Celebrating my Top 10 in 2010

One of the blogs I follow (Jen's Ink Spot) is showcasing her top 10 cards from her blog in 2010 and I then discovered that quite a few other crafty bloggers were doing something similar.  I thought this sounded like fun and so I decided to play along too.  As I don't have as many entries on my blog compared to other card makers, my choice was not as difficult as it was for some!  So there's a resolution for 2011 - to blog more than in 2010!

Under each card please click on the title to take you to the original post.

Three of Kind (aka Which Version Do You Prefer?)

Happy Mother's Day 

Inspiration

A quick card. I love this colour combo - one of my favs this year!

Butterfly Birthday Wishes 

Kristina Werener Challenge - another of my favourite colour combos this year!

Tote-ally Cute!  Just love the matching tote I made (please see the original post for that) and yep it's that colour combo again (told you it was a favourite!)

Bird Challenge Card (terrible photo - another resolution for 2011: improve the quality of photos on my blog!)

Forever Friends

Noel - PTI September Blog Hop and Embellish Magazine & A Passion for Papertrey Challenges

I am particularly pleased with this card as it was picked as a Top 3 Passionista for the A Passion for Papertrey "Hip to be Square" Challenge - this was the first time one of my cards had been picked from a challenge that I had entered!

Fred P Bear (aka Happy Christmas!).  Let it snow was certainly appropriate as even we had snow (where I live in the UK we usually manage to avoid the snow but unfortunately not this time!) 

Thanks for having a look and why not visit some other crafty blogs who took part in a 2010 round up blog hop (my blog entry was too late for this - typical!).

A la prochaine! Bonne Année!

Nicole

Happy Christmas!

Ok so it's a little early to wish you a Happy Christmas, but seeing as I have been MIA from blog land for a while, I can't guarantee whether I'll be able to manage another post before the 25th.

I have been busy making cards for a craft fair as well as for my annual Christmas Open House.  This is where I invite friends, neighbours and colleagues into my home one afternoon with the lure of free mulled wine and mince pies and then I won't let them leave unless they buy at least one card they have the opportunity to purchase some handmade cards and papercraft gifts if they wish, with proceeds going to my favourite charity The Eve Appeal.  For the first time I held it on a Sunday afternoon and I think I had the best turn out ever!

I thought I would showcase one of my favourite cards and because I have used a few PTI products this means it should qualify as an entry for the latest A Passion for Papertrey Challenge.

First I took some PTI Aqua Mist cardstock which I cut and then folded to make a standard sized card.  I then stamped the snow globe image and using a craft knife cut out the inside (this was the trickiest part for me as I'm not a fan of craft knives!). 

I then stamped the polar bear image onto PTI Stamper's Select White cardstock and coloured in his scarf and used a Copic Ciao to make the image pop.  Next I punched the image out with a large circle punch and adhered this to the inside of the card making sure it lined up with the snow globe aperture.

Using white opaque Stazon I stamped the snowflake image onto PTI Clearly Creative cardstock.  When the image was dry I cut it out and stuck it to the inside of the front of the card to fill in the snow globe aperture.  Finally I used some Stickles glue to accent the snowflakes on the acetate and on the greeting (by the way I forgot to mention that I stamped this after stamped the snow globe).

Recipe
Cardstock/Paper: PTI Aqua Mist, PTI Stamper's Select White cardstock, PTI Clearly Creative cardstock
Stamps: Memory Box Fred P Bear (C1409), Memory Box Plain Snowglobe (D1407), Memory Box Snowflake Ball (D933), Printworks Let It Snow! (B2788)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stazon Opaque Cotton White
Tools/Accessories: Tombow 847, Copic Ciao B60, Atyou Spica Clear glitter pen, Stickles Stardust, SU 1¾" circle punch

What do you think?  I must say I think the polar bear is super cute - Memory Box have even given him a name: Fred!

A la prochaine! Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!

Nicole x

Cased Christmas Card

Just a quick post to show the card I have made for the latest A Passion for Papertrey Challenge which is to CASE one of the fabulous PTI Design Team ladies!

It was quite a hard choice as they all come up with some fab inspirational designs.  However, in the end I based my card on this recent card by Maile Belles which I simply adored!  I decided to put a Christmas spin on my version of it!

Recipe
Cardstock/Paper: PTI Enchanted Evening, PTI Spring Rain
Stamps: PTI Fillable Frames No 4, PTI Peace Be Still
Ink: PTI Enchanted Evening, Encore Silver
Tools/Accessories: PTI Fillable Frames No 4 Die, PTI Enchanted Evening Grosgrain Ribbon, Blue & silver ribbon from stash, clear gemstones from stash

A la prochaine! Amitiés!

Nicole

Apple Day

It was a gorgeous sunny October afternoon here on Sunday and I went to Apple Day at nearby Bromham Mill.  So what is Apple Day I hear you ask?  It is an annual celebration of the British apple and events take place up and down the country each year in mid-October.  My local event is held in the grounds of a late 18th/early 19th century restored flour mill.

The aim is to taste, eat, drink, try and buy apples in one form or another!  So amongst other things you could buy apple juice, drink real cider & perry (I had ½ pint of the deliciously named "Double Vision" which was dangerously quaffable at 7.4%!), and eat the truly unique Bedfordshire Clanger - this was originally the food of farm labourers and is a suet crust dumpling filled with meat at one end and apple at the other.  It is made by a local bakery and there are always huge queues on Apple Day to wait for the hot, freshly baked deliveries to arrive!

It is really an event for all ages and there were loads of activities: ferret racing, Morris dancers, sheep dog display (with geese instead of sheep and children instead of pens!), circus skills workshop, apple bobbing and an owl display!  I forgot to take my camera, so only had my phone and as the battery was low I only managed to take a couple of photos of the Morris dancers (so apologies for the poor quality but this was the best one)!

Apple Day did inspire me to make an autumnal card ... albeit with a difference as its not really in the usual autumn colours but I have given thanks! With this card I had a go at Heather Nichol's letterpress technique with PTI impression plates for the first time.  It should have been for the A Passion for Papertrey Autumnal Challenge, but by the time I completed the card and photographed it, it was too late.

Receipe
Cardstock/Paper: PTI Kraft, PTI Dotti Biscotti, PTI New Leaf, SU Whisper White
Stamps: PTI Just For You, PTI Take Note, WMS Framed (sentiment)
Ink: PTI New Leaf, PTI Fresh Snow, Brilliance Pearlescent Poppy
Tools/Accessories: SU Whisper White Satin Ribbon, SU Modern Label Punch, SU Circle Punch, SU Stampin Dimensionals, PTI In Bloom Impression Plate, PTI Mat Stack 3 

A la prochaine!  Amitiés
 
Nicole

Papertrey September Blog Hop Challenge

This is the first time I have participated in PTI's blog hop challenge.  The task set by Nichole was:

"One of the most fun things about this hobby is the people you meet, whether in person or online, and the things you learn from them.  Now is your chance to show off any skills you might have learned from a fellow stamper, and perhaps even give them a little shout out to thank them for the inspiration they have provided.  Create a project using one of your favorite learned skills and perhaps after a little blog hopping, we will ALL learn some new tips and tricks and continue to pass on the love of this hobby!"

Well I found this quite hard!  The reason I say it was hard is that there are loads of people I can think of that I have learned from - so to pick one is really difficult and unfair on all the others!  It also made me think about how I found out about PTI.  This finished card was totally not what I planned to make at the start of the process, but as so often happens it evolved as I was making it.  It does, however, reflect various elements/tips/techniques that I have picked up along the way!

Recipe
Stamps: PTI Background Basics: Retro, Hero Arts Bird Branch Alphabet
Cardstock/Paper: PTI Smokey Shadow, SU Whisper White
Ink: Versafine Black, Versamark
Tools/Accessories: PTI Harvest Gold satin ribbon, White filigree embossing powder, Clear embossing powder, Tattered Angels Glimmer Chips Frosty Memories, Self-adhesive gems from stash, black 3D foam pads (shock horror not SU Stampin Dimensionals - only cos they don't do them in black!)

As this is a square card I thought I would also enter it into A Passion for Papertrey's challenge: Hip to be Square. Additionally, it also meets the requirements of Embellish Magazine's latest colour and stamped background challenge. So this is a first for me - a card that fits 3 challenges!

And who are all those people that have inspired this card? 

• Dawn Bibby, QVC UK: It's her fault (LOL!) that I got into paper crafting at all!
• Susie Candlin's workshops at Coleman's Craft Warehouse: Don't use black embossing powder but stamp in black ink & use clear embossing powder (you avoid getting nasty unwanted black specks on your card)
• Michelle Last: Getting a blog; Taking part in challenges
• Kristina Werner: Colour Combos & Challenges; How to secure ribbon to a card by making a slit on the spine of the card; How to get good clear images from clear acrylic stamps by using Versamark before adding the ink you wish to stamp with
• Dawn McVey: Colour Combos; How to tie bows/knots in ribbon; How to create stamped backgrounds with PTI stamps
• Nichole Heady: PTI products & design elements in general

Merci beaucoup to you all!

A la prochaine!  Amitiés.

Nicole

Which Version Do You Prefer?

Hi there!  Thought I would get interactive today and wondered if you could let me know which of these three versions of a similar card do you prefer?

I started off with this one (let's call this version 1 - original huh?!):

I really loved the simplicity of this but wondered whether it would be better to add a sentiment, so added this SU modern label and ended up with this revised card (let's call this version 2):

However, wasn't sure I really liked it - think I preferred the original version, but I really wanted to have a sentiment.  So decided to come up with a variation and this is what I ended up with (version 3):

Recipes
Stamps: PTI CHA Set 2010 Four of a Kind, PTI Anniversary Set Round and Round
Cardstock/Paper: PTI Aqua Mist, PTI Hawaiian Shores
Ink: PTI Simply Chartreuse, Versamark
Tools/Accessories: PTI Hawaiian Shores grosgrain ribbon, Stickles patina, SU modern label punch, SU stampin dimensionals, White filigree embossing powder, clear embossing powder

So how did I do the last card?  Well I stamped the large leaf image from the stamp set using PTI Simply Chartreuse ink onto PTI Aqua Mist cardstock.  Then using the single matching leaf image I stamped this (again using the same ink) where the fourth flower should have been.  Next I stamped the 3 flower images with Versamark and then heat embossed them with white Filigree embossing powder, adding Patina Stickles to accent the flower centres.  Using a scrap of PTI Hawaiian Shores cardstock I made a strip of card to cover the join of the stamped leaf images.  Onto this strip I then stamped my greeting in Versamark and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.  Finally I added the knotted ribbon round the card.  Et voilà!

By the way I know the colours look slightly different on the last version, but they are the same (despite my best efforts to adjust in Picassa) - just shows what a difference it makes when a photo is taken on a different day (despite being taken in the same place about the same time of day and with (seemingly) similar light conditions!).

No doubt those of you who are PTI aficionados will have spotted that I used PTI’s exclusive CHA Four of a Kind stamp set (only available to those who attended CHA in Chicago this July). Unfortunately I was not one of those lucky people (sigh) – but I did manage to acquire this set from someone who had been and had got at least 2 (and probably more!) and was kind enough to share one of her extra sets!

So which version do you prefer?  Let me know in the comments section!  I thought I liked the last version best but now I'm not so sure (whoever came up with the phrase "I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure" must have been thinking of me!).

A la prochaine! Amitiés.

Nicole

Anniversary Cards

Over the summer I have had quite a few commissions to make anniversary cards - particularly for 70th (platinum) anniversary as the shops don't seem to stock cards for this particular anniversary.  By the way they were not all for the same couple!  Apologies in advance for the quality of some of the photos but some were taken with my mobile phone as I didn't have my camera to hand.  I think the first card is my favourite (it was actually the last one I did, so probably an amalgation of all the others!).

Hopefully in this close up you can see the colours better and how I've used a Quickutz retro diamonds patterned embossing folder on the card background.

This is another card for the same couple:

This is another 70th anniversary card, but this time for a different couple.  I like the simplicity of the design, but was told it was a bit too subtle for the previous couple (whose eye sight are bad), so didn't replicate it:

And finally a 60th anniversary card:

Recipe

Stamps: PTI Anniversary Set Round & Round, PTI All Booked Up, Hero Arts Dots & Flowers

Cardstock/Paper: PTI Stamper's Select White, PTI Enchanted Evening

Ink: Encore Silver, Encore Blue, PTI Enchanted Evening

Tools/Accessories: SU Whisper White satin ribbon, Blue organza ribbon from stash, PTI Mat Stack, Cuttlebug, Quickutz Retro Diamonds Embossing Folder, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, Light blue adhesive gems from stash, Express Yourself DIY number toppers with stars

A la prochaine! Amitiés

Nicole

Quick card

I suddenly remembered this morning that I needed to send a birthday card today to one of my colleagues.  I didn't have much time as I needed to get to work but I managed to pull this card together card in just 10 minutes (this includes design time) which must be some sort of miracle for me (LOL!) - although it was made up mostly from leftover elements from other projects!

Recipe
Stamps: PTI Anniversary Set Round and Round
Cardstock/Paper: White A6 card blank from stash, PTI Stamper's Select White, PTI Green Boutique
Ink: PTI Hawaiian Shores, PTI Aqua Mist, PTI New Leaf
Tools/Accessories: Self-adhesive gems from stash, SU circle & modern label punches, PTI Mat Stack 3 die, PTI Hawaiian Shores classic grosgrain ribbon, SU Stampin Dimensionals

I started off with a die cut I had made using PTI's mat stack 3 die with one of PTI's Green Boutique paper (by the way I absolutely love this die - I bought the All Booked Up stamp set almost just because of the co-ordinating stamp!).  I had planned to use the die cut with another card but it didn't work (will show what did work in a couple of days!).  I then wanted to use an image I had stamped using PTI's latest anniversary set Round and Round (am just loving this stamp set it is SOOOOO versatile!).  The stamping had gone slightly wrong on the leaves, so I had restamped the leaves part of the image and then cut them out and mounted them with 3D foam to cover up the original mistake and give it more dimension.  Even the ribbon had been left over from another card and you know how us crafters never like to waste anything!  The only "new" bit was the "Birthday Wishes" sentiment punched out using SU's modern label punch which I acquired via a friend of a friend as this punch is not (currently) available in the UK SU catalogue.  And just time for a quick photo (apologies as it is not the best) before I was out the door to work.  Et voilà!

It made me realise that it is very useful to have some elements ready on stand-by to help out when I need to put together a quick card.

As I have used some punches and a die, I thought it qualified for the latest challenge on A Passion for Papertrey - punch it!

Whilst I am not claiming this is the best card I have ever made, I am nevertheless happy with the outcome!  Not bad for 10 minutes!  What do you think?

A la prochaine!  Amitiés!

Nicole

Too Late!

Story of my life!  Suddenly saw the Embellish Birds Colour Challenge - however, I was too late and the deadline had already passed to submit an entry!  Anyway, even though it is too late here is my card!

Recipe

Stamps: Hero Arts Birds n Butterflies, Hero Arts Bird Branch Alphabet, WMS Asian Gardens
Cardstock/Paper: SU Very Vanilla, SU Old Olive, PTI Raspberry Fizz
Ink: Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate, PTI Vintage Cream
Tools/Accessories: Cuttlebug Circle Frame die, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, SU Old Olive satin ribbon, Stickles Cinnamon

A la prochaine! Amitiés.

Nicole

Forever Friends - A Passion for Papertrey's Challenge

Just a quick (edited to add: not quite so quick in the end!) post to share my entry for A Passion for Papertrey's current challenge - Forever Friends. Typically it's a bit of a last minute entry but hopefully just in time!

I took the idea for the combination of colours and stamp set from an original post by Nichole Heady but after that went my own way and decided to use my Copics for the first time ever!  I bought them from PTI a few months ago and have been nervous about using them - I keep meaning to go on a course so I can ensure I get the best from them (probably still will at some point).  I was a bit worried about going "outside" the lines of the stamped image, but had read somewhere (apologies can't remember which blog now) that if you are nervous (yes I am - did I already mention that?!) about this to stamp and heat emboss your image - brill idea and it worked - well I think so! 

I also used for the first time the white Filigree embossing powder which I purchased from PTI recently - and I am SO impressed as it is miles better than my previous white embossing powder.  Wish I'd bought this sooner as it's ab fab!  The old one is now going straight in the bin!  I've used one of my favourite crafty stash staples - Craftwork Cards Back2Basics white 5x5 square card blank.  I love this size and use it a lot - although from looking at my blog you wouldn't think so as this is the first time I have shown a card using this!  Of course I had to finish the card off using my We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper.  I so agree with Kristina Werner, when the Corner Chomper came out I so thought I wouldn't need one as I already had some corner rounders that seemed to do the job ok - but this one is far superior and super easy to use!  I now use it on most (but not all!) my projects - and my blog does confirm this!

Anyway well done if you have read through all my ramblings above, now on to the important bit - the CARD in full!

Recipe
Stamps: PTI Flutterby Friend
Cardstock/Paper: Craftwork Cards Back2Basics white 5x5 square card blank, PTI Enchanted Evening, PTI Hawaiian Shores
Ink: Versamark, PTI Enchanted Evening
Tools/Accessories: Cuttlebug Circle Frame die, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, White Filigree detail embossing powder, Copic Sketch (PTI Enchanted Evening set)

I have designed this for a very good friend of mine and will be sending it to her shortly - I want her to know that I have appreciated her support over the years and that I can do the same for her :)

A la prochaine! Amitiés.

Nicole

Tote-ally Cute?!

EDITED TO ADD - MY FAVOURITE PTI CARD FROM 2010

I got the idea for this card layout and design from a card designed by the lovely Dawn McVey and put my own spin on it.  I really loved the colour combo in Kristina Werner's Readers' Choice Colour Inspiration No 3 (which I used in a previous post, although I must admit that this time I haven't used one of the colours - celery) - so combined both to come up with the card below.  I have given this card to my colleague for her birthday tomorrow - hopefully she won't read this post before hand.

A few days after I finished the card I was feeling particularly creative and decided to make a coordinating tote bag for the gift I have given her.

I just LOVE the results and think it is tote-ally cute (LOL!).  When I gave it to Sue yesterday (as she is now on leave) she thought the gift bag was a present in itself!  What do you think?

Recipe
Stamps: Hero Arts Dots & Flowers, PTI Anniversary Set Round & Round, PTI All Booked Up, PTI 2009 Holiday Tags Collection (for "To & From" stamp on reverse of tote gift bag label - which you can't see!) 
Cardstock/Paper: SU Very Vanilla, SU Elegant Eggplant
Ink: Encore Purple, PTI Ripe Avocado, Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate, Versamark
Tools/Accessories: Lauren Meader's Timeless Template Around Town Tote for PTI, PTI Matt Stack 3 Die, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, We R Memory Keepers Crop-a-Dile, SU circle & scallop punches, SU oval punch, SU Old Olive satin ribbon, SU Stampin Dimensionals, Lilac self-adhesive gems from stash, Lilac Stickles

A la prochaine! Amitiés.

Nicole

Butterfly Birthday Wishes

Apologies for the lack of posts - life just gets in the way sometimes!  Thought I would post a card (as this is what this blog is about) that I made about a month ago (just haven't had time to post it).  I took the basic idea for this card from one I had seen on the Paperlicious blog and put my own spin on it.

Recipe
Stamps: PTI Anniversary Set Round & Round
Cardstock/Paper: SU Whisper White, Basic Grey Wisteria 6x6 pad
Ink: PTI Plum Pudding
Tools/Accessories: We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, PTI Plum Pudding satin ribbon, SU circle punch, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, SU Stampin Dimensionals, Purple self-adhesive gems from stash

And this is the arty angle!

A la prochaine!  Amitiés.

Nicole

Race for Life 2010

Long time no speak and this is not even a card making post - apologies!

Yesterday I took part in Bedford's Race for Life (for anyone who doesn't know what this is please visit this website for details).  I normally walk the 5km distance (yes I know it's called a "race" but you are allowed to walk it too!) but decided that it wasn't much of a challenge for me anymore and as this year there was a chance to do 10km instead I decided to "upgrade"!

I completed the course in 1hr 36mins, which I thought was pretty good going as that averages less than 10mins per 1km (remember I was walking!). I even ran the last 100metres from the corner of Bushmead Avenue to the finish line opposite Russell Park (my Mum was at the finish line to witness this in case you don't believe me - LOL!). I met up with a lovely lady Georgie at the start and we decided to walk round together. We had hoped to do it in 1hr 30mins, and at 5km we were on target but by 7km I knew I couldn't quite keep up the pace. I told Georgie to go ahead without me as I knew she could do it but she was determined that as we started together we should finish together and I'm sure if it wasn't for trying to keep up with her, it would have taken me a bit longer! So thanks Georgie! Here is a picture of us just after we finished - doesn't Georgie (on the left) look like she could go round again?

As always reading the captions on people's backs was very moving as was a talk from a woman before the start about her young son and his fight with cancer - I don't think there was a dry eye amongst the 4,000 plus participants!

If anyone wants to donate my online sponsorship page is open until 12 September 2010.

A la prochaine!  Amitiés.

Nicole

Kristina Werner's Readers' Choice Colour Inspiration No 3

Gosh, I am spoiling you - my 3rd post in less than a week! Unlikely that I can promise to keep this up though!

I decided to do a variation on the card in my previous post, take part in the current colour inpsiration challenge on Kristina Werner's blog and also use my first PTI anniversary set for the first time (just shows I have spent far too much money on PTI products in the last 12 months!) all at the same time.  Enjoy!

Recipe
Stamps: Hero Arts Raindrop Background, PTI Round & Round (2009 anniversary set)
Cardstock/Paper: SU Elegant Eggplant, SU Very Vanilla, SU Certainly Celery
Ink: PTI Vintage Cream, PTI Ripe Avocado, Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate
Tools/Accessories: PTI  Mat Stack 1 die, SU circle punch, SU Old Olive satin ribbon, lilac self-adhesive gems from stash, SU stampin dimensionals

And here are some close-ups.

Also just to let you know I will be having a stall at Bedford's REC Midsummer Fayre on Saturday 26 June, 2 pm to 4 pm.  Let's hope the English weather is good that day!  Hope to see you there! (Now I had better get making some more cards as my stock is a bit low...)

A la prochaine!  Amitiés.

Nicole

Rich Razzleberry

Bonjour!  Just a quick post to show a card I cased from Emma's Devotion to the Dream blog which I stumbled across on one of my recent web surfing sessions.  My take on the card has been done using the new SU products which I got from my lovely SU demonstrator Michelle Last.  I just LOVE the Rich Razzleberry colour - I am so pleased we have it in the UK now as I have been coveting it since it came out in the US towards the end of last year!

Recipe
Stamp: SU Sincere Salutations, Hero Arts Raindrop Background
Cardstock/Paper: SU Rich Razzleberry, SU Cottage Wall
Ink: PTI Fresh Snow
Tools/Accessories: SU scallop circle punch, SU Old Olive satin ribbon, Adhesive gems from Hobby House, SU stampin dimensionals

A la prochaine!  Amitiés.

Nicole

Inspiration

I was reading the latest post by Susan Raihala on her blog Simplicity about when you see a card that you love in a magazine or on a blog, it isn't necessary to do everything the same, but to improvise and play around with what you have.  So I thought I would showcase a card I made that was inspired from a card featured in the March 2010 UK edition of Cards.  The original card was by Ann Cox ... and here is my version.

Card Recipe
Stamp: SU Sincere Salutations
Cardstock/Paper: SU Certainly Celery, SU Whisper White, Basic Grey Eva collection
Ink: SU Certainly Celery
Tools/Accessories: Circle punch, Martha Stewart 3 in 1 butterfly punch, Martha Stewart royal butterfly punch, SU scallop edge punch, SU certainly celery ribbon, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, epoxy dome sticker

A la prochaine!  Amitiés.

Nicole

Kristina Werner's Readers' Choice Colour Inspiration No 2

 

Happy Bank Holiday!  Hope you have enjoyed your day despite the cooler weather.  I was up early to go to a car boot sale with my Mum; we managed to get rid of quite a few "unloved" items - books, jewellery, kitchenware, etc - as well as selling some of my unused crafty stash.  The car boot is hosted by the church near my Mum's house and they only hold it on Bank Holidays.  It is quite small but the people are friendly and I usually end up seeing some friends there.  In the church hall they have refreshments, so once we have set up our stall we treat ourselves to a bacon butty each for getting up so early on a bank holiday Monday!  Then later on we have a piece of homemade cake.  No wonder we don't make as much money as we would like - we keep spending (or should that be eating?) the profits LOL!!

This is my card for the colour challenge that is on at Kristina Werner's blog - just about managed to get it in on time!

I knew from the moment I saw the paper in my Basic Grey Wisteria paper pad that I wanted to use that for this challenge, the hardest part was getting a bit of celery green into the card but I finally managed it with the brad - it is green honest!

Card Recipe
Stamp: SU Sincere Salutations
Cardstock/Paper: SU Bordering Blue, SU Whisper White, Basic Grey Wisteria, yellow card from stash (it's actually recycled from Liz Earle packaging)
Ink: PTI Enchanted Evening
Tools/Accessories: Corner Chomper, Martha Stewart punch, Carl daisy punch, SU scallop edge punch, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, PTI Enchanted Evening Ribbon, Papermania green pearl brad, Stickles yellow

A la prochaine!

Amitiés

Nicole

AWOL and SU Bird Punch

Bonjour (although ¡Hola! might be more appropriate)!

I guess you thought I must have been missing in action! Well I suppose I have been in a way. It has been manic at work with all the interviews for the job I mentioned in my last post plus I have been on holiday to Port de Pollença in Northern Mallorca at my favourite hotel for a week with my Mum. It was totally relaxing - until I got back to work (LOL)! Here is a view from our hotel balcony at 8am one morning.

Just looking at this view soothes me! The staff at the hotel are so friendly and helpful - particularly on Reception where Francisco (the Head of the team) makes me practice my Spanish and Emilio jokes with the guests. I have been going to this hotel nearly every year since 2003 - this is from someone who could never understand how some people keep going to the same place year after year! I must confess I do still like to go somewhere new each year, but I just have to go back here once a year to get my "fix" (oh and of course not forgetting my annual Christmas shopping trip to Paris!!)

Anyway, on to a card as this is what this blog is supposed to be about. This is a variation on a theme that I pulled together from ideas taken from other blogs. This card features the fabulous Stampin Up two step bird punch which has been released in the UK Stampin Up Occasions mini catalogue.

Card Recipe

Stamp: Penny Black Happy Birthday

Cardstock/Paper: PTI Kraft, SU Designer Series Sweet Pea

Ink: Brilliance Chocolate

Tools/Accessories: SU Circle Punch, SU Scallop Circle Punch, SU 2 Step Bird Punch, SU Sweet Pea Felt, Ribbon from stash, Stickles, SU Dimensionals

Hope you have been enjoying the recent fabulous weather here in the UK - even better than it was in Mallorca some days!

Amitiés (or perhaps I should "saludos" in line with the slightly Spanish theme of this post?!)

Nicole

Easter Cards

Well I had planned to get this post up in time for the A Passion for Papertrey Easter/Spring Challenge, but it ended up way too late! Just got too much going on at work at the mo! Had 216 applications for a job we advertised - good news I guess from an employer's point of view about a recession plus we don't advertise this job very often and when we do we always get a HUGE response! These applications all have to be double marked so in effect that means 432 applications (well working in the public sector we are so pro-social (if you know what that means you will know which part of the public sector I work in - LOL!)). Anyway (one of my "favourite" words), shown below are some of my cards I made for Easter which I sold at work, together with the easter gifts I made for my family (except the men!).






Card Recipe
Stamps: Penny Black Happy Easter, PTI Take Note
Cardstock: SU Whisper White, PTI Kraft, PTI Summer Sunrise, PTI Spring Moss, PTI Ripe Avocado , PTI Egg Hunt, PTI Bitty Dot Basics, PTI Pretty Pastels
Ink: PTI Ripe Avocado, SU So Saffron
Tools/Accessories: Cuttlebug Circle Die, SU Oval Punch, SU Scallop Border Punch, SU Circle Scallop Punch, Prima Flowers, PTI Spring Moss Ribbon, PTI So Saffron Ribbon, PTI buttons, PTI My Timeless Template Pretty Petal Pocket, Signo White Gel Pen, PTI Large Glassine Bag

Amitiés

Nicole