WOYWW 151

On my desk this week you will see the first wee felt brooch I made with the extra thick felt I had just got last week.  I cut the flower shape out with an X cut die and the circle with a Nesties die - they didn't cut all the way through, but it was easy enough to finish with the scissors.  I added a few wee purple beads round the outside and some teal coloured shimmery stitches round the edge of the circle.  I finished it off with a wooden button in the middle.
You will also notice some thick perle cotton type thread - I saw this pack of lots of different colours in a local shop the other day and thought it might come in useful for something? - Maybe do for threading through buttons, etc - if I can't find a use for it, I can always take it into school! 
Finally, the lovely paper is a Nitwits set 'Cottage Charm' that came with the Simply Homemade magazine.  I love Nitwits, but I'm never that happy with how they turn out on my printer - I prefer to buy them if I can.  I intend to make a wedding card and so I have been looking to see what else I can match up with the papers, that would be suitable for a wedding card.
Join up to Julia's blog here - so we can have a wee peek at what you're doing this week on WOYWW!

Birthday cards

Just a couple of quick birthday cards today.  I made these recently using die cut decoupage sheets.  The digger card uses paper from one of the new Doodlebug 6 x 6 pads and grey shimmer card from 'A Touch of Craft.'  I used an EK success border punch for the strip of card down the side and happy birthday is from Craftwork cards, matted onto a grey oval punched using a SU oval punch. 

The landrover card uses paper I have had for so long, I can't remember what pack it came from!  The buttons are from SU and the piece of green card was embossed using a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Simon Says Engagement Card

Here is another engagement card I made, following the sketch on this weeks Simon Says challenge.  The image is another one of the die cut squares from LOTV - from the same sheet as the previous engagement card.  The paper is from another First Edition pad - called Desert Blooms. The ribbon is a dusky pink grosgrain I bought from Meiflower - they have been helping me get ribbon sorted for some wedding invites I need to make and I have ordered lots of other bits of ribbon, pearl hearts, etc as well - they only charge 99p for postage and send your parcel out very quickly!  I bought a couple of packs of the little heart-shaped doilies at the NEC and the lace has been in my stash for years now - MIL used to cook in a factory where they made children's clothes and they had a little shop where they sold big bags of buttons, lace, ribbon and fabric all really cheaply - so she brought me lots of that kinda stuff home! - I could nearly open a shop myself!

I thought I would share this wee photo my SIL sent me the other day of one of my wee twin nieces first attempt at gathering potatoes - she still has to learn to put them into the basket - not try to wear it!!

Engagement card

I made a couple of engagement cards today.  This one was designed following a Sweet Stop sketch (SSS64).  I used a LOTV die cut square - I added some extra colour to make it match up better to the paper.  The paper is from a First Edition pad, called 'New Leaf' and I bought the lace in a local gift shop.  I had taken the photo before adding the 'On your engagement' label - it was a little die cut from 'Craft World,' Belfast.  I have looked everywhere for a small engagement stamp and couldn't find one anywhere until I got the new SU mini catalogue today and there is one in it - but its in a set of other stamps I don't think I would use - it would be a bit expensive to buy the whole set just for that one stamp! If anyone knows of one (preferably circular) please let me know.  I haven't been able to find a stamp of a suitable verse for the inside either - I usually just stamp 'Congratulations.'

New Home

I made this card folloing the layout on the Friday Sketch Challenge - I just rotated it round.  The image is an LOTV stamp, coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers.  The teal coloured card is from SU as is the label shaped punch.  The 'new home' sentiment is from a Woodware clear set and the paper and little flower are Prima Alla.  The teal layer on the flower was die cut from felt, then attached with a brad.

A quick baby boy card

This is another of the cards I made recently for my sister.  I've used one of the LOTV die cut squares, layered up on a square doily and paper from one of the new Doodlebug pads.  The baby boy stamp is also from LOTV and I made the bow from some 'Anitas' ribbon.  I recently bought a little tool for making bows on ebay HERE for 99p - its really good for getting small bows the right size - particularly the ones made using seam binding ribbon, which seems to slip a lot when you try to tie it.

WOYWW

I have made so many cards for people these last couple of weeks, I thought I would have a go at something else for a change.  I had looked for thick felt at the NEC, but couldn't find what I wanted, so found a site online HERE and ordered up some pieces.  I've had the small pieces for a while now and I've been trying to match them up to make wee felt brooches to decorate berets or cardigans. I have a little box of all kinds of buttons out to match up as well and you can see a couple of pink roses made using Marianne dies - haven't decided yet where I'll put them.  You will probably notice a new turquoise pair of scissors - I bought these in Tesco last night, with the idea of keeping them solely for cutting sticky things, so that my Fiskars ones stay clean and sharp for trimming ribbon etc. (It was nothing to do with the colour of course!) 
To join in with WOYWW go to Julias blog.

65th Birthday Card

This is one of the cards I made recently for my sister.  Her father-in-law is a farmer and she wanted his card to have a farming theme.  The tractor is a die-cut decoupage design I bought at the NEC - there were three designs on the sheet - the tractor, a JCB and a landrover - so I thought they would come in useful for men's cards.  The dark grey pearlescent card was also bought at the NEC - it came in a pack of 10 sheets from 'A touch of craft' and I bought a few packs in different colours.  I'm not sure where the corrugated grey and white card came from - I've had it for ages, and I think it may have come from the Paper Mill shop before it closed down.  I used a Sizzix die to cut the Happy Birthday and the 65 was made using a Quickutz die.

Wedding Card

The CCT challenge is 'Spring Flowers' this week and as there seems to be lots of Cherry Blossom around at the moment, I made this wedding card in pink and white with little cherry blossom type flowers up the side.  The image is a LOTV cute square and the Mr & Mrs stamp is also from LOTV.  The ribbon is from SU and the background pink card is Bazzil.  The leafy branch is a Doohickey die and the flowers were made using punches.  I added some stickles to the image and flowers to finish it off.

Sugar Nellie

I haven't entered the Sugar Bowl challenge now for quite a while, so I decided to use one of my very oldest Sugar Nellie stamps to make a baby card.  Their challenge was a sketch with the added option of using stripes or plaid - so the checked paper should do for that.  The paper is from my new Doodlebug pads and the wee rabbit was coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers.  The ribbon is SU Crumb Cake and the postmark sentiment is from LOTV.

Twice in one day!

It's really not like me to post twice in the same day, but as I've made quite a few cards recently, I thought I would get another one up in time for the Allsorts (Pink, green and ribbon) and Sketch and Stash challenges.  I had intended entering this one in the LOTV challenge as well (Ribbon, buttons and bows)but I'm now far too late for that one! The layout follows Kevins sketch on this weeks Sketch and Stash challenge.  The paper is Echo Park - some more of the sheets I have had for ages but didn't like to cut up!!  The ribbon is from SU and the image is a die cut square from LOTV.  The scalloped card blank is from Craftwork cards.

Thank you card

I used this sketch from Sweet Stop sketches to make a Thank You card, using a LOTV die cut square image.  The paper and card are both from SU as are the small felt flowers and leaves.  The large felt rose was made using a Marianne die.   I am also entering it in this weeks Allsorts Challenge  as it suits the first row - Pink, Green, Ribbon and Lace!

Sympathy Card

This is one of a number of sympathy cards I made recently.  This one was based on the Penny Black Saturday challenge - 'Case it' - I thought it was a suitably simple design for a sympathy card.  The image is of course a Penny Black stamp and it was inked with SU markers.  Both the lilac and green card are also fromSU and the 'With sympathy' message is from Craftwork Cards.  The green card was embossed using a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Thanks to all of you who have been making nice comments about my desk - it has great storage spaces - I will try to get round to putting some photos on 'My Crafty Space' page - but try to imagine the difficult job we had getting it up that wee spiral staircase!

WOYWW

Thought I would get my WOYWW in early for a change as I was working late making cards for my sister tonight - she has sent me an email with a big long list and now informs me that she has been looking up my blog to see if there's any sign of her cards!! So I thought I'd better get started.  So far you can see a few sympathy cards - it's difficult to know what to put on them apart from flowers.  I've kept them quite simple.  I have also die cut a LOTV die cut square and mounted it on SU Rose red card - the patterned paper is also from SU (but no longer available) and I think I'm making a 'Thank You' card with it.  You can also see my big roll of double-sided tape - I use this all the time for sticking layers together.  On the right you will notice my supposedly non-stick scissors, but I have to keep cleaning them with 'Sticky Stuff remover.'  There is also a pile of stamps gathering up again, waiting to be cleaned.  If you want to join up the WOYWW, go to Julia's blog HERE.

Under the Weather

This weeks PFP challenge is to make a 'weather related' card - so I thought this wee stamp would be good for something different for a get well card.  The stamp is from a clear set by Woodware, called Splish Splash Splosh and I've coloured it using Promarkers - Petrol and Duck Egg blue, Olive and Moss green, Mustard, Vanilla and a few of the Flexmarkers in the paler shades, plus the blender pen.  Her umbrella was paperpieced then shaded using grey Flexmarkers.


 I've used a Sweet Stop sketch, rotated round on its side.  The papers are Basic Grey Marjolaine and the sentiment was computer generated, then punched out with the oval punch from SU.  I've added Glossy accents to her wellies and Stickles to the splashes and raindrops.

Sketch and stash decoupage cards

I had to make some birthday cards for men recently and here are two made using this weeks Sketch and Stash sketch (I flipped it round on its side!).  The decoupage cars came from a set of three I bought at the NEC - so they are my new stash and the SU red and yellow papers are my old stash - I've had it for ages - it comes in a 12 x 12 pack with four pages of each colour, so lasts for ages.  The 'birthday wishes' stamp is also from SU.

Sketch Saturday

Just got another card made in time for the Sketch Saturday challenge - at least I managed to get a photo of this one!  The stamp is from LOTV, coloured with Prismacolor pencils for a wee change.  The cardstock and ribbon is SU Island Indigo and the paper is MME Stella Rose 'Hattie.'  The Simon Says challenge for this week is to use your favourite tool and so I can enter it there as well as I have used my old, big red Sizzix die cutting machine to cut my Nesties mats - mind you my SU border punch is well up the favourites list at the moment as well.  Thanks for all the nice comments on my photo of the mountains - that was the view from my bedroom window as I was growing up - imagine leaving a view like that to get married and move to the lakes of Fermanagh!!  

How stupid am I?

No, don't answer that question - I already know - I used one of the new LOTV stamps to make an anniversary card (the 'bits' were on my desk on this weeks WOYWW below), using the sketch from this weeks Sketch Saturday, and then gave it on to the person who ordered it, having forgotten to take a photo! Never mind, I might get another version made in time for this weeks challenge!!  I think it was because I was doing a cardmaking class for some children yesterday evening and we had been late home on Wednesday night, so I was rushing about trying to get all the wee packs made up. 

This was one of the cards they made - using the new cupcake stamp and punch set from SU - I borrowed it, but now I think I might NEED one of my own!

 IRL its a nice bright pink colour - don't know how I manage to make everything a different colour in my photos!

By the way, I want to give a big welcome to all those new followers who've joined me recently - I just hope my cards live up to your expectations!  Thanks also to all those who have been leaving nice comments - it certainly is encouraging!
We went to the new Titanic exhibition in Belfast on Wednesday - it was really very good - we were there for three hours, although it was quite busy and we had to wait in a queue for part of the time.  Nevertheless, it was well worth the visit, and we would certainly recommend it.

A very late WOYWW

Just home again after a few days at Mums.  My desk has some stuff left scattered over it from before we went away - some LOTV images stamped and coloured, but waiting to be made into cards, some inky stamps and pens and punches.  Then today on the way home we managed a quick call into Dunelm Mill and I bought a new First Edition paper pad, some ribbon and rafia.  Maybe next week I will actually have some cards on my desk!
What weather we had! - last night there was a good covering of snow and gales at the same time - my cousin lost five tiles off his roof.  Here was our view just before we left at lunch time - still a little bit of snow on the mountains, but the sun was shining again!

New Home

Another 'New Home' card - I have been asked to make a few more cards for various friends recently - this one uses one of the LOTV stamps I bought at the NEC.  I used Promarkers and Prismacolor pencils for colouring and the paper is from a First Edition pack.
I can enter it in the Papertake Weekly challenge as its 'Anything Goes' this week.

I have scheduled these posts as I should be down at Mums by the time you are reading this - we are off school now for the Easter holidays and so we thought we'd take a few days away and then get caught up on all the work (and marking of coursework!) when we get back.  We are intending to take the children to the new Titanic exhibition in Belfast on the way home on Wednesday - it looks good on the TV reports.

Easter ribbons and buttons

This colours for this card were chosen using this weeks Allsorts challenge - its a photo for inspiration and it has lots of yellow and pink.  Not really my kinda colours but its good to try something different now and again!  Mind you, with my lack of photography skills, it would hardly matter what the colours are to start with - they look nothing like the real thing by the time I get them on here - if anybody can give me some tips to improve it, they will be very gladly received - I've tried both of my cameras, with flash on and off, in different places in my craft room, downstairs in the sunroom, in daylight and with lights on at night and despite all of this, they still don't look right!

The papers are once again from my new Doodlebug pads and the image is LOTV.  The challenge on this weeks PFP is to use ribbons and buttons, so it can be entered there as well, as I used my Promarkers and Flexmarkers and the layout is Mojo Monday.  I've added some stickles to the wee cupcakes and the petals of the flower just to finish off.  I can't believe I won the Allsorts prize this week with my recipe card below! Just waiting on my voucher now to spend on the Little Darlings site!