Hoppy Easter

Good evening crafty friends!

I hope you had a lovely Easter (didn't have too many Easter Eggs?) and, if you're in the UK, have been enjoying the fabulous weather - most unusual for a Bank Holiday weekend 😂

It's time for the second half of the All Dressed Up Blog Team to celebrate Wendy's new images, and you are not going to be disappointed. Check these beauties out:

From left to right we have Happy Easter, Little Butterfly Girl, Pretty Lashes and Wedding Balloon. They are all available now over at the All Dressed Up Shop.

I have been lucky enough to play with this gorgeous Easter Bunny, and here is the card I sent to my nieces with their Easter gifts.

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - is Cream Centura Pearl which I have cut, scored and folded to make a 10cm square card
• Design Papers - are from my "go to" digital paper place, Pixel Scrapper Digital Scrapbooking. I found a lovely set by Marisa Lerin and used the paper from the Easter Mini Kit and made a digital design using faux stitching and the brown flower from the Easter Elements Kit
• Image - is, of course, Happy Easter by the ever-so-talented Wendy Burns, the artist behind All Dressed Up Digital Stamps. I have brought this cutie to life using a Bonus Colouring Class from the fabulous Alyce at Kit and Clowder and my Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers. Alyce provides a bonus colouring class each month for the monthly subscribers of either the Pens or Pencils colouring classes. And her video tutorials make everything so very easy to follow!

For more inspiration using these fabulous new images, please head over to the All Dressed Up Challenge Blog and check out the gorgeous creations by my talented teamies. 

Whilst you're there, don't forget that we have our monthly challenge Anything Goes with an All Dressed Up Image ending on 14th May 2019 and the Facebook Dressy Girls monthly challenge Animal Madness with an All Dressed Up Image ends on 30th April 2019. Entering either or both challenges will give you the chance to win some of Wendy's fabby images 😄

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

• Challenge #11 - Easter/Anything Goes at Creativ Fusion Arts and Crafts Blog
• April Challenge - Include an Animal at Dragonfly Dreams
• Anything Goes 4 Kids at Send a Smile 4 Kids Challenge
• Challenge #289 - Spring or Fall at Brown Sugar Challenge - I've gone for Spring with this cute Easter Bunny and her pretty flower!
• April Challenge - Easter or Anything Goes at Scrapper's Delights
• Challenge #113 - Spring Celebration at The Card Concept - I would say my style is Clean and Graphic (always a bit more than Clean and Simple!) and I have used the pink/purple colours and bunny as inspiration for this card.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the Bank Holiday!

Hugs, Helen x

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

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

Happy Easter!

Good morning friends and a very Happy Easter to you! I hope the Easter bunny is very kind to you and yours, and there are lots of goodies for you all!

I'm scheduling this morning's post, so I do hope Mr Blogger is playing nicely - it's a while since I last did this, but he's going to have to get used to it as all my Monday DT posts will be scheduled ... posting at 8am on a school day is just NOT going to happen in my house without his help!!!!! :o)

Anyway, I digress - Papa Mia asked me to make an Easter card for his mother. Regular readers may recall that she's a retired clergy wife, so fluffy, hoppy things are definitely not suitable! Traditional with a bible verse, if possible, are far more her style! So this is what I came up with.

My card recipe is as follows:

• Card base - made from Centura Pearl Card in Ivory (I got mine from Crafter's Companion but
  
  they don't seem to be stocking this at the mo) which I cut, scored and folded to make a 10.5 cm (when folded) square Spring Card 
• Papers - from the Vintage Floral Papercrafting CD-Rom
• Image - is a Vintage Image by Paulette at Create with TLC and I think this one might have been a freebie on her blog a couple of years back. I wanted to leave the card quite plain, so I've coloured the crocuses quite lightly using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours before cutting the image out close to the frame:
• Crocuses - LV1, Blender Pen, GB5
• Leaves - DG2, DG3, DG4
• Sentiment - is also by Paulette at Create with TLC and this was a blog freebie a couple of weeks ago. I used my second smallest Die'sire Essentials Rectangles Die to cut this out.

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

• Challenge #138 - Holiday Challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More
• JUGS #287 - Word Week "Spring" at Just us Girls

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

Simply ... Easter

Good evening friends - this will be a very swift post from me as I would like to catch some challenges. This is a very quick Easter Card I made today:

My card recipe is:

• Card Base - a pre-made A5 card in marbled grey
  
• Image - this egg was a digi in the April 2012 Club from Paulette at Create with TLC. I took the egg into my word processing programme 3 times, and then designed the layout of the card by rotating the images and sizing them to suit before printing the whole card out
• Sentiment - is a cling stamp which was a Cardmaking and Papercraft freebie (from last year I think). I stamped this using a Versa Color Ink Cube in Silver and then immediately stamped again (without re-inking) to get the shadow.

Quite a simple card ... but it looks very effective!

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

• Easter Challenge at Milk Coffee
• Happy Easter Challenge at Jellypark Friends
• Easter Challenge at Hobbybook Designer Challenge
• Week 167 - One Layer Card with Shadow Stamping at Less is More

Have a great evening!

Hugs, Helen x

Easter Blessings

Good morning friends - hope you are well! I can't believe that we're already half-way through the school Easter holidays :o( I've been having fun with my girls, and fitting in some crafting time too :o) I have scheduled this post, so I hope all goes well - had major internet connection issues yesterday afternoon ... grrrrrrr!!!!!

This is my second post as a GDT for Delicious Doodles, and it's time for a new challenge this morning. This one is nice and easy - with the Easter weekend looming, we'd like to help you get prepared and see your Easter creations!

Teri has once again allowed me a free run in her shop so that I can showcase her awesome designs ... Mr Mojo has been on an overactive spurt (again! And without consulting me ... again!!!!) and decided that he (OK, we) would like to produce a diorama card! Teri very kindly allowed me to pick 2 of her digis which I put together with another which I already have safely stashed on my hard drive, and this is the result:

My card recipe is as follows:

Top Layer:

• Card base - is Centura Pearl in Ivory which I have cut to 23cm x 18.5cm. Along the 23cm edge,I have scored 5cm in from each end which I then folded to make a flap. In the centre of the middle panel I used the largest arch shape on my Crafter's Companion Ultimate Pro to emboss the shape, which I then cut out to reveal an arch shaped aperture.
• Sentiment - is by Paulette at Create with TLC and this one was part of April 2012 club. I have die cut this using my fourth largest Framelits Oval Die.

Middle Layer

• Card base - is Centura Pearl in Ivory which I have cut to 18cm x 18.5cm. The flaps on this layer are 2.5cm in from each end along the 18cm edge. Again I used my Crafter's Companion Ultimate Pro and this time embossed the smallest arch shape in the centre of the middle panel which I cut out to reveal a smaller arch shape.
  
• Images - are both by Teri at Delicious Doodles and they are Daffodils and Crocus, of which I printed 2 copies (one which I flipped in my word processing package) before bringing them to life using my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours - the shading details on Teri's images makes it really easy to know where to use a darker colour!:
• Daffodils - GB3, GB4, GB5, JG3, JG4, BT1
• Crocuses - HB1, HB2, Colourless Blender, GB3, JG1, JG2, BT1

Base Layer

• Card base - is Neenah Solar White onto which I've directly printed my image, after a little bit of twiddling in my word processing package to get the placement right so that the image appears through the windows of the card! 
• Image - is, of course, by Teri at Delicious Doodles and this one is called Gothic Church Window. This image is so reminiscent of the windows at my own church, that I have tried to recreate them here using my Spectrum Noir Pens in TN1 and TN2 to try to recreate the warmth of the stone. The sky through the window is BT1.

I hope you'll come over to the Delicious Doodles Challenge Blog and enjoy the gorgeous Easter inspiration from the Design Team and my fellow guests. Don't forget to then come back and show us your creations - you don't need to use a Delicious Doodles image to enter the challenge but if you do, you get a second entry in the draw to win 5 of Teri's images AND your work may be Spotlighted on the challenge blog! This challenge will end on Thursday 17th April 2014 at 6pm BST (UK time!)

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

• Challenge #206 - Easter at Robyn's Fetish Challenge Blog
• Challenge #64 - Easter at Card Mania Challenges
• Easter at Crafty Boots Challenges
• CWLC 79 - Easter at Created With Love Challenges
• Challenge 79 - Easter at Dream Valley Challenges
• Monday Challenge #132 - Happy Easter! at My Craft Spot
• April Challenge - Spring Flowers at Stamp and Create
• April Challenge - Easter or Spring at Sunflowerfield Designs
• Easter at Sweet Stampin'
• April Facebook Challenge - Floral at Crafter's Companion Second Entry

I'm off to firstly give Mr Mojo a good slap (!) and then I think I need a lie down in a darkened room with a mug of tea!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Hugs, Helen x

Hoppy Easter!

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

Hello again friends!

I'm back with this fortnight's challenge at Lexi's Creations and this fortnight we're helping you to get ready for the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend (here in the UK) because we'd like to see your Easter creations. Don't forget that we are a multi-craft blog so your project doesn't just have to be a card!

For this challenge our sponsor is our very own Lexi from Fairy Dust Crafts who will be letting our lucky winner choose 5 digital images from her store. Fairy Dust Crafts  is "Your one stop shop for Lexi's Digi images and a growing choice of delicious crafting goodies. Here you can find all Lexi's Creations digital images...also available as clear rubber stamps plus other crafting goodies in store now!" With a sale on too, why not head over and treat yourself?


The lovely Lexi has also let us have pick of Fairy Dust Crafts once again, and here is my project featuring one of her seasonal Easter digis:

These little bunny shaped gift boxes are sooooo cute, and perfect for popping some mini eggs (or a couple of fun size chocs as I forgot to get some eggs .... ooops!) in. Can you imagine the squeals of delights from little ones if they have to go on an Easter Egg Hunt to find the treasure in one of these boxes?


My project recipe is as follows:

• Bunny Gift Box - is normal 80gsm printer paper onto which I've printed my chosen paper. This one is called Hoppy Easter! from Quick Cards Made Easy magazine - you can get the download here. I then followed the instructions in the March 2014 issue of Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine to make the origami bunny ... no glueing required!
• Image - this cute bunny guarding the easter eggs is called Easter Bunny Bella and she comes from the pen of Lexi at Fairy Dust Crafts. I decided to make Bella into a tag to adorn my bunny gift box, but I printed out Bella before I made the box - fatal error as the sizes are somewhat incongruous! Never mind ... Bella still looks lovely! I have brought her to life with my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours before fussy cutting her and adding a hole at the top of her head:

• Bella - PP3, PP4, IG1, Colourless Blender, True Black
• Eggs - EB1, CT4, IB2, LV2, CG4
• Grass - CG2, CG3
• Outline - BT1
• Twine - from my stash

I hope you'll come over to Lexi's Creations and see the other lovely projects from my fellow DT members and our guests this time Hazel and Silvi. Don't forget to then come back and share your Easter creations with us - I know we all love visiting your blogs! This challenge will end on Saturday 12th April 2014.

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

• Monthly Challenge #43 - Make a Tag! at Little Claire's
• Week 12 - Animals at Digi Choosday
• Challenge 58 - Animals at Creative Card Crew
• Challenge #88 - Holiday at Addicted to Stamps and More
• Add a Tag at Crafty Little Fairies
• Challenge #58 - Easter or use Bunnies at Simply Create Too

That's it from me for today, but I will be back later in the week ..... can't say more than that for now :o) !!!!!! Have a great day!

Hugs, Helen x

Happy Easter!

Hi,

Firstly, I would like to welcome my new followers - I hope you enjoy following my blog.

Secondly, Happy Easter everyone! I would like to share an Easter card with you.

My card recipe is as follows: 

• Base Card - Centura Pearl 300gsm card in Snow White, which was cut and folded into a 4 inch square card
• Green Design Paper - from Paintbox Poppets CD-Rom
•  Blue Design Paper (called MothersAtticPearlsPlaid3), image and sentiment are all by Create With TLC. The DP came from the May Club; the image and sentiment were from the April Club. Paulette puts some "club" items into sets in her store, so pop on over and have a look. I brought this lovely vintage image of Calla Lilies in an ovoid shape to life with my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours (old numbering system):
• Lilies - 35, 109, 175, 48, 43, Colourless Blender
• Outline - WG0.5
• Background - Light Blue Chalk
• Ribbon - is a wire-edged metallic ribbon with a lovely blue/green sheen by  Fantastic Ribbons which was part of a Blog Candy pack that I won last autumn.  

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

• Easter at Card Makin' Mamas (2nd Entry)
• Challenge #42 - Easter at Craft Your Days Away (2nd Entry) 
• Challenge #51 - Easter Creations / Animals at My Mum's Craft Shop (2nd Entry)
• Challenge #25 - Easter at Ruby's Rainbow
• Challenge #3 - Spring with Pastel Colours at The Crafter's Cafe

Hugs, Helen x

Easter Wishes

Hi,

I'm very proud and excited this month to be working with the fabby team at Incy Wincy Designs as their Guest Designer for April! Thanks for having me girls!!!!! Kaia's projects were stunning last month - I hope you enjoy my creations as much! This week the challenge is "Easter or Pastel Colours" and we have been sponsored by Care2Stamp who have provided the images for us this week.

I have chosen to showcase the beautiful Milton with Lily (from the Wild Rose Studio Collection) for my card this week and I've made a shaped Easel Card:

My card recipe is as follows: 

• Base Card - Centura Pearl 300gsm card in Snow White, onto which I embossed the largest flower shape from the embossing board Springtime Sweets and Cupcake Treats. I then cut and folded this shape to form my easel and embossed a further flower shape to form the front of my card.
• Design Paper (called EasterRoses6) and sentiment are from the Create With TLC April Club. This club has now finished, but you may be lucky enough to pick up some of the goodies from Paulette's store. I love the textured, corrugated effect on the paper! If you don't already follow TLC then you really should - just be sure to tell Paulette that you hopped by from my blog.
•  Image is by Care2Stamp and it is the utterly gorgeous Milton with Lily - I am totally in love with him! If you pop over there you'll find not only the other 6 Milton stamps but a whole host of other wonderful designs too. Taking inspiration from the spring colours in my garden, I brought Milton to life with my Spectrum Noir Pens in the following colours (old numbering system):
• Lily - 137,  8, 33, 163, 175
• Milton -  104, 100, 169
• Outline -  WG0.5 

I hope you'll come over to Incy Wincy, check out the gorgeous creations by the DT ladies, and then show us your Easter or Pastel Colours creations. Look forward to seeing you!

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

• Challenge #25 - Easter at Ruby's Rainbow
• Easter / Spring Projects at Catch the Bug
• Challenge #179 - A Shaped Card at The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge
• Challenge #42 - Easter at Craft Your Days Away
• Easter at Card Makin' Mamas
• Challenge #16 - Easter at Card Crafter's Circle
• Challenge 210 - Happy Easter at Cute Card Thursday
• Challenge 9 - Fancy Folds at Chocolate, Coffee and Cards
• Challenge 51 - Happy Easter at Aud Sentiments
• Challenge #114 - Easter at Fab 'n' Funky Challenges

Have a great week!

Hugs, Helen x