Ruby Wedding Card .... and news of a give away ....

My husband and I celebrated our 40th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday gone, and I made him this card using this lovely Lili of the Valley diecut.

I added some gorgeous pink mulberry blossoms, large rosebuds, 35mm and 25mm roses and 25mm rose leaves, which you can find here in the next day or so plus my Martha Stewart branch punch was put to good use again.  I tied a bow with 100% pure silk ribbon in Rose and finished the card with some sparkly stick on gems

Now I don't know about your other half, but mine always changes the lyrics to that old Peggy Lee song 'Mr Wonderful - that's you' to 'Mr Wonderful, that's me' so I put the song inside the card - he is wonderful by the way and I wouldn't swap him!  I cut the number 40 with Papertrey Ink Paper Dies and used the leftover rose patterned paper from the front of the card.

Andrea and I have been very busy this weekend with family celebrations and also our lovely friend Sue came over to the UK from New Zealand and spent a couple of days with us, but if you pop over to the Ribbon Girl Blog this evening you will find a give away of one of our RED mini ribbon kits .

New colour challenge No 10 over at the Ribbon Girl blog ......

There is a new challenge at the Ribbon Girl Blog  using shades of AQUA - you could win one of our new aqua mini kits and as usual, the very generous girls at Lili of the Valley have given a £10 voucher to spend in their online store  (just in time for 25th July when they launch their new Christmas stamps!)

If you need some inspiration to get you started on a project, you'll be amazed at the fabulous creations the very talented Ribbon Girls have made - absolutley stunning so please pop over and feast your eyes!

New Mini Kits ..... and you can win a Christmas kit!

Following our very successful special collection ribbon kits, we have just launched our new Mini Kits  at only £6.50 each which will be available in red, orange, green, fuschia, black, aqua and Christmas.  If you pop over to the Ribbon Girl  Blog you could win a Christmas mini kit - all you have to do is leave a comment there and a link on your blog.

A get well soon card for Catherine ......

This card is for Catherine who is having surgery on Thursday - the image was coloured with Copics and cut with nestabilities then layered onto toning card.   I doodled around the edge of the image with  a fine black pen, then as a contrast to the darker colours, I used ruffle edge sheer ribbon in white.

I made a floral arrangement with a large rose, some rosebuds, gyp and white blossom, then added just a touch of Stardust stickles - I couldn't help myself! I do like a bit of bling.

I tied some plum purple divine twine through the hole in this silver dragonfly charm, so I could tie it around the blossom stem then slot the stem through the knot  in the bow so I could get the look I wanted.  Some self adhesive lilac coloured pearls finished the card and I pray that Catherine will soon be healed.

I will enter this card into the Stamping Sisters in Christ Challenge to make a card that you doodle on; also for A Gem of a Challenge - make a card with flowers and a charm

Ribbon, twine, charm are all from the Ribbon Girl

Ribbon Girl Colour Challenge No 9 ..... Pink and Cream

I got to choose the colour for the Ribbon Girl colour challenge this month  - PINK & CREAM.  I used one of my new LOTV girlie stamps - this is Milly  - Flower Power and I coloured her with copics and added stardust stickles to the flower centre.  I can't wait to use the other new stamps in the girlie range - they are all very cute.

I added a strip of ivory faux silk ribbon plus a lovely bow (this imitation silk ties the most gorgeous bows) and a length of cream Cluny Lace in traditional fan pattern.  I cut a magnolia doohickey swirl from cream card and last of all made a flower arrangement using various Wild Orchid roses, buds, gypsophalia and some green  leaves cut with my Martha Stewart punches. Last thing to add was some self adhesive pearls.

The prizes for one randomly selected winner will be a £10 voucher generously donated by Lisa and Laila of Lili of the Valley to spend in the LOTV store and either a Pink or a Cream/Whiite Special Selection Ribbon Kit from the Ribbon Girl online store

The challenge will run for two weeks from 19th June and I look forward to seeing your entry - and you don't have to use our ribbons and accessories but we'd love it if you did!  Happy crafting.

Girl on a big red toadstool ......

This is my entry for the 100th LOTV challenge -anything goes I know I can't win a prize 'cos we're sponsoring this week  :) lol but I just wanted to enter a card in their 100th challenge).  I used one of my new die-cuts (I don't think the actual rubber stamp is available yet from LOTV) and teamed it with green backing paper and a strip of 30mm cotton lace from  here.  I added a happy birthday sentiment which I stamped, handcut then mounted onto red backing paper, then hand cut again.

I added 25mm Berisford red gingham and a large mushroom charm (both from here)

I didn't have a suitable flower so I punched two with a flower punch then added 7 sparklies to make a centre and some  green leaves - quite effective I think.  I really enjoyed making this card and I love using red and white.

...I've never seen an elephant fly .................

Here is the very cute and  cuddly Lottie with wings from our new CD (and rubber stamps) of Humphries Corner stamps and printables from Crafters Companion.  The background paper was also from the CD.  I distressed around the image and the sentiment with brown ink and used some of our very fine natural colour cluny lace, posie seam binding and part of a pearl flourish to add a touch of richness.  I finished off with a nice selection of flowers, leaves and corners from Wild Orchid. 

I made this card for the St Lukes Hospice challenge - the challenge this month is to make a card including wings or anything that flies - when you have made and entered your card, you then pack it up with an envelope, in a clear  cellophane pack to keep it clean, and post it off with an envelope so the card can be sold in aid of the hospice funds - great idea isn't it - thanks to Ciara  for letting us know about it and we hope you will all join in and help raise some cash for this very worthy cause.

I was inspired by Sasha to make this card for my sister's 42nd wedding anniversary on 7th June - I have to say I'm useless at this less is more malarky and was soon sticking flowers ribboons and charms on to my card!!

I tried really hard to make my floral arrangement look pretty (my sister is a florist!!)  The heart charm and seam binding both from http://www.ribbongirl.co.uk/ and flowes are from Wild Orchid.

Friends are like bras ...............

I was so tickled to find this saying on the internet 'friends are like bras - next to your heart and there for support' :)   This card is for two challenges, the PaperTake Weekly sketch and the Just Magnolia 'Friends' challenge.  edited at 23.23 tonight to say I dilly dallied around so much I have missed the deadline for Just Magnolia! no blue frog, collection closed  -  that'll teach me to get a wriggle on and get my card in on time :(

The papers are 'off-cuts' from Andreas digital papers from the Sweet Shoppe - she got them ready to start a new project and they were just lying on the desk and I thought she didn't want them - after all, a crafter would never pinch another crafters paper would she?  I coloured the image first, then looked for paper and they seemed to match so well I couldn't resist them.  I used a fine black pen to make the imitation stitching around the image.

The stamp is new from hAnglar and I coloured it with Copics - I looked at the examples in their shop for ideas for the colouring and ended up using pinks and greens.

The ribbon is Siam Pink seam binding from here and I added some green leaves from an ordinary leaf punch as my Martha Stewart leaves and branch punches are temporarily lost in a draw (that means I've tidied them away and can't remember where they went)  The flower is from Wild Orchid  and the glitzy tiny flowers are from my stash.  I made this card in two sessions over two days and have spent the rest of the time admiring it lol!  I don't get any quicker I'm afraid.

Lilac and Pink Colour Challenge

This is the card I made for the new Colour Challenge No 8 over at the Ribbon Girl Blog - this months colours are Pinks and Lilacs - there's a fab prize of a collection of ribbons, lace, felt and embellishments from the Ribbon Girl shop plus a £10 LOTV voucher from the lovely Laila and Lisa over at Lili of the Valley - and if you missed the launch of their new boy stamps, get yourself over now before they're all gone!

I wanted to make a pretty thank-you card for the Marie Curie Hospice where my late brother-in-law received such wonderful care in the last months by the very caring and devoted staff and I decided to attempt an easel card with heaps of flowers, bling, ribbons etc. As we're still crafting out of plastic boxes while the building work continues, I spent most of the time walking back and forth looking for just the right paper or embellishment!  I used one of our new Molly Blooms stamps - this one is 'Molly Sitting' which I coloured with copics and carefully cut out.  I added Stardust Stickles to enhance Molly's dress and I used a nestie to make the lacy background, then embossed a circle of white card with roses using a cuttlebug folder and used digital papers (Christmas Kitsch) from Sweet Shoppe designs.  I love our new rhinestone and pearl  flourishes and choose the very sparkly rhinestone flourish for the front of the card.

and spent ages arranging the Wild Orchid roses, blossoms and rose-buds with punched foliage from Martha Stewart punches and also added 25mm satin ribbon. I must say that I am having more success placing my flowers and leaves now that I am using incredibly tacky glue from Wild Orchid - it allows me to move everything around until I'm happy with the result.

I used one of the straight lengths of diamante from the rhinestone flourish to make the 'stop' on base of the easel card and added more Wild Orchid flowers (pretty blossoms and rose buds) plus some leaves from my facvourite Martha Stewart punch.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Inks.

I had such fun making this card, and those who know me won't be surprised to learn that it took me nearly a full day to complete and the rest of the day to admire! lol

Molly and Haggis ......

Our 2 year old Westie Haggis was a little star when we tied red, white and blue ribbons to his harness for his pre-wedding walk and he was as good as gold while we were glued to the television for the big day - wasn't her dress gorgeous? and they looked so happy ......

I had great fun inking up my new Ballerina Molly Molly Blooms stamp which I coloured with Copics - if you like Molly Blooms we've just added a whole lot more of them to the Ribbon Girl shop.   I added a wide celery-green silk ribbon to go with the green in the October Afternoon pink and green background paper, then a silver coloured charm (ballet shoes) tied on with candy pink Divine Twine - all from Ribbon Girl.  The sweetheart blossom and the ornate silver corner is from Wild Orchid and the swirl is cut with a Magnolia Doohickey die

I added stardust stickles to her dress and hair ribbon.

The inside of the card was decorated to compliment the front and I managed to squeeze just a little bit more stardust stickles on and another Magnolia doohickey swirl.  The happy birthday sentiment is from Lili of the Valley and the pink stick on gems are from http://www.3djean.co.uk/

Big birthday wishes from Sailor Boy..............

So sorry my DT red/white/blue card is so late for the Ribbon Girl colour challenge No 7  but better late than never, so here is my offering with the new HAnglar sailor boy stamp which I have coloured with copics.  I followed the sketch from this weeks Just Magnolia and HAnglar & Stanglar challenge and will enter my card in their challenge

He is rather large to fit into a circle, so I had to cut him out and have put him on top of a circle cut from a map.  I was itching to add some flowers, but as it is a man card I thought it better to add a nice red heart pin which I made into a flag by stamping the sentiment, inking the edges and curling it a bit then glued it to the pin.

For a boy-type ribbon I used white saddlestitch ribbon with black stitching and added a bronze boat charm fixed to hang from a small red polka dot button tied to the ribbon with ivory button twine.

All of the papers I used were matted onto white before assembling my card. (sorry, other than October Afternoon and My Minds Eye I'm not sure which other books I took the papers from)  The white background for my map circle was made with a nestability die.  The saddlestitch, pin, charm, button twine and the polka dot button are all from http://www.ribbongirl.co.uk/

ps did you know we have put some items in our 'SALE' section at the ribbon girl shop - if you need coloured stickles, wide ric rac, centre spot grosgrain, striped buttons, reversible spot ribbon and mini glossy accents - pop over now so you won't be disappointed!

A Perfect Wedding Day .........

It's been rather busy recently preparing everything for a family wedding in just three weeks, due to health problems all of the arrangements were done at break-neck speed, and the bride and groom (who is very, very ill) thoroughly enjoyed their special day, the weather was fabulous, the ceremony was perfect and the receptions (day and evening) were very enjoyable.  The bride's neices made two excellent buffets, one for the day time and another for the evening and around 150 friends and relatives had a great day! 
Andrea has been very poorly with a chest infection (she's getting a bit better now, thanks ti penicillin), so I was allowed to gillotine, stick and tie paper, ribbons and embellishments!! Quite a few went into the bin, but practice makes perfect!!

I did a three-tier cake, but the bottom tier was actually polystyrene which I iced and decorated like the the other two.  All of the flowers were silk and the ribbon and silver and white cord were from http://www.ribbongirl.co.uk/.  My sister (Jackie) made the top arrangement and we added in some pink crystal stalks and pearls.

The separators between tiers started life as empty plastic ribbon spools - I cut some big circles on the grand calibur using nestabilities and glued about 6 pieces of thick paper together and stuck top and bottom of the ribbon spool.  The silk flower heads were all cut off the stalks and I glued them in - I used 22mm guipure lace on the bottom separator and the entire cake had tiny hearts cut from icing sugar dotted around at random.

 The bride's bouquet was made by my sister (Jackie) and I was allowed to wire and gutta the individual flower heads and leaves - wow, my finger ends were so sore!!  We think the bouquet looked as good as fresh flowers and the bride loved it.

The handle of the bouquet and the large bow was made from pale pink faux silk again from the ribbon girl.

The bride's mother's corsage was made with the same flowers as the bride and the cake, and was trimmed with 15mm satin ribbon, as were all of the carnation buttonholes.

My hubby (who was also the Best Man) printed out the photographs on Sunday and mounted them on purple/pink/lavender cardstock and we put them in this plain album which we tied with 25mm satin ribbon, plum purple divine twine and an ornate heart charm - all from http://www.ribbongirl.co.uk/

Well be taking it easy for the next week or so!

Rainy Day George .......

Meet George - one of our new range of Molly Blooms rubber stamps - they are really cute!  George has been coloured with Copics and matted onto green card.  The background paper is October Afternoon and the ribbon is twill stripe in Celery Green.  I tied a bronze umbrella charm onto the bow with natural button twine.  I don't do many boy cards and would rather have stuck on some lovely flowers and pearls but I finished the card with some pale lime green polka dot buttons and button twine instead!  Molly Blooms stamps, ribbon, charm, buttons and button twine are all from here. I am entering this into Totally Gorjuss Challenge 'Button It', Creative Card Crew 'Something Green'; This is my DT card for Ribbon Girl Colour Challenge No 6 'Green and Yellow' ; For Fun Challenges - A Bit of the Green

Birthday card for my sister

This is a birthday card for my little sisters' 60th birthday.  The background papers are from Clip Art Fairy and I coloured the Magnolia image with copics.  The inside of the card was also decorated.

The flowers are all from Wild Orchid, as are the small pearl hearts which I've used on each corner.  The leaves have been cut with my Martha Stewart Punch. The diamond swirl is from stash and the cream lace, peach sheer ruffle ribbon, Stardust Stickles and May Arts string/loop ribbon are all from Ribbon Girl.  I will enter this for the Wild Orchid Challenge 'anything goes' and The Pink Elephant Challenge ' Buttons, Ribbon, Lace'

Love ......

I distressed all edges with antique linen distressing ink and used an MFT die from Dies to Die For to make the doily from brown kraft card. The backing papers are from the Floral Fantasy digital range from Bearly Mine mounted onto brown kraft card. 

I coloured the image with copics, the gorgeous metal corners and pink roses are from Wild Orchid.  I punched leaves with my Martha Stewart leaf punch and branch punch and added some Stardust Stickles, pink satin ribbon, and a pink crown pin keeps the butterfly charm (from stash) in place.  NB:  Ribbon Girl will have a large selection of charms available in the next few days.  Stickles, Ribbon, Pin all from Ribbon Girl

This card is for the Ribbon Girl Colour Challenge No 5 (pink/cream/brown) and I am also entering this card into the Just Magnolia challenge 'love you'