Another sunny day...

... yay!!!!  Its my eldests 13th Birthday today and we've had sunshine - I think its only the second or third time it hasnt snowed or rained on his birthday - lol.  So after a bit of retail therapy at the MetroCentre spending his money on a skateboard he went out to play on it for all of 2 minutes - hmmmm - ah well its his money - we'll try and get to one of the local skate parks this week and see if that encourages him a little.    (I'm not going to blog his card as tbh I'm not that happy with it - think a bit of panic has set in lol - he seemed to like it though).


It's also Ians brothers Birthday tomorrow he has reached the big five oh, and there was a little party for him last night - not sure if he's opened his cards yet, I hope so 'cos I'm just about to blog his card:

I've used a great Bugaboo image coloured with promarkers and sentiment that came with the image.  I used my new Silhouette to cut out the 50  (brave I know!) and matted this onto a die cut star that I already had.  The dp is kaisercraft and the paper, image & sentiment have been matted onto yellow bazzil.

I would like to enter this into:

Catch the bug challenge - anything goes.
Simon says stamp challenge - Happy Birthday.
Cards for Men - april fool

While my mojo is with me I also made this card for a couple of challenges:

 

I've had this image for a while it was a freebie from  Pink Gem designs.  (Thanks Sue x)Again the image is coloured with promarkers, and was lovely to colour in.  The dp has been matted onto Green bazzil with flowers and card candy added from my stash and then some fern leaves punched from the same green bazzil.

I would like to enter this into:

I love promarkers - your favourite colours (love the green and pink combo which I've used a few times in the past.

Papertake weekly - anything goes
Passion for promarkers - fantasy
A gem of a challenge - animals

Right, think thats me up to date for now I've another card using one of Janeys images 
but I need 3 orange pearls (or similar - and I havent got that colour - gah!!) not to worry going to a crafty fair on Saturday so hopefully I'll pick some up there - like I need an excuse to go - lol.

Enjoy whats left of the weekend.  Thanks for looking.

Ali
xxx

April already???

Good grief where did March go???  Not doing well in keeping up with this blogging malarky am I???  Anyhoo, hope you are all well - its lovely here today - although getting a little cold again now - managed to get some washing hung out and windows open for some fresh air in the house.

I've also been faffing on - my card making mojo went walkabout again - but is coming back now, it really needs to as got my sons 13th birthday coming up on Sunday totally stuck for layouts so think its going to be a c.a.s. make when I get it finished.  

I feel really bad that I'm not making loads especially when my lovely hubby bought me a Silhouette Cameo - squeel!!!!!  Except tbh I'm a bit frightened of it especially as I've only used it a couple of times and think I've knacked the blade :-( .  The instruction booklet doesnt really give a huge amount of information so I've been searching You Tube - if anyone can point me in the direction of other good places to visit for help that would be great.

I have made this card last night using one of Janey new images - the hyacinth - which you can find here:

The papers and card are from my stash, the sentiment was a freebie download on Facebook but cant remember where from possible Whimsey???  I have coloured the image with promarkers and added a bow - I always have a nightmare trying to do bows always seem to end up with a bit lumpy knot type thing at the back - but this one didnt turn out tooo bad with practice I might end up with bows as good as Minas :-).

 Right wont bore you any more today - going to have a bit more play - there have been some great freebies in the cross-stitch mags so think I'll go and do a bit of one of those - nearly finished one - just need to do some back stitch.

I'd like to enter this into Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon

Enjoy the rest of the day.

Ali
xx  

Flying visit...

... to show my little owl that I made with the fabric from my Crafty Creatives box:

I googled for an owl cushion pattern/tutorial and this is what I got.  I've used scraps of material I already had and then used one of the leather patches to stitch on his eyes and beak - I wasnt sure if my sewing machine would stitch through leather (its the first time I have tried and it did, but did slip a bit - however that may have been me - lol) and there is still plenty of material left to make something else.

Definately need more practice on the sewing front to gain confidence with my sewing machine and also to get a grip with cutting and measuring - I think my problem is I'm too impatient and instead of taking my time tend to rush things to get them finished - oops.

Thanks for looking.

Ali
xx

In the words of Britney....

... oops I did it again!!!!  Yup, another leave it till the last minute job!!!  Will I ever learn???  It's my lovely mums birthday today and I only finished the card Thursday night (with a little extra glue needed Friday a.m.).

The dp has been matted onto purple bazzil card, the image is a Jelly Park  I hadnt heard of these before until I saw a share on Facebook - they have some lovely images, so it would have been rude not to grab a couple!!  The image is coloured with promarkers and die cut, the sentiment is a craftwork cards and then some of Martha's butterflies punched out and a little pearl added to them.

Might have a little nosy later to see if there are any challenges I could add this to :-)

Are you still here????  oooh good - because I've got something new to share:

I've joined a crafty subscriber club (always good to do when your mojo has gone walkabout!!) - its called Crafty Creatives and it costs £10pm plus p&p and you get a box full of goodies on a different theme - this month the theme was Steampunk.

Do you want to have a look what I got this month:

The kit this month was a little trinket box to decoupage - so the papers, cogs and chain were included with instructions on what you could do.

Next there were some off cuts of leather, a large piece of tweed type fabric with a fleck through it - some leather cord and some wire, some little charms and a steampunk art card.

 

Oops sorry the picture is the wrong way round, but this is some foil, charms, spacers and some crackle glaze.

Lots of newness there to play with.  Somethings I havent a clue what to do/make but it adds to the excitement of what you 'could' do (if you know what I mean - lol).  At Crafty Creatives they have a great blog that offers ideas and on the back of the art card gives little suggestions what things could be used for.

Well, as soon as I saw the fabric - I knew what I wanted to do and that was make an owl cushion - not very steampunk I know - hmmm could make him a monacle lol.  So thats what I am off to do now- I've found an owl pattern so with my scissors in hand I am off!!

Thanks for looking and I'll let you know how I get on :-) 

Ali

xx

Hellooooo blogland....

...it was all going so well!!!  Busy with cards and a bit of stitching and then poof - my mojo went - just like that!!!  Nightmare.  So from being organised with an early mothers day card - I've just made my second one half an hour ago - talk about leaving it until the last minute - gah!!  Not to be recommended.

So I'll try and get a few piccies up of thing I have done/been up to since I last blogged, grab a cuppa and off we go...

erm, think I'll work from most recent first - so here is my second Mothers day card:

I have used a cutie LOTV image - coloured with promarkers with some glitter pen and glossy accents added to the flower centre.  I have matted it onto peachy coloured card (both cut with my nesties), then matted again onto dp (not sure of make) and more peachy card.  I bit the bullet and stamped the sentiment straight onto the paper - convinced I was going to bodge it up - but I didnt phew!  Then added ribbon, button and pearly type things (very technical I know) from my stash.  Considering I had no ideas on what I wanted it to look like I am quite pleased with it.

I would like to enter it into:
Lilies little fairies - a card for mum
Crafts for eternity - marvellous mums
Stamping for the weekend - use lace
Totally Gorjuss - for mum

On Thursday it was world book day - oh lordy - parents throughout the land sigh as that means for the kids to go to school dressed as their favourite book character - makes it a  bit more difficult  when you dont want to fork out for anything  - anyhoo, Tom wanted to go as Tom from Beast quest:

Okaaay - not many pictures in the book to go from so this is what we put together -   I made a tunic out of an old pillowcase, black trousers and top, big boots and then dad came to the rescue to make the sword and shield.  Luckily it all stops when they go to seniors - Jack was relieved - however that was short lived when we got an email from his school to say for Red Nose day they can go in onsies - lol - I dont think Jack will be going in one judging from his reaction - fine by me means I dont have to go and buy one!!

Erm, what else - oh yes it was Ians uncles birthday - this was his card:

Again a Lotv image - coloured with promarkers and glossy accents added to the beer glass, matted onto kraft paper the dp's are dovecraft I think - again matted onto craft paper.  With a freebie sentiment printed and matted.

I would like to enter this into:

Sweet stampin - for man or boy

Lastly a stitchy photo:

The little bunny in the card was a freebie from a magazine - and its proved quite popular I've seen a few posts where lovely ladies have stitched it - I've put it in the card aperture for now (not glued) but thinking I might frame it instead - when I get a bit more time I'll have a proper look.  The sweet strawberry chart was a freebie from here I dont think it links to the actual chart - but you'll be able to find it from there I think, if not give me a shout and I'll find a better link.  Lastly the small alphabet sampler is a Bent Creek design that I got from a stitchy show last year - didnt realise it but it has different stitches on it - not just cross stitch - should be able to suss it out though.

Right I think thats it - off to do a bit of ironing before the Rugby starts.  Have a great weekend, thanks for staying this long to read :-) xxx


Ali
xxx

Lovely Lillies

Lillies are my all time favourite flower - I had them in my wedding bouquet - so when Janey 
created this image - I knew I had to use it.  However, the card has turned out nothing like how it was supposed to - it was going to be C&S - but I wasnt liking it - so it seemed to progress to this and I'm really pleased with it:

The image has been coloured with promarkers and some little golden glitter spots added (after my mum had some lillies in a vase and I was having a good nosey at the colours of the petals).  The papers are freebies from a magazine ages ago.  The sentiment is from Craftwork cards and have used my new Memory Box die and added a little bit of bling.

Before I go, I also want to show my gardening notebook:

Now I must admit I'm not a very good gardener I tend to kill a lot of things, however Jane has inspired me as has the lovely Carol Klein after watching her in her recent gardening series so
I have taken a 30p notebook from Asda and given it a revamp.  I printed  Janeys fern image directly onto patterned paper, cut it out for around my title - then added papers, ribbons and lace from my stash.  Last year in the garden I had loads of plants I wanted to swap around and now I've forgotten what I was going to do - doh!!! so hopefully I'll put the book to good use and remember what to do - must be my age.

Thanks for looking

Ali
xx

Hellooo...

gah! time has ran away with me again - honestly where does it go to - while I have a spare few minutes I thought I'd blog some recent makes and pop them in some challenges:

First up is hubbys valentines card:

Its one of Mo's great images that she recent had as a freebie download - thank you Mo.  Great image for a man -  I had some other images lined up but was a bit worried they were a bit girlie.  I have coloured him with promarkers and matted him on to red card then black card.  I have added some twine that was free with a magazine and added the sentiment that was again part of a freebie with a magazine a while ago.

I would like to enter this into:

Mo's challenge - anthing goes with a mo image
Cards for Men - all my love

The next card is for the little lad over the road - who plays with Tom:

The digi image is the Stamping Boutique, again coloured with promarkers.  The papers are Kaisercraft - the image and centre papers have been matted onto red card. Think I need to add some pennant dies to a shopping list - I cut that one myself - I even measured it and everything - check me out - normally I just cut and hope for the best lol.

I would like to enter this into:

Passion for Promarkers - Boys and their toys


In my amazement at creating my first Mothers Day card I forgot about my m-i-l's birthday next week - oops - no panic!!!  I set too and made this one:

 

The image is a LOTV freebie image from a magazine - coloured again with trusty promarkers.  The papers are Basic grey and I have matted onto pearlised card.  The memory box die has been cut from the same card then added some bling to the flowers and the corner of the card.  The sentiment is from Craftwork cards.

I would like to enter this into:

I love promarkers - Happy Birthday

Crafty sentiments - anything goes

Papertake weekly - anything goes. 

Moving along with the times - only girls allowed.

Lastly a card I made for my other sister in law (two s-i-l's both with birthdays in Feb!!)

 

I have coloured the gorgeous sugar nellie image with promarkers and matted onto pink card - the papers are Basic Grey again all matted onto pink card.  Then added flowers and pearl from my stash.

I would like to enter this into:

The Sugar Bowl - anything with a Sugar Nellie image.

Phew think thats me nearly caught up - off to print out some images for colouring and then do a bit of sewing - I've finished a cross stitch project - so just need to get it made into something.

Thanks for looking

Ali

xx