FABULOUS FRIEND TILDA!

Hi peeps - has anyone else had problems downloading a new Blog background recently, (not the new Blogger ones, but Shabby Blogs, Ingrids etc), or is it just me? Each time I try to add the code into the Add A Gadget thingy, it keeps asking for a title, and the whole code ends up in the side-bar! Anyway, after many frustrating hours I have ended up with just a new Banner so I've changed from Minima, to Stretch Minima, to fill up the width of the page. As it happens, I quite like the result, but I would love to hear if anyone else has been having the same problem. 

So lovely bloggers, the real reason I'm here is to share a card which I have made for a good friend of mine, and as I haven't entered any challenges recently I am popping it into the Just Magnolia Challenge which is "In the Garden" (well, it does have some flowers on, and at a glance the pleated vellum looks a bit like a fence - albeit with a lace trim)!!

The base card is pale green Bazzill, the BP is from American Crafts, attached with machine stitching (see if you can spot the missing stitch)!!
The pleated strip is made from vellum, (quite easy to do on a score board), and I edged this with lace which has also been attached with machine stitching. The flowers are Kaiser Craft with pearls added to the centres. 

Tilda has been stamped with Coffee Archival Ink then coloured with Copics and glitzed up with Glamour Dust. Edges of the Nestie die cut are inked with Milled Lavender DI.

The sentiment and oval punch are both from SU.

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Going away for a couple of days - will see you when I get back!

Love and hugs - Sylvia xxxxxxx

DU2DS CHALLENGE 40 - BLOOMS AND BUTTERFLIES!

Hi lovely bloggers - hope you are enjoying the summer sunshine, wherever you are. 

Can't believe that two weeks have passed by since the last DU2DS Challenge. There were lots of fabulous entries, and I'm sure you will all love this fortnight's summery theme too - Blooms and Butterflies! 

If you click on the DU2DS link above, you will find full challenge details, and some inspiration from the DT.

The beautiful image on my DT card is "Love Flutterby" from Phindy's Place, coloured with Copics and distress ink around the edges. Some simples punched flowers (with dewdrop centres) and butterflies, an MS punched border and a little wonky machine stitching.
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If you pop over to Sketching Stamper you will find lots of beautiful digi images including some fab. flowers (and look out for the brand new Doggie - awwwww)!
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Look forward to seeing all your lovely creations.

Love and hugs, Sylvia xxxxxxxxx

RED, WHITE AND BLUE AT THE DU2DS CHALLENGE!

Hi everyone on this beautiful sunny morning!

Here is my first DT card for Dare You To Digi Stamp Friday Challenge. Hope you will join us this week - the theme is Red, White and Blue.  In case you hadn't heard, it's World Cup fever time (!)  but your choice of digi image does not necessarily have to be a football one. I have to confess I am not a huge footy fan, but I found this fabulous image called

"No Girls Allowed" at Squigglefly, and I love it. Maybe having a son and a daughter, and two grandsons with sisters, it rang a few bells!!

I have used Copics to colour the image, distressed the edges of the white and red card with scissors, (pity the red card isn't straight!), added a computer-generated sentiment under the Nestie aperture. Circles punched down the edge, with red and blue circles attached to the inside of the card - oh, nearly forgot - a touch of Glamour Dust on Tamara's shoes and belt!!!!

Look forward to seeing what fabulous creations you come up with - in the meantime have a fabulous weekend.

Love and Hugs, Sylvia xxxxx

A CARD FOR SUSIE!

Hi lovely bloggers! Hope you are enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend and having some sunshine in your part of the world.

It's my DIL's 40th tomorrow, and this is the card I have made for her, though it isn't what I set out to achieve. I was aiming for "shabby chic" as that is her favourite style, but you know how it is - some days things just don't seem to go according to plan!!  As time is fast running out, it was either this, or a trip to Clintons on the way to her birthday party tomorrow afternoon! Hope she likes it!

BP is K&Co Madeline (which is a lovely pale green IRL), computer-generated sentiment, die cut and layered with Nesties. Core'dinations deep pink card distressed with sandpaper, flowers punched with EK Success retro flower punches, and a couple of CB hearts. Gems and pink netting from my stash, and some machine stitching to finish.

Love and hugs to you all, Sylvia xxxxxx

JUST DREAMING!

Hiya Peeps! At last, my crafty stuff has been dug out and dusted down, and I am now trying to find my Mojo and the missing brain cell, and whilst I look for them I thought I would share this card I made today, using stamps from Crafty Individuals. The BP is an old freebie from Tinker & Co.
For the main image, I randomly applied Broken China and Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks onto white card, using Ranger Cut'nDry Foam, then stamped the fairy with Versafine Vintage Sepia. The Crafty Individuals sentiment and large Swirl were both stamped with Broken China DI.
Ribbon from stash, Anna Griffin butterfly punch, Glamour Dust here and there, card edged with Spiced Marmalade (ink)!!
Will be popping by to see what you have all been up to, as soon as I can.
In the meantime, love and hugs, Sylvia xxxxxxxx

NO CARDS JUST YET ..............!

Hi peeps!  Still amongst the dust and dirt, and no kitchen, but hey - we do have a tap!  However, enough about the kitchen - I  have some great news I would love to share

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Sooooo, having just finished my time as Guest Designer with the lovely DT ladies at DU2DS Friday Challenge Chris has invited me to join the DT on a permanent basis.  Needless to say, I am honoured to be asked, and very much looking forward to joining the Team at the beginning of June.
Have a great week everyone
~ Love and hugs ~
Sylvia xxxxx

THE THEME AT DU2DS IS FLOWERS!

Hi lovely bloggers! This is my final Guest Design Team spot with the ladies at DU2DS and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  Many thanks to Chris and the DT for asking me to join them. 
The theme this fortnight is Flowers, which I'm sure will be a very popular Challenge subject.  A digi stamp is required on your project, and full details can be found by clicking on the above link.

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I will schedule this Post for the 23rd (hope it works!) as we are having some work done on the house so the computer, and my craft room, may be out of bounds for a wee while (oh no)!
The pink cardstock and Bloomin' Cute paper have been in my paper-stroking box for about five years, so are probably discontinued by now.  They are from the "aunt gerti's garden sidekicks" range by S.E.I. (What a fabulous name)! The beautiful image is from Chris at Sketching Stamper,  coloured with Copics and inked around the edges with Tattered Rose Distress Ink.  Martha Stewart border punch, lots of pearls, some toning ribbon and two Cuttled hearts to finish.

Have a great weekend -  Love and Hugs, Sylvia xxxx

CHALLENGE No. 35 AT DARE YOU TO DIGI STAMP!

Hi lovely bloggers! Can hardly believe two weeks have passed since my first GDT spot with the lovely ladies at 

 DU2DS.  Thanks to everyone who joined in the fun - there were lots of stunning entries.

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So, onto another new Challenge, and this one requires the addition of some METAL!!  You can interpret this any way you wish - maybe add a charm, some metallic card, old coins - you get the idea! A digi image should also be included on your project and full details can be found by clicking on the above link.

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For my GD card I have used the beautiful Butterfly Catcher image from

Chris at Sketching Stamper.  The image has been coloured with Copics, then layered onto a sheet of copper craft foil. I have used a dressmakers tracing wheel around the edges of the foil and the white card.  I really wanted to keep it quite simple, so as not to detract from the image.

The cardstock is SU Sage Shadow, and I was lucky enough to find exactly the right shade of satin ribbon at Duttons for Buttons in Ilkley! (If you're ever in West Yorkshire and you need buttons - that's the place to go)!!

Have a great weekend - love and hugs, Sylvia xxxxxx

PS: If anyone knows why these two photos are jagged around the edges when you click to enlarge them, I would love to hear from you! Thank you.

EASTER EGG HUNT AND CHALLENGE CARD - OSAAT.

Hi peeps - not long to wait now until you can rip the shiny paper off all those Easter Eggs - yum!!  If you haven't taken part yet in the Easter Egg Hunt over at OSAAT, pop over now for details - there's still time!  I found all the eggs (eventually!), and have included 5 of the necessary elements into my Easter card. 

There are also lots of fabulous digi images available to buy at OSAAT, including this beautiful Easter Basket image from the lovely Claire at Hope Jacare

The colours I've used are not my usual choice, particularly the lime green and pale grey, but it's fun to try something different for a change.

The image is coloured with Copics, the large bow has been printed twice and decoupaged and the spotty lime green paper is from My Minds Eye. "Easter" lettering was die-cut on my Cuttlebug.

Lots of Glamour Dust here and there (oh not again I hear you cry!), and four pearl beads added to the punched border (Fiskars punch). The grey card is Core'dinations, edged in lime green ink and layered onto white cardstock.

Thank you for looking, and here's wishing you all a Happy Easter.

Hugs, Sylvia xxx
16th April - NEWS UPDATE!!
So happy to have won first prize over at OSAAT - a $20 voucher to spend at Simon Says - whey-hey!  Many thanks to Stitchy and the DT.

EASTER THEME AT DARE YOU TO DIGI STAMP FRIDAY CHALLENGE!

I am so honoured to have been invited to be a Guest Designer over at DU2DS for this week and the month of April.  Hope you will join in  - just pop over  here to see the beautiful DT projects, and details of how to enter. 

If you are wondering where to find an Easter digi design, there are some fabulous ones available to purchase at Chris's Sketching Stamper, and  Sandra Dry Designs.

So, stop the waffling Sylvia and show us your card!!! 

I have used one of Sandra's beautiful new Easter designs for this easel card,  coloured it with Copics, printed a second time so I could 3-d the "bows" and then added a sentiment which I created on the computer.  Ribbons from my stash, and of course there had to be a sprinkling of Glamour Dust too!

Look forward to seeing all your lovely projects over at Dare You To Digi.

Love and Hugs, Sylvia xxxx

HI - IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK!

Hi there lovely Bloggers!!  Have really missed you all whilst I've been away, and I'm so pleased to be reunited with my blogging and all things crafty!  Have had fabulous weather, but there's nowhere quite like home, even when it rains!  I'm looking forward to seeing what you've all been up to, but in the meantime here is a card I made just before my hols. Thanks to  Lyn (Spyder) for suggesting I enter this into the Vintage Challenge at OSAAT and also the Flowers Challenge at Quirky Crafts. Thanks a bunch Lyn!

The beautiful stamp is "Serena" from Stampsmith, the corner flourishes and greeting are both from the "French Mail" set by Crafty Secrets.

Backing paper from the Rhonna Farrer Urban Junque download at Two Peas in a Bucket. Lace trim, and old paper Roses from my stash - Roses coloured with gold paint, with a twine bow and butterfly charm. Black card layer has been spritzed with gold Perfect Pearls mixed with water.

Hope you are all fit and well - will be visiting you ASAP. Lots of love and hugs, Sylvia xxxx

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Below is a photo I took on holiday  - it was just poking through a metal fence at the roadside - love the colour.  (Think it's Hibiscus?)

PS: Thanks to Beryl and Nettie for confirming that it is Hibiscus!

AWOL - WILL BE BACK SOON!

Hi lovely bloggers -  just a short post to let you know that I will be AWOL for three or four weeks, as I won't have access to the internet.  (Sob). This card is just to say I will miss you all very much, and can't wait until things are back to normal so I can pop over and see what you've been up to!!  Lots of love to all my followers and visitors - see you soon.  Loadsa hugs, Sylvia xxxxxxxx

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The stamp is Penny Black "Fantasy", heat embossed in silver, layered onto silver glitter card, and a Penny Black greeting stamp from the Salutations set.  Pink and clear gems from my stash.

(The cardstock is actually white - not grey as it looks on the photo)!

LITTLE BALLERINA!

Hi there - hope your week is going well wherever you are. 

Just popping by to share a birthday card with you tonight, which I have made for one of my Granddaughters. She will be 7 next week, and she absolutely loves going to her ballet classes and her favourite colour is pink, and more pink - a very girly-girl and I love her to bits!

The gorgeous stamp is "Belle" by Victoria Case for SCACD, bought from Quixotic Paperie (see the link in my side-bar). She has been coloured with Distress Inks, and her tu-tu has been stamped a second time, cut out and layered with silicone glue. Backing papers are Basic Grey Porcelain, the black lace is a Prima stamp.

Finished with machine stitching, paper roses, ribbon and Glamour Dust.

Thank you so much for visiting.  Hugs, Sylvia xxxxxxxx

HOLLY IS THE THEME AT BAH! HUMBUG!

Whoohoo - another Christmas card to add to my tiny collection!!  This week, the girls over at Bah! Humbug! have decided on a Holly theme.  Fantastic for me as I just happened to have this gorgeous Bo Bunny Holly paper, (the leaves have a "crackle" effect, so for once it isn't my poor photography skills)!!

I overlapped the paper onto the spine of the cream card, added red ribbon, cut out some of the holly leaves which I coated with Diamond Glaze then attached to the bow.

The Merry Christmas stamp is another of my all-time favourites - from a set by HOTP. This was inked with Olive Staz-on and coloured with a red watercolour pencil.

Click on the link above for full Challenge details - there is a lovely prize for one lucky random winner this week........

Thanks for looking -  have a great weekend.  Hugs, Sylvia xxxx

JOY CARD - I PREFER TO CALL IT A DUET CARD!!

Hi there to all my lovely bloggers - I am just sharing this "joy card" with you - I have no idea why it is called a Joy card - I prefer to call it a Duet card because it's two cards in one - Yayyyy!

I made this for a dear blogging friend of mine who is going through a rough time at the moment (and I know she loves birdies) - she has already received the card so it's OK to post it on my Blog (I'm sure Gini won't mind)!!!

The cardstock is Bazzill Basics - the stamp is the freebie on February's Craft Stamper Mag., coloured with Sakura Stardust Gel pens, the papers were freebie downloads from Tinker and  Co, and the greeting was a freebie stamp with a recent Do-Crafts Creativity Mag. Sorry Gini -it's not the cost that counts - love you anyway, and get well soon. 

Thanks for visiting - Hugs, Sylvia xxxxxx

GRUNGE PAPER PROJECTS

Hi peeps - hope you've all had some sunshine today - it's been pretty good here in West Yorkshire - a real treat after all the miserable weather. 

Today I'm adding a bit more Grunge to my blog - I enjoyed making the Grunge Paper Rose so much for my last card, I've been messing about with more GP, Distress Inks and chipboard.  If you want to see some truly spectacular work, made with these products, do pop over to Wendy Vecchi's amazing blog HERE. Her work is fabulous.

So, here are my rather weak attempts with my new-found Grunge Paper, and boy have I enjoyed having a play!

The chipboard heart has been coloured with Distress Inks. Gingham background from Wendy Vecchi's "Nature's Art" stamp set,  and an old tiny flower stamp used on the green section. The spotty flowers are from Papermania, stamped onto Grunge Paper, cut out and coloured with Distress Inks.  Leaf spray also from the Wendy Vecchi set.  Ribbons from my stash - dark brown wire  bought from a local garden centre.

It's not very clear from the photos, but both projects have been spritzed here and there with a mixture of water and Perfect Pearls.  

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The card has been made with the same Wendy Vecchi stamp set -  the butterfly wings have been layered and curled - the head is half of a really old press-stud I found in my sewing box - I've noticed they are quite fashionable on cards right now (and quite expensive) - whoever would have thought!!

The scallop chipboard is layered onto black card spritzed with the Perfect Pearls mixture.  Base card - Core'dinations Cappucino.

Thanks so much for popping by  - Hugs, Sylvia xxxx

BAH! HUMBUG! - WEEK 2 CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE

Hi everyone - is it just me, or are the days just flying by?  Just managed to get this one finished in time for week 2 of the Bah! Humbug! Challenge - well I just had to join in this week, as I won the Challenge prize last week - a beautiful set of Elusive Images Christmas stamps!  As this week's theme is to use New or Nearly New Stash,  I decided to use one of the sentiments from my new prize.  The Nestie Label die has only been used once before and the Grunge Paper Rose is totally new to me, in fact it's my first attempt at making one of these - great fun to do.  It's coloured with Shimmerz and a sprinkling of Glamour Dust.

Other items used - CB ornate corner die, Woodware leaf punch. The  paper is from an old Bo Bunny collection - this was my very last piece - absolutely loved it, sob! (Get a grip Sylvia ...).

Thank you for looking - Hugs, Sylvia xxxx

PS: As I have been asked how I made the Grunge Paper Rose, I am including a link to the Tim Holtz Tutorial. HERE . Of course, Tim's are absolutely stunning!!

BAH! HUMBUG! JANUARY 15th UPDATE!!

Morning everyone - just a little update on last week's Challenge at Bah! Humbug! .....have just heard that my card has been randomly chosen as the winner of their very first prize draw, and needless to say, I'm thrilled to bits!

Many thanks to Ann, Irene and Max for such an enjoyable Challenge (and for such a beautiful prize)!

So, come on everyone - pop over to see what this week's Challenge is all about!

Hugs, Sylvia xxxx

BAH! HUMBUG! FIRST CHALLENGE - RECYCLING!

Hi Peeps - another challenge card - yes it's Christmas again!!

This really has been a challenge - thanks to Ann, Irene and Max from Bah! Humbug! for kicking my brain cell into gear!! This is the first Challenge of their brand new Blog and we were asked to recycle old Xmas cards (bought ones), wrapping paper, ribbon, etc. etc. I have used some thin cardboard from a package I received (looks a bit like Kraft card, but cost me nothing!), but my inspiration came from the navy and beige gingham ribbon which was wrapped around a lovely foodie gift from my daughter, bought from Betty's (they sell the most scrumptious cakes, choccies, coffee, etc.). The cardboard was a perfect match for the ribbon. The gold paper mat was a wrapping from a Ferrero Rocher choccie (yum), smoothed out a little with a brayer then wrapped around a rectangle of thin card. The two gold snowflakes were punched from another Ferrero Rocher wrapping, after attaching to a piece of thin card with DSST to give it "body"!!

Cap and Scarf Penguin stamp is from Hero Arts (love him to bits), and the blue snowflake stamp is from an Elusive Images set. Tiny red Papermania gems, Gold Glamour Dust and a red Marvy marker pen, to finish.

Thanks for popping by - Hugs, Sylvia xx

BUTTERFLY FAIRY

Hi Peeps!  Hope you have had a warm cosy weekend.  At last, another post - have been quite busy with one thing and another, and just longing to create something for my Blog - so here it is.  I absolutely adore this Butterfly Fairy digi image from Chris, whose fabulous digi stamps can be found here.

I am entering the card into two Challenges: -

Flutterby Wednesdays  and the Copic Colour Challenge.

The image is coloured with Copics which are as near as possible to the required colours, (I used G000 - Pale Green, B12 - Ice Blue and RV13 - Tender Pink plus one or two darker shades to add depth) then added a sprinkling of Glamour Dust here and there. The coloured card is Bazzill and the layers have been stitched with 6 ribbon "kisses". The paper Rose is from Joanna Sheen - it was white and I dipped it into Shimmerz then sprinkled it with Glamour dust!! The small Love stamp is an old one from HOTP.

Keep warm - Love and hugs, Sylvia xxxxxx