A Rainbow of Spring Colours

Good afternoon friends, followers new and old and anyone passing by.  A bit dull today but spring has certainly sprung, the garden is full of colour.  I would like to thank you all for your lovely comments on my blog posts recently.  As regular visitors will know I have my son and grandchildren living with me at the moment and this weekend will be another busy one, I will try get round to everyone and repay the compliments over the weekend.

Like the fabulous colours in the garden there are an amazing selection of coloured cards available from Papermill direct, here are a few cards I made using just a few, and this week you can get your hands on a box full of spring coloured card, check it out HERE on the blog or over on the Papermill Facebook Page.

I used Papersmooches dies and clear stamps for the leaves and flowers on these cards, the trellis is a Tim Holtz die and the sentiment is computer generated.  Each flower was cut out and stamped to give interest to the shape and finished with a crystal or pearl, I added a matching coloured insert too.

Here is another card using Papermill white linen and their beautiful sky blue card, embossing with a Design Objectives folder and decorated with a Memory Box die, the flower was embellished with sequins to add a little sparkle.

Off now to see what the children are getting up to, I left them making a mess downstairs with some crafty stuff while I sneaked into my room to write this post, have a good weekend everyone.

Die Cuts and Embossing over at The Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge

Hello everyone, here is my midway inspiration card for The Crafty Bloggers Network Challenge.  This month we are sponsored by the talented Rick St Dennis who is offering two digi images (your choice from his shop) for the winner.  The theme is die cuts or embossing, why not pop over and see what the other DT members have have come up with to inspire you this month showcasing some of Rick's images.

Here is my DT card using "A Stitch In Time", no embossing but plenty of die cuts.

My card was made using promarkers to colour the image, Docrafts Chronology papers, Memory Box and Tim Holtz dies, and distress inks to colour the watch, cogs and background.  Loved playing about with this one and it is a lovely image to colour.

Hope you have all had a very Happy Easter.

Craft Barn Q and L ChallengeTruth and Change - Postcard Two

Good afternoon one and all, here I am with my second postcard for The Craft Barn Quotes and Lyrics Challenge.  I posted my "Change" postcard yesterday and have managed some crafting today to finish "Truth".  My chosen lyrics are A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum written by Gary Brooker, Keith Reid and Matthew Fisher.

I swiped my postcard through sailboat blue and fresh lime ink, when dry I smeared some white acrylic paint over it and painted a spiral over the top, I wasn't happy with the vortex but time is at a premium so needs must.  A few elements mentioned in the song lyrics were added round the vortex with corresponding words, thanks Google for some images and Marianne Designs for the girls head stamp and Judikins for the lighthouse (coast scene).  A little touch of distress inks broken china, salty ocean and mowed lawn through a Memory Box diamond stencil and finished.

Off now to post to the challenge before it closes and then a little bit of commenting on all your lovely blog posts, having a quiet weekend is heaven!

Spring Butterflies

Happy Easter everyone, hope you are enjoying the sunshine and having a relaxing day.  I have a free weekend with no visitors and am hoping to get some serious crafting done.  I managed to make a few things last week during the evenings using this week's Special Offer at Papermilldirect, which is:

A Small Box A4 White Smooth Paper 100gms

£3.00 (approximately 160 sheets)

There is also free postage on orders over £25 this Easter Sunday and Monday

I used the 100gm paper to print a beautiful butterfly digital backing paper in pretty pinks and purples. The papers (Autumn Papers) were from Pinkpetticoat, although I don't think these papers are still in the shop there are still lots of pretty papers to download as well as digi images too.

I made a card blank using Papermill white linen card and used a Memory Box die to cut out the butterfly (the butterfly wings do not cut out completely so it is still attached to the card).  The quote, another Pinkpetticoat digi sentiments download, was printed onto white linen card, cut to size and mounted and sewn onto Papermill New Lilac smooth card.  The printed patterned paper was used with New Lilac card under the quote.  I put a patterned insert in the card with a smaller plain lilac insert for writing on, I also lined the envelope to match.  A gift tag was made using  the spare card, pleating the patterned paper and sewing it down the center, this was layered onto New Lilac card with a lilac butterfly added.

Details of all Papermill Special Offer can be found HERE and don't forget there is also free postage on all orders over £25 this Easter Sunday and Monday.

Craft Barn Q & L Challenge - Change and Truth

Hello friends, followers and passers by, today I have one postcard for The Craft Barn Q and L Challenge. This fortnight the words are "Truth and Change" and my 60's lyrics for "Change" are Revolution by the Beatles from 1968, of course written by John Lennon and accredited to Lennon and McCartney.  

I am still working on "Truth" the lyrics chosen are A Whiter Shade Of Pale by Procol Harum from 1967 and time permitting I may get it done before Sunday.  If not it will get done with last fortnight's word "Travel" which is also half finished!

As usual I am last minute, the grandchildren have been here for the past two weeks and not much grown up crafting has been done.  Today I managed to finish my postcard for "Change"and here it is. A quick postcard using computer generated wording, Googled world and Lennon image, finished off with a little red distress ink.

Off to walk the dogs and enjoy a little sunshine, and hopefully get some more crafty things done when I get back.

Lined Envelopes with Matching Spring Notecards

Good afternoon everyone, today I have a short post to let you know what's on offer over at The Papermill this week.   The special offer  is  C6 rich cream envelopes, as you can see I have lined the envelopes with pretty paper  to match my spring notecards.

Luxury C6 Rich Cream envelopes on sale at half price.  

These are extremely high quality and offered at

£2.75 for 50

There are also some beautiful square flap DL envelopes

in a variety of colours on offer at 

£4.50 for 50

As I said a short post today (grandchildren here for the holidays) but you can find a short tutorial on lined envelopes HERE on the Papermill Direct Blog.

Hope you are all having some lovely sunshine today, enjoy the rest of the day doing whatever you are doing.

Thinking about a flower and travel

Good morning followers old and new, friends and family. Another  Craft Barn postcard today for The Craft Barn Quotes and Lyric s Challenge.  This fortnights words fit in nicely with my 60's song lyrics, the two songs came to mind immediately,  unfortunately time has been very short over the last two week and I didn't get anything done.  I managed to complete one postcard last night.  The chosen word was "Flower" and the song is "The Way You Do The Things You Do" by The Temptations, 1964 written by Smokey Robinson and Robert Rogers.  My choice for "Travel" was The Moody Blues "The Best Way To Travel", I will try get this done but unfortunately not before the close of this fortnight's challenge.

So here is my postcard, the background is distress inks with a dylusions flower stencil, I also used a Prima doll stamp "Megan" and some scrap patterned paper.

Dashing now to post this before the time runs out!

Ivory Smooth Card

Good afternoon all, the weeks are flying by and I am finding it difficult to find time to craft.  My son has moved in with his two children and the house is buzzing as well as bursting at the seams with their belongings. The children have overtaken my craft room (which is a spare room too), one of the reasons why I cannot buckle down to anything serious.  I must apologise for not visiting you all to leave a comment and thanks for stopping by but I don't seem to have a quiet moment to myself at present, hope to get round you all next week before Easter and more visitors!!

I have managed to make a few DT samples for this week's offer over at The Papermill which is:

Ivory Smooth Card 230gm a small box for £4.00

Here are my DT samples using the ivory coloured smooth card,  this 230gm card is great for stamping and embossing, and although only 230gms is great for using as card blanks.

My first card uses Papermill Ivory Smooth card teamed with Mocha Brown Smooth card, embossed with Couture Creations Tied Together embossing folder and stamped with a Penny Black rubber stamp called Gathering Together.  Below is a scrapling gift tag/card using the cut off strip from making the main Ivory Smooth card and a small corner of the brown  embossed card.

Below is a card using Papermill mocha brown smooth card as the base card layered with the smooth ivory, and a stamped image (freebie stamp from magazine) with a printed quote from Pink Petticoat.

Hope to be back soon with some more offers from The Papermill and a few Easter cards.  Not sure if I will make it for the deadline of the Quotes and Lyrics Challenge over at the Craft Barn though!