Peaches & Cream

The theme today at Lili's Little Fairies is 'Peaches & Cream'. This is not a colour scheme that I would usually choose to use as I'm not over keen on orange as a colour, but a soft peach with cream accents has actually grown on me as I made this card, and I actually really like my finished card.  I think the sweet image helps, and I also like the sketch that I've used. I've saved the sketch as I think I'll be using this one again too!

See my cards available to buy on eBay



Card Recipe:

• Image - Bunnies In Love from LOTV
• One of my own Freebie Sentiments
• Colouring - Promarkers, Copics, Sakura Stardust Gel pens
• Cardworks Shaped Card base
• Nitwits Digi Papers
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Lacey Circle Spellbinder Nesties
• Ribbons
• Glossy Accents
• Liquid Pearls
• Pearls
• Handmade Pin
• White flower soft (tail)
• Sewing machine

I've been inspired by:

• Fab n Funky - Pastel Colours
• Crafty Boots - Out of your comfort zone (orange!)
• Bunny Zoe Challenges - Flowers & Pearls
• Crafty Calendar - Love & Marriage
• Joanna Sheen - Layer it up
• Creative Craft - Sketch

Happy crafting.

Candy Canes

We're halfway through our designer paper challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge and I've got one more card that I've not posted yet from last year. This is the last one from last year.  I promise!!!

I'm not very confident making masculine cards, so this one is out of my comfort zone and one that I had to try really hard not to cover in flowers.  I did manage to sneak some glitter and pearls in there though, but I think the bold colours compensate, and it's still quite manly.

See my cards available to buy on eBay



Card Recipe:

• Image - Bigsby Candy Cane from Karen's Doodles
• Colouring - Promarkers, Copics, Sakura Stardust Gel pens
• Summertime Design Digi Papers
• Spellbinders Labels 3
• Memory Box Frosty Border Die
• My Favourite Things Snowflake Dies
• Liquid Pearls
• Stickles
• Pearls

I've been inspired by:

• Anything Goes Challenge - Make it manly
• Crafty Boots Challenge - Out of your comfort zone

Happy crafting.

Bunny Wabbits

It is half way through the 'Tag' challenge at Top Tip Tuesday and I've decorated a little Easter box with a cute Tiddly Inks Bunny image. The 'Happy Easter' tag is in the shape of an Easter egg and I've added some spring coloured flowers and ribbon.

It's quite a small box, but I think I could still fit quite a few mini-eggs inside it as an Easter gift box. The trouble is that the mini-eggs don't seem to last long enough in the house for them to be sent as a gift.

See my cards available to buy on eBay



Card Recipe:

• Tiddly Inks Somebunny Loves You
• Typed Sentiment (Font - Alex)
• Colouring - Promarkers, Copics
• Clouds - Dovecraft Shimmer chalks
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Daisy Ribbon - Fantastic Ribbons
• Ribbon

I've been inspired by:

• Tiddly Inks - Critters
• I Love Promarkers - Four Legged Friends
• Totally Papercrafts - Spring & Spring Colours 

Happy crafting.

Just a note ....

Firstly I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who left suggestions on my 'sentiment competition' post.  I'm sorry that I've not been able to make any yet but I've been poorly with the flu (like everyone else seems to have been lately), and I will start to create and share the ones that have tickled my fancy very soon.  There were some lovely suggestions, so thank you to everyone who left their requests.  Please pop back soon to ensure you find yours and snag some of the others as they're posted.

Back to today's post and I've got a cute decorated note book to share using one of the new Saturated Canary rubber stamps.  I thought that this geeky image was perfect for a note book.

I've added a bit of lace, some ribbon, a pine needle die and then I've added my text in white gel pen.  That's it.  I didn't want to add any 3D embellishments because I thought they might get pulled off if the note book was slipping in and out of a handbag, so I kept this project flat for that reason.

See my cards available to buy on eBay



All items are from The Stamp Basket as follows:

• Image - Geekin' it Saturated Canary
• Memory Box - Pine Needles die
• White flat lace
• Brown card
• From my stash - White gel pen, ribbon, notebook

Pop over to The Stamp Basket to see the lovely array of products on offer.

I've been inspired by:

• The Sketchy Challenge - Sketch
• Penny's Paper Craft - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp & Show - Metal (spiral wire notepad)
• Cute Card Thursday - Simplify

Happy crafting

Pink Chloe

I'm back to the safety of my favourite colour scheme today with a pink birthday card using Chloe from Elizabeth Bell.

See my cards available to buy on eBay



All items are from The Stamp Basket as follows:

• Image - Chloe from Elizabeth Bell
• Cardworks Shaped Card base
• Wild Rose Studio - Always & Forever papers
• Memory Box Cosmo Border Die
• Liquid Pearls
• Berisfords Satin Ribbon Red
• White Flat Lace

I've been inspired by:

• The Sketchy Challenges - Sketch
• Penny's Paper Craft - Anything Goes
• Sentimental Sundays - Lace & Pearls

Happy crafting

Bears & Butterflies

The theme today at Lili's Little Fairies is butterflies.  I'm not usually a butterfly person, although I have made a few projects in the last week which have featured butterflies.  But luckily I do have a LOTV image with butterflies on it.  I do have a mini butterfly punch, so I've added a couple of butterflies by the flowers too.  I've used my favourite Papermania papers so I've kept the layout simple in order to show off the beautiful papers.

My image is painted with DI re-inkers and I've stitched around the panels with purple thread to match the purple colour scheme.

See my cards available to buy on eBay



Card Recipe:

• Image - Bears & Butterflies from LOTV
• Typed Sentiment (You won't bring me down)
• Colouring - Distress Inks
• Cardworks Shaped Card base
• Papermania Lucy Cromwell Papers
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Mini butterfly punch
• Magnolia Leaf & Swirl die (only used swirl)
• Pearls
• Glossy Accents
• Liquid Pearls
• Sewing machine

I've been inspired by:

• The ABC Challenge - H for Happy Birthday
• Bunny Zoe - Flowers & Pearls
• Stamping Sensations - Fur or Feathers
• Crafting When We Can - Birthstones (Amethyst)

Happy crafting.

Wish Upon a Star

The theme today at ABC Christmas Challenge is designer paper, and I've used one of my favourite digi paper designer, Nitwits.  The image is a real sweetie from Mulberry Wood and it's the first time I've used it.  I've painted the image with my Distress Re-inkers, and outlined it with a pale blue alcohol marker to give it some depth.  I've added some glossy accents, glamour dust and liquid pearls.

See my cards available to buy on eBay



Card Recipe:

• Image - Mulberry Wood Wish Upon a Star
• Colouring - Distress Inks & Promarker
• Cardworks Shaped Card base
• Nitwits Digi Papers
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Red Satin Ribbon
• Pearls
• Crystal Glamour Dust
• Glossy Accents
• Hobby House 8mm Pearl Brad
• Liquid Pearls
• Sewing machine

I've been inspired by:

• CRAFT - Christmas
• Charisma Cardz - Anything Goes
• Bunny Zoe Challenge - Flowers & Pearls

Happy crafting.

Mini Eggs

The theme today at Top Tip Tuesday is Tags, so I've made a gift bag and decorated it with a tag.  I printed the roll-bag template onto digital paper, cut out an oval centre on the front using a nestie, made a frame using Labels 18 nesties and stuck some acetate on the inside.

I punched some holes in the top and threaded through some sheer pink ribbon, adding my tag before tying a bow to seal the top of the bag.


Unfortunately I can't have tied it up very well though, because after taking my photos somehow the bag then fell open.  I have no idea how that has happened, and all the contents have mysteriously disappeared.

I really must tie my bows tighter in future.

Yup, between me and hubby, the mini eggs didn't even survive the weekend, let alone last until Easter.

I'd better buy some more to replenish the gift bag!

See my cards available to buy on eBay



Card Recipe:

• Shape EZ Roll Bag
• Shape EZ Pedestal Tag 1
• Nitwits Digi Papers
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Liquid Pearls
• Sheer pink ribbon
• Spellbinders Labels 18
• Spellbinders Lacy Ovals
• Mini butterfly punch
• Acetate
• Mini eggs (one for me, one for the bag... one for me, one for the bag.  That's right, isn't it?)

I've been inspired by:

• Wild Orchid Crafts - Pink & Cream
• Charisma Cardz - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp & Show - Metal (green wire coils amongst the flowers)

Happy crafting.

Aqua Bugs

I've got a quick 'just for fun' card to share today as I wanted to enter a couple of challenges that looked fun.  This one is a Wee Stamps image called 'sympathy bugs' but I think they're too cute just to use for sympathy cards, so this one is an 'any occasion' card using my (current) favourite Papermania papers.

I've coloured the image with my alcohol markers and then added some Sakura Stardust gel pens for some sparkle on the wings.  I've also used some glossy accents on the image.

See my cards available to buy on eBay



Card Recipe:

• Image - Sympathy Bugs from Wee Stamps
• Colouring - Promarkers, Sakura Stardust Gel pens
• Papermania Lucy Cromwell
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Aqua Satin Ribbon
• Glossy Accents
• Liquid Pearls
• Pearls
• Sewing machine

I've been inspired by:

• Passion for Promarkers - Give us a Cuddle (what a fab theme!!!)
• The Ribbon Girl - Blue & Aqua
• Bunny Zoe - Flowers & Pearls
• Sweet Sketch Wednesday - Sketch:

Happy crafting.

Glittered Hearts

StampFairy are sponsoring Craft Your Passion today and the challenge theme is 'Glitter'.  I've made a card to support the challenge, using the newly released image Mimi Hearts.  I've painted her with my Distress re-inkers and glittered all the hearts using Glamour Dust.

See my cards available to buy on eBay


Card Recipe:

• Image - Mimi Hearts from Stamp Fairy
• Colouring - Distress Inks
• Cardworks Shaped Card base
• Papermania
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Berisford Pink Satin Ribbon
• Crystal Glamour Dust
• Glossy Accents
• Liquid Pearls
• Glass pearls
• Sewing machine

I've been inspired by:

• Sketch & Stash - Sketch & Love (Old stash = papers, ribbon, gems. New stash = flowers, image)
• Inky Chicks - Valentine / Anniversary
• Crafty Calendar - Love & Marriage
• Papertake - Hearts & Flowers
• Crafting when we can - Birthstones (Oct is my own birth month - pink tourmaline see below)

Happy Crafting

Cherry Blossom Baggie

It's Sunday, which for me usually means that 'get-ready-to-go-back-to-work' day.  But next week, I'm off on hols for the half term break, so today feels like a proper day off.  I had that flu bug that's been going around a couple of weeks ago, and still don't feel that I'm firing on all cylinders at the moment.  I'm hoping that a week off work will recharge the batteries and I'll be back to normal soon.

Because I've not been feeling 100%, I've not managed to get a card made for today, but I do have another little project to share with you.  The Stamp Basket stocks the Saturated Canary rubber stamps and I've been playing with one of my favourites from the new release which is Cherry Blossom.

I've stamped it onto a cotton baggie and coloured it with mainly purple marker pens. I added some sparkly accent with my Sakura Stardust gel pens, and then decorated it with matching purple embellishments.

Colouring on the cotton is really difficult as the ink spreads out over the fibres, but I don't think she's turned out too bad.

Hopefully you will agree....

I've sewn ribbon around the top edge, added a crocheted flower with a button centre, a couple of die cuts and some liquid pearls.

Here's a close up of the image. You'll see the ink did run quite a lot, but it has still made a pretty little gift bag.

See my cards available to buy on eBay



All items are from The Stamp Basket as follows:

• Image - Cherry Blossom Saturated Canary
• Memory Box Macarena Corner Die
• Memory Box Vivienne Butterfly Die
• Liquid Pearls
• Burlap Twine in Natural
• Mixed Christmas Buttons
• Ribbons
• Crochet flower
• Cotton baggie

Pop over to The Stamp Basket to see the lovely array of products on offer.

I've been inspired by:

• I Love Promarkers - One for the Girls
• Charisma Cardz - Anything Goes

Happy crafting

Two Hearts

I've got something different to share today.  I've been playing with a new die, which is Heart Pocket from The Stamp Basket, and I've made 2 projects using this lovely die.

My first is what I had planned to be some heart bunting, but in the end I only hung 2 hearts on it, one for hubby and one for me, each with our own little note on a tag inside the pocket.

I inked around the edge of the heart, punched two holes in the top, threaded some gingham ribbon through, used some little stamps to decorate the heart, and added some pearls.

Here's a piccy of one of the tags peeking out of the heart pocket....

And here's my second project.

This time I've only used one die on patterned paper, and added the ribbon to hang it from the middle of the heart.  I inked the edges in pink and added a stamped sentiment in Rich Cocoa Momento ink (which I find is softer than black), but otherwise just kept it simple with some white pearls.

And here's a close up of the tag inside, with some red burlap twine so that it can be pulled out easily...

See my cards available to buy on eBay



All items are from The Stamp Basket as follows:

• Memory Box Heart Pocket
• Wild Rose Studio Always & Forever paper
• Rich Cocoa Momento Ink
• Pink Bazzill cardstock
• Gingham Ribbon
• Burlap Twine in Red
• 5mm, 4mm & 3mm Snow White pearls

Pop over to The Stamp Basket to see the lovely array of products on offer.

I've been inspired by:

• Craft Your Passion - My Valentine
• Papertake - Hearts & Flowers
• Charisma Cardz - Anything Goes
• Bunny Zoe - Flowers & Pearls
• Fashionista - Valentines

Happy crafting

Paper Pieced Mimi

Stampfairy are sponsoring Creatalicious and Crafty Catz challenges today and I've made a card to support both sponsorships.  It's all about love at Creatalicious, and it's a bingo theme at Crafty Catz.  I've chosen Mimi Love for my image, but I'm not very good at colouring her dress so I've paper pieced it instead.  I got a bit carried away and paper pieced her hair too, but I then gave both these areas some shading with my copics.

For my bingo elements I've chosen the middle row, pearls, dies and ribbon, but I've also sneaked some lace and flowers in there too.

Don't forget there is a Guest Designer call at The Stamp Basket. Pop over to the blog to see how to apply.

See my cards available to buy on eBay



Card Recipe:

• Image - Mimi Love from Stampfairy
• Colouring - Promarkers, Copics, Sakura Stardust Gel pens
• Cardworks Shaped Card base
• Papermania Capsule Collection papers (card base and layers)
• Nitwits Digi Papers (paper piecing)
• Memory Box Precious Hearts die
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Ribbon - Fantastic Ribbons
• Liquid Pearls
• Lace
• Pearls
• Sewing machine

Don't forget there's also a new release out today at Stampfairy, and that also means there's a fab freebie out today too.  Here's a picture of the newly released images:

I've been inspired by:

• Craft Your Passion - My Valentine
• One Stop Craft - Love is in the Air
• Totally Gorjuss - Love
• Papertake - Hearts & flowers

Happy crafting.

Little Acorn

The theme today at Lili's Little Fairies is Pearls, one of my favourite embellishments, so I've created a card to support the challenge.  I painted the image with my DI re-inkers (yes I think it is really a 'baby' themed image, but hopefully it works for a birthday card too.

I've used pretty embossed and sparkly papers with a couple of die cuts and some gingham ribbon.

Oh yes, and I've added a few pearls!

See my cards available to buy on eBay


Guest Designer Call
Don't forget there is a Guest Designer call at The Stamp Basket; a shop which sells the most adorable stamps and fabulous crafting supplies. Pop over there to take a peek at the details of how to apply.

Card Recipe:

• Image - Little Acorn from LOTV
• Typed Sentiment (Font - You won't bring me down)
• Colouring - Distress Inks
• Cardworks Shaped Card base
• First Edition Papers
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Memory Box Corner Bow Die
• Memory Box Macarena Corner Die
• Ribbon - Fantastic Ribbons
• Liquid Pearls
• Pearls
• Sewing machine

I've been inspired by:

• Stamping Sensation - Fur

Happy crafting.

Nikki CASE'd

We're half way through our 'CASE' theme at ABC Christmas Challenge and I've cased one of my teamies' cards this time (instead of one of my own, d'oh!!).  I chose quite a C&S design which I usually find hard to do, but I really loved the cross-stitched twine accents on this layout.

I've used an image that I've had for a while, but I don't think I've used her yet.  I've added a few pearls and some sewing around the borders of each layer, but otherwise the layout is unchanged. No ribbons, no flowers, yet I am still pleased with the result.

See, I don't need to splatter it with embellies after all.

Well, not every time anyway.

Here's my card ...

And below is Samantha's fab original card that I CASE'd.  Her layout was really lovely to work with, and I've never hand stitched on a card before.  I love Samantha's C&S style and in the main I did copy her card apart from the pearls and a bit of stitching. Thanks Samantha for the lovely inspiration, however, I have to apologise as she doesn't like pink (I know, she's quite clearly a crazy lady) but I just had to sneak some pink in my version I'm afraid!

Samantha's original card:

See my cards available to buy on eBay



Guest Designer Call
While I've got your attention, there is a Guest Designer Call at The Stamp Basket. Pop over to their blog for the full details on how to enter.

Card Recipe:

• Image - Nikki from Saturated Canary
• Typed Sentiment (font = Holly Christmas)
• Colouring - Promarkers, Copics, Sakura Stardust Gel pens
• Cardworks Shaped Card base
• Nitwits Digi Papers
• Liquid Pearls
• Pearls
• Twine
• Sewing Machine

I've been inspired by:

• Saturated Canary - Colour challenge (got the coffee coloured sparkles in there too!)
• MAWTT - Only Girls Allowed
• Papertake - Hearts and Flowers (heart on her scarf, floral backing paper)
• I Love Promarkers - One for the Girls

Happy crafting.

Barry Hearts

We're halfway through our Valentines theme at Top Tip Tuesday and I've made a card to support the challenge.  I've been painting again with my Distress re-inkers and am feeling better about my shading.  I also stitched around the panels, including the shaped image panel (which I decided was a mistake when I got to the first bend!), but overall I was pleased with the result.

See my cards available to buy on eBay



Card Recipe:

• Image - Barry Throughout the Year (February)
• Colouring - Distress Inks
• Cardworks Shaped Card base
• Wild Rose Studio Always and Forever Papers
• Memory Box Precious Hearts Dies
• Wild Orchid Craft Flowers
• Spellbinders Labels 3 Nesties
• Glossy Accents
• Liquid Pearls
• Stickles
• Pearls
• Sewing Machine

I've been inspired by:

• Craft Your Passion - My Valentine
• Lexi's Creations - Valentine
• Inky Chicks - Valentine / Anniversary
• Simon Says Stamp - Have a Heart
• Charisma - Love
• Cute Card - Love Struck
• Crafty Catz - Love is in the Air

Happy crafting.