Taking It Easy

Hello again

My second card for today is my entry into this weeks Lili Of The Valley Challenge which is to follow a sketch.

The image is one of their pre-coloured images to which I applied Antique Linen distress inks around the edges.

The papers used are from a previous issue of Making Cards magazine.  The stars are die cut using a die-namics die, and the flourishes are Marianne dies.  The zig-zag punch is Martha Stewart.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Lily of the Valley - Sketch

Craft Your Passion - Just For You

In The Country

Good Morning

There's nothing like cutting it fine!  This is my entry into this weeks Willow Sketchie Challenge.  This week we were to choose a previous sketch to follow, with the added twist of adding 3 buttons, 2 ribbons and 1 sentiment.

I chose to follow a sketch from April.  The images are printed from Joanna Sheen's Pamela West cd-rom onto watercolour card.  The dies cuts are Spellbinders Fleur De Lis dies, and the buttons and ribbons are from my stash.

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

Rainbow Lady's Challenge - In the country

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge - Happy Birthday

Creative Inspirations - No Flowers

My Time To Craft Challenge  - Bird Watcher

Card and a Half  - Card With A Creature.

Thanks for visiting today.

Jo x

Fun At The Beach

Good Evening

I hope you're all well.

I had some slightly upsetting news from my GP last night.  The recent tests they've done have shown that my heart rate is still far too high, which is why I'm getting breathless so easily.  He has referred me to a cardiologist at the hospital.  I don't know quite what to expect really, I'm already on medication to slow my heart rate down!

Anyhow, on to today's card.  I didn't think Jayne Nestorenko could better the Patchwork Polly range of stamps, but her new Adorables range are just fabulous.  I didn't get all 12 stamp sets, but I did get the cd-rom.

The lovely seaside scene is printed from the cd-rom.  The little girl, bucket, spade, shells, starfish, crab and boat are all stamped onto watercolour card using versafine ink, and then painted with Lyra's.  The base cardstock is a cream linen, and the scene is mounted onto gold linen card.

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

Creative Inspirations - To The Seaside

Totally PaperCrafts Challenge - The Beach

One Stop Craft Challenge - Summer Time

One Stitch At A Time Challenge - Anything Goes

Pollycraft Monday Challenge - The Great Outdoors

Shopping Our Stash - In With The New (this is a new cd-rom and stamp set).

Dream Valley Challenges - Summer Theme

Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Fun In The Sun

Thanks for stopping by.

Jo x

A New Baby Girl

Good Afternoon

The current challenge over at A Spoon Full of Sugar is Sewing.  I made the 'blue' version of this card earlier in the year, and then received a request for a 'pink' version, so here it is.

This is one of my favourite cross stitch patterns ever, but boy does it take some stitching!

The design is cross stitched on 18 count aida, using DMC threads.  Seed beads are added for decoration.

I made the aperture card using silver mirror, pink pearlescent and white hammered card.

I would also like to enter my challenge in the Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - We Love Pink.

Thanks for visiting.

Jo x

Crafting With A Child

Good Morning

The current challenge at Crafty Sentiments Designs is crafting with or for a child.  My daughter Emma who is 10 asked if I would help her make a card for her dad's birthday and here it is.

I helped with the cutting out, but apart from that it is all Emma's work.

She used a black cardstock for the main card which she creased using my scoreboard.  The bow-tie was also made from black cardstock.  For the lacey shirt front, I die-cut some Marianne doily dies from white paper, which Emma then cut up and added to the front of the card.

I die-cut 6 flower shapes from tissue paper, which she then scrunched up and layered to produce the flower, which is held together with a small brad.

Thanks for visiting today.

Jo and Emma x

Teddy Bo and Bea Throughout The Year

Good Morning

There are lots of photos in this post!!

As you have probably noticed, I am very fond of Teddy Bea & Bo.  As the challenge over at Teddy Bo is make anything other than a card, I decided to make myself a desk calendar for 2012, so I'll always have one of my favourite bears on my desk.

All the images were printed onto white card and coloured using coloursoft pencils.  I used lot of various dies, cut into gold mirror board or gold linen board to make the mats for the teddies to sit on.

The calendar tabs were created using a stamp set from Dimension Fourth, and then I coloured around the frame using brushmarker pens in a colour picked out from each of the images.

The frame was made from some very thick white card, with rings through the top to hold the pages in place.

Here are all the photos!

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

Teddy Bo Challenge - anything but a card.

Crafts and Me Challenge  - favourite image (August, sunflower Bea)

Allsorts Challenge - free and easy

Stampin For The Weekend - Wings and things (December)

Thanks for sticking with me through this long post.

Jo x

Golden Wedding

Good Morning

My card for today is a Golden Wedding card and is made using lots of different die-cuts.

The majority of the dies used on here are from the new Marianne circles set.  I was trying my best to resist these dies (who am I trying to kid lol) and then I saw them 'in action' on my lovely friend Edna's blog, and I knew resistance was futile.  I seem to have developed an addiction to dies, particularly Marianne dies!!!

The base card is pearlescent cream, and all the die cuts use either pearlescent cream or pearlescent gold cardstock.  The doily in the centre of the Marianne dies is made using a x-cut doily die.  The sentiment is computer generated sat on a Spellbinders tag.

This is the first time I have made a card completely from die-cuts.

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

Easy Craft Projects Challenge - Use gold

Top Tip Tuesday - Wedding or Anniversary

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

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

Relax In The Garden

Good Afternoon

My card for today is made using the Pamela West collection cd-rom from Joanna Sheen.

The image and the backing papers are all printed from the cd-rom and then matted onto some platinum pearl cardstock.  The roses are made using a Marianne Die and are cut from vellum.  The leaves are also a Marianne die using white glitter card.

This is a birthday card I have made for a friend who is a very keen gardener.

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

Craft Your Passion Challenge - Anything Goes

CRAFT Challenge - Gardening

Thanks for visiting today.

Jo x

A Perfect Day

Good Evening

I hope the weather has been kind to you this weekend.

My card for today is made using some of the new Summer Adorables stamps from Jayne Nestorenko.  I'm still awaiting for the majority of them to arrive, but I had this one which fitted a number of challenges perfectly.

The base card is made using a dark brown linen card.  The backing papers are printed from the cd-rom onto centura pearl paper.  The scene is also printed from the cd-rom and then cropped down to the diamond shape.

This lovely little boy, together with his binoculars and cane are stamped in vintage sepia versafine and then coloured with Lyra's.  The sentiment is also from the stamp plate, the buttons are from my stash.

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

Papertake weekly challenge - Sketch

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Here Comes Summer

Crafters Companion Monthly Challenge - One For The Boys

Allsorts Challenge - Free and Easy

Thanks for visiting my blog today.

Jo x

Time To Celebrate

Good morning

My card for today is made using one of LOTV's cute squares.  I really like the image on this one.

I cut the square using a Nellie Snellen die, and then matted it onto red card.  I cut 9 equal squares from starry paper which is from a Making Cards magazine, and these were then matted onto silver mirri card.  The sentiment is also from LOTV.  The star is cut from red glitter card using my new die-namics die and a button from my stash added to the centre.  Some card candy is used to complete the card.

The card follows the current sketch at Willow Sketchie Challenge.

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

Cards For Men Challenge - Stars

Craft Your Passion Challenge - Use Red

Penny's Challenge - Red, white and blue

Lili Of The Valley Challenge - Celebrate

Crafting For All Seasons - Red, White and Blue

Willow Sketchie Challenge  - Sketch plus use red and something sparkly

Thanks for visiting today.

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