Springtime means tulips to me ......

Ribbon Girl are sponsoring this weeks challenge over at Just Magnolia and hAnglar sTanglar with a £10 gift voucher - the theme is Spring and this is my guest DT card. 

I coloured the cute image in with copics.  Tulips are my favourite springtime flower and they are featured on the background paper - Springtime by Pion which I got from my friend Jean 

I added a doohickey Magnolia swirl, and a cuttlebug corner all cut from green card plus peach coloured pearls from stash, 32mm cream vintage style fine cluny lace and peach seam binding ribbon.  The lace, ribbon and stickles are from here

The mulberry flowers are tangerine pretty blossoms from here plus other flowers from WOC, and the leaves are punched with my very useful MS punch!  I added a touch of stardust stickles to the flowers for extra springtime sparkle!

Well the weather here in the UK has been more like Summer than Spring and I hope it lasts for a few more days - make the most of it

See you soon, Mary G x

Easel card for PTW sketch challenge ....................

There is a sketch challenge over at Papertake Weekly and you could win a lovely prize!   For my 'congratulations' easel card I used a LOTV die cut image, I made a Magnolia flower out of white thick paper and finished it with a spotty brad that's been in the stash box for ages.  I die cut a magnolia swirl and cut some paper lace with Andrea's new die from Papertrey Ink. It's very pretty and delicate, and I like the way it standards out from the dark pink background paper.  I can see us using it a lot!  I finished my easel card with white pom pom trim and red and white polka dot grosgrain ribbon and lastly some pink stick on gems

A Wedding gift box card .............

This wedding card has a little box inside for a small gift - the paper is by Pion from here and I added 32mm cream vintage style fine cluny lace and Rose Petal seam binding which I wrinkled for added effect.  I added my usual mulberry roses and doohickey swirls plus a Zva pearl swirl and some dark brown pearls from stash.  The round sentiment is a LOTV stamp cut out with a nestie. 

Lace, seam binding, mulberry flowers and pearl swirl all from here

 Just untie the ribbons and it opens like a book - it was tricky cutting out the shape in the box for the mount and then adding the acetate sheet but I think it looks quite nice.  This box card looks like a book when it is closed up and I am entering it into this weeks Daring Cardmakers challenge 'box of tricks'

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Andrea and I had a fantastic day at the NEC yesterday - we met up with some absolutely lovely ladies including Kath, Dawny P  and Tab from the Ribbon Girl DT plus Jane of Millies Marvels, Kim Piggot, Jo of Boots the Monkey plus Anne and Lucy from LOTV - crafters are such lovely, lovely people!! I am hoping that one of you girls can give me a copy of the photos taken in Wetherspoons so I can add one to my blog! 

See you soon, Mary G x

and the winner of the birthday bag of lace is ............

The winner of my birthday giveaway of a cute felt bag and 16 metres of fabulous lace including cotton, guipure and fine vintage style cluny laces is

Sherry Edwards

send me your details Sherry so I can mail your prize

and if you didn't win the prize but still want some lace, we have it all for sale over at The Ribbon Girl online store - fabulous range of top quality lace at reasonable prices!

See you soon, Mary G x

A Spring wedding card in green and ivory ..............

There is a bingo game challenge over at Papertake Weekly - choose any straight or diagonal line and make a card/project to include the items chosen.  I made a wedding card and used diecuts, glitter and free (LOTV die cut image)

For this easel card I used an LOTV diecut image and added stacks of Stardust Stickles.  My backing papers were the gorgeous Pion Lily of the Valley from my lovely friend Jean  - I used cream tiny ric rac, iced lime seam binding, pale lime 15mm satin ribbon, gorgeous 16mm cream vintage style fine cluny cotton lace and white/ivory mulberry flowers with just a touch of pink from the pink pretty blossom flowers.  The circle with hearts was cut with a Nestie and the corners were cut with a cuttlebug die - I hope I don't wear it out, I've used it loads since I got it.  The leaves were cut from green card with my MS punch  -  I also made a matching box (not shown here - why not? because I forgot to take a photograph of it :(  silly me) 

Lace, ribbon, seam binding, mulberry pretty blossom, stickles, tiny ric rac are all from here

The Ribbon Girl are sponsoring PTW this week and there is a £10 gift voucher for the winner to spend in the online store, so go and check out the rest of the Design Team and get cracking with your card - you've got a whole week to join in!

See you soon, Mary G x

Boy card in aqua ....

I made a boy card for a change and instead of adding my usual flowers I used a tiny piece of turquoise twill stripe ribbon and some aqua crazy mesh onto which I tied a ships wheel charm with aqua divine bakers twine!

I coloured the image with Copics and added loads of Stardust Stickles to the fish to make them gleam!  I spent ages choosing background papers to tie in with my by/water/fishing theme, and I'm sorry I can't remember who made them.

There is a new challenge over at the Ribbon Girl blog today - make a project using aqua and white - you could win an Aqua Ribbon Kit and a £10 voucher from the very generous ladies at Lili of the Valley to spend in their online store - plus the top three chosen by the DT will be able to claim their 'I made top three at the Ribbon Girl' badge on their blog.  The calibre of work from the Ribbon Girls  Design Team is phenomenal and I hope you will have time to check out their cards and craft projects to inspire you for this challenge.

I hope you will have time to join in with our new challenge and visit the Ribbon Girl online store - we're always adding new products and are happy to send tiny samples if you need to match up a colour or lace pattern.

see you soon Mary G x

(It is Mothering Sunday here in the UK today - so can I wish you all a very happy Mothers Day - I hope you whave a lovely day - and if you receive a card which is half as nice as the one my lovely daughter Andrea made especially for me, then you'll be very lucky - thank you Andrea (who is away with friends on a crafting weekend)

If you're looking for my birthday lace giveaway, it's the next post down)

Marys' birthday giveaway - win a bag full of beautiful lace ..........

I'm celebrating my birthday with a beautiful giveaway - you could win this fun, felt, flower-festooned bag full of cotton, guipure and vintage style fine cluny lace in white, cream and black - a mega sixteen metres !! just think how many cards you could decorate!

All of the lace in The Ribbon Girl online store is of the very best quality and looks beautiful whether used on wedding invitations and stationery, cards, scrapbook pages, dolls clothes, lingerie, bed linen, baby clothes, accessories for the home, ornaments and all types of craft and sewing projects

Just leave me a comment and tell me how you would use the lace - the give away will close in 7 days time on Thursday 22nd March and one winner will be picked at random - good luck!

Mary G x

One for the girls (or Mum) ......

This is my pink and girly DT card for this weeks Papertake Weekly challenge 'one for the girls (or Mum as it is Mothers Day this coming Sunday 18th March)' and as my own mother passed away more than 30 years ago,  I have made a birthday card instead.  Please pop over to the PTW blog to feast your eyes on the beautiful creations by the design team and you have a whole week to get your card in - there's a fab prize up for grabs!

Isn't this image from the Stamp Fairy lovely? I coloured her with copics then finished her dress with some white opal liquid pearls and a touch of stardust stickles.  I die cut the delicate corners with one of my new cuttlebug corner dies which work beautifully in the Sizzix.    My easel card was finished with deep rose tiny pom pom trim, white 30mm zig zag cotton lace and 25mm hot pink and white polka dot ribbon with a single 13mm white mulberry rose

Lace, polka dot ribbon, tiny pom pom, mulberry flower, liquid pearls, stardust stickles are all from here

See you soon, Mary G x

Pretty in pink with ribbons and lace .........

The Ribbon Girl is delighted to be sponsoring the challenge over at this weeks Lils Little Fairies challenge which is RIBBON & LACE - right up my street!  I was honoured to be invited to be a Guest DT - thanks girls!! The standard of the DT work is phenomenal and if you look at nothing else this week, please go and check it all out - fabulous work ladies! 

For my card I coloured this gorgeous little dancer (from the new range of Lili of the Valley stamps) with copics and added stacks of stardust stickles.

I added 25mm satin ribbon and pink tulle (just the job for a ballet dancer!) tied with a pink pretty blossom.  I used 16mm white guipure lace

My mulberry flowers included pretty blossoms plus other pink flowers from stash, and lastly I added a white magnolia doohickey swirl and some corners cut with my new cuttlebug corner which I love!

Pink Tulle, Satin Ribbon, Guipure Lace, Stardust Stickles, Pretty Blossom Flowers are all from

 The Ribbon Girl online store.

See you soon, Mary G x

A lavender lovely in her best party dress .............

I used a LOTV diecut image for this pretty easel card with matching box - it was matted onto dark purple card with digital papers from Nitwit Collections - all edges were machine stitched with white top stitch thread.  I used our new 13mm lilac saddlestitch ribbon which has just arrived in the ribbon shop plus lavender openweave ribbon and orchid tiny pom pom trim.    The corners were cut with my my new cuttlebug die - they are very pretty and I will be using them again and again!

The sentiment is Papertrey Ink and was stamped with dark purple ink onto a plaque I made with a blank coaster and a Nestie labels die, I coloured the edges with the dark purple ink and of course I just had to add a white swirl cut with a Magnolia doohickey die (if there's a space - fill it!!) which is why I find 'less is more' so difficult.

The flowers are a lilac/white 30mm rose with distressed the edges in dark purple ink, pretty blossom flowers and green leaves made with my Martha Stewart punch. 

I added lots of Stardust Stickles to the cakes and cake-stand, her fabulous hat and petticoat - and just a touch on her shoes - isn't she cute!!

This is my DT card for this weeks' Papertake Weekly Challenge 'anything goes (with the option of using shrink plastic) - this weeks' challenge is sponsored by Lili of the Valley  -   I didn't have any shrink plastic but if you've got some in your stash why not use it here?

Blank Coasters, Saddlestitch Ribbon, Open Weave, Tiny Pom Pom, Top Stitch Thread, Mulberry Flowers, Stardust Stickles are all from The Ribbon Girl

Please check out the fabulous work by the Design Team at Papertake Weekly and we all look forward to seeing your wonderful projects!

See you soon, Mary G x

You are a peach ..........

I made this card for the challenge over at Lils Little Fairies ' peaches and cream' - I used a LOTV diecut of this cute little girl with her pet sitting next to a pot of flowers.  I cut it down a little to fit inside this pretty heart edged nestie.  I decided to make a step card and used Pion papers on a dark peach card background.  All edges were inked with a new white dabber from Tim Holtz - if only I had realised that the top was not screwed on securely, it wouldn't have dripped down my hand, my cardigan, the table, the floor, Andreas hands ........ oh dear  -  thank goodness for paper hankies!! and I'll not forget to check next time I use it.

I added Peach seam binding and cream 18mm zig zag lace plus a pretty blossom flower.  The main card was finished with three stick on pearls from stash.

The sentiment from Papertrey Ink was stamped in cocoa brown ink and the inside of the card was decorated to compliment the front.   The ready printed die cuts are a real boon when you need a card in a particular colour  (especially as  I had already decided on this particular Pion paper - I just matched up the colours with the printed image - simples!