Feel the Sketch - Magnolia Vs Stampavie

Had fully intended to get this posted earlier for the wonderful sketch challenge over at Magnolia Vs Stampavie this week, but better late than never!! Love this sketch & will use it time & again I am sure. Tilda is supposed to be holding a cowberry muffin, what is a cowberry? I'm not sure it sounds very tasty, but hey, I've never been known to turn down a muffin, so I'm willing to give it a try, LOL! I have never used beads on a card before & trawled round Hobbycraft trying to find the best way of fixing it to the card. I'm not sure this is the best! The papers are blush from Basic Grey.
Thanks for looking,
Andrea

Happy Birthday Mum!!

As I can not give this to you personally today Mum, I thought I would at least let you open it, or at least open a link to it. Hope you are continuing to have a wonderful holiday, even though it is coming to an end. Can't wait to see you next week & give it to you personally. All my Love.xxx

I am also entering this for the Ismaki Sketch Challenge this week. It is a great layout, Though I fear I have not done it justice. I will definitely give it another go! Thanks for looking.
Regards,
Andrea

Sugar Bowl Challenge 4 - One!

It is a little last minute I know, but just got this done in time for the deadline over at the Sugar Bowl. The hardest thing about this challenge was finding just one patterned paper to use! However, when I saw the name of this one from Pebbles Inc, I knew I would not find another more apropriate. It is called Nellie's Garden Flower! I coloured Daisy with Distress Inks, as usual. The sentiment is from Whiff of Joy. The brads are not brads at all, but funny little bowl shaped things I got from Craftwork Cards stuck on with foam pads. You get hundreds in a packet for £1, & they are available in lots of yummy shades. Everything else is from my stash.
Hope you are all having a good evening.
Regards,
Andrea

Spoon Full of Sugar - Challenge 39

This is my interpretation of Debbie's very stylish & classy sketch over at A Spoon Full of Sugar . It was fun to do & I will definitely use it again. This sweet little mouse is from the Homegrown range at Funky Kits & the sentiment is from Hero Arts. The papers are Art Nouveau by Dream Street. The lace I picked up in Hobbycraft. I'm pretty pleased with how he turned out, but in retrospect I should have put him on a bigger card. But after I had already started cutting into my precious papers, I was too mean & eeky to start again, LOL! Hope you are all having a good day!
Regards,
Andrea

Ismaki Sketch Challenge - 09/007

Here's my entry for the Ismaki Sketch Challenge this week. Isn't this little fella so cute? I love elephants anyway, I think it is something to do with the size of their backsides reminds me of me! I really enjoyed this challenge, I have long been thinking about incorporating some sewing into my cards & this was the perfect opportunity to try it out. The image is from Little Claire Designs, coloured as usual with Distress Inks. The papers are from Chatterbox, & the sentiment is one of my favourites from Whiff of Joy. The rest is from my stash. Hope everyone is having a good weekend.
All the Best,
Andrea

Magnolia Vs Stampavie - Week 14 Colour Combo Challenge

This is my entry for this week's colour combo challenge at Magnolia Vs Stampavie. It's funny, I had just been looking at these papers from K & Co & wondering how I would ever use them. I'm really pleased with the result, the colour palette is not one I would have chosen myself, but I would certainly use again, especially for images with a rustic feel. As for the stamp, this is the first time I have used a Magnolia stamp & I am smitten. Can't wait for next week's challenge so I can use my other one! After that I will have to get some more - hey, any excuse to buy more will do, LOL! The ribbon/lace I picked up today at Dunelm Mill, on sale, 6 reels of various types for £2.49 - Bargain! The flowers were made from various punches with Papermania brads.

Below is a picture of my eldest son, Jack, holding the card he made for his Grandad Thomas' birthday. See how proud he is! He had great fun using a Cuttlekids die set & colouring it in. Before any of you ask why is he wearing that strange wig, that is actually his own hair! And yes, he is getting it cut this weekend!

Thanks for looking,

Andrea

Whiff of Joy #18 - A Recipe

Here's my entry for this week's Whiff of Joy challenge. This character sure reminds me of... Me!! Except I do not drink much in front of my children. Though Lord knows I often feel like it. Take today for instance, the first day of the half term holidays, & I already feel I'd like/need a glass of white wine. When are they going to find any health benefits to drinking white wine, like there are for drinking red?! Oh well, it's good for my sanity at least! Anyone want to do any clinical trials, I'll volounteer, LOL! Back to the card, the papers are from Paper Salon - Enamored, the flowers were created with punches & the button is from my stash, glitzed up with Stickles.
Hope you are having a good day!
Thanks for Looking,
Andrea

Ismaki Challenge - Happy Valentine's Day!

Meant to publish this post yesterday, but as usual, there just aren't enough hours in the day! This is the card I gave to my wonderful hubby, Paul, for Valentine's Day, which I conveniently based on the Ismaki Sketch Challenge. I love the simplicity of the sketch & found inspiration in the lovely DT cards. The papers are from stash & Basic Grey & I coloured the image with my Distress Inks. I'm really pleased with the how the heart turned out after I glazed it, but had hoped the glittered hearts would have a bit more of a WOW factor about them! I'm currently housesitting & am looking forward to being reunited with my crafting stuff later today as there are so many juicy challenges to get my teeth into.

Hope you are all having a good weekend,

Regards,

Andrea

Craft Show Stash & Whiff of Joy Challenge

I had great fun trying to follow the Whiff of Joy Challenge this week & that is exactly what it was, a challenge! This one sure took me out of my comfort zone and I am not entirely happy with the result. The card just feels too busy. I generally keep my backgounds plain & add patterns in small areas. This one is much bigger & bolder. Having said that, I think I learnt a lot making this card & would certainly use the sketch again, with a smaller stamp! The papers are Basic Grey - Hang 10 & I made the star with a Dimension Fourth Stamp which I then stuck on double sided sticky paper, (which was a nightmare to cut out! - has anyone got any tips?) & glittered round the edge. I embossed the brown paper with my cuttlebug & swept a gold ink pad over to highlight the design.

Another reason my card is a bit busy, was I went to the Stitch & Creative Craft show yesterday in Manchester. I felt obliged to use as much of my new stash on the card as I could cram on! I've taken a picture of my purchases below. Needless to say I intended to stick to my budget, but unfortunately some of the stalls took credit cards! :) So my good intentions went right out the window. Much to my excitement, Imagination Crafts were there with Sugar Nellies & Magnolias. (Now I can do Magnolia challenges as well!). Lucky I went on the last day though, as I suspect they had sold out of a lot, otherwise I think I would be remortgaging!! I also got some sweet elephants stamps from Little Claire Designs & more from Dimension Fourth. Unfortunately my photo does not do justice to my haul!!

Anyway it is getting late & my bed awaits. Thanks for looking.

Andrea

Spoonful of Sugar Challenge - Sketch by Tina46

Really enjoyed using this sketch. I sometimes struggle with layouts & generally keep it simple. This is much more exciting & I'm very pleased with the result. I've made it for my the 2nd birthday of my friends daughter next week. I thought seeing as I had a specific card to make I might as well make it in conjunction with a challenge. It is probably all the better for it!! The image is by Whiff of Joy as is the sentiment. I coloured Henry with my beloved distress inks. I was surprised how easy he was to colour. The papers are from the Imaginisce All Kinds of Happy collection, & the ribbon by Fancy Pants - Mulberry Road. The button is from my stash.

Thank you to those kind enough to take the time to leave comments on my last post. I am going to do some blog hopping myself tonight. Is anyone going to the Stitch & Creative Crafts Show in Manchester this weekend? See you there! Have a great weekend whatever you are up to!

Thanks for looking,

Andrea

Sugar Bowl Challenge 3 - Love & Romance

Yeah I've done it. Entered a challenge for the first time. Now I just need to improve my photography skills & there'll be no stopping me! It is appropriate that my first card is based on a sketch by Marlene whose blog I first visited over a year ago. I was blown away by her talent & over the last 12 months I have found huge amounts of inspiration & information on http://www.mar1ene.wordpress.com/. As I get better at this blogging malarky I will add a list of all you hugely talented ladies out there whose blogs have been a source of wonder & have motivated me to create my own site.

The stamped image is a Leanne Ellis design from www.funkykits.co.uk, coloured with distress inks (I'm not using anything else at the moment!), with pink Stickles to glam up the roses. The papers are quite old from Li'l Davis Designs - Love Affair, how appropriate! It is quite hard to see the floral felt ribbon which was a freebie from www.sillymonkeycrafts.co.uk - Thank you so much! The ornate corner was done with a cuttlebug die. And all the ribbon & heart are from my stash.

Thanks for looking.

Andrea

And We're Off!!

After a good start to completing my New Year's resolution, ie to create my own blog, I then failed to follow it up with any kind of content!! Well one month down the line I am actually starting to fill it. I work four days a week & have two little boys who take up the bulk of my time. I tend to colour lots of images while I watch TV, but have of late, not done much in the way of creating anything with them. My favourite stamps are Sugar Nellies & Whiff of Joy. However, I fear it will not be long before those cute little Magnolia's draw me in with those innocent expressions. Watch this space!

One project I have started however, is my family organiser/calendar. The calendar itself is from The Paper Mill. These are my boys, Jack (right) and Ben. Far too cute for their own good, or am I just biased!! I kept the layout simple on this, using Polar Bear Express paisley collection papers. The photo does not pick up the paisley embossing on the blue paper I did with my Cuttlebug, which my wonderful husband, Paul, bought me for Xmas. You have to admit for a man who has next to no interest in crafting that was a great present to have bought. 10/10 for effort & execution there I think.





And here is the man himself starring in February, with me! I am about the most unphotogenic person I know & even with the invention of digital cameras I struggle to get decent photos of myself. Well, they say the camera never lies, but does it have to be quite so honest, lol. Anyway, here is February, done with 7 Gypsies papers. The heart fell off my keyring, & rather than throw it away I knew I would be able to use it one day!

I am still getting used to this posting thing. I am not the most technically minded person, but I am learning as I go. Tomorrow I hope to enter a card for the Sugar Bowl challenge. Lets hope it doesn't take me another month to get that sorted!!

Thanks for looking,
Andrea