Shopaholic

We all love a bit of shopping, don't we?  Love this digital image from MayzyArt - fitted in perfectly when a card was needed for a bag and shoe shopaholic.

The image has been coloured with my promarkers and I have used papers from my stash.  the silver charms I have had for a year or so and been looking for the right place to put them and on this case hung on some bakers twine was just that place!

I would like to enter this card in the following blog challenges:

Crafty Friends Challenge - "Anything Goes"

I love Promarkers - "All Stitched Up"

Inky Impressions - "Birthday or Anniversary"

Crafts and Me - "Something Old"

Cutie Pie Challenge - "Recipe 3-2-1" (3 flowers,2 patterned papers, 1 image)

Created with Love - "Anything Goes"

Hope you are all having a fun day shopping,crafting or otherwise!

Sarah xx

Mud and Bugs

Father's Day just around the corner - used to struggle with guy cards but must admit lately I have really enjoyed working on them especially with all the great cutting dies and embellishments around nowadays.. it really makes the cogs of the imagination move easier.

Mud and Bugs is one of Cuddly Buddly's digital images - think he is too cute!

The Dragonfly has been made from Memory Box's Meadow Dragonfly die and after assembly I have triple embossed it which has given it a real metallic sheen.  Think the dragonfly fits in well with all this lovely summer sun we are having at the moment ... long may it last!

Thanks so much for taking time to call over and say hello!

Sarah xx

I would like to enter this card in the following blog challenges:
Papertake Weekly - "Anything Goes"
Bearly Mine - "Dies and/or Punches"
Anything Goes Challenge - "Fathers Day"
Crafty Friends - "Anything Goes"
Cutie Pie Challenge - "Recipe 3-2-1" (3 tiled letters, 2 papers, 1 image)
Created With love - "Anything Goes"

Lazing on a sunny afternoon

Well I may be looking outside at the gloomy weather but I can hopefully work some sunshine into my cards at least.. sigh
I have paperpieced the cap and triple embossed the dragonfly whose wings I have cut from an old book.

For this project I have used:
Lily of the Valley Stamp "Lazy Afternoon"
Promarkers
Spellbinders Circle Die
Memory Box Meadow Dragonfly Die
Card Candi
Stock paper, hessian cloth, button, ribbon

I am placing the card in the following challenges:
Creative Corner Challenge - Song "Lazing on a Sunny Afternoon" - The Kinks
Papertake Weekly Challenge - "If the Paper Fits" - paper piecing
Passion For Promarkers - "Anything Goes"
LEJ Designs Challenge Blog - "Die Cuts and/or Punches"
Here Come The Boys - "Must Have Buttons"
Simply Create Too - "Anything Goes"

Be Happy Everyone - I'm sure that sun is right around the next cloud!
Sarah xx

Here comes the bride

Hi Everyone - well we seem to be well into wedding season which I love because it gives me chance to make white on white cards one of my favourite design templates.
I have used a 7" x 5" scalloped card blank as my base here and then used the largest of the Spellbinders Decorative Rectangles as a template - when placed in a central position draw arount the inside of the die.  This line gives a stopping place when adding the faux pearls - I have made the faux pearls with Cosmic Shimmer Dries White Glue which I have dotted randomly around and up to the pencil line - I would recommend then leaving the pearls to harden overnight!
Now cut and emboss the large decorative rectangle die and using Pinflair Glue Gel for a good 3d effect and place over the original template line which should now be covered by the decorative die cut shape.
I have added my wedding sentiment onto a Spellbinders Scalloped Heart diecut shape and again using the pinflair placed it on a jaunty angle.
Cut two Memory Box Blooming Vine diecuts and run one up the right hand side and along the bottom of the rectangle draping onto the heart where appropriate.  I like to use Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear PVA glue to stick down my fine diecut shapes as it bonds in seconds and no nasty glue stains if it seeps out from under the edges!  There are tiny flowers on the vine which look great with 3mm self adhesive pearls stuck on for added dimension.
Finally make a flower from the layersof the Spellbinders Carnation Creations die, place a pearl bead in the centre and place the bloom over the stem edges of the vines in the left hand bottom corner and voila!

I would like to enter this card in the following blog challenges:

Crafty Boots Challenge - "Celebrations"
Simply Create Too - "Anything Goes"

Really appreciate you popping by for a sneeky peek!
Sarah xx

Prom Night

No card today but thought I would share these photos of my daughter, Sally's prom last weekend.
She had such fantastic time but very, very sore tootsies with all that dancing...
Back to reality thought now and revising for those GCSE's but so glad she enjoyed her special night with all her friends.
Thanks for calling over today and sharing.
Sarah x

Oh to be under a tree reading a book ...sigh ...

Oh my, what a hectic week! - the prom preparation in full swing - All major purchases now made and I have been duly informed that there is only the eyebrow shaping, acrylic nails and the put-up-hairdo left oh and of course the obligatory make-up!
Tomorrow evening the party will be in full swing with all the youngsters strutting their stuff (well that was the term in my day .. ha ha and I think a little personal downtime may be well deserved, maybe pull out a good book like this adorable image here from Sugar Nellie.  I have had this stamp in my stash now for several years (for the life of me can't remember the name of it ...) and it is still one of my firm favourites - only need to look at it and I mellow out ....

The image has been coloured with promarkers and matted and layered it onto my Spellbinders Labels 20 dies along with some pretty free papers out of a magazine I bought lately.  I added the Memory Box Cosmo Border Die vertically and wrapped ribbon along side this. In between the border and the ribbon I have added a stamped sentiment from the Messy Rabbit stamp range.  A knot was added and I found this lovely silver filigree butterfly charm in my stash to sit on top of it.  Embellished with some card candy and pretty pearls - a quick simple card for a hectic week!

I am entering this card in my second run of blog challenges as I found the first challenge I did such a great positive experience and would like to say a big thank you to all who left such lovely comments for me!  So this week I have chosen to enter in:

Passion For Promarkers - theme "Birthdays"
Papertake weekly Challenge - theme "Anything Goes"
Crafty Boots Challenge - theme "Use a stamped Character"
LEJ Designs Challenge Blog - theme " Summers Coming"

Super Son!

Well it was a lovely sunny bank holiday week end 28 years ago when my first son bounced into my world.  The image I used on this card for him made me giggle sooo much - reminds me of many an adventure he had growing up and still has today! ... where did all those years go ... sigh!   Happy birthday Scott!

Card Ingredients:
Cuddly Biddly Digi Image "Super Boy", Spellbinders Octogan Dies, Sizzix Star Dies, Promarkers, Scattered Straw Distress Ink, Pastel bakers Twine, stock papers,buttons, ribbon etc.

I would like to enter this card in the following blog challenges:
I (Heart) Promarkers - "Put a Button on It"
Passion For Promarkers - "To Die For"
Celebrate The Occasion - "Anything Goes"
Moving Along With The Times - "One For The Guys"
The Cutie Pie Challange - "Lots of Layers"
Inky Impressions - "Spots and/or stripes"

Happy Anniversary Christine & John!

Happy Wedding Anniversary to my two lovely friends, John and Christine from Lavender Fields Emporium!  Here's hoping they get chance to take a break and enjoy some time together .... know how difficult that is when you are busy building a new business.  It's great to see they are getting such a warm welcome in the town though.  Hope if you are local to Keighley you get chance to pop in for afternoon tea - they have an awesome range of cakes and I can highly recommend the lemon drizzle mmmm...
Also hope you liked the card, Christine - know how you love your vintage ;)

Stampendous Minuet Bird

Finally..... had chance to play with the Minuet Bird stamp from Stampendous - so well mounted and deeply etched and love the fact the image has been placed on the back so you know exactly where to stamp the image ... no guesswork, always a good thing! also a chance to crack out the gilding flakes - knowing in advance I will end up with gold finger tips but so love the effects!

I have coloured the bird with my Promarkers but rubbed some dark pink chalk over the music score to highlight it. After tearing round the edges of the image I used Scatter Straw Holtz Distress Ink to vintage the edges.

Mounted on papers I had in my stock drawer I then applied some Cosmic Shimmer Flake & glitter glue onto a piece of deep burgundy card of which I had cut with the Memory Box Cherish Border Die. Golden Jewels Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flake was then rubber over the glues and the residue gently but firmly rubbed away. This was then applied at a jaunty angle with some stock ribbon layered over it - Before applying the ribbon 3mm red line sticky tape was placed down the back enabling me to pleat the ribbon as it was applied to the die cut border.

Embellished with a Memory Box Fern leaf die and some autumn flowers and buttons from Woodware. Some simple 3mm pearls from Creative Expressions in opposite corners completed the design.

Rustic Charm

No cardmaking for me this evening, Thursday evenings I have my granddaughter for tea whilst her mummy works her twilight shift at a barbers shop in our local town.  At 2 years old Lillie-Rose loves to help me craft but at the moment we will probably stick to the less stressful activity of making pictures out of foam pieces - must say she is already picking up a designer's eye ... or maybe I'm just biased.

So, it being Thursday I thought I would showcase a card I made yesterday from Craftstyle Products "Rustic Charm" designer range - I simply love the colours they have used here - so rich and opulent.
So pleased with it that I took it down to add to my range on sale down at Lavender Fields Emporium - hope if you are local to Keighley you get chance to visit - you can sit and have tea and cake in very good company and see some of their great vintage and craft lines on sale there and get to pick up a quarter of old fashioned sweets to take home!

Childhood Memories

Been a very busy time lately - we have been asked to supply a range of handcrafted cards for a local new store in Keighley, Lavender Fields Emporium - A lovely new venture belonging to Christine and John Young which includes a gorgeous vintage tea room and sells local handcrafted goods as well as a vintage sweet counter ..... my idea of perfection all round!  It is great to have local business dedicated to showcasing the work of local talented crafters and we wish them every success for the future! 

I will try and showcase as many of the cards I have created lately as soon as possible - they have all been photographed .... I just have to find the time to write the blog amd upload! - I know "same old, same old" I hear you mutter.  I do feel that I am finally finding that slippery work and hobby balance - a stressful year but coming out of the other side tentatively smiling.

For today's card I have chosen to use one of the Childhood Memories toppers from Craftstyle which we have recently added to our website - such a dreamy range - there is a lovely range of co-ordinating cards which work really well with the toppers too.

Chic Best Friend Card

 

Well spring is finally just around the card ... I'm sure I'm not the only one enjoying these longer brighter days!

 

Been a busy February with vintage and craft fairs on the menu and the exciting news is that there is a fab new venture opening in our town next week .... a vintage craft empoium and tea room and they are going to stock some of my handcrafted cards, favour boxes and candles.  It is the grand opening on Tuesday so have been really busy putting together some opening stock for them.  I was invited to an open day today and I must say it looks fantastic .... there is also an old fashioned sweet shop included - all my favourite things under one roof, yay!

 

In between all this mayhem I put together the red and black chic commissioned card using Spellbinders Parisan collection, Memory Box Vivienne Butterfly with some handmade flowers using various Spellbinders flower dies - the stamp is a Creative Expressions U Mount one out of my stash which I thought very fitting what with spring being just around the corner!

Hearts & Flowers Easel Card

I was asked to make a card with a "How To" Valentine's Day themed project for the lovely team over at www.rubysvintageteaparty.co.uk - I decided to tie this in with a special offer we are running over at www.doodledocrafts.co.uk For full "How To" instructions why not pop over to www.rubysvintageteaparty.co.uk and give it a go :)

I'm back! :)

Sorry for my absence over the last couple of months but been plagued with a golfers elbow injury - which would be great if I had ever raised a club in my life! lol  Unfortunately the only cure was to limit movemnt in my arm which thankfully because of this we are now running at full stregnth which in turn means I can crank up the crafting again ... yay me!
My first project of the new year was a shabby chic vintage card made using a set of stamps that I been wanting to play with for a while from the Creative Expressions U Mount range entitled "Carte Postale" - we still have a limited amount of these available over on our website if anyone has missed out on this lovely design set. - www.doodledocraft.co.uk