Happy Christmas

Hi everyone, just finished wrapping the presents so thought I'd have a quick blog before the sherry comes out (lol).  I thought I'd share a few cards with you today, the first one I made for my dad using a Sarah Kay stamp which I've coloured with copics and around the edge I've used an Adirondack dabber in gold. I've used distress ink pads on the backgrounds and one of these I sprayed with glimmer mists then stamped with Hero Arts French Writing stamp.  A couple of bits of green ribbon and a stamped sentiment completes.

These next two saucy ones are for my youngest son (it's OK he's 30 now) and my nephew who is a couple of years older.  Both have been unlucky in love this year so I thought these cards might bring a smile to their faces.  They are digital downloads from Kenny K which I've coloured with copics and matted and layered with red and white card and distressed the edges.

The final card is using Molly Bloom stamps and I used a similar layout as Clare has on her blog so not really my own design.  I've used my copics for colouring and the border punch I used on the tag edge and gingham side panel is a fiskers.  Paper from stash and printed gingham paper from CD.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and great New Year - Linda x

Pink for a girl

Good morning everyone!  It's cold and frosty here this morning but at least the sun is shining.  I'm sharing with you today a card I've made for a new baby girl.  I've used a Penny Black stamp and coloured with copics.  A Martha Stewart punch was used for the heart border.  Sentiment is from a set by Paula Pascual which I've punched out and mounted onto a nesties scallop circle.  Card, papers, ribbon and buttons from stash.  Hope you like!  Hope you all have a nice day - Linda x

Tilda with snowflakes

Good morning fellow bloggers.  Well what's the weather going to do today, it started off sunny here but it's clouded over now! 

Today I am sharing with you another easel card which I am entering into this weeks Totally Gorjuss challenge which is 'Traditional Christmas Colours'.  The Tilda image is stamped and coloured with 'Copics' which I am really into at the moment.  The white circle I have run through a cuttlebug embossing folder and mounted that onto a red scallop cut with a nestabilites die, I've inked around the scallops with a gelly roll pen (Clear Star).  the background paper is from DCWV, all other card is from stash.  I've diecut some snowflakes with my cricut using Christmas Noel cartridge which I have also edged with the gelly roll pen and added star shaped gems to the centres.  The corner punch I've used is Fiskars Snowflakes on the top and bottom of the card.  I punched a border in the dotty paper using a Martha Stewart border punch which I've trimmed with ribbon I bought at Sir Stampalot on Friday.  The greeting is from the Essential Christmas set by Paula Pascual also available from Sir Stampalot.  Hope you like it!  Bye for now - Linda x

30th Birthday

Good afternoon fellow bloggers.  Rather overcast today here in the Fens but a few climpses of the sun have been seen.  Did you all remember to put the clocks back an hour - we forgot and then I remembered in the middle of the night, but of course I was not going to get out of bed to alter them at that hour of the day so hubby got up his usual time which of course was one hour earlier and we had a cup of tea at silly o'clock this morning. 

Anyway, my youngest son is 30 year's old today (that makes me depressed lol) and this is the easel card I made for him - sorry about the photo quality, my little digi camera seems to have a gremlin at the moment!  I hate making mens' cards, I find them difficult.  He loves music and playing guitar so I thought that should be the theme.  The image is a digital download from KennyK - worth a visit to his website for something different.  I got the inspiration from a card in the gallery on the site.  I've coloured the image with Copics, the papers are from stash along with the red and black card.  I've used white brads in the circles and corners.  The jazz border is an All Night Media stamp which I have had for years.  This I've stamped onto white card with black Versafine and clear embossed.  The sentiment is a See-D's and again stamped and embossed.  The 30 was cut using Cricut cartridge Alphalicious and I've used a silver guitar charm to finish.  Hope you like it.

Mistletoe Kisses

I'm back!  Have been busy making cards but not blogging much at all - sorry!  Anyway this is my first Christmas card this year.  The image is a Gillian Roberts stamp 'Mistletoe and Mice - I think say are sooo cute.  I stamped them onto a cut nestie shape and coloured them with copics.  The Mistletoe berries are clear gemstones and I've glittered the little spots on her top.  Mat and layered cardstock - the backing paper is Snowy Jo paper.  I've added a Kars brad to the corner piece and diecut poinsettas to which i've added red gemstones to the centres.  A computer generated sentiment and bow complete.  Hope you like it.

C'est Chic!

Good evening everyone, just a quick post to let you know I'm still here.  This is the first digital stamp I've used (DigiStamp Boutique) and I must say that I am impressed with the clarity of the outline.  I've coloured the image with Copics (I thought the outline might bleed but it didn't - there's something to be said for the cheap ink I use in my printer lol).  I punched out 3 mini flowers for the bags and the sentiment.  Papers are Papermania which I've had for a while now (I always get round to using them eventually).  The loopy border is a Martha Stewart punch.  Bye for now!

Tilda Wedding Card

Good afternoon everyone and what another gorgeous day it is.  I hope it will last as I'm off on my hols next week - even if it isn't it'll be nice to get away.

My card today is for a colleagues wedding which takes place today and we are going to the evening do.  I thought I would get away from the traditional white wedding card and get up to date a bit.  I just love this Tilda stamp which I have coloured with copics (hair and skin) and the remainder I've used Tim Holtz distress ink pads which I'm just getting into and I'm very pleased with the result.  I got the inspiration from a Magnolia Ink Magazine.  The sentiment is by Funstamps and the border is a Martha Stewart punch.  I used the hearts punched out from the border to decorate the top left hand corner.  The red rose I made using Brenda's fantastic tutorial the smaller roses were in my stash which I inked with the Tim Holtz distress inkpad (Tattered Rose). The leaves are die cut .  The background is a Pink Petticoat download - Damask. Ribbon and gems from stash. 

I decided to make a box for the card as it's a bit bulky for an envelope.  I've decorated it with wedding bells cut from the Cricut Wedding cartridge, computer generated names which I then cut and embossed using my nesties.  All the distressing was done with Tim Holtz Antique Linen, Tattered Rose and Victoria Velvet.

Hope you like it!  Bye for now - Linda x

Yesterday at Sir Stampalot

What a lovely day I had yesterday.  First it was all day with Chris at Sir Stampalot (thank you Chris) and these are the thing I made.  A box with a drawer and a lovely decorated top and a nice little notepad.  The box took us quite a while but it was worth it.  Chris's Strawberry Cheesecake was to die for and I bought several of the new Molly Bloom stamps which are really cute - can't decide which I like most these or Tilda's - but some will mix and match nicely I think.

When I got home it was time to go over to some friends who were having a barbeque - I'm afraid I had too much Vino and felt a bit squiffy this morning - I told hubby I thought it was the hot weather but I don't think he believed me somehow. 

We're off to a fete this afternoon - I made some cakes to take with me but they turned out as flat as pancakes - not like me at all my cakes are usually very good although I say it myself - anyway hubbies been sent off to the supermarket to buy some and my son said he would happily have the ones I made!

Well cheribye for now - enjoy this lovely weather - Linda x

Bon Voyage

Hi everyone, I'm back - at least for this evening!  Been very busy with the family and our garden.  We've just opened a Caravan Club Certificated Location which is a site for up to 5 caravans for club members only - hubby has done all the hard work - me - well, paperwork - boring!  Anyway we have our 1st booking starting next week and hopefully we'll get a few more this year.  Take a look at the website http://www.windrushcl.co.uk/ which I've been working on.  My son uploaded it for me this afternoon but I need to make a few tweaks to it and add some more content.

ON TO THE CARD   I was asked to make this card for my boss and his wife who are emigrating to Australia shortly and came up with this.  I've used mainly royalty free clipart and a couple of rubber stamps.  Bon Voyage cut with my good old Cricut - Beyond Birthdays - and also the luggage label from Tags, Bags and Boxes.  I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Tea Dye and Tumbled Glass) on the tag and papers.  We presented it to them today and they seemed quite impressed so I'm happy! 

I'm off to Sir Stampalot tomorrow for a day with Chris so I'm double happy in fact!  Take care, Linda x

My Time To Craft Challenge - Make it Manly

Good evening everyone.  Well I should have been doing the housework this afternoon, but what the heck that can wait cos I wanted to do a bit of crafting!  I need some men's cards to sell at work for the charity I am supporting and My Time to Craft Challenge so happens to be a manly theme this week, so perfect I thought - I'll enter this one!    The stamp is an old one that I found  in the cupboard but I like it a lot.  I stamped and embossed the image 3 times onto buff coloured card and then cut out and decoupaged it.  The colours haven't come out too well - the light wasn't great indoors this evening for taking piccies but the backgound papers were a digital download set (sorry but I can't remember where from) but they were all in a brown colour theme. I stamped and embossed the sentiment which I mounted onto brown card and fixed it through with 2 brads.  TTFN - Linda x

Mother's Day and My Time to Craft Challenge

Good evening fellow bloggers!  What a great couple of days we have had with the weather (at least here in the Fens).  Lucky me had Monday and Tuesday off work (using up my holiday entitlement) so had some time for a bit of crafting!  This is one of the Mother's Day cards I  made which I am selling at work, and entering for this weeks 'My Time to Craft Challenge.  Back in 2001 just as we were about to move up here from Hertfordshire, leaving my 2 lovely sons behind as they thought life would be a bit too quiet for them in the sticks lol! my eldest son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes which was an awful shock to us.  However he took it on the chin and I remember him saying that there were people much worse off than him which says it all really as he is a very caring person (I know I'm his mum and a bit bias).  We knew very little about Diabetes especially Type 1 which is controlled by insulin injections and he has coped very well on the whole but there have been occasions when he has had a hypo (low blood sugar) which can be quite frightening to see and we have to deal with it.  Anyway, I have occasionally sold my cards, mainly I have been asked for something specific - but I thought if I made a selection of everyday cards I could sell them at work and donate the profits to charity and I have chosen Diabetes UK as hopefully one day a cure will be found or a better way of controlling it at least.   So back to the card.  I used one of my favourite Tilda stamps which I coloured with Copics.  The circle was cut out with my Cricut and I stamped a swirl with Versa Mark and chalked over it.  The scallop circle I cut using my nesties.  The DP is Kate Knight (Dovecraft) which I've had for some time now. I punched the bottom border with a Martha Steward border punch and added ribbon and a bow. The sentiment is computer generated using Microsoft WordArt and I punched a flower 3 times and layered it up adding a pearl to the centre.  Again the scallop was cut with nesties.  Bye for now!

Just a quick post this evening - I've gone down with a head cold so not feeling like crafting too much.  This card I've made for my sister's Birthday which is on Sunday - Happy Birthday Sis.  I wasn't too sure where I was going with this at first but I feel it came together OK in the end.  The image is by Sarah Kay which I have stamped and coloured with good old Marvy Le Plume pens.  The mats were cut from nesties and one I ran through a Cuttlebug embossing folder which I then sanded lightly.  DP are Crate Paper and MME.  I used a  border punch for the top and bottom of the card  (EK Success).  Punched tiny flowers and fern leaves. Other flowers, button and gems from stash and finally I stamped the sentiments.  Bye for now!

My Time To Craft Challenge - Green Plus One

Good evening everyone, well two posts in one day!  This card I made for this weeks My Time To Craft Challenge, which had to been a green colour card so here's my take on it.  Tilda is coloured with Marvey le Plume pens, in greens and pinks.  Her chair is stamped onto green designer paper from K&Co. Both images are cut out and mounted onto a mat cut from my Cricut.  The backing paper is from DCWV and I have used the same colour card for the base, side and bottom strips.  The side strip I edged with my MS Doily Lace punch.  The sentiment is stamped onto an oval cut with nesties and mounted onto a scallop oval.  Flower and buttons from stash.  The centre of the flower is a glittered butterfly brad!  Bye for now.

Charisma Cardz Thursday Challenge

Hi everyone, just a quick posting while I'm having my lunch break.  The card is for this weeks Charisma Cardz Challenge which is a male theme.  The decoupage image and BP is from Jolly Nation and it was the very first thing I won from a craft magazine comp.  I covered an A5 card with the BP then run a piece of brown card through the cuttlebug with Swiss dots folder.  I set eyelets down the side of this.  A strip of blue card was covered with the BP and the image is mounted onto a blue mat. The sentiment is computer generated using Photoshop - one of my first attempts and I was quite pleased with the result. This I cut out with a circle punch and mounted onto a circle of brown card which again I embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder.  Thanks for looking!

One Stop Craft Challenge

Hi everyone, not at work today as I've been to the dentist to have my crown put back - a long story but I've got a very sore mouth at the moment - taking my mind off it by doing a bit of crafting.  Here's the card I've made for this weeks 'One Stop Craft Challenge'.  The image is a Penny Black stamp - I love these I think they are brilliant - my sense of humour!  Stamped with Stazon, I coloured it with Marvy le Plume pens and chalked around the edges.  The papers are My Mind's Eye (free with a crafting mag).  The scallop edge is punched with an EK Success border punch.  The flowers were stamped and punched with a MS punch  onto the dotty paper using black Stazon and I added a jewel to the centres.  I used grosgrain ribbon to decorated the scallop edge and stamped the happy birthday sentiment.  Hope you like it!

Sir Stampalot Challenge

Well at last I've got round to making the card for this exciting challenge which you can find out about by visiting Brenda's blog- what a great prize there is to be had donated by Sir Stampalot (will keep my fingers crossed).   The card I've made for my son who's moving in with his girlfriend at the end of this month.  I cut the shape with my Cricut (Zooballoo cartridge).  Covered it with brick effect craft paper that my husband bought years ago when he thought it would be a good idea to make doll's houses - he's never got round to it but the paper was useful lol.  Roof tiles I made using thick paper which I ran through a ribbler and cut tiles, a bit time consuming but it had the desired effect.  I used ribbon for the curtains and covered the windows with acetate to represent glass.  The window boxes where cut out of terracotta coloured card.  I made flowers with Flowersoft and punched out some fern like foliage. Cut out a door shape from red card, made a letter box and used peel off numbers and a brad for the handle.  The sentiment was computer generated and I cut out a frame with my Cricut to edge it.

Red Roses for Valentines Day

Good evening fellow bloggers.  What a miserable day it's been here in the Fens - don't know why I'm saying this as I've been a warm office all day!  Anyway, on with the card.  I've made this to give to my hubby for Valentines Day.  I got the inspiration from the latest Magnolia mag.  I've used a red base card and digital papers from 'Nitwit Collections'.  The image is 'Tilda with Hearts' stamped onto white card.  I masked her and stamped the background with Art Impressions Swirls stamp in VersaColor Bisque.  This was then mounted onto a piece of red card and cut to mirror the white.  Tilda is coloured using Copics.  I punched a border with a Martha Stewart border punch 'Valentine Hearts' and wrapped red satin ribbon around it and finished it with a bow.  The roses I made using 'Brenda's' fab tutorial and punched out leaves which I then inked with various shades of greens.  I stamped the heart and cut around it then mounted it onto a piece of red card and trimmed to shape.  I inked all edges with a Brilliance ink pad in 'Poppy' and stamped the sentiment in the same colour.  Hope you like it!

60th Birthday

Well 2 posts in 2 days! Just a short one today though!  This card I made for our friends 60th Birthday.  She's not a frills and lace person but I wanted something feminine just the same.  I hope I've achieved that here! 

The papers are from K&Co.  I cut the background into strips and then matted and layered a rectangle.  I stamped that with a swirly design from a clear stamp set and also the 60th using chalk eyes (Chestnut Roan).  The leaves were cut with my cricut using one of my favourites 'Accent Essentials' which I scored and bent to give them depth.  The flowers and button were from stash.

Chloe's Birthday Card

I'm really bad at this blogging business - haven't posted since Christmas Eve - tut tut!  Anyway this card I made for my Granddaughters 7th birthday last week.  Oh my how time flies, it doesn't seem 5 minutes ago that she was born.  I coloured 'Tilda' with Copics which I discovered just before Christmas at a class at Sir Stampalot and I'm hooked - although I don't have many colours at the moment I will certainly be adding to them.  Her dress I stamped with an Art Impressions tiny flowers stamp.  I pleated paper for the left had side of the card which I haven't done before and quite like.  'Tilda' is mounted onto a doily (which I've had in my craft room for years and have only just started using, so never throw anything away!).  The swirls were cut using Cricut Cartridge Accent Essentials, I used a MS punch for the bottom borders, some flowers and ribbon from stash and a few gems.  Stamped happy birthday message and computer generated 7 today cut out with circle punch. Hope you like it!