Happy birthday

Not an original title I know! I must have a go at some more interesting blog post titles. I thought this card would be a cute little girl birthday card. Such sweet colours from the Play Date Cafe - they are celebrating their anniversary and the idea was to choose your own inspiration from this fab photo.

I took the peachy pink background with white, touches of berry and a splash of yellow. Also, I always love a sketch to help me along, so I used the latest Sweet Sunday sketch.

Debby

Supplies:

Stamps - PTI everyday classics, WMS frame it
Inks - AC blush, PTI berry sorbet, Versafine smoky gray
Card - PTI berry sorbet, SU! blush blossom
Ribbon - PTI lemon tart
Glossy accents
Buttons

Papertrey October blog hop challenge

This month the hop challenge was:

"There is always a lot of focus on Christmas in our industry this time of year, as that is what the majority of the population celebrates. However, this month's blog hop is dedicated to those that celebrate winter holidays other than Christmas."

Hmm, a non-Christmas winter holiday. Well although I'm English, I live in Scotland. One of the main winter holidays in Scotland is Hogmanay. In Scotland we get an extra days holiday and the celebrations are steeped in history one of which is "first footing". I found some information here.

"First footing" (that is, the "first foot" in the house after midnight) is still common in Scotland. To ensure good luck for the house, the first foot should be male, dark (believed to be a throwback to the Viking days when blond strangers arriving on your doorstep meant trouble) and should bring symbolic coal, shortbread, salt, black bun and whisky. These days, however, whisky and perhaps shortbread are the only items still prevalent."

One of my neighbours met her husband when he first footed her! I thought it would be nice this coming Hogmanay to honour the tradition and give out some shortbread gifts. I used Everyday Treats to create a wrap for a glassine bag filled with shortbread fingers.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day as you hop along to the next participant!

Debby

Supplies:

Stamps - PTI everyday treats
Inks - PTI pure poppy, Versafine olympia green, vintage sepia
Card - PTI vintage cream
Embossed card - K&Company
Dies - PTI mat stack 1, Spellbinders circles, lacey circles
PTI pure poppy bakers twine
PTI glassine bag
Ribbon
Embossing powder

Thanks

I have very strong feelings about the children writing to thank people for the gifts they receive. So for Christmas I not only make a bunch of Christmas cards but also a bundle of thank you cards. I used the colours from Color Cue # 9 to make a very CAS and easy to reproduce Christmas thank you card. Considering the number of sparkles on there I'm also putting this card forward for Create's challenge to use bling!

Here's a close up of those sparkly baubles.

Debby

Supplies:

Stamps - Wplus9 mehndi medallions
Inks - Versafine smoky gray, SU! pretty in pink
Ribbon - PTI hibiscus burst
Papermania adhesive stones
Metallic embroidery floss

A gift for you

Hi there. This is another quick post to show a tag I made for Claire's "Tag you're it" challenge. I think the supplies list will be longer than this post! Here's the tag which I attached to a gift bag I quickly whipped up using a PTI template.

 

And a closer look at the tag - after all this challenge is about the tag not the bag! Hopefully you can see the sparkle I added to the ornament.

Said it would be a quick post!

Debby

Supplies:

Stamps - WMS complements of the season, holiday label no 14, SU! contempo christmas
Inks - AC apricot, blush, Versafine smoky gray
Card - PTI vintage cream, SU! blush blossom
Paper - bitty dot basic 2009
Ribbon - PTI vintage cream, Hobbycraft
Punches - Fiskars apron lace, Dovecraft snowflake, SU! ornament
Dies - Spellbinders labels 14
Template - PTI around town tote
SU! eyelet
Pearl
Glitter

One more for Halloween

Ok there's still time for one more project for Halloween! This is just a quick post to share another one of my Halloween treats using PTI Halloween Tag set and their Favor It die. All filled up with some sweet chocolate treats and looking so cuuuute!

Debby

Supplies:

Stamps - PTI halloween tags 2009, everyday treats
Inks - American Crafts apricot, leaf
Paper - PTI bitty box basics
Die - PTI favor it 1

Great big hugs

This card is for the kids to send to a friend who is due to have an operation soon. We live opposite some woods and have a lot of squirrels here which are all affectionately called either "Nutty", "Nutella" or "Walnut" in our house. So this card is quite appropriate from us.

Now I must admit that I spent some time today dancing around the house with this card and my camera trying to find a bit of light to take photos. Today is turning out to be rather grey and dull, which doesn't help matters. In the end I used an antique blanket chest which I have to say does not provide a flat surface! I do wonder whether one of those light box thingies would be worth while except I don't know where I'd put it.

I used the lovely bright colours from the latest Curtain Call Challenge # 52 and the latest sketch from Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge # 89 . I thought it would be nice to follow on inside the card, which as a happy coincidence fits with the latest Caardvarks challenge.

Here's the colours and sketch that I used:

Debby

Supplies:

Stamps - PTI green thumb, WMS frame it

Inks - Versafine vintage sepia, SU! chocolate chip

Card - PTI orange zest, kraft, SU! chocolate chip, more mustard

Paper - PTI bitty dots basic 2009

Cricut cartridge - create a critter

Dies - PTI scallop, Spellbinders squares

Googly eyes

Let it snow

Well actually please don't let it snow! I have quite an aversion to snow after last winter. For my neck of the woods, we had so much snow and it stayed for sooooo long. I love snow when it arrives, looks beautiful crisp and white and the kids can sledge and have fun for a day or two. After which I'm quite happy for it all to melt asap!

Any how, the title of this post is from the tag I made for Claire's "Tag you're it" challenge. I still had the MME paper I used the other day on my desk and felt it went well with this cute tin pail I got from Laura Ashley a while back. I thought I could fill it up with some lovely goodies and it would make a perfect teacher gift.

Debby

Supplies:

Stamps - WMS compliments of the season, Papermania snowflake decorations
Inks - PTI aqua mist, Versafine vintage sepia
Card - PTI vintage cream, kraft
Ribbon - PTI aqua mist, vintage cream
Button - PTI aqua mistTwine - SU!
Eyelet - SU!
Paper - My Minds Eye lush
Dies - Spellbinders labels 14, circles, lacey circles

Halloween tags

Today is my second post as the featured stamper on A Passion For Papertrey. The challenge set by the fabulous Kate, Aimes and Caryn was to CASE one of the PTI design team. To read more please pop in here!

As my mission to be ready for Halloween is still ongoing I chose to CASE a set of tags by Michelle Wooderson of Mish Mash. Here's the link to the tags in the PTI gallery. I did find photographing these tags amazingly difficult but this was my best attempt!

I took 3 of the tags and used them to embellish some treat toppers for my nieces. Here they are, along with the Halloween card I made for the last challenge.

I've been busy making lots more of these tags and I will try and get a photo of the finished result soon! I've also been buying lots of treats to fill the bags along with Halloween costumes, pumpkins and decorations. Really starting to get in the mood now and yet there's still almost 2 weeks to go!

Debby

Supplies:

Stamps - PTI Halloween tags, fillable frames 1
Inks - Versafine onyx black, imperial purple, American Crafts apricot, leaf
Paper - PTI bitty dots basics, bitty box basics
Ribbon - PTI simply chartreuse, orange zest
Die - PTI mat stack 1
PTI twine

Friends of Waltzingmouse blog waltz

Yey, it's time for another Waltzingmouse Blog Waltz! Regular visitors to my blog will know that I've been just a bit keen on WM stamps recently! The good news is I bought a few of the new sets in the latest release - so, yey, new stamps to play with.

Even though I enjoyed our week away last week, it's always nice to come home too, especially when it means I get some time to stamp. I want to send my Mum a thank you card for putting us all up and cooking and running around after us all weekend. However, do you find that when you want to make something it doesn't always come easily! So I stamped and discarded and stamped and discarded and then eventually I turned to Mercy's Tuesday sketch #95 and used the inspiration to help me put together this thank you card.

One of the reasons I bought the framed set was for this leaf! I inked it up in toffee, tapped around the stamp in apricot and then edged it in crimson red. As a final touch I added touches of glitter over the veins and edges to act as frost. The sentiment is from teeny trees - still don't seem to be able to keep away from that set!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your journey as you waltz along!

Oh and this card also fits with crazy for challenges #59 to make an autumn/harvest project.

Debby

Supplies:

Stamps - WMS frame it, teeny trees
Inks - Versafine toffee, crimson red, American Crafts apricot, SU! chocolate chip
Card - PTI summer sunrise, terracotta tile, dark chocolate, vintage cream
Paper - Bella Blvd one fall day
Ribbon - PTI aqua mist
Dies - Spellbinders squares, labels 1
PTI impression plate
Glitter

Cherry on top blog award

Well I am literally just back from holiday - we took the kids to visit my family and also had some time at Center Parcs. We had an absolute ball! It was great to see all my family but my brother and some of his family were there too and I haven't seen them in ages. Also at Center Parcs we scuba dived, pendulum swung, played tennis, tried falconry, nature walked, golfed, made teddy bears, swam the slides and rapids ....... I'm exhausted! But in a very nice, content, we all had a good time, way.

I recently received a cherry on top award from Keva of Hownowbrownkow and I am so totally chuffed! Unfortunately getting ready for going away and then actually being away this week has stopped me from posting this before. But now is my opportunity to remedy that. So here goes, part of the award is to tell you three things about myself that perhaps you don't know.

• I really don't like having my picture taken. It's not just that I'm no longer a svelte teenager, but I just really hate being in front on the camera!
• I absolutely love being behind the camera and have my children well trained to pose for me wherever we go.
• My favourite book of all time is Pride and Prejudice and the BBC series knocks pants off the film!

Next up is supposed to be a picture and although I've scanned through my photos I really can't find anything suitable. I did find a picture of my sand covered toes on a beach but really you don't want to see that! So I shall move quickly on to pass the award on to 5 blogs I find inspirational. I've recently been spending some time on the PTI forum and found some fabulous inspiration there. So my bloggers are all PTI girls!

1. Kate & Aimes of A Passion for Papertrey
2. Laurie of Soapbox Creations
3. Amy of Stamp-n-Paradise
4. Kara of KandRdesigns
5. and Jen of Jen's Ink Spot

Well now I'm off to see if I can find my way to a bit of time to get inky!

Debby

Christmas greetings

Just a quick post to show you a card I combined two challenges for - Colour Throwdown # 113 and Sweet Sunday Sketch # 87. The colours are bit unusual for Christmas I know, do you think it works?

Well I may be missing in action for a few days. Here in Scotland the children are breaking up from school for a weeks holiday and we are hoping to see some family and have a few days away. See you when we get back!

Debby

Supplies:

Stamps - PTI fancy flourishes, WMS teeny trees
Ink - SU! pale plum, chocolate chip
Card - PTI vintage cream, dark chocolate, SU! perfect plum
Paper - PTI bitty dots basics
Dies - Spellbinders create a flake
Stickles glitter glue

Merry

Hi there, just popping in to sneak in a last minute project for the latest Colour Cue challenge. At first these colours stumped me. The yellow was the problem. I kept seeing the scarlet and green as good for a Christmas project, but I just couldn't visualise the yellow in there. That was until I thought of a sparkly yellow star. So here's a little Christmas box which I thought I'd pop a few chocolates in.

Debby

Supplies:

Stamps - Wplus9 mehndi medallions, PTI everyday treats, everyday classics, SU! tiny tags
Inks - PTI lemon tart, American Crafts leaf, Versafine crimson red
Dies - PTI favor it box 1, mat stack 1, Spellbinders labels 14
Card - PTI vintage cream, Bazzill
Stickles glitter glue
Coats linen thread
Button
Ribbon

With heartfelt

This is the second post for today, so please scroll down. I'm on a roll with these Verve sketches. This is the one I used this time.

I also used the colours from this weeks Curtain Call Challenge which is based on another gorgeous photo.

And here is my card.

Unfortunately I needed a sympathy card for my card box as my husband used the last one for a colleague :(

Debby

Supplies

Stamps - PTI turning a new leaf, through the trees
Ink - Versafine onyx black
Card - PTI terracotta tile, kraft, SU more mustard
Ribbon - PTI simply chartreuse
Dies - Spellbinders labels 14

Just because

Julie posted 5 sketches on the Verve blog for World Card Making Day. Here's the first sketch.

I've seen quite a lot of the use of kraft, white and a pop of one colour and wanted to give it a go. So I started by embossing the flower image in black and then highlighted the centre using a white gel pen. I used two white strips down the side - one plain and one embossed to add interest. A quick bow for that pop of colour and done!

I do love using sketches to get me started and there are 4 more I haven't had a go at yet!

Debby

Supplies

Stamps - PTI friends 'til the end, round and round
Ink - Versafine onyx black
Card - PTI true black, kraft
Ribbon - PTI lemon tart
White gel pen
Embossing powder

Good luck

I used the same design as yesterday's Halloween card to create a good luck card for a friend who is leaving to get married. These colours are just so her that I smiled all the time making it as I know she will love it. I cut the big flower from raspberry fizz card using three sizes of beautiful bloom dies, fluffed them up and added a button for the centre.

Debby

Supplies:


Stamps - WMS say it with style
Ink - Versafine onyx black
Card - PTI raspberry fizz
Ribbon - PTI hawaiian shores
Paper - de lovely
Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder
Papermania adhesive stones

Autumn

Well autumn is definitely here and I have two autumn themed cards to show you today that I shared over on A Passion For Papertrey. Please drop by and see the amazing designs by Kate and Aimes.

First up for me is a Halloween card.

Here's a close up of some of the detail.

Next up is an autumn card based on nature. As anyone knows who drops by here regularly - I do looove leaves!

Here is some detail on this card.

So there's the pictures but if you want to read more or hear about the great new challenge then please pop over here.

Debby

Supplies:


Halloween card


Stamps - PTI halloween tags 2009
Ink - Versafine onyx black, American Crafts apricot
Card - PTI true black
Paper - PTI bitty box basics
Ribbon - PTI simply chartreuse
Dies - PTI scallop die, Spellbinders circles, scallops
Cuttlebug swiss dots embossing folder
Embroidery floss


Leaf card


Stamps - PTI turning a new leaf, signature greetings
Ink - Versafine vintage sepia, American Crafts apricot
Card - PTI kraft, vintage cream, simply chartreuse
Felt - PTI harvest gold
Ribbon - PTI aqua mist
Dies - Spellbinders circles, scallops
Glitter

Another thank you

I seem to be on a bit of a thank you card hit at the moment. But then you can never have too many thank you cards, especially when they use this cute little chick from PTI's everyday button bits!

This card started just because of that lovely ribbon! I just liked the way the colour popped off the white card base. Everything else just fell in to place to make something bright and cutesy and of course clean and simple.

Supplies:

Stamps - PTI everyday button bits, fillable frames 1, teacher's apple
Inks - Versafine onyx black, American Crafts aqua
Paper - PTI bitty dots 2008, Cosmo Cricket pixie-licious
Ribbon - American Crafts
Dies -Spellbinders circles PTI mat stack 1
Googly eyes
Papermania adhesive stones

Debby

Thank you

It's World Card Making Day. Yey! Although here in the UK it's almost over, so I'm sneaking this post in right at the close of the day! I sort of had some time to make cards during the day as I went to a make and take event hosted by our local SU! ladies. Thank you girls I had a lovely time. I also managed to finish this card at home this evening. I know the photo is really bad - it's been taken in the dark and I am hopeless unless I have lots of natural light. I promise I will take another photo tomorrow morning and edit this post then, but I wanted to post at least something today.

Edited to insert better photos. Although the weather here today is grim and the photos aren't really any better. I've added a detail shot to hopefully show the lovely glitter and sparkle.


So the card is based on this weeks sketch from 2 sketches 4 you. I squished the shape from portrait to landscape and the rectangle transformed into a circle but I hope you can see where I was coming from!

I had a much busier card started but didn't like it and started again, parring down until I found something I liked. I embossed the flourish stamp first so I could see where to apply stickles glitter then embellished with a few rhinestones. In real life it is so sparkly! Hopefully tomorrow's photo will show it off better. Well I'm going to call it a day. I hope you all enjoyed your World Card Making Day.

Supplies:

Stamps - PTI fancy flourishes, WMS say it with style
Ink - SU! chocolate chip
Card - PTI rustic white
Paper - Crate Paper brook collection border stickers
PTI moss rhinestones
Stickles star dust

Debby

Enjoy the ride

Just popping in to share my card for this weeks colour throwdown challenge. The colours were truly autumnal, so I thought I'd go with that and created this cute little circle card autumn scene.

I have to go now as I'm due at the dentist shortly :(

Supplies:

Stamps - WMS teeny trees, PTI everyday button bits
Inks - PTI smokey shadow, American Crafts apricot, Versafine onyx black, vintage sepia
Card - SU! pumpkin pie
Paper - SU! old olive, PTI beautiful blooms
Spellbinders circle and scallop dies
SU! button

Debby

Featured stamper

You had to pick me up off the floor when the fabulous Kate and Aimes from A Passion for Papertrey asked me to be their featured stamper for October! I can't thank the girls enough for the opportunity and am so looking forward to the month ahead. So please pop by there if you haven't already and say hi.


Debby