Add Some Stitching

Welcome to another Wednesday over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges and the start of a new challenge.  Our theme for this week is:

Stitching - Real or Faux

We have three fab sponsors for this challenge:

Bugaboo Stamps

QKR Stampede

Di's Digi Downloads

Just pop over to Penny's to check out all the details and enter the challenge.  You will find lots of fab inspiration from the design team too.

I have used this cute image from Bugaboo for my card share this week.

I was quite pleased with how this card turned out and I made it using paper scraps and old stuff from my stash.  It is really quite satisfying to use up stash that you have had for ages rather than eating into the yummy new stuff.

Thanks for popping by and looking forward to seeing all your creations.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Joanna Sheen - Layer it up
Delightful Challenges - 3's a charm (flowers)
Crafty Ribbons - Anything goes with ribbon
One Stop - Mothers Day
Disdigidesigns - All about children
Stampin for the Weekend - Use lace
One Crazy Stamper - Anything goes
Ribbon Girl - Add ribbon or twine
Craft Your Passion - That is odd (flowers)
Whoopsi Daisy - 2 patterned papers
Papertake - Anything goes
Digital Tuesday - Buttons or bling
Passion for Promarkers - One for the ladies
Stamp N Doodle - Mothers Day or Card for a female

Forever Friends Giveaway

Just a quick post to let you know about the candy giveaway prize for March over at Forever Friends.

The generous sponsor of the March giveaway is Oak Pond Creations (OPC).

The prize is two digis of the winners choice and the draw will run from Monday March 4th to Saturday 30th March.  Just pop over to Forever Friends and enter your name.

Good luck.

All that glitters

This is my second post for today.  Scroll down to find the Hobbycutz blog hop post.

Well, we are now into March already.  Soon be Mothers Day and Easter in the UK.  Where is this year going?  Mind you, I can remember saying much the same last year.

We have a new challenge starting over at Corrosive Challenges today.  Our theme for this challenge is 

All That Glitters.  

We have a fab new sponsor joining us, Rick St Dennis.  If you have never used any Rick St Dennis images you are missing out.  

I used this fab image from Rick St Dennis and made a 40th birthday card for one of my blogging buddies.  The image was coloured in promarkers and I added some glamour dust to her jewellery.  The backing paper is from Papermania and I added a gold glitter paper panel.  The black feathers just seemed to fit with the image.  

Thanks for popping by and looking forward to seeing all your entries.  Just pop over to Corrosive Challenges to check out the full challenge details.  The design team have also been busy creating some fab projects for your inspiration.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Whimsy Stamps - Add some metal (brads)
Joanna Sheen - Layer it up
Digital Tuesday - Birthdays
LEJ Designs - For a lovely lady
Ladybug Crafts Ink - Add a number
Simon Says - Anything goes
Inky Impressions - Splash of red
MAWTT - Lovely ladies
Crafty Ribbons - Anything goes with ribbon
Brown Sugar - Greeting
Allsorts - For a lady
One Crazy Stamper - Anything goes
Catch the Bug - Anything goes
Pile It On - Happy Birthday
Ribbon Girl - Add ribbon or twine

Hobbycutz Challenges Launch and Blog Hop

Welcome to the launch of the Hobbycutz Challenge Blog.  I was so excited to be invited to join the first Hobbycutz design team.  We will be running bi-weekly challenges and the design team will be showcasing some fab projects to inspire you.

Here is a little bit of information about the fab Kobie and Hobbycutz.

The Story:

I am Kobie and I am the Owner and Designer of Hobbycutz Lasercutting & Designs.

I  grew up in a Crafty family, with a very creative Gran, Mum and even Dad...he was always into woodworking....

I acquired a laser cutter early December last year after having my second child, which made it nearly impossible to return to work because of expensive child care, so I had to look for something I can do from home.

It was the biggest learning curve of my life and never really realised what I was getting myself into until the machine arrived.

But anyway not going to bore you with the rest, I am here and we will have to see what the future holds.....

So to celebrate the launch of this new adventure we are having a blog hop and you have 2 weeks to join in the fun and try and win some prizes.

Now you should have arrived here from THE HOBBYCUTZ BLOG.

If not, please go back to the Hobbycutz Challenge Blog and start the hop there as you do need to collect some letters along the way from design team members.

The rules of the blog hop are as follows:

1.  Leave a comment on each of the posts as you hop, this is a must to qualify for any prize.

2.  Collect any letters you are given from the DT posts.  Rearrange all the letters you collect and email Kobie at hobbycutz@gmail.com with the word they spell.

3.  Leave a comment on the challenge blog letting us know which design from the Hobbycutz website you like best.

4.  Display our badge in your sidebar to spread the word.

The winner of the hop will receive a £10 voucher to spend at the website and two runner-ups will receive a £5 voucher each to spend at the website.

Now, not only can you do the hop and win a prize - you can also enter our first challenge which is 

ANYTHING GOES

The prize for the challenge winner (picked by random) is a £10 voucher to spend at the website.  Also, a £5 voucher will be given to one random winner who uses a Hobbycutz product. 

Now my letter is the letter S and your next stop is Kim's blog.

Before you go I would like to show you my project for our first challenge.

With Mothers Day in the UK being on March 10th I decided to make a Mothers Day card.  I created a flower wreath using flowers from Craftwork Cards.  All the papers used on the easel card are also from Craftwork Cards.  I used some gorgeous butterflies from Hobbycutz and this gorgeous heart which has such super words on it.  

Here is a closer look at the stopper part of the easel.

Now because this was for Mothers Day I wanted it to be a bit special.  So after the event the wreath has been designed to be removed and become a little wall hanging.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my project and hope you enjoy the rest of the hop and the gorgeous projects from the design team.  Looking forward to seeing all your entries.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Simon Says - Anything goes
MAWTT - Lovely ladies
Crafty Ribbons - Anything goes with ribbon
Allsorts - For a lady
One Stop - Mothers Day
Emmas Cards - Vintage
Catch the Bug - Anything goes
Ribbon Girl - Add ribbon or twine

Button It

It's time for a new challenge over at A Gem Of A Challenge and my first as part of the design team.  

Our theme for this week has been chosen by the lovely Donna and is called Button It.  So just use some buttons on your project.

I used the image Chloe with Daisy and she is so adorable.  The papers are also a downloadable digi paper pack called Springtime.  As you can see I used lots of little flower buttons that I had in my stash for the flower centres.  

So glad you popped by and hope you have chance to pop by A Gem Of A Challenge and check out my teamies wonderful creations.  You can also enter the challenge there.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - Buttons and bows
Joanna Sheen - Layer it up
Whoopsi Daisy - Add a sentiment
Crafty Sentiments - 1 image/2 papers/3 embellishments
LEJ Designs - For a lovely lady
Simon Says - Anything goes
Stamp N Doodle - 2 different punches or dies
Crafts and Me - Dies or punches
Divas By Design - Anything goes
Flutter By Wednesday - 3 or more layers
MAWTT - Lovely ladies
Crafty Ribbons - Anything goes with ribbon
Brown Sugar - Greeting
Allsorts - For a lady
Disdigidesigns - All about children
One Crazy Stamper - Anything goes
Visible Image - Spring
Catch the Bug - Anything goes

What's Your Favourite

Wednesday has arrived and it's time for a new challenge over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges.  You all seemed to like the theme last week as we had a lot of entries.  Thank you all very much for entering.

Our theme for this week is another easy one for you - use your favourite colour.

We have three fab sponsors for this challenge:

Sassy Studio Design

Prize - 4 digi images of winners choice

StampArt Design

Prize - 5 digi images of winners choice

Digital Delights

Prize - $5 gift voucher

For my DT project I used an image from StampArt.

I think you can tell that my favourite colour is purple lol.  I decided to make a Mothers Day card but for Grandma.  The image is coloured with promarkers and cut out using one of my spellbinder dies.  The papers were from my scraps box.  

Do pop over to Penny's for more inspiration from the very talented design team.  Looking forward to seeing all your entries.

You may want to pop by my blog tomorrow.  It is my birthday and a little candy may be up for grabs.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Simply Create Too - Mothers Day/for a special lady
Jellypark - Get in shape
Totally Gorjuss - Happy
Sweet Stampin - Mother Day/for a special lady
OSAAT - Use a digi
Robyns Fetish - Use ribbon or twine
Joanna Sheen - Layer it up
Whoopsi Daisy - Add a sentiment
Simon Says - Anything goes
Divas By Design - Anything goes
LEJ Designs - For a lovely lady
Kaboodle Doodles - Use any bling

It's all about the bears

Hope you all had a good weekend and are refreshed for the week ahead.  Can't believe this week will see February over and the start of March.  Be Christmas before we know it lol.

Today sees the start of a new fortnightly challenge over at Forever Friends.

Our theme for this challenge is 'Teddy Bears'.  You can create anything you like as long as we can see a teddy on it.

Our two sponsors for this challenge are

Bugaboo Stamps

Prize - 7 free digi images of the winners choice

Di's Digi Downloads

Prize - $10 voucher to spend at their web store.

Just pop over to Forever Friends to check out all the details and take a peek at all the inspiration provided by the design team.

For my first card I used an image from Bugaboo.

Card recipe:  Image - Theodore with flowers, papers from Wild Rose Studio, punched butterflies, card candi, sentiment from Craftwork Cards, flowers from stash.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Stamp N Doodle - Anything goes
Fab N Funky - Flower Power
Creative Inspirations - Anything goes
Totally Papercrafts - Hope for spring
Card Crafters Circle - Teddy Bears
OSAAT - Use a digi
Joanna Sheen - Layer it up
Stamping Sensations - Fur and feather

My second card is using a cute Forever Friends image.

The decoupage and paper came from a freebie in a magazine before christmas.  Added some ribbon, punched butterflies and some buttons.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Crafty Ribbons - Button Up
Here Come The Boys - Lots of layers
Cards Galore - One for the men
Totally Gorjuss - Happy
One Stop - For the kids
Robyns Fetish - Use ribbon or twine

Thanks for popping by and looking forward to seeing all your entries.

Who's Up For Easter

Hope you are all managing to stay warm if you are in the UK.  It has been positively freezing the last couple of days where I am.  They are even talking about the possibility of some snow flurries.  I do hope not.  Roll on spring and summer I say.

Which brings me nicely onto my card share for today.  After the day I have had at work I wanted something to cheer me up.  So I have made a quick and simple Easter card.

I used this really cute image from Pink Gem called Easter Chicks which can be found here.  The papers are also from Pink Gem.  It is a downloadable paper pack called Springtime and can be found here.  

I put a criss cross of ribbon on my card and then added little panels of patterned paper in each corner.  I went round all the panels and the outside of my card with little pen dots to add a bit of interest.  Some gems and little flowers finished it all off.

Thanks for popping by and for all your continuing support.

Framed with Love

Hope you are all well.  Only another two days before the weekend, yippee!!

Just popping by to let you all know about the new challenge starting over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges today.
We have a nice easy theme for you this week, one that everyone loves 'Anything Goes'.  For full details just pop over to Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges.  You are free to enter anything you like as long as it fits with the challenge theme.

I used a fab image from one of our sponsors, Eureka Stamps, for my project this week.  I decided to do something completely different and I have made a picture to hang in my craft room.

Now, I didn't have a ready madewooden picture frame the right size so just went ahead and made my own out of card. After much measuring, scoring, folding and sticking the frame was complete.  To make it more sturdy I decopatched it using some decopatch paper and glue that I had.  I think decopatch could be one of my new loves.  For the image I printed it out twice and decoupaged all the little elements (tulips, hearts etc).  They are all coloured in promarkers.  The finishing touch to the picture itself was some gems and liquid pearls.  To finish the frame off I added some wooden embellishments that I won a few weeks ago and some butterfly stickers.  This will now take pride of place on my newly decorated craft room wall.

Here is another picture that hopefully shows the depth to the frame.

I really enjoyed doing this but next time I will stick to a ready made frame and just decopatch it.

Looking forward to seeing all your entries for the anything goes challenge.  Maybe, I have even inspired you to try something different.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Hotshot Craft - Anything but a card
Allsorts - Things with wings
Crafty Cardmakers - Blooming images
Stamp N Doodle - Anything goes
Creative Inspirations - Anything goes

Anything Goes at The Crafting Cafe

Welcome to my first project as a member of the design team for The Crafting Cafe.

For those of you who haven't heard The Crafting Cafe is a new monthly challenge blog and I was lucky enough to be invited to join the design team.  Our first challenge started on the 1st February and runs until the end of the month.  All of the design team will be popping by throughout the month to provide some inspiration for you.

Our first challenge theme is 'Anything Goes' and our sponsor is LEJ Designs.  I used a fab image from LEJ Designs for my project.

I decided to do something a little different and made a gift card.  Instead of putting the holder for the gift card on the inside I made a little pocket on the front.  This image worked perfectly with this idea.  The backing paper is from Tim Holtz.  The little shoes and handbag are some metal brads that I had.  The image is coloured with promarkers.

I do hope you will join in with the challenge and looking forward to seeing all your entries.  Don't forget to pop back regularly to The Crafting Cafe to catch all the fab inspiration from the design team.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
I Love Promarkers - One for the girls
Crafty Catz - Bingo (lace, pearls, embossing)
Whimsy Stamps - Add some metal (shoe, handbag brads)
Delightful Challenges - Frilly
Disdigidesigns - Lace and pearls
Sentimental Sundays - Lace and pearls
OSAAT - Make it girly
Whoopsi Daisy - Make it girly

Ribbon and Bling with Dream Valley

Just popping by to let you know about the new challenge starting over at Dream Valley Challenges today.

Our theme for the challenge is 'Ribbon and Bling'.  A nice easy one for you but remember to use both ribbon and bling to be eligible for the prize draw.

Crafty Ribbons are sponsoring this challenge and are generously offering our winner a Bev Bag Selection.  What a super prize.

With March fast approaching I thought I had better stick with getting another one on the pile of Mothers Day cards that I need to get done.  I used a stamp from Imagination Crafts for my card.  I decided to have another play with my flitterglu and gilding flakes.  I stamped and gilded the whole image and then I did it again to enable me to 3d the butterflies.  The little corners were also stamps from the stamp set and they were gilded too.  I embossed the sentiment and cut it out using one of my dies.  Added some bling to the butterfly bodies and a messy bow to the bottom corner.

For more inspiration and to check out full details of the challenge just pop over to Dream Valley Challenges.

Thanks for popping by and hope to see you again soon.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Pretty Little Ribbon - Anything goes
LEJ Designs - For someone special
Inky Impressions - Ribbon or twine
Simply Create Too - Mothers Day
Allsorts - Things with wings

Rainbow Bright at Corrosive Challenges

Wow, another fortnight has passed by and it's time for a new challenge over at The Corrosive Challenge blog.
For this challenge we would like to see you use your favourite colour combination.  This can be any combination under the rainbow, just make sure you let us know what combination you have chosen.

Our sponsor for this challenge is the fantastic Kenny K who have offered our winner their choice of 5 digi stamps.

I used this lovely image from Kenny K and made a twisted easel card.  My favourite colour combo is pink and brown.  It always seems to work so well together.  All of the items used on my card were from my stash and scraps box.  Some of it I have had for months.

For more inspiration from the design team and to enter the challenge just pop over to The Corrosive Challenge blog.

I would like to enter the following challenges:
I Love Promarkers - One for the girls
Charisma Cardz - Anything goes
Card Makin Mamas - Birthday
OSAAT - Make it girly

Some exciting news

Hope you are all well and looking forward to your weekend.  I am certainly going to be in my crafty room today.  Had a busy week at work and looking forward to a bit of me time.
I just wanted to pop by as I have a couple of bits of news to share with you.

Firstly,  I received a lovely email asking me if I would like to join the Pink Gem Design Team.  I love Janet's digis and had no hesitation in accepting.  My first official challenge post with them is on the 3rd March but look out for me popping up on the Pink Gems Inspiration blog from time to time.

Secondly, I am now a member of the brand new Hobbycutz Design Team.  Kobie produces some lovely lasercut designs and is starting a brand new challenge blog.  Our first challenge is on March 3rd and will be fortnightly. To launch the challenges we will be having a blog hop and I do hope you will come along and join us.

I also have another little bit of news but will leave that for now.  Pop back on Tuesday for all the details.

Have a great weekend whatever you are doing.  Will hopefully be back later with a card share for you.  I am also going to try and get round to some of your blogs.  My apologies for not getting round to visit you all at the moment.  It has been a busy couple of weeks for me but hopefully things are settling down again now.

What's Your Favourite Colour Combo

Just popping by to invite you to join in our new challenge starting today over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges.  Our theme for this week is:

Your Favourite Colour Combo

We have two fab sponsors for this challenge:

Fred She Said 

and

The Paper Shelter 

All of the design team have used images from our sponsors to create some inspiration for you.  Just pop over to Penny's to check out all the details and have a peek.

One of my colour combo favourites is Pink and Brown.  I used a fab image from Fred She Said to make a Valentines card.

This image is actually a pre coloured one.  I do enjoy colouring but the pre coloured ones are ideal for those quick makes.  The image came with the two sentiments as well and I just love them.  I used some papers which I have had in my stash box for at least a year.  Added some lovely pink ribbon which I bought recently.  Couldn't help adding a few pearls for a bit of bling.

So what's your favourite colour combo?  Just hop over to Penny's to enter the challenge.  Looking forward to seeing all your entries.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Natalie and Amy - Something old, something new:  One Crazy Stamper - Love:  Visible Image - Love:  Great Impressions - Have a heart:  Lexis Creations - Valentine/love:  Fashionista - Valentines:  Top Tip Tuesday - Let me call you sweetheart:  Creative Card Crew - Chocolate:  Cutie Pie - Valentines:  In The Pink - Pink valentines:  Cute Card Thursday - Love struck:  Crafty Catz - Love is in the air:  Totally Papercrafts - Valentines/love:  Crafts 4 Eternity - Be my valentine:  A Gem of a Challenge - Hearts/valentines:  Allsorts - Valentines:  Totally Gorjuss - Love:  Jellypark - So sweet:  Catch the Bug - Affairs of the heart:  One Stop - Love is in the air:  Sentimental Sundays - Love is in the air:  OSAAT - Anything goes:  Pan Pastel - Love and romance:  The Squirrel and the Fox - Love:  Kaboodle Doodles - Valentines:  Digi Darlas - Be my valentine:  Love to Create - Feelin the love:  Craft Your Passion - My valentine:  Crafty Sentiments - Valentines:  LEJ Designs - For someone special:  Celebrate the Occasion - Valentine:  Ladybug Crafts Ink - Think pink:  Stamp N Doodle - Bingo (digi,ribbon,sentiment):  Crafty Creations - Love and/or hearts:  Inky Impressions - Ribbon or twine:  The Paper Shelter - Be my valentine:  Divas By Design - Love and romance

Anything Goes at Forever Friends

Another two weeks has passed by (not sure where it went) and it's time for a new fortnightly challenge over at Forever Friends.  Our challenge theme is a nice easy one for you as it is 'Anything Goes'.

We have two wonderful sponsors for this challenge.
Milk Coffee

Rick St Dennis

Just pop over to Forever Friends to check out the full details of the prizes on offer and to enter the challenge.  The design team have been working hard and have produced some stunning creations.

I used an image from Rick St Dennis for my first card.

This image is just so cute and was a joy to colour with my promarkers.  Kept the overall design very simple with some matting and layering using some old Papermania papers from my stash.  I cut a star out of coredinations cardstock and did some distressing.  The sentiment, button and card candi were from my stash.

I would like to enter the following challenges with this card:

Cards Galore - One for the men

Stamping Sensations - Fur and feather

I Love Promarkers - Happy Birthday

Brown Sugar - Anything goes

OSAAT - Anything goes

Artistic Inspirations - Anything goes

My second card features one of the gorgeous Forever Friends images.

Again, I kept it very simple and decided to make an anniversary card.  The white frame is an embossed one from Craftwork Cards.  I swept over it with distress inks to pick out the little flowers on it.  

I would like to enter the following challenges with this card:

One Crazy Stamper - Love

Lisa B - Love

Visible Image - Love

Ready, Teddy, Go - Love is in the air

Top Tip Tuesday - Let me call you sweetheart

Stamp N Doodle - Love is in the air

Inky Impressions - Love

Cute Card Thursday - Love struck

Totally Papercrafts - Valentines or Love

Totally Gorjuss - Love

Catch the Bug - Affairs of the heart

One Stop - Love is in the air

Sentimental Sundays - Love is in the air

The Squirrel and the Fox - Love

Love to Create - Feelin the love

Thanks for popping by and do hope you will consider entering our Anything Goes challenge.  Looking forward to seeing all your entries.

Clare Curd's Giveaway

Just popped in to let you know about the fab giveaway over at Clare Curd Crafts.  

To be in with a chance of winning just pop over to Clare's blog and check out the details.  You gotta be in it to win it.

Baby Shower

Hope you are all well and enjoying your weekend.  Now all the decorating is finished I was able to spend a bit of time today in my newly decorated and organised crafty space (see post below for pictures).  Managed to get a DT card done and some preparation work on some Mothers Day cards.

My share for today is a project I have been working on whilst doing the decorating.  My two lovely daughters are hosting a baby shower here tomorrow for their best friend.  She is expecting a little girl in March.  They asked me if I could make some cupcake boxes as they wanted to make some cupcakes and give them as favours when the guests were leaving.  Here is the result.

I started out by making a basic box and lid using my Ultimate Pro embossing board from Crafters Companion.  I then cut squares of pink coredinations, inked the edges slightly and adhered these to the sides of the box.  The little image is from Pink Gem designs and was just perfect for the front of the box.
For the lid I cut an opening in the top using one of my dies.  Acetate was then attached to make a window.  Some pink ribbon around the lid, some gems and pearls and the box was finished.

I made a cupcake holder insert for the bottom of each box to stop the cupcake moving around.

Once the first one was done I showed my girls and asked what they thought.  They were really pleased with the result and promptly asked me to make 20 of them!!!

This afternoon they made the cupcakes to go in them and I couldn't post the box without showing the cupcakes.

They are lovely and sparkly as they added some edible glitter to the top.  They also taste good as they did make a few extras which we ate with a coffee after tea.

Thanks for popping by and would love to know what you think.

I would like to enter the following challenges:
Crafty Ribbons - Anything goes with ribbon
Love to Create - Lets Celebrate
Craft Your Passion - Pastels
Whoopsi Daisy - Ribbon and/or lace
Papertake - Anything goes
LEJ Designs - Anything goes
Brown Sugar - Anything goes
Pretty Little Ribbon - Anything goes
Sweet Stamps - Think Pink
MAWTT - Only girls allowed

My Crafty Space

Hope you are all well on this Friday evening and looking forward to the weekend.  My youngest daughter came home from uni today for a week.  It is so good to have the family back together for a little while.

I have had a busy week this week decorating bedrooms and having new carpets fitted.  I have been without a craft room this week as one of the bedrooms we have been doing is my crafty room.  It is now all finished and I love it.  So I thought I would show you a few pictures,

This is obviously my work space desk.  It is right next to the window so during the day lots of lovely daylight.

A close up of my desk.

Some of my storage which is another desk I had and an old wardrobe with the doors removed.

And another view looking up the room from my desk.

These are two wall units that I bought about a year ago for my ink pads, embossing powders, glitters etc.

And now for the best part of the room.  I wanted a way to store my dies.  We had a couple of large pictures stored in our garage.  I really didn't like the pictures in them so I decided to recycle them.  I found some magnetic sheet on a roll on ebay so I bought 3 metres.  Hubby then removed the glass from the picture frames and attached the magnetic sheet to the backboard.  I now have the perfect storage and they are fully accessible.

Apologies if some of the photos are a bit blurry.  I now can't wait to get a bit of time to start crafting in there.
I hope you have enjoyed your little tour of my crafty space.