A Couple of Nordic Cards ...

Although it's not my style, it seems that Nordic themed cards are 'in' this year. I reused a Christmas card from last year in the top card and added backing paper and a little wooden girl with a felt hat to the gingerbread house. 

The bottom card is using the free  heart shaped die from Cardmaking & Papercraft Magazine and layered it against yellow coregated card and Papermanias 12 days of Christmas paper from last year

Big Blooms and mounting excitement!

A couple of cards this week made with the big Papermania die cut blooms with button centres

Soon I will be off on a girly trip to New York to celebrate my 50th birthday. It will be hard to fit in all the sightseeing and shopping into just a few days, but we will! 

However, I will be foregoing a trip on the Staten Island Ferry to go craft shopping - and first on the list is Michaels!! I'm leaving plenty of space in the suitcase for a new handbag and lots of Christmas crafting items.

Scraps Away!

I have several folders full of those poly pockets containing the left over pieces from various collections of papers - many of which were freebies from different magazines. 

The stickers and scraps of papers for these 3 cards, I think, were from a Making Cards Magazine collection - probably at least 2 or 3 years old!

I challenged myself to use them all up and after a bit of playing around, found they toned nicely with some large Papermania Capsule die cut flower shapes (which had been kicking around for a while too!) - so that just leaves about 30 more pockets of scraps to use up!!

Home To Nest

I've just given out over 60 cards to local charities to help with their fund raising, so thought I would treat myself to the new Docrafts goody bag and popped down to the Range.

I really love the new Home to Nest range and think they make lovely cards for both those with green fingers and bird lovers alike!

I'm not too sure about Papermania Spots & Stripes range  - it is a bit too big and bright for me

More Monochrome cards!

Just made a couple more simple 2 coloured cards - the black and white die-cut butterflies are from Craftwork cards and the Thank You card used Papermania capsule papers and flowers that I have had in my sash for ages!

The Monochrome Look

This week I have made a few black & white monochrome cards using the Papermania Capsule Collection with added feathers, bling and glitter!

Playing with my new stamps

I just love these Papermania Urban stamps and as they were reduced to only  £4.99 at the Range, had to buy them! The red card was stamped with chalk ink and highlighted the butterflies with Sakura glitter gel pen, whilst the other card was stamped with cosmic copper ink which gives a lovely sheen!

I'm going to have to concentrate on using up more of my stash, as I have to start saving for my daughters school trip and son wants to start to learn to drive. Looks like I am have to keep away from temptation and avoid any craft shops for quite a while.

Sorry - yet more Portobello Road Cards !!

I'm afraid I'm still churning out more cards using the fab Papermania Portobello Rd range of papers and stamps, I can't stop playing with them!

For this one I have added a Craftwork cards Union Jack sentiment. I've also had another go with the camper van from the matching urban stamps to make a flower power card!

Some More of those Fab Portobello Cards

I couldn't resist making some more cards with that funky Papermania Portobello Road papers and matching urban stamps - so here they are!

I also thought I would try out the VW Camper Van stamp in a different 'groovy'  green and yellow colour scheme. 

Just loving the new Portobello Road range!

As soon as I saw the new Portobello Road range by Papermania I knew I just had to have them so used the last of my Christmas money on them!

I  just love the retro Great British  feel to them and the versatility of the stamps. I just had to get them inked up and experiment making a couple of cards!

I thought these would make great cards for those 'difficult' to cater for men in the family - you know, the ones who don't like football, flash sports cars or pints of beer. They might even do for teenagers off to study or work in London for the first time!

I'm entering this into the Bling it On - New Beginnings challenge

Fab 'n' Funky - Something new Challenge

Are you playing with your crafty Christmas presents...

Because I have been! I couldn't resist it any longer, I had to get out my stash which had ALL been tidied away for Christmas, and now it is spread all over the lounge table again!

I wanted to use my new Papermania Urban bird stamps because of their lovely vintage, distressed look with my new Brilliance Copper ink

3 Tier Birthday Cake

I made this card with the cake layer stamps that are in the Docrafts goodie bag along with the yummy Papermania lemon sorbet papers

There is a layer of stickles glitter glue to highlight the edges and candle flames

I finished it off with a large silk flower and am going to enter into the Inspirational Card Sketches challenge who have a Bunny Zoe Crafts gift certificate up for grabs.

I'm glad to see several members of Craftrak are meeting up on CraftBubble to resurrect the swaps as we miss the site since it went down

Molly Blooms Freebie Stamp Cards

I'm just loving the cute Molly Bloom stamps given away free with this months Simply Cards & Papercraft Magazine! I couldn't wait to ink them up and get out the promarkers.

The Sunflower and picket fence are from Papermania and I have been waiting for inspiration to strike so that I could use them in a card.

I couldn't resist the New Docrafts Lemon Goodie Bag

I went shopping to The Range in Ipswich yesterday hoping for a few crafty bargain but was very disappointed - very few things were reduced and most of those were tatty or damaged.

But I did pick up the latest yellow themed goodie bag and copy of Creativity magazine. I love the new 'build a cake' stamps in it and had to try them out straight away! The Papermania Lemon Sorbet Capsule papers are lovely too - very spring like.