Oh Boy

It's a while since I've done a boy baby card so when I won some Pink Gem images, I headed for the baby section & picked up this little beauty! It comes both black and white & coloured, & I went with the coloured option to speed me on my way.

Papers are craft companion & the rest of the bits were off my somewhat messy desk!

Challenges:
Sketch n Stash - The latest, & another beauty.
Pink Gem - Teddies
Totally Gorgeous - Baby Baby
Crafty Calendar - Teddy Bears on Parade
Crafty Catz - Ribbons & bows

50 Shades

I hadn't heard about these books till the beginning of the summer, when my neighbour asked about them and what all the fuss was. My son's however put me in the picture and said it was all over facebook. So, to see what all the fuss was about, I had to download them to my Kindle. I've read the first two and am now on the third. A good holiday read would probably be my best description, not a huge story, but then it relies on descriptive bits to hold your interest!

Today's card features Anastasia, the main character of the story & Christian's grey tie, I'll say no more...

Challenges;
Sketch Saturday - A nice simple one although it took me an age to sew the ribbon in pleats!
Addicted to Stamps - Recycling - the Grey gauze stuff is actually off a bouquet of Tesco's Finest flowers - didn't photo the flowers though so you'll have to go in store to check I'm not lying!
Crafting For All Seasons - Stitching
Card Crafters Circle - Use fabric
Sentimental Sunday - Sewing

Tilda Anniversary

Gosh, it's ages since I've done a Tilda card, but a friend asked me for an anniversary card in blues with a little boy and girl on it and this was the result of my production!

The papers are all Craft Companion, accompanied by kraft and the colouring done by Promarkers.

Challenges;
Sketch n Stash - A lovely one to work with this time.
My Mum's Craft Shop - Weddings or Anniversaries
Di's Digi's - Weddings, Anniversaries or Engagements

Summer Sun?

That's the question isn't it! Where has it gone? It was ok first thing this morning, I even managed a run before 9 and stayed dry, but since then, the heavens have opened and it's been chucking it down.

On a summer note however I made this card, and hopefully before the season is out, we'll have a few more warm days - fingers crossed.

Challenges;
Fab n Funky - Leaves somewhere - on the flower plant
Secret Crafter - WoW
Charisma Cards - Lace
7 Kids College Fund - Flower Power
Crafty Sentiments - Flowers
LCI - Summer Fun

Meow

For ages I have admired this stamp & wished I had it, so when the Glitter Pot had their last free p&p offer, I resisted no more!

Colouring by Promarker & papers Basic Grey + kraft.

Challenges;
PB@Allsorts- Wags & whiskers
Fetch A Sketch - Lovely simple one.
In The Pink - Lots of pink + wings - I'm ok on the pink score, but not sure about the wings, do the tiny butterflies count?
A gem of a Challenge - Animals or teddies
Basic Grey - Anything goes
Craft Your Days Away - Anything goes
Great Impressions - Animals Jx

Hi There Cowboy

Sadly today, the school holidays ended and Colin went back to school - alone. Alan is still in bed as he doesn't start Uni till another month. With Spring exam leave and then the 7 weeks holiday, it seems as if the boys have been at home for ever. They have been off for ages and it's been great having them around, (most of the time!), guess I'll have to get used to playing alone again - card production may even rise!

Onto today's card, this is one of my newer Bugaboo stamps which I picked in a prize lately. I teamed her up with a paper sheet I got a while back in an end of line sale, added some ribbon and kraft & that's about it.

Challenges;
Sunday Sketch & Stamp - Lovely sketch this time, think I'll use it again.
Crafts & Me - Autumn colours.

Right, enough blogging for now. The sun is out & the grass needs cut, so I guess I'll not be making a card this morning! Jx

Paper Pieced Melody

This week it's my turn to host the Oldie But Goodie Challenge and for my theme, I've chosen one of my favourite techniques;

Paper Piecing.

The sponsor this time is the fabulous Squidgi Digi, and did you know that its run by Beth, our very own Lisa's daughter - talented family or what!

The prize this time is 5 free digi's of your choice from the Squigi Digi site.

For my card, I used a lovely old rubber stamp called Melody, available from Crafts & Me. My papers are MME Six by Six, and both the dress and hat are in paper.

So that's what I did this time, now it's over to you. For further inspiration why not check out the rest of the DT work over on the main blog. Jx

Challenges;
Card Crafters Circle - Earthy Tones
Crafts & Me - Lace
Stamptacular Sunday - Card with a girl on it
Papertake - Spots & Stripes

I Wander Lonely As A Cloud

Guess what?

I made the cloud background & I'm so chuffed with it! I saw a tutorial on some ones blog & thought, I want to do that. Trouble is, I can't remember who's blog it was, so if it was you, please say as the credit is all yours & the tut was fab.

So, backing done, it was to be a beach card to enter into all the beachy challenges, but you know, it didn't work, so in a change of plan, Mr Balloon appeared!

Challenges;
Stampalot - Take Flight
Colour Me Creative - Create A Background - Clouds with sponge & distress inks

Olga Korbut

- Who all remembers her then?

I do and I can remember watching her perform her gymnastics & thinking ...I wish I could do that!

With her in mind and the Olympics and Beth Tweedle, what better time to make a card showing a gymnast. And what a fantastic stamp I found over on Digi Stamp Boutique.

Challenges;
Digi Stamp Boutique - Using the current £1 Offer stamp
Allsorts - Circles
Willow Sketchie Designs - Paulines sketch - how could anyone refuse her request for entries!
Papertake - Anything Goes
Crafts & Me - Use A Digi
Divas By Design - For A Female
Wags & Whiskers - Birthdays
CYDA - Olympic Dreams
Crafty Cardmakers - Olympics
Chocolate Coffee & Cards - Emboss - Circles

Sugar & Spice...

... and all things nice!

I've had this Bugaboo sentiment stamp for a while, it came in black and I always wanted it in pink, so good old Colin attended to that for me - thanks Col!

So once the computer "jiggery-pockery" was done, all I had to do was make the card, with the use of Spellbinder dies, ribbon, lace & pearls, then ta-da... another quick make! Jx

Challenges;
Fetch-a-Sketch - Lovely sketch - 2nd entry
Creative Craft - Just A Sentiment
Art Impressions - Any Sentiment
Aud Sentiments - Use a sentiment to welcome a baby
In The Pink - 50 shades of pink
Card Crafters Circle - Oh Baby

Do All Things With Love

This card is made using a lovely Bugaboo Image & all I did was add the gems - perfect for a quick make for a last minute card. Jx

Challenges;
Kraftin Kimmie - No People Allowed
Krafty Hands - Bling It Up
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
Stampin For The Weekend - Monochromatic
Crafty Sentiments - Clean & Simple
Shopping Our Stash - Monochromatic
Lexi's Creations - Sparkle & Shine

Gone Fishin

I so need to get back into making cards, my card box now is almost empty, so this week there will hopefully be a flurry of activity!

Today's card however is not for the box, it's for a neighbour who enjoys fishing.  He also has a sense of humour so hopefully he'll like the image & googly eyes!

The image is a Bugaboo Gus, & papers are Basic Grey. All colouring by Promarkers.

Challenges;
Fetch-a-Sketch - Lovely simple one to follow
Simply Stamping Challenge - Let's Hear It For The Boys.
Alphabet Challenge - 'N' for Nautical
Southern Girls - Water Play

The Hills Are Alive...

... With the sound of hill walkers, putting the world to right all in a day, simples!

Yesterday we had lots of fun with my brother when we went on our annual hill climbing expedition, and true to form, we didn't quite get the designated path and ended up ankle deep in peat-bogs and heather and on a completely different hill to the one we intended - but still we had fun!

Below are a few pics from our day.

The intention was to climb The Buck, via Clayhooter Hill, but it ended up just being Clayhooter - (great name eh!)

Don't laugh, but that little pimple is the summit we climbed, but I can assure you it's bigger than it looks & I have the tired legs & blistered heals today to prove it!

And now for the family shots,

Colin & I.

My brother John with me

The big guns!

Well Done My Little Stars

After an agonising wait, SQA results are now out in Scotland & this year, I had not one brown envelope hitting the doormat but two!

I made one card on Monday, & the other I post today...

Again I've used a Bugaboo image, but this time it's combined it with stars & Lilybee design papers called Memorandum.

Challenges;
Sketch & Stash - Lovely sketch
Celebrate The Occasion - Back To School
Clear It Out - A Manly Card using 2+ papers - I used 3 from about a year back.
Deep Ocean - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Catch The Bug - Anything Goes

Friends

I have made so many lovely new friends since I started blogging - there is such a huge & friendly crafting community out there that you never even know exists until you make the plunge!

So thank you to all my blog friends and followers, for all the comments you leave, for the advice you offer and the general friendship you so willingly give.

Today, it is Tracy's turn to set the new challenge over at An Oldie But A Goodie, & funnily enough, she has chosen

Friends

as the theme - had you guessed?

Please also remember to use something older than 6 months on your card when you enter our challenge.

Our sponsor again this time, is my regular favourite, Bugaboo and once again they are offering one lucky winner 7 free digi's from their on-line shop.

So my card today features a Bugaboo sentiment image which I love, cut out and mounted on Spellbinder die cuts, & the card finished off with 3 gems in the flower centres, these are my oldies.

The rest of the DT have excelled themselves on this challenge, so I suggest you check out their work before starting your own project.

Challenges;
Crafters Companion - Best Friends
Catch The Bug - Anything Goes
TSG Clear Stamps - Get Sentimental
Catered Crop - White
Cute Card Thursday - Clean & Simple
Jx

PS SQA results are in and there will be loads of celebrations in our house today, both boys got great results, Alan at Higher/Ad Higher level and Colin at Standard Grade. Colin's phone buzzed at 6.38 this morning as the results hit the in box of his phone, so we have been up since then and guess what Laurie - the boy passed his french too! Tres bon indeed!!!

Congratulations

Well it's a rather grey and misty day here, which is a shame really as it's the 2nd day of Turriff Show - a huge agricultural event in the area and one that draws thousands of people & animals to the town. If it brightens up later I may pop down, but as it stands I think I'm better off at home!

Today's card is in readiness for SQA exam results out this week! Hopefully congratulations will be in order!

Papers are kraft and Kraft Fun Day by Robyn Meierette and colouring by Promarker.

Challenges;
Papertake - Sketch by Dawn
Sweet Stampin - Books/Text
Catch The Bug - Anything Goes
Made Especially For You - Back To School
Paper Players - Back To School Rules
Raise The Bar - Back To School

PS The sun did come out this afternoon - it turned out lovely so I did pop down to the show after all lots to see and do. Bought a whisk, had a cuppa and wandered a bit. Jx

Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!

I loved that song from a few years back - will have to go on You U-Tube & have a listen for it! It always reminds me of a little girl called Ruby who I used to look after in creche. She however is now at school & this story has little to do with my card!

The ruby tie on this occasion is for a Ruby Wedding celebration for my next-door neighbours, who are currently off to Hong Kong, Thailand, & Phuket to celebrate their 40 years of marriage along with their 60th Birthdays this year - quite a holiday & quite a lot of celebrations!

My card uses a lovely PB stamp called Daisy Chime, the card is Bazzill Basic and has a polka dot through it although that probably doesn't show in the photo. I would have liked more papers, but couldn't get anything wedding/ruby to tie in, so instead I went for a CAS design with lovely flowers to decorate. (Cut using my Die-namics Prima die)

Challenges;
The Stampman - Anything Goes
Allsorts - Case It - I followed the layout.
CCEE Stampers - Red
Crafty Ribbons - Spots & dots - honest the red card is polka dot!
Cute Card Thursday - Clean & Simple
DYSU - Polka Dots - On the red - see?
Diva's By Design - Flowers
Party Time Tuesday - Anything Goes

Elf & Happiness!

Gosh, it's been over a week since I last blogged or made a card - no I'm not secretly squirreling cards away to upload at a later date either, I simply have been doing other things!

I am however beginning to miss my cards, & the pull of new challenges is gradually drawing me towards my craft table once more!

So what have I been up to of late? Nothing too significant really, just spending family time with the boys before school goes back, running, playing tennis, gardening & painting the fence round the garden - a job from hell for sure!

My other bit of news is that Alan passed his driving test last Tues, so my car is no longer available to me - but it has it's advantages, I dispatch Alan with a shopping list as he heads off to save another journey!

Anyway, enough rambling and onto my card. Another Christmas one, & my Christmas stock is looking really healthy I have to say - pity I should be making cards needed for next week though rather than ones for 5 months away!

It's a Deacon Elf card from Bugaboo. The paper is an unknown individual sheet & colouring as always is with my Promarkers.

Challenges;
Winter Wonderland - Elves
Stella Says Sketch - Sketch 116
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Kids Christmas
CHCC - Ribbon
Crafty Catz - Glitter - On hat
Secret Crafter - Bright & Cheerful Jx