About Me

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Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
I have been crafting since May 2008, when in desperation to find an unusual birthday card for my Mum, I gave up looking in the shops and decided to have a go at making my own. I soon realised that crafting is addictive and I haven't brought a card since. In 2011 I completed my certificate in papercrafting as a result of the work I did as part of the course I started entering challenges on line and in magazines. I applied for design teams and also started making samples for Ooh La La Creations for their shows on Create and Craft. I have now completed my Diploma in professional crafting and most recently been runner up in the Papercrafter of the Year 2013 a competition run by Papercraft essentials magazine, I don't have a particular style I like to use elements from lots of styles and techniques, although I do love all things vintage. In 2014 I started to move more towards scrapbooking to take care of the huge family archive of photographs that were stored in my attic. I have continued cardmaking and Scrapbooking through 2015 and 2016 but have also become interested in off the page projects. I hope to be able focus on these in the future.

Monday 28 May 2012

Making it girly with Ooh La La creations

Good morning, We had some amazing entries in the ribbon and or twine challenge, congratulations to the winners very well deserved. The challenge over at Ooh La La for the next fortnight is 'Make it Girly' so get out all those lovely girly images and embellishments and pop over to have a look at what my fellow design team members have created and join us.

Here is my DT card for the challenge. 


With so many gorgeous images and backing papers to choose from across the Ooh La La CD range it took me a while before I finally decided on using the pink ballerina image from the Femme Fatale CD. The main backing paper is blue green cedar from the 'Dreams of Tranquility' CD and the pink strip of basket weave paper was from the matching papers for 'Pink Ballerina' All the flowers and the two butterflies were punched out of scraps of papers I had printed for previous DT projects and some of the flowers had sequin flower centres added. The leaves were punched and die cut from silver holographic card and the lace and ribbon were from my stash.


Friday 18 May 2012

Boys and girls come out to play

May and June are always busy for me when it comes to family and friends celebrations and high on the list are two of our three grandchildren who celebrate their birthdays in June. So Having a little spare time a few nights ago I came up with these two cards for their birthdays.




Damien is the eldest and he is very much a boy's boy. He is currently into pirates so this seemed the perfect theme for his birthday card. I also know that he loves cards with lots of 3D detailing so I decided to raid my husband's work box to liberate a sheet of sandpaper to incorporate into my design. I also found some great sheer fabric whilst in Ikea it is meant to be used to screen windows in the summer to stop unwanted bugs coming in, but cut into wavy strips and layered up in alternate colours it makes for a great 'sea'.


I used a foil stamped image from Hunky Dory which I coloured using Spectrum Noir markers, and the cloud paper was some I had in my stash.

I started by sticking the cloud paper to a white card background that would fit the front of a A5 card blank and then wrapped the bottom half of the card with the strips of fabric, sticking the ends down on the back of the panel for neatness. I then cut a large 'island' from sand paper and stuck it to the bottom of the panel, The image was stuck to the card so that the bottom edge was tucked underneath the top most 'wave'. Then I went to town with a sticker sheet I had in my stash. The two palm trees in the foreground were stuck to white card and cut out before being stuck to the card with glue gel. To really add to the 3D effect I stuck more layers of sand paper onto the 'island' to make sand dunes and added the treasure box which is overflowing with bits of old jewellery chain and some bright red stick on crystals. I added 2 smaller treasure boxes a jolly roger and some coins again from the sticker sheet and stuck to white card and cut out. The finishing touches were a couple of parrots, the foam sun, and a message in a bottle floating in the waves.


I am entering Damien's Card into the following challenge
http://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - use fabric on your card 

Now as much as Damien is a boy's boy, Chloe Ann is definitely a girl's girl. She is positively a little lady and loves pink. So a theme of fairies was perfect for her card. Being lucky enough to be on the Ooh La La creations design team I was able to use their most recent 'Fairies and Blooms' CD for the lovely image and backing papers.



I mounted the image on a piece of holographic mirri card and trimmed it to leave a really narrow border. I used the  rest of the Mirri board to make the card front, working with it as a panel to fit an A5 card front so any edges could be neatly tucked behind. I had some lovely hearts stars and beads in a clear mink and lilac acrylic from a project several years ago (I never throw anything out) and these were threaded onto silver thread to make the hanging charms. I cut a piece of the backing papers from the CD to slightly smaller than the mirri card and punched the edge using a Martha Stewart lace edge punch this was then stuck to the mirri card and the basket weave edging added. I wrapped the panel with the left over silver thread from the beading and then wrapped a piece of pink polka dot ribbon round the  panel before sticking it to the card front. I attached the hanging beads using a blob of glue gel and positioned a punched butterfly over the glue so that the ends of the  threads formed its feelers. Three paper flowers and another butterfly along with a ribbon bow were added to the bottom corner of the image to balance the card visually. The final touches were a spot of stickles on the fairy's wings and tiny pure white pearls made using pearl paint.

All that remains is for me to package them up and send them off to Mummy ready to be presented to Damien and Chloe Ann on their Birthdays. 

I am entering Chloe Ann's card into the following challenge
http://craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - lets hear it for the girls 

Monday 14 May 2012

Ribbon and Twine OLL DT

Well it's Monday and for the next fortnight the challenge over at Ooh La La Creations is to use Ribbon or twine in your design. We had some fabulous entries in our Make it Manly Challenge and well done to the winners.

Here is my card for the latest challenge.



It all started with the topper from the Passion for Fashion CD which reminded me of a dress makers pattern, I decided to elaborate on the sewing theme and used the image from the bonus papers and topper folder on the Passion for Fashion CD featuring the sewing theme. I made the double easel from an A4 card blank and the die cuts were created using a Tim Holtz die. A little bit of paper folding created the skirt on the dress form, and a computer generated sentiment 'You're sew special' adds the finishing touch.

I am entering this card into the following Challenges.

http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ make it girlie
http://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ buttons and bows
http://ceschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ anything goes
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.co.uk/ anything goes

Monday 7 May 2012

Special Lady

I love my husband dearly but, I could cheerfully strangle him sometimes. Like on Tuesday when he tells me out of the blue. 'Oh by the way My Auntie Grace is 80 next Monday' and follows it up with could you make her a special card? - Now normally this wouldn't be a problem however, I was working nights and having my sleep completely disrupted by the gas board who had decided that it was great time to start replacing the gas mains in our road to the entire road looks as though it has been hit by meteorites. Oh well having told him what I thought of him leaving it so late to tell me. I decided it gave me an excuse to use some of the lovely items I had recently purchased at the Creative Stitch and craft show at Aintree, and here is what I came up with.


I made the background by embossing plain white card using a C-ArtUS embossing folder and then brushing the edges with Victorian Velvet distress ink from Ranger. The central gold panel was  cut using one of the x-cut nesting dies. The Flowers and leaves were cut from pearlised paper using some new 'Kreasions' and then coloured using distress inks whilst still in the die. I added a couple of sprays of pearls and some punched butterflies and the sentiment says it all. Auntie Grace is a very special lady.

All in all it took me about an hour to make this from being told it was required to finished design, it was my first attempt at creating the orchids and all in all I was quite pleased with it and my husband well he was delighted and he did buy me a lovely bouquet for our anniversary last week so he is forgiven.

I am entering this card into the following challenges
http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ Anything goes
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.co.uk/ - Anything Goes
http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - Happy Birthday
http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ - Anything Goes