Bird, Birds & More Birds!

The DCM dare this week has been set by Rein and is:

Bird, Birds and More Birds

I love birds so I'd like you all to make a card featuring birds this week
......a bird in the snow, a birds nest, a carrier pigeon, a white stork or birds in the sky, or...,or... even big bird!

I loved the Dottie images from last weeks challenge which as part of the DCM Design Team for November I got to play with. So how could I not resit using Dottie dressed up as a hen?! I printed three of the pre-coloured images (time has not been good for me this week - more about that in a later post), mounted them onto a Swiss Dots embossed tag with 3d foam pads and used some lovely red organza ribbon to finish it off. And the sentiment has been stamped with a Studio G mini wooden alphabet set with an added gem.

So go and have a look at what the rest of the DT came up with - I love Jozza's button flowers!

• Images: Dottie & George downloads
• Embossing: Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder
• Sentiment: Studio G mini wooden alphabet stamp set
• Ribbon: From my stash

Tell All Tuesday

And this week I've done it on the correct day!


The question on JB*JB's blog for this week is:

Were you named after anybody?

Nope! Although my Mum wanted to call me Lucy at first so I remained the Baby With No Name for around 10 days until she decided on Ruth.

I decided on the names for both my boys although Simon likes to think he picked Samuel's name (we watched the 51st State with Samuel L Jackson in when I was very close to producing the child and he liked the name Samuel) as I decided as soon as we knew it was a boy that it would be Samuel. And Jacob I picked too as I liked it.

Both boys have 2 middle names which use family names for those who have died. Bit morbid, but I liked the names anyway!

Featured on ....

... Crafting in Color!! Whooo-hooo! Have a look here to understand what I am going on about!




Thank you to Tizzalicious for the feature (and to Lynsey for offering my services!)

Kids & Their Social Lives

September was a busy month for birthdays, and it appears that November is following a very similar pattern! It's not that I don't have a social life, (well, I don't really, just very now and again as most of it is a virtual one) but the boys seem to be more popular than me!

Saturday morning was swimming lessons for Samuel, back home by 10:20. Quickly pick up Jacob and present and off to Anya's Birthday Party (I can't quite believe that Lynsey took a photo of Jacob not pulling a cheesy grin!) I was organised for this one as I made the card last month.

Then it was back home for a quick sit down and for me to complete the next Birthday card. I'd asked Samuel what L liked and he said 'Star Wars'. So we bought him Star Wars - The Clone Wars stuff and I made this card:

It is supposed to be Anekin Skywalker but the colours in the sticker book were a bit suspect so I think my colours may be a little wrong..

So then back out for another party (just Samuel this time) at 2:30. Needless to say that both boys were shattered by the end of the day! Jacob actually fell asleep on the settee clutching the contents of his party bag!

Although I did a lot of running around on Saturday, the day was not a complete crafting waste as I managed to do a bit of retail craft therapy at the Craft Range in Burnley where I managed to loose an hour and £25! Bought some fab stamps for boy cards which were in the reduced to clear section.

And the other Birthdays in November: Kath, Allison, Enfys, Anice and 3 family birthdays too.... no rest for the wicked!

Happy Birthday Kath!

It was Kath's Very Special Birthday yesterday - the big 60! And, well, for such an occasion a lot of ribbon is called for and a card to fit it all on! So I made her this (be warned a bit picture heavy!):

All the writing is done by my own fair hand (my handwriting isn't quite like that but I've tried to do it in a doodly way)

And bits of glitter have been added here and there! Photos are from Kath's recent Fiskars demo which I snaffled from her blog!

You'll have to excuse the hand for a prop but the card wouldn't lie flat for me to take a photo! And for those who have young children - from which programme does the above quote come from?!

And at the Fiskars demo extravaganza, it was noted that Kath wore slippers (which fell apart) so I imagined them to be fluffy bunny ones.....

A little bit of glitter in her hair and on her nose....

And her crafting Buddy!

Sorry he looks a bit cross-eyed on this photo, just unfortunate how the eyes had settled!

And the last tag comes out of the pocket

To say which papers I have used!

A very Happy Birthday Kath!!

• Backing papers: Pink Collection from It's Funky Too from Funky Hand
• Dies: All Sizzix
• Punches: Martha Stewart dotty one
• Foam flowers: Made by me
• Ribbon: All from my stash and Blackburn market
• Other Bits: Heart paperclips from Paperchase, gems and brads from my stash

Good News & Lovely Bubbles & Sparkle!

Firstly some good news - I am the Guest Designer for November over on Daring Card Makers! It took me about a second to consider the offer before I accepted!! Therefore I join in with the all the dares along with the Design Team.

This week is a sponsored dare from Louise Brigden the designer of Dottie and George so as part of the Design Team, I got to play with a sample of images featuring Dottie and George. Now you can imagine my delight when I found that some of the images are already pre coloured!

For the Sparkle and Bling challenge I've used the Dottie in the bath image (pre coloured) and added some glitter here and there and the bubbles are tiny seed beads in pink and silver.

The backing paper is from It's Funky Too by Funky Hand which has been inked in pink. I've mounted the image onto translucent vellum and rounded the edges with a corner punch. The vellum has been secured with 4 daisy brads and the ribbon is from my stash.

One of the good things about these images (apart from some being pre coloured!) are that you can print them as large or as small as you like. Or as many as you like! So you may well be seeing more of these images as they are fab! Have a look on the DCM blog for the Design Team cards - George as Elvis is fantastic!

• Backing paper: It's Funky Too and translucent vellum
• Image: Dottie (pre coloured) download from Charmed Cards and Crafts
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Other Bits: From my stash
  
  

Tell All Tuesday (on a Wednesday!)

Ok, I know it is Wednesday, but forgot to do this yesterday (and last week), so here are two together. And if you are wondering what I am talking about, click here - all will be revealed!

Last weeks question was:

What embarrassing things have your children said and to whom have they said them?

Probably loads, but the ones that I have remembered are toilet related. One or both boys need a wee when in a public place so we find toilets. They have a wee and then its my turn, when one of them will say in a LOUD voice "are you having a poo mummy? No? Why are you sitting down then?" There is only so long you can linger in a cubical without it looking like you were really doing a number 2......

This weeks question is:

When were you last disappointed?

About 2 weeks ago when I bought a Marks & Sparks sandwich and it was all soggy around the edges. Grrrr.

I promise to answer the questions on the correct day from now on!

A Little Bit of Fame!

My blue denim flower card was featured on Sketches by Tamara Inspiration! Click here to have a look at my moment of fame - I did try doing a screen shot thingy but, well, the momentum was very lost in the size of it!!

A Christmas Snowflake!!

Although this post is a little close to the deadline, I did actually make it earlier in the week, just not managed to take a photo of it in daylight! Anyway, the challenge this week over on Funky Fairy is the following sketch (and I do like sketches!)


I inadvertently flipped the sketch (only because I embossed the wrong side and I'd already cut the shape!) The backing paper is from, I think, the free download number 1 from the Inspirations Blog. The vellum part circle has been embossed with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder and inked with black. The snowflake is foam and from a pack of 30 from Hobbycraft (it was half price!) Bugle and seed beads from my stash and ribbon too.

The sentiment has been stamped in blue ink and is a Studio G clear bargain pack.

I quite like this card and it all sort of happened!

• Backing paper: Funky Fairy free download
• Snowflake: From Hobbycraft
• Embossing: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots
• Sentiment: Studio G clear stamp bargain pack
• Others: All from my stash
  
  
  

Birthday Cards for a 16 Year Old!

Two Birthday cards commissioned by Lisa for her son who is 16 today! He plays the bass guitar and also likes Queen hence the cards!

The guitar is from my own template, but influenced by Jo Kill in a recent Papercraft Inspirations magazine. The backing paper is Funky Hand from Its Funky Too cd - is funny how I've never really noticed this colourway before, but when searching for a particular background its amazing what I find on the cds!! The stars are brads and I've threaded some brown ribbon through. Sentiment is handwritten and attached with a funky brad.

The Freddie Mercury little person is available to buy from my website and I made the rest of the band specifically for the card. All the album covers have been added as the background and then laminated, however one album is missing - prize if you guess which one!

Happy Birthday Conner!

• Backing paper: It's Funky Too by Funky Hand (Guitar)
• Dies: Various Sizzix
• Brads: From my stash
• Sentiment: Handwritten