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:

Beach hut bunting

Saturday was sketch day as usual over at CMLI - often a highlight of the week. This week Kathy stipulated the use of a DL card and to use oodles of white space... so I had a rummage around and found this card stock which is textured and almost watercolour paper. I set about cracking open my watercolour pencils and waterbrushes as I relish any chance to practice.

A craft pal of mine has had a busy time of late and is taking a break for a few days by the coast. I thought this might be just the ticket to send to her for when she returns.

I've used Little Claire's beach hut stamp set and watercoloured the bunting and bucket & spade. The blue 'porthole' is chalked with two tones of  blue.

I'll also enter this into:

Little Claire - anything goes

One Stitch At A Time - anything but square

Paperminutes - water

Pixie Dust Studio - don't be square

Feathered 40th

My friend at work is 40 on Saturday. She's a wonderful lass and blessed with amazing skin so looks about 32...I put it down to all that fresh farm air when she was a kid. So I had to go with a nature theme for this one and of course, stick that all important 4-0 number on it.

I've used the Papermania birdsong papers and stickers,along with some fibres I got from Craft Obsessions (they are lovely over at CO, you get a little section of fibre or ribbon with your order as a nice extra). Then I die cut using a Nellie Snellen an embossed panel received in a recent swap from pal Kobie and heat embossed the 40.

I like how it has turned out and really makes a feature of the BP.

I'll also enter this into:

Creative Inspirations - plain and simple

Meljens Designs - birthday

Bow and Berries - blog candy

To celebrate the launch of Bows and Berries Digital Stamp Shop the gals are offering up some blog candy. Looks yum!

Why not hop on over and take a look at their new online store? It looks like they have some great digis to me :)

White Christmas...in February

Well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm really enjoying making Christmas cards at the moment. I think it's because there are some great challenges around to get the creative juices flowing.

Over at DCD this week's challenge is 'White Christmas...with a hint of colour', so I've gone for a white and green combo as it also fits Clare's recipe on CMLI at Craftbubble. Clare is a real Christmas card addict, it's her fault I'm hooked! (Though anyone who knows us knows it's usually Wynneth that makes us do it.) Tee hee :)

I've made a spine which always covers up the ends of a ribbon border (we like practical AND pretty don't we?!), heat embossed a snowflake background and included a 'deconstructed present' in the form of the white dotty square with ribbon tags.

It's quite exciting doing the deconstructed thing as it helps see things from a different perspective and gives the elements quite a different effect I think.

So, entering this into:
Die Cut Christmas Dreams - White Christmas
Jingle Belles - no red she said
Stamp Fairy - white with a touch of colour
Challenge Up Your Life - monochrome

Blog award - my first!

A week or so ago I received this award from Kobie, but wasn't quite sure what to do (being so new to bloggin and all) but here goes.

It's an award for those who don't have hundreds of followers.

1.First you have to accept the award...i accept, thank you so much Kobie!
2. Now create a  post and advertise the Liebster blog photo.
3. Link back to the person who gave you the award (Kobie's blog)
4. Choose 3-5 fellow bloggers to tag and give the award to.

I nominate;
Cherry
Alli
Heather
Georgie

Happy Crafting!

A day by the sea

Yesterday evening I seemed to be on a roll. Two cards made in just an hour using the sketch from CMLI as the inspiration. This one followed it most closely, the other didn't quite have all the elements, but hey, I was only aiming for one in the first place so that's still a result in my book.

The chipboard arrived yesterday morning, this month's freebie in Cardmaking and Papercraft. I just adore the cuddly love between the little boy and doggie. The blue/teal paper is from Papermania's Song Bird range and the yellow is Crate Paper's Sunshine from the Brooke collection according to what it says on the side of the page!

I love the versatility of it and it's made me start thinking about holiday. That's never a bad thing.

I'll also enter this into:

The Crazy Challenge - lots of love

Craft Your Passion - anything goes

Critter Sketch Challenge - feature an animal

A Spoon Full of Sugar - let's see some love

My Partner in Crafting Crime - love but no pink or red

CES Challenge - cute and cuddly

Flowers for a friend

Saturday is CMLI sketch challenge for me. I enjoy seeing what challenge the DT have set and this week it was Karen's turn. Now, I love a sketch with a circle, and almost always take it literally as I love including them in my designs. I had something completely different in mind when I started...but like I said in the last post, I have a thing for these shaped cards just now.

BP is from Kate Knight, embossed panel from a craft buddy in a recent swap and image/sentiment from one of Sharon Armstrong's ranges.

I shall enter this into:

Pile in on - bright and breezy
Creative card crew - pink and purple
Digistamps4Joy - flower power

Bentley's day out

February is a busy month for cards in this house. Today I've been working on hubby's birthday card from our LO. I love these shaped bases from Which Craft? in Doncaster where I often do workshops. It was also a great chance to practice my watercolour pencil and waterbrush technique. I only got the for Christmas so it's still a bit hit and miss....this is the second image. The first got rather waterlogged.

Stamp is Bentley Bear free with this month's C&P magazine. Blue bazzil has been embossed with Swiss Dots on the trusty Cuttlebug and the papers are Papermania.

I shall enter this into:

Quirky Crafts - spots, stripes and embossing

Fab n funky - colour combo: chocolate and blue

Stampin' royalty - navy, suede and breeze

PaperPlay - stamp it out

Theme Thursday - family

Crafty sentiments - a bear on a card

Bright and buttons

Oh it has been a dreary February day today. Plus in our house we had a bit of a mishap with a mop, bucket and a toddler....the less said about that the better.

So, my restorative craft time tonight has been to complete the 'Bright and Buttons' theme challenge over on CMLI. I've heat embossed a Papermania Honey and Hugs chick on yellow patterned paper and accessorised with corners, buttons and ribbon. I've not been using a heat gun for very long so quite pleased with the result and minimal accidental damage to non-craft materials, furniture, etc etc etc

I shall also enter this to:

Pear tree designs - flowers

Corrosive Challenge - button it up

Cupcake craft challenge - Old Macdonald had a farm

Stamps R Us - animals

Papertake weekly - anything goes + flowers