FCCB Challenge #172 Make a Splash

Cricut meet's Digi Stamps for this weeks challenge over at FCCB !!

We were all given the choice of 5 digi stamps from our sponsor this week 

THE PAPER NEST

to play with

I decided to use "Mermaid Ellie"

Here she is ....

...Super cute !!

I used my pro-markers to colour Mermaid Ellie after I'd chosen the papers I wanted to use namely Pretty Please by My Minds Eye and some printed paper from the Paper Mania Capsule Collection CD ROM.

I cut a frame form the Elegant Edges Cartridge, stuck Ellie behind it and the used some Frantage embossing powders. I drew faux stitches just to add some interest around the frame.

I put some Cheese Cloth under and around the left side of the frame with some Hessian and then added these fantastic shells and little star fish

Please pop over to FCCB and check out the DT creations, make your own project using at least one Cricut cut and join in the fun...

the challenge is open until 1900 Sunday

you might also want to pay a visit to the Paper Nest Store and Blog

Well ...

I'm off to finish a 70th Birthday card commission, hopefully I'll be back to show it off tomorrow ...

Red White and Blue FCCB Cricut Crawl !! !! !!

Extra Happy Monday !! !!

Extra happy because the FCCB Cricut Crawl is finally here !!

We have 7 new Design Team members joining us today and a fabulous assortment of 

"RED WHITE AND BLUE" 

projects in honour of the INDEPENDENCE DAY celebrations on the 4th July !!

As always we have a line up and order for visiting our blogs so if you have come from

MISSY

you are in the right place !!

However, if you are not one of my Cricut friends or you are visiting by chance and would like to join in  please visit us at FCCB and as I say every time

"Start at the very beginning which

is a very good place to start" 

(Thanks Sound of Music!!)

I decided to use the Fantastic Elegant Edges cartridge for my card and as these fab freebie papers and stamps had just dropped through my letter box the inspiration was born very easily lol 

Its very English is all I can say !!

So funny !!

I stamped Betty with Stazon in black ink and water coloured her with Distress Markers, The frame is my Cricut cut

I used some pre cut out flowers (cheating I know but the right colours and another freebie, sadly the papers were orange on the other side so no good for my favourite rolled flowers :-( )

I had to give Betty a mirror so she can admire her hat  and added some ribbon, white flowers and a cute butterfly along with some card candi 

So that's my little contribution to our crawl please go and visit 

REBECCA

next and leave her some love

It would be great if you joined in with your own red white and blue project, the challenge is open until 1900 Central time Sunday evening at the FCCB blog

Please remember to use and name at least one Cricut cut to be in with a change of a prize and/or top five place

Lastly, just  in case you need it here is the complete DT line up:

Amy HS  http://thestampingtree.blogspot.com/

Amy T   www.craftingwithamy.com

Angie  http://angiespaperpassion.blogspot.com

Catarina  http://blog.docerelashop.com/

Cindy  http://www.cindyvernon.blogspot.com

Connie  http://www.conniecancrop.blogspot.com

Emily  molliemugsblog.blogspot.com

Felicia  Sweetcreativemess.blogspot.com

Heather http://scrappingrunnercreations.blogspot.com/

Jackie  http://luv2scrappp.blogspot.com/

Jilliene  http://jillienedesigns.blogspot.com/

JoNeita  http://createwithjoneita.weebly.com/index.html

Kim  ogdendoll.blogspot.com

LB  http://www.coolbeansbylb.blogspot.com/

Lynn  http://mycardsnstuff.blogspot.com

Michelle  http://justanutterpapercrafter.blogspot.com/

Missy  http://www.quickchickdesigns.blogspot.com

Nikki  http://craftycalamities.blogspot.com/

Rebecca  craftingmisfit.blogspot.com

Robin  http://robinscreativecottage.blogspot.com/

PS I'd like to share my very English, Red White and Blue card over at
Simply Create Too - Make a card using the colours of your countries flag (4th July)

FCCB Challenge #163 Ruffles, Ribbons and Bows

Happy Monday !!

Today is the start of another challenge over at FCCB and we are decorating our projects with at least 2 different ribbons as well as the obligatory Cricut cuts that we all love !!

Challenge #163 Ruffles,Ribbons and Bows

Use 2 types of ribbon on your project

My card is also for my Nan who recently celebrated her 92nd Birthday

I must have had something of a brain storm  because I took my photographs before I added the bling and didn't take a finished pic at all !!

My Cricut cut is the Elegant Edges cartridge flower pattern behind the decoupage topper which is a Hunkydory freebie kit

Please pop over and see the DT projects on the FCCB challenge blog and then join in the fun with your own project. The challenge is open until 1900 (MT) Sunday evening and I will be announcing the winners of last weeks challenge on Wednesday as always

Anything Goes Challenge 89 Mail it !!

Good morning from snowy Lincoln

I'm coming out of hybernation to share my card for 

Anything Goes Challenge Blog

Challenge 89

Mail it...

...This fortnight we challenge you to make a card with an envelope, stamp, post card etc on it

Please pop over and visit us at Anything Goes and add your project and join in the fun !!

I used a lovely stamp of a cat holding an envelope as the center of my card and coloured her with Pro-markers. I took the whiteness off the Neenah stamp card with Rusty Hinge Distress ink, having gone way too far I sprinkled water on it to add some highlights !!

I stamped the post card and tiny envelopes onto some freebie papers with no name 

I used a 8x8 card blank which turned out to measure 71/2" square, cheeky !! and used 6x6 papers to cover it - sticking squares from the centre of each piece into the missing corners and hiding the joins - just cause I wanted something bright and cheerful to remind us spring IS coming lol

I used my Cricut and Elegant Edges cartridge to make the postage stamp shadow and frame

I made the hat pins up and then the flowers and butterflies from various dies and punches, I love making flowers when it's way too cold for the real ones to bloom !! 

Pop over and visit Lynn at the Craft Den, she sells many of the products used in my cards

FCCB Challenge #136 Fall Harvest

Monday morning greetings ladies 

Welcome to the first Challenge of the new FCCB term !!

The lovely Janea has kindly swapped with me so many thanks to her  for letting me play on her week !!

Challenge #136 is 

FALL HARVEST

Make a project using fall leaves 

Our challenge is open from 0800 Monday until 2400 Sunday (US Mountain Time)

As ever please use at least 1 cricut cut on your project and let us know which cartridges you have used.

I'm looking forward to seeing our fabulous new designers projects so please come and share our first challenge excitement with us !!

 I decided to combine some embossing, distressing and frantaging along with my cricut cuts this time around.

I used Elegant Edges leaves oblong frame and shadow cuts at fit to page on 6x6 Tim Holtz distressable card stock.

I distressed all three background colours and added some stamps, embossing powder and frantage elements 

I used Straight from the Nest to cut random leaves and used some distress inks in 5 different shades,

Autumn and the pine cones are from Lyrical Letters.

I finished it off by adding a light layer of Crafter's Companion Gold Glitter varnish to give it some subtle shimmer.
PS

 Don't forget to come and see my first DT blog post as I announce the winners of Challenge #135 Seeing Spots this Wednesday !!!

Challenge #131 Get 'em Squished !! x

Monday Morning Greetings Ladies ... once again it's my challenge week over at FCCB...

... A fab challenge this week with a VERY important message:

GET 'EM SQUISHED !! !! !! 

Challenge #131

Make a project using the colour Pink

 for 

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Our usual rules apply, use at least one cricut cut and follow the design instructions.  The challenge is open from 0800 Monday until 2400 Sunday night, US Mountain time.
Please come and visit the amazing design team HERE

I used Simply Charmed for my balloons and Elegant Edges for the butterfly background.
This is a very simple card with a message far bigger...

TOGETHER WE CAN FIGHT BREAST CANCER !! !! !!

I found a lump this time last year and following a biopsy I was lucky enough to be told that it was benign.
I will always be thankful to the fantastic nurses and Dr's at out Breast Clinic here in Lincoln, their empathy and care at such a traumatic time is truly amazing !!

Wedding Card Commission

Today I am sharing a wedding commission card, as ever, my Cricut  and Spellbinder die flowers take centre stage.

I have used Antique Linen distress Ink and Shimmer card to make this not quite all white card - I was reliably informed the colour scheme was gold so I added a little Stampendous white and gold embossing powder and used gold gems.

I cut feathers instead of leaves to go with the Doves.

No time to chatter I have an adoption commission to make, back later !!

FCCB....Monday Challenge

It's time for another Monday challenge over at 

FCCB!!

WOW where did the week go??

I only had one day off and I thought I was going to struggle to meet my deadline but I should have remembered that the Cricut will always come up trumps and not panicked lol !!

Challenge #122 S'more anyone? features a project with a camping theme (Tent, Bonfire, Canoe etc) and runs from 0800 Monday until 2400 Sunday (Mountain Time)

Please come and visit the Design Team HERE the project are, as always, fab x

For my project this week I have gone BIG!!
Big is beautiful and also easier to work with in a hurry....

I started with a 12"x12" yellow textured card for the back ground and added a green 11"x11" Elegant Edges cut slightly off set and "grunged" with distress inks Rusty Hinge and Vintage Photo. I splodged some embossing powders down one side with the left overs from the fire...
To make the fire I repeated the 5" cut from Everyday Paper Dolls in all the colours, cut and embossed various bits and stuck it together with foam pads for lots of dimension.

I did the same with the girl and her accessories cutting at 8" and adding some faux stitching.
Due to the time factor I've created a fake scrapbook page!!
Fake 'cause it lacks photo's and journalling so I added the sun, fence and grass as compensation and to balance the empty spaces!!
The only non Cricut bits are the foam flowers
Easy peasy but so much fun.

FCCB - New Monday Challenge !! x

 Happy Monday Ladies !!

This is a scheduled post and I'm hoping the sun is with us...(finally)...if not...(most likely in the UK)... then the fantastic creations by the FCCB Design Team are sure to brighten up our day. 

Please come and visit us for our new challenge #120 "Sunny Days"
"Make a project using a yellow sun"

The challenge runs from 0800 Monday till 2400 Sunday - US Mountain Time (Still struggling to get my head round the time difference lol !!)

My sun has got his "glasses" on!! 

He was cut using the Simply Charmed Cartridge at 6" and layered up using Pinflair glue gel to give him some definition and depth. He is attached to the finished card using a Docrafts spring to make him wobble. 

I cut an 8" rectangle frame using the Elegant Edges cartridge, stuck it on the front of a double sided piece of  lilac/purple A4 card and then made the fold. Because the back is thinner than the front,  I evened the card blank up with various strips of matching paper-to keep it stable as well as pretty!!

I used a "border cut" to match the front at 1" and "fit to page". The strips of paper are cut using a postage stamp blade on my trimmer.

I cut some 1" baby sun's, added buttons and some purple twine to embellish along with some star gems. 

 The back is as jazzy as the front lol !! The papers are part of a Creative Imaginations Scrapbook kit.

Sunny wishes for a fantastic week which ever part of the world you are visiting from...

Rock Chick Birthday !! x

I've had a mooch round the challenge blog's for a bit of inspiration this evening and come up with this rock chick birthday card !!

I used the layout from the current fortnightly Sketch N Stash challenge.

 
The ladies and gentleman like to hear about the new/neglected stash used in the projects for their challenges. Very neglected is the rock chick herself - I've had her for months and she has never been used. Its not strictly "stash" but my new expression has been used (of course lol !!) and I guess the Stampendous embossing glitter is a recent purchase too.

 I have stamped and cut out the lovely lady, coloured her with Promarkers,  and matted her onto a 4" doily cut from Cricut Elegant Edges Cartridge, with another 6" cut behind her. I have used George and Basic shapes to help with the matting and layering. (Cricut Essentials = 2" sentiment).

I have used Stampendous Lilac Embossing Tinsel and Clear Deep Embossing Power  to add interest and some Craftwork Cards Black Candi  and gems to bling her up with a little bit of lace and ribbon.

I am also entering the Rock Chick into Whimsy Stamps Inspiration Challenge  their current challenge is "Monocramatic" hence the Purple and Black colour scheme. 

New Toy !! x

I have spent all week working very hard ... (Just like everybody else lol !!) ... My reward for such angelic behaviour ?? ...

More dancing round the kitchen...

IS

A brand new, all singing, all dancing, Cricut Expression 2 !!

I am so ridiculously happy with my new toy, can you tell ??

Here I have half a dozen 2" cup cakes from my new Cricut Alphabet Cartridge, sat on 3 cake stands (all 6" and then cut down to keep the middles the same size) from Straight from the Nest to make the stand and a 7" scalloped square from  Elegant Edges. I've stuck a bit of glitter glue on as icing BUT really - its all about the shapes !!  

All White !! x

I like to have a few cards ready to personalise quickly and this card is one of them.

All the elements are from Cricut Straight from the Nest Cartridge and the border is Cricut Elegant Edges.

The bottom right corner is deliberately left plain to add a sentiment or name etc.

I have used a 6x6 Hessian card blank and glitter card for the back of the bird cage. All the elements are ice white shimmer card and paper. Texture is really important in all white I card I always think. 

Fathers Day Finally ... x4

For my last Father's Day offering I am entering the Tuesday Morning Sketches Challenge using this sketch: 

There is a twist in the tail here ... the colour combination... - Black, craft and 1 other colour. 

I opted for a pearly brown Shimmer card stock by DCWV to keep it clean and simple. 

(The kraft card is by Craft Creations) 

I've used a good old craft knife and cutting mat for the back ground mats and then the Cricut Elegant Edges Cartridge for the scalloped and oval parts. Cricut George and Basic Shapes for the "Dad" and a Marianne D die for the corner's. 

This time I have used the embossed Wellington Stickers and a few black pearls for decoration.