Spring In Your Step - Papertake Weekly Challenge

This weeks challenge - 'Spring in your step!' is to make a card (or other item!) with a spring theme! Easter and Mother's Day both fall early this year and with me daffs out in the garden already it seemed a good theme!

This is my creation for this weeks challenge. I used a template from Crafty Templates for the flowers and vase and used paper and card scraps to make these, so thats a bonus! The corners are the bits of peel offs that normally get thrown away.

Poppicrafts Competition!

Every month Poppicrafts holds a competition...

This months competition is 3-2-1
that is:
3 blooms/flowers
2 Brads
1 piece of ribbon
Any theme, any colour I dont mind. But you must stick to the recipe, no more, no less, just the amount above. Of course you can add any other embellishments, it can be a card, scrap layout or any altered item.

I needed to make an anniversary card so I thought I would use the recipe above as inspiration.

I used pink cardstock, the backing paper is from a 12x12 paper and cardstock pack, it has "love, cherish, romance, forever, always" covering it. I attached 3 blooms from Aunty Sarah's with a burgundy brad and used the other brad to attach my tag. The sentiment is from Pink Petticoat, Sentiment & Tags.

My First Maze Book & PWC "Simply Stripes" & Funky Fairy Challenge 8 "Photographs"

I've been busy all week that's why I've not blogged...I'll show you later why! But in the meantime I needed an idea for Fae's 21st birthday card. I wanted to do something different, something she could keep, something a little special. I visited Charmed Crafts and Cards and found they had step-by-step instructions for a Maze book, which were pretty easy to follow. So, I set about making my first maze book - which fits nicely into the Papertake Weekly Challenge and Funky Fairy's Challenge 8 "Photographs"...

This weeks challenge is 'Simply Stripes' - quite self explanitory really lol! This weeks challenge is to use stripes on your project!

For this weeks challenge I would like you to make a card, scrapbook page or brag book etc etc - around one photo or a small collection of photos (all of a similar theme). There must also be at least one piece of text / saying / phrase included in the project. With "Mother's Day" and "Easter" around the corner, this could be the perfect opportunity to make that aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh card / project ! ! Alternatively use your photo on a "Retirement", "Wedding" or "Birthday" card / project - the possibilities are endless !!!

This is the front cover - I used paper from Pink Petticoat Doodleicious, Fimo numbers from Karacter Krafts, letters from a sheet from my stash.

The pages are made from one sheet of 12x12 paper from my
stash. For page 1&2 I used a photo holder thingy (have no idea what there called lol) that came with a craft kit that I got ages ago, pink fabric hearts and flower from a Poundland embellishment kit, pink vellum from local craft shop and eyelets from Poppicrafts. The verse says "It seems like only yesterday that we held you in our arms, promising you that throughout life we would protect you from all harm"

Page 3&4 - I cut a frame from scrap card and covered it with flowers from Aunty Sarah's. I embellished those with Poundland gems. I used a scrap of paper from my stash and layered the vellum over that holding them together and attaching to the page with brads. The verse says "Then as life is designed you grew up very fast. You started to talk, run and play, those days they quickly passed"

Page 5&6 - For these pages I made two pockets by turning the corners down and sticking in place. I used buttons from own stash and flowers left over from my Valentines cards (Cuttlebug Hippy Chic Alphas), again i embellished with poundland gems. I made two tags using a Coluzzle and tied ribbon from own stash to the tops.

Pages 7&8 - 1 fat daisy from Aunty Sarah's, along with other blooms in the centre, held together with a brad. A couple of peel offs embellish the vellum. The verse says "Then came school and away you went learning new things every day. More time for you and your friends, less for us, but it happens that way"

Pages 8&9 - I used the heart Coluzzle to cut out the heart shaped frame from cardstock. Bow and heart shaped gems from own stash. The verse says "Now you are a beautiful young woman, with a caring, loving, compassionate heart. You have a great life ahead of you, we know you couldn't wait to start"

Pages 10&11 - Scraps of paper from Pink Petticoat "O' Christmas Tree", 21 cut from Cuttlebug Hippy Chic Alphas in white glitter card (59p per pack of 10 from Home Bargains), 2 peel off butterflies glittered using Sparkle Colour glitters from Arty Miss. The verse says "All of this happened over 21 years. How quickly all of this went by. You think that things pass super slow, but it's amazing how time really flies"

Pages 12&13 - I wanted something simple on the last pages, so i used a strip of scrap floral vellum and stuck it down either side. As you can see I then just added peel offs to finish. I have no idea who the author of the poem is. I found it whilst trawling the net for something appropriate. I have slightly changed it though. I tried to add photos of Fae that corresponded with the verse.

I will be entering this into the Springtime competition that Kathryn has at Karacter Krafts.

And this is the reason why I've not been blogging this week and why it took me so long to make this card ......

... Lol see sooo busy!

Tara's Blog Candy

Tara is very kindly giving away some beautiful blog candy over at her blog. To have a chance of winning this she asks us "to make a baby card, boy or girl as they are just my favourite ones to make"

So here is mine......

I also love making baby cards and for this one I used papers downloaded from Raspberry Road Designs "Vintage Baby Collection" from the retired kits and the one of the big "Baby Babbles" brad that are also downloadable from the dollar store for the centre which I matted onto silver mirror card and cut round with fancy scissors. I used another printable brad from the same collection and attached it to a paper clip. I then added three poundland gems and some ribbon from my stash.

Bloomin' Gorgeous!

Another week, another challenge at Papertake Weekly!

This weeks challenge 'Blooming Gorgeous!' is to use floral embellishments on your projects! These could be Prima's, silk, wire stemmed, die cut, handcut etc! etc!

Not sure where this foam flower originally came from, Ellie just produced it from her bedroom when she was having a mammoth clean, which doesn't happen often! Anyway, the shoe is made using the coppernob slipper template which I got in the sale from my local craft shop for £1.00! I've since managed to make a few of these cards and use some of my paper

scraps!

If you don't like the foam flower lol here's one using an bloom from Aunty Sarah.

And then just in case shoes aren't your thing theres this card, which was made using paper from Pink Petticoat and Joanna Sheen's Victorian Romance cd. The little girl is a decoupage from here at The Lilac Garden. Audrey creates these decoupage sheets which are free to download. She is a very kind, talented lady. The sentiment is also Pink Petticoat. The flower and brad are from Poppicrafts.

Altered Tin

I was looking for a different way to give money as a birthday gift. I hate just shoving it in the middle of a birthday card. So after looking for inspiration I came up with this...



I brought this tin of sweets from our local Home Bargains shop for 99p. I took the bottom off with a tin opener and took the sweets out, which left the foil intact. I covered the tin and lid with free paper from here, thanks Stephanie, and embellished with ribbon. I placed the money along with some bath petals into the tin and superglued the bottom back on. I ran some ribbon around the base of the tin to hide the join. So, this tin now looks like this ...



I will most definately be using this idea again it was very well recieved, although my sister refused to open it on her birthday fearing something would pop out at her and made her daughter do it for her. She's so trusting of me! lol

My First Handmade Birthday Gift

Obviously with it being Ellie's birthday last Monday, her party Saturday and 3 birthdays on the 3rd February, we were finding things a little tight. For 2 birthdays we generally only buy a token gift. So I decided to trawl the internet for homemade birthday gifts and I found this idea...












Recipe:
1x sheet Pink Petticoat spotty paper
1x milk carton template downloaded from internet
1x cow clipart image
1x scrap of black card
1x length of black ribbon
1x flower paper clip (Poppicrafts)
1x milk bath recipe found on internet

I am really pleased with how this turned out and because it didn't really cost me anything... I had everything in my store cupboard!

Heart's Desire!

This weeks Papertake Weekly Challenge is ...Please could we see some hearts (or a heart lol!) on your cards this week? Already done your Valentine's cards? How about doing a Wedding / Anniversary / engagement or birthday card! We don't mind which - as long as there's a heart or two...or three.....!!!

Well, I have made quite a few cards with hearts on just lately thanks to my gorgeous grandson Rylee! He asked me to make his Mummy & Daddy a valentines card along with all his grandparents, great grandparents, Auntie Weezy, Great Auntie Cissy and family and friends who live in other parts of the country and don't get to see him on a regular basis.

This card was made using holographic card (59p for 10 sheets from Home Bargains) I cut 2 hearts from gold holographic and pink card using my coluzzle heart template and stuck on a photo of Rylee and decorated with hearts and flowers cut from scrap card using the Hippy Chic Cuttlebug Alpha dies, a button and some gold cord finish it off. The me to you ribbon was off a Christmas gift set. The paper for the insert was once again a freebie paper downloaded from here and is made by Derek, Thanks Derek!

The verse inside reads...

I'm so lucky your my Mummy and Daddy

Your the best two there could be

That's why this valentine is filled

With love to your from

Your special baby boy Rylee xx

This card I made using the Crafty Template, January templates. Again I used Derek's beautiful Love papers. I made this in a similiar way as the first card, but without using the Coluzzle (purchased after I'd made all these...typical!) The verse inside reads...

With all the sunshine things you do,

The smiles you share - the laughter, too -

With all the dreams you make come true

It's great to have Grandparents/Auntie/Family like you!

Foiled!

The Challenge over at Daring Cardmakers this week is....

'Foiled!' -I would like you to utilise some plain old aluminium (aluminum for our friends across the pond!) foil from your kitchen :). You can scrunch it, die cut it, emboss it, ink it, coil it, cover chipboard - or anything else that you choose!

Fae asked me to make Eloise a birthday card for her. So when it comes to making 3 cards for the same person I find it difficult to come up with ideas. After trawling many websites for inspiration, I came across this website (craft telly). In the forums they were chatting about the Arty Farty templates. One member had devised her own template of the celebrations bottle and was offering it to anyone who mailed her, so I did and was sent her template via email (thank you Andrea).

I made the card with the help of the template and used free papers from Raspberry Road Designs, Kaylabugs Collection (thanks Susan). The foil was used to make the cover for the cork (no idea what its called). I embellished with a peel off butterfly which I stuck to vellum, coloured in with Sakura Stardust pens and then covered with another butterfly peel off which I stuck to acetate.

My Space!

Jo at http://jo-onlyjoking.blogspot.com/ is offering blog candy to one lucky person if you show your craft space!

So here is mine, which is located in my dining room. Unfortunately, I don't have a room, Ellie got the spare room when Fae left for her treatment room...I thought it was better for her to have it, especially as she does a lot of bikini line waxes for her friends and the dining room is no place to be having that done! lol!

This is a pine welsh dresser I got from our local Freecycle website, I did cheat with this slightly cos it was my nieces (thanks Carrie xxx) so I probably got it unfairly, but hey! Anyway I got Andy to paint it white so it fitted with my colour scheme. I was looking at Steph's blog and saw that she'd brought some storage jars from Tesco to keep her ribbon etc in, so off I went down to our local Asda store and got the jars on the top shelf, 96p each. I sorted all my ribbons out and put each colour in a separate jar. The jars on the middle shelf where from Home Bargains and cost 99p and I put all my blooms in them. I think I need to sort the bottom shelf out a little! The drawers are full of glue sticks, glitter, gems, tape, leaves, punches and other paraphernalia.

This is the bottom of the welsh dresser which is filled with big punches, paper, card, assorted embellishments, toolbox full of rubber stamps and numerous other things.

This is where I work, messy mare aren't I? lol! I hate having to clear the table every evening so we can eat. But yes that mess is made everyday between 9 and 5.30! Honest the table doesn't always look like this!

Violets are Blue!!!

The Papertake Weekly Challenge this week is .....

Violets are Blue! We'd like to see Blues or Purples this week please!

This weeks was sooo easy for me! I've been busy for the past week (thats why there's been no blogging) making cards for all the birthdays I have in February. Of course that means making at least 3 cards per person...I should really make the girls buy their's! I have 3 birthdays on the 3rd February, 1 on the 4th, 1 the 18th and 1 the 20th ... bloomin' heck thats 18 cards I've made, no wonder I've been busy. I did cheat and make the same card using different colours and I managed to use no end of my scrap paper up, which is a bonus! Anyhow here are a few of my blue and purple cards.....

For this card I used Pink Petticoat papers, purple pearlescent card which I embossed with my Cuttlebug swirly folder and cut out

with my new Hippy Chick Alphas, Rubber Romance stamp, ribbon rom local market, flower and eyelets from Poppicrafts and a poundland gem!

This card uses a template from Crafty Templates, paper from my D S George Pastels cd, some scrap blue card which I covered with hundreds and thousands, the candles were cut using a sizzix die and the "B" using my Hippy Chick Alphas.

Again I used a template for this card. This template was downloaded from somewhere on the net, but I can't seem to find where at the moment.. I used scrap paper from my D S George pastels cd and put it through the Cuttlebug using the swirly embossing folder. I added bubbles using fluffy stuff and cut up a face cloth to use as a towel.

For this last card I used freebie paper from here, the cupcake template from Crafty Templates, scrap pieces of card and leftover ribbon and a flower from Aunty Sarah's.

There are more but I wont overdose you on them! Thanks for looking!

Roses Are Red...

The challenge over at Papertake Weekly is...

Roses are Red..' is to use red on your card! Any shade or shades of red that you like from bright pillar box to deep burgandy!! Come on everyone lets paint the town RED!!

For this card I used Pink Petticoat papers from the O' Christmas Tree collection, a piece of red card embossed with stylized flowers using the Cuttlebug, one of my new Rubber Romance stamps which I painted with twinkling H2O's and then embellished with photo corners made from the border of my peel offs and two photo turn mounts from Poppicrafts and a metal happy birthday tag from create-n-celebrate.

Me and My Shadow!!

This week challenge over at Daring Cardmakers has been set by Jane and this is it.....

"I want you to create not just one but TWO cards ! But wait........there's more ! I want both cards to contain the same embellishments and papers, ribbons etc- but arranged in a different way for a different occasion....the only thing being different is the wording....I'll let you have different wording ! (How nice of me eh?) I'm well aware this is a really hard challenge, and that I have thrown everyone into 2008 off the deep end....but go on- give it a go - I DARE YOU !"

I've used free digi papers

"Trail Guide - Orange Papers" from here, thanks Michelle, freebie stitched alphas from here and my Auntie Sarah 4" fat daisy bloomers and ribbon from Sarah's Cards Ltd.

At Last!

We've (yes we... I managed to get Andy to help me out cos I was losing the will to live!) just finished the cake boxes and party bags, thank goodness! Starting with the party bags ...

I used a template that i downloaded from here, which was very simple (needed to be!). I printed on to photo paper a shoe design from Pink Petticoat "Le Lipstique" in olive and pink. I added a name tag and will be using these as place settings at the restaurant. Inside Ellie decided to put a party popper, some chocolate raisins (these being her favourite sweets, along with anything else covered in milk chocolate lol!) and some bubbles. At the time I thought "how the blazes am I going to find bubbles that fit in with a shoe theme?" The internet is a wonderful thing and I found these ... aren't they just sooo cute? They came in a box of 24 and cost £5.99, which works out at 25p per pot. Bargain! The delivery was reasonable too. They have various other designs which fit in with most party themes and are from here. So thats all the party bags done, packed up in the box ready to be transported to the restaurant.

So on we go to the cake boxes. Do you ever wish you'd never started anything? This was one of those times for me. They look so good once there finished, but they've been so time consuming to make. I used a template downloaded from here. Many thanks to Pam Curtis! I used Shellyrae Polka Treat freebie paper which I downloaded from here and pink holographic card for the heel, buckle and flower. I shall be wrapping the cake in greaseproof paper and pink and lime green tissue paper and hopefully it will fit quite nicely in the shoe!

The only things left to do now are the Thank Shoe cards and I need to make something to put the chocolate raisins in...I feel a roll of cellophane and a bag sealer could come in handy!

And I'll be doing this all again in March for Fae's 21st!

Loving You!

To celebrate the launch of the new Poppicrafts website Michelle is holding a competition every month. Januarys competition is very simple:
"Make a valentines Day card using only these 3 colours - BLACK, RED and WHITE."

Here is my entry into the competition.......

I followed the step-by-step instructions from here at Nichole Heady, Capture The Moment, for this slider card. I used red cardstock for the base of the card and matted and layered using black cardstock and Pink Petticoat, Daisy Daisy, black and white flourishes. I added hearts cut out with a cuttlebug die. For the insert I used the black card for the base and matted and layered with the red card and Pink Petticoat papers. I attached both together with white organza ribbon from my local market.

The verse reads:

I remember when we first met and the strong love that has grown between us since then. How full, yet short, the years have been. A large reason for this is because of you and your kind ways. You have made us a home, warm with the joy which only a family can bring. You have stood by me in the good and the bad, the smiles and the tears. I love you with a love that goes beyond what I can express. Thank you so much for being my friend, my love and my husband!

"New To Me"

Daring Cardmakers first little extra dare of the new year is linking in with their main dare last Friday- still on the 'New' theme - think of it as a 'double dare!':) Make a card using a new toy you had for Christmas, or in fact any crafty goodies that you received. Its a great chance to try out all your new toys/papers/embellishments!

Here is mine.....

I used Java Time free papers from craftyscraps and my new coffee cup die cutter and swirly embossing folder that I had for Christmas. I embossed the swirls in dark brown pearlescent card and cut them out just to add extra interest.

Thanks a bunch! & Challenge 2

This weeks Papertake Weekly Challenge,Thanks a bunch! is to make a Thank you card or notelet and over at Funky Fairys Challenge this weeks challenge is going to be based upon a sketch.

So this is my 2 for 1! I used free papers from Funky Fairy's Member area and a shoe image from Pink Petticoat "Lola's Boudiour Collection" and ribbon from my local market. I printed the sentiment from the computer.


I'm probably going to use this design for Eloise's Thank You cards. If you didn't know Ellie is celebrating her 18th birthday later this month. She's shoe mad, which inspired me to make shoe invites, shoe cake boxes and shoe party bags (to be shown later, lol!).

Gift Bags

Found these in my local Home Bargains store, they cost me 89p for 10 (I just love a bargain!) I took them home with me, gave them a little love and attention and came up with these..................

The penguin bags were decorated using a present rubber stamp I had lying around. I randomly stamped it all over the front of the two bags. I matted and layered the penguin image from Kay Miller Designs onto silver holographic card and stuck it the front. I punched out snowflakes from the same holographic card and added them.

The next two bags were decorated using images from Raspberry Road Designs "Country Cuddles". I then added flowers from Poppicrafts and added a bit of bling to those with gems I had in my craft box.

New Baby - Daring Cardmakers Challenge - 4th Jan 2008

For this weeks dare, I would like our cards to celebrate 'New' So not only New Year, but maybe New Home, New Baby, New Job or maybe a card for someone who is starting a new chapter in their life.

I made this card when my first Grandchild was born. I used Pink Petticoat papers, monograms and tiny tags. The little baby is a decoupage sheet, but I dont remember where I got it from.

Bit 'a' Bling! _ Papertake Weekly Challenge

This weeks challenge, 'Bit 'a' Bling' is to use 'bling' on your card somewhere!! This could be glitter, gems, or anything else sparkly!!
I used papers from raspberryroaddesign, Annie's Room, these are just some of the fab freebies that are on that blogspot. The template is from Crafty Templates and I used some pink stick on gems brought from my local Poundland store. The ribbon was from the local market.