BLOOMIN' GORGEOUS

Today I've gone mad for Blooms with a triple post and as it's late and I'm at work in the morning I'm going to have to type pretty quick - sorry for the rush.

First up is my entry for this week's CAS(E) This Sketch which is combined with a Runaway Inspired Challenge photo:

Materials Used:

Image & Sentiment: Uniko Studio - Beautiful Blooms & A Gift for You

Tools: Lattice embossing folder 

From my stash: Stampin' up gems and a healthy drizzle of Wink of Stella to the blooms which are raised on 3d foam for added dimension.

Next up the Muse challenge which I rarely enter - only because my imagination doesn't come up with anything worth creating BUT today I had a play with some watercolour pencils (in preparation for a watercolour painting course I'm attending in a couple of weeks ... yikes!)

I've embossed the image from Clearly Besotted's Fresh Flowers set with white embossing powder before colouring with the watercolour pencils. I've added some ink daubing for the sky and a couple of gems to the centre of the flowers. I can't decide what sentiment to use so I've left it blank the same as the inspiration photo.

If I've still time I'm going to drop this in at Clearly Besotted's 'Spring' themed challenge too as I quite like how it turned out.

   

And last but by no means least is my entry for the current Uniko Challenge 'Spring' colour challenge. Apologies for the photo; it was taken at the same time as the others but darkness must have fallen!!!

I've used the sketch from this week's Retro Sketches so I'll be heading over there too.

Materials Used:

Image, Background Image & Sentiment: Uniko Studio - Beautiful Blooms, Background Builders: Vines & A Gift for You

Sequins and Enamel dot are Doodlebug from Craft Mojo and there's another healthy drizzle of Wink of Stella to the beautiful blooms. 

      

Ok just going to post these at the various challenges then off to bed for me.

I've had a lovely Afternoon Tea with friends today (at 3pm) and just realised I've not eaten since ... must be stuffed full of cake. It was a great catch up and despite the miserable rain we had a lovely view over the shores of Lake Windermere.

Bye for now.

MOJO MISSING SUNDAY

Hello Friends

Do you find that some days you just can't pull anything together craft-wise no matter how hard you try? Well this afternoon has been one of those times for me! My bin is full of abandoned mess-ups as I've tried numerous attempts at the ColourQ challenge for this week. I was almost going to throw in the towel and tidy up when I saw the Retro Sketches layout for this week and I found some renewed vigour. 

So here it is and I've realised I can enter this into a third challenge ... Time Out Challenges! It's a fairly new challenge and the brief this time is Happy Birthday with an option of a Masculine card. PLUS Uniko Studio are sponsoring this challenge with a fabulous prize up for grabs and I've used their Background Circles set along with a sentiment from Clearly Besotted - In the Frame set. 

To finish off I've added some hemp cord and Doodlebug Sprinkles from my stash.

   

Not sure when I'll get a post in this week as I've got my parents arriving shortly for a few days but I'll be keeping up to date on what's happening on the 'blog-vine' when I get a minute.

Enjoy your evening and thanks for stopping by.

DOLLY MIXTURE BLOOMS

Happy Sunday All and hope you are well and enjoying a touch of Spring ... fingers crossed it's here to stay.

I've had a hectic week and hardly surprised that my last post was Tuesday! YIKES!

Anyway to make up for it I've 3 cards to share with you which have taken a while today. Grrr that always seems to happen when I miss a few days of crafty-time.

So grab your sun-shades and here goes with a card to enter the Color Throwdown and Freshly Made Sketches challenges.

Card Recipe:

Image: Clearly Besotted - Fancy Florals stamps and dies
Papers: Echo Park Dots & Stripes
Sentiment: Uniko Studio - It's a Gift
From my stash: button, twine, Doodlebug Sprinkles, Josy Rose Nail Heads
Tools: Stand-alone Scalloped Dies from Clearly Besotted

   

Next up the ideal colour combo at ColourQ this week for a St Patrick's Day card and I needed one so an added bonus! The sketch I've used is from Retro Sketches so I'll be skipping along there too.

Card Recipe:

Image: Shamrock made up from hearts using the Clearly Besotted - Love Hearts stamps & dies
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - Geometric Shapes
Stem of Shamrock: Also Clearly Besotted - Dandelion Dreams stamp set
From my stash: Button, Twine, Dotty paper
Tools: Cuttlebug - Retro circles embossing folder & Stand-alone Scalloped edge die from Clearly Besotted


   


Last one for today is to enter the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge where it's a colour challenge this week and to be honest I wasn't sure about these colours. The purple tones I love but mixed with yellow! The jury is out on that one!

Card Recipe:

Image: Uniko Studio - Beautiful Blooms stamped and fussy cut then drizzled with glossy accents
Background Blocks - Clearly Besotted
Sentiment: Love the new Clearly Besotted Fabulous Fushia set and the sentiment is from here
Doodlebug Sprinkles
Tools: MFT Die-namics Sentiment Strips and Fishtail Flags



Ok I'm off to see who has won the Dancing on Ice competition and a little drool over Mr Selfridge! Thanks for stopping by and would love to receive your comments if you have time.

PURPLE PATCH

Back again - I was hoping to get both of those cards on one post but realised I can't attach two photos to the same challenge from one post! Does anyone know a way round that?

No worries though ... here's my next card which is one I've been meaning to put together all week but for one reason or another it didn't happen. Also last week I'd hoped to enter the Retro Sketches Challenge as the sketch was superb but missed it so I've still used the sketch for my card but it's to enter the CAS-ology challenge where the codeword is 'Purple' and as it's got a wrap-around of purple metallic cord I'm going to try my luck at the Simon Says Stamp Challenge again.

Card Recipe:

Image: Using my favourite Clearly Besotted set - Butterfly Additions die. You can't see from the photo but I have cut out 1/2 a butterfly from the white panel too.
Papers: From my stash
Sentiment: Uniko Studio - Flower Power
Other items: Cuttlebug retro circles embossing folder, MFT Die-namics Sentiment strip, Clearly Besotted 'With a Flourish' stamp set, pearls and metallic cord from my stash.

   

Ok may be back later with a couple more to show.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend 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!


   

RAIN, RAIN AND MORE ...

So with all the howling winds and torrential rain today what better way to spend the day? - Crafting!

First of all I had a tidy up and clear out and I really DO need to get on with some Christmas cards but none of those today! I've got another of my craft sessions with friends the week after next and we are concentrating on Christmas so hopefully have some to show then.

Bit of a change of plan on my decorating activities this week too ... after much discussion Mr Dazzle and I have decided the room needs rather a major revamp so it's a shopping week instead for bathrooms, tiles and flooring! Unfortunately I can't get quite so excited as I would if it was a full-on crafty shop!

Anyway onto my cards and as it was successful posting one blog with several challenges I'm going to do the same again for speed so first up is my entry to the Less is More Challenge where the requirement is to 'Use Twine or String' - Now this isn't really an issue for me as I use it a lot but I wanted to do something different so I've combined it with the CAS(E) This Sketch Challenge and used it to attach the sentiment banner to my aeroplane. I was a lucky lady a couple of weeks ago as I won a blog hop challenge for Clearly Besotted on Jen's Tiny Blue Butterfly blog and won the Going Places stamp set and this is my first play with it.  Think I may have to put the matching dies on my never-ending wish list as I'm not too great at fuzzy cutting.

I've used several snippets and odds and ends to make this card so I'm going to be heading over to Pixies Crafty Snippet Playground as soon as the gates open! Miss Di has been on a superb break and think she's recovering from the long journey but hope she likes my aeroplane card and might even get her thinking of her next sunny trip.

Card Recipe:

Image & Sentiment: Going Places from Clearly Besotted

Papers: Pink Petticoat snippets

Brad, Twine and gems from my stash

Dies used: MFT Die-Namics party banners & Clearly Besotted New Home set for the clouds

Now onto my second card which is to enter the ColourQ Challenge and I'm going to drop another entry in at Pixies Crafty Snippet Playground as the card also features snippety snips! I've made the card for my friend's son who's birthday falls on Halloween day and I just love the photo inspiration on the ColourQ card so added some circles and a googlie eye! 

I've used the sketch from Sketch Saturday but swapped the star for my one-eyed THINGY!

Card Recipe:

Papers: Free Digi Download from Shelly K (another one I've had ages and never used!) plus Pink Petticoat

Sentiment: Computer Generated

Googlie Eye and buttons from my stash

    

And last but by no means least is a bit of a change of direction for me with this card ... It's a commission I've been asked to make for a friend who's BIL is in the priesthood and celebrating a special occasion later this year. There doesn't seem to be any inspiration out there for this type of card so basically had to 'wing-it'! The die-cut cross was a freebie from the lovely ladies at Dies to Die For which I decided would be perfect for the card and I've used the sketch from this weeks Retro Sketches Challenge but turned it sideways.

Card Recipe:

Die Cut image: Dies to Die For

Sentiment: Computer Generated

Lattice Embossing folder used as the background which was a Pixies Crafty Snippet Challenge win

Gems for a bit of dazzle from my stash

So that's all for me today and I'm off to visit the in-laws tomorrow, bathroom shopping then watching Wicked at the theatre in Manchester so there'll be no crafty time for me! Enjoy the rest of your evening and catch up with you all soon. 

Off to watch some good Sunday night TV.

HAPPY DAYS...

... because it's Friday - it's almost the weekend - AND I'm off to my very first Craft Event tomorrow at Happy Stampers North West, Port Sunlight and if any of my lovely blog friends are attending I'd love you to send me a comment so that we can perhaps meet and say a proper 'Hello' instead of a 'cyber' one! LOL. I'm so excited wondering what's in store with all those fabulous suppliers under one roof, hopefully demonstrating their fantastic products.

To top my good mood I have just noticed I've been showcased at Less is More! Arrrrgh! Yes Less is More challenge have awarded me a badge, which I'll be displaying proudly on my blog (errr that is once my techi son gets home from school to remind me how to do it!) I'm tickled pink! It's the one to have and I've been trying very hard over the weeks and at last my extremely simple card has done the business! Speechless! Yippee!

Anyway onto my card for today which is a combined challenge for Retro Sketches and Colour Q. Now this should have been black, white and turquoise, which is my favourite colour ... but my printer threw a wobbly when it printed my paper so with some ferocious head scratching, tutting and a few expletives I adapted to a different shade of blue.

Card Recipe:

Image: Fancy Florals from Clearly Besotted
Papers: Pink Petticoat
Button & Twine from my stash
Gems from my Crafty American Auntie
Cuttlebug Swirly embossing folder

   


I'll let you know how I get on at Port Sunlight but may be missing out on some crafting tomorrow plus my parents are here on Sunday so may have to get up extra specially early to join in the weekend challenge fun.

Enjoy your weekend and catch up soon.

MAD ABOUT BUTTONS

Goodness ... it's that time again and I'm only just getting around to posting!!!

If you've been checking my blog over the last couple of days you'll notice I seem to have gone overboard on the buttons - quite by accident.  However it has made me realise I'm short of a few colours so need to buy some more!!! Did someone say crafty shopping?  Count me in!

So here's my card to enter this weeks Retro Sketches Challenge plus a newbie for me, CAS colour and sketches. Initially I thought the basic grey was a bit drab but having put it together it's growing on me.

Here's the sketch and colours if you want to join in.

    


Card Recipe:

Image: Pink Petticoat
Papers: Pink Petticoat and The Papermill Shop
Sentiment: Pink Petticoat
Ribbon and Buttons from my stash
X-cut corner punch and Cricut Elegant Edges used

BIRTHDAYS IN FRANCE

Hi All

Another quickie post from me today as cheeky Gracie is still here.  I've just left her big cousin with her in the garden for a moment while I pop this into the Allsorts 'Transport' Challenge along with Retro Sketches.

Hope it fits both ok.  The card was a request from my Mum for another friend celebrating a special birthday next week.  She loves caravanning in France hence the colour / flag theme.

Catch up with you all properly soon once my house is clear of guests! Hee Hee!

Here's the sketch:


Card Recipe:

Image: Flag & Car with Caravan - internet search
Papers: Pink Petticoat
Sentiment: Computer Generated
Bakers Twine, Washi Tape and Nail heads from my stash.
Plus I've added a bit of glossy stuff to the car and caravan for extra yumminess!

MY FIRST ATTEMPT AT A RETRO SKETCH

Evening all

I've been following the Retro Sketches challenges but never quite got round to submitting one.

Anyway this week I've got myself organised and going to dip my toe in that 'pond' - I've kind of rotated my image to fit the card shape but not sure about it although the LOTV image is adorable.

So enough waffle ... here it is:

Card Recipe:

Image: Pre-coloured LOTV
Papers: Pink Petticoat
Sentiment: Pink Petticoat
Ribbon, button and bakers twine from my stash plus a few glossy accents and a dash of glamour dust

Sketch if you want to play along: