Mum's birthday

A bit fussier than my usual style, but my Mum will love it! It is a horrid day here today, 95 km per hour winds, tiles falling off the roof, wheelie bin blown 100mt in the orchard!
I do think this Penny Black stamp is teriffic. Coloured with Promarkers.
Flowers from Wild Orchid
E-craft die cuts and SU punches and sentiment. Paper and ribbons from stash.
Challenges: Penny Black Saturday - sketch
Cr84fn Colour challenge - pink, tan, cream
I Love promarkers #139 anything goes

Bling it on!

Over at Less is More it is Week 43 Recipe - A Bit of Bling - Chrissie and Mandi have picked a good one this month!
I used: Pink Petticoat Diva download image, papermania glitter paper, promarkers liquid pearls, nestie and nellie s die, pearlised card stock and ribbon from stash.
I would also like to enter:
The Ribbon GirlJingle-all-way-to-christmas
I Love promarkers # 93-anything-goes
Papertake christmas-crackers

Dasher

This is my 2nd attempt for Less is More #42 Theme 

Silhouettes

 n. A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black.

So more white space on this one!

I used: Image, SU Dasher, sakura starlite pens in black and clear, nestie border and oval dies, Gina K sentiment stamp, Papermania snow embossing folder.

I would also like to enter:

 

Blue Christmas

I am a bit of a Little Claire fan and a few of their Red Gingham Christmas Stamps accidentally fell into my shopping basket recently! I recently inherited my OH old Hp printer as mine (2 years old)threw a fit when I loaded a re-filled cartridge and is now landfill. This one has better settings for graphics and does not assume everything is a photo with the result that my downloaded paper stash, which to be honest never looked that good printed out,  like this lovely Pink Petticoat paper are printing out lovely on Rymans bright white coated 200gsm  card and their  Ultra smooth 120gsm heavyweight paper that my do-crafts buddy Incy told me about.  I bought it when it was on offer and it was great value. This printer does not winge about e-bay ink and I can re-set the dry time so that it is even possible - really quickly, as the paper comes out, to sprinkle embossing powder on the image (although only the black ink works) and heat emboss.  Lots of playing going on this week! I also used a papermania 5x7 embossing folder (fab size as I don't often make small cards), SU punches, Nestie star, Promarkers, Viva pearl pen, new stardust pen adds just the right amount of glitter, I'm loving it

So I would like to enter: Little Claire #14 Christmas ,  Papertake 1st Christmas, Winter Wonderland Christmas blog challenge - Make your card sparkle Sir Stampalot challenge - Blue & Green Partytime Tuesdays #41 bling it on, anything sparkly (stardust pen and viva pearl pen)

While not card making this week I have been busy with the chickens who are enjoying picking over the veg patch, except for Ginger who, like her namesake in 'Chicken Run' is a mistress of escapology! although today I think I have found where she is getting out.  Toby the dog comes and gets me when she has escaped.. he is partially sheepdog after all, and doing so well after his knee surgery. Our vet advised us to get another dog, a female so Toby is above her in the pack order. A friend of Toms has a beautiful Pyrenean Mountain Dog puppy from a working line, nice chunky legs! We have reserved a little girl and will collect her just before Christmas. Puppies are a lot like babies, you forget how much hard work they are!

while I was writing this post a rather strange 'card' decided to sit on my white photo booth....This is Stumpy......................... he was a  rescue kitten with his brother Late. He is a blue eyed , 3 year old siamese-ish moggie rescued by the lovely people at Pheonix in Bergerac. He loves a cuddle as he and Latte were hand reared after being dumped when only 24 hours old.

Less is More week 38 take 2

This is my second attempt at Less is More week #38 and alsoSimon says stamp -Anything-goes , The Papershelter - Anything goes Little Claire Challenge I used:

Bo Bunny dotty ribbon from stash, Pink Petticoat fabby new christmas diva download, nellie circle die, nestie, papermania handmade glitter paper, Craftworks polka dot paper, gems & pearlised paper from stash.

I printed the image out on pearlised paper using the maxium ink settings on my HP printer and really fast poured over clear embossing powder and heat imbossed it.  I coloured in the holly with promarkers and added some viva red for ther berries and glamour dust on the leaves.

It is our 5th Wedding Anniversary today so I thought I would share with you my favourite pics of the bid day, we are outside the town hall in Toulouse where we got married in the Salle des Illustres, a most beautiful room where all the marriages take place if you live in the area. (we actually rented a flat in the catchment area for that reason!)

Less is More week 36 - Polka dots

This week Chrissie and Mandi would like.................

"This week we have a really easy recipe which is simply

POLKA DOTS

As long as your design is Clean and Simple, has some white space (or its equivalent) and polka dots in evidence somewhere, it will be perfect for this challenge."

I have been having a madly hectic week, and today it finally rained so I have been able to get into the garden and start planting winter veg---about 6 weeks too late!

Anyway to this weeks challenge, This is the first of a few versions ....

I used: Hero Arts stamp, Papermania DP & peel off sentiment, Wow gold detail embossing powder, nesties, pearls from stash. I used a sketch from Fetch-a-sketch I havn't entered there before.

Sophie 22

This week at Less is More- week 35, the colour of your eyes   is our challenge.  So my eyes are blue with hazel flecks.  It is my Daughter Sophie's 22nd birthday on 10th October....(she also has blue eyes)  I still cannot get my head around my 'baby' being all grown up.  She is at Uni in England so I don't get to see her very often.  She is a "shoeaholic" !  As I can longer produce a Barbie, Little Mermaid or Wizard of Oz cake I decided to make her a card with shoes... not just any shoes but 3d pointy ones with little heels made of sticky pads! After Many false starts I eventually cut on the Cricut some from a BoBunnyy Serenade glittered christmas DP  scrap from my box, christmas Papermania bows (gold but look hazel?), free papers from Craftworks in a magazine and a scrap embossed with a papermania folder..  I even made my first ever envelobox out of kraft card (the only card I had in 30x30cm size) with my little used Ultimate pro although it took a few attemps to get one to fit the card!  I had to do this so the shoes would not arrive flat... I even did the inside to match (I never normally think about the inside until I have decorated the front and I think I should have stamped further to the right) also stuffed the toes with a bit of glued in bubble wrap!

So I'm off the the |LaPoste web site to print out a stamp now, then off the feed the chickens their supper(wine for me, corn for them!)
The challenge at The Stamp Man - Perfect Pairs/pears was set on 23rd (my birthday) so I decided to enter this too!  I would also like to enter Simon Says 'Anything goes' and Paper Take 4th birthday-anything goes (just realised that this only started yesterday)

Less is more week 33 # 1

This week at Less is More Chrissie and Mandi want to get 1000 entries, we can do anything as long as it is  CAS card now that IS a challenge!  So here is my first card.  A favourite  Papermania stamp embossed in gold to add to my Christmas card stash.

It takes 2 baby!

This week at Less is More -Week-32-one-layer-seeing-double Chrissie and Mandi have said" ONE LAYER CARD
entitled
SEEING DOUBLE
So on your entry this week, we'd like to see TWO of something"

Ok I am yet again posting at the 11th hour but what a week, Today pressure washing the tunnel after murdering all the rats/voles ready for the chickens to move in over the winter.........Toby doing so well after surgery that I swear he has been watching 'the Great Escape'.

 I made a card blank showing the edges.
So 2 of something.. Mmm when I looked at the fellow Limettes there was certainly a lot of x2 .......... stamps ...anyway after 2 glasses of white wine with 2 ice cubes in each.
2  x Colours: - Blue and silver
2  x Gems
2: x Things I have bought and not used yet- the Papermania snowflakes embossing folder which arrived this morning :-) and the pearlised dark blue cardstock from E-bay.
2 x Techniques: Dry embossing and die cutting, I don't use my Wizzard much as it has 'dead' area right down the middle.
2 x Sick cats lying on my desk...Arrhhh
2 eggs for my breakfast this morning- Picpoul is eating hers as they don't have shells....
2 more glasses of wine...Oh..cut me some slack the other half has gone off to see Toulouse play!
2 attemps to take a decent picture so scanned it in the end!

I will come back and add a few more challenges when I am a bit more sober :-)

I think that Less more is 2 x good for me!

Mandi asked if it was indeed  a #One layer.'. I cut a card blank from the dark blue card, but the edges didn't quite line up and left  slight white border that I liked so I cut the other edges to match.....although it does not show up very well

21

This week at Less is More for week 29 the theme is

Things that Move

This could be interpreted in a variety of ways...an actual moving component on your card, so a pop up, a shaker, a spinner, a charm, a tag... we could go on... "

On the other hand your card could have an image of something capable of movement, so the scope for that is almost infinitesimal!

My husband asked me to make a card for his neice/goddaughters 21st birthday (GASP) and I wanted to do something 'girlie' and that would fit the bill for LIM (as the purse opens) as I really enjoy trying to come up with something each week and I only have time to make one card today.  Whilst there is quite a lot of white space, it isn't that simple.... Sorry Chrissie & Mandi :-(

I used: AR designs SVG cutting file for the purse box/money holder and mat, Papermania DP and glitter card, tonic butterfly punch,Wild Orchid Crafts seam binding and bling, Craftworks sentiment, card scrap scraps from stash.  I would also like to enter the Ribbon Girls Challenge, using ribbon

We took Toby for his 4 week post op X-Rays and everything is going well, the plate is where it should be, the bone is healing well, the leg is flexing correctly and he does not need the anti-inflam pain killers any more! Hooray.  We can also take him for walks on the lead around our field which he has really missed, he is getting terribly bored, bless him! Only 4 weeks to go until the final X-Rays and exam now and then he can be off the lead for walkies, I can't wait :-)

Oh well I'm off outside to put down some more rat poison as I saw 2 huge ones yesterday near my worm compost bin.................. Gosh I lead an exciting life!

Snowflakes

This week chrissie and Mandi say "Once more we are back to the second week of the month and so our challenge is for a

ONE LAYER CARD. The special feature we would like to see this week is for you to

USE INK
** This does include ink pads **

...hopefully in a way you haven't tried before.... or using a favourite technique.

If you can avoid using the computer this week, that would be great, but we wouldn't want to to miss a week if the computer is your only method of card making"

Mmm ... Well one layer cards don't worry me too much but I have always ended up with an inky mess whenever I have tried to use ink for anything other than plain old stamping!

I found a pack of sponge daubers I had never opened and some inks and had a play..  I overstamped with a Papermania snowflakes stamp and added gems to the centres of the snowflakes.  I'm quite pleased with it and will have another go later...

I would also like to enter..Crafty hazelnuts christmas challenge # 33-simplychristmas , The secret crafter #147 Christmas is coming

Chicken

I punched out this Penny Black chicken for my LIM card but he was too big so I used him here instead on the Thank you card for my Parents in law who are holding a big family party next week to celebrate their 50th anniversary.  I coloured him with Promarkers doodled/stiched the circle, stickles, glossy accents, card candy, paper is Papermania, the sentiment is a font called 'Stitch Bitch' !  I would like to enter it for:  Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Stitch it Up, I used the sketch from Card positioning systems, Truly scrumptious #60 things with wings

3French Hens

I didn't get a card made for last weeks Less is More Challenge as our poor Dog Toby who my lovely followers and visitors may remember has been limping for a while was finally diagnosed with Hip dysplasia and canine arthritis on Friday.  We first took him to the vet when he was 6 months old becuse we were concerned. I came home with some MEGA expensive drugs and have been trying to get him stabalised and comfortable so havn't had much craft time as I'm also getting ready for another week in England.  Thank goodness we have house sitters as we could not put Toby in the kennels. I did think a spot of stamping and colouring in might cheer me up today so after hoovering the spiders out of the spare room I sat down and managed the card above inspired by my feathered friend below and a couple of other unfinished bits.  I would like to enter Less is More: Week 21 Sketch , MAWTT 104-clean-and-simple, Ladybugs crafts - Christmas in June, Clear it out - keeping it simple,
Pile it on - Going round in circles

I used: Penny Black stamps, Promarkers, cricut, papermania cardstock, embossing board, black stickles, glossy accents on the wine glasses.

Hey ho, I'm off to collect the eggs and feed the chickens and Fleur the sheep/lawn mower we are pet sitting for this week while our neighbours are away. Chickens will be my next compulsion... :-)

Butterflies

This my my card forLess is More #16 butterflies  the image is a Little Claire digi (with a few more butterfiles added), colured with Promarkers, stickles in various colours, paper from Pink Petticoat magazine freebie, Craftworks sentiment, papermania mini buttons. Thanks to LIM I am starting to make the kind of cards that I used to buy rather than ones covered in flowers that sit in a box for ever... Thanks Chrissie and Mandy!
I would also like to enter: Little claires #7 sparkle
Flutterby wednesdays #156
andTruly scrumptious# 57 anything goes,

2 Sisters # 40-use a digi

Christmas in March 2

I am feeling a bit down today, Weathers rubbish so cannot get out in the garden, changing over thyroid drugs is making me feel tired and achy. What can I do to cheer myself up?????? Glitter! and christmassy stuff is the answer!! Also I was wondering what to do for this weeks Less is More challenge a sketch, I like sketches, so this is what I came up with after a bit of a play with the Wizard and my stash of christmassy things.
I used: Pearlescent card blank from stash (I didn't have any DL blanks suitable)
Spellbinders Wizard and nestabilities,
heirloom ornaments and snowflakes Quickutz embossing folder, one of my favourites
Papermania navy sparkling trims.
I would like to enter it in the following challenges:
Less is Moore - Week 8 Sketch
Pals paper arts- 86-element-of-style-embossing
Christmas card challengesweek-17 - no stamping!
The secret crafter saturday challenge127 Christmas in Spring
Cards for men challenge 7 -embossing 
2 sisters challenge blog -32-make-your-own Embellishments
The rubber cafe trcc-10-embossing

Mother's Day

I wanted to come up with something special for my Mother in law and decided to dust off my '460 Iris Folded Card to Make' by Maruscha Gaasenbeek and Tine Beauveser. This is my second attempt as on the first one I got my papers all muddled up!
I used: Marianne die leaf swirl
Rub on sentiment, origami papers and iris folding irredecent papers from my stash,
Papermania Gem
Rose template from the book above.

I would like to enter it in the following challenges:
Ooh la la Creations - Mother's Day / Special Friend
Dream valley challenges - Mothers Day
Sparkles 7 - MothersDay
Papertake weekly - Its-mom-thing-or-just-be-girlie
For fun challenges- Something with flowers
The shabby tearoom -54-bingo (Gem, flower, die cut)
Scrapbooksisters 28 - Anything goes

Uncle Birthday card

It is my Uncle's 77th birthday soon, he is a motor racing fan so I thought a Vintage card for a Vintage uncle!
I used: Rymans card blank,
Vintage download from Digital Heaven,
computer generated sentiment ,Parisian font, printed straight onto the card blank,
Papermania Elegance sticker corners,
Crafters Companion Ultimate Pro for the corner embossing.
I would like to enter this in the following challenges:
Less is More - Masculine
Pals paperarts- Embossing
One Stitch at a Time- One for the boys
The Rubber Cafe - Embossing
Incy wincy designs - Challenge-86-embossing

Birthday Cakes

The Shabby Tea Room 53 - Party Time
Meljens designs - Green
Simon Says Stamp - Happy Birthday
Southern girls - Use flowers
Card making mamas - Green
Delicious doodles - Use green
Cheerful stamp pad - Spring
Cupcake craft challenge - Up in the air with optional green
Anything goes challenge - Die cuts
Papertake weekly - Use 3 of something (flowers)
Sketch Saturday
Fairy Tale - Green & pink

I would like to enter the challenges above. I have had my internet connection dropping all evening due to a storm so please excuse any odd links!
I used: Papers from DoCrafts, die cut nestabilities circles, Stampin Up scalloped oval punch, Papermania flowers and buttons, Pink Petticoat papers  (free in Creative Cardmaking magazine) and Image, Glossy accents, Stickles glitter glue.

One Layer Card

This is my 4th attempt at an entry for the Less is More Challenge :-) I kept getting things not off the edge enough or too much LOL !  in this one the wind HAS blown the wisps off the edge..... !! I have discovered that 'Clean and Simple' does not mean Fast and Quick!
I am really enjoying learning how to make these cards, there are great tutorials which explaine really well how to do things in easy steps.

I could not get my stamps, ink and embossing powder to behave! On this months Complete Cardmaking Magazine'Complete Cardmaking CD' there are two free digikits.  I used some digi images of dandelions and butterflies from the Flora & Fauna kit in Serif Scrapbook Artist and re-coloued the images in tones of dark blue. There is Glamour Dust on the dandelion head but the sparkle does not show up too well as it is a dull old windy cold day in Toulouse even Toby my dog is pretending to be asleep so he does not have to go outside ! The sentiment is from a Papermania set which I use a lot.

I would like to enter: Less is Moore ONE LAYER CARD - OFF THE EDGE
One stop craft challenge 122-clean-and-simple 
Paper-crafting journey challenge - 5things-with-wings

Pink and Black Squares..

My sister asked me to make a birthday card for a friend's 40th and today I have been playing with ideas and graphics trying to come up with something with a greyhound on it as requested when I should be packing for my trip tomorrow! I also wanted to enter Less is More challenge this week as I missed last week. I used Papermania black cardstock,  papersPink Petticoat in black overprinted with orchid and a digi image i found on the internet here, 4 black gems and my lovely new woodware paper trimmer with the deckle blade.
I would like to enter the following blog challenges:
 Less Is More  Three Squares 
Charisma cardz Challenges Black, white and one other colour (orchid pink)
Totally Gorjuss Black and one other colour (orchid pink)

Thank you for your comments, I have added links to the image and papers as requested by

Bernadet Rodakowski