PRODUCTIVE CRAFTY DAY FOR A CHANGE!

Happy Tuesday all

Wow can't believe how crafty, busy I've been today - AND I've even had the opportunity to crack open some of my new stash that Santa brought me so lovvvvving it!

So I've a couple of cards to enter challenges so here goes and first up is a card to share at Pixies Snippet Playground plus the new challenge over at Card Concept where the theme is 'Use Texture' and I'd say I've used another freestyle collage style

I've used texture on the background using a lattice embossing folder from Darice and a woodgrain effect behind the owl plus lots of snippety bits to make the branch (using Clearly Besotted - Paired Up dies), leaves (Marianne Creatables dies) and birthday banners (MFT die-namics sentiment strips).

Card Recipe:

Image: Cross-eyed owl - is either from my Crafty American Auntie or a blop-hop I won recently
Papers: Papermill Direct
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - Geometric Style 1

Ok back in a minute with another make...

WHERE ARE THESE WEEKS GOING ....

I've had another crazy week of working, working and more working and unfortunately it's my crafty time that suffers so I've had a good old play this afternoon. Oh and I woke up to a wonderful surprise this morning ... I'd won last week's Sketch Saturday challenge!!!! Arrrrgh ... so thrilled as I wasn't sure about the card I'd made but you can check it out here

The weather has been absolutely naff today so what better place to hang out than in my crafty cupboard. (It is actually a cupboard and one of these days I'll pop some photos on here to show you - it's my Tardis!)

So my first card is to enter this week's Less is More challenge where it's a sketch one and I've combined it with the colour scheme challenge at ColourQ and the 'Lovely Dovey' theme over at CAS on Sunday. You are going to think I'm obsessed with the Eiffel Tower at the moment but I bought this die a couple of weeks ago to make a commission card and I just love it.

Card Recipe:

Cutting Tools: MFT Die-namics - Eiffel Tower, Memory box - Heart on a bow & Clouds
Papers: From my stash
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - Paired Up stamp set
Sizzix dotty embossing folder & some gems from my stash.

   


Next up is another combined entry to Muse, which I've got to admit I've never entered before so hope I've got it right, and Color Throwdown. I loved the design of the Muse card so I've used that as inspiration but I decided on butterflies rather than hearts and although I've used the grey background I've matched the other colours to the colour palate at Color Throwdown

This used Papers from my stash, Butterfly die set from Clearly Besotted and sentiment from the Geometric style stamp set which is also Clearly Besotted plus gems, twine and fluted border from my stash.

      

Ok that's it for now but I'm still playing so may be back later or tomorrow.  Enjoy your evening and thanks for stopping by.

WARNING ... SHADES REQUIRED!

Happy Monday

I've been working today and a busy evening ahead too so very swiftly posting these 2 creations which I started yesterday and have just finished off.

First up is a combo challenge for me to Sketch Saturday and CAS-ual Fridays where the theme is 'Colour Block' hence the need for shades!

                           

Items used:
Geometric Style I Stamp set from Clearly Besotted
Sentiment also from this set plus Honeycomb
Candy Dots are from Stampin' Up
Papers are from The Papermill Shop
X-Cut Corner Punch


 


Next up is, fingers crossed, just in the nick of time to enter the Color Throwdown and Seize the Sketch Challenges. (Whoops ... having nipped over to Seize the Sketch I've missed the boat! Oh well I love the sketch so glad I could make use of it!)

It's also a commission for a man who is music mad and plays the accordion but in the absence of anything accordion-like in my stash I've used a music script die from Dies to Die for and some wooden notes from my stash

                          

Other Items used:
In the Frame Stamp & Die set from Clearly Besotted
Stars from Memory Box
Mosaic Embossing Folder from Cuttlebug
X-Cut Corner Punch

   

Sorry short and sweet. Hope you're having a good day and catch you again soon.

OUCH ... MISSING FOR OVER A WEEK!

So sorry blog buddies I've been useless in posting and commenting this week.

Some weeks just end up too busy with mundane things and before you know it it's weekend again. Apart from work though I had the most A-M-A-Z-I-N-G pamper break with an old friend on Thursday/Friday. Think I'm still floating around and my mojo has upped and gone too so had to try and catch it today.

I've managed 2 cards for a couple of challenges but was hoping to do a few more...

First up is a commission card which I've managed to combine with the challenges at ColourQ and CAS(E) This Sketch.

Items Used:

Cuttlebug Embossing folder

Clearly Besotted Happy Days Sentiment

Bird Cage - Dies to Die For

Sentiment Banner - MFT Die-Namics

Ribbon, brad and twine from my stash

Birdie is one of a set bought by my Crafty American Auntie

   

Next up is my entry to the following challenges:

Less is More - Theme 'NEW BABY'

Freshly Made Sketches

Addicted to CAS - Codeword 'NEW'

Pixies Crafty Snippets - I've used a few and I've so missed this challenge and a catch up in the playground

Items Used:

Papers: Dovecraft - 12x12 baby pack

Pram & Sentiment - both Clearly Besotted from the Baby Love stamp and die sets

Ribbons from my stash

Josy Rose nailheads

      

That's all for today but I do hope I manage to squeeze in a few makes over the week and get chance to check out your creations.

Enjoy the rest of the evening.

FLYING BY AND WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE DAY ...

Happy Saturday evening all and this is really going to have to be a mega quick post ... I've had a busy day which was mainly crafting and completing orders but don't know where the time has gone! Hence my late blog session!!!

Anyway over the course of the day I've made 3 cards for challenges so here goes:

My first one is a commission for a 'French' themed birthday card and I decided to join the brand new challenge at Card Concept. I think my style would have to be Freestyle Collage but no doubt someone will pick me up if it doesn't quite fit into that category!

                               

I've used:

Uniko Studio: Flower Power Background stamp set to create a backing feature
Inks: Memento Ink Dark Cocoa onto Kraft card
Sentiment is computer generated
MFT Die-namics Eiffel Tower die from Dies to Die for who also sent me the pink doily as a freebie
Twine, pearls, envelope and wish ticket from my stash.




Next up my entry to this weeks Less is More and Clearly Besotted Challenges where the themes are Hearts and Love respectively. I'm short on Anniversary cards so thought I'd make a start with the romance theme in the air.

Items used:

Stamps and Sentiments: Clearly Besotted Paired Up & Love Hearts

Embossing Folder: Craft Concepts Woodgrain

I've added some glamour dust to the hearts and around the 'sun' too

Finally my combined entry for the ColourQ and Freshly Made Sketches challenges. My card stocks are very low and I needed a Thank you card so here it is:

Items used:
Memory Box - Thanks script die
Uniko Studio - Christmas Stars background builders
Stampin Up - candy dots
Sizzix - Dotty embossing folder

   


Sorry it's so rushed today but time is marching past bedtime. Bye for now and thanks for stopping by.

SPRIGHTLY SEVENTY

Evening All

Another age card ... what's going on!

Bit late for me but a couple of reasons ... firstly, my newly released Clearly Besotted products were waiting on the doormat today when I got in from work and I didn't really need an excuse to play! Secondly I received a last minute commission from my Mum for a 70th card for a family friend and lastly there were a couple of challenges I wanted to have a go at.

So here's what I came up with

This is a combined challenge for Retro Sketches and Color Throwdown and the recipient is computer- programming-mad so I got my techi son to find something suitable for the inside ... I'm told that if you enter this computer gibberish a screen will wish you 'Happy Birthday' and tell you how old you are!  Hope he's not got it wrong and it says something really rude!

So that's all for me today and hopefully I'll have something to post again at the weekend. Apologies for the photo - it's 'the dead of night' hence the shadows. Mr Dazzle can't seem to get around shadows at the moment no matter how many adjustments to the camera settings he makes. All too technical for me!!!

Items used:

Papers: Pink Petticoat and Studio Calico
Stamps: Clearly Besotted - NEW 'In the Frame' Stamps & Dies with 'It's you Birthday' for the party hats and sentiment inside
MFT Die-namics Number dies
Ribbon, twine and gems from my stash plus lashings of glossy accents which seem to be having no problem gleaming in the dull light!


   

FEELING BLUE

Happy Sunday

Hope you are all well and keeping water tight ... the rain is heavy here but despite being close to the Morecambe bay coast we haven't suffered any local flooding.

Sadly I missed a few Less is More challenges in the last few weeks so I was itching to join in this weekend and although I love the colour blue in lots of shades it's not a colour I use often on cards so kind of tricky. Anyway Santa very generously bought me the Decorative Doilies set from Uniko Studio and I couldn't wait to use it. Beverley at Uniko has used it over the Christmas period quite a lot but I wanted the set to be versatile enough to use all year round so here goes ...

I got a bit carried away and made 2 quite similar cards but only posting the first one to the challenge HERE. Think I've got an OCD phase going on as I decided to decorate the envelopes too! Obviously loving the set.

The sentiment on both cards is from Clearly Besotted (It's Your Birthday - Stamp set) and I've added some glamour dust to the second card although not sure it's showing too well on the photo. A couple of brads, gems and pearls from my stash and that's all for me today.

First day back at work tomorrow so that's going to be tough but I'll try to catch up with you in the week.

Enjoy your evening.

WHOOPIE ... 2014 IS HERE!

Firstly Happy New Year and apologies for my lack of cards and responses to your thoughtful wishes but the festivities just got in the way along with a stinking collection of germs that zapped my energy and mojo for most of it! Unfortunately my mojo is still hiding somewhere.  I've put all the Christmas deccies away and admired my new crafty stuff from Santa and nothing seems to have spurred me into action!

Anyway I decided to whip round the challenge sites and see what I could muster so here's a couple of cards I made yesterday and I've been waiting for some decent daylight to take pictures.

Fortunately I do need a couple of cards for January so here goes with the first one and it's to enter the CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge, Color Throwdown and CASology where the theme is 'Party!

This used Clearly Besotted It's Your Birthday Die Collection and Stamp Set, MFT Die-namics Basic Chevrons and Josy Rose Nail Heads and Stars. The glitter card is from Dovecrafts.

      

Next up is a card for one of my son's friend and I'm hoping his mum (one of my best friends) isn't searching my blog too carefully as his birthday isn't for a couple of weeks.  Think I may have a few 18th and 16th birthday cards this year as my kids have just passed these milestones too.

So my card is to enter another couple of challenges: Colour Q, Freshly Made Sketches and Seize the Birthday where the theme is 'Numbers'

Card Recipe:

Image: Pre-purchased Die-cut numbers which I've had for years
Papers: All Pink Petticoat
Glitter Paper: Dovecraft
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - New Home Stamp Set
Josy Rose Nail heads

      

That's all for me today but hope I might get down to some more crafting this afternoon as I've so many new bits and bobs that I can't wait to play with but the imagination is on a go slow. Thankfully your fabulous blogs have lots of inspiration.

Thanks for popping along today and hopefully I'll not be AWOL for so long again.