Back with a bang...or should that be sparkle?!

Well hello there everyone! I hope you had a lovely summer, it certainly feels like there's an autumn chill in the air in our neck of the woods.

This week sees the restart of Bows and Berries challenges and CMLI on Craft Bubble. So Robin set us a nice and easy one for B&B - just use glitter!

I've used this new digi called Hilly Neighbours and coloured with Promarkers. BP is My Minds Eye with a frame from WhichCraft. The glitter swirl was freehand glossy accents sprinkled with 3 different glitters in silver, grass green and burnished gold.

The DT (and we have some new members!) are all on top form this week so pop over to have a look and show us your glittery creations :)

DT call for Bows and Berries

I have the exciting priviledge to be on the Bows and Berries design team. We have a new 'term' starting in September and Robin's looking to add to the team so has put out a DT call. Let us know if you're interested! I always find the challenges a ton of fun :)

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Here's the message from Robin's blog.


Bows and Berries Digital Stamp Shop Blog
Bows and Berries Digital Stamp Shop
{PS. SALE on till Sunday- 40% off all digis with code SUMMER at checkout!}

Design Team Call!

We have a talented bunch of girls on our Design Team already and we would love to add to our brilliant bunch!! If you would like to be a part of this team, we would love to hear from you!

To Apply for a position on the Design Team

-Send us an e-mail telling us about why you would like to be on the team and add a link to your blog so we can have a peak!

- Be happy to meet a deadline bi-weekly, post comments on players entries{we divide the comments between DT memebers}, blog about the new challenges and releases, or any special sales Bows and Berries is having.

-We would like to spread the word about Bows and Berries Digital Stamp Shop, so would be a bonus if you like to enter your work into challenges!

-You will receive free images for Bows and Berries challenges.

- This term commences in September and ends in January.

- DT call open until Sept. 9th. We will send confirmation emails to new team members on Sept. 10th

You can email applications at bosenberries@gmail.com

Look forward to hearing from you!

Nautical Tilda

I got this nautical 'Dangling Sea Anchor Tilda' image as a little pressie in a birthday card group and this week's nautical theme on CMLI was the perfect opportunity to use it. I was also dying to use the new additions to my Promarker collection, et voila!

Craft pal Jan recently did a card with a spine which reminded me that I hadn't done one in a while, so partly inspired by her too.

Details: Tilda coloured with PMs as mentioned, die cut and layered onto bazzil with Nellie Snellen oval set, background versamarked with stamps from Little Claire's beach hut set and chalked over, with eyelets and ribbon from stash. Anchor buttons from Mei Flower at a recent craft show.

Entering this into:

Craft Us Crazy - Anything goes August

Cooking it up with Katie - old, new, and favourite (old = ribbon, new = image, favourite = chalking)

Truly scrumptious - buttons and bows

Tremendous trees

It's sketch challenge time again on CMLI. Set this week by Karen, the theme is trees. I could have gone one of two ways with this, but decided on an oriental theme as I haven't done one like that in a while.

I've used a peel off as a resist and chalked around the edges and in the centre. Her hair is done freehand with a very tiny cotton bud as this was a block in the peel off not an outline.

Edged in stickles with charm and some oriental ribbon.

Comfort food

This week I'm entering the I Love Promarkers challenge for the first time. I've practised and practised so I feel ready. (The standard is oh-so-high.)

I got this fun image as a gift in a birthday card swap just recently. It came complete with sentiment and I was eager to use it.

Coloured with Promarkers in honeycomb, burnt orange, henna, ice grey 4 (all on the giraffe), denim (plate), pink carnation, cocktail pink, buttercup and tulip yellow (cake and candles).

BP is from a Milton and Co stack, ribbon from stash and flowers from a Secret Santa.

And a close up of the glossy accents on the cake icing:

A festival of balloons

Well, I never knew a collection of balloons was called a 'festival'...did you? The things you learn whilst crafting.

Debs is GDT this week at CMLI and this is her sketch, with the twist of 'balloons'.



On my 'to make' list I had a birthday card for my husband's grandad so thought I could easily do this as a male card using a gold peel off I got from ebay a while back but hadn't used.

Designed with these challenges in mind:
Here Come the Boys - travel (male cards only)
Catch the Bug - Metal/Metalic Colours + Brads or eyelets

Use up those snippets...

The Sunday challenge from Debs on CMLI is to 'use up snippets' which I'm sure we all have loads of. There are quite a few challenges around with a similar theme so it must be common!

I was inspired by the bunch of flowers my husband got me for my birthday last week and are still going strong.

I've punched the flowers from scraps and inked the edges then added candy coloured with Promarkers to match. A few gems, ribbon and silver gel pen complete the card.

I'll also enter this into:
Less is More - ribbon
Always with a heart - Sunday snippet challenge
Unstampabelles - celebration (no stamp allowed)
Karen's doodles - bingo! (flowers, die cuts, gems)

Happy Birthday CMLI

This week's Craft Mad and Loving It challenge is a corker. Plain and simple, a birthday card, as the group is one year old. Hurrah!

Finding this group has been a great inspiration to me. Quite frankly we're all a bit unhinged, but that's what makes the chatter so much fun. And on the craft side of things these ladies (and Andy) really do know a thing or two. It has really pushed my creativity and I am so grateful for that.

This evening I made what I hope Lauren, Karen and Rosie feel is suitably celebratory:

Image is LOTV from a swap coloured with Promarkers. Embossed panel also from a swap and cut with Nellie Snellen die. Hero Arts accent stamps versamarked and chalked over. Ribbon, BP, butterfly gem and bazzil from stash.

Hard to see are the stickles on her wings and skirt and the white gel faux stitching on the purple base BP.

Here's to the next year CMLI-ers, xxxx

Kraft crazy

I'm over a week later posting this. I hang my head in shame. A few home distractions have been very distracting.

This is the last Bows and Berries challenge before the summer break, but we'll be back in September. We'd like to you use kraft somewhere on your project. The girls have all had different ideas so do pop over and have a look.

I've used it as a panel and Versamarked some cupcakes that I have chalked over. The digi stamp is the retro apron printed on patterned paper with details in white gel pen.

'Thank you' challenge and June releases

Well hello there! Haven't we had such strange weather recently? My patio veg/salad/herbs don't quite know what's happening. We'd better get some decent sun before September or we'll be having green tomato chutney all winter again instead of luscious ripe red ones in our salad.

Anyway, this fortnight's challenge over at Bows and Berries is to say 'thank you'. I've gone for a tongue in cheek sentiment and image, but still to absolutely show my appreciation. This is for my Mum who came to stay with us for the first two days of potty training our daughter - the moral support was invaluable. Two weeks on and little one has gone from potty to "big toilet" as she calls it with ease. Thanks Mum, it's at unglamorous times that we need family the most xx.

Some readers will also recognise the sketch as it's the one Kathy set us over at CMLI on Saturday. She asked us to follow the sketch, have a monochrome colour scheme and with a twist of masculine. Well KK, I just bet you know the Meatloaf song.....2 out of three eh?!

The sketch (which I've unceremoniously flipped on its head)

I've used Sheep Doodles digi stamp from Bows and Berries and accented with watercolour paints. Die cut with a Nellie Snellen die and embossed with Swiss Dots. Ink used is Pretty Petunia versa magic chalk.

I shall also enter this into:
Forever Friends - spots, dots and an animal
Craft Your Days Away - monochrome
Just Some Lines - spotty dotty

Now onto the June releases for B&B. There are cute new collections for summer, fairies and school.



Have a good week!

Father's Day

I had a great time at the Stamp Magic show in Doncaster today and bought lots of lovely goodies. It was expertly organised by Paula and Gary at Which Craft? as always.

I bought these great paper border strips in a orange/brown/yellow autumnal pack but thought they'd go really well with kraft so I could use them for a Father's Day card. I was also really taken with the sketch at The Sweetest Thing today, hence this creation.

I've punched and embossed the kraft circle, used a run on sentiment then chalked the edges of that panel and layered the banner at the bottom. The buttons were also a purchase today.

The photo didn't quite turn out as we are very low on natural light now.

Christmas in the frame

Clean and simple seems to really appeal to lots of crafters at the moment. As someone who struggles with putting lots of 'stuff' on cards I have to say I'm one of them. But it really is a lot harder than it looks. The Less is More challenge has been a great help though with their wonderful ideas and amazing standard on entries....and this week's no exception.

It's a one layer only challenge - just fold the base, that's it - with a theme of 'in the frame'. I've used a Paula Pascual stamp set for the frame and added the '25' in the middle stamped in Versa magic chalk ink in Night Sky. The snowflakes are from the same set and embossed in opaque white.

Beware of the cat...it's not sleeping, just resting its eyes

Well, the week has whooshed past and it's sketch time again at CMLI. Lauren has set the challenge this week and asked us to LET THE IMAGE SHINE. Her creation was simply stunning and quite daunting to try and match up to!

I've taken this as bit of a kick to keep up the momentum (or gain some!) with my new Promarkers. Haven't been at them long as I mentioned in another post but I do feel like I am getting there now.

I've used a Basic Grey paper - Eskimo Kisses - edged in olive green, some Bazil and a Pepper and Friends image I receive from craft pal Bev in a swap a while ago.

Doesn't he look so comfortable relaxing in the summer sun?!

The sketch:







Also entering this into:
Totally papercrafts - summer
Shellys images - anything goes
Scrapbook sisters - English country garden

'Time' for a sketch!

This week Rosie set us a great challenge on CMLI. Along with the sketch there's a twist of "include a cardboard box". This was the perfect opportunity to also include my latest purchase - some kraft. Woo hoo!

Here's the sketch and my take on it.

I've used kraft for the card base, the reverse of a BoBunny (I think) Christmas paper, a digi stamp from Little Claire, then die cut some cardboard and added embellies from my stash. It's a birthday card for my father in law.

It would also have been perfect for the Bows and Berries fortnightly challenge - masculine!

Entering this into the following challenges:
Craft Us Crazy - masculine colours/theme
Kraft Journal - it's a guy thing (kraft Monday)
Critter Challenge - use kraft
Fab n Funky - magnificent men

Masculine Challenge

Morning all! Where is this year going....I can't believe we are nearly at Father's Day already.

This fortnight on the Bows and Berries challenge we have a masculine theme. This is great for me because as well as Father's Day my father in law has his birthday. I was inspired by little sweetie gift bags in the latest docrafts Creativity magazine for this project.

I have printed the Daddy's Tools digi with border and greeting straight onto card and then coloured and given a decorative edge and some stars. Mounted on a folded piece of craft and used to seal a polybag containing marshmallows and it's an instant gift.

B&B Colour Challenge

Ready to splash a bit of colour?

The Bows and Berries challenge this week is to use turquoise, pink, yellow and black. Very summery! Here are the colours:

I just had to continue the summer feel and use this fab camper van and my brand new Promarkers.

And yes, those are more Dovecraft fabric flowers you can see - a favourite at the moment.

The challenge runs from today for a fortnight so please come over and join us. We'd love to see your gorgeous cards.

Also entering this into:
A gem of a challenge - aqua, pink and lemon
2 Sisters - use a digi
Fairy Knoll - flowers

Something old, something new

As it's my GDT week at CMLI I've set Sunday's theme challenge. The gals usually do ambiguous topics to really get the creative juices flowing so I've tried to follow suit.

The theme is: Something old, something new.

I've used old and new stash. A great chance to dust down some rarely used bits and bobs and give them a new lease of life.

So the OLD: Gold ink pad, Hero Arts oriental stamps
And the NEW: Oriental BP, die cut frame, shimmer paints

And I couldn't resist doing a second one:

OLD: gold ink pad for the background and edging, circle punch
NEW: image coloured with promarkers, fabric flowers

Sketch challenge 21st May

This week it's my guest designer slot for the Craft Mad and Loving It group over on craftbubble.com. I've come up with a sketch and the theme "Up, up and away".

I've used the Retro Rocket from Bows and Berries, My Mind's Eye papers, Dovecraft fabric flowers and my new swirl die cut. The rocket is coloured with Promarkers (I'm still quite a beginner, but practice makes perfect eh?) and I think making it girly is quite effective. It's usually a boys card image!

Hope you all have an uplifting day!

The circus has come to town!

Well, hasn't this fortnight wooshed by?! I'll actually be on holiday when this posts up, time flies when you've suitcases to pack. This fortnight's challenge over at Bows and Berries is "The Circus".

I've made a bookmark using the Circus Tent image coloured with promarkers and topped it off with some bunting and shiny star bubble stickers. I put the oval frame on in MS Word before printing off to make sure it felt like the focal point.

Hope you can join in with us - I had lots of fun with this theme.

We have lift off!

Morning everyone! How do you fancy a Bold and Bright challenge? Can you handle it after the delicate Easter pastels? Of course, lol.

Challenge #4 starts this morning over at Bows and Berries and we'd like you to use bold and bright colours however you desire on your card. This could be really layered up or clean and simple with a splash of vibrant colour.

I've made a boys card using this fab retro rocket, but I think it could easily work for a girl with some hot pinks and juicy purples.

I've gone for big splashes of plain colour using a Nellie Snellen die cut for the corners, faux stitching on the Blue background and printed my own greeting. The image is done with coloured pencils and the striped paper is from a Papermania pack.

Easter chick

Challenge #3 launches today at Bows and Berries with an Easter theme. I'm loving the pastel tones on everyone's Easter cards at the moment but I don't make many myself so was glad the DT were tasked with this one.

I've used the Napping Chick image printed 3 times - on the die cut, then in yellow and patterned - and paper pieced the image then outlined in glossy accents and added some glitter for the 'ribbon' on the egg.

The scalloped card blank and die cards are For Your Inspiration by Which Craft? I've chalked the edges of the white layers and stamped on the yellow with a Hero Arts stamp from the 'trims' set in olive green.

We would love to see your Easter creations so please pop over...

Also designed with these challenges in mind:
Pollycraft - Easter
Creative Inspirations - Easter
Sparkle's Forum - Easter
Stamping Vacation - Special things about April
Fashionista Friday - Spring is in the air
Paper Cutz Challenge - bunny, lamb, chick or Easter eggs
Raise the Bar - Hey Chick!
Stampin' for the Weekend - Easter
Craft us Crazy - Easter/Spring
Simon Says Stamp - Spring colours/Easter

Bows and Berries - April release

A new selection of stamps has been released over at Bows and Berries. Jenny and Robin have made up a preview of them and here it is:

I just love the sleepy rabbit on the Easter egg and I plan to get the pendant to make some bunting!

There's also and Easter Chic freebie on the blog throughout April that you could grab....

A Merry Fairy Christmas

This is the first year that I've been making Christmas cards all year round and I have to say I'm really enjoying it. There's no pressure to come up with a design you can do 8 times in 4 different colours and under 2 hours all told!

I feel I'm getting to try some new styles as the blogs have such great challenges and this cards is a great example. The theme at DCD is 'A Merry Fairy Christmas'. I've used a stamp set that I got free with Cardmaking and Papercraft but didn't use at all last year. It's not my usual style but I think it works well with the gold themed BPs.

I've stamped a star on the base card and round the image in gold. The papers are from a Dovecraft paperstack and the sentiment kindly donated in a swap from craft pal Lauren. The rosette was fiddly but fun!

So, I'll enter this into:

DieCutChristmas Dreams - Merry Fairy Christmas

Lawnscaping - Make a BP using stamps

Pollycraft - use an old neglected stamp 

Baby love

Typing that title has got Diana Ross in my head now...baby love, my baby love... I wont go on!

I was feeling in an easel card mood last night, you know how it is. I hadn't made one for ages and also wanted to try out one of the photo insipration challenges I've heard a lot about but haven't attempted yet. So off I popped to Feline Playful to check out what challenges I could combine (thanks Robin for pointing the site out to me).

A few hours and a lot of silicone glue later, here's my creation.

Digi stamp - Bows and Berries 'baby hammock'
Papers - My Minds Eye, Quite Contrary
Sentiment - Papermania Honey and Hugs in pink petunia
Embossing - Birds and swirls Cuttlebug folder

And a close up of the 'front'

I shall enter this into:

Paper Romance - baby easel card

Cupcake inspirations - photo inspiration

Little Claire - green and pink

Fairy tale - green and pink

C.R.A.F.T - new baby

Claudia and co - 3 colours from: Butter/Yellow, Rose/Pale Red, Pale Green, Lavender. 

House of Gilli - ribbons and pearls

There's Magic in the Air - yellow, pink and green

I'm on the Bows and Berries DT!

Morning all. I've been sitting on this exciting news for a few weeks now, but I can tell you all today... I made it onto the Bows and Berries blog design team. YAY! 

Bows and Berries is a fab new digi shop by the lovely Jenny and Robin. They've set us a great first challenge - INSPIRED BY NATURE - and I've used the Owl Love stamp, printed it out twice in different sizes and watercoloured. My Mum lives about 200 miles away so the sentiment was just perfect. The team have created a real variety for the first challenge so do pop over.
Stamp - Owl love digi from Bows and Berries
Paper - from Bird Song paperstack by Papermania
Sentiment - rub on from My Sentiments Exactly
Embellies - stash

I shall also enter this into:

OSAAT – Mother’s Day
Digi Doodle Shop’s Best – ribbons and bows
Dream Valley Challenges – Mother’s Day
Papertake Weekly – It’s a Mum thing
Simon Says Stamp – Mother’s Day
Paper Crafting Journey – Up in the air
Crafty Purple Frog Challenge – Going green
Phindy’s Place – Animals
Alphabet Challenge – U for Up in the air
Craft Your Days Away – For Mum
Creative Inspirations – Mother’s Day
Pear Tree Designs - Mother's Day

Sail away...

I had a real "I was just thinking about that" moment on Saturday. Purple Princess Kathy K set the CMLI sketch challenge with a seaside theme... and there was me planning on doing my uncle's birthday card using the beach hut stamp set that very day!!

Well, of course I haven't ACTUALLY ended up using the beach hut stamp. But the boat is from the same set - honest :)  It also fits a few other challenges, including OSAAT who were lovely last week and had me as GDT. Thanks gals.

Stamps - Little Claire. Red BP is textured and embossed with Swiss Dots (though you can't see it - I promise it is). Blue panel cut using shaped scissors and again, is a textured Bazzil, it just doesn't show up. Apologies, photo taken at night, will try again in daylight tomorrow.

I shall enter this into:
OSAAT - something for the boys
Pear tree designs - Happy Birthday
Meljens designs - dots (embossed on red circle)
Less is more - masculine

Lavendar and lace

Lavendar on a Christmas card? I know, not one I'd have immediately thought of, but that's the challenge on DCD this week. And why not try it for a change, especially when it was set by the lovely Karen!

There was a sketch too which I enjoyed working with. It gave me a chance to use my new Penny Black stamp (a sale bargain). It hasn't turned out quite like I hoped and the photo doesn't help much, but it does have quite a nice shabby chic feel in real life.

Edging done using 'Victorian' on the Woodware paperguard trimmer. BP is a lavendar with embossed-style texture. Inking done in Pretty Petunia and crochet lace from my stash.

As I said, entering this into Diecut Christmas Dreams - lavendar and lace.

Christmas Gingerbread

Don't you just love it when new stash arrives?! I certainly do, and was quick to get to work when my Christmas stuff came through from Crafts U Love (a few sale bargains you see).

I combined a few challenges and went for a blue and pink theme with a silver metallic circle that has photographed very brightly. This chipboard really helped me out as I was really rather stuck on Rosie's "sticky gingerbread with icing" Christmas challenge over on CMLI.

The papers and chipboard are from the Dovecraft 'Christmas Fancy' range.

I shall enter this into:
Jingle Belles - sketch
Bah humbug! - metallics
Winter wonderland - embossing (snowflake punch and emboss stamp used on left)
Papertake weekly - 3 of something
CHNC - seasonal silver

Spring Has Sprung!

This is going to be super short as I'm expecting my daughter to be dropped off any minute (she's been at grandparents today).

The sketch challenge on CMLI has a mini-beast twist - such fun. The DT have done some great entries and I've had a stab with a bee theme.

Thanks to Netty for the great digi ticket.

Here it is:

I shall also enter this into Gingerloft's 'use those flowers' challenge.

OSAAT - challenge #53 is my first GDT spot!

Today is very exciting for me - my first ever Guest Designer card is on the One Stitch At A Time challenge blog. I'm so chuffed to have a GDT spot!

The challenge is a great one - Glitter and Gems - now, who can't do something fab with those two crafting staples. I chose the sophisticated and nostalgic 'Sunday Morning' digi from Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps which I coloured with watercolour pencils and a waterbrush.

The paper has lovely glitter accents in the circles and flowers. The flower shaped gems and brad are from my stash and it's all edged in Brillance ink in Starlite Silver. I'm really happy with the overall effect and can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.


Why not join us all over at the OSAAT challenge this week? We'd love to see you!

Sketch with stripes and pearl sheen

Morning all. I've finally got round to doing last Saturday's sketch challenge for CMLI which has a twist of 'stripes'. I also went for a few pearls and and embossed die cut with a pearly sheen as that seems to be quite popular at the moment.

I think you can get away with a plain and fairly exposed base card if you use shimmer materials on it somewhere. What do you reckon?

I shall also enter this into:
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - pearls
The ABC Challenge - P is for Pearls
Anything Goes - die cuts

Birthday commission

A friend of mine at work saw a card I did for another of our colleagues and asked if I'd do both her Mum's 60th card and grandma's 90th - how flattering. Here's my creation for her Mum. She didn't want '60' on the front so I think I'll do it on the inside if she's happy with the overall design.

I've used my new Little Claire digi stamp - flower pitcher painted with watercolours and glossy accents on the heart, a Kate Knight BP, Martha Stewert doliy lace punch, Nellie Snellen die, embossed panel from craft pal Clare and gems/pearls/flower/ribbon from my stash. I created the ticket myself in MS Word though took about 3 attempts to print it out the right size!

I'll also enter this into:
One Stitch At A Time - card for Mum
I did it creations - die cuts or punches
Pear Tree Designs - ribbon
The ABC Challenge - P is for pink

Simple shimmer

As a fan of clean and simple cards, I've been meaning to take part in the highly recommended (by Kathy) One Layer Wednesday challenge over on Simplicity.

Well, today I took the plunge. The challenge is shimmer, but not glitter or bling. Here's my card, photo deliberately taken at an angle. You can see one of the embossed flowers, there are 3 in total overlaying the silver and lilac stamp scene.

Stamp - from an Anna Griffin set, in Dew Drop starlite silver 'brilliance' and versamagic pretty petunia
Embossing - same stamp with personal impressions 'violet shimmer'
Sentiment - papermania

Word of the day: indulgence

Technically speaking I'm supposed to be getting on with some housework as there's no-one about today to try and keep entertained or get distracted by. But that's not altogether fun, so I've had a quite a morning crafting. Cherry's theme for the week is 'indulgence and opulence'. I've gone for indulgence with this fab Tilda imagine. What exciting purchases she must have in that bag!

I've given her slightly sparkly necklaces with a glitter gel pen and also lined the inside with a Kate Knight BP - very unusal for me.

I shall also enter this into:

Moving along with the times - fashion

Fussy and fancy - embossing and/or paper piecing

Sweet stampin' - oh so girly

Blue bauble

It's really rather rainy here today so my mood didn't quite fit for making a spring card (or to be able to put the washing out on the line!) so I meandered over to Die Cut Christmas Dreams and was immediately inspired by their challenge. It's a sketch, with a colour combo of blue and pink.

I've chalked the base card in soft blue and baby pink using a small bauble peel off as a resist. Then watercoloured and mounted a large version of the same bauble adding ribbon, gems and a greeting.

I must admit I find it hard to put mismatch ribbon or papers on a card as I like things symmetrical but I took a deep breath and went for it. I think it works quite well.

Sparkle!

This week's sketch challenge on CMLI is run by the lovely Cherry. Along with the sketch, the theme is "All that glisters, glistens, shimmers, sparkles, twinkles, shines..."

I've piled quite a lot on (for me!) and used a sparkly BP that I haven't used in a while. I really enjoyed watercolouring the little girl's hair to match my daughter's as this is going to be for her.

Flowers are from a secret santa present, the brads were in a bargain bin at the Stamp Magic show last October, the image from a pal and the first use of my new Nellie Snellen dies.

Here's the sketch:

Here's my interpretation: