DT Call over at CraftyCatz!

Good afternoon all and hope that your Monday is going well!  Just a quick posting here with news of a DT Call over at CraftyCatz.  I joined their DT a few months ago (my first design team 'job'!) and it's been great fun.  But it's now time to add a few more to our team, so here's what my teamie Carol has to say:

DT CALL

Good Morning bloggers

Do you wish you were part of a Friendly Happy Design Team, Have you ever thought of  applying for a DT then thought  Mmmm  no chance, well go for it ladies and gents.

We are planning to increase our team now and again after Christmas as there is going to be a few different things going on in the New Year

BUT

There is a few things we would want back

1. Able to commit to a card every week (please don't over commit yourself  take on board what you already have to do)

2. Spend extra time during the week  hopping from blog to blog leaving comments (You will be allocated set No's)

3. Able to use digi images (Some of our sponsor will supply digi images to use)

4. Write up a chosen  challenge and schedule it ready for the weekly post on Crafty Catz (Everyone takes their turn)

5. Have fun and make new cyper friends along the way!

Now we would like you to do a special card just for us using the sketch below, 

when you have made your card do a post showing your creation on your blog telling peeps about the DT call  and then come and leave us a comment on this post so we can pop round to your blog for a quick sneak peak.

The DT call will close 10 days time Wed 19th Sept at 10p.m..  

then we can chose our new teamies by the weekend 22/23rd Sept 

Lucking forward to seeing your DT creations

x Carol x

Faith, Hope and Love

Good morning all! Just a quickie post from me today - the sun is shining and we have a busy day today in our (very full!) household!  It's our son's 14th birthday today - and he's just emerging from his pit! I can't believe my 'baby' is now 14! Where does the time go? It only seems last month he was a little toddler and now he towers over me! His friend stayed over last night as a few of us went out for a 'birthday tea'! So I think I'll be required in the kitchen soon to provide bacon butties, toast, etc!  And our daughter & her boyfriend are heading off to Lanzarote today for a week's holiday - so dad is on taxi duty to the airport in a couple of hours! Then I'll be hurrying the boys along to get ready for a football match this afternoon! Oh joy!

So, today's card was made using a gorgeous digi stamp from Bugaboo - I just loved the wording and image on this!

I've coloured the roses and leaves with promarkers, with some chalking to soften the edges of the image.  

The backing paper is from Teresa Collins - just love these papers and I've nearly finished them - sob! - so I'll have to see if I can find some more!  And then some coredinations card for matting and layering. 

 The flowers are from WOC - and I've used an ivory wild rose but sprayed it with Cosmic Shimmer mists. I do like to do that with some flowers as it gives a lovely subtle 'sheen' to them.  The leaves were done with Spellbinders 'Fall Foliage' die set, some gorgeous leaves on there and I can see it will come in quite useful, particularly for 'seasonal' style cards.  And then just added a Marianne die swirl. 

So a fairly simple card really, but I was quite pleased with it! But I do love the aqua/teal colours.  And I just love the wording on this stamp - so true. 

So, have a good Sunday whatever you're doing. I'd better head to the kitchen and start feeding hungry teenagers!

Back soon, Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Clearly Inspired - leaves

Inspire me Fridays - anything goes

ATCs and cards with attitude - anything goes

Crafty Anns - monochrome (aqua)

Shellys Images - anything goes

Butterflies, Buttons & Bows

Yes, it's me again! As it's Friday it's time for a new challenge over at Totally Papercrafts!  There were some great interpretations of the sketch last week - and congrats to the winner!  This week the lovely Carol has chosen 'Butterflies, Buttons & Bows' as the theme - and I'm sure you'll find plenty to do with that one!

We're sponsored this week by

so definitely worth entering!

My creation for this challenge is

I used the lovely Wild Rose Studio stamp 'Feeding Birds' - and used some of my favourite pastel pinks and blues!  

I've coloured the stamp with promarkers.  The backing papers are from the lovely NitWit pads from LOTV, with some coredinations card.  I've used the arboscello tree die from Memory Box and the Marianne butterfly die.  The button & gems were from my stash, as is the blue lace, and the sheer ribbon is from Joanna Sheen.  

A typical 'girly' card from me then! 

So I hope you can catch a few butterflies and join in with us this week at Totally Papercrafts! 

Back soon, Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

DigiStamps4Joy - colours of spring

My Mums Craft Shop - anything goes

Deep Ocean Challenge - things with wings

Ribbon Carousel - beautiful bows

Christmas Candle!

Good morning and hope that you're looking forward to the weekend?  Quite a busy weekend for us coming up as it's our son Jack's 14th birthday on Sunday, we're out for a 'birthday tea' tomorrow night and he's also got a football match on Sunday afternoon!  And we also have the added mayhem of our daughter Lauren going on holiday abroad with her boyfriend on Sunday - this will be their first holiday abroad together (they've been together nearly 2 1/2 years!) - and they're excited but a bit apprehensive about the airport, checking in, etc.! So my husband is taking them to the airport on Sunday afternoon - after the chaos of all the packing, etc., on Saturday! I'll be looking forward to Monday for a rest!

But less of my family-life waffle!  As it's Friday that means it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz!  There were some great entries last week in the 3-2-1 challenge - and congratulations to our winner! This week the lovely Suzie has chosen 'Christmas' as our theme - so time to get festive everyone!  The prize this week is sponsored by

and the winner can pick 3 packs of die cuts!

There are so many lovely Christmas stamps about - with more being launched all the time! - but I picked one I already had from LOTV (you might have guessed lol!) - and apologies, it's yet another 'red&green' Christmas card!

This stamp is called 'Christmas Candle' - and she is gorgeous! I just love that snuggly looking coat & hood! 

I've actually coloured the green coat with copics - yes, I finally bought a few pens to try, so still practicing and learning! I do like the brush tip though, but perhaps my blending technique could do with some more practice!  I've used promarkers for the other colours, with some added glitter on her hood, for the snow and around the candle flame - shame it doesn't show up better on the photo! 

The sentiment is also from LOTV and stamped onto kraft card. 

The cute little poinsettias were made with a Marianne die, and the fir branch is from Spellbinders 'Fall Foliage'.  The snowflake backing paper is from LOTV - Krafty Christmas. 

I've used a Tonic border punch on the red & green, with a red satin ribbon & a 'parcel' button. 

Hope you like it! So do dig out the tinsel & glitter and join in this week at CraftyCatz!

Back soon, Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges :-

Inky Impressions - anything goes

Simon Says Stamp - use a stamp (no digi)

Anything Goes Challenge - Christmas

Creative Card Crew - Christmas

Papertake Weekly - anything goes

Skater Boy!

Good morning all and hope that your week is going well? It's another lovely morning here - typical that the sun shines more now that the schools have all started back! My youngest has soon got back into routine - sort of! - although turfing him out of his pit at 7am is a bit of a challenge.  Despite his moans though, I'm sure he's enjoying being back at school. He goes to an all boys school and after being at home for such a long summer break (not to mention having 3 older sisters!), I'm sure he enjoys all the male company!

And speaking of teenage boys, that's what the theme of today's card is!  One of my son Jack's closest friends celebrated his 14th Birthday on Tuesday (and it's Jack's 14th on Sunday!).  Jack and Niall have been best friends since they started school at 4 years old, and although they now go to different senior schools they have remained best friends and spend most holidays and weekends at one another's houses.  In fact, we call Niall our 'other son'! They seem to spend a lot of their time together either on the computer, playing football or on skateboards (and building ramps, etc., down the drive! sigh!) - hence this card!

When I saw this image on Mo's digital stamps it just seemed a great idea! 

I coloured the digi with promarkers, and distressed the edges of all the papers.  As these teenage boys are definitely NOT pink & fluffy, I've kept the layout fairly simple, with just basic embellishments and a bit of a grungy look.  The backing papers are from Basic Grey and American Crafts, with some added stitching.  The sentiment stamp was a freebie with a magazine (and has proved quite useful!), stamped onto kraft card. I added a couple of brown brads, some larger pewter coloured brads and some bakers twine and decided to restrain myself from adding anything else! 

I was quite pleased with the effect - this is about as CAS as I think I can be lol!

and the inside decorated to match! 

Thanks for visiting - hope you like the 'boy' card! 

And I'll be back tomorrow with some great new challenges from CraftyCatz and Totally Papercrafts, so do pop in while you're surfing through Blogland! 

Back soon, Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Creative Craft Challenges2 - all about the boys

Crafty Sentiments - male card

Our Daily Bread Designs - you leave me in stitches

Through the craft door - anything goes

Hooked on Craft - male card

Teddy Present!

Good morning! Yes, another post from me - that's three days on the trot! How keen am I?
It's just a quick post from me today as I'm off to work, hubby's at work as usual, Jack's back at school and Lauren's heading off to Manchester for the day with her friend for some shopping & lunch (alright for some!).  So I'm going to have a very sulky Tilly the Dog today when I get back from work - that after weeks of nearly always having someone here, she'll have been left on her own with just the grumpy cat for company! And the one thing that our hound craves more than anything (even doggy treats!) is company! So I'll have to do the extra-long doggy walks this evening and lots of fussing to compensate!

Today's card uses a lovely teddy stamp from LOTV (do they make any other sort?) - Patchwork Teddy.

I saw the challenge over at Lili's Little Fairies for 'Anything but a square' and decided to take up the challenge. I don't have a large die cutting machine, just a basic and much used BigShot, so any different shape was going to be self-made! Now considering my scissor skills I didn't particularly fancy cutting a large circle, and didn't have any circle shaped cards, so thought that perhaps I could manage a hexagon shape - and here is the result! 

I've coloured the image with promarkers and pencils.  The backing papers are from the lush new Nitwit paper pads at LOTV - ooh these are scrummy, particularly if you like making girly cards like I do! 

I've used Marianne heart & swirl die cuts, and the leaves are using a new set of Spellbinder dies - 'Fall Foliage' - that I recently treated myself to!  The flowers are from WOC, as is the cute heart charm. The sheer ribbon is from Joanna Sheen and the pearly heart from my stash. 

So definitely a 'pink & girly' card - yet again! But I do enjoy adding all the embellishments! I don't think I'll ever manage 'clean and simple' lol! 

Anyway, hope that your day goes well.  I look forward to hearing all my son's tales of how his first day as a Year 9 boy went - and admiring all my daughter's purchases! 

And thank you for all the lovely comments I've been receiving - they mean so much! 

Back soon, Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Lilis Little Fairies - anything but a square

Wild Orchid Challenge - layers

My Little Tree

Good morning all and hope that your Sunday morning has dawned bright & cheerful! Not here I'm afraid, a bit grey and overcast - but if it stays dry that's ok!  In fact I'm hoping it stays reasonably dry purely to reduce the amount of mud that will be clinging to my son Jack when he returns from his football match this afternoon!  I'm never quite sure how he does it, but whatever sport he's playing he always seems to get filthy! And whoever had the bright idea to make teenage boys dress in WHITE for cricket should be made to wash my son's kit for a season! I did ask him if he just threw himself on the field just for the sake of it, but he assures me that it just happens when he's going for particularly good catches, etc. And I don't even want to think about the state his rugby kit would be in. Sometimes we couldn't even glimpse the boot under the caking of thick mud around it. Sigh.

So until it brightens up, and everyone else in the house has decided it's possibly time to get up, I thought I'd share a little Christmas card with you.  Yes, I know, another Christmas card! But as schools around here start back this week, I always use that as a reminder that I really should start making some of my Christmas cards.

This one features one of the gorgeous Christmas stamps from LOTV - 'My Little Tree' - and I love the expression of determination on that little face!

I wish I could draw like that, and achieve such character with just a few pen strokes! 

I've coloured him with promarkers and pencils, and had to add some glitter of course!

The edges of all the papers have been distressed with 'Tea Dye' distress inks. The kraft backing paper is from the lovely LOTV 'Krafty Christmas' pad, and the red patterned paper is from K&CO. 

I've added a punched snowflake and gingham ribbon from stash. The sentiment is from LOTV and the cute button is from a few packs of Buttons Galore christmassy buttons I picked up a while ago!

I was quite pleased with the card, but a bit disappointed in myself that I nearly always seem to use reds & greens on Christmas cards! Note to self: Must try to be more adventurous with colours! 

Anyway, hope you like it! Enjoy the rest of the day. I'll be back soon,

Kim x 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:-

Winter Wonderland - walking in a winter wonderland

QKR - anything goes

Fat Pages & cards with attitude - anything goes

Avadares - make it sparkle

A Gem of a Challenge - A boy thing

Sweet Stampin - inspired by a song ("Walking in a winter wonderland")

LadybugCrafts Challenge - anything goes