Just Cute Bears #25 - Helen's Sketch

Good Morning all! Oh my word it's been hot this week! I don't mind warm weather but it's when it's so humid and muggy with it, especially at night, that I'm not so keen. Do the rest of you find that the heat is sapping your energy and inclination to make any cards?


Thank you to everyone that took part in last weeks Just Cute Bears challenge, I really enjoyed seeing all your decoupage creations.


This weeks challenge is a fab sketch from our lovely Helen and we are also being sponsored by the amazing Meljen Designs.

I've made another Christmas card using some more Forever Friends decoupage. I have a lot of these kits so thought I would make good use of them. The paper is from a Forever Friends Winter paper pad. The CS is from my stasth. My circle element of the sketch is slightly smaller than it probably should be but I'm not very good at cutting circles freehand so used my largest circle nestabilities to create it. The base circle has been embossed using a snowflake CB folder. I've finished off with some ribbon, gemstones and a sentiment.

You can see the embossed layer a bit clearer in the close-up.
Please check out my teamies amazing creations. I hope that you will join us again this week as I love to see all your wonderful entries.

I'm hoping that the weather is a bit cooler this week as I would like to get in my craft room some more as I have a few projects I really need to concentrate on.

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

xx :0)

Just Cute Bears #24 - Decoupage

Good morning everyone, I hope you are all well and enjoying this beautiful weather we are experiencing. I had a fabulous day yesterday. I went to the Art Stamps England show at Newbury Racecourse with my best friend Nikola. I got some lovely goodies to play with. Please check out Nikola's new blog, she makes some wonderful cards and is trying to design her own stamp range. She doesn't get many visitors yet so I would love it if you could all give her the support you give me.

It's now Sunday and that means that it's time for another Just Cute Bears challenge. Thank you to everyone that took part last week, I had a great time looking at every one's entries.

This weeks challenge is Decoupage. This gave me the perfect opportunity to use some more of my Forever Friends kits that I purchased last year. I apologies again for the darkness of the photos. I unfortunately left it until late last night to photograph them!


I made only my second easel card and am really pleased with the results. The base CS is core'dinations, the DP is from the Forever Friends decoupage kit as is the greeting. The white panel has been embossed with the Argyle cuttlebug folder. I have also used a Fiskars border punch and X-Cut snowflake punch. I finished off with 2 different ribbons that I purchased today and some gemstones. I have also done some more faux stitching around the edges.

A side view of the card so you can see the dimension of the decoupage.

Finally a close-up of the cute decoupage image.

Please check out the rest of my teamies cards and also our GDT this month which is the lovely Becky.

I am also entering this card into these challenges:

Winter Wonderland - Punch it

ABC Challenge - X for Xtra Dimensional

Creative Card Crew - Easel Card

Forever Friends Challenge - Stitching
ABC Christmas Challenge - N for Noel - Anything Christmas related

Die Cut Dreams Christmas Challenge - Christmas Wreath

Crazy 4 Challenges C4C44 - I love Ribbon (minimum of 2 ribbons)

Charisma Cards - Metal Mickey (Gemstones)

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

xx :0)

Love in full swing!

Morning all, I hope you are well! Hasn't the weather been beautiful the last week?!? Admittedly it has got a bit too hot at times, but we can't complain!

It's a very good friends wedding anniversary today and I wanted to make her a card. Knowing that she is a cat lover like me, this Penny Black stamp was the purrfect (sorry!) choice! I decided that I would also use it as a chance to enter this weeks Penny Black Saturday Challenge which was to create a patchwork effect. You can't see it very well in this photo by I've a mixture of heart paper and embossed hearts using the CB folder from the Love Language set. I'm also entering this into the Papertake Weekly Challenge which is to include stitching. This is my first(!) attempt at faux stitching, hence why it's not very good! If you look closely you'll spot the deliberate mistake! I put the base layer on upside down as all the hearts are the wrong way round!
I apologise for the quality of the photos. I took them late last night and didn't realise the yellow tinge!

Aren't they adorable?! The image has been coloured with copics, the papers are from a Forever Friends All Loved Up pack and the CS is from Stampin Up!

Penny Black Saturday Challenge #107 - Paper Patch

Papertake Weekly Challgenge - In Stitches

Just Cute Bears #23 - Open Theme

Thank you to everyone for your best wishes the past couple of weeks. I'm sorry I've been absent completely, but I needed to rest my neck in the hope that it would get better. It has eased consisderably, although I do still get some pain, but I was able to make a card and participate in this weeks Just Cute Bears challenge.

Iwould like to apologies for not commenting on the last 2 challenges, or on anyone else's cards for that matter and I would like to thank my teamies for being so understanding. You're all probably aware by now that the lovely Ali is taking a break from blogging and has stepped down from Just Cute Bears. I would like to personally thank her for believing in me and picking me to be part of this amazing team.

Anyway, this weeks challenge is an Open Theme so you can create whatever you like as long as it includes a teddy image!

My card is for my wonderful parents as it was their 39th wedding anniversary yesterday! I used this gorgeous Forever Friends stamp which has been coloured with copics. The base is SU! Rose Red CS and some shimmer CS (sorry can't remember name!). The shimmer CS has been embossed with the CB folder from the Love Language set. An aperture has been cut using heart nestabilities. The frame has been made using the SU! CS and the heart and heart scallop nesties. I've finished off with a Craftwork Cards Oval and some roses from Wild Orchid Crafts.

A close-up of the image.

Please check out the rest of my teamies amazing creations and the prize that is on offer from Annie.

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

xx :0)

No card from me today

As the title says, I'm afraid there will be no Just Cute Bears Challenge card from me today. I have been suffering with a very painful next for most of the week which has left me unable to sit in my craft room for any length of time. I've been trying heat and everything but, at the moment, nothing seems to want to work. I'm hoping that with some rest I will be able to get back to crafting again.

I apologise for not being able to check any ones entries for last week either, but laptop time is having to be restricted too.

Please check out the rest of my teamies amazing cards. I hope to be back next week, I also have a couple more bookatrix cards to show that I promised last week.

xx :0)

Golden Anniversary Bookatrix

As promised I'm back with one of the bookatrix that I was busy making last week!

This one is for my In-Laws who celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary on Saturday 5 June. I wanted the colours to be golden and match so used white, ivory & peach roses from Wild Orchid Crafts. I used a heart shape from another of the Glitter Girls boards but am a little disappointed that I couldn't quite make the heart shape. I hope it looks okay to you guys.

I thought I'd also include a photo of the top of the box that I'd made and decorated. Who knew how handy all those old peel-offs would come in handy?!

What do you think, is it acceptable?!

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

xx :0)

Just Cute Bears #20 - Fathers Day

I'm sorry I've been AWOL again for the week. I have been really busy making two wedding and an anniversary bookatrix as well as my challenge card for this weeks Just Cute Bears Challenge. I will be posting my cards throughout the week so keep checking back!

Thank you to everyone that took part in last weeks Just Cute Bears challenge, there were so many lovely cards out there.

This weeks challenge is for Fathers Day. As it is fast approaching we thought it would be a good idea to make sure that you got your cards made early.

I took the opportunity to choose a stamps that I'd had for 12 months but had not yet seen an inkpad! This stamp is from Elzybells and so adorable. He's been coloured with copics and then cut out with my nesties. The CS is from SU! I think it's Close to Cocoa but don't quote me on that! The DP is from the new Hampstead Park pack which is great for men. It's been finished of with a CWC sentiment oval.

It's a very plan card but I think it's perfect for men. They don't do lots of embellishments or punches. I did contemplate a few buttons but then decided it was perfect as it was.

Please check out the blog to see all my fab teamies cards, including our newest recruit!

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

xx :0)