Up, Up and Away...

The new July set of Crafty Templates will be released any time now and they are always fab.  This month is definitely no exception and the set is brimful of great templates and ideas.

I love this bicycle template.  I've cut down the front of a C6 card and made a little wall for the bike to lean against. I filled the basket on the front with lots of tiny flowers here, but after I'd finished I had the thought that fill the basket with a pile of books and this would make the perfect "Off to Uni" card - especially for those heading to Cambridge or Oxford where the bicycle is king!  

 I couldn't decide what to put in the background so reduced the size of the balloon template also in the set and made a couple to fly into the distance.

I used the balloons again, larger size this time for my next card

I've used papers from the Crafty Goodies kit, plus some from my stash to make these cards. 

I've more cards made with the new templates and goodies to share tomorrow.  You can find out all you need to know about them HERE

Don't forget the new Sketch and DT call over on my Sketch File BLOG. - I really do need some help to get my sketches out there!

Got to go now as I'm off for an Indian Head Massage in a few minutes - so hopefully a more calm and relaxed me will be surfing the web later!

Thanks for popping by

Vroom Vroom

I know it's late (again) but I've just loaded a new sketch onto my Sketch File Blog.  As well as the sketch there's a call-out for joining my new little Design Team if you're interested- so pop over and have a look, I'd love it if you'd join in whether or not you want to join the team.

This is the card I've made using the July sketch

I was experimenting with more papers from Funky Hand's fab Colour Me Happy (abbrev. CMH) CD.  Not only using a different colour collection - this one is called "Jovial Man" btw, but also printing onto different papers/card

I absolutely love the way the base card turned out.  By rotating the image by 90deg  and printing half size (ie A5) on an A4 sheet of card (300gsm), then trimming down, I ended up with a 14cm sq card blank with the design printed directly onto the front of the card.  As the card is "hammered" it has a wonderful texture as well as the fab pattern.  I printed the other designs I needed at 4 on an A4 sheet of 160gsm photo paper and I love the finish I achieved.  I've used a free colouring page download to make the Robo template for the motorbike, the top blue layers were also cut from a "CMH" paper, the other layers cut from black and silver card.  Three silver brads were the only other things I needed to add a bit of a highlight to the card.  I hammered them flat rather than leave them bevelled.

Really really easy-peasy :-)

The Colour Me Happy  CD went on sale from the Funky Hand website on Saturday and you can get your hands on your very own copy by clicking HERE.  I've only been on Anice's DT for a few months and I'm still learning new ways to use the designs, images, letters and wordbooks, but I'll tell you something - I love them more and more every time I use them and I love the way they are so versatile.  The difficult thing is first choosing which colour collection to use this time - and then there's the challenge of choosing which designs from within that collection to print off for my project.  It's a lovely problem to have though!

Thanks for visiting today, I hope you'll be having a go with my July sketch now you've seen how easy it is!

Seeing Things In Silhouette

Mr lovely Belgian/German DCM teamie Rein, is setting the challenge for us this week.  If you've not checked out Rein's blog yet then you're missing a treat because her crafting is such a fab mixture of styles and techniques, she somehow puts it all together waves her special magic and makes it work.

It's Rein here, and my dare for this week is
silhouettes
you could use a cut-out image, a stamped image or whatever you like to make them, 

but we'd like to see at least one silhouette on your card this week.

 I'd forgotten how silhouettes make such a good design element for a card and I've been hunting around looking for good things to work as silhouettes on future projects - I'm thinking they'd be great for man's cards and being in silhouette means the colouring-in problem doesn't arise (cunning, what!).

For my card this week I've gone down the simple black and white route and made this wedding card.

I found the picture on the web and just converted it to a black and white image so that it would cut out on Mr Robo.  I cut it a couple of times and matted them together with some chipboard scraps between the layers.
Scalloped circles:  Nestabilities
 "Style Flowers" embossing folder and entwined hearts die cuts are Cuttlebug
Black card is the slightly pearlised Bazzill (I forget what it's proper name is, sorry)
"Congratulations" is Robo cut
The easel is made from a 14cm sq card.
I made the miniature bouquet using bits cut from prima flower, wire and beads, plus some green handmade paper.
Other materials: wide white cotton lace, "red hearts" satin ribbon, wired rose and rosebud, pearl bead strings, small silver heart brads

I hope you like the card, and I also hope you'll head over to the Daring Cardmakers to see what the other girls have made this week - there are some fab ideas for and ways of using silhouettes over there.

I'm now heading out to water the garden before the veggies start screaming with thirst. It's the courgettes I'm scared of - they grow so fast I wouldn't be surprised to see them banging on the windows yelling "Water Me....NOW!"

WOYWW The Bigger Picture

Today I've used my "proper" camera to take the photo of my craft space.  Mainly because it's lying around rather than in the cupboard as I took it for a walk around the garden yesterday and haven't put it away yet. It's got a better lens with an anti-shake focussing fairy built in.  The downside is that I can get more of my clutter into one photo.  So I'll take a deep breath before bravely adding my photo today!

Yes.  It does need a serious tidy-up, I can see that now!

Head over to Julia's blog to find more about WOYWW and all the links for craft spaces you can visit - all around the world in a matter of.... well a few hours if you leave a comment on every single one - something I never manage to achieve and regret every time I fail.

If you'd like to see the photos of the Word Book I was so thrilled to see in close up on the Create and Craft launch of the brand new Funky Hand CD then it's on the post just below this one.  If you arrived here by Mr Linky it's probably easiest to click HERE

Thanks for visiting, if you've time to leave a comment, I'd love to "meet" you

Sunset Word Book

I thought I'd show properly the word book I made using designs from the new Funky Hand "Colour Me Happy" CD - I was soooo chuffed that it got quite a bit of airtime on Monday's Create and Craft show.  Pathetically so really!  But there you go, eh...

The really difficult thing was working out which photos to put in and which to leave out.  I certainly realised just how many sunset photos we take - funny how few (as in nil) photos of the sunrise we've got...

I'm going to do my WOYWW photo next but I'll put that in a separate message.

It's Show Day!

Half an hour till Funky Hand's fab new CD, "Colour Me Happy" is launched on Create and Craft TV  

(Monday 5th July at 10am)

If I keep saying it I might even remember to click the link myself and watch the show on my pc.  Got hubby to set it to record on the TV too, just in case!  I don't think they show it on V+ for some reason, but it's on Sky, Freeview and FreeSat and our TV has a built in Freeview receiver 

The other girls on the DT have told me that the excitement of catching a glimpse of your stuff on TV never wears off hehehe

They've all made amazing projects for Anice to take in for the show.  Not just cards and wordbooks but all sorts of other things made using this fab new CD so it's definitely worth a watch.
I showed a sneak peek of my wordbook on here yesterday so here are a couple of other things you might spot on the telly this morning

Right, I've got quite a bit to get on with today, so I should make a start.

Have a great week

Colour Me Happy

Reminder! Reminder!

Funky Hand's fab new CD, "Colour Me Happy" will be launched on Create and Craft TV on Monday 5th July at 10am. 

"Colour Me Happy" is  in the same format as the fab "Dreams Come True" CD - it's so easy to use and you can easily resize the papers via the setting son your printer to get smaller versions of the designs, or just to print out the amount you need. 

You can watch the show on your pc via THIS LINK 

 The CDs will also be available from the Funky Hand Website from 12 noon, Saturday 10th July

On Monday's show Anice will show samples she and the Design Team have been making using the new papers, images and wordbook designs.

Here's a sneak peek of one of the projects I've sent up ready for the show. 

I've used the "Glad Rags"  set to make this wordbook

 I really love the colour combos and patterns on this CD and they print out so brilliantly. As I work more with the CDs and downloads I think I'm gradually getting the hang of using them and learning little tips and tricks all the time - it's definitely worth the effort of trying out printing on different papers/cards  as you do get different effects and finishes.

I've just found a pack of 170gsm photo paper lurking on the printer paper shelf which can be printed on both sides - it's wonderful for printing the flower designs on, or anything I want to use for building embellishments - ends up working just like the really good quality double-sided scrapbook paper - nice and weighty but still pliable.  Now all I need to do is see if I can source some more!

More sneak peeks tomorrow - then you can let me know if you spot them on TV -  oooh I've come over all excited again!

Birthday Book Blog Candy Winner

Thanks to all those who left a comment on last Friday's post (June 25th).

There were 18 comments and I used a random number generator to select the winner of the birthday book.

The number it picked was number 6 and that corresponds to the comment left by.....

Kathy Rogers

Kathy, if you email me with your postal info I'll get the book in the post to you, I hope you enjoy using it.

I've started writing up the instructions and will add them to the blog soon

Ruby Slippers?

As it's the first Friday of the month the new challenge on the Daring Cardmakers is another from the birthstones theme that's running throughout this year, 

The birthstone for July is the  

Ruby
Rubies are associated with  devotion, integrity, courage, happiness and said to promote vitality, confidence and strength.
The healing properties related to Rubies are in connection to blood problems and infection, it's also considered helpful in increasing positive thought patterns.
Rubies are also thought to enhance  energy, generosity and to bring prosperity and success. 

You might be inspired by something there, or simply by the glorious Ruby Red colour when it comes to making your card.

We now waved a fond farewell to Kaz and Andrea who've been such wonderfully inspiring Guest Designers over the last few weeks, and we're hoping that they'll come and do it all again sometime soon.  We do, however, have a very talented new Guest Designer joining us this month and I'm especially chuffed as her blog has been in my favourites list for ages. We're very happy to introduce Ania (aka Nutki) who'll be sharing her creations with us all through July.

 I'm sometimes asked to make special cards to celebrate Wedding Anniversaries, so I decided to make a card that would be suitable for something like that - I've (cunningly, hehe) left space to add a customised message!  However, if I don't need such a card before October, then it will be for my Aunt's birthday as red is her favourite colour - so I've not made it lovey-dovey either!

It was seeing the new little Prima bouquets  that are around atm that gave me the idea for this.  I used to make bouquets for cards a few years ago and I really enjoyed putting them together.  You'll probably find a few examples if you scroll back through the years this blog has been going!  If you really wanted to, that is!

Card base is Red Stardream card, as is the top red layer. Between them is a white hammered card square.  I've used two sizes of Nesties scalloped circles to cut apertures in the top two layers.

The narrow ribbon was threaded through some of the holes in the gorgeous lace, then adhered to the upper layers of the card and folded around the edges.  This whole section  was then adhered to the base card with sticky pads.  The depth isn't as great as I was hoping, but never mind, eh

The bouquet was then tucked into place and glued there  - easier than trying to get the position right on the base card before adding the upper layers.  

In the bouquet are various types of paper and fabric flowers - I love the one at the top (John Lewis) - it's already got a little feather and some beady bits and is soooo pretty - I must remember to get some different colours next time I'm in the shop. Some of the flowers weren't quite the right colours so I added a bit of ink and then spritzed them all with a couple of Glimmer Mist shades.

To complete the bouquet there are a few leaves and some crystal stems - you need a bit if bling to "lift" the monotone red.

The upper corners looked a bit bare so I added some tiny pearls to the right side.  I'm always amazed how just a couple of brads, gems or a little tab of ribbon is just enough to pull everything together and add some interest to a dull corner.

I hope you like it.

I've not forgotten about the little book tutorial, that'll be along in the next few days.

I'll do the draw for last week's blog candy this evening and edit this post to announce the winner - if you want to win the birthday book, leave a message on last Friday's post before 6pm UK time and you'll be in the draw!

Right, back to the next project for Funky Hand....with a bit of luck it's Hubby's turn to make the coffee next.

Funky and NEW!

I've been a right misery-guts this week Hubby's been away in Copenhagen for meetings with clients and I was feeling sorry for myself - you'd think not having him around to talk to would mean spending more time chatting on forums/blogs etc but instead I found myself in a very uncommunicative mood.  Anyway he got home last night and it's back to normal.  

Last time he went to Copenhagen he brought back a couple of huge marshmallow chocolates - he saw them in the shop at the airport and thought they looked really strange so couldn't resist buying some - they measured about 3.5" across and about the same high - so they really were huge!

 Bringing back strange presents is nothing new - when he went to Holland he brought me a little Gouda cheese all of my very own!

......and from a business trip to Tokyo years ago he brought several odd things - including a box of tea bags.  I got an ice-cream scoop for my birthday once .....

This time I have some rather more "normal" looking chocolates - though I can't be sure as I've not tasted them yet - they may be curry flavoured or something!  And then there's Anders, who's come to live in our house - he's chosen the name in honour of one of the guys he was meeting with over there, apparently there's a likeness about the hair! 

 At least having a "fit of the others" as my mum called being in a bad mood, plus being on my own with no need to keep an eye on the clock meant I got my head down and did some crafting.

It's new challenge day today over on Funky Hand's challenge blog "Get Funky" and the theme is "New" and has been set by Ruth.  As usual there's a fab prize of a £20 voucher to spend in the Funky Hand shop - something well worth bearing in mind when there's a brand new CD about to be launched.......

My card is obviously a New Baby card.

I've used papers from the new CD which is called "Colour Me Happy" and is in the same format as the last one (Dreams Come True). I love it!  The designs are fab and the colour combos are fantastic - they print out beautifully and by altering the setting on your printer you can get the same designs in different sizes.

For my card I've used designs from the "Blissful Baby" colour-way.  I've cut the letters using my Craft Robo and the elephant is one of the images you also get on the CD.  I made the flag from plain card, trimmed with scraps of CMH paper, the words are Robo cut and the flagpoles made from a bamboo skewer snipped in half - it's a big card and will hopefully get to Anice in time for the new CD's launch on Create & Craft next week.  I'll confirm the date and time as soon as it's all settled.

If you go to the Get Funky Challenge Blog you'll not only find out all you need to know on how to enter this month's challenge, but you'll also get to see more Colour me Happy sneak peeks at  the papers, images and wordbook styles.

I need to have a catch-up on all the blogging I've missed during the last few days, but before that I have to think of something to do for tomorrow's DCM.  Yep, it's back to the normal Thursday panic - fingers crossed something pops into my head once I've sat at my craft desk.

Oh - don't forget about last Friday's blog candy - I'm going to do a random draw with the names of all who leave a comment on that post entered and the prize is the birthday book I made using some of the Nikki Sivils goodies.

Is it cool enough to have a coffee this morning do you think?  I think I'll risk it - I can always switch the fan on if needs be.  
And then I really will start on my card.

STOP PRESS
The new "Colour Me Happy" CD will be launched on Create and Craft TV on Monday 5th July at 10am. After that it will be available from the Funky Hand website from 12 noon, Saturday 10th July

Birthday Book

A very quick note

A couple of people have asked for instructions on how to make this so I'll get some photos sorted out and post the project as soon as I can.

There you go - I said it would be quick! hehe

Halfway there....Candy Winner and More Candy!

Here we are enjoying lovely warm sunshine (if not the associated hay fever symptoms) and what does Keryn do to us Daring Cardmakers this week?  She reminds us that it's not so warm elsewhere!

Now it's my turn (Keryn) to announce the Dare for the week.  As it's rather cold over in the Southern Hemisphere right now I want you to share in the chill.  Make your cards using the theme of 'Ice and Snow'.  You could showcase winter sports, icy colours or even icy emotions on your card and it would fit the theme beautifully. 

 The thing is, I just wish I hadn't also noticed the date of this dare - it's the 25th of June today, which means that in exactly 6 months time....No I just can't bring myself to say it!

Now, I do a bit of blog-hopping whenever I get the chance and it seems to me that for some people C-word has never gone away - I come across C-word cards every week and they definitely send shivers down my spine.  But a challenge is a challenge and I duly made a card with snowflakes on it - I'll show you that in a minute.  The thing is, I just couldn't get a decent photo of it so even though for once I was ahead of schedule and had my card made by Wednesday lunchtime it's not the card on the DCM blog today.  Instead I made something else yesterday afternoon and took my inspiration from the word "Ice" in the challenge title.

Tiny ice cream cones cut with my Craft Robo using one of the June Crafty Templates

Pink Stardream card blank (Woodward PDA)

Brown Bazzill strip embossed with Cuttlebug Distressed Stripes

Gorgeous Spotty ribbon from stash

Tiny gems (Anita's)

Sentiment is pc generated using Ice Age D font (just to keep the theme going hehe)

So next is the first card I made - it looks a lot better in real life, but despite trying different camera settings, lighting, backcloths etc, this is the best of the 30 photos of the darned thing I took. 

White C6 Easel card

Turquoise Bazzill 

White Bazill embossed (though you can barely tell) with Cuttlebug Snowflakes folder on upper and lower sections

Turquoise, Silver and White glitter card

Dies used:  2 x Spellbinders sets, Cuttlebug small snowflakes

MS snowflake punch

Turquoise thread for wrapping

Turquoise & White Snowflake ribbon along lower edge

The DT have come up with some great ways to interpret the "Snow and Ice" theme this week, so please don't miss out on visiting the BLOG and seeing them - we hope lots of people will join in and take up the challenge this week.

This morning I've checked and double checked all the comments on my blog over this week.  I have blog candy to give away and I asked people to leave a comment on each post I made over the week.  There were lots of comments on all the posts, but in the end I came up with 9 people who left one on each of the posts.  I made a list and assigned a number to each one of you, then used the random.org picker to select one number - which turned out to be number 6.  Consulting my list I found that the name matching number 6 was KATH - so Kath, you have won my Nikki Sivils goody bag.  If you email me your address, I'll get it in the post to you asap.

As we have several prizes to give away on the DCM Blog, we'll add them in a new post over there just as soon as the winners are drawn and we've checked that our "3 Little Rules" were complied with.  Please bear with us while we get it all sorted out!

Thanks to everyone who joined in, I wish I could give every one of you a prize because all the comments I get on here are so appreciated.  I love it so much that I've decided to offer more blog candy today.  If you leave a comment on this post, you could win the little birthday book I showed yesterday

This will be open all week and I'll draw a winner next Friday.  Good Luck!

Bee is for Birthday

*Last day for joining in my Blog Candy.  See Friday 18th for info on how to be in with a chance of winning this little lot

Another lovely day.  I was out watering the garden at 7.30 this morning in the hope that the dew would still be keeping the pollen in check.  I do love sunny days, but the last few have really had me suffering with my hay-fever, it's not so breezy today so hopefully that'll help too.

Have you been watching the tennis?  I have the little portable TV set up in the study so I can craft and watch at the same time.  yesterday I had the BBC website up and was flicking between the matches you can watch on there too.  I have to say, that while that marathon Isner v. Mahut match is incredible in it's record-breaking way, it's not the most exciting contest I've ever seen!  If Isner moves any more slowly between points he might fall asleep between footsteps!  It wouldn't have lasted nearly as long if he'd moved his butt a bit quicker. hehehe  Still. even staying upright after all this time on court is a feat in itself.

Mr Federer isn't taking it all like a walk in the park this year, is he?  Nadal is looking awesome - I love both these guys style and as long as one of them wins in the end I'll be a happy bunny. At the risk of sounding unpatriotic, I don't like Andy Murray, there's something in his demeanour that puts me right off.  Ooooh contentious, eh? hehehe

Right back to the important stuff of crafting!

Yesterday I mentioned the little book project that was on my desk.  Not only did I get it all finished, but I even managed to get my Daring Cardmakers card ready for Friday - that's usually top of my Last-Minute-Minnie Thursday list.

Anyway, as you might have guessed from the title of the book, it's a little birthday book.  It's pocket sized and has pockets in it!  The basic book is actually made from one sheet of 12x12, though I've added a cover to mine as I never manage to leave things be!

I've used more papers by Nikki Sivils for this book.  I didn't get the "Willow Bee" paper pad in my pile of goodies, but I did get some of the 12x12 versions of the papers and those are what I've used here.  Apart from the rusty-brown piece I used on the covers which is from "Will He B the 1").

From NSS I've used lots of layers cut from different papers, "easy cut sheets", stickers and just one of the fab burlap buttons.  

I've punched the little bees from one of the papers and used them on the covers and on the tags inside.

The book title is Robo cut, as are the names of the months for the tags.  The centre of the big sunflower was covered with Glossy Accents and lots of tiny beads.

The white Bazzill "pages" were inked with two shades of pale blue Cat's Eye inks, then the pocket sections were trimmed with pieces cut from the borders paper in the Willow Bee collection

The tags are just cut from matching shades of Bazzill, trimmed with lots of ribbon.  I've used the punched bees to cover the ugly staples and to carry the theme through the book.  The lined pieces for adding dates and names to the tags are pc generated.

There's a spare tag in each of the end pockets for notes or to use if any month is stuffed with too many dates for one tag to cope with!

I really enjoyed making this little book.  I love that you only need the one sheet of 12x12 and that there's only a little bit of folding and just one cut to be made!  It means you're soon on to the fun decorating bit. 

  I hope you like it, I'd love to hear what you think.

WOYWTSW?

*I have Blog Candy this week - see Friday 18th for info on how to be in with a chance of winning. This is what's in the goody bag

So - What's On Your Workdesk This Sunny Wednesday?

It's that day again - the day Julia's ever-growing band of brave crafting souls share their craft-spaces via WOYWW.  I'm sure everyone knows about it by now, but just in case you've not tuned in yet, click HERE to find out all about it.

 Here's how my desk looks right now - I'm in the middle of a little book project that I'll be hoping to finish today and blog properly tomorrow. 

I'm sorry that the photo looks a bit shaky today - I didn't use the tripod and looking at these photos, I probably should have!   

This next photo is just a slightly closer look at the book I've been making.

That's it - I'm keeping it short today - so many desks, so little time.....

Thanks for visiting - don't forget to leave a comment here and on my other posts this week to be in with the chance of winning my DCM goody bag. (see Friday 18th post for more info)

Hope the sun is as shiny where you are as it is here

Happy Crafting

Cherry on the Top!

*I have Blog Candy this week - see Friday 18th for info on how to be in with a chance of winning.

Goody bag with lots of papers and embellishments from Nikki Sivils, plus a few flowers handmade by me.

Today I've another card using fab stash from Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker to share.  Again I've used the sketch from our current Daring Cardmakers challenge (there's stash to be won there too).  This time I've used papers from the "My Sweet Cherry Pie" collection.

The big scalloped background  is a corner from the die cut 12x12 paper

Other papers are from the paper pad.  

Cupcake cut freehand from cereal packet chippie

 NSS bread tag inked in red then coated with Glossy Accents 

Big fabric covered brads also from Nikki's stash

More GA on the cherries on the top of the cake

Ribbon from my own stash
Doodlebug tiny rub ons

I love the bright colours in this collection - just right for summer time (if it ever arrives....)

Thanks for visiting, please leave a message