On the bench stepper card

Today I have a boy card to show you using the On the Bench Ultimate Kit from Paper Creator, This is my go to kit when I have to make cards for young boys, so you will have seen cards made with it before. This time around I used the kit to make a stepper card. I changed the wording on the sentiment and added some polka dot grosgrain ribbon and a football shirt charm, but everything else came from the kit.

On the Bench Ultimate kit - Paper Creator

Grosgrain ribbon and charm - Meiflower

This afternoon I'm off to an Afternoon Tea party in aid of Breast Cancer, the party has been organised by my friend Anita, who has battled with the condition and happily beat it into submission. Last years event was brilliant so this year's has a lot to live up to, although I'm sure it will. 

Whatever you are doing with your Sunday, I hope you're having a good one,

hugs,

Colette xx

Iiiiiiit's Chriiiiiiistmas!

I've just made my first Christmas card of the year, as the challenge over at Paper Creator this week is

Christmas in July

the prize is a £10 voucher to spend in store, you don't have to use Paper Creator products to play along, but if you do you get a second entry into the draw.

I've used one of the fab ultimate kits, called You'd Better Not Pout for my card, I've decoupaged the image and added flower soft to his hat, glitter to his beard and pearls for holly berries

It's my favourite Christmas card make of the year so far - LOL!!!

Better not Pout Ultimate Kit - Paper Creator

Martha Stewart Roller Coaster deep edge border punch - (punched both sides of a strip of card)

Tonic layering dies - Scalloped and plain ovals and scalloped circles

Polar white flower soft, glamour dust and pompom - stash

Ribbons, pearls and gems - Meiflower

Pop over to the challenge blog and check out the fabulous creations from the rest of my teamies,

thanks for stopping by,

hugs,

Colette xx

Wedding Invitations 2015 Final part

Well, these are the last few invitation samples for this year, hope you've enjoyed the selection over the last couple of weeks, and if you are planning a wedding or making invitations for someone, that they have given you a little bit of inspiration.

Wording - Computer generated

Ribbon and Diamanté buckle - Meiflower

Trifold card

Cream card and  cream Centura Pearl card - Craft Creations

Spellbinders grand nestabilities - Grand Scallop Ovals

Crafters Companion - Vintage Floral A4 embossing folder - Rose Swirl

Pearl and Diamante circle ribbon slider, ribbon - Meiflower

This is one of the simplest and also my most favourite, I think.

Font - Jellyka Love and Passion - dafont.com

AB gems and diamante heart toppers - Meiflower

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look,

hugs,

Colette xx

Wedding Invitations 2015 Part 3

Some more wedding invitation samples from my latest collection.

Blue Pearl Effect Card - Limetree Craft

Alphabet die - Molly Moo upper case alphabet

Ribbon, gems and tiny circle ribbon sliders - Meiflower

Kraft Card - Anna Marie Designs

Crispy Ribbon - Live and Love crafts

Flower - Paper Artist Bodacious Blooms die

Memory Box Pastry Labels die

Ribbon, gems and diamante topper - Meiflower

For this card you can either draw white lines across a piece of appropriately sized paper and stamp or write the sentiment, or do it digitally by using your image editing software (in my case Photoshop)

to make a paper in the colour and size desired, use the drawing tools to draw in white lines and then add a sentiment - print - cut out - fix to card blank and decorate the lines in a random pattern with various sized AB gems and sparkly hearts.

Gems and hearts - Meiflower

Thanks for dropping in,

hugs,

Colette xx

Wedding Invitations 2015 part 2

Today I have a few more wedding invitation samples to show you, two quite simple ones and a pocket card, which involves a little bit more work, but if you didn't have too many to make wouldn't be too bad.

Papers - Brocade  - White/Cool Aqua - Pink Petticoat

Ribbons, gems, diamante ribbon slider and sparkly heart - Meiflower

Lace - Stash

25mm Satin ribbon, pearl flower and diamante topper and pearls - Meiflower

Centura pearl teal card - Craft Creations

Edge die - Marianne Creatables LR0300 - Anja's Border

Tonic Layering dies - Scalloped Squares

X cut heart punch

Ribbon, gems and square diamanté topper - Meiflower

Thanks for dropping in,

hugs,

Colette xx

wedding invitations 2015 part 1

Yes it's that time of the year again!  As you know around this time every year I make a selection of wedding invitation samples for Meiflower, which go on display on her stall at all the craft shows they attend. I try to keep the designs quite simple as I know how time consuming it can be making wedding stationery, I have done it myself a few times.

Today I have three for you to take a look at.

Polka dot ribbon and diamanté embellishment - Meiflower

Crispy lace - Live and Love crafts

Silver satin ribbon and diamanté heart topper - Meiflower

Pink Pearl card - Centura Pearl Cardstock - Craft Creations

Tonic Layering dies - Scalloped Square

Heart die - Sizzix framelits heart #2

X-cut corner rounder

Organza ribbon, rosebud trio and pearls - Meiflower

If you are off to the Sincerely yours craft show at Leigh this weekend, then you can see them in the 2flesh", I'm going on Saturday morning for a couple of hours, so I might see you there.

Thanks for popping in and taking a look,

hugs,

Colette xx

Wedding invitation sample #3

We are going with a black, white and silver combo today, I don't know why but I ended up with a few black and white samples, I think it's probably because it's such a classic look.

Lifestyle nesting rectangle dies

Lifestyle nesting circle dies.

Silver peel-off wording - Craft Creations

Buttons, ribbons and black metallic cord - Meiflower

Thanks for stopping by,

hugs,

Colette xx

Just Ducky!

We have a thing about ducks in my house, started by my hubby when the kids were young, they have to be yellow and fluffy and are usually called Billy (don't ask me why), it's carried on through to the grandchildren as well. You may have noticed that my watermark has a duck in it, I also have a Links bracelet and one of the charms is a little yellow duck, so when I saw the super cute Quacky images over at Digistamp Boutique I just had to have them and am already planning hubby's birthday card with the one holding the gift.

In the meantime I have coloured up this little cutie called For You Quacky and made quite a simple card, although I did go a bit wild with the ribbon as I am always trying to find different things to do with it and after playing around a bit came up with this idea. I think it looks OK, although if I do it again I think I would use a coloured piece of card rather than white, I'm thinking that a nice Spring green would have worked well with the yellow and orange combo.

Digital stamp - For You Quacky - Digistamp Boutique

Ribbons and gems - Meiflower

I am entering these challenges with this card.

Fan-Tastic Tuesday -  Must Be Square #30 Anything Goes

Sweet Stamps  - # 164 Easter

Top Tip Tuesday  - #124 Cute

Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes / Easter Animal

Craft Your Passion - No Designer Papers

Digi Makeover Challenge - must use digi - Anything Goes + DT Call
DigiStamp boutique - April customer competition

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look,

hugs,

Colette xx

Wedding Invite sample #2

Here's the second of this years Wedding Invitation samples and today's is a bit more traditional than yesterday's.

Centura Pearl Mink card - Craft Creations

Pearl and diamante heart topper, ribbon and pearls - Meiflower

Thanks for calling in,

hugs,

Colette xx

Wedding Invitation Samples 2014 - #1

As some of you will know I am a member of the design team for Meiflower and as part of the team every year I make a selection of Wedding Invitation samples showcasing her products, these samples are displayed on Mei's stall at all the craft fairs she attends, they are in cellophane bags with an ingredients and suppliers list in the back, they are then attached to boards with velcro, so that if people see something that interests them the card can be taken down and details copied, because it is the best shape for the boards Mei likes all her card samples to be square, but many of my designs could easily be adapted for different shaped cards.

Over the next couple of weeks, in between my regular posts, I will be sharing these samples with you, so today we have sample no.1 which would also work well as a 'Save the Date' card.

6 x 6 deckle edge card blanks - picked up at a show, not sure what company

Pearl paper - Craft Creations

Lifestyle nesting rectangles die

Die-versions - Little Lizzie Font

X-cut palm punch - small heart

Satin ribbons, silver metallic cord and gems - Meiflower

See you tomorrow with sample 2

Thanks for popping in,

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

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

Rectangles, Squares and Circles!

That's the theme of the new challenge over at Paper Creator today, you must use at least one of each shape on your creation and the card shape itself can be counted, pretty easy, so why not play along for a chance to win a £10 voucher to spend in store - you don't even have to use any Paper Creator products, but if you do you get a second entry into the draw.

Rectangles, Squares and Circles

My card is rectangular in shape, has two square image panels and a circular one, so got all the bases covered there, it also contains buttons (circles) and alphabet stickers (rectangular) and the paper is an Argyle design (squares turned 90 degrees!) even the gingham ribbon is made up of squares - so do I get extra brownie points LOL!

Grip it and rip it Max - Swing me a Story Max and Catch of the day Max - all Sassy Cheryl illustrations at Paper Creator

Papers - Ticket to Ride - Crazy 4 Monograms

 Papermania Madame Payraud Alphabet stickers

Ribbon and buttons - Meiflower

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

Thanks for dropping in,

enjoy your weekend,

hugs,

Colette xx

I Kinda "Dig" you!

I mentioned in yesterdays post that I was going to the theatre to see Ghost in the evening, well after a bit of a hair raising journey to get to the theatre - gale force winds making it quite scary - we arrived about 15 minutes before the start of the show, about two minutes after taking our seats all the lights in the theatre went out plunging us into total darkness, they came on about five minutes later and then continued flickering on and off, - about ten minutes after the show should have started an announcement was made saying that due to unstable electricity supply problems the show was being cancelled, so I never got to see it after all.
The show still has another week to run and it seems it's not too busy the second week, the theatre are confident that they should be able to accomodate people, so hopefully I will get to see it sometime next week instead.

Now what do sand and a bucket and spade have to do with Valentines day?

- well the answer is the quirky Drawn with Character digi image I've used on today's card and the cute sentiment that comes with it.

Digital stamp - Bucket n pail - Drawn with Character - Etsy

Digital papers and date circle- Love you - Just so Scrappy (no longer available)

Die-namics Double scallop border

X-cut palm punch - large heart

Organza ribbon, stick on gems and heart charm - Meiflower

I am entering this card into the following challenges

Creative Moments - #35 Anything goes/Love
Divas by Design  - Love

Fab 'n' Funky - #203 Valentine/Love

Through The Craft Room Door  - Always Anything Goes

Stamp n Doodle  - Valentine/Love

Thanks for dropping by,

hugs,

Colette xx

I Got Ya!

I think I am just about valentined?!!! out - I spent most of yesterday making my last few valentine's cards using some fab images from Drawn with Character, I will be posting one each day through to Valentine's day on Friday.

I love the face on this cupid, (I have another version too, which will feature on Fridays card), he is obviously very pleased with himself after managing to shoot his arrow through the heart LOL!

Digital Stamp - Cupid with Heart - Drawn with Character - Etsy

Digital Papers - Sealed with a Kiss - Crazy 4 Monograms

Marianne Craftables - CR1225 Hearts

X cut border punch - scallops

X cut palm punch heart - Large

Die-versions Alphabet - Little Lizzie font

Lace - Local Hobbycraft store

Pearlescent string - Meiflower

Beads - Stash

Paper Crimper

I am entering this card into the following challenges

City Crafter Challenge -  #198 Love Bug - Make a project including the word love

Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT Challenge  -For The One I Love 

Artistic Inspirations  - Anything Goes / Valentine's Day

Cutie Pie Challenge -  Cute Valentine

Kaboodle Doodles  - To My Sweetheart

I'm off to the theatre tonight to see Ghost, with my daughter, my friend and her daughter, I shall pack the tissues just in case LOL!

Thanks for stopping by,

hugs,

Colette xx

Birthday Candle bird brain

In my last post I mentioned that before I decided to enter their sketch challengeI had made a card for the February Digital Stamp of the month challenge over on the From the Heart stamps blog, you have to use their Stamp of the Month for the challenge, but if you enter you automatically get the next months stamp for free. 

Here's the card I made for the challenge.

Digital Stamp - Birthday Candle Bird Brain - From the Heart Stamps

Digital papers - Heartstrings - Crazy 4 Monograms

Tonic layering dies - Circle

CREAlies CLCS11 - Leaves

X-cut palm punches - Flower, large and medium

Brown pearls - Meiflower

The set comes with a choice of sentiments, here's the inside of my card showing you the one I used.

I am entering this card into the following challenges

From the Heart Stamps - February Monthly stamp challenge

Robyn`s Fetish - # 198- Animals or Birds

Make it Monday  - Always Anything Goes
Through the Purple Haze  - Anything Goes

My Craft Creations - Always Anything Goes

Thanks for dropping in,

hugs,

Colette xx

Birdbrain friends!

I was at the Craft show at Event City Manchester yesterday and you'll never guess what I bought? (If you're a regular visitor then you probably will LOL!)  Yes, I bought more dies hehe! After watching a couple of demo's I 'really needed' them, so look out for roses and fuchsia's on upcoming cards - providing I can remember how to make them LOL!

I've got a card to show you today using the I {heart} card sketches sketch no.52.

 I had bought some digi stamps from {From the heart stamps} earlier in the week and because I spent over $10 and entered the code from the blog I got the Stamp of the Month set for free. They have a monthly challenge where you have to use the stamp of the month , but if you enter, you get the following month's stamp of the month for free - just for playing along - so I thought I would give it a go. My card is made and ready to post, but before I had chance to blog it I noticed the sketch challenge, which only runs for a week, and decided to play along with that too, mainly because the circles in the centre of the grey panel, which I don't think are there other than for decoration, caught my imagination and an idea popped into my head straight away, once again using the Stamp of the Month set, so I made up the card and here it is!

Digital Stamp (inc sentiment) - From the Heart Stamps - Birthday Candle Birdbrain

Papers - Tweet Tweet - Just So Scrappy (only $0.75 in outlet store and contains 42 papers!)

Tonic Circle layering dies

Die-namics Photo corners dies

Stick on Gems - Meiflower

The stamp of the month challenge card will be following in a few days.

I am entering the following challenges

I {heart} Sketches Challenges - Sketch

Love to Create - Birthday / Anniversary

Delightful Challenges - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations -  for the birds

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - #15 Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look, 

Have a lovely Sunday,

hugs,

Colette xx

Happy I do day!

Hi there!

Today I wanted to share a wedding card I've just finished - I may have mentioned once or twice (hehe!) that I am a die-aholic and have set myself the challenge of trying to use as many of my dies as possible this year, but that doesn't mean that I'm not buying any new ones, after all I have to keep feeding my addiction LOL! I bought some new Tonic and Joanna Sheen signature dies with my Christmas money and have used a couple of them on this card.

The wedding couple is a digital stamp from Time for tea which I have coloured in Photoshop and the happy I do day sentiment is a digi from Tiffany doodles, I glittered over the O and added a gem to make it look like a diamond ring.

Digital stamp - Wedding couple - Time for Tea - Etsy

Digital Sentiment - Tiffany doodles

Digital Papers - Forever and Always digital scrap kit - Just So Scrappy

Wedding Horseshoe Signature die - Joanna Sheen

Layering scalloped circle and circle dies - Tonic

Triple leaf set - Elizabeth design crafts

Mini hybrid heirloom rose (centre section only) - Die-namics

Metallic edged ribbon and stick on gems - Meiflower

I am entering my card into these challenges

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday  - #257 Red & Love

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes / Use Red

Craft Your Passion  - Love

Digi Makeover Challenge -  must use digi - Anything Goes

Lexi's Creations - Valentine's Day / Love

Make it Monday - Always Anything Goes

Through the Purple Haze  - Love is in the Air

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look,

hugs,

Colette xx

Baby Carriage!

In my quest to try and use as many of my dies as possible this year , today I have a baby card made almost entirely from dies (5) - I used a couple of punches, organza and satin ribbon and some stick on pearls too.

White Linen card - Papermill Direct

Sizzix nesting hearts die

CREAlies CLCS11 - Leaves

Memory Box - Piestra Tile

Marianne Creatables - LR0218 Baby Carriage

Spellbinders - Decorative labels eight

X-cut palm punch - pointed butterfly - medium and small

X cut Daisy punch - medium and large

Liquid chalks ink pad - Ice Blue

Blue satin ribbon, White organza ribbon and various sized stick on pearls - Meiflower

I used satin ribbon for the hood and blanket of the baby carriage by applying a narrow line of Collall tacky glue around the edges and sticking the ribbon down, once dry I trimmed around the edge. I also did the same underneath the die cut border - for both the pram and border I used a piece of 25mm ribbon and 10mm ribbon. This could easily be done with coloured paper, but I liked the idea of fabric.

Thanks for stopping by,

hugs,

Colette xx

Another sneak peek - First Love Ultimate Kit

I have a huge collection of dies, and when I say huge, I mean HUGE! I have hundreds and any of my friends who have been in my craft room can vouch for that fact LOL!

I have so many that half of them (probably more) have never been used, so my New Years resolution for this year is to use as many as I can, and I've made a start with today's card.

I've used the image, papers, scalloped topper and sentiment circle from Paper Creators First Love Ultimate kit - (which should be in store very soon).

I've re-sized the image (included in kit) to fit on to the sentiment circle.

Papers, Image, Sentiment, scalloped circle - First Love Ultimate Kit - Paper Creator

White Linen card - Papermill Direct

Embossing Folder - A4 Cascading hearts

Lifestyle nesting circles die

Spellbinders Borderabilities - A2 scalloped borders 1

Butterflies - CC Cutters die

X-cut palm punch - Pointed Butterfly large

Ribbon and gems - Meiflower

Woohoo! four different dies used, I'm off to a good start, I've got a couple more cards made using the papers in this kit with some more of my dies, so I'm on a roll, hehe!

Thanks for dropping by,

hugs,

Colette xx