lili of the valley cupcakes

Normally we use  printed  papers and stamp and colour an image , today I've done it the other way round.
My background papers are stamped using inky doodles fabulous fabric stamps . I used whisper purple ink and black memento for the stitching. The image is a lili of the valley pre coloured image , it was just lilac and white so I used a yellow promarker and also on the ribbon on my little tag.
The sentiment is a woodware stamp , part of a set with a floral stamp called modern spray (worth buying just for the great sentiment I think). To do my flat bow I make 2 holes with the largest hole punch on my cropadile , feed the ribon through the back and cross over , then feed it through the front again , then cut to the required lenght . I like the way it looks , not to bulky and you only use a small amount of ribbon.

challenges entered :
lilies little fairies : purple and yellow
polkadoodles : the colour purple
crafty sentiments : show us stitching
totally papercraft :anything goes

well the sun is shinning today , hence the good pics of my card . Got a young couple viewing the house tomorrow so fingers crossed.
Have a lovely weekend and happy crafting. janex

Inky Doodles, fabulous fabrics

Hi crafting friends , weather is still rubbish here in the UK, lots of rain and on the cool side ,I'm sick of it!
Thank goodness for crafting. I was watching create and craft on the tv the other day and saw a lovely lady called Sarah demonstrating some new stamps (well new to me ) they are called Inky Doodles . Her cards where just fab with a folky homespun look I love. I went to her website (free postage if over £15 ) and bought a set of polymer stamps called fabulous fabrics 2 stamp set. Seems like I bagged the last set.

They are wonderful for creating background papers.  There are single stiching stamps to , as shown on my card, these are going to be so useful.
I used some tim holtz distressing ink ,rusty hinge , to give them a vintage faded fabric look. The bird stamp and sentiment are pink petticoat and where free in a card mag. I've coloured with promarkers to match the papers, added a ribbon , flower buttons from do craft and the clouds (this was found out by chance ) are the same background paper ,punched with a large woodware flower punch, cut in half,   inked and mounted on foam pads.

challenges entered :

divas by design : tie a ribbon
stampavie : ribbon or lace
simon says stamp : anything goes
craft inspiration : anything goes (with buttons option )

have a great day and happy crafting. janex

Elegant Roses and some garden pics

Here in the UK, we are used to rubbish weather ,we don't like it but we have no choice, but when the sun shines and the temperatures lift  we try to make the most of it. I know many of us have used the opportunity to enjoy the garden. With a very cold start to the year things are blooming later but you can't hold nature back for long. In our garden nature , with a bit of help from the Middleton Seniors , is doing a grand job, I have taken some pics this morning to share with you , if you look closely you will see the robin, he took an early dip in the bird bath . It's hard to say who's more scared of who , me or the little robbin , taking a pic of him I'm so jumpy he flys off!

While my thought are still outdoor I desided to make a floral card. The pretty papers are pink petticoat downloads. The center piece rose is a  "build a rose " by papermania, you stamp , cut and assemble the pieces , I put a brad in the centre to create a lovely 3d rose . Bit time consuming but worth I think. I've added a martha stewart punch black border and a lilac ribbon to complete the look. 

I cut a few sprigs of lilac and added some greenery , placed in a vase they looked pretty and the smell in the hall is lovely.

challenges entered :

Sunday Sketch and Stamp : followed the sketch above

Happy Birthday Big Cake

Well the weekend has brought nice weather, I've been spending time in the garden and snatching some crafting and gaming time too, I've become adicted to candy crush on face book , sad but true....my Hubby is wondering what I'm up to !


I visited the pink petticoat web site and treated my self to some digi papers and images. I've used them on my rather masculine birthday card. I coloured the image with promarkers , used a sizzix die for the shape , some blue metalic thread and 2 cute tea time charms from the hobby house.
The card was really easy to make but it took for ever to get the teapot charm right.

challenges entered :

sketch Saturday : followed the sketch above
Allsorts : Happy Birthday
613 avenue :anything goes


enjoy the sun if you have , happy crafting. janex

Lazy Afternoon

Morning crafters , hope your all ok ,lots of bad things in the news lately, tornadoes and a soldier stabbed in broad day light , just terrible. The weather is rubbish here in the UK , we had hailstones here 3 times yesterday , really cold and blowing a gale.
At least my card captures a glimpse of Summer. The image is lazy afternoon by Lili of the valley. He looks so peaceful lying outdoors, I've coloured with pro and flex markers in mostly shades of blue, I adore duck egg blue . The papers are a mixed bunch , DCWV for the stripes and first edition for the spots. The sentiment was cut from a 12x12 sheet by year o graph called "life snippets ". The star brad and ribbon memory box , old stash.

challenges entered:

lilies little fairies :spots and stripes
Allsorts : true blue
craft ribbons : anything goes with ribbon
charisma cards : here comes Summer

enjoy your day and the long-weekend (if your in the UK) the weather for Saturday and Sunday are suppose to be quite nice!
janex

Bo Bunny Prairie Chic

Both my cards use the gorgeous papers by Bo Bunny called prairie chic. Wonder what the cowboys of old would have made of those snassy boots!

Challenges entered for cowboy boots :

incy wincy : metal mania ( I have a metal boot charm and metal eyelets)
oldie but a goodie : inspired by a song ( one of my favs by Nancy Sinatra "these boots where made for walking " )

My anniversary card features a Jane Shasky stamp,relax and enjoy , by Joanna Sheen heart of the garden set. I've coloured with promarkers and added glamour dust. All the edges have been inked with brown chalk ink ,the sentiment is lili of the valley, the diecut swirls in with my order from Tracey at to die for.
My with love card has 2 added flower eyelets and a cowboy boot charm, this is very old stash but just right with the image,this is the reason we crafters hoard everything!

Anniversary card:
challenges entered :

sketch n stash : followed the sketch above
everybody art : flowers
passion for promarkers : anything goes

The internet was off this morning , virgin media repairs , then my pc crashed, hope it's ok from now on.
The weather is not improving, cold and damp here, rained this morning. It's May 21 for heavens sake !

happy crafting. janex

Noah's Ark for a baby boy

The wall paper is up in the bedroom, I'm really pleased, bought a new lampshade today and some paint and wax  for the aging pine furniture in the bedroom, I'm after a shabby chic look on a small budget.

 I bought this cute and unusual stamp by woodware from the stamp fair. It comes with 2 sentiments , the one I used and another Christening one. The new baby circle sentiment is from lili of the valley . I've coloured with promarkers. My papers are first edition. I've used a side stepper card  and cut waves to give the imprecision of being at sea and I've decoupaged the animals faces for and extra 3d effect.

challenges entered :

cards for men : fancy folds
dream valley : animals
totally gorgeous : water
divas by design : shape it up

Better go and start dinner, what a busy day today, feel like I'm meeting my self coming round.

janex

Love Blooms For A 50th Wedding Anniversary

It my in laws 50 Wedding Anniversary this year. I fancied doing something other than golden and wedding like , so this is what I came up with using "The heart of the garden " cd rom by Joanna sheen. The bp , image and insert are all from the cd.
I added some flowers , ribbon and pearls to create a pretty floral bouquet. I used martha stewart punches to create a lace square around the image . I added pealoffs and glamour dust. The blue flowers where originally white a touch of copic marker made them blue , and I used red copic on the peeloff and glitter stickers.
I hope they like it , I know I would love a card like this, what do you think crafters?

sorry the pictures are rubbish, it looks so much nicer in real life, but my camera is basic and there is so little light because it's such a dull day , but you get the gist.


challenges entered :

chocolate , coffee and cards :  use a number
cd Sunday : ornate blossom
Simon says : flower power
fussy and fancy : pearls and lace


painting of the bedroom done , feature wall to paper today . Another cold dull day here  so I might as well be indoors.
enjoy your weekend. janex

Lili of the valley , wild flower sketch pad

I bought the lili of the valley wild flower pads in black and white and coloured images. The one featured is pre coloured , my colouring is not as good as this  , but these do make beautiful quick cards. 

My card is larger than I usually use, about 8.5x7". I bought a few larger card packs from happy stampers at a really great price.
The back ground paper and printed  sentiment  are from a cd by Joanna Sheen, from the heart of the garden , I think that paper is exquisite , shame to cover it up!
The thank you tag was from a card mag eons ago. The bling and bird cage charm are from the Hobby House  and a touch of glamour dust on the image completes the luck.


challenges entered :
lilies little fairies : thank you
totally Gorgeous : bingo ( mines flowers,sparkle,charm)
Crafty Calendar May Challenge : Blooms and Blossoms!
By the cute and girly : May Flowers
Sandys crafty creations May challenge  - Flowers and more Flowers
Songbird challenge  :  Bloom and Grow


after my post and walking the dogs yesterday, I decided to paint the bedroom , we are trying to sell the house and it will improve the look and if it doesn't sell well we have the benefit. It's looking nice and bright and cleaning looking , but I'm not keen on the paint smell.  3 walls are painted the 4th I'm going to wall paper as a feature wall, but that will have to wait til Saturday. 

have a great day. janex

Put your feet up , lili of the valley vintage boy

We in the UK  have been having horrid weather, heavy rain and cold winds , mid May and I'm still putting the central heating on , this can't be right . Good job the weather can't spoil our crafting time.

Today's post is another vintage boy , I do love these new lili of the valley stamps. I've coloured with pro and flex markers . The sentiment is computer generated and the happy birthday is craft work cards. The papers are docraft , I think, and the newspapers, quiet proud of these, where found on a site selling special backdated newspapers, I copied and pasted their thumbnail pics , just the right size for cards when rolled and glued in place and very cost effective!


Challenges entered :

inky chicks : blue and brown
sweet stampin : clean and simple


Well the sun is shinning for a change so I'd better get my shoes on and walk those 2 poodles of mine.

Happy crafting. janex

Pretty Pansies

Morning crafters, nice and sunny here today after the rain, but still cool for mid May. Nature is doing a wonderful job though, blossom and blooms every where. I could make garden /flower cards all day long.
We gardened yesterday and the wind was so strong it was blowing my bucket containing weeds and prunings out of my hand. My hubby has been looking at houses in Corfu online , now 9 months of lovely warm sun a year , I think I could handle that !

My card is garden inspired of course. The stamp used is from a set of Joanna Sheen stamps , by the artist Jane Shasky, I have her cd rom too, heart of the garden, it's wonderful and I can highly recomend it, I've made lots of cards using it , I will blog them at a later date.
I stamped the image with memento ink London Fog, this pale grey line when coloured blends with the coloured image to give a softer more water coloured look, I like it but would like to know what you think?
I've coloured with promarkers and used blue whispers ink for shading .
The die cuts are Marianne Design and the sentiments are lili of the valley stamps, bought at the show.
The pretty papers are first edition , bird song.

challenges entered :

sketch n stash : followed the sketch
2 sisters : Mothers Day (card for a female )
sisterhood of crafters : April showers bring May flowers
inky impressions : for a lady

off to walk my poodles , have a great day and happy crafting. janex

vegetable patch , lili of the valley vintage boy

I went to Happy Stampers in Port Sunlight , Wirral , yesterday , I'm really lucky to have a great stamping fair nearby (about 8 miles away) that's on twice a year. I bought lots as usual but defiantly bagged some bargains. There was another craft sale on over the road with free entry, we popped over there and got some excellent buys . I bought lots of packs of button embellishments (the carrots on my cards where from a pack) for 50p-99p , they are usually 2.99 in hobbycraft. I was showing Dawny P the carrots yesterday,she was working on the Lili of the valley stand, and I said they would be great with this gardening stamp, vegetable patch.

It was lovely to meet up with Beryl , from, Beryls Place , we chatted for about an hour then shopped, we had a real laugh about vinyl, she will know what I mean. Beryl gave me some fabulous stamped images that will no doubt pop up on this blog soon.

I love my crafting/card making hobby and the lovely crafting friends I've met through it.

I had fun making this card, I coloured with flexmarkers and inked with chestnut chalk ink. The sentiment was from a bargain sticker set for 50p along with the carrots , mentioned previously . The wheel barrow and ivy are Marianne design diecuts, I diecut bazil colour core paper , embossed it then sanded . The various layers add detail and texture as does the flower soft in sand on the soil. The paper is from first editions , family ties only £3 a pack at the show.

challenges entered:
stamping sensations : May challenge, embossing and texture
fussy and fancy :anything goes
crafty catz : anything goes
dream valley : no squares allowed

well there's no gardening going on around here , only crafting, it's rained nearly all day , and it's cold. Could this be yet another rubbish British Summer!

happy crafting. janex

Lili Of The Valley Vintage Boys

Hi crafting friends ,I have been away so long ,well just from my blog ....I hope you are all well and happy .
I'm loving these new vintage boys from lili of the valley. Because they are male cards I've kept them quite simple , the images are all coloured with Pro and flex markers . I've added a few simple embellishments and some fitting sentiments, they are computer generated apart from the lazy summer days , a great impressions stamp.
The tree die cut is a Marianne design. The brushes and rollers from a set at hobbycraft and the golf balls and tees are peeloffs. I added some red liquid pearls to the painter stamp to look like paint.
I'm going to Happy Stampers on Saturday , yipee....see you there if your going.

 challenges entered : passion for promarkers : Birthdays

challenges entered : lili of the valley ideas to inspire : Boy oh boy

Happy crafting . janex