I'm back!

Hi guys!  Well, I've spent the last week up in Scotland visiting DH's family - we wanted to visit the Landmark Centre up in Aviemore, so 12 of us (myself, DH, boys, MIL and cousins) spent a night camping at Glenmore Campsite, near Aviemore on Saturday night, with the hopes of going to Landmark Centre on the Sunday...we discovered that camping and the Highlands don't mix!!  It rained enough for a year and we ended up sleeping in a bog by morning!!  So, cold and disappointed we drove back down to Arbroath where we were staying...we will get there one day, but next time, we'll book a hotel - preferrably with heated pool and jacuzzi!!

Whilst up in bonnie Scotland, a family member took us (well, me and herself really!) to a little craft shop at Letham called Letham Crafts...I have never seen a shop stock so many varied crafts, it was like a treasure trove!  As you can imagine, I was like a kiddie in a sweet shop and managed to come out of there £50 lighter!!  (If you're ever in the area, or live nearby, it's definitely worth a visit, there's even a little cafe to have a cuppa and a slice of cake!)  So, I decided to make a card with some of the goodies that I came away with...

...I just had to have this little sweetie when I saw her...

...the stamp is a DoCrafts stamp by John Byars and is called Rainy Day - I couldn't resist the whimisical style and it was a steal too!  I coloured her using my Promarkers and added some Glamourdust for the raindrops and puddles.  The die was also a new one from Letham, it's a Marianne Creatables die which is just stunning...

I created a landscape C5 card, with a shortfall front and added a box which holds a pack of tissues for the recipient.  The papers were from my First Edition Up,up and Away paper pad...I still love this pad and find it so versatile!  The sentiment, I made in PS and printed onto Safmat, then I decorated the inside to coordinate with the Marianne die and more papers...

...it was so nice just to have a play again!  I've now finished the design work for my next disc 12 Card of Christmas and will be posting a sneak peek very soon - it will be on sale from early September, though I'll post an exact date at the end of the week.  Thanks for looking, Happy Crafting!  Lisa
I'm enetring this card into the following challenges :

One Stop Craft Challenge

Anything but Square

Passion for Promarkers

Flexible (Anything Goes)

Christmas Extravaganza

Hi guys!  Sorry for the lack of cards at the moment, only I've been spending all my time trying to complete my next disc - 12 cards of Christmas.  We're off to Crafts4U2Do this weekend and I'll be previewing my new Christmas disc and taking pre-orders - if you get the chance, come along and say hi!  We'll be there on Saturday for most of the day, you'll be able to see samples and view the new designs on the PC, plus get to browse around and maybe buy a goody or two! 

You'll find the shop on Denton's Green Lane in St Helens, Merseyside and the postcode is WA10 6SH.  Hope to see you there!  Lisa

Fishing card

Hi guys!  Back with another card for you tonight - after Saturday's demo day, I was inspired to get out my Boys2Men disc and print off one of the digistamps to make a card.  I'd made a demo card using the fish digistamp, coloured with my Promarkers and was amazed at the way the fish turned out, so came up with this...

...the background was a piece of grey card embossed with Craft Concepts Wood grain folder, inked with Weathered Wood and Walnut Distress Inks and the text paper was from the Boys2Men disc.  I printed 4 of the fish digistamp images, coloured with my Promarkers, decoupaged 3 layers on the front of the card and highlighted with Glamourdust.  The netting was some white net that I had in my stash - I attacked it with Vintage Photo and Walnut Distress Inks to give it a dirtier look, then threaded it through one of the holes in my eyelet circle, before attaching it to the back of the card layer...

...the fishing rod was also from the fishing digistamp sheet and the 'Birthday 'fishes' sentiment from the sentiments sheet.  I cut the barbs from a fishing lure and siliconed seed beads on the end of the hooks for safety before attaching to the card with silver thread.  I coloured a small feather with Promarkers, wound silver thread around the end and attached this with the lure.  I decorated the inside to match...

...I used the same background, text paper and circle nesties to decorate the writing side of the insert, then coloured a second fishing rod digistamp and 'Have a reel-y great day!' sentiment and attached to the lost leaf side...

..it's a great card to send to a fishing fan and I'm really pleased with the way it turned out!  Hope it gives you some inspiration!  Thanks for looking, as always - it means a lot!  Lisa

I'm entering this card into the following challenges -

Sentimental Sundays

Challenge #64 For the Men in your Life

Sweet Satmpin' Challenge

It's one for the Boys

Allsorts Challenge

Free and Easy (2nd entry!)

Cute Card Thursday

Challenge 173 Going round in Circles

Good morning!

Firstly, I'd like to say a big Hi! and thank you to all those of you who came over to see us at Craft-Llandudno, yesterday.  The weather in the morning was atrocious, but we had some lovely feedback for the samples and a chat to some new people, so once again, thanks!  As promised Norma, here's the instructions on how to make the large rugby cup card -

Open the rugby sentiments page and click on the snapshot tool (a little camera) in your toolbar - if the snapshot tool is not visible on your toolbar, go to Tools on the top menu bar, then Customize Toolbars - scroll down the list to near the bottom, where the Snapshot Tool is and click to put a tick in the little box next to it and click OK. Now, click on the little camera (Snapshot Tool), then click and drag with your left mouse button to highlight one of the trophys :

A message will appear that says the area has been copied (unless you have told it not to show this message previously)  Click on the print icon, then go into your printer properties and alter the paper size to A5, set your image quality and media type, then click OK.  In the main print window, ensure that the Page Scaling is set to 'Fit to Printable area'  this will stretch the image to fit as large as possible on the paper size that you have chosen (A5).  You should now see in the preview window that the trophy image fills the paper, click OK to print.  Cut out, then ink the edges and add glitter.  The topper is from the rugby decoupage sheet.  Hope this helps, Norma and well done you for making cards to raise money for our brave lads, through 'Help for Heroes'!

So, onto today's card - out came one of my stamps from Simon Says Stamp, again, this time it was Bernadette admiring the Spring flowers...

 

...I love the colours on this one, really fresh and summery.  The backing papers were made from a pack of paper serviettes that I got from Tesco!  I separated the layers (3 in all) and used the top ply, which was the brightly coloured layer for my main paper, then the second ply had a much more subtle pattern, which I used as a complimentary paper.  I coloured Bernadette with Promarkers and decoupaged her for more dimension (I'm lovin' this technique)...

...the rose and rosebuds were from WOC and the silk gypsophilia flowers are from Hobbycraft, coloured with Promarkers...

...I created the sentiment myself in PS and cut out and layered with circle and eyelet circle nesties.  The wired organza ribbon was also coloured to match the scheme and makes a lovely plush bow.  My Nellie ribbon border and fancy corner added some interest, then I finished with pearl accents and a touch of Glamourdust.  The inside of the card is decorated to compliment the front...

...I'll be putting this card in my design shop for sale later.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges :

Simon Says Stamp

Anything goes!

Stampavie & More

Birthday

Allsorts Challenge Blog

Free & Easy

Cupcake Craft

Yoyr favourite Cupcake Challenge

(Mine is challenge 33 a colour combo)

Another Tilda...

Well, hi guys!  I'm not doing very well at the moment, my time seems to be taken up doing everything bar card making, so I set aside a bit of play time to create this little sweetie...

...it's another Love News Tilda (I just love this stamp).  I wanted to use the First Edition Up, up and away paper pad, so coloured 3 Tilda images to tie in with this colour scheme.  I then decoupaged her to give a bit more dimension - I have to say, I was INSPIRED by Mariska's beautiful creations and just love the way she decoupages her stamped images.  The card shape is a tent joy fold, which the front opens to reveal the sentiment, 'Heard the News it's your Birthday'...

...nesties used were eyelet circle and standard circle, for the little cameo which holds the front card shut - this was glazed with Glossy Accents and I coloured a small feather with my Promarker to change the colour and added it behind.  The deco corner form the Nellie fancy corner dies made an appearance and I think it's fabulous in this dark bitter chocolate colour, plus my good old Marianne Swirl for with the flowers, which were from WOC (the green one started life cream and got attcked by some twinkling H2Os)...

...inside, I added a decorated insert with coordinating papers and a panel to write on.  I absolutely adore the way this card turned out and am loathed to sell it (just want to have it on my mantlepiece), but it will be going in my design shop later.  Thanks for popping by to see my creations.  Lisa

First place!

No card tonight, but I thought I'd share a picture of my little man in his costume for the village Carnival, yesterday...

...the theme for the float was Welsh myths and Legends, so I made him a King Arthur costume - it took me a whole day to make, but was worth it when he came first in his age category!  I thought he looked fabulous, even though I'm biased!  He also came first in the Art Competiton, winning himself some Crayola colouring pens (so he won't need my Promarkers anymore!).  We had a lovely afternoon, the weather was fantastic (for a change) and the people turned out in their droves - there were 3 floats, Robin Hood, Friar Tuck and his band of merrymen, a couple of Sumo wrestlers, eco fashionistas (who's costumes were made from recycled marterials) and many more!  The water balloons and pistols gave everyone a good cooling off, then it was on to the field for sandwiches, sideshows and judging - not a bad way to spend a summer's, Saturday afternoon!

I'll hopefully have a card to share sometime this week, though I have design work and card orders to do, so I'd better get my finger out!  Thanks for looking, enjoy your week and let's hope this weather lasts!  Lisa

Time flies!

Hi guys!  My word, where has this last fortnight gone to?   I can't seem to do for doing, at the moment - I'm busy trying to finish design work for the next disc, keeping on top of housework (or not as the case may be!), meetings to try and keep our village school open, everyday jobs...and it's Carnival this weekend, so I'll have to make a costume for youngest!  If only there was an extra hour in the day..or two, or three!  We've already passed summer solstice and are on the slippery slope toward...dare I say it?...Christm....no, I can't do it - we haven't had summer yet!!  Anyhow, thought I'd share a card with you that I made myself sit and make, just for the heck of it...(apologies now for the quality of the photos)...

...at last, I managed to stamp and colour Sarah Kay's Finn Whistling - this is the last stamp I got with my Simon Says Stamp voucher, and he is just adorable!  I kept the colours quite muted, just colouring Finn with brown and green tones.  The papers were just scraps from in my stash - the background paper is a 12x12 that I got whilst on hols, the brown dotty paper is from Dovecraft's Masculine paper pad and the cream was something I picked up on my travels - not sure where, or when!?!....

...inside, I decorated with co-ordinating papers and added a little packet of gypsophilia seed sticks to go with the garden theme...

...the sentiment was printed onto Safmat and reads : "For your Birthday these wishes are sent to express, the hope that every day will bring growing happiness."  All edges were inked with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. the roses and chrysanths were from WOC and a Martha Stewart butterfly (punch), inked with Vintage Photo.  I finished off with a highlight of Stardust Stickles and 2 stunning hat pins, in a gold tone.
I have to say, photos never do the cards justice (especially when they're as bad as these ones, lol!).  Thanks for looking, Lisa X.
Just managed to enter this card in Stampavie and more challenge which is Butterflies.