A NEW PHASE

Last week (12th September) we became the proud owners of a lovely rescue dog!  We've named him Chesney and he's a handsome tan/white Staffordshire Bull Terrier.  He's very obedient and got on really well with my grandsons which was a relief!

He was about to be put down when a wonderful place called Rescue Remedies in Sussex rescued him in August.  He has been microchipped and neuteured and he is so well behaved for an 18 month old dog.

Here he is with his new toy - which has now been demolished! lol

Onto some cards I've made now............

This is the card I made for my eldest daughter Vikki and her hubby James's 10th Wedding Anniversary.  It was a cream base card to which I added some black scroll writing & roses paper that I covered in some fine netting. 
I then added a pink embossed paper that I placed a black velvet bow and a kissing couple on!  I added a pink heart that had moveable gold and red hearts inside it.
A gold 'Happy Anniversary' stick on sentiment and to finish I placed 3 diamontes in the bottom right hand corner.

We had a great time at their party and a wonderful meal out the next day with all my family there, so was quite special!

Here is a card that I made for my friend Sue who asked if I had a card for a baby boy - I didn't have one, so made this up for her on the spot! 
It has a blue base card to which I added some patchwork squares paper then cut out the words 'BABY' and placed it diagonally on the card.
I cut out a little boat, bottle and dungarees that I added. then I stamped 'Congratulations' on some yellow paper and placed at the top.  When I handed it to her she was delighted!

September already!

How fast this year is flying by!!  I've made a few more cards that I will share with you shortly - but just wanted to let you know about a lovely blog I've just joined.....Life is Beautiful by Nicole Austin.  There is a great chance to win one of her great handmade journals, just by becoming a follower and leaving a message!  The journals are really unique and I for one, would love to receive one!!  So go take a look for yourself.......http://kinueko.blogspot.com

Some of these cards I made in August but just not had time to put them on my blog!

This card I made for my Nephew TJ who's wife Jackie gave birth to a little boy Harry. I chose a blue base card and added some baby paper.  I cut out and placed on card the word 'BABY' and placed these diagonally on the card a little bootee topper and a bow, then added some blue lace top and bottom completes the card.

I enjoyed making the baby card so decided to do another for a little girl - even though no-one in the family is expecting at the moment!  so this one will be in my 'FOR SALE' box!!

I chose a pink base card and used a border punch on the edge of the card.  I then added silver mirror card to which I added two toppers of baby feet, a baby girl sentiment and then added some pink card and a little pink gingham bow.

I chose a cream base card and added some pink Hambly paper at the bottom then some pretty paper with butterflies on at the top right.  I then added a plastic flower topper which I surrounded with some pink velvet ribbon.  There are also some pink flowers stuck on and a little blue bird in the bottom corner.  Finally I put a 'With Best Wishes' greeting on.

Again I chose a cream base card and added some silver mirror card.  I added some lovely burgandy/pink paper that feels velvety to touch.  I stamped a 'Happy Birthday' greeting on cream card and added it across the card with square brads.

I added a little handbag and shoes toppers and a black velvet bow to complete it.  This will go in my 'FOR SALE' box.

I chose a cream base card and added some sliver card strips top and bottom.  I then added an oblong of black polka dot paper and then some black lace paper.  I edged the lace paper with black velvet ribbon and added some black and white polka dot buttons to the 4 edges.

I added a pink glittery bag and shoe toppers and also added little gems to them. I placed 3 white rosebuds along the side of the card and finished off with a greeting of 'Especially For You'.

So they were my August makes and I made one yesterday for my eldest daughter Vikki's 10th wedding anniversary - but that has to remain secret until after I've given it to them!!

Please feel free to leave a comment on my cards and I would love it if you became a follower of mine!!

My August Cards

Been a busy bee again and here is my latest batch of cards - some of which are for Sale!

This one I made for my little 6 year old grandson Tom who had just undergone a minor operation in hospital.  He really liked it because it had some felt tractors on!

Here is a sympathy card that I made for my sister-in-law Jean who recently lost her mother.  I used a white base card and found some purple paper that has a black lace pattern on it then added a cut out oval.  I then added some white lillys that were decoupaged and then added a typed 'Sincere Condolences' tag.

This is a card I made for my Nephew James and his girlfriend Racheal on the birth of their first baby - A boy named Ryan James, he's only 5lb 10oz at birth so is still being kept an eye on at the hospital.
It has toppers of a picture of a little pair of feet, a teddybear and another little silver pair of footprints and also a baby boy tag. I placed them randomly on a white base card and just edged it with a blue border with silver footprints around two edges.

I used a white base card to which I added a navy blue hand-made paper envelope that I tore up!  I then placed a topper of a couple and embellished the lady's dress with little gems at the bottom and top of her dress. I then added a gold 'Happy Anniversary' sentiment and a cardboard heart in the top corner and some little hearts in the bottom left corner.

This is a cream base card to which I added a pink card that I had zig-zag scissored around the edge. I then added a pretty pink patterned paperbag I'd found and cut that around the edges too.  then I added a tag from my stash.  The watering can and bird are from a Henbury set I had. Then I put a little pink and white topper with a pink heart that says 'For You' and a stick on that says 'Perfect Day' on the bottom right corner.

I used a yellow base card and placed the set of blue spotted paper that belongs to the 'Hot Diggity Dog' freebie set I received. I placed this topper which is of a VW motorhome onto the same navy paper as stated before.  I also placed some green, pink and blue striped paper to compliment the colours in the topper. I added some sentiments of 'All The Best', Hello!, and a pink and blue tag on the bottom left corner.

This is a pink base card that I've used two Hot Diggity Dog toppers on.  I placed some pretty pink paper with a small pattern on the top and a pink and green pattern on the bottom in a little square, to which I added the 2nd champagne bottle topper.  I also added a 'Birthday Girl' tag in green and pink and a pink rose above that.  I then added a pink flower topper in the right top corner.

Apart from the ones that I've said are for certain people, I am willing to sell my cards, or make any individual cards if wanted for any occasions.  Please email or leave a message to me.

Then there were three....

Yes here is another three cards - one, I had done a couple of weeks ago for my youngest daughter Laura, for when she was taking her driving test... Well she failed the first one, so I had to keep it hidden until she took it again on Friday.....and yes she passed!!!!  When I gave her the card (after she had driven herself to my house) she was so impressed with it that it made my day!

I chose a yellow base card and placed some blue paper that I had used my heart's border punch all around the edges.  The topper is a decoupaged blue mini car (which Laura has!)  I also added some little embellishments in the 4 corners of the card which I had put little pearls on and a little blue gingham bow.  I then stamped the 'Congratulations' on it in purple and then used a letter cutout for the words Laura and You Passed!

This was a pink base card and I used a purple paper that had 'especially for you' all over it.  I then used some of the purple and gold card that I had used for my brother's anniversary card - just a little square of it and then placed in gold stick on letters 'Get Well Soon'.  I then placed a little square topper on to that with a lilac flower on it and embellished it with two little gems.  I then added a lovely filligree butterfly up in the top right hand corner with a purple gem in the middle of it.

I chose a white base card and this was another in the Hot Diggity Dog range that I've got and this one shows several dogs looking at a prize cup with a little puppy in it - very charming!
I placed that on with foam pads onto blue card that I had cut around with my wavy scissors.  I added a little embellishment of a flower and bow and a sentiment that says birthday wishes.

I'm just off to make some more cards as I have heard of my sister-in-Law's mother's death, also my nephew James has just become a dad to a baby boy named Ryan James!

I've Been Busy............

Here is my latest collection of cards and I was so pleased to have sold one to my friend! lol


Here is the last of my 'Calendar' cards!  I chose a cream base card and placed peach card which I had used my corner punch on and delighted with the results!  I then zig-zaged around some dark orange and red swirls paper and also cut around the calendar topper too. The orange flowers match very well with that paper.  I added a brown butterfly which has an amber stone on it.

The caption says:- 'A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows' - St. Francis of Assisi.

This one is a cream base card again and has a pale turqouise card placed on top to which I added a flowery turqouise/blue ribbon at the top and bottom.
I placed the Lady topper from the Kanban range called 'Alice' on foam pads and added a blue dragonfly gem.  I then cut out with zig-zag scissors a sentiment from the same set which says: 'Nothing is so Strong as Gentleness, Nothing is so Gentle as Real Strength.

I love the picture of this dog with all the washing on the floor!! lol
It is from a freebie set called 'Hot Diggity Dog' by Andrea Jayne that I got from CardMaking & Papercraft magazine!  They are really nice quality and so cute!

I placed the topper on the blue spotted paper which also came with the set which I cut around with my trusty wavy scissors. I  then cut out a blue piece of  card with zig-zag scissors and placed on it, a sticker saying 'Have A Great Day!' in silver.  I also added a little turqouise tag with a flower on in the left top corner.

Here I used a pale blue base card and again used my 'Hot Diggity Dog' paper and topper as before - I've quite a few of these as you will see shortly!! lol
This time I used a pink, blue, green stripe paper and the topper shows two dogs in the bath with a puppy in the middle! I also used the sentiment that came with the set saying 'Happy Birthday'.  I also placed a raised plastic sticker in mint green with a pink flower on it.  These cards are so easy peasy to make!

I used a cream base card that has a lovely fluted edge cut out on the front.  I placed a yellow card and then the Diggity Dog topper which shows him watching a hopping frog!!

I placed a gold and white sticker with 'Have A Great Day!' on the bottom and then added two little embellishments in each top corner one with a butterfly on and the other is a yellow card with a flower on which has a white gem in the middle to finish it off.

I also made a card for my brother Pete and his wife Jean's Anniversary and as I was in a hurry to post it so it will get there in time, I forgot to take a photo of it - and it was really nice too!!  I'd used some lovely dark purple card which had raised gold roses embossed on it and I cut around it with wavy scissors.  I then added a little turquoise wheelbarrow full of little paper flowers some of which had gems on and a matching little door with flowers all around.  I then stamped 'For You Both' in Silver and then added some turqoise embossing powder and then used my brand new heat gun to set it!  I also added a gold banner with 'Happy Anniversary' in the middle of the card.  I was really pleased with how it turned out and could kick myself for not taking the photo!

Creating Again!

Here are my latest cards.....

Here I chose a pink base card and added a purple paper from the Papermania collection called 'Heather', which I cut around with my trusty wavy scissors.

I then added a plain purple card also cut by wavy scissors and placed a topper on top of that with a picture of a lady on it and is aptly called 'Framed Ladies - in Lavender' by Kanban.

I then stamped in purple the sentiment and added a little lilac gingham bow.

This is blue mini car card set, done in decoupage and placed on a blue base card and upon that a blue paper.

I added some stripes of the border paper that came with it and placed the circles on top of them and then added the sentiment at the top. Very easy peasy card to do!

Sadly I've had to make a condolence card for the family of my Uncle Jim who died last week.

I chose an embossed white card onto which I placed some lilac flowered paper from Papermania 'Heather' pack again.

I then cut an oval with wavy scissors in purple and then placed an oval topper which has a decoupaged lily flower on top of that.

I printed out some sentiments in Purple and chose 'With Sympathy' onto a purple tag.  To finish I placed a row of purple flowers at the bottom of card.

The next 3 cards are ones I've designed from the hand pressed flower pictures that were on an old calender - see previous posts for the other ones I made!

This one I chose a pale blue base card and onto that put a deep turqoise card.  I then placed a sheet of 'Kate Knight's' paper stack that I had received free from 'Cardmaking & Papercraft' Magazine.  It is blue with blue flowers on and picks up the blue flowers in the calender picture which I had cut with my wavy scissors and placed on foam pads to slightly raise it.  I then added a blue tag with 'Best Wishes' on and a little blue dragonfly. The wording on the topper says: 'Be like flower, turn your faces to the sun'. by Kahlil Gibran.

I chose a cream base card and added a peach card that I had stamped with my 'Rose' border punch all round the edges.

I then added some darker peach polka dot paper which complimented the calender topper with its dark peach flowers, which I had cut around with my wavy scissors (again) and placed on foam pads to raise it.  I added a strip of peach sequins across one corner and a sentiment of gold on white 'Especially for You'.
The wording on the topper states - ' Adopt the pace of Nature: her secret is patience' by Ralph Waldo-Emerson.

This one is on a cream base card and I chose a dark burgandy with cream flowers on to compliment the burgandy flowers in the topper.  The Paper is also from Kate Knights paper stack.

I cut out some more of the cream flower from another sheet and decoupaged it on top of the main flower and place a little purple gem in the centre.  I then added a cream sentiment 'With Best Wishes' on it.

I placed the calender topper on foam pads and cut around it with zig zag scissors. The wording says:  'To see a world in a grain of sand, And heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, Eternity in an hour' by William Blake. These cards look especially stunning in real life which isn't quite captured on photo!

So there we have my achievements of today and hope you like looking at them - I'd love to hear your comments on them so please feel free to leave one.

My Pride and Joy!!

I dunno why I'm so proud of these 3 cards but hubby Mike was sorting through some old papers yesterday ready to throw out the recycled paper.  He came across an old calendar from 2008 that my daughter Laura had given me.  It had some lovely pressed flower images on the pages that are slightly raised, so look like the original!  Anyway, amazingly a thought popped into my head and I said 'Keep it, as I can use the pictures to make some cards'. Mike looked at me with one eyebrow cocked as if to say 'bet it sits up there for another 2 years'! lol  Wrong....  I got to them that very afternoon and here's what I produced.....

This one I placed on orange base card and found some orange with red swirls paper and stamped all round the edges with a border punch.
I Cut around the flower but because there was a few lines of writing near to it which needed to be kept out, I think it does have an odd shape to it!  I then placed it on the same paper. I cut out an oblong border from a plain orange card around it and added two little orange butterflies. I then finished off with a heart motif which had some little peach and white flowers and the words 'I Love You' on it.

This base card was also orange to which I added a peach polka dot paper that I had punched out the corners.  I then cut around the flower picture card which is peach with orange/red flowers, with wavy scissors and placed that on top with foam pads.
I then added an orangey/red butterfly decoupage motif that had one amber gem and two pink ones.  this one has a little saying at the bottom - ' Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished'. - Lao Tzu. Simple but effective, I thought!

This one I picked out a yellow base card and placed a lime green and white paper on it. I placed the flower picture which has a yellow background with a green vase and dark yellow flowers, on the white part so it bordered it. I added a strip of the green paper to the left hand corner and then a little green and yellow tag with a string bow on it, then an amber and green butterfly gem. The saying on this one reads.. ' Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better'. - Albert Einstein.

So I'm off to see what I can do with the rest of them now!

Mojo 146 Contest Card

As I love entering challenges and contest etc I thought I'd attempt Mojo Monday's latest Contest
so here is my entry into it...........

The colours do not show up that great via my camera but it is a nice bright lime green base card onto which I've placed two different lime papers.  I then added two stripes of dark green ribbon and then 3 striped papers across the card.  I then stamped some pink card with an oval and a square and stamped the words 'Just for You...' and 'With Love'.

I Love A Challenge!

I love entering a card in a challenge and the latest one I'm entering is the SFYTT challenge over at Verve Stamps Blog Hop - which I have just finished doing!! lol  so here is my entry for it.....

I used a Pink shiny base card and added some purple paper from Papermania called Heather Paper Pack. I then added a navy row of little stars and inserted a little gem on every other star.
I then added a strip of another purple paper (as above) and then placed a multi-coloured card and stamped a red heart over it and then added the sentiment 'With Love' on it.  I then added 3 different sized hearts across the top, the larger of which, has little gold hearts and red gems that move about!

This is a card I made out of various free papers I've received in magazines. I placed four different ones then added a 'You're the Best' tag on, to which I added a little gem in the middle of the lilac flower.  Also the larger Lilac flower has a larger gem on.  I then used my new border 'heart' punch on the edge of the card and nearly had a heart attack when it got stuck and I thought I'd broken it!  So it was with bated breath that I carried on twice more to finish it off and each time it stuck, but then released itself - phew!

My Entry in the Play Date Cafe Challenge!

I loved the image for this Challenge the colours are really lovely....

So I rummaged through all my bits and bobs to come up with something turquoise, red and orange and brown
and then put together this card....

I chose an orange base card then added a deeper orange paper that had red swirls on it.  I then added an oval that I cut out with wavy scissors from a turqoise Hambly paper called 'Brocade'. on top of that I put another cut out oval from a favourite paper of mine called 'Gypsy Sisters' from KaiserCraft papers its a deep turqoise and red paisley pattern!  Then I added a decoupage lady who had pale peach/orange dress and hat on to compliment. then I made a little tag out of corregated brown card and added a cream paper on top and stamped 'With Love' on it.

I started this card the other day and only just got round to finishing it today.  It is a white base card that I put on a brown, blue cream striped paper that I cut out with zig-zag scissors. I then added a turquoise card stamped with a brown WaltzingMouse vintage 10 stamp set which I then stamped with two little squirls from the same WM stamp set. I then stamped the words 'Top Bloke!' from another stamp set. Lastly, I added a gold 'Happy Birthday' sticker.

I took a lemon base card and added a paper from part of a 12x12 Websters pages called 'Your Life. Beautiful'. I tore around the top edge then rubbed some brown ink round the edges to match the fountain. On the opposite side of the same paper I cut out the red flower and then placed that in the right hand corner on sticky pads. I then added another little topper which had cream linen that I brused with brown ink and it has a little square cardboard with the work 'love' on it. I also added a brown card butterfly with little gems on and finally, stamped in red 'Just for You' - I then placed it on the printer ready to photograph it and guess what?...... I went and smudged it!!!!  So as it was a shiny card I rubbed it off and thought 'Ooh, that looks cool', so did all around the card with a tissue and the ink!  I then stamped the sentiment again - only this time let it dry before photgraphing it! lol

My Entry in Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge No: 3

Here is my entry to the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge Number 3:-

I know the colours do not show up well through my camera but I used a lime green base card and then placed a strip that I stamped with a heart border, in a dark green. I then added a green striped ribbon an some gold hearts along the edge of those. I stamped in green, an oval from the Waltzingmouse Vintage No.10 stamps on to red card and added the sentiment 'Friend' also from a WM stamp set and to finish I added a red rose.

Pleased with these latest cards....

Here is a Man's birthday card featuring a stamped fisherman from a Clare Curd set that I coloured in with felt tips - the colour being put on an acrylic block and using a damp paintbrush to colour in.  On the blue base card I laid little squares of sayings pertaining to fishing my favourites being
'There is always a little boy in the old man gone fishing' and 'Good things come to those who wade'!

I used a cream base card and added a lovely Webster's Pages paper called 'Your Life. Beautiful'.  I then cut out an oval using the back of that paper which is a dusky pink colour and then started adding the lady from a Dufex Craft decoupage sheet called 'Elegance 2'.  I had used an x-cut corner cut out on the paper to finish it off.  I'm quite proud of this one!

 I decided to use another stamp from the above set this time a handy man one.  I stamped it on light yellow card and coloured it in exactly the same way as above too and stamped the sentiment from the same set.  I used a light blue base card and added a darker blue paper with stars on right behind the main picture and at the bottom a paper that has lots of saying pertaining to men like 'boys will be boys' and 'Like father, like son'.

I used a lovely turquoise patterned paper from Websters pages called 'Brocade' and a little turquoise and red oblong piece called 'Gypsy Sisters'. I added a little plastic flower motif and then added the 3 toppers using sticky foam pads after colouring in the roses with glitter gel pens. Then I added the anniversary sentiment in a gold peel off plus a little gold heart. The middle topper has a verse on it - 'Love brought you together as husband and wife and gave both of you a best friend for life'.

Here is my contribution to the Tiffany Doodles Challenge....

I used a pink flowery backing paper by Henbury Lane. I then mounted a pretty turquoise paper called Gypsy Sisters Collection and added a vintage looking cream tag designed by Rhonna Farrer, that I threaded a cream gauze ribbon through, I placed a pink stone in the middle of the flower and enhanced some of the leaves and flowers with glitter gel pens.  I added a cardboard bird on top of the ribbon. At the bottom I added a pink butterfly ribbon strip and a multi-coloured butterfly then a little 'Best Wishes' tag that I stamped with lavender ink.

Look What I Found...............

There I was with Hubby Mike in a local charity shop and I spies this beautiful tin!  It had a sticker on that said
60 and I turned to Mike and said - 'That doesn't mean £60 does it'? 'Can't be', Mike says. so I go up to the lady behind the till and ask her.......'No, dear, that's 60p and isn't it pretty'.  Well, I had to have it, but not quite sure what to do with it yet!!  It used to have Churchill's biscuits in it but not a crumb remains! lol  Anyhow, I thought you'd like to see my little 60p bargain....

                                     



So you can see it is a white background with beautiful lilac iris flowers embossed in the tin - so any ideas of what I can use it for?

Here is a card I made entirely from the insides of envelopes!! lol
I got the idea from Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine issue 80 and thought it a cool idea!  I collected several envelopes with different insides and just cut them out and layerd them on a blue base card and made a wavy pattern to represent the sea.  I put a little boat and I did put a blue sun and Mike said 'Why is your sun blue'? Hmm, good question, so I added a yellow sun like topper!

 I added a little pic of my big brother Steve, supposedly swimming in the sea, who the card is for, because at the end of the month he is going to live in Turkey for awhile, which is why I added 'bon voyage' in silver peel offs and also put a little tag with a star fish on it in the corner!

Friday night we were invited to a dinner/dance by a friend and his wife and we had a really lovely time at this magnificant old Hall, in a beautiful setting by a river, that's now a hotel.  The food was delicious and the entertainment really good.  so I decided to make them a thank you card.

 I chose a cream base card which was a freebie called 'Country Diary' kit, in the above mentioned magazine!  I've added a lilac flowery topper onto some purple card.  I cut out 6 little gingham squares and placed three onto some lilac & white ribbon at the bottom.  I then stuck the remaining 3 at the top. I then cut out 6 little lilac flowers (took ages as it's very fiddly!) and placed them on top of one another to create 3 little decoupage pictures. I then added the 'thank you' in gold peel offs.

This is another from the same freebie set and I just followed what the magazine told me to do - easy-peasy!
I chose a cream square base card and added a pink gingham cardboard topper. I then cut out two more sets of the flower design and placed them on top creating a decoupage image.
I then added a row of 3 little pink and cream flowers down the edge and across the bottom added a pink silky ribbon with another of the flowers and a 'With Love' sentiment card.

So quite a productive afternoon all in all for me!