Totally Papercrafts Challenge #18

Good Morning!!

It's Friday and that means it's time for a new challenge over at Totally Papercrafts.  Firstly thank you to everyone who entered Lorraine's 'Photo Inspiration' challenge last week.  Lovely to see the different ways you were all inspired, strawberries were a firm favourite.

This week our bright and cheery buddy Sue has set the challenge for you, Sue is currently away on holiday and apologises for not being around to visit all your blogs and she noramlly does visit ALL the blogs..lol.  Hope your having a fabby time Sue, we're missing you hun!!

Anyway Sue's challenge for you is....

MONOCHROME

So pick a colour and play with those different shades of it!!

We welcome back our ever wonderful and generous monthly sponsor Simon Says Stamp for this challenge.

We also welcome a new friend to the the team, we are thrilled to have Caroline join us.  And what a superstar she is, she only agreed to join us yesterday but promptly made up a gorgeous card for todays challenge, so be sure to check out her's and the rest of my fellow teamies makes on the challenge blog.  Here's mine....

I love her blue hair!!

RECIPE

Stamp - Sugar Nellie 'Claudia the Artist'

Paper - Papermania

Colouring Mediums - Copics & Promarkers

Scalloped Circle - Nestabilities used in my bug

Embellishments - Ribbon, Beads, Flowers, Brad and Gems all from my stash

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We do hope you'll be able to join us for this weeks challenge and as always we look forward to seeing your creations.

Have a great day!!

Hugs

Joanne xx

Shabby Chic!!

Good evening all, I hope you have all had a lovely weekend, after the very wet day here yesterday it was almost spring like here today, plenty of gorgeous sunshine, enough to brighten anyone's day I think.

Anyway on to my next card for you today which covers 3 challenges..

Simon Says - Shabby Chic

Allsorts - Pink & Brown

Stampin For The Weekend - Sketch

RECIPE

Stamp - Sugar Nellie Gorjuss Girls 'Flower Girl'

Papers - My Minds Eye and Crafts Too

Colouring Mediums - Promarkers and Chalks

Embellishments - Lace, Flowers and Dew Drops from stash

Sentiment - Kanban

Leaf Punch - Martha Stewart 'Frond Leaf'

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Thanks for stopping by and enjoy what is left of your Sunday evening.  I'll be back in the morning with a scheduled post for the new Pollycraft challenge, hope to see you then!!

Hugs

Joanne xxx

Sketch 'n' Stash Challenge #21

It's another lovely sketch as always over on Sketch 'n' Stash and of course a great opportunity to use my new and/or neglected crafty stash.  Can you believe I'm already getting a little fed up with doing xmas cards and it's only October, hopefully my xmas mojo will soon get into gear again, there are so many gorgeous xmas images and stamps I'm so eager to use, and in fact have many coloured up, just can't seem to get any inspiration from the numerous papers I have, and I have lots, maybe it's because I have to many to choose from, but then again I can't seem to find any I want to use.  So I've gone for a card which could be suitable for a birthday, thank you etc.. and it gave me the chance to use one of my favourite stamps that's been a bit neglected in recent months, and use some new papers I hadn't yet used which were sitting there themselves being neglected then there's my new Petaloo flowers too.

Though this Sugar Nellie stamp is quite summery, I went for an autumn theme, well it was only a couple of weeks ago you could actually still sit outside in a short sleeved top even though it was officially autumn.

RECIPE

Stamp - Sugar Nellie 'A Good Book' (neglected stamp)

Papers - Background DP ~ Daisy & Dendelion (new), Orange cardstock from stash, Dark DP ~ Basic Grey, Flowery DP ~ Crafts Too (new)

Colouring Medium - Copics & Promarkers

Flowers - Petaloo (new), Leaves from stash

Other Embellishments - Dew Drop

Thanks for stopping by, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and don't forget the clocks 'Fall' back tomorrow night here in the UK.

Hugs

Joanne xx

**EDITED**

A few of you have asked where I got the Petaloo (Flora Doodle) flowers from I got them from Joanna Sheens online shop.

Sketch Saturday #62

Another wonderful sketch as always from Sketch Saturday this week.




I've coloured the Gorjuss Girl with copics and lightly chalked the edges with brown. The dp's are all from Craftwork Cards as are the, pink dotty flower, butterfly sentiment and card candy. The rest of the flower is built up with a large white fabric flower and a prima flower on top with a spacer and pink pearl brad. I really loved this sketch and will definately use again.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday, bloomin miserable day weatherwise yet again here as it is for many in the UK I believe. Oh well will have to stay in and keep on crafting!!!

Stampin' For The Weekend #4

Due to my holiday and feeling poorly last week this is the first time I've been able to take part in the Stampin' For The Weekend challenges. And this week there is a great project titled "Pocket Full of..." The stampin' for the weekend team would like to see you make a wallet or pocket card. I've been meaning to send a certain friend (naming no names, as she hasn't got em yet...lol) some stamped images for a good few weeks now, so this was the perfect opportunity to get a wallet made and some images stamped.

I've used one of my old time favourite Sugar Nellie stamps, Daisy and coloured her with copics and watercolour pencils with a water brush, and a bit of blue chalk to the background. Cut image and yellow glitter card mount using Labels 2 Nesties. DP is K & Co. The flower is a mix of fabric and prima's held together with a pearl brad. The dangly is an old odd earring adding the 'made with love' heart charm with a silver jump ring. Finished with some tiny Anita's gems, then punched two holes so the wallet can be secured with some yellow cord.

Can't believe it's the weekend again already, where's the past week gone? It's quite humid here today but no sun as yet, I think it's meant to be brightening up a bit later this afternoon. It sounds like many of us could be in for a bit of a heatwave next week, not sure if thats good or bad really. Well whatever you are up to this weekend, I hope you have a good one. Thanks for visiting and any comments are much appreciated. xxx

Secret Cafter Saturday Challenge #31 and Can you help out Sammie??

This week over on SCSC they would like see brads and/or eyelets on your creations.

Coloured this Gorjuss Girl image with Copics, chalked the background in pink, cut with circle scalloped nesties then inked the edges in pink. Added two eyelets either side of image then used pink ribbon from my scraps through them. Papers are all K & Co. Punched a flower from one of the dp's then added a fabric flower from my craft stash then attached with a pearl brad.

Quite a pink card but thats for a reason. Sammie is taking part in The Race For Life, but she wont be running the 5km, she wont even be walking it, on no, her and her friend's will be belly dancing the race in pink!!! Sammie doesn't have very many sponsers, so instead of collecting more sponserships she is collecting 'Pink Cards'. Thats where all us friendly, crafting bloggers come in. If you would like to help Sammie by donating any pink cards you might have spare, then please visit her blog 'Buttonz and Bradz' for further details. Sammie will be selling the cards at her church and all money raised from the sales will be donated to Cancer Research. As the race is on Sammie's birthday she is offering some candy to one lucky participant which will be drawn on the 24th May.

So this card, with a few others will be making it's way to Sammie. I'd like to wish her and her friend's all the best of luck with belly dancing the race and with the sale of the cards.

The Sugar Bowl Challenge #10

It's a lovely sketch for the latest challenge over on The Sugar Bowl as an addition they'd also like to see 'Buttons' on your creation.

This is an 8x8 square card. Used one of my new SN stamps that I bought at the Harrogate Show, coloured with Copics and blender, then chalked the background in blue and inked the edges in red. Mounted image onto matte gold card from scraps stash. Papers are all Funky Fairys, from the new released 'Tiny Daisies' and 'Nanna's Wallpaper', what a fab name that is. Flowers from stash and attached together by a ladybird button. Sentiment from Craftwork Cards then finished with a few green card candies. Below is the sketch to follow.

Will catch-up with my blog hopping this evening in front of the TV, ready and waiting for the 2 hour special of ER, and as George Clooney will be appearing, I'll have to give him my full attention of course...lol, so I'll continue the hopping after. Enjoy your evening all xx

Random Card, Fabby News, a Sneek Peek and an Award!!

Grab a cuppa this is a bit of a long one.

First I'll start with a random card, I made it for something else but it didn't fit in the end and I can't find any of my regular challenges for it to fit in with other than SCSC but I've already entered a card into that challenge, so Im just going to share it with you anyway.

Used one of my favourite SN stamps 'Sweet n Sassy'. Coloured her with copics, blender and promarkers. Inked the edges with brown ink and mounted onto green cardstock from scraps stash. Papers are K & Co, I cut scalloped ovals from one of the papers using nesties, and placed in the corners. Green organza ribbon from Ribbon Box. Finished with some card candy in the corners. Card candy and scalloped base card both from Craftwork Cards.

Now for my fabby news....

I recieved an email this morning asking if I'd like to become an official designer for Making Handmade Cards. I've been a guest designer for a couple of months, so this is such fabby news. And I've already got my new blinkie...lol.

I'm really excited about this new opportunity and there are some new exciting things to come over on MHC, so I will keep you posted as and when these develop. But in the mean time you may want to sign-up for their newsletter where you'll get freebies, tips and the latest news on new releases, click here to sign-up.

Before January this year I'd never dreamed of being on a DT or ever thought my crafting was good enough, but I'm so proud to now be a member of a few DT's, I have been so lucky and feel so honoured.

Talking of DT's here's a little sneek peek of my creation for tomorrow's new challenge over on Funky Fairys.

There's still some time to take part in the current challenge which is a sketch by me, would love to see your creations.

And finally......(stop cheering!!!..lol)

I've recieved a lovely award from Poppy, thank you xxx

"The Gift of Love Award"
You have to pass it on to five people,
so here they are ;-

Linda

Mariell

Lorraine A

Lorraine

Moni

Wish I could give this award to each and everyone of you who visit my blog and take the time to comment, in fact if you've read the whole of this post you deserve an award for making it this far...lol, but as it's a new one for me I'll abide by the rules.

OK, you are free to go now...lol!

Check back tomorrow where I'll be revealing the latest Funky Fairys challenge, and a look at the whole picture of my DT creation.

Thanks for visiting, go stretch your legs and make another cuppa, you deserve it. xxx

Simon Says Recipe

It's a fab recipe to follow this week over on Simon Says.

1 Ribbon

2 Papers

3 Buttons

Ohhh I love a good recipe and here's what I've cooked up.

Image is Sugar Nellie, coloured with copics and watercolour pencils, background is chalked. Cut image using square scalloped nesties then inked the edges in blue. Papers are PM's 'Sweet Nothings'. Used circle scalloped nesties on paper mount of image and inked the edges in pink. Ribbon from scraps stash and buttons from local haberdashery store. Scalloped base card from craftwork cards.

Well the work I was telling you about a few days ago with the woodlands, is really coming on. The big winches are coming in today, to drag out the larger trunks and branches from the water. Will get some more pictures posted over the weekend of the progress so far, but it already looks 100 times better.

Enjoy your day all xxx

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge # 4

Can you believe we are onto week 4 already?? We had a wonderful response to last weeks challenge and the entries were all wonderful myself and the rest of the DT really enjoyed visiting your blogs. This weeks theme over on Stamptacular is 'Charmed, I'm Sure" we would like to see at least one charm on your project. You don't have to make a card it can be any project and the normal rules apply, you must use at least one stamp and your project must be made exclusively for the challenge to be in with a chance of winning this weeks prize.

For this challenge my DT project is a bookmark.




The paper is Funky Fairys 'Funky Meets Shabby Chic'. The image is one of the 'Gorjuss Girls' from set 2, coloured with copics, promarkers and blenders. Scalloped oval cut from nesties. The stamped flower swirls are from papermania duo's and I've coloured the flowers with copics. Added some pink ribbon from stash and ran a piece of thread through with a charm and bead attached to each end.

Please be sure to look at the all the DT creations, they are all wonderful and sure to inspire. We do hope you'll be able to join us for this weeks challenge.

Enjoy your Sunday xx

The Sugar Bowl Challenge #8

There is a fab sketch by Tiets to follow over on The Sugar Bowl's latest challenge.



I've used one of the Gorjuss Girls 2, which I won from challenge #6. Coloured her with copics and blender pen. Papers are all Funky Fairy. I've inked the edges of most of the papers with green or red. The flower is made up with flowers, a spacer and brad from my craft stash. The sentiment is stamped and finally I've finished with some black card candy in the corners. Sorry about the quality of the photo, it's been a dark and grey day today, the reds actually all look about the same in real life, but the flash has shown them up as different reds.


Below is the sketch to follow:

2 Challenges 1 Card - Sketch Saturday and Secret Crafter

Being very naughty again and combining a couple of challenges, but I go away on Thursday so I want to squeeze as many of my regular challenges in as I can, combining is better then not entering at all thats my theory anyway and I'm sticking to it...lol.

Anyway for my card I've followed this weeks fab sketch over on Sketch Saturday and combined it with this weeks theme over on Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge which is 'Stripes'.

The image is SN 'Claudia the Artist' coloured with copics and blender then a touch of sakura metallic gold on some detail. Chalked the background, stamped the sentiment and inked the edges and mounted on to pink cardstock from my scraps stash. Paper is K & Co, I bought a whole wad of these papers at the Harrogate Show, I love them so you'll be seeing a lot more of them I'm afraid. The pink scalloped banner is the same cardstock as image mount then layered some more of the K & Co paper then blue ribbed ribbon. Flowers are a Prima and another from my crafting stash. Finished with some card candy on each side. Below is the Sketch to follow this week on Sketch Saturday:

The Sugar Bowl Challenge #7

Went to check out the latest challenge over on The Sugar Bowl earlier this morning and had a lovely surprise, I'd been picked at random as the winner for their challenge 6, woohooo, how happy am I, great start to the day. I had a choice of two new stamp sets and I went for the Gorjuss set 2, so can't wait to recieve them.

Swiftly moving on to the latest challenge which is 'Spring or Easter'. I've gone for Easter but with a very spring feel.




I've used SN Gorjuss Girl- 'A Little Bird Told Me..', coloured with copics. Papers are from PM 'Venitian Skies', so love these papers. The daisies were actually white but I've coloured them using the same yellow as on the dress. The flowers are from my crafting stash, sewn together adding blue beads to the centre, once the flower was attached I tied some light blue organza ribbon around it, leaving the ends to hang from the bottom. The sentiment is stamped, cut using oval nesties then inked the edges in blue. Finished with some card candy detail. You can just see through the top of the flower the sun is streaming through, if I'd taken the picture 10 minutes earlier, there wouldn't have been any sun, there was a right blustery downpour with hail included. A sunshine and showers day I think.


Whilst trying to take the picture of the card my little fur-baby, Mollie, kept nudging me so had to take a picture of her too, she's a right little poser and as soon as she had the photo taken she went off to sit in the sun. So I thought I'd share this pic of her with you all, sorry Emma Mollie didn't want to smile for this one...lol.

Stamping on Candles and Sugar Bowl Challenge # 6

I've been meaning to have a go at stamping on candles for some time now, finally got round to having a play this evening. I had a few practice runs on an old square candle, and by the third attempt I seemed to have cracked it, without over heating the wax. So then I went for the biggy...lol, and here's the result...

I'm pretty pleased with the result. I've used SN 'Sweet 'n' Sassy' coloured with copics and sakura stardust pens. The flower rim stamp is from the Daisy & Dandelion range and again coloured with sakura stardust pens and a touch of copics green. Added a pink tartan ribbon tied in a bow, purely for presentation purposes, it would'nt be advisable to burn the candle with it on I don't think.

I thought this little project was perfect to enter into The Sugar Bowl challenge, where the theme is Mothers Day. You can either make a Mothers Day card or another card or craft project that you know a mother would love. Well I think many mum's would love this.

A Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge #41

The challenge this week over on A Spoon Full of Sugar is 'Torn Edges'. I'm not a big fan of tearing, not that I don't like everyone's elses creations using torn paper, it's just my own tearing...lol. And for this challenge I went overboard with the tearing, mind you if you'd been in my house last night when I was putting this card together, you'd of heard a lot of tutting and a few choice words.

The image is one of the new Gorjuss Girls, which was a RAK from my buddy Emma, who popped round for a coffee and chat yesterday, good swap for a coffee I think, you can come again Emma...lol. Coloured her with Copics, then did something a little different with the background, I chalked it in purple then using a waterbrush and ruler I added stripes, I was really pleased with the final effect and I'll be experimenting some more with chalk and water. I've torn the edges of the image and re-chalked in the purple. The papers are handmade papers I had in my scraps stash and again I've torn all the edges. Found a piece of purple mulberry paper in my scraps and so using the ruler and waterbrush again I drew a square with the water, tore the square shape then mounted the image onto this. The fabric flowers are from my stash and I punched some mulberry paper flowers for the centres, then put the flowers together with purple brads. Added some flat-backed pearls to the free corners of the card and image, which were coloured with peel-off markers.

2 in 1 Challenge Card

My second ever combined challenge card, though it wasn't intentional to start with. I was originally making it for the One Stop Craft Challenge # 18 which is 'Simply Stunning' (no papers) and then realised when I'd finished the card it also fitted challenge #40 over on A Spoon Full of Sugar which is 'Shape Shifters'.

Image is SN ' Pen Pal' and coloured with copics and a little sakura stardust on her jewellery and belt buckle. Chalked the background then layered onto two different shades of blue card from my scraps stash. The base card is, as you can see, envelope shaped. Punched the flowers using the blue scraps of card already used and added little clear and blue gems to the centres. Added a ribbon with three different shades of blue ribbon tied in a knot.

Well it's a glorious day here today, so Steve and I are going to go for a drive with Mollie to the Lincolnshire coast this time and get a bite of lunch whilst we are out.

Hope you all enjoy your sunday xxx

The Sugar Bowl Challenge # 5

It's challenge 5 over on The Sugar Bowl and they want to see your 'Christmas' creations. The rules are, you must use at least one 'Sugar Nellie' item on your work. Well I'm happy for anything to help keep me to my one xmas card a week resolution.

Used SN 'Hug in a Mug' and coloured with copics with a little sakura stardust clear waterbrushed on to the white areas and a little sakura gold metallic. Cut image with Fiskars shapecutter and chalked and inked the edges with red and green. I cut eight scalloped ovals in three diffeent sizes with the nesties using red and green glitter card and layed out into a kind of frame for the image to be mounted on. The red background and gold strip across the card are embossed foiled card from Kanban. Added green ribbon with a knot along the gold strip. The circle sentiment is from Fred, She Said, mounted on to a green glitter card scalloped circle, then added a paper poinsettia from stash.

Wasn't expecting any time to craft today as two of the girls have come to visit, but they've all gone to the cinema this afternoon, so while Steve's been flicking between cricket and rugby on the TV, I got on with some cards.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend xxx

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge # 20

There's a fab sketch to follow by Jill this week over on SCSC.



The stamp is SN 'Duck in Boots', which I won on one of the challenge blogs a few weeks ago, it's the first time I've inked it up. Didn't add too much colour, but used copics on the bits that I did. Added an amber coloured gem to the centre of the flower, some square purple gems to each corner of image and the sentiment is handwritten. Cut the the squares using nesties. The orange paper is from my scraps stash and the purple spotty paper is from PM's Spring Burst collection. Below is Jill's sketch to follow:

The Sugar Bowl Challenge #4

The latest challenge over on the Sugar Bowl is 'One'. You can only use one patterned design paper on your project.

I've used SN 'A Good Book' and coloured with watercolour pencils using a waterbrush, I've also used a little pearly doodles on the centres of the flowers and on the heart pendant on her necklace (I've seen this done on some of Poppets cards, and love the effect). Chalked the background with shimmer pink chalk then used a darker pink chalk towards the edges and inked around the edges. The patterned paper I've used is a sheet from the Funky Fairys 'Love Train', which was only available for one day to download. The green background card is from my stash. Added some green lace diagonally on the bottom of card with a sentiment from Kanban attached with green ribbon. I made a kind of lace rosette/bloom with a hair pin and some pearl beads attached. The flowers are prima's with a pearl bead in the centre. Finished with a line of flat pearls in top corner of dp.

I spent a lot of yesterday giving the kitchen a good clean and all was sparkling, then it started snowing again. As I've mentioned before Mollie loves the snow, so as you can imagine, my nice sparkling floor was no more...lol, so looks like the mop and bucket will be staying out a little while longer. Wasn't expecting the snow, the forecast was for rain, we ended up with about 4 inches in the end. Glorious day out there today though, but it must be chilly as the snow isn't thawing very quickly.

Hope everyone's having a lovely day.

Just Christmas & Birthday Cards Challenge #17

This week over on JCBC is a gorgeous sketch by Janina. Loved this sketch and is another I'd definately use again.

The stamp is SN 'Snow Loved' coloured with copics and sakura stardust pens, waterbrushed sakura stardust clear on the bodies. Chalked edges in blue and mounted onto lilac mirror card from Kanban. Background paper also from Kanban. Added 3 silver snowflake eyelets to images exposed corners with peel-off sentiment on white card chalked blue and mounted onto the lilac mirror card, across top left corner. Used blue and lilac ribbon with a length of silver elastic with beads and sequins attached, tied together in the middle with a silver ribbon bow, all from my crafting stash. To finish blue and purple sparkling die-cut snowflakes from stash were added to the left hand corners of card.

Hope everyone's having a good day, thankfully hardly any snow here anymore, my snowman is now a heap on the ground..lol. I know there has been a lot of snow again in places, especially in the south-west, so all of you that are affected enjoy it, but please keep safe and warm. xxx