Sunday 31 January 2010

Winner of Jane's Doodles digi images!

I have drawn a winner for the free digi images from Jane's Doodles. Using a random number generator.
No8 was the winner....

Lauren Hatwell said...

Great card. Love all the buttons Jane. What a gorgeous little Babushka doll. I can think of so many things you could do with that.... She's adorable. Lauren x

Congratulations!
Can you please email me to milliesmarvels@gmail.com and I will pass your details on to Jane for your free digi stamps.

Jane
x

An award!

Over a week ago, I received this lovely award from my DT buddy and Friend Tracy. Thanks so much Tracy and I am so sorry it has taken me ages to blog this and to pass it on. It is such a lovely award!

The conditions for accepting this are that I tell you 10 things that give me pleasure and pass it on to 10 blogging friends.
So.....10 of the things that bring me pleasure are:
1. Making cards and blogging about them
2. My kids and hearing them laugh
3. Spending Saturday afternoons with my Hubby and going for coffee
4. Spending time with my family and Friends
5. My Puppy Charlie
6. Shopping for new stash
7. Spending crafty evenings with my Friends
8. New boots
9. White wine
10. Chocolate!

I would like to pass this on to:
1. Alice
2. Susie
3. Enfys
4. Dolly
5. Tammy
6. Paul
7. Petra
8. Sally
9. Jane
10. Lauren

Visiting these blogs gives me so much pleasure and these lovely people are all so talented! They are all inspiring in different ways and their Projects always amaze me!

Have a lovely Sunday!
Jane
x

Saturday 30 January 2010

My DT card for Easy Craft Projects Challenge 5 and some exciting news!

It's time for Challenge no5 on the Easy Craft Projects blog and this month I am ove the moon that we are being sponsored by Jane's Doodles! As you know I am on Jane's DT and I adore all her stamps so it is an extra special treat for me to have an excuse to make some more projects with her gorgeous images (not that I really need one!!) There is still time until Sunday night for you to be in with a chance to win one of Jane's new releases (see the previous post for details).

The theme for this month on Easy Craft Projects is to create something for Valentine's for a man.
I decided to make a mini card using one of Jane's adorable little monsters.


I cut a scalloped circle card with my Nesties and matted and layered Kraft card and some American Crafts gridded paper. The sentiment stamp is from Elzybells and the heart was cut with Nestabilities from a scrap of Bobunny double dots paper. I placed it to the right to balance the card and help it stand up ok. The button was a freebie from a Craft magazine a long time ago (I think the magazine is now out of circulation!)
I printed the little monster onto hammered card and coloured him in with my Promarkers. I used lots of shades of green to give him some depth and I love the way he turned out.

I hope you will be able to join us for this Challenge. The winner this month from both Challenges will win their choice of 3 of her digi stamps and some of her gorgous Fimo buttons!

I had a very productive day today and made lots of bits and pieces which I will show you over the coming days. I also had some great news this evening, Sharon has asked me to join the Design Team for her Willow Sketchie Challenge blog! I've admired Sharon's work for a long time and I am really chuffed to be part of her DT!
I hope you enjoy the rest of your Weekend. I am going shopping with my Mum tomorrow :-)
Jane
x

A new release and a giveaway!

It's release day today on Squigglefly and Jane has some adorable new stamps available for you to buy!
Here is a card I made with one of the cute little Babushka images. I printed her onto textured cardstock and coloured her in with Promarkers to match my American crafts backing paper and buttons. The image is simply adorable and she is perfect for paper piecing too and lovely to colour as well.


I used a Sizzix XL die to cut the card blank and embossed the card with a Cuttlebug die. The sentiment stamp and buttons are from Elzybells. I have loads more little Babushka's printed out ready to colour and I can't wait to make more cards with her. She is just adorable and I know you are going to love her as much as I do!
Make sure you check out the other Design Team Members blogs for loads of inspiration and some totally gorgeous cards.

I mentioned a giveaway in my the title of this post....Jane has kindly given each of the DT members a Babushka image to give away to one lucky person. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post and I will pick a winner at random at 19:00 UTC tomorrow (Sunday 31st)! How exciting!! Make sure you spread the word!
I hope you have a lovely weekend!
Jane
x

Thursday 28 January 2010

DT card ror Susie's Sassy Challenge - Red White and Blue

It's time for a new Susie's Sassy Challenge! The theme this time is 'Red White and Blue' as chosen by our lovely DT member Denise.
I chose a lovely paper I received a couple of Christmases ago from my in a Cath Kidston stationery pack from my good Fried Petra.
I matted this on to some red card and sewed around the edges. I added a Whiff of Joy image which I coloured with Promarkers and cut out with my Nesties.
The flowers are from various sources and the little silver rings I poked the brads through are from Quixotic Paperie (Elaine has such a lovely range of embellishments and findings). The sentiment is by Hero Arts and I stamped it on Nestabilities labels which I threaded on to Gingham ribbon. This card is quite simple, I didn't want to overdo it due to the strong colours and I never would have thought of using Red, White and Blue in this way before the Challenge.

The Prize for the new challenge #7 is a GDT spot for challenge #9 that starts on the 25th of Febuary
Challenge Rules
Only a few small rules to the challenge,
1.You must stick to the theme or you will be disqualified to be fair to everyone.
2. Your work must be new please do not back link to work that has been previously blogged.
3.You must link back to the challenge in your post or your entry will not be included in the prize draw.
Anyone can enter anywhere in the world all you have to do is make a card or project;
The theme for this challenge is Red, White & Blue
***************

Closing date is Wednesday 10th Feb at noon GMT
(entries posted after this time will not be entered so don't be late)
The winner and the next new challenge will be announced the following day.

Now all you have to do is pop on over to Susie's and check out all the other lovely DT cards and get inspired before making your card.
Hope to see you there!
Jane
x

Wednesday 27 January 2010

A card for the Inspirational card sketches Challenge

I made a card this evening for a Friend using the latest sketch from the Inspirational Card Sketches blog.
Dawn always has such lovely sketches to follow and I love making cards using them. I am also entering this card into this week's Die Cut Dreams Challenge as the theme is 'Bears'.

I used lots of new bits of stash to make the card. The backing paper is from a K+Co stack I received from Quixotic Paperie today. The stamp is also a new purchase from Elzybells.

I followed the sketch quite faithfully but added some black pearls to the corners and a button topped star to the top right hand corner.
The teddy was coloured with Promarkers and I inked all the edges of the layers.
I will be back tomorrow with my latest card for Susie's Sassy Challenge.
Jane
x

ATC Swappers January ATCs

These are my ATCs for Paul's ATC swappers swap. I got these printed and coloured them in bed yesterday morning and put them together in a jiffy last night and this morning as I panicked they would not get to Paul in time.
The theme is tearing so I tore some My Mind's Eye papers with a ruler for the sea bed. The other paper is from the Funky Hand Dreams come True CD.

The image was a freebie from The Greeting Farm CHA card relay. I missed the deadline to be eligible for the other freebies but this image is so sweet, I will definitely use it again.
I have lots to catch up on after a couple of days out of action, DT projects, Birthday cards, boxes, cards for a sale we will be doing at work to raise funds for Cancer Research. I think I am going to have a busy weekend!
Jane
x

What's on your Workdesk Wednesday

WOYWW again already! Not much going on here today. Desk has been abandoned for the past few days in favour of my bed as I wasn't well. I put a card together last night but as it was nearly finished I only needed a bit of tape, foam pads and ink so no mess for once!

This is probably not a bad thing as I nearly made some WOYWWednesdayers faint last week with my absolute hovel of a desk!
If you feel like having a rummage around some more interesting desks, please check out the original WOYWWednesdayer's (Julia) desk and join in the fun by sharing a piccie of yours.
Jane
x

Tuesday 26 January 2010

A Funky Hand Wordbook

I am starting to feel a bit better . After 3 days of absolutely horrible tummy pains, feeling achey and hot and cold, I think I am on the mend. I had printed and cut out all the components of this card using the new Funky Hand CD 'Dreams come true' before I became ill, so I put it all together this evening.


The card is for my youngest Son to give to my eldest Ryan, who will be 13 at the beginning of February. My baby will be a teenager! How scary!

The new CD is fab as you can create Wordbooks in any paper/letter combination you choose. You can also print the smaller letters individually and in any size you like so they are much easier to cut out with my Nesties. The book was very quick to put together and I love all the new papers. I finished the card off with some little bubble gems and an Electric guitar charm as the boys are both into Guitar Hero at the moment.
I hope he will like it!
Jane
x

Sunday 24 January 2010

A willow designs flower card

I am not feeling very well today. I have awful stomach pains and am in no mood to craft. I have been lying on the sofa so far all day while my Hubby went to buy me a new hot water bottle to try and ease the pain.
I did a bit of blog hopping and remembered I hadn't shared this card with you yet.
I made this card on Friday night. My work friends and I had a crafty get together and brought as much of our craft stash as possible with us. We had loads of fun playing with each others die cuts and I cut loads of flower shapes to use on future projects. One of my favourite dies was this large Sizzix flower which I used to cut a mini card. I cut some Quickcutz circles from card scraps and a couple of flowers and coloured in my little Willow designs digi stamp to match. A Hero Arts sentiment, some faux stitching and a gem finished the card off nicely.
I hope you are having a good weekend.
Jane
x

Saturday 23 January 2010

Another cupcake card!

Jane's new digi stamps are available from Squigglefly today and I know you are going to love them! The collection is called Jane's bakery and includes sentiments too! I am having so much fun making cards with the yummy cupcake!

I made this card a couple of days ago. I love this pink and green colour combination! I used textured papers from K+Co and a ribbon from Crafty ribbon. The cupcake was coloured with Promarkers and I added some glitter to the cherry and some stick on gems to the frosting. The little clip is from Making memories.
I hope you have a lovely weekend, I will be going to watch my Son play football this morning. This afternoon, I will be visiting my local craft shop to stock up on some basic supplies and maybe a couple of new Promarkers :-)
Jane
x

Friday 22 January 2010

Some sneaky peeks of Jane's new releases

Jane is releasing another batch of her gorgeous digi stamps tomorrow so here is a little look at what I have made with them so far. The stamps include lots of sweet treats and some matching sentiments too.

I made a small card with my Sizzix scallop card die and added the pie which I coloured, cut out and mounted on to foam pads. The backing paper is Basic Grey and the chipboard letters are from We are memory keepers (I think)...



The second card has multiple cupcakes on a stand which I sewed on my machine, I then embellished it with gems. Each tiny cupcake has been coloured differently with my Promarkers and embellished with a gem and some sparkle for he frosting. The yummy backing paper is Basic Grey and the ribbon is from Making Memories.


Make sure you pop back tomorrow for release day when I will have another card to share.
In the meantime, make sure you check out the rest of the DT's blogs for more sweet treats.
Lysa
I have decided to enter these cards into the DT call for the new I Love Digi Challenge blog as well, I am addicted to digi stamps now so would love to be part of a DT dedicated to them!
See you tomorrow!
Jane
x

Thursday 21 January 2010

Blog candy winners!!!

The time has finally come to draw my candy winners....I was overwhelmed by the number of entries and the lovely comments you left about my little blog. Thank you so much to all of you who have become followers as well.
It took a while to print, cut and fold all the entrants names and comments with help from my Hubby and my eldest Son Ryan.


All the comments were added to the basket with followers added twice....lots of paper to fold!!

Ryan picked 5 winners....And the winners are........




Little GTO (Sharon L)




You all mentioned my candy on your blog so I will pop something extra in your parcels with the paper pack (even for Sharon as she couldn't mention it as she has no blog...so that wouldn't be fair!!). Please email me your addresses to milliesmarvels@gmail.com and I will send your parcels out asap.
Thanks once again to all of you who entered and make sure you keep popping back as I'm sure there will be more candy up for grabs soon!

Wednesday 20 January 2010

A Whiff of joy 'girly' card

The Whiff of Joy Challenge this week is to follow a Recipe. There were 2 to follow and I chose:

#2 3 patterned papers, 2 bling , 1 flower.

I used the gorgeous stamp I received in my Christmas package from my lovely blog friend Claire to make a card.
I coloured the image before I chose the papers and it was a bit of a Challenge rummaging through my stash to acheive colour matches but I think I got there in the end. The papers are Basic Grey (spotty), Bobunny (blue damask) and a pad I bought in France last year for the Butterflies. I coloured Willow with my Promarkers and added lots of distressing ink to the edges of the image and the sentiment. I added stitching to the layers before assembling the card. The flower is a mixture of blooms from my stash and the bling is Kanban.
I am also entering this card in the Passion for Promarkers challenge as the theme this week is 'girls, girls,girls' and this very girly stamp fits the bill.
I will be back tomorrow evening with my blog candy winners!
Jane
x

***CLOSED***New Year 6x6 Backing Paper Candy - ends 20th of January!

******************BLOG CANDY CLOSED**************************
***********Winners to be announced on 21st in the evening.****************

To celebrate the New Year, I am offering Candy for 5 lucky winners! I have 5 packs of 50 6x6 patterned papers to give away.Each pack has a mixed selection of backing papers including florals, Christmas designs and lots of other lovely patterns to get your Crafting going in 2010.

To be in with a chance of winning one of the packs, please leave a comment on this post. If you are a follower you will be entered twice and if you are a winner and have posted about my Candy in your sidebar I will add another small gift to your prize before I send it out.
The Candy will remain open until the 20th at midnight UK time and I will draw the winners on the 21st. I will ship worldwide.
Good Luck!
Jane
x

What's on your Workdesk Wednesday?

It's Wednesday, show off your mess day! My desk is a bit of a mess today, I made a DT card last night and finished late so no time to tidy. This is what the desk looked like first thing but it has been slightly tidied since then to allow me to find all the things I needed to take to work with me.

I am going to finish getting ready for work now so I will leave you to have a rummage if you wish to. Make sure you check out Julia's blog for more selfless desk sharing and why not take a photo of yours too? Go on...be brave!
Have a lovely day and fingers crossed the snow leaves us alone today!
Jane
x

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Memory box - my latest DT project on Easy Craft Projects

My latest project is on the Easy Craft Projects Website with full instructions for you to download and print off.
If one of your New Year's resolutions is to organise your photos before you have a chance to pop them in a scrapbook, this box has all you need to keep everything in order until you are ready


Click here to download the Project sheet.
Jane
x

Monday 18 January 2010

Shabby Chic and a Sketch

I have been trying to get started making this card for a few days now and always seemed to get sidetracked into making something else or started off 'shabby' but ended up 'retro' or 'bright and cheery'...
Finally tonight, I managed to put a card together to fit the 'Shabby chic' theme for this week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge. There is a DT call on the blog for two new members so I am entering this card for it.


To aid me in making my card, I used the lovely sketch on the Cupcake Craft Challenge blog.
I used mostly papers from a K+Co Mat stack, I think it is a wedding themed stack but I love the muted colours. The backing paper which is the last layer at the back is from my stash and the Kraft card is an ancient folder which I retrieved from a recycling bin at work!

The sketch is absolutely gorgeous and was a dream to use. I loved the intricacy of the layers and decided to use a different backing paper for each one, inking the edges and then sewing around each one in faded pink cotton in various stiches to add to the patchwork effect.

Here is an 'arty' close up of the layers and the main flower. The sentiment I used is from Hero Arts and the gorgeous image of the girl with the dog on the swing is from Lili of the Valley. This is only the second time I have inked her up! I love her dress and pinafore and she was lovely to colour in to match my choice of papers with all my pale and interesting Promarkers. The flowers are a mix of various bits and bobs from my stash, including a canvas bloom from Making Memories. To finish the card off, I added some carefully placed gems.
I hope you had a lovely Monday, it was lovely driving to work today under 'normal' weather conditions. It makes such a difference to start the day without having to negotiate slippery roads or snow!
Jane
x

Sunday 17 January 2010

A couple of comissioned cards

No time for any 'creative' cardmaking yesterday. I received a couple of card comissions and I was tied in to two quite defined requests.
The first was to make a card for a Friend to give to the vets who had treated her dog who was really poorly after Christmas. Ruby is fully recovered now (she is the doggy on the left) but she was a very sick dog so we are all so relieved she is better!

The second is a card for my Hubby's Auntie Lindy who is Bingo mad. I used a Flippin women decoupage by Lapashe. I didn't need to add much more. A couple of flowers, a sentiment and some gems.

I even added gems to her bracelet inside the card. Darren says this is a very true representation of his Auntie...
I hope they both like their cards! Not much planned for today except food shopping, a visit from the In-laws and a walk in the woods with the dog. Might be able to sneak in a bit of crafting later....
Have a lovely Sunday!
Jane
x

Saturday 16 January 2010

Owl be thinking of you!

I had lots of fun last night playing with some of my new stash! Jane sent me a template for her gorgeous little owl too so I thought he would be perfect to use with my new papers.
I bought quite a few Sizzix XL dies in the sale after Christmas, including this scalloped card blank. After working out the best way to cut it with my Cuttlebug, I set to work cutting 2 Kraft card blanks. I run them back through the 'bug' with some embossing folders. I love this effect on Kraft. I then inked the edges.

I printed the template for the owl on to 2 different backing papers from the new Docrafts goody bag. Docrafts have outdone themselves with this month's bag. I love all the contents and have used most of them for these cards. I inked the edges of the pieces before assembling them and added buttons from my stash and gems from the kit for eyes. I added a touch of glossy accents to the beak.

The sentiment is frim Hero arts and was stamped on to a Nesties label shape. I added brads or tiny buttons from the kit to either end and inked the edges before mounting with foam pads. The branch is a Sizzlits shape from a set.
I stapled ribbon from the kit to the tops of the cards and added a couple of flowers (also from the goody bag!).
I really like these cards, they are a bit different from my usual style but I will definitely using the template again. I think he is so cute, there seems to be no ends to Jane's talents and I am so grateful to her for sharing the template.
As these cards are made with mostly new stash which I had to open to make them, I am entering them into the new blog Challenge 'Raise the bar' as the 1st challenge launched yesterday and the theme is 'Debut day' where you have to to use something in your stash that hasn't been opened yet.
I am off to tidy up the mess I made last night as I crafted at the dinner table while watching 'The Reader' with my Hubby.
Before I go, Susie has asked me to remind you that there is still loads of time to take part in this month's Cook up a card Challenge, you can see more details here.
Have a lovely weekend!
Jane
x

Easy Craft Projects challenge no 4 : Lavender

It is time for a new Easy Crafts Project Challenge already!

Thank you to everyone who has taken part in our challenges so far, it has been great seeing all your wonderful projects and I have really enjoyed creating my DT cards for the themes.

For the next Challenge, you will need to create a card, LO, altered item etc using the colour...

Lavender!




Here is my DT card. I covered a scalloped card base with spotty paper and layered up some Nestie shapes and more spotty paper. I used a Willow designs bird digi-stamp which I coloured with Promarkers and some gems and a flower from my stash.


Our sponsor for this challenge is Willow Designs. They are kindly giving away some of their printable sets to one lucky winner who will be chosen at random from all those who take part in the challenges.

Make sure you take a look at the blog to see all the wonderful DT creations, we hope you will be able to take part as we love seeing all the wonderful things you make!

Have a lovely Saturday.

Jane
x

Thursday 14 January 2010

Susie's Sassy Challenge no6 - Something for a boy

It's time for Susie's 6th Challenge! The theme is 'A card for a boy' with an option to include an animal.
Tracy chose this theme because her little boys Birthday is coming up and he loves animals.

I used some recycled Kraft card to cover my base card and layered on a square of Camouflage Making Memories paper. The circle mounted on to a Kraft scalloped circle is also from Making memories and the paper string was bought in John Lewis.
The Lion image is from Jane's Doodles Designs and he was printed on to some handmade coffee paper and coloured in with Promarkers and Sakura pens with a touch of glaze for his nose.
The 'brad' is just a brass paper fastener and the letters are a mix of Papermania and Making memories.

The Prize for the new challenge is a heart shape chipboard mini album Challenge Rules
Only a few small rules to our challenge,
1.You must stick to the theme or you will be disqualified to be fair to everyone.
2. Your work must be new please do not back link to work that has been previously blogged.
3.You must link back to the challenge in your post or your entry will not be included in the prize draw.
Anyone can enter anywhere in the world all you have to do is make a card or project;

Closing date is Tuesday 26th Jan at noon GMT
(entries posted after this time will not be entered so don't be late)
The winner and the next new challenge will be announced the following day.

Make sure you pop on over to the Challenge blog to take a look at the rest of the DTs cards, they are all amazing as usual, such talented ladies!
I hope you will feel inspired by their cards and the theme and will be able to join us for this Challenge.
Jane
x

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Raining kisses and WOYWW

Carol's sketch fun is back! I loved playing along with Carol's sketches last year and she is back now with a new Challenge after a well earned break. Every fortnight, Carol releases a sketch to follow and this fortnight she has a wonderful prize for the lucky winner.


I had ordered these stamps from Elzybells a while back but this is the first time I have used them. I decided to make a bright a cheerful card as an antidote to all this horrible snow we keep having. I have definetely had enough of the snow now!


I used Cosmo Cricket Umbrella papers (which I bought yesterday) to cover my base card and the paper strips are from the DCWV Citrus stack (a firm favourite of mine at the moment!) I used some lovely textured card to stamp my image onto. I actually bought this at my local hardware store when we were snowed in! What a find!
The sentiment is also from Elzybells. The felt circle is from Making memories and the button is from my stash.
Unbelievably....it is also already Wednesday! So time for WOYWW. I forgot to take a piccie of my desk this morning, it was very tidy anyway so was a bit boring.


This is what it looks like now.....not tidy! Nothing very exciting on there really, a whole lot of Promarkers, my favourite linen string which I bought at a Carboot sale so is irreplacable! My silver jars have my buttons in sorted by colours. There is a lovely Whiff of Joy stamp on the desk which I received from my blog buddy Claire for Christmas which I intend to mount on klingon and use for my next Card. Why not head on over to Julia's blog and check out all the other desks, you could even upload a link to a photo of your desk...we would love to have a nosey at it :-)
Am off now to tidy my desk! I hope you all had a good day and managed to avoid any snow dramas!
Jane
x

Hugs and kisses

This is a card I made earlier in the week with the Pollycraft Friday Freebie, this image is just adorable and was so lovely to colour in. I am amassing quite a collection of Valentine's cards now with only one Valentine (my Hubby) to give them to!

I printed the image on to canvas texture card and coloured it in with Promarkers. I used a scalloped base card from Papermania and built up simple layers of dotty card from my scraps folder. The sentiment is by Hero Arts and the button was from Fabric land. I added some glossy accents to the heart dots and the eyes and finished off with some stick on gems.
I am really pleased with this card and I will definitely be looking out for more new images from Pollycraft. They are simply fabulous! You have until Friday to download the Freebie from here.
Jane
x

Tuesday 12 January 2010

Yet another label shaped card - Hot Chocolate!

I went shopping today with my Hubby at the Galleria in Hatfield and bought lots of new crafty stash and came home full of inspiration! I sat down to make a card for the Simon says Stamp Challenge and Quixotic cards Challenge which both have the theme of 'Hot Chocolate'. I didn't use any of my new stash for this card though...


I received these stamps from Elzybells yesterday and was dying to have a play with them. When I chose my papers and had made the card, I discovered... quite spookily...that the colours I had used to colour my image, cool aqua and cocoa, are the colours to use in this week's Passion for Promarkers challenge! I am entering this card in to all 3 Challenges.
I used papers from Making memories and the plain cardstock is from DCWV. The ribbon is from my stash.
The felt heart is also from Making memories, the button and gems are from my stash. I added glossy accents to the heart on the mug and also added some glitter glue to the marshmallows.
This card is quite representative of how things are at my house at the moment, my kids have never had so much hot chocolate! It is the perfect way for them to warm up after their walk home from school.
I am off to have a root through my new stash now and try to put it away tidily.
Jane
x

Monday 11 January 2010

A Mia and Bosko card for a couple of Challenges

Another card from me today, probably the last but who knows...I seem to be on a bit of a roll today!
I am entering this card into 2 Challenges. It is my first time taking part in both of them.
The first is Cupcake Craft Challenge and the theme for Challenge 73 is 'Going Girly'. I just had to use Mia and Bosko from Jane's Doodles Designs for my image as she is just so cute and definitely very girly.
I coloured her in with Promarkers to match this Papermania backing paper which was lurking in my scraps folder. I have been trying to use only scraps for my cards recently. To be honest, it makes the whole choosing process much quicker as there is a lot less stash to look through and I have some lovely scraps that I had completely forgotten about!

I used the sketch from CPS for the card layout. I really like the sketches for this Challenge as they are really nice and easy to follow. I think the simplicity of this sketch really suits the image.


I used strips of Inspire me papers which I embossed to layer the image on and stamped a Hero Arts sentiment on the bottomm strip. The flower was from Lewis and I sewed a button from my stash onto it.
I have made a couple more cards today which I will share with you over the coming days.
I am planning on doing a bit of colouring in tonight so I will have lots of images to play with next time I sit down to craft :-)
Jane
x

Coffee and cream for Die Cut dreams Challenge

The Challenge theme this week for Die Cut dreams is Coffee and cream. I made another label shaped card. I think I have become addicted to these shaped cards!
I used a My Favourite things image which I bought last September and I am ashamed to say this is the first time I have inked it up!

The backing paper is from the Making Memories ledger stack. I love this stack, it is so versatile! The ribbon was a scrap from my stash and the felt flower is Making Memories topped with a button from my stash tied on with linen string. The sentiment is from Elzybells.
I stamped the image on to canvas textured cardstock with Sepia ink and coloured it with Promarkers.
I think I have just about enough time to fit in another Challenge card before I go and pick up my Hubby. His leg is still sore and we still couldn't get his car out yesterday.
Jane
x

Leo the lion and experimenting with glitter

I had another play with some of Jane's images yesterday and printed some images onto Kraft card. I then used some glitter to decorate Leo's mane, nose and tail. I don't often use glitter so decided to experiment with 2 different techniques. First I made 2 base cards from Kraft card using a Nesties die and covered it with My Mind's eye backing paper.


On the first card, I used fine glitter in a pot tipped on to glue which I had used to fill in the areas I wanted to add colour to. The finished effect is quite matt and flat looking but the colour is really intense.

For the second image, I first coloured the areas I was going to add glitter to with a Sakura pen. I then added brown glitter glue . When the glue was dry, the effect was very dull and a bit patchy so I added Glossy accents to cover the glittered areas. This gives a lovely raised effect and really makes the image pop.
I don't normally use glitter but I think I have been converted! The kids are back at school today even though they are starting later than usual. I have holiday from work booked today and tomorrow so I am going to make the most of some very welcome time on my own. Our house has been a mad house since last week with all our lives disrupted because of the snow. Let's hope we can somehow start getting back to normal now!
Jane
x

Sunday 10 January 2010

My ATCs for the December Addicted to ATCs swap

The theme for last month's ATC swap at Addicted to ATCs was 'Waiting for Christmas'. Each month we make 3 ATCs to swap within our small and friendly group of very talented crafters. I used Basic grey papers and Elzybells stamps to make my ATCs. The little tab punch is from Stampin up and is one of my favourite punches at the moment.

The burgundy card is from the Papermill shop and the little gem is from my stash. I coloured the image with Promarkers.
The theme for January's swap is 'New Beginnings'. You can read more about the theme here.
If you are interested in taking part, please send an email to addictedtoatcs@gmail.com. The swap is open to all UK based crafters and we do not set any restrictions on the medium you use to make your ATCs.
I hope you had a good weekend. I hope that my boys will be back at school tomorrow. We have had any more snow yet so I hope that we will escape it this time.
Jane
x

Saturday 9 January 2010

Snowed in with my Promarkers!

We haven't been able to go out very far today or do very much due to the Snow, just a bit of food shopping so I spent the day practising my colouring and tidying up my stash.
I made 2 quick cards using Jane's Doodles Designs images I had printed out before Christmas.

I know it's a bit late...or a bit early to make more Christmas cards but I couldn't resist making a card with this Rudolph.
I am very proud of myself as I only used scraps for these cards too!
Make sure you check out Jane's new releases on Squigglefly today and the rest of the Design Team's blogs as they have all been busy with Jane's stamps!
Jane
x

Friday 8 January 2010

A bright and cheerful Thank you card

I made it in to work today but came home earlier than usual as it started snowing and I didn't want to get caught out and stuck on any roads for hours. This gave me some time to play with some of my Christmas presents. I received some gorgeous Magnolia goodies from my Friend PetraB and I hadn't inked them up yet so today I finally had a good play with them.
I decided to make a Thank you card as I need to send out a few to Thank family and Friends for my Christmas pressies.

I followed the sketch from Sketch Saturday for the card and used DCWV Citrus stack papers and textured card. I coloured the image with Promarkers and added Sakura pen accents to the hat and Butterflies. I then added Glossy accents to the shoes and Butterflies. Red shoes HAVE to be shiny!
The paper ribbon was part of my Papercellar prize and the sentiment is Hero Arts.

Here is a close up of the image. I am still practising my colouring and shading it is not perfect yet but I think I am getting better.
I am entering this card in this week's Sketch Saturday Challenge and also into the Lili of the Valley Challenge for which you have to make a Thank you card.
I am hoping to have lots more time for Crafting this weekend. We have nothing planned except trying to keep warm and the weekly food shop to stock up before more snow hits us.
Jane
x