Crafty creations.....

I've had another good day of crafting but didn't get as much made today as i was trying to find some bits and pieces i knew i had but couldn't find! 

I stumbled across the crafty creations challenge blog and decided to join in with this weeks challenge.  The theme was "transportation" and this cute penny black stamp popped right into my head. 
I hope they like it! 

I also wanted to join in with this weeks challenge at the ABC christmas blog which is using S for Santa with an optional extra of not using red. I managed to do that with my santa, as i know he was green before Coca Cola got hold of him and made him red! I have a tiny bit of red in the paper, but it could be classed as dark pink :-) 
 Its made me feel Christmasy already and whenever i use that gorgeous text stamp from penny black, i always sing that song and imagine watching christmas movies with the fairy lights on! 
I feel like his beard and tash is a bit flat so will get some of that snow writer stuff i think to fluff it up a bit! 

 

more challenge cards

I'm really loving following challenges and have had a little play today with some sketches and card themes. 

My first is using a sketch at Mojo Monday:

The sketch had a "tag" element to i used a cute little tag from a doodlebug clear stamp set and tied it with the ribbon. 
I have struggled to get the colours to show up right on here as the light is not great in here. The dotty paper is actually dark pink not red as it looks here! I hope they like it! 

My second card is from a sketch found at our creative corner
This is their last sketch until the spring as they are taking a break but i liked the sketch so thought i'd join in for the last one. 

I then decided to join in with the "clean and simple" challenge over at the secret crafter:

I also made a few other quicky, simple cards to sell:

I've really enjoyed another crafting day and it's really helping me emotionally wise, as i've been struggling a lot lately with an M.E relapse, so it's nice to lose myself in gorgeous papers, glitter and ribbon! Even when i can't get off the settee all day, i can sit and colour some images ready for a better day health wise. I think crafting should be on the NHS!! lol

blog candy!

Look at this lovely blog candy!! If you want a chance to win this lovely lot pop over to pinkpuds . Closes on 26th sept.

This lovely candy is being given away over at Poppy's papercraft patch in celebration of getting over 100 followers.  Closes sept 11th.

 This lovely candy is being given away by Ying at Ying&Magnolia blog. She is splitting the candy to give 4 people a chance of winning and will choose a winner on her birthday on the 28th sept.

Challenge cards

I decided to have a little play along with some challenges so my first card covered a couple:

I found the sketch at A spoon full of sugar but it also fitted well with the "anything goes" challenge at Just Magnolia  and the challenge at Fab and Funky to use material- (i've used two types of ribbon).
It's really helpful to use sketches as it stops me making "samey samey" cards. 
I hope they like it! 

My next card: 

This card was for the sketch challenge at Sketch and Stash.

* oh no, i didn't read that challenge properly, i need to include some new stash, so i can't enter this card now!* 

Exploding box album

I made this a while back, for an order, but hadn't blogged it yet. I'd never made one before but thought the instructions looked easy enough. I loved the outcome but would prefer to make them bigger next time. (dammit i have just seen that i have blogged this before! lol My memory is atrocious, but i'll keep it here for those who missed it! lol)

 I adore the bazzill bling card and its shimmer. It really makes these type of albums look extra special. 


Why i have the chance, can someone give me a link to instructions on how to make an easel card? I keep seeing them and they look great! Thank you x 

more blog candy!

yes i am on a roll tonight!! I keep finding such lovely blogs and amazing cards. It's making me want to improve my cards a lot as mine now seem so plain and simple. I know i need to buy some lace and flowers as they go with magnolias so well! 

Anyway, back onto blog candy. This lovely lot:

is available to win over at Liz's creative corner. (ends 3rd oct) http://lizscreativecorner.blogspot.com/

Look at this lovely lot! This is available over at CraftyC's crafting library here:
http://clairebsd.blogspot.com/ 
(ends 18th sept)

 

2 new cards

This first card is one i made for my friend for her birthday. I love this Elzybells image and it works so well on cards for friends. 

and this next one is another to sell. 

I really need to photo my cards better. After looking at loads of blogs today, the photos really show off the cards well. I think maybe taking the pics right above seems to flatten the look of them, whereas i like to add some dimension to my cards.

yummy blog candy

Whilst looking round some blogs, and finding some inspiration, i came across this lot of lovely blog candy. So don't miss out if you want a chance of winning and visit these blogs! 

 This candy is at: http://quixoticcards.com/?p=3667
(now ended)

T

This lovely candy is from Jacqui, who has some great tutorials on her blog. 
http://jacqui47.blogspot.com/2010/09/better-late-than-never-little-blog.html
(now ended)

  Being a huge fan of magnolia stamps, this blog candy makes me drool!! It's a great giveaway from over at http://paperinkcolor.blogspot.com/2010/09/september-blog-candy.html

(ends sept 30th)

 This lovely blog candy is from Lynsey's place. http://lynseys-place.blogspot.com/2010/08/thank-you-christmas-candy-for-my.html

(ends 17th sept)

 More gorgeous magnolia blog candy from Bev at "all the things i love" blog. 
http://bevscrafts.blogspot.com/ 
(ended)

 Look at this lush blog candy!! yum yum yum! You can find this over at Deb's Treasures: http://debstreasures.blogspot.com/2010/08/candy-candy-candy.html#comments

(ends 18th sept)

 Look at this amazing blog candy too! Go over to Free 4 Ever for a chance to win. http://fancyfree4ever.blogspot.com/

(ends sept 26th)

 Yet more yummy magnolias to win at a new blog called Top tip Tuesday.
http://toptiptuesday.blogspot.com/2010/07/welcome-candy.html

(ended)

More gorgeous blog candy!! I can't believe how generous bloggers are! 
You can find this at just ducky (great name! lol) at http://justsoducky.blogspot.com/

(ends sept 15th)

my new creations.

Well again, it's been months since i've updated my blog. Ill health means i can't blog or craft as much as i'd like but when i can't craft i look through all the lovely blogs i find and get inspired again.

My latest scrapbook page is another for my niece, Emily's album. I'm not that pleased with it, but then i am quite critical about my own work. I adore these letters though, and the page was based around those. 

My sis then asked me to make a page for Emily's favourite teacher before she left the school, and one for her best friends 30th birthday so i came up with these:

Here are also a few of my latest cards i've been making to sell:

 I'm still so sad that Elzybells is closing so i've felt drawn to using her stamps lately. 

Magnolia blog candy!

I absolutely adore magnolia stamps and have a huge wish list waiting to be ticked off. 
I've found some lovely blog candy over at Fluttabyz Crafty Haven  to win 3 gorgeous fairytale magnolias. 
Fingers crossed!! 

RAK card.

I found a lovely RAK request on the spoonful of sugar blog. A lady called Lisa was asking for people to make frog cards for her sister, who is sadly dying from terminal cancer. She also lost her doggie recently so really needed some suprises to make her smile. 
One of my favourite ever stamps is a penny black froggie one, so i made this card to send to Jayne: 

If anyone would like to make a frog card then please visit Lisa's blog.

papertake weekly challenge

I've made this card for the papertake weekly challenge sketch:

I used a cute and simple pink petticoat image and coloured it with watercolour pencils and glittered over the top. 
I'm not that happy with the green shade of the backing card, but i had run out of the lighter green bazzill that i love so much with pink. 

gorgeous blog giveaway!

Have a look over at Tanya's blog for some gorgeous blog candy! 

http://sweetaboutme-tanya.blogspot.com/2010/05/blog-giveaway-kaisercraft-hey-birdie.html 

 

no pink!!

I've realised that i really do use too much pink in my cards and scrapbook pages. I'm not sure if there is such a thing as "too much pink" but i don't want my stuff to be too samey, so i set myself the challenge of doing a scrapbook page where i don't use pink....... 

Ok, so i didn't manage it completely.... as the paper i chose that went with the photos had some pink in, but it is a mostly blue page! 
I really do need to take more time photographing my creations rather than just taking them whenever i've finished, no matter what the light levels. 
I wish i had a big enough scanner as i do find it hard to get decent photos. 

Not got time to craft today, as i need to get the jungle cut outside and get to the bank at some point, but hopefully i'll get some more done tomo. 

Back Crafting!

I've not been on here for ages, as i've had my craft stash packed away to re decorate my bedroom and get new furniture for a craft area. I still haven't got it done, so decided to spread everything out on the living room carpet and get crafting!

In the past 2 days i've made these:

  I made this with a gorgeously cute stamp from Milton and Co stamps(wild rose studio). The ribbon is from ribbon oasis and the cute brad is also from wild rose studio. I coloured the image with watercolour pencils. 

I then made this card with my favourite penny black stamp:

I never get bored of using this stamp as its great for female cards, male cards and kids cards. 

I also had an order to make some sort of box or album for someones' friend's 40th birthday, so I thought i'd have a go at making my first exploding album. 
It was easy to make and gives great results, so i'll be making more im sure!

Its come out a bit smaller than i imagined they were, but i will have a go at making some bigger ones for bigger photos. 

Lastly i made this scrapbook page for the challenge on the Imaginisce blog. The sketch to work with is this, and you need to use 75% of imaginisce stuff to win.

Here is my interpretation:

I didn't have enough matching photos to go for the 4 photo layout, so i thought i'd use one big one for the central two photo spaces and some lovely "baby powder, hiccups" paper for the other two photo spaces. It has lovely flock circles on the design for a tactile aspect to the page. 
All the strips behind the photos are from different imaginisce papers and the ribbons that i used to make the flower title area are from the "fairest of them all" collection. 
The pretty circle i've used to add my title is from the "baby powder" collection, from the baby talk sticker sheet. 
I like pretty little details in my pages so i added some gorgeous flock and glittery brads along the bottom and some shiny material flowers with big brads as centres. The tiny flower gem hanging from the blue flower is something that came off an old t shirt of my nieces and i knew it was too pretty to throw away. 

Imaginisce is one of my favourite brands of craft stuff, as i'm a fan of all things cute, pretty, pink and delicate. 

There is a great imaginisce giveaway over at Sarah's blog so give it a go!