Adam's 9th Birthday card - welllll, card is pushing it!

Phew - 3 more sleeps till my holiday and I've just finished this in time! Imagine my joy at logging on to Kool Kitty Musings and reading this weeks prompt is  Create a card that features some kind of digital element(s) - well, I do believe I nailed this one :o)

Prepare for a photo overload!

mmmmm, now sadly time is against me but I had serious phone issues with the orientation of the photos so exported March onwards - I will return and replace the others but it won't be tonight ;(

I have also realised how behind I am on here again! I just wish you could craft 'time'!

50th Paper Bag Album

 This is for a friend and colleague. I bought the bags ages ago and have been looking for an excuse to make something with them and I now have it. The above along with some Tena when they are purchased - oh and the matter of the main gift, are the contents of the 5 bags :o)

The back pages have been left for all of us to sign when I provide the white card to everyone to write their insults  best wishes on.

This also completes the missing week on 52 Card Challenge for which the word Happy was the prompt - I'm happy it's finished although not sure recipient will be as happy :p

Busy weekend!!!!

Why is it that when I've cards to make I just want to scrap???? I really do need to get some cards in the post ASAP but I'm addicted to Craft Artist and would happily scrap every photo I have loaded onto my laptop at the moment! I'm actually doing a good job attempting this at the moment :o

I've downloaded kits galore ready for our weekend away next week for those nights in since we will be vanbound as we are taking Cherie! I actually can't wait!

This is a collection of Adam playing with his 'huge' bear! Now he's older the bear doesn't seem so big but he was back then! I love the fun he is having in these photos. The thing I'm loving about digi scrapping (and I am happily munching my words from back when I didn't see the point!) is that I can enjoy scrapping photos I wouldn't scrap onto paper. You can just keep on scrapping without thinking of the supplies you are using - the only cost is my time, valuable as that is - I am having so much fun! I also cropped one photo and now have a much wanted photo of Adam's baby feet! I have many painted prints but never took one of just his feet! They are cute though aren't they!!!!

Oh what a grump!!!!! I have no memory of why he is so grumpy here but this is one of my favourite photos, does that make me a bad Mummy????? I had fun playing with Craft Artist on this one, using the dropper to change the letters from black to teal! I also love the colours of this kit - which is You, me and Sea btw!

The journalling on this tells the story of how Cherie got very wet on her first encounter with the sea! She is a very good swimmer though ;o)

Adam has always been able to sleep on a clothes line and this photo shows this well! Poor Suzi was so patient just lying there waiting for him to wake and move!

I love my little man!

Looking back at all these photos and remembering the happy time we had makes me so glad we are heading back again in a couple of weeks! I really enjoyed making this layout. Bits were tricky and I am still learning the software but as you can see I found the page curl tool! I'm not sure which is more fun, looking through photos, playing with the software or buying kits. One this I do know is, my laptop will be heading north with me for a little craft time on an evening :o)

This one I tried to get 'clever' with. In the photo Adam's legs are in the sun - for anyone concerned, he was 'lotioned up' lol - so, when playing with masks I made the top part of the page dull and the bottom bright. This was also the first 'properly' made transparency. I found the tool, got annoyed with it, then, mastered is most definitely the wrong word here, blundered would be more accurate, faded out the edges and added my gorgeous little man. The sentiment came with a digi kit. I am naughty, would love to tell you the kit names but they are a mixture. All I can tell you is they are either from Creative Victorian, Scrapwow, Craft Artist or Shabby Princess. Craft Artist and Shabby Princess are great resources for freebies.

Gift Basket

OK, I've worked out how to keep up with blogging, have it open on the browser while you are working on uploading images and just move from FB or other group to the blog and update - simples.......

Delusions over, I found a folder on my laptop of some scanned professional pics of Adam and I LOVE this one so off I went to my new BFF CA and set to creating! In between making this I have been stash shopping for new kits and have a list as long as my arm of 'wants' now - I have a new addiction but it is clean and tidy friendly, me likely!!!!

I'm still 'learning' and each one I find something new to play with, today I colour changed and even texture changed elements. Can't wait to send these pages off for printing!

Saving the best 'till last!

OMG, how excited am I about these little sweeties? I recently upgraded to Craft Artist Professional - yup, and about 2 weeks before they offered it free + p&p. Anyhow, I have Scrapbook Artist and have used that for various projects over the years but the only scrapping I do are mock up layouts. I have never used half the goodies that come with CA like the scissors, brushes, shadows etc. Well, I have a mission I need to complete before the end of the year and I am practising with these lo's - ok, I admit it, I've been distracted! Adam was such and adorably cute and photogenic baby (he still is those things, just not the baby lol) and I am just loving going through the pictures. Some I've used are from 35mm film and aren't the best quality but they work in the smaller frames. My plan is to get these printed to see how they print out. Prepare for much cuteness!!!! I have uploaded them in the order I made them so hopefully you may see improvements as I learn what can be achieved. I do have a couple more I have done but sadly I can't share them - yet!!!!!

These are just adorable!!!!!!

The weekly prompt on 52 Card challenge over on UKS was rabbit/spring but having done a rabbit card very much in a spring feel I wanted to make something away from that. We were mooching around town going for tea when I had to go into the art shop, its just not in my nature to be rude and pass it by lol! Wendy often has pre-loved stamps in there for a really good price and I found a good few of these 'Alice' themed ones! They asked me to treat them well and colour them gently so I used flexmarkers on them. I love these two cards, in fact this year I already have a few I'm going to struggle to give away! I am also loving the new Woodware Kraft card I bought - much better than the Papermania in my opinion.

Arghhhh....

I'm well behind on my blog again! One day I will find out how to work this thing to help me keep uptodate - sadly today is Tuesday and not One day! So - mass catchup it is then!

This is well in advance as its for a birthday in July! How good am I??? I made this just with a yellow die cut matt but then I walked away and remembered that I had an embossing plate with paws on - cute eh! I love the little image. Still being thrifty since the stamp was a freebie!

Another 52 Card Challenge Week 13! I love the colours on this one! Love the jaunty matt to show the ribbed kraft card. The scroll is another cheery lynn - lol my own this time! The other was lovely Sue's who runs the Craft n Chat in town! The only person I know that would need a room just for her dies! The flowers are tonic petal punch ones I made! they are so easy to do and cute!

How cute is this digi - freebie out of Simply Cardmaking and Papercraft! I started a monthly challenge on a small group I admin and this month Michelle prompted April showers! Blue and yellow have always worked so well. The rain drops and dots around the petal are Anita's version of glossy accents - much cheaper too!

52 Card one again and I have to admit to looking at this with a little pride. The prompt was a sketch and I wanted to do something completely unpredictable. OK so its not groundbreaking but it is very 'male' which is good since it is for a man lol!!! i just love everything about this, the 'with love' ticket, the jeans studs, the Tim Holtz tissue tape - the stamps I nearly didn't buy.......

This is the missing Week 9 that I was trying to get to work but it fought me all the way! I made the background paper and was determined that it would get used come hell or high water! I love the cheery lynn flourish! I also love the sentiment stack and lace - just not happy with the 'overall' look but can't make my mind up why! Oh well, it's made now. If it wasnt' for the inky paper I would throw this away!

Week 10

No - I haven't missed a week, just haven't done it yet. Well, technically I did but really wasn't happy with it so it is set aside while I try and decide if it is worth 'rescue'.

In the meantime - I love this weeks challenge. 'Flat' is what Natalie wanted so, flat is what I have given. No bling, no bows/buckles/brads - no pads, silicon gel or buttons! sounded quite easy and once I decided where to go it was and I really enjoyed making this one. I started with the sentiment which is on the card I got with my Xyron runner - I started with it because this is the second attempt at this topper after the first one ended in the bin when the sentiment didn't print properly! The stamp is Kanban and from the QVC TSV I was lucky enough to get last year - it is a gorgeous collection of everyday stamps. I used Ranger distress inks in four colours and randomly stamped the image. Then I stamped the 'rabbits' with archival ink. I edged it with Old Paper distress ink and mounted it on a scrap of orange cardstock which I punched down one edge. Keeping it flat I added a fine organza ribbon and coloured peel offs black to go along the edge of the punched border. I finally mounted it all on Kraft card leaving the border overhanging one edge. This is a small but beautiful card!

I may have to make another for this week - I love the prompt!

52 Card Challenge - Week 8

No matter when I take a picture of this one, it still doesn't do it justice - the inking on the tag is beautiful irl! The PP was free on a magazine and the whole pad is simply gorgeous! A very busy card with lots going on from edge distressing to fine thread barely visible - the rosette was time consuming but worth it IMO.

52 card challenge

Behind again!!!! gah, will I ever keep up - doubt it! These are from Week 7's prompt  pastel colours.

I wasn't sure of these to start with and had little bits of each one done at different stages but once I finished them all I love them! These are cute little cards that will come in handy when you just need a card!

I started with a 12 x 12 in blue and decided to use it all up and made 3 cards. I'm stash busting this year and they are all inkeeping with this - the acetate is one I've had stamped for a few months in my handmade box, the flower is some circles I cut from scraps a while back as a way of using them onlyIi never have! the ribbon is what dh cut from the bandage he wrapped round my thumb on Saturday after I sliced it with my craft knife. oh and the butterfly decal is from a set of laptop stickers I thought might be useful one day. the stamps are mainly from a large set I got a while back which included a box full of die cut matts and I used one of these on the birdie one. Most of the stamps are Kanban.

Oh, can I also point out, Mrs Thrift here salvaged the bandage from the bin, they were about to be thrown as they don't comply with health and safety as they are past the use by date - bonkers!!!!

This is just too cute!!!!!!

I was taking Adam to my local craft group and needed something for him to be entertained with and found this fab Captain Jack image by Octopode and since he is Adams current hero it was perfect. Adam loved being allowed to colour his copy with free range of the ProMarkers! He also managed to help me choose new ones to add to the collection :o

This is for a friend who loves films, hence the film strip. The wax seal was once a crayola crayon gathering dust in Adams play room. I loved making the backing for this - lots of Dylusions (really hoping the old collection of colours gets transferred to Ranger asap as I just couldn't stretch to them before they disappeared.

This is also the first real image I have coloured in and I'm quite proud of it!

Oh, I almost forgot the thrifty bits. The craft card is a left over from another project i.e. the Black Pearl ship card, the script matt is one I played at a long while back and was lonely in my box of handmade paper/card and the coin and chain were donated to me from a friend who no longer wanted her necklace - lucky me!

Love is in the air!!!!

This is my Week 5 card for UKScrappers 52 card challenge. The prompt was simply 'aperture'! I was playing making an acetate backing paper with alcohol inks and pearl glue. I hand drew the hearts in the glue then added the inks - I can't remember the ink names but there is a pale pink (maybe pink sherbet), cranberry (I think) and green lettuce (again I think). Then I panicked a bit when I realised next Tuesday was valentines and I ought to make something for Mark. Looked at the cards I needed to make for the challenge, I'm still behind, and chose wk 5. I hand drew the heart and cut it out (rather smug and a little more than pleased with it!) then panicked again with where this was going. Looked at stamping and settled on masking. I had cut out flowers with the remaining acetate but a: the punch DID not like that, I had to put it between post its, b: looked yuk when I put them on. So I quickly tore a spiral rose and inked it to match the inks on and around the card and found the die cut leaf in my now nicely sorted die cuts!