It the men's turn!

Thought I would give the females a rest and work on some masculine cards. Gina aka GRIDDO has a card front swop on the Cricut MB and the theme for September is 'male' so this is my design for it. The background paper was designed by Liz Wagner and the image is from a collection called 'Boys and their toys!!' from http://lily-boosboutique.blogspot.com/ Some of the colouring I did in Photoshop and the trousers are done with a patterened 'brush' from that programme. The remainder was coloured with Copics. A bit of inking around the edges and a sparkly brad for the golf ball to finish.

Polkadoodle challenge card

This week's challenge at http://polkadoodle.blogspot.com/ is to use the Tropical Bird download, with the option of using the sketch. I recently bought the striped paper and decided it would make a great fence, the flowers and greenery behind it are from Rubber Stamp Tapestry, these are such useful little peg stamps. The birds on the fence are decoupaged but it does not show on the picture.
Can you spot Lily crawling up one of the posts!
AMENDED - Oh, just watching Nikki again on C&C and realised it Lulu crawling up the post, sorry!!!

Another Girlie card

I am on a 'girlie' trend at the moment! Here is another card using one of the girl images from

http://lily-boosboutique.blogspot.com/ These girls are georgeous and I love using them, can't you tell. The card is for the weekly challenge over on the Cricut MB, in the UKCrafters thread. We had to use plain cardstock and 3 buttons or brads. The stitching round the card is computer generated, I played around with Photoshop and made a brush. The colouring is Copic Caio's and the tiny weeny bow was made using the 'fork' method which is a bit fiddly but you can get such tiny bows.

I am going to be working on some boy/male cards next, for a change,lol, as I have some to make for a swop and Sam at lily-boos has designed just the image I need.

Here come the girls!

Here are my latest cards using some of the fabulous designs from Sam at
http://lily-boosboutique.blogspot.com/ I love being on her design team as I get to use all her images. If you would like to get some go to her blog, there are lots of wonderful desings to choose from and they are soooooooo reasonably priced. My girls are all coloured with Copic Caio except the last one, Betty, I had to use pencils for her hair and boots as I did not have any brown Copics. That problem has now been resolved as I just bought a few!

While shopping on the web I found a site that sells the plastic containers for the Copic pens, OK they are not cheap but I needed one. Now I will have to buy more pens as there is room in the new container, any excuse I hear you say and you are right, lol.

More Tildas

I love making Tilda cards and especially using the swing. These are a couple of cards I made on holiday, using some stamped images from my friends on the Cricut MB, UKCrafters thread. The cards have already been bagged by my sister-in-law! I have been practising using my Copics and have found a great lady on YouTube, she is teaching me a lot about shading etc., her name is suzannejdean, and here is a link to her videos. http://www.youtube.com/user/suzannejdean

Also here is link to her blog http://www.scrapbitz.blogspot.com/

More cards to follow using images from Sam at Lily-Boo's Boutique, when I can get the camera to behave!!

3 Flowers Polkadoodles Challenge

Seems I am up for challenges this week! This is my first entry in the Polkadoodles challenges http://polkadoodle.blogspot.com/
I designed the card in DS and cut it with the Cricut E. The flowers were cut from the patterned paper and coloured with Copics. The little birdie on the top scallop is from a lovely freebie, from Polkadoodles, which I printed on to the patterned paper.
Now I just need to practice my camera skills!

Christmas in June for Karel's Chllenge

There is a great challenge over on Karel's blog, the winner of the voting gets a Cricut cartridge. Here is my entry. For this card I used a Dreamweaver stencil and copper embossing paste adding a sprinkle of glitter for snow. The card was designed with DS and cut with the Cricut E. I photographed it open so that the bow would show.

The challenge ends on 30th June so if you want to be in with a chance of winning just click the title to go to Karel's blog. And if not keep a look out for the poll she will be setting up for the voting and if you like mine please vote for me!

Cards using Freebie paper from Polkadoodles

The heart shaped card blank that has been in my stash for ages so I decided use it. Then I saw the challenge on http://polkadoodle.blogspot.com/ using a freebie paper from

http://www.polkadoodles.co.uk so I thought why not have a go! Wanting to use my new Boo on His Bum die from Go Create, I coloured him with Copics, then I added a flower and a butterfly.

Then I read the rules for the challenge properly!!!

OK, so I made another card as per the challenge but did not use a stamped image, you can't count the sentiment stamp can you. So I will not make the challenge this time round but I did enjoy using the paper. Pop over to the polka doodles site and check out the great paper freebies, they are under Generic.

I am into making flowers at the moment and the ones on my cards were made using Nesties and parchment which I swiss dotted. The ribbon is velvet and the butterfly is Martha Stewart.

Flowerpot Card

I am in a swop on the Cricut MB for Flowerpot cards. Most of the cards I saw when I searched the Web were single cards but I wanted to make mine stand up on it's own. Then I found this one designed by Susan Edwards http://spartansusscraper.blogspot.com/ , her cut file and tutorial is posted on the Custom Crops Design Studio section if anyone would like the file.
I have made my set of cards with 3 different flowers but am only giving you a peek at one.

Diamond Fold Card using Copics

This is my card for this weeks challenge on the UKCrafters thread on the Cricut MB. I used the lovely girl image from http://lily-boosboutique.blogspot.com/ and coloured her with my copics. It is the first card I have made using the pens and one of Sam's images and I am loving them both. I always find it difficult to photograph glittered cards so if anyone has any tricks please let me know.
If you want to make a diamond fold card here are a couple of links http://jillyscreations.blogspot.com/2008/07/tutorial-diamond-top-card.html
http://san3.u.yuku.com/gallery/ls/aid/88601

Golf card

When I saw this card design by Enfys Cashmore http://going-buggy.blogspot.com/ in a recent Papercraft Inspirations I knew it would be a perfect card for my son-in-law. Then Liz Wagner http://ladybugcricut.blogspot.com/ asked me to try out her golf club background paper which she had designed. Thanks to both of you. I think Liz's paper is perfect for this card and I wish her luck if she decides to start selling her designs. The blue paper is on the reverse of the spotted paper, sorry but I do know who makes it.

Card for this week's challenge on Cricut MB

This week we were to create a card using a butterfly image downloaded from http://lily-boosboutique.blogspot.com/. I am quite pleased with the way this card turned out. In the centre is a doily that I purchased from http://www.ribbonbox.co.uk/ where they sell little doilies in different shapes and sizes. The stamp in the top left corner was one that was sent to my by my dear friend Elaine and although I know it has nothing to do with butterflies I used it just because, lol. I used stickles and gems to embellish the card.

Cards For Swops on the Cricut MB

Just getting my blog up to date and found some of the cards that I have not posted before. Here is a selection of cards that I have made for various swops on the Cricut MB.

Easter card

OK, I know Easter is long gone but I have just found this picture of the card I sent to Gina aka GRIDDO on the Cricut MB. The two bookmarks were for her children and have their initials on them. This is one if the first Tilda's I did.

Black and White card for UKCrafters Challenge

This weeks challenge was to make a card using only Black and White. I started off by embossing the card using the Swiss Dots folder in the Cuttlebug, then I used a scallop circles cut file from Carla's blog, (Scrappedlives.nl) to make the flower, the white sections I dotted by hand. My new nesties had not arrived when I made this card so I used the cut file and it worked out well.
The scallop borders are from a cut file by HimmyKitty. Thanks to both of you for sharing your files.

My card for the Card Swop I hosted

The rule for my card swop was that each card had to have a decorative edge somewhere on the card. I used Design Studio to make my card using Plantin Schoolbook and machine stitching the zigzag around the blue mat. I dyed some clear 'skittles' with alcolhol inks to match the card mat. If you would like the cut file please leave a comment below.

Here is a link to the MB where I have posted all the cards in the swop. There are cards frm the US and the UK. I really enjoyed hosting this swop and will certainly be doing another one.

http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=4517532

Cards for the men in your life

This weeks challenge over on the UK Crafters thread on the Cricut MB was to make a card for men/boys and include a button or buttons. My first card is one that I made in October last year for the Addicted to Cardmaking swop on the Cricut MB. I thought I would show it as I did not put it on my blog at the time.

My second card, which is for the challenge, was a difficult one for me as I am not known for using dark colours. However, I found these paper, which were a freebie from CraftsBeautiful, when I was sorting out my craft cupboard and thought they would suit this card. I used a stamped image of Edwin that a friend gave to me and coloured him with a mix of pencils and Whispers Brush markers. Then I added glossy accents to the chair buttons and the handmade button. In the end I enjoyed making this card and am now going to make another one with the leftover paper.

The cut file for the chair is available from http://ruelysicreativecards.blogspot.com/ Ruth is an amazing designer, stop by her blog and see what she creates and please don't forget to leave her a comment.

Happy Birthday Sammy

Hi, Sammy I hope you see this. Here is your birthday card, I hope you like it and I will save it for when you come home. I have also added the photo of you in your sari, in India. You look lovely and so happy too. Have a wonderful Birthday wherever you are in Australia. I will try to put the card on Facebook but not sure I know how. Love you lots, Nan xxxxxx

Wedding Card for Challenge

Here is my wedding card for this weeks challenge on the Cricut MB for the UK Crafters group. http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=4064758

The card is from a cut file from http://mesharingwithu.blogspot.com/search?q=Diamond+Lattice and is part of her Lattice card file set. I love this design and use it often, thanks Linda. The paper is from a set that I bought from Create and Craft some time ago. I printed out the hands and flowers on the computer, they are from the House of Lime and are dingbats. Added some stickles to the flowers and after colouring the leaves I added glossy accents. All I need now is for someone to invite me to their wedding!

Cute Bear

On the Cricut MB Design Studio recently Gary and his wife, aka CrowsnestScrappers, shared a fabulous cut file for this cute fuzzy bear. Not only did Gary design the bear but his wife did the artwork. Thank you both for all your hard work, I made this card for you as a thankyou.
If anyone gets this file they will see how much work they put into making it. I used some paper from the Crafters Companion Papercrafts Set 2 for the flowers and title. I love this little bear, he is so sweet.
Here is a shortcut to the post http://www.cricut.com/messageboard/tm.aspx?m=4364191