Crafters Corner

I love Poppies!!

2011-06-01T11:50:00.003+01:00

I just love poppies, so when I saw the challenge over on the Stampalot blog, I couldn't resist! The challenge is to use the picture of a poppy field for inspiration.
I was lucky enough to have been in the right place at the right time to take this photo of a beautiful Poppy, and just had to use it. It was taken at Chester Zoo. My family laugh at me because, while everyone else is looking at the animals, I am usually looking the opposite way at the flowers. I think it must be a throw-back to my childhood, because when we went to the Zoo my Dad only ever looked at the flowers, and my grandmother never went there without a pair of scissors in her bag for cuttings!
The background paper I used is from Joanna Sheen's Jane Netley Mayhew 2, and was just perfect. I used my beloved Nesties for the layers, and added a red silk flower. I had a bit of a problem as to the centre of the poppy, but then hit on the idea to use black stick-on gems!
Trouble is, I love this card so much I don't want to part with it! Maybe I could send it to myself in November for my birthday!!

A Winter's Tale

2011-01-26T13:26:00.003Z

I came across a challenge over on Sir Stampalot, which, surprisingly, I am still just in time to do! It is called "A Winter's Tale", and inspiration is to be taken from either Queen's 1995 song, or Shakespear.
Now, I am a big Queen fan, and thought I knew most of their songs, but this one had escaped me. I Googled it (where would we be without Google?), and loved it. To me it cried out to be used with this image from Joanna Sheen's Enchanted Dreams. Everything seemed to fit!
I used the background that went with the image, and which just happened to have swans on it. I Googled (again) the lyrics for the song and used the first verse. Then I layered the image onto silver holographic card. Trouble is I love this so much that I can't bear to send it to anyone, so I will just have to keep it!

Another challenge....am I actually getting my act together?

2011-01-08T14:17:00.003Z

Over at Anyone for Anya, the challenge this week is to make a calendar page for February. This caught my imagination, even though I hadn't done a page for January.

I love the poem "January brings the snow....etc.", so had to use it. I found the rainy background and the mountain scene on the internet (how can we live without Google?), and I stamped and scanned my Anya so I could use it like a digi stamp. Of course she was coloured with my beloved ProMarkers, can't function without them!

Here's to 2011 and getting my mojo back!!

2011-01-03T21:11:00.003Z

For pretty much all of 2010 I seem to have been completely without my "mojo" as far as blog challenges are concerned, so my resolution this year is to get said "mojo" back and get into challenges again!

So, for my first entry for this year I have decided to have a go at the Passion for ProMarkers Mega Challenge, after all I won it last year, so you never know..................

I am also entering it into the I Love ProMarkers challenge for this week.

The theme for both of these challenges is "Anything Goes", and I am afraid that when I hear those words I always think of the song "In olden days a glimpse of stocking..........etc.), so I just had to do an Art Deco-ish lady. I am a bit limited in "stash" here at home, most of my good stuff being in the shop. I close between Christmas and New Year, so can only play with what I have here. For that reason I made up my image in Photoshop, then coloured my lady in with ProMarkers. I think she is gorgeous. I have the stamp in the shop, but, because I don't have stamping stuff here, I usually stamp my stamps, then scan them so I have digital images to play with at home.

Well, enough of the waffle, I had better get this posted, then go join my husband who is patiently waiting for me to watch a film with him! Can't seem to convince him that crafting should take precedence!! Still, back to normal tomorrow, back to work and normality!!

A blog challenge - after all this time!

2010-12-18T11:46:00.004Z

This year has been a bit of a dead loss as far as me entering blog challenges is concerned. I can't remember the last time I entered one! I see them, think "I'll do that one" and before I know it the time has gone and it is too late!

So, when I saw this one, which is Cupcake Craft Challenges, Non-traditional Christmas card, I decided to enter one of the Christmas cards that I am (still!) in the process of making. I have done all my posty ones and posted them, the ones I am still doing are for hand delivery. For once I haven't used my beloved ProMarkers, I have fallen in love with the new Joanna Sheen Enchanted Dreams CD, and a couple of the images lend themselves to Christmas. This is one of them. It doesn't show very well, but I have added gold and clear glitter to make it sparkle.

About time I posted again!!

2010-10-17T23:30:00.003+01:00

I have been really lax lately blogwise! I haven't done any challenges (never seem to get organised before the deadlines!), and haven't even posted up my swap group pictures! I will try and do that in the week.

However, I just had to come on and post a picture of my great-niece, who I met for the first time today. She lives in Zurich (with her Mum and Dad!), and they came home for the weekend. They decided that the best way for her to meet everyone was to have a "Meet the Baby" party in Altrincham. It was a lovely day, if a little noisy (got a sore throat from talking over the noise!), and she is gorgeous.

This is a picture of her with her great-grandmother (my Mum) - both ends of the generation scale! It isn't the best picture I have ever taken photo-wise, but can't fault the subject matter!

July ATC swaps from my swap group.

2010-08-10T15:49:00.006+01:00

I have just realised that I have been a bit lax in recent months, and haven't posted any pictures from my ATC swap girls since March!

Well, I have just done the July Swap where the theme was Animal World - anything animal! Here are the results, which, once again, are brill!!

I am officially a Great Aunt..........

2010-07-23T14:34:00.004+01:00

although I maintain I have always been great!! My nephew and his wife had a little girl last week, Eveline May, and I have made this card to welcome her to the family (and the world).

Not one to waste an opportunity, I am entering it into a couple of challenges.

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Cutie Patootie

One Stitch at a Time - Use a Digi

I think it is definitely cute, and it is a digi stamp called Cuddle Cloud Baby from Meljen Designs, and you can get it here. I did one in blue for my friend who had a little boy (Jacob), but that went before I could get a picture.

I used the letters from "It's in the Words" CD, and I have coloured the main image with ProMarkers (of course). I added some glitter on parts of the image and around the name. Trouble is, now I don't want to send it - can't bear to part with it!! I will send it though, because she is worth it!! Don't you think she is gorgeous??

I've got Inky Fingers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-07-11T22:41:00.005+01:00

Vix (Vixykins) will be proud of me, I have got my fingers inky, or at least I did yesterday. The challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers has been (for the last fortnight) "Inky Fingers", and I have been itching to get this one done. However, as usual, life got in the way and I was down to doing it yesterday in the shop. I decided to just get the e-mails (and Facebook) out of the way before I started, and I was just finishing doing this when my son walked into the shop. So, instead of making my card, I spent a lovely day talking to him and my husband! When he left, I had roughly 1 hour in which to do my card, and all the other things I needed to do.

I decided to just make a selection of inky backgrounds and bring them home with me to make the card here. I bought (a couple of weeks ago) some Starburst Stains, which I haven't tried yet (for this Vix would NOT be proud of me!), and would have like to have used them on this card. But I didn't think I had time to add the water and let them do what they had to do, so instead I used some Cosmic Shimmer Mists that I had received on Thursday (they come ready mixed). I also used some Inky Dinks which I got at Port Sunlight, and again, hadn't used. I made 4 different pieces of card, all very different.

The image is a Sweet Pea stamp, which has been stamped, scanned and enlarged, coloured with ProMarkers (of course), with a few accents with Sakura pens. I have used two different inky backgrounds, although you can't see much of one, just a bit peeping out from behind the image. I secured the image to the mat using something new (to me), a Crafler (a craft stapler), and some gorgeous butterfly staples. I got these in the shop on Thursday and couldn't wait to try them out!

As well as Crafty Cardmakers, I am entering this into - Flutter By Wednesday - Anything Goes

I've been playing again........

2010-07-07T21:26:00.003+01:00

This time with my new "toy" Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist 2.

This is my Mum when she was 17 and when she was 82.

Not bad for a first attempt!

Do you like Whiff of Joy Stamps? (I do)

2010-07-04T12:03:00.002+01:00

Then head over to Katharina's blog, as she is giving away a stamp a day!!

March of the Giants!

2010-06-20T23:21:00.004+01:00

It was the Midsummer Watch Festival in Chester this weekend, and we went today (OH went yesterday as well). It was a beautiful day, lovely and sunny, which doesn't always make for the best photographs (at least not with me taking them!), but here are a selection of the 186 that I took
.

A dreaded Man's Card!!!!!

2010-06-19T15:50:00.004+01:00

Every now and then we are forced into making cards for men!! Now, I know my husband is not, strictly speaking, my father, but I usually make him a Father's Day card, just in case our children forget. This is it for this year.

I have used my (at the moment) favourite technique on Photoshop, which is layering and blending different pictures and textures. This one has a canvas base layer, then a picture which I took of the boating lake at West Kirby a few weeks ago, then a gradient layer, then a picture that I took of the Tall Ships leaving Liverpool in 2008, topped off with a layer of a "nautical" pattern.

I have made the easel from one of the A5 landscape card blanks I have in the shop at the moment, which I have inked with a mixture of Sea Breeze and Oasis Green Versamagic. The buttons I have had for years, and am now just finding a use for them (the lighthouse is a button too).

This is the picture, but when I printed it onto linen textured card, it toned down the colour.

I am entering this card into -

Crafty Cardmakers - Card for Men

Cupcake Crafts - One for the Boys

More Photoshop

2010-06-02T11:17:00.005+01:00

Here is another Photoshop creation from the same tutorial.

The pansy was taken in Chester Park last year.

Playing in Photoshop!

2010-06-01T23:57:00.005+01:00

I bought a book/magazine called Beginner's Photoshop for 50p in the "chucky outies" at W. H. Smith's last week, so I thought I would have a go at some of the tutorials.

So far I have been so taken with one of them I haven't got any further. Here is a picture I made by combining some of my own photographs with some graphics from My Craft Studio.

Gorgeous, or what??
Just done another one so I thought I would add it to this post

Entry number two...................

2010-05-29T15:11:00.003+01:00

Here is my second entry for Passion for ProMarkers. I just got the Hunky Dory Kinetic card blanks in my shop, so thought it would be good to try one out.
The theme of "Anything Goes" put me in mind of the song "In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking, now heaven knows, anything goes", so that was my inspiration for this card. The backing paper was Monochromatic, but I coloured all the white flowers in with Rose Pink ProMarker to match her clothes.
These cards are a little difficult to photograph, my my husband has done his best!

I think I am going to be a bit greedy...................

2010-05-29T15:02:00.004+01:00

Passion for ProMarkers is having a birthday this week, and have mega prizes up for grabs in the challenge, which is "Anything Goes". The first prize is a complete (yes, complete) set of ProMarkers, and I really shouldn't expect to win that, as I won it last time, but the other prizes are just as brilliant!
This is my first entry - I think I am doing two - and she is just Gorjuss!! The background paper is from My Craft Studio Walk in Wonderland, which I printed twice, once with and once without Gorjuss, and cut out the bubble with her on to decoupage. I put two strips of narrow DST following the lines on the paper, then sprinkled Glamour Dust over it. She, of course, is coloured with ProMarkers, as is the gold brad in the middle of the flower.

I've been bullied!!!!!!

2010-05-23T23:05:00.003+01:00

I have had a set of Moon Shadow Inks for about 3 years and never used them, and just recently Vix (Vixykins), and Jill (The Stampman) have been nagging me to get them out and USE them!! So I did and this is one of the cards I made.

I made the background using cream card and Violaceous Violet Moon Shadow Ink. Then I printed the gorgeous Butterfly Swirl digi stamp onto the card with my laser printer, and foiled it using toner foil and my laminator.
Next I coloured parts of the image with my beloved ProMarkers, which I also used to colour my clear jewels. Added the flowers, and here she is!!
I have just decided (with the help of Vix) that she would qualify for the Passion for ProMarkers challenge this week, which is Fantasy/Mythology, and I also think she may be OK for Papertake Weekly challenge, which is Say it with Flowers.

I don't like strawberries, but.......................

2010-05-16T22:48:00.006+01:00

I couldn't resist joining in the challenge on Passion for ProMarkers this week, which is Strawberries and Cream.
The image is a Strawberry Shortcake colouring page, and I have layered her on a cream mat, then a pink one, and then the background paper. Now, I know that those aren't strawberries, but roses, but the colours went so well, and I couldn't find any paper with strawberries on. I tried my Martha Stewart "Punch around the Page" punches for the first time on the background, and in the corners of the card. The card itself is actually a pale cream, although it is hard to tell from the scan. I must remember not to put lumpy things on cards that need to be scanned - can't get a good scan.
All in all though, I think she is quite cute!!

Another Day Out

2010-05-03T22:42:00.005+01:00

Went over to Liverpool today, and went for a wander down to Albert Dock. It was quite cold and blowy, but the sun was shining and it was quite pleasant.

Went round the Dock, then onto the river side (was going to take a picture of Billy Fury's statue - love him - but he was festooned with dying flowers which had been laid on him for his 70th birthday a few weeks ago, so I will do it next time maybe), and round to the Echo Arena. They have moved the giant wheel there from the park where it was before.

Didn't expect to get a go on it (husband doesn't like to pay for things he thinks are a rip off), but it was only £5 each for pensioners (sadly the girl on the ticket booth didn't argue, just believed we were old!), so we went on it. All I can say is "WOW", fabulous, and £10 well spent. Took some pictures, although they are not as good as they could be as they are obviously taken through glass, but not bad just the same.

A Day Out

2010-04-23T21:01:00.005+01:00

Had a day out in West Kirby Sunday before last, haven't been there for years. It was a beautiful day (for a change), and I took quite a lot of pictures. As it turns out it came in quite handy as I found the Secret Crafter's Saturday challenge last weekend, where the theme was "A Day Out" - perfect!

One of my favourite things at the moment is merging photographs with "cute" digi stamps, so I set to work with Photoshop and came up with a few pictures. I was going to make them into a card, but the cuties were going to end up too small, so I changed my plan and came up with a little booklet. I printed out the cover on my inkjet printer, then put it through my laser printer for the words, which I then foiled through my laminator. I printed out all the pages, then coloured the cuties with my ProMarkers (can't live without them!). I have a Bind-it-All, which I have had for a couple of years, and hardly used - in fact my husband has used it more than me - so I got it out and had a go at binding the booklet together. The binding rings I have were probably too big for the booklet, but it was a good learning experience!

Here are pictures of the finished article -

A REALLY Challenging Challenge!!

2010-04-16T11:49:00.005+01:00

Well this really did prove to be a challenge. Over at Crafty Cardmakers they have a challenge called "A Challenging Challenge", the idea of which is to create a card either using something bought, stashed and never used, or something not done because you are scared of it.......... you get the idea?

Well, I had seen Vix's See Through Easel Card and wanted to have a go, but kept putting it off, so I thought now was the time. I cut the frame and the card on my Pazzles Inspiration (Polly), she is such a good friend! I also persuaded Polly to cut the scrolls (they are from a Pazzles disk which I have had for ages and not used!). The image is a digi stamp from Dewdrop Craftz called Butterfly Spiral. I printed her on acetate, using my laser printer, then foiled her using the laminator (another technique that I am just trying out). I have glittered parts on the back of the acetate, and for the dress I used my quickie glue pen and gold leaf flakes. Not sure that she shows up as well as she could on the picture, it is quite hard to photograph something which is, in the main, transparent.

I used some background paper with butterflies on from the Spring book from Crafty Individuals, die cut and glittered a butterfly for the stopper, and added a greeting. I thought it needed just a bit of something else, so added the stick on jewels around the frame.

I am also entering this into Stampalot Challenge April which has the theme of "Fantasy", think this might fit, and would love to win the Fabulous prize of a Cricut machine!

Here are two more pictures.

March ATC swaps - Spring theme

2010-04-09T21:15:00.007+01:00

Well, managed to get all the swaps done and put in the post, and we are still in the first full week in April! Here are the offerings for this theme -

Yet another great bunch of ATCs!

An Easter Card

2010-04-03T12:35:00.005+01:00

I have never made or sent an Easter Card before, but I received one from my Dad's cousin so I decided to make one to send back to her. I have recently made contact with Barbara because of our mutual interest in family history.
I am very much into tent cards at the moment, so I thought it would be nice to make one with a cross aperture. I have had the cross design for a while, and until now have just cut crosses to use as embellishments, but thought it would be good to adapt it to make the card with.
I made a second (plain) cross around the original so that the aperture would be slightly bigger than the cross, and I cut the same plain cross in silver holographic card to mount the cut out cross onto. I was quite pleased with the result, and this morning got a text from Barbara to say she loved it (however, she was more pleased with the 3 death certificate copies I enclosed with it - that's genealogy for you!)
I am entering this into the Papertake Weekly Challenge which this week is Anything Goes. I thought about putting it into Crafty Cardmakers, which is Spring has Sprung, but I am not sure that it says Spring, so maybe I won't.

Q is for Quotation

2010-03-27T14:54:00.003Z

I have had this "quotation" rubber stamp for absolutely ages, and never found a use for it until now. The challenge over at ABC challenge this time is Q is for Quotation, so it was the perfect opportunity to use it.

In my class last week we were making tent cards, and although you probably can't tell from this picture, this is the one I made with a view to putting it into this challenge.

I also experimented a bit with the image. I have had a mono laser printer for years, and not actually used it much for crafting, but I decided it might be just the job for digital stamps and colouring pages (which this image is). Worked quite well, although my ProMarkers didn't blend quite as well as usual on the laser paper I used. I must try it on ordinary paper next time.

Birkenhead Park

2010-03-22T17:37:00.003Z

Went to Birkenhead Park yesterday. I was born in Birkenhead, and have been there zillions of times, but never, until yesterday, been to the Park. It is brilliant. Not formal or highly planted like Grosvenor Park, Chester, but brilliant. It was, of course, the model for Central Park in New York.

It was very busy, fully kitted out teams of children playing football with all the parents cheering them on in one part of the Park, yet just the other side of the trees, it was quiet and peaceful around the lake, where there were people (of all ages) fishing, walking their dogs, or just wandering, like us.
I took about 70 pictures (some duff ones), and here are a few of them.

Getting myself organised again.......

2010-03-19T14:30:00.004Z

I have really got out of "sync" with all these blog challenges recently. I have been up to my eyes in Cross Stitch Conversions, and there are only so many hours in a day, etc.

However, I have made this card and I think it will fit the following challenges -

Anyone for Anya, which is Spring Fever
Papertake Weekly, which needs the colours Lemon and Lilac

I have used the digi stamp "Springtime Fairy" from the Greetings Farm, coloured with Lemon and Lilac ProMarkers, some daisy vellum for the inside of the tent card, and some Grand Adhesions daisies for the embellishments. I have had the ribbon for absolutely ages, and it just seemed to be the right colour to go with the daisies.

February ATC swap - Love

2010-03-12T14:12:00.005Z

Been very busy all week trying to get the ATCs scanned and uploaded to the Facebook group page. I have finally finished and got them all uploaded.

The theme was Love, and we have had some very varied interpretations!

Trying to get back into the swing of things................

2010-03-06T15:52:00.007Z

I have been neglecting the blog challenges of late. Last week we went to the Trade Show at the NEC on the Tuesday, and it took the rest of the week to recover!! It was a VERY tiring day, but enjoyable. I also needed to use the rest of the week to catch up on the work I missed on the Tuesday.

This Tuesday, I came down with a COLD, or probably Man-Flu, except I am not a man!! With being diabetic, it really takes a hold on me, and I find it difficult to shake off. I am still feeling really rough, but am trying to get myself going again.

Well, enough of the self-pity, on to my challenges.

I have done this card for two challenges.

Anyone for Anya this week is a sketch.

Passion for ProMarkers is a theme, which is Back to Nature.

Saturday again, already!!

2010-02-20T15:23:00.002Z

Where does all the time go? It seems like no sooner have I done one Anya challenge, then it is time for another!!

I have done this card for three challenges -

Anyone for Anya - Flower Power

Passion for ProMarkers - Buttons and Bows

ABC challenge - O is for One Paper

Anyone for Anya Flower Power requires something flowery, so I printed the flowery paper from My Craft Studio Back to Basics. The buttons and bows for the ProMarker challenge is fairly obvious, and the ABC One Paper challenge required using just one paper.

The image - her name is Gigi - doesn't show well on the scan, but it is triple embossed. I was teaching a class on it last week, and made the topper then. I thought she went so well with the flowery paper. She is stamped onto mount board, coloured with ProMarkers and then triple embossed. Looks brilliant in the flesh!

Dec/Jan ATC swap - Winter Wonderland

2010-02-16T23:48:00.005Z

Well, it has been a long time since the last ATC swap! We spread this one over December and January, as a little thing called Christmas sort of got in the way.

Here are all the swaps.......................

Haven't they all done well..............................again!!

Fancy some Pink Piggy Blog Candy?

2010-02-16T14:44:00.004Z

DawnyP is giving away lots of blog candy at the moment. In case you can't tell what there is from the picture, here is the list.

Pepper & Friends Designer paper pack - 12 x 12 (it's gorge!!)
Pepper & Friends Bath Time stamp
Pepper & Friends Honey To The Bee stamp
You can see what the stamps look like on the cards here
5 x 1m rolls of Papermania ribbon
Pack of Papermania buttons to match the ribbon
Tube of mixed fibres
2 rolls of DST (we all use it !!!)
Pack of stick on gems
Pack of stick on pearls
1 x 100 mixed baby pink embellishments from Wild Orchid Crafts
Mixture of flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts

Good enough to eat....................I hope.

2010-02-13T23:41:00.005Z

I have been wondering what to do for this challenge all week, and here I am again, really last minute!

This is the Anyone for Anya challenge, and this week it is "Good Enough to Eat", which could be foody colour combos, such as strawberry and cream, etc. I cast my mind back to the days before diabetes, when I was allowed such things, and decided to use my favourite chocolates - Coffee cream and Strawberry cream (strange one, as I don't actually like strawberries). I hope the colours I have chosen reflect my choice. I am impressed with the hair colour! I have never used the ProMarker Warm Greys before. I never bothered buying them, as I love the Ice Greys, and also had the Cool Greys. But the Warm Greys came with my full set that I won, so I thought I would try them. Wow, love them, they sort of look like brown hair!

I decided to combine it with two other challenges -

Papertake Weekly, which is a sketch
Crafty Cardmakers - Digital Delights. This had to include something digital, and the image was a digital download from The Greetings Farm. I also did the greeting in My Craft Studio.

More challenges................

2010-02-13T16:12:00.006Z

I think I'm hooked on these challenges! This card is for 3 challenges.

The first is Passion for ProMarkers, which is a colour combo - Agean, Sky Blue and Cool Aqua, the next is Truly Scrumptious, which is a sketch, with an optional extra of Buttons and Bows, and lastly for A Spoonful of Sugar (technically, I shouldn't even look at this blog as I am diabetic...LOL), which is a recipe of 1 patterned paper, 1 embossed paper, 1 button, 1 ribbon.

The image is a digi stamp from The Greetings Farm called Springtime Fairy, and I thought she just lent herself to the colour scheme. I printed the paper from My Craft Studio, the embossed paper was embossed with my favourite Cuttlebug folder - Swiss Dots.
I was a bit stuck for the flower, but remembered that I bought a new set of clear stamps last week from the Papermill Shop. It is a "build yourself a flower" set! I coloured the flower with a mix of Cool Aqua and Sky Blue, then added a button for the centre which I also coloured from its normal beige to Yellow with my ProMarkers.
I don't like making landscape cards as a rule, as I find that they don't stand up for long, but I found a method that works. I cut the A4 in half to make 2 A5's then tie them together with the ribbon. Much sturdier!

More love and slush!!

2010-02-08T00:42:00.008Z

Last minute again, must get more organised! Just realised that Crafty Cardmakers Hearts and Romance challenge finishes today, and I really wanted to do this one.

I also want to enter it into the Stampin' for the Weekend challenge, which is Love is in the Air - Valentines Preparations!

I followed the brilliant tutorial on making a heart shaped easel card, which Vix did (you can find it here), although I cheated slightly. I persuaded my faithful friend Polly Pazzles the die-cutting machine to cut all the bits out for me (except the cute couple). She really is a great friend to have!!!

The picture once again does not do it justice, as the tungsten light messes with the colour a bit. The large heart at the back is actually white linen card, same as the white heart stopper.

And staying with the Peacock theme................

2010-02-06T15:36:00.006Z

I seem to be stuck in Peacock mode today, love the colours. This card is for Anyone for Anya - Sketch challenge.

I think I have mentioned before, the while bored at home over Christmas, I stamped all my "cute" stamps, and scanned them into my computer to use as Digi Stamps. This means that I can work with them either at the shop (where the stamps live) or at home. It also means I can re-size them too, and that is what I have done here. Doesn't matter how big she is, she is still gorgeous.

This is the sketch.

All creatures grunt and smell......................

2010-02-06T14:42:00.003Z

Sorry, that should read All Creatures Great and Small, which is the theme for the Passion for ProMarkers challenge this week.

Any colours are allowed, and I used the opportunity to use this lovely peacock stamp from Graphicus Elusive Images. The papers are printed from Artylicious Peacock Summer. My friend saw one of my other cards on which I used the same shape mounts, and thought they were cut with Nestabilities, but they aren't. I used my Fiskars Corner Cutter scissors on them.

I wonder........................

2010-02-02T22:37:00.004Z

whether this card would qualify for any of the "Love"/"Hearts" challenges that are around at the moment.

I think I may enter it into the Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge, which is "Hearts", and maybe the Papertake Weekly, which is "Love Actually".

Watch this space..................I may come up with something else a bit cuter!

Crumbs, nearly forgot about this one!!

2010-02-01T21:59:00.004Z

I have been going to do this challenge all week, but totally forgot about it until about 5 p.m. today. I thought I was going to miss it because I had to teach class tonight, but then I had a brainwave! Tonight's class was Masking, so I decided to try and tie my card in with the Passion for ProMarkers challenge, which is Colour Combo - Pastel Green and Blossom, I might still be in with a chance. Hope I still have time to enter...............

Just Magnolia...............sketchy challenge.

2010-01-28T15:02:00.004Z

I spotted this challenge last night, so I got Polly Pazzles (my Pazzles Inspiration die cutter) to cut out all the bits for me, and I finished it off today with the Magnolia stamp.

This is for the Just Magnolia - Jay Jay's Sketch challenge.

A new challenge!

2010-01-28T12:15:00.002Z

It was lovely to meet Jen from Phoenix Crafts Blog when she visited my shop yesterday. I checked out her blog (practically as soon as she had gone through the door!), and, along with lots of gorgeous stuff, I found a link on there to ABC challenge, which I found very interesting. The idea of this challenge seems to be working through the alphabet. This fortnight they are on M, and M is for Masking is the name of the challenge. I like masking, so I decided to give it a go. I found the Magnolia stamp I wanted to use, but as for something for her to sit on...................well! I went through ALL my stamps and the only thing I could find was this Sweet Pea corner stamp, not very realistic but very cute!

Very last minute!

2010-01-24T23:33:00.005Z

Just decided at the last minute to make a card for Cupcake Craft Challenge, which is a sketch. As my beloved ProMarkers are in the shop, and I am at home, I had a go at colouring the image with some pencil crayons that I got in the sale at W. H. Smith's (get an awful lot of bargains there). Prefer my ProMarkers, but it hasn't come out badly.

I also thought that it might be OK for the Anyone for Anya challenge this week, which has to include a heart somewhere on the card. The hearts are actually deep pink crystals, they just don't scan very well. The image is Pretty Head Rachel which is a digi stamp from the Greetings Farm. She is gorgeous!

Think Pink!!

2010-01-23T22:17:00.011Z

I have had a busy day today with these challenges!

This card is for three challenges I would like to say that I have done some masking here, but I cannot tell a lie! Over the Christmas break I stamped out all my "cute" stamps and scanned the stamped images into my computer, so that I can use them like digi stamps. So when I saw this challenge I decided to use three of them, and loaded them into Photoshop and layered them up.

I got a bargain in the "chucky outies" at W. H. Smith's a couple of weeks ago in a PaperMania 200 sheet pad of 12x12 papers for £3.74, so used 2 of the patterns in the background.

The first challenge is Passion for ProMarkers Girls Girls Girls. Think my girlies fit the bill.

The second challenge is Papertake Weekly Pretty Pink, my card is certainly pink!

And finally the third challenge is Truly Scrumptious and it is a sketch, which I have rotated. An added option was to use stitching, either real or faux. I used my new Martha Stewart punch and drew a line between alternate sets of holes with a glitter gel pen. Think it works.

The first of today's cards...........

2010-01-23T20:57:00.002Z

made with my latest stamp, her name is Gigi and she is gorgeous!

I have made this (last minute again!) for the Anyone for Anya challenge, which is Black & White + 1 this week. That is, apart from skin and hair, you can only use black and white and 1 other colour, in my case Jade/turquoise. I have had a pad of black and white (admittedly with a minute bit of grey as well) for ages now, so that came in handy. I used my Swiss Dots embossing folder again for the oval, which I edged with my ProMarker (practically the only thing I use the "fat" end for). I bought some stick on "diamonds" on Thursday, a pack of 120 assorted sizes for £1 in the Pound Shop, but, being diamonds, they were white. So I had a go at colouring them with the ProMarkers - success, although they don't show quite as well on the scan as they look in the flesh!

I'm being challenged again!

2010-01-16T22:02:00.003Z

In more ways than one, as it turns out! I started to do this post and I couldn't type anything. First, I must explain something.... I am NOT a laptop person, although I use a laptop at home. When my monitor packed in my husband, in his infinite wisdom, decided that if he was going to spend £100 on a new monitor, he would be better off spending £350 on a laptop for me. I must admit, I liked the idea of one until I came to have to use it! Laptop keyboards are all wrong, too flat, and those stupid mice thingies do not like me. The laptop takes on a mind of it's own when I try and use the mouse thing. So...............my laptop is permanently anchored to the computer desk that my real computer was on, and attached to it is a real mouse (well, not really real - a computer one), and a proper keyboard that you can type on.

That was my problem area - I came to type the title in and nothing happened. It had been fine moments before. So I tried the stupid laptop keyboard, which worked fine once I had switched the num lock off (the keys multi-task). So I took my lovely proper keyboard into the other room for husband to try in his - not a problem! After threatening it with a nasty violent death if it did not work for me, I plugged it back into mine, and bingo, it is fine now.
Sorry for all that waffle, down to business. This card is for 2 challenges, and possibly for my husband for our anniversary in a couple of weeks (waste not, want not!). The first challenge is the Passion for ProMarkers Cool Aqua and Cocoa. The second is for the Papertake Weekly challenge, which this week is a sketch.

Brrrrrrrrrrr!! Still freezing down here!

2010-01-14T12:53:00.005Z

So, I have been working hard (!!) in an attempt to keep warm without turning the gas fire up too high. I have actually just fished out an afghan which I made when this was still a machine knitting shop (my husband told everyone who asked that I was knitting an albatross!), just the job for putting over my knees while working at the computer. The computer is in a particularly cold corner of the shop, where even the fire doesn't really reach, so I may as well save on gas, and cover up (I am really turning into an OLD lady now!).

This is my latest card, which I have made for the Cupcake Craft Challenge for this week. The theme is Going Girly, and I must admit I had a struggle with this. I have never been particularly girly, brought up living with firstly two boy cousins, then with three younger brothers sort of makes you into a tomboy. Even my favourite colour has always been BLUE (except when it comes to football teams - then it is Anfield Red), so I really did not know what to do. But, a challenge is supposed to be challenging, so I had a go. I'm not sure that the "blingy" bits show very well. I used my Bejeweller Pro tool to hot-fix pink crystals as the dots on the skirt, and yellow crystals as the centres of the flowers.

Blogging, in spite of the freezing cold weather!!!

2010-01-09T14:54:00.005Z

It is pretty cold down here at the shop today, the canal basin is frozen solid and the seagulls are walking, but I have managed to work up a bit of warmth working on this card. (Sitting in front of the fire also helped!). I also played with quite a few toys that I have been neglecting for too long. I stuck all my layers using my Xyron 900, and I got my Wizard out for the cuttlebug folder. Also, I have had the Swiss Dots folder for such a long time, and this is the first time I have used it!

This is for two challenges -

Passion for ProMarkers (hoping to repeat my recent success!) - Sketch and the theme of love.

Anyone for Anya - Anything Goes.

This is the sketch for the PfP challenge.

The heart background paper is from Sharon Duncan's Embossibilities CD, I used my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder for the white rectangle, and the red heart square is actually vellum. The vellum layer didn't really show very well so I stuck it onto white card. And, of course, Anya is one of the new Miss Anya Love collection - isn't she gorgeous?

Yay!!!!!!!!!! Scanner working.

2010-01-07T17:19:00.004Z

Spent today (snow keeping me at home) putting Windows 7 onto my laptop. It nearly took the whole day, roughly about 4 hours, but it was worth the wait.
My old Epson Perfection 1250 brilliant scanner which wouldn't work with Vista, is now working!!! Just scanned this card again and now you can see the embossed card, and the true colours! Yessssssss!

Passion for ProMarkers Mega Challenge.................

2010-01-05T21:14:00.003Z

I only went and won with my little calendar!!!!!! A complete set of ProMarkers!!!!!!
I can't believe it!!!!!

New camera...........Day 1 Masterclass

2010-01-05T02:16:00.006Z

I got a new camera on Sunday (belated Christmas and Birthday present), and yesterday husband and I went to Chester and I had a Masterclass in taking pictures.

Now, I am not sure that this is going to work, as I haven't tried it before, but I think that this is a link to my Picassa Web Album, which has 27 of the 150 pictures that I took today. Here goes..................Click here.

Just a very quick post...................time for Casualty, feature length!!

2010-01-02T21:09:00.003Z

Yes, I know I am a sad case, but I NEED to watch Casualty, so I am making this a quick post.

I have done this card today for the Anyone for Anya challenge, which is a sketch.
It hasn't scanned too well, as I think I have mentioned before, my all-in-one scanner tends to bleach out the detail on white, and my good scanner doesn't work with Vista (works with my husband's Windows 7, however, so...........). The white bits have embossed butterflies on which don't show up well.
Ok, off to Holby now to watch the wedding!!

Another day crafting ........................ thank you rain!!

2009-12-30T17:58:00.007Z

It has been raining most of today, and very cold, and husband doesn't do rain, at least not voluntarily, so I was allowed to stay in!! Yipee, crafting!!!

Good job, as I have been struggling to get my head together to do this calendar for 3 challenges!
The three challenges are -
Stampin' for the Weekend - Last challenge for 2009 - a calendar
Passion for ProMarkers - Mega Christmas challenge - anything but a card
Crafty Cardmakers - Favourites of 2009
Making this has been a REAL challenge. I knew what I wanted to do, but didn't quite have all the things I needed to do it, so I had to come up with another way of doing it. I was going to hang all my months on a ribbon which would mean they could be turned over each month, but I was lacking a hole punch, and some ribbon, plus I hadn't left enough space for the hole to be punched, and I don't think, looking at what I HAVE done that it would have worked. So what I came up with in the end (in true Heath Robinson fashion - taught for many years by my husband), was this. I have designed a seperate card for each month of the year (only printed out 4 so far), and I needed a way of attaching them to the easel mechanism without sticking them. So, I took a clear plastic CD packet and cut a strip off the bottom. This I slid over the piece that folds and sits behind the "stopper". into that I was going to slot all my months, so that they could be rotated each month. But - there is always a but - there wasn't room for them all (should have used thinner card maybe), so I needed a plan B. I took the other end of the CD packet (the bit with the flap on), stuck the flap down, then slid this part over the base of the card and stuck the calendar on top of it. This created a pocket on the back of the card to store the months not being used. These pictures may explain it better, although they are not the best pictures I have ever taken.
This is the back, and the other pictures are to give an idea of the other pages.

Christmas is over.............back to crafting (with a bit of luck)!!

2009-12-27T01:38:00.010Z

I say "with a bit of luck" because my husband always insists we have a break between Christmas and New Year. He doesn't seem to grasp the fact that I NEVER need a break from the shop - that is where all my toys are, and where I love to play! I did, however, bring some of my toys home with me (ProMarkers and cute stamps, etc.) this year, so all is not lost. All I need to do now is manage to stay home for at least long enough to do SOME crafting...................not an easy task with a husband who just loves to go out, and to go shopping!

Anyway, back to the task in hand. I have done this card for the Crafty Cardmakers challenge, which this time is a sketch. As I was doing it at home I decided to get my trusty best friend, Polly Pazzles, to die-cut my shapes for me. Just added to the challenge, as I had to get the shapes into the Pazzles program before I could cut them.
Choosing the cardstock was also a challenge, as I don't have as much choice at home. However, my husband had bought me some nice pearlescent card in a pack he found in the "chucky-outies" at W. H. Smith's. It was a pack with 3 blue, 3 pink, 2 silver and 2 white A4 sheets, and it was 99p! The white embossed butterfly card is some I have had in for some time and not found a use for until now.
The next problem I had was what to use for an image. The smallest circle was a little small for most of the stamps I had brought home, so I used a digi stamp I had got from The Greetings Farm (her name is Lily), and down-sized her to fit the circle. Not sure if she is a little small for the size of the card, but what the heck, she will have to do! I coloured her with ProMarkers of course - not quite as neat as usual, the greys bled a bit, obviously different cardstock.

"Just White" blog challenge

2009-12-19T11:00:00.004Z

Loved doing this one! This is for Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge, which this week is using "Just White" for card, backing and embellishments, but colour in the Mo Manning image. I love this Mo Manning image, it is so cute (Oh, bother, there is that word again).

For the backing I used some gorgeous irridescent white paper that my daughter gave me. It is useless for printing on or stamping on, but lovely just used plain as backing. It looks a bit cream on the left side, but it is white. I have punched down each side with a Martha Stewart punch (love it). The snowflake backing plates were done with a cuttlebug folder on my Wizard. I have had the snowflake buttons for years, and this year they have finally come into their own!

Of course, I used ProMarkers to colour the image.

The really hardest part was to get a good picture with it being all white. I scanned it first and it really didn't show the textures, so out came the camera. Took a few shots to get the lighting right, but this is the best shot.

'Tis the season ..... to be blogging!!

2009-12-12T14:53:00.005Z

Here is Anya again, all wrapped up against the cold weather. This card is for two challenges (it is also a christmas card to add to my meagre stock, must get some done this week), the first being (of course) Anyone for Anya. This week Anything Goes, as long as it contains a Greetings Farm character. At this time of the year, this Miss Anya stamp has got to be favourite. I have tried to make her as wintery as possible with the colours I have chosen.

The other challenge is Truly Scrumptious, which is a sketch challenge, with an added challenge of using some vellum somewhere on the card. My vellum, in case it is not obvious, is the layer with the christmas trees on. I bought a pack of white embossed christmas vellum from Lakeland quite a few years ago, and as I am so mean with it, I have still got quite a lot left. I thought Anya deserved to have a bit of it, she is so cute (there is that word again, I must have a word with myself!).

Christmas is coming.................

2009-12-10T16:28:00.004Z

I am in serious danger of getting Christmassy! Somebody stop me....

I usually make all my Christmas cards at the very last minute, with only just enough time for the glue to dry before they have to catch the last post.
However, since finding all these blog challenges, my life has changed somewhat. I am now making my cards to suit the challenge, and with almost plenty of time to go (I did say almost, I suppose it IS December).
This one is for two challenges (was going to be 3 but I got it wrong). The first is Friday Sketchers, which has a lovely sketch to follow. I hope my vellum circles show up enough on the picture.
The second challenge is Cupcake Craft Challenge - Christmas Carol, where you have to make a card using your favourite Christmas Carol. I chose Silent Night, not because it was my favourite (I have lots), but because I had background paper and a rubber stamp with the carol on.

I'm getting into Cute and Christmas.....I am starting to worry!

2009-12-10T14:39:00.005Z

This is a card I have made for a friend for Christmas (obviously - dur), and as it is in Red, Green and Gold, it fits with the challenge on Stampin' for the Weekend - Christmas Time, Mistletoe and Wine.

Isn't he cute! He is a digi stamp which I bought from Sandra Dry Digi Stamps, and I coloured him with my ProMarkers (of course). The background paper is one I printed from Artylicious Season's Greetings, and I have coloured in a few of the words with a gold metallic pen.

Blogging again - more challenges................

2009-12-06T20:35:00.007Z

I have been a bit different this week - mostly out of necessity. I ran out of time at the shop to get a card done for Papertake Weekly Challenge. It has to be entered by Monday, and I am not in the shop until Tuesday. All my "cute and colouring" stuff is, of course, in the shop. So I had to put my thinking cap on, and this is what I came up with.

I love this Joanna Sheen image (love nearly ALL her stuff). I printed the image and the two papers, then wondered what colour card to put them on. Then the brain switched on (doesn't happen often), and I thought of printing the tartan on a piece of cardstock, but printing it much lighter. Hope you all notice that I lined up the pattern on the front piece with the pattern on the card! (I told you, it doesn't happen often!)

The Papertake challenge is a sketch, always good to do, and I decided to do it to also fit with the Crafty Cardmakers Challenge, which this time is Alternative Christmas, which is either a Christmas image in non-traditional colours (which I chose), or a non-Christmas image in Christmas colours.

Last minute again!!!

2009-12-05T15:50:00.004Z

Well, here it is, Saturday again and I am chasing the clock getting my entry done for the Anyone for Anya challenge. This week it is a sketch, which is always fun.

I have used one of my new Anya stamps, she is so cute with her umbrella. I have backed her with some music card (my thinking is she is "Singing in the Rain") and then used some rainbow paper for the base layer. The ribbon is white organza which I have coloured with one of the ProMarkers which I used in the picture. It's the first time I have tried that, and I was very pleased with the results.

This is the sketch.

November ATC swap - 'Tis the Season

2009-12-03T14:57:00.012Z

Well, for once everything seems to have gone smoothly with this month's ATC swap. Nothing lost in the post, and nothing late (well, only by 1 day), so I have got all the scanning done and I only have to do the swap now, and put them in the post.
Here they are................

The are all gorgeous, and all very different. I was going to call the swap "Christmas", but changed it at the last minute, as I thought (rightly as it turns out) we would get a far more diverse selection of ideas (get me...I am starting to sound eductated!!)

Second challenge today.....

2009-11-28T15:08:00.006Z

This is my second blog challenge today, and it is for Passion for ProMarkers - Any colours and a theme, the theme this time being Vintage.

I love vintage so this one came pretty easily. I chose a stamp called Lottie Collage by Impression Obsession. I firstly did her using a sepia Versafine ink, but when I coloured her in she looked a bit "muddy", not enough definition. So tried her with Memento black, and liked her much better.

I have to thank my daughter, Jenny, as she suggested I tear the background layers instead of cutting them, something I have done lots in the past but have neglected of late. Works well on this card, I think.

I can't seem to get a picture that gets the colour just right, so I have used two, one with flash and one without. The true colour is somewhere between the two!

Anyone for Anya - Make a Fake

2009-11-28T14:29:00.004Z

Well, here we are again, time for the Anyone for Anya challenge of the week. This week it is Make a Fake which has to include Anya, obviously, and anything fake or false. My piece of fake is the fake broderie anglaise frame which I cut on my dye cutter - Polly Pazzles.
I cut the frame out of some lovely light-weight card which is quite perfumed. It has a lovely sheen to it and cuts like a dream. The lavender mat was cut from Glitter Girls card - the dark collection, can't remember what it is called, but it cuts beautifully.

Just Magnolia meets Friday Sketchers....

2009-11-26T15:19:00.005Z

Two challenges today with this card. I have sweated blood on this one. The Just Magnolia challenge this time is Masking. I did the stamping using two Magnolia characters slightly overlapping, and realised they were both sitting down. So I needed them to sit on something. So I got a stamp which was trailing ivy, but stamping it sideways made it look like a tree branch. I used that, then decided I didn't like it. Then I lost it, so I started again! This time I used a stamp which was a pile of stones and flowers, which, when repeated looked a bit like a dry-stone wall.

Then I really didn't know what to do with the rest of the card, so I mounted some flowery paper onto some royal blue card and put it on that, stuck it all down, scanned it, then decided I hated it. I wasn't having a very good day yesterday, felt really ill, so I left it until this morning.

Then, last night, I found the sketch challenge over on Friday Sketchers, and my problem was solved. So this morning I cut around my masked stamping (couldn't peel it off), and re-used it on this card.

This is the sketch for the Friday Sketchers challenge -

Some more challenges................

2009-11-25T15:49:00.004Z

Made this card today, to enter it into a challenge, and while making it I realised it could qualify for two!

The original challenge was on Mo's Challenge Blog, and it was a recipe of 3 papers, 2 ribbons and a decorative edge. It obviously needed to include a Mo Manning image, so I chose this Holly Fairy, she is so cute (I am really learning cute these days!). I thought (as I have just learned how to do them) I would do an easel card.....so easy to make.

The second challenge I thought it would fit with is the Papertake Weekly Challenge (did I tell you I won it last week?), which this week is Christmas Cracker, doesn't have to be a cracker, but just a Christmas card.

Did I tell you............................

2009-11-24T22:01:00.002Z

I won another Blog Challenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippee!!!!!!!!!! I won the Papertake Weekly Challenge for the Sketch, with this card.

I am liking this challenging stuff!

Just found another challenge I can do!

2009-11-22T12:28:00.003Z

I have just been looking around Blogland (waiting for OH to "suddenly" decide he wants to go out) and I spotted a challenge on Cupcake Crafts Blog - the challenge is "Digital Images", and I have decided to give the Mermaid another chance to shine. Technically speaking she is not an old image because I have made her since the start of this challenge. She is so cute she deserves as many chances to win as I can give her ............... LOL.
She is a lovely digi stamp I got with my friend's birthday in mind. She is mad on mermaids, and it looks like her (although she doesn't have a fish tail - at least not all the time!)

Colour combo and sketch

2009-11-21T14:39:00.007Z

Second posting of the day! I have been working on this card on and off all week, it has been a bit troublesome owing to me trying to make it fit too many challenges! I was trying to tie it into the Crafty Cardmakers challenge which needed something clear on it, but everything I tried didn't work. So I gave up on that one and used the Mermaid card.

This one is going into 2 challenges -

Passion for ProMarkers this week is a Colour Combo - Burnt Umber and Marsh Green. I showed my husband the two colours and asked him for a suggestion as to what kind of image he would use them for - all he could come up with was wood and trees! I looked through all my stamps, and when I came to this set (Madam Chic from Butterfly Kisses) the example was actually coloured in almost identical colours, so that made up my mind.

Papertake Weekly this week is this sketch.

Here's Dahlia!

2009-11-21T12:14:00.006Z

This little cutie is called Dahlia, and she is one of Anya's friends. The card is for the Anyone for Anya challenge, which this week is called Getting Round To It. The idea is to use an Anya (or her friends), and anything round, e.g. spots, circles, etc.
Was a bit stuck on this one, but then remembered the spotty paper, hope it has worked. I quite like it, but then I could be biased.....LOL.
Dahlia was stamped onto the spotty paper because of the fiddly bits like the flowers, didn't fancy cutting them out. Then I stamped her onto white card and coloured her in using ProMarkers (my favourites!).

My friend the Mermaid!

2009-11-19T11:27:00.008Z

My hairdresser, Nicky, is absolutely mad on the Little Mermaid, along with many other Disney characters, and has requested for christmas a card showing Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, and Pocahontas sharing Christmas!! Not sure I will manage that, although I do have an image of Ariel at Christmas, so she might have to settle for that.

However, it is her birthday on Monday next (she will be 24, not 12), so I have come up with a mermaid card for her. While browsing on Dewdrop Craftz page for digital stamps I found the mermaid designed by Carly. I used a background from My Craft Studio World of Watercolours, and coloured the mermaid in with ProMarkers. The shell and fish were buttons which I have had for years and never found a use for until now (motto girls - never throw anything away, you never know). I added the two "bubbles", which were two of those transparent thingy's that you put in little pots around the house, so that I could enter it into the latest challenge on Crafty Cardmakers which is called Clear as Day and requires you to use something transparent! I am also entering it into the Dewdrop Craftz challenge, which is called "Summer of Love" - anything bright and colourful and NOT depicting Christmas (I am all for that one - keep Christmas at the end of December), and using a Dewdrop Craftz stamp. I think this meets all that criteria (big word!).

Let's go blogging again!! More challenges.

2009-11-14T13:02:00.008Z

This is my latest "Blog Challenge" card. It hasn't scanned particularly well unfortunately, and, naturally, my husband has taken the batteries out of the camera and I can't find them!

The first challenge that I am putting it into is Anyone for Anya - 3-2-1, It's Recipe Time. The recipe to follow is 3 pieces paper/card (not counting the card itself), 2 buttons and 1 bow, and, of course, Anya!

I decided to combine that challenge with the Passion for ProMarkers challenge, which this week is this sketch.

I had great fun doing this one. The Anya stamp is a new one, only got it on Tuesday, and I just love blue. Also I did the hair with the Ice Grey ProMarkers which I got as my prize when I won the Passion for ProMarkers challenge a few weeks ago.

October swap - Halloween

2009-11-11T23:09:00.014Z

Yes, I know it is November, but I am a bit behind thanks to Royal Mail deciding to swallow one of the entries! I have given it more than 2 weeks since they were posted, but nothing has turned up, so I have worked round it.

Here are this month's ATC's............

Didn't they do well??

Goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo........You can come too, too, too

2009-11-08T19:30:00.071Z

Getting away from blog challenges briefly, thought I would share our day at the zoo.

My husband is a member, and today members could take people in at half price, so Jennifer and I went with him for the day. It was a bit rainy, but it didn't spoil our enjoyment. Quite often it is better to go on days like today, as the animals are sometimes more active. For instance, we saw 2 lions running around today, instead of them sleeping in the sun! (When I say running around, they were still in their compound, not running round the zoo!!)

First stop was the Elephant House, where a couple of them were out by the waterfall.

Next stop was the gorgeous Butterfly house, which today proved to be a bit of a problem. It was, as always, very warm and humid, but because it was a lot cooler outside, when we went in our cameras kept steaming up, so we only managed to get a few pictures that were any good.

When you go to Chester Zoo, you just HAVE to go to the Jaguar house - brilliant. There is quite often a Jaguar "posing" on top of the waterfall, but today they were quite active.

Next we found the Sea Lions. There were only a few, but they were good to watch playing in the water.

On to the Penguins.....................

There was a lot more, but I can't have you getting bored now, can I?

Club Anya Challenge - I wanna be just like...........

2009-11-07T12:40:00.002Z

Found another challenge to go in for (you would think I had nothing better to do!), and made this card for it.

This is for the Club Anya Challenge - I wanna be just like...., and the idea is to copy a card (not exactly, but using the layout etc.). This is the card for copying, hope I did OK.

Challenge time again!

2009-11-06T15:08:00.007Z

This is my latest blog challenge card. I am entering it for 3 challenges this week, and keeping everything crossed as usual.

First challenge is the Passion for ProMarkers Colour Combo, and the colours they require are Grass and Canary. This really was a challenge, as these are definitely my colours!

Second challenge is the Crafty Cardmakers Stamp Something Challenge. The challenge this time is just to stamp something, but an extra challenge (optional) was to do something you have never done much of. My extra challenge, as I said above, was to use colours which are alien to me.

Lastly, I am entering it into the Papertake Weekly Challenge Sketch #27. The sketch is this one -

Just Magnolia Challenge - Monochrome

2009-11-05T15:33:00.002Z

Here I go blogging again - another challenge. This time I have managed to actually make a card for the Just Magnolia weekly challenge, for which the theme is Monochrome. I usually miss this one because I never remember that it ends on Thursday evening.

Well this time I remembered - not until this morning, I admit, but I remembered, and mercifully (in terms of me getting this card done) it has been quiet in the shop today. Probably because of the horrendous rain!

As I said, the theme for the challenge is Monochrome, but having checked out all the DT cards, it seems to allow skin and hair colours as well (couldn't really have Tilda with a blue face now could we?).

This is the card I have made for this one. It had to be shades of blue because that is my favourite colour. I have used a teardrop card, and the background papers were printed from Sharon Duncan's Embossibilities CD.

I used a little leaf spray stamp to decorate the oval, as it looked a bit stark white against the blue background.

Here goes then, everything except my eyes crossed!

Wow, I must be on a roll!!

2009-11-03T00:38:00.000Z

I think I must be on a roll - first I won the Passion for ProMarkers challenge, then I got printed in the Creative Cardmaking magazine, and now.......................................

I made the Top 3 in the Crafty Cardmakers Autumn challenge (with a little help from my husband who took the photo)!!!

Perhaps I should buy a lottery ticket....................that would soon put a stop to the winning streak...LOL

Anyone for Anya Challenge - Sketch 3

2009-10-31T14:26:00.003Z

Phew!! I thought I wasn't going to make it this week either, after missing it last week. I got my card done earlier today, so far so good. Put it in the scanner, and inadvertantly put some things on top of the scanner which weighed the lid down, and of course, the silicone glue wasn't set so it squeezed out a bit onto the scanner glass! Sorted that, of course Anya is now sitting closer to the card than she was. Then I came to do this post and I couldn't get into my blog.................tried for ages, no good. So I shut down the computer completely, had my lunch, switched back on again and all is well.

Here is my card...........

This is for the Anyone for Anya challenge this week, which is the following sketch -

Here's hoping with everything crossed!!!

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 6 - Autumn

2009-10-29T15:07:00.003Z

Here goes with another blog challenge - just love them!!

The challenge on Crafty Cardmakers this week is Autumn so I put my thinking cap on and came up with something a little different this time. I have had a break from cute and ProMarkers and decided to put one of my husband's photographs to good use. He loves taking pictures, and takes his camera everywhere with him.

Here is the card -

The picture was taken last Thursday afternoon in the grounds of Chester Cathedral. At the time everyone else was watching Jamie Oliver filming an advertisement in another part of the grounds, but he was more interested in the grounds. Don't know why, he is in Chester at least twice a week, I guess the light and the colour was just right.

Anyway, hope you all like what I did with it.

Creative Cardmaking Magazine - Update

2009-10-28T10:43:00.003Z

Just as an update to my earlier post I have just received my copy of the new magazine, and they have chosen to print this one -

Looks good in the magazine, can't believe I am in print!!

I won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-25T17:41:00.005Z

I won a challenge!! I can't believe it. I just logged on to the Passion for ProMarkers Blog to see my card staring back at me as the winner of the Week 21 Challenge - Any colours and a sketch.

W-O-W!!!!!!!!!!

Just Magnolia Challenge - Week 28 – Martine’s sketch

2009-10-24T15:12:00.009+01:00

Well, here I go again, another blog challenge! I think I am getting into these. I was intending to enter this card into two challenges, until I realised that the Autumn Colours one was an Anya challenge, and I have used a Magnolia stamp. The Anya one finishes tonight, so looks like I will be missing that one this week. Hey Ho, there is always the next one.

As usual I have made this last minute (although, the Magnolia challenge is on until Thursday so I could have waited) as I have spent a lot of time this week installing a new computer - "helped" by my husband!

Here is the card I have come up with. It is for the Just Magnolia Challenge - Week 28 – Martine’s sketch. It has been a real challenge for me, as I really do not do autumn colours, I love pinks and blues and lilacs!

This is the sketch I had to follow.

Fingers crossed!!

More challenges!

2009-10-17T14:31:00.007+01:00

I have been really busy this week with cross stitch conversions, but I have managed to find time to make a card that I think I can enter into three challenges.

The challenges I am putting it into are Anyone for Anya Perfect Paper Piecing, Passion for ProMarkers Any Colours and a Sketch and Crafty Cardmakers Ribbons and Fibres.

For the Anya challenge I had to include paper piecing (I love paper piecing), so I first stamped Anya onto IQ smooth card and coloured her with my ProMarkers. I then stamped her again onto some very pretty card that was a creamy colour with tiny pink rosebuds on. I cut out her dress, socks and flower, coloured the shoes, then stuck all the bits onto the original stamping. Next I stamped her again onto the IQ card and coloured in her apron, cut that out and stuck it on. That was the paper piecing done.

For the Passion for ProMarkers challenge I had to follow a sketch. Here is the sketch -

I figured the layout without too much trouble. The lilac rectangles were lilac pearlescent card with a layer of a pearlescent textured paper. I mounted the Anya image onto another rectangle of lilac card from which I had cut the corners. I used the corners on the two rectangles, top and bottom. The sentiment is on a piece of lilac satin ribbon.

Then came the flowers. I searched my stash and my shop, and could not come up with flowers that were right. Then, while eating my lunch, I spotted a card on my rack that I had made a while ago, and remembered the rubber stamp I used - a flower on a Juddikins block. When lunch was finished, I got the stamp out, stamped the flowers, then coloured them using the ProMarkers. Cut them out and stuck them on after shaping them a little.

On Crafty Cardmakers, the challenge was to use ribbon, lace or fibres, and as this has a bit of ribbon on, and I won't have chance to make another before Monday, I thought I would enter it.

So now, all I have to do is enter them, and keep my fingers crossed!

Passion for ProMarkers Challenge Week 20

2009-10-09T20:41:00.002+01:00

I am trying to learn the ins and outs of colouring with ProMarkers, so have decided to enter all these challenges as a way of learning.
Passion for ProMarkers challenge this week in called Any colours and a Recipe. The "Any colours" is a bit obvious, and the recipe is 3 different shapes, 2 papers and some ribbon. As I said in my previous posting, it has been a pig of a week to find time, but I have managed to come up with this card. The picture doesn't do it justice, as the colours haven't come across very well, but here goes............

Anyone for Anya challenge

2009-10-09T13:10:00.003+01:00

I decided at the beginning of the week that I would go in for the Anyone for Anya Your Anya challenge this week. No problem, I thought, I have 6 Anya stamps, easy peasy! So far, I have managed to stamp one and start the colouring, but, as I do this in my shop, I have had a week full of "interruptions". Don't get me wrong, I am not referring to my customers, but visiting reps., nuisance phone-calls, etc.
No problem, again I thought, it is usually pest-free on a Saturday, I will finish my card then and post it to my blog and enter the challenge. Wrong again - tomorrow is Port Sunlight Stamping Festival and I can't miss that or I will die from withdrawal!!
So I have decided to enter "one I prepared earlier". She is my favourite Anya (so far) and I did her in all my favourite colours, so she is definitely ME (except I was never that cute).

Here she is -

Hope you all like her.

September Swap - Song Titles

2009-09-30T13:55:00.016+01:00

Well, this month's swap has been very interesting. I am surprised that nobody has chosen the same song as anyone else. The ATCs have been very varied.........and, of course, brilliant as usual.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge

2009-09-22T22:35:00.005+01:00

Well, I didn't win my first challenge. Never mind, there is always the next one.

Challenge Number 4 is 3D Elements, and as most of my cards have 3D elements on them, I should be able to manage this one.

Here is my first card, which I will admit to having prepared earlier (in true Blue Peter fashion!). It is one I submitted to Creative Cardmaking magazine back in May, but unfortunately they did not receive my cards. So, I may as well put the picture to good use!!

The picture is one that I took when the Tall Ships were leaving Liverpool in the summer of 2008. Brilliant day! My naval roots were stirring that day watching all those beautiful ships.

I created the pyramage using Photoshop, and the background paper using Paint Shop Pro (haven't figured out how to do that yet on Photoshop).

Well, that's it for now, but you never know, there may well be more! Having said that, the two I did for the last challenge also qualify for this one, as they both have 3D elements on.

The 3D elements on this one are the flowers.

On this one the main image is a 3D element, and so are the snowflake buttons.

A Challenge - in more ways than one!

2009-09-19T15:37:00.004+01:00

I have decided to go in for a blog challenge! This is something I have never done before, so haven't really got a clue what I am doing (so what's new LOL).

The challenge I have chosen to cut my teeth on is a Sketch Challenge, which you can find here. Now, not only have I never done a challenge before, I have also never worked with a sketch before. Talk about jumping in at the deep end!

I have done two cards, can't decide which is best. The first one is quite cute, and the other one is a Christmas card.

Here is the "cute" card. I have used one of the "Miss Anya" stamps from The Greetings Farm, and I have coloured it using ProMarkers (something else I am just getting used to!). The piece of backing card was put through a Cuttlebug folder to emboss it.

The Christmas card has proved to be a bit of a problem. I finished it yesterday, and tried scanning it, but, because it is dimensional, it didn't scan very well. Never mind, I thought, I will take a picture of it. Now, the camera I am used to, I have loaned to my daughter. The camera I am using in it's place was at home, and I was here in the shop. So, I got out the little camera that we use to take pictures of the "show and tell" in class each Monday. Brilliant camera, took an excellent photograph, only to find that I couldn't get it into the computer because it had a different fitting to the lead I had.

So, the plan is, I will take the memory card home tonight and put it into my laptop.

So......................................... watch this space for the next picture!

And here it is, via my husband's laptop, into mine by e-mail. What a journey!!

The main "image" on this card was from a tunnel sheet bought from CraftsUprint, which I made up in my class last Monday. I decided it might make a good card following the sketch. I have mounted the lot onto some white embossed gloss card, which says Merry Christmas, then the background piece is a pattern I created myself from a picture of a poinsettia. The image is mounted onto gold mirri card. The embellishments are snowflake buttons.

August swaps - Summertime

2009-09-08T23:17:00.015+01:00

Well, what a great and varied lot of ATCs we got this month....................what do you think?

Bank Holiday Monday in York

2009-09-04T23:56:00.012+01:00

We decided that we would go on a coach trip to York last Monday. We went once before (not on a coach trip - on a train) 28 years ago. It was not the greatest day out in the world, everything seemed to go wrong, and we always said we would go back and see it properly. Well, on Monday we finally did!
This time everything went right and we had a brilliant day. York is a beautiful, and very old, city, although it is not the cheapest place in the country by a long way!
I took about 150 pictures, some I have deleted, I am left with about 130. Here are a few of them.
For more pictures (quite a lot more), follow this link - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=34109&id=1371815418&l=21c4e7f057

Creative Cardmaking Magazine

2009-09-04T12:02:00.006+01:00

I have been neglecting this blog for a while, as I have been a bit "bogged down" with a cardmaking project.

I was asked to submit 3 cards for Issue 9 of the Creative Cardmaking Magazine. This is the issue that will come out in November or December (not sure which), and the theme is Christmas Thank You cards.

I have really been struggling with this one, as I find it extremely difficult to think Christmas before the middle of December, let alone to think of cards to be sent AFTER Christmas! The deadline for them receiving the cards is Monday 7th September, so I have been working against the clock.

However, I did manage (just, yesterday afternoon) to come up with 3 cards, one of which will be chosen to go in the magazine. The scans do not do them justice, but here they are. Hope you like them!

This one is made using the Pyramage sheet "Letters to Santa" by Hunkydory Crafts.

On this one I used unmounted stamp sheet "Holly", although I used the poinsettia. I coloured them in using Letraset ProMarkers (love them!), and I edged the teardrop with metallic gold ink.

Last, but not least, this one uses a Pyramide sheet from Le Suh. The background paper used in this one and the teardrop card is one I made myself from a poinsettia picture.

August swap - "Summertime"

2009-08-25T11:34:00.003+01:00

This latest swap comes to an end at the end of this week. Watch this space for the piccies...........................

I have delayed doing the swap, as I am waiting on a couple of late entries.

I have, however, started the scanning and will be posting them pretty soon.

July swap - "It's a Man Thing"

2009-08-25T11:26:00.009+01:00

With last month's swap being so frantic, I decided to limit the number of ATCs to a maximum of 5 per person in future. This worked well, the swap went so much easier. As you can see we got some very interesting results.

Our June swap - "Things with Wings"

2009-08-25T11:12:00.013+01:00

This proved to be a very popular swap, some even sent in 10 ATCs! This one got a bit frantic, what with the volume of ATCs, and the fact that Vix's got "lost" in the post. I allowed an extra 2 weeks before actually sending out the swaps in the hope that hers would turn up. I gave up and posted them out on the Thursday evening, and - you guessed it - Friday morning, there they were!!

Swap for September - Song Titles

2009-08-25T01:45:00.009+01:00

The ATC swap for September is going to be "Song Titles". This may seem a little daunting to some, but is easier than you think.
I have done a couple of these in the past, and I struggled at first, but once I really thought about it, ideas just seemed to appear.
I shouldn't do this, as it means I can't use these again this time, but here are "some I prepared earlier".
Just in case it is not immediately obvious, they are (in order) - Ferry 'cross the Mersey, Wooden Heart, Kiss from a Rose, Rock around the Clock, Love is like a Violin, Paper Roses. Some of the swaps I got back were amazing!
By the way, the last 3 were actually made from cut up CDs!

I did it!

2009-08-23T20:50:00.001+01:00

Well, I managed to figure out the uploading of photos, although the layout leaves a lot to be desired, so in theory there is no holding me now. The pictures of the other swaps are on my shop computer, so I will try and post those on Tuesday when I am back there (Monday is theoretically a day of rest, except for class in the evening).

My Favourite Colour swap

2009-08-23T20:40:00.008+01:00

2009-08-23T20:24:00.000+01:00

Well, this is all very new to me, never done a blog before. I think I should start by telling you a bit about my shop. It is situated overlooking the canal basin in Ellesmere Port, where we have a pair of swans, about 20 ducks and occasionally a heron and three cormorants. From my windows I can see the ships passing on the Manchester Ship Canal, planes that have just taken off from John Lennon Airport, and barges which visit the basin and sometimes moor up for a few days.
The shop started life in 1991 as a machine knitting shop called "Dropped Stitches" (name was my husband Mac's suggestion), but a few years ago it was apparent that machine knitting was dying, so I decided to change. I now sell cardmaking and papercraft supplies, but really it is an excuse for me to sit and play all day at my favourite hobby!
I got into ATCs a few years ago, and love them. A few months ago I was persuaded to take over a monthly swap on Facebook because the organiser had sort of disappeared. I was a bit nervous, but now I love doing it.
I have started my own Facebook group for swapping called ATC Swap UK. We have now done 3 swaps, and are on our 4th.
The first one was called "My Favourite Colour" and we got some very varied ATCs. I will try and figure out how to post pictures. Watch this space...................