A Blog Award!

My thanks to Katina and Carol for this blog award - very much appreciated, ladies!

In accepting the award I've had to agree to the following conditions:

1) You have been tagged, do you want to accept? YES! then create a post on your blog and post the love blog photo.
2) Link back to the person who gave you the award and say if you accept.
3) Choose 3-5 of your favourite blogs to tag, link these in your post too and tell the lucky people they have been tagged.

The aim of this award is to bring unknown good blogs to light, so we're asked not to tag somebody "with 3000 followers".  My chosen blogs are:

Alison

Kate

Colette

Gaynor

Joanne

One Card - Lots of Challenges!

This is another card made with one of my new Lili of the Valley stamps - I have to admit I bought another four on Saturday at the show at G-Mex!  This one comes with the little sentiment which I think is perfect for the image.

Card Recipe

Stamp - image and sentiment from Lili of the Valley

Paper - Craft Creations

Red card - Craftwork Cards

Gold paper

Punch - Martha Stewart (also used for the small hearts)

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

"Seeing Red" - Cupcake Craft Challenge

"Romance/Valentines Day" - Let's Ink It Up

"Love, Love, Love" - Allsorts Challenge Blog

"Love" - Crafty Calenda Challenge

"Hearts" - Fun at Fairy Knoll

"Valentine" - Saturday Challenge

"Hearts" - Raise the Bar

"Romance" - Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge

"Valentines Day/Romance" - Crafty Purple Frog Challenge

Mrs Hoot!

I couldn't resist the very cute Mrs Hoot when I spotted her on the Pink Gem website - this is the first time I've used her and I love her!  This is another 'get well' card and I thought the image went perfectly with the little sentiment which is also from Pink Gem

Card Recipe

Stamps - main image - Mrs Hoot from Pink Gem

Sentiment - Pink Gem

Card - Kanban

Die Cut - Go Kreate

Pale pink card

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

"Anthing Goes" - I Love Promarkers

"What? No Embellies?" - Charisma Cardz

Sunshine and Smiles from Georgia

I've made this card today for someone who hasn't been too well recently - I'm hoping it will cheer her up.  It also gave me the chance to try out a new Pink Gem stamp and to work with some of the Pink Petticoat paper which is free with this month's Quick Cards magazine and is gorgeous.

Card Recipe

Stamps - main image - Georgia from Little Claire Designs

Sentiment - Pink Gem

Paper - Pink Petticoat

Ribbon - Mei Flower

Card Candy - Craftwork Cards

Pale Pink and pale green card

I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:
"Copic Chic/ Promarker Gal" on the Samuel Taylor Blog
"Anything Goes + Flowers" on Papertake Weekly

First Little Claire's Monthly Challenge

Today on the Little Claire's blog here is the first of our monthly challenges with the very easy theme of 'anything goes'. Please take a look to see all the wonderful cards posted by the design team - there will be more inspiration half way through the month.

 

Card Recipe

Stamps - main image 'Lydia Goes Shopping' - Little Claire Designs

Sentiment - 'Beach Huts' - Little Claire Designs

Paper - Forever Friends  - 'Spring Time'

Scalloped circle Nestabilities and Martha Stewart punch

Pale pink card

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's cards for our first challenge!



More Cards from Big Hugs - Little Claire Designs

I love this little mouse which is part of the Big Hugs February club set from Little Claire Designs - it's a nice quick image to stamp and colour but can be used for so many different occasions. I've decoupaged the mouse on this card and also cut out an additional flower which I added to the corner of the card. The purple paper is from Dovecraft and I've also added purple nailhead gems. The sentiment is part of the stamp set.

Big Hugs - Little Claire Designs

This card is made with the final image in the Big Hugs set from Little Claire Designs - mice with a piece of cheese with the skirting board and a little mouse hole in the background! It doesn't show up properly on the photo but I die cut a frame in the yellow paper to make this card and then put the black frame inside that and the image at the back. My idea was that you were looking in through the card to the mice behind! The yellow paper is from Dovecraft and I've added a peel off greeting and some black gems.

Big Hugs - February Stamps from Little Claire Designs

Here is the first of the cards that I've made with the new February club stamps from Little Claire Designs - the set is called 'Big Hugs' and is now available here on their website. The cat at the window (with the little mice!) is the main image on the sheet - I've stamped and coloured it and then decoupaged the cat. The sentiment is in two parts so I've put the first part under the image and used the second as the 'stopper' for the easel card. I've finished the card with some paper flowers coloured with Promarkers. Two more cards to follow tomorrow!

Fairy Wishes

This card was made with another of my new Lili of the Valley stamps which I think is just gorgeous. I've used a brown and pink colour scheme and different layers of scalloped and plain circles to make the card and added a greeting from Craftwork Cards. I'm entering this one in two challenges:

Lili of the Valley - anything but a square card

Totally Gorjuss - 'as you like it'

Another Valentine Card

Here's another valentine card made with one of my Greetings Farm stamps - if you look closely, she's holding an envelope with a little heart on it! I've used some Dovecraft heart paper, punched hearts and some ribbon on a scalloped Craftwork Cards blank. I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

A Spoonful of Sugar - valentine

Charisma Cardz - valentine/love

Bunny Zoe - love is in the air

Paper Sundaes - valentine

I Love Promarkers - Lavender and Lace

I've made this card for the current challenge on I Love Promarkers which is 'lavender and lace'. I've used a Little Claire Deisgns stamp called 'Victoria' and coloured her with Promarkers. The background is Craft Creations gingham paper layered onto lilac card which I punched at the top and bottom with my Martha Stewart punch. I've added piece of lace across the middle and then used a scalloped card - I cut off one side so it's just scalloped at the top and bottom to match the punching. The greeting is from Craftwork Cards.

Winter Wonderland - My Sentiments Exactly

The current challenge at Winter Wonderland is called 'My Sentiments Exactly' - the idea is to make a card where the sentiment is the focus. It's not something I usually do but I've realised it's a great idea for using up papers that I wouldn't normally use because of the design on them. The paper I've used on this card is from a Kars pad - because of the little snowmen I would find it difficult to use it with a stamped picture image but with a sentiment it works perfectly. My sentiment is from Penny Black - I usually use it inside my Christmas cards but I think it works just as well on the outside.

Black, White and Pink

This is something a little bit different for me - iris folding. It's a great way to use up left over pieces of paper and I really like the way it looks too. I've used black paper with two different patterned papers from Craftwork Cards and finished the card with peel off lines, dots and a greeting. I'm entering the card in the current Pollycraft Monday Challenge which is black, white plus one other - in my case pink!

One Stop Craft Challenge - ATCs Anything Goes

The theme on for this week on One Stop Craft Challenge is ATCs - Anything Goes.  I love making ATCs so this one is perfect for me!  I've used one of my new Crafty Individuals stamps to make this ATC - it's from a plate of designs of children and the word 'smile' is from the same plate.  I punched out the letters individually to make it a look a bit different and added some patterned paper down one side of the pink card.

ABC Christmas Challenge

The theme for the second challenge of the year on the ABC Christmas Challenge Blog is "B is for black and white". There is a very cute free digi on the blog to use for this card but my printer is on its way out at the moment (I'll be getting a new one very soon) and doesn't produce good enough printed images for me to use with digis. So instead, I've used a peel off nativity scene with some black and white paper, a stamped greeting from Personal Impressions and some black gems.

Another Birthday Girl

This is one of the new stamps I bought a few weeks ago from Pink Gem called 'Spring Chloe' - it's another gorgeous design and as always, very easy to colour. I've used some Craft Creations 'happy birthday' paper and also some caramel colour pearl paper which I punched with my Martha Stewart punch on one side. I've added some ribbon down the other side of the card, some pearls and a greeting from Craftwork Cards. I'd like to enter this in the following challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge - ribbon and lace

Raise the Bar - N(nestie), E(embellishment), W (White)

Cute Card Thursday - 1, 2, 3 recipe (1 stamped image, 2 papers and 3 embellishments)

Sarah Hurley Challenge - 'birthday girl'

Papertake Weekly - ribbons and pearls

Pink and Purple Christmas

Another Christmas card to add to my stock for December - this one is a bit different because the theme on Winter Wonderland is to make a card using pink and purple. I've used a Wild Rose Studio image with some of my favourite gingham paper from Craft Creations and a stamped sentiment from Personal Impressions. I've finished the card with a mock press stud fastening, some punched snowflakes and some nail head gems. I'm also entering the card in the first Christmas Club challenge on One Stitch at a Time where the them is 'as you like it'.

Monochromatic Madness ...

This card is just for one challenge - monochromatic madness on the Creative Craft Challenges Blog. The image is from Lili of the Valley and I've matted it on to black paper and then on to a scalloped mat from Craftwork Cards - I've added little black peel off dots to each of the scallops. The flower and paper are from my stash and the circular greeting is also from Craftwork Cards.

Love is in the Little Things .....

Here's my first valentine card of the year made with one of my new stamps that arrived last week from Lili of the Valley - the little sentiment is on the same stamp sheet. I've made a circular easel card using red card and paper from Craft Creations and added a couple of punched hearts to the base. I'm entering the card in the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - pick your favourite challenge (Valentine)

One Stop Craft Challenge - more than one fold

Totally Gorjuss - 'hot, hot, hot' (bright colours)

Saturday Challenge - 'it's a couple thing'

Stamp Something - cute

Totally Papercrafts - 'add a heart'

Creative Cottage Challenge - shaped cards

Passion for Promarkers - 'all you need is love'

Pear Tree Designs - 'anything goes'

I think that must be a record number of challenges for one card for me!!

Allsorts Challenge - Week 87

This week's challenge on the Allsorts Challenge Blog is to make a card for a boy or a man. I've used one of the stamps from the 'Lots of Fun' set from Little Claire Designs. The backing paper is from Craft Creations and I've finished it with some navy card and a peel off greeting.

Floral Birthday Wishes

This is a birthday card made for an online friend using the camellia stamp from Little Claire Designs - one of my favourite floral stamps. I die cut the stamped design into a circle and then layered it on to a blue scalloped circle. It was finished with matching dots punched from the same card and a peel off greeting. I'm entering this card in two challenges:

A Spoonful of Sugar - blue and green

I Love Promarkers - keep it sweet and simple

Pearls and Lace

This is one of the first Lili of the Valley stamps I bought - it's a while since I used it but it's the only one of their stamps I have that fits in with the current theme on their challenge blog 'things with wings'. There are two little butterflies on there so hopefully it will be OK for the challenge! I'm also entering the card in the current Corrosive Challenge which is to use pearls and lace - if you look closely, I used a piece of lace across the middle of the card with little pearls on it and then I used slightly bigger pearls in two corners of the card. The backing paper is from my box of papers and doesn't have a name on it - it's textured and slightly distressed too.

Winter Wonderland - Paws for Thought

The theme on Winter Wonderland this week is 'paws for thought' - anything with paws! I've used a bear image from Elzybells and backing paper from Kars. I put some red gingham ribbon at two of the corners of the card and added some gems to the other two corners. The circular greeting is from Craftwork Cards.

Ellie and Snowdrops

I couldn't resist this cute stamp when I spotted it on the Pink Gem website - I love their images because they're so easy to colour and this one is just adorable. I've used Craft Creations paper for the background and then used various sizes of oval and scalloped oval die cuts to make an easel card. The 'thank you' sentiment is from Personal Impressions. I'm entering the card in the following challenges:

Let's Ink It Up - 'anything goes'

Fun at Fairy Knoll - 'thank you'

Cupcake Craft Challenges - 'something new' (my Pink Gem stamp)

Pollycraft Monday Challenge - 'new things'

A Spoonful of Sugar - 'thank you cards'

Stamp Something - 'anything goes'

Papertake Weekly - Cold and Frosty Morning

This week's theme on Papertake Weekly is 'a cold and frosty morning'. I've used an image from Nutcrafters and paper from a Kars pad I bought last November - the paper is glittery but it doesn't show up on the photo. The sentiment is from a Personal Impressions set I also bought just before Christmas and I've used some silver nail heads in each corner of the image.

Little Claire Designs New Look Blog Launch

The Little Claire Designs website has a brand new look so please do head over there to have a look. We will also be having monthly blog challenges from February onwards - further details to follow! To celebrate all of this there is some blog candy up for grabs here. All you need to do for a chance to win is add the photo and link to our candy in your sidebar and become a follower if you're not already. It would be great if you would also blog about our new challenges to help us get the word around, but it's not a requirement for the candy. Then just add a link to the post. The winner will be announced on Saturday 5th February when we launch our first challenge. Good luck!

Birthday Girl

I've made this card using one of my Greetings Farm stamps - I don't have a label on the packet so I'm afraid I don't know the name of this particular stamp but I think she's a real cutie! I've used various sizes of circle and scalloped circle dies to cut out the different layers and my background paper is from the Forever Friends 'Spring Time Pack'. I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Totally Papercrafts - Happy Birthday

Oldie But Goodie - bright and cheerful (I've had the stamp about seven or eight months at least)

Pear Tree Designs - circles

Christening Card

This is another card that I've made with one of the stamps from the new Little Claire Designs Room With a View christening set which is now available here on their website. I've stamped the christening gown and hat, coloured them with Promarkers and then die cut the image into a circle and layered onto a pink scalloped circle. The background paper is from the Forever Friends 'Spring Time' paper pack and I've used my Martha Stewart punch to add lace strips to the top and bottom. I've then used ribbon along the strips of punched paper and added some little pearls to finish it off. I'm entering the card in this week's challenges on Passion for Promarkers - a card for a baby and on I Love Promarkers - use a punch.

Cute Card Thursday - Challenge 147

The theme on Cute Card Thursday is monochrome - I've used black and white for my card. The background was stamped with an image from Stamp Camp and the layered on to black paper. Then I've used the 'Serenity Prayer' as the focal point - it's a PSX stamp that I've had for years. I added little peel off dots to each corner of the stamped panel and then layered it on black card paper.

First Christmas Card of 2011!

No, you're not seeing things - this really is my first Christmas card of the year! Every year I promise myself that I'll be more organised and make Christmas cards throughout the year rather than leaving it until November so this year I decided to follow a couple of Christmas blogs to try and keep myself on track!! I made this card using a Whiff of Joy stamp, coloured with Promarkers and then die cut and layered onto navy card. The snowy paper is from my stash and unfortunately I must have already used that part of the paper which had the maker's name on it! I've used my Martha Stewart punch to make the snowflake band and a sentiment stamp from Personal Impressions to finish it off. I'd like to enter the card in the following challenges:

Winter Wonderland - 'let's go dotty'

ABC Christmas Challenge - anything Christmas goes

What a Cutie!

Here's my first card for today made using one of my favourite images from Elzybells and some of my favourite gingham paper from Craft Creations. The little sentiment is from a Personal Impressions set. I'd like to enter this one in the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes Challenge - circles

One Stop Craft Challenge - card for a child

Crafty Calendar Challenge - new beginnings

Teddy Stampers - celebrations

Sarah Hurley Challenge - new beginnings

Cute Card Thursday - out with the old (using old stash)

Ellephantastic - new beginnings

A Cup of Coffee and a Natter!

It looks like these two are setting the world to rights over a good cup of coffee! I made this card with one of my new Lili of the Valley stamps which I love - I just think the images are so cute. I've used some Bazzill pink card with flowers embossed on it and some brown and pink distressed (and embossed) backing paper - unfortunately there's no company name on this. To finish I used one of my Martha Stewart punches and some peel off corners coloured with a Promarker. I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Saturday Challenge - tons of texture

Lili of the Valley - I've used the sketch from the current challenge

Crafty Purple Frog - new goodies

Creative Cottage Challenge - something new

Papertake Weekly - anything goes with lace as an optional extra

Another Blog Award!

Many thanks to Cockney Blonde (Alison) for the award she left me on her blog - much appreciated! I am able to pass this on to four other people = this blog award comes with a $5 Gift Certificate! In order to qualify for the $5.00 Digi's With Attitude! Gift Certificate you need to state 3 things that make you different from everyone else and you must nominate 5 blogs, then let those 5 blogs know you nominated them. Lastly, you must display the Blog Award Badge (above) in your sidebar and link it back to the Digi's With Attitude! Challenge Blog. For all the details please visit THIS LINK
Note: If someone got this LAST year, they are again eligible for the Gift Certificate again as it is one Gift Certificate per person, per blog, per year. So here are my 3 things that make me different from everyone else:

1. I never drink tea (can't stand the stuff!)

2. I enjoy ironing and dusting (!)

3. I like cold weather (though not snow!!)

I'd like the pass the award on to the following people:

1. Caz

2. Colette

3. Sharon
4. Kate

5. Yone

Final Little Claire Preview

Here are my two cards from the wedding stamp set to be launched by Little Claire Designs on Create and Craft next week. I cut away part of the card from so I could put the 'view' on the second panel - you can then see both the window and 'view' but the inside of the church is slightly behind the main window. I added peel off greetings to the window sill on the front panel and under the stamped 'view' and also gold peel off lines to finish the card.

Another Wedding Card

This is my second card made from the wedding stamp set. I've stamped and coloured the card image and then used pink card and silver paper, peel off lines and dots to put the card together. The sentiment is also from the set.

Little Claire Designs - Another Preview!

Here's a preview of another of the new stamp sets from Little Claire Designs which are being launched next week on Create and Craft. This is the Christening set and this one has a door image and a 'view' which fits directly behind the door. I made a gatefold card and split the door image in two - half on each of the front panels - so the doors open to reveal the view inside. I put slits at either side of the main card, ran some ribbon along the inside and then attached the view to a separate panel inside to cover the ribbon (hope that makes sense!!). The card I've used on this one is from Kanban.

Christening Set - First Card Shown Open

This is the same card but shown open - I cut out the 'view' and put it behind the door image so that as you open the card, you see the inside of the church. I added the wording from the stamp set at the bottom of the inside panel.

Christening Set - Second Card

This is the second card I made using the other two stamps that are part of the Christening set. I thought the little dress and hat were so cute that I wanted to make a card with them as the focal image - the 'stopper' is the little bible stamp and the wording is also from the set. The background card I've used for this one is from Kanban.

Little Claire Designs - Preview!

Little Claire Designs have two shows on Create and Craft next week when they will be launching some more new stamps. One of the sets that will feature on Wednesday's show is called 'Cat in the Window' and this is the card that I've made from the main image in the set. I've made an easel card with the closed window on the top panel and the 'view' behind the window on the base as the 'stopper' for the easel. I've decoupaged the cat on the top panel and added some flowers to the base. Another card to follow in my next post and more previews over the next few days!

Cat in the Window - Second Card

And here is the second card that I've made with the other stamps that accompany the main image in the 'Cat in the Window' set. On this one I've used paper from Dovecraft and paper pieced the vase - the vase and flowers are two separate stamps so it's very easy to do this. I've put black peel off lines at the top and bottom of the strip of paper across the card to emphasise it and added peel off dots in two corners to balance the words in the other corners.

Passion for Promarkers - Week 81

This is my card for the current challenge at Passion for Promarkers which is to make a thank you card. I've used a stamp from Little Claire Designs called 'I'll Be There for You' which is available here on their website and I've coloured the image with Promarkers (of course!). The paper immediately behind the image is from the Papermania 'Summer Bloom' pad and then I've cut a scalloped frame (using two sizes of scalloped die cut shapes) to go around the outside. My sentiment is from a Personal Impressions stamp set - stamped and then die cut.

Little Claire Designs January Club Set - Card 1, Part 1

The new January club stamps are now available from Little Claire Designs here and its called "Dog in Window". This is the first view of the card I made using the main image showing the windows almost closed. As well as the stamped image, I've used paper from Dovecraft and the sentiment 'home sweet home' from the Little Claire set 'A Place in the Sun'.

Little Claire Designs January Club Set - Card 1, Part 2

And this is card shown open. The little scene of the dog in the living room fits exactly inside the opened window - I cut into the main stamped image with a craft knife so the window open and you can see the view inside.

January Club Set - Second Card

Here's my second card made with the January club set from Little Claire Designs. I think this is actually supposed to be a window box but I thought it looked pretty stamped on its own. I've kept the design very simple and have used the wording from the set too.

Winter Wishes

This card was made using the current sketch on the Oldie But Goodie Challenge blog using a stamp from Rachelle Anne Miller which is at least twelve months old (I know I had it last Christmas!). I've used Dovecraft paper and then overlaid some strips of pale blue card which I Cuttlebugged - I've then added white punched snowflakes on the edge of the circle. The circular greeting (which is actually silver!) is from Craftwork Cards and I finished the card by adding some glitter to the ice. I'm also entering the card in the current challenge at Stamp Something which is to stamp something 'with glitter'.

Paper Sundaes Challenge 50

Paper Sundaes is a new challenge blog for me - I spotted it on someone else's blog at the weekend. The current challenge on the site is to make a card using 'something new'. I've used a Tilda stamp which I've had for a while but hadn't got round to using! I've also used red and gold paper from Crafty Bitz (which doesn't photograph very well) and an old script stamp that I've had for years.

A Little 'Me Time'

I haven't tried any sketch challenges for a while so yesterday I tried two and here's the first. The sketch is from the Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog and I've used one of the SWALK stamps as well as a sentiment from The Greetings Farm 'Me Time Anya' set. My backing paper is from Dovecraft and I've also added some ribbon from Little Claire Designs. I'm also entering this in the 'anything goes' challenge on the Crafts and Me Challenge Blog.

Sugar Nellie - Challenge 50

This is my entry for the current sketch challenge on The Sugar Bowl - the optional extra is embossing. I've flipped the sketch to fit in with my image which is one of the Gorjuss Girls stamps - coloured as always with Promarkers. The backing card is from Kanban and I've added some paper flowers and ribbon to finish the card. My embossing is on the stamped image (stamped with Versafine and then clear embossed) and also some dry embossing on the panel immediately behind the image.

Another New Year Card

I've made this card today for New Year Swap on one of the Yahoo groups I belong to using a Wild Rose Studio stamp. The backing paper I've used is from Craftwork Cards and I've added a peel off greeting. To finish the card I've added some 'bling' (well, a bit of bling as I'm not a 'bling' person!) - pale pink gem stones. I'm entering this in three challenges:

By the Cute and Girly - 'bling it on'

One Stop Craft Challenge - 'new beginnings'

Ellephantastic - 'new beginnings'

First Card of 2011!

Here's my first card of the New Year made with one of the cute new stamps I bought recently from Lili of the Valley. The sentiment is from Visible Image - I really like the mix of font styles on it. I've coloured my image with Promarkers, die cut it into a circle and then layered it on to a scalloped circle. The backing card is from Kanban and the little flowers are punched. I'm entering this card in four challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Blog - 'thank you'

Cute Card Thursday - 'thank you'

Papertake Weekly - 'be thankful'

Cupcake Craft Challenges - 'thank you'