Sugar Sugar Time For Tea And Some Tea Time News

You could not get a Tea Time more sugary sweet than this :)

This month the Project of the Month over at the Sugar Sugar challenge blog is door hangers and here is a 'Come On In, It Is Time For Cakes' door hanger that I shall be putting up on my door. LOL.

And all you guys that have been waiting for the Kaboodles Doodles Challenge blog to challenge us again there is a new challenge and a DT call running at the moment. There have been a lot of changes over at the Kaboodles Doodles blog, a few of us had to move on due to different commitment strains, unfortunately it was a big hit 'coz it all happened at the same time! But on the plus side it means that there are some DT spaces up for grabs! So pop over and have a look and they have a fab sketch that I'm hoping to have a go at later.




Blog candy notice - the amazing Debbie at Passion For Crafts has some equally amazing blog candy up for grabs with stamps from Sugar Nellie, copics, K&Co papers; nesties the lot! Us mortal bods just can't compete :)

Materials:
Stamps - Sugar Nellie; Papermania Alpha
Inks - Colour box chalks
Colouring - Koh-i-noor; PrismaColor; Derwent; Sansodor
Papers - Freebies from Cardmaking and Papercrafting Mag
Usual Suspects - Paper trimmer; glue dots; double sided tape
Other - Dimension glue; Cuttlebug; Nesties

Darla Does The Housework

Boy I wish she would come round to my place - it needs a good clean! A late post today and I have no excuse. Where does the time go? Well it certainly wasn't from doing any housework.

The lovely Darla here is from InStyle Stamps and is coloured in with a mix of prismacolor pencils and my new Koh-i-noor pencils, which I've been trying to get my hands on for a while but they are very hard to get in the UK, well until Elizabeth from Elzybells Art Stamps started to supply them. Thanks Elizabeth I love them!

I might also have done some more hand-stitching. Ok so this is now reaching obsessive heights I reckon :) Can I even make a card now that does not have hand-stitching on it?

Don't forget that there are a couple of challenges up on the InStyle Blog to play with - the Wednesday Challenge and the Thank Thursday Sketch Challenge - so plenty to be getting on with if you are bored ;) Of course you could always go do some housework instead!



I reckon my mind is very tidy then! Hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

Materials:
Stamp - InStyle Stamps Darla
Colouring - Kor-I-Noor pencils; PrismaColor Pencils; Sansodor
Papers - HOTP
Usual Suspects - Paper Trimmer; Silicone glue; Double-sided tape;
Others - Nesties; Cuttlebug; embroidery thread; white gel pen; buttons

Get Ready For A New Sparkly Spray

OMG I am SO excited, Shimmerz is launching their sparkly spray Spritz back on the market on the 20th May and I can not wait to get my hands on some. I'm still waiting for my DT pack but many of the other girls have got theirs already and are raving about it (I'm just going to have to move to the US!).

BUT You guys can get your hands on some too coz if you go to the Shimmerz blog you will find some BLOG CANDY. Yummy sparkly BLOG CANDY.


Right, just off to look out for the postman :)

Stand Out From The Crowd

A simple card today which happens to fit well with the 'Minimal' challenge that is going on over at the Creative Card Crew this week.

I've managed to do another challenge card - yippee!

So this card has been nestie embossed and I've stamped directly onto it with this gorgeous cute Matryoshka Dolls stamp from My Cute Stamps. The image has been coloured with PrismaColor pencils and Sansodor and I might have done a little hand-stitching again :)


Materials:
Stamp - My Cute Stamps
Ink - VersaFine Onyx Black
Colouring - Prismacolor; sansodor
Usual Suspects - Double-sided tape
Other - Cuttlebug; Nestibilities; ribbon; embroidery thread

Wednesday Is InStyle Stamps Challenge Day

The challenge is on over at the InStyle Stamps blog which this week is to incorporate flowers into your design. All us lucky DT girls got the wonderful Leila to play with, she is just beautiful and summery. Play along and you could win a free image download of your choice.

I felt inspired to use an acetate front to give a 'by the water feel' with a white wash card from Core-dinations and a little distressing to give that 'by the beach' feel :) The papers and flowers are fab double-sided freebies from the UK Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine and I've coloured lovely Leila with copics and promarkers.



So don't forget to join in at the InStyle blog and also have a look at what the other lovely DT members have done with Leila.

Materials:
Stamp - InStyle Stamps
Colouring - Copics; Promarkers
Papers - Cardmaking and papercraft magazine
Usual Suspects - Paper trimmer; Double-sided tape; Scissors
Other - Pearlescent glue; Core-dination white wash; cuttlebug; embosing folder; sand paper

Follow Your Dreams

I promised you are card today after the stitch work yesterday and here you go. A simple Sentiment card and this one is for the challenge over at Caardvarks which this week has a Quote challenge going on.

I've used the Basic Grey Boxer papers and made the lined paper and sentiment in photoshop and printed onto photo-paper. I've also used a Basic Grey rub-on and I'm sure that you will recognise the border as a a nestibilities set.

The ribbon is a white satin ribbon but I've given it some extra sparkle with my Shimmerz Angel Wings paint. And your eyes aren't going funny - I've slightly curved the side of the card as well :)



Materials:
Papers - Basic Grey
Usual Suspects - Paper Trimmer, Scissors; 3D-foam; Silicone glue
Other - Computer; Printer; Cuttlebug; Nestibilities; Ribbon; Shimmerz Paint

My First Creative Embroidery Piece

In February I dyed some fabric and threads all the colours of the rainbow in my creative embroidery course. Well I've used some of the fabric to make my first piece of creative embroidery that I've taken from first designs principles through to a finished product - Hurrah! And ok, so a four year old child could probably do a better job, but I enjoyed it :)


Card tomorrow - promise ;)

Sugar Bowl Challenge

A challenge card today and this is for the sketch over at The Sugar Bowl. The papers are from the Bloomin' kit from Designs by Krista. I've coloured the Gorjuss girl with my PrismaColor pencils and of course finished the card with some hand-stitching.


Materials:
Stamp - Sugar Nellie Gorjuss
Ink - Versafine onyx black
Colouring - prismacolor pencils; sansodor
Papers - Designs By Krista
Usual Suspects - Paper trimmer; Silicone glue; Double-sided tape
Other - embroidery thread; Buttons; Ribbon

InStyle Stamps Wednesday Challenge

Hey All, I just wanted to let you guys know that there is a new slot over at the InStyle Stamps blog called Wednesday Challenge with a fab free stamp prize.

This week the challenge is for a Mother's Day card (so you UK guys can get a head start on next year's Mother's day!) and to use polka dots in your design.

So here is mine. I've used some fabby polka dot paper that I received as a lovely suprise RAK (thank you Claire) and some embossed dots as well just to cover all bases :)

The lovely Daisy is coloured with Promarkers and copics. Don't forget that you can get some of the InStyle Anime Stamps as digi-downloads now.


Materials:
Stamp - InStyle Stamps; Woodware sentiment
Colouring - Promarkers; Copics
Usual Supects - Silicone glue; double-sided tape; Paper trimmer
Other - cuttlebug; embossing folder; sizzix flower; Organsa ribbon; White gel pen

At Last!

I've had time to play with my Ms Anya stamps. I thought that I would join in with the challenge over at Creative Card Crew which this week is about embossing. I've embossed the pearlescent tulips with my cuttlebug and added some hand-stitching and glitter glue to finish the card. Ms Anya is coloured with my copics and promarkers.

I've been completely thrown by the bank holiday. I thought it was Tuesday today!



Tasha from the Creative Card Crew has a fab game running at the mo with some totally yummy candy including the much sort after copic pens and other lovely crafty stuff. So to find out how to join in pop along to Millie's Magical Moments.

Materials:
Stamp - The Greeting Farm
Ink - VersaFine Onyx Black
Paper - DCWV
Colouring - copics; promarkers
Usual Suspects - paper trimmer; scissors; glue dots; double-sided tape; White gel pen
Other - Cuttlebug; embossing folder; glitter glue; embroidery thread

Welsh Dragon

Ok so I think that I might have over-done the Welsh theme with this card! LOL! It is a card for my OH's Dad's birthday and well, he is Welsh so we thought we would go for red, green and white. Perhaps a rather loose inspiration for a colour-scheme? But still, it makes for a bright card don't you think?



Materials:
Stamp - Dustin Pike; Woodware sentiment; Stamps Away; Foam star stamps
Colouring - Copics; Promarkers
Usual Suspects - Paper trimmer; double-sided tape; 3D-foam
Other - Ribbon; Cuttlebug; Embossing folder

Baby's First Birthday

I received my DT stamps from My Cute Stamps a couple of days ago and I can tell you I am sooo excited! Here is my first DT card and it is a card for my Nephew's first birthday. I just love the papers for a baby's first and just had to patchwork the image - so cute.

I've combined two stamp packs the Birthday Numbers and the Circus Animals for this card. The ickle 'One' Candle is just the cutest.

Ok so I think I might be in Cute-mood today! Getting ready to see lots of small nephews - four in total LOL!


Materials:
Stamp - My Cute Stamps; Stamps away sentiment
Inks - Versafine Onyx black
Papers - HOTP
Usual Suspects - Paper trimmer; silicone glue; 3D-foam
Other - Nestibilities; Cuttlebug

Bebopaloopa, Here's Some Paper

Saturday and it is Sunny in my neck of the blogosphere. I have a fabby InStyle Digi-Stamp to show you today called Poodle Skirt. Isn't it cool? For some reason I just thought it went perfectly with this 50-60's style car paper. I wish I had a car-shaped charm to go with it :)

Don't forget to have a go at the $50 competition over at the InStyle Stamp Blog, you still have a day to get your entry in.


Hope you all have a lovely weekend. It is Bank Holiday Weekend here in the UK - Wahoo. Have a good one.

Materials:
Stamp - InStyle Stamps Poodle Skirt
Colouring - Copics; Promarkers
Paper - DCWV
Usual Suspects - Paper trimmer; Silicone glue; Double-sided tape
Other - raffia; Nestibilities; Cuttlebug

Colour Create Challenge Week 13

Wahoo, I've managed to do another Colour Create Challenge. This week the colours are Orange, Green and Brown, inspired by this piccy:


What a fab colour combo, I would not normally have thought about them but they were great to play with. The optional challenge is to make the card a male card.

Hope you like what I've come up with. I've used one of Dustin Pike's images, coloured with my promarkers and copic pens and finished with some hand-stitching.



There is a Mother's Day competition going on over at InStyle Stamps where you can win a cash prize - $50 (or very slighly less for internationals to take into account paypal). You Better get over there quickly as the deadline is 11:59 PST Sunday, May 3rd. So you can still make it.

Materials:
Stamp - Dustin Pike; Stampendous Sentiment
Colouring - Letraset Promarkers; Copics
Papers - HOTP; GCD Studios
Usual Suspects - Double Sided tape; Silicone glue; Paper trimmer; 3d-foam; scissors
Other - Embroidery thread; glitter glue

Scrapbooking with Shimmerz

You remember I mentioned that it was National Scrapbooking Day in the USA and that Shimmerz paints is celebrating it with challenges and prizes? Well I thought I would do a scrapbook page to celebrate too.

I've used my Shimmerz and Blingz around the edges (Angel Wings and Under The Sea), on the paper wave (Under The Sea, Sky Blue and Angel Wings) and on the letters (Spiced Cider). I've decorated the page with some shells, a silver star fish charm and wrapped us in newspaper like takeaway fish and chips :)

The piccy is from a weekend by the sea, my OH and me in Hastings from around two years ago.


Before I go, I have a couple of questions for you:

Does your country have a National Scrapbooking day or a Craft Day of any kind? (I don't think the UK does?)

How do you photograph your scrapbook pages to show on your blog?!


If you click on the picture you can get a close-up of the details (and our lovely mugs, you lucky folks!).

Materials:
Paper - DCWV textured cardstock
Paints - Shimmerz and Shimmerz Blingz
Usual Suspects - Double-sided tape; silicone glue
Other - Beach finds; Newspaper; charm

And The Winner IS.....

My Blog candy is over and I have enjoyed your fabulous guesses every one of them. I've visited most of your lovely blogs and still plan to visit those I haven't had a chance to dropped by yet. So thank you all and everyone for joining in.

So before I announce how many beads there were and who won, I wanted to tell you of my surprise. Well you know I said I was going to add to the prize? Well I have, I've added a second prize of a stash building RAK!

The first prize will be drawn by random.org from all the correct guesses (within 50 beads) and the second prize will be drawn by random.org from all the incorrect guesses! Wahoo - everyone who entered had a chance of winning!

Without further ado the bead count was.........1245



The Winner of the First Prize was:

Char in So Cal with the guess of 1211



The Winner of the Second Prize was:

Suzy with the guess of 335



Please email me with your mailing address and I will get your prizes off to you.

Blogiversary Candy Give Away

***BLOG CANDY IS NOW CLOSED***

This post will stay on top until
27th April 2009
Please scroll down for the current post

It is coming up to my first blogiversary at the end of April and I wanted to do a Blog Candy Give Away to Celebrate a year of craft blogging.

The candy is a collection of ribbons, brads, beads, fabric flowers, shaped eyelets, with some more things creeping in as we progress through the month! But the stars of the show are a pot of my two favourite Shimmerz paints - Angel Wings and Blingz Flashee Fushchia from the very lovely Stacey at Shimmerz Paints. If you haven't had a chance to try these fabby paints then here it is! Or if you are already a fan then you can stock up on some more for free with this candy!

So you have noticed a bag of mixed beads at the front? Well here is how you can join in on this blog candy. Leave me a comment telling me how many beads you think are in the bag! Yep, I did count them LOL!

You can have more than one go but only one go per day!

The more goes you have the more chances you have - so in my calculations that is 20 chances between 8th
and the 27th April!

Remember also to post about the candy on your blog (leaving me a direct link to the post would
be much appreciated!).

So how many beads are there....? Tee Hee I am wicked making you work for your candy! For a clue to the number just click here.


The candy will close 27th April 2009 5pm BST (GMT+1h). The people who are within plus or minus 50 beads of the correct bead count will be thrown into the pot and random.org will pick the winner.
Open internationally.

ps. keep your eye on this space becouse there might be some additions between now and the end of April :)
Tee Hee!

Happy Counting.

Candy Composes of:
1x Shimmerz Paints Angel Wings (Unopened)
1xShimmerz Paints Blingz Flashee Fuschia (Unopened)
10x American Crafts ribbon (Each Approx 35cm)
1x Pebbles Grosgrain Black with white stripe ribbon (Approx 35cm)
1x polka dot black and orange ribbon (Approx 35cm)
1x bee motif yellow and black ribbon (Approx 35cm)
2x satin ribbon orange, yellow (Each Approx 35cm)
1x white felt garden shapes ribbon (Approx 30cm)
Multicoloured fibre
40x assorted fabric flowers
5x assorted music themed shaped brads
2x large brads
5x dragonfly shaped brads
9x shaped eyelets (heart, sun; flower)
30x brads
? mixed beads

Starting A New Venture

I've opened an Etsy shop! I'm starting to run out of room to store my makes so I thought I would have a go at selling them via Etsy. Feel free to have a nose around the shop, I plan to list more makes on there soon.

Of course if there is anything you fancy that isn't on there then let me know, I will be happy to let them go to good homes! I also take commissions and requests, just get in touch, my email address is in the spacebar.

To others who sell their makes, I would be very pleased for any advice :)

Shimmering Away

Hi All, hope you had good weekends. I'm excited because my blog candy closes at 5pm (BST) today and I have a surprise for all those who have played along. The grand draw will be tomorrow and I will let you in on the surprise then as well!

I'll leave you with a shimmering Shimmerz card today. You might recognise the embossing folder? I've made some background papers using my Shimmerz paints (teal, Sky blue, sugar plum and Under the sea Blingz). Embossed the foreground sheet, painted over the embossing with the Sugar plum Shimmerz then cut into panels. The flower is made from Shimmerz coloured papers, netting and organza cut out with my nesties and distressed.

Look at the shine when the card catches the light:


For all you scrapbookers there is a National Scrapbooking Day Event going on over at the Shimmerz blog with some special offers and prizes.

Materials:
Colouring - Shimmerz Paints (Teal, Sky Blue, Sugar plum); Blingz Paint (Under the Sea)
Usual Suspects - paper trimmer; double sided tape; glue dots
Other - Basic grey paper; cuttlebug; embossing folder; nesties; netting; organza; brad; Distressing tools

In Style Stamps April Blog Hop

Wahoo! It is my first ever blog hop and I am so excited!

In Style Stamps is hosting a blog hop and a forum chat. The chat has already started over at the forum and will run 'til 11pm EST (4am Saturday way past my bedtime!) on the In Style Stamps forum.

For the blog hop the DT have made containers for our 'Contain Yourself' challenge :) Here is mine and it is a container for my coloured pencils (been needing one for ages!)


I've used the fabulous Melanie on her swing coloured with my promarkers and copics.


Here are some other views for you:






















And this last view is of the whole picture before I stuck it onto an empty dried milk powder pot :) I've hand stitched the flower stems and stamped butterflies, ladybirds, dragonflies, bees and even a worm. Final touches were made with some Shimmerz paints and some green paper cut out to look like grass :)


When you have finished looking at everyone's work then don't forget to go back to the In Style Stamp blog to vote for your favorite DT make. Make sure that you leave a comment as well to be in with a chance to win a prize. The voting stays open until 11.59pm EST 25th April (4.59am BST) and the winners announced on the 26th April.

The DT with the most votes also wins a prize :) - Vote For Me! Vote For Me! - Sorry did I say that outloud? LOL!

BUT that isn't all. There are more contests with prizes going on at the forum now. How can you resist?

So here are all the talented DT blogs to hop to:

Cathy
Jodi-Ann
Joy
Kim G.
Maria
Mary
Melissa
Michelle
Risa
Sandy
Silke
Taylor
Vicky

Don't forget also that there is a sale on at InStyle Stamps with 20% off, and that means Digi-stamps as well! Just use the code ISSA20009 and put 'KimD' in the Special Instructions box.

Enjoy the Hop