The Baby Boom Continues!

Hi everyone!

It seems as if there is a major baby boom going on at the moment, I know so many people having babies and a few that have already been born.  There will be 5 additions to my extended family on one side alone!  So it looks like there are going to be quite a few baby cards needed for the next while, so get used to it! lol!

We have a new challenge today from the Pink Team at Eclectic Ellapu and the lovely boss lady herself, Elaine, is hosting.  The challenge for us this week is...

Anything goes!

Simples! :)

So sticking with the baby theme I thought I'd share what I gave to my best friend for her birthday and as she's up the duff with her first bambino I thought I'd try to make it special.

I made her a gift basket, with all stuff for her when she's pregnant, and not for the baby!

In the basket I included: Magazines (trashy, of course!), stretch-mark cream, cooling foot spray, face masks, pregnancy book, baby name book, a mummy mug, a bump gift pack (including bubble bath, pregnancy shampoo (??  I don't know what's different in it to ordinary shampoo!) and a couple of other bits and bobs), a wee pot of vaseline, choc dip, tea-light holder, "baby powder" tea-lights (they smell gorgeous!), a wedge pillow and most important of all - a box of chocolates!

And, of course, I made the tag.

The image is one I've had for years and had never used called "Baby Bump" by Sassy Studio Designs.  I coloured her with the following copics:  Skin: E21,13,00,0000,R20. Hair: E31,29,09,08. Top: R59,39,37,29,27. Trousers: 100,W9,7,5.
The sentiment is computer generated using the free font called "Rebekah's Birthday" and a few bits gone over with a red copic. 

The papers are from the Carta Bella book "Giddy Up".  I mounted it on white card that I doodled on and then on a hand-made kraft tag that also got some doodling treatment.  I used a Tim Holtz Alterations die for the scallops on the tag and the ribbon is from my stash.

The back of the tag has a Pink Gem Design sentiment stamped on it and a bit more doodling by yours truly.

So there you go, I hope you liked it and that you'll pop over to see what the rest of the talented Pink Team have got up to this week at Eclectic Ellapu!

I'd like to enter my tag in the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create; Friendship Day
All Sorts Challenge Blog; Kraft it
CRAFT Challenge; For the girls
Craft Your Passion; Happy birthday
Crafty Ribbons Challenge Blog; Anything goes with ribbon
Eureka Stamps; Happy birthday
Papercrafting Journey; Die cuts
ABC Challenges; R for roses are red
Top Tip Tuesday; Spooled items

Thanks for looking!
 

Another Baby Boy

Hi everyone!

I hope you're all well?

Great news about the New Royal Arrival yesterday, another baby boy born in the same week (just!) as my new wee nephew!  Oh such different lives they shall lead!  Good luck to all and any new Mummys and Daddys out there!

Another new arrival today sees a new challenge at the Creative Card Crew and we are being sponsored this fortnight by the Scrapping Center!

and they're offering $15 to spend in their store to one lucky winner!

So the challenge for this fortnight is...

Baby!
or Lot's of blue
(to celebrate the new Royal baby boy) 

or Lot's of pink

(to celebrate the birth of Mari's new granddaughter!)

So we expect loads of new arrival cards this fortnight!  Or if you don't have a baby card to do you can still enter as long as your card has either lots of blue or lots of pink!

I needed a card for a boy, so it's a baby one, but not too pink - and I haven't made one for my brother yet as they haven't totally decided on a name yet!  Here's what I did:

I made an easel card

The gorgeous image I used is Baby Christening by Lili of the Valley and I coloured him with the following copics:  Skin: E21,13,00,0000,R20.  Everything else: BV00,0000,E41,40,W3,1,00.

The papers are Pink Petticoat and I printed them onto pearl paper, so the card was a nightmare to photograph as no matter where I placed my lamp, it glared off the paper!  But it looked lovely in real life!  Dies used are Spellbinders Fleur De Lis squares, Fancy Tags, Labels 3 and circle.  The ribbon is from Stampin' Up! and the pearls, buckle and lace are from my stash.  I made a box to complete the gift and scored the top panel with my score board to match the card.

and the inside with the computer generated sentiment.

So I do hope you can join us this fortnight at the Creative Card Crew - pop over to see the rest of the DT creations for some fab inspiration!

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks; Let's hear it for the boys
Crafts 4 Eternity; Inky fingers
Crafty Sentiments Designs; Bling it on
Dream Valley Challenges; Fancy folds
Here Come The Boys; Anything goes
Patties Creations Design Challenge; Monochromatic
The Corrosive Challenge Blog; Fancy folds
The Squirrel And The Fox; Use something spooled
Top Tip Tuesday Challenge; Spooled items
Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Challenges; Ribbon & lace

Thanks for looking!
 

Celebrations!

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all keeping well?

This was supposed to be posted this morning and I don't know what happened that it didn't work, it's probably the heat getting to me - we're in Ireland, it's not supposed to be this hot for this long!!  Not that I'm complaining that much though, it's nice for a change and I don't think it's going to last too much longer.

On other news...

I'm an auntie again!  My brother became a daddy to his little boy last Tuesday and as our parents were away on holiday at the time (and were so annoyed that they missed it!)  it was up to me and my sister to do our side of the family's part - as well as keep an eye on their house, feed cats and water plants.  Oh and go to work as well!  All in this heat, I was totally exhausted!  But my new wee nephew is just so gorgeous!  I can't show pics though as they don't want him on the internet just yet, so you'll just have to take my word for it!

Time for a new challenge at Seems A Little Sketchy and we have a fabulous sponsor for the next fortnight - Bugaboo Stamps!

They're offering 7 digi's to one lucky winner!

So here's the sketch for challenge 44

Bugaboo very kindly gave each of the DT an image to work with for this challenge and here's what I did with mine:

My image is called Scene It - Birthday Bears and I've coloured it with the following copics:  Bears: E44,43,42. E39,37,35. E33,31,30. W7,5,3. and E49 for their noses.  Everything else: G19,17,16. YG07,05,03. R39,37,29. RV34,32. YR07,04,02. Y15,13,11. BG02,01,000,0000. C1,0.

The papers are Basic Grey, Lime Rickey and I used a Stampin' Up! scallop border punch on some scrap card for the middle part, finishing off with some crocheted lace.  I used my old favourite Magnolia swirl die along with a Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful Flourish die.  I also found some pompoms in my stash that were the perfect shade of blue to finish it off.  Another couple of Stampin' Up! punches were used for the (WRS) sentiment.

The inside compliments the front with the same basic sketch and the same papers.

So take a look at the fab inspiration from the rest of the DT at Seems A Little Sketchy!

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks; Let's hear it for the boys
Craft Your Passion; Happy Birthday
Crafty Boots Challenges; Animals
Eureka Stamps; Happy Birthday
Ladybug Craft Ink Challenge Blog; Birthdays
One Stitch At A Time; Use your favourite (my copics are always my favourite!)
Stamp & Doodle; It's a boy thing
The Squirrel And The Fox; Use something spooled
Totally Gorjuss; Furtastic
Catch The Bug Challenge Blog; Bingo - Sentiment, Lace, Players choice

Thank for looking!
 

Feeling Hot Hot Hot!

Hi everyone!

I hope you're all well?  We have been having the loveliest weather!  And on my week off too :) But wouldn't you know that would be the week I decided to decorate my bedroom and boy but it has been a struggle!  It has taken much longer than I anticipated, mostly due to the heat and also to do with just being knackered!  All that pulling and hauling, up and down ladders and stairs and all the work to be done in the hottest room in the house too!  I actually just added a few finishing touches today and there's just a picture left to hang up - but I want to ask my Da what the best way to hang it is as it's a stud wall and a heavy-ish picture and with it being hung over the bed, I don't want to take any chances with it! lol!  Things have a habbit of falling down in my house for some reason, and usually in the middle of the night!

Anyway, time for a new challenge at Eclectic Ellapu, and I was almost gonna sit this one out as I wasn't able to get any crafting done all week, but I found a card in my archives that was suitable (even though I'm not that fussed on it) to use for the theme, chosen by Kelly, for this week which is...

Flowers!

So let us see all your lovely flowers - hand made, shop bought, floral papers - you name it!

Here's my card

I was attempting to make it look like a bouquet of flowers but I think I over-did it and it looks like a bit of a mess, but there are lots of flowers!  I made them using several different Spellbinder dies and layering them up and then using either card candy or diamante brads for the centres.  I can't remember the make of the papers though, sorry.

I did, however, like the dimension I got from all the flowers and the big bow!

The inside is comparatively simple!  (I've blurred out the names)

And it wouldn't fit in an envelope, so I made a box for it;

I used a magnet behind the bow for the closure - here it is opened;

So please take a peek over at Eclectic Ellapu to see some truly awesome work by the rest of the Pink team!

Thanks for looking!
 

Gone Fishing...

Hi everyone,

If your weather is anything like ours at the moment then I hope you're enjoying it!
I'm off work this week (Yay!!) but I decided to take advantage of the week off and re-decorate my bedroom - I bought the stuff for doing it over 9 months ago, just before the accident so I wasn't feeling up to it since.  Not that I really do yet either, but it has to be done!  The heat is making it difficult though!  I started yesterday by clearing all the stuff I could clear out of the room (isn't it amazing how much crap you accumulate over the years?!) including the bed - it was a hard job getting the big double mattress out all by myself!  So there are just a few bits of furniture left in the room which I'll move to the middle today, give the walls a wash and get them painted.  Then to move everything back in tomorrow!
All the while my shoulder, back and legs are shouting at me "STOP, don't do it!" Even my face hurts!  But it's almost half way done now!

In the mean time, how about a new challenge?  A lovely one from the Creative Card Crew which is perfect for our lovely weather and the holidays this week!  The theme is...

The Great Outdoors!

And we are being sponsored this fortnight by the very lovely Crafty Sentiments Designs who are offering 3 digi's to one lucky winner!

They very generously gave the design team some images to work with for this challenge and here's what I did:

I used the image "Patches Gone Fishing" and I coloured him with the following copics: Patches: E39,37,35,33. Clothes: YG97,95,93,91. Bucket; W7,5,3,1. Grass: E49,31,G99,07,YG13,07,05. Sky and water; BG02,01,000,0000 plus C1,00 for the clouds.  I then used some white acrylic paint for the daisies in the grass and for some ripples on the water, which I also added some glamour dust to.

I drew the Gone Fishing sign and the fish by hand and coloured with the following copics: sign; E49,39,37,35 and a white gel pen for the lettering. fish; YG95,BG02,RV11 and coated with glamour dust.  I used an earring hook fixing for the fishing hook, I used my round nose pliers to re-shape the hook.

The papers are real oldies!  I used my Basic Grey Archaic papers (no pun intended there by the way!)  The only other bits added are the string, which is just string!  and some hessian-y type ribbon-y stuff (which I can't remember the name of!) from my stash.

The inside follows on from the front using papers from the same book and a Wild Rose Studio sentiment.

So go have a peek at what the rest of the fab DT did at the Creative Card Crew!

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Crafty Ribbons Challenge Blog: Project for a male
Cute Card Thursday: Stars or stripes
Delicious Doodles Challenges: Heavy Metal
Dream Valley Challenges; Make your own embellishments (sign, fish and hook)
A Gem of a challenge; Lots of layers
Here Come the Boys Challenge: Use a digi stamp
Patties Creations Challenges; Summertime fun
Sweetpea Stampers; For the menboys
ABC Challenges; Q for quite a few
Totally Papercrafts Friday Challenges: Lets hear it for the boys

Thanks for looking!
 

My Girl Lollipop!

Hi everyone!

I hope you're all keeping well?
Did you see the men's final at Wimbledon yesterday?  Such a thrilling match and with a deceiving score as it looked so tough!  Murray played so well most of the time but Djokovic just wouldn't give up!  I thoroughly enjoyed it and after another crazy F1 race, in Germany, it made for a great sporting day in my house!
Followed by crafting of course! :)

So how about a new challenge and my second go on the DT for Seems A Little Sketchy.
We have a fab sketch for you for the next fortnight..

 
And 3 equally fab sponsors, yes, I said 3!!

The DT have been given images to use by Crafty Sentiments Designs! And they're offering 3 Digi's as their prize!

Then we have Di's Digi Downloads who are offering a $10 gift voucher for their store.

And lastly, but not leastly, we have The Robin's Nest who are also offering a $10 voucher for their store.

So after all those ooo's and aaa's, hows about I show you my card?!

Here it is:

The sweet image is called Harriet by Crafty Sentiments Designs and I coloured her with the following copics:  Skin; E21,13,00,0000,R20. Hair; E44,43,42,41. Clothes; RV34,32,09,06,04,BG34,32,11,Y17,15,13.  I printed her a little bit too big and had her coloured before I realised, so I fussy-cut her out to stand on my sentiment.

I used the opportunity to use my Happy Days goody box from Craftwork Cards,  I love the bright colours in this set and the spotty/heart paper was perfect for this image!  The sentiment is also from the set and although none of the banners in the set suited the theme of my card, I used one to draw around and cut it out myself.  The Card Candy isn't from the set but is one I already had.  I used my Stampin' Up! scallop border punch for the edges of the middle panel.

I used the basis of the sketch for the inside and used one of my trusty Wild Rose Studio stamps for the sentiment.

So go take a peek at what the rest of the DT have done over at Seems A Little Sketchy, you won't be disappointed!

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Blog; Favourite things - My copics would easily be my favourite things!
Bunny Zoe's Craft Challenge; Pink & white
Diva's By Design; Cute
Ladybug Crafts Challenge Blog; Birthdays
My Heart Pieces; Use your favourite thing - My copics.
Patties Creations Design Challenges; Summertime fun
The ABC Challenge Blog; Q for quite a few

Thanks for looking!
 

Key To The Door

Hi everyone!  Me again - no you're not seeing things, the men in white coats can stay where they are, this is actually my second post of the day!  To see my PunkYouGirl card, scroll down to the next post.

This one I have saved for the other challenge blog that goes live today - namely the Alphabet Challenge Blog!

It's the very lovely Jan's turn to choose our theme and she has chosen...

K for Keys!

I can imagine lot's of possibilities for this one (and I've just thought of piano keys!)

Here's what I did:

The image I've used is an oldie by Sugar Nellie called Life Is A Journey - perfect for a 21st birthday card!  I coloured her with the following... copics: skin: E21,13,00,0000,R20. Hair: E49,31,09,07. Clothes: E39,37,35.  Mother of pearl acrylic paint was used on the background, antiqued bronze Distress Paint was used on the frame, Bronze Viva pearl pen on the dots and a gold pen for the fixings.  I messed up around her eyes, the actual image isn't as big as it's shown here so it doesn't look quite that bad :/

The papers are Glitz, Pretty In Pink.  I used a Tim Holtz Alterations "Hardware Fndings" die to cut out the key.  Other elements are Make It Crafty gears galore and Stampin' Up! hodgepodge hardware and the whole lot were frantaged to within an inch of their lives with gold frantage powder (I've put it away now cos I had some visitors arrive mid frantaging and they went home looking considerably goldier!).  The 21 was die cut using memory box dies and the pearls, ribbon and jewellery findings are from my stash.

The inside is somewhat plainer than the front but more or less matches it with a Melissa Frances keyhole thingy (painted with distress paint) and another frantaged buckle.

So there you go, with my two cards for today (check below for the other one) - I'm off for a lie down!  So while I'm doing that, you could take a peek at what the rest of the DT have done over at the Alphabet Challenge Blog!

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday: Stars or stripes
Delicious Doodles Challenge Blog: Heavy Metal
Fussy & Fancy Challenge: Steampunk
Ladybug Crafts Ink: Birthdays
The Sugar Bowl: Anything goes

Thanks for looking!
 

That Look's Uncomfortable!

Hi everyone!

I hope you're all keeping well?
I'm off to work today for the last day before the summer holidays when the business closes for a full week!  I can't wait to get into holiday mode - even though I'm not actually going anywhere!  The weather forecast is looking good too - apparently there's a heatwave on it's way!  I know the US has probably had enough of the heat to last them a lifetime but in cold, damp Northern Ireland, this is big news! lol!

Anyway, hows about a wee challenge??

It's time for challenge number 2 at PunkYouGirl and it was the turn of our lovely Julia to choose the theme for this month and she chose...

Creepmas In July!

Fab challenge, huh?!
Even more fab is the fact that we are being sponsored by The Octopode Factory!  I love love love their images!  And the winner gets to spend $15 in their store!  Lucky ducks!

Remember that to enter in this challenge you have to follow the theme and use a darker theme, so no cutsies!

The design team were honoured (and thrilled!) to be given an image by our fab sponsor and here's what I did with mine:

My image is called Angel by The Octopode Factory and I coloured her with the following copics: Skin: E21,13,00,0000,R20. Hair: 100,C9,7. Clothes: RV13,11,10. Wings and halo: E42,41,40.  And I fussy-cut her out.

I dug out my Christmas stash to see what I could find and the papers I used are DCWV Rose Tinted Christmas.  I went a bit mad with the white frantage, which ended up making the card a bit brighter than I had hoped, but you can't beat a bit of frantage!
The Christmas tree is from my stash - I think I got it at a garden centre in Birmingham when I was over at the NEC last year (the mahoosive craft show just wasn't enough for me and I had to go shopping for more!).
The sentiment is computer generated (with the font Santa's Sleigh) and it came to me as soon as I saw the angel and that fab expression on her lovely face!  Don't you just love those big eyes!

 The inside is done to match the front and because of the front I was forced to go mad with the frantage again!  I even frantaged myself a little!  Ouch!

So that's me card - another Christmas one to mark off my list (I say that like I've got loads made - I think I have another 4 somewhere that I made back in January! lol!) Why don't you scoot over to the PunkYouGirl blog to have a look at what half of the rest of the DT have made (remember there's a midway reminder in a couple of weeks from the other half of the DT with more fab inspiration!).  I believe Jacki was so excited about the new challenge that she put it up a bit early, but hey, there's nothing wrong with a few extra hours to join in!

I'd like to enter my card in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's Craft Challenges: Wings
Cute Card Thursday; Stars or stripes
Ruby's Rainbow; Things with wings
Sentimental Sunday's: All things digital
Stamp & Create; Christmas in July
The Squirrel And The Fox: Christmas in July

Thanks for looking - and check out my card for the Alphabet Challenge Blog above this post - 2 cards in one day, miracles do happen!