Favourite Season

Good Morning crafters and I hope you are well today.  I can't believe that the weekend will soon be here, but before that we have a new challenge at

As You Like It Challenge

and our theme this time is Your Favourite Season ( and WHY).

I'm hopeless at picking "favourites" and love all of the seasons for different reasons, however the romantic in me picked Winter. I'll set the scene - having a lovely canter on a frosty morning, crumpets and tea in front of a  wood burning stove, cosy quilts to snuggle under (human and equine!!) and, of course Christmas.

So I made a Christmas card...

A new Be Bunni stamp had an outing and was coloured with SN pencils. The backing paper is from a  Doodlebug pad, the pearl mat was embossed with an unknown folder and the sentiment is from a CB set.

I am entering these challenges

Penny's Paper Crafty challenge #192 - Children and/or Christmas
Fan-tastic Tuesdays #50 - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations #278 - Flower Power

Hope you will take a peep at my team mates' splendid cards (ooh, that's a good word!!) and enjoy your day whatever you are up to.

Bye for now xx

Charley with Willow

Hello my crafty friends, I hope you are well this Bank Holiday Monday, if a little wet!! It's a very wet Dorset today and where better to spend it than in the work room where I made this...

...for several reasons actually. A challenge that I rather fancy featuring your favourite animal, a chance to practice with my Spectrum Noir pencils and, after much deliberation, I decided to have a bash at answering  the DT call at Cuddly Buddly. 

I am so thrilled with my pencil work today that I even took a close up shot, although the shading around Charley with Willow was done using Flex markers.

I started with another LOTV sketch and put the base together before colouring up my stamped image (actually one of the first I ever bought when the crafting bug hit!!), I actually have this in rubber but a digi is available. The papers are one of the MME So Sophie range, Graceful I think. To finish off I punched the flowers and added pearls to the centres.

Before I consider chickening out entering the DT call I'm off to play here...(!!)

Fussy and Fancy #121 - Pets or favourite animal

 (A horse, no surprises for those who know me!!)

Divas by Design - Pretty pearls

Crafting from the Heart #33 - Anything Goes

Enjoy the rest of the long weekend and thanks for spending some of it with me!! xx

CAS Christmas

Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying day one of the August Bank Holiday Weekend if you are here in the UK.  I have another Christmas card to share today featuring a cute Crafter's Companion stamp.

It was really quick to colour and the Memory Box die took care of the sentiment...simples!!

I was inspired by these challenges

ABC Christmas Challenge - Q for Quick and Easy

Penny's paper crafty challenge #191 - Christmas, Children or Critters (2nd entry)

Addicted to stamps and more #109 - CAS

CHNC #191 - Merry and Bright

Before I go and get the pony in for the night I just want to share a picture of a house guest that I caught creeping out of her door on Wednesday morning!!

They must like her company because we had a visitor of the same variety last year. On that occasion I was scared witless as I went to pick up what I thought was a stray piece of horse poo (wearing appropriate gloves of course!!) and it tried to get out of my hand....eugh!!

Anyway on that note I'm off to do yard duties. Toodles for now xx

Fabulous freebies!!

Happy Wednesday my crafty friends! EDIT Oh Cr*p, I've just realized it's actually Thursday, so apologies if I've confused any of you!!

The sun is still shining here in Dorset and it's going to be a good day, I can feel it (or perhaps it's just the feeling of the approaching autumn in the air)!!

Anyway I have been playing with the free Tiddly Inks stamps that accompanied my current Quick Cards Made Easy magazine and wow I am so impressed with them. I know I won't be alone in saying that, although usually very pretty, the free stamps can generally be a bit on the squishy side and difficult to get a good impression from. Well not in this case!! 

I had a jolly good delve into my Christmas hamper and found a long forgotten paper pad which suited the sketch I used ( LOTV #18). I also rediscovered a great stamp set, one of which I used to stamp into triple embossed  seafoam white embossing powder to created this little seal effect disc.

While armed with the heat gun I also added a sprinkling of frantage too.

I am playing at these challenges

Creative Card Crew #68 - Embossing (wet or dry)

CHNC #190 - Favourite things (Paper, promarkers & stamps)

Sweet Stampin' - Christmas in August

Love to Create #129 - Polka dots and pearls

The Crafter's Cafe #77 - Square cards only

Penny's Paper crafty challenge #191 - 3 C's (Used them all!!)

That's it from me for now folks, I'd better go and do something "useful" !! xx

And now something different

Hello my crafty Friends, me again and today's offering is for

Anything But A Card at

Oldie But A Goodie

I used old ribbon, flowers and card stock to make these cute double sided sweet treat holders

Yes, the little bars of chocolate have long gone but I shall keep the little gift packets for future pressies!!

I'm off to join in with these challenges

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog #76 - Anything But A Card
Brown Sugar #107 - Anything Goes

I haven't shared any animal snaps with you lately so here is one of Surprise aka "Jolly Tall the giraffe", helping herself to my willow tree!!

Interestingly Salix is known for it's analgesic properties for back pain and headaches and she has recently been treated for a stiff neck would you believe!! Either that or she had a headache from me chatting to her while we were out riding!!

 Clever creatures horses..... too damned clever according to my Hubby!!

Thanks for popping in, I appreciate it!  xx

Buttons & Bows

Morning all! Hope you had a good weekend.  Where is August disappearing to? I can hardly believe that we are at the start of another week and a new challenge at

The Cutie Pie Challenge

This time our theme is buttons and bows and I used Rosie as my inspiration, coloured with Pro/Flexmarkers.

The perfect papers came from Cosmo Cricket's Material Girl pad and the buttons and ribbon from my stash, the material is a scrap that I found in my sewing basket.

Incidentally, our sponsor this time is the wonderful



so please join in, we'd love you to play along just remember that your image MUST be CUTE!!

I am playing along at these challenges

I Love Promarkers #232 - Anything Goes
Sister Act #70 - Anything Goes
Crafts 4 Eternity #189 - Something Old (Snippet of fabric and the paper pad)
AGOAC #126 - Stitching
Charisma Cardz Challenges #17 - Buttons and bows
Digistamp Boutique - August Customer Competition
Craft Your Passion #226 - Use at least 3 patterned papers

Wishing you a happy week xx

Ribbons and pearls

Hello crafty peeps. I am here today with my DT card for

As You Like It Challenge

we would love you to share your projects featuring your two most favourite embellishments.

Here's mine using an image from our sponsor Crafty Sentiments.

She was coloured with Pro/Flexmarkers to compliment the, quite frankly, wonderful Marianne Garden Party paper pad. The roses were stickled with Stardust too. When I DO use embellishments I will reach for seam binding and pearls and as I am living on the wild side today I thought that I would break with tradition and also use a die cut doily underneath the image to add to the texture!! I'm not sure where the little sticky letters came from but they do think they look rather nice as an alternative to a stamped sentiment.

I am playing along with these challenges

Crafting from the heart #31 - Anything Goes
Crafty Creations Challenges #269 - Flower Power
Ladybug August Challenge - Favourite colours (Pink and Green)
Crafty Boots Challenges - Flowers
Crafting by Designs - Polka Dots

Thanks for visiting me today, you are always welcome xx

Oh deer!!

Yay, the sunshine is back and I am here with another Christmas card, a really CAS Christmas card!!

I have a bit of a "pash" at the moment for these fab WRS stamps (I have a very long wish list for the new ones too!!). This is Bluebell with Poinsettias coloured with Promarkers.  I added some twine to echo the bow on her basket and the sentiment is from a CB set, which I love. And that, as they say, is that!!

There are a few challenges that caught my eye...

CHNC #189 - Fur and/or Feather (both!!)
My Mum's Craft Shop #20 - Clean and Simple
Winter Wonderland - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Weekly christmas Card Challenges #37 - Colour Combo

Better go and do some housework before getting gorgeous for work!! Late start and late finish today which I don't ever look forward to, but can't complain as that will be my working week over :0)

Thanks for stopping by. See you soon xx

A fairy on top!!

Eugh!! It's raining and blowing a gale here so no riding for me today (much to Surprise's delight I shouldn't wonder!!).  Instead I will share a gift box that I made using one of my newest LOTV family members!!

What I have actually made is a slip cover box using a template. It was so easy to do and makes such a nice change from a gift bag. The adorable stamp was coloured with Pro/Flexmarkers and the paper is a Nitwits scrap leftover from another project.

This picture shows the two pieces before they slide together and it's big enough to fit mini bath treats or chocolate!!

I stickled the edges for a bit of twinkle, although the photography leaves a lot to be desired today...bring back the sunshine!!





This was made with a few challenges in mind so I'm off to play.

Winter Wonderland - Anything Goes
LOTV August Challenge - Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra
All Crafts August/September - No cards
Holly Jolly Challenge - Anything Goes, Non-traditional colours

Have a good day everyone xx

Perfectly pink

Friday again and I won't say "at last" because I have had a good week. It's been "normal", no holiday cover at work which has meant the family (human and animal kind) and garden have not been neglected!! I even managed a just for fun card to share and here it is....

The card of choice this time is a stepper. The papers were magazine freebies and the sweet stamp is a little Nellie Snellen and coloured with Pro/Flexmarkers. I got out my neglected Marianne dies and actually hand stitched with anchor thread for a change. 

Here's where the inspiration came from...

Crafting with Dragonflies #32  - Stepper Card (Centre or side step)

I Love Promarkers #231 - Fancy folds

Inky Impressions #171 - Shaped card

In the Pink #50 - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Crafty Cardmakers #120 - Fancy Folds

The Ribbon Girl August challenge - Anything but a square

Thanks for dropping in!!

Cute and Cuddly

Hello my blogging buddies, hope you are well this Thursday morning.

 We have a popular theme for you this month at

Crafty Little Fairies

and it's

Cute and Cuddly

as usual there are some fabulous prizes up for grabs, the details of which are on the challenge blog.

My card was made with this challenge and Squirrel's Birthday in mind
 ( she was 25 plus P&P a few of weeks ago!!) and I knew I wanted to feature her namesake on her card so the WRS Squirrel on branch stamp was a perfect choice. It was coloured with SN pencils  and I was so happy as this was my best effort to date (I'm getting the hang of them now) . I used a tonic punch for the flower, a Marianne die for the leaves and the sentiment was a winnage from Oyster stamps. Ooh, nearly forgot the paper is WRS too Peach Blossom. We'd love you to join in with your cute and cuddly creations so hope to see you there!!

I am entering these challenges

Animal Friends #17 - Summer
PB and More August Challenge - Anything Goes
Stamping Sensations August Challenge - anything Goes
Love to Create  - Anything Goes #127
Fab 'n' Funky #225 - Inspired by a movie (Bambi)
Crafting For All Seasons #83 - Feature a creature

Have a good day xx

Black and White +1

Hello again. I am here to share my DT card for

Oldie But A Goodie

and our theme this time is

Black & White +1 chosen by Francesca

Here's my card...

...Black & White + Pink.

I used a Pollycraft digi and coloured the pink bits to match the gingham paper that I found in my bits box. The striped and spotted papers are from a very old pad by Fancy Pants, called It's the little things that I must have had for about five years. The sentiment was done on word and die cut with my Cheery Lynn die set.

I am playing here

Allsorts #270 - Favourite things

(Pollycraft digis, spots & checks, promarkers and my lovely new Cheery Lynn die set!!)

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - August

The ABC Challenge - Q for Quote 

Pixies Snippets playground #136

Thanks for calling today xx

If you go down to the woods today.....

...you will find a new challenge at The Cutie Pies and it's

Teddy Bear's Picnic

I used a fabulous digi called Teddy's Tea Party (from one of our sponsors though I didn't realize until I came to put this post together!!). As usual, I coloured the image (with Spectrum Noir markers this time) to match the papers which came from my scrap box. It was nice to make an easel card for a change and the next picture shows it a little better.

I used a Marianne border die for the stopper and the oval is from a new SB set, pierced ovals to which I added faux stitching with my fine liner.

I do hope you will take the time to have a look at the creations that my team mates have put together and do play along won't you?!

We have two fabulous Sponsors

 

and

 

so lovely goodies up for grabs.

I would like to enter these challenges

The Squirrel and The Fox #75 - Movie/Song (Teddy Bear's Picnic)
Milk Coffee Challenge - 2 or more die cuts
Sister Act#68 - Anything Goes
Pile it On Challenge - Stitching real or faux
Crafty Calendar August Challenge - Anything Goes
A Gem of a Challenge #125 - Embossing ( dry embossed stopper and image)


Thanks for stopping by today and for your continued encouraging comments and support.
 See you tomorrow with another DT make.

Toodle pip!! xx

Bags of colour!!

Hello my friends. Not so nice today but it means I've not had to get out with the watering can!! So instead I've had the sewing machine out again, I was actually intending to do some stitching on a card but decided to get out the pile of fat quarters that fell into my basket last time I visited Pauline's Patchwork in Dorchester.

You may remember that I showed one of these before using a pattern that was in a Create and Craft magazine. Well here's another and this time  I added a flap with a press stud fastening. I've only just realised that I haven't top stitched the upper edge...whoops!! Best toddle back up and finish it off properly!!







I thought I would play along at these challenges

4 Crafty Chicks #205 - Anything Goes
Crafting by Designs August - Anything Goes
Crafting at the Weekend #4 - Anything Goes
A Little Bit Crafty - Sew What?

The forecast looks changeable for the weekend but whatever you are up to have a good one!!

Thanks for visiting, you are always welcome. xx