I Am So Proud To Have Been Chosen .....

... As Guest blogger over on the Crafty Bloggers Network this week, it normally takes place on a Wednesday, but due to technical issues this week it was uploaded late, probably something to do with all the thunder storms sweeping the country this week.

The blog is a fabulous resource for inspiration,not only from thier own DT, but they have interviews with craft celebrities, challenges to take part in, tutorials & crafters everywhere.

If you are not a part of the Crafty Bloggers Network,then please do pop over & take a look, it really is a good read. They also have thier own Facebook Group, where friendly crafters are in abundance eager to share thier blogs & visit yours too. So, where you are looking to visit craft blogs or need to direct more traffic to your own blog, then this is the place for you. You can find them on Facebook HERE & you would be make very welcome to join us.

So on to my card,for some reason I found this very difficult to photogragh & edit to get a good light on it, wether it's the colour mixes or what I don't know but the photo does it no real justice, so I apologise!

I also have limited resources available to play with, because most of my craft supplies are boxed up ready for an pending house move,I can't wait to unpack it all again & start organising it & get back to having it all available to me again!

You will also notice that I haven't added a greeting or sentiment to the card, this is quite normal for me because I add it when I know who will receive it & for what occasion.

I have used 3 colours of my favourite craft staple, Bazzill Basics Cardstock in Melon, Chiffon & Frosted, plus my newest Marianne cutting die called Anja's Quadrant, I have used 3 of this is a 5 piece set of dies on my card, along with the sheer ribbon & embellishments from my tote.

If you would like to read my 'Introduction of Me' you can read it HERE please pop over & give me a little support.

As always thank you for dropping by my blog, please leave a comment to let me know that you stopped by, so that I can return the favour & visit you in return.

~ Jane ~

Design Team Call .....

Over on The Cupboard Trilogy challenge blog, this time we are looking for Cardmakers only.

The DT Call is open to everyone, we have a good mix of DT members which include beginners, seasoned & more expert crafters. It is open for both UK & International applicants & you will all be treated the same & given the same opportunities. I also like to take on at least one crafter that has yet to be on a Design Team, giving them a foot on the ladder so to speak.
So if you have never had the courage to put yourself forward before, please do apply, if chosen you will soon feel at home in our friendly team!

Don't forget to enter this months challenge as well,for your change to win a fabulous prize!

~ Jane ~

DT share

It's the 1st Saturday of the month & a new challenge has started over on The Happy Scrappers challenge blog. There are no prizes offered for thier challenges but, they offer great inspiration & if you love scrapbooking & enjoy following prompts then pop over & have a look.

Here is the LO I made as this months DT example 

This months prompt is SPORTS

I used one of my digi kits from Daisytrail to create this LO because most of my craft materials are packed away waiting for my house move in a few weeks time. As soon as my stash is out of the packing boxes I will be recreating this LO because I do like it & want it in Masons album!
This is my grandson in his very 1st Football Kit ... Arsenal of coarse!

Don't you just love those cute little socks, I dare say he will be having quite a few kits as he grows up because he is as football mad as his Daddy already & he is only 3 years old [almost]
Thanks for visiting my blog today

~ Jane ~

It's The 1st Saturday Of The Month ....

Which means that a new challenge has launched over on The Happy Scrappers challenge blog. This months challenges prompt is Birthdays/Celebrations, the DT including myself produced some lovely Scrapbook Layouts as examples, so now I can show you the one that I made!

This photograph was taken almost a year ago now on my grandson Mason's 2nd birthday, & I can still almost hear my son Paul saying to him
"Blow like this Mason, blow your candles out"
The Elmo cake that my son made tasted really nice, even if I did have a surprise when I was handed a slice of Red & Blue coloured marble cake. Why does it always feel so odd when we eat anything coloured blue!?!

Although my LO looks like it is set in a frame it isn't, it's actually part of the paper! I wanted to create the look of a pin/notice board for my LO for a more casual look & think I managed it. It really was very simple to put together with just a few scraps from my 'oddments' box. The only thing that was taken from a new packet are the American Craft 'Thickers' which I used for the word Mason & the number 2. The little cupcake embellishment I made myself with some pieces cut from a scrap of patterned paper & built it up in 3 layers so hat it stands proud from the page. Other than that it's just more patterned paper. 

I am happy with the finished result....

Thank you for visiting today

~ Jane ~

Hey I gave it a try ...

Digi scrapping I mean, as you may or may not know already, I now have my own monthly challenge blog, that launched last Saturday called The Cupboard Trilogy 

Well, the challenges are for cardmakers, scrapbookers & digi scrappers, anyway, the card & scrap Design Teams produced not only fabulous cards & scrapbook LO's, but they decided to have a play with digi scrapping as well, to boost the DT input [because we only have 2 people in the dedicated digi team at the moment]

Anyway, they were making it look so easy that I thought "Hey, I'll give it a try too" so I did. Further down my blog page you can see my very 1st attempt, which is nice but very plain & simple.

Then I thought I would create a digi using the Colour Chart prompt, which is the theme for this months TCT challenge!

This is my 15yr old stepdaugher Daisy during her 1st professional photo shoot. She was pleased with the photos taken so much that at long last she is actually seeing for herself how pretty her beautiful red hair. Until this photo was taken she like many girls & women just wanted to dye it a different colour, I think now she is thinking differently!

It's still a very simple design, I haven't worked out how to get anymore technical at creating layers ect. but, in truth I am not sure I will bother,because although I am finding it a fun thing to do, for me personally it can never take the place of cardstock & glue :)

Thank you for visiting today, I really do appreciate it & I read all comments & try to visit your blog in return :)

~ Jane~

[we are still looking for digi scrappers to join the team, message below if interested]

A quickie birthday card .....

For a very special little boy, Logan my youngest Grandson just turned 2 yrs old. He is a real motorhead already & anything with an engine is fair game, especially if it happens to be his Daddy's fire engine or quad bike. If it doesn't have an engine then anything with wheels is a good substitute, he actually loves going cycling with his Mummy saying "hello" from his back seat to everyone that he passes by. Just like his own Daddy as a child, his social skills are very strong, he loves to pass the time chattering to anyone that will take a minute to listen to him :)

So, this is the card I made for him. 

The image, which I coloured using promarkers is a Sugar Nellie stamp called ' Little Farmer'  The cardstock & papers were just plucked from my 'can't throw that away' holder & 3 bits of card candy!

Thank you for visiting my blog

~ Jane ~

x

              Entered into the following challenges
  http://www.craftybloggersnetwork.blogspot.co.uk/ ~ Anything Goes
 http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.co.uk/ ~ Anything Goes
   http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ ~ Polka Dots with a Birthday Theme      

                                                          

Today's The Day ....

The Cupboard Trilogy challenges went live today, you have 3 chances to win the lovely prize by entering with a card, scrapbook page or a digi scrapped page, maybe you would like to enter all 3!

There will be an overall winner who will win the prize offered & a 3 lucky people [1 for each genre] will get to win the DT Top Pix badge on thier blog!

So, please grab the badge from the challenge blog & help us spread the word & get crafting!

Here is the Scrapbook LO that I created to add to the Design Team projects. The photos are of my daughter in law, just after the birth of my grandaughter Yasmin. I decided not to add a title to the LO because I think the photographs speak for themselves .... Nothing is so deep as a Mother's Love!

 Thank you for visiting my blog today, please leave a comment & come back soon

~ Jane ~

Quick, Quick, Quick ....

Less than 24 hours now ....

Until the launch of The Cupboard Trilogy challenges & I am offering just one last chance to get a freebie aka as Blog Candy!

To get your hands on it simply follow the 3 simple steps

[1] Grab the TCT challenge blog Badge & display it on your own blog linking back here

[2] Post on your blog to announce tomorrows launch

[3] Leave a comment in the box below & become a follower!

Please Note: This candy expires at 11pm GMT Tonight

 

The Cupboard Trilogy challenge blog

The final blog Candy is this wonderful papercrafting kit

 *Thank you for playing along & good luck*

~ Jane ~

I took the plunge .....

And tried my hand at digi scrapping, I was curious to see if I could do it really. I don't think I would ever be very proficient at creating some of the beautiful digi scrapped pages that really look 3D, but it is kind of fun. It could never replace paper & glue for me, but I do feel it will have it's place in my crafting life, especially on the days when my health prevents me from indulging in my papercrafting.

So, here is my very 1st attempt

The photograph is my son & grandson on little Mason's 2nd birthday.

Don't you just love his Elmo cake, it tasted as good as it looked too even if I was suprised to see a slice of red & blue marbled sponge cake presented to me. It was really quite surreal eating red & blue cake that tasted of chocolate *laughs*

                                                              Thank you for dropping by

                                                                              ~ Jane ~

Update ...

Well, I have been crafting but I can't show you what I have made yet because it's all DT work. Not too long to wait now though, because the 2 DTs that I've been preparing for The Happy Scrappers & my own challenge blog The Craft Trilogy [which launches 1st July] are nearly due!

Back on 15th June I celebrated yet another birthday, I am not big on my own birthdays really, but I wa thrilled to bits to log into Facebook that day to see that an online friend Alison Paterson, had created a digital scrapbooking page for me. I loved it so much that I thought I would share it with you. I don't think Alison has a blog so I can't link to her!