Quick Easter decoration and a seaside card

I popped over to Hobbycraft recently and whilst there (trying not to overspend!) bought some polystyrene balls, one of which I studded with blooms and brads from Poppicrafts! I think it will make a pretty addition to my Easter tree this year - and very simple to put together too :)

This is one of the cards I recently made for Michelle, of you-know-where. This is the card I am most pleased with 'cos of the way I used my challenge aqua-blue ribbon to make the sea - I think it worked really well, but I wish I had made my 'sun' with a yellow bloom instead of just a button as I think it would have looked less stark up in the corner (but I didn't actually have one - so that's something else to add to my shopping wish list!).

If you are specifically looking for more Easter ideas, I'm posting something special next week on Girl Talk (and here too :) ), so look out for it!

Enjoy this fabulous sunshine!

Sx

All card & visible decoration elements are from Poppicrafts; The sky paper is from ‘Weather’ kit by Dawn Inskip; aslo used a polystyrene ball from Hobbycraft, Ranger stickles and Dovecraft chalk.

Fluttery Butterflies and a goat

I made this card for my recent post on Girl Talk (Dani Mogstad's design team blog). Its difficult to tell, but the frame and butterflies are all raised, and the edges of the grass, frame and butterflies are inked for definition. The original antennae on Dani's digital images were impossible to neatly cut out so I fell back on a favourite solution and used craft wire. The butterflies were finished with a little glitter glue for sparkle - who doesn't need a little sparkle here and there sometimes :)

I have to tell you about a fab website for free hand-written fonts and doodles - all the owner of the site wants is a thank you (her terms are so generous and worth reading to remind yourself of just how kind people can be!). Its called Fonts for Peas.

One final thing to share today: This is a layout I made based on a LO by a lady called Dawn March - its of Alex being walked by a young goat at the children's farm Abbotsbury, during our lovely holiday last May. Roll on holiday time this year!

Bye!

Sx

All digital elements, except acrylic cloud, by Dani Mogstad ('In Your Easter Bonnet' and 'Little Buddies' kits respectively)

Digital acrylic cloud: Traci Reed ('Acrylic-O-holic' kit)
Glitter glue: Ranger Stickles

Craft wire and organza ribbon: local craft shop

Some of my latest Poppicraft cards

I love crafting for Michelle of Poppicrafts - she is so encouraging and positive, and doesn't mind if things are a little different. Rare gifts, I think.
Above are two of my new cards for her lovely shop - you can see more and creations by others of Michelle's design team over on the Poppicrafts site.

The both cards have been made incorporating the challenge ribbon Michelle sent me a few weeks ago - remember? I used it to make wings in the first card and a picket fence in the second - I think that qualifies as an unusual way to use my ribbon!

For the 'Bugs and Blooms' card, I have also used Poppicraft blooms, buttons and petals cut from a chipboard flower to make the bodies. The stems are stitched - I love doing this, and you will no doubt notice it on my cards again, and again...

In addition to the ribbon, the New Home card incorporates a gold spiral embellishment (it makes a prefect sun don't you think?) and felt floral ribbon, sniped to fit as bushes around the house - all from you know where!

Other card details are below as usual, but before I go:

Remember to enter your card into the fab

Poppicrafts competition!

Be brave, be creative and send your creation

to Michelle now :)

I can't wait to see what you can do.

Sx

Bugs and Blooms:
Background papers: ‘Lazy Days’ kit by Weeds & Wildflowers
Dovecraft chalk, DMC threads, black pen and craft wire.

New Home:
House image & papers to make stone path: ‘Happy Place’ kit by Fee Jardine
Green paper: Pink Petticoat
Cloud papers: ‘Beautiful Day’ papers by Sarah Grimwood

Rub-ons: Doodlebug Designs

Gems in the flower centres are from my local craft shop.

A few cards and a quiz

I thought I'd show you a few cards that I haven't displayed here before...

I have also another daft personality quiz for you to check out here. My results are:

You Are Vanilla

You are a delightful, friendly person. You are optimistic about life and people. You are enthusiastic and energetic. You enjoy everything you do. You are cooperative and flexible. You get along with people from many walks of life. You're not a show off. Instead, you're more likely to help other people shine.

Are You Chocolate or Vanilla?

Its just soooo me ;)

Isn't all this early Spring sunshine fabulous?

Sx

The butterfly & heart cards were made using Libby Weifenbach's 'Love Shack' kit;

the U R.... card was made using Misty Cato's 'One in a Million' kit. Both kits are available from here.

All blooms and buttons are from Poppicrafts; sugar coated green brads are from Doodlebug Designs; b&w brad is from Dovecraft and the glitter glue is Ranger's Stickles. Craft wire, gem, chalk & ink are all from my local craft store.

Presentation ideas

How wonderful does this look? It's true what they say, presentation is everything: The frilled cup is one of Dani Mogstads's Springtime Sweets cupcake wrappers, which complements her fab Easter kit 'In Your Easter Bonnet'. Naturally they are intended as wrappers for cakes, but they do have so many other possibilities, including (obviously!) Easter egg presentation, gift wrap for a mini plant, holders for sweeties or how about for a bath bomb:


or even as an egg-tra special egg cup:

I had fun with this - can you tell?

Bye for now,

Sx

Exactly what is says on the...kit

Hi! - are you feeling Springy too or is just me?

The card above was made from a mini digital kit called 'Lazy Days of Summer', and it is almost exactly as the kit itself was advertised in its preview pic. I layered the papers a little more tightly, added hand-stitches for the stems, and 'lifted' the flower petals and cloud - all to make the final card more tactile. The butterfly was printed directly onto the blue paper and I added the text using rub-ons. Sometimes digital kits intended for scrapbooking are just as perfect for cards without too much playing around - serendipity at its best :)

This was such an easy card to put together that I have already made it again, this time setting the foreground at an angle. I think it will be another staple card - we all need them for those days when we need a card fast!

Changing to a totally different subject now:

Have you checked out the new stock at Poppicrafts yet? I have already indulged my addiction by getting more blooms - the coordinated packs are just perfect ('Leah' and 'Rosie' are my current favourites!). I think I need help.

I think I mentioned that Michelle (of Poppicrafts fame) set her design team a challenge to use an item in a new and interesting way. This is what she sent me:
The blue ribbon photographed more cornflower blue than the teal it is in reality - David Bailey has nothing to worry about from me! ...anyway, I have made some cards (and other bits and bobs) and posted them to Michelle today to add to the fab Poppicrafts gallery. I am soooo pleased with one card in particular - you don't often see ribbon used like this on a card, I promise you! I actually have a couple additional cards 'in progress' too, so that's what I'm off to do now :) after I just mention:

The amazing

Poppicrafts March Competition!

What can you do with

paper flowers?

Stamp them, emboss them, fold them and cut them...

Make something beautiful with them and you could win

a £35 Poppicrafts voucher!

Just imagine how many blooms that will buy.....

Take a look here for ideas and details!

Enjoy your day!

Sx

The 'Lazy Days of Summer' kit is from Weeds and Wildflowers Design, and the rub-ons are from Doodlebug Designs.

Flowers say so much...

...yeah, right. I usually have to buy my own flowers as my husband never remembers too!

I had a go at another blogthings.com 'quiz' and selected my preferred bunch of blooms, and this is what they tell me about myself:

Tulips Say You're Very Positive

You are very popular and universally admired. You are often hopelessly in love, and you connect to other people easily. You are a naturally cheerful and upbeat person. You have an amazing smile. You have a fresh perspective on things. You have a different way of looking at the world.

What Do The Flowers You Pick Say About You?

Universally admired? Often hopelessly in love? Right, that's me. ...but I do like the 'different way of looking at the world' part - who wants to be a sheep all the time?

Have a go and have a giggle - its completely anonymous too :)

I'm off to buy lots of tulips for myself, 'cos they're pretty.

Sx

Girl Talk & cake frills

What do you think - isn't it sweet?

Today was my turn to add a post to the Girl Talk blog - which is the design team blog for Dani Mogstad. We new additions to the team were asked to give ideas for a birthday party based around Dani's Sweet Cupcake kit, and this was my main contribution (though I did add a couple of other suggestions too!).

Pop over to the Girl Talk blog to download the instructions and to have a look at the other team members fab ideas too. I warn you though, the frill's instructions are so incredibly easy you'll be wondering why you didn't try it before :)

Today's post over on the DT's blog was actually my second - I had an opportunity to do a 'card day' article last Thursday, in which I introduced myself to the world (!). You can read the article and see all the cards I featured here, but the card below is the one which took longest to construct but turned out so beautifully:

I have volunteered to do a 'card day' on the last Thursday of each month over on Girl Talk, and I really hope you'll pop over there to see my contributions (and you can be sure that I'll be reminding you of this again!).

I'm off to play with pretty ribbons and blooms now :) Enjoy your day too.

Sx

Poppicrafts

As you may know, I'm a member of the design team for Poppicrafts - a small but perfectly formed online shop which sells lots of yummy embellishments (and some rather nice Fancy Pants papers and bits 'n bobs too). My favourite goodies are the mini blooms, but the rainbow of narrow grosgrain ribbons the shop stocks has to come a close second. I like pretty things... sigh

...where was I? Oh yes:

Michelle, the heart behind the store, has just sent the members of her team a mystery embellishment (!) and has challenged us to use it as the focus of one of our creations for her - preferably in a new and interesting way. Brilliant! I love a challenge (once I get over the initial panic of 'what will I do?', 'can I do it?' etc).

Look out very soon for annoyingly tantalising hints of new designs using blooms, buttons and ribbons so tempting that you will have no choice but to pop over the Poppicrafts shop and gallery to see the final designs by myself and the rest of the team, and take the time to indulge in a little shopping too!

In the meantime, did you see my last two batches of cards that I had fun creating for Michelle? Here are collage pics of them - for a closer look, you know where to go :)

By the way, sorry I haven't posted for a week or so (family, what can you do with them?), but I plan to make up for it this week. So do pop back Wednesday!

Bye for now

Sx