Owls are fun!! :)

Hello everyone!! :)

I have a couple of cards made with the fabulous Clearly Besotted You're a Hoot set to share today- the CBS owl is just gorgeous... I ordered the stamps and die as soon as they came back in stock last month and had to have a play as soon as I could (it's just taken me an age to get the pics sorted... and they still look a little odd to me! :S)... this is what I did... just looking at this owl makes me smile!! :)

Two quick and easy but lovely (I think anyway!! ;)) cards :) I love browns with pinks or teals so the colour choices just happened... :)

I had fun mixing inks directly on the stamps to get the shading on the owls and to get the shade I wanted for the teal hearts :)

Still need a little more practice stamping on my die cuts... it's a bit hit and miss sometimes!! :S lol

{The List}

A6 top-fold Kraft card blank and cream linen textured cardstock for mat and owl

Clearly Besotted Stamps - You're a Hoot, Paired Up and Warm Wishes stamp sets and You're a Hoot die

VersaMagic Inks - Jumbo java, Sahara Sand, Wheat, Malted Mauve, Turquoise Gem & Agean Blue (mixed to get the tealy shade), Hint of Pesto, Tea Leaves and Aquatic Splash

Twine - Docrafts, The Ribbon Girl and Dies to Die For

Crystal Stickles

I'd like to enter these in the following challenges: (Will come back and do this tomorrow when my brain's- hopefully!- more in gear!!)

Right, really short and sweet (for me!!) today as I'm having real trouble with pain in my hands at the mo' (brain's not being too co-operative either, actually :S) but I hope you like the cards and thank you so much for popping in and any comments!! :) Plenty more to share so will be back as soon as I can manage!! :) 

A little more LOTV... :)

Hello again folks!! :)

Yup, it really is me back so soon!!lol I couldn't believe my luck this morning when I saw that the new LOTV challenge was CAS... and I actually managed to get a card that would be perfect for it posted- *last* night!! Typical!!lol But that and the fact I so rarely get to enter over there has persuaded me to get on and post this one, which also fits but had been pushed back in my mental posting queue by the CBS cards I mentioned last night...anyway, this one is from the archives (ie. one of many on my computer I just haven't got to posting yet!!) and was made last October for my Gran's birthday...

I wanted to keep her card calm and soothing as my Gran had lost her sister suddenly the week or so before... I knew she would still appreciate a pretty and cheerful card to celebrate her birthday but didn't want to send anything too bright and jarring or overly fussy... after much head-scratching, I remembered this lovely little LOTV bear and created one of my fav big scalloped circle cards to sit her on- I always think a circular base card makes a card look special even if the rest of it is very simple!! :)

I coloured with PMs and FMs in gentle, pretty tones and added just a smidge of Stickles, then dug out my last whole piece (eeek- only for someone really special!!) of my fav paper from the FF Pink Parfait range and some matching seam-binding...

A sublte white-embossed sentiment, some white layers and a few white pearls brought it all together... perhaps not as CAS as some of my recent creations but I think the limited, pale colour palette with plenty of white keeps it pretty simple and fresh... and my Gran was really pleased with it... so nice to have made her smile!! :)

{The List}

6" Sq. white card blank

Nesties - Grand Big Scalloped Circles, Big Scalloped Circles Large and Standard Circles dies

LOTV Posy Trio image, stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured with ProMarkers and FlexMarkers (sorry, no colours again... too long ago!!)

Paper - Forever Friends Pink Parfait pad

Blue textured pearl cardstock (from QVC many moons ago)

X-cut Scalloped border punch

Sentiment - LOTV

White Embossing Powder and heat tool

Seam Binding - Tile Blue from The Ribbon Girl

White 4mm pearls

Crystal Stickles

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges: Lili's Little Fairies - Clean and Simple :) ; Jen's CAS Mondays with LOTV (if it's CAS enough for you Jen?!) :) ; Papertake Weekly - Bingo (Glitter, Diecuts, Blooms is the one I've chosen but I think it would fit several lines!!) :) ; Joanna Sheen - Spring into Spring :) ; The Ribbon Girl - Just Add Flowers :)

Well, that's it from me for now... I hope you're all well- thanks for stopping by today and for your lovely comments!! :) See you again soon I hope- though maybe not quite so soon as this time!! :)

Just for You from LOTV...

Hello everyone!! :)

I have a card to share today which was inspired by Jen over at The Tiny Blue Butterfly... after clearing out her stash, Jen has challenged herself to make a CAS card each Monday using one of her neglected LOTV stamps... I have more than a few of those too so thought I'd join in!! :)

This cute image is one I have wanted for some time and have always thought would be well suited to CAS designs :)

I am very out of practice with colouring at the mo' as, especially with my health as it has been of late, I just haven't had the energy to sit and colour in the way I was a year or so ago (tons of pens out all over the place and spending ages paying so much attention to getting my blending as good as I possibly could, etc.) so I decided to used just my FlexMarkers to colour this one as I find it easier to relax and colour with a (quicker!) more sketchy style with them... so it's far from perfect but I am relatively happy with it (all but the skin anyway- don't have my usual skin colours in my FMs so that ended up a bit of a mess!) all things considered :) And- I had the whole card put together in less time than an image would normally have taken me!!lol

The layout is CASEd from this card by Jen who in turn, CASEd it from this card by Rebecca... and I think it's one I'll keep coming back to for CAS cards :) Thanks for the inspiration ladies!! :)

{The List}

A6 top-fold white card blank

Image - LOTV Milly Just for You, stamped in Memento London Fog and coloured with FlexMarkers (sorry, no colours... I'm so out of the colouring habit that I put them all away without thinking!!lol)

Paper - Forever Friends Springtime 6x6" pad

Sentiment - PTI Happy For You set

Twine - Papermania Spots and stripes Pastels Collection

Tiny pearls from Anita's

Sakura Clear Stardust pen

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges: Jen's CAS Monday with LOTV #3 :) ; ATCAS #10 - Friend :) ; Allsorts - Spring has Sprung :) ; Joanna Sheen - Spring into Spring :) ; Fab 'n' Funky - Spring Colours :) ; Divas by Design - Flowers (if the flowers in my image and papers are okay) :)

Jen's challenge set me to thinking about how many character stamps I have and how much I like to make more CAS cards with them with the image taking centre stage... so... I have decided to attempt a little personal challenge of my own and have been colouring like a crafter possessed since the idea hit... Gorjuss Girls aplenty coming to a blog near you soon!!lol Though I do have a couple of Clearly Besotted Stamps cards I want to share with you first... the sudden spate of creativity around here is causing problems as I have more cards to share than I have time or energy to blog... but I'd much rather have that problem than nothing to blog 'cause I've not managed any crafting!! :D

Thanks for stopping by today!! :) See you soon I hope!! :)

Washi, crochet, buttons and twine... :)

Hi folks!! :)

Just thought I'd pop in for a flying visit to share the card I made for my Gran for Mother's Day... it was made pretty much entirely in bed while I was struggling even to sit upright for a few minutes so it had to be kept nice and simple but, given the restraints, I was relatively happy with the result and know however it had turned out my Gran would think it far more special than anything shop bought, which was the main thing!! :)

I used some washi tapes- my first time using washi and I love the look and ease- though I was a bit disappointed that I had to use my glue pen under the edges as it kept peeling back up... the same thing has happened when I have tried to use it since... do other people have the same issues??!! :S 

I stamped a couple of flourishes on the base card, added the washi and then used a few die cuts- the large heart I cut (okay, my mum cut!) from some Spring Drop paper and the others were a gift from a lovely friend and very fortuitously happened to match the colours in the washi perfectly... which saved me a huge amount of energy!! :) I was aiming for a cluster effect again and I think this is the first time I have been happy with the balance I've got!! :)

I added the crochet flower at the last minute when I remembered I had some already made in a pot on my desk from when I was practising last year... it looked okay just with the button but I think the flower really made all the difference so I'm glad I remembered it in the end!!lol

{The List}

White top-fold A6 card blank

Heidi Grace flourish stamps 

Memento ink in Summer Sky

Washi tapes- Docrafts Spots & Stripes Pastels collection

Spring Drop paper pad

X-cut Nesting Hearts die

Die cut hearts from my lovely friend- thanks hon!! :)

Sentiment from Woodware Clear Magic 'Tiny Phrases' stamp set

Crocheted flower - made by me from embriodery thread :)

Button from a The Ribbon Girl selection

Twine- Docrafts Spots & Stripes Pastels

Crystal Stickles

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges: Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes :) ; A Little Bit Crafty - Anything Goes :)

Thanks for stopping by today and for your comments on my last cards!! :) I hope you all had a lovely Esater and saw some of the sunshine we had here in Manchester over the weekend... it makes such a difference to see sunshine and blue skies... even if it is still freezing!!lol

Vinatge Loveliness for Mother's Day :)

Hello!! :)

I have been dying to share the Mother's Day card I made for my amazing mum and am finally getting around to it... I was still really ill when I made this and had to enlist a little help from my mum herself (to get things out and to turn the handle on my 'bug... with extra paper to hide the actual dies so she didn't know what I/she was cutting!!lol Did I mention she was amazing btw?!!) but I was really chuffed with how it came out and she loved it too so all the effort was well worth it... hope you'll like it too!! :)

The processes are all pretty simple and self-explanatory, I think, so I will save us all the time and effort of too many details but I managed to cram in an awful lot of new stash (when I can't craft, I buy crafty stuff- ooops!!lol) on this one as well and was surprised how it all came together... usually when I try to add in too much lately, it all goes horribly wrong!!lol

So, I have some gorgeous new stamps and dies from Clearly Besotted and PTI... and I can't tell you how much I am loving all the fun I seem to be having with dies at the moment...

...to be able to cut something as delicate as this leafy vine and then stamp it too...

...and negative alpha die cuts as well... why, oh, why did it take me so long to catch on to all this!!!lol

There is also new paper and my new MS butterfly punch... well, I got that just after Christmas but hadn't used it yet!! :) I am in craft addict heaven!! :D :D

{The List}

A6 Top-fold Cream card blank plus extra card for main layer

Paper from Papermania Vintage Notes 6x6 paper pad

PTI Block Alphabet dies

Clearly Besotted Stamps Leafy Accents and Butterfly Wishes stamp sets and matching dies

Memento inks in New Sprout and Bamboo Leaves

VersaMagic Ink in Malted Mauve

Core'dinations Vintage Collection cardstock

Martha Stewart Butterflies Punch

Papermania Scalloped Border Punch

Papermania Spots and Stripes Pastels twine

Anita's 3mm and 2mm gems

Scissor blade (one half of a broken pair!) to distress papers and Corner Chomper

I know you wouldn’t believe it from the list of 'ingredients' or even the look of the card really, but it is a fairly simple card in layout too... try imagining it without that one sheet of highly patterned paper... amazing what a difference a paper can make!! :) And apparently not so much of a divergence from my recent CAS style as I originally thought!!lol

I would like to enter this in the following challenges: A Passion forPapertrey - Negative Die Cuts :) ; Bunny Zoe's Monthly Challenge - Girly :) ; Crafty Bloggers Network - Spring/Pastel :) ; Crafts and Me - Pretty in Pink (if there is enough pink for you ladies? :) ) :) ; My Mum's Craft Shop - Spring Has Sprung (...if only, we had sunshine and blue skies in the middle of a blizzard earlier!!) :) ;

Right, that's it from me 'til next time... when that will be depends very much on whether my body stops playing silly beggars on me for more than five minutes at a time!! :S Until then, I hope you are all well, as warm as possible (come on Spring, where the heck are you?!!) and have a lovely Easter weekend... as I doubt I'll be back before that somehow!! :)