52 Weeks Card Challenge Wk 6 - Valentines, hearts, no red or pink

                                     
this is for my gorgeous son! He will love this as he's animal bonkers. Just to state the obvious, the heart element is the flower petals - well, someone might have not guessed - don't shout!
This is the very first card I have made from a free pack in a magazine! I know, really bad of me but I hate using them up lol. It is of course the nitwits, along with a couple of yummy stamps I have recently acquired, the dotty on top and bottom and the grass.

Valentine for my valentine

I made this card over a course of weeks! I started with the tag background, moved on to the large heart and went from there. The heart was achieved with acrylic paint, glue and a heat gun. I love the wooden effect which goes with the heart! I finished it with layers of embossing and a stamp while it was warm. On the tag I used a freebie stamp which had the fitting sentiment meaning 'time files' as we have been married 25 years in May. With a few Robo cogs, clock backing paper and a sentiment and here it is!
                                              
                                     
                                                
I really love making tags - this is only the 3rd apart from some I did at Christmas for gifts - but it is a great way to play :o

Double slider for my mum!

Well, she is so special, just a single slider just wouldn't do!

This is made using a tesco carrier as the workings. I love this technique! As mum lives abroad, sending a present would be far too expensive so we let her buy her own and this makes a lovely money card. My gorgeous assistant helping here is my darling son!

The lovely verse is courtesy of my crafty friend Ali! Thanks hun!

Last comments for the night

If you have visited me here, could you please spare a moment and pop on a comment. I'd love to know what fellow crafters think of my things.

52 card challenge

I've just done this and lost it :(

So, what is it? UKscrappers are doing a 52 card challenge where each week 3 prompts are given for that weeks card. You can find the challenge here

So, here are my makes.

Wk1 - Embossing, lilac, yellow

mmmm, we have a blank space here - hope it's filled soon!

wooohoo! I am now uptodate! this one was inspired by Jo's. For some reason I never thought of stamping the colour choices - I know, call myself a crafter!!! I ordered some back issues of the stamper magazine and this lovely flower was on one. First time I have ever masked too so I am quite pleased with myself. There is no sentiment yet as I can't decide if I should use it as a Mother's Day card or not.

Wk2 - Die cut, stripes, purple

Wk3 - Blue, flourish, hello

Wk4 - Pink, buttons, congratulations

Lol, I thought this was going to be easy!!!! Ha! I just hope I have 4 pics here before next Mondays prompts!

Did that - yippeee!

Wk5 - Orange, pattern, with love

                                         

wow, that looks big mmmmmm?

A moment of pure indulgence!

I don't seem to get the time to scrap much, if I get a moment to craft I seem to have cards to make. For Christmas my lovely sister in law bought me some lovely little ladybugs. As soon as I saw them I knew where they would spend  the rest of their little lives. Last year we had a particularly lovely day out walking our lovely dog and when I go back and looked at the photos I was amazed how many gorgeous ones I'd managed to snap and knew instantly that I needed to scrap some of them. I did one very soon after and really enjoyed not only buying the inks to go on it, but playing with them on a blank 12 x 12.

So, I unwrap the little family of ladybugs and know that when I have enough time they are going to be housed with one or two photos from this walk. On entering the lake the fencing along the path seemed to be covered in 'families' of ladybugs. Every upright seemed to have its only little colony. Both father and son soon bored of my 'oooh, look! more!!!' and I was left to snap alone. So, I know the pictures, I know the embellishments - but what about cardstock! And what about journalling! I came across the words first and this dictated that the cardstock would be another blank - you see, all I could think about relating to the little red spotty bugs was the Sesame Street song 'Ladybug picnic'. I downloaded a few of the verses (it's way too long to use it all) and wrote it by hand on the cardstock - after spraying it first with cosmic shimmer mists! Then it was as simple as placing the photos and a few cute little ladybug footprints and job done!!!! I think it is stunningly gorgeous and by fluke, it is the perfect partner to the first one I did - which is on here already but I think I need to show them side by side.

bulk makes, but worthy ones!

I have so many cards throughout the year and last year endeavoured to make as many as possible in the winter months. This is the beginning of the mountain. Two are needed soon but the 3rd one I did is to go into stock for either me or to sell! I love these little card making lifesavers! Simple, but incredibly cost effective and stunningly elegant. They are a great card leftover munchers too!

Back to my childhood

Well, with all the craziness going down about Promarkers and Copics being the future, I thought I would have a go at 'colouring in!' I have no luxuries like these pens everything is coveting so I dug deep into my craft supply and dug out my pencil tin which has a small selection of watercolour pencils - and this is my efforts!!!

Isn't the little doggy cute!!!!

Recyling at its best

Well, I'm a little late putting this one on and no doubt everyone else in the country has binned/recycled their Christmas cards. I found this great idea to turn them into boxes! Not sure if these will sell on my longed for table at a craft fayre, but they are free so worth a try - even if its for pennies. If you don't use tissue in them you will have the handwriting from the sender showing, but I have been assured this adds to the quirky handmade look.

Boy cards

Adam was invited to a 'double' party recently and given it was a: a football party and b: they were both 8. My first attemt was really bad! I seem to be making a few bad ones lately - hope that trend doesn't continue. Anyhow, here's what I came up with, the topper is a download from Cardmakingdownloads and will be a big feature with Adams class mate cards this year :P

40th Exploding box.

I was asked to make a 40th card for a friend. My brief was to make the 40 bit very 'noticable'. Having my little creative moment trying to think what I am going to do, I thought I could use artistic licence here and instead of it being 'in your face' we'd have it creep up and jump out! So adapting my 100th and 70th boxes from news to jokes here is the result!

I particularly like the 'Grandma' one - lol, it's mine! But, that aside, for me it is so true, all my school friends are becoming Granny's! I have at least 12+ years I hope. Surely this makes them much older than me as you have to be 'old' to be a Gran!

Happy New Year

omg, I can't believe it is the 9th already and I've not posted the New Year in!

Well, what a manic Christmas we had this year! The snow was awesome and propably the one reason I can't imagine being abroad for the winter - I love seeing Adam and Cherie playing in the fluffy stuff, makes my heart melt and my troubles dift away!

I have just made up my 'Thank You' card! Got a little carried away and made a batch of 'notelet' ones too, which I hope to sell as a pack of 6 at a craft fair later in the year. This is the New me! I am planning of making as many cards as I possibly can and selling either as one offs or in packs. I also plan to finish all the scrapbook layouts I have in my mind too :p

Down the 'handmade gift' road again - I do think I like this detour!

I had a moment last year - probably Kirsty Allsops fault - when I 'needed' to make some cookie mix jars. I decided to make them this year for Adam and Lucy but have yet to fill them as I want them to last a while!! So, these are prototypes! think I need to do something about the writing on the back of the label - my writing is shocking! I've yet to decide on the contents and would have like to have road tested the recipe but I don't see that happening as I think time has expired on the baking side of this year! Now these I do keep taking a peek at, they are adorably cute!

Last Minute Quick Makes!

Well, after viewing a friends cards for this year I had a sudden panic attack when I realised I'd not only forgotten to make Adam and Mark cards but My parents, my sister and brother and Marks sister cards. These are some I quickly made tonight. I keep checking them to see if I actually like them. I do love the mulberry trees. I now have Marks and Adams to pull off before the end of the week when I go away. Eeeeeeek, no pressure then. Oh, I have just come up with a fantastic idea for a card for Mark - I love it when creativity hits like lightening - don't you! Watch this space.

December 1st, the date my parents married!

Can't believe they have been married for 48 years
that is one scary figure! When you say those words
'until death do us part' 48 years just doesn't sit there on the radar does it? I've done 25 next year and that is scary enough, especially since I am still a teenager!!! How can I have been married for longer than I have been alive - child bride, that was me! Anyways, back to the card! I was helping a crafty friend out and happened upon the SP papers and HAD to download the romantic ones! I love them, love them, love them. I also bought some text paper a bit back that I wanted to make a flower with using the robo file i bought from DAN (I love that guy!) This was the first one I have ever done! I'm happy with it, but Mum wasn't!!! I had to send it in a box - need to think of postage when making cards to send - and she had to go collect it from the post office! I Had the gorgeous Laura Ashley cream and burgundy ribbons in and the label and dotty mirri is me playing with my new baby - my big shot that i bought from my sales!!!!!! Can't believe I earned enough to buy one! Don't think my hubby can either and I'm sure he's checking the funds lol!!!! Oh and the peel-offs, something I don't routinely use - were freebies with the big shot! the writing was done care of my clever robo! Wish I could say I did it my hand! After writing this post I am now wondering if Mum managed to work out how to display this card, my colleagues proved this is not 'automatic' upon receipt of an easel card - bless them!

Christmas is all wrapped up....

ha, I wish! but I'm not too far away. I have estimated approx. 50 handmade numbers this year and today made 26 using 2 designs and have all the making for the next 26 all ready, see my neatly organised ironing board here, yes, don't read back, it does say ironing board! Set at the correct height it's a great desk and the floor comes in handy too. I would have these made too only I need to use a few different sentiment stamps and need to compile a list to see how many of each. I had this made in a prototype but the sentiments wouldn't work and since I took delivery of an adorably pink and glitzy Big Shot yesterday I thought I'd have a play with some nesties I got a while back! Yup, bonkers me bought nesties before the machine, a while before!!! I used one of the square labels and cut it in half - 2 for the price of one - and played for a bit to decide where to put it. My only dilemma now is if I should leave it 'mobile' or stick it down. I've enjoyed making these (apart from the vast number required) as I've used primarily new stash. The Clarity stamp is one I bought on my birthday back in May when we were staying near Hornsea but haven't used until now.. I bought the topper off a download site and the 'wax seal' on the 'special' one is something I've been wanting to play at for ages. I did proto these in b&w but decided coloured mirri works better - hope you agree! Have to say though, after embossing 50 matts, that thrill when the heat chases and melts did wear seriously thin.

How did my husband become 50????

My god, 50! that is dinosaur age to me still (although I'm not that many years behind). Remember when you were a kid at school? 50 was past retirement and well into dotage! Well, let me tell you, 50 is the new 30! I don't think he looks it and certainly doesn't act it - mmmmm apart from he doesn't jump to the paint roller as quickly and nimbly as he did at 25! That's another shocker, silver anniversary next year - my word, I'm too young for that - surely!!!!!

 

Anyways, here are the cards I made for him this year! The photo was a new technique for me where you print off a photocopy of the photo and then 'transfer fashion' turn it upside down on card stock and using a 'cheap' nail polish remover, dampen the back of the picture, this was the result I got. It did vary from picture to picture and paper to paper but I love the effect, less harsh than a photo. LOL at the drum one, this was sooooo much fun to do and very simple really. He is a drummer - I acknowledge the 'is' as I heard the evidence for the first time in 25 years. He bought a kit a few years ago and finally got round to putting them up in the empty conservatory tonight, he and Adam tried their best to smash all that glass!

Baby's first christmas

When making this I had no idea what I should do or where to go for inspiration. After playing with cardboard I thought it would be nice if part of the card could be used as a tree ornament and set about looking for files on baubles. Thankfully a clever person made one (craftrobostore) I bought it and created this card from said baubles! The bauble is removeable but I have no idea as to the longevity of the bauble. Hopefully, if treated with care it will last a year or two!!!

I love this card, the pearl effect makes it more lush and having ribbons and pearls to match was pure luck but good luck.

Missed this one!

This was made for a lovely friend, sadly I had a serious 'craft' moment (can't remember a ***** thing) and misheard mother in law for father in law. This is the creation I did for the male. The back of the tag has a 70 year history and can be removed to make a book mark. Such a shame I got it wrong as I quite like this card!

Ramblings of a crazy lady!!!!

Well, today while at a school craft event I got talking to some of the mums. They know from past conversations when I've mentioned crafting that I make cards and scrap. Today though, I think I probably left them with the impression that I'm either completely bonkers and need to learn to let others partake in a conversation, or I am truly passionate about anything crafty! I am hanging my head in shame at my monopoly and need to remember that other people may not be interested in embossing, distressing and gesso!

Adele