Secret Crafters - Our Feathered Friends

Wa Hay! It's my turn to choose this weeks theme at the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge this week.  This week I'd like to see cards, or anything else you care to create, relating to

Our Feathered Friends

That could include birds, or even angels!

I've gone way out of my comfort zone with this one & not used any stamps! All the images are created with Marianne Design Creatables. The birdcage & the bird of paradise are available at the Secret Crafters shop, here. The swirls were made with various different MD dies. I went a bit mad with the glitter pen too & covered the bird with Holo Iridescent glitter, also available here. I love that stuff! The background paper is Basic Grey - Wisteria.

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This is a wierd one, because I can't decide if I like it or not. I like what is on the card, which BTW look much better IRL - this photo stinks! But I feel like thre is something missing & I don't know how to fix it. Anyhow, I'm giving it to my Mum & Dad this weekend as an early Easter card to go with the birdhouse I made a few weeks ago. So I won't have to worry about it for long!!

As always, my lovely D-teamies have excelled themselves, so I hope you'll pop over to the Secret Crafter blog & show them some love, & hopefully play along with us this week.

I am also entering this at the Creative Inspirations challenge this week, where the theme is 'punches & dies'.

So that's all for now. I hope everyone is having a great weekend & enjoying the fab sunshine.

Big Hugs to one & all!

Andie xx

Crafts 4 Eternity - Colour Challenge

Spring is in the air at Crafts 4 Eternity! This week's challenge is  to use a gorgeous colour scheme, green & yellow. How refreshing!!

I've just realised, this is my second card in succession of a girl hugging her teddy. This one though, is by Elisabeth Bell for Belles & Whistles. She's coloured with Distress Inks & the Papers are by Magnolia. The flowers are a mix from Wild Orchid Crafts, Hobbycraft & Bizzy Becs. I used a Cuttlebug die cut in the corner & a few adhesive gems to add a little sparkle.

This is not a colour scheme I would ever have chosen myself, but I love how she turned out. For more inspiration, hop on over to the Crafts 4 Eternity blog to see the wonderful creations of my fellow D-teamies.

I am also entering this card at Papertake Weekly, where this week, 'Anything Goes'

The layout uses the sketch at Sketch Saturday

Allsorts Challenge wants to see cards witth 'Bloomimg Blossoms'.

So there you go. Looks like Spring may be back again, at least for the weekend. So whatever you are up to , make the most of it!

Thanks so much for looking.

Big Hugs,

Andie xx

Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge - Butterflies

Do a happy dance for the weekend at last!! Time for another fab challenge at Secret Crafters where wonderful Wendy has chosen the theme of

BUTTERFLIES!

Perfect for what should be the start of Spring. But as I look out of my wnindow right now, it all looks a bit grey & drab! Where has all the sunshine gone?! Oh course it's the weekend, the lovely weather will all come back again once I'm sitting behind my desk again on Monday morning!

Sorry this is a little late, I've had some blogger issues, but with this card, I wanted to go for a bit of a vintage, grungy look. I'm feeling very inspired by the fabulous Camilla at the moment. & I want to head off in that direction to see where it takes me :~)

I used 'Together' by Bildmalarna. She's coloured with Distress Inks & cut out with Nesties, both available at the Secret Crafter shop. I added the swirls using a Stempelglede stamp. The papers are Prima - Sparkling Spring & I cut out an extra butterfly & 3D'd it in the corner.  I continued the butterfly theme with a Martha Stewart border punch. Some lovely lace, adhesive gems & a little glitter finished it all off.

So now it's time to check out the gorgeous creations of my fellow D-Teamies over at Secret Crafters, they have excelled themselves this week.

I based my card on this week's sketch at Papertake Weekly, so I would like to enter my card there.

Cute Card Thursday want to see 'Couples' on your cards OK, so they are not a conventional couple, but the sure look gorgeous together!

The colour scheme at Colour Create just now is pastels, so this little cutie is being entered there too.

So that's all for now. What does your weekend hold? Happy Mother's Day tomorrow to all the UK Mums out there. Mums everywhere should celebrate anyway, because we're all fabulous!! Whatever you are up to, have a great time.

Thanks so much for looking,

Big Hugs,

Andie xx

Secret Crafters - Christmas in Spring!

Yippee for the weekend!! It's time for another fab challenge at Secret Crafters! This week my lovely & super talented D-Teamie, Tracie has chosen our theme which is

Christmas In Spring

Join us this week for the last chance of the month to be entered into the draw to win 5 digis of your choice from our fabulous sponsor, The Stamping Boutique .

I've gone for traditional Xmas colours with mine & used Lucia Tilda from the 2010 Christmas collection & coloured her with Distress Inks available at the Secret Crafter shop. My papers are by Papermania & the snowflake is a Marianne Design Creatable - Snowflake 3, available here. I added adhesive gems & finished everything off by embossing the edges with Cosmic Shimmer Aurora Embossing Powder.

It feels strange showing a Xmas card at this time of year, & I say this every time. I must start my Xmas cards earlier this year. If I do them now I'll be forced to use up last year Xmas papers instead of being tempted to buy loads more again, which always happens! But then there are so many other images I want to use which I haven't had chance to yet. Better try harder on the lottery tonight & cross those fingers even tighter. I'd just like to win enough to be able to give up work & spend more time crafting, I might even do more house work too. Oh well, one day!

Enough of my dreaming, in the meantime I've got the day to enjoy. Off to play tennis with dear hubbie in 15mins, then Jack has a Tae Kwon Do grading, then me & the boys are going to make muffins. I've given up chocolate for lent, so I have to have alternative vices to support me through this difficult time, LOL! It was either chocolate or wine & giving up wine was never an option!!

So I better get on, if you got this far, thanks for persevering! Thank you all for looking & have a wonderful weekend.

Big Hugs to one & all

Andie xx

Crafts 4 Eternity - Colour Challenge

Happy Friday & the weekend is all but upon us! Time for another Crafts 4 Eternity challenge, where this week we have a colour combo for you to play with. The colours are deep purple, pale green & aqua. Here's my interpretation.

I saw this stamp at the Manchester craft show, but it had sold out. Fortunately I eventually got my inky mitts on it! It's perfect for those none cute cards, especially for my Mum & Dad who are always watching the birds that come in their garden. I used Cosmic Shimmer embossing powder over the image & distressed everything for a vintage feel. The papers are Basic Grey-Kioshi & Wisteria. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts & I used a Magnolia die cut for the leaves. I hate how expensive they are, but I do love the result!

Quite a simple offering from me this week. Please go check out the Crafts 4 Eternity blog to see how my lovely D-Teamies got on.

Hope everyone out there is happy & well. Thanks so much for looking.

Big Hugs,

Andie xx

Secret Crafters - Patchwork

I'm sooo excited to be able to share my first DT card for the Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge! I'm thrilled to be joining a team of such ovely super talented ladies. This week our challenge for you is

PATCHWORK BACKGROUNDS

This was a new one for me, I was challenging myself straight away!

Wendy has a gorgeous collection of manga images. This adorable little cutie is called 'Old Fashioned Girl' & is available here. She is coloured with Promarkers & the beautiful ribbon & button are also available at the Secret Crafter shop. The patchwork papers are Prima - Sparkling Spring interspersed with embossed plain paper, & the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

So there you go. I love how she turned out. I hope you'll now check out the fabulous creations of my fellow D-Teamies at Secret Crafters & play along with us this week. I look forward to seeing your cards.

I am also entering this at Papertake Weekly, where this week, 'Anything Goes'.

I'm also entering this at Simon Say Stamp where they have a recipe challenge. 1 image, 2 papers, & 3 embellishments - button, ribbon, & flowers (as long as you don't count bling)

This post is a little late as I've had a few internet connection problems this morning. Thankfully now fixed.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Big Hugs,

Andie xx

Crafts 4 Eternity - Sketch Challenge

Yippee, it's Friday! Which means, not only does the weekend start today :~) but it's also time for another fab challenge a Crafts 4 Eternity where we have a fab sketch for you.

This card was for a friend at work who complained to me about the lack of cards available with dark skinned images. She was thrilled with this (thank goodness!) & I have to say I think she is rather beautifu myself. She's a digi called Tabia, by the fab Mo Manning. I coloured her with Promarkers & the papers are the divine GCD Studios - Ella Blue. I used a Cuttlebug die for the corner florishes & the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

Big waves to my D-Teamies at Passion For Promarkers. I thought I'd pay along with their girly 'Sugar Rush' challenge this week.

Please pop on over to the Crafts 4 Eternity blog to see the fabulous creations of my lovey D-Teamies there too.

Have a great day! I'll be back tomorrow with my first Secret Crafters DT card!

Thanks for looking,

Big Hugs,

Andie xx