April Flowers!

Another lovely day here today, it's just soooo good to have the sun shining and to actually feel a bit of warmth in the air - it seems to have been a long winter. The sunny dry weather does mean I'm having to get the hose out and water the bit of garden we've put grass seed down on though, and the new shrubs I planted last week have to be watered too, along with the stuff in pots - I keep thinking it can't last - those April Showers are just around the corner....
A couple of Autumns ago I spent ages planting loads of Spring bulbs out in the garden. They were okay last year, but this year it's been wondeful to see so many daffodils - they seemed very late in coming up but once they did - well, it makes all that digging worthwhile, I do love to see daffs - they really cheer me up.

When we moved here we planted our little magnolia tree into the garden -we brought from our old house and it had always lived in a pot until then. It's taken a couple of years to settle in, but this year I'm soooo chuffed because there are loads and loads of blossoms on it. I was a bit worried when we had some frost last week, but they all look to have survived. I found someone new to look after the grass and help me get control of the rest of the wilderness - and only a couple of sessions later everything is already looking so much better. I know it sounds like I'm a lazy moo but I spent hours weeding and digging and then I'd stand back to look at the results......and find the bit I'd done was just lost among the rest of the mess. I definitely needed help!

I know it's not going to happen overnight, but I reckon that all that ivy and all those weeds that think they own my garden are in for a shock!
I'm so excited about being able to fill the space with plants and shrubs - the local garden centres will make a fortune!


Anyway, on to some crafty stuff.
I've been working with the fab April Flowers Kit from Creative Treasures which is called "Spring Meadows" and is the loveliest mix of flowers and ribbons in lilacs, pale green and yellows. There's a fab stamp too - which I still haven't found, even though I've tidied BOTH my desks now. Bummer too as although I rarely do any stamping, this one appealed to me and I really wanted to use it. grrr

The first couple of pictures show the latest things I've made with the kit, the other two are cards I've already shown eleswhere on the blog, but I thought it might be nice to see them all together. I've still got loads of the flowers left too - you really do get a lot in your goodie bag!

I'll quite often use flowers to decorate a gift. I'd planned to use one of the big blooms for this one, but when I started fixing them together I decided that layering the small and medium sized ones up with small card layers inbetween the flowers worked really well. I used a button-style brad in the middle. The lovely lilac ribbon is in the April kit too.
This little box was cut on the Robo and has a heart-shaped fastening on the top. I thought I'd fill it with those tiny chocolate eggs as a little Easter gift. The yellow twill ribbon and all but the tiniest lilac flowers are from the kit. I've used faux brads for the flower centres, topped with lemon Ice Stickles, the edges of the box were inked in lime, and I added more of the Stickles over the ink.
I've already waffled about these two cards on earlier posts so I'll just show the pics!


Don't forget the Blog Candy Sketch Challenge HERE
Thanks for visiting
please come back soon!

Getting Frooty on a Friday

It's Keryn's turn to set the challenge for the Daring Cardmakers this time and she's feeling Fruity!

Keryn's excited - something about a stamp set that she loves and Stampin' Up - the company she's a demonstrator for over in NZ. Regular visitors to the wafflezone will know that all the stamping stuff means nothing to me, I'm sooooo not a stamper (well, apart from stamping my size 3 occasionally lol). My stamp collection is laughable.

Anyway, there's a fruity theme to one of her fave sets and that's what she's chosen for this week's dare. Any card is fine as long as it's got some sort of fruit on it. Great theme, and the cards the girls have made are fab and so varied - you can't fail to be inspired by he work the DT are sharing on the blog this week!

I decided that a cupcake with a cherry on the top was the way to go
Mr Robo helped me out yet again. This time I actually made the template myself - it's amazing what you can "draw" with the help of Paint Shop Pro's preset shapes! I used a pentagon to make the cupcake shape, then plonked an oval on to make the top bit. A bit of erasing of the lines I didn't want, followed with some "freehand" drawing with the paintbrush tool and the cupcake was ready. The cherries though came from a downloaded free colouring page which I altered to make lots of layers to cut in the different colours.
The tiny cupcakes were cut with the same template.
Paper is Imaginisce *All Kinds of Happy" and Fancy Pants "Celebrate"
Glossy Accents used on the cherries
Crystal Stickles on the tops of the tiny cupcakes

At some point I thought it might be a bit of fun to add a cupcake recipe - my first ideas was to have the cupcake so it lifted to reveal the recipe. I'd have needed a rather bigger cupcake to do that though, so instead I've added it to the inside of the card
Well, you know how it is - you do something like that then realise that now you've got this great big empty white bit facing the now decorated bit of the card's innards, so now you need to fill that up too.

I absolutely refuse to turn it over and decorate the back. I won't do it, I won't do it, I won't do it.

Once I'd actually come up with the idea, I had fun making this. I hope you'll have a go at the dare this week, it's always great to see all the different cards the Darers come up with. You can check out the DCM Blog HERE.

Don't forget, to celebrate visitor "milestones" on this blog and on my Sketch File blog, I'm working on some blog candy to give away to one lucky person who makes a card using the current sketch (HERE) at the top of the Sketch File.

Thanks for visiting, please leave a message!

Vintage Meets Funky

This is another project made using the newly released Bubbly Funk Kit.
One of my regular customers asked me to make a card for her friend, whom she described like this:

"Jeanette can make you sick because her handicraft skills are great, cards, embroidery, knitting and so it goes on. Jeanette is also very kind and generous with her time."

hmmm scary, I thought!

Well, here's the card I've made, I just hope I've got it right. I've gone for a tradional-meets-funky theme, using the lovely vintagey Bella Bella Bellezo papers and then adding a more funky flower element.

There are more pictures and info on how I made this card on today's Bubbly Scrumptious emag - if you visit, please leave a comment on there to say you popped by - I'd really appreciate it.

This month sees a change in the way the kits can be purchased with various options being available, check HERE for more info

I've a couple of blog milestones I'd like to celebrate - a week or two ago this blog had it's 60,000th visitor - even though I'd been watching, in the end it happened really quickly (I think it was about the time I was featured on the wonderful Inspirational blog and I missed it! ooops.

My other blog, where I keep my free-to-use card layout sketches will (hopefully) reach 1000 visitors in the next day or two, so I'm going to be more on-the-ball this time and have already announced some blog candy to celebrate the occasion. Check HERE to find out more.

All for now

Thanks for visiting

Take One Tin

I'm a terrible hoarder!
Even before I got sucked in to all the papercrafting stuff I couldn't bring myself to throw away boxes and tins that "might come in useful one day".
Every now and then I get ruthless and have a clear out, but generally there's always a stash of boxes, tins and other containers hidden away "just in case"
I like to keep a little tin of M&S "Curiously Strong Mints" on my desk to fight off the nibblies.
Actually I'm not sure if I buy them because I like them or because they come in a nice tin (oh how sad I am!).

Anyway, I've been saving this now empty tin for a few weeks and as Karen's current challenge this month on the Bubbly Scrumptious Blog is to decorate a tin, well, it must be fate, eh?

It didn't start out too well, at first it was going to be turquoise and purples. I spent ages covering the tine and making a flower embllie for it - and then I thought "that is HIDEOUS" and went for lunch!

At some point, while munching on a bread roll I remembered the gorgeous Prima "Artful Collage Flowers" I bought a few weeks back and haven't used much, so when I went back to my desk it was to hunt out some more vintagey stuff. What I discovered was a great big hole in my paper stash! In the end I dug out the Crate Avenue collection and recovered the tin, added some bits of lace and ribbon and the gorgeous flowers.

Isn't it funny how when it's going right it all works really quickly, but when it's not you can sit for hours struggling with every paper/embellishment/ribbon and button in your collection?

I do need to cover the inside of the tin though - I'd already alcohol-inked it in purple and I don't have any browny AIs to redo it.

If you've saved a little tin because "it'll come in useful one day" then you've got till the weekend to make that "day" happen and share your decorated tin on Bubbly Scrumptious - all are welcome, the more the merrier!


All for now

"Festival of Flowers" CJ

I thought I'd share some photos of my lovely flower themed cj which has recently come home after travelling around the country since last July

A HUGE Thank You to all those who took the time and trouble to add their LOs to my book, it's been such a pleasure to open the books and find all the lovely pages you made.

Lovely, isn't it?

I'm so lucky to say it's mine!

Meet Robo-Bunny

This week on the Daring Cardmakers we've got Jo setting the dare and she's asking us to get ready for Easter and make cards featuring a bunny, a chick or even both!

As I was making cards with chicks on a week or two back for Bubbly Funk, I thought I'd have a change and put a bunny on my card.

I found a free downloadable colouring page and used it to make a Robo template. My template actually has flowers on it, but as I was trying to figure out which colours/papers to use to cut the individual flowers I realised that using Primas etc might be more fun.

I had a total disaster mid way through making this. I cut the original bunny shapes in a very pale grey card, then thought it all looked a bit dull so added a light shading of pink. That was fine and I started sticking things down. Then thought more pink would be a good idea. It was not a good idea at all - I ended up with a bunny looking like it had a very very bad skin rash.
I could have cried! I sat for a minute looking at the disaster in front of me, then thought that if I could get the upper layers off and cut some new pieces that I might be able to save it. The top bits did come off without tearing too much and I cut the bunny shapes again, this time in white. I was very restrained with the pink the next time!

I hope you'll join in with the dare this week - it's a great, fun theme that Jo's chosen and I can't wait to see what you all come up with. Just in case you don't already have us in your links list, you can find the DCM HERE


This is another card I've made using the April Flower Kit from Creative Treasures. I can't seem to get a decent photo though - if I succeed I'll change these later.

I've discovered that the flowers and ribbon are a perfect match for the Crate "Blue Hill" papers. I used pieces from the diecut sheet that you get in a Crate Paper pack for the swirly flower stalk and the butterfly.
I do love these flowers, the colours are perfect for Springtime. There's a lovely stamp in the kit too - I don't do much stamping (as you've probably noticed....) but I really want to use this one - thing is, I can't find the little wotsit! I even tidied my desk looking for it the other day lol.

On the Bubbly Funk forum there's been a circle journal doing the rounds since last July - mine arrived home this week, so I'll be sharing photos of the pages soon.

Thanks for popping by, I hope you've enjoyed visiting and will come back often

In the Box

A couple of weeks ago I made a little box using the soon-to-be-released April kit from Bubbly Funk. Today on Bubbly Scrumptious, the shop's own emag/blog I'm sharing the cards I've put in it.
I loved making these, the papers in the kit are so easy to use and the chipboard and ribbons etc work really well with them. I had great fun going through my other stash to find bits that I could also integrate. I think these are going to be a new favourite in my collection.

You can see more photos of these cards, and notes on how I made them on Bubbly Scrunptious and there are loads of other fab projects to explore on there too. Hope you like them.


I've been a tad busy this week and not managed to do much blogging - so still have these last few pages from Izzy's maze book to share: And finally we get to the back cover! Hope you've enjoyed visiting my blog and will come again soon

All About Izzy

I was trying to think of a title for this post when I realised that both these projects have something to do with our niece Izzy, who was 15 last weekend.

She's the one I made the maze book for and I've got more of the pages from that to show today. The other project is a photo frame/board/hanging thingie (technical term lol) I made using stuff from the Bubbly Funk March kit, along with some of my stash.
The stripey and the animal print papers were part of the March kit - I've found it fun to mix the kit stuff in with my own stash - opens out a load of possibilities for all sorts of projects.
The Izzy connection is of course the baby photo - just look at that frilly little bundle - she was like a little doll! Now she's rarely seen out of her riding gear and spends most of her non-school hours at the stables.

I used lots of chipboard and fake chipboard to make this, the photo frame itself is an acetate pocket and the photo is adhered to a tag so a different picture can be inserted for a change.
The non-kit papers are from the Baby Powder collection from Imaginisce.

More pages from Izzy's maze book:



All for now
Have a lovely weekend

Woman

I'm still all of a flutter after yesterday's little excitement, but as it's DCM day I need to come back to earth!

It's Tracie's turn to set the challenge and as over here in the UK it's Mother's Day on Sunday she's asking us to make cards "for Women or featuring Women".
I decided to have a change from using all the gorgeous bright and sunshiney papers I've been using lately and go for something simpler, and hopefully more "classic" whatever that means!

Then on Wednesday our Postie knocked on the door with a little parcel for me - it was my DT goodie bag for the April Flower Kit from Tracy at Creative Treasures - and oh they are soooooo pretty. Seeing them gave me an idea for my DCM card and after I'd made it I thought I'd better check it wasn't too soon to be showing the April flowers!
It was OK - just as well really, as I hadn't got a Plan B!

This is my card
I think this lady is one of my Great Great Grandmothers, I'm lucky enough to have quite a lot of old family photos, and many of them I've been able to put names to during my family history research, this is one I'm not sure about, but comparing it to others I think she's definitely "one of mine". The photo is very faded so I had to PSP it a bit, but I love the very soft lines and the way it just fades away at the edges. Mind you I'd have loved to get a closer look at that dress - and just look at her waist!
The gorgeous Spring coloured flowers and the yellow ribbon are from the Creative Ttreasures April Kit
Lolac velvet ribbon and tiny brads are from my stash
The swirl is from a sheet of rub-ons thatcame in one of the Crate Paper collections - I forget which, sorry!

This is the card I made for MIL, the flowers and ribbon on this one are from the Creative Treasures March kit
I don't have my own mum to make a card for anymore, but she loved seeing the things I made and always encouraged me in whatever crafting I was "into" at the time. Maybe she's still around somewhere cheering me on!

Don't forget to give your mum a hug on Sunday, and don't forget to check out all the lovely cards on the DCM blog either!

And there's more....

I'm a very excited and very happy bunny this morning!

To see why, click HERE

Going for a lie down now while I recover!

If you've found your way over here from Inspirational - then a HUGE welcome from me - I hope you enjoy your visit!

And

Thanks Jo, for nominating me

Oh crikey I'll be "doing a Gwynneth" in a minute!

Chic Chick

Over on Bubbly Scrumptious - which just in case you don't already know (lol) is the blog for the Bubbly Funk online craft shop and stuffed full of ideas and inspiration just like any of your favourite magazines - its my turn to add a little something to the store of projects.

If you popped by last Thursday you may recall the Bella Bella Box (April kit)I'd been making, and that I said that this week I'd share the contents. Well, I've not actually made them yet (ooops!) - because I got diverted again by the March kit instead.
I realised that Easter is coming and that some of the "Small Wonders" in the kit would be perfect to use for Easter cards.

This is my Vintage Chick (vintage chic - get it? hehe) card

and of course it has to be joined by Chippie Chick (or Hippie Chic)


I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist the play on words, I do love a pun even really bad ones like these make me chortle!

I've a feeling I'll be dipping into the March box of tricks quite often in the future as there are lots of those little things that will be useful for all sorts of cards. In fact, I was even inspired to make a Man's card (and you know how I hate making those, don't you?) using a couple of the great die-cuts that I found in there and mixing them in with some of my own stash.

And, I'm sure you'll be pleased to know, there's even another pun to go with it!


I was sooooo busy yesterday that I didn't get to load more pics from the Bloom & Grow Maze book, so here are the first batch of pages.



The wonderfully talented Beckie Dreyer has just relaunched her lovely BumbleberryCrafts forum - and there will be kits to follow soon too. She's got a fab LO tutorial on there all about using the paper you have left over after cutting a circle from it for another page/project. Now this is not a patch on what Beckie's done, but I did use the circle I punched to make the photo holder in the 2nd pic to make the tag on the 3rd pic. Only drawback is that I then had to cut a white circle to cover the tag with - so I now have a white "hole" left over.
hmmm, that didn't really go as planned, did it?