Surfs up

Surfs up

The stamping chef very generously gave us this image for a weekly challenge, I don't often enter TSC challenges simply because the week is over before I've had a chance to do the image justice but I just loved this one so much and had the perfect paper and embellishments.

I used my silhouette cameo to create a stepper card in blue card and the image and sea was coloured using pro-markers. I used a cut/emboss swirl die I bought in a sale (it was reduced to £1.99, what a bargain) to create the waves, The sentiment was a freebie stamp I got last month free with a magazine and the paper was also a magazine freebie some time ago. The georgeous embellishment is part of a set I bought a few years ago in a craft shop on holiday in Holland. 

I love how the surf board turned out

I'd like to enter the following challenges:-

http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/challenge-139-anything-goes.html

http://www.bellichallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/belli-challenge-175-summer.html

http://carabbiemomentsofcraft.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.thehousethatstampsbuilt.com/designers-choice-challenge/dcc731-water-element/

http://pollycraftchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/pollycraft-challenge-4-lisas-challenge.html

Thanks for popping by 

Kathy xox

Spika the bad mermaid

Spika the bad mermaid

Hi,

This month Simply Betty gave us the option of a good or a bad mermaid as our generous freebie, and as my last few cards have been sunny and colourful I thought something on the dark side would be fun, so I choose Spika the bad mermaid (I didn't use the sentiment that read 'bad to the gills' just because I couldn't squeeze it in). Here she is making sure no-one gets their hands on the sunken treasure.

I really wanted to challenge myself to colour hair a bit more realistically with pro-markers, so I followed an excellent tutorial by Donna Marie in her facebook group and although I've a very long way to go I think I'm definitely heading in the right direction. I added some green stickles to the scales on her skin (because a card isn't a card without sparkle)

I really wanted to add a treasure chest but after searching my stash (I'm still sure i have one somewhere) I headed to the sil store and bought this lovely template. I cut the wood out of 2 different shades of brown and the treasure from some left over glitter card. The tiny lock I coloured with metallic pro-markers. The treasure I made up of gold glitter card, sticky pearls, coloured gems, plastic coins and the fish came from a packet of jolee stickers. 

I returned to my trusty cuttlebug for the photo corner which I cut out of brown card and coloured with metallic pro-markers. The patterned paper I used has been in my stash forever and day so it was nice that it matched perfectly. 

I just hope Betty likes what I've done with Spika, theres some seriously amazing enteries for this challenge and if you get a change to look at blog http://simplybettystamps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/good-vs-bad-facebook-challenge.html

Miss Maggie

Not so impressed with using it as a board of shame

"Thats better now FEED ME" (puppy dog eyes)

I found this chalk board today in Dunelm mill for £2.99 and thought it would be perfect for a notice board for Maggie (no more post it notes). This is the first thing I've made with vinyl so I'm really happy with how it turned out. 

Maybe Maggie shouldn't have gone to spec savers

I'd like to enter the following challenges please

http://simplybettystamps.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/good-vs-bad-facebook-challenge.html

http://craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/challenge-174-all-at-sea.html

http://milkcoffeechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/show-us-those-coloring-skills.html

http://simplychallengedchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/july-30th-challenge.html

http://sisteractcardchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/challenge-18.html

Thank you so much for having a look, and I love reading comments if you have time to leave one xox

Simply Betty Summer Fairy take 2

Simply Betty Summer Fairy take 2 

I love how non-card makers think that it only takes a matter of minutes to create a card, my lovely boyfriend asked me to make a 40th birthday for his friends wife, for that night (and bearing in mind I received the request when I was still in work).I do love when he asks though as it isnt very often.

My original plan was to use my lovely cameo to cut out a simple 40 (I just learned how to do this recently) and put some nice background paper behind it, then I remembered the second Summer Fairy I had coloured for her last challenge. I'm so happy with how it turned out, especially as I'm not one to create under pressure. It might even be my favourite so far.

I coloured Summer with pro-markers and added some stickles to her wings, I added a little blue to her wings and love the effect it made, especially with the stickles. To give her a more 3D effect i gently rolled out her wings, only sticking down her body so it looked like she was flying. 

Miss Maggie

Miss Maggie has been zonked out in the hot weather so there hasn't been to much craic from her, HOWEVER we did take her for a walk in the forest were she managed to get her paws covered in mud, then she got kicked out of the pub (that was my fault I didn't see the sign that said no dogs in the beer garden!!). I still cant believe shes been in our lives an entire year (on the 11th July).

So proud of her muddy paws

My beautiful girl

First and last orders for us

'don't you think its time you get me a new bed?....in pink this time please'

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

http://simplychallengedchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/july-30th-challenge.html (I hope my cut out, fairy and gems count as lots of embellishments :-))

http://craftyourpassionchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/challenge-173-3d-it.html

http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/challenge-232-summer.html x

http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/challenge-165-anything-with-wings.html

http://thatcraftplaceblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/new-challenge-its-girl-thing.html

Thanks very much for popping by and if you have an extra minute I love reading your comments 

Kathy x

A baby card for one of my dearest friends

A baby card for one of my dearest friends

One of my bestest friends had a brand new baby called Cara which is Irish for friend, so I had to make her a very special card for her first born. My friend loves simple but elegant (if you look back I also made her wedding invites) and I love the simplicity of word cards so I thought I'd have a go on my cameo with a little help from my FB friends and youtube. I found making this just as challenging as any other cards I have made as I've had to get a handle on how the software works. I really think she'll like it.

without the flash

I cut the glitter card with my cameo, it took awhile to workout how to download the font to my computer and then create the image I wanted, but after lots of trial and error I got there and I just know my friend will love it, and I love my cameo, especially now that I can create my own unique cuts. 

I added the cut image onto onto some cream card, added a crochet flower (a lovely gift from Wendy in our craft swap) and a button. My friends Mother passed away when she was a teenager and a couple of years ago my she gave me her Mothers button jar, although all the button got mixed up I still like to think this may have been one of hers. x

The flash really highlights the glitter 

I'd like to enter the following challenges:-

http://www.abcchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/abc35-anything-goes.html

http://createdwithlovechallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/cwlc-48-for-girls.html

http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/mim147-with-saturated-canary.html

http://anyoneforanya.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/glitter-galore.html

http://craftingwhenwecanchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/challenge-47-kis-keep-it-simple.html

Thanks for popping by and if you'd like to leave feedback I'd love to that 

Kathy and Maggie  xox

Simply B summer fairy challenge

Simply B summer fairy challenge

When I saw the gorgeous image Betty was giving us for this months challenge I knew I had to take part. The condition of the challenge was to use a different background, not stamped or paper. I knew that I wanted to draw a flower for summer to dance on, but the problem was, apart from doodling I haven't drawn since I was at school and I wasnt that great then.In addition it definately didnt help having Oliver Jeffers (world famous childrens illistrator) was in my G.C.S.E. art class!! 

All this aside I gave it a go, a simple sunflower, and I'm so glad I did because I love how it turned out. 

I had originally coloured Summer in blues and green (promarkers) but she got lost in the vibrancy of the sunflower so I coloured her again with dark hair and a red dress, for her wings I used ivory with subtle hint of tea green. Off course I had to use stickles on her wings.

I couldn't find any yellow paper in my stash to match the card so I coloured some white paper with promarkers to mat my image and added some yellow gems to the corner. I kept the card clean and simple as the images were so bright.

I really hope you like her, and most of all I hope Betty thinks I did her gorgeous image justice xox

I'd really appreciate any feedback x

Thanks for popping by Kathy and Maggie (the naughty pup who presented me with a dead rabbit yesterday) xox

I'd like to enter her into the following challenges:

http://digisketchchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/in-summertime.html

http://milkcoffeechallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/summer-fun-challenge.html

http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/challenge-161-all-things-digital.html

http://sisteractcardchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/challenge-13.html

http://thatcraftplaceblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/flowers.html

Poor funny Maggie

Just a quick story that made me laugh today, although Miss Maggie was not amused!!

We went to the park today and because no one else was in the little chinese garden I let Maggie off the lead, anyway I crossed the pond over the stepping stones and poor Maggie thought she'd walk across the grass. Only it wasn't grass, it was the pond algae!!!! poor Maggie came out green and grumpy and I'm terrible because I laughed so hard it hurt.

Unfortunately she didn't get her silver good citizen award, she did so well until the very last test were she had to stay in the car until told to get out, Maggie decided enough was enough and jumped out doing a merry naughty dance around the car park. Next time :-) She also went for her 1st run last week with my boyfriend.

Maggie has only ventured into water this last few weeks but only paw deep (hope the pond incident didn't put her off)

Action shot in the forest among the buttercups 

Tug o war with her pressie from Canada 

Tired from her 1st run x

Thanks for popping by, I'll have some crafting soon (she's too big a distraction)

Kathy and Maggie x

Thank You Teacher card

Thank You Teacher Card

I had so much fun making these cards last year for a friend in work, I was more than happy to make her another exactly (well almost) the same for her daughters teacher this year.

Its such a simple card to make and I took my original inspiration from a papercraft magazine last year, the stamp (Wee stamps) was a freebie which is so versatile I've used it alot. 

I coloured her with pro-markers and matched her hair to the little girl it is from. Unfortunately silly me I hadn't written down the colours i'd used so had to start from scratch again. 

The blackboard was simply black card matted onto brown wrapping paper (I didn't have any wood effect paper left but still think it worked) and the letters were cut out with my cuttlebug. I love my new cameo but seem to always use my cuttlebug when I can, its more 'what you see is what you get' and quieter for late night crafting. 

I just finished of with some ribbon and gems, oh and stickles of course, a card isnt a card without stickles :-)

Miss Maggie

We took Maggie to Stormont today for a walk, this her her practicing waiting 2 minutes for her silver award next week. Unfortunately 5 minutes before this she had a sock hanging out of her bottom!!! We dont leave socks lying around anymore so goodness knows where she gets them because this is number 8!!!! 

Looking at this picture I realised shes a dog now and not a puppy anymore. 

Challenges

I'd like to enter the following challenges 

http://stampedblessings.com/2013/06/amusing-challenge-ribbon-or-twine/

http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/june-challenge.html

http://sisteractcardchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/challenge-11.html

http://glitternsparklechallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/challenge-37.html

Thanks for popping by from Kathy and the sock thief  xox