A Little Popcorn Madness...with ProMakers

Well, I did say I'd try and do another bear card this week just to remind you about the BEAR Challenge going on over on the Quirky forum... You still have a week!! There' a prize, and if any of my followers have a go, I'll send them a little prize too!! (don't all rush at once...please!)

I've had this Popcorn stamp set for ages and this is the first time I've used it, mainly because, you have to cut them out, very scary, being careful not to cut them too close (or cut off Popcorns ears!) and then not to lose all the tiny little pieces. Once cut out, you have to find some way of making them stick to your acrylic block. Of course me being me, that took a few weeks, (months) Dah!

I bought me some 'Kling-on' (nothing to do with Star Trek) and feeling very brave (even with my stupid finger in a plastic splint now) I cut out all the little bits and fixed them onto the 'Kling-on' (Luckily he didn't mind and if you clink the link you'll find a video telling you how to do it... wish I'd found that first!) Then I realised I didn't have an acrylic block big enough for poor Popcorn, so, I used a CD case instead, then found that all the little pieces fitted just right inside the same case. (sometimes I think, I'm not me, but someone else who has been swapped by aliens!)
I've used the sketch from Midnight Madness, so of course I've entered this card into their Challenge #38, which has two sketches this week... almost the same but different, and...mine's a bit different too. There's still time to have a go! This card has gone off to a forum buddy. Happy Birthday! Hope you have a good one!
I've used papers from the Craft CD-Rom free with The Do-Crafts Creativity Magazine. I've also coloured Popcorn with Promakers using Pastel Green, Blossom, Pastel Blue, Vanilla, Bright Orange and Canary, so have entered Passion For ProMakers challenge.
And (thank you Chris aka Twinkles Glow for letting me know!) I've also entered this card into the Flutter By Wednesday's Challenge too. Cute Card Thursday's Challenge #97 is Blooming Gorgeous. I hope I have enough flowers!
The font  I've used is called Honey Script. (Google the name)
I stamped Popcorn and then cut him out using my Nestabilities scalloped circles, then stamped Popcorn again, cut him out and after colouring, fixed it over the circle, because obviously Popcorn was bigger than the circle and his leg had been cut off! (don't worry, he's ok!) I then coloured the circle using the pastel blue.
Watch out for my next bear post because there'll be a link where you can download him and matching papers for free!!  Owing to SPAM< This post is now closed to all comments

Challenges:
Passion For ProMarkers -to use Pastel Green and Blossom.

Midnight Madness- Sketch
Flutter By Wednesday's -Butterflies
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #97 -Blooming Gorgeous!
Spoonful of Sugar Challenge #88- freestyle

Baby Mason Rain.

Just had to share this one with you....he's sooo cute!! He has his mum's eye brows

Digital Doodling Challenge

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

I thought this Challenge over on Digital Doodling was a bit different! Make a Magazine cover.

So I thought, oh...okay...let's have a go! I was already a follower, so clicked on the link to MacMyPic. On this site they have a feature that allows you to convert your own favourite photos into magazine covers ...
So, I up loaded one of my favourite photo's from Emma and Tom's Wedding, chose a title for my fake magazine cover and saved the coded bit once I'd finished. Easy! Looks good doesn't it!
Pop over to Digital Doodling and have a go! By the way it's free and fun! Plus if you enter your magazine cover into the Magmypic on site competition you could also win an IPhone from their website!
The Digital Doodling challenge is open to all DD followers until Friday, 12th February at 8pm (UK time). The winner will be picked at random and announced the following day at 8pm... and you could win these lovely gorjus girl stamps!
Go on, have a go....bet you end up making loads of covers!!
Bye for now...

Another picture is here and another one here!

New Pictures of Baby Mason

Just think, it was about a year ago, last Monday, although it was a Sunday, and we were eating Emma's Birthday cake...(touch of Déjà vu there, wasn't that what we were doing this Sunday?!)

that Maria called from America to say, 'Guess what? You're going to be Grandparents....' Now look at the little man, he's growing soooo fast and I just had to share my latest photo with you! I love the monkey toes!
I think Maria has a theme going on with Monkeys. (Odd how we used to call her Monkey!) She's very arty and after seeing something similar in a shop thought she could do better and painted these two lovely monkey pictures on canvas squares last year for Mason's room. Blue, green and brown seem to be the new 'boy' colours!

click picture to enlarge

I just had to have a play with this early picture of John with baby Mason and add it to this post. Wow hasn't he grown!! (That's the baby, not John...well...on second thoughts!!) More about on how you can make your favourite pictures into magazine front covers can be found here
Monkey art by Maria

Emma's Birthday Card

It only seems yesterday that Emma was a tiny toddler, proclaiming that the wet puddles throughout the kitchen were made by 'Dolly' "Dolly did it!" was one of her first sentences, along with, "Where's it gone...oh there it is...!" You can imagine my surprise when I suddenly realised that I was saying that throughout the day, every day so no wonder she copied!! But she's now reached the BIG 30...very scary, more so for me I think. Hubby John can't believe it either. He's thinking of dying his hair!

I hunted through my many folders of printed out papers and these pretty purples sort of shouted at me (use us! use us!! use us! use us!!) but not in such a squeaky voice.

One of my 'aims' this year is to use up some of the freebie papers I've printed out, mainly to remind me I have them hidden somewhere on my computer. That's the one great thing about downloads, they are there forever or until your hard drive blows up!
They all have their little codes, so...supposedly, I can find them. (Ha!!) Across the bottom of these papers, I've written 'Jen Reed- Majestic-You. Paper4 and Paper 5 and Tag. Scrapwow. So I know to look in the Scrapwow folder on my computer.(As if!)
The tag, as you can see in the picture is already torn, and just right to sit my new Tilda on. Thank you Jen, who ever you are, they're lovely papers! And I've really loved using them to make this card.
I've coloured Tilda with Promakers and used Copic's on the skin-tones. The style of the card has been in my head for ages, I think I saw one like it somewhere while blog hopping. It's made to look as though it opens at the front like a gatefold, but it doesn't! The front bits are quite firmly stick down! Should've made sure those brads were a bit straighter tho'!
Just found a link to someones gallery over on 'Scrapateers', where they've used the same papers in the way they were made for! A scrap book page. The font on the page is called 'Michaels', so it says...or they may've bought it from Michaels, nevertheless, here's a free font called Michaels, that you can download HERE
The big silk flower and leaves are from Papermania, the ribbon from my stash and the little pearls left over from Emma's wedding. I've added 'stitching' and Stickles Glitter. Tiny brads and gems. The gold numbers are 'Anita's Glitterations'.Big Hi and Welcome to new follower and fellow 'One Stitch at a Time' Design Team member Helen!!! Pop over to 'Tomorrow's Treasure' and spy some of her makes!
That's is for now! Thanks for stopping by! And here's to the next 30 years... cheers!

Challenges: Raise The Bar To use a gift. I won The Tilda image, so she was a gift!
Pile it on Warm Wishes. I'm counting my colours are warm.
A Spoonful of Sugar Freestyle

Happy Birthday Emma

Here's Emma, (my eldest daughter) roller skating at her 30th birthday party over the weekend. (((Agghh! I have a 30 year old daughter...)))

All her friends dressed up in eighties style clothing. (I don't ever remember wearing fury antenna's!) Love those gloves though.
Tom decided to go 'punk', complete with dyed hair, nose ring and studs!!
Slightly less scary than his 'Rocky Horror' out fit!!
Back later with the Birthday card! A little plan after this, I think!


I just had to have a play with this picture....

A Quirky Bear Challenge

A Quirky bear Challenge? Now, be honest, you were thinking Bare weren't you! No, don't be silly...don't want to scare the cat!
Here tis.. This weeks Quirky Forum Challenge is... Teddy Bears or in my case it's just a Bear...ah see, twas easy! Bet you guessed! The challenge was set this time round by Deanne, Mrs Quirky Boots herself!! Pop over to Deanne's Blog to see her lovely Bear Gift Tags! And while you're blog hopping, pop over to Debbies and see how she altered a mini dart board cover into some thing quite amazing! The Crafty Pad Stamp Designs are sponsoring the Challenge so you could be in with a chance to win two of Debbie's lovely stamps!
I had quite a few 'bears' but I hadn't done a decoupage for ages, so I decided to use this Forever Friends. If you're good, I might do another card later in the week just to remind you about the Challenge. This card is either going to be put by for Father's Day or...dad's Birthday (sshhh! don't tell him! and wow!! I'll be early for once!!)
The Paper's were freebie downloads from PaperCraft Inspirations ages ago called My Garden but you can still download them HERE. The embossed topper is actually another smaller card, which I cut down a bit so I could put another message inside. It's kept closed by that little brad. Not sure I like that pink border though, should've stuck with something green, but I can always change it later. Think I might go for the 'Gone to Seed' tag instead, which you can also down load along with same matching papers...(I know 'Pop' will tick me off about that pun!!) I used my Quickuts for the word 'Dad' and the font inside the card is a Freebie. It's called 2peas goofball and you can download it HERE and even more '2peas' freebie fonts can be found HERE
No! !!! I did use a 2peas font in the inside of the Jammy Tilda card below...(but I didn't show you the inside) They are very similar fonts... The font used in this card and in the picture above is called SwingSet BB and you can download is for free HERE (sorry about that!)

New Followers!! (((Big Wave))) I would love to thank three more followers for joining me and my little blog Sofia all the way from Greece, who's a Sarah Michelle Gallar fan I should think. Me too, I've got all the Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVD's! Vee from Veronica's Designs. Click on the link to take you over to her lovely blog. And!!! Our very own Quirky Forum design team member, Anne, Chocolate Fudge Cake!! Pop over and say hi and while you're there check out Anne's BearATC's for the Quirky Challenge too! And talking about Chocolate Fudge Cake, yum!! It's my daughter, Emma's birthday tomorrow so of course me and him-in-doors, between us, together, made a Chocolate fudge Cake for her birthday, but of course we ate half of it tonight!! (Greedy Piggies) That's it for now, thanks for dropping bye, catch you later!

Quirky Peek Time again

Haha...oh..this one was quite hard to 'Sneak Peek' So I bet you can guess what it is, and from that you might just be able to work out what this weeks Quirky Challenge is. Green? Embossing? Brads? Dots? Scalloped edging? No? The only way you're going to know for sure is to pop over to The Quirky Forum and take a look! There's going to be some lovely makes by the other DT members. Boxes, tags, Cards, Scrapbook pages, Atc's, in fact anything is possible!! Or, you can pop back here later and see mine. Or both! I can bearly wait!! Bye For now!!!

A Jammy Birthday Tilda

This card should be winging it's way to a blog buddy, who's just had a birthday but knowing me it's probably not, cos I'm all behind as usual!! This is Magnolia Jam Tilda and it's the first time I've used her since I won her on a challenge that Simon Says Stamp was sponsoring. I think she's sooo cute, so I'm gonna have to bore you with at least ten trillion more this week!! (or maybe three) I've used Pink Petticoat Papers, in lavender, which looks like lilac, depending on where I took the photo. I also Decoupaged Tilda, added Stickles and Micro fine glitter and used my ProMakers and Copic pens to colour her in.
Another first was, I used chalk to smudge the background behind Tilda. I'm hoping to add this card to a few challenges...Simon Says Challenge 'Punch' (I've used Woodware, Martha Stewart and Nestabilies) and also Creative Card Crew who also have 'Punch it'. Passion for Promakers, Any Colour and 'girls girls girls..'


I'm having trouble with 'Spam' ever since I took the word thingi-me-jig off... I really would like to know what YOU think...on, off, or wait for approval (which confuses me when I leave comments because I never remember if I've already left one or not!) Let me know!! I'll leave it off when I do Challenges but it might go back on if I get any more 'Spam' (I can almost feel a Spam song coming on!!)
Back later...off now to find some more challenges!!

Lovely Award From NannieFlash!!

I've just received this 'Sweet' Award from the very lovely Shirley!!
Look at those yummy cakes, couldn't you just eat them all!! (Well, I could!) I have to tell you at least 10 things that give me pleasure and pass it on to 10 of my Sweet Blogging Friends! I think I'm the same as Shirley here...
1 My two lovely daughters. 2 My Grandson, Mason.
3 Hubby John. 4 Crafting. 5 Going shopping to buy more Crafty stuff!
6 Drawing and writing my never ending story (still? Well it is never ending!) 7 All friends and family. 8 All my crafty buddies, visiting their blogs and seeing what they've been up to! 9 Frog the cat!! 10 Walking in the forest and by the sea, BBQ-ing in the garden on hot sunny days with friends and family...oh and one more, chocolate and more chocolate!!
I'd love to give this to every one!! But here are ten (yes, I know, I can't count!) lovely sweet people
My new DT members from One Stitch at a Time Stitchy Cheryl, Liz, Lizzy M, Sarah, Sam, Helen I know Susan isn't into Awards, so she can have an 'invisible' one and a big THANK YOU because she's soooo super on the forums!
And my Quirky Forum DT members Cazzy, Gez, Julia, Fe-Fe Anne and Deanne.
I'm sure the blog police won't mind one extra Geebo T Cat for her fabulous Freebies!!!! Pop over right now and have a look!!
Shirley also Tagged me ages ago... before Christmas!! Just when I was moving my things out and swapping all the rooms and I forgot to mention it so...I've posted that back in Last year!! Why??? Coz I noticed that if I had just one more post, it would make the 300th post for 2009!! The Person I've tagged Cozy Frog because she gave me my very first Award!! So to see that post you will have to go HERE! Back to last year!
Bye for now, thanks for stopping by!!

It's Wacom fun!

Oh wow...I know it's only small...but this is my FIRST go at playing with my new toy!! A Wacom Bamboo!! (A late Christmas early birthday present from my lovely Hubby) Not too bad for a first attempt but still a long way to go...considering a trip to the hospital yesterday to remove the metal (with memory foam) splint from my 'right click finger' wasn't good...Silly Doctor, bent the finger and it's now worse than it ever was last November!!! 2009. It now has a plastic splint! Never mind!! I'm having so much fun PLAYING!!! (so, no cards done, sorry!!) back later... umm ... maybe!! Thanks for stopping by!!

I'm In Stitches To tell You!

Have you noticed it yet? What, that pimple on your nose? No! The new banner on my sidebar! I've been itching to tell you! I've been asked to join the Design Team of a brand

New Challenge Blog

called...

One Stitch at A Time!

I'll be joining some fabulous crafters, which most of you must know cos they're all brilliant!

Sam, Sarah, Cheryl, Liz, Lizzy M, Susan and me!

The First Challenge
starts on
Sunday 14th of February

so an easy date to remember.

Every fortnight (Cross that out!!, every week!!) there's going to be an overall winner... no, that doesn't mean you'll win an overall, it means the winner will be able to choose a digi from Stitchy's Store and become a Guest Designer!! There's also going to be Top Three Badges that you can display on your sidebar and if any of Stitchy's digi's are used in the challenge you'll be able to enter the draw twice! There''ll be prizes, Blog Candy and other little surprizes too! First pop over and became a follower so you don't miss out on anything, leave a comment and have a guess at how many followers we'll have by the launch date. Have a go at guessing how many ribbons are in Liz's bundles to be in with a chance to win them!! Other prizes will be added, so keep popping in!! Where?? HERE When was that again??

Sunday February the 14th!!
See you there!!
Grab this banner for your side bar

Snowy's A Little Green

Here he is...A green Snowy, probably the last 'Snowy' Christmas card you'll see on here for ages and ages!! (Hooray! I can hear you say) I sent this card to my Sister-in-law, only it did have more embellishments on it but, as always, I can only find this picture of him. So you'll just have to imagine the velvet green ribbon and the swirling gems I added under the flower for a stem and the Merry Christmas signature. I also added more glitter to the papers, as I'd already used them on another card and wanted to make ithis one look a little different. That's it! Short and sweet! You're going!?? Yep!! I'm busy at the moment 'inventing' something!! A left handed coffee mug? A silent alarm clock? Self tightening sky hooks? (actually they'd be quite useful!) No! Don't be silly! Wait and see! Thanks for stopping by!!

Making of a Hand Drawn Card

I was commissioned to make this card for Christmas last year (2008) Back then I wasn't 'blogging' so this is the first time I've shown it. At that time the 'doggie' people I work for had their own small business and the 'boss man' Francis, wanted to send cards to all his customers. I was told just what he wanted, a cartoon of himself talking to Santa, who had to be playing with something electrical. Fairy lights I suggested. Also the British Standard number 7671 had to be in the joke. (BS 7671 "Requirements for electrical installations")
This is the end result ... but this is how it all started off!

I did a few very quick drawings to get me in the mood and to give me some ideas. At first Santa started life on the roof of a house and Francis (boss man) was the Inspector guy who checks all the electrical work after it's done. He wanted to carry a clipboard because he said his customers were getting used to him telling them, he couldn't do a job in the way they wanted, as it, 'did not apply to British Standards'

I wasn't sure anyone would get the joke, so I added one of his dogs so that there would be a little gag from him, just in case the electrical one didn't work.

I roughly drew the drawing the way it would appear on the card. By now I'd added a waving snowman and an elf. I didn't put the speech bubble in yet as I wasn't sure where to put it, as I didn't want to cover up any of the back ground that might add to the picture. but...there was still something missing. The back ground!In this coloured copy I added some snow covered trees in the background...but I thought there was still something missing!

In this picture you can see the trees in the background but now I'd added a sleigh, a smiling Christmas tree with the waving snowman peeping out from behind it. I'd cut out the top of the drawing, and in between the small branches of the trees as I'd had an idea about how to do the 'night sky'

Because at that time, I was only using Whisper pens, water colour pencils and the odd Aqua Promaker pen I could scrounge, I was having trouble getting a good colour for the night sky. So after I cut out the picture, I fixed it onto a dark blue 'snowy' back ground paper.

I coloured it in, reduced the whole thing in size, scanned it, and then printed out about 50 then adhered them to A5 cards. After that I added a 'Season's Greeting' silver peel off, spruced up the colour a little more and added some Stickles Glitter glue. This was the first proto-type I did on 5"x7" card. When I used to draw cartoons years ago, they all had a spider hidden on them somewhere ...can you spot them?!

Just wanted to add a warm welcome and a ((((big wave )))) to two new followers!!! ((Yayyy!!)) Illusion142 who has some really lovely poetry over on Retrospection and some amazing pictures on Flickr. Also Sarah from Sarah's Little Creations. Some lovely cards over there, so pop over and have a look! Don't forget to say hi! Back tomorrow with....hmmmm??? Oh, that 'Snowy' card. Thanks for stopping by!!**
Up date...Thank Goodness I found photo shop!!!

Thank You Sylvia. Proud Grandparents Brag Book

This lovely Proud Grandparents Brag Box and tiny booklet was made by and sent to me by the very talented Sylvia-Anne soon after baby Mason was born last year and I thought it was about time I posted it here!
It's just such a lovely work of art! A perfectly made lidded box and inside is a beautifully crafted booklet in lovely matching blue sparkly papers with added ribbon and charm.
I still haven't finished filling it up with tiny pictures of baby Mason, but as soon as I do I will post another picture or two or three! (I was a bit scared I might ruin it, it's so lovely!)
At first I thought, oh what a lovely box! but then when I opened it, another surprise! As there inside was this little Brag book!! What a fabulous idea! I'm sure if anyone wants to know how to make it, Sylvia will gladly let you know how!
I've been finding and putting by some little embellishments, and charms like tiny hands and feet, rattles, cars and trains and even dogs as my daughter has two, to add to the tiny book. Thank you so much Sylvia. This is another work of art I will treasure for always! ((Hugs) Lyn

Thank You NannieFlash

You're in for a treat today. No 'Snowy' card but instead this lovely Tilda Christmas Card made by Shirley!! A million Times Better!
I've been a terrible blogger because I thought I'd posted this ages ago. I had to show it to you because it's just fabulous! The lovely Tilda image is coloured in so prefectly! In fact, this card has been a great inspiration and influence on some of my last minute Family Christmas cards I made! Shirley's fans will probably remember seeing it on her blog too, here.
Although I haven't any 8x8 cards, which this card is, I did make A Happy New Year card for Shirley but not as good! out of two cards joined together, and I will post that a little later. Unfortunately Shirley's first card I made (A pocket Card very similar to the ones I've already posted) was one of the cards I still can't find, but hopefully it and the others, will turn up ready for next Christmas!! Thank you soo much Shirley you're a real lovely lady. I will keep it safe for always! (((Hugs)) Lyn