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!

Variations on a Theme

I've been thinking (ok don't all fall over!)

I've been trying to find out why I often feel like I've lost my mojo or just don't have any inspiration. It's a horrid feeling and I wanted to get to the darn bottom of it!

I realised that for me it seems to be linked to being a bit daunted, feeling like I have to design something brand new and original and not having a starting point. I thought back to the days when I used to sell my cards and needed to be quite quick, I remembered that I had a favourite layout and I just made loads and loads and loved every minute! No two cards were ever the same though, I would play around with the original plan, by adding different elements or papers.

So this week I've set myself an exercise, to stick to one theme, one set of papers and one set of images. I'm actually really excited about it because I've taken the work out of it, I know I'm going to really enjoy crafting this week.

I made a card on Saturday which was inspired by a card my good friend Maddy made. I really like the end result so I've decided that that will be this week's theme.

Above is Saturday's card, my starting point for all my cards this week. I'll be using the same set of papers - Amy Butler Lotus Mat pad and my new download collection - Holly & Madison. On Friday I'll take a group shot of them all to see how this one has evolved.

So here's my first result.....

You can still see the basic style; layered papers, paper pieced image, ribbon, flower, folded corners etc but they are still quite different don't you think? I'm enjoying this process and I would urge you all to give it a try, why waste a good idea by making it a one off? Stretch it, enhance it, let it evolve! In doing so you'll find you'll learn a lot from it.
Pop back tomorrow for day 2 of my Variations on a Theme week!

Dottie's World Challenge - Lurve!

Hello folks,

I'm going to try and post on here every day this week! Shock horror! Wish me luck! LOL

This week's challenge over at Dottie's World has been set by the lovely Karen. She wants Lurve to be our inspiration. So, for today at least, love is in the air......

I've use the 'Oh La La' download image of Madison for this one, saucy eh?

I don't think I could have chosen a better bit of ribbon for this one do you? I think it looks like the card is wearing a sexy black garter.

So have you got the new Holly and Madison downloads yet? What do you think? Which is your fave?

New Collection & CCT Challenge

Hi everybody,

I'm sorry I haven't been around very much recently, my blog and blogging buddies really have been neglected but there is a good reason....

I've been working away at the new download collection! It went on sale today and I'm so excited about it. The great thing about downloads is that although they might be flying off the shelves the shelves remain full! and you don't have to wait for the postie to get your hands on them!

The collection is called Holly& Madison and here is an example of what you'll be able to do with them....

The inspiration for this card came from a card my Friend Maddy made so I can't take all the credit, you must visit her blog -it's amazing!

This week's theme over at Cute Card Thursday is metal. Well I bought these metal hinges from Poppicrafts a while back and I've been meaning to use them so this challenge was the perfect excuse. They give quite a funky tough don't they.

I'm in love with the textured papers I've used for the layers, they're from the Amy Butler Lotus Mat Pad which I bought from Charmed Cards and Crafts. If you look carefully you'll see that I used some of the paper to paper piece Holly's dungarees and hat. I love paper piecing and it's so easy with the downloads, just print your main image onto white card then print again onto your patterned paper, cut out the bits you want and stick them on! Voila!

The colouring is done with my Prisma markers, I got them ages ago and haven't really used them much yet but I'm really happy with the results. My dilemma now is do I get more colours of these of do I buy some Copics? hmmmm

If you would like to view the whole set of downloads just pop over to Charmed Cards and Crafts, you can put them in your basket with any other shopping you need to do while you're there and the download link comes up in your email receipt so you could be playing with them in ten minutes time!