Christmas Cactus

Hi folks! Hope you're all well!

It's Monday again, and that means it's time for a new challenge over at Incy Wincy Designs and this week we're playing Tic Tac Toe. Here's the board which our teamie Karen has created especially for this challenge:

We're being sponsored this week by the lovely Laurie at Doodle Pantry and she's offering a super prize pack to this week's random winner!

Doodle Pantry takes pride in creating a diverse selection of doodling styles, like realistic or whimsical, and all of which are family and kid friendly illustrations.  We hope you enjoy our wide variety of styles for every family occasion!


Laurie also very kindly gave each DT member their choice of image from the store to showcase for this challenge, so here's my card featuring one of Laurie's pretty Christmas images and sentiments:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is a premade A5 card blank in white
• Paper - is Kraft cardstock into which I've die cut an aperture in the centre with my second
  
  largest Die'sire Essentials Scalloped Ovals die.
• Image - is the Purple Christmas Cactus without greenery from the set Christmas Cactus at Doodle Pantry. I've kept this card really simple, and just fussy cut the cactus.
• Sentiment - is one from the Christmas Cactus set too.
• Twine - from my stash

I'm in the process of making a set of these cards using 4 different sentiments from the Christmas Cactus set and as the collection also includes papers, the cactus in 3 colourways (with and without greenery) plus line art so you can colour your own Christmas Cactus this set really is great value for money!

I hope you'll come over to Incy Wincy Designs and see the other wonderful creations by my clever teamies. Then don't forget to come back and play Tic Tac Toe with us - this challenge ends on Sunday 29th November 2015. 

Don't forget that we're still holding a DT call - all the details are on this post and if you fancy joining us, please just drop us an email to let us know that you're interested!!!!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be able to post this now as we've been having very unstable and highly intermittent internet access for the last 3 days now ... so infuriating, but Papa Mia's on the case if it wobbles again this evening!

Hope you have a great week!

Hugs, Helen x

Live, Laugh, Love

Good morning my crafty friends, and doesn't it feel like we need a bit of love in the world right now? My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by Friday night's atrocities in Paris, a city I love having lived there for 3 years as a girl.

It's new challenge time at Feeling Sketchy and we've got another lovely sketch for you this week. But before I reveal the sketch, I guess you'd like to know who is sponsoring this week's challenge?

It's the lovely Jodie and team from Bugaboo Digital Stamps who have very kindly offered the DT members their choice of digi from the store ... thank you! Don't forget that everyone's a winner with Freebie Fridays at Bugaboo - while you're there don't forget to check out all the wonderful digis that Jodie has ... there's bound to be one to suit every occasion!

Right then, here's this week's sketch as drawn by our talented teamie Michelle:

And here's my take on it, using some digis from Bugaboo Digital Stamps:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - pre-made in white cardstock, approx 14.8cm square
• Papers - are from the April 2015 Crafter's Companion Club Inspire download called "Spring is Here". I have digitally created the papers layout, even adding shadows to the right sides and bottom of the yellow and checked layers to give a bit of depth.
• Images - are the Butterfly Live Laugh Love Trio by Jodie at Bugaboo Digital Stamps. I resized these so the fitted the checked paper strip and my die ;o), and then printed them out. I used my smallest Die'sire Essentials Circles die to cut these butterflies out, before I fixed them to my card.
• Flower - is made from the largest and middle sized dies in my Die'sire Essentials Flowers for all Occasions set and some deep red Core'dinations card and then I've added a clear to the centre of the flower.
• Butterfly - is the largest butterfly in the Die'sire Essentials Beautiful Butterflies die set (unfortunately I can't find this for sale any longer) which I cut from Snow White Centrua Pearl card. I edged the wings with my new Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen Inspired Violet (which is available as part of the Spring - Summer Sparkle Pack).

For more fabulous inspiration for this sketch, please head over to Feeling Sketchy and see what my incredibly talented teamies have created! Then come back and show us your creations following our sketch. Remember, you can flip or rotate the sketch, change the shapes ... we just need to be able to see that you've used our sketch!

I would like to enter my cards into the following challenges:

• CMC#74 - Colour Combo at Card Mania Challenges
• Challenge 4 - Anything Goes/Use Die Cuts at The Crafty Addicts
• Use a Stamp or Digi Image Somewhere on your Project at Crafts Galore Encore
• Friday Challenge 57 - Things with Wings at Quick Quotes

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

Glittery Snowflakes

Well folks, we've made it! It's Friday again .... yippeeeeeeeee!!!!!

I've been on a First Aid course for the last 2 days, and this afternoon I was re-certified for another 3 years; great, because that means I can continue doing my job!!!!! ;o)

Earlier in the week, a challenge popped up in my blog feed, and in my mind's eye I could instantly see the card I wanted to make. Don't you just love it when that happens? And, as I'm now in full Christmas card mode (it being only 2 weeks until my Church's Christmas Fayre where I shall be selling my hand made cards to help raise funds for the Church) it's another Christmas card!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - premade card base in white, approx 14.8cm square
• Background - a 13.8cm square of Sheena Douglass White Stamping Card which I embossed using a Christmas embossing folder that was a magazine freebie last year, I think! On the screen printed side of the folder where the design is, I used a pearlescent blue Brilliance Ink Pad to provide relief from the embossed design. I matted and layered this onto a square of black card
• Snowflakes - are the largest and smallest flakes from the Festive Wonder - Snowflake Trio Die which are part of Sara's Signature Collection. I've die cut these from silver glitter card, which I've had for a while and can't remember where it came from ... ooops! I've "strung" the snowflaks around the sentiment using some clear stick on gems which came from one of the £1 shops.
• Sentiment - is part of the set which came with last year's Winter Edition of the Crafter's Inspiration Magazine. I've stamped this into the centre of the oval using the same pearlescent blue Brilliance Ink Pad.

Here's a closer look at the sparkly snowflakes and pearly sentiment:

I've been inspired by and would like to take part in the following challenge:

• PP270 - Black + White + Silver or Gold + One other Colour of your Choice at The Paper Players

I would also like to take part in the following challenge:

• Challenge #45 - Christmas Sparkles at Digi Choosday - Second Entry

Hope you have a lovely evening and weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

Here we go a-carolling!

Hello my crafty friends and apologies for being slightly on the tardy side with this post.

The weekend was filled with horrendously boring stuff (paperwork mainly - yuk!) and I found no time to craft this little gem. Then it was work Monday - I'm on a course away from the office on Thursday and Friday, so it's the only day I'm in this week and there was bucket-loads to do therefore I didn't get home until late! Although I crafted this little cutie yesterday, I lost the light to photograph it - hurumphhhhhh! Anyway I'm here now!

It's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and this week's challenge should really get you into the festive mood as we're looking for projects that feature Winter Activities.

We're being sponsored by the lovely Jodie and team from Bugaboo Stamps and Jodie is offering this week's lucky winner a prize pack! She also kindly offered each member of the DT their choice of digi to showcase for this challenge - without further ado, here is my card featuring one of Jodie's images from the A Kid's View range:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is Centura Pearl Snow White Silver onto which I've embossed the largest wonky circle from the nest on my Ultimate Pro Board Springtime Sweets and Cupcake Treats. I then carefully cut this out and ran it through my Big Shot using the Sheena Douglass Christmas Greetings embossing folder. I then used my Ultimate Pro to fold the "circle" in half to make a Rocker Card.
  
• Image - is by Jodie at Bugaboo Stamps and it's called AKV Christmas - Caroling. I've brought this digi to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed colours before die cutting this happy trio using my largest Die'sire Essentials Circles die, giving the edge a touch of Festive Berries Distress Ink and then fixed the panel to my card.
• Skin - FS2, FS3, BG6, DR5
• Books - EB1, EB2, GB8, GB9, GB10
• Hats - DR1, DR2, DR3, JG1, JG2, JG4, IG1, IG2, Silver Gel Pen, Spectrum Noir Sparkle - Clear Overlay ... my first time playing with this pen, and I think I got a little bit messy!!!!! ;o)

I hope I've inspired you to come over to Incy Wincy Designs and play along with this challenge. However, if you're in need of more inspiration just head over to the challenge and check out the fabby cards by my teamies. Then come back and show us your creations featuring Winter Activities! This challenge ends on Sunday 15th November 2015.

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

• Challenge #281 - Clean & Simple at Fab 'n' Funky Challenges
• Challenge #31 - Anything but Square at Crafting Musketeers
• Challenge #34 - Fancy Folds or Shaped Cards at Scribbles Design Challenge
• Challenge #9 - Anything Goes with a Christmas/Winter Theme at A Snowflakes Promise
• Challenge #45 - Christmas Sparkles at Digi Choosday Challenge
• Challenge #59 - Silent Night (Christmas Theme) at Inky Chicks - although this little group looks like they're anything but silent!!!!!!!!!!

Until next time,

Hugs, Helen x

The Magi

Morning friends!

Yesterday was a good day at Casa Mia as our Christmas cake is now made and resting. Of course it will need feeding between now and 25th December, and the more time between these 2 days the better .... hic! :o) 

It's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and this time it's nice and easy for you as it's Anything Goes!

Our sponsor this week is Rick St. Dennis, and here is a little about him:

Rick St. Dennis MFA has been an artist, designer, stage designer and instructor for over 45 years. You can find his full Bio here. His digital stamp images can be found on Zibbet or Etsy . Inspiration projects from the Rick St.Dennis Elite Design Team can be found on the Sparkle and Glitter blog, or for the darker images on the Airless Chambers blog. Rick also has a personal blog and on Facebook, there is the Rick St.Dennis Digi fans and friends group, where you can showcase your cards and other projects using RSD images to be eligible to win prizes.

Rick is very kindly offering this week's lucky winner a prize pack, and has also allowed each of the DT member to pick a digi to showcase. So here's my card for you with one of Rick's digis:

I have to confess that I think I might have made a bit of a "horlicks" when doing this project. I wanted to make a more traditional Christmas card and thought that this image would be fab. However, when I printed it out the right size for my card base I very quickly realised that I wasn't going to be colouring this image in any time soon - it's just too small to do justice to all that detail. So I've just kept this very simple and monochrome :o/

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is a pre-made white card blank 15cm x 10.5cm approx
• Paper - comes from a set by Janet Scott at Pixel Scrapper Digital Scrapbooking called Christmas Memories. This paper is called Birth of Jesus Text Paper. I have matted and layered this onto black cardstock.
  
• Image - is by Rick St. Dennis and it is called We Three Kings. I die cut this using the second largest Die'sire Essentials Squares die and matted and layered onto black card.
• Sentiment - is by Paulette at Create with TLC and it comes from a set called Peace in Believing. It has been die cut using one of my Die'sire Essentials Stars dies, before being matted and layered onto black card.

For those of you who might be interested, the Bible verse in the sentiment relates to the Three Kings being in Bethlehem and being guided to the stable where Jesus was born, and the paper I've used contains text from the various Gospels regarding the birth of Jesus .... some thought DID go into this card you know! I also think I'll have another attempt at this card, just making the card base and the image bigger so that I can colour it.

Anyway, I hope I've inspired you to come over to Incy Wincy Designs and have a look at the other wonderful creations from my teamies. Then come back and show us your creations - don't forget Anything Goes! This challenge will end on Sunday 8th November.

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

• CHNC Challenge 253 - It's Time To Sing at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - of course, I've been inspired by the carol We Three Kings of Orient Are
• Anything Goes as long as it's Christmas at Winter Wonderland
• Challenge 106 - Christmas at Card and Scrap
• Challenge #136 - Inspired by a Song at Crafter's Cafe Challenge- of course, I've been inspired by the carol We Three Kings of Orient Are
• Progressive Challenge Nov 15 - Anything Goes with a RSD Image at Sparkle and Glitter with Rick
• Challenge #279 - Anything Goes as as long as it's Christmas at Fab 'n' Funky Challenges

Have a great week!

Hugs, Helen x

Rustic Charm

Good morning blogging buddies - hope you're all in fine fettle this morning! I can't believe it's November 1st today - where has the year disappeared to?


It's time for a new challenge at Feeling Sketchy ... before I reveal this week's sketch, I'm sure you'll want to know who our sponsor is for this challenge!



We're welcoming the lovely Nikky Hall and her team from Polkadoodles as our sponsors this time. In Nikky's words, Polkadoodles is a UK based creative company specialising in papercraft products. We design and manufacture our own digital CD-rom products, rubber and clear stamps and a number of other products for use in papercrafting which are sold worldwide.

But don't just take Nikky's word for it - why not take a peek at the website and see what a wonderful treasure trove of images, papers, sentiments and inspiration from Nikky's DT using the gorgeous Polkadoodles products!


Now, here's Michelle's sketch for the challenge:

and here's my card using the sketch:

I'm hoping that if I haven't struck shabby chic with this card that I have at least achieved rustic charm, as I seem to struggle with this look! What do you think? Let me know!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is pre-made in white card measuring approx 14.8cm square
• Papers - are from the gorgeous Eden Collection - Paper Heaven 3 which you can get as a digital download from Polkadoodles. I have used Paper 13 for my base layer and also Paper 16 and Paper 18 for the border layers. As I don't have any border dies and only 1 border punch, I decided to use a quilling flower die to make the border so it ties in with my quilled flower! I distressed all the edges of each paper layer using Vintage Photo Distress Ink and my latest "Frugal Crafter" purchase - 20 make-up sponge wedges for £1!!! Seems to have done the job quite efficiently, me thinks! I finished the papers off by wrapping 3 rows of twine around the card base to hide the paper join ;o)
  
• Sentiment - is also from Polkadoodles and is one of the twenty two sentiments (yes, 22!) that come in the Eden Collection - Say It All bundle. I've die cut this using my second largest Die'sire Essentials Squares Die which I left in place whilst I gave a slick of Vintage Photo Distress Ink over the top of it to give a frame effect around the edge. I used the same jute string and the bow maker on my Ultimate Pro to make the multi-layered bow which I fixed to the top of the sentiment frame.
• Flower - is made from a Die'sire Classiques Quilling Flower Die which is called Blossom. I used one length of the Stamen Die to make the centre of the flower and then rolled/quilled 2 lengths of cardstock printed with Paper 18 from Eden Collection - Paper Heaven 3 round the centre. Once finished and the strips were secured, I shaped the petals with a tool, lightly distressed the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and added a pearl to the flower centre, before afixing the flower to the card.
  

Do head over to the Feeling Sketchy blog and see the other wonderful creations using this time's sketch from my talented team mates. Then come back and show us your "take" on the sketch -as usual, you can flip it, rotate it, swap images, shapes etc. ... we just need to be able to see that you've been inspired by our sketch whilst you've been creating! This challenge closes on 14th November 2015. 

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

• Challenge #170 - Flowers at Brown Sugar Challenge

Until next time,

Hugs, Helen x