Crafts and Me challenge - World cardmaking day

Hellooooo!  We have a new challenge starting on Crafts and Me and to celebrate World Card Making Day today its simply to make a card, any card!

For this I'm using a stamp by Sara Burrier called Praying Puppy which is in the Crafts & Me store. I've coloured with pencils, added distress ink to the sides and gold paint dabber.  I'm using new toys with this one, I got glow in the dark paints and been having a bit of fun!  There are also tons of new Hannah Lynn digi's in the store, many halloween themed so I'm off to go play with them and my paint!
Paints are from Killabitzzz who do a really good quality paint unlike some of the other brands which have poor results or damage your work.
I'll try and get a better daylight pic but weather is so miserable at the moment!

In the dark :)

I've also been having more of a play recently as when we go away to the boat its difficult to take pens so I've opted lately for pencils and have got a thing for Kraft card.  This is another new Sara Burrier rubber stamp called Country Bumpkin, was really pleased how the skin tones turned out.

I'd like to enter into 

Brown Sugar - Anything goes

Art by Miran - Anything Goes

Colour crazy challenge - Anything goes

Crafting with friends - Anything goes

Creative fingers - Anything goes

Fussy & Fancy - My favourite things (Kraft card, pencils and glow in the dark paint!)

Simply papercraft - Anything goes

Fantasy Crafters #3

I don't know, late to the party again!  I've been away for a couple of weeks, haven't had a 2 week break in over 3 years!  Back into work full steam and a few other issues going on so I'm a tad disorganised but think I've got a handle on things now phew!

Anyway, we have a brand new challenge over at Fantasy Crafters and this month I opted again to challenge myself a little bit and learn how to use my pencils a bit better!  Image is done in a mix of derwent coloursoft and polychromos.  Have to say I much prefer the coloursoft which are much nicer to use.  The image I chose this month is Adrianna by my favourite Hannah Lynn and the card is sprayed with mica sprays and I laid a piece of kitchen towel over it when wet to give it some little subtle swirls.

I hope you can join us over at Fantasy Crafters this month, anything fantasy goes!

I'd like to enter into....

Lemon shortbread - anything goes

Craft rocket - mostly blue

Crafting with an attitude - anything goes

Crafty girl creations - anything goes

Southern girls - magical and mystical

A bit more time to craft - anything goes

Also want to show this which I did for Crafts & Me challenge back on 1st but unfortunately didn't get time to put on my blog until now.  Again I was experimenting with pencils, this time on blue card.  Image is Ainia by Charmaine Flannery coloured in coloursoft and polychromos.  Background is mica sprays and I've overstamped some swirls in stazon white.  The corners are stamped and embossed.

I'd like to enter into....

Crafting with an attitude - anything goes

Classic design team open challenge - anything goes

Crafts galore encore - anything goes

Crafty awesomeness -anything goes

Creative loops - feeling blue

Dark n daring - anything goes

Thanks for stopping by!

Fantasy Crafters #2 - Anything (Fantasy) Goes sponsored by Crafts & Me

Evening all, still playing catch up!  I had a good day today, in my new job I can can work from home from time to time, its funny how much you actually get through without office distractions.  Last week they gave us Skype and it is absolutely fantastic to work from home with.  If I want my boss for a quick question I just IM him, make a call easy peasy and no messing with the teeny council issue nokia, I can copy and paste a number and dial, its absolutely great!  I've started Bling Wars with my headset though.  Of course I had to custom design it hehe!  I'm a crafter, its what we do!

Anyway onto my next card of the evening and that is for Fantasy Crafters.  We're a new blog just finding our feet and its for anyone who loves fantasy themed cards and creations. We're also sponsored by Crafts & Me who have kindly given us a £10 digi voucher to spend in their store.

I absolutely love anything fantasy related so this gives me a good kick to get creating.  I also made a promise to myself to try and use different techniques and products that I have knocking about so for this one I got out my Inktense pencils which I've had for maybe 7 years or so and scribble a little and put away again.  I saw a card coloured on Kraft and I don't have any Kraft I can print on so had a rummage and pulled out some card that would go through the printer and just played.  I couldn't quite get the skin tones right so persevered and used a mix of the white, poppy red, willow and a dark brown scribbled on a piece of card and just mixed them and played and I think I've done alright!  Its on sparkly gold card so has a lovely shimmer to it.
I had a further rummage and found some shimmer sprays by Carol's Crafts I probably picked up at a show sometime years ago.  They have held their colours beautifully.  I even embossed too so really rolling the boat out!

The image I used is Autumn by Hannah Lynn, I love colouring her as she suits any colours really not just autumnal.

I hope you can pop over and come and see the other designs by the Team and enter the challenge.

I'd like to enter into...

Glitter & Sparkle - Anything goes

Pile it on - Make your own background

Broken Fairy Designs - Use your stash

My time to craft - Embossing

Sweet Stampin' - Favourite stamp (The Hero Arts fabulous flourish is a firm favourite!)

The pencil case - anything goes

Art by Miran - Anything goes

Creative fingers - Anything goes

That's Crafty - Zesty Zing

C.R.A.F.T - Anything goes

Craft Rocket - Glitzy Glitter

Crafting with an attitude - Anything goes

Crafty girl creations - Anything goes

Crafting by designs - anything goes

Stampin' Royalty - Anything goes

Crafty Addicts - Anything goes/emboss it

Digi Choosday - anything goes

Lemon shortbread - anything goes

Through the craft room door - anything goes

Crafts & Me August - Anything goes

OMG I'm such a numpty!  I write the challenge post over at Crafts and Me which I did on the 1st, added my card to there and completely forgot about posting on my blog!  Well I have had a busy couple of weeks, well hectic so mind has been focussed elsewhere!

Nevermind I'm here now and want to share with you what I've made.  I made it for somebody leaving work who loves her cats, and purple so thought she might enjoy this image which is Kitty's Kard by Hannah Lynn.  I've coloured with promarkers and added a touch of distress ink around the edges.
There's touches of gold glitter on the image using a sakura glue pen which are fab and I added a really blingy AB clear heart embellishment.
There's still time to enter our new challenge for August which is an easy peasy Anything Goes x

I'd like to enter into...

Classic Design Team open challenge - DT for Crafts & Me
Crafts Galore Encore - Stamp or digi
Crafty Hazelnut's patterned paper - Anything goes with patterned paper
Emerald Fairies - Make it bling
The sisters of craft - Anything goes

Fantasy Crafters Challenge #1

Morning all!  Are you all still around or have you all gone out to "Catch em all?"  Yep I've joined those ranks myself haha!  I've never played pokemon before so a lot to learn but it will get me and my boy out in the great outdoors!

Anyway I have some exciting news!  Its the FIRST challenge of the new Fantasy Crafters Challenge Blog starting today where almost anything goes - so long as its fantasy related!  Ooooh!

For our starting challenge I have used Snapdragon Sprite by Aurora Wings coloured with promarkers.  I couldn't decide what colour to do her so used the rainbow!

As she is sooooo loud I wanted to keep papers to a minimum and just chose a striped rainbow one and left it at that.  She was a real pleasure to colour too :)

Anyway please pop on over to Fantasy Crafters and look at the gorgeous work by the DT and join in!

I'd like to enter into...

Aurora wings - favourite colour (Who doesn't like rainbow!)
Creatalicious - Anything goes optional flowers
Crafty Catz - Add bling
Crafting with friends - Anything goes
Simply papercraft - anything goes
Creative moments - anything goes
The Crafty addicts - anything goes
Fairy Tale - Summer

Anything Goes with Optional Summer memories at Crafts and Me

Morning all!  Had a really busy couple of weeks, OH been unwell, work busy busy and been rescuing bats!  We heard a funny noise all day in the lounge and couldn't quite pin down what or where it was so went hunting round and realised it was coming from the uplighters and noticed a shadow in there.  OH looked and it was two teeny pipistrelle bats!  No idea how they got in, little top window had been open but it also has blinds there.  They were safely released after taking some advice from a bat rescue.  Next day Delilah brought another one in, as I walked towards it, it looked at me and squeaked!  Rescued that and gently cleaned off the cobwebs and took it to the local vets who've passed onto to bat rehabilitation.


I have a card to share today as it is an ANYTHING GOES WITH OPTIONAL SUMMER MEMORIES at Crafts & Me challenge this month.  I've used Nature Sprite portrait 2 by Sara Burrier for this and coloured with promarkers.  I then went over with coloursoft pencil, blending around the edges to make it pop.  I've stamped the word bloom which was a freebie from a mag and added distress ink to the corners and overstamped them with the flowers stamp from the same freebie.

Hope you can join us for our challenge this month!

I'd like to enter into...

Crafting with friends - Anything goes

Simply papercraft - Anything goes

As you like it - Fav markers/pencils etc 

Obviously my favs are promarkers, I find them easy to hold, are affordable, have a wide range of colours and you get great results.  I also used coloursoft pencil as these can add another layer of depth and also because my blending oil is parma violet flavour so using the pencils smells nice lol!

Crafty girls creations - Anything goes

Southern girls - Anything goes

Crafting by designs - Anything goes

Deep Ocean challenge - Colours of summer

Lemon Shortbread - Anything goes

Fantasy Crafters DT Call

Morning all, hope you're all having a nice day.  I'll be in the office slaving away!

I want to tell you about a new monthly challenge blog starting in July for all things Fantasy.  You know how much I just love fairies, mermaids and all the fantasy images?  Well I thought there are lots more like me out there who just love this kind of thing so I'm starting up a new challenge blog specifically for it.

I wanted to do it sponsored sometimes, but not every time so that team members have the chance to fully express themselves without limitation and just enjoy the creativity and other times using selected sponsors that I know the team will fully enjoy.

Sounds like something you'd like?

Pop over to the DT Call at Fantasy Crafters Challenge and find out more!

Calendar Girls Crafty Challenge Launch

Good Evening, hope you're enjoying the sun!  Been lovely since last week here in sunny Wales, really it doesn't rain as much as you'd think!

I'm back with my launch card for the new blog - Calendar Girls Crafty Challenge who've launched today with the theme of Father's Day.  For this I've used a sponsor image by Sheepski Designs called Seraphina's Heart.

I've coloured with promarkers and distressed with vintage photo distress ink.  The embellishment at the bottom is stampboard with layers of red and gold moonglow embossing powders then whilst hot I've pressed in a swirl stamp (Add versamark and let it cool before removing, they must also be rubber not acrylic!)  I've then added gold peel off lettering and some nail head dots.

Do come on over and join in the challenge, we'd love to see you!

I'd like to enter into...

Aud sentiments - Anything goes + sentiment

Shopping our stash - 4 elements (Fire)

The dark attic challenge - Anything goes

Anything Goes with Optional Shabby Chic/Vintage

Its challenge time again at Crafts & Me and this month it is an Anything Goes with optional shabby chic / vintage.  For this I've gone for a favourite image that looks fab in any colour combo despite being called "Violet Pixie" which is by Sara Burrier.  I thought I'd go for an afro caribbean fairy this time and played around with a few shades of copics, heres the list below

Skin - E11, E33, E25, E29

Hair - E33, Y11, E25

I really love this image, she's so versatile :)  The sentiment came as a magazine freebie a while back which I thought suited.  I've added gold distressing around the edges and on the flowers with a gold dauber and the papers are from a stack Ive had for years!

I'd like to enter into

Crafty Gals Corner - Rays of Sunshine

Crafting by designs - Anything goes

Fab n Funky - Enchanted I'm sure

The Crafty Addicts - Bling it on

Die cutting divas - Anything goes

Lemon Shortbread - Anything goes

Crafting from the heart - Anything goes

Craft your passion - Anything goes

A Beautiful Mess

Good Evening!  I have some good news, I've joined the Design Team for "A Beautiful Mess" Blog which is a new monthly challenge and always anything goes!

There are 2 sponsors this month;

Delicious doodles 

Sheepski designs

I have used Majestic Monarch Butterfly available here.

So how is it made?   Piece of cake!  I used some printer card I'd made during a session with our Molly.  This was the shaving foam technique.  Basically you get some cheap shaving foam onto a tray, add drops and splodges of inks; reinkers, starburst stains, anything like that.  You can make patters or swirl randomly.  Then you place your card on top, squish it down until the surface is covered, pick up and wipe off the excess foam (I washed it briefly under the tap)  Set to dry and you have some nice coloured backgrounds.

I then just opened word and added the digi 3 times and printed out direct to the sheet.  I've cut out and stuck one to the card base then 2 back to back then used glue dots to attach the body bit so the wings are 3d.

Thanks for looking :)

I'd like to enter into...


Crafty girls creations - Anything goes
Aud sentiments - anything goes+sentiment
Crafty gals corner - anything goes
Crafty addicts - bling it on
Classic design team challenge - Anything goes

Feeling Green

Afternoon all!  I'm feeling a little green fingered lately and have been reorganising the back garden to make it nice for the kids.  I've found some broken pots so have been mooching round for inspiration to do a mini fairy garden for Molly's play house and I've been collecting glass jars to make little light up fairy jars.  Just need some battery tealights for them.  Hoping to get down to the beach tomorrow between the thunderstorms to look for sea glass as I'm sure fairies would love that :)

I've made this card which is Lady Leprechaun by Hannah Lynn available at Crafts and Me and coloured with promarkers, tria and flex. Its mounted on a pearly green card that I've dabbed roughly with gold metallic paint.  The sentiment was a cover gift from Craft Stamper.

Anyway I'd best crack on and get this house in some order, Miss Moo has seen the fairy gardens on Pinterest so now its "When are we doing it?"

Thanks for visiting x

I'd like to enter into...

A beautiful mess - Anything Goes

Crafting with friends - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - Female

Simply Create Too - Ladies
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
Through the Purple Haze - Anything Goes
Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes
Creative moments - Anything Goes twist Rainbows
Fab n Funky - 3 or more layers
Passion for Promarkers - Nature

Faces at Crafts & Me

Evening all!  I'm settling in well to my new post, being kept busy and the scenery is very nice indeed!
Been splashing about on the boat and have discovered a new past time for our Ethan - collecting sea glass.  He is absolutely fascinated with it!  We'll make something out of the pieces of glass and pottery we find when we have enough!  Also been sorting out the back garden, Molly wants to make a den so have been assessing the area and trying to figure out how we're going to do it but she's determined to have her den lol!

Over at Crafts & Me Challenge this month the theme is Faces.  That is the face is the main focus of the card, doesn't have to be human either!  For this I chose Easter Lily by Hannah Lynn digi stamp and went for pastels in pink, blue and yellow to draw more attention to the face and hair.  I matted it on plain card coloured with matching promarkers then couldn't decide what backing paper to use so spent some time shuffling these around as you do then decided to keep her plain and simple with a couple of embellishments; a yellow sparkly butterfly and iridescent gems and I felt that was enough for this one.
The greeting is Penblwydd Hapus meaning Happy Birthday in Welsh.
Thanks for looking and hope you pop over to the challenge and join in too!

I'd like to enter into...

Crafty Cardmakers - Pearls or Gems

A beautiful mess - Anything goes

Crafting from the heart - Anything goes

Di's digi designs - Pastel colours

Crafty Catz - Fairies/Enchanting

Crafting with friends - Anything goes

Fussy & Fancy - Female Birthday

Crafting with attitude - Anything goes

Crafty Girls Creations - Anything goes

Seize the birthday - Anything goes

Fairies and Magic at Crafts and Me

Hellooooo!  I'm back again!  Settling down into a new job which is in my hometown, not 60 miles away!  Really miss the teamies over at Liverpool, we'd have such a laugh but family has to come first and the travelling was pretty bad so have got at least a temporary contract nearby so it means I can do the school run nearly every day.  Its also leaving me with a bit of time to actually make something and I've been busy colouring away so have a few ready to make into something now :)

This one is for the April challenge at Crafts & Me which is Fairies and Magic.  If you've never been to the Crafts & Me Store and love all things fairies, magic and fantasy then its the perfect place for you.  There are loads of awesome artists in the stable like Hannah Lynn, Sarah Burrier and Jeremiah Ketner to name a few so go check them out!

This image is a new one by Hannah Lynn called Autumn.  I think she'd look gorgeous in any colour combo.  I've coloured with Chameleon pens, I find these really handy if we're away on the boat as I can't carry too much so bring them for a range of tones.  I used the sky blue and purple violet and a green and pretty much that was it!  The skin I did with copics and added distress ink round the image and also dyed the doily with distress ink and matching distress paint.  I added a bit of sparkle to the edge of the wings with sakura glue pen and glamour dust and dropped some onto the doily whilst it was drying too.

Hope you like and thanks for looking!

I'd like to enter into...

A Beautiful Mess - Anything goes

Crafting with friends - Anything goes

Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Craft Rocket - Mythical Creatures

Crafty Gals Corner - Anything goes

Simon says stamp - Anything goes

Deep Ocean Challenge - Favourite colour combo (Blue & Purple)

Craft your passion - Anything goes

Brown Sugar - Anything goes

Creative Fingers - Anything goes

Digitally Sweet - Fantasy

Just for Fun and New Chameleon Pens

Hiya all!  Thought I'd make this one just for fun!  I got some NEW PENS :D  I'm always happy to have new pens!  I got some money for my birthday from my colleagues so decided to get some Chameleon pens.  These are a pretty long and chunky alcohol based marker with 2 nibs and a chamber that contains a 3rd nib filled with a blender.  You put either nib of the pen into the chamber and it transfers blender so you can then colour in a lighter shade which goes increasingly darker back to its original colour.  They're about 5 quid a pen, bit less the more you buy, are they worth it? Hmmmm.  They're not excessively priced when compared to Copic Ciao for example and they give you a good quality of colour as a solid alcohol ink pen but with the added touch of the blending chamber so yes not bad really.  There is no excessive bleed such as you get with Flexmarkers and I love the fine nib on the end.  I think this sets it apart.  The downside is they're heavy but you can pull them all apart to make them smaller and lighter whist in use.  I haven't had them long enough to judge how economical they are with the ink yet.  I tried to achieve the same results by touching the nib of a promarker onto a blender pen, it works (ish) but you don't quite get quite the same result as Chameleon which is much more consistent.

Our Molly had a play also and it actually made her colouring look really good like she had added shadows and highlights only she used just one pen to achieve it.

I used the Cool Tones set for my card - The V04 Deep Violet, BG4 Aquamarine and a touch of BV4 Blue Violet.

So how did they perform?  Pretty dandy actually!  The hair, clothes and wing are just ONE pen!  I haven't got the skin tones yet so still using promarkers for that but hey not bad at all for one pen!  The background was the aquamarine but I did help it along a little with the chisel end of a promarker blender because of the  size of the surface it was to cover.  There's a little bit of the blue violet at the bottom.

So in all, Chameleon Pens get a thumbs up from me.  They'll certainly come in handy on the boat where space is minimal and I can only bring on so much.

Onto the actual card now!  The image I totally fell in love with and its Violet Pixie by Sara Burrier available from Crafts & Me.  I found a purple paper stack I forgot I had over xmas so said I'd use that so the papers are "New Bloom" by First Edition which have all been distressed with scissors then ink.  I've added flowers and sitressed the little blue ones, glitter around the wing and mask with a glue pen and crystal glitter and curled some organza ribbon around the die cut.


I'd like to enter into

C.R.A.F.T - Recipe
Crafty Catz - Flowers
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Lookie what I got
Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes
Noor Designs UK - Anything goes
Creaine - Bingo (Lilac/Flowers/Wings)
CraftyGals Corner - Anything Goes
Creative Moments - Anything Goes
Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes
Simon says Stamp - Something new

Happy New Year & Anything Goes at Crafts & Me

Morning all and Happy New Year!  I trust you're all recovered from Christmas/New Year.  I've had my birthday and some surgery in the middle of them too, don't do things by halves!
I got a breadmaker for Xmas off my OH, have wanted one for years so have been playing around making various loaves and dough.  Had a go at spinning the pizza dough, I wasn't very good at it lol!

I also got some XPress It copic card and OMG it is soooo nice to work on!  So very expensive though so will be saved for best!

I'm on the move in jobs again next week having just got a weeks notice.  Staying in same place but different team, for now.  Good job I got over my fear of meeting new people lol!

Anyway to unwind over Xmas I've done a bit of colouring.  This one is called "Wandering" by Jeremiah Ketner available at Crafts & Me.  Our new challenge is an Anything Goes so please do pop over the the Crafts & Me blog to enter your own.

Right I've just had more co-codamol so I should be asleep in half an hour so catch you on the bright side :)

I'd like to enter into...

C.R.A.F.T - ANYTHING GOES
Passion for Promarkers - Let's Celebrate
Lemon Shortbread - Anything goes
Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes
Deep Ocean Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by x