Three Cards Two Challenges!

I wanted to make some Mothers Day cards and the Embellish colour challenge helped me decide which colours I would use. Their colour choice was Pink, Brown and Turquoise, I love these colours together anyway so it was't difficult. You also have to add ribbons to your card.


This was my first attempt and I am pleased with the result, used my new Martha Stewart border punch on this one, a little present from my son for my Birthday. He knows what I like LOL.

Patterned papers from BasicGrey.

This is my second attempt not so sure about this one so I haven't added a sentiment yet.

Butterfly stamp: Hero Arts Papers: BasicGrey



This next card is for a new blog site that I have found called "Daring Cardmakers" Love the inspirational cards on this site. The Dare was to make a return to school card. The main site is based in New Zealand and the children there are just returning to school after their summer holidays hence the challenge. This is a fairly simple card but liked the idea of "an apple for the teacher"

Glitter challenge

The lovely Jane designs images for Squigglefly and she has just released "Janes Bakery", scrummy images of cakes and pies, plus a banner and sentiments. I am not really very good at colouring but thought these images ideal to practice on. I am fairly pleased with the result but I have a long way to go to get up to the standard of some of my blogging friends.

I have used lots of glittery goodness (stickles) on the cakes and banner so will join the lovely and talented Lucy's challenge with this card. I have also taken the opportunity to add some machine stitching after watching her latest video. Think there is more practice needed there too!!!

Caardvarks challenge

Just a quick post as my daughter is home from University and we have lots to chat about. Made this card last night for the current challenge at caardvarks "The Red Heart Challenge. Quite a simple card with a gold embossed background, embossed red heart ribbon and flowers.

Have linked this card to the lovely Nancy's blog she is giving away some amazing candy, go check out her inpirational blog!!!! I have used one of my favorite Hero Arts stamps on the background of this card.

Valentine

Yesterday I made some more cards for the current Hero Arts challenge "Friendship and Valentines" This first card has an amazing resemblance to one on the lovely Vanessas blog. I know it sound spooky but in the past we have both made or used similar items (like the same paper or embellishments ) on our cards at about the same time. Well this happened again yesterday with this card. Its now a running joke between us! Watch this space its bound to happen again!!


I wanted to make a more masculine card, not sure if its worked because I felt it needed the finishing touches of pearls and flowers. I'm not good at masculine cards!!!

Virginia's Challenge

The lovely Virginia has a challenge running on her site called "Beat the Winter Blah" The card is ment to cheer someone up during the winter weather and it must have something different on it. It can be a special/new technique, colour combo, unique embellishment or an original design. Well for me these flowers are still a new technique, but I have got to say I am hooked on them. I love the texture they create to a card, also I would not necessarily put pink and orange together but I think it works this time!

Cards Blog

After seeing the lovely flowers made by Dawn McVey, I am totally hooked and had to make more, I made this Valentines card and sent it to the Cards Blog challenge and am thrilled as it has been highlighted with others in the Gallery of challenge winners this week.

I have just realised that the writing on the flower is upside down, but I have managed to fix it as the flower is joined together with a brad and the petals can be spun round!

Stamps: Hero Arts. PP: My Mind Eye. Punch: Martha Stewart

Sympathy Card

I have not had much time to play this week as I have a commission for some wedding invitations for a girl at work, they are quite a simple design and fun to make but I needed a break. Had another play with my new Wheat Grass stamp and came up with this quite simple design. I used the distress inks "peeled paint" and "Tea Dye" on the stamp.

Stamp and digital butterfly: both by Hero Arts. Sentiment: computer generated.

Lucys Challenge

The very talented Lucy has a challenge on her blog at the moment, the challenge is "Monochromatic" that is to use one colour and black/white. Had to make some thank you cards and after watching the video on Dawn McVeys blog on how to make these crumpled flowers I had to give it a try.

Just thought you would like to see some pictures of the icicles in my garden, they are quite spectacular as you can see. The snow is starting to melt today so I will be back at school tomorrow. I have loved the extra days off but its time to get back and do some real work!!!

Love the snow

I love these snowy days, we live out in the country and the School I work in has been closed for three days now due to the snow and Ice. Some teachers and pupils have to travel quite a distance to school so the headteacher has decided that its to dangerous to travel. It means I have had a lot more time in my craft room this week, Yipee!!! Here are three of the cards I have made using two of the new Hero Arts stamps I got before Christmas.

Love this Wheat Grass stamp, I wanted to try to make it look like a sky and setting sun. I am quite pleased with the result. The backing paper is an old piece from my stash that has watermarked butterflies on it.


Just playing around with the digital butterfly kit from Hero Arts. Watched Jennifer McGuires video on quick colouring and had to have a go.

This is using my Row of Houses stamp from Hero Arts. I found the sentiment on the internet and thought it fitted the card beautifully.
I am off now to do some more colouring, hope you are all keeping warm!!

Kathys Blog Candy!!!

The lovely Kathy is giving away some amazing blog candy. Please visit her blog and look at the stunning, inspirational work she creates. I promise you you won't be dissapointed, she is the master at colouring and her cards never cease to amaze me.

Valentine

I have had great fun today playing with some new stamps, Have made this for the Hero Arts challenge "Friendship and Valentines", I used the free downloadable template form Shari here.
I decided to have my heart at an angle, the background is stamped with Hero Arts flourish cling and is distressed with Ranger "Fired Brick" The little bird is also Hero Arts, reversed the image for the second bird!

I have entered this into Lucys Challenge, I love Lucys blog very inspirational, please take a look and have a go at her challenge!



Have made a few cards today as I have a day off from work, the school is closed due to the snowy conditions but I have left it to late to photograph them, its getting dark and I can't seem to get a good picture. Hopefully I will be off tomorrow as well and I can take them then.

SNOW

We have had a lot of snow in Surrey today, about 6 inches which is rather a lot for this area. The school where I work has been shut for the day so I went out taking some photographs.



This one is a bit like the Hero Arts snowman don't you think?



This is a bird feeder box in my friends garden.

Managed to get this photograph of a Heron on Blackhill Pond near where I live, I don't think he will catch anything today! I have had a fantastic day with my daughter, she is home from University at the moment and we had great fun in the snow.

I have also just had a call to say that school will be closed tomorrow, so I plan to do some crafting. Yipee!!!!

Two posts in one day!!

After seeing, Jo's and Deirdre's recent circle cards I was inspired. Decided to make this for the current challenge on the Embellish magazine site. The challenge is to make a card using the colours Pink, Red and Black and embellish with hearts. Not hard to try when Valentines Day is only a few weeks away.

Used my Hero Arts cling stamp to create the background, stamped and embossed in pearl on some BasicGrey paper then highlighted with some distress ink. Added the ribbon and a die cut heart with a button stitched to it. The sentiment is computer generated.

Blog award.

I am thrilled to have been awarded this "Kreativ Blogger" award by two of my lovely blogging friends Dotty Jo and Sanne, I am so pleased to receive this as blogging has become a bit of a passion, I love looking at everyones inspirational work. As always there are a few little rules with this award......

1. Copy the award to your blog.
2. Link to the person who gave you the award.
3. Identify 7 interesting facts about yourself.
4. Choose seven other bloggers to pass this award on to.
5. Link to their blogs.
6. Leave them a comment to let them know about this award

So here goes seven facts about me...

1. We have a working Vintage jukebox in our lounge to play all our old singles. ( we are a very musical family.)

2. When I was 10 I won a fancy dress competition dressed as Twiggy. (Wish I was still slim!!)

3. My son and my husband share the same birthday, both 19th April babies!

4. I have a fear of flying.

5. I once saw George Harrison at the British Grand Prix.

6. I would love to own my own craft shop one day.

7. I love all things crafty, cooking, sewing, crochet, papercraft... and the list goes on.........

and here are the seven very inspirational people I would like to nominate for this award, I visit their blogs daily and love their work...

Vanessa

Deirdre

Kathy

Tracey

Suzanne

Lin

Lucy

Hope you enjoy your award, I love all your blogs and your work constantly amazes me.

Also big congrats to Vanessa who has just won a day on the Hero Arts Blog!!

Another Challenge Card

Had some more spare time today so thought I would have another go at the Caardvarks challenge. Used some patterned papers as the main card design, just added some punched butterflies, pearls and a sentiment. I also dry embossed the paper to give it some dimension. (Hard to see in the photograph)

Caardvarks challenge

Happy New Year to everyone, hope its a great one for you all . I plan to get more time to craft this year, and here is the first challenge of the year from Caardvarks . The challenge is to use this sketch.

I don't really like using sketches but had to have a go, I suppose the more I practice the better I will get at these sorts of challenges!

Decided to make a baby girl card. This is quite a simple design just using patterned papers, stitched the beads on by hand. The sentiment is just chipboard but I pop dotted it to a small nesties label.

I am getting some crafting in before I go back to school next week, a bit of relaxing time before the new term starts.