CD Sunday Plus Challenge # 129 - Hosted by Margaret

 Good morning and welcome to my blog

Today see's the start of a new challenge over at CD Sunday Challenge Plus

I make so secret of the face that me and February don't get along!! However, this year my February had the best start when my youngest daughter passed her driving test.  Due to the knock-on effects of covid, she had to wait over 6 months to take her practical driving test.  I'm super proud to say she passed first time!  She now drives down a busy motorway to and from work every day, has driven to Lancaster to see her uni friends, given me lifts places.....there's no stopping her now!!

This is the card I made for her:

The pattern was a download from stitchingcards.com, stitched in metallic thread.  The sentiments were cut using Crafters' Companion dies and I added gems to represent traffic lights for a bit of fun.

I printed the insert from a My Craft Studio Click Print Go Simply Sentiments cd-rom.  I've always called her my Super Stat so this was a perfect insert.

I hope to see your creations over on the challenge blog.  Full details of Challenge Rules and how to enter can be found on the blog.  You can also see the fabulous creations my lovely teamies have made.  I hope to see you there!

Jo xx

Happy 60th Birthday

 Hello

A friend of mine turns 60 this week. He has a cat so I decided to use this super cute image from Joanna Sheen's House-Mouse triple cd-rom:

I turned the image into decoupage and then matted it onto grey adorable scorable. I cut some brown adorable scorable along the edges with a paw print punch and die-cut the sentiment from matching card, matted and layered onto the card using foam pads.

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

House-mouse & Friends Monday Challenge - Anything Goes

Classic Design Challenge- Anything Goes with option of 4-legged friend

Thanks for visiting.

Jo x

Signs of Spring

 Hello again

Get me....2 posts in a day!!

A friend has her 65th birthday this week, and as she is a big animal lover I knew I couldn't go wrong with a Happy Hoppers image.  I made it to fit in with the new challenge over at House-Mouse & Friends which is 'Anything Goes With The Option Of Wet/Dry Embossing.

I'm a big lover of bees (I have one tattto'ed on my arm!), and just couldn't resist this delightful image.  The image is decoupaged and then I used my new Carnation Crafts dies to cut out the hexagons.  I then ran the yellow layer through again using my favourite Spellbinders double-sided embossing folder.  I then used some of the smaller Carnation dies to cut out the mats and layers for the sentiments.  The sentiment dies are from Hunkydory and the number dies are from Crafters' Companion.  Finally, I added some pearls from Hunkydory.  The base card is an 8 x 8 from Creative Crafting World.

I saw my first bumble bee of the year yesterday.  It was a huge 'fluffy' bee, sat on my garden wall having a rest.  Spring is definitely on it's way and I'm sat on my settee in the sunshine typing this post, with Bailey sunbathing next to me!

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

Try It On Tuesday - Spring

Snippets Playground - Snippets used for Sentiment mats and layers

Thanks for stopping by!

Jo x

Inspired to Dance

 Good Morning

There is a new challenge over at Inspiration Station and I was in desperate need of some inspiration for a birthday card for a friend.  This is the photo to inspire us:

It made me immediately think of dancing and as a result I made this card:

The friend I've made the card for is a huge fan of Strictly and dances herself, so I thought this was a great image to use.  The pattern is from Stitchingcards.com, stitched using metallic threads and then matted onto some pearlescent purple card from my stash.

Thanks for visiting.

Jo xx

CD Sunday Plus Challenge # 128 - Hosted by Me

 Good morning and welcome to my blog

I'm very relieved that we are now in March.  February for us, was an extremely sad and difficult month.  

Today see's the start of a new challenge over at CD Sunday Challenge Plus, we do hope you will join us.  Full details of how to enter can be found on the challenge blog.

Here is my card:

I revisited my rather neglected Popcorn Kids cd-rom by Crafter's Companion to produce this lovely decoupaged image.

The backing paper is by Docrafts from Forever Friends collection.

Sentiment die by Crafter's Companion

I'm progressing slowly but surely with my craft room sort-out!  I'm currently trying to sort my ribbons and wish I didn't have so many!!  I'll be so glad when it's all done, and I can find everything and just go in there and craft away!

I look forward to seeing you on the challenge blog.

Jo xx

CD Sunday Plus Challenge #127 - Hosted by Meg

 Good morning and welcome to my blog

Today see's the start of a new challenge over at CD Sunday Challenge Plus

Today I am sharing another Calendar I created, this time using my Faye Whittaker cd-rom by Joanna Sheen. 

I decoupaged the image and layered it onto some co-ordinating card.  I embossed another piece of the card using a Crafters Companion embossing folder.

This Calendar I made for a close friends mum, who has been a fan of Faye Whittaker's for a long time.

Thanks for visiting.

Jo xx

Valentine's Card

 Good Morning

Today I have been naughty.  After not buying any crafting items for months, my will power was beaten!  I ordered a new set of dies from Carnation Crafts.  They're really pretty and I know I will get lots of use out of them!

My card for today is the card I have made my hubby for Valentine's Day next week.  On the 9th February it will be 38 years since we started going out together!

I followed the sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketches and got further inspiration from Inspiration Station - it inspired me to use items from my Kanban 'Love Your Pets' collection for this card.

I used an EK punch to create the border and added Peel Offs.  The little bones were die cut from little snippets of black card with dies from Creative Crafting World, and the hexagonal mats they're sat on are also dies from CCW, cut from snippets of silver mirror card.

I added a matching insert to complete the card:

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

Cardz 4 Guyz - Challenge 340 Love

Wednesday's Creative Inspirations Challenge - For someone you love/A special friend

 Snippets Playground - use snippets

Thanks for visiting.

Jo xx

CD Sunday Plus Challenge #126 - Hosted by Pamela

 Good Morning

Today is an exciting day for us at CD Sunday Plus, not only because it's our first challenge of 2024, but it's the first for our new teamies!

We do hope you'll be able to join us.  Full details of how to enter can be found on our challenge blog

My first project of the year I have to share with you is a desk calendar:

I used my Bumble & Buddies cd-rom by Bree Merryn from Creative Crafting World.  I'm a big fan of Bree's artwork, and, as those of you who know me will know, I'm also a big fan of bees!

I heat embossed the image four times with Ultra Thick Embossing enamel to make it look like a tile.  The backing paper is from the same cd-rom, as are the coloured papers.  I added some craft card.  All the dies used are from Creative Crafting world.

I used an 8 x 8 card blank to create the calendar and added a Calendar tab and post-it pad to finish off!

I made quite a few of these to share with family and friends, a few more are displayer below!

Thanks for visiting today, I hope to see you over on the challenge blog.

Jo xx

Sorry You're Feeling Under The Weather

 Hello

A friend of mine has been unwell lately so I wanted to send her a card to let her know I was thinking of her.  I decided to use an adorable Happy Hoppers image, and follow the current challenge over at House-mouse & friends Monday challenge which is ANYTHING GOES - OPTION "USE TOUCHES OF "SILVER and or GOLD"

Here is my card:

I chose to decoupage the image and matt onto silver mirror and then lilac card.  The backing paper is from Joanna Sheen's Gruffies and Happy Hoppers cd-rom, as is the decoupage and sentiment.  I added a couple of dew drops and some toning ribbon.  A butterfly charm was then added to complete the card.

Thanks for visiting!

Jo xx

With Sympathy

 Hello

Sadly, I needed to make another sympathy card this week, and turned to Tuesday Morning Sketches for some inspiration. Here is my card:

I used the beautiful dandelion head stamps from Clarity crafts, stamped in Antique Linen, Vintage Paper and Wild Honey distress ink, stamped onto an Ombre paper pad from Hobbycraft. I tied a double bow with some ribbon from my stash, then added a stamped sentiment on a snippet of spare card to finish.

I would also like to enter my card in the Snippets Playground Challenge 472

Thanks for visiting today.

Jo xx

Big Job Broke Out!

 Hello and welcome to my blog

In 2020 we had a lot of work done which included moving our kitchen from the front of the house to the back.  It allowed us to have a much bigger kitchen which we're thrilled with.  I was lucky enough to have the old kitchen as my craft room and hubby very kindly decorated it, built me an amazing work space and fitted out the rest of the room with a 'cube' system from Ikea.

I have been using the room ever since but have never got to grips with the disgraceful amount of craft supplies that I've accumulated over the last 20 years - you can imagine, I'm sure.  So, I gave myself a good talking to and said bit by bit I was going to get it sorted once and for all.  Well, I've been like a child in a sweet shop!  The stuff I've found and I've barely started!  I'm so excited for it all to be finally sorted, so I can actually see (and remember) what I have, and USE IT!

I've stopped watching the craft channels so I'm not tempted to buy more - I could live 2 lifetimes and not use it all.  Also, I'm collecting together some items I can send to a friend for her local children's hospice and I'm also sorting out items to sell.  I can only manage short amounts of sorting at a time, but I'm beginning to see some progress, which is the main thing.  When this is done I'll start on my wool stash!!

In between all the sorting, I've been creating. Sadly, this month I have a number of sympathy cards to make and this is the first.

I used a pattern from stitching cards and stitched with metallic thread.  I used card from PaperMill for my mats and layers.  The sentiment tag was cut using Spellbinders dies and finally stamped in Versafine ink using a stamp.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Try It On Tuesday - Add Some Text

Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes

Beautiful Blossoms - Anything Floral

Thanks for visiting!

Jo xx

Many Happy Returns from the Happy Hoppers

 Hello and welcome

Today is one of my best friend's birthdays.  I've been really struggling for ideas with my card-making recently and decided to return to the Gruffies and Happy Hoppers for some inspiration for this birthday card.  I chose this adorable decoupage:

I used a 7 x 7 card, which I matted with card from PaperMill.  The sentiment was matted onto card from my scraps box and the decoupage created using foam pads.  Some Hunkydory gems were added to completed the card.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenge:

House-Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Jo xx