Nelly & Co

Hello, sorry it's been more than a day or 2 but if you knew me, you'd know I'm not the most punctual of people : ] , but I do deliver, even if a bit late! Here's a non-christmas card using another of the adorable sugar nellie stamps, from Funky Kits. They will be adding more to the range next week plus a new range called Maggie, I can't wait!! Not much added to this card as I let the papers do the work plus the fancy fold of the card. I don't know what you'd call it, but the stripey bit opens to the right, then the dotty panel opens to the left and then finally it opens up again to the right!



Materials:

• Stamp: Sugar Nellie
• backing paper and sentiment: free download off magazine (papercraft inspirations site)
• yellow metal tab attached with brad to keep card shut.

One I made tonight is a christmas card from my new batch of Magnolia stamps, I love them sooo much. This one is Edwin's snowman and have kept him fairly simple and added colour using some of the gorgeous papers from Pink Petticoat. My snowman came direct from Sweden but I think Funky Kits has him in stock at the moment with some other new stuff, but I'd hurry if you wanted some as magnolias seem to be very hot at the moment!

Materials:

• stamp: Magnolia, 'Edwin's snowman'
• papers: Pink Petticoat's 'O christmas tree' collection
• embellishments: tag cut from cuttlebug and stamped with sentiment from 1 of Dovecraft's £1.69 mini clear stamp sets. This is attached with blue grosgrain ribbon, again Dovecraft 99p for 5m! Finally, the little pearl baubles are from stamping bella

O.K thats all I've got to share at the moment but I should have more to show in the coming weeks as I will have much more free time. We have finally sold our business so will have a nice long break for Christmas. (Will be setting up a new shop in the new year but the plan is I will then not be needed full time, just part-time so lots more play time for me, can't wait!)

Off to bed now, as it is nearly 2.30 AM , night night. Frances xx

My craft room day

Hello, nearly been a week since my last entry but have been busy working, we have our own take away business so hours are long, hence I tend to be on here later at night or weekdays when I have time off. However, it's still sooo much better than a regular 9-5 job working for someone else. We lived down in south London for 8 years, OH for a bank and I had a good job in merchandising but just decided that life wasn't for us and decided to pack it all in and move back up north and be our own boss. No more stress/office politics and I'm not wishing the weeks away anymore; used to want weekends to come then it all be over too quickly and it would be dreaded Mon morning again, ironically mondays are now my day off and I love them ; )

Anyway, I digress sorry! Firstly, I would like to say a big HELLO & thank you to everyone who has visited/left comments. I didn't really expect many people to find me but some of you have managed to stumble across me, can't believe I've had as many visitors as I've had, so thank you. Haven't made any cards today as I've spent most of today re-arranging my craft room. It hasn't been long since my last sorting out but decided the layout I had made the room much smaller (even though I did it so that I could get round my table to the window). So basically, all I've done is push the table so it's up against the window now and moved some of the cabinets around, but it takes all day just to do that. it doesn't help that things seem to grow when you take them out of their home, it's like clothes in a suitcase when you go on holiday. They fit fine on the trip out but when it comes to packing to come home don't you find they've grown and never fit back again?! LOL

Here's my room as it was (it's our small 3rd bedroom which was supposed to be a joint craft room/computer room shared with DH but I've somehow taken over the whole room plus the computer and DH has gone and built his own gaming PC and is set up in the corner of our 2nd bedroom lol) and then after,

it doesn't look very different in the photo but in real life it has opened up the room more. You'll have to excuse the mess, as it still needs a proper tidy . However, that may have to wait as I just got some more lovely Tilda's through the post today and I'm itching to go play with them . . . look . . . .

See how restrained I am, that I've taken the time to do this first before I go play ;) Hopefully will have something to show you all in the next day or 2.

Until then, here's the only card I've managed to make since my last post and yes, it's tilda again, sorry! Will try and do something different sometime honest!

Frances xx

More sweetness

Right, this really is the last card tonight (although technically it is a new day now !) and as promised it's Nellies turn. Same colour scheme as my last card just different layout and embellishements. Too tired to list the materials but you get the gist, off to bed now, nighty night!

Tilda's turn

O.K, here's the final card for tonight and it's one from Magnolia's Christmas range which I absolutely love. I coloured her in first so ended up having to find bits to match her which probably wasn't the best way to go about it but it was fun, hope you like it!

Materials:

• Stamp: Magnolia
• Paper: docrafts Christmas pack from last year
• Sentiment from 1 of Dovecrafts small £1.49 clear stamp sets stamped onto tag cut from cuttlebug
• Embellishments: various ribbon, brads and eyelets plus Papermania flower secured with pearl brad

Also, have had my first comment tonight, woohoo!! However, no name, so whoever you are thank you sooo much, it means a lot.

Until next time, Frances x

More Sugar

Managed to make 2 more cards with my gorgeous new Sugar Nellie stamps. Images were watercoloured, cut out and stuck on with foam pads. Backing paper is from Dovecraft christmas paper pack. Also used cuttlebug embossing folder on the 2nd card. Trying to split my time between Nellies and Magnolias at the moment as am loving colouring in, find it so relaxing (funnily enough, it was my favourite passtime as a child!). So hope you all don't get bored. May try and fit in some other styles of card but I do tend to go through phases of using certain things or it just could be because I've got so much 'stuff' I don't get round to using them all!

Sugar Nellie

Here she is, my first Sugar Nellie card. Didn't have much time so fairly simple.


Backing paper is from DCWV summer stack, flowers are papermania ones but I really need to get myself some prima ones. The centre of the flower is a papermania pearl brad.

Off to play with my other Nellie stamps now and hopefully share some more cards with you all soon.

More Tildas and new Sugar Nellies

Managed to make another 2 cards with my new Magnolia stamps, 1 was for my sister's birthday and the other 1 is just a general one. Both just watercoloured and embellished with some co-ordinating backing paper and flowers with a pearl brad in the center. Should really start cracking with the old christmas cards but there's just so many non christmas Tilda's that are calling out to me! Not to mention I have the new Sugar Nellie stamps vying for my attention now!

Received my batch from Funky Kits today and they are soooo cute. They are similar to Tildas but cheeks aren't as puffy! They come unmounted so are cheaper. If you haven't seen them you must have a look as you'll just love them. Check out their Sugar Nellie blog to see some card samples. O.K must go now and hopefully will have time to play with my new Nellies tomorrow and hopefully have something to show you very soon. Watch this space. Nighty night, Frances x

My first Tilda Xmas card

Here she is, my first christmas card using 1 of my new Tilda's. Not sure if you can tell but she is cut out and decoupaged. Lettering is from Sizzlits Skittle Dee Doo alphabet strip. I've also been naughty and gone and ordered some of the new Sugar Nelly stamps from Funky Kit website (when I say some I kinda mean 10 :D that's after I restrained myself from ordering all 12!!!!)

Hope you are all enjoying my cards would love to hear from anyone out there and hope I'm not just typing/talking to myself :( Although I have to say starting this blog has spurred me on in completing cards as I tend to leave them half finished and it can take me days to finish 1 whereas now I feel like I need to complete them and share them with you all!

I'm hoping for some more goodies to arrive in the next few days (not that I need more) mainly Tilda's and nellies now so I should get cracking and use the ones I have before my new ones arrive. Until next time, Frances x

Bella

I got snowbunnybella a few weeks ago and stamped her out but have only got round to colouring her in last night and I was kinda on a roll so kept going and made a card - what do you think? The photo hasn't turned out too well as the card is a lovely pale lilac and all the brown bits of fur on bella sparkles as it's watercoloured with my sakura stardust pens (the lilac card base is from pink petticoat's doodlicious xmas collection printed direct onto white hammered card which I can do now I have my new HP printer - wahey, love it as it's sooo much quicker than my old printer). The circle is from cuttlebug xmas jelly folder embossed onto silver card and the snowflakes are brads from docraft which I have had for ages.

I've got the rest of today off work so will try and make some cards with my Tilda's now although I may have to do some online retail therapy as well as Funky kits are releasing their new line of sugar nelly stamps tonight & I don't want to miss those! Will let you know how I get on - even though I shouldn't be spending any more as still have more tildas on their way ; )

Magnolias are here!

Look what I found on my doorstep when I got home for lunch today . . my Tilda's from Magnolia Sweden arrived!!!!! I only ordered them thurs 25th Oct and to be honest didn't know what to expect as some people have waited weeks for theirs. Through trial & error, I would say that the best way to order on their website is to stay clear of paypal and pay by credit card. (Don't expect to get replies from emails etc, they don't seem to respond which I found out when my paypal orders didn't work and I emailed to try and confirm nothing was ordered!) I just kept an eye on my credit card online and could see when money was taken out (on the 29th) and hey presto they are here a week later. I'm going to have some lunch now then try and play with my new tilda's. Will post some up as soon as I finish some. bye for now Fran x

On a Roll

I'm on a roll here so I thought I'd load some more cards. These are ones I made over the last few weeks. I don't know about you but my cardmaking is a bit like buses, either none for ages or else 3 or 4 in a row all at once!!

Top 2 cards: Images from Penny Black 'Christmas Critters' clear set watercoloured in pencils with touch of sakura stardust pens (you may notice this is my method of choice for most of my colouring in). Snowflakes are diecut from cuttlebug die and sentiment is from vellum sticker on mice card, Pink petticoat papers and sentiment for the holly card cat which was punched out with woodware superduper scallop circle.

The last 3 cards are all from Pink petticoat downloads either doodlechristmas set or Lola's boudoir set. I love these so much I've even gone and upgraded my printer so that it prints better and quicker for me and also cos I wanted to print directly onto thicker card which my old printer couldn't cope with!

O.k think that's enough posting for 1 day, hope you've all enjoyed my creations and hopefully will be back with some more christmas themed ones in a week or so and maybe some more magnolias if they get here soon - getting impatient waiting for them :[] lol

Till then, keep crafting! Fran x (if any of you are a strictly come dancing fan you'll see how I've adapted their little catchphrase! I love matt & flavia)

It's Working

Well, it looks like I've managed to post my photos o.k so hopefully I'm up and running now! It's my day off today & weather outside it wet, grey & miserable so thought it ideal to stay in and make some cards. Should really be making christmas cards but I just seem to have soo much stuff I don't know where to start. Does anyone else have "too much stash" syndrome ? Would hate to think it was just me and the worst of it is there's still so much I want/need!!! I'm currently waiting for some magnolia babies to arrive. Got some coming from Silly Monkey but have also been brave and ordered direct from Magnolia, let's hope they arrive as I know many people have had problems. In the meantime I have a few I received from Funky kits and have made upmy first Tilda card.

Sorry the photo is a bit blured but it's because it's a scanned picture and because my little tilda is decoupaged and raised it's not sitting flat on the glass. It's my first attempt at trying a more collagy look and probably need more practice but I think it's turned out o.k.
Used: Tilda in welly stamp watercoloured with pencils and sakura stardust pens. Frame cut from sizzix original jelly frame which was then embossed using cuttlebug swirls folder. Backing paper from DCWV summer mat stack and finally paper flowers added with pearl brads.

More Bella Cards

Only discovered these gorgeous stamps a couple of months ago but have managed to amass around 20 of them already but haven't got round to using them all yet. However, here are some of the ones that have got my attention. All pretty simple in style as I think it suits the style of the bellas, hope you agree.

Stamps used: Cosmobella, Wreathabella, Winobella, Presentabella, Bubblebella

First uploaded Card

Have been playing with some of my new toys and made a few cards. So will now attempt to upload my first card, hope it works!

Image: cosmobella

Used: Woodware superduper scallop punch & water coloured in using sakura stardust pens. Cardblank from netto of all places! (pack of 20 assorted only £2.99). Bella's baubles & self adhesive gems for punched out flower centres and the olive in the drink!