Monday 28 September 2009

Off on a holiday!

Well, in 8hrs time, I shall be setting off to pick Pam up and we'll be on our way to Burnham-on-Sea for a week, with Issy, Jackie and Sandra.
There were seven of us in June, so it should be a little roomier I hope. We'll see when get to the caravan. Don''t really care. What could be better than a whole week of crafting with like minded friends! A world cruise? yeah, well, OK, (but only just). LOL
Couldn't head off  without one last card, could I?


He's my gorgeous snowman, by Haven't a Clue.
(That's my problem with unmounted stamps, I forget who the makers are and where I bought 'em). *sigh*.
Coloured with Copic Ciao markers, with a dab of glitter glue on his fur trim.
The DP is by Papermania. It's from the gorgeous 'Home for Christmas' set, by Jesse Edwards.
Mounted on Nestability squares, he looks, I think, rather handsome.
Well, please don't forget me. I'll hopefully be able to check in at some point, as Issy is taking her laptop.
That's it, I'm orf. I'll see you all next Monday or Tuesday! Have a great week, whatever you are doing.

Viv xx 




Friday 25 September 2009

Challenge blog owners Blog Hop starts today!!!

Today's the day this mega challenge kicks off! There are loads of challenges and prizes.
Thirteen Challenge blogs have got together for this amazing blog hop, each giving a prize and each setting a challenge.The blog hop starts with 'Scrapsketch', so please visit there first.

Here is my sample for Peachy Keen's challenge in the blog hop.


 I coloured my gorgeous Cherries, (PK-239, Faceless Fruit) with Copics and sponged the edge with SU Rose Red ink. (Did the same with the computer generated sentiment).
That gorgeous lacy border is a Spellbinders borderability... 'Fleur de Lis'. I THINK the DP is Basic Grey but I bought it yonks ago, so can't be 100% sure. (Can't even be 50% sure)! LOL

Be sure to look at the other DT member's creations, they are fabulous! (Not forgetting our two guest designers, invited especially for this blog hop, Emma Aguila and Lauri Ingram).
They are very talented, and like the other DT members, lovely to know too.

Well good luck! Happy blog-hopping and thanks for dropping in. It's lovely to see you as always.

Viv xx

Thursday 24 September 2009

Peachy Keen Awesome Candy and news!


  • 4 packages of Miss Elizabeth's Scrapbook Papers: Braun, Lodge, Jewels, and Fairytale Princess(6 pages per package)
  • Peachy Keen Stamps PK-303A Tubular Star Snowman Small
  • Peachy Keen Stamps PK-320 Snickerdoodle Gift Elf
  • Peachy Keen Stamps PK-311 Snowmany Thanks
  • Peachy Keen Stamps PK-404 Sugar n Spice Gingers Small
  • 12 Ice Stickles: Gold, Crystal, Arctic Ice, Grape, Blueberry, Lime, Cherry, Strawberry, Silver, Coffee, Lemon and Mint
  • 12 Offray Grosgrain Ribbon Spools 3/8": White, Cranberry, Island Blue, Ant White, Black, Lt Pink, Shock Pink, Blue, Lemongrass, Lemon, Yellow Gold, Oatmeal (two of these are at the bottom of the stack behind the long acrylic block)
  • 3 SUPER acrylic blocks with grid lines and finger grooves, Sizes: 3.5" round, 4.25
Hows that for blog candy!!!
Hop on over to the Peachy Keen blog for all the details of how you could win this fabulous candy.
There's also the chance of a $25 gift voucher for one lucky person, to use in the Peachy Keen store!
The candy will stay open until 23rd October. Good luck!!!

Also, starting tomorrow, Friday 25th, until midnight October 1st, there is going to be a blog hop with a twist! 13 Challenge blogs have got together to give you a 'Blog Challenge Blog Hop', sponsored by Stephanie of Scrapsketch and Peachy Keen is one of 'em!! Yeah!!!!
We also have the privilege of not one, but TWO fabulous guest designers for this awesome challenge!
Emma Aguila and Lauri Ingram.  So don't forget to come by tomorrow and find out all the details. There are loads of prizes to be had!!!
Viv xxx

Wednesday 23 September 2009

In hot Water!



Awww poor bear! Isn't he CUTE! He's the Friday Freebie from last week at Digital Delights.

Coloured with Copics. (I either print or stamp my images onto Staple's own 160gsm smooth paper. It doesn't bleed).
Cs is ordinary yellow CS sponged with Tim Holtz's Spiced Marmalade Distress ink.
The ribbon is shimmery green and lilac depending on the light.
Wish I could remember where I got it, it's almost gone!
I would've liked to put a cobweb in the top RH corner, but I haven't got one, so I couldn't. *Sigh*.

I'm off to Northwich tomorrow to pick up a crib for my eldest son and his partner.
(Won it on Ebay yesterday). It's gorgeous and as good as new. Their baby is due in 3 weeks!!
I hope the scan nurse was right and it IS a girl, 'coz there'll be trouble at t'mill if not! LOL
I can't wait! Not only is my first granddaughter (I hope) due, but on or around my birthday in December, I will have another grandson to look forward to! What a brilliant Christmas present!
I'm going to have to get my skates on and get their cards made!!

That's all from me today, so thanks for dropping in and I hope you will leave me a comment or two. I LUV 'em!

Viv xx

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Peachy Keen Challenge 12

Hello everyone.
It's Peachy Keen Challenge day today and BOY! was it a challenge for me this time!
The challenge is.......Make an ornament.

You can use whatever materials you like, but you must include the following........
  • Something gold
  • A hanging device
  • A stamped image
Easy? Well it wasn't. Not for me 'coz I don't usually do 'objects'. It was definitely a challenge!
BUT!!! Saying that, now I've done it, my head is buzzing with all the possibilities now!

Here is what I finally came up with.........


As it's THAT time of year, I had to go with a Christmas ornament, didn't I!

I searched high and low for a template for a hanging ornament and finally found something suitable on You Tube. Here.

I used a past SU Christmas DP for the star.
Gold Mirri card for the Nestie scalloped circle.
The cute snowman is of course from Peachy Keen. He's PK-311, 'Snowmany Thanks' set. (I LOVE the PK Christmas stamps.)
Coloured as usual with Copics. (I can't seem to tear myself away from them or Promarkers).
(I used gold cord stuck on the back of the star with a glue dot).

We'd love you to play along with us on the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog.
You can play along with any of our sketches anytime, but to be in with a chance of winning the fantastic prize, please upload your entry before midnight 4th October. (CST, US). Approx. 6am 5th October for us 'over here'.
(You don't even have to use Peachy Keen stamps), but it'll be nice if you do.
 Pop on over and see the other DT member's fabulous projects.  You won't be disappointed!

Take care and have a great day. (I shall be watching for your entries). ;0)

Viv xxx


Sunday 20 September 2009

ABC DT Call

ABC Challenge blog is holding a DT call.
I've only just discovered this fab challenge blog! I must take my head out of this bucket!
To apply, here's what you need to do.........
1. Post about this on your blog and link it back.
2. Choose your 3 favourite cards and add them to the post. 
Show in these cards what you determine your style to be.
(Please don't apply, I want to be picked)! Ha Ha ! Only kidding! .....Not!

Here are three of my favourite cards. It was hard to choose! 








 Now I can certainly link the DT call and I can just about choose three favourite cards, but define my style....
Not a clue! I would suggest.... eclectic. I don't have one style.... do I? 
I go where the fancy or inspiration, or the image itself takes me. These three cards are a case in point.
They are all totally different.
No 1 is a digital image, 2 has no image and the third one is a stamp.

Hmmm, this DT call has got me thinking. Do any of you out there, think I have a style? Or, like me, do you think I'm a mixture? Please let me know what you think.  I'd be really interested in your opinion.

Viv xx

Wednesday 16 September 2009

Don't be scared!

It's only a pumpkin! Ha Ha!

 
The Copic Colour Challenge this week is to use YR68, G94 and Y38.
I used the YR68 and Y38 together on the pumpkin and around the ghost and a titchy bit of G94 on the stalk of the pumpkin.
The ghost, buttons, Boo and the baby bat are from the Peachy Keen set, 'Dress Me Ghost', (PK-612) .
The pumpkin is from PK-629.
Considering we don't really go in for Halloween cards, I can't help meself with these cute stamps!
Coloured with Copics except on the distressing/shading around the ghost. That was done with Tim Holtz distress ink 'Spiced Marmalade'.
Well I suppose that's my daily fix done and dusted. I'm going to be a bit tied up tomorrow. Alan  is hoping his new scooter will be taxed and ready to bring home. That means I'll have to drive us to Northwich and he will ride back on it. (He has to ride a scooter as he has Transverse Myelitis and can't feel the clutch lever on a motor bike, so that's out of the question. He has to have an automatic, hence the scooter).He can't drive my car as he can't feel the pedals properly. I should have got an automatic car on reflection.
Well, that's enough rambling from me.  (I will TRY and get to play in my craft room at some point tomorrow, so watch this space)! Viv xx

Tuesday 15 September 2009

Pretty Poppy

It's been a funny old day today. First hubby gets a tummy upset and spends most of the day either in bed or on the 'throne' and BJ, my youngest, has to stay off work as he has Man 'flu! I was supposed to be house sitting for him and my D-i-L while a new phone line was fitted, but as he's poorly, I wasn't needed. Good job too, as I've spent the day washing!
All seems to have quietened down though now, so I can now get my latest card on here.


I wanted to try out my new Sizzix texture plates and was just messing with some spare white card.
Before you know it, THIS was born! I hadn't inked that poppy stamp up in AGES!
It's by Dimension Fourth. I sponged the coloured areas on the card with Tim Holtz distress inks, Fired Brick and Spiced Marmalade.
I coloured the clear 'pearls' with Copics to match the colour scheme, such as it is.
That's all there was to it really. I hope you like it.
(Please leave me a comment if you do. I DO appreciate them all).

Back soon! Viv xx

Sunday 13 September 2009

Copic Colour Challenge #30




As the title states, this is my entry for the
 The challenge was to use the colours.... R29, Y15 and BG05.
(I'll is also my second entry in the Digital Ink Co challenge).
Recipe...
EK Success flourish punch
Copics
Sentiment by Dimension Fourth.
Blue pearls from my stash.
Edge punched with the SU scalloped edge punch.
I sponged the flourishes with Tangelo and Lady Bug Memento Dewdrop inks to get the shade I wanted.
(I also applied that to the outside of the Nestie circle).
I used only Copic R29 and Y15 mixed together for the Poppies.
I wanted a burnt orange look to them as I'd seen poppies that colour.
Three lots of scoring across the top of the card and job done!
Thanks for coming by today. I DO appreciate and love your visits. Viv xx

Friday 11 September 2009

Christmas in September

This is the month my mother always starts on about Christmas. I'm usually of the 'leave it to the last minute' brigade, but when it comes to making my Christmas cards, I'm raring to go in mid-January!
Well, I may be raring to go, but I don't actually GET going until round about now. Doh!
Well I'm up and running, so hopefully, I won't be making the last of my cards two days before Christmas this year! LOL


















Here's the first inking of a lovely cute set of Christmas stamps I bought at Dies To Die For.
The set is called 'Bear essentials'. I love these cute little bears and coloured them with Copics.
The red card is more a cherry red than it looks on here. Maybe it's the proper colour on your monitor?
I used the same method on this card as the one I did for my Peachy Keen sample.
(Well it was spare, so it's only polite to use it).
The dimples on the card are created with the new Cuttlebug embossing folder, 'Snow'.
I was a tad gob-smacked to come on here this morning to find it all changed for formatting your posts!!!
I THINK I'm going to like the new set-up, but It's early days and I'm getting on. The old brain cells are slower than they used to be and don't like change too much! LOL

Thanks for calling in! It's lovely to 'see 'you. 
Viv xx

Wednesday 9 September 2009

What's black and white and read all over?

A newspaper!!! Oh, OK, it was a bit lame wasn't it.
It was a daft way of introducing you to my card for Mercy's latest sketch challenge, MTSC38.



This card is actually covering two challenges.
It is also for Digital Ink Co's very first blog challenge.
The gorgeous poppy, (I LOVE poppies), is free on the blog for you to use in creating your project. How wonderful is THAT!

I've wanted to do a black/white/red card for ages and finally did it.

There's nothing complicated about the card.
I followed Mercy's gorgeous sketch and used Digital Ink Co's fabulous poppy, coloured with Copics.
Black and white card and a panel embossed with the Cuttlebug leaves folder.
A dash of white ribbon with black spots and a knot of black ribbon tied round it.
Very suave! LOL

Hope you like it as much as I do. Please leave me a comment, I luv 'em! Viv xx

Tuesday 8 September 2009

Peachy Keen Challenge #11



I'm having a 'Peachy' week aren't I!

I can't stop playing with this set. He's from the set PK-327 Winter Peekers and Phrases, (same as the previous two cards I did).
The more I use 'em, the more I think of to do with them.
I love this sample I made for Peachy Keen today. That Peeking Penguin is just so CUTE!

I cut a circle out of the base card with my Nestie and placed penguin behind.
Cut out his paws/flippers? and mounted them with foam pads onto the circle.
On hindsight, I could've just cut the penguin out with the Nestie and stuck it onto the base card, but I'm not that quick! LOL
I quite like the extra detail though of him peeking through the hole created.
I sprinkled some Glamour Dust on the top of things to resemble frost.
The DP is from a pad of 8" x 8" papers from Papermania, called 'Home for Christmas' and I reckon it's just the ticket for Percy Penguin.
YEP! I've just Christened him Percy! LOL
Snowflakes are brads I bought last year from errrm, no idea.
The Merry Christmas is a brad and a devil to attach to the card, even with me Big Bite!!

Please hop on over to the Peachy Keen blog and join in with our challenges. There's a great prize on offer and you have two weeks to make your project.
While you are there, you'll see the fabulous cards created by the other DT members. Awesome!

Well, I've got to go out now as Mum is having a new chair delivered and I have to supervise.
Have a wonderful day. Thank you all for coming by my blog and leaving your treasured comments.
Back later! Viv xxx

Monday 7 September 2009

Peach -a boo!

Ha Ha! Not very subtle was it!
I was trying to be clever with a play on words. Let's move swiftly on eh! LOL



Here's a Gingerbread man with a difference.
I seem to have given him gold glittery dreadlocks! It's icing (frosting) and I just gold Glamour Dusted the drips. Maybe I should have used the crystal Glamour dust instead?
Do you like the way he's peeping through the circle? I might add some green branches to the next one to make it look like he's looking through a Christmas wreath.

I love these Peachy Keen stamps. They are really versatile and so cute too!
He's from the same set as the snowman in my previous post,
PK-327, 'Winter Peekers & Phrases.

Well, I've had two weeks to get my sample ready for tomorrow and STILL haven't done it, so I'd better stir me stumps and get onto it.

Thanks for dropping in. It's appreciated. Viv xxx

Sunday 6 September 2009

It's a Peachy Christmas!

That's because the Snowman is a Peachy Keen stamp. ;0)
Isn't he brilliant! You can do so many different signs with these chappies!



He's from the set 'Winter peekers and phrases'. PK-327. (The greeting is part of the set too).
There are three totally cute 'Peekers' and three phrases in the set.
You can see them here.
(In fact they are the prize in this week's blog challenge here).
You'll have to hurry to play along though as the challenge closes at midnight CST.
6am Monday morning UK time.

My best buddy Pam, came over for some crafting fun today and we paid a visit to my local craft shop at Poynton for a bit of retail therapy. I got a new Cuttlebug folder. It's proper snow.
I've been using my Swiss Dots folder for snow up until now.
I also got the herringbone one. Thought that'd be good for men's cards.
I got a fabulous paper pad from Papermania! It's A4 size (8.5 x 11) and it's called 'Blueberry Hill'.
VERY flowery and chintzy. Scrummy!
I also got two sets of clear stamps by Papermania. 'Deck the halls' and 'Home for Christmas'.
I'll be giving THEM some welly for sure. LOL
Pam made one card, I just pottered.

Well, that's enough rambling from me, it's 11.45 and time I was in my bed.

Thanks for visiting, you're always welcome. Viv xxx

Saturday 5 September 2009

Two challenges, one card

I did this one for the Digi Stamp Boutique September Challenge and also another one for the Flourishes Feel of Fall challenge.

I want to get my hands on Flourishes amazing prize.... All FOUR sets in the new release AND Next month's release at Digi stamps Boutique.
(Don't want much, do I)? LOL


Meet 'Becky' a new digi image from the Digi Stamp Boutique.
There are three new poses for her in this set and I got 'em, hot off the press.
That's what I love about digi stamps, you buy 'em, you use 'em, .... instantly!

I used the sketch from the Flourishes September Challenge for Becky.

It's pretty self-expanatory regarding papers and die cuts etc. so won't bore you to death.

Well, I'v egot my best buddy coming over tomorrow for a day of playing, so I'd better stir my stumps and get this pitiful excuse for a craftroom tidied up!!
I may get chance later to put one more card up.....we'll see.

Thanks for your visit, I DO appreciate you stopping by. Viv xxx

Friday 4 September 2009

Three at once!

It's a bit like the buses! Nothing for ages then three come at once!!
My first card is for the Flourishes Feel of Fall Challenge. This isn't very much like a Fall/Autumn card though. I wanted to hang on to the little Summer we've supposedly had, a while longer.


Coloured with Promarkers for a change. The DP is K & Co. The sweet image is a stamp from Pink Gem Designs and is called 'Summer Milly'.

This one is for a special friend, Dizzy Di. and hubby Brian.
(It was her Ruby Wedding Anniversary on 30th August)!



This one was for the Anniversary of another special friend, Val and hubby Eric.

I CASED THIS card off SCS for inspiration for these cards and can't thank Shelly enough.
Her card is a real beauty.
Well it's time for bed said Zebbedee! Thanks for dropping in. It's always good to 'see' you.
Have a megatastic weekend!! xxx
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