Last minute Minnie!

Yep! that's me! I suddenly realised yesterday lunch time that I didn't have any Mother's day cards made, pressies are all sorted, but not a card to be seen, a quick search through the Paper Creator store where I picked up a card kit and a Sassy Cheryl image, and by tea time the cards were made, photographed, written out and in envelopes - phew! I can relax for the evening now.

Avery's Big Flower illustration - Sassy Cheryl at Paper Creator

Papers - If the crown fits digital scrap kit - Just So Scrappy

Tonic geared border punch - Victorian Border

Joanna Sheen Signature dies - Leafy Twist SD045

X-cut palm punches Butterflies and flowers

Ribbon, gems, flower charm - Meiflower

Cool Pocket A5 Pop Out Card Kit - Paper Creator

Ribbon and gems - Meiflower

Silver Peel-off borders - Craft Creations

Wishing you all a lovely Sunday,

hugs,

Colette xx

Another Pop-Up Box!

It's been very quiet on my blog this week, mainly because it's that time of year again - my annual Wedding Invitation sample making for Meiflower! Every year around this time I put together a whole bunch of samples that she displays on her stall at all the craft shows she visits. I've already made a couple and will be getting some more put together over the weekend and start of next week, so that I can give them to her at the Sincerely Yours Craft show at Leigh on 5th and 6th April and I will be blogging them once they are all finished and photographed.

In the meantime I have another pop up box card to show you, these are becoming a regular sight all over the card making world at the moment, I have even seen a couple on Create and Craft TV recently, then again, they are easy to make, can look amazing and are something a little different.

My daughters ex boss recently contacted me and asked me if I would make a card for her mum for her 70th birthday in May, she wanted it to say nan as well as mum. After tossing various ideas around in my head I decided to make a pop up box, using die cut letters for the words, I also decided to make the box larger than usual, using a couple of pieces 12 x 12 inch Kraft card to make a box that fits comfortably into an 8 x 8 inch envelope (I prefer to present these cards in envelopes because it is such a surprise to the recipient when they take it out of the envelope and it 'pops' open, I don't think you get quite the same effect lifting a lid off a box).

12 x 12 Kraft Card - Anna Marie Designs

Papers - Easter Sunday digital Scrap kit  and Extra papers kit - Crazy 4 Monograms

Tonic Geared Punch - Doily Border

Numbers cut from glitter card bought at local craft shop and using a number template picked up from Every Crafts a Pound at one of the shows.

X cut palm punch - Daisy - Medium and Small

X cut palm punch - Pointy Butterfly - Small, medium and large.

Dies used

Lifestyle nesting dies - Circles

Lifestyle - Splendid Alphabet

Memory Box - Sofia Heart

Elizabeth Craft Designs - 713 Small Butterfly

Joy Crafts - 6002/0142 Labels and Tags

LaLa Land Crafts - 8008 Filigree Corner die

Spellbinders Shapeabilities - Jewel Flowers and flourishes

Joanna Sheen Signature dies - SD045 Leafy Twist

Stick on pearls, stick on gems, ribbon - Meiflower

I added stick on gems and pearls to the letters, heart, butterflies and small daisies - as far as I'm concerned you can never go wrong with a bit of bling! Lol!

Thanks for stopping by,
hugs,
Colette xx

Monstrously good birthday

I love having a look around Etsy for new digi artists (new to me at least LOL!), it's amazing how many different people, all with different styles, there are out there when you have a good look around, anyway, last week I came across a little shop called 2 Cute Ink and I fell in love with a couple of their images, which were just- well..... 2 cute LOL!, I love a little bit of quirky humour so 'I cherryish you cherry wedding' just bounced into my basket along with a cute bumble bee, fishy friends and a sweet little monster with his balloon. 

I coloured the monster up almost immediately in my favourite purple and blue colour combo, then found a perfect digital scrapbook kit called Scare Floor and used papers, borders etc., from that to make up a card.

Digital Stamp - Monster balloon - 2 Cute Ink - Etsy

Digital papers, borders etc. - Scare Floor digital scrapbooking kit - A-manda Creations 

Wording - computer generated

4mm satin ribbon - Meiflower

I printed the image out twice and layered one over the other with foam pads, also printing out the balloon again a couple of times and using it as an embellishment.

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look,

hugs,

Colette xx

Woohoo! I'm a TPS girl!

After applying for a DT position with the Paper Shelter a week or two ago, I was thrilled to bits on Friday to find out that I had been chosen as one of the lucky five, I was only saying to my hubby earlier that day that the standard of the entries was really high, and with 85 people applying I had no chance, so I nearly fell off my chair when I received the email saying I had a place.

I will be a member of team B and the first challenge I will be participating in will be on 2nd April, I'm sooooo looking forward to it.

As it's the weekend I have my usual Paper Creator card and today I have a shelf card to show you, made from a Paper Creator shelf card kit, it's the first time I have

made this style of card, I always like to try something new and although it looked complicated

it was really easy to put together.

My grandson Charlie, loves tractors, diggers, bulldozers, cement mixers, in fact any type of construction vehicle, so I thought this might do for his birthday, although it's not until November and I will probably have forgotten I've made it by then, or he will be in to dinosaurs or pirates or something else instead LOL!

Construction Shelf card kit - Paper Creator

also available as part of a shelf card Mega Bundle

The card has layers of decoupage and also comes with a matching envelope.

I always like to try and find different ways to use a kit, so I printed some of the

sheets out again and made a tent card.

Thanks for stopping by,

enjoy the rest of the weekend,

hugs,

Colette xx

Mr & Mr

Hi there! I have just come across this card, which I made last year for a friend for her son's civil ceremony and realised that I hadn't blogged it yet, so I thought I would pop it on today.

The card is 8 x 8 inches square and I tried to use colours that matched as closely as possible to their wedding suits. I couldn't find a paper in my vast collection in the exact colourway, so ended up making the striped paper myself, which I printed onto pearl paper, the card I used had a pearl finish too. The ticket is a nod to the fact that they are both film mad.

Dies used - 

Marianne craftables - CR1225 Hearts

Marianne craftables - CR1212 Ticket and tags

Marianne Creatables - LR0238 Wedding rings

Joy Craft - Labels tags 3

Spellbinders - Curved borders two

Spellbinders M-Bossabilites  - Garden Lattice

Sentiments computer generated

Paper made by me

Ribbons, buttons and Pearls - Meiflower

Thanks for dropping in and taking a look,

hugs,

Colette xx

New Craft Room

Well actually it's my old craft room, redecorated and rearranged, everything has been moved back in (took me two days to re-load it). I have included a few pics of  the craft room at the bottom of this post, but before we get to those I wanted to show you a card I made yesterday (the first one in my newly organised room).

Digital Stamp - Make a Wish - The Paper Shelter

Digital Papers - Oh So Pretty - Just So Scrappy

Tonic Geared Border punch - Victorian Border

Leaves - Britannia Dies - Leaf Strip

Corner - Anja's Vintage Corners - Marianne Creatables

Stick on Gems - Meiflower

I made the rolled roses by cutting 1 inch squares of paper, rounding the corners with my scissors then cutting a spiral into them and rolling up.

I am entering this card into the following challenges -

613 Avenue Create - #62 Anything Goes w/Optional Twist: Use 2D or 3D Flowers

One Stitch At A Time - #204 Use A Digi

Scribble and Scrap - Challenge #14  Always Anything Goes

Digi Galore - use digi - Anything Goes

Kitty Bee Designs - #19 Things with wings

Charisma Cardz - #6 Birthday Girls

Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge - #301 Birthday cards
Paper Shelter Challenge  - #149 Fairies

~~~ Craft room pics ~~~

I'm calling this my "new" wall, we already had one of the drawer units and the hanging containers, but everything else is new and all comes from Ikea as does practically everything else in the room.

Cupboards are Alex and worktop is Ekbacken

The Shelving is part of the Algot system, the little jars full of buttons are called Rajtan

the hanging rail and containers are from the Bygel series.......

......as are the Bygel wire baskets (handles removed and perfect for ribbon storage).

Spontan Metal board, Grundtal Magnetic containers and Micke desk with some Trofast storage underneath (hubby had to alter it slightly to make it fit).

The white wire baskets are also from the Algot system and the shelving units are Ivar, which along with my desk have been in my room for quite a while.

So that's it, my new work space, all organised and with lots of storage for even more craft stuff - Hehe!

Thanks for dropping by,

hugs,

Colette xx

  

Spring is in the Air!

Woohoo! craft room is finished, well apart from a few little things, like my new blind arriving and it was cream and not the white one I ordered, so having to wait for the right one to be delivered and I asked hubby for an extra shelf yesterday which he will hopefully be putting up today, I am hoping to be able to take some pics tomorrow so that I can show you how it looks - I love it!

It's time for out monthly challenge over on Paper Creator and this time around the theme is

Spring is in the Air

and with the trees on the park opposite being full of blossom and my daffodils coming up in the garden I think it definitely is.

You don't have to use Paper Creator products to play along with the challenge, but if you do you get an extra entry into the draw, with a chance of winning a £10 voucher to spend in store.

I am going to call my card a 'see thru stepper card' as you can see through the little window to the back of the card which I have decorated with flowery paper to represent wallpaper so that it looks like you are looking into the room beyond.

I made an organza double looped bow and thought it looked a little bit like a butterfly so added some antennae and gems for the body.

Image - My favourite kind of weather illlustration - Sassy Cheryl at Paper Creator (printed several 

times and layered up for dimension)

Wood paper - My beloved digital scrap kit - Just So scrappy

Flowered paper - Easter Sunday digital scrap kit Crazy 4 monograms

Bird - Lovebirds digital scrap kit - Just So Scrappy

Sentiment - Computer generated

Flowers and craft wire - Stash

Ribbons and gems - Meiflower

I thought I would enter this card into the following challenges

Alphabet Challenge  - C for Country Flowers

Craftitude - #60 Anything Goes or Add a Little Green

Scrapping4funChallenges - #12 - Flowers

Sister Act Card Challenge - #48 - Anything Goes

That's Crafty! Challenge Blog - Must be a UK resident - Anything Goes
Aud Sentiments Challenge - #102- Anything Goes (must include a sentiment)

MilkCoffee Challenge - At Least 2 Flowers

Penny's Paper-Crafty  - #168 Anything goes

Pop over to the challenge blog and check out the fabulous inspiration from my teamies.

Thanks for stopping by,

have a lovely weekend,

hugs,

Colette xx

Buttons Challenge

As I mentioned in a previous post I am in the process of having my craft room re-vamped and am currently making cards on a table in the living room, while my hubby does all the work in my room LOL!
He's doing well up to now and has managed to finish the painting and lay the new flooring, I am hoping that today he will manage to get most of the shelving and cupboards sorted, and if he carries on like this I will be able to start moving all my stuff back in by Wednesday!
Cracking the whip - me? - whatever do you mean? LOL!

Today's card is my second and last card for my Guest Designer spot on Digi Makeover and this time around the challenge is

Buttons

I've used my favourite lilac and turquoise colour combo for this three layer card, added a large layered butterfly and punched daises using buttons for the flower centres and butterfly body.

Digital Stamp - Danni Fairy - Paper Makeup Stamps

Digital Papers - Birds of a Feather - Crazy 4 monograms

X-cut Palm Punch - Large Daisy

Ribbon and Buttons - Meiflower
Wings and outside edges of oval are glittered

Pop over to the Digi Makeover challenge blog and check out the fabulous inspiration from the Digi Makeover Artists and play along with the buttons challenge to be in with a chance of winning digital stamps from the store.

I am entering this card into the following challenges

Glitter n Sparkle -  #75 Anything Goes

Brown Sugar – #84 - Make It Sparkle

Jellypark Friends Friday Challenge  - Things with Wings

Creative Knockouts - #27 Girlz Rule
Make it Monday - Always anything goes

Thanks for dropping in,

hugs,

Colette xx

Red or Blue?!

I decided to make a couple of football cards last week, something I always like to keep a stock of, as we have quite a few followers of the sport in the family and here in Liverpool with two football teams to choose from and supporters of both teams in the family, I always have to make both Liverpool and Everton versions.

I made a couple of each with the team badge and song and a couple of each with the football and boots, so that's most of my male birthday cards made for the year LOL!

The footballer digi stamp is from The Paper Shelter and I made the papers, football and boots myself using CU templates, actions and overlays I had in my stash.

Digital Stamp - Soccer Star - The Paper Shelter

Papers, ball, boots, sentiments - made by me using CU stash

I am entering my cards into the following challenges

Allsorts - #249 Sport

Craftitude  - #60 - Anything Goes or Add a Little Green

Wags 'n Whiskers - #124 - Sports

Paper Crafting Journey - Make it Manly/Boyish

Crafty Creations - #258 Happy Birthday

Divas by Design  - Masculine

Paper Shelter Challenge - #148 Anything Goes

Sisterhood of Crafters  - Masculine

Thanks for dropping in,

hugs,

Colette xx

Butterfly and flower cards

I'm a little late with this post as I meant to do it last night, but time just ran away with me and I never got around to it, then this morning I have been very busy helping hubby dismantle my craft room - awwww! ready for a re-vamp - hooray! The room used to be my grandsons bedroom so at the moment I have one red wall with spaceships and astronauts all over it, but by the end of the week the red will be gone and the wall will be a lovely bright blue, although you won't see much of it as it will be covered with cupboards, a worktop and shelving. I'm also having the carpet taken up and a new floor laid so I will be able to whizz backwards and forwards in my chair, from my work desk to the worktop which will hold my die-cutting machines and guillotine.

Sooo looking forward to it all being finished, as I am temporarily working on a table in the living room, and it is not the same as having everything to hand.

Today I have a couple of birthday cards to show you, both made with papers from the First Love Ultimate kit from Paper Creator.

Papers - First Love Ultimate Kit - Paper Creator

Lifestyle - Nesting Doily Circle

Memory box - Darla and Vivienne Butterfly dies, Chesapeake scrollwork

Ribbon, pearls and gems - Meiflower

Silver Angel hair paper.

The top and bottom borders are the waste from the scalloped punch and the bow is a triple loop bow.

Papers - as above

X cut - scalloped border punch

X-cut palm punch large heart and circle

Tonic layering circles die

Couture Creations Tied together embossing folder

Die-namics heart doily

Ribbon and pearls - Meiflower

I am entering my cards into the following challenges

Jo's Scrap Shack - Anything Goes

Sister Act Card Challenge - 47 - Anything Goes

That's Crafty! Challenge Blog  - Anything Goes

4 Krafty Girlz - # 13 Anything Goes

Crafty Ribbons - Anything Goes with Ribbon

Thanks for dropping in and taking a look,

have a lovely weekend,

hugs,

Colette xx

Art Deco Roaring Twenties Birthday Card

If you are a regular visitor here, then you had better make sure you are sitting down before you read this next statement as believe it or not today's card is totally non-digi!!! 

The image is actually stamped with a rubber stamp! - the stamp came in a DoCrafts goody bag and as I loved it and really wanted to use it I bought the matching paper pack too, oooh no, stamping and proper paper what is the world coming to LOL!

I dusted off a distress ink pad in Peacock Feathers and set too, using the same pad  pressed onto a cellophane bag (just what was to hand at the time) to paint parts of the image.

I was soooo pleased with the finished result I immediately made it up into a card for my friend Karen's birthday (she's a huge Art Deco fan so I knew it would be perfect).

Stamp - Papermania Tall urban stamps Flapper

Paper - Papermania A4 Art Deco foiled paper pack

Tim Holtz distress ink pad - Peacock Feathers 

Frame die -bought at local Carole's Crafts

Amira Flourish die - Memory Box

X cut square palm punch Medium and small

 Papermania die cut sentiments - Art Deco - Foiled

Black iridescent Papermania Adhesive Gems

Cats eye  and round dazzlers - Meiflower

Feather from stash

I cut a rectangle of black card and deco paper and cut the corners off with  a square punch lined up with the edges. The Amira Flouish was cut in half, stuck onto silver mirri card and then cut around leaving a small border, the silver glittery section in the middle of the flourish is waste from another one I had cut from silver glitter card. The headband decoration is the waste from a hole punch in the same silver glitter card.

It may be a while until you see another proper stamped image on my blog, although saying that the new Bellisima range from Papermania has a rather pretty dress stamp that may tempt me to dust off the stamping supplies again!

I am entering this card into the following challenges -

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Through The Craft Room Door  - Always Anything Goes

Artistic Inspirations  - Anything Goes / Sparkles

Crafting from the Heart -  Anything Goes / Use Dies

Eureka Stamps - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - #60 Anything Goes w/Optional Twist: Use your Stash

Fashionable Stamping Challenges - no digi allowed - Challenge #67 Anything Goes

Thanks for dropping in and taking a look,

hugs,

Colette xx

Digi Makeover Guest Designer

Woohoo! so excited to be sharing this card with you, a couple of weeks ago I entered a Digi Makeover Challenge where they were also doing their very first Guest Designer Call, I decided to apply and here I am their very first Guest Designer - What an honour!

For the GDT spot I had to choose a challenge to play along with from the March themes and pick an image from the store to play along with, which I did, but I also bought a couple of stamps while I was browsing the store and coloured and made a card with one of them. Being the cheeky person I am I asked if I could use the card I had made to join in with another challenge, they said yes and here it is.

The theme for this weeks challenge is

Anything Goes (must use a digital image)

so if you want to play along and be in with the chance of winning some Paper Makeup Digi stamps then just pop over to the challenge blog, check out the fabulous inspiration from the Digi Makeup Artists and get your entry in. 

Digital Stamp - Natalie Fairy - Paper Makeup Stamps

Digital Papers - Little Lady - Just So Scrappy

Border Punch - Martha Stewart

Ribbon, gems and pearls - Meiflower

I am entering the following challenges -

Robyn`s Fetish - # 201- Anything Goes

QKR Stampede –  77 - Anything But A Square Card

Sister Act Card Challenge - 46 - Anything Goes

Make it Monday - Always anything goes

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look

hugs,

Colette xx

Gabby's Marvellous Adventure

Today I have an easel card to show you, which I have made a bit differently than usual. There are three sections, the middle one is in the style of a normal easel and the side ones are twisted easels, and they are different because none of the easels folds from the back of the card, which is my usual way of doing it, but are added to the card individually, so that I can place them wherever I want. It still folds in the normal way and fits into an envelope.

I have used one of the new Sassy Cheryl images from Paper Creator called Gabby's Marvellous adventure, printing it three times then cutting and layering the whole image over the large topper with foam pads for dimension andcutting a couple of the books from the third copy and adding them to the smaller toppers, again with foam pads.

Image - Gabby's marvellous adventure illustration- Sassy Cheryl at Paper Creator

Papers - Masked Marvels - Julie Billingsley at Sweet Shoppe Designs

Tonic layering circles and scalloped circles

Sentiment - computer generated

Ribbon - Meiflower

Thanks for stopping by,

hugs,

Colette xx