Happy Retirement

Basic Grey Recess, Making Memory Brads, American Crafts Thickers, Studio G Mini Alpha, Ribbon from stash and Distress ink in walnut for the edges.

Funky Hand

A huge thanks to Anice of Funky Hand who's sponsoring this weeks Dare. The papers are gorgeous, and beautiful printed directly onto card. I added ribbon, buttons, a Rob & Bob clip, a doodlebug frame stamp and a fabuloso Purple Onion thanks stamp coloured in with a Glaze Sakura pen.

Everyone loves a...

Wedding! Though unfortunately I couldn't make it to this one to see Laura and Nick tie the knot. I hope your day was everything you dreamed it would be
Purple Onion stamps, BG Blush paper & faux stitching :)

It's a wrap!

It's a wrap is this week's dare, and I used vellum I've had so long it's vintage, along with yummy new Basic Grey Euphoria, which was sent to me by the fab and generous Kate, you're a star , thank you :)



Some pricking for faux sewing, inking with Brilliance Ink and some American Crafts ribbon. The tree stamp is rather delicious and from Purple Onion, love it. Thanks for looking :)

I've started so I'll finish

A quickie post, but the actual card took ages as I cut out all the swirls from a piece of K&Co Mira paper by hand. Once I was half way through I very nearly gave up but it was worth it. Quite therapeutic to do in front of the telly but I'll only make one, lol!
Fiskars cloud scissors, hole punch, berisfords ribbon and a scalloped cuttlebug cut circle. The stamp is Purple Onion, a cute freebie from a recent order :)

Sprinkles!

I'm late again with this weeks dare. Honest I was finished in time but then I got distracted *blush*. Mel is daring us to sprinkle our cards with gorgeousness, so I threw down a spoonfull of gems and glued them where they landed!


Papers and lace are K&Co, from Wild Safron, and the colours remind me of a swimming cozzie I had when I was a girl. I thought I was the bees knees in my grey and yellow striped number. It never ceases to amuse me how trends come round! Ribbon and gems from stash and faux stitching with pen finishes it off. Thanks for looking :)

Old School

We decided to have a team dare this week at DCM, and to revisit some of those preloved and sometimes forgotten treasures we have stashed in our Craft Cupboards. Now the first thing that got me into cardmaking, well the most recent time, was when I went to a calligraphy class. On the last night the tutor brought in some stamps so we could accent our calligraphy with heat embossing. That got me hooked! So this week I thought I'd revisit the technique and make sure I used nothing new!
The circles are stamps by Purple Onion. I've had them an age (does 2 or so years count as an age?)and they look fab embossed in white. Even the ink pads I used for the edges are old - about 6 years old actually, I got 4 of those rainbow colourbox cards when I first started rubber stamping and they're still going strong! The birthday stamp is Impression Obsession, A die cut alpa makes the happy letters from felt I bought maybe 3 years ago to make Christmas stockings. The paper is Christmas originally too, from an old DCWV pack. Staples were from a poundland shop which has since shut and the white ones are embossed.

I think I might challenge myself to do this more often :)

How exciting to have my card featured on Becks blog last week, I'm really loving the new stuff papermania and do-crafts are coming out with. Long may it last!

Spot the difference

It's my turn to dare this week, and it's...Journalling spots. They're used all the time in scrapbooking where it's extra personal to read someone's words and memories in their own hand. Use a journalling spot, be it stamped, premade, handcut, digital or doodled, to frame your handwritten message on your card.

I used BG Boxer, some of that new Core-denations cardstock embossed with a cuttlebug folder and sanded with a nail file, and a new set of Papermania stamps, they've really come a long way with their new designs! Finally some ribbon, teeny prima's and brads finish it off.

Thanks for looking :)

Happy Day

I was inspired to make a card by this sketch here. I'm loving bright summery colours at the moment, and the BG Gypsy papers are still a favourite, even though in crafting time they're old enough to draw their pension!
Felt die cut letters & flower, BG Gypsy paper, scallop scissors, cuttlebug embossing, ribbon and a papermania brad. Thanks for looking :)

Birthday Boy

Matt's Birthday card this year, all supplies by Zanny Zinnia, which is also where the flowers from the card a few posts down came from. I love that you don't have to commit to a subscription and their kis are yummmy! The only things I added were the white card blank, the cuttlebug embossing folder for the birthday and a pen for the faux stitching :)

Christmas in June!

Yep that's what Jo has dared us to do this week. After digging the Christmas Craft box out, which was buried right at the bottom of the pile, this is what I came up with.Super simple, Rubber Soul paper, Swiss dots Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Grosgrain ribbon, Hampton Stamp and the star charm from a charity shop, if I remember rightly it was part of some sort of charm/dangly thing!

The Christmas box is now safely tucked away again until Autumn :)

I've also been tagged by Lavender Rose

TEN YEARS AGO

I was at Art School in Aberdeen in my second year. I was living the student life in my first proper flat with a fab friend and partying hard. I thought I spent the summer working as a Trolley Dolly on the trains but thinking about it I think that was the Pizza Shop year. It seems so very long ago now, I hadn't even met my husband then and to be honest it's hard to remember what happened when, lol! I mean I was a teenager then, well just!

FIVE THINGS ON TODAY'S 'TO DO' LIST

Laze about for the morning, I love Saturday mornings lounging in PJ's.
Update my blog- done!
Get some washing on the line as its gorgeously sunny with a good drying breeze.
Watch Doctor Who, I love it :)
Hmmm I can't think of a fifth, I try to do as little as possible on a Saturday, does order takeaway dinner count?!

SNACKS I ENJOY

Twiglets
Worcester Sauce crisps, I'm so glad they brought them back.
Humous and crunchy crusty bread
Cake, any kind, I'm not fussy when it comes to cake!
Tesco's version of Milky Way's, I think they're better than the real thing.

THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WAS A MILLIONAIRE

First would definitely be buy a house, or buy a plot and build a house, and go on a long holiday somewhere sunny and hot, actually maybe while the builders were getting on with it. I'd help out my family, buy Matt his dream car, then I'd probably try and be sensible and invest the rest for a good return, actually I'm not sure there would be any left by then.

PLACES I HAVE LIVED

Aberdeen - Silver when it's sunny, grey the rest of the time
Pembrokeshire
Isle of Lewis
Angus - Which is now home

I'm not going to tag anyone mainly because I haven't had the chance to do much blog reading (sorry) but if you haven't done this one then do it and leave me a comment and I'll come and see!

Happy Saturday :)

Just a quickie

This weeks dare... a quick card! It took about 10 minutes in all, but that didn't include picking what I was going to use, and finding it. Cosmo Cricket papers, K&Co sentiment, Papermania brads and a sizzlits corner die.

Cake!

Well the shaped card dare was weeks ago, but since that week I've had a JCB knock out my phone line, only to find out that it couldn't be put back up without a new pole... which needed planning permission... leaving me internet-less, and also moved house. I had to dig through boxes to find new batteries for the camera tonight!

But cake's good at any time, so here's my shaped cake card!

Buttons, ribbon, blonde moments papers and a template I drew myself using a roll of tape and some one inch punched shapes :) Thanks for looking :)

It's been a while

Since I've updated here! But I am still here, and getting occasional time for crafting, even if I am forgetting to photo most cards before I send them... oops.

Here's a couple of cards I've made, this one as a Thank You, it uses cosmo cricket papers and american crafts vinyl thickers. And this one for colleague's new baby daughter using Blonde Moments, loads of ribbons and K&Co alpha stamp set.
I've also got a brand new project online at the Wedding Crafter using gorgeous vintage goodies. Delish!

Hopefully I'm going to have time to catch up with DCM again soon too, my hectic timetable meant something has had to give but I see the other girls have been making some gorgeous creations while I've been AWL (Absent WITH Leave!)

Shrink to Fit (aka how small is 5x5cm!)

Kathy set a stonker of a dare this week, and, although I finished my card on Tuesday, I've only just had a moment to photo it and upload.
Papermania embellies, K&Co papers, Sizzix Corner die and clear stamp... I can't remember but if you really want to know send me an email!

It's all in the game

Sue's wonderful dare this week is to use a game piece on a card, here's what I did.Papers are Fancy Pants, quote and paper ribbon are K&Co, Papermania brads, Key from Panduro, Domino altered with Ranger alcohol inks and other inking with distress inks.

Thanks for looking :)

Fancy a cuppa?

Mel's turn this week to set the dare, and I really could have done with time to relax and take a break, lol.
A simple little card really, all papers are Basic Grey Periphery, sizzlits tags, circle punch, papermania brads, hero arts alpha and embroidery thread. I didn't have any fancy teabags with strings on or pretty packets so I made a little pouch to keep the teabag safe with one of those officey style windey-roundey-closey-things!

Now who's turn is it to put the kettle on?

Thank you

Both for visiting and for your lovely comments. Here's some thank you cards I've done recently for some brilliant people. I've used the delicious K&Co Urban Rhapsody papers, yummmm.

I am Woman

What a hectic week... New job, new car, and loads of other stuff to be done too. All which has left no time for blogging any of it! We ended up getting a Citroen C2 from a local garage 18 months old and super cute, we went to see a few second hand cars and met some colourful individuals that gave us no faith in the cars they were selling, so after a few test drives in Dundee from pushy salesmen the lovely local Citroen dealership got our business instead. I'll take a pic of her soon, she's so very new and all the inside lights and stuff work which is a totally new experience for me :) I may become a petrolhead!

On to cardmaking, this weeks dare was set by Lythan, I am Woman, to celebrate Women and Girls. Now I've had this paperartsy stamp of a woman for years and years and never used it. It came on a plate with the sewing pattern background which I used for the background and I love so I challenged myself to use the woman too. She does look a bit grumpy I have to say but there you , we all have off days!


Other bits and bobs used : K&Co Bailey Papers, Sassafras lass bracket stamps, Watercolour Pencils, Papermania brads, Teeny buttons, Lace from a haberdashers nears where my grandparents live and BG notch tool to make the scallops.

Plastic Fantastic

It's dare day, and I get to set the dare too..whooohooo!

This week I'm on a recycling mission. I dare you to look again at the plastic packaging around you and transform it into a brand new card. It could be food packaging, craft packaging or just something plastic that's destined for the bin or recycling. Trim it, die cut it, alcohol ink it, crop-o-dile it, give it a new lease of life then share it via your blog for us all to see. Happy Recycling!


I've used these - clear stamp packets from my Autumn Leaves stamps. I kept them with the vague thought that if I ever passed the stamps on to anyone else they might come in handy. Yeah right! Like I'm going to let my beloved AL stamps go anywhere! Anyways, chopped up each side of plastic makes a fabaroo see through card blank for the best price of all... nothing! I added handcut paper from the K&Co Addison range and a couple of brads. I used those sheets of sticky dots to attech the swirly bits to the acetate and they hardly even show on the reverse. The paper is all sparkly and lovely in the light - what little of it there is as its blowing a hooly out there and tipping it down.
Other news from the north east, well our car is finally dying, poor old Punto's done us well but is feeling every hour of her 12 years of hard graft and is crying oil. Any top tips on buying second hand cars? It's such a confusing world especially when you just want something to get you there as cheap as possible rather than be flash! I'll keep you updated on the exciting car saga...lol

Oooo Juicy!

Juicy Lemon and Orange colours are the inspiration behind this weeks little extra! Slurpable!Stamps are Autumn Leaves and Firefly, PP is DCWV posies pad and some cutting, inking and ribbon finish it.

1000 miles...and another two weeks

Another two weeks of not uploading! I'm not going to say sorry though as I've been doing important stuff. My fantastic Mother in Law lent me her car to go and see Grandma and Grampy. Grandma's still poorly after her stroke but I think Grampy enjoyed the company and home cooking, he's really pining for her, they've not been apart like this for 60 years, that's a long time. The 1000 mile round trip left me shattered though.

As my Grampsies are 86 and 84 they don't have internet so although I took my laptop (to share the wedding dvd) I wasn't able to find anywhere to plug it in and get online, hence the disappearing act!

Anyhooo, as they say, Rachel and Keryn sponsored this weeks Dare... To use SU products to make a love or friendship themed card. I do love the way everything matches, the inks are the perfect tone for the card and the patterned paper, it's all very clever
Everything is SU except I used a pair of Scallop scissors. I love the little seal stamps, soooo cute!

Hope you had a lovely Valentine's day and was showered with lovely thoughts and feelings, I'll have to borrow my card back from Matt to get a pic to share!

2 weeks!

I can't believe it's been that long since I updated here, phew....

Things have been a bit manic, as well as the normal busyness I had the news that my Grandma's had a stroke and is poorly in Hospital. I've managed to wangle things around and I'm going down next week to see her and Grampy (who wants to know how to cook scrambled eggs!). So cardmaking has been right off the agenda apart from a couple of get well soon cards for Grandma, the first one didn't make it to the first hospital before she was transferred to the second. There should be photo's of them...er...somewhere...

Thanks for the lovely You cheer me up awards :) You cheered me right up! I'll return them when I actually have time to get some reading done... hmm now is it worth taking my laptop down south in case I can get a signal from somewhere...

Due to getting up mega early this morning I managed to do this weeks dare. I had to see if there was snow as soon as I opened my eyes... but no, again the weather people have been winding me up and there'll be no sledging today (sigh)

Here's my card
Stamps by Doodlebug & Duo Designs, Sizzix tag, K&Co Paper ribbon, brad, ribbon and button from stash, and finally gorgeous Pink Petticoat paper, from Lola Rose Rainbow collection.

Hope I'm back before another 2 weeks!

Hide and Seek

I just love Fridays, it's DCM day :)

I'd like you to make a card which has a hidden component of some sort - the hidden part could be a tag, a concealed photo, message or something along those lines, maybe a pull-out or pop-up. Anything goes as long as there's something extra for the recipient to find on your card that's not immediately visible when they open the envelope.

Here's my card as it comes out of the envelope...

And with the star popping out...

And a close up of the greeting...

Papers are American Crafts, Cuttlebug star die, Sizzix Bigz Flourish die, Woodware buttons, Ribbon from Little Silver Hat (I'm going to miss Liane's shop so much), corners scalloped with BG Notch & Die tool and dotty doodling by me.

This is not the greatest card in the world (This is a tribute)

If you don't know the Tenacious D song that will make no sense at all, I love it, definitely worth a listen and this video's quite funny too! Wishing both Gillian and Lynne a fond farewell from the Design Team is the theme of today's Daring Cardmakers Little Extra. I chose to make a card inspired by Gillian, her style is wonderful and very different from mine.Supplies are K&Co papers, a key from my wonderful Rak from Melonie, Ikea paper string, a sheet from a book, distress ink and a faux stitches, I'd like to say that I planned them to be like that but I've mucked up the tension on the sewing machine and haven't quite got it sorted out yet.

Thank you both for your inspiration while you've been on the team, you're both stars :)

Two for the price of one

Wow what a challenge Jane set us for this weeks Daring Cardmakers Dare! To make 2 cards with the exact same ingredients! This is what I came up with using new sizzix dies, the cupcake and swirl, some brads and the delish Tinkering Ink Botanicals papers.
The Design Team really came up trumps, and we're really lucky to have the talented Sue Hyde with us as a guest for a couple of weeks. Have a looksie here!

Other exciting news, I got a message to say was that my card in Simply Cards and Papercraft Readers Gallery in the feb issue... so I went out and bougt it and YES! It's one of my competition entry cards
And if that excitement wasn't enough I also received a fabulous pile of goodies from Melonie as a RAK, what a star you are, thanks so much. It's amazing how many lovely, kind and generous people there are in the world, it really lifts my spirits. How gorgeous are those little keys and the wood panels are just so cool, I can't wait to have a play. I'm a very lucky girl. Thats going to have to wait a couple of days though as I have other, boring, non-crafty stuff to do. Such is life.

Happy Crafting and I'm so sorry I'm not making it round all the blogs at the moment, I just seem to run out of time and whenever I set an hour aside to indulge it gets swallowed up by something else. I hope I can catch up soon, I'm missing your news and wonderful creations.

Birthday star

Just popped in to share a card I made for my FIL. All the pics came out so badly, this was the best and its slightly out of focus! Papers are Chloe's Closet, so are the 2008 card ones, I love their muted tones.
It's icy cold here, but no proper snowman building snow yet... fingers crossed it arrives when I don't have to drive anywhere. Hope you're having a contented crafty day :)

Happy New Year!

Wowee 2008! How did that happen? 2007 was a fabulous year for me with some massive stuff like getting married - how much fun was that. and starting my own business. I hope this years just as fun. Here's my favourite two wedding pics. Just let an old married reminisce...

Did you watch Heroes Series one... Recognise the composition? It was the first thing we thought of once we knew it was going to rain.Here's a piccy of some Notebooks I made as stocking fillers which I can share now. I did make quite a few things but some of the photos came out so badly...pah. Still, we're getting an extra 2 minutes per day of light now according to bbc sunrise and sunset times, wooot!
And finally, I have a tradition not to set New Years Resolutions, which is why it's ok that I'm late for DCM... again! It may be a New Year but some things never change. Fab cards on the blog as always and hopefully I'll have time to come and see your gorgeous creations.Here's to a happy, healthy and creative 2008.