Followers

Saturday 27 August 2011

And these are two of the birthday cards I had to do.

Here I am two posts in two days - are you shocked, I am!

A couple of cards to post today, no challenges for them just posting to share.  Am right out of joining in with challenges - am sure I will get back into when I have more time but at the mo I don't have the time to make a card to a theme I'm doing them as and when I need them.  If they fit a challenge blog that I follow I will post, but I just don't have time to go looking for challenges.

So posted just for sharing:

Card 1:

Lili of the Valley stamp, coloured with Prisma pencils, highlighted with chalks (and stickles!), die-cut onto a nestie.
Craftwork cards paper and card blank.
Papermania felt trim

Card 2:

Stampavie stamp - Sarah Kay image, coloured with Prisma pencils.  Lili of the Valley clear additions curls (stamped border around image).
Martha Stewart border punch.
Craftwork cards blank and backing paper (which is really shiny in real life).
The patterned paper is not Craftwork cards, but I can't be bothered to get off my bum and go find out whose it is - sorry!

Both sentiments computer generated and die-cut with nesties.

Do you ever feel disloyal to a colouring medium?  I used to use watercolour pencils or ordinary artists pencils, then moved onto Promarkers about 18 mths ago and have been steadily building up my pens.  Now I've discovered Prismas and hardly use the Promakers (let alone the watercolours pencils, Sakura pens, H2os, artists pencils!).  I'm starting to feel like I'm a Prisma girl not a Promarker one.  I just love the shading I can get with the Prismas, I never really felt that I got the blending right with the Promarkers and thought I could fix it by getting more pens, oh and practice of course.  Whereas with the Prismas I know I'm not brilliant but they are starting to feel comfortable - out of recent cards I've made only a couple have been with Promarkers.  Am I treading on the dark side do you think ;-)

Any tips that could get be back to trying Promarkers again, or combing the two would be welcome!

And finally, see I told you I could talk, I'm a Dr Who fan.  Just watched this evenings episode and WOW loved it!  Am getting used to Matt Smith as The Doctor, still think he's too young, but thats' probably just me getting old - you know how all Police officers seem about 20 now?!  That sort of thing.  But my goodness, DW had me glued tonight.

So off I toddle to bed - hope you all have a good bank holiday and you never know you might see me again before the weekend is out.

Sarah

Friday 26 August 2011

A challenge for me!

Hello bloggy friends

Just to prove that I'm still here and not swanned off to pastures new I'm going to share a card with you!  A card, I hear you cry, never where did you find the time!  Here and there over the last few days I snuck in cardmaking! I've actually been sneaking in a fair bit of cardmaking because as well as this card I needed a birthday card for today, two cards for next Tuesday and then there are three off to school cards I've to make before next Friday.  Phew, look at that list - I really am going to have to work hard to get those out.

Anyway here is the card I made over the last couple of days.  A Challenge in more ways than one - finding the time, an A4 card and deciding what to do!


The image is a Mo Manning digi stamp - Bunches, re-sized to suit the size of the card, coloured with my Prismas and (surprise, surprise!) a bit of stickles for glitterficiation.
I inked the edges of the image with a Distress Ink pad, mounted onto patterned paper then pearl card then onto a Martha Stewart punched piece of pearl card.
The papers were free with a magazine and the sentiment printed on the computer then cut with a Shapeabilities. (Think I've gone haywire with the spelling there).

So this is just a quick post as I've got all those cards to make, am trying to keep up with everyone's blogs but apologies if I've not been commenting as much - it's due to lack of time not lack of enthusiasm.  Things will return to normal in two weeks when 'big school' starts - I'm already stocking up on the tissues for the crying I know I'm going to do.

Keep well,
Cheerio,

Sarah

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Divas by Design - Challenge 9: Christmas in August

Hello blogworld

The summer hols, as I'm sure lots of you know!, are finally drawing to an end and as much as I've loved having Emily home I'm also now looking forward to her going off to school.  Not that I'm sure about the whole school thing, would prefer it was still nursery, but my goodness I'm looking forward to getting my craft time back!

Anyway that's not what I'm really here for!  It's a new challenge over at Divas by Design and the boss lady ;-) is making me do another Christmas card before it's even the end of August!!!  Still it's lovely to work with this times sponsor: The Poodles Digi Doodles images - they are just fab!


And this is my card:


I merged two images and then coloured with my Promarkers and highlighted with stickles glitter glue.  Die-cut onto a nestie with a chalked border for definition.
Please don't ask me whose the papers are, as I can't remember!  I then stamped a swirl border (from a set by Inkadinkado) around the edge and added a piece of ribbon from my ribbon box.
The card blank and sentiment are both Craftwork Cards.

Hope you like - but you certainly won't be seeing anymore Christmas cards from me for a while longer!

Sarah

Saturday 20 August 2011

Finally a card!

Hi there all

Before I start, I've just realised I've got more followers - hello there and welcome, I hope you find something in my ramblings and cards that you like.  Please feel free to comment, I really do love getting comments and will come back and visit your blogs too (that is of course if you don't mind me leaving my rambling comments!).

Anyway, onto the important stuff - I've finally made a card (or two - can't show you the others until I post one and the other is for the new Divas by Design challenge that starts next Weds) - so here we go:


It was made for a challenge on the DoCrafts forum - a regular Lili of the Valley challenge (not joined in much lately as have been too busy to make cards).  The theme was Love and had to be White on White with a ribbon, 3 embelishments and a bow.

So this is another of the free LoTV images, coloured with my Promarkers and highlighted with stickles.  Die-cut onto nesties - mat is embossed with a cuttlebug folder.  The panel has been heat embossed and punched with a Martha Stewart border punch.  The ribbon and buttons are from my boxes.  Swirl is a Marianne die.  Card base is Craftwork cards.

So hope you are all keeping well and I'm off to mooch around your blogs now.

From blog-hopping I've found a challenge for the card.  So I'd like to enter it into:
Totally Gorjuss - Challenge 94 - cute and cuddly

Sarah

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Been busy!

Hello blogland

So sorry I've been absent from the virtual world, have been busy in the real one!  Finally after 3 weeks of holidays we've been making the attempt to get out and about as a family and so we had a day out at Bressingham in Norfolk last Sat, then headed to the beach on Sunday.  Monday Emily and I met her best friend and his mum and went for a football lesson, yesterday we met up with some of the other children who are going to be starting Reception in September and then today we went to Crich Tramway Village.

Bressingham was OK, Peter used to go a lot when he was a little 'un himself but hadn't been for years and we as a couple haven't been for 10 years and personally I feel it's in dire need of an update, but Emily really enjoyed herself and that's the main thing.


Then the beach on Sunday - with her new kite, which she wasn't interested in at all but Mummy really enjoyed flying!  I don't remember having a kite as a child, so this was a totally new experience for me and quite addictive!



No pictures of Crich yet, will maybe load a couple of those later in the week.

Tomorrow Em and I are off swimming, then she's getting a haircut and Friday its a kids group in the morning and work in the afternoon.  Hopefully I'll get some time to make cards tomorrow evening and will have cards to load by the end of the week, until then I'll love ya and leave ya!

See ya soon.

Sarah

Friday 12 August 2011

Happiness is....

Making cards, being happy, just spending an afternoon with my daughter sitting with her making her card and me mine!

Not much to say today really, still as busy as ever with the schools hols being on, counting down the weeks (3 now!) until she starts school proper.

Hopefully heading out for a day tomorrow, we finally got her to stay asleep past 6am and then not come in and wake us straight away!  We get to 7am now -who, ho!  Of course, when school starts that will all change again and I have to be up at 6 as school (as nursery used to) starts at 8.30am.

So enough waffle - the card I made is:


I used:
Little Claire 'Birdcage' stamp - coloured with my Prismas and highlighted the birdcage with 3d gloss / Glamour Dust (ha,ha, got you bet you thought I was going to say stickles - I'm being a rebel and using something different!).
The papers are all Basic Grey - Porcelain paper pad
Sentiment is from an Inkadinkado set
Flowers are Prima, button from button box.
Card blank is Craftwork Cards.

I'd like to enter this into:
Little Claires - Things with wings
Delightful Challenges - Things with wings

Hope you all are well and happy.

Sarah

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Divas by Design - Challenge 8: Birthdays

Hello blogworld

So here I am again nipping onto Team B's turn for the new Divas by Design challenge.  I surprised even myself that I found time to make a card, but I did.
This time we are sponsored by Digis with attitude, please take a little wander over there - they have some great digi stamps.  Our theme for this challenge is 'Birthdays'.  Now I know I could've been adventurous and done something out of my comfort zone (i.e. a male card) but I took the easy option (slap wrists!) and did a very pretty - well I think anyway! - girly card.

As always I am simply amazed at the variety of cards / art that is out there and how creative you lovely people are.  This is the best part of being on a Design Team, I think, the opportunity to wander around loads of blogs!  I am so looking forward to seeing what is entered for this challenge.

Without any further waffle here is my card:


The image from an open page colouring page book by sureya, I originally followed the link from the boss lady Rebekahs wonderful blog (many thanks for the link Rebekah!).
Image has been coloured with my Prismas and highlighted with stickles (boy you must be bored with this description by now!) and then die-cut onto a nestie.
The papers are Blonde Moments - Sugar Dumpling.
The border is a Fiskars punch.
Flower from Wild Orchid Crafts.
Ribbon from my big box
Card blank and sentiment from Craftwork Cards

See you all later, hopefully by the end of the week with another card.

Cheerio
Sarah

Monday 8 August 2011

Anyone for cake?

Hello again blogworld,

Hope you all had a pleasant weekend, been a few days gap again between posting I know - but again life does have this habit of getting in the way of the pleasures of blogging!  Helped along by trying to entertain my daughter.

So first off I'll do the card then show you what I do with little one when she can't get out in the garden.  The title might give you a big hint though!

So card first:


This one is a digi stamp -  Digi Stamp Botique, Ella; coloured with my Promarkers. I've tried adding clouds in the background by inking but I'm not sure that they are very good. It's the first time I've tried it and didn't want to over do it, so think I might've underdone it!
Die cut image onto nesties, the papers are Tulip A5 linen paper pack from docrafts.
The ribbon is from a box (I have more than one box of ribbons! - this is my old stash) and I've no idea whose it is.
The card blank and sentiment are Craftwork Cards.
Almost forgot - the stash might also be the balloons sticker - brought about 5 years ago and finally used!

I'd like to enter it into:
Sketch n Stash - Challenge 67

And now for my waffle - or pictures this time!  So we had a bit of mixed weather this weekend and didn't get out as much as I would've liked this was the result of that mixed weather and a child stuck indoors.  Two cakes and a happy Emily:



Next post due Weds for the next Divas by Design challenge.

Cheerio

Sarah

Thursday 4 August 2011

How long does it take to make one card?

In this house?  Nearly a week!  My goodness this has taken me ages, I've not had 5 minutes to myself until the evenings and then there are other things that need doing, plus we had visitors on Monday so lost the evening all together!

Anyway, hello blogland - hope you are keeping well.  Loving the summer that has finally arrived, we live near the coast in windy Lincolnshire and are generally a few degrees lower than inland so although it has been warm, it hasn't been unbearable.  Although I will say that overnight it has been uncomfortable to try and sleep.

Anyway, waffle over - onto card.  Now I warn you this isn't my usual standard of photo, if I get a chance I will take another tomorrow, as I've had to take a pic this evening and it's dull, raining and the light in the dining room isn't ideal.  It really doesn't show how gorgeous these papers are - they have a real shimmer to them. But anyhows, here you go:

Hmmm, that really is quite dark - I will deff try and get it changed tomorrow (if I get time!).  Still the details stand:
Pollycraft Stamp - From the Heart Winter Elves; Devotion.  Coloured with my Promarkers and highlighted with Stickles and Liquid Pearls.
Cut out then mounted onto a Cuttlebug embossed circle die-cut and then mounted with nesties.
The papers are all Craft House - Winter Wonderland.
Ribbon from my box.

There you go, I can't believe I've done a Christmas card in August - normally I refuse to start until October or November.  This is a first for me!

Best wishes all,
Sarah

I'd like to enter this into:

Pollycraft Monday Challenge - #104 - Paula's Sketch
Totally Gorjuss - Challenge 91, Christmas in July
A Passion for Promarkers - Week 111, Theme (Hugs & Kisses)

Monday 1 August 2011

Still learning

Hello blogworld

Well here I am again on this swish new laptop which, as the post title suggests, I am still learning about.  I'm not quite comfortable with the keyboard mouse pad - don't think that is the technical term but it will do!  It is amazing that the laptop picks up on our BT home-hub and the wireless printer that we have so I can access the internet and printer from anywhere in the house.  Have been banned from taking it in the garden though as I'm a bit of a clumsy so and so, and Peter thinks I would probably drop and break it, I have to agree with him!

I'm also in the midst of transferring emails from my PC to this and, although I'm now answering emails on it, old ones still came into the other machine.  So if you left me comments before, or on, my birthday and I've not commented back, please don't think I'm being rude - I just am jiggling two comps right now.  Hopefully I should have it all straight by the end of the week.

Enough computer waffle then, onto the card.  This one is not for any challenges, I just thought I'd share so that the old bloggette doesn't feel neglected.

I know that the person I sent it to has now received it, so I'm OK to share here!

It's another Lili of the Valley freebie, coloured with Promarkers die-cut onto a nestie.
The border punch is Martha Stewart, ribbon from my ribbon box.
The swirl is a Marianne die.
Craftwork card blank and sentiment.
The papers are from one of my favourite packs at the mo - First Edition, Hideaway.

So hope all you lovely people are keeping well and I will sign off now.

Sarah