Phoenix Inspirations

I was fully prepared for my earlier post of my Pinwheel card to be the last of the day however with football clogging up one of the TV channels and nothing else worth watching I decided to do more crafting and enter a few challenges. I dug out some precious Stampin' Up DSP and a stamp set that hasn't been used for ages and I created this My paper is from the gorgeous Springtime Vintage collection teamed up with Whisper White and Night of Navy. The sentiment is from Flight of the Butterfly and instead of stamping my butterfly I punched it out of the paper so it would match. OK - so there a a few challenges that my card fits into, they are Freshly Made Sketches Stampin' Up Only Challenges  - Happy Birthday! Flutter By Wednesday's  - have a butterfly, fairy or angel on your project. Thanks for looking - Jacqueline xx

Do you remember years ago when you visited the seaside, you would build fabulous sandcastles and decorate them with windmills? For me those are memories from long ago - even with my own children but today I have made a card with some on to celebrate Easter - take a look It would be very easy to create a beach scene behind these windmills but these have been created with my next workshop in mind. It will take place next Tuesday morning and as always a tutorial will follow. To find out what you will need to make this card should you so wish please visit my Craft club Blog  here . We sometimes finish our cards with a little time to spare - if this is the case next Tuesday I will be prepared and I will demonstrate how to make these interesting little concertina rosette flowers This is a very simple one made quickly for practise - hopefully by Tuesday I will have made so more elaborate ones to show off!! thanks for stopping by to take a look today - hope you pop back again ...

If you saw my card last night you may remember that I said I would make one for the Mid-week Motivation on  Make My Monday  - well here it is This is just a sneaky peek - if you want to see all the layers and all the things that make us girls happy you will have to pop on over to the blog. There is also a link over there to a video tutorial on how to make the Never Ending card so you can all make one yourselves. OK - maybe I will give you another peep That's all though folks - if you want to see the cake you really will have to go to the blog!! See you soon - Jacqueline xx

I have just got back from a craft workshop where I was actually one of the taught and not the teacher and we made a 'Never Ending Card' Jo - our leader had some Papermania kits that were pre-scored which we used as templates to cut our own and then decorate. Here's mine It's the same all through the card - I had some 12" x 12" red paper with me and a few stamps. The stamps I used were from Everything Eleanor, Vintage Vogue, My Friend and Just Believe. The card works by firstly opening the vertical centre sections Then the middle sections are opened horizontally There's another vertical opening to get to the back of the card This is so easy to make - look out for a quick tutorial tomorrow on  Make My Monday . See you soon - Jacqueline xx

My card today uses the sketch over on  Mojo Monday . There is a choice between the round or the square sketch designs - I chose the square I also popped over to  Splitcoaststampers  where their colour challenge is to use Lucky Limeade, River Rock and Garden Green. This is what I have come up with Bev came round to play today and brought with her her Always Elegant set - I had to have a go with it, would've been rude not to don't you think?! Lucky Limeade comes in the form of the gorgeous Sale-a-bration papers, River Rock is the main background and Garden Green is used for the ribbon, matting the main image and my little Boho Blossoms flowers. Off now to prepare my card for next week's workshop. I'm also going out tonight to play at a group in Malvern so I will be back later to show you what I make - bye for now - Jacqueline xx

My card today was made using the sketch at  Freshly Made Sketches and the colour combo over on  CR84FN Color Challenge Here is my card My colours are Basic Gray, Daffodil Delight and Crumb Cake (Kraft). My stamped flower is from the Ornate Flowers set and I have also used my Boho Blossoms punch to make the tiny flowers on to which I have added some Liquid Pearls. Thanks for looking - see you soon - Jacqueline xx

That's the challenge this week over on the  Make My Monday  challenge blog, here is my card I have used a huge mish mash of items to make this card starting with an unknown card base (I found it yesterday whilst clearing out my craft room) It is a lovely red colour and has a fabulous scalloped edge to it. I teamed it up with some Very Vanilla card stock on to which I stamped my Lady - again this is unknown as I have had her for forever! The other stamps are from Stampin' Up - Everything Eleanor along with the Old Olive ribbon. My inks are Old Olive and Ruby Red along with Brushed Corduroy DI around the edges. I have added both clear and red flat backed gems to finish it off. Details of the prize and gorgeous samples from the dt can be found over on the  blog  hope I see you over there - Jacqueline xx

We have been challenged to use up some our scraps for this week's challenge at  Less is More . Now I'm quite good about using my scraps - can't afford not to be! I favour Stampin' Up card stock and those who are familiar with SU know that they have colour families. I have a folder where I store all my card stock in plastic pages - one for whole sheets and another the the smaller scraps in each of the colours. It was from one of these folders that I retrieved a piece of Certain Celery. I also have another plastic wallet full of bits and pieces that I have stamped and not needed or are mistakes or offcuts - take a look It was from this pile that I extricated this little beauty This is the fern stamp from Growing Green - did it ages ago with water colour pencils on some hand made water colour paper purchased when I visited Wookey Hole many years ago. So, when you put these elements together with a little stamping and a scrap of green ribbon - you get this ...

Time for some more Christmas cards and this week our theme is STICKERS AND/OR RUB-ONS For my cards this week I dug out an old Stampin' Up scrap kit which came with LOADS of stickers that I haven't finished using after about 3 years - it really was great value for money. My first card is a Tri-Shutter fold card  - take a look I have used some of the bauble stickers, a few stars and i have also added a few peel off gold stars to brighten it up a little. Here is the card from another angle My second card also uses stickers from this set but this time I have made a tag pull card with a Christmas Wish List 52 CCT can be found  here  and my partner in crime Mynnette also has some Christmas cards to show you   here . Bye for now - Jacqueline xx

Just a quick post to tell you that the Telescoping Card tutorial is now up on the  Craft Club Blog . my workshop has just finished and this is what we made I haven't had time to bling it up yet so pop back tomorrow to see the actual finished card! I have used Very Vanilla and Lavender Lace card stock, Lavender Lace and Elegant Eggplant inks for stamping and my *NEW* My Friend stamp set - I also brought out Precious Butterflies for an airing too! Here is the card 'telescoped' out Pop on over to the  blog  for all the instructions on how to make this and I will see you tomorrow - Jacqueline xx

I have a new stamp set - it's from the Stampin' Up mini catalogue and it's called My Friend. It's a gorgeous solid stamp image along with a couple of swirly words. My Friend - Louise added it to her order as she is in a Stampers 6 club over on Vicky's  blog . I was also lucky enough to have a share of some of the gorgeous Sale-a-bration papers. So, naturally I had to have a play and yes it took quite an effort to cut into my luscious new papers - there are 2 of each design so I still have more to stroke! For my card I decided to use this week's sketch over on  Mojo Monday  - take a look Here is my card My inks are Pear Pizzazz and Real Red along with some Pear Pizzazz card stock. Thanks for looking - Jacqueline xx

Morning all - it's Mid-week Motivation time again at  Make My Monday  and the card I have made is this It's a Spring Fold card which I have decorated using my Vintage Vogue stamp set. The border was stamped onto a separate piece of card stock so that I could cut around the edges and sponge them. The border on the base was created in the same way. The gorgeous plum colour is Stampin' Up - Rich Razzelberry and I have teamed it up with a touch of Blushing Bride. The finishing touches that make this card are a few flat backed gems from Martha Stewart in amethyst and a piece of vintage lace. A spot of adhesive on the bottom point helps the card to stand up. Here is a view from the side The instructions to make this card can be found on the blog  here  so pop over if you want to have a go. Bye for now - Jacqueline xx

I've gone a bit mad today - it's been over a week since I last crafted properly and there are sooooooo many fabulous challenges about that I just had to have another play!! The card I have for you now is for  Freshly Made Sketches  - here's the sketch I have also followed the colours set out in the current  CR84FN Colour Challenge Here is my card My chosen stamp set is Growing Green and the colours I used were Pear Pizzazz, Basic Gray and Wisteria Wonder. Hope you like it - see you soon - Jacqueline xx

This week at  Less is More  the challenge is to use 'Punches or Die Cuts' - what a great idea. I love using my Cuttlebug so I decided on die cuts - here is my card I cut out a section at the bottom of my card using a square Nestie, then i die cut some Marianne Creatables flowers from Sahara Sand card stock. These were then glued in place along the aperture. The flat backed opals are from Martha Stewart. A Stampin' Up sentiment from the Precious Butterflies set was stamped on to card and also die cut - another flower was placed behind. Thanks for looking - Jacqueline xx

Good morning - it's another challenge at  Make My Monday  and this week we want to see some VICTORIAN ROMANCE Here is my card This week my stamp set of choice is Vintage Vogue, mixed with some Springtime Vintage DSP, Very Vanilla card stock and inks in Old Olive, Rose Red, Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz. The centres of the flowers have all been splodged with Liquid Pearls and hiding behind the centre panel is some vintage lace. A sentiment from Hot Off The Press adds the finishing touch. Can't wait to see what you all come up with - see you over there - Jacqueline xx

Good morning - it's  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  time again and this week it's a theme and the theme is ANGELS Take a look at my dt cards Card no.1 is an A6 landscape card - my angel is stamped onto cream card stock, embossed with gold powder and cut out and raised up on 3D foam pads before placing in the Real Red Stampin' Up card stock. The other angel was inked with Versamark and a brayer was rolled over the stamp. I then transferred it to the card stock and embossed it as normal. The sentiment is from Wondrous Gift. I used the same angel stamp and card stock for my second card but this time I did not heat emboss my image. Instead I glittered her wings and trumpet. Again I used a sentiment from Wondrous Gift. Thanks for looking and be sure to pop over and take a look at  Mynnette's  cards too - Jacqueline xx

Next Thursday night is my next workshop and I thought that it would be nice for my ladies to make a 'Telescoping Card'. There are a few videos on Youtube which I have adapted to make my card - take a look As always there will be a tutorial on my  Craft Club Blog  after the workshop and if you fancy having a go at making it there will be a materials list appearing very soon so you can get everything you need. Thanks for looking - see you soon - Jacqueline xx

As I said in yesterday's post it's my wedding anniversary today. Me and my husband have been married 21 years today. Unfortunately he's in Stockholm at the moment but this is the card that's waiting for him when he gets home See the string on the side? If you pull it looks like this and then this Here is a close up of the 'disolving' picture This card uses Elegant Soiree DSP - retired from Stampin' Up and my Lovely as a Tree stamp set. The images have been coloured with my Stampin' Write markers. I got the instructions for making this card from this month's Craft Stamper mag - although I found that they were very difficult to follow and the pull does not pull very smoothly. I think it looks OK though and I'm sure my husband will love it! See you soon - Jacqueline xx

I've just got back from visiting my mum and dad. Dad's been having some more of his chemo treatment. He also has to have some radiotherapy as his cancer has moved to his neck. It's been very hard this last visit as my poor old dad has had to have 12 teeth out to prevent any infection via his teeth to the bone in his jaw - he's been in a lot of pain to say the least. So I got home late last night - missing Valentine's Day with my husband only to find that he would be leaving for Stockholm at 4am this morning, it's our wedding anniversary tomorrow too and we will miss it. Hopefully we can celebrate when he gets home on Friday. I did manage to do a little crafting today as my friend Louise came round to play. We had decided that we would try and make the Moving Pictures card from this month's Craft Stamper mag - I will show you the results of that tomorrow - it's safe to say that I probably won't be making it again any time soon as it was quite a com...

Good morning - it's Monday morning and time for a new challenge at  Make My Monday . This week we want to see your HEARTS 'n' FLOWERS Before you all rush over to take a look at the gorgeous array of fabulous dt cards please stay a moment more and take a look at mine My papers are various pieces from my stash - can't remember where from and are matted and layered on to a 5" x 5" card base. My flowers were cut on my Cuttlebug using dies from  Marianne Designs  who are generously sponsoring our Theme of Romance this month My heart border was made by punching the edge of the pink card with a small heart punch - black brads add the finishing touch to the flowers. OK - I'll let you go now - I'm away at the moment so this post is scheduled - I'm hopefully out shopping with Mum and drinking coffee - see you soon - Jacqueline xx

Morning folks - a quick scheduled post for you today as I'm away. It's color challenge time at  52 CCT  - here's what  Mynnette  and I have for you this week And here are my cards My stamps are from Papermania and are embossed in gold. I coloured my images in with Promarkers and I really don't know why they look as if the are photographed in the fog! Really they are much more vibrant in real life. I also added a lot of gold glitter for sparkle. This one has been made in the same way except that the flower was raised up on 3D foam pads and clear embossing liquid added - here is a close up Thanks for looking - hope you get a chance to pop over to the blog or to see  Mynnette  my partener in crime!! - Jacqueline xx