Beauty of Nature

The beautiful findings of a deranged shopper

Hello Peeps, hope you all had a good weekend. The weather was decidedly iffy here and the central heating swung into action, I just can't abide being cold.

And the trees are feeling the cold as well and the leaves and beginning to fall rapidly, but oh how beautiful the all are. When we were shopping Saturday......I'll share with you shortly what was sourced at John Lewis...........I just couldn't resist picking up these leaves. We had to smile though, as a lady sitting in a coffee shop with her husband watched me intently as I rummaged the leaves for a couple to bring home, touched her husband on the arm with a sad half smile and they both gave my hubby such a caring sympathetic look. Clearly they though I had totally lost it..........but I can't resist revelling in the beauty of Nature.......I thought that was just normal ?

Now on to John Lewis.........my anniversary present from hubby. He made no mention what he was thinking until we hit the shops, said he wanted to go into the computer section of John Lewis, then announced he though a Mac would be just the thing for me with all my art and craft work. So this little package, well not so little, the screen is 27" is being delivered on Thursday.

I confess to lots of reservations, I've used HP's both at home and in the office for years, so me thinks a sharp learning curve is in the offing. But a couple of the children have Mac's so I am hopefully they won't just give me a 'dahhhh' glare when I am at my whits end with all the change. At least I have the luxury of enough space in my craft room to have old and new running until I conquer the Mac......that'll be mid 2011 then !

Enough gabble and a share of a couple of cards. The first one is obviously inspired by the lovely leaves above, very similar to one I made a few weeks ago, but I rather like the design. The leaves are Hero Arts CL457 real leaves, inked with various colours of Brilliance inks, stamped onto linen cardstock and diamond glazed after cutting out. I used the same leaves to stamp a background, but stamped them off first to diffuse the colours a bit. I tied ribbon across the middle panel and added a button to one leaf. This card is for the following challenges:

Mojo Monday - Sketch
Paper Playtime - Ribbons, buttons or rhinestones
Sweet Stamping - Punch it Out

The second card is a clean and simple design using Stamps Happen 80427 which I stamped onto a background created with Tim Holtz frayed burlap, linen and sage and a touch of gold brilliance. I coloured the image with Aquamarkers and added diamond glaze to the glass. The borders are created with Martha Stewart cornice punch. Cord and a button to embellish. This card is for the following challenges:

Cupcake - Happy Hour

Paper Sundaes - Something from Stash (cord and buttons)

Elegant fairy

Hello peeps, hope your all well. Just a quick post with a couple of cards.

The first a touch of indulgence........you know me, any excuse to use a fairy and this one is such a beautiful one from Crafts and Me called Eternity. I brayered a backround using a mask for the moon with Tim Holtz Victorian velvet and vintage photo. I coloured the image with the same inks and glittered her wings. Stamped a few leaves round the top with an Art Impressions stamp, some flowers and punched butterfly. The DP is Basic Grey and My Minds Eye. This is for the following challenges:

Cupcake - Pink and Brown

Paper Sundaes - Things with Wings

Creative Card Crew - Bloomin' Marvelous

Oldie but a Goodie - Pink and Girly

My second card is my anniversary card for my hubby later this week. He always says he needs to check my blog to know what I'm up to, but he's so busy at work this weeks that's unlikely so think I'm safe to share. Not your conventional anniversary card, but he's not a hearts and flowers sort of guy and will love the colours of this one as yellow is his favourite colour and all things Nature. I masked a section to create the background and inked with TH rusty hings, mustard seed and barn door with a spritz of Glimmer Mist iridescent gold. The tree from Creative Expressions, the border Martha Stewart cornice edging and the sentiment computer generated. It is for the following challenges:

Stamp Something - Fall colours

Cards for Men - Autumn

Stamptacular Sunday - Seasons Change/Fall

Tuesday Taggers - Here Comes Autumn

Wings and things

Hello everyone. How's the weather you way ? We have rain again just for a change, but at least it's not too cold and the lovely dewy morning this last week have brought the paddocks on a treat which make the horses very happy campers.

A few shares today. My first card uses one of my new stamps from Sweet Pea called midnight waiting. She has been stamped and embossed with detail clear and coloured with Copics. I stamped the wings and top of the fairy twice, glittered the wings and decoupaged. The DP is Magnolia and the borders punched with Martha Stewart floral vine. Some lace, roses and punched leaves to embellish. This card is for the following challenges:

Moving Along With the Times - Use at least three ingredients from the menu (I used 2 DP's glitter, leaves and heat embossing)

Flutterby Wednesday - All Winged Things

Charisma Cards - Anything Goes

The next one is this lovely slapstick stamp Penny Black 40-020 fly away, I think he's just adorable. I coloured with Copics and matted using one of the new Nesite shapes labels 17, I just love the shape of this ones. The DP is October Afternoon and the sentiment the first line of Penny Black 4075F. I cut the stars on Cricut assent essentials, added some rik rak and gens to embellish. This card is for the following challenges:

Simon Says - Sketch

Cupcake - Transport (the plane ?)

My Time to Craft - Kids at Play

My final card today is my favourite Autumnal colours. I created a background using Tim Holtz barn door, rusty hinge and frayed burlap. I overstamped with Hero Arts H2365 old French writing, then Hero S5449 fabulous flourish using versafine sepia. The mats are cut on Nesties and the leaves are X Cut punches which also emboss the leaves making them really come to life when you ink over them. The corners are punched with Martha Stewart double loop and finally I added some lace across the middle and raffia round the stamped image. This card is for the following challenges:

Crafty Creations - Falling Leaves

Creative Inspiration - 2 or More Stamps

Dutch Dare - Birthday Bash

Fairies and flowers

How is everyone ? Have you all got this rain as well ? If they talk about droughts now, I think I'll throw something at the TV, to have such green lush paddocks in August is unheard of and utterly bizarre.

I have two shares today, the first is one of the very special birthday cards I have been making for Anysia's 18th on Sunday..............45 peeps coming for a barbie, well that's the plan anyway. Thankfully my mate Mark Spencer.......for those of you not familiar with him he also goes under the guise of M&S......... is doing most of the catering so it just needs collecting and the boys love cooking barbies, so I figure all that leaves for me is to do is make a bowl or two of my famous punch. Why is it famous you ask......nobody can ever remember drinking it !

So the card, another of the gorgeous Sweet Pea Stamps called Black Rose, stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Copis and generously glittered and embellished. The DP is Kaiser and the border punched with my new Martha Stewart floral vine punch.

I added lace and vellum butterflies cut with Martha Stewart small monarch. The flowers are a mixture of Magnolia and from stash, plus liberal helpings of pearls.

This card is for the following challenges:

Sweet Pea Stamps: Lace and Pearls

Stamp with Fun: Card for a Girl

Flutterby Wednesdays: Open theme

Charisma Cardz: Hot Hot Hot

C.R.A.F.T: Milestone Birthdays

My second card above is a really quick plain and simple one but I quite like the clean lines. I cut squares on my guillotine and stamped a variety of stamps using Tim Holtz olive and stormy sky and embossed with iridescent powder. I distressed the edges slightly and matted onto blue and green co0ordinating cardstock.

This card is for the following challenges:

Cupcake: Blue and Green

Cut Card Thursday: Dieing for a Punch

New Christmas Hero Arts has landed

Monday again and I seem to have missed the weekend somewhere.

All the best laid plans and all that...........very little crafting but an awful lots of pupsicle loo runs. Both girls had their first inoculations this morning and the big weigh in, Daisy is 4.75 kg and Lily 3.85 kg, pretty much as we expected as Daisy is a bit of a hefty unit...........sorry folks, that's a real Fen saying for those of us that are shall we say a little way off a size '0'............compared with delicate Lily.

So just the two cards, but at least one of them allowed me to break out the new Christmas Hero Arts delivery from Sir Stampalot that I need to get creating with for the BIG Christmas Demo Weekend at the end of the month.

The first easel card is using this absolutely gorgeous Hero Arts S5449 Fabulous Flourish. It's a bit of a biggie at 5.5" x 4.5" but just lovely and a joy to work with. Me thinks there will be a few samples going Peterborough way with this one.

I created a background with Tim Holtz broken china and tea dye, inking a non stick craft sheet, spritzing liberally with water and Glimmer Mist pearl and swishing the card about it in. When dry I stamped with Hero chalk ink soft pool using good old trusty Hero H2365 old French writing. Next I inked the flourish stamp with TH tea dye and spritzed with water before stamping. The DP is October Afternoon, the border Martha Steward double loop, some punched leaves, two ribbons, a beaded pin, pearls and Magnolia flowers.

This card is for the following challenges:

Friday Sketchers - I promised Claudia I would make an effort to enter as it's been far too long since I joined in.

The Stamp Man - Easel Card

Cupcake Challenge - A recipe for their second birthday - 2 DP's, 2 ribbons and 2 flowers (there are two different ribbons on the bottom but hard to see)

My second card uses a favourite stamp from Sweet Pea called dandelions. Stamped simply with Versafine black and embossed with detail clear twice, cutting a spotlight with a Nestie and colouring just that section with Copics. The DP is Kaiser, the border punch Martha Stewart embossed scallop, sizzix swirls and Magnolia flower and pearls to embellish.

This card is for the following challenges:

Stamp for Fun - Sketch

Sweet Pea Stamp Challenge - Swirls and flourishes

Crafty Cardmakers - Spotlight

By the Cute and Girly - Animal Antics - hope the moggy on here is having enough antics with the fairy to fit the theme, if not sorry girls

Molly Blooms

Good Afternoon peeps, it's Monday so back to the grindstone but at least the sun is shining and no winter woollies today.

Hope you all had a good weekend, mine was a mixture. Saturday I was busy finishing the samples for yesterdays exclusive launch at Sir Stampalot of the new Molly Blooms stamp range. It was really lovely to met Clare, the very talented artiste of the stamps which are now on line to buy here. Scary or what, I am quite getting a liking for cutsie.

I have used Molly Blooms Strawberry Girl on this card, masking her so she is sitting on the toadstool which is another of the stamps in the range, colouring her with Copics and decoupaging, adding some grass and flowers using Art Impression stamps. The DP is Cosmo Cricket, the border punched with Martha Stewart embossed scallop plus some ribbon and a doily. This card is for this the following challenges:

Cupcake - Strawberries and Cream

Stamptacular Sunday - Cute as a Bug - butterflies plus bees on DP

Stamp Something - Summer

My second card uses Penny Black 2407K Keepsake as the main image inked with Brilliance Mediterranean blue and yellow then spritzed with Glimmer Mist daisy yellow. I stamped the three flowers again to decoupage them after spritzing them with the same GM. The DP is October Afternoon, one of the brand new ones just arrived at Stampalot. The corner stamp is Penny Black 3857H Footnote, the with love sentiment is Art Impression and the left hand wording computer generated. This card is for the following challenges:

Penny Black Saturday - Travel/holidays

Stampin for the weekend - Sketch plus yellow and blue.

And finally I thought I would share a piece of fairy artwork my hubby bought me yesterday.

It's a bit unusual as it is a print glazed onto natural slate and the colour of the slate blends beautifully with Arthur Rackham's wonderful depiction of Ginevra from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Not sure where I am going to hang it yet, but I think my craft room is the most likely as it's very 'me' and I can feel the inspiration coming already.

Lady's Day at Ascot (my card - not the motley crew)

Good afternoon peeps, hope you all had a good weekend. Mine seems to have gone by all too quickly, but I did have a wonderful day Saturday at Sir Stampalot and above is a picture of myself with some of the girls who joined Chris and I for a day of crafting.......it might be fairer to say a bit of crafting, a lot of talking, some yummy food and a glass of French bubbles as well.........it had to be done.

Unfortunately some girls had left before the cameras came out, it would have been lovely to have everyone included, but another time and judging by the messages I have received it's likely to be repeated. I want to say a huge thanks to all of you, several of you travelled quite a distance to join us and it really was lovely to spend time with you all.

I also have two cards to share with you today. The first using a new stamp that just happened to fall my way at Stampalot at the weekend and when I saw the theme of "Summer" at Stamping for the Weekend I immediately though Ladies Day at Ascot, the highlight of the Summer race calendar which also fits Our Creative Corner which is "Summer Inspiration". I used the sketch from this weeks Secret Crafter plus it is also my entry for Daring Cardmakers, a new one for me, but when I saw on Lyda's blog that the theme was the birthstone for June of "Pearls", I had to enter as I am a June girl.

The image on this card is called Sophia which I stamped with versamark black and embossed with detail clear, added a little watercolour, decoupaged her hat and gave her a pearl necklace and earrings. The PD is Papermania punched with Martha Stewart embossed scallop, some Sizzix swirls and roses and leaves to embellish.

My second card is for this weeks Penny Black challenge which would like to see "Swirls" and also Cupcake challenge which has the theme "Dazzle Us". The main image is Penny Black 4042K daisy fields inked with Tim Holtz barn door and Marvy pens and spritzed with water before stamping. The circle is cut through the Big Shot with a Marianne stencil and the swirls are from the same set. The gorgeous glittered sparkly DP is My Minds Eye, the flower is Magnolia, some pearls, punched leaves and butterflies and gems added to the thorax. The sentiment is from an unmounted set I won and have no idea of the make.

Summer Flowers and candy winners

Good evening everyone out there in blogland.

Home at last, seems like we have been away forever and straight back to work today and so no chance yet to catch up on blogging, but have this evening earmarked for a bit of a hop. The wedding was fantastic, the whole week wonderful and so much to tell you but as I don't have any pictures yet because I just did not have the opportunity to take any myself, I am going to save it all for a post on it's own which I will hopefully get done later this week.

So all I have to share is one card.........but taken in the garden close to one of the kolkwitzia bushes (picture above) which matches the colours perfectly..........and my card incredibly fits a number of challenges as there are several of my 'regulars' which have very similar themes and time being in short supply until I get myself back into home mode, I am doubling up a bit, I don't think I have ever managed more than 3/4 before. So the challenges, Penny Black have the theme of "In the Garden" which goes very well with Cupcake challenge of "Summer Delights" and Everybody Art Challenges which is also "Summer", then Creative Card Crew want to see "Pink and Green" typical summer colours, ABC's theme is "V for Vintage" and I have followed a sketch from Inspirational Card Sketches and finally Tuesday Taggers would like to see "Texture".

My main image is Penny Black 4036K Poppy Poem stamped onto a background of Brilliance inks and Glimmer Mists to create a hazy colour. The flower head have been decoupaged after colouring with Marvy pens and spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl. The DP is My Minds Eye and Basic Grey, all nicely distressed. The swirls and die cuts from Magenta, inked with brilliance and embossed with detail clear. Ribbon and liquid pearls added to finish.

Goodness, almost forgot to announce the winners of my little candy prizes who are:

Julie

The Sparkly Fairy

Well done to both of you, please mail me brenda@ibas.co.uk with your addy and I will get them off in the post to you.

Jack and Jill went up the hill

Where's this week going ? All those jobs I was going to do 'tomorrow' remain undone and suddenly the wedding is the week after next......scary or what when I think what's to be done, not least wearing in my new shoes that still sit in the box.

But that's the least of our problems.........the Matron of Honours dress is somewhere between here and Paris where she lives. She came over for fittings twice and as there is already so much to take over for the wedding including the four girls bridesmaid dresses, they said they would send hers on when the final adjustments were made. Initially they said it was delayed because of the Volcanic Cloud.....lame excuse it seems because now they have no idea where it is other than "in France". So panic is just beginning to set on as her dress and the other four have been made in identical material so no way we could match it up at this late stage. Another call to the dressmaker shortly as she promised faithfully to track it down today.

Crafting, well just a bit and a card for some challenges. ABC challenge who are up to "U for Unused Stash - a stamp that I 'had' to have when I saw it forever ago and never inked it up, Cupcake challenge who want to see "Buttons", Tuesday Taggers who want us to go "Outside the Comfort Zone"........as I said in my last post working with circles is something I avoid like the plague. And I have followed the sketch from Creative Card Crew for the layout of my easel card. And finally The Crafty Pad would like us to "Give it a Punch".

The stamp is from Stampabilities KR1042 Jack and Jill which I stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear and coloured with Prismacolor pencils and Marvy pens. The plain circles is cut with a Nestie thorough the Big Shot and the scalloped one is a Marianne stencil. The gorgeous double sided Crate Paper DP is one of the new designs and the middle panel of the front of the card is a plain piece of linen card embossed with Swiss Dots folder then lightly inked with a chalk eye pad. The border and corners are Martha Stewart are doily lace trim, the largest flower yet another of the new ones from Magnolia and a couple of smaller ones from my stash. And finally tiny buttons across the bottom border strip.

Sunflowers

Before I launch into the card I have to share with you today, a quick reminder that you still have until noon Wednesday if you have not already entered our Stampalot challenge where this months prize is a Cricut Create machine.

So a card for two challenges, Penny Black have a recipe: three flowers, two buttons and a bow. I did have a bit of a senior moment after it was all put together because theoretically there are more than three flowers, but checking the DT samples it looks as though the three flowers are embellies rather than those of the image, so hopefully it's OK. And you PB girls might need your specs for the buttons, but they are there as part of the foliage growing up the trellis........artistic licence OK ?

And the second challenge is this weeks Cupcake challenge whose them is "Don't be Square" no square cards allowed. So I should be OK here, the base cards is a 5x7 with a shaped top section which I created on the Cricut welding a square and oval together on the DS using Plantin Schoolbook.

My DP is Kaiser, the punch Martha Stewart garden trellis and the image Penny Black 3874K Hello Sunflowers stamped twice and decoupaged onto a background stamped with Penny Black 2410K Penmanship. The image is coloured with Marvy pens and spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl to make the flower heads pliable. My Hubby commented "Sunflowers are yellow".......my answer - "more artistic licence" and anyhow, I had to try and make them match the three ready made ones.

The swirl is a Sizzix die, the mats Nesties all cut through the Big Shot and the three sunflowers were lurking in a box from I don't know where or when.......just proves, never throw anything away.

A misspent childhood

A semblance of normality is returning and I have even managed a bit of crafting............the shingles in the derriere..........I mean literally.........are hampering things a bit so sitting in short burst, but I've had an overdose of C&C and bursting with ideas I have to get onto paper. Apart from that all patients are progressing nicely.

This week the new 'Fairy Flutterfly' stamps landed from Nikky at Polkadoodles. I have to say I am totally impressed by the quality and wonderful funky feel to the images which are very finely cut and stamp beautifully. At £6.49 a set they brill value........all sets have the fairy, her wings.......which Nikky has very cleverly drawn as butterflies so they have dual use, plus several co-ordinating elements.

My easel card creation fits three challenges, Stamping for the Weekend who would like to see 'Ribbons and Bows', Creative Card Crew who have the theme 'Birthdays' and Cupcake which has the theme of 'Childhood Memories'........this is where the misspent childhood comes in as mine was spent in a fantasy word believing fairies really did live at the end of the garden.........so what's changed, I still do and then as now I talk to butterflies.

This stems from three of my Great Aunts who used to walk with me through the gardens of the beautiful thatched cottage where my maternal grandparents lived and talk to butterflies as we went, referring to them by name. When I questioned this I was told they all had a very special purpose in life and represented the spirits of departed relatives. One of the aunts, Mirrie, was a spiritualist healer and radiated incredible peace and tranquility and from a very young age she always had a very special place in my life.

When she died I was given her engagement ring, it is too fragile to wear regularly but I believe it has a special purpose in my families life and in times of 'need' such as recent events and also special family occasions, Mirries ring comes out and I wear it and place it on a finger of the loved one who is suffering. When our eldest son married last year I gave it to my DIL to wear for their wedding and will do the same to the fiancee of our second eldest son for their wedding next month.

So you will understand why butterflies hold a special meaning to me and why they feature so often on my artwork. You could call me unhinged, but we all need something to believe in, to give us strength and for me this in part is where I draw mine from.

I have used what is probably my favourite of the new stamps of those I have to play with which is called Gracie. I stamped her twice colouring with Copics and stamped her wings onto fantasy film. The DP's are all from Polkadoodles new Paper Boutique CD. The borders are punched with Martha Stewart embossed zig zag, the fairies mat a Nestie run through the Big Shot and the butterfly also a punch with some tied matching ribbon for the thorax. Roses, ribbons, pearls and sickles added to embellish.

Hedgies and flowers

I have decided I ought to issue a public health warning to anyone reading my blog. As if we were not already spending enough time at hospital, last night saw another visit to A&E. This time granddaughter Azaria (who lives next door) came down the stairs in her usual Olympic gymnast style (despite being told repeatedly for years to slow down) and this time landed a bit too hard. Six stitches to her forehead and a bandaged finger, but she's fine.

I feel a bit guilty doing this post, but we are back to normal visiting hours now that Anysia is stable so can't visit until this afternoon but I can't really get my head round crafting and have been aimlessly wandering round the house, so decided to trawl my gallery to see what I have that might fit some challenges. And have come up with two.

The first is for this weeks Penny Black challenge which is "Check it Out". The hedgie is Penny Black but I don't have the code I'm afraid, coloured with Copics and decoupaged. The border is Martha Stewart doily lace trim, the corners and letters all Sizzix dies. I think this card also fits the current ABC challenge which is "R for Red".

The second card is for this weeks Stamping for the Weekend who have the theme "Ribbons and Bows" and Cupcake challenge who would like to see "make your own flowers". So this card uses a favourite image from Stamps Happen Paris Socialite with the slightest addition of watercolour, some DP from stash which I also used to make the roses, plus ribbons, pearls, a feather and lace added to embellish.

Easter chocolates

Hope you all had a good weekend. Judging by all the news I have read about the NEC round blogland, I am thinking there is an awful lot of new stash being pushed around craft desks today.

No NEC visit for me, but I still had a crafty indulgence at Stampalot pawing over yet more new goodies.........you only have to take your eye off the ball for a couple of days and new stash has arrived. So leisurely shopping without the frenetic crowds plus a new Japanese hole punch.

I have resisted buying a new one for weeks since my old one........probably my first 'big' craft purchase many years ago.......gave up the ghost punching more than one sheet. Little did I know when I bought it that the price would come down by £10.......and that what I spent on the original one would be like a drop in the ocean compared with future crafty buys. But needs must.

I have one creation to share which you today which is for this weeks Cupcake Craft Challenge which has the theme of "Spring or Easter - with lots of chocolate" I was tempted to use brown on my card as the chocolate element, but I am still besotted with this new Kaiser Craft DP and wanted to keep my card light and bright, so the chocolate is in the form of a bag of them.

My main image is Penny Black 4076K Gift of Flowers which I stamped several times to decoupage, colouring with a mixture of Prismacolor pencils and Promarkers. The circle sentiment is Hero Arts A4981, the punched border Martha Steward doily lace trim and flowers, pearls and leaves added to embellish. The bag was simply made with a scoreboard and the same image from the card decoupaged and placed on the front.

Poppies

For the first time in I don't know how long I was able to take a picture in the sunlight and even got a little shadow to prove what a lovely day it is here today.

I made this card following the sketch at Everybody Art Challenges and although I don't like combining more than a couple of challenges very much, I found this fits four of those I take part in....... Tuesday Taggers has the theme "Swirls and Curls", the theme this week at Cupcake is "Round and Round" and Creative Card Crew want to "Celebrate".

The main image is from my new stash from Sir Stampalot and I just love this one, Penny Black 4036 Poppy Poem. I stamped it several times with versamark and embossed with detail clear, coloured with Marvy pens then cut out three layers making each a bit smaller so I could layer them. I then inked them with versamark frost and spritzed with Glimmer Mist pearl to make the colours blend and shine.

The Kaiser DP is from one of the new 6x6 pads with rich reds and black and some sheets are beautifully foiled plus at the back of the pad I discovered there are die cut sentiment mats and borders. The corners are punches with Martha Steward double loop, the swirl is a Sizzix die run through the Big Shot and the butterflies punched from some glitter paper. I added red and black swarovski crystal to embellish and the sentiment is Hobby Art GR223.

Happy Birthday

What on earth is happening with our weather.........it's deep midwinter again and snowing like the clappers. I know I am not alone, but I so hate all this cold, it was pretty to see for a few days, but it's been absolutely weeks on end now.

Right moan over, a card which fits this weeks Cupcake challenge of "Friends" and on that note a chance to say Happy Birthday to someone who kept her birthday very secret.............didn't they Janice ? I am told this also fits the theme at Totally Gorjuss this week, so in for a penny.................

And because the weather is so horrid, I am going pink and summery again. I started by making a stencil with Hobby Art U1913D small dragonfly and dabbed lightly with Tim Holtz worn lipstick (I have not stenciled for ages but Lesley got me going with her lovely butterfly card the other day) down the edge of the card, I then overstamped with the same stamp and ink.

The text of the main piece is Hero Arts G2678 art, stamped with Hero chalk ink Latte, the overstamped with the same dragonfly and heat embossed with detail gold. The sentiment is from Paper Makeup Stamps and cut in half after stamping, the border Martha Stewart embossed butterflies and the rose made from pink paper and spritzed with Glimmer Mist tea rose.

Keep it Simple

So how simple is simple ? The new challenge at Cupcake is "Keep it Simple" and I am really hoping this one will fit the bill, no embellies, pretty border punches or ribbons just some strightforward inking and stamping.

The card is one I made for The Stampman using the new Kay Carley Funky Flowers stamp sheet which the lovely Jill sent to me recently. The stamps are so pretty and detailed I felt they needed a simple approach to show off the lovely images.

For the background piece I stamped randomly with one of the single flower heads using versamark and embossed with detail clear. I then applied Tim Holtz worn lipstick and dusky concord using a blending tool to reveal the images then spritzed with water and Glimmer Mist pearl.

I used the same inks to create a background for the main image again spritzing with water and GM to bleed and blend the colours. The main image was then stamped using versafine black and clear embossing powder.

I stamped the flowers heads of the main image onto crystal shrink plastic and placed the shrunk pieces in the centres of the large flowers and to finish added some white Liquid Pearls and a couple of Swarovski crystals.

Cupcake challenge

Before I go any further I want to say a huge thank you to everyone both for joining in with my blog candy and the One-Off challenge and Blog Hop I'm organising for 1st February which looks like it's going to be great fun.

As a result of all this organising I have not had too much time for crafting but did manage to put one card together especially for Mr Andy Stampalot who asked me to try out another of the Martha Stewart round the corner sets. This one really is very pretty with the lovely loopy finish and probably my favourite of these corner sets.......well at the mo anyway and until I get my hands on another one.

It is my entry for this weeks Cupcake challenge who have the theme 'Going Girly'. Another easel card using the round the corner punch in the background. The image is Sarah Kay coloured with Copics and the DP Doodlebug. Now the flowers........and a confession to Lou the Tilda Queen.......lurking in Stampalot the other day, as you do, I browsed through........wait for it.......the first edition of the Magnolia Tilda magazine. Shock horror......I just don't do Tilda, don't even own one, but I was really impressed by the magazine.

It has some wonderful ideas plus these flowers. The ones in the magazine were done in white with gold on a Christmas card, but I thought I would try them with coloured paper and really like the unusual finish. They are made with three punches and so easy to create and it's worth buying the magazine just for these and the overall inspiration which can be translated into whatever style of crafting you are into. I used a pre made butterfly and added some ribbon, punched leaves and pearls.

Cupcake challenge

Reality hit with a bang this morning - that thing called work and Christmas already seems like a distant memory.

Not much posting new stuff the last few days as been locked away doing samples for Polkadoodles new CD.........which is absolutely gorgeous.......and is being launched on Create and Craft this coming Sunday, so make a note everyone.

Over at Cupcake the new challenge is a "Baby Card" and by sheer coincidence I have one that I made as one of my By the Cute and Girly DT cards and which is already gone off to Amanda, our DT teamie at Allsorts who had a baby boy on New Years Eve - they have named him Alfie.

I made an easel card with an image from Stamps Happen 80230, stamped with versafine black and embossed with detail clear and coloured with Copics. The DP is from stash and the roses made with the same paper. The corner swirls were cut on my Big Shot Express using Sixxiz dies The sentiment is JudiKins but had no code I'm afraid.

And after gentle persuasion from Shirley I am also entering this card for Cards for Men who have the theme of "New' which they say can be new baby. I was a a bit thrown by the title but having checked it our looks like it definitely counts.

Cupcake chellenge in the ultimate comfort zone

Monday morning and only four more sleeps until the big day and still not really ready. Are we ever ready, I very much doubt it, although I stood behind a lady in Tesco the other day who was extremely confident she had been ready since the first of December.......she went on to tell the cashier that she makes it a household policy that everyone has their preparations completed by that date........I felt like saying wake up to the real world lady ! The cashier gave me a wry look as she walked away and I had a fair idea that his thoughts were not too distant from my own.

Crafting - well my mojo has been on holiday the last few days........or could be away making Christmas preparations with the lady in Tesco........but thanks to Claire and her wonderful artwork it has made a brief appearance today, albeit it very much in my botanical comfort zone. Claire has come up with another brilliant image and it's free to anyone who pops along to her blog.

As soon as I saw her latest image I could visualise a card and I have used it for this weeks Cupcake challenge which has the theme "Time For Celebration - a fairly open ended theme birthday, new baby, wedding, engagement, the choice is yours!"

So I have used Claire's image which I thought matched wonderfully the dragonfly she created form me a while back when I won her candy. I printed the main image three times and dragonfly twice so I could decoupage, colouring with Copics. I have added diamond glaze to the tulips and mounted all onto some My Minds Eye DP, a greeting from Rubber Tapestry CLS5006 made into a ribbon slide using a Nestie run through the Bug and some ribbon. I also traced the swirls on the image bow and added crystal glitter. As I said, very much comfort zone stuff.

Challenges and showjumping

Good Morning everyone, hope you are all having a good Tuesday. I has a sudden frightening thought this morning and panic set in, Christmas is next week and I still have oodles of pressies to wrap apart from thinking about shopping for food, but sure I'm not alone here. It always seems to be forever coming then suddenly arrives and I never seem to be ready.

First I want so say a big thank you to the team at ABC Challenge for selecting this card for their Top 5.

Next an update of yesterdays equestrian activities as several of you have kindly asked to hear more. Anysia did really well and we were so proud of her. She scored two 8's and two 9's in the dressage, she had three down in the showjumping, but that was par for the course with all the riders. Fences were set at 3' plus for her group and there were a good number of refusals, at least Ben attempted them all........well apart from the Joker which he obviously didn't like the look of as he ploughed straight through it.......he's a hefty lad so took it all in his stride - literally. Overall scores were being calculated last night and will be announced at College today, Cambridge Milton Campus where she is doing Equine Studies. I will update when we know.

On to my card which follows a great sketch at Everybody Art Challenges and also covers Cupcake challenge theme of "5x5 Birthday" and Creative Card Crew where "Anything Goes".

I firstly stamped around the edges of a piece of cardstock with Hero Arts F5042 Leaf Flourish using versamark and detail clear embossing, then distressed with Tim Holt scattered straw and fired brick. My main image is Lady and Dog from Unmounted Stamp Company which I coloured in with Copics and added some gold leaf and gems. The sentiment is Rachelle Anne Miller Sentiments RM063. DP is Magnolia and the roses made from cream copier paper (tutorial here).