Pink and girly...

Hiya! I was definitely in need of making a pretty pink and girly card so I've made my niece's birthday card a little earlier than I normally would :-) It's still a couple of weeks to her birthday but this image (sent to me by the fabulous Mandy) is just perfect for her. She goes to dance classes and is becoming a little star! I followed a fab sketch from Friday Sketchers and coloured her with my promarkers as usual. The papers are Henbury Lane (the spotty one has some sparkle that you can't quite see on the piccies) and I've cut out the letters and number using the Bang! Zoom! alphabet on my Bigshot. There's glitter glue everywhere! Went a bit mad :-) You can see some of it in piccie 2, especially on the flowers. I won the flowers and the heart gems from Debs (thankyou!) and I got the pearls from ebay. I used my heart lace border punch for a couple of layers in the background but it hasn't worked very well because I had to cover most of it up because of the size of the pink panel! Oh well, I saved all the hearts I punched out for another project :-)

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Moving Along with the Times - Anything goes (use Promarkers, sponsored by Letraset)

Just Magnolia - Think Pink

Friday Sketchers - Fab sketch

Totally Gorjuss - Sparkle

Totally Tilda - Pink and Pearls

The ABC Challenge - G is for Glitter

Have a fab day!

Love 'n' hugs,

Mel xx

Winter Fun!

Hiya! Just a quick post today because the littl'uns are causing mayhem, I'm cooking Sunday dinner and the computer's not behaving itself!

This is currently my favourite LOTV image coloured with promarkers. The papers are Dovecraft and I've added some ribbon from my stash and punched snowflakes with little pearls. There's glitter glue everywhere (you can see some of it on piccie 2) and silver glitter around the edge.

Challenges:

Sarah Hurley - Christmas but red and green must not be seen

LOTV - Winter Fun

Meljen's - Anything goes

Moving Along with the Times - Anything goes (use promarkers, sponsored by Letraset)

Totally Gorjuss - Sparkle

Have fun!

Love 'n' hugs,

Mel xx

Christmas Tilda

Hiya! Hope you're all feeling better than I am - I'm up to my eyes in nasty cold and feel rotten. Managed to cheer myself up with a couple of hours in my craft corner this morning and I'm really pleased with the results. I've had a few new arrivals that I couldn't wait to test out - my circle nesties and some pearls from ebay. Very happy :-) This gorgeous Tilda was sent to me by Debs in a candy win and I've coloured her with promarkers and just a little glitter gel pen. The papers are from Papermania, as are the embossing folder and the holly leaves. There's a bit of glitter on her wings but it hasn't shown up very well on the piccies. I've also used a bit of sparkley ribbon I've taken from a gift box I got a couple of years ago :-)

I'm entering it into the following challenges:

Totally Tilda - Traditional red and green Tilda Christmas

Creative Inspirations - Fab sketch

Sarah Hurley - Colouring

I'm just going to top up the paracetamol in my system before I go on the school run! Have a fab day.

Love 'n' hugs,

Mel xx

George's Crafty Creations

Since George (my GORGEOUS little 4 year old) started school in September, he's developed a new-found love of cutting and sticking (much to my delight!). When I suggested we make some decorations for our upcoming Halloween party, he jumped at the chance. I cut him a few shapes from some funky foam and let him go mad with the glue, sequins and sprinkles, and bits of foil. He had a great time - and then he remembered my glitter glue. Of course that had to get involved too :-) He had such a lot of fun and got very sticky!

I'm entering these into a challenge at Messy's Mini Missions - a new challenge blog especially for the under 16's. Their challenge this month is "Trick or Treat" and I have to tell you, I'm so impressed by the standard of the entries I've seen so far! I think I could learn a thing or two myself!

Anyway, it's about time I got myself back into the craft room. I've been a bit off-colour and I'm falling way behind with my Christmas cards. Wish me luck!

Love 'n' hugs,

Mel xx

Hoppy Birthday!

I'm sorry I've not been around much lately but I've got a couple of poorly children who are in need of a bit of attention so I can only really get near a computer if they're asleep! I've got a few cards that are part finished but I did manage to finish this one off yesterday. And just in time too - I've got to deliver it tomorrow! This is for my friend's son who is 2 next week :-)

I absolutely adore this image which was sent to me (along with the cute froggy charm) in a candy win from Debs, but I've got no idea where it's from - I'll have to ask her! As usual, I coloured him with promarkers. I followed a fab sketch from A Gem of a Challenge, although it's (probably!) not a Pink Gem image. The papers are from Forever Friends and the sentiment is one of Clare Curd's clear stamps (how I wish it said "Have a Hoppy Day"!).

I made the flowers using a woodware plum flower punch and shaped them to try to make them look like waterlilies. Was I successful? I wouldn't usually put flowers on a male card but I think they actually work because they're not too fussy or girly.

I'm entering it into the following challenges:

Cards for Men - Happy Birthday

Sarah Hurley - Flowers

The ABC Challenge - F is for Flowers

Craftalicious Challenges - Anything goes

I'm off now to visit some of your lovely blogs :-)

Love 'n' hugs,

Mel xx

Tilda at last!

I've been after a decent occasion to make use of some of the yummy Tilda images the incredibley talented Mandy sent me recently (Thankyou, Mandy!) so I'm really pleased that it's my good friend, Yvonne's birthday soon. I just love this image - she's so pretty! I coloured her with my promarkers and added a little bit of glitter to her flowers to make them sparkle (although it doesn't really show up on my photos at all).

I've used a some pretty glittery papers from Henbury Lane and made the flowers by cutting out scalloped circles with my nesties, scrunching them up and securing them with brads. I've added a little bit of sparkle to the edges - hope you can tell. I used an X cut border punch and then added some yellow ribbon from a present I got a couple of years ago and some pretty blue ribbon my Mom bought me for my birthday (Thanks, Mom!). The gems on stalks were rescued from a gift box - very pretty.

I've thoroughly enjoyed making this one! I'm entering it into the following challenges:

Just Magnolia - Anything goes

Totally Tilda - Glitter and Sparkle

Pollycraft Monday Challenge - Anything goes

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Sparkle and Shine

Passion for Promarkers - Recycled (yellow ribbon & gems on stalks)

Have a fab day!

Love 'n' hugs,

Mel xx

Just a few buttons....

Hello! Hope you've all got the same gorgeous sunshine I've got! it's almost a shame to be spending time in my craft room.... Almost!

This is for my nephew, Gavin, who is 7 pretty soon. He absolutely loves dinosaurs so I couldn't really use any other stamp, could I? This is Monster Boy from Squiggle stamps but just for a change, I've paper pieced him - very fiddley trying to cut out the arm! I'm quite happy with the results though. The rest was coloured with my promarkers. The papers are Papermania Cool Tones Inspirations and then I've used some scalloped cardstock I've had for ages but never seem to run out of! And then I added a couple of buttons... and then a few more... and then I got a little carried away! Is it too much, do you think?

The challenges I'm entering it into are:
Whoopsie Daisy - Let's Paper Piece
Crafty Calendar - Birthday
Pollycraft Monday Challenge - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations - Birthday

Nearly time for the school run... Have a fab day!

Love 'n' hugs,
Mel xx

Trick or Treat

A quick card and a quick post... This is one of two identical Halloween party invites I made to invite George's friends round for a little bit of spooky fun :-) Both images are freebie digis - I'm pretty sure Frankenstein is from Bugaboo (please correct me if I'm wrong???) and the Trick or Treat sentiment is from Meljen's Designs. They've been coloured with a combination of promarkers and brush markers. The paper is from Papermania Cool Tones Inspirations, the peg came from Yellow Moon yeeeeears ago (I've removed the ladybirds which were attached), and the rest is from my stash.

I'm entering it into 3 challenges:

By The Cute and Girly - Spooky

The Crafty Pad - Spooky

Pollycraft Monday Challenge - Anything Goes

Have a fab day!

Love 'n' hugs,

Mel xx

Another Christmas Card...

So I wrote my Christmas card list over the weekend - ouch! I'm never going to get them all made in time! I'm beginning to wish I'd started at Easter :-) I'm definitely going to start earlier next year (famous last words....)

So I guess you're all beginning to recognise my favourite Christmas stamps now, eh? Love this gorgeous little LOTV cutie. Coloured in traditional colours with my promarkers again, with a little bit of glitter glue. I've used my Deck the Halls papers and brads from papermania, holly leaves from Silent Night by papermania and ribbon from my stash.

A few challenges:

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Spots and Stripes (2nd entry)

Creative Inspirations - Christmas in September (3rd entry!)

Pollycraft Monday Challenge - Anything Goes

Gotta go and cook dinner :-) ....

Love 'n' hugs,

Mel xx

Traditional Christmas

Now when it comes to christmas cards, I have to say that this is a little more "me". Oodles of red, green and gold - love it! I've used the fab sketch from Sketch Saturday and some yummy Deck the Halls papers from papermania. I've used that gorgeous little bear from LOTV and coloured him with my promarkers. I usually colour this little fella in grey but I have to say, I quite like him in brown too! I used a gold gel pen for some of the ribbons on the pressies and some glitter glue for the fur on his hat. The brads are also Deck the Halls from papermania, the little poinsettias are Silent Night from papermania, and the die-cut greeting is one of the Daisy and Dandelion set I bought last year. The ribbon is from my stash.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Spots and Stripes

Creative Inspirations - Christmas in September (2nd entry)

Totally Gorjuss - Christmas (2nd entry)

Sketch Staturday - Fab sketch

That's all for now! Have a fab weekend.

Love 'n' hugs,

Mel xx

Miss You, Beckie!

This card is for a good pal of mine, Beckie. She has run the local baby club and playgroup since Charlie was really ickle but has now decided to move on. We're gonna miss her soooo much! Her replacement is going to have a lot to live up to!

I've used one of the gorgeous Forever Friends Pink Parfait stickers and the small flower paper is also from the same range. The pink background paper is Henbury lane and the Miss You sentiment is one of Clare Curd's stamps. I won the flowers from Debs (thankyou!) and then there's a bit of ribbon from my stash. Et voila!

Just the one challenge for this: Cupcake Craft - Pink and Brown. Love those colours together!

Just one more post then I'm done :-).... (for today....)

Love 'n' hugs,

Mel xx

Untraditional Christmas

Hiya! I know I've not been around much... I'm sorry. I've made a few cards but just been sooo busy that I haven't been able to post them on my blog.

I so enjoyed making a christmas card in non-traditional colours that I wanted to make another one - this time without even christmas themed papers! These are Henbury Lane papers with some lovely bright and bold cardstock I found at my local craft shop. The image is LOTV (sooo cute!) and is coloured with my promarkers. I added some glitter glue to the fur on his hat for a lovely sparkle. There's a bit of skinny tinsel I found at a car boot sale and some gems and ribbon from my stash. The faux stitching round the edge is done with the fine tip of a brush marker.

This card has managed to miss the deadline for no less than 3 (yes, 3!) challenges :-(

LOTV - Untraditional Christmas

Fridays Sketchers - Sketch 121

Crafty Catz - Stitching

However, I should be in time for:

Creative Inspirations - Christmas in September

The Creative Cottage - Bling it on

Totally Gorjuss - Christmas

The Crafty Pad - Christmas Sparkle

Sarah Hurley - All Sewn Up

so that's not tooo bad, eh? :-)

Back with another post in a mo...

Love 'n' hugs,

Mel xx