Tuesday 30 June 2009

Still panic stations!

A week ago I explained my lack of crafting! An unexpected deadline was thrown upon me a couple of weeks ago, to complete my NVQ by the end of July. I was only 31% complete at that time.


Well I have been working day and night, got 4 weeks to go and I have crept up to 56% complete! EEK! It's going to be a very long 4 weeks, I am shattered and to top it allI have a poorly little girl with me today. Amelia has a rotten cough, a high temperature and has been a bit sickly! Dosing her up on Calpol and keeping my finger crossed.

Well, not still much to show you on the crafting front I am afraid but I can show you a few piccies of our kitchen, still not complete, but it's looking a lot more like a kitchen that the last photographs I showed you!LOL

From this!




To this:




We still have loads of finishing off to do but unfortunately I am having to prioritise my NVQ! By the summer holoidays, I will feel like a lady of leisure....yeah, I can dream!

Wednesday 24 June 2009

Copic Colour Challenge #19!



Goodness number 19 already! How time flies when you are having fun!

The colours this week over at the Copic Colour Challenge are;

Aren't they totally scrummy! Now a few weeks back when these colours were released to the Design Team, I checked and realised I hadn't got any of them! I was going to treat myself but with all the pressure of my NVQ and life, I just didn't get around to it! How sad! So I did have to improvise a bit with alternative colours!

Here is my card using "Forget me not" image from Pixie Chicks #1 and "Believe" sentiment from Pixie Chicks #2.

Instead of BV00 Mauve Shadow I used BV02 Prune and BV04 Blue berry.
Instead of G00 Jade Green I used G21 Lime green and BG93 Green Gray.
Instead of RV02 Sugared Almond I used R20Blush and RV42 Salmon Pink.
I used Y21, Y17 and YR23 for hair and BG10 for the wings!

I hope you like my first card from the new Pixie Chicks collection of Downloads- I took so long deciding which one to use first -I truely love this colloection.
Now grab thos Copics, pop over for some inspiration from the rest of the Copic Colour Challenge Deesign team and get colouring to be in with a chance of this weeks fabby candy!

Tuesday 23 June 2009

It's panic stations in the Dingle House!

I am only 31% complete on my NVQ3....and suddenly the course providers want me to finish by the end of July. I am living, eating, breathing assessments at the moment and there is a destinct lack of crafting going on!

Really not what I want as I have some lovely stamps to play with from my Design Teams and of course the new Pixies too!!!!! I will need a little crafty time to keep me sane, but as pressure mounts......well who knows! I can't see me getting it 100% complete but I will continue to throw myself at it....it's as much as I can do!

Right, a snippet of crafting. Yesterday saw the new Challenge over at DewDrop Craftz this time it's Letters and Numbers.

and here is what I came up with!



I used the charity stamp available HERE!

It's the Copic Colour Challenge tomorrow....and I am away with the pixies! LOL

Sunday 21 June 2009

Dottie's World - Christmas in June!




It is my turn to set the Dottie's World Challenge this week!


On my brief travels around the world of Blog recently, I have noticed one or two Christmas cards popping up. Now I know it's "Flaming June" but I am sure many crafters out there strive to be prepared so this week I want to see:

Christmas in June!!

Chose your Charmed Download and get festive!


Now a while back the lovely Karen set us a Christmas Challenge, but to be honest I so enjoyed actually making a Christmas card without the stress of Christmas itself...hence the reason for another Seasonal Challenge........LOL......Now I have 2 Christmas cards all ready in a little box!

Here's what I ended up with:
I used Holly in England from the Holly & Madison World Tour Collection , circular sentiment from the Dottie and George Christmas Collection, and a few scraps of Basic Grey...this is only the second time I have used this download image and I love her- she is fab to colour in!

Now, with the teasers of the new Pixie Collection coming out shortly I was hoping they'd be ready for me to choose a little pixie, colour her red and adapt her into a Christmas Pixie, unfortunately the collection isn't quite ready BUT go over to Dottie's World and see what Lou has made for this week's challenge.......SQUEALS in delight!!!
Love to see you all joining in! The rest of the Design Team have some great inspiration, so it may be Flaming June, but join in and be one card closer to being prepared this Christmas!

Wednesday 17 June 2009

Copic Colour Challenge #18



Wednesday means another card for the Copic Colour Challenge.

This scheduled post will be very short and sweet as I am about to leave for the school run, then straight onto work!!EEK....will add more details later...SORRY.
Anyway here is my interpretation of this weeks colours:



Monday 15 June 2009

R is for Roses!




Over at ABC challenge this week......R is for Roses!

"We would like to see you using roses on your cards...they could be on a stamped image, or on the designer papers, or paper or silk rose embellishments...or in any other way you like...it's entirely up to you!"

WELL, funny enough, I have this new, beautiful rose tapestry background stamp from Toodles and Binks and an Engagement card to make....fitted in perfectly with the Dottie and George Engagement image from the Love & Marriage download collection, he even has a rose between his teeth! LOL I had SO much fun colouring this card, despite it being gone 11pm last night as I was finishing it!
Now the only issue I had was actually covering up the background paper I had so lovingly coloured.....hmmm....I must admit, I did cheat and only coloured in around the edges...would have been a waste of time and Copics otherwise!LOL

Sunday 14 June 2009

Here's something different...

....well different from what I normally do that is!

This morning, there I was in a state of undress, (well joggies and a t-shirt but certainly not presentable!) I had been crawling around on the floor helping Chris put on the clad on panels and kickboards on some of the kitchen cupboards......when there was a knock on the door! To my surprise it was the lovely Kay of Toodles and Binks...with a big brown envelope for me!!!! Well it goes without saying that poor old Chris had to carry on with the kitchen without me while I cut out some rubber and tried out the fabby new stamps! What else did you expect a girl to do?


I took a sheet of Basic grey paper (Sugared, Delectable) stamped the beautiful Rose Tapestry Stamp with Memento Rich Cocoa coloured with my Copics and added detail with a copper gel pen.

Sentiment is available on the Rose Tapestry A4 sheet along with other sentiments.

The colours came out a bit darker than I planned, but I suppose I need to experiment working on different papers.

DewDrop Images!




I have been neglecting my crafting some what. It seems my life has been taken over by things like the kitchens and my NVQ...but I have done some snippets of crafting in between. Mostly stamping and colouring but not actually making any cards up.

BUT, seeing as I was awake at 5.40am, this morning, I decided to pop the kettle on and treat myself to a bit of "actual card MAKING!" LOL
A few simple cards, but I had fun all the same.The first is a Father's day card using the Jim in shorts a charity stamp from DewDrop Craftz. Now as soon as I saw this stamp I knew exactly what paper I was going to use first. Sorry, not a good piccie but hopefully you get my drift! I am going to submit this to the Cute Challenge over on Crafts by Carolyns.
Next is a brand new stamp just released over at DewDrop, it's called Warmth of Winter and it is truely fabby to work with. I loved colouring this. Again a simple card, I loved the colours and detail in the papers so I just kept it plain.
Right, "me time" over for a little while, another kitchen cupboard calls!

Dottie's World - Father's Day



Over at Dottie's World this week, the Challenge is to make a card for Father's Day. It's as simple as that, all you need to do is use on of the many downloads available from Charmed.
I chose to use "Green Fingers George" from the George at Work collection.

So if you still have your Father's Day card to make...grab a download and get over to Dottie's World for some inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.

Thursday 11 June 2009

Oh my goodness..have you seen......

....what's going on at Dottie's World?

If not, just go and check it out NOW! Stunning, fabby, absolutely beautiful new collection on the horizon....and for those harden stampers, some fairy special new Charmed Delectable Stamps too!

Wednesday 10 June 2009

Copic Colour Challenge #17





Well it's Wednesday, it's Copic Colour Challenge day once again an this week our colours are;



I love these soft sugary colours and decided to use one of my Annie stamps.


This week Elaine is offering some blog candy from her new shop, to one lucky entrant so make sure you get those Copics out and play along. Remeber, you don't need the exact colours, just choose, 1, 2 or all 3 of your nearest colours. Loads of inspiration from the rest of the DT so check it out!

Monday 8 June 2009

DewDrop Challenge!



Yesterday saw another challenge over on DewDrop Craftz, this time it was Domi's turn to set the challenge.

"A bookmark..... something simple or something esquisite, either way something you could use to save your page in a favourite book or magazine."


I decided to make a simple little bookmark for Jack, he is a true little bookworm and came back from the library on Saturday with a HUGE pile of books and had reserved even more!LOL

I used "Eric4" stamp -first time I have coloured him with my Copics! Such fun.


Make sure you pop over and join in to get your name in the hat for some of Nikki's Birthday, blog candy! While you are over there, check out some of the designs Nikki is loading, including Jim-the Charity Stamp designed by Sally-Ann Hancock I have just ordered him, cannot wait to try him out!LOL



A greatstamp, a great price and a great cause, please pop over and show your support...still time to make some fun cards this Father's Day!

Sunday 7 June 2009

Dottie's World- Make it Holey!



It is Juliet's turn to set the Dottie's World Challenge this week!
Here's What Juliet wants you to do....'Make It Holey!' I would like to see a hole or holes on your project this week - it could be an aperture card, cheeseholing or any other type of hole you can think of. And just to make it a little more interesting, add a touch of distressing too! Remember to include one of the Charmed downloads and I can't wait to see what you come up with.
Now I had a few ideas for this one, but eventually I decided to go with cheesholing..it's an effect I have never really tried before but I am not really happy with my results. I ended up with quite a fun little card but I am also not 100% sure on my colour choices. I know they are a bit different from what I would normally use...I just went with the tones of the paper and wanted something more masculine...but ho hum...not really sure.

As for the cheeseholing, will have to try again-a fun effect.Make sure you pop over to Dottie's World and see the other Holey creations!
Scruff the dog-Download image from the Animal Magic Collection

Wednesday 3 June 2009

Copic Colour Challenge #16



It's Wednesday, it's Copic Colour Challenge day and this week the colours are;

I so loved working with these colours....in fact I coloured several images and really didn't know which one to use! Eventually I decided on one of my new additions and here is what I ended up with.



Pop over to see the stunningncreations from the rest of the Design Team and play along to be in with a chance of some goodies from Kay of Toodles & Binks!

Tuesday 2 June 2009

A Spoon Full of Sugar sketch!



I am plodding away through my to-do list and to be honest-thoroughly enjoying it. I haven't had a chance to play along with many other challenges for a long time and it really feels like the "me time" I need.

I made this card for the sketch challenge over at A Spoon Full of Sugar...notice I am being a good girl and using up some of the images I had stamped and coloured in preparation! I loved working with this sketch, so much fun stitching the little buttons on!





Right, what's next?