WILD ABOUT YOU

What a lovely day today has been finished work early,the sun managed just to break through the haze and I got to do some card making.I used the opportunity to finish of a card I made for hubby. Before I started card making I regularly bought him cards mostly for no specific reason other than to say how much I love him...I'm a big softy at heart!...I don't seem to give them quite as often now; so when I saw this cute giraffe stamp in my local craft store last week I couldn't resist it. I knew exactly what I was going to use it for.. I have a thing about giraffes.I love them...they always make me smile...I  have my own collection of them which still grows each year and even share my craft room desk with one(as you do)... this one is ever so sweet and came with some great fun sentiments. 

Giraffe

    close up

The I love you sentiment was in the craft goody bag which was my mothers day gift from my daughter yesterday...it was like christmas...filled with stamps,die cuts, ribbons and numerous other bits and pieces...the perfect mothers day gift...she also bought me some accessories from the Gorjuss range to go with some new stamps sets that I bought a couple of weeks ago...I plan to use them next...watch this space.
I don't usually make larger cards; but as this stamp is quite large it wouldn't work as well I don't think on my usual smaller square card blanks.I see me using this stamp quite often...it will be great for babies,children and anyone young at heart so don't be surprised when he pop up again 

I used the following

A4 craft card for base

brown blue and craft card for layering 

blue and brown gingham card- for layering and covering  flower

blue floral paper-magazine freebie

Giraffe stamp- coloured Copics and Promarkers- triple layered with craft, blue and brown card 

Stamped sentiment- same set- layered brown and blue card 

I love you sentiment - Vintage notes

Stars stamped onto background -Gorguss stamp set 

From stash

Twine                 

Blue and cream buttons

MDF stars 

Chipboard flower- covered gingham card 

Thanks ever so much for visiting it is very much appreciated and I hope you are enjoying some nice weather wherever you are and that you have a great week ahead...lots of crafty hugs...Andrea X

I Would like to take part in the following challenges 

Creative Fingers Challenge #29 -Anything Goes 

Pattie's Creations Design Challenge#88-Anything Goes 

Sister Act Card Challenge-#50

Crafty Calender Monthly Challenge-March- Animal Antics

Open-Minded Crafting  fun Challenge #7-Animal Antics

The Craft Place-fortnightly Challenge - Buttons

As You Like It-Favourite Animal and Why 

Delightful Challenges-Out Like a Lamb- (add a critter) 

Paper Crafting Journey- Challenge-Anything Goes 

I'm wild about you 

WOYWW 251

Wednesday again ...doesn't it come around ever so quickly!...time to share what's on my workdesk ...why ? its WOYWW go check out the Stamping Ground where Julia the host explains all and will make you feel welcome... It's the weekly crafty get together of all types of workdesks around the world...where we all  get a good snoop into everyone's crafty goings on. Here is my desk at 8pm last night ( sorry poor quality pics) mid card production... I  used watercolour paints  to colour in my stamp ...not sure how I feel about it ?...I definitely prefer my pens but was good to try something new, I have not mastered the art of delicate water colouring painting yet by any means!...I definitely needs a lot more practice as turned out quite heavy and  dark and you would not recognise it as painted !

work in progress

the long desk shot !

I did try using distress markers to colour that was a bigger disaster and I am definitely not showing them...they where filed in the bin !...think I need to watch quite a few more hours of You Tube videos first and ideally attend some classes!.Go to the stamping ground and see the delights on offer; that's where I'm off to next before work. I will visit fellow WOYWWers after work today as early start again.Thanks for hopping in...crafty hugs Andrea X

Birthday Card...Better Late Than Never.

I  have the weekend off again which is a great treat...that's two weekends in a row; not to last though as working next week but must not grumble.I have another card to share but this time not an Easter card but my Daughters birthday card...better late than never!..her birthday was at the end of January!...I did not get the chance to post it at the time and I'm still playing catch up from my bloggers break. She is quite fussy with her likes and dislikes so here was the brief ...she is a big fan of anything dotty so using spotty paper in the design was a must...cute is allowed but not too frilly as she isn't into to fuss and the final instruction no girls without faces !!!...that rules out most of my stamps!...the girl knows what she likes...I knew couldn't go too wrong with this cute LOTV stamp.It was also the first time I used  felt to make some of the rolled roses and used some of the pretty  pearls sprays  I bought at NEC last Autumn.

Happy Birthday 

I was happy with the finished result and I think she was too...there is still a lot going on but it still passed the test as wasn't to frilly!...I have noticed there is a pearl missing that was attached to the flower on the little white peg ?...dont know where that went or when ? 

Looking Pretty 

Well the usual weekend chores await...(after I have a little blog hop )and hopefully some time in the craft room too...I hope you have a good weekend ahead; see you soon and thanks for visiting... crafty hugs Andrea X

I used the following items-

Cream pearl square card 

pale blue card for layering and die cuts

Dotty card in blue and beige used on background sentiment and roses 

floral paper and other dotty papers-background-and magazine freebies 

die cut circles for stamp and sentiment stamp layered onto scalloped circles 

LOTV stamp-"Hello Gorgeous " coloured with Copics and Promarkers

rolled flower dies- pin wheel posie ,mini roses and English rose

heart dies 

From Stash 

white felt- die cut roses 

pearl spray,pearls, pearl heart and heart hat pin

white peg

blue satin and spotty ribbon 

flower jewel - old broken earring recycled !

stamped sentiment

blue gel pen- faux stitching 

die cut sentiment 

felt flowers and pretty pearls

I would like to take part in the following challenges 

Crafts 4 Eternity-Challenge #168 Anything Goes 

Cut It Up-Challenge#41-Anything Goes

Sister Act -Challenge#49- Anything Goes 

Stampin For The Weekend-Challenge-Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Challenge #14 -Anything Goes 
Aud Sentiment Challenge #102-Anything Goes 
Charisma Cards Challenge#6- Birthday Girls 
Copic Marker Europe-Challenge#27-Birthday
Crafty Ribbons Challenge#81 - Anything Goes With Ribbon
Seize The Birthday Challenge - Birthday Stitches- Real or Faux 

WOYWW 250

Doesn't a week just fly by...Wednesday has came around again which means its WOYWW time...where we get to share our crafty spaces around the globe ...check out Julia at the Stamping Ground to take part. You are in for a shock today my usually tidy desk is definitely not this week ...the photos shocked me !...these was taken at 7 pm last night and has generally been how my desk has looked since the weekend.

Yes it is my desk 

Its' been hard no to tidy everything away but I dont have the time to work on it a little and have the time to tidy in between, I decided last week to try something a bit different and out of my comfort zone and have been messing with chalks,ink,paints,gilding flakes and MDF. I still hate the feeling of ink and paint on my fingers but it did not stop me this time ...which is progress! 

long shot with more chaos to see

My first attempt the finished heart is a Easter gift tag for a friend ... is ok but not quite what I had hoped for, I must be doing something wrong with the gilding flakes as they went quite dull and all crumbly and sticky when I was rubbing it in and removing the excess. I'm not sure whether my paint surface was still damp or too much glue ???..it worked ok on paper when I did a daft run, so I'm not sure where I went wrong? Second time around I cheated and inked and stamped onto card, cut to size and glued directly onto the heart... I'm not quite sure how I am going to decorate this one yet...but will keep you posted. I hope you have had a enjoyable and productive week and we get to share in the fruits of your labour... I love it and look forward to seeing what you've been up too. I'm on an early start again today so will be back after work to visit. Have a good day and thanks for visiting. Crafty hugs Andrea x 

Bunny Blues and Pastel Hues

Good morning looks like is going to be a nice sunny day today...spring is now definitely on the way ....I might even get out in the garden later for some much needed attention, we did some last week but still lots to do...after I do the household chores and ironing of course!...don't you just love weekends:-).
Today's cards is hubby's Easter card, male cards are not my favourite or my strong point and I find it really difficult not to make them too feminine... I might just get away with this one with the muted pastel tones and the geometric papers. I am now on Easter card number 4 and I have also started another project ...it's out of my comfort zone and going ok so far. I'm making an Easter gift tag using a MDF heart which I bought as part of a set last year but never got round to using...I will post it once completed 

Unlike the last card I made which was bold and bright this is more muted with soft tones ....again most of the products used are magazine freebies and I've kept the embellishments low key and not too fussy to keep it a bit more masculine .

Happy Easter 

Close up Bunny

I had better get started or will get nothing done today!...I hope you have an enjoyable Sunday doing what you enjoy.  Thanks you for taking the time to visit; I really do appreciate it. I hope you have a great week ahead... crafty hugs Andrea X

Products used -
Square base card

Blue and pale yellow card -layering and die cut scalloped circle 

"Hazy Days"papers - magazine freebie

Bunny and butterfly stamp stamp -magazine freebie - coloured Copics and Promarkers

Pale yellow candi

Various coloured confetti eggs (on ribbon) - from large set Easter confetti

Happy Easter sentiment - cut from freebie paper set and layered with card as before 

From Stash-

Blue stain ribbon

Pale yellow satin ribbon bow

Buttons 

Heart metal charm 

Pale yellow ric rac ribbon

I would like to take part in the following Challenges -

Card and Scrap Challenge#72 -Use Lace and or Ribbon 

CMD challenge #7-Spring 

Crafts and Me Inspiration Challenge#146 -March  - Anything Goes 

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge- March 

Flat Friends Challenge #18- Cards for Men 

Creative Shopping Challenge Blog -Challenge #13- Easter Bunny 

Ladybug crafts March Challenge - Spring is Here.

Really Reasonable Ribbon Challenge #91 -Welcome Spring and Ribbon or Trim

Sparkles Forum Challenge#54 Monthly Challenge March-Easter Parade

The Craft Garden March Challenge - Pastel Colours 

WOYWW 249

A very good morning to everyone and I'm happy as I've now made it two weeks in a row!... It's Wednesday already... that day that comes around ever so quickly which I love; especially when I get to nosey peruse fab desks and crafty spaces around the globe. Go check out the Stamping Ground to take part... Julia will make you most welcome. 

The long view sorry about the poor light 

Messy corner close up 

I have now finished two Easter cards and number three is almost there....all the bits are done it just needs assembling now.This was my desk at 8pm last night, I had a colouring session yesterday then die cut some stamps and fussy cut the other...the cute Tilda will be my next project...I have coloured her very different form last years cute pastels and this time have went quite bold and dark

Next project ready and waiting 

My desk has saw more activity in the last week than its had in the last two months which makes me very happy!...I hope you are having your own crafty fun. I'm off to work early again today so will catch up with everyone later today. I hope you have good day and week ahead. Thank you for taking the time to visit and I will return the pleasure when I get home.Crafty hugs... Andrea x

Cute Bold Bunny Rabbit

A very good morning and looking forward to the week ahead.ahead. I've been to work already this morning for a few hours and go back again at 1pm for a late shift; I've a split shift today thankfully it it doesn't happen too often and I  can't work a long day like I used to ... must be getting old !  

Easter Bunny 

I had another weekend off which was bliss and yesterday was such a lovely warm spring day I did some gardening. I've also finished two Easter cards; so well on my way to meeting my target. I kept the bold and bright colour scheme for my daughters and more muted tones for hubby's which hopefully will post his later in the week.

As you can see I've kept the card quiet simple my daughter is not a fan of flowers and frills so I've tried to keep the embellishments to a minimum,she loves anything dotty so as always I've used

some spotty paper 

Close up 

products used 

Square base card

Yellow and pink card stock - layering and die cut circle 

Some Bunny Loves You stamp- bunny and butterfly used from set- magazine freebie

Coloured with Promarkers and Copics 

Die cut circle- inked using home-made cloud mask with Cloudy Blue Adirondack ink 

Die cut scalloped circle to decorate 

Pink spotty and checked paper-magazine freebie (sorry not sure which /where form )

Happy Easter stamp- (magazine freebie set) 

From Stash 

Cerise pink and pink gingham ribbon

Felt flower,tiny yellow paper flower 

Acetate butterfly( magazine freebie set) 

Buttons

Embellishments 

I would like to take part in the following challenges:

Great Impression Stamps- March Monthly Challenge Spring Celebrations 

Crafty Sentiments Designs Challenge -Spots or Dots 

Crafting For All Seasons Challenge#72- Spring into Spring 

My Mums Craft Shop- Monthly challenge #15 Spring and Easter

Stamp and Create Monthly Challenge- Ready for Spring 

Kraftyhands Challenge - Easy Easter 

Make it Monday Challenge#182-Final Make it Monday Challenge 

WOYWW248

Hi it's been a while since I've posted and a very happy WOYWW to everyone ...check out the fab host Julia at the Stamping Ground to see some awesome workdesks from around the world.

I haven't posted anything since mid January and not visited many of my favourite sites in ages ...work and life have unfortunately taken over and crafting/card making a back seat; but hopefully all is now much more settled and I can get back into a "normal" routine, spending some time doing what I enjoy. So apologies if I haven't visited for a while and hopefully I will come see you soon. I'm on an early start today,therefore I wont be visiting anyone until I get home later this afternoon.

As you can see from my desk not much has changed since then, the card I was working on in January is still there!!!...it is finished except for an insert but didn't make it to its intended recipient...I had to buy one instead !...I'm sure it will be put to good use sometime. 

I did get a couple of hours card making over the weekend and I've started on my Easter cards as you can see very much still work in progress, it takes me forever to choose paper card etc...my OCD likes everything to match which is impossible really but I still try! The plan for Easter is to start early enough and have my cards finished in good time. I'm only making 4-5 the others I will probably buy(dont tell anyone). The cute bunny stamp was a magazine freebie I'm quite pleased with how it turned out..and the plan is it will become my daughters Easter card. I hope you are having a much more productive time than me and I look forward to finding out.

Crafty hugs and thanks for visiting ...Andrea X