For Me?

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

Hello again friends! It's another busy day here at Casa di Mamma Mia ... 

This morning sees the start of our new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and this week we've been asked to Make a Pocket Card. Now before you say "Yikes!" (I already did that!!!!!!!!!!), our Team Leader Chris very helpfully pointed us in the direct of the Tutorials section of SplitCoast Stampers - if you type Pocket Card into the Search Resources box, about 9 different Pocket Card tutorials will be shown and you can "fill your boots"!!!!!

Don't switch off at this point, as entering our challenge could be very worth your while ... we've got 2 amazing sponsors for you again this week! Firstly, we're welcoming back Janet and the team from Pink Gem Designs who are offering one lucky winner a great prize.


We're very pleased to welcome another new sponsor this week - Tamara and her team from The Stamping Chef, and they are offering our second lucky winner a $10 gift Certificate to their store. And here's a bit about them:
The Stamping Chef was born in November 2012, after I (Tamara) decided to switch from the scrapbook community to the crafter side of designing. Drawing is my passion, and my style is fun, cute and doodlish..I think =D.  I love to see images come to life when they're colored by amazing crafters. Creating digital images can be a tedious process, but I love each and every step of it. I have a lovely bunch of ladies standing next to me, creating, giving me advice, and help me everywhere they can. I'm so totally new in this great adventure, but I love it! It's so totally different than I'm used to. I hope I can provide you with loads of cute, happy, funny images you can work with.  


Mr Indicisive came to visit again this week, and I just couldn't choose between which of our wonderful sponsors' images to use ... so I made two cards again! Good job Mr Mojo's in residence still :o)!!!!! Here's my Double Pocket Card featuring a gorgeous image from The Stamping Chef:

My card recipe is follows:

• Base Card - is Centura Pearl in Ivory which I cut, scored and folded to make a rectangular card which is a little larger than the double pocket card which was made from 160gsm card in white, cut and folded following this tutorial.
  
• Design Papers - are from a mini scrapbooking kit called You Bring the Sunshine by Eva Kipler. I got this kit from Sweete Shoppe Designs, but they don't appear to stock it any more :o(
• Image - this little sleepyhead (and her rabbit) is called Good Morning Mimi and she comes from the pen of Tamara at The Stamping Chef. I brought this pair to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Skin - FS2, FS3, FS6
• Hair - GB1, GB2, GB3
• Hair Ribbons - CG3, CG4
• Nightshirt - CG2, CG3, TB9
• Rabbit - BG2, BG3, GB5
• Outline - GG1
• Sentiment -  is another freebie by my very generous blogging buddy Annette. If you head over there, please let her know that you came from my blog! I coloured the flowers using my Spectrum Noir Pen in shade GB3
• Insert Tag - has been digitally designed in my word processing programme using the gingham paper from the You Bring the Sunshine kit. I also used the frame from the same kit, which I digitally engineered to become a scalloped border ... what do you think? I then used a matching shade of yellow in my programme to outline the tag shape.

I hope you'll come over to Incy Wincy Designs to check out the other gorgeous creations by my team mates and Linda, who is our Guest Designer for June. Don't forget to then come back and show us your Pocket Card creations. This challenge ends on Sunday 23rd June 2013.

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

• Challenge #12 - Fold It! at Quirky Crafts
• For the Girls at Send A Smile 4 Kids
• Girly Girl at Creative Corner Challenges
• Challenge #168 - Use a Digi at One Stitch At A Time

Have a great evening!

Hugs, Helen x

A Fluffy Cloud

Good morning my crafty friends - I hope you are well on this bright Tuesday morning!

Unfortunately, today is the last post of my residency as a Guest Designer at Top Tip Tuesday. :o( Ladies, thanks sooooooooo much for having me the last 4 weeks - I have had a blast! This fortnight's challenge is Numbers and today brings our mid-challenge reminder. As a recap we're looking for numbers on your projects ... perfect for Birthdays and/or Anniversaries, and we'd love to see how creative you can be!

There are two amazing sponsors lined up for the winners of this challenge. Jodie from Bugaboo Stamps is offering one lucky random winner 7 digis of their choice! And Tammy Lousie from Shape EZ is offering our second winner 2 digital shape templates of their choice! And, as if that wasn't enough, you too could be a future Top Tip Tuesday Guest Designer just by leaving a great tip!


Both of our fabby sponsors gave the DT free rein with our choice of which of their products we would like to showcase. Last week I designed with one of Jodie's great images. As promised, this week, I'm showcasing one of Tammy Louise's beautiful card templates:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - is the Shape EZ Cloud Card template which I've printed at normal onto lightweight cream card and digitally layered the DPs over. Then I cut out the shapes that make up the template, layered them together, popped a few folds in to make the card stand up and ... hey presto, one Cloud Card! The size of this card printed at this size is just 9cm high by 12.5cm wide, but there are resizeable files included in the download so you can make it your own size.
• Design Papers - are all from the set Just a Number by Krystal Hartley and available at Sweete Shoppe Designs. I've used 3 of the papers in this kit, including the fun numbers paper, and printed these directly onto the cloud template.
  
• Image - this great umbrella is by Nana Vic and is the first image in the current Progressive Freebie Challenge over at Crafter's Digital Art Center (there's still time for you to join in too!). This item does not appear to be for sale in Nana Vic's store, although there is plenty of other gorgeousness over there! I brought this gorgeous brolly to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Main Umbrella Fabric - CR1, CR2
• Spots and Umbrella Trim - DG4
• Umbrella Handle - GB8, GB10
• Metalwork - Gold Gel Pen
• Outline - GG1
• Sentiment -  is of course by my favourite designer, Paulette at Create with TLC. If you're not following her blog, why ever not ... she gives away a free (yes, free) piece of word art every day!
• Bow - made from twine from my stash
• Pearls - are from my stash and here is this week's TOP TIP for you: Take a leaf from garden designers and use embellishments in odd numbers, 3 or 5 or 7. This helps to draw the viewer's eye through your design and makes your project more pleasing as it looks more natural.

The Top Tip Tuesday girls have got some great projects and tips for you, so I hope you'll head over and see their Numbers. Don't forget to come back and show us your creations! This challenge ends on Monday 10th June.

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

• Progressive Freebie Challenge (April-June) at Crafter's Digital Art Center
• Day 148 - Micro-Managed at 365 Cards My three teeny tiny elements are 3 small pearls, 1 small bow, 2 very small stars cut through the top layer of DP (just visible to the left of the sentiment strip)

Have a great day!

Hugs, Helen x

What's your "Magic" Number?

Hello to you all. Hope you had a great Bank Holiday weekend if you're in the UK. I've only got one gripe ... who pinched the sunshine? It's like December here and Hubby's weather station says we've had 1.8cm of rain today. And I guess we'll still have a drought in the summer! Still, the plants we bought yesterday will be happy being "bedded" in to their new homes :o)

I would like to welcome a couple of new followers - a warm welcome to Durga and Desire, and huge apologies Desire for not having welcomed you a couple of weeks ago! I hope you'll both enjoy your visits to my creations.

Today is Post 3 of my sojourn as a Guest Designer at Top Tip Tuesday and this weeks it's new challenge time! This fortnight's challenge is Numbers, so we're looking for numbers on your projects ... perfect for Birthdays and/or Anniversaries, and we'd love to see how creative you can be!

We've got 2 amazing sponsors lined up for you for this challenge. Jodie from Bugaboo Stamps is offering one lucky random winner 7 digis of their choice! And Tammy from Shape EZ is offering our second winner 2 digital shape templates of their choice! Those are magic numbers worth winning me thinks! :o) And, as if that wasn't enough, you too could be a future Top Tip Tuesday Guest Designer just by leaving a great tip! Both of our fabby sponsors have given us the choice of which of their products we would like to showcase and next week I'll be showing you one of Tammy's great card templates. However, this week I've designed with one of Jodie's fantastically quirky images:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - made from Centura Pearl in Ivory which I cut and scored to make a 15cm square card
• Design Papers - are all from the set Only You by Studio Basic and available at Sweete Shoppe Designs. I've used 3 of the papers in this kit, layered them digitally and put a dove grey faux mat layer around each paper using my word processing programme.
• Image - this great couple are called AKV Love from the great range A Kid's View (Stick People) by Jodie at Bugaboo Stamps. Because this image is soooooo quirky (and the fact that I digitally layered this onto my DPs and my pens won't colour nicely on the card I printed this on!) I continued with the "kids" theme and actually coloured this image using some of my girls' wax crayons!!!!! I tried to keep the palette very simple and these are the colours I used:

• Him - Yellow, Red, Brown
• Her - Red, Brown, Black
• Heart - Red
• Sky - Blue, Red, Orange, Yellow
• Grass - Green
• Sentiments - the bottom sentiment comes from the Only You kit, and is perfect for an anniversary card. The top sentiment is computer generated and, again, digitally put onto my layout by using a text box in my word processing programme and colouring the background to tone in with the DPs. Now, regular readers will know that I craft frugally and don't have a die cutting machine, so here is my TOP TIP for you: Don't worry if you don't have alpha or numeric dies ... in your word processing programme, play around with different fonts and sizes to get something you like - I've used Showcard Gothic in pitch 36. When you're happy, copy and paste it several times and print. Cut the shapes out, and glue them on top of each other to get a 3D effect on your card.

So, I think that makes my Magic Number 20! Just need to find a safe hidey hole for this card (away from my hubby) and, even more importantly, remember in September where it's hidden!!!!! The Top Tip Tuesday girls have got some great projects and tips for you so do go over and see their Numbers. Don't forget to come back and show us your creations! This challenge ends on Monday 10th June.

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

• Challenge 55 - Celebrate at LEJ Designs
• Challenge 11 - For the Fellas at Creative Craft Challenges
• GGSC153 - Graduation, Wedding or Anniversary at Going Grey with Scrap Creations
• SOS#103 - Graduation or Anniversary at Shopping our Stash - the wax crayons I used weren't exactly my stash as they came from my girls' (now 11 &13 years old) arts and crafts cupboard. The crayons hadn't been used for I don't know how long (the girls don't do colouring any more, it's all handheld devices that play games!) and are well over 2 years old ... I think they came in a goodie bag to keep the kids amused from a holiday company eons ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you have a great evening!

Hugs, Helen x

With Red and White Love!

Hello friends and happy St. George's Day to my English followers!

It's been a glorious day here on the south coast of the UK - the sun's still out, there are a few clouds in the sky, I've had a line full of washing ... the only damper is that is that the clothes will need ironing later! Still, at least it seems we've got a spell of warmer weather. Just hope this isn't our summer :o)!!! I hope the weather is just as nice in your area. Welcome to Jackie, my newest follower - hope you enjoy this crafting journey!

Well, with apologies to the team, I'm a day late with this post. Yesterday saw the start of a new challenge at Whoopsi Daisy, and our theme for you this week is Use a Circle on your Creation.

Our lucky winner's prize is (as usual) one sheet of images from the Whoopsi Daisy Store, unless you've used a Whoopsi Daisy Image for your project in which case you can choose two sheets of images. Linnie has let us all loose in her store again, and if you haven't visited in the last couple of weeks, now would be a good time to go. Not only are there some beautiful new images there (including my favourites 'the misses'!) but there's also a really sweet freebie there for you.

For my card this week, I've used the current sketch at Chocolate, Coffee & Cards and have also been inspired by the St. George's Colour Combo of Red and White at Ladybug Crafts Ink, and here is my card for you:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - is Centura Pearl in Snow White which I cut, scored and folded to make a 12cm square card.
• Borders - have been embossed using the Bubbles border on my Ultimate Pro Embossing Board Teddy Surprise and Butterflies directly onto my base card. I wanted to make it appear as though one of the border was on top of the other (as per the sketch) and actually embossed it like this. However, I think I'll need to have a re-think on this technique, as it hasn't worked!!!!!
  
• Design Paper - is Paper 1 and it's from a mini scrapping kit called Only You by Studio Basic Designs at Sweete Shoppe Designs. I've taken the paper into my word processing programme, and superimposed a circle with a broad line over the paper, to give the impression of a matted layer.
• Image - is of course by Linnie from Whoopsi Daisy and she is a pre-coloured image from Sheet 444. She's one of the newer images that Linnie has created in her range of older girl images. She shares the sheet with herself as a line drawing, and also with the girl I used in my post Très Chic earlier this month who also comes as both a line drawing and pre-coloured image. I've put this "lovely" in a circle with a broad line around it.
• Pearls - are from my stash and are coloured using my Spectrum Noir Pen in shade DR3

Do come over to Whoopsi Daisy Challenge and have a look at what the other talented Divas have made for your inspiration which feature "Circles on your Creation". Don't forget to come back and show us your projects - you've got until Sunday 28th April to link your creations up. And don't forget, as usual, if you use a Whoopsi Daisy image then you don't have to follow this week's theme!!!

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

• Challenge #37 - Layout at Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
• Challenge #52 - Round and Round at Ruby's Rainbow
• Challenge #180 - Embossing at Totally Gorjuss
• Challenge #42 - Clean and Simple at The Cutie Pie Challenge
• Colour Combo - Red & White at Ladybug Crafts Ink
• Challenge #83 - Digi Days at Bearly Mine Designs
• Seasonal Fun Challenge Group at Crafter's Digital Art Center - this is seasonal because today is St. George's Day (St. George is the Patron Saint of England) and his colours are red and white, hence the colours of my card!
• Challenge #109 - Clean and Simple at Celebrate the Occasion

Hope you enjoy your week.

Hugs, Helen x

Thinking of You

Good Evening All,

This is another non-DT post from me ... and I'm using up some stash too! It's the beginning of March, and I'm still managing (in some form or another) to keep up with my resolution ... :oD

Here's a card I've made, having been inspired by a Freebie sentiment:

• Base Card - a pre-made A6 card blank in cream
• Design Papers - are from a set by Erica Zane called Grow and you can get this mini pack from Sweet Shoppe Designs. I've used Papers 2, 3 and 4 from the pack for this card.
• Image -a cover freebie cling stamp from Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine. It came from a set called "The Floral Collection". I inked it up using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad and brought the flowers and leaves to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:


• Flowers - GB1, GB3, GB4, GB5
• Leaves - BT2, BT4, BT5, BT9
• Sprays - Versamark Pen and Gold Embossing Powder
• Outline - GG1
• Sentiment - is called "Thinking of You"  and it was a freebie at Beccy's Place last week. I love the wording of the Irish Blessing behind the main part of the sentiment and it is very reminiscent of a version that I have sung on many occasions at Guide events ... yes, another favourite vesper!

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

• AC157 - Sketch Challenge at Annabelle Stamps - I've rotated the sketch through 180°
• Challenge 55 - Blue and Yellow at Little Miss Muffet
• Inspiration Challenge Group - Photo Inspiration at Crafter's Digital Art Center
• Challenge #50 - Un-Inked Stamp at Use It Tuesday - not only has my image stamp never been inked up before, it's also been sat in my craft drawer since spring 2012 when it was a magazine cover gift, so I'm using my stash too! The card blank I've used was in a pack that I bought nearly 2 years ago, when I first started making cards.

Hope you've had a good weekend.

Hugs, Helen x

I'm Fairy Excited!

Good morning friends and hope you are well.

This morning is very exciting for me as I am very pleased to be able to tell you the secret that I've been bursting to say for the last 2 weeks! I've been asked to join the Divas at Whoopsi Daisy, and I've said yes!!!!! So today is my first challenge, and the theme this week is For A Child. 

Our lucky winner's prize is (as usual) one sheet of images from the Whoopsi Daisy Store, unless you've used a Whoopsi Daisy Image for your project in which case you can choose two sheets of images. Linnie has also kindly let the DT loose in her store to choose an image to showcase (thanks Linnie!) and here is my card for your inspiration today:

I've used a layout from Tuesday Morning Sketches for this card - I love this sketch and it's one I've used several times now. 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 side, and 2 "feet" at the bottom and then cut round the embossed shape.
• Design Papers -  came from the set Blooming by Jady Day Studio and is downloadable from Sweete Shop Designs. I love the "ice cream parlour" colours in this pack!
• Image - This gorgeous little fairy is from  Sheet 391 and she is just one of the gorgeous digis drawn by Linne at Whoopsi Daisy. To bring this little sweetie to life, I used my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours:
• Skin - FS2, FS3
• Hair - GB8, GB10, PP4, PP5
• Dress - GB1, GB4, PP1, PP3
• Wings - PP1, Silver Gel Pen
• Mirror - PP4,PP5, GG1
• Wand - PP5, Silver Gel Pen
• Outline - GG1
• Clouds & Shadows - Craf-T chalks in Light Blue and Grey
• Sentiment - is called Fairy Sentiment Ticket and is by Debbie from The Crafty Pad Designs. Unfotunately Debbie's online store closed earlier this month, but you can still get her digis by going to Card Making Downloads and searching for The Crafty Pad Designs. I printed the ticket onto another DP from the Blooming set before cutting it out.
• Bling - from my stash

Do come over to Whoopsi Daisy Challenge and see the other gorgeous creations the Divas have made "For a Child". Then come back and show us your creations. You've got until Sunday 3rd February to link your creations up. Don't forget if you use a Whoopsi Daisy image, then you can make any style of card or project - you don't have to follow this week's theme!

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

• Challenge 11 - Embossing Wet or Dry at Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge
• Challenge #23 - Soft Pastel Colours at QKR Stampede
• No Squares Allowed at Pixie Dust Studio
• Challenge #36 - Something New at The Squirrel and The Fox - my new DT position and a new image and new papers!
• Challenge #201 - Winged Things at Dutch Dare - I'm chancing my luck that "fairy wings" will count!
• Anything Goes For Kids at Send A Smile 4 Kids

Hugs, Helen x