Anyone For A Donut?

Good Morning

A very quick post for me today.

Thank you very much to everyone who commented on my Clean & Simple card, and also on Grace's cards. Your comments mean a great deal. Thank you :0)

Today I'm posting a House Mouse Easel card I've made for a friend.

This is made using the fabulous decoupage from Joanna Sheen, and I added a little shaker window, filled with hundreds and thousands. The punched border along the top edge is made using a Martha Stewart punch, the first one I bought, and still one of my favourites.

Thanks for you visit today, enjoy your Friday.

Jo

A Crafty Companion

I've had a lovely day today. My sister, nieces and nephew came to visit along with my Dad. Mum was due to come too, but wasn't very well so had to stay at home.

You may remember the birthday card Grace made for me, which is now on permanent display on my craft room shelves. Well today Grace wanted to make some cards, and we had a lovely time sat at my craft table whilst Grace created the following gorgeous cards.

As you can see, one she made as a get well card for Grandma. Grace cut all this decoupage out by herself, built up the card using foam pads and then attached the stickers and peel offs. The only bit I helped with was attaching the ribbon. Grace then wrote out the card in beautiful handwriting, and the card is being delivered to Grandma this evening.

The second card she has made in readiness for a friends birthday. Again Grace did all the decoupage by herself and we then had a play with a few punches to make the embellishments.

I'm not sure which of us enjoyed out crafty session the most. Well done Grace, you did a brilliant job and I'm sure Grandma will feel much better when she gets your lovely card :0)

Jo

Clean and Simple

Good Afternoon

I've been following the new Less is More Challenge blog and decided this week to be brave and have a go!!! I'm not sure I'm getting it right though!!

This week it's a theme challenge and the theme is 'Spring'. So I took a sheet of plain white card and turned it into a card blank. I then took a Dimension Fourth corner stamp from one of their monthly project clubs, and stamped directly onto my card blank four times to create a circle. I then chose 3 spring colours and coloured in the design using brushmarkers. Finally, I took a small accent stamp and stamped a tulip in each of the corners.

Now I was thinking no layers, 2 stamps, 3 colours would produce the right sort of card, but now it's done I'm not sure if it's too 'busy' for the challenge. But, you live and learn and so I decided now it's made I may as well enter it and see.

I'd love to know what you think.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Jo

Out Of Africa

Good Evening

I was recently asked to make a card for someone who is very into Africa. There were no words required anywhere on the card. I immediately thought of giraffes and zebra's, so went straight to my Jayne Netley Mayhew cd's from Joanna Sheen.

I'm a bit uncertain about this card, and really hoping it will be ok. The base card is the pearlescent card from PaperMill. The backing paper I created using an image of zebra stripes. I chose a pink and yellowy orange card for matting and layering, thinking along the lines of a soothing sunset, along with a matt gold card. I decoupaged one of the zebra's just to add a bit of interest.

The border on the front of the card is created using the paper embroidery technique and is stitched in pink and orange metallic threads, unfortunately the camera hasn't picked up the colours too well. I thought this made a nice change from a punched border.

On the inside of the card I added an image of a giraffe, from the same cd, matted onto the same card as before. This was made to accommodate a bookmark, which once again was from the cd, which I laminated and then added a tassel.

The insert was made using one of the inserts from the same cd, which I took into a graphics programme to resize, so that the images of the animals is a bit like a watermark.

Fingers crossed this fits the bill.

I'm happy to report that I am still sticking to my stash diet. I know there's going to be lots more temptation this weekend, but all these items will still be available next month, so I'm confident now that I can stick to it for February at least.

Thanks for your visit today. If you've time, please leave a comment so I know you've visited, I really enjoy reading them all.

Enjoy your Friday evening.

Jo

An Elegant Fan

Good Morning

I hope you're getting some glimpses of the sun today. It keeps making a brief appearance here and it really gives you a boost!

Todays card is my entry into a couple of challenges.

The CD Sunday Challenge

Top Tip Tuesday

This card is created using Joanna Sheen's Elegant Fans cd-rom, and a beautiful cd it is too! You get a choice of a small or large fan in this design, and I have gone with the small fan. The backing paper is printed from the cd also.

I decided to make an easel card, because this displays the fan so well. I used paper embroidery for my stitching and used this for the 'stopper' as, again, I think it displays the stitching very well.

Two different sizes of pearls were applied to the card, these were from my stash, as were the ribbons. The card used for the 'stopper' is a beautiful pearlescent card from PaperMill, and the photo doesn't do it justice, it's a sage green with gold throughout and looks stunning when it catches the light. The stitching was done in a gold metallic thread.

I decided against adding a sentiment to the card, as I think it could be used for all different occasions.

On Monday, Emma asked if we could make a teddy for her to give to her valentine. Emma drew the teddy, then I cut him out. My sewing machine decided not to work, so he was stitched by hand. The stuffing was done between us, and then I embroidered his face. We then made a box between us, which Emma decorated. And here he is ....

He has now gone to his new home and Emma's valentine loves him.

Thanks for visiting today, enjoy the rest of your day.

Jo

Trapeze Cards

Good Morning

I decided to unearth my trapeze templates this weekend, I haven't made any of this style cards for a while. I love the effect of them, but they are very time-consuming. I got the templates and instructions some time ago. The templates are by Marianne, but unfortunately the instructions are not very clear so the stitching is a bit 'trial and error'.

They're not the easiest to photograph either, so I hope you get the idea!

This teddy card was made using gold metallic thread with some sequins added to some of the threads. This gorgeous teddy was in a pack of embellishments that I've had for ages.

This card was stitched using a pearlescent thread which catches the light beautifully. Beads were again added to some of the threads and then added to the outer frame too. Some mulberry leaves and flowers were added to the centre, and a butterfly sticker put on some acetate to make it more dimensional.

I'm trying to come up with some different style cards for Mothers' Day!

Have a lovely day.

Jo

A Challenge Card and and Something New

Good Morning

Who stole the sunshine? It didn't hang around long did it? Back to very dull this morning.

I've been playing with my brayer again, this time with Big and Juicy Waterfall. I love the colours in this one too!

This is my entry into The Fuzzy Wuzzy Challenge Birthday Wishes.

The otter is a Jayne Netley Mayhew stamp from Joanna Sheen. I coloured the main stamp and the little accent stamps using Lyra's, but coloured the water on the main image with ink from the Big and Juicy pad to tie it all in.

The shape of the card was once again cut out using my favourite Get In Shape Template. I've got my eye on some more of these, so may treat myself when my stash diet comes to an end. We'll see. I've also got my eye on some stamps too, lol, like I need more stamps!!!

Last night I was looking through my craft cupboard for something (risky business) and came across a card making book I'd been bought as a present a while ago. I flicked through it and spotted a fun card which I just had to have a go at. So here it is!

It's a mix of spirelli and beading.

Thanks for sticking with me! Have a lovely Sunday.

Jo x

Two's Company

Good Morning!

The sun is shining here this morning, hooray!! How long it will last, who know's, but I'm enjoying it while it's here.

The good thing about my stash diet has meant I have looked through all the things I've already got to craft with, rather than looking for what to buy next!

So, yesterday I had a good old play using my brayer and some rubber stamps.

The stamp set I used for this card was a Jayne Netley Mayhew set from Joanna Sheen. I love giraffes, they are by far my favourite zoo animal, and on a visit to the zoo I can quite happily sit and watch them for ages - well until the rest of my family get fed up and whisk me away!!

The base card is some beautiful pearlescent card I got from PaperMill, which I stamped around the edges using the small trees and giraffes from the stamp plate, the trees stamped in olympia green versafine, and the giraffes in vintage sepia, then embossed using fine detail embossing powder.

I then took some silk art card and a big and juicy spice ink pad and brayered the colour onto the cardstock. I then added a few trees, again in olympia green, and embossed them as before.

The giraffes were stamped using vintage sepia onto a white textured cardstock, and then embossed using clear fine detail embossing powder. I then cut them out, shaped them and added them to the card using glue gel. This card does look better in real life than it does in the photo!!!

My next plan is to use the otter stamp from Jayne Netley Mayhew - today if I get the chance!

Have a lovely Saturday.

Jo

A Gem Of A Challenge

Good Evening!

Only just made it today!

Today's card is my entry into A Gem of a Challenge. I needed a bit of cheering up today so decided to go colourful!

The fairy and fairy dog stamp were some of the first stamps I bought. I stamped them both onto watercolour card, and coloured using brushmarkers and then added some Diamond Sparkles glitter to their wings.

The striped backing paper is from my stash. I cut and embossed the circle frame using blue pearlescent card and a Marianne die. The pink border is embossed using a sizzix die. The orange oval was cut using a Nellie's die, and the gems and peel-offs were from my stash.

Thanks for dropping in today.

Jo x

Two To Share

Good Morning

I've two cards to share with you today.

The first one is a birthday card for a friends dad, she particularly likes paper embroidery. I hadn't done any for a while and really enjoyed making it.

The pattern was from stitching cards, and it was stitched using metallic threads.

The next card is made using an image from the SWALK range of stamps from Crafters Companion.

I coloured her using Derwent Watercolour pencils and put her onto some white glitter card using 3d glue gel. I cut four corners using a Marianne die, and then inked through the die using Big and Juicy Soothing Sunset. The corners remind me of a tiara, so were just right for this card. The backing paper is printed from the accompanying SWALK cd-rom, printed onto Centura Pearl paper.

The flowers are made using the same backing paper and a Marianne Die, and the centres cut onto white glitter card. A pearl was then added to the centre of each of the flowers. A couple of flourishes were cut, again using a Marianne Die, and added behind the flowers.

The Princess and Heart charms were from ebay, and attached using narrow ribbon. The sentiment is from LOTV, stamped using silver ink and then embossed with clear detail embossing power. A few pearls in the opposite corner completed the card.

I'm sorry about the quality of the photos, very dull here again today, so I had to use a flash and it bounces off the centura paper.

This card is being entered in the following challenges

Crafters Companion Monthly Challenge

Raise The Bar Challenge

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge

Yesterday was my lovely mum's birthday. She loved her cards.

Thanks for your visit today.

Jo x

Be My Valentine

Good Morning.

I hope you've had a lovely weekend.

Today's card is my entry into House Mouse & Friends Challenge Number 88 which is all about hearts. Full details of the challenge can be found here

I decided to use a gruffies image for this card, made with decoupage from Joanna Sheen. Let's face it, it must be love to push someone around in a wheelbarrow!!

The base card is a lovely white textured cardstock from Papermill. The hearts border was made using silver mirri board, which I embossed using the Glitter Girls Borderfold Embossing board, and then cut the inner hearts out of vellum. The sentiment is computer generated and matted onto a banner cut from silver mirror board using a spellbinders die. The decoupage is from Joanna Sheen. I felt it was lacking something, so added the narrow ribbon, which was from my crafty stash.

I do love making cards using any of the housemouse range, they always make me smile.

My stash diet is feeling more threatened today as I learnt that more SWALK stamps are being released very soon. It's good to know that Anne (Stargroves) is dieting at the same time, that knowledge may very well keep me on track :0)

Well, it's still blowing a gale here today, and there are some very big black clouds overhead, hopefully the wind will blow them away again.

Have a lovely day.

Jo

A Sweet Little Girl .... and a Prize

Happy Saturday!

Don't they come round quick? My body is complaining very loudly this morning, so I'm going to have to take things even slower this morning.

Todays card is made using another of Sheena's new stamps - Busy Doing Nothing. Isn't she gorgeous? She reminds me of my little niece, she's cute as a button too.

I stamped the images onto watercolour card using versafine ink, and coloured using Derwent Watercolour Pencils and Lyra Aquacolour's. The backing paper is from SWALK 2 cd-rom. The butterfly border was punched using an EK Success punch (another birthday present), and one of the little punched out butterflies was then added to the main image. I decided to leave it without a sentiment.

I'm very excited to tell you that I've won a cd-rom in the lovely Edna's blog candy draw. Thank you very much Edna, it will be put to good use :-D

Enjoy your weekend whatever your plans.

Jo x