Whiff of Joy Challenge - Rach's sketch

We have a gorgeous sketch for you this week at Whiff of Joy challenge by the uber talented Rach, I loved using it, thanks Rach! Look what I got in the post last week!!!! One of the gorgeous new Henry Christmas Mouse stamps that I won during the chat on SCS during the blog hop back in July! Wow, such a fabulous surprise, thank you so much Katharina and Alison! He is my first ever Henry and I am now totally in love with him and need more, he's fabulous to colour! The challenge isn't the only thing happening at Whiff of Joy challenge this week either! Whiff of Joy challenge is 1 year old this week - hip hip hooray!!!! and to celebrate we're giving away all sorts of goodies in our celebration blog hop to be held on Saturday be sure to check back! One hint for you.....Katharina is offering up a massive prize but to be in with a chance to win it you will need to have your card posted to the blog by midnight (GMT) Sunday.


No surprises that I've coloured him with copics! I have also added some stickles to the berries on the wreath and some flower soft to the fur on his hat. The edges of the image have been distressed with antique linen and then I have rubbed gold luster rub on over the top to give it a Christmassy shine!

The gorgeous poinsettia is by prima and I have added a couple of red roses and some punched leaves which I have sprayed with pearl glimmer mist so they look a bit frosty.

The snowflakes are from a woodware punch, I have distressed the edges and then covered in glitter before adding a spacer and gem, really pleased with these!

The sentiment has been cut from a K&Co paper, and the edges distressed with antique linen distress ink.

Hope you can join us this week. The rest of the DT have made some awesome creations to inspire you! Thanks for looking!

Image: Henry with wreath from Whiff of Joy coloured with copics

Papers: K&Co distressed with brushed cordoruy distress ink

Flowers: Prima and Wild Orchid crafts

Other tools: Ivory flower soft, distress inks in brushed cordoruy and antique linen, gold beads, luster rub ons, woodware snowflake punch

Sarah Kay Christmas card - Simon Says Stamp challenge

Morning! Gosh it feels like an age since I posted a card I've been so used to posting a lot of work lately! I got this gorgeous Sarah Kay stamp with some of my birthday money but only just got round to using it. I love Sarah Kay, it reminds me of my childhood. Can you remember the Sarah Kay stickers you could collect in late 70's early 80's?? I had loads of them all round my bedroom mirror, I loved the clothes they were wearing so much...still do actually, don't you just love the huge hat she has!?!? I was initially making this card just because I wanted to use my new stamp and then remembered the Simon Says Stamp challenge was to use stitching, so I added some in two of the corners to qualify! Excuse my awful hand stitching, any of you ladies who have sewing machines I'd love to know what sort - ie: one of those mini ones or full size - as I'd love to do more of it but it is such a chore by hand!

I've coloured her with copics and added a few gold details with a gold gel pen, distressed the edges with antique linen and then added clear stickles over the top. For the red matting I used some gemstones cardstock, it is pearlised - perfect for Christmas cards!

I was trying to decide which sentiment to cut out of my K&Co paper and "believe" just jumped out at me.....she is posting a letter to Father Christmas I've decided! Oh I love Christmas so much and I ended up singing Christmas songs while I made this (oh dear) and the "believe" just reminded me of Miracle on 42nd Street - I love that film LOL!

I''ve added a couple of poinsettias from prima, the roses I have edged with gold luster rub on.

The gorgeous ribbon holding the sleigh charm is from around the neck of the prima bubble the flowers are in! The charm was silver but I've coloured it with my copics.

Thanks for looking! x

Image: Sarah Kay coloured with copicsPaper: K & Co
Flowers & ribbon: Prima red Christmas bubble
Charm: Hobby House

Gems: from stash

Other tools: Tim Holtz distress ink in antique linen, gold gel pen, clear stickles

Just Magnolia challenge

This is my entry for this week's challenge at Just Magnolia which is to use pink and grey and black as an extra option. I have never used this colour scheme before, but it is gorgeous! Struggled to find any coordinating papers in those colours though!

I used the gorgeous Tilda and Edwin skating stamp, I love this so much and had to get it for my birthday even though they are sure to be bringing some new ones out this year! Boy did this card not want to be made.....I got half way through colouring Tilda's coat and my R00 copic ran out - I was not a happy bunny....I got half way through colouring Edwin's trousers and my W1 copic ran out......arghh!!!! Then, as if that wasn't enough, I start sticking my snowflakes on and adding gems to the centres and.....I run out of gems in that size LOL!!!!! I think someone was trying to tell me something LOL! I added some flower soft to the trims on their clothes to look like fur coat and hat trims!

The brad is a flower but I thought it worked quite well, it is actually bright pink and then I've covered it with glitter but it is looking more red on the photo!

I also added stickles to the branches and leaves on the grey BP, the ends of the twigs and around the image and sentiment. All the papers have been distressed with tattered rose distress ink. You can see it better with this angle.

Thanks for looking, hope you're having a great weekend! x

Image: Magnolia coloured with copics

Papers: from stash, sorry don't know who made it!

Ribbon and gems: from stash

Other tools: MS branch punch, Woodware snowflake punch, Tim Holtz distress ink in tattered rose

Wooooooohoooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woooooohoooooo!!!!! I am so VERY excited to be able to tell you that I have been chosen as a Guest Designer for December and January for Whiff of Joy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG I am so thrilled, I can't tell you! It is such a dream come true for me and I just can't wait for it to be December!!!!! I haven't stopped grinning since I found out, in fact you probably heard me screaming with excitement wherever you are! Thank you so much Katharina for choosing me out of all those amazing entries, I am completely honoured, and thank you to all my followers who left such wonderful comments about my entries and gave me the confidence to go for it!!!!! x

Whiff of Joy challenge

Morning! Wednesday is here again already and that means it's time for another great challenge at Whiff of Joy challenge! This week we have a recipe for you.....6 brads, 2 flowers, 3 patterned papers. Don't know about you but I love recipes, they're such a great challenge! Having said that I'm not entirely happy with my card this week. I had the idea all thought out and even had the hinges prepared and then what with laying a wooden floor all weekend and moving furniture into our extension I ended up leaving my card until yesterday....which would have been absolutely fine during my little girl's nap....except Connor ended up not going to school as he has a terrible chesty cough so I had to wait until my husband got home and ended up rushing the whole thing.....that will teach me to leave it until the day before LOL!

Sorry, what a rambler I am! Onto the card....as you can see I have again used the gorgeous Musing Melinda stamp, she is so versatile and was perfect for the theme of my card.

If you're wondering where my 3rd patterned paper is it is the pinstriped paper I have used for the punched flowers behind the roses.

I had such fun with the wall hanger I made last week that I wanted to have another go at doing a cracked paint effect so I have painted my hinges with white emulsion and then added the cracked paint effect with a gold pen and distressed them with brushed cordoruy distress ink.

The two hearts you see peeping out from behind the image are little messages that swing out using the brad as a "hinge". The left says "you hold" .....

and the right says "the key" ......

"to my heart" is then found inside the card.....

along with a key hung from some ribbon which is a Magnolia stamp which I have cut out and covered in clear glitter glue to make it sparkle.

Hope you like it and it inspires you to join us this week. The rest of the DT have made some stunning cards to inspire you too so please pop and take a look! x

Image: Musing Melinda from Whiff of Joy coloured with copics

Papers: K&Co Brenda Wilson Madeleine collection

Hinges: made myself from thick card

Brads, gems and ribbon: from stash

Other tools: MS branch punch, MS doiley lace punch, EK retro flower punch, Tim Holtz distress ink in brushed cordoruy, Heart key from Magnolia, Heart stamp from Stempelglede grunge flourish hearts collection.

Roses: Wild orchid crafts

The Sugar Bowl - Marlene's sketch

This is my entry for The Sugar Bowl challenge to Marlene's gorgeous sketch which I've rotated to fit my image. The please include option is pink and brown. I wasn't sure about making a pink and brown Christmas card but really need to get started on them so gave it a go and actually think it has worked really well! A very girly Christmas card I think!

The image is foxy from the first Gorjuss Girl set, I think I've only used this image once how bad is that!? I really love her actually and she's probably my favourite of them all but just never seem to have the right occasion as she seems a bit wintery to me.

The papers are by Kaisercraft and are double sided. I have used the brown side for the main paper and the cream side for the circle, although because I've distressed all my papers with brushed cordoruy distress ink they nearly look the same! I have added some glitter glue to some of the circles on the paper for a bit of extra christmas sparkle!

Another of my birthday presents came into use here....the gorgeous snowflake punch! I've punched them from white card and then added lots of MS glitter and a gem to each one. Instead of the flower in the sketch I added another snowflake but backed it onto a scrunched and distressed circle to make it a bit larger! (think I need a large snowflake punch also LOL)

With my papers being almost identical on the circle and backing I felt it looked a little bare so decided to add a sentiment on two strips of pink paper. The sentiment I've written with a gold gel pen which I've also used for the buttons on her coat.

I've got such a busy day today, we have finally moved into the downstairs of the extension but boy has it left a lot of tidying in the original lounge we've had everything crammed into! Hope you have a lovely day and thanks for looking! x

Image: Foxy - Gorjuss Girls set 1, Sugar Nellie coloured with copics

Papers: Kaisercraft distressed with brushed cordoruy distress ink, pink paper - Papermania

Gems and ribbon: from stash

Other tools: Woodware snowflake punch, MS carrera marble glitter, gold gel pen

Jacqui's candy!

Wow! Just look at the gorgeous candy Jacqui has on offer. One of the wonderful Henry mouse Christmas stamps AND as if that wasn't enough already, some flowers, ribbon and glimmer chips too! To find out more click here!

Whiff of Joy GDT call - 5th entry

Here is my 5th entry for the Whiff of Joy Guest Designer call that Katharina is holding on her blog until tomorrow! This was originally going to be a card, but reluctantly so because the paper I wanted to use was so pretty and there wouldn't have been many of the details left if I cut it to a card size, so I thought about making a wall hanger which I was going to mount onto some thick card. However, whilst I was colouring my image my husband was mending floorboards ready for our carpets to be fitted and had to take a couple of broken pieces out.....they looked soooooo distressed (gorgeous to me as I love distressed LOL) and so I had the idea to use them as the wall hanger to hang in the newly built part of the house so a part of the old house will be in it. So my husband bless him cut them to size for me and sanded the rough edges a little and drilled to holes for me and then I painted it!

I am just absolutely in love with these new fall images from Whiff of Joy, each one is so incredibly beautiful. I have used Willow with Grapes and coloured her dress to match the colour of the paper.

I have added lots of flowers in the form of some roses and blossoms that have been glimmer misted, a large prima paper flower, also glimmer misted, and some that I have punched from the page of a book and distressed with antique linen. I don't know why but the old painted floorboards and the colours in the paper just screamed at me newspaper style flowers LOL! You can also see here one of the butterflies I have punched from white card using my new toy from my birthday spending! I've wanted this MS monarch butterfly punch for months!

I just have to show you the lovely broken ends of the floorboards (the reason they were removed) they look great I think! I have created a crackle paint effect with a gold pen which I'm really pleased with. I have also grunged up the edges by rubbing them here and there with antique linen distress ink.

I've added part of a beautiful prima crystal swirl, to mimic the swirls on the paper and the flight path of the butterflies.

The butterfly at the top of the hanger is cut from the backing paper. The reverse of the paper is the brown with cream spotty patterns that you can see peeping out around the edges of the main paper. I have punched it with MS doiley lace punch and then set it on an angle so you can see the lacey bits.

Another of my favourite embellishments....lace! and I stamped the word Cherish from the Whiff of Joy fall kit onto some thick card that I pinched off the back of my Son's colouring paper pad. I have hand cut the circle, distressed the edges and added some liquid pearls.

I have threaded some organza ribbon through the holes my husband kindly drilled and tied big knots at the front so that the ends add to the design.

Hope you like it and thank you so much for looking! x

Image: Willow with grapes from Whiff of Joy fall kit coloured with copics

Paper: K&Co Wild Saffron collection

Crystal swirl: Prima

Flowers: Prima, Wild Orchid crafts and punched using EK success retro flower punch

Lace and ribbon: from stash

Other tools: Distress ink in antique linen, emulsion paint, gold gel pen, MS Monarch butterfly punch, MS doiley lace punch

Fantastic News!!

I have had some fantastic news yesterday that I can now share with you....I have been chosen to be one of the designers for the new challenge blog Craft Calender Challenge run by the lovely Georgia. I hope you will join us on the 2nd October for the first monthly challenge!

Thank you so much for choosing me Georgia, I'm incredibly flattered and congratulations to the rest of the design team too! x

Whiff of Joy GDT call - 4th entry

I have made another creation for the Whiff of Joy GDT call that Katharina is holding on her blog. This time I have made a christmas card with the beautiful Musing Melinda stamp. I love this stamp so much, it is probably my favourite actually, I just love the look on her face and her outfit! I used a gorgeous glittery paper from My Minds Eye that isn't actually a Christmas paper but I think it works well because of the colours and all that glitter!

I have stamped around the edges of my image with a Stempelglede stamp with antique linen distress ink and also distressed all the papers with the same ink. Melinda is, of course, coloured with copics and I have added glitter glue to her wings and her bracelet.

I really went to town with the flowers on this one LOL! I added a gorgeous layer of Prima poinsettias and leaves in the bottom corner along with some tiny red roses and a pearl headed pin for some extra luxury and then a white blossom and red roses in the right corner. The roses and blossom flower have been given a spritz of glimmer mist! I created a gather at each end of the crochet lace and added a diamond gem to each gather and a huge organza bow with the tails hanging behind the image to the bottom of the card.

and finally.....my usual querky angle picture but what do you think of the picture below???

I found this gorgeous silk rose in my wardrobe last night and happened to put it down near my card and it looked so beautiful with it. Maybe I've found a new photo prop? Thanks for looking!

Image: Musing Melinda from Whiff of Joy coloured with copics

Paper: My Minds Eye

Flowers: Prima and Wild Orchid crafts

Pin: Tabbycrafts

Ribbon, lace and gems: from stash

Other tools: Stempelglede grunge stamps, antique linen distress ink, clear glitter glue

Whiff of Joy Challenge - Heather's sketch

We have a gorgeous sketch for you this week by the very talented Heather! Also, the winner of this week's challenge will be our guest designer for October! For my card I have used the cute Willow with Baby Turkey, I just love the way her hair and apron are blowing in the breeze! I have distressed all the edges of the papers with tattered rose distress ink. I used lace instead of paper for one of the elements, and I have resized the piece behind the image so it still shows.

I added a gorgeous butterfly charm hanging from a bit of string I recycled from a jeans label.

I have added some gorgeous blossoms and roses which have all been spritzed with pearl glimmer mist.

The sentiment is from the Whiff of Joy autumn kit too, stamped with espresso coloured ink and the edges distressed with tattered rose.

I hope you like my card and can join in with us this week. The rest if the team have some gorgeous cards to inspire you! x

Image: Willow with Baby Turkey from Whiff of Joy, coloured with copics

Papers: Basic Grey sugared collection

Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts sprayed with pearl glimmer mist

Lace and gems: from stash

Other tools: MS branch punch, Tim Holtz distress ink in tattered rose