Peeking through the fence

Evening/Morning?!? I'm either posting very late or extremely early depending on which way you look at it but I wanted to get this card in before the deadline and so I thought I'd burn the midnight oil and get it done. My mojo has definitely returned and I'm enjoying being back in blogland more than you will ever know! Anyway, here's my card:

Ingredients:

Image - I think it's Elisabeth Bell, I bought it off ebay, watercoloured with DIs and DI markers.

Papers - Prima 'Tea Thyme'.

Flower - Prima.

Lace, Seam Binding and Butterfly - All Wild Orchid Crafts.

Other - Bazzill Basics Kraft card, Pearls from stash and Memory Box 'Honeysuckle Vine' die.

I've been praticing loads watercolouring with Distress Inks and new DI markers - I've finally found the right paper and got some decent brushes - I definitely find it much better not using a waterbrush. It's easier to control how much colour you're laying down. So - what d'you think of all my practice? Has it paid off at all? And how yummy are these new Prima papers!!??
I'm entering my card into the Seems A Little Sketchy sketch #20 - I always like their sketches, so didn't want to miss this one. And I think that's about it - better be off to link it up or it'll defeat the object if I miss the deadline!! I'll be back tomorrow/later with another card............xx

Slam Dunk

It's the 1st of September and I'm excited to say that I'm now a member of a brand new challenge blog! Tabitha's Designs Challenge blog launches today with it's new design team and they're a lovely bunch of ladies! Today's challenge is 'Men's Sports' and our sponsor is Dude Time Doodles. Here's my card:

Ingredients:

Image - 'BBall Barry' from Dude Time Doodles coloured with Spectrum Noirs.

Papers and Elements - 'All Star Mini Theme' digital collection by Echo Park from Jessica Sprague.

I'm also entering the following challenges:

• A Gem of A Challenge - Challenge 54 'A Boy Thing'.
• Karber Challenge - Challenge 54 'Hobbies and Leisure Activities'.
• Card Crafter's Circles - Challenge 38 'For the Fellas'.

And I think that's about it for now. I'm going to try and visit some of you but my internet's playing up tonight, so if I don't manage that, I'll watch a film or something and get crafty. I had some goodies arrive in the post this morning from Bunny Zoe's, so I've got some new Prima papers and Whimsy stamps to play with!!!
I hope you like my card, please join in with the challenge - it'd be great to make it a success!! Bye for now lovelies........xx

Flowery Fairy

Aloha! How's everything going for you all out there? I'm feeling super proud tonight because my cousin has just got back from the Transplant Games where he won 3 Golds and 2 Silvers in his swimming events. He had a kidney transplant years ago and is such an amazing person. Did you know that people who have had transplants can't take part in the paralympics and so they have had to set up Games of their own!?!
Anyway, on to the reason for my post! There's a new challenge over at Southern Girls and this fortnight, we want to see your projects with 'Flowers'!! Our sponsors are 'DTSArt' and 'Lili of the Valley', so there are some fabby prizes up for grabs! Here's my card:

Ingredients:

Image - DTSArt 'Teacup Fairy' watercoloured with DIs and DI markers.

Papers, Ribbon and Bows - Papermania Capsule Collection.

Kraft - Bazzill Basics.

Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts.

Dies/Punches - Cuttlebug Vintage corner die and MS Buttefly punch.

Other - Pearls from stash.

I'm also entering my card into the following challenges:

• Sketches by Carly - Sketch #63.
• The House That Stamps Built - DCC829 Flowers Challenge.
• Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes.
• Everybody Art - Challenge #202 Anything Goes.
• Papelitos Stamps - Challenge #9 Pretty in Pink.
• Cupcake Craft Challenges - #207 Flowers.
• In the Pink - Challenge #2 Things with Wings and Lots of Pink!

And I think that's about it! I should have lots of time over the next 4 or 5 days for crafting and blogging and visiting you all cos my car's tax and MOT ran out today but I couldn't get it booked into the mechanics til Tuesday, so I'll have to leave it at my mum and dad's so it's on their drive and I'll be pretty much housebound. Oh well, lots of new stash to play with ;-) Right, I'm off to watch the end of 'Man, Woman, Wild!' Bye for now.....xx

You Give Me Wings....

Evening! Sorry that I'm posting this a wee bit late - when I was typing it up last night, I thought I'd scheduled it but I don't know what I did! I must've been more tired than I thought LOL!! Anyways, there's a new challenge over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp today and this week, it's been designed by Uma. Here's my card:

Ingredients:

Image - Magnolia Tilda coloured with Spectrum Noirs and stickles on the wings!

Papers - Echo Park 'Victoria Garden'

Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts.

Sentiment - Kraftin' Kimmie.

Other - Square frame cut using Slice machine, Scalloped Border MFT Die-namics, Marianne Designs Flourish, Pearls from stash.

I'm also entering my card into the following challenges:

• Craft Your Days Away - Challenge #52 'Farewell Challenge, Anything Goes'. (I'm gutted this challenge is closing down, I've entered it lots of times while it's been running).
• The Poodles Parlour - Winged Things.
• Stampin' for the Weekend - Challenge #16 Pearls and Swirls.
• In The Pink - Challenge #2 Lots of Pink and Winged Things.
• Inspire Me Fridays - Always Anything Goes.

After moaning about the holidays in my last post, we've had a great last few days - on Thursday, we had to go and get Sam's new school uniform cos he goes up to Secondary school in September and he's starting at a brand new school that's just opening. He looked so smart and grown up in his blazer - it nearly brought a tear to me eye...sniff, sniff. And then on Friday, I took Sam and a couple of his friends to Smyths toy shop near us because The Miz (a WWE Superstar for those of you like me who aren't fans!), was making a personal appearance and my son is THE biggest wrestling fan!! He couldn't believe he was holding the actual championship belt and meeting a wrestling star, bless him, he was soooo excited. And that's my news! Back down to earth now - it's a bank holiday here in the UK tomorrow, so we'll probably have a family outing somewhere. Hope you've had a good weekend, wherever you are. Bye for now...................xx

Walking the dog...

Evening peeps! It's my turn for the mid-way reminder post for the current challenge over at the Cupcake Craftroom - this month's challenge is 'Lilac and Lime' and the winner gets the gorgeous papers that we all worked with (you really should go and check out my teamie's cards!!) Anyway, here's mine:

Ingredients:

Image - LOTV coloured with Spectrum Noirs.

Papers - Lilac and Lime Spring Collection from Cupcake Cards and Crafts.

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards.

Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts.

Dies/Punches - Marianne Design swirls, Tonic Butterfly punch.

Other - Ribbon (doodlebug, I think), Pearls from stash.

I'm entering my card over in Lili's Little Fairies 'Oh So Girly' challenge and that's it from now - might have a nose on Feline Playful in a bit!
How are the summer holidays working out in your household? My son, Sam is getting a bit bored, but - I have offered to have any of his friend's round (and if it was up to me, he could have someone every day!) but he just says 'Nahhhh', so I've told him it's his own fault he's bored then!! He doesn't go back to school until the 11th September, when he starts his new school cos he's going up to secondary - it's a long time to be off really - I'm sure it's worked out to be about 7 weeks this time!!! Although he's only 11, he's definitely turning into a teenager already!!!
Right, I'm off to link up my card and to hop round and visit some of you! Bye for now my lovelies............xx

Let's Hang Out!

Phew - I can't believe how hot it is!!! Such a British thing to always be going on about the weather - we moan when it's too cold and we moan when it's too hot - there's just no pleasing us LOL!!!
Here's a card I made to enter into the 'Seems a Little Sketchy' Challenge #19 -

Ingredients:

Image - Lili of the Valley watercoloured with DIs and DI markers.

Papers - October Afternoon 'Campfire'.

Dies - Marianne Design Tree.

Other - Sentiment (freebie from internet), Buttons from stash.

I've been doing loads of practice watercolouring with Distress Inks and the new DI Markers - not so sure you can tell with this image though. And I must be honest, I went a bit crazy colouring blue all around the image and then felt that it really didn't look right at the bottom (it looked like there was 'sky' under the 'tree leaves'!!!!) but rather than bin it, I've tried to salvage the situation by covering it with some tree die cuts - what do you think? Has it worked??
I love to read your comments - thanks to everyone who is kind enough to leave them for me xx And on that note, I'm off to try and get a wink of sleep in the sauna. TTFN............xx

Summer Flower Tilda

Morning! It's a bright new day and hopefully a new beginning for me (please check out last night's post if you want to know what I'm on about?!)........ and a new sketch challenge over at Sunday Sketch and Stamp. This week, it was Gry's turn to set us to work and indeed she did! Here's my card:

Ingredients:

Image - Magnolia Tilda coloured with Spectrum Noirs with stickles on her wings!

Papers - Nitwits 'Petal Fresh'

Flowers and Seam Binding - Wild Orchid Crafts.

Other - Bazzill Basics Kraft card, Shapes cut with Slice machine, Pearls from stash and butteflies cut with my new tonic punch!

Hope you like it! I finally got around to using one of the hundreds of magnolia stamps I've got. I seem to have a bit of an addiction to buying crafty stash and then not getting around to using it - if it just me or is it a general crafting afflication?!? I'm also entering my card into the following challenges:

• Magnolia-licious Challenge blog - Photo Inspiration challenge.
• Totally Tilda - Challenge #53 Tilda using Kraft card.
• Sweet Stampin' Challenge - 'Things with Wings'.
• Inspire me Fridays - #71 Always anything goes.
• Clearly Inspired - Challenge #57 'Things with Wings'.
• Hanna and Friends - Challenge #151 Summer card.
• Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes.

OK, I think that's about it for now. I hope I've still got some visitors left, I really appreciate you sticking with me - Sam's off to his aunt's for a few days tomorrow, so I'll have all day to craft and come round and visit you all, uninterrupted ;-) Bye for now..............xx