From Funky Word Books

A card I have made with the For The Lads papers on the new cd from Funky Hand - Funky Word Books.

Really easy to make with added vellum flowers and card candy! These papers are really versitile and great to use!

The cd will be on sale on the website from 11 May - so make sure you don't miss out as the live demo on telly sold out within the hour!

It's My Name!

Just in case you missed Anice on Monday evening on the telly demonstrating her newest cd - Funky Word Books here is one of my samples that I made especially for her to show on telly! I would have shown my samples sooner but had some technical hitches with Mr Blogger (loosing my posts and photos grrrr!)

This collection is Royal Grunge - the entire cd is devoted to Word Books and all have complementary sheets that you can print off on the reverse of the letter pages (no white bits!) and each collection has a co-ordinating alphabet.

I decided to make a word book with my name and instead of it opening like a normal book on the spine..

It opens from the top!

Although you can't see it, I made a little stand attached to the card so it will stay upright!

With a bit of luck I'll show the other samples that I made for the new cd over the next few days.

The cd sold out before the end of the hour show - good going eh?! So it just goes to show how good these papers are and how popular! Anice won't be selling the cd from her website until 11 May, so you'll just have to make do with my samples and those from the Design Team!

Anything Goes!

The Penny Black challenge this week is a dream! It is:

Anything Goes!

As you can see, I've made the card with the Patti Picklicious template and the papers (left over from the previous card - waste not want not!) Again I've inked the edges with chestnut Whispers and a pink ink and used a white gel pen. The image is a stickeroo with the flowers and ribbon from my stash. The button is another from Peggy Crafts.

I think the card needs a sentiment, just don't know what or where!

• Backing papers & card template: Patti Picklicious cd
• Image: Penny Black Stickeroo
• Fabric Button: Peggy Crafts
• Everything else: My stash

Looks Good Enough To Eat!

The Secret Crafter challenge this week is for

Shaped Cards

And look what shape I found on the Patti Picklicious cd! I've actually re sized it as I thought it was a bit titchy so this is more or less A5 size.

I've used a white gel pen to go round the edges and also inked them with brown and pink. The cupcake is also on the cd and I have simply added it to a thin strip of acetate, coloured it with watercolour pencils, inked and chalked it and then finally glitter glued it! And then layered it onto some of the little spotty paper.

Card candy (which matched very perfectly!) from Craftwork Cards.

• Card template, backing papers and cupcake topper: Patti Picklicious cd
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards
  
  

Sunglasses At The Ready!

Now even though this is a relatively simple, straightforward challenge, it had me stumped! I have only a few large blooms - the turquoise one you see here, a few bright yellow ones and one white so was rifeling through my pre printed paper box to see what would match, and would you believe it - I found this!

The Daring Cardmakers challenge this week (set by fellow Funky Hand DT mate Lythan) is:

Supersize me! Big blooms required!

Now, I must have printed this backing paper (It's Funky Too) ages ago when I went through a phase of printing everything off on thin glossy photo paper. So quite pleased that I knew, way back then, that I would need this paper for today!

All I have done (after taking 20 mins to arrange the flowers and settle for the final colour combination..) is rounded all edges, inked them and bunged the flowers in the centre. The two turquoise ones and button are from the lovely Jozza (yes that bag of blooms is still going, but dwindling now!) and the yellow one is a pre layered thing that I bought when Samuel was a baby from Topaz Crafts but had not used....

Did think of adding a sentiment, but didn't!

• Backing paper: It's Funky Too printed onto glossy photo paper
• Blooms: From Jozza and Topaz Crafts
• Button: From Jozza
  

Introducing Patti....

For some reason, I seem to be very organised this week and I am managing to do challenges as they are published, and not on the last moment. Not sure how long it will last for!

The Sketch Saturday challenge this week is:

And just look what I bought on Saturday.... the Patti Picklicious cd by Kirsty Wiseman! She was demo-ing at the Craft Range in Burnley - literally 10 mins up the M65 for me, and it just seemed rude not to go along and say hello! I did take the boys with me - both I had to wake up in the car (not that they find crafting boring, but they were tired the poor little lambs) so they were not best pleased about that, but Samuel was poorly (he'd parted with his juice in the carpark earlier) and was not wanting me to stop and chat to a woman with loads of cards on the table and chat about sausage dogs. Jacob was a bit more amenable but pretended to be shy. Although he did listen to the conversation as he kept asking to go back and see Kirsty and look at her sausage dog (she showed him a pic of Eddy on her pc)....

Anyway, I spent a nice time on Sunday browsing the contents of the cd (I've made a few cards with the papers but those will come later in the week) and decided to use the cd for this card - the only thing that is not on the cd is the black and white ribbon!

I've gone around the edges of the fancy sentiment with a white gel pen, the scalloped edges are a Martha Stewart punch, and the typewriter effect letters are also from the cd. The image has been coloured with watercolour pencils.

I am liking this cd!

• All elements except ribbon: Patti Picklicious cd
• Ribbon: My stash
  
  

Funky Word Books - Last Sneak Peek!

And this is the last peek of my samples for Anice to show on Ideal World tomorrow evening at 6pm! Can you guess what it is yet?!

Tune in if you can as you will be able to see all the Design Team's creations - and they are stunning!

Ideal World - Sky at 6pm, Monday 27 April

Turquoise and Yellow

The Stampin' Chic challenge this week is a colour combination:

Turquoise and Yellow

These are not colours that readily spring to mind for me to use, however after a quick look through The Big One paper stack (it is slowly getting used!) I found a set of turquoise based papers and picked this one. The stamp is a first time used Inkadinkado which I bought a few weeks ago as I think that most of my work colleagues, friends and nursery staff are expecting (more reveal themselves almost on a daily basis - I'll be thinking I'll need to join in if I'm not careful!) I do like this stamp and will be using it more!

In fact, I also like the colour combination - the yellow layered card I found in my stash box thingy (I put all my one tone off-cuts in one and another one has all my patterned off-cuts - very organised!) I've coloured it with watercolour pencils.


The flowers and button are from Jozza - the flowers are actually held together by a giant brad with the button (and some ric rac ribbon) stuck to the top. I have (badly) inked the flowers in an attempt to tone them down so that's why they look a little grotty!

• Backing paper: The Big One - Clare Curd Signature Range
• Image: Inkadinkado
• Flowers & button: From Jozza
• Everything else: My stash

Funky Word Books - Sneak Peek # 4

I really enjoyed working with this particular colour collection - very kiddies! This is my fourth sneak peak - the last one will be tomorrow evening and then I will reveal all the projects I made with the new Funky Hand cd - Funky Word Books. Live premier of the cd on Ideal World, 6pm Sky on Monday 27 April.

K Is For Keep It Simple

The ABC Challenge is up to the letter K, which this week is for:

Keep It Simple

And I have! I found the card blank whilst looking for something else - its a lightly hammered ivory card which I have inked the edges. The pink tag, sentiment square and card candy are all from Craftwork Cards. I bought the tag and square sentiment a while ago (and not only in pink!) but have not yet used them for anything. They are a lovely pearlescent finish and I've hardly done anything to them - just inked the edges and cut the corners off the pink tag.

The ribbon is from my stash, and you can just about see the glitter on the card candy.

A very simple and quick card!

• Card blank: From my stash
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Everything else: Craftwork Cards

Funky Word Books - Sneak Peek # 3

Here is the third installment! You'll have to wait until Monday evening to see the big reveal of all my creations! See if you can spot them on telly!



Ideal World, Sky, 6pm Monday 27 April.

Round & Round

The Creative Card Crew challenge this week is:

Round and Round

I did think about making a round card, but then I wondered how it would stand up! As that option gave me too much to think about, I decided to keep the square shaped card (rounded the edges) and went for the elements within the card to be round. Much more simple! The papers are the freebie Patti Picklicious downloads from Kirsty Wiseman - I do like these bright colours and wanted to use them again!

The circles have been drawn using a compass and the three smaller ones have had their edges 'ruffled' and are attached to the card with a brad so that it moves to reveal the Birthday message underneath. This card was very much inspired by my Funky Hand DT mate Lythan although mine is not quite as slick as hers!

All the papers including sentiment (I added the 50 on) are from the download with the ric rac ribbon from my stash.

• Backing paper & sentiment: Patti Picklicious free download by Kirsty Wiseman
• Brad: From my stash
• Ribbon: From my stash
  

Pink Cat & Spotty Paper

This is a new challenge for me which I found whilst blog hopping - Sketch Saturday - and here is the sketch:


I've flipped it round as I really wanted to use the Inka image (sent to me by Anice in a recent Funky Hand DT image swop!) I've coloured it with watercolour pencils to match the paper (I think is Naughty but Nice Christmas paper from Dovecraft) and the ribbons and buttons.

And I know that cats aren't really that colour, but its nice to have a change every now and again!

The buttons I made from fimo and pushed seed beads in before they were baked - the ribbons were tied through the holes for extra detail. Not too sure why the doodled line looks wonky on the photo - it isn't in real life!

• Backing paper: Naughty But Nice Christmas papers by Dovecraft
• Image: Inka stamps, coloured with watercolour pencils
• Ribbons: From my stash
• Buttons: Made by me
  

Funky Word Books - Sneak Peek # 2

Here is the second installment - sorry about the size of this one but I think you get the idea of the colours! This is a word book that I have created with the new Funky Word Books cd which will be premiered on Ideal World channel on Sky - Monday 27 April at 6pm.

A Blue Dog

It's been a while since I managed a Penny Black challenge, but as I like a sketch, I was determined to do this one! Plus I had coloured the image a while ago and needed to use it!




Apologies for the slightly lopsided photo - I blame trying to get the table set for tea and try and take a photo of my card before the light went and stopping the boys from arguing - who says I can't multi task?!


Anyway, the blue backing card is all from my stash - the darker is a lovely slightly textured card but does not show up in the photo. The star printed paper is from Funky Daze.




I've double inked all the edges - in black and also dark blue just to take a bit of the blackness away. The image has been coloured with watercolour paints and from what I remember it only took me a few minutes.

The sentiment is my little Studio G alphabet stamp.

I liked this sketch and will probably use it again.

• Star backing paper: Funky Daze, everything else from my stash
• Image: Watercoloured and from Jozza
• Sentiment: Studio G mini alphabet set
  
  

Are You Ready?!

To see Anice on tv (Monday 27 April at 6pm) demonstrating her very new cd - Funky Word Books?!

Here is a little sneak peek of one of my projects I created using the new cd!

Anice won't be selling the new cd until 11 May, so if you want to be one of the first to own her new creation, then you'll have to tune in and buy from Ideal World! More details about the show are in my sidebar.

More sneak peeks in the lead up to Monday......

Pink Welly

The Digi Stamper Challenge this week is a coloured theme:

Pink and Green

I enjoyed using this welly template last time from Craftwork Cards so decided to use it again, but as a pink welly! Plus, thinking about it, its a bit of a hidden green theme going on too! The pink card has been chalked and inked to give it depth and structure, the flowers were freebies from a recent craft magazine and the button in the centre is from the lovely Helen at Peggy Crafts.

The image is from the Holly and Madison collection by Charmed Cards and Crafts, and I've coloured her with watercolour pencils and added a bit of glitter here and there.

• Template: Craftwork Cards
• Image: Holly and Madison downloads from Charmed Cards and Crafts
• Button: From Peggy Crafts
• Flowers: Freebies from a recent craft magazine
  

Nope, It's Not A Frog!

I made the mistake of asking Jacob if he liked the card I had made for the Daring Cardmaker Challenge. He said it looked like a froggy. So I pointed out to him that it was an alien, standing on our world with a rocket in the background. I don't think he believed me though!

The challenge is:

Games and toys for boys

And I must admit that this was totally influenced by Jozza's flying alien card! The alien is a die cut from my stash, which I have chalked and added wobbly eyes. I made the world myself from some offcuts of card, also chalked. The rocket is a Sizzlets diecut, cut twice from two different types of gold card, layered and then I've handcut the flames. The little windows I've glitter glued with silver but it doesn't show up too well.

I've embossed the black card with Swiss Dots and lightly ran a silver inkpad over it. Until I dropped it in the middle, but fortunately you can't really see the mistake!

• Alien die cut: From my stash
• Dies: Sizzlets spaceship
• Embossing folder: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots
  

Stampin Chic - Sketch # 3

It's no secret that I enjoy working to a sketch and this one was good to work with! It's the third sketch challenge on Stampin' Chic: I used the DIY Man from the Stampin' For Him set (plus sentiment) which I have coloured with watercolour pencils and chalked the edges of the image as it was a little stark! Inked all edges in brown and bright blue in keeping with all the colours.

Backing papers are from V Funky and are offcuts I had left over from a previous project (I am determined to use all my bits up before I print more off otherwise I'll be buried in an avalanche of papers!)

As you can see, I under estimated how much brown backing card I would need after I'd layered the image and done the bit across the middle, so the sentiment is only half layered.. but I don't think it looks too bad.... or does it?!

Card candy from Craftwork Cards (yes I have all but one of the packs - because you just never know when you'll need some!)

• Backing paper: V Funky from Funky Hand
• Image & Sentiment: Stampin' For Him - Clare Curd Signature Range
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards

Sketches By Tamara # 91

It's been a while since I followed one of Tamara's sketches - this is sketch 91: And I've finally used one of my Craftwork Card oriental stamps! This one is Akina and I've used chestnut Whispers ink and then coloured her with watercolour paints and pencils.

Papers are Simply Elegant 6 x 6 and I've also inked the edges. Sentiment is from a 4 block stamp and the flowers are wonderful freebies that I got from an internet site (so sorry but can't remember where as I've unpacked them!) - the white ones are from one pack and the brown printed one from another. Brad is from my stash.

I really liked working with this stamp, so expect to see more in the future! The detail is really amazing too - very delicate!

• Backing paper: Simply Elegant 6 x 6
• Image: Craftwork Cards
• Sentiment: 4 sided sentiment stamp
• Flowers: From my stash

J is for Jagged Edge

I found a new challenge site whilst blog hopping last week - ABC Challenge and this week the challenge is:

J for Jagged Edge

I took the jagged edge very seriously as you can tell! All the papers are from Funky Daze, and I've traced a template and then ripped close to the line. The flower is layered with the edges inked and then ripped again towards the centre.

There is an eyelet holding the flower to the card, through which I have pushed lightly coiled wire through. I enjoyed making this, so expect more flowers like this in the future!

• Backing papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Wire & Eyelet: From my stash
  

Secret Easter Bunny

I took part in the Crafts Forum Secret Easter Bunny Swop which was expertly organised by BeadsbyDesign (thanks Karen!) And I got sent this wonderful Easter Fairy named Freda by Indri!And don't worry - it wasn't this poorly wrapped when I got it - in my haste to unwrap it, I forgot to take a photo so this is the restyled photo for blog purposes!
And this was inside! All made from quilling paper! I really admire her patience and dexterity!

I've carefully wrapped it all back up and put it back in the box as I dare not let the boys near it! On the lookout for a suitable boxed frame that she can live in so I can display it.

How lucky am I?! And thank you Indri (Beth)!

Salt & Pepper Robot

I've combined the current Sketch and Stash challenge with the Creative Card Crew Monochrome Madness challenge

I've used my Papermania Robot stamp (think I've only used it once or twice before!) and have inked it with silver ink. The backing papers are the Salt and Pepper download from Funky Hand, and I've not used these papers for ages!

I've inked the edges with strong black and a fading black inkpads and added a silver doodled line around the edge of the card. Sorry about the poor photo - the sun hadn't quite got to us this morning when I took the photo!

• Backing papers: Salt and Pepper download from Funky Hand
• Stamp: Papermania
  
  

Our Easter Weekend

Well, we had a busy busy Easter weekend! And here are just some of the picture of the places we visited! No pictures from Friday and Saturday as we went to see Monsters v Aliens (I saw most of it as Jacob needed the loo every 5 mins almost!) and then they went to a Birthday party on Saturday, so these photos are from Easter Sunday and Monday.

We joined English Heritage (used Tesco clubcard vouchers) recently so decided to make use of the membership. We visited Carlise Castle as there was also an Easter Fairy Hunt (yeah, we found them all and some chocolate for a reward!) We also had an hours tour of part of the castle and the dungeons which was really interesting and the guide was dressed in costume and involved the boys in the explanation of what everything was for.

This photo shows the inner gateway to the castle and is reported to be haunted by a lady looking for her baby (the baby has been heard to cry). And its really freezing standing in it!The boys, however, were more interested in the canons and if they still worked, and did they kill people? Jacob had gone to the loo (again) when I took this photo of Samuel.

Then we went to a broken castle (as the boys called it) in Penrith - Brougham Castle. You could actually climb the very twisty and narrow staircase to the top for the views - we got half way up and turned round!

Even though it was a part ruin, there was still quite a lot to see and the boys did a lot of running around. Just look how blue the sky was!

And this is the view from the bridge, looking over the river back at the castle.

Then on Monday we went to Keighley and bought a Family Day Rover ticket so we could go up and down the line (Keighley to Oxenhope) as many times as we wanted on the diesel and steam trains plus free entry into the three museums.

Here are the boys at Keighley before we started our adventures!

We stopped one station down the line at Ingrow West where there are two museums. We had a wonderful impromptu guided tour at the larger of the two museums and we got so engrossed in it (and the boys playing at train drivers) that we almost missed the train to Keighley - we really had to run to catch it!

We had another museum to visit - the Engine Shed where there was an Easter Egg hunt and some amusements for the kids. And this is the view of the steam train leaving Oxenhope to take us back to Keighley.

So all in all, it was two grand days out!