Christmas Cocoa

Hello,

I have been a very bad blogger, I can't believe how long it is since I last blogged. With Christmas coming, I don't think things will get much better to be honest!
I have a card to share today using an image I coloured in some time ago and finally got round to making into a card. I have used one of Sheena Douglass stamps from her 'A Little Bit Festive' range and this one is aptly named Christmas Cocoa. I coloured the image in using Promarkers and Copics. 
I die cut the image using a stitched square die and inked around the edges using Vintage Photo Distress Ink to give an aged look. 
I mat and layered the image onto some brown textured card stock. I also stamped and coloured in the little bundle of cinnamon that comes with the stamp set and cut it out to add dimension. The backing paper and sentiment came from the Craftwork Cards Mini Mania kit, which I also inked around the edges. 
I kept this card fairly simple as it is such a large detailed stamp, to finish I added some stickles glitter to the image for a little bit of sparkle. 

Products used:

• Stamp - Sheena Douglass for Crafter's Companion
• Stitched square die - Die-Namics Blueprints Fourteen
• Circle die - Spellbinders layered circles
• Papers & Sentiment - Craftwork Cards Mini Mania - Create and Craft (C&C have exclusivity on the sentiments)

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

1. Crafter's Companion - November Challenge - Winter/Christmas 
2. Stamping Sensations - November Challenge - Simply Christmas
3. Winter Wonderland Challenge - Let's Get Sentimental 

Thanks for visiting today!

House Mouse Autumn Apples

Hello,

I have quite a clean and simple card to share today, using this adorable Autumn House Mouse stamp set from Joanna Sheen. It has turned very autumnal here in the UK and living in Kent I am surrounded by apple orchards, so this image feels very appropriate right now! 

I coloured the image using Spectrum Noir pens and Prismacolor pencils. To make the apples look shiny, I added some glossy accents, although I am not sure this shows up very well in the photos. 

I used Die-namics blueprints for the card layout and the green backing paper came from Joanna Sheen's  House Mouse paper pack, Mouse Mixture. I die cut the flower with the same green backing paper. 

Finally, I mounted everything onto a kraft card blank and used some cream twine for the bow. 

Products used:

• Stamps - Joanna Sheen - House Mouse Autumn Flying 
• Dies - Die-namics - Blueprints 14
• Papers - Joanna Sheen - Mouse Mixture 
• Twine - American Crafts

Thanks for visiting my blog today, I hope I have inspired you. I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1.  House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge 179 - Autumn/Fall
2.  Sweet Stampin' Challenge  Blog - Autumn 

Cupcake

Hello,

Two posts from me in one day, I never thought I would be saying that! 

Anyhow, I am also sharing a House Mouse card today. I decided to use this cute stamp with the completely stuffed on cake mice and teamed it up with pretty papers from Lili of the Valley, I love turquoise and pink together, sort of ice cream colours in my opinion, I can relate all things to food! 

I stamped the image and coloured in using Copic and Spectrum Noir markers and then paper pieced the cupcake wrapper from the same paper pad. I added some stickles onto the cupcake icing, which shows up fairly well in the photo I think?

I did some faux stitching around the image and the papers with a Sakura pink gel pen and added a die cut Happy Birthday in pink textured cardstock. I couldn't find any turquoise cardstock to mat with that matched, so I used white cardstock and coloured around the edges with my Spectrum Noir pen to match the colours on the image. 

To finish I added some pearl gems and a ribbon and kept it all fairly simple. 

Products used:

• Stamps - Joanna Sheen - House Mouse Birthday - Ice Cream
• Papers - LOTV - Pastel Dreams
• Die Cut Sentiment - Britannia Dies - Small Happy Birthday/Christmas 
• Pearl Gems - The Hobby House
• Ribbon - Create & Craft 

Thanks for visiting my blog, I hope you like my card as much as I enjoyed making it. I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1. Lili of the Valley Monthly Challenge - Pretty Papers!
2. House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge 178 - Paper Piecing 

Ohh La La

Hello,

I thought I would share a bit of a saucy card with you today! I brought this stamp set by Creative Expressions some time ago and decided to revisit it with fresh ideas and I was quite pleased with the results. 

I started by stamping the image with Versafine black ink, I then poured over clear embossing power and heated to give a nice shiny look. I coloured the corset with Copics and cut the image out. 

I cut out a white mat using a Spellbinders die and did some faux stitching around the edge, then I shaped the corset and placed it onto my mat with Pinflair glue gel. 

I printed out some striped backing paper and then randomly stamped the sentiments that came with the stamp set over the paper, again using Versafine black ink and then matted the paper onto some black cardstock. To finish I added a ribbon, button and some twine and a little black gem in the bow on the corset. 

Finally I added an insert and used the sentiment "Of Corsets Your Birthday!" that also came with the set, although I did not photograph this, sorry!  

Products used:

• Stamps - Creative Expressions Frilly Things 
• Copics - R85, R83, R81
• Dies - Spellbinders Labels One
• Papers - Pink Petticoat Pinstripes Cream 
• Button, ribbon and twine from stash (In other words I can't remember!)
• Black Cardstock - Creative Crafting World

I hope you like my card and it gives you some inspiration, I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:

1. The Crafting Cafe - September Challenge - Shades of one 
2. Sweet Stamping Challenge - Spots and Stripes

Mix it up

Hello, 
Today I am sharing a House Mouse card, the stamp is from Stampendous and isn't she very mumsie? I will keep this image in mind for Mother's Day next year I think. 
I stamped the image with Memento ink and coloured with Copics and Spectrum Noir markers, as you can see I have paper pieced the little apron to match the backing papers, I quite enjoy paper piecing, I think it gives a nice dimension to a stamped image. I die cut the image and then distressed around the edges using Antique Linen, I then felt it needed a little something else, so I went around everything with faux stitching using a brown gel pen.
I matted and layered onto some designer paper that matched the food theme and used a die cut border on the mat of the image. I added a circular sentiment which I stamped in Versafine Vintage Sepia ink and added a few blobs of stickles in the centre of the little flowers. 
To finish I used some pretty flowers, ribbon, gems and not forgetting the strawberry charm. (I hunted high and low for a cherry charm, which would have matched the papers perfectly, but I only had a strawberry!) It doesn't matter how much stash you have, you always need something you haven't got don't you! 

Products used:

• House Mouse Stamp - Mix it up - Joanna Sheen
• Papers - Melissa Frances - Kitschy Kitchen
• Dies - Spellbinders Rectangles/circles - Marianne Design Stitched Border 
• Brown gel pen - Sakura
• Sentiment - Lili of the Valley
• Ribbon - The Ribbon Girl
• Gems/charm/flowers - The Hobby House

I hope you like my card and thank you for visiting today. I try to keep my posts to a minimum of info so it does not get too boring for my visitors to read. However, if anybody wants anymore information about which colour markers I use etc, just send a message and I am happy to help. 

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1. House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge 177 - Food, Glorious Food!
2. A Little Bit Crafty Challenge - ALBC Distress it!!!
3. Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes 

Cold Hands, Warm Heart

Hello,

Well I have been a bad blogger and not posted for ages, I know everyone says it, but where did August go?!

Today I am sharing a card with one of the gorgeous new LOTV Christmas stamps and this one is called Cold Hands, Warm Heart, I loved this image when it was released and knew it would be perfect for couples cards this Christmas. 

I coloured the image using Distress Markers onto watercolour card and then added some faux snow using a white gel pen. I inked around the image and matted up with some brown card stock and lovely nordic papers. The sentiment is also from LOTV, I love their handwritten sentiments, they just go with everything. Needless to say I had to have the everyday and the Christmas ones! 

I used a pretty snowflake die cut and finished with some ribbon, buttons, gems and twine. 

Products Used:

• Stamp and sentiment stamp - Lili of the Valley
• Distress Markers - Tim Holtz 
• Papers - First Edition - Nordic Christmas
• Ribbon - The Ribbon Girl
• Brown Card - Papermill Direct
• Snowflake Die - Joy Crafts - Ice Crystal Snowflake
• Button & Twine from Stash 

I hope you like my card and it gives you some inspiration. By the skin of my teeth I am entering this card into this months Lili of the Valley Challenge - Christmas in August! 

Thanks for visiting today. 

House Mouse Strawberry Birthday

Hello,
Today I am sharing a House Mouse card, I love this cute image and strawberries just shout summer for me. 
I coloured the image using Pro-markers, Copics and Prismacolor pencils, the little sentiment stamp is from a Hobby Art stamp set, which I thought went perfectly with the image. I matted the image onto red card stock and punched a white scallop border on the second mat. The paper is an older Magnolia one I have been hanging onto, but it was just right for this card. I added a gingham ribbon and paper pierced around the edges, finally adding a few gems. 

Products used:

• House Mouse Stamps - Joanna Sheen - Food For Thought
• Sentiment Stamp - Hobby Art - Butterflies Set
• Scallop Punch - Fiskars
• Strawberry Paper - Magnolia
• Gems - The Hobby House
• Ribbon - From Stash
• Card Stock - Papermill Direct

I have been inspired to enter the following challenges:

1. House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge - All about summer
2. Gruffies and Guests - Anything goes with the option of summer

Thanks for visiting my blog today, hope you like my card.

LOTV Wedding

Hello,

Today I am sharing a pretty wedding card combining my Lili of the Valley stamps, this little bride and groom image has to be my all time favourite wedding stamp. I tried to make the card tell the story that the couple have just got married and are leaving the church as Mr & Mrs. I should probably get out more! 

Anyway onto how it was made, I started by colouring both the images using Distress Markers and then fussy cut the bride and groom to lay over the frame, I added some glamour dust onto the brides dress with a quickie glue pen for a bit of sparkle. I made the frame by using a punch around the page Martha Stewart punch and then I cut an aperture to lay the frame over the church image. I did all the stitching by hand as I didn't want to mess up the frame on my sewing machine. I matted the frame onto very pretty Maja paper. I stamped the sentiment which came with the original LOTV stamp set and die cut with a tag die. Finally I embellished with flowers, ribbon, gems etc and added a delicate die cut corner bow. 

 A close up of the colouring and you can see the glitter better on the dress and flowers. 

Products used:

• Stamps - LOTV - Wedding Couple and Church on the Hill
• Punch - Martha Stewart - Eyelet Lace PATP
• Spellbinders - Large Squares
• Memory Box - Corner Bow
• Glitter - Glamour Dust 
• Go Kreate - Concentric Tags 
• Flowers, Ribbon & Gems - The Ribbon Girl 
• Heart Button - Ebay
• Colouring Medium - Tim Holtz Distress Markers
• Papers - Maja Design - Coffee in the Arbour

I really hope you like my card and thank you for visiting my blog. I am entering this card into the following challenges:

1. Lili of the Valley Monthly Challenge - Take Two!
2. The Ribbon Girl July Card Challenge - Summer
3. Crafty Little Fairies July Challenge - Summer Fun 

Forever Friends Kraft Notes Christmas

Hello,
Today I am sharing a Christmas card made with the Docrafts Forever Friends Kraft Notes Christmas kit. I have pulled this kit out a few times from where it has been stored, looked at it and decided nope I don't know what to do with it and put it away again! Anyway this time I got the kit out and it worked out ok. 

I decoupaged the image up with Pinflair glue gel and matted it onto a white circle followed by a scalloped circle with my favourite Neenah kraft card. The papers and sentiment are also from the kit and I inked around the edges with Forest Moss Distress Ink for a change. I added some gorgeous gingham ribbon that went perfectly with the papers, a button star (also distressed around the edges with Forest Moss), some twine and a few gems. 

Products used:

• Docrafts - Forever Friends Kraft Notes Ultimate Die Cut kit
• Dies - Spellbinders Circles and Scalloped Circles
• Ribbon - Hobbycraft
• Twine - The Ribbon Girl
• Star button - Ebay
• Kraft Card - Neenah Dessert Storm - Crafter's Companion
• Gems - The Hobby House

I hope you like my card today and thank you for visiting my blog. I have been inspired to enter the following challenges:

1. Winter Wonderland Challenge Blog - Spots and Stripes
2. Papertake Weekly Challenge - Stars and Stripes

LOTV James Bear

Hello,
Today I have quite a simple card to share with you, I prefer to keep to a CAS style for male cards. I used an image from one of the Lili of the Valley coloured art pads, this one is from the James and Jenny Bear pad, I think it's a lovely image that could be for many different occasions. 
I die cut the image from the pad and matted onto kraft card, the papers are also from LOTV, I stamped the sentiments onto the same kraft card and used some string to embellish. I used a Martha Stewart punch to add some interest down the left side and finally die cut some faux buttons.
I really liked the colours on this card, they wouldn't probably be the usual colours I would go for, but I felt they complimented the image really well. 

Products used:

• Art pad, sentiments and papers all from LOTV
• Dies - MFT Die-namics pierced rectangles - Die-namics buttons
• Punch - Martha Stewart PATP Cherish
• Kraft card - Crafter's Companion Neenah Desert Storm (this is meant for colouring, but I like the light shade of the kraft and keep dipping into it!) 

Thanks for visiting my blog today, I hope you like my card, I have been inspired to enter the following challenge:

Lili of the Valley Monthly Challenge - June - Male or Sporty

For A Great Dad

Hello,
Today I am sharing a decoupaged card for a change, using yet another fab House Mouse Design. As it's Father's Day next Sunday here in the UK, I thought it was appropriate to go with a male themed card. I know it's not Autumn yet, but the last card was Christmas, so I am working my way back through the seasons!

To start, I have used a sheet of decoupage from Joanna Sheen's House Mouse Autumn collection, which is sadly not available on her site any longer.  I used my Spellbinders dies to make a shaped card and I used the same die set to make a mat with Coredinations cardstock. I then cut an aperture with a Spellbinders rectangle die and sanded down all the edges to reveal the core colour. I layered the aperture over the decoupage to frame the image. I then made these lovely leaves with dies and distress inks, to give the leaves a bit more dimension, I turned them over after I had inked them and used a ball tool to make them pop out a bit more, rather than being flat. I have done these leaves before and love the way they turn out. I added some stitched ribbon and a die cut button from kraft card, which I also distressed. I stamped a sentiment onto kraft card and again distressed the edges. Finally I added some brown card Candi to give a finishing touch to the corners. 

 You can see the layers of the decoupage clearer on this picture. 

Products used:

• Spellbinders Dies - Grand Labels 1 - Rectangles
• Impression Obsession Dies - Leaves
• House Mouse Decoupage - Joanna Sheen - Autumn
• Coredinations Cardstock - Vintage Collection
• Brown Cardstock - Papermill Direct
• Sentiment Stamp - Woodware - Larger Tie Set
• Kraft Card - Joy Crafts
• Distress Inks - Peeled Paint - Spiced Marmalade - Vintage Photo - Walnut Stain - Aged Mahogany 
• Die-namics Die - Buttons
• Ribbon from stash
• Card Candi - Craftwork Cards

I have been inspired to enter the following challenges:

1. House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge - Lots of Layers
2. Ooh La La Creations Challenge 158 - Father's Day/Male
3. The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog - 71 A cute one for Dad

I hope you like my card and would be grateful for any comments you leave. 

Peace On Earth

Hello people,
You are probably thinking that I have lost it today, Christmas.......at the beginning of June! What can I say, I felt the urge to make a Christmas card and felt inspired to join in some of the Christmas challenges out there in blog land. So here is my card using yet another gorgeous Lili of the Valley stamp, this one is called Peace on Earth, she is very adorable. 

I have coloured the image using Distress Markers and added some glamour dust to her wings and around her hair. I matted and layered onto some very lovely papers, might NEED another pad of these papers. I felt the papers didn't need to be matted onto yet more card stock and so I used my quicky glue pen and glamour dust and went around all the papers and the image to give some depth and texture. I made the poinsettias by stamping onto vellum using a Versamark ink pad and then I heat embossed using a glittery white embossing powder. I then cut out the poinsettias using my Spellbinders dies and pinched each petal before layering up. I used large clear beads in the centres of the poinsettias using a blob of Pinflair to keep them in place. The sentiment is also a LOTV stamp from the set Christmas circular sentiments set 5. To finish I used some pearls, a charm and a silver ribbon that I picked up in Waitrose sale after Christmas a few years back, I always know these bits and bobs that I acquire will come in handy sometime!  

 A view from a different angle, you can see the poinsettias better in this picture. 

Products used:

• Image & Sentiment stamps - LOTV
• Colouring medium - Tim Holtz Distress Markers
• Poinsettia Stamps - Heartfelt Creations Petite Poinsettia
• Poinsettia Dies - Spellbinders Layered Poinsettias
• Papers - First Edition Silent Night
• Embossing Powder - Heat it up Snowflake Tinsel (This is one of the first embossing powders I ever brought, so not sure if it's still available) 
• Glamour Dust - Joanna Sheen
• Pearls - The Hobby House
• Creative Expressions Large Beads - Joanna Sheen

I have been inspired to enter the following challenges:

1. Winter Wonderland Challenge - No Red or Green 
2. CHNC June Challenge - Anything goes as long as it's Christmas 

Feeling under the weather?

Hello
I'm back with another House Mouse card today, this time using a sweet Spring Tulip stamp set from Joanna Sheen. I coloured in the image using Distress Markers and added some glossy accents onto the rain drops. I opted for a shaped card for this image, as I always seem to reach for the square card blanks! The lovely little sentiment came with the stamp set and is just perfect for the image.
I matted and layered the image onto some designer paper and added some pretty flowers to match the colours in the image. Finally, I twisted some of the flower stems to fit under the flowers and added some gems and swirls. I think the photo came out a bit darker than I would have liked, it is a very dreary day here today in Kent. 

Card ingredients:

• Tulip Stamp Set - Joanna Sheen 
• Designer Papers - First Edition - Spring Feast
• Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts
• Dies - Go Kreate Frilly Frame - Swirls Crealies - Sentiment Die X-Cut
• Gems - The Hobby House
• Shaped Card Blank - Craftwork Cards

I have been inspired to make this card by The House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge 170 - Splish Splash and Gruffies & Guests Challenge 5 - Anything Goes With The Option of Spring. I hope you like my card today, thank you for visiting my blog. 

You Brighten my Day

Hello,

I spent a very relaxing evening yesterday colouring this very pretty image from Lili of the Valley, it's one of their new fairy stamps and I have to say my favourite of the new release. I coloured in the image with Distress Markers and I couldn't wait to make my card with it today! I added some Glamour Dust to the fairies wings for a bit of sparkle. Then, I teamed up the image with Maja Papers and stamped the sentiment onto kraft card using a Versafine Vintage Sepia ink pad. I stitched around the edges of the paper and added some flowers, ribbon and pearls. 

 A close up of the colouring and glitter.

Card ingredients:

• Stamps - LOTV Time Flies & Sentiment is from a Create and Craft LOTV exclusive 'Oh So Girlie' set. 
• Dies - Spellbinders Labels 17 - Crealies Leaves  
• Flowers & Pearls - The Hobby House
• Ribbon - Creative Expressions
• Papers - Maja Design, Vintage Autumn Basics

Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope my card inspires you and any comments would be appreciated, I love receiving and reading them. I will be entering my card into the following challenges. 

1. LOTV's Ideas to Inspire - May Challenge Fairies
2. Papertake Weekly Challenge - Pretty Pastels
3. The Ribbon Girls Blogspot - May Lovely Lili Challenge - Add Pearls
4. Crafty Little Fairies - May -In the Garden
5. A Gem of A Challenge - 119 - Your Favourite Colour Combo 

If nothing changed...

Hello,

I made this card this afternoon and was really pleased with it and thought I would share it on my blog. You know when you have an idea for a card and then when you make it up, it never turns out how you thought it would in your mind? Well this one turned out much better than planned for a change! 

I stamped the sentiment onto a piece of DP within the same pack as the background paper, using brown ink. I cut the image out using a Spellbinders die and then matted by drawing around the die and cutting out in caramel card stock. I glittered all around the edge's of the DP using a quickie glue pen, matted and layered and then added this gorgeous die cut butterfly. Finally I finished off with a few gems.

Card Ingredients:

• Sentiment stamp Dinkies No Butterflies - Little Claire 
• Memory Box Butterfly Die - Oyster Stamps
• Wild Rose Studios Designer Papers - Hobby Art
• Dies - Spellbinders Labels 22
• Caramel Card - Limetree Crafts
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Maroon Card - Papermill Direct
• Gems & Glamour Dust Glitter - Joanna Sheen

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

1. Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes
2. The Crafting Cafe - May Challenge - Creatures
3. Sparkle N Sprinkle - May 2014 Challenge 
4. Sir Stampalot Challenge - May Challenge - Anything Goes
5. Ooh La La Creations Challenge 156 - Quotations 

Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you like my card. Any comments would be gratefully received. 

House Mouse Summer

Hello,
Well I said on a previous post I love Lili of the Valley. Well I have a second love and that is House Mouse! When I saw this months theme of Sunny Days on the House Mouse & Friends Challenge Blog, I thought I would join in and have a go. I have had this un-inked stamp set that I brought from Joanna Sheen some time and sadly it is now retired from the online store. I was a bit put off by the amount of colouring involved on this stamp, but this challenge spurred me on to give it a go. I coloured the image to match the backing papers using Promarkers, Copics and Prisma Colour Pencils. I used glossy accents on the ice cubes as it was crying out for it and I used my clear Wink of Stella pen over the top of the glossy accents, which gave a gentle shimmer (This doesn't show up in the photo). I decided to stamp the sentiment straight onto the backing paper as an after thought, always a scary moment that it might go horribly wrong, luckily it turned out fine this time! I added some stitching, ribbon and gems to embellish. Finally I couldn't resist colouring the little single mouse and so I added that onto the card as well. 

House Mouse Summer stamps

Card ingredients:

• Stamps - Joanna Sheen - House Mouse Summer Parasol
• DP - MME Sunny 
• Red Card - American Crafts textured card stock
• Embellishments - From stash 

I am entering this card into The House Mouse & Friends Monday challenge 'Sunny Days'

Thank you for visiting my blog today, I hope you like my card and any comments will be very much appreciated.