Crumbs is that the time!

Crumbs. Need to get my skates on . I'm short of a few days for Mo's Rudolph day challenge. Determined to play along so without further ado here is my offering.
Di and I shared a Hunkydory Little Book of  'Sparkling Season' images when we were at the Coventry Show last September and I had a rootle through the pile of images and chose six  (I know , if I'm going to cut it short might as well make it worth my while!) to make up into quick cards. Did I just say quick? Which part of quick didn't my brain understand!!

I have used 6"x 6" assorted card bases which I trimmed down to be  6" x 4.5". The frame is Crafts -Too Rectangle stitch hole die cut. I chose the one nearest to the image size so I needed to just do a slight adjustment for the picture to fit.

I cut the frame from various coloured card stock and mixed and matched with the images. 

Sentiments were cut using various Britannia word dies.

Though I have made six cards I'm just entering this one into Mo's challenge.

Scraps of Life By Scrappymo # Rudolph February challenge.



I will be posting the winners to my 7yr Itch Blog Candy in my next  post so remember to check back to see if you are a winner as there are 4 prizes to be won.

7yr Itch Blog Candy

Well goodness me I'm 7 yrs old today! (29th Jan) No not me myself obviously but my blog is. Doesn't time fly when your having fun. So to honour the occasion I'm offering the following candy to my followers.

1st Prize  is a  Joanna Sheen £20 Gift Voucher 

2nd Prize is a Joanna Sheen £10 Gift Voucher

3rd Prize  Mystery Gift Bag

4th Prize Mystery  Gift Bag

Candy will close on 28th February.

Just a Few Rules.

1.One entry only per person.

2. International followers welcome to join in.

3. Please be a genuine follower of this blog. 

New followers are welcome.

4. Please add the the Candy picture on my side bar to

your own blog side bar.

5. Add your name to Mr Linky  below.

Winners  will be drawn by Random Org on
1st March.

Just before I go

 I expect you''d like to see me at 7yrs old.

Twins

Our neighbours opposite (the same neighbours that had their telephone wires cut  last month when next door was having their BT cabling replaced have just had a new arrival. Well two actually as it turned out to be twins, one of each.!! We have been over to see them and gosh you forget how tiny babies can be. Our daughter was born 6 weeks early and for her 1st month was in dolls size clothes  (Anyone remember the Tiny Tears Doll in the 1970''s? They were the only clothes to fit especially the booties).All 0-3 mth clothes fell straight off her.
Anyway this is the card I made for the birth of the twins. I tried desperately to find out the neighbours choice of names before they were born but they were staying  tight lipped so couldn't add their names to the card!!

I made a 3 fold card by matting two card blanks together. The front  of the card has a 3d panel of baby pattern paper (a magazine freebie from way back)  adhered to white card an then die cut using spellbinders Marvellous Squares, then two ribbons tied together (pink/ blue) to create the bow. Corner pieces are silver stickers from my stash.

Card then opens up to reveal a pre printed digi image by Pink Gem which I have matted onto pink spotty paper by Paper Mania  from their Chatsworth Vintage collection Linen Texture.

The right hand flap has a green spotty paper (from the same collection) and another  pre coloured digi from Pink Gem. 

 Here is the card opened up to show the message to the new parents on the centre panel.

By the way . Say hi to Ella and Henry!!

Entering into the following challenges:

Creative Ladybirds Creation # Anything goes.

Scrapper's Delights #63 Anything goes.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #269/270 Use your snippets. (front design paper was a snippet)

Crafty Creations #335 Anything goes.

Creative Moments #112 Anything goes.

Inspiration Destination #123 Anything goes.

Penny's Paper Crafty #317 Anything goes.

Glossy Accents.

A new challenge has started over on the butterfly challenge.
#73 Butterflies + G is for Glossy Accents and/or S is for Slate Blue. Here are my inspiration cards for you.
The first one uses an old favourite of mine Stickeroos. The main flower image/butterfly is from Paris Je Taime #10-199 and the string of flowers on the side are from Belle Fleurs #10-024. I have adhered to the dark slate blue card stock which has been raised on 3D pads. The light slate blue backing card  has been distressed round the edges and added to a scalloped white card base. The sentiment is a Britannia word die that I have die cut four times and glued each piece together for dimension. To finish I have covered with Glossy Accents.

You can just about see the gloss in the picture below.

Entering into the following challenges:

Through The Craft Room Door # Anything goes

Creative Fingers #125 Anything goes.

A Bit More Time To Craft #38 Anything goes.

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #52 Anything goes.

Love To Craft # Anything goes.

The Crafty Addicts #33 Anything goes /add a sentiment.

Crafts Galore # Anything goes.

Crafting by Designs #  Anything goes.

Artistic Inspirations #173 Anything goes.

All Sorts Challenge #403 Anything goes

This second card uses a design paper that I got in a batch on Ebay but have no name for.  Trimmed down and adhered behind a die cut frame from Crafts-Too Rectangle dies stitch hole.  Lighting is particularly bad  but internet is playing up too so have gone with the photos that I have already downloaded. I  have used the die cut butterfly from Memory box called 'Terrace' to cut a butterfly from shrink plastic. I coloured with a slate blue promarker pen and when shrunk coated with glossy accents into which I embedded white gems before it had time to set.  The sentiment is again a Britannia word die that I have die cut 4 times and layered up leaving as is this time. 

Blow shows a close up of the glossy shrink plastic butterfly

I do hope you will find the time to play along with this new challenge.

Snowy Mountains and Snowdrops.

Time once again for the girls in the Christmas Card club to show our next makes. The theme was set by Kate who would like to see Snowy mountains and Skies and I had just the right recycled christmas card front to use.  I already had the marvellous Squares die cut frame on my desk left over from a previous project . With just a slight trimming down the card fitted perfectly behind but before I went ahead and  attached it,  I popped a piece of snowy acetate in between but because I took the photo out in the garden you can't see it very well. (At least I didnt have any camera glare!). I also had another piece of cut down  watercolour card on my desk which the sentiment by Creative Expressions fitted nicely onto and then die cut out.  The snowflake was a cardboard shape in my stash that I simply coloured with a blue marker pen and then covered with glue and Glamour dust. The frame was then attached to a base made from dark blue card stock.

Entering into the following challenges:

C.R.A.F.T challenges #403 Christmas.

Winter Wonderland # Anything goes.

International Art and Soul #2 Recycling.

Crafty Hazelnuts Extra # Anything goes.

Jingle Belles # It came upon a midnight clear.  (used acetate.)

Crafty Gals Corner #110 Use your favourite things (recycled card front and acetate are mine).

As the weather was lovely and sunny on Friday we managed to spend the day at a local Historic House that opens its grounds in February to show off the magnificent Snowdrops that they have growing naturalized amongst the trees in the park.  We try and go every year and this year the snowdrops are particularly spectacular.

  
I forgot to take my camera with me but this is a photo we took a few Februarys ago and you can get an idea of what they look like with the sun shining down on them  between the trees. So worth a visit.
This next photo is especially for Jane to show her my Hellebore that I mentioned on her blog this morning.

Helleborus Oriental Ballard. 

You can just see The Doc's fingers holding a flower  up for me to take a photo. Unlike Jane's plant my blooms all seem to be camera shy!!

Need to get this posted as I'm running late as usual and the Internet is playing up again running extremely slowly.

R is for Piercing.

Oops!. I seem to have unintentionally caught some of you out on the latest Butterfly Challenge.

 #72 Butterflies +P is for Paper Piercing and/or the colour Fern

You see there is an 'R' in the word making it Piercing and not Piecing. 

Here is my next inspiration card for you as the challenge still has one more week to run. 

I fancied doing some more watercolouring with my Marvy Le Plume II pens. I love the results even though I only have a few of the colours at present as they are proving quite hard to get hold of. I have had to source them from several different places. Just 3 colours here red, orange and lt green. I very loosely got the idea for the card shape from Jennifer Mcguire's Stamped edge gate fold   but I have used just one piece of card  from  an A4 sized sheet cut  in half lengthways  and then folded at 4.5 and 9.  I have overlaid with watercolour card cut to shape as well. Stamps used are by Marianne Design CS 0927 clear stamp.

I used the Misti stamp positioner  so that I could colour each of the stalks  and petals individually and then used the pens scribbled onto a palette and  picked up with a fine paint brush to colour the flowers and butterflies in.  Trimmed the bottom of the card around the butterflies. I have pierced around the edge just using a long stick pin and a ruler for guidance (not too evenly I have to say). Practice makes perfect. Lol.

This is the poppy border which is on the inside flap that opens down. Again I have pierced around the image for impact.

A gold sticker sentiment completes the front which flaps up to show the inside panel which I have decorated with just one butterfly and the pierced edging. 

Hope you will flutter by and play along now you know there is an 'R' in the challenge.

Entering into the following challenges:

Little Miss Muffet #156  Anything goes.

A Gem Of A Challenge #187 Add a butterfly.

Patties Creations #131 Use lots of red.

Crafting By Designs # Anything goes.

Crafts Galore # Anything goes.

Love To Craft #7 Anything goes.

The Crafty Addicts #33 Anything goes +add a sentiment.

Crafts and Me # Anything goes.

Creative Ladybirds #23 Anything goes,

Scrapper's Delights #63 Anything goes.

TLC Creations #8 Anything goes.

Unicorn Challenge #18 Butterflies or hearts.

Alternate Valentine.

I was a bit miffed after making this card as it should have been for a Design Team make but just as I was about to email a picture off I received an email to say the challenge was closing immediately as she was busy doing other things.  Decided to keep it until today and show anyway.
What with the second phase of the bathroom last week and the internet being up and down more than it normally is (ever since next door got their cabling done) I have been away from my blog for way too long. The Doc has just managed to do a reboot so I'm typing like mad.

I wanted to make a  card not using the traditional Valentine colours so have gone with pink, cream and brown. Did lots of layering  and distressing round the edges (very theraputic) and raided my stash for the lace, ribbon, flowers ,bakers twine  and the cut out hearts (thankyou  Di, I'm still using up the ones you kindly sent me). The Love design paper is a freebie from (long may they continue) Making cards February 2016 'lovely Quotes'. Finished it all off with a good helping of Stickles.

Entering into the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks. #337 Love.

Simply Create Too #124 Love.

Scrapping 4 Fun #83 Friends, love, Wedding, Valentine.

All Sorts Challenge #402 Hearts and/or flowers

Come and Get It Challenges # Love is in the air.

International Art and Soul #1 Love is in the air.

Paper Creator's Crafts # 56 Lovee is in the air.

Lets Craft and Create #122 Love is in the air.

How Everything become Scrap # Love is love.

Craft Heaven #17 Love is all around.

Unicorn Challenge #18 Butterflies or hearts.

Crafty Calendar # Love is in the air. 

p.s. I did resort to making The Doc a Red card which he loved. 

Botanical Bliss.

It is time for a new challenge over at the butterfly challenge.

#72 Butterflies + P is for Paper Piercing and/or the colour Fern.

We are starting off a fresh year with a new set of letters and a new theme. The letters have been mixed this time round so the theme and colour will not start with the same letter of the alphabet.
Here are two cards to help get you inspired with Paper Piercing and the colour Fern which is green.

For this one  I have cut an aperture from a blank card using a First Edition Stamp die and then paper pierced around the edge of the frame.  I used green embroidery thread to make the lattice work through the holes made. The paper behind the lattice is a Digi design by Raspberry Road  called Botanical Bliss. I used the cut out from the frame to die cut the butterflies which are by  Memory Box 'Cascadia butterfly trio'. I have pierced around the shape of each of the butterflies to further enhance.
The sentiment is by Britannia Dies.

Entering into  the following challenges:

On my second card I have used the negative of the butterflies and sentiment that I cut from the framework inset.  (Waste not want not is my motto!!) The design paper is by Prima from their Botanical Collection.  Here I have paper pierced around the edge of the darker peach backing card and also around the inside edge of the paler peach inset. Base card is made form green card stock.

Pink ribbon trim from  my stash. I hope I have shown you that you don't need to invest in paper piercing templates or patterns. I simply used a ruler, a stick pin and an old sponge mouse pad.

Hugs 

Entering into the following challenges:

Festive Foliage.

Goodness where did the last fortnight go to. It is suddenly time once again for the girls in the Christmas Card club to show what we have made with the latest theme which was set by Rachel and is Festive Foliage. A quick rootle through my stash of old used christmas cards turned up this little gem.  Sure looks festive  to me
.

Not much to do to add to it so I simply applied to red card stock and trimmed to follow the shape and then added my customary acetate front. I added gold leaves and edging strips to define the shape of the card front inside.  Added a tartan trim with a bow and declared it finished. 

Then knowing that I had the Ivy Corner Die by Joanna Sheen I wondered if I could try and make the same sort of card using my christmas supplies and this is the result. 

I cut a cream base to match the card above and then made a second red base card. The ivy die was cut from dark green card and another quick rootle through my stash of dies turned up Fancy Blossoms and Norland Flower both by Memory box and I used a combination of the two to make the christmas roses up. The roses I just die cut from white card and then painted the tips yellow with a water colour marker and a paint brush dipped in water. The stamens were cut from yellow card. Sentiment is a Britannia  die cut and I  added a few stickle to the veins on the ivy

Added an acetate front and gave it the same treatment with gold leaf stickers and edging strips but this time used strippy ribbon for the trim and to created the bow.  I'm quite pleased with the result even if I did have to wait most of the day for the flowers to dry and to get  decent photos and have the internet working!.

Entering this card only into the following challenges:
Jo's Scrap Shack #174 Anything goes.
Creative Fingers #124 Anything goes.
Crafting With Friends #36 Anything goes.
Crafty Hazelnut's #319 Anything goes plus use ribbon.
Crafty Hazelnut's Extra # Anything goes.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop# Use your snippets (snippets used on ivy /flowers)

Lavender Lace.

Have you ever had one of those days when simple problems if dealt with properly by the people concerned  would  be simples! I have spent the best part of the day waiting for an email to arrive (which didn't) with the password to unlock an account  and a company to ring me back (who didn't) to sort out the problem from a parcel that arrived  with missing items from it. I had to hassle both of the companies in order to get results. I feel exhausted and am now behind with everything else. Rant over!! The good news is that phase 1 of the Bathroom Horrendous project  is now complete and we can now have a respite before phase 2 commences. Very pleased with the work so far.

We are now into the second week for #71 Butterflies +U is for Underneath and/or Umber.
Here is my next  inspiration card for you.

I have used lavender card stock to make the base card and for the pocket on the front to contain the tag. Top layer has been embossed using Sizzix 656982 Butterfly Migration set and then roughly torn to give a shabby  worn look. The piece torn off became the back part of the pocket. 

The design paper is a  freebie from Making Cards July 2015 Busy Butterflies. The tag and butterfly are by Studio Bright from their card sheets of Vintage Line and Shabby Chic. The bakers twine and lace remnant are from my stash. so at last I can enter  Miss Di's challenge of use up your snippets.

Here is a close up of the tag which of course is hidden underneath in the pocket. 

Hugs 

Entering into the following challenges:
Shopping Our Stash #288 Vintage /shabby chic/distressed look.
Through The Craft Room Door # Anything goes.
Double 'D' Challenges # Lavender & Lace.
Penny's Paper Crafty #314 Anything goes.
Inspiration Destination #121 Anything goes.
Creative Moments #110 Anything goes.
Crafty Creations #334 Anything goes.
Crafting Designs # Anything goes.
Come and Get It Challenges # 3 or more layers.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #265/266  Use up your snippets (twine and lace).