A Bookmark

Hello Peoples!

I've just spotted a challenge for a bookmark so I'm going to show the one I made as part of my sister's birthday present. The image is from Whiff of Joy, and I coloured her with Promarkers.



I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Your Next Stamp - Bookmark It
Sweet Stampin Challenge - Anything but a card
A Spoonfull of Sugar Challenge - Diecuts and punches - I hope my one lonely punched flower counts!
Creative Card Crew - Lets Punch It - hope my flower counts!

Just to update you re. my mother in law - she's still in hospital, but improving (although I didn't see any improvement when I saw her on Monday - worried me actually!). She is waiting for the results of one test, and all the ones that have come back so far have been OK. Her oxygen levels are improving, but she is still on oxygen continually at the moment. We did take the children in to see her on Monday and she was so pleased to see them, I think they were very daunted by it though. Hopefully, she is on the road to recovery.

My Mum had her pre-op yesterday, and is hoping to go into hospital next Monday for an operation on her lung on Tuesday. My Uncle went into hospital this morning and was supposed to have an operation on his lung today, but it had to be cancelled because an urgent case came in, so he's down to have his operation on Friday now. Oh I don't know - what's happening to my family and their lungs??

See you again soon I hope.

Love, Andrea xx

Aren't Parents a Worry??!!

Hello Everyone - I hope you are enjoying a good week.

Well, never mind worrying about children - parents can be a worry too can't they? My mother in law was taken into hospital yesterday, with fluid on her lung - Richard has gone to see her this evening, so I should know how she is soon! My own Mum has fluid on her lung at the moment too - has been ill since August last year actually - she is about to go back into hospital for a repeat of the operation she had last October - but, on the up side, she said at the weekend that she does think she is getting better! I really do hope they will both be back to good health soon.

Anyway, this is the get well card I made for my mother in law.



The image is from Whiff of Joy - I stamped it 3 times, so was able to paper piece the elephant and the bunch of flowers she's holding. The papers are My Minds Eye Bloom and Grow. I think the card is a bit over the top flowery really, but I am fairly pleased with it. I added some gems onto the flowers in the bouquet and stickles around the image. The die I used to cut the mat and layer for the image is Nellie Snellen.

I loved using this sketch which is this week's Friday Sketchers challenge

I'm also entering it in the following challenges:
Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes
Inky Impressions Challenge - Anything Goes

That's it from me for now. Thanks for looking.

Love, Andrea xx

Another Boy's Card

Hello - Happy Thursday everyone, hope you are having a good week! I'm on leave from work this week, but have had a sore throat since last Friday - typical! My husband is on leave as well, so we are having a family week - not doing much around the house, just essential housework like cooking, washing up, etc. We managed a fab day out at RAF Cosford Air Museum on Tuesday, nephew's birthday party yesterday, Eleri's just got back from another birthday party (!) (with her face painted with a beach scene!), and hopefully we're off to the cinema and for a pizza tomorrow!

So the card I'm showing today is what I made for my nephew - Jake was 6 yesterday.



The image was a freebie digi from Whiff of Joy, called Spider Henry - I've attempted to colour him with promarkers! I would love to own some of the new Aquamarkers - think maybe I'd get better colouring technique with them! The netty stuff you can see on the side is from a tub of nectarines - was supposed to represent a web but it didn't really work - should have coloured it black or grey perhaps! I made the ticket sentiment on the computer - but notice the blob? - Eleri was helping me finish the card yesterday and must have spat(! - sorry!) a bit as she spoke, and it took the colour off the sentiment (aaaaagghhhhh! - not enough time to put it right!) - I tried to correct it by colouring over the white spot with the promarkers but it wasn't really the right colour (oh well! - Andrew said "Jake'll only be interested in the present anyway" - not sure if that made us feel better or not! LOL) That's what worries me about using digi papers for projects to be honest - what if little accidents like that spoil the finished item? Anyway, I don't think anyone else noticed when Jake opened his card.

The challenges I'm entering this card for are:
Totally Papercrafts - Going to the Movies - Spiderman of course!
Creative Craft - Animal Antics
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - You're Out of This World - something you wouldn't see IRL

I do have another card to show you - the one I made for Eleri's friend whose party was today - probably post that tomorrow. I'd love it if you could pop back to look-see.

Love, Andrea xx

All Male Cards

I hope you are all having a fabulous week and enjoying the gorgeous sunshine those of you in the UK!

I have four cards to show you today, all male cards! The first card is one I made for my son's friend who is 9 today. I have followed the sketch on Friday Sketchers this week - I just turned it upside down. I have used Gray, a freebie from Little Musings, and coloured him with Promarkers. The papers are Hot Off The Press, which I've had for years - that means I can also enter this card in Lexi's Creations Challenge which is Something Old, and also Paper Play Challenge which is also Something Old. The Cool Dude sentiment is from Pollycrafts, and that is a penny slider, but I don't think you can tell from my photo. I decorated the inside to match but didn't take a photo of that as Andrew had already written in it when I was takng the piccies! I was really pleased with this card, and Riki and his Mum loved it too!



Now to my other cards, and the confession I mentioned in my previous post. I've been struggling to get into the crafting spirit lately, so I was really late making my Father's Day cards - had to make three on Saturday night!!! So, of course I cheated, and used the same sketch I used last week for all three cards. I used Spider Henry from Whiff of Joy for my hubbie's card, and images from Fred She Said for my Dad's and FIL's cards. I made the ticket sentiments on the computer - found a fab ticket shape in my word programme!







Now, to my confession if you're still with me ... My Dad's birthday was on Father's Day and, because I hadn't got my bottom into gear to make the Father's Day cards and his birthday cards in time (not that I craft through my bottom of course LOL!) ... the birthday card I gave my Dad was actually a card I gave him a few years ago, and was in a pile Mum returned to me so that I could recycle them ... I just put in a new insert ... how bad is that???? LOL! I'm not sure if Dad realised as he hadn't opened his cards when I left on Sunday!

Anyway, that's it from me! Hope to be back again soon.

Love, Andrea xx

Stamped Image Challenge for Crafts Beautiful Forum and Creative Inspirations

Happy Saturday everyone!

I have made another photo hanger for a present, along with a bag charm, and decided to enter them (along with the card in my previous post) in a challenge on the Crafts Beautiful Forum, which is to make three items using the same stamp.

The stamp I have used is Queen Charlotte from Whiff of Joy. The papers I have used for the photo hanger are Kay and Co. I stamped Charlotte onto shrink plastic and coloured her with Sakura Stardust pens for the bag charm.

I'm also going to enter the photo hanger in this week's Creative Inspirations challenge, which is feminine - I think this is definitely a feminine project!

I hope you like my pieces - thanks for looking. And enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Love, Andrea xx

Friday Sketchers #86

Just a quick post today - I have made a card to enter in this week's Friday Sketchers Challenge. I have made the card for another friend of my daughter. I'm struggling to keep up with all the birthdays of her classmates at the moment - she came home with another party invitation yesterday!


The image is Queen Charlotte from Whiff of Joy (I know - I'm using that for all the little girls just now - but I think it is perfect for 5 year olds (LOL)!) I have coloured her with my new Promarkers - need lots more practise I know - but this is not too bad for a newbie!! The papers are Kay and Co - I used a metallic pen to go around the edge of the backing paper - flowers are from a daisy punch - the oval frame is from my Majestic Keepsake Board - card, gems and sentiment from my stash.

That's it from me now - must clean the bathroom! Hope to be back soon to show you the pressie I'm in the process of making

Love, Andrea xx

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #65

Hello folks

I've decided it is about time I made some cards to say thank you for the children's Christmas presents, so I thought I'd attempt some challenges. This week's challenge on The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge is a nice simple sketch, which is just what I need to get me back into the crafty 'groove', and this is what I came up with.

I have used Fred Celebrating Elephant from Whiff of Joy, and coloured him with watercolour pencils and pearlescent watercolours. The papers were courtesy of some candy I won from Fran at Franmade some time ago - I think they are My Minds Eye. The sentiment is from a variety of Thank You stamps I won in a challenge a while ago, and the flowers are from my stash. Unfortunately, I do not have a die-cutting machine, and I am hopeless at cutting out circles or ovals, so I distressed the edges of my ovals, and then coloured them both a bit with chalks.

I hope you like my card. I have another one 'up my sleeve', and hope to be able to show that soon.

By the way, I forgot to post a piccie of the photo hanger I made for my daughter's friend last weekend, so I'll show that here too.

I got the idea for these photo hangers from Abby who makes beautiful creations. I have done some paper weaving for this - papers were found at the bottom of my stash, so I'm not sure what they are. The image is Queen Charlotte from Whiff of Joy, coloured with pearlescent watercolour paints and Sakura stardust pens. Flowers added from my stash. I do think it looked a bit bare, but was not sure what to add to it - it should look better with a photo added! I so hope Naomi liked her present.

Thanks for looking. I hope to be back soon, and I hope you'll pop by again sometime soon.

Love, Andrea xx

Sketch Saturday #84

Hello everyone and Happy New Year.

I hope I'm not too late to enter this week's challenge on the Sketch Saturday blog - I've been trying to get photos from my camera to my computer since about 6pm - my computer is working at a virtual standstill at the moment and I keep losing my wireless connection with the internet and my printer :(

Anyway, enough of my woes - here's my card - I have made it for a friend of my daughter, who is having a party on Sunday. I have been struggling to get into the crafting mood for several weeks now, but I did enjoy using this sketch and making this card. I intended making a photo hanger to match, but it is just too cold to go and work in our kitchen this evening - I really hope I'm feeling more crafty tomorrow! I have given up on the idea of making a card for my nephew whose birthday is on Sunday too, he'll have to have a bought card (how naughty is that!!). Oops, seem to have gone woeful again!!

I have used Queen Charlotte from Whiff of Joy, coloured using pearlescent watercolours, watercolour pencils, and sakura stardust pens. The papers, flowers and ribbons were all found in my significant stash which really needs to be used and not hidden away (LOL!)

Well, that's enough from me for now - hope to have something else to show you again soon!

Love, Andrea xx

Sketch Saturday - Matching Cards and Pressies

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Two of my daughter's classmates had a joint birthday party yesterday, so I made matching cards and pressies for them both. Only thing is, I used the same wrapping paper for both presents, and wrapped them at the same time, and then forgot which was which - der!!! I did apologise to the Mums in case I got them wrong!!

For the cards, I followed the sketch on this week's Sketch Saturday Challenge. I rotated the sketch to fit the image, which is Queen Charlotte from Whiff of Joy, coloured with watercolour paints and pencils. After stamping Charlotte, I masked her and then stamped a present, so that she had something to sit on. I printed the sentiments on the computer. The pink papers are Kay and Co, and the lilac ones were from Lakeland. The gems are dew drops - maybe they're a bit big for the cards really!

And I decided to make matching photo hangers as part of the presents - can you see now why I panicked a bit when I couldn't remember which was which after wrapping?!!!



Well, I hope you like what I've shown today - I was pleased with them and I hope the girls like them!

I hope I don't have to make any more birthday cards for a while - I must get on with Christmas cards - I thought I was doing well, but I'm not - gonna have to end up buying some cards to give I think!

Hope to see you again soon.

Love, Andrea xx

Matching Card and Present

Hello Everyone - hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday!

I am showing today the matching card and present I made for my daughter to give to one of her friends.

The patterned papers are Kay and Co Sparkly Sweet, the image is Queen Charlotte from Whiff of Joy coloured with watercolour pencils and sakura stardust pens. I've added adhesive pearls from Papermania to the flowers and the top of the card.

I'm not so sure about the lettering I've used at the bottom of the door hanger - but it was after midnight when I was making this and I really needed to get to bed (and as usual was doing it last minute - needed to take it to school in the morning!!).

Hope you like what you see. Please pop back again sometime soon.

Love, Andrea xx

Whiff of Joy Challenge 47 ... Get Well Soon Mum

Hello Everyone

Happy Monday - the start of another week which is bound to fly, just like they all seem to at the moment!!

The card I am showing today is for this week's Whiff of Joy challenge, which is a colour theme - teal and orange. I don't think I would have put these colours together, but I am so pleased with the way my card has turned out.

The photo doesn't do it justice really - mind you, do my photos ever show things well? - no, me thinks!! I love these papers - I'm sorry I don't know what set they are from as they were in some candy I won, as was the charm. I have used WOJ's Fred Celebrating Elephant stamp, coloured with watercolour pencils and sakura stardust pens - he is such a cutie! I don't have any die-cutting machines so I have cut the circles - to hide the mess, I distressed the edge of the white card with a ruler and then inked it - the orange circle was cut with scalloped edge scissors, and then I punched holes all around it. I love the flowers on this card - they were punched out, and then I folded them to give them some dimension and make them stand out from the backing paper a bit. I didn't have any teal coloured gem stones, so I coloured some, but they are looking a bit green!! I added orange dew drops on the corners. Ribbon is from my stash - only have a small strip left now (boo hoo!)

I have made this card for my Mum, who is in hospital at the moment - absolutely climbing the walls because she really wants to come home!! She went in last Wednesday night with fluid on her lung - we were hoping she could come home today, but the doctor has said that there is still some fluid on her lung and they are waiting for some test results - hopefully, she will be allowed home tomorrow (fingers and toes crossed!!). Get Well Soon Mum!

So I decided to make a gift bag to put some goodies in for Mum whilst she is in hospital. It is a box in a bag, and the instructions are here - thanks Tab for pointing this one out for us :)

As I was making it, I thought I should have cut the paper down, not used the full 12in piece (only realised that after I had glued the paper to the box at the bottom) - but then when I started filling it, decided it was a good job I had used the full piece!!! Afraid I didn't have time to do any embellishing really - thought it was more important to fill it and take it to hospital - but then the paper didn't really need much embellishment. I just added some chipboard die cuts, fastened on with eyelets, to put the ribbon through.

(Do you know what??? - it took me about 3 minutes to remember the word chipboard then (lol!) - why does that happen??? Or is it only me that it happens to?).


That's it for now - I need to go and get some tea! Hopefully, see you again soon.

Love, Andrea xx

Birthday Gift

My daughter went to a birthday party last Saturday, and had a thoroughly wonderful time. This is the card and gift I made for her to give - not the Barbie Princess doll Eleri wanted to give but I really hope that Nia liked this birthday gift.

The papers I have used are Kay & Co, which have been paper weaved for the photo holder. The stamped image is Queen Charlotte from Whiff of Joy, coloured with water colour pencils. I have made the frames using my Keepsake Majestic Board (oval frame on the card) and my Ultimate Pro (for the photo holder), and have stamped and heat embossed swirls onto the frames, using Versamark and clear embossing powder. The alphabet on the card is printed from my Cute Companions CD, and on the photo holder they are from a scrapbooking kit I have.

I decided not to add a birthday sentiment on the front of the card - I thought it could then be used as a door plate - but I printed an insert with a verse for the inside.

Thanks for looking - I hope you like what you have seen. I think I'll be making more of these photo hangers for gifts.

Hope you can come back soon.

Love, Andrea xx

Whiff of Joy Challenge 37

Good evening folks! I have managed to come back again - have also managed to put that load of washing in the machine, and do a bit of ironing (but not yet finished - still hoping to finish it before hubby gets back), so I must be quick with this post.

I am entering this card for this week's Whiff of Joy challenge - which is a recipe - 3 patterned papers, 3 flowers and 1 ribbon - I hope the fact that I have used the ribbon on two panels is OK?!

I'm not sure what the image is called as she was sent to me by someone - I do think she's so sweet, the papers are Kay and Co Sparkly sweet. I have decorated the inside using the same layout, but did not use ribbon inside and only one flower, so hope that doesn't count me out either!!

Here's the inside:

I hope you like my card - now I must go and finish that ironing!!

See you again soon.

Love from
Andrea xxx

Friday Sketchers Week 57

I hope I'm not too late to enter this week's challenge on Friday Sketchers. I loved working with this sketch. I have used faux stitching around the image and the main backing paper - by paper pricking and then using a Sakura gel pen to make the stitches. This is also my first attempt at a lollipop flower, from the tutorial on The Next Level blog. I have used a Whiff of Joy image, coloured with watercolour pencils, the backing papers are Kay and Company Sparkly Sweet (I just adore the colours of these papers), put some heart shaped beads on wire curled around my round nosed pliers, added some ribbon, brads and a sentiment, et voila!!!

Anyway, I'd better go and link my card onto the challenge.

Hope to be back soon!

Love
Andrea xx