Still Getting into the Swing of it...

Hi Crafters,

...I thought I would bounce back in to the New Year and carry on blogging as before but here we are January 13th and I've only blogged twice this year so far!

Just realised it's Friday 13th too, shhh, it's unlucky to write that down, don't tell anyone :o)

I've been creating but I just haven't had the time to blog them yet, so be prepared, there may be an avalanche of posts here soon.

Today's card is quite a simple design, or it was in my head when I started, but it turned out to be quite time consuming to cut out and ink each die cut and fit foam pads to the back side in all the tiny spaces.

Recipe

Dies - Spellbinders Shapeabilities Pendants Fleur de Lis & Labels Twenty Two

Memory Box Leavenworth Butterfly Trio

Spun Sugar Distress Ink

Glitter Card

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Crafty Catz - #353 ATG twist Butterflies

Brown Sugar - #233 ATG

Crafting When We Can - #135 ATG

Glitter 'n' Sparkle - #221 ATG

Crafting From The Heart - #142 ATG

In The Pink - #110 ATG

Moving Along with the Times - #36 Something in the Air

We've had the first snow of the year this morning, only a little splattering thank goodness but I hope all my blog buddies around the country are ok as I know further West and North have had it really bad.

Lorraine

xXx

Christmas Card Club Challenge #16 - Baubles

Hi Crafters,

Now here on my blog it's going to be like waiting for a bus over the next few days - ie.

Nothing for ages and then three all at once!

I've been a little slack with posting and commenting of late. I've been creating cards but just haven't had enough time to get here and show them. However I have three posts coming up over the weekend, two DT's and a GDT so come back again for a bumper day on Sunday.

Right, now the reason I am here today -  it's been two weeks since our CCC challenge and so it's time once again to create a Christmas card using the theme chosen by Margaret, which is...

BAUBLES

I've gone for one big bauble

Recipe

Spellbinders Vintage Bauble Die

Sue Wilson Stamp - Vintage Night Bauble

Crealies Stitches Oval Dies

Cottage Cutz Stitched Rectangle Dies

John Lockwood Stamp - 12 Days of Christmas Sentiments

Crafters Companion Embossing Folder - Reindeer Forest

Snowy Acetate - Anna Marie Designs

Red Glitter Embossing Powder

Gems

I have created this card using snowy acetate in the aperture so my bauble looks as if it is hanging.

I stamped and cut out the bauble twice and placed it on the inside, lining it up with the bauble on the front to cover the glue.

The insert was stamped in Memento London Fog using some small snowflakes stamps so they can be seen through the acetate from the front. Then I stamped a Merry Christmas greeting and embossed it in red glitter EP which is covered up by the bauble when the card is closed.

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - #77 Show us some Sparkle (red glitter embossing powder)
Fab 'n' Funky - # 315 Christmas
Winter Wonderland - An Embossed Background
Noor Design - #21 Christmas in August
Sweet Stampin' Christmas - ATG
CHNC Challenge - Aug ATG Christmas
CHNC Every Saturday - #293 ATG Christmas

As this card is a day early I hope you can pop back tomorrow to link up with the other ladies on the team for their creations ( list in the CCC tab at the top of my blog) and to check out my other posts.

Bye for now

Lorraine 

xXx 

As You Like It Challenge #82 - Favourite Die & WHY

Hi Crafters,

The new challenge at As You Like It is to use your Favourite Die - please tell us WHY it's your favourite to be eligible for the prize which is a £10 Voucher for Bunny Zoe's shop.

Well this was a no-brainer for me as I've had a favourite die for some time now and it's the fabulous floral oval die from Spellbinders. I find myself using this so many times on my cards as it's just the perfect size for my coloured images and fits nicely on to a 6 x 6 card but equally doesn't get lost on a larger card either. 

I can't take credit for the whole design on this one as it was one of those days when Mr Mojo had left the building. I wanted a design that suited the age of the cards recipient and while trawling through the internet for inspiration I came across an awesome card by a bloggy friend. 

Here is LUCY'S card.

This is my version...

I  found some papers in the LOTV collection that went with the Art Pad image and added some Joy Crafts corner and accent dies to the design along with some die cut numbers too.

Recipe

Image - LOTV Art Pad

Papers - LOTV

Dies - Spellbinders Floral Oval 

Joy Crafts 6002/0135 & 6002/0148  

Marianne Designs Butterfly  

Tonic Number Dies

Flowers - Wild Orchid Crafts

Distress Ink - Antique Linen

Satin Ribbon

Pearls

Challenges I'd like to enter:
Allsorts - #367 Fancy Bows and Ribbons
Not Just Cards - #33 ATG
Crafty Girlz - #16 ATG
Craft-Dee Bowz - June Challenge ATG + Bow
The Ribbon Girl - June Card Challenge
OSAAT - #264 Layer it Up
Crafting From The Heart - #116 ATG

Thanks for visiting, please pop over to the challenge blog  HERE for more inspiration from the DT.

Lorraine

xXx

Diamond Anniversary

Hi Crafters,

Hope you are having a relaxing Sunday.

My card today was an order for a Diamond Wedding Anniversary. I used a 7" x 7" card base and lots of die cut elements.

Recipe

Glitter Dot Paper

Spellbinders 'Lovin' Diamonds' and 'Pierced Hearts' Dies

Heartfelt Creations Sunkissed Fleur, Italiana Grape Vines Stamps and Dies

Squeezed Lemonade & Peeled Paint Distress Ink

Glitter

Pearls

Challenges I'd like to enter:

Come & Get It - #115 Glitter and Bling

Creative Inspirations - #349 Your Favourite Things (Flowers and Pearls)

Noor Designs - #17 April ATG

How wonderful to reach 60 years together, somehow I don't think hubby and I will make this milestone anniversary - it's our second marriage and by my calculations I will be 96 and my hubby 102!  :o)  but hey, you never know.

Lorraine 

xXx

As You Like It Challenge #62 - Favourite Die and WHY

Hi Crafters,

Today is the start of a new challenge at As You Like It and the theme is 'Your Favourite Die and Why'. - Don't forget to tell us why it's your favourite to qualify for the prize. 

Our sponsor this time is Bunny Zoe's Crafts.

My favourite die at the moment is a Spellbinders large Floral Oval. I love it because it's big enough to frame quite a large image and very pretty too. Here is my card...

 Recipe

Image - Tiddly Inks 'Wryn's Birdhouse'

Medium - Pro/flexmarkers

Papers - Unknown (sorry bought a mixed lot on Ebay)

Spellbinders Floral Oval Die

Classic Oval Dies

EK Success Flower and Corner Punches

Glamour Dust

Gingham Ribbon

Bling

 Side view...

Challenges I'd like to enter:
Brown Sugar - #162 Use Something Recycled ( Gingham Ribbon from a gift bar of soap)
Creative Fingers - #91 ATG
Crafty Friends Challenge - #13 Use a Sentiment
Allsorts Challenge - #327 Lots of Layers
Addicted To Stamps - #108 Die Cuts
The Ribbon Girl - Add Flowers
Quirky Crafts - #18 Home Sweet Home
Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends - #17 ATG
Crafting From The Heart - #76 ATG
Crafty Card Makers & More - #147 Floral Embellishments
Papertake Weekly - Things With Wings

Come and join in the fun with us, the rest of the DT have created some great projects with their favourite dies. I'm sure you all have a ton of dies in your crafty stash so lets see what your favourite one is. 

Lorraine

Play time with Sue Wilson Dies

Hi Crafters,

 

Is everyone enjoying the weather, or maybe watching a bit of Wimbledon?

It's been a bit up and down here for the weather but just the right temperature for me this week at least - I found it too hot last week and didn't get as much done as I would have liked.

I have been playing with my Sue Wilson dies recently and would like to share a few cards that I have made...

 

Sue Wilson - Striplet Regal

Marianne Designs - LR0279

 

Challenge:

Papertake Weekly - ATG

 

 

Sue Wilson - Striplet Regal

MFT - Layered Label

Sue Wilson - Striplet Regal

Spellbinders - Labels 4 + Labels 28

 

Sue Wilson - Canadian Collection Background

Spellbinders - Labels 28

 

Challenge:

Crafty Time - #3 Punches and Dies

 

 

Sue Wilson - Faux Quilled Leaves

Crafters Companion - Decadence Card Front Die

 

Challenge:

Come & Get It - ATG with Flowers

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - #87 ATG/Make it Floral

 

 

As you can see most of these were commissioned with names and ages needed.

 

I hope you liked my cards today, I will be back tomorrow sharing an 'oldie' project with Erika and it's not a card this time.

 

See you soon,

 

Lorraine



Happy Anniversary!

Hi Crafters,

What a gorgeous day we had yesterday and today is set to be even better :)

I've just looked at the date and we are half way through April! - where did that go?!!

I have been busy in my craft room though completing lots of orders and thought I would share a couple with you today.

They each had certain remits to fill and I am pleased to say that both customers were very happy with their respective cards.

 

 With this one I used lots of Spellbinder dies to create the layers and a very pretty glittered rose background card. The corners are a La, La Land die.

Challenge:

TTCRD - ATG

 

This next one uses an ample sized Inkylicious stamp which I have heat embossed with silver EP.

The die is also from Spellbinders and is called 'Gold Elements One'. I have cut the corner die four times and turned it around to make a complete background with it. The inner mat that has the sentiment stamped on it is from the Deco Oval Trellis Base die set from Tonic.

This card was a devil to photo with all the silver mirri card on it, I kept getting a reflection and glare from my light, but after a few attempts I managed a decent picture I think.

Challenge:

Papertake Weekly - Words, Words, Words.

 

Well I hope you all have a great craftylicious day!

See you soon,

 

Lorraine

 

 

 



Elegant and Majestic...

Hi Everyone,
... those are the names of two of the dies I used on this card - Majestic Labels 25 and Elegant Labels 4, together with Cheery Lynn's Fanciful Flourish and an MFT rolled rose die. I haven't made rolled roses in such a long time, I had forgotten how relaxing it is to make your own flowers, whether rolled or otherwise. It also allows you to match your flowers to your project by choosing your papers to compliment. I also used my Print Magic embossing powder in Midnight Blue by Debbie Moore for the first time and was pleasantly surprised with the result. It has been hiding away in my drawer and been overlooked for too long. It has a wonderful sparkle to it, you can just see it in this photo I think.

Challenges:

Scribble & Scrap - #26 Anything Goes

TTCRD - Anything Goes

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge - #44 Anything Goes

My Mum's Craft Shop - #21 Dies & Punches

 

Thank you for all your Birthday wishes for my Mum yesterday, she had a lovely day.

 

Happy Crafting!

 

Lorraine

 

 

Friendship

Hi Everyone,
Welcome to my fellow bloggers and new followers, lovely to have you on board.

Monday morning is here again, the weekends go so quickly don't they? I have a simple card for you today that is perfect for a friend.

Recipe

A5 card blank

Digital backing paper

Cuttlebug Daisy Embossing Folder

Distress Ink - Dried Marigold & Ripe Persimmon

Spellbinders Decorative Labels Twenty-Eight

Inkylicious Sentiment Stamp - Flowers That Bloom

Stitched 1/8th Ribbon

 

Challenges

Country View Challenge - Wordplay (August)

Sketch Saturday - #322 (turned 90 degrees)

TTCRD - Anything Goes

 

Thanks for joining me again today and for all the lovely uplifting comments on my last two projects, it truly means so much to me to know that you are all out there appreciating my creations. I try my best to return the favour each time and visit your blogs too but time often gets the better of me and I get there a little later than I would like.

So thanks again and see you soon,

 

Lorraine

 

 



Baby Carriage

Hi Crafters,
Here is the other baby card I promised to share with you, a day late but then what is a day amongst friends?

As you can see I used the lovely Marianne Designs Baby Carriage die and some Spellbinders circle and scalloped circle dies. The gingham ribbon and bows are from Mei Flower.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

TTCRD - Anything Goes
Divas By Design - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz - Embossing (wet or dry)
Brown Sugar - Anything Goes #95
Sister Act - Anything Goes #58
Creative Fingers - Anything Goes #37
 

 



 Well I'd like to wish you all a dry and sunny Spring Bank Holiday week if you are in the UK but it has been torrential rain here today, I hope it hasn't settled in for the whole week.

Bye for now,

 

Lorraine

P.S. Sorry about the different coloured text in this post, I have no clue what is happening, every time I try to make it all the same colour it reverts back to this, so I've given up I'm afraid :/

Christmas Card Club Challenge #10

Hi Crafters,
Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday morning!
I'm here today to share my CCC challenge card. This time the theme is 'Poinsettias' and was set by our lovely member Karen B. Here is what I came up with...

Card recipe

6 x 6 scalloped card blank

Papers - Dovecrafts Back to Basics Vintage Christmas

& Raspberry Road Christmas collection

Poinsettia - Spellbinders Layered Poinsettia Die

Sentiment - Waltzingmouse Stamps

Bronze metal corners & filigree flower - Stash

Pearls - Meiflower

 

Challenges

Papertake Weekly - Sketchie Free For All #89

TTCRD - Anything Goes

Winter Wonderland - Bows

Completely Christmas - Anything Goes Challenge #10

My Mum's Craft Shop - Lots of Layers #17

CHNC Patterned Paper - May challenge

CHNC Challenge Extra - Christmas

CHNC Challenge 175 - Something beginning with 'B' (Blooms)

The Ribbon Girl - Flowers

 

Please go and check out the other ladies Christmas creations, their links are in the tab at the top of my blog. They are certain to give you lots of beautiful inspiration for your own Christmas makes.

 

Hope the weather stays fine, there are a lot of fetes and events going on today and tomorrow and it's a shame when the weather lets them down.

Have a great holiday weekend!

 

See you soon,

Lorraine



Wedding Anniversary Cards

Hi Crafters, hope you've had a lovely day.
Spring is here and lots of people organise their weddings for this time of year, that would explain why I've had lots of requests to make Wedding Anniversary cards too. Here are three that I made recently.....

 

The first one is an 8 x 8 card blank with gold satin cardstock and Centura Pearl in lemon which I embossed with two different Crafters Companion Embossalicious folders. I used a Martha Stewart Punch-around-the-page punch, Spellbinders Floral Ovals die and a La La Land corner die. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the ribbon was from my stash.

The second card uses a new Memory Box Die - Diamond Background, the Floral Ovals die again and Sue Wilsons Filigree 3D Bow die. I then placed WOC pearls at the cross points of the background.

Lastly this card was made entirely from the layers of the Spellbinders Elegant Labels 4 die using pearlescent cardstock in white and blue and then I inked through the die with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink. A satin bow and a faceted brad to finish.

Hope you like my offering tonight.

I'd like to enter in to the following challenges:

Scribble & Scrap - Anything Goes #15

TTCRD - Anything Goes

 

Thanks for stopping by and looking in, I really appreciate your comments.

 

See you soon,

 

Lorraine

Spring Flowers

Hi Crafters,
I've been trying to use some of my dies that have been neglected and I saw a card on my fellow CCC members blog Sylvie and remembered that I had that die so here is my take on Sylvie's inspirational card.

It's a Spellbinder Fleur De Lis Pendant Die.

The centre doily die is a Marianne Craftables die.

I've added clear rhinestones in the centre of each pendant die shape and on the sentiment for interest. To finish it off I added Wild Orchid Craft flowers and the leaves are a Magnolia die I believe.

 

I'm entering this in to these challenges:

A Creative Romance - Spring Flowers

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes #224

 

Well it's late and I'm off to bed so see you all again soon,

 

Lorraine

ABC Christmas Challenge

Hi,

***This is my second post for today, please scroll down for my earlier post, thanks.***

The challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge is 'C' is for Chocolate Creams and this is my entry for this week.

Card Recipe

Nellie Snellen border die, MFD 028

Spellbinders Die - Asian Motifs

EK Success Punch - Large Reindeer

Pearls and  Chocolate Stickles

This is also another Christmas card for my stash but I'm already behind again with my 'one card a week' challenge, :p  It's week seven so I should have seven cards but alas I only have five. Hey-ho.

 

Thanks for visiting again today,

 

Lorraine

Happy Birthday Grandson

Hi Crafters,
Another wet day here, so after my housework was done I went in to my craft room and made this card.

I have to say the red colour on this card is not as bright as it turned out in the photo, it's a cherry colour, but you will have to imagine it, lol. The dies are new and are a set from Rob Addams All Occasion Dies and they cut out perfectly. Here's a side view so that you can see the dimension on the card.

 

Card Recipe

Card - Cream linen

Embossing Folders - Docrafts 'Happy Birthday' & Spellbinders M-Bossabilities ES-013

Dies - Spellbinders Labels 2 S4-162 & Rob Addams Tools Set ( New Stash)

Ribbon - The Ribbon Girl

 

I'm entering this card in to this challenge:

Craft Mojo - All Things New ( New Dies)

 

Thanks for looking in today, hope to see you soon,

 

Lorraine

 

Floral Birthday - Take 2

Hi Crafters,
A lot of my customers like to have names put on their cards to personalise them and make them extra special. So I thought I would use the same layout as in yesterdays card but using a different colour-way and adding the recipients name.

Card Recipe

Spellbinders - Fancy Lattice Die & Fancy Tags Die

Cheery Lynn - Fanciful Flourish

Flowers - WOC

Ribbon and Peel-offs from stash

 

I'd like to enter this card in to the challenge at In The Pink - Anything Goes

 

Thanks for looking, I'm off to do some housework :(

Catch you all later,

 

Lorraine

Floral Birthday

Hi Crafters,
Hope the weather has been better today where ever you live, and lets hope for brighter days to come.

Here is a card I was commissioned to make which has a Spring, floral feel...     although I must say that the green leaves were not that vibrant in real life, as you may have noticed Santa didn't bring me a new camera after all :(  anywho on to my card...

Card Recipe

Spellbinders - Fancy Lattice Die & Fancy Framed Tags One

Cottage Cutz Die - Bella Leafy Branch

Flowers - WOC

Ribbon and peel-offs from stash

 

I'm entering this in to the following challenges:

 

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Through The Craftroom Door - Anything Goes

Scribble and Scrap - Anything Goes

 

 

Thank you for visiting and for all the lovely comments left here recently, off now for a little Blog catch up.

See you soon,

 

Lorraine

Take Flight Butterfly

Hi Everyone,
Although it's winter outside my thoughts are with Spring days, colourful flower borders, birds and butterflies. I really can't wait for the better weather to arrive. So with that in mind I created this birthday card.

 

I used my Spellbinders Butterfly Magic die and then cut out another butterfly and layered it on top. The background was plain white card inked with Distress Inks and mica powder for the shimmer.

I'm entering this in to the challenge at Through The Craftroom Door - Anything Goes.

I'm off to catch up with some blogs now so see you all soon,

 

Lorraine

Sweet Magnolia

Hello crafters,

Hope you enjoyed your weekend. We had a lovely day here in East Anglia, much better than predicted.
In between family and housework my craft room kept calling me and so I managed to make this sweet Magnolia card. I used my Spellbinders and Memory Box dies to make the frames and accents. I thought I would also decoupage the image too just for a change.....    and it's in blue again :/ If you remember me saying a while ago, I don't usually go for blue but here it is, maybe it's a sub conscious thing to get away from all the red and green Christmas items I have been making lately.



 

See you next time

Lorraine

Got The Blues

Hello Crafters....
....I haven't really got the blues, it's just that for two days in a row I have somehow been drawn to make blue cards and I never use that colour normally. I was asked to make a card for a lady whose birthday is coming up soon and her favourite colour is.....blue.
Here it is....

The layout of this card was inspired by an example I found on Pinterest (bad place, I spend far too much time looking at stuff, lol.) I'll put a link to her boards, she makes some wonderful cards. Paperpastimes .

I used:

 

Couture Creations embossing folder-Tied Together

Spellbinders Dies- Splendid Circles, Classic Circles, Fancy Lattice and Nested Pennants
Die-namics Die- Fancy Flourish

Flowers- Wild Orchid Crafts

Pearls- Woodware pearl border

Sentiment- Waltzingmouse Stamps
 

 

 I'm going to enter this for the Papertake Weekly Challenge . 'Flower Power' . This will be my second entry but I'm sure you are allowed up to five. So fingers crossed coz the sponsor this time is The Ribbon Girl and I would really love to choose some goodies from there, great range in flowers, ribbons and trim.

 

Well, the family are hungry again I can hear their stomachs from here, lol, crafting hat off and cooking hat on.

 

See you soon,

 

Lorraine