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

First Party Paws Christmas Card

Hi everyone

I wanted to show you the card I made yesterday using the new Party Paws rubber stamps.

My daughter adores pandas and I've been waiting for the Christmas collection ever since the first collection came out. These stamps are lovely to colour. I've used my copics...

I've added Glamour dust to the image and used Cosmic Twinkles (Aqua) to edge both the image and the sentiment.

I've added a bow and a flower made using a Sue Wilson faux quilled flower die.

I would like to enter this for the following:-

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - #42 Anything goes

Christmas Cards All Year Round - Sparkle and shine

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - August

Natalie and Amy - Die cuts and flowers

Sister Act Card Challenges - Anything goes

Thanks for visiting. I saw the physio again last night and he's referring me back to my gp for a cortisone injection as my shoulder isn't responding to treatment...guess it's gonna take more time. Oh well, we'll see what happens...

Happy crafting

Helen xx

Back to school with Sparkles Monthly Challenges

Hi everyone

There's a new challenge over at Sparkles Monthly Challenges

Our theme for this month is Back to school.

I've chosen to make a card for my daughter's best friend, who is starting her first teaching post in September.

I've used a Bugaboo image, which I've taken into Serif to add the sentiment to the board.

I've coloured using Copics. 

I added a Sue Wilson bow with a spotty brad to finish off.

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

Please pop over and check out the awesome projects from the rest of the design team.

I would like to enter this for the following:-

Whimsy Stamps - Back to school

Thanks for visiting. See you soon. I'm off for some more physio on my shoulder.

Hugs Helen x

Party Paws Happy Birthday

Hi everyone.

I'm still taking it easy with my shoulder and have been spending some time 'playing'.

Here's the card I've just finished...

My daughter gave me some watercolour pencils ages ago and I thought I'd have a go. I prefer my copics but overall I'm still quite pleased with this one. 

The backing papers are LOTV Nitwits Bonnets and Bowties which came free with a mag earlier in the year. The sentiment is also LOTV. I've used a Papermania punch to make the flowers and have added some small hearts around the image. These were the waste bits I've saved when I've used my bunting die. I knew they'd come in useful at some point. The pink flower border under the image has been made with a Martha Stewart punch. There's a piece of white gauze sticking out above the image. I've finished off with some ribbon from my stash and a few hot fix pearls.

I would like to enter this for the following:-

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Anything goes

Crafting At The Weekend - Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Challenges - Anything Goes

Crafty Little Fairies - Cute and Cuddly

Hanna and Friends - Animals

Crafting For All Seasons - Feature a Creature

Thanks for visiting. Time to do some commenting and then maybe I'll get chance to do some colouring with my copics. I could get used to this not doing much housework lark...not sure the girls or hubby would be very impressed though, lol.

See you soon

Hugs Helen xx

Happy 55th Wedding Anniversary

Hi everyone.

Just wanted to share the card I made for my Mum & Dad's Emerald Anniversary which was on August 8th. That's 55 years!

As you can see I've used Emerald as the inspiration and kept it monochrome. I've used green mirri board to mat the background, which I got at the Summer Crafting workshop at Doncaster a couple of years ago, and also as the under layer to the Spellbinder Vines of Passion die cut. The top layer of the die cut is pearlescent, as are the flowers (petal pairs punch with Cheery Lynn leaves) and the butterfly (Cheery Lynn). 

Finishing touches include a heart shaped doily, some ribbon and a charm from my stash. I've used Forest Moss distress ink on the flowers and the butterfly.

I would like to enter this for the following:-

The Crafters Cafe - Lots of layers

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - Anything goes

Glitter n Sparkle Challenge - Weddings/Love

Crafting at the weekend - Anything goes

Creatalicious Challenges - Monochrome

Natalie and Amy - Diecuts and flowers

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything goes

Thank you so much for visiting. It's thundering here at the moment so I'm gonna have a play in my craft room for a while. Just hope I remember to go and cook tea... I went for another physio session yesterday and currently am sporting some very colourful tape on my shoulder. It's shocking pink, black and bright blue. Looks really groovy and definitely helps to support my shoulder to help my rotator cuff to heal. I'm not allowed to do too much at the moment, it needs rest so a bit of gentle crafting should do me nicely. I hope you're not suffering too much with this awful weather. See you again soon.

Hugs Helen x

Doily fun with Creative Knockouts

Hi everyone, I hope you're all well.

There's a new challenge over at Creative Knockouts.

Our theme is Doily Fun so we'd love to see doilies on your projects.

We're being sponsored by the fabulous A Day For Daisies, who very kindly gave me this lovely image to play with...

She's called Bitsy Bug Rosa and can be found here.

I printed her out 3 times so that I could decoupage it. I've glittered the wings using Glamour Dust and coloured the rest with Copics. 

The backing papers are some Pepper and Friends ones that have been in my stash for a couple of years I think. They're really pretty...can you spot the row of ladybirds?

I've added a lilac doily and used mat card for layering. The green panel is from a DCWV Mat Stack which I've had since I first started card making...It's one of those stacks you stroke but don't want to use cos then you won't have it, if that makes sense. I've decided to try to use up such items. 

The ticket sentiment is a Whimsy one which I attached double sided adhesive to and covered in Glamour Dust. The flowers are made with aTonic Petal Pair punch and a card candi centre.

I hope you'll pop over to the challenge and take a look at the fab inspirations from my team mates. Join us and you could win a fab prize of a $12 gift certificate from our lovely sponsors.

I would like to enter this for the following:-

The Crafter's Cafe - Lots of layers

Crafty Creations Challenge - Flower power

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge - Anything goes

Digi Makeover Challenge - Use a digi

Incy Wincy Designs - Tickets

Thanks for visiting. Sorry I'm not commenting much at the moment. I'm having shoulder and back problems so time at my pc is a bit restricted at the moment. I'm having physio so hopefully things will be back to normal soon. Hope to see you again soon. I've managed to make an emerald anniversary card for my parents for tomorrow so I'll try and share that with you tomorrow.

Happy crafting.

Helen xx

For the birds with Ruby

Hi everyone

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

Our theme for this fortnight is For the birds so we'd like to see birds featuring on your project.

Here's my little piece of inspiration...

I made an owl from scalloped ovals. I got the inspiration for this from a recent visit to a local craft shop (The Stables Card Emporium, Habrough). I've made the wings from felt to add a different texture and have also mounted the head on a spring so he wobbles.

Now it's your turn. I hope you'll pop over to the challenge and check the awesome inspiration from my very talented team mates.

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

Hugs Helen x

Snowflakes with Sparkles Christmas Challenges

Hi everyone

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

This month our theme is Snowflakes.

Here's my little piece of inspiration...

I've used an embossing folder directly onto the card blank on the left hand side as you look at it. I've stamped using silver detail embossing powder and cut it out using a Spellbinder die, layering the sentiment on foam pads. I've also added a die cut to the corner and finished off with some ribbon and a bow from my stash. This isn't my usual style but I wanted to try something different. I'm really pleased with the result. I hope you'll pop over to the challenge and take a look at the awesome inspiration from my very talented team mates. I hope you'll also join us in the challenge. There's a fab prize up for grabs from Di's Digi Downloads.

Thanks for visiting. Sorry I haven't been around much in the last couple of weeks. I injured my shoulder in August of last year and it's still giving me grief, along with my back. I finally plucked up the courage to go to see a physio last week and had some acupuncture needles inserted into my shoulder and an electric current put through it. As a result it's been more sore than before but I knew it would get worse before it starts to get better. He hasn't started on my back yet as he didn't want to overload my system on my first visit...I also suffer with fibromyalgia, but I have another session tomorrow. He's mentioned pilates so that could be fun. Anyhow I'll keep crafting while I can and hope to see you again soon.

Happy crafting

Helen x