Happy Birthday. Let's Go Shopping...

Tom (son-in-law) asked me to make him a card for his mum's birthday last week and then forgot to take it. (men can't multi-task!)
It had to be simple, have flowers on it and be about shopping, which is his mum's favourite thing in all the world to do.
By now I hope Christine has received her birthday card, and anyway, (I whisper) I'm quite sure she doesn't pop in here.

I've used Pink Petticoat Papers. A freebie stamp and wording, which came with last month's issue of Creativity Magazine, usually found in your local (miles away for me) Do-Crafts crafty shop. I've added a little bag charm, a flower embellishment, pearls, a few fern leaves, (MS Punch) ribbon and some Stickles Glitter, then coloured the image with ProMarkers of course!

I had a bit of trouble stamping this image as all my acrylic blocks are a little too short for this stamp. I usually use a CD case, but that's not too good either. So I opened my packet of DoveCraft blocks, (Prize!) which are in the style of the famous rocker block. The longest one of these wasn't really long enough or wide enough either and I found that the edges got inked up too, which marked the card when you stamped, or the image didn't stamp very well, but after a couple of goes, the image wasn't too bad, but not perfect. (Time to get a longer acrylic block Lyn)

The font I used on the inside of the card is a freebie, it's called DayDream and you can down load it here!
I did find some challenges but have mislaid my little note book! So I'll add them later... **UpDate Found it!**
Coming up in the next post, will be my Hallowe'en ATC swaps. Thanks for stopping by.

Challenges
I Did It Creations -add a charm (handbag)
Incy Wincy Designs - anything goes
Inspiration Avenue - Happiness is... (shopping)
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
My Time to Craft - quick and cute
The Burtonesque Dolls - anything goes
Party Time (birthday card + sentiment) - Anything Goes Birthday

A Crafty Challenge with Ella

I really liked the look of this challenge, but why I chose pistachio...okay, green, I don't know, probably because I had quite a few bits, (I never throw anything out) and thought, what a clever way to use them up without looking too much like a scrooge! ! I used my Woodware punch (the yellow one) to punch out a variety of cream and pistachio papers from Pink Petticoat and edged then in Blue Iris then followed the sketch from the Trim C.R.A.F.T Challenge. I keep meaning to have a go, plan it all out and then realise I'm about two weeks too late! This time, I think I've managed it. I've never actually used Ella the Elephant before and I've had her for ages...she was beginning to look depressed! First I coloured her in a light grey and then filled her toe nails in with pink using 'Paint', on my laptop. (It's surprising how many people don't realise they have Paint on their computer already, look in Accessories) Then I printed her 'dress' again on some flowery paper, cut it out and with a smidgen of silicone glue decoupaged it and the little bow over the main Ella (I put the bow on her tail, but I guess it would've looked better on her head!) I also added some micro fine glitter to her toenails and bow. I will probably add some pink fiber or ribbon before I send it off to whoever's next on my birthday list, not sure yet. I'm making my mum-in-laws card right now... well, thinking about it. It's her Birthday to day! (ARrRgGH!! HELP!!) I can see she'll be getting it still sticky with glitter glue! I was thinking of using the same idea, but in pink, on a much bigger card, with scallops and a different image... more ribbon... loads of glitter...in fact a completely different card... sort of! Well, here's my Challenge Card... anymore waffle and it'll be tomorrow!! Oho~ before I go, nearly forgot, a BIG (((wave))) to my new follower!! Rose who has a fairly new blog with some lovely pictures of her lovely dogs and some very clever cards with tiny little knitted jumpers on them! They're sooo cute! (Either that or she's like me and shrinks all her family's clothing!!) Pop over and say hi!

Right, it's time for a frothy coffee (topped with chocolate of course!) and a chocolate bisqweet, so see you later...thanks for stopping by!

Charming Edwin

It's been really hot today! Summer's here at last! (Shh! It'll rain tomorrow now!) I've been out in the garden for most of the day and I thought I'd just quickly get this in before Britain's got Talent comes back on! Is there anyone in Britain watching anything else tonight?

Here's a little Star. Charming Edwin, he's rather cute, isn't he, with his lovely bunch of red roses. I coloured him with the ProMarkers. (I think I can safely say they're mine now, shhh!) I'm happy with the jeans but the jumper? Welllll...it looks like I washed it!! Sort of shrunk and faded! I wanted it a fraction darker around the edges and without thinking I picked up the wrong colour in a Whispers pen. I really think the Whisper Pens should be numbered or named! The times I've picked up the wrong 'red' and it's turned out to be the dull pink, or a rose that's had an argument with a pale purple. Used the K& Co papers again, sorry to be boring but I wanted to use up some of the bits. I save all the bits, no bit is too small! The lacy 'ribbon' is self sticky, but had a few little tears (as in 'tares' not the watery kind) so I added the flowers to hide that. The Do-craft 'Just for You' was stamped onto the oval, once I'd punched it out. The 'Crafts too' punch jammed ~this was with paper, and I had to unscrew it to get it free again. Really not happy with that punch, but it's so useful! The slightly larger oval, which it's mounted onto is a Woodware. Soooo much easier to use. I cheated a bit with the insert as it's a copy of the one lower down the blog, I ran it through the scanner, but no one will notice!
John's been dying to get into the picture for ages, so here he is! The other evening while I was busy taking pictures, he suddenly appeared in the hall outside the craft room and said, "Take a picture of me!" And he began posing in various Mr Universe posies~but at the same time, drawing my attention to what was behind him, in our bedroom...he'd only gone and piled up all the ironing....six basket's full! I do use my ironing board! Honest! It's great for crafting!
Before I go I'd love to welcome four, no! another's just arrived! Five new followers! Thank you so much for joining us, we have enough for a right real rave now!
Stillcrazybutcute' (Ha could be me!) no, StillCrazybutcute is the one in the hat! Love that hat!! Pop overand see Madeline's cute blog! Sandie, who some of you know and are also following. There's some lovely pictures and ATC's over on her blog, please nip over and see. Mel (who appears as a very cute rabbit~ I had a wabbit like that once!) she has a very new blog with some truly original cards, beautifully coloured and some Pink Petticoats (one of my favs) and of course, a picture of a rabbit.. then it's hi to Debs. Please pop over and see some of her lovely cards, they are really worth a look!! Lovely works of art and great colours using copic pens (Are they better than ProMaker I wonder??) And last but not least, Lorraine over on Coldwaters2, who I found tonight, while blog hopping and also has a picture of a rabbit! Lovely lovely Tilda sitting on her watering-can and a cute worm (which I tried to email for the freeby image but I have the wrong email, aw shame!)

Undate on Willy The Worm, I've now got him! (I've put in links now)
It's The Old Gaffer's Festival over on The Isle of Wight all this weekend, so we'll be nipping over to Yarmouth tomorrow. Have a good Sunday!!