Black with one other colour

Hi everybody

At  Anything Goes  this week we have a colour combo challenge - Black with one other  Colour.  How easy is that - well it should be but getting the colours to look right is sometimes not so easy.

I have used a Sarah Kay image, which was stamped on to a Cheery Lynne die cut, and coloured in Promarkers.  The background paper has been embossed with a M-Bossibilities folder and I have various black and black/white papers behind it.  I have added two lacy bands across the middle done with a punch.  Leaves are die cut, and flowers from stash.

There are some fabulous pieces on work on the challenge blog so please do pop across there, and remember you can get lots of crafting goodies from the Craft Den.

I am entering this in the following challenges:


Crafty Ribbons -  Flowers
For Fun Challenges  - My Favourite Girl
Great Impressions - Anything Goes

Just Keep On Creating  - Anything Goes

Jellypark Challenges  - Girly

Lexi's Creations  - Black White + one other colour

Papercrafting Journey - Black and one other colour

Sweet and Sassy - Feminine

2 Sisters  - Make it Girly

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Flowers and Music

Good morning everybody

We are continuing our Floral theme at  Make My Monday,  and this week we want entries to incorporate music with flowers.

For this card I have embossed music in gold on to pink textured card.  The floral image has been coloured with Promarkers and then cut out with a die (it is from a Hero Arts set which comes with a die - fab if you are not very good at cutting out).  The white card has been embossed and mounted on some slightly darker pink card, which I have edged with a metallic gold pen.  Sentiment is Stamping up and cut out with punches.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Stampavie and more - monochrome
Polka Doodles - monochromatic shades
Do you Stack Up - use a flower
Bunny Zoe - anything goes
Tammy's Scrappin' Corner - Show us your flowers
Amusing Challenge - Flowers
Opus Gluei - Beyond the Garden Gate
Sweet Stampin - Flower Power



I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

May is a month for flowers at Make My Monday

Good morning everybody

I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend.  At  Make My Monday  we are having a 'Floral' time, so every challenge during the month will be with this in mind.  So today we want to see Lily of the Valley, or any flower coloured white.

Please do pop across to the challenge, there are some beautiful examples of work for inspiration.

For my card I chose a beautiful poppy image from Hero Arts, having discarded several other stamps because they had too much detail on them and would have been very dark, and I have no white embossing powder.  I have coloured with Promarkers very lightly in Vanilla,  Ice Grey, and Ivory, and used several shades of Green on the stems.  The base card is TH Distress Card and the striped paper is from Pion.  Ribbon is from stash.

I am entering this for the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps - a Mothers Day card/card for a lady
Dream Valley Challenge - For a special lady
Great Impressions - Anything Goes
Opus Gluei - Beyond the garden gate
Paper Sundaes - Mother's Day
Scrappers Delights paper crafts - May flowers
Hybrid Digi Chick - Inspired by Nature
Paper Players - Mothers  Day/Special lady
The Squirrel and the Fox - One for the Girls
By the Cute and Girly - Spring is in the air
I Brake for Challenges - Floral
Joanna Sheen - Flower Power

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Show us your bling ...

Good morning everybody

At  Let's Ink It Up  this month we want to see your bling.

I seem to be in wedding mode at the moment - maybe it is because I am away next weekend to a wedding - the daughter of my closest friend - we have known each other for nearly 40 years, and I feel privileged to have her as a friend.  This is not going to be for her daughter though - I have something else in mind for that.

For this card I have used a Sarah Kay image which I have coloured with Promarkers.  This is one of a batch I coloured while I was on holiday - a couple of days the weather was pretty dire, so I was glad of some stamps and pens and coloured up quite a few images.  My background papers are from the Basic Grey Plumeria pad.  I have run one piece through an embossing folder with hearts.  The arch shape was cut with a Go Kreate die, and the image is edged with pearls.  Leaves are cut with Doo Hickey dies, and flowers are from stash.

Whimsy Stamps are sponsoring the challenge this month, and the prize is a $15.oo gift voucher to spend on at their store.

I am entering this card for the following challenges:

Craft us Crazy - Favourite Stamp Company

Crop Stop - Emboss It - I have a panel of dry embossing

Southern Girls - Get your girly on

Crafts and Me - Favourite colour combo

Little Darlings - Flowers

Waste not Wednesday - Use forgotten stuff - Embossing folder, die cut shape - have not used since I bought it

Deep Ocean Challenge - Die Cuts - leaves and arch shape

Crafty Mess - Pink and Cute 

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Celebrations at OSCC

Hi everybody

A second post from me today.  At the  One Stop Craft Challenge  we have a theme of Celebrations, which lives a very wide scope for what you do.

I have decided to use this sweet stamp from Sarah Kay as my card.  Who know what these two cuties are celebrating!

I have coloured with Promarkers and edged the image with DI in antique linen and then stamped the swirl around it in the same colour.  The Papers are from Echo Park Victoria Garden, the first time I have used them, and there are lots of pretty spring and summery colours.  The dies used are  Spellbinders, a Memory Die, and Doo Hickey.  Flowers, lace and gems are from stash.  The sentiment is SU.

We have two fabulous sponsors this week

with digi images as the prize

who is offering this fabulous stamp set

I am entering this into the following challenges.

2 Sister challenge - Anything Goes
Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
Colour Me Creative - Celebrations 
Di's Digi Designs - Spring
Drunken Stampers - It's not easy being green
Card Crafters Curcle - Mum's the word
LolliPop Crafts - Anything Goes
The Pink Elephant - Spring
Crazy Amico - Flowers
Simon Says Stamp - Birthday
Victorine Originals - Flowers
Emergency Crafters - Bold and Bright
Passion for Promarkers - Light and Bright


I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

I'm back ...

Hi everybody

It is an age since I posted, but I have had computer problems.  I bought a new computer and had arranged for all my files to be transferred from the old one.  However, it did not go as planned.  So as I was also going away for 10 days, Apple had it to sort it out.  Now I am up and running again, and just trying to use a completely different system.  I must say that I do like a lot of the features available on it, and have been having a play with some of my photographs.

This was going to be my DT card for Make My Monday a couple of weeks ago, but lack of a computer meant it did not happen, so here it is.  The image is a favourite of mine from Crafty Individuals, which I stamped onto a DI background and then coloured with pencils.

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Tick Tock Goes the Clock - Time or Steampunk

We have a fabulous new challenge for you at Anything Goes this week - Tick Tock Goes the Clock - Time or Steampunk.

I guess my card is a composition of both, but please do pop along to the challenge - there as some fabulous DT pieces for inspiration.

I have used two images from a Kanban set of stamps for focus, which I coloured in Copics/Promarkers, and then cut out.  With my wonky fingers I was not sure I would be able to cut it out, but they are not too bad.  I added a clock with some beads onthe bottom, a key, and a flower made out of the same paper as the background, with a brad through it.  The background paper is from Fabscraps, and I used a template with clocks on it, and inked through in distress ink.  The brown card has been through an clocks embossing folder.

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

A very belated DT post for Make My Monday - Sports or Hobbies

Hi everybody

I cannot believe that chaning computers is so difficult.  I became the very proud owner of an iMac and last week it went in to have all the content of my old computer transferred.  The email was not done, and everything is scrambled, so tomorrow hopefully they are sorting it once and for all.  So I had been carrying on using my old PC, and then lost my internet connection - just what I wanted to happen.  So I am finally back up.

At  Make My Monday  we are continuing our theme of Men and Boys chosen by Caz.  This week the subject is Sport or Hobbies  I decided to  base my card around music - in particular jazz and the 20's.  My youngest son is a talented double bass player, among other things he does, and plays with a number of groups around when he lives.


Please do pop across to the challenge - there are some fabulous pieces of work for inspiration.

The background and other papers are from Graphic 45 Curtain Call, as are the stamps.  I used a variety of distress inks to age them.  The piano keys stamp is from Clarity.

I am entering this for the following challenges: 

Use It Tuesdays - Anything Goes - all my stuff is from hoarded stash bought last year and not touched
Deep Ocean Challenge - Inspired by a Song - St Louis Blues


I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Vintage for MMM

Good morning

At   Make My Monday  we are continuing our theme of Men and Boys, which has been chosen by Caz.  This week we want to see Vintage creations for your entries, so lots of scope for this.  Please do pop across to the challenge, there are some amazing pieces of work for inspiration.

My entry is quite a simple one.  I have taken a piece of dusky pink card and overstamped with script down the middle.  I embossed some clocks on to brown card and then sanded it to get the images showing through and tore it in half.  My main image is a Dark Room Door image of a pub stamped on to card coloured with distress inks, and the words came from another Dark Room Door stamp plate.  I peated some toning ribbon across the bottom.

We are very fortunate to be sponsored by the fabulous Marianne Designs, who have provided an amazing bundle of goodies as a prize.

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Pretty Pastels

Good morning everybody

I hope you are having a good Easter break, and just remember - don't eat too much chocolate.  I was looking at the divine Easter Eggs the other day in a shop and was so tempted - but restrained myself - just can't do it at the moment!

Anyway, on to the One Stop Craft Challenge.  Our theme this week is Pastels with Die Cuts, and there are some fabulous pieces of work from the design team, so please pop across.  We were very lucky this week to be given some images from the lovely Heather Ellis to play with.

Our inspiration was this photograph, which has some of my favourite colour roses in it, so right up my street.

I have coloured with a mixture of Copics and Promarkers, and the image has distress ink sponged around the edge.  The papers were from a freebie pack, and other cardstock from stash.  I have embellished with a Memory Box corner, pearls and some flowers from stash.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Catch the Bug - April Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin' - Dies and Doodles
Card Making Mamas - Easter
Raise the Bar - Easter
Sweet 'n' Sassy - Easter and a Digi


I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

It's Anything Goes at .........

Anything Goes! 

Good morning everybody

I cannot believe it is a week since I have posted.  We have an easy challenge for everybody this week at Anything Goes.  It is Anything Goes, so massive scope for everybody.

This is quite a simple card with Basic Grey Printery paper mounted on to black cardstock..  I have stamped the sentiment and the flying paper on to some matching paper and the typewriter on to white cardstock and then sponged distress ink around the edge.  A small cluster of paper roses and a leaf complete this.

Please pop across to the challenge blog, there are some fabulous pieces of work there from the team.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Karen's Doodles - Make It For A Male
make It Monday - Always Anything Goes
Oh La La - Vintage
Stamp with Fun - No Easter card
Tammy's Scrappin Corner - Anything Goes


I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Getting ready for Easter

Good morning

Tim does seem to be flying when Easter is beginning to loom on the horizon.  A beautiful day here again, and I was almost tempted to put the hood down on the car, but did not have a jacket with me, but the arm weather had certainly tempted a lot of people to do so.

So, at  Anything Goes  this week the theme is Getting Ready for Easter, so lots of ways of protraying this with rabbits, eggs, and what about Easter Tea ...

I have used a Sarah Kay image and coloured with Promarkers and Copics.  My background papers are from First Edition Spring Drop, and although it does not show - the main paper is quite shimmery - so pretty.  I have used a variety of dies and punches for embellishments, and flowers, gems, silk ribbon and lace from stash.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Celebrate the Occasion - Welcome Spring
Craft Room Challenge - Bling Glitter and Sparkle
Deep Ocean Challenge - Butterflies
Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Flowers
LadyBug Crafts Ink - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Bingo (Gems, dies cuts, flowers)
Sassy Cheryl - Think Spring
Wild Orchid Challenge - Bingo (Gems, flowers, Ribbon and lace)


Please do pop across to the challenge blog  for lots of lovely inspiration, and don't forget that the Craft Den has lots of fabulous crafting goodies, which you know you just cannot do without.



I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Springing into Spring

Hi everybody

I am slightly behind with my blogging today,  I have a mammoth task on sorting out my craft room for some new furniture.  I'm sure that everybody knows what that means - trying to convince yourself you didn't know you had so much!  Hee hee ...

We are continuing our Spring celebration at  Make My Monday,  and this week Jacqueline really challenged the team - we want to see a Spring Fold Card.  If you are not sure how to nmake one, there is a tutorial by Jacqueline here which is very easy to follow.  Please pop along to the challenge and have some fun with this slightly different shape of card.

I have used a very pretty Pansy image from Fred She Said for this.  The base paper is from a FabScraps pad, and I have added a pansy border along the bottom edge.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Cupcake Craftroom - Spring Bouquet
Sparkles Forum - Mothers Day or Spring

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Blue and Brown

Hi everybody

I hope you have had a wonderful day.  I have a card which I made for a commission to show you.  I was particularly asked if I could use an image that evoked the style of flappers or art deco, so here it is.  However, I had forgotten how awful Crystal Stickles looks when it is photographed, so apologies for the bird - it looks fab in real life, but awful in the pictures.

This is the inside

I am entering this in the following challenges:

Brown and Blue - Die-ing for a Challenge
One Stitch at a Time - Girly
Pan Pastel Challenge - Add a flower
Quirky Crafts - For a Special Lady (this was for a 30th birthday)


I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Spring continues at Make My Monday

I love these bright mornings, it makes things so much nicer than getting up to dull grey skies.  I have two unhappy furbabies today, as they have been for a wash and brush up at the groomer and have decided they they don't like each other any more and have been fighting all over the house!

At  Make My Monday  we are continuing with our Spring theme, and we want to see cards for Mother's Day or Thank You cards.  There are some fabulous DT projects for inspiration on the challenge blog so please do pop across and join in with us.

My card is a Thank you card, as sadly I lost my mother in 1994, and then a year later my mother in law.  I decided to go CAS having messed up two cards along the way, one of which I was really annoyed about because I dropped an inked stamp on to my beautiful disress background all pretty with roses, and there it was - black ink right on the edge so I could not salvage it for what I had planned.  However, it has gone in my scraps box for future use.

I have used a music stamp across the centre of the card, and then overstamped with some leaves from a Wendy Vecchi set.  The sentiment is SU. All the ink is Adirondack Slate.  I like the pinky grey colour of it.  I then die cut a flowers and put it together with a pearl brad.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

All Sorts - Say It With Flowers

Less is More - Use script - mine is music script so hope it counts

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Mother's 'Day with Ribbon

Good morning everybody

I hope you have had a good week.  Well, if it is Saturday, that must mean  One Stop Card Challenge  for me.  It is so lovely and spring like today I think this card reflects it.  Our projects this week must be for Mother's Day.  We would also like to see ribbon on your card.  Please pop acros to the challenge to see all the brilliant DT examples and from our guest designers at Bugaboo.

My image is from Bugaboo - one of our very generous sponsors this week.  I have coloured with Copics.  The papers are from Basic Grey Lucious, and I picked out the blue for my mounting card.  Flowers and ribbon are from stash, leaves punched.

There are two fabulous prizes up for grabs from our sponsors this week.  Bugaboo is offering 7 digis of the winner's choice, and there is a £5 voucher from The Ribbon Girl.

I am entering this into the following challenges.


Crafty Catz - Mothers Day or a Special Lady
Deep ocean -  Spring
Divas By Design  - favourite things - Die cuts flowers ribbon, pearls and pretty papers
Kaboodles Doodles  - Spring Flowers
Lexis Creations  - Mothers day
Make It Monday - Always anything goes
Simon Says Stamp -  Mothers Day/Special Girl
Totally Stampalicious - Spring is in the air
Totally Papercrafts - favourite things - Die cuts flowers ribbon, pearls and pretty papers






I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Boyz to Men

Good morning

I cannot believe how time flies, and it is two weeks since the last challenge at Anything Goes.   This week for our challenge our theme is Boyz to Men - so we don't want to see anything girlie.

For my card all the images are from Paper Artsy, and have been stamped in archival ink on a distress ink background.  The papers behind the images have been torn and distressed a bit, and mounted on to sluggy green card.  The only adornments are a cog, and some wooden buttons with twine tied through them.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Make It Monday - Always Anything Goes
Oh La La Creations - On the Move
Catch the Bug - March Anything Goes
Clearly Inspired - Anything Goes
Phindy's Place - Distressing
Raise the Bar - Use Twine - I have used it through the buttons


I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Has spring arrived?

Well I don't think so, even though there are lots of pretty snowdrops popping up everywhere.

However, at Make My Monday, Spring has arrived.  This is our theme for the month of March, and this week we would like to see Spring Flowers on your project.

This is my card, and you will see that I have taken a slightly different tack on this - but to me spring in Paris is the time when it is overflowing with flowers everywhere - bulbs, cherry trees along the streets- just so pretty.

My base card is Tim Holtz Distress Card, and I have topped it with s sheet of Prima paper which I have added a few extra swirls to.  My image is Hero Arts.  The background is distress inks, with stamping in archival black.  The flowers are coloured in pencils.  Pearls and flowers are from stash.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Paper Creations Ink - Spring is in the Air,
St Lukes Charity Challenge - Spring into Spring
Gingerloft - Spring
The Paper Players - Spring has Sprung
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Make It Monday - Always Anything Goes
Pollycraft - Spring has Sprung
PanPastel Challenge - Use a stamped image
Hiding in my Craft Room - Bring on some Spring

I also have to say a very big THANK YOU to two challenges this week, as I have just learnt that I was chosen as the winner at Paper Creations Ink, and was one of the runners up at St Luke's Charity Card Challenge.



I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,

Show us your flowers

Hi everybody

This is my first card for Let's Ink It Up, and our challenge is all about flowers.  One very lucky prize winner is going to win this fabulous package of lovely flowers from our very own Suzanne who is sponsoring the challenge this month.

So - on to my card.  I have been really restrained with my flowers - they are all die cuts this time around.

I have used a Lili of the Valley image - one of several I bought at Make It a couple of weeks ago, so this is it's first inking.  I do love her cute little bunches.   I have coloured with Copics and Promarkers.   The papers are from a Tilda pad, and I have used offcuts for the flowers and dragonfly.  The pearls are from stash.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Flutterby Wednesdays - open

Do  U Stack Up - Things with Wings

Night Shift Stamping - Bouquet of Flowers

A Gem of a Challenge - Perfect Pastels

Catch the Bug - March Anything Goes

Die-ing for a Challenge - Anything Goes

I really appreciate it that you take the time to look at my blog and leave such lovely comments. Thank you each and every one of you. Hugs,