Bloom & Grow

Good Evening,

I can't quite believe it's a week since my last post, but it has been quite a busy week.  Tonight's card has been a work in progress since I coloured in the image on Friday night.  Iona and I spent some time together playing with my Promarkers, she coloured in a Cheerleader Tilda image which was right up her street!  I didn't get round to finishing my card until this evening.

 

The image is by Helz Cuppleditch and was a bargain from Hobbycraft for only £1, and I've coloured it with Promarkers.  The papers are from the Ice Cream Parlour collection by Craftwork Cards and the sentiment is from LOTV.  I've matted and layered everything on red Coredinations cardstock.  And I've finished off the card with pink spotty organza ribbon, gems, pearls and an apple shaped button tied with green and white bakers twine from American Crafts.  I'm entering this into my first ever challenge outwith those on the Docrafts website so I hope I've got all my links right!!!

 

Bye for now,

Shona xx

 

As well as the Digi/Stamping Challenge over at Docrafts I wish to enter this card into the following Challenge:

 

 A Passion for Promarkers Week 195 - Animals

 

 

 



April Showers

Hiya!

Or technically good morning although I haven't gone to bed yet so that doesn't sound right!  I'm a bit back to front tonight.  I rushed to get a card on Docrafts as it was for a challenge that ended at midnight only to find after I uploaded it that it's been extended for another day!!! 

In other news I'm happy to report that I'm now sporting a new haircut complete with a heavy fringe and no grey hairs in sight!  I must take this opportunity to praise Iona for being very patient while she waited for me.  I think the promise of a visit to the sweetie shop around the corner helped mind you. 

Tonight's card is one I made for the Stamping/Digi Challenge over at Docrafts and theme is 'April Showers Bring May Flowers', I'm happy to report there's not been much in the way of showers here today just a little drizzle here and there.

The image is a freebie I picked up from www.cruzines.blogspot.co.uk which I've coloured with Promarkers.  I've kept it very CAS with just 3 colours and 2 papers which are Boofle 12x12s.  The sentiment is by LOTV and I've simply added a ribbon bow topped with a heart-shaped button tied with bakers twine and some red pearls.

Hope you're having a fab weekend with plenty of crafting.  I'm off to tidy the mess I've left in the kitchen after rushing to upload my card, oh joy!!!

Night night,
Shona xx

A Thank You Card

Hello!

I don't know about anyone else but I'm so glad it's the weekend, although my first week back at work has gone in quickly!  I'm really looking forward to tomorrow morning, I'm visiting the hairdressers for a cut and colour.  This will be the first time I've had my hair coloured professionally for over 2 years, I've finally admitted defeat and can no longer successfully cover all my grey hair at home myself lol!  It will be nice to relax for a couple of hours - something I've not had much chance to do over the last 3 months!

So on to my card, this is one I've made for my Auntie to give the staff on the Stroke Ward she's been in.  She is now on the waiting list to transfer to the local community hospital as a stepping stone to coming home soon.  We might get under 24 hours notice of the transfer so I thought I'd better be prepared with a card!

I've mainly used a topper, sentiment and papers from Making Cards magazine which I've had for ages.  I've matted and layered these with green and lilac Bazzil Cardstock and have die-cut ornate corners and leaves using Marianne dies.  I've also added broderie anglaise lace trim and gingham ribbon and bow as well as a paper flower and another 2 handmade using ric rac braid.  I've used lots of little lilac gems to finish.

I have to say I'm not too sure if I like this card, I can't quite put my finger on it I think it's just a bit too flowery for me!  Having said that I'm going to enter it into the Docrafts Floral Challenge!

Goodnight folks!

Shona xx

Festive Frolics

Good Evening,

Oh well back to work 3 days and I feel like I've never been away...I haven't found any time to craft this week yet but here's one I prepared earlier (while on holiday)!

This was an ultra quick make using paper and cardstock stickers from Papermania's Festive Frolics collection.  I've added a die cut shape in the background made using a Papermania snowflakes embossing folder, an X-cut Doorplate Die and pink pearlised cardstock.  I've added buttons tied with baker's twine, gems and a Dovecraft ribbon bow to finish.

I love owls and I think these 2 look particularly cheery and festive!

Bye for now,
Shona xx

Don't Forget to Smell the Flowers

Good Evening Crafty Folks,

I'm back to late night posting again as the early evening was spent getting organised for going back to work and school tomorrow - boo!

We managed to squeeze in a trip to Whin Park with Iona this afternoon between all the showers we've been having.  I took lots of photos in the hope that I may get around to scrapping them eventually.  It's something that I really want to try and I always have lots of ideas in my head but getting the time to experiment is the problem, also I'm not used to working on such a large scale and my layouts are quite CAS so I'm a bit worried about not being able to put enough on the page. 

Anyways, on to tonights card.  This is pretty far removed from my usual style and I've gone a bit mad with the big shot!  The card started out as a tag for the April Tag Challenge on the Docrafts site and grew from there into a card for the Floral Challenge, also over at Docrafts.  The floral challenge was initially hosted by Sandra (DecOCards) who sadly passed away after suffering a stroke last week.

I've used a white ready made tag from Tesco which I've embossed using a butterfly design and I've added some die cut flowers using a Sizzix Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die and some leaves ade using a Sizzlits Little Leaves Die.  I've finished off the tag with Black gems and satin ribbon.

I've added my tag to the base card to which I've added a doiley die cut from Xcut and a flourish which again is from Sizzix/Tim Holtz.  I've added a quote by Walter Hagen which I think is quite fitting and this has been die cut using an xcut scalloped oval nesting die and inked using Tim Holtz Spun Sugar Distress ink.  The papers used are from the Papermania Capsule Collections and the only other embellishment is a couple of pink pearls.

The doiley die is my new one I bought in Elgin yesterday but I'm ashamed to say that I've had the floral ones for ages and never got around to using them.

Oh well all good things come to an end and it's back to work tomorrow so you may not see me on here for a day or two until I get back into a routine again.  Hope everyone has a great week whatever you have planned.

Shona xx

A Baby Card, Bargains and a Wee Shopping Spree!

Good evening,

It's been a busy day today.  Iona and I went through to Elgin this morning to visit Papercraft Boutique the home of Sugar Nellie stamps.  I've been itching to go all week while I was on holiday and I thought if I didn't do it today goodness knows when I'd next manage through.  It was worth the trip as they had an X-cut die I've had on order for ages in stock, and of course it would be rude to go there and not buy a Sugar Nellie stamp, and some papers, ribbon, etc, you get the picture!  We had enough time to go to the park before heading home to pick up Auntie Winnie from hospital as she was allowed out on pass today for the first time, for a couple of hours.  We went to a Daffodil Tea at the local sheltered housing where she has a lot of friends and she had a ball.

My card tonight is one I made a few weeks back but hadn't had a chance to give to my pal so I didn't want to post it on here until I had given it to her.

Both the main image and the sentiment are stamps by LOTV, coloured with Promarkers.  The backing paper is by Kaisercraft with a panel of a co-ordinating magazine freebie added, both mounted on kraft cardstock.  The circle and scalloped circle dies are by X-cut and I've inked the large circle with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Spun Sugar.  The kraft leaves and paper flowers are made using a set of Marianne dies and the cream flowers are handmade using ric rac braid rolled into shape.  I've also added some pink paper roses and satin buds as well as satin ribbon, a Boofle button tied with baker's twine from Dovecraft and some taupe coloured pearls.

Now on to my 'bargain'  I found these the other day in Poundworld.  There were lots of different themes, I bought four sets for £2 but I gave one away to one of Iona's pals before I got around to taking a photo!  I'm sure I will find a use for them and even if I don't I'm sure Iona will!

Right that's me for now, goodnight and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Shona xx
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Another Christmas One...

Hello again,

I could certainly get used to this not having to go to work lark.  I certainly have more time to spend on crafting and blogging anyway and at a more civilized time.  But until that big lottery win, I must be due by now, I'll have to dream!

I'm still a little bit behind with the Snoflakes weekly challenge but I'm getting there.  Tonights card was mostly made from Nitwits 'Merry & Bright' elements which were magazine freebies.  Sorry about the picture quality the glossy topper didn't photograph well under the artificial light.

 

 

The die-cut the topper is layered on is by X-cut and I've added some Light Blue Glitz glitter glue to the edge.  I've also added some pink heart buttons from Hobbycraft tied with Dovecraft bakers twine, fuschia ribbon and various pearls and gems.

 

It would be nice to say I'm off to do some more crafting but I'm actually away to tackle a big pile of ironing!!!

 

Bye for now,

Shona xx

 

 



Back to A Again...

Good evening

Where has the weekend gone?  I'm so glad I have the week off work but no doubt that will fly too!  The weather is still pretty awful we had snow flurries off and on for a lot of the day but it's too wet to lie thankfully.

Tonights card is one I've made for the A-Z colour challenge over at Docrafts which is now back to the letter A again.  The colour choices this time around are either Aqua or Apricot.  As you can see I've gone for the Apricot option.  I am also going to enter it into the Noah's Ark challenge where the theme is butterflies.

The decoupaged image is one I picked up from Carole's Crafts it's unbranded but I thought it was quite pretty.  I've mounted it on a kraft card circle die-cut with an x-cut scalloped circle die.  The diamond and stripe 12 x 12 papers were a BOGOF cheapy deal from another local craft shop, again I have no idea what brand they are.  The other paler one is from the Dovecraft Cupcake Boutique range.  I've layered everything up with more kraft cardstock.  I've used kraft again to mount the LOTV stamped sentiment with a Spellbinders Lacey Circle die and for the butterflies which were die-cut using a free die that came with Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine this month.  I've added ribbon and buttons, again, from the Cupcake Boutique range as well as various pearls and gems.


I really hope the weather is a bit better tomorrow and more befitting for a week off work!!!

Bye for now,
Shona xx

Wedding Card & Tag

Good Evening from a very snowy Inverness.

The weather just doesn't know what to do with itself just now, we had a gorgeous morning, a non descript kind of afternoon and now huge flakes of snow!  Luckily it isn't lying at the moment.

My card tonight is one my work friend commissioned me to make for a wedding she and her family were going to today.  Her two and a half year old daughter was the flower girl and I just can't wait to see the photos of the big day!  I also made a matching tag for a gift her daughter was giving the bride.

My pal chose the colours and digi stamp herself so it wasn't too difficult to put together.  I love someone who knows what they want!  The digi stamp is by www.digistampboutique.co.uk and I've coloured it with Promarkers.  The circular sentiment is by LOTV and I've mounted it on purple card using a Spellbinders die.  The other dies are by X-cut and the lacey border puch is from Stampin' Up.  I've distressed the sentiment, etc with Tim Holtz distress ink in Dusty Concord.  I've finished off the card with some gems, pearls and ribbon.

The matching tag was created using Spellbinders Resplendent Rectangles dies and I've added some more pearls and ribbon as well as lilac bakers twine from Dovecraft.  The font I've used throughout for the computer generated sentiments is Alisha which was a free download

I hope the Bride and Groom have had a fantastic day, I'm so glad the snow kept away until the evening!

Shona xx

Another one for Snoflakes Challenge

Hi there,

It feels strange crafting a Christmas card when we've had such warm weather today!  This is another one down for Snoflakes challenge and for my stash.

I'm demob happy tonight because I'm now off on holiday from work until a week Monday - yipee!  Iona has decided we are going to the Docrafts demo at Howdens our favourite craft shop tomorrow so who am I to argue with that lol!  It's a while since I've managed to get to one so I'm really looking forward to it.

On to my card, I've used another of the Mo Manning Eskimo toppers from Wee Stamps.  I really love the images in this range as well as the colours and have used it a few times now.

The sentiments are from a Paula Pascual set, the spotty papers are magazine freebies and the gingham one is from the Boofle range, everythings matted and layered using kraft cardstock and I've added some snowflakes punched in kraft card too.  To finish I've added a Boofle button tied with paper cord, some lace and various gems and pearls.

I'm looking forward to doing plenty crafting in my holidays but I hope to get out and enjoy the sunshine too, fingers crossed it stays a while.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Shona xx