Dolly Mixtures

Red and pink Daring Card Makers Challenge

2012-02-04T13:17:00.000+01:00

Those talented ladies over at Daring Cardmakers must have valentines day in mind as the dare involves using a red and pink colour scheme.

I 'm not usually one for red (or lots of pink) but I made a start with some October Afternoon Papers, Rosy Posy background stamps from PTI and some Eline's Huis label stamps and didn't make just one...but four cards. Loved the red and pink, its a very romantic combination. It's starting to look a bit like spring has arrived! Pop over to the Daring Cardmakes site and have a look at the inspiration, then have a go yourself.

October Afternoon Farmhouse

2012-01-29T13:20:00.000+01:00

I am supposed to be getting on with so many other things but I am being mightily distracted by the paper pad I bought yesterday, Farmhouse by October Afternoon - so many lovely papers, so little time. Ginham, yellow and grey and pink, polka dots, botanical images...it's got the lot! Here's what I've made so far. Mostly quite simple, but that's the way I like them!

Rejuvenated

2012-01-22T12:13:00.000+01:00

Good Morning! It has been a very long time since I last posted anything here and I have to say that my card making had ground to a halt over the christmas period and afterwards. My attic where I do all of my crafting was a disaster area, with stuff on every surface and no proper storage to put anything into. Having other things to do (reports for school!) is a great incentive for tackling the other jobs that I normally put off around the house and so I launched into sorting out my attic space last weekend. I made a trip to IKEA and bought some drawers and proceeded to spend Saturday and Sunday going through everything; getting rid of old unused tools and paper and sorting everything out. My back was aching from all the bending over and not a lot else got done. But now I have reclaimed my workspace and am inspired again. Reading the blog A bit East-Coast, I was inspired by Keisha Campbell's tags using gold embossing :

Another thing that has been inspiring me to make cards has been the arrival of the Rosy Posy stamps and dies from Papertrey Ink last week. I love the big cabbage rose stamps and the oak leaves, all very arts and craftsy. To make it even better the stamps made it through dutch Customs without any extra charges - unbelievable!

When tidying I'd found a set of Jenny Bowlin mini papers that I thought I'd lost. they have featured on most of these new cards and this one:

This last photo is just of some glassine bag packaging I wanted to try out. I've been seeing these used more and more in cardmaking and think they look really gorgeous.

I'm hoping this new spurt will continue. Have a great weekend.

Cake Pops and Little Houses

2011-11-19T17:07:00.000+01:00

My poor blog has been neglected for such a long time. Teaching and free time don't go very well together (unless it's the summer holidays!) I have been inspired by the Team at PTI, who have just realeases a new front door kit into making some little house cards. I haven't got the stamps but liked so many of the cards that i decided to have a go. Above are the two I liked best.

Since I first clapped eyes on them, I have been dying to try my hand at making cake pops. With Children in Need coming up and my class having a bake sale at school, I had just the excuse I needed to get down to it. I bought all of the necessaries and started to make pudsey bears....unfortunately I forgot to photgraph the final step with his spotty eye patch but you can get the idea. I have to say that they looked much better than they tasted (it's usually the other way around in the case of my baking). Two or three casualties sat in our kitchen for four days without being eaten by any of us; and that's saying something! I think it is the consistency I'm not keen on. If they were only made from balls of cake and not cake crumbs with icing added, I think they'd taste much better.

However they did look really cute and sold well ont the day.

DCM Challenge - Birds

2011-10-16T11:18:00.001+02:00

It's been a loooooooong time since I've posted anything.The first half term back at school and working in a new team and year group has left me precious little time for card making. But it's nearly half term and, in celebration, I've gone on a spree! The Daring Cardmaking Challenge this week was set by Rein - and what a popular one it seems to be! Who can resist birds on their cards - not me! So here are a couple of birdy cards made this weekend and some others to make up for my long absence. Enjoy the weekend and pop over to The Daring Carmaking site to see the fantastic Design Team's creations. And for a chance of winning some ribbon from The Ribbon Reel.

Collage Card

Papers: My Minds Eye, Basic Grey Journaling Card: American Crafts

Bird: Digital rub-on Urban Junque label Stamp: Eline's Huis Stamp: PIP studio

Bird Specimen Card

Stamps: 7 Gypsies

Folklore card

Paper: Basic Grey Floral Image: PIP Studio Stamp: Eline's Huis

Love in Grey and Pink

Tag Stamps: Eline's Huis

DCM Challenge - So Kawaii

2011-08-13T22:12:00.002+02:00

Leo set the dare this week over at Daring Cardmakers and what a great dare it is too - to make a card with a kawaii cute theme. Leo's images looked familiar - I have the very same digital kit from Kitchy Digitals and it is one of my favourites. I coated the cherries with a layer of Glossy Accents to make them look good enough to eat! The background paper is part of a freebie kit from Designer Digitals. To finish off I added a bit of white twill and a red gingham button. The design team have some fabulously cute cards to inspire...what are you waiting for?

Daring Cardmakers Challenge - Cute as a Button

2011-07-29T11:00:00.001+02:00

This week is Sharon's first dare - to create a card with button/s as a feature and not just as an extra embellishment. For someone like me who is a bit of a button addict this was a dare that was right up my street. I have had to cheat a little and dig out a card from a little while ago as I am on holiday this week with no access to my cardmaking things.

I made this card using digital paper from Vera Lim on craft card. It has a fold over front and a little pink vase of flowers made using my favourite vintage buttons. It is another simple design (seems like I say this every week) and I left the sentiment off for the meantime as I thought it could be used for so many different purposes that I'd wait until a suitable occasion came up before attaching one.

The design team have come up with many wonderful ways to let your buttons take centre stage. What will you create with your buttons?

This has been my last post as guest designer and I have had great fun working with such a wonderful group of fabulous cardmakers. Thank you to the design team for giving me this fantastic opportunity. Have a wonderful weekend.

Daring Cardmakers Challenge - Wish You Were Here!

2011-07-22T11:00:00.001+02:00

Good Morning ! It's Friday again and you know what that means....time for another challenge from the Daring Cardmakers. This week Lynda has set the challenge of making a summer holiday themed card under the title 'Wish you were here.' Your card can include anything associated with holidays - tents, postcards, beach themes, city breaks or caravans.

I fussed around with lots of vintage postcard ideas before finally settling on a caravan card. I wish I'd known about the template on Crafty Tmeplates before hand-drawing my own!

I wanted to keep it simple but just kept adding bits so I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with the end result. I do like the caravan though - it has probably done a fair bit of travelling over the front of a few cards and over this one to try to find the exact spot to place it!

Pop along to the daring Cardmakers and be inspired by the creations of the Design Team.

What do you imagine when you think summer? We'd love to see your interpretation.

DCM Challenge - Pinterest

2011-07-15T11:00:00.004+02:00

Well Nat set a very ~~pinteresting~~ interesting challenge this week - to make a card inspired by Pinterest. Pinterest is a virtual pinboard where you can keep all of the wonderfully inspiring ideas you see on the internet in one place in handy folders. There is just so much inspiration to be found there. The only problem is, that you can easily lose whole hours just browsing other people's pinboards. I finally plumped for this photo of a quilt while browsing doilies.

Source: Quilts and More Magazine

Here is my card based on the doily design using craft cardstock to mimic the caramel background. I stamped the images then embossed themusing white embossing powder, just using white ink didn't seem to get the depth of colour.
Visit the DCM blog for a wonderfully (p)inspired set of cards.

Daring Cardmakers Challenge - Suitcase.

2011-07-08T11:00:00.005+02:00

It's Friday again, and time for another date with the Daring Cardmakers. This week's dare is courtesy of Rein and involves making a card with a suitcase on it. There is a prize rollover his week - check out the prize from Crimson Cloud on the Daring Cardmakers blog.

The Design team have been as busy as ever and have come up with a whole array of gorgeous card to inspire you.

My card is inspired by vintage luggage. I've had those ribbon sliders for ever so it was good to finally use them. What kind of case will you put on your card?

DCM Challenge -July Flowers

2011-07-01T11:00:00.001+02:00

It's Friday again and the beginning of a brand new month - I can't quite believe it's July already!

The Daring Carmaker's challenge this week is to make a card featuring one of the flowers of July, the waterlily or the larkspur. I opted for the waterlily so that I could finally make use of this little frog that has been kicking around in my sticker tray. I made the lily leaf by cutting out a pice of green card with scalloped scissors and using a dark green copic marker to make the veins. I dug out bits of older papers to make the sky and water. Thanks to everyone at DaringCarmakers for the chance to participate as Guest Designer this month....hope I can rise to the challenge. Have a great weekend.

DCM Challenge - Something Old, Something New

2011-06-24T23:21:00.001+02:00

It's that time again - Lythan set the challenge at Daring Cardmakers this week. Her sister in law is getting married and, in her honour, Lythan has challenged us to make a card using "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue."

I have made a card for a colleague's upcoming wedding for the dare, keeping with the wedding theme.

Something old: Pom pom ribbon (had to actually dust this down before adding it!)

Frame (so old I've forgotten wher it came from but I know it was in a box of embellishments - Making Memories?)

Something new: Little letters

Something borrowed: Idea of putting everything into a frame

Something blue: Little butterfly and pearl

What will you put on your card? Hop on over to the Daring Carmakers and let the Design Team's creation inspire you.

Father's Day Options

2011-06-23T00:15:00.001+02:00

Got a bit carried away with shirt and tie cards for Father's Day. Loved combining shirt and tie combinations.

DCM Challenge - Rock and Roll

2011-06-17T12:00:00.000+02:00

This week's challenge over at Daring Cardmakers is to make a card that rocks. I've never tried to make a card with a rounded base before so it was good fun testing things out.In the end I went for the little baby boat card.

Have a look at the DT cards - it's great to see how everyone has interpreted the dare.

Have a great weekend.

Picnic Basket

2011-06-13T18:31:00.000+02:00

Just a quick card I made today inspired by this card by Nichole Heady of Papertrey Ink, in the countdown for this month's new stamp release.

I stamped the picnic basket repeatedly in Versamark to make the background. I stamped the flower image form the Vintage Pinic Basket set onto a piece of newsprint and then layered tha basket and napkin on top. Background papers are Simple Stories. Some stitching was added to the edge to finish off and a little flag sewn on for the sentiment. I inked the edges in white ink to soften the whole look.
Long weekend is now over...boo hoo!

DCM Challenge - Father Christmas

2011-06-11T12:46:00.001+02:00

Well, what can I say! Making christmas cards before December is something I have never even contemplated, in fact making them before mid December is usually unheard of in my house. So here we are, in the middle of June, and I am struggling to feel that Christmas vibe and make my card for Daring Cardmakers dare set by Jo featuring Father Christmas.

I decided to go digital, as to be honest, I am not someone with a big christmas crafting stash. and added some twine, buttons and ribbon to add some dimension. Check out the DT's cards, they are a treat to behold! And if you take part in the dare and meet the other conditions you could find yourself the lucky winner of this super prize...

from Crafty Emma's Store.

Card Details

Background Paper - Tracy Ann Designs Dots and Spots

Father Christmas Image - Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals

Month ticket - Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals

Notepaper - Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals

Tab and Sentence Strip - Catscrap

Baker's Twine - Ribbon Girl

DCM Challenge - A Few More Roses

2011-06-04T16:24:00.000+02:00

Just a few more cards I've been idling my time away on. Loved the roses challenge so much I decided to have nother go, this time making my own roses using a punch that was lying forgotten in my punch tray. Layered I thought that theyt looked a bit like the old briar roses. The other two cards are just for fun - I just had to use that bicycle sticker form the 5 and Dime set.Papers are mianly MME, Crarte Paper and Little Yellow Bicycle. Have a lovely weekend.

DCM Challenge - Flowers for June

2011-06-03T11:15:00.000+02:00

Happy Friday everyone! I don't have my usual "Thank goodness it's Friday feeling" because I have been on half term this week writing reports and they're not finished yet.... it's not easy when you're working on your laptop and have so many distractions just a click of a button away. Anyway, I had to reward myself with a few little breaks to make some cards for the Daring Cardmakers challenge. This week the Design Team set the challenge of making a card using the flowers for June - roses and honeysuckle. I have both growing side by side in my garden and I love the gorgeous smell in the evening. I concentrated on roses as I had much more to hand for that. I couldn't decide which card to run with, so here they all are.

I was browsing in a lovely little shop and came across a set of scraps (that's what we called them when I was growing up anyway) that I remembered from my own childhood. They were all little wedding pictures and I felt so nostalgic remembering days spent in the playground with a book fulll os scraps, swapping with my friends. This wedding set was always popular as I remember. I decided to use the little postman image delivering parcels, telegrams and......roses to the happy couple. I made a red felt rose and used some Crate Paper for the background, with a little valentines verse stamp from a set by Eline's Huis (a dutch make).

These two cards were made using the lovely chipboard from the 5 and Dime set and journalling cards from Little Yellow Bicycle Very simple, but I loved playing with these lovely fresh colours. Have a great Friday and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

DCM Challenge - A Passion For Fashion

2011-05-27T09:00:00.001+02:00

Zuzana set the dare this week - to make a card with a fashion theme. I must admit to finding this a bit of a challenge indeed as I'm no fashionista! I opted for a tailor's dummy and some swatches, buttons and a measuring tape.The dummy is cut from a Silhouette folder (some time ago when it was cutting properly!) and the button card is from Papertrey Ink. Swatches are Crate Paper and Pink Paisley.
Our only local fabric shop closed recently which was a sad day. The only good thing was that the buttons were all reduced, and of course I bought a few. (I could probably use a button on every card from now until the end of time without having to buy another).

Oh and I nearly forgot ...there aresome lovely imagine that stamps as prizes for this challenge. look for details on the DCM site for details.

Have a great Friday and a lovely weekend.

DCM Challenge - Chasing Cars

2011-05-21T13:40:00.000+02:00

Good Afternoon! It's a lovely day again here in the Netherlands after a pretty grey and rainy week. The challenge at the Daring Carmakers this week was from Samm and, I have to say, I loved it. The challenge was to create a card based on the lyrics of the song "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol. There were so many lovely lyrics that would be suitable for all sorts of sentiments, from anniversary, wedding and valentines cards to sympathy and sorry cards. The lyric that stood out to me was "Let's waste time..." (I'm very good at doing that!) I imagined lying on a picnic blanket in the sun, letting the cares of the world (my school reports - still to be written) just drift away.(If only!)

My card is a simple one, with cloud background paper, spotty red paper for the blanket (will check companies and edit later) and a picnic basket stamped from this Papertrey Ink set. The little radio I made up myself using little bits and bobs of stamps. I wasn't sure about the puffy fruit and heart stickers but I've added them anyway. The font is Little Days and is one of my favourites. If you haven't had a go yet, pop over to DCM and read the lyrics - you're sure to be inspired!

DCM Darling BUGS of May Challenge

2011-05-16T19:49:00.000+02:00

This week's challenge was set by Lynda at DCM, who dared us to add all sorts of creepy crawlies to our cards. I knew I had a set of stamps somewhere with insects on them so I set off to give it a go. I was inspired by a card made by Betsy Veldman who had embossed bees on her card.

I used gold embossing powder to create the dragon flies and to outline the strips of My Little Yellow Bicycle Paper which made up the background. There is also a strip of digital paper from Katie Pertiet at Designer Digitals on top. I used a ticket to add the sentiment and stapled on some ribbon to the tags.
Have you uploaded your entry yet?

Botanics

2011-05-15T23:28:00.001+02:00

I've been having a lovely weekend full of crafty bits and bobs. On Friday night I started making one of these embroidered pin cushions,

...and by Saturday lunch time I'd made four, they were just so addictive to make!

For a long time now I'd been wanting to find out how to make recycled newspaper plant pots. I found a good tutorial on line this morning and made a whole batch to plant up the basil and tomato plants that had been growing in the mini coldframe in the back garden. Isn't the internet a wonderful thing?

Papertrey ink introduced the last two stamps sets they will be adding to their collection this month and they were amazing. Garden Variety has a lovely vintage looking set of garen tools, gardening gloves, a watering can and a wonderful set of stamps to create some vintage seed packets. How I wish Papertrey Ink had a European distributor - I'd have sent off for that set right away. Instead I downloaded a seed packet

template and made my own, not quite as nice as the PTI team creations but I had fun. And just look at the mini Year of Flowers set too!

Big and Little Butterflies

2011-05-10T22:37:00.000+02:00

I've only spotted a few real butterflies around the garden so far this summer. I'm sure when our buddlia starts to bloom they will be all over the place. They are already all over my cards though - it must be something to do with the lovely summer weather we've been having here in the Netherlands.

It's funny how the Crate Paper background to this card blends in so well with the table I photographed it on! The buttons are cut from the same paper range using some new button dies (I'll give details later) and the background it Little Yellow Bicycle.

This card is waiting for a sentiment to be added - not sure what yet. Again the papers are mainly Crate Paper 6x6 pad. Have a good week.

DCM Challenge May Flowers

2011-05-07T12:21:00.001+02:00

Over at the Daring Card Makiers the challenge this week is to create a card using the official flower of May, Lily of the Valley...one of my favourites. It reminds me of my granny and perfumes and talcum powders from back in the late 60's and early 70's. When Papertrey Ink introduced their Year in Flowers range I had a huge quandry about which one to buy - the delicate sweet peas, the noble daffodil or.... all twelve were lovely. In the end I chose the Lily of the Valley for all the nostalgic reasons mentioned above and I'm not sorry I did. However, the PTI team are releasing a mini version of all twelve this month and I don't think I'll be able to resist getting all of those flower stamps in one set - heaven!

It is Mother's day this Sunday in the Netherlands. After scolding my boys last Sunday that they'd forgotten Mother's Day again, I found to my surprise that I was wrong and that Mothers day was a week later than I'd thought (blush with embarrassment). So here are my two DCM Challenge cards using Lily of the Valley images for Mothers Day. I coloured them using Twinkling H2Os and white gel pens. Thanks for visiting.

Butterfly Vintage Buttons

2011-05-01T13:39:00.000+02:00

Another card for today.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-01T10:44:00.001+02:00

I know there is a strong possibility that, despite many hints, my sons will have forgotten Mother's Day again. So, for all you other mums in the same position (surely I'm not the only one?) this card is for you.

I absolutley love the new My Little Bicycle Paper range - especially the one with the strips. The designs are so dainty and beautiful. I decided to push the boat out and make a coordinating envelope by adding a colourful sticker (job lot from Hema) and then stamping a comination of flowers and leaves. Having made my card, now I'm off to make myself some cupcakes. Have a great day!

Lost Mojo Found

2011-04-29T18:58:00.001+02:00

I haven't been satisfied with any of the cards I've been making recently. They have all been a bit samey and I've been lacking in any inspiration despite looking at cards from some fantastic cardmakers. Today I bought some new papers and a button die and I finally feel happy with what I've made. I love the birds from Little Yellow Bicycle and the Crate Paper floral strip. ~~Can't remember who designed the background paper~~ Background paper is from Pink Paisley .... I just love the colour combination of mustard yellow and grey. Only two days left before I return to work though, so cardmaking time is limited...I'd better make up for lost time!

School Holidays are Here!

2011-04-16T11:30:00.001+02:00

I'm on the first official day of the Easter Holidays and it feels fantastic. I'm celebrating with two spring like cards. Both are made using the Floral Fusion stamp set (must check) from Papertrey Ink. Enjoy your weekend.

Mad Hatters Tea Party and a Baby Boy Card.

2011-04-12T00:21:00.001+02:00

Had a lovely weekend out and about in the sunshine trying to get the garden into some kind of order after the winter.
When the sun had gone down it was off to the kitchen to make and decorate some cakes for a Mad Hatters Tea Party for a colleague whis leaving to have a baby.

And lastly a card , made for another colleague's bouncing new baby boy born 2 weeks ago!

Collaboration

2011-03-26T10:58:00.001+01:00

It's the weekend again! The weather here has been glorious all week with brilliant blue skies and sunshine. It is crisp and a little chilly but just beautiful.
Some time ago, a friend and colleague brought a collection of little woollen creations she'd made to show me with the thought that we could combine forces and make them into cards. Here are some of the final items. The little snail has a pin behind and can be worn afterwards as a brooch.

Altered Images

2011-03-13T13:19:00.000+01:00

A few more photos using photo textures from Lynn Grieveson at Designer Digitals and brush work.

Just a Quickie

2011-03-12T11:42:00.000+01:00

I've been playing around with the photo texture overlays from Designer Digitals this morning. I'd taken some photos of the miniature orchid flowers at the window and used them to tadd the textures and brushes too. Love the dreamy quality it gives an ordinary photo.
Before:

After:

Bumper Crop

2011-03-12T11:35:00.000+01:00

I received my long awaited parcel from Papertrey Ink on Thursday and have been having fun trying out the Lily of the Valley image. I love the Year of Flowers Series and couldn't make my mind up which of the flowers to choose, but in the end I opted for these lovely spring beauties. The quality of the images and sentiments are superb, so clear and precise from the first use. I wish they were available here in Europe.
Don't get me onto my high horse about the Dutch custom charges on goods from the US!

Anyway here's the trio of cards I made and some others I haven't had the chance to post recently. Have a great weekend.

Fairy Cake Obsession

2011-02-27T15:20:00.000+01:00

I've been doing a bit of baking recently to try to come up with the best fairy cake recipe. I'd love to learn how to decorate cakes using different icing techniques. I was really inspired by this book I bought over half term in the UK.

Here are the cakes I made last night...sadly they also have to be eaten! What a shame...she says wiping crumbs from around her mouth!)

Papertrey Ink 4th Anniversary

2011-02-06T14:44:00.000+01:00

Papertrey Ink are celebrating their 4th anniversary this week and today each of the stamp designers contributed a tag which is available to download on Capture the Moment blog. If you make a card using any of the tags (or just leave a comment on what your dream stamp set would include), you might win the opportunity to develop your dream stamp set alongside Nichole Heady. What a prize!
I chose the coloured tag from Dawn McVey for my first card. The colours in her tag were a perfect match for the Fine and Dandy Papers I love so much.

Thanks to Nichole and the designers for their generosity and inspiration.

Love is in the Air

2011-02-06T10:38:00.000+01:00

February is racing by - it'll be valentines day before you know it. It's been so long since I've posted here. I do check in every day, take a trip down my favourites and promise myself I'll post tomorrow. Pressure of work, bad light and general lethargy have got in the way, but I'm determined to update more regularly. Here are a couple of valentines cards I made last night, both very different - can't decide which style I prefer. Have a great Sunday.

Baby Penguin and A Few Cards

2010-11-07T15:03:00.000+01:00

First up is my baby penguin made from pompoms. I was so inspired by the work of Myko Bokec in a magazine that I picked up at Newark airport that I had to have a go at creating my own...nowhere near as cute as Myko's creations but still some fun to make. My class of 8 year olds are now keen to have a go too!

This is a very simple valentine/anniversary card. Not a lot to it but I like the simplicity of the design. It's not so fussy that it wouldn't be suitable to send to the man in your life.

I LOVE all of the cards I am seeing around using doillies at the moment. This card was made basically using up the scraps on the table. I really like the positioning of everything...it wasn't one of those cards you have to keep playing about with, it all just fell into place.

I'd love to day that using the Hero arts cotton reel stamp in this way was my idea but all credit goes to Lucy Abrams for this clever way of making the stamp more 3 dimentional with added cute factor.

Last, is my very favourite card of late. Again, like all of my cards, it's very simple, but I really love the soft colour combinations and the texture from the felt flower, the twine and the craft cardstock.

Wishing you a lovely Sunday and a great week ahead.

New York Minibook

2010-10-29T20:47:00.000+02:00

You must visit Lisa Johnston's blog to see the tutorial she has made for a sweet little minibook. The instructions are so easy to follow and the finished product is just a perfect size to slip in your handbag. I've just returned from a trip to the States. We had a couple of days in New York, Boston and travelled through Connecticut. It was a great trip and now I have some of my best memories in a little book!

A Baby Card

2010-10-09T21:13:00.000+02:00

Some of my favourite cards to make are baby cards. I was asked to make a card for a member of staff who has just had a new baby girl. The card had to be large enough for lots of people to sign. This is what I came up with. The little bit of bunting is from Studio G (I think) and the paper was Echo Park. I love the journalling cards from American Crafts - they are so pretty and easy to use as an accent. Hope the family will like it.

Bits and Bobs

2010-10-08T18:22:00.000+02:00

Just a quick post with a few bits and bobs of cards made recently....it's the weekend!

A bit of Upcycling

2010-09-27T23:53:00.000+02:00

A lot of cards have not been made here recently as I'm way too tired at this point in the school term. However, I did make an impulse buy at my local Kringloop (Thrift Shop) and got a lovely chair for 10 euros. I painted it a nice pastel blue and then covered a cushion with some fabric I had lying around. I'm quite tempted to go back for some more now.

Some More Botanical Cards

2010-09-12T22:39:00.000+02:00

Just thought I'd have another go at the botanical collages I made last week. I've gone for purples and lilacs in place of the reds this time.

Modern Botanical Collage

2010-09-04T10:05:00.000+02:00

I love the cards Betsy Veldman makes. She uses the most wonderful colours together and has the perfect mix of vintage and modern - if you have not visited her blog, then you really must...you'll be in for a treat! Just recently she posted a card to highlight a previous PTI stamp set, Flower Garden. She used this set to create a modern botanical collage which was absolutely stunning. I was so inspired by her card and the ones she showcased on Moxie Fab World Blog that I had to have a go myself. It was interesting looking through all of my stamps to see what I could use to create the mix of background, floral and insects that are the key features of this style. It took a bit of experimentation but in the end I was pleased with these three cards.

This last one has a strip of old text from a digital kit by Vinnie Pearce.

Go on and have a try yourself, it is good fun and quite addictive!

Card for Jaz- Daring Card Makers

2010-08-27T17:23:00.001+02:00

Thanks to Asia at Daring Cardmakers for her inspiration to send a card to a sick child. I haven't participated in a long time but after looking at the website for Post Pals she drew attention to, I felt so humbled by the children's stories and the bravery of their families. Here is my card for Jaz. She likes Hello Kitty and I dressed this one up in a patterned paper from Zoe Pearn's digi Kit Alphabet Soup for Girls. Hope this brings Jaz some pleasure. Don't forget that there is also a prize of a lovely selection of ribbons and buttons from The Ribbon Girl on offer for one lucky cardmaker this week.

Making Up for Lost Time

2010-08-27T16:02:00.001+02:00

So much for a 'daily dose of cardmaking'! I haven't posted a card in ages and to make up for my negligence I have a bit of a bumper crop today.

First up is a card using one of my favourite digi stamps from Heather Ellis. I wanted to keep the image as simple as possible so instead of colouring the little girl on the swing in completely I thought I'd just add some digi paper for her dress, shoes and the little butterfly. The paper I used to paper piece her outfit is from the digital Summerdays Kit designed by Zoe Pearn at Sweet Shoppe Designs. The embellishements are odds and ends that were lying around on my desk.

These cards were made using a new hydrangea stamp (Avec I think). I'd love some of the Year of Flowers Stamps from Papertrey Ink but the postage costs to the Netherlands are really prohibitive. I really can't make myself pay postal charges that are sometimes more than the cost of the stamps themselves...shame there is no European franchise. So....the hydrangea stamp would have to do instead. French sentiment was from an Artesio Stamp set which also has a butterfly, dragonfly, stamp and postal date and a lovely collage image (seen in a later card).

Here is a card with the collage as a background image. I'm sure there are lots of lovely ways to use this so I have a lot to learn!

I always seem to have trouble fitting embellished cards into a normal envelope and have been looking for a template for a deeper envelope for some time now. I just couldn't seem to find anything suitable for posting so I played about and came up with this ...it was made using most of a 30cm x 30cm piece of kraft cardstock. I just drew the size of the card plus 0.5cm each side onto the middle of the kraft card and then built up the template around it using the scorepal to score the edges. This one is 1cm deep. I had a few rolls of Japanese tape from the Papermash shop waiting for a use so I used those to reinforce the sides and especially the bottom corners. I have yet to try it out so I can't vouch for its sturdiness. Here are the front and back view. If it is of use to anyone I could measure it all out and give the exact dimensions.

Vintage China

2010-08-12T22:13:00.003+02:00

I have always loved vintage china and I have started to build up a little collection. I had a bit of fun photographing some of them this evening. I have been toying with the idea of setting up a vintage china tea party service but I am still undecided. I have absolutley no business skills and don't know if it would be possible to combine with my day job (teaching). I am not even sure if there would be a market for such a thing here in the Netherlands.....pipe dreams!!!

Back in the old country!

2010-08-12T22:06:00.000+02:00

Just got back from my trip back home to Scotland. I love the colours at this time of year. Those in the picture above just seem so typical to me and are some of my favourite colours.

Before going to Scotland I had a short trip to Iceland- an amazing experience. I don't know if I could live there but it is certainly worth a visit with its amazing geysers, volcanoes, waterfalls and mountains. It really does feel like you are in an evolving landscape and on the very edges of the world.

Clothes Peg Obsession

2010-07-04T15:49:00.001+02:00

I've seen a few people using scrapbook paper scraps for doing up clothes pegs so I thought I'd give it a go....40 pegs later I was still at it. It was good fun combining the colours and making some packaging (purely for my own satisfaction).

Cupcakes, cars and Butterflies

2010-06-20T16:16:00.002+02:00

Just a couple of cards I've made over the weekend. This one is for my dad for Father's Day...a bit late unfortunately. The VW Camper van is cut from paper from My Little Shoebox.

I found this lovely little cupcake stamp set at my local scrapbook store...can't remember which company thery're made by but I'll check in later to update.

The Birds and the Bees

2010-06-13T15:01:00.000+02:00

Hello there. I hope you are enjoying your Sunday afternoon. I am still plodding my way through my school reports and seem to be distracted by just about everything. It makes me laugh to think of alliof the nagging I've done to my two teenagers to get down to studying when I can't get down to things like that myself!

On one of my many breaks I was browsing through digital papers on Etsy and came across the shop Tracy Ann Designs....I could have bought the lot, but was restrained! Here are two cards made with my very favourite paper from her kit 'Spring Morning'. The colours are a little bit like these bees I photgraphed buzzing around the brambles in our back garden on another one of my little breaks!

A Couple of Flowers

2010-06-10T23:59:00.000+02:00

Here are just a couple of the cards I've made recently. I love the blue/green coloured paper in these two cards (Crate Paper) I think. Hope you have a great weekend.

Out with the ribbon...in with theTwine!

2010-06-02T17:39:00.001+02:00

I've just been reading the Papertrey Ink design team trend tips ...and it looks like ribbon is out! Just when I'd started getting to grips with bows! Twine is the new ribbon so I had a little experiment last night and this is what I came up with... a bit simple but I like the country look.

Cat in a Fruit Bowl

2010-06-01T19:43:00.002+02:00

Not many cards being made around here at the moment...but plenty of photosare being taken. My husband alerted me to look at our cat Sniffy theis morning. She'd squashed herself into a fruit bowl (empty I might add!). I thought she looked really comfy and settled in the bowl..maybe it'll become a regular sleeping spot, who knows the way cats' minds work!

Self Indulgent

2010-05-31T21:53:00.001+02:00

I've just been out for a little walk around the block with my camera and I just had to post a couple of pictures of the little gosling enjoying the last of the evening light.

Boxes and Bits and Bobs

2010-05-31T19:40:00.003+02:00

Hello there! I found some lovely cinnamon mints in one of the shops near to where I live. Not only did the sweets taste great, but the tins were just the right size to cover in make into something pretty /useful or both! I 've made one into a nifty little sewing kit and I am thinking of uses for the others- they might make nice little gifts. Only problem is, they still smell very strongly of cinnamon, so any prospective recipient would have to love cinnamon as much as I do!

Here are a couple of cards I've made recently. I'm totally crazy about all of the Crate Paper and October Afternoon papers recently. I just can't get enough of them. I seem to have slipped back into making my simple flower designs again (there are loads more I didn't post!).

Lastly here are some bits of porcelein jewellery I bid for and won on ebay. I couldn't believe my luck as I love this type of vintage porcelein flower jewellery, (anyone remember the Impulse ad from the 80's?) and you don't find it that easy to come by these days.

Long time no see...

2010-05-24T23:18:00.000+02:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted anything on my blog. It's not that I haven't been making anything....I just don't seem to have got round to photographing them or downloading them. So here are a few to make up for my laziness.

Ready for some Spring

2010-04-11T12:44:00.000+02:00

Back to work for me tomorrow (boo hoo) but I have had a lovely fortnight away from school and cooking and everything...it has been so relaxing. I have made a couple of cards with nice spring colours. The sun is finally shining here and is inspiring me to get a bit more zingy in my colour choices. Have a good Sunday.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T14:53:00.000+02:00

I couldn't resist these little egg cups from one of my favourite shops here

in the Netherlands. It's called Hema and it has a bit of everything....all cheap

and cheerful and really nicley designed. I filled them with a small egg for each

of us..a very downsized easter!

Back Home

2010-04-03T14:36:00.001+02:00

We had a lovely break away in Barcelona and the Costa Brava in Spain. Some much needed sunshine and a complete break in our routine did us all the world of good. I'd love to visit the area again sometime, maybe driving from town to town and stopping off wherever we fancy. The colours are just so vibrant in the mediterranean sun...so different from the grey skies the Netherlands has been experiencing at the moment. I did miss my cardmaking though and I think I might be heading off to make some later today to catch up for time lost.

Happy Birthday

2010-03-26T18:28:00.002+01:00

For my friend Helen who celebrates her birthday this weekend. I stamped the flowers and leaves (Hero Arts) on craft cardstock and coloured them in with coloured pencil. It's a bit of a new way of doing things for me but I liked the outcome.

Easter Cards and Simple Flowers

2010-03-20T17:56:00.004+01:00

It's the weekend again and only one more week until we break from school for the Easter holidays. We haven't had a proper holiday for a while so we're off to Barcelona for a week and I'm really looking forward to it...although I did see it was snowing there a couple of weekends ago! It has been rain, rain and more rain here this weekend... a totoal washout. I hoped to go to a fabric market in The Hague this weekend but with these heavy downpours I'm thinking twice about it!

Here are a couple of cards I've made recently. Two are Easter cards with vintage easter images and the last is stamped with a flower which has been heat embossed with white embossing powder. I like the simplicity of the clean lines and colours.

Spring Kitty

2010-03-14T16:33:00.005+01:00

Just had to add this picture of our cat Sniffy, hiding amongst the flowers. The other is another card using Claire's Shamrock digi stamp, a freebie from her blog, WalzingmouseMakes. I coloured it with the few copic markers I have - luckily I have a couple in green.I sent it off to my brother in France for his birthday. He's a big Celtic supporter so the shamrocks will hold a different significance for him. Thanks Claire for lovely digistamp and I wish you all a Happy St Patrick's Day:)

Happy UK Mother's Day

2010-03-14T15:47:00.003+01:00

This lovely shamrock is a digi stamp curtesy of Claire Brennan at Waltzing Mouse Stamps to celebrate St Patrick's Day. Visit her blog (see my blog roll) to get one for yourself and take part in her St Patrick's Bloghop.

Happy Mother's day to all you UK mums. Living here in the Netherlands it's easy to forget. The Dutch celebrate Mother's day in May like the US, so there are no reminders. As usual my boys have forgotten...they'll have another chance in May! Here are two cards made with some lovely crate paper (how I love these!) . The one with the three flowers is made using a technique showcased by Nichole Heady on her blog Capture the Moment. Have a good Sunday!

2010-02-12T18:34:00.001+01:00

A couple of cards in bad light.

Basic Grey Wisteria and Granola Papers

2010-02-07T18:17:00.003+01:00

I went to a craft fair yesterday and picked up two pads of Basic Grey paper - Granola and Wisteria and I am really enjoying using them to make cards today. The colours are a breath of fresh air. Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

It's the Weekend!

2010-01-30T10:39:00.002+01:00

Hooray! it's the weekend again. We've woken up to more snow again here this morning just when I thought it was all over. The light is so beautiful and evrything looks crisp and new. it's just the light I've been waiting for to photograph the couple of cards I've made this week. I think the background paper is mainly digital from the Shabby Princess Kit, Barefoot. The sentiments are from a Doodlebat download from Scrap n Fonts. Last, but not least, the little girl image is a digital download from Heather Ellis. I am seeing her images all over the card making world at the moment, so glad she is getting the exposure she deserves - check out the images on her site.

I'm Here for You

2010-01-23T13:30:00.002+01:00

Just a simple little card base around a small circle of felt I found when I was tidying up my work area. I love simple flower shapes and keep going back to that look over and over. Hope you like it.

Valentines and other things

2010-01-16T19:17:00.004+01:00

Hope you are enjoying your weekend. I've been making some cards recently but it'sbeen so dark by the time I get home from work, it'snot possible to photograph them. So I'veleft them all until this weekend. Here you go!

First Valentines Card of the Season

2010-01-09T22:35:00.002+01:00

Nichole Heady at Papertrey Ink put out a challenge to create a card only using scraps of paper left over from other projects. I have 2 whole containers full so I had plenty ofscraps to choose from. I tried to put unexpected papers together and I quite liked the effect. Hope you enjoy your weekend.

It's been a long time

2009-12-05T21:18:00.004+01:00

After a very difficult summer I'm finally back and slowly getting into all my crafty passions again. Here's a bit of what I've been doing recently.

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

2009-08-31T12:02:00.003+02:00

Three very different cards made over the last week or so. The lovely girl image is a Digicharacter from Heather Ellis Etsy shop.I'll be back to school again in a couple of days so I'll be scratching around to make the time for cardmaking. Hope you have a happy day:)

2009-08-20T15:45:00.003+02:00

I've been away in Scotland for about three weeks and have been missing my cardmaking. Returned yesterday to find my stamp order from PTI - its the vintage picnic basket set and sentiments. They were held in Dutch customs for over a month before finally arriving- well worth the wait. Can anyone tell me if there is a similar problem with online shopping from the US to the UK. Here are the cards I've made using mainly the Papertrey Ink stamps and Lemonade paper from Basic Grey.

Odds and Ends

2009-07-26T01:03:00.004+02:00

Quick post with all of the bits and bobs I've been making recently. Off to Scotland tomorrow.

Baby Cards

2009-07-24T12:14:00.003+02:00

I have no particular reason to be making baby cards but they have to be my favourite cards to make. The girly ones are made using vintage images inspired by Melissa Phillips. The boy one is made using a folding technique I saw on Bibbis blog (she has a link to a great tutorial). Have a great Friday.

Caravan Love

2009-07-22T10:35:00.003+02:00

I was asked to make 40th Wedding Anniversary Card for a couple who love to go caravaning. I immediately thought of the 'Mr Campy' range of papers but could I get my hands on any? So I was reduced to making my own little caravans. I can't decide which of the two to give...and I don't think I'm 100% happy with either...might just have to make a third. What do you think?

Two Little Ducks

2009-07-21T18:33:00.002+02:00

Finally the school holidays have arrived! It takes a bit of time to unwind and I'm just starting to get used to it. Here is a little card I made last night.

Dotty about Cherries

2009-07-12T20:17:00.002+02:00

Love the cherry papers that are everywhere at the moment, they are such a lovely vintage image. Here are a couple more card commisions for the end of term...only two and a half days to go!

Chairperson Retires

2009-07-05T16:19:00.002+02:00

This is a card made for a colleague who is retiring from a position as chairperson of the union at school.I was asked to make a card with a chair on it and thought it would be nice to make it 3D. It could have been a bit more accurately cut but it will do (I hope)!

Summer Berry Pudding

2009-07-05T15:36:00.007+02:00

This post is especially for my mum who sent me the recipe for a Summer Berry Pudding from Good Food this month. I am going to a Pot Luck Supper tomorrow and was looking for something other than my two stock desserts to take with me. Here is the progress in pictures.

The result is a very rich pudding... a bit trifle like but without the jelly. I have to confess that I took it out of the fridge before chilling it for a whole night when it probably could have done with being chilled a bit longer.

Report writing is over!

2009-06-12T22:32:00.004+02:00

Some beautiful delphiniums Brian brought home from work today. A couple of the stems had broken so I put themin this little glass. They are the most extraordinary shade of blue.

Finally I've finished my school reports and, despite having five more weeks of school, I'm feeling a sense of summer freedom. Here are a couple of cards made last night. I seem to have a bit of an orange thing going on!

Little Bag Cards

2009-05-20T12:02:00.002+02:00

Can you tell I'm not working and that I should be writing school reports..my ouput of cards has increased dramatically! here are a couple of little bag cards inspired by a card I saw recently in a magazine.

Rosettes

2009-05-19T09:07:00.003+02:00

I found a tutorial for rosette embelishments on Kelly Lunceford's blog ,if you haven't already visited her at atomic butterfly then you'll be in for a treat. I thought I'd give them a go and they actually aren't as difficult as I'd thought...so here are a couple of cards using the new technique. Have a good Tuesday.

Three new cards

2009-05-18T17:12:00.002+02:00

I've been a bit stuck in a rut lately and I feel like I spend more time browsing other people's cards than getting to making some of my own. So between last night and today these are my latest attempts. I'd like a really good sentiment set and Papertrey Ink have just the thing..but the postage costs are horrendous to Europe. How I wish they had a supplier here!

A Bit Bright

2009-05-16T18:16:00.003+02:00

Here is a card made this morning - I was a bit stuck in a rut with my colours and thought I'd try something new and bold and this is the end result. I'm not sure about the sewing machine ...but I couldn't find anything else that fitted in with the colour scheme.

Wedding Card

2009-05-12T20:10:00.004+02:00

A quick wedding card I made for a colleague who is getting married next week. I wanted it to be quite simple but just kept adding bits....I hope he'll like it.

Shabby Card

2009-05-10T18:26:00.005+02:00

I had a scrap of fabric cut from an edge and I kept it because I liked the way it had frayed. It was just the right shade of green for the papers I was using yesterday to make this card ( I had only gone upstairs to collect my scissors!!). It's nice when you can put a scrap like that to good use. It gives the card a kind of shabby feel. The small piece of paper is Penny Lane and the large background paper is digitally downloaded from a kit called Tutti Frutti from paislee Press at Oscraps.

Little Birdies- New Homes

2009-05-01T09:34:00.004+02:00

Here are a few cards I made yesterday. The packet of Crate Paper glitteeery shapes are going a long way! I really love the little birds and bird houses in the set and thought they'd make some good new home cards. The 'wooden' pole was made form the packaging from some fabric buttons. Hope you have a great Friday.

Wedding Card

2009-04-28T18:03:00.002+02:00

Here is a card I had to rustle up in a hurry for a colleage's brother's wedding, luckily I had the glittery card to add to the front.

A Little Birdie Told me....

2009-04-26T11:39:00.002+02:00

It was time to update my blog banner...a little bit more fresh for Spring. Only problem is that my image is too big and I don't know how to change it. If you know how to make adjustments to blog banners on Blogger, I would be glad to hear . Three little cards I made last night using glittery shapes from Crate Paper, I really like the bird images. The edges were punched using border punches from ek success.

Back from Holiday

2009-04-19T13:58:00.006+02:00

We have just got back from our Easter in Scotland.

Having been away from my card making for a whole ten days! I was keen to get down to business on my return.

I have had this little card from Amy Butler for ages and I loved in so much I was loathe to use it. I saw this hand made wrapping paper at a service station in the Lake District on the way home and it was just the right background to compliment the pattern on the little girl's dress. I finished it off with a bit of vintage ribbon and a button from Basic Grey.

I really love the recent craze for bird cages in paper designs...particularly this one from Basic Grey's Porceleine Set. I teamed it with a flower from an Easter garland with a couple of buttons and a bit of braid.

I love Mindy Terasawa's digital designs (available at Designer Digitals). I used some of her cute easter characters from the kit Bunny Hop to make the images on the right of the card. I finished it off with some digital spotty paper and a ribbon I've had for ages (maybe Making Memories?) Hope you have a great Sunday. I am back to work tomorrow so I'm trying to make the most of it.

Girl Friday Papers

2009-03-25T00:29:00.002+01:00

Having seen this paper used so beautifully by Michelle Wooderson and Debbie Olsen in their projects recently, I couldn't wait to get a hold of some. This weekend I finally located it...and had a good few hours making all sorts of cards with it. Here are a couple of the many I made.

Birthday Cow

2009-03-10T23:05:00.003+01:00

Apologies for the lop sided photo...had to take this in a hurry. This card was made for a colleague

for a little girl in New Zealand who loves cows. It's so funny to think that something I made will be winging its way of to a country I've never been to myself! Have a great day.

Penny Lane and New American Craft Teen Papers

2009-03-08T15:07:00.002+01:00

Had a visit to the local craft shop yesterday and bought papers form these two ranges. The Penny Lane papers are so beautiful - they have a thick watercolour paper texture which makes them so easy to work with, the colours are lovely too! Here are some of the cards I spent yesterday making.

Patchwork Card

2009-03-06T18:19:00.004+01:00

Made for a friend whose Mum loves patchwork and amazingly this fits in perfectly with the DCM Patchy Challenge! That's serendipity for you! Have a great weekend.

Librarian Retirement Card

2009-02-01T17:16:00.004+01:00

After a long day of trying things out I have finally made the retirement card for a colleague of mine. I just hope she will like it.

Valentines and other Girly Cards

2009-01-31T12:39:00.003+01:00

I must have been inspired by all the valentine cards around at the moment because every card I've made recently seems to be all pink and red. I have a commission to make a card for a retiring colleague and I'm really stuck..she is a librarian and I thought I could use that somehow in the card (which also needs to have enough room for 100 or so signatures!) Any ideas gladly accepted!

A Challenge

2009-01-24T15:26:00.004+01:00

One of my very favourite cardmakers, Melissa Phillips, has issued an inspirational challenge. As if her own cards are not inspirational enough, she has directed readers of her lovely blog to an inspiration of her own, Dawn McVey. I had a peek this morning and her cards are gorgeous. Melissa chose a favourite card from Dawn's collection as an inspiration for making a card of your own ...go and have a look. Here is my card. I loved Dawn's combination of pink and teal, it gives a really vintage look. I tried to make my vase reminicent of the Eiffel Tower. Why not have a go yourself?

Grey,grey and More Grey

2009-01-18T14:43:00.003+01:00

...That's how it's been looking outside for the last few days. Gone are the beautiful frosty days of early January instead we are having rain and wind. Time to stay inside and play with paper. I got a new paper pad (Poolside and Greenhouse -Making Memories?) so here are a few cards using the lovely blues and greens fron that collection.

An Oldie

2009-01-11T00:46:00.002+01:00

I've been cleaning up some of my drives and I came across this card i made a couple of years ago but which I'd forgotten about. Since I haven't made any cards in a while I'll cheat and add this one just so I can update my blog! I am loving the crisp frosty days here in the Netherlands - hope the weather is as beautiful where you are.

Recycle/Reuse

2008-12-31T17:51:00.004+01:00

Happy New Year....well almost!

Here are a couple of things I've made since coming home from our Christmas in Scotland. On Papertrey Ink blog Nicole Heady suggested the theme of recycle/reuse for her blog hop and with this in mind I thought I'd try to reuse some of the packaging from stamps and dies I'd got recently. So here they are....

Die cuts and paper are both from Amy Butler. Love this range. I

made theflower using a cuttlebug flower die and some gingham fabric.

I thought some squares of quilting fabric would look good in here.

This packaging was filled with Amy Butler grey dotty material and was finished using her die cuts and some soft pink ribbon . I would have filled it with more of the sweet hearts but for some reasonthis was all that was left!!!

Did I already say I love the new papers by Amy Butler?! I love the fabric-like look about them - my favourites are the polka dots in grey and pink. The grey dots were the inspiration for this card. I don't know how many times I repositioned the pieces on it before sticking them down and I'm still not convinced about the stipey paper strip at the bottom.