Merry Christmas!

Hello,

I have made some cards over the last few days, quite a few actually but silly me I forgot to take pictures before I sealed the envelopes!!! So I have decided to post a picture of a card I made some time ago but found the piccy still lurking on my computer, here it is... on the left!!!

I can't remember where the paper is from but I have stitched around the edges of that as well as the cuttlebug embossed panel, the cupcake is a Cricut Die Cut and I have decorated it with Stickles.

Anyway I'm off now to try and calm down two very overexcited girls!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, back soon......

At last, a post!!!

Apologies (again!) for my abscence, I have been hard at work with my Christmas cards, why oh why do I leave things so late! I now only have a couple left to do, luckily not ones that need posting!
Well here goes...

These first 2 use papers and image stamps from Pink Petticoat, the tree is coloured with Stampin' Write markers from Stampin' Up!.
I have tried to stick to a basic design to speed things up and just vary the papers and images, I have also added plenty of glitter, I think that and ribbon are the 2 things I use on nearly every card!





Next Up is this card which is decorated with Dashing DP and Real Red and Old Olive Cardstock from Stampin' Up!

I added a corner of Old Olive to the top right under the DP which I then folded back and secured with a sparkly Brad to reveal the pattern on the back.

I Cuttlebugged a strip of Real Red and highlighted with glitter, I cut out and matted the image which is from a David Walker font, with my Nestabillities Dies and mounted with Stampin' Dimensionals, I have tied an organza ribbon around the embossed panel.



And last for today this one uses an image from Pink Petticoat, coloured with Stampin Write Markers, and mounted on Real Red and Old Olive cardstock,the background is Dashing DP and the red strip is Real Red Cardstock which has been Cuttlebugged and torn and again highlighted with glitter.
Hope your Christmas preparations are going well and you're a bit more organised than me!
Anyway I'm off now 'cos it's nearly time to fetch Evie from Preschool, see you soon.

Time Flies!

Oh my, it's Thursday night and I just realised I haven't posted since Monday, where does the time go!!!
Things have been a bit up and down here, Michael (my Husband) is a self employed Bricklayer, work has well and truly dried up now what with it being so close to Christmas but he has been lucky enough to find another job, a bit less money but maybe it will be the push we need to get on top of our budget next year!!
What with all this going on I haven't got much crafting done, although I did get a card done today whilst Evie was at her PreSchool xmas party, I just haven't taken a pic of it yet!
On another note is it just my children that seem to be really playing up at the moment!, my two seem to be really trying their luck, I think it's the build up to Christmas combined with the fact that Freya is a very early riser , 5am ish for the last 2 weeks!, so we are all tired and the children over excited! Oh the joys of Christmas!!!
Sorry, vent over, I bet you wished you hadn't stopped by now!
I'll try and get the card I made posted tomorrow, back soon:-)

Decorated candles

Sorry for the naff picture!
Here are a couple of candles I decorated, they were plain church candles from the range, 99p each, I think with a bit more practice to perfect the technique they would make cute little gifts and could be made to suit any occasion.
The back candle uses a stamp from the Little Hello's set from Stampin' Up! coloured with Stampin Write Markers and the candle in front is decorated with a stamp that was free on a magazine and is coloured with Sakura Stardust pens.
Thanks for stopping by!

What is your Elf name!

I felt like a change of name for the festive season!

Your Elf Name Is...

Flakey Hot Chocolate

What's Your Elf Name?

Retro Rose

A bit of a misleading title really, I say retro 'cos of the colours, pink and brown, not the rose itself! Anyway here it is-

All products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated...

I matted the Close to Cocoa Designer Prints paper onto Pink Passion Cardstock, the stamps are from the Mixed Bouquet Set and have both been stamped with Passion Pink Ink onto Whisper White Cardstock. The circle and scallop were cut with Nestabilites Dies ( the scallop is Passion Pink).

The sentiment which is stamped with Chocolate Chip Ink onto Whisper White and matted with Passion Pink, is from the Flexible Phrases Set. Finally the ribbon is Whisper White Grosgrain and the brads are the Vintage collection. I'm not sure if maybe the Focal image is too large and dominating the card too much? comments welcome!!

I hope I'll get the chance to post something else over the next couple of days, but in the meantime, enjoy your weekends! :-)

I'm still here!

Yes, here I'am!, I have been a bad blogger I know, but what with starting my new job I haven't had time for much crafting!

But here is A card I made today-

It uses all Stampin' Up! products, the base and mats are Real Red and Old Olive, the Designer Paper is Dashing, the stamped image is from the Loads of Love Set and the sentiment is from the Flexible Phrases set, both of these sets are extremely versatile, something for all seasons and occasions!

I stamped the image onto watercolour paper and coloured with the SU Stampin Write markers, these are water based and give a lovely watercolour effect, by the way SU make a watercolour paper, it isn't in this first catalogue but I'm sure we will get it soon and when we do I'll definitely be using it, I've heard from some of the US demo's that it beats other makes hands down! I used the Stamp a Ma Jig to position the tree on the truck.

The tag is punched with the 1.25" circle and topped with Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, the brads are actually punched .25" circles which have been covered with Diamond Glaze to give the effect of Brads.

One of the things I love about SU is the Colour Family theme, you know that if you choose a Card Stock there will be a Designer Paper, Ink Pad, Marker, Ribbon or Embellishment to match, it really takes the guesswork out!

Hope you like it and apologies for being so irregular with the posting, I will try harder, promise!!!

Added 11.1.08 - I've just entered this card into a Blog Candy challenge on Fiona's Blog, she has some lovely cards and inspirations, take a look...

I'm back!

I have been neglecting my blog, I know! In my absence I seem to have had so much to do that by the end of the day I just want to flop out, I haven't even made a card, until today!!

I have finally managed to use my new Stampin' Up! kit, and now I can't wait to get my next order in !!

All products are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated.

This first card uses cardstock from the Earth Elements colour family, Garden Green and Ruby Red, the stamp is from the Year after Year set and it is coloured using Stampin Pastels and a Blender Pen, I cut round the image and mounted it on the scallop both of which were cut using my Nestabillities dies, you could get a similar look using the SU circle and scallop punches.

The papers were edged with Chocolate Chip Stampin Pad, I cut the little circles at the top with my Cropodile and then coated them with Diamond Glaze, I must admit I struggled a bit without my usual patterned papers and embellishments,so they will definitely be part of my SU order!

This next card uses the Bold Brights colour family, Pink Passion and Gable Green Cardstock , the patterned strip down the side is the Petals Stampin Around Wheel with Pixie Pink Stampin Pad.

The stamp is from the Doodle That Set, the ribbon on both cards is Whisper White Grosgrain.

Hope you like the cards, Thanks for stopping by and hopefully it wont be so long between posts now!

Phew!!

Weeell, the carpet people didn't turn up till 2.15, we were supposed to be the first appointment!, I have back ache from lugging furniture and how comes the stuff I took out of the cupboards seems to have multiplied and now won't fit back in!!! Oh the fun of it, and that was only having a new carpet fitted, imagine what I'd be like if we moved house!!
I am definitely going to try and get some card making going tomorrow to restore my sanity!!!

Here it is!

I forgot to put the card stock in the picture!! The colours I got are the Earth Elements, Bold Brights and Whisper White, you can of course look them up in the catalogue ;-)
The stamp sets you can see are Mixed Bouquet which is a 2 Step Stampin one, Year after Year, A Tree for all Seasons and Doodle That and the Stampin Around Wheel is Petals.
Remember if you host a workshop, with orders that total £150 or more, or simply collect orders from your friends and family of that amount, you will receive a free hostess stamp set and products of your choice worth £15.00.
Now I'm off to plan all those cards I can make when I've got my craft space back!!

My starter kit is here!!

It has arrived, yaaay!
I'm really pleased with my choices of stamps, I can't wait to have a play but alas not yet... we are having new carpets fitted in our lounge tomorrow so I have had to move all my craft stuff out, I don't have a craft room..boohoo :-( maybe one day!!
Anyway I now have catalogues available, let me know if you would like one.
I'm thinking of starting a Stamping 10 Club, if you would be interested in purchasing a few Stampin Up! products each month please contact me for more info, members of the club do receive an added bonus!
I'll try and post a pic of the goodies I got later.

A bit of news

No card today but a bit of news, I've got a job! Just part time as a pharmacy assistant but maybe I won't feel so guilty about buying even more SU stuff now!

I will still have plenty of time for Stampin Up! so if anyone is interested in booking a workshop feel free to contact me

Hopefully I'll be back with a card to show tomorrow.

Another quilled card

Hello ,

Hope I'm not boring you with these quilled cards!

This is one I made for my daughter's friend, it's her 6th Birthday today and we are off to the party later on.

I used my new Nestabillities dies for the circle and scallop, I love these things I want all of them, NOW! hehe!!

The papers are by Pink Petticoat as is the little sentiment, flowers are prima and I added some sparkles with the ribbon and brad.

I based this card on a sketch I found here

Thanks for stopping by,

Nicola

Black Cat..

Well, amongst all the excitement of becoming an official Stampin Up! demonstrator, I managed to get a card finished, I have had the quilled cat ready for quite a while and just hadn't found time to put everything together, but here it is and I'm actually quite happy with how it has turned out!

I find quilling quite addictive, at first it was frustrating 'cos I just couldn't seem to get the coils even but I have managed to find a way of holding the quilling tool that suits me and now I can't stop making the things!!

Back to the card... papers are Dovecraft, cardstock is Provocraft ( expect to see many more SU products now! ), the ribbon is from our local market and the tag is a little stamp which I punched around. I have machine stitched around the papers.

I can't wait to get my Stampin Up! starter kit, I've been busy putting cards out today to let people know what I'm doing, hope I get a good response!!
Enjoy your evenings
Nicola

Stampin Up! is here !!!

The catalogue is finally online and the products are gorgeous visit it here
As a demonstrator I will be able to place an order for you, my contact details are to the left, I'm off to make my shopping list now!!!

Baby Feet ??

Hello again,

What a few days, we all seem to have been poorly in my house, first my 2 daughters with a sickness bug, then my husband had a virus, and now me with a bad back, phew! I'll be glad when we are all back to normal!!

For this reason I just don't seem to have found time to finish a card, so I'm posting this one I did a few weeks ago, and I have to ask a question, can you tell the quilled shapes are baby feet?

A few people I showed them to before I put them on the card weren't sure what they were!!

Paper is HOTP as is the ribbon, the tag is Pink Petticoat and the Congratulation strip is done with a label maker.

On another note, I sent off my Stampin Up! forms last Thursday and they still haven't received them.. aaargh, I've sent some more off today by Special delivery!

Tear Bears...

Haven't got a new card to show today, I've got a quilled one in progress though! So I thought I'd show you a Tear Bear one, you may have noticed that I mentioned them in my profile, they aren't hugely popular here in the UK at the moment but in America they seem to pop up everywhere!!
So for those of you that haven't met a Tear Bear yet let me introduce you to one!.... here she is sitting on a flower ribbon and holding a little bunch of flowers (can't think of a good name for her, suggestions welcome!) The PP is Basic Grey, can you tell I love that range!, the tag is Pink Petticoat and the wording is Cricut.
This card is for sale on my site The Lilacladybug.
I've sent of my Stampin Up! forms today, can't wait to get my Starter Kit and have a play with the goodies! There is an article in Crafts Beautiful this month where they use Stampin Up! products, have a look if you have a copy.
xx

Happy Brrrm-day

Hi, I made this card for my husband's friend, left it a bit late, his Birthday is on the 10th! why do these dates seem to creep up on you!

I love some of the layered styles I've seen on some blogs so I tried to replicate the style, I'm quite pleased with the card but it still doesn't look as good as the other cards I've seen somehow, I must need more practice!

The image is by Pink Petticoat as is the little tag, the PP is some I've had for ages from some kits by TLC, the embellies in the top right are circles of paper I punched out and then covered with Diamond Glaze ( I used this on the car as well) to look like brads.

We are off to Parent's Evening tonight, it will be interesting to find out how Freya is getting on in Year1, hope it's positive !!

Speak to you soon.

Peace on Earth

Hi, hope you are all enjoying your evenings, I have another card to share ( I seem to go through these stages, sometimes nothing at all, then 2 or 3 on the go!)
I based this on a sketch from Jen del Muro at i{heart}2stamp,
this is the first time I've done a sketch challenge and I really enjoyed working with this one, I hope the slight alteration to one of the layers is allowed!
The image is a Penny Black stamp, coloured with Prismacolor pencils and all the PP is by Basic Grey, the sentiment is Pink Petticoat.
Hope you like it, comments are very welcome,
Happy Crafting!

Finally finished a card!

Hi, I've been wanting to get some cards done for a few days, but we seem to have had something to do every evening recently, if anyone has any tips on how to gain more craft time, I'd love to hear them!.
Anyway, as soon as I got home from taking Freya and Evie to school I got started on this one and here it is, finally!.
The papers are from Funky Hand, the gorgeous Hedgehog is a Penny Black stamp which I coloured with waterbased markers and a water brush. I used a Cuttlebug Folder for the embossed panel and added my usual glitter and ribbon touches !!
Hope you like him
Speak to you soon
Nicola

Quilled Card

Good Evening all, Well no time to finish the Penny Black cards I mentioned, so I thought I'd show you a card I made a week or so ago, 'scuse the wonky scan!

This was my first attempt at fringed flowers, I think the effect is really pretty! I quilled the Bee and the leaves as well and then mounted them onto some corrugated card, I think the different textures and the warm colours make it look quite rustic!, The PP is Basic Grey and the word tag is from Pink Petticoat.

On another note, Stampin Up! is nearly here !!!, I can send my forms off in a few days, Yaay! . I'm really looking forward to seeing the UK catalogues and placing some orders!

I'm off to have a bath now and maybe a glass of wine as well!

Enjoy your evening's.

Lavender and Lace

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

Freya, my oldest daughter had been so excited about Trick or Treating but when we actually went out she got shy about knocking on doors! In the end we only went to about 5 houses then did the family rounds in the car!

Anyway, about the card!, a bit of a different style this time, I've recently started using Flowersoft a bit and when I saw the new Lavender and Lace collection I loved the colours, I've had the set for about a month and this is the first time I've used it! I'm pleased with the way this card has turned out, quite a classic look, soft and pretty! It will be on my site Thelilacladybug .

I've been colouring some new Penny Black Christmas stamps tonight, hopefully I'll get to finish them off tomorrow, so I'll try and get them posted if I do.

Have a good evening (-:

Deck The Halls!

I've only just finished this one, I ended up doing the housework whilst Evie was at Preschool, she really cried when I left her, she only started in September and had just settled in when they broke for half term!, I hate leaving her like that but I know she's fine after I've gone!

Anyway back to the card!, another Pink Petticoat image coloured with Prismacolor Pencils, the PP is Basic Grey, the CS a mixture of Provocraft and Bazzill, I really like rich, warm colours for Christmas so I enjoyed making this one.

I added some Stickles glitter which hasn't dried yet, hence the photo rather than scan!, I do love sparkle and shine, It's very rare I make a card without a bit of bling!

That's it for now,

Nicola

Prismacolor - 1st attempt!

Well, here is my first attempt at colouring an image with Prismacolor pencils, I'm quite pleased with how it turned out!

The technique was more time consuming than I thought but hopefully as I practice more it will get easier and quicker.

The image is a Pink Petticoat one, I love this range , there seems to be an image for every occasion! , the PP is DCWV and the CS is Bazzill, I stitched round the base layer and then doodled (did I spell that right, it looks wrong somehow?) round some of the edges.

This card will be for sale on my site TheLilacladybug .

I'm going to try and get some more craft time in tomorrow 'cos Evie is back at Preschool, so hopefully I'll have something else to share soon ... Nicola

Welcome

Hello!

My first post here is mainly to say Welcome!

I have set this blog up in the hope of being able to share some cards, info and general chatter! but also as a way to provide information on my new venture as a Stampin Up! demonstrator!

From the 15th November this gorgeous line of stamps, accessories and much more will be available in the UK, further details on that will follow but for the time being please contact me

if you would like any information about the range or the opportunities.

Anyway on a more personal note, the girls are now in bed so I'm off to try my new Prismacolour pencils, I found out about them through some of the American blogs, the effect they give for colouring stamped images is beautiful, but I think the technique takes a bit of practice!!

I'll try and post the results when I get the hang of it!