Brown and Blue

Now this for me was a tough challenge.  Not only was there a sketch to follow but also the colours had to be brown and blue!  I have to have someone in mind when I am making a card otherwise I can sit for hours looking at my craft stash and it just looks back at me...  However, once I had decided the card was going to be for my sister's wedding anniversary my creative juices began flowing.  So here it is (at last!)

The backing papers are taken from Now That's Funky - Funky Hand craft cd and also the circle the birds are sitting on.  I have used Kay Carley stamps on the sentiment tag and also on the strip on the left hand side of the card.  The birds are taken from the Polka Doodle - Sugar Birdies craft CD.  The blue strip along the bottom of the card is punched with the Martha Stewart Arch Lattice punch and I have finished off the card with 3 prima flowers centered with Craftwork Cards - iced gems card candy.

As you can see it is a gatefold card - which I just wanted to make for a change.

Glad this is now finished as it needs delivered by Saturday so I better go and get it in the post..  Bye for now Vx

Sensitive about turning forty?

Turning forty is a sensitive subject for some so with this in mind I have made this card..

The sentiment at the bottom reads "feeling sensitive about turning four.tea?"  Yes its still cheeky but hey some people give you very little opportunity to  have a 'dig' at them so this was my chance!!

Polka Doodles week 10 challenge has provided the inspiration for this card, to celebrate a special birthday.  The backing paper is from (yes you guessed it) Back to Nature and his been punched at the bottom with a Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch which I thought fitted in quite nicely with the Tea theme.  The stamps used are all Chapel Road Artstamps - Tea Collage.  I stamped the background paper with the tea leaf.  The layer under the tea cups has also been stamped with the tea leaf and coloured using a sponge with green and butterscotch dye based inks.  The tea cups are stamped with the butterscotch ink pad too and have been cut out using Spellbinder dies.  Here are some close ups..

Its quite a pretty card even though its cheeky too.

Hope the recipient does not give me a black eye... I will let you know... Vx

Rock'n'Roll

Well its my son's 7th Birthday soon and he loves his rock music.  So inspired by the latest Sugar Bowl Blog challenge I have created this.

Its a diorama card (another first for me), the sugar nellie image and the guitar has been embossed and coloured using promarkers.  The rock star wording and musical notes were downloaded from Dafont and all free too!  The stars have Happy Birthday stamped on them too.

Will have to make sure that I am not looking at this page when he is at home - well not until after the 3 of April!

Bye Vx

Wings and Things

Well first of all I would like to say a big thanks to the Polka Doodles Design team for picking my spinner card to win Week 8 Polka Doodles challenge.  I am tickled pink and have sore cheeks from grinning like a cheshire cat!  Cannot wait to get my blinkie to bling up my blog page.

Now on to things with wings challenge.  Bit slow at making this card but I am really please with the results and hope that Mia will like it too - the all important birthday girl who turns 2 on Thursday..

Another view..

And a close up of the butterflies

I have used the Back to Nature cd (again yes, but can't get enought of it really) for the backing papers and also have taken a tree image from Candy Doodles and coloured it in with promarkers.  The butterflies are Penny Black and were stamped with a dye based ink and then coloured with promarkers.  To get them to look like they were mid air I laminated them and left a strip of clear laminate so that I could attach it to the card.  I used my new Martha Stewart punch to make the fence at the front of the card and have attached it with foam pads to give it some dimension.

This is another first for me as I have never attempted a stepper card before.  I think I might just attempt it again soon.  Hope you like it.... Vx

Martha Punch

As per usual I am finding it difficult to make cards for men.  Espcially the ones who do not have any hobbies (namely the father-in-law!)  However, I pulled out some Stampin Up stamps and teamed them up with my new Martha Stewart punches - 2 of which were chosen on the possibility of being included on a man's card.  Here it is..

The tree has been stamped in 2 colours, cut in half and one is overlayed onto the other...  The oak leaves have been stamped in brown ink and embossed with clear powder.

My husband will be please that this one is not to be included in any blog competitions!  However, i have been finding the competitions very inspirational for ideas and layouts for the cards I am making for up-coming birthdays.  Speaking of which I still have another 3 to make for this month..

Still have my entry to submit for this weeks Polka Doodles challenge so better get my crafty fingers and head going on that one before Sunday.  Still not had a great deal of time to play with my purchases from the SECC so might just set aside some time tonight.. well that's the plan children and hubby permitting.  Vx

Could not resist....

Ok is official (not that I really had any doubt)... My Name is Vanessa and I am addicted to crafting!  How have I suddenly had this epiphany, well...  I was supposed to be going to the SECC craft fair with a friend (hello debbie) and unfortunately she had to cancel due to other commitments (yes I know what is more important than crafting. lol).  So I thought well not worth going on my own as the company is preferrable, however the need to buy some crafty stash took over and dragged me (I would like to say kicking and screaming but that would be an utter lie) to the craft fair on my lonesome!

This is completely unlike me as I am a big scaredy cat...

But I really enjoyed myself.  Everyone was very friendly and I soon got chatting to other crafters so a great time was had and lots of money spent.  However, I completely disregarded my own advice to look first, take note of prices etc, go have lunch and then come back and make considered purchases!!  First stall visited had fabby Martha Stewart punches which I had to have.. few stalls down they were a little bit cheaper.. doh BUT they did not have the ones that I had just got, so no loss really (thats my excuse and I am sticking to it).

After this I did learn my lesson and perused before spending any more dosh.  So here is a picture of my purchases..

Not the greatest picture (no surprises there!) but here is the list:

4 Sugar Nellie Stamps

2 Pirate Stamps

2 Musical Stamps (electric guitar and musical note)

Jean Pocket Stamp

Baby Sentiment Stamp

Tea Stamp Set

Hobby Art Seaside Stamp Set

do you think I like stamps.....

2 Packets of ProMarkers

4 Martha Stewart Punches

Not bad for a couple of hours browsing!  However, the reason I went was to get some eclipse tape from Stamp Addicts and guess what - they did not have the big roll that I wanted...  think they thought I was strange though as I kept visiting their stall, a few items had taken my eye but the purse had taken a hammering and refused to let me spend any more.

But I am glad I went but hope that Debbie can accompany me to the next one - you were missed D.

Anyway better go hubby thinks I am attached to this computer and is feeling slightly neglected.  Ta ta Vx

Girls, Girls, Girls..

Well I have just spent a lovely couple of hours with my friend who still recovering from Pneumonia. She really liked her card I made her (Priscilla below) and it made her giggle which was the aim.  Hoping that once she is fully recovered that we can get together with another friend for a Girls Day Out.

I have been busy on another challenge which, coincidentaly , has the theme of Girls!  Got a few birthdays in March which this card would be perfect for so I might have to make some more of the same...

The card includes papers from Its Funky Too craft CD from Funky Hand.  I have stamped the background with a girly shoe stamp and a flower stamp and included a little gem in the flowers on the shoes.  The embellishments have been sitting in my craft cupboard for ages just waiting for the right card and now they have found the perfect home and go really well the with the Funky Hand papers.  I am really liking making spinner cards at the moment so have used this technique here (again I know sorry).  The sentiment on the inside of the card reads "it's your day spoil yourself silly" and is taken from a pack of Penny Black clear stamps.  Hope you will agree that the card included a few things that a girl may want but with one notable exception.... chocolate.  But if it helps I was eating some whilst making this card..

Vx

Ahoy there

Well here I go again - another competition...  I have been so lucky as I have so many cards to make and the competitions have been so inspiring at helping me make the stacks of cards that I seem to have at this time of year.  Below is my entry for the Sugar Bowl blog comp and a friends son's 5th birthday  hope you and they like it....

I have used a download of a treasure map and compass .  The plank of wood has been made with a fiskars woodgrain embossing board and is highlighted with chocolate brown ink.

 Vx