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