Go Manchester City!!!!!

Good Morning

My card for today is a Good Luck card for Manchester City in the FA Cup final this afternoon.

The card was inspired by one made by Clairebears which can be seen here. Thanks Claire.

The image is from Teddybo.com, and I coloured him in City colours using pencils. I made the backing paper using the logo.

Thanks for visiting today.

Jo x

Ruby Wedding

Just a quick post today after all the issues with blogger. I haven't half missed visiting all the usual blogs today.

This is a card I made for some friends Ruby Wedding Anniversary this weekend.

The layout is similar to the WOW card I made earlier this week, but this time I used my new Marianne English Roses die for the flowers. I tried to roll some tighter than others so they were more like buds.

The inside of the card was decorated to co-ordinate with the front. The card has been delivered this evening and I'm delighted to say they loved it.

Great excitement building in our house tonight in anticipation of the FA cup final tomorrow. I've promised Emma I'll watch it with them and am actually quite looking forward to it. Go City (Manchester City that is!).

Jo x

The CD Sunday Challenge - Let's Go Oriental

Good Afternoon

I was all set to post this morning when Mr Blogger decided to have his difficult head on. This also meant I couldn't visit other blogs, so I'll be doing my visiting later.

I am actually showing 2 cards today. I enjoy entering the CD Sunday Challenge, and the DT there are a really lovely group of ladies who always take the time to comment on your cards. The theme for this week is 'Let's Go Oriental'.

I went straight to my quite recently purchased Eastern Treasures cd rom from Joanna Sheen. I selected my image and backing papers and decided I was going to make an Invertage style card for a change.

I decided to use both accompanying backing papers, together with some silver mirri, and I layered the images using 1mm foam tape. Some ribbon and a couple of pearls were added to complete the design.

I decorated the inside of the card to co-ordinate.

I realised when cutting the invertage that it left me with the same layers in Pyrimage, so rather than waste them, I decided to make a second card.

Slightly different layout this time, still using the same backing papers, and in my wisdom I decided to try and create some paper flowers to look like the flowers in the image (I think it's a peony).

I didn't have a suitable punch for the petals, so cut out rough petal shapes by hand. Would you believe it took me almost 3 hours to make these flowers!!!! I was sat resting because my pain was at full pelt again, and needed something to do to try and detract from it.

The middle of the card is decorated in the same way as the first.

Thanks for having a look today.

Jo x

Thank you to those of you who left me such lovely comments on this post. Regretably, with the problems with Blogger over the last few days, it appears that these comments have been lost.

WOW LIM BNFL

Or in other words - White on White, Less Is More, But Not For Long!!!

Well I looked at the new challenge over on Less Is More on Saturday and thought I wouldn't be taking part this week!!! I've never made a white on white card in my life and didn't know where to start. BUT, there's something about this challenge that really grabs you. I think so many of us really do find it a challenge, and want to push ourselves to achieve it. Also the hostesses Chrissie and Mandy are so encouraging and so many LIMettes visit other blogs, it really feels like a special community.

So I've spent the last few days trying to think of an acceptable idea. Over on Joanna Sheen's craft forum I've seen some beautiful WOW cards made by my Sheenie friends, and today I've finally got a card to post! So here it is.

It's made with a combination of Centura Pearl card and white glitter card. I used a cuttlebug folder to produce the embossed frame, the flowers and leaves are cut using Marianne dies, as is the butterfly. The flower was layered slightly using glue gel and a little white pearl popped in the centre to complete the card.

But, then I kept looking at it, and I couldn't help it, I had to give it the 'ribbon treatment', I'm sorry Chrissie and Mandy!!! I used a combination of organza and satin white ribbon, and then added some small pearls to the ends of the organza ribbon to hide the glue. So here is version 2. Not so LIM!!!!

I'd love to know what you think. I'm now off to visit some fellow LIMettes to see what they've come up with for this challenge.

Have a super day.

Jo x

Bea's In Love

Good Morning

Hasn't the weather been strange over the last few days? Please come back Mr Sunshine!

I couldn't resist and just had to have another go at the current challenge over at TeddyBo. I love Teddy Bea and Bo and I love making easel cards, so here is my second entry to the current challenge.

I remembered to choose my papers before colouring in the image again, and these are some more papers from a previous edition of Making Cards magazine. I love the colour in these papers so it made it quite an easy choice for me. Teddy Bea is coloured using pencils. I've used a Marianne die (for the first time) to make the beautiful circular frame, and also the frame which holds the sentiment. The sentiment is a LOTV stamp.

The flowers are cut from the same papers using a Marianne die, the leaves are a x-cut embossing punch, and the centres are made using a punch. The ribbon is from my stash as is the heart charm which I felt worked really well with this card.

As well as the challenge at Teddy Bo, I would also like to enter my card in the Polka Doodles Challenge, which is also an easel card.

Today I really must finish my LIM card which is sat in bits on my desk!

Thanks for visiting.

Jo x

Teddy Bea Among The Flowers

Good Morning

I've been out this morning woo hoo!!! We've all been up to the dentist for our 6 month check. I'm in so much pain now, with getting in and out of the car, the wheelchair, the dentist chair! Murphy is sulking big time, he always sulks when I've been out. I keep telling him I've not been out having fun, but will he believe me? Well the look on his face says it all.

With a bit of look he'll have forgiven me by weekend!!!!

Anyway, onto today's card. This is my latest purchase from Teddybo.com, mind you it is Teddy Bo Tuesday and there are some adorable new releases out today, so I could well be adding to my collection :D. I LOVE colouring in these bears (you may have noticed lol).

Here is Teddy Bea wearing a beautiful necklace she has made from flowers. I couldn't resist this backing paper, I thought is went so well with all the flowers, and is also very sweet. The mat she is sat on is die-cut using a Nellie Snellen die. The ribbon border is a Marianne die, as is the butterfly which is made using glitter card. The flowers are from my stash and the leaves are cut using a woodware punch.

Teddy Bea is once again coloured in using pencils. I decided this time that she could wear a red dress and hat, to pick out the colours of the ladybirds in the backing paper. I put her on the mat using glue gel to add further dimension to the card.

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

Raise The Bar Flower Power

Rainbow Lady's Challenge Lady In Red

ABD DT Challenge April Showers Bring May Flowers

Crafty Sentiments Flowers

Dream Valley Challenges Flowers

Whoopsi Daisy Challenge Things with Wings

Cutie Sunday Butterfly

Thank you for visiting my blog today, and for all the lovely comments you leave me, they really make my day.

Jo x

Playing In The Puddles

Good Afternoon

We have the strangest of weather today, we had hailstone not half an hour ago and now the sunshines back!

My card for today shows Teddy Bo playing in the puddles.

For once I chose my backing paper before I coloured in the image, so I could colour my image accordingly. I decided to pick the green from the backing paper to colour in his coat and hat. I had a real good sort out of all my papers yesterday, and this is from a crafthouse press book I bought yonks ago.

Teddy Bo is coloured in pencils and then I used glossy accent over the puddle, unfortunately it doesn't show up too well in the photo but looks very effective IRL.

I used an embossing folder that reminded me of waves on the red card, and cut a mat from the same card using a Marianne Die and the embellishment at the top is made using a Spellbinders die from the fleur de lis set. A few buttons were added to complete the card.

I am entering my card in the following challenges.

St Lukes Charity Cards Challenge Pick a Pattern, and I shall be sending the card to them to help with their fundraising.

Stamps R Us Challenge For The Men In Our Lives

Crafts and Me Challenge Swirls (my embossing)

Creative Inspirations Embossing

Stamp Something Use a digi stamp

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Jo x

A Special Wedding Card

Good Evening

I hope you've had a lovely weekend.

A friend asked me if I could make a 'special' wedding card, and this is what I came up with.

The design, which is out of a Framecraft booklet that I adapted slightly, is stitched onto 18 count white aida. I made the aperture frame from silver mirror board, lilac pearlescent card, and centura pearl card.

This is how I did the inside.

I used vellum from my stash, and a Martha Stewart deep edge punch.

I made a matching box out of Centura Pearl, but forgot to take a photo of it!!

My friend was delighted with it.

Jo x

Teddy Bea and Bo Hanging Out The Washing

Good evening

I'm back again with my favourite Teddy's and this time they're hanging out the washing!

Isn't this image so adorable? I love it. The design is coloured using pencils. The backing paper is from an issue of Making Cards magazine. The corners are made using a Marianne die. I couldn't resist adding the little pegs to the card, and the tulip pegs to hold the sentiment.

I went with bright and cheery colours to brighten up a very dull day.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar Challenge Teddy Bears

Craft Your Passion Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting.

Jo x

Teddy Bea Among The Stars

Good Evening

Today's card is my entry into the current Teddy Bo Challenge which this time is to make an easel card.

I have used a gorgeous image of Teddy Bea sat on the moon, surrounded by stars. I coloured the image using pencils and then embossed the moon with a sparkle embossing powder.

The shape for the easel card was made using a 'Get In Shape' template, and I couldn't resist making a shaker card! Various stars and micro beads make up the shaker elements. The stars around the shaker are stamped using a Dimension Fourth stamps and heat embossed with the sparkle powder.

The sentiment tab is a spellbinders die, in a colour to tie-in with Bea's dress, and then a few more stars are attached to the base.

These images are so adorable, and this is one of an ever-increasing range of digi stamps available from Teddy Bo. It's lovely to see Teddy Bo and Bea appearing on so many blogs.

Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment so I know you've been :D

Jo x

Brothers

Good Morning

My card for today uses one of the Moments In Time stamps from Flowersoft. I love this image.

The image was coloured used Lyra Aquacrayons and a little flower soft added for the grass. The base card used a navy blue cardstock, and as I was asked to make the card for a Preston fan, I created a simple backing paper using the Preston logo. The paper with football boots and footballs on is vellum, and I attached this to the card using dark blue eyelets. A Happy Birthday sentiment completes the card.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe Crafts One For The Boys

Here Come The Boys Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly Challenge Anything Goes

Top Tip Tuesday Open Challenge

Diva's By Design Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion Anything Goes

Have a good day.

Jo x

Silver Wedding

Good Morning.

Some friends of ours were celebrating their Silver Wedding Anniversary over the weekend. I was a bit stuck at first what to make, and then remembered a card making kit I'd bought from a C & C sale a couple of years ago. I've got quite a few kits in my cupboard that are relatively untouched. I find I usually prefer to start from scratch.

For this card, I took a card blank from the kit and then 'lined' it with white card, simply because I didn't think the card was strong enough for what I had in mind!

I added some decoupage from the kit to the front of the card.

Inside the card, I used a sheet of linen silver card, and embossed and cut out and oval in the centre with the help of my Majestic embossing board.

I embossed some of the same linen card twice, and cut this out to create the shape in the centre of the card. I added an embellishment to each side and added it to the card using jump rings.

(I forgot to check the photos before sending the card and some of them are a bit fuzzy!)

Some organza ribbon, tied with a bow, was added to the other 2 panels of the card and a gem added to the centre of the bows.

It's a while since I made this style of card and I enjoyed it.

Jo x