Stamping bella

A short post from me today as im about to take my youngest to school. Its my day off, and intend to get all inky and finish off a couple of commissions ive got.
i seem to of neglected some of my older stamps so i dug out my stamping bellas for this card, they are so easy to colour, the papers are the spring drop paper pad. Lots of glitter and sparkle on this card.
Why is the first couple of days back at work always the hardest??? at least its over and done with now and back to the norm, my week off will soon feel like a distant memory so i will have to resort to pinching a few crafting moments now and again.

Im entering this card in the make it mondays challenge anything goes

Gothic Kenny K

My first day back at work wasnt too bad, but i was itching to come back home and finish a few off the card orders i had to do, this card i finished earlier in the week but forgot to post it, the criteria was something gothic and she likes black, the only image i could think of was a Kenny K stamp, you can always rely on him for something different. The image was coloured in pro markers, the wo was cut on the cricut, and embellished with card candi, and small purple prima flowers as always finished with stickles.
It was too dark last night to take photos of my finished cards so ill take them later today and post them tomorrow or this evening if im not too tired after work

Inky fingers

I got out my new splodge away mat (contact suzicraft for details or to purchase) distressing inks and mica powders to create this card and now hence the title i have inky fingers. ive distressed the card within an inch of its life using a mix of tumbled glass, forest moss, mustard seed, barn, door, walnut stain, pumice stone and spiced marmalade, then mixed my mica powder in a spray bottle with water and spritzed the card, the over stamped it with a selection of Tim Holtz urban grunge collection and TPC studio classic icons,. The love and listen to your heart was inked with an embossing pad and embossed with WOW embossing powder in opaque white. The flower was punched with 3 different sized circles then inked spritzed and scrunched.
Ive washed my hands several times, went in the bath last night, showered this morning and there is still ink on my fingers, I really hope my hands will come clean before i go to work this afternoon.

Day out in York

Saturday was a lovely day out with Ashleigh, we were up nice and early so we could catch the 9am train, the train was not very full so we managed to get a table seat, after a while ashleigh put on her i pod and earphones (as teenagers do) so i looked out the window enjoying the view. in the carriage in front was a group of women enjoying a few drinks and a giggle they were obviously on a weekend away, i mentioned to Ashleigh how that is usually what we (my friends and i) are like on our weekends away, she had a look of shock and horror on her face and said mam your too old to do that !!!!!! The lady sat opposite us started to chuckle and that sparked off our conversation so the rest of the train journey went very fast as we exchanged pleasantries and life conversations.
Just before 10am we arrived and headed straight for Betty's tea shop to my surprise there was no queue what so ever, for anyone who knows Betty's tea shop in york will know there is always a huge queue spanning the outside of the shop, i enjoyed a lovely pot of tea and a scone and Ashleigh had a latte. The shopping, Ash had a few treats and we went a bought her favourite room fragrance fairy dust by lily-flame was great and i picked up some lovely Clarke & Clarke fabric (as in the photo above) to be able to make Ashleigh some cushions and hanging hearts etc for her room.

I will be back tomorrow with more cards, im having an inky afternoon, then it will be back to the ironing board and get the clothes ready for the week as im back to work on Monday.

Sometimes less is more

After making many large fancy cards i decided to have a small break and go down the less is more route. I purchased a lovely paper pad whilst shopping at suzicrafts, its by first edition and is called Spring Drop, the spring colours are gorgeous and really brighten up a dull day. I dug out some pearlescent cardstock and made some DL sized card blanks, for the first card i used ultra sticky doule sided tape (you know the type, the red one) i placed 3 strips along the bottom of the card and sprinkled with doodlebug sugar coating glitter then i made 3 paper flowers from the spring drop paer pad the large one is from a 3" circle and the smaller 2 from a 2" circle. The paper flowers have been going around for a couple of years now and are so easy to make, so when you dont have that perfect matching flower in your stash just make your own, simply cut the circle into a spiral and then roll it up.
The second card ive layered one of the double sided papers on top of each other and used one of the stickers that come with the papers, stamped it with happy birthday then layed it and adhered it with 3d foam again the flowers were done in matching papers.
I know i will be using these papers a lot more as they are gorgeous.

Im entering these cards in the less is more challenge blog.

one for the men! kenny k

I had a good play on the splodge away mat last night and first impressions are WOW. I managed to finish the card i need for a young mans 21st, there was no better image to use than a kenny k digital download, as always ive coloured with promarkers, the background paper is WRMK ive scored the metallic card candy to make it look like a screw head lots of distressing and stickles. I find mens cards are so difficult to make but i think thats just cos all my stash is girlie stuff, but i think i managed to pull it off, i hope the recipient likes it

craft shopping at suzicraft

Today i had arranged to go and visit a new local craft shop called suzicrafts when i arrived it was their coffee morning where everyone is welcome, you pay 5.00 and all tea ,coffee biscuits & craft materials/tools are available for you to use, everyone was busy chatting and creating sharing tips and ideas. The shop itself is amazing and its going from strength to strength, they hold regular classes and allso have some celebrity classes coming up so if your in the area go and pay it a visit, you wont be dissapointed or why not join their forum and find out all about any upcoming classes and products. They also have manufactured a new product called splodge away, its a speciality mat designed for doing all your inky work on it will be making an apperance on create and craft soon, so remember where you heard it first.

5 more orders

I received 5 card orders last night so i added them to the list and got cracking on them today. Its a good job im off work else im not sure id find the time to fit everything in as im also making my Daughter a Tilda doll for her birthday next week.

Last night i made a card for my friends birthday, she now lives in Scotland we we dont see each other as often as we did. The embellishments ive used were a freebie off a magazine last year and the papers ive had ages but they were screaming use me Lol, all the orders ive received are for large boxed cards so it was a change to make a more simple one for a change.

Now onto a more cute card ive used another lilli of the valley image and went down the more comfortable colour route of pink (i lurrrve pink!) coloured with promarkers, added lots of flowers my minds eye papers, binding for the bows and of course what card wouldnt be complete without lots of stickles.

Lili of the valley

Iwas asked to make a wedding card and the only brief was purple. If you look back at all my cards purple and orange are my least loved colours so i don't to well with them.

I dug out my lily of the valley wedding image which i adore and distressed to my hearts content, and then coloured the image with promarkers. Idon't have many purple patterned papers so i embossed some metallic card to give a little texture, the flowers are a mix of wild orchid crafts and prima. I do have another commission to work on its a 21st birthday card for a young man so keep your eyes peeled for me posting that one.

I'm enjoying my week of work, its lovely just pottering about and popping into my craft room doing bits and bobs with out having to clock watch making sure I'm not going to be late for work, if only i could go back to being a full time lady of leisure, ill have to pray for a lottery win!

happy 18th

i feel I've neglected my blog this week :( but i have a good excuse last night was my nieces 18th birthday party, and i was involved with the party preparations.
The week started with me being at work every single day so i had no chance to make cards but i did do finishing touches to melissas 18th birthday card and i also made balloon weights for the helium balloons that we bought to decorate her party venue.
I enjoyed going shopping for sweeties as she also had a candy bar and whilst decanting them into fancy jars and bowls not one passed my lips, im such a good girl(if i keep saying that i just might end up believing it lol)
Saturday was the busiest day as we were up really early so we could shop for the fresh food and get cracking on the catering just got it all finished in to to go home bath get myself and the kids sorted then out to the party for some fun, she had a live band and a disco so a good night was had by all.
that brings me swiftly on to say i feel so exhausted after such a hectic week im so glad ive now got a week off work, and all im going to do is rest, relax and sit in my craft area for hours on end and get inky and sticky without a guilt feeling of i should be doing other things like housework or entertaining the kids (they are all at school/college so im not neglecting them)
i guarantee ill be back with cards to show next week xx

Calorie free cake

I know id prefer to eat a big fat calorie laden cream cake but im trying no to indulge as my waistband on my clothes is groaning under the pressure lol

So today i have a card to share and what a better way to enjoy cake the calorie free way. i cut out the cake shape on the cricut but just the icing layers free hand, the sprinkles are a mix of dew drops and stickles. This was a quick make for my nieces birthday, she loved it and said it looked so yummy she wished she could eat it.

Ive been to work this morning so not had chance to get crafty yet but i plan on a full evening of stamping and sticking, and as an added bonus im not at work tomorrow so i plan on another crafting session, so fingers crossed ill have more to share.

5 months later!!!!!!!!

Well that wasn't a very good start, i had promised myself back in September to blog a little more but that hasn't happened. Roll onto February and not one blog post from me Tut, Tut! I'm not making any more promises i will just blog as and when the fancy takes me.

I have been away from crafting (read that as paper crafting) for a little while, i have however been doing a little sewing making aprons, pinnies and bunting, so I've not been idle in the world of crafts.

The last month or so I've been tempted back into my craft room with ideas in my head for cards I've been online window shopping at all the new stash out there but still no cards, that was until this last week. i reorganised all my papers and tools, i had a good sort out and reorganised the room so more things were easily accessible that lead me stamping and pushing bits of paper and card around until at last a card had been made. That wasn't the last either, i have been creating at most of my spare opportunities and im in love again (with my paper stash LOL)

So for now i leave you with a few of the cards that have been produced, who knows when i will be back again? i hope its not another 5 months!!!!!