Card Candy from CraftyC

My Old crafting buddy CraftyC aka Claire, is offering some super card candy on her blog, just leave a comment and then a link on your blog for a chance to win, open to all not just UK crafters. While you are there have a look through her blog, her work is just stunning, she has certainly given me inspiration over the years and I have fallen in love with many of the crafting stuff she has used (especially the stamps) and she was the person who got me onto using Promarkers which are just my fav thing at the moment.
You can find her candy here

Patti Goes to the Orient

I haven't done much crafting this past week, my DH had an operation on his wrist on Monday and can;t do very much for 2 weeks so not much crafting done and when I have tried I seem to be too tired that my mojo is sleeping, but here is a card I managed to do before my mojo took a nap (Or holiday).
I am a big fan of anything Oriental, I think I picked it up from my Mum. We have family in Japan so little things have worked there way into Mum's home.
Anyway this image on Kirsty Wiseman's Patti Picklicious Printables CD is just fab, I printed off one of the papers in a smaller scale and then paper pieced the oriental image, skin was coloured in using promarkers, sentiment is also from the CD.
My oldest daugther met a Japanese Author last week and mentioned to her about our Japanese connections it turns out her daugther was taught English by my cousin....small world eh?

A card frenzy

I have been quite busy the last week or so and have managed to get quite a few cards done, a lot using some of my CDs, I am really hooked on using crafting CDs now, I have found the right kind of paper (I prefer a matt to glossy) and have the right settings on my pronter for my paper , as one of my favorite crafters, Joanna Sheen says "Get to know your printer".
Anyway I have started to scan my cards, I will put them on here just a few day a.
I have finished my Christmas cards so now can do anything else (Christmas is my least favorite type of card).
The first ones I have here are made using Crafter's Companion CDS (Boys n Girls, as most of the cards I make are for boys and girls anyway.

Introducing Patti Picklicious

Another crafting CD, I am totally converted now and my latest addition is Patti Picklicious by Kirsty Wiseman, recently shown on QVC, I have been following Kirsty on Twitter for sometime.
As well as loads of yummy backing papers there are circle cutouts, sentiments, Images of Patti herself (both coloured and plain and lots more)
The papers are sorted in colour families are have wonderful names.
ALso included are tint alphabet tiles. the font is like an old style typemwriter so I just had to print out a sheet on safmat. I have used them on 2 of my cards, and placed the greeting on blank sentiment tiles which are also included (Kirsty has also included a few with greetings in different fonts, plus circle greetings and icons which can be punched out with circle punches.
Anyway here are my first cards, card candy and prima flowers are just made for these papers so I have used them to finish off the cards.
A big thank you to the Designer of these Kirsty...she is a real star just go to her site here

Stampin' Up! Blog Candy

Amanda has a super Stampin' Up! Blog candy on her blog, including a beautiful New SU! stamp set and lots of more.
As you can imagine being SU! the stuff is just fabulous, just go and check here
Good Luck :)

My Manga Girl

I love manga (Japanese cartoon art) if I had the time I would love to learn how to draw in the manga style, anyway one of my favorite stamp companies, Sugar Nellie has a few Manga designs now availible in rubber stamps so I just had to try one. ANyway here she is, 3 cards, all coloured with promarkers and copics.
They have quite a few at Funky Kits (I think the one I have is out of stock at the moment) but go and have a look anyway they have plenty of yummy stamps.
Why don;t you do and have a peek here

Card for My Nan

My Nan was 95 on the 15th of September, another card was made using a cd, this time it was Joanna Sheens new COuntry Diary of an Edwardian Lady CD.
The images are from the original artwork which was so popular in the 1980s and the kind of thing Joanna Sheen just loves, the CD is just stunning and I can spend ages just looking through the pages, I also decorated the envelope so Nan won;t throw it away, I am decorating more envelopes now especially sincegetting some safmat, a printable sheet which creates stickers with when placed on card the edges are practically invisible. It is great for little elements like butterflies which are very hard to cut out, or round alphas )no one can cut a perfect circle.

Card for Elvis Fan

My next door neighbout loves the 1950's so I always try and do something with a 50s theme and of course she loves Elvis so I just had to do her an Elvis card (again lol).
I used the Image from My Crafts Studio Hollywood Greats CD.
Well she loves it and says she is going to frame it.

Animal Crackers

Are a really yummy biscuit snack they have in the USA but sadly we can't get them here...anyway thats not what this post is about lol
I have been using my Cds a lot lately to do crafting and it was time I made some more cards for kids. I have been using my Crafters Companions Boys and Girls CDs, I just loved the artwork on these toppers especially the cute animals. Some of them I have decoupaged up (not something I do very much) I have a large stock of animal print cardstock (from pouns shops) and they are great with the safari animals.
So here are the first 2 cards using the Zebra and Lion, all I need to do is add inserts and an age if needed.
More cards to be posted soon as I am busy doing Christmas cards and cards for the RAF out in Afghanistan, I heard about this via Tiwtter, a lovely fellow crafter called Cazz has organised this in her town, I did try and find somewhere close to home but to no avail and as my brother was in the RAF, I had to help.
If any crafters out there would like to send cards out to our Guys n Gals to send home to loved ones just go here

Halloween Atcs

Here the the atcs I have done so far for a swap, just used my Halloween dies. I think I have a 3 or 4 more to do, I will probably keep in the theme. They are bright and fun and I am sure my girls wil like them.
Once I've done the Halloween ones I have to start on Christmas ones.
Anyway the girls are back tomorrow so making the most of the last few quiet hours.

Special Effects using Alcohol Ink Pens

I love my promarkers and copic pens and love colouring in with them.
I have signed up to do a halloween atc swap and have used some of my die cuts, one of them being a gravestone (part of a Sizzix Sizzlit set), I usually either cut them in white card and ink the edges or with plain grey cardm but I decided to have a play with my pens to see what effects I could get with some help from my copic blender pen (not really a blender more for rubbing out your mistakes).
SO here are my results, I am quite please with the, and just like teh real thing every one will be different, the colours I used were Copic Ciao C-3 (cool grey No 3) and Promarker Dusky Pink (in the flesh tone pack) and the copic ciao blender pen(0).
So now I have them ready to put on my atcs.
Comments would be appreciated,
My girls are back tomorrow so I am making the most of today.

Back home in Ealing Messy Rabbit is here too!

After over 6 weeks away on the Isle of Wight I am back home, the girls are still on the Island, back on Friday then it's back to school next Monday.

Anyway the news in my family is my Brother and his girlfriend Helen got engaged while on holiday in Rome.

So using my new Messy Rabbit CD I made them an engagement card. The topper was ideal , just seemed to take me ages to get the card right...my mojo was on go slow.

The interactive sentiments on the CD are also ideal for making a matching "Handmade by" Label for the back, I was so impressed with the CD I have already ordered The new Joanna Sheen CD (The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady), I can't wait to get it.

I did add quite a lot of things to my crafting stash while on holiday( well so many craft shops, it would be rude not too!), but as Mr Spook and myself travelled home by National Express coach I have left it with Mum to bring back when she brings the girls home on Friday (I did pack a few bits in my case including my Messy Rabbit cd) and my promarkers and the copics I got while I was away, I found an art shop in Newport called Forget me Nots that sell Copic ciaos individually.

Anyway hopefully soon I can get some picture uploaded to the blog and here is the card.

On holiday...but still crafting

Hello from the Isle of Wight.

I may be on holiday (the girls and I are staying with my parents), but I cannot be away from hoem and not crafting. I packed a large bag of crafting stuff so I didn't get withdrawal symptoms.

I have managed to attend a workshop (made a card and a beaded bag charm) and went to a cardmaking demo yesterday.

Unlike London there are plenty of craft shops on this little Island.

Myself and teh girls have made so many cards, we have used all the card blanks I packed with us so we will be buying a pack of 50 next visit to a crafting shop.

Anyway we have a birthday in the family next week so I have made a card using some things from a Docraft goody bag, a Forever friends Element and the papers the rest if from my stash.

So here it is, decorated both on the front and inside.

Some fab blog candy

One of my fav crafting bloggers Claire (CraftyC) has some wonderful blog candy to give away, just leave a comment on her blog and a link from your own.
As usual she is very generous and has included some fab flowers, papers, copic ciao markers and a lot more.
This closes on 21st August when she returns from her holiday, just go here

Mermaid Tags

I am taking part in a card & tag swap this month on Craft Swap Forum and decided to stick to one theme...mermaids, and use my fab Anya mermaid stamp.
Two images have been stamped and embossed then coloured in using mica powder paints, the 3rd (black one) has been stamped using a clear embossing pad then I have brushed some mica powders over the impression.
All tags are cut with the Sizzix Super scallop die and I have used vellums and angelina fibres on each one and finished with some paper string which I think suited better than ribbons or fibre.
I am sure when Aimee, my 8year old sees them she will want to keep them

More cards done!

I seem to be on a roll at the moment, another 4 cards today and my 8year old was not at school.
I think a day at Legoland left her a little dehydrated and she wasn't feeling well this morning, she is ok now after a quiet morning resting and drinking (and watching TV and playing club penguin online).
ALl the images on these cards had been stamped and coloured (with my new favorites promarkers) last week.
It was just a case of finding the right colours and putting the cards together.
Now all I have to do is the inserts.

My Hedgehog cards finished

I used the 2 hedgehog images from my previous post on cards today.
I think the one with the hedgehog having a cuppa in my favorite one.
More cards to make tomorrow so hopefully I will get some blogging in too, but the weather is so hot and with 2 computers running in one room today when I was on my own I turned both computers and the printer off to try and keep the heat down, safe to say it is actually cooler outside.
YOu can buy these digi stamps and many more fab ones at Lily-Boo's Boutique here.

My Hedgehogs

I have been looking for some Hedgehog images for a while, yes, I know there are lots of Peny Black stamps with Hedgehogs on, but I wanted something different (and more economical).
Anyway I found some digi stamps at Lily-Boo's Boutique.
A set of 6 images for £1.99.
I have a relative in Australia who loves hedgehogs (they don't have hedgehogs in Aus), her birthday is in August so one of these images will be perfect.
I have printed off 2 and coloured them today with my promarkers, I will make cards with both of them next week and decided which one to send her.
If you want to have a look at the full range of Digi stamps ar Lily Boos' go here

More Cards

I have been busy this morning and managed to do a couple more cards.
Teddy bear is from Cuddly Buddly and painted with Mica Watercolour paints (I stamped with black ink and embossed with clear powder, without embossing the mica paints seem to dull the black edges but the embossed lines resist the paint).
Papers from Dovecraft, letters from a Brenda Pinnick Scrapbook kit.
Other card I have used buts from a Stampin' Up Kit I received when I subscribed to a crafting Magazine.
I have managed to get quite a few cards done , my box of cards is getting very full, I need to spend some time doing inserts to finish the cards off.
Anyway it's time for lunch now.

Pollycraft Monday Challenge Recipe 3..2..1

Another fab challenge from the Pollycraft Monday Challenge blog.
Recipe 3..2..1
3 embellishments
2 papers
1 image
I have used one of the Moodles and coloured him with pastels, papers are from papermania, buttons from my stash.
Had fun making this card, I needed to do some more boys cards and these moodles images are ideal.

A Funky Fairy Recipe

This weeks challenge from the Funky Fairys is a recipe to follow
1 x Ribbon
2 x Flowers
3 x Buttons
4 x Patterned Papers
I've done as instructed, never follwed a recipe before, was lots of fun.
I have finished with the Funky Fairy herself (her wings are being dry cleaned lol)
Flowers I have made myself using scraps of fabric, papers from K&Co (Amy Butler), lace ribbon and buttons from stash.

Stampin' For the Weekend First Challenge

This is the first challenge launched on my birthday last Friday.
The theme "From Dusk to Dawn" using the colours purple and yellow.
Anyway here is my card using my favorite stamp at the moment Mermaid Anya, I have used Sakura Stardust pens so it is nice and sparkly (as mermaids should be).
Papers from K&Co(yellow) and Papermania (purple), flowers from Prima finished with adhesive stones,little dots of liquid pearl in 2 corners, seahorse charm from my stash.
Thank you for the challenge ladies, I don;t normally use yellow but it looks fab with purple.

Fathers Day Card...with some recycling

A few years ago I bought a large quantity of old Brooke Bond Tea cards from Ebay, mainly for doing vintage style ATCs, well I used a few but I don;t do ATCs much now so I decided to use them in cards,
I had some doubles so I could stick the cards inside to show the information on the back (the kind of thing my Dad would be interested in).
I love the colour combo of chocolate brown, blue & cream and kept it simple. Blue card run through a Divine Swirl CB embossing folder and then cut with a nestie. Letters from a Brenda Pinnick scrapbook kit from QVC (A Christmas one), corners die cut from Wizard ATC die.
Insert printed using the Bearly Mine Designs designer inserts extreme CD, they are set as sqaures but I reshaped them.
Hopefully he will like it.
The girls have been at Butlins Bognor since Monday with my Nephew, but they come back some time tomorrow (If they can prise Aimee from her favorite climbing things). I can't imagine I will get any more crafting done until next week after I sort through my craft stash as it's time for another clearout.

Pollycraft Monday Challenge 16- Monochrome

Last week was my first week entering the Pollycraft Monday Challenge and guess what I won...the whole set of Moodles images.
They are so cute, I received them and printed off some last night and have used one for this weeks challenge which is Monochrome, I chose pink :)
The image has been coloured in very simply using 1 colour in pastels, and to aplly I used my finger (fun but a little messy).
All the papers are printed, flowers from Prima, buttons and ahesive lace from my stash.
If you can find the Moodles here
You will find the challenge here

Grungy Emo Girl

I have taken part in a new challenge for me this week, this one is from Pollycraft...this challenge is flowers.
Pollycraft have some fab downloadables and I had to get this one I used on the card (part of the Cherry Kisses range and she is called Attitude (as is the backing paper).
Anyway if you want to take part in the challenge go here
They have a prize too.
I had lots of fun with this one, made it grungy and I have a friend of my oldest daughter who will just love it.

Create4fun blogcandy

Create4fun is offering some fabulous ultra delish blog candy...a set of 36 Copic markers (how generous is that), anyone, anywhere can enter and it ends 24th May so hurry.
You just have to look thrugh the blog there is some great inspiration.
Just go here

Another Funky Fairy Challenge

My youngest daughter hasn't gone to school today so my original plans were changed.
I have managed to make a card, it took me a while as I did it in stages running around looking after Aimee, she seems better this afternoon but still quiet.
This weeks Funky Fairy Challenge theme is Circles & Buttons. The circles are on the Funky Fairy herself, baking paper also from Funky Fairys papercraft, I have used buttons from my stash and have gone ott with embellishments and also used 2 of my burnt fabric flowers.
Anyway it will go to one of Aimee's classmates for her birthday.
For the challenge go here

Fabric flowers

I Spend time every day hopping from blog to blog, I have my favorites and do what I suppose any other person blog hopping does, you find new bloggers when visiting regulars.
Anyway as well as card and paper I also have a thing for textiles and have quite a large stash of fabric and being a crafter, I never throw any away.
WHile blog hopping I found Caz's blog and a tutorial on making fabric flowers with a difference, they are burnt (well teh edges are anyway).
The original blog posting from Caz is here
For my first effort I used some organza fabric and green beads for the centre (we have a new shop called tiger that sell 2 bags of seed beads for £1).
I found the right card to put it on will post hopefully later but here is a picture of the 3 flowers I made, I just wish I could get the dimension showining, they look so much better in reali life.

Just Add Water...and Anya

I have finally managed to make a card using my new mermaid Anya stamp.
My 8year old Aimee loves mermaids, she found a TV show called H2o just add water (Australian on Nickleodeon) and has fallen in love with mermaids, so when I saw this stamp, I just had to get it.
I have coloured Anya in colours very similar to Ariel (The Little Mermaid), I got this idead form Aimee who coloured in one using these colours.
It doesn't show in the picture but Anya has little bits of sparkle oall over her hair, top & tail, I used a Sakura Stardust pen and just dotted it over, I have done some more and have spread the sparkle using a waterbrush.
I have also decorated the inside using the same papers I used outside (printed on the computer).
Sentiment on the outside and words inside also done on computer (the words are some from the TV shows theme tune)
Anyway I will give her the card after school. I hope she likes it.

Funky Fairy Challenge Get well soon

I love the Funky Fairy designs, and have been looking at their blog for sometime. This week they released some digital images that were orginally stamps of the Funky Fairy herself...being I have 2 girls who have lots of girly friends I just had to have them and they were purchased and downloaded within minutes of receiving an email from Funky Fairys Papercrafts.
The challenge this week was a Get Well Soon card, well that is something I don't have in my card stash but should have...just in case.
So I had to use one of the new funky fairy images as the centre piece. I decided to use their Pinkie Pops kit which I have had for a while (a great kit for girly cards)you can find that here for this weeks challenge go here
Anyway here is my card, hopefully I can join in more challenges, it's just a case of finding the time.

Fab blog candy from Fiona

Fiona is giving away some fabulous blog candy to celebrate her oldest son being 7 this month, included in the candy is Gorjuss Girl stamps...a whole set...plus lots more :)
Anyway please go an visit her blog you will find it here you can enter until midnight 14th May.
Just click here

Pink Dress

Another card made using my MCS Hollywood Greats CD, everything but the card itself and a little holographic card is from the CD.
These images are great for girly cards, I can see me using these a lot.
Must get it in an envelope its a belated card for my Brother's partner.

Unusually for me....

I have used yellow in a card, yellow isn't my most favorite colour to work with.
I have used another of my Gerbera style flowers and a Forever Friends stamp which I have watercoloured.
Papers are from K&Co (Amy Butler I think), ribbon and pearls from stash.
Hopefully with the girls back at school tomorrow, I should get some more done, I just needed a breadk in between chores.

A pink Tilda and paper flower

I made this card a few days ago and I have altered it from the original.
I haven't been feeling so good the last few days with a bad head cold.
I decided to have a play with my Sizzix Bigz Daisy die and made flowers that (hopefully) resemble a Gerbera (one of my favorite flowers).
I cut the card using the dieand using a mouse mat and an embossing tool I give some texture to the petals to make them more realistic.
Some Gerberas seem to be varigated and some solid colour so I have inked this one.
I have made some more and hope to make some more cards in the next few days.
Papers from K&CO (Sparkly Sweet).
Finished with card candy.