New wheels .....

..... No card just yet - but I had to share a picture of my lovely NEW car.  We drove over to the dealer this morning to collect both our cars.  We both have a Ford Fusion - mine's a lovely steel blue and Jonathan's is silver.  I posted on FB and Claire asked what I was calling him - love that colour, so he's called Blue!!

Did I say he's NEW?  This is the first time I've ever had a brand, spanking new car - and it's just fab.  He has that lovely new smell and drives like a dream.   Can you tell I'm doing a happy dance?

That's all for now - we're off out to a party this afternoon.  One of our UK friends who moved over with us is hosting an Olympic themed party.  Let the games begin!!!!

Do check back later this evening for the launch of this month's St Luke's Charity Card Challenge - we have a really fun theme this month.  See you then.

Any size, any theme ....

.... just a quick post this morning to share a sweet little card that I made for two challenges:

• One Layer Wednesday - OLW94 - to use any size card apart from an A2.  This week the challenge is being hosted by Cheryl at A Paperie Journey
• Charisma Cardz - CC25 - theme is anything goes

My card is tiny; in the UK it would be called an A7 card.  It measures 74 x 104 mm (2 3/8" x 4 1/8") - it's really sweet.  I decided to play with some of my new stamps from There She Goes Stamps - they make really fun images.  I have a lot of cyber buddies and so I made this card.

Stamps:  There She Goes - Crafty Taglines, Technology Bytes; Waltzingmouse - Midnight Feast
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Promarkers - shades of grey and a touch of red, card from stash

I really like this computer setup and the sentiment is just perfect.  I coloured the image with Promarkers and decided to add an image to the monitor screen - love the tiny bats!!

It was so hot here yesterday - we reached 38C (100F) by the afternoon - perfect weather to splash around in the pool!!  I went in too!!  And today we are expecting much the same, so we're off out early to get the shopping done before it gets too warm!!  See you soon.

My girl ....

... is so precious to me.  So I've made a mini scrapbook page all about my special girl.  I don't think Kathryn realises just how much I love her - despite the pouts, the grumps, and stuff!!   It's all washed away when she comes up hugs me and tells me she loves me.  Kathryn is 10½ years old, but I think we've already hit the teen attitude!!  I based the page on this week's sketch at Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge - WMSC103.  Edna Morrisedie designed this sketch - it's a hard one, but I think I can play with it again soon.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Off Beat Backgrounds, French Country, Half Pint Heroines
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black, Rose Bud, Bahama Blue
Spellbinders:  Lattice Rectangles (S4-319) #4, Rectangles Sm (S4-130) #4
Accessories: Photo from my PC, Card from stash

Yesterday we went to see Brave, the new Pixar movie, it was really good.  The heart of the story is the relationship between the Princess Merida and her mother Queen Elinor - it made both of us cry and hug!!  And I sort of made this minipage because my girl is brave, smart, beautiful and amazing - and I had all the stamps to say so!!

Here's this week sketch:

That's all for now.  We're off to the pool now to cool down - it's really, really hot here now 35C (95F).  Wish I could send some of the sun and heat to the UK.  See you soon.

Summer time shoe ....

.... The inspiration photo from the current Runway Inspired Challenge - RIC14 is the most elegant shoe.  Heels to die for - almost literally!!!  When I was younger I loved high heeled shoes, sadly now I'm older, they don't like me :)   I knew that I had the perfect image for my card - an elegant summer court shoe designed by Jak Heath.  As this is a summer shoe I'm also submitting the card to this week's Charisma Cardz - CC24 where the theme is summer.

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Compact Sentiments II; Jak Heath - Help for Katie Set - digi image
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black
Spellbinders: Square Lg (S4-126) # 6; Square Sm (S4-128) # 6 & 7
Accessories:  Promarkers - Leaf Green, Pale Pink, Baby Pink, Magenta, Carmine; DP - My Mind's Eye - Quite Contrary (FOC with Cardmaking & Papercraft); Cardbase from stash

The graphic from Runway inspired Challenge:

I know some people might think this weird, but today would have been my sister's 50th birthday.  Tracey died last year and it just doesn't seem right that she's not here to celebrate her 50th, so I've made this card because I miss her.  Tracey loved to shop and while shoes were not her object of choice, she would have loved a pretty pair like this - but maybe with lower heels :))))  

That's all for today!

CR84FN57 - Happy Birthday Mona ...

.... today is not only the start of our new colour challenge at CR84FN - it is also Mona's birthday!!  So I've used our gorgeous CR84FN57 colours of bright pink, tan and a neutral, and the layout from this week's Mojo Monday Sketch - MOJO246 to make a special card for Mona.

I'm normally more of a clean and simple girl, but I like to try my hand at layers occasionally, and I really like the MOJO sketch, however, I have turned it on its side!  I started with some Very Vanilla card stock which I made into the card base  I found this bright pink card in my scrap box (don't know which company) and decided to use that to make the mat layers.  I've used designer paper from Kaisercraft and Papermania to decorate the card.  And, as this is a birthday card, I decided to include some cupcakes.  I stamped the images several times onto designer paper, cut out the layer and attached them to the card.  I coloured the little flowers with a Sakura glaze gel pen - they have a lovely shine in real-life!

Mona - I hope you have a fabulous birthday and that you've received your card!

Stamps: Hero Arts - Cupcakes
Inks: Memento - Rich Cocoa
Spellbinders:  Lacy Squares (S4-295) #2, Squares Sm (S4-128) #3
Accessories:  Kaisercraft DP - Tigerlilly; Papermania - Exquisite; Stampin' Up! - Very Vanilla Card; Ribbon and Sakura Glaze Gel Pen from stash

I also decorated the inside of the card and the envelope - here are a few pictures.

We have some super inspiration cards to share with you - do visit the teams' blogs:

Mona Pendleton, Lisa Somerville, Andrea Mathews, Sue Lelli, Pauline Pollington, Suzanne Czosek, Shannon White, Heather Jensen.

Sadly, both Suzanne and Lisa will stepping down from the CR84FN Design Team following this challenge.  They have both been really inspirational designers and very supportive, and I wish them both well in their future endeavours.  Do drop by their blogs and leave some love!

I hope you all have a super Sunday - my plans include watching the England v Italy football quarter final!  I hope England goes through!!!  Bye for now!

Pretty in Pink II ...

.... I'm on a roll!!  Here's another card for Less is More - LIM73 and CAS-ual Fridays - CFC58 - I'm really enjoying these challenges!! This time my card is a general "Hello" card.  I stamped the flourish directly onto the card base, added a clean and bold sentiment and finished off with my layered flower.  I added some bling for good measure!!

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Compact Sentiments II, Flourishes - Scallops & Dots; Hero Arts - Layered Flowers CL496
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black, Grey Flannel
Accessories:  Kaisercraft DP - Tigerlilly; Gems and card from stash

That really is all for now - do drop by again later to see the new CR84FN challenge!  Bye for now!!

Pretty in pink ....

.... Hi all!  Hope you've all had a super Saturday, we've had a fun and rather relaxing day.  We started early by visiting our local travel agent to arrange our summer trip - we are planning to drive along the Pacific coast between San Diego and San Francisco!!  We should get details later next week.  Then it was into downtown Northville to check out the Arts & Acts Festival and to have breakfast.  I had a super time checking out the various craft stalls - there are so many very talented people about.  Then it was home in time to watch the football quarter final between France and Spain - great match - Spain won!!

I've even managed to get some time in my craft room and made a card for this week's challenges at:

• CAS-ual Fridays - CFC58 - Pretty in Pink
• Less is More - LIM73 - the recipe this week is to use paper piecing

My card is a much needed birthday card for my stash.  It's square and I've matted three shades of pink card to form the base.  On to that I've attached a white mat.  I stamped a simple frame and sentiment and added a layered pink flower - very clean and simple!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Frame-It; Hero Arts - Layered Flowers CL496
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Kaisercraft DP - Tigerlilly; Pink card from stash

That's all for now!

A two in one card ....

.... Good morning all!!  Checking through various challenges yesterday, I found this week's challenges for:

• Play Date Cafe Challenge - PDCC137 - splash of colour - blue
• Do You Stack Up? - DYSU#77 - to make a card based on a movie

 

I love the brilliant blue colour on the PDCC graphic - so striking.  Then I saw the theme for DYSU?  And the rest was easy.  One of my all time favourite films is David Lynch's Blue Velvet.  It's not an easy film, and it may be one you either love or hate, but I love it!  The acting is absolutely fantastic and features two of my favourites - Isabella Rosellini and Kyle MacLachlan.  There are some amazing images in the film and one that stands out for me is the roses against a fence:

Photo Credit

So the film Blue Velvet, and the image above are the inspiration for my card.  I've changed the red roses to blue roses. I've changed the white picket fence too; on my card it is a black ornate metal fence.  I've gone for overblown roses.  I stamped them in water soluble ink on watercolour paper and lightly spritzed each flower, allowing the colour to bleed.  Once the roses were dry, I over stamped the rose outline and cut them out.  I used Pinflair to attach the roses and to give some dimension to the card.  I decided not to include a sentiment, but to let the image stand on its own.

Stamps:  Stampin' Up! - Fifth Avenue Floral
Inks: Kaleidacolor - Blue Breeze
Accessories:  Memory Box die - Estate Fence; Watercolour paper; Card from stash

Before I go, I am delighted and honoured to have been picked as one of the "Fab 4" for PDCC136 with this card, full details can be found here:

That's all for now.  See you soon.

Happy Birthday Jenny ......

..... while my card is going to be late reaching you - my birthday wishes are winging their way across the ocean to wish you, Jenny, a very

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I hope you have a super day!  As many of you know, Jenny likes to make beautiful clean, simple and fun cards, so I had to make something special for her.  Hope this reaches you soon.

I've used three challenges to make this card:

• CAS-ual Fridays - CFC57 - where we had to use either acetate or vellum
• Just Us Girls - JUGS141 - super colours
• St Luke's Charity Card Challenge - Our Little Furry Friends

I've kept it really simple - I used the red, white and blue to make a vellum layered doily which reminds me of the Royal Air Force roundel.  I stamped each image using Versamark on vellum, embossed them with coloured powders and then simply cut them out.  I like the way you can see the patterns through each layer.  I stamped this very elegant cat onto white card, cut her out and attached her to the card on top of the doily.  I finished off with s simple sentiment.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Dainty Doilies Large, Dainty Doilies 2 Small; Inkadinkadoo - Patterned Pets; Uniko Studios - Extra Time
Inks: Stazon - Jet Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Vellum and card from stash

Here are the challenge graphics:

There's still plenty of time to join in with St Luke's Charity Card Challenge - this month we want you to make a card featuring our furry friends.  It's a bit quiet on the blog; we would really like to see your creations - do pop over and join us.  This month the prize for our June winner is a set of stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps - Text-It, so very useful!

The first week of Kathryn's summer holidays has been super.  We've had some extremes in the weather with a big thunder storm on Monday and hot, hot days since then.  We've been out shopping, to the cinema and just chilling (literally with the air con) in the house.  It's been fun!

Today the European Football quarter finals start - we do get to watch the matches over here, but we really do miss the atmosphere!  There are lots of sports bars in the States and they show all sorts of games, but there's no excitement or enthusiasm for football (or soccer as they call it here).  Jonathan can only watch the weekend matches - which is good as England play on Sunday!!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an England v Spain final!!!

That's all for now - off to do a bit of mundane stuff - a stack load of ironing!!  See you soon.

OLW93 - In the kitchen ....

..... I meant to post this card before I went out this morning, but better late than never!!!  This week's One Layer Wednesday - OLW93 is being hosted by Heather of bits & pieces.  Heather is sending us to our kitchens to find inspiration for our cards.  For me this was easy!  On top of the cupboards in my kitchen is a lot of "stuff" - it was all here before we moved in and I've been meaning to move it.

However, I'm glad I've not moved it yet - I've got the perfect inspiration for my card!  I rather like the cockerel and it gives me the opportunity to use my Waltzingmouse cockerel.

This is an ultra clean and simple card - it's also quite small, being a 4" x 4" card.  I simply stamped the cockerel in black, masked him off and the placed a stencil over the top.  I sponged through the stencil with my distress inks.  I finished off with a bright and breezy sentiment.  The cockerel is calling in the dawn!

Stamps:  Waltingsmouse - French Country
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black; Distress - Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed
Spellbinders: 2011 Snowflake Pendant (S5-054)
Accessories:  Card from stash

I was told that summers in Michigan could be hot - and they weren't kidding!!!  Yesterday was stifling - it was 35C and very, very humid and today is almost as hot at 33C but a lot less humid which makes a big difference.  I had promised not to use the air conditioning before we came here, but I am so, so grateful we have it.  Coming into the house this afternoon was bliss - a blast cool, fresh air - lovely!  I'd like it just a tiny bit cooler - the high 20C would be fab!

That's all for now - I'll be back again tomorrow.  Take care.

Waltzingmouse Blog Party .....

For my CR84FN56 post - click here!

.... not only is today Father's Day, it's also time for the June Waltzingmouse Blog Party - details can be found here.  This month we have been given a photo for inspiration - we can use anything from the photo - the colours, the shapes, the blossoms, the chairs - whatever takes your fancy!  We can use the picture to inspire us!

I really like the colour palette so have used that to make a Father's Day card for Jonathan.  Kathryn was going to make a card, but asked me instead - and I don't need any excuse to play!!  I've used this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch - WMSC102 (designed by Edna Morrisedie) for the layout.  As soon as I saw the semi-circle I thought of the moon!!  So it was obvious where my design would go.

I've adapted the sketch - but only a bit!!

I added some shading to the dark grey/blue background to create a night sky.  I found the moon image on the Internet and cut it out with a circular Spellbinder die.  I stamped the rocket on white card and coloured it with Promarkers.  The sentiment is a perfect fit with the moon/space theme - don't you love the font?  I finished off by making a large star.  Kathryn was really pleased with the card.

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Half Pint Heroes, Compact Family, Christmas Cottage
Inks:  Memento - Tangelo, Teal Zeal, Tuxedo Black; Distress - Black Soot
Spellbinders: Stars (S4-335) # 1, 2 & 3
Accessories:  Stampin' Up! Designer Paper (stars), Moon Image - Internet, Card from stash

As a special Father's Day treat, Kathryn and I decided to make Jonathan a fruit cake.  Only it turned out to be more of a fruit bread than cake!  Still, it tasted good.  Next time I'll have a go at a proper cake!  And Jonathan has decided how to spend Father's day.  It's been relatively lazy - we collected my car, Jonathan did some photography stuff and this afternoon he's watching the European Football Championship.

That's all for now - I'm off to join in with the Blog Party.

CR84FN56 - Sweet Birthday Wishes ...

.... to Pauline Pollington, my design teamie and friend.  Pauline celebrated her birthday on 14th June and hopefully has received this card by now!!  I used our fabulous CR84FN56 colours of yellow, grey and neutral.  These colours are proving to be popular, we've already had lots of lovely submissions and you still have a week to play.

Like me, Pauline is a Waltzingmouse fan, so I had to use WMS on her card.  I started off by stamping the pretty art deco style border at the top of the card and layered some yellow designer paper on the bottom half and hid the join with some dark grey ribbon.  Claire Brennan (owner of WM) has made lots of stamps that coordinate with Spellbinder dies, and I used the stamps that coordinate with this border.  While in the die I added yellow shading.  I stamped the tiny rose onto a scrap of the yellow paper, coloured the leaves green and then cut it out and attached to the label.  I finished off by added the sentiment.

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Compact Sentiments, Vintage Labels 25, Paris Nouveau
Inks: Memento - Grey Flannel; Distress - Squeezed Lemonade
Spellbinders: Labels 25 (S5-077) # 3 & 4
Accessories:  Cosmo Cricket DP - Delovely; Ribbon and card from stash

Here are our lovely CR84FN56 colours:

Do check out the CR84FN blog for full details of the challenge, and don't forget to check out the rest of the Design Team's cards.

As it's Father's Day today, our plans will be decided by Jonathan - it's his day!!  See you soon.

On a roll .....

.... I'm on a bit of a roll this afternoon - making up for lost crafting time!!  Here's another card for this week's Less is More - LIM71, where we have to have a flourish on a one layer card.  I've made a thank you card - you can never have too many thank you cards in your stash - and this one is for my Aunt and Uncle who are taking such good care of my Mum while we're in the States.

It's very clean and simple and has lots of white space!!  The simple sentiment comes complete with flourishes on the letters and the butterfly has flourishy swirls in the wings!  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position the sentiment and butterfly.

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Say It Loud; Stampendous - Jumbo Butterfly Pair
Inks: Kaleidacolor - Pastel
Accessories:  Card from stash

Kathryn and I had a really successful day in Northville.  We went out to get sandals for Kathryn, but we both got some new ones - a good result.  We popped into the library so that Kathryn could pick some books for the summer reading scheme - they have a super selection of books - and we'll be back again soon.  We had lunch and then I went into Stampeddlar - only to look, but I came out with Tim's new summer colours and some new stamps ;)))  I'll say bye for now - see you tomorrow!