A Sweet Woodland Birthday

Hello.

For a minute, when I got up this morning, I thought it wasn't raining.
False alarm. 
It's still raining  :o)

That makes more than 40 + days of rain in the UK this year. 
What's a person to do, other than get comfy in their craftroom.

I couldn’t resist inking up Bugsy and Jessie from Purple Onion Designs -  they’re just too sweet.
Bugsy with his balloon and Jessie clutching that birthday present, with a stencilled birch tree background - it’s basically a little woodland party waiting to happen.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• clearly besotted - treemendous times stencil
• purple onion designs - bugsy and jessie
• time 4 tea designs - walrus (green die cut)
• mama elephant - labeled messages
• distress ink - shaded lilac
• copic markers / white gel pen

Life Is Sweeter With You... And Doughnuts!

Hello.
Here I am with another Valentine's Day card, featuring these cute, doughnut pals.

This time the challenge at Allsorts, was to create your own background.

I used some pink ink with a stencil, for that drippy effect, and then stamped it with hearts in various pink and white shades.
It doesn't come out too well on the photo, but it's really pretty IRL  o:)

Then I stamped and fussy cut those doughnut pals, and popped them up with foam tape.

Challenge

Allsorts Challenge

Create Your Own Background (Or Anything Goes)

• clearly besotted - donut worry / splat it stencil
• distress inks - worn lipstick / pickled raspberry / festive berries
• white ink
• copic markers / white gel pen

All You Need Is Love... And Doughnuts

 Hello.

Today I'm playing along at AAA Colourful, and using their pink, colour palette.
Perfect for a Valentine's card.

What's also perfect for Valentine's day?
That's right - doughnuts.  :o)

I used strips of pink card on my base and layered it with a 'peek-a-boo striped heart'.
Then, I fussy cut those cute animals, coloured them with Copics and popped them up with foam tape.

Challenge

AAA Colourful

• clearly besotted - donut worry
• my favorite things - peek a boo striped heart die
• the greetery - valentine wishes sentiment from sweet tooth
• copics / white gel pen

A Little Card To Celebrate The Fun

 Hello.

I was meant to be following a sketch today.
You know when you have it in your mind, and you make your card, but it's not quite right.
It's close though - if you squint :o)

This is a Valentine's card for my dh. 

After 40 years of marriage, we're kind of over the red, love hearts and roses, so  I think this cute Eddie and Ethel stamp is more our thing.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

I converted this to portrait and moved those stripes a bit. 
By which I mean a lot. It still looks a bit like the sketch though, right?

• purple onion designs - eddie and ethel
• memory box - parker alphabet dies
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• mft - sentiment from frost loving friends
• copic markers, white gel pen

Eat you Own Weight In Cake

 Hello.

Today I needed a card for a little girl, so I reached for the pink card and some cute 'pawty time' stamps.

I white heat embossed the sentiment and streamers onto the pink cardstock, which gives it a lovely crisp contrast and a little texture.

Then I added my cute animals (a dog and a cat ???)  and a huge cake.
It's not really a birthday unless you eat your own weight in cake, is it?

Challenge

Krafty Chicks Challenge

• my favorite things - pawty time
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• lawn fawn - stitch hillside borders
• versamark ink and hero arts white embossing powder
• copics and white gel pen

Just Zoomin' By To Spread A Bit Of Happy

 Hello.

Today I'm trying to get back to my old CAS style.
So, this card has a simple background, some cute animals and a sweet sentiment.

How did I do?

I am never going to win any colouring prizes, but I do enjoy getting my Copics out-
and these little, trees and critters are just perfect size for having a play.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• lawn fawn - scootin' by
• clearly besotted background trees
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitched rectangle
• copic markers - white gel pen

Driving By With Birthday Wishes

Hands up who else doesn't want to put their Christmas stash away yet?
You can't make me  :o)

Today, I've used a couple of Christmas sets to make this cool, birthday card.

The background is a snowy hills stencil.
Yep - you can see I STILL haven't got the hang of lining those trees up.
I'm gonna call that snow  - on the edges :o)

Then my van and presents were stamped, die cut and added with foam tape.

Challenge 

I've gone for the optional theme this week, because I really need to up my game for
masculine cards this year.

Allsorts

For Boys or Men

(or Anything Goes)

• the greetery - christmas care-a-van
• waffle flower crafts - snowy hills stencil
• colorado craft co - citrus berry cupcake ( sentiment)
• ranger distress inks - tumbled glass, cracked pistachio, carved pumpkin, mowed lawn
• memento ink - grey flannel
• versa color ink - vanilla, lagoon blue

Celebrate With A Cupcake

 Hello.

I'm sticking with die-cuts again today, for this simple birthday card of a girl and a cupcake.
Hmm.. is one cupcake ever enough?

I kept the background subtle, with this pretty, pierced line texture die, and then had fun stamping her top with shades of pink, orange and green.
I should have moved the sentiment over to the left a touch, but by the time I noticed my girl was stuck fast.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• concord and 9th - celebration squad
• waffle flower crafts - piercing lines texture die
• ranger distress ink - spiced pumpkin, pickled raspberry, twisted citron, mowed lawn.

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You're Simply The Best

 Hello.

I hope you're all well rested and raring to go for another crafty year.
It's a slow start for me. I always seem to forget how to do anything and struggle with my mojo.
Time to hit up the card challenges :o)

This first card is for the Moving Along With The Times Challenge
where the theme, chosen by Fiona, is to use stencils and/or dies.

I stamped and die-cut some of the smaller records for a background, then added a record sleeve on top, with a larger disc to tuck inside.  Sliding it out reveals the message.
Very simple - but kinda cute!

• concord and 9th - greatest hits stamps and dies
• ranger distress ink - carved pumpkin, cracked pistachio, pickled raspberry

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Happy New Year

A huge thank you to everyone that's dropped by my blog, left a lovely comment, or offered a bit of encouragement over the last crafty year. It honestly means more than you know.

I take part in a lot of challenges through the year, so thank you to all the design team members, and the behind the scenes admins, for all your hard work and inspiration.

Here's a selection of my best cards of 2025 - as chosen by my Instagram followers.

This year I got to grips with die cut sets, so it's nice to see some of those in there, but it will be no surprise to my followers that cute animals were my go to.

Next year I have to keep a tight rein on my budget, so I'm looking for versatile sets, and maybe dipping into some digi images.

Any recommendations for digis will be much appreciated.

Thanks again for your visits - and for being such a brilliant crafty bunch 

Happy crafting and a very Happy New Year  xxx

May Your Days Be Furry and Bright

Hello.

The skiing dog is back  
and this time I couldn't resist giving him a little wobble  :o)

The background is stencilled and then this cute little die-cut dog was placed on a wobble mechanism, so he can head of down the slopes for some après ski  :o)

Watch the wobble  -  here

Challenge

Allsorts

Create A Scene

This is their last challenge of the season, so Merry Christmas to all the DT

for such a great challenge blog, and for all their inspiration this year xxx

and here's a hello from Buster - 
who thinks that skiing looks like far too much work :o)

• waffle flower crafts - cool pup die and stencil, snowy hills stencils
• ranger distress inks - salvaged patina/twisted citron/mowed lawn/walnut stain
• copic markers
• wobble mechanism