Birthday!!!

It's my big girl's 7th birthday tomorrow......so I've been baking her cake and making her card. She is so excited! My goodness she's been bouncing off the walls all week! Here are a few pics of card and cake :o)

DCM - Piping hot!!

It's a tricky dare this week!

It's Jane's turn to set the dare...
"Now, it's my turn this week to set the dare and I want you to use PIPE CLEANERS!! Any shape, colour or form - put them on a card! I know it can be difficult to incorporate Pipe Cleaners on cards (sticking them down is one obstacle!) but they can be put to lots of interesting uses too! So go on - it wouldn't be a challenge site if it was easy would it?"

I struggled with this one! In fact I've been really busy this week so I think I went into denial that I had this one to make hehe. Finally last night I sat down and made one.....






























Don't tell the kids, but I raided their craft stash for a pipe cleaner!! I used it to suspend a skull and crossbones in the centre of the card. Papers used are DCWV rock star. I've doodled a bit and used a Studio g "girl" stamp plus a little flower and brad in one eye of the skull. The skull came from grungeboard (I drew round it onto the patterned paper) and is double sided.

More minty goodness.....

Here are a couple more Minty Madness makes......















For this first one I drew the flower onto papers and cut it out.
















This second card was made to hold the bookmark I made for the PBS challenge. The "my friend" stamp was a 99p one from The Range and the "Friendship" stamp is by Papermania as are the green ribbon and tinsel. Everything else is from my stash :o)

Penny Black Saturday - No cards allowed!

No Cards Allowed

I know this is a tricker one than last week, but we want you to get your thinking caps on. You can make anything you like Bag, Note Book, Box, Candle, Tag, Tin etc but NO CARD please, and your creations MUST feature at least one Penny Black Image.


I decided to make a bookmark as I do enjoy making them :o)

I used the fab new Funky Hand download Minty Madness for the backing papers, Penny Black mouse and butterflies, Papermania Friendship stamp, flower, brad and fibres from stash. I don't know why I didn't photograph the back of the bookmark as I prettied that up too. Ah well...too tired now!

Minty minty goodness oh yes!

Well over at Funky Hand towers, Anice has been very busy creating another fab download. This is soooooo up my street as it is called Minty Madness and is all green papers - my favourite colour!






























The first card uses the minty madness paper and toppers. I've also used white glitter stickers, Fiskars border punch and gorgeous Papermania sparkle trims (due for release in September!!)




























This card uses minty madness paper and topper plus sentiment. Also Papermania sparkle trims and very gorgeous ribbon courtesy of my mate Ruth :o)

Cute card Thursday challenge

Another new challenge for me! I honestly don't know what's got into me this week - it's challengerama hehehe!! Perhaps it's rubbed off on me from my old pal Ruth who is a challengeaholic!

This weeks challenge is to make a card using BRIGHT COLOURS.

Here is my card which was a bit of a quickie thrown together this evening. I apologise for the dodgy colouring of Tilda but I did it in such bad lighting conditions (the bulb is going in our uplighter lamp)!

You don't get much brighter papers than these ones by Blonde Moments! I have doodled them a bit to add a bit of Jozza to them and I love the word stamps cos I can colour them in in the middle in white - yippee :o)











































Stamp - Magnolia coloured with prisma's
Papers - Blonde Moments - Spring Fling
Word stamps - Studio g
Ribbon - magazine freebie yonks ago!

Goodies!!!

Emma asked for volunteers to road test some new Papermania products due to go on sale in September. Whoohooo I was lucky enough to get some freebies in the post which arrived yesterday! How exciting!



















There's a scalloped circle chipboard album......an acrylic block..... a heart punch and some stunning glittery ribbons. Now the delivery must have come in the morning yesterday when I was out and a neighbour took the parcel in for me so I didn't actually get my clammy hands on these goodies until last night at around 8.45pm! However, I've already used the acrylic block and the heart punch.

I have 2 acrylic blocks already.....a large one and a slender long one. Can I find them? Noooooooo! They have been spirited away by some evil pixie! For the last week or so I have been sticking stamps onto one of the cutting plates of my cuttlebug! I kid you not....and it doesn't work great when you do that I can tell you. I really really really need to have a good sort out of my stash so that I know where everything is again. I must have loads of stuff I've forgotten about.

Anyway back to the job in hand....the Papermania acrylic block. I was sooooo happy to have it I actually hugged it (again.....I kid you not!) and it is fab! I stamped the arrow of the DCM card (a bit lower down my blog) with it. It's a great size too....not too big and not too small. I'm not sure what they will retail at but I heartily recommend it!

I also used the heart punch last night to punch the heart that is over the heads of the Sarah Kay stamp (again on the DCM card). It gave a very crisp cut so again I am very impressed (and it's pink too - what more can a gal ask for?? lol). As I only own 3 punches I think this will come in very handy for me and may well get a lot of use hehehe.

I'll review the other products as and when I use them which will be soon as I have a week off work :o) I will say that the ribbons are going to go PERFECT with the Christmas download from Funky Hand....Funky Little Christmas. The colours are perfect!

Party Invitations

My big girl is 7 years old on the 30th of this month. We're not having a big party this year as money is tight......

Instead, she is having her 2 bestest friends round and we're going to go to the ceramic cafe and paint a plate or something, then on to the Pizza Hut for lunch (courtesy of Tesco clubcard vouchers! Hurrah!).

Here are the invitations I threw together....
















Paper by Papermania (Sweet Nothings)
Bird stamp - Imaginisce
All other stamps - Studio G

DCM Challenge - This Way

OK, this week it's Tanya's turn to set the dare and this time it's a dare with a POINT! A nice sharp point, at that!

This Way!

I want to see arrows on your cards - whether big, small, staright, curly, lots or just one arrow


































Papers - Blonde Moments - Suet Pudding
Arrow stamp - Papermania
Image stamp - Sarah Kay coloured with Prisma's
You Colour My World - Funky Fairy's Papercrafts download
Flower - Prima
Punch - Fiskars
Ribbon and brad from stash

Tilda & Co challenge 32 - cold as ice

Get me!!! Three challenges in a week! Whoohoo am I ill?

This is the first time I've had a go at the Tilda & Co challenge although I've been meaning to for ages!

The sun is now drifting away very fast and soon it will be as cold as ice....

Using the colours Blue & white Only . Show us how cold your projects can feel this week.

I used pale blue bazzill card which I embossed on the lower half with white embossing powder to look like snow. I stamped a fence (Funky Fairy's) and Tilda who I coloured in shades of blue. I wanted to give her a scarf (made of ribbon) and to make it look a tad more realistic I'm afraid I had to decapitate her. She didn't feel a thing - honest! and her head's stuck back on now :o) I stamped some snowflakes (Papermania stamps) in the sky and I finished the card off with flowers and rafia from stash.

Gorgeous boy!

This little warm bundle of gorgeousness is my newest nephew Benjamin. We went for a visit (and a cuddle) on Sunday and oh my he is adorable! I don't think I heard him cry once he seems very content. He is 17 days old on this photo and already a little thinker hehe

I've had a little fiddle with it on photoshop express and I love how it's turned out :o)

2 Sketches 4 U

I've missed loads of the challenges on 2 sketches for u lately, so I was determined to set aside some time this evening to complete a card. Every week I look at the sketch, copy it down somewhere and vow to have a go but life gets in the way...so YAY me! I finally did it! lol

This week it's Kazan's sketch and I adore the card she made for inspiration. The stamp she's used is one I've hankered after for a long long time.....I must get hold of that stamp!



















































Papers by Brenda Pinnick and K&Co
Bird stamp - Imaginisce
My friend stamp - Studio g

Funky Fairies challenge 30

This fortnight it's Meayla's turn to set the challenge, which is to use your initial or name in whatever you make. I decided on a layout as I wanted to make one for a scraplift challenge that I saw in Scrapbook Magazine.















































I used Pinkie pops papers
Basic Grey alphabet stickers
DCWV chipboard alphabet
Velvet rik rak ribbon from stash

Carol's sketch fun!

My Funky Hand DT mate Carol has started up her own sketch challenge. This is my card. I used DCWV nana's nursery girl papers, Fiskars border punches, Papermania cupcake chipboard shape, free stamp from Craft Stamper magazine and glossy accents.

Penny Black Saturday challenge

The new challenge over at Penny Black Saturday is ribbons.















































Paper - DCWV glitter matt stack
Ribbon & fibres - from my funky hand pal Ruth
Stamps - Penny Black, coloured with Prismas

Fab blog candy!

Wow check out this great blog candy from Karen at Charmed Cards and Crafts here!



















Generous or what? I really wanna win this! :o)

New DCM challenge - it's a wrap!

This week the dare was set by Sue

"I would like you to give your card a coat made of acetate, vellum or anything for that matter! As long as it wraps around the outside of your card, anything goes!"

This is my take on the dare, it's my second attempt as my first one went very very wrong! Ever had an idea in your head and the have your card turn into a monstrosity? That's what happened to me hehe.











































Paper: Dovecraft "A hint of pink"
Flowers die cut with cuttlebug
Buttons from stash
Alphabet stickers: Making Memories cheeky shimmer stickers
Acetate embossed with swiss dots
Fibres courtesy of Ruth
Rik rak: Papermania

Gone!

I've had all my hair cut off! And it feels goooooood:o)

I haven't been to the hairdressers for almost 4 years. My mum has trimmed it for me before but it got very long and unruly. So ever the one for spur of the moment decisions, I decided at 10.30 this morning to take the afternoon off work and get it cut. Radical!! hehe I was dead lucky as the man who cut it is very talented. He was telling me that he's in the UK finals for young hairdresser of the year which is next month in London. There were over 900 entries at the start and I think he said it's down to about 24. Wow! I hope he wins :o)

So here's my new do..........it will never look like this again - I am rubbish at styling my hair and he used GHD straighteners on it and made it look fabby doo! When I wash it I will be back to my usual wavy mess hehe.

Wow fabby blog candy!

My good friend Enfys has some gorgeous blog candy up for offer. Check it out here! I know I would be over the moon if I won it :o) Be sure and check En's blog out thoroughly while you're there as she is ulta fab and talented. xxx

Scones!

Thought it was time I did a spot of baking with the girls as it's been a while. I saw a post about lemonade scones here and thought they looked cool!

So from this



















comes this














with this in between






































They taste rather yummy with lashings of jam :o)

Penny Black Saturday challenge

I've been busy all weekend and have been desperate to do the PBS challenge. I finally got round to it this evening. This week it is a sketch challenge.







I really enjoyed making this card although it is slight cheatage as I used a stickeroo due to lack of time :o(

Papers are Papermania Sweet Nothings. Blooms are from The Range.

Ooooooh an award!

How exciting! I've been given an award from the ultra fab and talented Michelle! Thanks so much Michelle (I love your blog too!!).

In return I have to pick 7 of my favourite blogs and the rules are:

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog

2. Link the person you received your award from

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girls or boys you’ve nominated

So here's who I want to pass the award on to.......

Carol
Enfys
Ruth
Allison
Lydia
Meayla
Lythan

Hugs
Jozza xxx

DCM challenge - scrumdiddlyumptious

This week it's Rachel's turn to set our challenge and as it's Summer (or supposed to be...) in this part of the world her dare has a Summery theme

Scrumdiddlyumptious

All things foodie - feature a food you associate with summer and sunny days (just to remind us of those summer feelings)

I decided to make a Fab lolly!! Remember those? I used to love them. You can still get them, in fact you can get a box full of them at the supermarket and my girls love them too now :o)

I used glossy accents to make the lolly shiny and beads for the sprinkles (the glossy accents hasn't dried on the picture on the DCM blog so looks a bit wierd). I've taken a new photo for on here and it looks a bit better. I used Papermania paper and ribbon from stash.

3 cards with acrylic paint

There's a new look little extra dare over at the daring cardmakers and it was little old me wot set it! Yikes. I did a mini tutorial showing 3 uses of acrylic paint on my cards. Pop over and have a look if you get chance. Here are the cards that are featured :o)

Funky Fairy Challenge 29

The challenge this week is celebration. I used Funky Flowers kit, swiss dots embossing folder, penny black stamp coloured with prisma's, ribbon and flowers from stash.

We have had some new fairies join the team! So a warm welcome to Valerie, Ria and Michelle :o) And a very talented bunch they are! Do check out their fab blogs.


























Another view to show the decoupaged flowers :o)