Natasha is two!

Our youngest grand-daughter, Natasha, was two this week, and she has a shoe and bag fetish!!  It really doesn't matter who owns the shoes or slippers - Mummy, Daddy or her brothers - she loves to try them on, and walk around the house in them.  So, of course, this image from Mo Manning, which I coloured with copic markers, was an absolute must.   We bought her a Peppa Pig pram as she is truly obsessed, and it was very funny to see her walking her baby in the pram, carrying her Peppa bag, and wearing her Dad's boots!  Her obsession with the little pink porker is monumental, and early one morning as her mum picked her up out of her cot, instead of her first words being "Hiya Mummy" as normal, she simply shouted "PIG!!"  Looking at all her Peppa birthday presents though, I think she may have been suffering from pig overload!  Even her cake had Peppa Pig on it, which she was very excited about.

The papers and the decoupaged floral spray are Kay Miller, and the pretty lace and roses are WOC.  There are a few tiny gems on the flowers, and the circular sentiment was computer generated, and then cut out with Nesties.  The inside of the card is decorated to match the outside.

Thanks very much for coming to visit my blog.  It's lovely to hear from you all, and I really appreciate the lovely comments you leave.

xx Jill

Bookatrix wedding card

The Bookatrix cards always seem to be the most popular commissioned cards for weddings, and I've now done dozens!  It's quite difficult to change the designs whilst keeping the format the same, although this time I was helped by the fact that the bride wanted daisies as her theme.

The background card is white stardust, with the middle layer (and the top layer of the bookmark) being a glittered fabric, which is a bit like a stiff, dry wet-wipe.  When fabric is so beautiful I do get the jitters before I have to cut into it!  Gold mirri card is used for the central mats, and gold peeloffs for the corners and borders.  How weird it feels to use peeloffs in today's crafting - seven or eight years ago they were all the rage, and I've got hundreds of the damned things!  Any (polite) suggestions as to what to do with them would be very welcome.  I can't even give them away nowadays!

The daisies are punched, except for the ones on the box, which I found lurking at the bottom of my flower stash.  The centres are yellow flowersoft, and the small leaves are also punched from pearlescent paper which I coloured with copic markers.  Now, come on!! You didn't really think I was going to abandon the copics altogether did you?  The larger leaves are die-cut from a Marianne die, I think.  I find it quite hard to make up a central flower motif from scratch, but have much less problem with a corner motif.  Strange eh?

Thanks very much for coming to visit my blog and for all the lovely comments you leave - it's very much appreciated.  I hope to get round to visit you all to see what you've been up to, and if you leave me a comment, then I'll know you came to visit.

xx Jill

Joshua's birthday card

Our beautiful youngest grandson Joshua was one year old this week.  I found this digi stamp by Mo Manning called "Tolerance", which I coloured with copic markers, although I'm still not happy with the hair colouring, and need lots more practice.  My son's family have a ginger cat called "Dizzy" (for obvious reasons), so of course, I had to go with that colourscheme.  The papers are from Nitwit "Some Assembly Required", and these are very useful generally for male projects.  It's quite a simple layout, so I just used some card candy, and a computer generated sentiment to complete the card.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
http://foreverfriendschallengeblog.blogspot.com/: use an animal and a sentiment
http://www.southerngirlschallenge.blogspot.com/: one for the boys
http://cardsformen.blogspot.com/: make us laugh
http://craftybootschallenges.blogspot.com/: use an animal

Thank you so much for visiting my blog, and viewing my card.  If  you leave me a comment I'll know you dropped by, and I can pop by your blog too, and see what lovely projects you've posted in blogland.

xx Jill

another "back to school" card

This card was for our eldest grandson Connor, who is eleven, and has just started his new school at Waingels College. He looks so grown up in his new uniform, especially as he's almost as tall as me now! He loves the new school, and all the classes and activities, and it seems to suit him much better than Primary School, as he's got loads of housepoints already. Even the homework's getting done without too much moaning, and it gives him time to go on his beloved Wii games!

The image is from LOTV and is coloured with copic markers, and the cardstock is coredinations.  The graphic images are downloaded, and the stars are punched out.  This counts as a quick and easy card for me as it only took about an hour, instead of the three hours I usually take, faffing and fiddling!

Thank you very much for coming to visit - I really appreciate the coments you leave, and I promise I'll pop around to your blog too.
 
xx Jill

vintage image for birthday card

This is another Kanban decoupage image which I found at the Ally Pally show last weekend.  (Bit of a bargain as I bought four Christmassy ones and got two Deco-style free).  I bought some of the new Christmas papers: Authentique and MME, which I'd like to sit and stroke for a little while before I have to cut into them, and have palpitations. 

I'm very fond of turqoise backgrounds and this decoupage came with matching background paper.  As this was teamed with teal and apricot on the image, I decided I quite liked this colour combination, although it's not one I would choose normally.  This card is for Carol's birthday (Bruce's mum) which was yesterday.   Carol is known to our grandchildren as Nanny Seaside, and she's a lovely, warm person,  known for her practicality and common sense.  (Guess what? She lives near the sea!)

I had to add some flowers of course:  you know me, I can't do CAS.  I start off with good intentions, but what looks elegant and minimal on other people's work, just looks sparse and boring on mine.  Don't know the answer to this conundrum!

The open flowers and leaves are from a Marianne die I bought recently from Oyster stamps, and the sentiment is computer generated.  The cardstock is pearlised, which I used to use a lot, but I tend now to use plain coredinations.  The roses are WOC (smothered in glimmer mist), which I altered slightly with my copic markers, and the organza ones are the last of my Prima stash in that colour.  I will really cry when they are all gone: I have quite a few of the flat flowers left in most colours, but only a couple of purple and green ones left in the organza, and then they're all gone.  I'm going to try cutting some out from organza fabric with a soldering iron, and see how that works, as the only place I've found that still sells these readymade, is in the States, and the postage costs are prohibitive (I was quoted about £30:  aaaargh!!!).  I always use copics to edge my leaves and card-stock too, and although you can't see it, I know when I haven't done it, as the edges show white.

I'll be entering the following challenges:
http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - birthday card
http://paper-craftingjourney.blogspot.com/ - die-cuts and punches
http://inkyimpressionschallenges.blogspot.com/ die cuts or punches
http://deepoceanchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - happy birthday
http://diecuttindivas.blogspot.com/ - vintage

Thanks a lot for stopping by to visit my blog.  It's a real pleasure to know you've come, so please post a comment below, and I'll come to visit your blog too.  Mr Blogger still isn't showing my followers, so thank you so much if you are one - I just won't know about it - so sad!!  Off to copic class tonight with the lovely Wendy from Stamps and Memories - a whole evening of playing with markers - what fun!!

xx Jill

Happy birthday dear friend

I don't usually use die-cut decoupage, but I fell in love with this Kanban set of Matryoska dolls while I was on holiday.  I adore these little nesting dolls, and we bought several sets while we were in Prague at the Christmas Market three years ago, as well as some beautiful very expensive Bohemian glass.  I have fond memories of the hot apple punch with Calvados too, and the divine hot chocolate from Odkolek, but less fond memories of the potato dumplings, cabbage soup and the strangest Tesco EVER!!

The Kanban set came with some matching pale green flowered card, and some tags, so it really was a quick simple card.  I added some check paper and paper lace, with some coredinations pink cardstock, and coloured the jade green flowers and punched leaves with copics.  The pink ones are from my stash.  A few little pearls and gems coloured pink with my copic markers, and hey presto - all done!  The inside, (which I forgot to take a picture of) is decorated to match.

Thanks so much for coming to visit my blog, and if you leave me a comment I'll know you've been, and will come over to your blog too and have a nice nosey around!

xx Jill

off to school

Our third grandson, Tristan, who is four and a quarter, started school on Monday and this is the card I made to wish him luck.  His first couple of days were not very happy I'm afraid, as his friends from Nursery were put into different groups, which was quite upsetting for all concerned, but he seems to be better settled now.  He's such a little chap, and his school trousers (age 3) drown him, but he seems to like his school uniform, and especially having a packed lunch at school!





















This is a LOTV image, and the papers are downloads: Sweet Shoppe "lliela" school papers, which come with extra images to layer and decoupage, as shown in the picture below, which shows one of the inside pages of the card.




















The stars from gold and blue cardstock are cut with an ancient Bigz Sizzix die, which I've always found really useful, and the circle and scalloped circle dies are some original Nesties that have done me proud over the years, and are still going strong.  Do they ever wear out?

I'd like to enter this card for the following challenges:
Craft us Crazy (last one for a while) http://craftuscrazy.blogspot.com/: school theme
Divas by Design http://divasbydesignchallenge.blogspot.com/: back to school
Clear it Out http://clearitoutchallenge.blogspot.com/: school days
Cupcake Crafts http://www.cupcakecraftchallenges.blogspot.com/ : back to school
Victorine Stamps: http://www.vostamps.blogspot.com/: primary colours
Paper Sundaes http://papersundaes.blogspot.com/: decorate inside of card

Thanks so much for visiting my blog.  I always appreciate this, and for any comments you would like to leave. I'd like to come and visit your blog too: I always love to see what other folk have been up to!

xx Jill

A series of September birthdays (number 1)

Hi everyone
It's good to be back to work, and to be back to Mr Blogger, after quite a long rest.

Our lovely daughter Melanie, was 40 on Saturday, so I used my favourite ballerina Tilda image for her easel card.

The beautiful background paper is Melissa Francis "Fifth Avenue", which I spied in Dunelm Mill, and snapped up.  There is music, damask papers, ballerinas and all sorts of gorgeous goodies, so this may be my new best paper for a while.

It was quite difficult to match the shabby feel on the image, leaves and flowers with my copic markers, and I ran out of one colour mid-leaf, so had to improvise by tipping the nib of one colour on to the other!  (If you look very carefully, one of the turquoise leaves isn't quite the same colour as the others, but that's being REALLY picky: yep, that's me!)

I have added glitter to the paper edges, and have glimmered and shimmered the flowers and leaves, which are a mix of WOC, and some silk flowers from my stash.  I've now run out of the white tiny daisies (coloured pink here), which I usually get at Farnborough, and I can't find them online, so if anyone knows where I can get them, please let me know.  Thanks!






















The die-cut tag on the base of the card is one of the newer Nesties, which I got from Oyster Crafts, which have an excellent mail-order service.  The die-cut around the image is one of the Nestie labels, which I like very much and use a lot.

I plan to enter this card for the following challenges:
Anything Goes challenge: http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com/ - shabby chic
Everybody Art: http://everybody-art-challenge.blogspot.com/ - flowers
Ladybug Crafts: http://ladybugscraftsinkchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - flowers
Shopping our Stash: http://shoppingourstash.blogspot.com/ - shabby chic
Crafty Boots (new challenge): http://craftybootschallenges.blogspot.com/ - anything goes
Die cut Dreams: http://diecutdreams.blogspot.com/ - at least 5 flowers
Pile it On: http://pileitonchallenge.blogspot.com/ - lots of layers
Pink Gem designs: http://pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - colour inspiration
Crafty Purple Frog: http://craftypurplefrogchallenges.blogspot.com/ - birthdays
Crafting for all Seasons: http://craftingforallseasons.blogspot.com/ - birthdays

Phew! Do I think that's the lot?  Thanks so much for coming to visit my blog - I really appreciate this.  I'd love to come and visit your blog too, so if you leave me a comment, I'll be along to have a nosey around. 
xx Jill

new baby card

29th July 2011
Just a quick addition to this post to say that I won a top three award at: http://pattiescreationschallenge.blogspot.com/.  I was really thrilled at this, as although I only ever make cards in my own style (including the commissions I get!), it's very nice when someone else likes the card too.  xx Jill

So sorry I haven't posted anything on my blog for a couple of weeks, but with being so very busy with Louise's show, nothing else got done. I have to tackle the dreaded h**s*w**k over the next few days and do some packing before we go away, but just time to add this card, and possibly Joe's birthday card too.

This easel card was for my step grand-daughter, which I forgot to add to my blog last month. I used Spring Breeze paper from First Edition, which has a lovely glazed finish, and coloured the beautiful WOJ image with copic markers. Quite an unusual combination of colours for me to use,: coral, mint and brown, and although the papers are really pretty, I'm not sure the colour scheme works in the copics or the flowers as well as I'd hoped.

 I love these Elizabeth Bell stamps, and I'm quite sorry she doesn't do any single stamps for WOJ any more: just a rubber plate every so often. I used coredinations plain card as usual, which you can get froThe Range in 6x6 packs or from A Maze of Memories in South Oxfordshire in 12x12 sheets. If you've not come across them before, their range of plain cardstock is extraordinary, but quite a trek to get them! I tend to only go if I'm going up that way anyway, as it's a bit far to make a special trip, so I take some dps with me and stock up with loads of colours to match. The fancy tag, and the die cut shape around the image are Nesties, and the die-cut corners are from a very old, (but very useful) Cuttlebug set.

 

The flowers are a combination of WOC and some silk flowers from my stash, all coloured with copics to match. The leaves are an MS punch from Sir Stampalot, which I use time and time again.

I'm entering the following challenges with this card:
http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com/  - add a flower
http://www.thehousethatstampsbuilt.com/ - use glitter
http://scrappyfrogschallenge.blogspot.com/ - flowers
http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com/ - anything goes
http://pattiescreationschallenge.blogspot.com/ - glitter or bling

Thanks so much for visiting my blog, and for all the comments you leave - I really enjoy reading them all.  Have fun!! 

xx Jill

sympathy card

This is a sympathy card for a friend, whose father lost his battle against cancer last week.  I know that the survival rates are higher nowadays, but this horrible disease affects a third of the population, and with everyone living longer, that figure is set to rise.  Let's all pray for a real breakthrough soon, so that the lives of sufferers and their friends and families can be changed for the better.

The decoupage is a freebie on the Craftsuprint website, and caught my eye immediately I saw it.  I printed it out several times to create more layers, and added some little pearls from The Hobby House.  I very rarely use peel-off sentiments, but I just needed something very simple and discreet, and it seemed to be right. 

Again no flowers or glitter, (just checking to see whether I have a fever or not) so I plan to make up for it with the next card!  I found some gorgeous Petaloo velvet flowers at the Newbury show (and no! they weren't a bargain), which are scrummy and vintagey (which probably isn't a real word, but you know what I mean) and very strokeable, so I'm looking for the right occasion to use those, with some delicious cream guipure lace, which I also found at the show.  They look quite suitable for a wedding, so I'm debating with myself about when to use them up.  I have a bit of a tendency to take out my favourite things, stroke them and coo over them, and put them back unused: I think I'm just a collector of beautiful craft items, but I expect most of us are really!

Thanks so much for visiting  my blog, and for any comments you leave.  You will notice that all my followers have disappeared from my side-bar, which I've tried to rectify with no success.  There seem to be plenty of others with the same problem, so I'm hoping Mr Blogger will get this sorted out soon.  Please still join as a follower if you would like too, as it shows up on my dashboard, and if I know you've left a comment I will come over and visit your blog too.  xx Jill