What a week!

....Lost the first half of this week thanks to a horrendous stomach bug, which had me laid up in bed for over 24 hours!  Managed to eat something proper yesterday and thank goodenss, I'm back to normal today (if I ever was!?!)  I can't believe that I also missed out on 3 glorious days of sunshine - summer arrived at last, at the end of September!  Mind you, I don't suppose I would have seen much of it anyway, as I have been flat out trying to get samples done for Sunday at Leigh Show - if you're going, I'd love if you come and say hi!  Leigh show is always crammed to the gunnels with every cardmaking product you could imagine (just remember to take the credit card!) and it's reasonable to get in too!  Visit their website here for more details.

So anyhow, I received a lovely jiffy bag in the post today, with my new Tilda Christmas Party stamp that I got using my $25 voucher, that I won from Simon Says Stamp.  I didn't really have time to be playing and even now, I should be packing discs and samples ready for the weekend, but I had to ink her up and have a go!  So here's what I made...

...(I know, not the best of photos again!)  Instead of a card, I decided to make a gift tag - I used some scraps of paper left over from my sample making (the postbox xmas language paper and lantern music paper) and just added what ever took my fancy, really!  I found some fuzzy fibres in my ribbon scrap tin and glittered up some delicate lace, fan folded a half of a doily, then added some of the wooden snowflakes that I got at my last visit to Crafts4U.  The last of my Safmat sentiments got used, some lovely rose embossed ribbon and a couple of pearls that came with my stamp as a freebie...ooh, I do love a freebie!  Thanks SSS!...

...I coloured Tilda with my Promarkers - think she needs a few fashion tips from Trinny and Susannah, I mean, a green and red striped skirt?!  Liked how her hair turned out, mind!  Oh, we are our own worst critics, but not bad for a first go!  This may make it's way onto a card by next week - who knows?!  Maybe not...
Well, thanks for popping by and a big hi to my latest followers, Gio and Melissa - thank you ladies for taking the time to follow my little blog and I hope you find inspiration!

P.S.  Me and Mum will be up at Craft-Landudno next Thursday, 6th October to do a demo day with the 12 Cards of Christmas Cd-Rom, so if you're in the area, why not pop by?

12 Cards of Christmas, but not for Christmas!

So, how about this...I've been playing with my disc again this afternoon and wanted to create a card that wasn't for Christmas - when designing the 12 Cards of Christmas disc, I tried to incorporate a lot of papers and images that could be used all year round (I am a crafter first and so, too, want value for money!).  In the jpeg and png folder, there is a digi stamp of the church scene, but without the snow and I added this so that you could make a card with any church themed celebration in mind...christening, confirmation and wedding, as my card for tonight is...

...I printed off the lantern embossed vine backing paper and inked the edges for my base layer...

...I then coloured the church scene with my Promarkers and added a touch of flowersoft to the trees and greenery - I kept the colours of the surroundings quite muted and coloured the church stronger, to give it more emphasis (or that was the plan anyway!)  The doily was a little drinks doily that found it's way into my handbag whilst on holiday in Scotland last month and the lovely lace was one of my buys at Letham Craft Shop.  The two little hearts are made from shrink plastic, using one of the free dies that came with my Big Kick, many moons ago!  I created the sentiment in PS and mounted it onto some of the lovely gilt gold card, cut with a scalloped square nestie.   A sprinkling of Glamourdust and it was almost finished - I completed by adding an insert with a coordinating panel of the embossed vine paper and a writing panel.
I shall now apologise for the pretty naff photograph quality - it's murder trying to get a good picture inside at this time of night!  And, as I've said before, they never do the cards justice!  I love the way this card has turned out and am entering it into the following challenges :

Stamp, Scrap and Doodle Challenge

Favourite colour

(which I'm sure you all know by now is pink, when it comes to crafting!)

Stampavie and More

Love

The Pink Elephant

Picture inspiration

(I've used the pink and green colour scheme)

Thanks, once again for looking, Lisa X

Happy Autumn!

Well, it's the first day of Autumn here in the UK and unsurpisingly for our mad British weather, it's actually rather mild!  No hint of sunshine for weeks and the first day of autumn sees the sun shining on and off and a slight lift in the temperature!  Mind you, the brisk breeze that's blowing let's you know that Winter's on it's way!  A great day for drying washing - and my line's full!

Anyhow, you're in for a treat today, as I have 3 cards to show you...well, 2 cards and a project!  So, on to the first one...

...I am in sample making mode at the moment, for Leigh show a week on Sunday, so my 12 Cards of Christmas CD has been in use again, and oh, how I've enjoyed playing!  There's a right old mix of designs on this card, using backing papers from the postbox, lantern and church design sets, ticket sentiments from the post box sentiment sheet...

and the Christmas girl digistamp, coloured with my Promarkers...

I used my Marianne Creatables doily die and Martha Stewart branch punch to frame the image, then cut 2 of the accent dies from a nesties set that's been in the cupboard for ages (not sure if it's the In Spades one or not?!) to create the little hinges...

I am entering this card into the Simon Says Stamp Challenge, which is Dies to die for and One Stop Craft Challenge, who's theme is Girlie.

So, onto card number 2...

...this is a side stair step card using the lantern decoupage and music backing paper and the postcard and ticket sentiment from the postbox sheet...

...the rose and chrysanthemums are from WOC and the litlle pine cones have been knocking around in my flower box for donkey's years, literally!  All the edges were inked with Walnut Stain and the images mounted onto a beautiful vintage gold, that I got from Craft-landudno (it looks like it's gilded).  A few pearls and some Glamourdust on the snow and it was done!  I've not made one of these shaped cards for a while, so it was a nice change. 

I'm entering this card into the My Time to Craft Challenge, which wants 'L' is for....mine being lantern.

Right, card, or should I say project, number 3!  This one took me a while!...

...I created this envelope recipe wallet, using the pudding backing papers and elements (this is one of my favourite design sets, though I'm hard pushed to choose!)...

...this is the back of the wallet, which I decorated using the pudding paper and elements from the sentiments sheet.  I faux stitched and inked around the edges with Walnut Stain...

...I created the pockets in the wallet by attaching C5 envelopes back to back and attaching to a concertina base that the front and back panels attached to.  I covered the inside panels with coordinating paper from the pudding design set and inked all the edges to match.  I faux stitched around the envelope joins and made some recipe cards in PS - the wallet closes with a sticky backed magnet strip to hold it together.  I'm entering this project into Crafty Ribbons Challenge 2, which is Anything Goes.

So there we are, 3 ideas to hopefully inspire and get your crafty juices flowing!  Thanks, as always, for popping over and having a look.  Lisa X

Happy Birthday Crab Apple Crafts!

On Saturday 24th September, Crab Apple Crafts are having their 12th Birthday at the Lady Heyes Craft Centre, Frodsham, Cheshire!

To celebrate, they are having a day of Crafty-liciousness!  There'll be demonstrations held all day, from 10am until 4pm, showcasing an array of products and techniques, to inspire you - with demonstrators including :

Lindsay Mason - Gorjuss & LM Designs stamps, alcohol inks, a new technique stazon cleaner, distress inks

Woodware Craft - Crafty edge border punch system, various other Woodware products

Rosemary Merry - A new material called 'Clearly for Art

Debi Biggs - Totally Tim - craft resist pad (including brand new Christmas one), tissue tape, ideology, new distress stains, rock candy stickles, studio matte medium 

Nige Merry - Computer based demonstration of '12 cards of Christmas' CD from Ellas design - creator of Plush Pals DVD 

All these demos will be running at the same time, so it doesn't matter what time of day you go, there'll be plenty to see!  There's also free tea/coffee and cake (from Rosemary's Mum) - there's an excuse for an afternoon out if ever there was one!! 

If you're in the area, why not go down and take a look,  all the demos are free, so what better opportunity to see a wealth of different products in action? 

If you need the postcode for your satnav, it's WA6 6SU

and Happy Crafting!

Bewitched!

Good evening, all!  Thought I'd share a card that I've made to enter into a few challenges...

...this one's just for fun - I decided to enter Cupcake Craft Challenge that Coops is Guest Designing for this month and the theme is "The Darkside", which is a colour scheme of black and purple.  The image and papers are all my own and I loved colouring in this pretty witch!  I created the moon by cutting a post-it out with one of my circle nesties, then positioning before inking the edges with Memento Black Tuxedo (I don't have a black Distress Ink, but this seems to work just as well as long as you keep it moving)  I then cut a cloud shape from another post-it and without adding more ink to my cut and dry foam, gently inked the edge to form the clouds.  Plenty Glamourdust, on the moon and clouds and on the lower half of the web paper, plus a touch of Stickles on her hat and dress, gave a bit of bling...

...she could have done with a bit more colour to her cheeks, but my Sunkissed Pink Promarker has gone walkabout - think it must have got put in Mam's case by mistake, when we were having a colouring day, as I now have 2 Dusky Pinks!  (If you're reading this, can you have a look for me - I never remember when we're on the phone!)  I'm entering this card into the following challenges :

Cupcake Craft Challenge

The Darkside (black and purple)

Simon Says Stamp

Sing it (Song or Film Title inspired)

By my post title, I was inspired by Bewitched!

Creative Inspirations

Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday

Anything Goes

Fingers crossed and thanks for popping by - oh and Hi! to my latest follower, Katina, thank you so much for becoming a follower, and to all my other followers, it really does mean a lot!  Happy crafting!  Lisa X

Whimsy Stamp digi

A big 'Hi!' to my newest follower, Lorraine - thanks for the lovely comment you left me and hope you like my work and take inspiration!

Well, we've had a wonderful long weekend away, in Yorkshire, visitng family.  It's my first time on the east side of the Pennines and I have to say, it was very nice and even the weather was kind to us!  We visited York Dungeons, (bit scary!) the Yorvik Centre, wandered around the city, Helmsley Castle and a trip on the steam train from Pickering up to Goathland, where they filmed Heartbeat and was the setting of Hogmeade's Station, in the first Harry Potter!  It's always nice to get home, though after a weekend in a caravan, with only the bare essentials, coming home to a house crammed to the gunnels is a bit of a nightmare!  (I need a sort out, or a skip!)

Anyhow, enough waffle, here's a card I made using one of the Whimsy Stamps images that I won last week...

...this is one of Crissy's digistamps, called Little Christmas Angel - ain't she a sweetie?!  I used the church vine snow backing paper from the 12 Cards of Christmas CD and some grey glitter card for the card base layers.  I printed out 4 of the little angels, then coloured with my Promarkers and decoupaged up the layers.  I used Frosted Ice Stickles on her wings and Diamond Stickles on her dress and hair - she is one sparkly angel!!

...I made the little pine cones, using my smallest flower punch and created the spray using a Crafts-Too holly punch and Martha Stewart branch punch...

...I added a bit more Stickles for luck and a lovely wired Organza bow, coloured with Pastel Pink Promarker to tie in the colour scheme.  I finished off with another of the Christmas sentiments from the church design set, which I'd printed onto Safmat, et fini!!  Hope you like and thanks for hopping by!  Lisa
I'm entering this card into the following challenges :

Secret Crafter #151

Angels - Robbie Williams

Crafty Catz #99

Ribbons

Papertake Weekly

Things with Wings

Twice in one day, again!

Woohoo! Wowee!  Yipee!  I am mentally doing cartwheels across my craft room floor (I could never physically do it, not just because I'd do myself an injury, but also because there's not enough floor space showing!!)  I have just seen that I have won a $25 voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp, in their Stamp-tember Blog Hop and Treasure Hunt! (thanks for letting me know coops!)  I know that it won't be hard spending this one, last time I had such a job choosing what not to buy!  Maybe I shoud try my luck at the lottery whilst I'm on a roll?!!  Amazing!

Okay, so while I'm here, I thought I'd share another 12 Cards of Christmas card that I made last night...

...I used the leafy backing paper from the Pointsettia design set, the church circular digi stamp, just shaded with Cool Grey 1  and Tea Green Promarker and plenty Glamourdust.  I made the wreath using my Martha Stewart punch and small rounded flower punch (don't know the names)...

...I added red gems as berries and small pearls to the centre of the flowers, then inked the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  I used my Marianne fancy corners die to add a bit of interest and finished off with a lovely bright red, satin bow.  Love the overall effect, it's very classy and elegant - I think so anyway!

Well, I'm off to jump around the living room - anyone would think that I'd already won the lottery!  Thanks for popping by, it's much appreciated!  Lisa X

I won at Whimsy Stamps Inspirational Challenge #4

Can't believe Mr Random.org chose me!  I'll be having a nosey round Whimsy Stamp's store and choosing 5 free digi images of my choice!  Woohoo!  Thanks guys, for the chance to enter a great challenge and win fabulous goodies!

I'll be back with a card later, just had to share my news!

Rudolph tin

Decided to have a bit of fun and make something a bit different, so I dug out an old peanut tin that I'd saved from some time or another and had a go at altered art - from this...

...to this...

...I had such fun making this!  I found the poem online somewhere and it just made me smile...

...I used the Rudolph snowflake paper from the 12 Cards of Christmas disc, to cover the tin, then a strip of the coordinating striped paper around the middle.  I mounted the poem onto two layers of the Marianne creatables die, then added  rudolph from the decoupage sheet...

...I flocked his antlers with Cinnamon Toast Fun Flock to give them some texture.  The lid was covered with a circle of the striped paper, then I layered the circular decoupage onto the white doily style Marianne die, again flocking Rudolph's antlers...

... a touch of Gamourdust, wooden snowflake die cuts and some lovely lace that I got from my visit to Letham Crafts, then some Maltesers as reindeer poop and voila!!  I think it's a really fun gift for someone filled with chocolatey goodies and now just need to decide who the recipient will be!!  Thanks for looking, Lisa X

I'm entering this into the Simon Says Stamp Stamp-tember Hop and Treasure Hunt!

12 Cards of Christmas now available!

It's official!  My new papercraft CD-Rom, 12 Cards of Christmas is now available to buy!

To buy, click on the Buy it Now button in the sidebar, to pay via PayPal. leaving your full postal address.

Click on the image in the left hand sidebar to view a slideshow of some of the sample cards made using the disc and keep an eye out on my blog for future ideas and inspiration!  Happy Crafting!  Lisa

Birdhouse easel

Hi everyone!  Was going to post this one yesterday afternoon, after having a play whilst everyone was in bed yesterday morning - but never got the chance as DH was busily beavering away printing discs and covers for me..he is a star!  Anyhow, on to my card...

...I haven't done an easel card for a while and decided to give my GoKreate Large Frilly Frame #2 an airing!  I have loved these dies since getting them, but haven't used them to their full potential yet!  I did discover that the Marianne frame dies I got at Letham fit beautifully on the 2 largest dies, so that was how this card was created!  I have been having a play with my Promarkers, using my Blender pen as my highlight colour and getting a lovely soft, wishy washy (not the best way to describe it, but probably the most accurate!) colour to the image...

  I just love this little birdhouse digistamp, which is on the 12 cards of Christmas disc - it can be coloured so many ways, though I do love the soft pastel shades for a modern take on Christmas...

...I used one of the Church sentiments off the disc, that I had printed onto Safmat the other day - this is magic stuff, shows up a tiny amount like a rub on, on plain white, but on patterned papers, it disappears!   My lovely Marianne swirl die made another appearance - this die has definitely become one of my craft cupboard staples!  Lots of pearls and Glamourdust added a bit of bling and a two coloured ribbon bow to add a bit of sumptuousness (is that even a word?!)  I really enjoyed making this one and hope you like it too!  Thanks for looking, Lisa X
I'm entering this card into the following challenges :

I love Promarkers Challenge (rather apt for me!)

Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew

Anything Goes

Whimsy Stamps Challenge

Sparkle and Shine

(Glitter, pearls and glitter ribbon)

12 Cards of Christmas

So, it's finally finished!!  My latest papercrafting CD-Rom, 12 Cards of Christmas, will be available from Monday 5th September...this disc contains 12 design sets, each including a predesigned card, decoupage, backing papers, digistamps, sentiments and more.  Plus jpeg and png files to import to your favourite graphics program, a gallery of inspiration and full instructions.  Here's a slideshow of some of the card samples I've made using the disc...
 

I'd like to say a quick thank you to everyone who has supported me in the making of this disc - especially to my wonderful husband who spurs me on when I've had enough (and helps produce the final product!), my special Mum, for being my biggest fan (despite being biased!), my wonderful Auntie Dianne, for being my sounding board and quality control, Sue and Alan Dawe at Crafts4U2Do and a huge thank you to my 2 wonderful boys, for putting up with a Mum who's been strapped to a computer for the last month!  Without you all, this would not be possible...big hugs!

Now, for a congratulations, which goes to...

Eileen Morris...

who won a copy of my latest disc, 12 Cards of Christmas at our demonstration in Craft-landudno!  Well done, Eileen!