Flutterby butterfly!

Flutterby Wednesday Challenge #104 is looking for some sparkle to accompany your butterfly, angel or fairy this week. Admittedly the girls will have to look carefully to find it on this card but the butterfly has Stickles on it's wings!

I wasn't going to share this simple little card. However, after I photographed it I changed my mind as it looks quite pretty!

I think this image has been drawn by Elisabeth Bell as it looks like her style. I stamped it when I visited my mate Vicky a few weeks ago and I can't remember the details.

It's chicks in baskets and origami bunnies at the library tomorrow. When I rang work this morning they said there were 25 children's names on the list for the session... that's a whole lot of bunnies to make!

Happy crafting everyone!

How does your garden grow!

I wasn't going to share this project until later in the week but the little watering can looked so sweet in amongst the spring flowers that I couldn't resist posting it today!

A big thank you to Dolly aka Vicky over at Blush for sharing the links back to the template for this little gem.I had plenty of fun making this sweet little watering can and enjoyed working on a non-card project for a change.

The double-sided scrapbook paper is by Scenic Route and is called Charlotte/Canal Street Floral by Sarah Milne. The distressing looks way OTT in the pictures, but thankfully in real life isn't so apparent. The gorgeous mushroom coloured roses and the hat pins are from the amazing Wild Orchid Crafts. If you haven't visited their online store you are in for a treat as their selection of mulberry flowers is stunning.

I plan to re-arrange the roses before I give this to my Mom as I'm not quite happy with how they look... I think I'll centre them up a bit more.

Edited to add:

...and sometimes less is more. Actually, I think I prefer this simple look!

No surprises that I am entering this at the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - How does your garden grow.

Happy crafting everyone!

Fairies, banana bread and bunny ears!

Ok, so I've used a Lilli of the Valley image again.... but what's a girl to do when they are just sooooo lovely!

I hope that everyone is enjoying their Easter break.

Hubby is at the football, so I'm indulging in a little bank holiday crafting. I also found time to try out a new banana bread recipe this afternoon and I have to say that it smells fabulous! I'm looking forward to tucking into it later with a big cup of hot chocolate... yum!

This simple little Nestie card was so quick and easy to make. I coloured the image earlier in the week and just added the finishing touches today. I think that Nestie cards make a fabulous 'fallback' when you need a cute card in a hurry! I swooshed a little silver Versacolour over some D'vine Swirls embossing for a quick and simple background.

It's 'Blue and silver' for week #50 over at the Lili of the Valley Challenge Blog and the Flutterby Wednesday Challenge is for 'Blue, white and green'.

I'm also linking this card to the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Open week.

Stamptacular Sunday Challenge #53 - 'Sugar and spice and everything nice'

Crafty Creations girls - 'Anything goes'

One stitch at a Time Challenge #7 - 'Anything goes'

'Shapes Galore' at A Spoonful of Sugar.

One small card... so many challenges!

Just before I sign off I hope you don't mind if I share these latest pictures of my niece.

Guess who didn't really want Auntie to photograph her wearing bunny ears!!!

She'll love these pictures when she's 21!

Happy crafting everyone!

Amazing candy!

Follow this link to take a look at a fabulous candy giveaway!

Kellie is giving away the entire Spring Swiss Pixies Kit (Copyright to All That Scraps) to celebrate 100,000 hits on her blog! In this kit you will receive 8 Swiss Pixies, 6 accessory stamps, and 3 Spring Sentiments... isn't that just brilliant!

Happy Easter!

Hi everyone, I hope that you are all enjoying the Easter break!

Before I get started I just want to say a big thank you for all your helpful ideas and kind comments on my previous post. I guess we've all experienced that feeling when you really want a card to be perfect but it just doesn't quite happen. Thank you all soooooooo much!!!

I have let my hair down and had a bit of fun with the cards that I am posting today. This little bunny just stole my heart when I spotted him over on Mami Doodles. The talented Elisa has some lovely images available and all are very reasonably priced. Don't be surprised to see more of these cute digi's putting in an appearance here as I am really taken with her sweet designs.They do say that the camera never lies but this card is actually a lovely lilac colour rather than lavender blue. Those tiny butterflies are from Hero Arts and took ages to cut out!

I am entering this card over at Cute Card Thursday as Challenge #106 is 'So egg-citing'.

This second card is another outing for that sweet Lili of the Valley bunny.The paper is from a Laura Ashley collection and the colour can only be described as 'Germoline pink'. Thankfully it looks really sweet paired with Kraft card stock. I think that I spent much of my childhood smeared in Germoline ointment as I was always falling off my bike or tripping over my own feet. Does anyone else remember that oh so distinctive Germoline perfume?

So have a great weekend everyone, don't eat too much chocolate and I hope that you'll all find a little crafting time along the way!

Something is missing...

This card was made for a work colleague who retired yesterday. Christine has been my 'locker buddy' since she started at the library and I have to say that it was odd opening 'our' locker this morning and not finding her blue work clogs in there. I had a real feeling that something was missing...

I also have the same feeling about this card. I am not sure what else I could, or should, have added but it just seems to need something additional to give it some oomph - but I don't know what!

The gorgeous girl image is from a set called 'Shining light' by Penibear for The Stamp Bug Ltd. This was an eBay purchase and I have to say that I felt super thrifty as I got it at a very good price. I used other images from the set to decorate the inside, but foolishly forgot to take any photographs.

I got to work with my Versacolour cubes in shades of pink and lilac to create the background, before stamping the main image in black ink. The butterflies are Hero Arts digital stamps coloured with Promarkers, and then slathered in Diamond Glaze. I loved adding the antennae with black cotton and could just hug the wonderful Jennifer McGuire for demonstrating this gorgeous technique a few weeks ago.

The background stamp is that lovely new swirly cling from Hero Arts, and I highlighted the tips of the swirls with silver gel pen. I sprayed the image with Glimmer Mist a few times and then added some Diamond Stickles for extra sparkle and interest.

To say 'goodbye' to Christine a group of us went out for lunch yesterday in the rather swanky Bar Estilo in the Birmingham Mailbox. I had a yummy Tapas meal and then the most amazing chocolate ice cream. I don't go out for lunch with the girls very often so I really enjoyed myself.

A little window shopping in Harvey Nicholls afterwards just finished the afternoon nicely!

Happy crafting everyone!