Just Cute Bears #19 - Thank You

Good Morning everyone! Isn't it a nice feeling waking up on a Sunday morning and realising that you don't have to go back to work on Monday! I don't know about you, but I can often feel quite depressed on a Sunday with the thought that the weekend is virtually over.

Thank you to everyone who took part in last weeks Just Cute Bears challenge. Please check out the blog to not only see the lucky winner but also who has been chosen to be our new DT member!! It's all exciting!!

This weeks challenge is to create something to say Thank You. I went a slightly different route for my card. I took the opportunity to use my new Popcorn Kids stamps and CD and made a card for a teacher. With the end of the school year fast approaching, children like to take cards and gifts to their favourite teacher as a thank you.

Popcorn is so cute with his satchel and apple in his paw! What teacher wouldn't love to receive him?? He's been coloured with copics and cut out with rectangle nesties. The backing paper and border are from the Popcorn CD and the sentiment is from the same stamp set. The CS is from SU! but I'm not sure on the name. The MS Lace Doily punch has also made it's obligatory appearance!

Please check out the blog to see the rest of my teamies amazing creations and also the prize on offer this week from Cuddly Buddly.

Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Lili of the Valley Blog Candy!

I've left this really late!! Lili of the Valley have a great candy running until midnight tonight! they are offering all 12 of their new release to one lucky winner. Why not see if you can be the lucky one!

Henbury Lane

Okay, I've slipped back into my old habits of leaving it a week between postings! I also apologise for my lack of commenting this week. My poor cat has been a bit poorly and has been to the vets this morning for a check up. I'm sat waiting to ring the vets for his blood test results.

This card was made during my productive Sunday the other week. I was asked to create a card for a lady's' 83rd birthday. The only requisite was for it to be floral.

This was the perfect opportunity for me to use the decoupage kit from the latest Docrafts release, entitled Henbury Lane. These sets and papers are really beautiful and perfect for anyone that doesn't do cute bears!

I have to admit that I enjoy decoupage, especially when it's already been pre-die cut for me! You can create amazing cards in just a matter of minutes. The backing paper is from the same Henbury Lane paper pack.

The close up shows the dimension of the decoupage.

Lesley, my colleague who requested the card, said that it was probably one of the best cards that I had ever made for her! I was so happy with this comment that I immediately went and got two more packs!

I hope you agree.

Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Chat Box

Just to let you know that I have had to remove my chat box because it was being spammed by all these sites. I don't know if they are safe so I thought it best to remove it for every one's safety.

If anyone would like to get in touch with me about anything, there is a link to my email address in the side bars so please feel free to drop me a line.

xx :0)

Just Cute Bears #18 - Bev's Sketch

Can you believe it finally feels like summer is here?!? It's taken forever to get some lovely sunshine so I hope you're all enjoying it!

It's a gorgeous summer morning here in Berkshire and it means that it's also time for another Just Cute Bears Challenge. Thank you to everyone that took part in last weeks recipe challenge, don't forget to check back to see if you're our lucky winner!

Before I mention today's challenges I just wanted to share the sad news that Jane has decided to step down from the team. We wish Jane all the best and thank her for all her wonderful sketches.

This weeks challenge is a fabulous sketch by our lovely GDT Bev so I hope you'll all play along!

I've opted for another Xmas card to try and get myself started on this mission that takes longer than the day itself! It's another cute LOTV bear and I've coloured him with Copics (what else!). The base has been made up of SU! CS and some Doodlebug DP. I've used a Fiskars snowflake punch that I've had for an age. I really must get myself some more MS punches. It's been finished off with some ribbons, gems and a Woodware sentiment.

Here's a close up of the bear. Apologies for the darkness of the photos, these were taken last Sunday when it was a complete contrast to today's weather!

We are once again sponsored by the lovely Kim at Cuddly Buddly. Please check out the blog to see the rest of my teamies gorgeous cards!

I don't know about everyone else but I'm hoping to do some more crafting today. Living in a flat we don't have a garden to sit in and enjoy the sunshine! Plus there are the usual chores that need doing!

I hope you all have an enjoyable day whatever you're up to. Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Butterfly Kisses

As promised yesterday (technically today as this is a scheduled post cos I'm at work!), I'm back with another of the cards I made in my lil session. I had a really good time and felt like I was really enjoying my crafting for the first time in ages. Hopefully this will continue!

I got this gorgeous Penny Black Stamp "Gentlest Kiss" at Ally Pally and it was a half price bargain! It's the first time he's been inked up, I can't believe it's taken me over a month to do it! He's been coloured with copics before being cut out with nesties. The card stock is Core'dinations and the DP is another Pink Petticoat download. The Doily Lace MSBP has made yet another appearance, I can't get tired of using this punch but I do think I need more to my paltry collection of 3! I've finished off with some Wild Orchid Craft flowers, gems and a Woodware sentiment.
A close up of this adorable bear.

One of the challenges I am entering this into is the Creative Card Crew sketch, but I've noticed a slight deviation from it, I hope you still find it acceptable.

I am also entering this into the following challenges;

Penny Black Saturday -Flowers

The ABC Challenge - U for Unused Stash

Cute Card Thursday - Someone Special

CCEE Stampers - Nursery Rhyme for inspiration - I've used Teddy Bears Picnic

Allsorts Challenge - Birthdays

Thank you for stopping by again and for the lovely comments you leave, they are all greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Sweet Lil Thomas, with love!

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS MY SECOND POST OF THE DAY

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MY JUST CUTE BEARS DT CARD

It's almost unheard of these days for me to post twice in one day! Well I have to say I've had a bit of a craft fest and made 4 cards! I'll spread them out for you, although one of them is my DT card for next week.

I spent yesterday having a look at what challenges there currently are out there and found a few that I fancied having a go at.

I've had this adorable Thomas stamps from LOTV since they were released and can't believe that I've not inked him up yet! He's just a sweetheart isn't he?! He's been coloured with copics and I've also added some stickles to his whiskers and glossy accents to his little posy of flowers although they don't show up very well in the photo. I've used one of my fav shades of Core'dinations CS (exotic orchid) and the DP is a Pink Petticoat download. I've also not used these flowers since I received them from Wild Orchid Crafts so thought they would go perfectly with the DP & CS. It's been finished off with my Doily Lace MSBP and a sentiment from Woodware.

Isn't he cute?! You can just about see the stickles on his whiskers but the glossy accents still doesn't want to show. It's their, honest!

This cards has been made to fit a few challenges, as follows;

Lili of the Valley - Sketch by Bev
Papertake Weekly - Shiny, Sparkly & Special
ABC Challenge - U for Unused Stash
Cute Card Thursday - Someone Special (I do have another card made for this challenge too, hope that's allowed!)

Thank you for stopping by again and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Just Cute Bears #17 - 3,2,1 Recipe

Good morning everyone, I hope you are having a lovely weekend. I don't know about you, but the weekend always seems to go far quicker than 2 working days?!

It's Sunday morning, so that must mean that it's time for another Just Cute Bears challenge. Thank you to everyone who took part in last weeks challenge, please make sure you check out the blog to see if you were our lucky winner.

This weeks challenge is a 3, 2, 1 recipe. We would like your card/project to include 3 brads, 2 papers and 1 ribbon.

I wanted to make sure that I used a different layout for this card and not fall into my usual layout and I think that I have definitely achieved that. My papers are from a Forever Friends paper stack and perfectly compliment the cute Christmas FF decoupage that I have used. My ribbon is represented by the blue organza bow that I have placed at the bottom of the image. The sentiment is also from FF. I have used my square and circle nestabilities to cut my shapes.

Here is a close-up of the cute little bears snuggling up.

Please check out the blog to see the rest of my teamies amazing creations! I hope you will join us for this challenge, I really do enjoy visiting all your blogs.

Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Hubby's card & cakes!

I promised you all that I would try and blog this week and I have managed to keep to it. I had the second stage of my root canal this morning and don't feel too bad at the moment but painkillers might have something to do with that! The neck is fine now, thanks to all those who sent good wishes.

Anyhoo the card I have to show is what I made for Jon's birthday. I used my fab new Forever Friends CD that Jon very kindly bought me. I love how you can create a card on the software and print it out. I used this facility for Jon's card although I did also print out some additional bears so that I could decoupage the image. I know some people may not deem this as "crafting" but I think this will come in handy for those last minute card orders we get and also for bulk periods like Christmas. Jon loved it and that was the main thing for me!


The next two photos are of some of the cakes that I made for the Cake Break I organised last week in aid of Multiple Sclerosis. I have got more into baking again in the last few months and loved it. These are some Blueberry Muffins that I made.


This was my first ever attempt at making Carrot Cake and after all the lovely compliments I received it certainly won't be my last!

I also made some chocolate fudgy coconut brownies, flapjacks and vanilla & coconut biscuits. We managed to raise £184 for MS so I am very proud of everyone that I work with and who supported me.

That's not the end of the baking though. Last Sunday I made more flapjacks and muffins along with a lemon drizzle cake and chocolate fudge cake for Jon to take in belatedly for his birthday! No photos this time but suffice to say they have gone down a treat with everyone!

Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Just Cute Bears #16 - Multifolds

Morning All! I had intended to blog and craft a bit more this week but I've had a bit of a stiff neck which has limited by ability to craft as I was unable to look down at my desk without being in pain. Thankfully this subsided in time for me to be able to make my DT card for Just Cute Bears this week, although couldn't completely finish it.

Thank you to everyone who took part last week, please check the blog to see if you were our lucky winner.

This weeks challenge is to make something with more than one fold. I took this opportunity to make my first ever easel card and also my first Christmas card this year. I used another cute LOTV teddy which has been coloured in copics before being cut out with nestabilities. The background has been embossed using the Snow Dots cuttlebug folder. I have also used some Doodlebug DP that I've had for ages. This has been finished off with snowflake punches and a Craftwork Cards oval. Because of the problems with my neck, I wasn't able to properly finish the bottom part of the card.

A close up of this adorable little bear!

I was surprised how easy it was to make an easel card and will definitely be making more in the future. I hope you will join us again this week as we have another fabulous prize from Cuddly Buddly.

Hopefully I will be back with more cards to show you this week that I have made just recently and also some photos of cakes that I made for last weeks cake break.

Thank you for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)

Just Cute Bears #15 - Buttons & Bows

Firstly, thank you to everyone who sent kind messages after my dental trauma last week. I'm doing ok at the moment (now the pain has subsided) and am awaiting the final appointment in 9 days. Jon is also doing ok thanks although he still has some pain and discomfort in his arm.

I'm sorry I've not been around much this week, I have been busy organising a cake break at work in aid of MS. My weekend will be spent baking up a storm in the kitchen!

Anyway, enough waffle and onto this weeks Just Cute Bears Challenge. Thank you to everyone that took part in last weeks challenge. I hope you enjoyed using Jane's sketch, I know I certainly did! Check out the blog to see if you were our luck winner.

Before I tell you about this weeks challenge, I have to tell you about our new guest designer for May. I am so happy to announce that the wonderful Bev is joining us! Please check out Bev's wonderful creations. I would also like to announce that the lovely Helen has agreed to join us as a permanent member of our team.

For this weeks Challenge we would like to see you use Buttons & Bows. I have to admit that I don't own many buttons so this was a challenge in itself! My bow also went seriously wrong!

I used another of my cute Milton Bear stamps that I purchased at Ally Pally. This is Milton with Teddy and he has been coloured with copics before being cut out with nestabilities.

The papers used are gingham and doodle dots which are from Pink Petticoat. The cardstock is Core'dinaltions. I have also used my MS Lace Doily Punch and a sentiment from Woodware.

Isn't he a cutie?! I swear the bear stamps are just getting cuter!

Please check out the rest of the girls fabulous creations. I hope you will join us, we have another great prize on offer from Cuddly Buddly.

Thanks for stopping by and for any comments you may leave, they are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)