Dottie's World Challenge- Inspire Me

We have a fab challenge from Juliet on Dottie's World this week,here's what she said....

For this week's challenge I would like you to take inspiration from this photo of yummy cupcakes. You could focus on the colours, use a cupcake on your work or make a cupcake shaped card - it's up to you. You must include one of the Charmed downloads on your project and please tell us how the photo inspired you in your make"

I love this picture, couldn't you just eat every last one of them?

So I took my inspiration firstly from the pink and brown colour combination.....

I've made another spinner card because they work so well with the Back-to-front images.This is the first time I've coloured Dottie with my Copics but I really like the result.

See what she was hiding?

Another detail taken from the photo is the cherries.....

This 'pop up' cherry was cut on my Silhouette, as was just about every element of this card (No surprises there then! LOL) The brown dotty papere was taken by a doodlebug pad that I found recently at the Papermill shop.

The image is from the Dottie & George Back to Front download collection so if you like her you can purchase her here and have her on your desk in a flash!

To check out this challenge pop over to Dottie's World.

Basic Grey Challenge and Good News!

I'll start with my good news, I've been chosen to be on the Copics Colour Challenge Design Team! How cool is that!!!! It's going to be such fun to be on their team because not only do they have fabulous challenges but all the other ladies are just so fabulous! Thank you for having me ladies, I can't wait to get started.

So this week's BG challenge is to use on of three colour combos, I decided to go with green and pink because I just love them together.

Before you say where is the BG? It IS there, subtle I know but it's there! It's the green paper form my Cupcake pad.

Here's what I came up with...

Sorry about the photo again, how precious daylight becomes when you don't get much of it!
I like the idea of just using part of an image, I got the idea from my lovely friend Karen, she does it better than me though!LOL. I kept this card fairly simple because that's just how I liked it! I hope you do too.
You can just about make out the distressing that you get on the BG plain papers. I know it's not much BG but it is there I promise!

Copics Colour Challenge

I'm really loving these challenges! And this week I love the colours too, the only problem is that I didn't have any of the 3 required colours so I've gone for the closest match I could.
I'm so so tempted to buy set B but Karen over at Charmed Cards and Crafts has a challenge going on on her forum (Charmed Craft Talk) to win a set! So I guess I'll wait with my fingers crossed a little while longer!

Here's what came up with....

I never ever leave a white border around my images but I've seen a few done like this recently and I think I like the look so, as I was in a bit of a hurry I decided it was time to try it out!

The main shapes and the cherries were cut on my Silhouette and the image is one of my download designs; Holly on the High Street from the Holly and Madison collection.
The photographs aren't great because I didn't have any daylight-sorry.

These are the 3 main colours used...

And here are the others...

If you fancy a go at this challenge pay a visit to the Copic Colour Challenge Blog.

Another Shaped Card!

I managed to get here again to blog but I have to say, things are a bit mad here right now so I'm not sure how I'll get on with the remainder of my theme week. Hopefully I'll manage to sleep tonight the catch up a bit.. we'll see!

Anyhow, enough grumbling, here's a quick make...

This is Holly Hipster on a cake I cut on my Silhouette. The papers are Basic Grey Cupcake.

Sorry it's a quick post, I have to rush off.

Have a lovely day,

Louise xx

Oooh by the way, I got weighed at Slimming World last night an I'm only two and a half pounds off my target weight!!!!! So that's 2 and a half stone I've lost all together now!

Front Page!

How chuffed am I! I got my copy of Creativity magazine on Sunday because Juliet told me I was in it- I thought it would be next month so I rushed off to buy it - as you do! Imagine my surprise when I saw some of my projects on the front page! I have had little snippets on the front pages of magazines before but this is the first time it's been the main feature.

Mine's the tall card on the left and the gift box. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed playing with the We R Memory Keepers Nonsense products for my feature. I'm still using it up now!

Thank you for looking, I'll continue my shaped card week tomorrow. ♥♥♥

Shaped Card Week

OK so I mentioned before how I wanted to do another theme week this week and as you'll have seen I'm quite into shaped cards at the moment so, shaped cards it shall be!

You may have seen today's card on Dottie's World on Friday, it was scheduled to appear on here on the same day but like the British weather Blogger can be a tad unpredictable.

So here we are with my first shaped card of the week.......

I used my Silhouette to cut the curvy shapes which I layered up to form the shape of my card. The Swirls were also cut on my Silhouette.

I love these gorgeous K&Co beaded flower brads don't you?

Given the delicacy of this card I decided a box was in order...

I use this image quite a lot, it's Holly in the Garden from the Holly and Madison download collection.

If you would like an exclusive Holly download absolutely free all you need to do is join in with this week's challenge on Dottie's World, go and have a look!

Dottie's World Challenge - Blast from the past.

It was my turn to set this week's challenge over at Dottie's World. I want people to find a photo of one of their old favourite cards and remake it with the same layout but different papers and embellishments. I had a tryy at this earlier on in the week and it really is amazing how two cards can be the same yet totally different!

So, here's my blast from the past....

And here's it's reincarnation....

It's a fab challenge to enter this week because everybody who plays get's this free image!

Pop over to Dottie's World to find out more.

Colour Create Challenge

Well talk about cutting it fine! This card is very last minute but I came accross the Colour Create challenge whilst blog hopping and I just had to have a go, their colour scheme this week is red white and blue. Here's what I came up with...

This fab heart is another of the Silhouette templates, ist it ace!

If you're wondering why you haven't seen this image of Holly before it's because it isn't on sale yet! LOL. BUT pop over to Dottie's World tomorrow and you'll discover how to get your hands on it before it goes on sale.

Challenge Time

I'm really sorry, the post for today was scheduled but seems to have disappeared into cyber space! So I'm going to save that card for later in the week and instead I'll show you my double challenge card.

I made this card to fit in with the DCM Challenge which was to incorporate a frog or a fish into your card and the Cute Card Thursday challenge which was to be 'Spring Inspired'

Well I'm pretty confident I've achieved both.....

As you know, I'm really into trying out different shaped cards at the moment and the new pinwheel Silhouette template inspired me to make a windmill! Do you see the little froggy hanging on for dear life?

I bought these ages ago from my local craft store and have never used one, this challenge gave me the perfect excuse to dust them off.

I guess all the flowers make it more summer than spring but Holly's wearing a lovely spring green colour so I'm just about there.

Look! I even decorated the inside! I don't know what's got into me lately I really don't!

I know I tell you every time but just in case you don't know, the image is Holly in the Garden from the Holly & Madison download Collection.

Spoon Full of Sugar- Sketch

Ok so here I am again today with another challenge, but first let me ask you a question, I want to know if this happens to you or am I just going mad! ......I went out to a big designer outlet yesterday with my husband and found myself looking at patterns on everything - and I mean EVERYTHING and thinking 'hmm that would be gorgeous if it was paper' (!!!!!) I ask you? am I spending too long in the craft room?

Anyway, back to the challenge. Here's the fab sketch given to us at A Spoon Full Of Sugar (isn't that a fab blog name!)

And here's what I came up with...

The papers are Basic Grey Offbeat. As you can see, even though I now have my Copics, I still can't help doing a bit of paper piecing. I think it brings the whole card together don't you?

I'm really loving doing this peeled back corner effect right now.

The image is Holly at Work from the Holly and Madison download collection.

I'm losing sleep again at night you know, shall I tell you why, it's because I go to bed, lay down and the minute my eyes are closed my brain starts planning the next Holly and Madison collection! So, watch this space!

Basic Grey Challenge - Hearts

As promised to myself I'm sticking to my challenge-a-day schedule.

Here's the brief from the Basic Grey challenge blog...

As today is a very special day, we would like you to get all loved up in your creations and show us some hearts, it can be any size and any quantity of hearts you wish, and also not forgetting to use at least one item from Basic Grey somewhere on your creation

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I bought some new digital templates for my Silhouette craft cutter the other day and I've been having a play. One of the shapes reminded me of a tag I'd seen on someones blog months ago and I've based this card on the inspiration gained from that, I'm afraid I can't remember who's blog it was so I can't give proper credit.

So, here's what I came up with....

I'm really pleased with this and I have a feeling you'll be seeing more like this from me. I wondered whether I should fill that blank space but I kind of like it as it is - uncluttered.

The papers are from my BG Ambrosia 6X6 pad, aren't they gorgeous!

I decided to have my hearts floating out of the folded down corner.

This leaf was also cut on my Silhouette, it sure has been well used recently.

The image - if you don't already know☺ is from the Holly and Madison download collection.

Than you for looking, I'm off to see all the other challenge entries.xx

Papertake Weekly - A Perfect Match

Good morning folks,
I'm trying to get back into entering challenges this week so I'm starting off with the PTW one which is; This weeks challenge is to make a matching set! You could make a matching card and envelope, a card and tag, a card and ATC, a LO and a tag - the combinations are endless!

The papers and embellishments are from the We are Memory Keepers White Out range, I was given a heap of it for a recent magazine feature and I'm still using up the scraps, can you blame me? It's gorgeous! The image is the Holly on the High street download.

I've often cut into the pattern on patterned paper so that I can intermingle the image and the background but I've never thought of curling the design up like I did with this, it just came to me like a bolt from the blue! Don't you just love it when that happens?

Then I decided to do something else that I don't normally do - decorate the inside!

The little envelope opens up to hold money or some other little gift..

I had some of the gorgeous red paper left so I decorated a box to match....

This was one of those boxes that you get jewellery in at ASDA, they're dead easy to cover.

There is also a lined envelope which you can just about see in the main feature.

So, that's it! I hope you liked it, thanks for looking.

Louise xx

A Blast from the Past

After last week's exercise to stick to a theme for a week I had plans to do the same this week, BUT being female I've decided to change my mind at last minute! What can I say? I'm unpredictable!

So the theme for the whole week was going to be to base a new card on one of my old cards every day but then I realised I wanted to get back into entering challenges so JUST for today we have a blast from the past (tomorrow will be challenge time). Enough waffle, here's my old card.....

I really liked the layout of this one so heck why not do it again!.......

Different image, same layout and all in scrummy yummy Basic Grey! The image is Holly Hipster, she's a download so if you want her right now- in a flash visit this page at Charmed Cards and Crafts - it's so easy!

I think I prefer the original! PMSL!! Ah well I like the new one too.

Thanks for looking.

Louise xxx

Dottie's World Challenge - Stitching

It's Adele's turn to set the Dottie's World challenge this week. She wants us to incorporate some stitching onto our creations along with one of the Charmed downloads, that's not difficult task for me because I love to use stitching on my cards.

Here's what I came up with ....

I used Berry sweet papers to piece together the house and the background then zig-zagged it all together. I then added Madison with her box of books to the front. I found that the vivid colours of the Copics on the image against the soft coloured background just didn't work, so I brought in the sign as an extra element to have the vivid blue, I think it balanced it out a bit, what do you think?

If you fancy a go at Adele's stitching challenge please take a trip to Dottie's world.

Copics Colour Challenge

I haven't done many challenges lately - other than the Dottie's World ones of course! But when I heard about the new blog devoted to Copics I had to find out more! I'd been fancying getting some Copic markers for some time and this finally pushed me over the edge! Each time a challenge is set they will give use a list of colours to use (if we have them - if not, we use the closest match)

So for the first ever Copic Challenge we were asked to use;

B28 - Royal BlueV06 - LavenderYR07 - Cadmium Orange

I used the closet I had to come up with this.....

Please excuse the colouring, 've only had my pens a few days and I don't have the right kind of paper yet so for a while my image colouring might be a bit pants!

The image is Holly in the garden from the Holly and Madison download collection and the papers are Dream Street. I thought these papers worked quite well with the colour list.
The three tall flowers are supposed to represent the flowers in the basket, I hope it works.

The Conclusion!

So Here we are at the end of the week and it's time to reflect! Was it a good plan? Did it work? Will I do it again? YES YES YES!!!!

If you've just tuned in for the first time this week let me clarify; After a bout of having no mojo I did a bit of self analysis and decided that my mojo goes when I have no ideas or if I'm lacking inspiration so I decided to have a week of taking the brain work out of it. My plan was to use the same set of papers, the same set of images, the same techniques (mat layering and paper piecing) and to just change the layout. So I suppose you could say my theme was the same but different.

Well I made 5 cards in the end and when they're grouped together I think you can kind of see the idea.... I'm now planning my next theme week, I'm thinking of doing the same layout everyday but with different papers - or maybe that will be boring, hmmmm I'll have to have a think.

Variations on a Theme day 4

Good morning World! How are you all today? Have you been following my theme week? If you have I hope you've liked the results have and maybe even been inspired??? I hope you have.

I have to confess that today's card was a bit rushed late last night and photographed under artificial light and that's never good!

However, that aside I did still have fun with this and I have stuck to the initial plan. I'm looking forward to taking tomorrow's group shot to see how they look together, I do love making sets.

made a little customised button for the centre of the flower to match the dress. All you have to do is stick a circle of patterned paper on the back of a clear button and hey presto there you have it!

For product details just check out yesterday's post, I've used the same products all week!

Have a lovely day and thank you for visiting my blog. x

Variations on a Theme - day 3

I knew I was going to enjoy this week! I think I might do it again you know! I hope you're all enjoying seeing the evolution of my Saturday card. My only problem now is that I'm running out of the papers I'm using! LOL.

Here's today's offering....

Here's Holly in her robe, getting ready for some serious pampering. I'm really happy with this one. I replaced the block layering for some scalloped frames this time but the papers, images and basic layout theme are the same. Here's the good old snippet - I do love snippets!
Again I've paper pieced Holly's clothes - a technique I adore! In case you don't already know the image is from the Holly&Madison download collection, only available at Charmed Cards & Crafts the best online craft store on the block!

Variations on a Theme Day 2

Ok so if you read yesterday's post you'll know that I'm having a whole week making a set of matching cards. When I say matching I don't mean all the same, Oh no no no!!! I've never made two cards the same, I don't think I'd enjoy it. They will have papers from the same collection, and images from the same set too but the layout will be slightly different each day.

Take a peek at yesterday's, keep it in your head and then look at this one......

Do you see where I'm going with this? Similar but different right? I tell you what, it makes card making so much more enjoyable when you give yourself a basic starting point to work from.

I used the Holly at Work download from the Holly & Madison collection for this one. Again the papers are from my Amy Butler Lotus mat pad. The base paper is K&Co Wild Safron. Papers and downloads are all from my favourite online craft store Charmed Cards and Crafts.

I paper pieced Holly's skirt, I love doing this to match the bacground papers, it really brings it all together.

Please join me tomorrow for the next installment of Variations on a Theme if we all snuggle in here together this British winter might not feel quite so bloody cold!