Welcome

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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

Thursday, 19 January 2012

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

Carol x

Wednesday, 18 January 2012

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
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


Tuesday, 17 January 2012

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:
Kaboodle Doodles - baby it's cold outside
My Craft Spot - snow much fun

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

Carol x

Monday, 16 January 2012

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


A teeny, tiny wish

Good morning all, hope you've had a great weekend. Now that my craft room is fairly what sorted I've managed a bit of crafting this weekend.


Called into Hobbycrafts the other day and found this gorgeous First Edition paper pad called Spring Drop - half the pad is glittered papers and the other half double-sided. This card uses both sides of one of the double-sided which I've distressed with my new distressing tool then used Fired Brick DI. This is my first attempt at stamping and colouring on kraft card, I quite like the result although it was very difficult to pick the colours.
I decorated the inside to match.


  • Image and Sentiment: Penny Black ( bought this set at the SECC in October and this is it's first outing!)
  • Papers: First Edition 
  • Medium : Promarkers
  • Embossed border: Cuttlebug (also on it's first outing)
  • Corners: Spellbinders
  • Butterfly: Marianne Designs
  • Ribbon flowers, ribbon and pearls from my stash

Challenges entered:
Stamp n Doodle - country living
Cooking it up with Katie - pink, posies, pearls
I Love Promarkers - cute and cuddly
Art Impression Stamps - pink, pink and more pink
DYSU - pink
Phindy's Place - tic tac toe (pearls, ribbon and flowers)
Stampin for the Weekend - out with the old (although papers are new everything else is old and mostly unused until now!)
OSATT - anything goes
Pile it On - fuzzy friends
Sunday's with Chrissy - warm and sunny
Let's Ink it up - anything goes

Carol x

Sunday, 15 January 2012

Birds

Chrissie and Mandi over at Less is More are looking for birds this week on our one layer cards. I've pondered this one all weekend - couldn't find my bird on branch stamp anywhere and wasn't inspired to make a Christmas card. 


Whilst looking through a box of bits on my desk I found this card which was already stamped with the La Blanche wildflower design ( one of my failed attempts at green lol) and decided to see if I could add some birds to it. I found the bird stamp in an Inkylicious set. I've used DI for stamping. As always happens on a OLC the final image smudged!!

Challenges entered:
Less is More - birds one layer
Party Time Tuesdays - feathered friend
Paper Pretties - get well
Desert Island Crafters - itinerary (monochromatic, no DP, sentiment)
Craft Room Challenge - CAS

Carol x



Christmas Card Club Think Thin

No I'm not being cheeky and referring to the extra pounds we usually gain around Christmas I'm talking pound notes - as in saving them at the post office next Christmas when posting out the cards. It was Keryn's turn to pick the theme and she asked us to make something which would pass muster for standard postage.


Stamp is from Creative Expressions and has been inked up in two colours. Image is matted and layered onto green then brown card stock then attached to Kraft base with DST. Card is finished with two embossed lines.
If you'd like to join our little club get in touch with one of us (list in side bar).

Challenges entered:
Pixie's Crafty Snippets - all but the base card came out of my bit box

Carol x

Saturday, 14 January 2012

With Love

Hi everyone, hope your weekends are going to plan. I've been busy doing some housework and laundry but the rest of the day is mine :) I spent some time in the craft room last night and in my endeavours to use up some stash  I made an exploding box from a Joanna Sheen kit which I've had forever.




The kit came with the box, inner layer, lid, heart pictures and flower dies. I've added a red mirri card layer to each side panel on the bottom layer and inner lid, a purple die cut, red heart nestie, some lace, pearls, ribbon roses and a tag to jazz things up. The little purple hearts are punch waste.

Challenges entered:
Karens Doodles - valentines/love
CRAFT - celebration
Pixie Dust Studio - put your heart into it
Just Tracy - love is in the air
Little Claires - anything but a card
Sweet Stamps - hearts
Joanna Sheen - celebrations



Carol x

Friday, 13 January 2012

Freya's First Christmas

A warm welcome to all my new followers, I hope you enjoy what you see here.
I spent yesterday battling a migraine and getting my craft room sorted, I finally have everything in the room and have my work surface organised. My drawer contents need to be organised properly but that needs to be a work in progress as I use things and decided where the best place is for everything
Another layout today from My Memories Suite (so glad I won this), they're just so quick and easy to do. I also have Craft Artist which I was given for Christmas and I loaded it onto the computer on Wednesday night and couldn't make head nor tail of it so gave up! (Must give it another go though and find some tutorials as I'm sure it's very good.) 


Continuing my endeavours to organise all the old photos this is Freya last Christmas when she was about 8 months old.

Challenges entered:
Hooked on Crafts - try something new
Pollycraft - anything but a card
For Fun Challenges - anything goes
Crafty Catz - something new


Copy and paste this code STMMMS57827 to receive a $10 discount when you buy My Memories Suite V3.

Carol x

Thursday, 12 January 2012

Aud Sentiments #45 Use your Scraps


The current challenge over at Aud Sentiments for 2012 is to use your scraps - great one for those of you whose New Year's Resolution was to reduce the volume of your bit box. We're being sponsored by Floppy Latte 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. Here is my card using an image supplied by Floppe Latte.


  • Image - SS Angie by Sylvie (available at Stitchy Bears)
  • Medium - promarkers
  • Papers - from my bit box (Costco and Papermania I think)
  • Dies - Spellbinders nesties and edgeabilities
  • Gems and ribbon from my stash




You still have a week to enter the challenge, so what you waiting for!!

Challenges entered:
Stampin with Dragon - frames
Crafty Cardmakers - no floral embellies
Crafter's Cafe - Happy Birthday
Papertake Weekly - diecute special
Celebrate the Occasion - child's birthday
Digital Tuesday - punch it out
Fussy and Fancy - Happy Birthday/animal print
Birthday Sundaes - birthday card
Passion for Promarkers - inspired by a song (Angels - Robbie Williams)
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - monochromatic
My Mum's Craft Shop - here come the girls
Pixie Crafty Snippets
C.R.A.F.T. - celebration

Carol x

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

Crafting for all Seasons #18 Snowmen/Snowflakes

Time for the first challenge of the New Year at CFAS and we'd like to see snowmen or snowflakes on your projects or both! We're being sponsored by Bugaboo, Some Odd Girl and The Stamping Boutique. Trying to keep to my New Year's Resolutions I've done a layout using some photos from last winter.



I'ved used templates and elements from My Memories Suite and added a snowman from Crafty Ann's and a snowman from The Paper Shelter.

Top Tip - all your digi images and papers can be used in your scrap booking programmes.

Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the creations of the other Design Team girls. We also have a DT call going on (check here for all the details) - this is a fabulous team to be part of, everyone is very friendly and supportive and we have lots of exciting challenges planned for the year ahead.

Challenges entered:
Fresh Brewed - use something new (MMS)
Creative Belli - snowflakes
DYSU - let it snow
Critter Sketch - baby it's cold outside
Crazy Amigo - winter colours
Tuesday Throwdown - baby it's cold outside
Use it Tuesday - all about winter (old photos)
Ladybug Crafts Ink - anything goes using new stash (MMS)
Top Tip Tuesday - anything goes
Crafty Creations - something new (MMS)
My Memories - winter wonderland

Carol x

Recycled

A big hello to all my new followers, hope you all enjoy what you see here.

My second decoupage card, luckily this one went according to plan and I'm very pleased with how it turned out - the first of my many specials made for next Christmas!


  • Deocupage - Joanna Sheen
  • Punch - Martha Stewart
  • Diecuts - Spellbinders
  • Sentiment - computer generated
  • Floral arrangement and ribbons are recycled from Christmas crackers.
  • Pearls and narrow ribbon from stash 


And a view of the inside to show I'm keeping to my resolutions! Card is now stored with an envelope and it's good to go :)

Challenges entered:
Heartsong Inspirations - border punches
Lexi's Creations - anything goes
CCEE - Grimms Fairy Tales (Mary's Child)
CHNC - recycle something
Christmas Card Challenges - lace (border punch)
OSAAT - use three embellishments (pearls, ribbon and floral arrangement)
Cupcake Craft Room - anything goes
Really Reasonable Ribbon - sparkle and ribbon
St Lukes Charity - new year, new start
Joanna Sheen - celebrations
ABC Christmas - A for anything goes
Fab n Funky - recycle it

Carol x

Tuesday, 10 January 2012

Get Well Soon

What a day it's been! I painstakingly cut out two decoupage sheets last night and left them on my laptop cushion overnight to find hubby had got up during the night and "moved" the cushion and tipped the bits everywhere - grrr why are men so thoughtless! Anyway set to this afternoon to make a get well card with one of said decoupages and just couldn't get the base layer matted and layered satisfactorily and ended up giving up and using a diecut decoupage instead.

 In the midst of all this the doorbell rang and lo and behold it was Talk Talk making their fourth visit in 12 months to sign us up for telephone and broadband - not that they introduce themselves of course  but I knew the minute the young lad (being polite here) opened his mouth. I quickly interrupted him and told him I wasn't interested and he insisted on carrying on until I eventually shut the door in his face, he and his colleague left with him shouting some expletives behind himself!! Talk Talk job adverts must go something like:

Teen wanted, attitude essential, must know everything and have the ability to answer back.

Anyway then set to making my get well card and tried a new Cheery Lynn doily die which took 3 attempts to get a cut I was happy with, why do we have days like this - knew I should've stayed in bed this morning!! This is for my hubby's Aunt who had a brain aneurysm and emergency surgery on Friday night - she was very lucky as she lives alone but realised something was wrong and managed to dial 999.


  • Decoupage - No Scissors Required Book 3
  • Doily - Cheery Lynn Dies
  • Mats - Spellbinders nesties
  • Cream lace(which has been coloured to match with promarkers), sentiment and pearls from stash.
Challenges entered:
Cupcake Craft - something new (doily)
Lollipop Crafts - anything new goes
Paper Pretties - get well
The Crazy Challenge - lace and/or pearls
Anything goes - anything goes
Pixie Dust Studio - monochromatic
CBGM - 3d decoupage
Lothian Crafts - diecuts
The Craft Garden - monochrome
Unstampabelles - anything goes
Designed 2 Delight - winter flowers
Scrappy Frogs - lace

Carol x

Monday, 9 January 2012

Favourite Project 2011

Over at The Stamp Man the 3rd Annual Awards is taking place. To take part you pick your favourite project from 2011 and reshow it. Picking one project was a bit difficult but in the end I went for this fall card which I made for the  CFAS design team.
Full details of how the card was made can be found here.


I love the colour palette of this card and was very happy with my colouring on the image, so I let the image do most of the talking.

Carol x

Sunday, 8 January 2012

Crafting When We Can #9 Resolutions

Today sees the first challenge of 2012 at CWWC and the theme is New Year's Resolutions. My resolutions for this year include finishing my cards with an insert when I make them, sorting out my old photos and doing some scrap booking. In order to get all this done I will have to have some "me time" so I've made this calendar for my craft room. We're being sponsored by The Stamping Boutique and Crafty Ribbons.


  • Image: Stamping Boutique
  • Medium: promarkers and DI
  • Papers: Costco (from the bit box) and Anna Griffin (one of my first crafting purchases)
  • Dies: Spellbinders
  • Fourish: Marianne Designs
  • Ribbon, gems, button and flowers from my stash.
  • Sentiment is computer generated.
Do pop over to the challenge blog to see the creations of my team mates.

Challenges entered:
Daisy Doodles Creative - new beginnings
Simon says Stamp and Show - something old, something new (old papers, new digi stamp and new year)
Anything Goes - blue plus one
Craft Room Challenge - anything goes
Ribbon Carousel - anything goes
The Stamping Boutique - use 12
Inky Impressions - anything goes
Paper Shelter - anything goes
Craft us Crazy - anything new (year)
Crafty Ribbons - new beginnings
Paper Cutz - new year
Poodles Parlour - button up
Simply Create Too - more than 2 layers
Catch the Bug - anything goes
Challenge up your Life - bingo (flowers, ribbons and swirls)
Crafty Emma's - anything goes
One Stop Craft - bingo (gems, dies and buttons)
Our Creative Corner - show us your shapes
Sweet Stampin - spots and dots
That Craft Place - buttons and bows
Crafty Calendar - new news (opt buttons and bows)
Creative Inspirations Paint - something old (BP)
Dream Valley Challenges - anything goes
Di's Digi Designs - all things new
Just Some Lines - New Year
Addicted to Stamps - January blues
Pixie Crafty Snippets - backing card and mats all came from the bit box

Carol x

Saturday, 7 January 2012

Predominantly Purple

Good evening Limettes and a Happy New Year to you all. This week is a colour challenge at Less is More and the Diva Ladies would like to see purple. 


I found this new Marianne Design folder waiting to be used when I attempted to sort the mess out in my craft room today so decided to give it an airing. I used Papermania card and then used my new distressing tool (bread knife is now redundant lol) to sand the embossing and edges before matting it onto purple mirri card. The image is a die cut from the Glitter Girls. Sentiment is stamped in plum Archival ink. Card is finished with a bow and a pearl. 
Being very good and keeping to my resolutions I've put an insert in the card, sorted an envelope and the card is good to go!

Challenges entered:
Less is More - purple
The Squirrel and Fox - something new
Samuel Taylors - distress
Craft Your Passion - anything goes + distressing

Carol x

Friday, 6 January 2012

Crafty Ann's #56 Let's think hot

The first challenge of 2012 over at Crafty Ann's is "Let's think Hot" - this can be using hot colours or summery images it's up to you ( or do both as I did!). One of my New Years Resolutions is to get some of my many photos scrapbooked so I asked Santa to buy me Craft Artist then lo and behold two days later I won a copy of My Memories Suite in a blog competition!! (Typical eh!) As MMS was a download it made it on to the computer first so here is my first layout using some old holiday photos from 2009.


The following components were from Crafty Ann's digi shop - mottled stone backing paper, tropical beach scene, flowers and journalling label - everything else is from MMS. Ann has just launched her first scrapbook kit this week - Sweet Sage - check it out here.
Do call by the challenge blog to check out what the other girls have created as believe me they're HOT HOT HOT.

Challenges entered:
House of Gilli - anything goes
Oh La La Creations - anything but a card
Stamps R Us - what did you get for Christmas
Sparkle Creations - use something new
Digistamps 4 Joy - something old (photos). something new (MMS)
My Mum's Craft Shop - something new
Allsorts - new beginnings (new to scrapping)
Fairy Tale - something new
Delicious Doodles - something new

Carol x

Thursday, 5 January 2012

Aud Sentiments #45 Use your Scraps

Our first challenge over at Aud Sentiments for 2012 is to use your scraps - great one for those of you whose New Year's Resolution was to reduce the volume of your bit box. We're being sponsored by Floppy Latte 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 Team A and B have swapped places for the time being my card won't be revealed until next Thursday, do however in the meantime pop over and see this weeks inspiration from the DT - you won't be disappointed.

Carol x

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Christmas Challenges (with sketches) #17

Happy New Year to everyone, hope you've all enjoyed a good festive season. It's time for our first challenge of the new year over at CCWS and we hope you'll play along with us all year and get ahead with next years Christmas cards and projects. Claire has designed the sketch this time and we have an added twist of using punches and dies. We are being sponsored by My Favourite Things.


This is my first card for 2012 and my first card for next Christmas!
Image from LOTV coloured with promarkers and a white gel pen, highlighted with jelly roll pen and distressed with DI. Backing paper is from Joanna Sheen (probably Pam West CD but it was in my bit box). Holly dies are shapeabilities from Spellbinders, all other dies are also from Spellbinders.
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:
Totally Gorjuss - something happy
CHNC - blog candy available here
Crafty Catz - Santa's hat (on the mouse)
Delicious Doodles - anything goes
Jingle Belles - no time like present
Bearly Mine - anything goes
One Stop Craft - winter wishes
Secret Crafter - anything goes
Sentimental Sunday - anything goes
Pile it On - anything goes
Paper Creations Ink - diecuts/punches
Kaboodle Doodles - celebration
Incy Wincy - anything goes
Crafty Boots - celebration
Critter Sketch - celebration
Heart Song Inspirations - anything goes
House of Gilli - anything goes
The Pink Elephant - anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday - anything goes
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Paper Play - Christmas
Rainbow Lady's - your choice
Stamp n Doodle - anything goes
Crafts and Me - anything goes
The Paper Shelter - anything goes
Divas by Design - Christmas
Joanna Sheen - celebration
Pixie's Crafty Snippets - all paper and card came out of my bit box

As this is my first card for next Christmas I'm also showing it for the Christmas Card Club which I choose the theme for this time of Anything Goes - your 1st card for 2012. Check out my sidebar for the list of girls taking part and get in touch if you'd like to join us.

Carol x