Make a wish

Wow it seems like I've been away for a while, not intentionally I must add!  Unfortunately we've had some ill health in the family and it has distracted me from crafting, but it didn't distract me from doing some serious online shopping for which I have my wonderful Mum and Dad to thank xx  Ahh retail therapy, don't ya love it!

Just recently due to the arthritus in my thumbs I have been finding it painful to use one of my most prized pieces of equipment and one I have had from very early on in my crafting, my beloved Big Shot, I love my Big Shot but I'm sorry to say I have replaced it and treated myself to a wonderful Cut 'n' Boss and along with that I decided I NEEDED some new dies and some new embossing folders, well we crafters can never have enough of those can we?! lol

Then at the end of a very difficult, stressful and tiring week I came home to find that I had been a Designer Favourite over at TEW AND I had also won TEW Facebook challenge, so thrilled and I won 4 TEW images, lots of smiles and happy dancing!  You could say it was just what the doctor ordered! lol

Anyway I have used plenty of new bits on this card that I'm sharing today.  The image is TEW Lucy Loo Snow Queen, coloured with Spectrums, First Edition Markers and Sakura startdust pens, the background is embossed with Embossalicious Clouds (new), then diecuts added, JS banner, Cheery Lynn Designs Colonial Lampost (new), Crafty Cutters label die, snow flake punch, sentiment stamp from Paula Pascual Stamps (new) finished off with a flower, leaves and gem from my stash. (and there's more new stuff I haven't used yet!)

Also took one with the flash to show off the sparkle.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew #93 ~ Sparkle

Papertake Weekly ~ Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter #213 ~ punches & dies

Creative Fingers #89 ~ Anything Goes

Simply Create Too #91 ~ Anything Goes

Sister Act Card Challenge #118 ~ Anything Goes

Crafting From The Heart #72 ~ Anything Goes

Not Just Cards #23 ~ Anything Goes

TFL

Professor Lucy Loo

Just here to quickly share a make for the East Wind anything but a card  challenge.  This time I have made a clip for those important 'To Do' items using a giant peg, this is something I have been meaning to have a go at for a while and while out shopping the other day I came across some giant pegs so I bought me one and set to! lol  The paper is First Edition New Bloom and I have used 'Prof. Lucy Loo' from TEW coloured up using copics and First Edition markers, I thought the image worked well as a reminder that things needed to be done! I added some small prima flowers and liquid pearls (really need more practice at getting these the same size! lol)  I then threaded a ribbon through the peg workings allowing the peg to be hung up.  Enjoyed doing this and may even do some more as gifts.

I would like to enter this peg into the following challenges:

The Paper Shelter ~ Anything Goes

Creative Fingers #88 ~ Anything Goes

Brown Sugar #156 ~ Anything Goes

Crafty Cardmakers and More #144 ~ Anything but a Card

Crafting from the Heart #70 ~ Anything Goes

Not Just Cards #22 ~ Anything Goes

The East Wind #35 ~ Anything But A Card

TFL

Not a card

The new challenge over at The East Wind is Anything But A Card so I thought it was time to update my coaster.  I've had this plastic coaster for quite some time now I think it originally came with a cross stitch magazine so that is a great many years ago!  Anyway every now and again I change the image that is inside and when I saw what the challenge was and I saw what this weeks new release image was I knew exactly what I wanted to do!  (I'm also working on a second project but that's not quite finished yet!)  The image is Aurora Scarf Lover and I have coloured her using Spectrum Noir pens & pencils and First Edition Markers and I have teamed her up with some First Edition paper from the New Bloom pad.  Now she is finished it seems a shame to cover her up with my cup but every time I lift my cup there she is in all her glory!

I would like to enter this coaster into the following challenges:

Not Just Cards #22 ~ Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly ~ Don't Be Square

The Paper Shelter #212 ~ Use some circles

Brown Sugar #155 ~ Girly

The East Wind #35 ~ Anything But A Card

TFL

A little black & white

So this week I have actually been off work with a bad back so have been taking lots of pain killers and taking it easy (no housework allowed!) the only good point to this is that I have been able to catch up on some TV and been able to colour!  So today I am sharing another card that was only intended to be a practice!  This time I went for a monochrome look including the skin tones and shading, its not perfect but I do like how it turned out.  So I have used another awesome TEW image this one is Lucy Loo style I love You.  Paper is from Bearly Mine Designs, the arrow die cuts are a Crafty Cutters by Crafty Sentiments die and the speech bubbles are Sizzix Thinlits (bought last week!) the sentiments are handwitten (that was very brave of me! lol) and I finished off with some punched stars and little black gems.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Boots ~ Stars or Stripes

Incy Wincy Designs ~ Doodle what???

Crafting From the Heart #68 ~ Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly ~ Don't Be Square

Creative Card Crew #91 ~ Die Cuts

TFL

Aurora Love

This card initially was not going to be a card, I was having a play with colouring faces as I feel I need to get more definition in and I thought this lovely image from TEW called Aurora Love was an ideal image and in the end after colouring her face I was really quite pleased with the result that it seemed a shame to waste it!  I have to admit that the whole of the colouring did take me quite some time but I am pleased with the results.  I have used a mix of Copics, Spectrum Noir pens & pencils and some First Edition markers.  The papers are all First Edition Blank Canvas and I have inked all the edges for a softer look. The sentiment I hand wrote on the banner and finished off with some ric rak and flowers from my stash.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Crafting From The Heart #68 ~ Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments ~ Country

Fab 'n' Funky #268 ~ Flower Delights

Creative Inspirations #322 ~ Lets Colour

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #61

TFL

Red, White & Blue

Just a quick post so that I can enter this card into the Patriotic Colours challenge over at The East Wind, I have used the fabulous newsletter freebie for this challenge to.  So lots of red white and blue, the papers are very patriotic too as they are from a collection called 'Portobello Road' which is a place in London which has a fantastic market, one end starts with a car boot style market then you move through a normal market and the other end is full of antiques, I love it there, so it seemed very apt to use those papers, the stamps round the image and the sentiment are all from the collection too.  I liked the papers so much I got the 12x12 and the 6x6 which has enabled me to use a piece of the 6x6 blue crown paper in the build a brad to match the bigger crowns.  Had gret fun colouring her hair too.  I have used copics, spectrum pencils and tried out First Edition markers too for the skin tones, need more practice!  Anyway here she is the wonderful Lucy Loo in Profile ...

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

The East Wind #34 ~ Patriotic

Little Red Wagon #297 ~ Birthday

Creative Fingers #87 ~ Anything Goes

Crafting From the Heart #68 ~ Anything Goes

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 #60

TFL

Crafty Catz Challenge #287 ~ Summertime

Good morning all, well it's Friday so time for a new challenge over at Crafty Catz and after this week the Catz are taking a break for the summer to recharge their batteries and enjoy some sunshine and family time, but don't worry we will be back on 14 August with a brand new challenge.  But for now back to this week and this week it was the turn of our wonderful Cindy to set the challenge and  she chose 'Sumertime' and our fabulous sponsor is 

Sami Stamps 

PRIZE

Sami Stamps will provide a 12$ gift card to the shop at www.samistamp.blogspot.com 

(that's equal to 3 images of  choice) to the winner. 

The DT were very kindly given some beautiful images to play along with, I chose 'A Basket Full' The papers I used were some old digi ones but I forget where from,teamed this up with some green ribbon, a strawberry charm some red paper for the bow which is a TH die and finished off with these cute little birds which is a SB Inspirations die which I also inked.  Think these 2 new dies are going to be well used! lol.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Crazy Challenge #201 ~ Summer Vacation

Not Just Cards #22 ~ Anything Goes

Crafting From the Heart #67 ~ Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments ~ SWEET

Papertake Weekly ~ Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew #91 ~ Die cuts

Fab 'n' Funky #267 ~ Inspired by a song ~ Strawberry Fields Forever

TFL

A Cracking Time!

Over at The East Wind Facebook page there is a challenge going on that is 'Step Away From The DP!' so after some thought about how to tackle this I decided on embossing for texture in the background and using the cracked glass technique with the image.  I've only done the technique once before and quite some time ago, don't know why I've only done once as it is an easy and fun technique and it was great to get my melting pot and UTEE out again.  The image I chose is Lucy Loo Magnified Star and I decided to go with a monochromatic colour scheme and as I was 'cracking glass' I also did some distressing with ink.  The pocket watch die is an Xcut die, the bow and clock hands are TH and I added some brads and an antique key.  I'm really pleased with how this turned out and guess what ... Ria has laid claim once again! lol

And a close up of the cracked glass effect

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Robyns Fetish #271 ~ Anything Goes

Not Just Cards #22 ~ Anything Goes

Crafting From The Heart #67 ~ Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly ~ Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown #252 ~ No Patterned Paper

Creative Card Crew #91 ~ Die cuts

TFL

Crafty Catz Challenge #286 ~ Anything Goes

Good morning, a sheduled post from me this week as I'm at work but should be finishing at 10 this morning then that's it till Monday morning! Yay!  As it's Friday that means a fabulous new challenge over at Crafty Catz and this time it's our fabulous leader Carol, who has picked a theme you all love, yes it's time for an 'Anything Goes' challenge and we have a fabulous sponsor too the wonderful ...

BUGABOO

prize...7 images of winners choice

Ok so onto my card this week, I have used the adorable image 'Birthday Elephant' very generously given to us by our sponsor, I just love elephants and this cute guy is no exception.  I chose my olours based on the paper which is from a freebie pad that came with a magazine quite some time ago, the mat for the elephant is cut on the cricut the sentiment is cut using Neon alpha from sizzix, the balloons are quick cutz as is the party hat.  Image is coloured using copics and spectrums and then finished off with some card candi.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin ~ Red Hot Summer (colours or theme or both)

Come and Get It ~ Cute Cards

Crafting From the Heart #66 ~ Anything Goes

Die Cuttin' Divas #222 ~ Anything Goes (with a die cut)

Fab 'n' Funky #266 ~ Birthdays

TFL

Crafty Catz Challenge #285 ~ It's All White

Good morning, well it's Friday and that means a brand new challenge over at Crafty Catz and this week our wonderful Naomi has chosen the theme of  'it's all white' which means that other than the image EVERYTHING else has to be white and we are  sponsored by

stamping boutique

Prize 3 digi images

So I have used a pretty floral image from our sponsor and only added a touch of colour using pencils and glitter.  The background has been embossed with a diamond lattice design and then I have added a floral border at the bottom which is an X-cut die, the sentiment is stamped on to a label die cut from Crafty Sentiments, the flower is cut on the cricut and the leaves are a punch.  In hindsight I think the glitter may be a little thick and if I did this type of card again I would probably just use a glitter pen!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin' ~ Bingo Board ~ emboss, die cut, orange

Allsorts #316 ~ Use a stamp ~ My sentiment is a stamps

Incy Wincy Designs ~ Anything Goes

TFL

No card but

I thought I'd share where I've been this evening.  After 2 long days and an early at work which have been 3 busy days Adrian thought I could do with some relaxing time so we went to West Bay gabbed some burger and chips and then went out to West Bexington (a little further along the coast) and enjoyed our tea and then while Adrian tried to catch tea for tomorrow night I sat and enjoyed the warmth of the evening sun and read some of my book.  We stayed down till just after 9 then picked Ria up from her boyfriends on the way home.  I feel nicely relaxed and looking forward to my day off tomorrow.

This is how it all looked on our arrival at about 8pm

A good read, almost finished will probably do so tonight in bed! lol

The sky an hour later 

We really are lucky to live where we do!  Just a shame we aren't having fresh fish for tea tomorrow!

Ode To Nature

Well the weekend is coming to an end and its been a nice relaxed one, don't really want to go back to work tomorrow especially as it's a long day but needs must!  Anyway I thought I'd share a card I've made which uses a beautiful TEW image which is another that I won the other day this one is called 'Lucy Loo Plant a Tree'.  I have used copics and spectrum pencils to colour the image and then a little bit of sakura stardust which doesn't really show in the picture.  The patterned paper is also glittered and is from First Edition New Leaf pad and I teamed it up with some cs, a little ribbon, 2 leaf charms from an old bracelet and a peeloff sentiment.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly ~ Ooh So Pretty

The Paper Shelter #208 ~ Make it digital

Fab 'n' Funky #264 ~ Gorgeous Girls

The East Wind #33 ~ Ode to Nature

Creative Fingers #84 ~ Anything Goes

Sister Act Card Challenge #111 ~ Anything Goes

Sketch Saturday #366

Crafty Sentiments ~ Anything Goes

TFL

Great Job Dad!

Just recently my cards for my Dad tend to be on the humorous side and usually at his expense! So I thought this year I'd make his Father's Day card a bit more cute!  I have used TGF stamp and he is called 'Tank'.  Kept the design flat for easae of posting and went with a clean black and white scheme with a pop of green.  Tank is coloured with copics, the diamond panels are cut on the Cricut, sentiment is also a TGF stamp, the brad, gems and ribbon are from my stash.  I went with 'Great Job' sentiment as he really does do a great job as my dad and Ria's Granddad, we loves ya really Dad! 

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin' ~ Black and white with a pop of 1 other colour

Crafty Cardmakers #141 ~ For a man or a boy

Crafty Boots ~ For Fathers Day/special man in your life

Die Cuttin' Divas #220 ~ Masculine theme

Creative Inspirations #318 ~ Male creations

Crafting For All Seasons #104 ~ Its a boy thing

4 Crafty Chicks #251 ~ Fathers Day

Crafts 4 Eternity #231 ~ Dads

Kitty Bee Designs Aloha Friday #49 ~ Masculine

TFL

Crafty Catz Challenge #284 ~ Different Colour Hair

Good morning and what a beautiful morning it is here in sunny Dorset and what's even better is that this is the start of my 3 day weekend - YAY! Now as it's Friday that means new challenge time over at Crafty Catz and this week our wonderful Nina has picked a fabulous fun theme as she wants to see 'Different Colour Hair' so go wild! It actually took me quite a while to venture away from 'normal hair colours' but when I finally did it was great fun! This week I went a bit further again and had a real blast! Anyway our wonderful sponsor for this week is 

inky impressions 

The prize will be a 10$ Gift voucher.

So On to my card, I was very lucky to have won a recent challenge over at The East Wind and chose as 1 of my images one of Unky's newer range based on Drag Queens 'Betty Cockus'.  This one is called 'Put on a makeup' and I just loved doing the hair, took me a while but loved it.  I ended up keeping the rest of the card very simple as I really wanted the image to be the focal point and all I added was a simple black mat for the image and the sentiment was cut on the Cricut in 2 layers of gold mirricard which was then put on using foam pads for a little extra dimension and I finished of with a few gems.  'Betty' is coloured with copics and spetrum noir pencils.  Please do check out the rest of the 'Catz' and their awesome creations.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

 Crafting From The Heart #64 ~ Anything Goes

Not Just Cards #21 ~ Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter #208 ~ Make it digital

Sister Act Card Challenge #111 ~ Anything Goes

TFL

A Wall Hanging

Good evening, well I have been looking forward to playing with this months freebie image from The East Wind and I didn't want to make a card and Crafty Catz teamie gave me an idea with her wonderful card a few weeks ago, which you can see here.  I had great fun making this and it's a bit different for me.  Also got very messy with inks and embossing powders.  I used 3 powders, copper, black and antique gold as I was trying to get an old overpainted, rusty type feel to the embossing.  The birds were cut on the Cricut then dry embossed with swiss dots folder and then inked with black ink.  Sentiment stamps and cog stamps are from SteamPunk Dreams from Creative Expressions, the key, eyelets, build a brad and ribbon are all from my stash.  I am very pleased with the outcome and on showing Ria, she has laid claim to it! lol  I hope you like it too.  The overall size is 12 x 12.

A close up of the image

One of the sentiments showing the embossing

And the second sentiment

I would like to enter this wall hanging into the following challenges:

Sentimental Sundays #262 ~ A touch of vintage

Not Just Cards #21 ~ Anything Goes

Crafting From the Heart #63 ~ Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter #207 ~ Anything but a card

Crafty Creations #291 ~ Embossing 

The East Wind #32 ~ Dots & Stripes

Creative Fingers #83 ~ Anything Goes

TFL

Crafty Catz Challenge #283 ~ Clean & Simple

Wow!  Another week almost over, where is time going?  Anyway that means it's time for a brand new challenge over at Crafty Catz and this week it's my turn to choose the theme and I went for Clean & Simple and we have an awesome sponsor for you too

AURORA WINGS

prize for the winner is $15 USD in digis 

The DT were very kindly given some fabulous images to play along with, I chose Daisy Elf, coloured her with copics, added glamour dust to her wings and liquid pearls to her little flowers with a few additional liquid pearl drops on the background.  The 'wish' was cut on the Cricut then everything was matted on green cs then onto a white card blank.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin' ~ Something old, something new ~ old = cricut cartridge and glamour dust, new = image and green cs

Not Just Cards #21 ~ Anything goes

Crafting From The Heart #63 ~ Anything Goes

Fab 'n' Funky #263 ~ Fantasy & Fables

TFL

Crafty Catz Challenge #282 ~ Stitching real or faux

Good morning well over at Crafty Catz our fabulous Christine has chosen the theme for the week and it's 'Stitching ~ real or faux' nice easy one then and we have an awesome sponsor too

BUGABOO

For my card I have used a fabulous Gus image, gotta love Gus!  This one is called At My Age and the sentiment comes with the image.  I have used copics and spectrums to colour the image, background papers are Raspberry Road Designs and soem black cs.  The little bucket and spade have been cut on the cricut and i added faux stitches round the image, a few gems and some ribbon.  Kept it flat as it's gone in the post to my dad.  Dad's dress sense has never been the best to the extent we refused to take him out with us unless he got changed!  He has improved I hasten to add! lol  The camouflage shirt is in recognition of his time in the Army, hope it's not too subtle for him!

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin' ~ Happy Father's Day or a Special Man

Crafty Cardmakers #140 ~ Stitching real or faux

Crafting from the Heart #62 ~ Anything Goes

Crazy Challenge #198 ~ Lace or Ribbon

Not Just Cards #20 ~ Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly ~ Anything Goes + option of summer/summery

Fab 'n' Funky #262 ~ Check it out

The Paper Shelter #206 ~ Make it Colourful

TFL