Just Inspirational Week 5 - a bad week for me :-(

Our sponsor this week over on Just Inspirational challenges is Stamp and Create. I absolutely love the images we were given to work with - so much so I ended up making two cards, both below. I'll have to add all the details later just wanted to get the pics on my blog but I've had a bad week so not really up to blogging and crafting much right now.

 I got a phone call Tuesday morning from my stepdad telling me my mum was in hospital, after a few tests they suspected she had meningitis again (she'd had it 13 years ago) They put her in intensive care, on a ventilator to help her breathe, sedation, antibiotics etc, and gradually by Friday we were told that her temperature was still high, but that was down to the infection, but the signs were looking fairly good - they were seeing what they expected to see as she was recovering slowly, so much so the nurse said for the kids to make her cards, draw her pictures, take her a teddy bear etc so she'd see them when she woke up. Yesterday morning at just after 7am my stepdad rang and said hospital had phoned him and she'd deteriorated overnight so we needed to get there. After talking to the drs they wanted to try another type of antibiotic but couldn't promise anything, at lunchtime they did more tests and said she was showing complete kidney failure and a small heart attack, as well as signs of liver failure and low blood pressure, so any immediate family that could get there should, but before evening. By 12.45 her bp had dropped even more but they gave her some medication to keep her stable while my brother got there but it didn't help and at 1.30 she suffered a massive heart attack and died peacefully in her sleep - sadly my brother missed her by minutes. So as I'm sure you'll appreciate right now I'm extremely shellshocked - trying to stay strong for my 4 babies and my stepdad - all while trying to come to terms with it myself as it was sudden and unexpected

Just Inspirational Week 4

This week's Just Inspirational picture is this cute christmas trio, and we are fortunate enough to be sponsored by Shelley's Images.  I chose 'Santa's Old Faithful' for my image, printed onto supersmooth card I bought from the NEC and coloured with a combination of promarkers, flexmarkers and spectrum noirs (will post a list later). I printed the image 4 times, coloured them all the same and then decoupaged them. The papers and sentiment are magazine freebies, card candi from my stash.

And the decoupaged bit

Definitely need to get better pictures at some time tomorrow - right now I need sleep, had a very painful, sleepless night last night, and have an early start in the morning - have to be in Sheffield for an hospital appointment at 9.15am, and of course, I don't drive so have to rely on buses, while hubby stays here and gets the kids off to school - have to leave at 7.00am in order to guarantee being on time - aren't I going to have fun lol!!

Promarkers used:

Santa: Oatmeal, Apricot, Blush, Sunkissed Pink, Poppy, Berry Red, Cardinal Red, Warm Grey 3, Emerald, Pine, Meadow Green

Reindeer: Sandstone, Tan, Caramel, Burnt Sienna, Gold

Spectrum Noir: Cool Grey 0.5, 1

Flexmarkers: Light Fawn, Blue Grey 1

Challenges this week:

Delightful challenges - Red and Green

Digi Doodle Shop - Animals

Hanna & Friends - Red and another colour

Shelly's Images - Red and Green

I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes

Little Red Wagon - Christmas

The Papershelter - "Christmas Sparkle" (Red, green & gold)

Scrapbook Sisters - Christmas

Creative Craft Challenges - Free for all

Papertake Weekly - Christmas Crackers

Sassy Cheryl's - Anything Goes

Pollycraft - Christmas Fun

Totally Papercraft - Christmas

One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes

The Crafty Pad - Red, green and gold or silver (used gold glitter on the bells but pic doesn't show too clearly)

Card and Scrap - Traditional Christmas colours

Papercraft Star - Anything Goes

Lollipop Crafts - Anything Goes

Birthday cards for my father in law

I really struggle with men's cards, I always find it a real struggle to not add loads of flowers and glitz and hadn't a clue what to do for my father in law's birthday - so out came the Thomas Kinkade cd - plenty of images on there lol

Main image and backing papers printed from the Joanna Sheen Thomas Kinkade cd, dark panel card from stash embossed on hougie board, die cut border cut from glossy card and 'coloured' over with distress ink (its not quite as peach as it looks lol) rub on sentiment, ribbon, card candi all from stash. Matching insert also from cd with a free verse from somewhere on t'interweb :D

And from the kids I couldn't resist this adorably cute 'Me to You' bear - 'cos "Grandad's a star"! lol Images and sentiments are from a decoupage card kit I bought, everything else from stash! I wanted to go for 'cute - but not feminine' and despite a few gems and a bit of sparkle, I thought the strong blues managed keep it masculine!

Carried the circles through to the inside and used a smaller die cut image, verse again another freebie

Just Inspirational Week 3

I can't believe we're onto the 3rd week of challenges already over at Just Inspirational Challenges. I'd like to thank everyone who's taken part so far, I've really enjoyed looking at all your amazing work, being inspired by you all and seeing how everyone draws different ideas from the pictures provided!
Over to this week's challenge - the picture above is the one Kelly chose this week. I opted for the snowman family image from our sponsor Crafty Sentiments and used the gold and pink colours from the bears. Image is coloured with promarkers and flexmarkers, paper is a beautiful shiny gold from papermania 'At Christmas Time' - I love the soft gold and the vintage look - just wish I'd been able to get a better picture in decent light to show it to its best!! Pink card (from stash) embossed with papermania snowflakes folder, ribbon and card candi also from stash.

Promarkers used: Pale pink, baby pink, sandstone and tan
Flexmarkers used: Muted pink, glacier blue and light fawn

Pollycraft - Friends/Friendship
TTT - Anything Goes
Little Miss Muffet - Simplicity
My Time to Craft  - Take Two
Moving Along with the Times - Let it Snow
Craft Your Passion - Let it Snow
The Pink Elephant - Embossing
CraftyCatz - Snowflakes
Fab & Funky - Baby it's cold outside
The Paper Shelter - Snowflakes
Crafts and Me - Simples
Heart Song - Gold or glitter
Cupcake Craftroom - A sweet Christmas
Creatalicious - challenge #28
Sweet Stamps - Non-traditional Christmas colours
Digital Tuesday - Christmas
Paper Pretties  - Non-traditional Christmas colours

Just Inspirational Challenge 2

Today I want to show you my card I made for this week's Remembrance Day challenge over at Just Inspirational. I used an image from our sponsors for this week,  Meljens Designs. I wanted to create something simple and not too fussy - something new for me lol. The image was coloured with promarkers, and I added a little stitching and beads just to lift it a little - add a little sparkle without going over the top!

Promarkers used:

Flowers: Poppy, cardinal red, warm grey 3 & 4, black

Stems: Pine, lush green, meadow green

Stars: Apricot, mustard, gold

Gold card candi, backing paper, ribbon and beads all from my stash

Challenges for this week :

Create Me Pink - Flower 

Craft Your Passion Anything goes + brown
Kaboodle Designs - Colors of Fall
Cupcake Inspirations - Used some of the colours, hope that's ok :)
Daisy Doodles - Anything goes with a digi
2 Sisters Challenge Blog - Ribbon
Craft Your Days Away - Autumn
Digital Tuesday - Anything Goes
Sparkles Forum Challenge - Autumn
One Stitch At A Time - Use a Digi
Simon Says - Photo inspiration (poppy field)
Bows and Berries - Clean and Simple (definitely is to my normal style :D )
Cute Card Thursday - Red for Remembrance
Stampavie and More - Anything Goes
Delicious Doodles - Rembembrance

Just Inspirational goes live !!!!

Today sees the launch of a new challenge blog Just Inspirational Challenge blog, and I'm thrilled, and honoured, to be part of the fab DT. For a few of us its the first time we've been on DT's so thanks to the lovely Kelly S for giving us the opportunity!

The theme this week is to use a photo chosen by Kelly S as inspiration, can be the colours, trees, leaves - anything which the photo inspires you to create!

This is my card for the first challenge - and my first ever DT card! There's been more than a few nerves and chewed fingernails but despite that I really enjoyed doing this - even though the colours are a million miles away from my usual choice!

The image is 'Ava flower patch' from our sponsor for this week Bugaboo Stamps
printed and coloured with promarkers, papers are downloads from Shabby Princess 'Harvest Spice', and Summer Driggs 'Golden Sunshine'.
Kanban 'Distressed scrolls' card for the swirls, flowers are petaloo.

There's loads of great challenges coming up, new challenges are posted every Thursday, so if you want to join us, and meet the rest of the team check out the blog here . Looking forward to seeing all your fab creations x


Promarker colours used: Skin - Ivory, blush, oatmeal, sunkissed pink: Dress - Vanilla, buttercup, sunflower: Hair - Sandstone, caramel, gold: Bow, shoes & belt - Spice, ginger, burnt orange
Grass & flowers - lush green, apricot

Challenges I'm entering :

Charisma Cardz challenge #44 - 'cutesy'

One Stop Craft Challenge - No sentiment

Papertake - Anything goes

Make it Monday - Anything goes  

Crafting for all seasons - Texture
Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes
The Corrosive Challenge - Flourish
Pollycraft - Anything Goes

Happy Birthday Molly :)

My step-niece Molly is a real 'girly girl' and yesterday was her 5th birthday, so I thought this little cutie, from the 'Sherbert Pip' range of stamps available at Funky Kits, would be perfect for her seeing as she likes pretty dresses and bags too lol.
This is my take on Maria Therese's sketch over on the Sugar Bowl, image is Cherry Pip, coloured with Spectrum Noirs (turquoises for the dress/shoes, skin tone for face/arms/legs, putty from skin tones and bronze from essentials for hair, cool grey for outline. Added some stickles for sparkle on the image, and on some blue lace (behind the image) Papers are Pink Petticoat Vintage Rose download collection, flowers from stash (the 2 largest were white but coloured them with spectrums to make them match)Scalloped border cut with a nellie snellen border die. Peel-offs and die cut sentiment also from stash.
Going to enter this in the following challenges:-

Pile It On - Blue, Blue, Blue
Try it on Tuesday - Anything Goes
Papercrafting Journey - Anything Goes
Whoopsi Daisy - Anything Goes
Crafts Us Crazy - Anything Goes
Bearly Mine Challenges - Bring On the Bling
Crafter's Companion - Glitter and Glitz
Clear it Out Challenge - Glitter It
The Sugar Bowl - Sketch, optional theme - blue
A Spoonful of Sugar - Birthday
Papertake Weekly - Bingo - Blooms, Lace, Free (Gems)
Deep Ocean Challenge - Light Blue
Divas by Design - Birthdays
Crafts and Me - Blue
Poodles Parlour - Anything Goes
Crazy 4 Challenges - Bingo my 3 items in a row are - square card (6x6), die cut (sentiment), 2 or more papers
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge - Use-A-Lot use 3 or more favourite embellishments (flowers)
My Time to Craft - G is for.... Girl
Scrapbook Sisters - Blue
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Easel card

Birthday card for my stepdad

This is the card I made for daughters and son to give their grandad for his birthday. The image is the 'Thomas' digi stamp from Funky Kits coloured with promarkers (actually coloured the image a while ago so can't remember the colours, papers are Basic Grey and Nitwits (from stash) peel offs, sentiment, card candy and gems from stash!

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes
Ai Factory - Anything Goes
Paper Playtime - Anything Goes
Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafts and Me - Blues or Blue/Greens
Deep Ocean Challenge - Light blue (the bottom dp is light blue, and light blue on top paper/image - just bad light lol)
Scrapbook Sisters - Blue (well, its blue with added colours lol)
Try It On Tuesdays - Anything Goes
One Stitch At A Time - Anything Goes
Anything Goes Challenge - Birthday
A Spoonful of Sugar - Birthdays
Cards For Men - Anything Goes
CES Challenge - Mix and Match (my 2 papers are Basic Grey and Nitwits)
Divas By Design - Birthdays

Tilda wedding - take 2!!!

After one of my friends saw the wedding set I'd made, she asked me to make a boxed card the same for her sister who gets married this week. Well, I didn't make it exactly the same, but tweaked it in places to make it the same enough to be what she wanted, but not identical - added a couple of different flowers, different glitter, words etc

As before, papers are pink petticoat vintage rose collection, flowers, gems, glitter, peel offs from stash, tilda and edwin image coloured with promarkers

Going to enter this one into the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly Challenge Anything Goes
Gingerloft Challenge make it sparkle - lots of glitter and gems so defintely some sparkle lol
Crafts and Me Anything Goes
Passion for Promarkers Hugs and Kisses - wedding card so should fit the theme I hope :)
Allsorts Free and easy
Anything Goes Pick of the bunch - flowers - Definitely no shortage of flowers on this one with!
Colour Create Challenge Pink, white & green - only a little green, but its there on flower stems, flowers on paper and on dress/bouquet
Totally Tilda Recipe - Pearls (on flowers) Swirls, Ribbons and Lace
The Paper Shelter Flowers, Flowers, Flowers
Craft your Passion Anything goes
Make it Monday Anything Goes

tilda wedding set

This is what I made for Laura to give to her teacher for her wedding on 5th August. After seeing a clock made up with a wedding image at Doncaster summer craft show, I was inspired lol. I used a Tilda image for the clock, easel envelope card and box, coloured with promarkers, papers are pink petticoat 'Vintage Rose' collection, flowers, gems, peel offs, lace and ribbons all from my stash

I have to apologise for the poor light and quality on the pictures - my camera was having a tantrum and at nearly 1am I wasn't arguing with it lol

The card

The Clock

The box

I've not been in much of a crafting frame of mind for a couple of months, so when I got told Laura's form teacher is getting married on 5th August and Laura wanted a card big enough for the whole of the class to sign I hadn't a clue where to start lol. I wanted something big enough to sign, but nothing over the top so I used one of the 'flippin' aperture cards, put a piece of illusion mesh in the apperture backed with gold mirror card, I love the illusion effect. The image is a free download from a magazine - i think it was papercraft inspirations, but not sure, just added a bit of glitter and some gems, then finished the card with lace, ribbon and peel offs from my stash :)

Blue and....... purple

This was made for a swap on a yahoo group I belong to with the theme 'blue and .... another colour' so me being me, opted for purple :)
Image is another of the gorgeous adorables from Sugar Nellie coloured with promarkers, I absolutely love these images, they're beautiful. Papers are a selection from stash, used the cuttlebug 'rose' embossing folder for the blue background then used a Martha Stewart punch along the bottom and added some little gems to the flower centres. Swirls were cut from one of my sizzix dies then embossed and gems added. Flowers and butterfly were from my stash, but had to glitter the flowers with stickles of course, and the butterfly is coloured with promarkers to make it blend in a bit better as it was too pale lol.
I haven't had much time to enter challenges lately, but decided I need to get back into doing challenges and this card seems to fit quite a few this week so here goes:

Wild Orchid 'Dieing to punch it out'
Creatalicious Challenges 'Two Tone' (blue and purple)
Papertake 'Triple Tastic' (3 blue gems/3 papers - blue, purple flowered, purple)
Aly's Sunday Challenge 'Anything Goes'
Mygrafico Challenges 'Anything Goes'
Gingerloft 'Flowers'
Southerngirls 'Flowers'
One Stitch At A Time 'Glitter and Gems'
Stamp and Create 'Spring'
Creative Cottage 'Spring has sprung'
By the Cute & Girly 'Springtime'
Magical Monday 'Spring Colours'
The Pink Elephant 'Spring'
Squigglefly 'Spring'
Paperplay 'Embossing'

Amy's birthday card

Hazel asked me to make a card for her friend Amy who was 14 last week - she said to do something in purple and black - the kind of thing Hazel would like lol. Well, straight off thought of the Kenny K images :) Coloured the image with promarkers, printed off purple & black papers - think they're from crafty cardmaking and Shabby Princess but can't remember exactly. Cut the circles and flowers from matching card, added some gems, glitter and a little charm.... and away we go lol. Apparently its the best card Amy's seen and she's keeping it forever lol - wish all teenagers were so easily pleased

Lilac and Lemon - adorable!

These images are just so gorgeous, and when one of the groups I belong to set a lilac and lemon theme for a swap I knew I had to use one of these little beauties :) I can't wait till the new ones are released in March :)

Sunday's with Santa

This is my easel card for this week's challenge over on Sunday's with Santa (facebook group) It was nice to actually have time to join in this week for a change lol.

Mum's first card

My mum's been off work ill since before christmas and got bored so she rang me last week to ask for some decoupage sheets and things as she was going to have a go at cardmaking! Well, I printed her some, went shopping with her and she's definitely got bitten by the crafting bug! I bought her some bits and bobs and when I saw her again a few days later she gave me the first card she'd made to say thank you for the things! I think considering its her first ever card its pretty amazing!

another birthday card :)

I made this for my daughter Hazel who turned 14 on Wednesday.... I want to know who's stolen the last 14 years as it honestly seems only two minutes since I was in hospital having her lol!
The image is a digi download from Kenny K, coloured with promarkers, the papers are free downloads from Summer Driggs and the flowers are made from the same papers with contrasting ribbon. Paper flowers, ribbons and gems from stash, sentiment printed off pc!

declan's birthday card

can't you tell he's ben 10 mad lol! haven't made anything for a while and found some ben 10 downloads on one of the craft magazine sites, added a couple of little bits of my own (the hero time, name & age bits lol) .... and here's the result :) Unfortunately I couldn't get a good pic cos of the light