A PRETTY OUTLOOK!!! - THE NEXT LEVEL CHALLENGE 1

Well what a manic week it has been getting ready for the big Lauch of The Next Level, I just about managed to get a card in!!!!!!!!! Dawn and I had no choice this week as the Design Team do not join us until next week - so after a break of nearly 2weeks I put my creativity hat on again.

The theme for Challenge 1 was an Aperture card coupled with a hand made Lollipop Flower - both of these were going to be a challenge for me as I had never done either before - but wow did I just so love those flowers - there really will be no stopping me now. There is a Video to support the making of the flower on The Next Level and I also made a photo tutorial on there to support anyone who wanted to print something off to follow as you made your flower.

I decided to make a little set, consisting of a card, a box envelope and a little soap gift package. The card image uses the absolutely fantastic Front and Back Annie rubber stamp from Art Impressions - I just adore this stamp. I first saw it on Bev's blog - All the Things I love - and I was in love. This stamp and others from the collection are available from SirStampalot. Like everything else, I had to make it difficult though. I decided to cut a hole through 6 layers of cardstock (3 on the front and 3 on the inside left cover) which all had to match up so that she could be peering through an imaginary window from the outside in. Took me ages, but got there in the end - I hope you think the effort was worth it. I formed the shape in my Craft Robo software and then just printed out the different colouring cardstock and then shaped it all to size. She does look so cute though when you see her peering from the outside in when you open the card!

I also layered her little pinny to give it some extra dimension. On the inside right I created a dreamy garden scene, so that when she was peering through the arch from the front there was a sky in the background. This however made it difficult for anywhere to write on the inside of the card without spoiling the design, so I added an oval frame tied on with pretty bows on the rear of the card for this purpose. I also made the box envelope to go with the card again using a Lollipop flower for decoration - I told you these would keep popping up everywhere!!

Many of papers I have used are from The Digichic Boutique and this pack was called The Twist Collection. One or two extra touches were freebie downloads from Summer Driggs blog - full details on The Next Level. I am often asked where I get my digital papers from, it is so difficult for me to answer this question, because some I buy as digital packs, and I download lots of freebie packs. When I come to make up a theme or design I pick and choose from everything I have, and then colour it digitally to make my paper pack up, so it really does make it difficult for me to tell people to go to a specific download.

The little soap gift package finished off the set - and guess what - yes you are right, another Lollipop flower appeared on there!!! - they are just growing everywhere!!

If you have the time when you stop by please leave your thoughts - I do so love to hear what you think.

Thank you xxx

Life is Good!!!

My entry this week for the Friday Sketchers, which follows a gorgeous sketch from Claudia with lots of detail, is called Life is Good. It features a pretty little h'Anglar stamp and ribbon detail. If you want to see any of the images in more detail, just click on the photographs and they will open up in a large format.

The image has been paper pieced in part and coloured with Copic markers. The papers are digital (as usual!!!) and I have built up the image in several layers and this is shown in more detail above.

Inside the card I have followed the papers through and have added another layered up image. The matching box envelope has similar detail to the front with matching ribbon bow detail and is lined in the constrasting floral paper

I hope you have the time to leave a comment - thanks for looking xxx

Singing in the Rain!!

Well I decided this week to make a card for the Friday Sketchers Challenge, I loved their sketch, and also to fit it in with Just Magnolia, with a card that features stitches.



My card is put together with a range of papers that are all digital, and the cute little Tilda image is from the new collection for Spring. I have made the image up of several layers to give depth. The flowers on the front of the card are also coloured and printed, and then use a ball tool to give the shape and depth. I have machine stitched all the different layers, including the inside. The image is coloured with Copics.



The inside of the card follows the same colours and papers and on the left hand side there is a pocket on the bottom half, that you can slip a separate note, or a voucher into, behind the tree. I have made a box envelope to match as usual, to take the height and size of the card.



Would love your comments if you stop by xxx

A Posy for You

My entry this week for the Friday Sketchers Challenge, follows a lovely sketch from Beatrix, and I have called it 'A Posy for You'. It certainly was out of my 'comfort zone' not to make a square card, but in the end quite liked the 7 x 5 inch format I chose to use. Please click on the photos if you would like to see more detail, they will all open up in a large format.

The papers are all digital and the image is a really cute h'Anglar little girl holding a posy. The image is coloured with Copic pens and I have also added a little Magnolia butterfly to the front of the card. The ribbon is one from a previous collection from Raspberry Ribbons. Inside the card I have followed the design through and using Nestabilities circle and scalloped circle created a frame for a smaller version of the image.

As usual I have created a boxed envelope, this time for a 7 x 5 inch card. To make this I used the Enveloper Pro, and used D1 and C. To create the box effect, after I have scored the lines as per the recommendations for the card size, I carefully moved the card just under half an inch to the right of the first score line, and then carefully score a second line parallel - I do this to all sides, and this is how the box frame is made.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, I would love it if you could leave your comments, I really do appreciate them. Thank you xx

Ooh-La-La - Tilda in Paris!!!!

I decided that as it was Spring, and Paris went beautifully with Spring, I would make a card on this theme, and have followed the great sketch from Mumur for my entry for Friday Sketchers. The card also fits in with this week's Papertake Challenge just announced which features stripes and spots.

There is quite alot of detail in this card to explain, but quite simply the papers again are a mish-mash of digital downloads, but I am proud to say that some of them I even made up myself - gosh I am learning. The photo below shows a close up of the detail of the front of the card. I have paper pieced some of Tilda's clothes, and the flowers were made using a paper punch and then using a ball tool to curve them. The flowers are Mulberry which have had a small amount of glitter added.

The inside of the card is made up with the Magnolia Eiffel tower stamp and another Tilda image. I have matted up the papers on the inside so in the end this became quite a heavyweight card.

The front of the envelope box features the same inside detail on the front with a black bow and the inside of the envelope has the same spotted detail taken from the front of the card.

I would love your comments if you have a moment if you stop by. Thank you xx

A Pocket Full of Posies

My Pocket Full of Posies card fits beautifully with the brilliant sketch for 2 Sketches4you. I have turned up the corners of my paper to form a pocket, which is then tied with a ribbon and filled with pretty flowers.


The flowers are all the same digital flower, which I have digitally coloured to match the papers and then shaped and curved with a ball tool. The flower centres are finished with small pearl brads. The flowers are layered up using 3mm double sided sticky tape. The papers used in the card are all a mixture of digital papers which I gather together to form the colour theme that I was looking for to complete the design.


The inside of the card has again been finished with pretty papers and ribbon and I have made a box style envelope which is thick enough to take the height of the card after the layering. The front of the box envelope follows the same design as the inside of the card and is finished with a butterfly and ribbon.


If you would like to see more detail of the cards, click on the photographs and it will give you a full size view. Thank you for stopping by and I would love your comments if you have the time. xx

Pretty as a Picture

A triple entry for my card this week, called Pretty as a Picture. The card follows the theme and sketches for Cute Card Thursday - a floral theme, Papertake - a pastel theme and Splitcoast Stampers - sketch SC224.
I have made a recessed window card, forming the frame following a template I found on Splitcoast stampers under their resources page. I wanted the effect of this card to be almost like a picture on the wall, with a 3D effect.


The papers are digital downloads from various sources but the main floral paper is from Kate Pertiet, Blossom n’ Grow - downloadable from Designer Digitals. The stamp is a PSX stamp – Tulips in a Bucket. I am a massive fan of PSX stamps, a company that went out of business some years ago, but there is a strong following now, especially in the United States for collectors. After I stamped and coloured the image 3 times, I then covered the tulips with Glossy Accents, cut out the tulip heads and layered them onto the main image two more times. I wanted to create a feeling that the tulips closest to the front were actually reaching towards you. The background to the stamped image is a digital design I created from various images.


The inside of the card features green gingham paper onto which I digitally created a design to form a botanical scene. The envelope carries through the botanical design and is finished with matching ribbon. The image has been coloured with Copic Marker pens and the ribbon is from Ribbon Oasis.

I would love your comments if you are passing by – your feedback is always welcome. Thank you. xx