From the heart

Hi all from a rather blustery Bournemouth.  This is a rather early post in the day for me its normally the latter part of the evening when I manage to get on here in peace, but we bought the kiddies a new trampolene and spent all yesterday evening putting the blighter together and I'm kidding you not they were up, dressed and out the back on it by 8.30 this morning.  I am therefore taking the opportunity of having a yummy latte and surfing all of your beautiful bloggs.

 

I managed to finish a card yesterday and I'm actually quite happy with this one.  Its the first time I've used Kraft card and I really like the look.  I've only used it to mat with and the sentiments so the next step is to try to stamp and colour on it but I'm easing myself gently into that one I think!  Anyway, here is my card. 

 

 

 

I absolutely adore this image I know I say they are all my faves but this one is at the top of the list.  I didn't get her when she was first released and boy did I regret it so when I found her at The Stamp Basket for a great price in their sale she just hopped into my basket!  She has been coloured with a mixture of promarkers and copics. 

 

A bit of a close up of the sweet image and you can see the fab Whimsy sentiment better too. 

 

Papers used were Prima Nature Garden and I've decided I need definately need another pad of these as I'm going to be gutted when they run out.  I had  a go at distressing them all as well.

 

Last picture I promise!  You can see the tag in this one.  Corners are from a set of Whimsy dies, tag and dragonfly are Magnolia doohickeys.  Flowers are all from WOC and the fab ivy is a Marianne Design creatable which I cut and embossed and then lightly inked over whilst it was still in the die. 

 

Challenges I would like to enter

 

ABC Challenge  -  V for vanish

 

Just Magnolia and Hanglar and Stanglar  -  Show me your heart

 

The Sketchy challenges  -  fab sketch

 

Lovely Hanglar or Sweet Magnolia  -  favourite image

 

Okay thats all from me at the moment.  The rain has finally arrived I was hoping the wind was going to blow it over but no chance so the trampoline has been abandoned and now I have bickering kiddies indoors, help!!!! They are more than ready to go back to school now so roll on next Thursday.  I think we may just take a trip to ten pin bowling this afternoon, I'm hopeless at it so it will give everyone a laugh anyway!!!!

 

I hope you are all having a good week, take care and happy crafting.

 

Ann-Marie

xxx

Wish upon a Star!

Good evening my friends another late night date with my blog.  Everyones in bed so this is ME time and I'm doing a bit of crafting, watching some episodes from my collection of The OC and supping from a glass of Baileys with ice mmmm my sort of evening!!!!

 

Just wanted to quickly post a card I had made for the fab sketch over at The Sugar Bowl for which I missed the deadline but nevermind. I've had this card sat on my desk half finished for at least a week it was causing me so many problems I just couldn't seem to get it to come together. Its finished now but I'm still not 100% happy but I guess that happens sometimes.

 

I decided as it was a Chrimbo card I could use as much bling as I wanted so the old gold mirri card came out and gems of varying sizes.  All the flowers were blinged up with glimmermist and the image has been suitably stickled.

 

A bit of a close up of the adorable image from Sugar Nellie.  Just love these little cuties and a joy to colour.  She's been coloured with a mixture of promarkers, flexmarkers and copics and I've gone for blonde hair something that I don't do very often.  A few dies used again - memory box holly vine, cuttlebug stars and Marianne Design corner.  Not sure what the papers are I've had them for forever - trying to use up some old stock.

 

Challenge I would like to enter:-

 

The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop  -  add some bling or sparkle

 

Okay folks I'm gonna run (not literally don't do running me I'm dangerous enough without doing that!)  The kiddiewinkles are going over their nanny's for the next couple of days they've been looking forward to it since the holidays began they get spoilt rotten and hubby and I are having the day together tomorrow as a belated anniversary thing.  We've been married for 21 years been together since I was 15 turning 16.  Its not all been plain sailing we've certainly had our share of ups and downs and I freely admit I'm not an easy person to live with and he irritates the life out of me at times but he is my world and I wouldn't change that for anything.  Okay enough of the soppies!!!

 

I hope you are all okay, take care and happy crafting.

 

Ann-Marie 

xxx 

Frosty Tilda

Hello from a rather beautiful and sunny day in Bournemouth.  Gosh its so nice to have some sun and what a difference it makes.

I've popped on quickly to show you a Christmas card I've made the idea for which I got from a card magazine. 

The aperture was cut using a Spellbinders die and quite a few other dies were used aswell, gosh what did we use when we didn't have these I'd be lost without mine!!!!  I've used a Tilda which has been coloured with Prisma pencils this time.  She's one of my faves I keep going back to her even with all the new ones around.

The sentiment is by Whimsy and the music notes behind is a Magnolia stamp.  The frosty border was cut from glitter card.

Everything has been inked and edged and stickled to within an inch of its life.  The pearl brads in the doohickey flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and are seriously yummy.  Once I'd stuck all the flowers on it occured to me that maybe it would be top heavy but it actually stands up fine and is really quite sturdy considering quite a large chunk has been cut away.

Challenges I would like to enter

The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop  -  Add some bling or sparkle

Papertake Weekly  -  Anything goes

Midweek Magnolias  -  Use 2 dies/punches

Simon Says Stamp  -  Bingo (diecut, free, glitter)

Lovely Hanglar or Sweet Magnolia  -  flowers

Gotta dash now the kiddies are wanting their tea so I hope you are all well and are having a good week. 

Take care and happy crafting.

Ann-Marie

xxx

Lazy summer days ....

Hi folks, I hope you are all doing fine. Things are good in our household, kiddies getting into the swing of the summer hols although I would like better weather so we could at least get down the beach more than once this summer (not holding my breath though!!!). I've been snatching some crafting time when I can but all routine has well and truly gone out the window. 

I have however managed to make a card I was asked to do for a male birthday.  Now I don't do mens cards that often and I so struggle with embellishments but when I saw this stamp by Elisabeth Bell I knew I had to have it.  Its a real pleasure to colour and its a really good size so really you don't need many embellies as the image is the main focal point.

  

Papers are from an old paper pad by Making Memories which I thought it was probably about time I used. 

A bit of a closer look.  I've coloured the image with Promarkers but the hair was done using Copics.  Ribbon and buttons are from stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

Cupcake Craft Challenges  -  Great Outdoors

Papertake Weekly  -  Fab sketch

Okay about time I went to bed me thinks its gone 1 a.m. and I keep making mistakes whilst typing my post.  So I'm going to luv ya and leave ya guys. 

Take care and happy crafting.

Ann-Marie

xxx

Tilda in distress markers

Hi ya everyone I hope you are all okay.  Its been a little while since I've been on here.  I have been crafting but its been a bit hit and miss.  The kiddies have broken up from school now and I always find the last few weeks a bit hectic with visiting new classes and teachers, viewing work for the last term and various other school related things so it should slow down a little now and I can take a breath. 

Anyway, I've popped on to show you the card I made for my mum.  I wanted to go for a shabby/distress sort of look but again not really sure I've hit it off.  I love this style but I'm finding it really hard to achieve it.  The image is coloured with my new Tim Holtz distress markers.  Loving these I must say but it is still a little hit and miss as to whether it goes right, a lot of images have ended up in the bin in disgust and this one was the first one I was happy
 with.

I have a quick question for anyone, I want to have a go at making my piccies larger on here but don't know where to start so any pointers would be very much appreciated. 
 

Recipe:-

Papers  -  Prima 'Nature Garden' so loving these

Medium  -  Tim Holtz distress markers

Flowers  -  Wild Orchid Crafts/stash

Dies  -  Memory box 'puffy clouds', Marianne Design 'trailing ivy'

Lace/Ribbon/Doily  -  from stash

Challenges I would like to enter:-

Papertake Weekly  -  All things girly

Just Magnolia and Hanglar Stanglar  -  Birthday card

Lovely Hanglar or Sweet Magnolia  -  Anything goes

Magnolia Stamp Lovers  -  Tilda only

Okay folks I'm off to do a little colouring as I have an hour to myself.  I hope you all have a fabby weekend.

Take care, happy crafting.

Ann-Marie

xxx

First Crimbly card!!!

Happy Tuesday to you I hope your week has got off to a good start.  Mine started with lunch out with a good friend and a good old catch up so thats what I call a great start.  Anyway I wanted to show you my first Christmas card of 2012 and of course I used a Magnolia.  I've gone with a traditional colour theme for this one and I made another criss cross card.  I do love making Christmas cards I can add  bling and sparkle to my hearts content!!!

She has been coloured completely with copics this time and lots of stickles added to the trims and bobble.  I thought I would add the presentation box in my photo this time which has been decorated to match the card.

Papers are Papermania and I must admit they were lovely quality but I just wish they would include a few more pages of each design. 



My poinsettia is a Marianne Design die and I've dipped the petals in Twinklets.  I've used a cherry blossom from WOC for the centre and I quite like how its turned out.  I used my Martha Stewart doily punch to edge the card and the fab lamp post is a Marianne die also and I can see this getting a lot of use just love it.

Challenges I would like to enter

Wild Orchid Crafts  -  punches/dies

Allsorts  -  any die will do

Sweet Stampin  -  ribbon/bows

Off now to have a bash at finishing another Christmas card. 

Take care, happy crafting.

Ann-Marie

xxx

Roses are red

Hello folks from a rather beautiful Wednesday afternoon.  Its so gorgeous today not too hot with a lovely breeze just as it should be for a June day if only it would continue but we have rain heading in to spoil it all and there was me hoping to make it out to the forest with the kiddies at the weekend!

Well I've managed to finish another card and thought I would take the time to share it with you all. I've used another Tilda and she's one of my favourites - think it may be the dress just love that dress!

I've used papers from Tilda Flowergarden pad and boy did I struggle to cut into these.  I've had the pad for a good while and kept getting it out, stroking the papers and then deciding no I can't possibly cut into them but hey I've done it and I had to chuckle at myself as yep I've put it away again probably not to be used for another six months, well I don't want to use them up all at once!!!!! Decided to back them with black card and I love the effect really makes the papers pop. 

A little bit of a side view.  Tilda has been coloured with copics.  Flowers and corners are from Wild Orchid Crafts.  Ribbon and lace from stash and the sentiment is from Whimsy Stamps.  You can just about see the inside has been decorated to compliment the front of the card and thats about it really.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

Bunny Zoes  -  girls, girls, girls

The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop  -  lots of layers

Magnolia Down Under  -  BINGO (sentiment, tilda, lace/ribbon)

Simply Magnolia  -  Garden blooms

Okay I've got about 30 mins before I have to do the school run I wonder how much crafting I can squeeze into it!!!!

Take care and happy crafting.

Ann-Marie

xxx