A Cupcake Recipe

Good morning friends!

This will be a very swift post from me as I didn't get time to write and schedule this over the weekend ... and now I'm writing this in haste as I'm off to train some Guide Leaders in calligraphy today.

Anyway, it's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and this week we've got a Recipe for you to follow:

4 Papers, 3 Brads, 2 Ribbons, 1 Image

 

 

We've got two great sponsors this week.

 

Fantastic Ribbons who are giving this week's lucky winner 4 rolls of their scrumptious ribbons

 

 

and

 

 

our very own Nikki from Limited Runs Digis whose gorgeous images have been used by some of the DT.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is my card to inspire you for this challenge:

 

I'm sorry the photo is so rubbish ... now the clocks have gone back I'm struggling with the curse of getting decent photos under and electric light!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - made from Centura Pearl in Snow White, cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card
• Design Papers - are all by Summer at Summertime Designs from the set Believe. My main paper is called Candy Cane Paper and the three squares (running from top left downwards) are Holly Paper, Snowflakes Paper and Green Dots Paper.
• Brads - I'm afraid I cheated a bit here as I couldn't find my brads and the shops had closed. So I used 3 small pearls to make one of my holly sprigs white berried.
• Ribbons - are both by Fantastic Ribbons and came from a Blog Candy that I won from Annette last autumn. I love the red ribbon which is printed with "Merry Christmas" in gold, and is also flecked with gold. I doesn't show up very well in the photo above. I'll try to get better photos later.
• Image - is by Nikki at Limited Runs Digis who very kindly let me have Holly Cupcake to showcase today. I've coloured this using my Spectrum Noir Pens - I'll be back later to list the individual colours I used.

My Incy Wincy team-mates and Saumya (this month's Guest Designer who is with us for the last time this week) have got plenty of further inspiration for you, so do pop over and check out their creations for this Recipe Challenge. Don't forget to come back and share your creations with us - you've got until Sunday 4th November 2012 to link your cards up.

 

 

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:

 

• #117 - C is for Christmas at Ooh-La-La Creations
• Anything Goes at Card Makin' Mamas
• Challenge 137 - Make 1 for Christmas at One Stitch at a Time - Second Entry
• Challenge #29 - Use a Ribbon at The Squirrel and The Fox - Second Entry
• Challenge 77 - Christmas in October at Crafty Ann's Challenge - Second Entry

Until later,

Hugs, Helen x

 

Santa's Letter

Morning friends!

Not sure how this will post as I've scheduled this and the clocks go back tonight. Fingers crossed!!!


It's time for a new challenge at The Crafty Pad and Dawn's chosen this week's challenge. She's encouraging us to beat the last minute rush for Christmas by preparing early because our challenge for you this week is Christmas is Coming!

This week's sponsor is the lovely team at Joanna Sheen who are offering a £10 gift voucher to their wonderful craft store for our lucky winner.

 

As usual, the Design Team are showcasing the delightful images that have come from the pen of Debbie at Crafty Pad Designs, and here is my card for your inspiration:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - made from Centura Pearl in Snow White, cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card
• Design Papers - are both by Summer at Summertime Designs from the set Believe.
• Images - by Debbie at Crafty Pad Designs, this little cutie is Christmas Ted posting Letter. I have brought him to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens and my trusty silver gel pen, which seems to be getting ot and about rather a bit!
• Snowflake - punched from Centura Pearl in Snow White
• Ribbon - from my stash

Do head over to The Crafty Pad and see the gorgeous creations by the rest of Team A. Then come back and show us your Christmas is Coming creations! You've got until 8pm (GMT) on Saturday 3rd November 2012 to link your cards up.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:

• Holiday Creature Feature at Jingle Belles
• CIC 62 - All Tied Up at Clearly I Stamp
• October Monthly Challenge - Winter Wonderland at Stamp and Create
• Challenge 137 - Make 1 for Christmas at One Stitch at a Time
• Challenge #29 - Use a Ribbon at The Squirrel and The Fox
• Challenge 77 - Christmas in October at Crafty Ann's Challenge

Hope you have a great weekend.

Hugs, Helen x

Halloween

This is my second post of the day - please scroll down to see my first post

Good morning my crafty friends and I hope you are well. Firstly I must apologise for the delay (again!) in this post going out. We are in the middle of redecorating, and I am down to sharing the computer with the rest of the family in the dining room ... which doesn't help when my other half doesn't know about my Design Team positions!!!!

What an intricate web I've woven, which is perfect for the new challenge that Susan has set over at Lexi's Creations - for this fortnight, our challenge is Halloween.

Our wonderful sponsors for this challenge are the fabby team at Joanna Sheen who are offering a £10 gift voucher to their wonderful craft store for our lucky winner. Now that's a prize worth playing for!

 



Front of Gift Pouch

Now I must confess to not knowing what to create for this challenge as we don't celebrate Halloween! However, on the day when I was sitting down to the week's DT projects I saw a great post on my crafty friend Annette's blog ... and she was faced with exactly the same dilemma. So (deep breath here!) I have cased her gift pouch project and using lovely seasonal image from Lexi's on-line store this is what I've made to inspire you:




Back of Gift Pouch

My Gift Pouch recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - is Neenah Classic Crest Card onto which I printed my Gift Pouch Template and Images. I the made masks for the images using repositionable sticky notes which I cut out and put over my images, before running the card through the printer again to print out my background.
• Gift Pouch - is Treat Tent template from WendyBird Designs. This download comes with five different window shapes including a circle. I used a freebie from the Barry Spooky Bats set at Stamp Fairy which is 2 bats, some clouds and a moon. I superimposed this image onto the circular window shape so that the moon became my cut out section. As one bat was flying across the moon, I cut it out and repositioned it on one of the clouds.
• The bats were coloured using my Spectrum Noir Pen in True Black
• The clouds were lightly coloured using my chalks in Grey and Black 
• Design Paper - Summer at Summertime Designs and is called Web Paper from the Happy Halloween set ... this is just perfect for this treat bag as I wanted my girl vampire to really stand out.
• Image - This gorgeous girl is called "Little Minx" and she is one of the newly releases created by Lexi at Fairy Dust Crafts. I brought this cutie to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Skin - FS2, FS3, PL4
• Hair - EB1, PL4, True Black, Colourless Blender
• Dress & Suspenders - PL4, PL5, Silver Gel Pen
• Boots - True Black, Silver Gel Pen
• Necklace - True Black, Silver Gel Pen
• Stockings - True Black
• Wings - IG4, Silver Gel Pen
• Outline - IG1
• Ribbon - Black Organza ribbon from my stash

Head on over to Lexi's Creations and see how incredibly talented team-mates and our fabulous Guest Designers Carol and her 12 year old Granddaughter Alexis are celebrating Halloween - don't forget to come back and share your projects with us! You've got until Saturday 27th October 2012 to link your cards up.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

• Challenge 19 - Spooky at Stampin' for the Weekend
• Challenge #39 - Halloween at Creatalicious Challenges
• Challenge #29 - Halloween at The Cutie Pie Challenge
• Fortnightly Challenge 47 - Halloween and/or Autumn at Forever Friends
• Challenge 43 - Halloween at Dream Valley Challenges
• Too Cute To Spook at Di's Digi Designs
• Fall/Halloween Challenge at Scrappy Frogs Challenge - Second Entry
• Challenge #185 - BOO-tacular at Stamptacular Sunday
• Challenge #44 - Black, White and One Colour - Card Crafter's Circle
• Challenge 87 - Things with Wings at Top Tip Tuesday Second Entry My TOP TIP for you here is make your design all on one layer (your base card) by printing out the template and images on your base card. Print this out again onto some spare card with a sticky note (or 2 in the case of my Little Minx image!) over the images making sure that some of the sticky will be there once you cut round your image. Fussy cut round the image prints on the sticky notes and position them over the image prints on your base card. Then run the card through the printer to print out your background. Peel off the sticky notes and, hey presto, your image looks like it's superimposed onto the background!

Hugs, Helen x

It's a Gem of a Sketch

This is my first post of the day - please scroll up to see my second post

Good morning my crafty friends! 

Firstly, I'd like to welcome my new followers JustYolie, Crafty Rose and Heather (Hev) ... I do hope you enjoy this crafty journey that we're all on ladies! 

Secondly I must apologise for the delay in this post going out. We are in the middle of redecorating, and I am down to sharing the computer with the rest of the family in the dining room ... which makes life difficult as I can't slope off to another room to do my blogging!!!!

 It's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs, and this time we've got a Sketch Challenge for you, which has been drawn by our own team-mate Sheryl ... and it's a totally awesome sketch, and one that I can see will be getting plenty of use.

For this challenge, we're welcoming Pink Gem Designs as our sponsor - they are offering this week's lucky winner 3 Digital Images from the store! The lovely Janet has also very kindly supplied the DT with images to use this week so, without further ado, here is my card for you using Sheryl's sketch which I have rotated 90 degrees clockwise:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - made from Centura Pearl in Snow White onto which I embossed the largest rosette shape from the "nest" on the Ultimate Pro Embossing Board Springtime Sweets and Cupcake Treats. I folded the card to make a hinge at the top, and 2 "feet" at the bottom and then cut round the embossed shape.
• Design Paper - is one of the lovely snowflake papers from The Snowman Papercrafting Collection CD-Rom. I embossed the largest circle from the nest on my Ultimate Pro Board, cut this out and then fixed it to my base card.
• Image - This gorgeous little fairy is called  Faye With Snowflake and she is just one of the gorgeous digis drawn by Janet from Pink Gem Designs. I set Fairy Faye onto the smallest rosette from the "nest" on the Ultimate Pro Embossing Board Springtime Sweets and Cupcake Treats, embossed the shape and then cut it out, before mounting it at the lower edge of my DP. To bring this little sweetie to life, I used my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Skin - FS2, FS3
• Hair - GB8, GB10
• Coat, Mitts & Boots - TB1, TB3, TB4
• Wings - Silver Gel Pen
• Fir Branches - CG1, CG2
• Outline - GG1
• Sentiment - is by Paulette from Create with TLC, and was one of the goodies in her Christmas Club last November. This year's Christmas Club is due to start on 3rd November and this is a great way to bulk up your Christmas stash without it costing the earth - you won't be disappointed!
• Ribbon - is 3mm Galena Opal wired ribbon from my stash, and was part of a Fantastic Ribbons blog candy I won last autumn from the lovely Annette - just perfect for this project of 'cool' colours!
• Snowflakes - made from Centura Pearl in Snow White using 2 different sizes of snowflake punch

My Incy Wincy team-mates and Saumya (this month's Guest Designer) have got plenty of further inspiration for you, so do pop over and check out their creations for this Sketch Challenge. Don't forget to come back and share your creations with us - you've got until Sunday 21st October 2012 to link your cards up.


I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:

• Challenge #135 - Music or a Song at One Stitch at a Time - the song title just has to be "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow"!!!!!!!!!!!
• Challenge 87 - Things with Wings at Top Tip Tuesday
• Challenge #116 - Christmas Sentiment at Ooh-La-La Creations


Have a great and crafty week!

Hugs, Helen x

Old and Distressed!

No, not me ... although I have had a rather busy week at work and a stinking cold to boot!!!!

Morning friends!

It's time for a new challenge at The Crafty Pad  and I've been asked to pick the challenge this week. I have chosen Distress It! for our topic. So, Ink it, Rip it, Sand it, Scrunch it ... whatever it takes to get your project looking distressed.

Our wonderful Sponsor for this challenge are the kind folks at Crafty Individuals who are offering this week's lucky winner this fabby prize of 1 set of rubber Christmas themed stamps and 1 A4 sheet of Angel Toppers ... perfect for Christmas crafting!

As usual, the Design Team are showcasing the delightful images that have come from the pen of Debbie at Crafty Pad Designs, and here is my card for your inspiration:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - Black card from my stash, cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card
• Design Papers - are both by Debbie at Crafty Pad Designs and are quite new to the store. They are , Vintage Postcard Papers and Vintage Baroque Papers. I've distressed both of these using a seam ripper tool, before adding faux stitching in a gold gel pen around the edges.
• Images and Sentiment - from the Butterflies with Verse set at Crafty Pad Designs, these are just some of the elements available and perfect for distressing. I printed the sentiment onto white card and then ink distressed the edge using gold Versamark ink. I brought the butterflies to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Wings - DR1, DR3, DR5, DR7, GB4, GB5, EB7 and Gold Gel Pen
• Outline - CG1

Do head over to The Crafty Pad and see the gorgeous creations by the rest of Team A. Then come back and show us your Distressed creations! You've got until 8pm (BST) on Saturday 20th October 2012 to link your cards up.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenge:

• Challenge #142 - Vintage at Fab 'n' Funky Challenges
• Inspired by Autumn at Visible Image
• Autumn Breeze at Joanna Sheen
• Challenge #3 - Photo Inspiration at Don & Daisy
• Photo Inspiration Challenge at Catch the Bug
• CIC61 Challenge #61 - Sentimental at Clearly I Stamp
• October Challenge - Butterflies, Birds and Bees at The Stamp Man

I hope you have a great Sunday!

Hugs, Helen x

Christmas is a-coming!

Good morning friends and I hope you are well. The weather has definitely turned autumnal here ... damp and drizzly.


We're a little later than usual with this post, but it's New Release time at The Crafty Pad Designs! This time our lovely boss Debbie is giving us the chance to get set for Christmas with these two lovely images which are just perfect for those who like more traditional images for their Christmas crafting.  available from the New Releases part of the store.



As well as asking the Design Team to showcase these 2 new image, Debbie has very kindly let us also showcase the three new-ish coloured bauble sets, and here is an altered candle I have made to show off the sumptous colours from the Teal and Purple set.

My Candle recipe is as follows:

• Candle - small unscented block candle in white from Ikea
• Images - all from the Christmas Baubles Set - Teal and Purple by Debbie at The Crafty Pad Designs. I have used Trio of Baubles, Snowflake Border and a Merry Christmas Sentiment. I printed the images first onto some thin card before then carefully taping a piece of white tissue paper over the top of the printed image. I then put this through the printer, keeping my fingers crossed (As this is only the second time I've practiced this technique, I'm still not convinced that my printer won't gobble my "sandwich" up)
• Putting the images onto the candle - Once the images were dry, I carefully cut around them and then placed my large image of the trio of baubles onto the candle holding it in place with a piece of Greaseproof Paper. I then used my hairdryer (another example of my frugal crafting!) to heat this 'sandwich' up and make the image melt into the candle … just be very careful that you don’t burn yourself at the same time. There is a great tutorial on SplitCoast Stampers with a video showing you how to do this! I repeated this process for the snowflake border and the Merry Christmas sentiment too.

I think that small candles like these would make great gifts for Teachers or Classroom Helpers, or even as a quick Hostess Gift if you're invited to a party at short notice. This was such a quick and enjoyable 'make' I can see that I'll be doing more of these in the run up to Christmas :o)

Debbie is giving one lucky Crafty Pad-der the chance to win the new line drawn images Christmas Pine Cones and Holly and Christmas Tree Trio. For your chance to add these gorgeous images to your stash, all you have to do is head over to The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog and check out the gorgeous creations from my ever so talented DT-mates. Don't forget to leave us a comment on the New Release Post letting us know what you think of these two new images, and your name will go into the draw! For a second chance in the draw either be or become a follower of The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog, and then leave us a further comment letting us know that you're a follower! It really is that easy!!! Commenting will close at 12 noon (BST) on Monday 15th October, and we'll announce the lucky winner on Thursday 18th October. Good Luck!

I would like to enter this candle into the following challenge, with a little help from the girls at Feline Playful: 

• Challenge #39 - Altered/Recycled Item at Pan Pastel UK
• Challenge #123 - Anything Goes plus a Sentiment at Sentimental Sundays
• Sunday Stamper Week 226 - Snowflakes at Ink on my Fingers - I'm hoping that digital stamps are OK ... if not, thanks for looking!
• Challenge 29 - Anything But Square at Crafty Ribbons
• Winter Holiday at Delightful Challenges
• DL.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge / Linky Party - Anything Goes at DL.Art
• Challenge 45 - Simplicity at Little Miss Muffet Challenges
• Challenge #152 - Black, White and a Splash of Plum at The Play Date Cafe - the black outline around the baubles is not very clear ... sorry! 

Happy Crafting!

Hugs, Helen x

Whirling Leaves

Good morning my crafty friends, and I hope you are well this morning. A very warm welcome to both Gail and Asmah who have joined us on my crafting journey ... that makes 50 followers now and I thank you all for your encouragement and support.

 

 

As it's Monday morning, it's new challenge time at at Incy Wincy Designs, and this week it's a very simple challenge for you all ... Anything Goes!

Our sponsor this week is the lovely team at The Paper Shelter, who are offering our lucky winner a $20 Gift Certificate to the store. And with so many great images and design paper packs in the store, I'm sure any crafter would have no problem in spending this voucher!




The Paper Shelter were also kind enough to provide a variety of images for the DT to use this week. As the morning have definitely started to get chilly here on the south coast of the UK I thought I would use this lovely autumnal image:

 

 

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - is Centura Pearl in Ivory, which I have cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card.
• Design Paper - is the digital background from the Autumn is Coming! set by The Paper Shelter. 
• Image - this gorgeous girl with the autumn leaves is the image in the Autumn is Coming! set by The Paper Shelter. In this set, you get an outline digi stamp and also this wonderfully pre-coloured image. As my coloured could not do this stamp justice, I decided to cheat and use the coloured image which I digitally super-imposed onto the set background. 
• Sentiment - is, of course, by the talented Paulette at Create with TLC and was a freebie she gave away on her blog last month. It is called Fall Spiral Poem. I printed out the label which comes with the Autumn is Coming! set in a large size, before putting it back through my printer so that the sentiment came out onto the coloured paper. I then fussy cut around the petalled shape, and then used Gold Versamark Ink to distress the edges, just to add to the autumnal feel! The Versamark Ink was a bargain ... I bought a sealed bag of what was billed as "Try a New Craft - Stamping" at my Church Fete last month. When I got home and opened the bag, I was amazed to find 2 sealed Ink cubes (gold & silver) 2 pots of embossing powder (also gold & silver) and a pack of 12 small rubber stamps (of which only 2 have been inked up). The princely sum for this bag was just 50p!!!!!!!!!!
• Ribbon - is white satin edged organza ribbon from my stash, which I recoloured using my Spectrum Noir Pen in shade JG6 before tying it in a bow.




I think that maybe my printer needs an ink refill, the camera isn't playing ball or that the light was just rubbish on the day that I photographed this card ... I'm sorry, but these pictures just don't do the card justice :o(
 

My Incy Wincy team-mates and Saumya (this month's Guest Designer) have got plenty of further inspiration for you, so do pop over and check out their creations for Anything Goes! Don't forget to come back and share your creations with us - you've got until Sunday 14th October 2012 to link your cards up.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges, with a little help from the girls at Feline Playful:

• DYSU #92 - Warm Colours at Do You Stack Up
• October Monthly Challenge - Fall at Great Impressions Stamps
• Fall/Halloween Project at Scrappy Frogs
• Challenge #184 - Photo Inspiration at Stamptacular Sunday
• Challenge #43 - Autumn Colours at Card Crafter's Circle
• Fall is Here at Card Makin' Mamas
• R#92 - Lots of Leaves at Crafts 4 Eternity
• Challenge #153 - Autumn at Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge
• Autumn Leaves at Emergency Crafters
• Challenge #23 Autumn/Fall at Simply Create Too

I hope that you have a great week!

Hugs, Helen x

Teacher says ...

Happy World Card Making Day to everyone, whether you dip into my blog now and then or whether you're a regular follower. And talking of followers, a very warm welcome to Lori and Yolie who are my newest followers.

When I started card making last year, I had no idea how addictive it would be. Then I started my blog just 15 short months ago and I have made so many blogging and forum friends. You all inspire me with your gorgeous creations and keep me going with your very kind and encouraging comments. Thank you to you all.

 

This is a card I made much earlier this year, when my youngest daughter's teacher left the school ... somehow I just hadn't got around to blogging it! However, its moment has come as Paulette at Create with TLC is running a World Card Making Day Blog Hop. There are only 2 rules: your creation must be new & not have been featured on Create with TLC and it must also contain something from Create with TLC.

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - is Centura Pearl in Ivory, which I have cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card.
• Design Paper - from my Paintbox Poppets Papercrafting CD-Rom
• Image - is called Playing Teacher and is, of course, a wonderful vintage image from Paulette at Create with TLC - I think this digi was a freebie she gave away sometime in March this year. I coloured this delightful image with my Spectrum Noir Pens but I can't remember what shades I used ... sorry! I tried to echo the colours of the DP when I coloured the cushion and I'm even pretty happy with the girl's hair as it looks like I've managed to colour in some shine! :o)
• Sentiment - is also by Paulette at Create with TLC, and this one was also given away on the blog in March this year. I love the fact that there's italic writing which is written between "lines" just as young children would learn to write ... which made it perfect for a Primary School teacher! 
• Ribbon - black organza from my stash.

 

So there you have it - my very simple (even by my standards!) card to share for World Card Making Day. I hope that it qualifies for Paulette's Blog Hop as I'm heading over there now to link it up!

 

 

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges, with a little help from the girls at Feline Playful (thanks girls!):

 

• Animals Acting Like People Challenge at Di's Digi Designs
• Challenge #10 - Use a Freebie at Brown Sugar Challenge My image and sentiment are both freebies!
• Challenge 45 - Simplicity at Little Miss Muffet Challenges
• Challenge #28 - Use a Digi at Cutie Pie Challenge Second Entry
• Challenge #35 - More than 2 Colours at Deep Ocean Challenge
• Simon Says ... Celebrate World Card Making Day at Simon Says Stamp

 

 

You've still got over a day to join in the fun, and if you sign up to be a follower of Paulette's Blog today, she's sharing plenty of goodies for World Card Making Day. And given that she shares one fabulous piece of word art every day for free, as time goes on you're bound to find the perfect saying in your digi stash!

 

 

I  hope you are having a great weekend.

 

Hugs, Helen x

Give it up for Pink!

This is my second post of the day - please scroll down to see my first post

Hi,

I'm back again with another post that is later than it should have been ... sorry! It's time for a new challenge at Lexi's Creations and this time our challenge theme is Pink, as it's Breast Cancer Awareness month. 

Our wonderful sponsor this time is Priyanka from My Heart Pieces. The prize that is up for grabs this week is 3 of Priyanka's lovely digital images. Pop over to her blog to check out her cute digis.


The lovely Lexi has let the DT loose in her on-line store again (thanks Lexi!) and this is the card I have made to show to you today:



I've gone back to a lovely CAS style, and I've used the current sketch at Annabelle Stamps Blog for my inspiration.


My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - made from Centura Pearl in Pastel Pink which is cut, scored and folded to around 10.5cm square.
• Image - This beautiful floaty butterfly is called "Fairy Dust Butterfly" and it is just one of the gorgeous images to have come from the pen of  Lexi at Fairy Dust Crafts. I set this image into an off-centre oval and then brought this butterfly to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Butterfly - PP1, PP3, PP4, PP5, IG2
• Outline - IG1
• Butterfly's Abdomen, Wing Ends and "Dust Trail" - Pink Glitter and Silver Gel Pen
• Background - Chalk in Pale Pink
• Sentiment - I used my Silver Gel Pen to write the words 'Faith ... Hope ... Courage' around the top of the oval
• Gems - from my stash

Head on over to Lexi's Creations and see how Pink my talented team-mates and our awesome Guest Designer Mark have gone - don't forget to come back and share your creations with us for this worthy cause! You've got until Saturday 13th October 2012 to link your cards up.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

• absc054 Sketch Challenge at Annabelle Stamps
• Challenge 42 - Go Pink at Dream Valley Challenges
• Challenge #136 - Pretty Pastels at Totally Papercrafts
• 2nd Annual Link Up For Pink Party at Link Up For Pink
• Challenge #47 at Word Art Wednesday
• Down in the Garden at Joanna Sheen
• Challenge #130 - Save the Hooters at Craft Your Passion
• Challenge 133 - Butterflies or Buttons at One Stitch at a Time
• Cupcake 212 - Think Pink at Cupcake Craft

 That's it from me for today ... think I'm off to try and catch my tail! Thank goodness tomorrow is a new day, and I might get organised :o)

Hugs, Helen x

Beary Nice!

This is my first post of the day - please scroll up to see my second post.

Good Morning All!

Sorry this post is a little late ... I've had rather a hectic weekend doing lots of boring (yawn!) but very essential paperwork, and although I made my card, I didn't get a chance to write the post. Anyway, it being a Monday morning it's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs, and this week it's Bears, Bears, Bears!

Our sponsor this week is the lovely Gerda from The Stamp Fairy, and she is offering this week's lucky winner a $10 Gift Certificate to her store. And with so many great images there, you're sure to be spoilt for choice! Gerda has also provided some images for the DT to use this week and, as it that wasn't enough, we've been joined by Chrissy and Larissa from The Stamp Fairy DT. Gorgeous inspiration ladies, thank you!

So, here is my beary (sorry, I just couldn't help myself!) nice card featuring a Stamp Fairy image:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - is Centura Pearl in Snow White, which I have cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card.
• Design Paper - is from my The Snowman Papercrafting CD-Rom. I tweaked the colour using the in-built 'Colouriser' function to reach this shade of blue. I then embossed a large star shape which is on my Ultimate Pro onto the paper, and then cut this out.
• Image - This gorgeous little bear is called Toby Everyday Angel 4 and you can get him and other complimentary designs) by clicking here. I have brought Toby to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Bear Fur - BGR1, BGR3
• Bear Nose - IB2
• Bear Halo - Silver Gel Pen
• Outline - IG1
• Wings - TB1, Silver Gel Pen to make hatched lines to give a gauzy effect
• Clouds - IG1, Silver Gel Pen
• Background - Chalks in Light Blue
• Edge lines - Silver Gel Pen
• Sentiment - is by the talented Paulette at Create with TLC and was a freebie she gave away on her blog in August last year. As soon as I saw the image selection, I knew this was the sentiment I would use for this card as it is just perfect! I drew lines around the edge of my sentiment in Silver Gel Pen, so it ties in with my image.

There is bucketloads of wonderful inspiration over at Incy Wincy Designs, not only from my talented team-mates and The Stamp Fairy girls, but we also have Saumya joining us as a Guest Designer this month. So do check out their gorgeous Bears, Bears, Bears projects and leave the girls some blog love! Don't forget to come back and share your creations with us - you've got until Sunday 7th October 2012 to link your cards up.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:

• Challenge #28 - Use a Digi at The Cutie Pie Challenge
• Challenge #136 - Pretty Pastels at Totally Papercrafts (Second Entry)
• Fortnightly Challenge 46 - Anything Goes at Forever Friends
• Challenge #5 - Let's See your Humour at Chalk 'n' Stock - I know it's not side splitting humour, but I think my sentiment is quite amusing in relation to the image!

Hugs, Helen x