Pastels
Punch - EK Success Corner adorner
Rest from stash

House Mouse Challenge 43 - a Sketch

We have a sketch for your over at House Mouse this week from the 2 Red Bananas team who have not only sponsored this week's fab prize but taken part in the challenge also.

2RedBananas just released their June stamps. There are 4 new exclusive sets to see. In addition or our own stamps, we carry a large selection of House Mouse & Friends stamps as well as CC Designs, October Afternoon, Stampavie and more. We also have a fabulous selection of May Arts ribbon.
To go along with our sponsorship this week, we are offering House Mouse Challenge readers a 10% discount off your 2RedBananas order. Please use code HM10 in the coupon code section when checking out. We cannot make adjustments after the sale is complete. This coupon is good through Sunday, June 28, 2009.
Thanks so much for playing along, we can't wait to see your creations.

Here's the prize one lucky winner, chosen at random will receive....................

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I used this image sent by a friend - which friend ? - ooops - I've got them all mixed up whilst packing and sadly I got this one before I started pencilling who they are from on the backs of the images. I coloured it with Copics and used papers downloaded from Raspberry Road. The corners are cut with Provocraft vintage corners and the pearls are from Basic Grey.

Friday Sketchers and Just Magnolia

I actually managed to make a card today. I spent all of yesterday when I got home from work trying to sort out my crafting stuff. What I could manage without for 3 weeks whilst it is in transit - not easy - in fact impossible. Stamps - no problem, I'll just stamp up a load of images and take those - but what medium - I think pastels and pencils have to be the best bet. This is where it starts getting difficult, no cuttlebug, few flowers and embellies and papers ??? Right stop waffling Heather.

I think I've managed two challenges with this card, Just Magnolia's Summer and I've used the sketch from Friday Sketcher's. I found Summer theme quite difficult as it is so cold and wet here at the moment. I coloured Tilda with Derwent oil pastels and matted her on nesties labels 4. The leaf flourish is BossKut as are the larger flowers. The smaller flowers are EK Success retro and the stamens Leone Em. The papers are SU and the BC cream linen.

Materials
BC - cream linen
Papers - SU
Image - Magnolia
Medium - Derwent Oil pastels
Dies - BossKut leaf flourish& flower
Punches - EK Suucess retro flower & Leone Em stamen
Spellbinders - Labels 4
Rest from stash

CCC's Black + one

Well what a day I've had!! The removal man came to assess the volume of what I'm taking with me to Germany so they could work out a quote. He told me it would take 7-21 days for my thing to arrive (21 DAYS!!) because I only need part of a container. To hire a full container another £600 - ooh think what crafting goodies I could buy with that!! He then asked would they be taking the cat - (for 21 days - NO!!!) so he gave me the name and number of pet transporters.
They explained how it worked - they would take him by road to London where he would get on a plane to Frankfurt which is their port of destination in Germany. From Frankfurt he would be taken by road to Bergen. From Frankfurt to Bergen is an average of 7 hours (6 on a good run, 8 on a bad). The cost covers him to Frankfurt and it would be extra from there.
How much?? £3,000 - no - I haven't mistakenly put an extra 0 in.
Had I mistakenly asked for an elephant to be transported to Australia or a hippopotamus to outer space I wonder?
Right off to search the web - smaller, cheaper airlines don't take pets, larger ones do. British Airways - no they don't (they wouldn't would they?) but fortunately Lufthansa, the Germany airline do. I can fly from Manchester to Hamburg with him for £30, not only that he can travel in the cabin with me. So as soon as I his passport is issued I shall book.
And so another day has passed and I have achieved nothing!!

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On to the card, I started this on Wednesday for the Creative Card Crew's challenge black plus one other. I chose to use one of the Leanne Ellis images, as they lend them selves well to monochrome, and coloured it with Derwent pencils. The papers are a download from the Sweet Shoppe and the borders cut with a Friskars border punch.

Materials
Sweet Shoppe papers
Image Leanne Ellis
Derwent pencils
Punches - Friskars border & Leone Em branch
Rest from stash

Feeling Fruity ??

Oh my Gosh - here we are - another Thursday and time for this week's Colour Create challenge. This week we'd like you to Feel Fruity by choosing ANY THREE of the following colours; Strawberry, Raspberry, Kiwi, Tangerine and Blackberry.

For this week's extra option we would like to see fruit on your card, either in the image, the papers, ribbon, charms whatever you can come up with.

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My choice of colours were Tangerine, Kiwi and Blackberry but somehow I seemed to have thrown a lemon in too (I shall call it very pale tangerine, lol).
I was panicking about this one, I had no fruity papers, no image (or so I thought) with fruit on, then I remembered this Sarah Kay image that the lovely Tara sent as part of my birthday goodies. When I'd finished the card I thought - IDIOT - what about the new summer set of WOJ stamps - they're covered with fruit - too late.

Materials
Papers - Download from Digital Scrapbook Art
Image - Sarah Kay coloured with Ranger distress inks
Sentiment - Docrafts
Corner stamp - Basic Grey
Punches - Friskars and Leone Em
Rest from stash

Now I shall have a quick whizz round to try and organize this place before a man from the removal people arrive. I'm not taking all my furniture to Germany so don't need a huge van so he is coming to assess just how much I can put in a smaller one and how many more packing cases I will need. Guess what the majority of the van will be filled with - yep - Crafting Stuff - I was going to get rid of some but find I just cant do it.
It will be the last to be packed and the first to be unpacked - don't anyone tell me they don't understand this - hee-hee!!

Miss Anya meets Sketch Saturday

I love my postie today - he brought my tickets for the Take That's Circus concert at Old Trafford next week!!! Now I'm all excited, but panicking in case I lose them in the mess of packing cases and clutter I have going for me here.

This card is for Sketch Saturday I was in a summery mood when I chose this Miss Anya, could be something to do with the weather hereabouts - glorious. I used Copics to colour Anya and stamped the edges of the image withone of Stemelglede's grunge stamps. I downloaded the papers from Krysta designs. As the sketch was basically geometric I didn't want to use round flowers in the corners....too much..... me thought so I cut leaves from the Woodware punch and used those with a pearl. I think that's about it for this one - well it will have to be - need to rush off back to work now :-( !!

Materials
Papers downloaded from Krista designs : Image - Greeting Farm - Anya : medium - Copics : Grunge stamp - Stempelglede : Sentiment - Inkadinkado : Woodware leaf punch : Basic Grey pearls : Ribbon from stash

House Mouse Challenge 42 - Neopolitan

Thank you to everyone who joined in last week.

Our challenge this week is over at House Mouse & Friends this week is:~ Neopolitan.
Please use strawberry, chocolate and vanilla as your inspiration.
Check out what the other lovely DT have come up with to help inspire you. Don't forget to check out their blogs for more details!!

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I don't know what it is about this card, but I'm happy with it - I like it. It does look better IRL - the lace for one thing looks more lush and creamy - but don't they all look better IRL.

I couldn't make my mind up whether to emboss or deboss the pink, in the end I decided to deboss and inked the edges with distress inks as I also did with the 'vanilla' square. The image (Cosy Shoe) is coloured with Copics and cut and mounted on round nesties. Not much more to say about this one really - it's pretty self exlanatory.

Materials
BC - bazzill : Cream & pink from bit box : Image - Cosy Shoe : Medium - Copics & Ranger distress re-inkers : Nesties label tag : Rest from stash

Just Magnolia & Friday Sketchers

Firstly I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful comments and apologise for my spasmodic commenting in return. I am in the process of moving at the moment - to Germany - I want to spend some time with my son and his family. I am surrounded by packing cases that will go into storage until the move. I am taking as little as possible and am trying to dispose of what I don't need I am not a hoarder but what I have collected over the past 10 years is horrendous. Crafting stuff - not a problem - it's all going, trouble is I keep buying more because I don't know where I shall be able to buy thing when I arrive in Germany.
It didn't help when someone ran into the back of my car last week so I've now had to sort that out and yesterday morning I woke up with a sore throat, no voice and a splitting headache (I never get ill, must be the stress lol).
When I reach screaming point I just cut off, sit down and make a card - I'm not producing the best of cards at the moment but they have the most beneficial effects.

Enough of the rabbiting on to the card. This is Friday Sketchers sketch and Just Magnolia's paper piecing. Whilst sorting through my stamps I came across this Tilda I have hardly ever used and decided she would look good paper pieced and used the Magnolia background stamp, both of which are coloured with Copics. The papers (ancient) had no name on them and all else is from stash.

CCC & Copic CC & Spoonful of Sugar

Edited: I knew there was another challenge but am so befuddled at the moment I couldn't remember which - I've just found it A Spoonful of Sugar - pheww!!!
Two fabulous challenges, I love geometric shapes of CCC and loved this week's colours of Copic CC - even the yellow is a nice gentle one. I used SU gorgeous papers ( Tea Party). I worked with mainly diamond shapes but used a round shape on which to matt Tilda. This meant cutting her out - great until I got to the antennae - decided to amputate them and add wire falsies!! The butterfly is stamped on vellum and heat embossed using holographic powder and the middle two flowers cut eith the EK Success Waterlily punch and the leaf flourish is a BossKut die.

Materials
BC - White linen : DP - SU, Tea Party : Image - Magnolia as a Butterfly - Medium - Copics : Punch - EK Success waterlily : Round nesties & BossKut leaf flourish die : rest from stash

Colour Create - Georgia's choice

I think you were well and truly tested by last week's colours and theme at Colour Create
- sorry, but they can't always be easy, hee hee! True to form though you did the business once again and there were oodles of amazing entries for us to enjoy. We have had one or two problems leaving comments over the past couple of days, so if your entry hasn't been acknowledged we do apologise.

Before I tell you about this week's colours and theme, I have two things to announce. Firstly, we need a winner for the candy prize offered to anyone entering last week's challenge (only those who didn't combine challenges were entered into the draw) - and the lucky winner is...................

LYDIA

My second piece of news is that we're welcoming another new designer to our team this week. Dena has joined us on a permanent basis and we have gained another wonderful cardmaker who produces some stunning creations and has supported our challenge almost every week - welcome aboard Dena!

Tara's lovely talented daughter Georgia has been desperate to come up with the colours and theme for one of our challenges, so this week's choice is all down to her........ ( Fab choice Georgia - really enjoyed this one)

For the extra option we would like you to use die cuts on your card or project (and these can be cut with a machine or precut in a sheet), but please remember that this is not compulsory.

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When the "Boss" said she wanted die cuts this week - I thought right let's give her die cuts.
Apart from the tiny rose and the ribbon, everything on this card is die cut. Now my DT teamies are all taking the 'mick' and telling me I could have entered the spirit of the option at bit more (lol). I do make small roses with a balloon punch, but they are not this small, but I did debate taking of this one a giving a tinier one a whirl - as for the ribbon I could have made my own with the one the Provocraft border dies. However, as usual time ran out so it will have to stay as it is.
I used the Nesties curved rectangle for the card and the various layers using various papers from my bit box and built up with foam pads. My new Anya is coloured with Copics, the flowers cut from the Provocraft flower dies and the swirls from the BossKut flower flourish die. Ribbon and small rose from stash.

Materials
BC & papers - Various from bit box : Image Greeting Farm's Anya : Medium - Copics : Dies - Provocraft flowers, Nesties Curved rectangles & BossKut Leaf flourish : Rose & ribbon from stash

Truly Scrumptious #9

A big thank you to everyone who made cards for our last challenge (more than one fold). The cards you made were fantastic; so many amazing designs and a lot of work went into some very intricate cards.

We have two winners to announce this week and we have used Random.Org to pick both. Because Mister Linky joined us a bit late I have made sure that all entries linked through the comments page were also included in the draw. Our first winner who wins six of Christine Dark's fantastic digi images is No.27, Kate T. Congratulations Kate, please contact me so we can arrange for you to choose your images.

And our second winner will join the Truly Scrumptious team as our first Guest Designer. I am excited to announce that will be No. 39, Elaine (Simpli Crafti). Congratulation Elaine, please email me so I can send you your Guest Designer button and details for our next challenge!

Our DT member Beth has design a fabulous sketch for this weeks challenge; Thanks Beth. And our theme for this challenge is 'altered flowers'. I know how much everyone loves adding blooms to their cards but we would like you to only use flowers that have be changed in some way. You can use Primas, stamped flowers, punched flowers, any flowers you like but you must alter them in some way - stamp them, re-shape them, spray them, ink them etc.,etc.

We are delighted to welcome back Whiff of Joy Stamps as our sponsor this week. Do visit their webshop to take a look at the fabulous range of stamps and they have an exciting new release coming up on 14th June - a gorgeous 'Wedding & Baby' collection designed by Elisabeth Bell. The winner of this challenge will receive the 'Shy Willow' stamp:

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I really have fell out with my camera - look at the colour of Doraline's dress - it is the same shade as the green in the paper IRL - in the photograph it looks like a totally different shade of green. I coloured her in Copics and cut her out with circular nesties and attached her to the card with foam pads. The large flower is cut witht the EK Success Retro flower punch, the smaller ones on the inside with the water lily punch - I stamped and embossed the flowers with the Stempelglede grunge stamp and cut the flourishes with the BossKut leaf flourish die. The sentiment is Inkadinkado, again stamped and embossed, I hand cut the corners and finished with some Basic Grey pearls.

Materials
DP - SU : Image - Motivet - Doraline : Medium - Copics : Punches - EK Success retro flower and waterlily : BossKut leaf flourish die : Sentiment - Inkadinkado : Pears - Basic Grey : Ribbon from stash

Right I'm off now to try and sort my car out - someone ran into the back of me and demolished my boot and bumper a few days ago and the garage were supposed to phone me yesterday but didn't so I shall have to get on to them.
I shall be back later with some awards that are so overdue for posting I'm hanging my head in shame. I started sorting them out yesterday but ended up in such a muddle I decided a night's sleep first might be a good idea.

House Mouse Challenge #41 Red White & Blue

Thank you to everyone who joined in last week's House Mouse challenge, a winner will be chosen tomorrow and announced in a separate post.

Our challenge this week is :~ A colour challenge!! the colours are...........
Red, White and Blue.

Check out what our lovely DT have come up with to help inspire you. Don't forget to check out their blogs for more details!!

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I wanted a card 4th July (independence) day card for a US friend and thought this was the ideal opportunity. I managed to find some papers in my download collection with stars on them and the stripe is some I found in my stash. My image - Spring Blossoms - is coloured with distress inks and matted and layered with the red then white embossed with the tiny bubbles folder. The corners are cut with the vintage corner die and I added two ribbon flowers at the edges of the ribbon - you remeber the ones we used to make at school - folding the two ends of the ribbon back on themselves, then pulling the loose end until a flowers appeared.

Materials
Red paper - the Card Co., blue - downloaded : Image - Spring Blossoms : Medium Ranger distress inks : Provocraft vintage corners & tiny bubbles embossing folder : Ribbon from stash

WOJ and Friday Sketchers

I used the sketch over at Friday Sketchers for this week's WoJ challenge - charms. I chose Willow with Strawberry basket from the Summer Woj collection and coloured her with Copics. I used papers from Papermania's Exquisite collection and Dovecraft's Abstract prints. I tinted the edge of the lace with copic markers and threaded braid through it. I wonder whether I will ever have one of these images with apples other than Autumn russets (lol). The charm is from the Hobby House

Materials
Papers - Papermania Exquisite collection, Dovecraft Abstract prints
WoJ image Willow with Strawberry Basket
Medium - Copics
Rest from stash

Sketch Saturday

Sketch Saturday have a gorgeous little sketch for us to follow this week. I used SU papers and the Sugar Nellie image Country Garden which I coloured with Copics. Not much else to say about this one really, except excuse the photograph I can't get my camera to behave at the moment. Every so often I can only get blurred photos, then all of a sudden everytthing is OK again - why??

Just a simple little inside

Materials
DP - SU Le Jardin : Image - Sugar Nellie Country Garden : Medium - Copics : Sentiment Inkadinkado : Rest from stash

Creative Card Crew & Copic Colour Challenges

This is my card for the Creative Card Crew and Copic Colour challenges.

I used one of the new Sugar Nellie images (Fragile Beauty) that I won in the CCC challenge a couple of weeks ago. Isn't she a little cutie and an absolute dream to colour. The papers are a download from Digi-chick, the sentiment Penny Black, the flowers are a mixture and the leaves cut with a Woodware punch. I used the Copic Colours RV11 - blouse, YO6 - butterflies (not much - don't do bright yellow) and E37 (no E39) on the jeans and hair.

Materials
BC - bazzill : DP - Digi-chick download : Image - Sugar Nellie Fragile Beauty : Medium - Copics : Punch- Woodware leaf : Card candy : rest from stash