Expressions of YOU

While waiting for the card for Simon Says Stamps challenge which will be posted at 2pm here's an experimental card.  I had a few scraps of paper and the Simon says Stamps Expression of You die and stamp set on my desk.
This is what I came up with, using all the words that worked together and stamped around the You. The papers are Carta Bella Devoted pack and the border is MFT Triple Scallop Borders using the two smaller ones. I know the words are not perfect but I got the idea out of my system.
I'm a bit peeved I spent most of evening yesterday unpicking my secret project that was several hours work down the drain and an awful amount a thread in the bin teach me to count better.
Back at 2pm.

Exercise

I wish in hindsight I coloured the squares in the corner all in red and white but my daughter said it was fine and I was too judgemental and what is wrong with my camera. I've re-examined the cards I've recently photo because the sentiments look crooked yet when I look in real life they are not.
Anyway this is card is for the Less is More Exercise challenge unfortunately its one layer week yuck!
Luckily I saw Chrissie had used the PB geese/ducks and the lightbulb moment happened when I realised I could use this PB.
But I wanted to do something a bit different than stamping it on white card which why I used Kraft card. To make it easier to colour and not go over the lines I also embossed the black ink with clear embossing powder and then coloured with Faber Castell Polychromos and just use a bit of sansodors on a clean paper stumps to dab over the eyes.
Ok now I'm looking at it again they look like they're flying home need to put some lines below the wheels to bring them back down to earth!

Get Well Soon

I had plans yesterday to catch up with all the blogs I follow but not sure who was at fault Mr Google, Mr Blogger or Mr Virgin but I spent the morning cleaning disks and deflagging the PC so fingers crossed that they behave today.
Hubby also decided that since the cold weather is here for the next week I should move out of my craftroom  so I'm now on the dining room table not sure how thats going affect Mr Mojo.
Now onto something far more interesting the new challenge on Everybody Art Challenge is to have a Girl on your creation well at least I hope it is.
It just so happens that I had got this image called Nurse from Mo Manning its not a new one but somehow I missed her the first time round or I thought it would be too difficult to layer but actually she wasn't that bad to do.
Have to say I wan't too sure on the papers but its growing on me. I've used the Cheery Lynn leaf swirl and punched flowers. Yes I do believe the MFT crochet border die has been used again round the image and the sentiment is from Lily of the Valley.
Do pop over to the challenge and check and the team, we would love for you to join in with us.

Just for You

I think you can just about recognised the sketch from Sweet sketch Wednesday but it was time to use the sweet Stamping Bella teacup image she was coloured for a challenge but didn't get used.
The papers are Basic Grey PB&J with the use of the cuttlebug corners and MFT crochet border and swirl die. The flowers are a EK Success punches and the sentiment is Woodware with Stampin Up punches.
The fabulous ribbon was found in my stash and it was finished with some black pearls.
I actually know just the person to send this to as a Thank you for an amazing gift she sent me with loads of craft goodies inside.
Today I'm hoping to get a couple cards done but it will depend if I can warm up the craftroom or whether I might have to move out for a couple days, good job the dining room table is still cleared from Christmas.

Balloon Bear

This card wasn't working well but now that its complete its not too bad although the camera loves the red more the pattern paper cos the red isn't that bright.
I've followed the sketch from Friday Sketch Challenge, carefully making sure I had lined the pattern paper to match and them placed the image mat that hid the fact. Decided to use the Martha Stewart deep edge doily daisy punch for a change still prefer the MFT crochet border.
The little bear is from LOTV and in future I will colour some of the flowers separately to make them look more like a bunch. The corners are Whimsey dies which shut to me to put a pearl or gem in the perfectly size hole in the corner. The flowers are EK success with a stamen punch I have in the centre and the leaves are CC designs.
Well the I've printed loads of photos and read most of the prompts for my journal but haven't made a start, today is making some cards once my cold craftroom warms up my little heater is on maximum.

Penny Black

Thats it all my doodlebug papers for this range are all gone and it was after I made this card I had just that one square of Lilac spots that I used for yesterday cards.

Although I'm not sure the dotty papers work but since I love these papers it was going to be used.

For a change I've used the Martha Stewart Doily punch and my sweet image is an old Penny Black stamp that I think as be reissued as a slapstick stamp. I'll go and have a look, back in a minute, yes it is a slapstick and its called Good Friends.  

I able to cut out the birds out of scrap I wasn't using and the butterflies are a Kars punch.

Today I'm hoping to make a start on Journalling my Christmas just need to start and find my way.

Many thanks to the Less is More girls they've picked my teapot card for their Drink Challenge ShowCASe

Sassy Clean and Simple

I needed a card for today but I was very tired from an awful nights sleep and I remembered that Sassy Cheryl Challenge was for clean and simple and I had this sweet image coloured, just waiting to be used.
It helped that I had just this square of the Doodlebug papers which I gutted so I had a piece to punch out the flowers.
I marked the corners of the image mat with a pencil dot so I knew roughly where the square was so when I drew my squiggly lines it was still look like a square.
The sentiment is from Stampin up and using the corner of a square punch to make banner shape.
I'm quite pleased how she turned out.

This time with Pink!

Just one you think its safe I post another Black and White Card this time I've made another card like this one I did earlier in the week but a diffferent version.
I decided to try it on black card and using white embossing powder, exactly the same butterflies from Stampin Up.
Makes me want to do it in gold now.
Again this card would be perfect for the Less is More and the Simon says Stamp challenge this week of  Black and White with a splash of colour.

Splash of PINK

This was a bit of experiment I was trying to use the Cherish punch from Martha Stewart to make the fancy tabs it went a bit wonky so please don't pay too much attention how it doesn't quite look even.
The other experiment  was to give the Stampin Up Fabulous Florets a pink centre not perfect but I was happy with the finish. Just added a bit of ribbon to mark where the dots finish to help it look like it was meant to be.
The sentiment looks wishy washy no idea why the camera does this, if this was the case in real life I would have to cover it or throw the whole thing in the bin so with my wonky layers please pretend that its perfect!
With plenty of white showing I think this card would also work for the Less is More Challenge and Simon says Stamp challenge both asking for Black and white with a splash of colour.

With a Splash of Colour

Time for new challenge on Simon Says Stamp Challenge 

 and this week its

Black and White with a splash of colour.

Or in my case maybe a very large splash. We are also showcasing CC Designs but thats not a requirement for the challenge.

I used the black and white pages out of the Kaiser Chapter One pad  and using  Martha Stewart Cherish punches for the fancy white mat. Then  added CC Designs at jaunty angle she is called Abigail.

Love the new Simon says Stamp You die and stamp set and some old favourites the Harrington Vine and Bella Bloom and bit of ribbon. The card looks busy but I don't have the usual long list of details for what I've used.

Now you know the drill to win the chance of this fabulous prize you have to enter the challenge with a new card no backlinking and you need to enter your post using the linky thing on the challenge blog.

B&W with a Splash of Colour

If asked I will deny it but maybe a parcel from Simon Says Stamps with their new dies has arrived to my craftroom and including the most beautiful stamps from Hero Arts Leavy Vines. After I had ordered it I saw an amazing card on Simon Says Stamps blog here.
Now I couldn't make anything as beautiful as this especially with acetate but I could use it for the Less is More challenge of using Black and white with a splash of colour.
All it took was a stamp of the image and stamping theStampin up butterflies onto teal card a few times and cutting them out, bit of ribbon job done.

Pastel Colours

Well some of the Schools are back and the new challenges are coming back online from the Christmas Break and so here's my card for the pastel colours challenge on Everybody Art Challenge.

I've used some old papers that I'm trying to use up they're American Craft and I have more of the Aqua papers than the pink which is why I have pink flowers.

Love the cute Saturated Canary image if I was really good I would know what she is called. After using the Martha Stewart PATP punches for the image it really was using some dies to make the floral arrangement.

I've used the fearn and the two different leaves from Memory box including the fuschia, oh and the tiny flowers. The large flowers are Simon Says Stamps Bella Bloom and to finish the Cuttlebug corners.

Do pop over to the challenge and check out the team, hope you can join in too.

As life continues to return to normal after a months break from dieting and extra 9lbs I'm back on the diet.

And the Winner is

Thank you to everyone who joined in and also with My Favourite Five Christmas Cards but there can only be one winner.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

26 

Timestamp: 2013-01-07 08:53:35 UTC

Now 26 is Sylvia-Anne so if you e-mail me on debby4000craftystuff@hotmail.co.uk I will get the candy out asap.

Here are the links to everyone who joined in. I do this so that if  Mr Linky or the Blue frog disappeared I still have links to amazing posts with stunning inspiration. So when Mr Mojo goes on his holidays again I can check them out again and you can too. All past challenges are on a page tab although I can't promise every link is still working.

Donna Mosley       Susan M           Mama Hanka       Paperdaisies      T4eto      Irene     She       Deni 

NGCARDS      Kalysto    Cathy(Kraftykoolkat)      Debbie   Shelly    Heather     Christine Craig    Kate

Daisychain     Yenni Natalia     Alipeeps    Wicked Witch   Tanya OD     Purple Crazy    Pia       Lin     

Sylvia-Ann     Diane Ahlers    Creative      Shaz       Lina      Fiona      Suzie q       KnowMe        Crejabeja

Lyndsey Marie     Tracy      Brigitte         Astrid     Keti's Projects        Kym's Crafty Cards        Nonni

Wendy F     Kelly Lloyd       Dawn T      Lynne in NI    Clare Earl        Dina K     Plony   Samantha   

Joey      Natasha (aka Niili)    Julia D       Maryann E    Desire Fourie     Margaret M     Maggie     Valchen

Janice      coops         Lorraine B     Heidy     the cook      Made by Mandy      Pauline C     Toni       Heidi

Helen      Viv       Cathy         Nuschinka        Vanessa      Bearkis       Pami        Claudia      Kate T 

Mama Dany       chanelle      Moriah         sharon hudson       Ellie     Pam Sparks     Little K Smith  

Mary J      Wilma      Asia King    Marianne Schut     Rose C        Daniele      Helen     LaDiva         Jacki

Nikki C     Scrappymo!      Marianne's Craftroom    Ani      Donna Doodles      Uma       Annelies

Plamnito     Ardilla      Loll Thompson      miria       Sam/whisper     sue-b        Lisa W       Mary Marsh

Catherine     Dianne  Hanson     Erika     Sally H      Dots Dabble   Dragonllew     Kathleen       Spyder    

Lisa Jane      Ellie      vicky p-r    Annie     Sally R         Chrissy    Sonia      Kevin      Deborah Frings 

Brenda B        Squirrel     Pinkdesigns      LA PAPERA FELICE     Laura      Sarah S-W      Debbie  

Colinda        Evy       Suze         Janneke        kirsty Vittetoe        Krafty Karen      Sharon Gurnhill      Frea 

Katherine :)      Marianne      goldie         Kakichka     Mila     Villi

Hopefully I will be back again with these challenges at the

 end of the year.

Sorry Shanna

I think you can find the Sketch Saturday sketch but it started to be put the embellishment down and step away from the card.
I've used the sweet Sorry Shanna from Mo Manning and I thought I would have a go at using the Noor corner which is huge and other people seemed to make it work on their card, I'm not sure but I don't hate enough to bin it.
I just had to layer the image to finish the card when I decide to paper piece the dress to match the hearts and butterflies. To make my image I usually print out 4 or five images on a page to cut up and one main image as my base and I always save the word file for next time. Well do you think I could find the file talk about putting things in safe place apparently I do it on the computer too as you can see I eventually found it.
The papers are Doodlbug and once again I've used the MFT crochet border, the butterflies are a Kars punch and the hearts are a Martha Stewart punch. Had to sneak in a extra heart in cos I thought it look better.
The bunch of tulips are the memory die which I cut out in green and pink then chopped them up to make them look like bouquet.

Looking for My Favourite Five 2012 you will find it Here
The winner of My Favourite Five Christmas Cards is HERE

Happy Birthday

Trust me to find new Saturated Canary just before Christmas after all my cards are done cos I suppose she is really singing carols. But I love this image so I've decided she is actually singing Happy Birthday now do think I convince the challenge on Saturated Canary Challenge that is a song so I can enter in their challenge.
The papers are Teresa Collins another pack of papers which were worth the money since I've only a few left. Flowers are Ek Success with a snowflake punch for the large flower centre and an stamen punch I've had for ages for the little ones.
The corners are Whimsy dies possibly the nearest to the quickutz die I love so much not as nice but a pretty close second and I love that a pearl fits in the hole in the corner.
For a bit of experiment I used a music stamp behind the image but the jury is still out on that one but I don't hate it.
Well yesterday my Sister held a tea party for some crafty friends it was lovely how we chatted about lots of other things than craft and I think everyone had a great time of course dozey drawers forgot to use the camera.
My secret project now had 15 weeks to go and I've now 8 squares to cross stitch, I think this is the reason I'm finding hard to make cards or even colouring.  I obsess to get it finish but it takes a good week and a bit to do each square and hardly any other craft being done in between. There's also the possibility it might come early and I have less weeks than I think!

January Blues

It's time for another challenge on Penny Black Saturday Challenge and this month its the January Blues. Now I was determined not to do another Christmas card but the only Penny Black images I had coloured were Christmas ones or this one.
Now this image is tricky to make a card cos it doesn't fit a normal square and yet a large card the mice seem lost so its a tall card and my poor brain only works in square although I quite pleased how this turned out.
First of all I have used Winter Wishes papers and the Romantic Rectangles which had to have a crafty cut and added a ribbon strip behind the images mat to make it longer to fit the image.
The swirl is the Harrington Vine from Simon Says Stamps and the flowers are MFT with  Bella bloom die centres again from Simon Says Stamps, the leaves are a Memory box die.
Because the width of the Romantic Rectangles is wider than the mice I had an awful lot of white space and then I decided to use the word dies again from Simon and since the mice were helping each other I thought the card would work for a love one doing a good deed.
Whoo Hoo I've been showcased on Less is More for my white anniversary card here.

Sarah kay

Poor Sarah Kay she has been coloured for a while and since I love these images I thought it would help get back into the saddle so to speak.

I used the CLP sketch and really is a case of using my favourite things. Kaiser papers, lace and ribbons always plenty of flowers and not forgetting the cuttlebug corners.

Of course now I keep looking at it while I type out the post and wish I had paper pierce round the image to make it bit more vintage maybe next time.

Need to get quite a few cards made over the next few days especially has I'm out most of the day Saturday.

Hope

edited new photo not so much yellow now

Oh dear I had to take the photo with the electric light on, will have to take a new pic when its the day lighters up. I'm quite please how this turned out since I haven't made a card for several days and previously Mr Mojo had left.
But I decided to use the latest sketch on Sweet Sketch Wednesday and just go with using all the things I love, well the MFT crochet border. The papers are Kaiser not sure which one down to few pages left and I also used Kraft card. The swirl is also MFT and the flowers out of stash.
The image is from Sylvia Zet called Hope.
We had a fabulous New Year in Bath although the weather could have been better and I wouldn't recommend the Hilton Hotel, strange but my Sister and I have been to a few due to Scrapbooking retreats admittedly not since 2008 and they were fabulous.
For example we had to upgrade cos there was no basic rooms but what they meant as a upgrade was a larger bed in basic room well I've seen larger rooms in a budget hotels and the quilt fitted from one edge to the other with no run off if you know what I mean. Wasn't impressed when hubby woke me up in middle of night asking where was the quilt I told him to crawl to the middle he may find it.
I'm also thankful that we are early risers cos I wouldn't have like to queue for 20 minutes plus for what is a buffet breakfast! But at the end of the day you have to make the best you can there were a few other things that only confirmed we won't be going there next year.

Something new

Time for life to return to normal and what better way with a new Challenge of Something New at

Simon Says Stamps Challenge.

For a change I'm trying out the American Crafts 6inch pads and this one is called Soho Garden, I especially love the teacup patterned paper so had to use it. I'm trying out new images to find a new favourite so this is Coffee Brigitta from CC Designs.

I'm afraid the jury is still out on the card although my DD likes it so I don't think it will be in spare cards bag for long.

I've also used the the Martha Stewart Daisy Margarita border punch which I punched out some dots for the centres. The flowers are also CC Designs called Five Point Flowers die but I've an old punch for the centres.

Since cups are involved it seemed only right to use the MFT Always Time for Tea die set.

Now you know the drill to win the chance of this fabulous prize you have to enter the challenge with a new card no backlinking and you need to enter your post using the linky thing on the challenge blog.