Phoenix Inspirations

My daughter approached me at the beginning of August and said that her friend was having a 21st birthday party in December and would I make the invitations. I've know Sophie since she was four when she and my daughter started primary school together so I was very happy to do this for her. She gave me a few ideas and I made a few examples for her to choose from.She chose and said that she would like them for the middle to end of September. I then set to buying all the materials and then as you know I had to dash off to look after granddad for a couple of weeks. Upon my return I was greeted by my daughter anxiously crying 'Sophie wants them NOW so she can send them out before she goes back to uni' - no pressure then! All I can say is - thank goodness for embossing machines and punches! Here is a pic of all the various materials before assemblage I made them them in a production line style and here they are with their glue drying The finished invitation had a ti...

Good morning all - this is a scheduled post as I am running around like a headless chicken at the moment! I'm making a batch of 21st Birthday party invitations, student planners, trying to get my daughter to start thinking about packing for uni (she leaves in 3 weeks) and I've sooooo much committee work to do that crafting has to take a back seat at the moment. OK moan over  - did you know it's time for a new challenge at  Addicted to Stamps ? This week our theme is CAS - or Clean and Simple. We would like to see cards made very cleanly with few or no embellishments. Here's my card I have used stamp images from the Reason to Smile set and I have used Whisper White and Calypso Coral card stock, Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade ink and Calypso Coral ribbon. There are more fine cards in the dt line up over on the blog - I do hope you have time to pop over and say 'hi'. Bye for now - Jacqueline xx

You may remember a few days ago that I said I'd had to close my website down due to technical problems - I have now added some items for sale in my side bar on the left. I will be adding to it regularly and will be adding acrylic stamps, paper crafted gifts and card toppers. Hope you like them - Jacqueline xx

It's  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown  time again and this week we want to see CHIPBOARD added to your Christmas cards Here's my card I've added some chipboard rounds to look like baubles along with some flourishes to look like the boughs of the Christmas tree. The round pieces have been heat embossed  with snowflake embossing powder - here's a close up Please pop over to the blog and say 'hi' to my team mates - they have loads to show you too and I will see you soon - Jacqueline xx

There's a new challenge at  Addicted to Stamps  and this week we on the dt are addicted to GOLD. Here's my card This is very similar to a card I saw  HERE  on Pintrest - I just stamped and embossed my butterfly in Gold and the others in black. I've also gold embossed my flower which is from the Love and Sympathy set and added a gold bow. So pop on over to the blog, take a look at all the loveliness from the other members of the dt and then have a go yourself! Bye bye - Jacqueline xx

One last card for today, this time for  Retro Sketches  (sorry did the title give it away?) - take a look I recently acquired a new set - Love and Sympathy so I decided to have a play with it to make this card I have used some Twitterpated DSP, Basic Black, Whisper White and Cherry Cobbler card stock. My new Blossom punch is getting a thorough workout as I'm using it on everything!! I've also added some flat backed black gems as a finishing touch. Off to see granddad tomorrow - he's doing OK, still can't see so I'm paying him a visit and cooking him lunch. It means getting up really early in the morning and as my daughter is driving us I will have to drag her out of bed too!! See you soon - Jacqueline xx

I have another challenge card for you today - again for two challenges In The Pink  - 50 Shades of Pink Come and Get it Challenges  - sketch Here is my card - hope I've used enough pink I have used more of my Twitterpated DSP and this time I have teamed it up with Rich Razzleberry card card - a gorgeous deep raspberry pink colour. My flowers are from the Everything Eleanor set and have been stamped with Pretty In Pink ink and they have been attached around a small lacy doily. My sentiment label is from Baby Blossoms and I have used one of the sentiments from Just Believe. Thanks so much for stopping by to take a look today - see you soon - Jacqueline xx

My card tonight combines 2 challenges Less is More  - Tearing Dynamic Duos Here is my card I used white card stock for my base and then added some Basic Black and more Whisper White run through a Swiss Dots embossing folder. My flowers are Stampin' Up punches and I have added a black brad to the centre. My tearing is on the middle panel, I used torn pieces of masking to create a trellis effect, I then sponged over it with black ink. Here's a close up Thanks for looking - see you soon - Jacqueline xx

Not been feeling too well this weekend - I think it maybe the stress of the last couple of weeks taking it's toll however I did make a card this afternoon whilst taking things easy and watching one of my favourite Sunday films - The Goonies, I think they must put it on every Sunday on one of the channels! I followed the fabulous sketch over on this week's  Simply Stampin' . You really should take a look 'cos it's a good one this week take a look Don't forget though if you do have a go you should use Stampin' Up products - just like I have on my card right here I have used a square card base to mat my Twitterpated DSP on to along with some Basic Gray and Whisper White card stock. The stamp set is Bright Blossoms and also the sentiment from My Friend. My colours are Real Red, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade and Pool Party. Going to settle down now and watch Silent Witness or Witless Silence as my husband calls it! See you soon - Jacqueline xx

It's Saturday and that means it's another challenge at  52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown . This week we want to see cards depicting Christmas songs There are some specific rules concerning this challenge so please do check out the blog for all the details. Meanwhile - here is my card The song I've chosen is my favourite carol - 'In The Bleak Mid-winter' and I look forward to singing it every Christmas. I have brayered my background with blue ink (Brocade Blue and Baja Breeze) and covered the snowy ground with some clear Rock Candy Distress Stickles. My trees are from Lovely as a Tree and have been stamped using Chocolate Chip and Crumb Cake ink. To finish I added some ribbon, sparkly snowflakes and some blue bling. The team have come up with some stunning cards to show you this morning so please do pop over and say hello and I will see you soon - Jacqueline xx

It is with great regret that I have had to close my online stamp shop - sales have been very low lately and there have also been a few technical problems. It may be that I will sell them directly from my blog in future providing I can work out to arrange payments. Thanks to all of you who have supported me in the past by buying my stamps and digis - Jacqueline xx

I have a challenge card for you tonight for one of my favourite challenge blogs -  Simply Stampin'  and their theme this week is LETS HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS I have combined two sets for this masculine challenge - Nature Walk and Young Vermillion take a look I have used chocolate Chip card stock and ink along with some of the Twitterpated DSP. My images in the squares have a little Baja Breeze sponging too. Here's a couple of close ups Thanks for looking, see you soon - Jacqueline xx

One of the last things I did before I went away was hold my monthly Scrapbook Club and this was the page I made These are a few pics taken 10 years ago at my granddad's 80th birthday party and whilst I was away we celebrated his 90th birthday and I'm hoping to have some photos of that so I can make another birthday layout. For more pics of this page and the sketch I used  can be found over on my Scrap blog found  HERE   - see you soon - Jacqueline xx

We have a brand new challenge for you over on  Addicted to Stamps  and this time it's CARDS FOR BOYS I've seen a few cards like this floating around blogland and I thought that the style was perfect for this challenge - take a look I'm not much of a sports person but this was a lovely card to make as it uses one of my favourite techniques - masking and brayering. I cut some clouds from post-it-notes and used my brayer and some Bashful Blue ink to create the sky. My grass is torn green paper and I stole a wooden skewer from the kitchen to make my flag stick. My golf ball is a white card stock circle run through my Cuttlebug in the Swiss Dots folder - I stuck it on the opposite way round so it looked more realistic. My sentiment and the birds are from the Up, Up and Away set. Don't forget to hop over to the blog and take a look at the stunning work by my fellow team mates and if you are quick there's still a few days left to take part in our monthly scrapbo...

So much to do still so this is a card I made just before I went away which didn't get blogged. This uses my Just Believe set along with Crumb Cake and Chocolate Chip card stock and ink - here's a close up Liquid Pearls add the finishing touch. I am entering this card into this week's challenge over on  Make it Monday  as it's 'Anything Goes' See you soon - Jacqueline xx

Hello again - it's been a very long two weeks but I'm back home again and back in my craft room. Thank you so much for all the lovely messages that were left for me it was nice to know so many of you were thinking of me and my Granddad. He's not on the mend yet and it was quite hard to have to leave him but Dad is on the case now and if things don't improve in the next couple of weeks we may be thinking of alternative accommodation for him. I took loads of stuff to do but Granddad's house is not set up for crafting and also he kept thinking of things for me to do so I was kept pretty busy! Anyway I'm back now catching up with DT work and planning my workshops - with any luck I shall also find a challenge or two to enter as well! Bye for now - Jacqueline xx