Biker Boy card

Hello, and welcome!

Not  a lot of  bloggin' gettin' done, lately.......not a lot of craftin', either!  I just don't seem to be able to settle down to do anything.....I want to knit, I want to quilt, I want to make a scrapbook page, I want to learn to crochet......and I want to make stuff for the house.....wall-art, cushions, curtains........and I don't know where to start......sigh.......

I've actually been doing some catch-up on my family history research.......haven't done any in quite a while, and it was bothering me.  I got some of the family lines sorted into family groups and printed the individual family trees, instead of it all just sitting on the computer.....easier for me to see where I'm up to if I have hard copies.

Then, I get all involved with these people who were my ancestors.........a baby who died of  "severe malnutrition", aged 2 months......a girl who was widowed, aged 19.......a man who fell to his death whilst working in a clock tower........and a boy who had his photo taken for the local newspaper because he saved a neighbour's child from drowning in a boating lake.......all of these were in Scotland, in the late 1800's......fascinating.

I gave myself a shake and got down to making a card for this week's challenge at

Card Crafter's Circle

This week is a our challenge for you is:

MASCULINE CARDS

Create for the boys and men in your life! 

We are happy to welcome this week's sponsor ... Digi Darla's Designs! Our random prize winner will receive their choice of  FIVE images! DigiDarla is the brain child of Kim Eskola and her daughter Emilea...

Male cards are always a bit of a challenge, aren't they, but this lovely store has some really cute images that will help to spark your creativity.....and don't forget to check out what the rest of our Design Team have made with the male images they received from our sponsor!

Here's my make........

I used this great Mountain Biker image.......

I thought I'd have a bit of a change and made an easy easel card......I used a white card base and added some textured brown paper and some plain orange paper as the background.......the patterned card is from Kanban..........

I used the usual Promarkers to colour him up in his coordinating clobber, ha.......

A touch of distress ink around the edges of the wooden star, and a scrap of burlap, tied with string......

The sentiment is from the same pack as the patterned card....such a shame that Kanban is no longer trading.....

Another scrap of burlap with a Card Candi dot.....the dot was white, so I used a blue Promarker on it.......I usually buy the white ones because then it's easy to colour them to match the other stuff on my cards.......

Sorry this pic isn't the best.....I think there must have been a rare ray of sunshine...hahaaa!

I hope you'll take this opportunity to get a male card created, and you may even win a prize.......good luck!

hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/anything-goes.html  Anything goes

http://paperprettiesblog.blogspot.co.uk/  Fabulous folds

http://thepapershelter.blogspot.co.uk/  For the Boys

http://bearlymine-challenges.blogspot.co.uk/  Digi Days (I used a digi image)

http://digitaltuesdaychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  Birthdays

http://cardsformen.blogspot.co.uk/  Anything goes

Drops of Sunshine!

Hello, and welcome!

I think we've had all four seasons over the past few days, which is a nice little segue into me sharing details about the latest challenge at Card Crafter's Circle...........

For this Challenge our Theme is:

APRIL SHOWERS
...show us your creations about rainy days.... rainy images... 

We are so happy to have Milk Coffee Stamps joining us again with their sponsorship for you! Our random prize winner will receive their choice of FIVE  Milk Coffee images!  I know that will be a fun prize to choose!

It's always lovely when members of our Design Team (the list is over on the right side-bar) get to choose a lovely digi image to play with......I love the Lola range at Milk Coffee, so chose this cute Lola with Watering Can for my card.

The card is intended for my sister's birthday, in May......4th May, in fact.....so, the sentiment is inside and reads "April's showers brings May's flowers........have a Happy Birthday, Flower!".......but I forgot to take a separate photo....sorry!

At least, this sentiment will make a change from all the "May the 4th be with you" ones that she usually gets....hahaaa!

I used yet more freebie paper for the background, which is on a white card base, then layered a piece of stripy paper onto more white card.......

Lola is prettied up for her garden with Promarkers.....I have gardening gloves like that, lol.......the grass is a vellum sticker (yonks old) from K.& Co.........

I cut this fun sunshine shape from yellow glitter card....had this Sissix die forever, and think this is the first time I've used it........

I embossed white card with a swirly Cuttlebug folder and cut out the cloud shapes.....can hear you laffin'!.......and the yellow drops of sunshine rain are from the same die that has the sun shape and an umbrella on it......

Another gorgeous freebie die-cut from Tracy at Dies to Die For.......it came with no less than 7 others with my last order.....doesn't matter if you order one or a dozen of something, she's just as generous......and even gives a code for money off your next order if your postage isn't as much as the website charges......wonderful service!

Ahem......back to the card......I stuck down some tiny flower pearls and drew in the stems and leaves.....don't look too closely.....ha!....you just did, lol..........

Another view of Lola's showery, flowery April garden....lol.

The Design Team came up with some gorgeous stuff, this week.....hop over and pay a visit to see what I mean, then have a go at making something to enter into our challenge.....I'd love to come see what you've done :)

hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

http://digidarlas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/ddc-58-how-does-your-garden-grow.html  How Does Your Garden Grow

http://ladybugcrafts.blogspot.co.uk/  Spring flowers

http://crafts4eternity.blogspot.co.uk/  April showers bring spring flowers

http://shellysimagesblog.blogspot.co.uk/  April showers bring May flowers

http://qkrstampede.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/challenge-35-punches-and-or-dies.html  Punches/dies

Saturated Canary DJ Luv

Hello, and welcome!

I have felt so very much out of the loop without a printer, but the good news is I now have a new one.....yaaaaay!

I did actually make a few things that didn't need me to use a printed digi.....have I ever mentioned how many card kits, stickers, toppers, etc. I have?  Not to mention rubber and clear stamps......but, the truth is that I've felt so poorly and miserable that I really couldn't be bothered.....and my craft room needs a big tidy up, too! In fact, I was spending a few minutes cutting out some felt shapes with a brand-new die....getting along, nicely, and enjoying it with some future projects in mind........took the cut shapes out of the small dies and one of the dies flipped into the air and landed somewhere.....I know not where.....in the clutter.......sheeesh!  After about 4 minutes of shifting piles of stuff to see if I could spot it, I gave it up for a time when my head doesn't throb when I lean over, and my nose doesn't drip on the products....ugghh!

All that said, today is my granddaughter, Hannah's, 19th birthday so a card just had to be created, and here it is......

Hannah is coming to the end of her first year at Uni....she's working towards becoming a Studio Producer and is into stuff that I don't have a clue about, ha!.....apart from knowing that she is a fantastic DJ and a very talented pianist and percussionist, the rest is a mystery to me, but I thought she would enjoy this card.

The funky image is from Saturated Canary and is called DJ Luv.....the original image actually has a boy, wearing earphones, standing at the side, but I erased him.....ha!

I made a card base from black card and added a piece of K&Co. paper as a background....I love the colours in this piece.....then added a piece of tone-on-tone muted pink, layered onto more black card......

I coloured the cute image with Spectrum Noirs and Promarkers and cut it out with a Nellie Snellen scalloped oval, then layered it onto black card which was cut with a die from the same set. Those little stars are actually metal beads that I bought on my trip to New York, and the dragonfly is cut from kraft with a die from Cheery Lynn's "Tiny Things with Wings" set......can you see that lovely brown and pink ribbon?  It's from Docrafts......

I love this ticket set....it was a freebie with a magazine.....nice, eh?

I stamped the sentiment onto kraft and darkened it a little with a pinky brown Promarker....the stamp is from LOTV's "Everyday Grunge" messages.....

More paper and a die-cut sentiment spot inside.......done!

Hope you like.....Hannah did!

hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/pennys-challenge-123-use-sentiment.html  Use a sentiment

http://challenges4everybody.blogspot.co.uk/  Anything goes

http://ladybugscraftsinkchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/  Toddlers/teens/inbetweens (I went with teenager)

http://notrealstamps.blogspot.co.uk/  One for the Girls

http://craft-roomchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/  So Sentimental

Sweet Treats......yummy!

Hello, and welcome!

I've been in a bit of a tizz, today........besides struggling with a sore throat and earache, I've been well and truly dumped by one of my best friends.......yep.......she let me down, good an' proper........

She and I have had a somewhat rocky relationship, lately.....she's been temperamental, moody, and downright bad-tempered......okay, we both have......but there was absolutely no need to leave me high and dry, just because I expected her to do something that she has done, over and over, for many moons.......

My printer won't work.....waaaaaaahhhhhh!!!

I spent almost an hour on-line with a techie, who very patiently took me step-by-step through all the processes that might just have put her back in fine fettle.....but, he had to concede that she was a gonner......burnt out her delicate sensors, it seems....sob....sniff.....sniff.....and it would be kinder to get meself a new best friend.....cheaper, too, so I'll go with that, ha!

Fortunately, I'd already managed to print off the sweet image for today's challenge at Perfect Sentiments, last weekend......phew!

PSC74: Sweet Treats

Create a card for the occasion of your choice using something sweet...cupcakes, candy, ice cream, etc. Don't forget to include your sentiment on the front. 

Our Sponsor

will award one lucky random winner 4 Free Digis!

I used the really cute Topsy Turvy Cake for this week's DT card.......

The card base is plain white and I used some random papers from my stash, layered onto more white card.......

The sentiment label was on a freebie sheet and I added some sparkle with a Sakura pen onto the bird and butterfly......(I was recently told off by a certain DT member for not sparklin' up my butterflies....wouldn't embarrass Sara by naming her, though, ha!)......I edged the sentiment label with brown ink, for definition......

The very pretty balloons and stars die-cut was a freebie with an order from diestodiefor.blogspot.com......Tracy always includes extras......I get more excited about my surprise goodies than I do about receiving my order, hahaaa!......

I got very peckish whilst colouring up this delish cake.....used my Promarkers and added a touch of sparkle.....the die label is from Nellie Snellen......

I cut a scalloped border....by hand.....from the same stripy paper and topped it off with three Card Candi spots (Craftwork Cards)......

A Sweet Treat if ever I saw one.....and now it's your turn!  Hop over to the challenge blog to take a peek at all the lovely inspiration, then come back with a card and link up.....easy-peasy!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:
http://freshbreweddesigns.blogspot.co.uk/  Sweet Treats
http://thestampingchef.wordpress.com/  For a girl
http://lexiscreations.blogspot.co.uk/  Punches/Dies
http://dreamvalleychallenges.blogspot.co.uk/  Happy Birthday
http://creativecornerchallenges.blogspot.de/  Girly Birthday

Butterflies are a-flitting.....

Hello, and welcome!

It's already Friday and it's been a lovely day for our family.....our Yvie-Grace turned 3 years old and she had a Princess Party.....ooooo......I so wanted to dress as a princess, but I couldn't fit into any of Yvie's or Millie's pretty Disney Princess dresses, as much as I tried, ha!

Another great thing about it being Friday is that there's a brand new challenge at 

Card Crafter's Circle

This week is a our challenge for you is all about:

BUGS
show us your creations with bugs and insects!

Our sponsor 

is providing 5 lovely digi images for our randomly drawn winner.

The Design Team was provided with some really lovely images, this week, and I chose this gorgeous Heartstreak Butterfly......

A friend has asked me to make something pretty for her MIL's birthday.....she wanted it to be from her kiddles......and this is what I came up with.

The base is white scalloped card stock and I cut the base label from very pale pink Bazzil card.....I love this die......

I used a sticker from a very old sticker sheet and put it onto card, then cut around and placed it onto the base label......

I printed the pretty butterfly (4 times) and coloured with Promarkers, then cut them out....so therapeutic......I was tempted to glitter them up, then decided not, ha!  

Where did the 4th butterfly get to........hello!  How about that fussy-cutting, eh?

A little sentiment tab that was in a Forever Friends kit.......an unused kit, I might add......must do something about that, lol.......and I added the teeny gem.....

I hope the recipient likes it.

Take a gander, over on the Challenge Blog, to see the inspiration that's waiting for your perusal....there are some lovely makes from the rest of the Team....then get out your crafty bits and join in the fun!

hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

http://flutterbywednesdays.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/flutter-by-wednesday-234.html  Flowers (with a butterfly/fairy)

http://shellysimagesblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/ttt-challenge-use-scallops.html  Use scallops

http://carabbiemomentsofcraft.blogspot.co.uk/  Things with wings

http://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/challenge-177anything-goes-gdt-call.html  Anything goes

http://craftingforallseasons.blogspot.co.uk/  Floral Delight

Americana Style

Hello, and welcome!

Thank you so much for the sweet comments you left for me about Riley's Blessing Day and the blanket I knitted for her.......hope the piccie of me didn't scare you all off, ha!

I thought I'd better get my card posted a little earlier than I usually do, because I've got to go on a hunt for fabric.......only up into my loft/sewing room/grandkiddles bedroom......but you never know what the last batch of over-night kiddles might have left up there.....hahaaa!

If it was Hannah (almost 19), there's bound to be a few used glasses or empty cans of Pepsi Max, hairbands, socks, etc.,.....if it's Freya (4) or Alexandra (9) it could be story books and glitter.......and Spencer (6) or Adam (4) would probably have left toy cars and bits of Lego......it's an adventure!

I'm fabric hunting because I'm spending tomorrow with Daughter #3 (Leigh-Anne), making cushion covers for the living room sofa and chairs.......I'm looking for cream and red, and it's quite possible that I'll find it in my huge stash little pile, somewhere....heehee!

Today's card is for this week's challenge at the fabby PERFECT SENTIMENTS and this week we are sponsored by the lovely

who will award our randomly drawn winner 5 lovely images of their choice!

The theme is

SYMPATHY/THINKING OF YOU

and don't forget that we need to see a sentiment on the FRONT of your card.

I've got a very naughty printer on my hands, at the moment, and I got this little card onto the challenge blog by the skin of teeth........

Another member of the DT used this gorgeous little image a couple of weeks ago, and I fell in love with it.....I couldn't resist going with a bit of old-fashioned Americana-style with this card.  I used some lovely DP from Walking in the Forest stack by Maja Designs.....I love Maja's papers!

You'll notice that I used pinking shears a lot on the elements of this card.......the rubber stamp I used for the sentiment doesn't have a maker's name on it, but I know I bought it at Hobby Craft, ages ago......I used a blue Promarker to ink it up.....if you try this, ink quickly with the broad tip and "huff" onto it before you stamp.......I added a teeny piece of ribbon to the side......

The pinking shears came into play again on the stripy border paper, and the layered flower was in a freebie pack that came in a recent magazine.....love freebies!

I used a Nellie Skellen die to cut out the image, which is coloured with my usual Promarkers......did I mention that I love this image?

I also added the piece of paper that was cut off the bottom border piece to the top edge of the card.....waste not, want not, ha!

I hope you'll take a peek at the rest of the Team's inspirational work....there much loveliness waiting for you!

It's a sad fact, but we know that we all need this sort of card at one time or another, so why not join the challenge and be prepared?

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x

Challenges:

http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/april-1-very-strict-challenge.html  Anything goes

http://partytimetuesdays.blogspot.co.uk/  Ribbons and Blooms

http://paulaholifieldcrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/our-first-challenge.html  Anything goes

http://ladybugscraftsinkchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/  Anything goes

A Blessing and a Blanket

Hello, and welcome!

I really hope that all of you who celebrate Easter had a blessed one.......our family certainly did!

Of course, this one was all the more special because we witnessed the Blessing of our beautiful new granddaughter, Riley Mae.  

It was so wonderful to see her held in her Daddy's arms, and surrounded by her grandfathers, uncles, and close family friends, she was given her very lovely and special blessing......and, yep.....I cried.......but Riley didn't....she was as good as gold :)......

As promised, here a few piccies of the blanket I knitted for her lovely day.....sorry about the poor quality.....I was running around the house, trying to find the best light, and this was it!

You can't really see from the photos, but there is a strand of silvery, sparkly thread that runs through the soft yarn......

It's not perfect......I don't do perfect.......but every stitch was made with love for this precious little girl......and it kept her snuggly warm on a very cold day, with the snow still lying in drifts......

Of course, I had to have a little moment with my precious.......

Sleepy girl........

Mummy, Daddy and big brother, Bevan.....

This is the invitation to Riley's special day.....cute, eh?

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE MY FAMILY?

Hope to see you tomorrow.....I'll be here with my DT card for the Perfect Sentiments challenge!

Hugs,

Anne-Marie x