Treacle Toffee

I whipped up a batch of Treacle Toffee yesterday, 

so we could sit and chew through the X-factor.

Have you been watching?

We are armchair experts here :-) 

What is Louis thinking? 

I feel sorry for his acts, the styling and songs he gave them, looked very dated.

There's going to be lots of tears tonight - Kelly in particular,  has a really tough decision.

Back to the toffee ;-)

This is gorgeous - so rich and treacly and VERY easy to make.

Give it a try.

Good Morning Mr Robin

Hello peeps!
I really must get a wriggle on with my Christmas cards -
I made a list this week and scared myself at how many I have to make!
That's why this week's challenge, chosen by Jenny
at the CES Challenge Blog is just perfect for me.

The theme is   SEEING RED

Now, you don't have to go down the Christmas route, 

but please make sure that red is the main colour of your card/project.

I started with a 6 x 6 On the Edge card, matted and covered with Dovecraft Back to Basics Christmas DP.

I used a couple of stamps to create a little snow scene -  paper-piecing some parts of the bear, colouring the rest with Copics and adding a sprinkling of my favourite Glamour Dust.

I don't have one of those fancy 'punch around the page' punches, so for my frame I used a Fiskars border punch, cutting the corners as best I could, and covering the joins with Card Candi, a Catslife Press stamp and a bow.

Lots of my supplies came from Crafty Emma's. Just click on the links to be taken to the store.

Hop along to the main CES blog, 
to see the amazing work of my fellow teamies

and join us this week, for your chance to win a £10 gift voucher 
to spend in the store (excl p&p).

Challenges
 ABC Challenge - Anything goes ( great to see this challenge back, with fab work from the new DT)
Simon Says - Sparkle and Bling
Forever Friends - Use Sentiment.

Supplies.

Forever Friends Stamp / Alota Stamps Snow Fence

CatsLife Press Stamp.

6 x 6 On the Edge Card.

Glamour Dust / Card Candi / Fiskars Border Punch

Ribbon & Button from my stash.

Animal Antics

Are you an animal lover?

We hope so, 'cos that's the theme we have for you at Totally Papercrafts this week.

From pets to wildlife, we want to see Animals on your card/project.

What a great excuse for me ink up my brand new stamp -
this is my very first Gorjuss Girl.

Am I the only sad person who gets scared about colouring a stamp for the first time?
I think it's 'cos I really want to do it justice!

Challenges

Papertake -  Anything Goes and 4th Birthday Blog Hop

My Mum's Craft Shop - All Creatures Great and Small

Aud Sentiments - Happy Birthday

The Paper Variety - Forest Friends

Supplies
6 x 6 On the Edge Card (available from Crafty Emma's) / Gorjuss Girls Little Foxes, coloured with Copics.
Whimsy Stamps, Postmark / Martha Stewart Leaf Border Punch
DP, Papermania Heather / Buttons and ribbon from my stash / Gems, coloured with a Copic

Supersize Me

My daughter has a big Halloween party planned and 

when she saw these pumpkins she wanted some.

BUT, she asked for super-sized ones!!!

We had fun making these!

I just scaled up the design - using 23" strips of orange card, 2" wide.

The card was stamped all over using metallic gold ink and a Hero Arts, Deco Border stamp. So IRL they do have a bit of shimmer.

To support the weight of the card we threaded the ribon through a kitchen roll tube, that was covered with the orange card.

I would like to enter these for the following challenges.

Crafty Ribbons - Boo-tiful Halloween Projects - Pretty Spooky

Make It Monday - Linky Party

Stamp with Fun - Halloween

Crafting for all Seasons - Fall Flowers/Pumpkins

Crafty Creations - Create a Crafty Decoration

Gingerbread basket

A nip and a punch - the first of the month!!!
Wow! Here we are in October already, (although you wouldn't think it with this warm weather we are having) and we have another challenge for you at the CES Challenge Blog.

Our lovely host this week is Shell  
and she has chosen the theme Totally Gorgeous - Pretty Girls


A good excuse to get out all your pretty, girly papers and embellies.

I'm not really a girly girl, but I did my best. 

I made a simple box from card and used a large, doorplate die to cut the shapes, that I stuck to the front and back. I covered the basket with First Edition, Festive Treats DP from Crafty Emma's.

It's hard to make out from these photos, but the little gingerbread hearts are all glittery.

The handle is a piece of card, punched on both sides, with a strip of the DP down the middle and finished off with a little satin bow.

I decorated the front with some pretty blooms, dew drops, card candi, sheer ribbon, swirls and a Catslife Press stamp.

Tilda is paper-pieced, coloured with Copics and sprinkled with Glamour Dust.
I didn't have time to make some real gingerbread men, so, just for fun, I cut a paper one using my Slice machine, inked the edges and added black gems for his eyes and buttons :-)

I thought afterwards, I should have cut a little gingerbread man from the DP and replaced Tilda's cupcake with it - next time!!!

Don't forget to check out the awesome work of my fellow teamies - they have outdone themselves this week -we are also having a little change to the prize this time and the winner will get one Whiff Of Joy Stamp from Crafty Emma's
There's also a great SALE on right now - so head over there and grab yourself a bargain..

Challenges - 

Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter - For the Girls

Simon Says - Anything Goes. - they are trying for 1000 entires this week!This is my second entry.

Sweet Li'l Pumpkin

I LOVE Autumn - the changing colours, 

walking the dog in the woods, with the smell of burning leaves in the air, and spending long, dark afternooons cooking in the warmth of the kitchen. Bliss!

So, I love the challenge theme that Sue has chosen for us at Totally Papercrafts this week... we want to see your AUTUMN cards/projects.

I've been searching for some twig style pumpkins for ages (to go with my hearts), but had no luck - so I decided to make some paper pumpkins instead.

I followed the amazing tutorial by Dawn at Dawn's Stamping Studio - honestly, these are so easy to make.
I just love the way they turned out and they look so cute on my mantelpiece.

 Don't forget to check out the amazing work of my fellow teamies, 

and this week we have 2 fabulous sponsors for you -

Simon Says Stamp and The Stamp Fairy.

Challenges
    Make It Monday - Linky Party
    Ladybug Crafts Ink - Fall and/or Fancy Folds

    Simon Says - Anything Goes
    Crafting for all Seasons - Fall Colours

DP - My Mind's Eye, Ooh La La. 

This was from Crafty Emma's Store. I don't think she has this paper right now, but check out the CES Inspirational Blog for more of these pumpkins, and a heads up on what's new in store.

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Micely Opening Presents

Just a quick post from me today -
I don't know what happened with this photo, I'm really disappointed with how it looks.
IRL it's very glittery and, the greys on the image and the background paper are a much better match.

I made this for the House Mouse Challenge, which is  *Sparkle on your Christmas Creations*.

There's really is lots of sparkle on here - I edged the papers with glamour dust and used silver stickles on the image.

Supplies -
DP - First Edition, Festive Treats.
House Mouse Stamp coloured with Copics and stickles.
Marianne Snowflake die with dew drops
Martha Stewart lace border punch
Glamour Dust / Silver Ribbon / Tiny Bell.

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Reuse Renew Recycle

Happy Saturday everyone. 

Time for another challenge at the CES Challenge Blog.

Our lovely host this week is Sheena
  
and she has chosen the theme RECYCLE

You can use re-use something for a project or add a recycled element to your card,  just let us know which part of it is recycled.

If you're anything like me, you will have a drawer full of odds and ends that you just CAN'T throw away.

Why not have a rummage in there and see what you come up with.

I have turned some small cereal boxes into mini file holders.

This is what I started with  - 

I marked approx 1 inch out from the top left of the box and 2 inches up from the right side of the box, drew a diagonal line to join these marks up and then cut it out.

On the other side mark from the right 1 inch out and up 2 inches, from the left side.

I'm making this sound so much more complicated than it really is. ;-)

Just check out the photo below and you will see better how it's cut.

Once it was cut out, I used Fancy Pants 'It's the Little Things' DP to cover it. This is a really great paper, and I've found it so versatile, you can get it now at Crafty Emma's and if you're popping over there check out the other fabulous papers she has in stock.

To finish I added some silver tape, card candi and a label.

Usually, when I stamp an image, I stamp it 2 or three times, so that if I mess up with my colouring I have a fresh one, ready to start again. Now, instead of just dropping these into a drawer, I can keep them neatly organised.
Well - that's the theory! ;-)

Don't forget to pop on over to my teamies blogs, 
to check out their awesome work (you can find their blog links in my sidebar).

 

Join us this week for your chance to win a £10 gift voucher 
to spend in the store (excl p&p)

And here's a quick look at one of the gorgeous new Authentique papers that Emma has available to pre-order.

 Challenges - 
Inspire Me Fridays - Linky Party
Fab 'n' Funky - "It's a hard theme" (Something that you find hard to do. I think re-cycling is a tricky one. Trying to turn something that you would throw out into something useful can be difficult.

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Sweet Boys

Huge THANK YOU to everyone who plays along and supports us over at the Totally Papercrafts Challenge. We love to see all your entries... so please keep them rollin' in. :-)

This week the fabulous Lols is our host, with the theme....

Thank You

Now, I bet if you think about it, there is at least one person in your life that deserves a thank you this week.

Why not make them a card, or a little gift, to show your appreciation.

I am always making little treats for my girls - so it was high time the boys got something!

These are very quick and simple to make - I used cello card bags for the sweeties and the topper is just a rectangle of card, scored and folded down the centre and stuck onto the bag with DS tape.

I coloured Teddy Bo and Bea with Copics, and made a little thank you banner, cutting triangles from the DP. I went for these autumn colours, that I think are great for guys and they matched the sweeties ;-)

The silver stick on letters were coloured orange with a copic pen.

Challenges - 

Make It Monday - Linky Party

Crafting For All Seasons - Fall Colours

The Paper Shelter - Anything Goes

Supplies - 

Cello Bags

Teddy Bo & Bea Digi Images

DP -  My Mind's Eye True Blue

Bakers Twine / stick-on letters

Don't forget to check out my fab teamies creations - you can see them all listed in my sidebar.

And this week our lovely sponsor is  Stitchy Bear Stamps who are offering 5 digis as the prize. Visit their new and improved site.

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A little birdy told me

... that the ladies at LIM would love to see 1000 entries this week.

so far they have reached around the 530 mark,

so if you haven't joined in yet, you can enter ANY CAS style card.

Here's my entry.

I used a birdcage stamp from the Papermania 'Tweet' set, cut out and mounted onto blue card with foam pads.

The bird is a stamp from the same set, covered in fine glitter with a little gem for it's eye. IRL this is really gorgeous -  honest injun :-)

Challenges

LIM - Anything CAS

Truly Scrumptious - CAS

Crafty Sentimments - Happy Birthday

Supplies

Papermania Stamp Set 'Tweet'

Making Memories Scrapbook Shimmer, Aqua

Tiny Gem, coloured black with a Copic.

Happy Birthday Stamp - Kanban

Ribbon from my stash

Proud Mum

Today I'd like to shamelessly brag about my daughter Maria.

She has just called to say that she has had her final results.

Not only has she passed her degree, 

but she nailed it and got a  FIRST  :-))

I am so excited for her - it's been 4 years of hard work.

I admit, I made this card a few weeks ago - I knew she'd do it!! 

I know it looks a little strange, but it will make her laugh

and if I tell you her course was Clinical Physiology Cardiology then it makes more sense. :-)

Maria is going to be working as a Clinical Cardiac Physiologist.

I would like to enter this for a couple of challenges

Creative Inspirations - Let's Celebrate (this is dfinitely something to celebrate and I have the fizzy in the fridge!)

and Simon Says - Dies to Die For ( I used a nestie circle and scalloped circle and a Martha Stewart Lace Border Punch).

Supplies - 

The image came from The Graphics Fairy

DP - Kaiser Craft, La Di Da

Black Gems / Martha Stewart Doily Punch / Ribbon from my stash