Spring colours ......

A birthday card for a friend in spring colours with the cute LOTV image 'Dainty Dancing' coloured with inktense pencils on watercolour paper.  It's ages since I coloured anything and really enjoyed doing this.  This is my card for the LOTV Spring Challenge which remains open until 6pm UK time on 13th March

I added 30mm white cotton lace, white rose organza, pale terracotta daisies, white cosmos daisy, apple blossoms, peach beaded berries, apricot sugar sprinkles ribbon, green microdot ribbon, peaches and cream 5mm s/a pearls all from

see you soon, Mary x

Pretty egg box ....

I made a cover for a small box of 4 Cadbury chocolate eggs using Pion Violet Field 12x12 paper and an image of violets from the Pion Caroli Linnaeu 12x12 paper.  The sentiment was computer generated, punched then mounted onto the reverse side of Violet Field paper.  I was lucky enough to be given some new dies for Mothers Day from my lovely daughter Andrea.  I used the Spellbinders Dragonfly on this project - love it, thanks Andrea    I edged the sides of the paper with 17mm Laila vintage style cotton lace and 6mm white flatback pearl trim.  I used 3mm self adhesive tape

I tucked in some white veiling amongst the flowers which included Kort and God purpleviolet rolled rose, lilac ballerina blossom, vintage purple 15mm paper roses, lilac two tone aster, 3mm Liberty 952 ribbon

This is the box of chocolate eggs after the decorative cover has been removed - delicious!

crafters don't forget to join in with the Ribbon Girl March Card Challenge - great prizes to be won!

see you soon, Mary xx

if I had a flower .....

There is a new challenge over at The Ribbon Girl blog and we'd like to see all of your cards in'this 'anything goes' challenge but we expect there will be quite a few Spring and Easter cards among them.  It's Mothers Day here in the UK today but as my Mam passed away more than 30 years ago, also my Mother in Law I made this card as I often think of them and they both liked roses.  

I used some lovely Maja Vintage Autumn Papers and inked all the edges

Can you see the white tulle tucked around the flowers, it makes it look a little softer,

I made a small bow with 7mm  grape satin ribbon, and popped it on top of a bigger bow made with purple grape sheer ribbon, then added both ivory and lilac 30mm wild roses , lilac 20mm and 10mm open roses and some rose leaves with more white tulle inserted

I hope you can join in with the card challenge - there are 3 fabulous prizes for the three winners and they will all have their cards showcased when the announcement is made

see you soon,

Mary xx

Birthday card ... and reminder about the Use any Image challenge ...

Crafters - don't forget the Ribbon Girl 'Use any image' challenge is open until Saturday 5th March - you can submit any type of project, as long as there is an image on it!! 

-o0o-

A birthday card made for my brother's 68th birthday using an older design of Pion paper  (from the For Father collection)  I cut out the photo of the old car and used it as my image.  

All edges were distressed with Gathered Twigs ink and I added natural/brown saddlestitch ribbon, ivory teeny tiny pom pom trim, brown 30mm wild rose, white cosmos daisy, 20mm cream open rose, coffee brown sweetheart blossom, a wooden button tied on with brown sugar Bakers Divine twine - all from The Ribbon Girl

see you soon

Mary x

A gift bag .... and reminder about Use any image challenge ..

Crafters - don't forget the Ribbon Girl 'Use any image' challenge is open until Saturday 5th March - you can submit any type of project, as long as there is an image on it!! 

-o0o-

Yesterday I made  heart wall hanging and used two images from one sheet of Pion Design 'Linnaeus Botanical Journal - Leucanthemum Vulgare, which has four 6" x 6" image  - today I am showing you an Easter Gift Bag decorated with the remaining two images from the sheet

    Even the sweet little bluetit image has been die-cut from one of the four images - this lovely paper is so versatile - yesterday's heart was mostly green and this gift bag is mostly pale lemon even though the same paper was used

I added 'Veronica' 25mm ivory lace, 25mm pale lemon satin ribbon No. 14 which was also tied onto the bag handle, together with small pieces of iced lime seam binding, buttermilk tiny tic rac, gold fluted edge sheer ribbon. 

My flower arrangement includes a 40mm white daisy, white cosmos daisy, white lily flower and a lemon pretty blossom.  The leaves were cut with my good old Martha Stewart branch punch.

see you soon, Mary x

Home is where my heart is .......

Crafters - don't forget the Ribbon Girl 'Use any image' challenge is open until Saturday 5th March - you can submit any type of project, as long as there is an image on it!! 

-o0o-

I needed something to hang on a narrow plain green wall in my hall and came up with this heart hanging.  I covered a plain wooden heart with some gorgeous Pion Design  Paper 'Linnaeus Botanical Journal - Leucanthemum Vulgare -  then distressed the edges and inked with Gathered Twigs brown ink. 

 I especially wanted to include the lovely drawing of the daisy flowers so I cut the paper to fit the bottom of the heart then tore the rest to create extra interest

A close up of the paper and flowers - a 40mm white daisy, two white cosmos daisies, a white cherry blossom, and a white starburst stamen.  The sentiment was computer generated and I printed it in brown to match the distressing ink

For the butterfly I used a Memory Box die 'Vivienne Butterfly' the smallest in the set and after I had inked the edges I added 5mm ivory self adhesive pearls to the centre.

I added a bow of 8mm Antique White Rebecca Lace and Iced Lime seam binding ribbon 

I'm off to hang this on the wall now :-)

see you soon, Mary x

A 40th Birthday card ...

A birthday card for my niece which is now in the post to her.  I used the lovely  Maja 'Enjoying Outdoors' papers and image.  

I added 65mm 'Louise' white guipure lace, 'blackberry' 14mm satin ribbon, white lily flowers, lilac two tone asters, lilac and ivory ballerina blossoms

Lace, flowers, ribbon all from 

The Ribbon Girl

and a reminder that the Ribbon Girl February 'use any image' challenge over on the blog is open until Saturday 5th March

see you soon

Mary x

Tea anyone? .........

I had a nasty experience on Friday when I was hit on the head by the corner of a heavy box when it fell from the top of a tall cupboard - lots of blood as I'm on warfarin and a trip to the hospital to have the cut glued together!  Apart from the fact it is still sore and there is quite a bit of bruising I am otherwise unscathed and think myself lucky to get away so lightly, it could have been much worse.

I managed to make my project of a folding decorative corner card with 'tea bag' tag for the Ribbon Girl 'Use Any Image' Challenge over on the Ribbon Girl blog - used gorgeous Maja 'coffee in the arbour' papers and image - so pretty and so vintage! love them

I added 6mm ivory flat back pearl string, 7mm dusky pink satin ribbon, a pale pink ballerina blossom, 30mm pale pink wild and 10 and 20mm pale pink open roses, a white lily and some 8mm white ric rac

A close up of the 'tea bag' tag

this photo shows the inside of the folding decorative corner card which has also been decorated with Maja papers

I hope you will join in with the challenge - 3 great prizes for 3 winners!

see you soon,

Mary x

80th birthday card .... and card challenge reminder ...

I was asked to make a birthday card for an 80 year old Grandad and chose these lovely Pion Botanical papers with blue flowers and butterflies and The Ribbon Girl embellishments.  

The sentiment was computer generated and I added some small blue butterflies punched from co-ordinating card.  I added 15mm dusky blue satin ribbon, 10mm flat back pearl trim and 'the blues' self adhesive pearls.  Lastly, lots of Stardust Stickles for a bit of sparkle.

My flower arrangement includes dusky blue 30mm wild rose, 20mm and 10mm open roses, rose leves and blue beaded berries.

I hope you will find time to join in with The Ribbon Girl February Card Challenge - you can enter any type of card - great prizes to be won!

bye for now

Mary xx

Say it with flowers .....

Midweek reminder that the Ribbon Girl February Card Challenge is open until 20th February - lots of time to get your cards in - it's anything goes with the option of making a Valentine card!

A pretty birthday card with LOTV papers, pale pink satin ribbon, pretty pink loopy trim and Bianca Rosa white guipure (around the bottom adhered with 3mm double sided tape) and one flower tucked cut off and glued in to the flower display) small butterfly dangle beads tied on with natural hemp twine and Marianne self adhesive pearl/diamante butterflies.

Flowers include Aqua fabric blossom, 40mm pink daisy, medium pink/cream lily, pink 20mm open rose, small white rosebud, pink sweetheart blossom

All of the flowers, lace, ribbon, self adhesives, trim and double sided sticky tape are from The Ribbon Girl

see you all soon

Mary x

A new home .....

A card for friends retiring and moving to a new home. I will be making loads of these lovely standing decorative corner cards, I love them.  I hope you will join us for the Ribbon Girl February Card Challenge - we'd like to see your CARDS and expect lots of them will be for Valentines Day, but any theme is welcome, as long as it is a card of some sort.  Great prizes from our lovely friends at Lili of the Valley (who have a new range of stamps just out) and The Ribbon Girl

I used some of the new vintage violet roses, white lily flowers, new ivory fabric blossom with leaf, white/white beaded stamens, sky mauve seam binding, 4mm ivory pearl f/b s/a trim, Stardust stickles

a close up of the flower display - and the lovely die cut butterfly.

All edge were distressed with gathered twigs then sparkled with Stardust Stickles

Flowers, ribbon, pearl trim and Stickles are all from

Looking forward to seeing your cards over on the Ribbon Girl blog!!

Mary xx

Wedding or anniversary folded card ...

A little reminder that there's a mini challenge over on the Ribbon Girl Blog and we'd like to see your 'Love' projects.    I made this folded decorative corner card  (folds down for mailing) for a wedding or anniversary.   There is a tutorial for making a similar card here 

I used an image from a LOTV artpad then added Grace ivory guipure lace at the botttom topped with 15mm bridal white satin ribbon tied in a bow at the side.  

At the top I adhered 4mm ivory flat back pearls with 3mm double sided sticky tape.

My flower arrangement includes 30mm wild rose, 20mm pale pink open rose, baby pink pretty  sweetheart blossoms and a Kort & God chrysanthemum

I hope you will have time to pop over to the challenge blog and join in with this fun challenge - as well as a lovely prize there is also a GDT up for grabs!

see you soon, Mary x

Love is in the air .............

There is a little mini challenge over at The Ribbon Girl because January is a 5-week month so the February card challenge doesn't begin until next Sunday.  We decided to have a theme of 'love' and look forward to seeing your cards, bags, tags and projects of all types following the theme of love - they can be for a wedding, Valentines Day, anniversaries, love someone, sending love, with love from, love on Mothers Day ...... there are loads of things you can choose.

and best of all, as well as the super prize there is a Guest DT spot up for grabs!! 

I made a very lacey Victorian style valentine card using paper from the Pion 'to my valentine' collection. 

I added some Deborah ivory vintage style lace, then added it right around the edge of the card, I used red 12mm wide faux silk ribbon, ivory lace leaves and an ivory lace heart applique.

My flowers include burgundy 20mm open roses, white/white beaded berries,  tiny gyp flowers, green rose leaves, ivory wild rose with edges distressed  with ink

Ribbon, lace, lace appliques, flowers, leaves are all from

I hope you will join in with the challenge, I'm looking forward to seeing all your lovely creations 

Mary x

Anniversary card ....

A folding decorative corner card* for a couple celebrating their 30th (Pearl) Wedding Anniversary.  The card folds flat so it fits into a box, or an envelope if you don't use 3d flowers.  I used some of my old Pion papers which I keep in my 'special paper' box only to be used for special occasion projects,  then added a diecut heart.

My flower arrangement includes ivory gardenia, white lily flowers, Kort and Godt ivory beaded berries and a white chrysanth, white pretty blossom and a little bow made from 15mm ivory faux silk. 

All edges were distressed with gathered twigs ink 

I embellished the heart with 3 - 6mm ivory self adhesive pearls, on the bottom I added 10mm square flatback s/a pearl trim and the top of the folding card has gorgeous 15mm 'Rosa' ivory guipure lace, both adhered with 6mm double sided tape

All of the flowers, ribbon, lace, pearls and trim and sticky tape are from

*  This technique is NEW to me and I was inspired by this tutorial

As this is a new year, I thought I would like to join in with more challenges so I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges

http://craftyhazelnutspatternedpaper.blogspot.co.uk/  (patterned paper)

http://mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ (include a tag)

see you soon, Mary x

A pretty pink birthday card ....

There's a new 'use any image' challenge over on The Ribbon Girl blog and they'd like to see your cards, boxes, tags, bags and 3d craft projects, in fact, any project that includes an IMAGE.   I made a round birthday card for my neice and I used a LOTV artpad image and tag which was tucked into a pink blossom flower with a 20mm pale pink rose and a white chrysanth.  All edges were distressed with gathered twigs distress ink

My flower arrangement includes a pink gardenia, 20mm pale pink open roses, tiny pink rosebuds, rose leaves and some white Kort & Godt chrysanths.  I added little drops of Stickles to the centres of the hydrangea flowers on the image to make them sparkle

I die cut this lovely butterfly and added some distress ink and lots of Stardust Stickles to make it sparkle

I added pale pink satin ribbon then made a bow which was tied with pink Divine Bakers Twine and topped with a 15mm sparkly acrylic button.  

All of the flowers, leaves, twine, button, ribbon, lace and Stickles are from The Ribbon Girl

I hope you will have time to pop over to the blog and see the wonderful creations from our design team - they are looking forward to seeing what you make!

Mary x