Anything goes for Sparkles 4th Anniversary

Hi everyone

There's a new challenge starting at Sparkles Monthly Challenges.

To celebrate our 4th Anniversary we're having the theme of 'Anything goes'. 

I've made a birthday card for my daughter Rachel...

The image is LOTV, coloured with copics and some added sparkle around the wings.

You can't really see in the photo but I've used glitter pen on the cobweb too.

I hope you'll join us. You could win a fab $12 prize from

Thanks for visiting and good luck.

Happy crafting

Helen xx

Ruby's Christmas Recipe

Hi everyone

It's time for a new challenge over at Ruby's Rainbow.

We'd like to see your creations using the following recipe...

1 critter, 2 patterned papers, 3 embellishments.

Here's mine...

I've coloured the gorgeous LOTV stamp using Copics, with added Cosmic Twinkles. I've used 3 small adhesive snowflakes for my 3 embellishments.

I hope you'll take a look at the awesome inspiration from my very talented team mates.

I would like to enter the following:-

A random fan - Christmas

Crafty Sentiments - Christmas

Loves Rubber Stamps - Winter or Christmas

Thank you so much for visiting. I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs Helen xx

It's a blue blue Christmas with Sparkles Christmas Challenges

Hi everyone.

THere's a new challenge over at Sparkles Christmas Challenges

Our theme this month is It's a blue blue Christmas.

Here's my little bit of inspiration...

I've used a Forever Friends 6x6 paper, which I've matted with holographic silver card. I've added a couple of co-ordinating ribbons and finished off with a sentiment displayed on a snowflake.

Now it's your turn...

You could win a fab prize from our Sponsor

Thanks for visiting. Please bear with me till I find my mojo...it just seems to be lacking a bit at the moment but hopefully I'll find it again soon.

Happy crafting

Helen xx

All that glitters with Creative Knockouts

Hi everyone.

There's a new challenge over at Creative Knockouts.

Our theme for this week is All that glitters. We're being sponsored by The Paper Shelter, who very kindly gave us images to play with and are offering a fab prize for one lucky winner.

Here's my card, using a lovely image and backing paper called There's a fairy in my tea. You can find the image here.

I've coloured using copics and have added glamour dust to the wings and the die cut butterfly. I've also used glitter pens on parts of the fairy's dress.

The sentiment is Lili of the Valley.

I hope you'll join us. Thanks for visiting.

Happy crafting

Helen xx

Just Because with Ruby's Rainbow

Hi everyone.

There's a new challenge starting over at Ruby's Rainbow.

Our theme for this fortnight is 'Just Because'. 

We don't always need an occasion or a reason to make a card or a gift for someone, sometimes it's nice to do it just because we can. I've made a special gift for my best friend because I wanted her to know how much she means to me. Here's what I made...

The sentiments are by Lili of the Valley. I've used my favourite butterfly flourish, which I bought from Joanna Sheen, and a couple of Sue Wilson Poinsettia dies. The backing paper is by The Paper Shelter. Here's the other side...

The picture was taken at my wedding in 2006.  The backing is the same gold pearl paper I used to make the flowers on the front. I finished off with a small flower like the ones on the other side. Both sides have heart shaped doilies.

I really enjoyed creating this because I knew it would mean so much to my friend. I hope you'll join us for this challenge. Hope to see you there.

Hugs 

Helen xx

Santa with Sparkles Monthly Challenges

Hi everyone

There's a new challenge over at Sparkles Monthly Challenges.

This time our theme is 'The Big Guy'...we'd love to see Santa feature on your creations. Here's my little bit of inspiration...

I've used a piece of A4 card and a topper from a Hunkydory set, adding a couple of dies cut from silver mirri. 

I've added a vellum insert to finish off.

I hope you'll join us. You could win a fabulous prize from our sponsor

Thank you so much for visiting. Hope to see you again soon.

Happy crafting

Helen xx

A Non-Traditional Christmas with Ruby's Rainbow

Hi everyone

I hope you're all well.

There's a new challenge starting over at Ruby's Rainbow.

Our theme this time is 'Non-Traditional Christmas'.

Here's my little piece of inspiration...

The papers were free with a magazine years ago and have been in my stash ever since. I've added some Cosmic Twinkles to the star and have stamped the sentiment using Imperial Purple Versafine.

I hope you'll pop over and have a look at the fab inspiration from my very talented team mates.

Thank you so much for visiting. I'm hoping to get back to my crafting and blogging more now. My frozen shoulder is nearly better and I've found out that my back problem is arthritis so I'm dealing with that as best I can. Hope to see you very soon.

Happy crafting

Helen xx

Christmas Candy with Sparkles Christmas Challenges

Hi everyone

I hope you're all well. 

It's time for a new challenge over at Sparkles Christmas Challenges

This time the theme is 'Christmas Candy'.

Here's my little piece of inspiration...

I've used the House Mouse cd for this one, just adding a doily and a flower to finish off.

I hope you'll join us, you could win a prize from our fab sponsor...

Thanks for visiting, I hope to see you again soon.

Happy crafting

Helen xx

For the one you love with Ruby's Rainbow

Hi everyone.

I hope you're all well. Sorry for my lack of posts lately. I'm still having shoulder and back problems and find it hard to spend time in my craft room at the moment. Hoping things will start picking up soon. 

Today sees the start of a new challenge at

Ruby's Rainbow.

I got to choose the theme and I picked 'For the one you love'.

We'd like to see something made especially for that special someone...

Here's mine...

I couldn't resist this image from Bugaboo. You can find it here.

I've coloured with Copics, of course. I made this for my hubby Ted for our 8th Wedding Anniversary, which was on October 21st. We spent a few days chilling in the Lake District to celebrate.

I hope you'll pop over and have a look at the awesome inspiration from my very talented team mates and maybe join us. Can't wait to see what you produce.

Happy crafting.

Helen xx

Use freebies/prizes for Ruby's Rainbow

Hi again,

there's a new challenge over at Ruby's Rainbow.

We'd love to see your creations using either freebies or prizes.

I've used a couple of dies which have been free with magazines recently...

For the tall card I simply cut 3 snowflakes in co-ordinating shades and added a blue pearl to the centre of each...

The small square card was made using a Die'sire die which came with Simply cards & papercraft magazine this month. I've layered it up with a few more die cuts and added some gold pearls and a rub on sentiment...simple.

I hope you'll join us for this challenge. 

Thanks for looking

Helen x

Autumn colours with Sparkles Monthly Challenges

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all well. Firstly, apologies for my lack of blogging over the last couple of weeks. I've been suffering with a very painful frozen shoulder and bad back for months and recently my neck decided to join in just for the fun of it. I haven't been able to spend much time crafting as a result, hence the simple card I've made for Sparkles Monthly Challenges. Our theme is Autumn/Fall Colours...

The flower is a Sue Wilson faux quilled flower die and all other dies are Spellbinders.

I hope you'll pop over and take a look at the fabulous inspiration from my very talented team mates.

You could win a fab prize from our sponsor...

Thanks for looking.

See you soon

Helen x

'For a child' with Sparkles Christmas Challenges

Hi everyone.

It's time for a new challenge at Sparkles Christmas Challenges.

I got to choose the theme this month and went with 'For a child'.

Here's my card...

I've used my new Party Paws rubber stamp, which I coloured using Copics. I've also used Spica glitter pens, sakura gel pen (white) and some Glamour Dust.

The backing paper is from the Santa's Workshop pack by Helz Cuppleditch.

I think the tree is Memory box with added Cosmic Twinkles glitter glue (Aqua Twinkles), card candi and a small silver star from my stash.

I hope you'll join us. You could win a lovely prize from our fab sponsor.

Don't forget we're a multi craft challenge so you're not limited to just cards. Can't wait to see your projects.

See you again soon.

Hugs Helen x

Autumn leaves with Ruby's Rainbow

Hi everyone.

There's a new challenge over at Ruby's Rainbow.

Chosen by the lovely Silvi our theme for this fortnight is Autumn Leaves.

Here's my little piece of inspiration...

I've used a Crafter's Companion Toread cd to make this. It's one of the shaped cards. I've printed one of the co-ordinating backing papers onto the other side of the card to give the inside of the card some colour. I've then added a couple of die cut leaves (Spellbinder) and a 'Thinking of you' sentiment as I thought he looked like he was deep in thought. The whole thing only took about 15 minutes to make and he's so cute!

Hope you'll play along with us and maybe leave some love for my awesome teamies.

See you very soon

Hugs Helen x

Happy Fall with Creative Knockouts

Hi everyone.

There's a new challenge at Creative Knockouts.

Our theme is Happy Fall Y'All

Here's my little piece of inspiration using a stamp set which came free with a magazine, probably a couple of years ago...

I've coloured with Copics before cutting her out and mounting with glue gel. I've used Antique Linen distress ink to edge the card blank and highlight the sentiment, which I cut out using a Spellbinder die.

We have a new sponsor for this challenge...
http://www.craftclassesonline.com/

I hope you'll join us.

Hugs Helen x

Anything goes with Ruby's Rainbow

Hi everyone.

It's time for a new challenge at Ruby's Rainbow.

It's a nice easy theme for this fortnight...

Anything Goes.

I had some backing paper left over from a previous project, which I've matted with plum coloured card. I've added a Spellbinder Decorative Label 22 threaded with ribbon. I've then matted the sentiment with the plum card and added a few hot fix pearls. I've finished off with a Sue Wilson faux quilled flower using the plum card with added candi.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you'll play along. Please check out the fabulous creations from my very talented team mates. Hope to see you again soon.

Hugs Helen xx

Things with wings with Sparkles Monthly Challenges

Hi everyone.

There's a new challenge starting today over at Sparkles Monthly Challenges.

It was my turn to choose the theme this month and I picked

Things with wings.

Can't wait to see your projects. Here's mine...

I made an anniversary card for our best friends Sue & Mick. 

I printed the backing paper using My Craft Studio Elite (Quintessential Country Garden) using pearlescent paper. I've used a cream/gold pearlescent card as contrast and  added a deep plum coloured ribbon. I've built up the centre plaque using a Spellbinder stately circle, an Xcut doily and a tonic circle before adding Faux Quilled Flowers with candi centres.
 and  finished off with a Butterfly Flourish, which I cut in half.

I hope you'll join us. You could win a prize from our fabulous sponsor...

I would like to enter this for the following :-
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Anything goes
613 Avenue Create - Anything goes
CD Sunday Challenge - Happily Ever After (Backing paper)
One stitch at a time - anything goes with a die


Thanks for visiting. I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs Helen x

Tic-Tac-Toe with Creative Knockouts

Hi everyone,

There's a new challenge over at Creative Knockouts.

This week we have a Tic-Tac-Toe board for you...you can find it here.

Here's my little piece of inspiration...

We're being sponsored by Crafty Sentiments, who very kindly gave me this image to play with. She's called Rosey Fun Time and can be found here.

I've coloured her using copics before cutting her out and putting her on a swing.

The flowers are punched using an EK Success punch and the punched border is Martha Stewart. The sentiment is computer generated and cut out with a Spellbinder Petite Labels One die. 

I've also added a blue doily, small bow and some twine from my stash.

I hope you'll join us.

See you soon.

Hugs Helen x

Keys with Ruby's Rainbow

Hi everyone.

There's a new challenge at Ruby's Rainbow.

For the next 2 weeks we'd like to see your projects featuring Keys.

Here's my little piece of inspiration...

I've made a card for my friend's silver wedding anniversary. I've had this Spellbinder Die D'lite Love Locket for a while and this is the first time I've used it. I think it looks good in mirri board. The paper is First Edition. I've added various flowers, beads and bits of ribbon from my stash, not forgetting the heart shaped doily.

I hope you'll pop over to the challenge and take a look at the lovely inspiration from my very talented team mates.

Hugs Helen x

Snowman tag with Sparkles Christmas Challenges

Hi everyone

There's a new challenge over at Sparkles Christmas Challenges.

Our theme for this month is Snowmen.

Here's my little piece of inspiration...

As you can see I made a tag. I've used a Spellbinder Snowman die which I've added Glamour Dust to. I started off with a plain tag which I covered using a backing paper I've had in my stash for years. I've inked around the edge with red ink. Here's the reverse...

I added the white die cut so there was somewhere to write.

I hope you like it. We're being sponsored this time by the fabulous

I hope you'll come and join us.

Thanks for visiting. I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs Helen x

Tag You're It with Creative Knockouts

Hi everyone

There's a new challenge over at Creative Knockouts.

Our theme is Tag You're It.

We'd like to see either a tag on your card or you could make a tag like I did...

We're being sponsored by the fabulous Digistamps4Joy who very kindly gave me this image to play with. She's called Bettie Bow and can be found here.

I've coloured her with copics before cutting her out and using glue gel to add her to the tag...

I hope you'll join us for this challenge.

Thanks for visiting, see you again soon.

Hugs Helen x

Back to school with Ruby

Hi everyone, I hope you're well.

There's a new challenge today over at Ruby's Rainbow.

Our theme for the next fortnight is Back To School.

Here's my inspiration...

I've made a card for a friend of my daughter, she's starting her first teaching post in September.

I've taken a snapshot of the image from the House Mouse triple cd and taken it into Serif to have a play. I added the background and the sentiment and printed the card out. I then added some adhesive ribbon and the flower as finishing touches...I still feel as though I'm cheating if I make a digital card for some reason.

I hope you'll pop over to the challenge and take a peek at the fabulous inspiration from my very talented team mates.

Thanks for visiting. I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs Helen x