grand-daughter's 10th birthday card

It was our beautiful grand-daughter, Beth's 10th birthday on Tuesday, so I made this card for her using Magnolia stamps.    She's keen on horse-riding, and is a delightful, gentle child, loved by everyone who knows her.

I found the Kanban background card in Hobbycraft (25% off too, which was a bonus!).  I cut out all the stamped images, adding a few punched flowers too with pearl centres.  Colouring the image always takes time, but adding the cutting out made it twice as long!!  Plain cardstock is Coredinations from A Maze of Memories.

The stamps are Tilda's Brunte horse; Tilda with halter; and gate with flowers, which I got from the lovely people at Sir Stampalot, who are very efficient and always have quick delivery times.  I coloured the stamping with copic markers from Wendy at Stamps and Memories, and put everything onto little foam stickers - only 1mm though as I didn't want everything to stick out too much.  I'm not sure that the perspective's quite right, as the figures don't look grounded, but as my husband says: "these little people have no noses or mouths - why are you worried about perspective?"

Did you notice there's no glitter on this card?  I need to go and lie down in a darkened room I think: I must be sickening for something!

Thanks so much for reading my blog.  I'll be away for a week, and then busy with Regional Finals, so won't be doing much blogging.  Please leave me a comment and I'll come and visit when I've got a moment.

xx Jill

favourite colour combo

I was very chuffed to make the top three in Cards for Men at the beginning of the month with my diy bear card.  what a nice surprise when I came back from my holiday!

Just returned from sunny Portugal where we had a fantastic time with great weather - 28 degrees on Monday and a bit too hot - but I'm really not complaining!!  I'd forgotten that I hadn't posted this card on my blog, which was for Melanie and family, so here goes!

This is a WOJ stamp from last year's Spring sheet "Birdie Love", designed by Elizabeth Bell, and is coloured with copic markers from Wendy at Stamps and Memories.  The design paper is from Prima "Sparkling Spring", and these papers come in some very yummy colours, including one of my favourite colour combos, pink and aqua.

The ribbon and bow are from the FF Spring ribbon collection, and the flowers are a mix of WOC and Prima, which have been coloured with copics to match the Bazzill cardstock.  There is Glimmer Mist (from
Jill at the Hobby House) on the flowers, and a little Stickles glitter glue.  Quite a simple layout so that the corners of the paper would show.

Tip: I've had a couple of queries about the pearly punched leaves, but they are really very simple!  I don't use pearlised card at all, as it clogs the punches, and doesn't come in the colours I need to match my card.  I usually colour some white pearl paper with two mid shades of copic markers, by scribbling them randomly over the paper and then using a paler shade to blend them together.  Then I use an MS/ Nellie's branch or leaf punch to cut out the leaves.  They only need a little Extra Tacky glue to hold them on the card.

I've got more into the copic markers and I tend to use them for all sorts of things, like colouring whole flowers and card edges.  Thanks to Wendy and her inspiring teaching, I've become a bit more confident with my copic markers, so I've recently begun to add a little matching colour to backing papers, ribbons, colouring white flowers and adding colour inside the centre of roses, just to tie up the whole colour scheme together, as shown in the pic above. Whatever next?  Watch this space, as I'm going on the "Next Step" copic course at the end of June, so you may just find out after that!

I am entering the following challenges:
http://everybody-art-challenge.blogspot.com/ - flowers
http://toptiptuesday.blogspot.com/ - flower frenzy
http://dreamvalleychallenges.blogspot.com/ - flowers
http://crazy4challenges.blogspot.com/ - lots of flowers
http://paperplaychallenges.blogspot.com/ - show your style

A very warm welcome to my new followers, and grateful thanks to all those who regularly visit my blog - it's a pleasure to know you're around!  Please leave me a comment I'll try and pop over to your blog when I have a moment.  xx Jill

daughter's birthday card

A bithday card for our dear daughter, Louise, who has her birthday today.  I can't believe our baby girl is thirty-eight!!  Where have all those years gone?

This image is "Shy Willow" and they are from an old stamp set by Elizabeth Bell for Whiff of Joy, (also strawberries and sentiment).  I'm quite fond of the red and orange combination and have used it quite a lot in the past.  The papers are from my stash, the image and strawberries are coloured with copic markers, and the flowers are a mix of WOC and Prima.  The leaves are punched with a Nellie's paper punch, and are much closer in colour to Willow's apron irl, than it appears on the photo.

We're off to sunny Portugal tomorrow, so no more cards posted for about ten days.  We can only take one case as we're flying Easyjet, and we can't afford the second mortgage it would need to take an extra case or the cost of excess baggage. Only 20 kilos too, so a very mean allowance! No more bringing back lots of goodies from the market. Sigh!!

I always appreciate it if you leave me a comment, and I can then visit your blog too!  Many thanks for coming to call.  xx Jill B

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