ILWS September Challenges

Better late than never and you still have time to take part in the challenges over on In Love With Stamping, if you dont know where this is, follow the link on my right hand list, scroll down and you will find it.

This months challenges were varied. This is the sketch challenge, we were given this sketch and had to make a card using it.....

I did turn the sketch around to make this card. I used the Sweet Pea Paper Stack, Old Olive Satin Ribbon and the Hello Again Stamp Set. The Cardstock is So Saffron.
The next challenge was to make a card using a tone on tone. This means to use one colour but 2 tones of the colour, so, light blue and dark blue, or in my case, light purple, dark purple....

I used Perfect Plum Patterned Paper from Stampin Up and the Blooming With Beauty Stamp Set which is retiring at the end of the month, I will be very sad to see it go.

We also had to make a Children's Party Invitation, I used the Fox and Friends Stamp Set from Stampin Up, glad to see this is not retiring, the Sweet Pea Paper Stack, Brilliant Blue Cardstock, Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon and Old Olive Satin Ribbon.

And last but not least, a masking technique. This means you stamp something, place a mask over the top and stamp another image on top so you dont actually stamp on the bottom image... does this make sense. I used a Saleabration Stamp Set for this card, I love this stamp set, such a shame it was never in the catalogue. Again I used the Sweet Pea Paper Stack and Not Quite Navy Patterned Paper. The Cardstock is Whisper White and Rose Red.

So that is it from me today, off to the opticians in a minute. Went to the dentist yesterday and that cost me a fortune..... will definately be needing new glasses too, I think I must be falling apart.

Have a great day everyone... xx

A Copic Coloured Birthday Card .....

The winner of todays giveaway is Amanda Boldy... well done Amanda for being first person to comment on my blog.

Please check back regularly for more freebies...

I always seem to be making cards for something, not just for the pleasure of making cards, so today I thought I would do what I wanted to do, which was colour in using my Copic Markers as I haven't used them in such a long time... I bought this image from Mo's Digital Pencil as my daughter asked me to make a card for a 1st Birthday...

I used papers from my stash, and the border is the new Punch Around The Page Border from Martha Stewart, I didn't realise when I first got it that the cardstock had to be a certain size, but I guess it makes sense, so noted down all the sizes I could make and it worked out brilliantly, so will definately be using this some more from now onwards.

The Cardstock is Brilliant Blue and Whisper White from Stampin' Up! (you didn't think I could make a whole card without using some Stampin' Up! did you?) and I also used a sentiment from the no longer available Saleabration Set Happy Moments and punched it out using the Word Window Punch. the 1 is from a set of Thickers I have had like forever, and the "st" are from a set I bought a couple of weeks ago.... are they Papermania?

Here is a close up of the image I coloured.... I must admit I did enjoy using my Copics again...

and here is the inside.... again using the same stash as I did for the front....

And I thought I would have a little giveaway.... so a couple of Stampin' Up! images from the Nursery Necessities Stamp Set, some of the paper from my stash, Cardstock in Brilliant Blue and Real Red and Stars cut using the same card stock using the Stampin' Up! Star Punch. There is also some Stampin' Up! Ribbon thrown in for good measure and a few buttons also...... phew.. is that it? I think so. Be the first to leave a comment on this post and I will get this little set in the post to you, unfortunately I can only post to UK, sorry.

Have a great evening all, take care xx

Am Doing Well....

on my diet. I really struggled to lose weight using Weight Watchers, I stuck to my diet rigidly and hardly lost anything and last week I actually put on 1/2 lb, so was very disconcerted. I have now decided to try a low carb diet, not quite Atkins, but I found a book by two ladies Nerys and India on Amazon, have ordered the book plus their cookbook and am hoping they will turn up tomorrow. Meanwhile, I am making sure I dont eat more than 20g of carbs a day, and 12-15 of them are vegetables, so the diet is not as bad as some people think. So far in 3 days I have lost 2 1/2lb, more than I did any week of my WW diet... I am hoping I will continue to lose weight on it as the weeks go by, but we shall see...

Last night was great, I got to baby sit my Grandson who is nearly 10 months old, admittedly, once he went to sleep at 7.45pm he did sleep most of the evening, but eventually woke up around 10.15pm and we played with him until his Mum and Dad picked him up at 11.45pm.. a very enjoyable evening, but as we normally go to bed early, I am suffering from lack of sleep today...

Here is the card I have for you today...

I made it for my daughter to give to her friend who had a little boy last week. The colours used are Bashful Blue and Brilliant Blue. The ribbon is Bashful Blue stitched Grosgrain and the Stamp Set used is Wild About You, the sentiment is from Nursery Necessities and this was all Stampin Up stash... yea!!

I was surfing some blogs today and found this tune, I have absolutely loved this song for a long while and just thought I would share it with you...

I am now off to finish my daughter and son in laws anniversary card. Have a great evening all xx

Wow... look at the snow!!

Well despite often being threatened with snow where I live it is very rare to get any amount of snow over a few flakes. So this weather today is absolutely amazing, I remember once when I worked in London the snow being bad there, but obviously not as bad as today with no buses running and the underground shut too... The children's schools were shut so they have been home all day, totally amazing how on a school day, you cannot get them out of bed, but today, they were out early building snowmen. Even my husband didn't chance getting into work and has worked from home today.... so here is the children's handiwork.

I have no idea what we are having for dinner tonight as I haven't managed to get out shopping today, so will have to dig down in the freezer to find something.

Anyway, despite placing a Stampin' Up! order and taking photo's of children, I have managed to make a card using my card challenge, not sure I really like it, but was distinctly missing my mojo today even though I thought my card challenge would inspire me.

I have used Real Red and Brilliant Blue Cardstock, the image is from a Level 3 Hostess Set, Window Dressing and the sentiment is from the A Bit of Birthday Cheer stamp set. The buttons were from my stash and the paper I have had for ages, not sure what it is....

Be careful in the snow and have a good evening all xx

Free P&P until Midnight Sunday

Hi all, to celebrate the new catalogue from Stampin Up (click on the link on the right hand side to browse the catalogue) I am offering free P&P on all orders over £25 (saving you £3.50)until Midnight on Sunday... check out the new scallop punch, the new designer paper which is just lush and dont forget the Crazy For Cupcakes stamp set which you can get 20% off of if you spend over £20...



And another great stamp set which I think make ideal men's or boys cards is In The Stars and that is what I have made todays card with...



I used Brilliant Blue, Real Red and Whisper White Cardstock, stamped half the background with the sanded background stamp, then stamped the other with stars from the stamp set and embossed the white stars in white and embossed the other stars with clear embossing powder. The stars were layered using dimensionals as was the sentiment..

Dont forget to make yourself a nice cup of tea and have a browse in the new catalogue...

Have a good afternoon all xx