May Challenge at Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes

Apologies to my followers for my lack of posts. Unfortunately my dear father in law has been very ill and I have been helping care for him at home, he passed away a few weeks ago. As my last post was his birthday card I am dedicating this next card to him.

This month at Crafts Galore Encore we are sponsored by Oak Pond Creations who have supplied the DT with some fantastic digis and are giving a choice of 3 digis for a prize, check them out here.

The image is King of Courage by Oak Pond Creations

Coloured with Copic Ciao and Sketch

Impression Obsession Die Cut

Swirl Cuttlebug Imbossing folder

DP is by Allison Ellis

Card and Gems from Stash

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes

Copic Europe - Feathers or Fur

Cute Card Thursday - Use a sentiment

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

Party Time Tuesday - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - Colour Challenge

 I have used King of Courage in memory of my father in law who was the most courageous and brave man I have ever known, he fought his illness to the end. To a very special man.

Rest In Peace Allan

Jo x

DT CALL at CGE DT!

We are looking for some new DT members join us at the start of January 2015. You will need to create one project per month (usually using digi stamps provided by sponsors) and to comment on challenge entries. You are also expected to enter challenges with your projects and promote the challenge where ever possible. You must have an active Blog.
We are a happy band of crafters living across the world, we don't "do", drama and we have lots of fun!
If you would like to join us please add DT next to name on your entry. We will contact a short list of people who will be invited to tell us a little bit about why they would like to join us x

Now on to this months challenge over at Crafts Galore Encore which is anything goes and is sponsored by Whoopsidaisy who are very kindly giving a prize of 2 sheets of digis. 

My card for this months challenge was a difficult card for me to make, it was for my dear father in law's 85th birthday, he is poorly and having a bit of a rough time. He is such a sweetheart and never complains.  I hunted high and low for the right image for this one. He keeps Gouldian Finches so this card was well received and is in pride of place on the mantlepiece!!

The Gouldian finch is a digi image from Paint the World Super Colouring

Coloured with Copic Sketch and Ciao

Paper, dried grass and raffia from stash

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges

Crafty Catz - Anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything goes

4 crafty chicks - Anything goes

The Crafters Cafe Challenge Blog - Things with Wings

Simon Says Stamp - Anything goes

Party Time Tuesday - Anything goes

Through the Craftroom Door - Anything goes

All Sorts Challenge - Masculine

Have a great November

Hugs Jo x

Back again!!

This month over at Crafts Galore Encore we are celebrating Halloween with Trick or Sweet, so anything Halloween goes and we are sponsored by the fabulous Kenny K. Check out their website for a great selection of fantastic digis.

I had so much fun creating this card, for some unknown reason I really enjoy making Halloween cards. I am getting quite a collection now, I never send them to anyone just keep them, lol. I made this card whilst visiting my good friend Wendy from Stamps and Memories. I went over to spend the day with her with quite a clear idea in my mind of what I was going to make, which is most unlike me and came back home having made something completely different!! Anyway here is my masterpiece

Image Kenny K Trixxie Treat

Coloured with Copic Sketch and Ciao

Spellbinders

Impression Obsession Spider Web and Spider Die

Impression Obsession Sentiment

Lilac and grey blending Chalk

Paper

Glossy Accents

Glamour Dust 

Orange Wink of Stella

Card from Stash

I am going to enter this into the following challenges:

Pile it on - The witching hour

The Corrosive Challenge - Halloween colours

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything goes

4 Krafty Girlz - Anything goes

Aud Sentiments - Halloween Sentiment

A Step in the Dark - Anything goes

Through the Classroom Door - Anything Goes

Pinspirational Challenge - Anything Goes

Die Cuttin Divas - Anything Goes

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

The Pink Elephant Challenge - Anything Goes

Hope you like it and can't wait to see your entries into our fab challenge Crafts Galore Encore, pop across and check out our brilliant Teams projects for inspiration.

Jo x

Phew, what a scorcher

Hi folks, hope you are all enjoying this great weather that we are having in the UK. Hottest July on record, so they say and that leads me on to this months challenge at Crafts Galore Encore. We are sponsored by the fantastic Di's Digistamps

who are offering a great prize of $12 to spend instore, a very generous prize at that, so get your entries in for a chance to win. 

The DT over at Crafts Galore  Encore have really excelled themselves and there are some cracking projects on our anything goes challenge this month, we love to see you and read your messages so why not pop across and check them out.

Now on to my little project, lol. Being very fair skinned, I decided enough was enough and I was fed up with having a sore head from the sun. I'm a softy really and don't like the pain, lol. Anyway that was that and as we have an anything goes challenge this month I thought I would try something completely different and different it is, lol. I set myself a task of making a hat!! So here it is, a real retro sixties floppy hat with a lovely brim to keep the sun off of everything and it is even adjustable to fit any size head, lol.

The pattern I used was an old Simplicity pattern

The fabric is by Makower and is 100% cotton and available from Creativ-e-T in Devizes along with the double fold bias binding and interfacing.

The brim has been stiffened with a double layer of iron on heavy weight interfacing.

The crown has a single layer of heavy weight interfacing. 

After very carefully constructing all the bits and binding as necessary it was time to add crown to brim. Why is it it never fits?!  I had an awful lot of crown left over and not enough brim so with gentle persuasion consisting of  a bit of snipping here and there, pushing and shoving, pulling and tugging 4 hours later it went in, only for me to discover the seam was on the wrong side.  At this point I put it away, that was the end of day 2. Day 3, mission accomplished!!  Simplicity now has a whole new meaning to me, lol.

And just to add insult to injury, looking at the latest weather forecast, I think I may have missed the sun and should have made my hat out of oil skin cloth to keep the water off!! 

I am going to enter this into the following challenges:

4 crafty chicks - Anything goes

Top Tip Tuesday - Material girl My top tip when sewing is always to have a seam ripper to hand, lol

All crafts challenge - Anything but a card

Love to create - Summer Lovin

My Craft creations - Anything Goes

Through the Purple Haze - Anything goes

That Craft Place - Anything goes

Crafting at the weekend - Anything goes

A little bit crafty - Sew what

Anyway that's all from me for now, have a fantatic August everyone.

Hugs Jo x

A retired Old Truck!!

Firstly I would like to thank the lovely DTs over at A Gem of a Challenge and Sentimental Sunday for choosing my strawberry card in their Top 3's last month, I was so chuffed and am sure it was the gingham fabric that did it!!

Well folks, July is here and that means we are on a down hill slide to Christmas, lol and no I haven't started my Christmas cards yet!!  I can't believe that half of the year has gone already and that this is card number 7 for Crafts Galore Encore DT.  When I first joined the DT, I was so apprehensive, stressed and worried about it all but I can honestly say it is the best thing that I have done. They are all such a fabulous talented fun group and this month we have 4 new members to the team so do pop across and meet them all. So on to this months challenge, a nice easy one and it is to use a stamp or a digi stamp.  We have a fantastic sponsor this month, Fred She Said who have very kindly donated $15 GC to spend in their store.  Check them out here 

So here is my masterpiece for July using the Old Truck

Image the Old Truck by Fred She Said

Sentiment from a Woodware Set

Nestabilities labels Eight

Coloured with Copic Ciao and Sketch pens

W0 to W7 for the truck body

C1 to C7 fo the wheels

B0000 for the car windows and headlights

Momentos Wheat sponged for the background

Papers are DCWV

Glossy Accents on the headlights

Card and Raffia from Stash

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:

Bunny Zoes Challenge - Layers

Crafting from the Heart - Always anything goes

My craft creations - Always anything goes

The Pink Elephant Monday Challenge - Anything goes

Crafting at the Weekend - Anything goes

Crafty Catz - Anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything goes

Stampin for the weekend - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

The Sisters of Craft - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

I hope all of my American followers enjoy their 4th July celebrations.

Hugs Jo x

Summer's on its way!!

Over at Crafts Galore Encore this month our challenge was to use a digi image or a stamped image which were very genorously provided by Beccys Place. The prize for Junes challenge is one winner will  get the choice of 3 digis or 1 set from Beccys Place. Pop across to Beccys place and check out the fab digis.

As I love my red pens, lol, the Strawberry circle was perfect for me to colour. So here is my little DT card for this months challenge.

Image is Strawberry Circle from Beccys Place

Sentiment is by Impression Obsession

Coloured with Copic Ciao and Sketch markers

Strawberries - R01, R17, R27 and R59

Leaves - G40, G43 and G46

Flowers E40 and Y09

Hilighted with N1

Spellbinders Nestabilities Circle large and Scalloped Circle

Grand Nestibilities Circle and Scalloped Circle

Gingham fabric from Creativ-e-t Devizes

Ribbon, card and charm from Stash.

I am going to enter this into the following challenges

Ditzie Digi Designs - Anything goes

Sentimental Sundays - Fabric

A Gem of a challenge - Fabric or Felt

Crafting at the weekend - Anything goes

Crafty Catz - Anything goes

Sister Act Card Challenge - Anything goes

4 Crafty Girls - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes

Through the Craft room Door - Anything goes

I hope you like it

Jo x

Missing you!!

Shocked, well I am lol. Two blog posts written in one evening!!  This month has been busy for me on the card making scene, lots of birthdays and I even confess to having bought one too, how bad is that.  Our DD Charlotte arrived for a visit a day earlier than planned and left a day later than planned.  I think secretly she had planned it and not told me, lol.  It was lovely to see her, the longest that she had been back since she left home but it made me realise how much noise she makes, lol. Never shuts up and her and her Dad continually wind each other up, so much fun though but exhausting at the same time! And I reckon a months worth of washing came home with her!!

Now on to this months Challenge over at Crafts Galore Encore which is Anything Goes but a little reminder first. The DT over at Crafts Galore Encore would like to remind everyone who enters the Challenges not to forget to check the winners page so that you can claim your prize and badges. Anyway, this month we are sponsored by 

who have supplied us with sentiments for our projects. Thank you to Blue Moon Creation.
This sentiment seemed to be the perfect one to use for a card for elephant mad Charlotte, I hope you like it.

Elephant Digi - Mo Manning

Sentiment Blue Moon Creation

Coloured with Copics

W00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6

E50, 51 and 53

R000, 01 and 02

E40, 41 and 42

BG93

Nestibilites Labels One and Scalloped Labels One

DCWV Nanas Nursery Baby Boy DP

Card and Buttons from Stash

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:

Sentimental Sundays - Clean and Simple

Kitty Bee Designs - Animals

Bronte and Bella Challenge - Clean and Simple

Crafting by Designs - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throw Down - Recipe, one DP, one Image and something purple

Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes

The Crazy Challenge - Stripes

Challenges for Everybody - Anything Goes

That Craft Place - Anything Goes

Pop over to Crafts Galore Encore and see the fantastic creations the other Teamies have made and also we have a DT call so if you would like to join us just put DT after your entry to show that you are interested.

Happy Crafting

Jo x