Forever Autumn

Help! Calling all you eagle-eyed stampers.   This is one of my fav stamps, but I just can't decide if the little girl is reaching for a flower, with her left arm - what do you think??? Is that her hand around the flower???

I used  my fav. papers for this card - Websters Pages - they're so gorgeous, you don't want to cover them up. I did manage to keep the cute little squirrel  in one corner!

Challenges -

CES - 'Forever Autumn'.  I decided to stick with browns for my card, but check out the fab DT work on the challenge blog for some rich Autumn colours. Emma is offering a fab embellie box to this week's winner.

Stampin' for the Weekend - a great sketch from Sandie, with a twist - you must add a butterfly to your creation. The prize up for grabs this week is a $25 voucher from Simon Says.
 

Stamp - GCS Artstamps, Little Girl    coloured with Copics.

DP - Websters Pages Triple Collection.          Gems are Papermania Mosaics.

Butterfly is a XCut punch.      Butterfly and around the image is sponged with Distress Ink, Antique Linen      Lace ribbon from my stash.

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Never eat more fudge than you can lift!

It's official... I now have the European Fudge Mountain spilling out of my fridge!!
Does anyone want to come and help me eat it???

I like to stick to a balanced diet, so this fudge contains dark AND white chocolate!

I would like to enter my packaging for the following challenges...

Just Magnolia - Dawny's  Sketch

Stamp Something - Fall Colours

Stampin' for the Weekend - Tag It!

I took a plain white box and distressed the edges with some orange chalk. I stuck my design paper all around the box and a piece on top.The tag was cut freehand and layered onto black card, punching a hole in the top and adding some ribbon. I stamped my text on one side. Then I added the layered DP and stuck Tilda on top with foam pads. Tilda is coloured with Copics and a glitter pen. Finally I added the 'Handmade' stamp.

Stamp - Magnolia Tilda
Design Paper - Memory Box, Blackbird.
'Just for You' and 'Handmade' stamps are from Catslife Press

The fudge is delicious and easy too make - no boiling and checking temps with a sugar thermometer!!
It does make quite a lot, but the recipe says it can be frozen, so it would be great to make some up for Christmas gifts.

Back to School

I used to love the summer hols when my girls were younger -

having them at home
and making up lots of fun things to do.
I know it's not everyone's idea of bliss though -
so hang on in there if you are starting to feel frazzled -
only another 4 weeks to go... lol**

The thing I like about challenges, is that they make you try something different
and push you out of your comfort zone.

This card certainly did that, I'm not really sure about using the bright colours,

but that was the challenge over at Allsorts

'Red, Blue & Yellow'

I also used the great sketch by Emma at
Sketch Saturday
and followed Stampin' for the Weekend's

'Back to School' challenge.

I used this cute Digital Delights stamp of the school bus.

I wanted to make the characters look like they were sat in the bus,
so I cut out an extra bus layer and used foam pads to 3D it.

Stamp - Digital Delights School Bus & Sentiment, coloured with Copics.

Design Paper - Papermania Basics - Vibrant.

Buttons from my stash.

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Christmas in July

I am a bit out of practice with Christmas cards,
but seeing as there are only 175 days 'til Christmas Day (eek!!)
it seemed like a good time to start making some.

I managed to dig out my box full of Christmas papers and stamps,
but I definitely need to buy some seasonal embellies.

I came across some mulberry paper (the dark green)
that I haven't used in ages.
If you wet the edges and carefully tear it,
you get a lovely feathered effect.
I 3D'd a couple of mice with foam pads,
coloured them with copics and added some stickles glitter.
I used a green chalk around the image and some yellow,
where the lantern is.
It doesn't show up too well in the photo though.

I finally found a great leaf punch.
My last one - I had to stamp on to get it to cut through anything,
and then it would completely jam!!
This one is from Xcut and it embosses as well.

Challenges I am entering...
Stampin' For The Weekend - Christmas in July and Sandie's Sketch
Fussy and Fancy - Christmas in July
Winter Wonderland - Punch It Out!

Recipe -
Stamp - Penny Black Christmas Critters.
Design Paper - My Mind's Eye - Signature Christmas.
Leaves - XCut Botanical Embossing Punch.
Blooms - Wild Orchid Crafts
Sentiment - Craftwork Cards
Star Charm - The Hobby House
My Stash - adhesive pearls, brad and ribbon.

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3-Tiered Christmas Boxes

Last week I bought the most amazing papers.
The kind that you don't want to cut into,
you just want to put them in a drawer
and take them out every so often to look at them.
:-)
Then I came across this idea for these 3 nesting boxes
and new it would be a perfect way to try my papers out.

This is also my entry for this week's
Stampin' For The Weekend challenge,
where the theme is
'Festive Goodie Box'
Check out the great ideas from the DT -
I am going to find this challenge so useful for
boxing up some Christmas goodies.

I have to say a big thankyou to Shannon for this idea,
that you can see on her blog Northern Girl Stamper
She has made some awesome box sets and has also
posted the instructions for making the boxes.

I haven't actually put anything in my boxes -
I am just going to use them as a Christmas decoration.
They look fabulous on my white mantelpiece,
and you might not be able to see from my photos,
but all the papers are glittered.

The Design Paper is My Mind's Eye,
Signature Christmas.
Happy Christmas Stamp from Pink Gem Designs

xxx

New House Party

Hi there everyone....
My youngest daughter is moving out soon.

She will be starting her 2nd year at Uni and is moving
in to a new house.

She is sharing with 1 other girl and 3 boys,
so I made this little gift as a house warming present for them
and tried not to make it too girly.

For the card I followed a great sketch over at
Stampin' for the Weekend.
Pop on over and check them out -
they are a fab challenge blog with lots of brilliant work form their DT.

Card Recipe:

Digital Stamp - Dustin Pike, coloured with whispers pens
and added glossy accents.

Design Paper - DCWV, Nana's Nursery, Baby Girl
'Party' stamp - My sentiments exactly, Adrienne's.
I made the other text up on my comp.

I made a small tag for the Jack Daniels,
using the same design paper
and again made the text up on the comp.
I wrapped some paper round the cokes and added another
Dustin Pike image.

I know the pics aren't great,

I really must practice my camera skills.
It's on my long list of things to do!!

Have a good weekend.
xxx

Cupcake Bookmark

I confess, I am a bookaholic -
and yesterday I bought a fresh new supply of novels
to get me through the next few weeks.
One of them was Stieg Larsson's, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
This is the first of a crime thriller trilogy.

Has anyone else read them?
I would be interested in what you thought.

Anyhoo - I thought it would be a good idea to make a bookmark.
I am entering this for this week's

Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge.
The theme is 'masking',
and you could win the cutest House Mouse stamp.

Check out the DT work for some really awesome cards.

I used the cupcake stamps from Simon Says Stamp,
masking each one as I went along,
then coloured them with whispers pens, and cut them out.
I layered them onto the design paper, which is

DCWV Nana's Nursery baby Girl.
Card candy and ribbon are from my stash.
xxx

Fabulous New Blog Candy

Look at this wonderful candy that new challenge blog,
Stampin' for the Weekend'
are giving away.
All you have to do, to be in with a winning chance,

is to enter their first challenge on June 5th.

Simples!!!
:-)