Shoes, Queues and Blue Sky

Typical Bank Holiday Monday really except that the weather was stunning! Needed to get both boys school shoes and new trainers as their current ones are literally hanging off their feet.

The lady in Clarks thought the boys were twins as they have virtually the same shoe size and was quite surprised when I said that there was 2 years age difference!

We bought a soft baseball bat and ball whilst in Blackpool at Matalan in the sale as the plan was to spend time on the beach.

But not at Blackpool, but at Southport. And trying to get from one coastal place to another on Bank Holiday Monday in the glorious sunshine is not an easy task.

However with some clever short cuts through little villages we didn't know existed we did it and parked on the beach at Southport where the tide hardly ever comes in (well, we've only seen it once!) and had a quick game or two of baseball.
I should have used the flash as their faces are in shadow, but just look at the colour of the sky!

And can you spot the sea??!!
You'd have never guessed that it was torrential rain most of Saturday and Sunday morning!

Craft Juice Tuesday - Week 28

Welcome to another week of Craft Juice Tuesday! If you want to find out more about each item, please click on the photo and you will be taken direct to their Craft Juice listing - some may have already sold!

This week, I am featuring WeeMeeWhimsies who makes these wonderfully detailed dolls (for want of a better word!) using up-cycled fabric and vintage items - each piece is hand painted with acrylic making each unique!

See you next Tuesday for more Craft Juice Tuesday!

Sassy Spots

I found a new challenge site whilst blog hopping. Fatal! I've also joined Sassy Cheryl on Paper Craft Planet too. Anyway, the digital images are so funny and are right up my street so when my Paypal account looks a bit more healthier I'll be making a purchase or two!

The current challenge is

Polka Dots

I've coloured a freebie image from PCP with Promarkers and added Funky Daze papers layered onto black card.

The card blank is from a pack from Papermania - it was reduced to half price a few weeks ago in The Range and because I'd had my eye on them for a while, they were snapped up! I've doodled a fine black line around the edges and finished it off with polka dot ribbon from Fantastic Ribbons and a pink star pony bead.

Apologies for the rather dark image - weather was rubbish when I took the photo! Can't wait for the next challenge!

• Papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand plus black card from my stash
• Image: Sassy Cheryl freebie, coloured with Promarkers
• Ribbon: Fantastic Ribbons
• Bead: My stash
  

Ben 10

As soon as I saw the sketch for Truly Scrumptious, I knew what I would be making! The optional extras with the sketch was a brad, button or bow and I've managed the brad!


It's Jacob's 5th Birthday next Monday and I'd almost forgotten to make him a card! He is a big big fan of Ben 10 and I've used an image drawn by Claire and I've coloured it with Promarkers.

Papers are from my stash - they don't have a name on but are 12x12 and are slightly embossed. I'll have bought them from somewhere, knowing that they will come in one day! The black card is also from my stash.

I've added a large green brad and then glued a number 5 disc to the front as Jacob will be 5! And starting school too! How time flies - only feels like last week that I'd just finished work for maternity leave - mind you, I left that almost to the last minute too as I worked until 39 weeks and he was on time!

Just got to make up the 20 odd party bags for the party on Thursday at nursery! It's his last day, and to celebrate his Birthday and also our last day at nursery too after 6 and a half years of being there with both boys! Photos to follow - obviously!

• Papers: Not sure, but are 12x12 probably Bazzil but from my stash
• Image: Drawn by Claire and coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash
  

Girl with Apple

The Michelle Perkett Studio challenge this week (along with a blog hop!) is

Back To School

I downloaded this lovely digital image from Paper Craft Planet and I've coloured Mary Margaret with Promarkers and a little inking.

The spotty backing paper is left over from a previous project and is from Pink Petticoat - Big Dots Mini download. Some faux stitching around the edges and some card candy.

And I've finished it all off with a huge red satin bow! Mainly to match the red apple and because it needed a splash of colour!

I'm now off to join in the blog hop!

• Backing papers: Pink Petticoat, Big Dots Mini download
• Image: Michelle Perkett Studio coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash
  

Giving An A

Another great challenge this week over on Tiddly Inks! Even more great is the fact that with my very first entry on the Tiddly Inks challenge blog I won!! So with the gift certificate (and a little more!) I bought a few digital images. Needless to say I'm very pleased with my purchases!

The current challenge this week is:

Time To Gear Up For School

So I made this funky thank you card! I've used the freebie blackboard digi stamp given away on the Tiddly Inks group on Paper Craft Planet (thanks ladies for making me feel so welcome!) and the very cute little girl image that I bought.

She's been coloured with Promarkers plus some liquid pearls on her headband. The A on the card is another of the buttons that is from an old pack in my stash. I've used foam pads on the image to give it a bit more depth.

I think I should have used darker blue card for the sentiment - cut with my Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet die set, but its a bit late now! Some faux stitching around the edges and that's it!

Hope you are having a lovely, if not wet and wild, Bank Holiday weekend!

• Digital images: Tiddly Inks, coloured with Promarkers
• Dies: Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

Simple Doodles Challenge 25 - Back to School!

A great challenge this fortnight for Simple Doodles:

Back to School

I've used an Inktegrity image, coloured with Promarkers with added wobbly eyes and have layered the image onto bright squares of card.

The added embellishments I've had that long that I've lost the packaging! I've used some red embroidery thread to tie the bow through the star and also across the middle of the card.

Hope you are able to join in with the fun - the deadline for challenges is Friday 10 September and the top three from that challenge are revealed the week after. Good luck!

• Image: Inktegrity, coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 34 - Sketch with 3 Colours

Good morning! It's Friday again so it's time for another Polkadoodle Challenge! If you've not already entered (and why not?!) you still have a little bit of time to enter the fantastic Aquamarker competition over on the challenge blog - this one ends on 31 August.

For this week, Nikky gave us a sketch to work with and only to use three colours. You have until Sunday 5 September at 12noon GMT to enter and three colours is easy!

I've used the ponisettias from Creative Christmas - I printed two of the A5 sheets and one of the A6 and layered up the flowers and slightly curling the edges as I did it. I've used backing paper from the same cd too and made the mistake of making my card blank first before I realised how big the flowers were going to be! Hence the rather large and over the edge look!

And because of the small card size, I ran out of room to add the greeting, so went with ribbon and a blingy star instead! Don't look too close as you'll be able to see the glue under the gems - I've completely run out of time this week - I just don't know where it's all gone, so I was a little last minute for this challenge!

Good luck in entering - you have until Sunday 5 September at 12noon GMT.

• All paper based elements: Paper Boutique Vol 2 - Creative Christmas
• Everything else: My stash
  

B is for Blue

A nice and easy challenge this fortnight on ABC Challenges which is:

B is for Blue

This card was made for one of Samuel's teachers who retired at the end of the summer teaching term and I offered to make the card from the Governors.

I kept the theme very simple (her favourite colour is blue) and added some twine (she also likes gardening!) along with some hat pins I made with seed beads and silver heart beads.

I've used a nesties die for the shape and raised it on foam pads, inked the edges and then added all the embellishments. The printed paper is from Patti Picklicious by Kirsty Wiseman.

I've used some off white felt effect card that I bought ages ago and has a really feel to it.

• Backing paper: Patti Picklicious by Kirsty Wiseman
• Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities
• Everything else: My stash
  

Moooved!

A fab challenge on Charisma Cardz this week which is:

Die Cuts

I've taken the theme literally and have dusted off my trusty Sizzix dies and have made this card! The cow has been layered with different coloured card to get the right effect, plus the two ovals are also die cuts from two different dies.

The grass is my own creation and I've added two chunky brads for extra effect. The sentiment has been stamped with a little wooden Studio G alphabet stamp directly onto the card blank.

• Dies: Sizzix cow, inner from scallop oval and oval tag
• Sentiment: Studio G alphabet stamp
• Everything else: My stash
  

Craft Juice Tuesday - Week 27

Welcome to another Craft Juice Tuesday - its amazing to think that I've done a post every week for the last 27 weeks!!!

If you want to know more about each item and their creator, click on the image and you will be taken to their Craft Juice listing.

Buy Frankie the sock frog from treachercreatures

A pretty turquoise bag charm from buttonsandbeadsgifts


A stunning glass spiral bracelet by NRjewellery

See you next week for more Craft Juice Tuesday!

Free Willy!

Now there's a blog title that is sure to attract unwanted spam attention! Anyway! I've made this card for the Tiddly Inks challenge which is:

Movie Magic: Create a card inspired by your favourite Summer Movie

So I've gone for Free Willy and I've used the freebie image posted on the Paper Craft Planet Group to celebrate 1,800 followers of the Tiddly Inks PCP Group! It's my first time playing along with Tiddly Inks and I have enjoyed myself!

I've coloured the image with my brand new Aqua Markers and have tried to go for a traditional watercolour look. I slightly over did it in places as I had a little 'bleed' but managed to cover it up with some Promarkers. Great product the Aqua Markers - just give them time to dry a little as the results can be quite different!

I've used a blue card blank and found some off-cuts of card in my stash - the printed one is part of a digi scrapbook kit from Alison Sloan called Spring Into Summer and the dark blue is a random bit of card. I've used ribbon from Fantastic Ribbons, added some gems from my stash and have faux stitched onto the card and image.

So there you go - Free Willy! I could have gone for Moby Dick, but that's just as bad title wise!

• Image: Tiddly Inks, coloured with Aqua Markers and Promarkers
• Printed Card: Spring Into Summer digi scrapbooking kit from Alison Sloan
• Ribbon: Fantastic Ribbons
• Everything else: My stash
  

Address Book

I've altered an existing address book which had a rather uninspiring cover which was certainly needed to be changed! I've coloured a Michelle Perkett image with Promarkers which I received as part of the Special 50/50 stamping group, which is being relaunched very soon and will include a blog hop - so check back with my blog for more details in the near future!

This book fits in with the current Michelle Perkett Studio challenge which is:

Anything Goes

I've covered the address book with a sheet of 12x12 paper which I don't know where it is from as its not named! I've layered the image onto corresponding coloured card and then added a satin ribbon underneath and a bow.

The lettering on the bottom has been cut with a Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set.

A bit of inking around the edges and the address book is complete! Apologies for the washed out photos, but the light was terrible this morning before I left - the colours in real life are quite vibrant!

• Image: Michelle Perkett Studio from the 50/50 Stamping Group, coloured with Promarkers
• Backing paper: Don't know
• Card & ribbon: From my stash
• Dies: Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet

Girly Tag

The current Forever Friends challenge is to make

Anything but a card and use a charm

So I've made a tag with a Forever Friends Elements ready made decoupaged bear, added one of the sentiments and the crown from the same pack.

The tag is a Sizzix die cut - super sized scallop tag which I've cut from linen effect white card and then glittered the edges with lilac glitter glue. I've tied an ivory organza bow to the top of the tag and then added a pink and white dots thinner organza ribbon bow and also tied the charm on this way.

Finally, added one of the gems from the Elements pack on top of the large bow. Such a sweet tag and I think I'll probably add it to a card!

• Dies: Sizzix super sized scallop tag
• Ribbon: Ivory organza from my stash, white and pink from Fantastic Ribbons
• Everything else: My stash
  

Big Yellow Monster

The Incy Wincy challenge this week is

Yellow

And I just could not resist colouring in this Dawn Moore image in bright yellow with Promarkers! I've also used a yellow card blank plus an offcut of blue with yellow dots card (Funky Daze from Funky Hand).

The dark blue aperture card was from a previous project and I've simply outlined the edges with a white gel pen. The buttons and twine are from my stash (don't look too carefully as I've tied it a little too tight!) The sentiment is computer generated.

A good card for either a boy or a girl!

• Image: Lost In Paper Scraps freebie coloured with Promarkers
• Backing paper: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities
• Everything else: My stash
  

Gardening Pocket

The Dotties World challenge this week is to use your:

Favourite Charmed Download

And I decided to use the Gardening George (he's not actually my very favourite as there are lots to choose from, but he comes in the top 5!) and to make a gift card.

I've used a sheet of 12x12 vellum by Papermania which I've folded to make two pockets - excuse the old train tickets but I didn't have anything else to put in - but at least you can see where the pockets are!

I've added brass eyelets and jute string for a more manly touch. The image was pre-coloured but I've added extra colour for the sky and then layered it onto colour co-ordinating card from my stash.

I think I might make more of these as they are pretty quick, and probably some Christmas themed ones too!

• Image: Charmed Cards and Crafts - Gardening George pre-coloured but with extra Promarker colour
• Vellum: Papermania
• Everything else: My stash
  

First Day At School

I could not resist making two almost identical cards for the Bugaboo Challenge which is

Back To School

And both cards will soon be on their way to their recipients, and funnily enough, the digi images look like them! I've coloured them with Promarkers and then layered onto plain card, the shapes cut with a Nesties set.


I've added a bit of doodling with black fine pen and a white gel pen and added ribbon from my stash. I've had a set of school related fancy buttons kicking around in my stash for ages (that long that the packet they were in has vanished!) I cut the backs off as they were buttons so they were a little more flat, added foam pads behind (and glue as I don't always trust the stickiness of the pads!) and then stuck it to the card.

Really quick and simple cards to make! Oh, and the sentiment is computer generated - I jiggled it about so it sat neatly under the image.

• Images: Bugaboo, coloured with Promarkers
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
  
• Card: All from stash
• Everything else: All from stash
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 33 - Vintage & Stamping

Welcome to another Polkadoodle challenge! This week the challenge is being set by Fliss, who, if you are a regular visitor to her blog, that she loves vintage! So that is her theme for the week:

Vintage

I've used two of the new Stamp Doodles - the shabby prim angel in a stocking and the bow with holly, both coloured with Promarkers and a titchy bit of glitter glue.

I've used papers from Not For Girls cd - printed them small (4 onto a sheet of A4) so that the grain pattern would not be lost, a bit of doodling around the edges and some buttons and the card is complete!

Hope you can join us this week - the deadline for entries (please only enter your Polkadoodle creation into a maximum of 10 challenges including Polkadoodle) is Sunday 29 August at 12noon GMT. Good luck!

• Backing papers: Not For Girls cd
• Images: Stamp Doodles, coloured with Promarkers
• Buttons: From my stash
  
  

Faux at Sixty

A great technique challenge over on Corrosive Challenges this week and it is to

Faux

I've used faux stitching around the letters on this wordbook. My Mum asked me to make a sixty card for a friend so I used the wordbook section on Funky Daze - just printed the letters I wanted and then printed a paper on the reverse, cut it all out and joined it together with eyelets.


All the ribbons, pins, beads, brads, gems and flowers are from my stash and I was lucky enough that they all matched!

• Wordbook template and papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Everything else: My stash
  

Baby Feet

A very simple sketch this week on Card Positioning Sketches which fitted perfectly with a new baby boy card that I needed to make:

I've used white linen effect 300gsm card to make the card blank, rounded the edges and then added a blue vellum petal envelope (Sizzix die used) with some little cute fimo baby feet that I made. The ribbon on the envelope when undone reveals the baby feet.

I've added silver and blue seed beads to complete the sketch and used a tiny silver bead heart that was in my stash. The card will be on it's way to the new Mummy in tomorrows post!

• Dies: Sizzix petals envelope (large red die)
• Embellishments: Fimo feet, made by me
• Everything else: My stash
  

A Make Do Round

I was sent some scalloped edged card blanks a while ago by Enfys, however I wanted a purple one to match the Lily Boo image I coloured. Why I don't find the papers / card first and then colour the images I will never know. And will never learn!

So, I've traced round an existing one so its a little wobbly in places. The Lily Boo Too challenge this month is

Anything Goes

The purple card is from my stash, along with the ribbon and the gems. I've gone around the edges of the scallops with a white gel pen to provide a contrast.

The image is Lily Boo from Circle Girls and I've coloured it with Promarkers plus a little glitter glue. And no sentiment as it would spoil the balance of the card!

• Card blank: Created using another blank
• Image: Lily Boo, coloured with Promarkers and glitter glue
• Everything else: My stash

Mighty Boosh Birthday

A fab sketch over on Sketch and Stash Challenge this fortnight, and get me - how quick off the mark am I?!!


I have been asked to make a Birthday card with a particular theme in mind - for a teenager who is a big fan of The Mighty Boosh. Okay. Fortunately, I had this digi image from Bugaboo which had not get graced the printer and card. I coloured it with Promarkers and then used foam pads to give it a bit of depth on the front of the card.

The black and white star backing paper is from Funky Hand's Salt and Pepper download which I really should use more as it is fantastic for teenager cards - quite grungy but nice!

And my research lead me to all the photos from The Mighty Boosh which I added as another layer behind the image. The sentiment is computer generated - I think the typeface is Chiller.

A bit of inking and doodling around the edges and the card is complete. Hope the recipient is suitably impressed!

• Backing paper: Salt and Pepper download from Funky Hand, Mighty Boosh wallpaper from a google search
• Image: Bugaboo, coloured with Promarkers
• Sentiment: Computer generated
  

Craft Juice Tuesday - Week 26

Welcome to another Craft Juice Tuesday! And this week features the work of one crafter - Adoruhbulcreations who makes stunning newborn baby attire! The photos are stunning also!

And its all to celebrate two little baby boys who have arrived to two of my friends - Blake and Harrison. I'll be off to cuddle Harrison at some point!

For more details about the items, please click on the picture and you'll be taken to their Craft Juice listing.

Hope it's not made you too broody! Ahhhhhhh - babies!!

See you next Tuesday for more Craft Juice Tuesday!

Yellow, Blue and Green

A fairly quick card as I'd already had the image coloured for a week or too - was when I had good intentions of using it and then ran out of time! It fitted quite well with the current Stampin' With The Dragon challenge which is to use the colours:

Yellow, Blue and Green

The image from Bugaboo has been coloured with Promarkers and is added with foam pads so it stands proud of the card. The blue backing paper comes from Funky Daze by Funky Hand.

I've added a Nestabilities die cut which I've dotted around the middle with a fine black pen. The stamp is from a freebie sheet of acrylic stamps from Papercraft Inspirations. I very nearly gave the sheet to one of the Mum's at swimming as her eldest daughter loves crafting, but glad I didn't as the sentiment was perfect for this card! After stamping it I coloured it with Promarkers and then added the card candy in the bottom corner.

• Image: Bugaboo, coloured with Promarkers
• Backing paper: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Sentiment: Freebie from Papercraft Inspirations
• Everything else: My stash
  

White Wedding

I followed this sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday for a Wedding card that I'd been asked to make:


The Wedding theme is black and silver so I stuck to a mainly silver theme. The image has been bought from here and is by Lee Jacobs - I've coloured it with Promarkers. I've embossed white vellum panels with the D'vine Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder and have added a wide organza ribbon which I've tied under the image.

The image has been lightly inked with my very faded black inkpad around the edges before layering onto some very shiny silver card! The flowers and gems are from my stash and I've dotted some liquid pearls in two of the corners.

On searching through all my cards I've realised that I've hardly any Wedding cards, so it looks like I'll be making more of an effort to make those in the near future!

• Image: Digi by Lee Jacobs, bought from CraftsUPrint, coloured with Promarkers
• Embossing: D'vine Swirls from Cuttlebug
• Everything else: My stash
  

Gift and Twine

A lovely simple sketch for Card Positioning Sketches challenge this week:

And I've used a Simple Doodles digi image which has been coloured with Promarkers. I've used Bazzill basics green backing paper and some other stuff that I bought from Harrogate in March last year that looks a bit like swiss dots. It probably has some fancy name but it escapes me at the moment!

I've added some chunky green brads and a blue one on the gift, a little bit of doodling around the edges of the layering and then added some garden twine.

Simple but manly card all the same!

• Image: Simple Doodles
• Everything else: My stash
  

Simple Doodles Challenge 24 - Celebrate!

It's time for another Simple Doodles challenge! Hope you enjoyed the 'Out of the Box' theme for the last challenge! Today and running for the next two weeks is the theme

Celebrate

I've used a Simple Doodles digi stamp which has been coloured with Promarkers and I've added a little gem to the top of the present stack.

All the papers are from Funky Daze from Funky Hand and were in my bits box so I've used left overs from previous projects. Should do that more often as the box is getting a little full! I've raised the image onto foam pads so it stands out a little more along with the sentiment (think it's an Anita's stamp)

And the lovely pink with white polka dots ribbon is from Fantastic Ribbons (check out their site if you like ribbon but don't blame me for any purchases!)

Good luck if you decide to join in with the challenge - you have until Thursday 26 August to enter!

• Image: Simple Doodles, coloured with Promarkers
• Papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Ribbon: Fantastic Ribbons
• Sentiment: Anita's stamp (I think)
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 32 - Acetate or Vellum

It's Friday again so time for another Polkadoodle challenge! This week Stacey has set the challenge (and I think she wishes she'd picked something else!) but I love using vellum so I had no problems with it!

So the challenge this week is to print onto either vellum or acetate in your creation. Deadline for the challenge is Sunday 22 August at 12noon GMT and please remember the maximum challenges is 10. Pop over to the challenge blog to log your entry and also to see the amazing Aquamarker competition too as there is still time to enter that!

I've made two cards this week for the challenge as they are only A6 in size and I'd printed enough papers and flowers to make two.

The backing papers and flowers are all from the Sugar Birdies cd. Papers have been printed at A5 size so I get a smaller pattern and too the vellum flowers which I've simply cut out, layered and ruffled the petals. I've added pink seed beads to the centres.

The sentiment has been handwritten with a Sharpie marker (I was too lazy to go looking for my stamps!) along with the doodled lines.

Hope you can join us this week!

• Backing papers and flowers: Sugar Birdies cd
• Everything else: My stash
  

Pink & Silver Wedding Album

And here is the finally finished Wedding Album that I'd been asked to make! The theme was pink and silver and I was given all the photos to add to the album so had to work around those to make it all fit.

I've used various ribbons, pins, charms and gems from my stash along with silver card and the printed pink card (3 different styles) is a freebie download from Tinker and Co.

So you can see why I've been a little quiet this last week! Normal service is expected to be resumed soon!