May Flowers

Finally got some ideas tonight... and made another card for the Mayflowers Challenge at Hero Arts.  I am also entering it in the CPS Challenge.

Hero Stamps and felt flowers, Bo Bunny Paper, Creative Impressions ribbon, Cuttlebug labels dies.  

P.S. Get your tree cards uploaded to Caardvarks by midnight tonight...  click here to see.

Creative Block...

I can't believe it's been a week since I made a card.  I haven't had a break this long since I started making cards a year ago!  Feeling a bit lost and worried about my creative block, I made an attempt at a card tonight.  I kept it simple, following the Hero Arts flower theme over at their blog (here).  Too simple perhaps...

I hope to be back to my usual 2 a day soon!!!

Stamp, Kraft card and flowers HA, paper Basic Grey Porcelain.

Lovely Deborah Nolan

The fabulous Deborah has interviewed me as a Wednesday Wonder on her blog.  If you want to read the interview, click here.

Deborah, thank you so much for such lovely comments. I am truly honoured.

Thank You Hero Arts...

for my lovely HM prize.  They sent me the Swrly Frame stamp.  So tonight I made 2 cards with it.  It is PERFECT for this week's HA challenge - distressing.

Love it.  Thank you so much Hero Arts!  They are the most generous company ever!

New Caardvarks Challenge

Today the new Caardvarks challenge begins and the theme this time is "Trees".  It's sponsored by Taylored Expressions and there's a great prize up for grabs:

Be sure to head on over to check it out.  Click here.  There are some gorgeous cards there created by the lovely Design Team.

These are the cards I made.

Stamps and buttons are Hero Arts.

If you head to Caardvarks, be sure to check this out.  It's your chance to be showcased on the Caardvarks blog for the weekend of May 1st - 3rd.  Sounds like fun.

As for me, I was back to school today... tired now... but not too tired to make a card.  :)

Thank you Jennifer McGuire

OK, so I made time tonight to make a card before midnight.  And I took inspiration from Jennifer McGuire's amazing layout here which has been on my mind for some time.  Isn't it stunning!  So Jennifer, as a big thank you for your super kind comments on my blog, this one is for YOU.

PPs all K&Co and Bo Bunny.  Stamps Hero Arts.

Pink frogs!

Pink polka dot frogs... not sure why, but they make me smile.

I used another of Kristina's sketches here and also created my own message for the Hero Arts challenge here.  I used 'All Occasion Messages', and the word 'Smile' from one of the 'I Care Frame Messages' stamps.

Paper is American Crafts and the adhesive ribbon is by K&Co.

It's difficult to tell but the frogs have brown goggly eyes.  The pack has blue and green ones too - can't wait to give them a go!  It's the little things that excite me :)

2Peas Challenge

I've only recently worked out 2Peas, it's such a massive site and I'm a bit technologically challenged.  But I love so many of the artists over there that I had to get involved. :)

So tonight I made a card based on a sketch by Kristia Werner (see here).  I created it for the Hero Arts My Message challenge - using 4 different stamp sets to create the sentiment...

The stamps I used: CL150 - Heartfelt Messages (wishing you) 

CL266 - Mix and Match Elements (the best) 

CL277 - Birthday Frames and Messages (birthday)

CL130 - Frames and Messages (ever - made out of the word enjoy, very very difficult and impossible to make perfect. Grrrrr.) 

K4892 - Decorative Birds (image cut out and reversed.)

I used pattered paper samples from Papertrey Ink, available here to try before you buy. Have printed off a few samples to try out. Love it. I also used my new Nestabilities frames.

1st Birthday Card

I'm going to a 1st Birthday Party tomorrow!  So I needed a card.

I based it on this gorgeous card here by the fabulous Anne Gaal.  She even provided a template for the number 1!  I might have to see if she has any other numbers available - this was such fun to make.  

This is also for the Hero Arts My Message Challenge which involves creating your own messages out of a mixture of sentiment stamps.  In the inside of the card I used a variety of stamps from Hero Arts Mix and Match Elements and All Occasion Messages to create 'You're One Today'.  Great challenge!

All Stamps and buttons Hero Arts, PP Bazzill Swiss Dots

Brother's Birthday Card

Tonight I made my brother's birthday card, yet another shaker card... I am addicted.

All stamps Hero Arts.  Just love those froggies... :)

And a big thanks to Jennifer McGuire for giving me a mention on her blog.  As I've already said - I am a massive fan and I was STUNNED to see my name on her list!  Thanks Jennifer, I am STILL smiling 12 hours later!  :)

Paper... at last!!!

I've been ill all weekend, so was suffering from stamping withdrawal symptoms this morning...  I was keen to make some cards and was so excited to see the new challenge meant we could return to PAPER!!!  I made this card for some friends who hosted a wonderful party on Saturday night.  I used the packaging from some stickytape to crate a sticking out window.  It's a bit different... but I was glad not to throw away the plastic.

I also made this little set for the Catalogue Case challenge over on the Hero Arts flickr discussion site.  I based these totally on Jennifer McGuire's fabulous cards here.

So much fun today  :)

All stamps used Hero Arts.

Weddings and Babies on the Brain!

Ok... I am obsessed with babies.  That's why I make so many baby cards.  And today I made more, using up some scraps.  I love these Cuttlebug dies, they are so adorable.  And the sentiment is from a new set I got yesterday by Brenda Walton for K&Co.  Love it.

I also made another project for Hero Arts' Beyond Paper challenge.  Andy and I collected these shells on our Round the World trip that we took after we left University - very happy memories.  I thought they would make perfect ring holders for my dressing table.  I might give one to my friend who is getting married the week after me.

Stamps by Hero Arts (Screen Shadow and Two Hearts wedding) and K&Co, Papertrey PP, Cuttlebug dies.  The twine is actually some kind of specialist wool - I will check tomorrow in the store I bought it from.  :)

Jennifer McGuire is AMAZING

When I first saw this card on the Hero Arts blog I nearly fell off my chair.  Jennifer McGuire is sooooo talented, I love everything she makes.

I wonder if I am her biggest fan.

Anyway, I attempted to make a card in the same style.  And boy did it take a long time.  Not that happy with it in the end, apart from the button, I like embossing on buttons :)

I made this card yesterday for Dawn McVey's Raspberry Color Suite Challenge 3

I love these colours, but the card didn't photograph very well.

I've been busy with secret Caardvarks stuff too... so exciting.  I am enjoying my new "job"!

Beyond Paper Challenge...

Today the new challenge was introduced over at the Hero Arts blog.  The challenge is to create something where you don't stamp on paper - boy they know how to stretch us...  the challenges are getting harder and harder.

I made this gift box after reading a lovely comment from Tami Hartley who said this set of cards would make a nice gift.  It has an acetate front which I decorated.

All stamps Hero Arts.

Another fun day!

I had a very busy and happy day today.

I made a few more one layer cards for the Hero Arts challenge

I do love these tree stamps that I got a few weeks ago.  They are so simple and sweet - very little needs to be added to them.  I wanted to try putting them all together on one card.  I quite like the result.

Then I made another shaker card with a gorgeous stamp sent me by Paula all the way from Oz.  She's an absolute gem! I also bought this new glitter today and needed to try it out :)

Finally, I made some simple baby cards with white embossing on coloured circles - I made the same card in pink and green too.

Such an enjoyable day - now the house is a TIP!

All stamps Hero Arts.

Caardvarks Fantasy Challenge

The new Caardvarks Challenge is finally up, and the theme is fantasy.  I had a lot of trouble coming up with my card, but the themes are there to be interpreted as loosely as you want, making it really very easy in the end.  Click here to check out the design team's ideas and enter your own card.

All stamps Hero Arts, paper Bazzill and Bo Bunny plus some GORGEOUS Papertrey Ink red dotted paper (from a special someone).  I'm hoarding it - but couldn't resist it for those toadstools.  

Onelayer Cards

So I managed to make a new set of mini cards, for the Hero Arts onelayer challenge.

These were so enjoyable to make - I love the white on kraft effect and the colours were easy to select.  What an enjoyable Saturday afternoon.  :)

And over on the Hero Arts blog, the new Hero Hostesses were announced.  So many friends there; my HUGE congratulations to all 7, such well deserving people being recognised for their talent and kindness.

My news

I guess you've all seen my news - I'm on the Caardvarks design team.  Very excited about this, feel very special!!!  If you've not seen this blog, check it out here.  Lots of inspiration and twice monthly competitions!  

So I'm a happy girl, and now I am on HOLIDAY!!  Double yippee.

One layer cards

I've never wasted so much paper in my life as I have this week with HA's one layer challenge.  It's impossible.  I am definitely a layer and pop dot girl!

  Perhaps because I am tired and a bit stressed at work, I've found my creative juices seriously lacking this week too.  But I finish school for Spring Break tomorrow, so will have loads of time over the next 2 weeks to have fun.  Until then, these are the 2 cards I have managed to make.

All stamps Hero Arts.

The one thing that got me through my horrendous day today was my Honorable Mention on the HA blog for last week's windows challenge.

And I have some pretty exciting news to announce at some point over the next few days too :)