It's Anything Goes at Anything Goes!

Hi Peeps

It's time again for another challenge at Anything Goes!  This time our theme is actually also 'ANYTHING GOES'....  nice and easy huh??  So we look forward to seeing lots of fantastic entries.  We had some beauties for our last challenge.... why don't you pop over to the Challenge Blog HERE to see if you were amongst the top five??

Soooo  for my card, I chose a lovely little Sugar Nellie image called Little Apprentice.  I used her quite a few times last year and love colouring her - she's so adorable!  I coloured her with my copics (available from The Craft Den).  Of course, she has to have lots of glitter.... well, no self respecting little fairy would be seen without it, would they???

The DP's I've used are from LOTV - as is the little sentiment (from the Harrogate show - yes - another bit of my new stash - you are seeing it s-l-o-w-l-y!)..... and I've distressed both the image and the sentiment with Tea Dye Distress Ink. I've used a scallop circle nestie for the main image, and left it in place while I sponged the DI.

Think that's about it..... hope you like what you see, and that you'll join in with this fab challenge.  Don't forget you can always see more inspiration from my lovely teamies if you pop over to Anything Goes HERE.

Happy crafting!
Big hugs
Christine x

For a poorly person....

Hi Peeps

Just a quickie from me today... I bought this MFT Die-namics Umbrella die at the Harrogate show... (yes, I'm slowly working my way through the new stash!)   I'd seen a card using the die on Pinterest, so decided to try my own design and I'm quite please with the result (though I say so myself...)

I've just used a scalloped edge Nestie (not sure what it's called) for the card base - it's only tiny - 4" x 4" at most.  Then bazzil cardstock which I've put through the swiss dots embossing folder - with the corners rounded.  I did a sentiment on the PC, which I punched with a Stampin Up punch.  A little bow and a pearl at the top finished it off.  As my favourite little creature on the TV ads would say.......  Simples!!!

I still have a hottie bottle not too far away from me all the time at the mo... I'm getting really fed up of my bad back/sciatica or whatever it is now...  not been to the doc about it as I've had a back problem on and off for years... but I was at the docs yesterday for a routine blood test and mentioned it.  She's sending me for an MRI to find out what's actually happening with my back.....  so that'll be good - at least I'll know if it's from the disc problem I had originally, or whether it's sciatica or arthritis or whatever.

Have a good weekend, whatever you're up to!

Big hugs
Christine x

Just for the fun of it...

Hi Peeps

Just a quickie from me tonight before I hop into bed complete with my hottie bottle and all the cushions that seem to help my back a little...   it's only a shame my lovely OH finds himself clinging onto the side of bed in the morning as everything seems to move his way in the night... LOL!

Anyway, this little lady has been shouting from my computer to print her out and colour her up.....  so I gave in and did just that!!  And......  guess what..... no pink anywhere!!

Hope you like her.... she is sooooo lovely to colour!

Card Recipe:

Image - Rosie with Flower - Digi Stamp Boutique
Flower - old mulberry flower from stash
Papers - Craft Creations Dotty Lilac and Papermania Pad for other one
Dies - Memory Box Corner Die, Labels 18 Nestie, Oval Nestie
Sentiment - Pebble Co Rub on from a lovely blogging friend
Pearls - from stash
ooooh - and there is some glitter on her headband!!

Hope you're all well.....  thank you for your lovely comments on my previous cards... and for taking the time to follow me......  it really means a lot!

Big hugs
Christine x

Another two pinkies..... and help, my pink pens are running out!!

Hi Blogging Buddies

Well I'm here again with my In The Pink hat on...  and a comfy hat it's getting to be!!  This time around we went for Buttons and Bows...  and I've got to say, this has been one of my favourite challenges so far!

For my first card, I used a lovely stamp from the MFT Pure Innocence range - this one is called Bunch of Blooms... and the sentiment I used came with the set.  She's such a little darling to colour...  you will be seeing more of this little lady, as there have been quite of few of these stamps creeping into my stash!!

Of course, she deserved some glitter, and I also used my Sakura pens for her blooms...  just to make them stand out from the other pink on the card!  The papers are from Wild Rose Studio - they are from the Annabelle's Meadow Paper pack.

Then her bow....  well, that's a new die called Small Bow from Li'l Inker Designs - who are an American company - but their shipping rates and service are very good.  The bow comes in three parts but is very easy to assemble.  Her buttons and thread are from my ever increasing stash!

Now onto my second card...  this one is using one of my favourite LOTV images (Milly Just for You).

And this time I've tried a criss-cross card...  I've been itching to have a go at one of these, and so now seemed like the right time!  I checked out a couple of quick tutorials on YouTube and off I went... and I really love the outcome!  The papers are from the Echo Park Be Mine collection.... along with some Bazzill, then I embossed the pull out bit with a Crafts Too Hearts embossing folder.

A lush bow finished off the card...  and a few buttons and ribbon to show where to 'pull' - although my lovely OH did say that I should write the word PULL at the top!!!  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches btw - again a company from the US.... but good on shipping rates and quick postage.

Hope you like my designs for In The Pink this time...  why don't you play along with us and join in the Pink fun???  If you need more inspiration, go to In The Pink HERE and  check out Sylvia's beautiful creation, and one from our new Guest Designer - Denise.  Also if you entered our Pink Plus One.....  pop over HERE to see if you were chosen as a Perfect Pinkie!  We had over 100 entrants last time (thank you soooo much!).....  can we beat that this time do you think?

Just to make you smile... I'm struggling with my back at the moment... have trapped a nerve which is causing some pain (obviously from carrying my new stash from the Harrogate show to the car).... and my physio asked me this morning to try not to sit down for the next two or three days!!  Hmmmmm..... not sure I'll manage that.....  but, if I'm missing some commenting.....  hope you can forgive me!

Big hugs to all
Christine x

Anything Goes Challenge #78 - Make Your Own Embellies

Hi Best Blogging Buddies...

Just a quickie from me today as it's time for another challenge at Anything Goes.  This time our challenge was to 'Make our own Embellishments'....  not quite as easy as it sounds (at least for me!!)

Anyway, I've not been crafting much last week as we had a decorator in to do the hall, stairs and landing, and also the dining room (after the leak).... so things have been all over the place, and I couldn't just keep on squeezing past his ladder to get to the craft room!  I only managed to make a start yesterday, so I decided to cheat a little and use a pre-coloured LOTV image.  My hand made embellie is the crackle glazed heart.....  I learned how to do this from a very good friend......  who in turn had learned it from a tutorial.  I die cut three Tim Holtz hearts, glued the three together to give a thick heart... then used Glossy Accents to cover the complete heart.  When that was dry... I painted with Distress Crackle Paint which is again from Ranger and Tim Holtz... then finally rubbed Tea Die Distress Ink over the crackles, which gives the aged effect.

I matched the papers (Prima Marketing) and bazzil to the heart colour... which luckily is also in the image - then I coloured the pearls and little button on the heart with a Copic pen so they matched the card.  Oooh and I used Nesties to cut the image and scalloped layer.

So there you go....  and for more inspiration check out my fab teamies creations HERE.  Looking forward to seeing your creations.

By the way... I've not forgotten to show you the stash I came away with from the Harrogate Show.... I'm just working up to it very slowly... hoping the pile will diminish a little before I have to confess!  I am truly addicted to buying dies....  a good friend told me a about a help group that had been set up for others that suffer the same addiction, but apparently it hadn't worked as the addicts had to take their purchases along and show them to the group while owning up.  Unfortunately, most of the rest of the group then dashed out quickly to buy the new dies that they NEEDED!! LOL!!

Happy crafting peeps..
Big hugs
Christine x

In the Pink Time again.....

Hi Everyone

Another two weeks have flown by and it's time for the next challenge at In The Pink!  I'm so enjoying being part of this challenge blog..... we're having so many fabulous entries from such wonderful people... and it's nice to have been brought together by our love of pink!

The challenge this time is to use Pink Plus One - that is Pink with ONE other colour!

My first card today features PINK AND BLACK and is a very simple card... no colouring involved!  The damask paper is a digi download from Sassy Designs - it's called Pink-Black Damask and is from their Blushing Paper pack.  All I did was use a 5 x 7" card base... covered first with pink bazzill... then punched a border out with a Martha Stewart edge punch...  added a grosgrain black ribbon...  then made a black rosette flower from a Tim Holtz Die.  Lastly, I added a gem button that I got from The Hobby House.  A very simple card, but hopefully effective?

My second card uses PINK AND GREEN and my new Grand Calibur die cutting machine.......  this is the first time I've used it as I'm not rushing into buying dies yet..  They are so expensive that I need to get 'the right' ones!!  No doubt I may just see some I 'have to have' at the Harrogate show on Saturday!

So I've created an easel card using the large scalloped die....  this will fit a 6 x 6" envelope.  I used an image that I've had for a long time - it's a digi one from the Digi Stamp Boutique called Mothers Day Flowers - and yes I know it's not Mothers Day... but a woman always likes to receive flowers.. right?  So it could be for multiple occasions!

I chose some pink and green floral paper that's been in my stash for a long time...  then coloured the image with my Copics to match the paper.  I found some pink and green card in my stash..... which I used for the various different sized circles...  Then I decoupaged the flowers on the image and also added gems and some glitter.

Lastly, I added a little image that I've created myself!!  I thought the easel bit of the card needed something to stop it falling flat.....  so came up with this design, that I cut with a small circle die.  If you would like a copy to be able to print out and use yourself, please email me and I will send it to you.  You can always alter the colour from pink (if you MUST lol!), in a photo programme.

So pop over to In The Pink.... and take a look at the other inspiration - and also check up to see if you were chosen as a Perfect Pinkie!

I'll be back at the weekend to tell you all about our day at the Harrogate Papercraft Show - and to own up to what I bought!!  If you're going to be there on Saturday and you see me with Christine and Elaine... please say hello....  I'm told I look exactly like my profile pic...  not sure if that's a good or a bad thing!! hehe!

Big hugs and Happy Crafting
Christine x

Anything Goes Challenge # 77 Animals

Hi Blogging Friends

I'm back today with a card for the new challenge at Anything Goes...  this time our theme is Animals....  so as I figured a reindeer is an animal, I could start my Christmas cards!  I know I'm a late starter in terms of a lot of other card makers...  but what the heck...  I'm here now!!

I used a beautiful stamp from Stampin Up... but I'm not totally sure it's still available as I've had it over a year I think.  I stamped and heat embossed it with silver embossing powder.. onto plain white card.  I added a few gems to his antlers.... obviously he's a very well dressed reindeer and has his love of bling!!

I then used a couple of nesties for the circles... with silver mirri card (seems such a long time since I used mirri).  Then I used a gorgeous embossing folder for the panel - with more mirri card as a layer.  The sentiment was computer generated...  if anyone wants to know the fonts I used, I can dig them out... just ask.

So there you go...  quite plain and simple...  but hopefully effective.  Not easy tho to photograph and keep the silver showing...  it looks a dark grey but I promise you he's silver!

Do pop over to the main challenge blog HERE to check out my fab teamies creations....  there really are some stunners!  And don't forget, lots of crafting items can be purchased from Lynne at The Card Den HERE.

I'm getting excited this week as it's the Papercraft Show at Harrogate this weekend.... it's only a few miles from me, and I meet up with some lovely blogging buddies......  so can't wait!  But someone better hold my purse........  hehe!

Big hugs and Happy Crafting
Christine x