Wednesday 29 April 2009

Copics Colour Challenge #11!


Another Wednesday, another challenge over on Copics Colour Challenge.
This week the colours are;

Now with a few new Design Team stamps and images to play with I was completely spoilt for choice this week as to which image to use. Eventually I went with Clive Cockran, one of the latest releases over at Toodles and Binks. Now I had to adapt the colours a bit again...(simply MUST buy some more colours) LOL....I had Y08 Acid , but my closest to E31 Brick Beige was E33 Sand and E35 Chamois and for BG13 I substituted with BG10 Cool Shadow and BG15 Aqua.
Not sure I am 100% with the finished card...I loved the paper I used, had it for years to be honest but the colour really seemed to work....now should I add some photo corners? Think now it would have been better on a dark brown card blank but hey ho, too late now. I love the clean fresh colours!

Some fantastic examples by the rest of the Copics Colour Challenge Design Team so make sure you pop over and check them out. Join in the fun and grab yourself the new blinkie too!


Tuesday 28 April 2009

New stamp stash!

Here I am surrounded with papers for my NVQ and policies and procedures for work.....feeling rather bogged down with it all to be honest. Not sure what to do first...then Mr Postie delivers a little light relief!





Cannot play yet....but look forward to trying these little babies out!! LOL



Monday 27 April 2009

Another DewDrop Craftz Challenge!

Yesterday saw the launch of another blog challenge over at DewDrop Craftz. This time it was me who set the challenge....I kept it really simple....a basic colour challenge.
I wanted to see creations using BLUES and GREENS! You can create whatever you like, and although it's not necessary to use a DewDrop Stamp...of course it would be fabby to see them!
Now initially, when I set the challenge a while back I was thinking of using Eric for another masculine card but instead I decided to do a complete turn around and rather than use girlie pinks and yellow...I used Lilly & Flowers with blues and greens.
Couldn't resist this scrap of Cherry Arte paper when I came across it...it seemed perfect for the challenge.
Make sure you pop over and join the challenge for the chance of some ribbon candy!






Sunday 26 April 2009

Dottie's World Challenge-Teenager!




It was my turn to set the challenge over on Dottie's World today and with the recent release of the Mikey digi download collection I decided to challenge everyone to make a card or project for a teenager. Of course any of the charmed downloads could be used-not just the fab Mikey.
Here is what I came up with;
I kept it very simple, an image of Mikey-wrapped up, coloured with my Copics. I used some 3 bugs in a rug paper and embellies I had in my stash.
Make sure you go over to Dottie's World see the great examples the rest of the DT have come up with and join in this week as we are on the look out for a Guest Designer for May.

Saturday 25 April 2009

DewDrop Cupcake stamp!!




Just a very quick blog this afternoon as it's the first chance all day that I have had to sit down. Took Amelia to Sppech & Language this morning, followed by a mad dash home for a bite of lunch, then back out with Amelia for another couple of hours.

Just got home and sat down with a cuppa coffee and a cookie ready to make a few Design Team Challenges ready for tomorrow.

For now I can show you a card I made yesterday.

I used the Cherry Cupcake from DewDrop Craftz, coloured with Copics and attacked with Glossy Accents and some fine pink glitter. Well I was given the all clear to make it girlie so I added a few scraps of pink ribbon too!
Don't forget there is still chance for you to play along with the latest DewDrop challenge too...there is candy up for grabs so be in it to win it!

Friday 24 April 2009

Meet Mikey



As many of you may already know this wek saw the release of a new Digi-download collection designed by the lovely Louise and for sale at Charmed. Now there has been a lot of excitement over this new collection as we all know how tricky making masculine cards can be.....so without any further delay: I introduce you to Mikey.
Coloured with Copics, calendar stamp by Imaginisce, papers by Basic Grey

Wednesday 22 April 2009

Copics Colour Challenge #10



I cannot believe we have already reached week 10 over at the Copics Colour Challenge Blog! This week the lovely Juliet chose the colours;
Now I had RV34 Dark Pink and also B39 Prussian Blue but I substituted B02 with B05 Process Blue so my card came out with a bit of a different combination I am afraid....hope it's not too different. Oh well, I had great fun regardless of the poor colour choice.

Pop along and join in the fun. You can still play along with other colouring mediums if you don't have Copics but unfortunately you will not be eligible to win any candy that may be up for grabs. If you don't have the exact copic colour/colours...simply use the closest you have....the fun is in the making.

Sunday 19 April 2009

Dottie's World Challenge - Christmas.



Today over on Dottie's World it's time for another challenge. This week it is Karen's turn and here's what she has to say!
"CHRISTMAS! Yes really! The weather is getting warmer but lets not forget that cosy feeling we only get at Christmas. It's never too early to start preparing for the big day so this time I want to see a Christmas project, what you do is up to you as long as you include a Charmed download.
Anyway, I love Christmas so any excuse says I. But awkward I may be but I am sure you also know how I love to give you something, and I am giving a prize to one lucky winner......"
Now I love making Christmas card when there is no mad rush and each year I try to be organised and fail miserably. So this challenge was great and got me really inspired to set myself a few Christmas cards to make every month throughout the year. So I rumaged through my papers to see what struck me and found some lovely K&Co Peppermint Twist paper that I HAD to use. I found it so refreshing to work with and was a nice mixture for making Christmas cards in April as the colours were so non-traditional and spring-like.
Here's what I ended up with.
I used Madison in the Mountain's from the Holly & Madison World Tour Collection.
Make sure to visit Dottie's World to see the reast of the Design Team's creations and join in to be in with a chance of the candy.

Friday 17 April 2009

Frantic Friday!!!



Oh goodness it's so wet and gloomy outside...and inside, well Chris has a day off so there are more cupboards going missing from my kitchen...as well as most of my worktops, the makeshift breakfast bar......but in it's place I have my lovely new range cooker....stood there in the middle of the shell of a kitchen just waiting to be installed!!! SOOO impatient, can wait to try it out.
I have left Amelia downstairs colouring and "helping" Chris to put together a new corner cupboard before we wreck a few more of the old ones....thought I'd use a few minutes to pop up and blog about some crafting.
First I have a card to show you. I have been wanting to use this image (from the Holly & Madison World Tour Collection ) for a while now and I just hadn't got a chance to, until now. I took inspiration from the pack of Dovecraft- Wild Blossom papers I treated myself to a few days ago and the results are....erm...rather bright. LOL. just what we need on such a dull day!
Coloured with my copics and attacked with glitter gel pens. I am in love with those hydrangea blooms - so textural.
Now on to some more really exciting news from Toodles and Binks.
Make sure you check out the chance for some blog candy and also see the first image of a brand new range of stamps designed by the lovely Sally-Ann Hancock.

Thursday 16 April 2009

A Creative Treasure Challenge!



Tracy is running a challenge over on her blog Creative Treasures and I could not resist the lovely spring like colours she wants us to use. Make sure you pop over and join in to be in with the chance of some candy.
(Picture taken from Tracy's blog-hope you don't mind Tracy!)
Here's is my take on the challenge using a Stampavie - Rachelle Anne Miller stamp and coloured with Copics ...of course!

Wednesday 15 April 2009

Copics Colour Challenge meets Edwin!



It was Lou's turn to choose the colours over on this week's Copics Colour Challenge and I realised there was a terrible, vast gap in my patterned papers....NO orange toned papers, so whilst taking Jack to the cinema on Monday I just HAD to pop over to the Paper Mill Shop and get myself a few boxes of card.....and funny enough a pack of orange tones papers jumped off the shelf and into my basket...isn't it funny how that happens!
Right, I diverse, back to the challenge. Here are this week's colours;
After a lot of dithering (but that's how Dingle crafting is) I decided to use one of my Magnolia stamps, topped off with one of the beautiful hydrangea blooms I treated myself to recently and the little calendar stamps from imaginisce.
I think these colours took me out of my comfort zone a bit but I am quite pleased with the result, nice and cheery and bright on such a dreary, dull and misty morning. Pop over to the Copics Colour Challenge blog to see what delights the rest of the Design Team have come up with and join in our challenge. Cannot wait to see how you all use the colours.

Monday 13 April 2009

DewDrop Craftz challenge- It's a man's world!!

It was Jackie who set the latest challenge over on DewDrop Craftz last night.
Here are the details:
"It's a mans world.. (we'll let them think that anyway..) So what does that mean for the challenge?? Mens cards.. or other projects.. something for the men in your lives..I want to see your 'male' creations over the next fortnight.. as we all find it more difficult to make for them it will be great to see what you guys come up with, especially with Father's Day looming not far round the corner..So root through your stash for those masculine papers, dig through your ribbon for those twills and ropes and see what you can astound your man with.Looking forward to seeing the entries.. and the winner will receive 3 new Pebeo Metal Touch tubes in Gold, Pale Gold and Copper and a full set of 4 Carl Torrosian sophisticated nudes stamps (both Sandrine and Angelique)"

Now with the addition of Eric the dinosaur to the DewDrop shop...how could I resist him. Like so many other crafters, making cards for men is not my favourite thing but I can honestly say I LOVED making this card. Digging through my stash to find things other than a few blooms to use as embellies....and as for little Eric himself, I coloured him with my copics and had fun with glossy accents making his eyes google a bit. LOL...I MUST make a few more of these for my stock box.
A fabby prize up for grabs so pop along and join in to get you mitts on that stash! Good luck.

Sunday 12 April 2009

Dottie's World- Hand Made challenge




Happy Easter everyone-hopefully the sun will make an appearence later but at the moment it looks a bit murky out there.....we will have to do our Easter Eggs hunt indoors at this rate!
Right, another Sunday brings another challenge over on Dottie's World and this week it was Nicola who put us through our paces.
I want to see completely hand made cards, no bought backing papers or embelishments, the odd ribbon is fine though, but if you're gonna use backing papers I want you to have made it, if you use embelishments I want you to have made it,not just bought and stuck on and of course a Charmed Card and Crafts Download.
Now once again, my mojo and confidence has vanished, perhaps it's lurking somewhere with my missing kitchen cupboards.....but I struggled, dithered around nearly all day yesterday and just couldn't decide what to do...then I decide to use an image of Holly I had already printed and coloured and some text paper that I had previously attacked with some distress inks and perfect pearls.


The handmade flower embellies were stamped using a freebie from Craft Stamper magazine a few months ago, then I noticed the similarity in one of my Hero Art stamps- Pocketful o' posies, so I stamped a floral border across the bottom. To give a bit more depth and interest I added a bit of colour with a copic marker and a bit of depth with some liquid pearls.
Some great inspiring ideas over at Dottie's World, make sure you go check them out.
Once again, I'll wish you a very Happy Easter.

Saturday 11 April 2009

Dingle and the case of the missing kitchen!

Over the last week or so we have been trying to prepare for the chaos of refitting a kitchen. Our kitchen is quite a nice size now as during the extension we knocked it through into the old dining room and ever since then I have lived with a sort of patchwork kitchen, with remnants of the old cupboards spread over the larger room and a few cheap worktops making it a workable kitchen for the time being.

Well yesterday we ordered our new kitchen, which will be with us towards the end of May. Now we have weeks and weeks of serious preparation, electricians and plasterers will be next on our list of things to do.

Now the funny thing is it seems every day this last week I have had one of my kitchen cupboards mysteriously go missing! Hubby Chris, is looking rather pleased with himself too. Thing is if this carries on, how will I cope for 5/6 weeks. This is the chaos I am currently facing....please, if you are of a nervous disposition, look away NOW!



Thank goodness for Mr Postie, who arrived just in the nick of time with a lovely pink parcel from another Galaxy! Thank you Kay- perfect timing!
Now, where could those cupboards be?









Thursday 9 April 2009

Toodles and Binks meets BasicGrey!




Now not normally being one to make Easter Cards I have surprised myself this year and made a few...well how could I resist using the scrummy stamps from Toodles and Binks! In a similar style to my last Easter card using Amelie Bunnykins, this time I used the same range of paper, Sugared by Basic Grey and used the pretty little stamp Chickadee. I loved colouring these images in with my copics and tried to take inspiration of an enamelled effect for the pretty eggs! Not quite sure the "enamelled effect came over but fairly pleased with the result all the same.

I made this also inspired by this weeks challenge over on BasicGrey Challenges.

Wowwwweeee...CANDY!!!!

AS you may have read on my blog a couple of days ago, there is a brand new range of rubber stamps being released soon. Designed by the lovely Louise and soon to be on sale at Charmed Cards & Crafts.......pop over HERE for some sneak peeks and to be in with the chance of some smashing candy.


Impatient........yep, me too!

Wednesday 8 April 2009

Copics Colour Challenge #8




I cannot believe that we are already on challenge 8!!!! How time flies!

This week the lovely Kay of Toodles and Binks is sponsoring the challenge and I was lucky enough to choose the colours for this one. Well, I took inspiration from the packaging on the new Toodles and Binks stamps that were sitting on my desk at the time...and thought it only right to try them out on this weeks challenge.


I used the Amelie Bunnykins stamp which was just wonderful to colour, I loved all the detail on the eggs which I highlighted with a metallic pen.




Candy up for grabs for this weeks challenge so make sure you pop over to see the fabby examples the rest of the Design Team have come up with and then join us for the chance of some new rubbah stamps!


Paper is Basic Grey - Sugared collection


Copics used;

E33 sand, E35 chamois, E53 raw silk, E51 milky white, E02 fruit pink, E04 lipstick natural, RV29 crimson, R59 cardinal, YG67 moss, G21 lime green, E57 light walnut, E47 dark brown.