I *heart* Teddy Bo!!

Evening Everyone. I know it probably sounds like I'm always making excuses at the moment but to be honest with you, I've got some personal problems going on right now and I'm so worried and stressed out about it all that it's all that I can think about and whereas usually when I get any time to myself, I spend it crafting, at the moment, I just spend it with thoughts whirling around in my head. I'm sorry I can't be any more specific than that but it's to do with my son, Sam and so I don't think it would be fair to talk about it here. I hope that you will all bear with me until I come out the other side because all the friends that I've met in blogland really do mean the world to me and I appreciate each and every one of you, and it would mean even more to know that you'll still be here in the weeks to come.
Anyway, enough of the depressing stuff! Here's a card that my friend asked me to make for her to send to her mum from her new baby, Teddy:

I thought Teddy Bo would be perfect - for obvious reasons!! And this image is my absolute favourite! I've coloured him with prismacolour pencils, blended with sansodor and used chalk in the background. I've used October Afternoon papers and letter stickers and added a heart doily that I got from Joanna Sheen. I've also added a Craftwork Cards sentiment, flowers from WOC and some pearls from my stash.
I'm going to enter it into the following challenges:

• Teddy Bo Challenge - Teddy Bo only.
• Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes.
• Truly Scrumptious - Challenge 57 Anything Goes.
• Fab n' Funky - Challenge #74 Cute and Cuddly.
• Divas by Design - Challenge 2 One for the Girls.
• Crafting for all seasons - Challenge #1 Anything Goes.
• Shelly's Images - 'Let It All Hang Out' (Hope the doily hanging over the edge makes it fit!?)
• Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Challenge 60 Anything Goes.
• Joyful Stamper - Anything Goes.
• Crafty Calendar - May Challenge 'Teddy Bears'.
• Scrappy Frogs - Birthdays!

I really hope you like my card and I'd love to hear from you, as always. Hope you've all had good weekends and are all ready for the week ahead (or the Bank Holiday for those of you in the UK!). It's the half term holiday here, so Sam's got a week off (as well as lots of my friends - who are almost all teachers!) We were meant to be going away but things keep getting in the way, so I'm still not sure exactly what we're doing yet! Bye for now............xx

What's the buzz?

This is a very exciting post 'cos today is the first challenge over at Shopping Our Stash!! Challenge #1 is Ribbon Rewind!! We want you to either dig out your oldest ribbon, use the colour ribbon that you have most of, or use ribbon in a way that you never have done before. Here's my card:

When I first started cardmaking, I bought 54 rolls of textured ribbon from QVC and over the years, I've used them on loads of my projects but the rolls that I've been left with are the velvet ones, they've just never seemed to fit with projects I've done. So.....in the spirit of SOS, I came up with this idea to use up some of those velvet rolls! I've basically added them to a Kraft card blank and then used a Some Odd Girl image coloured with promarkers (and stickled wings!!) and added an Elzybells sentiment. Simples!!
I'm also going to enter it into the following challenges:

• I did it Creations - Anything Goes.
• The Kraft Journal - Anything Goes (with Kraft!)
• Make it Monday - Anything Goes.
• Tuesday Throwdown - Use Stripes.
• digital tuesday - Challenge #112 Add some texture (hope my velvet ribbon counts!)
• A Spoon Full of Sugar - Challenge 153 Things with wings.
• Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes.

Right, that's it from me for now. Hope you like my card - leave me a comment and let me know that you've visited, I really do appreciate it. And I hope you'll take part in our first challenge over at Shopping Our Stash - I'm sure you'll have some 'unloved' ribbon somewhere!! TTFN.............xxx

Sunday Sketch and Stamp

Hi there. I've not been very well for the last couple of days, so I must apologise to my SS&S DT sisters for the late posting of my card. In case you've not already checked it out, there's a great sketch over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp to work with this week. Here's my card:

I've used another gorgeous image from the Digistamp Boutique, coloured with promarkers and all of the papers that I've used are from the new First Edition 'Birdsong' paper pad, which I had on pre-order from Crafty Emma's and they arrived the other day - IRL, they're sooooo lovely, the flowery paper I've used is glittered. I've also added a sentiment stamp from LOTV. And that's it - I left it CAS cos I didn't want to cover up that lush paper!!
I'm going to enter my card into the following challenges:

• Stamps R Us - Going Digital.
• Crafty Catz - Challenge 83 Anything Goes.
• Alphabet Challenge Blog - C for CAS (clean and simple).
• 2 Sisters - Challenge 40 Use a Digi.
• Creative Cowgirls - Get your Groove on.

Hope you like my card and I hope I've managed to make it round to all of your blogs - can't believe I've had to play 'catch up' again but I think I'm all up to date again now. I'll be back later with my first 'Shopping Our Stash' challenge DT card. Bye for now!!

Lace and Pearls.........

Right, I think I've finally managed to catch up with everyone - luckily, I've pretty much had all day to do it - so you should all have at least one comment from me!! It's official, I'm back!! Pretty please mr. blogger don't go buggering up again cos it really messes with my life!!!!!!!
Anyway, back to the matter in hand! There's a new challenge over at Southern Girls and this time, we want to see 'Lace and Pearls' on your projects (the clue was in the title LOL!) Here's my card:

Yep, it's another Simply Sassy image - I love this one, I'd actually bought it as a print from Krista's etsy store quite a while before it was made into a stamp. I've watercoloured her with distress inks and stamped around the edge of the image with a Tim Holtz stamp. All of the papers are from Girl's Paperie - gawd, these are lush!!! I love them! I've also added some lace and lots of pearls from my stash and some flowers cut with a Magnolia doohickey die. And I think that's about it.
I'm entering my card into the following challenges:

• CLP Challenge Blog - CLP 36 Sketch.
• Anita Be Stampin' - Challenge 21 Pearls and Lace.
• Bunny Zoe's - Challenge 12 Lace.

I really hope you like my card and please take part in our challenge - there are lots of great prizes for both International 'players' and people taking part in Aus/NZ (cos that where the challenge is based).

Now before I go, I must just say that people in blogland - especially my friends - really are the best. This morning, in the post, I had the most wonderful package with a beautiful card and some pretty flowers and handmade rosettes for the wonderful (and talented!), Edna. I honestly cannot thank you enough, hun. Love y'all!!!! And also, the other day, I found out that I'd won a piece of custom artwork by none other than Krista Smith herself - who is the unbelievably talented artist of the Simply Sassy girls (and a $20 voucher for her etsy store!) I think it's actually one of the best things that's ever happened to me that I can have myself turned 'Sassy'!!!! You wouldn't believe how excited I am about it all. So - in all, I've had THE best couple of days, which I needed if the truth be told, what with one thing and another that's gone on recently. So thanks to you all, everyone who looks at my blog, everyone who comments and everyone who would like to call themselves a friend. I sincerely love the lot of ya!!!!!!!! Til next time.................xxxxx

Simply Sassy er.......Tuesday!

Evening peeps - told you I'd be back! What with blogger being out for nearly a week, I've got a back log of cards to show you.  Here's one of them using another one of my most gorgeous Simply Sassy images:

I've coloured the lovely Simply Sassy with promarkers and added a bit of chalk to her cheeks (thanks for the tip, Pops!!), the card blank and the paper that I've covered it with are from Craftwork Cards, as is the sentiment (although I've cut it down and distressed it!), I've distressed all around the edge of the card and the image too with my scrapey tool - although I did end up resorting to my scissors - I don't know if you can see that so well in the pics. I've added a doily, cut from coredinations whitewash cardstock using the most beautiful die from Cheery Lynn (they're everywhere at the moment!), then lastly, I've added flowers from WOC and some pearls from my stash.
I'm entering it into the following challenges:

• The Sugar Bowl - Challenge 59 Erika's Sketch.
• A Spoonfull of Sugar - Challenge 152 Anything Goes.
• Creative Cowgirls - Anything Goes.
• Totally Gorjuss - Challenge 80 Not Square.
• Creative Craft World - Anything but Square.
• Divas by Design - Challenge #1 Anything Goes.
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Challenge 53 Anything Goes.

OK - that's it from me. I'm off to watch 'The Secret Millionaire' and do a bit crafting at the same time. I really hope you like my card - do let me know what you think. TTFN.............xx

My Exciting News - Shopping Our Stash!!!!!!!!!

You might have just noticed that there's a new little blinkie in my sidebar - yep, I'm super proud to say that I've made it onto the DT for Shopping Our Stash!!! Now, the whole idea behind this challenge is to use things that are in our stash - and more often than not, have been there for some time - rather than using something new all the time, which I think alot of us are prone to do. I'm the absolute worse for doing it - like when there's a new release of Magnolia stamps for example, I'll buy quite a few of them and then only get the chance to use one or two before the next release and then I'll move on to them. And so, I was well pleased to make it onto this DT and finally have an incentive to ink up those poor neglected stamps and cut into the dusty papers!!!
So - to kick off the challenge, we're holding a virtual 'open house', where everyone shares a look at their crafty spaces and stash. Last week, half the DT shared their pics and today, it's the other half's (and my!) turn.
Ready.................be prepared for loads of pictures!!!!!!!!!!
Now, I'm not lucky enough to have a craft room, so I have to make do with the dining table - although I've gone from clearing it off every night to now just leaving everything there and we eat off trays on our laps!!! And my stash is taking over the house - mainly the living room and hallway but it does extend up to my bedroom too (which makes for a rather messy house, but hey, there's more important things in life to worry about!!). Once I started taking pics of my stash, I didn't seem to be able to stop, so sorry about the excessive amount of pics LOL! I think I surprised myself just how many stamps, etc that I've actually got - I guess I should feel embarrassed but for some reason I don't, in fact, I feel oddly proud. Hee, hee.
Right - this is my crafting space (aka the dining table) (sneak peek of my Sugar Bowl entry in the background!):

This is behind my crafting space - there's a box for 12 x 12 papers and then there's stamps I use alot (sentiments) and some of my 6 x 6 pads on the top:

Here are my punches:

And the rest of them:

Here's the corner of my living room where alot of my stash is kept:

And this is the 'tower of stash' in my hallway:

Here's some of my stamps:

 And my magnolia stamps and magazines:

 All my Elzybells stamps with my lovely 'bug in the background (I keep all my dies and embossing folders in the box):

 All of my Lili of the Valley stamps:

 All of my Sugar Nellies (my collection has expanded rather rapidly since they started the Simply Sassy range (and set 7 came through the letterbox this morning!!):

 And, last but not least, here's some of my 6 x 6 papers (not all of them I hasten to add!) and that's not including all the 12 x 12 papers that are scattered around the room and behind the sofas in pizza boxes and files!!:

OK - that's about it then from me. I hope you're still with me!!! All you have to do now is take some pics of your own and link them up over here by 23rd May - there's even a prize (to add to your stash LOL!) for a random winner.
I'll be back later with some cardage...................xxxxx

Pink Peonies

Hi everyone!! I'm finally back in blogland!! This last week has been an absolute nightmare with all the blogger problems - I felt so cut off! I hadn't realised quite how much I relied on it and how much time I spent in the land of blog!! Anyways, I won't go on about it too much cos I know loads of you had problems and it's never good to dwell on things! I've got lots of cards to share with you this week though - and a bit of news!!
But for now - there's a new challenge starting today over at Paper Cupcakes and this week, Molly wants to see us using embossing of any kind on our cards/projects, it can be dry or heat - take your pick! Here's my card:

I've used the Paper Cupcakes image 'Peony in Bottle', which is free to download this week, if you want to take part in the challenge, just hop over here. I've coloured the image with promarkers and used glossy accents on the bottle. I've embossed some bright pink DCWV card with a cuttlebug embossing folder and used some gorgeous Prima paper. All I've added is a Craftwork Cards sentiment, a border cut with a MS punch and some gems from my stash.
I've used Sketch #21 from LORA crafts and I'm also going to enter my card into the following challenges:

• Craft Creations - May Card Challenge: Flowers.
• One Stitch at a Time - Challenge #62 Anything Goes.
• Creative Cowgirls - Anything Goes.
• Card Creations & More - So Saturday Challenge #7 Anything Spring.
• Creative Card Crew - May Flowers.
• Crafty Creations - Challenge #118 Anything Goes.
• Joyful Stamper - Anything Goes.

OK - that's about it. I really hope you like it and I'd love you to leave me a comment and let me know what you think - and let me know what you've been up to while blogger been playing up and how you all are - I've missed you, my blog buds!!! Don't forget, if you want to take part in the challenge, you don't have to use a Paper Cupcakes image but it's great when you do and being as you can get the lovely image that I've used on my card for FREE, then why wouldn't you!!?? Bye for now................xxxx

Paper Cupcakes Sketch Challenge

Hey everyone. I've been noticeably absent this last week, and so has my mojo!! Every time I've gone to craft, I've either started something and not finished or just sat shuffling papers, I hate going through periods like this! Although last night, I made this card and another one and I'm feeling like it might be returning, so fingers crossed that with this new week, my mojo will return!!!!!
Today, there's a new challenge over at Paper Cupcakes and Lucy has worked up a sketch for us to work with. Here's my version of it:

I've used the 'Teacup with Daisies' image from Paper Cupcakes, which I've coloured with promarkers and shaded the background with chalks. All of the papers/borders/embellies are Echo Park 'For the Record' and that's it. Simples.
I do hope you like it. Also, if I usually pay your blog a visit and I've missed any of your cards, I'm sorry - I've had problems with blogger all weekend - it's been trying to tell me that I don't follow any blogs (hmmmm, yeah, right!). This does happen every now and again but usually when I refresh the screen, they reappear but this went on for a couple of days. In the end, I reported it to blogger via a forum I found on the internet - turns out lots of other people were having the same problem too! And then last night, my list reappeared for a bit, only to disappear again. It's back this morning, so even more fingers crossed that it's here to stay this time!! Right, I'm off to craft the day away in front of the QVC craft day - anyone else watching it? TTFN...............x

Just Some Lines Blog Hop - WINNER!!

Evening everyone! The JSL blog hop has now finished and I used random.org to pick a winner out of my 28 commentators and it picked no.27, which was......(drumroll)..........................................................................

MINA

Congratulations, hun!! Please email me: marieb1976@hotmail.co.uk and I will send you over your image. Back soon with some cardage!

Pink and Girly (again!)

As I wrote the title, it occured to me that I might be on a bit of a pink and girly kick at the moment - mind you, at least I throw in a few curve balls every now and then, like last night's red, white and blue card, eh!!??
Anyways, just a quick post cos it's a bank holiday here in the UK and so we're off out soon to take advantage of having everyone at home. Over at Paper Cupcakes, there's a new challenge and this week, Julie wants us to make any kind of 'Birthday card or project'. Now I'm hoping lots of you will enter this one cos it couldn't be any easier!! Here's mine:

I've used a gorgeous Paper Cupcakes image, coloured with promarkers then die cut with my nesties and cuttlebug. All the papers are some old ones from Papermania (the embellie in the top right was cut out of one of the papers), then I've added some numbers die cut with my Slice and then stickled, a Craftwork Cards sentiment and some pearls from my stash.
I'm going to enter it into By the Cute and Girly's 'Anything Goes' challenge, Catch the Bug's 'Flowers/Pastel Colours' challenge, AiFactory's 'Anything Goes' challenge, Craft Us Crazy's 'Mother's Day and/or Flowers', and Amber Ink's 'Use a Digital Stamp'.
OK, I'm off! I really hope you like my card, I'd be sooooo happy if you'd leave me a comment (and let me know what you've been up to on your bank holiday!?) And don't forget to join in the Paper Cupcakes 'Birthday' challenge - you can use any image but there's always a freebie if you want to try a Paper Cupcakes image. TTFN.........xxx

A little bit patriotic.........

I'm back - a bit later than I'd planned cos I nodded off but I'm here all the same! As it's the 1st of the month, there's a new challenge over at the Cupcake Craftroom, and this month we'd like to see your cards in the colours Red, White and Blue. Of course, this is quite appropriate at the moment, what with the Royal wedding but it also ties in with the release of the 'patriotic' papers from Cupcake Cards and Crafts, which are the prize for the winner of this month's challenge. Here's a couple of cards that I made:

The first card I've used one of my fave Simply Sassy images, coloured with promarkers, Cupcake cards and crafts patriotic papers, Papermania red card, then I've added a border die cut with a MFT die, some flowers, brads and gems from my stash. Oh, and here's a tip for you - it bloomin' hurts when you stick a pokey tool in your finger - as I discovered when I was trying to make a bigger hole for the brads in my flowers!!!!! I'm entering this card into the Hanna and Friends sketch Challenge #92, Fab n' Funky's 'Red, White and Blue' challenge and Daring Cardmakers 'Patriotic' challenge.
The second card, I've used an image from Some Odd Girl coloured with promarkers, Patriotic papers again and I've added Cosmo Cricket letter stickers, some white peel off shapes and some metal self adhesive studs from my stash. I'm entering this card into Simply Create #42 Rock the metal, Delicious Doodles challenge #23 Teenagers and Whoopsi Daisy's 'No Matting and Layering' challenge.
And that's it from me (for now!!), I think. Please let me know what you think of my patriotic cards! And I hope you'll join in with the challenge. See you in the morning with my Paper Cupcakes DT card. Nighty, night....xx

Fit for a Princess.........

As we're now weekly over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp, it's already time for another challenge. This week, it's 'Team 1's' turn and it was the lovely Barbara who designed the sketch that we had to work from. And here's my attempt at it:

I've used an image from the Digistamp Boutique (another recent discovery of mine - LOVE their images!!!), which I've coloured with promarkers and then die cut using my nesties and cuttlebug. The papers are from Imaginisce. Then I've added vintage seam binding from WOC, a Craftwork Cards sentiment, some Kort and Godt flowers that I got this week from Joanna Sheen and some pearls from my stash.
I'm also entering my card into the following challenges:

• Just Add Ink - JAI66 Just add a flower.
• Prairie Fairy - Challenge #51 April Showers bring May Flowers.
• Totally Gorjuss - Challenge 78 1,2,3 (1 image, 2 DPs, 3 flowers).
• Crafty Calendar - April Showers bring forth May Flowers.
• Catch the Bug - Use flowers and pastel colours.

OK, that's it from me. Please let me know what you think of my card and don't forget to hop over to Sunday Sketch and Stamp to check out the other DT cards - and join in with us!!! I'll be back later on with my Cupcake Cards and Crafts DT card. Have a fabby, relaxing day!!!! mwah xx