Hoppy Birthday

I've just spent the last 40 minutes before I head off to bed making a card that I get to enter into 4 challenges. The card is almost 95% digital with just the card base and the first 2 layers being from my regular stash.




















The rose garden and the rabbit were from a digital kit that I purchased from pcCrafter, they have some amazing collections of digital images and most come in both pre coloured and black and white. I decoupaged the roses to make them stand out but left the bunny flat as I thought it would be to much. The challenges I'm entering are below.

Donnas Den Of Craft - Challenge 6 - Lots of Layers
Alphabet Challenge Blog - R for Roses
The Sweet Stop - Sketch SSS71
Allsorts Challenge Blog - Week 67 - Park Inspiration

Happy Crafting

Michelle

Inked Inspirations Blog Candy

Just a short post to tell you about some lovely blog candy that is running until tomorrow on the Inked Inspirations blog. The candy is the Magnolia Summer Kit and there are 2 chances to win a set.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

The Sniffles

I knew I had a cold coming on Thursday and sitting in the office on Friday was horrid as my throat and chest hurt so much, now that's gone and my cold has gone up to my head and sinuses. I've spent most of today nursing a headache and blowing my nose every 5 seconds.

I did have a few periods today where I wasn't feeling so bad and I went into my craft room, unfortunately these didn't last long but I did put together a front cover to a cook book that I am making for the fair.




















Everything on the front is covered in a coat of Mod Podge as I think the texture helps to age it, I used a stamped image of Tanya Baking by Belles 'n Whistles coloured in Pro Markers. The main green backing paper was from K & Company's 'Roam' paper pad.

I'm hoping to go and get started on the back cover now, hopefully it won't take so long.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

No Punches or Wizard Arrrrgghhhh!!!

I decided to enter the Cute Card Thursday challenge tonight although i have to admit it was torture. There challenge this week is to create a card but not use any punches or cutting machines. I thought it would be a breeze as I have my Wizard for less than 2 months, but no it was hard to fight off the temptation not to use it.

In the end I came up with the below card, all the cutting has been done by hand or with my trimmer, even the envelope was made with a template and cut by hand. When I do a DL sized card I always like to make my own envelope using the same pattern/coloured paper.

















I used a stamp with one of my favourite animals on it, just wish that I had a memory like an elephant as I can't remember who made the stamp, but it came in a square of 4 smaller squares each with a darling elephant. After I made it I sealed it up ready to put with the other 120 for the fair and then realized I forgot to take a photo, thats why there is a little bit of shine to the card because I took it through the cellophane bag.

Now I have to go wrap another parcel for ebay and then I'm turning in for the night, I'm coming down with a cold so the more rest the better.

Happy crafting

Michelle

Always Something

There is always something to keep me busy so far this week and it hasn't been crafting, to be honest I haven't minded a few days off but I know that if I'm ever to be ready for the fair in November I have to get a move on, only trouble is I'm very quickly running out of Christmas paper.

I tried my local craft shop and they don't have anything in at the moment so I'm going to try and find some time this week or Saturday to take a trip to a shop that's not long opened out of town as they may have some. Thankfully I'm off work in a couple of weeks so I'll have plenty of time then to get stuff done.

Unfortunately there's no card tonight, maybe tomorrow I'll have some time to share one.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

Sketch Saturday Challenge

As promised I'm back with a card to post, I made this a little earlier but have been asleep for the last couple of hours. Now I'm awake (barely) and thought I would post the card.

The card is being entered into the Sketch Saturday challenge, this week they have a really good sketch which really made me think about layout.


















The card colours are all based around the image which was actually part of a prize from a Sketch Saturday challenge that I won back in July. The image is by Melissa Jenkins and is available through Whimsy Designs. I coloured the image in Pro Markers keeping the colours simple and then mirrored these colours in the papers. I also used the rose design in the center of the teacup and decoupaged it a few times to make the cute rose embellishments.

I wish I could say I'm off to make more cards, but I think I'm going to get another 40 winks.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

Up All Night

As I forgot to post last night I thought I would post now before I head off to bed for a few hours sleep. I spent most of yesterday making Christmas cards, as my card turned up on Friday. Last night when I should have been crafting and entering a few challenges I spent the night putting some stuff on eBay as they have a free listing weekend I thought I would make the most of it.

I finally finished that up at around 3am and then instead of gettitng into bed I watched a couple of documentaries and then caught up on the X Factor, much as it pains me to admit that. I only really watch the auditions because they are so funny.

Unfortunately I don't have a card to post just yet but will be back later with a couple of challenge cards.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

Tags

I thought I would post before I go to bed and show what I have been working on while I am waiting for my card to arrive (I'm pretty sure it's going ti be Saturday before it's delivered). So I had some extra Christmas pudding embellishments that I had made up for my Christmas cards and I was wondering what to use them for when I realized they would make really cute tags.















I've also done an extra five of the other embellishments and will eventually put them in packs of 10 for the fair, the other good thing is that there will now be matching cards and tags. Tonight I filled a box with the first of my goodies for the fair, I also went through all of the cards I have made in the last year and picked out all the ones I really liked and they have gone into the box. As long as I counted it right there should be 121 but this will grow as I'll be entering more challenges and added them to the box before November.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

Out Of Card

I've been busy making Christmas cards for the last few evenings so haven't had anything really new to post, then last night I ran out of 240gsm card. I spent the whole of my lunch trying to find more in town and would you believe that there was not one place that had any. I've ordered some of eBay now but it's going to be the weekend before it arrives, guess that means a few days off from making cards which means challenge cards and more posts.
















I started as I mean to go on today and made a card to enter into the Cards For Men Blog Challenge, the challenge this week is to make a card with decoupage on it and for it to be for a man/boy. I decided to go for a boys card and used a pirate decoupage sheet, not exactly sure who made the sheet and the paper is scraps. I had some pastel glitter paper which I used for a sand effect which I thought looked really fun.


As for me I've off to bed now, early start tomorrow.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

Recipe Books

Firstly I know it's really late, or really early dependent on how you are looking at things. Before I head to bed I wanted to post about my new recipe book that I have been working on.

As I am doing a Fair in November I wanted to concentrate on Christmas as much as possible and came up with the idea for these small mini books with Christmas Cookie Recipes, there are 10 recipe;s in all. The main layout for the pages was all done digitally, I used a set of digital clipart that I got from pcCrafter and added the recipes on one side and the cooking instructions on another.
























After I printed the pages out I cut them and fixed the front and back of each page together. To add a little dimension I added cute gingerbread man from the same set which I cut out separately, this meant that when I laminated each page it wasn't totally flat and was raised in places.

Once finished I put it into a plastic bag and tied it with a ribbon, all I need now is a gift tag which I have but forgot to print out. I love how it's turned out I just have to make a few more now and hope that there are lots of people at the fair that have sweet tooth's.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

Shaped Cards

It's almost Friday, about 3 minutes to go and I guess that I should be heading for bed as I have to work tomorrow. Before I go I thought I would post a card I made yesterday, as I wasn't sleeping that well I decided to try something different and got my Craft Robo out and made the card below.





















It took a while to get the pattern looking right but it cut really easily, I grabbed the nearest patterned paper to then cut the letters out and finished off the center of the flowers with brads. I do like the card but aren surte if I would go to all the effort again especially when I'm thinking of selling my Robo.

I hope to have some more photo's tomorrow night of something I've been working on since I got home today, also I have a busy weekend of crafting planned and I may even get to fit some challenge participation in.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

Slow Weekend

I've just finished my first and only challenge card of the weekend, I decided to take a break from making Christmas cards and entered the Sketch Saturday challenge. The card I made is going to be for my sisters birthday in October, that's if she doesn't read this.






















I used paper from 'Forever Friends - Party Time' and the cat is a decoupage image from the 'NitWit Collections - Mee Wow' sheet, as my sister loves cats I thought this was purrrfect!!!

I now have to get back to making Christmas cards, I have another 13 to do on the current Christmas Pudding design that I posted earlier in the week and then I'm onto the next.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

What I've Been Up To

As promised i said i would post about what I've been creating in the last few days, first I was making some sets of 'Colour You Own Cards' something I made when i did my last fair and they sold well. Basically all it is, is 2 cards with an image on each and a set of coloured markers, I love the idea and it's especially good for kids.
















After finishing them off after work most of my evening has been spent coming up with a Christmas card design that is simple to make yet looks good and is easy to reproduce over and over again. As you can see from the picture I think I've finally cracked it, the good thing is all I have to do is swap the image and the patterned paper out and I have a totally different card.






















That's all I have for now, I hope to get a few challenges done over the weekend between making Christmas cards that is.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

Busy, Busy, Busy

I can't believe it's Wednesday night and I havent posted since Sunday, that's just terrible of me. I've been late out of the office every day this week and not sleeping very well so I am feeling pretty tired. On top of all that I still have to make my dad's birthday card before I go to bed as I need to get it in the post tomorrow.

If that wasn't enough I finally bit the bullet and decided to have a stall at one of my local Christmas craft fairs, it's not my first fair so I'm not totally in the dark but with less than 4 months to go I'm really up against it. I've spent yesterday and this evening so far working on something for the fair and hopefully one I have finished them tomorrow I will post a picture.

That's it for the post tonight though, still have lots to do.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

Patterns

My second post of the day and my second challenge card, I have to be quick as the hubby is getting ready for work and I want to walk to town with him. I am entering my card into the One Stop Craft Challenge Blog, the challenge this week is patterns.

















I went with a simple design using a striped backing paper from a Forever Friends - Just For Him' paper pack. The stamps came from the Papermania - Doodles set. I coloured the larger image with Pro Markers and then punched 8 small circles using my wizard. into each circle I stamped a smaller flower and placed these around the main image rather like a clock face.

He's almost done so I better run.

Happy Crafting

Michelle

Hot And Spicy

I've finally got the chance to post today, had to wait for the hubby to wake up (As he's currently on night shift) and also had to have a card to post about. I only managed 2 cards today but the way I see it that's 2 more than yesterday. The first card I am posting about is being entered into 4 challenges which are listed below.

Sketch Saturday - Week 114 Sketch
Charisma Cardz - Challenge 30 Something with a tail
Colour Create - Challenge 50 Hot pink, Warm Orange and Saffron
C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Hot and spicey colours

















The card fits all 4 challenges, as I already had the layout sorted all I had to do was make sure all the colours fitted and choose an image with a tail. I chose a cute dog stamp that I received free with a copy of 'Craft Stamper' magazine. I love this magazine as it's packed full of inspiration and you always get a free stamp to add to your collection. I coloured the image with Pro Markers and then went through my stash to find papers in hot and spicy colours.

Onward to my second post of the day

Happy Crafting

Michelle