Happy Easter!

Good morning crafty friends and a belated Happy Easter to you and yours! If you're in the UK, I hope you're enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend.


It's new challenge time over at Incy Wincy Designs and we're celebrating the fact that Spring is springing (can't say it's exactly sprung!) in the Northern Hemisphere as our topic for you to follow this time is Nature and it's Beauty.


We have two amazing sponsors for you this time.

The first is Naz and her team from Sasayaki Glitter who are offering our first lucky winner 2 Digital Images from her store. And if you head over to the Facebook Group Naz is offering a free image (for 24 hours only starting on 1st April 2018) for the April Progressive Challenge which would be perfect to enter in our challenge!

The second is Alyce from Kit and Clowder who are offering 3 lucky winners a $10AUS vouchers towards a class at Kit and Clowder!! Go and check out the website, where there are even a couple of FREE classes for you to try. The paid for "technique" classes come with individual feedback via the classroom and the Facebook Group has 1000's of members willing to help you  - as well as Alyce (the mastermind behind Kit and Clowder). If you haven't seen Kit and Clowder before, then pop on over ... but be sure to tell them that Incy Wincy Designs and I sent you 😊

Naz has been kind enough to supply the DT with some images to use, but my card features one of the images from the Kit and Clowder Elements of Nature Class, which was perfect for turning into an Easter card:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is Kraft card which I have cut, scored and folded to make a 5¼ inch square card.
• Design Paper - comes from a kit called Owl Always Love Spring from the now sadly closed
  
  Summertime Designs. I have digitally overlaid 3 brown cords from the same kit over the green dotty paper to co-ordinate with the kraft card.
• Image - is this gorgeous Daffodil which is one of the exercises in the Kit and Clowder Elements of Nature Class. I have brought this flower to life using my Spectrum Noir Markers in the class colours using the class instruction book (there is also a video to colour along with too!) before die cutting it using one of the dies in my Die'sire Nouveau Stamping Frame set.
• Sentiment - is from a set called Special Occasion Stamps which was a magazine freebie some time ago. I have stamped this onto a banner shape I cut from an oddment of Kraft card using Gathered Twigs Distress Ink

I hope I have inspired you to  join our Nature and it's Beauty challenge at Incy Wincy Designs, but if you are in need of further inspiration, please head over to the blog and see the other gorgeous creations from my very talented teamies. Then come back and show us your projects!

And if I've inspired you to sign up to a class at Kit and Clowder then do please mention my name in the Referral Box, as you will get a rebate of $5AUS on your new class purchase 😁 and that can't be bad!!!!!!

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

• Week #507 - Pick any sketch from 215 to 506 at Sketch Saturday - I've used Sketch #322 from way back in 2014 as the inspiration for my card
• Challenge #200 - Easter or Spring Sentiment at Aud Sentiments
• Challenge #332 - Use a Digital Image at The Paper Shelter
• Challenge #129 - Easter at CAS on Friday
• Do Something Digi Challenge at Daring Cardmakers - I have digitally layered the 3 cords over my DP which is digitally resized. My image is also a digi.
• KBD Aloha Friday Challenge #115 - Spring at Kitty Bee Designs
• Spring Flowers Challenge at Di's Digi Designs Challenge
• Wild Card Week Challenge #434 - CAS at Just Us Girls
• Challenge #276 - Spring or Easter at Brown Sugar Challenge
• Challenge #387 - Easter at Fab 'n' Funky Challenges

That's it from me today - once again I wish you and yours a very Happy and Joyous Easter!

Crafty hugs,

Helen x

It's a good year for the Roses

Good morning crafty friends!

Can you believe it's September already? Is it me, or is there just a slight autumnal nip in the air creeping in first thing in the morning? Here at Casa Mia, we're winding down to the end of the summer holidays: today is the last day of my long hols as I'm back to school on Monday, youngest Bambino returns on Wednesday but eldest Bambino has another couple of weeks at home before we drop her off at her new Uni in the middle of the month.

It being the 1st of the month brings a new challenge over at Feeling Sketchy and for this fortnight our sponsor is the lovely Tracey and team from Fred She Said Digital Designs. Tracey is offering our lucky winner a US$10 Gift Card to their store. Tracey also very kindly gave each DT member their choice of image to use for this challenge.

So, here is the sketch we're playing with this time:

And here is my take on it, using an image from Fred She Said Digital Designs Store:

I have flipped the sketch to suit the rose spray and leaves and added more swirly bits for good measure ... and then realised once I had photographed my card that I had forgotten to add a scatter of something across the top of it ... doh 😝!!!!! Never mind 😁!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base card - is Centura Pearl Snow White Silver which I have cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card base
• Background layer - is a 14cm square piece of black cardstock
  
• Image - is Rose Spray from the gorgeous Hearts and Roses Digi Set which not only includes this image but also Hearts and Roses (where the spray is inside a heart shape), 3 different sentiments and 2 printing sheets with multiple copies of the images to maximise the use of your cardstock. I have brought this image to life using my Spectrum Noir Colouring System Markers and followed the Roses Tutorial in the Kit and Clowder Elements of Nature Class before fussy cutting it and sticking it to the background layer. This is the first time I've coloured roses using this tutorial and I'm pretty pleased at how they've turned out - they almost have a velvet-like sheen to them!
• Flourishes - have been die cut from Centura Pearl Snow White Silver using one of my Die'sire Leaf Swirls dies. I then cut the swirl into 3 pieces (not that you would guess looking at it would you?) before tucking these behind the image.
• Sentiment - was stamped directly onto the black cardstock with Silver VersaColour Ink using one of the cover freebie stamps from the January 2017 issue of Cardmaking and Papercraft.

I hope that I have inspired you to come along and join us with this sketch, but if you are in need of any further inspiration please head over to Feeling Sketchy and take a look at the gorgeous creations by my very talented teamies! Then come back and show us your version of our sketch - don't forget that you can always flip or rotate the sketch, amend the shapes of elements ... as usual we just need to see that you have been inspired by our sketch! We'll be back with our new challenge on 15th September 2017.

I will be back a little later to link up to some challenges.

In the meantime have a lovely day!

Hugs, Helen x

Flower Garden

Good morning crafty friends!

Before I go any further I would like to wish eldest Bambino a very, very Happy Birthday! Today is super special as she reaches the ripe old age of Eighteen! There are no surprises planned - at least we haven't planned any, but I'm not sure the same can be said of her friends. A group of them will be hitting town this evening; you have been warned ...... 😂

Anyway, today sees the launch of our new challenge over at Feeling Sketchy and we're welcoming another new sponsor to our "fold" 😉 - Andrea from Sheepski Designs who is sponsoring both of our sketches for July. Andrea has also very kindly given the DT some of her gorgeous images to use as inspiration for this challenge.

Here's the sketch we're following this time:

And here's my version of it:

I apologise for the light bouncing off the shiny card - the weather and light has been atrocious here today so I've had to take my photos with artificial light, which I really hate doing.

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - Snow White Centura Pearl which I've cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card. I've used an embossing folder (which was a magazine freebie) to make the 2 borders on the card 
  
• Image - is Floral Heart - Image No 66 which comes both with and without the butterfly. I've used my Spectrum Noir markers in the listed shades to breathe life into the flowers and butterfly, before die cutting it using my largest Die'sire Essentials Hearts die
• Flowers - AP1, AP2,DP2, DP3, EB8, GY1, GY3, GY4, IG1, IG2, IG3, PL3, PL5, PV2, PV4, TB3, Blender Pen
• Butterfly - AB1, AB2, AB3, EB8
• Outline - BT1
• Heart Frame - is die cut from Snow White Centura Pearl using my two smallest Die'sire Essentials Hearts dies
• Sentiment - is another magazine freebie, which I've stamped directly onto white card using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and then I've die cut this using my smallest Die'sire Essentials Hearts die

I hope I have inspired you to come over to Feeling Sketchy and play along with this sketch, but if you're in need of further inspiration, please check out the other beautiful creations by my talented teamies. Then come back and show us your take on our sketch - don't forget you can twist it, flip it, change the shapes ... we just need to see that you've been inspired by our sketch. We'll be back with our new challenge on 15th July.

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

• Challenge 13 - Anything Goes at SheepSki Designs Facebook Page
• Challenge #4 - Square Cardz at SheepSki Designs Challenge
• Challenge #93 - Embossing Heat or Dry at Sparkles Monthly Challenge
• Challenge #84 - Punches and/or Dies at Crafting with Dragonflies
• Challenge #138- Rural at Inkspirational Challenges
• Challenge #5 - Summertine with Butterflies at Scrap and Craft

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Hugs, Helen x

It's Holiday Time

Good afternoon crafty friends and hope this post finds you well!

We're now breathing a huge sigh of relief here at Casa Mia as eldest Bambino finished all of her 'A' level exams this afternoon ... it's a long wait now until results day in August to see if she attains enough UCAS points to accept her place at her chosen university. Please keep everything crossed for her! Between us, we've frantically been making cards for her 5 subject lecturers and also her 1 support lecturer.

It's new challenge day at All Dressed Up and, as usual, our theme is Anything Goes with an All Dressed Up Image.  Wendy has plenty of gorgeous images available in the All Dressed Up Etsy Store. Haven't got any All Dressed Up images? Wendy has very generously provided some freebies here - please send your friends over to ADU for the freebies though, to make sure they're available for other crafters to share!




With the summer holidays in mind, here's my inspiration for you:

Eldest chose this image for her Travel and Tourism lecturer, which I think is exceedingly appropriate 😀and I wanted to go for a vintage style - I'm thinking of an aged photograph here of a beauty enjoying the French Riviera, or maybe even Monaco ... what do you think?

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is a premade A5 card in white
• Design Paper - is by Debbie at The Crafty Pad and is in the Chocolate Chip and Cream Delight Paper Pack
  
• Photo Frame - is by Marisa at Pixel Scrapper and it's called Polaroid Frame - Grunge. This is a .png file which meant I could superimpose it over my image which makes my design look like it's a photo in a frame!
• Image - is by Wendy at All Dressed Up. This beauty is called Sea View and she was one of last month's New Release images. I have used a Sepia Technique Class by Alyce at Kit and Clowder and I used my Spectrum Noir Pens in just 5 colours (TN1, TN2, TN4, TN7 and TN9) to bring this scene to life. 
• Sentiment - is a magazine freebie, which I have stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink before die cutting the sentiment using one of the label dies in my Die'sire Essentials - Just the Ticket set

I hope that I have inspired you to come over to All Dressed Up and play along with us this month. However, if you're in need of any further inspiration please do head over to the Challenge Blog and check out the other gorgeous creations by my oh-so-talented teamies and Katrina, who is our Guest Designer this month. YOU could be our Guest Designer in July - just enter our Anything Goes with an All Dressed Up Image challenge this month, and be sure to enter the initials GDT after your name! The closing date for this challenge is 14th July 2017.

Don't forget that the Facebook Dressies have their own challenge running until 30th June 2017 and the theme this month is Monochromatic. You can enter one project into both challenges for more chances to win some of Wendy's gorgeous images!

If I've inspired you to have a go at colouring in sepia tones but you don't know where to start, I can highly recommend the classes at Kit and Clowder ... although I think I need waaaay more practice 😁. If you decide to sign up to any of Alyce's classes, please be sure to mention my name and let her know that I sent you over - thank you 😉!

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

• Challenge #9 - Monochrome at Daisy Chain Challenges
• June Challenge - Summer at Dare 2B Artzy
• Challenge #128 - Summer Fun at Simply Create Too
• Summer Sun at Whoopsi Daisy

That's it from me for today - whatever you're doing for the rest of the week, have fun!

Hugs, Helen x

Elegant in Cream

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

Good morning crafty friends and a Happy New Year to you all!

I hope you had a fantastic festive season - here at Casa Mia we had a lovely, if slightly quiet, time as some of our engagements were cancelled due to others succumbing to the dreaded cold and flu! However, every cloud has a silver lining and ours was that the Bambinos wanted to play family games. So we've spent most evenings round the dining table with either Cludeo, Mousetrap or Scattegories out and had a fab time. Back to earth tomorrow with a bump though as school starts again 😃

We're running a day late over at Feeling Sketchy as Cathy has been away for New Year, but we're delighted to bring you our first sketch of 2017. We don't have a sponsor for this challenge, so Cathy will be arranging a Gift Certificate for our lucky winner. 

And here's the sketch we're playing with, as drawn by Michelle:

And here's my take on it:

Sadly, I had need for this card and it should already be with it's recipient 😢

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - black cardstock which I cut, scored and folded to make DL size with the fold at the top
• Layered card - is Ivory Centura Pearl which is ½cm smaller all round than my DL card base
• Papers - are from the March 2012 Crafter's Companion Club Inspire Download Rose with Love. I used the cream coloured Rose paper from the download and die cut  these using my smallest wonky square from my Die'sire Elegance Stamping Frame Die. I cut a small slit into the bottom right square so I could insert the tags.
  
• Sentiment - is part of the cover gift from the January 2017 issue of Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine which I stamped onto a tag which I had embossed using my Ulti Bags Ultimate Pro Embossing Board
• Flourish - is another old Die'sire Die, this one is called Leaf Swirls and I cut this from the same black cardstock as the base
• Small Tags and Dragonfly - are dies which came from my Crafter's Companion Advent Calendar 2016. I cut these both from Ivory Centura Pearl and curled the dragonfly's wings to give it a bit of dimension. I also added a small Silver Gem from my stash.

I hope I've inspired you to have a go and play along with this sketch, but if you're in need of further inspiration do head over to the Feeling Sketchy Blog where my talented teamies are showcasing some great creations. Then come back and show us your take on our sketch. We'll be back with our next challenge on 15th January 2017.

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

• It's all New at Whoopsi Daisy - my Sentiment is brand new as are the 2 small dies from my crafty Advent Calendar!

I'll catch you a bit later, as I have another blog post going live today.

Hugs, Helen x

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Good morning my crafty buddies! I would like to warmly welcome my newest followers Carole, Helen and Liz to my madcap world - hope you enjoy my creations ladies!

Wow! Can you believe that it's the 1st of November already? That's means Christmas is next month .... eeeeek!!!!!! In the last couple of weeks, I've reached 100 followers and over 60,000 page views ... double eeeeek!!!!! Sooooo, I thought I might offer a little bit of candy to at least one of my lucky followers. Watch this space, as I'll have a dig through my stash and see what goodies I have to share ;o)

Back to this morning though, and it's new challenge time over at Feeling Sketchy.


Our new challenge is being sponsored by the lovely Jodie at Bugaboo Digital Stamps who is offering the lucky winner of this challenge a prize pack. And don't forget that even if you're not picked as our winner, everyone's a winner thanks to Jodie's generosity on Freebie Friday's and she also has regular sales and discounts on New Release Tuesday's. Please head over to Bugaboo Digital Stamps, take a peek at the wide variety of digis on offer, and why not let one or two drop into your virtual basket ;o)!

Here's the sketch we'd like you to take inspiration from, courtesy of our designer Michelle:

and here's my "take" on it:

I think this is a great sketch for making quick and easy cards, particularly if you need a card in a hurry or "batch making" Christmas cards - two squares of papers cut down, one sentiment and "ta daa", you've got a nice card! Or, of course, you can dress the sketch up to make a very special card.

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is a pre-made 12.5cm square base in cream card
• Design Papers - are both from the Nordic Christmas CD-Rom, now sadly retired :o( There are a few other items still available in the Nordic Christmas Collection ....
  
• Sentiment and Image - are a cling stamp which was a cover freebie on the Christmas 2016 Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine ... perfect timing! I stamped this using Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black then brought the poinsettia to life using my Spectrum Noir Markers in the listed colours before fussy cutting it out and adhering it to my card.
• Poinsettia Bracts - DR6, DR7, Silver Gel Pen
• Leaves - DG2, DG3, DG4
• Swirls - Silver Gel Pen
• Outline - IG1

I hope I've inspired you to come along and join in with this sketch but if you're in need of further inspiration, please head over to Feeling Sketchy and check out the other wonderful creations by my very talented teamies. Don't forget to then come back and share your creation with us! We'll be back with our new challenge on 15th November 2016.

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

• Challenge #5 - Anything Christmas Goes at The Merry Christmas Challenge
• Week 46 - Anything Goes at Weekly Christmas Card Challenges
• Let's Mark a Start on Christmas at Allsorts Challenge Blog
• CHNC 305 - Anything Goes as long as it's Christmas at CraftyHazelNut's Christmas Challenge
• Challenge #367 - Make the Sentiment the Focal Point at Just us Girls
• Inspired by a Book, Film or a Song at Sweet Stampin' - of course I've been inspired by the traditional Christmas song "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"!

Whatever you're up to this week, I hope you have fun!

Hugs, Helen x

A Golden Time!

Hello all!

Hope you've had a good start to the week. Yesterday was "back to school" day for us at Casa Mia - not too many poorly peeps for the first day back, so I managed to get some admin bits and bobs tied up! 

Although I made this card last month, somehow I just didn't get around to blogging it and as a few challenges have popped up in my blogger feed I thought now would be a great time to air this beauty!

A good friend asked me to make a card celebrating her parents' Golden Wedding Anniversary, and gave me free rein to do what I wanted .... eeeeeek!!!!!!!! This was the result ... a double gatefold card:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is Snow White Gold Centura Pearl which I have cut, scored and folded to make a Double Gatefold Card using this tutorial at SplitCoast Stampers. I had to tweak the measurements slightly as an A4 sheet of card is fractionally smaller than 30cm in length, but I forgot to make a note of all the measurements - doh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Backing Paper - is a design called Tpl Gold Foil Paper 21 Gold (from the That Photo Life Gold Papers Kit) by Marisa Lerin at Pixel Scrapper Digital Scrapbooking, which I've used on the outside of the card to back my Centura Pearl and also on the inside of the card

• Images - are from freebie stamp set which came with a Cardmaking & Papercraft Magazine some time ago. I've stamped these onto Neenah Solar White cardstock using VersaMark Ink and then given them a liberal coating of gold embossing powder which I then heated. Once dry and cool, I fussy cut around the images and attached them to the front panels of my card with foam pads.

• Sentiment - is another stamp from the Cardmaking & Papercraft Magazine set, which I've stamped directly onto the rear panel using gold ink

• Ribbon - is from my stash and I've attached this to the outside of the rear panel of the card, and then threaded it behind the stem of the champagne flute so that it stays in place when the card is open.

Sorry this post is very "photo heavy", but I wanted to show you all the golden elements that went into this card ;o)!

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

• Challenge #161 - Shaped Cards at Crafty Cardmakers
• Challenge 420 -Something Shiny at Cute Card Thursday - my gold ribbon and embossing are the shiny elements on this card
• April Challenge - Shaped Cards at Sasayaki Glitter Challenge
• Week 15 - Emboss It at Digi Choosday Crafting Challenge

That's it from me for today. I've got a few errands to run now, and then I might get to "play" a little later on. Whatever you're up to today, I hope you get some crafty time.

Hugs, 

Helen x

Easter Lilies

Good afternoon friends! Hope you are well.

I apologise for the lack of posts from me over the last couple of weeks. I've been completely whacked sideways by another ear infection and this one was/is a whopper! I've just completed my second course of antibiotics in 2 weeks, on steroid ear drops and have conjunctivitis to boot! At least the facial swelling has gone down - last week I seriously resembled a chipmunk :o) !!!!!!!! 

As a result of this, my DT commitments have slid, so I'm now trying to play "catch up".

The first challenge I'd like to show you my project for is the Shades of Green challenge over at Incy Wincy Designs.

We've got 2 amazing sponsors for you this week:

Our first sponsor is Laurie and her team from Doodle Pantry who are offering this week's first lucky prize winner a $10 Gift Certificate if you live outside the European Union OR if you are an EU resident, then the prize is 3 single priced products from the store (anything that isn't labelled as a "bundle").

 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!

Our second sponsors are Elena and Kenny Kiernan from KennyK Stamps who are offering this

week's second lucky prize winner 3 digital images of the winner's choice. Even if you're not lucky enough to win this prize, everyone can benefit from the fab discounts they're offering our Incy Wincy fans - read on to find out more ...

Rock Your Crafts with KennyK Stamps!
Elena Kiernan and illustrator hubby Kenny Kiernan bring a perfect storm of creative energy to the bold and fun digi stamps and clear stamp sets at this rockin’ shop, where it’s always 30% OFF your first purchase with code MYFIRSTPURCHASE. Their hundreds of fun-to-color designs include everything from kids’stamps to teenage girls with attitude , skateboard boys, goth and steampunk  styles,mens, sports,superheroes,music… and for those who enjoy a little spice in their crafting, KennyK Stamps is the #1 Shop in the World for SexyStamps!

More great deals from KennyK Stamps; include a Digital Card Kit license: for craft sheet designers on Craftsuprint and similar websites, and a FREE DIGI STAMP  every month to their newsletter subscribers. It’s a no-brainer, sign up here to join!

Click to follow KennyK Stamps and on Facebook and also join their awesome new Facebook Fan Group, “Club KennyK!  

Bonus For our Followers at Incy Wincy 

We want to offer ALL of your followers a 50% discount on their TWO favorite digis! Please include Full name of Digi and Link to their site and on the 2nd week you'll get a code for 50% off those digi. Have fun Picking your faves

I've chosen to work with a gorgeous set called Lily Collection Color Plus from Doodle Pantry (thank you Laurie for allowing me to work with this beautiful set), and here are my Easter cards:

My card recipes are as follows:

Easter Lily Card

• Card base - premade A6 base in white card
• Paper - is called Paper 1 and it comes from the Lily Collection Color Plus set
• Image - is the precoloured Easter Lily in white (it also comes in orange and as an outline if you prefer to do your own colouring) and I have merged the Easter Lily wording with the image before printing it out. The doily die is the now retired Die'sire Ornamental Flower Frame. After I had die cut the frame, I ran it back through my Big Short and embossed it, before swiping some Mowed Lawn Distress Ink over the embossed areas to highlight them
• Sentiment - is a magazine freebie cling stamp, which I stamped in Mowed Lawn Distress Ink before die cutting with a Die'sire Essentials Oval die. I popped 3 clear gems under the sentiment just to add a bit of sparkle.

Calla Lily Card

• Card base - premade A6 base in white card
• Paper - is called Paper 2 and it comes from the Lily Collection Color Plus set. I've distressed the edges of the paper using Shabby Shutters Distress Ink.
  
• Image - is the precoloured, double bloomed Calla Lily in white (it also comes in single blooms and in pink and orange colourways, as well as an outline image for those who would like to colour it themselves)  and I have merged the Calla Lily wording with the image before printing it out. The frame die is the Die'sire Nouveau Frame Die and I swiped some Shabby Shutters Distress Ink around the edges
• Sentiment - is the same magazine freebie cling stamp, which I stamped in black ink before die cutting with a Die'sire Essentials Rectangles Die die and gave this a hint of Shabby Shutters Distress Ink around the edges.
• Ribbon - is from my stash and is a satin edged organza ribbon in white
• Pearls - are from my stash and I coloured these using my DG3 Spectrum Noir Pen to tie them in with my project

Unfortunately, our Shades of Green Challenge has finished, but if you're at a loose end this afternoon perhaps I can tempt you to come over to Incy Wincy Designs have a peek at the stunning creations by my teamies ... hopefully you won't turn green with envy though! In the meantime, we'll be back tomorrow with our new challenge - luckily this project was completed a number of weeks ago in time for my niece's birthday so my next post is all good to go ;o)!

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

• March Challenge - Show us some Green at Delicious Doodles Challenge
• Aloha Friday Challenge #67 - Easter at Kitty Bee Designs
• Game #60: Easter at AAA Cards
• Challenge #308 - Square or Rectangle Cards at Robyn's Fetish Challenge
• Challenge #165 - Easter at A Gem of a Challenge
• Week 335 - Easter at Allsorts Challenge
• Challenge #53 - Easter at Crafting with Dragonflies
• Challenge #317 - Flowers at My Time To Craft
• Easter at Sweet Stampin' Challenge

... and I would like to enter my Calla Lily card only into the following challenge:

• March Bingo Challenge at Catch the Bug Challenge - I am claiming the middle column of  Green, Bling (hoping that pearls count as bling?) and Ribbon

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

They're Engaged!

Hi all,

Whilst visiting my M-i-L over last weekend, she announced that one of Papa Mia's cousins (who happened to be one of my bridesmaids all those moons ago!) had got engaged to her boyfriend on New Year's Eve ... funnily enough Papa Mia and I got engaged on a New Year's Eve too!!!!!!! :o)

I couldn't let the moment pass without making the happy couple a card, so here it is:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Base Card - is some white cardstock which I've cut, scored and folded to make a A6 card
• Image - is by Wendy at All Dressed Up and is called Over The Moon. This image was a freebie from Issue 139 of Simply Card Making and Papercraft Magazine. I think it's probably supposed to be for a wedding card, but I love the sentiment on it as we're delighted for Papa Mia's cousin and her fiancé. I've brought the happy couple to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed shades before die cutting it using my largest Die'sire Essentials Squares die (with a bit of Out of the Box technique for the moon!):
  
• Skin - FS2, FS3, FS4, FS8, FS9, TN4
• Hair - TN2, EB2, EB6
• Dress, Veil & Lady's Shoes - PP3, PP4, CR6, DR6
• Tails & Man's Shoes - IG4, IG6, IG7, IG10
• Top Hat, Bow Tie & Waistcoat - IG4, IG6, IG7, PP3, PP4, CR6
• Buttonhole & Flowers - DR6, DG3
• Shadow on the Moon - IG1, IG2, IG3
• Paper - is by Marisa Lerin at Pixel Scrapper Digital Scrapbooking and is called Polka Dots 21 Paper from one of her Vietnam Papers kits. I've just used a small portion of the paper to follow the current Sketch Design at Freshly Made Sketches
• Sentiment - came from Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine as a freebie. I stamped this directly onto my card base using the second lightest shade in my Papermania Hot Pink ink pack.

I've been inspired by and would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

• Sketch 218 at Freshly Made Sketches
• Challenge #85 - Anything Goes at In The Pink
• January Challenge - Pink at All Dressed Up Stamps Facebook Page

Hope you have a great week!

Hugs, Helen x

Happy New Year!!!!!

Hello friends and Happy New Year to you and yours!!!! I hope you had a nice Christmas holiday (if you celebrate) ... we had a lovely time here at Casa Mia, although youngest Bambino and I picked up stinking colds and we're still coughing and spluttering :o)

It being the first of the month, it's time for a new challenge at Feeling Sketchy. As usual we've got a fab sponsor lined up for you, and this fortnight it's the lovely Jodie from Bugaboo Stamps who is offering our lucky winner a prize package.

Here's the sketch we'd like you to follow drawn by Michelle; as usual you can flip it, rotate it, substitute the shapes ... just make sure we know it's our sketch you're following!

And here's my take on it using a Bugaboo digi:

My card recipe for this project is as follows:

• Card base - is a premade 5 inch square card blank in cream
• Image - is Flower Doodles 1 by Jodie at Bugaboo Stamps. To keep my card really simple, I've printed the image onto plain cream cardstock and not coloured it at all.
• Frame - is made from plain black cardstock. I cut the top of the frame using my Die'sire Edgeables Die Lattice Flourish, which is only available as a freebie with the Winter 2015 issue of Crafter's Inspiration magazine.
• Sentiment - is another magazine freebie, this time from the January 2016 edition of Cardmaking and Papercraft. I used a lovely shade of orange Core'dinations Cardstock with the "Thank You" die which really makes this pop out from the card!
• Butterfly - is a die from the Die'sire Essentials Beautiful Butterflies set (unfortunately, this appears to be no longer listed for sale :o( ) which again I've die cut from the orange Core'dinations Cardstock.

I hope I've inspired you to come over and play along with this challenge. If you're in need of further inspiration, please head over to Feeling Sketchy and check out the gorgeous makes by my incredibly talented teamies! We'll be back with our next challenge on 15th January 2016.

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

• Challenge #140 - Square Cards at The Crafter's Cafe Challenge
• New Technique/Die/Stamp/Colours at Die Cut Divas - My "Thank You" die cut is new having just arrived with my magazine last week!

Have a lovely weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

Blowing Lots of Love

Morning folks!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Casa Mia was the usual round of Mini Squad Swimming, followed by Rookies Life Guards with a Sunday School session as dessert!

This morning sees our new challenge at Incy Wincy Designs and this week we're Thankful for You - we want to see your projects that say "Thank You".

We've got 2 great sponsors for you this week. First up is the lovely Emma Canning from Flat Friends Boutique and our second sponsor is our very own Nikki from Limited Runs Digital Stamps. Both ladies are very kindly offering our 2 lucky winners a prize pack, and we have also been given digis by both artists to showcase. 

I was fortunate to meet Sara Davies and Debbie Fisher from Crafter's Companion last weekend at a Hobbycraft store near me, as Sara was demoing her Signature Range. They were both really lovely and only too happy to share their talents with us fans! I have taken Sara's idea (rather badly I might say!) of inking an embossing folder before running it through with card to transfer the ink and embossing pattern onto the card. Sara's card looked gorgeous ... mine definitely looks like a beginner's been at work ;o) !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tee hee.

Anyway, here goes with my card featuring a Flat Friends digi:

I must apologise for the wonky photo - I was trying to photograph it whilst out and about and the batteries in the camera I normally use ran out (typical!) so I was using my phone. The card was on a railway sleeper that lines the car park at youngest Bambino's gymnastics club, I was on my elbows and knees, the sun was shining so I couldn't really see the screen ... I must have looked a very peculiar sight, so I just pressed the button and hoped for the best! 

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is a premade white card blank which is about 14.8cm square
• Background - is a 14cm square piece of Neenah cardstock which has been embossed with my Embossalicious Geometric Motif  Embossing Folder (unfortunately, this lovely design is no longer stocked for sale) and Distress Inks in Picked Raspberry  and Peacock Feathers. I have matted and layered this onto a piece of pale pink Core'dinations Card
• Image - is by Emma Canning at Flat Friends Boutique and this lovely girl is called Blowing Kisses. I brought her to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed colours, before die cutting her (using the "Out of the Box" Technique) with my largest Die'sire Essentials Ovals die.
• Hair - TN1, TN2, TN3, TN6, TN8
• Skin - FS2, FS3, BP2
• Hearts - PL3
• Jumper - BP2, BP3
• Sentiment - was a freebie from the June 2015 Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine. I stamped this in pink ink onto Neenah cardstock and then stencilled round the inside of the medium oval die from the Die'sire Tags One set (unfortunately I can't find this one for sale any longer either!). I then die cut the medium oval tag from the pink Core'dinations Card, threaded some twine through it and fixed it all to my card. I added a bow to the side, just for a bit of interest!

I hope you'll come over to Incy Wincy Designs and check out the wonderful creations by my fab team mates ... also, please say farewell to Amy who is leaving us after this challenge :o(  Bye Amy, I shall miss your gorgeous creations.

As a result, we are having a DT Call sooooooo, if you're interested in joining our fun team, please send an email to incywincychallenge@hotmail.com with a link to your site, and tell us a little bit about yourself!!! No DT experience is necessary - we are just looking for HAPPY crafters who like to have a good time. You must be able to work with digital images and be able to create on a weekly basis.

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

• #309 - Use an Embossing Folder at Little Red Wagon
• Girls will be Girls at That's Crafty! Challenge
• No Designer Paper Challenge at The Stamping Boutique
• Challenge #144 - Anything Goes with the optional twist of Use Pink (for Breast Cancer Awareness) at 613 Avenue Create

I'll be back tomorrow with a card featuring one of Nikki's Limited Runs Digis - in the meantime, hope you have a great day!

Hugs, Helen x