AWARDS

It's lovely to receive awards but oh so difficult to select just a few fellow bloggers to pass them on to as my list of favourite blogs grows each day.

Thanks so much to Ann for passing on the Kreativ Blogger 2 award....your blog is a constant source of inspiration and wonder Ann. The rules for this award are to list your 7 favourite things and pass the award on to 7 people (lots of thinking involved there!) so here goes.....

1. Family & Friends
2. Crafting
3. Dogs
4. Birds & Wildlife
5. The Sea
6. My PC
7. Ice cream

I would like to pass this award on to the following people who have some stunning creations on their blogs:

1. Sandy
2. Annie
3. Chris
4. Jenny
6. Lana
7. Rubymay

I was also lucky enough to receive the Beautiful Blog award from both Cynthia and Jane. The rules for this award are to pass it on to 5 people who have inspired you and made your blog what it is. I just wish I could give it back to Cynthia and Jane as they fall into that category. However, after much thought, I would like to pass this award on to:

1. Wendy (for inspiring me to set up a blog and explaining how to do it!)
2. Phree

3. Janette

4. Anesha

5. Marlene

GRAPHICUS JANUARY CHALLENGE

Well I have finally had some time to relax and craft as the pressure is off a little since the job offer on Thursday. Hopefully I will get written confirmation soon. Here are the items I have made for the new Graphicus monthly challenge, using inks, stamps and embellishments from the Graphicus online store.

The colour scheme challenge is plum and gold and my entry is a pendant and bracelet set made from stampbord. I have used various inks in shades of plum and gold (Black Cherry Glimmer Mist, Pearlescent Purple & Galaxy Gold Brilliance, Colorbox Cats Eye, Royal Purple Stazon) with stamps from the new Elusive Images Harlequin Rose themeplate, plus ribbon, wire and beads from my stash.

For the Celebrate challenge I decided to make a new baby card in vibrant colours as a change from the traditional pastels. The mother and child is from the Elusive Images Madonna & Trees themeplate (minus the halos!) stamped onto white card using a Kaleidacolor Baby Powder inkpad. I then rubbed Glimmer Chalks over the stamped image and mounted it onto a piece of card, which also started off white before I spritzed it with Black Cherry, Sunflower and Candy Apple Glimmer Mists, and ran it through the Cuttlebug with the D'Vine Swirl embossing folder. The stamped image and mats are fixed to the base card with foam tape to add dimension.

To make the flowers I again took white card and used Versamark ink to stamp patterns from the Elusive Images Texture Blocks themeplate and heat embossed them with clear powder. I sprayed the stamped patterns with Glimmer Mists (previously mentioned colours plus Jazz Blue and Meadow Green) and when dry I removed the clear powder with an iron to leave a flat surface on the cardstock. I then used my Cuttlebug to die cut the flowers on the right side of my card. These are layered and differ in height but it's difficult to tell from my photo.

To finish off my card I added a Creative Acrylics new baby sentiment coloured with Glimmer Chalk, threaded onto Maya Road Soho Candy ribbon together with a Candy Paisley slide.

HOUSE MOUSE ATC

Unfortunately I haven't had much time this week for crafting but I did manage to squeeze in an ATC, which I hardly ever make due to struggling with the smaller format. Luckily this House Mouse stamp is a good size for an ATC and fits in nicely of course with the latest House
Mouse challenge, which is to make an ATC!

DOTTIE'S WORLD 'AVE A LAUGH CHALLENGE CARD

Here is my card for Karen's challenge at Dottie's World, which this week is to use something funny on your card or project. Hopefully the sentiment is legible....handwriting isn't one of my talents! I used Coredinations and Papermill Shop cardstock, Poppicrafts ribbon and We R Memory Keepers eyelets. I made the stage background with a graphics programme and Dottie (downloads available from Charmed Cards & Crafts) is coloured with Promarkers. Sorry the scan isn't that great but the writing was blurred on the photos I took.

Caardvarks Sketch Challenge Card

Well this has to be a first for me....TWO posts in one day!!!!! After doing a looooooong job search online and applying for 2 more I had some time on my hands and decided to make a card. I spotted a great sketch on Caardvarks latest challenge and just had to have a go. I enjoyed making this and used Coredinations & Papermill Shop card stock, Pink Petticoat paper, a flora doodle wild rose, Doodlebug letters, Papermania & Poppicrafts ribbon. I can't remember where the round silver frame is from. It did have parchment inside but I took that out and fastened the ribbon around it. The butterfly brad is also from Poppicrafts and I think the silver flower was a magazine freebie. The button brad is from HOTP, that much I do know! The embroidered flowers were my colour inspiration for this card. I have had the embroidered swatch for ages and found it by accident when unjamming a craft drawer!

Quick Post!

I am really disappointed that I haven't been able to visit my favourite blogs and see what everyone is up to lately but I haven't been on the PC much due to hurting my back last Friday. I am really supposed to be online now applying for jobs but I couldn't resist opening another window and posting on here. It's just a quick post but when I have finished with the boring but necessary stuff I am looking forward to seeing everyone's latest creations. In the meantime here is a card I made for a friend's Christmas birthday.

I got the beautiful Stampsmith Ophelia stamp from Graphicus. She is stamped with Sepia Versafine and matted onto Artylicous butterfly paper. I just added blue organza ribbon threaded through some white paper lace which I inked to make it look more vintage.

At least I have some good news.....just got a letter confirming a job interview on 22nd January. I am really pleased as that is only the 2nd interview in spite of all the job applications I have sent out in the past 3 1/2 months since I was made redundant!

More Roses!

Here are my final 2 (for now) harlequin rose cards....this time minus the glimmer as these are coloured with various inks and paints after clear heat embossing the stamped image. I have used Coredinations cardstock again as I love it, not just for the novelty of the paler core, but the wide range of colours is excellent and they are all fabulous shades!