Anything but a square....

...is this weeks challenge over at Lili of the Valley and I knew I had a small problem! This challenge was really going to be a challenge for me and I nearly didn't bother attempting it. But now that I've done it, I'm glad that I did because I love it! You see, I don't own any large die cuts, I just have my Nesties and they weren't large enough for this project so I had to put my thinking cap on.
Luckily for me, I have a Cricut and cartridges that cut out lovely shapes and this is how I cut my card. I used the Storybook cartridge and cut the Bazzill pink scallloped shape out at 5" and then the floral paper from BasicGrey Porcelain collection at 4 1/2".

I coloured the Lili of the Valley "Hello Cupcake" stamp with Caran d'Ache watercolour pencils and Sansador, and cut her out with Nestabilities Large circle and mounted her onto Bazzill cardstock (green) which was also cut with the same Nesties set. I then added 2mm pink gems from Hero Arts around the edge of the DP to add some bling and a small bow to finish it off.

I scored the back of the card to make a fold and then used the same Bazzill green paper cut out at 4 1/2" to make an inlay. The sentiment was stamped in Distress Ink peeled paint and is from Hero Arts Everyday Sayings stamp set. The lace is from my stash.

I'm really pleased with my card and hope you like it too.

Thanks for stopping by and leave a comment so I know you've been here. I love to hear from you.....

Hugs,
Becca

Ode to joy

We are a musical household. My husband is a pianist, the kids all play instruments, and our daughter is ALWAYS singing (I honestly think she would shrivel up and die if she couldn't sing!). Ours is a noisy home - creative, yes, but noisy nonetheless. My card for today is a reflection of this.
I bought the Penny Black "Ode to joy" stamp quite a few years back and used it to make birthday cards for my husbands' music friends. The three musical mice are just sooo cute!

I used Basic Grey's Curio 6 x6 papers backed with black bazzill cardstock.The papers are so soft and romantic with a hint of vintage/shabby chic look about them. The stamp was stamped on Canson Extra white-light grain-180g drawing paper with Stazon Jet Black and coloured in with Ranger's Distress Inks (tea dye, walnut stain, antique linen, tattered rose, victorian velevet and black soot).
The flower is from Prima's Essentials Jack N Jill collection with a flat backed pearl from my stash. The ribbon is Knorr prandell and the sentiment is from Hero Arts CL342 Everyday Saying stamp set. I think the "just a note...." was perfect for this card, don't you agree?

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

SimonSaysStamps - Animal antics

BasicGreyChallenge - Flower Power (Floral design paper-Curio)

Friday Sketchers #139  (I've mirror swapped the embellishments)

Some cool news for me: I booked my flight to go to England in March to visit family and to go to the NEC Hobbycrafts fair (24-27th March). I'm so excited and am already making lists of stuff that I want to buy. Roll on March.......

Wishing you a lovely, relaxing weekend and a big THANKS for stopping by.

Hugs,

Becca

Impressions

"Another altered journal!, I hear you say.
Well I bought two last week and as you know, I made one for my daughter's birthday which meant I had this one left over. So I decided to dress it up and give it to a friend who is moving away next month. She can either use it as a journal or a notebook - whatever she needs most. This is a totally new colour combo for me - brown, green and purple - I wasn't so sure at the begining but I think it's growing on me! LOL! You've got to challenge yourself, right?
I never know what to do with the sides - you know, the black bit on the left that you can't cover. What do you do to hide it? Any ideas? I guess buy the right coloured notebook to match your papers, right?
As I've used so many different products on this project I'll just put all the info in the card recipe below.

Card recipe:
Stamp: Magnolia Jam Tilda - 09 Yummy Tummy Collection
Papers: Déjà Views Plum and Apple 8x8 tablet / BasicGrey LilyKate (green floral) / Bazzill
Die cuts: Nestabilities large circle and large scallop / Fiskars scallop / Martha Stewart Vintage Doily
Spellbinder Impressabilites: Flowers
Ribbon: Knorr prandell
Flower: Bazzill  / Leaves: Cricut Storybook
Inks: Copic markers (face and body) / Distress Inks (dress, hair and socks and all edges)
Ribbons on the side: Michaels
Gem: stash
Sentiment: From the 8x8 tablet Déjà Views

I'm entering this into the following challenges:
SimonSaysStamp: Bingo (Punch/Diecuts, Embossing, Ribbon)
Magnolia Stamp Lovers: Sentiment
Just Magnolia: Sketch by Donalda
7Kids College Fund: Challenge yourself  (colour combo of brown, purple and green.....very new for me)

I hope to spend more time in my craft room next week - one project a week is just not enough. I have tons of ideas running around in my head and not as much time as I would like to make them happen.

Wishing you all a lovely Sunday and hope you can all recharge your batteries.

Hugs all,
Becca

Altered journal

Hello!

Well it's my daughter's 20th birthday today and I just wanted to share with you what I made for her.
She mentioned that she needed a new journal so I decided to buy a basic one and jazz it up a bit. The colours I chose reflect the colours found in her bedroom - red and orange. I'm happy to inform that she loved it! Phew......
As you probably guessed by now, I love Basic Grey papers, especially the 6x6 paper pads. I do have other papers but I always seem to gravitate towards BG. For this project I used papers from the Blush and Sugared collections and have decided to enter this into the BasicGrey Challenges

 

 

 

 

Here's a picture of the birthday girl taken last summer:

 Isn't she a cutie!

Card recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey - blush & sugared

Stamp: Magnolia - Summer Tilda with bownot

Punches: Martha Stewart - Garden trellis & Vintage doily / Fiskars scallop

Flowers: Bazzill & Heidi Swapp

Die cuts: Nestabilities Labels #8

Inks: Tilda was coloured in with watercolour pencils / all edges distressed with walnut stain

Extras: Knorr prandell - Glitter glue 

Brad: Basi Grey cappella

Ribbons: Michaels

I hope you like my creation and thank you for stopping by!

Hugs,

Becca

My first LOTV card and challenge

I bought three Lili of the Valley stamps before Christmas and am just now finally getting around to playing with them. I am in love with LOTV! I think the images are sooooo cute and the price is great too ;) I can't wait for next week when the new stamps come out.
All I want to do at the moment is make cards! My laundry is piling high and I can't seem to pull myself away from my office long enough to start ironing. Am I the only one out there with this problem?!

This card started off as a wedding card for my niece using the Cappella collection from Basic Grey but once I'd added the ballerina and glittered her up I don't think it fits for a wedding, so I think I'll use it for a birthday card instead.

I'd made this card last night without a sketch and to my amazement when I looked at the new challenge on LOTV my sketch was nearly what Lena had chosen. So with a little "artistic license" I am entering this on their challenge and hope they don't mind that it isn't exactly like Lena's sketch. I don't think my kids would appreciate me making another card when they haven't got any fresh clothes to wear! lol!

Card recipe:
Papers: Basic Grey Cappella
Stamps: Lili of the Valley- Little Ballerina S203 / Dreamy Days Circular Sentiments S214
Inks: Image: Stazon Black / Distress Inks (tattered rose, antique linen, tea dye, scattered straw)
Sentiment: Colorbox chalk - dark brown
Die cuts: Nestabilities Large Circle and Scalloped circle
Punch: Martha Stewart 
Glitter and pearls from my stash

Thanks for looking.

Hugs,
Becca

Pretty in pink

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!

My eldest turns 20 next week and I wanted to make her a girly card to let her know that she will always be "my baby girl" and that in my eyes she is "wonderful".  I can't believe that she will be 20 - where does the time go!? Am I really old enough to have a 20 year old? Apparently I am! lol!

A whole new decade awaits her and it's going to be an exciting one.............

Anyway on to her card - I used the Midsummer Tilda from the Fairytale collection and doesn't she look pretty in pink?

I love the pink and green combo at the moment and as I was flicking through my paper pads I came across these papers from Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses collection and knew that I had found my papers for my pretty in pink Tilda. I coloured Tilda in with distress inks (spun sugar and victorian velvet for her dress, and antique linen and walnut stain for her hair) and copic markers for her face and body. The circular sentiment is from Lili of the Valley and the flowers from Rayher. I used Borderabilities Fleur de Lis border from Spellbinders and the Nestabilities Labels Eight.

I am entering this into the Just Magnolia -Anything goes 
and Simon Says Stamp - New Beginnings (new decade for my daughter)

I'm sorry the photo is a bit dark but you get the idea.

Thanks for popping by and I just want to let you know how much I appreciate you and your comments.

Have a great day!

Hugs,
Becca