Passion for Promarkers 4th Anniversary Challenge!

Good morning, lovely Bloggers!  It's a special day over at Passion for Promarkers this week as we are celebrating our 4th Anniversary - can you believe it's been 4 years since Gina and Denise started this fabulous blog to share their love of all things Letraset.  As it's a special challenge we have a really easy theme for you of "anything goes", although please note we are only accepting a maximum of 3 entries per person for this one challenge only.  To be eligible for our prize draw you must use your Letraset products (i.e. pro, flex, tria, aqua, metallic or neon markers) and of course follow the theme.  As always we have some fantastic prizes up for grabs and our sponsors have been very generous as usual .  Here we go.....

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Letraset are offering one lucky winner a pack of their Limited Edition Spring/Summer Promarker 12 pack

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Whimsy Stamps/Michele R Designs are offering one lucky winner a prize of $10.00 worth of digi papers

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Saturated Canary are offering one lucky winner 2 digi images of their choice

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Bearly Mine Designs are offering one lucky winner a £10.00 voucher to spend in their online store

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Dies to Die For are offering one lucky winner a £10.00 voucher to spend in their online store

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Wow! Amazing prizes, I'm sure you'll agree!! – definitely lots of reasons to join in the fun this week!!

So, this is what I made as my DT card this week...

...As you can see, the First Edition Boho Chic pad came out again - I just can't get enough of the lovely orange tones in this pad and especially this pretty paisley design, so fresh!  I started with a standard square card and wanted to do something a bit different so placed some layers so that they hang over the edge, creating a more interesting shape.  The image is Big Shoes by Mo Manning and she is such a darling...

 ...I coloured her up using my Pro/Flexmarkers and here's the colours I used :

Skin : Blush, Dusky Pink, Sunkissed Pink

Hair : Sandstone, Caramel, Cocoa, Umber

Hat : Buttercup, Tulip Yellow, Sunflower, Gold

Ribbon and bag : Tan, Cinnamon, Saddle Brown

Top : Light Fawn, Soft Peach, Honeycomb, Pumpkin

Panties : Dove Grey, Blue Grey 1

Shoes : Red, Berry Red, Burgundy, Satin, Tab, Cinnamon

...I added a mixture of flowers, roses and chrysanths from WOC, mulberry paper flowers (that my sister gave me donkeys years ago!) and pearl pins.  I thought that the image would suit for a female relation on becoming a teenager or turning 18, so added the sentiment, "From ribbons and curls...to high heels and pearls"...

...I finished the inside with my usual printed insert with the sentiment "Hope your day is as special as you are!" and the black and white line image.  Well, that's it from me for today - I hope you like my little creation and that you can join in with our celebrations this week.

Please remember for this weeks Passion for Promarker Anniversary challenge only we will only accept 3 cards/projects per person and just for this one week we will not be choosing a top 5 passionista as we have lots of extra winners, however this will go back to normal next week.  Have a brilliant week and we cannot wait to see what you create.  Thanks for dropping by to see me and good luck in the challenge!  Lisa x

P.S. To give you lots of inspiration we have both Team 1 and Team 2 to share their creations this week, so don't forget to hop over to the Passion for Promarkers blog to see their wonderful work

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges :

Simon Says Stamp

Flower Power

Wild Orchid Challenge

Sunshine

Joanna Sheen Challenge

Girls, Girls, Girls

Totally Papercrafts

Diva Image - Young or Old

One Stop Craft Challenge

Anything Goes

Crafty Catz Challenge

3-2-1

(3 papers, 2 pins, 1 image)

Altered frame...

Good afternoon, dear Bloggers!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend?  We certainly did!  I had a workshop on Saturday morning and then Sunday was a nice relaxed day, pottering about the garden in the glorious sunshine!  I managed to overhaul my bench, which had succumbed to the harsh Welsh winters and replaced the seat slats and gave it a fresh coat of Lavender stain.  I fancy getting a couple of cushions, or maybe even making some (!), in a patchwork style...you never know, watch this space!?!  I got all my washing done and hung out to dry and called at a friend's for a cuppa whilst  little man and hubby went for a drive, up the mountain, in the buggy.  My big man is very rarely at home these days, being 15, the last place he seems to want to be is in our company - we tend to see him in a morning and at feeding times and that's about it!  He's usually hanging out with his mates or kicking a football around the field! (At least it keeps him fit!)

Today has been spent crafting (it should have been spent ironing after all that washing, but I might do it later - it's called prioritising!)  I decided to have a go at an altered frame.  I had some small wooden frames in the cupboard that had been given to me by one of the teachers in school and thought it was about time I did something with at least one of them!  This is how it started out life...

...a bit boring, I know!  I removed the glass from the frame and set to work with the transformation, and this was the result...

...From the picture you will see that I have a new toy...I treated myself to the Martha Stewart Clay starter kit - this stuff is addictive!  I made the little ornate frame and corners, then inked them with Distress Inks...

...I inked the little frame with Versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder and added some Stardust Stickles to the corners.  After covering the wooden frame with some embossed champagne coloured paper, I attached some pearl string to the edges between the corners and a mixture of paper flowers to the corner beneath the frame.  Everything got a bit of inking with either Vintage Photo or Victorian Velvet Distress Inks, including the flowers...

...as you can see, I used 2 of the gorgeous pearl pins that I won from the lovely Mandy (thanks again, Mandy!)  I put the word 'Home' onto triangular bunting and created the other parts of the sentiment in PS.  I am quite pleased with how this little frame turned out and shall be attacking another one in the near future!  Thanks for dropping by to see my crafty creation and I'll be back tomorrow with Passion for Promarkers 4th Anniversary Challenge!  Hugs, Lisa x

I also have to say a big thank you to the girls over at 'As you Like it Challenge' blog for choosing my CAS Precious Hearts card in their Top 3!  They are a new Challenge blog with a great theme and some fab prizes, so why not hop over and see if you can join in!
I'd like to enter my frame into the following challenges :

As You Like it Challenge

Favourite 2 Colour Combo & Why

My favourite colour combo is pink and anything!  Those of you that visit me regularly will know that if you asked me what my favourite colour was, I would probably say pink - I don't have any pink things in my house or very many pink clothes, but when it comes to crafting, I LOVE pink with any other colour and it's so pretty with this brown!

MilkCoffee Challenge

Shabby Chic/Vintage

By the Cute and Girly

May - Flowers

Whismy Stamps

Anything Goes

Charisma Cardz

No Digis Allowed

Friends are the flowers...

Good afternoon, lovely Bloggers!  How are you all today?  I hope that the sun is shining wherever you are and that you are keeping warm in this unseasonally cold May (here in the UK).  I am currently contemplating lighting the fire as my hands are blooming freezing!  Talking of blooming, my card today features the lovely Grow digistamp from Saturated Canary that Krista kindly offered as a freebie to celebrate Mother's Day in the US...(how about that for a link?!)...

...As you can see, the orange has made a comeback!  I used some lovely papers from First Edition Boho Chic (this has to be one of my all time favourite pads), My Martha Stewart PATP Lace punch, SB Standard and Petite Scalloped Ovals and a part of my new Memory Box Corner Bow die...

... I coloured the sweet SC image with my Pro/Flexmarkers and added a touch of Stickles to the flower centres and a flower in her hair, using an XCut mini flower punch with a diamante centre.  I tried to colour her hair with a bit more contrast by adding black to the shading - I think I need a bit more practice, but it's not bad!?!  Here's the colours I used, if you're a Promarker fan :

Skin : Satin, Blush, Pale Pink, Dusky Rose

Hair : Black, Rosewood, Auburn, Firebrick, Nutmeg

Clothes : Lime Zest, Lime, Pear and Olive Green, Pastel, Cadet and Celestial Blue, Tea Rose, Watermelon

Plant Pot : Soft Peach, Coral, Spice

Tights : Blue Grey 1, Watermelon, Antique Pink

Shoes : Light Fawn, Soft Peach, Honeycomb, Spice, Ivory, Vanilla, Mustard, Sandstone, Caramel

Flower : Pink Lavender, Orchid, Wild Orchid

...I created the sentiment in PS using a few different fonts and added a bit of Stickles to the word flowers.  To embellish, I added a Memory Box Corner Bow which I cut down and somemore punched flowers with diamante centres.  I also added some Pearl maker to the scalloped square and lace square edges...

...To finish off, as always, I added an insert with 'Happy Birthday to a Special Friend' and the black and white line image...and that's it!  I hope you like my little creation and thank you for dropping by to see me.  A huge welcome to my latest followers Lauren and Angela - thank you for following my little blog and I hope you find inspiration in what I do!  Crafty hugs, until next time, Lisa x

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges :

Simon Says Stamp

Flower Power

Cupcake Craft Challenge

Lots of Layers

Crafts and Me

Use a Digi

Whimsy Stamps Challenge #59

Anything Goes

Songbird Challenge

Bloom and Grow

DON'T FORGET YOU CAN STILL ENTER THIS WEEK'S DOODLEICIOUS CHALLENGE OVER AT PASSION FOR PROMARKERS

Passion for Promarkers - Doodleicious

Good morning, dear Bloggers!  My, these weeks are just flying by, can't believe we are already half way through May!  So today, it's time for another Challenge at Passion for Promarkers and this week the theme has been set by the lovely Shelly - she has chosen Doodleicious, so we want to see any sort of doodling on your cards!

 

We are sponsored this week by the fabulous Digistamp Boutique and they are offering one lucky winner 6 digis of their choice...how cool is that?!

 Don’t forget you must use your Letraset products (i.e. promarkers, flex markers, aqua markers, tria markers, metallic markers or neon markers) and of course follow the theme.

 So, for my card, I have used the sweet DSB image from Off to School Rosie and Dan...

...I decided to make an easel, easel card!  I created the easel shape from kraft card, then placed on the front and drew around the outside to know where to cut my card base.  I then made a frame and attached a printed blackboard behind with the sentiment 'For a Special Teacher' on...

...I coloured little Dan with my Pro and Flexmarkers, so here's the colours for all you Letraset fans :

Skin : Blush, Dusky Pink, Sunkissed Pink

Hair : Sandstone, Caramel, Auburn, Firebrick, Rosewood

Shirt : Blue Grey 1, Cool Grey 1

Trousers: Cool Grey 1, 3,4 & 5

Tie : Red, Berry Red, Burgundy

Apple : Aniseed, Lime Zest, Pale Pink, Cocktail Pink, Antique Pink, Ruby

Rucksack : Glacier Blue, Arctic Blue, Celestial Blue, Sapphire

Lunch bag : Glacier Blue, Vanilla

Shoes : Sandstone, Caramel, Cocoa, Umber, Black

...I added some Glossy Accents to the apple and lunch bag and blushed his cheeks with pink chalk - I find I get a much softer effect using chalk...

...I attached a gold star and some diamantes as nail heads, then set about with my doodling...

...I was quite brave and added some childlike doodling to the exercise book paper on the base, some faux stitching on the blue plaid and a swirly doodle on the easel.  A 'Thank you' sentiment printed using Serif's Darling font and cut with my nesties Label Seventeen finished off the card.  I hope you like my little creation and that you can join in with us at Passion for Promarkers this week!
Don't forget to drop by my lovely teamies and see what wonderful creations they have come up with - Cathy, Julie, Lou, Nic (Coops), Shelly, Vicky, Lucy (LoopyLou) - and we look forward to seeing what creations you make! 

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges :

Cards for Men

Fancy Folds

Dream Valley Challenges 

No Squares Allowed

I Love Promarkers 

Thank you

P.S. A big 'Hi!' to Shirley-Anne, my latest follower, thanks for following me and Ihope you enjoy your visits!

Clean and simple...

Good aftermorning, Bloggers! (It is morning as I start typing this, but will probably be afternoon by the time I finish and post it!)  What a difference in the weather this last couple of days...we've gone from 23 degrees and wall to wall sunshine, to 12 degrees (if we're lucky!), torrential rain and gale force winds!  Oh, the fickle British weather, never ceases to surprise you!?!
Anyhow, I'm here today to share a couple of CAS cards that I have made using my new Memory Box Precious Hearts, Stars and Corner Bow dies.  I absolutely ADORE these dies and decided to have a go at cutting something different with them...cue big man's latest empty trainer box!  I was pleasantly surprised at how well the dies cut through the box grade cardboard, which it did without a fuss - I just passed the plates back and forth a few times and the results look almost like chipboard.  Since getting these dies, I have wanted to hang the hearts/stars from the bow in some way, so this is what I came up with...

...I just love the result!  It was a little fiddly to glue the swirls on, but a fine tipped applicator and a little patience paid off!...

...I paper pieced the hearts by drawing around the aperture in the die and cutting from small patterned papers.  Some little pearls finished where the hearts join the flourish, and there you have it!  I loved it so much that I went on to make another version using the Precious Stars...

...Just as pretty!  You can see better in this pic just how thick the card was that I used.  I paper pieced the stars with a blue plaid and polka dot and added diamantes to this one...

...I added an insert with a printed verse inside both of the cards and the sentiments on the front were printed using Palace Script font.  It's great when an idea works and I think I'll defintiely be cutting up more cardboard in future - that'll save the recycling bin!  Hope you like my little creations and take inspiration to look at your dies a bit differently!  Thanks for dropping by and I'll see you soon, hugs, Lisa x

I'd like to enter my cards into the following challenges :

Totally Papercrafts

Challenge #166 CAS

Crafty Catz

Anything Goes

Southern Girls Challenge

You Can Say that Again

Divas by Design

Anything Goes

As You Like it Challenge #1

Your Favourite...Die or Punch

(My favourite dies of the moment are definitely my newest Precious Hearts and Stars dies!  I keep just cutting them out of scraps and looking at them, they are so pretty!  Plus, they are so versatile too - they can be just a small embellishment on a card, or like here be the main focal point...I LOVE them!)

Canary love...

Good evening, lovely Blogger friends!  It's been a bit of a mixed bag of a week since I last posted...last Thursday was the funeral of a friend's daughter who was in school with my eldest and lived in our village.  It was such a sad day and to be honest I wasn't prepared for how hard it would hit me and I spent most of Friday feeling down and unmotivated.  On Friday evening, hubby's cousin came down from Scotland to stay for the weekend, so it was spent out and about, chatting, barbecueing, pitching tents for my eldest and his mates to camp (!?) and then packing it away again in the morning!  Monday and Tuesday was spent making the most of the fabulous weather and I did a bit of gardening - however, as with any project, it looks ten times worse than when I started at the moment!  I also have a friend's wedding invites to do and the prospect of having to make 100 of the same thing makes me hyperventilate, but I have at least made a start!  So, that's why today I decided I would sit at my crafty table and create something to share with you all!
I was inspired by the lovely Jane's card - I adore her patchwork background and though I don't have the hexagon dies (this may have to be an investment in the near future!) I decided to have a go at a quilt style background using triangles...

(I must apologise for the rubbish photos in advance, but I had to use the flash to take them!)
Like Jane, I made a criss-cross card using my new First Edition Dreamcatcher paper pad...love this purple, pink and lemon combo!  After creating the patchwork pieces, I decided to prick the edges to add to the fabric feel, then had the bright idea to hand stitch them!?! Oh my word!  I now have the utmost respect for all you ladies who hand stitch your cards...it takes FOREVER!  By the time I had got half way down the second edge, I was starting to regret my decision and by the second piece I was getting tetchy!  After all that, I wonder if it was really worth it and next time I'll probably just get out my fineliner pen!?!

...The image I used is SC Canary Love and she was coloured with my Pro/Flexmarkers (the more I use my Flexmarkers, the more I love them!)  Here's the colours for all you Letraset fans :

Skin : Satin, Dusky Pink, Sunkissed Pink

Hair : Champagne, Sandstone, Caramel, Saddle Brown, Cocoa

Top : Muted Pink, Honeydew, Watermelon, Antique Pink

Dress : Pink Lavender, Orchid, Wild Orchid, Red Violet, Cloud Blue, Celestial, Sapphire, Royal Blue, Ivory, Vanilla, Mustard

Shoes : Ivory, Vanilla, Mustard, Muted Pink, Honeydew, Watermelon, Champagne, Sandstone

Bird : Ivory, Vanilla, Tulip Yellow

...I used some of my favourite Marianne Dies to make the doily and added some rich, polka dot, purple ribbon...

...I used some of the triangles to decorate the corners of the insert and a simple sentiment in the centre.  I also made a stand for the card to sit on using the template from A Year in Cards.   For those of you who are beady eyed, you will notice my latest crafty addition...

...Yes, I gave in and ordered the stunning Memory Box Precious Hearts dies and you'll never guess what happened?!  The Precious Stars and Corner Bow just fell into my basket too!!  Love them all!
I'd just like to say a big 'Hi!' to my latest follower Ali - welcome to my little corner of Blogland and I hope you come back often!  I have also been quite lucky recently and won 4 digis at Crafts4Eternity, a bundle of delicious ribbons from Crafty Ribbons and then discovered that I was the lucky winner of Mandy's pin candy - can't wait to get those! (This lady makes the most beautifully embellished cards, if you've not been over to visit her, it's well worth a look in my opinion!) So, that's it from me for another day and I hope to be back with some more crafty creations before long...thank you so much for dropping by and if you'd like to leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you - they really are very much appreciated!  Crafty hugs, Lisa x
I'd like to enter my card into the following challenegs :

Simon Says Stamp

Things with Wings

Make it Monday

Linky Party #139

No Matter Which Challenge

Things with Wings

Natalie and Amy

Things with Wings

Forever Friends Fortnightly Challenge #61

Pastel Colours

Papertake Weekly

Anything Goes