Nearly that time of the year!

I hope that wherever you are in the country you are safe and warm. The wind is blowing a good 'un outside.

This is our penultimate challenge before we close down for the Christmas festivities. Our theme this week is Anything Goes with Winter.

I tripped over a carpet recently and did quite a bit of damage to the muscles in my back. So Ive tried to fin something a little simple.  I've used Panda Bear Designs Christmas Snow Paper Pack.  As I already had the Tattered Lace Winter Wishes cut and in my stash I've used blue tones. The little bag can be picked up in any decent craft shop, I think they are by Papermania. The tag is from Spellbinders Baby Bunting and the poinsettia is by Sue Wilson. Very handy for last minute gifts.

Playing Catch-Up

It's been a busy few weeks since my last post so here's my catch-up post to get me back on track.

The present challenge at OAAT is Anything goes with Halloween Colours and for my card I chose 'Catular by Ikes Art.  You can find this brilliant image here in the Stitchy Bear's Digital Outlet Store.

I'm sending this card to my granddaughters for Halloween as they own two lovely cats.

I cut a couple of square from Creative Expressions - Sue Wilson's Pierced Squares to mount my image on. The ribbon I found in a Dollar Tree store in St. Pete's Beach in Florida where I had been staying with a great bunch of friends.  The exchange rate was pretty good so a few spools of ribbon jumped in my basket. The sentiments are self generated. I love the purple and orange colours together at anytime of the year.



My second card was made for the recent Breast Awareness Week which took place when I was in the US.

The sentiment I found on the internet and those of you who know me understand that I love the perfect words for a card.  This card could be sent to anyone who is feeling alone in their treatment.

The lovely tulips image is called Whisper of Tulips by Kaz Kraftz and perfect for giving.

This Saturday we had afternoon tea on a Thames barge moored at Hythe Quay in Maldon, Essex.  We do enjoy ourselves and it was lovely catching up friends we haven't seen for a while.  Off out for another afternoon tea with family this week and looking forward to the first week of November when it's afternoon tea yet again at my niece's house celebrating the finish of her new extension. How did I ever find time to go to work????

A Lovely Time At Ally Pally

Twice a year my sis-in-laws and I toddle off to the Stamping and Scrapbooking show at Ally Pally (Alexandra Palace). This Sunday's event was fab and we picked up so many bargains especially card that I didn't need, along with lots of other goodies that I've got plenty of but, I think every crafter will know what I mean.

Back to this week's challenge at OSAAT. Our theme this week is 'Anything Goes With Leaves.

This is such a lovely sentiment called Mothers Garden by Floppy Latte Designs and you can find it right here.

I've coloured the flowers and leaves with Copics and created some flowers with a Memory Box Aster die and the leaves are from Spellbinders.

Please come and visit our blog, One Stitch At A Time and join in with the fun, there's a lovely prize for the winner this week of a collection of beautiful digital images.  Leave the design team some love, it's free!

There's a chill in the air!

There's a definite chill in the air and it looks like our lovely summer is coming to an end. For me it's be great, the first summer in many years that I have not had to work in a over warm office. It's been great that there hasn't been any of those too hot days where you just want to sit and do nothing.

It's that Sunday when we have a lovely new challenge on the One Stitch At A Time (OSAAT) blog. Our theme this week is Anything Goes With Gratitude. A lovely way of saying thank you to someone who has encouraged you, helped you or just been there for you.

For my card this week I chose to use Crafty Girl Creations Rose that can find right here.  This is such a lovely 'go to' image that can be used on so many occasions.

I've coloured the image with Promarkers and added a little Wink of Stellar to the flower itself. The background paper is from the First Editions Rose Garden pad.  The heart punch by Paper Shapers I've had for years and it doesn't appear enough on my cards, it's so sweet and just enough with the other hearts in the background. A self-generated sentiment to finish.

Please pop over to the challenge blog here and take part, there's a fab prize for the winner.

Four Legged Friends

Who can remember the words to the song, "Four Legged Friend" by Roy Rogers, I do! Well, that's the theme on the OSAAT this week. We would love to see your creations about your four legged friends, be it dogs, cats, horses, any animal with the required legs!

For my card this week I have used the Coosty Creations Animal Sentiments which are all gorgeous sentiments for your cards you can find them in the Stitchy Bear's Digital Stamp Outlet right here.
What a lovely sentiment this is and means a lot to me as mostly my dogs have come from animal shelters. I, personally, would not buy a pedigree dog when there are so many in shelters that need our love for the rest of their days.

As I wanted the sentiment to be the focal point of my card I've kept the rest very simple. The dog, bone and ball are all from a Spellbinders die and I've used a pice of cotton ribbon for the bow. Just a few card candi buttons to accentuate the sentiment.

What a beautiful day.

I hope you are having a beautiful day, the sky is a perfect blue and not a cloud in the sky. My little dog, Tuppence, is a real sunbather but knows when to come into the shade and sleep under the trees. The dogs are having a walk early in the morning as we don't sleep with the sun pouring in.

Well, I have been awol for a month having a fabulous holiday in France. We like to book a French farmhouse deep in the countryside and the one this year was perfect. The farm had its own fishing lake just outside our door and the farm dogs would come and visit before the days got too warm. One in particular, Houlk, loved just watching my husband fish, she would get so close to him but never attempt to harm the fish, such a gentle creature. A gentle va t'en or allez-vous-en and she would leave us.

I have two cards this week, the first one is for the challenge posting I missed being away.

This sweet image is by Digi Blessings and is called Patchwork Heart and you can find it here. The background paper is from SU that I've had for sometime and I've used a green mat at an angle to compliment the colours in the image. One of my favourite dies, Baby Buntings has a number from the fairly new Spellbinders dies Numbers and Alphabet.  The image has been coloured with a mix of Promarkers and Copics.



This week's challenge over on One Stitch At A Time is for Anything Goes With Sweet Treat and please enter our challenge that can be found here.

This week I chose to use Beary Dust Stamps image called Birthday Fairy, such a little sweetie!

She has been coloured with a mix of Promarkers and Copics as usual. The background paper came from the Dovecraft Sweet Paris paper pack which is so pretty. The image has been mounted on a pale green mat and I have popped some Wild Orchid flowers and leaves onto a small piece of cheesecloth.  The sentiment is self generated and honestly, could you resist someone so cute?

It's that time again!

Another two weeks have passed and it is time for a new challenge at Stitchy Bear Stamps. Our brilliant theme this week is, 'Anything Goes With Chillaxing'. What we would love to see is your gorgeous designs featuring relaxing and just chilling out in this gorgeous weather we've been having.

This week I chose to use Barb Jensen's brilliant image called Pink Polish and you can find it right here.  Just thinking about teetering in those shoes, I think they're just for posing in with that special man in your life.

As Katherine Hepburn once said, "All I want out of life is a moment's peace, a good book and a great pair of shoes."  I think these are!!!!

I've coloured the image with a mix of Copic and Promarker pens and highlighted the heels with Diamond Glaze. The image has been matted up using Spellbinders Modern Stationery and finished off with a few red pearls on Swiss Dot card.

Just like the White Rabbit - I'm Late!

I'm late in my setting up my blog post this week. I'm having too much fun out and about. Sunday was spent with lovely Red Hat friends cruising on a canal boat on the River Lea and having fresh baked scones with jam and cream and endless cups of tea. The second one this week, I shared fresh local strawberries and more scones with a neighbour, Julie, in support of our local village shop.  How did I ever go to work?

The lovely challenge on OSAAT this week is Anything Goes with Red, White and Blue. So time to be either very patriotic or just have fun.

My card this week features Alipeeps Art image, Peacock Profiles and you can find here.

In homage to Jane and Samara of the OSAAT teamies and my lovely friend Ingrid, their hair colours are amazing.

I've used some embossed dots card as a base and cut a rectangle with a die from Spellbinders 5 x 7 Matting Basics and used it as a background for the largest Spellbinders 5 x 7 Elegant Labels 4. The white card I've cut with a die from the Grand Calibur Labels 4 set. It fitted perfectly and I've added some red feathers from my hat trimmings stash.

One for The Man In Your Life.

It's time for a new challenge at One Stitch At A Time and out theme this week is Anything Goes with Men.

For my Card this week I chose Stitchy Stamp's brilliant image called Cup Full and you can find it here  What a great image and such fun to colour with Promarkers too. He's the Morning Angel bringing our tea or coffee.

A Fantastic Challenge Today That Everyone Will Love

It's that time again for another great challenge at One Stitch At A time challenge blog here.

Our challenge this week is Anything Goes With Flowers.

I love using our Stitchy Bears sentiments and I chose this one by Sentimental Susan and it's called Congratulations and you can find it here.

The fab prize this month is a set of images and if you're lucky just think how many future challenges you can take part in!  Please check out the blog.

The background paper is from a beautiful pad called Rose Garden by First Edition and the lovely tags are from a die set by Cheery Lynn Horizontal Fishtail Banners. The flower I made ages ago using a Spellbinders Scallop Circle die and some book print, mulberry paper and lots of Tattered Angels spray mists.  This will be my friend who loves shades of brown!

Appreciation!

Well, we all love to be appreciated and feel appreciation for the simple things in life.  Our latest challenge at OSAAT One Stitch At A Time is Anything Goes with Appreciation.

Today has great as I could venture out into my little garden and get some window boxes and tubs planted up.  There's been a constant commentary of a local triathlon in the background and we saw a an emergency crew on a quad bike as the competitors have to run along the sea wall. There's no way of getting an ambulance out there if anything goes wrong.

After today I am going to appreciate the lovely soak in the tub like Bathtime Lucy by Reeces Scrap Pieces on my card.

I've had another play with the watercolour pencils on watercolour paper, I've mat and layered her onto a 8" x8" card so that I could use some Diamond Glaze on the bubbles. I'm still learning with these pencils but I was pleased with the outcome. Still lots to learn but I did have lots of help from my sis-in-law.

Retired! Thats Me!

After many, many years at work I am now officially retired. I'm hoping I can now take part in lots more challenges on the One Stitch At A Time challenge blog (OSAAT). I also promised my self as a New Year that I would post more of the other cards I make and get them entered into challenges. Well, that didn't very long but now I have no excuse, do I?

For our challenge over on the OSAAT blog this week our theme is, Anything Goes With A Special Lady'.

My Mum and Mum in Law are no longer with us so I'm dedicating this card to all my long term friends, they're scattered across the world and the internet. 

I chose to work with a beautiful set of papers by Panda Bear Designs called 'Imagine' and a lovely sentiment by Stitchy called 'Just between Friends' and you can find them here.

I chose to use two of the papers by Panda Bear Designs and distress the edges of the orange one. I've used some TH ink in Marigold to darken the edges. The Spellbinders die Labels 47 Decorative Elements was used to cut the fancy frame. I've used the Heartfelt Creations Delightful Daisy stamp and die onto more of the orange paper for the flowers and used a couple of Sue Wilson's dies for the leaves.

Clever Girl! I'm full of Admiration!

It's the 19th and the time when we set a new challenge at One Stitch At A Time (OSAAT) and our theme this week is anything Goes with Daughters/Girls. This was perfect for me as I was asked to make a card for a very clever young lady who eventually wants to become a lawyer.   It seems her parents are confident that she will pass her exams so now they are prepared. Nothing frilly or fancy was the request.

This image by Ken Benner seemed perfect and you can find it here.

I found a odd piece of paper that fitted the colours of card that I chose and covered the front of a plain card. I cut a bunting shape from Spellbinders Baby Buntings die that came over from the US. A plain  and scallop Spellbinders square cut the image shapes. No flowers at all which was hard but I understood!!

Easter

What a cold start to our first Bank Holiday of the year, to day it seems to be a little warmer if you stay out of the wind.

Over on the One Stitch At A Time (OSAAT) blog our latest challenge is 'Anything Goes With Easter /Passover'

For my card this week I chose to use My Heart Pieces image called Titli and you can find her here. I've coloured her in Spring colours of yellow and green and used a couple of Pink Petticoat's digi papers in ribbon stripes and tiny dots that I've had for some time now, the colour is Pistachio.

I mounted the image onto a piece of Core-Dinations card and used the reverse for my simple leaves. The flowers are ages old but were sitting at the top of my flower box begging to be used.

I would like to enter the following:-

Allsorts Challenge 305 - Easter

Hiding In My Craft Room 194 - Think Spring 

Spring has Sprung

Its none too warmer out in the back waters of Essex but I can see Spring peeping through, quite a few naturalised Daffodils and Narcissus are in full bloom and the Hyacinths are just beginning to pop their heads up

Our new challenge at One Stitch At A Time this week is 'Anything Goes With Nature. I chose to use IkeSart beautiful 'Spring Fairy' and you can find her here.  To me, I think she is very Art Nouveau and I wanted to give her a very soft appearance so I decided to colour her with my watercolour pencils I was lucky buy these from an art shop that was closing down. I've hardly used them but it has given her a very soft focus.

I didn't want any decoration to spoil the image so I've kept it very Simple. The corner is a Memory Box Die and a couple of Memory Box flowers. The background paper is from a Hunkydory kit.

I would like to enter the following:


Addicted to CAS : Green

Inkspirational: #78  She Art or Image of a Woman

Splendifferous Creations :Outdoors

Graph It Colour Challenge: No12 Spring Colours

Patties Creation #108 Must Have Green

What a fortnight!

The last two weeks have been hellish for me, It started out as one tooth ache and then quickly spread to all of my teeth and cheeks going numb.  Sinusitis said the doc and prescribed antibiotics to clear it up but it's still around, not nice at all.  (Whinge over!)

Well, it's time for a new challenge at One Stitch at a Time.  Our theme for the next fortnight is 'Anything Goes with Women'. Just in time for those special women in our lives be it friends, aunts, grandmothers or our lovely Mums.

As my own Mum died over 40 years ago and I no longer have my lovely and appreciative mother-in-law I made this for those special Red Hat ladies in my life.

Ive used a gorgeous image called from Kaz Kraftz called Time for Tea and you can find it here.  There are so many fabulous images in this set that I know I will use it over and over again.

 Although it's out of shot, I based the image on my favourite cup and saucer, Moonlight Rose by Royal Albert china.  We had just celebrated my birthday by taking Afternoon Tea at The Ritz in Piccadilly. My daughter bought the cup and saucer as a memento of the day. A really fabulous and memorable day.

I chose to change the colour of the image to blue after I had decided where the elements were going to be.  I just lightly coloured the images in shades of blue Promarkers. My fabulous designer teamie, Jane Bradshaw, created the sentiment especially for me to echo the teapot design. I've had the blue gardenia in my flower box for ages but I'm sure it came from Wild Orchid Studios.

it's Sunday and time for a new challenge at OSAAT

It's Sunday and time for a lovely new challenge at One stitch at a Time (OSAAT).  This week our theme is 'Anything Goes With Birthdays'. This will get the creative mojo firing on all cylinders!

For my card I chose the Floppy Latte image Floral Frame 8 and you can find it here in the Stitchy Bear Digital Outlet. I love sunflowers and I think this image is suitable for a lady or a man, you could colour this in reds and pinks and oranges as the colour spectrum for sunflowers is ever changing. I love the autumn colours that I've used. Left fairly plain as I have it will be suitable for all relatives as well as good friends.

I've coloured the image with Promarkers and reached for a simple greeting stamped with brown ink and embossed with a clear powder, the edges have been highlighted with a copper coloured ink too. The perfect colour cord given to me by my lovely friend Marilyn.

Please join in with out challenge as for the next fortnight our prize will be four digi images and a gorgeous paper pack too.

Pop over to our challenge blog, the rules are very simple

A card for a Lovely Friend

A member of our Red Hat chapter recently has a birthday, so i reached for the Graphic 45 paper pad called Bird Song. All of Graphic 45 papers are gorgeous and I've been itching to use this one as it's so colourful.  The sentiment is from Paulette at Create with TLC and die cut with a Sue Wilson set of dies.

Anything goes with 'Love"

Next weekend it will be Valentine's Day and love, red roses and choccies will be given to wives, girlfriends and lovers and Mums too. For our theme this week at One Stitch At A Time  it is Anything Goes With Love.  It doesn't have to be a Valentine, anything that shows how much you love will be perfect. Please check out our simple three rules for the challenge.

Our prize pack this week will be this super set of images,

Aren't they special!

For my card this week I chose "Pansies' by CraftyGirl Creations and you can find it here.  What a delight to colour and use.

Theres about four shades of purple and yellow Promarkers in the flowers but with the low winter light levels it was difficult to capture. Pansies are so pretty and welcoming after winter and I love all the colours that are grown now.  Before I used it I checked out the Language of Flowers to see if there was an appropriate sentiment to go with this gorgeous image. Happily, it was perfect!

The Colour Purple

Our Challenge this week at OSAAT is 'Anything Goes With The Colour Purple'. Right up my street being a Red Hatter.  I chose to use Coosty Creations 'Dominae Papilio' and you can find the image here What a fab image to colour and embellish and you will also get a paper pack to use as well.I chose one of the lovely papers from this kit.

Isn't she gorgeous! She has been coloured with about four shades of purple through her hair and I've coloured the butterflies in pastel colours to highlight them, they've been given a sprinkle of Hint of Stella to jazz them up too. The butterflies were cut with a Spellbinders die and also have a layer of parchment over them too.

So please pop over to our challenge blog here and join in the fun. Have a look at the prize pack we are offering this week.

Sweet Pea Stamps

I saw this digi image on a card made by our lovely DT co-ordinator, Jane Bradshaw and fell in love with it. It was my great-niece's birthday recently and I knew it would be perfect for her.

A beautiful image by Conie Fong at Sweet Pea Stamps and coloured with Copics and Promarkers. I had to send this by post so kept the flowers to a minimum with a couple from Wild Orchid and a bow from the Sue Wilson range of die cuts. As I can't cut straight even with a guillotine so I've  used the Spellbinders Matting Basics A and their Elegant Labels Four on the white card and the patterned vintage paper. It's been in my stash for ages.

A New OSAAT Challenge

Time for a lovely challenge at One Stitch At A Time. Our theme this week is Anything Goes With Something New (New Home, New Baby, New Die or inks etc)

This is a beautiful silhouette image that you can find in the store here, it's so useful for lots of different scenarios. I've used a new leaf die on my card from Heartfelt Creations purchased from Icon UK  and a new sentiment from Pink Petticoat.  The background came from a pad by Docrafts a few years ago and I've aged it with some distress inks. The flowers have been at the bottom of my stash box for ages.

I would like to enter the following:
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Ike's World - Something Old/ Something New
Crafting From the Heart - Challenge 42
Crafty Cardmakers #130 Something Old/Something New

A Birthday Card for A Friend

I thought I'd try and keep a little resolution going, I promised myself that I would post more of the cards I make in between my DT cards.

I made this for one of my Red Hat chapter friends.

I've used a couple of sheets of the beautiful vintage Ella Blue pad, sadly I can't find it anywhere else.
The die cuts are Spellbinders Labels Forty One Decorative Elements and the flowers are the Heartfelt Creations Arianna Blooms dies and stamps.

The sentiment is from the very generous lady called Paulette of Create with TLC.  I love her sentiments and a few times now she has created a sentiment or word art that is just what I had been looking for. Spooky stuff!