daft dog card

I was really pleased to make the top three at the CES challenge blog for my Magnolia disappearing rabbit card, and many thanks to all those who left such kind comments.

This is the last but one of the Easter cards and was for three of my dear grandchildren: Drew, Tristan and Natasha, and their daft dog Bailey.  This stamp was bought from Wendy at Stamps and Memories, and coloured with copic markers.  He looks quite puzzled by all those chicks doesn't he!

The papers, sentiment and ribbon are from the Spring FF range, which has been really useful this year, and the plain Coredinations cardstock from A Maze of Memories.  The flowers are from Hobbycraft which I pulled apart and put back together with orange brads.

Challenges for this card as follows:

http://artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.com/ - use an animal

http://shellysimagesblog.blogspot.com/ - buttons, brads or bows

http://mymumscraftshopchallenges.blogspot.com/ - flowers

Thanks very much for coming to see my blog.  I really appreciate any comments you leave, so many thanks.  xx Jill B

another Easter creation

This cute little Magnolia is "Tilda with Hawaiian flower" and was coloured with copic markers.  Thanks to Wendy's expert tuition, my hair colouring is getting a little better, and hopefully when I get to the next course it will improve even more!  FYI, she is running a Copic Retreat in October, so if you are interested please get in touch on the Stamps and Memories website.

I made another easel card, and used papers from Red Hot Bed, which are really pretty, but a bit flimsy. (especially as they are quite expensive and there's not too many in the pack!)  The backing cardstock is Bazzill Bling, to make the card a little sturdier. 

The sentiment is from the FF Springtime pack, which I used a lot this Easter, although I altered the colour a little with copics.  I used an MS punch for the doily lace, an EK punch for the pretty trellis, and a Marianne punch for the leaves. I created the leaf colour by scribbling a copic pen matching the image, onto some pearlescent paper, and then used the leaf punch.

The flowers are a mix of WOC and Prima flowers as usual, but as my Primas are almost at an end, I shall have to find some new favourites.  Glimmer Mist on the flowers and Stardust Stickles glue on the edges, completes the card.

Challenges entered for this card are as follows:
http://littlemissmuffetchallenges.blogspot.com/ - diecuts or punches
http://scrap-creations1.blogspot.com/ - flowers

Thanks very much for stopping by, and please leave a comment so that I can come and visit your blog.  xx Jill

Mr Fix-it

A Laurence stamp "Mr Fix-it" from Stampavie was the inspiration for this fun card for a very old friend, who is very handy around the house.

Following my copic colouring course with Wendy from Stamps and Memories, I've become more confident about trying new techniques, so this one has a textured look for the fur.  Still not 100% happy (looks like he's got a little bit of a rash in close-up!!) but at least I had a go!  the rest of the colouring was fairly straight forward.

I used Kanban wood grain card for the background, plus some spotty paper from my stash, left over from Christmas, and some copper-coloured linen mirror card, which is really nice. The sentiment is also Kanban.

I punched out a couple of stars from this card and added star brads.  The little tools are brads too on punched circles.  The little drill charm was from The Hobby House. 

Challenges for this card are:
Bunny Zoe's crafts - masculine card
Cards for men - to include circles
Stamp-n-doodle - masculine
The Cheerful Stamp pad - there's a Man in my life
Daring card-makers - speaking professionally
Fun with shapes and more - die-cuts or punches and animals
Simply create challenges - stamped male images

Thanks very much for coming to see my blog.  I always get a lot of pleasure from visiting other people's blogs too, so please leave me a comment and I'll pop over to see what you're doing!  xx Jill

Another Magnolia Easter card

An Edwin card for my dear husband,  Joe.  The chick paper is from the  FF Spring pack, which have been very useful this year, and the check paper is from my stash.  It didn't have yellow in it, so I added that with copic markers, and also to the sentiment and the flower edges.  I'm getting very flash now I've been on my colouring course, as it's given me more confidence to try new things!  The plain yellow paper is from the Farnborough exhibition, and is quite textured, but hard to see in the pic.  I wish I'd got more in other colours as it is lovely irl.

The stamps are Edwin holding basket, and also chicks from Sir Stampalot.  I have to say that their service is really good and very quick too.  The daffodils were from Hobbycraft and I  pulled them apart and put them back together with some little orange brads.  Some stickles glue completes the card.

Thanks so much for visiting today, and for any comments you would like to leave.  xx Jill B

Easter card with disappearing rabbit

I was really pleased to make the top three at Card-making Mamas for my butterfly card last week, and will be entering this card for their next challenge, which is Spring colours.

This card has two Magnolia images, including the cute rabbit disappearing behind a tree.  Coloured with copic markers from Wendy at Stamps and Memories, and using a mix of flowers from Prima and WOC, who also supplied the lace.  Can't recall where the pretty acetate butterfly comes from, but I wouldn't mind finding some more.

The butterfly ribbon is actually a much better match for the card than is shown in the pic (not sure why this came out so yellowy?!?)  I was hoping to use the "out of the box" Nesties method for little Tilda sat down, but having tried three times without success, I gave in and cut her out!

I'm entering the following challenges:
Magnolia stamp lovers  - flowers challenge
Scrappy Frogs challenge - hoppy Easter
Crazy 4 challenges - Easter
Easy Craft Projects - Easter
Sweet Stampin Challenge - must stamp, Easter theme
Fussy and Fancy - Springtime
4 Crafty chicks - Easter
Flutterby Wednesday - open, with butterfly
CES challenges - Spring colours
Card Making Mamas - Spring colours

Whew! There's a lot there, but most of them are Spring or Easter luckily.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog and for any comments you leave - these are much appreciated.  xx Jill

Magnolia Easter card

An Easter card in pinks and yellows for a change.  This is really a departure from my usual colour combinations, but was dictated by the backing paper and the luscious daffodils and cherry blossoms from WOC. The image is from Magnolia (Sir Stamplalot) and is coloured with copic markers. 

I went on a copic colouring course last weekend at Kintbury with Wendy Kadzidlo from Stamps and Memories.  She's a fantastic teacher with endless patience and a quiet, calm approach, and I really learnt a lot.  I'm hoping my hair colouring will now look better, but we'll have to wait and see!  Can't wait to go on the next course, as I'm enjoying working with the new techniques so much.  I also used the markers to colour the flowers, sentiment and leaves; and added a little more yellow to the backing papers to match my main image. 

The plain cardstock is my favourite Coredinations from A Maze of Memories, and the pink is diecut with an MS punch: an oldie but a goodie!  A little Stickles glitterglue and some charms from my stash and we're ready to rock and roll.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog.  Please leave a comment so that I can come and visit your blog too.  xx Jill

Fourth birthday card

A simple birthday card for our grandson Tristan who is four and mad about dinosaurs.  I downloaded some Nitwit dinosaur papers and lettering and used some Craft Planet children's stickers.  There are spiral springs under the heads to give some movement.

Many thanks for visiting my blog today.  xx Jill

6th Anniversary card

An anniversary card for our daughter Louise and son-in-law Bruce.  This kissing couple is a very old stamp (I think from Sugar Nellie), and is coloured with copic markers, with some obligatory Stickles glitter glue. 

I'm still not happy colouring hair, but I'm off on a copic course tomorrow at Stamps and Memories, so I hope to improve!  I'm thinking of investing in some Prisma pencils to help with the definition, so if you use them please let me know how you get on with them.

The sentiment is a LOTV stamp, and the papers are Imaginisce "Garden Party", which are really scrummy.  It was very hard to cut into them, when really I just wanted to stroke them!!  The flowers are a mix of Prima and WOC, and the leaves are MS and Nellie Snellen punches, with the punched ribbon flowers from EK, and some little gems.  I remembered to take the photo after I put on the charm this time, and as there's a tiny bit of sunshine between the black clouds I managed to take a pic that looks the same colour as the card.  Bonus!!

Thanks very much for stopping by, and please leave a comment so that I can come and visit your blog too.

xx Jill

butterfly card

An easel butterfly card for my sister-in-law, Rosemary, who lives in Scotland.  Unfortunately we only get to see her and her partner once a year when we can get up there.  She always sends us a lovely calendar for Christmas with amazing Scottish views, and makes me want to dash off there immediately!

The decoupage is from Kanban, which I glittered to within an inch of it's life, and I used Butterfly Garden papers from Wild Rose studios, which are really gorgeous.  I cut out a few butterflies to make them flutter, stickled them and added a few gems. 

I thought this was going to be a quick and easy card, but by the time I'd die-cut the tag, punched the leaves, cut out the butterflies, and then shimmered, glittered and sparkled everything, and then added a charm, it was anything but quick!  I had to use copic markers too for the tag, leaves, backing card and some of the flowers, as I didn't have anything in my stash that really matched well. 

Here's close-up of the flowers, butterflies and tag on the base.  The sentiment stands out better than shows in the photo, but at least the weather's gorgeous and the light is good, so the colours are nearly true. 

  

I will be entering this card for the following challenges:
http://cardmakinmamas.blogspot.com/   -  embellish it!
http://www.craftysentiments.blogspot.com/ - glitter
http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com/ - glitter
http://flutterbywednesdays.blogspot.com/ - anything goes, with fairy/butterfly/angel

Thanks very much for visiting my blog.  Please leave a comment so that I can come and visit you too!  xx Jill

horse-racing card

This is for our son-in-law, Garry, who's one of the good guys: very hard-working, loves his family and is an all-round thoroughly nice chap.  He prepared a scrummy lunch for us on Mother's day, and it was lovely to just sit and relax with the family.

I decided on a "Trinitage" horse-racing card from La Pashe, which was great fun to do.  This is my first time at one of these cards, and the only problem I found was that the card tubes between the layers were too thick.  I'll be sure to make them from much thinner card next time so they lie flatter.  I also had to colour the top of the tubes with copic markers so that they didn't show so much.  I found the "grass" paper in a magazine, and I loved it so much I now want lots more!

The front of the card is quite plain, with just decoupage and a sentiment.  Simples!!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog.  Please feel free to add any comments below.  xx Jill