ANNIVERSARY CARD FOR MY OTHER HALF

I have had this image printed out and lying around for a while (not sure where it is from though, but pretty sure it was a free download), and decided last night to colour it in, and make it into an Anniversary card for my OH for our Anniversary in August.  At least by doing it now I won't be having to make anything at the last minute - i'll just have to remember where I put it!

I decided use my promarkers to colour her in black and red as I always think that black and red together goes really well together for anniversary/valentines day cards.  Once coloured I mounted the image on some plain black card.

The bottom mat is again plain black card, and the red card has been designed on the craft robo, and the hearts cut out.  All I have then done, is stick slightly small hearts (the waste of the heart cut sheet from the craft robo) into the middle of the larger cut out hearts, and mounted it onto the plain black card.  I think it is pretty elegant, and am sure my OH will love it!

I'd like to enter this card into the following Challenge:

C.R.A.F.T Challenge - wedding/anniversary
Whimsy Stamps Challenge - punches/die cut (hope cutting on the craft robo counts for this)
Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge - anything goes

A MAN'S CARD

I'm still slowly ploughing through the cards that I need to make, and seeing the image i have used for this card, being used on cards on some of the blogs I follow, I finally succumbed and bought it - there are lots of golfers that I need to make throughout the year, so this digi will be well used.

In making this card I have used what I think is 'golfing' looking backing paper from a hugh paper stack I have that I bought when I started crafting about 4 years ago.  As with most stacks you buy, there are always designs that you don't like and don't know how to use, and I am happy that I have finally been able use this one. 

Not sure of the colour combo of brown and blue, but I am sure it will be well received by the recipient.  The bugaboo image has been coloured with Promarkers, and it was my first time trying to do shading.  The grass could have come out better, but heyho, thats what happens when you decide to leave the bottom of the image white, and then change you mind and want to do more green, and it doesn't blend with the green that has already been coloured.

The layout isn't from anywhere in particular, but I wanted to use the MS zigzag punch and buttons on the card so that is what I came up with.  I love the quote and hope my Uncle does too.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Sentiments Design - use a digi
Incy Wincy Designs - digi's only
Pan Pastel UK Challenge - one for the boys
Make My Monday - male sports and hobbies
Crafty Boots Challenge - no girls allowed
Our Creative Corner - our boys and their toys
Everybody Art Challenge - card for a man
Whoopsidaisy Challenge - anything goes

A VERY GIRLY PINK CARD

I really enjoyed making this girly/pink card for a friends daughter, who was 11 recently.

It is a relatively simple card, as it is just lots of different mats and layers, and I think the stars and dots work really well together. The image was a colouring page I found on google, that was just resized to fit the card and coloured with promarkers to make the image look like Ciara.

The papers and mats were cut offs from my stash, and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards. I have used a martha stewart punch to make the boarder across the card, and a bit of self adhesive ribbon through the middle.

Ciara loved the card, and couldn't belive that I had coloured the image, as she said it was really beautiful!

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Polka Doodles - Pretty in Pink
Belli Challenge - Children

A CARD FOR MOTHER'S DAY

I spent a couple of nights last week, making my mum a mothers day card, and am really pleased with how it turned out. My mum loves the colour green, so whenever I make a card for her, I always try to incorporate this colour.

I am not great at thinking of a nice layout for the different cards I make, so am always checking out blogs for ideas, and if I see a card I like I will save it into an ideas folder I have and when I need to make a card, I have a quick look at some of my favourites I have stored, to get some inspiration, as to what my next card may be like, and it always gives me the inspiration I need.

The image for this card is another colouring page, I found on the internet, and just fell in love with as it is one that could be used for multiple different occasions, and felt it was the the perfect image for my mum.

I've used a mix of backing papers for this card, that I have had for ages in my stash, and some green gemstone card stock for the mats, which gives the card a little more sparkle.

The image was coloured with promarkers, and a little glossy accents added to the flower head. The sentiment was done on the computer. I have also finally used one of the MS punches I bought in the States last summer, and put a strip of daisies underneath the image in the gemstone cardstock.

I liked the above card so much - image and layout, that I made a similar one in pink for my best friends birthday on Friday. I haven't added a sentiment to this one, but a few faux pearls to give it a bit extra bling.


I'd like to enter the green card into the following challenges:

The Crazy Challenge - go green
My Craft Spot - spring scallops
Touch Twin Marker Challenge - spring
Sparkles Challenge - mothers day/spring
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - bit o'green
Love to Create Challenge - anything goes

A CARD FOR MY TEENAGE SON

Where has the last 6 months gone - I can't believe that it was last September since I blogged.

Life has been busy with work and the kids, that I just haven't had the chance to blog anything. It's something that I always mean to do, but never quite get around to. So here's to a fresh start 'Blogging' and hopefully will manage lots of posts from now on.

I have been making quite a few cards over the last 6 months, as and when I need them, since I spent the weekend making a card for my son's 13th birthday yesterday, I thought it would be a good one to start entering challenges with again.

Can't quite believe I have a teenage son now, and since he is really into football, and is a goalie for one of the local little league teams, I thought I'd make him a goalie card, and this was the result:

and I was really pleased with how it has come out. For the image I just googled colouring pages, and goalkeepers, and this image struck me as one the most resembled Harry on a football pitch!

The image was coloured with promarkers to match the kit that Harry wears, and I was a bit loathed to colour the sky and grass in with the promarkers, incase it made the image look too heavy, as I haven't mastered shading, so I took a mini ink pad I have with about 12 colours in, dabbed a bit of cotton wool into the ink, and then 'swished' the green for grass and blue for sky, and don't think it came out too badly. The papers are from Papermania - It's a Man's World.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Polka Doodles - a gift or card for a male
Creative Craft Challenge - boys will be boys
My Craft Spot - Manley man cards
Ladybug Crafts Inks - Anything goes
Paper Pretties - Stripes (stripe green backing paper that looks like a football pitch)
Crafty Creations - Stripes (stripe green backing paper that looks like a football pitch)

A GOOD LUCK CARD FOR GOING TO SCHOOL

I'm always looking around 'blogland' for inspiration and to check out digi stamps, and last night I came across a fab image that had been used on the I Did It Creations Blog, of a little girl reading a book. Having noticed that I could get it as a freebie on request, I whizzed off an email, and asked for the image.

As soon as I saw the image, I knew exactly what I could do with it, and who I would make a card for. My best friends little girl is starting in reception full time on Thursday, and knowing I had some fab papers in my stash, I have made this card for Molly.

The papers were from a DCWV stack I have had for ages, and I have matted it onto some fushia pink card from my stash, although in the photo it looks quite red. The image was coloured with promarkers, and the sentiment made on the PC. I have used another of my new MS punches on this card to create the zigzag effect at the bottom, and added a strip of the alphabet papers to the middle of it. This was a pretty quick card to make, and I am really pleased with the layout I have used.

I'd like to enter this into the following challenge:

I Did It Creations Challenge - anything goes

Divas by Design - back to school

Clear it Out Challenge - back to school

Card Cupids Blog - back to school

TIME FOR TEA ANYONE??

I'm cracking on with the cards I need to make over the next few weeks, and have spent most of this weekend making 4, finishing off doing my Christmas toppers - all 50 of them, and doing some sewing on felt for presents for Christmas, so have had a thoroughly crafty weekend, and have loved doing it.

Here is a very 'green' card, and I love it, as for the first time ever I have managed to take a photos that shows glittery cardstock and glossy accents on the tea cup!

The image is one I found on my computer - no doubt a freebie, and I have teamed it with some swirly green paper that I bought ages ago from my local craft shop.

The image was cut with nesties, and coloured with promarkers: the cup is ivory, as leaving it white looked too harsh, and i've used one shade of green and pink for the roses which were then covered with glossy accents.

The daisy boarder was done with a MS punch, to which I added flat backed green gems, and backed onto some wide satin ribbon. A couple more matching green flat back gems in the corners and a peel off finish the card off nicely.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Whimsy Stamps Challenge - the colour green

One Stitch At A Time - use a digi

Papertake Weekly Challenge - anything goes

Crafting When We Can - anything goes

I Did It Creations Challenge - anything goes
Allsorts Challenge - flowers and swirls

Catch The Bug Challenge - lets get punchy/dies

Di's Digi Design Challenge - anything goes

Charisma Cardz Challenge - inspired by a song (Tea for Two??)

The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - inspired by a song (Tea for Two??)

ANOTHER SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE COUPLE OF CARDS

I was asked a couple of weeks ago to make a matching acceptance and wedding card and since I have never made either of this kind of card before, I wanted to make something simple but elegant, so came up with these two:

I can't take any credit for the creating the design as it is something I have seen whilst surfing 'blogs', but was taken by the elegance of the card I saw at the time.

I have used white linen card, a white satin ribbon, and cut the flowers and leave with my woodware punches. The sentiment was computer generated, and backed onto a small square of silver mirror card.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Raise the Bar - white on white

Craft Your Days Away - make your own flowers

CLEAN AND SIMPLE WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CARD

With the kids now back at school, I had last night to craft - yay, as I have so many cards to make in the next few weeks it is ridiculous. Here is very clean and simple Wedding Anniversary that I have made for my Aunt & Uncle's Anniversary on Friday.

The image was a freebie, but not sure where from, sorry, which I have coloured with promarkers the large heart was cut to a square, but I have hand cut the smaller one and raised it on 3d square pads for a bit of dimension. I have then matted the larger heart onto read mirror card, and printed the sentiment directly onto the card in silver, which is something I have just mastered doing.

I had added glossy accents to the button shapes within the images, but over night they had affected the red of the promarker and turned it orange! So I have added some red buttons from my stash to hide the colour change.

I'd like to enter this card into the following Challenge:

Creative Card World - Button It Challenge

Deep Ocean Challenge - Hearts
Ladybug Crafts Ink Challenge - Anything Goes

Ooh La La Creations Challenge - Anniversary

I'M BACK CRAFTING!

After 6 weeks school holiday I am back crafting since the kids are now back at school.

I was so ready for them to go back as they were driving me crazy with all the fighting, whinging, and attitude that was around the house, that it is fab to loose myself surrounded by my crafty thing.

We had 2 weeks away in America, but have to say that it wasn't the dream holiday/break it should have been because my OH put his back out on the plane, so my first 3 days in the States were spent entertaining the kids in a single motel room with the only thing to do was to use their small TV or watch TV whilst my OH was flat on his back, while I was trying to find somewhere to buy crutches and painkillers.

When we eventually moved into one of the Disney hotels for the week, my OH and eldest son when down with a tummy bug.

The weather was horrendous at times, as the hurricane season started early this year so although it was hot, by 3pm each day the heavens opened and the thunder and lightening started, and it lasted anywhere from 3 hours to all night. Still I came back with a tan, and a few crafty bits, so I suppose I shouldn't complain!

Only managed to go to Michaels' craft shop on our last day for about an hour before heading to the airport for our flight, so didn't buy as much as I had wanted to, and to be honest I was really disappointed by the size of the store. I was expecting huge warehouses, but it was no bigger than my local Hobbycraft, and didn't have much of what I wanted.

So onwards and upwards, it is now time to get my crafting hat on and start making things as Christmas presents. I had a huge sort out and found some gift tags that I can use on my handmade cards this year, so hopefully by the weekend I would have made all the toppers I need for my cards.