Tiddly Inks Treasure Hunt!

Welcome, welcome and welcome!! I am so honoured to be a Special Guest for the Tiddly Inks Treasure Hunt blog hop! Although I'm not part of the Tiddly Inks Design Team, I was so pleased and happy to be asked by Christy to join in as a Special Guest!

Each of the participants in the hop are showcasing new releases and I have a few to show you too! And don't worry - I won't be asking you to walk the plank!

Image: Bev, coloured with Promarkers

Papers: Craft The Year Away cd from Funky Hand

Dies: Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet

Ribbon: Tesco's 2009 Christmas ribbon

Image: Geekatude, coloured with Promarkers
Papers and embellishments: Not For Girls cd from Polkadoodles

Image: Minnie's Berry plus freebie berry, coloured with Promarkers and glossy accents
Papers: Craft The Year Away cd from Funky Hand
Ribbon: Tesco's 2009 Christmas ribbon

If you've arrived at my blog from Lysa then you are on the right track! If you've simply popped by and want to join in please start at the beginning which is HERE (makes it easier for picking up the letters!) The full list is only at the start so if you get lost, its probably because your digital treasure map has told you to turn left into a field.....!

I don't have a letter for you to collect, BUT! If you leave me a comment (and you know you want to!) you could win the blog candy in the picture below! I will post anywhere in the world so don't be shy!

And because Christy is just sooooo generous, I'm hosting an image that you can download for free! Just click the image below and you will be taken to the Tiddly Inks store where you can grab it! Now that is good pirate treasure!
After you've left me a comment you need to hop on - click the banner below for your next stop! Don't forget to leave us comments as you hop around and to collect the letters!

The hop will end at 12pm CST on 3 May (5pm UK time) so be quick! There are lots of prizes along the way plus a huge amount of Tiddly Ink inspiration to whet your appetite! Good luck!!

If you like what you see - Christy is a very talented artist, then join in with the weekly challenges - I do and I LOVE IT!!!! And you can be sure of a warm hearty welcome from the Tiddly Inkers! And you can use the image you've just downloaded too!

Party On!

I seem to be chasing my tail again this week - really shouldn't be as I'm in the middle of a second 4 day weekend - but still the time rushes past! This card is for the Dustin Pike Challenge which is:

Party In Colours

Inspiration has been taken from his blog header and I've used an image that I think was a freebie from quite some time ago. Coloured with Promarkers plus added some glitter glue, glossy accents and liquid pearls to lift it a little.

The sentiment is computer generated. This is quite a large card - 15cm square as I wanted the image to fill all the space. I've used some standard red shiny card from my stash and the gingham is from Craft The Year Away cd from Funky Hand. Some tiny dots around the edge of the image and sentiment, and my card is done!

• Image: Dustin Pike, coloured with Promarkers, glitter glue, liquid pearls and glossy accents
• Papers: Craft The Year Away cd from Funky Hand
• Sentiment: Computer generated
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 17 - Stashbox Stamps & Colour Theme

Welcome to another Polkadoodle Challenge! The last challenge of each month is a Stashbox Stamps challenge for the Design Team where we get to use any stamp from our stash and team it with the fab Polkadoodle papers and stash!

I've been very lucky recently and won a wonderful acrylic stamp from Rainbow Studios and I thought it would work well with the theme for this week:

Blue, Aqua and Purple

I've used the Rainbow Studios stamp, coloured it with Promarkers plus a little stickles on the wings (fairies do need sparkly wings!) plus liquid pearls on the flower centres, toadstools and gifts.
All the papers are from Sundae of Seasons and I had to improvise somewhat after I realised that Jacob had dripped tears onto the card base and splodged the colours - hence the strip of lilac across the bottom with the ribbon! In case you are wondering, Jacob was crying as I told him that he could not have more Easter eggs - it was 8am and he'd already had two plus his breakfast!

Good luck with the challenge - it is open until Sunday 8 May at 12noon GMT.

• Image: Rainbow Studios, coloured with Promarkers
• Papers: Sundae of Seasons
• Everything else: My stash

Pink and Chocolate Brown

A nice sweet card for the Forever Friends sketch challenge. I've used a Forever Friends image printed from the freebie cd I got a few months ago in Papercraft Inspirations magazine, cut it out with a nestie and then layered it onto papers from Huge Funky Love download from Funky Hand.

I've used some thin chocolate brown organza ribbon to empasis the stripes on the paper and tied them in bows at the bottom as I didn't have a suitable sentiment to hand when I made the card!

The flowers are from a pack from a bargain shop and they do stand up a little although it doesn't show on the photo. A bit of inking and the card is complete!

• Image: Forever Friends from a freebie craft cd


• Papers: Huge Funky Love download from Funky Hand


• Everything else: My stash

Dude Time Doodles - May New Release & Blog Hop!

Welcome to another Dude Time Doodles New Release and Blog Hop! As it is the last Wednesday of the month, the Design Team are let loose on the forthcoming new releases and we celebrate by offering a Blog Hop. Now one of the team will be the mystery hostess and by leaving a comment on each of our blogs, you stand a chance of winning a Dude Time Doodles image!

I've used Cactus Kirk on my card - just look how lonesome he is! I've used a Kraft card blank and then recycled part of a brown paper carrier bag from Primark along with some eyelets from my stash and jute string from the kitchen drawer.

A bit of random faux stitiching and a brad and my card is complete! Kirk has been coloured with Promarkers.

So if you've arrived at me from Ginny then you are on the right track, but there actually is no right way - just as long as you hop to us all and leave a comment, as you never know who could be the mystery hostess! From me you need to hop to the Dude Time Doodles challenge blog and then you are done!

Good luck! I'll be along once I get up to link directly - all the images you see on the blog hop will be in the Dude Time Doodles store very soon!

• Image: Cactus Kirk, coloured with Promarkers

• Brown paper: Primark
• Everything else: My stash

Another RSVP

Just about making the Fab 'n' Funky challenge deadline this week! The theme is

Here Comes The Bride

I did have an image almost coloured, but despite a 4 day weekend I seemed to have lost time and didn't get it finished! So whilst messing around with bits of card, ribbon and the faux diamante heart buckle, I came up with this card which is another RSVP for my cousin Jane's forthcoming Wedding.


I've used two of my Nesties to make the shapes, threaded the dark red sort of plum coloured ribbon (apologies for the bad picture!) through the buckle and then added it to the shapes. They have been attached to the card with foam pads as the ribbon was too bulky for it to lie flat.

I've dotted a silver line around the edge of the card and the Nestie shapes too. Two RSVP's done, one to go!

• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
• Everything else: My stash
  

Wedding RSVP

One of my cousins is getting married in September so I've have (so far) three RSVP's to make! And as they all need to be different, I've been looking for some inspiration! This is the first one I've made so far and it follows the Sweet Sketch Wednesday sketch.

The card blank is a lovely felt touch and I've used some off white pearlescent paper for the backing - cut with a Sizzix tag die (I've hidden the holes by layering or with the ribbon!)

The cake is a die cut and I bought a pack of them years ago and they are great for a last minute job! I've added seed beads and then layered it onto the card with 3d foam.

The ribbon is from my stash and matches the colour on the Wedding Invitations, the brad is also from my stash along with the tiny half pearls.

So that's one down, two to go - unless I get requests for any more! And then it will be making the Wedding Cards!

• Dies: Sizzix Oval Tags
• Everything else: My stash

Craft Juice Tuesday - Week 62

Welcome to another Craft Juice Tuesday! It's a cute week this time and features little amigurumi characters! For more details about each item, just click on the picture.

Wonderful pirate panda bear called Percy from Jarg0n

Cute little teddy bear from Glycosidic

What about some Ninja egg cosies? From SophieCat

See you next Tuesday for some more!

Canoe Safari

Just a couple of snaps from our Canoe Safari earlier today at Martin Mere! We are members and probably visit once a month and also go to Slimbridge en route to Watermouth Castle each year.
Martin Mere has just opened their Canoe Safari and for a fiver (for an hour) we got in a canoe after a safety briefing and buoyancy aids strapped tightly to us, and had a bit of fun paddling around. The boys had their oars taken off them soon after departure as it made our life a bit harder - I was at the front and Simon in charge of steering (into banks hehehe!)

I'm surprised this photo turned out as well as I dared not to turn around in the canoe for fear of capsizing!

And no ducklings were harmed in our travels, although it looks like we did run some over, we didn't - they moved a lot faster than we could!

So if you ever visit, its worth the fiver!!

This Old House

A great theme this week on Tiddly Inks:

Stitching

Now I really did think I'd do this with my little sewing machine, but I've had a tidy up and can't quite remember where I put it. So all that you see on this card is faux - I've used a fine black pen for the dots and then just joined them up.

The brown paper was a Primark carrier bag as I popped in yesterday (got a girly summer top for me, two pairs of shorts for Samuel and a fab bargain sweatshirt top / jacket for £2!) and I screwed it up, flattened it out and did the faux stitching bit.

I've added some jute twine from the kitchen drawer and a charm I found in my stash - not got a clue where it came from! Oh, and the image has been coloured with Promarkers and then added to the card with foam pads. Simple!

The weather is beautiful - we've had a trip to Martin Mere (went on the new canoe safari!) and then onto Southport but the boys are slowly working their way through all the Easter Eggs! Pictures from the canoe safari to follow later! And no, we didn't fall in!

• Image: Tiddly Inks, coloured with Promarkers
• Backing paper: Recycled carrier bag from Primark
• Everything else: My stash
  

For A Girl

The Forever Friends Challenge blog as a fortnightly challenge and also a monthly challenge, and this month the theme is:

Card For A Girl

I've made this card to go with the gift box I made for the last fortnightly challenge and again it uses an image from the freebie cd I got in a magazine a few months ago and I've made into a decoupage image by layering certain elements.

All the papers are from Funky Hand - Craft The Year Away cd and I've used Nesties for layering plus ribbon and an acrylic dummy from my stash.

A bit of inking and doodling a silver line around some of the layers and the card is complete!

• Image: Forever Friends, from a freebie cd, decoupaged
• Papers: Craft The Year Away from Funky Hand
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

Simply Create Challenge 42 - Metal

Welcome to another Simply Create challenge! This fortnight we are sponsored by the wonderful Dude Time Doodles! For more information on Dude Time Doodles and how to purchase their images, just click on the banner below. The Simply Create Design Team have generously been given some images to play with, and as I am also on the Dude Time Doodles Design Team, I've picked my own image to play with!

The Simply Create challenge theme is:

Metal

I've used MC Squared as my image and he's been coloured with Promarkers. I've used a silver card blank from my stash as my base and layered the image and sentiment onto black card and silver holographic card. The patterned strip is from the Salt and Pepper download from Funky Hand. Sentiment is from TLC.

The winning entry will receive a $10 gift certificate to spend at Dude Time Doodles - so you've got to be in it to win it! Good luck!

• Image: Dude Time Doodles, coloured with Promarkers
• Printed paper: Salt N Pepper download from Funky Hand
• Sentiment: TLC
• Everything else: My stash

Funky Freebie - Stripes!

Just a quick little post to show what I've made with the Funky Freebie over on Get Funky for this month! A challenge runs from the 15th of every month for a full month where there is a freebie download which matches the challenge theme. And this month (15 April to 14 May) the theme is:

Spots and Stripes

I've made these dinky note cards (9cm square so three from a sheet of A4) by printing the freebie download so that 9 fit on a sheet of A4. Used two Nesties for layering, added some gel pen dots around the frame of the white Nestie layer (photo just does not show it!) and finished with some gems from my stash.

Really quick and easy to make! So what are you waiting for - go and get the freebie download and enter the spots and stripes challenge!

And, to make it even easier for you to enter there is 25% off on the Funky Hand website over Easter!

• Paper: Get Funky Freebie
• Dies: Nestabilities
• Everything else: My stash

Polkadoodle Challenge 16 - Three Different Patterned Papers

Can it really be Friday again?! I actually thought it was Friday yesterday due to the glut of Bank Holiday's on the horizon! Anyway! As it IS Friday, its time for another Polkadoodle challenge!

This week the challenge is to:

Use Three Different Patterned Papers

Now I've slightly stretched this as the main paper is not really, strictly patterned but its actually more of a mottled design.... but I'm counting it as one of my three! All three papers are from the wonderful Candy Doodles cd which still remains one of my favourites from Polkadoodles.


I've stamped Nellienoo and then coloured in with Promarkers and because I have to make one of each when making baby cards (it seem more 'right' if you know what I mean!) I've done a blue and a pink colourway.

The ribbons, charms and jump rings are from my stash, along with the tiny half pearls. For more inspiration and how to enter, please visit the Polkadoodle challenge blog! Good luck - entries close on Sunday 1 May at 12noon GMT.

• All papers: Candy Doodles cd from Polkadoodles
• Image: Nellienoo stamp, coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash

Not The Usual Easter Bunny

I don't, as a rule make Easter cards. It tends to be pouches or something with chocolate in, so I've braved the world that is Easter cards and come up with this one for the Bugaboo challenge:

I was placed third in last weeks challenge (who-hoo!) and you literally could see steam coming off my fingers when on the way to the Bugaboo store!! I do like my Bugaboo images!

Anyhow. I've used a freebie backing paper from Bearly Mine Designs (first thing I found in my stash that looked chocolatey) along with a Bugaboo image which has been coloured with Promarkers and a little Stickles. Layered onto a random bit of red card and then pink and then added a simple chocolate brown ribbon.

I'm a bit whacked out - Jacob is not sleeping too well at night and its taking its toll on me. At least I have a 4 day weekend to look forward to, then just 3 days in work and then another 4 day weekend! I've told him that the Easter Bunny won't come if he keeps walking up. So he wakes up to ask me if the Easter Bunny knows that he's woken up...... Can't win!!

• Image: Bugaboo, coloured with Promarkers
• Paper: Bearly Mine Designs
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

Get Funky Challenge - Spots & Stripes

It's my turn as part of the Get Funky challenge to show off my creation and hopefully to provide some inspiration for you to enter our challenge!

The theme is

Spots and Stripes

And all you need to do is follow the theme and to use at least one Funky Hand product in your creation! We make it very easy for you as a freebie each month is offered on the Funky Hand website which fits, perfectly, that month's challenge! But be quick - the download is only available until 14 May when the challenge closes!

For my creation, I've made three windmills using Craft The Year Away papers - a spotty pattern on one side and stripes on the other. These are really easy to make as I used a template from Lakeland before they stopped selling crafty stuff.

I've used kebab sticks and the grosgrain ribbon and brads are from my stash, and as luck would have it, they were a perfect colour match with the green on the papers!

I tied the bow at the back to make it look pretty!

Hope you can join in with the challenge this month - it is open until 14 May when a new theme will be set on 15 May and you just need to follow the theme and use a Funky Hand product - easy! Good luck! For more details click here to go to the Challenge Blog!

• Papers: Craft The Year Away
• Windmill template: Lakeland
• Everything else: My stash

Dude Time Doodles Challenge 12 - Colour Inspiration

Welcome to another Dude Time Doodles Challenge! As it is the third Wednesday of the month, the challenge is a colour inspiration theme.

I've used Driftin' Denton, coloured him with Promarkers and added a fish charm with silver craft wire to the end of his fishing rod - he should be more alert as to what he is catching! The sentiment is computer generated and I've used papers from my huge box from Costco - MemoryStor. A little bit of faux stitching and some inking and the card is complete!

Here is the colour inspiration board - take from it what you want to make your male creation! For more details on the challenge click HERE to go to the challenge blog!

Good luck with your entry!

• Image: Driftin' Denton, coloured with Promarkers
• Papers: MemoryStor
• Everything else: My stash

Birthday Blog Candy Winner!

Finally (I forgot to print all the comments off!) I've drawn the winner of my Birthday Blog Candy and it is:

Tracy!

Well done! Please email me with your postal details and I'll get something off in the post to you! Thank you to the random picker that is Jacob (ready for bed in his jim-jams earlier this evening!) Please contact me before 19 May 2011.

Guilt Free Birthday Cake!

I just can't stop using this wonderful cupcake from the Polkadoodle cd Paper Boutique Vol 3 and out of the two colour combinations, I think this is my favourite!

I've made it as one of my friends has her Birthday next week, and this is the first time I've used the candle on the cake too! I've used the A5 pre coloured version, cut everything out and layered it up with foam pads. Then lashings of glitter glue and glossy accents on the chocolate stars!

It fits the CD Sunday challenge which is:

Birthday

They are celebrating their Birthday!! Happy Birthday!



I've dotted a silver line around the star sentiment and glitter glue has also been added - more sparkle than you can shake a stick at! The ribbon is from my stash and it holds the card together.

• All paperbased items: Polkadoodle, Paper Boutique Vol 3
• Everything else: My stash
  

Lemons and Chocolate

When I saw the challenge on Sweet Stampin and that it was:

Chocolate

I knew that I'd just have to use this digi sentiment from TLC. I've used my nesties for the shaping plus some lovely thick chocolate brown card from The Papermill Shop and the yellow is actually funky foam as all the yellow card I had was a bit too yellow and bright.

I've made these for two virtual friends who are going through a bit of a tough time at the moment so these will be in the post fairly soon!

Ribbon (satin chocolate brown and brown grosgrain) from my stash along with the half pearls. I've used glossy accents on the word chocolate and I've dotted a line around the sentiment aperture and the edge of the card - you just can't see it in the photo! Kraft card base to finish!

And now the cards are side by side, you can see that I didn't line the ribbon up too well!!

• Sentiment: TLC
• Dies: Nesties
• Brown Card: The Papermill Shop
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

Craft Juice Tuesday - Week 61

Welcome to another Craft Juice Tuesday! This week is all about knitted hats - the wackier the better if you ask me! For more information on each item, just click on the picture and it will take you directly to Craft Juice.

Just look at this! A baby Nemo hat from KnitNutBy JL

If your head is too big for Nemo, what about this one? Also from KnitNutby JL

A wonderful bunny hat from mysparetimedesigns

See you next Tuesday for more!

Just Like Mummy!

I found myself a new challenge site whilst blog hopping! It is Crafty Sentiments, and the current challenge is:

Bookmarks

Jacob has rifled through my box of die cuts and also printed digi images to see what he can use himself as he's quite into making cards and generally making things. I'd been asked ages ago to make some Hello Kitty bookmarks and I had some die cuts so thought I'd get my act together and enter my bookmark for the challenge.
Paper is from my stash and I've shaped the edges and doodled a pink line around. Added some thin satin white ribbon through the eyelets and tied the top and bottom into a bow and added a silver Hello Kitty charm. Jacob also decided that he wanted to make some bookmarks and here they are! He's used two Dustin Pike images and coloured them with pencil crayons then I've also laminated them for him and cut them out.

I think he's done a pretty good job - not bad for a tired 5 year old!! He was really pleased with them when I showed him that I'd laminated them when he went to bed last night.

• Images: Dustin Pike, Hello Kitty die cut
• Papers: From my stash
• Everything else: My stash

Dino Sore

I'd been asked to make, at short notice, a card for one of my cousins to-be-nephews who has broken both wrists on the first day of his Easter school holidays! Eeekkkk! So in need of a sketch that would fit the image (Dustin Pike, coloured with Promarkers) I found the current Sweet Sketch Wednesday, and because I'd not managed a challenge for a while, I thought it a great way of combining the need for the card and the challenge!


All the papers are from Funky Hand - Spookie Dookie Halloween download (see how I'm trying to use up ALL the bits in my bits box?!) and I've simply inked the edges with black ink and doodled a fine black line around them too. String is from my stash.

So hope the poor lad likes his card and gets better soon!

• Image: Dustin Pike, coloured with Promarkers
• Papers: Spookie Dookie download from Funky Hand
• String: My stash
  

Wobbly Football

I've made this card for the current Dustin Pike's challenge which is:

It's A Party - Birthday Cards

So here is one with an image that I've had lying around for ages which has just been begging to be coloured! So it has, with Promarkers and I've added the die cut football via a strip of acetate so it boings over the real one underneath. I had to use some blu-tac during the photo as the camera kept focusing on the boinging football!

I've stamped the sentiment and layered it and the image with black and turquoise card from my stash. The blue stripy one is from my box of bits and I think its from Kirsty Wiseman - Patti Picklicious cd. I've doodled a faux stitched line around the edges of the card and then added the card candy. It actually took me the best part of an hour to decide where to put everything on this card. Don't know why - it just did!

• Image: Dustin Pike, coloured with Promarkers
• Backing paper: Kirsty Wiseman, Patti Picklicious cd
• Sentiment: Stamped from my stash
• Everything else: My stash
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 15 - For A Wedding

Welcome to another Polkadoodle challenge! This week is nice and easy:

Something For A Wedding

I've used the A5 pre coloured template from Paper Boutique Vol 1 as I do like this little church! I've cut the elements out and layered them up with foam pads then simply added some pale lilac glitter glue around all the windows and the scalloped bits!

Really easy and quick to make but such a lovely card too! Hope you can join in with us - the deadline for entries is Sunday 24 April at 12noon GMT. Good luck!

• All elements: Paper Boutique Vol 1

Baby Pink

I'm really taken with the Forever Friends images on the freebie cd I got with a magazine a month or so ago and although this particular image is not meant as a decoupage, I printed it out three times and then layered up different elements of it. This gift bag is for the Forever Friends challenge which is:

Anything But A Card

I've drawn round an old Easter treat box from Thorntons (about 5 years old judging by the best before date!) onto paper from Craft The Year Away cd from Funky Hand. I've inked the edges after scoring them.

The fancy scallops at the bottom of the box use up some scraps from a previous project and I've used a Martha Stewart punch for it. Then added some thin white satin ribbon for detail.

The reverse of the gift bag is more or less the same.

And to close the bag I've used a strip of wide white organza ribbon. I'm in the process of making a matching card, so watch out for that early next week!

• All papers: Craft The Year Away from Funky Hand
• Image: Forever Friends from a freebie craft cd decoupaged
• Everything else: My stash