Livin' on the EDGE !!

No, I'm not talking about me (although sometimes.......)

It's the title for our challenge this week at THE CRAFTY PAD...

LIVE ON THE EDGE

We would like to see you add some fancy edging or go out and off the edge of your project with your embellishments. Here's my card:

We have  Creative Craft World as our sponsor, with a prize of a £5 voucher to spend in their shop.

I used Kraft cardstock to create a twisted easel card (but as you can see instead of adding a panel to the twist, I decorated the triangular 'twist'.)

I used a Martha Stewart border punch to create some fancy edging, then inked it with TH ink. I also border-punched my papers, which are My Minds Eye 'Mabel' and added some lace (I stapled this on,) which I also distressed with the TH ink. The wonderful layered butterflies and verse are of course available from The Crafty Pad Designs.
 I changed the colour in word (there is a tute on how to do this over on The Crafty Pad Challenge blog,) then distressed them with ink, added some Glamour Dust and layered them up before adding them to the card (with 2/3 of them 'off/over the edge.') The verse was cut using x-cut dies and the edges inked, before some orangey gems were added.

The felt leaves were from The Works and I added a posh stick-pin that I made myself.

The card stopper is a tiny flower brad and two more of the felt leaves, which aren't too obtrusive but still work a treat.

I sent this through the post to a dear friend...I know it arrived and I hope it survived the RM ordeal and was in one piece (I haven't heard otherwise so I am hoping it did!!)

We do hope you will join us for this challenge, and don't forget, we have a monthly competition running alongside this one, where you can create using any theme, as long as you USE A CRAFTY PAD IMAGE.

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

• That Craft Place #9 - Anything But Square/Rectangle.
• Deep Ocean Challenge #23 - Song Inspiration - (Andy Williams - Butterfly no. 1 1957)
• Digital Tuesday #156 - Distressed.
• Our Creative Corner - Butterflies.

Thanks for looking!

All You Need Is LOVE ... (and a great sense of humour!)

It's hubby's birthday at the weekend, (those of you who saw my previous post will know that, and that we are off to Amsterdam...yay!) Here is my card for him from me.

The adorable image is called Valentine, by Krista Smith of Saturated Canary...one of my latest finds and the cause of a serious 'hole' in the cash I had in my purse!!! Hee hee! I have fallen in love with Krista's images, and have recently added a fair few to my digital image collection ;)

 I followed this week's Sketch n Stash sketch below.

I embossed a piece of white card as the main background, used a MS border punch fro the centre strip, some hearts DP for the pennant/banner on the rhs. I added some Baker's Twine and a 'Made With Love' charm.

The image was coloured with Promarkers and attached using a double layer of foam pads to give a really 3D effect.

The sentiment I made on the computer using 'cutie pop' font and you may well have noticed, it's the title of a well-known song!! The Beatles wrote this in the 1960s..."All You Need Is Love," hence the title of my post, (not to mention the essential good sense of humour, a necessity after almost 20 years of marriage and 3 kids!!!)

Apart from a tiny brad in each corner, I've tried to keep the overall effect fairly free from embellishments, especially flowers and flourishes...well, it is a card for a guy after all!!

The inside of the card has also been decorated:

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

• Deep Ocean Challenge #23 - Song Inspiration (mine is "All You Need Is Love," by The Beatles.)
• Craft Your Days Away #43 - Metal (my charm.)
• Paper Sundaes #116 - Anything Goes.
• Sketch n Stash #85 - Kevin's Sketch.
• Whoopsiedaisy - Free & Easy.
• Bunny Zoe's #23 - Ribbon or Twine (I used twine.)
• Crafty Sentiments - Use a Digi.
• Bearly Mine #31 - Embossing.

Thanks for Looking.

Tulips...from Amsterdam...?

Well, actually, no, these tulips are from The Stamping Boutique, but I am very excited to say that DH and I are off for the weekend to Amsterdam this Saturday for his birthday! We had our first overnight stay away from our little cherubs in 9 years(!) in December, and have decided to go for it again, thanks to my fabulous mum and dad (can't thank them enough as it's no easy task I have to say!)

Anyway, enough waffling (can you tell I'm excited?!) and onto my card: As I said, the image is called Tulips and is available HERE. I coloured it with Promarkers and cut it out using a lacey circle nestie.

I chalked the inside with the nestie still in place and added some lilac and clear gems to decorate the frame.

The papers are from my stash that I've had for ever, (Papermania Amethyst Tones if memory serves.) I followed this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch #156

I made my own stick pins and popped them into a lilac organza bow.

I really love the 3D flower dies around at the mo,  but as I don't own any, I improvised and made my own from a hand-cut circle which I spiral cut and wrapped up, then glued and attached using a flower brad onto a Prima flower...doesn't look too bad!

The centre border is cut using a Martha Stewart border punch and is attached using mini brads. A few gems and a craftwork cards sentiment to finish. I also decorated the inside a little as this is for my mum to give to my aunt for her 60th birthday...

I would like to enter the following challenges:

•  The Sweetest Thing/Sweet Sunday Sketch #156 - SKETCH.
• House of Gilli #31 - Flowers.
• 2 Sisters Challenge #87 - Flowers.
• Crafts & Me - 3D Embellishments.
• Inky Impressions IIC#52- Make Your Own Embellishments (I made my 3D flower and my posh stick-pins.)
• WhoopsieDaisy Challenge - Free & Easy.
• Paper Sundaes #116 - Anything Goes.
• Sweet Stampin - Girly but NO Pink.

Thanks for looking.

She's SASSY

Afternoon!  Hope everyone is feeling suitably chilled as we approach the halfway point of the weekend. I just popped in to share a card I've made for one of my daughter's friends whose birthday is tomorrow. Yesterday I was blog-hopping and came across a gorgeous card featuring a super-cute character and knew I was hooked! To cut a long story short (phew!) I popped over to Sassy Cheryl's Digis and had a bit of a spend!!! Her images are totally adorable, be warned, you're gonna spend some dough if you go and look!!! Lol!

My card features the super-cute Sassy Sally, one of my purchases...here it is:

Isn't she CUTE! I coloured her up with Promarkers and cut round her (the 2 wee flowers in the bottom left corner are also part of the image.)

The DPs are digital, and I couldn't resist the adorable pale blue one with ladybirds  all over it :) I made some bunting on the computer spelling out the birthday girl's name and used foam pads and Baker's Twine to secure it.

I also added a gingham ribbon, a couple of stick pins and a cute ladybird charm.

I used black and white gel pens to add faux stitching around the edge of the red spotty DP and the ladybird panels, a couple of card candi dots and a 3D wooden ladybird complete the card.

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

• Creative Belli  #141 - Children.
• Crafts & Me - 3D Embellishments.
• Cardmaking Mamas - Getting Girlie.
• Sweet Stampin - Girly, but NO Pink.
• Divas By Design #30 - Use a Charm.

Thanks for looking.

'HOGS' & Kisses !!!

Lol! Here's a card I made for my littlies to give to DH on his birthday next week.

 It's a tri-shutter card. I printed the DP straight onto cardstock, and edged cut the shape using a template from Craftystash (you MUST go and check out the fab templates and other goodies for sale over there!) I inked the edges and added some faux stitching with a pen. I used an adorable image called Patchwork Pig from The Stamping Boutique and paper-pieced each of the 3 copies using gingham and solid DPs.

I used foam pads to give them a little dimension. I made some little triangular flags/bunting in matching DP and used foamies for these too (I did intend to string them across the top like bunting, but there wasn't enough room!)

the little sentiment at the top says 'HOGS & Kisses' and at the bottom 'From Your 3 Little Piggies!'

I added some buttons and die-cut corners to finish. My daughter (Zoe) laughed like a drain when she saw it, and kept 'explaining to me' the 'hogs' instead of 'hugs' pun...like I hadn't noticed or had done it by accident or something!!!

Here's what it looks like from a bird's eye view:

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

• Charizma Cardz #14 - Fancy Folds.
• Delightful Challenges - Stitching (real or faux...mine is faux.)
• Southern Girls #42 - Fancy Folds.
• Digital Tuesdays #155 - Birthdays.
• Sassy Cheryls #110 - Anything Goes.
• Critter Sketch #110 - Critters (hope my piggies count?)
• Catch the Bug - April Anything Goes.

Thanks for looking.

Mmmmm! Die-Licious!

Happy Easter Sunday everyone! I hope the Easter Bunny was generous when he hopped past your place, and you are going to enjoy a day of crafting and chocolate!

Today at THE CRAFTY PAD we have a brand new challenge for you. Challenge #165 is *drumroll*....

Die-Delicious!

Yes folks, we want you to use some DIE CUTS on your creations. As I make way more girls'cards than boys, I decided to challenge myself and create a guy card. Here it is:

It's a 6x6 Kraft stepper card base from Docrafts (Papermania.) The mega-cute image is called Bradley on Toy Horse, and is available from The Crafty Pad Designs. I used some digital papers by The Creative Cottage called 'Wild West' (sadly no longer trading/available.)

  I coloured Bradley using Promarkers to co-ordinate with the DPs.

The first die-cuts I have used are my Sizzix Fun Serif Alphabet set to cut the word 'Howdy.' Behind the letters you can see some Bakers Twine. The  'Fabulous Fella' sentiment ticket is also a Crafty Pad one :)

The second die cuts are my Cuttlebug stars, which I have also embossed and inked.

I then added some garden twine for a rope and some Card Candi.

Our sponsor this week is Crafty Emmas Store with a prize of £10.00 to spend in her shop.

http://www.craftyemmasstore.co.uk

I do hope you will pop over to our challenge blog and enter this week, and also check out the rest of Team B's creations on the challenge blog.

 

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

• Bugaboo - April Anything Goes.
• Drunken Stampers #86 - You're a Krafty One!
• The Poodles Parlour - Going Dotty.
• Cardmadfairy's Digi Days #30 - Die cuts and/or punches.
• City Crafter #103 - Hats Off To You!
• Ladybird Crafts INK TLT #57 - Spots and Stripes.
• Craft Your Passion #104 - Dots & Stripes.
• Critter Sketch #109 - Stars.
• Paper Creations Inc. #22 - Natural Materials (garden twine used for his rope!)

Sending 'Owl' Our Love

As My Little Miss Zoe's birthday fast approaches, here's the card I made for our boys to give to their sister. I bought this digi from Pollycraft recently, and it's another one I've been dying to use!

Her name is Celeste Amberglow, and this is just one of 6 new fab images of her. I coloured her using Promarkers and cut around the image, then mounted her onto a scalloped oval mat.

My papers are Dovecraft Sugar & Spice and I've matted onto dark brown card. I followed this week's sketch from Sketch Saturday, but turned it 90 degrees clockwise.

I am really pleased with how it turned out, and it's quite a contrast from the pink and girly card I made for her from DH and I, which you can see HERE. The border punch at the bottom of the card is a Martha Stewart one. I cut out 3 little flowers from one of the co-ordinating DPs and added a few flat-backed pearls to finish.

I am going to enter my card into the following challenges:

• Sketch Saturday wk #201 - Sketch.
• Divas By Design #29 - Anything Goes.
• Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Birthdays.
• Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes.

Thanks for looking.

A Cutie for Our Super-Cutie!

Hi! My little Miss Zoe will be 7 on Saturday, and today's card is one I made for her birthday. She's a real girly-girl, and I have been itching to use this image since I bought it last month from Digi Stamp Boutique. She is called Rosie.

I used a 6x6 scalloped card base, the DPs are Pink Petticoat, and were a freebie from a cardmaking magazine sometime ago.

I coloured the image with Promarkers and cut it with a lacey circle nestie. I added some ric-rac detail, some gems, brads and pearls, and made the sentiment on my computer using a font 'Cutie Pie.'

I am really pleased with how girly my card came out, and will enter it into the following challenges:

• Celebrate the Occasion #57 - Child's Birthday.
• Sassy Cheryl's #109 - Soft Pastels.
• The Stamping Boutique #32 - Pastels.
• Crafty Catz #126 - Use a digital image.
• Digistamp Boutique - April Monthly Competition.

Thanks so much for looking.

NEW RELEASE DAY 4 AT THE CRAFTY PAD

Welcome to our FINAL New Release Day in April at The Crafty Pad. Today we have another Lulu image for you, and she's a korker! This one's called 'Lulu With Bunch Of Flowers.'

As always, there are some great DT samples over on the challenge blog so make sure you take a look. And, as every day during this new release, there's a chance for you to win the image...

Here's how:

If you would like to win this NEW RELEASE, all you have to do is leave a comment on today's post and your name will go into the draw! It is that easy!

For another chance of winning, become a follower of The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog and leave us another comment saying you are a follower (new / old / and or existing) and get a 2nd chance into the draw.

For a 3rd chance in the draw - comment on ALL 4 of the release days (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & TODAY (Wednesday,) and go into a separate draw to win the complete set of 4 images!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who has visited/commented on the blog...good luck in the draw!

NEW RELEASE DAY 3 AT THE CRAFTY PAD

Hi again, it's Tuesday, and that means it's DAY 3 of our New Release Bonanza at The Crafty Pad. Today, we have another faberooney image, called 'Lulu With Brolly.'

Gorgeous right? Well, yes, of course she is, and today sees yet more great work over on the challenge blog from the DT...please go and take a look! I was lucky enough to be given this image to work with, and here's my card:

 I used a white 6x6 card base, then everything else is layered onto Kraft card and a lovely orange card too. I decided to paper-piece her umbrella in matching DPs, the rest of the image is coloured with Promarkers. The raindrops are blue gems (round as I didn't have any teardrop shaped ones.)

My DPs are an eclectic mix, including some by Summer Driggs and are called 'A Little Spring in Your Step.' The sentiment says 'Showers of Warm Wishes.'

I added a fancy border to the edge of my card, and inked the edges of everything, to soften them. The ribbon,  gems, punched borders, flowers etc are either fromor made from my stash of goodies.

You probably know the drill by now, but just in case not, here's a reminder...

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

If you would like to win this NEW RELEASE, all you have to do is leave a comment on today's post and your name will go into the draw! It is that easy!

For another chance of winning, become a follower of The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog and leave us another comment saying you are a follower (new / old / and or existing) and get a 2nd chance into the draw.

For a 3rd chance in the draw - comment on ALL 4 of the release days (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday (today,) & Wednesday) and go into a separate draw to win the complete set of 4 images!

I will enter my card into the following challenges:

• Crafty Catz #126 - Use a Digi Image. 
• Stampin With The Dragon - Spring is in the Air.
• Make it Monday with Kraft Outlet - Spring or Easter (I went with Spring/April Showers.)
• Paper Pretties - April Showers bring May Flowers.
• Pollycraft #134 - Water, Water, Everywhere.
• Stamp with Fun #155 - No Easter Cards.

See you tomorrow for the final new release.

NEW RELEASE DAY 2 AT THE CRAFTY PAD

Happy Monday everyone!

Today is DAY 2 of our April New Release Bonanza, and today's image is the totally awesome 'Flowers & Watering Can.'

Once again, the DT have some gorgeous samples to share with you over at The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog, so pop over and leave some love! While you're there, don't forget to leave a comment and you'll be entered into a draw to win today's new release image.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

If you would like to win this NEW RELEASE, all you have to do is leave a comment on today's post and your name will go into the draw! It is that easy!

For another chance of winning, become a follower of The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog and leave us another comment saying you are a follower (new / old / and or existing) and get a 2nd chance into the draw.

For a 3rd chance in the draw - comment on ALL 4 of the release days (Sunday (yesterday,) Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday) and go into a separate draw to win the complete set of 4 images!

 

See you tomorrow ;)

It's EGG-TASTIC!! NEW RELEASE DAY 1

Lol! Yes folks, that's the theme of our latest challenge for you over at THE CRAFTY PAD, and Team A have some wicked creations for you to feast your eyes upon over on the challenge blog. They have MOSTLY used today's BRAND NEW RELEASE, which is the totally adorable 'Easter Chicks In Brolly.'

It even comes with a free sentiment ticket! AND...We have a super-duper new release bonanza for the next 4 days, where you could win each of the new images.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO?

If you would like to win this NEW RELEASE, all you have to do is leave a comment on today's post on The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog, and your name will go into the draw! It is that easy!

For another chance of winning, become a follower of The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog and leave us another comment saying you are a follower (new or old) and get a 2nd chance into the draw.

For a 3rd chance in the draw - comment on ALL 4 of the release days (today Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday) and go into a separate draw to win the complete set of 4 images!

So, to recap, your creation for this week's challenge, #164, must have an Easter theme, and include eggs,  chickens or ducks or anything that makes, creates or comes from an egg.

Don't forget to keep checking back between now and Wednesday, we have a new release every day, and another chance to win on each new day too!