Sorry Everyone!

Sorry I've not posted many cards lately it would seem I've lost my Mojo (don't know why really). Most likely because my beautiful daughter has gone on tour again for 3 months, she's touring around schools in Essex performing a play about road/car safety. I'll miss her loads...she's my best friend and my rock.  Break a leg darling!!!

I've also been a little pre-occupied because I've been preparing for my first ever cruise. My hubbie and I thought it would be a fitting treat for our 25th wedding anniversary that we're celebrating this year. We fly to Amsterdam from the UK and then onto New York where we meet our ship. From there we travel up the coastline toward Canada dropping into different ports along the way. We always said we'd do the cruise thing for our anniversary and I've always wanted to go to Canada, so we thought we'd combine the two. 

For the past few months I've been busy buying clothes, including a couple of evening dresses from anyway and everywhere that had something that would fit my size 12 body that didn't make me (a) look like frump and (b) mutton dressed as lamb. It's not until you start looking for clothes that you realise that there's a lack of woman's clothes stores that don't include NEXT and Debenhams.  I sort of managed in the end but in particular I've really struggled for shoes. Blimey they must think that every woman wears shoes that requires you to use a scaffold to get into them and a zimmer frame to walk in them! The other alternative are Flossie's which are everywhere at the moment.  Maybe I should just go 'hippie' and go barefoot.... well it would be simpler. Anyway we are really excited.......and nervous as you can imagine. 

I am trying really hard to keep focused as I have a couple cards to get ready for November.  So wish me luck lol.  I'll post them when they're done.

Janine XX

Variation on a Theme

Here's another version of the gorgeous 'Cali Girl' digi stamp from Crafts & Me.  This was made for my sweet niece who recently turned 19...god I feel really old now!

Here's what I used:

Prisma Pencils and Sansdor
Digi image: Crafts & Me - 'Cali Girl'
Paper: First Edition - Boho Chic
Dies: Cheery Lyn - B117 Fanciful Flourish, Tim Holtz 'Tattered Florals', Flower Punch, Sizzix Tags/Bookplates
Plus: Glitter, glue
Watermark - I made myself

I hope you like it, thanks for passing by.  I'd love it if you left me a comment.

Love Janine XXX

Finally a card for you....Simple Acceptance

Finally got my photos to upload, but I have to upload them to Pisca first though. But I suppose I can at least get them onto my blog.  Go know what I'll do when the storage capacity runs out!

Anyway, I made this sweet little card similar to the baby girl one. It's such a a quick card to make, I can't help myself I just love this Spellbinders die - it's just so elegant.

I used:
Papers: First Edition 'Summer Breeze' pad
Die: Spellbinders 'Persian Motifs', Nestibilities
Pearls: Waco Pearl Make 'Crystal'
Distressed Ink: Spiced Marmalade
Sentiment was computer generated
'Created By' watermark was designed by me.

Thanks for dropping by, I hope you like it.

Janine XX

Grr having a blog moment!!!

Sorry folks, I had planned on uploading some new cards but I'm getting an error message when I try.  It says 'Server returned invalid response' whatever that means. Well, I suppose it means I CANNOT UPLOAD MY IMAGES!! drr.....lol

If anyone out there in blogland has had the same problem and solved it....please, please let me know.  Thanks!

I will upload my pics as soon as humanly possible.

Janine X

Orange Delight

I made this orangey card for my closest friend's daughter recently....I used some really delish coloured papers from First Edition.  This beautiful digi stamps was so lovely to colour in, I really enjoyed using my prisma pencil...this was only the second time I'd used them.

Here's a close-up piccie - wow isn't she gorgeous.

Here's what I used:
Prisma Pencils and Sansdor
Digi image: Crafts and Me -  'Cali Girl'
Paper: First Edition - Boho Chic
Dies: Cheery Lyn - B117 Fanciful Flourish, Tim Holtz 'Tattered Florals', Flower Punch

Hope you like it. I'd love it if you leave me a comment.

Thanks for blogging by.

Janine XXX

Footnote: I entered this card in the Crafts and Me challenge 'Autumn Colours' wish me luck!

Oriental Bliss

I made this A5 card a few weeks ago for my mum to send to my nephew's girlfriend - Kat, to celebrate her birthday.

The colours were inspired by the beautiful paper I used from First Edition's 'Summer Breeze' pad. The photo doesn't do it justice really - I'd buy the whole collection if I could. I enjoyed making this card, but it took quite a bit of working out to get the scene right and what and where mask. I'm happy with the final product and hopefully Kat was!

Here's what I used:

Stamp Set: Docrafts Tulip 'Oriental Garden'

Paper/card: First Edition's 'Summer Breeze', Orange, Teal, Glitter cardstock

Promarkers/Flexmarkers: Aquamarine, Glacier Blue, Honeydew, Duck Egg, Apple, Orange, Forest Green

Copic: YR02, E95, E00, E11, E38, E37, 100, ER32

Dies: Cheery Lynn Design Fanciful Flourish B117, Marianne Designs Small Poinsettia

Glitter, computer generated sentiment, Tumbled Glass Distressed Ink

Hope you like it.

Thanks for visiting, why not leave me a message/comment!

Janine X

Sweet Baby Girl

I made this cute little card for my neighbour's daughter, she's just given birth to a baby girl called Gracie.  Sending all our congratulations and love to both her and her husband.  Wow, I feel really old now as she used to babysit my daughter when she was little, my daughter's now 23....and now she's a mum!!

The things I used:

Digi Image: 'Diaper Crew' from Mo Manning Digital Pencil

Pens: Copic, Promarkers

Card: White Decorative Edged 6 x 6 CS, First Edition 'Summer Breeze'

Die: Spellbinder Shapeabilities 'Persian Motifs' 

Pink Organza Ribbon, Computer Generated Text Tag, Pearl Maker by Waco

Thanks for looking.

Janine XX



Good Luck - New Job - New Home

Made this simple wee card for my closest friend's daughter. She's just moved to Leeds to start her career as a children's nurse at Jimmy's children's hospital.  She's such a lovely girl and a pleasure to know. I've watched her grow up...and just I'm so proud of her!  Well done Helen, you deserve it.

Here's what I used:

Card Stock: Decorative edged 6 X 6 card, Pale Pink, First Edition 'Summer Breeze'

Stamp Set: Papermania -  Lucy Cromwell 'Bunting'

Pro & Flexmarkers: Various

Distressed Ink: Worn Lipstick

Thanks for looking

Janine XX

Chocolate & Mint...Yummy!

Made for my closest friend's son who turned 18 last week.

I used the fabulous boy with his laptop, drawn by the equally fabulous Mo Manning.  I wanted to make a simple card with an earthy look suitable for a teenage boy, and I didn't want to make it over complicated. I bought First Edition's Summer Breeze paper pad for another card I'm doing and I was so inspired by the paper designs and colours that I decided to go with a brown and mint green theme.  I must admit the papers in this pad are gorgeous! I must admit I can colour till the cows come home but I always struggle with my background layers, so after seeing many blog cards recently with the banner strips I decided to try them out, and hopefully they work well.

I used:

Pens: Promarkers, Flexmarkers, Copics, Spectum Noirs

Papers: First Edition ' Summer Breeze'

Ink: Black Memento, Tea Dye Distressing Ink

Computer generated sentiment

Image: Computer Boy from Mo's Digital Pencil

Thanks for looking, hope you like it.

Janine XX

Heart to Heart

LOL, I made this for my husband for our 25th anniversary to give him a giggle. It was so simple to make.

I cut out 2 card using my Cricut,which I distressed and dashed. I glued them together overlaying them slightly.  I computer generated the message to my husband and hand cut it to make a banner, and distressed the edges again.  The digi image was printed off 3 times, coloured and cut out and then layered up; this was then glued onto the front of the hearts.  The very apt sentiment came with the digi couple, which I printed off, distressed and layered up onto the front of the heart. I added glossy accents to their glasses...it makes their eyes bulge!!

The hard part was making it stand up.  So I had to devised a standing mechanism, it took several attempts to get it right...but I did finally.   Here it is.....it's not the best photo I  know, but it was hard to get the shot right,

Here's what I used:

Digi Stamp/Sentiment: Bugaboo 'SL One Person To Annoy'

Selection of Pro & Flexmarkers, Copics, Cricut machine and Cricut cartidge 'Plantin Schoolbook', Glossy Accents

Hope you like it, my hubbie did!!

Janine X