Allsorts Challenge - Buttons

 Allsorts challenge this week is to include some buttons on your project. I've used a Mo Manning digistamp and word processed the first two lines of  'Twas the night before Christmas.The buttons, and lace are from my stash. The papers are from Dovecraft (stockings) Papermania (stars) and Funky Fairies (snowflakes).
Yet again I am unable to take a photo without flash as the weather is so miserable! It has been raining quite heavily all night, and although it has eased now it still looks like it could tip it down at any moment. I hope the weather is better for you. Thanks for looking!

Tuesday taggers - A festival of light

For Tuesday Taggers I've gone well off the beaten track. I've found some rather lovely celtic candles from a Non Sequitur  stamp plate. I then started looking for celtic festivals involving light, and it is most of them! There is the winter solstice, or Yule, summer solstice, Beltane, Samhain,  Imbolc and Lughnasadh to name but a few. As it is all based on the sun and light and dark, candles and fire are fairly major symbols. If you want to read more about it there is a good site here.
I have opted for a Yule card as it is about the right time of year. I coloured my candle sticks with promarkers and then used a clear sakura glaze pen over the top. the background was done with sponges and distress inks.
The celtic stamp on the base card is my Jumbo rollagraph. Thanks for looking!

Passion for promarkers - Vintage

Here is my entry for this weeks passion for promarkers where the theme is 'vintage'. I looked through my Christmas stamps and found this one from Elusive Images. I've tried colouring it in the past with watercolours and coloured pencils, but not been satisfied with the results. Promarkers are perfect for it! I used marsh green, burgundy, ruby, mustard, moss and vanilla. The papers are from Funky fairies lets get traditional kit. I applied a bit of tea dye distress ink and stickles in the middle to finish it off. Thanks for looking!

Allsorts Challenge - A Christmas Carol

Here is my entry for this weeks Allsorts Challenge. Guess which Christmas Carol I was thinking of? That's right - Good King Wenceslas -only kidding, lol! I'll let you into a little secret. I was really stupid and coloured the floor green to start off with, duh! It's snowing and I forget about the deep and crisp and even stuff on the floor!!! I then coloured over with 2 different sorts of white gel pen, some white acrylic paint and some tippex! It was looking okay until I applied the stickles, but now the snow is an off white very dodgy colour... Steve suggested I blame the foxes! There was another Christmas carol suggested too - a variation on See amid the winter snow... I think I'd better be quiet before I offend all my readers!

The stamp is from stamporium, and I coloured it with promarkers (mainly!). Thanks for looking!

A little something to share with you...

Second post today! Just thought I would share with you my quick cake. I'm not sure where the recipe came from, but I have a copy of it in my mother-in-law's handwriting that has got to be at least 20 years old!

Bran Loaf
1 cup of All bran
1 cup of dried fruit/ dates and walnuts/dried apricots
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of milk
1 cup of flour
1 egg

Combine the bran, fruit, sugar and milk in a bowl and leave to soak for at least an hour. Add the egg and flour and beat together. Put in a greased 1lb loaf tin and cook for about 1 hour at 180 C (might need a bit longer if not fan assisted). So quick and easy I made 2 this afternoon. I vary the fruit each time. These have dried apricots in one and a mixture of dried mixed fruit and pecan nuts in the other. Just wish you could smell them too!

Two challenges

Here is my entry for this weeks Tuesday taggers, where the theme is red green and gold, and Dare you to Digistamp, which is glitter. I used Sophie from Digistamp Boutique and coloured her with promarkers. I used gold glitter on the punched snowflakes and holographic glitter on the image. the paper is from my stash and I have had it for a very long time. Finally I managed a photo without using the flash!
Let's hope the weather improves for everyone, particularly in Cumbria.

Thanks for looking!

Passion for promarkers - Burnt Umber and Marsh Green

Here is my entry for this weeks Passion for promarkers. Besides the challenge colours of Burnt Umber and Marsh Green I used Pastel Blue, Ivory, Blush, Dusky pink, Terracotta and Pumpkin. The image is from Digistamp Boutique, and the papers from MME and Funky Fairies. I foolishly waited until Saturday to try and get a decent photo in daylight, so I'm probably to blame for the awful weather!
Thanks for looking !

By the Cute and Girly Challenge - Winter Wonderland

Here is my entry for this months By the Cute and Girly Challenge. Please check out this great challenge blog - there are lovely prizes on offer! I had been hoping to take photos of my project in daylight, but I couldn't wait! It has been such a long time coming, and I had planned it in my head almost as soon as the challenge was announced. Sunday allowed me about 3 hours uninterrupted craft time and then I put the finishing touches to it at about 11 last night! I made my own size exploding box (inspired by Elaine) and made the backing paper using versamark, Clear choice snowflake stamps, a whispers stamp and Tim Holtz faded jeans and dusty concord DI. The lid used my spellbinders shapeabilities snowflake dies and the other snowflakes were a variety of punches. I finished off with a few dots of stickles and a few gems. You slide off the lid and the snowflakes bob about! Cool! I think I've come up with something to follow my card last month...hope you like it and thanks for looking!

Allsorts Challenge: For a child

Here is my card for this weeks Allsorts challenge which is a card for a child. The stamp is from Pink Gem and I fell in love with it when I saw it. I almost put googly eyes and a pompom for the nose, but opted for glaze as my googly eyes were a bit large! I used my promarkers to colour him and added a bit of diamond stickles. The papers have been in my stash for ages and the sentiment is from Craftwork cards.

While I was tidying my table I found this lovely image that I had coloured with promarkers ages ago. It is a free download from here. I quickly made it up into a card and I'm rather pleased with the result. Very summery and warm! I also found half a bar of Galaxy which put me in an even better mood!!! The weekend has got better and better as I have bought Brenda's promarkers from her and arranged to meet up with her on 5th December at Sir Stampalot's open day. We had a lovely chat on the phone  - it feels like I've known her for years! It's just like Christmas already!!!

Where did this week go?!

Here is my card for this week's Tuesday Taggers (no patterned paper) and it follows the sketch for this weeks Passion for Promarkers. I used marsh green and burgundy(again) with cool grey 1, 2 and 3, blossom, ruby, cinnamon and pastel blue. The digistamp is from Digistamp Boutique and there was much use of my nesties and cuttlebug. Not my best colouring, and I think it is something to do with the card I printed on. I can't seem to get the 'In 2 crafts' stuff any more. Wilkinson's have stopped selling it and are now doing the stuff from create and craft which is thicker and allows more 'bleeding'.
This week has been completely mad. There has been lots of staff absence at work, with those of us that were there  having to cover. There were three trips besides the usual swimming. We are rehearsing for the school panto and I've had two new children start in my class. I haven't seen the house in daylight all week and my craft table looks like a bomb has hit it. I've made three cards this week and none are up to my usual standard. I would love a three day weekend so I could just catch up a bit! Off to do some tidying... I might make a better job of that!
Thanks for looking!

Knickers!

I made this card for one of my workmates who has a thing about knickers... I won't tell you the details! You should have seen her face when she took it out of the envelope! I cut out the pants by hand and used some background stamps and promarkers to add a bit of detail. The pegs are glued to the backing paper (Funky fairies) and the string is attached behind the panel.
Thanks for looking!

Blingin' 'eck! I can't get a decent photo!

The Allsorts challenge (by Jules) for this week is to bring out our bling, so I sat down and had a go at a monochrome card using my Stampendous Agapanthus stamps. I also used a text stamp from Crafty Individuals. The little swirl around the edges is from the Paper Artsy Sqiggly Ink collection. I mounted both panels on some silver holographic mirri board. I added a punched border (Martha Stewart) and ten stick on gems. I also added 3 large black flat-backed pearls. The greeting is from craftwork cards and also has a pearlised finish.Unfortunately I have not managed to get a decent photo, so it looks very lacking in bling! Maybe I should have added some glitter too! Thanks for looking x

Passion for promarkers - Canary and Grass

First of all I must say how thrilled I was to be selected for a top 5 spot on passion for promarkers last week. It really made my day when I found out on Wednesday! Thanks Helen, and thanks to to all those lovely people who left such lovely comments. Here is my card for this week's passion for promarkers. I used promarkers in Canary, grass, ruby, satin, blush, pastel pink, pastel yellow, cool grey 4 & 5, pastel blue and sandstone. The image is a digistamp by Mo Manning, and isn't she cute?!
I can't believe it's Friday and I've only just got round to putting this together. I coloured it last night after a rather hectic day in charge at work (Therapy!).
Thanks for looking!

Allsorts Challenge - Weddings

Here is my entry for this weeks Allsorts challenge. I made it a while ago for a lovely couple, both of whom I have worked with over the past few years. The verse is the Apache Wedding Blessing (can be found easily using google). All of the stamps were embossed in fine detail EP. Thanks for looking!

Tuesday taggers handbags and gladrags

Tuesday taggers have a theme of handbags and gladrags this week. Hope this fits the bill. I used Victorian Bouquet starburst stains to make the scrunched background paper, the flower and the paper I stamped the dress onto. The dress is a Graphicus stamp and the quote is from memorymakindivas.com. Sorry, there's no handbag - maybe she is still looking for one that matches!

Wooohoo!

I won best card in the 'By the Cute and Girly' challenge for Autumn Glory!!!!!!!! Wow! First time I have won a prize! Thank you to all the lovely people who are on the design team! I am so happy I did a little dance!!! I'm off to ring my sister-in-law to tell her that her birthday card got famous!
I will try and calm down soon - Honest! In the meantime check out this great challenge blog. I just love the fact that there are so many different types of craft accepted and the themes chosen so far have been wonderful. The DT are all hugely talented lovely ladies! Thanks again!

Tuesday taggers burst of colour

Here is my entry for this weeks Tuesday Taggers. The challenge is 'a burst of colour' so I hope this fits the bill. The stamp is by 'The Artful Stamper. The background is done with posh rainbow inks on a sponge. The glitter on the leaves is two tone green and copper, and the border and card are two tone too. The photo doesn't really do it justice.

This weeks challenge is sponsored by the craft barn.