Autumn Mums D2D

It’s Wednesday and I am breaking with tradition with my D2D card this week as it is my 40^th Birthday and 10^th wedding anniversary today and I will be in London all day tomorrow J

Therefore I hereby present you with my card for the progressive freebie challenge at Delightful Inspiration. The gorgeous image we have this week is Autumn Mums.  It is a lovely image and suitable for lots of cards I have used my Promarkers and Flexmarkers on the image and my fave colour combo of pink & brown.

I have used a sketch from paper Players for the layout but won’t be entering the challenge as you can only enter 3 challenges with your card…..hello, have you met me? That just ain’t gonna happen is it? LOL

All the papers are scraps from Dovecraft and two of the papers are glittered. The butterfly is an acetate sticker from Papermania mounted onto scrap card and the sentiment is by Hunky Dory.

Materials Used in this card are as follows:-

Card Size – A6

Image – AutumnMums by Designed 2 Delight

Paper – Dovecraft

Sentiment – Hunky Dory

Embellishments – Papermania sticker

Tools – scissors, 3d foam

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• Aud’s Sentiments #38 – Happy Birthday
• Crafts & Me #54 – Flowers
• Crazy Challenge #86 – 3 Colours of your choice
• Creations by Gill M #16  - Use Scraps
• Critter Sketch Challenge #84 – Anything Goes
• Deep Ocean Challenge #9 – Happy Birthday
• Delightful Inspiration – Friday Freebie Challenge
• Die Cut Dreams #99 – Brown Pink & Cream
• Everybody Art #161 – Pink & Brown
• Jules Crafty Snippets #38 – All papers and mats are snippets J
• Karen’s Doodles – Pink & Brown
• Partytime Tuesday #35 – Anything Goes
• Patches of Pink #12 – Link Up Party
• Penny’s Paper Crafty #63 – Anything Goes
• Pixie Cottage #89 – Pop it Up
• Pixie Dust Studio #93 – Circles
• Scrapalicious USA #28 – Anything Goes
• Scrapbook Sisters #54 – Leaves
• Simon Says Stamp – Anything Goes
• Speedy The Cat’s Friends #74 – Things With Wings
• Squigglefly #117 - Flowers
• Stamp Scrap & Doodle Saturday – Fave colours
• Totally Stampalicious – Things With Wings
• Whimsical Wednesday – Anything Goes
• Whimsy Inspirations #8 – Pink & Brown

WOYWW #121

After seeing many of my blogging buddies taking part in What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday I have finally took a really deep breath and taken the plunge to join in. Today is my 40th Birthday and they say life begins at 40 so here goes.....

I am very lucky to have my own craft room but it is very small, due to a curve in the wall and an old airing cupboard you can't even get a small single bed in there so space is very tight. Add in a large amount or crafty schtuff and well, space is limited. There is no room to swing a mouse, let alone a cat but it is my space, my sanctuary and I loves it.

This is the 'working' part of my desk where my craft mat goes. To the left is a stack of schtuff and my laptop goes on there so I can watch TV whilst I am crafting, to the right is a stack of cardblanks and paper packs so this is the only space I can 'work' in. 

I have some coloured images ready to make into cards, these are some of the larger ones or will invariably be DT work to be made up. I have my Baker's Twine, not much of it as you will see but loved nevertheless. In the middle we have my cannot live without Fiskars embroidery scissors. I have had these for about 15 years and they are used constantly. I use them for my decoupage and detailed work as they are just fabulous. To the bottom we have some scrap paper from a card I made last night for DT work, my trusty bone folder and metal ruler. I use this all the time with my Fiskars fingertip knife which is out of shot. There are 2 large pairs of scissors, one with a piece of paper on the handle. I always have a pair to use for cutting sticky stuff and add a label to them for easy identification. At the top right is a new paperpad that came with a magazine and my most used at the moment Martha Stewart Punch, all on top of a pile of scraps (there are many, many more of these I can promise you!!)

I am not convinced anyone us going to be interested in what is on MY desk but hello if you do pop by and I'll come to visit you too if you leave a comment.

Happy Birthday to Me :)

Today is a huge day, it's my 40th birthday and it is also my 10th wedding anniversary.

They say life begins at 40. My life didn't really begin until I met Paul, that was Phase 1 at 17 years old. I met this wonderful man whilst sitting next to him at a concert, had a whirlwind romance and started living together about 6 months later. 

He has been there with me through my darkest times, and also through the many happy ones. We are team Cruxton, he has his faults, I have mine but together we make a strong team.

I wanted my 40th birthday to be a starting point for Phase 2 of my life. Without telling anyone I stopped taking my anti-depressants a month ago, I was scared but felt ready to try. They have done a great job at holding back a lot of the hurt and pain that I have gone through for the last 11 months but I wanted the numbness to go away. You don't know how easy it is to walk again until they take your crutches away do you?

Anyway, I did have a very shaky couple of weeks where I honestly wondered if I was doing the right thing but then suddenly I was enjoying the little things in life again, but almost enjoying it like I had never experienced it before. I was in the garden weeding and a robin kept me company for nearly 3 hours, it was amazing how this tiny little thing made me so happy. I am trying so hard to look at things in a different light and my counsellor is doing an amazing job in that respect, helping me see the positives in myself once more. I've still got a way to go, but I know I can do it.

Hubby noticed this weekend that there is a big change in me and when I told him I wasn't taking the tablets any more he was delighted. He said I seemed more animated and happier.

I can't promise I won't have bad days but feel more able to approach them with a better frame of mind.  Happiness is a choice and I have a lot to be happy about.

Here's to life beginning at 40 :)

Daisy Doodles #43

I am very proud to announce that as from today……..

I love Julie’s fun designs and I am sure we are a marriage made in heaven as they suit my bright and colourful cardmaking style. 

Thank you very much ladies for having me on your team J

We have a new challenge today which is in honour of Canadian Thanksgiving. We would like you to use Autumn or Fall colours or you can make a Thankyou card.

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For my card I chose this gorgeous Flower Vase.  If you would like to own this very versatile design you can pop over to Daisy Doodles store and it can be yours for only $2

I coloured the image with Promarkers and Flexmarkers. The green leaves are in my new favourite green Chartreuse. I have used yellow, orange & red for the flower colours and added gems and stickles glitter glue. The flower pot I am most proud of. Quite by accident I created an aged look to the terracotta pot by using a base of terracotta Promarker then flooding it with the watermelon Flexmaker. It made it go a bit streaky and the brown a more pinky hue. I will probably never be able to recreate the effect but it looks fab on this card.

I used a sketch at Dutch Dare and  have made a large card at 8” square. This gave me the opportunity to use one of the larger patterned papers from My Minds Eye Bloom & Grow pack. I added some semi sheer gorgeous red ribbon and a matching sentiment tag with a small brad.

I hope I have inspired your to join our challenge at

  

I'll see you again next week with another lovely Daisy Doodles design.

Materials Used in this card are as follows:-

Card Size – 8” Square

Image – Flower Vase by Daisy’s Digi Doodles

Patterned Paper – My Minds Eye Bloom & Grow

Embellishments –Papermania Brad, ribbon, stickles glue, assorted gems

Tools - Scissors, 3D foam squares, Promarkers/Flemarkers,

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• 4 Crafty Chicks – Autumn colours/theme
• Anything Goes #50 – Anything Goes
• Art With No Boundaries – Autumn (colours)
• Bows and Berries #10 - Glitter
• Crafting For All Seasons #10 – Autumn Colours
• Creative Craft World – Autumn
• Critter Sketch Challenge #84 – Anything Goes
• Dare to be Sassy #91 – Square Cards
• Heartsong Inspirations #17 – Ribbon and/or a Tag
• Just Some Lines – Autumn Colours
• Lollipop Crafts #50 – Anything Goes
• Make It Monday #56 – Link Up Party
• Outlawz GC092611 – Anything Goes
• Paper Pretties #172 – Autumn Inspiration
• Paper Pretties Monday – Autumn Inspired
• Paper Shelter #32 – Anything Goes
• Scrapbook Sisters #53 – Autumn Colours
• Woodware USA #45 – Autumn Theme

OSAAT - DWA Sponsor

There's a new challenge today at One Stitch At A Time and we are sponsored by

Digi’s With Attitude

I was very fortunate to be able to work with a great image called Gretta Gobble from our sponsor. I just really like how completely unimpressed she is about her circumstances and was inspired to make up an irreverent sentiment. This is unusual for me, I think Marlene is rubbing off on me J LOL

The image is coloured with my beloved Promarkers and I added some crystal effects to the eyes. I matted the image on a brown spotty paper from the Woodland Friends paper pack and used a piece of the leaf one at the other side of the card. I cut the sentiment in a pennant banner style and matter it onto a scrap of brown card. This is raised on 3d foam. I used a brand new swirl die from Crea adding some stickles glitter glue, some prima flowers and a gem from my stash to finish off.

Please pop over to OSAAT to see the fab cards from my colleagues on the DT and I hope we will see lots of entries and your favourites.

Materials Used in this card are as follows:-

Card Size – A6

Image – Gretta Gobble by Digi’s With Attitude

Paper – Snippets of Woodland Friends by Papermania

Embellishments – paper flowers, gem, bakers twine, crystal effects, stickles glitter glue

Tools – scissors, 3d foam, Promarkers, Crea swirls die

Techniques – die cutting

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• Anything Goes #50 – Anything Goes
• Art With No Boundaries – Autumn
• Bows and Berries #10 – Glitter
• CCEE Stampers #1138 – Add a Bird
• Crafts 4 Eternity R#38 – Autumn Colours
• Crafty Boots Challenge #2 – Things with Wings
• Crafty Catz #101 – Autumn
• Crafty Purple Frog – Autumn Inspired
• Crazy 4 Challenges #106 – Autumn
• Creative Craft World - Autumn
• Critter Sketch Challenge #83 – Recipe
• Delightful Challenges – Autumn
• Digistamps 4 Joy #28 – Anything Goes
• Digi Doodle Shop’s Best #76 – Autumn Colours
• Just Some Lines – Autumn Colours
• Lily Pad Cards - Bling
• Ooh La La Creations #89 – Punches or Dies
• Paper Pretties #172 – Autumn Inspiration
• Paper Shelter #32 – Anything Goes
• Paperplay #38 – Autumn Leaves
• Papertake Weekly #66 – Creature Comforts
• Raise The Bar #76 – Things With Wings
• Scrapbook Sisters #53 – Autumn Colours
• Shelly’s Images TTT – Maroon, burnt orange & Brown
• Simon Says Stamp – Use dies or punches
• Stamp With Fun #129 – Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin’ Challenge – Anything Goes
• Totally Gorjuss #99 – Birds

OSAAT #81 Favourites

There's a new challenge today at One Stitch At A Time and it is to

Use Your Favourites

We have a fabulous prize up for grabs this week from our sponsor

Following the complete crash of the Stitchy Bear store Jess, Stitchy and the creators have been working really hard to re-load the images and are giving it a revamp at the same time. Please head on over to the store and sign up for the newsletter to get the latest news and any ad-hoc freebies that Stitchy generously gives out from time to time.

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For my card this week I have used a gorgeous image from Barbara Jensen called Little Tiggy Tiger. I absolutely adore this image, it is such a cutie. The image has been coloured with Promarkers and I created a second layer so I could decoupage the head. It was rather fiddly to cut the little tufts of hair but it looks great so It was worth it J I added some crystal effects to the eyes, nose and paw pads.

The card was covered with a tiger print paper that I had from an assorted animal print pack years ago. The green paper is by Imaginisce. I had made a card for a work colleague of Pauls for Mothers Day and he was sending it to South Africa where he is from. His Mum came for a visit and brought me some animal papers and chipboards all the way from South Africa. I was really touched that she would do that for me and it was a lovely surprise.

I based my layout on a sketch from Passion for Promarkers. I have added some flowers in the top corner let hand corner with a button and twine embellishment and some die cut swirls from a new die I just had from Joanna Sheen.

The favourites in my card are fave technique which is to decoupage a digi image, obviously fave colouring medium Promarkers, fave bright colours and pretty papers and fave embellishment which is flowers.

Please pop over to OSAAT to see the fab cards from my colleagues on the DT and I hope we will see lots of entries and your favourites.

Materials Used in this card are as follows:-

Card Size – A5

Image – Little Tiggy Tiger by Barbara Jensen

Paper – miscellaneous from stash and Imaginisce

Embellishments – paper flowers, button, bakers twine, crystal effects.

Tools – scissors, 3d foam, Promarkers, Crea swirls die

Techniques – Decoupage, die cutting

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• 4 Crafty Chicks – Autumn colours/theme
• Corrosive Challenge #133 – Punches and/or dies
• Crafts 4 Eternity R#38 – Autumn Colours
• Crafts & Me #53 – Stripes
• Crafty Purple Frog – Autumn Colours
• Cutie Sunday #150 – No Sentiment
• Delicious Doodles #2 – Cute as a button
• Delightful Inspirations DT Challenge – Use at least 2 die cuts (3 separate swirls from flourish die are included)
• Digi Doodle Shop’s Best #76 – Autumn Colours
• Dream Valley Challenge #16 – Buttons
• Going Grey With Scrap Creations – Anything Goes
• Hanna & Friends #112 – Anything Goes
• Just Some Lines – Autumn Colours
• Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT – Animals
• My Time To Craft #158 – Lion
• Ooh La La Creations #89 – Punches or Dies
• Outlawz CPC092311 – Anything Goes
• Papertake Weekly #66 – Creature Comforts
• Paper Makeup Stamps #3 – Use fabric of some Type
• Passion For Promarkers #118 – Sketch for Layout
• Patches of Pink #12 – Link Up Party
• Pixie Dust Studio #93 – Circles
• Play Date Café #100 – Orange green & yellow
• Quirky Crafts #20 – In the Jungle
• Simon Says Stamp – Use dies or punches
• Southern Girls #28 – Anything Goes
• Stampin’ For The Weekend #17 – What a Cutie
• Stamping With The Dragon – 3d or Decoupage
• Stamp With Fun #129 – Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin’ Challenge – Anything Goes
• Whimsy Inspirations #7 – Polka Dots

Quick!!! Free Digi from Stitchy Bear's Store

Quickly before you miss it. Stitchy is offering the most gorgeous image as a freebie, see details from newsletter below.

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Weekend Freebie

Just a quickie note to let you know that we are almost finished uploading all our products to the store…In the meantime,

 

I just had to take a break and make a new stamp for all my faithful newsletter customers..So, if you would like to get this WEEKEND FREEBIE,

(hurry, expires Sunday evening at Midnight EST)

get on over to theSTITCHYBEAR’S

But first you have to find it haha…I will give you a hint or two 
1. It’s one of my stamps (Stitchy Stamps)
2. It’s a stamp that you will find on a starry Halloween night

Ok Ok, I will tell you the name of the stamp just to be sure you get it if you want it haha
IT’s STARR of course 

Just put Starr in your cart and enter coupon code a7b8ebc33b

If you have any problems at all, give me a shout
admin@stitchybearstamps.com
That’s all for now, have a crafty weekend
Stitchy
xoxox

Happiness Blooms

It’s Thursday and that can only mean one thing…… I hereby present you with my card for the progressive freebie challenge at Delightful Inspiration.

The gorgeous image we have this week is Happiness Blooms and it is the very 1^st card I have made coloured in with my new Flexmarkers and that makes me happy J  I purchased sets 1-4 for the fabulous price of £40 from Joanna Sheen and I am so chuffed with them. I was able to purchase them with birthday money from my FIL and the proceeds of a card sale to one of Paul’s work colleagues. I think Paul was a bit bummed as he was going to get them for my birthday so he needs to get me a pressie now…. He can buy me the other colours when they come out (I’ve got it all planned you know!)

I am really pleased with how the image came out. They are really easy to colour with, absolutely no streaking at all. The pens seem wetter and the ink blends really easily. I also found the flexible nib was easier to colour with and makes it easier to stay inside the lines. I had no problems blending the Promarkers with the Flexmarkers and all in all I am pretty pleased with them.

I have used a sketch from Come and Get It for the layout layering scraps of magenta mirri card and papers from Papermania, using a Martha Stewart punch on the green section with a piece of purple ribbon. The sentiment is from my stash layered onto another scrap of card. Both the image and sentiment are mounted on 3d foam. I used a small black ink pad to distress the edges of the image.

The purple butterfly is an acetate sticker and the magenta one is a flower sequin which I have cut down to a butterfly shape adding gem decorations and Promarker stamen.

Materials Used in this card are as follows:-

Card Size – A6

Image – Happiness Blooms by Designed 2 Delight

Paper – Papermania Woodland Folk

Sentiment – from stash

Embellishments – Ribbon, gems, acetate sticker, metallic flower sequin

Tools – Martha Stewart Punch, small ink pad

Techniques – Distressing with inkpad,

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges (in Alphabetical Order):-

• Anything Goes #50 – Anything Goes
• Come and Get It Challenge - Sketch for layout
• Corrosive Challenge #133 – Punches and/or dies
• Crafty Pad #139 – Gems                                  
• Delightful Inspiration – Friday Freebie Challenge
• Die Cut Dreams #98 – 5 or more flowers
• Digistamps 4 Joy #28 – Anything Goes
• Flutterby Wednesday #172 - Open
• Incy Wincy Designs #112 - Distressing
• Jules Crafty Snippets #37 – All papers and mats are snippets J
• Make It Monday #55 – Link Up Party
• Ooh La La Creations #89 – Punches or Dies
• Paper Makeup Stamps #3 – Use fabric of some Type
• Paper Shelter #32 – Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp – Use dies or punches
• Stamp Insanity #76 – Photo Inspiration (bright colours and fluttery eyes on bottom pic)
• Stamptacular Sunday #129 – Just Sayin’
• Sweet Stampin’ Challenge – Flowers, Flowers, Flowers
• Totally Gorjuss #98 – Anything But Square