Managed to find some time today to make a few cards. This one is for my son's swimming teacher who is leaving to go back to South Africa at the end of next week. My son is very fond of her and she has done a good job teaching him to swim for the last 2 year, and she will be missed.

The image is colour in on the computer, and cut and matted on scalloped circles run through my 'bug'. The image is back on swiss dots, and I have added some spotty ribbon and a button to finish it off. This is my entry to the Allsorts Challenge this week, to use buttons.

It's been a few days since I had anytime to make cards, so I couldn't not make some more Christmas Easel cards, so here are the 2 I've done. I'm loving the angel one, but not so sure of the santa one. I've used Papermainia Naughty and Nice Christmas Paper as backing on the angel one, but normal wrapping paper for the Santa, and in hindsight, think I should have done this one of red card and not white, but it will do for someone this year.

Here is another....

Easel card! Wanted to make a birthday one to send to my Aunt out in Australia, and have done this for her:

I quiet like it but maybe it is a bit busy? The paper used is basic grey 'sultry' with a co-orinating button to hold it open. The image is a pink petticoat one, that has been coloured on the computer, and backed on an embossed piece of lilac card and then put onto a deep purple scalloped circle. I finished it off with a peel off and some ribbon from my stash. I hope she likes it as it has now been posted.

When I got home from work today, this was waiting for me - a fab card from Glittermum, for this months Craft Place card swap - anything goes:

Thanks very much Niki, I love it and know just who to give it to for a friend's birthday.

My entry into this week's Allsorts Challenge

Over on Allsorts Challenge this weeks the theme is to make a card based on a Christmas Carol or song title, so here is my entry:



I've made an easel card using Papermainia Naughty and Nice Christmas Paper, a bear this is from a glitter shape sheet from home bargains last year, which I have backed onto some white card I have run through the cuttlebug with swiss dots. I have used a brad with a snowflake on to hold the card up.

I couldn't think of a Christmas song or carol which had a bear in it, but have found one on the net called 'Thistlehair the Christmas Bear', so I hope this is acceptable to this weeks challenge.

This is my favourite of the easel cards I have made today, and my 6 year old son has just said it is the best card I've every made! Not sure that is true, but it was sweet of him to say so.

This is the swap card I made for Niki as my swap partner for the Crafty Place November Challenge. The theme was anything goes, so I used some Papermania naughty and nice christmas paper, and put it with an image I have coloured in on the computer which I matted onto some scalloped circles, and finished with a 'Happy Birthday' peel off.

I'm loving making...

Easel cards at the moment - they are so easy and have managed to use up lots of things I had, and never thought I would use by creating these:

The top two were made from some christmas labels that had 'pom poms' separating the two halves, which I have removed and stuck together to make the image. The bottom one was some christmas glitter shapes that I bought from Home Bargains last year, but haven't got around to using. I have kept all the cards simple and just added a peel off at the bottom to hold the card up. Really pleased with how these have come out. Will be definitely be making some more, but they will be to given out rather than posted, as they are quite heavy with all the layering of card.

Also loving the fact that my photos will be clearer from now on, thanks to my OH giving me a mini tripod for my camera. No more shaking and blurry pictures for me!

A card and crafty bits for PostPals

This months challenge over on Crafty Place is to make a card and send some crafty bits to a child featured on the PostPals website, so this afternoon I have made this easel card for Caitlin M.

This is the crafty stash I will be sending with the card as well, and hope that she will be able to make some lovely bits with it. According to her information on the website she loves pink and anything girly. Thanks to Rainmac for setting such a great challenge on Crafty Place.

My first blanket/towel cake

Yeah, ever since I saw a nappy/towel cake I have wanted to have a go at making one, and now about a year on, I have managed to make this, for a friend of mine who had a baby boy last Wednesday:

I'm so pleased with how it has come out. Originally, I wanted to do a nappy cake but wasn't sure which brand she would be using, so decided to do one that had some bath bits for the baby and a sleepsuit, vest, bib and hat for him, and some bits for my friend. I think the whole thing has cost me about £15.00, and for that the cake has:

Baby blanket
Baby bath robe
Bottle of baby shampoo
Bottle of baby bath
Packet of wet wipes
Set of baby nail and scissors
Sleepsuit/vest/bib/hat
Lavender bath products for my friend - bubblebath/bath salts/soap/flannel/body puff
Small box of chocolates

I'll put cellophane on it before giving it to her some time this week.

I must say thanks to Sally over on MSE for the great tutorial link she sent me. I really enjoyed making this, and would like to do some more when I know someone else to give one to.

Few more cards made yesterday

Haven't had time to craft lately, but did sit down and make these yesterday for a couple of birthdays this week.

Both are images that I have colour in on with paintshop pro, matted on silver card, then backed onto green card run through the cuttlebug with swiss dots. Not sure what the backing paper for the bottom card is (received as part of a stash swap), but thought it went really well with the image.

My card for Ikki's Donate a Card Appeal

I have had some time tonight to make a card for Ikki's Breast Cancer - donate a card appeal, which I will send off to her tomorrow.

It's a square white card on to which I have matted navy blue and embossed silver paper, the scalloped and plain circles have been cut with the cuttlebug and the image is a free one from here, and must say thank you to Paddingtondoo over on MSE for the link to this freebie. I've coloured the card in using paintshop pro.

The ribbon, gems, flowers, and peel off are all from my stash.

Really pleased with the result.