LOTV–Punch It Up

Well, finally I have made a card! (Don’t burst Bev!).
Honestly, I made this card on the spur of the moment and as a quick lovey dovey thing for Giovanni – hence it’s already written in and the photos are poo because I took them on my iPhone! (sorry!)

This is my card for this week's Lili of the Valley blog challenge. The theme of this week's challenge is 'Punch It Up' so I have used one of my many (hmmm okay , not many, 2 lol) Martha Stewart border punches. I think the hearts are quite subtle in this paper on a man card?  I also used a xcut corner round punch, I think that counts !

I began by stamping the 'Lazy Afternoon' image onto smooth white card then coloured using my ProMarkers.
I made the easel card base in the usual way and matted with paper from a basic grey pad.  All the paper is from the same pad and coordinating, which I love as this makes it much easier to colour the image to the same colours.
Then I cut the heart border and the ribbed cardstock and matted onto the top of the easel card.  Followed by the image, which I raised up using the sponge square thingy bobs (can’t for the life of me remember the name at this moment!)  Oooo I’ve defo got ‘Hillclimbers’ !

The ribbon and dangly’s were then added along with the button which I threaded some embroidery thread through.  The sentiment was stamped on the same cardstock and them the corner punch used once again.  The edges were then distressed with Tim holtx distress ink, added the dew drop things and hey presto front done!


For the inside I used the coordinating paper and matted this with a simple plain piece of card cut with a nestie label die and the edges embossed for the hand written greeting.

Again some of the same ribbon and some buttons to tie the inside to the front

Hope you like it and thanks for looking .
Big Hugs
Julie

THIRD POST - SAME CHALLENGES -DIFFERENT 'DESIGNER' KATI !

JUST MAGNOLIA CHALLENGE WEEK 42 LOVE

&

FRIDAY SKETCHERS CHALLENGE WEEK 89

As I already said in my previous posts my daughter Kati also made a card for the challenges, so here it is!

And this is the inside of the card

Recipe:-

• Magnolia 'Cupid Tilda' Stamp & Roses Stamp
• Basic Grey & Minds Eye Papers
• Ribbon Slider, ribbon, flowers and spacers from my stash
• Crochet flowers from Bev (thanks sweetie!)
• Nestabilities 'Small Circles'

Thanks for looking and I hope you like it!

JUST MAGNOLIA - WEEK 42 LOVE & FRIDAY SKETCHERS - ENTRY No. 2

Ha !  I'm on a roll !!!

Here is the 2nd entry for both the Just Magnolia Challenge -Week 42 - LOVE and the Friday Sketchers - Week 89 Challenge.


This is the brilliant sketch for this weeks' challenge on Friday Sketchers.  I hope I have done it justice.  Combined with the Just Magnolia challenge theme of LOVE, I have so enjoyed making these cards !

RECIPE:-


* Magnolia 'Tilda with Flower' Stamp
* Basic Grey & Mind's Eye Papers
* Sentiments (sorry I can't find the packet!) and the I love you is a mini clear stamp 
* Flowers, spacers and charm from my stash
* Papermania crystal drops
* Nestabilities 'Small Circles'

Thanks for looking and I hope you like it!

JUST MAGNOLIA - WEEK 42 LOVE

JUST MAGNOLIA - WEEK 42 LOVE
&
FRIDAY SKETCHERS

Well I have finally found a way of making some time to make cards !

Easy really...... I just pretend that I don't have any prep from college, the house doesn't need cleaning and   I don't need to work this week !

So having done all that I have been able to make 2 cards this week so far!  Also Kati, my daughter has gotten the bug so she has made a card too!  I will get her hooked yet! 

So here is the first of my cards, all easel cards as I am totally addicted to these as they look so wonderful and complicated, but are so easy !

Sorry about the photo, I still haven't got the hang of my camera and editing, but I hope you can see the detail.

RECIPE:-


* Magnolia 'Cupid' Stamp
* Magnolia 'Roses' Stamps from Spring Kit (I think!)
* Basic Grey & Minds Eye Papers
* Clear stamp 
* Glossy Accents & Glamour Dust
* Nestabilities 'Circles & Scalloped Circles'
* Card & Ribbon from my stash along with the heart embellishment

Thanks for taking the time to read all my waffle and for looking. 

 I hope you like it !

JUST MAGNOLIA - 'CHRISTMAS' CHALLENGE

A very quick post so that I can get this in for this week's challenge

 The Just Magnolia Challenge for this week was an easy one (thank goodness!).  It was simply Christmas, so I have been hard at work making lots of Christmas cards this week (well lots for me 6 in all!).

This one is another easel card (I am totally hooked!),

and the image is from the Magnolia 'So Jolly & Under the Mistletoe Stamp Set.  Thanks to Bev for sending me some stamped images, I so so love these hun!

The middle of the snowflake is a hair clip that broke but I couldn't bear to throw it away and it came in useful!

RECIPE:-

* Magnolia 'Tilda as Christmas Angel', 'Stamp

* Papermania 'Joyeux Noel' Papers

* Cricut 'Accent Essentials' Snowflake Shape

* Twinklets Diamond Dust

*Ribbon etc. from my stash

Thanks for looking and I hope you like it!

JUST MAGNOLIA - WEEK 34 SPECIAL MONTHLY CHALLENGE

 

As always with me there is a story behind the card! 

I originally made this card for the Whiff of Joy challenge last week using Marga's wonderful sketch.  But me being me (Dopey), got so excited when Bev sent me some fab images of the new Magnolia Christmas stamps (ta hun, your a treasure!), I couldn't wait to colour and then, yes of course I did......... I made the card up with Wrapped Tilda - Magnolia Stamp  !


(I can hear you say Bev ..... "That's ma girl" !!)

So anyways, here is my Magnolia card for the Week 34 Special Monthly Challenge, which is to make a card for someone special.  As you can see from the sentiment it is going to be for someone special.... best friend Sarah .

RECIPE:-

* Magnolia 'Wrapped Tilda', 'Presents' Stamp

* Papermania 'Joyeux Noel' Papers

* Cricut 'Accent Essentials' Snowflake  Shape

** Twinklets Diamond Dust

* 'Holly' Stickles on the Bow

* Nestabilities 'Labels One'

Thanks for looking and I hope you like it!

Whiff of Joy Candy

This is a link to the amazing candy Rach has on offer.  I just love this Santa stamp!

Rach's Whiff of Joy candy

JUST MAGNOLIA CHALLENGE - WEEK 28 MARTINE'S SKETCH

I am soooooo on a roll !

I love this sketch and made three cards with the same layout!  I have only entered one on the challenge though!

I was just reading the rules, so I may have been too late for the challenge, but I'm going to post this anyway!  Having relatives here is quite tying!  - very enjoyable though!

WHIFF OF JOY - CHALLENGE 52

Whiff of Joy - Challenge 52

CHALLENGE 52 - SKETCH BY HEATHER

I love Heather's sketch for this challenge, although when I first saw it I thought it was going to take me ages - but it didn't (well not as long as it could have!)


Well I seem to be on a roll, so don't stop me for anything!


Kati has just come back from a Spanish exchange trip,  (she is the only person I know can lose her voice two days before going on an exchange trip to learn Spanish!) not that she wanted to be back (was it something I said!?), or maybe she met a boy!  Hmmmm !


As always I digress!

So back to the challenge.  I made the card for one of the teachers that escorted the teenagers (rather them than me!) and also thought I could also enter for this challenge.


The image is Whiff of Joy - Melinda with Bouquet from the Guardian Angels Collection (love these!)


I tried not to make the card too detailed because I am just getting the time to get back to my card making and I wanted to make a few, rather than just one and then feeling like a slow coach!   But the bling and danglies got the better of me!


The centre of the flower is a brad, which I really didn't like the colour of and have had in my stash for ages and not used, because I don't like the colour - can you see a never ending circle starting here!  So I decided to put some glue on the end and 'dip' in some glitter!  Wow I love the result and now can use all my brads I don't like the colour of !!  Am going to try with the twinklets next Bev!
The ribbon and coloured card are from my stash (which has cobwebs!)



The image was coloured using my promarkers, which are still rather virginal! (can I say that on a blog?!) and the papers are Basic Grey Archiac.

I have decorated the inside to sort of co-ordinate with the front.




Hope you all like it and thank you so much for taking the time to look at my blog!


Am so glad to be back making cards and hopefully won't be A.W.O.L. again in a hurry 


Big Hugs to all


He He - I was so excited about posting my first card for ages - I forgot to put the photographs on!  Have amended !  OOOPs!

AND A BIG SORRY FOR MY BLOG STILL BEING A 'WORK IN PROGRESS'  BUT AT LEAST IT'S WORKING !

WHAT DO YOU DO TO YOUR BESSIE MATE WHEN

• YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE A CARD AND YOU HAVEN'T CRAFTED IN AGES

• THEY WON'T SHUT UP 

• THEY WON'T CRAFT WITH YOU
  BECAUSE THEY GET 'BORED' QUICKLY 

• THEY JUST WANT TO CHAT, CHAT, CHAT

V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
V

THIS !

 IS THIS MEAN OR JUST A CRAFT OBSESSION REACTION?

FIRST OF MANY- PASSED !!

Well lurvly ladies I have to share this with you. I did my first exam (skills test) last week for my Accountancy qualifications and ......

TRUMPET ROLL !!!!! (like a drum roll but louder!!)


I PASSED !!

WHAYY .
So apologies for not having posted or made a card in months, but I have been a little pre-occupied. But I must, I must get back into the swing!

I miss it sooooooooo much

Thanks to all you luvvies out there who post regularly, so even though I am not posting myself, I can keep up with all the happening!

Hugs

Hours spent - no joy

Well all you lurvly ladies. As you can see my blog is pretty sad at the moment. I have been trying to create a new customised one and it was (is) looking fab in the design stage......

Only problem, the software package I have used does not convert to blogger!!! 

What an EEEjuttt I am!

It says under blogger (coming shortly....) !

So my usual lack of concentration to the fine print and I have wasted soooo many hours!

Oh well, back to the drawing board!

But just imagine a super dooper header made from one of my own cards, labels that float like clouds, page tabs to view more detail and lots of lovely blues...... that's what it looks like !

But unfortunately I have removed all my widgets here so that I could transfer to my new page!

Sorry guys! Better I get back to the card making!

I star college next week for three days a week, hoping I can set aside time for prep and card makin!

Here's hoping

Big Hugs Guys - thanks for your patience !

JOIN THIS YAHOO GROUP PLEASE !

I am part of a really great Yahoo! Group called Memory Making crafts. There are a great bunch of scrappers that share tips and ideas and the owner holds contest, swaps and even gives special deals for her store. They even play a craft form of BINGO! If you join and put in my name as a referral (Julie Jeffery) I can win some fabulous prizes! Just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/memorymakingcrafts and sign up! It's free and easy and a really fun group! Thanks!

NOW MATTER HOW I TRY ......

That's a line from a song isn't it??.....

I have all the best intentions (so do I, I hear you shout!), but my card making always seems to be on the bottom of the priority list...

Is it being a single parent, running a home alone.....
(no can't be, lots of people do that)

Is it running around after Kati when she is working so hard at her revision for exams
(no can't be, lots of people do that)

Is it having my own business, busy time of year for painting and decorating ....
(no can't be, lots of people do that)

Is it having my new camera and trying to work out how to use it and take nice pictures of the cards I haven't yet made
(no can't be, lots of people do that)

Is it buying a new version of Adobe Photo shop Elements so that I can make the pictures look more professional that I take of the cards, I haven't made yet
(no can't be, lots of people do that)

Is it having lots of wonderful friends and doing things to help them .....
(no can't be, lots of people do that)

Is it making sure my three beautiful cats have lots of cuddles and kisses and food .....
(no can't be, lots of people do that)

Is it the possibility of losing my home and trying to sort it out with a positive result...
(no can't be, lots of people do that)

Am I subscribing to too many blogs and spending all my time reading them, which I really enjoy doing....
(no can't be, lots of people do that)

SO WHY
THE B***** H*** DO I NEVER GET A CARD MADE THESE DAYS!

If anyone can organise my life so that I can make cards that I love to do......
Answers on a post please!

PASSION FOR PROMARKERS and NEW CAMERA!!

The first challenge for 'Passion for ProMarkers' really let you 'go wild and creative' with 'ANYTHING GOES' !

Well for those that follow my blog you will see a marked improvement in my photographs (I hope!). Yes I finally got my new camera! LOVE IT! I just need to learn how to use it properly and get the best out of it, but I guess that comes with time!

Anyway.... I digress as always! ! Ha.

The card I made for the Passion for ProMarkers first challenge, which is 'Anything Goes'.

I used a sketch from Friday Sketchers, but haven't entered this card in their challenge as that was one of the stipulations on entering the first challenge. There are huge, fabaroony, delicious prizes to be won, hence the card has to be unique to this challenge!

For the front of my card I used a Tilda image very kindly given to me by Simonne (Sem See) and coloured in using ProMarkers (basically all the ones I have (well that my daughter has!) lol !. I have listed below the individual colours and where I have used them. I used my ink essentials pen for highlights.

I cut Tilda out using my Nesties but as they were not big enough to get all the image in, I decided to have her feet 'out of the frame'. To achieve this, I put a piece of folded card between her feet and the cutting edge of the Nestie. So when the image was cut, it left the feet area uncut. I think it turned out rather well ! Phew, could have been a big mess!

I inked around the edge of all the layers and the image with a colour box 'cats eye' pad in lavender, just to give it a bit more depth.

The sentiment was cut using my scalloped Nesties once again and a plain oval for the mat. The sentiment is from Elzybells and I used this one as it was the only one I had that would fit in the shape! The crystal I think just finishes it off and adds a bit of bling!

The flowers are made using Prima Flowers, punched flower in the same papers as the layers, flower spacer and chrome brad. The charm is one I made from different embellies I have bought from eBay. Ribbon is from my stash.

I used the same layout for the inside of the card as the front for uniformity (gosh I hope that;s not a rude word!). Again using my Nesties for the sentiment mat. The sentiment is another from Elzybells and I have left the diamond on the right hand side blank for a greeting to be written if needed. The flowers again are Prima with punched flowers from the same Basic Gray paper. A small spacer and chrome brad finish the flowers off.

Close-up of the sentiment

close up of coloured image

Recipe:

Promarkers: Hair ~ Yellow Pastel, Blush and Ivory
Hair Bow, Shoes, Pinafore, Dress & Socks ~ Pastel Blue & Sky Blue
Skin ~ Ivory, Blush * Pastel Pink

Papers ~ Basic Gray - two scoops, card from The Paper Mill
Stamps ~ Magnolia Tilda, Whispers & Friends sentiments Elzybells
Inks ~ Colour Cox Cats Eye Lavender
Tools ~ Nesties Scalloped and Oval.
Embellies ~ Jewellery Spacers, Brads, Ribbon, Crystal Rhinestone.


Hope you like it!

WHIFF OF JOY SUMMER STAMP KIT ARRIVED - WOW WOW WOW !

WHAYYY !!!!

POSTY MAN JUST BEEN (VERY WET POSTY MAN, POOR THING!)
AND HE HAD MY WHIFF OF JOY SUMMER STAMP KIT !!!

WHAT A FABULOUS WAY TO START A MISERABLE WET DAY!

SO I'M OFF NOW TO MOUNT MY STAMPS AND STAMP ALL AFTERNOON!!

HAPPY BLOGGING EVERYONE!





YES PUDDING DANCE GOING CRAZY AT THE MOMENT .....

COMBO - JUST MAGNOLIA & SKETCH SATURDAY

Gosh what a busy life I lead . . . . . . . working! LOL

Never mind, I'm not on my own that's for sure! It's good in some ways as I am very busy at the moment as everyone seems to want their houses painting ~ or maybe it's because I have reduced my rates quite a lot to encourage new business!
seem bloody knackered for not a lot! Ha Ha.

Keeps me out of mischief (that's good!), but no time for crafting (that's very bad!).

SO ON TO THE CHALLENGES!

JUST MAGNOLIA - WEEK 4 - IN STITCHES
(this is what Bev has me in with her little ditties!).

This weeks' Just Magnolia challenge was for any stitching. Faux, hand or machine stitching on your card and of course a Magnolia stamp.

For this card I used one of my Magnolia Spring Stamp Club Set and coloured using distress inks and twinkling H2O.s (still can't get the knack of these!). The papers, crochet flower, and sentiment were all from my Just Magnolia win (thanks guys, can't use all these quick enough!)).
I cut the mat layers and sentiment mats using my new nesties (thanks Judy).

Now the stitching is quite a funny thing. Well for me it is normal! I am intrigued by the stitching some people use on their cards and how stunning it looks. So I thought I would ask Rach for some advice.

Very interesting.... A 'normal' sewing machine (I have one of those) and it doesn't ruin the machine ~ so why haven't I tried it before! I have been looking at a 'mini' Janome zig zag machine on Ebay for yonks and yonks, but never quite got round to allocating the cash for it! So when Rach said I could use my normal machine I has delighted. I will have a go at that, I thought.

So off I go with my mind racing on the layout, papers, stamp etc etc, get my sewing machine out .........

Brilliant _ card finished - looks good, I'm happy ..................................

BUM ! I was so excited about sewing it I stuck it all together without stitching ! So I had to improvise and create faux stitches!


But at least I did get the machine out and think of it!


SKETCH SATURDAY - WEEK 50
(SPONSORED BY Simon Says)

I really loved this sketch for the Sketch Saturday challenge It was quite a simple sketch to follow but allowed for lots of creative impression! Jenette one of the DT ladies did an awesome thing with a bit of string and some brads! (now ladies, keep i clean!). It was so effect with the image and theme of the card being the seaside!
I did rotate the sketch, but kept pretty much to the layout.

The inside is quite simple and just takes a couple of the same shapes from the front of the card.

Recipe:

Papers: K & Company Hopscotch
Stamp: Magnolia Spring Stamp Club
Medium: Distress Inks and Twinkling H2O's
Brads: Papermania
Flowers: Crochet (from Just Magnolia Challenge), Paper flowers: Prima
Spacers: from stash
Ribbon: from stash
Charm: made from stash
Fabric Butterflies: from stash
Sentiments: Stampin Up & Elzybells (I think!)

Hope you like it!


p.s. you will be pleased and no doubt relieved to hear that I am finally getting my new digital slr camera! After great deliberation and lots of advice from very knowledgeable friends I am going to buy (hopefully) this weekend! I am so excited and can't wait to be able to take (well have the gear to allow me to) decent pictures for my blog!

Any advice on software girls for photo processing? I have adobe Photoshop elements, but this seems a little basic at times?
Any little pointed would be great!

Have fun


Can't keep my eyes open, so off to bed ! Apologies for any typos or grammaticals, I am just too tired to think!

BASIC GREY CHALLENGE

BASIC GREY
WEEK 32 SKETCH BY CHRISTINE

This was a really lovely sketch to work with. I was going to combine this challenge with the Just Magnolia Week 2 'Pink & Grey' challenge, but I just was not happy with my image, so I didn't enter ! I used some different paper this week (a water colour pad) and my new Inkessentials highlighter pen !

But something was not quite right with either the paper, the medium for colouring or the highlighter pen and I am disappointed with the result. Never mind - learning curve!

Well I nearly didn't enter this either, but I decided that it was a shame to get so far with a card and then not show it. Show here it is..... warts and all!

Ingredients:
Stamps: Magnolia Tilda, Magnolia Dog, Whiff of Joy Bench, Stampin Up Sentiment
Papers: Basic Grey Sultry Paper Pad
Cardstock: Watercolour Paper WH Smith, The Papermill
Medium: Watercolour Pencils and Distress Inks
Flowers, Ribbon, brads and charm from my stash

Spacers and Tilda Stamp are from my win on Just Magnolia ! love these, thanks guys!

Any constructive advice would be appreciate as to why my highlighting kept absorbing the colour under it, instead of staying white?

Oh and I used Kati's new Pro markers that I bought 'her' as a treat from the Bath & West Craft Show.... not sure I like these ..... hard to 'blend'' and with limited colours shading I found is also difficult. Hmmm jury's out on these. Kati prefers Amanda's Copics! she would !