Relax...

This is a card/gift card holder I made for a friend at work to give to her step-mum for her 40th birthday.Apologies for the really blurred photo - it was taken in a rush before I handed over the card at the very last minute!

I love the Tulip products, the images are so quirky, and the papers really fresh. I used a decoupage pack for the main card, with the 'gift card' inside made using the Tulip & Friends DVD-Rom. I'm not sure if its my printer, or the DVD, but I'm a bit disappointed with what I've printed so far, it's just not as vibrant as the shop-bought items. I've tried a couple of different cardstocks but will have to play about a bit more.

As with all my 'special' cards I've made a matching box for this one. I kept the 'bling' to a minimum since my friend is so not a girlie girl!

Thanks for looking...

Lesley x

Girl with a rose...

Thanks to Sally with her Scallywags blog for introducing me to Birdie Brown digital stamps - I headed straight over to Birdie's Etsy shop and bought 2 images, but I had such a tough time deciding that I know I'll be back for more!

This is my first card using 'Girl with a rose' - how cute is this little sweetie?

The image is coloured with Flexmarkers & Promarkers, and I've added some faux stitching around the edge. One day I'll try real stitching on my cards - it would be quicker than the fake stuff!

The background papers are both from digikits from Sweet Shoppe Designs - the blue is from 'Blooming' by Jady Day Studio, and the green is from 'Her Name is Lola' by Libby Pritchett.

I've added some buttons that I found lurking forgotten in a drawer, from the My Minds Eye 'Bloom & Grow'  collection. I coloured the green button with a Promarker as the original green was too pale.

I'm entering this in the Cutie Pie challenge - real or faux stitching
One Stitch at a Time - stitch it
and By the Cute and Girly - use buttons

Thanks for looking!

Lesley x

Flying High...

I promised you a challenge card, and here it is...

Inspired by the challenge over at the Jellypark Challenge blog which is to use kites etc. This is definitely a card that's evolved from the initial concept!

The Forever Friends bear is from a decoupage pack I've had for a very long time - I'm getting quite good at using some of my older stash...

He's meant to be holding a balloon, but I'm not really keen on the balloon, so cut my own kite shape from a scrap of paper left over from some other cards. The string is bakers twine, stuck on with photoglue, and I've drawn the little tails directly onto the backing paper (a digital paper from the freebie Blooming kit by Jady Day Studio at Sweet Shoppe Designs). I've added a bit of doodling around the edge of the card.

The sun and clouds are from this digikit and were perfect for what I wanted. The sentiment is computer-generated.

I'm entering this in the following challenges

Jellypark Challenges - Lets go fly a kite
Forever Friends Challenge - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamps - photo inspiration  - I've used the yellow from the sunflower, and the hot-air balloon has inspired the kite
Charisma Cardz - male cards
Ready Teddy Go - One for the boys

Thanks for looking!
Lesley x

Fizzy Moon Birthday...

This is the card I made for one of my sisters for her birthday earlier this month - I don't think I need to tell you her name, lol! The alphabet stickers came from the Lucy Cromwell 'Ultimate' Decoupage set, I've added some doodling to make them stand out. 


The image is from a Fizzy Moon 12x12 paper stack which I've had for at least a year, maybe 2. I was put off using these images because they're in a scallop frame shape and I don't have the patience to cut round all those scallops - that's why God invented the cuttlebug and nesties! And since I had the aforementioned nesties out for something else, I measured them up and found I could cut out the image without losing any of it.


I've restored some 'scallopness' by matting with a lacy nestie shape. I've used the smaller shape from the same set to mat the sentiment which is one of a set of stamps from Wild Rose Studio and the backing paper is from one of my treasured Tilda pads - I don't use those for just anyone!


Thanks for looking, I might have another challenge card to post soon!


Lesley x

So much crafting, so little time...

Apologies once again for the distinct lack of blog posts over the last few months. It's certainly not because I haven't been crafting, more like I'm so busy with the making and doing that I never seem to get time to tell you about it!

But after getting some bargain digistamps over at Jellypark earlier in the week I felt I should at least join in the Jellypark Friday Challenge. The theme this week is 'Boy Crazy', which I'm quite pleased about since the only finished card I've produced with a Jellypark image is this one

I have to apologise for the poor photo, but I haven't been home in daylight all week so I had to take this one with flash.

I've kept the card very simple, with the image coloured using Promarkers and Flexmarkers. The cardboard box is paper-pieced using the horrid Papermania Kraft cards I bought ages ago, with shading added with Flexmarkers. The sentiment is computer-generated and I've pricked and drawn faux-stitching around the image and the sentiment. It doesn't show very well in the photo, but the background of the image has been coloured in the same way as the sentiment.

Daft as it sounds, I don't actually know any little boys about to turn 4...but the space between the box and the sword-arm seemed to be the perfect shape for a big number 4 so that's what swung it. It'll keep in my 'to sell' box...

Thanks for looking!

Lesley x

and now for something completely different...

...after my little post-Christmas flurry of card-making activity, things have slowed down again. But don't worry - I've still been crafting, and this is the result...

Its a baby blanket for my new great-niece Brooke, who was born a couple of weeks ago...based on this free tutorial. I did alter the design to make each round in the next stitch down, so for example, half treble (UK terms) instead of treble. That kept the individual motifs quite small while still using DK yarn. The yarn is Wendy Supreme Cotton DK, very reasonably priced and lovely to work with. I used a 4mm hook.

The original pattern shows the motifs joined at the corners as the last round is crocheted, but as I wanted something more substantial I mattress stitched the motifs together. I made up the edging as I went along, increase at the outer corners and decreasing at the inner corners. Its not perfect, but I'm really pleased with it for a first attempt!

Watch this space for the hot water bottle cover using the leftover yarns...

Hot Diggity Dog!

Or in this case, its a mouse! The image used on this card is a topper from the new Hot Diggity Dog range from Papermania.

The polka dot backing paper is one from my Polly Pickleberry CD-Rom, and the border is die-cut using a Nellie Snellen die - must use that die more often! The ribbon is from the Fizzy Moon range.

I think this card fits a few challenges

Willow Sketchie Challenge - another fab sketch
Simon Says Stamp - Spots and/or Stripes (my polka dot background)
Moving Along With The Times  - also Spots and/or Stripes
Papertake Weekly - Die Cute Special - use a die cut on your card and make it cute.


Thanks for looking - and thanks for the lovely comments on my last card!

Lesley x

Wow, long time no blog!

And it's not that I haven't been making cards, I just haven't blogged any of them for months. It seems I can only really concentrate properly on 1 project at a time, which since May last year has been my weight loss. I went back to WeightWatchers meetings back in May, and most of my free time on the laptop has been spent 'tracking' online, and keeping up with the message forums for hints, tips and support. With only half a stone to go now I'm hoping I can wean myself off the WW message boards and get some cards shared with my (slowly) growing number of followers before you all delete me!

So my first card of the year to share is this one, which I made with the Willow Sketchie Challenge in mind. To be honest I'm not sure I've followed the sketch closely enough, but maybe they'll turn a blind eye since I've used a digi stamp from the new Polly Pickleberry CD.

I've used a combination of Promarkers and Flexmarkers to colour the image - I love the very subtle colours available in the Flexmarkers. And then I used my Glacier Blue Flexmarker to colour the background of the Pink Petticoat backing paper too.

The sentiment uses an embossing folder that I think came in a Docrafts Goody Bag, and the embossing folder used on the backing strips was a magazine freebie.

The hyper-critical me doesn't love this card, so I might have another go at the sketch with a different image if I have the time.

Thanks for looking!

Lesley x