We love colour

Hello there,

It's our grand daughter Aminata's ( Ami)  6th birthday today. She's a very bright and vibrant little girl who loves colour, the brighter the better. She is a diva but she's gorgeous and bubbly and full of confidence and we love her to bits.

Ofcourse her card had to be just as colourful and sparkly.

The papers are from The Shabby Princess.
I used glitter card from various places to cut out the stars (Sizzix) and the letters ( forgotten which brand ).
Happy Birthday stamp is by Anita's, mounted onto some purple mirri card.

We took the card and her presents last evening and she was very impressed that the card had her name on.

Thank you for visiting  X

Simply Less is More # 248

Hello there !
First of all I would like to say how chuffed I was to be showcased for my masculine card at Simply Less is More 
It made my day, thank you girls x
This weeks challenge is Paper Piecing. Not my favourite technique I must say, far too fiddly for me but I`ve had a go.

This little santa was one of the first stamps I bought almost 10 years ago. It`s a Creative Expressions stamp and is really easy to piece.
I`ve used some red DP with tiny white dots on, I think it`s a Papermania paper but I`m not sure.
I`ve finished him off with some white glitter on his hat, beard and coat.
The sentiment is from a Penny Black set.

This one uses an Anita`s stamp. Another easy to piece one, pieced with some green spotty DP from Papermania. The red ornaments are the same DP as santa`s suit above finished with a touch of red glitter
Sentiment is by Crafters Companion

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Man card

Good Morning All.

When Cheryls friend asked me to make some cards for family members, there were two or three man cards among the order. As you all know I`m not very good at man cards but I really need to get into the swing with them and make some for the fundraising box too.
This one is nice and simple and can be done again and again in different colour ways.

Burgundy card base with Papermania Silent Night ( Christmas paper)  matted onto it.
The Alphabet (Die-namics) and stars ( X Cut) are in old gold card and I`ve crimped the stars.
Sentiment is Anita`s stamped and embossed in detail gold EP.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Simply Less is More # 92 and In the Pink # 7

Good Afternoon All.
Yaay, it`s the weekend. Time to cram in all those chores you don`t get time to do during the week :-(
But, hopefully, some craft time too :-)

It`s colour week at Simply Less is More  and I have to admit my heart sank when I saw it was PINK.
Don`t get me wrong, I love pink but I spent most of thursday afternoon with 3 sheets of pink card in front of me to make a card for the In the Pink Challenge 
which just happens to be CaS this week, and I couldn`t come up with a single idea.
This morning however, I thought of this;

So I`m entering this one into the In the Pink Challenge too.

Now snow isn`t the first thing I normally think about when using pink but I kinda like this.
Started off with a 6x6 square base card.
Made another square slightly smaller than the base and cut a square in the middle with a nested square die.
I like to go around my die cut shapes with a ball tool to give them an edge.
I then stamped the snowflakes (Lge from Inkadinkado, sm from Anitas) in white ink and embossed in white EP onto the base card.
I then started from the top and inked in Spun Sugar DI, Versacolor Pink and Memento Rosebud to give a slightly graduated look. It`s ages since I did some resist embossing, must do it more often.
The sentiment is by Creative Expressions stamped in Memento Rose Bud and embossed in clear EP.

Now you all know how I make my cards and then decide that I`m not happy with them but I`m so pleased with this one that I think I`m going to lots more in different colours.

A quick word about Ruby, she is home from hospital and is doing well. The doctors were so pleased with her that they let her home early and she is to carry on with her medication, orally, at home.
She is so funny. When she first went into hospital this time she saved the covers from the disposable thermometers and made a magic wand with them to magic her spots away.
When it didn`t work she said she thought her magic needed some medicine, bless her.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Cas_ual Fridays #77

Good Afternoon All.
I hope I find you well and keeping warm.To  those of you on the east coast of the USA, my thoughts are with you and I hope things improve for you very soon.

The challenge at Cas_ual Fridays this week is to make a clean and simple masculine project.

This is my take on the challenge,

Hull City, our local football (soccer) team play in Black and Amber kit so the colours are always welcome in the fundraising box. I`ve also wanted to try this technique for a while and was inspired recently by THIS 
card by Rosemary.
I used a Die-namics alphabet die on the strip of card leaving it with the negative, placed it onto another strip of card in the opposing colour with some double sided tape behind the letters. Then cut out the same letters from the opposing colour card ( positive) and placed them inside the negative. Sounds complicated when I say it but it is sooo easy peasy and the effect is amazing.
To finish off the design I stamped a football from The Stampman in Versafine Onyx and embossed in clear EP then cut it out with a nestie circle.

The sentiment is by Anitas, also stamped in versacolor and embossed.
Really enjoyed making these and I`m pleased at how they`ve turned out.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Less is More # 83

Good Morning All.

As it`s the first week of a new month it`s a colour challenge at Simply Less is More and this week we are asked to make a card using  Pink and Brown.
I love pink and brown together in all their shades but putting them on a card proved a tad difficult. It`s not the challenge...it`s me... I`m craftily challenged at the moment I think
Lets just say that I`m not doing the happy dance about any of this collection,

 My first one was going great until I tried to be clever and make the bottom trim of the car a slightly darker shade of pink and went over the lines.As this was the last to be made I`d had enough faffing so I`m posting it anyway so you get the gist of the design.
Pink hammered base card. Milk chocolate panel embossed with swiss Dots EF.
Stamp from Hero Arts. Sentiment computer generated.

 This one I`m reasonably pleased with. DP is from Papermania. Stars are X cut nested stars.
Sentiment done on comp.

 Hot pink base card. Dark chocolate panel raised on foam pads.
Heart is Woodware punch, letters Die-namics die cuts. All cut out of hot pink glitter paper by Craftime.

And lastly, hot pink base card ( all card is Papermill) Dark chocolate panel embossed with Craft Concepts Wood Grain EF and two corners rounded.
Flwers are tissue paper cut out with nestie scalloped circles and crunched. Brads in centre are Papermania.
Sentiment stamp is Anita`s stamped in Versafine Onyx and embossed in clear EP. Inverted `v` done with corner of square nestie.

So, nothing very imaginative or ground breaking. I don`t know what`s the matter with my mojo, maybe just a bit tired. I`ve got another week at work and then I`m off for a week so hopefully I`ll be able to get my backside into gear.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Less is More...A Bit of Bling.

Hello folks.
Can I start by saying massive apologies for being MIA all last week. Work has been mega busy in the run up to Christmas and then ofcourse it was Alan`s birthday on Wednesday and mine on friday so we`ve had lots of visitors and time has just whizzed by. Lame excuse I know and I am sorry.

This week on Less is More is a theme.

This should have been a breeze but my mojo has done a runner. This is the third card I`ve made and the only one I`m remotely happy with. Not only that but it`s a rubbish piccy as well. The lights bad and no amount of fiddling with the photo editing has made it any better.

Really simple OLC.
The sentiment is by Papermania Silent Night set stamped in Versacolor Cyan and embossed in clear EP.
The snow flakes are a mixture of Inkadinkado and Anita`s stamped in Versacolor Heliotrope, Orchid and Mint also embossed in clear EP and I`ve added a gem to the middles.
It does look so much better IRL and I didn`t want to miss a week.

As I said it was my birthday on friday and I recieved some fabulous cards from the design team girls at St Lukes Charity Card Challenge. As soon as I get time I`ll take a piccy and show them, they are all gorgeous. What a fab bunch you all are.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

St Lukes Mid Month Reminder

Hello Friends!
Just a quick post from me to remind you that this months challenge at St Lukes  
is halfway through (well almost). As it`s November we want you to share your Christmas cards with us and don`t forget we have a fantastic prize for the winner from Lili of the Valley too.
We would also be extremely grateful if you could donate your card to this worthy cause. There is going to be a Chritmas fayre on the 27th November where Tara will be selling all the donated cards. Details are on the main blog.

Just to get you in the mood I`ve made this card.
Cream pearlescent card cut to make a 5x5. I`ve used DP from Papermania Silent Night Collection matted onto burgundy card. On the green paper I`ve stamped and embossed in gold a Holly Flourish stamp from Inkadinkado in top left and bottom right corners.I`ve also swiped my embossing pad along the edges and embossed in gold.
The text paper has some gold foiling on and is matted onto burgundy card that has been punched with a MS border punch.
I`ve added a ribbon and bow which match perfectly with the lattering on the text paper, along with a die cut star which I`ve glittered in gold and some gold cord.
The sentiment is by Anita`s, also stamped and embossed in gold and cut out with a nestie circle and matted onto burgundy card cut out with a nestie scalloped circle.
As all the DP and some of the card is from my snippet box, I`m also entering this one into Jules Crafty Snippets Challenge # 45. I haven`t had the chance to join in with Jules for a couple of weeks so I was determined to get one in early this week. You never know I might even got another one done...

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

St Lukes November Challenge

Good Morning All.
I hope you are all recovered from the halloween celebrations and are not still looking over your shoulders in case of ghosties and ghoulies lol.
As it`s the 1st of November it`s time for another challenge at St Lukes Charity Card Challenge. 
As the big day is looming ever faster we thought what better than " Deck the Halls" Make any sort of Christmas card, any design, any theme. What could be simpler?
We have a fabulous prize this month too. 2 fantastic stamps from Lily of the Valley, how cool is that.
Naturally, the title of this challenge didn`t sink in with me and I made a snowman card ( I blame my age) lol.

Really simple, all the DP are by Dovecraft.
Frankie the Snowman is by Creative Expressions. Stamped in Memento black, I`ve coloured his hat and scarf with Promarkers, added a bit of Glamour Dust to parts of his body to highlight and some blackpearls down his front. The sentiment is part of a stamp by Anita`s
Don`t forget you can donate your cards to the hospice to raise much needed funds.

Less is More wk 39 Stars.

Happy Sunday Everyone!
I hope I find you all well. This week is Lucky Dip week at Less is More with the theme to use Stars.
Mmmm, I struggled a bit this week mainly because my inspiration was sadly lacking. I made my first card but I`m not entirely happy with it so I made another with one eye on X factor. Which probably explains the fact that there`s nothing paricularly exciting about either of them lol.

The stars are by Anita`s and the sentiment is Waltzing Mouse, all stamped in Memento Bahama Blue.
I`ve added some gems to the stars to give them a bit of bling and a sheer ribbon to finish.
It`s not quite what was in my head so I made this one aswell,

I really didn`t want to use a tree stamp as both Mandi and Chrissie have in their examples but I was fast running out of idea`s. I am quite pleased with the look of this one though.
The tree is Chocolate Baroque (Elusive Images) stamped and embossed in detail silver EP.
Then I`ve simply added some star shaped gems to the tree with a larger one at the top. Cut out the image and matted onto some pink card.
The sentiment is  Papermania Silent Night set stamped in Versafine Onyx black.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Classy Christmas Trio

Good Evening All!  
I`ve been stalking  catching up with Sharon Johnson on her blog No Time To Stamp? for a very long time, long before I ever had my own blog. I love her simple style and her use of papers and ribbons. In fact I`m convinced that it is because of Sharon that I started using ribbons on my own cards. If you think my bows are good, you really want to see hers...oh and the ribbons she uses are devine. Sharon has her own ribbon store too with a fabulous selection.
Anyway, the point I`m trying to get to  is that Sharon and some of her blogging friends have been having a " 12 days of Christmas" blog feast this last week or so. On monday (24th) Sharon showed a trio off beautiful CaS cards that I asked if I could CASE. Here is my take on Sharons cards,

Now I know when CASing that you are supposed to change the look of the card, and I have, obviously, used different papers and a different text stamp but these are so simple that, that is all that can be altered really. Apart from that, it was the layout of the cards that appealed to me.

This one uses a beautiful gold foiled paper with cranberry stripes. I`ve matted it onto gold mirror card, leaving a border along the edge. The sentiment is by Anita`s, stamped in Cranberry ink and embossed in clear EP then cut out with a nestie rectangle.

This one uses paper from the same pack ( Papermania SilentNight Collection) in cranberry and muted green. Also matted onto gold mirror card.

Finally, from the same pack is this stylised poinsettia which is raised and slightly glittered, again matted onto gold.
All of these cards are perfect for mass producing and are very quick and easy to make. I think these are the one`s I`ll be sending out to the neighbours this year.
I`ll be back tomorrow with some of the same but made with very different papers.

Thanks forpopping in...Lynne xxx
           

Jules crafty snippets wk 42

Good evening all!
I had intended to post these cards in last weeks Snippets challenge but things got in the way (read previous post for details).
I started off making one card then realised that I had naughtily cut into at least 2 of each of these sheets giving me some quite large snippets so I got carried away and made 6.

The stamp is one I`ve had for years and is from Anita`s. I`ve simply coloured with Promarkers and added some Art Glitter to the baubles and stars.
The DP is Dovecraft that I`ve also had for along time. I`ve just done variations with different EF and paper placements. Really quick and easy for mass producing.
The sentiment is another Anita`s set, Magical Christmas.

On Jules blog she has come up with a really good idea. She wants us to check our stats and see our most popular post, then, if we want to, show that post again. Well here is mine. It was quite a surprise really, I never dreamed it would be this card that had the most views. To find yours all you have to do is go to stats, look at the posts column and click on `all time`. The most viewed will be at the top of the list.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Jules Crafty Snippets wk 41

Good Afternoon All!
Another quick post today so I can share a card I made for Jules Crafty Snippets wk 41.

 The main DP is a bit left over from a Forever Friends decoupage kit, matted onto pink card.
The strip is one of many pieces I still have in the box form a Papermania pack ( I think) also matted onto pink card.
The image is one of only two Penny Black stamps I own and really must rectify. I love this stamp, it`s so versatile and I just love the way his (her) spikes are sticking through the hammock lol. Coloured in Promarkers with a tiny bit of Glamour Dust on the Bee`s wings. The image is cut out with a circle nestie and matted onto a pink Lacey Circle.
The sentiment is by Anita`s, stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.
I`ve added a ribbon too and was going to put a bow onto it but then discovered there wasn`t enough room Doh!

I`ve changed my hours at work this week, so instead of doing afternoons, I`m now doing mornings starting at 9. I`m still trying to get into a routine but hopefully once I`m sorted I`ll have more time to myself and that means more time for crafting. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

CR84FN #40

Hello Everyone.
I hope you`re enjoying your sunday. It`s certainly got a bit nippier in my neck of the woods but still a lovely bright day. Don`t think it`s going to last much longer though(sigh).
I thought I`d share my entry for this fortnights cr84fn Challenge with you today.

This is the inspiration we have been given and a colour pallette of Red, Kraft and Brown.

I`ve used a brown base card (5x5) and matted a script paper from Pink Petticoat onto it.
My Poinsettia is from Creative Stamping and is a Mandalla stamp. I stamped the image 4 times in Cranberry ink onto red card and cut it out, decreasing the petals each time then built it up using foam pads.

This pic shows the depth of the flower afterwards. I gently curled the petals with my fingers beforehand. Some yellow flatback pearls have been added to the centre.
I cut a strip of Kraft card, stamped my sentiment from Anita`s in Versafine Onyx Black, matted onto some brown card and cut it leaving a slim border.
I`m rather pleased with this one. Quite a simple card but with a bit of POP.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Less is More #33 Poinsettia

Hi All!
I`m back with my final entry for this weeks marathon 1000 entries challenge at Less is More. At the last count there were well over 600 entries which is fantastic. Wouldn`t it be great if we could have one final push for the 1000.

Still in Christmas mode as you can see. I think this one would be great for mass producing, really quick and easy to do.
The poinsettia stamp is by Creative Stamping and I`ve stamped and embossed in gold EP. Coloured with Promarkers then added the sentiment which is by Anita`s also embossed in gold EP.
I`ve matted the image onto gold mirri card. The main panel is Cuttlebug Candy Cane EF also matted onto gold mirri card. And that`s it, simples!
I`ve really enjoyed this week, coming up with new ideas and I`ve started on my Christmas cards which is a first for me. I usually can`t get into the spirit of Christmas until last minute and then I panic lol. Expect to see more while the mood is on me ...

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

LiM Things that move part 2

Good morning all!
I made a second card for this weeks Less is More Challenge at the weekend but have only just got round to posting it. I thought my earlier butterfly card was a bit of a cop out seeing as I use butterflies so regularly. I remembered I had this stamp from Anita`s tucked away and although wheelbarrows need a helping hand, they do move.

I stamped straight onto the card and coloured with Promarkers.
The sentiment is Flourishes Tag Lines.
The photograph isn`t the best but the weather has been pretty rubbish here this week apart from monday which was glorious and just sent to tease us I think. How you can go from summer heat wave to autumn overnight baffles me but then most things do lol.

While I`m here I thought I`d give you a quick explanation on why I`m being such a misery guts.
Alan works for the public sector and as you all know there have been major cut backs across the country in all forms of council employment. While he was never on fantastic wages we managed quite well until about 15 months ago when his working system changed. It`s complicated but basically his work consists of 3 levels, core, periodic and emergency call out, with 3 levels of pay, core being the lowest. Emergency call out has all but dried up and periodics have been reduced by half leaving just core work. At the moment he has a lot of core work and is working 15 hour days and saturday mornings which means we hardly see each other and when we do he is so tired, he sleeps alot.It also means that over the last year or so, our income has gone down by about a third. With a lot of careful planning and belt tightening we have been managing but we have almost no disposable income. On sunday, the car that has been playing up for months decided it just wasn`t playing at all anymore and then on sunday evening the telly died. It wasn`t even a dramatic death, it just turned itself off, went pop and won`t come on again. So we are watching a very small portable at the moment. Now I know that in the grand scheme of things, being tellyless isn`t very important but you get to a point were you wonder what else life can throw at you. Well on monday we found out. Young Alan, our son, ( having two Alans is so confusing) had another scan on his knee. The first two were inconclusive as there was too much fluid but this time they were able to see the true extent of the damage. He has torn 75% of the medial ligament but this time they`ve found serious damage to the cruciate ligament too which means surgery. The wedding itself won`t be a problem although it`s not how you`d choose your wedding day to be but the honeymoon has had to be postponed because he won`t be able to fly for quite a while because of the risk of DVT. I think this was the last straw for me.
I know there are people in a worse state than us but you just think that life should be better than this. I don`t feel quite so miserable as I did at the beginning of the week, you`ve just got to get on with it I know and things can only get better but in the meantime I`m wallowing in self pity lol.

 Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Less is More # 7 Masculine.

Good afternoon and a happy saturday to you all.

The challenge this week over on Less is More is Masculine. Argh, there`s a reason people don`t make many man cards. It`s because they are so difficult. You can`t even dress them up with ribbons and gems to hide the fact that the images you have mean nothing to the man in your life lol.
Anyway, not to be outdone I`ve come up with a card. It probably won`t be my only one this week but we`ll have to see. I`m really out of my comfort zone with this challenge.

I`ve used Rubbadubbado A Year in Sport that I`ve had for years and hardly used. I stamped in black Stazon
and coloured with Promarkers.
The wickets have been cut out with a nestie oval and raised with foam pads. The bat and ball have been cutout by hand and also raised with foam pads. The grass is from a scrapbooking pad that I got ages ago.
The sentiment is by Anita`s.
I was reasonably pleased with this until the sentiment didn`t stamp as dark as I`d hoped. Next time I think I`ll do it on the PC.

I was back at the  doctors again on wednesday and she`s given me another fortnight off but to be honest it`s much, much better than it was. I think my mojo has chucked a sicky too though.
I decided on thursday that I would set myself a challenge to make some cards using all my scraps of DP.
Sorted through the, now massive pile, matched up with matching or contrasting card and ribbons and then...nothing. I tried alsorts to get my mojo into gear but failed miserably. In the end I packed it all away and watched Corrie.
There now follows a short rant.
One of the things that I think we all enjoy the most about the LiM challenge is the amount of comments we`re getting and the feedback from Mandi and Chrissie. M & C have never failed to comment on an entry as far as can see and lets face it, there have been hundreds. Now for the rant bit. In the past few weeks I have entered other challenges and not had a word from the DT. I think it`s bad mannered to say the least and a bit demoralising too. I don`t think my entries were THAT bad.
So, from now on I`m not bothering. If they can`t be bothered to at least acknowledge me, I can`t be bothered to join in. Rant over.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Colour Throwdown #125 & some advice please

Hi All! Happy Saturday to you.

I`ll show you my entry for this weeks Colour Throwdown first then I`ll ask for your advice later.

This is the colour combo we were given,

And here is my card,

I`ve used Pink Petticoat DP from the Lola Rose collection in Gold as it prints quite like kraft.
The pink card is from my stash which I buy from Papermill Direct and I think is a good match for the pink in the swatch. The green card was the problem so I`ve gone with card that matched my ribbon.
I`ve used Spellbinders scalloped edge die along the bottom edge of each.
I made a bow and left long tails which I`ve wrapped around the card.
The sentiment is by Anita`s stamps and is stamped in black Memento on white, cut out with a nestie labels 4 die and mounted, with foam pads onto a larger labels 4 in pink.

Now onto my quest for advice. Quite often these colour challenges use stampin` up colours. Although I`ve not got any stampin up at all I can usually find a close colour match with what I have in my stash and I have downloaded a colour chart from Vicky`s blog 
printed it off and stuck it on the wall. My problem is that sometimes the colours used are not on the chart and I have trouble deciding what shade they are. The most common is Pear Pizzazz but Blushing Bride is a new one on me. Are they old colours? or new ones not available in the UK or what? Please help!!!

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

His & Hers Snowman

Good Afternoon Everyone!

I`ve been a naughty blogger recently I know. I can`t believe it`s over a week since my last post, where does the time go?
I`ve been really busy at home, doing extra hours at work and then too tired to do much crafting.
I do, however have a couple of cards to show you today. Well actually the same card in 2 colours but you know what I mean.

This snowman stamp is one that I`ve had from my early crafting days. He is called Frankie and is by Judikins.
I love him to bits and he comes out every year.

The background papers are both by Pink Petticoat and are Large Snowflakes and Pinstripes.
Frankie is coloured with promarkers and I`ve added some Glamour Dust to give him some wintery sparkle.
I`ve also added some white and silver ribbon and a bow from The Range and topped it off with a silver glittered snowflake.
The sentiment is by Anita`s and is a long stamp that I cut up and stamped onto a punched out tag.


Right, that`s it from me for now, really must get some crafting in while I have the time.

Thanks for popping in...Lynne xxx

Something a little bit different.

Good Evening All.

I have a card to share with you today but it`s a bit different to my usual style. I don`t very often do images that need colouring, mainly because I`m so rubbish at colouring in. Or so I thought.Now I know all this about a good workman never blames his tools but there are times when, if you don`t have the right equipment, the finish isn`t as good as it should be. 
When I first started making cards I bought some Marvy Brush Markers. I have nothing against them at all, I`ve had mine for years and they are still going strong, but they do have very large tips and I find it difficult to stay in the lines sometimes. 
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I finally invested in some Promarkers. I know everyone else has been using them for donkey`s years,  but there was always something else I needed more. I haven`t got that many yet but I have enough to start colouring up some of my old stamps and now I have an excuse to get some new ones Lol.

The girls over on Curtain Call act #49 have given us this inspiration photo.

I`ve had to substitute most of the colours but this is the card I came up with.

I substituted Ivory card stock for Very Vanilla.
The DP panels are from Dovecraft.
I stamped my image which is Skateboard Dude by Woodware, onto white card in black ink.
I substituted Sandstone Promarker for Sahara Sand on his trousers. Poppy for Real Red on his top and Caramel for Soft Suede on his cap and boots.
His skin tones are Ivory and Blush.
I`ve matted the image onto some red card and placed it on the base card using foam pads.
The sentment is by Anita`s and is stamped in black.

With hindsight I think I should have coloured his skateboard in red but it`s too late now.

Thanks for popping in ...Lynne xxx