Challenge Number 6 again

So sorry everyone but I havent done my last challenge!  therefore I will roll the same one over for the next fortnight too (only because I know exactly what I want to do on my layout in my head but havent put it into practice yet - am too busy sewing all the lovely goodies I bought at Malvern a couple of weeks ago!).

So again the challenge is to use the following image for inspiration:


If you would like to join in with me then please leave me a link here so I can come and have a look at your creations:


Thanks :)

WOYWW 103

Oh no mojo has gone again!  It was a very short and sweet visit from Mrs Mojo I had last month!  Oh well I am sure she will come knocking again soon.  This is the sorry state of my dining room table this morning:

The pirate book is one of the childrens and I didn't want to throw it away in case they want it, the distress inks are just there because I ran out of enthusiasm when tidying up (think I got distracted and went off to dust the lounge....) so that should really be upstairs, wristband, lego and notebook - well where else do I put those???

Wasn't going to join in today due to lack of mojo (had a lovely time at Malvern last week and bought some stuff to sew so maybe my mind is on that at the moment - not that I have started any of it (or any of the stuff I bought last year come to think of it....)) but have now decided to join in (which is why I am later than usual) in the hope that when I come and visit your desk I will have a flurry of inspiration!  Fingers crossed....

If you want to join in all the fun too then pop over to Julias.  Thanks for looking.  Oh and can I just say a big hello and thank you to Sam for following me - I am sure I will be back with a better post soon!

WOYWW 102

Here I am again! third week running - so much for only once a month eh! I managed to visit around 70 blogs last week and comment on all of them and then blogger crashed and deleted them all!  Oh well such is life.

Here is my dining room table as of yesterday afternoon:

I was making a card to enter into a challenge - don't ask why I didn't use my craft room with my lovely new cupboards as I don't know! I even had the house to myself for 7 hours too!  But I sat here and listened to the radio via the telly - I have found that when listening to that I am much more constructive than sitting in front of the telly and watching a Midsommer Murder (I have 70 episodes taped to watch - might as well delete them all now!).  Anyways thats me for today (and yesterday!) - hoping to get around to a few of you later won't have chance tomorrow as I am off to the Malvern Quilt Show - whoo hoo.

If you are wondering why I am showing my desk to all and sundry then pop over Julias she will explain why!

Thanks for looking :)

Challenge Number 6

Ok my mission for this next fortnight should you choose to accept it is:  Use the following image for inspiration:

Can't wait to give this one a go!

If you would like to join in with me then please leave me a link here so I can come and have a look at your creations:


The challenge runs until Tuesday 31st May so have fun!
Thanks :)

Card challenge

I still seem to be addicted to challenges at the moment and the one over at Daring Card Makers has again caught my eye.  This week the challenge is "The Darling Bugs Of May" as soon as I saw it I knew what stamps to use:

Have had this Tilda for a while now and have only used her once so I knew I just had to dust her down and ink her up!  I love Magnolia stamps but they are so big once masked and stamped with backgrounds aren't they.  This card is A5 and the main image is so big it doesn't leave much room for anything else - I am saying that because I don't think she would normally sit quite so near to a bee hive would she!!  Anyway for this card I have used the sketch SSS108 over at Sweet Stop Sketches so I would like to enter it into their challenge too.  Other stash used is:
Fancy Pants papers - Road Show - Delicate dots and Chic Stripes, sizzix beehive and bees, Tilda with Bee, Spring Tree and Old Stand stamps (all Magnolia), Just bee cos I care stamp is by Little Claire Designs.  Promarkers used are: Blush, Saffron, Buttercup, Canary, Cinnamon, Caramel, Terracotta, Ginger, Spice, Sandstone, Pastel Blue, Denim Blue, China Blue, Cornflower, Meadow Green, Apple, Sunkissed Pink, Blossom and Black.  Distress inks used are: Wild Honey, Mustard Seed and Peeled Paint.  Have finished the card off with bling for the bees eyes and string for their flying paths which I have stapled in place with my tiny attacher.

Thanks for looking :)

Flower card

I seem to be keeping my creative juices flowing at the moment by looking around at the various challenges set each week.  The one at http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/ caught my eye this week as it is for May flowers - which are hawthorns or lily of the valley - I thought this fitting to make a card for my Nan (albeit early as her birthday isn't for a few weeks yet) as her name is Lily.  So here is my entry:

Papers are Prima - Flights of Fancy as are the butterly, tag and chipboard letters, the Lily of the Valley image has been taken from the internet, printed onto Stampin Up paper and coloured in with Promarkers - Forest Green and Lush Green, I have used a nestability die to cut it out, a sizzix tag for the tag, a Viva My PaperWorld script stamp for the background and used Tea Dye and Tattered Rose distress inks, string and staples.

I have based the card on the sketch over at http://thepinkelephantchallenge.blogspot.com/ so I am entering the card into their challenge too.

Thanks for looking :)

WOYWW 101

Morning everyone - wasn't going to join in this week as I have cleared my dining room table and my desk is tidy too - however I am hoping to have a play later today, can't do too much as both my sons are having friends round for tea after school, but am I am hoping to get a couple of things finished so I have staged this photo to show you what I will be working on.

Yes it yet another configuration box - a Time one this time!  this just needs some stamped out clocks and watches added to it and the mannequin (which I got from Sainsburys) has been covered in music paper for a skirt (this is my fourth attempt - I did it like this first and wasnt keen, so I changed it to one whole piece which looked dreadful, then I made a skirt out of tags (inspired by the Apprentice dress - remember that one with the ties?) well I can't begin to describe how rubbish that looked so she has sat bare on the shelf for a few weeks whilst I lost my mojo but now I have gone back to the original fitted one).  This now just need some lace, ribbon, tulle and bling to finish it off so hopefully two quite quick projects which should get done sometime today.

If you would like to show us all whats on your desk pop over to Julias and bare all!

Thanks for looking :)

Another layout for my week five challenge

Here is another layout I have done with crowns on:

have blurred the faces of the other children and teacher.  This is my second son receiving an award at his birthday celebration assembly - I thought it was just a birthday certificate so you can imagine my horror (after spending hours sorting out that chipboard no. 6 that took 2 attempts at crackle paint until I finally gave in and painted it with inka gold paint instead and using the birthday themed papers) when he said "that's me receiving an award in assembly" - however I think he is right and it is a certificate of achievement but it was also given to him during his birthday week assembly (the dates of the photographs tell me that) so I am covered!  Phew.

Papers are from the Bo Bunny Its a Party range - had them leftover from a class I did at the crop last year - arent they fabulous - I love bright!  Managed to sneak on some old stickers that I have had in my sticker case for a while now too!  Also - first time ever this - I got my copy of Craft Stamper through the post on Thursday and I have used a new technique from it within the week!  It's the painting on the journaling circles - not sure it works as well on the brights as it does on the darker colours in the article but I am still pleased with it.  Have also done another double layout too will post that up soon and now I need to go and make a tag to fit my challenge theme - watch this space.....

Thanks for looking :)

Challenge Layout

Firstly a big hello to Noukie - thank you for following me - that's a very cute little boy you have there! :)

It's not very often I manage to do a layout in about 30 mins but here's one:

Papers are from the My Minds Eye Lost and Found collection as are the glitter die cuts.  Yesterday I made the mat for the picture, cut out the nestibility shape and popped out all the die cuts and then distressed and inked them.  This morning I placed all the items in place with every intention of adding some homemade flowers but I thought it looked fussy enough as is so I have just stuck all the pieces down and not even put my title on - have just gone with the die cut texts.  Am quite pleased with myself!  Now have the rest of the day to create another layout rather than faff around for hours with this one (which would normally be the case!).  This also suits my challenge of Crowns or Castles as there are 2 crowns on it.

Happy Sunday everyone and thanks for looking :)

A robot layout

I made this layout last week alongside the robot card - it just needed a bit of finishing off which I managed to do today:

The robot papers are by Lilypad but I don't think that they are available anymore.  Other stuff I have used is:  robot twill, Tim's on the edge Ornate die, Green hemp - vintage, boy brads (robot and funny) Around The Block, Round brads O'scrap - baby boy, Tim embossing folder, Tim reflections stamp, Distress inks: Mustard Seed and Pumice Stone, a blue sakura pen - gelly roll blue star and I based the layout of the sketch on Page 10 of Pagemaps 2. 

Again this is a really old photograph that has been in the pile to scrap for about four years! so another one done!

Also there is a fab giveaway at http://ribbongirls.blogspot.com/2011/05/strawberry-molly-giveaway.html - here's a picture:


hurry though it closes on Sunday night!
Thanks for looking :)

My Challenge Card

Here is my challenge card for my theme of Crowns and Castles - as you can see I have opted for castles on this one!

Stamps used are:  Paper Artsy Crowns and Castles 2, 4 and 7, Magnolia frog, butterflies, toadstools and brick wall, Elzy Bells George and Dragon, Woodware Woodland Mushrooms and I am not sure of the make of the alphabet but I know it came from the Studio Cards catalogue. 
Distress inks used: Weathered Wood, Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Frayed Burlap, Bundled Sage and Pumice Stone.
Promarkers used: Blue, Khaki, Ice Grey 2, 3 & 4, Baby Pink, Gold, Apple, Grass, Forest Green, Terracotta, Honeycomb, Coral, Pastel Beige, Pastel Blue, Red, Buttercup and Leaf Green.
Have also used my sizzix cloud die - the Happy Birthday banners are handcut.
This is a three tiered card - here is an aeriel view:

sorry for the poor quality but the weather isn't so good today is it!

Apart from my own challenge here http://sunshinegirlnicola.blogspot.com/2011/05/challenge-number-5.html
I would like to enter it into the following challenges too:
http://daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/ - a patriotic theme (I figure George and the Dragon is patriotic!)
http://www.stampchallenges.blogspot.com/ - something with wings
http://abc-challenge.blogspot.com/ T is for two or more images
http://flutterbywednesdays.blogspot.com/ - a butterfly
http://crafts4eternity.blogspot.com/ - anything goes
http://cupcakecraftchallenges.blogspot.com/ - anything beginning with C (in my case Castle!)
http://pollycraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - Anything goes
http://atsblog.typepad.com/wednesdayschallenge/ - Anything goes
http://scrappyfrogschallenge.blogspot.com/ - Anything goes

Phew - think thats it!

Thanks for looking :)

WOYWW 100

Morning everyone, and Happy Star Wars day! - May the 4th be with you!!!

Well there's lots going on in my craft room this week!  I have gone from this:

to this:

and then after a sleepless night worrying about all the weight and whether it was going to go crashing through my ceiling or not, to this:

Have moved the heavier weighted stuff such as paints, sizzix dies and lots of the childrens school stuff and some holiday memoribilia downstairs (managed to fit those original white drawers into two old wardrobes we have in a spare room after a big sort out) so I have slept peacefully since!

For some reason I am still scrapping on my dining room table at the moment though probably because the children have been off school for the holidays - hoping to get round to a few of you today and tomorrow but the children are off yet again tomorrow for voting so it depends upon whether I take them out for the day or not!

If you want to join in the fun and show off your workspace to the world pop over to Julias for this fun and addictive once a week excitement!

Thanks for looking :)

Challenge Number 5

Well for the last challenge I managed lots of layouts and cards but no tag!  Oh well let's hope I have time to make a tag with this challenge - after all the excitement on Friday I am going to have a royal theme so your challenge is to create anything with a Crown or Castle on it.

The challenge runs until Tuesday 17th May so have fun! and dont forget to put your link here so I can come and have a look at your creations:


Thanks :)

Paperartsy House

Last week I finally finished off my Paperartsy house (yes the one I bought at Hobbycrafts in March last year!) - it's been on the go for ages as I lost momentum half way through after covering all the edges with musical sheets, putting in the backgrounds which consist of inked and embossed (Tim's texture plates of course!) cardstock and even putting all the stamped metal on the roof - yes I gave up when it just needed the fun part of adding all the embellishments to it!  Still mojo is back in fine form so here it now is:

I love to sew so this one is going to go up in my craft room and hopefully have pride of place in my new cupboards (if I can find a space that is!).

Here is a closeup of the roof:

used metal from Paperartsy and a Magnolia brick wall stamp.  The edges are cut using a border punch - there is a better view here:

sorry for the blurry picture!

and here is a closeup of the metal sewing machine - got this at a local charity shop for 49p!

I am just not sure whether to add a cotton reel chimney or not (you know me it will have to be put on so that it stands up straight so will entail lots of faffing about) so I would be grateful for any opinions on that!

and my bargain tip of the day is these:

aren't they fabulous! got them from Poundland so get there quick - well at least before Morag.....

Thanks for looking :)

And here is another card!

Firstly can I just say a big hello and thank you to Sandy O for following me - it's lovely to have you on board!  I have had a busy weekend - have had a good sort out in my craft room - will post some pictures on my next WOYWW post and have also done a layout and a card over this weekend too!  It's all go here I tell you!

Here is the latest card:

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Daring Card Makers whose challenge is a patriotic theme- so I have used red, white and blue colours
Sketch and Stash Challenge this time sketch no. 7 and its all old stash - nothing new on here!
Delightful Sketches  which is distressing (although very minimal distressing on here for me!)
Moving Along With The Times which is Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday which is use any sketch (not sure if I can also enter the cards I made on 28th and 29th to this too or whether that is backlinking?  would be grateful if someone from Cute Card Thursday could let me know please).

I know it's a very plain and simple card for me but lets face it you've got to be in it to win it!  Have not done much shading or embellishments as I don't know the child that well and I think it might just end up in the bin so I couldn't bear to spend hours on it (you all know how it is I am sure!).

For the card I have used red, white and blue cardstock, Maya Road cog chipboard, silver embossing powder, bubblegum embossing powder (this is from the English Stamp company and is great for a little boy as it smells of bubblegum!), Stampendous Robot stamps, Heidi Swapp chipboard number and the promarkers used were Ice Grey 1, 2, 3, 4, Cool Grey 4 and Grey Green.

Thanks for looking :)

Still cardmaking!

Wasn't all the pomp and circumstance fabulous yesterday! Hope you all had a great time - we had a good day although we didn't watch all the wedding as it was going on (went to Ikea instead and am now sitting here waiting for my new craft room cupboards to be delivered sometime today - whoo hoo - I am going to be having a day sorting out new and old stash - can't wait!).

I have made yet another card and here she is:

My two best friends birthday's are in May so I thought I would get them done early - this one is quite similar to the other one I made (used the same papers!) but I don't see my friends together so I should be safe!  This is based again on sketch no. 5 at sketchandstashchallenge so I will enter it into their challenge - I don't usually enter 3 cards into the same challenge site in one week so this is a first for me!  but they have a choice of about 10 sketches to choose from this week so it's great to get your creative juices flowing so go and check them out if you have time (challenge closes on Monday). 

The new stash I have used is the butterfly and the Lili of the Valley stamps, the old stash I have used are all the flowers and the papers.

This card also fits in with my own challenge as follows:
Something old - the papers which I think are by DCWV
Something new - the Lili of the Valley stamps
Something borrowed - the lovely Magnolia stamp - thanks Jackie!
Something blue - the cardstock

Promarkers used were: duck egg, cyan, powder blue, sky blue, vanilla, mustard, ginger, baby pink, rose pink, pastel green, soft green, cool aqua, aegean, pastel beige, khaki, sunkissed pink, blush and saffron.

That's it for today then - off to take photos of my "old" craft room before the new cupboard arrives!  Have a great day everyone.  Oh and if you fancy joining in with my challenge the link is here challenge number 4 and this one runs until Tuesday so please join me if you can.

Thanks for looking :)

Card challenge

Have made a pact that Wednesday night is going to be craft night from now on.  With this is mind I had a look around at some other challenges and created this card last night:

The challenges I have taken part in are:  daringcardmakers whose challenge is Speaking Professionally - so I have used my new Magnolia travelling Tilda stamp to make a card for an Air Stewardess.  For the card I have again followed a sketch at sketchandstashchallenge this time sketch no. 5 so I will enter this into their challenge too.  I would also like to enter it into the delightfulsketches challenge which is distressing and the movingalongwiththetimes challenge which is Anything Goes.

Papers are Passport by Making Memories, Stamps are by Stampers Anonymous, Recollections and TPC Studio, Flowers and butterfly (sprayed with Jazz Blue Glimmer Mist) are Prima, Metal embellishment is an old Tim Holtz one, Bling, ribbon and hemp are just from my stash.  Promarkers used were: cool aqua, duck egg, pastel blue, blush, saffron, sunkissed pink, pastel yellow, baby pink, mustard, pastel pink, ginger, spice and gold.

Thanks for looking - am off to get ready as its soon school run and then coffee time at Starbucks this morning!  whoo hoo.

A peaceful day in

Children both went back to school today after the holidays and I have to admit I have missed them, the house has been very quiet! - I spent the morning catching up with housework and then settled down in front of the tv to catch up with some shows I have taped and made this:

it is based on a sketch (no. 42) over at sketchandstashchallenge so I would like to enter it into their challenge.  The new stash I have used is the butterfly and the Lili of the Valley stamps, the old stash I have used are all the flowers and the papers.

This card also fits in with my own challenge as follows:

Something old - the papers which I think are by DCWV
Something new - the Lili of the Valley stamps
Something borrowed - the lovely Magnolia stamp - thanks Morag!
Something blue - the cardstock

Promarkers used were: Powder blue, cyan, azure, aegean, sky blue, arctic blue, pastel beige, khaki, sandstone, caramel, cocoa, henna, baby pink, rose pink, sunkissed pink, blush and saffron.
Thanks for looking :)

Easter Weekend Layout

Had a lovely day on Saturday spent most of it scrapping this:

Yet another double layout in two days and 8 more photos scrapped too!  how happy am I :)

Layout is based on a pagemap - page 61 of Page Maps 2.  Papers used are a sheet of Basic Grey Basics and then the rest are from the new Echo Park Off the Record set along with the stickers and journal cards.  Have used some old Prima flowers, bling and some sizzix butterflies to finish it off.  Stamps used are my new Pink Paislee Daily Junque, Tims Mini Muse "The Journey" quote and the This Day in History stamp is by Glitz.  Also managed to use up a few pieces of metal on this one too.  Note that there is no distressing on this one either! unusual for me although I did crease up the journal card and This Day in History card a bit and used Brushed Corduroy and Old Paper distress inks.

Thanks for looking and I hope you had a great Easter too.

Challenge Number 4 second layout

As I am clearly in the mood to get some unfinished projects finished I took this (again been in the drawer for about 2 years!):

inspiring eh! and took a sketch some Nitwit papers I have had for a while and made this:

I know it won't win any prizes and there aren't really enough twiddly, hidden and dangly bits on it for me but it's another layout done and five more photos scrapped!  Notice how the photos are all very similar - does anyone else take loads of photos of the same thing and then just cannot choose between them?  I think this is what causes my difficulty in scrapping sometimes - there are too many photos of one thing for a layout or mini book - but just look at my little munchkins on these piccies- I have a typical Oliver dancing around being followed by Benjamin, two fabulous facial expressions from Oliver but not Benjamin, a great picture of Benjamin but Oliver looking down and then just a daft photo that completely sums up my boys - just how do you pick one?  I certainly can't and I know I could spend hours on Photoshop sorting out the faces to turn three photos into one but why bother I have better things to do like, erm, spending two years faffing on the said photos!

Anyway this layout (note its a double one too!) fits in with my current challenge like so:

Something old - The green tree (a tag set from Poundland years ago) and the Christmas Tree brad (been in my brad box for years too!)

Something new - Nitville houses - these weren't originally meant to be on this layout which is why they arent really the right size but I printed them out this week on the same sheet of paper as the scarecrows as I didn't want to waste any paper (I am sure I am not the only one that does this am I?) and then after cutting out a row of Tim sizzix houses suddenly remembered them so used them instead (they are by Nitwit Collections)
Santa & Sleigh/Reindeer - Not actually a new purchase but the first time they have been used (again they are by Nitwit Collections)
Ginger Fella - again not new but first time used! (again Nitwit Collections)
December embossing folder - bought this at Christmas but am not sure if I have used it or not?
Bauble Decoration stamp - again not new but unused!

Something Borrowed - the alphabet (think it's from the crop but I am pretty sure it isn't mine)
Santa is Coming to Town stamp - thanks Jackie!

Something Blue - ink and cardstock.

Layout is based on a pagemap - page 24 pagemaps 2.  Think I am finally getting to grips with sketches now!
Just need to look up what year these photos were taken now, I am guessing 2006 due to Benjamin's curly hair!

Thanks for looking :)