Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge #18

How quickly time flies! It's Sunday once more & time for another Crafts for Eternity Challenge. Here's the fab sketch Michele has designed for you.

Your challenge this week is to

1. follow the sketch

2. use an inking technique

3. use something clear

My image is another little cutie from Lili of the Valley. I took the newspaper from the picture & translated it into my backgound. I screwed it up, distressed it with Distress Inks, embossed around the edge & covered it in crackle glaze (that's my 'something clear'). As far as inking techniques go, I have been playing with alcohol inks on high gloss paper. The vertical & horizontal strips were created with Adirondacks of various shades with gold mixative. Unfortunately I have no blending solution to lighten them, so it came out much darker than I hoped, hence I only used strips, rather than the whole background as I had originally intended.

I had lots of fun experimenting with this. In retrospect I wish I had given the whole card a vintage feel. I hope you will give this a go I join this week. Michele is offering another goody bag up as a prize, so what are you waiting for!

How many of you woke up to snow again this morning? Rather unexpectedly, we had about a centimetre, but it's already disappearing. Hope you are having a good weekend.

Thanks for looking.

Big Hugs,

Andie xx

Miss Anya in the Pink

Fancied making something rather girly with this one. Can you tell?!!

This card fits in with two challenges. The layout is based on the lovely sketch at Create 4 Fun this week. Also at A Spoonfull of Sugar, you've got free range, anything goes, it's Freestyle!

This is the first time I've inked up this stamp from the last Miss Anya release. Doesn't she look summery?! I should really wait, we haven't even had a hint of Spring yet, LOL! She's coloured with Promarkers & the DPs are eons old, from the K&Co Romanza Collection. Pat on the back for me for using old stash!! The flowers are all from a Crafty Feeling Kit & I used a McGill punch on the leaves. Not much else to say really, except her cheeks look a bit grubby in the photo. Rest assured, IRL, she has had a wash!!

Hope everyone is having a good week. Thanks for looking.

Big Hugs,
Andie xx

Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge #17

Oh Gosh, where does the day go? I'm rather late with this but better late than never! Michele has dreamt up another fab challenge over at Crafts 4 Eternity this week. The challenge this week is to:-

1. follow the terrific sketch (I really like this one)

2.use your favourite colour

3.add some brackets.

In the artificial light, it is hard to tell that my favourite colour is actually pink. Depending on my mood it can be light pink, or as in this case, cerise. Strangely however, last week when we used a colour we weren't keen on I discovered I had loads of mustard amongst my DPs. This week I find I have very little pink. A discrepancy that needs rectifying me thinks!! These DPs are by Cherry Arte. The brackets were created with a Nestie, Labels Eight.

I coloured my image with Promarkers. I made the flower with retro flower punches. To create the pattern I further punched the pink flower with the Martha Stewart Double Loops corner punch that my wonderful bogging buddy, Dena, sent me for Xmas. I glittered the swirls & the brads with Stickles, then managed to squirt it over the ribbon, so ended up glittering that too!!

This little lady is from the Manga collection at Sugar Nellie. I'd been hankering after a sugar fix, as I hadn't had one for a while! I also want to enter this into the Passion for Promarkers challenge this week, where the theme is 'girls, girls, girls'.

Well there you go. I hope everyone is having a good weekend. We had a guest pass for a David Lloyd centre today were I played squash, went in the gym & did some swimming. Now I'm aching! But I need to get fit. At work we are doing an indoor triathlon for Sports Relief in March. This involves 1000m on the rower, 20Km on the bike & a 2 mile run! Why did I say Yes to that? Am I mad?!!

Anyway, I'll just have a glass of wine to take the pain away. Jackie & Kylie, I'm joining you in spirit if not in body, LOL!! Go pay these two lovely ladies a visit, their creations are fabulous.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Sorry for the length of this post. Thanks for looking & bearing with me.

Big Hugs,
Andie xx

Fairy Beautiful!

This gorgeous fairy is from the latest Kraftin Kimmie release & I just love her. She's elegant, pretty, kind & a little bit sexy too!

I made this card to fit 2 challenges. The layout is based on the lovely sketch for this weeks Friday Sketchers. I've dithered around so long with the flowers on this I may or may not be in time for that! A Spoonfull of Sugar wants to see layering on your cards. I also discovered this weeks challenge at Cute Card Thursday is fairies. Well this most definitely qualifies for that!

I coloured my fairy with my Distress Inks & added glitter for added fairy magic! I have two wonderful ladies to thank for helping with this card, the DPs are from K& Co, so kindly sent me by Michele! The loop punch is a Martha Stewart one so generously sent me for Xmas, by my awesomely talented blogging buddy, Dena. Thank you again my friends, xx

I hope everyone is having a good week. Thanks for looking.

Big Hugs,

Andie xx

Best Friends!

Oh how I love the new range of LOTV design stamps, they are just adorable. I've been chomping at the bit to ink up these cuties as they remind me so much of my boys.

This card fits two challenges. I used the fab sketch from this week's Papertake Weekly. The colour scheme is as requested on the current Colour Create challenge to use blue, white & kraft. I almost forgot the texture element, so I embossed the frame behind the 'Best Friends' sentiment, though you'll have to look closely to see it!.


I coloured the boys with my distress inks, & added glaze to the glass, but I've just realised you can not see it at all in the photo. Not much else to tell you about really!

Well I hope you like it. Thanks for looking. Hope everyone has a good week!
Big Hugs,
Andie xx

Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge #16

Sunday once more, & we've got another fabulous challenge for you at Crafts for Eternity. This week we would like to use:-

1. Michele's fab sketch

2. a colour you don't like

3. ric rac

I love this cute little Sprout, Stella from the Greeting Farm. She has hair I can only dream of & there is a touch of Marilyn Monroe about her pose!

I was surprised when I was looking through my DPs to discover I actually had quite a lot of what I can best describe as a dirty mustard colour. On it's own I think it's quite horrid, but I actually rather like these Pretty Please papers from MME.

My card itself is quite simple. I would hve used more ric rac for the stripes but I only had this blue that matched, so I glittered the pattern on the red strips I used, to add a bit more interest. I also glittered the little heart at her neck. I hope you'll pop over to the C4E blog to see the other gorgeous creations of my DT colleagues. There is a fab mini card kit for this weeks winner & the DT call has been extended another week, so get cracking!!

Finally the snow has gone here & things actually look green instead of white. I walked to the corner shop yesterday, without fear of breaking any bones on the ice, LOL!! Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. We are taking the boys to see 'Where the Wild Things Are,' followed by Sunday lunch - YUM!

Thanks for looking,

Big Hugs,

Andie xx

Creatalicious Challenges - Challenge #6

A little change this month at Bizzy Bec's Creatalicious Challenge. This month we want you to make a project that does not use any stamped images, though you can stamp sentiments. This was quite a stretch for me to begin with, until I rooted through my stash & rediscovered this Penny Black sticker.

I decided to go all out on a vintage vibe. Lots of crumpled paper, distressing & lace. I covered the sticker with Crackle Glaze to make it look even more aged. I also wanted to create a rather lavish floral embellishment. I think I need a bit more practice at that, but I like the overall look. I used a mix of flowers some from Hobbycraft & some from Bizzy Becs.

Sadly this is my last month as a DT member for Bizzy Becs. I have to say it has been fun. I have had the pleasure of working with some lovely ladies & I have enjoyed the challenge. I will miss not being a part of it anymore. But I will be sure to continue playing along. All the best to the next set of lucky people who get chosen. The DT call is on now so hop on over & have a go.

Hope you are all having a good week.
Big Hugs,
Andie xx

3-in-1 Josephine!

There are so many challenges I want to do at the moment, but so little time. My only option is to combine a few. This card was made to fit in with 3 the week. I've followed the sketch at Passion for Promarkers & incorporated the love theme. Both Papertake Weekly & Cute Card Thursday have a theme of 'new' & this fits the bill there too.

My image is the love gypsy, Josephine from Kraftin' Kimmie. She actually has a new release this week, but this is from the last one. However, she has seen ink for the first time today, so I hope that counts as new. I bought her just before Xmas as I was fed up with Xmas cards, but of course I was just being greedy. I could have waited as I never got chance to use her (along with a few other cuties!) until now. Another, rather strenuous link to new, is her waistline. My New Years resolution is to lose all the pounds (& a few others too!!) that I've put on over Xmas. OK so I don't want to be quite as skinny as Josephine, but it would not harm me to find my waist again!

I love the vibrancy of the colours on this card. The DPs are Basic Grey, Blush & she is coloured with Promarkers. I added glitter to the love potion, because that is where the magic is!!

Hope everyone has had a good start to the week. Things are thawing out a bit here, though there is still plenty of snow about. I probably won't be around much this week as hubby comes back fron Oz tomorrow & he might expect me to pay him a bit of attention, LOL!

Thanks for looking,

Big Hugs,

Andie xx

Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge #15

My, how the week just flies by when you are off work. You can guarantee, when I'm back in work next week, it will feel like the longest time! It's Sunday though, & time for a new sketch & recipe at Crafts for Eternity! This week, we would like you to,

1. follow the sketch

2. use a check pattern

3. include a dog in your card.

My card is quite simple, I've followed the sketch quite faithfully, & as it's a boys card, I've not done much in the way of embellishments. The image is from the Mary Hall range at Sugar Nellie & the DPs from MME Wild Asparagus. This is a great layout for using up odd scraps! I used orange ribbon & embroidery thread for a bit of texture.

I hope you'll pop on over to the C4E blog & have a look at the gorgeous work of my DT colleagues. If you join in, you could win one of the fab goody bags on offer from Michele.

So is everyone fed up of the snow yet? Even my boys have lost interest in going out in it now. My hubby keeps e-mailing me, saying he is off to the beach in Sydney. But he leaves tomorrow & is due to get home Tuesday night. I'm just praying there is no more snow that could delay him. The boys & I have missed him so much. It will be a bit of a shock to the system for him when he comes back to minus degree temperatures!!

Whatever you are up to, I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for looking!

Big Hugs,

Andie xx

Tilda Sitting Pretty for Just Magnolia & SOS

Wow, it's been a while since I entered a challenge for fun. The small matter of something called Xmas kind of got in the way! But hey, thought I'd enter a couple of my faves. The layout follows this weeks sketch at Just Magnolia, & A Spoonfull of Sugar wants to see cards with hearts on. The hearts aren't immediately obvious, but the charm is heart-shaped as are some of the flat backed pearls I used amongst the leaves.

I have several people to thank who have contributed most kindly & generously to the making of this card. My dear friend Michele sent me the cute image of Tilda from the Yummy Tummy collection. I've also used gorgeous glittered MME Laundry Line DPs that my wonderful Buddy Dena sent me. She also sent me the little heart charm. The lovely larger, coffee coloured flowers are from Bec & are available at her fab Bizzy Becs store. Have you checked out the beautiful images & papers she has available at her online digi store?

Before I go, I thought I'd show you what me & the boys have been up to today. We've had about 6 inches of snow here & Jack's school was closed. What else is there to do under the circumstances but build a snowman. Jack wouldn't come back out & pose with him, but here is Ben, looking a little dwarfed by him, but very proud!

Here's another, just because Ben looks so cute, LOL! (Don't worry, when we were building him, Ben did have a scarf & gloves on!)

Apologies for the length of the post. Thanks for sticking with me! Hope everyone is safe & warm, whatever they are doing.

Big Hugs to you All

Andie xx