Ally Pally April 2014

For those none the wiser, I'm talking about Alexander Palace Big Stamp & Scrapbooking Show (BSSS) . An annual road trip for us crafting gals.
After a week of not having good health, plus entertaining the girls during their first week of the Easter holidays, it was a well deserved day out!
Many pennies spent, lots of stamps bought, cardstock, mdf blanks and a few dies later, 3pm came for our show and tell sit down. 
I'll be showcasing some off my purchases during the next few weeks as I am determined to use these items instead of them sitting around in my craft room! Lol. I'm even considering to do a haul video highlighting some of my favourite shops and the bargains that they offered during the shHiow. 
I was totally amazed of our British designers and suppliers of whom I'm determined to be supporting from now on.  There has been too many years where us crafters have coveted US items and waited patiently (or sometimes not so patiently) for them to arrive in the UK. It is very exciting times for us all in the UK!
Any hows, crafty item today is the thank you card that I gave my friend Janina for driving us there and back.  And a bonus photo of a very tired Emma & Karen after a long day of traipsing around all the stalls... Looking forward to next year already!

Blue card

Here's a card that I attempted to be like one of the recent challenges - can you guess which one!?

I couldn't match up the colours on the bottom half - meant to be another panel on the bottom, but, instead I just left it as it was - looks OK I think!?

I put a pink petticoat image on the top half. I cut it out using my nestabilities, and then embossed it.. by the way, those of you who have the nestabilities, I use the magnetic sheet and find it really helpful, helps keep everything in place. (I use my cuttlebug to cut them out.

This went to Sarah's friend Ellie, it was her birthday yesterday. We had a bit of a birthday party weekend really.. more next weekend too.. oh joy! Lots of birthdays this week too, Belated wishes to Jenny who celebrated a big bday yesterday (##Hugs## Jen!)

Getting Creative

I challenged myself to make something at least every day... well, it's harder than it seems, especially when you've got a busy family and added commitments now it's not holiday time..

Well, from looking at other peoples blogs and other card making websites, I have found some brilliant inspiration! Not only are there layouts for cards/scrapbook pages, but there are examples of them too.. so.. on a definate try to achieve my goal, I'm going to refer to these places quite often.

So here we go with my first ever card challenge..


BEATES WEEKEND SKETCH CHALLENGE #31

This card was based on a sketch from Beates blog, link on the right (not sure how to enclose it here!)
Using one of the paper pieced magnolias I stamped up last week, and a Pink Petticoat phrase, mounted up on pink c/s and using a A5 sheet from my Payper box.
HUGE 3/16 eyelets that I've had from a RAK and never used them!


DI HICKMAN CARD SKETCH JAN#4

This from another great site for sketches!!

I posted a comment on Jenny's blog (Stamping Moments) saying that my favourite colours atm are Chocolate brown and lime green, however, I can't remember using them in combination together very much, so I gave it a go!

The c/s again is from my Payper Box (still using this up ready for some new stock!) and the green papers are from a pack I bought at the craft club I go to, Dotty About Cards. The phrase is Pink Petticoat and the flower is from a pack I bought from Lakeland in the sales (Brown and pink embellishment box - another great colour combination!). The gem is a Dovecraft one, I'm always worried about them falling off, but it seems to have stayed stuck!

WELL, I hope that you enjoyed them! I enjoyed making them and shall be (hopefully) keeping up with the challenges.. and seeing what I can come up with.

Bye for now,

Em x

Katie's card

I made my first magnolia card at the weekend. It was my friend's daughter's birthday on Tuesday, so she should have received it by now!

I used my newest of my nestabilities, I bought a magnetic sheet at Craft Central so that I could keep them die in one place when cutting out on the cuttlebug. It seems to have worked, and didn't dent the sheet too much. I'm loving these dies and can see an endless use for them! Have ordered some Rectangle ones now, as I like the effect they have embossed onto a plain card blank.

The b/g paper is one of the new dovecraft papers, part of the pack Retro Floral. The plain cardstock is Creative Memories, I'm trying to use it up (the reason to be explained later!)! The flowers are new primas we got at Papermaze (we got 3 bottles between us, (me, Jo & Lynda) and split them!) They're really nice as there are 2 different sizes of each colour. The brads are papermania. The greeting is from Pink Petticoat.

Hope that you like!

Hugs, Em x

3 takes on one stamp image

Today, I've been mostly tidying up today! I promised Rob that I'd keep on top of the dining table being clear, so I've kept to it. They even ate at the tabe again.. (might sound normal to you..... but believe me it's an amazing sight in our house!) I, on the other hand, ate out tonight, had a tea meeting with our youth group team and it was ACE!!

Anyway, crafting... I thought I'd show you how different 3 images could be.... they're the ones I finished off the other night.

Nice and simple, white A6 card, pale blue cuttlebug dots embossed, both matted with dark blue c/s.

This one, 5"x5" cream card, cuttlebug swirl embossed 3/4 of card, layered c/s with concave paper punch on corners, mounted onto cream gold dust card. 3 primas on corner with crystal stickles centres.

Final one, same cream card as before, pink Cuttlebug swirl embossed mounted onto lilac c/s. image mounted and raised on left hand side, with Julie Hickey (spring colection) wording (metallic silver) triple mounted at bottom.

Hope that you like.

Hugs,
Emma x

One quick photo of a tent card that I made this afternoon.. OK so I'm being naughty and staying up late again... this is going to stop... You know what it's like, once you start crafting, you can't seem to stop (well I can't anyway)

It's only just Monday, gonna tell you what's in this card and then go rest my head.

- 4" x 4" white gold dust card

- Pink Petticoat image with doodle border

- Cuttlebug embossed, Rob and Bob flowers

NICE and EASY!! Fits into a C6 card, and a little bit different to the normal plain folded card.

SWEET!

Night Night,

Em x

Virus' galore..

OH NO... AAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The PC has thrown a wobbly and as we speak Rob's running a virus check to get rid of the blighter. Hopefully anyway.

So I missed a blog entry!! What am I to do.. Oh well, been a busy bee today.

Jo, Lynda, me and the girls had a jolly out to Papermaze. WOWEE.. we had a great time, the paper stash there is simply amazing. Great WHOLE collections, better than I've ever seen, and so much nicer to see them and feel them in the flesh. I bought some lovely stash, some ribbons and Love Elsie papers, I'll take some pics tomorrow as the pics I took tonight haven't liked the dark lighting.

Yesterday Molly went to Charlotte's 4th birthday party. She wanted to help make her card, we decided to use the left over wrapping paper, here's our effort, and help from a 4 and 2 year old..
I saw the style of this card on another blog, I'll have to put the reference back in tomorrow as it's in my favourites on the PC (on the laptop atm) OOH.. it's bad of me, but at least I'm being honest!
The b/g paper is the wrapping paper and the raised flower is the spare gift tag. We put a strip of vellum 1/3 down and then stuck a cricut cut 4 on the flower. It's a bit hard to see, but there are hole punches around the curve, done randomnly with the crop a dile.

Right, that's it.. I've got paint drying, so going to check on them and see how the pc's is taking it's medecine. hopefully it might be a bit better.

Bye for now,
Emma x

Today I'll be mostly using Pink Petticoat! I got these before Christmas and now that there's not a demand on seasonal cards, I can have a proper play.... I love black and white at the moment, especially contrasting patterns like this.

I painted the flower with some fake H2Os that I picked up in The Works, I just love the glittery effect they have. The buttons I found in Craft Central, I've put on top a sequin, just to tie in the blue with the flowers and the paper (also printed from PP) HOWEVER!!! I didn't wait long enough for the glue to dry and it's spurged onto the scanner! ! (Don't tell Rob) I've tidied the mess on the glass as best I can... OOPS

Also had a pay with my new Nestabilities that I got for Christmas. Rob got them for me, but not a coordinating set, so I've found some more on ebay and they should come next week. He got me the Petite Scalloped Small Circles and the Classic Small Squares, they're the ones I asked for, but wished I'd got the normal scalloped ones.. also have got the rectangles on my wish list...

I picked up some Doodlebug papers (similar to PP design) from Craft Art UK and had a play with them a while back, there was an article in one of the magazines and I knew that I had the paper sitting there, so grabbed it when I had a craft block... enjoyed making it, but it turned out small and I don't have a ready made envelope for it.... I'm going to see how the dimensions turn out on a taller card.

I don't normally make my own envelopes and don't think I will go into that.. not when you can buy perfectly good ones in the sizes that fit into my card display stand. However, I did have fun playing with this design, and will probably use the 3D handbag template again.

The ribbons I used on this were a set from Making Memories, it's great that they're the reverse patterns, just hope that I don't run out of it too soon!

HAPPY 2008!!!

What a night! We ended up staying in on our own. The girls still haven't recovered really and Molly was sick, so a quiet one really - making sure the girls were OK.
BUT the fireworks on our estate were AMAZING!! Cheap I know - watching other peoples dispays, I really love fireworks, Rob thinks they're a waste of money... maybe I'll persuade him for the next celebration!

Anyway, here's a card creation.. Monkey Business. Found this paper in Artbase and fell in love with it! I always find it hard to make for boys/gents and thought this was ideal. The base card I printed from my new stock of Pink Petticoat files - I'm just in love with these! Really easy to print off and perfect printed directly onto cardstock.

My stash of ribbons is growing rapidy, so I decided to use some I bought from Craft Art UK in Stanway. SEE.... it isn't always meant for girls cards! It was a nice quick card and will no doubt be used again and again!

Anyway, I'm JUST managing to blog daily. Rob is back to work tomorrow, and we're going to try and get to bed earlier than 2am, might help get up earlier, especially with Molly starting morning nursery next week. I can't believe that by the end of this year she will be in full time education!! My little baby.