Down on the Farm...

Afternoon All!
Just back with some lovely news. I recently found out that I had won third place in the Woodware category of the Cardmaker of the Year competition run by Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine. I was chuffed to bits with this as there were lots of entries from some really talented card makers. Anyway, I thought you might like to see my little entry. I decided to use Kraft card stock as my base and created a farm yard scene inside and on the outside with the Woodware stamps. I made a backdrop of a cloudy sky using Tumbled Glass Distress Inks and coloured all the animals with my Promarkers. I then added a ribbon tie and decorated it with threaded buttons. As a final touch and as the card was fairly bulky, I made box envelope punched with a Martha Stewart punch also out of the Kraft card.
Anyway, I hope you like it and are inspired to make a card which is decorated inside and out!
Thanks for looking.
Karen x

Golden Leaves

Hi Everyone.
Just thought I'd show you a card which came together really quickly but I think looks quite effective. Over at Scrapology they have just posted their December Challenge to make a card using leaf shapes and colours and A Trip Down Memory Lane blog also has a challenge inspired by N for Nature so this was what I came up with. I had some Starform peel offs which I decided to try and create a wreath with. I used backing papers from K&Co's Tapestry collection which are lovely, rich, jewel like colours and then cut out each leaf and arranged it on my card. I then added a large bow at the top, decorated the inside and finished it off with a little sentiment that I created on my computer. I know I have used Autumn type colours but think this would make a great birthday card or even Golden Anniversary card - it just looks pretty! Change the colours and you've got a Christmassy wreath. I'm not always a fan of peel offs but these large ones worked well.
Anyway, hope you like it. Thanks for looking!
Best wishes and bye for now
Karen x

Cosy Toes

Evening Everyone! and what a windy night it is...perfect for cosying up and getting crafty!
Tonight I'd like to share a card I made using some of the Joanna Sheen House Mouse decoupage. I love this little scene of the mice in their stockings in front of the fire. I simply decoupaged the image and then layered it up on designer paper and gold holographic card and then added some crystal Stickles for a bit of sparkles. I didn't add any flowers or ribbon as this card is for our four year old grandson so I didn't want to make it too girly. Instead I printed out the 'Night Before Christmas' poem and added it as a verse inside.




I thought this card would be great for a few challenges:
House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge - Fuzzy and Warm.
Joanna Sheen - Christmas Wishes
Papertake Weekly - I'm Dreaming Of... (A red and green Christmas)
Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
Anyway, enjoy the rest of your evening.
Best wishes
Karen x

Wild About Warren

Hi Everyone!
This is the card I'd like to enter in the ABC Christmas Challenge this week which is 'Anything Goes'. Please read on for more Christmas Warren creations.

















Just thought I'd share with you some of the cards I made using the Christmas Warren kit from Craftwork Cards. I loved this kit as it made such quick and easy Christmas cards. A couple of them are even featured over on the Craftwork blog today - pop over for more inspiration from their other kits.
Anyway, hope you enjoy them.
Thanks for looking.
Karen x

Graphic 45 Mini Pocket Page Album

Hi Everyone
Just recently I've been trying to set myself up with a Youtube Channel so I can show you some of the projects I've made. Below is my first video - so please bear with me - I hope they get better ha! ha!
Anyway, this is a little pocket page mini that I made using Graphic 45's Curtain Call collection. I adapted the idea very slightly from a video I saw on Klipngirl's Channel so thanks to her for that initial inspiration!
Hope you enjoy it!
Bye for now
Karen x

Hats Off!

Hi All.

Back again to show you a card I made using the Joanna Sheen 'Faye Whittaker' CD which is a gorgeous collection of images by the artist featuring Edwardian style scenes mainly of children. For something different I tried to mimic the Edwardian hats in the images and create my own on an easel card. I did this by making a large concertina'd rosette and layering it up with lace, mirri card and finally an image from the CD. I finished it off with a little beach scene inside as an insert.

I'm quite chuffed with how it turned out so would like to enter it into the Allsorts Challenge which is to make a 'circular project'.

Hope you feel inspired to have a go at something similar! Think I'll have to knock out a matching box - or hat box - ha! ha! to pop this latest creation into!

Best wishes and bye for now

Karen x

Let's Go Sledging!

Hi Everyone!

Just back with a quick post to show you my card for the By the Cute and Girly Challenge which this month is 'Let it Snow'. Snowy weather wouldn't be the same without the chance to go sledging so I thought this little scene of Warren Rabbit from Craftwork Cards was perfect. These images are perfect for simple yet really effective cards and the card candy is fab for adding that little bit of bling.

I'd also like to enter this card in Bah Humbug's challenge which is 'Cute Christmas Critters' - I think Warren and his friends fit the bill!

Thanks for looking - I'll pop back soon with some more of my creations.

Best wishes

Karen x

PS - the card is straight - honestly - its just my dodgy photography! ha! ha!

Going Potty! - Plant Pot Mice

Morning All!

Thought you might like to see this shaped card I've created using one of the fab Joanna Sheen 'House Mouse' stamps. The actual stamp shows the mice standing in the top of a plant pot but I extended it to create a full plant pot card. The punched border at the bottom is supposed to represent a little fence made using a Martha Stewart punch. I coloured the images with Promarkers and then stamped the single flower off the stamp plate and added micro beads to the centre of each one. These I added to a tag with some Prima leaves. Finally I made a little pocket at the back of the plant pot for the flowery tag to fit into and decorated it with a ribbon bow and sentiment. I hope that all makes sense but you can probably see it better from the pics.

I have just discovered the Scrapology challenge blog so I would like to enter this card in their November 'House Mouse' card making challenge. Why not pop over there - you have until the 15th December to enter.

I would also like to enter my card in the fabby 'Simon Says Stamp' challenge which this week is 'Tag - You're It!' - I love seeing how differently everyone has made their tags / tag cards.

Thanks for looking.

Until next time...

Karen x

Festive Hedgies

Afternoon All!

Are you starting to feel festive yet? How's your Christmas shopping going? And have you put pen to paper to get that long list of cards written? Well, ready or not I thought I'd help get you in the mood with this little boxed card I made using the Penny Black 12 Days of Christmas stamp set.

I've created a star card - with a pair of hedgie carollers on the front - to showcase the stamp images and for a festive feel used red and green card. The lacy edges were made using a Martha Stewart punch and each panel was cut with a Spellbinders die before inking with red and green ink and colouring the images with Promarkers. The red mirri card helped to add a bit of glitz, checked gingham ribbon tied the star card together and I made a matching box decorated with pearl gems and the partridge in a pear tree image from the stamp collection on the lid.

I hope you like my little card as much as I enjoyed making it. The challenge over at Penny Black and More this month is for 'All Creatures Great and Small' so I think this set of characters should fit in just perfectly! Why not pop over and enter - they have some lovely prizes to be won and fab inspiration from the Design Team.

I would also like to enter my card into this week's 'I Love Promarkers' challenge which is 'Anything Goes' and the 'Christmas Crackers' Yule themed challenge over at 'Papertake Weekly'.

Anyway, thanks for looking.

Best wishes and bye for now

Karen x

Winter Sports

Back Again!

This is a card I made using the Joanna Sheen 'Nostalgia' CD. I love this vintage image of a couple ice skating on a cold and frosty morning - its really Christmassy! I layered the image onto red mirri card running it through my Cuttlebug in the Swiss Dots folder which I sanded to give the effect of snow. I then added punched snowflakes, smaller images inside to decorate and a stamped sentiment from a Papermania stamp sheet which I seem to have used constantly inside my Christmas cards this year!

Anyway, hope you like it. I'd like to enter this card in the ABC Christmas challenge which this week is 'Winter Sports' and the 'Moving Along with the Times' challenge which this week is 'Let it Snow'.

Bye for now

Karen x

Penguin Trio

Hi Everyone.

This little trio was made using some penguin image downloads from the Papercraft Inspirations magazine. I love these cute little characters - shading them with my Promarkers and matting and layering them onto Christmas papers and sparkly silver holographic card. I then finished them off with Stickles, punched snowflakes and Pearl pen. Two images were layered onto mini cards whilst the other was cut with a Spellbinders Labels die and made into a matching tag.

Thanks for looking. I'm hoping to enter them into this week's ABC challenge which is 'D is for Dazzle'.

Best wishes and bye for now

Karen x

Friendship in Bloom

Afternoon Everyone!

Today I thought I'd make a shaped card and found Romy Veul's great sketch challenge over at Bo Bunny's Card Challenge Tuesday. I love this shape and will definitely use it again. Unfortunately, my photography skills were not too good and the angle I took it at makes the card look wonky but honestly, its not! I'm just a bad photographer today ha! ha!

Anyway, I used Bo Bunny's bright and cheerful Vicki B line - the citrus-y colours of orange and lime green work so well with the browns. I layered the card with some of the pages from the Noteworthy pad and cut flowers from the paper to make my own embellishments where I added flower shaped green gems to highlight the centres. I made a focal point of the 'Friendship in Bloom' sticker by mounting it on a decorative flourish cut with my Spellbinders die, added two more sticker sentiments from the collection and finished it off with a border of tiny pearls - which look a little like rivets (great for a steampunk themed card) - using my Bronze Pearl Pen.

I hope you like this little shaped card - why not have a go yourself and join in the challenge.

Thanks for looking.

Best wishes

Karen x

I'm a Winner!

Just a quickie. I was so lucky this week to win the Simon Says Stamp challenge - drawn from over 1000 entries! $50 to spend in the Simon Says store. How lucky am I?!! The only problem now is trying to decide what new goodies I'd like - that is a challenge in itself ha! ha!

Thanks to all at Simon Says Stamp for this lovely prize!

Best wishes

Karen x

My winning card.

Let It Snow

Hi Everyone!

Well, its November - how did that happen! One minute we're looking forward to the summer and then we're a few weeks away from Christmas! Anyway, I thought you might like to see a card I've made which features as part of the Papercraft Tester's projects in this month's Papercraft Inspirations magazine. You had to make a card with a movable character on the front and I chose a snowman. The background papers for the tree are K&Co and quite sparkly to complement the Stickles I added to the snowman. I cut the tree shape by hand.

The snowman is removable so you can take him off the card and hang him as a decoration on your real tree.

Just something a little different for a change.

I'd like to enter this card into the Bah Humbug challenge which this week is 'Snowmen' and the Winter Wonderland challenge which is to 'Let it sparkle'.

Rule Britannia...

Hi Everyone

Here is another card I made using the Joanna Sheen Faye Whittaker CD. Very nautical and British themed with the Union Jacks and Red, White and Blue colour scheme. I used my Nesties and punches to create the blue circle mats for my images which I coloured with my Promarkers and and added a little touch of Pearl Pen to create further interest. I really enjoyed making this card - if you're in any doubt about getting this fab CD - then don't be - the images are great and the accompanying stamps are fun to work with.

I'd like to enter this card into three challenges:

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

The One Stop Craft Challenge - No Sentiments

Moving Along with the Times - No Girls Allowed

Anyway, thanks for looking and bye for now

Karen x

Sepia Style

Afternoon Everyone!

I thought you might like to see a card I made as part of my Joanna Sheen DT work and thought it would be great for this week's Moving Along with the Times challenge which is 'Vintage'. The stamp is from the new Faye Whittaker range of a little boy and his dog. Rather than colour it in I decided to give it the sepia touch and watercoloured with Vintage Photo Distress ink. The background papers were off the accompanying CD which I matted and layered to make an easel card before adding gems, ribbon and a little heart embossed in gold.

I hope you like it. Thanks for looking!

Karen x

Thinking of You

Morning All! Just a quick post today before I pop off to work. I thought you might like to see one of the cards I made from the lovely Craftwork Cards kit - Christmas Warren. I was able to use these elements to make a Thinking of You card showing that if you think sideways not all the elements have to be Christmassy. That said, the Christmassy elements in this kit are fab and I'll be back shortly to show you some that I made.

Thanks for looking. Have a good day!

Karen x

PS - I'd like to enter this card in the By the Cute and Girly challenge which this month is Anything Goes.

Trio of Tags

Morning All!

Just a quick post today. The challenge over at Simon Says this week is for a little 'Sparkle and Bling' so I decided to enter these three little tags I made with my Nesties. I was in a recycling mood so used up some of my red and blue mirri card scraps, offcuts of sparkly ribbon and cord and edged my images with Stickles. I'd also like to enter them into the Bah Humbug 'Glitter and Glitz' challenge - so why not pop over to the Bah Humbug and the Simon Says blogs for more inspiration if you've not yet got your Christmas crafting underway!

Bye for now

Karen x

Coffee Break Girls

Afternoon Everyone!

Today I'd like to show you the card I made especially for the Lili of the Valley World Card Making Day challenge. I used one of my favourite stamps of the two girls having a coffee break. I decided to make the card similar to a gatefold but on its side and layered up some of the lovely papers from Papermania's Birdsong collection - I love the natural colours in this set and tried to match the girl's clothing with my Pro Markers. One of the plainer background papers I ran through my Cuttlebug with a 'textile' folder to give a little bit of texture and the sentiment inside was from a stamp by Waltzing Mouse stamps. If you'd like to join in the challenge head over to the Ideas to Inspire website and link your entry by Friday 7th Oct to win some lovely LOV stamps!

I would also like to enter this card into the Papertake Weekly challenge which this week is 'Anything Goes' - pop over to their blog to see some of the great inspiration by the Design Team.

Thanks for looking.

Best wishes

Karen x

Popcorn and Souffle

Evening All!

Well, its a wintry night here in Wales tonight - perfect for crafting! Anyway, I thought you might like to see my card for a little challenge to celebrate World Card Making Day over on the Crafter's Companion blog to make a card using products from any of their ranges - what a choice! ha! ha! I decided to make a card using a Popcorn CD - printed off the backing papers, insert and lined the envelope before layering the image on the front and decoupaging Popcorn for a little bit of dimension. I edged the design with peel offs and used a sentiment which I thought matched the colour scheme from the Flower Fairy decoupage.

I hope you like this card - the image is a really jolly one!

Fancy taking part in the challenge where you could win £50 worth of goodies then why not head over to the Crafter's Companion blog and join in.

Thanks for looking. Best wishes and bye for now

Karen x

Vintage Kitten Easel

Hi All!

The One Stop Craft Challenge this week is to make an easel card. Who doesn't love an easel card? I decided to go a little vintage with this one using a kitten image from the Joanna Sheen Furry Friends Cd which I matted onto craft card, a rusty coloured textured piece of paper along with a punched brown matt and script paper from the CD distressed with a little Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I added wool around instead of ribbon and attached a little bell before making a stamped flower stopper out of the brown paper of an old envelope.

Hope you like my vintage looking easel card.

Best wishes and bye for now

Karen x

Balloon Girl

Morning All!

This is my entry for this week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge which is to use your 'Dies / Punches'. I went to town and used both Spellbinder Labels dies as well as a Martha Stewart lattice punch. The image used was a new Faye Whittaker stamp coloured with Promarkers which I decided to set against a white embossed background and embellishments for contrast. I like the result but am not sure whether my background is a wee bit busy.

Anyway, bye for now

Happy Crafting!

Karen x

Best Friends

Hi Everyone!

Not sure where these last couple of weeks have disappeared to! I've not been very good with my blogging but plenty of craftyness has gone on behind the scenes.

Anyway, I thought you might like to see a card I made using the Joanna Sheen Furry Friends CD - I thought it would be ideal for the Papertake Weekly challenge which this week is Creature Comforts. Love this piggy image which I've teamed with a little blue and pink paper weaving, Wild Orchid flowers, punched leaves and a pink ribbon. Thought it would make a great 'Best Friends' card.

Hope you like it!

Have a good weekend.

Best wishes

Karen x

A Little Bit Frenchy...

Hi Again

This is a card I made using the Joanna Sheen Nostalgia CD. This is a fab CD with beautiful images for both Christmas and year round occasions - there really is something for everyone on here. I loved this little French street scene which I thought was perfect for the Crafty Cardmakers Summer Holiday Memories challenge. I decided to make a gift card / money holder so made a pocket inside where I added some of the backing papers and a sentiment. The main image I cut into three, layered it up and then added glossy accents to highlight windows, doors and other areas.

Hope you like it. Visit Joanna Sheen's online shop which is packed with lovely crafty goodies and the Nostalgia CD.

Bye for now

Karen x

Buttons and Bows

Hi Everyone!

Just got back from a lovely break in Scotland - great food and great scenery even if the weather was a little mixed!

Anyway, I thought you might like to see a card I created as one of the Papercraft Testers for Papercraft Inspirations magazine which was to use some old fashioned digi button cards to make a card. My example used some lovely Papermania Rose Garden papers, a little doily for a frilly effect and some pearly buttons and ribbon rose embellishments. A little piece of cotton lace and pink organza ribbon helps make it look really pretty.

Hope you like it. Why not pull out your button box and have a go like me at the Cute as a Button Challenge over at Totally Papercrafts. I'd also like to enter this card in Papertake Weekly's Anything Goes challenge.

Enjoy the weekend.

Bye for now

Karen x

Beach Babe

Back again with another card I made using the Joanna Sheen Viva La Diva CD. This is a fun CD with loads of vintage images and the chance to use the captions provided or think of some fun ones of your own. For this card I've gone for tropical colours with DCWV papers to match the Hawaiian type image. and made it into a top fold card using a Martha Stewart Doily punch to try and look like an awning at the beach - not sure whether that has worked!

Anyway, bye for now

Karen x

I'd like to enter this in the By the Cute and Girly Challenge which this month is 'By the Sea'.

Nostalgic Wishes

Morning Everyone!

I hope you are having a good start to the Bank Holiday weekend and perhaps even seeing some sun!! ha! ha!

Anyway, I thought you might like to see a card I made using the Joanna Sheen Nostalgia CD. I created a shaped easel card using the Martha Stewart Cherish Punch around the page and matted and layered it with papers off the cd which I distressed slightly at the edges with distress inks. I added a sentiment and combined three of the mini images to make a stopper to hold the card up.

I hope you like it - I've gone for the simple look for this card with no embellishments as its meant for a male birthday card.

Thanks for looking! I hope to enter this into the One Stop Challenge which this week is 'Anything but a Square'.

Best wishes

Karen x

Dancing Hedgies

Hi everyone!

Hope you're having a good weekend. Just thought you might like to see a little card I've made using a cute image of three ballet dancing hedgehogs - how fab are they!? Somehow, despite their little outfits, I can't imagine them being too light on their feet! The challenge over at Penny Black Saturday is Shabby Chic so I decided to go for a muted pink and blue colour scheme teamed with white, distressing the edges of my papers or inking them up in soft pastel colours. The papers used are Papermania's Rose garden pad which is full of vintage shabby chic patterns, perfect for this style of card. I coloured the image with Promarkers, added a little bit of sparkly pink organza ribbon and a touch of subtle bling - if there is such a thing ha! ha!

Anyway, thanks for looking and I'll be back soon with some more projects to share.

Best wishes Karen x

I'd also like to enter this card into Penny Black at Allsorts Challenge which is 'Free and Easy'.

Clean and Simple

Morning Everyone!

It looks like more miserable weather here in North Wales for the weekend - not sure where the summer is hiding! Anyway, with the weather feeling wintry it made me in the mood to knock out a few Christmas cards for my stash and this is one of them. I used up some of the little elements on my Forever Friends sticker sheets and layered them up on little squares. I like this Clean and Simple look so have decided to enter it into the Clean and Simple challenge over at Cute Card Thursday.

Hope you like it. This card is easy to achieve but really effective - I may be trying a few more of these!

Thanks for looking!

Bye for now

Karen x

PS - The card is straight - its just my wonky photography! ha! ha!

Christmas Tilda

Morning Everyone!

I thought you might like to see my latest card. This one features a lovely wintry Tilda stamp all togged up for Chritsmas. I coloured her with my Promarkers and layered her onto papers by Papermania from last year. I used a Martha Stewart punch for the trellis effect behind, added some gems that I also coloured to match with my Promarkers and glittered up little areas with Stickles. The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley which I layered onto gold card that I distressed a little at the edges. The flowers are from Wild Orchid crafts. Anyway, I hope you like it. I'm going to enter it into this weeks Just Magnolia Challenge which is 'Anything Goes', Totally Papercrafts 'Holidays' challenge and Simon Says Stamp 'Christmas in August'. Sorry about the swift post - on my way out and didn't want to leave it until I got back!!

Have a great weekend!

Best wishes

Karen x