Exciting news....

I'm thrilled to have been chosen to join the Design Team over at the Crafty Purple Frog.

I'm looking forward to my first challenge next Thursday and the bonus is I get to work with all the gorgeous artwork by Ching-Chou Kuik. All the decoupage and pyramage sheets are available from The Crafty Purple Frog.

Otherwise it's been a fairly quiet day here - cleaning loos, ironing nets, washing floors, cooking dinner - you get the drift! Think I'm due a couple of hours me time now don't you!

Carol x

Craft Artist Platinum

Well I spent some time yesterday watching and reading tutorials on how to work CAP and gave it another bash. There is going to be a huge learning curve to make the most of what it will do but it does have some great features on it. I managed a single and a double layout last night.

This was a template called Spring in your Step just to test out some of the features and get the hang of the controls!

The double layout I built from scratch with a kit called Dunes. I love the double layout feature and know I will be using it alot.

Now I've got to work out how to import kits from elsewhere into the programme and I'll be cooking on gas!!

Carol x

LIM Sketch take 2

How come one layer cards are so much easier to do when they're not actually required!!

A year ago I would never have dreamed of making a card like this, I couldn't even stamp straight! Only trouble is my bank balance keeps dipping as I now need so many new stamps and ink pads.

DL card, masked with post its and inked with bundled sage and shabby shutters DI. Image stamp from Inkylicious, sentiment from Daisy and Dandelion. I've highlighted the flower heads with a gelly roll pen.

Challenges entered:

Less is More - sketch

Totally Gorjuss - kiss

My Mum's Craft Shop - flowers

Carol x

Christmas Card Club - Critters

Good morning all, hope you're enjoying your weekend.

Gosh where did the last two weeks go? It was Pinky's turn to choose the theme this time over at the Christmas Card Club and she's asked for critters, big or small. 

The image is from Whoopsi Daisy sheet 265 and I've coloured it with promarkers and used glamour dust on the fur trim. Papers are freebies from a magazine. Glittery lace is from Costco, flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, tartan bow, gems and peel off sentiment from my stash.

Just to prove I'm keeping to my resolutions, the inside is decorated to match.

If you'd like to join our little club making Christmas cards once a fortnight just for fun, please contact one of us (list in sidebar). Do check out what the other girls have made for the challenge too.

Challenges entered:

Pollycraft - warm it up

Little Red Wagon - winter wonderland

Jingle Belles - a banner holiday (I've used the colours)

Stamp Man - embellish it

Stampin with the Dragon - anything goes

52 card Throwdown - rhinestones

CES - check it out

CHNC - make it square

Sweet Stampin - animals

Dream Valley Challenges - animals

Whoopsi Daisy - bling it up
OSAAT - use a digi

Carol x

LIM Sketch

Good evening all, hope you're having a good weekend so far. I've had a crafty afternoon today, getting ahead with some DT stuff and having a play.

This week the lady divas have a sketch to follow, having had problems trying to make a DT sketch card come together prior to this card perhaps I should have stayed well clear lol

I started out with a black base card but decided it didn't work so I cut the image out and used white instead. Stamp is from Inkylicious, background is brayered using a Soothing Sunset Big and Juicy pad. Base card is embossed either side of the topper. Sentiment stamp is from a Daisy and Dandelion set.

Challenges entered:

Less is More - sketch

Creative Inspirations - anything goes

Simon says Stamp - anything goes

Crafts 4 Eternity - clean and simple

Drunken Stampers - something new (stamp pad)

Carol x

Red Hearts

Good morning crafters, hope your weekend is going according to plan. This is one I made earlier in the week using the leftover Crafty Purple Frog decoupaged image from hubby's valentine card - it's a little bag to put the card in.

The image is printed onto ice blue decoupage paper. Black card is Tapestry and red is Stardream. All punches are from Martha Stewart. Ribbon and pearl hearts are from my stash. This was so difficult to photograph, think it's the pearlescence on the card!

Challenges entered:

Lollipop Crafts - wing it

Paper Creations Ink - love/romance

Papertake Weekly - happy highlights (image is decoupaged)

Inky Impressions - heart you

Pixie Cottage - love and kisses

Crafty Purple Frog - show us some love

Crafty Ribbons - love is red and black

Delightful Challenges - valentine, anything but a card

Digi Doodle Shops Best - anything goes

Corrosive Challenges - I heart you

Crafty Catz - things with wings

Fairy Fun Fridays - anything but a card

Just us Girls - 3d project Valentine

Crazy 4 Challenges - layer it on

Di's Digi Designs - valentines

Ditzy Craftymess - anything goes

Allsorts - one or more hearts

Penny Black and more - love and hearts

Carol x

Colourful Beauty

I was lucky enough to win some images from Dezinaworld recently and have used this gorgeous one from the Colourful Beauties sheet to make this card.

I've printed the image onto parchment card and cut out leaving a border then matted onto pearlised brown paper which has been punched at the top and bottom. Backing is more parchment card which I've distressed with spun sugar, shabby shutters and walnut stain DI then matted onto the brown. I've done lots of distressing with my new distress tool but it doesn't show too well in the photo - perhaps I need to be more aggressive lol. The flourishes and corner are all Marianne Design dies. Border punch from Martha Stewart. Lace, feather, pins, pearls and ribbon rose are all from my stash. Ribbon is white seam binding which I dyed using shabby shutters DI.

Inside is decorated to match.

I love how this has turned out, just hope the recipient likes it as much!

Challenges entered:

Craft Your Days Away - distressed

Crafty Bloggers - distressing

The Crazy Challenge - vintage

Victorine Originals - anything goes

Crafty Sentiments - lace and pins

Paper Shelter Challenge - pearls and swirls

4 Crafty Chicks - pins

DYSU - ribbons

Totally Papercrafts - pearls and lace

Winter Wonderland - swirls and pearls

Carol x

Have a heart

A layout using photos from my sister's wedding back in 2000 (eek)! I was Matron of Honour and Lora was her Flower Girl.

Layout is 8x8  using some ivory handmade paper with a pearlised sheen to it which I found lurking unused in a drawer. The colour scheme for the wedding was blue and yellow as Sis was (and still is) a Leeds United supporter! Heart punches and fancy border punch are from Martha Stewart, heart die, button die and flourishes are from Marianne Designs. Lace. pearls, ribbon and heart buckle (I've been hoarding these too) are from my stash. I've also made a rosette flower using a bit of backing paper from Joanna Sheen's ATC CD and a small round Spellbinders nestie die, and what a faff that was - don't think I'll make many more in a hurry!!

Challenges entered:

The Ribbon Reel - resolution + ribbon and button

My resolution (or one of them) is to do some scrapbooking

Use it Tuesday - all about love

The Paper Variety - fanfold paper projects

Pile it on - add lace
Hooked on Crafts - something bright
Paper Play - lovely lace

Carol x

Best Friends

Two years ago we spent February half term in the Highlands with the two younger kids. The scenery was fantastic, snow all around. The sun shone all week although the temperatures never got above freezing. The kids loved it and a great holiday was had by all!

Rainbow Lady is looking for something Scottish themed to commemorate Burn's Night - what better than the pictures taken at "The Birk's of Aberfeldy", somewhere Burns visited and wrote about in his lifetime. It was so cold the falls were actually frozen in a lot of places, it looked spectacular!

This is a digi layout which I've created in My Memories Suite, all the elements came from the programme.

Carol x

Template Thursday

This weeks free template from My Memories Suite,  click on the image to be taken to the download page. The templates will work in any programme so you don't need to have MMS to be able to use them.

Here is a very quick layout I did using the above template. I used My Memories Suite.

To receive $10 off the price of My Memories Suite V3 software copy and paste this code STMMMS57827 at checkout. You'll also receive a $10 gift certificate for the online store.

I hope you enjoy your download and would love to see how you use it. Feel free to link in a comment so I can pop over and have a look.

Carol x

Aud Sentiments #46 LOVE

Our current challenge over at Aud Sentiments is  "LOVE" use the word love on your project. We're being sponsored by Mami Doodles and TLC Creations. As always TLC have provided a free sentiment for you to use should you wish, you'll find this on the challenge blog. I've used a Mr Mouse in Love image from Mami Doodles to make a tag.

I've embossed the word Love on then used fired brick distress ink to colour it.

• Image - Mami Doodles
• Medium - promarkers
• Dies - Spellbinders
• Ribbon from my stash

The challenge is open for another week, hope to see you there.

Challenges entered:

Sentimental Sundays - die cuts

Paper Pretties - valentine day project

Heartsong Inspirations - red and white/ribbon

Crafty Boots - inspired by a song (Love me Tender)

Simon says Stamp and Show - song title (Love me Tender)

Craftroom challenge - valentines

Sweet Stamps - love (C10)

Anything Goes - to the one I love

Creative Card Crew - seeing red

Stamp n Doodle - include an animal

Carol x

Crafting for all Seasons #19 Blue and White

Time for a new challenge at CFAS and the theme is Blue and White. We're being sponsored by Di's Digital Downloads, Pink Cat Studio and Saturated Canary. I've used an image from Pink Cat Studio.

• Image: MC clown mice balloon ride from Pink Cat Studio
• Medium : promarkers
• Backing papers: Wild Rose Studio
• Border and die cut corner : Spellbinders
• Binders twine from Joanna Sheen

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the creations of the other Design Team girls.

Challenges entered:

Bee Crafty - celebration (option balloons)

Critter Sketch - 3 embellishments (pearls, twine and corner)

Cutie Pie Challenge - favourite song (My beautiful balloon)

Digi Makeover - winter blues

Daisy Doodles - anything goes

My Craft Spot - let's hear it for the boys

Celebrate the Occasion - male birthday

Stamps R Us - cards for kids

Art Impressions Stamp - card for a child

Crazy 4 Challenges - child's birthday

Crafty Pad - something for boys

Dream Valley Challenges - animals

Cards for Men - boys and their toys

Digi Stamps 4 Joy - one for the boys

Carol x

Teabag folding

Good morning peeps. This is one I made last night. Over on the Joanna Sheen forum the girls have been resurrecting some of the older techniques and they have a tea bag folding challenge going on.  A quick search of my crafting folders and I found this snowman paper by Pamela Saville and some instructions.

Sorry the photography is a bit naff and I don't think the teabag fold was designed for this picture!

• Die - Spellbinders Ironwork motif
• Border and corner punches - Martha Stewart
• Twine, stickles and gems from my stash.

Challenges entered:

Crafter's Cafe - clean and simple

Shopping our Stash - winter blues

Delicious Doodles - winter wonderland

CHNC - have a heart (hearts are on teabag papers)

Hybrid Chick Card Caravan - punches and/or dies

JS forum M15 challenge - teabag folding
Unstampabelles - anything goes

Carol x

California Dreaming

Good morning all, I hope you are well. I managed this two page layout last night:

My eldest went to California with the school when he was 17 (he's almost 22 now!) and I've just got around to scrapbooking the pictures!  Dunbar in Scotland where we live is twinned with Martinez in California due to the links with John Muir the conservationist. They spent several days in Martinez with an exchange family then travelled to Yosemite for a two night hike, then went on to San Fransisco for some fun.

I've used a scrap mat from Scrapology as the inspiration for the layout. All the papers are from my bit box and added elements are leftovers from a kit I used ages ago. I've added some stamping using a La Blanche stamp and iced spruce DI.

Challenges entered:

Scrapology - scraplift

Crafty Boots - inspired by a song

Simon says Stamp and Show - song title

Carol x

Anniversary

I need an anniversary card for the weekend and found this image when rummaging through my decoupage stash and decided it was appropriate. It's very simply matted and layered. Backing paper is from Joanna Sheen. Card is finished with ribbons, hearts and a sentiment.

Challenges entered:

Little Red Wagon - two different ribbons

Craft us Crazy - valentine/love

Delightful Challenges - vintage/distressed

Poodles Parlour - valentine/love

Simply Create Too - love is in the air

Wags n Whiskers - valentine/love

Joanna Sheen - celebration

Corrosive Challenges - I heart you

Creative Stamp Friends - antique

Cupcake Craft - all you need is love

Get Hippity with Ippity - hearts

Carol x

89th Birthday

It's my Aunt's 89th birthday later this week so thought I'd better get the card made ready to post. I decided to do some decoupage so had a rummage through some of my neglected stash and found this lovely bunch of flowers. I've used a great sketch designed by Pauline for Willow Sketchie.

Another rummage brought up some Anna Griffin paper scraps which I've matted and layered onto red stardream. Card is finished with a ribbon, button, twine and a sentiment.

Inside is decorated to match.

Challenges entered:

Willow Sketchie - followed sketch

Party Time Tuesday - happy birthday

Stamp n Doodle - birthdays

4 Crafty Chicks - summer in January

DYSU - patterned paper

Paper Play - ribbon every which way

Pixie Dust Studio - we're going dotty

Shelly's Images - anything goes

Card Makin Mamas - something old (decoupage and papers)

Crafty Catz - buttons and bows

Just us Girls - red, pink and white

Unstampabelles - anything goes

Birthday Sundaes - sentiment/wording on front

Pixie's Crafty Snippets - all papers were bits from a12x12 piece

Creative Inspiration Paints - inspired by pink

Carol x

Crafting When We Can #10 Something None Crafty

Time for a new challenge at CWWC and the theme is to use something none crafty on your creation.  We're being sponsored by Spesch Designer Stamps who supplied images for the Design Team to use, I've used Lemonade Girl.

I've made a lovely cheerful wall hanging for my craft room and my none crafting piece is a CD. 

• Image: Lemonade Girl
• Medium: promarkers 
• Dies: Spellbinders
• Flower from my stash.
• Sentiment from Meljens

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the creations of my team mates.

Challenges entered:
Incy Wincy Designs - bold and bright
Creative Inspirations - white + favourite colour
CES - anything but a card
OSAAT - round and round

Carol x

Cut it Out

Good Afternoon, I hope your weekend has started well. The weather is clear and bright here with a bit of a breeze so I've managed to hang some washing out. We've got the painters in so I've managed to sneak off to the craft room to do a card for Less is More. The Lady Divas are looking for apertures this week - not something I do very often but here is my offering.

I picked the pink card out of the bit box but it looks a bit insipid in the photo and my photo isn't too straight - but we do have an aperture! I've used a square nestie for the aperture, all other dies are from Marianne Designs. Card is finished with a sentiment stamped onto the pink aperture waste and heat embossed with white detail EP, brad and white gem.

Challenges entered:

Less is More - cut it out

Totally Papercrafts - make own flowers

Tuesday Throwdown - neutral colours

Charisma Cardz - clean and simple

One Stop Craft - Under the Weather

Carol x

With Love

Can't believe it's Friday already - who pinched my week? We're going to have the decorators here over the weekend, so no doubt I'll be kept busy moving things around.
I was asked about the ticker for the Mongol Rally - my eldest son is taking part in July this year along with three of his friends. For those who don't know, they have to obtain a car and sponsorship (half the sponsorship goes to Mongolia and half to a charity of their choice) then drive the car to Mongolia (any route they choose) and the car is left in Mongolia when (or if) they reach there. It should take anything from 4 to 8 weeks depending on border officials (and the car). Their team is called Ghenghis Khanny Skate (they're all skateboarders) and they're raising money for the local indoor skate park they helped build. They've bought their car and are now busy securing sponsorship for the trip. Gary is teaching himself Russian at the moment in preparation! I seem to have talked myself into printing all the sponsor logos to stick on their car!
Any way that's still in the distance (I'm trying not to panic), here's a card I made yesterday. Apologies for the slightly wonky photo!

I've used an image from Whoopsi Daisy sheet 60 which I've coloured with promarkers. Papers are from First Edition Spring Drop pad. All dies are from Spellbinders. Flowers, sentiment, ribbon and pearls are from my stash.

Challenges entered:

Digi Makeover - fairy nice day

The Pink Elephant - favourite colour

For Fun Challenges - get well

Inky Impressions - shape it up

Moving along with the Times - things with wings

Whoopsi Daisy - anything but square
Phindy's Place - shaped cards
Cardmadfairy's Digi Days - ribbons and bows
Sew Many Cards - anything goes

Carol x

Crafty Ann's #57 What's New Pussycat

It's time for another challenge at Crafty Ann's and the theme is "What's New Pussycat" so you can use any or all your new crafting goodies or a new technique - the choice is yours. I've done a layout using Ann's new Sweet Sage scrap book kit.

I've created the layout in My Memories Suite and all the elements are from the Sweet Sage kit available from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop. The photo is of my Great Grandmother, my Nana (bottom left) and her three sisters. So still managing to keep to my resolutions here, how you doing with yours?

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

Challenges entered:

Lexi's Creations - anything goes

Ooh La La Creations - new beginnings

Little Darlings - favourite colour

My Memories - no fear factor (importing non MMS papers and elements)

Paper and Such - photo inspired

Carol x

Template Thursday

I hope to be able to share a free template from My Memories Suite each Thursday with you, here is the first one. Click on the image to be taken to the download page. The templates will work in any programme so you don't need to have MMS to be able to use them. Ideal for those of you promising yourselves you'll do some scrapping!!

Here is a very quick layout I did using the above template. I used My Memories Suite.

To receive $10 off the price of My Memories Suite software copy and paste this code STMMMS57827 at checkout. You'll also receive a $10 gift certificate for the online store.

I hope you enjoy your download and would love to see how you use it. Feel free to link in a comment so I can pop over and have a look.

Carol x

Aud Sentiments #46 LOVE

Our next challenge over at Aud Sentiments is  "LOVE", use the word love on your project. We're being sponsored by Mami Doodles and TLC Creations. As always TLC have provided a free sentiment for you to use should you wish, you'll find this on the challenge blog.

As I'm on Team B my card won't be revealed until next Thursday, do however in the meantime pop over to see this weeks inspiration from the DT - you won't be disappointed.

Carol x

Warm in the Winter....

is the name of this gorgeous image from The Paper Shelter. 

The backing paper is also from The Paper Shelter and I've digitally applied the sentiment and image before printing out. I've printed the image a second time and coloured with promarkers then fussy cut and attached with silicone gel. The backing mat is punched with a snowflake PATP from Martha Stewart. The snowflake is a Spellbinders die. Card is finished with a polka dot ribbon bow, a brad, snowflake button, punch waste and stickles.

Challenges entered:

The Paper Shelter - DT call

Celebrate the occasion - any occasion + polka dots (ribbon)

Squigglefly - button it up

Deep Ocean Challenge - sparkle/glitter

Paper Pretties - use glitter (used stickles)

Penny's Paper Crafty - ribbons and buttons

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - glitter latte

Christmas Card Challenges - flourishes

Sentimental Sunday - ribbon

The Ribbon Girls - blue and pink
Sassy Studio Designs - frosty winter colours

Carol x

Hearts

Hello again everyone and a big welcome to all my new followers, I'm very happy to have you here and hope you 'll like what you see. Here's one I finished late last night. This will be hubby's Valentine card - just hope he doesn't expect me to dress this way any time soon lol!!!

I was very lucky to win some Crafty Purple Frog digi decoupage sheets earlier this month. They're gorgeous and I couldn't wait to use them. The image is printed onto ice blue decoupage paper and the dimension on the layers is fabulous. The backing paper is from the candy I won the other day. I've used a new PATP heart punch for the backing mat and a Spellbinders nestie die for the image mat. Card is finished with a ribbon bow, heart button, flowers, some gems and some punch waste. The inside has been decorated to match.

Challenges entered:

Rainbow Lady - many faces of women

Crafty Purple Frog - anything goes

Drunken Stampers - love

Sparkles Forum - new crafty goodies
Get Hippity with Ippity - hearts
Paper Creations Ink - love/romance
Crazy Challenge - tic tac toe (ribbon, image and gems)
Digital Tuesday - romantic card
Ladybug Crafts Ink - bows
My Time to Craft - favourite embellishment (ribbon)
The Stamping Boutique - die cuts
Try it on Tuesday - anything goes with fairies
Crafty Creations - valentine
Creative Belli - fancy frames
My Mum's Craft Shop - favourite colour combo
Crafter's Companion - love is in the air
Creatalicious Challenges - love (used punched border, ribbon, flowers and bling)
Really Reasonable Ribbons - valentines day
Scrapology card - love, say it with ribbons
Paper Take Weekly - buttons, bows,bling and blooms
Pollycraft - bingo (ribbon, buttons, dies)

I'm also entering in the Joanna Sheen forum challenge of Bejewelled.

Carol x

Christmas Challenges (with sketches) #18

 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.  Janneke has designed the sketch this time and we are being sponsored by Judikins.

Image and sentiment both from Meljens and coloured with promarkers. Papers are called Cosy Christmas and were free from Quick Cards magazine. Red lace from Costo and holly is recycled from wither a cracker or a Christmas cake!

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:

ABC Christmas - A for anything goes

Meljens - anything goes

Moving along with the Times - spots and/or stripes

Fussy and Fancy - let it snow

Stamp Man - red

CHNC - use digi

Crafty Sentiments - anything goes

Daisy Doodles Creative - anything goes

I Love Promarkers - anything goes

Carol x

Snow

Been to the opticians to have contact lenses fitted today, this is my third attempt - twice I've had to abort my plans due to outside factors. I've opted for monthly lenses this time instead of dailies and must say they are a tad more uncomfortable but I'm sure I'll get used to them and if I don't I can always swap to dailies.

Another layout to share with you tonight, I managed to do this one last night in My Memories Suite.

This is Lora aged 3 (she was 14 last month!) - told you I had a lot of photos to sort! The papers and most of the elements came from a digi kit called Christmas Around the World which I downloaded free a few years ago. The text and some of the snowflakes were added from MMS and the snowman is a digi image from the Paper Shelter. Love being able to combine all my digi stash with the functions of MMS.

To receive $10 off the price of My Memories Suite software copy and paste this code STMMMS57827 at checkout. You'll also receive a $10 gift certificate for the online store.

Challenges entered:

House of Gilli - winter

Kaboodle Doodles - baby it's cold outside

My Craft Spot - snow much fun

Always Something Creative - ice and snow

Carol x

Cheers

Good morning all, hope you're well. I've been keeping to my resolutions and made a start on some paper scrap booking. I've got a cupboard full of scrap book kits which need to be filled and boxes of photos which need to be emptied! So here is my first layout.

I've used the scrap mat at Creative Craft World as a base for my LO. All the papers, card, the frame, the ribbon and the journalling mat are from Anna Griffin and I've had them for several years! So also using up some stash in my endeavours. Cheers has been cut with my Cricut. The flowers are from Papermania, punch from Martha Stewart, borders are edgeabilities from Spellbinders, the hanging notice and the flourishes are Marianne Design dies. I've done lots of distressing with faded blue jeans and my new distress tool. Stamps are from Inkylicious and La Blanche and have been stamped in faded blue DI.

I did a digi version first in My Memories Suite just to get a feel for the scrap mat.

A very different look!

Challenges entered:

Crafty Bloggers - monochrome

Simon says Stamp and Show - anything but a card

The Cheerful Stamp Pad - birds of a feather

Crafts 4 Eternity - colour recipe

Crazy 4 Challenges - mono in blue

One Stop Craft - on the spot plus ribbon

Secret Crafter - anything goes and blue

Creative Craft World - scrap mat

Scrap our Stash - new
Paper Minutes - anything goes
Creative Craft Challenge - blue
Celebrate the Occasion - polka dots
Crafty Sentiments - anything goes

Carol x

My Craft Room

Decided it was time to show you my new look crafting space, but first I must show you what the postie brought today - I won some blog candy from the Cutie Pie challenge at the beginning of the year and this is what I got:

Loads and loads of gorgeous bits and bobs, luckily I hadn't filled all the new drawers so still had room to stash it all away.

Now for the reveal, starting behind the door and moving around clockwise.

Click here to see what it used to look like.

Some of my ribbons, all sorted by colours.

General storage

My workspace

More ribbon storage!

Ink pads, embossing powders, H2O's, stickles.

Promarker storage and a space to colour in.

More storage

and a close up of my magnetic board holding some of my many nestie sets - this was a magnetic notice board which I've covered with magnetic mats. Marianne dies are kept in the holder below.

Ribbon and ink racks are from Craft Racks, trolleys from Costco, promarker storage from Ebay, drawers are all from Ikea along with the utensil hanger used for the ribbons on the door. I've a few bits still to sort out yet but it all fits in with room to spare!

I hope you like!

Carol x