Cross Stitch ATCs

I made these for the Drayton Lady swap on Trimcraft. I got the patterns for both from books by Jana Hauschild Lindberg.

The backing paper for both are from Funky Hand, with the addition of a few punched out flowers, sticky gems, beads and hand stitching.

Claire's Blog Candy & New Shop!

Go and have a look at Claire's blog Crafty Bitz by Hope Jacare where she's giving away some great blog candy, you have until the 19th September for the chance for you to have your own digi image designed by Claire. She's also opened a new online shop, Hope Jacare at Shophandmade, where's she's selling her gorgeous digi stamps.Congratulations on your new shop Claire and good luck! And a very Happy Birthday for you tomorrow!

Saskia's Summer Candy

Saskia has some candy on her blog Snippers & Co, this what what you could win:
You have until September 20th. Saskia has some lovely creations on her blog, very different and varied, definitely worth having a look!

C.R.A.F.T Challenge 13

This week the challenge at C.R.A.F.T is to make a project using this inspiration picture:



And this is what I made of the picture, an ATC. The cross stitch crab is part of a seaside sampler from a book called Holiday Memories in Cross Stitch by Chris Timms.



I stitched the crab onto linen, and back stitched around it adding sead beads and shell star beads. I stitched the linen onto backing paper, a freebie from Tinker & Co, and added stitching around the edge.


This is what you could win, a Joanna Sheen book thanks to Anesha from the Design Team. Go and take a look and see what lovely projects the rest of the team have come up with!

C.R.A.F.T Challenge 12

The challenge at C.R.A.F.T this week is to follow this sketch, and this is my first card as Design Team member.


The backing paper is from Funky Hand's Hearts and Flowers collection, the bird is from Polkadoodle's Candy Doodles CD, the twig is garden string attached with brads and some buttons and punched out flowers.




This is what you could win, a handy Basic Grey rub on roller!


Go and have a look at the lovely cards the rest of the Design Team have made!

Polkadoodles Sketch Challenge

The challenge this week at Polkadoodles is to make a round card according to a sketch, and here's my entry. The background paper and all the elements are from the Sugar Birdies and Candy Doodles CDs.




The challenge runs until Sunday 16th, and there's some lovely cards from their design team and also a great tutorial for a circle bag card using the sketch.

Cuttlebug and Buttons Card

I'm entering this card into two challenges, the Cuttlebug Spot which is to make a card with your favourite Cuttlebug embossing folder, and the Crafty Creations challenge which this week is to use buttons.

I used the allegro folder on cream speckle card, and rubbed over it with copper ink. The backing paper was a freebie a few weeks ago on Tinker & Co, and I used this to make the flowers too. I scrunched the flowers up and inked the edges to give them a distressed look, I got this idea from a card making magazine, and I attached the buttons to the flowers with hemp. The butterfly is embossed with the swiss dots folder and rubbed over with the same copper ink.

Good News!

I had some good news this morning - that I have been picked as one of the new Design Team members at C.R.A.F.T! I'm so pleased to have been chosen, and I'm really looking forward to starting work on the challenges!

Congratulations also to the other new members - Magda, Eiglas, Suzi, and the two new Junior Design Team members Enola and Jodie. I look forward to working with you all, and of course the existing Design Team!

Thanks so much!

C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Pink & Green

The challenge this week over at C.R.A.F.T is to create something in pink and green, they are also looking for 2 new design team members -and here's my entry - a card for a knitter with a present attached - a set of pink and green stitch markers.

For the base I used pink pearl card, and the
backing paper is Wild Asparagus. The lettering is from Polkadoodles Sugar Birdies CD, with glitter added round the edges. The flower is die cut and embossed on my cuttlebug.




I knit the little jumper and made knitting needles out of cocktail sticks and beads.

The stitch markers are made from glass beads and silver plated findings.

Crafty Creations Challenge

The challenge on Crafty Creations this week is to make something based on the lovely artwork of Lauren Alexander, and for this I have made a fabric ATC.

I used iron on interfacing on 2 pieces of fabric, put a piece of wadding in between and oversewed them together, adding beads every now and then. The bird flower and sun are felt with a plaited wool twig at the bottom.

Seabirds Birthday Card

For this card I used cream speckle card for the card base, inked around the edges. The spotty background paper is Wild Asparagus. I stamped the birds image, and coloured them with glitter pens. The sand is H2Os, and the sky watercolour pencils. I stitched it to the hessian, and attached that to the backing paper with buttons and brads. The starfish are die cut from grungeboard and coloured with H2Os.

Bedecked Beads - New Shop

Val has recently opened an online shop called Bedecked Beads, selling her lovely handmade costume jewellery. She is also giving away this lovely necklace as candy on her blog here, you've got until 10th August to be in with a chance.

Sheep Tea Cosy

I made this from a pattern I've had for years, it's from an old Prima magazine. I've made a few of these as presents for friends, so I thought it was about time I made one for myself!

Dragonfly Earrings

I made these for my friend's daughter who I made the card for in my last post, they were very quick to make, with sterling silver ear wires and beads, and tiny seed beads.

Birdhouse Card - C.R.A.F.T Challenge entry

The challenge at C.R.A.F.T this week is to make a shaped card, and they are also looking for 2 new Design Team members - and this is my entry, it's for a friend's daughter's 12th birthday. The backing paper is from the lovely My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow collection. The birds, flowers, ladybirds and lettering are from Polkadoodle's Sugar Birdies CD.







I coloured the birds and ladybirds with watercolour pencils, and layered the wings with foam pads and added glitter to them. The twig is plaited garden string with a ladybird bead and Bloom & Grow button sewn on.

Cake Card

Lee-anne's sketch challenge this week on Trimcraft is to make a card in the shape of a cake, and here's my version of it. The instructions for it are on Lee-anne's blog, Funky Cards, which can be found here.


I used brown pearl card for the base of the card. The cupcake case is vellum printed from Funky Hand's Paper Blossom download. The icing is white felt with tiny seed beeds sewn on, with a red button cherry on the top. Thank you Lee-anne for these instructions, I'm sure I will be using it again :-)

18th Birthday Card

For a friend's daughter's 18th birthday. I'm entering this into this week's C.R.A.F.T challenge, which is to create an age related card.

The card base is dark brown pearlescent card, the backing paper is My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow with hand stitching round the edge.












The decoupage flowers are also Bloom & Grow attached with brads to felt flowers.





The leaves are Quickcutz die cuts cut on green card and coloured with H2os.
















The dragonfly is hand beaded, the birds were cut out using a template and the wings embossed on my cuttlebug. Small punched out flowers added to the base of the birds. Brown ribbon used for the flower stems.

Buttercup Fairy

This weeks C.R.A.F.T challenge is decoupage, and here's my entry. For the card base I used gold pearlised card. The fairy and the backing paper is from Crafter's Companion Flower Fairies CD, and I added a bit of glitter to the fairy's wings. I added a strip of lace and secured behind the backing paper.



















The leaves are die cut on green glitter paper, and the dragonflies and small flowers are punched
out, and I dabbed the small flowers with gold ink and added brown glittery brads to them.






The sentiment is computer printed, and I inked the edge with gold ink.






The butterfly charm is threaded on wire with gold seed beads and secured at the back of the brad.

Sketch Challenge 5, Trimcraft

I made this card for Lee-anne's 5th sketch challenge at Trimcraft. I used dark green card for the base, the backing paper and sentiment is off Polkadoodle's Sugar Birdies CD, the spaniel, bowl and sausages are Paper Nation Decoupage.