Never rains but it pours...

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing well and have had a fun crafty week! I couldn't wait to get stuck back in to some crafting after the Christmas break. I have 2 cards to show you today but I've been colouring some images in preparation of other cards to make which, as you know, I love! Sometimes I find the colouring more enjoyable than actually putting the card together, am I the only one?

Mum is doing well recovering from her setback. We had some annoying news that her operation has been postponed a week which means she will be going in on the anniversary of my Dad's passing away which is something we could've done without. Plus I have had a bit of a health scare myself this week. I don't want to say anything more as yet as I don't know how serious it is but what I do know is that I'm going to be having surgery in the next couple of weeks so Mum and I will both be recovering at the same time- see what I mean about it pouring?!! To be honest, nowadays, if we got any GOOD news, I'd be shocked.

Anyway, onto some cards...

My first card is for one of my friend's little boys. I used this cute Elzybells' image which I coloured with copics and watercolour pencils. The papers are Making Memories and I used my star Die-namics die for the border and Sizzix alphabet for the lettering.

I'd like to enter this into:

Sweet Sketch Wednesday- sketch

Stampin Royalty- birthday

Charisma Cardz- birthday

One Stop- card for a child

Here is a little close-up.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Elzybells); Watercolour pencils; Copics; Papers (Making Memories); Assorted cardstock; Lettering (Sizzix); Star border (Die-namics); Sentiment (Craftwork Cards)

Next up is a card for my Aunt. The papers are ones I've had for yonks from a Papermania scrapbooking kit, they're just perfect for more vintage style cards. The centre piece is from a Laura Ashley decoupage kit I bought in the sale last year. I've used my new Die-namics dies to do the scalloped edges- this is the first time I've used the double scalloped one, I think they look great together.

I'd like to enter this for:

Creative Inspiration- use something new

Moving Along with the Times- use old and new stash

Papertake Weekly- anything goes!

Crafty stash used: Image (Laura Ashley); Papers (Papermania); Assorted cardstock; Ribbon (recycled); Buttons (Walmart); Die-namics dies; Lace (freebie)

Have a happy crafting week! xxx

Sketch and Stash Challenge and Stamptacular Sunday Challenge

I hope you've all been enjoying your Bank Holiday weekend. Here are today's cards. I used the Sketch and Stash Challenge's sketch to make 3 easy cards as stock for the craft show I'm doing in July. I really like this sketch.

So my first card is Clickabella. I got this stamp for Christmas but this is my first time of using her. I think she should be called Blogabella- my husband calls me Blogaboo (Boo is his nickname for me - hence Honey Bootique!!) I coloured her in with watercolour pencils and highlighted with Crystal Stickles. Layered on rounded cardstock and nestied (a new verb!) cardstock. The paper is all from Making Memories and sentiment from Craftwork Cards (also new!)

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Stamping Bella); Paper (Making Memories); Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Stickles (Ranger); Rounder punch (Woodware); Sentiment (Craftwork Cards)

My second card based on this sketch is a Penny Black stamp. I coloured her with a mixture of copics, watercolour pencils and brush markers. Cut out with nesties and doodled around the edge. Again all papers are from Making Memories.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Penny Black); Watercolour pencils; Copics; Brush markers; Crystal Stickles; Nesties; Fine Black liner; Assorted cardstock; Sentiment (Craftwork Cards)

And my final card on this sketch is another Penny Black one. I bought this stamp the other week from The Glitter Pot and thought how useful it'd be because you could just stamp any sentiment you liked on the paper so it could be used for any occasion- here I used a Hero Arts stamp "Many Thanks". Anyway, the image is coloured in with watercolour pencils- if you click on the image, you can see the detail alot better. Paper is all from Papermania.

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Penny Black & Hero Arts); Watercolour pencils; Paper (Papermania); Assorted cardstock; Flower (Poppicrafts); Daisy Punch (Woodware); Tiny brad (Woodware)

And my final card of the day is for the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge who's theme is Birds. I've had this stamp set which came in a tin (bought as a present) since Christmas. I don't even know who makes it, it doesn't seem to say! Anyway, thought I'd do a non-cute card- so here it is! Paper is all by Laura Ashley, as is the ribbon.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (?); Paper (Laura Ashley); Assorted cardstock; Ribbon (Laura Ashley); Lace (Haberdashery shop); Brad (Poppicrafts); Chipboard embellies (Laura Ashley)

Trying to cheer myself up- personal stuff

Hi. Regular followers of my blog will know that I don't tend to post personal info about myself, I just tend to stick to the stamping but I've had such a terrible week this week. I'm missing my Dad so much, I'm finding it so very hard at the moment. One minute you think you're vaguely coping, the next the grief hits like this huge wave and knocks you over. I flit from being in floods of tears to being so angry I could scream, I feel rage boiling inside of me. In some pathetic attempt to cheer myself up, I got my husband to take me to the Glitter Pot yesterday. I've never been there before and I thought it was the best craft shop I've ever been to. I spent an obscene amount of money in there buying the above. Lots of different papers- Doodlebug, Cosmo Cricket, My Mind's Eye etc; Stamps- Penny Black, Hero Arts, watercolour ones; corner punch; Craftwork Cards messages; happy birthday transfers.

One Stop Craft Challenge

A bit of a change in style for me this one. This is a card for my Auntie's birthday. The One Stop Craft Challenge this week is bling. I thought instead of the usual glittery idea of bling, I'd bling it up with some pearls instead. This whole creation is pretty much Laura Ashley. The paper and chipboard embellishments are from Laura Ashley and the background underneath the lace is stamped with lilac ink with a Laura Ashley clear stamp. The lace and beading I got from a local haberdashery shop I was at with my Auntie.

Crafty stash used: Stamp (Laura Ashley); Paper (Laura Ashley); Assorted cardstock; Chipboard (Laura Ashley); Lace & beading from stash

Forever Friends, My Time to Craft & Cute Card Thursday Challenges

Forever Friends Challenge this week is to make a card for your Mum so here is mine! The image is coloured in with watercolours and I highlighted the flowers with Crystal Stickles. I cut round the image and mounted on an oval scalloped nestie then double mounted on labels nesties. The background on the label nestie was stamped using a Laura Ashley stamp from a set I got at Christmas. The butterfly was from a clear set by Stampington which stamps just beautifully with lots of detail. The 2 ribbons were from Laura Ashley too. Hope you like it, I tried to go for mixing cute with glamorous! Hope it worked! x

Crafty stash used: Stamps (Forever Friends, Laura Ashley & Stampington); Watercolour pencils; Crystal Stickles, Assorted cardstock; Nesties; Ribbon (Laura Ashley); Brads (Poppicrafts)

I've combined 2 challenges with this card. Cute Card Thursday's Challenge is "A family affair" making a card for any member of your family and My Time to Craft is "It's raining men" so I made this card for my brother from my Mum. I don't usually make cards like this ie without stamping but my Mum really wanted me to make a football one and I don't have a football stamp. Still, I think this is a really good image from Lili of the Valley. Quite a simple card really, layered up on different coloured card- one of which is run through my Big Shot with the Spots and Dots embossing folder. The ribbon I chose as I thought it matched but looked quite footbally (if that's a word!) The sentiment is also Lili of the Valley.

Crafty stash used: Image (Lili of the Valley); Assorted cardstock; Embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Sentiment (Lili of the Valley); Ribbon (Poppicrafts); Brad (Poppicrafts)