Bugaboo Birthday - Day 3

So the big question is...Do you have snow?  We do but not that much - well possibly 2cm, but its freshly fallen which has meant Colin's school bus has already got stuck twice and has needed tractor assistance to get moving again.  He will text me if/when he makes it to school ( - couldn't have him off as it would seriously affect card making!)

So it's now day 3 of the Bugaboo Birthday week and today's challenge is

Black, White & a pop of colour

So I went with this lovely floral jug image (available here) & my spellbinder dies.  My red "pops" have been given a glaze for added impact.

Head back to the Catch the Bug blog for more inspiration before joining in yourself.

Challenges;
Simon Says Stamp - Black White & a splash of colour
Challenges For Everybody - Anything Goes
Avenue 613 - Anything Goes

Bugaboo Birthday Day 2

I hope you all had a chance to play with us at Catch The Bug yesterday as Bugaboo celebrates it's 3rd Birthday.

Today I have another birthday card to share with you using the layout  from Stella Says Sketch No 128

This time I've gone with an Ava image, available here.  Again she's coloured with Promarkers but this time I've set her on a doily, used Papermania Capsule Collection paper and a Die-mamics die cut fence.  The card is finished off with candi & a computer generated sentiment.

For more inspiration check out the other works on the Catch The Bug Blog, then join us on Day 2 of our week long celebration, Jx

Challenges;
Willow Sketchie Challenge - In The Garden
Addicted To Stamps - Nature
Penny's Challenges - Anything Goes
Flutter-By Wednesday - Anything Goes
De Creatieve Zebra - Flower/Stamp/3 Layers

Girl's Birthday Cake

Another birthday card tonight using the Bugaboo Birthday Cake image.- It only costs $1 so a bargain I'd say!

Papers - Dovecraft & colouring by Promarker.

Challenges;
Cutie Pies - Sketch
Quirky Crafts - Something new with pink - new image Jx

This card won me a goodie bag from Mulberry Crafts over at Cutie Pies, thanks guys.

Bugaboo Birthday Bash - Day 1

Today sees the start of the Birthday Celebrations as Bugaboo celebrates it's 3rd birthday.

"Happy Birthday Bugaboo!"

So the challenge over at Catch The Bug this Saturday is

Birthdays

but the fun doesn't end there - there is a week long celebration planned, with daily challenges and loads of prizes to be won, so it's well worth a visit to the Catch The Bug blog this week!

I've made this boys birthday card to celebrate, using a lovely Theodore bear image available here.  I printed him directly onto my card and made him nice and big.  Gave him a quick 90deg rotation and then coloured him with Promarkers and added glaze to the balloons and wording.  The balloon in the corner is cut using a dienamics die and the sentiment computer generated.

This is the first time I've printed a Bugaboo directly onto my card and not mounted the image in any way and I have to say, I'm quite pleased with the result as I think children love big bright images more than layers & embellishments!

Any way that's my first card for the Birthday week, hop on over to the Catch The Bug Blog for more inspiration then join us in the fun, Jx

Challenges;
Charisma Cardz - Happy Birthday
Cute Card Thursday - Beat The Blues
Paper Crafting Journey - Anything Goes
Stampavie & More - Blue & White
Crafts For Eternity - Moody Blues
Cupcake Craft - January Blues

Floral Delights

Well today has eventually arrived! My first active day on the MAWTT blog, when I post my first DT card for them which follows the theme of

Floral Delights

and was set by the lovely Hazel.  Thanks ladies for having me on your team, should be lots of fun working with you all over the coming months.

Today's challenge is sponsored by A Passion For Stamps, a company set up by the artist Ruth Hamilton, whom I first met and made friends with on Do Crafts many moons ago!  So one lucky winner will be getting a great prize from A Passion For Stamps.

Ruth was also very generous in giving all the DT a stamp of their choice to play with, thanks Ruth.  For my card, I chose the Thistle image coloured it with Promarkers and set it on a double sided sheet of paper from  the On The Edge range by Teresa Collins.  The ribbon is one I bought in Germany whilst on holiday last Summer and the doily & candi are just bits off my desk.

So that's what I did, now see what the rest of the DT made before joining us in our Floral Delights Challenge, the first of many great challenges in 2013.

Challenges;
Digi Galore - Something New - Image & paper
Tando Creative - Feeling Blue
Papertake - Happy New... Design Team, I'm now happy to be working with the MAWTT girls! (New image & papers too!)
Crafty Creations - Something New - New stamp, new paper & yipee...New DT!
Crafting For All Seasons - Something New - New stamp & papers & DT!

Today is also the day that Alan heads back to Uni to start Term 2 which begins with degree exams set on last terms work - good luck Alan, Jx

The Return of Magna Girl

It's ages since I've used a magna girl on a card, so when Karen at Funky Kits popped up this freebie last week I grabbed her quick!

She was perfect for the first challenge of the year over at an Oldie But A Goodie, where Debs has asked us to use

Lace Pins & Pearls

The sponsor this time is The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop and they are offering one lucky winner these lovely goodies!

As well as following our theme, please also remember to tell us what item on your card was over 6 months old - in my case it was the papers and the pearl heart.

So a little bit more about my card, well, the papers are Memorandum by Lily Bee Design, the lace pins and pearls were all bought from The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop before Christmas (My present to me!) & the sentiment is LOTV.  Finally all edges were inked with TH pumice distress ink.

Now check out what the rest of the DT made before joining us again this fortnight,

Challenges;
Sugar Bowl - A lovely sketch
Willow Sketchie - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
Cute & Girly - Cute & Girly

Christmas 2013

Well it's a case of start as you mean to go on!  One Christmas card a week between now and next Christmas and there is no mad panic in November!

The image is a Bugaboo called "Winter Circle Sentiment" and the papers are Craft Companion from a couple of years back.

Challenges;
CHCC - Give Santa a Rest - No Santa allowed.
Gingerloft - Christmas or Winter Jx

Brilliant Bugaboo

This is a very exciting day for me, a wish come true in fact...

In December last year, I joined in with the Christmas fun on the Bugaboo blog & was lucky enough to be picked as one of their guest designers for Jan 2013 over on Catch The Bug.

Can't wait to design for them, and the best bit is, it's not just for a week but for a whole month including their Birthday week which starts on the 12th Jan.  Hope some of you can join in with us then and now, as we kick off the 2013 Catch The Bug Challenge calendar with an easy one of...

Anything Goes

For my card I used this fabulous stork image called  AKV Baby Stork 2 to make a baby card.  Papers are Craft Companion & colouring by Promarker.  The border strip is from a MS punch and the tags cut with Dienamics dies.

So that's what I did, now check out what the rest of the DT got up to before joining us on this our first challenge of 2013. Jx

Challenges;
Crafty Sentiments - New??? - I went with baby
Digital Tuesday - Layers
Papertake - Anything goes
Passion For Promarkers - New Beginnings - New Baby

Year Of The Snake?

Well I'm guessing 2013 is Chinese year of the snake as that's the creature on another of the Bugaboo New Year images.

Loved using this one too and in contrast to my earlier monochromatic New Year Card, this one's bright and bold.  Again it wishes all my lovely followers

A Very Happy & Healthy New Year

Thank you all for following my blog and for leaving loads of comments throughout the year - I love hearing from you all & try my best to visit your blogs regularly too.

Challenges;
Sketch Saturday - With a 180deg rotation!
Catch The Bug - Seasonal/Holiday
Brown Sugar - Happy New Year
Polka Doodles - Happy New Year
Winter Wonderland - New Beginnings - New Year
Charisma Cards - Anything goes. Jx

Happy New Year

Don't know if anyone will be blogging just now, but if you are,

Happy New Year 

and Best Wishes for 2013

I don't normally make New Year cards, but this year I spotted this image from Bugaboo and thought I'd have a go.

Challenges;

Allsorts - Black & White

Sweet Stop Sketch - Sketch 191

Little Claire's - Happy New Year Jx

Top 5 2012

Now onto my favourite 5 cards of last year, this was really tough, but I narrowed it down to these;

In Jan I used this Funstamps stamp for the first time - then went on to use it several times more throughout the year!

In Feb, it was another Bugaboo card that caught my eye;

Later on in the year I was really pleased with this card using my LOTV stamp from Laurie.

In Sept, I discovered Hannah Lynn's gorgeous stamps - think you'll see them a lot more this coming year!

Then finally, I finish with another Bugaboo and my first stair step card.

Quite a variety really, and so nice to look back on at the end of the year.  Thanks Debby for reminding me to do this again, Jx

Christmas Top 5 2012

Now that the hustle and bustle of Christmas has settled, I've a bit more bloggy time and have decided to pick my favourite 5 Christmas cards of the year, something that Debby started us all on a few years back.

Well this year was a clean sweep for Bugaboo stamps for me!  Only found them last year, & now they are probably my favourite stamps!

So in no particular order...

Hope you all had a great Christmas, and I'll be back before the New Year with a selection of my favourite other cards too.

Finally, on the subject of Bugaboo, did you know that they celebrate a Birthday in January and will be having lots going on that week to celebrate.  Click on the badge at the side of my blog to go directly to the Catch The Bug site to find out more.  Jx

Swan Lake

Still haven't had time to make cards this holiday break but instead I'd like to share with you a picture that Colin took using his Christmas camera.  It's a picture of a lake at Slackadale Farm which is in walking distance of where we stay.

It's been lovely the past few days, no rain and temperatures around 7-9deg C... but for how long?  I hear snow is forecast for next weekend. Jx

Tag, You're It!

I was finishing off the present wrapping yesterday & realised I was short of a few bottle tags so this is what I made.

Quick & easy, but they do the job!

Challenges;
Crafty Creations - Tags
Fussy & Fancy - Tags
Sentimental Sunday - Christmas Tags

These tags won at Crafty Creations with a prize of 3 digi's from A Creative Need.

Rudolph With Your Nose So Bright...

I know I said I'd finished making my Christmas cards for this year but I also said that I was trying to use up images on my desk, so that is my justification for making this card!

I've used the wonderful digi Rudolph Candy Cane by Bugaboo and then coloured it with Promarkers then glazed the candy with 3D Anita's glaze.  The papers are by Fancy Pants designs and are called Saint Nick.  Finally, the card is finished off with a rim of Tim Holtz distress inks, card candi a ribbon & a bow - & that's about it!

Challenges;
Stella Says Sketch 126 - Great Sketch
Money Supermarket.Com - Christmas Card Off
Digital Tuesday - Layers
LCI - Anything Goes For Christmas
Passion For Promarkers - Happy...
Cupcake Inspirations - Picture Inspiration - I went with the red/green theme
Crafting For All Seasons - Red & Green & glitter & sparkle - used gloss on candy cane to make it sparkle & the bow is glittery.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Much as I'd love to send all my bloggy friends a Christmas card, there just aren't enough hours in the day to make one for you all, so here is one dedicated to all my followers.  Thanks for all the comments you've left me throughout the year & I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Today's card uses my Mulberry Wood, Sledging By Stamp, and Fancy Pants, Winter Wonderland Paper along with ribbon, a pearl & a LOTV date sentiment.

Challenges;
Sketch Saturday - Sketch 238
Charisma Cardz - Christmas
Ribbon Girl - Dec Challenge - Ho Ho Ho
Allsorts - Christmas Tree
Raise The Bar - Let It Snow
Stampin For The Weekend - Let It Snow
Winter Wonderland - Christmas Tree - I'm counting the pine trees in the background - are you?
Crafting For All Seasons - Green, Red, Glitter & Sparkle
ABC Christmas - Favourite Punch/Die - At the moment it's my fish tail tag dies - they appear loads since I bought them!

Other fantastic news that I want to share with you today is that I am now a designer on the MAWTT team - can't wait to start crafting with them in January and Alan returns home from Uni today for his holidays - Yipee! Jx

Happy Beer-Day

I'm having great fun with my card making at the moment - I don't actually need any for anybody so I'm just having fun playing around and still using those previously stamped images that are in a biscuit tin on my desk. Today's image is a beauty by Digi Stamp Boutique, perfect for those hard to do male cards, and I'm rather pleased with my embellishments on this one - beats buttons or flowers this time around.

The papers are by Paper Cellar, & the image had been distressed & the head on the bear double stamped & raised.  The sentiment is computer generated.

Challenges;
Made Especially For You - The sketch
Digi Stamp Boutique - Dec Challenge
Fussy & Fancy - Tags & Banners - Fish tail tag.
I Love Promarkers - For Boys

Read All About It!

It's taken me all week to get round to doing this card, but I really wanted to do this one.  The challenge at Polka Doodle was to use news paper, & as soon as I saw it, I could picture my card - so here it is:-

The stamp is a favourite of mine by Hero Arts called Dogwood, and its simply stamped on a newspaper, cut out and mounted on white card. The edges are also inked with TH Pumice.  Simple really, but I love the effect!

Polka Doodles - Paper Piecing with News Paper
Penny Black & More - Anything goes Jx

Thank You Sponsors

Today sees the last 2012 challenge over at an Oldie But A Goodie which means the challenge will run for 4 weeks instead of the usual 2.  Usual rules apply though and all cards submitted must follow the theme and include an item over 6 months old on the project.

So what's the theme I hear you ask...Well it's

Thank-You Sponsors

Which doesn't just mean a thank you card, what it means is you must use an item from one of our sponsors throughout last year.  So that includes anything from;

Bugaboo; Digi Doodle; Robyn's Fetish; Crafty Sentiments; Squidgi Digi & Iva Nova Chest 

& to reiterate, it's a huge thank you from all of us at an OBAG to all our sponsors and all our entrants for keeping our challenge running for another year.  Your card can be for any occasion just so long as it uses something from one of the above companies & you tell us what it is.

As it's the last challenge of the year, I thought I'd try something a bit different - a different fold for me and here's a link for anyone who's interested - Centre Step Card Template

My papers are again my oldie - from that Dovecraft Holly Jolly pack from a couple of years ago.  Colouring is by Promarker then the card is finished with a charm on twine &  a piece of Christmas ribbon - not forgetting the fish-tail tags cut using my new Die-namics dies.

The challenge this time is sponsored by Bugaboo and they are offering the winner 7 digi's of their choice - a fantastic prize indeed - thanks Bugaboo.

If like me you are a big fan of Bugaboo, you should head on over to their blog for their 12 Days Of Christmas Give Away - all you need do is post a link to their blog and leave your name & you could win one of several fantastic Bugaboo prizes. How good are Bugaboo I ask you???

Challenges;
Passion For Promarkers - Mega Christmas Challenge
Christmas At Sweet Stampin - Christmas project
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes
Stampavie & More - Anything but square
Whimsy Inspires - Festive
Charisma Cards - Christmassy
CHCC - Deer Deer Me - A Reindeer or two! - You got 3!
Cupcake Craft - Merry Christmas
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Forever Friends - Christmas Cards

Now head back to the main blog and see the fabulous items created by the rest of the design team. Jx

Little Gymnasts

Yesterday, my nieces took part in a gymnastics competition, so with them in mind, I made this little card.  Again using an image coloured earlier & scraps of papers which had been previously cut.  How good am I, that's 2 cards made without using new stuff... but for how long can this go on?  Well that's almost true - I used my newish die-namics fish tail dies to mount the sentiment, but that doesn't count as that's equipment right!

Challenges;
Digi Stamp Boutique - Dec Challenge
The Sweet Stop Sketch 188 - Lovely simple one. Jx

Bet She's Cold!

Not the weather for Anastasia's antics in 50 shades I'd say, but she was all ready coloured and sitting on my desk, so I thought I'd make use of her in an attempt to tidy up my crafty odds & ends before Christmas.

Papers are Basic Grey & the flowers, Wild Orchid Crafts.

Challenges;
Sketch Saturday - Sketch 237 by Jen
Stamp Your Life - Anything Goes
Wags n Whiskers - Anything Goes

Greyhound!

This guy doesn't look much like a greyhound does he, but he got on this card in record time and is now having a well earned rest!

He is of course, the lovely Penny Black called, Beehave.  He's coupled with Fancy Pants paper and a ribbon mounted on corrugated Kraft & that's it cause it's tea time!

Challenges;
Sketch Saturday - Sketch 236
Creative Card Crew - Stars - On paper
Penny Black @ Allsorts - Anything Goes
Papertake - Anything Goes Jx

Look What We Have!

Just been out and measured - we have a good 5cm of snow here.  Paths & drive way now cleared so think it will just have to be a crafty afternoon here!

The crafty afternoon didn't quite materialise, instead I made a fantastic curry from a mix from The Spicery - we've had this one before & it looks & smells delicious - just what's needed on a cold snowy night!  Check them out if you are looking for a Christmas present for someone who likes to cook!

Anyway, card making did eventually happen - I finished off this CAS card so it could make a couple of challenges;

Challenges;
Cupcake Craft - Black & White + one other colour - Green