A card for a few Challenges...

Hi all, a really quick post from me as Eldest is nagging me to get off the computer as she has to do her homework lol!

A CAS card for a few of my favourite challenges, here's the inspiration:

The Play Date Cafe colour inspiration:



CAS-ual Fridays inspired by a book - I have chosen The Snowman.


I have made a shadow-box card, following a fab tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers by Dawn Griffith.


A swinging snowman, a red metal eyelet and some little metal rings to dangle him by...



Some red polka dot embossed bazzill in the background, highlighted with some Opal Pearls for some snowflakes...


A couple of black gems for his buttons, and some red hessian ribbon threaded with gold strips...

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Less is More - Metallic - Metal jump rings and eyelet

Craft Catz - Monochrome

The Play Date Cafe - Colour splash

CAS-ual Fridays - What's Black & White & Read all Over?

The Pretty Little Ribbon shop - Monochrome

All stamps are Waltzingmouse Stamps.

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline

The Ribbon Reel Challenge #10

Morning all, today brings us another fortnightly challenge from The Ribbon reel. Already into September, and the kids are either gearing up for a return or have just gone back. So, with this in mind, our challenge for the next fortnight has been chosen by Zuzana Obert with a theme of 'Back to School'




I have made a card for my Big Girl who is starting at Secondary school tomorrow - there's a jumble of mixed emotions in this house right now, and I'm sure there will be nerves tomorrow morning too.



I have used a white linen card base, and layered some red bazzill and some ledger style paper from My Mind's Eye - Oooh La La For Him paper pack.



Then embossed in a script folder some black/grey Cor'dinations paper, and sanded to reveal the grey core. I thought it looked just like a chalkboard!



I then stamped the apple from Waltzingmouse Stamps Peace and Plenty set onto some green and red bazzill, cut out and layered together. Attached these to a panel stamped with the square frame from WMS Frame-it! set, and cut with Nestabilities Squares. The sentiment is also WMS from Asian Gardens.

Before assembling attached the layered stripy black Twill and Sheer Ruffle Edge Ribbon in Celery under the white panel, and used some yellow and red Seam Binding to create the bow, all from The Ribbon Reel shop, then topped off the bow with a large red paper rose.

Finally added some shiny green flat backed pearls and some stickles to the rose and the apples.

Please see the challenge rules HERE for more information on how to enter and the prize up for grabs!

If you need any more inspiration, do visit my fellow team-mates on the Ribbon Reel Design Team:

• Keilly Mulvihill - Keilly's Little Blog
• Debbie Marcinkiewicz - Simple Treasures
• Clare Buswell - Clare's Creation
• Pauline Pollington - Craft Obsession
• Zuzana Obert - Jelly Welly
• Fran Westmoreland - Purple Peanut's Crafty Blog

Supplies Used:

Stamps: Peace and Plenty , Frame-it! and Asian Gardens both Waltzingmouse Stamps

Papers: My Mind's Eye - Ooh La la for Him; red and green bazzill; Black Core'dinations; white card

Ribbons: Black Stripy Twill; Sheer Ruffle Edge Ribbon; Red and Yellow Seam Binding all from The Ribbon Reel

Nestabilities: S4-126 Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Squares Large

Other: Flat backed pearls; paper rose; stickles, all from stash.


I am entering this card into the following challenges:

If The Shoe Fits - Back to School

Guylous Inimitability - Back to School

Crazy For Challenges - Back to School

My Grafico - Back to School

Pixie Dust Studio - Back to School

Stamp Insanity - Back to School

Paper Issues - Back to School



Thanks for stopping by!

Pauline

Milton Christmas...

Hi lovely bloggers, I have a sweet little card today, starring Milton the Bear with his Christmas Stocking! I do love this character, he is adorable, and fun to colour.

I have followed the sketch this week from Sketch Saturday, it reminds of the Union Jack, and my first instinct was to go with red white and blue. But then, I spied Milton looking balefully at me from my stamp box with an accusatory glare - You have never used me! - so I went with a traditional colour scheme for a christmas card.

So, here's the sketch:

And here's my take:


Milton is coloured with Promarkers and layered onto a label cut with Nestabilities Labels 11 - he just about fits in the larger one of these dies, and I then traced around the edge of it onto some green paper and hand cut for the mat.



I then cut some red and green dot embossed bazzill to make up the central cross, and trimmed with a Martha Stewart edge punch. Tied some green bakers twine around the strips before adhering to a poinsettia patterned paper and green bazzill.

The sketch has little embellishments in the corners, but I thought the pattern on the paper would suffice for this, I hope that's ok for this challenge!



Finally added some glamour dust to the stocking top and the poinsettia flower centres, so sparkly in the sunshine this morning.

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Let's Craft and Create - Challenge 8, It's Christmas!

Do You Stack Up - Friendly Critters

Sketch Saturday

Passion for Promarkers - Anything Goes


Supplies Used:

Stamps: Milton With Stocking - Wild Rose Studio

Papers: Milton Christmas Papers - Wild Rose Studio; Red and Green dot embossed Bazzill; crema card from stash

Other: Ranger Glossy Accents; Deco Art Glamour Dust; Martha Stewart Edger Punch; Promarkers; Green Baker's Twine - The Ribbon Reel


Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline

Playing with Plaid..

Hi lovely peeps, it's been a while since I last posted, but there's a very good reason - I've been away visiting relatives in East Anglia, and we had a wonderful time. So I spent a couple of hours this morning (I've been up since 6am) creating a card for the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge.

I took some time to do some therapeutic stamping, and it makes my heart sing when I can do this and just enjoy it! I've used two stamp sets to create the tartan background - Offbeat Backgrounds and Pic-Nic patterns.



This week's sketch is from the wonderfully talented Anya Schrier, a lovely tag shape.


I have used the colours from this week's challenge at The Ribbon Reel, in colours of Plum, Grey and Green.




The little punny sentiment is from WMS Sewing-box Hugs.



For the tag I cut two labels in plum bazzill and kraft card, and added a dotted border on the kraft, using WMS Very Vintage Labels No.4. I then cut the plum die cut down to resemble a tag shape - just cut the side and base curved points off.



I stamped the sentiment onto some dot embossed green bazzill, and cut into a little banner shape, then took two little scrap off cuts of the plaid and attached them onto the craft using a zig zag stitch.

I stitched the plaid background onto some green leafy patterned paper from a stack called Bird Song by Trimcraft, then adhered to some plum bazzill before mounting onto a white linen card base.

Finally added a big grey satin bow, rose and some green gems.


Supplies Used:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Very Vintage Labels No.4; Sewingbox hugs; Offbeat BackGrounds; Pic-nic patterns

Inks: Distress Inks in Dusty Concorde, Milled Lavender, Peeled Paint; Versamagic Dewdrop Purple Hydrangea

Paper: White linen Card Base; Trimcraft Bird Song Paper Stack; White card from stash

Other: Paper Rose, Grey Ribbon, gems from stash; Sewing Machine grey thread.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Waltzingmouse Sketch challenge

Let's Craft and Create - Challenge 22 - Tag it!

Tuesday Throwdown - punny Sentiments

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline

Less is More

Morning all, I have a card this morning for Less is More Challenge. This week, Chrissie and Mandi want us to...

'Take 3 Challenges

We want you to choose 3 from any of our previous 29 and combine them in your design.
There is a list of our previous challenges under the tab heading at the top of our blog and you can also see the previous sketches under a separate tab.

Please state which 3 you have chosen.
NB There is no need to adhere to the One Layer if that is on the week you choose.

You may wish to go for your favourites or maybe your least...acetate springs to mind!

Most of all, be creative, have fun, remember our white space and the all important

"Less is More"'

I have chosen to make a One Layer card (Wk 28) and the themes from Weeks 23 and 16 - Butterflies and things with legs.

I have used two corner stamps from a set from Stamp-It, and Distress Ink Victorian Velvet.

The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Stamps Asian Gardens, stamped in Versafine Vintage Sepia.

Finally added some pink stickles for a bit of shimmer, but think I will add some gems in the future!

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline

Highclere Castle..

Well, we did make it to Highclere Castle yesterday, the rain stayed away for the few hours we were there, and the kids had a great time!

It was interesting to see it again - we went last year before Downton Abbey came out and it was dead quiet, there were a handful of people milling around and us. Yesterday it was heaving, at least 6 coaches and about 100 cars in the car park! The guy in the ticket office said their visitors have increased from 250 a week to 1000! All because of one show! The power of television.

Anyway, here's some pics..

My eldest daughter in front of this beautiful house. I was lucky to catch her as she didn't realise I was about to take her picture, and when she did, she dived to the ground, but too late hehehe!



A detail of the intricate stone work. The facade of this house was designed by Sir Charles Barry, who also designed The Houses of Parliament. Victorian High Gothic splendour at it's finest.


Now, I was a bit naughty and took a picture of one of the bedrooms - we were asked not to take photos in the house, but I couldn't resist! I don't understand why not as it has been on the television enough times.


This is my son and his friend, digging for some archaeological finds in the Tutankhamun exhibition in the basement. Needless to say he was covered in sand!

It was the 5th Earl of Carnarvon who of course uncovered the tomb of the boy king with the archaeologist Howard Carter, and many artefacts were brought back to Highclere. All the exhibits on show now are copies, and the originals are back home, in the Cairo Museum.


My children ran about outside after the house visit, and couldn't resist rolling down these gentle slopes!




We then made our way to The Secret Garden...



Nearly there...


It must be here!




What a beautiful gateway, I want one in my garden!



Aaah, the secret garden, it really is very pretty..




A final goodbye to Highclere Castle, I may return next year if I can brave the crowds!

Less is More

Hi all, I have a quick post today for the Less is More Challenge, which I have been meaning to get round to all week, but time just ran away from me!

I have used the colours from this week's challenge at The Ribbon Reel - once I start using purple, I just can't stop lol!



I have used a little white hammered card base, and stamped the outside edge of a frame from Waltzingmouse Stamps Very Vintage Labels No.1, in Dewdrop Purple Hydrangea.



The sentiment is from WMS Say it With Style set, stamped in Versamark and silver embossed.



Then simply took some co-ordinating paper roses, twirled the stems and attached to the card, added some Martha Stewart punched out butterflies and finally some gems.


I'm really hoping the rain stays off this afternoon, as I am taking the kids to Highclere Castle, so I may be back later with some pics!

Thanks for stopping by,

Pauline