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Hello and welcome to my blog. Here I will be showcasing all my design team work, general crafting and digital scrap booking.I hope you enjoy seeing my creations and listening to my ramblings. If you leave a comment I'll know you've been and be able to visit you in return. I read and appreciate all comments which are left - good or bad! Thank you for taking the time to visit me. Pop back soon. Carol xx

Wednesday 31 October 2012

Crafting for all Seasons #39 Falling Leaves

Time for a new challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is Falling Leaves which can be interpreted in lots of ways. We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. We're being sponsored by The Doodle Pantry, The Stamping Boutique and The Digi Garden. I've used an image from The Doodle Pantry.


Another treat bag today. The bag has been embossed with a Spellbinders Fall Splendour Grand Impressabilitie, then inked with various Distress Inks. The image is called Pumpkin Birdie and was pre-coloured. Ribbon and leaves from my stash. The paper pumpkins and hat were made recently.




Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed. 

Challenges entered:
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
Opus Gluei - leaves or Halloween
Quirky Crafts - anything but a card with Autumn colours
Robyn's Fetish - embossing 
Scrappy Frogs - fall/Halloween
Our Craft Lounge - 3d Halloween/fall

Carol x

Monday 29 October 2012

Whoopsi Daisy - punch it out

It's time for another challenge at  Whoopsi Daisy  and this week it's team A's turn to share their inspiration with you. The theme this week is punch it out - so let's see all those punches on display or you can do Anything Goes if you use a Whoopsi Daisy image on your project.


I've used a pre-coloured image from sheet #380 for my Christmas card. Border punch is from Martha Stewart, oval die and embossing folder from Spellbinders. Snowflakes are punch waste, ribbons and sentiment from my stash.


Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the inspiration from the rest of the team and remember if you use a Whoopsi Daisy image you could win 2 image sheets, 1 sheet will be awarded to a winner using any other image.

Challenges entered:
52 card Christmas - punches or dies
CHNC - no patterned papers
Fairy tale - monochrome with dies or punches
Crafty Ribbons - Christmas
DYSU - embossing
Paper Crafting Journey - ribbon or twine
Willow Sketchie - sketch or Christmas
ABC Christmas - anything goes
Penny's Paper Crafty - ribbons and/or buttons

Carol x

Friday 26 October 2012

Crafty Ann's #77 Christmas in October

Another fortnight gone and it's time for a new challenge at  Crafty Ann's and we want to see your Christmas projects. It's only two months until the big day....have you made a start yet???


I've done a layout of my eldest from his first Christmas.....it's only taken me 22 years lol. Using papers and elements from the TradTemporary kit with a few bits from the Traditional kit to finish off - these are all available from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop. The layout was produced in Craft Artist.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see Ann and the teams creations, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:
Lasting Memories - double take

Carol x

Thursday 25 October 2012

Aud Sentiments #66 Storybooks

The Theme of our new challenge over at Aud Sentiments is "Story Books" - use words from the story as your sentiment.  We're being sponsored by Sassy Studio Designs


I've had a baking spell recently and as I hadn't made one for a while out came Nana's Gingerbread recipe.......which reminded me of this photo of Mark taken many moons ago. The gingerbread had been baked for the local Flower Show...luckily I'd baked two and won 1st prize with the other one! The following year I won 1st prize with the photograph!!
Another story attached to this recipe is my Mum's one and only attempt at making it! As young teenagers we'd persuaded Mum to get the recipe off Nana so we could have gingerbread more often......Mum set to and made some for the Guide and Scout Christmas party. The party was in full swing (I think 4 out of the 5 of us were there) and everyone was tucking in when someone shouted urgghh who made that???Everyone turned round to see.....cringe making moment when we discovered it was Mum's gingerbread....suffice to say we all disowned it lol. Mum never made another one!! Fast forward a few years and after a couple of years of marriage I'd moved house and gone from a gas cooker to an electric one. Did a big bake one day including a gingerbread and couldn't understand why the gingerbread was so awful, the only conclusion I could come to was that the recipe will only bake in a gas oven (Mum had electric)....so I had to own up and forgive Mum and tell her it wasn't her fault lol.

I used Craft Artist to create the layout and the kit called Festive Cookies is from Daisy Trail.


Do pop over to the challenge blog to see my team mates take on this challenge, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:
Crafty Bloggers Network - anything goes
One Stop Craft - anything goes
Fairytale Challenge - something with a photo 

Carol x

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Christmas Crafting (with sketches) #47

It's time for our next challenge over at CCWS and we hope you're playing along with us this year and stocking up on those Christmas cards and projects. It's the Snow Angels turn this week and it was Marion's turn to design the sketch this time and we also have a twist of "add flags or banners". We are being sponsored by Saturated Canary and the Design Team were given some images to work with.


The image is called Christmas Angel and is coloured with promarkers, highlighted with stickles and die cut with a deckled edge nestie die. Papers are from Papermania which I treated myself to last week. Flag dies are from Spellbinders and although I've had them a while this is there first airing! Card is finished with ribbons, binders twine and silver beaded cord.


Photobucket

You will have to pop over to the challenge blog to see the sketch for yourself, remember to check out the inspiration of the other DT members whilst you're there. 

Challenges entered:
Creative Craft - three (3 papers, flags and trims)
ABC Challenges - new to you
Pile it On - holidays
The Squirrel and the Fox - use a ribbon
Clearly Inspired - all tied up
Fussy and Fancy - anything goes
Poodles Parlour - anything goes
I love Promarkers - Christmas

Carol x




Sunday 21 October 2012

Christmas Card Club - musical theme

What a beautiful day it's been today after all the rain we had last week.

I can't believe it's Christmas Card Club time again and this time Lizzie chose a musical theme.


Time to use my favourite stamp! Love these penguins from Penny Black, stamped with Versafine ink and coloured with promarkers with lots of glamour dust on their hats. Sentiment stamp was a magazine freebie. Gems and ribbon from my stash and matting layers came from the bit box - it's been so long since I got up to mischief  joined in over at Di's playground I had to get a note from Mum!


Just realised I didn't ground the penguins when I coloured them so they look like they're floating in mid-air!

You'll find the links to the other girls in my sidebar if you'd like to pop over and see their creations.

Challenges entered:
Addicted to Stamps - animal friends
Penny Black and more - animal magic
Pile it On - holidays
The Crafty Pad - use an animal
CHNC - black, white plus one if you like
Jingle Belles - living creature
Totally Papercrafts - Christmas
ABC Christmas - U for up to you

Carol x

Wednesday 17 October 2012

Crafting for all Seasons #38 Spooky

Time for a new challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is Spooky so let's see all those Halloween creations. We're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. We're being sponsored by The Paper Shelter and Tiddly Inks. I've used an image from The Paper Shelter for my project.


I've made a ceiling hanger although I haven't yet decided how I'm going to hang it!!
The image was pre-coloured and came with the backing paper - I took them into Publisher and resized to fit my circle then mounted the image 3d. Backing paper is from Bearly Mine. Dies are from Spellbinders. Flowers were from another Halloween download and sparkly spiders were from Asda.
This is the reverse side.


Purple paper from Bearly Mine, other elements from various free kits, ribbon from stash and another sparkly spider!





Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed. 

Challenges entered:
Catered Crop - circles
No Matter Which - halloween
Scrappers Delights - halloween
Scrappy Frogs - halloween
That Craft Place - halloween
Allsorts - too cute to spook
Crafty Calendar - all things spooky
Di's Digis - too cute to spook
Just Some Lines - too cute to spook
Victorine Originals - halloween
Sparkles Forum - halloween
Craft my Life - anything but card or layout

Carol x


Monday 15 October 2012

Whoopsi Daisy - Birthday Card

Good morning all, our schools are off for half term so hopefully we may have a few days out this week, weather permitting.
It's time for another challenge at  Whoopsi Daisy  and this week it's team A's turn to share their inspiration with you. The theme this week is an easy one - we'd like to see all your birthday cards or you can do Anything Goes if you use a Whoopsi Daisy image on your project.


I've used one of the gorgeous Teddy Bear images from sheet 9 for my card, coloured with the new limited edition autumn promarkers then fussy cut before being mounted 3d onto a Spellbinders mat. Papers, lace and button are from Webster's Pages. Embossing is done with one of the new Embossalicious folders from Die'sire. Ribbon, pins, pearls and sentiment are from my stash.
I really enjoyed making this card - I went into the craft room with an idea in my head and everything else fell into place.....I do love it when they don't fight you!!
On the downside I did discover my tube of Pinflair gel had gone off.........the smell was awful, it sure cleared the nasal passages. Not a happy bunny as all the cards made using this particular tube of glue also stink!! I have kept the tube though and plan to take it with me if I get to the Secc later this month. I've heard of this happening before but I've never had any bother with mine. 
Luckily with my mojo being missing I hadn't got around to starting my nephew's wedding invites!!


Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the inspiration from the rest of the team and remember if you use a Whoopsi Daisy image you could win 2 image sheets, 1 sheet will be awarded to a winner using any other image.

Challenges entered:
Art Impressions Stamp - child's birthday
Craft us Crazy - children or fall
Crafty Ribbons - children's birthday
Forever Friends - bingo (ribbon, lace and blue)
Paper Play - simply cute
Shelly's Images - tic tac toe (ribbon, free, punch/die)

Carol x

Friday 12 October 2012

Crafty Ann's #76 Black and White plus one

Another fortnight gone and it's time for a new challenge at  Crafty Ann's and we want to see projects using black and white plus one other colour.



I've chosen to do a layout this time. Using papers from the black and white/red collections and a frame from the Cream Dream kit - these are all available from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop. All other embellishments came from My Memories Suite. The layout was started in Craft Artist, then  I imported it into My Memories Suit to finish it off.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see Ann and the teams creations, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:
Divas by Design - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes
Crafty Bloggers Network - anything goes
Craftymess Challenge - anything goes

Carol x

Thursday 11 October 2012

Aud Sentiments #65 Halloween

Our next challenge over at Aud Sentiments is "Halloween" but don't forget your sentiment!  We're being sponsored by Stamp Fairy.


I've made a treat bag using an A4 sheet of paper printed on both sides using digi papers from Bearly Mine. My image is from Stamp Fairy and has been digitally pieced using papers from Crafty Ann's. Dies are from Spellbinders and my sentiment was a freebie but not sure where from! Binders twine from my stash.


Do pop over to the challenge blog to see my team mates take on this challenge, you won't be disappointed.

Challenges entered:
Party Time Tuesdays - anything but a card
Hooked on Craft - halloween
My Craft Spot - treat packages
Paper Playtime - trick or treat plus diecut/punch
Come and get it Challenge - choose three (purple, black and circles)
No matter which - halloween
Scrapper's Delight - halloween
Scrappy Frogs - fall/halloween
Crafty Calendar - all things spooky
Hiding in my Craftroom - black, orange and purple

Carol x


Wednesday 10 October 2012

Christmas Crafting (with sketches) #45

It's time for our next challenge over at CCWS and we hope you're playing along with us this year and stocking up on those Christmas cards and projects. It's the Snow Angels turn this week and it was Janneke's turn to design the sketch this time. We are being sponsored by Elisabeth Bell.


Stamps are a magazine freebie from Hot off the Press and papers are from My Minds Eye. Ribbon is recycled from a present and pearls are from my stash.


Photobucket

You will have to pop over to the challenge blog to see the sketch for yourself, remember to check out the inspiration of the other DT members whilst you're there. 

Challenges entered:
Lollipop Crafts - something old (pearls and ribbon), something new (stamps)
Victorine Originals - lots of layers
Alphabet Challenge - R is for recycle/repurpose

Carol x

Monday 8 October 2012

Bon Voyage

Good evening all. It's been another nice day here, long may it last. 
One of my nephews flies to China tomorrow for a year on a university exchange to learn Mandarin. This is the digital version of the card I made him....I did print it but forgot to take a photo of the finished article!

Card front


and the insert


Made in My Memories Suite using a kit called Ticket to Ride, it's much the same as the one I made Gary before his trip to Mongolia in the summer but with a Chinese slant! The Mandarin text was translated on line and reads China on the tag and Bon Voyage on the postcard. The insert reads "have fun and stay safe" I think!

Challenges entered:
Pile it On - vintage or shabby chic
Craftymess Challenge - anything goes

Carol x

Sunday 7 October 2012

Christmas Card Club - Red and White

Good evening all. It's been a lovely sunny weekend here but it's definitely getting cooler.
Sorry I haven't been around much, my mojo is still amiss and I've just got no desire to do any crafting. I'm managing to keep up with my DT work but that's about all!
Having missed the last two Christmas card challenges I've managed to make something today which covers all three remits. This week it's Sylvies turn to choose the theme and she's asked for Red and White. The two I missed were Pinky's Teddy Bears and Sue's favourite things (decoupage, ribbons and buttons).


The image is a Flowersoft decoupage leftover from about three years ago which I've highlighted with stickles. Sentiment from LOTV; dies from Spellbinders; ribbon and button from my stash.

You'll find the links to the other girls in my sidebar if you'd like to pop over and see their creations.

Challenges entered:
Sentimental Sundays - anything goes
Di's Digi Designs - animals acting like people
Delightful Challenges - winter holiday
Pixie Dust Studio - anything goes
Simply Create - anything goes
Fab n Funky - no patterned paper
Tuesday Throwdown - cute and cuddly
Created with Love - Christmas

Carol x

Saturday 6 October 2012

Happy Scrappers #6 Pets/Animals

Good afternoon all. I can't believe I forgot to schedule this post for this morning....sorry folks!

Who pinched September? Since it's now October it's time for a new challenge here at Happy Scrappers (please remember we accept scrap layouts only and they must contain at least one photo). This month the challenge has been set by Shaz and she chose Animals or Pets.


My layout features out Siberian Husky Freya having hers ears tickled by Mark. Every time he tried to stop she nudges him until he started again......this went on for about an hour! I've used My Memories Suite  and a template to keep the layout clean and simple so the photos did the talking.


 Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team. I do hope you will join us this month, we'd love to see your work.

Challenges entered:
Simply Create - anything goes
Anything Goes - animals
Crafty Bloggers Network - anything goes
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
Anything but a Card - anything goes

Carol x

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Crafting for all Seasons #37 Costumes/Dress Up


Time for a new challenge at CFAS and this time the theme is Costumes/Dress Up , we're  looking forward to seeing all your makes. We're being sponsored by BugabooSweet n Sassy and Kenny K. I've used an image from Bugaboo for my project.


I've made a start on my Halloween bags. The bag is made from an A4 sheet printed on one side with a paper from Bearly Mine and the reverse is from Nitwits which I had left over from last year. The image has been digitally pieced using papers from Crafty Ann's. Die cuts are from Spellbinders. Finished with Binders Twine and a button.





Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the rest of the girls inspiration, you won't be disappointed. 

Challenges entered:
Bearly Mine - halloween
Clear it Out - anything goes with orange, purple or black
Digital Tuesday - text me
Party Time Tuesdays - frightfully scary
Ribbon Carousel - halloween spirit
Craft my Life - anything but card/layout
Crafty Bloggers Network - anything goes
Hooked on Craft - halloween
My Craft Spot - halloween
Paper Playtime - trick or treat

Carol x


Monday 1 October 2012

Whoopsi Daisy Sparkle and Shine

It's time for another challenge at  Whoopsi Daisy  and this week it's team A's turn to share their inspiration with you. The theme this week is "Sparkle and Shine" or you can do Anything Goes if you use a Whoopsi Daisy image on your project.


I've used a pre-coloured image from the new Daisy and Friends at Christmas CD. All the dies are from Spellbinders, embossing folder from Couture Creations, ribbon and sentiment from my stash. My sparkle and shine comes from the pearlised cardstock, lots of stickles, gelly roll pen and my sparkly ribbon.



Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the inspiration from the rest of the team and remember if you use a Whoopsi Daisy image you could win 2 image sheets, 1 sheet will be awarded to a winner using any other image.

Challenges entered:
Divas by Design - fairies and fantasy
Stampin Royalty - die cuts
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
Kenny K's Krafty Krew - no squares allowed
That Crafty Place - make your own background
A Gem of a Challenge - for the girls
Hiding in my Craftroom - anything goes
Totally Gorjuss - punches and dies
Frosted Designs - embossing
Crafty Ribbons - anything but square
Little Miss Muffet Challenges - anything but square
Flutter By Wednesdays - butterfly or fairy

Carol x