Rainy Days...

'Rain or Shine' ... and on the inner 'You're a friend of mine'.

A card to cheer up a friend and also for the the challenge at http://tandastamps.blogspot.com/where the theme is rainy days.
I used this great sketch which is the challenge at http://cutie-sunday.blogspot.com/ this week.


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The stamps for both the image and the sentiment are by My Favourite Things. I stamped and paper pieced the raincoat. The rest of the image was coloured using Derwent Inktense pencils.

You're having a laugh...

This week the team at http://www.mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/ want us to share some fun images, amusing one liners or whatever we think would to make them smile!

I chose this large stamp by Stamps Happen.Inc as it certainly makes me smile. The smug look on the cat who caught the 'mouse' and the real mouse peeping round the corner of the monitor says it all.

I coloured the image with Lyra Aquacolours - they were wonderful for getting all the shades on the cat - and used a Letraset Promarker for the screen as it gave that a lovely flat finish.

Lilac butterfly birthday...

As soon as I saw the sketch at http://sketchsaturday.blogspot.com/ I thought it would make a perfect opportunity to use one of my new embossing stencils by X Cut. This one is called Spring Swirls and is really pretty having both butterflies and flowers on it.

The butterfly image is a rubber stamp that came in a collection I bought on ebay ( I love ebay) and I really don't know who it was made by, but I love the image and it was a great fun to paint with water colour pencils.

My card is also perfect for the challenge at http://stampchallenges.blogspot.com/ where the instructions this week were to create a birthday card.

Materials used:

• Lilac shaded card by Kanban - the colour is deeper at the base of the card than at the top and I have used the lighter shade for the cuttlebugged piece
• X Cut embossing border 'Spring Swirls'
• Butterfly rubber stamp
• water colour crayons - Faber Castell
• silver brads, vellum, white organza ribbon and silver sentiment peel offs from stash
  

A really cute award...

How cute is this award?

I am really, really pleased that Heather at http://ricas-haven.blogspot.com/ considered me for this.

The award is given in appreciation of lovely and witty comments and for always knowing the right thing to say at the right time....oh how nice is that! I'm not sure how true it is about me but thank you so much Heather for the award.

I do appreciate it and it is a great way to give someone a hug that you've never met but who means something special to you.

Now, I have to pass this on to ten people - this is the difficult part - so many people have shown me so much love and kindness since I started my blog and although most of them I have never met they very often brighten my day with their comments and help. I could probably make a very long list - but here goes - in no particular order just 10!!!

Chrissie at http://chrissiescreations.blogspot.com/

Max at http://maxscraftcreations.blogspot.com/

Wendy at http://pixiehousedesigns-craftypixie.blogspot.com/

Beryl at http://wlpandivascraft.blogspot.com/

Anne at http://cardmakingtranquility.blogspot.com/
Elaine at http://elainesden.blogspot.com/

Beryl at http://bikshome.blogspot.com/

Ali at http://alis-space.blogspot.com/

Ann at http://craftblogspiritofcreativity.blogspot.com/

Cynthia at http://rainbowladyscraftyblog.blogspot.com/

Thank you Irene..

I have been given this award by my dear friend Irene - thank you so much.

I would like to pass it on to the following very talented people...

Suzanne at http://suzannelily.wordpress.com/

Ann at http://craftblogspiritofcreativity.blogspot.com/

Chrissie at http://chrissiescreations.blogspot.com/

Beryl at http://wlpandivascraft.blogspot.com/

and all my friends at Cardmakersanon

Cuttlebug Blog Candy Winner...

Oh boy did I have some fun doing this - printing out all the names from here and all the names of people who also entered the Cuttlebug Challenge last week. Putting them all in a hat (well box cause I haven't got that many hats) and finally pulling out the winning name...

which is ....

Maria Matter who said ...

'Only 50 weeks til Christmas, oh no, I better hurry with my cards!!! hehe. This is absolutley gorgeous Ann! And I can CASE it if I win the Cuttlebug candy, yeah! I will definitely link you up! Thanks for doing this!Blessings, Maria'.

Maria also entered a gorgeous card to the challenge so she was one of the crafters who had her name in the hat twice.

Check out her card at http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com/2009/01/dress-up-give-away.html - it's a really cute folder.

Well done Maria - I'm really pleased for you.

This week at http://cuttlebugchallenge.blogspot.com/ the challenge is a sketch by Becky Fleck and at the end of the challenge Becky is going to choose the best entry and they will win a copy of her book. Isn't that fantastic? Do pop over to the blog to check out the details and the sketch.

Wednesday is Cuttlebug Challenge Day...

This week the challenge at http://cuttlebugchallenge.blogspot.com/ is a sketch by the very, very talented Becky Fleck. It's a very interesting sketch and quite a challenge, but one that I very much enjoyed having a go at - twice! My first attempt in white, silver and vellum ended up in the bin after a little accident with some glue. Ah well I like the spring feel to this one!

As you can see in the sketch you can add buttons, but no matter how I searched 'just the right colour, size, ect.' of buttons eluded me so I ended up using different sizes and varieties of peel offs.

I have a huge collection of peel offs that at times I hardly use, but just occasionally they come into their own and I was really pleased to find the funky flower circles which form the focal part of this card.

I used the Cuttlebug die and embossing set 'Snowfun' to cut and emboss the various sized circles. Swiss Dots sneaked in on the act too for one of the larger circles. I also sanded them to make them pop of the page more.

I really love the different textures created by the embossing folders combined together in this way - maybe it would be good to try out different shapes and patterns.

Materials used:

• DCWV textured card
• Cuttlebug Snowfun die and embossing set
• Spellbinders circle and flower die
• Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder
• Gold peel offs from stash
• Gold brad from stash

Thank you so much to everyone who took part in my blog candy. I had such wonderful comments cheering me on after becoming a design team member and so many of you had a go at last week's challenge. It was great and there were some fantastic cards.

I will be printing out all the entries - putting them in a hat and drawing out the winner before the end of the day. It may take some doing! The winner will be announced later - good luck everyone.

Let's get dotty...

Just a quick card to show today as yesterday I was so busy organising my craft stuff that even answering the phone was impossible at one stage - see photo at end of post!

This card is for the challenge at http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/ where this week we were asked to use dots and spots in our project. I reached for that great DCWV kit that I have been using recently. I can't believe how great that has been, especially as I only paid £1 for it.

The dog in a tie stamp is from one of the T for transparent sets called 'Bubbly' and I have coloured the image using Derwent Inktense pencil crayons.

Sorry the photo is so bad, but the light here is gloomy today as it is so rainy.

Now for my craft cupboard. Look at this ...

It took all day and I still need to do some labelling, but I think I am getting a little bit nearer being an organised crafter!!! At one stage while sorting this out I couldn't even cross the room to the phone - there was just boxes piled high everywhere.

Now I just need to find somewhere to put all the clothes I took out of here!

Oh well who needs clothes?

A new award...

What a great start to the week? When I logged in this morning I discovered that my blogging friend Heather at http://ricas-haven.blogspot.com/ had given me this award. Thank you so much Heather. If you haven't yet visited Heather's blog yet do go and have a peep. She combines colours like magic - you will not be disappointed and she will definitely end up in your favourites!

Now to pass on the award ...

This is always a difficult task as I visit so many talented crafters and have made so many good friends in blog land over the past year but here goes...

Irene at http://alloccasionscards.blogspot.com/

Beryl at http://bikshome.blogspot.com/

Max at http://maxscraftcreations.blogspot.com/

Anne at http://cardmakingtranquility.blogspot.com/

Denise at http://lavenderosecraft.blogspot.com/

Oh I am missing out so many friends here, so if you visit my blog and would like this award please feel free to add it to your blog.

Messy Rabbit plant spike...

You will have to use your imagination a little today, because really this plant marker is to go in the top of an Easter plant gift. I'm hoping to make a huge pot full of spring flowers and put this marker in the top like a gift tag.

Am I organised or what? Unfornately, friends who know me well will say that by the Easter arrives I will have forgotten which safe place I stored this marker in!! Probably true, but if I do come good I will put a photo of the completed pot on my blog.


I stamped one of the Messy Rabbit range by Joanna Sheen on to shrink plastic and coloured the image with Sakura stardust pens. I usually display the shiny side of the shrink plastic but on this occasion I really liked the twinkle of the stardust pens and decided to have that showing.

In the same way as I did the plant marker yesterday I stamped the Studio G grass and sentiment on to white card and then laminated. I was working on the theory that is it's in the top of a plant pot it might get splashed with water so is better laminated for protection.

The challenge at http://thisthursday.wordpress.com/ this week is 'something with whiskers' and as the sponsor is Joanna Sheen it seemed very appropriate to use one of her rabbits for this challenge.