2 cards in 1

I needed to make a card for a yahoo group swap with the theme 'buttons & bows' so I used the new stamps and smiles sketch over on The Fresh Batch I love these sketches, they're great to work with
The image is Whiff of Joy, watercoloured with felt tip pens from WHSmiths! the umbrella charm was silver but coloured it with a green sharpie pen to make it co-ordinate, papers were free downloads, ribbon and buttons from stash! Its not actually as dark as it looks lol - just that I've lost the lead for my camera so have to rely on the scanner and its not as good lol

Katharina's Candy - New WOJ summer release

For anyone who doesn't know already Katharina is offering the chance to win the new summer stamp release. Head over to her blog to be in with a chance to enter

1 birthday card - 2 challenges

Laura and Alisha needed a birthday card to give to their friend Chloe, sooooo after racing round town dragging 3 kids looking for a pressie for an 8 y/o girl (they only got the party invite yesterday lol) then picking Hazel up from school I'd less than an hour to wash/dry alisha's hair (she's just had it cut so was a bit flyaway lol, wrap pressies and make a card - and did it with 10mins to spare!! the fab new sketch over on Papertake Weekly Challenge was perfect for what I needed, I just flipped it round lol. at the same time I managed to make a card which works for the challenge on Cute Card Thursday which is "Floral Fantasy" - nice easy one - use a flower on your card!!!
Really enjoyed doing this card - the sketch was great to work with!!! And I got to use flowers - for a change lol. Image is coloured with prismas, backing paper is Dovecraft retro floral. Ribbon, flower and pink flower gems (even though they look silver on the scan) all from stash

card for hazel's best friend

Hazel's best friend Amy is 12 today - so guess who's job it was to make a card!! no problem I thought - until Hazel said it had to be shaped like a bag, had to have zebras and some bright pink!!!!! and of course when they're 12 they know just what they want lol
I wasn't so sure about it - wasn't the best card I've made but its been declared cool & awesome (which I'm assured is good lol)and both Hazel and Amy were pleased so mum must have got something right for a change lol

Ray of Sunshine

hello all my crafty friend's and bloggers.
my friend Jo have just decided to set up what we're calling a "ray of sunshine post "
What we are going to do is post 3 cards every month to 3 different children on
Postpals Each month someone else picks 3 more children to send to. We thought it would be a lovely way to make a very sick child smile. This is very close to home to both of us as we both have children with long term illnesses, Jo's eldest son has hydro and my little boy has cystic fibrosis, so if you would like join in we both would be very grateful. Whatever you make you can post on your blogs for everyone to see, and when we have a few interested then we will make a list on our blogs with everyone who wants to join in.
Please don't worry if you cant do it, we appreciate how busy you all are.
if you want to know more please email either Jo or me

thanks for reading
hugs
Caroline and Jo xxxx

Stamps and Smiles Sketch Challenge #10

This is the first challenge I've done in months lol - Laura needed a birthday card for her friend and I came across this sketch while I was blog hopping The Fresh Batch and loved it. I wasn't sure if I'd do the sketch justice but I'm really happy at how it turned out - I'll be using this again lots!!!
Sarah Kay image is watercoloured with a combo of staedtler and whsmiths pens, papers are basic grey, pink spotty paper is from my stash but had it so long can't remember who makes it (will have to edit later if remember!) sentiment was a magazine freebie

easter cards

Thought I'd share the easter cards I've made over the last week or so :-) The easter chicks are elzybell stamps - the one with 3 chicks is coloured with prismas and sakura glitter & glaze pens, mounted onto dark pink card, paper is retro floral (can't remember who makes it lol) mounted onto green shimmery paper, pink ribbon from stash (its actually spotty but turned it over cos the plain side matched better!) and all mounted onto yellow base card, sentiment is elzybells.
The one with 2 chicks is watercoloured with some cheap felt pens from whsmiths - was having a play and scribbled some ink onto acetate and watercoloured with a waterbrush - was pleased with how they turned out - looks great and cheap too (pens were £1.49 for 50!!!) the only downer is that when I tried using purple/lilac colours with the waterbrush it seemed to split it down into blue & pink and made everything look tie dyed lol
The green tilda was coloured with the pens too, cut out and mounted onto a pale green oval (from the majestic? keepsake board cos I haven't got nesties or a cuttlebug lol) the chicks are from the elzybells stamps - just cut a few out and coloured them, easter wording is printed onto patterned paper, cut out and glittered, flowers, gems and dark green backing from stash
I decided to try something different for the next chick one lol - stamped onto brown card, coloured with prismas, used sakura glaze for the beaks and feet, and sakura white souffle for the daisies. mounted onto a green nestie I found lurking left over from some I had at christmas, then drew around the edge of the circle with a yellow prisma. the backings are a free download but I can't remember where from at the minute.
Last, a double dose of tilda!!! backing papers are another free download from shabby princess promise collection. centre oval is from majestic board again, using a shimmery irridescent white paper which shines pink, chicks are elzybells again, pink tilda coloured with pens, green with prismas..... daisy flowers punched from backing paper scraps, easter printed as before onto patterned paper with a bit of glitter added for extra sparkle, purpley flower from stash :-)

copics or promarkers???????

Been looking at buying some pens but not sure which ones - promarkers or copics - just wondered if anyone has any useful tips lol I want to be 110% sure I'm buying the right ones seeing as they're pretty pricey for someone as bankrupt as I usually am lolol

my stamp arrived..........

.......... and I couldn't wait to ink her up and have a play!!!!!
So, here's the first of I'm sure many cards with tilda dressed as the cutest little bunny..... papers are basic grey 2 scoops (neopolitan and non-fat yogurt)and cherry arte (Kitty Lou Becca Boo) from The Scrapbook Garden Tilda and tree were coloured with prismas, the tree's one of the new Tilda spring collection - not a stamp I have unfortunately, but got a few images from a friend so thought i'd put them to use heehee - would have been impolite not to :-)ribbon from stash, green flower cut from the cherry arte bp..... decided not to go with too many embellishments - wanted to let the papers do their thing lololol Carried through to the inside and attempted to decorate the inner - used a couple of strips of the cherry arte paper, a panel of the neopolitan and inked up tilda onto a small circle and coloured with prismas again!!!