She Sells Sea Shells.....

..... on the sea shore - My August tags for the swap on UKS

I made two designs using images from Marsha Jorgensen of Tumble Fish Studio and a free stamp that came with Craft Stamper. I've certainly got my moneys worth from these collage images :-) Remember the pen and ink I bought recently I used them to write the 'she sells' bit. I have to say it's perfect for using over paint techniques like the background I created for these tags. Some jute string threaded through the bottom for a bit of texture and interest and you can't beat a bit of bunting. I practised with my pen again in creating this spider's web background for the gothic cute image from tiddlyinks. The background paper has also been inked and distressed. I'm not expert at colouring hair on digi images but I used a black copic for this one and it seems a bit easier than using promarkers I think it must be the longer brush tip. I really love these gothic cute images and plan to make more cards, maybe next time I'll try a hand stitched web.
If you're a fan of unusual gothic designs then visit Urban Threads they have lots of embroidery designs to choose from as well as digital stock art. I'm currently stitching a design which I'm going to make into a cushion cover. More on that later.......

Chocolate Orange

This weeks challenge at Cupcake Inspirations inspired me to make this......... You don't have to include a cupcake in your design but it just so happens that I acquired this new digital stamp from Tiddly Inks this week. She is Cheery Q from the Curly Q's set of images. The cupcake inspiration is a wonderful cupcake with pale orange frosting and a chocolate brown lace bow decoration. mmmmmm........ chocolate orange - which reminds me I haven't made chocolate orange muffins for a while, a yummy reciped kindly provided by Sonja. Maybe some baking is in order this week I spotted a very tasty looking banana cake recipe yesterday that I want to give a whirl.

Sorry back to the card ..... the background is cardstock by Coredinations from the appropriately named chocolate box stack. This one has an orange core which I sanded after embossing with the cuttlebug swiss dots folder. To include the lace theme I pleated some around the edge of my image and added some to the bottom of my card.

See you later in the week you never know I may even have some cake for you :-)

Daisy, Daisy.......

I'm just in time to post my card for this month's challenge at Squiggle Stamps which was to include scallops, stitches and swirls. I have some scalloped paper trim, a handstitched a swirl or two and sitting on my card is Daisy available as a digital image from Squiggle Stamps. She has featured on quite a few birthday cards I've made this month and I'm sure she'll be appearing on many more. As it's nearly the end of the month you know what that means? Yes, nearly time for my completed July calendar 365 pages to be revealed. Don't faint I actually have my August pages ready to go........I know amazing :-)

Birthday Best

I recently discovered this new digi stamp at Squiggle Stamps.

Isn't she cute, meet Miss Evie Patches. The monthly theme is birthday best so I thought I'd give her a party with some birthday bunting. I resisted the urge for a song title ;-)

Her flower patches reminded me of the Cuttlebug scalloped circle die so I included some in my design and added some finishing hand stitches too.

The flower centres have a distressed look with sanded coredinations and the larger scallop wraps around the card. Miss Evie has been given a bit of dimension by using sticky pads under her elbows and hair.

It's such a pretty image I think she'll be a feature of more cards to come.

Nice and Girly - perfect

I seem to have so many creative ideas buzzing around my head at the moment it's a job sometimes to get them all out and put them into action so I've started making a list!

I enjoy looking at challenge blogs too and one of the latest I've found is Bunny Zoe's Crafts

It's a monthly challenge and this is their first and the challenge was 'nice and girly' and what could be nicer than this digi image by Pure Innocence. Although it had to be girly I wanted it to be a bit different so I combined some orange with the pink.

My card ingredients:

Paper - Sassafraslass ' Daydream'

Digi image - Girl with heart by Pure Innocence

Dies - Cuttlebug label 1 and Alterations tattered floral

Embossing folder - Cuttlebug roses

'Perfect' sentiment and butterfly - K&Co Amy Butler Lotus Tea Box Die Cut Ephemera

Ribbon and buttons - haberdashers

Name That Tune

My song title collection of cards is progressing :-) Here are my latest additions made using my new nestabilities labels 8 die and Tim Holtz alterations embossing folder. Je Suis Un Rock Star with Ethan image by Polly Craft
Rebel Yell featuring Punk Merris Friday Freebie at Sj's Little Musings

This card doesn't feature a song title but I thought I'd show it to you anyway - a 60th birthday card. Yes, that is the tattered floral die - AGAIN!

And for those of you wondering - here are the truths to my recent post.......

• I have never cycled the London to Brighton - so a little fib
• I love marmite - again a little white lie
• It is true I don't have any fillings. I am very lucky and I think the fact that I've had the same dentist for 35 years has something to do with it, that and regular visits to the hygenist.
• It is true I have seen a humpback whale. It was fantastic to see, whales launching themselves into the air before crashing back into the water. I happened to be on holiday at just the right time when the mothers bring their calves to the coast of the Domican Republic to feed after giving birth.
• I don't have a degree in Civil Engineering only an ONC so my last little fib.

I hope you are having a good weekend and it's a little warmer wherever you are than it is here. I'm still waiting for the British summer to begin and I'm sure I shouldn't be wearing a winter jumper!

Ribbon and Bling.....

.... all be it a subtle bit of ribbon and bling for the Pollycraft Monday challenge. I discovered their fantastic digi stamps this week so I thought I'd join in with this week's challenge. A tiny bit of blue ribbon, lace edging and bling from stickles, pebeo touch and glitter die cut snowflake.

A Tale of a Knitting Bag

For some time now my Mum had been looking for a knitting bag and I had big plans to make her one for Christmas.......well Christmas came and went and still the knitting bag hadn't appeared. So the plan moved on to her birthday and I'm pleased to say I actually made it in time - just!

I bought the fabric at the Stitch and Craft Show back in March and it seemed the perfect opportunity to make something pretty using it. The bag is based on an Amy Butler pattern but because of the long base it's a perfect fit for knitting needles and is roomy enough for a few balls of wool too.

I did receive a comment from my ever understanding other half who remarked 'Don't you think you should make yourself one of those too?' whilst looking at my various knitting projects strewn across the coffee table. Well, I might just do that it could take until Christmas though but I do have some lovely fabric that I've been saving for just the right project ;-)

My Mum is a crafty person too as you've probably guessed by the knitting bag so I made her a crafty card. The image is a free download from Sj's Little Musings, I made a little addition and drew a cushion for her to sit on. The flower I die cut from some paper that I stamped with a dress making stamp from Paperartsy and the green one is die cut from felt. I handstitched around the edge of the card which seems to be a favourite technique at the moment for my cards and I actually took a deep breath and used (yes actually cut) some paper from my Material Girl stash.
I'm happy to say she liked it :-)

Pink Gem Challenge

Today I have a card to share which I made for the Pink Gem Designs challenge blog. I used the free digi image available on the blog - meet Tia the kitten. The challenge was to use ribbon and buttons. I love the colour combination of red and turquoise and thought it would create a bright summery look for this card. I mounted my coloured image onto a nestabilities scalloped circle and I handstitched the outline for a bit of detail. The addition of ribbon and a button in my red/turquoise colour combination were the final touch.