Thursday 30 April 2015

Cosmic Colours Challenge #12 - Win a £10.00 Polka Doodles Voucher!


Hello you lovely crafters you!

This is just a quick a short post to remind you that you have until 11:55pm (GMT+1) tonight to get your entries in for the Cosmic Colours Challenge #12.

Don't forget you can win a fab £10.00 Gift Voucher from Polka Doodles!

There have been some beautiful and talented entries so far, it's going to be very difficult to chose a winner.

Click on the image below to take you to the challenge rules and the linky. Good luck!


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Black Butterflies - Using Cricut® Explore

Hello peeps!

How are we all today? 

Well, I went to my first Zumba class last night...and I survived!! It was such a good laugh, even if you are a complete two left footer when it comes to dancing (as am I) it doesn't matter, just keep moving, shake your bum and have fun.

Mind, I do ache a bit today. Okay, I ache a lot today.

Right, enough of my unfitness, I have a friend Sandie and she has a lovely sister called Susie who has special needs. Now, I adore Susie and it was her 62nd birthday a couple of weeks ago (I've only just got round to editing the photos), so I decided to make her a few things with the Cricut®.

Susie loves butterflies and I thought I would make her a simple, elegant card with some butterflies. Cricut® has some beautiful butterflies in the image library including some with lovely flourishes.





I love the Midnight vinyl and it lends itself very well to intricate designs like this one, and on the plus side you don't have to worry about messy adhesives. The small butterfly in the bottom right corner didn't have a flourish coming from its wing. I found a similar flourish in the image library and 'welded' it to the butterfly image.

What you need...

Digital die image: Butterfly (#M3F781); Butterfly (#M3FE74); Flourish (#M44B4D) - Home Accents cartridge; Butterfly 3 (#M3A3DB) - Spring Seasonal cartridge  - Cricut®
Font: Cherry Limeade cartridge - Cricut®
Card stock: pale blue
Cricut® Vinyl - Midnight
Gems: clear
Adhesives

What you do...

Select the images and add to the Design Space. 
Ungroup the flourish to separate each part, hide the darker part of the two flourishes. Move the remaining flourish to the butterfly, adjust until you are happy and 'weld' the two together.
Add the sentiment and edit with the Cherry Limeade font.
Cut out all the images in Midnight vinyl.
Cover a 15cm white square blank with a 14.5cm square of pale blue card.
Stick the sentiment to the lower left corner and the butterflies around it. 
Finish with a few gems in the flourishes

Simple and elegant, what more could you ask for? I always colour my images on screen to the colour of card/material I'm going to cut it out in. You can also change the colour of the canvas on screen so you can get a good idea of what your project will look like.

Susie loved her card. For her bedroom window, I made the same butterflies, but larger and cut them out with Cricut® Window Cling in black. I liked them so much I did some for my craft room window. They look so cool. I'll do a post on them later.

I also made her a bag with her name on it, but I forgot to take a photo (silly me). I'll try and get one and post it up. In the meantime I took a snap shot of the Design Space with the layout of Susie's bag.


I used teal and white Cricut® Iron-on for the heart and lettering; for the diamonds and stars I used Cricut® Glitter Gold Iron-on. They were applied to a plain, white cotton bag. Sandie said she keeps moving it about the house, sometimes she lays it out on the sofa so she can see it. Aww! Bless!

I'm having a crafty boot sale in the Summer and as I bought a few of these bags, I'm going to decorate and sell them :o)

Wow! This was a mammoth post. Thank you for sticking it out and I'll be back soon. Toodle-pip! x

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Monday 27 April 2015

Margaret Calendar Month April - Bugaboo/Incy Wincy

Well hello there!

Did you have a good weekend? I did. Lots of baking and crafting were done, so I am a very happy bunny :)

This week at Incy Wincy the challenge is Spring/Greens and we have two sponsors, Bugaboo Stamps and Sassy Studio Designs.

I picked a digi stamp with a very miserable looking Margaret called Margaret Calendar Month - April. I love these lady stamps they just have that sarcastic 'nothing impresses me, so speak to me at your peril' look.

I opted to also stay with the green theme and coloured her in with shades of green (except of course for her skin and hair, otherwise she would be a very sick looking, miserable Margaret with a sarcastic look about her). I also added the sentiment 'Happy Spring' just to compliment the facial expression - har har!

Anyway, here is the cheery little lady...



What you need...

Card stock: white, green
Promarkers: Almond, Apple, Bright Green, Cerise, Cool Grey 2, Grass, Leaf, Meadow, Pink Mittens, Putty, Warm Grey 1, Warm Grey 3
Gems: clear
Adhesives

What you do...

Re-size the image to suit and add a sentiment.
Print onto white card and colour in.
Cover the bottom of a top fold, portrait, white A6 blank with a 3.5cm deep piece of green card.
Hand cut scallops along the bottom edge of the image and mat onto the blank so the scallops overlap the green section.
Add a gem to the point between two scallops to finish.

She does remind me of someone, but I daren't say (sly smile on my face).

I think I will be purchasing a few more of these Margaret images, check out the Stella images too. She is just as feisty :)

If you would like to see all the lovely images that Bugaboo Stamps and Sassy Studio Designs have to offer, please click on their badge below to take you to their store.




Of course, if it's inspiration you want, then look no further than the awesome makes the Incy Wincy DT have come up with (some of the more adventurous gals have done more than one card).

Just before I go, please welcome our newest member of the DT - Judy! Pop on over to her blog - In Search of My Creative Side - to see what she's been up to.

That's me for now, I have another couple of Cricut® posts coming up, also another Crafts Beautiful set from the May issue and some of my projects from the current issue of Papercrafter (#81).

Oh bum! I've just spilt tea all over my desk. Why is it a tiny drop of tea left in the bottom of your mug can increase to one gallon when spilt? Arrgh!

My cue to go methinks. Thanks for dropping by xx

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Thursday 23 April 2015

Hello Foxy! Crafts Beautiful May 2015 Issue

Hiya crafty peeps!

How are you? 

I've just come in from the garden after giving the girls their little afternoon treat of mixed corn - not too much mind! Dolly likes to eat hers from my hand, the others run off to grab what I've scattered, before finishing theirs they run back to try and gobble up Dolly's. She soon sees them off with a sharp peck. 

Saying that, Dolly and I have become quite adept at the 'hand dance' - I move my hand away from the other girls and Dolly follows.

Okay, onto crafty stuff. As some of you may know, I contribute a couple of projects each month to Crafts Beautiful (and her sister title PaperCrafter). For this month's Master Class, I've done a paper piecing project with a foxy theme.

It made front cover too!

Crafts Beautiful - May 2015 Issue

I wanted to go with a 1950's retro cartoon style, here is a close up of the little chap...

Paper Pieced Fox by Colette Smith - Crafts Beautiful May 2015


Paper Pieced Fox by Colette Smith - Crafts Beautiful May 2015

You can find all the instructions and items I used in the current issue of the magazine or click here to take you to the Crafts Beautiful website where you will find the project and templates. 

I've also included with the template an illustration of the full fox should you wish to colour him in instead.

There are lot of my past makes and many other projects, ideas, templates and downloads on the CB website - all for free! (You just need to register).

I'll be back later with my other commission for the magazine which features feather stamps from Waltzing Mouse.

Thank you for popping by! :o)

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Monday 20 April 2015

Doodle Flower 2 - Dilly Beans/Incy Wincy

Good heevnin' peeps!

I do hope you had a lovely weekend. 

It's Monday so that means a new challenge over at Incy Wincy. This week we have a challenging challenge for you - 'Faux Techniques'. We also have two sponsors! The brilliant Flat Friends and Dilly Beans.

Now back to the faux techniques. Hmmm, what to do? I was going to do faux stitching until I saw some of my lovely teamies had created some gorg cards with this technique.

As I had chosen Doodle Flower 2 by Dilly Beans I decided to create a faux stamped doodle border around the edge of my card to keep in with the doodle theme. 

Here is what I came up with...


Coloured by Cosmic Strawberry - Image by Dilly Beans

What you need...

Card stock: white
Promarkers: Fire Wood, Oasis
Fine liner pen: black
Rub-on sentiment: Thank You - Pebbles Inc
Adhesives

What you do...

Print the image onto white card and colour in.
Mat onto a 12.5cm square white blank, making sure the flower sits at the lower right corner.
Doodle a two line border around the edge of the card with black fine liner and then divide into little squares colouring in alternate ones with the black pen.
Add the sentiment to the top left corner.

Are you a bit stuck for faux technique ideas? Splitcoast Stampers have some great ideas, click here to take you to the Handmade Tutorials page.

If you want to have a browse at all the lovely images that can be purchased from our fantastic sponsors, then click on their badge below to take you to their shop - I know you won't be disappointed.





It would be great to see your creative makes in this week's challenge. Head on over to Incy Wincy to have a peek at the fab DT makes and for oodles of inspiration. Go on, have a go and fake it!

Thanks for dropping by, take care and I'll be back soon ;o) x

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Saturday 18 April 2015

Warm Thoughts

Hello lovelies!

After a day in the garden tidying, pruning and then jet washing the greenhouse ready for this year's crop of tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies and sweet peppers, I am pooped! At one point I ended up wetter than the greenhouse. *Note to self - don't jet wash a corner from a certain angle.

My girls had a whale of a time following me round the garden picking through all the stuff I'd pruned. Of course they supervised the whole operation. The only thing is, the neat piles of garden waste ended up over most of the garden.

It was so lovely to see the greenhouse all clean and sparkly, plus the wood patio set is out again and ready for its feed of teak oil.

Now onto to crafty matters. I mentioned in a past post that I had a backlog of cards that I'd made, well one of these was for my mum. On March 31st it would have been my mum and dad's 48th wedding anniversary. 

I think this day upsets my mum more than any other since my dad died because it was something that they shared as a couple. Just to let her know that I was thinking of her, I made a simple, elegant card...



What you need...

Stamps: Utopia - Kaisercraft; Sentiment Sampler - Paper Smooches
Card stock: black, white
Ink pad: Onyx Black - Versafine
Promarkers: Azure, Ice Grey 1
Gems: turquoise

What you do...

Stamp the floral motif onto white card and colour in. 
Mat onto the front of a top fold A6 blank made from black card.
Stamp the sentiment at the top and finish with a couple of gems.

My mum thought the card was lovely. I'm sure dad would have too :o)

I've had the Utopia stamp set in my stash for a few years now. With a good bit of detective work I'm sure you may still find one or two out there in cyberspace to buy!

Thank you stopping by and I'll be back soon. TTFN! x

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Thursday 16 April 2015

Cluck!

Happy evenin' peepsicles!

Here's something for you to mull over....

I've just washed Dolly's bum! 

There, isn't that what you wanted to hear? So sorry for putting that image in your head, but if I have to do it then I'd like to share it with you, I'm a very generous person. Isn't that nice of me?

For those of who don't know, Dolly is my Light Sussex chicken and Light Sussex chickens have a tendency to get mucky bums! Plus it shows with them having white feathers.

Actually it's not as bad as you think. Never did I think I would give a chicken a warm bath!

Because we are on the subject of chickens, I want to show you the card I did for Simon's birthday from 'The Girls'. 

I stamped the four chickens and coloured them in accordingly and I did the sentiment using the Cricut® Explore and Midnight Vinyl. Here is the card...


Hattie - A Bluebell
Bren - A Rhode Island Red
Dolly - A Light Sussex
Babs - A Rhode Island Red
What you need...

Stamps: Picoti Picota - Artemio
Digital font: Life's A Party cartridge - Cricut®
Cricut® Vinyl: Midnight
Card stock: white
Ink pad: Onyx Black - Versafine
Promarkers: Black, Burnt Orange, Ice Grey 1, Ice Grey 2, Pastel Yellow, Saddle Brown, Silver Lining, Slate, Storm Cloud
Adhesives

What you do...

Stamp the four chickens on to white card stock, colour in and mat onto an A6 landscape blank, so the chickens are near the bottom.
Add the sentiment on to the Design Space and edit with the Life's A Party font.
Cut out the font in Midnight vinyl.
Apply the sentiment on to the card blank above the chickens.

I have had this stamp set for a few years now and it is still one of my faves. The chicken stamps I chose match the personalities of my girls brilliantly.

Oh! The bickering that goes on at bedtime between them is like over excited kids that don't want to go to sleep when they know Santa is coming. Having said that, I love them to bits and wouldn't change a thing :o)

Thank you so much for popping by. TTFN!

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Wednesday 15 April 2015

Purr

Good evening one and all!

Today has been glorious here in North Norfolk. I managed to get some washing out (it smells so wonderful and fresh) and have a cup of tea in the garden with Dolly, Babs, Hattie & Bren (they happily pecked around and chatted away to me). Bazoo came out, rolled around in the soil and then went back into the house - cats!

Talking of cats, because Simon & I can't have children, we always send each other a card from the cat (and now chickens) to our 'Mummy or Daddy' for Christmas and birthdays - I know, it's sad! :o)

I fired up my Cricut® Explore and created a cute little card from Bazoo to Daddy Simon for his birthday, and here it is...



What you need...

Digital die image: Purr (#M3D43D) Meow cartridge; Circle Tag (#M3E7EC) Simply Sweet cartridge - Cricut®
Card stock: black, bright blue, coral pink, lime, pale orange, white
Gems: clear, green
Adhesives

What you do...

Select images and place on the Design Space and re-size to suit - my circle tag is 11.5cm in diameter. 
Cut the tag in coral pink, the cat in black, the 'P' & 'r' in pale orange, the other 'r' in bright blue and the 'u' in lime card stock.
Assemble the pieces and mat onto a 12.5cm square white blank.
Add two green gems for the eyes and a few clear gems to finish.

Ta dah! Cute eh? I have another card I did for Simon from the 'girls', it's part stamping and part Cricut®. I'll be back later with that one :o)

The Meow cartridge is adorable, perfect if you are doing a scrapbook of your lovely pet. There are so many lovely images and phrases on the cartridge. I started a scrapbook of our last cat Gypsy, so I think I'll have to get it out and have another play with a few more layouts.


Meow - Cricut®
Okay my lovelies, I'm going to say ta ta for now. Thank you for popping by and I'll be back soon. xx


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Tuesday 14 April 2015

To My Core - Using Cricut® Explore (Hey! It rhymes)

Hi peeps! 

I know it's been a few days since my last post. I've not been too good of late and the hospital changed my meds... let's just say that I know what the hippies of the late 1960's felt like after eating magic mushrooms. Cor! Trippin' or what? 

The side effects are now subsiding and I'm back on Earth - I think :oD

Luckily I have a few cards that I did a while ago so I'd like to show this little cutie.



What you need...

Digital die image: Eaten Apple (#M46B9F) Preserves cartridge - Cricut®
Font: Birthday Cakes cartridge - Cricut®
Card stock: cream, green, pale yellow, red, white
Cricut® Vinyl - Midnight
Ribbon: red grosgrain
Pearls: black
Adhesives

What you do...

Select image and place on the Design Space. 
Add the sentiment and edit with the Birthday Cakes font.
Cut the apple segments in cream, green, pale yellow and red card stock and sentiment with the Midnight vinyl.
Assemble the apple core and adhere to the bottom of a white A6 top fold blank along with the sentiment.
Add two black pearls to the centre of the core and finish with red grosgrain tied around the top of the blank.

The Preserves cartridge has over 300 images perfect for those of you who like to make jams, jellies and chutneys etc. Or, of course you can just add an image to a card for a super cute greeting! It is available as a cartridge or as a digital download.

I've got a few more catch up things to show you, so I'll be back soon with those, but for now take care and thanks for dropping by. xx

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Wednesday 8 April 2015

Flossy - Dr Digi/Incy Wincy

Hello lovely crafters in blogland!

Sorry this post regarding this week's Incy Wincy challenge is a bit late. It's been a weird week so far and I kept thinking Monday was Sunday and yesterday was Monday - the mind! It hurts to think sometimes ;oP

So, on with the important stuff, this week's challenge. Well it suits me down to the ground because it is clean and simple. Our fabulicious sponsor is Dr Digi's House of Stamps and the oh so lucky winner will get some cool digi images - whoopee!

I chose the adorable Flossy and here she is...



What you need...

Digital stamp: Flossy - Dr Digi's House of Stamps
Card stock: white
Promarkers: Bright Green, Ice Grey 1, 3 & 5, Pastel Beige, Sand Dune
Baker's Twine: lime
Adhesives

What you do...

Print the image onto white card along with a sentiment.
Colour in and mat onto a white 11.5cm x 14cm top fold  blank and trim away any excess.
Wrap and tie the twine around the top of the blank.


Ta da! I know the sentiment is a bit cheesy but a bit of cheese won't hurt.

Click on the Dr Digi badge and have a browse through some of the great images available. They are comical and will bring a smile to your face.


Also, check out the makes from the Incy Wincy talented DT! We have another new Teamie this week - Welcome Lori!

Thank you for popping by - TTFN! x

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Wednesday 1 April 2015

Cosmic Colours Challenge #12

Evening lovely crafters!

As promised I'm back with a new challenge, this one being #12! Please scroll down for the Winner and Top 3 for Challenge #11.

This month the lucky winner will receive a £10.00 Gift Voucher from Polka Doodles...



... or if you prefer, some craft goodies. 

Here is the lovely Spring/Easter inspired colour palette for this month...

Nature Brights 3 - Design Seeds®
... and my take on it...


The winner can grab a Challenge Winner 'brag badge' to proudly display on their blog.

Three runner up cards will be chosen and they can grab the Challenge Top 3! 'brag badge' to proudly display on their blog.

There is also a 'play along' badge that you can grab if you wish. The codes can be found in the 'Cosmic Colours Challenge Badges' page.

The challenge will run until 30th April 2015 - 23:55 (GMT+1)


Tell all your crafty friends and I can't wait to see all your lovely makes :o) xx


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Cosmic Colours Challenge #11 Winner and Top 3!

Hello there!

I'm here with the Winner and Top 3 for the Cosmic Colours Challenge #11. Thank you all so so much for playing along and supporting my challenge. All the entries were stunning and it was so hard to choose. 

Well, the winner of a £10.00 Gift Certificate from Dr Digi's is.. 

#12 - Tracey F


Congratulations Tracey! This peacock treat box is so beautiful. If you contact me with your full name and address, I'll get your Gift Certificate organised.  Don't forget to grab your winner's badge for your blog.

Now for the Top 3!

#1 - Mynn
#14 - Sylvia
#17 - UT (Sara)

Well done ladies! Make sure you grab your badge for your blog :o)

Thanks again for all your wonderful creations. I'm off now to write the post for the next challenge - see you soon :o)

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