Monday {ippity} hop

Welcome to my corner of the hop!
I recieved a gorgeous parcel of {ippity} from Nora, on Saturday. She is having a sale of older sets - so i got some lovely bargains! She also included a little free gift of beautiful papers and ribbon. It really made my day!! I was so excited to open it, and manged to find an hour -ish in the evening to create this easel card :)

Next it's the talented Jessica - hop on over!

Thanks for visiting

hugs,

Elisabeth x

     

Home sweet home

I was so excited to get my new Unity July KOM in the post yesterday, and decided to ink up one of my lovely new stamps for the playdate cafe. Its a sweet little house with "home is where the heart is" and "there's no place like home" cleverly worked into the design.

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The colours are dark brown, beige and green. I added a teeny accent of orange with one of my buttons to finish off. I have some friends who have been building a house for 7 years would you believe!!! and have just recently moved in, so this is going to them.
Off to have lunch with a friend now......Monday looms closer, and i will be back at work.....trying not to think about it
Have a great Friday ;)

love
Elisabeth x

Waltzing Mouse Challenge 9

I made a little card for this challenge yesterday. I used the Free Spirit set from Waltzing Mouse to create the zig-zaggy centre line, it reminded me a little of high rise flats/apartments.
I put the little stars above, and echoed it on the lable below. The sentiment is from {ippity} - the same one as i used in my lemon and lime summer card. Not sure where the paper is from, as it was a gift :) and I popped a little button on to complete the look.

WMSC9

It's a little different to my usual style, but I thought it would make a good "Bon Voyage" card for someone. What do you think?

Have a good day,

Hugs

Elisabeth x

Summertime colours

I have chosen to make this card for two challenges, Crafts for Eternity "lemon and lime" and {ippity} challenge "Dog days of Summer".
This card says Summer to me because the fresh citrus colours remind me of cool summertime drinks, lemonade, cocktails on holiday and the flower in the middle is like a warm sunshine. I chose the {ippity} sentiment "sweet thoughts of you" from the spring set as i have many happy memories of this summer, meeting up with old friends who are precious to me, and also getting to know new friends on the craft forums. It is a little bittersweet for me too, as i know that when i go back to work very shortly, i will not be able to spend time creating and posting on here as i have been. Here is my card:

and here is a close up of the sentiment:

I also stamped lemon background paper using a "postcard" stamp - one of my little gems I bought on holiday this summer.

Enjoy the last days of the summer, my friends, as the song says - they could be the best days of your life - I have had such a wonderful summer, that I could believe that's true for me.

Hugs

Elisabeth x

Playdate Cafe

***** Don't forget ********

you still have time to enter the Unity Addicts"mood" challenge and win this fabby set: It's Your Day
Winner to be announced Wednesday by Maria x


Have made a little card for the Playdate Cafe Challenge this week - colours from Positano, Italy!

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The sentiment and music image is {ippity}, papers from Papermania and Craftwork cards, also I rollagraphed brown ink onto cream card and tore the edges for a distressed look. The little humming bird stamp has been in my collection forever! and I have no idea where it is from!

Hope you like :)

Bye for now x

Color Cue Challenge 6

Just discovered this inspiring colour challenge and might just have made it deadline!!!

Using colour combo cream/coral/kraft/brown I made this:

Hope you like it :)

They have some fabby new stamps about to be released over in their blog there too - go have a looksee

hugs

elisabeth x

FWF Friday :)

It's Friday and its Friends with Flair today!!

Recently, I have been enjoying making these cute little bookmarks!
I will probably use them as Christmas stocking fillers, or i may even sell them!
I have a friend who sells gorgeous knitted creations - bags, scarves, toys - you name it- at craft fairs, and we were talking about sharing a stall near Christmas time. I have never sold any of my cards before, but i might just do it! We will see.........anyways.....enough wittering...here are the bookmarks:

I chose the Tolkien quote as it reminded me how you can lose your place in a book, also how you can enjoy getting "lost" in a book ;)  It is from {ippity} "Delightful Little Things". The other quote just makes me smile everytime I see it; i can think of so many people I want give that to :) it is also {ippity} "Where You Should Be"

O and just in case you were wondering ;) here is what the bookmarks look like at the back:

Hope you like them.

There is a great tutorial here on how to make them - watch out - these can become addictive ;)

Next on FWF is ........Jennie......go on over now, you will not be disappointed!
Enjoy the rest of the hop,  then go let your hair down and celebrate cos ......it's the WEEKEND!!!!!! Yay!!!!

luv n hugs
Elisabeth x

Starting school

***Scroll down for Wednesday's post on "Unity Addict Mood Challenge" Great prize to be won!!*******

My little niece will start school in a couple of weeks time, so I thought I'd make her a little card. I have worked my colours round the PlayDateCafe Challenge for this week, which are black and white with a bit of green :)

I searched through my jolees to find a blackboard embellishment - but in vain..............so I made one myself from black paper and lolly sticks. Cute eh?

I am chuckling at the "a" for apple on the card, as she is already reading and counting! LOL! Hope she won't be bored :O. Hope you love school Holly, I already know you love to learn x

My next little concoction for you, my lovely readers, is a Christmas card!!! Yes really!! O I know its August, but a girl has to think ahead - you know what I'm saying? This card is for the {ippity} challenge over at Splitcoast. I hope you likeeeee ;) I punched "Christmas" along the top, Paper is from Papermania, and stamps from {ippity} Season of Joy x

                           IHHC35

And last..but not least, is a wedding card which I made today - a week or so belated, but i don't think they'll mind.......here it is .....

Stamps and paper used here are Papermania.

That's it for today, thanks for reading and supporting my blog. I also want to say thank you for your lovely comments on my previous "mood" post about my Dad - I was touched, your thoughts meant a lot xxx

Have a good day ((((hugs))))

Unity Addict Challenge

Mood Challenge Card
Just arrived back from holiday yesterday. We had a wonderful time in the sun, meeting up with friends and generally kicking back and enjoying ourselves :) As we were in the USA, I got some great crafting supplies too - just could not resist!!
Today I am hosting the Unity Addict's Challenge 12! Today it is a Mood Challenge :)You have to make a card that reflects the mood you are in - sad, happy, crazy, excited - anything at all! Please join in - you will  find the details over at Splitcoast Stampers. I chose to make a "subdued" mood card. Here it is:

My card was made when I was in a kind of serious, subdued mood and I started by choosing some blue paper which really suited my mood. As I was cutting it out, I began to remember my Dad, who passed away almost two years ago, and everything fell into place as the card became a little memento of him. I knew it would be an unfussy card – he liked things plain and simple; and yet classy (he appreciated good quality).

He was old fashioned in many of his views, yet kept a youthful and optitimistic outlook on life, even when he was 90! This is him just before he blows out the large flame on his birthday cake candle! :)
I embossed a frame in light blue, as it reminded me of how traditional he was. The {ippity} sentiment is from “Just Wanted to Say” and I stamped it on top of “A bit of burlap” - which reminds me how he loved the country and spent his boyhood days on his grandparents' farm.
I knew I just had to add gold into my card, expressing how valuable and precious my Dad was to me, and how he was always there for me, no matter what.

I embossed leaves from “You are right where you should be” in two different shades of gold, and added a beautiful gold ribbon (my best for the best Dad ever x) and the little gold brads to finish.

I hope you like it, and I can’t wait to see what everyone else comes up with – every single one will be unique – no two moods the same! Get the deets over here now! (Unity Addict's Challenge 12)

Blessings and hugs,

Elisabeth x

Inspiring Provence

Today, as the rain pours down here from the heavens, I'm going continental,  inspired by the Playdate Cafe! I love these warm colours of the terracotta pottery that is used in Provence, reminds me of crops of olives and grapes and the hot sun shining all day long. I stamped and paper pieced a flower from {ippity} Now and Always, and the sentiment is from the set Delightful Little Things (also from {ippity}) The yellow background cardstock is also stamped with A Bit Of Burlap {ippity}

I then trimmed my card with some country gingham ribbon with garden twine tied around at pleasing intervals!

I love, love love my ippity do dah, ippity day, evrythin special going my way :) Yes, I am completely bonkers! Gotta get away from all this rain, no blog for a wee while as I'm off on my holidays, Yay!! Sun, sun, sun, here I come :)

Hippity Hop

Welcome to my corner of the hop, if you haven't started at the beginning, you can find the full list of blogs here. I had some time at the weekend to craft with my friend Lucy, it was so much fun, we were on a mission to make easel cards, and we made a jolly good stab at them, even if I do say so myself.
This card will be sent to another friend who is going through a bit of a hard time just now, so I hope she finds some encouragement from it.

 I used {ippity} Devoted set and the paper is from Papermania's Rose Garden. Candy brads from Craftwork Cards. I thought I would enter this into two challenges; one is the Playdate Cafe, who are taking their inspiration from red, pink and white colours this week, the other is Unity Addicts Challenge, Let's Get Sentimental! the task being to make the sentiment the focal point of the card. You can find their challenge on Splitcoast Stampers.
That's all from me today, time for you to hop over to the next blog, its another Elisabeth! Enjoy!
love
Elisabeth x

Craftwork Card Sketch 3

This is for the new Craftwork card sketch - its a thank you card for my lovely mum who gave us a wee gift for our wedding anniversary yesterday:

The paper is all from their new range and the wee flower is made from their scalloped circles which I sprayed with water and then scrunched up. The ribbon and tag is SU.

...and would you like to see the card i made for darling hubby yesterday? Love the paper on this, its from a great little collection by Papermania. (can't remember the name :o )

thats all :)

Love Susan Branch!

Don't you just love Susan Branch? I just visited her website again for the first time in ages, and I love her style of journalling. One of these days i am going to start a journal and maybe imitate a little bit of her style. If you don't know what i'm talking about, check her out here. I haven't seen any new stamps from her in a while, some of her sentiments are so wonderful. Go enjoy yourself for an hour - it is like being immersed in a warm bath of comfort and scented candles and bubbles, o Susan, you have inspired me...here i go burbling on.........................:)
I downloaded this wallpaper for my laptop from her - isn't it d-r-e-a-m-y.

Ahhh Summertime . Love it.

Hugs to you today
Elisabeth x

Lucky lucky lucky me :D

I just found out that i won a prize in the Make the Day Special blog hop!! Make the Day Special is where I get most of my ippity stamps from.
So lucky! It is a set of four gorgeous Christmas cards made by the extremely talented Jo at Here I go Again. Just look at this:

Isn't it fabulous! They are so delic, i want to put them on my own mantlepiece - now!
I am so happy to be picked. Thank you, thank you, thank you :D

Today is my wedding anniversary and I have to go make a card for dh who will be home soon ;)
Thanks for popping in.

Enjoy your day x

Stamp storage

Today I thought I'd share with you how I store my precious stamps. (unmounted ones) This was a problem for me as I didn't have any system until I had a convo with another crafter at a local demo day, don't know who she was, but she gave me the best (i think) advice ever, which is basically to use laminated card which they will stick to. So grateful to her - thank you unknown friend :)
So this is my little stamp storage turorial. Here is what you need to get started:
                                                        stamps
                                                        ink pad
                                                        white card

                                                        laminator

                                                        laminator pouches

                                                        ring binder folder

1. Start with a piece of plain white card.

2. Next, stamp your images on the card.

You can place the stamps on the card first and shuffle them around to get the best fit. I tend to put the larger stamps to the left of the card as i think it makes for more secure balance when the stamps are stored. I also like to put the image lable from the packaging at the bottom for a quick glance reference.

3. Now time to laminate.....

4. ......and punch ring binder holes on the left hand side

 

5. Now place stamps on laminated card to which they will magically stick ;)

I deliberately place the stamps off to the side of the image so that I can see

quickly which one I want.

6. Now you can snap your laminated sheet of stamps

into the ring binder - it should hold about five sheets,

(or more, depending on the thickness of your binder)

 

7. Finally, here are my binders stored on top

of  my wooden stamp collection, because I

haven't got around to clearing a space for

them on my desk, or better still ask dh if he

will make them their own shelf..........  ;)

Thats all for today, hope it was useful to somebody.

Have a good one!

hugs x

Hip Hop Monday with {ippity}

Welcome to my corner of the hop. I hope I can whet your appetite for {ippity} stamps today ;) For the full list of participants, you need to check the Unity blog here

I used  Hip Hop Sketch Challenge  to make this card. I am sending it to a friend who is retiring, I think she will be a little happy :D

I used freebie papers from a magazine, so not sure of the names, and yet again the yellow dotty one is from Craftwork Cards - I am going through a Craftwork Card phase at the moment, they have some deee-licious papers! The sentiment is from the May KOTM framed by a Nestibilities lable 13 (i think) which I stencilled around in a beige ink, then I inked the edges with brown ink (a lovely little freebie gift sent to me by Unity) I trimmed with ribbon and lace, and stamped the flower stem (another freebie with KOTM -thank you unity - i do love you so xx) twice, coloured with copics and then covered in 3D gloss. Hope you like the finished card.

I am going to make another just like this one for my dd's old headteacher who is retiring after about 100 years!!! - well maybe a slight exaggeration - but she has certainly been there a loonng time.

Well thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of the hop today - there are many many more treats in store for you - next stop it's the lovely Christy Enjoy !                                                                                                              

Elisabeth x x

Beautiful day again, blue skies and SUN, SUN, SUN :)

Met a friend I have not seen for a few months for coffee and cake {yumyum}and got to meet her gorgeous four month old baby boy. Aahhh sweeeeeeeeeeet! Of course, dozy head that I am,  forgot his pressie and card. Duh. Will meet up again next week before he outgrows his gift!

I made a card for the challenge at Crafts 4 eternity this week, I was going to enter last week, but ran out of time....however...I had an image all picked out for the sports theme last week, and really wanted to use it, so thought how i could fit it into this week's challenge recipe which is:

1 Use the sketch
2 Nursery rhyme theme
3 Add a charm

I decided on the nursery rhyme, 1,2,3,4,5 - Once I caught a fish alive - 6,7,8,9,10 - then I let it go again! Why did you let it go? - Because it bit my finger so - Which finger did it bite?  - this little pinkie on my right!

Here is my entry, such a sweet stamp, it is a pain to use tho', because it doesn't give a great impression and you end up filling in the missing spots where there should be black ink, but I just love the finished effect. So for me it was worth the trouble. It was dirt cheap on ebay, so I won't complain.

I made a little fish with card and ribbon, and handwrote the sentiment. I think the charm is a bee, but it could be a fly - so flyfishing ;) I attached it to look like the fishing line.

Papers used: Polka dots - Craftwork Cards, blue checked - Nitwits, (green spotty strip- dont know-free with my Unity KOTM subscription,  light blue background - no idea - from stash!

Thanks for visiting xx

P.S. Have just completed a fabby blog hop with loads of great prizes! Interested? go here......

P.P.S. There is a-m-a-z-i-n-g blog candy to be won which I just had to share with you also over at
craftie-charlies!!! Go see !!!!

What happens when you can't sleep?

You make cards at 1.30 a.m.? Seems I have turned my sleep pattern crazy this week, I blame it all on my friend and her night out! While I was awake, I made a card for Craftwork Cards Challenge sketch 2, and also for the Playdate Cafe who chose some unusual colours this week, red, orange, turquoise and brown! here it is:

I am quite pleased with it - didn't know quite how these colours would work together, but somehow they do! Hope you like it! 

Love Elisabeth x

This one's for Waltzing Mouse's third challenge:

                                                                      WMSC3

I stamped the flower from the "Free Spirit - Boy" set onto white card then die cut it, the sentiment is from SU. The ribbon I used is pinker than the piccie shows here, teamed up with a strip of lace. Brown stripey paper from stash and the pink paper is scalloped with Martha Stewart punch and is from Papermania (Rose Garden)

The cat has just knocked my necklace over and is now throwing it around like a mad thing so I am off to rescue it :O

I need to make an anniversary card soon......for dh. it will be 21 years and I can hardly believe it! Wow!

Wedding

Went to my friend's hen night at the weekend - we went to a cocktail making class (then drank them all!) and then on for pizza and finally headed back for some fun and games at the apartment. Think I got to bed at 4 a.m.!! LOL! Am getting too old.................. anyways, I have made her a card for her wedding day in July, it is based on the Paper Piecing challenge from {ippity}

Details on SCS here:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1734185?&cat=500&ppuser=252929

I used some great paper from Craftwork Cards - minty pearlescent called Richie. Yum!

Short post, family calling :) Hope you all have a sooooooperb day.

Tootle pip x

H{ippity} Hop Monday

For your viewing pleasure today, may I present my attempt at the single layer card challenge IHHC28 over at the Unity thread on Splitcoast Stampers 

I used {ippity} "Season of Joy" for the lable and stamped the cups from May KOTM inside. I then masked over the lable and stamped a flower from {ippity} "Now and Always" around it. The lable stands out quite well I think because I went round it with a pale shadow "green"(forgotten the name) copic pen.The sentiment doesn't show so well in the photo, but it goes with the cups and says "May your cup overflow with joy, love and laughter".

Short post today as I am writing at 2 am here, and have had a hectic weekend, and need to get some shuteye now . Looking forward to seeing the rest of the creations on the hop when I get up ;) Have a good one!



Love Elisabeth x

Friends with Flair Friday hop

Good morning Friends with Flair!! Have made this card for the Play Date Cafe Challenge : monochromatic with a touch of blue! It's a wee tongue in cheek card for my pastor who is playing in the church football team tomorrow and they are truly rotten!!!

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Also World Cup going on......so hmmmm I will swallow my Scottish pride and say "Come on England!!" - Go Team!

I stamped "A bit of burlap" onto white paper, then stamped the flower from my new Now and Always in blue, and popped then onto the flowers stamped on the card. The sentiment is from "Delightful Little Things" and I added ribbon , Card Candy (black brads) and a football embellishment !

Happy Hop!

Elisabeth x

Waltzin mouse - tweak, tweak ;)

My submission for Waltzing mouse sketch Challenge 2 is tweaked a little from the original sketch, so am not sure if it still qualifies, but the candy round the actual oval didn't seem to sit so well, so I have pushed them (candy brads) out to the sides! More stitching on this card, I think I may be entering my stitching phase heehee. Enjoy!

WMCS2

Stamps: Graduate cap - Waltzing Mouse, Frame - Ippity, Sentiment - SU

Hip Hop Monday with Ippity :)

Welcome to the hop! If it's your first time, well you're in good company, because it's mine too! I am very excited to be taking part. I first came across Ippity Stamps when I was blog-meandering one day, earlier this year and I came across Emily at Ippity Inspiration and saw the ippity stamps and totally and utterly fell in love with them! They are cute, but not sickly cute, and have a collection of some of the most thought provoking and wonderful sentiments and sayings. The fonts used are so appealing, from traditional to retro, to downright funky : D lol, did I mention that I love them?! anyways I could go on and on and on, but I hear you say, forget all that, where is your make for today???????????

So without further ado, here it is:

(btw, I have changed sentiment in the bottom pic as first didn't show up so well - same card but different!)

IHHC27

The challenge was to use fabric/canvas in the design. This is my first attempt at making a card with sewing!!! I used scrap materials and distressed them a little, stamped the heart (Devoted- {ippity}) for the middle of the flower and sentiment (Just wanted to say -{ippity}) onto fabric and cut round them. The flower is made with scrunched patterned paper. I added a  little butterfly embellishment (parchment). I also used a bit of raffia under the sentiment to add more texture and interest. My card stock is the new Razzleberry from SU and some Kraft from my stash.

I hope you like it! You will find the complete list of  hop participants over at {ippity}  Next stop is Christy at Lone Pine Designs  :)

Have fun!

Birthday cards and A Very Exciting and Mysterious Secret!!!!!!!!

Here is my card for the Playdate Cafe Challenge I really love the colour combo for this (Raspberry, Aqua, Kraft and White) , in fact I think I may just have carried it on to my next project (more of that later ;) . I stamped some Waltzing Mouse flowers onto a plain tag and added in candy from Craftwork Cards, and marthastewarted (like my new word!) my Kraft paper! The sentiment is from Papermania and the little dragonfly embellishment was pleading with me to use it! I added a button and concertined (is that a word?) some hot pink ribbon from Smirk.

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This next card I made for the Ippity Monday Hip Hop - shhhh, a sneeky peek if you happen across my blog this Sunday afternoon ;) I will have a fuller post dedicated to it tomorrow!!! I am sooo excited, this will be my first time taking part in the hop. YAY!!!!!

L

O

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K

A

L

L

T

H

E

W

A

Y

D

O

W

N

h

e

r

e

and

remember

shhhhhush....

don't tell

anyone

yet.....

 

Saturday - fun play day :)

  

I love Saturdays! No work and all play ;) Today I am heading into the city for a girly lunch with friends from my bookgroup. I am soo looking forward to it! The rooftop restuarant is at the top of a tall building with a great view!

When I come back, I am looking forward to playing with this lushious colour combo from the Playdate cafe - isn't it yummy?

Catch you later !