A recipe with Ruby

Hi everyone

I hope you're all well.

There's a new challenge over at 

Ruby's Rainbow.

This fortnight we have a recipe for you to follow.

Twine, ribbon and embossing

Here's my little piece of inspiration...

I've used a Spellbinder Fancy Label Tags One set to make this, using 2 of the 3 dies in the set. The white panel has been embossed using a mask whilst still in the die. The sentiment is also a Spellbinder Die D-Lite, Sentiments Two. I've matted the red spotty backing paper with black card using my 1/16th mini perfect layer ruler. I've wrapped red and white twine around before sticking the panel to the card blank (4x4). The sentiment panel has been raised on pads and 3 tiny buttons added to the bottom corner to finish off.

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

I would like to enter this for the following:-

Through the craft room door - Anything goes

Crafting from the heart - Anything goes

Crafty Bloggers Network - Dies or embossing

My Craft Creations - Anything goes

613 Avenue Create - Anything goes

Thank you for visiting. I hope you feel inspired to enter our challenge. See you again soon.

Happy crafting

Helen xx

A Barkley card

Hi everyone

Just wanted to share a Christmas card I've made this afternoon.

I've used the seriously cute Barkley for this one...

I've coloured using Copics and am particularly pleased with how his hat turned out. Here's a closer look...

I've made an A6 card for a change. I wanted to have two different backing papers but didn't want an obvious join so I cut two pieces together, the same size as the whole background. I then cut it in half with a pinking blade and put the pieces together like a jigsaw. I've got another set ready to use on another card...

I finished off with a die cut poinsettia, a hand tied bow, a sentiment and used some double sided tape to add glitter to the corners. I've raised the image on foam pads.

I would like to enter this for the following:-

Crafty Little Fairies - Furry Friends

Crafty Hazelnut - Hats

Crafty Hazelnut - April Extra

Decosse's Dynamite Doodles - 12 months of Christmas

Thanks for visiting. I'm going to attempt to make a vindaloo now so hopefully I'll see you again soon...

Happy crafting

Helen xx

Happy 40th Birthday

Hi everyone

I'm here to share a card I made for a friend for their recent 40th birthday.

The lady in question adores cats so I just had to use this Helz Cuppleditch stamp

'Lazy Days'...

It's an 8x8 card. I've coloured using Copics and matted with black card using my Perfect Layers mini rulers at 1/16th". There's no way I could get them this even using my trimmer or by eye. I've used some of my new dies which my lovely hubby bought for my birthday including the bunting, hearts and butterfly flourish. 

There's a layer between the image and the yellow spotty layer which is acetate. I've embossed it and then edged it with guilding flakes so it shows up more...still not easy to show in a photo though. I've finished off with some ribbon from my stash, a small tag and self adhesive pearls...oh, I nearly forgot the self adhesive lace 'Happy Birthday' strip down the edge of the spotty panel...

I would like to enter this for the following:-

Crafty Little Fairies - Furry Friends

4 Crafty Chicks - Embossing (acetate)

MilkCoffee Challenge - Bright Colours

Little Red Wagon - Count Me In

Thanks for visiting. I hope to see you again soon. I've been busy crafting but can't share with you just yet. Hopefully I'll get chance to do some 'Just because I can' cards very soon.

Happy crafting

Hugs Helen xx

Furry Friends with Creative Knockouts

Hi everyone,

There's a new challenge over at Creative Knockouts

Our theme is 'Furry or Feathery Friends'

We're being sponsored by Doodle Pantry who very kindly gave me this fab image to play with.

The image is called 'Beary Cute' and can be found here.

I've coloured using Copics, there is also a colour version available.

I would like to enter this for the following:-

Simon Says - Animal Antics

Crafting By Designs - April Anything Goes

Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge

Thanks for visiting, hope I'll see you again soon.

Helen xx

Let it snow Barkley

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to share a Christmas card I made yesterday using a Crafters Companion

Barkley stamp called 'Let it snow'. I picked this up in a sale recently whilst on holiday in the Lakes.

I've coloured him using Copics, adding glamour dust snow. 

The backing paper is from the Dovecraft Merry Magic paper pack, matted with black card.

I got a brilliant new toy for my birthday on Monday...Mini Perfect Layers! These little rulers are fab. I couldn't mat 1/16th of an inch by eye but this makes it so simple.

I've finished off with a couple of die cuts in silver mirri and a red card candi in the centre of the snowflake.

I would like to enter this for the following:-

Crafty Hazelnut - Make it square

Crafty Hazelnut Extra - April

Completely Christmas - Anything goes

Decosse's Dynamite - 12 Months of Christmas

Thanks for visiting. I'll see you again soon.

Helen xx

An Art Deco Lady with Ruby's Rainbow

Hi everyone,

There's a new challenge over at 

Ruby's Rainbow

This fortnight our theme is 'Ladies'.

Image - Art Deco set from Creative Stamping Magazine

Inks - Momento Rich Cocoa, Antique Linen Distress ink

Dies - Spellbinder Opulent Ovals, Cheery Lynn Olive Branch

Flowers - Various small punches

Paper - Fairy Belle Collection by Jodie Lee Designs

Contrast - Core'dinations

Self Adhesive Pearls By Hobby House

Here's a close-up of those flowers...

This is a change to my usual 'cutsie' style but I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

I would like to enter this for the following:-

Paper Minutes - Heads

Tuesday Throwdown - Vintage/Shabby Chic

Artistic Inspirations - Monochrome anything goes

Bunny Zoe's Crafts - March Monochrome

Thanks for visiting. See you again soon.

Helen xx

Growing up is optional!

Hi everyone,

I'm here to share my DT piece for the new challenge at

Sparkles Monthly Challenges

our theme for this month is 'Favourite Colour Combo'

Mine is blue and red with black matting.

I've used a fab Bugaboo image featuring the wonderful Gus. The sentiment is just brilliant.

I've coloured using copics and have added glossy accents to his glasses.

The backing paper is Core'dinations, which I've embossed and sanded. I think it looks great.

I've matted with black card as I think it makes the backing paper really stand out.

Our sponsor for this month is the fabulous

Di's Digi Designs who are giving an awesome $10 voucher to the lucky winner.

So what are you waiting for?? Check out our challenge here

Happy crafting

Helen xx

An altered pencil pot

Hi everyone,

Thought I'd share my afternoon's project with you. I only seem to get chance to blog design team pieces just lately so I wanted to do something 'just because I could' for a change. I bought this MDF pencil pot a few weeks ago when I was out with my friend Joy and have finally got round to making it co-ordinate with a box I made for my kitchen some time ago...

Here's a few more piccies...

Now I just need to chuck out my old plastic pot full of pens that don't work and pencils with broken leads! You can see the matching box here.

Thanks for looking

See you again soon

Hugs Helen xx

Little Monkey with Creative Knockouts

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all well.

There's a new challenge over at Creative Knockouts

Our theme this week is 'For a Child'.

Here's my little bit of inspiration...

We're being sponsored by the fabulous Meljens Designs who very kindly gave us an image to play with. I chose this gorgeous little monkey called 'Monkey Toes', which you can find here. He's on sale at the moment so there's no better time to add him to your collection. I've coloured him using Copics and added sakura glitter pen to the swirls. He's displayed on a Spellbinder Picot Edge circle. I've used a LOTV rubber stamp for the sentiment, which I've cut out using a Sizzix framelit. The heart balloon is a Marianne die which accidentally fell into my basket when I was ordering my new Big Shot...funny how that happens...(well it was a bargain - only £2!). The backing paper is by First Edition and I've finished off with some glittery blue ribbon from my considerable ribbon stash.

Isn't he just adorable? 

I hope you'll join us. You could win 4 Meljens digis.

I would like to enter this for the following:-

Crafting By Designs - Anything Goes

Hobbybook Designer Challenge - 2 or more die cuts

The Sisterhood of Crafters - Animals

Creative Card Crew - Animals

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

Hugs Helen xx

April Showers with Ruby's Rainbow

Hi everyone

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

Our theme this time is 'April Showers'

so we'd like to see rain drops or umbrellas featuring in your projects.

Here's my little piece of inspiration...

I've used a gorgeous digi stamp which was a freebie from the very talented Sliekje.

You can find lots of lovely digis on her blog here.

I've coloured using Copics, adding a grass die cut, punched flower and sentiment to finish.

The sentiment is a LOTV stamp which I've cut out using a Framelit which came with my new Big Shot.

Thanks Ted for my early birthday pressie...I broke my old one.

The love heart is also a framelit and I've added a pearl to finish it off.

I decided to use these colours as it's not a combo I use very often but is very 'Springlike'.

I hope you'll pop over to the challenge here and leave some love for my awesome team mates.

Thanks for visiting, see you again soon

Hugs Helen xx

Inspired by a Christmas Carol for Sparkles Christmas Challenges

Hi everyone,

I hope you'll join us over at Sparkles Christmas Challenges

for our April Challenge 

 'Inspired by a Christmas carol/song'

Here's my little piece of inspiration...

I've used a Crafters Companion rubber stamp from the Makey Bakey Mice range. I've coloured using copics and added Glamour Dust . The sentiment came with the image and I've added a bell charm to the sentiment tag. I cut out a circle from red card and then embossed it with a musical embossing folder and glittered round the edge. I've added a memory box fancy corner and finished off with some ribbons from my stash. Here's some close ups...

I hope you'll pop over to the challenge and check out the fab inspiration from my very talented team mates.

We're being sponsored by Marianne Design with this awesome prize...

I would like to enter this for Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra (April)

Fab'n'Funky - Christmas

Completely Christmas - Anything Goes

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

Hugs Helen xx