As You Like It Challenge #72 - One Layer or Multiple Layers and WHY

Hi Crafters,

Hello and welcome, it's lovely to have you visit me today.

I'm sharing my DT card for the challenge at As You Like It today where we would love to see your creations using your favourite one layer or multiple layer styles.

You must remember to tell us WHY you have chosen this particular style please.

I much prefer, and also find it easier to create a project with multiple layers because I like to have a variety of embellishments, colours and textures on my cards. A clean and simple design is a very daunting prospect for me as I find it difficult to walk away after one layer, lol.

Here is my card...

Recipe

Image - found on the Internet

Papers - Fizzy Moon with Love - Mr & Mrs Paper Pad

Word Die Cuts - Britannia Dies

Corner Die Cut (underneath background) - Marianne Designs LR0281

Corner Die Cut (on image) - Joy Crafts 6002/0172

Glitter

Satin Ribbon

Pearls

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Crafty Girlz - #11 ATG

Craft-Dee Bowz - ATG + Bow

OSAAT - #254 Tic Tac Toe (3 or more layers, Lots of blue, Pearls)

Crafty Cardmakers - #156 - Punches and/or Dies

Our sponsor this time is

Crafts U Love

who are offering a £10 gift voucher to the winner.

Please pop over to the challenge blog for some more inspiration from the rest of the design team.

See you soon,

Lorraine 

xXx

New Home

Hi Crafters,

This post is being blown to you from a very windy Norfolk today.

I have a New Home card to share with you all today created using a rather lovely stamp from Inkylicious.

Recipe

Sentiment Stamp - Inkylicious - New Home

Black Embossing Powder

House Dies - CraftEmotions

Distress Inks

I began by inking some white card with a range of blue Distress Inks until I had the sky how I liked it. Then I stamped and heat embossed the large sentiment and added the house die cuts in a row popping the red one up on foam pads for a little definition.

A quick and easy make this time.

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Aud Sentiments - #147 ATG

Winter Wonderland - Something New - New Home

Creative Fingers - #101 ATG

One Crazy Stamper - January Challenge ATG

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Something New - New Home

Incy Wincy Designs - Tic Tac Toe (Embossing, Red, Die Cut)

Crafty Cardmakers - #156 Punches +/ Dies

TTCRD - ATG

Well we are at the middle of the week, it is down hill from here, hope you have a good Wednesday!

Lorraine 

xXx

Passion For Promarkers Challenge #330 - Clean & Simple

Hi Crafters,

We're asking for your 'Clean and Simple' creations at Passion For Promarkers this week. Remember to use your Letraset markers to qualify an entry in the draw and tell us where on your project you have used them.
For my card today I have used this lovely stamp from LC Designs who is our sponsor for this challenge and coloured the tulips and ground with my Promarkers.

Recipe

Stamped Image - Wavy Cats & Tulips - LC Designs

Medium - Pro/flexmarkers

Papers - Bo Bunny - Isabella Designer Paper Pack

Gems

Challenges I'd like to enter:
In The Pink - Bling It On
Aud Sentiments - #147 ATG
One Crazy Stamper - January Challenge - ATG
Crafting From The Heart - #96 ATG

LC designs are offering 6 digital images to the winner so get out your markers and let's play!

Lorraine
xXx

613 Avenue Create Challenge # 160 Anything Goes

Hi Crafters,

**If you're looking for my Christmas Card Club card then please scroll down**

How are you all on this Sunday morning?

Well I hope and enjoying your weekend.

We have a totally 'Anything Goes' challenge this week at 613 Avenue Create with no twist so you can create whatever you wish for this challenge. Let's see what you can all come up with.

I have used this beautiful image from one of our sponsors, Stitchy Bear, called 'Darling Daisies'.

Recipe

Image - Darling Daisies - Stitchy Bear

Medium - Pro/flexmarkers

Creative Expressions Die - Californian Collection, Corner and Border

Silver Mirri Card

Spotty Organza Ribbon 

Challenges I'd like to enter:

That Craft Place - ATG

Fab n Funky - #288 Buttons or Bows or Both

Craft-Dee Bowz - January challenge
The Ribbon Girl - January Any Image Challenge

I have created quite a simple looking card for today although I think these types of cards take me just as long as a more elaborate card, lol. The colouring on this image was quite time consuming to go in and add the shading around all the tiny petals but it was very therapeutic. What looks like black card in the photo is actually silver mirri card - there goes my award for photographer of the year !

I wish you all a happy and relaxing Sunday, I will leave you with the details of our sponsors below so pop along and join in the fun here.

Our sponsors this week are:-

Robyn's Fetish Digital Stamps

winner receives 3 digital images (no papers)

&

Stitchy Bear Digital Stamps

winner receives 3 digital images

Lorraine 

xXx

Christmas Card Club Challenge #2 Sleigh

Hi Crafters,

It's time for our friendly Christmas Card Club to meet again and our theme which was chosen by Maureen is 'Sleigh'.

I have used this fabulous image from Bugaboo Stamps featuring jolly old Santa and his sleigh in a snow globe.

 Recipe

Image - Snow Globe - Santa's Sled - Bugaboo Stamps

Medium - Pro/flexmarkers

Papers - Me To You - Happy, Jolly Christmas

Kraft Card

Sizzix Word Die

Marianne Designs & Impression Obsession Snowflake Dies

MFT Stitched Square Dies

Crafters Companion Christmas Embossing Folder

Gems

Glamour Dust

I've seen lots of crafty folk recently making these types of backgrounds with patches of coordinating papers so I thought I would give that a go. I like how it turned out, especially using the MFT stitched square dies, which took all the work out of cutting and measuring. I embossed the panel behind Santa with a CC Christmas Words embossing folder but then covered most of it up with the snow globe, never mind. Lastly, I cut out the word 'believe' from my new set of Sizzix dies, loving these as there are so many combinations using the words included in it, and adhered it and the snowflakes to balance out the card.

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Crafty Time - #9 Make It Sparkle

CHNC Christmas Challenge - January

The Ribbon Girl - January Any Image Challenge

Incy Wincy Designs - Tic Tac Toe (Embossing, Red, Die Cut)

I Love Promarkers - #300 Use Something New  

( New Image & New Word Die)

Creative Moments - #85 ATG/Let It Snow

Aud Sentiments - #147 ATG

Creative Fingers - #101 ATG

I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend, I think it's meant to be dry here for the next few days thank goodness.

I'll be back tomorrow with my Design Team inspiration for 613 Avenue Create, see you then.

Lorraine 

xXx

Sharing an Oldie on Friday

Hi Crafters,

It's Friday again and time to share an old crafty make with Erika.

If you'd like to join in, just pop along to her blog and leave a comment letting her know that you have and she will visit you.

This was a commissioned card made a while ago for a pet lover. The brief was to have a cat and a dog and the recipients name the rest was up to me - I think I covered all that.

A short post from me today, I have a few errands to run and a crafty afternoon making cards for DT commitments and my stall next week.

Happy Crafting and Happy Friday!

The weekend is nearly upon us.

Lorraine

xXx

Art Pad Calendars

Hi Crafters,

As it's already three weeks in to January I thought it was time I shared  the calendars that I made at the end of last year!

I would have shown them before but with all the issues I've had of late with my old computer crashing and then this new one I thought the photo's were gone....

...but good news, most of my files were recovered. I lost a few things but not nearly as much as I'd first thought and these photo's were among them.

Both were made with LOTV Art Pad images and some pretty die cuts and papers.

I had one calendar booklet left and so decided to make an MDF hanging one.

This has the dinky measurement of 12cm x 9cm and looks really cute hanging from a magnet on my fridge door.

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Crafty Girlz - #11 ATG 

Creative Inspirations - #343 ATG

It's started off the day very frosty and cold but bright and dry, just how I like it - so chores done, I'm off to play in my craft room.

Lorraine

xXx

ABC Christmas Challenge - B for Baubles

Hi Crafters,

I have my ABC Christmas challenge card to share with you today.

Our theme this time is 'B' for Baubles and I'm using an image from our Sponsor called 'Merry Christmas Tree'...

Recipe

Image - Merry Christmas Tree - Bugaboo Stamps

Medium - Pro/flexmarkers

Papers - 'The Night Before Christmas' Pad - Trimcraft

Kraft Card

Sakura Glitter Pen

Gems

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Crafty Friends - #23 ATG

CHNC Christmas - January

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends - #26 - ATG

Crafting From the Heart - #95 ATG

TTCRD - ATG
I Love Promarkers - #300 Use Something New ( New Image)

I have coloured my image as always with Promarkers and added  touches of a Sakura glitter pen which I can assure you looks fabulously shimmery in real life but the camera gremlins have visited again today and there was no way I could  get it to show up.

My papers are all from the same pad which I have layered on to kraft card for some contrast.

Now back to the challenge, we would like to see your creations depicting the theme of Baubles. So you can make cards, scrapbook pages, 3D projects, decorate baubles or make your own baubles, whatever you like so long as you follow the theme.

The lucky random winner will receive 7 digi's of their choice from our sponsor..

Bugaboo Stamps

Bye for now

Lorraine

xXx

Baby Boy Box Card

Hi Crafters,

Well the weekend has arrived albeit a cold one here, I hope you are all safe and well.

Today I have a box card to share with you for a baby boy.

They're tricky things to take pictures of so I'm afraid there are quite a few to show all the angles.

Recipe

Spellbinders Scalloped Pop Up Box Die

Baby Boy Cardstock - Limetree Crafts

Marianne Designs Pram (LR0218), Train (LR0308) & Baby Shoe (LR0304) Dies

Britannia Word Dies

Sentiment Stamps - Clearly Besotted Stamps & Kaiser Craft

This was made using a new die to me that I purchased at the NEC back in November, it's the first opportunity I've had to use it. It does make life easier when you don't have to measure everything and cuts like a dream. This card fits into a 6" x 6" envelope when flattened.

Challenges I'd like to enter:

OSAAT - #253 No Square or Rectangle cards

Crafty Cardmakers - #155 NEW: Baby, Marriage, Home etc

Fab n Funky - #287 For A Child

Creative Moments - #84 New Beginnings

Thanks for visiting today and for the lovely comments you have left on my previous post too. I appreciate and read every one of them.

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Lorraine

xXx

Joining in with Erika - Sharing an Oldie

Hi Crafters,

Hope you are keeping warm today! 

We had a bit of sleet and snow yesterday and today started off very icy and cold, so I'm in my craft room, keeping warm.

Today I am joining in with Erika and her fun look back at what crafty makes you have made.

Now you all know that my computer curled up and keeled over the other week and so I only have a few odd images of older cards left on a memory card for my camera so this is it....

It was a notelet sent in a parcel of goodies and my first attempt at a totally inked background and stamped card. I love the colours on this and now that I have reminded myself of it I think I will make some more.

The stamps are a mixture of Sheena Douglas and some magazine freebies stamped with Versafine Onyx Black & Brown over a distress ink background.

If you'd like to join in with us leave Erika a comment on her blog telling her you have participated and she will come visit you.

Well that's it from me for today,

I will be back over the weekend to share another baby card.

Lorraine 

xXx

As You Like It Challenge # 71 - Paper or Non Paper Project and WHY

Hi Crafters,

Well, I'm lucky to be blogging today after the fiasco I have had with my new computer. I should have put a bet on as to whether it would work ok as I would have won, lol.

After spending quite some time with Hubby on Monday evening getting it up and running with a limited set of programmes and working fine I went to bed quite contented. 

Tuesday morning I woke full of enthusiasm to tackle the task of setting up the rest of what I needed to function with my DT blogs and various programmes that I regularly use only to have it throw a wobbly and produce an error message before it had even booted up properly. I then spent the next four hours on the phone to tech. support (good job it was a free phone number) only to have him finally decide that it would be best to reset it to the factory settings.

Arrrgh!! 

All my downloaded cut files for my Silhouette would be lost and I think that was the third and final time I could reload them to a new computer. Not to mention the stuff I lost when my old computer crashed. Do you think someone is trying to tell me something?

..and if I see another whirling wheel in the next week I think I will go over the edge.

All that keeps ringing in my ears is what my daughter said before it arrived,

"I don't know what you are stressing about, there is nothing to getting a new computer, you just take it out of the box, switch it on and it does it all for you".

What planet is she on?!

Anyhoo, rant over,

(I'm saying this with fingers crossed) 

it is working fine now.

Now what was I here for? ahh yes - A Challenge!

The new challenge at As You Like It is to showcase a project using your Favourite of either a Paper or Non Paper Project. You MUST also explain WHY it is your favourite.

My favourite is Paper every time, I have tried knitting, crochet, flower pressing (a lot of years ago) and painting but I always come back to paper crafting for my crafty fix.

So here is my project...

Recipe
Image - Bathtime Bobbi - DigiStamp Boutique
Medium - Pro/flexmarkers
Baby Boy Cardstock - Limetree Craft
Large Circle Dies
Sweet Dixie Elegant Border Die
LOTV Sentiment Stamp
Spotted Grosgrain Ribbon
Pearls

Challenges I'd like to enter:
DigiStamp Boutique - January ATG
Crafty Calendar Challenge - Something New (New Baby)
Craft-Dee BowZ - January ATG +Bow
Crafting From The Heart - #94 ATG
Crafty Cardmakers - #155 - NEW: Baby, Marriage, Home etc.
Deep Ocean Challenge - #120 Something New
I Love Promarkers - #300 Use Something New ( Sweet Dixie Border Die)
Fab 'n' Funky - #287 For A Child
Creative Moments - #84 ATG / New Beginnings

Our generous sponsor this week is

DigiStamp Boutique

offering a £10 Voucher to the Winner

now you wouldn't want to miss that would you, so come and join in the fun with us we look forward to seeing what you create.

Lorraine

xXx

Passion For Promarkers Challenge # 328 - Fantasy

Hi Crafters,

It was my turn to choose the theme for this weeks challenge at Passion For Promarkers and I chose my favourite subject - Fantasy.

Recipe

Image - Love You Drago - DigiStamp Boutique

Medium - Pro/flexmarkers
Sakura Stardust Pen
Papers - Doodlebug (I think, lost the packaging)
Grass and Flowers - Magnolia Die
Ribbon Banner - Joy Crafts Die
Number Die - MFT
Sentiment - Papermania Stamp
Stitched Ribbon

Isn't this the cutest dragon you ever did see? If dragons were real I would love them to be like this  and not the scary sort in films, lol.
I went for a bright and cheerful colour palette this time, it's been so wet, dull and dreary here that I thought I needed a little lift and began thinking about Spring.

Challenges I'd like to enter:
Eureka Stamps - #175 Use Something New ( Image)
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Hearts
Try It On Tuesday - Letters and Numbers
Fab n Funky - #286 Something New (Image)
Cute Card Thursday - #407 Hey What's New (Image)
Winter Wonderland - Spring is in the Air
DigiStamp Boutique - January - ATG


I do hope you will join in with us using your Fantasy images, we would love to see what you come up with, be it fairies, angels, dragons, unicorns, elves or pixies, you decide.

Our sponsor this week is ..

DigiStamp Boutique
who are offering a £10 Voucher to the winner.

I'll be back to visit you all soon,

Lorraine
xXx

613 Avenue Create Challenge #158 ATG / Birthday or Anniversary

Hi Crafters,

**If you are looking for my Christmas Card Club post then please scroll down**

How are you this Sunday morning?

Fine I hope. 

Today I have my DT creation for 613 Avenue Create. Our theme this week is, as always, 'Anything Goes' but with a twist of 'Birthday or Anniversary'

I have used an image from one of our sponsors and made an MDF plaque for this challenge. The image is called 'Frame It - Gus' by Bugaboo Stamps.

 Recipe

Image - Frame It - Gus (her nagging) - Bugaboo Stamps

Medium - Pro/flexmarkers

MDF Rectangle Plaque

Tattered Lace Decorative Rectangle Die

Papers - Beach House Pad by Craft Sensations

Core'dinations Card Stock - Crafters Companion

Mini Eyelets

Grey Gingham Ribbon

Glossy Accents (on his glasses)

Challenges I'd like to enter:

That Craft Place - ATG

Crafting From The Heart - #93 ATG

TTCRD - ATG

Try It On Tuesday - Letters and Numbers

Brown Sugar - #180 ATG

We have two sponsors this week...

Sami Stamps

winner receives 3 digital images

Bugaboo Stamps

winner receives 7 digital images

Be sure to check out the challenge details on the blog and the inspiration from the DT.

See you soon,

Lorraine

xXx

Christmas Card Club Challenge 2016 #1 - Festive Food

Hi Crafters,

Just popping in quickly to share my Christmas Card Club card for the first of our challenges of 2016.

I'm a day early as usual, I have another DT card to share for tomorrow.

This first challenge is hosted by Margaret our marvellous coordinator and she has chosen 'Festive Food'.

Recipe

Image - Card Making Downloads - 'Too Much To Eat'

Fine Glitter

Challenges I'd like to enter:
Crafting From The Heart - #93 ATG
TTCRD - ATG
Brown Sugar - #180 ATG
Creative Fingers - #100 ATG
Not Just Cards - #28 ATG

This was a quick make using a downloadable image which I printed a couple of times and raised the circular image and holly leaves on 3D foam but it's still flat enough for posting.  A lot of my customers asked for flat cards last year and so moving forwards in to 2016 I think most of my creations will have to be on the skinny side.

Well that's all from me, take care,

Lorraine
xXx

ABC Christmas Challenge - A is for Anything Christmas

Hi Crafters,

Thanks for all your kind words both here and on Facebook regarding my computer issues recently. It meant getting a new PC in the end which should arrive soon, then the fun begins getting used to a new system and loading all my files that I managed to retrieve. Wish me luck :/

Well a new year and a new challenge at the ABC Christmas  blog.

We start our year off again with the letter A and a nice easy challenge for you of 'Anything Christmas'.

I'm using this sweet image from our sponsor Sami Stamps called Curious Gift.

Recipe

Image - Curious Gift - Sami Stamps

Medium - Pro/flexmarkers

Sakura Glitter Pen

Crafters Companion Sentiment Die

Britannia Die Holly Sprig

Lea'bilities Die Holly Leaf

Papers - Me To You - Happy Jolly Christmas Pad

& Country Companions Winter Wishes Pad

Red Gems

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Crafty Friends Challenge - #22 Use Something New (Image)

Allsorts Challenge - #344 What's New (Image)

Crafty Calendar Challenge - Something New (Image)

Come & Get It - Something New (Image)

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends - #25 ATG

Crafting From The Heart - #93 ATG

Check out the blog for some great inspiration from the Design Team ladies if you're a bit stuck for ideas, then come and join in the fun of making Christmas cards all year round with us. It's great to have a stash of cards all ready for sending out come the Big Day, which by the way is only 353 days away, lol. :)

See you soon,

Lorraine

xXx

Computer Issues

Hi Crafters,

My long suffering, hard-working, five year old computer has finally kicked the bucket and gone to cyber heaven.

It has been acting up for some time but we thought we had cured it recently with a little visit to the repairers, but no.

Although I had some things backed up on a separate hard drive I think I have still lost quite a lot of

pictures and information so I apologise in advance if I'm a bit quiet over the next week or so but I am using my husbands laptop for now when time allows.

Lorraine

x