Get Well Cards for Polkkadoodles - and some news.....

On Polkadoodles this week, the challenge (set by me!) is to use a bug of some sort on your get well card, and to use an alternative to ribbon - string, raffia etc. I cut a random leaf shape out, and nibbled away at it with punches to look as if the bugs have been chomping on it.

I added some string, a couple of lulu ladybirds off the Sugar Birdies CD and dropped blobs of glossy accents here and there. The flower is one of Polkadoodles stampies
I made another one as well, to show that the papers from the CD can make elegant cards as well as funky ones. Here I cut a swirl from the ice blue swirl paper, and cut two butterflies using the cuttlebug cut and emboss butterflies. I printed the kiss paper out in blue onto vellum which I cut with the storybook cartridge

then used two strips of lace by Rusty Pickle to finish it off. The little sentiment is by Hero Arts

and now some news. The design team over on Funky Hand are excited about a new challenge blog we are starting on the 1st August. The challenges will be monthly, and there will be a prize (a beautiful BIG fabulous prize) every month for the lucky winner, plus freebie downloads and all sorts of other fun things. Are you ready to Get Funky?

I have just had a lovely phone chat with my teamie from Funky Hand and Polkadoodles, Kath. We nattered on for over an hour, it was lovely. I could hear the hooligan Buddy barking while we were on the phone, guess what, it was the postie with another craft delivery. Now there's a surprise.....

New Cuttlebug Folders

Here's a look at what the new cuttlebug folders look like when embossed - I embossed them onto black white core cardstock, then rubbed with a nail file to show you the detail. Going clockwise from top left, diamond plate, I think this one will be endlessly useful in the way the swiss dots folder is. Next is the herringbone stripe, which I love, this will be fabulous for men's cards.

Next is Victoria, a very pretty elegant scroll, and lastly fleur de lis

Again from the top, two of the borders from flourish borders, stars (another one that I love) and lastly two of the borders from the pop culture border set
No doubt I will find a use for all of them, but my favourites have to be the stars, herringbone, fleur de lis and diamond. In the borders, the pop culture one will be the most versatile for me

All these (apart from the 2 border sets) are the standard A2 size. Provocraft have bought out some bigger folders for Christmas, they will be 5 x 7 I think, so much more versatile. I bought mine online from Exquisite Crafts, and would recommend them, excellent speedy delivery, and free shipping over £15 (which of course, my order was)

Fairy Fabric Card for the Creative Card Crew

Here's another fabric fairy - this time the image was only partial, but I liked the image of the little boy fairy (what are boy fairies called? Pixies? Elves?) so much, I worked around it and cut it into a square, then snipped away around the top of the image

aren't these flowers fabulous? They are by Prima
and the double ribbon means that this is perfect for this week's creative card crew challenge which is - ribbons

I heard yesterday that the black and white card I did with the snippy flower won the Inspirational Card Sketches challenge last week, so I have some goodies on the way

Yesterday I met up with an online friend Denyze, who only lives just down the road from me and we went and did a bit of crafty shopping at a treasure trove of a place she had found. It was inside a really scruffy indoor market in Erdington, you sort of navigate around stalls full of junk, then there is this really big craft stall selling all the latest products. Needless to say, we browsed around for a couple of hours, before having a bacon butty, it was a really fun day and we have arranged another meet-up next week

All the moaning about the hot weather has worked, it is now at least 20 degrees cooler here, in fact it's freezing cold. Back to the sweaters. Oh, and you will need a brolly too, the English summer rain is back - yesterday it was like a monsoon.

Birdhouse for BBTB and Hot, Hot Hot for Cute Daisy May

On bitten by the bug this week, we were asked to use the house cut from the wildcard cartridge. I knew immediately what I wanted to do, and have to thank Kath, my talented teamie from Funky Hand and Polkadoodle design teams for the idea. Kath made the most fun birdhouse card for Polkadoodles and I thought I could adapt the idea for the cricut house. I cut the house at 7" then ran it through the cuttlebug using the distressed stripes border.

the owl is a stampie from Polkadoodles online store, and the tweet home circles were printed from the sugar birdies CD
I used making memories tiny letter stickers for the word home. Flowers are by prima -- oops I went over the line a bit on his eye, mental note to practice colouring within the lines...........

Cute Daisy May asked us to use only hot colours for our card this week, I picked this image of daisy in her little sundress, she is so sweet and has that look about her that little girls have when they are all dressed up and want to show off their pretty dresses



The label shapes were cut with my go-kreate nesting dies, and the happy birthday sentiment is another download from the new set by the cutting cafe



Don't forget, you don't need to use a cute daisy may image to enter the challenge, just use hot colours and have a go

Birthday Hugs for Penny Black Challenge

I enjoyed doing this one - the challenge on the Penny Black challenge this week was to use red white and blue. I used this sweet little dog stamp that I forgot I had. The scallop squares were cut with the cricut - storybook cartridge, and the glittery red background paper is from the DCWV citrus stack

The dark blue cardstock was white core, so I distressed it at the edges with a nail file. I found the blue button which has been hanging around for ages, and added the ribbon
I inked the edges of the white scallop square in red. I don't know who made the epoxy letter stickers, again, they were hiding in the bottom of a drawer, but I really like them

I hope all my American friends are having a wonderful 4th of July

Polkadoodles Card and a Sneek Peek

Here's my card for the Polkadoodle challenge this week, the DT were asked to use the cherry paper (mine is on the inside of the card) and a hidden element. I cut a cherry card out using the Cricut and Hello Kitty cartridge

a card wouldn't be complete for me without a bit of gingham....................
and here's my hidden element, I cut two extra cherries and attached them with a brad so they swing out to reveal the birthday message

I appeal, beg, plead with you to enter the challenge this week. Why? Because I did the blog post for this week, and if nobody takes up the challenge it will be because I am a rubbish bloggy cheerleader! All you have to do is make a card with fruit on it somewhere, and a hidden element. Lots of ideas on how to do that on the blog
Here's a sneaky peek at one of my cards in Papercraft Inspirations magazine this month. The brief was to make a best friend card using a cute animal. I made this frog out of ovals and circles and think he is quite cute

his legs were drawn freehand, and I punched some circles to add a few spots



I went to the Bear Factory yesterday, those of you without children/grandchildren won't know that this is a shop devoted entirely to stuffed bears, you choose an empty bear, get him stuffed, you can buy clothes for them, and when you carry them home you are given a little box (and an adoption certificate!) that makes it look as if you are taking your cat to the vet.
Anyway, I had bought one for Kiki and Max, so thought I had better get one for the babies, although Max has never taken much of an interest, being far too devoted to his Ellie, and Kiki only recently took an interest after discovering that if she jumped up and down on her bear, my voice came out (plus a bit of stuffing every time) - yes, you buy a little cartridge, go into a little soundproof box and record a message which is sewn inside the bear. So my bear says something like 'night night darling, God bless, I love you', or some such grandmotherly type mush, and my voice sounds incredibly awful on the recording. Back to the present day...........I chose my bears, and took them to one of the sales assistants, who was busy sorting out little football outfits for the bears (honestly!), she glanced up for a nanosecond and said,' I haven't got time to stuff them, you can do it yourself though' - no time! What's more important, giving birth to two new little bears, or hanging up 4" football shirts? So off I wandered with my two sad little empty bears to the stuffing machine, You put the bear over the spout and press a lever with your foot. Sounds easy? I put the first bear on and pressed, wow, does that stuff come out quickly! Soon his body was so inflated, I couldn't get to the legs and arms, so I furtively took some of the stuffing out, there was nowhere to put it, so I sort of stuffed it behind the machine, quite a lot fell on the floor, and quite a lot went all over the black trousers I was wearing. Try again, this time, he looked as if he had sausages for legs, one was much bigger than the other, his arms were mishapen and he developed a hump and a beer gut. More stuffing on the floor, more on me. This went on for quite some time, until I admitted defeat, abandoned my poor deformed teddy, and stalked out of the shop, leaving behind a trail of white wadding material, and looking as if I had been attacked by a large hairy white dog. 'I changed my mind' I said to the football shirt assistant as I sailed past, well it would give her something to do when she had finished playing with the 1" footie boots.

Happy Birthday for Cutting Cafe, Inspirational CS and TPE

Regina over at the Cutting Cafe has just released a new download, and I am going to be using this one such a lot - it's the happy birthday sentiment done in 40 different ways - they are just gorgeous, plenty of space around them when you print as well, so you can cut them with nestabilities etc. Here, I used the happy birthday background printable stamp, then used the sentiment off one of the sheets in the download. I chose this one, because with an almost monotone card, I wanted the lettering to really stand out.

The edges of the panels were punched with Martha Stewart chequerboard border punch

The flower was cut freehand in a very random way - I didn't even draw it in pencil first - out of a K & Co paper, and the edges inked with black. I then cut a circle and sort of snipped almost down to the centre all the way round, then popped a punched black circle in the middle and curled the snippy bits up over a pencil

a close-up of the sentiment, you can see the tiny happy birthday background too....


I was only sent this download a couple of days ago, and couldn't wait to try it, so was delighted to see that on The Pink Elephant this week, the challenge was to use your favourite colours - how could I resist?
I made the card using the sketch on Inspirational Card Sketches, so two challenges in one card here

I have an apology to make, been a bit dozy about putting awards on the blog, lots of very kind people have sent me these, which I really appreciate. I had carefully made a note in the old-fashioned way (paper and pen) of all the names, links etc etc, and was planning to do a post with them all in one place. Now the paper has gone AWOL, and I just haven't got time to trawl through back posts to find them again, it would take a day that I just can't spare. So hugs to everyone who thought of me and abject apologies for not posting them. One of these days I may even start using the computer as my notebook instead of these scraps of paper that keep getting lost - then again, maybe not.

Stylish Lady Birthday Card

I took a very bad photo here, the large scallop circle is actually on a cream linen square card base. This photo makes it look as if the card is circular.

This is a really old stampin up image, but has always been a favourite of mine. She was coloured with a couple of dabs of chalk. All the papers and cardstock on this card are from Craftwork Cards, the sentiment button was white, but I swiped it with a cream ink pad to make it match. The brown gingham ribbon was a gift from a friend who knows my addiction to gingham.

Don't forget to watch Nikky from Polkadoodles on her very first TV debut today, 12 noon on Ideal World TV here in the UK. She promises there will be loads of ideas on projects using the Sugar Birdies CD. Good luck Nikky.

Another scorcher here today, we are so unused to hot sunshine in the UK, and as a race we don't deal well with it. We are in constant moaning mode about the rain/wind/cloud so that when the sun shines we stay in that role - 'It's so hot' you hear people whine as they wilt around, usually doing a zebra impression with angry red stripes of sunburn on pale skin. As a general rule, British women do hot weather with some style, the men, bless them, haven't a clue. You feel an irresistible urge to go to them and say gently 'shorts with white hairy legs teamed with dark socks and scruffy trainers, not a good look', but of course you don't...............

Blog Candy Winner

So many comments, a lot of followers and subscribers, whatever possessed me to do all the 'two entries' for this 'one entry for that' - I was trying to be very fair. It has made for a major headache today, but luckily I have my own pet accountant (Mike) on hand, who was able to sort all the names into lists for me, then we did the random thingy. I really would like to thank all of you for entering, I am just sorry I can't send you all something, if I did I would be living in a cardboard box. I haven't been able to get around to all the blogs of those that left comments either, if I had done that I would not have slept for a week.

So, without further ado, the name that was chosen with all the care given to an election result is

JULES (always with a heart blog)

Huge congrats Jules, email me with your address and your goodies will be in the mail as soon as I can find a box to take them :)

Go to The Cutting Cafe, Cute Daisy May and Lily-Boo's Boutique to choose which downloads you want for your prize, and let me know

Fairy Fabric Cards

I'd forgotten I had this really pretty fabric with little fairies on it, I haven't a clue where I got it from, or who made it. Anyway, two card later, both with a lot of bling. I swiped the back of the fabric with a glue stick and stuck it on to plain white card, then when it was dry, cut the images out. I really like the look of fabric images on cards, you get a texture that looks a bit 'different'. I ran a panel through the cuttlebug, using the paisley swirls folder and white core cardstock, then ran a nail file over the surface to highlight the embossing. The sentiment is from Great Impressions.

Look at this adorable little fairy baby, isn't she sweet? The border on this was done with a martha stewart punch, double scallop, and the sentiment is a clear studio G acrylic. I added some gems and a few drops of stickles to the flower centres.

If you want to try your hand at using fabric images on cards, look for fabric that has clear, well defined images with a space on the fabric between images, if they overlap it's really tricky to find a workable image. The added bonus of course is that you don't have to do any colouring.

I am just about to start the task of sorting out who has won the blog candy, bear with me, it's a bit of a mammoth task. I will post the winner later when the official adjudicator (Mike) and I have sorted it

Baby Girl Card for Cute Daisy May

What a sweet little sleeping girl, having her nap on the moon.................

and inside................

On Cute Daisy May this week, the challenge is 'anything goes' so you can pick your favourite card and enter it for a chance to win a blinkie for your blog and a free download. I picked this sweet little girl image, and cut a moon with the New Arrival cartridge. The sentiments are computer generated and the papers are Heidi Grace. The border was done with the martha stewart valentine hearts border punch, and the pink ribbon is a twill, also by MS

There is a blog hop over on Bitten by the Bug this week, the main prize is the brand new Stand and Salute Cricut cartridge, so hop on over there to see how you can be in with a chance of winning (I didn't join in this week, a. because I don't have that cartridge, and b. because I am a bit up to my eyes in it with my own bloggy candy thing)

I am busy with a magazine commission, working on the Christmas issue, it seems odd to be working with snowflakes in June. I have a lot of emails asking about doing stuff for a magazine. How it works is that the editor contacts me with an idea for an article, or I have been known to come up with an idea myself, we toss these ideas around via email, and when I have a clear picture of what is wanted, I start searching for supplies. All the papers/stamps etc have to be current, and available from a UK supplier, so I can't pull some paper randomly out of my stash. When that is sorted and the cards designed and made (avoiding some specific colours that don't photograph well), you write the accompanying article, again to a specific format and using a set number of words. Then I email the text, and send the cards off to be photographed, which has to be done before a tight deadline. Magazines work at least three months in advance, so it can be Christmas in June or Easter in December. Jenny Dixon the editor of Papercraft Inspirations magazine is lovely, very approachable and is good at gently telling me that some of my wildest ideas just wouldn't work! Take a look at the site, there are always freebie downloads on there, and competitions too.

Have A Wheelie Cool Day - for DCM and Cute Card Thursday

Daring Cardmakers dare this week, is to make a card suitable for a child. They have a link to an organization called Post Pals, who work with children who are seriously ill. I defy anyone to look on the site and not be moved. I made this card for a little boy of 9 called Ethan, and will be mailing it tomorrow. I hope he likes it! The image is a download from the Boys and Toys collection from Lily Boos Boutique, coloured with copic markers and a few highlights added with a white inkessentials pen. The paper is called graph strips and simple graph by Simply Luxe. The word cool is a foam thickers alpha, and the tiny black stickers are by making memories.

This just fits in with the challenge on Cute Card Thursday this week as well, which was to use wheels on a card.

Little Polly for PolkaDoodles

No sketch this week over at Polka Doodles challenge, although there is one on there if you want some inspiration. The design team were asked to use Polly from the Sugar Birdies CD, and we had to colour her in ourselves (you have the option on the CD of printing her out already coloured). I used copic markers of course. Another requirement was to use paper ribbons, I cut some strips of paper and did a concertina thing then bunched them all together to make a funky little flower. I used a black button instead of the o in hello, and stitched around the outer edge of the card in a white zig zag (yes, I know black would have been better, but I couldn't be bothered to go through that whole rigmarole of squinting at that little needle trying to thread it for an hour). Everything on the card, papers, image, paper ribbon, sentiment circles, is from the CD.

Nikky, the owner of Polka Doodles is doing her first ever show on Ideal World/Create and Craft TV here in the UK on Wednesday 1st July at noon. She is very nervous, so be sure to watch her if you can, good luck Nikky. I will be watching, to see some of my cards flash across the screen for a nano-second.

I have updated the photos of the babies on my sidebar, I am going to have to do this regularly, they are changing so quickly as their little faces fill out. They both have eyes the colour of the sky on a summers day, I haven't captured that on film yet.

Whilst doing a bit of blog hopping I found a great blog with photos of all the latest nestability dies and the large cuttlebug embossing folders. I will certainly be in the market for some of these, they will be 5 x 7" and a much better size for the cards I make. Take a look HERE to see some photos.

Sweetie Card

This little girl circle is a downloadable image from Lily-Boo's Boutique, I coloured the whole image in pale greys and red. The base card is a white scallop 6" square, and I used some very pale grey card matted in black to pop the image on. The 'so sweet' sentiment is by Inkadinkadoo clear stamps (cupcake set). A pop of gingham ribbon and I was done.

We have just been down to London for a couple of days to have cuddles and hugs with the babies, who are both doing well, and quite adorable. This morning we took a wrong turn (luckily Mike was driving, I would never have heard the last of it) and found ourselves rather off course. Now where in London, possibly the world, would be the worst place to be lost this week? That's right, Wimbledon. So we find ouselves almost at a standstill for what seemed like hours, following the tennis fans heading towards the All England Tennis club. After an hour of this, the score was deuce, but I think I won on points - 40 love (advantage Enfys)

Remember Pacman?

and the inside, gobbling up some happy birthday balls

Remember pacman? One of the earliest gameboy games, that little yellow ball that used to gobble all the other balls up? It's my son's birthday on friday. He works for one of the big computer games companies so I thought this card would be fun. I cut the circles out with my george cartridge, and the dark grey frame around the edge of the card was done with the stretch your imagination cartridge. I covered the front of the card with a dull silver paper (DCWV) and added some buttons for the 'controls'. I know it looks like a kids card, but he is still a bit of a kid at heart. At least he will know I made it just for him.

I am not surprised he ended up in that industry, he certainly spent enough time practising when he was a kid. One Christmas, he was desperate for a gameboy, which we bought and wrapped, hiding it away in a cupboard. On Christmas morning, he proceeded to astound us with his dexterity and skill. Many years later, he confessed that he had 'found' the parcel (i.e. spent hours looking for the parcel), then carefully opened the packaging and removed his prize. He did this at every opportunity until Christmas day, by which time he was, of course, an expert.

Fun Decoupage Cards

Nikky, the owner of Polka Doodles sent me these cute diecut decoupage sheets to play with, they were such fun, really bright modern images, they make the cutest cards very quickly

Isn't this one perfect for a footie fan? The happy birthday football paper is her design as well

As for this one - well, there are a number of chaps of my aquaintance that this would be perfect for. What's better than a pint in the pub with the paper and a bag of crisps? I left this one quite plain, as the image speaks for itself

Go to the website to see more of these decoupage sheets at Polka Doodles

I am a drooling, dribbling mess at the moment, having just returned from the dentist where I had, at huge expense, two fillings replaced. I can tolerate the dentist quite well, and mine is a lovely guy, but I hate the hygeinist thing, all that water gushing around makes me feel I am drowning. It doesn't help when she chats away asking me questions 'have you been on holiday this year dear?' when my mouth is full of steel implements 'arghhh mmm lobl ghh' I reply, and she nods wisely and says 'yes, we love it there too'. Is part of their course learning to interpret goobledegook speak? Or is there really some far flung tropical island called arghhh mmm lobl ghh?

I spoke to a very nice person at the Glitter Pot yesterday afternoon, made an order, and it arrived this morning. What a great service, and they have a fantastic website with goodies to drool over, even if you haven't been to the dentist