Creations By A Butterfly...

Shabby Chic - Sorry Your leaving

2012-02-24T09:31:00.000Z

Morning all! Whooo I have finally found five minuets to sit down and blog... Need to get on with DT stuff today, will be so happy once i catch up with what needs to be done! I hate being so far behind!!

Had a call from a friend mid weeks, she always comes to me for her cards, It was so nice to chat to her as I haven't seen her since christmas! She asked me to make a 'Sorry You're Leaving' card, but she wanted it A4 and not too over the top! I accepted the challenge...

Yes there is the Sitichy Bear paper again.. I love it! It has so many uses and needs so little doing to it!

As you can see I decorated the from with loads of butterflies again, and the rhinestones... It just makes such a lovely card! i think my mum is going to try and buy it, I know I have looked back there and can't se it at all!

OK so there was one final twist... She wanted extra sheets on the inside for people to sign... I racked my brain, I could see it but I couldn't work out how I was going to do it! Looking back now i feel so silly not knowing with how simple it was! I just scored the front of the card with a 3mm gap from the spine of the card inwards and then used double sided tape to add the extra sheet and stick it all together!

Well I hope you like it, I will make another A4 card after that as it was quite a bit of fun!!!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;

Truly Scrumptious - All Creatures Great and Small

Cute Card Thursday - Things With Wings

Shellies Images - Make It Tripple

Cooking it Up With katie - Favourite things (Butterflies!)

Flutterby Wednesdays - Photo Insperation

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to be back soon with some big news, big creations and well ME!

So Sorry I been MIA

2012-02-23T16:39:00.000Z

Afternoon all, so sorry I have been MIA! Been working on 101 things as well as helping a friend...

This is just a quick post to let you know of a new challenge blog that will be starting Thursday 1st March at 10am... Oh there is so much in store for a very talented lady and I can't wait for it to all start for her!!

Please please pop over to Inked Paws and take a look, if you would like follow the blog, the first challenge is going to be wonderful and there will even a little treat for everyone!!!

Hope to see you over there!!!

Sleeping Princess, For my Girls...

2012-02-21T14:20:00.000Z

Only me AGAIN! Yes I have been on a mission. Last week I had such fun colouring, when I tried to make a card it all went terribly wrong.... It didn't look right, I wasn't happy, I decided that I was much happier colouring than making a card.

So I set myself a challenge.... I wanted to make a special hanging for Amelia and Nancy's bedroom for when its finished. After three hours, I produced this....

This is the beautiful Runaway Princess from Crafts and Me. She is a digi that I purchased last week, I didn't realise quite how detailed she was until I enlarged her (to just under A4) to do this for the girls. I hadn't noticed the little fairies peeping from behind the tree!! Here are a few of the up-close pictures....

Im most impressed with how her skin turned out and then the dress! I was kinda nervous about such a large area of skin tone! Also the little dragon... he is just so cute! I am so happy with how the whole thing has turned out. The image is just perfect for Amelia, she is so into princesses and not into sleeping, so hopefully this will encourage her to sleep!?!

I have taken note of the pens I used in no particular order;

(After three hours on this I just noted down the pens as I put them away!)

R02, YR07, B12, YR04, E47, G05, G07, G94, G21, R83, B00, E02, E00, E000, E33,

E27, E37, E53, Y000, BV00, R37, V04, R29, R24, W3, E31, E35,

E57, V09, YG06, BV31, C2, E29, V06, B60, E79.

I hope you like her! If you have time I would love to read what you think!

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again soon

I Jubilee've...

2012-02-21T11:21:00.000Z

Yes it was the best I could come up with!! As many of you know this year its the queens Diamond Jubilee. I think I'm booked about three times over for the day , sounds like its going to be a busy one!! Anyway... these a new group/page on Facebook, Unique Digis, the designer Kelly Rhodes is AMAZING.... her style is so varied and SO UNIQUE!! When she showed the group this digi at the weekend I just had to get her and colour her up! I think she is SO cute!!

This is 'Queen of Diamonds' and she is available from the Unique Digital Stamps Facebook Page. There is a blog thats under construction... I will add that as soon as I know the address!! Here she is up-close.

I just LOVE what she is wearing (or the lack of it?!) I love the hair too. Now she was coloured with my copics but due to having a very poorly big girl on sunday I didn't get time to note anything down! The backing paper was a free from a google search I did.

All the time that I was colouring this image I kept trying to think of the sentiment, the best I could come up with was 'I Jubilee've... this is a special day'. I just used my word document and printed it. I added rhinestones to the dots of the i's just to add bling!

Well I hope you like her and that you will pop to the Unique Digital Stamps Page, there are weekly competitions and new stamps added frequently! I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Unique Digi Stamps Challenge - Use Queen of Diamonds

Bunny Zoes Craft - Celebrations

Creative mondays - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp and Show - London, Paris, New York

Craft your Passion - Red, White and Blue

Organising....

2012-02-19T10:33:00.000Z

Ha ha, that word makes me laugh, I will never be organised! I try very very hard, but I kinda like a bit of mess, makes me feel at home! LOL. Well I have been trying to organise bits and pieces in the house, but I'm constantly just moving things! And so I decided that I wanted to arrange my craft stuff a bit better.... I started by colouring a new topic chart....

I then organised the ribbons a bit more, I now have 12 jars, they are going to look so good on the walls. They are just biscuit jars from Tesco, only £1.38 each, and they are quite big!!

I then lost the plot and took my monkeys to McDonalds! That was FUN! Nancy sat in the windows waving at ever car that went past!! They both loved it! Even if Amelia does look like she is staring into space!

While I was out i brought a 8ltr Really Useful storage box, I wanted to find a way to store my Copics but make them easier to see them when I used them!!! They fit in her nicely, its only a temporary thing till I get the craft room then I will look at more permeant storage for them. I never take them out (other than the holiday in a couple of weeks!)

This was last night.... Mark had gone out for dinner and we had no sitters so I had an amazing meal with Amelia and then 'set up' for the night!!! It was a good night, Although after taking this photo I changed the image I was colouring!!! My pens work nicely in there for me, at the moment.I laughed as when I put them in there I said to Mark that maybe I should have brought a smaller box... he just told me that I need to buy more pens... don't mind if I do!!!

Ok so here we have the end results. I coloured the two purple ones last night, the blonde and brunette were coloured during the week1!!

I will have to pop back later to add the colours as my book is in the play room and they doors playing up... Keep having to spray it wilt WD40!! and I can't stand the smell of it!!

Well I hope you like my photos and hope to see you soon!

Happy Mothers Day

2012-02-17T00:30:00.000Z

Morning all!!! Yes I have made a start on mothers day! As were away this year there is NO hope of 'forgetting' and having a last minuet making session!! But on the plus side.... I can have a day off, hubby will be with us and so I CAN and WILL put my feet up for the day!!!

I brought a new stamp this week, I have seen it about and forgot about her, then saw her and just couldn't resist! This is the beautiful Petal Melody from Crafts and Me.

She is so nice to colour!!! I have coloured her a few times in different combos, just to try and see what colours I can make!!! I have made this card for my Grandma for Mothers Day, its a bit simple but she isn't one for fancy fussy cards, she would rather things were simple but effective, i thought this was just perfect.

I coloured for the 1st time on Kraft, quite impressed with how she has turned out. I was rather nervous that it would look horrid or I would make the colours run, but she has turned out quite well!! She was coloured with copics

Hair - E37, E35, E33, E31

Dress - R17, R14, G05, G07

Skin - E95, E11, E00, E000

The card blank is a 5x7 and the papers were just bazzill scraps from my draw, I added some peel offs for some bling!

I hope you like her. Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again soon!

Dead Men Tell No Tales...

2012-02-16T23:31:00.000Z

No No No... I haven't gone crazy... well I hope I haven't, maybe I have! This is part of the sentiment on todays card!! I coloured up this fab Pirate from Tickled Pink last week and my little helper (Amelia) couldn't wait to get him on a card!!

I have to say he is kinda cute!!! This is Little Pirate Frankie from Tickled pink Stamps. I brought him a while back and found him in the 'to colour' box of images. He will be printed off again rather soon!! I made this card for a friends little boys birthday, he turns 8 at the end of Feb, I can't wait to give him the card now!

Turning 8 is such a big thing, they don't want fussy cards so I kept this quite simple.

The papers are from my stash, The small 'map print' is Su paper that I dreaded cutting into! but its over now and I feel that I can now use some of the paper at least!! The PIRATE paper was from my local craft shop, I brought it ages ago, and finally found a use for some of it!!! I thought it had worked quite well the way PIRATE sits along the bottom, I couldn't resist 'Dead men Tell no Lies' up the side of the image!!

i coloured the image using my copics and for the life of me I can't find my notebook.... I will edit tomorrow as soon as I find it!!!

I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Memas Crafts - Anything Goes

Pennys paper Crafty Challenge blog - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Masculine

Digital Tuesday - Use your Stash

Paper Take Weekly - black, White and red all over!

Kaboodle Doodles - Masculine

Thanks for stopping by, I would love to hear what you think! Hope to see you again soon!!

Butterflies and Gems

2012-02-15T17:40:00.000Z

Evening all, well had a very productive couple of weeks on the quiet!! My hands hurt but its all for a good cause.

Lots of glue

1150 Rhinestones

200 Large Butterflies

50 Small Butterflies

Later... we have the finished products!

Day Inviatation

RSVP Cards

And finally, Evening Invitations

I appologise for some of the photos, the first two were taken on my phone, hence why the colour looks a bit rubbish! They are all pink, its just the camera that makes them look funny. I can't take them again as they have been collected and the Evening Invitations will be collected later tonight!

I hope you like them!

See you soon

you are my everything...

2012-02-15T17:10:00.001Z

you are my one and only... yes I have been singing along with Mr Lionel Ritchie, oh how I LOVE his music, he has done some wonderful songs!!! I started singing it when I started on this card, I have made the very quick and simple, yet very effective card for one of our workmen! He didn't get time yesterday to buy a card, and so I made him one to give to his wife today!!

I LOVE this DP, have been using it so much! Its lovely for anything!! As I was punching butterflies for invitations while making this card, I thought they went well on this too. I did originally punch some lighter green ones, but they didn't show up so I used the dark pink ones and added the gems after!! I even decorated the inside of this card too! Yet another beautiful sentiment!

I have learned how to change the opacity of an image on my computer, so happy as it can work for so many things! Also it opens up a while new world to inserts for cards! I rotated the DP round so it filled the whole inside of the card!

I told you it was a quick and easy one! I hope you like it!

I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Crafting for All Seasons - Love is in the Air

Divas By Design - Wings

Flutterby Wednesday - Anything Goes with Wings

Inky Impressions - Punches or Dies

Paper Craft Star - Photo inspiration

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again soon!

Top Tip Tuesday - Magical, Mystical or Fantasy

2012-02-14T11:17:00.000Z

Morning all and Happy Valentines Day!!! these weeks are flying by! Since TTT has switched to biweekly challenges, it feel like no sooner do I blink were onto the next challenge!!!

This week were looking for you

Magical, Mystical or Fantasy Creations

We have a fab tutorial from Elaine, Please please stop by and take a look I wish I had more time this week to give it a try!! We also have some Fab sponsors this week

Simon Says Stamp

Stamp Fairy

Ohh La La Creations

We also have some guest designers this week so please pop over and say hi!

Anyway onto my creation. It was all a bit last moment for me this week, not had much time to craft and so this was kind of thrown together!

Isn't she just adorable, off the top of my head I can't remember who she is or where she is from!!! I coloured her using my copics and I have learnt that you can mix violet with yellow to add tones act, I so can't wait to play some more with colouring... roll on the schools going back is all I say!!!

Well I'm sorry its a short post, need to get on and find out where my boiler man is, once again he is not here today! I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;

One Stitch at a time - Anything goes

A Gem Of A Challenge - Fairies

Allsorts - Free and Easy

I will pop back alter and add the colours I used!
Thanks for stopping by and see you soon!
x

A bit of Mo with a Dash of Tim

2012-02-13T14:40:00.000Z

Afternoon all, I apologise for how quiet it has been here, I have been ill and so have the kids, at last the energy is back and i have managed to make a couple of cards!! I have been waiting in all morning for the gas man to come... still no luck! But at least he hasn't disconnected the old boiler, so I still have heating and hot water!

Onto what I have managed to do.... Well my 1st aim was that i was going to make a small card... Ha ha ha, I can't seem to make smaller than 8x8 at the moment! I don't know what has got into me! I used an image i coloured last week using a colour combo on the make It Crafty Facebook page!

R29, R27, E27 (I used E29 as I don't have E27) and W7....

i brought this stunning lady last week from Mo Manning, I have seen her about loads and just had to colour her! At 1st I wasn't too happy with how she had turned out but after people commenting on just seeing her coloured she has frown on me! And I'm using the colour combo more and more!! here is is a bit closer....

The rest of the stuff used was my stash, the paper is one that I had loads of scraps of and just used them up, the red was a plain bazzill. Her skin was coloured using E02, E00, E000. Im loving my flowers at the moment, I know you don't tend to put flowers on a male card, but they kinda just went with this one!

After LOADS of searching I caved in and brought the TH Odds and Ends tickets to go with the die, I have searched for ages trying to find others that fit. A lot of people had said they didn't like the wording on them, but I kinda like them. I didn't cut these with my die as I need to find my adaptor plate to use it, so I cut it by hand!

Well I hope you like my card! Quite impressed with how this has turned out! I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;

Cards For Men - Valentines Day

Crafty Boots - Valentines Day

Make It Monday - Anything goes

Lexis creations - Love

Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and hope you will pop back soon!

Just the last week....

2012-02-11T22:45:00.000Z

Evening all, well not been a good week, had Amelia at home with an ear and throat infection, Mark has been off feeling ill too!!! Nancy is now gaining down with it and as for me... well not good but just have to carry on, no time to be ill!!!

Just thought I would give you a bit of an up-date on the house and family...

Ok 1st up we have the first snow of 2012, it was last saturday.... look at my fab tree! Oh how I love this beauty!!! It looks orange as we have a street light outside!

i can't believe how much came down that night, The kids had a FAB time in the garden on Sunday, it was lovely seeing them play and Nancy... well she wasn't sure what to make of it all!!

Skipping to Wednesday, well other than every bone in my body feeling like it was disintegrating... mark and I went to choose the paint for the walls in the craft room! Well I went to choose it, he just came along to pay. I had spent Tuesday night going through the catalogue deciding what colours... this was one that didn't enter the equation!!!

yes OK so i want to mix two habits, chocolate and crafting (may have to have a lil fridge full of fudge in my craft room!) After 'drugging' myself up I felt better and was desperate to get at least the 1st coat on the walls!!! and so....

Thursday was another day, i felt better, still hurt and not much energy, but... yes you guessed, the second coat went on the walls! I can't wait now!

It looks so yummy! Its a way of being finished, we need to get the re-wire finished before the boxes that are stored in there can go in the loft and I can plan the room better!! Im planning a trip to ikea in the next couple of weeks to get some 'small' bits (maybe the credit card should come to be on the safe side!)!

Last one for tonight!

Smudge cat! Yes she decided to come out with me in the last snow fall we had... just look at the face!

Please let me in, Its cold!!! yes it was very cold!!! Anyway, I'm not feeling the ticket at all, need to sleep! but have to get up tomorrow as we are having lunch with GG! Sorry to bore you all!

See you soon!!

sweet 16....

2012-02-06T18:26:00.001Z

Well you can't put that on a male card... so we just went with 16th! The kids are still rather un-well Amelia has been off school again today and little Nancy is really groggy so have had to chill out with them all day. Im not feeling 100%, just very tired hope I don't come down with what they have!

As you can see I have found the camera and charger and I am using it again... but its finding somewhere that I can take photos now. This has been taken balanced onto of one of the new radiators! Its not plumbed in yet, but hopefully will be soon!

I have used the lovely Suave Kody from Some Odd Girl, I have to say I'm loving these stamps at the moment! So much fun to colour! I have had him sat in the digi file a while and suddenly managed to colour him for the 1st time over the weekend! I even tried the 'clouds' again, wasn't so easy this time as i didn't have a mask for him, but don't think it came out too bad! I can't tell you what colours as I coloured this when the kids were colouring and kept my pens back in their places!

I even managed to decorate the inside of this card, the red bazzill is from my scraps and the ribbon from my stash! The happy birthday inside is a LOTV stamp.

Well I hope you like him! I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;

Cards for Men - Seeing Reds

Craft your Passion - Anything Goes with no Patterned Paper

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Happy Birthday....

2012-02-04T21:50:00.000Z

Evening all, well been a strange day. Both girls are poorly and so we have stayed in all day! The girls have had fun colouring with me though! They have both been sat at the table with their pencils, Amelia with one of my digs, Nancy with her colouring book and we have had hours of peace and quiet! Their friends came over to play and then at 5 it started to snow! I can't wait for tomorrow!

I have been trying hard to work on cards for men and boys, I have so many images that I can use for them but then I never get round to it! OK I always make excuses not to! So today I tried and I tried and I still need to do some work but....

This is the adorable Splashing Toby from Some Odd Girl. I have had him for ages, but never got round to colouring him! Today I have surprised myself! Im so happy with how he has turned out! but not so keen on the card, Its lacking something and I'm not sure what!

I can't remember what pens I used... As the kids were at the table I kept my pens as far away from them as I could... Amelia did ask at one point if she could use my skin pens, I told her NO! She's only 4 1/2!

I have made this card for Amelia and Nancy's friend who turns 3 on Thursday. Thats what made me finish this otherwise he would have been sat in the draw for a year waiting to be mounted! I used my QK bubble die and Moxie alpha to do the letters and bubbles! The number is just a peel off! Toby was die cut from a set of nesties I have!

i would like to enter this card into the following challenges;

Allsorts - Free and Easy February

Send A Smile For Kids - Anything Goes For Kids

Ditzy Challenge - Anything Goes

Fun With Shapes and More - Birthday

Thanks fro stopping by and hope to see you soon!

You taught me love is unconditional....

2012-02-03T13:56:00.002Z

To love someone no matter what their actions are, there are no limits, that is what true love is! I purchased the sentiment last week from TLC Creations needed something sweet and romantic for this card!

This is the stunning queen of hearts from Saturated Canary. I just love this girl, she is coy, sweet and yet sassy all at the same time! I have had so much fun colouring her! I must say I do think of 'and off with their heads' sometimes but she is far too cute looking to say such a thing! I used the TH movers and shakers die for the hears, the sentiment was cut using my nesties. The bingo card is one that I made myself!

I coloured her using my copics, R46, R27 I did add some black prisma colour to her to add some shading. Her hair was using E35, E33 and E31, C-5, C-3 and C-1 was for all the grey areas. I can't remember what over colours I used! The bazzill was from my stash and I used TH vintage Photo around the edges after distressing her with my SU distressing tool!

The flowers and other embellies were from my stash! Im so happy with the way she has turned out! I have since been asked to make another like her, I have said I will make something but it won't be the same as this one! Think it may even be better than this!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;

Always Something Creative - Valentines

Bling It On Challenge - Love

Crafty Purple Frog - Valentines Day

Delightful Challenges - Punches or Dies

Fab and Funky - Use a Digi

Make It Crafty - Shading Red

Allsorts Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon!

Just A Bit About Me!

2012-02-02T20:26:00.000Z

Evening... Me again, yes I'm on a posting mission, was going through my phone and I found these pictures that I would like to share with you! Ok as some of you know, I'm loving the app Instagram! Love Love Love it, I will find any reason to take pictures!

First up we have my babies, Im so proud of them both! I can't believe that Amelia is nearly 5 now and at full time school! Where has time gone?! As for little Nancy, well she loves her sister when it suits her! everything with that one is on her terms! oh and she's not the most photogenic child! She always moves, or just pulls a funny face! She gets that from her dad!

Ok here is what I got up to last night... I was so annoyed with my ribbon, I wasn't using them, I dreaded getting them out as I just knew it was a mission to get the one I wanted! and so the ribbon has gone from this.....

To this...

Now I'm not 100% happy, I needs another 4-5 jars to split them down more, oh and then another 2-3 for my buttons and then 6 for my flowers, but its a start and I feel happy with what I have achieved, I even used ribbon today!!! I can't wait to get the craft room done, it will look so nice with the shelves having all the jars on, oh and they were only £1.39 from TESCO!

Ok onto something that got me very excited today! I was out in the garden doing as I do and I looked into the girls sand and water table, I couldn't believe what I saw, it looked so amazing, the sun was shining and there was solid ice, with stones and leaves as well as the sand shaper things and you guessed it... BUBBLES!

I thought it just looked AMAZING! so funky and cool, so I just had to share these photos with you too, I can't wait to see what I can see on my travels tomorrow!

Thanks fro stopping by and hope to see you soon!

Just words....

2012-02-02T20:05:00.002Z

This is one of todays creations... I couldn't think of a sentiment for it, and so a rather boring title.... I think this is one that Amelia wants to send for valentines day... she needs three cards so she tells me (yes my daughter has three boyfriends?!?)... Well I have news for her, I will make one and she can make the rest!

Well I'm making cards just cause I can't do much else at the moment, were still having a lot of work done on the house, and I can't have the kids here when we have the men in, and so I'm making the most of the time and 'practising' as I'm calling it! Im loving it, I can clutter the whole lounge up at the moment!! I can't wait to get the craft room done! It now has had the walls skimmed and it has a light switch! So much still to be done in there before I can plan how I want it!

This is the beautiful Nevaeh from Saturated Canary, isn't she just stunning, I love colouring her... the detail on her dress is amazing!! I have used a new colour combo today for colouring her dress R29, R27, R22, R20. So happy with how she has turned out!

Her hair was coloured using E35, E33 and E31. Her skin was the usual suspects E02, E00, E000 and R20 for her cheeks, I used R02 for her lips. The bottoms of her shoes were coloured using C-7. Im not sure if you can see in the above phot but I have tried adding some 'dots' around her rather than shading. I just used a mix of the pens that had been used to colour her. Quite impressed for a first attempt!

Im still trying to give my idea of 'collaging' my pictures down, just feel it makes the post a bit lighter for you?! If you have any opinions on it let me know! Would love to hear what you think!

As you can see from the picture of her dress (Top Left) I have added some liquid pearls to her dress, the picture doesn't do it justice - It looks better on the real thing! You can also see the dots around her a bit more, I added some liquid pearls there too!! I used E35 to colour her eyes! The ribbon and papers are just rom my stash. Oh how i 'dislike' tying ribbons!

Well I hope you like her! I would like to enter her into the following challenges;

Belli Challenge - Hearts/ Valentines

Divas By Design - Anything goes

Inky Impression - Pearls or Bling (her skirt has liquid pearls on)

More Than Favors - Love
Saturated Canary - Pink, Red and White
Make It Crafty - Shading Red

Well I hope you will come back soon! Thanks for stopping by!

January Trends...

2012-02-01T15:14:00.000Z

Yes today is 1/2/12, where has the first month gone? I can't believe we have been living in the house over a month now!

Im not sure if anyone else does anything like this, but I have decided today that I am going to do a post once a month of what I have been 'obsessed' with... I notice that I go thought 'phases' of things, i just want to see if anythings shows more than others in a year! So here we are with January.

Sugar Nellie Stamps... I have used quite a few last month, many Pippi Longsocks although not all the creations with her have been posts, still many more to come!

Pencils.... Yes i have been trying to learn to colour with pencils, I love using them over my copics to get deeper colours!

Distressing.... I have noticed that I'm using my SU Distressing tool a lot as well as the collection of ever growing TH ink pads!

Embellishing.... Im trying harder and harder to use embellishments that actually match the card.

Well I think thats it for

Just to say hi!

2012-01-31T21:30:00.000Z

Evening all, well I can't believe we are at the end of january... can you?! Where has time gone? I have spent some time today looking back at last years creations... OMW how my colouring has changed, I have learnt so much in a year!

So one down 11 to go, I must force myself to get on with the old C word, I don't want another year like the last one! Im here to share a quick card I made yesterday, a friend called and asked for a card, and so I put this together for her!

Sorry about the photo, I have now found the charger to the camera so hopefully we will be getting better quality photos as of tomorrow, when I put the battery on to charge! I found a die I forgot I had, its a spellbinders leaves one, was going to sell it but decided that it may be somewhat useful now! All the flowers are from my stash and the leaves were cut from green bazzill.

Yes it Pippi again! I just can't help myself she is so adorable! I coloured her using my copics and added some black pencil for the darker areas. I can't tell you what colours as I didn't write them down! I did however follow the colour combo on the SN Facebook page!

I added stickles to her wings for extra shine, I need to find another way of making shimmery wings... thats a job for tomorrow!

I used the lovely circular sentiment from LOTV, they just fit so well with these lil fairies! I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Creative Card Crew - Fantasy

Die Cuttin Divas - Anything Goes

My Time to Craft - A is for Adorable

Sugar Nellie Facebook - Colour Combo

Believe the world is full of magic....

2012-01-31T15:30:00.000Z

Right now, I wish my lil world was full of sunshine! Its so cold here in the UK! My fingers feel like ice pops.... Roll on the summer is what I say! just looking out onto the garden today while crafting docent make me feel any better!!

I suppose it doesn't help that we have the 'boiler man' in this week, I can't wait to get it finished! New rads and rads in places that they should be! Oh it will be nice!!! Then it will be onto the kitchen.... mmm so looking forward to that one! NOT! Well i will be once its done!!!

Well I have been creating this morning, think in the process I have trapped the nerve in the top of my right arm as it hurts so much at the moment even when I'm typing! But here she is, one little ray of sunshine that I can't help but smile at! Pippi!!!

I have made this card for a friend of mine, its her birthday next week, I wanted something cute for her as I always remember her as cute!! I can't believe this person will be 17! I only seems like yesterday that I first met her and .... well I can't say too much more as I don't want her to see this and know its her!

Ohhh look new one from me, been trying the 'cloud' thing for ages and never managed to do it properly - so gave up hope and binned every effort, todays effort is better, still not 100% but I think it takes practice!! Im quite impressed though!

Ohhh this little one is so yummy!! I used B05 and B02 for her skirt and Top, B00, Y00 and Y000 for ever wings and shoes, her wings don't show much there but they look FAB! E11, E53, E21and a bit of E000 for her skin, was quite impressed with that on´, added E95 for her cheeks this time! E35, Yr23, YR16 and YR15 for her hair! I went all out today with colours, but then I have got all day today!

Some little flowers from my stash, I think they were from e-bay, I bulk ordered loads ages ago, must stock up soon! The papers are from my stash and the sentiment is a LOTV one!

I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Hooked on Crafts - Something Bright

Kaboodle Doodles - Make It Girly

Lollipop Crafts - Anything Goes

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

My Craft Spot - Anything goes

Hope to see you all soon

Top Tip Tuesday - Valentines Day!

2012-01-31T08:00:00.001Z

Morning all, well here we are another week of 2012 has gone, I can't believe how quick this year is going! Feels like only yesterday I was here wishing everyone a happy new year!

Well the house is moving along and we have the boiler man in! We should have the new boiler in and working and new rads by Friday - I'm sure I will keep you posted on that one!

Im here with the challenge for this fortnight over at TTT! This week were looking for

Valentines Day Creations

Yes its coming to that 'romantic' time of year where many will say I love you and most will say I will! I have never been a big fan of Valentines Day, Its a strange one to me! But I have made a card for the man I love and I will share it with you soon!

Our sponsors this week are;

Bugaboo Stamps

One lucky Random winner will win 7 Digi images for their choice

Robyn's Fetish

1 Lucky winner 4 stamps of their choice!

Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More is proud to sponsor this challenge.
Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps And More, a division of I Did It Creations, was created and is
owned by Robyn Weinrib. Robyn offers a wonderful variety of digital stamps and digital papers, designed to meet the needs of all digital paper crafting addicts for every occasion.

We have some FAB guest designers from Bugaboo, and our COE Winner Colin joining the team this week! I hope you will pop over and see their fab creations, also the AMAZING tutorial from Bettina! Please Please Please go and check it out!

Firstly I would like to introduce you to Elizabeth J, She is from Make It Crafty and I love her to bits! She is one of those that look harder than what she is and you LOVE to colour!

I must apologise for the next photo! I have taken it five times and I can't seem to get it any better! I need to find hubbies camera and charge it up!! I used so much stuff that I had forgotten about, the fab backing paper is from SU, the flowers were buried in a draw that had loads of paper in it! I also used the TH clock die, TH Adage Tickets that were distressed using TH vintage Photo and my copics and prismas to colour her!

You can see here why I was so chuffed with myself when I finished her, this photo was taken before I distressed the background but it looks even better now!

Copics;

R59, R46, R37 - Dress

E37, E35, E33, E31 - Hair

C0 - Gloves and Stockings

B05 - Eyes

E02, E00, E000, R20- skin and cheeks

Black prisma to add detail to the skirt brushed over with Zest Oil.

I used a SU tool I found to distress the edges of the paper, I love that little tool! Making so much use of it at the moment! I then used TH FireBrick and Vintage Photo to distress! I also distressed the SU backing paper with TH Vintage Photo!

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;

Card Cupids - valentines

Catered Crop - Newsprint

One Stitch at A Time - Use a Digi

The Crafty Pad - Valentines

Make It Colourful - Shade With Reds

I Copic Challenge - Reds

Make it Monday With Kraft Outlet - So Romantic

Stamp Out Theives

2012-01-28T12:08:00.001Z

I have copied this from another blog, I can't believe this... Thanks Marilou, I hope you don't mind me posting this too!

Do you love Saturated Canary images?

Then make sure you buy the real deal!!

Someone loves Krista Smith's images so much
that she has been attempting to COPY ...and sell them!!

The purpose of my post tonight,
is to educate you so you'll know better.

Buying the real deal supports the artist.

Buying copies, only supports a thief and further copyright theft.

Explanation:
There is a so called "artist" who has been flat out, no shame, copying and selling images so similar to Krista's (even using the same names) that it's very apparent that they are a copy!
(and not always a good copy)

It would be so sad to see Krista shying away from this
because of just one person lack of shame!

Please make sure, when you buy, that you always buy from Krista!

Sugar Nellie (rubber stamps)

Saturated Canary Blog

Saturated Canary Challenge blog

Krista's Saturated Canary etsy store

It's time for those who disrespect copyright laws
to receive ZERO TOLERANCE!!

Thank you!

Other blogs who have taken a STAND:

Fist Full of Glitter Cards by AJ
Give a Girl a Blog
Cards by Tiets

Getting Down and Dirty with Keith, Tim and...

2012-01-27T14:13:00.002Z

A Steampunk.... yes that is what I have just told my husband, she shock in his voice was so funny! He has taken youngest to snakes and ladders, its an indoor soft play area and he left me here with nothing to do! and just to clarify, were taking Keith Urban, Tim Holtz and a Digi Stamp!

Anyway firstly I want to share a picture of the bedroom that was plastered yesterday! looking good... I can't wait for it to dry!!! Getting excited about painting it! Thinking colour schemes and carpets now!

Now for a dirty photo! This was after washing my hands with lynx shower gel! I just couldn't resist this shop, enjoying taking photos at the moment, using an app on my phone instagram, LOVE it! you can do all sorts with it! and share them and follow others, if you have an iPhone I would recommend getting it for just playing around with!

I have used the gorgeous LIL Victorian Luca! He has been in a file on the computer that I forgot about, I have had him for ages I also think that I have never had the courage to colour him! You may have noticed my going throughout a 'brown' phase! Im not sure whats come over me, but Im loving colouring in brown and distressing and ahh its bliss! and I love being messy too!

I pulled out my TH dies, as well as the adage tickets and a charm from my stash and the ink was TH Vintage Photo. The card base was made from a piece of 12x12 kraft card I had in my stash and the die cuts were cut from the paper too, then distressed them with the TH ink!

He was coloured with pencils all except the skin, usual suspects here.... E02, E00, E000 and R20 for his cheek! The pencils I'm using are Prismacolours, I got them from e-bay a week or so ago and I LOVE using them - Want to get some more!

I also used some orange in this one to make him stand out a bit more! I have to say I don't know what I was scared of, he was lovely to colour!!

I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Aud Sentiment Challenge - Love

CropStop -Time (The TH Clock Die)

Simon Says Stamp- Anything Goes

Truly Scrumptious - Something forgotten (Digi Stamp)

Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again soon!

Hugs

Love Letters....

2012-01-26T22:50:00.000Z

Evening all, well I know I only posted a little while ago, have been trying to write that post all afternoon, been busy with the kids! Amelia now does tap and modern on a Thursday after school and so its a long day for her and me! Any how, its been another busy day for hubby, today the plasterer was in and he managed to get the whole of the small room done! WOW! The photos not very good as its dark outside and we have no light switch in there now... so no light!

Anyway, before I started that post earlier today I did sit and colour this beautiful little lady! This is love Letter from Sugar Nellie, I have coloured her a few times but never been happy. Today was a different story, I also tied this card in with the Sugar Nellie Facebook challenge!

Here she is up-close, I was so happy with her hair this time, I have coloured it with pencils. Again everything except the skin was pencils, the skin I used my usual suspects! E02, E00, E000 and R20 for her cheeks. Over at the Sugar Nellie blog this week there is a fab sketch and the option of paper piecing. Its been something I have been playing with the last week or so as its been so long since I did. On this image i decided to paper piece that letters in kraft card stock.

I decided to make my own sentiment 'Letters sent with love.... They are just not enough'. I printed it off on a scrap of paper from my box to tie in a bit more with the pink and grey. I have also always wanted to make a scroll on a card, but never known the right time to try, and so I decided that tonight was the night! Not sure if I'm happy with the way it has turned out!?!

Well I hope you like my creation, I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Sugar Nellie Facebook Challenge - Pink and Grey

The Sugar Bowl - Sketch and Paper Piecing

Aud Sentiments Designs - Love

Craft Us Crazy - Love

Travel Light...

2012-01-26T20:31:00.000Z

Morning all, well its been a busy few days for the boys, they have at last managed to strip the hall and landing and we have the plasterer in today to hopefully get the small room done!

Here are some photos of the small room before we started. The room was a very pale pink, we have stripped the walls and found the gorgeous floorboards! And some other bits that made me giggle, I love the pull cord above the bed!

Its getting there, I would hope to have some photos next week of the room nearly finished! even if it is just dried plaster and the switches in the room! I cat wait to get the first room done, especially as it may well be the craft room! Onto the card.... Well while going through the computer yesterday I found a digi of suitcases that i had, it then reminded me of this lovely Sugar Nellie stamp I have, called Travel Lite, I think she is beautiful, if only my hair would look like that!

I made this card with the Sugar Nellie Facebook challenge in mind, the theme this week is pink and grey, The problem I had is that I don't have pink pencils, so I had to improvise and mix up my own pink! I used my cuttlebug embossing folder to emboss half the card, just to add something different, I then added the pink poker-dot ribbon that was in my stash. I did use my sponges and my Tim Holtz Spun Sugar ink pad to distress half the card!

Here is is up close. I coloured her using my pencils all except the skin, I used my normal combination of copics of E02, E00, E000 and R20 for her cheeks. I added some liquid pearls to her dress but I'm not sure that I like them now!

The sentiment was printed from my computer. I have my cousin coming up to see me soon and I can't wait, Im going to send this card to her with all my details in, just so she knows where she is coming!

Well there you have it! I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Sugar Nellie Facebook Page - Pink and Grey

Charisma Cardz - Pretty in Pink

Hanna and Friends - Pink and Grey

I hope you like her and if you have time I would love to read what you think! Thanks for taking the time to stop by!

Hugs

Top Tip Tuesday - #68 Mid Week....

2012-01-26T12:50:00.000Z

Afternoon all, just realised that I should have posted this yesterday! I am so sorry!

Who's Caught our Eye this week at Top Tip Tuesday?

We are halfway through our Sketch challenge, and Its time to share the creation that caught our eye!

There is also a fab Cracked Glass tutorial fro Lisa Make sure you stop by to see both!

Life is beautiful, magnificent thing, even to a jellyfish...

2012-01-24T09:20:00.000Z

As said by Charlie Chaplin, I had heard loads about him, but never really known much, if that makes any sense?!

Well he was my inspiration tonight, I need to make a male card for my cousin, and as you all know I dislike making male cards, men, man, what ever you want to call call them, I personally have a disliking to making them cards, little boys are so easy to create for!

On the subject of boys... Mark (hubby) has a friend over and as he is helping take more paper off the walls tomorrow so he is staying the night. Now 3 years ago we went to Canada and Richard got the name 'Scary Hairy Man', I will never know why we called him that! My little Amelia (at just over 4 1/2) was over the moon that Richard was coming over, when he came in that house my little Amelia started blushing! It was so adorable!!

Anyway onto what I'm here for!

This is the beautiful 'The Tramp' from Mo Manning. I have had him sat on the computer for ages and never used him, never had the 'get up and go' to colour him. Tonight I have out done my self and Im very proud!

He was coloured with pencils all bar the skin, again the wonderful copics came out, just the normal ones, E02, E00, E000 and R20 for his cheek! The background was distressed with Tim Holtz brushed corduroy and my wonderful lil sponge thing I have to help me along the way!

I printed everything from my computer, the sentiments were all printed from just using the word document. I have started to make the first letters on words larger than the rest as I feel it stands more! I believe the font is apple chancery, I love this font and seem to use it a lot at the moment!

While making this card I needed to research a bit about Charlie Chaplin, I love using quotes from the real person and this one just stood out to me, I would have used so many different ones but this one just felt right!

Now this little tool is one that hasn't seen the light of day for a long time! My quickutz, the card looked blank and as Chaplin was a composer as well as a director, actor ect I felt musical notes would finish the card nicely! I just cut then from kraft card stock.

Yes I even got the guts to decorate the inside of the card, not something that I often do! So all in all it was a pretty good night! I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Crafty Bloggers Network - Distressing

Daisy Doodles - Anything Goes

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Thank you for stopping by and hope you will come back soon!

x

Adventure is Worthwhile in its self....

2012-01-23T12:07:00.001Z

As Amelia Earheart would have said! I love adventures and this card sure has been one!

I purchased this stamp ages ago from Funky Kits, I know another Sugar Nellie, but I LOVE THEM! This is Amelia and If I'm honest I didn't buy her because I liked her.... I brought her because of her name! Anything that has the girls names on I have to have! Its not so easy with nancy as theres not much with her name... other than the Adorables dig again Sugar Nellie!

Yesterday she 'fell' out of the cupboard and I thought it was a sign and so I gave it a go! She was coloured using polychromes except for her skin, that was done with copics E02, E00, E000 and R20 for her cheeks. The clock die is the Tim Holtz one, its had a bit of use the last few days, it will need to go back into hiding at this rate!

Above you can see her a bit closer, I was rather impressed at how she tuned out, I don't normally like colouring in browns but on this occasion... I rather enjoyed it! You can't see it too well but the papers at the back of the image were printed from the computer! They were both steampunk design papers from a website that I found!

Im also trying something new with my photos. SOmetimes there are just too many photos and so I have a new app on my phone that lets you create these little collages, quite like them so i think you will be seeing more like this!

The ticket is from the Tim Holtz adage ticket book I have, I roughed the edges and used brushed corduroy to distress it a bit more, The charm is just from my stash, I LOVE them, have a few more but don't want to use them all! The sentiment was just printed off the computer, I do wish I had done it slightly larger - but its all a learning curve! The flowers were just from my stash!

I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Catered Crop - Use Newsprint or Printed paper (closer image added above)

PanPastel UK - Use Two of Something (two roses)

Sir Stamp A lot - Monochrome

Craft your Days Away - Distressing

I love reading what you think, so if you have time please leave a comment!

Hope you like her! See you all soon!

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

2012-01-22T20:21:00.000Z

Evening all, well aint I becoming the 'busy blogger'! Feels like I have spent some time 'back home' today! Well Par of the reason was I had a fab lil comment from a new but old friend, if that makes sense?!

Susan from Mix Meanderings have been chatting for a while now over on the Sugar Nellie Facebook page, yes you know I'm somewhat obsessed with Sugar Nellie Stamps. Yesterday she became one of my latest followers and today.... well the lovely lady has given me and award!

So I firstly want to say a BIG THANK YOU! to Susan. Please pop over and show her some love, some beautiful and inspiring creations over there!

The idea of the Liebster award is to spread the love from one small blog (under 200 followers) to other small blogs. This helps spread knowledge and readership! and you never know who you will meet along the way!

Leibster in German means 'dearest', so as part of the Leibster award tradition, I am going to pass this award onto five blogs that I value, and that have both inspired and motivated me!

To accept the award you must;

1) Link back to there person that gave it to you, and thank them for thinking of you

2) Post the award to your Blog

3) Give the award to 5 bloggers (that have less than 200 followers) that you appreciate and value

4) Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know something is waiting for them!

I would like to pass this award to;

(1) Michelle and Helen are new to the land of blogging, I know Michelle from over on the Sugar Nellie Facebook Page, I love her colouring and her Michelle's recent post is beautiful! Please please please pop over and share some love, I'm sure you will be very inspired over there!

(2) Marilyn over at One Stamping Fool her collating is AMAZING! Love her recent pirate card! Oh how I wish it was me that created it!

(3) Jane over at Janey's Cards her cards are always so FAB! she always get the right colours together and well, she is FAB!!

(4) Shell over at Shells Space - Her Scrapbook pages are to die for, they always look so amazing, one day I will get the bee back to start scrapping again!

(5) Karen at Karens Kreative Kards - Her cards are always so bold, love her style!!

Well that is all I have to share with you right now! But I hope to be back tomorrow with some creation... I'm off to play with my pencils!

Butterflies and Pigtalis...

2012-01-22T08:58:00.000Z

Morning all, well I have been a busy bee! Will have a post to share a bit later with you for the wedding invitations I have made! But in-between all of those I have been making the effort to colour for me a bit more! I have quite a few birthdays in january and febuary and so I want to try and get on top of all of the cards! So far I have managed to complete january! Not bad for me, to say I normally wait till the afternoon of someones birthday to make their card!

This is the gorgeous Butterflies and Pigtails, yes your guessed it Sugar Nellie! She is one of the first one I brought and she has not had the use she should have! Im noticing that I'm going through a 'funny colour' phase at the moment! Im not sure what is happening with me! Oranges and Greens, what will it be next! The paper is from my stash, I have so much paper at the moment!!!

Again, more flowers had to be put on here, while making this card I said to hubby that i think I need to get some more flowers, he looked and laughter and told me that I need more flowers like he needs more spanners. Now he is the one who told me you can never have too many spanners.... So I will assume he agrees!

I love this punch! One of the punches I go back to all the time, I think I need to buy a new one soon! Its a kinda giving up the ghost! But while it works, it works! I went around the edge of the butterfly with diamond stickles to give more detail!

Here she is, I just love her! I have coloured her using my faber castle pencils and zest oil over the top! Her skin was coloured using my copics's E02, E00, E000 and R20 for her cheeks! I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Flutterby wednesdays - Anything Goes

Whimsical Wednesdays - Anything Goes

Cupcake Craft Room - Anything Goes

Hope to see you soon

Wish...

2012-01-21T19:33:00.000Z

Evening all, well today I have managed to have ME time! Its been FAB! Been stood in the kitchen with the hatch open watching (and listening) to the kids! Every now and then one of them has stood at the hatch asking questions, Amelia's favourite has been 'what does it look like now?'. Well at about 4pm I finished it! And here she is....

Yes so I have this 'thing' about pippi, and its not going to go away for a very very very long time, she is just so lovely to colour! If you haven't seen her before she is from Sugar Nellie and available from Funky Kits. I'm also going through a thing of orange at the moment, I have been using it a lot, mainly when I use pencils and I think I'm getting better with them, i would just like to learn skin tones with pencils! Oh well it will come with time!

I used a few bits that have been 'sat' away and never used 1st was the raffia down the side, it has been sat in the draw for ages, never thought of how to use it, but thought it looked nice! Also the clock die at the back of the image, its the Tim Holtz one. I brought it ages ago and never been able to find the right card for it to go on.

I just love these flowers, I think they were all from e-bay, I know they cam from abroad and they were here in super quick time too! I have a massive draw full of them and haven't been using them much, But I think I will be using them more and more, they just add such a nice finish to cards! I have also been 'making sprays' from them rather than just cutting and sticking them, it makes life a lot easier.

Here she is a bit closer! All except her skin was coloured with my pencils (faber castle) and a bit of zest oil over the top! So happy with how she has turned out! The skin was coloured with copics using E02, E00, E000 and R20 for her cheeks! I added some 'diamond' stickles to her wings.

Again, the Tim Holtz adage tickets. I have used them before but never been happy with the way they looked, today it all just fell together, I distressed the edges and used the Tim Holtz distress ink Brushed Corduroy to age it. So happy with how it turned out!

The Die cut shape is from a set that I purchased thinking they were nesties and they are not, I have to say I'm not very happy with them as the bend after the 1st use, But I LOVE the shape! Will have to save the pennies and buy some proper spellbinder ones! I used an idea I have seen about a lot lately and thats just adding the lines around the edge of the die cut shape. I was very nervous as I have tried so many times and it has always gone wrong! But on this occasion, it went well. the clock was cut from Neenah card stock and I used Time Holtz Iced Spruce ink to get the colour!

I would like to enter her into the following challenges;

Alphabet Challenge Blog - Y is for - You Choose

Cardmaking Mamas - Something Old (The die is old!)

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - Glitter (her Wings are glittered!)

Stamping With the Dragon - Anything Goes

4 Crafty Chicks - Summer In January

Moving Along With The Times - Things With Wings

I hope you like her! I love coming here and seeing your comments so if you have time please feel free to tell me what you think! Will be back soon with more creations - I hope!

One of Those....

2012-01-20T09:16:00.000Z

Weeks, yes it feels like weeks at the moment since I last had time to sit down and have some ME time! I have been very busy with thinking (yes thats hard for me and the amount of sawdust not the floor... well we could keep a rabbit for at least a year!). Its that time of year when 'panic' sets in for those that are to be married this year! (Oh and those in 2014 that want the earth for their invitations!)

Middle of last year I made some save the dates for a friend, who reminded me last week she had 18 weeks till the wedding! Me in the 'moment' stayed calm, but my head started thinking OK 18 weeks, thats not long at all! Day invitations, evening invitations, wedding guest book, table names, table plan, thank you's. Well It will all be OK! I'm sure it will!

The final design hadn't been set and so I sent her a few over and we have decided on the final design, and tonight (in-between a few drinks with my favourite girls) I have managed to get a few done, think they may take longer than planned, but thats what 'all-nighters' are for! Im going to keep you in suspense till they are done, but thought I would stop by any how and I can share one little beauty with you!

This is Butterflies and Pigtails from the my favourite lil shop, Funky Kits, I really have to shop using their stamps and blogging about them like I do as ever time i go onto their page I spend money! Isn't she just adorable though! I coloured her using my copics and my pencils, I am quite impressed with the way she turned out!

The problem came when I came to making her into a card.... I appear to be loving to colour at the moment but not very good at finishing of, I done know if its just because I know I have to tidy everything up or what!

I just made her into a very simple Thank You card, well you never know when you may need one!

Well I best get on and get my house tidy and get on with the invitations!

Hugs

Top Tip Tuesday - #68 A Sketch!

2012-01-17T09:07:00.001Z

Morning all, you must be able to tell now that nothing is scheduled on my blog at the moment, have got my self behind with the house stuff and not and time to sit and get a post written in time! Im here with this weeks TTT challenge! But first up I would like to thank each and every one of you that joined in for our 1st challenge of 2012, WOW over 600 entries you must have all been feeling the 'anything goes'. Please pop over to the TT blog and check the side bar to see if your a winner!!

OK on to our sponsors this week!

Stamp & Create

Top Tipper Prize of
$25.00

Stamp and Create is an on-line store based in the US. We ship worldwide with reasonable shipping prices.
We specialize in Rubber Stamps and Scrapbook supplies. Some of the companies we carry are: Wags 'n Whiskers Rubber Stamps, High Hopes Rubber Stamps, Whiff of Joy, The Greeting Farm, Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, Stampavie, Whimsy Stamps, Emerald Faeries, Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye, Echo Park, Ribbon, Charms, embellishments, dies, and more!

and

Karens Doodles

...with a prize of 3 Digital Images of the winners choice.

Karen's Doodles has a fantastic selection of designs, Digital and Rubber stamps.

Look out for some of Karen's fab images in our DT samples :)

and

Sew Sweet

The Lovely Emma from Sew Sweet is offering 1 lucky entrant

a £10.00 voucher to spend at her yummi shop.

Sew Sweet stock a huge selection of Wool felt, buttons, ribbon, divine twine, Handmade personalised gifts, findings and more.

And here are the FAB sketches from our wonderful Lisa! - You can do one or both! Cant wait to see what you all create!

Sketch 1: Layers

Sketch 2: Clean and Simple

You may rotate or flip the sketch, add a few extra embellishments or elements but please ensure the original sketch is clearly visible in your finished creation.

Ok so onto my card. I chose to attempt sketch 1. Last week I thought I was doing really well and it all went a bit wrong I had a block and that was it, I hope you like my card!

Yes I know what your saying... She's obsessed with that stamp! YES I AM, and Im happy to shout it! Its the beautiful Pippi Longsocks from Funky Kits! Trust me - you WILL be seeing more and more of here, I think she may be my obsession of 2012!

I coloured her using my copics and added some polychrome pencils to add depth!

Wings - BG000 Plus Stardust Stickles

Skin - E02, E00, E000 and R20 for cheeks

Frog - YG23 and YG09

Hair - E79, E37, E15

Skirt and Top - B95, B93 B02

The papers are all from my scrap box that has finally come home!! (along with another three draws and my big shot and all my dies!) Things with the house are at a bit of a stand still as we need to get a radiator moved in the room before we can finish it and get the kitchen done, so I will be making the most and crafting!!!

I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Sugar Nellie Facebook Challenge - Green, Blue and White

Try It On Tuesday - Do You Believe In Fairies?

Thanks for stopping by and see you soon!

Best Day Ever...

2012-01-16T12:49:00.000Z

Well not for me its not, Im having one of those days where nothing is going right, I keep trying things and I can't do it!I was about to give up, then I looked in my cupboard and saw this beauty. She is one of the new releases from Sugar Nellie over at Funky Kits, and so I thought... well I need to at least try!

I just fell in love with her when I 1st saw her, She was coloured using my copic markers and my Polychrome pencils. I will have to pop back later and let you know what colours I used. I have tried to tie her in with a couple of challenges, the 1st being the Sugar Nellie challenge over on the SN Facebook page. Also I have used the sketch from the Sugar Bowl to create this card.

The papers were from my 'scrap draw' I believe the paper is a Bo Bunny. I also managed to use my nesties, now that they are home! Im hoping that they are going to inspire me a bit more!

Well I hope you like her! I would like to enter her into the following challenges;

The Sugar Bowl - Sketch plus optional theme of Birthdays

Sugar Nellie Facebook Challenge - Blue, Green and White

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs

Happy Birthday Mummy!

2012-01-14T09:30:00.000Z

Morning all, well today is my mums birthday. I should be out the door by now but my big girl feels poorly and decided that she didn't want to go to ballet today, It makes me sad that she doesn't want to go, but on the other side she is quite congested and with how cold it is here, its probably best that she stays in!

Tonight we have my Mum, Dad and Sister over for dinner (well take away!) as its mums birthday, Some of you may have seen the card I made yesterday for my mum, I was going to do that one from the girls, but Amelia was insistent that she chose her own card for Nanny! Its a good job I have a stash at the moment, cause time would not be on my side if I needed to make another card!

I made this one a while back, way before we moved. This stamp is from a set I purchased from Quixotic Paperie, its the Elizabeth Bell for SCACD its from a set called 'Peekers' and she is called Daydreaming. I can't give you any ideas as to what colours I used, although I did keep her very simple! I wanted to give this card to Amelia's ballet teacher for her birthday but Im not sure when that is! This was one of the 1st images that I tried to get the colours blended properly when using Copics!

I think I was most impressed with the shadow! and her skirt!
I would like to enter her into the following challenges;

Alphabet Challenge Blog - You Choose (Anything Goes)
Card Craft Circle Challenge - Happy Birthday
Winter Wonderland - Birthday Wishes

Well I hope you like her, I can't wait to read what you think!

x

I Do Believe in Fairies...

2012-01-13T21:23:00.005Z

Evening all, well we have had most of the day with the power on and off, the electrician was in and has done the front bedroom and the hall, we now have fab spotlights in the hall, I have taken some photos but I will share them later! So we now need to fill in the holes and decorate the front room so we can all play musical bedrooms for a while!!!

Well as I had nothing better to do, plus I needed to make my mums Birthday card, I decided to move my table to the window and craft, I had a pretty good day.

Yesterday I received a little parcel with a lovely lil stamp called Pippi Longsocks and some other lovely stamps too the are all available from Funky Kits. Now I have seen so many lovely creations with her recently I just couldn't resist. I did want to play yesterday but time was not on my side. And so I have made the most of 'natural light' and a view over my garden (with the added extra of the boxes!)...

Ok so not the best view I know, all the boxes obstruct what will hopefully be a nice view in the summer! but I enjoyed watching the pidgins in my garden with the occasional apperience from a blue tit or two oh and I have one or two ring necked doves!

Anyway back to what I'm here for, when I coloured this image today I didn't know what sentiment I was going to use. All I did know if that it was going to be my mums birthday card! By chance I saw a set of LOTV sentiments I had 'forgotten' about, on there was the most perfect sentiment for my card! While stamping it, it reminded me of being in the old house before christmas and watching a tinkerbell film with Amelia!

So from that all I have thought is 'I do believe in fairies, I do, I do!'. Plus there is a long standing 'joke' between my mum and I about pixies in the tree! So i felt this sentiment just finished it!

For this card I have tried to follow the sketch over at the Sugar Bowl

I hope you can see it, Im not feeling sketches too much at the moment!!

(EDIT 14/1/2012 - I have looked this morning and made a couple of changes to my card, I am changing this photo as it now looks more like the SB sketch! But I haven't redone any of the other photos!)

Isn't she just the cutest?! I love her so much that I have coloured her twice more today, she is so lovely to colour!!! I used some of my new pencils too! Im just starting to 'learn' to mix my pencils with my pens and the results are amazing! I have to admit, I wants sure on the pink and orange to start off with, but I think she is kinda funky!

As you can see here, I also found some skeleton leaves stashed away, I have always wanted to use them on projects but never known how to stick them. On here I just used silicone at the bottoms of them so it would not be seen, and mounted Pippi on silicone too!

Here she is up close, I just love her so much. She was coloured using Copics and Polychrome Pencils;

Colours;

Wings; Y11, Y00, Y000 and Cadium Yellow (Pencil)

Skin; E02, E00, E000 and R20 on her cheeks

Frog; YG23 and YG09

Hair; E15, E79, E59 and Walnut Brown (Pencil)

Skirt and Top; Y38, Y35, Y15, Deep Scarlet Red (Pencil) and Dark Cadmium Orange (Pencil)

Spots and Shoes; R13, R14 and BV29

The papers were just from my stash and the stickles were Icicle!

I just LOVE the way her skirt turned out! I was shocked at myself for it, especially as it has been so long since I properly sat and coloured with decent light! You can see I added stickles to her wings, I want to try and get some powders to do the wings with as sometimes stickles is too much. Im not sure if you can see the small pearl drop I added to the wing too?! Just added a bit more depth!

Now here is the sentiment, I felt this just fitted so well!! Due to not having my big shot at the moment I had to cut this out by hand, don't think I did a too bad job!!! I also added some stickles to this to tie it in a bit more!

I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Sugar Bowl - Sketch - Option of Birthday (Its for my mums birthday!)

CRAFT Challenge - Celebrations

Craft Us Crazy - Anything New (The Stamp is New)

Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Anything goes

Moving Along With The Times - Spots and/or Stripes (Stripy Backing paper)

Flutterby Wednesday - Bright Colours

Flourishes - Colour Inspiration (Pink and Orange)

My Mums Craft Shop - Here come the Girls

7 Kids College Fund - New (New Stamp and New to colouring With pencils and Pens)

Whimsy Inspires - Happy Birthday (Its for my Mums birthday!)

Stampin for the Weekend - Out With The Old (The sentiment stamp and the leaves are well.... )

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Well I can't wait to read what you think, Im going back to do some more colouring, I still have one card to make before tomorrow and at the moment I could just sleep!!!

See you Soon

My Top 11 of 2011

2012-01-10T18:40:00.000Z

Ok so I have been hunting blog land for inspiration, I have a lack of it again tonight!!! And I have see lots of people have selected cards that they created last year and shown them off again, and so I have decided that I would share

'My Top 11 of 2011'

(Well 11 seemed the best number!)

Easel Card using image from Mo Manning

Christmas Card using Whiff Of joy Stamps

Baby Boy Card using Sugar Nellie Bambino from Funky Kits

Mothers Day Card using Whiff of Joy Stamp Set

Husband Card using Stampin Up Stamp

Daughter Card using Image from Mo Manning

Someone Special Card Using Digital Papers

Clean and Simple Card using Sugar Nellie Bad Hare Day from Funky kits

Christmas card using Whiff Of Joy Stamp

I Love Thee card, Image from Saturated Canary

Blank Card using Saturated canary Image

Well its not very exciting, but I can't wait to use these images again this year and see how my creations change!

Hugs

A bit of Inspiration... TTT anything goes wk 2

2012-01-10T15:27:00.005Z

Afternoon all, I was meant to sit and write this last night, but the pencils got the better of me and I couldn't be bothered to move! At last we appear to have the internet up and running, feels good being online again, I have missed being on here and seeing everyones creations!

I apologise for my photos, in the new house I am going to be struggling for a while to find suitable places to take my photos, the house needs a 'make over' as well as the light is appalling! We only have wall lights in the lounge and so the light is a bit rubbish!

Anyway I'm here with a little inspiration for you for the challenge over at Top Tip Tuesday, as we are now a bi-weekly challenge blog, were adding an inspiration post for you all to see! This is a card I have made for a very close friend to say Thank you for our christmas presents, once again she has spoilt us all!

I have used a stamp that I brought last year before we moved, it so happened that the stamp got 'put away' and i had forgotten about it, I purchased her from quixotic paperie a little while ago. She is from the 'blush society' from The Greeting Farm. I want to get the other ones, I think they are so cute, and the matching stamps are wonderful!

I coloured here using copics BV00 and BV02, her skin was using E000, E00, E02 and R20 for her cheeks, OK so that was off the top of my head and I can't remember her hair colour! I used a shaped card blank as I have no idea where the rest of my blanks are! The papers and rhinestones are from my stash, I just felt she needed a bit of bling! The papers were from my stash, I did have a bit of a paper spree as the craft chop behind my new house was closing down and papers had 70% off! and so i had to treat myself to a paper rack too!

The sentiment is on the stamp, I was thinking about cutting it down so I could place it anywhere but I really like it when I stamp it and it comes out like it does, I messed up on a few occasions hence the shadow around here, I have to say after three weeks of not colouring, its quite hard to pick up from where you left off!

This is a tag that I purchased from someone on Facebook, I am useless at making tags and so someone made a few up for me, I am going to try and see if I can get some more made in different colours, it was just by chance that the colours matched so well!

I would like to enter this into the following challenges;

Cupcake Craft Challenges - Something New (The stamp is new)

House of Gilli - Anything goes

Lexis Creations - Anything Goes

Stamp and Create - Anything Goes

Squigglefly - Thank you

Truley, Madly, Crafty - Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes

Gingerloft - Anything Goes

Sketchy Colours - Colour inspiration

Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Anything Goes Challenge - Anything Goes

Ladybug Crafts Ink - Something New (Stamp is New)

Sparkle Creations - Something New (Stamp Is New)

Well I hope you will join us this week for our 1st bi-weekly challenge at TTT, Good Luck and hope to see you soon!

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes - Week 2!

2012-01-10T08:30:00.001Z

WOW - we are only half way through this weeks challenge and what an amazing turnout we have had so far!! I guess you like our

ANYTHING GOES
challenge!

There is still one week to go to enter the challenge, however, we wanted to showcase the creation that half way through who has

CAUGHT OUR EYE!!

The mid-challenge 'Caught Our Eye' winner, who wins a Guest Designer Spot is:

Audhild
with this absolutely AMAZING creation!!

Thats just the front of it, make sure you go and visit her blog to view inside of the box - AMAZING!!

Congratulations!! Please contact us at toptiptuesday@hotmail.co.uk for the details of the
Guest Designer information and also to get the code for your badge to show on your blog!!

We also have some fabulous 2nd week inspiration

From StampFairy Design Team

Jackie

Dora

How gorgeous are those??!
Remember, there is still a week to go of our ANYHING GOES challenge - please click here
to take you to the current challenge to add your creation, which is open until Monday 16th January.

From the TTT girlies

Top Tip Tuesday #67 - Anything Goes And News!

2012-01-03T08:00:00.005Z

EDIT - Well we are settling well in the house, net not 100% at the moment so it keeps logging in and out! Will hope to add some pictures soon!!

Good Morning!

Well here we are the first challenge of 2012 for Top Tip Tuesday, I have to say I don't know where last year went, its flew by, only feels like yesterday that I wished everyone a happy 2011!. As I have scheduled this post I can't say what I'm actually doing but probably getting the house ready for the re-wiring that due to start on January 9th! We are between houses as we have access to stay at my MIL's for a few days while our house is turned into dust city!

OK so onto the challenge!

This week....

ANYTHING GOES!

We have some wonderful sponsors this week

Simon Says Stamp

Stamp Fairy

Crimson Cloud

Ok so onto some inspiration for you, not that I think you need any as this one is so nice and simple for 2012!

Oh how I love anything goes... although I do wish I had more 'get up and go' to create something a bit different!!!

This is the gorgeous Hand Me Downs from Saturated Canary, Im obsessed with these digs, I have a little unit of draws where I keep odds and bits and I have a draw full of coloured digs from SC - and another draw full of ones to colour! I can't get enough of colouring them!

This is a card I created for any occasion, I have to say I was so happy with the way her dress turned out, it was the 1st attempt and the green and pink matched rather nicely! Im finding now that I'm getting used to colouring with copics and now want to start adding more of the sketch markers to my collection! although I do miss my pro markers!

Here she is up-close, now as I coloured her a while ago I can't remember what colours I used, I even added pink in her hair - now that was a mad moment!! I was also very happy with the way her hair turned out! - all in all i think this is on of my best colourings to date, and yes I will make my head get big but I'm feeling more positive about my colouring and my style now! Its not always how long something takes to do, but its the end result!

Im loving these little bows, keep adding them to bits these days, I think its because I can't tie bows, its quite funny I normally wait for my mum to come over so she can tie a bow for me (she is a champion bow tie person in my mind!) - but these are so simple and so effective!

Well there you have it! I hope you like her, I think she may have to be one of my 'keeps'! Stick her on my craft room wall when I get time! I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Cupcake craft Room - Anything Goes

iCopic Challenge - Smooth/Shiny Hair

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

The pink Elephant - Anything Goes

Truly, Madly, Crafty Challenges - Anything Goes

One Stitch at a Time - Use A Digi

Pile It On - Anything Goes

Well I hope I may have inspired you to join us this week, we are after all easing you into the new year the best way possible with

ANYTHING GOES!

Welcome to 2012!

2012-01-01T19:25:00.000Z

Evening all, well I apologise that I haven't managed to post for a while and if this shows I'm pretty lucky! Firstly I would like to wish you all a Happy new Year! I can't believe 2012 is here, feels like only yesterday we were welcoming 2011!

Well we are now moved into the new house and its FAB, Im loving having all this space! this girls are sharing a room at the moment and I think they will continue sharing, we have decided that we would like a computer/craft room and I think I like the idea too, at least I will then be able to lock myself away when I want to, well within reason! We have a lot of work to do before we get to the stage of fully deciding, we are hopeful that the re-wire will start on Friday... we have stripped the front bedroom of the fabulous wood chip paper, oh my will I be gad to see the back of that! I have even had a bit of the chip stuck in my toe and it still hurts now!!!

Well I hope you are all well, I'm hopeful that the internet will sort its self out soon, had enough of the 'go slow' that it does!

Im not going to risk trying to add any photos at the moment, don't want the net to crash on me! But as soon as things are sorted I will add some for you all!

Hope you well, take are and see you soon

2011-12-20T08:00:00.051Z

EDIT; Just thought I would let you all know, We are moving on Thursday (22/12) so I won't be on here till the earliest 29th Dec (we have no phone line till then!) I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and if I don't get here before a wonderful new year!

x

Morning all, well here we are, 5 days till santa will be coming down the chimney! I can't wait, I know Amelia is very excited about the countdown now, Nancy I think is still a bit young to understand, I can't wait to see their little faces on Christmas day with all their presents!

Im here this morning with this weeks challenge from Top Tip Tuesday!

With the big day just around the corner we have what should be a nice and easy challenge for you all! Were looking for

ANYTHING CHRISTMAS!

Now that should be easy?! Those last minute Christmas Cards and extra special handmade gifts, or what about some handmade wrapping paper?! I can't wait to see your creations!

And this week there are some wonderful Tips from the girls, so pop over and see what that have to share with you! Plus if you share a tip with us (when you add your name to the link, please add TIP after) you can be in with a chance of winning our tipper prize!!

Our sponsors this week are

Stash Books - Who is offering our featured tipper an amazing book

(Pic of book To follow)

A bit about Stash Books: Stash Books is an imprint of C&T Publishing located in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you’re craving beautiful authenticity in a time of mass-production…Stash Books is for you. Stash Books is a new line of how-to books celebrating fabric arts for a handmade lifestyle. Backed by C&T Publishing’s solid reputation for quality, Stash Books will inspire you with contemporary designs, clear and simple instructions, and engaging photography.

And

Karens Doodles

Who offer a fantastic selection of designs in both digital and rubber stamps,

They are offering our Winner three Digis of their choice from the store!

Well I will share with you my little creation now, I had made this card for a friend. It was for her dad from her children, as some of you may have seen me say before I struggle with men all year round, Christmas is just as hard I find... but then I came across this cutie from Mo's Digital Pencil - He is called 'Shall I Play For You', now I think is is once of the cutest digs I have seen, he has been sat on my computer since last year, I only used him once and then Christmas had come and gone again!

I apologise for the deceiving colour on the above photo, I can't seem to find the original, and as the card is now on someones wall I can't take another photo, A good job the rest of the pictures came out OK! Here this little man it a bit closer, I love the little dog sat next to him, I can also think of so many sentiments I want to try with him - especially christmas ones!

If you have come over from the TTT blog you would have seen my tip this week about making your own sentiments using a word/pages document on your computer, you can make them as small or large as you want and cut them to the shape you want too! I decided to use the wording 'Christmas Wishes for a Special Granddad' on this card, I printed a few different ones off all at the same time to make use of the paper!

Both the image and sentiments were printed on Neenah card stock from Crafters Companion and the image was coloured with my copic pens - now once again I can't tell you what colours as I never wrote them down - plus with the move I can't find my lil book anywhere!

I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Bearly Mine - Anything Goes

Everybody Art Chalenge - Anything Goes

My time To Craft - Winter pals

Try It On Tuesday - Anything Goes

Make It Moday - Anything Goes

Now I hope that many of you will join in with us this week! I can't wait to see what you have created! Remember if you have a moment pop by the TTT blog and share some love with the fab girls over there!

See you soon!

Mmmm Red Shoes....

2011-12-13T21:02:00.001Z

Evening all, well its been a busy day, decided that retail therapy was the way forwards. So want a pair of red glittery shoes after my little project last night! but retail therapy was struck down when I had to collect paperwork from the solicitors! After lots of phone calls and discussions between me and numerous others - It looks like were moving next week! 4 days before Christmas! Got so much to think about now, to prepare and arrange and so this is probably the last post that I will sit here and wright, I do have some posts scheduled and so I hope they will appear, and I will try and get on to fill you all in when I can!

Well onto what I managed to create last night after the stupidly long post on here, I browsed various challenge blogs and came up with some ideas. I had a little hunt around and found a stamp that had slipped to the bottom of the draw, its one of the November releases from Whiff of Joy, Ok so it was the website that reminded me that it was there! This week at the WOJ Challenge blog there is a wonderful sketch by Karina!

And from there I managed to create a card from start to finish! Makes a change for me, have spent so much time recently just colouring due to lack of 'crafting goodies' available, and so I made do with what i had, it shows how much you get used to the 'nice' things you have, such as my big shot, there have been so many occasions recently where I have thought 'i'll just cut that' and I can't as I have no dies and no machine at the moment! Anyway enough waffling!

Yes you can no see where my 'sparkly red shoe' idea came from! As a child at christmas I thought of nothing better than having red shoes for christmas, I never remember having red shoes for christmas, I remember being told to wear my school shoes with my dress so we could go to the pub for the 'Christmas drink'.

There is my card, I hope you can all see the sketch in it! I decided to use some ribbon on this card as I have a bit here! The sentiment is also a WOJ stamp. The papers and ribbon are from my stash.

Here she is up-close, I wanted to keep her as simple as possible, i tend to start off well and then end up colouring it all in, but on this occasion I managed to get it pretty much how I wanted it, I used topic pens to colour and didn't think to note what ones I was using, I was on a roll though! I was so happy with the way she turned out, even more so now that I look at her more and more!

There is the up-close of the sentiment, I did go a bit crazy with stickles last night, I wanted this card to have quite a bit of sparkle on it! I mounted the stamped sentiment onto green bazzill stock and rounded the corners just to soften the edges a bit, as I had used a scalloped edge 8x8 card.

Here is an up-close of the ribbon bows I made, i cannot tie bows for the life of me, and so i make these cute ones! Normally when I want bows I get mum to do them so I make sure she is here when I need her! She is quite ill at the moment and so i haven't seen her for a few days!

I hope you like my creation, i would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Whiff Of Joy - Sketch

Belles and Whistles - Lets Sparkle (lots of sparkles added!)

Crafty Boots Challenges - Christmas

Cupcake Craft Challenges - Sparkle

Hooked on Craft - Christmas

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Outlines Monday - Shiny and bright

Thank you for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon! If you have a moment I would love to read what you think, look forward to seeing you again soon

Top Tip Tuesday #64 - A gift....

2011-12-13T08:00:00.003Z

Morning all, well as I'm still posting you may have guessed that were still in the old house, still no news other than we have till Thursday to exchange.... chances of that happening... 50/50 at the moment, I will be glad once I know if I'm going before or after Christmas, we still don't have a tree up and my eldest is asking where it is! Her other question is 'how will father christmas know where were living?' I had to tell her that I will text him on Christmas eve to let him know... Hubby just raised his eyebrows when I said this... well what was I meant to say?!

Anyway I'm here to share with the the FAB challenge over at Top Tip Tuesday this week, I know its the turn of the other team but I decided to play along as I needed to keep my mind off of packing my house up too soon - although there is a lot to pack! and so this week we are looking for your;

Gifts....

This can be something you have made to give as a gift or an image of something/someone with a gift.

We have three wonderful sponsors this week;

Simon Says Stamp

Simon Says Stamp are offering a $20 gift voucher for their store!

Robyns Fetish

Robyns Fetish are offing four stamps of the winners choice from the store!

Di's Digi Downloads

Di's Digi Downloads are offering 1 prize of 5 digi stamps!

Wow there are loads of prizes this week! How amazing.... join in and maybe you could grab yourself an early Christmas present!

Now I will tell you I struggled to do this challenge as I wanted to make a gift for a special friend... But I make cards and not much else, I'm not one to spend hours trying to make something that I know I'm not going to be happy with at the end! But I have seen so many people making the gorgeous candles at the moment I just had to give it a shot!

I did have to do this slightly different to the the tutorials I have seen, due to the move I don't have any tissue paper or a heat gun, so I improvised and used a Kleenex tissue that I split the layers down so it was one sheet thick rather than three! I then used my old hairdryer to heat it up! It did go slightly wrong, I had planned on using the sheet as one and slowly heating the candle to make it stick but before I started the tissue ripped and so I had to cut it into sections and then I spilt a glass of water on the side - Note to self, no drink and crafting at the same time!

(Please note if you haven't decorated a candle before you will need to cover the candle with baking paper before heating your image (placed on the candle baking paper over the top and heat!) and please please please watch your little crafting hands as it hurts if you burn them as I have found out!!!! )

This is how my design started before being put on the candle!

I did decide after taking the picture to colour the reindeer, I did that using my copic marker, you do need to be careful when you get close to the edges of the image as I did find the colour would bleed out. But it didn't show too much after it was put on the candle, you also need to cut as close as you can to the image as it mean you need to heat less.

I used a wonderful stamp set from Woodware called Winter Wonderland. It has sat in my stash this year, as its a bunch of lovely images its one that comes out time after time, you can make something as detailed or as simp as you want from it!

I have spent a few days searching for the right image(s) to use to decorate the candle, I tried to colour various images wanting something Christmasy for a friend of mine (this is a little something to thank her for all her help recently!). But everything was too detailed or I found when colouring that it would bleed too much and so I thought this set was perfect as its mainly silhouettes, I have to say I think I was on a mad one the day I purchased the candle (its a 70 hr church candle so quite big!)!

I decided that I would make it look a bit more gift like by wrapping it, I did 'attempt' to make a hexagonal box for it to go in, but after attempt two I 'threw' my paper out the pram and have up! I think I was seriously trying to push my own boundaries today by doing that.

So yes, it simply got wrapped in some cellophane that looks like its snowing! I thought it fitted the candle rather nicely, as you can see i also added a handmade gift tag just to finish it off and so it was ready to give! The ribbon was from my stash and I thought a little red bow finished it nicely, made it look more Christmasy!

I have to say I'm quite impressed with what I created, even if i do have very burnt hands from my hairdryer. Im even considering adding a bit of glitter to this one to 'jazz it up' a bit! but it shows that anything is possible when you have limited bits and pieces - and trying something new isn't always that bad!

I would like to do another candle but not sure how soon, my hands were covered in wax and a bit sore by the time I finished and so I think it may be a 'wait till the new house' job!

I would like to enter this candle into the following challenges;

2 Sisters - Christmas

Crafty Calendar - Cold and Frosty

Di's Digi Designs Challenge - All White Except the Image

Just Some Lines - Handmade gift

Secret Crafter - All creatures great and Small

Fairy Tale - Gift

Inspire Me Fridays - Anything Goes

Art Impressions Stamp Challenge - Try Something New

Digi Doodle Shop Best - Nature

Well I hope you like what I have created and that I have inspired you to maybe try decorating a candle yourself... if you do, let me know would love to see some more of these beauties! maybe you could also join us at TTT this week? after all its a perfect gift for someone special!!

Please pop over to the TTT blog and see the amazing creations by the DT girls and the FAB tutorial! if you have a moment leave them so love to let them know you stopped by! Also if you have a moment, I would love to hear what you think about my first attempt at decorating candles!!!

Hugs to all and hope to see you again soon!

Looking Back and Thinking Ahead

2011-12-12T19:25:00.000Z

Evening all,

glitter-graphics.com

I'm sat her after a busy day and I have been thinking lots about all that has changed in the last year and what is to come in 2012 for my family and me! I was going to hold off on posting something like this till after christmas but I'm not sure what time I will have, so Im going to (probably) bore you to tears with a bit about me and the last year and what I hope is to come. Its probably going to sound a bit jumbled.... but thats just the butterfly in me!

Today we have been at Amelia's nativity, last year she was a snowman at the preschool and she cried all the way through on stage. This year she has come so far, she has started 'BIG' school and has handled it very well, she is coming on leaps and bounds with letters, numbers, starting to read and her writing is amazing!

Not only that but she has conquered the fear of the stage. She has been in an AMAZING dance show 'the time of my life'. She had all her hair done, costumes and full make-up on. She was ill throughout the whole weekend (on antibiotics), I never expected her to get on stage when she was well - let alone the lack of sleep she had as well as a sore throat and lack of appetite. The loud music and the bright lights - and she asked when she could do it again!! She dances with the school that my (little) sisters used to dance at, we have been told that she is Kathryn through and through (other than the fact Amelia smiles while dancing - Kathryn always concentrated too much!)

So onto my beautiful little Nancy, well I think the only thing that is shining with her at the moment (other than the bruise from running into the table) is that she has a temper, that she is using more and more to try and get her own way! the problem is we have given in so much to her, so we have to toughen up - on the both of them!

I think we are hitting the terrible 2's a bit earlier than we should, she is 19 months old now, I don't know where time has gone - this time two years ago we had a 3D scan of her, it just doesn't seem possible that she is growing so fast! This year she has learned to walk, run, sit, scream and talk, words are coming together more and more every day, counting three and four are her favourite things and ready steady go! She is so AMAZING!

Well hubby and I, well its felt like a very long year. Soo many up's and downs with a few 'splits' in the road, but we have once again got through (nearly) another year of being married. It will be 4 years 28th December that we were married, I don't know where the years have gone, but every moment with him is more and more amazing! We have been planning to move since about this time last year. We put the house on the market end of June and it has sold - were nearly there with the moving now, not far to go. I just want to know 'when?' - I like to know where I am and when, I'm not liking the indecision with life at the moment.

So thats 2011 covered. Im hopeful that 2012 is going to be 'THE YEAR', we should be in the new house, yes it needs a bit of work but its what we want. Im hopeful that Amelia and Nancy will continue to bloom and blossom the way they are, they are my little angels and they mean so much to me! I also hope that all of you lovely people that follow me will continue to do so next year, I'm hopeful to 'expand' my creativity in other ways, do different things. in 2011 I set myself a list of 'hopeful' resolutions that only one or two were fulfilled, next year I'm not putting the pressure on, what will be will be, I will get done what i get done and that is the laid back attitude I hope to keep for 2012.

Thank you if you have taken the time to sit and read this, if I don't get time to pop back and post again (I have a few posts scheduled for the next few weeks!) before Christmas or the New Year, wishing you and yours the

'Merriest Christmas you can find and A New Year that you will never forget!'

xxxxxx

Top Tip Tuesday #63 - Let it Snow

2011-12-07T22:11:00.002Z

Morning all, well I wasn't expecting to be sat here today (well it was meant to be yesterday but i completely forgot to type this up - Sorry Girls!), hoped that I would be running around like a headless chicken,but I'm not complaining, need to chill a bit! Feeling a bit sad that I haven't got any christmas decorations up - and I'm not sure if there is going to be time to get any up before the big day! (in fact I know there is no time, we are hoping to move on the 21st December!)

Well I'm here to share this weeks challenge at Top Tip Tuesday, this week we are looking for your snowy creations, if you go to the TTT blog you will see a wonderful tutorial from Bettina, how stunning is that snowflake?! I so have to find the time to make one!

So come on everyone.....

Let it Snow!

So our sponsors this week are;

The Crafty Pad Designs

The Crafty Pad

Prize - 2 Digi Images Debbie at The Crafty Pad Stamp Designs says... The Crafty Pad Stamp Designs is proud to sponsor Top Tip Tuesday. I own and run The Crafty Pad Stamp Designs. We offer a variety of digi stamps. Weekly challenges are held at The Crafty Pad Blog.

And

3 images of your choice from Limited Runs

Nikki from Limited Runs says...

I've started doing more paper crafts within the last Year and have found it to be very addictive and slowly it's been getting larger. Creating Digi's just happened to be a blend of using my drawing and computer graphix together to create "Limited Runs" which is my little digital stamp store. I've also started Freebie Fridays and will be doing this for a Limited time too. Each may be posted from 1 day to ??? (Limited Time Offer) May you all enjoy my digi's as much as I love to make them. SO if your looking for some YUMMY cupcakes I've got over 50 Varieties to choose from and lots more with more always in the works.

So here is my little creation..... I can't give too many details on it as I used my mums pens to colour when I was over there last week, The image is from Mo's digital pencil, I love this little man at Christmas, I think he is fab for males birthdays, especially in the winer months, I used him last year for my father in laws birthday.

I decided to go 'away' from the traditional colours, but i do prefer him done in browns with reds or greens rather than purples!!! I used liquid pearls on the base of the image to look like snow, it looks shocking in the picture but docent look too bad in real life!!! The card blank is a scalloped 8x8 and the papers are all from my stash - I thought that i tied the purple in with the backing paper but again it looks more blue with the flash!!! ! The 'tis the season' is from a bo bunny paper pack i purchased just before the christmas rush started!

I thought it just finished the card off, with so few supplies at the moment, i am using limited resources and can't wait to have my stuff back with me, I hear it calling me all the time! I may even get my own craft room at the new house, due to the kids maybe sharing for a few years, and we need a 'computer (make that craft and computer) room!

Well there he is and I hope you like him, sorry I can't inspire you more for the 'snow' theme this week, but remember there is loads of inspiration on the TTT blog, please stop by and see the fab tutorial and let them know that you have been over to see!

I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

ABC Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

Crafts and Me - Snow/Snowflakes

I hope to be back soon with some photos of the house, I can't wait to hear what you all think!

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas is Nearly here....

2011-12-02T10:17:00.002Z

Yes I know it may be swearing to some of you but I have to say I'm kind of excited about Christmas this year! And yes, I did have to push the limits and make my blog look 'seasonal'!

Were still in the old house at the moment but hope it won't be long now, they think it may be the week before Christmas, I don't care when I move as long as I start to get a bit of space!
Its all moving along as it should, I will celebrate Christmas late if i have too!

Well as you know I have a lack of stuff at the moment! But I'm plodding on and making do with what I have (and buying new bits as and when I have to have them LOL!). We have had a couple of big sales this week and have one more to do, then there will be no more till summer 2012! - I have to say I'm kind of relieved, this week has shown the stress onto of everything else!

Im here to share with you a very quick card that i made for a friend of mine, she wanted something from her kids to her sister and fiancé!

I used the gorgeous Christmas Angel from Saturated Canary, I just fell in love with her when i saw her and had to have her! She can be done in so many colours and I'm sure if you cut her out you can take the baubles off and use her at any time of year!

Here she is a bit closer, I used non traditional colours mainly, it was bizarre as I have brought my papers back home and I foot about the blue and purple sparkly paper I had at the bottom of the folder!

Well I can't tell you too much more about her, Im not taking notes of what I'm doing at the moment, but hopefully it will all settle soon! I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Saturated Canary - Anything Goes

Crafty Purple Frog - For someone special

Samuel Taylors - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, if you have a moment I would love to hear what you think! I will pop back later in the week hopefully with more creations and maybe a picture of my new house!

This is it!....

2011-10-31T11:16:00.000Z

Well some of you may have noticed that I have been a bit on the quiet side the last couple of weeks, lots has been happening and there is still lots to do but....

WE HAVE FINALLY SOLD THE HOUSE!

Yes... that above is my little house that we have lived in for over 6 years! So happy and yet a bit sad at the same time, But the new house is only round the corner and I can't wait for the kids to have their own rooms! and to have a craft space!!

Yes, after nearly 6 moths of showing people round my home, kicking my kids out at the last minuet, Trying to keep on-top of housework and shoving things in cupboards that don't belong, we have had a sensible offer that we have accepted - and we have had our offer accepted on the house we want!

Amelia is soo excited, we have taken her round to see the new place and she was so happy with where her room is and the fact she will have a back garden to play in!!

So its all good you would think... well yes its fab but the BIG BUT! Our buyer wants to be in around 10th December! So its all been happening, finding solicitors making sure all the information is correct and major headaches, So hard to try and concentrate with the kids about - especially over the half term week!

But thats not the end of it, I have had to move 99% of my craft stuff to my Grandmas, Hubby thought it was more sensible as its lots of little bits and so yesterday was spent going through it all and moving it, not the nicest thing to be doing!!! But it will hopefully only be a few weeks without it, and I will then have a 'craft space' if it all goes to plan.

So for now I have to take a break, I hope that I may get time to pop back now and then, but lots of packing to be done, bits to be cleaned and memories to cherish.

I promise you all that I will keep you up-to date with it all, if I get time, and as soon as I can I will show you some photos of the new house!

See you all soon!

Pinks, Orange, Purples and more!

2011-10-17T10:28:00.001+01:00

OK so this post had taken me 5 days to write and publish, here I am now and I am going to try and finish it!
Mark is back at work now, and Amelia is at school, so just me and little Nancy for now, I can't believe Amelia breaks up for half term on Thursday! She has been there 6 weeks now and it only seems like yesterday I had her!
Got a busy week ahead of us as we have par tie coming out of our ears!

I took Amelia to the Circus yesterday for the 1st time, I never remember going but have since been told different by my mum! She was scared at 1st and didn't like the man on the trampoline of the clown on the trapeze, but once the acrobats started she was mesmerised!

Well its another creations with the FAB Saturated Canary images! Oh i'm so in love with them, just wish I felt more confident with my colouring, but its getting there slowly, still learning with my copics, but i'm leaning more towards them than my pro-markers, not sure if its just the nibs but I love the brush tip! makes it so much easier to colour and get effects!

Well here she is, this is Nevaeh, I just love her, that hair is AMAZING! It makes me miss my long hair (although I have recently had it chopped off again!), I used to love having it over one shoulder like that!

Here is is a bit closer, she has such a sweet look on her face, thinking about using this digi for my sisters birthday?! although I may have to go back to the Saturated Canary shop and purchase one or two more to make sure!

I coloured her using my copics, and for the life of me, i cannot find the book with it in! I will try to up-date it later!

I punched some butterflies from the backing paper and used the reverse side of the paper as it was lovely and dark. The punch I used is a Tonic butterfly, I also added some liquid pearls behind the butterfly to add effect.

I added some grosgrain ribbon along the bottom, I love this style of bow at the moment, looks so cute, plus I can't tie normal bows so it makes life quite easy!

I hope you like her! I will try to enter her to some challenges later but I must go and get on with the house! Have lots to do, wish I could site here all day!

Hugs to all!

Im not Stroppy.....

2011-10-11T11:55:00.002+01:00

I'm just voicing my Opinion.... yes that is what I have been told by my eldest daughter on a number of occasions, its my own fault, it was one of my sayings and she has picked it up... why do they always pick the wrong thing up??

Ok so its kinda cute! Hence why I had to add it to my latest creation, it just fitted perfectly!

Here she is little 'ellie' from Saturated Canary, the thing is every time I look at her I just laugh, the folded arms and the 'stompy' looking feet are just Amelia all over! plus with the big puppy eyes she just makes me melt!

The papers I cannot tell you what one it is, it was one in my stash but i had cut the bottom off, but as I call Amelia my princess a lot of the time, I felt it worked quite well, the piece she is mounted on is the reverse of the paper and the butterfly was punched for the paper too!

I also managed to use some card candy on here too, it has been sat in my stash waiting for the right card to come along!! also some of the fab gross-grain ribbon from my stash, I brought it with all good intentions for other things and then thought it never looked right but as the card blank was 8x8 it worked quite well! and I remembered to wrap it around my backing paper before I mounted it! WOW that makes a change for me!

Well here is a bit of a different angle of her! I used my copics to colour her in;

Skin; E02, E00, E000 and R20 for her cheeks

Her eyes were done using E57

Hair; E50, E51, E53

Top and Leggings; RV21 and RV10

Trousers and her Bows; B00, BG01

I love the beautiful big bows in her hair! Would love a set like that in mine!

Well there she is! I hope you like her! I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Crafty Cardmakers - Anything Goes

ABC Challenge - Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Bright Colours

Craft your Passion - A card for all occasions

Lexies Creations - Pink for Boobies

Well I best get on and does hubby up on drugs, I hope you like my creations, if you have a moment I would love to read what you think!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you again soon!

Why...

2011-10-10T14:04:00.003+01:00

Can I not just do one thing at a time? Ok so its the butterfly within me that makes me have a million things on the go at once, but how can I stop starting? No matter how much I try.... I keep starting new things!

I decided the other day that I was going to change the headder of my blog...

'creations by a butterfly' although i'm still 'flutterby trina' and I always will be!

what do you all think of the new title?

I have been so far behind on things, that trying to catch up is impossible! So many half started jobs! Oh well, thats life and I need to deal with it! OK so I have been busy today, mostly paying nurse, to my sick husband. He has (man) flu, he slept till 12:30, got up, ate and has promptly gone back to bed.

As he has (man) flu, I thought it would be very unfair of me to be clattering about and making noise while he slept... and so I made the difficult decision and I crafted!

Ok so yes its made me more behind, but I don't care!

Now is it just me or is this little one just SO adorable! This is Baby Cakes, A Ragamuffin, she is just so cute, the dummy in her mouth and the little pony tail just made me fall in love, She reminds me of my Nancy actually, she always has her dummy (or bo-bo) as she calls it, and she will often have a bottle in her hand too! She is available from the Saturated Canary shop here.

For this card I took my inspiration from the fab sketch over at Saturated Canary Challenge Blog, I was so excited when I found out about the blog (although it has taken me sooo long to make a card for it!)!

Now here is what i have created!

I apologise for the poor colour, its very windy and dull here today! I took the photos in the kitchen as I thought the best light was in there but obviously not! I wish it would warm up a bit, if it carries on being this windy the For Sale signs on my lawn will no longer be standing!!!

Well there you have her! I dont think she is my best attempt at a card recently but im pretty impressed with her! Oh an you will be so proud of me... Guess what I have remembered to do???.... yes I took note of what colours I used! I used my copic pens to colour;

Skin; E02, E00, E000 (her cheeks were done with R20)

Eyes; E57

Dress; RV13, RV23, RV34

Hair; E50, E51 and E53

A5 card blank

bazzill black 12x12

Basic Grey Gypsy

Buttons from my stash

Well I hope you like her, I would like to enter her to the following challenges;

Saturated canary - Sketch

I did it creations - Anything Goes

One Stitch At A Time - Anything Goes

One Stop Craft Challenge - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - 1 Image, 2 Papers, 3 Buttons

Inspire Me Fridays -Anything goes

If you have a moment, I would love to hear what you think! thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again soon!

More Christmas!!

2011-10-05T13:13:00.000+01:00

Morning all, how are we today, well the weather has turned pretty chilly here, I have even put a winter jumper on! BRRRR, Amelia asked to wear trousers to school too, so I think we have skipped Autumn here and gone strait into Winter! I cant believe they are still saying snow for us by the end of October, I so hope not!

Well I am still lacking in every which way to want to do christmas this year, don't know where to start, so I thought I would take a trip to the local garden centre, well as I walked in it was Halloween.... mmmm I don't do halloween! Although they did have a very nice black cat that did have an appeal to him!

mmmm and this is my christmas bug at the moment, not very happy at all!

As I walked through there was a small christmas display, suddenly a 'warm tingle' struck me, if you can call it that, then suddenly in my head i started to sing 'its beginning to look at lot like christmas'.... then it was over..... the reality struck and its not really there... where is the christmas bug - the happy smiley flutterby?

Well I have made one other card though, using the beautiful fairy from LOTV again! Very similar to the last one, but i 'inked' the card blank to try and look like sky, looking at it now, it looks like I have used two different inks, but they are both the same, I think it may be down to the paper I used for stamping!

Here she is up-close again, I do love her, she looks so amazing when she is coloured up and I am very impressed with my self on the colouring on this occasion! You can also see where I have added stickles around the edge of the die cut shape.

Again I used stickles and liquid pearls to add a 'look of snow falling' to the side of the card.

I would like to enter this card to the following challenges;

Lady Bugs Craft - No Design Papers

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Sweet Stamps - Anything Goes

Try it On Tuesday - Make it Minimal

Well I hope you like here again! I would love to hear when you think if you have the time!

Creations By A Butterfly...

Shabby Chic - Sorry Your leaving

So Sorry I been MIA

Sleeping Princess, For my Girls...

I Jubilee've...

Organising....

Happy Mothers Day

Dead Men Tell No Tales...

Butterflies and Gems

you are my everything...

Top Tip Tuesday - Magical, Mystical or Fantasy

A bit of Mo with a Dash of Tim

Just the last week....

sweet 16....

Happy Birthday....

You taught me love is unconditional....

Just A Bit About Me!

Just words....

January Trends...

Just to say hi!

Believe the world is full of magic....

Top Tip Tuesday - Valentines Day!

One lucky Random winner will win 7 Digi images for their choiceRobyn's Fetish

Stamp Out Theives

Getting Down and Dirty with Keith, Tim and...

Love Letters....

Travel Light...

Top Tip Tuesday - #68 Mid Week....

We are halfway through our Sketch challenge, and Its time to share the creation that caught our eye!

There is also a fab Cracked Glass tutorial fro Lisa Make sure you stop by to see both!

Life is beautiful, magnificent thing, even to a jellyfish...

Adventure is Worthwhile in its self....

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Butterflies and Pigtalis...

Wish...

One of Those....

Top Tip Tuesday - #68 A Sketch!

and

Karens Doodles

and

Sew Sweet

Sketch 1: Layers

Sketch 2: Clean and Simple

You may rotate or flip the sketch, add a few extra embellishments or elements but please ensure the original sketch is clearly visible in your finished creation.

Best Day Ever...

Happy Birthday Mummy!

I Do Believe in Fairies...

My Top 11 of 2011

A bit of Inspiration... TTT anything goes wk 2

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes - Week 2!

Top Tip Tuesday #67 - Anything Goes And News!

Welcome to 2012!

Mmmm Red Shoes....

Top Tip Tuesday #64 - A gift....

Looking Back and Thinking Ahead

Top Tip Tuesday #63 - Let it Snow

Christmas is Nearly here....

This is it!....

Pinks, Orange, Purples and more!

Im not Stroppy.....

Why...

More Christmas!!

One lucky Random winner will win 7 Digi images for their choice

Robyn's Fetish