Puddles are not just for pigs...

 Morning all, I just realised that this is the last Friday of the month and it will be March next week- brilliant! February is not my favourite month but at least it's shorter than the rest! March says it's the beginning of spring to me - even if it's cold and wet it makes me feel better! There are loads of spring flowers in the garden now, buds and blossom everywhere, lovely!

This is my DT card for our new challenge at Crafty Catz which starts today- as always the theme is Anything Goes, the optional twist this week is Spots and/ or stripes chosen by Auntie Sue, who is hosting this time. 

We have a fabulous sponsor this week

Polkadoodles

who provided the team with some cute images, I used Eli Elephant Splashing Puddles-  so cute, coloured with Copic markers. The raincoat and hat had to be yellow like the one my son had when he was two- he was a huge fan of puddles too! I gave the little elephant a die cut umbrella to wave about precariously (also a reminder of my son- not the best thing to give a very lively and excitable small child- dangerous for anyone who gets within reach!!!). Papers are also from Polkadoodles. 

Do hop over to the Challenge Blog to check out the fabulous creations from my lovely teamies!

Thanks for visiting

Have a great weekend

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

thesisterhoodofcrafters -dots/stripes

digichoosday #6

aplacetostart Feb Challenge 

polkadoodle #7

Sunshine and rainbows

 Good morning,  this fortnight's challenge at Fab'n' Funky starts today. Pat is hosting and she's chosen the fun theme of 'For a child'- a chance to use cute images and bright bold colours. I made this card for my youngest granddaughter- her birthday isn't until July...but she has big plans already!!!! At her nursery they make a big fuss of a 'birthday child' and she can't wait for her turn. It's going to come as a nasty surprise  that it's her big sister's birthday before hers! It's hard to believe that my 'little' granddaughters will be 9 and 4 this year- and the 'big' ones will be 14 and 16- they've all grown up so fast....

I chose this sweet image from the Paper Shelter because it looks like Charlotte, who loves her bike...although hers has two wheels, not three, and she'd be wearing a safety helmet. She's coloured with markers, fussy cut and popped up on foam. The background is another digi from Sweet November - I coloured the rainbow and sky with markers and paper pieced the fields. I chose this background as my son has always called Charlotte his rainbow baby and small children love bright rainbow colours.

My fabulous team have created some beautiful cards for this challenge, so do hop over for a visit, I hope you'll be inspired to play along this time.

Thanks for visiting

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

unicorn #84

shoppingourstash #490- bike, basket

lilpatchofcraftyfriends #200

aperfecttimetocraft #2

classicdesign #2

crafterscafe #294

daisychain #71

What? Good all year?!!

Good morning, Friday again and time for a new challenge at Crafty Catz. 

This week the optional twist of 'Black, grey and one other colour', for the DT to use, has been chosen by Rhoda

Our lovely sponsor for this week is 

BECCY'S PLACE

http://beccysplace.com/

http://beccysplace.blogspot.com/

Prize $10 Aud gift certificate 

http://beccysplace.com/

Beccy generously allowed the DT to choose images to use- as soon as I saw this little guy I was in love! Just look at his cute, grumpy face! How can ANYONE be expected to be good for a whole year! I really enjoyed colouring this fantastic image with my markers, the sentiment is part of the same set- Holiday Hounds. Thank you so much Beccy- this one will definitely be used again.

There are plenty more cards to see over at Crafty Catz- my teamies have been enjoying creating with  these super images too- why not play along, you could be the lucky winner! 

Thanks for visiting

Have a great weekend

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

hollyandivy #133

jansdigistamps Feb. challenge

avenue613 -red- no hearts

kraftychicks #651

mostmagicaltimeoftheyear #5

sheepski #71

mmmchallenge #194

Critter Crazy #71

 

Out of the box...

 Good afternoon, here's a rarity- a non DT card from me! I never seem to get around to sharing anything that isn't a DT make these days, no reason really apart from too long spent reading...it's a hard life being retired!! :)

There are many stamps and digis that I just want to colour- I find it relaxing and so enjoyable. They get coloured and put away in a box,  many never get made into cards although I always intend to. This lovely mermaid ( Ching- Chou Kuik- Klimt style mermaid) was in the box, sad and neglected. I die cut an aperture from the front of a black card blank and embossed what was left, threaded some beads onto a wire and tied it round the left hand side, popped the image in place then, using a gold gel pen, drew a line around the frame. Finished- a 'just because' card to send to a friend or use as a notelet.

Now for the rest of the images in the box....

Thanks for stopping by

Chris

Challenge entries

CCK- February Challenge

polkadoodle #6

TFATU #Feb. Challenge

classicdesign #2

Bee Mine

 Good morning, can't believe it's Friday already- I have absolutely no idea where the last week went! It isn't as though I've done very much either- the days just whizz past! 

My card today is for this week's challenge at Crafty Catz, sponsored by 

 Last Minute Manda 

shop

https://lastminutemanda.sellfy.store/

Prize - 3 Sets from the shop

Our host is Janet and the optional twist she has chosen is 'add some love'.

I made a rocker card featuring the a cute image from the Bee Mine set, adding some die cut hearts and tiny die cut bees- I have to apologise for the photo- just couldn't get the light right, I took loads and believe it or not this is the best of them.

There are some beautiful creations (and much better photos!)  over on the Challenge Blog, so please hop over for a visit! Hope to see you play along this week.

Thanks for stopping by , have a happy weekend

Chris

x

Valentine or Hearts at Fab'n' Funky

Good morning,  this fortnight's challenge at Fab'n'Funky begins today,

 hosted this time by our super-talented Pat K, who has chosen the theme of 

VALENTINE or HEARTS.

My card features an older dig from Teddy Bo, sadly no longer trading. I've coloured the sweet deer with Copics, keeping the design and colours simple I added twine, a heart brad and a stamped sentiment.

I used this sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2

For more inspiration come on over to Fab'n' Funky to see what the rest of the team have created- fabulous as always! 

Thanks for visiting

have a happy day

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

PFM #676

TIOT # All you need is love

mmmchallenge #193

dragonflydreams # Love

allsorts #714 ( I love stamping, colouring)

critter crazy #71

creatalicious #252

sweetsketchwednesday2 Sketch #247 Feb Challenge

Sweetie!

My second card today is for our January challenge at Crafty Calendar ,sponsored by

Paper Nest Dolls

 the theme is 

USE RIBBON.

I was given this sweet digi, Lollipop Ellie, I 've used my Copics to colour and then fussy cut the image.

I followed this sketch from Creative Sketchy Girls

layering various die cut rectangles of DP onto an embossed background- I  coloured some of the raised hearts with the same colour markers as the image. The sentiment is computer generated, layered onto die cut circles.

For more inspiration using these cute images head on over to Crafty Calendar to see what my lovely teamies have created this month.

Well, that's it from me today- thank you so much for taking the time to visit

Happy Weekend

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

creativesketchygirls #80

crafterscafe #293

worldwideopen #1

PFM #675

Star-gazing...

 Good morning, I have two cards to share today- the first is for this fortnight's challenge at 

Sweet Stampin' 

the theme is LOVE , you can interpret this however you wish, it doesn't have to be a Valentines card- which is good for me as I don't really make them! 

I made this card for my daughter's anniversary back in December- I made a similar one for my son's anniversary too- also in December! So kind and thoughtful of them both to get married in the same month at the busiest most expensive time of the year- bless them!! At least the weddings were 11 years apart and they couldn't have been more different- my daughter and SIL were married in Mauritius, blue skies , beach and hot sunshine. My son and daughter-in law chose Canterbury, here in the UK, freezing cold, a heavy frost and bright blue skies.  I have treasured memories of both wonderful days!

The cards were quick and easy to make. I die cut a heart shape from the centre of a piece of cardstock to use as a stencil, stamped and masked the rabbits ( so sweet, Anita Jeram, Colarado Crafts) in the centre of a die cut square. placed the cardstock with the heart aperture over the top and blended Distress inks through it, removed stencil and mask, coloured the rabbits and some grass. I stamped a few little stars from the same stamp set and embossed them with with white EP.  

There's more inspiration from the Sweeties over at the Challenge Blog, hop over and take a look! Then we'd LOVE to see your take on the theme so please do join in if you can. 

I'll be back later with my second card

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

Critter Crazy #71

craftyfriends #164

creativecrafters #60

craftrocket #100

kraftychicks #649

Double D #Hearts Challenge

shoppingourstash #489

mmmchallenge #193

Birthday Girl

Good morning,  I hope it's been a good week for everyone and you're looking forward to the weekend. I can't believe it's been a whole week since my previous post, I must try harder! 

I made this card for this week's challenge at Crafty Catz, hosted by our lovely Ginny, who has chosen the OPTIONAL twist of Female Birthday for the team to use. 

Our sponsor this time is the fabulous 

 

SheepSkiDesigns

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SheepSkiDesigns?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Challenge blog

https://sheepski-designs-challenges.blogspot.com/

 Prize 3 images from the shop

I chose to use Emmy's Hat - I love this image, so feminine and lovely to colour. This time I coloured her hair and face with copic markers and paper-pieced her hat. I did cheat a bit and coloured the tiny piece of hat-lining by her fingers with a marker as it was too fiddly to cut neatly!  Papers are from The Works, ribbon is cut from inside a jumper- you know -those annoying bits of ribbon that poke out round the neckline if you don't remove them! The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed.

Over at Crafty Catz there are some beautiful, feminine cards created by my very talented teamies for your inspiration and enjoyment- stop by and take a look- then why not play along? Remember - Anything Goes- and you could be the lucky winner of some lovely digis.

Thanks for visiting, take care and have a great weekend.

Chris

x

Challenge entries:

thepapershelter #539

paperfunday #50

digichoosday #4

passion for markers #675