Todays challenge 20 from Magnolia Vs Stampavie is a colour challenge - Red, Black, White and the option of Grey too. I have coloured my image with watercolour pencils. I thought I would go for basic colouring so just added some red to her dress, shoes and bows and black to her hair. The flower has been made using Build a Blossom which is free from Here. I have used the dotted one, the black one and then added a mulberry red flower and a button with some ribbon which I found in my stash. The background paper is from Papermania, the red paper is another find from my stash and the Birthday Wishes sentiment was made using ACME Label Maker.

I had this camouflaged paper free with this months copy of Papercraft Essentials magazine and I knew right away it would be perfect to use with this Stamp from Sugar Nellie. I have coloured him with watercolour pencils, but as I stamped the image on some card with a bit of a shine the colouring became patchy - but I like the effect. I have layered the image on bazill swiss dots cardstock and some black cardstock which I have added faux stitching to. The sentiment has been done using ACME Label Maker - its free to use, you design the text and print it out - very simple but so effective!

One quick Anya card for today. The background paper is from Papermania Creative tones, Black and cream, but I have watercoloured the hearts on the stems blue! I have used blue cardstock from my stash with some faux stitching and Miss Anya have been coloured with watercolour pencils. I have used a woodware daisy punch to create the black flower and a scrap of ribbon, which I stitched to make a centre for the flower. The bags have all been paper pieced. The sentiment is a peel off. The black and white zebra print paper came free with this months Papercraft Essentials magazine.

Shortbread Cookies

I made 60 of these cookies last week for someone else, but I did a little test run first and these cookies just melt in the mouth - they are so yummy. It is worth all the chilling in between because it makes the dough wonderfully short and crumbly.

2 cups plain flour

1 cup salted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth, then add the sugar and beat again until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract.
Gently stir in the flour
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with a floured cutter.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will firm up the dough again so the cookies will keep their shape when cooking. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly brown. Cool on rack. Makes about 20 cookies.

Back in January, I entered a competition in Papercraft Essentials Magazine Issue 37, which was to make a card featuring either fairies or dragons for a chance to win one of Kirsten Lapping Designs, enchanted materials. I threw all caution to the wind and entered, and guess what, when I had my magazine on Thursday, I was stunned to see that I was one of the six winners (will show you a picture of the page later). The image I used came from the DAISE Company, brown cardstock, make a wish stamp from Studio G, brown and yellow ribbons, white gel pen, daisy punches, button and scalloped edge scissors. I added some extra wings to the image using scraps of vellum, layered with foam pads, and edged with a silver gel pen. I also used the silver gel pen to create spots on the wings.

This weeks challenge from Roses on Paper Challenge Blog is a Quilt Card. This a fabulous way to use up all those pieces of paper which we have lying around to use again.

I am having so much fun with these Anya Stamps. While looking for scraps to make my quilt, I couldnt believe how many pieces of orange I had, so I just had to give Anya an orange outfit too. The papers are all of pieces of paper which came free at some point over the past two years with Papercraft Essentials magazine. I have coloured the image with watercolour pencils and layer her onto orange and brown cardstocks. The brown scalloped panels have been made using the Keepsake romance board, peel offs for the quilt panel edging, white gel pen for faux stitching and the flowers and brads from my stash.

This weeks challenge from Cupcake Craft Challenges is a colour combination - Brown and Pink, or Brown and Blue or Brown and Green.
Brown is one of my favourite colours and mixed with pink....hmm delicious combination....so it just had to be a cake!
I have cut out a cupcake shape making the base of pink card which I scored lines on to resemble a cupcake case, the pink topping is from a paper which came free with Papercraft Essentials Magazine. The pink ribbon is from my stash, the brown background paper is Doodlebug Chocolate Truffle, The sentiment is from craftwork cards, and the raspberry and chocolate cardstocks are from DS Crafts. I used a punch to make little sprinkles to place on top of the cake.
Also Cupcake Craft Challenges are looking for a new design team - It closes on the 21st March 09.

One quick card I made over the weekend using an Anya stamp from the Greeting Farm. The background paper is from Papermania - black and cream tones, but I have coloured in the hearts with a red watercolour pencil. The black and red cardstocks, along with ribbon from my stash, some peel off black squares, and woodware circle punch. I have coloured the image with watercolour pencils and used a silver gel pen for highlighting. The Life friend stamp is from Studio G clear stamps.

This weeks challenge from the Sugar Bowl is Mother's Day. I decided to go with a rather simple look -thought I would try to use up some of the scraps that I have lying around. The image is by Sugar Nellie which I have watercoloured with pencils and paper pieced the flower. I had some spots to the flower with a white gel pen. The sentiment I have computer generated. Both the brown and pink cardstocks have come from my stash, as well as the brad.

This weeks challenge from Cupcake Craft Challenges is Spring - flowers, fun, lovely colours etc

I have used this Anya stamp again this week. She is most definitely one of my favourite stamps, and the little basket of flowers is perfect for Spring. I have coloured her with watercolour pencils. The background paper, frame and flowers are all Digital downloads, which can be found FREE from here. There are so many lovely papers and elements on this site along with many update daily via Digifree from other sites. The sentiment is a stamp from Studio G designer clear stamps. I added some doodled white dots to the frame, and layered up one of the flowers to add some 3d effect to the card.

I really do like this Anya rubber stamp. I made this card a couple of days ago, but didn't get around to posting it. I have used background paper from Diecuts with a View, Raspberry cardstock, Teenager description which I made on the computer, Ribbon from Poppicrafts, and lots of peeloff dots to make the swirls. I coloured Miss Anya with watercolour pencils and paper pieced her bag.

Over on Club Anya, this week is a sketch, and gorgeous prizes to be won. All the papers I have used, I have found via Digi Free, inluding the semi circle. The teal background paper came from here and the frame, flower and aged coloured paper came from here. The Life friend sentiment is a clear stamp, from Studio G. I coloured the image with water colour pencils and paper pieced the bag with a scrap piece of background paper.

One cake this week - and Engagement cake

I have had a busy day first the Welsh cake wedding favours (post below) and then I completed these invitations (custom order) for a Golden Wedding Anniversary but I just had my dinner cooked (in my kitchen) by a lady using the Saladmaster pots and pans - Absoultely fabulous - will elaborate on that later!

150 Welsh Cakes later.........

This morning I made 150 heart shaped Welsh Cakes which were placed in threes in bags to make Wedding Favours for Nichola and Andrew's wedding. The bags for the men have black ribbon tied through the tags and the bags for the ladies have ivory. I am really pleased at the way in which they turned out. They will be used as place settings and as a favour all in one! The tags have been designed on the computer and printed on ivory card, then layered onto Bazill Bling, black tie and edged with fiskars scalloped scissors.

Today is the 40th Birthday of my husband's work colleague Sarah - Happy 40th Sarah. We went to Sarah's Party in Fancy dress on Saturday night - it was brilliant (picture below of my hubby and Sarah). Baked a chocolate cake for her too for today, the topper I designed on the computer and then had it custom made by http://www.toptastictoppers.co.uk/ on wafer paper. I did do a 40th birthday card which had some of the Pink Petticoat cheekies on....but will post it later as I haven't transfered it yet to the computer xx

David and Sarah.....any guesses as to what he's dressed as???

This weeks challenge from Cupcake Craft Challenges is Inspiration - a picture of a white vase containing Yellow flowers, along with a cream background and shelf. The inspiration could come from the flowers or colours etc.

I have used one of the Anya stamps from the Greeting Farm (loving these at the moment). I have coloured her using watercolour pencils. When looking through my stash to find some papers which were of a yellowish tone, I came across this piece with spring time flower wording on it (not sure where I got it from originally), and thought I would use it as it was perfect for what I wanted. The lace edging and flowers with brads have come from my stash, the sentiment is from Craftwork cards.




On to musical note - U2 (our family favourite band) have their new album out today and next week it is the announcement of the tour dates - we have promised ourself as a family (not including little one) that we will buy tickets and go to see them if they are playing at a venue near us - fingers and toes crossed they will.....now it's just 6 days to go