My first card in nearly two years :)

Crikey, for my first foray back into card making, I sure went for a bright one, hope you've got your sunnies! I absolutely loved making this card. It encompassed everything I missed about crafting; bright colours and lots of colouring. As it was my first proper card for nearly two years, I'm really pleased about how it turned out.

Supplies...
Paper: K&Co - Citronella.
Image: Kenny K - Queens Cutie.
Sentiments: MFT - Say What?
Accessories and Tools: Oval Nestabilities, adhesive gems and Copic markers.

I'm gutted that I've had to go back to listing out the ingredients of the card. I was a bit surprised/gutted to see that inlinks now charge for the linking service. As I'm newly back to blogging, I really don't want to commit to paying for it just yet. But, if I manage to get back to blogging more consistently, I might have to reconsider as I really liked the service.

Challenges
Crafting When We Can - Bright Colours.
Inkspirational Challenges - Use markers or pencils.
Crafting at the Weekend - Anything Goes.
Crafting Muskateers - 1-2-3 (1 image, 2 papers, 3 sentiments).
Our Creative Corner - Summertime (To me, summer is super bright colours!).

I actually made this card using the sketch over on The Paper Players. However, I didn't manage to get it up on the blog in time; doh!

Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again soon!
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Redonkulous DT Day #11

Hello lovely people! Not satisfied taking part in the Redonkulous blog hop (BTW, you still have time to take part, just check out the post below this one!), I'm back with yet another Redonkulous creation :o)

Those of you who regularly check out my blog will know that I am very much a square card, bold character image kinda gal.... well, this one is a little bit different. Not only have I gone floral, the central focus of my card is actually a sentiment. In addition to that, I made a stepper card to mount it all on.

And from the side view...

I just love this sentiment as this is exactly the relationship I have with my lovely Mum. Sheryl has done such a fantastic job in embellishing the heart with all those vines and leaves too. She's a fab artist :o)

For those of you who also love this image, there is good news.... there are a whole host of other versions available with alternative sentiments in the shop! Make sure you visit Redonkulous to check them out!

Thanks for stopping by!
 



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Redonkulous Blog Hop of Celebrations!

Hi all! Welcome to stop two of the Redonkulous Blog Hop of Celebrations! If you have hopped here from my lovely teamie Kimberly's blog, keep reading. However, if you have come straight to me, you are so going to want to go back to the beginning of our hop... well, you wouldn't want to miss out of any our gorgeous creations, would you?!

Anyway, the reason we are here today is to CELEBRATE. As some of you may know, Sheryl the owner, creator, and artist of Redonkulous Designs recently gave birth to her second child. A lovely little girl called Serina.

Because of this fantastic news, we'd love for you to join us in this celebration with us. So, in addition to this blog hop, we also have some fun chances for you to win big with us! Keep reading to find out how.

First off though, lets get looking at some Redonkulous inspiration! One of my favourite things about Sheryl's designs is that they are mega cheeky and fun.... and this one is absolutely no exception!

And now for a little close-up to demonstrate the abundance of foam pads and silicone on this card!

Isn't she just the cutest?! I was a bit nervous about colouring all that white cake in, but my trusty B60 and B63 Copics seem to come up trumps again :o)

Remember I was talking about treats earlier in this post? Well, Kim has offered up a set of Justwordz sentiment stamps for a very lucky winner. Here is what you have to do to get your inky paws on them...

1 - Visit all the blogs in the hop and leave each lady a comment (it's only a small hop, promise!) 

2 - Follow the Redonkulous Designs blog.
3 - Like the Redonkulous Facebook page.
4 - Head on back to Kim to tell her you did 1-3 above!

Fancy winning some Redonkulous images of your very own? Well, join in our little challenge and you will be in with a chance of winning some!

You won't be surprised to hear that the theme is CELEBRATION and you've got until 15 September 2012 to join in. Please just take a couple of seconds to read our simple guidelines.....

1 - The winner will be chosen by random number generator and will win 16000 points to put towards Redonkulous images of their choice.

2 - If you use a Redonkulous image you get a second chance to win 8000 points towards Redonkulous images and this project will be handpicked by Sheryl herself, so let's see your Redonkulous images...for two chances at winning!

3) You may enter 3 times.

4) No back linking please, we want to see new creations :o)

5) Please make sure you have a link to the Redonkulous Store on your post.

Good luck everyone! Now, I think I've spent enough time waffling today.... time to hop on to see my teamie Shell to see what delights she has in store for you :o)

Thanks so much for stopping by,
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Redonkulous DT Day #10!

Wow, my updates have been a little erratic lately, haven't they? So sorry folks but I have basically moved in to my office for the last month (75 hours last week) so there has been very little time for crafting.

However, I did manage to fit in a little time to make a cute creation using a fantastic Redonkulous image - Baby Girl Hugs.

My favourite thing about Sheryl's images are that they are just so lovely to colour. You can get so much depth into the image, I just really love playing with them. Just a shame my picture taking skills are so rubbish!

Anyway, better get back to work. Boo hiss. I really hope that you've had a fantastic summer and that you've managed to squeeze in much more crafting and blogging time than me!

Lots of love,




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Redonkulous DT Day #9

Hi everyone! Boy, I'm sleepy today. I've spent the past week up in London attending lots of Olympic events. I've had an incredible time, but it wasn't an overly restful break. Consequently, after 1 day back at work, I'm ready to keel over! However, despite my super-busy week, I did manage to squeeze in a tiny bit of crafting time to create a card for my Redonkulous DT Day. 

How pink is this one?! I was feeling girlie, so I piled on the bubblegum pink.... and a little bit of green just to balance it out a bit! I think the colour combo works really nicely with this gorgeous Redonkulous image. She is such a cute and versatile image, I can see that I am going to use her again and again. If you'd like to get your very own 'Friends Forever' image, just click on the little linkie below to go straight to her in the shop :o)

Thank you so much for stopping by today. If you have a spare minute or two, please hop over to my Redonkulous team mates blogs and show them some love too. You can get to them via Kim's blog.

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Die-ing for a Challenge #6

Gee... the middle of July! Where on earth are the weeks going?! One good thing about the middle of the month, however, is that we get a shiny new challenge over at Die-ing for a Challenge! This time around we have a fab sketch for you created by our lovely Hazel.

It's a bit of a classic, so there will be no excuse for all you CAS lovers not to have a go at this one! Anyway, want to see why I did with it? I have to admit, it is not one of my favourite cards, but I'm going to show it anyway as I believe that my blog should be a place where I share all of my crafting adventures... good and bad! So here we go....

Don't get me wrong, I love the CC Designs image, the pretty Echo Park papers and my beloved Die-Namic stars... I just can't quite get it all to work together! Oh well, you win some, you lose some! :o)

I really hope that you are able to join in our challenge. You have a month to hop on over to the Dies to Die For blog to get stuck in!

 


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Just Because...

Yippee! It's Friday! It's been a particularly challenging week at work, so I am super happy that it is nearly the weekend! The other great thing about Friday is that it is my turn to post on the DTDF blog :o)

I've taken a slightly different approach with today's card. You know you often get a plain design on the back of pretty papers? Well, other than using it to cover the base of my card blank, I don't often give these plain designs a lot of attention. However, these Authentique papers had such a pretty plain side that I decided to make them the focus of my card. 

I think that the number of layers adds the detail needed to make up for the lack of pattern... what do you think? 

Whilst I'm never going to abandon pretty papers entirely, I'm glad I gave the neglected reverse side a chance to shine :o)

Challenges
All Sorts Challenge -Ice Cream Colours

Thanks for stopping by!
 


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Redonkulous DT Card #6

Hi everyone! How time flies... mid-June and Redonkulous DT Card #6 already! This weeks Redonkulous card features one of my favourite Redonkulous images, 'Goth Birthday'. With this one, you not only get the goth birthday girl, you also get some cute bunting. Whilst the bunting is arranged above Goth Girl in the digi image you receive, I wanted to show that it is more versatile than that and that you can cut it out to achieve a totally different look. All you need is a steady hand and some patience :o)

Those who stop by my blog often will notice that this card is much more fussy than my usual creations. Normally, I'm not a big fan of loads of stuff going on, but I really do like it on this card. I think it is because the layout and embellies are still very simple, it's just the DP that add the chaos! 

Challenges
Papertake - 3, 2, 1 (3 papers, 2 strips of bunting, 1 sentiment).
Oldie but a Goodie - Banners or bunting.

Thanks for stopping by today. Please make sure you hop on now to Kim's blog, where you can see some sneaky peaks of my Redonkulous team mates cards!

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Xandra Says "Thank You"

Good morning all. Whilst today's card is not grey and miserable like the weather here in Southampton at the moment, it does feature a fantastic umbrella which I think I will be fairly envious of should I dare to venture outside the comfort of the house!

Isn't she adorable?! She's called Xandra and she is one of the characters created by the fantastically talented Mayzy Art. I have a real soft spot for these images (as you have probably guessed!), so expect to see them pop up frequently :o)

Challenges
Cute Card Thursday - Water, Water, Everywhere
Tammy's Scrapin Corner - For the Girls
Papercrafting Journey - Colour It Up

Thanks for stopping by!
 



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Make a Wish

Hi all! It's Friday and that means that it is my day to show DT stuff over on the DTDF blog. What have I created this week? Yep, I've played with yet more more CC Designs images! Can't get enough of these beauties at the moment :)

And a little close-up of my pretty MFT Die-Namics butterflies....

You would not believe the issues I had with these blinkin' butterflies... Don't get me wrong - I love them. They are my favourite dies. So imagine my upset when I was holding the small one in my hand one second, only to lose it the next. I turned my craft room upside down looking for it. In a fit of rage, I got up and literally stomped my feet (hey, I'm an only child, I do that). I then wondered when that lump was in my slipper. Yes, you guessed it, it was my little butterfly die! The bit that is puzzling me is how it got down to the floor, up my trouser leg, down into my ankle high slipper boots and underneath my foot..... No idea, but just glad I found it! 

Please tell me that these mishaps don't just happen to me?!

Challenges
Southern Girls - Things with Wings
Stampin for the Weekend - Bugs and Butterflies
PaperPlay - Back to Kraft Basics
Crafty Catz - Summertime
Emergency Crafters - Butterflies, Birds, Things with Wings
Totally Papercrafts - Doodle on It

Anyway, that's enough waffle from me, thanks for stopping by!



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Red, White and Blue

I know, I know, I've missed the whole red, white and blue thing by a day, but I guess you can say that the Jubilee celebrations inspired me to get inky after the event!

I've been after this Portobello Road paper for ages and was about to buy the 6x6 pad when I stumbled across the Do Crafts Creativity magazine which has 2 freebies included - an A4 paper book of Portobello Road papers plus some sentiment stamps to match. Even better, the whole lot was reduced to £2! I love a good bargain :)

Challenges
Polka Doodles - Regal Colours
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Creative Craft Challenges - Red, White and Blue

Thanks for stopping by!



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Take a Deep Breath...

... and think of me, taking very deep breaths! Yes folks, today I have an autobiographical card to share with you - I've started running! Since I got my ridiculous new job a year ago, I've put on about a stone. Clearly, I'm not happy about this and neither are my clothes....especially my trousers and skirts! I don't want to give up nice food (aside from craft shopping, it's my only real vice), so the only other option is to up the exercise. So, next time you wake up after a nice long lie-in, think of me... red faced and puffing away!

I have to say, I really do love this card. Not sure if it is the colour combo or the amazing image that do it for me (did I mention recently that I love Mayzy Art images?!), but I just can't help smiling when I look at it. If only all cards fell together this easily, eh?

Challenges
The Cutie Pie Challenge Blog - Die Cuts and Punches
Crafty Sentiments Designs - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Perfect Sentiment Challenge - Anything Goes with a Sentiment
Southern Girls Challenge - Dying to Die Cut
Crop Stop - Pretty Pearls
Hotshot Crafts - Die Cuts 
Dilly Beans Designers & Friday Challenges - Stripes

Hope you are having a fab bank holiday,

 

ETA: Apologies, can't add the link to the image. It was the freebie that got given away with every order in April, so isn't on sale now :(

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A CC Thank You

It's Friday which means that it is Dies to Die For day! I've been playing with some of the latest CC Designs images recently and I just love them. They are a dream to colour and, even though they are simply drawn, I just love how much depth and definition you can pack in to you colouring. Oh yeah, they are super cute as well, of course!

This paper is from Echo Park and comes from one of their mini collection kits. Have you tried these yet? They are really cool as they give you a selection of double sided papers, along with journal cards and an elemental sticker sheet. You can get loads of different designs that they are perfect for both cardmaking and scrapbooking.

Challenges

Kaboodle Doodles - Anything Goes
Love to Create - Add a Sentiment
Ooh La La Creations - Make it Girly
Crafty Sentiments Designs - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes
LEJ Designs - Ribbons Galore
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Perfect Sentiment Challenge - Anything Goes with a Sentiment
Crafts and Me Challenges - Add a Ribbon

Anyway, that's enough rambling from me! Hope you have a fab weekend :)


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Dies to Die For Challenge #4

Hi everyone! It's Friday, it's the 18th, which means that not only is it my Dies to Die For DT day, it is also Die-ing for a Challenge day! This months we have a theme that you will all love..... Anything goes (with dies)!

Here is the card that I made for the challenge. As you can see, I have used lots of different dies on my card. They are all MFT Die-namics. I am completely smitten with these bad boys as I'm not brilliant with flowers and stuff, so they are the perfect embellies for me.

I hope you like my card and I hope even more that you are able to join us over at Die-ing for a Challenge this month! 

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Dream BIG!

Hello lovely crafty friends! The sun is finally shining! As the rain cycle appears to be broken, we are firing up that BBQ tonight that caused all of the problems in the first place! It might still be a little chilly, but hey... we're British. We'll put a jumper on!

Just stopping by today to share a Dies to Die For card that I posted on the DTDF Blog yesterday. I love this little dragon fella and really like the fact that Magnolia do branch out further than the human characters. 

The image has been teamed with some mega funky papers from the Bazzill Dino-Mite collection... Dragons/Dinosaurs.... they're nearly the same thing, right?! I could have layered these papers up more but 

a) I wanted to show off the image, and 

b) the papers are yummy and I was to make them last longer!!!

Challenges
My Mums Craft Shop - Fairytales.
Allsorts Challenge - Man or Boy.

Thanks for stopping by!
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Delicious Digi....!

Are you enjoying the rain?! I fear it may be my fault though... we bought a BBQ on Good Friday and it really hasn't stopped raining ever since! Even my Dad is begging us to take it back to the shop :o) 

The good thing about rain though is that it gives you lots of guilt-free time for crafting and online craft shopping! During my time craft shopping, I stumbled across a fantastic digi image store with images which are right up my street - Mayzy Art. Here is a little something I made the other day....

I really enjoyed making this card. It took me no time at all to colour, but hours upon hours to decide on the layout as I must have changed my mine.... ooh.... approximately 15,000 times!

Challenges 
Papertake - Anything Goes.

Simon Says Stamp - Anything 'Birthday' Goes.

One Stop Crafts - Celebrations.

Thanks for stopping by, have a fab Bank Holiday Monday!
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Redonkulous - DT Day!

Two posts in one day... almost unheard of for me! Well, I'm back with my second Redonkulous card! I can't tell you how much I love these images, they are just so lovely to colour.

I got in such a tiz with this card...! It actually started off life on a square scalloped white base. Then I couldn't get the papers to balance out. So I moved it to a rectangular base. Then I thought it wasn't jazzy enough. Then I added the butterfly arch. Now I'm really pleased with it!

Really hope that you like my card. Make sure you stop by my teamies blogs (Shell and Debs) to check out their beautiful creations ☺ 

Thanks for stopping by!
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Oh dear...!

OK, so you've probably realised that day 5 and 6 are missing from my blog...! Annoyingly, whilst I have cards made and ready to share with you, the flaming computer broke and I couldn't get anything on or off of it. Grr. Anyway, Ali has decided we probably need a brand new one as all of the individual components have gone pop, which is a bit of a pain really. So, I've now switched back to the laptop and have found a photo editor thing which I'm finally happy with. It's nowhere near Photoshop, but it'll do me alright for now :o)

I pulled out one of my old digis from Spesch. I seriously love these digi images and they are so much fun to colour. Coupled with my lovely October Afternoon papers, I'm happy with this combo :o)

Challenges
DYSU - Friendly Critters.
Stampin for the Weekend - Ready Teddy Go.
Sweet Stampin - Dies and Doodles.
Paper Sundaes - Kraft and Dies.
Creative Card Crew - Kraft.

After my little blip, hopefully I will be back tomorrow!
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Day 1 of 11....

Woo-hoo! My Easter holiday is finally here! 11 days off and my aim is to post a card each day..... I know, ambitious for a blog slacker like me, right?! Anyway, I'm starting as I mean to go on.....

I am totally addicted to the new Doodlebug 6x6 pads. I seriously can't get enough of these bad boys! I literally have DP coming out of my ears, but I just cannot resist a pretty bit of paper. Or even better... four!

Another crafty discovery this week are the Papermania Kraft card blanks. I normally avoid shop bought blanks like the plague as I generally find that they are either really expensive or appallingly bad quality. However, I noticed these whilst I was in The Range today and, as I'm addicted to Kraft, thought I'd give them a go. I'm really glad I did as they seem reasonably good quality and were a complete bargain. Will be returning soon to stock up.

Challenges...

Allsorts - Photo Inspiration (I picked out the pastel colours and the Easter/spring theme). 

One Stop Crafts - Easter (Easter bunny!).

Paper Sundaes - Easter.

Crafty Cardmakers - Easter.

Crafty Creations - Signs of Spring.

My Mum's Craft Shop - Easter Creations/Animals.

Creative Inspirations - Easter.

DYSU? - Friendly Critters.

Hope all well with you guys. I'm off back into my craft den now as I'm home alone and experimenting with Glossy Accents...!

 

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More Rediscovered Stash

Whilst flicking through my stamp folder, I spotted this lovely Greeting Farm Miss Anya. I can't believe that I have neglected all this stash for so long! 

I've also managed to use some of this fab Basic Grey 'Granola' paper which I've had for years. I'm just gutted that my picture is so blinking awful! You can't even see the vellum on the big butterfly. I really need to get the PC sorted... grr!

I'm going for a few challenges for this one......
Allsorts - 3 in a Row (Butterflies and gems).
Basic Grey Challenges - Girlie (Granola DP).
Die-Ing for a Challenge - Brown & Blue (I've used MFT Die-Namics, available from DTDF).

Hope you are having a fab week,
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