Friday 29 April 2016

Meg and Digger

Hello friends hope you are well and looking forward to the weekend - a lovely long weekend in the UK thanks to the May Bank Holiday.

 I can hardly believe a week has passed since I posted anything. 

Anyway,I have a bright and cheery card for you today!!


I actually had a sort through my paper pad pile and used an old one for this card...My Mind's Eye - A Mother's Love. Michelle uses this lovely layout quite often so I thought I would "borrow" it and see what I could do. The sweet image is Meg and Digger from Sasayaki Glitter and she was coloured with Promarkers to match the papers. The corners are die cuts using a Whimsy set and LOTV sentiment tags attached with ribbon to finish off.

 Some challenges I am entering

Allsorts Challenge #360 - Red, White and blue
City Crafter Challenge #309 - Balloons
Passion for Promarkers #343 - Make it digital (my image is digital)

Before I go I just had to share this sweet picture of Mo the cat who is soley in charge of the stable yard and likes to make sure everything is ship shape (she is actually a squatter but we don't have the heart to evict her!!). Surprise had her seven weekly visit from the blacksmith on Wednesday and for the whole hour Mo was sunning herself in the pooper scooper (horse sized of course!!) although I have a strong suspicion that she was secretly making sure the shoes were fitted correctly!!


Until next time xx

Thursday 21 April 2016

How much is that doggy in the window?

Morning friends. Nearly the weekend again and a busy one ahead for us...weather permitting.

Anyway, the reason I am here is to encourage you to join in with our latest challenge at


and this time we would love to see a project using your Favourite Animal.

Those of you that visit often know that I love dogs, cats, horses...in fact most animals (except rats after a rather unpleasant experience) so I chose to go with dogs. However, on close inspection of my HUGE stamp collection discovered that I do not own a dog stamp...until I remembered a set that came free with a magazine so I rescued it and did this...

The front


and inside

This card was made for a Friend who has recently welcomed a rescue Rottweiler into her home...I know...the image is a Westie but Marion loves all dogs so it will do the trick, I hope!! EDIT: She loved it and Roxy is settling in well.
The cheeky little mutt was coloured using my pencils and the papers are from a pack by Dovecraft Leyton

Hope you will find the time to join us.

I am afraid that time has run away with me this week so my blogging time has been in short supply, I hope that if it rains on Friday ( as forecast) I can grab some time and catch up with you all!!

See you soon xx

Monday 18 April 2016

Jingle all the way

Hello lovely people. I have a bit of inspiration for you today (I hope!!).



We are mid way through the Cute Woodland Friends Challenge at

new style blog badge

and I am here to remind you that there is still time to enter in order to win a Pink Gem Designs image!! I used Reindeer Rudy and coloured him with pencils.



I think the papers may be Marianne Designs, I know the Christmas tree certainly is.




I did a bit of heat embossing and then stamping (I love this technique) to create a sort of "seal" effect. First I cut the scalloped circle and heat embossed it using WOW Copper EP and while it was still wet stamped using a sentiment from a Joy set. The gorgeous gingham ribbon came from my stash.








Some challenges

Christmas card challenges #20
The Ribbon Girl - April Any Image Challenge
Penny's papercrafty Challenge #273 - Anything Goes

It would be lovely to have you join in, you can be assured of a warm welcome!!

See you soon xx









Thursday 14 April 2016

Rodney the Reindeer

Evening crafty peeps, I hope you have had a good day. I started off with a ride in the early morning sunshine and spotted bluebells bursting out along the way. The verges and hedgerows are markedly greener than the weekend and the lawn needed mowing again today. I do believe that spring is finally making an appearance.

On that note...I have a Christmas card to share!!




Let me introduce Rodney. I bought him, together with Derrick the fox a while back, put them away (as you do) and forgot all about them until I saw the latest challenge theme at ABC Christmas.







He was coloured with my Promarkers to match the Studiolight paper pad. The snow was stickled but for the background I had a dig around and found my little Twinkling H2o pots and used one of those for the snowy sky. I had forgotten how fabulous they look and will be definitely using them more often in future. the Little sentiment came from an Inkylicious set. 

I am joining in here

A Snowflake's Promise #20 - Anything Goes


I have a fancy for something cheesy so think I might go and knock up some cheese scones.

Whatever you are eating have a good evening!! xx


Tuesday 12 April 2016

More coffee anyone?

Hello everyone, hope the week has started well for you.
This wasn't intentional but I appear to have a bit of a theme emerging with my beverage related cards of late!!


I was sooo pleased with myself and managed to buy just two stamps from the new LOTV range. I absolutely LOVE Jasmine (along with many other crafters apparently!!) and thought she deserved to be teamed with my "look only" Coffee in the Arbour paper pad.

She was coloured with Promarkers and I added a touch of white pen to highlight some areas. The pretty mat was done using a Sweet Dixie Circular die set, My Cheery Lynn Fishtail banner die set had an outing and I stamped the sentiment on a hand cut banner to sit on top. I cut the frantaged frame using little tags from my Tattered Lace Decorative Stepper set and the little sprigs behind the flowers were from the same set also. The banner does actually tuck in and out of the frame but then I went and covered it with flowers....doh!!

Some challenges

Sweet Stampin' - Paper piecing
The Ribbon Girl April Challenge - Anything Goes
Little Miss Muffet #135 - Anything Goes
In the Pink #91 - Dies and/or punches

Right, best go and get gorgeous!!

Have a good day xx

Friday 8 April 2016

Lady Belle loves Coffee...

...and so do I!! Best part of the day, get up, muck out/ride, then back to the house for a mug of proper coffee...decaff these days though as the leaded stuff gives me headaches...old age!!
Anyway, I don't look half as glamorous as Lady Bell here!!


In keeping with the coffee theme I used Nitwits Collections Coffee Talk papers, I love this colour combination and don't use it nearly enough. Promarkers were used to colour the lovely image and I sponged the edge of the oval with Tumbled Glass and Frayed Burlap for a bit of interest. I flowersofted her negligee to suggest fur/feather!! The perfectly matched ribbon came from The Works and the pearls from my stash.

Must just mention that the latest challenge started at Sasayaki Glitter yesterday, it's "Shaped Cards", you can use any image and the prize for the winner is THREE digis of your choice from Naz's fantastic collection. Added to that the Top 3 each get to choose one...how about that?!!

Some challenges

Crafty Calendar April - Anything Goes
A bit more time to craft #17 - Anything Goes
Creative ladybirds #14 - Anything Goes
Penny's papercrafty challenge #272 - Anything Goes

I just wanted to thank you for your lovely comments and apologise for not returning the compliment this week, it's been a hectic one. Hopefully normal service will resume soon!!

Thursday 7 April 2016

Not a card!!


Happy Thursday bloggers.

I have a wall hanging to share today. It's my DT piece for


where the new challenge starting today is

Your Favourite Not A Card (remember to tell us why)

Here's mine...


...a wall hanging. It still requires the same planning and design as a card but you get to hang it on the wall and look at it all year round. This one is actually in my kitchen to remind me how lucky I am to have a loving family (skin and fur!!), a beautiful home and good health. 

I used grey board as the base, covered in white linen card then a black mat covered with cheap and cheerful Hobbycraft paper. I used a stencil for the tag and used white ink on the Inkylicious stamp. As it won't be going anywhere near a post box I went to town on the elaborate button/bow ensemble...I do love doing these. I even included some lace and pearls for a bit of interest and Sue and Lucy, see if you can spot your contributions!! Thank you muchly!! xx

Some Challenges

Crafters Cafe Challenge Blog - Use some lace
A Gem Of A Challenge #166 - Don't be a square
Craft for the craic - April's Anything But A Card
Addicted to stamps challenge #123 - Buttons and bows
Pearly Sparkles #3 - Anything Goes
Crafty Enjoyments #3 - Bingo
(Top row = Ribbon, sentiment and layers)

I'll be back tomorrow to enjoy a coffee with you xx

Sunday 3 April 2016

Maggie's Christmas Dinner

Hello folks hope this finds you well. I thought I would strike while the iron's hot and share a card fresh from the work room as I am doing holiday cover at work next week so time will be short.
Several challenges tickled my fancy so I made this little card to join in.


I used the current layout from here.


The die cut snowflakes are Marianne Designs, the papers were from Wilko the Christmas before last and the sentiment was from a CC designs set called Snarky Christmas (which I cannot find to add a link) that I bought this time last year and inked for the first time today...oops!! I thought it was about time Maggie had another inking and she was then coloured with Promarkers and given a splattering of stickles snow. 

These are the challenges that inspired me, together with a couple more that "fit"

Allsorts challenge #357 - April Fool/Humorous
Cut it up #93 - April Fools (include a joke or riddle)
 Hope the sentiment counts!!
The Sugar Bowl #135 - Anything Goes

I'll "see" you later in the week with a couple of scheduled posts. 

Until then have a good week xx

Friday 1 April 2016

A Freebie!!

Hello lovely people of blog land.

There are loads of new releases today at

Sasayaki Glitter


and if you go to the Challenge Blog here you will be able to grab a freebie for just today.

Here he is...Dino and Ducklings


I went for a simple design here as I thought it will probably be useful for a lad. The Doodlebug designs pad was still on my desk so I went with green, coloured Dino, with Promarkers, to match and simply added some enamel dots and a Craftwork Cards sentiment.

See you soon xx