Happy Birthday

I still have a lot of birthday cards to make for March and so thought I'd better make a start this week.  This is for a special friend who loves cats.  Unlike my normal style I have tried to be fairly minimal on this one.  I hope it has turned out Ok and doesn't look too bare.  The image is one I love from Digistamp Boutique.  I will also enter the card into this weeks Willow Sketchie challenge (anything goes).

I owl you

Last week I made the top 3 on the Pollycraft challenge and so I got to choose a free image!  I had seen the new Celeste Amberglow range and had fallen in love with this Owl image when it was released and so I knew straight away what I wanted as my prize.  Thanks to Paula for offering a prize to all of the top 3.

I bought some papers from Pink Petticoat in the week and wanted to use them today too.  On this card I have mixed two papers from the Perfect papers (printed on cream paper rather than white) range with the pebble plain paper from the big dots range.

The flowers are handmade in one of my favourite (maybe because it it easy and quick) designs.  I have added faux stitching, buttons and a bow.  I'm quite pleased with the result, just wish my photography was a bit better!  Can't have everything though!

I will enter the card into this weeks Pollycraft (ribbons and buttons), Willow Sketchie (anything goes), Digi Doodle Shops Best (sketch) and CES (blues and creams) challenges.

Monochrome snowman

This weeks CMLI challenge was set by Kathy- it was a sketch with the theme of monochrome.  I decided that I didn't want to make a black and white card (I don like making black and white cards but the sun was shining and I wanted to make something more colourful).  In the end I had a lot of fun with this card as I coloured the image with water colours for a change and then added lots of distressing.  I only have one distress ink pad though and it is pink and so here I have used blue water colour paint to distress with, as well as blue cosmic shimmer glitter paint and some faux stitching.  I am quite pleased with the result.

I will enter the card into this weeks ABC Christmas challenge (distressing), Willow Sketchie challenge (anything goes) and Pollycraft Monday challenge (ribbon and buttons).

Purple bunny

Another cute bunny card.  This time this card is destined to my friend I think, who is getting a baby bunny on the 17th March.  (I might have to make another card though since I think her rabbit is chocolate coloured, in which case this will be another Easter card, but then I like bunny cards and so it is not an onerous task to make another is it? ;-).)  The image is from DigiStamp Boutique and I have followed the sketch from this weeks Sweet Sketch Wednesday challenge.

I will also enter the card into this weeks I love Promakers (nature) and CES (spots and dots) challenges.

Happy Hedgehog

Does this little Hedgehog look so happy?  Another really cute image from Digistamp Boutique which I have fallen in love with.  This is quite a small card, but perfect for just saying 'hello' and I need some of those cards in my stash- they always come in handy.  

I have followed the sketch from this weeks Willow Sketchie Challenge and will also enter the card into this weeks Cute Card Thursday (flower power) and Digi Doodle Shops Best (anything goes) challenges.

Blue Bunny

I picked up this digi in January from Digistamp Boutique and it has been sitting there waiting to be used.  Thought I could use the card as an Easter card- getting closer to Easter now and good to have a few cards in stock.  I have followed the sketch from this weeks Sweet Sketch Wednesday challenge and will also enter the card into this weeks I love Promarkers (nature) challenge.

C is for Charming

This fortnights ABC Christmas challenge is 'C is for Charming'.  I nearly missed the challenge, being away, but have had some crafty time today and made this card.  I used some new papers I bought from Hobbycraft after Christmas in the sale and am quite pleased with them.  The image is one I received ages ago but not yet used and I have coloured it with water colours and cosmic shimmer paints for a change.  The card follows this weeks CMLI sketchie challenge set by GDT Debs with the theme of movies ('The Snowman'!).  I will also enter the card into this weeks Digi Doodle Shops Best challenge (anything goes).

Monkey Love

Back to crafting after a couple of weeks away and I hadn't made a valentines card this year (not that I have anyone to give it to, but I like to make one anyway) and so I decided better late than never but to make one today.  (Really I just wanted to use this image which I had printed out as I love the Chester range from Pollycraft.)  Anyway, I have used the sketch from this weeks CMLI sketchie challenge set by GDT Debs.  The theme was movies and I may have cheated a bit with this- making a card and then finding a movie to fit rather than making the card inspired by a movie.  Anyway, it so happens there is a movie called Monkey Love and so it fits the card.

I will also enter the card into this weeks Pollycraft Monday challenge (red, pink and cream) and Digi doodle shops best (anything goes) challenge.

Missing in Action

Hi to all my followers.  Sorry I have been absent the last two weeks.  I went to Italy to work with some collaborators in Modena.  Trust me to go there when they had the worst two weeks of winter weather in 26 years!  There was a LOT of snow and it was VERY cold!  Inside they tend to keep things very warm though and so I was toasty warm most of the time apart from travelling from the place I was staying (a B&B) to the university.  

I went out a few days earlier to do some sightseeing with my parents, but this ended up not being rather limited due to the conditions, but we did make it to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, just outside Modena.  It was amazing and I recommend it to anyone in the area.  Dad was in his element, being a F1 fan, but even as a non follower of motor sports and not a real car enthusiast, it was hard not to be inspired by the place, with a range of F1 cars, art work and consumer models on show, as well as details about the factory, its design and ethos.

And just in case you needed some evidence of the snow, bikes for the workers to get around in Maranello...

and the Piazza Grande, Modena ...