Some birdie's thinking of you !

Happy Wednesday everyone. I am having fun today - hubby is out from under my feet, playing golf, which means I have 5 hours of crafting, before I have to spray some furniture polish around and look like I have been busy!!!

Here's my morning's work.

Finances are tight at the moment, and I am banned from craft shopping, so I dug deep into my stamp box and found this little cutie. I don't know why I have never used her before.

Challenges -
Sketch and Stash - Sue's fab sketch and my stamp, which isn't exactly 'new', but it is the first time I have used it.  Does that qualify ????
Papertake - 'Sparkly and Bright' - I have added sparkle to Lola's coat pocket and the bird, and it's hard to see, but the 'birdy' paper is covered with sparkle too!

Stamp - Rachelle Anne Millar, Lola with bird, coloured with Copics and stickles glitter.

Design Paper - DCWV Nana's Nursey, Baby Boy.   

'Birdie' Text - Impression Obsession, Life is Tweet.

The little flowers started off cream, but I coloured them with a Copic to match Lola's coat and added an adhesive pearl.   

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Every snowflake is unique.

How is everyone getting on with their Christmas cards?
There's only 102 sleeps to go!!!   :-)

Here's another card I have made to go on the Christmas pile.

I followed the challenge sketch over at Sketch and Stash.
and my newest stash is these Memory Box papers.. they are just gorgeous 

and if you head over to Crafty Emma's Store you can grab some before they all go!

I have been trying to be a bit bolder with my colouring, using deeper shades of my copics,

but it was a bit tricky with the red, because I only have one deep red pen.

I tried to lighten areas with my blender pen, but I can't get on with that at all.

It just seems to creat an ugly 'water' mark and make the paper look like it's been rubbed too hard!!

Practice, practice,  I suppose!

Stamp - Pink Gem Mimi with Snowman, coloured with Copics. I also added some  Liquid Pearls 'Platinum' to her coat buttons and some Stickles Glitter ' Frosted Lace' to the snowman and ground.

Design Paper - Memory Box 'Spiceberry'.

Snowflakes cut with Slice machine (Fa la la design card) and then covered with glitter.

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My Favourite Things and a New Challenge Blog

 

Calling all you challenge-a-holics,
have you seen the new blog

Craft Your Days Away.

They opened the doors on Saturday,
and because they are a fortnightly challenge,
you still have plenty of time to get your entry in.

The first challenge, set by Joanne, is

'Favourite Things'

 

As you can see from my card, my favourite things are

mice cakes !!!

 

I have followed Claire's great sketch over at Sketch & Stamp
and I thought my Penny Black stamp was perfect for the
photo inspiration challenge at Stamp Something,

I 3D'd the little hedgies (and their feet) and coloured with Copics.

I added glitter to the icing, and the flowers
and think I might go back and add some
around the candles too.

Stamp - Penny Black Party Pooped.
DP - My Mind's Eye Quite Contrary (magazine freebies)
Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

Cuthbert Bear

Silly me... I decided this morning to cut all my nails nice and short
and now I can't get the backing off my double sided tape.
It's driving me crazy!! lol*

This week the challenge over at Sketch and Stash is to make a
CIRCLE card.
A great excuse to attempt my first circle easel card.
using my largest scalloped nestie.

The new stash I used was the cute Cuthbert with Balloons,
which was a freebie from Pollycraft.
Cuthbert usually holds two sets of balloons,
but I trimmed one set.
He is stuck on with foam pads, for that 3D look,
coloured with Copics and some added glitter.

Design Paper is Forever Friends
(but it's lost it's cover so I'm not sure which one it is)
'Thank You' stamp is Personal Impressions 'Mixed Sentiments'
The little heart is a Sizzix die - 'Hearts,Paisley'
Button, ribbon and card candy from my stash.
xxx

Art Nouveau

How stunning is this Art Nouveau lady?
I got a couple of these beautiful stamps
( my win over at Papertake Weekly)
from the lovely Beckie at Lilac Lemon Designs.

I haven't used a stamp like this before,
so I wasn't sure how to colour it.
In the end I went for this monochrome look
and used just a few grey Copics.
I also added some stickles glitter here and there.

I am entering my card for this week's challenge at Sketch and Stash,
I have followed their sketch and, of course, my new stash is the stamp.
This is another of those cards that look better in person... honest!!
The picture doesn't really show the glitter too well,
or the lovely texture of the black, velevet ribbon.

Stamp - Lilac Lemon Designs, Art Nouveau Lady,
coloured with Copics and stickles glitter.
Design Paper - Papermania Capsule Collection, Monochrome.
Small roses from Wild Orchid Crafts.
Heart charm from The Hobby House
Black velvet ribbon from my stash.
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Bloomin' Marvellous

I heard over the weekend that a friend is expecting.... crazy fool!! :-)
so I thought I would make her a quick card.
I found this gorgeous digital image at Pink Petticoat, coloured it with Copics,
and added dabs of glitter for her earrings and necklace.
I really wanted to add 'Congrats' somewhere, but my letter stamps were too large,
and I didn't trust myself to do it freehand,
so I have stamped it on the inside instead.

I am entering the challenge over at Sketch and Stash.
So I followed their great sketch and my new stash is the image.

Recipe

• Digital Image, Pink Petticoat, Lola Rose Blooming
• Design Paper, Daisy & Dandelion, Picnic Patch
  
• Ribbon from my stash, Flower from Wild Orchid Crafts

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Party Dog

Hello everyone,
hope you are all refreshed after the
bank holiday weekend.
It's a late post from me today,
as I have been helping my daughter revise for an anatomy exam!

Not sure I was a whole lot of help.. lol*

This is my card for the sketch over at
Sketch and Stash Challenge.

This is a really great sketch and one that I think I will use often.

The new stash on my card is the cute 'Wilbur' -
one of my new digital stamps from

Pollycraft

I have come across some great doggy cards recently,
so when I saw this cute guy I just had to have him.

Recipe:

Digital stamp - Pollycraft,
coloured with whispers pens.
Paper was a freebie from a card magazine.

Fiskars punch for the lace border
and card candy and ribbon from my stash.
xxx

Cherry Kisses

Big hugs to Pollycraft, who generously emailed me this
download and some papers, from their new design -
'Cherry Kisses'.
Isn't she cute?
Check out their website for more designs.

This card was made with the fab sketch over at
Sketch & Stash Challenge.
The new stash that I used is the digital stamp
and the blue lace.
I must admit that I do struggle with
colouring digital stamps, the printer ink just runs no matter what I do.
I have heard of an inkjet fixing spray that I might have to try.
There are too many cute digital images out there for me to give up
on them :-)
Design Paper is Papermania, Sweet Nothings.

xxx

Afternoon everyone,

I am being treated to another day of crafting today,
as my daughter is cooking us a lovely meal.
Of course, I had to go out and buy all the ingredients this morning,
and I think every pot and pan we own is in use,

but it smells wonderful.

Here is my entry for this week's
Sketch and Stash Challenge.

It's another great sketch, which leaves you free to add
embellishments and sentiments wherever you wish.

The neglected stash that I used is Forever Friends - Just for Him, papers.
These papers are really cute, but I never really knew what to do with them.
For this card I decoupaged the design.
I like the way that the hat creates a shadow,
as if the sun is on the teddy's face.
Also, I ran out of thread when I was sewing parts of the card,
but I liked the effect, so I kept on going.. lol*

Congratulations Helen

Keep off the streets everyone!

My 40something SIL (ha! she's going to kill me for that)
has just passed her motorbike test - first time.
Well done Helen.

I made this card for her with this week's fab sketch at
Sketch and Stash Challenge

Check out their gorgeous DT work.

I found the image on my clipart CD
and the new stash that I used, was the design papers,
a recent purchase from Funky Fairys.
These are from their 'Cherish' range -
the most gorgeous colour-co-ordinated,
downloadable, papers.

xxx