Thursday Already!

I can't believe it's Thursday already,you'd think I'd get plenty of time during the summer break but instead the hours are just racing by. I think I may have to resort to showing you some of my previous Scrapbook class layouts over the next few weeks at this rate.





Anyway,I made this card this afternoon, as I didn't have much time to play I resorted to my lovely Prima flowers,I just love them,they certainly make it easy to knock up a quick card.
The papers came free on a magazine as did the stamp which was with the Christmas Forever friends bear, the one which was wearing the party hat and came with a robin and stars last year if you know the one. I used this card for the following challenges:-
CPS 177,sketch,
Paper Play,anything goes.
Hope you are having a great week,
thanks for taking the time to visit,
Julie.x

Mini Album

Thought I'd show you the mini album that I made for my friend to give her mum I showed you the card the other week. The album was made in the "Match Book" design with a concertina inside where there's room for 13+ photos.


This book was taught to us at my fortnightly scrapbooking class at Scrapbook Sisters.The papers are K&Co,it was such a lovely project to make and so very easy once you know how.
I had to alter the fastening of the book as I'd added a little more decoration to my pages.



Once the book is opened the pages lift in a concertina style to display photos on each side.

The recipient of the book was delighted with it I'm told and was going to hang it to display the photos one under another as the ribbon fastening could be unfastened to allow a loop to be made to hang it by.(I should have taken a photo of this as I haven't explained it very well.

And that's it,thanks to Karen for teaching this lovely project.

Thanks for stopping by,

Julie.x

Happy Monday!

Not a chatty post today,I'm on a mission to get my daughter's birthday card made whilst she's out with friends.


I liked this card till I saw it on here and now I can see that the Yellow should be carried through to another area,might see if I can find some gems and add a couple somewhere. Anyway,I used my Papermania pansies which I stamped a couple of times and decoupaged,my first attempt at feathering too,was happy with the results,think they look pretty lifelike. The greeting was my favourite Jane's Script by Woodware, ribbon from Scrapbooksisters,go and checkout Karen's new Puppy,I had a lovely cuddle with her when I called by the shop on Saturday.
I'm using this card for the following challenges:-
Clean And Simple 100th sketch,
The Crazy Challenge blogspot, All about Birthdays,
OLLCB challenge 59,Birthdays,
Daring Cardmakers Challenge, Layer it up.
That's it for me, I hope that whatever you're up to today that you all have a lovely time,
thanks for stopping by,
Julie.x

Sunday Quickie

I made this quick card for one of my nephews who turned 16 this week,looking at it now I wish that I'd got Nestability Stars as these Sizzix stars look too random in shape. Have any of you got the Nestie stars if you have, do you get much use out of them or do you find them an unnecessary purchase? Anyway,I layered up the black and white card,cut out 3 stars in black then stuck them onto white card stock and cut around them leaving a white border.I stamped and matted the greeting hand trimming it and shaping the card placing 3d pads under some areas and using glue in others so that the greeting formed a wave shape.


It doesn't show in the photo but I used stickles around the white edge of the stars but I did,honest!

That's it for now,another quick easy card,challenge less at the moment unless you know of any I could use it for.

Thanks for stopping by,have a great day,

Julie.x

Fed Up With Bunting?

I hope not! with a couple of hours to go before the start of the party I suddenly realised I hadn't made a card. Although the card was for my cousin I have absolutely no idea what he is into these days, many moons ago it would have been Rod Stewart and G.F.C. but these days I haven't the foggiest idea so I resorted to bunting. I cut the triangles,inked and pen stitched the edges and used a sizzix die to cut the numbers, I still can't make up my mind if they should have been smaller but with a bit of gentle coaxing between my fingers the papers took on a material type feel and was easily manipulated to fit the space. I was going to completely cover the front of the card with the polka dot paper but for some reason I used my trusty fiskars cutter to cut square from the middle which I think looks much better.


I used the green checked paper on the inside of the card but felt something more was needed so cut some tiny bunting which I stamped using the tiny alphabet stamps.



I forgot that I hadn't photographed the card when I wrote it so excuse my scrawl.
The papers are by My Minds Eye and are part of a 6x6 paper pack.
I am using this card for a couple of challenges:-
My Time To Craft Challenge 100,Check it out,
The Crazy Challenge,Male card,
I hope you like today's bunting,will show you something different next time hopefully.
Thanks for stopping by,
Julie x

Celebration!

I was asked by a friend to make a card for her mum's 70th birthday incorporating a couple of photos of the lady herself. Here's what I came up with. The lovely papers were a pad of My Minds eye Quite Contrary Summer papers that came free on a magazine the other week,rather usable they are too!,I made a string of bunting as in this post and stamped the letters on using one of the 99p ish alphabets available at Scrapbook Sisters . I can't see them on line but I'm sure if you rang them they'd be able to point you in the right direction,they're lovely like that! The flowers were from my stash.

My friend was delighted with the card I'll show you the mini album that I also made for her at a later date.
I'm using this card for the following challenges:

Caardvarks July Challenge,Birthday cards
CWC013, Inspired by Summer,
I'm now off to tackle the ironing pile,
Thanks for stopping by,
Julie.x

Teacher's Gifts

We wandered around the shops,wondering what to get for thank you present for the teachers, twice around the shopping centre making suggestions to a disinterested little face,suggestions made by me,nose turned up by daughter.
"What do you want to get then?" I ask,
"What I really would like"she says,"Is if you could make some of those lovely note books that you made as party gifts for my friends".
So back round the shops we go,looking for suitable note pads to cover. I couldn't believe it,could have had 3 made in the time we'd wasted wandering around.

So here are 2 of the 6 that I made,I won't bore you with showing the others but thought I'd show you these in case you get stuck for an idea of a cheapy little gift. I just replaced and decorated the front cover of a writing pad,easy as that,one happy daughter and a fraction of the price that I expected to pay. Even found a couple of challenges that I can use them for. I'm going to use the first Notebook for them both:-

Crafty Pad Challenge 80 , Photo Inspiration
Paper Playtime Challenge 8,Flower Power,
Crafty Catz Challenge 41, Anything but a card.

I don't tend to use much in the way of peeloffs these days so thought I'd use up some on the second notebook. I added some white gel pen stitching and some dew drops as centres which I coloured using Copics.
Nothing outstanding,but a way to use up some of the scraps of papers that are mounting up in the drawer.
Thanks for stopping by,
Julie.x

Sunday Quickie

Quick card,quick post,have spent far longer than I ever ment to today making a mini book and a 70th birthday card for a friend to give her mum. I almost wasn't going to post a card today but the snippets of paper on the floor and table inspired me to make another Sunday quickie. I roughly cut off cut strips of paper into triangles then inked around the edges with a charcoal chalk eye. before when I've made bunting I have mucked around sticking it onto ribbon but a quickie was in order so this time I just placed a tiny drop of glue onto the top right corner of a triangle and placed the next flag on top.


To be honest this was just so easy as the shape of the drape just seemed to happen. I then stuck a tiny off cut of ribbon to each end of the bunting and then gently shaped each flag over the edge of my scoring bone. I then trickled a tiny thread of glue around the top of the bunting and glued it in place. I rubbed a pink chalk eye around the edges of the card and stamped my greeting using brown Stazon. The recipient of this card will appreciate the no fuss design.
Sweet Stamping challenge,Spring chick photo inspiration,
Thanks for stopping by,Julie

100th Post !!!!

I can't believe that I'm making my 100th post tonight,how time flies when you're having fun,it's a good job that these days I'm quicker at it though as I do seem to be following an awful lot of blogs now. I spend many hours blog hopping. I also seem to have a few regular visitors to my blog now too,isn't it great to think people on the other side of the world are interested in what you've made,I just love it.


Tonight I'm showing the last 2 of the Gorjuss girl thank you cards for my daughter's teachers,I've enjoyed using different colours for them than I usually use and no that isn't because I've used up all the ink of my favourite Copics though I do seem to be buying a couple of refills each month at the mo. The first card I am using for the following challenge:-
SSS64, great sketch,
Charisma Cardz,Pink,



I love this blue card,I rarely choose blue but I definitely will now,It's just so cool and pretty looking. I've had these papers in the drawer for so long, they are like washable wallpaper and are called Sky Floral Quilt, Scrapbook Walls,very apt! They were leftovers from one of my Scrapbooking classes.I'm using it for the following challenges:-
TESC120,Sketch,
GC62,Spicy Supply Challenge-Markers,
That's it,the last of the thank you cards,now I have to get cracking on the 5 birthday cards and the mini book that I need for next week! maybe a couple will need to be "Quickies!"
Thanks for stopping by,
Julie.x

Four Down,Two To Go!

What a lovely evening I've had,I went to my usual fortnightly scrapbooking class and ended up not only completing a layout but also had a little play with the lovely Karen's Copics,yes I know I've said it before but I LOVE COPICS!!! I'm just a little bit obsessed with them,the more I play with them,the more I want to play,there are just so many things that you discover just by playing!! (Sorry,I know I go on,they just get me that way)
Any way,I'm not here to sell Copics,though I think I could but to show you another of the thank you cards. I'm not fed up with colouring this Gorjuss image yet,hope you're not fed up with keep seeing my creations using them,I've only 2 more to show you after today and I promise to leave it a while before I use it again on here.

I've used this card for a couple of challenges:-
CPS 175,sketch challenge,
Speedy The Cat's challenge 11,Punch it,

For Fun Challenges,colour your image,
Thanks for dropping by,
Julie.x

3 Cards,One Post.

Well,it's that time of year,the approaching of the end of the school year,my youngest is about to end her time in primary school and step out into the new grown up world of Grammar School. Usually I encourage my children to make their own thank you cards but this year I've been asked to make them for her and somehow I heard myself say yes.
Sorry if this gets a little boring as I've 6 cards to make and have been requested to make 5 cards using the same Gorjuss girl stamp and only 1 using an alternative.



Here's the first I love this flocked paper which was part of a paper pack by Laura Ashley that I received for mothers day, I've coloured my image using copics and added a few flat back gems by Papermania. I've used this card for the following challenge,
Crazy 4 Challenges,Red, Black and White,
Cute card Thursday challenge 120,School's out for summer.

The giraffe on the second card is an image by Pink Gem Designs and was chosen by my daughter because her teacher collects giraffes, I've just checked and although this image is no longer available as a stamp it is now available as a Digi Image.I have used this card for

Stamp Something's recipe challenge,1 design paper,1 ribbon,1 image.

Polka Doodles challenge week 27 Summer,

By The Cute and Girly, July,Summer.

I'm now off to complete the ther 3 cards,thanks for stopping by,

Julie.x

Sunday Quickie

Thought I'd share a really quick card idea for an Engagement card Wedding card or even Anniversary, The card used just 1 piece of A4 card, I made it to fit one of the long envelopes (sorry I'm hopeless at remembering the names that they're given) so I needed to trim a section off before folding the card in half. I used a sizzix die to cut 2 pink hearts which I threaded onto a length of pink ribbon which I ran a tape runner along to secure it to the trimmed section of the card securing the ends behind I ran a pink chalk eye around the edges of the section before securing it to the front of the card.


because the tape runner isn't permanent at first I was able to arrange the hearts in the correct position before firming the ribbon down, I added a drip of glue behind each heart just to be sure it wouldn't slide then added a toning flat back gem to each heart and added 3 to the edge of the right hand side also. These are by Papermania and can be purchased at Scrapbook Sisters they come in lots of lovely colours. The greeting is Jane's Script by Woodware I stamped this using my pink chalk eye.

How quick was that! took me longer to write this post.

I can only find one challenge that I can use this for,if anyone knows of any others please let me know.

Allsorts Challenge 60, July love.
I'm off to start the ironing now :(

Thanks for stopping by

Julie.x

I Love My Copics!

I so love my Copics,I was never any good at drawing but I so love colouring in. I only got into stamping around a year ago and never thought I'd be able to colour an image to make it look passable but Copics take colouring to a whole new dimension. I spend ages checking out other blogs,picking up tips,watching demos on how other people use theirs but the only real way of learning is actually relaxing and going for it yourself.


This little teddy image was part of a freebie stamp collection that I got on a magazine,he's by Adam Pescott and is called Bently Bear. I'm really pleased with how I've coloured this image, I love his cuddly fur, not saying that it's perfect but it's good enough for me,not bad for a first attempt anyway, and by sheer fluke I managed to make my balloons look a bit translucent too!



I just used C1 over the coloured image to achieve this effect.
The embossing on this card was a bit of an accident. I measured and cut the white card and embossed it using a flower folder. wasn't very happy with it as it was a bit OTT when put against the paper which was also free with a magazine this month so I thought that I'd cut corners and use the same pieces of card and put them in the Swiss Dott folder thinking that the flowers would just disappear, they didn't but I quite liked the result so decided to use it anyway and rubbed the strips with a pink chalk eye. I saw at Poppet's Place blog a while ago how to make a button so had a go at this to make my flower button,I've added a link to her blog so you can check out her lovely glittery cards,I hope that she can bless me with a link to the page where she showed how to make them cos I can't remember where it is.




I'm using this card for a few challenges,
Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge 146, I haven't a large oval like the sketch used so hope this qualifies
Paper Play Week 27,Your number's up,
The Shabby Tea Rooms week 17,make an Impression,
Y.N.S challenge 20,Flower Power,
Alphabet Challenge, K is for kids,
Craftalicious challenge 3,Cute,
Crafty Creations 75,make your own button.
Thanks for stopping by on this rather hot summers evening,
enjoy your weekend,
Julie.x

A Helping Hand.

My sister-in-law enlisted my help yesterday to make a card on her behalf,now, Helen is really creative and turns her hand to anything,the reason that she'd run out of time was because she's making a giant snake for a local carnival and somehow managed to break her sewing machine in the process.


She dropped me this fab image by Mo's Digital pencil,I really must check these out,it was so lovely to colour though I'm not too good at colouring boy's hair.
I used this card for the following challenges:-
Sketch Saturday 110, great sketch to follow,perfect for this image,
Stamp Something Challenge,the colours of your flag, Red White and Blue of the Union Jack.
Think Ink Challenge 24,stitching,
Creative Card Crew, use die cuts,(Sizzix football die)
Digital Tuesday Challenge 66,Red, White and Blue
I hope that the card meets Helen's approval,
Thanks for stopping by,
Julie.x

Just Horsing Around!

Felt Up to a little crafting today,I ache all over but after yesterday's antics it was only to be expected. Can't believe that I'm not black and blue all over, I certainly should be lol!

I thought I'd get my challenge fix today whilst making a card for a friend's daughter.I used the Suzy 2 set of stamps by Marij Rahder that they have in stock at Scrapbook Sisters, if you've not called by my blog before,take a look through previous posts to see lots of other cards that I've made using other stamps in this set,they are so scrummie to work with and a big favourite of mine! The design paper is actually one of the freebie type that you get as a giveaway in a crafting magazine,I usually forget to use these but for once found the perfect match for my project. The number was cut using the sizzix Bubbles alphabet set,I just added some strips of matching card to make it into a sunshine then added stickles to them. I did something that I'm not in the habit of doing and masked off the horse to stamp the fence then also masked this to sponge up the background,time consuming but I'm fairly happy with the result. I couldn't find a flower punch small enough to add daisies to the grass though so instead opted to add spots of liquid pearls to represent them. I added some liquid glaze to the horses eye too.
I'm using this card for a whole host of challenges,
Papertake's sketch 44
Crazy for Challenges 44 ,Ribbons,
The Crafty Pad,Animal fun,
Wee Memories challenge 13, free for all,
Your Next Stamp challenge 19,printed ribbon,
Allsorts Challenge 59,make a scene,
Crafty Calendar challenge 10,Summer,
Paperplay challenge week 26,card for a child,

Tuesday Taggers,Make a scene.

Thanks for stopping by,
Julie.x

No Post!

Nothing to show you today,due to a bit of a slip up on my part, actually more like a bloomin great big stumble followed by a visit to A&E to have my knee repaired. Boy does it hurt! the edge of a paving slab left rather an impression,good job I've got no intention to wear a mini skirt lol! Have been given strict instructions by my manager that I'm not to go in to work this week so maybe,if I feel up to it I may have a card to show tomorrow.
Thanks for stopping by anyway,
Julie.x

Just a Quick Post

I've been out on a Treasure Hunt today arranged by Scrapbook Sisters,it was certainly challenging as I'm hopeless at map reading! Obviously we came last but having a picnic with friends in the beautiful sunshine afterwards made up for that.

The card today was made using Mercy's Tuesday sketch Challenge 80 which was perfect for a this card for my friend's son, just a matter of using a few die cuts and a bit of doodling to make the stripey border around the oval.

Paperplay Week 26. Card for child or teenager,

Speedy the cats Challenge 10, use die cuts,
Said I'd be quick,
Thanks for stopping by,
Julie.x

Guilt Free Crafting!

Well,over the last 4 days I have worked my socks off and have now completed all of my coursework. I can't believe that it's done I only wish I'd got my backside into gear sooner,if only I'd been given a dead line in the first place instead of being told my dead line was at the end of the week! Still that doesn't matter now,the folder been collected and it's out of my hands.

Now I can craft without worrying that I should be studying instead and here is the first of my guilt free cards.Don't ask me where this design came from,I found myself waking up today with this on my mind so although it's been a bit time consuming I got exactly the result that I was after. I'm thinking that maybe I'm a little stuck on using these little stamps at the mo and yes,I've used exactly the same stamps as my last post.
I'm using this for the following challenges:-
Allsorts Challenge week 58, embossing,
Craft Pad Week 77 challenge, embossing,

StampArtic challenge 2,Flowers,

Papertake Weekly challenge, stitches,
More guilt free crafting coming soon!
Thanks for stopping by this evening,
Julie.x