Picture perfect ....

.... Good morning.  Well, that's the long weekend over - it went by so fast!  Everything is back to normal today - that means I've got housework to do!  However, before I head upstairs to do the pile of ironing, I thought I'd share a quick card:

Stamps: There She Goes - Oh Snap
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Midnight Muse; Versamark
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Midnight Muse, Pacific Point; Clear Embossing Powder; Photo from me; Copics - T1, T3, T5, B06

I used the layout from this week's CAS(E) this Sketch! challenge - CTS55 - and I have to admit that I was stumped for quite a while.  It was only while browsing through my stamp catalogue that I decided on the design.  I've used the colours from Dynamic Duos - DD#81 - they've given us Midnight Muse and we could pick the other colour.  I've gone for another blue - Pacific Point.

I stamped the camera in Midnight Muse onto scrap white card and coloured with Copics.  I stamped some accessories onto card and cut the lot out.  I layered the white panel onto a navy mat and adhered the camera and accessories.  I added a simple sentiment and the date on the label (in Europe we write the date, not month, first).  On the inside I had a bit of fun.  I found a photo of Jonathan, taken at the Plymouth Ice Festival in January, printed it and mounted it on a blue mat.  I added a fun, and appropriate sentiment.  As you can guess - this one is for Jonathan.

That's it - I can't put off the ironing any longer!  Fortunately, I've a few episode of The Walking Dead to catch up on - it'll make the ironing go so much quicker.  See you tomorrow!

A one for two .....

..... Good morning!  I hope you all had a good weekend.  I've had a very good time - more of that later.  I've a card to share with you now - it's been made with a couple of challenges in mind:

• Colour Q - cQc213
• Freshly Made Sketches - FMS110

Stamps: Papertrey Ink - Love Potion; There She Goes Stamps - Chemistry
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Pear Pizzazz, Wisteria Wonder, Peach Parfait; Memento - London Fog, Tuxedo Black
Dies: Spellbinders - Pinking Circles Sm (S4-172) #2; Die-namics - Fishtail Flags Layers Stax #2; PTI - Love Potion
Accessories:  White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Grey, Wisteria Wonder; Sakura Stardust Pen; SU Marker - Wisteria Wonder; Clear Embossing Powder; Copics - V25, YR20, G21

I struggled a bit with these colours, but while going through my stamps yesterday I came across the Love Potion set which I got as I just LURVE chemistry!!  Transition chemistry is one of my favourite areas, partly because transition elements give solutions (see the picture below) with the most fabulous range of colours - hence this card!!  I die cut and stamped the various containers and mounted them onto some dark grey spiky circles, on the last circle I stamped a "molecule" and embossed it with clear powder.  I finished the front with the sentiment stamped and embossed on vellum and a tiny flask which I attached with dimensional tape.  The inside has a mat layer of dark grey, a group of glassware and a simple sentiment.  Obviously this is the perfect card to send to me!!!  However, I think it's likely to be slipped into Jonathan's bag at some point.

The image below shows a selection of solutions made from different transition elements - such pretty colours!

So, as I said, the weekend was lots of fun!  I spent most of Saturday in my craft room - you've seen the firework card - and the rest of the time I was sorting and tidying! I can even see the floor in places :)  Saturday evening we all headed to the cinema to see Ender's Game.  I'm not going to give away any spoilers, just to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Kathryn really liked the film too and even plans on reading the book!!  Yesterday Jonathan was out at a photo shoot, Kathryn was listening to her music and I did more tidying - I really should sort out catalogue pages as soon as I get new stamps!!  Would be so much easier.

That's all for now - I'm determined to finish sorting out my craft room!  See you soon.

Elegance in heels ....

.... Wow, where has this morning gone?  I've just realised that it's the afternoon now, so I'm keeping this short as I've got to get into the garden and weed!!! UGH!!!  This one is for three challenges:

• Less is More - LIM130 - Pinterest photo inspiration
• Uniko Studio Challenge - USC#1 - theme to say "Hello"
• Retro Sketches - RS74

Stamps: Uniko Studio - All Occasions Sentiments # 1, Background Builders - Round in Circles; There She Goes - ROFL Taglines
Ink: Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Promarkers - Black, Warm Grey # 2 & 4; Sakura Stardust Silver Pen

This is a reasonably small card - 5" × 3½".   I really like the inspiration photo - those shoes are so elegant, but I don't think I could walk in the heels!!!  I kept to the monochrome scheme.  The subtle pattern in the ribbon was the basis for this card, but I wanted to add a little something - so I opted for circles!!  I stamped the shoes onto white card and coloured them with Promarkers - you might just see a subtle circle patten in the shoes - and then cut them out.  To give the shoes a little definition I attached them with dimensional tape.  Clean, simple and fun!

That's all for today - off to do the weeding - a job that I absolutely HATE!!!  Oh well, it'll be worth it, as I do like a pretty garden ;)  See you soon.

Picture perfect .....

...  Good morning to you - it's another beautiful day here in Northville!  Don't you always feel better when the sun shines?  I know I do.  I've got a couple of things to share this morning - the first is a card for two challenges:

• Charisma Cardz Challenge - CCC38 - where the team would like something for the GUYS!
• The Sweet Stop Sketch - SSS178 

Stamps:  There She Goes - Oh Snap!
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black, Peanut Brittle
Accessories:  We Are Memory Keepers - Travel Light DP (free with Simply Cards & Papercraft); Promarkers - Warm Greys 1 - 5, Spice, Marsh Green; SU Card - Early Espresso; Card from stash

I think I may have mentioned (a few times) that my hubby, Jonathan, is a very keen photographer.  This card is for him.  He's off on a business trip shortly to Las Vegas (I don't get it either) and in his free time he'll be taking photos - lots of photos!!!  This card came together really quickly.  The backing paper is actually one sheet from the Travel Light pack cut to fit the card base.  I added the dark brown panel.  I stamped the camera, pin tacks and film roll onto white card, coloured them with Promarkers and cut them out.  Do you remember real film??  I made a backing panel for the main camera image with another of the smaller images from the set, using the second impression to give a subtle finish.  I added the sentiment by gently bending one of the greetings in the set to fit into the curve of the film.

I told you yesterday that Kathryn and I would be baking cookies and muffins - we did it!  The smell was so delicious that it was hard to resist temptation.  To be fair, I let Kathryn have a couple of cookies :)  Kathryn did all the preparation and making, I simply packaged!!  Here's a photo of our goodies.  I'm taking them to school today and the sale is tomorrow.

We made enough cookies for three plates of six, and the same for the blueberry muffins.  I have to own up to the fact that we did cheat a bit - they are packet mixes!!

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Faux Fun Circles, Gingham & Co
Inks: Distress - Pine Needles; Big 'n' Juicy - Spice
Spellbinders: Circles Sm (S4-116) #4, Crown Circles (S4-302) #3
Accessories:  SU - circle punch; Card from stash

I do anything very fancy for the packaging.  The muffins and cookies have been put into sealed zip-loc bags and placed on plates.  I made the paper bands by stamping a large sheet of brown card with the small gingham print, cutting 1½" strips and fitting them around the plates.  I prepared the labels on the computer using some clip art and text, punching them out with a circle punch and layering onto two circles.

Have a super day - see you soon!

Shoes ....

FOR CR84FN64 - HELLO BUTTERCUP!  CLICK HERE!

....  Morning, I wouldn't normally post above my CR84FN post (sorry Mona), but I've had a brainwave with regard to this week's CASology - CAS12 challenge to show a shoe.  It's only a tiny card, but I love this sentiment - that used to be me!!!

Stamps:  There She Goes - ROFL Taglines
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Promarkers; Card from stash

Details will follow - I'm just about to head off to the cinema with Kathryn!  See you soon.

Hi, it's just gone 1.00pm and we're back!  We went to see Hotel Transylvania in 3D.  I have to be honest and say that I really wasn't looking forward to this at all, but Kathryn really wanted to go.  And it was just super!  Briefly, Dracula has a daughter and wants to keep her safe from humans, so he builds a high end hotel for monsters.  Then a human boy gets in and falls for Mavis, Dracula's daughter, she is about to turn 118!  To say that Dracula is over protective is an understatement and it's funny.  It's also a little sad, but there's a happy ending.  The kids will love it!

That's all for now - Kathryn and I are off to bake cookies and muffins for the School Bake next week!  See ya!

OLW - on the subject .....

..... Just before I went on holiday, at the end of July (where is the time going?), Susan (Simplicity) announced the addition of two new designers to the OLW challenge DT - Karen Dunbrook and Ardyth Percy-Robbs and for various reasons I've not been able to join in with the challenges for ages!!  However, I am fixing that today.

The host of this week's OLW - OLW102 is Ardyth at MASKerade.  Ardyth's challenge is "While we're on the subject" - she wants us to make a one layer card with a school flavour but based on our favourite subject.  Such fun!!!  My favourite subject at school was science - in pretty much all its flavours - chemistry, biology and physics (a bit).  Here are my cards - yes, I made four!!!  They are all tiny cards - the rectangular ones are 7½ x 10½ cm (2 7/8" x 4 1/8") and the square ones are 7½ x 7½ (3" x 3") - approximately.

Stamps:  There She Goes - Chemistry, Chem 101, Cutie Pi
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Promarkers - lots; Card from stash

These were really easy to make - I simply stamped the images directly on to the cards and then coloured with Promarkers.  The first one I made is the last card shown - a play on the diagram of an atom - hence the sentiment.  Then I saw the little cutie pi stamp and, as my husband is a total maths nerd, I had to use it too - and his favourite colour is green!  Now, my very favourite science subject is chemistry and I just love the scientist image, and a fun sentiment to match.  I finished off with the rack of test tubes and these colourful solutions!  Chemicals really do come in a huge range of bright colours:

I took this photo at an Open University Transition Chemistry Summer school in July 2006.  It was such a fun week and I learnt a lot too!  These containers hold samples of all the chemicals we made that week.

That's all for today.  After an absolutely beautiful weekend weather wise, I've woken to rain and grey skies.  Still warm!  My job today is to do the ironing - I've managed to put it off since we got back, but it has to be done today!  See you soon.

Happy .....

.... Morning all - I got up ridiculously early this morning - 4.00am!!!!  No idea why - but it does mean I've had time to browse the web, check out some fabulous cards and realise that I'd got the submission date for this week's CASology - CAS2 wrong!!  The cue card this week is HAPPY!

I know what makes all us craft bloggers happy - and that is spending time in the craft room, wherever that may be.  I'm sure I'm not the only crafter guilty of leaving the dishes waiting while I played - here's my card.

Stamps:  There She Goes - Crafty Taglines, Craftier Taglines; Waltzingmouse - Frame-It
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black, Grey Flannel, Lady Bug
Accessories: Staedtler Aquarell pencils, Promarkers and card from stash

That's all - I'm now off to pack my bag for today's crafting lesson with Dreamweaver stencils and paste - I should get nice and messy!!  Hope to post my efforts later this evening.  Have a wonderful day.

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.

CAS-ual Fridays - thoughtful ...

....  We've had a really good day.  We went out to the movies this morning to see The Hunger Games.  It is very well made with some good acting, but I found the story to be a bit predictable.  It's making lots of money, but I wouldn't rush out to see it again!  And this evening we've been out to dinner at a super restaurant - Ruby Tuesday - the food was delicious.

This afternoon, I made a card for CAS-ual Fridays - CFC48 challenge - opposites attract.  The team want us to make a card using two colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel; I picked green and red.

Before I came out to the US, I was lucky enough to win Cup of the Week at The Play Date Cafe; I won a $25 voucher to spend at Simon Says - and I've spent it!!!  I had such fun, but have to admit that I spent rather more than $25.  My new goodies arrived this afternoon and I've used one of the stamps on this card.  Isn't this flower lovely?  I coloured it with my Aquarell watercolour pencils - I love the soft finish you get using this medium.  I'll play with the rest of the stamps later in the week.

Stamps:  Stampendous - Festive Flower; There She Goes - Sentimental - Thank you
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Staedtler Aquarell Pencils, card from stash

This card is for Tara (many of you know her).  Tara set up a new challenge last year - St Luke's Charity Card Challenge and I was invited to join the team.  I was delighted to accept - it's been a fun year with some wonderful challenges, and lots more to come.  One of the great things with this challenge is that you can send Tara cards to sell and help raise funds - to date the total stands at £513.50.  This month the challenge is to "Bling it up!" and there's still plenty of time to join the fun.  So this is for Tara - to say how thoughtful you are - I really love the cards and gift you sent me - thank you.  Here are the cards Tara sent me:

Love the American flag and row of houses - a perfect welcome to your new home card - love it.  

Don't you just love this one - the words are so lovely and the girls look wonderful (wish I looked like that!)

Here's the card that I made for last week's Less is More - LIM62 - three shades of green challenge; the one that I couldn't upload yesterday because the technology failed :(   I used some lovely stamps from a new UK based company, Uniko Studios.  The stamps are fab and I'm really looking forward to seeing more soon.

Stamps: Uniko Studios - Time, Extra Time
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Old Olive
Accessories:  Paint Chip from The Home Depot, card from stash

Before I go, I really must say Hello and Welcome some new followers:  Kez, Pauline and Anne-Elise - so pleased that you joined me.  I'm so pleased that my mojo seems to have returned.  Do drop by later to see my card for the new CR84FN challenge.  See you soon!

Chemistry nerd ....

... I've made this card for the Colour Q challenge - cQc92.  Their colours this week are orange, turquoise, green, black and white - and the inspiration picture is of a really retro looking clock.  When I saw the picture it reminded me of the molecular models I made while studying my chemistry course.  So this was an easy card to make.

Now, I have to apologise to any other chemistry bods out there - I've hand drawn "actual" molecules - but the colours representing the atoms aren't right!!  I know - it bothers me too, but this is craft!! :)  And I had such fun with the card.  The little "atoms" were stamped with a tiny berry from one of my Waltzingmouse sets - see very versatile!!  I stamped the chemistry glassware and coloured the image with Promarkers - matched as closely as possible to the Stampin' Up! colours.  I know this is a strange sort of card, but it makes me happy! 

Stamps:  There She Goes - Chemistry, Chem 101
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Tangerine Tango, Wild Wasabi, Tempting Turquoise; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Promarkers: Orange, Cyan, Marsh Green, Ice Grey 1
Card:  Stampin' Up! - Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise
Spellbinders: Wonky Rectangles (S4-306) dies # 2 & 4
Accessories:  Card from stash, black fine line pen

These stamps are made by There She Goes, an American company, and I can't remember where I first saw them - but I knew I had to have them.  I have several friends who studied chemistry with me and we're all nerdy enough to really appreciate cards made with the stamps:)  To be fair the stamps make great Valentine/love type cards - check out the gallery over at There She Goes - see here. 

Scouts was really good fun - we didn't have many kids turn up - but those that did had fun cooking - and then eating!!  Now, it's really late - or early, depending on how you think of it - and it's time for me to head off to bed.  I'll be back in the morning to check in with some of my favourite challenges - Less is More and Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge.  See you soon.