Down on the Farm

Morning All!
Today I used some lovely Kaisercraft Cockadoodledoo goodies to create a layout. Back in 2008 we took our one year old grandson to Bodafon Farm where he saw the animals and enjoyed his first ride on the little mini tractors - one of the pics was perfect for these farm themed products. I decided to use Kaisercraft's January No 4 sketch as the basis of my layout - layering up the fabby papers and collectables, using their cloud stamps to create a background and doodling to add borders.
I really had fun with these products which took me out of my usual comfort zone which just goes to show that its good to have a change from your usual style! Have a look around Kaisercraft's blog for some great inspiration or if you're in the UK and would like to try out some of Kaisercraft's lovely collections, why not visit Merly Impressions and treat yourself!
Anyway, hope you like it.
Thanks for looking.
Best wishes
Karen x

Come Fly With Me

Morning All!
Just a quickie. Today I'd like to share a card that - for a change - is not girly! I used a lovely Lili of the Valley image of a little boy with his toy plane and coloured him in soft greens with my Promarkers. I decided to make it into a gift card holder too and teamed it up with Graphic 45 masculine papers and Webster's Pages clock face papers.





Photographing this was a bit tricky but I've tried to show how the two panels open up to reveal the gift card - hope you see what I mean!
Anyway, I'd like to enter this card into Lili's Little Fairies challenge which this week is 'Oh Boy' and Simon Says Stamp's 'Anything Goes' challenge.
Thanks for looking - have a great day!
Best wishes
Karen x

Treasured Memories

Today I'd like to share one of my scrapbook layouts with you. I'm hooked on genealogy as much as I am on crafting and love scrapping my old photos. This latest layout is of my lovely Dad who is sadly no longer with us, and his younger brother on a visit to see Father Christmas in a John Lewis store in the late 1940s.

We're so used to seeing modern photos of children on Santa's knee that I thought it would be fab to show what our parents/ grandparents looked like enjoying the same traditions. I love this quaint old picture, their wartime clothes and a rather serious, long bearded Santa!

Over at A Trip Down Memory Lane the Thirsty Thursday challenge this week is 'Q for Quaint' so I think this image fits the bill. The papers used were from one of my (many) faves - Bo Bunny. I created the rosette from the papers and punched the outside with a Martha Stewart branch punch and created the flowers using Marianne dies run through a Cuttlebug script folder before inking with Distress inks. The holly die cuts are Anna Griffin and I made the journalling tag on my computer.

Anyway, hope you like my little trip back in time! If you want to see more of my scrapbook pages follow the Scrapbook Layout tab at the top of the page where I'm making a little gallery. I would love to hear what you think. Thanks for looking.
Best wishes
Karen x

Best Friends

Hi Everyone!
Over at Lili's Little Fairies this week the challenge is to use your favourite LOTV stamp - what a task this is!! Can you whittle down your favourites to just one? Well, I chose this lovely image of a little girl and her dog, sitting on a swing with not a care in the world and just content being 'good buddies'. Its a fab little stamp and I really enjoyed colouring it with my Promarkers.

A trip to a local garden centre with my friend last Friday saw us part with some cash in their craft shop and we both bought the new Papermania Portobello Road papers and these are what I used for my background. I then went very patriotic with a red, white and blue colour scheme and embellished the card with some gems, a Maya Road ribbon flower and some navy lace.
As the background is very dotty I'd also like to enter this card in the Simon Says Stamp and the Moving Along With The Times challenges which this week is to use 'Spots or Stripes' and the Secret Crafter challenge to use a blue colour scheme.

Thanks for looking and I'll be back soon with some more creations! I'm really enjoying scrapbooking at the mo so hope to have some layouts to share shortly.
Best wishes
Karen x

Ragged Romeo

Afternoon All!
Back with another card I made for a 30th (Pearl) Anniversary card. I love the Mo Manning 'Ragged Romeo' image so decided to use this and my Promarkers with a creamy / brown / pearly colour scheme. The challenge over on the Mo Manning site this week is 'Clean and Simple' and I'm afraid this is as clean and simple as it gets for me when I team an image with Webster's Pages 'already embellished' background papers. All I needed to do was add was a ribbon and a few pearls and I was done. I had an excuse to add a little decoration inside as this type of anniversary card needs a verse - and that was it - done!

Anyway, hope you like it. Why not pop over and join in the challenge with the chance to win one of Mo's lovely digi images.
Best wishes
Karen x

Cosy Toes

Hi Everyone!
I know Christmas has only just past but its never too early to make a start on those cards for next year!! LOL. Over at the ABC Christmas Challenge this week they're making it easy for us with 'A is for Anything Christmassy' so I dug out my lovely House Mouse stamps and made this little card. The papers were free with a craft magazine out just before Christmas and are perfect for this cosy image. Think it needs a bit of sparkle so will add some Stickles - I seem to be all Sparkled Out after Christmas - now that won't do at all ha! ha!

I coloured the little mice with my Promarkers, matted the image onto green card and added a little sentiment and green ribbon. At least I've made a start...one down...

Anyway, thanks for looking!
Best wishes
Karen x

Celebration Mouse

Evening Everyone!
Just thought I'd share a quick card I made for the Passion for Promarkers challenge which this week is 'Inspired by Song'. My song was Madonna's 'Celebration' and this little card uses Bigsby Mouse from Karen's Doodles. I kept it fairly simple, colouring with my Promarkers, adding Stickles to the balloons and embellishing with a dinky bow and gems. The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards. I decorated inside too to complement the front of the card but left the panel blank so I can decide what verse to pop in there later.
Anyway, just a quick post tonight.
Be back soon.
Karen x

Dancing Georgia

Hi Everyone!
Well last night I coloured up my first Mo Manning image - I know - where have I been til now! Her images are just fab and I think this may be a new addiction along with House Mouse, Lili of the Valley, Bo Bunny, Graphic 45 papers etc etc ha! ha!
Anyway, this cutie is called Georgia and I decided to make her into a card for for my friend's birthday later this month.

I coloured her in Promarkers and added a bit of sparkle with a touch of Sakura pens here and there. The papers are We R Memory Keepers and the little sentiment is from Craftwork Cards. I embellished it with some peachy coloured pearl pen, Wild Orchid Craft and Prima flowers and a little butterfly charm which I changed to a gold colour with my alcohol inks. As this is my first Mo Manning image I decided to enter it into my first Mo Manning challenge which this week is 'Anything Goes'.
Thanks for looking.
Best wishes
Karen x

Valentine Bear

Morning All!
Today, I've made a card featuring one of the Lili of the Valley bears being very romantic and holding a rose whilst stood on a little balcony - what a Romeo!
I coloured him in Promarkers and layered him up on some Hot Off The Press papers. I also made a little lacy background feature using a Papermania die which I then cut out the frilly corners using a Marianne die - I thought it gave a romantic feel to the card. Finally I finished it off with a couple of gems and pearly Card Candy. I decorated the inside with matching patterned paper and a heart shaped die cut area punched with my hole punch to write your message. At Christmas I'd received a lovely big card in a gorgeous pinky red envelope so I've been very thrifty and used that envelope to make the bottom mats on this card. How is that for New Year recycling! ha! ha!
I thought this card would be great for the Lili's Little Fairies Challenge which this week is 'New' so this would be ideal for a 'New ' romance and I'd also like to enter it into the Cardmaking and Papercraft challenge to make a Valentine's Card and on the Trip Down Memory Lane blog where the challenge is the letter 'P' for both 'Pink' and 'Polka Dots'.
Thanks for looking and will be back shortly with some more creations!
Best wishes
Karen x

New Beginnings

Afternoon All!
Today I'd like to share my latest card for the House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge which this week is to create something with the theme 'New'. I received this latest stamp for Christmas so had to ink up this 'newbie' in my House Mouse stash. With Christmas over and our thoughts turning to warmer weather you can't help but be like this little mouse and dream of sunnier climes so I think the thought of a 'new holiday or break away' might also fit the bill! I would also like to enter this card in Simon Says Stamp's 'New Something' challenge. Why not head over to both blogs and join in with the New Year fun!
Anyway, I coloured the image with Promarkers and layered him up on coloured mats cut with my Spellbinders bloom die. The aptly named papers are 'Travel Light' from We R Memory Keepers and I used gold Card Candy to highlight the corners and one of their fab oval sentiments. I also couldn't help adding a little bit of spotty yellow ribbon. I love this colour scheme for a change after what seems like an endless production line of festive red and green cards!
Hope you like it. Thanks for looking.
Best wishes
Karen x

House Mouse Munchies

Happy New Year Everyone!
I really hope you all had a great Christmas and are looking forward to a happy and healthy 2012!
Well, I thought I'd start the New Year off by completing a challenge and now that the festivities and Christmas cards are over and done with I really need to stock up on my supplies of Birthday cards. Over on the Joanna Sheen Challenge this week - the task is to create a project linked with any kind of celebration so that was perfect for me. I used a lovely image from the House Mouse range of two cute mice having a doze after eating too much cake - sound familiar! ha! ha!
The papers I used were from the Paper Cellar matted onto embossed gold card and I coloured the image with my favourite Promarkers. If you're in the mood for a challenge to kick off your year, why not head on over to the blog and join in.
Anyway, bye for now
Karen x
PS - Yesterday the Woodware blog was kind enough to feature my card and the other two winners in the Woodware category of the Cardmaker of the Year competition. Why not pop over and have a look at the two other fabby entries.