Happy Birthday Mum

I would like to start off by thanking everyone for the lovely comments left on my previous post, especially after such a long absence, they are truly appreciated.

My mojo seems to be returning slowly as I managed to make a card over the weekend for my mum who celebrates her birthday tomorrow.  I needed to do this as unfortunately I was unable to make a Mother's Day and I felt very guilty about this.

My mum, like me, loves teddy bears so for me the perfect stamp was one of my favourite Penny Black stamps, Gentlest Kiss.  I adore this stamp and was very lucky to purchase it half price at Ally Pally last year.  The papers are from a Papermania Henbury Lane set and match perfectly with the cardstock I'd chosen.  I think I over-Glimmer Misted my large rose though as the petals opened up a bit too much, hopefully they still look okay.

 Supplies:

Stamps: Gentlest Kiss - Penny Black; Happy Birthday - Woodware; Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Copics

DP & CS: Henbury Lane - Papermania & Core'dinations

Tools: Circle & Scallop Nesties, Love Language CB Folder, Martha Stewart Lace Valentine Punch

Embellishments: Wild Orchid Craft Roses, Glimmer Mist, Ribbon

I don't know what everyone else uses for their copic colouring, but my favourite is Ryman's Brilliant White Super Smooth.  It blends really nicely and evenly.

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:

Stamp with Fun - Birthday
Pile it On - Use a Rubber Stamp
By the Cute & Girly - Cute & Girly
Copic Creations - Favourite paper to use for copics - Rymans
Sketch Saturday - Sketch
Crafty Catz - Furry Friends
Daring Cardmakers - Spring or Easter
Creative Card Crew - Spring

Thank you again for stopping by and for any comments you 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 #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)

Just Cute Bears #14 - Jane's Sketch

If Mr Blogger is behaving himself then this post will appear as normal at 9am on Sunday morning! I'm still in Taunton after my friends wedding and really hoping that, after all the problems with flights, they manage to get away on their honeymoon.

Anyway, being a Sunday can only mean 1 thing......Just Cute Bears Challenge Time! Thank you to everyone that took part in last weeks challenge. I apologise if I didn't get round to everyone, it's been a busy week looking after Jon and work.

The lovely Jane has provided us with another fabulous sketch for this week. When I first saw it, I was a little daunted, but having now used it, I love it and will definitely use it again! Thanks Jane!

I've used another of my new Lili of the Valley stamps from Ally Pally. These are now on sale so what are you waiting for?!? This cutie pie has been coloured with copics and cut out with rectangle and scalloped rectangle nestabilities. I've used this lovely pink Core'dinations cardstock and the DP's are both from Pink Petticoat (thanks Dawny!). The finishing touches are a Woodware sentiment and some Papermania gemstones. I was going to use some paper roses but there wasn't the room and didn't want to ruin the card.

I absolutely adore this card, I was so happy with the final result! Here's a close up of this cutie!

I hope you will join us again this week. As always we are sponsored by the lovely Kim at Cuddly Buddly. She provides us with such fab prizes each week.

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

xx :0)

Lil Baby Boy!

Completely unheard of, 3 posts in one day! Please scroll further down to see my Just Cute Bears DT card for this week..

My sister asked me if I could make a baby boy card for a friend who is due to give birth very soon (yes, they know it's a boy!). This gave me the perfect excuse to use my new Lili of the Valley stamp. These stamps are so cute and very reasonable.

I had such fun colouring this image in and I'm really pleased with it. The papers are downloads from Nitwits and I have the fab Dawny P to thank for pointing me in their direction! My MS doily lace punch received another outing on this card and some organza ribbon. The sentiment is a Francoise Reed Woodware stamp and I finished off with some pale blue dew drops.

A close-up of this lil cutie pie! You could just squeeze his lil chubby cheeks!

I am going to enter this card into this weeks Creative Card Crew challenge which is Dots!

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

I can't believe it's Sunday evening already! At least it's only a 4 day week followed by a 4 day weekend!

xx :0)

Some Cards!

I finally have some cards to show you after a bit of a break! Don't know what happened there, lost my mojo a little bit, but it's coming back again after a rest.

The first card was a quick one I made using a die cut I picked up at the NEC on Friday. I was asked to make a card for a colleague to give to his wife for Mother's Day. The only guidance I was given was that it should have some flowers. I have to admit that I don't own much on the "floral" line, so when I saw these I knew I had to have them!

The die cut has been mounted to some peach cs. The base is is made up with some white cs embossed using the D'vine Swirls folder and layered onto the same peach cs and finished off with some gemstones in the corners. The image has been added using 3d foam pads. The sentiment was part of the set. I know it's a bit of a cheat, I just hope my colleague likes it.

The second card was made for a very good friends birthday. Lyn is like a second mum to me and I wanted to do something nice. The image is one of my Forever Friends stamps that has been coloured with Copics. The base is two different shades of pink cs with the lightest having been punched with the MS Doily border punch. The flowers are Prima and have been added with some brads. The sentiment is from my Woodware set and has been finished off again with gemstones.

I hope you like them. I have a couple more to make that people have asked for at work as well as my mum and mum-in-laws' Mother's Day cards to make so looks like I'm going to be a busy bee for the next few days!

I apologise for not having been round every one's blogs recently, I will try to catch up once I've got all these cards made.

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

xx :0)

Engagement Card & A Bad Day At The Footy!

Well, after my earlier comment about the big match, I'm afraid to say we had a disastrous game and lost 2-0! I've not seen my dad that animated in a long time, the ref was atrocious!

Anyway, to cheer myself up, I decided to make my good friends engagement card. Sarah's lovely fella proposed to her on Valentine's Day, on a long weekend to Scotland!

I thought the cute Penny Black "You're a Treasure" stamp was the perfect image for this occasion. I have coloured this with Copics, cut out with nestabilities and mounted onto a scalloped circle also cut with my nesties. The base is made up of white cs mounted onto red cs and attached to a white card blank. I have then cut a strip of white cs and embossed with the D'vine Swirls folder before mounting to a strip a red cs. This has been finished off with red organza ribbon and a pearl heart slider. As I didn't have anything that said "Congratulations on your engagement", I looked through my stash and found an old See D's set that had a beautiful sentiment "Wishing you a lifetime of love" and I thought that was perfect. I didn't want the card to look a little sparse, so the final touch was some red heart gems at the top and bottom corners.

I can't take any credit for this layout. I first saw it on Michelle's blog, who saw it on Zoe's blog! I just loved it and have been waiting for an opportunity to use it.

I am so loving making all these cards again and I've got all of you lovely people to thank for keeping me going, you're amazing!

Hope you've all had a lovely day and thank you for any comments you may leave, they're much appreciated.

xx :0)

Tilda 21st Card

I've been asked by a friend to make a card for her niece's 21st birthday. This is a big thing for me as I don't get asked to make cards very often.

I've used one of my new Magnolia stamps & coloured her with Copics (I coloured a LOT, practising shading). I think this one is from the New Year Collection.

The base is made up of Bazzil CS and some satin ribbon. The wording has been cut using the Girls are Weird sizzix alphabet set. The sentiment is from Woodware.

Do you think this card is okay for a 21st? As I've said before, I'm not too good with layouts and don't have many DP's, so this is why it's a bit plain. I love looking at everyone elses creations, but put different papers in front of me and I suddenly don't have a clue!!

Sorry about the dark photo. Still haven't managed to work out the best way to talk good quality photos with my daylight tip. If anyone has the answer, please let me know!

Hope you've all had a good weekend. Thank you for stopping by. All comments are greatly appreciated.

xx :0)