In The Pink again... (when isn't it pink time for me?? LOL!)

Hi Girls

I'm here again today with another pink card.... (yep.... you're surprised, aren't you??)...  This time it's for In The Pink... where are challenge this time is 

Embossing

Now I got asked a couple of times by the DT whether this included using embossing powders.... the answer was a big yes...  we'd love to see any type of embossing...  using embossing folders, stencils.... or heat embossing... and with our DT being addicted at the moment to Frantage..  this was a perfect reason to use it! (I did hear a tale of one of our ladies nearly getting frantaged to her desk......  shhhhhhhh... no names)

I decided to use both types of embossing......  as you can see...  this little fairy's wings were Frantaged within an inch of their life! LOL

(I tried to show the white dots surrounding the image... but no success really)

Card Recipe:

Image:  A Day for Daisies - Fairy Wish (freebie a couple of months ago)

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder

Marianne Creatables Edge Die

Nitwits/LOTV Always and Forever Paper

Button, Twine and glitter from Stash

Sentiment - Pebbles Rub On

Shabby Pink Frantage

I'm quite happy with the CAS (apart from the Frantage) way this turned out...  and it was nice to do an 'un-Christmas' card for a change! 

I've had a busy week up to now...  I have started doing some voluntary work for our local children's' hospice - Martin House in Boston Spa..  I'm hoping to help grow their lottery numbers...  £1000 prize every week and only 2500 people in the draw at the moment (such good odds!)...  £1 entry per week payable by Standing Order or 6 monthly cheque.... and it raises money for such a worthy cause..   so..... if any of you would like me to send you an entry form... just holler!  (OK that's the cheeky bit over with..) 

I also met up yesterday with my lovely friend Christine (Nanaseaside) - and finally got to meet her oh-so-cute little grand-daughter Mia... ooh and of course, Mia's mum - Alison.  Lovely to say hello again and to see Mia..

Don't forget to pop over to In The Pink and join in our challenge...  The Pink Ladies and I would be delighted to see you there!

Big hugs and Happy Crafting

Christine x

Still practising with Distress Inks..

Hi Girls...

I had a couple of quieter days this week.... so I took the opportunity to have another play with my Distress Inks...  I'm determined to master this colouring medium...  and know I'm getting better.... but not quite there yet I don't think!

I stamped LOTV Fairies in Stocking onto watercolour paper...  then enjoyed myself colouring and adding touches here and there.. I think I've managed to get some depth of colour which is what I was aiming for.. I used Pumice Stone and a touch of Black Soot for the shading.  The sentiment is from LOTV too.    I used my floral oval Nestie for the image.... then liberally Frantaged....  (oh how I love that stuff!)  I added a print out of some sheet music that I'd 'vintaged'...  and a little bit of woven hessian type stuff that was lying around in my drawer.  I also distressed and  'stickled'  the edges of the music..  put it all on some fabulous Pion paper, layered onto Kraft...  added a few enamel dots... and called it done...  I was in danger of getting carried away.

Hope you're enjoying my practising as much as I'm enjoying playing!  There's nothing like having a bit of quiet time to recharge.  I just wish I'd been able to get a better photograph.... there's barely any natural light today so I used my Ottlite... which on photos can wipe out the colour if it's too close.

I'd really love to hear what you think of my DI attempts..  so do say hello...

Big hugs.... and have a good weekend all..

Christine xx

Challenges:  LOTV Monthly Challenge - Pink and White

Time for a little punk lady..

Hi Girls

I'm here today as I'm thrilled to say that I've been asked again to be a Guest Designer at Paper Nest Dolls...  and today they have a fabulous new release of some gorgeous punk images! 

This little lady is Punk Emma.... and I decided that she deserved a bit of purple.... well OK, a LOT of purple (with just a hint of pink!)  Try as I might, I couldn't get a good photo of the actual shade of purple that the card is made with... blame the weather - no good light at all!  It's really a bit more vivid than the photo shows.

She was a little cutie to colour (with my copics and promarkers).  I used a large dotty digi paper from Pink Petticoat... cut out a circle with my nesties.... I put some white card that had been run through a chevron embossing folder behind...  then finally added a sentiment from Paper Smooches.... oooh and some glitter - as yes, even punks can have glitter!

If you pop over to the blog HERE, you'll  see all the new images.... then just leave a comment on the Paper Nest post today for your chance to win the whole five images!!

Big hugs

Christine x

All Dressed Up....

And I'm back yet again today...  with a card I made for the All Dressed Up Team inspirational posts...  using another of Wendy Burn's fabulous images!  Isn't she just the cutest?

Of course, this little fairy had to have pink and glitter...  didn't she girls??  Coloured as always with Copics, then liberally sprinkled with glitter..  I then popped her onto a card with some pink snowflake paper that has no name - but is one of my favourite papers.. (I think I got it when I last visited the US... but I got lots cos I loved it so much!)  I used a Martha Stewart snowflake border punch that I've had for yonks... and added some ribbon and a bow in luscious satin pink.

There's always lots of fabulous inspiration from the Design Team using Wendy's images over on the All Dressed Up blog....  why don't you grab a cup of coffee, then pop over and take a peek?  See you there!

Big hugs
Christine x
PS......  Phew....  my last post for today - I can go back to hibernation for a while!!  Thanks for bearing with me.. x

Sparkle and Shine at The Sugar Bowl... - Challenge 111

Hi again all..

I know what you're thinking... my posts are like buses... nothing for a while and then they all come at once!! LOL!

It's time for another challenge at The Sugar Bowl...  and this time the theme is 'Sparkle and Shine'.... a perfect theme for me don't you think?  I'm the one that goes out all dressed up and then someone tells me I have glitter on my nose!  I think my house is like a snow globe...  it seems to get on every surface...  but I love it!

Anyway... back to the card...  I've used Titania today (coloured with Copics).. and although she's Queen of the Fairies in Midsummer Night's Dream, I tried to make her look frosty for this time of year by using lots of blue...  think I managed it?

I used a snowflake paper from Crafters' Companion...  then I diecut some Memory Box snowflake hangers.  The 'sparkle' sentiment is done on the PC - then I used some distressed seam binding by pleating it onto DST.  Some gems and lots of sparkle - and she was done!

I hope you'll pop over to The Sugar Bowl to see what my lovely teamies have come up with... and then hopefully you'll join in our Sparkle and Shine challenge where you could win some fabulous stamps!  Don't forget, you have to use a Sugar Nellie image to enter...  but with such fabulous ones to choose from, and now digis too...  how difficult is that?  LOL!

Looking forward to seeing you in The Sugar Bowl..

Biggest of hugs
Christine x

In The Pink.... (as always)... and this time it's a bit of stitching..

Hi Ladies

This is the first of three posts of mine today......  no wonder I've been quiet lately... squirrelling to get all these done as I knew they were all due for the same day!  Hope you don't get fed up hearing my waffle...

This first card is  for In The Pink......  our theme this time is 'Stitching - Faux or Real'...  and I'm afraid I'm not a very good stitcher at all!!  But I dug out my sewing machine and tried a very simple rectangle..  hope you like the result.... with the strategically placed snowflakes!

This cute little lady is from Whimsie Doodles and is called 'Ugg Leah' (OK... I can see the Ugg boots... but such an awful name for a lovely little lady when you put the two words together!)  

I coloured her with my trusty Copics (R81, 83, 85 and 89 - a combination I love),  then used my (favourite at the moment) Nestie rectangle die to cut the shape.  I did try to stitch in a straight line.. honest.... but I can see where I've wandered!  The snowflakes are from Marianne Createables.. and the sentiment is from a Paula Pascual set..  and of course, glitter and gems to complete.

Hope you'll pop over to In The Pink and join us Pink Ladies in our Stitching Challenge...  we'd love to see you there!

I'll be back a little later - see you then! 

Big Hugs 

Christine x

Bob..bob..bobbing along....

Morning Girls..

Hope you've got a lovely Sunday planned... the sun is shining here and my lovely OH is at home..  so it's a fab day!

For today's card, I used one of the digi images that came from the new Digital Crafting Essentials Mag..  it's one of the Jellypark Design images that's on CD 1 - but I did crop it so I just was able to get the robin rather than the whole image...

He's so cute and a delight to colour....  then I cut him out and 3D'd him onto a Dienamics circle, which had been run through a cuttlebug embossing folder.  I used another Nestie decorative circle for the red trim.  The papers are from Nitwits/Lili of the Valley, and the sentiment is a rub on from Pebbles Inc.  I added a little bit of glitter to his scarf and hat... and he was done!

Hope you like!

Big hugs

Christine x

What do you think of this one??

Hi Girls

I bought this die a while back... it's called Winter Wreath from Die-Namics..  and is just the circle of twigs and the bow...  Anyway....  I added some holly leaves, some little punched star-like flowers... some stickles, and some red gems..  but I'm still not sure whether I like it or not...

The stitched square die is one of my favourite dies of all time (that's why I use it over and over) and is from Li'l Inkers in the US...  and the sentiment - well I can't remember where that came from... it was in my box of unused sentiments from a long time back!

So let me know what you think please?

My lovely OH has a few days off work now...  so I may not be around as much as I normally am as we plan to do some chillin' out and some nice pub lunches...  but I'll be back soon.

Big hugs and Happy Crafting..

Christine x

Going Postal for Christmas at Totally Tilda

Hi Girls

Today I'm here with my second and last Guest Designer card for Totally Tilda..  it was really lovely to be asked to do a GDT spot..  and I must admit...  I've really enjoyed colouring some of these fab images..

Soo...  I chose Holly Tilda- as the theme is 'Going Postal for Christmas'... She's coloured with my copics as usual..  It seems a very 'green' card... but saved by her pink dress and bows thank goodness!  It's also a very 'busy' card for me... 

I did lots of distressing and added loads of glitter and stickles too...  well, if you can't have sparkle-ishousness at Christmas, when CAN you have it??  My postal bit is the stamp cut sentiment...

Materials Used:

• Image - Tilda with Holly
• Dies:  Nesties Oval, Nesties Labels 18, Whimsy Postage Stamp Die, Cottage Cutz Holly Bough
• Sentiment: Whimsy Stamps Holiday Postage Stamps
• Papers: Bits from stash, no names sorry
• Gems and Glitter from stash

As this is my second and last GDT card, I'd like to thank the girls at Totally Tilda for inviting me to play..  I've had fun!  Why don't you pop over to the challenge blog HERE to see what the other lovely ladies have come up with??  You could win a fab prize if you enter too - the generous sponsor this time is The Ribbon Girl...  so what's stopping you??

Big hugs and Happy Sunday

Christine x

Autumn/Thanksgiving at All Dressed Up

Hi Ladies

I'm back today with a totally different colour scheme for me.....  but guess what, I like it!!  Hmmmm should I be worried about my lack of pink do you think?????

It's time for another fab challenge using my favourite digi stamps - All Dressed Up...  and this little lady is called 'All Wrapped Up' - she's drawn by the super talented Wendy Burns and is available HERE.  Isn't she just gorgeous??  As the theme is Autumn/Thanksgiving.....  I decided to use tans/browns (OK - with a tiny bit of muted pink on the flowers and her tights..)  Lots of E number copics and some promarkers did the job. I used a Nestie rectangle (plain and simple) and the papers were out of a Basic Grey pad called Marrakech. The 'belly band' is brown bazzil punched with a Martha Stewart border punch on both sides.  I added a computer generated sentiment onto a La La Land Crafts Stitched Tab die, then finished with some flowers using a Die-namics Flower Trio die.  A couple of pearls from The Hobby House added and that was it.

We'd very much love you to pop over to the challenge blog and give it a go...  you do need to use an All Dressed Up image..  but with such fabulous ones to choose from and even freebies too... who could resist?? And there's a wonderful prize of NOT ONE, NOT TWO, BUT THREE of these super digis to be won! These images really are taking off in a big way... not surprising really seeing as how cute they are and how talented Wendy is...  and I'm so thrilled to be a Dressy Girl on the Design Team!

Take care all... and if you're going to any bonfires this weekend...  ENJOY and stay safe!

Big Hugs and Happy Crafting
Christine x

Challenges:  The Hobby House Challenge #6 - Pearls
Ladybug Crafts - November - Autumn colours
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes