Anything Goes!

Hello all and it's Friday again - and this week has flown by at super-fast speed!  And our French exchange student arrives tomorrow to stay with us for a week so wish me luck lol! So more house-tidying, changing beds, shopping, etc., to do before then - apart from going to work! Hey ho!  But it's a great experience for our son to have a French boy stay with us (and then our son heads off to Lyon to stay with his family in March!) - at least, I hope it'll be a good experience....!

Anyway, it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz - and a nice easy one this week for everyone - 'Anything Goes'.  I've used an image from one of our sponsors this week, Digi Darla

I've coloured the image with copics and promarkers. The backing paper is from K&Co, with some added stitching and ribbon from stash. The sentiment tag is from LOTV and the flower dies are Spellbinders with some little button centres

Quite a simple layout - but bright colours! Perhaps what we need on grey and rainy days! 

Do have a look at the fantastic inspiration from the CraftyCatz team - they do some great creations every week! - and then join in with us.

Have a great weekend - whatever you have planned! I'll let you know how our visitor gets on lol! 

Au Revoir! 

 Kim x 

Scary white paper....!

Hello all and I hope your week is going well? I can't believe it's Tuesday evening already - I'm not quite sure what happened to the last few days as I blinked and then it skipped from Friday to Tuesday..... Sigh.  I just seem to be so busy with different things at the moment that the time is flying by - but then again, I'd probably moan and be bored if things were quiet and time was dragging lol!

Tomorrow is my husband Colin's birthday (although he insists he stopped counting them quite a few years ago!) so I thought I'd share the card I'd made for him. He isn't one for 'fussy and fancy' although he likes them on the 'girly' cards!  So I've gone for clean and simple - and boy, is it a scary place...?! I start to have a mild panic when I see all that white paper lol!  I was lucky enough to win a challenge recently on Mo's Digital challenge and so picked a couple of new digis for my prize and when I saw this cute little guy I just couldn't resist - especially when I saw that he was called Colin!

I've coloured him with a mix of copics and promarkers

Then simply added some stitching (I'm finding the top stitch thread from Gutermann really makes a difference when stitching on cards - from sewandso.co.uk or the ribbon girls). The bakers twine is from stash and then I've added sentiment tags using LOTV stamps with some metal eyelets.

So it's VERY clean and simple - I'm just hoping it's not TOO simple! 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. I'll be busy getting ready for our French exchange student who's arriving on Saturday for a week - and a quick word to whoever's got the weather controls to please turn off the "Rain" button for a few days (it's a wonder we've not all got webbed feet....)

Back soon,

Kim x 

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

Bunny Zoe's - stitching

Creative Creations - less is more

Ooh la la - a Man card

Dream Valley - no designer paper

Cutie Pie challenge - cute and blue

Monochrome

Hello all and I hope that your week has been a good one - and that you have something nice planned for the weekend? Thank you for all the lovely comments on my knitting efforts - even if my son did laugh and say "What do you want a knitted rabbit for?".....  They just don't understand!

Anyway, as it's Friday it's time for a new challenge over at CraftyCatz and this week our lovely Naomi has challenged us with creating in "Monochrome".  Now, I don't do this very often and then when I do make a monochrome card I wonder why I don't do it more often lol!  It's such an effective look with some images and gives a great effect.  We're sponsored this week by Delicious Doodles and I've used one of their images for my card

I decided to use sepia/brown monochrome and so printed the image with sepia tones, and some distress inks on the edges. The backing papers are from Basic Grey with some brads, twill ribbon and button from stash.

So do pop over to CraftyCatz and have a look at the great inspiration from the Design Team and then join us with your monochrome creations.

Back soon,

Kim x 

Meet Primrose!

Hello all! How's your week going?  Don't seem to have had a minute this week - constant stream of jobs at home, appointments and things to do - not to mention actually going to work as well!  I'm sorely in need of some therapeutic crafting time and am determined to fit some in this weekend (in between doing some decorating and laundry....!).  And to add to the pantomime, Tilly the Dog went to see Uncle James (the vet) this morning - she's got sore paws and he said that she's got a deep-seated infection in the dew claws (which is why I keep finding little spots and smears of blood - lovely!).  So antibiotics for a week, and I'm supposed to bathe her feet in salt water every day (should be fun trying to do that!) and put some cream on as well and stop her immediately licking it off (easier said than done!).  So, the "Cone of Shame" will have to come out once more to be put on for 10 minutes or so each time she has the cream on.  That should thoroughly freak the cat out.....  Sigh.

But, as I mentioned the other day, I've been enjoying doing some knitting of an evening and finished our latest addition to the pet family (and thankfully one that's clean, quiet, doesn't need walking or visits to the vet!)
Meet Primrose...

There is a fabulous site for the most gorgeous toy knitting patterns (and wonderful pics and ideas) here at Mary Jane's Tearoom.  Even if you don't like knitting, I'd still recommend a visit!  But I got my download pattern from there - and have now got another couple so am keen to start on another cute make! 

It's the first time I've knitted a toy (I've done the odd jumper for the children or crocheted blankets - that's one of them in the background of the photo) but I really enjoyed making Primrose. I'm not sure I've got the features quite right on her face, but she does look a bit better in real life (perhaps she's like me and doesn't like having her photo taken lol!).

Anyway, hope you don't mind me sharing the pics - and do pay a visit to Mary Jane's Tearoom if you like all things pretty!

Back soon,

Kim x 

Catch a fallin' star!

Hello all - how's your weekend going? Hope you've enjoyed it up to now!  Just all the usual jobs for me - but I'm determined to squeeze in some crafting time today as well.  I've been busy knitting in an evening just lately - and been quite enjoying it!  I think winter evenings are designed for craft projects lol.  I'll share the results of my efforts with you soon - I'm nearly finished!  I'd crocheted a small throw for my daughter - she wanted one for her bed.  But then thought I'd try some knitting as I haven't really done any for a while.

Anyway, I promise I won't do a long waffling post today!  I thought I'd try something different today so I made a centre stepper card - following instructions from lovely blogger Sue Bearhouse and I've used a Tilda stamp that needed to see some ink (I think I've only used it once or twice - and it's so nice to colour!)

I've coloured Tilda with copics and added some Stickles

The papers are from LOTV, as are the sentiment tags. I've added some stitching, a doily flower from DooHickey with a pearl brad centre. The star flourish is from Joanna Sheen, and there is a 'precious heart' from Memory Box.

Hope you like it! 

And I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Back soon,

Kim x 

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

Tilda's Town - anything goes

Magnolia-licious Challenge - celebrations

SpeedyFox & Friends - centre stepper card

Just Us Girls - colour challenge

Brown Sugar - anything goes

Moving along with the times - girly cards

A fairy to brighten a January Day!

Good morning all and hope that your week has been a good one - and that you have something nice ahead for the weekend (even if it's just to relax a bit!). Just a quick post from me with no lingering waffle (you'll be pleased to know!) - to tell you there is a great new challenge over at CraftyCatz!  And this week our lovely Anna has challenged us to use a 'Fairy' to give us something magical through the dark days of January!

I've used 'On tiptoes' from LOTV, coloured with copics and some Stickles on the wings.

The papers are from LOTV.  I've used Joanna Sheen dies for the leaves, butterfly and dragonfly and Tonic punch for the flowers.  Some lace from stash and some pearl drops to finish off. 

Do have a look at the gorgeous fairies that the Design Team have produced over at CraftyCatz and then join us with your magical creations.

Back soon,

Kim x 

For a rugby fan!

Hello all and I hope that your week has been going well? I'm not sure where the days vanish to sometimes, they just fly by!  Thank you for all your lovely comments on my creations - and about our forthcoming French visitor lol!  We've managed to get my son's room thoroughly tidied (and he's under a severe threat of violence not to get it messed up again!) so just a few more bits to do!

A colleague asked if I could make an 18th birthday card for her son who loves his rugby - so I came up with this!

The digi stamp is from Just Inklined and I've coloured it with copics and promarkers.  

I've used coredinations card with some stitching for the background and a sentiment printed on the computer. The charm and ribbon are from stash.  I've added some die cut stars using the Joanna Sheen starry flourish (but cut up!).

Thankfully my colleague was very pleased with the result - which is what matters!  I just hope her son likes it too! 

Apologies for not getting round to visit in Blogland - and I will make an effort over the next couple of evenings to try and get round to see all your lovely creations! 

Back soon,

Kim x 

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

Cardz 4 guyz - birthday

Bunny Zoes - stitching

Crazy Challenge - cards for men

Dream Valley challenge - boys/men