80th Birthday Card

Hello Again

This is my entry into the current challenge at The Joanna Sheen Challenge which is Happy Birthday.  I was asked to make an 80th Birthday card for a friend to send to her mum and this is what I came up with.

Topper from Joanna Sheen's Jane Shasky Heart of the Garden cd, made into decoupage.  

Mirror card using for matting and sentiment tags, cut with Spellbinders dies.

Backing paper from same cd, printed onto Satin paper.

Couture Creations embossing folder - Tied Together, pearls from Joanna Sheen.

Ribbon from Create and Craft, rose and hat pins from my stash.

Challenges entered:

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - In the Garden

Hooked on Crafts - Flowers

Ooh La La Creations Challenge - Ribbon and/or Twine

The CD Sunday Challenge - Easy Elegance

The Crafty Pad Challenge - Bingo (I chose line Ribbon, Flowers, Bling)

Paper Sundaes - Pretty In Pink

Shopping Our Stash - Bingo (I chose Pink, ribbons, free, pearls, yellow)

Crafts and Me Challenges - Fabulous Flowers

The Easter Bunny

Good Morning

I hope this morning finds you well.

I'd like to start by saying a belated Happy Ruby Wedding Anniversary to my lovely blog friend Edna, I'm sorry I wasn't around yesterday, I hope you both had a lovely day.

My card for today uses a decoupage image from Joanna Sheen's Giordano range:

Isn't this image adorable?  I matted the image onto gold linen card.   I took an 8 x 8 base card and embossed along the bottom edge using the Glittergirls Border Fold board.  I then went around all sides of the card using pink and yellow ink from the Big and Juicy Soothing Sunset pad, applied using cut n' dry foam.  The fab ribbon I receive from a fellow Sheenie in an angel envelope last weeks (I love it, thank you :D).  The yellow panel is core'dinations cardstock, embossed using a Darice border embossing folder and then sanded to reveal the core.  This was also matted onto gold linen card.

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

Top Tip Tuesday - Easter and/or animals

Anything Goes Challenge Blog - Get Ready For Easter

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge - Easter

Moving Along With The Times - Cute and Cuddly

PaperPlay Challenges - Easter

Cute Card Thursday - Happy Easter

Paper Sundaes - Happy Easter

Totally Papercrafts Challenge - Easter

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Jane Shasky 90th Birthday Card

Good Morning

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend.

The current challenge over at Crafting When We Can - Is Big Birthdays.

My card is a birthday card for a 90 year old!

I used a 6 x 6 scalloped edge card blank to which I added some vellum using flower brads.  The main image, from Joanna Sheen's Jane Shasky cd-rom, I printed a number of times and decoupaged it.  It is then matted onto silver linen card, and then pink holographic card.  The mat the number is sat on uses the same holographic card and is cut with a Nellie Snellen die.  Peel offs are used for the number.

My card is also for the following:

Paper Sundaes - Birthdays

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Jo x

My Valentine

Good Afternoon

My card for today uses one of the lovely SWALK stamps, this is its first inking!

I coloured the image using promarkers and coloursoft pencils.  I printed the heart pattern directly onto card from a Crafters Companion Popcorn cd-rom.  I printed onto both sides of the card.  I cut an aperture using a Spellbinders die to create a shaker card.  Here is a close up of the shaker:

The sentiment is computer generated, the label is a spellbinders die.

My card is for the following challenges:

Crafters Companion - Share the Love

Cupcake Craft Challenge - All You Need Is Love

The Poodles Parlour - Love Is In The Air

Crafters Companion Monthly Challenge - Love Is In The Air

Allsorts Challenge - Hearts

Anything Goes Challenge - To The One I Love

Paper Sundaes Challenge - Valentines

The Crafty Pad - Valentines

Thanks for stopping by today.

Jo x

Time To Relax

Good Morning

Today is my brother-in-laws birthday.  I couldn't decide what theme to use for his card so had a look through my Nostalgia cd-rom from Joanna Sheen.  This is the card I came up with:

I'm really pleased with how this came out.  I always seem to struggle with stepper cards and had to work out my own dimensions for this one.  I printed a backing paper from the cd-rom onto card stock to produce my base card.  The images are all printed onto glossy photo paper and matted onto gold linen card.  The sentiments are Lili of the Valley using versafine ink.  All the sentiments are matted onto gold linen card too, the circular sentiment mats cut using a Nellie Snellen Lily die which I got for Christmas.

My card is for the following challenges:

Joanna Sheen Challenge - Celebrations

Bunny Zoe Crafts - Fancy Folds

Rainbow Lady's Challenge - Anything Goes

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes

Pile it on challenge - Anything Goes

Paper Sundaes Challenge - Something Old (Stamps) Something New (Dies)

Ladybug Crafts Ink - Use new stash (Dies)

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Jo x

Christmas Wishes

Good Morning

After seeing the lovely book cards over on Edna's blog, I was inspired to have a go!  I always struggle with ideas for Christmas gifts for the teachers at Emma's school and thought this was the perfect gift. I need to make 3 more!

For this book card I used papers from Making Cards magazine, sillver mirror card for matting and layering, and I die cut some Marianne flourishes out of the silver card.

I die cut some of the ironworks dies to add to the spine of the book.

I cut out a frame for the inside and ran it through my big shot using Divine Swirls embossing folder.

I attached some silver organza ribbon to tie the card shut and the tealights are attached using foam pads.

My card is for the following challenges:

Dream Valley Challenges - Christmas

Bunny Zoe Crafts - Fancy folds/shapes

Winter Wonderland - Let it Snow

Allsorts Challenge - It Takes Two

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - Traditional Christmas (Tree, snowflakes, candles)

Paper Sundaes - Anything Christmas

ABC Christmas - Christmas Project

Top Tip Tuesday - A Gift

Anything Goes Challenge - Anything But A Card

Alphabet Challenge Blog - W for White Christmas

Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting, I'd love to know what you think.

Jo x

Crafty Calendar December Challenge - Cold and Frosty

Good Morning

Don't the months fly by quickly?  It doesn't seem 2 minutes since I was invited to join the design team at Crafty Calendar and here we are on my 3rd month already!

Our theme for this month is cold and frosty and here is my card:

The image I have used is a digi stamp from Pollycrafts Swing and Slides range, I love this range of stamps! I coloured the image using promarkers and coloursoft pencils and added some Glossy Accents to the girls glasses, the snowmans nose, eyes and buttons.  I then added some Pinflair Snow Dust around their feet.

The backing papers are from Crafters Companion Snowman cd-rom.  The embossing uses an embossing plate that came in a bundle when I bought my big shot.  The mats that the image and sentiment are sat on are cut using spellbinders dies.  The crystal snowflakes have been in my stash for ages, they were ridiculously expensive and I find it difficult to bring myself to use them!!!  All the edges were distressed using Faded Jeans Distress Ink and Cut N Dry Foam.

I do hope you can join in with our challenge this month.  Please do pop over to the Challenge blog to see the lovely cards my teamies have made.

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

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Sketch

Paper Sundaes - Winter Wonderland

Craft Your Passion - Tis the Season

Shopping Our Stash - Use a digi

CRAFT Challenge - Christmas Present

Willow Sketchie Challenge - Anything Goes

ABC Challenge - E for Embossing

Pollycraft Monday Challenge - Christmas

Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Goes

One Stop Craft Challenge  - Let It Snow

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Jo x

Christmas Fun

Good Morning

Thank you for all your good wishes yesterday, hopefully the new medication regime will start to help very soon.

I've another Christmas card to share with you today:

The image is from the decoupage section of Joanna Sheen's Nostalgia cd-rom.  By way of a change, I used a Glitter Girls embsoosing board to produce the frame.  The sentiment is Lili of the Valley, sat on a memory box die-cut.

My card is for the following challenges:

Joanna Sheen Challenge - Christmas Wishes

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - Vintage

One Stitch At A Time - Seeing Red

Paper Sundaes - Winter Wonderland

Rainbow Lady's Challenge - A Christmas Carol (Oh Christmas Tree)

Raise The Bar Challenge - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

 

Dream Valley Challenges - Sparkle

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge - Inspired by photo

Totally PaperCrafts Challenge - Let It Snow


Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Jo x

Wedding Wishes

Good morning

My eldest daughter was asked to be a bridesmaid for her friends mum who was re-marrying this week.  The wedding was up in Scotland and they are travelling home as I type.

This is the card I made:

The base card I used is a beautiful pearlescent cream card.  The deep red is the colour of the bridesmaids dresses.  I embossed some cardstock with a cuttlebug folder and die cut the flowers, leaves and butterflies using Marianne dies.  A pearl was added to complete the flower, a ribbon bow and a co-ordinating rub-on sentiment were used to complete the card.

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

Paper Sundaes - Beautiful bows

Pile it on - Anything with a p (Pearl)

Divas by Design - Monochromatic

Creative Craft Challenge  - Anything Goes

My Mums Craft Shop - Things with wings

Flutterby Wednesdays - Open Challenge

Moving along with the times - Ribbons and bows

Crafty Ann's Challenge - Monotone

Craft Your Days Away - Buttons or bows

Creative Card Crew Challenge  - Monochromatic (thanks Jan)

Thanks for visiting my blog today.  Have a lovely weekend.

Jo x

The CD Sunday Challenge - Sunset

Good Afternoon

Back again with another card!  This is my entry for this weeks CD Sunday Challenge which this week has a theme of 'Sunset'.

I went straight to my Thomas Kinkade cd-rom from Joanna Sheen and chose this beautiful image 'Sunset at Riverbend Farm'.  I've used so many layers on the card, it's really quite heavy now it's finished!

I printed the image onto watercolour card and then divided it into three to produce a tryptych effect.  I also printed a backing paper from the Cloudy Skies section.  I used gold linen card and a lovely browny/orange card from Papermill for the matting and layering.  I chose three different ribbons to make a triple bow and added a little pearl to the end of each ribbon.

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

One Stop Craft Challenge - Use Three's

Paper Sundaes - Use rectangles

Crafting For All Seasons - Texture - I used linen card and watercolour card to add texture, plus the ribbons.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Jo x

House Mouse & Friends

Good Afternoon

The new challenge over at House Mouse & Friends  is Thank You.  I needed to make a thank you card to send to some special friends so this fitted the challenge perfectly:

I'm sorry about the quality of the photo, the card is actually quite colourful in real life, but the light is so bad today, this was the best I could do.

I use a housemouse decoupage from Joanna Sheen.  The backing paper is from the Housemouse cd-rom, printed onto centura paper.  The frame is a wonky rectangle spellbinders die cut into some platinum pearlescent cardstock.  I added some gems to the frame.  The sentiment is lili of the valley, layered onto a memorybox die.  For the mini bouquet I made some flowersoft stems and also threaded some seed beads onto wire.  The bouquet wrap is made from angelhair paper.

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

My Mum's Craft Shop - Thank you card

Fussy and Fancy Challenge- Be thankful and use a sentiment

Truly Scrumptious Challenge - Bingo - I chose Gems/Flowers/Die-cuts

Paper Sundaes - Rectangles

Pile It On Challenge - Give Thanks

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Jo x

Let It Snow

Good Afternoon

Well today I finally got a chance to play with the fabulous new SWALK range from Crafters Companion.  This is my favourite image from the Winter Cheer range.

I stamped the image onto watercolour card using versafine ink.  I then watercoloured her using brushmarkers. I found some fab holographic card in my stash out of which I cut a frame using a spellbinders die.  I used an ironworks die to cut the fabulous snowflake out of silver glitter card, and used the same card to die cut the bauble using a Marianne die.  The gorgeous backing papers, borders and flower are all printed from the accompanying cd-rom.  The sentiment is LOTV embossed with silver detail embossing powder.

I used the remainder of the printed papers on the inside of my card:

My card is for the following challenges:

Crafters Companion Monthly Challenge - Pink and Green

Willow Sketchie Challenge  - Sketch

Jingle Belles - Softly falling snow

Totally Papercrafts - Lots of layers

The Secret Crafter - Wrap up warm

Paper Sundaes - Flowers and sparkle

Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Christmas Songs (Let It Snow)

Now then, which image shall I play with next????

Have a lovely evening.

Jo x

Autumn Leaves

Good Afternoon

This is another of the many thank you cards I have been making recently:

This uses a stamp from Dimension Fourth embossed with Copper Dreams embossing powder and coloured using a Big and Juicy ink pad.  Some simple matting and layering and a gold peel off complete the card.

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

Stampin' For The Weekend - Autumn Colours

CES Challenge - Forever Autumn

Paper Sundaes - Halloween or Fall

Pile It On - Fall is fun

Craft Challenge - Autumn

Stamps R Us - Nature's Gifts


Now please can I ask for your assistance.  I want to top up my stash of distress inks and I want to get a blue that is good for Christmas Cards.  I already have faded jeans so am trying to decide between broken china, chipped sapphire, tumbled glass and stormy sky, it's hard to know the true colours when looking at a screen.  If you've used any of these, please can you let me know what you think.  Thank you :-).

Jo x

Time For Tea Teddy Bea

Good Evening

As soon as I saw Nela's fab project over at Teddy Bo & Co I knew it was a perfect make for a friend of mine.  Here is my finished project:

The paper I've used on the teapot is from a previous Making Cards magazine and I went round all the edges with Milled Lavender distress inks.  Teddy Bea is coloured with coloursoft pencils and distress inks, and the pattern on the cup is made using a teeny-weeny stamp.  The sentiment is computer generated.  The mat Teddy Bea and the sentiment are sat on are Spellbinders Labels 22 and this is the first time I have used them.  Little gems were added to complete the design.

I would also like to enter my project in the following challenges:

Teddy Bo Challenge - Use Your Favourite Colour

Totally Paper Crafts - Animals

Allsorts Challenge - Use A Bear

One Stop Craft Challenge - Anything Goes

Paper Sundaes - Favourite Colours

Hooked On Craft  - Anything But A Card

Digi Makeover Challenge - Anything But A Card

Thanks for having a look.

Jo x

Winter Friends

Good Morning

My card for today is another to add to my Christmas card stash:

and is my entry into Crafter's Companion World Cardmaking Day Challenge.

My card is made using the adorables cd-rom from Crafter's Companion and the papers are from the cd also.
I embossed the mirror board that the images are sat on with a sizzix embossing plate.  The snowflake is a Spellbinders Ironworks die.

My card is also for the following challenges:

The ABC Challenge - Anything Goes

Paper Sundaes - Lots of Layers

Anything Goes Challenge - Use Die Cuts or Punches

Creative Inspirations Challenge - Friendship

Raise The Bar Challenge - Furry Friends

Totally Papercrafts Challenge - Animals

My Mum's Craft Shop Challenge - All Things Bright and Beautiful

Molly Blooms

Good Evening

I was lucky enough to win a couple of Molly Blooms stamps in a Challenge last week, and have used one of them on todays card.

Isn't she lovely?  I have a friend due to start a new job, and the place she will be working is called Molly's, so this seemed a very appropriate stamp to use.

I followed the sketch over at Paper Sundaes Challenge.  Molly is stamped onto watercolour card and coloured with Lyra's.  The shape Molly and the sentiment are on are spellbinders.  The papers are from Making Cards magazine.  The sentiment is Lili of the Valley and the gems are from Joanna Sheen.

My card is for the following:

Paper Sundaes Challenge - Sketch

My Time To Craft Challenge - Just Between Friends (this card is for a friend).

Stamps R Us Challenge  - Friendship

Stamp Something - Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge - Flowers and Swirls (on the backing papers).

Pink Gem Challenge - Inspired by photo

Fussy and Fancy Challenge - Celebrate

Thanks for visiting.

Jo x

A Day At The Beach

Good Morning

And what a beautiful morning it is too.

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

The image is coloured using coloursoft pencils.  The backing papers are all from a previous issue of making cards magazine.  The flowers are made using Nellie Snellen punches from the same paper with a tiny pearl from Joanna Sheen added to the centres.

My card is for the following challenges:

A Gem Of A Challenge - Sketch

Fussy and Fancy - Summer

Cutie Sunday - Summer

Paper Sundaes - Beach

Top Tip Tuesday - Make It Girly

Do It With Digis - Summer Fun

Craft Your Days Away - Summertime

Easy Crafy Projects - The Summer

Divas By Design - Summer Is Here

Crafting For All Seasons - Beach/Ocean

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Under the sea (the shells are from the sea!)

Thanks for visiting my blog today, have a great day.

Jo x

Yuletide Greetings

Good Evening

I hope you've had an enjoyable weekend, my goodness have we had some rain!!  And it's been so dark and dismal all day today.

Anyway, this afternoon I got my next Christmas card made.

The reindeer on this card is from a Jayne Nestorenko stamp plate, as is the greeting.  I stamped using versafind vintage sepia onto watercolour card, and coloured using Lyra's. I just couldn't resist giving him a red nose!   I added some Pinflair snow dust to his antlers and Hunkydory 'snowdrift' around his feet.  The mat he is sat on is cut using a Nellie Snellen die and gold linen card.

All the different backing papers are from an issue of Making Cards magazine.  The poinsettias are made using my new Marianne dies which arrived yesterday.

My card is for the following challenges:

Christmas Challenges With Sketches - Sketch (I really enjoyed following this fab sketch).

Jingle Belles - Reindeer Games  - use a Christmas animal.

Winter Wonderland - Wet or dry embossing (the poinsettias are embossed).

The Crafty Pad - Christmas in July

Paper Sundaes - Christmas in July

The Snowman

Good Afternoon

Back with my second card for today which is made using the new cd-rom and stamp set from Crafters Companion.

I used hammered white cardstock for the base.  The backing papers are all from the cd-rom printed onto centura pearl paper.  A Martha Stewart PATP was used.  The snowman is stamped in versafine ink and some shading added with coloursoft pencils.  Hunkydory 'Snowdrift' was added around his feet.  His hat and scarf were paper pieced using matching lilac backing paper.

I used one of the papers as an insert for the card.

For the card layout, I followed the current sketch at Willow Sketchie Challenge, a challenge which I was lucky enough to win last week.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Willow Sketchie Challenge  - Sketch

Christmas Card Challenges - Paper Piecing (his hat and scarf)

Paper Sundaes -  Paper Piecing (his hat and scarf)

Crafty Emma's Challenge  - Christmas

Jo x

Teddy Bea Shines

Good Afternoon

The current challenge over at Teddy Bo is to make 'Anything But A Card', so I decided to make a candle!!  With a matching gift box of course.

 

I made the candle using paraffin wax and a large pillar candle mold.  I then printed Teddy Bea onto tissue paper 3 times, glittered her wings and then carefully applied the images to the candle.  Tiny gems were added at random to the candle.

For the box I printed Teddy Bea twice and again glittered her wings, I made up the box with an acetate front panel so the candle is visible.

One of Emma's teachers loves candles, so I decided that this would be a good end of term present for her.  I needed a matching card of course!!!!

The card is made using Teddy Bea decoupage.  The stars are my new stacking stars die-namics dies from Dies To Die for.  The flowers are Marianne dies as are the leaves.  The sentiment is LOTV.  The star punch is Martha Stewart.

I would like to enter the following challenges:

The Teddy Bo Challenge - Anything But A Card

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Things With Wings

Paper Sundaes - I've used wings and gems

The Poodles Parlour - Come Fly With Me

Crafty Creations Challenges - Thank You

Truly Scrumptious Challenge - Things With Wings

Divas By Design - Use die cuts and punches

PaperPlay Challenges - Anything But A Card

Thanks for visiting today.

Jo x