Monday 30 April 2012

Daisy with present

Good Morning ~ I hope you weren't rained out this weekend!
We've had such a contrast to the weather on the mainland, it's been lovely and sunny here.

I have another Daisy card to share today and the colours on this one are a lot more muted compared to the last one!
I started with A4 white card scored in half, landscape style.
I covered the front with bazzill kraft card and inked around the edges with seedless preserves distress ink.
The DP is by Fancy Pants and the
image is from digistampboutique . I coloured her with Copics.

 The flourishes are cut with a Sizzix die and the flowers are Prima.
The ticket is cut with a TH ticket decorative strip die and stamped with a Printworks birthday stamp.


The responses I got at home about this card ranged from:
Lydia ~ it's cool Mum...
Richard ~ it's not your usual style....
Caleb ~ I like anthing you make Mum...(he doesn't like to offend...)
Phoebe ~ Who made that card?  lol

It's for a teenager so I hope she likes it!

Thank you for visiting today and hello to my new followers!
You're very welcome:)
Take care
Sarah xx

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges :
Make it Monday ~ anything goes
Little Claire ~ Spots and Dots
Sentimental Sundays #100 ~ Cards for kids
Opus Gluei ~ use flourishes
CI Paints ~ flowers
SSDS ~ Birthday
Love to Create ~ buttons and flowers
Digistamp Boutique ~ April anything goes (with DSB image)

Sunday 29 April 2012

Guest DT for Gingerloft Challenge

Good Morning!

I've scheduled this post for today, so I hope it works....

A few weeks ago I won a challenge at Gingerloft
and part of the prize was a guest spot on the design team for the challenge this week:)
Tami sent me this little koala image to use.
Isn't it cute !

and ....
they're giving it away free for you to use in this week's challenge :)

You can download it here.


I printed the image on card and coloured it with Copics.
I inked around the edges with Old Paper distress ink and matted it on white card.
Using a square of  bazzill (Cocoa) cardstock I embossed it with a wood effect embossing folder.
Then I tore it roughly around the edges.
Using a Cropadile I punched half circles at the top and bottom of  the base  card and tied hemp twine around it.
I printed the digi sentiment (also from Gingerloft) and cut the circles with Nestabilities,
then adhered them to the card with foam pads.


I hope you like it and take a minute to check out what the Gingerloft Design Team have made :)

Thank you for the lovely comments you've all been leaving me.
I really enjoy reading them, and some are very funny :)

Thanks for visiting and have a lovely day.
Take care :)
Sarah xx

Saturday 28 April 2012

New Home

 Happy weekend!

Hope you're all having a good one :)

I went shopping with Mum today but before I left I checked out the new challenge at Less is More.
It's a sketch this week and it's lovely.

I started this card before I left
and finished it when I came home :)

The image and sentiment are a from a stamp set by Little Claire.
I stamped the full image twice and cut a square section from one of them and coloured with it Copics.
I coloured the house in the centre of the second image and fussy cut around it.


Then decoupaged it on top with foam pads.
I coloured the sentiment with SU Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin Pie markers
and stamped directly on the card base.

If you'd like to enter the LIM challenge the link is here
and these are the sketches



Thank you for visiting :)
I'll be back later with a GDT card.
Take care
Sarah xx

Thursday 26 April 2012

Clean and simple baby card

Hello everyone!

The card I'm sharing today is very simple to make.
I'm on the naughty step at Less is More this week
for getting carried away and entering too many challenges with my last card :(
I hope I can redeem myself with this one :)


The card base and all the little bits and pieces are cut out using the Silhouette.
I glued the boat to the bottom circle then added the frame circle on top with foam pads.
I added a split ring to the charm and put it through the loop in the 'y'
The dots are embossed using a Cuttlebug border embossing folder.


Richard was passing by as I was taking the photo and asked 'Oh is that a porthole?' lol
That wasn't my intention ....

I'm off now to light the fire,
it's freezing in the house today.
Thankfully no more leaks though :)

Thank you for visiting today!
Have a lovely day and take care.
Sarah xx

Wednesday 25 April 2012

It's Daisy

Hello again :D

I better warn you.....
...the card I have today is bright!

and all because of a new blog I found...

You might remember I said a while ago that I had to finish the clothes for the teddy bear I made.
 Well, I would have had them finished only I ran out of lace for the bloomers.
After searching high and low on the internet for the exact same lace
(and beginning to despair of ever finding it)
I found it here.
I ordered some seam binding as well and it came neatly folded, labelled and beautifully packaged :)

I discovered they (The Ribbon Girl) have a challenge blog and as I love a challenge
This is what I made - using the colours orange, pink and aqua.
I used this week's sketch from T.S.G.
 The image is Daisy from Digistamp Boutique and she's coloured with Copics.
I got carried away and coloured her hair blue too...but my daughter Lydia says it's cool so I'll trust her opinion lol.
The seam binding colours are white, peach and tile blue.
The pink and blue papers are DCWV Blossoms and Butterflies
and the orange spot paper is Echo Park.

I inked the sentiment using SU markers and stamped on white card which I then cut in the shape of a flag/banner (not sure what you'd call it!) I raised the centre of it with foam pads.

I'd also like to enter this card in Diva's by design who are looking for buttons & bows.  Sweet Stampin would like to see more than 1 ribbon.  Card Makin Mamas would like you to make it Girly.  LadybugcraftsInk have the theme Birthday and Celebrate the Occasion would like Happy Birthday and you must use ribbon. I'd also like to add it to the Digistamp Boutique monthly challenge.

Now that I've got my new lace
there really is no excuse for not finishing the teddy now, is there? 
Keep an eye out and I'll post pics soon :)

Thank you so much for stopping by today
I hope you're not getting drenched with all this rain...
Our conservatory has sprung a leak
so there's now a bucket in the middle of the floor, catching the drips!
See you tomorrow
Sarah xx

Monday 23 April 2012

How Charming!

Good afternoon!
Didn't the weekend fly by...

I had some lovely news on Friday that I was showcased over at Less is More
for my shades of green card!
Thank you Chrissie and Mandi :)

I'm back today with my entry for  this week's challenge .
The challenge is to add a charm to your card.

For my card I used a sunflower digi from Dilly Beans Stamps,
which I cut out with nestabilites and sponged around the edge with blue and green ink
before I removed it from the die.

I coloured it with copics and added glamour dust to the centres of the flowers


I'm afraid I don't know where I got the charm from - possibly ebay?
and I added a TH jump ring so it would hang without twisting.

I tied the charm on with two strands of hemp twine (one of my lovely purchases at the craft show)
The sentiment is by Personal Impressions and is stamped with SU
Chocolate Chip and Apricot Appeal inks.
I've just realised Lydia should be at her music lesson
Must run!
Thank you all for visiting my blog and for leaving comments ~ I really appreciate it :)
Have a lovely evening,
Sarah xx

Ps. Thank you Lisa for choosing me as one of your top picks at Make it Monday :)

I'd also like to enter this card in the following:
Always Crafting Creative Mondays ~ Yellow and sunshine
Paper Creations Ink ~ April showers bring May flowers
The Pink Elephant ~ Use yellow
Just some Lines ~ Give a gift of flowers
Make it Monday ~ anything goes
Love to Create ~ Anything goes
Tuesday Alchemy #10 ~ spring sweetness.....I've just discovered this blog and it's lovely!

Friday 20 April 2012

Mini Scrapbook Album using CCW April mini kit.

Good Morning!

Following the little peek I gave of this yesterday,
here is the finished project! Did you guess what it was?

It's a little mini scrapbook album of my Grandparents Wedding Day.
Sadly, I never got to know either of them as they both died in tragic circumstances before I was born.

When Lou from Creative Craft World sent me this month's mini kit to have a play with,
I was delighted!
It's absolutely gorgeous and packed full of Prima yumminess :)
You can see the kit HERE and at only £7.99 it's a real bargain.
Or even better ~ if you subscribe it's £6.99 + free UK shipping!
You don't have to use the kit to enter the challenge.
All you have to do is make something smaller than 12x12 and add your link here.
It runs for a whole month, so no excuses!!

I've added loads of photos
so I do apologise if it takes a long time to load on your computer.
(especially to my Mum since hers takes forever!)
Regular readers of this blog will know that I am not known for being 'inky' or 'vintagey'
but I've surprised myself and loved getting messy :)

To make the book, I cut white chipboard with a Sizzix originals Album cover and page die
by Brenda Pinnick.
I inked the edges of the pages and photos with Vintage Photo distress ink.

Isn't the 'cherish' charm gorgeous! It's very solid and feels really good quality.



 I cut the flower and black border on this page with the Silhouette Cameo.
The background on this page is cream card which is inked with Vintage Photo distress ink and then stamped with a TH flourish stamp which was stamped off on scrap paper first.
I cut a piece of vellum with a nestabilities die, inked the edges and layered on top.
The envelope is cut with the Cameo and also the black 'lace'.
I'm amazed it cut it out so intricately!
If you're thinking of getting a Cameo all I can say is, you won't regret it!


 I really love the heart button!
It's Prima and was one of  a selection of beautiful buttons in the kit.



 The background on this page is plain Bazzill card which is inked and stamped with a TH script stamp.

The black paper 'lace' on this page is the same cut file that I used on the envelope page only this time I made it bigger.
 I left the back of the book plain so I can add more pages if I want to at a later date.
 Just a close up to show some of the texture on the pages.
There is too much detail on each of the pages to describe properly how I made it.
I think this post is already long enough!
If there's anything you see and you'd like to know how it was done
just send me a email and I'll do my best to help :)

I really enjoyed making this book and it is very special as we have very few photos of my grandparents.  It's good to keep their memory alive :)

In the 1940's
my Grandmother was in hospital and gave birth to a baby girl when she took a kidney infection.
At that time penicillin had just become available and she was given an injection to fight the infection.
Unfortunately she took an allergic reaction and died (aged just 24) leaving a husband and 4 young children. My Dad was only two at the time.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog today :)
Why not pop over to the Creative Craft World blog and see what the other DT members have made with this month's kit.
I'm off to the Craft Show in Belfast today and I hope to get some nice goodies
(not that I really need them!)
Take care :)
Sarah xx

I'd like to enter this little book in the following challenges:
C.R.A.F.T ~ wedding/anniversary
Cropstop ~ handmade paper lace
Cute Card Thursday ~ metallica
Creatalicious #33 ~ butterflies and add some flowers
I Brake for Challenges ~ anything but a card
Just keep on Creating ~ anything goes
Allsorts ~ buttons and threads
Make it Monday ~ anything goes
Totally Papercrafts ~ all buttoned up
The Pretty little Ribbonshop ~ to die for
Divas by Design ~ anything but a card
Bunny Zoe's ~ ribbon or twine
Simon says Stamp and show ~ anything goes

Thursday 19 April 2012

Sneak peek...

Good afternoon :)

I finally got my project finished!
It took a bit longer than I expected but I really shouldn't have left it to the last minute....

Would you like a little peek?
I'll be posting all the photos tomorrow to coincide with release of the April mini kit
at Creative Craft World.


It's vintage and it's a .....

Well you'll just have to wait and see :)

I hope you're all having a lovely day.
The weather here is beautiful ~ I hope the sun stays for a while!
Thanks for visiting
Sarah xx

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Jasper digistamp

Good Morning!

I'm afraid I have to post this and run this morning.
I have a deadline to meet today and I'm waaay behind
Once I get it done I will be round to visit you all
and catch up on commenting.

Thank  you so much for all the very kind comments on my last cards
....you definitely made me feel better about them :)




Hope you have a great day!
'See you soon'
Sarah xx

Monday 16 April 2012

Less is More - Doodling....

Good morning!

The challenge over at Less is More this week is Doodling!

I've been debating over the weekend whether or not to post these cards...

I'm embarrassed....
when I see the beautiful and intricate cards everyone else has made :)
You can probably tell it only took 5 minutes each to make them....


I love doodling on cards but it's always been faux stitching or simple dots and lines.
This really was a challenge for me and not one I'm totally comfortable with....lol
I used a Sakura Micron 005 pen for the doodling and added some colour with SU markers.
The scallop card is cut with the Sizzix square scallop die.


Try not to giggle too much at my efforts..... lol :)

I'm off now to have a yummy lunch at Mum's.
While it was lovely having the children off school for 2 weeks ~
it was great to send them back this morning and have the house to myself!

I hope you have a lovely day whatever you're doing
and thank you for visiting my blog :)
Take care :)
Sarah xx

Sunday 15 April 2012

Little Wryn and bird digi stamp

Hello :)

I've had such a busy weekend I'm only getting to update my blog now :)
I hope you're all well!

I have a question for you about colouring an image for a card/project!

 I had been selecting the papers I wanted for a card and then colouring the image to match them
but I found this took me a long time just to make one card so....
I've now started printing out a page of images (or stamping) and colouring them
in whatever colour is to hand,
then matching the papers after....so much quicker!
I now find I'm using papers I never would have thought of using before :)

What have you found works best for you?

The card I'm sharing today is a little Wryn digi image from Tiddly Inks.
She's printed on smooth white card and coloured with Copics.

The yellow spotty paper is Echo Park ~ Sweet Summertime
and the 'parasol' paper is by Memory Box.
I layered them on blue Bazzill card and machine stitched around the spotty paper.


I tied blue raffia around the card and threaded it through a yellow Prima flower.
Then added the mini button on top of the bow, with a glue dot.
The sentiment is computer generated using 'teenage angst' font
and sponged with yellow ink around the edge.
To finish off, I added tiny gems from Meiflower around the image :)


Well that's the Easter holidays well and truly over for us!
School starts back again tomorrow.
It's been such a treat to get a lie in this week :)
I don't relish the thought of having to get up at 6.30am again....lol

Thank you for visiting my blog today!
Take care :)
Sarah xx

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
Sweet Stampin ~ girly but no pink!
Allsorts wk150 ~ Buttons & thread
Card Makin' Mamas ~ make it girly
Colour Create ~ yellow, blue & white
DYSU ~ glitter or bling
Creative Belli #141 ~ children
ABC DT ~ anything goes

Thursday 12 April 2012

Footie Birthday Card

Hello!

Well you wouldn't know what kind of weather to expect here....
lovely and sunny in the morning and heavy hailstones in the afternoon!
It is sooooo cold....

 Nothing for it but to stay inside and craft  ;)

My card today is made using a pre-coloured image from Lili of the Valley
and the papers I've used are from a Me & My Big Ideas - 'Traveller' mat pad.


I wrapped green & white Baker's twine around the striped paper
and zig zag stitched around the whole card and also a little bit on the image.
The star is cut out in different sizes with the Silhouette Cameo and the sentiment is made using print & cut in the Studio design software.
The buttons are from my stash (bag 'o' buttons I think!)


and I think that's it!

I'm off to create something with my new Creative Craft World mini kit
for my next DT project.
Oh WOW! This kit is so beautiful, I think you'll want to have it ;)
It will be available from the 20th of this month.
~~~

 I overheard this conversation between Lydia (15) & Phoebe (5) yesterday...

Phoebe (in her sweetest voice) - 'Lydia....will you play the Wii with me?
Lydia - 'I can't at the moment wee pet, I want to I finish this'
Phoebe (dramatic change of tone) - 'aaarrrghh, I HATE you knitting!!'

I think we have a touch of knitting fever here.....!
I'm glad though, as it's for such a good cause.

Thank you for visiting,
I hope you have a lovely day whatever the weather!
Take care :)
Sarah xx

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
Bunny Zoe's ~ ribbon or twine
Delightful Sketches ~ stitching , real or faux
Sassy Cheryl's #110 ~ anything goes
SOS ~ masculine theme or 'boy' colours
Use it Tuesday ~ anything goes (the papers, image, and buttons I've had for over a year.....)
Love to Create ~ Birthday
PCJ ~ 3 or more patterned papers

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Babies.....

Hello again :)

The card I'm sharing today is for my new little niece in Australia.
I cut the petal shaped card with the Cameo and used Echo Park ~ Little Girl papers to decorate it.
The gorgeous little image is from Ladybug Crafts Ink .
(I treated myself using the voucher I won in their craft challenge last month!)


I coloured her with Copics and added Glamour dust to the top of the blanket.
The stamp is by Studio G and is stamped with Chocolate Chip SU ink.
I tied a double bow in the seam binding ribbon and attached it with glue dots.


 I cut the image out after it was coloured and layered it with foam pads.  I didn't have time to colour the image underneath but I don't think anyone will notice...

Fish and Chip babies in Africa
When I was browsing through blogs on Monday I came across Dawny's blog and I was in tears by the story she told ~ please read it here.

I have lots of wool left over from previous knitting projects so Richard got it down from the attic and I made this hat and jumper.
The pattern is very easy to follow and you only need basic knitting skills to make it.
Lydia (my 15 year old) is halfway through one already and she's only just learning to knit.
Please help if you can :)

I tried them on Phoebe's doll just to see how they fit but I didn't let her see,
or she'd only want to keep them !














Thanks for visiting!
Take care
Sarah xx

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:
Ladybug Crafts Ink #58 ~ shapes (was too late for the spots and stripes last week!)
Top Tip Tuesday #74 ~ spotty/dotty
Craft your Passion #105 ~ shaped cards
Kaboodle Doodles #114 ~ celebrate new life
My Grafico #125 ~ buttons and bows
Paper Pretties ~ use lots of layers/3 or more
TSG151 ~ ribbon time

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Post-it Note Holder and Easter treats

Good Morning!

Just a quick post today

We're hoping to head out to a forest park near our home
so the children can let off steam!
They're hyping about the house this morning after being cooped up yesterday
and they're doing my head in!! lol
Please stay away rain....

I made this post-it note holder last week with some of the papers I had left over from my scrapbook page and I thought it would be handy to keep beside the phone.
 In theory anyway...
Phoebe has a habit of drawing on anything she finds so I might have to hide it :)


 It is very simple and quick to make :)
You need a piece of card 24cms x 15cms then score it at 11, 12 and 13cms on the longest edge.
When you have folded the card, cut two slits roughly 2cms apart to make a pen holder.
(see the photo below for placement)


  You can now decorate it to your heart's content!
I left the inside plain but you could add a quote, or a photo or even make it into a mini layout.
A mini calendar would be useful too....


For the front I added seam binding ribbon and tied a button through it. The butterfly is punched 3 times with a Martha Stewart punch and layered. The word 'notes' are American Crafts Thickers.


 I nearly forgot about these little bags and toppers I made for Phoebe's wee friend and her brother.
I used cello bags (for bookmarks) and filled them with jelly beans.
Then cut the toppers with the Cameo.
The chick and eggs were the same Silhouette file as I used on the treat bags in yesterday's post only this time I cut the names out instead of printing them.


The gorgeous little heart ribbon is by Dovecraft and
I used two strands of blue and white raffia on Timos' topper.


 Sorry!
It wasn't such a quick post after all...

Thank you so much for visiting me today and I'd like to say a big hello to my new followers!
You've all been so kind leaving comments and I love reading them.
I have gained so much from other people sharing on their blogs
 that I'm glad I can share something back :)

I'll be back tomorrow with baby cards for my niece and some knitting...
Have a lovely day :)
Sarah xx

I'd like to enter these in the following challenges
Make it Monday #84 ~ anything goes
Gingerloft Challenge ~ anything but a card
PanPastel Uk ~ sweet treats (Easter sweet bags)
Creative Inspirations ~ Bunnies, Chicks or Eggs (Easter sweet bags)
Lollipop Crafts ~ anything Easter goes (Easter sweet bags)
Creative Monday ~ anything but a card