For Cath (sans CHA) with Love Blog Hop

For those of you that have never visited the Moxie Fab World Blog, then you're missing a treat.  Cath constantly provides images and products to send your creative brain into overdrive, not only that there are competitions galore.  I was lucky enough to meet Cath at CHA a few summers ago and she's as lovely in real life as she is on-line.  Unfortunately she can't make it to CHA this week as she's got an injury which means she can't travel, so in true papercrafting spirit it's time to give a little back and a surprise blog hop has been organised for this lovely lady by Virginia.
Here's hoping you're on the mend soon Cath.

I was inspired by challenges at:

CPS - card sketches - 5th anniversary day 2 with Linda Beeson

Sunday Sketch & Stamp - #91

Supplies used (all PTI):

Stamps - through the trees , background basics text style, turning a new leaf

Ink - dark chocolate, ripe avocado

Dies - nestabilities, tiny tags

Paper - green tea leaves collection

Card - kraft, ripe avocado, stampers select white

Twine - rustic jute button twice

With lots of love to Cath

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

Through the Trees

No I haven't been out rambling, it's my latest PTI stamp that I've had out of it's wrapper.  I told you I was on a mission to get all these new sets inked up.  So today it's a quick a simple card, with a more masculine feel.  It was inspired by challenges at:

Totally Gorjuss - KISS - keep it simple stupid

Quirky crafts - make a scene

Stamp with fun - #145 sketch

Supplies used - all PTI

Stamps - through the trees, background basics text style

Ink - dark chocolate, ripe avocado, vintage touch tea dye duo

Card - kraft, ripe avocado, spring rain

Buttons - chocolate brown

Twine - bakers twine chocolate, rustic jute button twine

Right, it's back onto the Slimming World eating plan this week.  Focus Claire Lesley, you have a bridesmaid dress to fit into in June.

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

A little bit of Kraft

As far as I'm concerned you can't beat a little bit of Kraft!!  How can that even be a colour, let alone one of my favourite colours!!  Seeing as I stocked up when I went to the US in December I'm happily working my way through loads of it at the moment.  But I'm sure I'll need more soon plus the matching buttons, oh and the ink!

So I've managed to use some more of my new PTI goodies today.  First up is the coverplate quatrefoil die, although I've used it to emboss with rather than as a cutting die.  How cool is that, I love anything that's versatile.

This card was inspired by challenges at:

Clean & Simple Stamping - #175

Dutch Dare Card Challenges - buttons galore

Stampin' for the weekend - embossing

ABC challenge - H is for Happy Birthday

Supplies used all PTI:

Card - dark chocolate, kraft

Paper - Pacific Vineyard

Felt - dark chocolate

Dies - quatrefoil coverplate, mega matstack 4, double ended banners, Beautiful Blooms II #1 die collection
Buttons - ripe avocado, dark chocolate
Bakers twine - chocolate

These next little beauties were made the other day when the Lovely Louise Welsh came round for tea.  We're normally chatting so much that we don't have time for much crafting but we both made these baby cards, a complete lift from the very talented Melissa Bickford who designed the stamp set.  Although we did lose the twine and stamped the washing line and added an extra layer of matting and layering.  I made the girl ones and Louise made boy ones.  But the following night I decided I needed boy ones too, so made myself a set.
I'm popping them into the challenge at:
Simon says stamp challenge - anything goes
Crafty calendar challenge - new news

Supplies used

Card - kraft, raspberry fizz, ocean tides

Paper - bitty box basics

Ink - true black, raspberry fizz, ripe avocado

Stamps - hanging out, banner builder

Right I'm off to do some cleaning - the joys!!!
Happy days
Love ya
Ginger
xxx

Happy Crafting

I'm having a complete guilt free crafting day and it's bliss.  I've made a couple of cards and I'm working on a couple of projects that I can't share with you just yet.  So this day of relaxation is fabulous but it does mean I'll have a busy day tomorrow, I might even go and do some house hunting!!

So here's what I've made today.  I decided it was long overdue that my Speccies had been out, so I grabbed this cute Strawberry Kisses Stamp and inspired by the following challenges here's what I came up with:

Inspirational Card Sketches - #148

Daring Cardmakers - wishi washi - I'm loving making my own washi tape

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Let's see those animals
Sundays with Crissy - beat the mid-winter blues - for me that's donning my boots and going out walking, hence the boot stamp

The flower is cut on the eCraft from Core'diantions Tim Holtz Kraft Core - it's one of my favourite ranges for making these little flowers

Stamps - Strawberry Kisses Together from Crafter's Companion, Sentiment from Through the Trees, back ground basics twinkle by PTI

Dies - Nestabilities from Crafter's Companion, Banner from PTI, 3d flower Laina Lamb spiral flowers SVG from 2 peas in a bucket

Pens - Spectrum Noir (forgot to write the colours down!)

Paper - distressed dots by PTI, Kraft Core

Card blank - Craftwork Cards

This second card has more of a vintage feel.  I've used some of the goodies that my gorgeous friend Dougie sent me for Christmas.  She always sends me crafting presents that are so beautiful that I can barely stand to use them!  I've been inspired by challenges at:

Crazy 4 challenges - layer it on

Totally Papercrafts - pearls and lace

Papercraft Star - Victoriana

I love this sentiment, it just makes me smile.  Those little flowers are gorgeous, they're resin but have a flock to give them a soft finish.

Supplies used (lots!!)

Paper - pacific vineyard by PTY

Card - ripe avocado, vintage cream by PTI

Punch - Martha Stewart around the edge

Printed die cuts - Farm House range from October Afternoon

Resin flowers - Maya Road

Stamps - Lock and Key by PTI

Ink - dark chocolate and pure poppy from PTI

As it's Saturday, I want to play along with 

over at Marcea's Blog.  My offering for this week is Miss 600, I really need to get this bought.  Thank you to my lovely friend Archi for bringing this band to my attention, it's just my thing.

So now it's back to doing some crafting - what joy!!  I hope you're finding some time to craft too.

Love

Ginger

xxx

Happy Birthday

As part of my plan to be more organised and actually send birthday cards this year, I thought I'd get ahead and make some cards ready to send.  So paired with my ongoing quest to use all of my new PTI stamps, sooner rather than later, I made these 4 cards.  The scalloped border is actually the heart border die cut twice.
I'm popping this card into the challenges over at:


Cute Card Thursday - you're a gem
Papertake Weekly - happy highlights - decoupaged banners and glittered letters

Supplies used (nearly all PTI)

Stamps - banner builder, big birthday wishes, tiny tags

Dies - banner builder, tiny tags, heart border

Card - aqua mist, raspberry fizz, spring moss

Ink - spring moss, aqua mist, true black

Ribbon - aqua mist saddle stitch, rustic cream button twine

Letter - making memories glitter alphabet

So now the cards are made, I need to find/make some envelopes, make a list of birthdays and then remember to send the cards!  It's a tall order but at least I've made a start!!


Thanks for visiting.


Love ya
Ginger
xxx

Papertrey Ink January Blog Hop

Today is the day for January Papertrey Ink blog hop and after my trip to America in December I'm still working through all my new PTI goodies!!  I think it'll take me until my next visit to get through all of them but I am making a concious decision to get ink on at least some of my new stamps.

So the challenge this month is:

 This month, in honor of the New Year, we are challenging you to pick your favorite project from 2011 and share it with all of us. To take it a step further, you are challenged to create a second card that is inspired by the favorite project you select. Your new version of an old favorite could carry over the color scheme, the layout or the stamp sets. We look forward to seeing your best creations from 2011, as well as your first projects from 2012!

Here's one of my favourites that I managed to share on my blog last year:

I still like the layout of this card, so I've used some old/existing stamps but also integrated some new stamps into my new project and gone for a different but still bold colour theme.

Supplies used (all Papertrey Ink):

Stamps - mat stack collection 3, tag-its #10

Dies - mat stack 3, layerz mat stack 3

Ink - raspberry fizz, spring moss, aqua mist

Card - raspberry fizz, spring moss, stampers select white

Paper - Funky Town

Ribbon - Hawaiian shore


I'm also popping this into the challenge at:
Creative Inspirations - #147 anything goes
Stamptacular Sunday - seeing spots

I'm now off to blog hop and know I'll be blown away with all the gorgeous creations from my fellow PTI fans.

Thank you for hopping by.

Love ya

Ginger 

xxx

Marvellous Monday

It's not often you say that about Monday's is it!  But I woke up at my sisters which means I got a snuggle from my niece Abi before leaving for work.  Then on my way over to Preston I saw the Beluga plane coming into land at Broughton, it's amazing to think something so huge can actually fly, it just seems to hang in the air.  Whenever I see it it makes me smile.

It was lovely to see Ann and Anne-Marie over at Preston and of course it would have been rude to leave without a little shopping.  Sometimes I just love a kit where all I have to do is stick it all together, which is lovely when they're such pretty colours.  I made 8 cards tonight.

I'm popping this card into challenges at:
Sir Stampalot - monochromatic
One Stop Craft Challenge - under the weather (to be sent to a friend who has been poorly)

This one I'm entering into the challenge at:
Ooh-la-la-creations challenges - seeing double

So after Preston it was back to the office but not before seeing double rainbows and fighter jets.  I told you it was a good day.
Unfortunately my dinner plans were curtailed as poor Michelle has a poorly leg, so hoping she's sorted soon.
But it did mean I got to play with paper and glue instead - every cloud :-)
I hope your Monday has been as exciting as mine.


Love ya
Ginger
xxx

Family, friends and favourites

What an amazing weekend.  Friday night I baked.  First I tried 2 recipes from my new Green & Blacks chocolate cook book (thank you Gwyneth), a crispy nutty thin chocolate brownie and chocolate muffins with chocolate frosting.  Then back to a favourite, sweet mincemeat muffins.  Success all round.

As some of the mincemeat muffins were for a gift I thought I'd better make a box to pop them in so using some files from www.svgcuts.com (big boutique boxes and my mom's attic) and a tag from Jen Allyson Celebrates image card and my eCraft machine I went from this

To this

To this

My 4 muffins suddenly look like a great gift thanks to some packaging.


I've popped this into the following challenges:
Daring cardmakers - Kitchenallia
Saturday Challenge - food and drink

Talking about packaging when you're off to meet one of your favourite 5 year olds (especially one that you haven't seen in far too long), you need the cutest box to pop some choccies in, so yet again your eCraft comes into its own, especially with some more files from www.svgcuts.com

I'm popping this into the challenge over at:
The Crafty Pad - something for the boys


the gift definitely worked - look at his happy face and I was rewarded with cuddles galore :-)

So after crafting group, I went back to Gwyneths for a a gorgeous hot shell massage, a delicious indian take away and great italian red wine (thank you Robert), before leaving on Sunday morning to go to my sisters.  I had a great day with my family.  My cutie patootie niece is full of giggles and smiles and kept me entertained all day.

I'm back to work in the morning with a meeting in Preston then back to the office for a rest!!  I hope you've all had a great weekend.

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

My Year of Adventure

Last year ended up being my year of change, with one thing and another but that's left me with 2012 being my year of adventure.  I intend taking every opportunity that I can to experience everything I want to.  I started off with a little prelude and spent Christmas skiing in France.  Yes I flew off on my own.  I can highly recommend it, as I had a fabulous time and met some wonderful new friends.  I saw the New Year in Leeds with new friends and spent last weekend with friends I met last year, walking in Derbyshire.

So all invitations for adventures are welcome, so far I have planned:

a days bootcamp

a day with birds of prey

another weeks skiing

dancing weekends

off to watch the ballet

booked tickets to go to the theatre on my own

my sister's getting married

lots of crafting

So on that note here's some cards that I made tonight:

I've had a great night with Edna May my eCraft machine.  The files are from the lovely and wonderfully talented Mary & Leo at www.SVGcuts.com .  They make die cutting and projects toooooooooo easy.  Thank you guys xxx.

I'd promise to update my blog more but adventures take up a lot of time!

Love

Ginger

xxx