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.

Forever Friends Candy Giveaway

Hi Everybody!

Over at Forever Friends Challenge Blog, today sees the start of February's Monthly Giveaway!

This months Give-Away Candy has slightly different rules to our normal monthly Give-Away postings as we want crafters to advertise the new changes to our Monthly Challenge Dates!

From March 2013, you will be able to see the Monthly DTs' 

fabulous inspiration on 2 postings per month.

The Monthly challenges will now 

start on the 1st day of each month.

There will also be an inspirational mid-way challenge reminder

on the 14th day of the month.

Our Fortnightly challenges remain the same - every other Monday.

The candy runs from Wednesday 6th February 2013 at 2.00pm (GMT)

until Thursday 28th February 2013 at 2.00pm (GMT)

To enter the Candy Give-Away Draw and be in with a chance to win the fab prizes, 

here is what you have to do...

1. Enter your name into the draw in the Inlinkz on the posting on the Forever Friends Challenge Blog.
2. Become a Follower of the Forever Friends Challenge Blog.
3. Upload this Forever Friends Badge to your side-bars and link back to the Forever Friends Challenge Blog.

Here's the fabulous prizes you could win - 6 in total!

So go get entering and don't forget to follow our rules to be eligible to win.

Ribbons and Bows

Well I am still without a crafty room at the moment.  I have been busy decorating bedrooms and my crafty room this week and tomorrow the carpets get fitted.  I can then start unpacking all my stuff and getting organised.  I have been managing to do a bit of crafting in my living room and have been working on a special project that my daughters asked me to do.  Will reveal all in a couple of days.

Anyway, just popped by to tell you about the new challenge starting over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges.  Our theme this week is 'Ribbons and Bows'.
Our sponsors for this challenge are the fabulous Bugaboo and Lily of the Valley.  Just pop over to Penny's and check out all the details.

The design team have all used images from our sponsors this week and I was lucky enough to be able to use this cute image from Lily of the Valley.

I coloured the image with promarkers and matted onto one of my spellbinder dies.  The backing paper is from Wild Rose Studio.  For the ribbon detail I used a die cut border that I have and threaded my ribbon through it.  I then added some little bows for detail.  The little flowers were done using some tonic punches that I have.
Looking forward to seeing all your entries.  Just pop over to Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges to upload your project.

I would like to enter the following challenges:
Crafty Ribbons - Anything goes with ribbon
One Crazy Stamper - Love
Lisa B - Love
Visible Image - Love
Catch The Bug - Anything goes
Allsorts - Let's get cute
Disdigidesigns - Valentines or love
Love to Create - Let's celebrate
Whoopsi Daisy - Ribbon or lace
Papertake - Anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - Anything goes
LEJ Designs - Anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday - Let me call  you sweetheart
Simon Says - Have a heart
Inky Impressions - Love

Hearts and Flowers

Just popping by to tell you about the new challenge that started yesterday over at Corrosive Challenges.
In honour of Valentines Day our theme for this fortnight is 'Hearts and Flowers'.  Easy peasy but make sure that we can see both hearts and flowers.
Our sponsor for the challenge is Sassy Studio Designs.  They have some fab, fun, sassy and sexy images just perfect for Valentines Day.  The design team were fortunate enough to be able to use some of their images for our projects.

My image was coloured with promarkers and I did add some glamour dust to her jewellery and shoes.  The backing paper is from Papermania that I have had for months.  Added a doily heart and two die cut hearts.  I also made a couple of torn rolled roses but they are not my best attempt.  Some ribbon, punched corners and a peel off sentiment were the finishing touches.

Thanks for popping by and do hope you will pop over to Corrosive Challenges and have a go.  You will find more fab inspiration from the talented design team too.  Looking forward to seeing all your creations.

Back to my decorating now.  I am now onto painting doors and skirting boards.  Roll on Thursday when the new carpet comes and I get my craft room back.

I would like to enter the following challenges:
Bunny Zoes - Anything goes
Simon Says - Anything goes
Sassy Studio - Love is in the air
Delightful Challenges - Red and white
Aud Sentiments - Adult valentines
Brown Sugar - Go red/hearts
Totally Papercrafts - Make your own embellishment (rolled flowers)
Simply Create Too - Valentines/hearts
One Crazy Stamper - Love
Visible Image - Love
Catch the Bug - Anything goes
Sweet Stampin - Love is all around
Disdigidesigns - Valentines/love
Card Makin Mamas - Love
Robyns Fetish - Have a heart
Great Impressions - Have a heart
Ribbon Girl - Love you/valentine
Artistic Inspirations - Embossing
Whoopsi Daisy - Ribbon and/or lace
Lexis Creations - Valentine/love
Cards for Men - All my love
Fashionista - Valentines
Kaboodle Doodles - Hearts

Sweet Valentine

Just popping by to let you know about the new challenge starting today over at Dream Valley.
Our theme for this challenge is very topical at the moment and that is 'Valentines'.
Our sponsor for this challenge is Meljens Designs who are offering our winner 4 free digi images of their choice.  If you have never visited Meljens then please do as they have some fab images.

I used this fab freebie image from Meljens for my inspirational project.  I thought it was just so cute.

I coloured the image with promarkers and cut it out using one of my dies.  The flowery paper was from my scraps box and was matted onto kraft card.  I made a frame around the outside by using some glitter strips that I had.  I added some punched corners to the glitter strips.  Some lush red ribbon, some roses and a sentiment completed the card.

Mush dash now as in the middle of decorating. Why not pop over to Dream Valley and check out the awesome work of the rest of the design team.  Looking forward to seeing all your entries.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Bunny Zoes - Anything goes
Passion for Promarkers - Add sparkle
Simon Says - Anything goes
Crafts and Me - Favourite embellishment (flowers)
I Love Promarkers - Love is all around
Delightful Challenges - Red and white
Crafty Ribbons - Anything goes with ribbon
Brown Sugar - Go red/hearts
Simply Create Too - Valentines/Hearts
Heck of a Challenge - Love and flowers
One Crazy Stamper - Love
Lisa B - Love
Visible Image - Love
Ready, Teddy, Go - Love is in the air
Catch The Bug - Anything goes
One Stop - Anything goes
Sweet Stampin - Love is all around
Allsorts - Lets get cute
Disdigidesigns - Valentines/Love
Card Makin Mamas - Love
By the Cute and Girly - Roses are red
Great Impressions - Have a heart
Ribbon Girl - Love you/valentine

Say It With Flowers

Hope you are all well and enjoying your weekend.  I am having a busy few days at the moment decorating.  We are decorating my youngest daughter's bedroom and my craft room in advance of new carpets being fitted on Thursday.  At the moment all of my crafty stuff is packed away in boxes in the dining room.  I didn't realise I had so much stuff until I had to pack it away.  So much stuff that we are having to eat our meals on a tray in the lounge as can't even see the dining room table lol.  Just can't wait till Thursday so I can start putting things away and getting organised.

Today's card share was made using some free craftwork card stamps that I got with a crafting magazine.

I decided to stamp the flower image a couple of times onto patterned paper.  I was then able to cut them out and decoupage them up for dimension.  The papers were another freebie from a magazine (really ought to start writing down which magazines I get the freebies from).  I added some card candi to the centres of the flowers and also to the sentiment.  I finished the card with some ribbon, butterflies and gems.

I am now going to try and get round some of your blogs.  My apologies if I don't manage it but been painting all day so a bit weary now.  Thanks for popping by and for any comments you leave.  Would love to know what you think.

I would like to enter the following challenges:
Bunny Zoes - Anything goes
Love to Create - Anything goes with a sentiment
Simon Says - Anything goes
Stamp N Doodle - A girls/ladies birthday
Crafts and Me - Favourite embellishment (flowers and gems)
Flutter By Wednesday - Anything goes
Crafty Ribbons - Anything goes with ribbon
Catch The Bug - Anything goes
One Stop - Anything goes
Polka Doodles - Layers and pink and red

It's Girly Time at Penny's

Well another week has flown by and today sees the start of a new challenge over at Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges.
Our theme for this week is One For The Girls.  So bring out all those girly papers, colours and embellishments..
Our sponsors for this challenge are:

http://sassystudiodesigns.blogspot.co.uk/

and

http://qkrstampede.blogspot.com/

For all the details about the challenge and to upload your entries just pop over to Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges.  Make sure you check out all the fab projects from the design team.

I have done two cards for this challenge using an image from each of our sponsors.

This sassy image is from Sassy Studio and I decided to get ahead and make hubby's Valentines card.  Lots of hearts, flowers and romantic bits and pieces.  Hope he appreciates it lol.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Bunny Zoes - Anything goes
Mayzy Art - Romance
Little Miss Muffet - Hearts and flowers
Totally Gorjuss - Flowers
Sweet Stampin - Ribbon
One Stop - Sparkle and bling
OSAAT - Use a digi
Artistic Inspirations - Love
Crafty Sentiments - Buttons and bows
Passion for Promarkers - Add sparkle
Simon Says - Anything goes
Inky Impressions - Bingo (flowers, ribbon, pink)
Crafts and Me - Favourite embellishment (flowers)
I Love Promarkers - Love is all around
Natalie and Amy - Something old/something new (old - papers, new - image/ribbon)

This is a super sweet image from QKR Stampede.  I paperpieced the balloons and kept the layout and design quite simple.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Jellypark - Button up
Love to Create - Anything goes with a sentiment
Whoopsi Daisy - Card for a child
Ladybug Crafts Ink - Girly
Stamp N Doodle - A girls/ladies birthday

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