Still out of my comfort zone ....

..........but coping! Well I've stopped hyperventilating at least!!!  Anyway, happy Sunday to you folks I hope your day is as beautiful where you are as it is here.  We have glorious sunshine but with a chill in the air and I just love it.  Just the weather for a stroll and then home for a hot chocolate and marshmallows mmmm.

Well I've popped in to show you my latest.  There is something to be said for clean and simple I can knock out at least four cards to my normal one.  I've found this style doesn't come easy to me but its a challenge and I'm enjoying that.  Here's my card:-

 

The stamp I used is from a Papermania set I bought last year.  I stamped with black ink and then used black sparkle embossing powder which is gorgeous when heated up.  White card matted with black and red mirri, a few gems, some shiny red cord and its done!  Very simple I know but I like it.

 

Its quite quiet here at the moment, hubby is working, my son is out playing football, my little girl is practising her first aid for Beavers tomorrow night so I'm going to grab half an hours crafting before the madness that is teatime begins!

 

Take care folks and happy crafting.

 

Ann-Marie

xxx

 

 

Out of my comfort zone!

Yes I am so far out of my comfort zone I think I may need therapy! Sometimes thats a good thing right!?! not the need for therapy but to be outside of ones comfort zone.  Well the other evening something strange came over me and I decided to have a go at clean and simple.  I have tons of die cuts and toppers I have collected but never used especially since I got into stamping so I thought this would be a good place to start and to use up some stash. 

 

Well here we go my attempt at clean and simple.  It probably has more on it than some would use but still a hell of a lot less than I would normally adorn my cards with.  

 

Its not a very good piccie but the die cuts are actually little pearl and silver Christmas baubles which I have matted on to some gun metal shimmer card.  The thin black and silver ribbon is left over from last year but I love it so may need to get some more of that.  Its been used on top of some dark silver sparkly ribbon I found in Wilkinsons for wrapping presents.  Its quite stiff so not easy to tie in a bow but its a fab colour.

 

A bit of a side view.  The baubles have been raised with 3d foam and I couldn't resist but had to put on a few pearls.

 

I hope you like my attempt.  It was quite refreshing actually and I have enjoyed it and have a few more C & S in the pipeline.  I was thinking of having a table at my son's Christmas fayre this year so thought a mixture of fussy and C & S would be a wise choice. 

 

I would like to enter this card into the Less is More Challenge which is Silver this week.  Not really sure whether I qualify as there is a lot on my card, but I hope I do.

 

Okay I'm off now.  I hope you are all having a good week so far.

 

Take care and happy crafting.

 

Ann-Marie

xxx

 

 

Where does the time go......

I know whats with the title but tomorrow (Monday 8th) is my boy's 11th birthday and 'where does the time go' is  something I find myself reflecting on quite a lot really especially around these times.  Sometimes when I sit back and watch my babies whether they are playing, sat watching telly or just having a conversation with someone I find myself thinking its going by all too fast.  Thats something I cannot change but I do intend to make the most of every single moment and instead of wishing it wasn't going so fast to actually enjoy seeing them grow and be proud of the little people they are becoming.

 

Okay enough of the philosophical ramblings from me.  I have another card to share with you all and yep you guessed it its another Christmas one, I just love crimbo cards you can really go to town with the glam if you want to! 

 

 

I made a criss cross card this time and used a Whiff of Joy image by Elisabeth Bell.  The fab papers are a download from NitWits and I love the rich colours.  I've used copics to colour the image.

 

A piccie to show the insert.

 

Lastly a close up of the image.  The gorgeous holly leaves and berries was a bunch I found in Hobbycraft last year, hoping they have similar this year.

 

Challenges I would like to enter:-

 

Papertake Weekly  -  Anything Goes

 

Simon Says Stamp  -  Glimmer and Sparkle

 

Okay thats all from me.  My son has literacy homework to do and somehow it involves the fairytale "Rumplestiltskin" which was never a favourite of mine so I cannot remember the whole story so off to do a little 'surfing' to see if I can fill in the gaps, geez it comes to something when the parent has to do research first to help the child with homework!!!!!!

 

Thank you for popping by it means a lot and thank you for listening to my ramblings.  I never really know whether folks want to hear stuff that doesn't relate to craft so if I've bored or offended anyone with my personal 'stuff' I apologise.

 

Take care folks and enjoy your Sunday.

 

Happy crafting.

 

Ann-Marie

xxxx

 

 

 

Sweet Sugar Nellie fairy

Hi folks I hope you are all having a fabby weekend so far.  Well I'm a happy bunny as I've had my first cuddle of my sisters little one and she's oh so cute certainly didn't want to hand her back!  She's been passed around all weekend bless her and not a peep from her either she's so content.  My sister went with Elsie Rose for the name and it kinda suits her actually.  I think I may have my first babysitting duty in a few weeks as they have a wedding reception to attend and it will be overnight as well, so cannot wait!!

Anyway, enough ramblings popped on to show you another Christmas card that makes a total of four so far - stacking up aren't they NOT!! 

 

I've used another of my stamps from Sugar Nellie called 'Wish upon a star' and she's so darn cute.  I was a little worried about colouring the skirt but it turns out its really easy to do.  I've used my copics to colour her for a change.  I used the great sketch from over on The Sugar Bowl with the added option of 'worn turquoise' colour scheme.  The papers used were 'Snowed in' by My Mind's Eye and I couldn't decide whether they were really turquoise or not but went with them anyway.  However, by the time I'd 'dirtied' them up a bit with some walnut stain distress ink and coloured the image in it doesn't really look very turquoise at all, but hey I like it anyway and at least I followed the sketch!

 

A bit of a side view and you can see the inside is decorated to compliment the front.  Its all been Stickled and the flower is made up of a mixture of a Papermania fabic flower, a couple of paper ones I had in my stash and finished off with a rose from WOC.

 

My last piccie is a close up of the gorgeous stamp, isn't she a cutie.

 

Challenges I would like to enter:-

 

My Mum's Craft Shop  -  Stars

 

Simon Says Stamp  -  Anything goes

 

The Sugar Bowl  -  Fab sketch (added option of worn turquoise colour scheme)

 

Right, thats all from me for now.  The kiddiewinkles are on the Wii at the moment so I'm going to sneak in a little colouring, that is until the arguing starts!!!!  Hope you all manage to squeeze in a little of what makes you happy.

 

Take care,

 

Ann-Marie

xxx

 

All twinkled out!

 

Yes I've discovered Twinklets (I know where have I been) well infact I bought these last year and hardly used them I don't know why as they're fab and look so effective and add great texture to your Chrimbly cards. 

 

Well I hope you're having a good week so far.  Its rather wet and blustery here today so no intention of venturing out until I pick the kiddies up (unless I can talk hubby into doing it!!!!).  He's working at home today and I never seem to get much done when he's at home.

 

We were woken up at 6 a.m. this morning by my sister phoning from the hospital to say she'd just had her little girl weighing in at a healthy 7lb and they're both doing fine.  I'm so excited can't wait to see them but I shall give her some breathing space before we descend on them.

 

Okay back to my card.  Once again I made this following a fab sketch over at The Sugar Bowl but never made the deadline but here it is anyway.  I'm using kraft again to mat everything - just love it.

 

 

The image is such a sweetie from Sugar Nellie coloured with Distress Markers and lots of Stickles.  Papers are a download from Nitwits called Heavenly which have been distressed with walnut stain distress ink.  The trees are a die from Marianne Design and I added Tim Holtz crackle paint and when that was dry some glue and Twinklets.  Not sure where the sentiment is from its a diecut I found on my rummage and I just added a little charm to it. 

  

 

A close up of the image and you can just see the trees too.  I was so pleased with how the image turned out.  I'm still learning with the distress markers but no doubt I'll get there eventually, at least it didn't end up in the bin!. 

 

Another close up this time of the little cones my kiddiewinkles helped me collect when we went on a little jaunt the other week.  I've crackled them again with the Tim Holtz paint and dunked them in Twinklets.  Love how they've turned out and I can see me using the Twinklets as much as I do Stickles.  The little berries started out life as red ones but I crackled them and then used some silver rub on and then went over with a little pink.

 

Okay no more waffle from me.  Someone told me yesterday that its 91 days til Christmas well now thats just put me in panic mode so after my two little ones birthdays in October YES both in one month what was I thinking, its gonna be head down and cracking on with Chrimbo projects.

 

Challenges I would like to enter:-

 

Bunny Zoe's  -  distressing

 

Sweet Stampin  -  how charming (use a charm)

 

Catch up with you later folks, take care and happy crafting.

 

Ann-Marie

xxx

A baby's cot

Hi everyone I hope you all enjoyed your weekend.  Its been a little while I know but my little extra to go with my sister's baby card has taken a tad longer than expected to finish.  Its done now anyway so here's a few piccies. 

I had a go at making a baby's cot.  I used a template which I bought year's ago and had never used so I decided to dust it off and give it a go.  

 

There was a lot of cutting involved and I decided to distress it by inking all the edges (and there were a lot of edges) and the side bars have all been beaded which took ages but adds a little extra.  I love the hanging mobile I wasn't sure whether I was going to do one at first but I'm glad I did now.

 

I made a cot bumper and quilt and used ribbon/lace to edge and soften it all.  Not sure you can see so well but I have added little pearls to the top of the blanket and pearl hearts on the ribbon and bottom of the blanket.  Things don't feel finished to me if I haven't added ribbon and a pearl or two!!!

 

One last piccie to show another view.  I used the same papers as I did for the actual baby card in my previous post.   The template was an Arty Farty design template.

 

Challenges I would like to enter:-

 

Bunny Zoe's  -  distressing

 

The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop  -  Lace and Pearls

 

Okay thats me done for today.  I've just finished baking an apple cake and now need to make a chicken and leek pie for tea.  Mmmm I just love autumn with all its warming bakes and smells and soon be time to pick my sloe berries to make my sloe gin for Christmas - yum!.

 

Take care folks and happy crafting.

 

Ann-Marie

xxx

 

 

 

A sweet little baby

Hello everyone I hope your week is going well so far.  Mine is going well, hubby has managed to grab a couple of days off and we're making the most of the last few days of the summer holidays with the kiddies as they go back on Thursday. 

 

I've popped on to show you a card I've just finished for my sister and brother in law.  They're expecting their second little one any day now and we have the advantage of knowing its a girl mind you she said that with her first baby after the scan and they got it wrong she had a boy!!!!  Well anyway I'm very excited to say the least and can't wait to meet her when she arrives.  Here's my card I hope you like it.

 

 

I've used a Magnolia stamp again and its another one I didn't buy straight away and of course regretted it whenever I came across it in blogland so with my sister expecting it was the perfect excuse to get it!!  The image is coloured with a mixture of copics and promarkers and trimmed with ribbon/lace and a string of pearls.

 

The papers are DCWV Nana's Nursery and are just beautiful.  I've inked around all the edges to dirty them up a little and had a go at stitching around them as well which is not at all straight but I kinda liked it like that so left it.

 

A bit of a close-up of the image.  The sentiment is a Dufex one which I came across when I was having a rummage.  Flowers are from WOC and everything has been stickled again.

 

Challenges I would like to enter:-

 

Wild Orchid Crafts  -  Layer it up

 

Papertake weekly  -  Anything goes

 

Lovely Hanglar or Sweet Magnolia  -  Flutter

 

Right I'm going to toodle on now folks.  I'm in the middle of making a little something else to go with this card so I'm hoping my sister holds off giving birth until I've had the chance to finish it, best get my behind in gear me thinks!!!!

 

Enjoy the remainder of your week and I hope you manage to sneak in a little craft somewhere.

 

Take care

Ann-Marie

xxx