It's Mousie Monday again!!!

This week's theme at House Mouse & Friends was chosen by the lovely LORI  and she would like to at least one heart on your creation this time.

And.............guess what..........the lovely STACY is back with us after an extended leave of absence - welcome home huni, it's good to have you back in the family!!

I've used the cute image called Lovely Confetti this week, and coloured it with my misbehaving Copics. The dp is Basic Grey's and I can't for the life in me remember which one, (I dropped my box of Basic Grey pads and a lot of them fell apart - I know which many are from, but some haven't clue which pad they came from!!!) The panel behind the image is embossed with a Crealies die and inked with Victorian Velvet distress ink. I cut the hearts with the Spellbinders regular and scalloped dies,  I've pleated the ribbon, which is all sparkly but sadly this hardly shows,  it pleated a dream on the left but the right part fought all the way and I'm still not happy with it. The corners are Cuttlebug's Vintage corners and I have added some beautiful pearl clusters sent to me by my sonderful friend America.


Our fabulous sponsor for this challenge is House Mouse Designs
with a fantastic $20 electronic gift certificate.





Well folks it's Monday yet again, hope you all have a great week and thanks for stopping by.

DewDropcraftz Sale!!

Nikki at DewDrop Craftz is making big changes and 

therefore all images are on sale this weekend at 50% off - yes half price till midnight tonight so hurry along and grab yourself some bargains.

I love this image but haven't used it for a while - I think it is one that is perfect for teenage boys. It is called by the artist Karen and is called the Traveller. As I've previously mentioned I'm having trouble with my Copics at the moment so I thought I'd have a change and use my old pastel pencils I brought from the UK. They came by carrier with my furniture etc. and I strongly suspect the box they were in was dropped and I've spent half my time resharpening as they broke!! I don't think you get such a precise finish with the pencils so I have deliberately left the blue, shall we say slightly mottled in order that it looks like linen - well at least it's supposed to!!! 

The image is stamped on my last bit of kraft carstock - I don't seem to be able to find a supplier at the moment despite hunting around - if anyone knows where I can get more pease, please tell me. The edges of the image are distressed using Vintage photo distress ink. The brown cross piece and been run through my bug using a Tim Holtz embossing folder and the tag and ticket are also by Tim Holtz.

The papers are from Donna at Bearly Mine designs and the ribbon and garden twine are from my stash.

I followed the delightful sketch at Friday Sketchers and so will enter it into this challenge.

Don't forget you have until midnight to get yourself some stunning images at half price.

Hope you're all having a brilliant weekend - I think someone stole mine again.

Teddy Bo's here again!!

I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the Teddy Bo challenge which is 'Seeing Double' - I love doing these off centre gatefold cards with a pocket on the inside. Teddy Bo is coloured with Copics, my Copics are not behaving at the moment, I can't make my mind up whether it is the intense cold here (we're on minus temperatures again) or possibly the daylight lamp I'm using to colour by as I've been colouring images at night. They are not settling into the card, sort of sitting on top and blending is a nightmare. I shall try colouring during the day without the lamp or get back to colouring with distress inks.

The edge of the image is inked with Pumice Stone distress ink and papers are from Pink Petticoat, Granny's Wallpaper. I used the heart nestabilities to make the three heart buttons, inked them with tea die distress ink them coated them with glossy accents. I used Spellbinders Labels 11 to cut out the image and sentiment, a Sizzix die for the leaves and the corners with the Martha Stewart corner punch (double loops I think it's called). The ribbon seam binding is from my stash.

 

Here is Teddy Bo two on the circles (cut with round and scalloped nesties) which I used to attach the ribbon to the back of the card.

Here is the inside of the card, and Teddy Bo 3!! Oooops, should only have 2 - I see disqualification looming again. This is one of the Teddy Bo labels which I think are going to come in so useful - I was going to turn this one into a laminated bookmark, but the thought of photographing the laminate put me off.

Well folks - it's nearly weekend again - I hope you all have a great one and thanks for stopping by.

Lili of the Valley - a different favourite this time!!

My favourite of the new Lili of the Valley images - how many times have I a said that tee-hee - they're all my favourite!!

The image is coloured in my usual Copics and I've added grass under their feet, I hate the thought of them falling on hard ground. The papers are an old, old download from Shabby Princess called Signature collection. I've used a Sizzix die to cut the leaves, the flowers are from Wild Orchid crafts and the ribbons from my stash. I cut a tag for one of the new Inspirational sentiments and used some cluster pearls to decorate it.


I used a sketch from somewhere, but I've forgotten where, but this does fit the

Stamp with Fun challenge which is Blue and Brown this time.

Simon Says........Animal Antics

Another week has flown by  and it's it time for another challenge at Simon Says Stamp. This week the design team are featuring Stampabilities, if you have any we would love to see them, but it's not necessary to enter the challenge.

The design team are featuring  Stampabilities this week and I chose this delightful stamp - Light as a Feather. It looks like these little Hoppies are trying to lose a little weight after over-indulging during the Christmas and New Year festivities. This little pair are coloured in Copics and the papers used are Basic Grey's Kioshi. This is quite a large image so I've kept the card fairly simple - the border is cut with the Martha Stewart Double Loops punch
The thread, buttons and ribbon are all from my stash.




As usual our lovely boss Heidi will be giving one lucky entrant a $50 spree to her Simon Says Stamp store and with all the goodies arriving soon from the CHA there will be loads of brand new stuff to choose from too !!! 

I Shot Myself Down in Flames and Fell in Love........

Three weeks ago I stated I was NOT a bear person, wasn't over keen on bears - then - the same day, or it could have been the day after I came across Teddy Bo and fell immediately in love with him and his friend Teddy Bea.

This is Teddy Bea - I suspect she's Teddy Bo's girlfriend as I have another image which indicates that she is.

Just look - how could you not fall in love with this adorable  pair!!

I settled down to do my DT commenting this morning only to find InLinkz was down on all the blogs so I took the opportunity to make a card.

Teddy Bea is coloured with Copics and mounted on a frame cut with a Nellie Snellon die. The papers are all Basic Grey from the Phresh and Phunky range.

The scalloped border is cut with the EK Success Scalloped Scallop punch, the hearts with Spellbinders nesties then coated with Glamour Dust and the ribbon is from my stash.

Now then all together AWWWW!!!! Isn't she sweet!!
You'll definitely be seeing more of these adorable bears.

Teddy Bo even has his own challenge blog which you can find HERE, and you can get your digi images from the Teddy Bo SHOP


I love the fabulous sketch at ABC challenges so much I decided to use it but as the letter this week is M for Magic sadly Bea doesn't count even though I think she's magical. but hopefully she qualifies for the following challenges -


Teddy Stampers - Anything Goes
Cutie Sunday - Anything Goes
Stamp Something - something Cute


Well I suppose I'd better crack on with my commenting now Mr InLinkz seems to be back from is wanderings!!

Tilda 's Levitating yet again!!

I've managed a challenge card today, I found this gorgeous little Tilda coloured up and waiting to be used. But just look what I've done again - left Tilda levitating - that's what comes of colouring images in advance!!

I made an easel card this time, just wish photographing easel cards wasn't so difficult. Tilda is coloured in Copics, cut out with oval nesties and the edges inked with Walnut stain distress ink.

The papers are from Basic Grey's Vagabond collection and I've stamped the corners with a stamp from and Elusive Images set the distressed the

edges with the Tim Holtz's distressing tool.

The crossway panel is edged with a Crealies border die, the swirl is a Sizzix die and the hearts cut from a cuttlebug alphabet die set and glittered with

Stardust stickles.

The sentiment on the main panel is Magnolia, the full stamp says

'a gift from the heart' but I masked the 'a gift' part of it.

The sentiment on the base panel is from TPC studios and cut with a

Spellbinders fancy tags die.

This is the front view of the main panel and I'm entering this card into

the following challenges.

Creatalicious Challenges - It's all about ribbon and make it a love theme

Alphabet Challenge - L is for Ladies

Totally Papercrafts - Add a Heart

Basic Grey challenge and DT call

It's time for another challenge at Basic Grey and WOW you certainly seemed to like spot and dots, we had an amazing number of absolutely fabulous entries. 

 Our Design Team call, which runs for another fortnight, brought us many wonderful creations to look at also.

If you're entering another card this challenge we would ask you to add DT2 after your entry.

Our challenge this time is 

'FLOWER POWER'

we want to see flowers on your creation - the image, in the papers, embellishments - it's your choice!!


Don't forget to use at least one Basic Grey product, it could paper, stamps, die cuts, or even a button or brad  and please tell us what it is you've used!!

Basic Grey products use - Kioshi papers

I used one of the New Sugar Nellie adorables from Funky Kits and this one is Joy, isn't she gorgeous? She is coloured her with Copics and I've cut her a frame with Spellbinders nesties and a Joy die. The papers are from the beautiful Kioshi range, the corners cut with cuttlebug Vintage corners, the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and threaded through the Joy frame to which I've also added some flourishes cut with a Marianne creatable. The pearls and ribbon are from my stash.


Our prize this week a fabulous gift voucher from our usual sponsor, 
the fabulous Simon Says Stamp

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend, it snowed again here yesterday, but not enough to build a snowman so I think I shall just stay in and keep warm!!

Publish Post

Lilli of the Valley and Several challenges

I was about to say I think this little sweetie is my favourite of the new Lili of the Valley little fairies, but they are all my favourite as I'm using them.

This little sweetie is Dandelion Clock and she is coloured with Copics and the edges stamped with a small Crealies stamp that looks very much like a dandelion seed. The paper is an old, old digi download, apart from the dark green backing cardstock. Ive cut the border with a Carlacraft punch called Macaron, the leaves with a Crealies die and I made the flowers as I wanted a fluffy dandelion head type of finish (albeit a blue dandelion) When I look at them now they look just like scabious flowers I had in my garden. I cut them out of white mulberry paper with the EK Success retro flower punch, fastened them together with a small brad then spritzed them with a mixture of water, a few drops of Faded Jeans distress ink and a little perfect pearls.

A sort of  personalized version of glimmer mist. At this point I scrunched them up and left them to dry. I have in the past tried to dry them with a heat gun but ended up scorching them so I prefer to let them dry naturally. Once dry I unfurled the leaves and added some seed pearls to the centres with silicone. The sentiment is Paula Pascual and the ribbon charms a strip pears are from my stash.

A close of the flowers, and I forgot to say I sprinkled them with glitter whilst still wet, not that it shows in the photograph.

I managed to find a few challenges into which this card fit.

Sketch and Stash - new - image, charm, old - papers & punch

Cute Card Thursday which is a recipe comnination of 1, 2, 3 (1 image, 2 papers & 3 flowers) but I have so much more I might be disqualified from this one!!)

Flutterby Wednesday- an open week

City Crafter - hand made flowers

My Time to Craft - Spots and dots (the dp is spotty, though it doesn't show very well, other than this it will have to be the row of dotted pearls)

Papertake Weekly - ribbons and/or pearls

Well it's been freezing cold here today (back to minus temperatures) so I'm going to have a hot bath now and get my snugglies on.

Simon Says - Bingo.........!!!!

We're all playing BINGO this week at the Simon Says Stamp challenge

Any mother with young children who start to insist on dressing themselves will identify with this adorable Mo Manning image Sumpins Wrong. The image is coloured in Copics and I cut a frame using Spellbinders Large Octagons, I 'extended the frame with Spellbinders Flourish detail. The papers are 7 Gypsies - Venice, there are 48 double sided sheets in the pad with 6 of each design - plenty to play with.

My corners are cute with the Martha Stewart Double loop punch and I've used Spellbinders Fancy tags for my computer generated sentiment.

How come when I think I have every colour of Basic Grey buttons available, there is never one quite the right shade/tone? Probably because I'm nitpicking!! I did however find two on my suit jacket - so my card now has two 'suit jacket' buttons and my jacket two Basic Grey buttons. I died my thread with Copics and have duly written my 100 lines

"I must not die thread with copics on my dining table I must use my messy mat"
EDITED
I forgot to add I used two little brads to attach my sentiment tag.

Here is the bingo card for you - just pick a line, vertical, horizontal or diagonal and away you go. I chose Brads, Buttons and Punch/Die cuts.

The prize this week -

a WHOPPING $50 voucher from Simon Says Stamp Superstore!!! Whheeeeeehoooooo!!!!!! How exciting eh?? So, get out your stamps and start creating!!! We can't wait to see what you create!!!! Have a great week & good luck!

Truly Scrumptious - a Colour Challenge!!

Well, another fortnight has whizzed by and it's time for another challenge at Truly Scrumptious and we're changing things ever so slightly. Rather than give you a sketch each time we are going to alternate sketches with themes so this time our challenge is to make a card using Brown, Pink & Green as your main colour scheme.

Don't you just love these new Sugar Nellie images - this one is Verity and I've coloured her with Copics and stamped the edges with a Stempelglede grunge stamp. The papers are from the gorgeous Basic Grey Kioshi range, the borders are cut with a MS punch (I can never remember the names of them so think I shall have to write it on the punch as I take it out of the packet in future).The leaves are cut with a Crealies die, the flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts and the netting and pearls from my stash.

Our sponsor for this challenge is the lovely Janet from Pink Gem Designs. One lucky winner will receive a stamp as their prize .

That was fairly short and sweet, I shall be back before too long with my Simon Says Stamp DT challenge card.

House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge and Candy Winner!!

Good morning everyone - hope you've all had a brilliant weekend and are ready to start a new week. 

It's my turn to choose the challenge at House Mouse & Friends this week so I thought, after the hurtling around and hopping about last challenge we would have a nice peaceful and easy one this time, so all I'm asking you for is a little embossing somewhere on your creation.

I've even chosen a relaxing image this time - this one is Tubby Bears 

and I've coloured it with Copics. The borders are cut with an MS punch, the flowers with a Crealies die and the swirl with a Marianne Creatable

The papers are Go Nuts from Nitwits. I have embossed the yellow panel behind the image with the Cuttlebug folder 'Seeing Spots'. I also embossed a flower, wasn't happy with the colour of it, took it off did another and forgot to emboss it!! So you'll just have to imagine the flower is embossed with the Swiss dots folder. Please ignore the ribbon,which believe it or not is a pale lavender colour but insisted on looking like it had been trampled underfoot in a muddy puddle.

Now onto the winner of my Blog Hop candy

this is 

number 18
(sorry Random Org. generator refused to be copied and pasted this time
- not having a particularly good week so far am I?)

Jeanette at Krafty Kows


congratulations, email me so that I can get your candy out to you.

Just Magnolia and Create4Fun

I've managed another card challenge card this weekend - this one follows the sketch at Create4Fun and  Just Magnolia's challenge is 'My Favourite Things'- now this I found difficult, my favourite things depend on the mood I'm in, although I always love the fabulous sketches the girls at Create4Fun provide for us to follow. One of my favourite things at the moment is to look through all my older stamps and choose the one that were my favourite and use them again. This is one of them, but there is quite a pile waiting to be used!!

Although I followed the sketch I flipped it 90 degrees to the right to accomodate the image.

Tilda is coloured in Copics, (quite boldly for me - I usually have her in more pastel colours) The edges of the image are stamp and heat embossed with clear powder using a favourite Stempelgle grunge stamp, I then lightly inked the edges. I used DCWV Linen Closet paper, mixed with Papermania's Blueberry Hill. The edges are punched with the EK Success scallop scalloped punch, the flowers are Wild Orchid, the pearls Prima and the ribbon (which has been a favourite, but is no more - all gone boo-hoo) was from my stash, whilst the beautiful butterfly charm to which I added some stickles is from my adorable friend America.


Right I'd better head for the kitchen - I'm so hungry I could eat a 'scabby cat' - (don't know whether that's a Lancashire or Yorkshire saying - tell me if you know anyone!!) Then it will probably take me the whole evening to clear us the horrendous mess I've made creating a couple of cards.

Copic Creations - IT'S NEW!!!

I've got my 'dozy' head on today - I nearly forgot to post this one!!!

It’s time for a new Copic Creations challenge!

This week we’re asking ~ What’s New??! We had so much fun with our last challenge, featuring a non-Copic specific challenge, that we thought we would do it again and start out this new year with an easy one for everyone! Just like Show and Tell at school ~ Show us your new stuff! This can be either new Copics, new tools, new papers, a new technique – ANYTHING NEW!

What is my new - my gorgeous new digi-papers from Nit Wits, also I suppose using plasters, bandages and safety pins on a card and, come to that stamping on a plaster - not easy!! The fabric plasters were too dark so I used the plastic type ones and my stamp kept sliding. My sentiment is still not quite straight but I had to give up when I ran out of plasters - better not cut myself until I replace them lol.

The image is the cute, funny Nurse Gillian from Prairie Fairy

I really had fun making this card, that is until I got to the bedpan - I couldn't get that right but gave up after 4 attempts, I still not happy with it - I nearly chopped it off and gave her a handbag!! 

Gillian is coloured with Copics,

Dress, shoes, bedpan & Hat C00 - C7

The cross on her hat and blood in syringe - R20, 22 & 27

Hair - YR07, E31&33, E77

and I added glossy accents to her glasses.

The edge of the image is distressed with Vintage Photo distress ink and cut out using the Spellbinders curved recatangles.

The ribbon is from my stash and all else from my First Aid kit.

Our prize this week generously supplied by a fabulous new sponsor 
Prairie Fairy Designs and is FIVE digial images

I hope you all have a brilliant weekend and find time to join in the fun!!

Lili of the Valley for Friday Sketchers and Cute Card Thursday

I've been somewhat bogged down this week with sorting out my jumbled up computer files and moving them over to an external hard drive (managed about half of them so far) and, trying to keep up and get ahead with my DT work. I reached the point when my brain was mashed and I could do no more so I decide to make a card just because I wanted to!!


It would seem you're all loving the new images from Lili of the Valley - hardly surprising as they are all so gorgeous - I know I can't leave them alone.

This is one of the  images I've not used as yet - she is a Molly Harrison fairy called Gwen - she is so beautiful and an absolute delight to colour.
As she is holding a stalk of lavender I just had to colour her using the Blue Violet coloured Copics.
The papers are Pink Petticoat, the flowers Prima - lightly coloured with BV31 and the panel is cut with a Martha Stewart deep edge punch.
The sentiment is one from the new Lili of the Valley fabulous 'Inspirational Sentiments' set. The green leaves and ribbon are from my stash and the lavender ones cut with a Woodware punch.


I followed the sketch at Friday Sketchers and Cute Card Thursday are asking for monochrome so I will enter this card into these challenges.

Right I shall get back to the DT work now I've had a pleasant refreshing break.

Simons Says......It's Sketch Time!!

We are thrilled to welcome a new team member at the Simon Says Stamp Challenge -  TARA who has happily joined our Simon Says family, and we couldn't be more excited!!! Welcome Tara! Please head to her blog to say 'Hello' and leave some love !!!

This week we have a beautiful sketch done by our very own Domi! Also, this week, the Design Team is showcasing Crafters Companion stamps - Popcorn Bear & SWALK stamps!Simon Says Stamp has an amazing selection of all of them, and they are TOO GOOD to pass up!! So head on over to the store and check them out!!!!!

I took myself out of my comfort zone this week - I'm not really a 'bear' person and not too good a colouring them - so a bear I chose!! I do have to admit I really enjoyed colouring Popcorn and hope I now have overcome my bear 'phobia' This image is Birthday Hugs - gosh he is a huge bear - and such a cutie!! He is coloured with the usual Copics and I've used Kaiser - Lilac Avenue papers. The border is cut with a Martha Stewart Arch Lattice punch.

I used Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Hearts to cut out the buttons,  I cut a few layers, punched the holes with a Cropodile and coated them with 

Glossy Accents. Looking at them on screen I feel they are a little too glossy for the card and will probably remove them and leave them matt.

The little wooden Teddy bear button I found in my stash and coloured it with Copics, the ribbon is also from my stash.

This week, the prize is a WHOPPING $50 voucher from Simon Says Stamp Superstore!!! Whheeeeeehoooooo!!!!!! How exciting eh?? So, get out your stamps and start creating!!! We can't wait to see what you create!!!! Have a great week & good luck!

Just a card without a callenge

I've been have a big sort-out today, in my computer, in my stash - well just about everywhere and I found a card that I never got round to posting.

I did a wall hanging for a friend using this image and immediately wanted to do it again in different colours, so I thought I'd show it you.

It is of course one of Mo's and I think it is my overall favourite at the moment and it's called 'Learning to Read'.

I coloured it this time in Copics using mainly R20's and C's.

The top left hand corner looked bare but it really didn't lend itself to embellishments so I simply added a computer generated sentiment and then matted and layered it onto red cardstock.

I would like to frame it but doubt whether I would find a frame the correct size and so would probably have to make one. 

Right hopefully I will finish sorting out my jumbled up downloaded papers this evening - wish me luck!!

EDITED

This has been entered to DP2 Favourite 2011 - one is 'All time favourite' which was never made for any challenge - just for fun - so it is gratified it that is part of a entered.

LOTV Candy Winner

I did intend to announce my candy winner last night - I set the Inlinx thingy to end at midnight, but for some reason it set itself to finish at about 2.30am - Silly Mr Froggy!!! I certainly wasn't waiting for it so you had to wait until this morning. So with out further ado her is the winner of my candy

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:295Powered by RANDOM.ORG

and this is Val

Congratulations sweetie - email with your address so that I can arrange to get your prize off to you.

Thank you all for entering and leaving so many wonderful comments.