AYLI Sketch

 Happy Thursday everyone the weekend is just in reaching distance!! Before that though it's time for a new challenge at 

As You Like It Challenge

The theme is Favourite Sketch.

My long time followers will know that I LOVE Jules' sketches and I always visit her Sketch library when inspiration is lacking. She has tons of wonderful designs and there is sure to be one that takes my fancy. On this occasion I chose Square #56 

It was the perfect design to show off the lovely Doodlebug Designs Frosty Friends paper pad which perfectly compliments the adorable penguin (Crafters Companion Snow what fun). The sweet little penguin was coloured with Promarkers and I added lots of sparkly glitter too.

My team mates have some lovely inspiration for you so please go and take a look.

See you next time xx

Pearls or Gems

 We are talking embellishments at

where Wilma is hosting and the theme is

Pearls or Gems.

I appear to have LOTS of pearls in my crafty stash so I went for pearls.

They add such a lovely touch of femininity to cards and projects. In this case they were the perfect finishing touch on a retirement card that I made for a very girly colleague. Eve LOVES pink and I have always made her Birthday and Christmas cards brimming over with pink. I am sad that this time it's a retirement card but kept the feminine theme going by using a Crafters Companion papercraft kit.

the largest topper did actually say Happy Birthday so I covered it with a tag and heat embossed Happy Retirement with silver. Finally the pink pearls were added.

Thank you for visiting me today. I am sorry that I've not been keeping up with return visits but life has been a little hectic since Christmas with one thing and another. Hopefully things will ease up a bit.

See you soon xx

Summertine

It's Summertime at 

so we would love to see your projects featuring anything summery or, if you prefer, you can opt for the Anything Goes option.

For the month of July Prizes are from Oakwood, Sizzix, AALL and Create and Craft Stash, please visit our Patrons page to read more about each.

Here is my own Summertime inspiration for you.

 I am mighty chuffed with myself as there were no new purchases required for this card!1 The pretty papers are Doodlebug Designs "Sunkissed". The sweet image and sentiment stamp is from a very old one from Crafters Companion and was coloured with Promarkers. 

Well, I had a lovely week off that (as predicted at the beginning of the week) included riding, cycling, a visit to the seaside and lots of naughty food (cancelled out by the cycling!!). I really don't want to go back to work on Monday 😢😢

Here's a cheesy grin for you!!

Lyme Bay

I hope you all have a good weekend xx

Favourite Animal that can be a Pet

 I have been fortunate to have New Forest Ponies in my life for 25 years and at 32 Surprise has been there to supervise lots of events. She knows all my secrets and has been a huge support through good times and bad. Wills has taken her place as riding pony since her forced retirement, two and a bit years ago, and at 11 years old will be my last. If he ages as well as Surprise I will be well into my 70's!!

 Why is she going on about her animals I hear you cry...well it's new challenge day at 

As You Like It Challenge

and we would love to see a project featuring your favourite animal that can be a pet with a little explanation why and, on this occasion, would really like to see a picture of your pet too.

The image I used here is a freebie from Making Cards that I coloured with my Promarkers to compliment the rustic papers from Crafters Companion. I also discovered some rustic style stringy stuff and seed heads that went really well with the hessian ribbon. The message on the pin was part of a journalling kit that I had left over and fitted just right.

and here they are Wills on the left and my darling Surprise on the right

I think she is sticking her tongue out in this one!! She might be an antique pony but is still as cheeky as ever!!

It would be wrong of me to exclude my other hairy kids so here are Bowie and Bumble too doing their best sealion impersonation after a very wet walk!!

Can't wait to see your projects and photos xx

Gorgeous Greens

Hello friends and visitors!!

It's all about GREEN this time at

I went with a simple design to showcase the fabulous green MFT background paper.

The adorable little rabbit is from The Cat's Pajamas set Family forever and was coloured with Promarkers/Flexmarkers. It looks a little bit washed out actually, oh how I long for a decent light to take photographs!! I am beginning to wonder if the rain will ever stop!!

Well, that is all from me for now. See you later in the week xx

Christmas With The Cutie Pies

Hello friends. Hope you had a good weekend and are ready for the coming week.

The Christmas Cutie Pies have had an extended break but we are back today inviting you to share your cards featuring things beginning with B.

Here is what I have done for you

I hunted through my stash and came upon this sweet LOTV rubber stamp that fit the theme perfectly, boy, birds, baubles, used the colours blue and brown and finished off with a bow and button, plenty of B's. I paper pieced the curtains with a piece of spotty paper. Another Christmas card to add to the pile...I am doing quite well!!

So, back to work today....boo hoo...we had a lovely week. Because of the fabulous weather the garden is looking much tidier. My waistbands have become a little tighter because I spent hardly any time in the kitchen after all. Saying that though I have more than exceeded my 10,000 steps a day, dog walking, so I am sure that cancels out the eating out!!

Have a good week and I will see you soon xx

Entering these challenges

Rudolph Days challenge

Buttons or pearls at AYLI

Hello my crafty friends. I am here to share a very special card today. It is the one I made to give to Mollie on Tuesday when we celebrated her 2nd Birthday...yes, she is two, hard to believe, but true!!  It is also my DT inspiration for the  new challenge at...

...where the theme, this time, is buttons or pearls.

This is what I made

The sweet bear is from a Polkadoodles bundle that came with stamps, dies, paper pads and felt...bargain!! I used Crafters Companion dies for her name and the balloon was a magazine freebie, as was the 2. I added some pearls as a simple finishing touch, they add a nice bit of balance when put in each corner I think.

Thank you for stopping by today, I appreciate it xx

Some Challenges

Allsorts #502 - Milestones with numbers
The Creative Crafters #12 - Anything Goes
Digi Choosday - Anything Goes

A for antlers

Well hello, me again, an unusual occurrence these days I know but I am still in Christmas mode and just could not pass up the opportunity to enter the current ABC Christmas challenge A & B.

 I went with A for antlers as it was the perfect excuse to use a new PB stamp set, Wintertime Cheer that fell in my basket during a browse at Buddly  Crafts.

I just love him!! The die cut border is from Crafters Companion and the text from a Newton's Nook set. He was stamped direct on to the card base (using my stamping platform) and coloured with Promarkers, so I was delighted that I didn't make any boo boos!!

Hope that you have had a good week and are looking forward to the weekend. Hubby is off this weekend so I am happy about that.

See you soon xx

More challenges

Penny Black and more  - January something new (Stamp set/s and die)
The Merry Christmas Challenge #2 - Anything Goes Christmas
Penny Black Saturday Challenge January - Anything Goes 

Cutie Christmas Tags

Hello everyone. Not sure where the last month has gone but it looks as though it's time for a new challenge at

The theme this time is tags. I made a large one to decorate the front of my card.

I used more of my Crafters Companion Christmas stash for this one.  Red Nose Reindeer from the Cute Christmas range. The layer beneath the tag was embossed with Contemporary Folk from the Scandinavian Christmas range. The card stock that I embossed was actually the packaging from the folder, so a freebie!!  The sparkle came from a couple of bottles of Nuvo Drops, White Blizzard and Ruby Slippers.

I hope you will manage to find some time to play along, just remember that your Christmas creation needs to feature a tag and be cute!!

There are a few challenges that will suit this card so I am off to link up.

I hope this week will be kind to you xx

Allsorts Challenge #439 - Christmas Creatures

Ribbon or Lace?

Hello friends. Gosh, how time flies, it's been over a week since I posted anything!! Anyway I am here now!!  Something completely different from me today.

 The weeks have rolled around to another new challenge at

Which is Ribbon or Lace?

Many of you will now that neither of these feature regularly on my cards, but if the occasion arises I use ribbon, usually in the form of seam binding ribbon. I have metres of this in white so that I can colour to suit. I love the way that it ties into a perfect bow too.

 This is a card that I was asked to make for a customer to give to his Wife on her 95th Birthday. I actually used a Downton Abbey papercraft kit that came with a magazine last year and dressed it up with a new die. He was delighted and I am informed that Rosemary, his Wife loved it too.

Hope you will join us!!

Before I go this is a more recent photograph of our beautiful
 Granddaughter Mollie Rose, can't believe she will be 4 weeks old on Sunday.

See you soon

Some Challenges

The Ribbon Girl - February card challenge
Crafting when we can #137 - Flowers
The crafty addicts #32 - Anything goes +/- a sentiment
Crafting from the heart #145 - Anything goes

How big is your bow?

Hello peeps I hope Thursday finds you well and looking forward to the weekend. I know I am!! Once again I apologise for being a bad blogger, someone seems to have shortened the days lately and my good intentions have fallen by the wayside. I doubt I will ever catch up but will visit soon!!

Anyway, I have a DT card to share today for the new challenge at

where it's all about the size of your bows...Little or Large? and don't forget to tell us why

I am always mindful of postage costs so rarely add bows to my cards. However when the need arises and the card is to be hand delivered or is for a customer I always make the same sized ones on my bow maker, not too little and not too big...just right!! 

I decided to go digital for this piece as Halcyon Days has been sitting on my desk for quite some time still in it's cellophane wrapper so I thought I'd better do some thing about that. The inspiration came from the current Cardz 4 Galz Challenge which is Tea for Two and so this card was born.

Additions were by way of some matching cardstock, ribbon and pearls from my stash.

Hope you will find time to share your bow adorned creations with us at As You Like It.

I am taking my card to these challenges

Cardz 4 Galz #22 - Tea for Two

Creative Moments #93 - Anything Goes
Inspiration Destination #86 - Anything Goes
The Crafty Addicts #15 - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion #312 - Anything Goes
Cute CArd Thursday #426 - Food and/or drink

Until next time xx

Savoury or sweet......?

It's challenge time again at AYLI and our theme this week is

Savoury or sweet?

At the moment it's all things sweet for me, particularly if it contains salted caramel, so just imagine that the cupcake below is oozing with salty caramel goodness!! Yum!!

A work colleague is celebrating her Birthday on Saturday and as she is Coeliac, I made her a gluten free cupcake (in the form of a card!!) complete with glittery icing!!

The papers are the most recent addition to the family, the utter fabulous Maja Designs Summer Crush. The banner was made using a free stamp set and the darling little cat stamp was coloured with Promarkers.

Some challenges to play

Crafty Cardmakers #148 - Make it sprakle (cupcake frosting)
Love to scrap ~62 - Anything Goes
In the pink #78 - For a Friend
Creative Inspirations #328 - Something Sweet

See you soon xx

I spy with my little eye...

...something beginning with "R"

Hello friends, I am super excited to tell you that I am "Guesting" at 

ABC Christmas for a little while

(thank you Samantha for inviting me xx)

Here is my contribution...

...featuring Reindeer, Red, Round and Ribbon. The lovely stamp is Christmas Cheer and was coloured with Pro/Flexmarkers. The paper was a scrap from my box and the sentiment is from a fabulous Joy set.

A challenge or two

Bunny Zoe's - shaped cards
Crafty Friends #13 - Use a sentiment
Di's digis - Include a sentiment
Chocolate, coffee and cards #98 - Use a sentiment
The Craft Barn - Animals

I hope you will get your thinking caps on and join in the "R" Challenge.


See you next time xx