Sketch & Stash Challenge 4 and Cuttlebug Spot Challenge 19

This is a card I have made for my Great Niece's first birthday, it also fits the criteria for both the Sketch and Stash challenge and the Cuttlebug Spot challenge which this week is "Buttons".

For the Sketch and Stash the new (well almost, I've only used it once before) is the Rachel Anne Miller stamp, which I have coloured with my new Inktense pencils and the rest is from my stash.

For the Cuttlebug Spot "Buttons" I have used the swirls embossing folder which I then chalked, then dabbed with a versafine pad and sprinkled with Glamour Dust. The buttons are tiny button brads.

Stitched Easter cards

I've been making some stitched Easter cards and decided to reduce one of the templates in size to make an ATC for an Easter swap, this proved very successful, so much so that a lady from Village Stitchers (a sewing group I attend) asked me to make three of them as little bookmarks for her Grandchilren to use in their hymn books. I duly finished the little cards, complete with envelopes, took them into Village Stitchers on Monday and have been asked to make three more for one of the other ladies!

Penny Black Saturday Challenge 37 & Sketch Saturday 39

Look at this, it's only 3.15pm and I've already made a card that fits the criteria for two challenges. Penny Black's challenge is "Get Well Soon" and Sketch Saturday has a sketch that I love so I've combined the two.

The image is Penny Black "Embraceable" but I've given him a bunch of flowers instead of hearts, I have then layered it onto bronze mirri card cut out with my Nesties with bronze satin ribbon loops and Hot Off The Press flowers, one of which I have stamped with script from a corner of the large rose stamp from the harlequin rose set by elusive images.

Look what was in the bird feeder

Rob went out to feed the birds this morning and found this tiny field mouse in one of the bird feeders. He had managed to lift the lid slightly to get in but was then unable to get out again, he's now been released to go home.

The Cuttlebug Spot Challenge 18

"Bring on the bling!" That's the challenge from the Cuttlebug Spot and I do like a bit of bling so here's what I've come up with. I have embossed some lovely pinky bronze mirri card with the swiss dots cuttlebug folder, the scalloped oval is blush pink pearlised card and the lacy bits are Joanna Sheen Victorian Doiley stamps stamped and embossed in white onto parchment then cut out, it's finished off with liquid pearls in white and some iridescent gems. I haven't put a greeting on as I'm not sure yet what it will be for.

Graphicus February Challenge

The challenge this month is "Home" as the topic and "Brick and Teal" for the colours. For some reason I have found this a very difficult challenge and I'm still not sure that I'm totally satisfied with the card I have made so your comments will be very much appreciated.

The backing papers are both Graphicus and the heart is part of the Elusive Images Harlequin Rose plate which I love. The heart is heat embossed using bronze embossing powder, I then cut it all out (including the inside bits!) and stuck it to the same colour card that the backing paper is layered onto, I then sprayed it with gold glimmer mist and highlighted bits of it with stickles crystal. I have tried to "lift" bits of the heart to give it a slightly distessed look that I thought went with the backing papers. Unfortunately the brick colours look quite orangy in the photograph.

Sketch Saturday 38 and Saturday Challenge 19

This card is for two challenges, the sketch this week on Sketch Saturday is a great one and the Saturday Challenge is "Spring has Sprung" so I thought this would fit the bill for both.

The striped paper is vellum, the plain green panel is embossed using the cuttlebug swirls embossing folder which I have highlighted with stickles. The bunnies are from the Beatrix Potter pack given away with this month's CM&P magazine, I have used stickles frosted lace for their little bob tails and liquid pearls dots around the scalloped circle.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge 36

Happy Valentines Day everyone, I hope you all got something nice, Rob bought me a dozen red roses, how romantic is that!

This weeks Penny Black challenge is a sketch by Nat and here is my card. The dark purple card is actually embossed in my Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots folder but it doesn't show up on the photo. The cute little teddy is the Penny Black "dream a dream" which I have stamped twice and decoupaged, the image is coloured using Prisma Pencils and in the centre of the tiny flowers I've used liquid pearls.

Marmalade mark two

A couple of weeks ago I made my annual batch of Seville orange and Cognac marmalade (or attempted to!)... disaster struck ... I boiled it for too long and the end results were more marmalade toffee than marmalade, much to the amusement of my eldest Son!!

I thought I had blown it for this year as I couldn't find any more Seville oranges, then last Saturday Rob was in Lymington (a nearby Market Town) when he spotted some Sevilles on one of the market stalls so he bought a kilo bless him. Sunday was spent making the second batch and joy of joy it turned out perfectly, which is a good thing as my friend in Liverpool would be devastated if she didn't get her annual jar or two.

Charisma Cardz challenge 5

Charisma Cardz challenge this week is "A Recipe" in which you must use 3 papers, 2 flowers and 1 ribbon. This is the card I have made, the papers and tag were given free with this months Making Cards Magazine and the flowers and ribbon are some I have had for goodness knows how long.

Sketch & Stash Challenge and Saturday Challenge

This card that I have made I hope will cover two challenges. Sketch and Stash Challenge 3 which is the sketch I have based my card on. I've used my new Penny Black Rumble in the jungle stamp and the rest is from my stock, the ribbon is fur fabric to which I have attached pearl shapes.

The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge number 17 is "At the Zoo" so I thought the cute little Penny Black Lion fit the bill there.

Sketch Saturday - 36

The sketch for this week's challenge is quite fussy with lots of bits to it so I decided to stick to just cream and blue for my card. The decoupaged image and most of the other bits and bobs are from the Laura Ashley range of papers and embelishments, the panel behind the imge is cream card embossed using a cuttlebug folder then chalked with just a hint of glitter.

Winter Wonderland

We very, very rarely get snow in this little corner of Hampshire so you can imagine my surprise this morning when I awoke to a thick white blanket of snow covering everything (at least the garden looks nice when it's covered with snow!). I decided not to drive down to the beach with Bonnie this morning and instead went out into the New Forest, or more aptly the heathland just down the road. It looked magical and Bonnie loved it, she was rolling around and rubbing her nose in it, thoroughly enjoying herself. By the time we got home it looked as though she had white boots on where the snow had frozen onto her legs, she tried to bite it off without success so I ran some warm water into the sink and put her in it to wash off the ice and snow. Here are a few photos.