An Award and

Hi all

 

Time is ticking away ladies only a few more days to enter the Winter Wonderland Challenge a sketch by the very talented Pascale, with a requirement of a Bunny on it. 

I  never knew there were so many Bunny Xmas Stamps :))

 

Danielle my teamie from Winter Wonderland, being the very generous and kind person she is, has awarded myself and my team mates this meaningful blog award.  

My very first.  It means "This blog is charming". 

Thanks Danielle xx.

I also would like to mention for all of you out there that like tags that the Challenge site "Tag You're It" has opened its doors again.  I am not a Tag person myself but I know many of you are. 

Also don't forget mine and the Winter Wonderland Team Mates Blog Candy giveaways, preparing for our Relaunch of the Winter Wonderland Challenge

Don't forget you gotta be in it to win it :)

Happy Christmas Crafting

Hugs Kate xx

A Bunny for Winter Wonderland DT and Some Blog Candy To Celebrate

Happy Easter Everyone

As promised yesterday here is the funny story around this card.  

The Winter Wonderland Challenge this week is to create a card using this sketch by one of our very talented team and whilst doing so add a Bunny.  I had nothing in my stash that met this but my DH Matt said go and have a look at the Happy Hoppers (House Mouse Stamps) so I did.  This is what I found and instantly knew who the card was for.  My son Mike, hates carrots with a vengeance.  If he even sees something that looks like a carrot on his plate he throws a massive wobbler, which for a 21+ year old is hilarious.  I have on numerous occasions hidden carrots, told him it was something else etc.  Sometimes I get a way with it and sometimes I do not.  So for him I chose this stamp and created this card for him for Xmas. Can't wait to see his face when he opens this at Xmas. :))

Here is the sketch we followed

 Here is the card I made

The papers here are from a very old Making Cards Magazine, the sentiment is from Whiff Of Joy, the card from the Hobby House (see where I shop), not sure where the ribbon and cord came from.

Here is a close up of the image

It did not fit on the oval, so I embossed the oval with Swiss dots and cut the image out, those good old nesties. I used some of my stickles to glitter up the edge of the image bed.

I have also entered this card into Cards for Men Challenge 7 - Humour

BLOG CANDY

I wanted to say thank you to all my wonderful visitors and I have not offered any blog candy before.  I also wanted to finally celebrate my new DT position on the WW team - how fantastic, I get to keep my New Years resolution of making a Xmas card each week, no excuses now! 

Here is the prize - a selection of interesting stash.  The papermania paper pad perfect for our Easter Bunny theme at WW, some lovely spring toppers, a couple of Xmas punches and stamps and some glitter to die for, all perfect for your Xmas creations at WW.  

So what do you have to do?
1) add this pic to your sidebar with a link back to my blog and the closing date of Tuesday 4th May
2) become a follower of my Blog
3) leave a comment below so I can come and visit you too (and of course pick a winner)
4) Join in at least one Winter Wonderland challenge between now and May 4th - and help me celebrate becoming a WW DT member :0)
Then that's it! 

The winner will be picked at 8 pm on 4th May by Random Generator so make sure you check to see if it is you - I will then post out to the winner and look forward to seeing your creations on Winter Wonderland. 

Good Luck and I'm really looking forward to visiting you xx

Pop over to see Janet my team mate at WW who also is celebrating with blog candy. 

Well that is all for now, as visitors due and I am going to get ready for the Easter BBQ.

Hugs and thanks to all who leave wonderful comments on my site.

Kate xx

Vintage Card and Shoes

Good Evening Everyone

Vintage Affair is up and moving again, after a short break.  The challenge on at the moment is to watch a very clever tutorial and then to make a lovely pair of shoes.  So unable to resist the challenge, I went shopping to the Hobby House and located some lovely papers and set about creating this lovely pair.  

 It took a little while to get the templates cut out and then I was off and could not believe how quick they came together.  It was then time to decorate them, oh my favourite bit. Here is a close up of the lace and flowers with the liquid applique detailing.

 I really enjoyed this challenge and cannot wait for the next.  They are going to be run Monthly so pop over and have a go.

I also needed to create a birthday card (I am working my way down the calendar), today's needed to be for a  young lady.  So after browsing the available challenges with sketches, I decided that the Friday Sketchers one was interesting.  I then needed to choose an image so went with a favourite Magnolia and this lead to a double folded card.  So here are the challenges that this creation fits.

Friday Sketchers - Tanya's Sketch

  Just Magnolia (Special Monthly) Challenge Week 49 - Fold It

Stampin 4 the Weekend - Ribbons and Bows

Stamp Something - A Pink Something

So onto the card, which was a little difficult to photograph, so took several, so you can see all the sections.

This is the full card straight on, you can just see where the fold is in the card, just off centre.

I got some lovely grained cream card from the Hobby House and some lovely papers in a stack.  I used Antique Linen (Tim Holtz) to distress the edges of all sections.  The ribbon from a local department store and the ribbon from Tilly's.  I think that the doily punch really creates a lovely vintage feel, especially when distressed.

This is with the first fold opened.

I tried to pay a lot of attention to detail to make sure it looked good at each opening.  This one shows how the nestie oval and scallop have been covered from the back with another scallop stamped with my new fab music score stamp.  I needed to cover the back of the ribbon detailing. I love these papers and may have to go buy some more, look at that little dress on the dummy in the right hand corner and the little butterfly just above, such detail in the papers.  The paper on the top under the ribbon and the lace is from the same stack. 

Finally the fully opened card

 You get two 6 x 6 the same in the pack but everything compliments it is so beautiful.

Finally the image

 Showing the cuttle bug embossed image mount and the ribbon loops all the way around.  The image has been covered in glossy accents crackle and her flower is from Hobby Craft.

I think I have a new favourite card, but boy did it take some time with all the detail. 

Well hope you are all enjoying your weekends and I will be back tomorrow with my Winter Wonderland DT card for this weeks Challenge.  Can't wait to show you it, I got it new and it is fabulous and the story behind it (well it's even better)

Don't eat too many chocolates in the morning and save some room for your Easter Meal.

Hugs Kate xx

Distressed Anniversary Card meets the Paper Play Challenge

Happy  Easter to you all

 I hope that you have some lovely things planned for your Easter weekend.  I know I do, however if the weather keeps being silly the lovely things might not be as good as planned. But with the good old British weather there is nothing new to that.

Yesterday was my little girl's 7th birthday, so in her years she is now 49 years of age..... which is now older than me - finally I am not the oldest bird in the family.  This is my girl, who still thinks she is a puppy in the main and who can lay on a clean blue carpet and leave a white imprint most of the year.  I keep the wholesalers in a job, selling their defluffers/ lint rollers and cellotape/parcel tape.  But she is beautiful and I would not change her for the world.

Here she is much younger showing her remarkable talent of controlling her mum.

Obviously she is now so so so much bigger than this..............................

An adorable bundle and so loving.  So Happy Birthday to Star for yesterday.

I was extremely lucky yesterday due to clearing my work load early at work, so I managed to get yesterday off with my dear husband Matt, who has the week off.  He was going to go fishing, however instead we went shopping.  Leaving the house at 10 and heading for Spire Crafts in Louth, where I did not spend too much honest.  We then went to treat Matt to some new fishing items before picking up some car parts for our Mike -  passing the KFC and ending up in there for dinner.  This was followed by the weekly food shop before heading home.  Finally sat down at 3pm and fell asleep. :)  No crafting can you get that one? I could not!

So this morning up bright and early before the hail shower and blog browsed to catch up.......... found a lovely sketch on the Paper Play Challenge site and really wanted to use the colour scheme on the Play Date Cafe (reason for this have you seen their new Mr linky - photo's wow) I must get me one of those....:)

So with an Anniversary Card to make decided to use some new stamps that I won from Simon Says Stamp - by the way these wonderful people are now sponsoring the Winter Wonderland Challenge once a month, what a way to increase your stash, create a Xmas card to match the theme and be a little bit lucky and there you go.  You could also have your card picked as a Top Three Card, or be chosen to be a Guest Designer.  There are several sponsors supporting Winter Wonderland so pop over and take a look and have a go.

Here are the challenges that I am entering this card into

The Paper Play Challenge - A Sketch

The Play Date Cafe 23 -

Lili of the Valley Challenge 50 - Blue and Silver

Creative Card Crew Challenge 47 - Vintage/Aged

 So after all of that here is the card

Made with 7 Gypsies paper and the image is created from several stamps within one packet, which was distressed and then coloured with Antique Linen (Tim Holtz), the image is layered up with silver and a dark blue and the pale blue flowers are set off by some punched leaves from cream card, stamped with some loving words in Tim Holtz Denim.

Rushing off to cook tea as guests coming, the puff pastry is ready and the meat needs to go in to slowly braise for that full flavour.  Did I forget to mention it is a Steak and Ale Pie, got to have the alcohol element in it.  I know it is Good Friday but I am allergic to fish.

Hopefully might get some more crafting in tomorrow morning, before the next batch of guests :))

Thank you all for your recent wonderful and caring comments.

Take care all and have fun in what ever you are doing

Hugs Kate xx

Sweet Friends Rosie meets Sketch Saturday and a combo

Good morning to you all

 Matt has a lovely day fishing yesterday and caught 6 fish but did not win his match, however it was only the first match of the season, so many more to go (and many more luxury quality crafting days for little old me, hehehehehehe ;o )

I finally finished Grace's birthday card, the inspiration for this one came from my one and only La La Land stamp which I won a little while ago, but the post delayed its arrival.  I love how these come packaged and although I initially struggled to colour her in, I am sure that with practice this will get better.  I used a sketch from Sketch Saturday and the colour combo from the Play Date Cafe.  

These are the challenges that I am entering this lovely spring coloured card into - which reminds me my purple crocus' are now fully up, as are the purple hyacinths, the little turquoise blue (not sure of name) flowers are out and the tulip buds are showing, wow spring has actually arrived in our garden, even Star has been out enjoying the rays.

La La Land - Challenge 31 - Make your own flower.  Finally I can enter this challenge with a La La Land stamp whoop whoop!!!!!

Sketch Saturday Week 96 -  Loved this layout

 Colour Create Challenge 41 - Spring and a Choice of Pastels

Charisma Cardz 12- Spring has Sprung

The Play Date Cafe Challenge 22 -

Totally Gorguss - Hearts

So after all of that here it is

 Papers again from the Heather Mono Papermania pack and cerise base paper from stash.  Loved this purple ribbon and thought it was really girly for Grace and just had to add all those pearls for such a pretty little girl.  The flower is made from die cuts in the cuttle bug.  Polly of Artfulwings, passed these over some time ago and this is the first time I have used them. I used my Just-rite stamp kit for the sentiment.

This is the lovely "Sweet Friends Rosie" La La Land stamp, just perfect for such a little girl and coloured with copics and a little fine glitter Atyou for her dress for that under stated sparkle.

 Well my 2nd coat of gesso should be dry on my commission, and I want to go play with another new house mouse stamp.

Enjoy your crafting time and thank you for all your lovely much appreciated comments recently.

Hugs Kate xx

Winter Wonderland DT Xmas Card - Santa plays with a Sketch

Good Morning to you all

 Today sees the new challenge over at Winter Wonderland and this week it is a fabulous Sketch by the very talented Pascale.  Pascale would also like to see Santa, doesn't everyone around Xmas time.

Our sponsor this week is Christine the stamping sketcher

Christine is offering 3 of her digi images to the winner.

We had some amazing entries last week and I really enjoyed blog hopping to see all those entries, can't wait to see this weeks.

Don't forget that each week some one wins the lovely offering and the top 3 are chosen.  This week we are asking people to show their interest in the Designer in the Spotlight.

Here is the easel card I made for Pascale's sketch this week, my Santa came from Running with Scissors and my papers are Craft Creations Ltd from The Hobby House. (See the where I shop link)

 Here is a close up of the santa, isn't he fabulous

 Well yesterday I did manage to get a little bit of Grace's birthday card done, but I need to go finish it off.  I also have a very special commission for a work colleague, which I am doing little by little - I do not want to spoil it or over do it in anyway.

Going to try and schedule this post, never done that before so let us see how I manage it.

Have a lovely evening

Take Care

Hugs Kate xx

When you just got to Say Thank You

for saving your life............

 I am sorry to have not posted anything this week, not that you would have missed me as there are so many fabulous blogs out there to keep your interest, but apologise any way.

The first two days of this week were atrocious, and I never ever want to put myself in the same situation again.  I am still as I type recalling from the place I put myself.  I hope that those of you who travel, will read this and remember it, and never put yourself in the same risk category. Thinking back now I was so stupid.

I needed to visit Newcastle on Monday and on Tuesday Hartlepool.  I thought that if I left the house at 6.30am I would arrive at 9.30am work from 10am till 3pm and then travel home, arriving in at 6pm, enough time to eat, rest and get a good early night ready for the next day. I had the opportunity of sleeping over in a lovely hotel, I thought I knew better.

I admit on the last leg on the return journey on Monday I was a little tired but I got home ok.  Had tea, rested and went to bed early.  Got up as planned and left at the same time, and did the same thing.  I had driven to different locations in those areas during the day too.  I left half an hour behind but this would not have mattered either way.  I was already tired from the day before.  So coming home was a mountain to climb.  Driving long distance on your own in this state is very very bad, I had pulled over several times and had caffeine shots and coffees (probably overdosed)  I felt more tired when I was warm, so wound down the window.  The car music made it worse, so turned that off.  Needless to say I did not make it home on my own.  

I have a rather wonderful husband who when I called became my knight in shining armour.  He jumped into action and asked the neighbour to drive him to my location. Where I was locked in my car in the dark, shaking uncontrollably and feeling really really ill and extremely exhausted.  I was safe, the car was in one piece and my bed called me immediately.  I was very lucky.

I thank my son, who sat in the car with me on Wednesday to pop into work, to get some bits to allow me to work from home, and also for sitting with me whilst I drove on Thursday to Bridlington to invigilate an exam.  I love the way he made me get on the motorway again, thanks Mike xx ( I know it was sooooooooo boring for him but I could not have done this without him.

This card is for my neighbour Paul, who without his help I would not have got home.  Thank you Paul you and my dearest Matt are literally life savers.  I am rather emotional as I right this but feel I must to remind you all of dangers. Please be careful out there as you work, life is so very precious.

So here is the card, made with lots of love and attention, which I am entering into the following challenges

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge 16 - it is all in the technique.  The technique I have used is to use a glue stamp to add a border image to the main image and then add glitter to frame it so beautifully. 

The Pixie Cottage Challenge 12  - Circles - I think I got carried away, but nicely with it.

Cute Card Thursday Challenge - Dimensions - I have used the flowers to give a lovely height to the card, hope it fits in the envelope, normally when I do this, they don't.

The card is made using a cream base card stock from stash, I used the same card stock and the scalloped circle nestie, for more of the circles.  The green papers are from Papermania Capsule Collection this one is Verde Paper Pack by Tina Higgins. I got this and some other little bits on my trip to Teeside Park on Tuesday (Hobby Craft), before heading for a coffee to start the day. The flowers are from a local store and the large one from a previous shop at Hobby Craft in Hull. The pearls are from Running with scissor or The Hobby House (see where I shop link)

The close up of the copic coloured bear with his little note

 and the dimensional floral display

 I also created this Male birthday card and just needed to use this lovely house mouse image as so far (get this I had not inked him up)

Holographic silver foil base card, "Marshmallow Bounce" is the name of the House Mouse Stamp, this one from Tilly's (see where I shop link)  The papers are again Mono paper pack, Papermania by Tina Higgins.  Loving these papers, got several mono colour schemes.  Cannot wait to try the other two.

and a close up of the copic coloured image

 Well running along from the above warning, I was up early this morning to see the sun and my husband off to his fishing match,  I am still very very tired, so off for a lunch time nap.  Should be able to get another card done with another new stamp after that and really looking forward to inking her up.

Please take care of yourselves and thank you for your recent lovely comments, your all so wonderful.

Hugs  Kate xx

Male Whiff Of Joy Birthday Card meets Sketch Saturday and Paper Sundae

Good afternoon everyone

Hope your day has been as happy and relaxing as mine.  I have spent many an opportunity today sat out in the garden, always a bad thing for me as I start to make lists of all those little jobs that need doing, and actually I started to pull at the odd weed, whilst drinking a lovely plunged Italian coffee.  This year I really do need to spend some time out in the garden and I do not mean to sit on the hammock in the sun colouring my images.  Must really set myself a target for it each week, to push myself to get it sorted.

Anyway as planned yesterday, I have managed, despite the awful head, to complete my second male birthday card, you know it is really difficult to combine challenges when making a male orientated card.  I have done my best.

I was inspired by the Sketch Saturday - sketch and the image that sprang to mind for this card was a Whiff Of Joy (not used for a while), so I have created an easel card, to meet their challenge.  I also have done some paper piecing for his little jumper and so this also fits nicely into the Paper Sundaes Challenge.

Here is the sketch Saturday sketch 

Here is the card

I used a cream card base and these papers I think came from the Hobby House, but I am not sure of the brand I am afraid, was too quick to throw out the packaging.  I used the MS punch and some diamante's, and used my cuttlebug to deboss the image platform. I cut out the whiff of joy bench and decoupaged the bench, little boy and his paper pieced jumper. 

Here is the image coloured in copics.

Well off to have a lovely bath and then to sit and watch "Dancing on Ice" it is getting to those exciting bits now.

Hope you all have a good week, whatever you have planned.  Hope to catch up with you all on Wednesday as travelling around the UK Monday and Tuesday and I might be too tired to post or comment by the time I get home at night.

Thank you all for the lovely recent comments, I always appreciate them as we all do.

Hugs Kate x

DT Card for Winter Wonderland - An Aperture Card using Delicious Doodles

Good morning to you all

Hoping that your Saturday was creative and enjoyable and I am sorry for being a little late posting my DT card for Winter Wonderland, but I was out on the razzle last night :)and oh my head this morning.  I am obviously not as young as I think I am.

This is my first DT card for the Winter Wonderland Challenge - which requires an aperture and a Christmas Scene.  I chose to use one of the many lovely digi images by our Sponsor this week "Delicious Doodles"  

So here is the finished card

I cut into my lovely Fiskars paper again (oh how I hate doing that - it is so beautiful and such a shame to cut it).  I layered this paper onto some pale blue glitter card and placed this onto the base card.  I ran the whole lot through the cuttle bug with my nestie to create an even aperture.  I then cut inside and outside of the same nestie to create the aperture frame.  

This MSE sentiment (I think I have a fetish for snowmen as well as pearls and flowers) is one of my many snowman related sentiments and I used another one for the inner.  Again I used the nestie for the base of the sentiment.  I used my little snowflakes punches to create the snowing effect and added little pearls to the centre.  I also added some to highlight the sentiment.  The snow effect at the bottom of the digi image is liquid applique for the depth and the little snowman charm is hung carefully from the top of the aperture.  Fiskars paper, charm and pearls are from the Hobby House (see where I shop)

So a close up of the little snowman by "Delicious Doodles" coloured very carefully with copics.  Thank you Teri (Delicious Doodles) for the image and the advise on how to colour him with copics. You can see the charm better too here. Fab little snowman :0

Owning up the original digi has a little robin perched on his hat.  Slip of the hand and my little knife on cutting him out removed him, oops..... so I added a snowflake in its place.

Pop over to Winter Wonderland and see the other inspirational DT cards and join the other followers in getting ahead on your Xmas cards.  I tell you this year is going to be so relaxing for me, more time to drink and eat chocolates.

Well off to get on with that other male birthday card.

Hugs and shivers

Kate xx

Male Birthday Card joins Friday Sketchers

Good afternoon to you all

Yes it is my fault that it is raining in our neck of the woods, I should have kept quiet yesterday.  Did see a snippet of sun early this morning but it soon ran away.

I would like to welcome Maddy to my little area of blog land, however maybe you should go take a look at her amazing blog madimaginations, I am truly in awe of such talent.

Well catching up on my calendar of cards, here is a card for a really good friend of the family.  Although he hasn't had time lately to visit as often as he likes too.  This will show him that we understand and do not hold his lack of visits against him.  Sometimes, life gets a little busy but true friends will always be there for you, if you know what I mean.

So this card was inspired by the lovely sketch by Claudia at Friday Sketchers, unfortunately due to the selection of other challenges at the moment, it did not fit anything else that I was aware of :( but this leaves me many more to choose from tomorrow, when I have another card to do.  Or may be not as it is also a male birthday card.  Well we will see......... :)

So this is the sketch I worked from Challenge 94

and here is the card

I used paper from a stack I got some time ago, as they all compliment each other.  I used a plain blue base paper behind each section.  The image is one that Polly (Artfulwings) very kindly passed in my direction.  I have not inked him up before and was pleased with the impression it gave.  I used my trusty glue pad and inked up a small balloon stamp and then glittered this with some glitter from the Hobby House.  I was quite happy with the overall finished look.

Here is the image coloured in those lovely copics

Well must go and sweep up in the Beach Hut as there is glitter everywhere.

Hope your all having fun crafting.

Hugs and Glitter

Kate xx

Guest Designer for Christmas Stampin' All Year Long

Hi all

Wasn't today a lovely day (shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) don't want to spoil it for the weekend.  

Today my Guest Designer card is on show for the week's challenge over at Christmas Stampin' All Year Long. A small but expanding challenge, which if you are like me and making Xmas cards each week, you could combine them.

The Challenge (44) this week is called - Pottery Barn Inspiration

This week's challenge is to create a card from this picture.

There are 3 rules to the challenge:

1. use colors from the picture
2. leave plenty of white/ivory space
3. add a bird to your card

This was my interpretation of this

I picked up the yellow in the glitter card at the base and then included a lovely yellow flower, similar to that of the image.  I used the white space, stamping straight onto some base white card and then stamped my robin image three times cutting out two of the stamps to decoupage and add extra depth and more to the image. I stamped with a glue stamp and glittered the stamp for the background to enhance the image and added some paper to pick up the remaining colours.  I added the ribbon for the paper divide and the sentiment.  I added some swirls and little red pearls (like holly berries) to finish.
Here is the close up of the copic coloured image.

Lunch time today I popped to Running with Scissors (see where I shop) for a browse to see if I could find a little stamp for a challenge that I need to complete.  Tracey is a little angel, she got out the put away Christmas box for me and found me a stamp that is just perfect.  Thank you hun.
 

I arrived home to a parcel from the postie, whoop whoop it is my treat for coming joint third at La La Land a couple of weeks ago.  Thanks Jane "Sweet Friends Rosie" is just gorgeous and I cannot wait to ink her up for one of your challenges.
 

Well must pop off, want to play with my new treats.
 

Hope you all have a great weekend.
 

Hugs Kate xx