Winter Stanley

Good morning everyone - are you good today?  I hope so.

Christmas is getting ever closer isn't it?  Can't believe it is now just around the corner so now I have a Christmas card to share with you....

I love this cute little dog.  He is from Digi Stamp Boutique and is part of a digi stamp set called Winter Stanley.  I have coloured this in with Pro-Markers and the papers are a mixture of Magnolia 12 x 12 (in the background) and Wild Rose Studio Polka Dots 6 x 6 (for the corners).

I used my punch and cuttlebug folder to make the border at the bottome.  That lovely gem in the centre of the flower is from the works.

Challenges:-

Brown Sugar Challenge - Anything Goes

Completely Christmas - Anything Goes

Crafting at the Weekend - Anything Goes

Crafting by Designs - Get Ready for Christmas

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments Designs - Bingo (I have used embossing, digi, ribbon)

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

Digi Stamp Boutique - September Customer Challenge

Love to Create Challenge - Love or Ribbon

Scribble & Scrap - Anything Goes

Winter Wonderland - Layer it Up

Thanks so much for looking and have a great day.

I've Been Tagged

Good Monday Morning to you all!

I've been tagged by the lovely Sarah at Mallows Crafty Bits. It is part of The Creative Blog Hop (every Monday) and is fun to join in with.   Now Sarah has been commenting on my blog for a very long time now and she is so encouraging and I am so very grateful for all her wonderful words on my blog.  I have loved Sarah's work as it is always so pretty and she does some lovely shaped cards, so pop along and have a peep and say Hi!  You won't be disappointed.  Thank you Sarah :0)

So, here we go...question time...

1)   What am I working on now.

At the moment I am working on a card for my DT post at Penny's Paper-Crafty.  Just before putting this post together I had just added my card to my DT post at Love to Scrap Challenge Blog. I have also printed out some cute Christmas puppy images to make into Christmas cards.  Coming this week lol.

2)   How does your work differ from others in your genre?

I don't think my work differs from others in my genre if I am honest.  Especially since I take inspiration from what I see of people's work on their blogs and from magazines.  I really do find blogs to be so very inspiring and really helpful in the creation of my cards.  I'd be so lost without my blogging friends and their blogs.

3)   Why do I do what you do.

Because I absolutely love crafting.  I always have done and I always will.  I started out making dollshouse furniture from egg cartons and loo rolls when I was a little girl.  At that time I also use to sew little purses from scraps of fabric that I found.  In my twenties I discovered cross stitch, then in my thirties scrapbooking and shortly after cardmaking.  I think I have gone along the same path as most crafters do lol.

4)  How does my creative process work.

When I am making cards, I start first by thinking or finding a sketch for my layout (Sketch Saturday has some really great ones).  I then pick my papers and then my image and pro-marker colours.  I pick my papers first as I like to match the image to the papers.  Sentiments and embellishments come last if there is space.  That is the order I follow and that is what helps me to put some semblence of a card together lol.

I just want to thank my blogging friends for all their inspiration and their kind words on my cards.  I don't have a huge number of followers, but the ones I have, I cherish.

Now here are my nominees:-

Pauline at Crafting with Cotnob

Fantastic layouts on her cards.  She does male cards fabulously (male cards are a fave of mine). 

Julie at Julies Crafty Creations

Now Julie gave me the position of DT member on the Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge blog. At the time, I wasn't too confident and was at a low ebb.  I had crafted before but I was just getting back into it, so I am very grateful that Julie gave me a chance as it boosted my confidence loads.  Also her cards are gorgeous!!

Shuly Cartes
I met Shuly through the Love to Scrap Challenge Blog and right away she was very welcoming and encouraging and it is a real pleasure to work with her.  Also, she creates some beautiful interactive cards which I adore.

Thanks so much for reading all this and have a really great day

Funtime Dan

Good morning all - hope you are all good.  Really glad it's the weekend and Brandon has just gone to football so I can get a card up YIPPEE!!! lol.

Here it is...

I do like Digi Stamp Boutique images and this one is called Funtime Dan.  I won this stamp and it was part of a set of 3 Funtime Dan images.  I also treated myself to a set of cute christmas puppies from Digi Stamp Boutique which I love and cards from them are coming soon :)

I coloured Dan in with promarkers and once again my papers are 6 x 6 Kraft in Colour (I can't get away from these papers and my pad is almost finished lol).  The cogs are a Papermania die set and the sentiments are digital from Dilly Beans.

Challenges:-

Brown Sugar Challenge - Anything Goes

CCC Digi Creations - Digi/Man in your Life (once again, little man for me lol)

Crafting at the Weekend - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - Birthday Celebrations / Anything Goes

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

Digi Stamp Boutique - Customer September Competition

Moving Along with the Times - Recipe Image, Papers, Colours

Pink Gem Challenge - Clean and Simple (if it's not simple enough - please delete from challenge)

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Anything Goes - Twist is Use Some Red

Sweet Stampin' - Cards for Men (Big or Little)

Thanks so much for looking and have a great weekend

Cheers Alf

Good morning all - it's nearly Friday YAY lol.

I have another card to share today...

Now originally I had made this card using a sketch from Sketch Saturday with every intention of entering the challenge last week.  I missed the deadline though  :(

The image is from Digi Stamp Boutique and is called Cheers Alf.  I have coloured him in with Pro-Markers and the papers are once again (my absolute favourite without a doubt) Doodlebug 6x6 Craft in Colour.  So many possibilities with this little pad lol.

Challenges:-

As You Like it Challenge - Favourite Digi Stamp (This is a new favourite of mine because I love how he is holding a bottle of beer (not Glass) as most of the men I know drink from bottles, so I am going to be using this A LOT!)

CCC Digi Creations - Man in your Life

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Use a Charm/Add Metal (The button is metal)

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Use Autumn Colours

Creative Moments - Use 3 Layers

DigiStamp Boutique - September Customer Challenge

Inky Impressions - Anything Goes

Passion for Pro-Markers - Autumn Colours 

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Anything Goes with Spots or Dots

Thanks so much for looking and have a great day.

New Challenge at Penny's Paper-Crafty Sponsored by StampArt Designs and Fred She Said

Good Afternoon lovely crafters.

Today we have another wonderful challenge over at Penny's Paper-Crafty.  The theme this week is Spots and Stripes.  Please come over and join in the fun.

For the first time I have attempted a shaker card!  I have spots on my paper and my ribbon is stripey (which you can just about see).

Here it is.....

Isn't this image too cute?  It is from Fred she Said and is called Kiss Me Scottie.  I coloured my image in with pro-markers and then constructed it into a shaker.  I have embossed some plain white card and the spotty paper is just a scrap from my stash.  The red card is from Hobbycraft and the corners are from the Whimsy Corner Dies set.

Our Sponsors:-

StampArt Design

Store
Blog
Prize - 5 digi images of winners choice

and 

Fred she said

Store
Prize - $15 gift certificate

Challenges:-

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Christmas Critters

Come and Get It Challenges - Use 3 of Something (3 Red Snowflakes)

Craft Your Passion - I Can See Clearly (Use Something Transparent) I have used Acetate to make up the shaker bit on my card.

Crafting by Designs - Get Ready for Christmas

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Fab n Funky - Christmas

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge - Main Colour Red 

Open Minded Crafting Fun - Roll out the Red

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Oh How Cute

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Use Spots or Dots

Thanks so much for looking and have a great day

Birthday Bobbi with Balloons

Good Afternoon everyone.  Did you have a nice weekend?  We did.  It was peaceful and there was some sun, a bit chilly, but nice all the same.

I have a card to share...

This sweet image is called Birthday Bobby and is from Digi Stamp Boutique.  A cutie, don't you think.

Coloured in with my pro-markers and the papers are from my favourite 6 x 6 pad at the moment called Doodlbug Kraft in Colours.  The bow and flower ribbon at the bottom are from the works and the corners are Whimsy Corner Dies Set.  Everything else is just from my stash.

Challenges:-

Come and Get it Challenges - Use 3 of Something (I have used 3 different papers)

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafts 4 Eternity - My Style (my style is always using a stamp rubber or digi (coloured with pro-markers teamed with the designer papers - yep that's my stylee)

Crafty Boots - Anything Goes 

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

Digi Stamp Boutique - September Customer Competition

Glitter n Sparkle - Must Use Pink

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Anything Goes Twist Use Spots or Dots

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Ribbons & Bows

The Squirrel and The Fox - Happy Birthday

Thanks so much for looking and have a great day.

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge No. 195 Sponsored by Karleigh Sue and Stampart Design

Good afternoon crafty friends.

Today we have a fun challenge over at Penny's Paper-Crafty.  The theme this week is Embossing Wet or Dry.  Simples :0)

 Please come along and join in the fun.

Here is my card.

My fabulous image is from a new sponsor of ours called Karleigh Sue and this one is called Fall Fab.  Lovely isn't she.  I've coloured her in with pro-markers (of course lol).  The papers are from a 6 x 6 pad by Paper Mania called Sweet Nothings.  I've seriously had this pad for about 6 or 7 years!  You can see some embossing on the die-cut circle behind her and also I have embossed my greeting (the greeting folder was a freebie from a magazine from this year - bet lots of you have this lol).

Our Sponsors:-

 Karleigh Sue  

 

Store -https://www.etsy.com/shop/KarleighSueDigis?ref=l2-shopheader-name
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Karleighsuedigis?fref=ts
Prize - $10  

and

StampArt Design

Store - http://whimsystamps.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13_38

Blog - stampartdesignbykathryne.blogspot.com

Prize - 5 digi images of winner choice

Challenges:-

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes
Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
Crafty Boots - Anything Goes
Clear it Out - Crazy for Polka Dots
Creative Inspirations - Going Dotty
Inky Chicks - Anything Goes
Passion for ProMarkers - Make it Digital
Pile it On - Flowers and / or Feathers
Scribble and Scrap Challenge - Anything Goes
Top Tip Tuesday - Kids

Thanks so much for looking and have a great day.

Skateboard Dan

Good morning everyone - what a nice morning.  I love Autumn sun.  It's just nice and not too warm and i've already been out for a stroll in it.  Hope you are having this nice weather too.

Today I have a card to share...

He's called Dan from Digi Stamp Boutique and I have coloured him in with promarkers.  The papers are Doodlebug 6 x 6 Kraft in Colour.

Challenges:-

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

CCC Digi Creations - Man in your Life (Little Man in this case)

Clear it Out - Crazy for Polka Dots

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - Clean and Simple

Crafty Boots Challenge - Anything Goes

Digi Stamp Boutique - September Customer Comp

Passion for Pro-Markers - Make it Digital

Scribble and Scrap - Anything Goes

Top Tip Tuesday - Kids

Thanks so much for looking and have a great day.

Love to Scrap Challenge No. 38 Sponsored by D.R.S. Designs

Good morning all.  How are you, good I hope.

Today a great Anything Goes challenge starts at Love to Scrap Challenge Blog.

Please come along and join in the fun.

Here is my card...

I chose to use two gorgeous rubber stamps from DRS Designs called Harvest Bouquet and Birthday Bouquet Greeting.  I chose these because I thought they would be ideal for Autumn birthdays.

I have coloured in with my Pro-Markers and the papers are by Woodware Stamps and are old freebies from a magazine. Everything else is from my trusty stash.

Our Sponsor:-

DRS Designs

Prize: $10 gift certificate to winner

DRS Designs - a family owned company since 1950 - boasts hundreds of original rubber stamp designs. All images are available fully mounted, completely unmounted or mounted on cling cushion and are proudly hand crafted in the USA. Our rubber stamp collection includes a wide assortment of images including sentiments for all occasions, easy background designs and fun technique stamps such as our stained glass and plaid designs. The DRS Designs website features a huge card sample gallery, online demos and tips, a secure shopping area and more. Be sure to visit our daily blog with posts from our fantastic design team for inspiration and ideas.

Challenges:-

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Fantasy Stampers - Autumn Colours

Glitter n Sparkle - Use a Punch  (I have used a border punch in the strip going across the card)

Pile it On - Flowers and / or Feathers 

Scribble & Scrap - Anything Goes 

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Anything Goes

That Craft Place - Sentimental

The Corrosive Challenge - Autumn / Fall

The Shabby Tea Room - Autumn Bliss 

Thank you so much for looking and have a great day.

Steampunk Cutie

Good afternoon all.

I can't wait until this week is over.  I have so much to catch up on - the after effect of the summer hols I suppose lol.

I did get a card done though and here it is...

I have never done Steampunk before so this is my first attempt.  I really enjoyed making this.  I used a brown and grey colour combination which I wasn't sure would work but luckily it did.  I won the cute image from Lacy Sunshine and you can find her here.
The cogs (which I love) were a birthday gift.  They are a die set from Do Crafts.  The papers and the sentiment are old from a steampunk CD, Papermania.

Challenges:-

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Vintage

Crafts 4 Eternity - Digital

Crafty Girls Challenge - Anything Goes

Crafting for all Seasons - Wheels and / or Cogs

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Steampunk / Urban

Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes with the Option of a Sketch

The Crafty Bloggers Challenge - September Anything Goes

Thanks so much for looking and have a great day.

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge No. 194 Sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps

Good Afternoon everyone.  Hope you are all well.  Looks like it is going to be a nice September doesn't it.  Brandon went back to School Monday gone and I am only just catching up with myself now.  I was so un-organised this time which is not like me :0(

On a happy note though, we have a wonderful challenge over at Penny's Paper-Crafty and the theme is Stitching Real or Faux.  Although there is no stitching on my card (told you I had been un-organised), entrants will have to have this on their card.

Oh well, here is my card anyway...

It is a fabulous Bugaboo image called Video Game Guy and you can find it here.  I have coloured mine with pro-markers.

I have used Echo Park 6 x 6 papers and.  I've kept to a simple layout for this card, but I do love my papers.  Buttons are from the Works.

Our Sponsor...

Bugaboo Stamps 

Store
Prize - 7 digi images of winners choice

Challenges:-

Cardz 4 Guys - Clean and Simple

Catch the Bug Challenge - September Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - One for the Boys

Fantastic Tuesday - Anything Goes Twist Add a Button / Buttons

Glitter n Sparkle - Use a Digi

Hobby Cutz Challenge - For the Boys

Suzy Bee's Challenge - Anything Goes

The Corrosive Challenge - Let's Hear it for the Boys

The Squirrel and The Fox - For a Male

Thank you so much for looking and have a great day

Have a Hoot on your Birthday - Saturated Canary Owl Always Love You Image

Good morning everyone.  Hope you all good.

Me and Brandon are having a little computer time then we are off to the mud dips on his bike.  Before we go though, I would like to share this card...

This image is called Owl Always Love you by Saturated Canary and I really love her sweet face and that darling little owl.  The papers are Echo Park Happy Together 6 x 6 pad.  The corners are a Whimsy Die Corners set.  I have embossed the red paper with my Cuddlebug Swiss Dots folder.

Challenges:-

CCC Digi Creations - Things with Wings (the Owl)

Clear it Out Challenge - Anything Goes 

Come and Get It Challenge - Thing with Wings (the Owl)

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Challenge - Anything Goes

Crafts and Me Challenge - Time for Anything

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge - Make a Card

Crafty Little Fairies - Sparkle and Bling (I have bling on my corners - red gems)

Creative Knockouts - Tic Tac Toe (I have used Stamp / embossing/ die cuts & punches)

Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for looking and have a great day

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge No. 193 Sponsored by Lacy Sunshine

Good afternoon everyone.

We have another fabulous ANYTHING GOES challenge over at Penny's Paper-Crafty.  Please come along and join in the fun...

My card

This week we are sponsored by the wonderful Lacy Sunshine and lucky me got to pick an image to work with.  I chose Wilkes the Pirate.  He was fun to colour in (with my pro-markers).  I added die cut clouds and leaves (for seaweed).  The shells I picked off the beach from my holiday in Wales.

Our Sponsor..

Lacy Sunshine Stamps

Store - http://lacysunshine.weebly.com/

Blog - http://www.lacysunshinechallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Prize - 3 Digi images of winners choice

Challenges:-

CCC Digi Creations - Thing with Wings (the Parrot)

Clear it Out Challenge - Anything Goes

Crafting at the Weekend - Anything Goes

Crafting By Designs - September Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafting Musketeers - Use Buttons

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge - Make a Card

Creative Fingers - Anything Goes

Cutie Pie Challenge - Two's Company

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Scribble & Scrap - Anything Goes

The Corrosive Challenge - Let's hear it for the boys

The Crafty Bloggers Network - September Anything Goes

Thanks so much for looking and have a great day

Love to Scrap Challenge Blog Challenge No. 137 Sponsored by Bugaboo Digi Stamps and The Stamping Chef

Good Morning (nearly put afternoon there lol)

Its a rainy day for us today and there's a chill in the air.  Think it is definately coming up to Autumn now.

We have another fun challenge over at Love to Scrap called "Let's Fly Away".  Feature something on your project that flies - insects, planes, fairies, whatever inspires you to take flight.  Nice challenge I think.  Please come along and join in.

Here is my card...

 

Ha ha ha.  I love this image and she is called Fairy Dust  from The Stamping Chef.  Now I had seen this image on a few blogs in the past and really wanted this.  So thank you Lesley and The Stamping Chef.  I love my image and I'm imagining her in purples now!

I have used my Pro-Markers to colour her in and the papers are Doodlebug Kraft in Colour 6 x 6 pad.

Our Sponsors:-

Bugaboo Digital Stamps

Prize: 7 images of choice to winner

The Stamping Chef

Prize: 3 images to winner

Challenges:-

Brown Sugar Challenge - Anything Goes

CCC Digi Creations - Digi / Things with Wings

Come and Get it Challenges - Things with Wings
Crafting at the Weekend  Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge - Make a Card

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - September Challenge

Glitter n Sparkle - Show us Some Sass

Natalie & Amy - Things with Wings

Scribble & Scrap - Anything Goes

Sketch Saturday - Pick a Sketch (I Chose Sketch # 298)

The Stamping Chef - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for looking and have a great day