Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Week 116

The challenge at Penny Black this week is Summer Lovin'. Our friends are celebrating their first wedding anniversary soon and will be travelling around Italy (lucky things). They will be finishing the trip off in Venice. What better place for Summer Lovin'. It is one of the most romatic cities I've ever been too, so how appropriate than to ink up my Venezia stamp. I tried to use the colours of the Italian flag for the card (green, white and red). I used a Sizzix Wedding Set Scrollmark embossing folder for the background in white, cut the image with Nesties Label 4. Embossed the heart with silver, and unfortunately its not showing on the picture but I used glossy accents on the clouds and some of the venetian waters. Hope they like it.

Sweet Sketch Wednesday #64

At long last I have made a card. My mojo must have been on its hols but hopefully it is now coming back (I hope). I used the sketch provided by Sweet Sketch Wednesday. I have not entered one of their challenges before so I thought it was about time I did. I got the opportunity to use my new Mo Manning image called Strawberry Girl. The background paper is Papermania Summer Bloom, I have used a Martha Stewart punch on the main picture and a Prima Cha Cha Pink Flower.

Cupcake Craft Challenge & Just Magnolia Challenge

I have combined my 2nd christmas card with 2 challenges this week. I used the sketch for my card from the Just Magnolia Challenge Week 66 which is a sketch provided by the talented Bev Rochester. The challenge at Cupcake Craft Challenge 101 was Pastel Christmas. The papers I have used were an old set of Hot off the Press (I may get them used this year lol). I used my newly purchased Martha Stewart snowflake punch and used glamour dust on them. The brads in the centre of the snowflakes are ones I bought from the Hobby House stand when I went to a craft show in Harrogate. I just love this Magnolia image. I think I may use her quite a few times this year. The christmas sentiment is Craftwork Cards.

Cupcake Craft Challenge & Sketch & Stash Challenge 40

The challenge at Cupcake Craft this week is "Cats & Dogs". This gave me the opportunity to use my Mo Manning digital image called Bismark, and to make my first christmas card. I also used the sketch at this weeks Sketch and Stash Challenge 40. The papers I used were Hot off the Press christmas papers that I've had for ages. I also had a go at using my Bow Easy. The bow hasn't come out too bad, but I think I need some more practice. I used glamour dust to decorate his hat, and stickles on his scarf, and decoupaged the ribbon on his bone not that you can see it. Wish the picture had come out a bit better but with all this rain we're having, and it was actually thundering & lightening while I was trying to take this photo.

A Spoon Full of Sugar Sending Donkey Smiles & Friday Sketchers #110

The challenge at a Spoonful of Sugar is to send Michelle Oatman get well wishes. Michelle had an accident on her farm while tending her beautiful donkeys. Unfortunately this accident has left her with the loss of her right eye. Whimsy stamps have created a donkey freebie for us to use to send our wishes. The sketch at Friday Sketchers helped me to create the card. The papers used were Craftwork Cards Blossom Paper and the sentiment is from a Stampin' Up set.

The Good Life

Who remembers "The Good Life", the BBC Sitcom about Tom and Barbara who decided to leave the rat race and become self sufficient. Well we definitely aren't Tom and Barbara, and unfortunately we have got no chance of leaving the rat race (I wish our numbers would come up on the Lottery lol), but we have decided to use up an area of our new garden, and create our own little Good Life. We are so pleased with the results. We are growing mixed salad leaves, summer cabbage, potatoes, onions, strawberries, sweetcorn (but that's not growing very well), savoy cabbages and last but not least we were given a cucumber plant and its amazing watching the cucumbers growing and getting larger and larger. The Good Life eat your heart out.

Stampin' for the Weekend - Challenge #41 - Sketch/blue & yellow combo

The challenge at Stampin' for the weekend was to use a blue & yellow combo and follow a sketch done by Sandie. I find it so much easier using sketches to create my cards. I used my fav stamp (especially with the gorgeous weather we are having), it is Stampin Up "Summer by the Sea". The papers are Daisy & Dandelion Picnic Patch papers, and the sentiment was by Craftwork Cards. The ribbon and buttons were from Papermania Capsule Collection.