Birthday Elegance

Good morning crafty friends and hope this post finds you well.

Our Blue Tit parents are very busy going to and fro the wooded area near us, and when they need a quick fix they hop down to our seed feeders. Their babies can be heard chirping once the parents have flown out of the box and the parents are slightly less timid now when we're in the garden.

It's new challenge time over at Feeling Sketchy and our lovely sponsor for this challenge is Digi Stamps by Lizzy Love who is offering a prize to our lucky winner.

This is the sketch we're playing with this time:

and as soon as I saw the sketch I was inspired to make this Triangle Trifold card:

This card has already gone to my Mother-in-Law who celebrated her Birthday yesterday - I think she liked it 😊!

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card Base - a piece of 28.5cm x 9.5cm Snow White Silver Centura Pearl card which I scored and folded using this tutorial at Splitcoast Stampers. I made sure that the pearlescent side of my card was on the front and then die cut the 2 corners opposite the folds using my Die'sire Classiques Lace Corner dies
  
• Design Paper - is a piece of Navy Blue Pearlescent Paper which I cut to make 2 triangles to go behind my die cut corners to make them stand out
• Sentiment - is by Paulette at Create with TLC and this was a blog freebie, probably in January 2014. I took the sentiment into my word processing package and recoloured it blue to tone in with my DP before cutting it out using my second smallest Die'sire Essentials Ovals die. I then matted this onto another piece of the navy blue paper which had been die cut using my second smallest Die'sire Essentials Scalloped Ovals die and fixed to one flap of the card with foam pads
• Ribbon - is white organdie ribbon from my stash 
• Inside of card - is a piece of white cardstock which has been matted and layered onto another piece of the navy blue paper

I hope that I have inspired you to come over to Feeling Sketchy and join in with this sketch, however if you're in need of any further inspiration please check out the other wonderful creations by my clever teamies. Then come back and show us your take on our sketch - don't forget you can flip it, change the shapes etc. ... we just need to see that you've been inspired by our sketch! We'll be back with our new challenge on 1st June 2017.

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

• Monochrome at Dragonfly Dreams
• May Challenge - Anything Goes with Ribbon at The Ribbon Girl
• Fold it Fancy at Di's Digi Designs Challenge
• Challenge #172 - Cards with optional Fun Folds at Pause Dream Enjoy Challenges
• Challenge #188 - Add a Sentiment at Crafty Cardmakers
• Challenge #248 - Monochrome at The Crazy Challenge
• Challenge #173 - Birthday at The Crafter's Cafe Challenge
• Challenge #1 - Anything Goes Monochrome at Monochrome Magic

Whatever you're up to today, have fun ... I'll be back a little later with another post!

Hugs, Helen x

Hey kitty, kitty !

Good morning friends and hope you are well.

Can you believe that it's the 1st of September today - only 4 months of 2016 left!!!!!!! It's the last few days of summer freedom here at Casa Mia too as I start back at school on Monday with youngest Bambino returning the next day, and eldest Bambino returns to college on Friday.

Today sees the start of our new challenge over at Feeling Sketchy. Our sponsor for this challenge is the wonderful Jodie from Bugaboo Digi Stamps, who is offering the lucky winner from this challenge a prize pack. Don't forget though that everyone is a winner with Jodie's Friday Freebies and also her new releases are usually 50% off during launch week!

Onto the sketch, and this is what Michelle (our talented sketch designer) has given us to work to for this challenge:

And this is my card using the sketch as inspiration for a card featuring some of Jodie's fun images:

Now I have to confess that I really, really, really don't like cats. This stems back to my student days when I used to babysit for a couple once a month, looking after their two children, oh and the 4 (yes, FOUR) cats! Now 3 of the cats were fine, but one cat sure had the devil in him. He used to sit on my lap and make out that he was being friendly, and then dig all 4 sets of claws into my thighs. If I stood up, he wouldn't let go and I ended up with wounds on my legs where he'd drawn blood! And the worst thing was that the youngest child's bedroom was just off the lounge, so I couldn't even shout or swear at the thing!!!!!!! I resorted to wearing my jodhpurs under my jeans, with Nora Batty tights under them - yup 3 layers! Nora Batty was a character from a BBC show called "Last of the Summer Wine" played (I think) by Kathy Staff who used to wear really thick denier tights, and they were always falling down! And, whenever the cat came near me, I used to stand up so if it wanted to get me, it had to launch itself at me!

One of my neighbour's cats is doing his best to wheedle his way into my affections - we were next door recently and he came onto the back of the sofa where I was sitting, and rubbed his head against mine purring all the time. There may be hope for me yet, but deep down I am really a large dog girl ;o) !

Anyway, back to this card and my recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is Ivory Centura Pearl which has been cut, scored and folded to make a 15cm square card
• Design Papers - are from a Mini Kit called Kitty Kat by Marisa Lerin at Pixel Scrapper. I've inked the edges of both papers with Vintage Photo Distress Ink, just to give a bit of definition without the bulk of matting and layering
  
• Images - are from the Mini Set - Cat Blocks by Jodie at Bugaboo Digi Stamps. I've used 4 of 7 images and, as these are already framed, they are perfect for this project. I've brought this slightly shy feline to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed colours before cutting each frame out and adding it to my card.
• Face - GB8, GB9, GB10
• Ears - CR3, GB8, GB9, GB10
• Nose - CR5
• Body and Tail - GB8, GB9, GB10 and TN2, TN3, TN4, EB3
• Background - TB2, Colourless Blender
• Frames - I used a Black Gel Pen to "block in" the corners
• Sentiment - is by Paulette at Create with TLC and this was a freebie on her blog some time ago. I've had a quick peek in her store, but sadly can't find this sentiment in there. I've layered this onto another piece of the "Meow" paper which has been gently distressed with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
• Ball of Wool Elements - are also from the Kitty Kat set. I've superimposed these onto my sentiment (had to flip one of them first!) and then cut round both the sentiment and fussy cut round the wool before fixing it to my card.

I hope that you'll have a go at this sketch, but if you need any more inspiration just head over to the Feeling Sketchy blog where my very talented teamies  have great versions of it! Then come back and link up your creations. We'll be back with our next challenge on 15th September 2016.

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

• Favourite Shaped Card Base and Why at As You Like It - 6"/15cm square card bases feature heavily on my blog because I think they're a great sized base to show off both papers and images without the card looking cluttered. Oh, and they go in the post easily too ;o) !!!!!!!!
• Challenge #9 - Furrything Goes at Show us your Pussies Cats Only Challenge
• Hip to be Square at Cards in Envy - Second Entry
• Cookie Challenge #51 (Photo Inspiration) at If you Give a Crafter a Cookie
• Neutrals at Double "D" Challenges
• Use Two Patterned Papers at The Crafter's Cafe Challenge
• September Challenge - Animals at Sasayaki Glitter Challenge

That's all from me for now. Hope you have a great day!

Hugs, Helen x

All Aboard!

Good evening crafty friends!

I hope, like me, that you've been enjoying some very seasonal spring-like weather. My poor washing machine is in a state of shock as I've been doing so much laundry!

It's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and this time we'd like you to be Inspired by a Song, Book or Movie. So, make sure your creation represents your favourite and don't forget to tell us what it is!!!

We've got 2 lovely sponsors lined up for you with 2 great prizes and, I have to say, most of the DT will be showcasing both sponsors because (like me) they simply couldn't choose which sponsor's images to use :oD!!!!!!!

Our first sponsor is the lovely Sami from Sami Stamps who is offering a prize pack to our first random winner.

Our second sponsor is new to us here at Incy Wincy, but has been around blogland for a while - welcome to Nikki from Melonheadz Illustrating. Nikki is offering our second random winner a bundle from her store

For this card, I have been inspired by youngest Bambino and my favourite Christmas film of all time .... The Polar Express. Both before Christmas and during the holidays it's our "snuggle up together" film! And like The Polar Express, this card keeps on surprising as it's a "Never-ending" card:

First side:

Second side:

Third side:

Fourth side:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is white cardstock which I've cut, scored and folded, using my Ultimate Pro following this tutorial which I found on SplitCoast Stampers. I will say that the written instructions once the 2 layers are stuck together are exceedingly difficult to follow, however once I'd watched the video the folds made complete sense!
• Papers - are from the Nordic Christmas CD-Rom, which I believe is out of stock or has been retired at Crafter's Companion. I've cut the papers to size for each panel of the card following the tutorial.
• Images - are from the North Pole Express Set by Nikki at Melonheadz Illustrating. I wanted to use the whole set so that my never-ending card told the story of the film, so the children on side 2 are three separate images which I've put together; on side 3 I've put the elf and present together, and also Santa and his sack. These images are all pre-coloured and are also .png files, which means they have no background so can be layered onto something else straightaway. Because I wanted a small white border around each image, I have printed these separately to my papers and then fussy cut each image out.
• Sentiments - the "Believe" sentiment is by Paulette at Create with TLC and was a goodie from the 2011 Christmas Club. The lower sentiment is computer generated using a free downloadable front called Scriptina.

So there you have it, my card inspired by my favourite film. Soon, I will be bringing you a card featuring an image by our other sponsor which has been inspired by one our my favourite songs. 

In the meantime though, do head over to Incy Wincy Designs to see how my very talented teamies have been Inspired by a Song, Book or Movie and then come back and show us your projects. Just don't forget to tell us which Song, Book or Movie you've been inspired by ... otherwise you won't be able to qualify for one of our prizes :o(

We've also got a DT Call on at the moment too - all the details are on this post. Don't forget that you don't have to have had DT experience (we all started somewhere!) we'd rather that you are a fun person who enjoys crafting!

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

• April Challenge - Travelling/Transport at Bunny Zoe's Crafts - this project is based on a journey to the North Pole to see Santa on a train called The Polar Express
• Challenge #102 - Fancy Folds at The Paper Girls Challenge - my fancy fold has been created by cleverly glueing 4 six inch by 3 inch pieces of card together so that unfolding the card never ends!
• H is for Hat (Christmas of course!) at ABC Christmas Challenge - Santa and his elf are "rocking" their hats!
• Anything Goes as long as it's Christmas at Crafty Hazel Nuts Christmas Extra Challenge
• CHNC #278 - Use a Sentiment at Crafty Hazel Nuts Christmas Challenge
• Challenge #01 at Classic Design Team Open Challenge Second Entry

Whatever you're up to this evening, have fun!

Hugs, Helen x

Look out ... they're behind you!!!!!!!!

Hello friends, and a very warm welcome to my newest follower, Karen Lunagirl - hope you enjoy following my crafty journey.

Regular readers will be pleased to know that me and "the automatic car" returned to the garage safe and in one piece, and I have been reunited with my own car, which didn't need any work doing - phew!!!!! Mind you, I got took some stick from PapaMia when youngest Bambino blabbed about my efforts at getting "the automatic car" onto the drive yesterday :oD!!!!!! If you're intrigued, please read yesterday's post and all will be revealed ........

After my embarrassment at nearly forgetting my brothers' Birthdays on Monday, I thought I should do something about it and maybe have some masculine cards in stock. So when a challenge reminder popped up in my blog feed and it coincided with the launch of a Facebook Challenge too, I knew what I was going to do.

Ta daaaaaaaaaaa:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is Centura Pearl Snow White Silver which I've cut, scored and folded to make a 10.5cm x 14.8cm card with the fold at the top.
• Embossed Strip - is a further piece of Centura Pearl Snow White Silver onto which I've embossed part of my Embossalicious Birthday Text folder, before sticking this onto my card base. 
  
• Image - is by Wendy at All Dressed Up and these fun monsters are freebies on the blog! They do have some text with them already, but I masked this out using my word processing programme before printing them, as I didn't want the text showing on this card. I have brought this wobbly trio to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed colours, before hand cutting them out and attaching them to my card with foam pads to make them stand out.
• Spider - TN3, EB3, EB8
• Middle Monster - LY3, GB4, GB7, TN4, TN3, EB3, EB8
• Bottom Monster - TB1, TB4, TB8, TB6, LY3, GB4, GB7, TN4
• Grounding - IG1, IG3
• Sentiment - is by Paulette at Create with TLC and I think this one might have been a freebie on her blog in April last year. Again, I've hand cut the sentiment out to the right size, and stuck it to my card with foam pads.

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

• Challenge #167 - The Double at CAS Colours and Sketches
• April Challenge - Animals or Insects at All Dressed Up Facebook Page I know that a spider is an insect, and I'm hoping that monsters will count as animals ;o)

I would also like to enter the following challenge:

• Challenge #52 - Anything Goes with an ADU image at All Dressed Up

That's about it from me today - the Bambinos and I are off to town to have lunch at the big blue & yellow Swedish store ... yum, yum plus no washing up!

Whatever you're up to today, I hope you have fun.

Hugs, Helen x

Welcome to the Dragon's Lair ... ooops, Library!

Hello crafty friends and hope you're well this morning. After a rather chilly start here, we've got a very bright and sunny day - would love to put some washing on the line but it's not that warm and that's always assuming I could make it to the line without sinking into the lawn :oD!!!!!!!!!!

It's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and this time we'd like you to Personalise It! It doesn't matter what your project is, but we'd like to see some sort of personalisation on it and it doesn't even have to be for you ..... ! 

We've got two fabulous sponsors for this challenge:

Our first are the team at Fabrika Fantasy ... as well as their online store of digital artwork you can keep up to date with them via their blog or visit their Facebook Page where Dmitry is hosting another challenge! They're offering a prize to our first lucky random winner.

Our second sponsor is Lizzy from Oddball Art who is offering 3 digital images of choice to our

second lucky prize winner.

Lizzy has always loved the stranger, quirkier side of life and that is exactly what she loves to create. Her art described as a perfect combination of sweet and sour that glitters up the grunge! As a love of all things whimsical, kawaii and creepy cute, she throws in some Pastel Goth with a touch of glam, punk & rockabilly pinup!

She has certainly never been a mainstream type of girl and definitely won't fit into your stereotypical cookie cutter artists role; but rather she finds beauty in the truly unique, big eyed creepy little cuties with a bittersweet sadness. She is never truly happier that when she is in her art studio painting or sewing, creating a whimsical dream world easily recognizable as her signature style of creepy yet cute, all the way from the haunting darkness to the rainbowtastic, Lizzy's creations are lovingly sprinkled with a heartbreaking sweetness.

Growing up a child of the 80's, pop rocks princess, with an extreme fondness for anything candy coated, Kawaii Kitten & Ziggy Stardust, all of which had a major influence in the work that she is creating today. Lizzy employs many different mediums when she creates, anything from mixed media painting to sewing with many different textiles, the end result always being the same; a whimsical dream world filled with big eyed beauties, creepy little cuties and quirky monsters of all shapes and sizes.

For my first inspiration piece for this challenge, I'm using an image by Fabrika Fantasy, but before I get to my project why don't you settle down with a cup of tea as I've got a story and a short tutorial to share with you!

Those of you who are regular readers know that a lot of projects here at "Casa Mia" develop from situations that I find myself in ... usually with a little voice on my shoulder! This project stems from a trip we took as a family to London in the fallow period between Christmas and New Year, when we did a bit of shopping, saw the Christmas lights etc. Whilst exiting several stores, I set the security alarms off! At one of the stores I was questioned by the security guard who also searched my rucsac. Had I bought anything? Only a yo-yo. Had I got any makeup with me? Er no, I don't wear much makeup. What's in this bag? Our packed tea! Papa Mia was outside the store and remembered that I had a library book from school that I was reviewing for our librarian ... was that it? I took the book from my bag and threw it out through the security barriers to Papa Mia and sure enough the alarms went off! Mystery over, happy security guard, and I spent the rest of the day with the book in my jacket pocket so I didn't have to empty my bag any more. Now comes the really funny part of the story. I was retelling the events to our librarian telling her she was in so much trouble and she was wondering what had happened to the little index card from the front of the book as that protected the alarm tag. "Oh that," said I, "well that was my bookmark!". So I figured that I needed a bookmark!

I used to have a really great little bookmark that was double sided and magnetic, so it stuck in my book. However, that is no longer anywhere to be found ... so I've made myself a new attaching bookmark, and this is how it's made:

Materials:

1 piece of cardstock - the width and length is up to you, but you need to be able to fold it in half so allow double the length of the front portion plus 3mm for the fold (my piece of cardstock is 6cm wide and 25cm long)

Cutting and scoring tools - I have used my Crafter's Companion Ultimate Pro together with The Boxer Board

Bone Folder
2 thin magnets


How to Score and Fold

Using the Ultimate Pro Boxer Board butt the short edge of your cardstock up against the top of the board and score your first fold. My design is 5.5cm x 11.7cm so I'm leaving a 3mm border all round my image. This means that my first fold will be at 12.3cm, which isn't one of the score marks on the board, so I've very lightly pencilled in a mark at 12.3cm on each long side of my cardstock and have lined these marks up against the same score line to get my fold line.

Make a second score line 2mm back from your first line.

Fold and burnish these two fold lines - getting the second fold is a bit fiddly, but you should end up with something like this in the middle of your bookmark:

Decorate your bookmark as you like, although remember it does need to fit into a book so flat embellishments would be best, unless you don't mind your bookmark poking out of your book in which case you can put bulkier embellishments at the top of your bookmark!

To finish your bookmark, take one of your thin magnets and stick it on the inside of your bookmark towards the bottom edge (the opposite end to your fold) in a central position.

Now for the clever bit! To ensure that your second magnet attaches in exactly the right place on the reverse of your bookmark, stick it on top of the magnet you've just attached ....

... and fold your bookmark over, and press the cardstock down to attach it to the magnet.

And here is my completed bookmark:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Bookmark base - Centura Pearl Snow White Silver cut, scored and folded as per my tutorial above
• Front of Bookmark - Image is the pre-coloured version of Wise Dragon by Fabrika Fantasy. Using my word processing package, I've merged the image with a sentiment from Paulette at Create with TLC. This was a freebie on her blog last month and as soon as I saw it, I knew it was utterly perfect for this project! Once my merged design was printed, I cut it to the right size and then lightly distressed the edges using Walnut Stain Distress Ink
  
• Reverse of Bookmark - the backing paper is Slovenia Dragons Paper by Marisa Lerin at Pixel Scrapper Digital Scrapbooking ... I nearly fell off my chair when I found it - it's perfect for this project! I created my Ex Libris nameplate using my word processing package and this was die cut using the middle sized Die'sire Essentials Rectangles die. The edges of my paper and name plate have been lightly distressed using Walnut Stain Distress Ink
• Magnets - are 12.5mm in diameter, 1mm high and are self adhesive. Mine came from eBay (although I can't remember the seller now as we've had them a while) but search for craft magnets and you should find them!

I hope you like my tutorial, but if you need any more inspiration head over to Incy Wincy Designs and see how my clever team mates have Personalise(d) It! Then come back and join in the fun by sharing your creations with us! This challenge closes on Saturday 5th March and we'll be back with our next challenge on Monday 7th March 2016.

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

• February Challenge - Things with Wings at Bunny Zoe's Crafts
• Critters and Creatures Linky Party 1 - February at Ellibelle's Creative Moments
• Week 7 - Animals and Insects at Digi Choosday Challenge

Stay tuned, as I'll be back soon with a project featuring an image from our second sponsor.

In the meantime, take care!

Hugs, Helenx

The Magi

Morning friends!

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

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

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

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

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

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

My card recipe is as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week!

Hugs, Helen x

Hmmmmm .... Angel or Devil???????

Hello friends - hope this post finds you well.

It's another glorious day here on the south coast of the UK and in between sorting loads of washing, I'm firstly catching up and then (hopefully) getting ahead with some of my DT makes. I keep saying that this term has to get better, but at the moment it's just not happening! And then to cap it all, Papa Mia's car picked up a puncture on Monday which resulted in not just one, but three new tyres ... needed as it then had it's annual service and MOT yesterday! Definitely will be bread and jam for dinner until the end of October!!!!!!!!!! And no purchasing of crafty supplies either as the two bills were eye-wateringly expensive ;o)

Anyway (belatedly, yet again!) it's new challenge time at Incy Wincy Designs and this week we're looking for your projects which feature Pin Up Girls!

This week's sponsor is Cheri Lyn Shull, who is the designer behind Karleigh Sue Digis and she is very kindly offering this week's lucky prize winner 4 digital images! 

She has also kindly supplied the DT with a couple of images to showcase, and here is my card for you this week (if you're easily offended by scantily clad images, look away now!):

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card Base - is a 8¼" x 5½" piece of Kraft Cardstock which I have die cut, scored and folded using this tutorial at SplitCoast Stampers to make a Die Cut Swing Card
• Paper - is one of the Co-ordinating Papers from the Nordic Christmas Papercrafting CD-Rom which I lightened by 10% in my word processing programme before printing, otherwise my printer seems to make everything quite dark! I then cut the paper to size (following the tutorial) so it fits the card base.

• Image - is by Cheri Lyn Shull at Karleigh Sue Digis and she is called Naughty or Nice. I must confess that I have struggled a bit with this card as this style of image is not one I'd usually work with, but I have brought her to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the listed colours before die cutting her using the middle sized Sizzix Framelits Fancy Labels die.

• Hair - TN1, TN2, TN3
• Skin - FS2, FS3
• Knickers - GT1
• Angel Side - BGR1, BGR3
• Devil Side - DR1, DR2, DR3, DR4, DR5, DR6
• Outline - BT1
• Sentiment - is an old one (from November 2011) by Paulette at Create with TLC and I think this one was a blog freebie. This was die cut using the second smallest Sizzix Framelits Fancy Labels die and distressed using Festive Berries Distress Ink. I mounted this onto a piece of DP which was cut using the next size up die, before fixing this to the card base.
• Snowflakes - have been made from Centura Pearl Snow White Silver card stock. The large snowflake is the centre of the Die'sire Classiques Christmas Collection Die "Christmas Bauble". This particular die was a magazine freebie, but I see that Crafter's Companion have a very similar Snowflake Bauble die in the same range. I cut the outside of the bauble off, to reveal a "snowflake", before fixing it to my card and adding a gem from my stash. The three smaller snowflakes were made using my older version of this snowflake punch.

I hope I've inspired you to join in our Pin Up Girls challenge, but if you're in need of further inspiration why not head over to Incy Wincy Designs and check out the wonderful "makes" by my talented teamies. This challenge ends on Sunday 4th October 2015.

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

• Challenge 2 - Anything but a Square at Karleigh Sue Challenge
• Challenge 6 - Christmas/Winter Theme at A Snowflakes Promise
• Challenge #235 - Anything Goes at Die Cuttin Divas
• Challenge #190 - Let's Get Krafty at Ooh La La Creations Challenge

I'm just heading out to my Body Balance class, then to pick eldest Bambino up from college as Wednesdays are her half days and I'll hopefully get some more crafting in this afternoon!

Whatever you're up to today, have fun!

Hugs, Helen x

Happy Brrr-thday!

Good evening everyone, and a really warm welcome to Jackie who is my newest follower! If you're in the UK, I hope you've managed to enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend (sorry to anyone in Scotland, as you've already had yours!) - Casa Mia "upped sticks", and we've had an action packed weekend at Alton Towers Theme Park. Now I'm not a big fan of roller coasters; in fact they completely freak me out ... but I managed to ride on all the "big ones" (apart from Smiler which was closed) at least once, much to the amazement of both of the Bambinos and Papa Mia!

It's new challenge day at Incy Wincy Designs, and there's no excuse for not joining us this week as our theme is Anything Goes!

We're being sponsored by the lovely Sandy at Scribbles Designs, and she is offering this week's lucky winner $10USD of digis as a prize! Even if you're not this week's lucky winner, if you become a follower of Sandy's Scribbles Designs Challenge Blog you'll find that she sometimes offers a freebie ... and most crafters I know like a freebie, don't they? ;o)

Sandy has also very kindly given the DT some images to showcase, but I'm using an older digi for 2 reasons; firstly I need a card for my nephew, and secondly, as he's turning 11 and this digi has 11 candles on it I thought it would be perfect!

So, here's my inspiration for you this week:

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card Base - is a Pop-up card in black cardstock, following this tutorial from SplitCoast Stampers
  
• Image - Brrr-thday Chef by Sandy at Scribbles Designs which I die cut using the largest Die'sire Essentials Rectangles die, before matting and layering it onto ice blue Core'dinations Card. I've used my Spectrum Noir Pens in the colours listed:
• Hat - IG1, IG2, Colourless Blender
• Penguin - OR1, IG9, True Black
• Bow Tie and Napkin - IG2
• Cake - IG2, FL1, CT4, Colourless Blender, Silver Gel Pen
• Outline - BT1
• Sentiment - is by Paulette at Create with TLC (I think it was a blog freebie a little while ago, but is just perfect for this penguin image!) and I've used the same ice blue Core'dinations Card for matting and layering.

Please head over to Incy Wincy Designs and check out the other wonderful creations from my teamies. Then come back and show us your projects - remember Anything Goes! This challenge ends on Sunday 6th September 2015.

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

• CCM #146 - No Patterned Papers at Crafty Cardmakers
• "N" is for No Design Papers at Alphabet Challenge Blog
• Challenge #22 - No Printed Paper at Get Creative Challenges
• Challenge #32 - Boys will be Boys at Scribbles Design Challenge

Until next time, take care!

Hugs, Helen x

Butterfly Scent

Hello - another scheduled post as I'm still in the Med!

Today is an exciting day for Sophia's Sweet Scribbles as we're bringing you Larissa's newest images, and these ones will be perfect for all the ladies in your life (and some of the men too!) as this collection is called Eau de Parfum and features exquisite perfume bottles in many shapes, sizes and styles!

I'm delighted to be showcasing Butterfly Wings and here is my card:

• Card base - is Neenah Desert Storm Kraft cardstock which I have cut, scored and folded to make a 12cm square gatefold card. 
• Papers - I have used 2 different papers from the Spring Paper Collections by Larissa at Sophia's Sweet Scribbles. On the front of the card I have used the Candyfloss and Cream colourway from the Striped Paper Collection and on the inside I have used the Candyfloss colourway from the Spring Butterfly Collection. 
• Image - is Butterfly Wings from the Eau de Parfum Collection  at Sophia's Sweet Scribbles. I have brought this elegant bottle of scent to life using my Spectrum Noir Pencils in the listed colours, before fussy cutting the image out and attaching it to the left side of the card.
• Bottle - 29, 34, 35 
• Cap - 84, 87, 107 
• Butterflies - 61, 65, Gold Gel Pen
• Sentiment - is by Paulette at Create with TLC which I have superimposed onto  the Butterfly Paper.

I hope you'll head over to the blog and also the Facebook page and see the other lovely creations by my teamies. Then go and grab some of the beautiful bottles for yourself, and come back to the Facebook page and show us your projects with them!

I'll be back later this week with another peek from this gorgeous collection.

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

• Challenge #276 - Things with Wings at Robyn's Fetish Challenges
• O is for Open (Anything Goes) at ABC Challenges
• Challenge #77 - More than One Fold at Creatalicious Challenges
• Challenge #45 - One for the Girls at Creative Craft Cottage
• Challenge #30 - Pretty in Pink at CCC Digi Creations
• Challenge #2 - Things with Wings at Colouring in Scrapland
• Challenge #112 - Stripes or Checks at Dream Valley Challenges
• August Challenge - One for the Girls at Stamp and Create
• Make it Girly! at Whoopsi Daisy Challenge
• Anything Goes at Spectrum Noir Facebook Page

Hugs, Helen x