These two cards were both made using sketches by Alicia Barry, which I absolutely love!! The first also qualifies for a new challenge blog - Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog, which for it's first week has a 'use acetate' challenge. The greeting on the fourth tile is from HOTP Cardmaker's Birthday overlays. This was such an economical card to make as the tiles were cut from the front cover of the pad - & yes, I kept the chipboard back to use later too! LOL. This one is Alicia's Sketch #16 & I am sure I'll be using it again!!

The next card is from Sketch #11. It made a refreshing change not to cover the entire card but work only on the bottom half! I matted the fairy image on to another scrap from the same pad & inked the edges as it was practically the same colour as the card blank - & anyway, I like ink!!

More makes to come tomorrow methinks! LOL

I've been busy playing with the EPC 6x6 paper pads for cards & last night made a few with the fairy & cupcake papers - I don't often have the chance to make cards for girls but Fish has a lot of li'l girly friends right now - great news for me! LOL. These pads are on sale at Crop Til You Drop for just 75p - so brilliant value right now. Anyway, I've been catching up on challenges a bit so the first two are the same sketch from CPS (#53). The papers are soooo pretty that I didn't want to add too much embellishment to the original sketch. The ribbons were all scraps I had.
Next is the Sketch This! Cards current challenge - again, I didn't feel that the papers required much to set them off - & the stickers & ribbons were odd bits from my stash - I'm trying hard to use it all up! LOL.
It just goes to show that a simple sketch can make a great card without adding tons of extras to it. And as all the card blanks, rub ons etc came free with magazines, these are probably the most economical cards I have ever made too! LOL.
A few more using the same papers coming in the next post!!

Wow! this one covers quite a few challenges! LOL. First up - a fabulous sketch from Sisterhood of Scrap - haven't done one of these for a while so I was determined to get it done this week. Next, the Challenge at Color Your World to scrap hearts - I have already done that challenge once but I wanted another go at it! LOL - much prefer this take on it to the first one. The journaling and title are courtesy of the lyrics at Scrapping The Music this week (I love you always forever: Donna Lewis) - the first time I have taken part, although I've been stalking their blog for a couple of weeks now!
On to the stash, which is mostly available online in the UK from Crop 'Til You Drop with much on special offer (up to 75% off!)
Papers: We R Memory Keepers; Swirl Stamps: HOTP; Flowers: Die Cut from Friendly Felt, Felt Fusion; Alpha Stamps: Making Memories; Acrylic Paint, Ribbon & silk rose from stash.

Fabrizio nominated me & the rest of the CTYD Design Team for this Excellent Blog award - how sweet is that???? I'm dead chuffed to accept - it's the first award I've had! LOL. Fab's my buddy, a brilliant cardmaker & I love him LOADS!!
So now the hard bit - now I have to decide who to award next!
Pam Sandy - My buddy over at My Creative Classroom - I love all her creations! She's a great friend too! LOL
Di Hickman - I stalked Di's blog for months & took part in the sketch challenges waaaaaay before I got a place on her card sketch DT. She's a talented designer, great mentor & dare I say it ... friend?
I've not visited too often recently but Sisterhood of Scrap is one of the best challenge blogs around. & now I'm back on the challenges - I'll be hanging out there more often!
OK - I think I should stop there! LOL

My mum gave me this photograph yesterday - that's me with my baby bro, who is now 29 & married!! It's not like me to use a photo straight away but this one was just dying to be scrapped immediately.
Anyway, I found this challenge on Brigitte's blog through Scrapscene, and everything just came together.
So the challenge was to use the mugs/their packaging as your inspiration. Gotta say How gorgeous are they??????.
The layout is a bit of a mish mash of lots of products I've been wanting to use for a while. KI memories lace cardstock that Jane brought over from the US for me on her last visit, CI chipboard, Felt Fusion, Fancy Pants felt, Friendly Felt, Amuse gems and some odd brads and blooms from my stash.

This is just another couple of cards I made with the same scraps as for the Ismaki sketch card (scroll down for that one). I do generate an awful lot of scraps every week and do try to keep on top of using it all up (ha! who am I kidding! LOL). Anyway, I make way, way, way more cards than I could possibly use in one lifetime and I have a lot of ways of dealing with the excess.
I have recently been speaking to Fish's (DS4's) Pre School about this & have come up with a new solution. I am providing them with a filled spinner of cards, which they will sell to raise funds for bits that they need/want. So that was a rather long explanation for why I need so many mother's day cards! LOL
The second one didn't photograph well but has a silver Basic Grey rub on in the bottom right corner and uses these brown card blanks that I've had for years and had trouble using up!

This was my DT card for Di Hickman's card sketch this week. Great sketch again- really easy to use. And yep! that is another dinosaur card!! Really into making kids cards right now - Fish has loooooads of li'l friends so I keep running out! LOL.
Do check the sketch out - and if you have a go, hook up in the comments there & I'll be sure to come over & have a look!

Don't forget to check out this post - I have goodies up for grabs again!!

My buddy Fab has mentioned the Ismaki sketch a time or two, so I popped on over to check it out - and this is the result. This card is made entirely out of scraps from the Cloud9 Sorbet Villa range. I had a scrap or two of the floral paper that I couldn't bear to throw away but that were too small to use as panels in their own right. I had already had all the intact flowers from them and these were the bits of flowers from around the edges of the sheet. I think they work really well on these little panels from the sketch tho & I'd definitely do that again (in fact I already made a couple of others! LOL) The green panel is a scrap from the HOTP retro 8x8 that I used a couple of days back. All else I have used is a red ink pad, white sharpie & the 'mum' rub on that was free with a magazine.

& I left my comment in French - Fab will be soooo proud! LOL

This is my DT project for this week's journaling junkie challenge, set by Debbie Tehrani: use fortune cookies. I have to say I was a bit stumped at first, having never had one! Anyway, a quick google found a couple of useful websites to generate my own fortunes and I had a fabulous time creating this shadowbox, supplied by C&T publishing, who are sponsoring us this month.
You'll find more images and a free tutorial (with links to the free cookie generators) to create your own on the journaling junkie blog.
And please do leave a comment to say I sent you, we have a very exciting competition there right now to 'Get The Word Out' - find out more here!
The papers, acrylic paints etc that I used are all available in the UK at Crop 'Til You Drop

Arty Girlz challenge this week is to use green and with all the Dinosaur related projects I have underway right now it would have been easy just to use one of those! LOL. But I didn't want to do that - so here's a card for DS3's birthday made from HOTP retro papers and a scrap of C9 Design Sorbet Villa. I have no idea why the skull & crossbones - except I love using DS4's cuttlekid. My adaptor plate for the big shot is due in about a week so I might be able to use the cuttlekid dies with that - will let you know how that goes!

Don't forget to check out this post for deets of free stuff up for grabs!

Journaling Junkie have a fabulous new contest at the moment with prizes!! All the deets are here. Basically, we need a bit of help spreading the word about our fabby weekly challenge blog (I get to say 'our' cuz I'm on the DT!) and a bit more participation with the challenges and stuff - I'd love you all to come and join us.
Anyway, it's well worth popping on over - you gotta be in it to win it, right? And I'll love you all forever if you could pop a comment on the journaling junkie blog here - just to say that I sent you - I'll have a bit of a RAK for everybody that refers me - so make sure to post a comment to the bottom of the post (the one you are reading right now!) Clear as Mud??? The contest closes March 15th & I'll draw my li'l RAK here on 16th. And if I win the contest - there'll be extra prizes to celebrate!!

The new challenge (#12) is up too - I'll be sharing my creation later in the week but it's still a bit secret squirrel right now!! You get points for entering the challenges - and more points of you win a challenge - so why not make this the week that you join in! Good luck!

Pam Sandy (my buddy and fellow tutor at MCC) has a sketch challenge over on her blog right now. The sketch is provided by Alicia Barry of Leisha's Page Plans - who is also a tutor at MCC with us.
Anyway, here's my take on the sketch using Creative Imaginations Coffee House papers - I love them & have plenty of scraps left for card making!! This is also my entry for Arty Girlz weekly challenge to use stamping on your project. I have used three different Alpha stamp sets for the title and the HOTP winter swirls (emanating from under the coffee pot). Ribbon by American Crafts - i think the cardstock is Bazzill - there's also a welcome return to inky edges & a little penwork - I missed that on the last card I made! LOL

Fish is 4 on St Patrick's day & being a diligent mummy, I didn't start thinking about his party until a couple of days ago! And being a bit of a crafter, I cannot bear the thought of those nasty pre-printed polythene party bags full of naff plastic toys that break within a day or cheap invitations! So... fairly predictably - I'm gonna do it all myself.
The first invitation I made later became a birthday card instead - far too complex to recreate 30-odd times. Even I know that I have limitations! LOL. You'll be able to see that as a DT project for Di Hickman's card sketch this wednesday - no sneaky peaks I'm afraid. In the meantime, this is the much scaled down version upon which I have settled - I'd prefer it inked & with penwork but it's a simple card that will do the job & knock a huge hole in my scraps stash!
I used a sketch by Alicia Barry - she's a tutor over at MCC, where I teach & has a fabulous collection of sketches - you really want to check them out! The dinosaur is die cut using the cuttlekid (which I borrowed from Fish) and has a fabulous collection of child-themed dies. The 'A Party!' stamp is by A Muse. I've die cut a selection of dinosaurs from scraps of cardstock and although this is the basic design, I'll be using up all my green patterned paper scraps, so the invites will all be variations of this first one - (I have some girly florals for the girls invites too!)
Be prepared to see a whole bunch of dinosaur related projects over the next few days! LOL

This is a DLO that I have finally finished! LOL. I started this one back in October 2007 as an entry for Scrapbook and Cards Today based on a sketch. I missed the deadline when life got in the way it has recently resurfaced after moving out of the store. I luuurve these papers!! So that's it - a layout just for the sake of it and I really like this one! LOL.
I've played with blogger for the last 20 minutes or so & I just can't get these images to sit next to each other - so you'll just have to imagine that they are!!

I'm currently listening to the brand new Nickleback CD, which I found on my keyboard when I pulled it out to start working this morning. I guess the valentine fairies have been then! LOL. This piccie is a li'l hanging felt heart thingy that I made for Fish and attached to a valentine card for him (I got mine days ago - he couldn't wait! LOL) - Gotta love friendly felt & glue dots - it took me about 10 minutes to make & he loves it! LOL.
So while we are spreading the luuuurve, We have some winners for the One World One Heart draw.
The winner for the draw was Christine - congrats and your goodies will be in the post just as soon as I have your snail mail addy.

For the referrer draw there were only three names - so I'm feeling generous and I'm gonna send a li'l RAK to each of you. In no particular order:
Lisa Oceandreamer - I'd have sent you something anyway! Thank you sooooo much for organising this event - It has been fun & over the next few months I am going to visit every one of the participant's blogs.
Fran - I left a message on your blog already, so I'll wait for an addy from you.
Breanne - I'm hoping to get contact deets for you - so if you are reading this and you are, or know, breanne - please e-mail me!

Di Hickman is back from CHA - which means it must be wednesday & time for another sketch. February #2's sketch is here and I wanted to share my take on it with you. I have to say I'm in love with these papers - I have used them on soooo many projects of late: cards, pages and some altered stuff too. These ones are actually baby papers but in the right combination, you'd never know and I finally got to play with some of that friendly felt that the DT at Crop 'Til You Drop have been raving about on the blog - it's all on special offer right now too.
The heart and birds are hand cut from the felt. For the birds, I layered the wings on and used a micro dot gem for the eyes. The feathers were added with glitter glue - which I've had for about 3 years and had never used (think I'm gonna get me some stickles now! LOL)
Anyway, I have just got in from teaching a class & I think I'm gonna have a go at an early night! Don't forget to enter the OWOH giveaway here - you'll find another at the shop blog here too! You only have until 10am tomorrow morning!!

I found out about this International RAK event through Adriann a couple of days ago & thought it such a great idea that I'm participating too.
The rules are simple enough:
Leave a comment on this post by 10am GMT on February 14th. Please also make sure that I have a way to contact you, either through your blog or leave me an e-mail address.
I will use a random number generator to pick the winner from all the comments on this post and announce it the same day.
This draw is open to everyone, anywhere in the world, whether or not they are hosting a RAK themselves.

So I'm offering three handmade cards (with envelopes) & a li'l altered tin that I made for the free classes I was teaching over at MCC last week

I'll also do an extra draw for some surprise goodies for anyone who brings their friends over. So for every comment that mentions the name of the person that sent them here, that named person will go into a separate draw. I'll announce the winner of that draw on Valentine's day too!
Good luck everybody ... & spread the Luuurve.

I have been busy this last day or so - lots of stuff to make (some I can't share just yet), updating my blog links (lots of the challenge blogs have either moved or gone - & I had a bunch of new ones to add) and getting back into doing the challenges myself! I haven't participated since before Christmas & I really do miss it - but I'm back now & having a go.
The first card is for Caardvarks 'Baby Love' challenge and uses Deanne Burton's Feb 1st card sketch. The second uses the same set of papers (Rusty Pickle) for this week's Sketch This! Cards challenge. That's me all challenged-out for today - lots of news coming later tho' about a RAK or two!

I really don't like to take photos after dark but this layout is for Challenge #5 over at 52 Sketches ... 52 Weeks and the deadline is today! LOL. I used Fancy Pants Crush papers and incorporated another challenge or two into the bargain - Ha! Told you I'm back!!
Arty Girlz challenge this week is to use frames, so I incorporated a button frame around the main picture and Colour Your World have 'Scrap Hearts' as their current challenge - I have used a patterned paper with an all-over heart design and a couple of chipboard hearts - so I guess I have that one covered too! The Effer Dares current challenge (#83) is to make up your own dare - I chose 'Use Black & White Photos' for mine - it seems I never do that any more!
I did have some news to post today - but it's getting late & the day has kinda gotten away from me. Lots of stuff coming tomorrow! LOL

I've not had much to share lately as I have been mostly creating for my online classes and various Design Team pieces. I made this card for a friend's baby girl, who had her first birthday party today!
I used the Fancy Pants Sweet Pea papers again (love them, love them, love them) but had to cut my own scalloped heart as I'd already used the die cut one on a DT piece. This was such a quick card to do but I just love this colour combination. The button, ribbon, 'birthday girl' sticker & heart gem are from my stash (which is going down ... a bit! LOL) & I added A Muse micro dot gems to the crown - don't know how I managed before I got these gems - self adhesive & sooooo easy to use!

I'm setting the challenge this week at Blog 'Til You Drop - so pop on over after 6pm to see what we have in store for you!

This weeks challenge (#10 already - where did the weeks go?) at Journaling Junkie
is to journal about a scary moment. The rest of the DT have some fab layouts to inspire you but I thought I'd share mine here as well. This page is part of my new campaign to create less but create better. And although it might not look like a particularly complex page, it did take a while. Each of those flowers is chalked and layered - the rub on alpha is by American Crafts & this is its first time out of the packet (I've had it about 2 years!). I added sticker brackets - velvet flock for texture - and a bunch of flatbacks - haven't used those for an age! The scalloped edges on the papers were handcut: use small scallop decorative edge scissors and then pierce a hole in each of the scallops - definitely not a technique to use when you are in a hurry! LOL. If you want to read the journaling, it's publish on the Journaling Junkie blog - Feel free to leave some love - we all love to read your comments!
Anyway, why not join us and take part in the challenge - you have until Friday night & there will be a new one every Saturday. If you do take part, don't forget to hook us up in the comments - then we can come visit you & take a lookie!

I have been having a hard time catching up just lately with my DT commitments, the grand opening at MCC, teaching my local classes and all the stuff that goes with closing the B&M store & rebuilding the website. Happily I think I've got it under control now.
Last December I joined FlyLady in an attempt to gain control over my housekeeping & I've been fluttering (i don't FLY just yet! LOL) ever since. I've applied the same principles of small steps to my work - and it's working. Instead of plouging my way thru a list as long as my arm and constantly worrying that it's not getting any shorter, now I just pick 4-5 things to do today ... & I get them all done!
Instant sense of achievement & I feel ready to crack on the next day too. The list will always be as long as my arm. There's always something to do, right? But I feel like I'm winning! LOL
The same thing applies to my DT work. At the weekend I had five projects to complete & usually I would try to get them all done over the weekend. As I was still busy over at MCC this weekend, I have to say the panic was rising. I was also starting to become dissatisfied with what I was creating - like I'm rushing it all & it's not the best it can be. So I tackled just one project each day and because it's only one, if I want to spend three hours on a card I can. Very liberating!
So this is the card I made for Di Hickman's February #1 sketch. I'm back to creating things that I really like and getting satisfaction out of it again - so rewarding!
Anyway - the card: I cut the li'l patchwork squares, sanded the edges and matted them on to a lighter colour, stamped the stitching with black ink (masking with scrap paper where necessary) sanded the edges again & then matted the whole thing onto darker paper. The card blank was cut from A4 cardstock & then the panel edges were sanded before mounting centrally with the fold at the top. The hearts are die cuts, sanded and then the edges highlighted with doodled lines in pink & black. The flowers are punched and doodled in the same way (black only, no sanding)and the tag was made with a Making Mamories Tag Maker and scraps trimmed from the card blank. A layer of gathered lace is glued to the back of the tag, rub on added to the blue heart and then the whole thing assembled with DST & foam tape. Gems are added for the flower centres.
Supplies: Papers & Die Cuts: Fancy Pants Sweet Pea; Cardstock: SU!; Flower Punch: EK Success (Retro Flower); Gems & Stitches Stamp: A Muse; Rub On: HOTP
If you have a go at this sketch, be sure to hook up the link in Di's comments & I'll come visit you!