HELP! - anyone out there I need advice on which pencils to go for

Hi folks, just a very quick one from me today, my hubby has just let drop a very huge hint that Father Christmas may be kind to me this year and get me a set of pencils. Now I have seen some amazing colouring in blogland with both Prismacolors and also Polychromos (and he's obviously very tired of hearing me mention the fact and in the hope that it may shut me up!!!). Obviously never having used either of these before I don't know the pros and cons for either of them so would very much appreciate any comments or advice you can give me so that I can leave a subtle hint as to which I would like.

Any advice is gratefully received. Many thanks guys, take care everyone.

Ann-Marie
xxx

Christmas Post!

Hi everyone hope you've had a great start to the week. My week is going to be a little hectic as its our son's 9th birthday on Friday and a few things left to sort like GET THE PRESENT yikes nothing like leaving it to the last minute is there!!! Should be okay though as we've decided to let him have a pet so we're going to get him a little hamster (or those creepy things that scurry about as my hubby said). Anyway, I'll keep it brief as I'm not feeling on top of the world tonight as I have a cold and feel like plop.

So here's a crimbly card made with a gorgeous little Sarah Kay image all in traditional reds and greens today and I used the yummy sketch from over at Bunny Zoe's monthly challenge.

Papers are the fab Memory Box just luurrve these which I got from Tracy at Dies to Die for. The poinsettias are die cuts made using the Marianne Creatables dies which I think are great. The greeting on the card is a die cut which I've had for like forever and the sentiment on the base is by Inkadinkado and not forgetting the roses which are of course from Wild Orchid Crafts.




I would like to enter my card into a few challenges:-

Bunny Zoe's Crafts - sketch

The ABC Challenge - Easel cards

Creative Inspirations - Christmas in September

Secret Craft Saturday Challenge - Easel cards

Stampavie - Die cuts

I think thats about it folks I'm going off now to make myself a yummy hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows - it always cheers me up.

Take care wherever you are and happy crafting.

Ann-Marie

xxx

Autumn is finally here!

Happy Tuesday to you I hope you're week is going well so far. Mine has got off to a good start (I think) I'm feeling quite honoured that my sister has asked me to do her wedding invites, favours, table settings etc and I was quite excited until she informed me she was thinking of having the invites all sent out by the end of October at the latest. Now I'm not the speediest crafter so as you can imagine by this stage excitement was wearing off and panic was setting in. Anyhow, if I go a little quiet on here thats what I will be up to as I can't imagine I will have much time to play with anything else until they're all done.

Anyway enough waffling, as Autumn has well and truly arrived and I must admit it has to be my most favourite season what will all the colours and the smell of leaves in the air, lovely, I couldn't resist making an autumnal themed card. The image is from a fab Sugar Nellie set and the leaves and acorns are stamped images too that were also included in the kit (pop over and have a look as I even think the set on offer at the mo) and all I did was stamp them onto coloured card and cut them out.

I decided to make a card and little matching gift box. You know me I love my little sets. Anyway, I got the idea and link from the very talented Jodi at Inked Inspirations pop over and take a little looksie at her blog its fab and its always full of inspiration.

Another little piccie at a different angle and you can just make out that I've decorated the inside of the card aswell.

Last photo I promise and this shows what the little box looks like when opened up and its a really good size too so you would fit quite a decent sized mittful of choccies in there!!!!

If you're still with me at the end of this long post, thank you for taking the time to pop on here and have a little peek its very much appreciated I promise. I'm going to enter my card and box into a couple of challenges:-

Stamp Something - something with fall colours

Everybody Art Challenge - Autumn

Thank you again for sticking with me, have a great evening all.

Take care

Ann-Marie

xxx

Snowflakes a plenty!!

Hi all, hope you're having a fine Thursday wherever you are. Its not so nice here today, got drenched doing the school run but the upside is I've had a couple of hours this morning to myself to get something crafty done and boy did I enjoy it. I think when my little girls goes full time beginning of November I am going to have to allocate myself a set crafty time as nothing else is going to get done I would quite happily craft all day everyday so I think I'm going to have to be strict with myself (yep good luck with that then!!!).

Well onto my card, I've been wanting to have a go at a tent card for ages and I've finally made one and I love them. They're so easy to do and providing your embellies are not too big they fold quite flat aswell. I wanted to frame the aperture with lots of snowflakes so I die cut and punched some out of pale blue and white glitter card and also punched out some holly leaves and put those around too. The stamped image is of course Sugar Nellie 'Hug in a Mug' and I love this one (I say that about all of them!) and she's coloured with copics. What I 've started to do lately is when I stamp an image I stamp a couple and colour them both at the same time and then try and make two cards out of the papers I've got on the go at the time.

I've distressed my papers with my scissors, inked and added some stickles to the edges and also added some gems to some of the snowflakes and little red ones to the holly leaves for berries. Just another piccie to show the front view.

Papers used are My Minds Eye - A Signature Christmas, Marianne Design dies for the snowflakes, Sugar Nellie image and sentiment is Inkadinkado.

Well I think thats about it really. Got an autumnal card on the go at the mo which all being well should be done soon, so I'll catch you then.

I'm going to enter my card into a few challenges:-

A Spoonful of Sugar - Anything goes

The ABC Challenge - Distressing

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Anything goes

Take care.

Ann-Marie

xxx

Sugar Nellie DT call card

Hi folks,

This will be short from me today as I am getting this card in by the skin of my teeth, will tell you about it all later, but anyway he's my card for the Sugar Nellie DT call, hope you like it.


Will catch up with you later on today folks, its all been a bit of a mad rush here this morning, not even happy with the piccie!!!
Take care,
Ann-Marie
xxx

Long time no see!

Hi everyone, gosh it seems like such a long time since I was on here, but what with the kiddiewinkles going back to school and obviously everything that goes along with that, its been quite hectic. Not sure I'd say things are returning to normal yet as it doesn't feel normal as my youngest has just started 'BIG SCHOOL' (although not full time yet) and it just doesn't feel right, but hey she's loving it so thats the main thing, so I will put on a huge smile and be a brave mummy, yeah right! but at least I managed to hold it together on the first day, although I did go armed with lots of tissues just in case!!!

Well enough of my trials and tribulations, lets move on to my card. This little guy is called 'Pip with Presents' and isnt he just the cutest little chap. I love him to bits and he was really easy to colour. I followed the fabulous sketch over on The Sugar Bowl and look not a flower to be seen and I even managed to get a few buttons on there too!!!

The papers used are from an old pad from Hot off the Press and I'm not kidding you they must be 3 years old at least so about time I used them don't you think and I've even used a bit of dare I say it mirri board on there as well.

Well another piccie showing the front view of my card and lots of stickles and the sentiment is a die cut one from my stash.

Well thats about it from me for tonight. I hope you are all well wherever you are and doing a little of what you love.

Take care.
Ann-Marie
xxx

Lady Tilda

Afternoon everyone, hope you're all having a good start to the week. I'm having a quiet start as the kiddiewinkles are not yet back from nanny's, apparently they are having way too much fun to come home and won't be back until 7 ish tonight. They really enjoyed their weekend in the tent which incidently nanny thought was going to take off last night as it got a tad blustery here LOL.

Anyway, I have been quite productive no housework but plenty of crafting so just wanted to show you my card for today. I've gone all purple, had a hard time colouring this little image the copics I've got in this colour are a little too far apart and they didn't blend as well together as I would have liked so I'm going to have to remedy that and get some sketch markers to fill in the gap I have so after all the blending and everything she ended up a little darker than intended.

Another piccie shows a full on front view and I've tried that effect where you make lots of little dots with your markers around the image but the jury is still out I'm afraid as to whether I actually like it.

Well a quick low down on what I've used - the papers are My Minds Eye Jen Wilson La Paperie, just loving these, obviously Lady Tilda which I got from Sir Stampalot, roses from Wild Orchid Crafts (of course) and another Leone Em branch punch, ribbon is Papermania, sentiment is a die cut one not sure where from and pearls/gems from stash.

Another few challenges I would like to enter with this card (sorta getting the hang of this now):-

Creative Inspirations - fabby sketch

Just Magnolia - Lets get sentimental (got to have a sentiment on your card)

Create 4 Fun Challenge - make a Birthday card

Nearly time for the monsters return so catch you all later.

Take care.

Ann-Marie

xxx