Ribbons & Bows

I so love this image, it's of an Agapanthus and it's off the Paula Oakley CD.  I've used it before when I just pulled on the blue and purple shades, but this time I've included a green mat and I'm really pleased with the end result!

My card is for this fortnight's challenge at Ooh La La.  The theme was chosen by and she went with;

Ribbons & Bows

and again, I've done an insert - off the CD - just print & fold and trim.

Everything used on the card is off the super Paula Oakley CD except for the ribbon and tags.

Challenges:
Crafty Ribbons - Happy Birthday with ribbon
Crafty Calender - Anything Goes
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
4 Crafty Chicks - Birthday
Crafty Girl Creations - Anything Goes
Pile It On - Birthdays
Chocolate Coffee & Cards - Fancy & Feminine Jx

Signs of Autumn

31st August already and two Birthdays that I know of today, my Mam's and a past work friend, so Happy Birthday Mam and Noreen, Jx

It's also the start of a new challenge over at Ooh La La, where Pauline has gone with the seasonal theme of...

Signs of Autumn

Now there are lots of Autumn images out there and for me I went down the Harvest route and thought a nice crop of apples turned into a yummy apple pie fitted the bill nicely.

So for my card, I pulled my image and papers from the Shawn Jenkins Collection and simply added ribbon and a sentiment.

Challenges;
Crafty Gal's Corner - Lots of Layers
Fab n Funky - Things with wings - butterflies
The Paper Shelter - Come fly with me
Crafty Ribbons - Butterflies and/or birds
Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
Chocolate Coffee & Cards - Use a sentiment
Fussy and Fancy - Birthdays
Polkadoodles - Things with Wings
Jx

As for Autumn activities - well that's the annual hedge trim done again!  Huge thanks to Colin for assisting with the chain saw and reducing the overall height again - hopefully that won't need done again...EVER!

One For The Boys

Today's challenge over at Ooh La La is hosted by Michelle and she has chosen

One for the Boys

as the current theme.

So for me, I headed back to my Paula Oakley CD and chose this lovely farm scene for the focal point on my card.  Matching papers are also from the CD.

Looking at the image, I think it could well be painted this time of year. Clearly the image was not painted this year though as we have yet to see a blue sky!!! lol!

Challenges;
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
Crafters Cafe - The great outdoors
Crafting by Designs - 3 or more layers
Creative Moments - Anything Goes

Snow in Summer

It seems like ages since I've done a MAWTT blog post - that's cause it has been ages, and it will be ages again cause we are still running on monthly challenges.

Today's challenge was set by Hazel before she left the team, but with a bit of luck she will join us as we follow the theme,

Snow in Summer

& I can honestly say that although we haven't had snow this Summer, it has been the coldest, wettest summer I can remember in a long time!  So heaven help us when we reach Winter!

Anyway, back to my card and just for a change, I've gone Bugaboo!  Papers are LOTV and the card is finished off with pearls & a ribbon.

So I haven't gone too snowy with this one, just a layer on the branch and some snowflake papers, but it's up to you whether you go for an all out blizzard or just a smidge!

Challenges;
Winter Wonderland - Songs - "When the Red Red Robin comes Bob Bob Bobbin Along!"
As You Like It - Fur or Feathers - Any other time of year it has to be fur (Cats) but at Christmas Mr Robin steals the show!
Holly Jolly Christmas - Feathered Friends
Top Tip Tuesday - Ribbon & Pearls
The Ribbon Girls - Just add ribbon Jx

Nautical

A change from Bugaboo, and back to another crafting favourite of mine, Ooh La La and CD crafting as its the start of a new challenge over there today.  Lynn, has chosen

Nautical 

as the current theme and, as I grew up beside the seaside and loved collecting shells when I was little, I chose this shell image for my card.

My card uses my new, super de duper stepper card die from Maddy-Lisa available here. Now by the time this card posts, I'll have probably used this die loads of times, but this is my first make with it.  I think we can all see that the image used was a tad too big to fully appreciate the steps, but I made it whilst we were staying in Aberdeen the other month and I had limited cardmaking bits with me so I had to make do with what I had - still love the card though!

Challenges;
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Summer Breeze - Blue sky's & beaches
Crafty Boots - Beach/Summer vacation
Kitty Bee - Ocean/ Water Animals - Sea shells and other sea creatures
Polkadoodles - More that one fold

Santa Claus

It's a lovely sunny morning here and I've been up since 5 as I heard ice-cream boy get ready for work!  I did try getting back to sleep, but that just wasn't going to happen, so instead, I disappeared upstairs and popped Santa onto a card!

He was the Friday Freebie over at Bugaboo a few weeks back, and I'd already coloured him, so all I needed was to paper piece the bauble and assemble my card.

Challenges:
Catch The Bug - Bingo - Button/Paper-piece/Bugaboo
Creative Knockouts - Paper piecing - the bauble
Crimbo Crackers - Something cute
Crafters Cafe - Christmas in July
Crafting for All Seasons - Christmas in July
I Love Promarkers - CAS

Christmas in July

Now that I'm on something of a Christmas roll, I would like to switch from Bugaboo to my other crafty favourite, Ooh La La.

This time the challenge is

Christmas in July

so this is what I made using files from the CD, Festive Funnies, available here!

Challenges;
Hiding in My Craft Room - Lots of Layers
My Time To Craft - Christmas in July
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
Pile it On - Christmas in July
The Glory of Christmas - Feature a creature - birds and reindeer.
Jx

Bugaboo 5th Christmas in July - Collection

For no other reason than the love of Bugaboo, I'm now posting a final picture of this weeks Bugaboo makes. The fun began last Saturday with the Jingle Bells theme, on Sunday it was a Stella sketch, then throughout the week we had a bingo board, picture inspiration, a colour challenge, a recipe then finally pick a present.

All in all it was a really fun week which I thoroughly enjoyed.  The DT did a superb job of show casing many of the great Bugaboo Christmas stamps now available and Tammy did a great job as always pulling things together. Thanks guys, you are all Bugaboo stars!

Finally, Hazel, what can I say, that hasn't been said all week?  We've had a ball haven't we! Jx

The Bugaboo 5th Christmas in July Challenge - Day 7

Last day today of the Bugaboo Christmas in July event, and what a busy fun week it has been!  Seven cards in seven days - a challenge for sure, but luckily I was home based this week and could join in each day.

Today's closing challenge was to use the Friday Freebie and to pick a present from the penguin parade below!

Greedy me, I chose 2 presents - Animal/Fabric/Image and Ribbon/Image/ Stitching
- I am a bit of a rascal when it comes to presents!

Friday Challenge - Friday Freebie & a Penguin Present - Day 7
 - and this is what I created...

So for my makes I used The Rudolph image, coloured him with Promarkers then stuck a little version onto my jar of marmalade and tied it up with gold ribbon.  The marmalade lid was covered in checked fabric as was the base of the card - it's not paper, it's material with a sewed edge and a frayed border!  The card is kept simple and just finished with a fish tail tag buttons and a sentiment.

Challenges;
Catch The Bug - Day 7
Christmas Stampin All Year Long - CAS
Crafting With Friends - Anything Goes
Daring Card Makers - Christmas in July
Winter Wonderland - Traditional Christmas Colours( red & green )
CRAFT - Christmas
Cutie Pies - Cute as a button
Christmas @ Sweet Stampin - Oh Deer
ABC Christmas  - N - Not a card - I did do a card, but I also did a jar of marmalade with fabric hat and matching tag.  (Marmalade homemade this week, yum!)

The marmalade was home made this week from a tin of mamade (- I so love homemade marmalade it's so much nicer than shop bought!) It is a little gift to accompany my card, so as well as receiving gifts, I also enjoy giving, Jx

The Bugaboo 5th Christmas in July Challenge - Day 6

Afternoon all, day 6 of the Bugaboo Christmas event and my penultimate card for the challenge! Today we are working from a photo for inspiration, so for me, cards couls have gone in one of two ways, beach or snowmen.

So guess what went on my card?

...Snowmen!

Today's design is a simple stepper using a Bugaboo image and Ooh La La papers again - I do like these snowflake sheets from the Shawn Jenkins Collection and if you hadn't already guessed, I love my stepper card die too!

Thursday Challenge - Photo Challenge - Day 6

Challenges;
Catch The Bug - Day 6
Come And Get It - Christmas
Papertake - Don't Be Square
Holly Jolly - Winter Wonderland Jx

The Bugaboo 5th Christmas in July Challenge - Day 5

Another rainy day here today - there's been a lot of them this summer and not much sun, not so good for topping up the tan but ideal for crafting in!

So today it's Day 5 of the Bugaboo Christmas in July Challenge and we are working from the bingo board below.

My card follows the diagonal line running left to right using a Bugaboo image, Players Choice - Kraft and Snowflake.  And the humor?  Well have you ever seen a real bird wearing a hat & scarf?

Wednesday Challenge - Humor Me Wednesday + Bingo - Day 5

Challenges;
Catch The Bug - Day 5
Christmas Cards All Year Round - Dots & Stripes
CHCCE - Christmas
Crafty Time - Punches & Dies - Snowflake punch & circle & fishtail dies
Live & Love Crafts - Christmas in July
One Sweet Challenge - Christmas in July Jx

The Bugaboo 5th Christmas in July Challenge - Day 4

How are all my fellow crafters doing today?  Any more of you joining in with the Bugaboo Christmas in July week long challenge?

That's us just over half way now and with a different theme each day, by the end of the week we should all have a nice varied selection of cards all ready for Christmas.

Today we are working with a recipe challenge which is to include, 3 embellishments, 2 design papers and 1 piece of either ribbon or twine.

So, bearing all this in mind, I went with, an old favourite of mine a Bugaboo Reindeer with Candy Cane. LOTV papers and tags and card candi embellishments.

Tuesay Challenge - Recipe - Day 4

Challenges;
Catch The Bug - Day 4 - Recipe
Christmas at Sweet Stampin - Oh Deer!
Passion For Promarkers - Candy Crush - Christmas candy cane
SSW2 - Sketch Jx

The Bugaboo 5th Christmas in July Challenge - Day 3

Day 3 already and I have now doubled my Christmas card total for the year - Thanks Bugaboo for getting me going on these!

Also, the party's growing! Buddies Sarah and Wendy have shown interest now and will hopefully jump on to the Bugaboo band wagon! Love it when all my friends join in - it's like DT friends re-united!  I wonder who else I can get involved!

Back now to the challenge and today it's colours - not really your traditional Christmas ones, but hey it's a challenge so we weren't really expecting reds and greens were we!  Instead we got,

Monday Challenge - Colour Challenge - Day 3

So, that got me stumped for a bit... but then I found an elf and a stack of presents and I got to action with my Promarkers.  And this is what I came up with;

So, for this little beauty, I went CAS.  Just brightly coloured and cut out my elf and popped him on top of a Merry Christmas die cut sentiment.  Obviously glossy accents and glamour dust were again involved...well it is for Christmas!

Challenges;
Catch The Bug - Day 3 - Colours
Sweet Stampin - Christmas
Digi Choosday - Christmas in July

The Bugaboo 5th Christmas in July Challenge - Day 2

Next, today and the Stella Say's Sketch Challenge, so here is the sketch;

And here is my card...

Another super Bugaboo selected, and great papers off my Shawn Jenkin's CD by Ooh LaLa.  To finish I added glossy accents - again! Gems and twine and then added flock to my snowflakes to make them fluffy!

Sunday Challenge - SSS - Day 2

Challenges;
Catch The Bug - Day 2 - SSS
CD Sunday - Add a stamp - A Bugaboo Digi & papers from OohLaLa The Shawn Jenkins Collection Jx

The Bugaboo 5th Christmas in July Challenge - Day 1

Well here we are again, the annual Bugaboo Christmas in July Event - & I love it!

I can't believe it's been a year since last time, but as always, I am up for the challenge and so have been busy Christmas crafting!

So, the fun began yesterday with the challenge set as "Jingle Bells."  So I dug out a circular sentiment stamp and then, as they say in McDonalds... "I went large!"  Kept my card simple, mostly white with lots of layers, stitching and embossing with the only colour popped on the image.  Finally, my favourite glossy accents decorated my holly leaves and berries and that was it! So...

Saturday Challenge - Jingle All The Way - Day 1

Challenges;
Catch The Bug - Day 1 - Jingle All The Way
4 Crafty Chicks - Christmas in July
Jingle Belles - Bells

As quite a few of you know, I'm a huge Bugaboo fan and so urge all of my crafty buddies to join in the fun this week.  So far I've got Hazel on board, but it would be great if more of my buddies joined us, so come on you lot - Join the Party!!!

Thank You

This is odd!!!

Every other Thursday is normally a card day for me as it see's a new challenge begin at MAWTT.  But we are on extended challenges over there to give the DT a summer rest so no card was required this week.  But I have been busy none the less!

Guess what?  I have another stepper card to show you - 3 actually, variations on a theme, all using a great new Bugaboo image and lovely Ooh La La papers off a variety of CD's.

The results, below;

Really pleased with these! Love the image, added my favourite glossy accents  and even did a bit of paper piecing!

Challenges;
Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
My Time to Craft - Paper piecing - the flowers
Fussy & Fancy - Fancy folds
Wags & Whiskers - More than one fold
Creative Card Crew - Die cuts - Stepper card die
Papertake - Anything goes
Fab n Funky - Inspired by a song - Thank you Very much by The Scaffold - knew the song, not the artists!Jx

All That Glitters

Welcome everyone to the latest Challenge over at Ooh La La, and it's a first time for hosting by the lovely Deborah.  She has gone with the lovely theme of

All That Glitters

So this one is wide open for both birthday and Christmas makes - in fact any sort of makes as long as they are glittery!

For me, I decided to make a start on Christmas cards - shamefully this is my first Christmas card of the year! I used a fantastic image form the CD Festive Funnies, layered it up them sprinkled with glamour dust.  The result...

and a close up,

Trust me, there was a lot of glitter on this one - perhaps more on me now, but it was added!

Challenges;

Crafty Calender - Christmas in July
CHCC - Include a sentiment
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
Kitty Bee Designs - Christmas in July
Winter Wonderland - All That Glitters
4 Crafty Chicks - No stamping
Crafty Ribbons - Anything Goes Jx

Prize from Craftybren's Embroidered Embellishment

Retirement

Today's card was made for one of the doctors at my husbands work who retires today.  He is a keen cyclist and I'm sure will be cycling all the more once his stethoscope gets hung up for good.

Best wishes David for a long and happy retirement!

So for my card, I contacted Wendi at Ooh La La for help - I wanted a cyclist, but not a cartoon character one and so she sent me files from the Carnival of Colour CD - available here to work with.  Thank you so much Wendi, I love them - the image and papers are just perfect - and look, I even did a card insert!

Challenges;
Cardz 4 Guyz - B for bicycle
Crafty Cardmakers - Sentiment - Continued on the inside so it's kinda a feature!
Robyn's Fetish - Add lace Jx

Sewing

Today the MAWTT challenge is hosted for the very first time by Emily and she has chosen the theme of;

Sewing

For my card, I chose another All Dressed Up image, this time Purrfect Together, coloured with Promarkers then set on Ooh La La papers - these CD's come in handy for DP's too when you are looking for a colour match!  Finally, lots of dies in action, my stitched Simon Says rectangles along with my Magnolia tag - for a hidden greeting and my La La Land banner.

Challenges;
All Dressed Up - Anything Goes - Challenge 37
Cutie Pies - Cats & Dogs - but really just cats!!!
Stamping Sensations - Dies & Punches
Chocolate Coffee & Cards - Use pearls
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Papertake - Triotastic - 3 pearls
Crafting for all Seasons - Cute and summery - well defo cute! - Sorry to see you close. Jx

Happy Birthday

Today's challenge at Ooh La La is set by Avril and she has chosen the lovely easy one of

Happy Birthday.

Think we will have loads of entries this time so bear with us as we try to comment on all your cards!

For my card I have again used the Paula Oakley CD - can you tell I love this one already!  I've made an A5 card this time and decorated it with a ribbon flower.  I was so into making these last year and thought it was about time I fished out that tutorial from Bonnie and made another!

I even decorated the inside of this one, and that doesn't happen very often!

Challenges;
A Gem of a Challenge - Summertime - flowers in full bloom
Suzy Bee's Bloomin Challenge - Anything goes + blue
Frosted Designs - Summertime blues
Kitty Bee Designs - Birthday
Simply Papercraft - Anything goes Jx

Man's Best Friend

For clarification, man's best friend may well be the dog, but this woman's best friend is defo her cat!  I haven't mentioned the lovely Merlot in a while, so just in case you were wondering, he's still as lovely as ever.  He now has a fantastic Elvis styled lip curl which is more pronounced when he's on the attack and his favourite place remains to be on my lap sound asleep afer a day of cat action.  (I will not give details as he's a bit of a lad!)

Anyway, back to Bertie dog off the latest Ooh La La CD by Paula Oakley.  Isn't he lovely - he too looks like he has a lot of character and would be a fun guy to have around.

Challenges;
CD Sunday -Four Legs and a tail
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Furry Friends Jx

Plain Jane

I've got a new toy - two actually all because of Sarah  (not Debs this time!!!)

It's a stepper card die used to make the card below only the die was too big for my big shot so I needed to buy the bigger plates - but plates are boring so I got the new teal coloured Grand Calibur instead and I love it!

So, back to the card - kept it simple with a few dies and paper piecing. The stamp is a beautiful All Dressed Up one which I love, well actually I love most of their stamps!  And the papers, LOVT Country Meadow.

As for what's new, well Colin is now back working at Mackie's Ice-Cream and Alan is loving working with the oil company Nexen - both just Summer jobs.  And as for me, well the phlebotomy went well last week, real blood has now been drawn and my training is ongoing.

Challenges;
All Dressed Up - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Oh so Pretty
Passion for Promarkers - No squares allowed
Top Tip Tuesday - Cut it out
Crafting When We Can - Paper Piecing
Glitter n Sparkle - Include a die cut
Crafty Calender - Fancy Folds
Chocolate Coffee & Cards - Pearls
Crafty Catz - CAS
Stamping Sensations - Dies & Punches Jx

To The Happy Couple

Challenge time once more at MAWTT, and today Gail has chosen

To The Happy Couple

So that could be an engagement, a wedding or an anniversary card - it's up to you.

I went with anniversary, as my husband and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary last month.  I looked it up and apparently the appropriate gift for said occasion is a sculpture, so I'll keep you posted if one appears!  (Perhaps not!!!)

Anyway, back to my card and the stamp used, it's a Penny Black showing a lovely sun set, and it just reminded me of our honeymoon in St Lucia and the sun sets there.  I had never seen a sun set so quickly and was amazed that you could be on the beach sun bathing then about half an hour later the sky was black and it was night!

Challenges;
Sweet Stampin - Something Old  - PB Stamp, Something New - Tattered Lace borders from a die
Stamping Sensations - Dies & Punches - Corner & border dies
Without Words - Summer holidays
Addicted To Stamps - Summer Colours
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything goes
C4C289 - Sunshine  Jx

Here Comes Summer

I so hope the title of this post is correct, a nice spell of hot weather would be so welcome so fingers crossed! Not that I want it too hot, as I have a busy week ahead getting some practice in at phlebotomy (taking blood).  To date I've only practiced on dummys so I'm guessing I'll be hot enough with a real arm in front of me!

Anyway, enough of that and back to the latest challenge over at Ooh La La, where the theme is

"Here Comes Summer!"

Now for this one I just had to use my new Paula Oakley CD and a gorgeous deck chair image.  So reminds me of the prom at Brighton.  We spent so many hours down at the beach there, swimming in the sea and sun bathing and on sunny days the hire of deck chairs was big business!

Challenges;
Brown Sugar - Anything goes
Chocolate Coffee & Cards - Summer fun
Fussy & Fancy - Fun in the sun
Cute Card Thursday - Summer colours - well you only get a sea that colour in the summer!
Crafty Gals Corner - Summer Fun
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes Jx