Another Karen Pimblett card

Here is another card designed by Karen Pimblett.  The card kit can be bought and downloaded from

UK :  http://www.papercreator.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=248
or
USA:  http://papercraftkits.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=264&zenid=c926dc32985c855c56124e6d0391f2ed


and can be found in the Crafty Gals Exclusives section.

This card is called Strawberry Cirlce Trifold card.

Hope you like this card and thankyou for visiting my blog.

Catherine x

Cupcake Slimline Easel Card

Tonight I want to share a card that was designed by Karen Pimblett. It is a slimline easel card and is available to buy as a card kit from Papercreator

The UK Site:

http://www.papercreator.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=248

or the USA Site:

http://papercraftkits.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=264&zenid=c926dc32985c855c56124e6d0391f2ed

The kits can be found in the "Crafty Gals Exclusives"  section, and there are five designs on the English site and nine on the USA site, all available to download.  Karen gets paid for each of her kits that are sold.

Karen is suffering from a degenerative condition of the spine and is in constant pain.  Having waited for a year to see a hospital consultant Karen has now been told that his waiting list has been cancelled due to his long term sick leave.  She is now desperately trying to raise the money to fund a private consultation, even to the point of selling off her crafting items. To read Karen's full story please visit Wendy's Crafting Times at  

 http://wendyscraftingtimes.blogspot.com/2011/08/help-for-krafty-karen.html

 So please go and have a look at Karen's kits and hep her to raise the money she needs.  I downloaded five of them for myself but have only had time to make this one today (whilst cooking dinner!)

This was a quick and easy card to make as all the measuring and sizing had already been done by Karen.  All I needed was some card, paper and sticky stuff.  I added a touch of glitter and a daisy to finish the card.  And it even comes with a matching envelope.

Thank you for calling in.

Catherine x

Colouring with watercolour. My first attempt.

Evening everyone.  Today I didn't manage to make any cards but did manage some playtime this afternoon.  One of the things on my wish list is to learn to colour using watercolour and whilst watching Leann Chivers demonstrate Whispers brush markers one day last week, a tiny little bell rang at the back of my mind!  Sure enough I had a basic pack of them hidden at the bottom of one of my drawers - they were an impulse buy some time ago and apart from trying to ink up stamps with them - and making a lovely mess - they hadn't seen the light of day since.  So this afternoon I sat down with them and a waterbrush and had my first real attempt to colour in watercolour.

Ok so what I need to tell you all now is that, unless it is six inches wide and covered in emulsion paint, I have not had much practise with a paintbrush.  From left to right first, second and third go.

First one, "Sorry Shanna" from Stamping Bella

I think she must be wearing a cheap dress because the dye has stained her arm!  I surprised myself here because there was no pale colour in the basics set of Whispers so had to work out how to get a skin colour, which I did at first attempt (there may be some hope for me yet!).  I definitely don't like her hair here.

Second one

Again I think she is wearing a dress made from cheap material because the dye has stained her arms again!  I like the hair better in this one.  Actually she reminds me of a young lady I used to look after when she was a toddler so I think I will calle her Suzi!

Third one - I decided to try a different image so here is "Birthday Girl" from Crafters Companion.

As well as switching image I also chose different colours.  She is obviously wearing a good quality dress too because the dye hasn't stained her person!!  I did have a problem with the paint "bleeding" out near the tail of her sash, but I was using watercolour paper from a pad I had hanging around so wonder if that was the problem, or am I just too heavy handed with the water?  I do have some watercolour card in my stash but didn't want to use it until I had had more practise using a paintbrush and seeing how the watercolour actually works in respect of shading etc.  I have often watched others doing it but doing it myself isn't so easy.

If anyone would care to offer advice I would be most grateful.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Catherine x

Popcorn the Bear

I didn't get to post anything yesterday at all, but I have stuck to my vow and still managed some time to play.  I spent a couple of hours trying to make the rolly-up roses - found them very fiddly and didn't really like the results.  Think I need to keep on practising.

Going through one of my drawers I found three sheets of Popcorn that I had printed off but never did anything with so I did a bit of cutting out last night and today made another Popcorn card.  I printed off some backing paper from the Popcorn cd by Crafters Companion onto a sheet of Joanna Sheen's gentle gloss paper and when I had done the card I had a small piece left - and plenty of Popcorn toppers - so just had to make another small card so as not to waste it!

This card is 15cm square and made from Centura Pearl.  I decided I wanted to make a very simple, straightforward card so layered the backing paper onto the base card and then another square of Centura Pearl onto that.  I embossed the top layer of Centura Pearl using a Cuttlebug border embossing folder down both edges  and then decoupaged Popcorn on top.  Very quick and easy to make.

This little card is approx 5 inches square and made from Centura Pearl card.   I embossed the scalloped square but on reflection think that if I was to make this card again I would use the daisy embossing folder rather than the swirls and birds.  I used the remnant of backing paper from the previous card to form a band across the centre of the card and added some yellow ribbon.  The Popcorn topper is one layer.  Again a very simple, easy card to make.

I still have plenty of Popcorn toppers left - but they are all Popcorn with sunflowers - it is my favourite image of Popcorn but think I will put them away again for another little while.  I was actually looking for the Lavender Fairy from the Flower Fairies cd by Crafters Companion because I know I have some printed off ready to go - will have to keep looking as I have obviously put them somewhere safe....!

Thank you for calling in.

Catherine x

The Snowman again

Evening everyone.  Today I made another Christmas card using a decoupaged image from The Snowman cd by Crafters Companion.  The base card is made from white Centura Pearl  card and I embossed lines around the edges using my Hougie Board to form borders.  I decided I wanted to get my hands dirty this time so used a Creative Expressions mask - the snowflake one - and blended Tim Holtz distress inks - broken china and faded jeans - over it and then cut around the edges (not great at cutting - I am scissorley challenged as Leann Chivers would say!)  Then I added my decoupaged Snowman, some bling, a ribbon and a sentiment.  It was a quick and easy card to make.

The colours don't really show up too well in this photograph as it was taken in artificial light and I usually try to take them in natural daylight.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Catherine x

The Snowman

Today I made two Christmas cards using images from The Snowman cd by Crafters Companion.  I printed them and cut out the decoupage a couple of weeks ago but got sidetracked stamping and colouring so this morning I decided to make a concentrated effort to make at least two Snowman cards.  I have made both cards using the same image, but two different cards.  Usually once I get myself a "formula" I tend to repeat it each time I use the same image but as it's only August and I am not in a panic about making Christmas cards ......

Both cards are A5 in size and both base cards are made from Centura Pearl.  Here is the first one

The backing paper for this card is printed onto Centura Pearl paper and the frame for the main image was cut using a "Go Kreate" die - the die is actually for making a shaped card so does not completely cut along one edge.  This gave me the idea of cutting that edge off straight and then cutting an additional piece which butts rights up to it and acts as the stopper.  I inked lightly around the edge of both pieces with Tim Holtz distress ink in broken china.

The second card is landscape orientation but instead of making a tent fold card, this one is a side fold card, which I much prefer.  Here it is

On this card I have also used coredinations card to frame the main image and coredinations whitewash for the embossed panel.  I used the Spellbinders impressability snowflakes for this, but debossed it so that when I sanded it back the snowflakes remain in white.  The "poinsettas" and central panel are made from Spellbinders dies.

And of course no snowy card would be complete without a sprinkling of Spray and Sparkle iridescent.

Hope you like my new cards.  Thank you for calling in.

Catherine x

Popcorn Card

Good evening everyone.  I managed to spend some time "playing" today and made a start on another Christmas card this morning.  Playtime first and everything else after lunch was the plan.  Then I had an unexpected, but nevertheless very welcome, visitor arrive and so playtime came to an abrupt halt.  I didn't mind though, because I love having visitors.  And I had managed some playtime first!

So what to share tonight?  Well I decided I would share a Popcorn card I made for my neice's birthday a couple of years ago (the same neice whose 18th birthday card I showed you recently.)

I had some card blanks that were specifically for the "Flippin Men" decoupage and as the Popcorn image on the cd from Crafters Companion also had the same image as a rear view I decided to use them as though they were "flippin" images.   The images were mounted onto patterned white vellum and decoupaged.  The sunflower was made from a Spellbinders die and the card was coloured with inks (my first attempt at colouring with inks).  The insert was also printed from the cd.

Here it is - two photographs stiched together to show both the outside front and the inside of the card.

As I recall the two images of Popcorn front and back views didn't line up exactly, which is why I chose to use the vellum in the aperture, rather than acetate.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Catherine x

60th Birthday Card

Well today has been a craft-free day.  Not really through choice but houswork was calling to me.  I am usually very good at ignoring the call but felt I really had to do something!  I did manage to incorporate tidying my craft room though!  Of course, when I say craft room, it's actually only half a room really because it is our guest bedroom so my craft table shares the room with a double bed settee (now if I could only find an excuse to remove the bed settee ....)  But hubby did put shelves into the wardrobe for me so that helps a bit!  By the time I had sorted out all my nesties (again) and my stamps (again) etc. etc.  the day was gone!
So tonight I thought I would share a card that I made for my cousin's 60th birthday in June.  It was the first time I had tried the coredinations card, and also my first go at making paper roses.  Someone asked for a photograph of the roses so I took this one.  Typically, I forgot to take a pic of the finished card and box, although the only addition to the card before posting was a small peel-off sentiment across the bottom of it, and the insert.

I used the Spellbinders rose border die down the side, and a cuttlebug embossing folder for the central panel.  The oval is white centura pearl card.

Thankyou for calling in.

Catherine x

First Christmas Card of 2011

Well, today I have made my first Christmas card of 2011.  I can't believe that I have actually made a Christmas card and it's only August - I am usually flying around in a panic trying to get them started in December so I think this determination to "play" every day definitely has advantages - one down, goodness only knows how many to go.

And here it is - a bright card in what my hubbie considers to be "proper" Christmas colours.

For those of you who have been following my blog, you will know that the image in one from Flowersoft's Moments in Time series.  This one is "Let it Snow".  I finished the colouring yesterday but didn't have time to update my blog.

The base card is 190mm square and I have covered the front of it with snow white centura pearl paper which I embossed with a Spellbinders snowflake impressability, although it doesn't show up too well on the photograph.  I have used Stardream red card and paper, and the holly paper is from Crafter's Companion Vintage Xmas cd, with a light sprinkling of iridescent spray and sparkle on it (which doesn't show up well on the photograph either.)  I used a Christmas words embossing folder on the two red squares and finished the card with a poinsetta and some card candy.

So now that I have started on them I have no excuse this year for running round like a headless chicken in December!  Instead I will be running round like a headless chicken trying to make the inserts for them all, once I decide which ones go to who!!!

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Catherine xx

Colouring in red and monochrome revisited

Another busy day today.  We decided to take Paddy with us when we went out in the car this morning.  He doesn't like going in the car at all so we thought it was about time he had more practise at it.  He didn't do too badly and sat in the back with me - bribing him with doggies treats to sit still.  He still wasn't comfortable with it though and couldn't wait to get out again.  He'll get used to it in time I hope.

I did manage to do a little colouring practise today.  I have heard that red is a difficult colour to use so decided to find out for myself.  Here is my first go at red.

"Proper" Christmas colours according to my hubby!

I decided to continue with my monochrome colouring too.  Here is a picture of how I left it a few days ago

I added some darker shading to this one and here is the result

Then I started again. deciding that this time the top should be darker.  Here it is

I just can't decide which one of them looks the best.  Any comments or tips would be welcome as always.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Catherine xx

No time to play much today!

Evening everyone.  Today I haven't had very much time to play at all.  I have finally had a (long overdue) hair cut and did some shopping in town.  I did have a little bit of practise at my colouring this evening but find it difficult to work once the natural light has gone, even with such wonderful inventions as daylight lamps.  So I have put it away for now in the hope I will get some time to do more tomorrow.

Instead this evening I will share a card I made for my counsin's 65th birthday in July.  As usual I dithered about what to do so the card kind of evolved, with me doing things last that should have been done first!

This card was made from Centura Pearl snow white card.  The roses are die cut shapes from Crafting UK (paper flower expert) which I made up and then mounted  onto a scalloped oval of Centura Pearl snow white card which I had embossed using a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  I rubbed a Tim Holtz distress ink stamp pad (Victorian Velvet) over the inside of the folder before embossing, which gave it a mottled pink effect.  At this point I decided to stamp the steppers using my small leafy swirl stamp from Clarity Stamp (see what I mean about doing things back to front!)  Then I stamped around the edge of the roses panels with the corner Happy Birthday stamp from Clarity Stamp, which of course would have been much easier had I done that first!  Spot the deliberate mistake?  I forgot to mask off the corner of the stamp and so it appears in the centre both top and bottom.  To finish the card I embossed a Spellbinders rose motif and mounted it onto nestie circles, coloured some number peel-offs and some bling with my ProMarkers to match and added them to the card.  I then made a box for it, stamping the lid with the small leafy swirl stamp to match the card.  I was a bit worried about stamping onto Centura Pearl but the result was fine for what I was doing.

Birthday Girl

So far, so good - I have managed to "play" every day this week.  But I think my playtime is going to be severely curtailed for the next couple of days because they are Tom's days off - I shall have to pretend to be a good housewife instead!   To give him his due though, he never complains!

This morning I finished colouring "Birthday Girl" from the Humphrey set of rubber stamps from Crafters Companion.  I have never coloured an elephant before, though to be honest I have never seen an elephant wearing a hat, dress and shoes before either!! 

This is what she looked like this morning before I took up my trusty Promakers again.

Once I had done some more colouring and was reasonably happy with it I decided to make a card straight away.  I think there is probably room for improvement so will keep practising.

The card is approx 15cm square and the base card is Centura Pearl cardstock.  The sunflower coloured card is Coredinations card and the blue card is also Coredinations Card, whitewash, from Crafters Companion. I embossed a piece of the blue card using a plastic sencil and then sanded it back to reveal the blue core.  Next I gave it a blast of Spray and Sparkle, iridescent, from Crafters Companion (must remember to order some more, I just about had enough).  Unfortunately the sparke doesn't really show on the photograph.  Then I decided to try something I have never done before, which was to use a nestie to cut out the image, but leave parts of the image outside the nestie shape.  I have seen Sue Wilson do this a couple of times on Create and Craft and wasn't sure whether or not it would work, but as you will be able to see I managed it without cutting birthday girl's head off altogether!  The papers, which don't show up particularly well on this photograph are from the Garden Delights cd from Cupcake Crafting.  I only had a pale lemon ribbon so coloured it with my Promarkers to match the yellows used in the image, punched out some little flowers from Centura Pearl paper, added some roses and a bit of bling and card finished.  There is no insert as yet because, as always, I make my inserts personal to the recipient, so that will be done as and when needed.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at my latest creation and thank you for stopping by.

Catherine xx

Finished Card "Sorry Shanna"

Well today was another wet day here and Paddy and I managed to escape the rain on our morning walkies.  Unfortunately we copped it on our afternoon expedition and had to shelter under a conveniently placed tree - twice!  Of course Pads found the smells outside the shelter of the tree far more interesting than those around the tree so he still got soaked!

Today I made my  first card using a cute image I had coloured myself with Promarkers - there is a first time for everything.  I still think I need a lot more practise though but felt my efforts were reasonable enough to warrant a card to celebrate!

The little flower on the top right is actually a crocheted brooch - a freebie from Craft North East (http://www.craftnortheast.co.uk ) - but I have stitched it to a piece of card and then stuck the card down so the brooch can be removed if desired.

I haven't actually done anything inside this card as yet because I always personalise my card inserts and at the moment I don't have a home in mind for it!!  Must try and remember to take a piccie of the inside when I do it.

That's it for this evening.  Thank you for following my blog.

Catherine xx

More practise and a card involving parchmentcraft

Today I finally got to finish the "Sorry Shanna" colouring.  It is the first time I have properly coloured a stamped image and for those of you who have been following my progress you will know that it has taken me the best part of a week to do!  I have had to practice shading of hair, face, boots and clothes so quite a learning curve.  But I am sure that there is room for improvement so will continue to practise, using different images.

Here is the finished result

Today an image, tomorrow a card!

The card I am going to share this evening is a birthday card I made for a friend whose birthday was in July.  It consists of an oval parchmentcraft panel mounted onto a larger oval of blue pearlised card and then a larger white scalloped oval.  I used blue distress ink on the white oval to shade it.  The square backing panel is yellow card stamped with Clarity Stamp small leafy swirl and then heat embossed with gilded ivory embossing powder from Joanna Sheen.  The photograph doesn't really do it justice because the embossed swirls look quite white, which they weren't in reality.  A bit of bling (to conceal the glue under the oval parchment), sentiment, yellow roses and ribbon completed the card.  All the ovals were cut using Spellbinders nesties.  And here it is

So I shall wish you all a goodnight and thankyou for stopping by.

Catherine xx

Wedding Card and Daisy Card

I managed to find some time to "play" today as Tom was at work.  I have finished the birthday card I started yesterday but the photo of that one will have to wait for now!   I did hope to make a start on some Christmas cards - I printed and cut out various backing papers and toppers from my The Snowman cd from Crafters Companion last week so thought it was about time to do something with them.  I only got as far as using some sparkle on a couple of toppers before my dear husband came home from work - he was owed some time and decided to take it back today.  So that ended my playtime.

Now, what to share this evening?  Well, I thought you might like to see a wedding card I made recently for my god-daughter.  Sadly I was unable to go to the wedding as it was in Ibiza - but I was there in spirit.

This is another 8x8 card, designed on Serif's Craft Artist Professional.  All of the elements from this card, apart from the lace border on the left, were from  Daisy Trail digikits.  I merged the champagne glasses and wedding cake into the background and then printed the backing paper onto Crafters Companion satin finish paper, which prints beautifully.  I printed the bride and groom as separate elements onto supersmooth decoupage paper from Crafting UK.  That also prints beautifully, but is slightly heavier than the satin finish.  However, I learned to my cost that using silicone gel or Pinflair gel with this paper is not a good idea - it soaks straight through the paper and shows on the front.  So I had to start again with the bride and groom and use foam pads instead.  A bit of glitter, flower soft on the bouquet, a lace paper border and some ribbon completed the card.  And of course it had to have a box, which I made with Centura Pearl in ivory, to match the base card.

The second card I am going to share tonight was made using the Sheena Douglass Paint Fusion daisy stamps.  I bought this set when it launched on Create and Craft because I love daisies but the paint  is still on my wish list!


This is also quite a large card (190mmx190mm to be precise!).  I cut a square aperture into the base card and then stamped the daisies onto acetate.  I used gilding flakes and gold glitter on the stamped images and then backed it with black glitter paper.  I wanted the card to look very clean and unfussy so added nothing further to it.

As I haven't had any Promarker shading and colouring practise over the weekend I am hoping that I will manage to get some time tomorrow afternoon to complete "Sorry Shanna".  Watch this space!

Thank you for stopping by.

Catherine xx

18th Birthday Card

I haven't had time to do any practising of my colouring today so "Sorry Shanna" isn't finished as yet.  I have spent some time on birthday cards for family but for obvious reasons I can't upload any photographs of them as yet.  Instead I thought I would share a card I made for my neice's recent 18th birthday.

This is an 8x8 card, which I designed using Serif Craft Artist Professional.  I printed off all the backing paper and elements separately and then stuck them onto a blank card base.  The Forever Friends bears are from my Docrafts Forever Friends Gold Collection cd but the rest of the elements and backing paper are from Daisy Trail digikits (but don't ask me which ones because I can't remember!!)

 I used the same backing paper inside the card, but don't have a photograph of it.

Thank you for looking.

Catherine xx

More colouring practise

I spent most of the afternoon today practising my colouring again.  I wasn't happy with the dress I coloured yesterday on the "Sorry Shanna" stamp so decided to perservere and try it again today.  I also decided to have a go at the skin and hair.  Here is what I have done so far:

I haven't even attempted the boots yet - all this practising takes time - but I am determined to crack it eventually.  I will really know I can colour properly when I am able to do flowers!

Thanks for calling in.

Catherine xx

Practise at monochrome colouring

Well what a wet, miserable day it's been today.  Paddy and I both got soaked when we were out for our usual two walkies today - he was a very soggy doggy!  So once I had dried him off I decided it was just the sort of day to sit and do some more colouring practise. 


I used a stamp I have had in my stash since last year - "Let it Snow" from the Moments in Time set by Flowersoft.  I looked at the monochrome tutorial on the Passion for Promarkers website first and chose the same colours they had used, apart from the darkest colour as I don't have Umber.  Instead I used the darkest brown I have, which is henna.  It took me a long time to do and here is the result:

Once I had done this one I was on a roll so thought I would practise doing a dress and stockings.  I used "Sorry Shanna" from Stamping Bella for this.  I think the stockings look ok but am not so sure about the dress.  I think I will have to try the dress again - and keep trying until I get it right.  So here is the finished result:

The face, hair and boots are for another day!

Thank you for stopping by.

Catherine xx

Yay - I did it! Here is today's colouring

Hello Friends

Well, here I am making my very first post on my very first blog. Who would have thought that I would have a blog!

I have been making quite a few cards in the last week or two, mainly from cds but have decided I need to get to grips with rubber stamping and colouring.  So yesterday I took out all the stamps I have gathered over the years - the ones that I haven't really used because they needed to be coloured in - and stamped about six A4 pages with a mix of images.  This afternoon I sat down with my Promarkers and had a go at colouring some of the images and if  I can work out how to do it I will post the pictures.

I think that is about all for my first post!