Fairy Wishes

This is a new challenge blog that I came across when blog hopping - Scrappy Frogs. This is their fifth challenge and it is:

This challenge will be fairies!! Yes, fairies! You can do any type of project as long as it has a fairy on it.

The papers and Milly image I won a few weeks ago from Tinker & Co and I'd printed them off but not really used them and they are so pretty and delicate and fitted this challenge perfectly! I've lightly inked the edges with my trusty faded black ink pad but the papers have a 'shabby' feel to them anyway. I've used some fancy scissors for the edging as I've not yet won the lottery so the Nesties will just have to wait that bit longer!

And look - there is even a little frog! The flower has been cut from scraps of the backing paper and I've used my trusty Cuttlebug die. Centre is a card candy brad which I have inked as the colour was a bit bright. Ribbon from my stash, and the sentiment tile was a freebie from a craft magazine a while ago.

I've actually followed an old Sketch Saturday layout for inspiration and its one that I didn't manage to complete at the time.

• Backing papers and Image: Tinker and Co exclusive download
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Sentiment: Freebie from a craft magazine
• Dies: Cuttlebug Flowers
  

Huge Ladybird!

I've had quite a productive weekend so managed some challenges! I do like simple uncluttered sketches, this one is from Tamara Sketches:

You'll have to excuse the size of the wobbly Lulu Ladybird in the centre - I'd not realised just how big she was until I'd done the colouring and tried to add her to the card! Ah well! Everything on the card (with exception to the ribbon) is from the very soon to be released Sugar Birdies cd.

The sentiment oval has been handwritten as it was blank, and I've cut a ladybird from the remains of the backing paper to hide the one which was upside down. More concentration needed when writing sentiments!

I've ripped the edges of the backing paper, inked with faded black and then red ink, and doodled a line around the edge. Lulu has been coloured with watercolour paints and pencils and I've made the antenna from wire and black card with a wobbly eye added! I recycled a big spring from one of my Birthday cards which I've attached to Lulu so she wobbles.

• All paper elements: Sugar Birdies cd
• Ribbon: From my stash
  
  
  

Beeston Castle in Action

As promised here are two little videos I took last Sunday at Beeston Castle. The Medieval battles took place in the afternoon and the participants were dressed in chain mail and proper helmets for it. You'll have to excuse any camera wobbling, but Samuel was leaning on me as he was tired! And if you can hear any talking - its Samuel asking me questions!

And sorry for any heads that cross the screen. They were attached to bodies!

All this fighting took place in a 27degree heat and the armour and battledress were very heavy. We watched, I think 6 of these fights - they use real swords and axes too!

In Search of The Yellow T-Shirt

Thursday morning was a little fraught. Samuel had come home from school to tell us that it was Sports Day on Friday morning and that he needed a yellow t-shirt for his house colours.

So on the way to nursery, Jacob and I popped into Asda for a yellow t-shirt. No chance. Dropped Jacob off at nursery then decided to try Sainsbury's. Yippeee!! They had a plain yellow one, but had to buy the corresponding yellow and brown stripy ones too, but all three were only a fiver, so not too bad!

So Friday morning came. I took the day off work so I could go and watch Samuel. Jacob is not at nursery on a Friday, so he came along too. Whilst we were waiting, Jacob did a few rolls down the hill at the side of us....

The school field is actually quite big and there were a lot of different events taking place, but some of them I couldn't get close to see, so here are the highlights!

Samuel actually did quite well in the three-legged race with his team mate! Much better than some of the older children!

And there was an agility jumping / balancing event too. It made me think of Allison and her doggies doing the see-saw and pole weave!

Then there was a standing long jump. Now I hadn't realised that I'd taken such a corking photo of Samuel mid flight until I got home and put them on the pc!

So there you have it. And I don't know which team won.

Soft Greens and Blues

It feels like ages since I took part in the Sketch and Stash challenges! This week is a lovely sketch and I found the perfect image in my stash to use!

The image was sent to me by my Funky Hand DT mate Kath. I've coloured it with watercolour paints and then watercolour pencils to add a bit of depth. All the papers are from Tinker & Co which I won a few weeks ago as part of the monthly challenge.

I've re-found my Martha Stewart punch and the ribbon I discovered in my stash and it matches perfectly! Edges have been lightly inked with a blue and then a very faded black inkpad.

The flowers have been cut using Cuttlebug flowers die and all the card candy is from Craftwork Cards. I was going to add a sentiment but can't really fit it anywhere, so it will just have to be as it is!

• Backing papers: Tinker & Co
• Image: Penny Black from Kath, coloured with watercolour paints and pencils
• Punch: Martha Stewart
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards
  
  

Getting Organised!

This is a new Sketch Challenge blog for me - Inspirational Card Sketches, and the sketch is:

As soon as I saw it, I knew what I wanted to do! I always try my best to be as organised as possible because if I'm not, something always happens that takes that precious allocated time away and I either end up on the very last minute or late. And I don't like that. Anyway. Planning ahead. Samuel will complete his first year at school in the Reception class at the end of July and I want to make his 4 teachers a thank you card. And this is what I came up with:

The spotty backing paper is from Funky Daze, the pearlescent deep blue card (can't really tell its pearlescent on this photo) is from SAMS Scrap Store in Blackburn, the sentiment is a Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet set, the apple is my own template and I've chalked it for effect, and the 'mini Samuel' is all Sizzix.

Edges have been inked and either dotted or doodled. One down, 3 to go!

• Printed backing paper: Funky Daze
• Dark blue backing: From SAMS Scrap Store
• Dies: Sizzix for 'mini me' and Cuttlebug Baby Face alphabet
• Apple: My own template
  
  

Polkadoodle Challenge #3 - Sketch

And here is the third Polkadoodle challenge! Again it is a sketch (I do like sketches!) The Design Team have come up with some wonderful interpretations of the sketch - mine is a bit more simplistic in its approach!

The Polly image, flowers and backing paper are all on the very soon to be released Sugar Birdies cd - click here to pre order your copy!

Polly was already pre coloured but I added some more with watercolour pencils and a bit of glitter.

The stitching is all faux as I'd just shortened two pairs of Samuel's school trousers and made them into shorts (the knees had big holes in!) and I didn't want to stitch through card as well! The edges have all been inked with a small blue inkpad.


The flowers were all cut from various backing sheets - I printed some of the sheets smaller than A4 to give more sizes, and I've added them to the card with 3d foam pads and again added glitter glue to the centres.

Pop over to the blog and enter the challenge! The top three entries from each week get a cute little blinkie to wear on their blog!

• All backing papers, image and embellishments: Sugar Birdies cd
  
  

Green Tiny Tiger

I was hoping to manage some more challenges this week, but something has gone wrong with the time! This is for Sketch Saturday challenge:

Samuel has a party to go to on Sunday morning (the best thing is that it is across the road at the Wacky Warehouse!) and his little friend is from his Tiny Tigers (little kiddies Karate) class. So I just had to make the Birthday Boy in a little Karate uniform!

He is now a green belt, hence the green theme! I've flipped the sketch round as I liked it better that way! The little person and his clothes are all Sizzix dies with the papers (with the exception of the green oval) are from the very soon to be released Sugar Birdies cd. The number 5 is a Sizzix Round-a-Bout alphabet die cut and the card candy is from Craftwork Cards.

A fairly quick and easy card to put together and it really should not have taken me all night to do, but I kept being distracted by The Apprentice!

• Backing papers: Sugar Birdies cd
• Dies: All Sizzix including Round-a-Bout alphabet set
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards
  
  
  

P is for Pearl

Back to doing challenges - yeah! The ABC challenge this week is:

P is for Pearls

This is based upon the cards I made for a recent swop and I thought they were elegant enough to be used for various occassions. Whilst I was on holiday, I learnt that a work colleague and friend had gone to live with the angels. Way too young and very tragic. So I made this card for her husband.

Although its a bit difficult to see, I've used a silver gel pen and dotted around the edge of the patterened card and also where it is layered. I've used some lovely thick cream felt card and printed from Patti Picklicious. The ribbon, pearl headed pin and seed beads are all from my stash.

• Backing paper: Patti Picklicious
• Ribbon: From my stash
• Pearl pin: From my stash
• Seed beads: From my stash

Beeston Castle

The weather this weekend has been glorious and we've spent virtually all of it outside! Saturday we went to a Birthday party. Casey, my cousins little girl was 5 and she had a little party at her Grandma and Grandad's to celebrate. She loved the cards - this one was from her Aunty Claire, this one from my Mum and Dad and we sent her this one.

On Sunday we went to Beeston Castle, just outside Chester as there was a Medieval Weekend event and the boys wanted to see some battles! We joined English Heritage a few months ago courtesy of Tesco Clubcard Vouchers!

We did the climb to the inner castle when we first arrived at 11am as it was already really hot and I didn't fancy attempting it when it was even hotter! This is one of the views from the outer castle wall.

And this is the inner castle wall. The walkway was really steep and the drop very deep! I didn't manage to get any photos from the very top as there were quite a few people around getting in the way!

As it was a Medieval Festival, there were loads of swords and kids chain mail outfits to buy. Both boys got a sword and a chain mail vest. Jacob was too hot though but enjoyed trying to chop trees down with the sword!

Lots of activities going on and Samuel wanted to try the longbow archery. He got a smaller version and had a go!

Can you see the arrows?! The man was really patient and very helpful with Samuel and he actually did much better than some of the adults we saw when waiting for our turn!

I took some videos of the big battle which took place later in the afternoon. So if Mr Blogger is playing, I'll try and add them later on!

A great day out, and I think we are going to go again late June as there is another event on too!