Phoenix Inspirations

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

Mojo Monday  have two sketches this week - one round and one square. I have chosen to follow the square version - take a look My stamp set of choice today is Stampin' Up Ornate Flowers (Friends Never Fade in the USA) and I chose some bright summery colours 'cos I've been feeling so cold, here it is My colours are Tangerine Tango, Barely Banana and very Vanilla card stock, Lucky Limeade, Daffodil Delight and Peach Parfait ink. The ribbon is Very Vanilla gross grain. This card nearly didn't make it - whilst crafting I accidentally cut the end of my little finger! After he had stopped laughing at me my husband checked me over and confirmed that I hadn't severed the bone and no, I wouldn't be needing to rush off to A&E for a transfusion and stitches - he then fetched me a plaster. No sympathy what so ever!! See you soon - Jacqueline xx

Today I made a card with my daughter in mind. She went back to uni 2 days ago and I'm feeling a little lost without her. She has a huge impact on our lives when she is around and not always in a good way. She stays out late and when she comes home she raids the cupboards, leaves the debris in the living room along with her boots, handbag and coat. She undresses in the bathroom and leaves her clothes where they fall. She uses all my cosmetics and lotions and leaves the tops off and soggy cotton wool around the taps - she leaves the light on. After sleeping till well after 12 the next day she comes downstairs, arranges herself on the sofa with her duvet and watches daytime telly for the rest of the afternoon. She then has her tea, uses all the hot water, goes out and it all starts all over again. But she's my little girl and I love her so I packed her off with a suitcase of freshly laundered clothes, a bag full of non-perishable food (including my secret stash of hot chocolate...

Today's card is one that has been inspired by the Stampin' Up Idea Book and Catalogue. It uses the Ornate Flowers stamp set and some rather intricate cutting out - take a look I started off by taking a piece of Kraft card stock and stamped on to it using Memento Desert Sand - it doesn't show up very well on the photo. I used the same stamp on the middle panel which is Tangerine Tango stamped with Pumpkin Pie ink. The flower panel is Old Olive and a separate flower was stamped and cut out and then raised up on some 3D foam pads. The cut out flowers were inked with Peach Parfait and Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write markers. I can't wait to show you the card I made today for the Make My Monday challenge blog - it actually took me all afternoon to make (I was watching telly at the time!!) but I was really touched when my 18 year old son came into the room, picked it up and said 'wow mum that's really awsome' - high praise indeed. But you will have to wait ...

This is the sketch over on the Less is More  blog this week. The idea is to pick just one of the five squares and stay within those lines. Now it would have so easy to pick the middle square - I like being symmetrical, but this is supposed to be a challenge so I chose the bottom right hand square. Take a look I am definitely out of my comfort zone with this. I am sat here looking at it still thinking that it needs something more - but there is no more room in my box! I think maybe I should have made my main image square too - what do you think ...........? Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend - Jacqueline xx.

Today's challenge over on Simply Stampin'  is 'Floral Frenzy' - how lovely. I love flowers and my garden has erupted lately with some stunning Peonys. Unfortunatly I don't have  any peony stamps so instead I took my inspiration from one of the design team - Angela  . I really loved the gorgeous colours she had used to match the Greenhouse Gala DSP. OK - so I didn't copy her card exactly - I chose the same stamp from the Ornate Flowers set and used some Sage Shadow card stock and Sage Shadow and Cherry Cobbler ink. Thank you Angela for your brilliant inspiration - hope you don't mind me copying!!! Jacqueline xx.

Yesterday was my monthly Tuesday workshop and this time we made cards using the Black Magic Technique. We all had black card stock and stamped on to it with white pigment ink. After leaving it to dry we then coloured over the top of it with coloured pencils. Tip: please don't do what I did and use Promarkers - it does't do them any good at all!! Anyways here is the card I demo'ed Somebody did remark that purple and black are a little funereal so I livened it up with a few cheerful flowers and some bling! I will have to think of some brighter colours next time!! - see you soon - Jacqueline xx .

For a change from making cards I decided to have a go a making this cute little tissue box holder The band around the middle moves across to where you pull out your tissues And when they are all gone - open up the flap at the side and refill it ...... simples This is a fab little make and if you would like to make one too pop over to Vicky's blog 'cos she has done an easy to follow tutorial with pictures and everything. Thank you Vicky - I'm going to make a few more of these especially as everyone I know at the moment is suffering from summer colds and hay fever!! Atishoo - oops bye for now - Jacqueline xx.

Sorry Vicky - it's not chocolate!! Take a look at my card and I'll explain all below I found the 'Black Magic' technique in the resources section over on Splitcoast Stampers. I took a piece of black card stock and then chose a solid image stamp (Ornate Flowers) and stamped it using a white pigment ink. I let it dry completely (you could speed up this by using your heat gun) and then using coloured pencils I coloured the image in. This is what me and the girls will be up to on Tuesday morning - should be fun. You won't believe the trouble I have had trying to make this post. I started this morning at 9.00am - just as we had a power cut! The power came on later this afternoon - it took 20 minutes for my computer to load.................... and then the internet crashed!!!!!!!!! I'm going to go get a cup of tea now - I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms, hopefully the power will stay on long enough for me to boil the kettle!! See you soon - Jacqueline xx.

I have spent this morning with my friend Bev in an attempt to bring her into the world of blogging. As I think I said in my last post - she is a great card maker. So I am taking the bull by the horns and I am going to put a link to her blog HERE  so please pop over and give her a little encouragement, thank you. Meanwhile - Bev again(!) has become an Aunty for the second time. She already has a gorgeous Nephew (Nathan) and now she has a new Niece - Sophie. So in honour of the occasion I made her a Congratulations card It has been made with my stamp set of the moment - Ornate Flowers, and stamped with Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Garden Green. How I did the main image was to ink the whole image with Regal Rose - remove the bits I wanted green with a damp cotton bud, and then using a second bud dab it on to the green ink and then transfer it to the stamp. You may need to huff onto the stamp before stamping it just to keep the ink moist. I have got to go and prepar...

Hi folks - not starting the week off very well at the moment as I am suffering with a bit of a head cold. I can't breathe and it's so frustrating. However that has not stopped me from crafting - as if - and today I have made this card This a card inspired by the Clean and Simple challenge today on Splitcoast Stampers. It is using up some of my scraps and some of my treasured Cameo Coral card stock. It's treasured because it is no more - retired - finito :(    The stamp set is Ornate Flowers also stamped with Cameo Coral and a touch of Old Olive. I have used a Martha Stewart punch (will have to give that back on Thurs evening :(( ) and one of my huge silver brads holding a piece of Very Vanilla ribbon. Don't know what I will come up with tomorrow - friend Bev is coming round but I am showing her how to set up her own blog. I have been persuading her to do this for ages - good job too 'cos she is a fab card maker as hopefully you will soon see! Bye for no...

I'm having such a good time in my craft room today. I'm sort of having a clear out of all the stuff I don't need any more but finding hidden treasures that I'd forgotten I had. That does mean though that there is more playing than clearing! Another good thing is annoying my kids by playing my Bruce Springsteen CDs REALLY loud! Today I have sought inspiration from two places. Firstly I headed over to Splitcoast Stampers  and followed the Sketch Challenge from yesterday. I also saw a card on Vicky's blog here  - where she had used a combination of mustard and black and this is what I have come up with - I also used Stampin' Up Ornate Flowers to create my image. Really must get back to my sorting now - see you soon - Jacqueline xx.

I just love this new stamp set Ornate Flower and this is another card I have made using it I used some Basic Black and Ruby Red cardstock along with some white. The flowers down the right hand side have been stamped in Ruby Red ink and the main flower is stamped in black. Looking at it now I rather think that next time I shall use black embossing powder for a bit more depth of colour. The script in the background is an old dictionary page which has been torn and the edges inked. I'm very pleased though with this colour combination and I think I shall be using it some more. Hope you all enjoyed your weekends - any one started their Christmas shopping yet? - Jacqueline xx.

Sadly a friend of ours passed away last week - one of our neighbours'. This is the card I made It uses the new set from Stampin' Up - Ornate Flowers. I've also used some of the new colour - Baja Breeze. I teamed it up with some Bazzill Basics card stock and some Versamark ink. The ribbon is quite a good match with the brown card, I actually cut it out of a jumper I bought recently - you know the bits that get all tangled up on the hangers - looks much better on my card I think! See you soon - Jacqueline xx.