Winter Wishes

Hello everyone,

so sorry for the lack of postings of late, my only excuse is that I have been slaving away finishing my christmas cards and pressies for the family.  I can't believe I still have so much to do and am starting to panic, so decided that I would feel better if I totally finished some, ie put inserts and verses and envelopes and boxes together, all the borring stuff, but it does need to be done.
 
Anyway, thought I deserved a treat after being so good and desided to have a play with my new LOTV stamp which I was so lucky to win in the Ribbon Girl Competion last month.  It's called Build a Snowman and I also used some of the lovely flowers that I also won in the prize.  The papers were a freebie in a three for two at Hobbycraft so it really felt like Christmas had come early this year. 

I coloured the image with spectrum noirs but couldn't resist adding a little of my favorite stickles to it and to the snowflakes which were cut using a spellbinders die.  Because of the dimenshion I desided to make a matching gift box to hold it and a small gift.

 

Of course I had to add more snowflakes and some more glitter.

 

 

Here is a close up of the Snowflake which I attached

on top of the bow.

 

 

Here are the two of them together, I am so pleased with how the flowers match in with it all.  It's the first time that I have used flowers on a Christmas card. 

 

 

It's also my very first LOTV Christmas Card, and the first one I have done in pink, but I really like it. 

I think it will be perfect for one of my daughters friends, its so fresh and girley.

 

I just love these first edition papers too they are so easy to work with and the colours go together so well.

Please let me know what you think.

Best Wishes Maria  

 

I am entering it in :

 

Lilly of the Valley Monthley Challenge Pink and White

 

Crafters Companion Monthley Challenge Blog (I used the Ultimate pro to make the box)

http://www.crafterscompanion.co.uk/blog/crafterscompetition/2013/11/november-2013-challenge-christmaswinter/

 

Spectrum noir November Christmas Winter

http://www.spectrumnoir.com/challenge/

 

The artistic Stamper monthley challenge

http://www.theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/november-challenge-christmas.html

 

crafty ribbons 70 anything goes with ribbon

http://craftyribbonschallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/challenge-70.html

 

Penny black and more challenge Anything goes

http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/november-challenge.html

 

Freshley brewed Challenge Let it snow

http://freshbreweddesigns.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/november-month-long-prize-challenge.html

 

One Crazy Stamper November Christmas challenge

http://onecrazystampercom.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/november-christmas-challenge.html

 

little blue button stamps monthley challenge

http://lbbstamps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/monthly-challenge-no11-nov10th-dec8th.html

 

As you like it challenge blog, for me it has to be spots as they really draw the eye to the design and make it stand out.

http://asyoulikeitchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Lady Annes 8th chalengehttp://www.cardsbyladyanne.com/1/post/2013/11/lady-annes-8th-challenge.html

 

  

New Shoes

Hello Everyone

Sorry I have not posted for a while but I have been hard at work in the Craft room making lots of projects to show you.  This week it is my Aunt's birthday and I wanted to make her a special card.

I am also entering it in the Lilli of the valley Monthley Challenge : Anything Goes,and
the Cutie Pie challenge : CHALLENGE #56CUTE WITH EMBELLISHMENT BINGO 
also Penny Black and more : Anything goes
So wish me luck.

  She always wears such lovely clothes and has lovely taste so I wanted the card to be really delicate and girley.  I have had the frame die from Sizzix for ages and this is the first time I have used it but I wanted it to be quite sturdy as it is going in the post, then I found a bit of Acetate and it all came together. 

 I decided to go for a step easle card for a change and because it folds compleatley flat for the post.The stamp is from the lovely range from Lilly of the valley as are the papers.  I just had to make a gift box to protect it on its journey and to make it extra special. As it is an easel card it lies flat in the box.
 

 I just love the colours in this pad they blend so well together the only problem is choseing which of them to use.  I distressed the edges with a little Tim Holtz disress ink in weathered wood which seems to go very well with this collection.
 
 I stamped some more hats onto the patterned paper and cut them out, adding a little colour in promarkers to give  them some detail.

I added some matching Lilac flowers on the left hand side of the image.
 

Finally I decorated the gift box with matching papers and used the fancy circle die again as a focal point. I used the cut out bits to add a scroll to the corners. All finished and ready to send off for a lovely lady's birthday.

Bye for now Maria

supper striker

Hello again

Just had to pop by to show you my latest boys card for my son Jordan who was 14 at the weekend and yes you guessed it is nuts about football.  I couldn't resist this gorgous stamp from LOTV called super striker, and am entering it in their monthley challege Anything Goes. I am also entering it in the Ribbon Girl October Challenge of the same name.

I just loved being able to stamp out the extra footballs and use them for embelishments. I was able to colour the boy in Jordans team colours.

Please let me know what you think  love Maria

Tea For Two

Hello again,
 Wow I can't belive it, my second post in as many days, a first for me.  However I just couldn't wait to show you my latest card. It is my second attempt using a Lilli of the valley stamp and my first go at using flowers on a card.

I am entering it in the following challenges,

LOTV :  Anything Goes

4 Krafty Girlz : Everything Goes.
and also in Ribbon Girls Lovely Lilli Everthing Goes

 links below so go and take a peek.

 

I was so pleased with how the sprays of flowers turned out espeshally as I hadn't a clue what I was doing.  I even remembered to curl the remaining wire into corkscrew curls to give it a professional touch.

 

 

 

I added a smaller spray on the bottom edge to balace it out.

 

 

As it is going in the post I just had to make a matching gift box and couldn't resist a bit of ribbon and a matching image.

 

 

 

It is a card for my Mother in Laws' birthday which is at the weekend and I loved the image as I thought it may remind her of how she and her sister played together as children. They are both keen gardeners and very close. Just love the LOTV stamps, and I used another of my birthday present pads, also from them called country Lady this time. It has lots of polka dots plaids and florals so I was in Paper Heaven. 

 

 

For the insert I ran the paper through an embossing folder and then inked it with some Tim Holtz Antique Mahogany distress ink which matched  the papers perfectley. I am now addicted to flowers, can't wait to get playing with some more.  I hope you like it but most importantley I hope she does!!!

 

Best wishes and thanks for stopping by

Maria

 

http://ribbongirls.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/october-lovely-lili-challenge.html 

Gone Fishin'

Hello Everyone,

Here is my very first card using one of the lovely stamps from Lilli of the Valley, made for one of my nephews birthdays. I am entering it in their October monthley Challenge "Anything goes" also in 4 Krafty Girls Challenge  and Ribbon Girls  Everything goes challenge of the same name. (links below  so you can take a look).

It is a half zigzag and here it is opened out.......

I just loved the stamp from the first time that I saw it as it reminds me of my father in law who loved to fish and whom Samuel is named after. It also actually resembles my nephew, so it was an easy choice for his card. I was able to layer the sentiment behind the main picture so that you only see it when it opens out, and this one from the Wellington Stamp collection seemed to fit so well.  I used my new pad called country Gent from Lilly of the valley for backing papers.  It was one of my favourite birthday pressies from my lovely hubby who spends as much time on craft websites as me.  I always feel boys cards are my nemisis but the papers all go together so wonderfully in the pad that I really enjoyed myself.

 

 

Here is a close up of the stamp, it was a dream to colour, and I'm sure I will get lots of use out of it on future projects.  Below is a link to Lilli of the Valleys lovely website, so that you can take a look at their amazing stamps and their gallery is so inspiring. One day I aspire to be half as good as any of their designers, but I really enjoyed making Samuels card so thats all that really matters, hope you like it.

 

Bye for now

Happy Crafting

Maria

 

 

      

 

 

 http://ribbongirls.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/october-lovely-lili-challenge.html

Birthday Girl

Hello to everyone,

Can't belive that this week my baby girl turned 15, I still remember her as a tiny little thing bellowing for her bottle.  But 15, where have the years gone.  Now she is taller than me (ok not hard) much smarter and twice as lippy.  Anyway I had to make her a card, and as I was just itching to try out my new Molly Blooms Summer stamps range, just recieved and not even stamped, they had to be incorpriated.Here it is......................

It is a centre step as I wanted a bit of depth between the girls and the windmill.  I will put a few other pictures on the Birthday card page and the template when I get chance.  So have a go it is rather easy.  Beth loved it so it was worth all the colouring and cutting out.

Hope it inspires you to have a go, as it looks really effective
Best Wishes
Maria

Steam comming off my Promarkers, or what do you do when you only have an hour to get a card in the post.

Hello again,

This week has been a bit manic as I discovered that it was my nephews first birthday on Monday and I hadn't even started a card for him. Where did that year go?? To make it worse, boys cards are my nemisis and I tend to take ages on them.  So for help I turned to my favorite Molly Blooms stamp range and Clare Rowlands new magazine Birthday Parade.  I only had an hour to get it into the post so simplified a card shown in there, I was rather pleased with the results, and it just goes to show that I can make a card very quickley if I have to. Still I would rather have a bit more warning next time, so I must get my calender organised, accually I must find my calendar!!!  Thank goodness for facebook..........

I just loved the cupcake with the one candle as it gave it a bit of depth, it was also free with the magazine which made this a very economical card.  I have put the full details of how I put it together on my Birthday cards page so take a look at how I finished it off inside. I think I am into making boys cards now.

Hope it gives you a bit of inspiration, Best wishes Maria

My Christmas Boxes

Hello to all my crafting friends,

  Just to let you know that I have just finished my latest series of christmas cards which will be for my nieces and nephews and will have a suprise in store for each of the children who receive them.  I have used my favourite Molly Blooms Stamps yet again and am very pleased with how they have turned out.  Each child will have a different design of card but all use the same papers and stamp range so they all match.  I also had lots of fun with my bigshot and a spelbinders die set.  Take a look on my christmas card page and see what you think. I think I shall have to make lots more of the Snowflakes for my own tree at home so my new die is really proving very useful.

I have just got back from holiday this week so sad to say haven't had chance of energy to cook up any other craft projects at the moment.  However I have a couple of ideas on the hob for the weekend and will post them on here soon. 

Bye for now and Happy Crafting from Maria xxx

A Little About Me

Hello, thank you for stopping by.  My name is Maria and I live in Devon with my four beautiful children, and a very patient hubby who spends hours in craft shops with me.  I am addicted to stamping, cardmaking upcycling and everything involving paper and glue.  This is a site to swap ideas, and inspire to chat about anything to do with cardmaking and papercraft.  So I hope you enjoy reading my blog and pick up some inspiration along the way.