Wedding Belle

Good evening crafty friends and I do hope that you haven't fallen off your chair with a second post from me in 2 days!

Whilst going through my computer files, I realised that I made this card a number of months ago but hadn't posted it. Never mind about my PHD in card making (projects half done), I think I definitely deserve a  FTBP (forgotten to blog projects!) ;o)!!!!!!! I was reminded of this card as a number of challenges have cropped up this week with wedding themes, so I thought it high time this card made an appearance!

This card was made to order, as one of my brothers had asked me to make a wedding card. He had been invited to an evening reception and knew that my cards would surpass anything he could purchase, and could I possibly do it in cream and purple as those were the colours of the invitation?

Well, how could I resist that challenge? So here's what I made for him:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is Ivory Centura Pearl which I've cut, scored and folded to make a 6" square card base. 
• Embossed layer - is another piece of Ivory Centura Pearl which I've embossed using my Embossalicious "Butterfly Love" embossing folder from the Sugar and Spice Range (sadly no longer available, but there are some other pretty folders still available if you click the link) and I've matted and layered this onto a piece of purple Core'dinations cardstock.
  
• Image - was a freebie download from Issue 86 Papercraft Inspirations Magazine ... another one that appears to sadly be no longer available :( I've brought this tender moment to life using my Original Spectrum Noir Pencils in the listed colours before die cutting it using a Sizzix Ovals Framelits die
• Bride's Hair - 015, 020, small gems from stash for a tiara
• Dress - 082
• Groom's Hair - 091, 095
• Suit - 120
• Skin - 004
• Flowers - 082, small gems from stash
• Sentiment - was part of the Issue 86 Papercraft Inspirations Magazine download. I recoloured this to purple in my word processing package before printing, and then used a Sizzix Fancy Labels Framelits die as a frame and coloured inside it using my Original Spectrum Noir Pencil in shade 082 which I burnished away from the edge. I drew round the outside of the die to get my label shape, which I then hand cut.

I was pretty chuffed with the way this card turned out, and I know that my brother was very pleased with it too!

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

• Challenge #197 - Here comes the Bride at Eureka Stamps
• Purple Team June Challenge - Wedding at Eclectic Ellapu
• Challenge #171 - Love and Romance at A Gem of a Challenge
• June/July Challenge - Wedding Card at I'm a Crafter's Companion Facebook Group

Hope you have a lovely evening - maybe I'll get to writing up some more FTBP posts, or finish some PHDs!

Hugs, Helen x

It's coming up Daisies!

Ooooo, good morning folks and happy April Fool's Day. We're in the middle of our Easter holidays here at Casa Mia, so I'm hoping that there will be no pranks from the Bambinos! Have you been fooled today at all? I'd like to warmly welcome Kevin, my newest follower, to my blog - hope you enjoy the ramblings from Casa Mia and my crafty journey!

It's new challenge time at Feeling Sketchy and this week we are not having a sponsor ... however, we do have a $10 Gift Certificate to your favourite online scrapbooking store up for grabs!!!!!!! We've also said "Farewell" to a few of the girls who have stepped down from the team at the end of their term - sorry to see these ladies go, and I'll miss their awesome inspiration.

Here's the sketch that we're working with this week:

With no sponsor images this time, I had a great trawl through my, ahem, accumulated collection of images (I cringe every time Papa Mia says that we're running out of space on the hard disc, because some most of it's my stuff ... although I tell myself that his music doesn't help ;o)! ) and I found one that would suit this sketch perfectly, as long as I flipped the layout! So, here's my card created using the sketch:

Regular readers will know that I always struggle on Mother's Day for a suitable card for my M-i-L (a retired clergy wife) as the day is known as Mothering Sunday in the church calendar - the day when servant girls were released from their duties in the big houses to return to worship at their "mother" churches and to see their own families. These girls would often pick flowers from the hedgerows on their way home, hence why little posies of spring flowers are often given to mothers in church on this day!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base card - is a pre-made card base in white, about 14.8cm square
  
• Design Paper - is from the Mixed Media Collection by Donna at Bearly Mine Designs, now sadly closed :o( I inked around the edge of the papers using Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo.
• Image - is Daisies and Butterfly Frame by Teri at ArtiDoodles (Delicious Doodles). I've brought this lovely spring scene to life using my Spectrum Noir Pencils (Original) in the listed colours, before fussy cutting the image, both inside and outside the frame. A light dusting of Vintage Photo Distress Ink softened the edges of the frame and behind the butterfly's antennae.
• Daisies - 010, 013, 017, 046, 049, 054, 103
• Butterfly - 041, 030, 105
• Frame - 086, 092, 103
• Sentiment - is computer generated using my word processing package and a free font I found on-line called Shorelines Script Bold. I cut the strips using my Tonic Studios Sculptured decorative scissors - I think these were a magazine freebie as I can't seem to find them on the internet at all. I inked around the edge of each strip using Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Vintage Photo.
• Twine - from my stash, which is tied around the frame and finished with a bow

I hope I've encouraged you to come over to Feeling Sketchy and play along with this sketch, but if you're in need of further inspiration please do head over to the blog and check out the other wonderful creations by my teamies! Then come back and share your project using our sketch. We'll be back with our new challenge on 15/4/2016.

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

• IIC March Challenge - Let's hear it for the Girl! at Inky Impressions Challenges
• Challenge #187 - Make your Mark at Addicted to Stamps and More!
• Challenge #318 - Girlie at My Time To Craft Challenges
• For the Girls Challenge at Di's Digi Designs Challenge
• In the Garden at Come and Get It Challenges
• Challenge #128 - Girlie at Dream Valley Challenges
• Challenge #12 - Anything Goes at Lemon Shortbread
• Challenge #01 - Anything Goes at Classic Design Team Open Challenge

Have a great weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

"Curiouser, and curiouser" said Alice

Good morning crafty friends!

Last week of term for us with it being Good Friday at the end of the week. Although it's been a rather short term, as usual it's been rather action packed!

It's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and our challenge for you this time is 3, 2, 1, GO FOR IT! OK, it's not a running race, it's a recipe challenge! We'd like you to use 3 papers, 2 buttons and 1 ribbon.

As ever, we've got 2 great sponsors lined up for this challenge.

Our first sponsor is the lovely Chrishanthi at PPinky Dolls and our second lovely sponsor are the team at Dr Digi, both of whom are offering our 2 randomly picked, lucky winners a prize package.









Before I show you my project, here are some ramblings from Casa Mia:

A brass on the wall in our parish Church
commemoratingAlice's brother Edward

Many of you will familiar with the stories of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and some of you will also know that the original story was invented by Lewis Carroll to entertain a young Alice Liddell and her siblings whilst they were on a boat trip in Oxford. Later, Lewis' story was committed to paper. Fast forward to 1888 and Alice's father (who was still the Dean of Christchurch, Oxford), together with the then Lord Bishop of Winchester, consecrated the church where we now worship - one of Alice's 9 siblings, Edward, was Churchwarden at the church at that time. The font in which both Bambinos were baptised was also donated by Edward! Alice spent the rest of her life in the New Forest, Hampshire and her remains are buried in the Churchyard in Lyndhurst where, coincidentally, the Bambinos and I have spent many happy weekends because there is a Girlguiding UK Activity Centre in the same village! Small world eh or, as Alice would say "Curiouser and curiouser"!

So I'm delighted to be featuring one of Chrishanthi's quirky images with which I have a rather tenuous connection!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - black card which I've cut, scored and folded to make a 14 x 11 cm card
• Design Papers - are by Summer at the now very sadly closed Summertime Designs and they come from a set called All is Calm. I have used the Dots Paper as my base layer and Red Damask Paper as the top layer. My third paper has been used to make the rosette - the paper is Branches and Berries Paper and the die is used is Medallions Strip Die by Sizzix.
  
• Image - is of course Alice who has been drawn by Chrishanthi at PPinky Dolls. I have brought Alice and the rabbit to life using my Spectrum Noir Pencils in the listed colours before die cutting it out using one of the ovals in my Die'sire Essentials Ovals Die. I should say that Chrishanthi has already added some shading to the image which has made it oh-so-easy to know where the light source is and where to use dark and light colours!
• Skin - 005, 004, 009, 047
• Hair - 084, 107, 087
• Dress - 065, 066, 068
• Rabbit - 024, 027
• Grass - 056, 058, 047
• Sentiment - is from the set that came with the Spring 2015 Crafter's Inspiration Magazine ... just perfect for this image I feel! The tag is from a Die'sire set called Tags One which I can't find for sale any longer. I have threaded some organdie ribbon from my stash through the holes in the side of the tag.
• 2 Buttons - from my stash finish off my design

I hope I've inspired you to play along with our 3, 2, 1, Go For It challenge however, if you need any further inspiration, please head over to Incy Wincy Designs where my fellow teamies have a variety of projects to inspire you! Then come back and show us your creations. We'll be back with our next challenge on Monday 4th April 2016.

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

• Challenge #304 - Always Anything Goes at Craft Your Passion
• Critters and Creatures Linky Party 2 at Ellibelles Creative Moments
• Something Fluffy at Make My Monday
• Layer It Up Challenge at Melonheadz Friends
• Challenge 49 - Hippity Hoppity at Dragonfly Journeys
• March Use Any Image With a Ribbon Challenge at The Ribbon Girl

If you're going away for the Easter holidays, I hope you have a great time. Take care!

Hugs, Helen x

Jumbo Birthday Wishes

Morning everyone and hope this post finds you well. 

Normality should now have returned to Casa Mia with youngest Bambino and I being back at school last week, and eldest Bambino starts college this morning ... eek, that means the next long holiday is Christmas!!!!!!!

It's new challenge day at Incy Wincy Designs and this week we'd like to see your projects For the Boyz ... any masculine makes will be perfect and, I don't know about you, but I sure don't make enough male cards!

We've got a brand new sponsor this week; Krista Heij-Barber from Drawn with Character. And here is a little bit about her:

  I LOVE TO DRAW. THAT ABOUT SUMS IT UP.

It is what I have done since my Dad gave me my first "real art book", lets just say a few years ago. It is all I've ever wanted to do. I was lucky enough to live that dream and work as an Animator for over 15 years. Almost a decade of which I worked at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, up until they shut their doors in 2004. I since then, have concentrated on raising my 2 beautifully spirited children, while making a "new" career in illustration and design. It was this new path that let me to cookie decorating. This was a perfect outlet for me, combining my love of baking and my true "need" to create art. 
Once I got into cookie decorating and discovered all the possibilities, I wanted to find more images that I could put on a cookie. This is how Drawn with Character was born. I not only want to provide usable clip art for digital artists but cookie artists as well!

Krista is offering this week's lucky prize winner 3 digital images from her Drawn with Character Store. Krista also has a Drawn with Character Blog too, so please do head over to both sites and leave Krista some love. Krista also very kindly gave the DT a few images to showcase, but before I show you my card I'll just let you know how the background to it came about.

Whilst pottering around on Facebook a few weeks ago, I saw a lovely card shared in one of the crafting groups I belong too. Being intrigued by the background, I went to the lady's blog and she had linked up to this video by Laura Bassen demonstrating the "Smooshing" technique. I had to have a couple of goes before I got this quite right, and got slightly over-excited whilst smooshing, and inked the desk too .... glad I noticed it before Papa Mia did, else I'd have had some explaining to do!!!!!!!!!!!! :oD I think I need to invest in some watercolour cardstock, and also experiment a bit with my heatgun to avoid the card buckling, but I do love the "splatty" result:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card Base - is made from Snow White Silver Centura Pearl card, which has been cut, scored and folded to make a 9.9cm square card
• Background - is a piece of Neenah Cardstock onto which I've "smooshed" Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Mustard Seed and Peacock Feather using a piece of acetate, a Travel Spray Bottle containing water, and a Heat Gun. Once this background card was dry, I cut it to a 9.5cm square, to fit onto the base card
  
• Image - is Birthday Elephant sitting with a Cupcake by Krista at Drawn with Character. I wanted to keep the soft effect of both the drawing and my background, so I brought this cutie to life using my Spectrum Noir Pencils in the listed colours, before fussy cutting my image out and mounting it onto the background card so it slightly overhung the edges, as I liked the way this background looked behind the elephant.
• Elephant - 065, 066, 068
• Cupcake - 010, 013, 017, 056, 058, 047
• Sentiment - is from the Sentiment Stamp Set which came with the Crafter's Inspiration Magazine Issue 6 which I stamped directly onto the background using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

I hope I've inspired you to have a go at making something For the Boyz ... please don't forget to head over to Incy Wincy Designs and have a look at what my talented team-mates have made. Then come back and show us your creations! This challenge ends on Sunday 13th September 2015.

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

• Challenge #32 - Boys will be Boys at Scribbles Designs Challenge (Second Entry)
• September Anything Goes at Catch the Bug
• Anything Goes Birthday at Seize the Birthday
• Cute Animal at Moving Along With the Times

Have a great week!

Hugs, Helen x  

Doing the Happy Dance!

Good morning friends and yes, I'll be doing the happy dance as today is my last work day before the summer holidays - phew, this term has been a long haul through and I know both staff and students are looking forward to the break. Hope this post finds you well, and gentle hugs winging their way through blogland for those who are in need today.

It's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and this week we would like to see Things with Wings. 

We've another amazing sponsor for you this week; welcome to Mitzi from Aurora Wings who is offering this week's lucky winner a prize pack. Even if you're not the lucky one, head over to the store as Mitzi currently has a great Christmas in July promotion on: place an order up to 26th July, and automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a $50 USD shopping spree at Aurora Wings!!!!! Mitzi also very kindly supplied the DT with some images to showcase - thank you!

Here is my card for you, using the current sketch at Sketch Saturday as the inspiration for this layout:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is premade in white card, approx 14.8cm square
• Papers - both come from the brand new Nordic Christmas Papercrafting Collection CD Rom. The red snowflake paper is directly from the CD, whilst I used the built in "Colouriser" feature to re-colour the knitted paper to a dark grey so it tied in with the colour of the penguin.
  
• Image - is the uber-cute Baby Penguin in Santa Hat by Mitzi at Aurora Wings. I have brought this little sweetie to life using my Spectrum Noir Pencils in the listed colours (and for once I'm really happy with my shading :o) !) before die cutting using the largest Die'sire Essential Scalloped Square die and doodling a border using my silver gel pen:
• Hat - 25, 27, 93, Silver Gel Pen
• Fur - 115, 117, 119, 120
• Beak & Feet - 009, 120
• Candy Cane - 25, 93, Silver Gel Pen
• Sentiment - is from the sentiment set that came with Spring 2015 Crafter's Inspiration Magazine which I hand cut to a tag shape, before punching a hole in the end, fixing some twine through the hole, and doodling a border.

I hope you'll come over to Incy Wincy Designs and check out the other wonderful winged creations from my talented teamies, before coming back and showing us your Things with Wings - this challenge ends on Sunday 26th July 2015.

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

• Week #370 at Sketch Saturday
• Challenge #185 - Christmas in July at Ooh-La-La Creations
• Challenge #85 - Christmas in July at Whimsy Stamps
• Challenge #17 - Anything with Wings at Aurora Stamps Challenge
• Challenge #300 - Christmas in July at My TimeTo Craft
• Challenge #108 - Christmas in July at Deep Ocean Challenge

Whatever you're up to this week, I hope it's a good one for you!

Hugs, Helen x

All that Glitters is a Snowflake

Hi everyone!

This is just a very, very swift post from me as it's been a bit of a manic week at work, and I'm heading out to the gym to burn it off!

It's New Release Day at Sophia's Sweet Scribbles and Larissa is helping us all get ready for Christmas in good time as this month's release is entitled Winter Holidays. This is a fabulous collection of 11 winter and Christmas themed digital stamps which Larissa is in the process of adding to store, so do keep checking back and make sure you check out the full collection.

Also pop over to my DT Teamies Julie and Nicky as they're both showcasing some of these new images and, in case you're in need of yet more inspiration, check out the Sweet Scribblers! Facebook group, as we'll all be posting there too!

Anyway, here's my card featuring the "Snowflake":

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is Neenah Classic Crest Solar White which I've printed the image onto directly making a 10 x 10.5cm card (perfect for going in a DL envelope flat and being sent at basic postage rate!)
• Image - is Snowflake by Larissa at  Sophia's Sweet Scribbles. I've coloured this gorgeous design very simply using my Spectrum Noir Pencils in shades 61 and 62, before adding lashings of White Glitter!

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

• Winter Wonderland at Holly Jolly Christmas
• Challenge #13 - Anything Goes (with Optional Twist) at One Layer Christmas Card Challenge
• Challenge #254 - Christmas in July at 4 Crafty Chicks
• Challenge #84 - Pastels at Crimbo Crackers
• Challenge #50 - Snow or Glitter at Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - I've managed both tee hee ;)
• Challenge #89 - Get Ahead for Christmas at Simply Create Too

I'll be back over the weekend with more inspiration from this gorgeous collection! 

In the meantime, have a great evening!

Hugs, Helen x

Sunflower Border

Good Morning my crafty friends and a warm welcome  to Larissa who is my newest follower - hope you enjoy my madcap crafting journey!!!!


If you're in the UK, I do hope you're enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend. From having not alot planned for this weekend, PapaMia and I decided to re-jig one of the borders in the garden, so we had a garden centre trip and then a planting afternoon yesterday. Not sure what's on the agenda for today, but I might be able to fit in a little extra "me" time ... aka crafting!!!!!!!


Is anyone else struggling with Blogger at the mo? Whenever I pull up posts, I can't seem to see all the pictures in that post and it's taking me several goes to get my own photos into a post. Any of you lovely computer-literate peeps out there got any suggestions as to how I can rectify this?

Anyway, whining over! It's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and this week we'd like you to either go for All or Nothing! This means either lots of layers or no layers at all ... I bet regular readers can guess which I've gone for before they even look at my card! ;o)

We're being sponsored this week by the lovely Sandy at Scribbles Designs who is offering $10 of digital images to our lucky winner this week. Here's a little about Sandy and her work:

And welcome to Sandy's world of her funky imagination and quirky characters.Sandy's has had a pencil in her hand since she was "knee-high to a grasshopper" and started on her artistic journey with her first family ball & stick figures portrait at age 3. We'll have to find the piece of work in the family history trunk and post it...

Back to the regular scheduled program! Sandy has loved art, drawing, water coloring and doodling for many years... and with the digital image world she can now share it with all of you. Brrr (Penguin) was her first main character and her other quirky images followed not long after. We hope you enjoy the enduring images and look around and add Sandy's images to your digital stamp collections...

If you head over to Sandy's store, you'll also find that she sometimes has a Friday freebie up for grabs too ... :o)

Sandy has very kindly given the DT some images to use this week for inspiration, but I have gone back through my digi files as I was lucky enough to win a couple of Sandy's images last year and, shame on me (blushing wildly here!) they haven't seen the light of day, or the ink of my printer! So here goes, my one layer card (did you guess right?) featuring one of Sandy's pretty images:

This card has already gone to eldest bambino's Form Tutor as the students are now on reduced timetable/study leave due to their GCSE exams, so I'm very safe in posting it here today. Who knows, the Tutor might even take a peek ... let me know Miss R.!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base card - is Neenah Solar White Card, onto which I printed my design, scored as an A4 tri-fold card and then cut the last third to leave a DL sized card when folded.
  
• Image - is #603 - Sunflowers 3 drawn by Sandy at Scribbles Designs. I printed this directly onto my base card and then brought it all to life using my Spectrum Noir Pencils in the listed shades following this technique tutorial by Nicky over at the Spectrum Noir Website - thanks for a great tute Nicky, I finally feel as though I've done an image some justice with my pencils!
• Sunflowers - 012, 018, 023, 093
• Leaves - 012, 056, 047, 023, 093
• Sky - 067, 023
• Tendrils and dots - Gold Gel Pen
• Sentiment - is a clear stamp from Hobbycraft although it no longer appears on their website. I stamped this in Versamark ink, sprinkled with some gold embossing powder and then heated it.

I hope I've inspired you to have a go with no layers, but don't forget to pop over to Incy Wincy Designs and see which of my extremely talented teamies have gone for All or Nothing! Then come back and show us your creations as we love visiting you - this challenge ends on Sunday 31st May 2015.

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

• May Challenge - Use Flowers at Spectrum Noir Facebook Page
• KSC May Challenge - May Flowers at Karleigh Sue Challenges
• Challenge #145 - Flowers at A Gem of a Challenge

We're on half term now for the rest of the week, so a chance to recharge my batteries for the next half term ... if you're on holiday this week too, I hope you enjoy it!

Until next time ....

Hugs, Helen x

A Chilly Oasis?

Hells bells - I'm running late, yet again! Sorry teamies!

I can't believe it's another week and that this time next week will be half term ... phew! Hope you all had a good weekend - I managed a session on the "trotmill" and notched up 5km, and then had a very successful shopping trip with eldest bambino to get sparkly sandals to go with her Prom dress.

It's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and this week we'd like to see Exotic Animals. We're being sponsored by Stitchy Bear's Digi Outlet who are supplying the prize package this week. They have also very kindly allowed the DT their choice of image to use for this challenge and here is my card featuring a very exotic meerkat:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - pre-made 5" square card from cream cardstock
• Papers - are the brown patterned paper and the yellow ombre paper from the Chilling Meerkat Digital Stamp and Paper Pack by Coosty Creations at Stitchy Bear's Digi Outlet. I've cut the yellow paper into a pennant shape before fixing it to the base paper.
  
• Image - is the Chilling Meerkat Digital Stamp by Coosty Creations. How darn cute is this little guy just chillin' out at a desert oasis? Although, on reflection, when I've been observing the meerkats at our local family theme park I don't recall any of them having a pint of beer in their paws!!!! I've brought this chillaxing furry friend to life using my Spectrum Noir Pencils in the following shades:
• Meerkat - 89, 91, 95, 119, 120
• Beer & Glass - 99, 61
• Plants - 56, 58, 47
• Rocks - 84, 107, 87
• Sky - 65
• Sentiment - is also from the Chilling Meerkat Digital Stamp and Paper Pack by Coosty Creations.

I think I might put this card by for next month, and then I can send it to my Dad for Father's Day ... as long as I remember where that "safe place" is!

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

• Challenge #259 - Funny and/or Cute Sentiments at Sentimental Sundays
• Animals at Top Tip Tuesday
• Challenge #38 Animals at Paper Creator's Crafts

Whatever you're doing for the rest of the day, have a good one. I think I might get stuck into next week's DT card, so there's a fighting chance it might be on my blog at the right time on the right day! ;o)

Catch you soon!

Hugs, Helen x

Butterfly Wings

Morning All!

Hope this post finds you well and I also hope that you've had a spot of spring-like weather. We have been enjoying some glorious sunshiny days here on the south coast of the UK. I've still got another week off work, so I hope this fine spell continues!

Over at Incy Wincy Designs this morning, we're starting a new challenge - this one is a lovely challenge as it's Embossing - Wet or Dry. As usual we have a fantastic sponsor lined up for this challenge and this week it's Nikki Burnette who draws fantasy art. Nikki has been kind enough to let the DT have a selection of images to choose to design with, and here is the card I've made using one of Nikki's wonderful fairy images, Analiese:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card Base - is pre-made white card, approx 15cm square
• Mat & Layer Paper - is from a now retired Bearly Mine Designs collection called "Plain and Simple". I've used colourway 34 and I love how Donna digitally distressed the edges of the paper ... kind of gives it a worn look doesn't it.
• Embossed Layer - is made using Centura Pearl in Snow White Silver (I got mine in a bumper pack from Crafter's Companion but they don't appear to be stocking it at the mo) which I ran through my Big Shot together with an Embossalicious 6 x 6" Folder called Butterfly Love. I've added a small gem to the centre of the bow and have also cut away one part of the bow to lift it up so I could slip my image underneath.
  
• Image - is called Analiese and she is by Nikki Burnette. I have brought Analiese and her fluttery friend to life using my Spectrum Noir Pencils in the listed colours before die cutting her using my largest Die'sire Essentials Rectangles die and then ink distressed the edges with the lightest shade in my Papermania Capsule Collection Red Hot Ink Pad.
• Skin - 4, 5, 9
• Hair - 84, 107, 87, 99 (I'm really, really pleased with the way this looks!)
• Dress - 36, 32, 105, 117, 119, 120, Silver Gel Pen
• Wings - 61, 50, 52, 78, 80, 82, Silver Gel Pen
• Butterfly - 104, 61, 50, 52, 78, 80, 82, Silver Gel Pen
• Sentiment - is by my blogging buddy Annette and this was a freebie on her blog last year. She still has some freebies there, so if you drop by please be sure to say that you came from my blog! I also ink distressed this with the lightest shade in my Papermania Capsule Collection Red Hot Ink Pad.

I hope I've inspired you to dig out your embossing folders and boards or ink pads, embossing powders and heat guns and join in with our Embossing challenge this week - the challenge ends on Sunday 19th April 2015.

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

• Challenge #136 - Wings at Crafty Cardmakers and More
• Spring Challenge at The Stamping Boutique
• Challenge #141 - Distress at Brown Sugar Challenge - the backing paper has been digitally distressed and I have inked distressed the edges of my image and sentiment
• Aloha Friday Challenge #45 - Fairytales/Fantasy at Kitty Bee Designs
• Challenge #132 - Include a Butterfly at Glitter n Sparkle
• Challenge #101 - Things with Wings at Deep Ocean Challenge

That's it from me for today - hope you have a good day and I'll catch you later in the week!

Hugs, Helen x

Having a Monster Day

Hi All!

I think my blog is going to be a bit like buses - you wait ages for one post, and then a "post fest" turns up!

I've been making a few cards for a colleague at school - he is running in the London Marathon next month raising funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, and as well as running he is doing other fund raising events. Yesterday evening he held a social at school: quiz, music from the Staff Band, a fish and chip supper (yummmmmmy!), an auction of promises and a raffle. I had offered a pack of cards to raffle and this was one of the cards I put into it.

I apologise for the poor quality of the photo - I took it late yesterday afternoon, by which time the natural light had gone, so I've had to lighten this a bit so you can see the details :o(

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base card - pre-made 14.7cm square card in white
  
• Embossing Folder - is a 6 inch Embossalicious folder by Crafter's Companion and it's called Geometric Motif. This folder came as a freebie with an order I placed last weekend, and I thought it was perfect for this card! I'm not sure if the folder is a new one or an old one ... either way I can't find it on the Crafter's Companion website, but there are plenty more there to tempt! ;o)
• Image - this cute furball is Monster Chris and he comes from the pen of Tammy at A Day for Daisies. I have brought Chris to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens and Spectrum Noir Pencils in the following colours, before cutting Chris out using the largest Die'sire Essentials Scalloped Circles die:
• Body - BT5, BT7, BT9 and 071 ... I made little 'c' shapes with my pencil to add "texture" to the fur
• Eyes - CG2
• Legs and Feet - TN7, TN8
• Outline - BT1
• Papers - are the "dotty" papers from a set called Lime and Chocolate Fusion which were a free download from docrafts. I cut narrow strips from the papers to make the cross and cut a pennant shape into the horizontal strip.
• Sentiment - is computer generated using the Word Art function in my word processing package. I've tried to use colours which match the chocolate, lime and turquoise dots in my papers.

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

• Challenge #117 - Add Polka Dots at A Day for Daisies Challenge
• Challenge #136 - Anything Goes at Addicted to Stamps Challenge
• Birthdays at Polkadoodles Challenge

That's it from me for today - hope you have a great weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

Christmas Joy

Hello folks - hope you're all OK out there and keeping safe, warm and dry in this weather. 

I know that it's only been 2½ weeks since Christmas, but another one of my New Year goals is to try and make a Christmas card every couple of weeks. As with most things here at Casa Mia there is a story behind this. For the last couple of years, my youngest has helped me run a "Teddy Tombola" at our Church Summer Fete. Last year, we held a Christmas Fayre for the first time and the organiser phoned me and said "Right then Helen, what are you going to do?". I tentatively mentioned that I make cards at which point she nearly snapped my hand off down the phone and that was that ... I was running a hand-made card stall. I nervously went with a very small number of cards that were mostly made from CD-Roms as I didn't want to invest heavily in my time if my cards didn't sell. Well, I needn't have worried ... after a slightly shaky start, I had sold all the cards I took within the first hour! 

So, I'm thinking ahead here as I guess I'll be asked to do this again and it would be good to have slightly more stock to sell. Here is my first offering:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base -  is made using Kraft Cardstock to make a 10.5 cm square card.  My TIP for Top Tip Tuesday is that using this size of card base means that it will fit opened and flat in a regular DL sized envelope. This avoids extra thickness in the envelope and (depending on how heavily you embellish your card) a chance that you will avoid punitive postal costs.
• Image - is a sadly now retired stamp from the Humphrey's Corner Collection called "At
  
  Christmas". I think I got this stamp as part of a bundle during Crafter's Companion Birthday week a couple of years ago and, shame on me, this is the first time it's been inked up! I stamped Humphrey and his friends directly onto the Kraft cardstock using Black Memento Ink before bringing them to life with my Spectrum Noir Pencils (enjoying their third outing!) in the following shades:
• Humphrey's Hide - 001, 112, 117
• Duffle Coat - 024, 027, 033
• Scarf & Mittens - 058, 047, 084, 107
• Clothes - 096, 104, 117, 119
• Reindeer Sledge - 024, 027, 033, 088, 085, 008, 095, 104, 058, 047, 084, 107, 012, 014
• Snow - 001, White Gel Pen
• Sentiment - is from another stamp that I got as part of the Humphrey's Corner Collection bundle; this one is called "Christmas Joy" and I also stamped this directly onto the cardstock with Black Memento Ink. 
• Faux Stitching - Black Gel Pen

This is the first time I've used the pencil blending solution with my pencils and I'm pretty sure that I have never made a card by stamping/printing and then colouring directly onto the cardstock from which my card is made. A lot of firsts ... :o)


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

• Keep it Simple at Top Tip Tuesday - second entry
• A is for Anything Goes (with the optional extra of Antlers) at ABC Christmas
• Challenge #130 - Something Old, Something New at Crafty Cardmakers - Old is my Kraft cardstock which I've had since June 2014 and New is a new technique to me of stamping and colouring directly on kraft cardstock.
• January Challenge - Anything Goes at Spectrum Noir Facebook Page

I may be back to share another card a little later as I'm hoping to have a crafty afternoon. In the meantime, hope you have a great day!

Hugs, Helen x

Skating Polies

Hello friends and welcome to 2015!!!!! I hope that the New Year is a good one for you and yours.


I'm opening my blogging "account" for 2015 with another Christmas card - not the first one of the year, but sharing the card that I made for our youngest, who just LOVES polar bears. She's now 13, and she still shares her bed with a polar bear that two of my friends gave her when she was just a few weeks old. He's called Poly, hence the title of this post. She took one look at the image on this card and promptly gave me a huge squishy hug!!!!

I've kept this card very simple as I wanted to show off the lovely embossing folder and my card recipe is as follows:

• Card base -  is plain black cardstock which I have cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card. 
• Embossed frame - is made using an festive embossing folder (which came free with Cardmking & Papercraft a few months ago) and Centura Pearl in Snow White Silver. I cut out the middle which was blank to create the frame.
• Image - This lovely couple are called Skating Polar Bear and they have been created by Claire at Jellypark - sorry I can't provided a link to the image, but Claire's website is "down" while she finds a work-around for the new European Union VAT laws which appear to be scuppering some of my favourite digital traders ... grrrrrr!!!!! Grump over, back to the card! This fun seeking were brought to life courtesy of my Spectrum Noir Pencils in the following shades:
• Ice - 061
• Polar Bears - 065, 104
• Scarves - Small Bear - 050, 024; Large Bear - 066, 013
• Trees - 104, 050, 052

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

• December Challenge - Clean and Simple at Spectrum Noir's Facebook Challenge
• Challenge #26 - All White at Open Minded Crafting

Catch up with you all soon!

Hugs, Helen x

It's been a while .......... :o(

Hello there crafty friends! Hope you've had a fabby Christmas and are enjoying relaxing with your loved ones.

I'm sorry I haven't been around for months and months and months and months (think that probably covers it!) but life got super hectic and there just weren't enough hours in each day for the things I had to do, let alone crafting. Apologies to those DTs I let down in spectacular fashion; I'm a bad Mamma Mia :o( 

I haven't stopped crafting, just taken it at a more sedate pace and (to be honest) I wasn't even sure if my blog would still be here, but it is so I thought I might start by sharing one of my most recent creations:

This cute snowman image is by Tammy at A Day for Daisies (I think I've had it a while as I can't find it in the shop) which I coloured in using my Spectrum Noir Pencils before die cutting it with the largest circle from the Die'sire Essential Circles set. The papers are both from the Party Paws Christmas Papercrafting Collection CD-Rom which I have exported into my word processing programme and then digitally resized them to suit my project and edged with a blue border. The sentiment is by Paulette at Create with TLC.

Here's a close-up of the lovely snowman:

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

• Challenge #111 - Traditional Christmas Colours at A Day for Daisies

I hope to be back quite soon with another project to share. In the meantime, take care and happy crafting!

Hugs, Helen x