And here comes the matching bag...

Well as I made a pink card and gift bag for my daughter Laura and the Pink Elephant challenge last week I would be in big trouble if younger daughter, Shelley only received a card.

World Wars have started for lesser reasons than this so here is my little gift bag to match Shelley's card - all ready to be filled with eggs.

Making it has also helped me to catch up with quite a few challenges too! Brilliant stuff I love it when plans come together like that - it doesn't happen often!

The challenges are:

Easter at Creative Inspirations
Easter Treat Containers at The Cuttlebug Spot
More than two folds (there are loads needed in this bag) at the Cupcake Craft Challenge
Get Eggy at No time to stamp
Easter Somethings at Stamp Something

The bag was cut using the Plantain Schoolbook cartridge and my Cricut and the cute stamp is one I have used loads this Easter and is from a clear set by Woodware.

Pink Elephant Challenge 9...

Yeah I used to hate Mondays but no more because it's Pink Elephant Day and that's got to be good. As I write this post and upload my card I'm singing 'chick chick chick chick chicken lay a little egg for me' so it's a good job nobody can hear me!!!

This week our challenge at the Pink Elephant is a recipe challenge. The ingredients to be used are rubber stamps, punches and embossing. Those ingredients sound like they may mix together to make some great cards - I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

My card uses a whole host of rubber stamps including a hen on a nest and lots of eggs from an Easter Set by Rubbadubbadoo and there's also a cute chick from a Woodware clear stamp set sneaking in on the act.

For punches I used an egg (oval?) punch to add some eggs to the nest and a tiny butterfly punch to add butterflies to the background.

My embossing was done using the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots - what would I do without that folder?

I can't take full credit for the design of this card as it is very, very similar to one that I was shown at a craft class many years ago. I guess it was time to try the card shape again and bring it more up to date.

To create my card I used a normal square card and cut half of the front away on the diagonal. Then I attached the piece I'd cut off to the rear of the front of the card. By only sticking the pieces together at the bottom edge and the side near the fold it meant that the top was able to be opened up to have that lovely tactile shredded paper pushed inside and left hanging to give a 'nestie' effect. Then I slipped lots of coloured eggs in to eggsaggerate the diagonal design.

Hope you like my card and will have chance to visit the Pink Elephant this week and maybe use our ingredients - I can't wait to see how everyone elses will turn out.

Penny Black Easter Card...

Well I've finally sorted out my craftroom - it was no easy task I can tell you. Rabbit has had all DST bits removed from his ears and all my rubber stamps and card are back where they should be. How long this will last I don't know. It's quite worrying to hear that this 'craftroom destroying fiend' has also visited other people. We really must be on our guard!!!

Well during this long tidying up session I may not have been card making, but I have been blog hopping and have seen some fabulous work and some great surprises!!! Pollycraft are celebrating their birthday and are offering 40% off rubber stamps to the first 100 customers to order. Oh my that one cost me a fortune!!

Another brilliant surprise was that last week my name was pulled out of the hat at Max's Mad March Spring Surprises . Thank you so much Max - I can't wait to receive my surprise! Max's surprise event is still going on so go and take a look if you too would like the chance to win a cool prize.

There's more...

I also won last week's challenge at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - I was so surprised I nearly fell off my chair. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket while the going is good!!! I love Penny Black stamps so this challenge is very high on my 'must do' challenge list, but to get a prize as well. Just fantastic!!

I guess after winning last week it seemed appropriate for my first card back in blogland to be for the Penny Black Challenge , which this week has an Easter theme. I still have a few more Easter cards to do so I was really please to see challenge blogs continuing this theme.

I love the Penny Black chick stamp I used to make this card. I think I got it in a sale last June and have been waiting patiently till now to use it. The backing paper is from the DCWV Spring stack (one of my favourite paper pads) and the other bits and bobs used are from my now tidy stash. Hmmmmmmmmm how long will that last?