Tuesday, 7 September 2010

Craft Juice Tuesday - Week 29

Well, its been back to school for my eldest this week, with Jacob preparing to start next week, so I thought I'd do my weekly Craft Juice Tuesday post all school related.

If you want more information on each item, just click the picture and you will be taken to their Craft Juice listing.

First up is this wonderful tote from BaggieAggie

Cute felt name badges from SilverBirchCrafts

And we all need pencil cases! Made by Dorothywyn

See you next Tuesday for more Craft Juice Tuesday!

Monday, 6 September 2010

Wanna Hop Along?!

Who loves Blog Hops?! There is a new one that will run each month and is called



If you've come from Laura's blog then you're at the right place! If not, continue to read and then click on the first name on the list to start hopping!

It's really easy to take part, simply start at the beginning and hop along to each of the blogs listed collecting a letter as you go along. The hop starts on the first Monday of each month and you have until the 25th of the month to enter.

Collect a letter from each member of the Blog Hop team, leave a comment on their blog hop post and move onto the next blog in the list. When you've got to the end all the letters will spell out either a word or phrase and you may not even have to unjumble them! Then leave a comment with the answer on the Digi Blog Hop Blog

So, what could you win?! If the random number generator picks you, then you can win all of the images used in the months hop (see each of the Design Team blogs for all the images) along with the Resident Designers bundle of images and the monthly sponsors image! So quite a few!!

As part of the Design Team for the Digi Blog Hop I've used an image from Torgailla which I've coloured with Promarkers. I've added ribbon, a hat pin and beads plus card candy in the centre of the bow.


I've also used the Michelle Perkett image which I used to alter an uninspiring address book.

You could win both images but only if you join in on the blog hop! The letter that you are looking for from me is

D
The order for the hop is as follows:

Me (Tip Top) - you are here!

Good luck! And don't forget to leave us a comment on our blogs as you stop by and then leave your answer on the Digi Hop Blog! You have until 25 September to join in the fun!

Birthday Boy!

Happy 5th Birthday Jacob!
And yes, you are as mad as a box of frogs!

Sunday, 5 September 2010

Turning Autumn

I've used another freebie image from Sassy Cheryl for this weeks challenge which is:

Autumn / Halloween

I've decided to use autumn colours as although I enjoy making Halloween cards and things, I never know what to do with them as its not really something that is celebrated that much in the UK. Well, not like in the USA!

I've used papers from Funky Hand - the spotty one is from Colour Me Happy and the others from Now That's Funky.

The image has been coloured with Promarkers and for once I've managed to co-ordinate colours with the papers even though I'd not worked out which papers I was going to use...... All papers have been taken from my bits box which is sort of going down nicely but not quick enough to be honest! I'll have to start using the cardstock background more and then simply adding titchy bits of printed card as accents.... Will see if that one works!

The sentiment stamp is from Papermania and even though it looks like I wasn't concentrating enough it really does stamp darker on the wishes word - I stamped it 8 times and each time it did the same. Or maybe I'm a bad consistent stamper!

  • Image: Sassy Cheryl freebie, coloured with Promarkers
  • Papers: Now That's Funky and Colour Me Happy from Funky Hand
  • Sentiment: Papermania

I'd Like a House Like This!

Who wouldn't want a cute little house like this?! The Tiddly Inks challenge at the moment is:

Goodbye To Summer

So I've used a Tiddly Inks image (a freebie from a few weeks ago) and have used rustic reds and oranges for the colours. Coloured with Promarkers with the sky being an old but trusty little ink pad that I have dabbed here and there.

All the papers are from Funky Hand in one form or another. The dotty one is from Colour Me Happy and the others from Now That's Funky. The red card that the image is layered on is from my stash.

A bit of inking and some edge doodling plus the addition of some card candy and it's complete! To be honest, the only reason why I'd like a house like this is because it doesn't look like it needs a lot of cleaning with just the one window! But where would I put my crafty stash?!

  • Image: Tiddly Inks freebie coloured with Promarkers
  • Papers: Now That's Funky and Colour Me Happy from Funky Hand
  • Everything else: My stash

Saturday, 4 September 2010

Summer is Still Here!

The Michelle Perkett challenge this week is:

Hang Onto Summer!

I've used the freebie image I got as part of the 50/50 Stamping Group, and coloured it with Promarkers. The sentiment was part of the image which makes life a lot easier!

I've layered the image onto papers from Funky Daze that I found in my off-cuts stash box as it seems to be a little full and needs using up before I either print more or cut into full sheets!

The green organza ribbon is from my stash as is the blue thin grosgrain.

I'm taking part in a blog hop, well, you need to visit my blog to get a letter on Monday 6 September in the afternoon. There are some great prizes of digital stamps on offer for the randomly picked winner, so hope to see you along the way!

  • Backing papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
  • Image: Michelle Perkett Studio, coloured with Promarkers
  • Everything else: My stash

Friday, 3 September 2010

Dog Days of Summer

I'm attempting to be organised with Birthday and such like, however the best laid plans never seem to work out, however with the Bugaboo challenge which is:

Dog Days of Summer, plus neutral palette plus 1 colour

I decided to make a Birthday card for a little boy who will be 5 at the end of September.

The image is from Bugaboo and I've coloured it with Promarkers. The blue papers are Bo Bunny and the patterned paper is from The Big One by Clare Curd.

I've used embroidery thread for balloon strings and the number 5 has been cut with my Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet die. A fairly quick card to make in a hurry! Now all I have to do is remember to send it!

  • Image: Bugaboo, coloured with Promarkers
  • Papers: Main - Clare Curd, the Big One. Blue - Bo Bunny
  • Dies: Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set
  • Everything else: My stash

Polkadoodle Challenge 35 - Shaped Card

It's Friday again and time for another Polkadoodle challenge! I'm hosting the challenge this week and have gone with a Shaped Card theme, so I want to see shaped cards - no squares, rectangles or circles this week! If you decide to enter, you have until Sunday 12 September at 12noon GMT and add your entry to the challenge blog - remember, you can only use your Polkadoodle creation with 9 other challenges.

I've used the Hugo Pandapaws template to make my card - and its a BIG card too! I've used hammered cream card for the base and then some brown card for the extras.

I've inked the edges and little features and used a white gel pen for highlights. Added some large wobbly eyes and he's completed! To make it more stable, I stuck him to a sheet of A4 card and cut round - so he just about fits onto a sheet of A4 to give you an idea of size!

A great template that can be adapted for babies!

Hope you can join in the challenge this week!

Thursday, 2 September 2010

End of An Era

Well, that's it! Jacob has officially left nursery as he starts school the week after next, and it was our last day of 6 and a half years......

We had a pirate themed party to celebrate and here is a pic of the boys (Samuel was invited too) with his key worker Nazia, Kim and Jacob's most favourite friend, Sarah. Danielle sneaked on too to do the rabbit ears on Sarah.

So, six and a half years later, two children through nursery and we've worked out that we've spent around £42K on fees, which works out at an average of £6.5K a year........ Just think what we could have done with the money!

But we are richer for the experience, friendships and laughter, which there has been an awful lot of!

And I'm old enough to be Nazia's, Sarah's and Danielle's Mum!! How old do I feel?!!

Wednesday, 1 September 2010

Get Funky Challenge 13 - Funky Flower Festival

It's the first of September (where did the year go?!) and time for another Get Funky challenge! The challenge this month has been set by the very talented Kathy who is asking for

A Funky Flower Festival

If you are short of inspiration, please pop over to the Challenge blog and see what the rest of the Design Team have created - some stunners!

I've used papers from Funky Daze, cut out different sized circles, snipped petals into the edges, curled the edges and then layered them up onto kebab sticks. I've made one full flower from a sheet of A4 paper so its quite economical!

I've added a wooden bead underneath each flower and also on the top.

Each flower is made up of 7 layers - 2 large circles, then 2 smaller, then 2 smaller still and finally a single smallest one on the top of the flower.

Don't forget to follow the set challenge, to use a Funky Hand product and to enter your creation by 30 September to be in with a chance of winning a £20 voucher to spend on Funky Hand products. Good luck!
  • Papers: Funky Daze
  • Everything else: My stash