Magnolia Masking challenge

I suddenly realised I'd have to make a handmade card for Mum's 60th tommorrow (bit of a special occasion & all that...) so I really got my head down & managed to create a little something to celebrate her day

I really wanted to enter the latest TOMIC challenge but I have to admit to sighing inwardly when I saw it was masking... lol!! Masking is hard work!

But the image came together pretty well once I'd had my lightbulb moment of using the piano (my Mom loves to play)& I am pleased with how the image looks.



I used MME Quite Contrary PPs, Promarkers & glossy accents on the shoes & champagne. Some freebie Molly Bloom's accessory stamps too. Apologies for the picture quality, I know it's awful!

Right then, I'm off to stuff this into an enevelope...

TFL!

This card is entered for the following challenges...

TOMIC - Masking

Edit - GUTTED!!! too late to enter!!! Hey Ho :(

Homemade Smashbook

You know when you see a really good crafty idea & think, "I could do that for a fraction of the price..."?

I was wrong on so many levels!! However if you wanna take a look at my very homemade-looking actually rather expensive smashbook then be my guest!! :D

It was fun to make though & it was good to blow off the dust on my BIA & the many happy hours browsing the web looking for just the right products for my boy themed book were hours well spent (IMO!!)

So here it is, I'd love to know what you think!!



I used Crate Paper Toybox PPs, stickers & borders
other stickers from MME, OA & Thickers
Stamps are also OA Schoolhouse
BIA & accessories
a 7gypsies book band
Kraft & Cream card
& various stash bits & bobs...

thank you so much for looking, I'll try & post something again real soon!

{Hugs}

Nikki x

Punky Scraps Challenge

I've been itching to make another LO & after a bit of mooching on UKS I came across a fab blog by Natalie who also runs a challenge blog called Punky Scraps so I thought I'd have me a go!!

The challenge is to create an LO taking inspiration from the picture below...



Well when I saw it I was immediately drawn to the cassette on the middle right (love those colours together!) and straight away thought of a sheet of Scenic Route PP I had in my stash... the circles remind me of speakers and the colours? well, maybe not exactly what I had in mind but close enough for me!!

So this is what I came up with...



I love these pics of 'Number 2'... they totally capture his personality & the way his hair has gone all static from the trampoline is too cute!!

So many thanks to Natalie for giving me the confidence & inspiration to try out some new painty, doodley techniques, hope you like it!

{hugs}

Nikki x

Magnolia Tent Card

Been having another play in between nappy changing!! Connor is a very woebegone boy at the moment, he's covered in spots after catching chicken pox from his older brother, poor little mite...

I haven't used this Tilda before so it's about time she got an outing, I also used the tent card tutorial from the Just Magnolia & Hanglar Stanglar Challenge Blog and the flower tutorial from Magnola Ink Magazine



Papers are K&Co with lots of twiddly bits, glitter (which you can't see!!) & dimensional pearl to finish.

This card is entered in Magnolia Stamp Lovers "Anything Goes" challenge

TFL!!

Nikki xxx

Hanglar ragdolly's first outing

Having a little girl's first birthday to make a card for was the perfect opportunity to ink up my gorgeous H&S Ragdolly...

It's been ages since I got my Distress & Inkadinks out, I'd forgotten how much I enjoy colouring in, boy I was out of practice though!! it took a few tries before I was finally happy with the result.



I would like to enter this card for the following challenges

Crafts 4 Eternity - Colour Challenge
Cupcake Craft Challenges - In the Garden
Papertake Weekly - Bloom & Grow

Many thanks for taking the time to look & comment,

Nikki xxx

Better late than never!

Well the stork finally visited on the 26th March at around 3:40am, he was 5 days late but the delivery a complete success with no complications

Our beautiful little bundle was named Connor George & his two big brothers are very proud & protective of him.

There's nothing like a new arrival to get the scrapping urge going is there? I can't believe the last LO I did was in August 2009!! Since my mojo has been sadly lacking of late I used this week's sketch from Pencil lines (& a LOT of inspiration from the DT, fab work ladies!!!!) and the weekly challenge over on UKS to get me started.

I've kept the design nice & simple, I haven't got time to get elaborate these days!



PPs are MME Alphabet Soup Boy

TFL!!

Boys just wanna have fun...

I am sharing a birthday card for my nephew today, I can't believe how quickly he's growing up, seven seems to have come along so very fast!

As it's a 'big boy' card I've kept embellishments down to the absolute minimum & used fab BG Archaic PPs with my LOTV image coloured with promarkers



Card is entered for the following challenges...

Simon Says Stamp - Coffee & Cream
Cupcake Craft Challenge - Anything but Square

TFL!

Nikki xxx

Altered Bingo Board

My shopping list pad finally ran out, it was an Edwardian Lady M&S one I got for my birthday last year, stuck to a board with a couple of magnets on the back & a pen holder.

So I pinched the magnets & the pen holder & bought a Bingo Board & a pack of 4 jotter pads for the princely sum of £2.70!! (I suspect if I'd have gone to the pound shop this would have been even cheaper!)

Cue a bit of BG Recess PP, my FAVOURITE Tilda & a bit of Hanglar Stanglar for good measure...et voila!!

The letter stickers are doodlebug highlighted with white gel pen (lurve that funky font!!) & the stamping is done with Tilda brown Staz-on & Distress inks... a fairly quick project for me & something I will actually use on a regular basis! Yay me!!! :D:D:D


A close-up of Tilda...



The hardest part was making the hole for the pen-holder to fit in, I did this by using my crop-o-dile to make the general shape & filed down the rough edges with precision files.

I would like to enter this for the following challenges

A Spoonful of Sugar & C.R.A.F.T Challenge Who are asking for "Anything But Cards"
Creative Inspirations who would like to see "Plain & Simple" and...
Stamp Something who are looking for "Something Funky".

TFL!!!

Nikki xxx

Lots of Love

Hello!!

Long time no speak! I'm 34 weeks now & it has gone so fast! I don't feel prepared at all, I finish work this week though so hopefully with a bit of extra time on my hands I can start preparing for baby & visit my craft room a little more often!

I only seem to make cards specifically for an occasion these days & this one is no exception - it's a valentine (as if you hadn't guessed!) for my lovely, but rather stressed, OH. He's under a lot of pressure at work at the moment & it doesn't help having a hormonal witch to cope with too!! (yes, that would be me!!) So this is my card to demonstrate that despite everything I love him loads...



I had a completely different idea for this card when I first started, can you guess what it was? I sort of imagined my two wee Hanglars as peas in a pod & scoured the internet looking for pea-related sentiments...

Finally settling for 'You Make Me Hap-pea...' I then embarked on my search for the perfect PPs in my stash... only to find... zip, nada...a big fat NOTHING apart from some very boring christmas paper in a shade vaguely relating to the colour I'd used on my image...

SO (deep breath) after much thought & over a couple of nights I FINALLY produced this... & yes, the paper piecing did take ages!!!!

A few challenges this week fit the theme of my card & I would like to enter it for

Cupcake Craft Challenge - Seeing Red
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Hearts gone wild!
Papertake weekly challenge - Have a Heart

Thank you so much for looking & hopefully I'll be back soon with another creation

{Hugs}

Nikki xxx