Thank You

A friend of mine really got me out of a tight spot a few weeks ago and offered to look after my son for me on a day I had to work. He had to go into school for 10 minute meeting with his teacher but other than that was at home all day.

He set off to go to school for the meeting but he ended up having a wobble and came back in a bit of a state. Luckily my friend also has an autistic son who is much older Josh so she's been there and done it all before and she managed to calm Josh down and phoned her husband up, who had been working nights, and he came down and took Josh to his meeting and brought him back afterwards. How lovely was that?!

So I made them this card to say thank you and bought them a box of chocolates to share. The papers and the Die Cut Hedgehog are all by Papermania. The ribbon threader border is by Marrianne Designs which I don't know if you can tell on the photo but I added tiny lilac gems to the centre of each embossed flower on it.

For the inside I added a stamp by Inkadoo which says "You make me smile all over my face. Ian Hobson age 5"

Less is More Challenge

This week's Less is More Challenge is "Off The Edge"

I don't have many stamps that would look ok "Off the Edge". In fact I looked through all my stamps and didn't think I had any that would work so I'd decided not to do this challenge. Anyway I was messing around on the old interweb, as you do, and I came across some Christmas stamps and then I suddenly remembered my new Christmas Tree stamp that is part of a set my mum bought me for Christmas.

So I stamped it off the edge in Black Stazon and added a Penny Black Sentiment which says "have yourself a merry little Christmas" then added some small green gems to the tree to add a bit of bling - hope that still qualifies as one layer otherwise I'll have to pick them off again!!!

Stamps: Penny Black, Papermania

I've just been to upload it to the challenge blog and realised it's not that different to the example card. Doh! I did try putting the sentiment in various different places but it didn't look right. Oh well it's the taking part that counts! :0)

Clean and Simple

I have a blogging friend who makes the most stunning cards but has a very clean and simple style. The trend at the moment is to have many layers and embellishments and I do love that style too but I've set myself the challenge to make some more cards in the clean and simple style as I do love that style too. So here is my clean and simple Christmas card.

The embossed background I made using an embossing folder in my Cuttlebug. The Robin is a stamp from a set by Papermania which I coloured using Twinkling H2Os. The Merry Christmas is from a die cut tag from a set of papers also by Papermania.

Christmas Card. Already?!

I would like to say this is the first Christmas card I've made this year but it's not, it's about my 9th. My excuse for starting so early is that my mum bought me a set of adorable Christmas stamps for Christmas and it seems a shame to have to wait until later in the year to start using them.

I actually made this card for a sketch challenge over on Trimmies. I've not taken part in any challenges for a while so I thought it would be a nice start to the New Year to do one.
The sheep stamp is part of a set by Papermania and is coloured with Twinkling H2Os, the sentiment is by Stamping Up. The papers are by Kars. The oval and scalloped oval are Nestabilities dies.

Saturday Challenge

I made this card for the Saturday Challenge at the beginning of this week but I've been having a mum and son week while my daughter is over at my mum's for a few days so I've only just got round to putting it on my blog.

The Saturday Challenge this week is blue and cream. I used my Penny Black Stamp for this card and papers from Papermania.

Josh and I went to a secret nuclear bunker on Wednesday. Unfortunately it wasn't the best day out ever but we had fun looking for the spy mice and rats.

There were a couple of hands on exhibits but not really enough to keep Josh interested. We had a nice picnic outside afterwards though before we drove home and it was certainly something different. I don't think we'll be going again though.

Another Man U Card

My friend that asked me if I would make a Manchester United card for her sister-in-law to give her son Jack was so impressed with the card I made she asked if I would make one for her husband from the kids. She wanted it exactly the same but you know me I don't like making the same card twice so it is slightly different but not by much. The stamps are all from a set by Onefourzero, the wording is all done with Go Kreate Dies in the Cuttlebug.

The stamp inside the card is by Papermania.

Monochrome Card

The Penny Black Saturday Challenge this week is to create a monochromatic brown card. Since I needed to make a card for my friend Shaeron and I'd already decided I wanted to use this Penny Black Stamp I thought I'd give it a go.

The papers are by Papermania, the stamp, of course, is a Penny Black coloured with Twinkling H2Os and paper piecing. I really do love this stamp. It used to be my Mum's but I have permanently borrowed it from her and now it's mine, all mine!! :-)

Happy Birthday Debbie

It is my blogging friend Debbie's birthday today. This card I made using my new stamp by Nellie Snellen that I got at the Harrogate Craft Fair in March and my new fern punch. The papers are by Papermania and Bazzill. The Happy Birthday is a die cut by Go Kreate.

For the inside I used papermania papers again and then cut a white insert using another Go Kreate die and then used pen to create faux stitching around the edge to add definition.

30th Birthday

I made this card in a rush as I was a bit late for my sister-in-laws birthday. Luckily they were away on holiday for it so I might just have got away with it?!

I used my gorgeous new stamp by Nellie Snellen that I got at the Harrogate Craft Fair, coloured with Twinkling H2Os. The papers are by Papermania. The flowers are a mixture of Prima's and some I have been sent. The ferns were done with my new paper punch. I hope she liked it!

Manchester United Card

I was asked to make a card for a 7 year old called Jack who likes football. The trouble with football cards is that you need to know which team they support because if you use the wrong colours that's not good! Anyway I found out that Jack is a Man U fan so a black, white and red theme it was!



I used a set of stamps that my mum gave me a while ago and this is the first time I've used them. They are by a company called onefourzero and are a really good set of stamps if you are into football. The scarf is just plain and I stamped "United" onto it. The T-shirt I stamped onto red card and then stamped a 7 onto it. The shorts I stamped onto white card and then added the red stripes with a Marvey Le Plume pen. The football and the boot at the bottom are also part of the stamp set. The Happy 7th Birthday are all Go Kreate Dies which I used in my Cuttlebug and the ovals were done using Nestabilities in the same machine. The Jack was done using a Quickutz alphabet also in the Cuttlebug.

For the inside I used a Happy Birthday stamp by Papermania and the football borders are from the onefourzero set.

Just a little proud mummy moment to finish off with. My daughter's class have been reading the script for their Christmas Nativity to see who is going to have which part this year. As they are the eldest infant class they all get parts on the stage but they all get to read through the script like at a play reading so the teachers can get a feel for who would be best to do what.

The show is called "Whoops-a-Daisy Angel" and is about a little Angel who is always late and untidy and never gets very special jobs to do like the other Angels. Anyway she ends up getting a very important job to go and tell the shepherds that a special baby has been born and for once she does the job well and she gets three cheers at the end.

Ellie came out of school on Tuesday and told me she has been given the part of Whoops-a-Daisy Angel. She's been given a script so that we can help her practise her lines at home. It is such a cute story. We're so proud of her. I can't wait to see it now!!

Raspberry Ribbons Challenge

This fortnights Raspberry Ribbons Challenge is to make a single colour card. As you can see I chose blue.

The papers are by Papermaina, the image is one of my Mum's and is a Sarah Kay stamp by Stampavie. I've coloured the image using Twinkling H2O's (as if you didn't know!). The Thank You is a Quickutz Die which I used in my Cuttlebug. The ribbon is a gorgeous blue velvet. I've added a flower jewel brad and a small heart charm that says "Made with love" on it. Stamp: Sarah Kay by Stampavie
Coloured With: Twinkling H2Os
Papers: Papermania
Equipment: Cuttlebug ~ Quickutz Die
Embellishments: Velvet Ribbon ~ Flower ~ Jewel Brad ~ Heart Charm

If you'd like to join us for the challenge the link is here. Hope to see you there!

New Challenge

We have a new weekly challenge over on Quirky Crafts. This weeks challenge is "One For The Boys" I've made two cards as examples for this challenge. The first one is for our friends Tommy and Marissa who had a baby boy three weeks ago. They have called him William Thomas and I had a little cuddle with him on Saturday when they came over. He's adorable!


I thought I'd use some of my Forever Friends baby papers as they are just adorable and used some Forever Friends stickers as embellishments to both the inside and outside of the card. The wording I did using my Quickutz alphabet but I used my Cuttlebug to cut them as it's so much easier to use and more hand friendly than the Quickutz. :-) Papers: Forever Friends ~ Bazzill Basics
Stickers: Forever Friends
Equipment: Cuttlebug ~ Quickutz Alphabet Die ~ Go Kreate Die
The second card is for one of Ellie's class mates. She has been invited to his birthday party on Saturday and originally said yes but has now changed her mind and decided she doesn't want to go after all. So we'll see.


This is one of my favourite Whipper Snapper stamps and is lovely to use on cards for younger boys.

I stamped the Triceratops image out three times, coloured each one and then decoupaged the layers using foam pads to give it some dimension. Stamp: Whipper Snapper

Coloured With: Twinkling H2O's

Papers: Papermania

Equipment: Cuttlebug ~ Nestabilities ~ Go Kreate Die

If you'd like to join in with our challenge please pop over to http://quirkycrafts.forumotion.net/portal.htm

See you there!! :-)

Happy Anniversary!

It was my 7 year Anniversary on Monday. Yes 7 years married to the lovely Peejy Peej!
Funnily enough the weather was just the same as it was on our Wedding Day all those years ago - wet, wet, wet!

This is the card I made Patrick for our Anniversary.
and this is the inside, although I did stamp another stamp next to the couple hugging which says "You make me smile" after I took this photo. You'll just have to imagine it there! :-)
Papers: Papermania
Stamps: Clearly Wordsworth
Embellishments: Brad ~ Charm

Wahoooo! I'm back!!!!!! :-)

I have now finished all Ellie's invites, well the outside anyway. I am hoping to do all the insides today.

The card below I made for one of the Sugar Nellie blog challenges which was "Blue and Green." However with my computer being out of action I didn't get to post it in time and it's gone now. Never mind. That's life! :-) But what would you know? The new Colour Create Challenge is..... Blue and Green!!!! Hooray. So I can enter it for that one instead.

You can't see it very well on the photo but the green paper behind the image has been embossed with "Script" and the green piece with the ribbon on has been embossed with "Argyle". The oval behind the image I coloured with green and blue chalk as the white background stuck out like a sore thumb. The chalks helped to soften it and made it blend in with the colours of the card.

Stamps: Sugar Nellie ~ Stamping Up
Coloured With: Twinkling H2Os
Papers: Hot off The Press
Equipment: Cuttlebug ~ Nestabilities ~ Embossing Folders
Embellishments: Adhesive Pearls ~ Ribbon ~Chalks

Ellie has invited three boys to her party this year, this is a big thing as Ellie has never invited boys before. I decided rather than make fairy cards for the boys I'd use one of my Sugar Nellie stamps instead.

This is the last of the three boys cards. Stamps: Sugar Nellie ~ Stamping Up
Coloured With: Twinkling H2Os
Papers: Papermania
Equipment: Cuttlebug ~ Nestabilities
Embellishments: Adhesive Gems ~ Ribbon

Get Well Soon

My poor friend Debbie has the Flu again. She's only just got over one lot of it and has now caught it again. I thought I'd make her a card to help cheer her up a bit.

The pig stamp is actually one of my Mum's that she has stamped out a few times for me. I think its fab. Stamp: Stamping Up
Coloured with: Twinkling H2Os
Papers: Papermania
Equipment: Cuttlebug ~ Nestibilities
Embellishments: Prima flowers ~ Brad

Raspberry Ribbons Sketch Card Number Two.

Yes it's that time again already! This is the second card I've made for the Raspberry Ribbons Sketch Blog. I hope you will pop over and join in with this fortnights sketch. I really love this stamp. It is a Penny Black which of course are always adorable anyway!

The Happy Birthday was done on my Cricut.

The paper is by K&Co which I've edged with brown ink.

The flowers are Primas.

The green stars and adhesive pearls are by Papermania.

The ribbon is from a set by Maya Road (I think?)

Re-Vamp Mum Card

This is another card I wanted to change. Originally it was just the backing paper with a little stamped cat holding a bunch of flowers in the bottom right hand corner. I took the cat off and added the Tilda stamps which is one of my Mum's. I added lots of flowers, green ribbon, pink bling gems, and a couple of decorative corners. I really like the way this one turned out.

Raspberry Ribbons First DT Sketch Card.

Here is my first card I have made as DT member for Raspberry Ribbons. If you would like to join in with Sketch Three please click here for details. The Christmas background stamp was one I got sent as a RAK.
The snowman stamp is by Whipper Snapper
The papers are by Dovecraft
The ribbon is some I got in a RAK
The pink bling gems on the ribbon are by Papermania.

New Years Resolution Card

Oh I have got so behind with these. I haven't made any Christmas cards in ages. I'm so bad!!! I thought a new stamp would kick start me back into action and I've made one! Well it's better than none?! The papers are by Dovecraft.
The stamp is by Magnolia and coloured with Twinkling H2O's.
The Happy Christmas stamp is by Papermania.

Sketch Card

I keep hearing about people doing Di Hickmans sketch challenges and so I thought I'd jump on the band wagon and have a go myself and this is the card I made.
The patterened paper is by Papermania and the sentiment is a peel off coloured with a peel off marker pen.