SAD FACE .......

I have just given up my DT position on Cuttlebug Challenges! It would be unprofessional to say why right here, but if you would like to e-mail me i can explain privately :)

I hope this will not deter any of you lovely people from visiting me, after all i will still be creating lots more things with my 'BUG' so i hope to continue to inspire you in some way!

I appreciate every single comment left for me, not just on the Cuttlebug stuff......so Thank You for them all :)


The good news is, I am off to a show tomorrow with lots of papercrafting goodies!!! It's been a while since i gave away any nice things, so...........check back on Sunday 1st at 8pm for details of my.....

BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY!

Hugs
Carol x

ARTY GIRLZ & A SPOON FULL OF SUGAR!

I was feeling a bit sorry for myself yesterday evening following a trip to my dentist for the first half of my root canal treatment, so i gave blogging a miss......which means that i have a couple of things to share with you today :)

The first, is an ATC for the challenge this week at Arty Girlz. I'm sure you are aware that an ATC or Artist Trading Card is 2.5 inches x 3.5 inches and must be given away, or traded but never sold.
I haven't made very many of these in the past, but they are growing on me a bit......i do cheat though and use a standard size playing card as they are the correct size, just cover with paper or card and away you go!
For my design today, i covered my playing card with black Bazzill cardstock, i then made a background for my image with white glossy card and Alcohol Inks in Cranberry & Espresso.
Tip :- whilst i have all my supplies to hand i make several of these 'backgrounds' in different colours and then i have them to use at a later date.
The image was stamped with black Stazon and is from 'Chapel Road' unfortunately it has no title! The gems are Kanban, the portion of flower in the corner is Making Memories and i've also added some doodling with my Inkssentials pen.


My second project that i have is for the challenge over at A Spoon Full of Sugar, my first time with them :) "Love is in the Air...... to make a card or gift for someone special ..............so this is a card for my husband for Valentines Day :)I've used some fabulous paper from Basic Grey's 'Scarlets Letter' collection, along with a portion of Bazill 'Just the Edge' die cut paper. The polka dot heart stamp is a Pink Paislee acrylic and the love swirl is Autumn Leaves. The black U is an AC Thicker(love these!) and i have a ton of ribbon which i keep in large empty Yankee Candle jars.......so i have no idea who's it is...Sorry!

****If you would like to have the ATC shown here, then leave me a comment on this post and i will draw a winner from the names i have on Monday 2/2/09 at 8pm GMT****

Thanks for popping in today...... :-D
Hugs
Carol x

SKETCHES by Tamara

Hello... Thursday is here again........one day closer to the weekend and the Stamperama show at Stevenage Leisure Centre on Sunday :) Hopefully i will be able to stock up on more luscious 'Bittersweet' goodies which i have used today for my DT card for Sketches!

My card base is 148mm square and covered with 3 of the gorgeous Basic Grey 'Bittersweet' papers. The brown ric-rac is a Doodlebug paper frill which i've coloured with a Chestnut Roan Colorbox cats eye chalk to blend in with the colourings of the papers. The glitter 'brads' are in fact circles of paper covered with 'Platinum' Stickles!.......much lighter weight than glitter brads, but give a similar effect :)

Onto the gorgeous image.... 'Cloth Butterfly' by JudiKins. Stamped with black Stazon onto 4 more papers from the pad, paper pieced on top of the original stamped area on the base of the card, this way avoids having to deal with the antennae!! The sentiment is from a clear set by Printworks.

Check out the fab sketch and the gorgeous work by my team mates and make sure you leave details so we can all come and see your beautiful creations! and lastly i must thank Tamara for having me in the DT spotlight yesterday......................loving my time on the team :)

Thanks for coming in for a peep today...........see you soon :-D

Hugs
Carol x

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE

Me.......purple!!!!! well actually the card is purple :) - so unusual for me to make a card with these colours........it's not that i dislike any colour, but i usually avoid purples and blues, simply because they don't speak to me as other colours do!.....anyway, less batty waffle and onto the card......

It's a fab challenge this week over at PBSC...... 'Frame It' - feature a frame somewhere on your creation.........
I have created my background and frame by using Dove blender brushes, stippling Adirondack 'Eggplant' and Sea Brights 'Bikini Pink' onto white cardstock. The frame was from the front of an old 3 fold aperture card that i used to use in my cross stitching days, i have loads of these, so i'm now going to try and use them up!!
The image is of course Penny Black :) entitled 'Brush Lily' which has also been inked with Adirondacks direct from the inkpad and then spritzed with water before placing down to paper.

My little sentiment is cut with my Nesties, labels 1 and the lettering is Adornit stickers. Some Kanban gems and crochet trim from local haberdashers complete my design.

I hope you've enjoyed your visit today..........Thank You for popping in :-D

Hugs
Carol x

AN APOLOGY......

I would like to apologise on behalf of the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog!! If you have visited today, you will see that today's challenge has not been posted yet! Not sure what the problem is, but hopefully all will soon be rectified............Thank You for your patience, i will try to contact someone to get things moving :)

Hugs
Carol x

CUTTLEBUG CHALLENGE #16

Today the challenge is to 'Create a Card that is Distressed' which leaves your options open for many things.......tearing, inking, sanding etc etc. I decided to go with tearing & inking for my design, i've also added some machine stitching and some jute!
As you can see i've used three different folders in my design.....Script Texture, Distressed Stripes and Swiss Dots. My card base is 123mm square and the background is Kraft card which i've torn, embossed with ST and then inked with a Colorbox 'Chestnut Roan' cats eye. This has then been machine stitched to the card.

My flower petals are torn from some brown Bazzill these have been inked with Dk Brown cats eye and skimmed over the dots with a Brilliance inkpad in 'Moonlight White'. The leaves were made in the same way, but for these i did not use the white over the embossing :)
The centre of my flower is an Imaginisce brad and the sentiment is a Stampin Up rub-on.

Hop over to the Cuttlebug Challenge site to see what all my team mates have been creating...........and it would be great to see what you can all do for this challenge........hope you can find time to play ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

LUV BUG WEEKEND

Look what's coming this weekend.......... Friday at 10am till Monday at 9pm
A fun packed, loved up weekend................ just click on the picture to be taken to where all the action will be...........as the poster says.....loads of projects and ideas and some super prizes & giveaways.................Fall in love with your Bug!!

Wow!!!
Hugs
Carol x

SECRET CRAFTER Saturday Challenge

It's Challenge #16 over at Secret Crafter.........and this week it is a recipe set by Jane.

123... 1 image, 2 papers and 3 embellishments

For my design today i've used this fabulous Forever Friends image kindly sent to me by my Funky Hand team mate Ruth. I've coloured this time using my watercolour pencils which have not been out of their box for ages, i think i still prefer inks for watercolouring, but i like to keep my options open.......and just maybe one of these days....... i will treat myself to some Copics.....mmmm!
I've used a Bazzill pre shaped card base and some yummy papers from Basic Grey 'Offbeat' 6 x 6 pad.....the sentiment is a Cosmo Cricket rub-on.
My 3 embellishments are the cotton twill ribbon, a Making Memories paper flower and a Kanban gem.

Thanks for popping in today to see what i've been up to! See you soon ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

If you are lucky enough to be at home tomorrow at 11am, you may want to tune into Ideal World and see Anice showcasing her brand new Funky Daze CD.............. you may spot a design or two from little ol' Me!!!

CUTE CARD THURSDAY Challenge 44

'Create A Scene' is the title of the challenge over at Cute Card Thursday this week and i must admit when i read through the requirements i thought i would have to miss out as i didn't have anything with which to create my scene!

Then i remembered that i had the clear stamp set called Mindy's Zoo by Autumn Leaves, which has loads of cute animals, birds, flowers and even a palm tree......... a perfect set for 'creating a scene'....................and this is my first try at a stair step card, i've been wanting to try one for ages and i really like how it's turned out :)

I stamped all the images with black Stazon onto watercolour paper and then coloured in using Adirondack & Distress inks and a waterbrush. It took rather a long time to cut them all out........not helped by the fact that i am quite scissor challenged! i prefer to use a craft knife really, but these images were too intricate to cut this way and scissors were the only option!

I found a brilliant tutorial for this stairstep technique, with cutting and scoring instructions and a whole gallery of cards which you can find HERE

Thank you for your time today, i appreciate all your visits and comments ;-D
See you soon....

Hugs
Carol x

TAG YOU'RE IT Numbers...

Hello again...... it's week 42 over at Tag You're It and this week the challenge is numbers! This gives the opportunity for a whole range of options and i wasn't really sure which way to go, but i opted for this one.........

I started collecting 12 x 12 papers about 5 years ago, just because i liked them.......i didn't really have any intention of doing any Scrapbooking, but of course since Danielle arrived i have attempted a small amount............not sure why i find it difficult but i guess i need to think of a Scrapbook page as a very large card!........maybe then i wouldn't have so much of a problem!!

Onto the Tag! which uses one of the aforementioned papers.....not sure of the manufacturer, but it is like a blackboard with the words Learn, Imagine, Play across the surface. I used my nesties to cut a portion of the paper and mounted it onto some white & orange card, Bazzill i think! The Apple & Teacher, are from a very old K&Co 6 x 6 pad and the number 1 is an AC thicker. The tiny stickers are Adornit. The bobbly metal loop!! is from a tag on a pair of Rhianna's jeans :)

Thanks for popping in today.......i'm going to have a relaxing evening just vegging out watching a film or two!.....enjoy the rest of your weekend and i'll see you soon ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

CUPCAKE CRAFT Challenge 23

A lovely little sketch over at Cupcake Craft this week, drawn by Lauren and a perfect opportunity for me to use one of my brand new stamps!

I did have a little spend in the online Sales, but a trip to my local store Stamp Addicts for a few basic supplies.......and this one, although not essential or in the Sale........ just had to go in my basket :)
Aren't these bugs the cutest things ever? they are from a range which is new to me............ Stamps by Judith although the main image here is actually one of Heather's! The hearts that you can see on the image are a stick stamp, which is indeed one of Judith's........ the fab thing about this type of stamp is that you can add your hearts wherever you want them to go :) and they can also be used to create your own background paper too.

I've stamped with black Stazon and watercoloured with Distress Inks. The designer paper is Basic Grey from the 'Eva' 6 x 6 pad, along with some scraps of black card from my box. The sentiment is Adornit stickers and the ribbon is from a roll that i bought in France about 10 years ago!!

I'll be back later with a Tag to share.........hope you can pop back?

Hugs
Carol x

JULIA'S 'WAYS TO USE IT' Challenge WT202

Well, i can't actually remember if i have participated in a 'Way's to Use It' challenge before, but yesterday it was the turn of one of my papercrafting idols to set the challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers........Julia Stainton.

If you have never visited 'Belle Papier', then i suggest you pop over and check out Julia's fabulous work.........you will get lost in page after page of inspiring cards and occasionally some scrapbook pages too!

Patterned Paper Pizazz

Pull out your patterned paper and find Ways To Use it by making it special. Alter it, emboss it, glitter it…I’d love to see your very cool ideas.

For my design i have used some Basic Grey paper from the 'Urban Prairie' collection. The focal point is a rub-on from the same range, which i've cut out and raised on foam pads for some dimension.
I used my new Nestabilities 'Labels One' to cut the mats and the ribbon is from my stash.

Unfortunately my photography skills aren't very good, and even with my fabby camera, i have still had trouble showing the glitter i have added to the already gorgeous background paper!

I used a Sakura 'Quickie Glue' pen and some Deco Art glamour dust to 'bling' up my background, and to the naked eye it looks fab! shame you can't see it as well on here :(
I have a gallery over at Splitcoast, but i always forget to update it..........so off now to upload my piccy over there!

Thanks for your time today.........be back soon ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

ENCOURAGED AWARD

I have been given this award recently, by two lovely ladies Dawn & Sue and i would like to thank them for thinking of me :)

Not all that clear on the rules for this one, and i am encouraged daily by the gorgeous creations of lots of wonderful crafters.............so, i am going to offer this award to any of you lovelies that have not received it yet! and would like to snag it for your trophy cabinet :)

Hugs
Carol x

SKETCHES! by Tamara Card Sketch #79

Firstly, i just wanted to say Thank You to all my lovely visitors who have left sweet comments over the last couple of days, unfortunately i have not been too well over the last day or so, and have been either in bed or in the bathroom! ........Thankfully, i am feeling a little better now, so hope to visit you all very soon :)

Another fabulous sketch from Tamara which i have rotated today, and a little more stitching from me......albeit a tad wobbly!My image today is made up of two Hero Arts stamps, the branch is H4946 'Long Branch' the little birdie and also the sentiment is from a sparkle clear set CL177 'Hello Birdie'

I decided to paper piece my little bird with some papers from Basic Grey 'Urban Prairie' 6 x 6 pad, and all other papers on the card are from this set too. I am enjoying some stitching on my cards at the moment, unfortunately it's a tad wobbly today! but hopefully i will improve with time :) I have added some crystal flowers to the branch and a little cluster in the corner. The vevelt ric-rac (hides more wobbly stitching!) is American Crafts.
It would be great to see what you do with this, i love looking at all the different cards that emerge from one sketch!

Thanks so much for popping in today.......hope to see you really soon ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

CUTTLEBUG CHALLENGE #15 Page Maps Sketch

Hi Everyone, this week for Cuttlebug Challenge #15, we have a fabulous sketch from Page Maps!

(I can't alter the size of this photo, Sorry!!)

If you visit me often, you will know that Page Maps have been on my blog roll since i started up just over a year ago.........full of the amazing talent of Becky Fleck and her team and the place to go if you've lost your mojo.......the fab sketches cannot fail to stir some creativity.......go check them out!
You may also be aware that i love sketches and have been known to create a few of my own ;-) I take the sketches very literally, because in my opinion if someone has taken the time to offer them for our use, they should actually look like the original sketch........whilst i am not one to stamp on artistic flair! there is nothing more infuriating than to follow a link that says " i used the sketch from...." ...................... and then the card looks nothing like the original sketch!!!!!!!

Anyway.....rant over and onto my design............

I have used 7 different folders for my embossed circles, Swiss Dots, D'Vine Swirl, Allegro,Distressed Stripes, Perfect Paisley, Script Texture, and Textile Texture. One circle has been stamped with a 'Stamps by Judith' solid heart and a Dark Peony cats eye. The butterflies were made with a Woodware punch, and the flower in two layers with a Paper Shaper Whale of a Punch. The 'dotty' flower and white button are Making Memories and all other papers and buttons are Basic Grey from 'Bittersweet' and 'Eva' The rub-on is Urban Lily and the twine and gem are from my stash!.........Wow! what a long list of ingredients today!!!

It would be fun to see what you do with this sketch!.......i do hope you can find some time to play along :) and of course don't forget to check out the awesome creations of my fellow DT members.

Hugs to You.....see you soon....

Carol x

Edited:- original photo replaced......i had forgotten the watermark!

SNEAKY PEEK MONDAY.....

It's back to work for me today.......shoulder/neck seems o.k. now......i'll keep taking the pills for a couple more days just in case! obviously not the Co-Codamol........they just send me to sleep and my boss would be none too happy if i fell asleep at my desk ;-D

I don't have a card to show you today, but i do have a little peek at what's coming up later this week for Cuttlebug Challenges & of course Sketches! by Tamara.......hope you can pop back on Wednesday & Thursday to see the reveal....and to join in as well :)

Cuttlebug Challenges........Wednesday

and
Sketches! Thursday
(wonky stitching!!!! Oh Dear!)

I have my class tomorrow evening, so i will be busy packing my trolleys tonight and gathering all my supplies together, ready to load up the car..........hope to be back tomorrow with a new design to share :)

Thanks for popping in today :-D

Hugs
Carol x

PENNY BLACK SATURDAY CHALLENGE

If you have been visiting my blog for a while, you may know that we rescued 4 ex Battery hens on 20th December............which is actually the reason why i purchased this particular Penny Black stamp. The challenge today is 'Let's get Dotty'.........i LOVE dotty papers :)

If you look beyond the card, you will see Speckle, Daisy & Flopsy enjoying their freedom in the garden.....not sure where Button was when i took the photo, eating porridge probably!!!

The image is called 'Cluck,Cluck, Cluck! and they are all very excited to be going to the party :)
I've stamped onto watercolour paper and coloured today with my Lyra crayons and a water brush. The paper is Basic Grey 'Lollipop Shoppe' and 'Scarlet's Letter' with a small piece of scalloped Bazzill. The sentiment is Stamps Away and i've 'dotted' on some gems from stash.
The ribbon is Doodlebug with some extra dots added with my Inkssentials pen.

Our new girls aren't quite this plump yet, but their feathers are slowly starting to grow back now and hopefully by the spring they will be back to how they are supposed to look :)

Been working on my DT cards for next week, but can't show you those yet! Thanks for your time today......see you soon ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

ARTY GIRLZ #68 Button It !

Remember this....
Now....... the Arty Girlz challenge this week is 'Buttons' "just use buttons on your creation".....which reminded me of my Mum, which in turn reminded me that i bought this little baby 4 months ago!!! and i can almost hear her saying " A sewing machine, just for paper!!!"

So, not only does my design have(several) buttons, but it is also my very first stitched card!
I didn't practice, i just bowled right in with my beloved Basic Grey papers!! These are from the 'Offbeat' 6 x 6 pad, with some Maya Road chipboard pieces that have been coloured with paint dabbers. The teeny weeny buttons on the tree are Hero Arts and the larger ones i think, are Woodware. I think my tension was a bit iffy and my stitch length was too small, but it will hopefully improve with time :)

If you would like to visit two of my absolute favourite 'stitching card makers' and to see who has inspired me to start with my stitching, then you need to pop over to Julia's and Peet's........ i promise you won't be dissapointed :)

Thanks for popping in today....hope to see you really soon ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

HOUSE MOUSE MONDAY CHALLENGE

I love the cuteness of these furry little beings! and the challenge this week is little too....an ATC!
At 2.5 x 3.5 inches, an ATC really makes you think..........and here is what evolved!!

I had a bit of fun with this :)..........even mice deserve some LUURRVE on Valentines Day ;-)

The little calendar was computer generated and coloured with a Cat's Eye chalk pad. The tiny heart was cut from some KI Memories glitter lace cardstock The image is of course 'Mudpie Tells' and here he is very excited to tell us about his date with Amanda!( I do hope they aren't related!!!)

Background paper and glazed brad is Basic Grey 'Bittersweet'

TFL!
Hugs
Carol x

Internet Down ......

...our internet was down from 3pm yesterday.........it was quite funny really, but i was like a bear with a sore head until 5pm today when my normality was resumed.........whatever did i used to do with my time before all this blogging lark??

Carol x

SKETCHES by Tamara......

Well it's whizzed round to Thursday again, the time seems to have passed even more quickly this week......maybe because i am having a good time (see explanation on yersterday's post!) instead of the boring normality of 9 to 5 at the office!!!

Tamara has provided us with a fab sketch again this week (love it) and i got to do some more stamping for this one........with a gorgeous JudiKins cube (6736 I) that hasn't been used in quite a while :)
Instead of my preference of colouring my images with Distress Inks, today i have used Twinkling H2O's...........unfortunately you will have to imagine the shimmer these give out as the photo does not show it.... and also the green cardstock is more vibrant to the eye, than it looks here! The sentiment is Hero Arts inked with Sea Brights 'Bikini Pink' onto a chipboard oval covered with white card. And .......you guessed it! gems from stash :)

Thanks for popping in today....and i hope you can find some time to have a play with the sketch...let me know if you do!

Hugs
Carol x

STAMP SOMETHING..... A TOOT....and an explanation!

It's been a while since i joined in with a Stamp Something challenge, but this week is different because the challenge is 'No Stamping Allowed' ! There is an amazing prize on offer this week for one lucky winner....so why not pop over and give it a try!....and while you're there, check out the gorgeous samples on display from the Design Team........My card has no stamping at all, but what it does have are beautiful papers from the latest CD, created by the very talented Anice over at Funky Hand. Onto the **Toot**... this CD will be making it's live premier appearance on Ideal World at 11am on the 27th January 2009.....as a member of the fabby DT, i like the other girls on the team have been making samples for Anice to show on TV.........as with all the shopping channels they give her such a short time to demo so the team creates samples to showcase her fabulous products......if you can't wait for the show and want to order your copy now, just pop over to the website.....

Now... the explanation............you may just be wondering why i have posted so much this week?........i am signed off work for a week and the medication i'm taking is quite strong and is brilliant at taking away the pain...... the only problem is, it makes me very sleepy.....so i'm crafting in between snoozing!!........the best bit is....... i am thoroughly enjoying myself....... ;)

Carol x

CUTTLEBUG CHALLENGE #14

Of course Wednesday means Cuttlebug Challenge but, before i talk about this week.....I have to give a big shout for the new girls that have joined the team!
The team has increased now to 25!!! so make sure you hop over to the blog and check out the amazing new things that are being shown for you all to join in with and take inspiration from.......so many exciting things coming up over the next few weeks.......and if you have a bug, you definately won't want to miss out!!

Now.... the brief this week is to make a card or project using your favourite folder....not so easy as it's so hard to choose a favourite!.....so i decided to pick one of my favourites and it was also the first folder i purchased on the day i got my bug (2nd March '08)For my design today i've used the Stylized Flowers folder and a technique of inking the folder before placing your cardstock inside, another version of this can be seen
HERE.
I use a brayer and Adirondack ink to colour up my folders, but if you 'google' it, you will find that everyone has their own way of achieving these results. The image today is 'Purple Toadflax' from Hobby Art, inked with Adrondack 'Lettuce' to match my inked & embossed pieces. The oval mount is a Marvy giga punch, sentiment is a sticker and ribbon from stash.

I hope you can join in this week and show us all what you can make with your favourite folder!

Hugs
Carol x

SKETCH SATURDAY Sketch #33

There is a fabulous prize on offer this week over at Sketch Saturday......a gorgeous stamp of a cow knitting!......it's so adorable, and one lucky person will win it!
A great sketch is a perfect starting point, especially for someone like me who normally takes ages to decide which papers to use! Luckily, i had printed some out this morning from the latest Funky Hand CD 'Funky Daze'. The CD is crammed with beautiful papers and extra's too, and i chose some from the Fun Daze section for my card today.

This cute Stamps Away image reminds me of my gorgeous Granddaughter Danielle, with her wild curly hair & cheeky smile!
I've stamped the image using Archival black onto watercolour paper and coloured in with Distress Inks
All papers are Funky Daze, and the card is 148mm square.

Thanks for visiting today...i'll see you soon ;-D
Hugs
Carol x

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

It's a Colour Scheme challenge this week over at PBSC, and i have to say one of my favourite combo's of Pink & Brown...........just love those two colours together!
So without further ado, i set about gathering my supplies to create this card........had an idea in mind....... but i've been a bit of a numpty and chosen exactly the same image as last week!!!!!!

However, i think my one saving grace is that it does look quite different today, and i guess that's the best thing about stamping.........it's very versatile!

I've used more fabulous papers from the 'Bittersweet' 6 x 6 pad, along with a page from my Making Memories spiral notebook, onto which i've stamped the gorgeous 'Andante'. The image has been inked with Adirondack 'espresso' and Sea Brights 'bikini pink' and then lightly spritzed with water before placing down on the paper, which gives more of a 'watercolour' look.

I made my butterfly by punching twice with a Woodware punch and then adding a tiny gem for the body, ribbons are from stash and the rub-on is Letraset.

Unfortunately, in poor lighting this paper looks black, but to the naked eye it is a real rich dark chocolate brown, the photo's never seem to do it justice somehow...........

Thanks for popping in today, i'm off for a browse around the blogosphere now........see you soon

Hugs ;-D
Carol x

TAG YOU'RE IT Let's go Stripey!

Got in a bit earlier this week :)
I seriously hope you are not getting tired of seeing things made with Basic Grey 'Bittersweet' collection....... i absolutely love it and can't seem to leave it alone!!
It's week 40 over at Tag You're It and the challenge this week has been set by my mate Kath......Go Stripey!
For my Tag today i used an Undressed chipboard tag from Basic Grey, which has been covered with some paper from the 6 x 6 'Bittersweet' pad. The heart is from the Olio rub-ons, placed onto some of the pink paper and then cut out.
The letters are Doodlebug 'loopy lou', and the white flowers are from Sarah's Cards, ribbon from stash.
I'm not really a fan of stripes, but this turned out o.k. :)

Hugs
Carol x

p.s. Please excuse the red chicken feeder in the background......i must remember to move it before i take more photo's!!!!

TAG YOU'RE IT !

Week 39 - New Stash Challenge..........well this one is right up my street, especially as i received some lovely new stash for Christmas!

I realise that i am getting in this week by the skin of my teeth, but this is the first chance i have had to upload it........and here it is.......
Two pictures today, just because i fancied it ;0)

My Tag was created using a Maya Road chipboard frame, which i have covered and backed with the papers from my Christmas gift, which of course is Basic Grey 'Bittersweet'.
I used punches for the brown flowers and the ferns....and i topped this with a Making Memories paper flower and a button, then cut some bobbles from Bazzill pom-pom trim to sit in the centre of the button!
The heart rub-on is BG as well and the white rub-on is Creative Imaginations, ribbon from stash.

Thanks for popping in today......i hope to do some blog hopping tomorrow evening.......i've been so short of time this week for commenting, but i have been looking......... ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

SKETCHES by Tamara

I am enjoying myself immensely designing cards with Basic Grey's newest line 'Bittersweet'. So much so that i've made my card for Sketches! by Tamara with some more of these delicious papers!I teased you on Saturday with a little 'sneaky peek' at this design, so i hope you have come back to see the reveal!!
The thing i love most about this card is that i was able to cut the Quickutz hearts with my Cuttlebug! .....so much easier than using the squeeze hand tool :) and you can cut several things out in one go.......even better!
All papers are Basic Grey apart from the small white scallops which is a Doodlebug paper frill. The flower is a Bazzill 'Bitty Blossom', gems are Kanban 'Bling' and the tiny flat back pearls are Joy crafts. Brad and rub-on are also BG and the twine is from my stash!

Fancy having a go at the sketch this week.......i'd love to see what you can do!

See you later with my Tag that i made last night........
Hugs
Carol x

CUTTLEBUG CHALLENGE #13

I had no idea when i purchased this little green embossing machine! that i would grow to love it so much :) The challenge this week is to create a simple, white card......the whole thing doesn't have to be white, but the embossing must be white. Trudi is right, there is something very elegant about the embossing on white........so crisp & fresh :)
My design today uses lots of elements, so here goes....... The circle frame was in my box of scraps, so i dug it out and embossed it using Swiss Dots and D'Vine Swirl, because i needed to carry on the circular theme, i cut another circle for the centre with my Nesties, which has been embossed using the tan rubber mat.

The centre circle is a Maya Road sheer(love these!) and i've used a couple of Basic Grey rub-ons to creat my 'image'. The pink gems are Kanban 'Bling' and the dotty organza is from my stash.The lime green background card came in a kit, but i think it's possibly Bazzill...not sure!

I would love to see what you create this week, so i do hope you can find some time to play along .
I am chuffed with this card, i think it's possibly one of my favourite makes so far!! and i hope you like it too :)
Thanks for your time today :) see you soon.

Hugs
Carol x

PENNY BLACK Challenge 30 Embossing

Can you see the join?.... I have to confess that this card for Penny Black Saturday Challenge is made from scraps!! I thought it was about time i started to use all the bits and pieces that i scurry away in a box to use later.........I think we all do it....save a bit here & there to use later and the pile just gets bigger and bigger!!

I've kept the whole thing very simple and have used just one colour for the image 'Andante' stamped onto watercolour paper with Adirondack 'Lettuce'

The requirement this week is Embossing, so i've used my Cuttlebug and the Birthday folder. The 'pointed' patterned pieces are Basic Grey Urban Prairie, which were left over bits from my House Mouse card the other day! The green and pink papers are also BG from the same pad.
The piece of embossed green paper to the right of the image was cut from the larger portion and turned on it's side! The card base is 5 x 7. Ribbon, button and gem from stash.

Thanks for popping in today.....see you soon ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

p.s. Do you like my lovely wooden stand? !!!!!!!!!

AN AWARD.....

The very lovely Jane has given me this one today!
The 'rules' with this one are to list 5 addictions of mine (easy, as i have way more than 5!!) and 5 blogs that i love (hard, as there are way more than 5!!)

Jane makes fabulous scrapbook pages, something that i still want to do so much, but the cards just take over!

However....onto my addictions
Top of the list has to be Basic Grey.....love their stuff! Number 2, i think would have to be ribbon, Number three, has to be a food item........probably cheese, or maybe Walkers Crisps!! Four....mmmm Coffee with Coffee Mate though, not milk, and sadly the last one has to be Nicotine.......tried many times to give up all without success :( my willpower is zilch when it comes to cigarettes!
Now to list 5 favourite blogs..............just cannot do only five, so i would like to offer this to anyone that would like to accept it with my Best Wishes!

CUPCAKE TOP 5! :)

Just found out that i made Top 5 over at Cupcake Craft Challenges with my first entry! Chuffed to bits!!! ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

HAPPY BIRTHDAY & SNEAKY PEEKS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARREN

My only son Darren is 25 today! so we are all off out for a meal later. He has turned into a mature caring adult, has a lovely partner Justine, and is a brilliant Daddy to Danielle........ so what more could a Mum ask for?

Today i have been working on my DT projects for next week, they have to be sent via e-mail by Monday midnight, and as we are out all day tomorrow visiting Chloe & Alan down in Rayleigh.......i wanted to be sure i got them all done!

Here is a little sneaky peek at what i have created ..........

For Cuttlebug Challenges........... Wednesday

Sketches! by Tamara................Thursday

I hope you will be able to pop back and see the reveal :)..... and maybe have a bit of spare crafty time to join in with me this week on Wednesday & Thursday when the challenges go live!

Off to my bubble bath in a few minutes to prepare for later............see you soon ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

CUPCAKE CRAFT Challenge 20

I've lost count of the number of times i have looked at Cupcake Craft Challenges, and in fact they've been on my blog list for ages........but this is the first time i've joined in!
Challenge 20 is to be inspired by the background of the blog, so another perfect reason to use my new Basic Grey 'Bittersweet' goodies, and although you do not need to use cupcakes in your entry, i thought i would dig out my own cupcake template as it's not seen daylight for a while :)

All papers are from the 'Bittersweet' 6 x 6 pad, and i've used my white paint dabber to represent icing sugar! :) The sentiment is Studio G, stamped with Adirondack 'Espresso'. The felt flower and chipboard button are Making Memories, other embellies are from my stash.

Thanks for popping in today ;-D

Hugs
Carol x

LAST DAY.............

.........of crafty freedom!!.....back to my normal job tomorrow(i know..very stupid to return to the office on a Friday.....we all said so! but they didn't listen!!)

I hope you all had a lovely time last night, whatever you got up to!.....we spent a quiet night, just me & hubby and some good food and just a little tipple, so thankfully feeling fine this morning :)

I have some ironing & housework to do this morning......been putting it off....but now it has to be done(grrrr!) Hope to be here later with a card to share.........so, best get my butt in gear!!!

Hugs ;-D
Carol x