Dream Valley Challenge 12 - Surprise!

Hiya!

It's time for another challenge over at Dream Valley and this time we'd like you to SURPRISE us! The DT really had to put their thinking caps on for this one :-) You could have a hidden flap or gift, a pop-up surprise or think of something completely different!

We are sponsored by Digi's with Attitude and I've used their gift giving tween digi - such fun to colour! 

Inside I included a matching tag and bookmark as a surprise gift for the recipient.....

I've used Milton & Co papers, punched out the flowers and butterflies and added ribbon and pearls from my stash.....

Now I'm not going to be around much for the next week or so cos I'll be on my hols but I do hope to schedule a few posts before I go. Please forgive me for not commenting on your blogs as much as I would like!

I'm so looking forward to seeing all the Dream Valley entries when I get back. If you get a chance, please pop over and have a look at the other DT samples - there are some really fab ideas :-)

Love 'n' hugs,

Awwww.... Cute little bunny!

Hiya!

Just wanted to share with you a card I made for my pal's daughter who turned 2 last week....

The image is actually cut from a sheet of paper from the Daisy and Dandelion picnic patch set.

I was lucky enough to have two sheets so I cut out some of the pieces again to layer them up.....

The tag and papers are from the same set and of course I've used my Kraft cardstock which I just can't seem to put away at the mo! The sentiment is from the Me to You range, the border punch is a new one I've just bought from papermania (love it!!!), an xcut butterfly and then gems and ribbon from my stash.

I need to go and have a nosey round for some challenges for this one.....

See you on Sunday for the latest Dream Valley challenge - this one will get you thinking!

Love 'n' hugs,

A new baby....

Hiya!

I'm really not getting the hang of blogging my cards at the mo. I think the phrase "bitten off more than I can chew" was made for me! I'm up to my eyeballs with cards and wedding preparations, allotment veg and my new secretary role while still trying to do all my usual Mom, girlfriend and "me" stuff...... As a result, I'm awake at.... oh dear, 2:20am, writing this post cos I can't sleep with all the things buzzing round my head.

Anyway, I made these cards last week and it's about time I showed you :-) They're just some quick simple ones following a sketch from Meljen's challenge (missed the deadline aaaages ago!) I thought as I was cutting my paper into triangles, I may aswell make 2 cards and keep one for my box. This is actually intended for a good pal of mine, Becky, who had little baby Lewis a couple of days ago. Congratulations, Becky!

The image, papers and sticky letters are all from the Me to You range....

Then I just added a few pearls, a star cut using a quickutz die and embossed with a crafts too embossing folder.....

A close-up of the image coloured with my promarkers.....

And the sentiment.....

Challenges:

Sarah Hurley - Colouring

Totally Gorjuss - All about boys

Right, I'm going to put the kettle on. Maybe ovaltine will help me sleep! Night, night!

Love 'n' hugs,

Dream Valley Challenge 11 - Summer! And some news......

Hiya!

Phew! What a couple of weeks I've been having.... so much going on! Where do I start? Well firstly, I'm an auntie again! My gorgeous step-sister Julia has had a scrumptious baby girl called Katie Lauren :-) I've only seen photos as yet but she's absolutely adorable!  Just as that news was sinking in, I heard that a friend of mine had also had her baby! Again, joyful news but this was a little different.... During the labour the poor little lad was starved of oxygen and had to be hooked up to all those tubes and wires and things to keep him going. Sadly, 5 days later he passed away.  I am so broken hearted for my friend.  I lost a baby during pregnancy a few years ago, not quite the same, I know, but I think I can understand some of what she must be feeling.  Thinking of you, Michelle xx

That being said, I have to say I feel a little guilty at sharing with you some very happy news of my own.....

I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!!!

How exciting! In fact this is a scheduled post because I'm actually somewhere in Brum trying on dresses for the big day :-) I get to pick up my sparkley little something on Tuesday so I will share a piccie with you then.  I've got all these ideas for invitations buzzing round in my head so you'll need to be prepared to give me some honest advice when I put some samples on here for you to look at :-)

Anyway, enough of all that. I know what you're here to see - my DT card for the latest Dream Valley challenge! All the entries we had for our ribbon challenge were fantastic. I love the opportunity to go through all the entries. I get so much inspiration!  This challenge has a SUMMER theme and is sponsored by our regular sponsor, One Stop Card Crafts.

It's my brother-in-law's birthday pretty soon and as he's always in charge of my sister's annual barbecue this image just had to be his! It's from Lili of the Valley and of course coloured with promarkers.

The sentiment is from Sentiments 4 You, the papers are Clare Curd's It's a Man's World, some nesties and a sizzix decorative swirl and then pearls from my stash... 

Challenges:

Bows and Berries - Kraft

Ladybug Crafts Ink - Summer birthdays

Lili of the Valley - Fab sketch

Forever Friends - Stripes

Wags 'n' Whiskers - Birthday

For those of you interested in my allotment, I've been collecting potatoes and peas from my patch so if you want a nosey, please pop over! And don't forget to visit Dream Valley to see all the other summer creations from the rest of the DT.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Love 'n' hugs,

Another of George's creations....

Hiya!

You might remember a few months ago my son George (he's only 5) made me a birthday card - you can see it here..... I entered his card into the challenge over at Messy's Mini Missions and he was lucky enough to win a stamp set from Crafty Emma!  The image and sentiment on this card come from the set he won.

I let him use a few of my promarkers (carefully!) in return for some hints and tips on winning challenges and stamping techniques :-) I also showed him how to ink the edges of his card - I think he's done a really good job! He added some glitter glue for sparkle - you can see her lovely glittery hair here:

He used papers from the Tatty Teddy collection and added some pearls and a ribbon flower.

He's just about got time to enter this into the latest challenge at Messy's Mini Missions which is Sparkle and Shine!

Good luck, George!

Love 'n' hugs,

Dream Valley Challenge 10 - Ribbon

Hiya!

Hope you are all well.... It's time for another challenge at Dream Valley. This time we'd like to see what you can do with RIBBON. We have a fab prize up for grabs from Crafty Ribbons.

I decided to be a little bit brave with this card and do some things which are a little different for me. I lost count of the number of times I'd decided this card was not going to work while I was making it but overall I think I'm quite happy with the results.....

Firstly, the colours.... I'm usually a nice calm pastel kind of girl so using these bright bold colours was a bit scarey for me:

The image is Phoebe and Olivia from Ladybug Crafts Ink and I've been longing for the chance to use it.....

Coloured as usual with my promarkers although I've used some of my more neglected, brighter colours. I added the sky with a little sponged blue ink. I'm afraid I don't know where the sentiment comes from - It's a freebie digi from back when I didn't keep proper records of where my digi's come from :-( Sorry!

I used lengths of red stitched ribbon across the back of my card and then added knotted ribbon to the corners. I then added a piece to my sentiment tag.

I needed another square to complete the recipe for the CRAFT challenge and really wanted a square red button, but alas, I didn't have one anywhere in my stash so I had to make my own! You don't want to know how long it took me to make this fiddley little thing! A square of red card embossed with red embossing powder (yummy - smells like cherries!) umpteen times until it was all shiny and glossy, taking care to poke the holes through with my pokey tool between each layer. Only to decide afterwards it really would have looked better if I'd rounded the corners!

Other things I used:

Papers - Crafts Too

Nesties

Ribbon, gems and flowers from stash

Papermania embossing folder

Challenges:

Ladybug Crafts Ink - Use red

Passion for Promarkers - Park Life

Creative inspirations - Fab sketch

CRAFT - Recipe: 1 tag, 2 circles, 3 rectangles/squares

Wags 'n' Whiskers - Summertime

Stamp Something - 4th July/Celebrate with red, white and blue

Secret Crafter - Embossing

Please pop over to Dream Valley to see all the amazing things the rest of the DT have made using ribbon. There always seems to be so much variety in what they make!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Love 'n' hugs,

No peeking, Nic!

Hiya!

Apologies for the blank card piccie but my posts show up on facebook and my SISTER is NOT ALLOWED to peek at this one until it's her birthday!!!! You've been warned, Nic! :-)

So this is what it really looks like.....

My sister really loves driving around in her little car and I was determined that these Nostalgia Classic Car stamps from Papermania would not only be used for male cards :-) This is the first time I've used this one. I've actually stamped the image and sentiment (Papermania again) twice - once in hot pink and then again in black slightly to the side. I think you can just about make it out in the photos....

The papers are from Daisy and Dandelion Picnic Patch and the embossing folder is from crafts too. The flower was made following this tutorial from the fabulous Sally - thankyou!!! And then I just added a few gems from my stash.

Challenges:

Sketch N Stash - Fab sketch, unused stamp and neglected papers

Sarah Hurley - Handmade flowers

Meljen's - Stripes

Right.... Little man's asleep so I've got a chance to do my housework undisturbed - oh, the joy!

Love 'n' hugs,