It's a Bugs life!

The theme at Tuesday Taggers this week is 'Bugs' and is sponsored by the Craft Barn. I've made two cards this week. The first uses Kay Carley's  Funky Frames (Aspects of Design), coloured in with Sakura Stardust pens and a water brush.It's very much in the style of Kay. I love her use of colour and the way she uses the stamps to create backgrounds.

For my second card I used two stamps. The 'lazy daisies' are by Penny Black and the 'garden ladybug' by Hero arts. I coloured both in with promarkers and added a bit of stickles to the flowers and diamond glaze to the ladybirds.  Pop over to Tueday Taggers and take a look at some of the wonderful creations my talented teamies have come up with this week.

Thanks for looking!

Allsorts challenge - Rags to Riches

before

Here is my Entry for this week's Allsorts challenge where the theme is Rags to Riches. I've used another mint tin (see before picture above). I've framed a small scanned picture of one of my relatives (not a clue who, but related to my maternal grandfather) using a bottle top and UTEE. The stamps on the top are hero arts script and a graphicus scroll, stamped in tea dye DI on card swiped with Antique Linen DI. The flowers, lace, pearls and ribbon were all from my stash. Thanks for looking!

A couple of challenges and I've been a bit naughty!

Confession time... You know how I tried to go craft shopping yesterday and it was shut? Well I had ordered myself a box of 24 Coloursoft pencils that arrived yesterday, and instead of putting them away for my birthday I came home, opened them and started using them. I know, it's bad isn't it? I've had the odourless alcohol and the paper stumps for ages and my will power was very poor! Anyway, confession over, I put them to very good use and made this Easter card using an image by my good friend Teri of Delicious Doodles. Isn't it sweet? The gingham papers were from Funky fairies and the daisy paper was from a Papermania pad. I'm entering it into two challenges - Rosie D's where the theme is Yellow, green and white, and Dare U2 Digistamp where the theme is Easter.

My second card was also coloured with the Coloursoft pencils and blended in the same way. The main image is a Stampourium stamp (no longer available) and the background is stamped with my Art Impressions serpentine background. I added diamond glaze and stickles to highlight. I love these pencils and for a first go I'm so pleased with the results! I can see they are going to get lots of use.
I hope you have all signed up to follow the Sir Stampalot Challenge Blog. Only 3 more days before the first challenge is launched and the last chance candy is drawn.
Thanks for looking!

A day of craft

As it's the first day of the Easter Hols I decided I would spend the day doing fun stuff (and a bit of washing). I did try going to Once upon a stamp, only to find they were at the NEC and not open, so came home and used up some stash instead. The main image is a free digistamp from Cuddly Buddly. I coloured it with promarkers in meadow, aqua, pastel blue, sky blue, lavender, lilac, maroon, burnt umber and purple. I hadn't decided what else to do with it when I saw these papers and realised it was a good match! I thought I would enter it in this week's Passion for Promarkers where the theme is Springtime with an animal.

My second card features a Penny Black stamp bought from Sir Stampalot. I coloured it with promarkers and used papers from the Papermania capsule collection. Not many days now until the Sir Stampalot Challenge launches. I hope you are signed up as a follower and have your name in Mr Linky for the last goody bag candy draw.
Thanks for looking!

Different Poppies

This is another stamp by Hero Arts that I got from Sir Stampalot. I love it! I can see it in lots of different colours, or just embossed in silver or gold. I found myself using some different colour combinations here, but I think they work! I stamped the stamp in brown versafine and embossed with detail clear. After that I coloured it with promarkers. I stamped the swirl (Elusive Images), in chalk ink on the pearlised base card.
I want to let you know that you are in for a real treat when you see the DT's cards for the Sir Stampalot challenge blog. Make sure you sign up to follow so you can join in the fun!
Sorry to those of you who I have not had chance to visit this week. It's the last week of term and on top of Data crunching and a governors meeting, I seem to be so tired I've lost the ability to focus for long! Off to try and get an earlier night tonight. Thanks for visiting!

Altering at Tuesday Taggers

Hi Everyone! Here is my latest project for Tuesday Taggers. One of my friends gets through a fair few of these mints that come in little tins and donated me a pile of them. I'm a bit out of my comfort zone with altering, so I'm afraid it isn't altered much! I used mustard seed and broken china distress inks to get that shade of green. The stamps are all Craftwork Cards 'Botanicals' except for the butterfly  which is a hero arts one. I added tulip paint, stickles and white gel pen to jazz it up a bit. I will try a few more of these soon, and maybe get a bit more adventurous!
Thanks for looking, and do pop over and look at the fab projects my talented teamies have come up with!

It's Spring!

I've been out in the garden without my coat on admiring the crocuses, snowdrops and the lovely tête a tête daffodils that are just coming out. The sun is out and there are even a few bees around. I've also been putting the finishing touches to an easel card I started last night.

This lovely hyacinth, coloured with promarkers, is a Graphicus stamp and the papers are from the capsule collection by Papermania. I found the ribbon in my stash and sprayed the flowers with creative colour sprays to blend in. I'm entering this in three challenges - Allsorts, Rosie D's and By the Cute and Girly, Where the themes are Spring is in the Air and Think Spring. Thanks for looking and don't forget to check out the Sir Stampalot challenge blog!

Lovely papers!

I've been busy preparing a few DT items this week, so I'm not able to post what I've done yet. After a fairly busy week at school I sat down to have a bit of a play this morning. When I saw these papers from Kaisercraft I fell in love with them. There are several sheets using this colour combination. I picked them up from Sir Stampalot when I was there last. The stamp is from Craftwork Cards botanical set.

Talking of Sir Stampalot, have you visited the new Challenge blog yet? There are two lots of blog candy left and then on 1st April the monthly challenges will start. You can be in with a chance to win the blog candy just by signing up to follow and popping your name into Mr Linky. Grab this blinkie and help spread the word!

Jesters, Clowns and Masquerades Tuesday Taggers

Our Theme at Tuesday Taggers this week is Jesters and Masquerade Balls. This was one of those themes that I wasn't sure what I was going to do as I didn't have any stamps for my main image. I made a background with my Diamond stamp from Crafty Individuals, a Kaleidacolor Calypso ink pad and a brayer. After that I started looking on the internet and found this fabulous sketch of a jester on Deviant Art. You can see the original sketch by Sutinen here. I felt that if I coloured him it would be a bit OTT, so just outlined him in pastel blue promarker and left him black and white. Thanks for looking and do hope you'll join in this week!

Go for it!

There are still two more chances to win blog candy from the new Sir Stampalot challenge blog. All you have to do is

• sign up to become a follower of the NEW BLOG.
• Put a link on your blog
• Pop your blog details in to Mr Linky on the latest post

Then you can be in with a chance of winning an amazing goody bag! 
I can't tell you how exciting it is getting as we get closer to the first challenge. I am so lucky to be part of such an incredibly talented team. You will be wowed!

Allsorts Challenge - Black, white and pink

Here is my entry for this week's Allsorts challenge. I have used all Hero Arts stamps, although the central butterfly is a Hero Arts Digi. I even stamped the pink ribbon with hero arts leaf flourish (yet again!). I coloured the butterfly with promarkers and added a bit of fine glitter.
Thanks for looking!

THE WINNER OF THE SIR STAMPALOT CANDY HAS BEEN RELEASED, CHECK IT OUT HERE. REMEMBER TO SIGN UP TO THE NEW BLOG AND BECOME A FOLLOWER. ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT BEFORE OUR FIRST CHALLENGE AND BOY IT IS  VERY EXCITING!!!!

A couple more poppies

I've made a couple more cards using the penny black stamps I bought from Sir Stampalot and the Hero Arts text stamp. The first poppy image I did on silk finish card and the second onto watercolour paper. Both are coloured with distress inks. On the first I used fired brick and on the second I used faded jeans. Not my best colouring on the second one. I couldn't seem to stop it from going blotchy. Thanks for looking!

My Boss is sixty next week!

My boss is sixty next week. Since September she has been talking about retiring and this week she has announced that she will be going in July. It all seems to be happening at once! I made her this card for next week and I'd better get my thinking cap on for July! The fabulous tree stamp is called fantasy and is by Penny Black. I used my round the page punch from Martha Stewart and the Art Impressions swirls. There is a fairly large 60 today on the inside of this 8x8 card, as she wasn't keen on everyone knowing!!!
I took my inspiration from Sylvia's beautiful card. I'm a bit jealous though, as her embossing powder looks a lot more silvery than mine! I've just thrown away two pots of embossing powders that seem to have 'gone off'. They had lost their lustre and looked like I'd over-heated them. I tried several times and was beginning to think I'd lost the knack! Thanks for looking!

Tueday Taggers celebtrates St Patrick's day

Here is my DT Tag for Tuesday Taggers this week, where the theme is St Patrick's day. On my tag I used that hero arts leaf flourish (again!)  and some celtic knot stamps (no idea who by!). The mini tag is from a Joanna sheen cd (Secret Garden), and the shamrock leaves were sprayed with creative colour sprays (Craft Notions).  Pop over to Tuesday Taggers to see the wide range of fabulous DT projects, and then please join in and show us your curly swirly creations!
Well, believe it or not we are off to my SIL's for Christmas Dinner tonight! My niece was in Antarctica for Christmas and didn't get a proper Christmas Dinner, so we are feasting tonight instead!!! Thanks for visiting!

Drum Roll, please!

I am delighted to tell you we have a new monthly challenge blog starting on 1st April and I'm on the DT!!!! It is soooo exciting and we have some lovely ideas for you to join in with. We also have some wonderful prizes lined up from the lovely Janice and Andy at Sir Stampalot. Pop over to the new blog and start following because there is more blog candy to be won too!  Go on - click on the picture now!

Allsorts Challenge - Just for Men

Here is my card for Allsorts this week where the challenge is to make something for Men. It was very simple and quick! Most of the men in our family love walking, so I cut part of an old road atlas with the Lake District on it and used it as my backing paper. The boots stamp is an Aspects of design one from The Stamp man and the greeting is a Stamporium one. Thanks for looking!

Had chance for a little play

Last weekend when we went to Sir Stampalot there were several card samples using the new Penny Black stamps. Needless to say I bought a few! The colour scheme  on the samples was so lovely I decided to use it when I had a play yesterday. So this card is very much in the style of Elizabeth Allan from Penny Black. I stamped the poppy onto watercolour paper and used my distress inks to colour it. All stamps are Penny black except the script which is from Hero Arts.

For a Mum

Here is my offering for this week's Allsorts Challenge, where the theme is for Mother's day or someone who is like a mum to you. Here is a card I made for my friend to give to her Mum. Both of them have been there for me and were very supportive when I lost my Mum to cancer nine years ago.The stamps are all See D's (whimsical garden collection I think), except the tags spelling Mum, which were an unmounted sheet from Stamporium (No longer available).

Whenever we got a camera out my Mum used to duck out of the way, so I have very,very few pictures of her. This is the one I love the best. There was so much laughter that day, with Meg in her first shoes (we couldn't find any small enough for ages. Eventually we found some size 2s in Next) She started walking straight away and was running by the end of the afternoon! Mum was on top of the world that she had shared that special moment!

Tuesday Taggers - Curls and Swirls

Here is my DT card for Tuesday Taggers this week, where the theme is Curls and Swirls. We are very lucky to be being sponsored by Crafty Individuals who are offering a fabulous prize. Make sure you put a link on your post to be eligible!
On my card I've used the flourish, script and flower by Crafty Individuals and the swirl (behind the flower) by Art Impressions. The flower is coloured with promarkers and the stamping and sponging were done with Adirondack pool and stream.
Pop over to Tuesday Taggers to see the wide range of fabulous DT projects, and then please join in and show us your curly swirly creations!
Thanks for visiting!