Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge Blog

As it's time for the Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge Blog it must be the 1st of the month again and this week it really feels like winter is here with all the wind and rain.  However before we move in top Christmas we have our Crafter's Companion birthday to celebrate in October, so this month the challenge is BIRTHDAYS.   I've had these SVGs from SVGcuts (Happy birthday To You set) a while but not got round to cutting them with my beloved eCraft machine, but now I'm completely hooked.  I love the K-card (or sometimes called a lever card) and it literally took minutes to cut and assemble and how cute is the little cupcake that can be filled with a gift or choccies.

An inside view

How cute are all those buttons?

A cupcake that's syn free - my kind of cake

The flower file that comes in this SVG set is definitely going to be a favourite and I can see it popping up on all kinds of projects!

The papers are from Fist Edition papers and can be found in places like The Range.

Don't forget to come and enter at the challenge blog, there's a great prize up for grabs.

I can't wait to go and see all your fabulous work.

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge

Well that's July gone and welcome to August.  I don't think a year has ever gone so fast!  So with it being the 1st it is time for the monthly challenge over at the Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge Blog.  This month the theme is Best Friends and what could be better than sharing a cup of tea with a special friend.  With that in mind it was time for Edna-May my eCraft machine to work her magic with the Tea for You and Me files from SVGcuts.com.  I love this teacup, it just needs filling with some teatime treats.  How fabulous is it that's it's all constructed from Core'dinations and then decorated with some patterned paper.

There's even a file to make the spoon with!

The card just needs a little teabag popping into the vellum pocket (yes the eCraft will cut vellum).  I need a posh one in a little bag with a matching little tag on a string

How cute is the 3D lettering in that message panel

There's also a teapot in the set, so I might challenge that next.  Gwyneth will you help me!!

So back to the challenge.  There's a super prize up for grabs - a £30 Gift Voucher, to spend on the Crafter's Companion web site! All of the important information on how to enter is over at The Crafter's Companion Monthly Blog Challenge.  I can't wait to see your entries.


I'm also entering my card into the following challenges:
Secret Crafter - Bright & Cheerful
One Stop Craft - Just Good Friends

Things I've learned in July:

You can make pizza from instant mash potato

Anna is such a wonderful house guest she could stay forever

Making marbled paper using shaving cream is too much fun

Thanks for popping by.

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge

As it's the first of the month it's time for a new challenge over at the Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge Blog.  This month the challenge is "Summer" and for me that means bright colours and the little creatures you see around in the summer.  So I called upon my eCraft machine (Edna-May) to make a summery set of birthday cards.  Everything is cut on the machine using most the Jen Allyson designs SD card.  That includes making the 5" card blank (yes you can make your own card blanks!!), the frame and the cute little creature.

Supplies used:

eCraft Sd cards - Jen Allyson designs, Jen Allyson celebrates

Card - Core'dinations core essentials and Tilly Dot

Ribbon - satin

I'm looking forward to seeing what everybody creates for the challenge, it's open all month so let's get ready for summer and join in the challenge.

Thanks for popping by.

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

This weekend

Yay for the weekend and for me it's going to be a good one as I'm off to visit my fabulous friend Anna.  I'm having an adventure on a train due to the fuel "crisis" (give me strength!!).  I just didn't fancy the hassle of worrying about fuel all weekend.

I know I haven't shared much recently but that's because I've been out dancing lots and the crafting time I've had I've been finishing invites and playing with my eCraft and making a super project ready for the Craftwell Spring Bunny Blog Hop, that takes place tomorrow (11am here in the UK).  Here's a little sneak peek of my project.

Please drop by tomorrow and leave a comment as there's a chance of winning a £20 Crafter's Companion gift voucher!!!

Right got to dash, I've got lots to do before catching that train.  See you soon.

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

Happy Mother's Day

Good Morning

I know I'm a little early for Mother's Day but as I'm away dancing at the Cheltenham Balboa Festival this weekend, I thought I'd share this card with you.

It was inspired by challenges at:

My Time Made Easy - sketch challenge #52

Creative Inspirations - Something for Mum

Papertake weekly - for the girls or Mum

Supplies used:

Card - Core'dinations whitewash (Crafter's Companion)

SVG - rambling rose (My Time Made Easy)

Paper - first edition new leaf

Stamp - daily design sentiments (PTI) 

I love that flower and they're so easy to make.  Just card, ink, an SVG and of course Edna-May my eCraft machine.

So where have I been for the last couple of weeks I hear you ask?  Well work has been exceptionally busy but that's a good thing.  Also I've decided that all occasions in life should be spent on a ski slope, so I headed back to Morzine and Chalet Thalassa for a week of skiing and great fun with amazing company for my birthday!

Since I've been back, I've had a planning trip to IKEA (there will be many more) with the lovely Leann Chivers, made leek and potato soup, and finished 70 wedding invitations for my wonderful little sister.

I'm off to Cardiff and Bristol today and Birmingham on Monday to visit some customers.  Plus I'll get to see my lovely friend Anna this weekend, in between dancing.  Yes life if full to bursting at the moment but would I have it any other way ..... not on your nelly!!

Have a great weekend.

Love ya

Ginger

xxx

Something for nothing

Don't you just love making something for nothing.  This pretty little flower vase is actually an old coffee jar decorated with adhesive vinyl cut on my eCraft machine.  I've had a quick play with vinyl on the eCraft before but only to see if it worked.  Today I actually had a project in mind.  When I pop to Tesco I always have a quick look to see if the flowers are reduced and yesterday there was a bunch for 75 pence reduced from £5.00, at which point I decided I was worth it!!  So my little vase has daffodils in it so I needed another small vase, so coffee jar to the rescue, once it had been tarted up a little.
This project was inspired by challenges at:
Cupcake Craft Challenges - recycle
Creative Inspirations -  make a tag
Colour create - light & dark brown with white or cream
Allsorts challenge blog - Free & easy
ABC challenge blog - I is for in Pairs (& not Paris as I first read!!) - my pairs are the heart, the scalloped heart and the flourish shape

Supplies used:
eCraft - no tabs, pressure 1

Image card - Jen Allyson designs - category 1, image 10, Jen Allyson Celebrates - category 2, image 13

Font - Apple Chancery

Vinyl - acquired!

Oh my I want to sticker everything now!!  I've started with Edna-May my eCraft but have lots of ideas for future projects too.  

Here's a picture of the snow last night - let's hope it clears up today!  It doesn't look like it's going anywhere just yet though!!

So with this much snow it means I'm going nowhere today.  So I'm off to work on my sister's wedding invites, cutting and embossing here I come!
Enjoy your Sunday.
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

Off to the NEC

What a day!  Office, warehouse, office, warehouse and that was before setting off to the NEC!!  Ah well, it all turned out fabulously in the end and we had a good set up.  Best of all we got together for dinner and you can see how it started!

And this is what followed!

Just a snack then!

Here's one of the pieces I've made to go on my eCraft display for the show.  I love the fact that I can cut these cute flowers in and size I want.  This time I went small and opted to use Tim Holtz Kraft Core, it works so well with these flowers, as you can see the kraft core on the back.

Apologies for the reflection, taking a photo of a frame is a little too technical for me!

Supplies used:

eCraft electronic die cutter

SVG files- Laina Lambs spiral flowers (2peas in a bucket)

Card - Tim Holtz Kraft Core (Crafter's Companion)

Embossing folder - swirls (Darice at Crafter's Companion)

Now Sarah from Beader's Companion is quite taken with it, so I'll have to keep an eye on it!!

Inspired by challenges at:

Just us girls - #108, decorate/alter a frame

Papertake Weekly - anything goes


Also the inspiration for flowers in a frame came from Kolette Hall on her Just Giving class and Big Picture Scrapbooking.

Another thing that has made me smile today is the fact that over at Creative Inspirations, I've made their top 3 for my Halloween goodies.  Thanks for choosing my project.

So on that bit of news I'm off to bed as I'm sure it'll be a busy day tomorrow.

Love Ginger

xxx

Happy Halloween

Seeing as I've got all the sweets and my lovely little cauldron I thought I'd better carve some pumpkins to let people know we've got treats for Halloween.  Believe it or not I've got to 41 years old before tackling a pumpkin!  But with the help of my eCraft it was a doddle.  I cut out a bat and a pumpkin face and used them as templates.

Such fun.  We've had lots of trick and treaters, all of them dressed up, so I've happily handed out lots of my spooky treats.  A few left for us too, even better.


With so much spooky fun there's just one little card to share with you tonight.  I've gone completely clean and simple, but I'm loving the touch of felt that I think lifts the whole card.  I love the fact that the dies and the stamps work so perfectly together.

Supplies used:
Card - kraft (PTI)
Stamps - delightful dahlias (PTI)
Ink - true black (PTI)
Dies - PTI


Inspired by challenges at:
Daring cardmakers - fantastic felties
Stamptacular Sunday - borders and frames
Clean & Simple stamping - #164
Charisma Cardz - anything goes


As I'm off the the NEC for the craft show on Wednesday it might be a quiet blog week for me but I'll update when I get back if I don't get chance whilst I'm away.


Love Ginger
xxx

Music Saves My Soul

The lovely Marcea shares her favourite tracks on her blog every Saturday.

This week I've managed to get my butt into gear and join in.  I knew which artist I wanted to pick but choosing a track was the difficult bit.  As the girls who were away with me last weekend know I'm loving Imelda May just now.  Any girl that can wear yellow and completely pull it off has my full respect!  Not only that she has the most amazing voice and I love her energy.  Here she is on Jools Holland singing Tainted Love.

I've been crafting most of the weekend and also managed to fit in a couple of walks.  I've got lots to share with you but for now here's a little Gorjuss card.

Supplies used:

Card - Core'dinations vintage collection (Crafter's Companion)

Embossing folder - Cuttlebug Welcome Baby cut and emboss set

Die cut - Gorjuss

Scalloped die cut - eCraft (Jen Allyson designs card)

Stamp - enjoy the ride (PTI)

Inspired by challenges at:

Charisma Cards - #42 embossing

One stop craft - #154 no designer paper

I hope everyone has had a great weekend.

Love Ginger

xxx