My Latest Achievement

I've just popped over to Spyder's Corner, and was met with a wonderful surprise! I have actually WON Lyn's latest Didi Digi Challenge! It's been a rough couple of days for me and this has certainly lifted my spirits, so many thanks Lyn, and guest judges (cats and all!!) for choosing my card.

I have posted on my sidebar with pride!

I am so pleased to be sharing with you a card made using a download created by my wonderful friend, Deborah Lauder.

Debbie is the owner and designer of the CRAFTYSTASH website, and you can purchase this download here. Don't forget to have a good look around whilst you're there, there's a forum, and over at the gallery, there is even a monthly competition you can enter, and be in with a chance to win great prizes!

So, the card.....it is a side-stacker, which gives a great effect, especially, in my humble opinion, with photos such as the one used here.

My basecard is corrugated A5 and I have matted/layered using blue card. The fab swirly paper is one of two included in the download, and the main image has been matted onto brown Kraft card. The sentiment I have personalised, (there's a sentiment AND blank included.)

I have added an anchor charm using silver thread and a brad, and then 2 little anchor eyelets and come card candy too (which arrived this morning!!) A little inking to the edges here and there, and Voila!

Big Smiles from Ali x

Have a 'HOOT' at Uni!

My offering today is a card for a friend who starts at Uni next week. I used this week's Friday Sketchers sketch for the layout, as I always need help with this part of my cardmaking.

I also followed the 'recipe' from Quirky Crafts, which is stitching (mine is faux, you can see it around some of the panels,)  lace (mine is paper-lace and coloured with ink...you can see it on the vertical panels top right, and bottom left,) 2 different buttons, (mine are in the centre of the flowers,) and colour teal or turquoise.

For Sentimental Sundaes they want to see 'Dimension' and I have layered/decoupaged my owl. Paper Sundaes want 'Things with Wings' and Daisy Doodles want to see 'Critters.' 
I made the paper flowers by cutting out 2D flowers, folding the petals using mountain folds on one, then layering another on top with valley folds. The owl and flowers are from a cute collection called 'Cute Nature Collection' and you can buy it from here. The papers are from Pink Petticoat and you can buy them here. 

I was surprised at how quickly it all came together, probably because I usually start cards with just a basic idea (eg the image or the colours I want to use) then work form there, but this time I had everything worked out before I started....organised....? ME....? Surely not!!! Lol!

So to recap, I'd like to enter this card into the following:

Friday Sketchers sketch #121

Quirky Crafts Challenge #35 'recipe' by Cazzy

Sentimental Sundaes challenge #22 'Let's See Some Dimension.'

Paper Sundaes challenge #37 'Things with Wings.'

Daisy Doodles challenge #18 'Critter Mad.'

Thanks for visiting!

Big Smiles from Ali x

RAKs for Ali's ATC Swap Stop!

As it's my first swap over at Ali's ATC Swap Stop I decided to make everyone a RAK to say THANK YOU for joining in. The theme is TV/FILM and here is what I've made.

So, what can you spot....? There's Mary Poppins, Magpie, X-Factor, Sooty & Sweep, Monsters Inc., Blue Peter, Basil Brush and Toy Story.

At the end of the month, once I've received all the swaps, I'll be posting them out, and each envie will have one of these inside as a thank you.

Thanks for stopping by.

Big Smiles, Ali x



Happy Anniversary.....to ME!!

Today is my 18th wedding Anniversay! It was a beautiful Saturday in September when Simon and I got married at the little village church in Niton on the Isle of Wight. The card I have made this year is a simple one.....

I am a huge fan of Easel Cards atm! Here's how I made it......The base card is hammered white card which I embossed with my Cuttlebug 'Bloom Dots' folder in the Big Shot. The papers are a download and the image is from a collection called Snicklefritz Kids, both were purchased from Scrapbookingmad.

 I simply added a few gems, a ribbon , some Stickles and paper flowers from my stash and inked the edges to complete this simple card, and am actually quite pleased with the finished result.....I sometimes feel cards can be over-fussy when loads of embellies are added, and that's not a look I wanted for this card!

We went out to celebrate yesterday with our 3 treasures and my sis n her fiance, who made a surprise trip over, so looks as if mum will be on kitchen duty doing a roast today!

I would like to enter my card for challenge #61 at Incy Wincy Designs where the theme this week is 'Anything Goes.'

Thanks for popping by, have a happy Sunday everyone.

 

Big Smiles, Ali x

Whoopsy Daisy!!

I've had this image for a while and have been itching to use it on a card, and finally managed to do so today!! Isn't she gorgeous? She is a digi download from Whoopsy Daisy Designs.

She is coloured with Promarkers and then I decided to use textures (rather than colour,) so that she wasn't 'lost' amongst a sea of colour.....I wanted her to be the focal point of the card and to stand out.

 I used my 'swirls' embossing folder and cut the embossed piece of card into 3 panels and attached with foam tape to give depth. Then I attached a wide piece of lace vertically down the centre....(I think you can make it out in the photos...?)  I mounted her on some embossed pearlescent paper and onto another panel of embossed card, attached with foam tape. I added some 3D butterflies, a large white feather, some white pearl gems and a sentiment in silver to complete. The only extra colour is some inking to the edges to enhance the depth. 

As you can see, it is a birthday card for my mum (in-law.)

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #102 'Purple & Silver' (the image on the card is purple and the sentiments are in silver.)

I Love Promarkers #33 'White on White' (I hope this counts....although there is a sneaky bit of lilac showing behind the panels....?)

A Pocket Full of Posies challenge #7 'Lavender & Lace'

Colour Create challenge #54 'All White' (again, hope this counts...)

Incy Wincy Designs challenge #60 'All White Except the Image.'

Thanks for stopping by......

Big Smiles, Ali x

Film/TV ATCs.....Finally!!!!

Well, I've finally finished them! Here are my ATCs for my swap at Ali's ATC Swap Stop, where the theme for September is 'TV and/or Film.'

My first attempts were great in theory, but as I was making them they just weren't working for me, and so were abandoned partway through! They were based on the magical Wizard of Oz, a film I watched over and over again as a child, but it wasn't to be. So instead, I pondered for several days as to which of the many other ideas I had to choose!! I ended up with an eclectic selection based on some of the family's favourites.

 Betty Boop because Zoe and my Niece Fleur love her....This one is a shaker ATC, with red seed beads inside.

Spongebob Squarepants because both of my boys love it....Toby and Noah (Noah has been walking round with this one going over and over the characters names!!!!) This one is like an 'inchies' montage, all raised on foam pads.

Tom and Jerry because my Dad STILL loves to watch these, and my littlies always get excited and call him in to watch if it ever comes on!! The image is layered up and mounted on foam pads.

...........And finally the 70's classic, Rainbow, which I remember watching as a child and can still sing the theme tune to the opening credits!!!! (No laughing please!) Once again, layered and mounted on foam pads.

I have also started playing with a few more ideas, and will probably send them out with the swaps as RAKs.

A 1st Birthday Card

Today's card is one a friend asked me to make for her Goddaughter's 1st birthday. I used one of Sketch Saturday's previous sketches (#110) and here it is.

Card Recipe:

Image: 'Nature Kids' clipart collection

Papers: 'Signs of Spring' download collection digi papers purchased from SBM

Sentiment: computer generated using a font called 'Tinker.'

All the rest is from my stash....ribbon, gems, cardstock.

I have decoupaged the image and attached the sentiments and image panel using foam pads/tape.

REALLY wish I had some nesties.....having to cut my shapes freehand using Fiskars decorative scissors!

ATCs for CM&P Swap

Happy Thursday everyone! Today I have 2 sets of ATCs to share with you.

 

Over at Cardmaking and Papercraft, the theme for Spyder's swap this month is EGYPTIAN and/or VINTAGE. In all honesty I've never created anything either vintage OR egyptian, so was a bit nervous, which is why I've left it until now to make them!! However, I wasn't going to be beaten, so I set to work, and actually ended up making a set of Egyptian ATCs AND a set of Vintage ones too!! Not 100% sure about either of them, so would be very grateful of your opinions please. 

 So, how did I make them? Well, the images for the Egyptian ones are actually from the magazine that comes with the Sunday Telegraph! I saw them a while back and cut them out thinking they were BOUND to come in handy sometime! I made the backing paper using hieroglyphics images.

I added some gold peel offs to complete.

For the Vintage ones, I used my Joanna Sheen ATC Assistant CD for the images and some of the papers. The other papers, the vintage roses ones are a download (can't remember where they're from though, sorry.)

There was a lot of distressing/inking going on with these (I think I may well have overdone it a bit!!) I tore all the edges, and even added some lace to one of them! There are Robins Nest Dew Drops  (I've had them for ages and didn't think I'd ever use them!) and paper flowers on each one too.

Still not sure about the finished article, but had fun practising!

Haven't decided which ones to send in for the

swap .....might send 2 of each...? Whatever I decide, I'm sure the others will be swapped at some point in the future too.

Following the Leader!

Hi everyone! Today's offerring is another card. My daughter has a friend's birthday party on Saturday, and so I thought I'd get her card done, and enter a couple of challenges whilst I was at it! Here is the card.....

The adorable image was a freebie from over at Spyder's Corner, coloured with Promarkers. I used some papers from my stash that I've had for ever, PM Creative Tones, Venetian Skies. Then I used white card, embossed using my Bloom Dots folder, and inked the edges. The strip/flowers were cut from the same paper, I punched some extra flowers from the paper scraps, and added a little gold Stickles to the middle of each one. The sentiment I made on the computer.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Spyder's Corner....Didi Digi Challenge

The Pixie Cottage.....Challenge #37; a Sketch and 'Fun n Games' (I thought Follow The Leader' was a great game as a child!!)

Alphabet Challenge....U is for unused stash (the papers I used I've had for ever....hope they count!)

A Spoonful of Sugar....challenge #122 Anything Goes

Pixie Dust Studio Challenge #40 'Fur or Feathers' (use an ANIMAL)

Papertake Weekly Challenge.....'Animal Magic.'

I Did It Creations challenge #22....'Keep it Simple.'

The Crafty Pad challenge #89....'Embossing.'

Thanks for stopping by. x

ATC swaps....RETURNS

Hi again! Today I am sharing with you some ATC swap returns from 2 recent swaps I took part in. The first are my August swaps from ATC Swappers, where the theme was 'Sporting Summer.'

Brilliant aren't they! My thanks go to Catherine, Paul, Jane and Gina (clockwise from the top left.)

And next are my first ever returns from SWAP-BOT! The theme was Kawaii and these little crackers come from Chicago in the States.

It doesn't show up on the picture, but they have lots of shimmer and sparkle on them! Another fab addition to my collection. If you are interested in swapping ATCs then click on the links in this post, and/or visit my other blog Ali's ATC Swap Stop!

Autumn Annie!

Today I have a birthday card to share with you. I used a range of Autumnal coloured Bazzill card to matt and layer behind the decoupaged Annies.

The sentiment was created on the computer, and I added a few pearl gems and an organza ribbon to finish. I had just added some Anita's 3D gloss and my 4 year old decided to grab the card and smudged it across the front  :-(  but other than that, I was pleased with the result.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge #101 'Anything Goes.'
My Time to Craft challenge #106 'Jewelled.'
OSAAT challenge #31 'Happy Birthday!'
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenge #17 'Keep it Simple.'

Yay! I am a WINNER!!

I am chuffed to bits this evening! I entered 3 challenges with an Autism Awareness card last week, and look............

AND

So now you know what's put a smile on my face! My sincere thanks to OSAAT AND The Crafty Pad. I will post these on my side bar with immense pride!

CONGRATULATIONS Lil' Sis!

Yay!!!! CONGRATULATIONS to my lil' sis RIA who recently got engaged to her man, IAN! We are so pleased for them, and of course, it gave me a perfect excuse to make a card!! As Ria loves frogs, and has been collecting them for quite a while, I searched for something 'froggy' I could use as an engagement card......it took a while, but I found something that I think is perfect.

I used a download from CMD and used part of it to make this easel card. I used a dark pinky/red for the base card, and layered it with textured green card.

The cute frogs are decoupaged with several layers, and I have added the names of the happy couple and my own sentiment on the stopper.

Then just a few paper flowers, coloured with chalks and held in place with brads, an organza ribbon and heart pearl gems to complete. Oh yes, I also inked the edges.

My 'Returns' from Spyder's ATC swap

Hi everyone, Happy Saturday! I am away at my caravan, so this is on timer (are you impressed...?) I Thought I'd share with you a picture of the ATCs I received in return for the August 'Favourite Things' swap.

My thanks go to: Kris (top left) for her 'I love to cook' ATC, Jan (top right) for her 'my garden' ATC with opening arched window, Kerrimiya (btm left) for her 'oriental' ATC, and Dawn (btm right) for her 'knitting' ATC.....I am so pleased with them all.

ATC swap at Cardmaking Downloads

I thought I would share with you the RAKs I have made for the CMD swap this month. As I have been working on an Autism Awareness card recently, I decided to help spread the word, and made ATCs in the same theme.

As you can see, I made 2 different styles......Hope everyone is pleased with them!

And now...................the ATCs from everyone taking part this month, so if you prefer NOT to see them all before yours arrive, PLEASE LOOK AWAY NOW! The theme was 'Back to School!' for September, and unlike many swaps out there, the CMD swap runs mid-month to mid-month, which means we get a nice surprise from the postie halfway through the month!

DEBBIE

DAWN

MARIAN

LYN

JEAN (GLITTERBABE)

TINA

KRIS

ALI (that's me!)

Pretty impressive selection, I'm sure you'll agree.