Merci! CCT

Hi!

Well it was a complete suprise to win the draw on Cute Card Thursday and this morning the little Tilda stamp arrived! Seemed apt that I use it for a CCT challenge this week so I got stuck in and made a little thank you card or seeing as it's a Paris Tilda a merci card!

The challenge is to use patterned paper so I picked out some Making Memories noteworthy ones, chopped them up to fit the little card blank and did some wetting and rolling of the edges to add some texture. Tilda is also made up of little bits of patterned paper and some water colouring too.

Finished off with a bit of ribbon tied around the middle and a handwritten tag.

So, merci everyone!

xx Leo

Animal Crackers!

I love making animal cards so I loved the sound of this weeks DMC challenge - to make cards with animals on them!

It worked out pretty well too because I was trying to think of an idea for a special card I needed to make this weekend and it got an idea in my head and then I just started sketching...

I copied and printed my sketch out on some Basic Grey paper and cut out to decorate the dress and then printed it on plain card to colour in the rest with pencils and paints. The letters are Basic Grey too.

I made another animal card at the weekend with one of the Debs Designs images Debbie has on my site. They're v-cute.

I printed the yo yo doggy on some Scenic Route, Dream Street and then Bazzill card - cut out the bits I wanted and then stuck it all back together again over another of the images that I printed on a half sheet of Bazzill card then folded it to make the base card. I popped some brads on to decorate his collar and there's some glossy accents on his nose too.

Thanks for another fabby challenge DMCers!

xx Leo

Pen Princess in Paris

I've been making these drawings for the last couple of weeks for my Crafty Templates site and I'm telling you it's addictive! I did a series of bird cards with hand drawings on last year and I got a bit carried away then but these are even funner because they're a bit easier to dress up than a bird! lolThis is Pen Princess, so called because she's just like the little princess icon I sketched years ago for my craftyprincess site and because she came out of a pen! I suppose she could be a Penelope too if you like but I prefer pen :-D. I used goodies from my GoGo Greetings kit to cut out the shapes from after printing her on to patterned paper and Bazzill, then coloured in the rest.

I always draw people like I learned when I did fashion design with triangle bodies and she kind of just stayed stuck with a triangle body! Then I've dressed her up in pretty and funky outfits, the kind I'd wear if I didn't always end up shoving on my jeans. I think I'll have to do a special dress up fashion series to make up like paper dolls - I love paper dolls! Defo have to do that! Anyway I digress so I started sketching this out the other night while watching the Apprentice (why did he not get fired!!!) and weirdly it fitted in perfectly with the cute card Thursday challenge for this week to make a travel themed card! Plus because the peeps on there always give away a freebie it's only fair that I give my Pen away too. :-D

Click here to download Princess Pen in Paris

xx Leo

Going Dottie!

I've been playing around with Lou's Dottie images again and decided to have a go at the challenge on the Dottie blog which was.........

"Right the first challenge is set by me (Louise). I want you to make a card or layout using paper piecing on any Dottie or George image, but that's not all! I want you then to use the same paper as part of your card's background." ......... so this is the card I came up with....

I picked out a scrap of Sassafras Lass polka dot red paper and used it for Dottie's dress (it's the cheerleader Dottie from the dress up Dottie collection) and socks then I cut out little circles of it to decorate the background. Her little shoes are Bazzill card and the rest I coloured in with watercolour pencils and gel pens. I made some finger pom poms from fibers too - just thought it looked more fun - then added the message.
xx

Recycled

Wow look at me nothing for a month and then two posts in two days! lol
I needed to get into making some cards today so I jumped in with the DCM dare and this is what I've come up with.

I'm always fond of recycling and using unconventional materials so I was up for this one.

I cut the cake and the polka dot paper bit from an old birthday card and I also used packaging for the background, it's corrugated card that I've put though the Cuttlebug with the swiss dots folder. It actually made a really cool pattern on the reverse where it embossed and squashed down the corrugated bits so I want to make some more and use the other side.

For the boarder I stitched ribbon around the edge and then tied the ends together in a bow then to finish off added a couple of blossoms and buttons and that's it really.

Thanks for another fab dare!

xx Leo

Silver & Summer

So here is my go at this weeks Daring Cardmakers challenge - to use something inspired by the wood and/or silverware anniversary I also let the mega turn up in sunshiny weather as inspiration! So I thought well silver obviously - I'll make something that looks like metal and then wood - well paper comes from wood right? This is a real kitchen cupboard card, I used silver kitchen foil glued onto card and then embossed with my Cuttlebug to create a metal effect then the paper is from a Lush present that I saved because it was pretty and smells of Lush! I scrunched up the paper and sanded it then stamped a message onto a Scenic Route journaling label and attached it to the card with a cute brad.

So I just remembered this is my first blog post in an age so I'll supplement it with some of the crafty things I've been up to this last month!

Well I've been making lots of jewellery in preparation for the summer, this is one of my faves it's apple howlite and labradorite I strung 3 bracelets and then fixed them together with a pretty flower shell bead.
I've been mega busy putting kits together for Crafty Templates, the latest one is online now and it's got lots of yummy new Scenic Route stuff in (May Kit). The next one coming up (June Kit) is my favoriteist one so far I've called it Long Lost Letters and I've been enjoying collecting goodies for it for the last couple of months from far and wide, it's defo one to keep an eye out for if like me you love vintagey polka dotty turquoisey lushness! :-D

K what else well, I was playing along with the UKScrappers cybercrop and won two prizes one from Craft At Home and one from The Altered Element. I'd defo recommend a visit to The Altered Element because there's some mega yummy goodies including tons of buttons like these that Lynne sent me as my prize!!! I know there some more exciting goodies going up there soon that you can buy by weight, I can't wait! Just imagine a pick and mix but with buttons and bling and beady goodies mega yum!

I've also been busy making the first Crafty Project work sheet. This is the finished book. It's a mini book that is supposed to be displayed like a picture frame on a shelf.

The project pack guides you through how to make up each page and includes sheets of templates to print off and use to make cool embellishments like fancy labels, shabby chic flowers, a cute birdie and some mega giant brackets you can make your own chipboard shapes with. It took me about 2hrs to make up this one following the project so it'll make a perfect little crop take away pack or something to do on a rainy afternoon - not that I'm wishing rain on anyone! Nope we defo need to keep the sunshine coming! Ok so how about something to do on a sunny afternoon in the garden! I actually do love scrapping outside, you can just fill up a tote with what you need and sit out enjoy the weather and have a crafty play! Sorted.

Well I'm going to leave it there because there are a zillion things I need to do today!

Happy crafting! xx Leo