A Birthday for you...

A birthday card for my box and for quite a few challenges. I actually coloured this image the other week, but put it to one side because I wasn't happy with the hair. I thought I'd got it way too dark, but having bought a white inkssentials pen this week I used it to add a couple of highlights. I'm much happier with the effect now.

Challenges:

• Pollycraft Challenge - 3 embellishments (the buttons), two papers (green and check) and one image.
• Everybody's Art - Birthdays
• Simon Says - Celebrations - Birthdays
• One Stop Craft Challenge - add some sparkle (added sparkle on the wings and gems)
• Sketch and Stash - sketch and new item (inkssentials white opaque pen)

Materials used:

• Pollycraft stamp
• Paper by DCWV
• Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder
• Cricut - flowers
• Green card, buttons, gems and peel offs from stash

New Punches...

Sorry my photos are terrible this morning but my new punches are just stunning. If you haven't checked out the Docrafts sale yet do, because they are selling some things amazingly cheaply. I recently ordered a set of 5 (huge) Papermania punches for only £5.99. They were reduced from £49.99!!!

Last night I had a little play and used the floral circle punch to create this card and the bookmark below. The circles are punched into white card and then matted on to glitter card which unfortunately you can't really see to it's advantage in the photo.

I can see all kinds of possibilities for these punches. The other punch I played with was a square design and it by punching closely together it made a fabulous ornate border - love it - watch this space!!

Challenges:

• Daisy May - circles
• Creative Inspirations - anything but a card
• One Stop Craft Challenge - add some sparkle

Materials used:

• Papermania punch
• glitter card and white card
• gems, peel offs and tassel from stash
  
  

Today is the present...

and we really must appreciate it for being the gift it is.

This card is a little 'anytime' card for my daughter who love quotations as much as I do. As you know she also loves pink so of course the pink polka dots had to sneak in on the act too.

I used the Bow Frame cuttlebug embossing folder, that has been lurking unused in my storage box for some time, as a basis to build the rest of the design on.

I wanted the embossed present to have more oomph about it so I cut a pink polka dot square out and then added black pearls to the polka dot pattern to give extra dimension.

The quote is by Clarity stamps, but it is one bought in a job lot on ebay and I think the letter 's' in the 'is the' part is slightly faulty as no matter how hard I tried it would not stamp perfectly. That will teach me to get things cheap!!

Challenges:

• Cute Card Thursday - Quotations
• Stamp with fun - polka dot
• Creative Card Crew - black with one other colour (some of the DT samples have also got white in their creations so maybe my card will count)

Materials:

• Quotation stamp by Clarity Stamps
• Bow Frame Cuttlebug embossing folder
• Card, ribbon and gems from stash

Celebration Time...

Happy First Birthday to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - one whole year of great challenges and stunning work by the Design Team.

Penny Black stamps and this particular challenge blog are my favourites so I certainly wasn't going to miss out on their birthday celebrations.

It's a very special week over there so do check it out if you haven't already. Gorgeous work by team (as always) and fantabulous prizes for some lucky people. So much candy you'll probably put on weight just looking!!!

My cards for their 'Celebrate' challenge are actually very simple ones made using Stickaroos that I had bought as a present some time back. They have been hiding in one of my many folders and came to light during yet another tidying and sorting session. Who is it that sneaks in when we turn our backs and messes all our craft stuff up? We really do need to find this person and put a stop to it.

Stickeroos are great when you want to make some quick cards. As I've volunteered to make some cards for my friend Cynthia to sell to raise money for Bob's Bikathon they were ideal. If you would like to find out more about this do visit Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog.

Materials:

• Penny Black Stickaroos
• Nesties large circle plain and scalloped
• Cuttlebug Swiss Dots
• Letraset rub ons (these were a free sample and are the best rub ons ever - I really must check out what you can buy)
• gems and card from stash

Something old, something new ...

Yeah it's Pink Elephant day and that means a new challenge. This week we have a romantic theme and would like everyone to play along with us by making a wedding card.

Sorry friends and family who read my blog on a regular basis, but yes it's another ribbon frame - I'm just addicted to them at the moment and I thought the white organza trimmed with diamonds on the knots was just perfect for a wedding.

The stamped image in one by Inkadinkadoo that was part of a huge job lot of stamps bought on ebay. Isn't Ebay brilliant sometimes?

Looking forward to seeing everyone else's creations and I promise no more ribbon frames for a little while.

I also promise that I will be organising some birthday blog candy shortly as I have just realised there is only 15 days to my birthday!!!