Happy Birthday Daughter

Lots of tears in our house yesterday.  Hubby took my eldest daughter off to Uni for the first time!  She seems to be settling in very well and is sharing with a lovely group of students.  I can't believe it, it feels like such a short time ago that we brought her home from hospital at 3 days old!

Emma is settling into High School very well.  She is changing all the time, growing up so fast.

I'm very proud of both my daughters.

It's Sarah's birthday this week and this is the card I have made for her:

8 x 8 card blank

I used the Woodland Folk and Friends cd-rom from do-crafts, owl from the decoupage section and the leaves backing paper.

I then punched lots of leaves using my X-cut Botanical Embossing punch and layer them up in a circle (of sorts).  I stamped the sentiment using stamps from LOTV and Versafine Olympia Green ink.

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Crafty Sentiments Designs - Leaves

Bearly Mine Challenges - Anything Goes

CRAFT Challenge - Autumn

Willow Sketchie Challenge - Things With Wings

Raise the Bar Challenge - Things With Wings

Crafty Ann's Challenge - Autumnal Colours

The Crafty Pad Challenge - Autumn Colours

One Stitch At A Time - Autumn Colours

Songbird Challenge - Defying Gravity

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

CD Sunday Challenge - Seaside Treasures

This week over at The CD Sunday Challenge the theme is Seaside Treasures.  Here is my card:

I followed the sketch over at Papertake Weekly

8 x 8 card blank

Image and backing papers printed from Joanna Sheen's Faye Whittaker cd-rom.  I printed the main image onto Watercolour Card and think it works really well with these images.

Sentiment Label - Spellbinders Persian die.

Net/ribbon and shells from my stash.

My card is also for the following challenges:

Crafty Ann's Challenge - Memories are made of this

The Crafty Pad - Use natural elements (shells)

Emma's Crafty Challenge - The Sea

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Build A Scene

Good Morning

I hope the sun is shining for you today.

My card for today is made using the new stamps from Hobby Art called British Countryside:

This is a lovely set of stamps.  You get so many on the sheet and I've used just 4 for my card.

I stamped the images onto Watercolour Card using Versafine ink.  I think these images lend themselves so well to watercolouring.  I used a Darice embossing folder from Crafters Companion and Core'dinations card. I sanded it very slightly.  I trimmed down the image to fit in the embossed frame and then matted this onto black card.  I made a card blank from pearlescent card from PaperMill and matted the image onto this.

It took me all my time not to add any embellishments to this card, but decided to leave it 'as is' so as not to detract too much from the image, also, I made this as a 'male' card so that decided it too!

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Card for a male.

Cards For Men - Spring Colours

Crafty Ann's Challenge - It's a man's world

Thanks for visiting!

An Easter Bunny

Good Morning

A warm welcome to my new followers.  Thank you for joining me.

A very happy Mothers' Day to all mums out there, I hope you have a lovely day.

The current challenge over at the Joanna Sheen Challenge Blog is Spring/Easter.  Here is my card:

I was lucky enough to receive the Giordano decoupage for my birthday, and used one of the lovely images for my card.  I punched the border of the purple cardstock with a Martha Stewart deep edge punch and then matted this onto the base card.  The decoupaged image was matted onto silver mirror card. I created the flowers out of tissue paper finished with flowersoft in the centres, in an attempt to re-create some of the flowers in the image.

My card is also for the following challenges:

Penny Black and More - Springtime

Crafty Ann's Challenge - Spring

St Lukes Charity Card Challenge - Spring

Crafty Sentiments Monthly Challenge - Easter

Totally Gorjuss - Spring

One Stop Craft Challenge - Handmade flowers

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Christmas Teddy Bear

Well I know it's a dog, but it reminds me of a Teddy Bear!  How gorgeous is he?

This is a card made using Joanna Sheen's Furry Friends cd-rom.

Printed onto glossy photo paper and matted onto red cardstock.  I printed off two of the backing papers, which were matted onto the same red cardstock.  I used a memorybox die on some red mirror card to produce the tree.  I used a Lili of the Valley Christmas Sentiment stamp, stamped with red ink.

My card is for the following challenges:

Rainbow Lady's Challenge - Dogs

Moving Along With The Times - Use at least 2 layers

Willow Sketchie Challenge - Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments Designs - Use The Word Happy

Crafty Ann's Challenge - Bold and Bright

Another card ready for Christmas Woo Hoo!!!

Thanks for visiting today.

A Birthday Card And A Diet!

Good Afternoon

My card for today is a birthday card for my mum, it's her birthday in February:

I love this image, the colours are so vibrant.  The image is from the new Heart of the Garden cd-rom from Joanna Sheen, it really is a stunning cd.  I printed the image onto photo paper and decoupaged the image.  The backing paper is also from the cd, printed onto pearlescent paper, the wording says 'Wishing You A Wonderful Day'.  I embossed some co-ordinating green card with my newest embossing folder and then added some gems for extra sparkle.  This was then matted onto linen silver cardstock.

I'm really pleased with how this card has turned out.  You can't really tell from the photo, but the decoupage looks fantastic.

My card is for the following challenges:

Colour Create Challenge - Pink and Green

ABC Challenge - H for Happy Birthday

Crafty Ann's Challenge - Use new stash (cd and embossing folder)

And now for my diet!  It's a stash diet, it's getting silly the amount of unused craft items I have.  I've so many lovely stamps that have yet to meet an ink pad!!!  And I've got some fabulous cd's that have not been used or hardly used.  So no more craft buying for me for a while.  The only things I'm allowing myself are essentials such as glue!  I would really like a Grand Calibur and think I could put one to very good use, so I'm going to start saving up for one!!!

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Jo x

A New Baby

Good Morning

I have a new baby card to share with you today, created using the paper embroidery technique:

All the sewing uses metallic threads.  This was then matted onto holographic card, and finally white linen card to which I'd punched a border with a Martha Stewart punch.

My card is for the following challenges:

Sentimental Sundays - Colour of your birth flower (mine is iris, hence the blue)

Crafty Sentiments - No designer paper

Ladybugs Crafts - Oh Baby

Raise the Bar - Stitching

Crafty Ann's Challenge - Clean and Simple

Crafts and Me - Use blue

Creative Craft Challenges - Fancy Edges

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Jo x

Snow Is Falling

Good Morning

I have been meaning to get cracking with my Christmas cards for some time, and the arrival yesterday of my new spellbinders ironwork motifs dies encouraged me to get going (well make one card!).

I used some Centura pearl card, which I embossed with a very neglected snowflakes embossing folder.  All the die-cuts are cut from pearlised paper and then sparkling snow glitter added.   A diamante was added to the centre of the large snowflake.  The smaller snowflakes are made using punches.

My card is for the following challenges:

Crafty Ann's Challenge - It'll be all white on the night

Winter Wonderland - Someone special (this card is for one of my daughter's)

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - No sentiment

Christmas Cards All Year Round - Use something a year old (my embossing folder)

Thanks for visiting today.

Jo x

By The Seaside

Good Morning

The day started off very cloudy with rain in the air but the sun has broken through to bring us another gorgeous day.  So my card for today is quite appropriate.

The card is made using one of the 'All Our Yesterday's' decoupage sheets from Joanna Sheen.  I love decoupage and these sheets are a real pleasure to work with.

The light blue base card is dry embossed using the Keepsake Splendour Embossing board.  I don't have a lot of embossing boards but this one really caught my eye, I love the shapes on it.  I then embossed some dark blue card using some of the corners on the board and then layered them up.  Light blue pearls (available from Joanna Sheen) were then added.

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Crafts and Me Challenge - Summertime

Crafty Ann's Challenge - Dry Embossing

Enjoy the rest of your day.

Jo x

You're In My Thoughts

Good Morning

Thank you for visiting my blog today.

I was asked to make a card for someone to send to a friend who is have a difficult time.  I've seen lots of beautiful trellis cards displayed on Joanna Sheen's craft forum and decided to give one a go.

I used a lovely cream pearlescent card for the base card.  Using a glitter girls board I added the shape and then carefully cut around it.  Thin strips of the same card were used to create the trellis, and then the same shape was cut out and added on the reverse to hold the trellising in place.  The tiny flowers on the trellis were punched from pink and lilac pearlescnt paper and a glitter vellum and then layered up.  A tiny bead was added to the centre of each flower. 

The roses were made from the same papers, cut using a Marianne die.  The leaves were cut from the glittered vellum using a Marianne die, a x-cut punch and a Nellie Snellen punch.  The butterfly is also a Marianne die and 3 tiny pearls were added to the centre

On the inside of the card I added a printed insert with words requested by my customer.  On the back of the insert - so the bit that is seen through the trellis - I added a sheet of glittered vellum.

This card took many hours to create, but I thoroughly enjoyed making it and think it is a style I will be repeating.

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Crafty Ann's Challenge - Get Well Soon/Thinking Of You/Just Because

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion Challenge - Anything Goes

Totally PaperCrafts Challenge - Bingo - I've used Die-cuts, flowers and gems

I hope you have a lovely day.

Jo x

Oriental Lofty

Good Morning!

Happy Saturday, I hope you are well.

Yesterday I had a visit from some friends who I haven't seen for quite some time. It was lovely to see them all. We exchanged belated birthday presents, and as they know of my love of giraffes, my presents included some gorgeous giraffe pyjamas. I want to send them a thank you card, so last night sat down and created this card.

I'm ashamed to say I've had this lofty stamp set for a long time and it has barely been used. It seemed very appropriate for the card.

All the images are from the same stamp sheet and were coloured with Lyra's. The lovely backing paper is from Joanna Sheen's Eastern Treasures cd-rom, and I printed it onto pearlescent paper.

I really like this style of card but find it really difficult to make. I coverred it with the backing paper and then added a punched border, made using a Martha Stewart punch. The frame is a Marianne die cut from gold mirror card.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion Cutie Pattootie, she is definately a cutie!

Crafty Ann's Challenge Oriental

Dream Valley Challenges Dig Out The Old To Use With The New - Old Stamp, new cd used for backing paper

Whoopsi Daisy Challenge Let's Punch It Out

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Jo x

Birthday Girl In Aqua, Pink and Lemon

Good Afternoon

I hope you're having a good day.

My card for today is a birthday card made using a digi stamp from Pink Gem Designs.

I love this image and really enjoyed colouring it in using my coloured pencils.

The backing paper is from my stash. The pink paper was punched around the edges using a Martha Stewart PATP. The yellow butterfly border was made using an EK Success punch. The mat she is sat on was die-cut using a Nellie Snellen die, as were the flowers and sentiment. Little pearls from Joanna Sheen were added to the centres of the flowers, and the little butterflies are the one's cut out from the punched strip. The sentiment stamp is from the Patchwork Polly range of stamps.

The inside of the card matches the front.

I would like to enter my card in the following challenges:

A Gem Of A Challenge - Use Aqua, Lemon and Pink

Crafty Ann's Challenge - Happy Birthday

Stamps R Us - Goin' Digital

Papertake Weekly - Fancy A Punch

Easy Craft Projects - Pastel Colours

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge - Anything Goes

Paper Sundaes Challenge - Birthday

Thanks for visiting today, and for the comments you leave, I love to read them.

Jo