Lilac and aqua

Woo-hoo, didn't think I was going to get time to make a card today but managed to squeeze one in!

 

Susie and Vikki want to see 'lilac and aqua' this week over at Sassy Designs, I made it on time for this one!! I'm also joining in with:

• A Spoon Full of Sugar - Distress inks (or other), pearls and glitter - I had to use other!
• Flutter by Wednesday - Fairy, angel or butterfly
• Sketch Saturday - Sketch

Here's a close up to show the glitter

 

Sorry about the angle, it was so hard to get the sparkle to show up even though I went outside to take this as it's so overcast here today.

The papers I've used here may look familiar - our lovely Vikki gave all of us at DCD a kit a few weeks ago to make a project and these papers were in but in a different colour combo. It reminded me that I had these hidden away. They were in fact the first 12x12 papers I ever bought - how about that? And this is the first time I've used them too.

Right I'd better get myself back downstairs, family tea tonight and then back up here to start packaging up all the goodies from my ebay sales. Be sure to hop over to my Stampin' Up! blog later this evening, there's a fab offer about to appear that you don't want to miss out on!

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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One for the boys

I'm so late posting today, just haven't had time to get myself sorted!

 

I've made a boys birthday card with this image of Max which was given to me by the lovely Susie. I never have enough boys cards in my stash so when I saw a challenge to make one I figured it would be sensible to join in! 

 

These are the challenges I'm joining in with:

• Roses on Paper - A card for a boy
• Copic Colour Challenge - YG03, Y17, C7
• Truly Scrumptious - Sketch and birthday
• My Graphico - Chipboard

I got these papers in some candy from Steph and the chipboard I've had in a kit for so long it's untrue! Have to say it made a nice change to make a blokey card.

Before I go, if you want to grab a bargain, my stash items on ebay are due to finish tomorrow. You can view them all here.

Hugs
Victoria
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Bath time Fynn and candy

Meet bath time Fynn

He's new this month at the Digi Stamp Boutique, he's so cute and reminds me of my little bubba Blake who always looks this happy at bath time.

 

I'm joining in with a few challenges:

• The Pink Elephant - Sketch
• Everybody Art - Easel card
• Quixotic - One for the boys
• Cute Card Thursday - Ribbon tastic
• C.R.A.F.T. - Ribbons and sparkle

I've had these papers for so long, I think I thought I was saving them to do some scrapbook pages of my boys but I haven't got round to that yet. I did a spot of paper piecing for the bath and added loads of glitter and glitter ribbon for sparkle. I found the perfect coloured button in my stash too.

Sorry I'm late posting today - I'm so tired, Zac has decided at 26 months old to start waking in the night and refuses to go back to sleep unless we stay with him so I've had one night on the sofa with him from 2am and last night I ended up on a camp bed in his room. I can't believe we're going to have to do sleep training with him again - in the middle of the night. He's waking Blake up too so it's all good fun here! I shouldn't complainm we're lucky to have them, but I need sleep!

By the way if you fancy your chances at a fabulous bit of candy, hop on over to The Digi Stamp Blog for a go - but be quick!

 

Hugs
Victoria
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I'm bringing messy back

I've made two projects today, a card and a matching gift card holder:

 

The card is based on this weeks sketch at Sweet Sketch Wednesday.

 

The sweet images were part of a RAK from the very lovely Mrs Sugar. I chose my colour combo based on the latest challenge at Colour Create. The optional extra is to use silver and hearts, luckily there's a heart on theimage but to be on the safe side I've added hearts inside the gift card holder and chose patterned paper with hearts on too. I only have a little silver and that's the gorgeous metallic filigree brads - one on the card and a larger one on the gift card holder. Which works well for Cute Card Thursday as their theme is 'metal mania'.

Here's the gift card holder:

I've used the larger filigree brad as a closure to wrap the ribbon around to keep the card holder shut. Project Tuesday set the challenge to make a gift card holder this week and there's a link to a fabulous tutorial - they're so easy to make!

And here's the inside (with my Tesco clubcard in!!

 

And finally on to the mess. My desk that it. No scrap that, my entire craft room is a mess. I prepped for my Stampin' Up! classes at the weekend, dumped the stuff back in there and have made several projects since without so much as a sniff of putting anything away. So for once you can oggle my stash and know I'm no Bree Van Der Kamp when it comes to house keeping!

Please hop over to Stamping Ground to join in with 'what's on your work desk Wednesday' and see some much tidier spaces than mine!

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 Easter Challenge time at Die Cut Dreams

This week at Die Cut Dreams our theme is 'Easter', so get your eggstra special projects created and you could be in with an eggsciting chance of winning some Easter themed goodies! Check out the rest of the Design Team Creations, they're eggstremely good.

Here are my creations:

 

I used the cute bunny Anya to make an acetate bag and matching card. 

I've never made an acetate bag before and have wanted to try it for a while now.

 

And just in case you can't see the stitching in the blue ribbon:

I'm joining in with these fab challenges:

• Stamp with Fun - stitching
• Tuesday Morning Sketches - Sketch (and I'm too late to enter but need to credit the sketch anyway)
• Fun with shapes - Spots
• Anyone for Anya - Something completely different (acetate bag)
• Our Creative Corner - Try a new technique (acetate bag!)
• Passion for ProMarkers - buttons and bows

I enjoyed making this so much I made another one which I'll pop on my Stampin' Up! blog in a mo. Can't wait to see what you make for our Easter challenge.
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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Get Well Soon

 

I've made this card for my Mum, I spoke to her today and she has a chest infection. So I thought I'd make her a big card and post it to her in Spain full of photos of the boys to cheer her up.

 

I'm going to join in with these challenges:

• Sketch and stash - sketch and used my new Emma image too
• Quixotic - Something for Mum
• La-La Land - Red
• Stampavie - Get well soon
• Secret Crafter - Something for Mum
• Allsorts - A tag a ticket or a label

I had another 'exciting news about your lotto ticket' email again this morning. That's two weeks on the row. Last week it was to tell me I'd won £10 so this morning, I'm thinking, well I'm due for a big win then. £2. Yes just £2 - on the dream number. What a let down. No new stash or car or anything for us just yet! We also woke up to 3 inches of snow, it's nearly all melted now but we dashed out just in case this morning and did the weekly shop! Apparently there's more to come, groan.

Have a fab week.
Hugs
Victoria
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Happy Birthday Ellie and more ebay

I made this card for my niece Ellie who has just turned three.

I've used the lovely new Isabella image from the Digi Stamp Boutique. Ellie loves pink (just like me lol!) so thought this would be just right for her.

I'm joining in with a few challenges!

• Digital Tuesday - All things girlie
• A Spoon Full of Sugar - Spring is in the air
• Simon Says - 3 types of embellishments, 2 patterned papers, 1 image (I used brads, fowers and ribbon)
• Fab n Funky - It's childish
• PaperPlay - A birthday card for someone special
• Dare u to digi - Use punches (I used circle and scalloped circle punches)
• Frosted designs - Use a star (it's subtle but it's on her wand!)
• Sketch Saturday - Sketch

I love the pretty colours in this one and the ribbon was a bonus as it was used to wrap some sweeties I bought to use in a gift box.

I said yesterday that me and Zac were going to bake some bread rolls for lunch with my parents, it was fun and I thought I'd share a pic with you:

 

 Before I go, I've done round two of putting loads of my stash on ebay. You can see it all here if you fancy a bid for a bargain!

Hugs

Victoria

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Get Well Soon

This fortnight our challenge at Creative Card Crew has been chosen by Claire and the theme is 'Get Well Soon'. Here' my Design Team Creation:

Yes it's a hangover kit! I thought this would be a good birthday kit for my father in law as he's off on holiday in March to celebrate! I used an old bit of acrylic food packaging (I never throw anything like this away) and filled it with a coffee sachet, some paracetamol, chewing gum, sugar and a mini bar of chocolate. Wrapped it all in a bit of red card, some blue stitched ribbon and Nurse Anya! Please check out the other fabulous design team creations, you'll get some great ideas.

I'm also joining in with these challenges:

• SophistiCat - Stitching
• La-La Land - No designer paper
• Charisma Cardz - Male, something for the boys
• Stampin' B's - Red, white and blue
• Crazy 4 Challenges - Red
• Saturday Spotlight - Use a household item (hope my packaging and all the contents count!)

Well so far it's a gorgeous sunny day and my parents are coming to visit. I've dosed myself up with paracetamol and have some fab soup for us for lunch. Me and Zac are about to bake some cheese and chive wholemeal rolls to go with it - yum. No pancakes for pudding though, saving those for tonight!

Happy Pancake day!
Hugs
Victoria
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Die Cut Dreams DT Kit

We have a fab recipe challenge over at Die Cut Dreams this week for you. We want you to use:

• 3 different patterned papers
• 2 different ribbons
• 2 flowers
• added option of using gems

The design team were all lukcy enough to be given this fab kit by Vikki to work with.

The lucky winner of this weeks challenge will win one of these kits too. So see what the rest of the DT have made to inspire you and in the meantime, here's my creation:

 

I decided to decorate a gift bag. I didn't photograph it very well so here's a close up:

 

I used the feather colouring technique again (I love it!) and added loads of glitter and used shimmery plain card to compliment it too. I'm joining in with these challenges:

• Fussy and Fancy - Dazzle us
• Create 4 Fun - Sketch
• Crafty Angels - Fantastic flowers
• The Pink Elephant - Ribbon

Please also pop over to my other blog Blue Jelly Stampin to see my Cupcake Craft Design Team card this week.

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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Owl love

I have got to invest in a daylight bulb for my evening photos! Anyway, I made this one using one of the new images from the Digi Stamp Boutique - Love Owls. Perfect for valentines day.

 

I'm popping this in for these challenges:

• Create 4 Fun - Sketch
• My Graphico - Olive green, brown and pink
• My Time to Craft - Hearts and kisses
• Stamp Something - Cute Somethings
• Daring Cardmakers - Have a heart
• Everybody Art - Valentine

Love these little flock coated heart brads. Oh and I wrote the sentiment by hand too - brave eh?
Hugs
Victoria
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Caught a bug

I made this card using a freebie digi image 'caught a bug' from the Digi Stamp Boutique.

It even comes with the sentiment! I used the sketch from this weeks challenge at Get Sketchy.

Going to catch up on my blog hopping tonight, I was too tired last night, sorry!
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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Toddler Love

This week at Die Cut Dreams our theme is 'Have a heart'. We were given some fab digi images to work with and I made this card and treat set for my two year old son Zac to give to his best friend Aimee for Valentine's day! Please check out the other design team creations, they're fab.

 

Here's a photo of just the card:

 

I'm joining in with these challenges:

• The Pink Elephant - Mushy, gushy valentine
• Stamp with fun - Hearts
• Papertake - Love actually
• A Spoon Full of Sugar - Sketch
• Passion for ProMarkers - All creatures great and small
• La-La Land - Hearts
• Simon Says - Photo inspiration
• Paperplay - Love notes (Hi ladies!!)
• The Treehouse - Red, pink and white
• Pile it on - To the one you love

I got the ribbon free last year with a magazine and this is the first chance I've had to use it! I've had to hide this project too, I'm really in the mood for chocolate and I'd be too tempted to open it up and eat the contents. Maybe I should go and eat some fruit to fill myself up!

Hugs
Victoria
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One for the guys

This week at Cupcake Craft Challenge our theme is 'Red and white all over'. Some of the design team have used digi images from this weeks sponsor. Here's mine!

 

The rest of the Design Team have come up with some fab creations - take a look.  We also say Bye bye to Tammy this week so as it's Tammy's theme, we're hoping for lots of entries to send her off in style. Catherine has been our GDT for the last couple of weeks and we're lucky to have her join us full time now - yey!

I'm joining a few challenges for a change!

• Our Creative Corner - Masculine valentine
• Rosie-D's - Just for men

I'll be back later with my DT project for Die Cut Dreams.
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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Feather blending technique

Ooh it feels good to be back crafting and blogging even if I still feel all snuffly and can't stop coughing! I've made this card today and I'm really pleased with it.

 

I'm joining in with these challenges:

• Club Anya - Sketch
• Fab n Funky - Emboss it
• Colour Create -  Soft pink, soft blue, white and silver
• Copic Creations - Feather blending technique

Here's the whole card:

 

I'd never heard of feather blending before and now I know what it is, it's blending two colours together to meet in the middle. I've tried it out on her skirt. There are links to some tutorials on the Copic Creations blog. 

Here you can see it a little better:

 

I did try it out on scrap card before I started on the image as I don't have an oval die this size, the oval and scalloped oval were both gifts off the lovely Susie Sugar.  I shaded her in after positioning her on the oval using my stampa-ma-jig so I didn't go iver the edge or something daft! Then added oodles of glitter and some sparkle gems for flower centres. 

I embossed the scalloped oval and the soft blue plain card to give it some texture. Finally added some silver glittery ribbon and some gorgeous filigree brads by Stampin' Up!:

 

I'll definately be using the technique again as I really love the effect it creates. I probably need to practice more anyway! 

If you loved the Valentines treat box I made yesterday, I've created a photo tutorial and you can see it here.

Thanks

Victoria

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