Spring forward....

.... fall back!  That kind of describes my crafting these days, it's all long spells of inertia followed by manic bursts of activity, usually triggered by family birthdays!  I had two friends' birthdays this week, one female and one male, and I decided to make things easier on myself by using the same sketch for both cards.  I made one card yesterday, and then I was at a crop today and made the other (and dropped it to the birthday boy on the way home, talk about last minute!). 

The sketch is this week's Mojo Monday - I like the elements, especially the pennant shape.

So here is my lady card:

And the man card:

I've also entered them into the following challenges: Totally Gorjuss ("Anything Goes with a Button"), Craft Your Passion and Papertake Weekly ("Anything Goes"), ABC Challenge ("Kraft") and Crafty Creations ("Stripes").

Here are some side-shots of the dimension and tags on the cards:

Recipes:

Papers: MME "Miss Caroline Fiddlesticks" and "Stella Rose Hazel", BG "Jovial"

Dies: Cheery Lynn "English Tea Party Doily Die" and Nestabilities "Pinking Circles"

Punch: MS "Doily Lace"

Other: Buttons and ribbon from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

Arrrgh, these early....

.... mornings are getting the better of me!!  When left to my own devices, my natural waking time seems to be 9.15am - not 9 or 9.30, but 9.15.  So back at school and getting me plus two kids up at 7 is not a barrel of laughs!!  My husband, on the other hand, has to get up at 5am - eeeeeeeuuuuuugh!!!
I still haven't photographed my son's birthday card, the weather's been too overcast, but I'll hopefully get it up over the next day or two.  I was chuffed to see that my Valentine's card was picked for Top 3 on Shopping Our Stash - got a blinkie for me sidebar!!

In the meantime, it's Thursday and my PaperPlay team's turn to play.  Our challenge this week is "For a Mother" and we are sponsored by  Crafty Cutting.  I don't have a Mum, but it was my Mother-in-Law's birthday recently.  Here's what I made for her:

She likes flowers, so I used these Hero Arts stamps that I've made many cards with, I love them, there are four stamps and they can be used in so many combinations.  My MiL loved the colours.  Success!! 

I'm entering this into the following challenges: Moving Along with the Times ("Lots of Layers"), Crafts and Me ("Shades of Spring") and Paper Sundaes ("Birthdays). 

Recipe:

Papers: Crate Paper "Farmhouse"

Stamps: Hero Arts "Peeking Posies" set

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Punch: Fiskars "Threading Water"

Other: Ribbon from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

And another one....

.... finished - I am really impressed with my card output this week - will be back to school on Monday, though, so I'm sure it'll all come to a screeching halt then!

Had a baby card to make, a boy for a change - I've just looked back in my blog history and this is only the 4th baby boy card I've made in four years.  Here's what I made:

I used the sketch on this week's Sketch Saturday and I'm also entering this on the following challenges: Stampin' for the Weekend (photo inspiration and blue+cream+brown colour combo), Totally Papercrafts (ribbon/bow), Kaboodle Doodles and Creative Card Crew ("Masculine") and Creative Inspirations (also Cream/Blue/Brown).

I'm loving all those buttons - I keep meaning to use them more often and I certainly piled a fair few on this card!!  I used this sweet Lili of the Valley image again.  It's so versatile, does perfectly for boy or girl baby cards.  Here's a close-up - the light had changed completely so the colours are totally different to the first post.

Recipe:

Papers: October Afternoon "Weathervane" + BG "Kraft Basics"

Image: Lili of the Valley "Baby Blanket"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: BG "Granola" + "Bittersweet" buttons, ribbon from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking - now to do my son's 10th birthday card!

Easy to tell that....

.... I'm on half-term this week, lots of card-making and blog-posting - it's so great to have almost unlimited time!  Although I'm exhausted today, because we had 9 teenagers here last night, sleeping all over the floors in the sitting room and playroom.

I needed a sympathy card this week, here's what I made:

Recipe:

Papers: Scenic Route "Sonoma"

Other: Nestabilities Labels 1 and Petite Scalloped Circles, ribbon from stash, needle + thread

I used the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday, and I'm also entering this into the following: Crafts and Me ("Distressing"), Cute Card Thursday ("Flower Power") and CES Challenges ("Lots of Layers").

Thanks for looking - off to make a baby card now.

Happy Valen....

...birthday!  My daughter's best friend is 17 today, so her pals have planned a "Valenbirthday" for her.  They've bought 17 packets of love heart sweets (yum, I love those), love heart jewellery, a tub of heart jelly sweets, and they are sneaking into her house this morning to make heart shaped pancakes for her breakfast.  They asked me to make a card and here's what I ended up with:

I used bright happy colours and lots and lots of hearts!  I've used the sketch from this week's Sketch and Stash (and an old but never inked Lili of the Valley stamp and some new baker's twine).  I'm also entering the following challenges: Bunny Zoe's Crafts ("Celebration"), Daring Cardmakers ("Pretty Hearts and Paper Doilies"), Fussy and Fancy Friday ("With all my Heart"), Our Creative Corner ("Best Friend" and I've got flowers on the pp, hope that counts) and Totally Gorjuss ("Lurve"). 

Here's a closer look at the image, I found her skirt really difficult, the fold lines just don't look right.  Oh well, it'll do!!

Recipe:

Papers: October Afternoon "Modern Homemaker"

Image: Lili of the Valley "Maisie Two Balloons"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Punch: MS "Valentine Lace"

Other: Baker's Twine, Doily Heart, seam binding, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

Time to get mushy ....

.... again, what with Valentine's Day coming up!!  Our challenge on PaperPlay this week is a timely one, "Love Letters", and we're sponsored by Stamp Fairy.

I've had the usual extra challenge of making a non-soppy, non-girly Valentine's card for my husband - here's what I ended up with this year:

Update 18th Feb: This card was picked as a Top 3 on Shopping our Stash - thank you!

The papers are actually Christmas ones, from two different MME collections, but I think they fit the bill very well.  I do like the letters, I printed them from the computer, backed with chipboard, cut out and covered with contact for shine.  Here's a close-up:

There are tons of Valentine/Love challenges around atm, of course, so I'm entering this into the following: Creative Inspirations, Simon Says Stamp, Truly Scrumptious, Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge and Shopping our Stash.  I'm also entering Papertake Weekly ("Anything Goes").

Here's a side-shot of the layers on the card, lots of dimension:

Recipe:

Papers: MME "Holly Jolly" and "Lost and Found Christmas"

Other: Ribbon from stash, needle + thread, burgundy stickles, glossy accents

Thanks for looking!

Ahem, forget that I ....

.... mentioned anything to do with resolving to create more in my last post.  Flippin' kiss of death, that was!!! 

It's been a loooooooong, dreary January - can't believe we've only done three weeks back at school - feels like twice that.  Oh well, only two more until half term!!  We've got quite a few family and friend birthdays in February, so I hauled myself up from hiberation on the couch and made this for a little pal:

I'm entering this into the following challenges: Fussy and Fancy Friday ("Polka Dots"), Creative Card Crew ("Seeing Red"), My Time to Craft ("Favourite Embellishment" - mine is stitching and ribbon), Passion for Promarkers ("Recycle Something" - the ribbon is from a box of chocolates), ABC Challenge ("Happy Birthday"), Basic Grey Challenges ("Favourite Things" - mine are papers and stitching), Creative Inspirations and Simon Says Stamp both have "Anything Goes" challenges and Truly Scrumptious ("Something Forgotten" - I dug out the Sugar Nellie stamp).

Here's a close-up of the image and the name banner:

Recipe:

Papers: Crate Paper "Emma's Shoppe" and BG "Piccadilly"

Image: Sugar Nellie "Manga Girl"

Doily Die Cut: Cheery Lynn "French Pastry"

Colouring Medium: Promarkers

Other: Pink Paislee die-cut numbers, ribbon from chocs, needle & thread

Thanks for looking!