If music be the food of love.......

Good morning all

We have a lovely theme for our new challenge at 

The Paper Shelter 

my very favourite thing in the world 

(I think even more than crafting)

is music : )

and so that is our this weeks theme

Music

I've always loved music, when I was young I sang, followed the charts, had my favourite artists, fell asleep listening to radio Luxemburg under my pillow....

now my relationship with music is different,  I still sing - anywhere and everywhere!  But my love of current music is not so great, some I like, some not so much! - But I still have my favourites, love to drive along with the radio playing, love live concerts.
This week I've been lucky to get tickets to two fabulous concerts
- my first this year!  I was giving up hope of seeing anyone.  

The first is Barbra Streisand  just announced last week and I was thrilled to learn that she is appearing at an arena in Tampa Florida when we go in November.  I haven't seen her live before -  she has been one of my all time favorites for ever! - This week I've been singing Evergreen at the top of my voice all over the house!! - just as well I have a fabulous singing voice lol.

The second one is David Gray at the Sage in Gateshead.  

A fabulous venue for this type of performance - It's an acoustic performance

I've seen him twice before and each time he was just fabulous - just as good live as on a recording.  That's just before Christmas so the Sage will be decorated for the season - I'm excited already!!

but I digress - back to the challenge and my card

Instead of  one of the lovely images from TPS I decided to use one of the paper sets

this one is called Spring Song available HERE.  It  has a lovely music print on it, and I've teamed it with music themed die cuts and pretty embellies to fit the theme

As always there is a fab prize on offer at TPS

Hope you'll play along with us

This is what I did

Papers - Spring Song 6x6 paper set

Die cut butterfly - Sheen Douglas perfect partners

Die cut musical notes and corners - MFT

Die cut lantern - Kimono from Crafter's Companion

Celebrate die cut - Sara's signature collection at Crafter's Companion

Die cut swirls - Sara's signature Collection from Crafters Companion

Die cut heart - Entwined collection by Leonie Pujol at Crafter's Companion

Sparkler - the hobby house

Ribbon and pearl from stash

Kraft Card - Crafter's Companion

Hope you'll join in with our challenge this week

Hugs
Judith x

Thought for the day! Even if you start now how many cards could you make by Christmas!

Good morning all

Sorry I don't know what happened to my yesterday's post (well I do it was still in draft!!) 

- here it is!!

Today is a new challenge day over at

Fab'n'Funky Challenges

and the theme is 

Christmas

So  I I ask the question in a different way!

Have you got time to make all your Christmas cards this year - how many have you made already!!

If you're anything like me 

you will have started off with good intentions in January 

and on that strategy I now have maybe a 15 or 20 cards 

- but none of my special cards have been made and I certainly don't have enough.  

In reality there's a lot of work to be done between now and Christmas card D - day, 

- thats maybe 8 or 9 weeks time?-

 so with that in mind how many do you need to make each week?

Have I scared you enough to go and make a card and enter it in our challenge this week 

- I hope so lol

Here's mine made with a fab little precoloured image called

Christmas stocking - available here

We also have the incentive of  great prize this week 

provided by our sponsor 

The Paper Shelter

I love this vintage style of card, some darker toned papers and distress ink - based on kraft card and you have the basics of a card.  This one was quite quick to make as the image is one of the precoloured ones - great for all those cards you're going to have to make, 

another tip.... 

- never make a card once always duplicate it as the hardest part is the design, you don't even have to use the same image just repeat the design and you have two cards in super quick time 

- I really should take my own advice!!

Here's what I did....

Image - Christmas Stocking from TPS

Papers - 6 x6 from Sara's Signature Traditional Christmas from Crafters Companion

Kraft Card - Crafters Companion

Distress ink - TH Gathered twigs and Tea dye

Die cuts - words -Christmas words from Sizzix by TH 

Holly sprig die from Wild Rose crafts

Label dies - MFT

Poinsettia die - Memory box

Sparkler from the Hobby house

Bells were I think papermania embellies

Wooden stars, gems, ribbon and twine from my stash

Hope to see a flood of Christmas cardsthis week at Fab'n'Funky Challenges from you my crafty friends - and I'm going to keep plugging away from now til Christmas!

Challengesi'm entering

Rudolph days - Christmas anything goes
Aud sentiments - Anything goes

hugs

Judith xx

Hello - I'm back!

I bet you thought I'd disappeared off the face of the earth!!

I've been away on holiday for over 3 weeks and forgot to photograph the cards I'd made to blog while I ws away - so I decided gave myself the month off lol.... since I got home I've had a busy time preparing for my grand daughter's christening (I'll share some of my makes when I get myself organised - I love baby crafting) - its taken me until now to catch up with myself!!

But I'm here today because its challenge day at 

The Paper Shelter Challenge blog

and our theme this week is

Embossing 

(any kind wet or dry)

I used the lovely Rowena for this card
a steam punk inspired creation with a floral twist!

(The flowers and hearts are dry embossed

the tag at the bottom is wet embossed)

As always we have a fab prize for you at 

The Paper Shelter

Here's what I did

Image - Rowena from TPS

Coloured on Neenah desert storm card

using Spectrum noir blendable pencils
skin -rose peach,cream, vanilla
clothes walnut, bark,pebble,coconut,cider, yellow ochre
hair ginger, redcurrant,bark
edged with eggshell

Papers and vellum - Madam Payraud from Papermania

Stamped in black DI around the edges with an Anna Griffin swirl stamp 

(sorry don't know what its called)Sentiment label also Anna Griffin

Hearts are black card and vellum embossed with just a corner of Sheena Douglass' Twisted Vine Embossing folder and highlighted with Pebeo gilding wax - bronze

Flowers are from Sara Davies Country garden dies also embossed and gilded

Flower stalk is Sheena Douglass' Sweet William die embossed and gilded

All other embellies are from my stash

Hope to see you playing along with us this week - I'll be back to visiting you all too!

Hugs

Judith x

Summer break is here - so anything goes!!

Good morning all

Its challenge time again at 

The Paper Shelter

It's our summer break for the next two weeks and the challenge will be running for two weeks instead of one - with the theme

Anything Goes

I decided to do something a bit different to my usual card - using two png images and merging to make this card, then fussy cutting the image of the girl and mounting again with 3D gel
 the images used are

 Vintage Closet

and Mad about Shoes

as usual there's a great prize up for grabs

This is what I did....

Images - pre coloured images png files Mad about Shoes and Vintage Closet

Background paper is the paper for Vintage closet

Kraft card - Crafters companion

Pierced noble square dies - Sue Wilson for creative Expressions

Happy Birthday die - Tattered Lace

birdcage and manequin di - Kimono from crafters companion

Butterfly dies - flutterby from Sara Davies Butterfly Lullaby collection

Flower and vine dies - from Leonie Pujol's entwined funky heart die

Butterflies and vines/flowers coloured with spectrum noir pens

Distress inking - TH rusty hinge and tattered rose

Gilding wax on dies - pebeo copper 

Hope we see you playing along for our Anything Goes challenge - what are you waiting for! - I'll see you there!

Hugs

Judith x

Another sneaky little Christmas card!

Good morning all

It's challenge day for me again at 

Winter Wonderland
(another chance to make another card for the Christmas pile!)

our theme this week is 

Punches and Dies
or 
add a charm

- always an easy one

using Well wrapped up from The Paper Shelter
available here

We are being sponsored this week by 

The Paper Shelter

a real favourite of mine 

(I've been on the DT for years!!)

The thing I like best about the images you get at TPS is that there are always line drawings, coloured versions and matching papers for each image and that gives you great choice when it comes to making projects.

For my card I decided to take the quick and easy option and use the precoloured image and matching paper to layer up, I fussy cut around the image and went around the image and the paper edges with gathered twigs DI then I mounted her with 3d glue gel, added some die cuts to embellish and a liberal slathering (don't you just love that word!!) of glitter jewels over the dies - and voila a quick and easy card!!  There are a certain number of images from TPS that really work well for this method and the image just stands out so well on the card, I really like the effect.

This is what I did....

Image and papers - well wrapped up from TPS

Dies snowflake border - memory box
        tree - mariannes
        winter words - by tim holtz for sizzix 

Glitter jewels  from creative expressions
Distress ink - gathered twigs from Tim Holtz

Hope you'll join in with us at Winter Wonderland Challenge this week 

Hugs

Judith

Summer holidays are here - The Paper Shelter says so!!

Good morning all

It's time for another challenge at 

The Paper Shelter

and we have a topical theme this week

Holiday Time!

hands up - who's seen the sun this week!!
(well it's sort of behind the clouds!!)

My card perhaps reflects the sort of summer we've been having off and on

a bit grungy at times with the hope of something better to come

this cute image is called 

Where're we goin' available here

This is probably my favourite style of card to make - though I don't do it very often, it doesn't suit every image and I need to have some inspiration to do it.  This week my inspiration came very firmly from Sheena Douglass when she was demonstrating her new Christmas stamps on TV.  I made the background paper and then the topper with the image on from stamps and TH distress ink and I really loved doing it!  this card isn't so much mixed media as mixed medium.  I used distress inks, Spectrum noir pens and blendable pencils, watercolour pencils and sparkle pens (for the flowers) - I had pens and pencils and inks all over the place by the time I was finished lol

Here's what i did

Image - where're we goin from TPS

Coloured with Spectrum noir pens and belendable pencils

Flowers - Sheena Douglass -A little bit sketchy -a new leaf  stamps

- coloured with Spectum aqua pencils and sparkle pen

Background created with TH DI  - faded jeans, spun sugar, abandoned coral and tea dye

Stamps - Be Bunny icons  and LOTV corner stamps

Dies used - Creative expressions noble pierced square dies, Sara's signature swirl die from the country garden collection at Crafters companion,  and Memory box Eiffel tower die

LOTV - tag stamps

Kraft card from Crafter's Companion

Film strip from TH idea- ology 

other embellies from my stash

Hope you'll play along with us this week

As always we have a fab prize on offer

See you there!

hugs Judith x

Photo inspiration at The paper Shelter challenge this week

Good morning all

Firstly I must thank you all for your kind words yesterday

 - Well two days in a row - I'm on a roll lol
its challenge day at

The Paper Shelter

where our theme is a photo one this week
here is your colour inspiration - pretty easy really!



I decided to go for the the greens, oranges, reds, yellows, blues!!
- see what I mean easy (don't think black and white will fit this one though lol)

Because summer and sun have arrived here lately (!)

I decided to go for this little cutie from TPS called Sunshine - available HERE

hope you'll join in with our challenge

as always its a fab prize
see you there!

Here's what I did

Image - Sunshine from The Paper Shelter

coloured with Crafters companion spectrum noir pens and pencils

Pens

skin - FS3,7,TN3

hair - GB5, CT1 ,4

Clothes -CG3, CR1,10,  CT1, TB1,4

shadeing - BGR1 

Pencils

Peony, cranberry, ginger, 

papers - K and co sweet nectar

Kraft card - Crafters Companion

Flower die - Crafters Companion Saras English country garden collection - Lazy daisy

Butterfly die -Crafters Companion - Saras butterfly lulluby collection - Flit and flutter

happy birthday die - tattered lace

oval die - tattered lace

gems and ribbon from my stash

Photo inspiration at The paper Shelter challenge this week

Good morning all

Firstly I must hank you all for your kind words yesterday

 - Well two days in a row - I'm on a roll lol
its challenge day at

The Paper Shelter

where our theme is a photo one this week
here is your colour inspiration - pretty easy really!



I decided to go for the the greens, oranges, reds, yellows, blues!!
- see what I mean easy (don't think black and white will fit this one though lol)

Because summer and sun have arrived here lately (!)

I decided to go for this little cutie from TPS called Sunshine - available HERE

hope you'll join in with our challenge

as always its a fab prize
see you there!

Here's what I did

Image - Sunshine from The Paper Shelter

coloured with Crafters companion spectrum noir pens and pencils

Pens

skin - FS3,7,TN3

hair - GB5, CT1 ,4

Clothes -CG3, CR1,10,  CT1, TB1,4

shadeing - BGR1 

Pencils

Peony, cranberry, ginger, 

papers - K and co sweet nectar

Kraft card - Crafters Companion

Flower die - Crafters Companion Saras English country garden collection - Lazy daisy

Butterfly die -Crafters Companion - Saras butterfly lulluby collection - Flit and flutter

happy birthday die - tattered lace

oval die - tattered lace

gems and ribbon from my stash

Sending some flowers

Morning all

This is just a quick call in between holidays and weekends away lol!

I've totally lost my crafting blogging thing these last couple of weeks and luckily had this card

 pre-made to use for my DT card for the challenge at

The Paper Shelter

where our theme is 

Flowers everywhere

This is using another of the lovely precoloured images and papers from TPS

she is called Charming Spring Girl and is available HERE.

I used the whole preprinted image and paper printed onto card, mounted it onto kraft card then fussy cut the image of the little girl and mounted it with 3d glue gel (it's sort of curved and looks really good on the card - though it doesn't photograph well)  I inked the edges of the card and the image with TH teadye DI for a vintage look - it goes well with these colours I think.  ThenI added from die cut flowers. butterflies and leaves cut from Crafter's Companion dies and also coloured them with distressed inks in, coral, wild honey and moss green.  The entiment is from the free set in the latest CC inspiration magazine - then finally finished off with a few gems and a cute little charm. - using these printed images is very quick and easy but allows you to add your own creativity too

hope you'll join in with our challenge

as always its a fab prize
see you there!

We're off on our travels again tomorrow for a lovely weekend with friends in Rome - the downside is the flight is 7:15 in the morning - I hate early flights lol.  I'll be back on Monday with a brand new mojo - lots of ideas are there just needing to get out - so watch this space!!

hugs Judith xx

I feel charming - oh so charming

It's alarming how charming I feel.....!

Good morning all

Well depending how old you are or how many musicals you have watched - you'll be singing your head off now and I have just planted your song for the day firmly in there.

For those who don't know the song is I feel pretty from West Side Story - just to put you out of your misery - I'd hate to keep you wondering lol

And the reason I feel so charming is because that's our challenge theme at 

The Paper Shelter Challenge 

Charming

The card here isn't the card I started to make!! - I had another one of those days yesterday ( on top of still catching up after my hollies)  I spent the day in hospital with my son Tom who was having some dental work done as a day patient under general anesthetic - on the bright side I got lots of knitting done for my new granddaughter Eva as I wiled away the hours, on the minus side I was wrecked when we eventually got home and just couldn't be bothered to finish my colouring that I had started the day before.  - but that's where good old precoloured images from TPS come in very handy.  I had printed this one off ages ago just to have on standby as a quick card
- and this was just the occasion to use it!

This pretty girly complete with background paper is Melody

 - available Here

I simply printed the image twice and cut the image and star out and decoupaged for a 3d effect.  I had added "just a note to say" in word before I printed it and after that I simply inked the edges with TH DI in Tea dye added the die cut musical notes from a MFT die - cut in black card and I had that cute little guitar charm that I tied with a piece of twine.  The inside has the matching paper ready to stamp a sentiment - nearly all images from TPS come with all these elements along with the lined image that you can colour.  Check them all out here if you've never seen them before - I often use them for a quick make.

As always we have a fab prize at our challenge

Well I must be off - today's not much better than yesterday - it's dog operation day today, our dog Glenn has to have a big operation because he has a ruptured cruciate ligament, I don't have to spend the day with him but its a journey to the specialist orthopedic vet and back .... and the worry : (

Hope you have a lovely day whatever you're doing

hugs

Judith xx

For the boys - at The Paper Shelter

Good Morning all

We have a lovely new challenge at 

The Paper Shelter 

one that we either love or hate -projects for boys!

myself I love cards for boys -soooo we want to see what you can make

For the Boys

I used a cute little racing driver image called

My Racing Car available here

As always we have a fab prize

This is what I did.....

Image - my racing car from TPS - cut twice to layer 3d style
Papers MME fine and dandy boy
Die - happy birthday from tattered lace (cut twice)
Card - American Crafts
Stitched circle die - lawn fawn
Pierced border - from MFT blueprints 15

hope we'll see you at TPS this week

hugs
judith x

Spring has sprung - well sort of!

Morning all

It's challenge day at 

The Paper Shelter 

and we have the lovely theme of 

Spring

I decided to go a bit arty and chose this lovely image 

called the Huntress available here

I was starting to wish I hadn't bothered by the end of this card - I can''t remember a card causing me quite so much trouble - ever!!  It started off ok and I cut my papers and dies and everything was ready just to mount the image and I decided to colour her with pencils - I think that was my first mistake because it was looking too pale and I didn't like it all that much but I thought I'd carry on and see what happened! After an hour or so I got to a stage that I quite liked and was going to call it a day and finish off the card.  Only thing was I had cut my little finger on the edge of a large die earlier (beware of sharp dies!!) and only had a small plaster in the cupboard to cover the cut.  As I pulled my hand away the plaster came off and splodged streaks of blood right down my colouring - I could have cried! - and there was no way I could rescue it.  I left it for the night and started again (by then I was very late - sorry Shirley!!) and changed to watercolour pencils, sparkle pens with a background of Aquatints.  I think I must be getting hard to please because I didn't really like that either!!  I was going to just change to the precoloured image and give up but when I looked at it it was too pale for my otherwise finished card base - so went back and had another play and it ended up like this - the gold sparkle pen rescued it quite a bit!! - it's ok- ish - just not what I imagined when I started off.  Think I'll go back to print cut and stick cards lol

As always we have a great prize on offer at TPS

Here's what I did...

Image the huntress from TPS

Coloured with Spectrum noir watercolour pencils and Sparkle pens

Background created with Aquatints - (Blue, white and gold) and a touch of green sparkle pen

Papers - gilded Christmas from First edition

Card - Crafters companion Mat black and old gold centura pearl

Dies - Ivy - Sheena's perfect partners festive fancies - Ivy 

           Flowers - from Sara Davies floral delights signature collection 

Gilding wax - pebeo - old gold and copper

Hope we see you at TPS Challenge this week

Challenges I'm entering with this card

Creative card crew - die cuts 17/04
Die cutting divas - sports (hunting/shooting bow and arrow) 11/04
TTCRD - anything goes 13/04
Make my monday challenge - watercolour 11/04

hugs

Judith x

Good morning all

Well I think spring is finally in the air and the days are a little warmer

and we even have Sunshine!!

And today we have a new challenge starting at

The Paper Shelter

 our theme is a very seasonal one

Easter

I used this lovely image that I've have for ages but never used 

I think it has a very vintage feel to it and I tried to reflect that in my card

the image is called My Sweet Mommy and is available HERE

I coloured the image to get a very soft feel with Spectrum Noir blendable pencils

as always we have a fabulous prize at TPS

This is what I did....

7x7 inch card

Image - My Sweet Mommy from The Paper Shelter

Coloured with Spectrum Noir blendable pencils

Colours - vintage blue, maroon, raspberry,saddle brown,sorbet,antique rose,nectarine,pink blush,jade,pistachio,canary,lemon

Papers - First Edition spring feast (including all the plain colours)

Embossing folder - Die'sire embossalicious vintage floral, Floral wonder

Dies - Sara Davies signature collection floral delights - leafy flourish and pretty petals

Pearls  and sentiment stamp from my stash 

Teal card - Core'dnations TH distress card 

hope you'll come and share your Easter cards with us this week - I've seen some lovely ones about this week

Challenges I'm entering with this card

Deep ocean challenge -favourite colour combo - I love pink yellow and blue 04/04
digi choosday - flower frenzy - 12/04
inky chics - happy easter 01/04
whimsy inspires challenge - spring or easter colours 16/04

hugs

judith x

Well it's confirmed- I'm away with the fairies!!

Good morning all

Well what a busy week I've had so far - my feet haven't touched the floor!

and I've really just made this challenge by the skin of my teeth

We have a great new challenge over at 

The Paper Shelter

the theme is 

Away with the Fairies

there are so many pretty fairies available at TPS

I chose to use the pretty

Fairy Emma - available here

I made the gorgeous fairy the main focus of the card just adding a couple die cuts 

As always we have a great prize on offer at TPS

I coloured her with my Spectrum Noir pens a touch of Spectrum noir colour blend pencils and used Spectrum Noir Sparkle pens to add what every fairy needs - Sparkle!

Here's what i did

Image - Fairy Emma from TPS

Coloured with spectrum noir Pens and spectrum Sparkle pens and colour blend pencil

colours -SN pens FS1,7,TN1,2, BP 1, TB3, PP1,4,6, CT1,GB1, CT1,4, LY1,2

SN Colourblend pencil - cherry red

SN Sparkle pens - gold and clear

Sentiment LOTV

Papers - LOTV birdie lane

Dies all die'sire from crafters companion, coloured with TH DI - Worn Lipstick and Shabby Shutters

Gems from my stash

We're celebrating LoVe at Fab'n'Funky Challenges this week

Hi all

Sorry I'm a bit late with my post today we've got a few things going on with very poorly people in our family at the moment and it's been a bad couple of days - but better late than never

I'm here to share my DT card for 

Fab'n'Funky Challenges 

our theme this week chosen and hosted by our lovely Jan is

LOVE

I decided to make this into a Mothers Day card project - I'm a bit loved out with the recent Valentines makes so thought it would make a good compromise - and it still fits the theme with the papers I've chosen

This card was made using the image from a paper pack from TPS

Called Two shades of Romance available HERE

The papers are as the name suggests - only two shades - but I printed it in two sizes onto Crafter's Companion Watercolour card and coloured the lovely vintage floral design with my Spectrum Noir Watercolour pencils, and I have to say I was rather pleased with the result! - it was very easy to do as the images are so well drawn with shading anyway.

The DT were lucky enough to be able to work with images from our lovely sponsor this week

The Paper Shelter

Why not check out the blog at Fab'n'Funky and see all the great makes the girls have come up with for your inspiration this week

This is what I did

Image - from Two shades of romance paper set (8 papers in the set)

Coloured with Spectrum Noir Watercolour pencils Colours used : 

 - Petunia, Persimmon, Papaya, Oregano, Rose, Pineapple, Hyacinth, Ebony
Sparkle added with Spectrum Noir clear sparkle pen

Butterfly - Sheena Douglass perfect partners die and stamp

Heart Die - from Sara Davies Love  signature collection

Letters cut with Sizzix TH Vintage Market strip die 

Black card

Watercolour card 

Core'dinations TH Colours card in Dusty concorde

Embossalicious Embossing folder from Crafters Companion - Vintage floral wonder

Ribbons from my stash

We have a fun Animal challenge at The Paper Shelter

Good morning all

It's time for a new challenge at 

The Paper Shelter

and this week the theme is

Animals

as Easter is just around the corner I couldn't resist  making a card using 

Little Easter Bunnies from TPS -available here

I've had a busy couple of weeks and decided to use one of the pre coloured images from The Paper Shelter to make my card and add a few die cuts and ribbon - just to make it my own!

as always there's a great prize on offer at our challenge

This is what I did....

Image - Precoloured little Easte bunnies from The Paper Shelter

Papers - Spring Drop from First Edition

Pierced frame die - made with Creative expressions pierced noble square dies (Sue Wilson)

Die cut letters - TH Vintage Market dies from Sizzix

Heart banner - Lala land die

Pink card and ribbon from my stash

Hope you'll join in with us at TPS this week

Hugs

Judith x

To the moon and back ......at The Paper Shelter

Good morning all

It's challenge day again at 

The Paper Shelter

this week is an easy challenge
(given the time of year)

The theme is

Be My Valentine

I decided to use a lovely image from TPS called

Moon Goddess available here

Not traditionally Valentine's at all I don't think, but the image made me think of the - I love you to the moon and back - saying, so that's where the inspiration came from.  I teamed her up with lots of hearts and hey presto - she's a Valentine card!! - I coloured her with Spectrum Noir Pens and pencils and used distress inks to shade the sky and the embossed heart card

and the inside

As always e have a fabulous prize on offer this week

This is what I did....

Image Moon Goddess from the Paper Shelter

Coloured with Spectrum noir Pens and Pencils and TH Distress inks

Paper - LOTV

Embossing Folder - Sarah Davies Love and Romance collection

I and die from Sarah Davies love and Romance collection

Love die - Sizzix

Embossed heart die from Sarah Davies Love and Romance collection

Small double heart die - sizzix

Craft card and Centura pearl card - Crafter's Companion

Circle and Scalloped Circle dies - Spellbinders Grand nesties
letters inside - cut from sizzix TH Wanted strip die

Hope you'll join in with our challenge this week

Challenges I'm entering with this card

Frilly and funky - Love is in the air
Deep ocean challenge - hearts
Digi Chooseday - all you need is love

Hugs

Judith x