Thank you boy

Yesterday I had a fab time with my Dad and Step Mum. If you're reading thank you!!! I gave them a handful of thank you cards to take home with them to give out to family for birthday presents for Blake and other gifts the boys have been lucky enough to receive. This is one I made for Zac's cousin Alex because Alex always gives Zac some clothes or DVDs and he even gave him his Thomas the Tank Engine scooter!! So here's a thank you card for Alex:

I've used the Thank You boy image from the Digi Stamp Boutique and coloured him with ProMarkers and Copics. The papers are from my stash and I think are Doodlebug and the brads were lurking in a drawer somewhere too!

I love this image, there's a Thank You girl one available too. I'm joining in with:

• Papertake - 3-2-1 (3 brads, 2 die cuts, 1 image)
• Totally Gorjuss - Star
• Rosie Dees - Male card (it's also their last challenge so please join in)

 Well, I'd better go and make my boys some breakfast now before they start shouting at me!

Hugs
Victoria
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Summer Treat

Mmmmm mmmm don't you just love ice-creams piled high like this:

This is the scrummy new 'Summer Treat' from the Digi Stamp Boutique. I've coloured mine with Copics and used one piece of patterned paper by DCWV for my background. The sentiment is by Stampin' Up! and I punched out three strawberries to make my embellishments. My sentiment got squashed as Blake climbed up and grabbed it after I'd cut it out - monkey!!


I'm joining in with a couple of challenges:

• Cute Card Thursday - Anything goes
• Stamp Something - photo inspiration (I chose strawberries, cream and chocolate!)

Have a fab weekend
Hugs
Victoria
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Cute and girly

This fortnight at Creative Card Crew our challenge is 'Cute and Girly'. We have a huge design team now with loads of projects to inspire you. Here's mine:

The DT were all given digi images to use and I thought this one looked lovely against a plain white background. I've shaded her in green and lilac and added loads of glitter. Then punched the edge of the card and added a patterned strip inside to show through. I matched it up on the other side with a coordinating piece of paper and a lime green ribbon.

I'm joining in with:

• Pollycraft - Fit for a princess
• Papertake - White and bright

I'm on a mad dash to bring the washing in as it looks like it's about to start raining!
Hugs
Victoria
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Get out your gingham

This week at Die Cut Dreams we have a fabulous challenge to use gingham on your projects. We also have some new Design Team members with loads of creative ideas to inspire you so please take a look at their work. Here's mine:

I've used a CC Design stamp and shaded her with ProMarkers and done some paper piecing on her dress and the butterfly too. The papers are DCWV and are from a stack I haven't used in ages.

I apologise for the short post, but I forgot to blog this today and now I can barely keep my eyes open!! I'd better be quick and join in with:

• Passion for ProMarkers - Green
• Creative Friday - Things with wings
• Pile it on - Butterflies, bugs and bees

Hugs
Victoria
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Life's a beach

How hot? Very apt that our challenge this week at Die Cut Dreams is 'life's a beach'. So let's see your seaside themed projects! The Design Team have come up with some fabulous projects this week to inspire you, here's mine:

I've used one of the new CC designs stamps, I just love the cute rubber ring she's sat in. I've shaded her with Copics and cut her out to sit her on my seaside scene. I tore up a piece of patterned paper and then stamped a bucket with a towel and sunglasses off another CCs stamp and cut it out. The shell came off a scrapbook page I'd made that I wasn't keen on so at least it's been put to good use now! I've had the metal framed sentiments for ages and I'd planned to use them on scrap book layouts, but I just don't get the time to scrap these days. I'm joining in with:

• Cute Card Thursday - Reuse, recycle, renew
• Paperplay - It's sunny here
• Stampin Bs - Summer fun
• Pile it on - Fold it, bake it, do something with it (I tore it!)
• Rosie-D's - Summer Birthdays

Hope you're enjoying the good weather, I spent the afternoon cowering under a kiddie gazebo with Blake in his stroller and Zac in the paddling pool!
Hugs
Victoria
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An easel frog

Our challenge this fortnight at Creative Card Crew is to make an easel card. We all used digi images on ours, but you can use anything you like. Here's mine:

I've used this cute image Beach Baby Jayne which was a freebie on the Whimsy site, just love her. Went for one of my favourite colour combos of pink and green and coloured her with Copics. I've had this patterned paper for ages and not sure if I've used it before or not. The ribbon was in one of my ribbon drawers and the button is by Doodlebug.

The sentiment is by Stampin' Up! as are the oval punches used. I'm going to join in with:

• Everybody Art - Pink and green
• ABC - Weather

Please hop over and check out the fabulous creations the other Design Team members have made to inspire you. Also we say goodbye to Paula this week who has decided to step down from both running and being on the Design Team and welcome Janna as the new Chief of the Crew!

Hugs
Victoria
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Birdie Sing Song

Apologies for my absence, Blake has been my focus this week. We took him to the Doctors for the fourth time yesterday evening. The little man has managed to hold fluids down for 24 hours now so I really, really hope this time he's on the mend.

Right, I've been having a play with another of the new images from the DigiStamp Boutique, this time with Birdie Sing -song, one of the images in the offer of the month:

Not sure about this one to be honest, I think the image needs stronger colours so I might have another go and create something a bit brighter! I've shaded the image with copics and sponged the background with SU inks. All other products are Stampin' Up! I'm going to join in with:

• Lots to do - Birds / wings
• Just Us Girls - Digi
• Colour Create - Pale pink, pale blue and something soft (ribbon) - not really entering as I'm on the DT!!!!
• Truly Scrumptious - Sketch and gingham or checks

Have a fab weekend
Hugs
Victoria
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Nutty Wednesday

Phew - Blake seems to be on the mend, he's had watered down milk today without being sick after a night on Dioralyte. So being as he's actually sleeping soundly, I'm doing some evening crafting! It's Wednesday so that means it's WOYWW over with Julia at Stamping Ground and here's my desk as it right now!

Hmm so what do we have? A glass of wine which I've just moved to show you the gorgeous coaster my friend Sue sent me for my Birthday (belated but very gorgeous), some images to be coloured, some velcro dots that need putting away and some stamps that need cleaning - shhh - don't tell anyone I didn't clean them immediately!


Next up is a card. I'm a little late in announcing this but I'm chuffed to bits to say that after being a GDT over at Digistamp Boutique, Sally-Anne has asked me to join her team full time! This is my first creation using Woody who is one of the images available in this months offer set.

I've probably made Woody feel a bit camp using all the pretty flowers and pink but I've never got round to using this paper and I thought it would be cute with the image! I've shaded Woody with Copics (during wine so forgive my slips!) and sponged the background with SU inks and a dauber.

I printed the sentiment on the PC and punched some flowers using a SU punch with the matching papers. I'm going to join in with:

• Sweet Sketch Wednesday - Sketch
• Copic Creations - Animals
• Pile it on - Quirky

OK, I'd better tidy up and get everything back in it's place in case I get to sneak back up here tomorrow too!
Hugs
Victoria
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April Showers bring May flowers

That's our theme this fortnight at Creative Card Crew set by the lovely Linda. Here's my creation:

I made my own patterned paper by rolling over plain pink and regal rose card with a jumboWhimsy wheel in chocolate chip. I've distressed the edges and daubed over more chocate chip too. The metal tag has been in my stash for so long and I finally opened the bag to make this - so maybe I'll use mroe of them now! The little love charm is attached with some linen thread.

Once I'd coloured the cute image, I added some chocolate spots using a coordinating Marker and then cut her out and popped her on some dimensionals. Have a look what the rest of the Design Team have created, there's some fab stuff there to inspire you and please join in, we love to visit and see what you've created.

I'm joining in with:

• Everybody art - Song title 'Singing in the rain'
• Quixotic - Make a splash
• CRAFT - Pink and brown
• Stamp Something - Charmed something
• Secret Crafter - Distressing
• One Stop Crafts - Metallic
• Anyone for Anya - Sketch
• Chorrosive - Charms

Well it's another beautiful Spring morning so I forsee playing in the garden with the boys for the remainder of my morning!

Hugs
Victoria
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Maxwell and balloon

I made this card yesterday afternoon ready to share today, this is using Maxwell again from the Digi Stamp Boutique - this time with a balloon:

Some challenges inspired this card, firstly the sketch which is from I love promarkers, I sketches which result in me making uncluttered cards and this worked for me. Next an unusual challenge from Passion for ProMarkers to make your own background. I actually headed to the Letraset website for this and found a really good tutorial that suited my style! So the striped paper behind Maxwell is the one I decorated myself by drawing stripes with both the thin and fat ends and adding some dots too.

Digital Tuesday challenge asked for paper piecing and a digi image so I've paper pieced Maxwells tummy and his balloon in lovely Stampin' Up! papers. I used the same paper for the background.

My colours came from the Color Throwdown challenge blog, not my usual colours at all but I like the result! I printed the sentiment and the ribbon is from my stash.

Thank you sooo much for all the well wishes for my Dad yesterday. I spoke to my Step Mum last night and his operation went well and he's in the high dependancy unit for 24 hours for now. Hopefully she will get to see and speak to him today, soI'll wait for my phonecall later on.

Hugs
Victoria
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Meet Marty

He's brand new today at the Digi Stamp Boutique and you can get him here. This is Marty Mouse with flowers:

I've shaded him in purple and turquoise following this week's challenge at C.R.A.F.T. I've had the ribbon for ages in my stash and decided this card was loud enough to take it!! Stampavie are looking to see friendship cards and Charisma Cardz have an animal magic challenge going on.

I followed the sketch over at The Sweetest Thing as I figured Marty was a sweet little fella! You can get Marty on his own or as part of a special offer of the month. Back with more soon!

Hugs
Victoria
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Late Cupcake

Oops I'm a day late posting! This week at Cupcake Craft Challenge our theme is 'Flower Power'. 

As always you can make anything you like this week as long as we see lots of flowers on your cards...it can be through images...design papers...embellies...or anything else you may think of...we're pretty sure you will rock this theme and the DT are standing by ready to come and visit your blogs! The design team have provided plenty of inspiration this week and if you want to find out how they made their cards you can click on their names in the sidebar on the Cupcake Craft Blog to go directly to their individual blogs...they would love for you to leave a comment on their blogs to show your appreciation for their work! Here's mine:

I've used Claudia Cow digi image from Digital Delights and created the sentiment on the PC. I chose this image as it had plenty of flowers in it and matche dit up with some very funky floral black and white papers.

I'm joining in with these challenges:

• Stamp with fun - Spring
• Secret Crafter - Shades of grey
• Pile it on - One colour
• Crafty Calendar - Flower power
• Crafty Creations - One Colour
• Creative Craft - Thanks a bunch

It's lovely and sunny again today, I'm expecting a few deliveries today so I have my fingers crossed they arrive this morning so I can take the boys to the 'inbetweenies' play session this afternoon. They have a great outdoor play area and Zac can play safely whilst I look after Blake.

Hugs
Victoria
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Double embossing

This fortnight at Bee Crafty our challenge is 'Embossing'. We want to see your embossed creations and of course a digi image too. The design team have come up with some fab ideas and some great tips too so please take a look at their creations. We also have to say goodbye to the very lovely Elaine who sadly has had to step down due to other commitments, so sorry to see you go Elaine. Here's my embossed creation:

 

I found a technique new to me called double embossing over at The Cuttlebug Spot, if you haven't tried it before, it's certainly worth a go and there's a fab tutorial over there too. I used 'Seated Bunny', I absolutely love this little fella, his expression does it for me!

 

I'm joining in with these challenges too:

• Sophisticat - Embossing
• Passion for ProMarkers - Tulip yellow, baby pink and stitching
• My Time To Craft - In the frame
• Cuttlebug Challenge - Stitch it
• Secret Crafter - Stitching
• Saturday Spotlight - Clean and simple

I followed some tips from the rest of the design team on faux stitching from our last challenge for this one as I wasn't overly pleased with my 'shabby chic' look last time! I used a matt pad this time to pierce the holes neatly and then drew in the stitches with a white gel pen. I also added some stitched ribbon over some plain grosgrain ribbon - just to be sure! I kept seated bunny plain and simple with just the two colours and then rounded off all the corners to match the embossed frame.

Can't wait to see what you create.
Hugs
Victoria
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A recipe for Emma

 

This week at All That Scraps Challenge there is a recipe to follow of  4 embellishments, 3 papers, 2 colours and 1 image.

And I thought it would be easy lol!

 

I chose pink and orange for my colours and this cute Emma stamp as she's so versatile to use. I picked my three patterned papers and did some paper piecing on the image and used one for the background of the card too. My embellishments are all from a Stampin' Up! Petal Party scrap kit - the spotty paper ribbon sticker, the 2 heart stickers and the flower sticker. It was sooooooooo hard to not stick a bow on or a button or gems or anything butI managed to resist!

Have a great day

Hugs

Victoria

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It's Cupcake Craft Challenge time again

Morning everyone, this is my first post today, there'll be another one later on. It's time for another new challenge at Cupcake and this week our theme is 'Friends'. You can make anything you like as long as we can see 'friends' or 'frienship' in your creations. I've made a cute friends card with a bit of a spring theme.

 

This is my first ever joy fold card and I quite like the way it works. I've used two really sweet Spring images from the Digi Stamp Boutique and the sentiment inside reads 'tweet friends always'.

I'm joining in quite a few challenges with this one:

• Kaboodle - Fancy folds
• Papertake - Ginham or checks
• Project Tuesday - Joy fold card
• ABC - O for one piece of paper (hope I got this right to use one piece of patterned paper?)
• Stamp Something - A touch of spring
• Dare you to digi stamp - Use your punches
• If the Shoe Fits - Mad for plaid
• Rosie D's - Friendship
• Corrosive - Wings

I used one piece of 12x12 paper cut up and some plain card for the card base and layers. The three punches are by Stampin' Up! and I printed the sentiments on the PC.

Please check out the other Design Team creations over at Cupcake, they're fab anmd we have a great sponsor this week too!

Hugs
Victoria
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Alota pink, brown and cream

D'you know I've had this stamp a long time and never even mounted it. I didn't have any foam left so I just popped it on an acrylic block with a it of stick glue! Worked OK.

The cream flowers were a candy prize I won off Steph and the beautiful pink flower is one of Michele's creations that I bought off her.

I thought this would all be lovelt and floral with the paper, the image and the 3-D flowers too. I did some faux stitching around the edges to compliment the stitching on the ribbon.

Joining in with these challenges:

• Roses on Paper - Pink, Chocolate and Cream
• Sassy Designs - Hearts and flowers (the heart's not obvious, it's the love between the couple!)
• Alphabet Challenge - Pink
• Get Sketchy - Sketch
• Pile it on - Let us see flowers
• Corrosive - Sew it up

Well Happy Valentine's Day to you, I'm off now for a glass of wine and a snuggle with hubby on the sofa.
Hugs
Victoria
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Shabby Chic

Our current challenge at Bee Crafty is 'Sew Cute'. We want to see sewing, real or faux on your creations and to use at least one digi element too. Now those who know me know that I used to be good at sewing, but now....no so. See what I did there?

I've used Whimsical Girl Heart Garden image and shaded her to match these scrummy papers I've had for so long and never used. I'm slowly working my way through all my stash! I decided to go for a shabby chic look as I know I can't sew straight and thought that would be a good excuse to play about with some of the fancy stitches on my machine too.

The line across the image is a couple of strands of linen thread that I zig-zag stitched over to hold it in place. My tip other than just have a go is to lightly glue everything down before sewing. I'm joining in with these challenges:

• Inspirational - Sketch 53
• Fab n Funky - Shabby Chic
• Sassy Designs - Hearts and flowers (not too late for this one ladies lol!!)
• C.R.A.F.T. - Digi colouring
• Polka Doodles - Hearts and flowers (my hearts are my flowers)
• Our Creative Corner - Something old that's new (that'll be my patterned papers)

I've had one of those days today, I woke up feeling lousy but begged my hubby to take me to the Paper Mill Shop as the one near me is closing in a few weeks. We got there and the shelves were empty! I couldn't even spend my £10 voucher. More tuts than an episode of Skippy!

Hugs
Victoria
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Introducing Shelly

I've printed off loads of images by Sally-Ann from the Digi Stamp Boutique and am enjoying working my way through them. This is Shelly with Cupcake, I love her to bits.

 

I'm popping her in for these challenges:

• Crafty Angels - My favourite colours or personality (I went with pink and aqua)
• Digital Tuesday - All about the animals
• Sketch Saturday - Ria's sketch

I had another go at the feathering colouring technique:

 

Right, off to attempt to do some sewing on a project I'm working on for the weekend! As you know me and sewing are not good friends these days so I could be facing certain disaster here.

Hugs

Victoria

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Meet Mungo

Meet Mungo, he's one of the fab new digi stamps available at the Digi Stamp Boutique.

 

I made this card following the sketch at Our Creative Corner. I've had this paper for ages and never used it so finally it's seen the light of day!

 

I'm more of a cat person but I do like this little fella and I love his name too!

This afternoon I have a lady from SANDs coming to visit and to collect all the cards you guys sent in for the, to sell on and raise funds to set up new groups. I added around 300 cards myself so I hope she has plenty of space in her car. There are eight boxes full! I'll let you know any feedback I get back from the chairty.

Have a fab day.

Hugs

Victoria

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Airy Fairy

Oooh Blogger seems to be in a bit of a mood at the moment, it's taken me ages to load these photos on!
Still, they're on and that's all that matters. I've been in the mood for colouring in today and here's one of my creations:

 

I'm joining in with these challenges:

• Truly Scrumptious - Sketch, buttons and bow
• Crafty Angels - Buttons
• My Time To Craft - Fairy folk
• Quixotic - I believe in fairies
• Flutterby Wednesday - Fairy
• Allsorts - Get distressed with buttons and a bow
• Kraftin' Kimmie - Rip it up

I think this image is so cute and chose my colours based on the patterned papers which I thought looked quite distressed already. Even so, I shredded and tore around the edges of most of the card and paper to give it a distressed look without getting myself messy with inks. I lurve using buttons and ribbon.

I stamped the sentiment which I didn't know I had! It was in with my stamps but I swear I've never seen it before! My Dad rang today to re-arrange out cancelled visit earlier this week because of me and the boys having germs. Zac's better now so just the smallest one and me to get sorted.

Enjoy what's left of Sunday.
Hugs
Victoria
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