Card Crafter's Circle/Challenge #16 EASTER

Hi, and welcome!

Been a really busy week, but have enjoyed every single minute.....my baby is home!

Jonathan (my baby), Tanys (his wife), and Bevan (their baby) are back from Northern Ireland, and we've had to make room for them until they can find a nice house....hopefully within the next month.

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have them here!

Bevan left a few days after his first birthday, at the end of last October.... a blue-eyed, blonde-haired, chubby baby.....and has come back a green-eyed, blonde-haired, slightly-less-chubby toddler!  Where did he get green eyes?........from ME.....haaa!

More about all-things-Bevan another day.

On to this week's challenge at

CARD CRAFTER'S CIRCLE

This week we are sponsored by one of our favourite sponsors........

http://www.deariedollsdigistamps.com/

Our team really does have a soft spot for these cute images, and our Random Winner will get to choose 3 of 'em...woohoo!

Okay, so what do you need to do?

Easy.......just make a new creation with an EASTER theme.....doesn't need to be a card, so let your imagination loose, and see what you can come up with!

Here's mine.......

Now, I just need to make something clear, here......that egg is solid chocolate, and it is all mine....haaaa!

I started with a pale pink card base, and added a strip of green DP from a stack that I found at T.K.Maxx (I think it's known as TJ Maxx in the US) which I fringed to resemble grass......not sure how effective that was, though........

I want a pinny like this!  How cute are those bunnies?  And she even has 'em on her shoes.....aawwwww.....

All coloured up with my usual Promarkers, and I added a strip of sweet lace near the top of the egg........

 

The little tag is from the same paper stack, and I added a clipping of pretty lace to the top, held in place with a tiny lilac brad........

I hand cut the egg shape....oh yes, indeed I did......from sparkly card that was also in the same paper stack, inked the edges, and added the cute arrow shape, also inked........

I've had a box of these ribbon slides for ages, but haven't really used 'em, much.......threaded up with pink organza ribbon....pretty, pretty......

I don't usually make, or send, Easter cards.......doesn't seem to be what passes for normal around these parts......but, I think I may make a few more, and send them out to a few choice folks.....maybe!

Hope you join in with our challenge this week, and don't forget to take a look at the rest of the team's creations!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

4craftychicks.blogspot.com  Easter

audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot  Happy Easter

charismacardz.blogspot.com  Easter

cutecardthursday.blogspot.com  Happy Easter

delightfulsketches.blogspot.com  Easter

paperplaychallenges.blogspot.com  Easter Theme

pennyschallenges.blogspot.com  Easter

scrapbooksisters.blogspot.com  Easter

trulyscrumptiouschallenge.blogspot.com  Lace

Sweet and Wonderful You

Hello, and welcome!

Didn't think  I'd have time to hop on the old 'puter, tonight.......been poorly sick over the weekend, and now two days behind with all the chores I wanted to get done before Jonathan and Co.  arrive, very early on Wednesday morning.......doesn't look like I'm goin' to catch up, when you do the maths, does it?

I think I'm just going to enjoy them being home, and will be helping to look for a new house for them, so you can have a little rest from my goings-on for a few days.....but behave yourselves, because you never know when I'll pop up in your reader....haaaa!

This is a ickle card I made on Friday night, just before the buggy lurgy struck me down.......but don't worry....I've disinfected it....haaahaaa!

I layered pink, white and tan papers onto the card base, then added another strip of toning stripey, layered onto more white paper.........

The sweet image is from Pink Gem.....I love Janet's stamps!  This, and the sentiment, were freebies........

I tied some pretty pink and green dotty ribbon, added the daisy button and pink beady-thingy (got it on a little roll), then popped them onto a little journal spot....all done!

That's me then, off to beat a few rugs, and mangle me washing...........

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:
http://www.alwayscrafting.blogspot.co.uk/  Anything goes
http://crazychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  Add a sentiment

Card Crafter's Circle/Challenge #15 TIC TAC TOE

Hello, and welcome!

It's challenge time again, over at 

CARD CRAFTER'S CIRCLE

and this week is going to be a lot of fun because we get to play a game of 

TIC TAC TOE

which means you just have to choose a line of 3 from the choices that are given.

You can find all the details at the challenge blog .......easy-peasy!

Pauline (our boss lady) always does a grand job of linking us up with fabulous sponsors, and this week we are back with the delightful

 

As always, our randomly chosen winner is in for a treat, and this week it's 2 sheets of the wonderful digis that can be found over at 

http://linnie-whoopsiedaisy.blogspot.co.uk/ 

which is the equivalent of 8 images....yaaaay!

Our Design Team have come up with some fabulous inspiration, so check them out by clicking on their names, in my sidebar!

Here's my effort..........

How cute are these two, on their lemonade stall?

I went for the bottom line, on the tic tac toe grid.....embossing, colour blue and diecuts.

I used a mask to emboss the blue background paper, which was then layered onto white card, and then pink dotty card.......

The cutie twosome were coloured up with Promarkers and cut out with a deckle-edge Nestie label, and popped onto a scrap of blue flowery paper.....added a teeny stitched scrap of blue paper which I'd cut into a tab shape, and stitched on a button....love dem buttons!

I cut the picket fence, then embossed it.......then this flippin' bird landed on it....haaaa!

Ooooh, just noticed that I also did a bit of me stitchin', around the edges of the blue paper.......soooo relaxing to do!  I chose a fun font from the 'puter, printed it up, then cut into a little sentiment shape...inked and treated to a couple of pearls......ar ben ......that means finished in Welsh...haaa!

So, get cracking on playing a little Tic Tac Toe, and I can pop over and tell you why I don't like it how lovely your creation is......you have to be in it to win it!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

mymumscraftshopchallenges.blogspot.com  Let's get digital (2nd entry)

milkcoffeechallenge.blogspot.com  Anything goes (2nd entry)

http://www.doitwithdigischallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  Digi with sentiment

http://pattiescreationschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  Anything goes with a digi

http://raisethebarchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  In the garden

Rainbow Kraft card

Hello, and welcome!

I've had some brilliant news today.....TWO lots, in fact!

First of all, we were expecting our youngest, Jonathan, and his wife and baby, to come over from Northern  Ireland, next week for a visit.

Some of you will remember that they relocated, last October, so Jonathan could take up a new job.  They were supposed to be staying for at least a year, and then Jonathan was to come back to England, and set up a branch here.

Apparently....and I'm really excited to say......Jonathan has exceeded his targets to the extent that he can come back in April, and set up the new branch....wooohoooo!!

We have been Skypeing, backwards and forwards, all day....there is so much to do....they need to find a house, and business premises, for a start, although he will be using our stable block as an office and storage, for the time being.

Can't wait to actually have them home!!

Okay....and breathe.......

Next piece of great news.....our eldest  grandchild, Hannah, has applied to 5 universities to study Music Technology, and has spent the past few months attending interviews.  Over the past few days, she's been getting phone calls and letters, confirming her places in ALL FIVE universities.....AND.....the final one, today, told her that she was their #1 choice out of the 202 that applied for the courses.......AND.....they are considering offering her a scholarship......AND....they want to put her in the running for a 2 week internship IN NEW YORK with Will.I.am, the singer with the Black Eyed Peas......how good is that??!!!

Of course, Hannah is gobsmacked, and sooooooo excited!  She has exactly two weeks to make up her mind about which offer she's going to accept.  Oh, my........

Back to business.....here's a little card.........

I used a dotty mask to emboss the kraft card base in my Bigshot........

The tag is a freebie download, and I used my Cropadile to punch a hole and set a large eyelet in the end.......I coloured up (with PMs) the freebie sentiment, and punched a Nestie label to set it on.......very fast, very simple......and I think I like it!

I've got more exciting news to share with you, but you'll have to wait for that....just sayin'...haaaa!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

lilredwagon.blogspot.com  Clean and simple

mymumscraftshopchallenges.blogspot.com  Let's get digital

milkcoffeechallenge.blogspot.com  Anything goes

thepinkelephantchallenge.blogspot.com  Get krafty

Dainty Doily card

Hello, and welcome!

You all made me laugh at the comments you left, after Olivia's sewing party........and I have to agree, she is beautiful.....but then, I would say that, wouldn't I....?

Very quick post, tonight.....I've got half a ton of ironing to do....did plan to finish it this morning, but started to  sort through my fabric stash, and......well........you know how that goes....haaaa!

I made this little card, yesterday........it was going to be a lot smaller (inspired by the gorgeous creation that Jayne, over at http://eskimofrosting.blogspot.co.uk/ recently made), but these old eyes needed to work with something a little larger, heehee.......

As it is, it ended up at 4 inches x 4 inches...........and I'm on a mission AGAIN to use up a whole heap of my scraps........

Another very simple card............

The ticket is a freebie which I chalked lightly with pink, and added the pale green gem......

Folded the small doily around the spine of the card, added a pink journal spot, and popped a sweet embellishment in the centre......

The edge is cut with a Martha Stewart lacy border punch, and a strip of the blue paper is attached on the back inside edge of the card......hand-sewed a length of pale blue gossamer ribbon down the join of the two different papers.......done!

Told you it was quick....haaa!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

http://www.craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/challenge-102-just-sentiments.html  Just Sentiments

http://lollipopcrafts.blogspot.co.uk/  Sentimentally Yours 

http://liastampz.blogspot.co.uk/  Anything goes + Sentiment

http://crafterscafeblogchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  Ribbon and/or Lace

http://thepoodlesparlour.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/anything-goes-challenge.html  Anything goes (my 3rd entry)

Pink Gem Cutie

Hello, and welcome!

Do you remember that I posted about my granddaughter, Olivia, turning 7 this week?  I'd mentioned that my camera had "swallowed" the photos I'd taken of the card I'd made her......and it was such a work of art......really.....haa!

Anyways, her birthday was Tuesday, and as we usually do, the family gathered together for birthday cake and giving of gifts and cards to the Birthday Girl....all good an' well.

This afternoon, Olivia had a sewing party, and had invited 12 of her girlfriends to come to her house and make a pretty monogrammed cushion, and a lovely headband,  complete with felt flowers and buttons......lovely.

Mummy had used Grandma's Big Shot to cut half a ton of felt flowers, and had stolen asked for a pile of Grandma's pretty pastel buttons, to sew onto the layered flowers.......still with me?

Grandma, in the meantime, thought she had an afternoon to herself, and had planned to use it to prepare the lesson she has to teach, at Church, tomorrow........cue phone call from Olivia's Mummy, Leigh-Anne (aka Daughter #3).....sayin' that Olivia really wants her Grandma to come to the party.......Grandma dutifully drives through a hailstorm so as not to disappoint her much-loved Granddaughter # 4....is met at the door by said blonde, blue-eyed teeny beauty......and is led to a sewing machine, and a l-o-n-g line of giggling, excited teeny girlies, each clutching the makings of a flowery, monogrammed cushion!

Another, poor, unsuspecting "guest", (aka mother of a teeny guest) was already ensconced at a table, starting on putting together headbands........

Really!......talk about slave labour.......I had each teeny sit on my lap while I showed her how to sew a straight line, on a piece of scrap fabric, then they moved on to Daughter #3, who helped them to sew the seams,  and place the monogramme, before they stuffed their cushions....then back to me to slip-stitch the closings.

At some point, I was thrown a piece of KFC boneless chicken, but have you ever tried to eat chicken whilst hand-sewing?

All this, accompanied by the warbling singing of Justin Beiber, beltin' out at 3 million decibells.........where's the aspirin?

Wish I had photos to show you, but I was a little busy.......

Here's a photo of Olivia, taken a few months ago.......

This a very quick card that I made, last night, using a freebie from Pink Gem........

I used a green spotty card base, and layered on a journal card (love those bright eggs!), rounded all corners, and inked with fluid chalk.......a piece of bright Easter paper behind........

Isn't she a sweet girlie?  Love the ickle butterfly........

Used letter stickers for the "happy", and a small tag for "Easter", and cute flower brads......can't remember how many years I've had those, and still got tons...what on earth did I think I needed so many for?...haaa!

Half a paper doily, behind the journal card, and a pretty diecut butterfly to remind us it's Spring!

Very quick and simple....that's all I seem to have time for, these days....sigh......

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

http://thesecretcraftersaturdaychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  Doilies

http://papersundaes.blogspot.co.uk/  Feminine Flair

http://craftuscrazy.blogspot.co.uk/  Easter or Something Sweet (I chose Easter)

http://craftyannschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/  Spring/Easter

http://thepoodlesparlour.blogspot.co.uk/  Anything goes (2nd entry)

Card Crafter's Circle/Challenge #14 POT OF GOLD

Hi, and welcome!

Woohoo....it's FRIDAY!

Just a gentle reminder, in case you hadn't noticed what day it is....I do that all the time, heehee.

Time for a challenge at 

CARD CRAFTER'S CIRCLE

and today we have a brand new sponsor 

 

MILK COFFEE

Our randomly drawn winner gets to choose 3 digis...and there are tons to choose from......

but that's not all....oh no......this very generous sponsor will also give each of our TOP THREE a digi of their choice......how good does it get?!

So how do you get your pretty little mitts on some of these goodies?

Easy-peasy........

You need to make something....and remember that it doesn't have to be a card....we are a mixed media kind of challenge blog......just something that has GOLD on it........

Here's mine.....

Needed to do a bit of de-stressing, so did some distressing .....haaaaa!

I printed the image twice, once onto normal card, and then onto some gold foiled card....wasn't sure if the gold would print out properly, but it was fine....pheeew!  A bit of paper piecing, and she was all decked out in her finery :D........

I think I've got some boots like that.....heeheeeee....and how about the handbag.....posh, or what?  And every girl needs a gold umbrella.......well, it would be rude not to, wouldn't it?  The rest of her is coloured up with my trusty Promarkers...of course, lol........

The pretty ribbon....love that colour!....is from East of India (the company, not the location..ha!), and this is it's first outing........

I tore strips of gold and red paper, pricked holes around the edges, and topped with a tiny journal card, and a ticket..... the teeny tiny kraft tag was actually part of the ribbon packaging....couldn't chuck that in the rubbish!.....and added a teeny gold flower thingy with a red brad pushed through.......

Finished!

I just know that you'll love all the sweet digis over at MILK COFFEE and that they are going to be a firm favourite with this little (HA!) crafter!

Our design team are a very talented lot, and you are missing out if you don't check out their takes on this fabby challenge.....go to their links in my left side-bar!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

http://ilovepromarkers.blogspot.com/2012/03/challenge-108-anything-goes.html  Anything goes

http://www.4craftychicks.blogspot.com/  Chicks Rule

http://digidoodleshopsbest.blogspot.com/  People

http://shellysimagesblog.blogspot.com/  Anything goes

http://prairiefairyfridays.blogspot.com/  Distress it

http://thepoodlesparlour.blogspot.com/  Anything goes

http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/2012/03/for-girls-or-mum.html  Girls

Christmas in March

Hello, and welcome!

Did you have a nice weekend?  Pretty quiet around here, which was just as well because I felt totally exhausted!

Not sure why.....but I missed the first half of church, yesterday, because I didn't wake up until 9.45 am.......and on Saturday, it was almost 11.00 am when I prised my eyes open!!

I must be due for an oil-change, or something....haaaa!

I had planned to share a card that I've made for Olivia's birthday, tomorrow........she's  turning 7, and is already in love with Justin Beiber......but my camera keeps telling me that there is a "File Error", and won't let me retrieve the photos, or take any new ones!.....ggggrrrrrr!!!!

Soooooo, my lovelies, you get to see a little Christmas one, instead.......piccie already on the 'puter, so here we go......

I coloured this little fella ages ago, and he's been in my "to make" box ever since, but was so quiet, and well behaved that I almost forgot him...shame.......!

He's "Puppy Post" from Lili of the Valley, and is coloured with the usual Promarkers........

Scraps of paper used, and edged with chalk ink, and strip of toning paper ribbon across the width, under the image....

I glittered up the top of the post box, the snowflakes, and the bottom of the image.......

I used a Martha Stewart vine border punch on kraft card, then inked, and layered up with scrap paper......threaded 2 teeny jingle bells onto string, and tied it around the border strip.......

The green heart was coloured with a Holly Promarker....the heart is the inside bit of a larger Cheery Lyn heart die.....popped a gold snowflake button on with a silicone dot.........the end!

I'm really hoping that my camera is not going to be naughty for too long....couldn't ask the Hubster 'cos he's working away until tomorrow........only his third day of work since Christmas.....so will have to wait until he's back....no chance of buying a new camera, that's for sure!

Before I leave you in peace, just thought I'd give you a heads up....especially if you like Steampunk......because foldedpaperprintedpixels.blogspot.com has some truly beautiful new digi images....and I know because I won some....thank you again, Sara!!

And another heads up about the 2nd BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION that's going on over at The Shabby Tea Rooms.......great give-aways to be won, so go take a look!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.com  Glam it up with glitter

digidoodleshopsbest.blogspot.com  Animals

http://craftybootschallenges.blogspot.com/  Glitter

http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/  Anything goes

http://www.totallygorjuss.blogspot.com/  Anything goes with a button (the snowflake)

http://thepapershelter.blogspot.com/  Anything goes

Card Crafter's Circle/Challenge #13 ORANGE & GREEN/ST.PATRICK'S

Hi, and welcome!

It's that time of week again....this month seems to be flying by....and we've another challenge for you, over at 

CARD CRAFTER'S CIRCLE

and this week you have a choice....we are sooooo good to you...haaa!

You can choose to make a St. Patrick's Day themed card, or simply use the colours Orange and Green on your crafty make....easy-peasy!

We have a new sponsor, too

http://kpmdoodles.blogspot.com/

They have some really fabulous digi sets, and clipart, and our randomly drawn winner gets to choose TWO sets of images...woohoo!

Our design team really had a ball, making our creations this week....the image sets are just lovely.......I chose to use the Forest Friends set to make this one........

There are actually more images in this set, but I chose to use just the ones you see here.......papers from my stash, and I printed the flowers twice, just flipping one set around, and the same with the toadstools, then all coloured with the usual Promarkers.........aren't these the cutest little fellas?

I tore some of the paper to make the background........I just love this fox!  

I can see one of these toadstools with a fairy sittin' on top...heehee......

The sentiment stamp is from my stash, and I stamped straight onto a paper sentiment circle.........

It's hard to see in this picture, but the butterfly is lightly chalked with pale yellow........

and we're done!

It's been really nice to see some of you linking up to our challenges......and this one has another lovely prize, so come on...have a go!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

digidoodleshopsbest.blogspot.com  Animals

shellysimagesblog.blogspot.com  Green and gold

craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.com  Anything goes 

Another Spring Card!

Hello, and welcome!

I think I'm getting a bit fed-up with my blog background.......anybody got any ideas?

There are some absolutely gorgeous blogs around, and I'm in need of a change, so what do you think?

I love the shabby chic, vintage look, but have no idea what to do about it....so any ideas would be most welcome.

I had a very dear friend who died, three years ago, of a brain tumour.  It wasn't diagnosed until it was at stage four, and aggressive chemo and radiotherapy just made her final months miserable.

Her mum lives close by, and is 87 years old.  My friend, Jean,  was her only child......she will never recover from losing her cherished daughter.  

I visit her several times a month, and see her at church most Sundays.....she says I make her laugh out loud, and I can share stories of the things that Jean and I used to get up to........Jean was quiet, and refined, and I....well, you all know what I'm like....haaaa!....so there are quite a few tales to tell, after 30 years of friendship!

Today, I made a card for this sweet lady, just to see her smile.......and she did!

I found the papers lurking in my scrap mountain, so don't know where they are from......I cut a scalloped shape with a Nestie, then  layered the second patterned paper behind it...all the edges were inked.......

I won this cute stamp from Paper Pretties, last year....came with the sentiment, too.  Coloured up with my usual Promarkers, then used some Glossy Accents Crackle on the shell.....I'd used my blender pen to make the spots on the shell....sorry the pic is blurry :( ......and put the image onto the orange label, which was another from the bundle that Shirley-Anne sent me :)

I have a big bag of these paper flowers....bought 'em years ago......added the brads, and stuck them in front of  a lovely white fence that was cut with my brand new die....woohoo!  That's the nearest I'm likely to get to a pristine fence....we have a family of magpies who just love to sit on our back garden fence, and leave something for us to remember 'em by......uugggghhhh!!

I have seen Doreen do this kind of corner piece, although hers always look very much more lovely....I want to be Doreen when I grow up..haa!

This is the sentiment that comes with the above stamp....stamped onto a freebie journal card, and the matching brads added....and we're done!

My friend said this cracked her up....haaaa!  

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

pollycraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com  Spring has sprung

thepinkelephantchallenge.blogspot.com  Layers

www.papercreationsink.com  Spring is in the air

craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.com  Anything goes

http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/  Anything goes

http://doyoustackup.blogspot.com/2012/03/dysu-61-things-with-wings.html  Things with wings

http://totallystampalicious.blogspot.com  Spring is in the air

http://creativecardcrew.blogspot.com/  Humour

For a Friend

Hello, and welcome!

How are you?  I've had a lovely day, mostly to myself for a change, and managed  to make a couple of  cards....one is a Design Team one, so no peekin' at that, yet.......

The one I want to show you was made for a young mother, at my church.  All women, once they reach the age of 18, become members of our Relief Society....basically, it's an organization for the women, where we seek out those in need, share one another's burdens, and learn how to strengthen families....especially our own.

Once a month, we visit, with a partner, another woman from our ward, and usually share an inspirational message from our church leaders.  We call it Visiting Teaching.

We  make sure that the woman we are visiting is in good health, that her children (if she has any) are safe and well, and we always look for ways that we might assist her, or her family.  If there is a need, we try to use the proper channels to make sure that need is filled.......but often, all we need to do is sit a while, and listen........

Over the 34 years that I have been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, some of my most precious moments have been when I've been doing my monthly Visiting Teaching.

Today's card is for the very lovely young mother that I am privileged to visit.

She is in her mid thirties, has a handsome husband, six children, and has recently taken a teaching degree, and is now teaching in a primary school......she amazes me!

The backing paper is from Kaisercraft.........

The die cut label was sent in a bundle from a blogger friend...thanks again, Shirely-Anne!.......and I stamped the sentiment in Colorbox chalk ink.......three tiny pearls in the corner.......

I cut the green grid paper into a journal card, and layered on a strip of pretty lace, and a little paper clip to embellish.....

I cut the heart from white cardstock and coloured it pink with a Promarker.  See the pretty flower?  Cut from a headband from Primark....yep....8 of 'em, plus a string of white pearls, all wrapped around a wreath that was supposed to be worn on the head......£1.50!  I can't resist having a mooch to see what new ones they have, since my last visit....love Primark!

I thought I'd share the message that I placed inside the card.....I gave it to my young friend, yesterday.

Thanks for looking!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

ceschallenges.blogspot.com  Flower Frenzy!

littledarlingschallenges.blogspot.com  Pearls

onestitchatatimechallenge.blogspot.com  Reuse or Recycle (my flower)

thatcraftplaceblog.blogspot.com  Anything Goes

craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com  Pretty in Lace

creataliciouschallenges.blogspot.com  Lace

craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.com  Anything goes