A Baby Card...............

I've been a really bad blogger lately,a week has gone by since my last post,I've been so busy with one thing and  another so have had no time for any crafting or blogging. I had to make a baby card last night though as my friend Rach had a baby girl last week and Libby and I went to see them this afternoon. Oh my gosh she is the most adorable,beautiful baby girl,we had lots of cuddles and can't wait to visit again soon.

The image is from Lily of the Valley coloured in using Pro-markers and the papers are The Girls Paperie.I also took a little gift,I just couldn't resist this little vest and teddy from Cath Kidston.

Paige and I had a great time in Birmingham over the weekend,lots of shopping and dining,Paige spent all her money on new clothes and was very pleased with all her purchases. It was a great end of school treat for her and now onto college for a new chapter in her life.
This is Paige outside one of her favourite stores Forever 21.

Here are a few more of my purchases from Cath Kidston:

My new shoes

Cute buttons

I don't do gardening but loved the seed packets.

A much needed treat back at the hotel.

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be back tomorrow with the new July challenge from Scrapbookers Anonymous.

xxxxDebxxxx



My Stampin'Up Workshop........

Last night I had 14 crafty ladies around my house for a Stampin'Up workshop,which is why I haven't been around much the last few days with all the preperation going on behind the scenes. Jodie,my eldest was my hostess with mostess looking after my guests,getting drinks and taking orders,I don't know how I'd have managed without her,she also looked after my niece all day while I set up.
 I started the evening by doing a workshop,making a quick and simple stamped card,I had to do three sittings as I haven't got a very big table,lol but I don't think they minded waiting,there was a lot of chatting and laughing going on and the chance to look through the catalogue. We had a raffle for a set of SU stamps which the lovely Maria won and lots of special offers.
Here's the Make and Take that the ladies got to do.

This card was using SU Going Green, Four Frames and Butterfly Prints,the butterfly and frame have a coordinating punch which is so much easier and quicker,

and here's a few photo's of the night.....

It was a great evening and everybody seemed to have a good time and loved their card,which I was pleased about. My friend Libby is hosting one next month so I get to do it all over again,it's all good fun. If anybody wants to host a workshop in the West Midlands area and earn free stamps and products get in touch,
I had a lovely surprise in the post yesterday all the way from Las Vegas, Kirsty sent me a beautiful handmade 'Thank You' card. Thanks Kirsty,love it !!!!

Paige finished school officially on Wednesday so for a treat I'm taking her to Birmingham tomorrow for a shopping trip and then staying over at the beautiful Malmaison hotel overnight. I'm really looking forward to it but can't believe the baby of the family has left school,do you think I can still call myself a SAHM or should I change it to Homemaker,lol.
Thanks for stopping by.Have a great weekend,everyone !!!
xxxxDebxxxx

ATC's...........

It is Week #61 over at  City Crtafter Challenge Blog and I'm so excited about this week's challenge. The lovely Linda is the host  and she has choosen A.T.C.'s which includes an optional swap,how fun is that.
 An A.T.C. is a artist trading card which are mini pieces of art to swap with other people. I made them years ago and use to go to an A.T.C workshop where you would get a prompt and everybody on the table would make one using the prompt as a starting point and you would pass your finished ATC to the person next to you and we'd all end up with an ATC that somebody else had made. I like the idea of them because receiving a swaped ATC gives you inspiration and maybe a new technique. On the back of your ATC you put your name and email address and then if somebody wants to know how you've made it they can get in touch.
My ATC was inspired by something I saw on Lynn's blog,she'd made an art quilt block by turning her favourite paper into material. I just loved the sound of that so experimented on my ATC.

Here's a video to show you how to make your fabric paper,I didn't have the sticky backed canvas so I improvised and made my own using canvas and Humungo tape sheets. I used Crate Paper's Emma's Shoppe collection and the paper I chose was actually called 'fabric',the fabric became my ATC card base which has to be 3.5" x 2.5" the size of a standard playing card. I hand stiched around the edge and stamped the dress form onto some dotty patterned paper using SU Sew Lovely stamp set,then added a few embellishments.
I can't believe it's Friday again,the weekends come around so quick!!!! I'm going to a friend's 40th Birthday BBQ on Saturday so that's going to be a fun day,hope you all have a good weekend whatever you're doing.

xxxxDebxxxx

In the Frame.........

While looking at other people's blogs I keep seeing a challenge site called "Less is More" and always mean to have a look at what it's all about.This morning I started a mini thank you card using some SU stamps as I have a workshop coming up next week and need some new samples.I started making a frame of stamped flowers using SU Baby Blossoms. When I looked at Less is More for the first time today,it's all about the Clean & Simple look and coincidentally this week's challenge is to frame something and one layer,so thought I would enter my card. I hope this card is classed as CAS,it's CAS for me compared with what I usually create,lol.

I made the shaped card using the Sizzix Top Note die by folding white card in half and lining up just below the top of the cutting edge and then stamped a sentiment from SU Occasional Quotes.
I don't usually do CAS but now I've found this challenge site will definitely be doing more and paying them a visit each week.

Enjoy the rest of your day.....
xxxxDebxxxx

Stampin'Up Father's Day Cards.............

Wednesday is the day I look after my baby niece so I don't usually have much time to get anything done but now Jodie has finished Uni until the Autumn she likes to spend time with her baby cousin,giving me the chance to sneek up to my craft room.Today we've had a play date with my friends little girl,it's been many years since I've had to do all this but I'm loving it.

 Anyway back to some crafty things,it's Fathers Day on Sunday so I have made a few quick cards using Stampin'Up products. I'm not good with men's cards,I prefer pretty but sometimes you have to make a card for the men in your life.

Products Used
Patterned Paper-SU Newsprint
Stamps-Occasional Greetings

 I stamped the base card with SU Sanded background stamp in black ink,I adhered a strip of black card at the bottom and covered the chipboard letters in the map paper from SU Newsprint.

The last card I adhered three strips of patterned paper (now retired) and stamped a collage of leaves in various colours onto some kraft card and stamped the 'Happy Father's Day'.

Products Used

Stamps-French Foliage,Something to Celebrate(hostess set)

Other -Linen Thread,Neutral Designer Button.

Today over at Scrapbookers Anonymous is the reveal of the Design Team cards  using the leftovers from their LO's. You've still got plenty time to enter and be in with a chance of winning an Echo Park 'Summer Days' paper pack. Here's my card using Prima Sweet Fairy, left over from my LO.

Thanks for taking the time to look, I'll be back soon with some girly, pretty projects,lol.

xxxxDebxxxx

Oh Christmas Sketch,Oh Christmas Sketch..........

This week over at Jingle Belles the lovely Kirsty Vittetoe has supplied a sketch for this week's challenge.

Here's my card.



The papers are Stampin'Up Christmas Jingle and Newsprint,the stamped image is from SU Welcome Christmas set.

Thanks for looking,I will be back tomorrow with some Father's Day cards and my card for Scrapbookers Anonymous. Check out what the other designers have created and join us for the chance to win a fab prize.

xxxxDebxxxx

My Weekend...........

I hope you've all had a good weekend and that the weather was better than what we've had in the U.K.. I haven't got any craft projects to show you but thought I'd share some photo's of my weekend. The weather wasn't to bad on Saturday so we decided to visit Stratford-Upon-Avon, William Shakespeare's birth place. I haven't been there since last summer and it is such a beautiful old town with great shopping and a bustling riverside.
I love browsing in Jack Wills at their beautiful clothes,homeware and the wonderful shop displays so when we saw they have a Jack Wills at Sratford we headed straight to it.

The Union Jack is made up of shot glasses with coloured liquid,so cool.

Look at that chandelier !!!

I bought this bag from Debenhams,isn't it cute.

After we'd finished shopping,we headed to the river for some R&R.

It started to cloud over at about 4pm so we headed back to the car,then the heavens opened and didn't stop raining for over 24 hours.

So a very wet and cold Sunday, just right for curling up on the sofa,watching films,reading a good book and I made some progress on my crocheted blanket.

Back soon......

xxxxDebxxxx

Butterfly Birthday Wishes...........

This week's colours over at CR84FN are so pretty and check out the wonderful quote on the inspiration board,I just love this colour challenge blog.

I also used this week's sketch from Inspirational Card Sketches.

Here's my card:

All products are from Stampin'Up,the envelope is cut out using the Sizzix Scallop Envelope die,I distressed the edges with Crumb Cake ink and stamped it with the ornate scroll and a Happy Birthday. I die cut the butterflies using Beautiful Wings Embosslit with Pretty in Pink cardstock. CR84FN are going biweekly over the summer so we get TWO weeks to get our entries in maybe even a couple.

Supplies Used

Papers- SU Newsprint,Subtles Designer Patterned Paper Stack
Dies- Sizzix Scalloped Envelope,Beautiful Wings Embosslits
Stamps- SU Strength & Hope,SU Something to Celebrate
Other- Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding Ribbon

Let it Sew,Let it Sew,Let it Sew.........

I really have fell behind on my one Christmas card a week,but hopefully I can get back on track now. This week's challenge over at Jingle Belles is a play on words 'Let it Sew,Let it Sew,Let it Sew' and as you can probably guess you have to incorparate some stitching on your Christmas card,

I have gone quick and simple on this card which would be ideal if you need to make a few of the same. I stitched a curved line with my sewing machine to hang the baubles on and added a brad at each end. I stamped the bauble from SU Contempo Christmas in Real Red and Old Olive then punched them out using the co-ordinating punch,so much easier than cutting,lol,using 3d foam pads to adhere. I then stamped the sentiment 'welcome Christmas into your heart' which is from SU Heard from the Heart stamp set, I just love that sentiment.
Enjoy the rest of the day.
xxxxDebxxxx

Sketchy Thursday 6.02..........

Here's my second LO that I finished at Saturday's crop,it was using this week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch.

I used Bo Bunny Gabrielle papers ,the butterflies are Stampin'Up Butterfly Prints and the rosette is made using the Tim Holtz rosette die.
This post is short and sweet tonight,I really need an early night.

Night,night.
xxxxDebxxxx

An International Crop......

Hi Folks,hope your having a good weekend,I had a great day yesterday at the crop. We had an international crop as Lisa was over from Germany and also two girls from Thailand,who were staying with Libby over the school holidays. The two young girls had never scrapbooked before and they took to it like duck to water,they got more finished than I did !!! We also had a few new ladies which is always nice to see.

I gave you a sneak peek of my card that I was doing for card class,here is the full reveal.

All products are from Stampin'Up,I used Sweet Stitches paper and Sew Lovely stamp set.

I've always took a sketch to the crop for anybody who wants to join in but last month I've started doing a scraplift too. This month we've scraplifted a LO by Theresa, a very talented lady and one of the founders of the challenge blog Scrapbookers Anonymous.Don't forget to take a look at this month's challenge over there and use up some of your 6x6 paper stacks.

Here's Theresa's original LO:

and here's my take on it.

I managed to do one more LO at the crop using a Sketchy Thursday sketch,which I will show you tomorrow.

Here are a few photo's of our picnic at Bridgnorth on Friday, the sun shone all day and we a great time,so I hope you don't mind me sharing it with you.

Thanks for looking and leaving me such lovely comments, I really appreciate each and every one.

xxxxDebxxxx

Back to Basics..........

The host this week at City Crafter Challenge Blog is the lovely Ros and she has gone 'Back to Basics' and  wants us to use paint and recyled cardboard on our project,hop on over and take a look at what the DT have created,they are so inspiring.

All supplies are from Stampin'Up except the white paint even the recycled cardboard was from a Stampin'Up box.I used the Sizzix Scallop Circle to diecut the cardboard and painted it with white acrylic paint. The patterned paper is from the Botanical Gazette range which I stamped onto with the splatter and postage frank from the French Foliage stamp set and then stitched onto Baja Brezze card. The frame is from Four Frames,inked with Crumb Cake and punched out using the Decorative Label Punch,the sentiment is from Butterfly Prints. I diecut the butterflies using the Beautiful Wings Embosslits in Baja Breeze and painted with white paint.
I really enjoyed making this card such a great challenge, now I'm off to make the most of this wonderful sunshine and off for a picnic by the river.

xxxxDebxxxx