Pink Petticoat challenge

Liz, of Pink Petticoat fame, set a nice blog challenge recently to create a new look with her papers using our printers. I made a tablecloth!

I opened, rotated and printed striped duck-egg blue paper of her Lola's Boudoir kit in Word, so that the stripes were quite compact. I then repeated the process with pistachio stripes, et voila!

The cakes and the 'plate' are from her Cupcakes kit printed on a washed out duck-egg blue background, then layered onto another duck-egg blue background. The cups are part of a font from Scrapnfonts , again coloured and layered.

I've printed the stripes using the pistachio and pink, which will make a very cute little girls dress on a card sometime in the near future - or maybe a picnic blanket!

By the way, my source of card blanks has dried up (why, Lakeland Ltd? How could you do this to me? sniff...), so if anyone could recommend a new source of excellent quality blanks I would be really, really, really grateful. Or does everyone make their own - and if so where do you get your card? Liz - may be this is another query that could be added to your mini forum along with the printer question (which I was very interested to read by the way)?

I'm off to add Liz's lovely new logo to my blog (if I can remember how...)

Sx

All papers and cakes: Pink Petticoat; Cup images: Scrapnfonts; Ribbon & bloom: Poppicrafts; Brad & rub-ons: Doodlebug Designs; Chalks: Dovecraft

Cupcakes or fairy cakes?

My son and his best friend Millie made and decorated some fab cakes together recently - and they are simply too nice not to share (plus they tie in nicely with a Sweet Shoppe blog challenge!). But when is a cake a cupcake, or can I be all British and still call them fairy cakes? Maybe its all to do with the volume of topping - and believe me the children layered it on with a trowel! They selected pink icing as its Millie's favouring colour - next time Alex gets to choose (they are amazingly democratic for 6 year olds!). By the way, the cakes were yummy!

Sx

PS My new DT cards are now on the Poppicrafts gallery - please take a look!

The {cute} fat cat sat on a mat...

I rather like my cat on a handstitch-finished mat. He handily enough comes with whiskers and so constitutes my 'This Thursday' entry! ...and you may not have noticed, but I am 24 hours in advance of the deadline in adding my card to the blog - amazing, I know!

Although there is not a single item from my beloved Pink Petticoat on this particular card, I must just mention that Liz has still got some fab designs up for sale. I gave in to myself (I believe I have mentioned that I am weak...!) and bought the downloadable templates last night - there are sooooo many included - bargain! And more unbelievable, some of the Lola Rose images are for sale too. Is this the end of my favourite grown-up girly character? Really hope not.

Enjoy the winter sun...

Sx

Background orange paper: TADA ('Something Fab' mini kit)
Cat image & mat paper: Nitwits ('Farley & Friends' kit)
Brad: Poppicrafts
Rub-ons: Doodlebug Designs
Ribbon: freebie from a t-shirt!

Growing up is optional (Hooray!)

Hello!

I was wondering why I was feeling a bit wobbly - then I remembered to have lunch, and feel soooo much better! So much so, that I want to share the above card with you and show you some lovely bits and bobs from Poppicrafts! Take a look:

Yummy isn't it?! I've just used some of the paper to make a little favour box with a new template I bought for my Big Shot - when its finished I'll share it here. I love the brads and new shaped buttons - these brads are very fairy tale-esque with princesses, hearts and frogs. I really like all the new themed brads, though I think the chocolate & cream birthday celebration ones are my favourite. Take a look for yourself at Poppicrafts before Friday, when the sale ends!

I have to confess to being very, very naughty and spending way too much at Michelle's shop. Ooops!

Back to the big card above which, you may be surprised to know (!) is for an up and coming male 40th birthday. I have wanted to use this paper from TADA for ages, and managed to match it perfectly with some ribbons from you-know-where. The quote is from Chilli Davis and reads: 'Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional' - I couldn't resist using it once I'd found it.

I am having a grown-up evening tonight, off out with a group of Mum's from school who are such great company. It'll be nice to wear something other than jeans for a change!

Enjoy your evening too.

Sx

All paper: TADA ('Flip' kit); All ribbons, pin, felt star and button: Poppicrafts; Seed beads, Dovecraft chalks, ink pads

Candy cane 40th

...or my take on a card for an almost 40 year old Southampton supporter! I was asked by a lovely friend to make a 40th Birthday card for her husband - and the only thing she mentioned was that he follows Southampton - et voila! I'm not particularly into football, and had to Google the appropriate colours for this card, and on principal I did not want to include a football (even though I do have some themed brads!).

I've been longing to play with(real)tags since drooling over the digital tag designs available from TADA, and I think it adds some fun to the card.

Its weired, but I do find it so difficult to make cards for specific people - especially for ones I know on behalf of others I know (is that too confusing?) - anyway, I did struggle to start this card.

My friend Claire has also asked me to make three other 40th, one 50th and a handful of general birthday cards. My biggest commission! ...I just really hope she likes the results 'cos I value her opinion so much (and her custom:)).

I have also been been in card-making Paradise on behalf of Poppicrafts. Michelle has asked for 5 more cards from me (I must be doing something right!) and I've had fun again trying to use some of her products in alternative ways to what they were originally designed for. I can't wait for you to see them in a couple of weeks on her site (but I think I will add a sneaky peaky here soon!).

Have a good week.

Sx

Numbers: Kate Hadfield (Candy Cane numbers)
Paper: Made by me using Photoshop!
Cake brad & bloom: Poppicrafts
Rub-ons, sugar-coated card stock, ric-rac, flock brad & sequins: Doodlebug Designs
Stickles glitter glue
Dovecraft chalks
Stick on pearls: Lakeland Ltd
Other items from local craft store

A friendly card

Hello!

I have a nice bright card to share with you today - a friendship/ friend's birthday sort of a card.

I made it for another of the Sweet Shoppe Community challenges - I'm going to try and do lots of them, to help get me into a better rhythm of making cards and some digital layouts. This particular challenge was set by Andrea (aka Geordie Girl): use a brush pack from the store and add your own colour with crayons, pencils or paint and use the finished product in a card, tag, bag etc.

I used some floral brushes: some as they were intended, one to represent the sun and the petals of another as raindrops. I coloured the images with my trusty Dovecraft chalks.

I hope you like my finished card!

Sx

PS Poppicrafts is back open with a fab New Year sale... be quick!

Brushes: Libby Wiefenbach ('Things that make you go bloom' set)
Paper: Lauren Grier ('Area Codes' kit)
Ribbon: Poppicrafts
Sugar-coated card & button: Doodlebug Designs
Chalk & brad: Dovecraft

Font: MA Cupcake

Elegant...and Alex too!

Is this elegant? Oooo, I'm really not sure whether it is or not - depends upon your own interpretation of the word I guess, though I'm glad this week's 'My Time to Craft' challenge was specifically 'easy elegance' as the easy part may just help this card qualify!

I was also wondering if I'd blown one of my few resolutions at the first test. I had planned to be more prompt in adding my cards to challenge blogs - and technically (!) I have improved, as last time I posted after lunch and this week I'm posting before! Stretching it a bit I know, but hey, I'm trying!

I've also made my first official purely digital scrapbook layout - its for a scraplift challenge with the wonderful Sweet Shoppe Designs . Only problem is that I am having soooo many problems uploading it to their web site I'm probably going to miss that deadline too - I was actually early (really!). I just haven't a clue what I'm doing incorrectly, and I think I'm reasonably computer-literate. Ah well, I'm happy to show you instead!:

We had our first snow this morning, much to the delight of my son, though as he's back to school today after the holidays, he won't get too much time to enjoy it. I wish it had snowed over the break - it would have been perfect for him.

Sx

Card:

Paper - Miriam Lima (Bohemian Market kit)
Butterflies and flower sequins - Lakeland Ltd

Thread: DMC

Stickles glitter glue

Celebration layout:

All products from Sweet Shoppe Designs (Unscarry Tricksters, Deep Blue Sea, Gimme More & Harvest Moon Kits)