Best wishes ....

.... hello everyone - it's very cold and frosty this morning, but looks lovely!  Last night I made a card for a couple of challenges:

• Play Date Cafe Challenge - PDCC164
• My Favourite Things Wednesday Sketch Club - MFTWSC106

 

Stamps: Designed by Claire Coxon - free with Creativity (UK craft magazine)

Inks: Memento - Rich Cocoa; Distress - Antique Linen; Stampin' Up! - Night of Navy

Dies: Spellbinders - Floral Ovals (S4-356) #4

Accessories: Design Paper - Kaisercraft - Periwinkle; Promarkers - Lime Zest, Pear Green, China Blue, Midnight Blue, Satin; Sakura Stardust Pen - Clear; Cuttlebug EF - D'vine Swirls; Card from stash

This card came together really quickly. I really like the simplicity of the design and these colours are just gorgeous!  There is a subtle tone-on-tone pattern in the backing paper that's really pretty with lots of flowers and leaves.  I cut the elegant frame using the largest of the Floral Oval dies.  I made the central panel by cutting around the inside of the die with a scalpel, then I embossed it and added some colour to highlight the pattern.  The elegant lady is a free stamp that came with a UK craft magazine.  I stamped the image in Rich Cocoa and coloured with Promarkers, adding a touch of sparkle on the edge of her shawl and on the trim to her dress.  I used a scalpel to cut out the image as I wanted it to look like she's standing in front of the panel.  I stamped Best Wishes into the corner.  Clean, simple and elegant - just like Ben's grandmother.

Have a great day - see you soon.

For the Record .....

.... Morning all - I think winter has returned to Northville - after a really lovely weekend, it's much colder today.  I've just finished a card made with these challenges in mind:

• Colour Q - cQc171 - I think these colours are perfect for a guy card
• Freshly Made Sketches - FMS68 - I'm getting quite close to submission deadline!

Stamps: My Favourite Things - For the Record, Off the Chart; Waltzingmouse - Woodgrain, My Heart
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Daffodil Delight, Night of Navy, Basic Grey, Crumb Cake
Accessories: SU - Crumb Cake Card; EK Punch; White Lustre Card, Ribbon and brads from stash

I've running quite late with both these challenges, especially as I knew what I wanted to do with both.  To me the colours are perfect for a masculine card, especially as I've chosen to have the yellow as the accent colour.  I've been pretty faithful to the sketch, just tilting the panel a bit. 

I started by stamped the background with the large woodgrain stamp in Crumb Cake to give a nice tone-on-tone effect.  On a small bit of kraft card I stamped the woodgrain chevrons in grey and attached the navy ribbon.  I've had this ribbon for a while - it's perfect with the kraft chevron pattern!  Next I stamped the paper grid onto white card, cut it to size rounded the corners and then punched the notebook border.  I stamped a mix of sentiments on the panel, combining images from Waltzingmouse stamps and My Favourite Things and attached it to the card.  I topped it off with this sweet woodgrain heart - I stamped both images onto white card, cut them out and attached with dimensional tape.  For the inside, I kept it simple cutting a white panel onto which I stamped the outline heart (like the ones you see carved into trees) and then a sentiment.

I've had my playtime for today, so I'd better get on with house stuff!!  And today I'm taking old card, papers, stamps, etc to Kathryn's school - it so nice to know that while I'm not going to use it - the children will make great use of the stash.  On other note - I've finished sorting out my new PC - all files, pictures etc transferred.  And Windows 8 really isn't that bad at all - I rather like the front screen.  That's all for now.  See you soon.

Rainbow congrats .....

click here for my CR84FN70 post

.....   Hi, I've another quick post to share with you this evening as I don't want to miss the deadline for submitting to the Make it Monday - MIM99 challenge, where the team would like us to use rainbows and repeats.  I'm also submitting this card to the current CAS-ual Fridays - CFC85 challenge to make a card that celebrates an accomplishment and features at least one circle.  I can safely say that I have more than one circle!!!

Stamps: PTI - Signature Greetings; Stampin' Up! - Circle Circus
Inks: SU - Raspberry Ripple (Scarlet Jewel), Primrose Petals (Autumn Rose), Pumpkin Pie (Canyon Clay), Daffodil Delight (Summer Sunrise), Summer Starfruit (Simply Chartreuse; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: Clear embossing powder and card from stash

I used Palette 5 for my rainbow - matching the Papertrey colours as closely as possible.  I used the multiple circle stamp from Circle Circus to make the background.  And my Papertrey stamp is the Congrats sentiment - it is perfect for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge.  I stamped the sentiment in Versafine and then heat embossed with clear powder - you can really see the shine in the picture. 

This is the first time I've played along with Make it Monday as it's only since we arrived in the US that I've started to collect Papertrey stamps.  I still don't have many, but I think I can now play along with Make it Monday.

That really is all for today.  Hope you've all had a super weekend.  See you tomorrow.

Birthday boy ....

.... For my CR84FN70 Post - click here!

.... Seventeen years ago today my son Ben was born.  Ben has grown into a tall, handsome and charming young man (I might be a bit biased here).  Sadly, I won't actually be with Ben today - he lives in the UK with his father, but we'll talk on Skype (wonderful invention).  Ben's big birthday wish is to start driving lessons - so for Christmas and for his birthday, Ben has been given money towards his lessons and towards a car (eventually).

It was so lovely to see Ben at Christmas and before we headed back to the US, we gave Ben his birthday present and card.  I'm so lucky that Ben likes cards with layers and details - gives me lots of scope to play!  I had to make this card last year - just before Christmas in fact - so it's based on a couple of challenges from last year.  I used:

• Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge - WMSC125 (November 2012) designed by Jean Martin
• Play Date Cafe Challenge - PDCC162 (December 2012)

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Free Spirit Boy, North Shore, Off Beat Backgrounds; PTI - Boy Basics Rock On

Inks: Stampin' Up! - Island Indigo, Pool Party, Wisteria Wonder

Dies: Spellbinders - Hexagons (S4-368) #4, Star Circles (S4-335) #2; Die-namics - Fishtail Flags STAX, Fishtail Flags Layers Stax

Accessories: SU Card - Island Indigo, Pool Party; Gold Satin Paper from stash; White lustre card from stash

I actually CASEd my card for the original WMSC - see here.  I really like these colours and so does Ben.  And I had to use my all-time favourite Waltzingmouse stamps - Free Spirit Boy.  I made the card base from SU Island Indigo.  I used Die-namic fishtail dies to make the banners, using Off Beat Backgrounds to stamp the square pattern.  I used several of the stamps from Free Spirit to stamp the background - love the tribal style patterns.  The horizontal panel was stamped with chevrons.  The birthday sentiment is from a Papertrey set called Rock On - love the font.  I cut a hexagon in gold satin paper as the background for the focal image which I built up from North Shore - stamped once in Island Indigo and once in Wisteria Wonder.  I fussy cut  the image and the banner.  I cut a star circle onto which I adhered the number "17" - Ben's age!!

I kept the inside quite simple, with the square pattern repeated along the side in Pool Party and a simple sentiment.  Here are few photos of my lad Ben:

Ben - aged almost 2 years old - he was so cute!!










And here's Ben as our Pageboy in April 2001 - he looks so angelic!!  He wasn't :)  Age 5½ years.
















This was taken when we went to the Lake District on holiday in April 2007 - Ben was 11 years old.

Here's Ben practising with his diablo - a skill he learnt at the Acoutic Festival of Britain - a very kid friendly music festival - May 2009 - Ben's now 13 years old.

And this is a photo of Ben taken at college by one of his mates.  Ben dyed his hair at the end of last year - it's purple!!  I rather like it!  Ben - aged 16 years 10 months.

That's all for today.  Bye for now.

CR84FN70 - Happy Birthday ....

.... so, we're well into January now - hope all is going well for you.  Today is a special day for me - my son is 17 years old!!  But more of Ben later.  It is time for our new challenge - CR84FN70 - we have some lovely fresh colours for you to play with - Aqua, Tan and Lt Yellow - so pretty.

Love these photos - I seem to remember learning to touch-type on a manual!!!  No, don't ask how long ago!!  The photos are courtesy of Kate Grewal Photography - I've just lost half an hour checking out her photos - they're fab!

I've used these colours to make a birthday card for my niece Anne - she actually had her birthday on Friday 11th, and I made this card just before Christmas (had to get it ready to take to the UK)!  The middle photo with the flowers was the inspiration, except I made my flower yellow.  Here's Anne's card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Camellia, Woodgrain; Hobby Art - Happy Birthday Sentiment
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Pool Party, Crumb Cake; Memento - London Fog
Dies: Spellbinders - Lotus Pendant (S4-269), Circles Lg (S4-114) #5
Accessories:  Stampin' Up! Card - Crumb Cake; Papermania Design Paper; Craft Concepts EF - Woodgrain; White Lustre card; Promarkers - Lemon, Primrose, Soft Lime, Soft Green, Pastel Green

I got the idea for the hexagon background from Anya Schrier's cards here.  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position the hexagons.  Next I cut the Lotus doily from some very old, but just the right colours, design paper in my stash.  I cut a plain white circle, embossed it with a woodgrain folder and highlighted the embossing by rubbing with Crumb Cake ink.  I stamped the largest camellia flower and leaves in London Fog onto plain white card, coloured with Promarkers and then cut them out.  I adhered the elements to the doily circle with dimensional glue - the camellia has three layers.  I finished the front with a clean and elegant birthday sentiment.  I decorated the inside with a simple outline of the flower and some leaves.

For more inspiration from the team - click on the links below or go to the CR84FN blog:

Mona Pendleton, Andrea Mathews,  Heather Jensen, Helen Berry, Joanne Basile, Jody Morrow, Lisa Henke, Mackie Robertson, Pauline Pollington, Shannon White, Sue Lelli  and Vickie Zimmer.

I look forward to seeing your crafting creations with our wonderful colours.

Edited to add - we are take a spring break after CR84FN70 and will return on Sunday 24th March with CR84FN71.

At the start of this post I told you that it's Ben's birthday today - well check back later to see his card!  See you soon.

New computer ....

.... How's your weekend going?  We've had a really good day.  This morning we were out getting some new boots for Kathryn - she has very definite ideas of what she wants.  Fortunately, we found some boots that she liked and are suitable for school too.

I've been busy today setting my NEW computer.  It's a joy to have a new, fast computer, but it has meant pretty much the whole afternoon has been spent reinstalling favourite programmes, copying over documents and photos - all the stuff you need to have to hand.  But it's sorted now - and it's fab!  Windows 8 does take a bit of getting used to - but I think it'll be okay.

That's all - just so excited I had to share the news!  See you later with our new colour challenge at CR84FN.  See you then.

Winter birthday ....

.... Hi everyone - yesterday turned out to be a lovely day - started off warm, wet and foggy, but by the afternoon it was warm (relatively so) and sunny.  The snow has virtually gone too! I was able to make a birthday card for one of Kathryn's friends - I used a few challenges:

• CASology - CAS26 - cue word "WINTER"
• Colour Throwdown - CTD224 - with lovely pastel colours
• The Ribbon Reel Challenge - RR44

Stamps: Funstamps - Scribble Snowman (FM131); Simon Says - Sayings; PTI - Movers & Shakers Sentiments
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! - Bashful Blue
Dies: Spellbinders - A2 Matting Basics A (S5-131) # 6 & 7, A2 Matting Basics B (S5-132) # 7
Accessories:  Stampin' Up Card - Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery; Cuttlebug EF - Snowflakes; Promarkers - Mustard, Cocktail Pink, Meadow Green, Warm Grey 1; White Lustre Card and Organza ribbon from stash

I think snowflakes and snowmen are just perfect for a winter birthday card and these soft pastel colours mean that it really can't be mistaken for a Christmas card!  I have to admit that I was a bit stumped by these colours at first, but they work really well on the card.  I used my new Matting Basic dies to cut the layers - so easy to get perfect borders.  I embossed the white card with snowflakes and then made the bow (getting much better at them) and added it before attaching the panel to the card.  This is my favourite snowman stamp - he's just so jolly!!  I stamped him twice, adding some shadow and colouring his hat and scarf.  I cut the hat and scarf out to layer for some dimension.  Love the fun birthday sentiment (thanks Tara) which I stamped in Bashful Blue and lightly inked the edges with Meadow Green.  For the inside, I made a green mat and stamped a snowman and birthday sentiment on to the white panel.  This is now ready for next week's party.

I do hope you have a good weekend planned.  That's all for now - see you soon.

Christmas star ....

.... Morning all - it's a really wet morning here in Northville.  The plus side is that the temperatures are unseasonably warm - we expect to get to 12°C today and warmer tomorrow - then winter returns!!  Still it's a good excuse to stay in the warm and dry and craft!!!!

It seems that I just can't get enough of Christmas!!!  This card has been made for two challenges:

• Jingle Belles - JB:13:01 - to use new crafting goodies on the card
• 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - 52CCT13-1 - a sketch for us

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Yonder Star Background, Yonder Star

Inks: Kaleidacolor - Fruitcake; Stazon - Jet Black

Dies: Spellbinders - Labels 27 (S4-376) #4

Accessories: Papermania - Traditional Christmas Ribbon; Cuttlebug EF - Snowflakes, Card from stash

 

This was really quick to make.  I used the lovely Fruitcake to ink up the stamp and covered the entire card base with the Yonder Star background image.  Next I cut a white panel around which I wrapped some red festive ribbon and adhered to the card.  I used my new Spellbinder Labels 27 to cut a white mat for the Star - while still in the die I also embossed this shape with snowflakes.  Next I stamped the solid star and cut it out, attaching it to the embossed label and adding a touch of bling.

For the inside I kept it really simple - I stamped the outline star and a sweet sentiment.  I used Stazon in Jet Black for the sentiment as it is a really clear image.

That's all for now - got lots to do this morning - see you soon.

My Favourite WMSC Cards ....

.... January is a good time to review things in your life and, prompted by Pauline (Craft Obsessions), I've reviewed my past entries to the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge.  I didn't find this challenge until it reached WMSC16, so I was a bit late joining the party.  However, I have tried to play along each week.  I've had so much fun going through these cards and I've picked out twelve of which I'm really proud.  Here they are, click on the photo or caption to go to the original post:

WMSC29 

WMSC31 - My first Top Mouse - I was absolutely thrilled! 

WMSC40 - Not only was Katie a winner, but so was I - this got me a Top Mouse! 

 WMSC50 - One of many cards I've made for Ben using my favourite set - Free Spirit Boy

WMSC59 - Version 1 - for which I got Top Mouse!

  

 

WMSC59 - Version 2 - Made for Ben - it's that set again!

WMSC65 - Kathryn liked this so much that she's asked for it.

WMSC77 - Made for my niece's 11th birthday - got Colour Courtier for cQc115 with this.

WMSC83

WMSC96

WMSC123

WMSC127 - Absolutely thrilled to discover that I got Top Mouse with this one.

WMSC128 - Another card for Ben with a Western theme this time.  I was so delighted to get Top Mouse for this one - my last one!

Pauline - thanks so much for the inspiration - I've really enjoyed reviewing my WMSC cards - I hope you've enjoyed it.  I originally picked 24 cards, but reduced it to 12.  Thanks so much for dropping by.  I hope to be back later with a new card to share!