29 February 2012

When Does CAS Become Too CAS?

I think maybe I have acheived it in this card! I think maybe it doesn't quite hit the spot? I thought I'd share it here anyway. I have followed the Fall To Layout Sketch 179 but made it a multiple layer card. I have stamped the balloon from the SU! Crazy For Cupcakes set with blue ink and then coloured with Copic markers. I have then added the greeting from the PTI Birthday Bash Set in black ink. I have then rounded the corners with my WRMK Corner Chomper, mounted to PTI Blueberry Sky CS and then a card blank with a strip of PTI Enchanted Evening CS on it.



STAMPS: Stampin' Up!, Papertrey Ink. INK: Memento Tuxedo Black. Memento Summer Sky. COPICS: B93, B95, B97. CS: Papertrey Ink. TOOLS: We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper.

Thanks for visiting today, I received my confirmation that I can now sell more on eBay so I will be adding more items soon - yay! Have a great day!

27 February 2012

Sketch N Stash 82

This fornight over at Sketch N Stash we have a great sketch designed by the fab Jill ...


For my card I have first taken the The Paper Shelter - Spring Swing image and printed this from my PC; coloured with Copic markers and cut out. I have then mounted this with PTI Autumn Rose CS and added to base with 3D squares. The base is simply a sheet from the MME Lost & Found 2 Blush Collection with a border cut from more Autumn Rose CS using an SU! Scallop Border Punch. PTI Autumn Rose ribbon wrapped around and added to a white card blank. I have taken some white pearl pins {old neglected stash} and coloured them with a Copic marker and added these in the ribbon bow. Finsihed off with rhinestones.




STAMPS: The Paper Shelter. COPICS: E0000, E000, E00, R20, E23, E25, E27, E29, E53, E55, RV91, RV93, RV95, YG 61, RV32, RV34, B91, Blender. CS/PAPER: Craftwork Cards, Papertrey Ink, My Minds Eye. TOOLS: Stampin' Up! Scallop Border Punch. EMBELLISHMENTS: Papertrey Ink Ribbon, Pearls Pins from stash, My Minds Eye Lush Rhinestones.

We are sponsored by The Paper Shelter this fortnight, who are kindly giving away a £20 Gift Certificate to the winner. Hope you can play along with us, remember to tell us what your new or old neglected stash is. Thanks for visiting today.

26 February 2012

LIM - Don't Scrap It

Happy Sunday everyone! This week over at Less Is More the challenge is Don't Scrap It - to use those scraps up. All my scraps are in an 8x8" box that lives on my paper shelf. As you can see from the pic it is completely full now. I saw THIS card over on Pinterest and loved it so much I have made my own version using the sketch. I have first taken a PTI white card blank and added a layer of PTI Spring Rain CS then more white CS. I have stamped the greeting from the PI Paula Pascual Big Sentiments Set using PTI Enchanted Evening ink. I have then cut various sizes of circles using Nestabilities dies from PTI CS in Stampers Select White, Enchanted Eveing, Spring Rain, Aqua Mist and Kraft. I have run these through my Cuttlebug using the SU! Square Lattice Embossing Folder and added them with either my ATG or dimensionals.




STAMPS: Personal Impressions. INK: Papertrey Ink Enchanted Evening. CS: Papertrey Ink. TOOLS: Nestabilities, Stampin' Up! Embossing Folder. 

I hope you have all had a lovely weekend so far. It has been nice and sunny here in Surrey - makes a change for February!

23 February 2012

Items For Sale

Hi all, sorry I haven't been around much this week with new cards but I have been busy sorting out my stash again. I have some items that I am selling on eBay. There is only few stamp sets on there at the moment but I will be adding more items in the next couple of days. Please take a look HERE if you are interested.

ETA: I didn't realise that you could only sell 10 items per month till my address is verified. I am going to have to wait 3-4 days for that to happen before I can add much more. I have tons here to add though, with some bargians to be had!
Thank you!

22 February 2012

WOYWW - PTI Swatch Book

Hi there, I haven't taken part in Julia's What's On Your Wordesk Wednesday for a while so although my actual desk is pretty bare right now I thought I'd show you one of the items that I use on my desk. It is my homemade Papertrey Ink swatch book. It is a way for me to not only see what colours there is but to see what supplies I have. I have first taken the PTI cardstock that I own and cut each shade into a 2"x2" square, punched a hole in the top and added to a jump ring. I have labelled each one with my Dymo Label Maker and then on the back I have added a 'normal' label. This is where I write what co-ordinating products I own to match that colour - for example: felt, buttons, ink, ribbon etc. It makes it easier for me when making a card to know what products I have then I can co-ordinate them to my hearts content!



Hope this may have inspired some of you. It would work well with Stampin' Up supplies or another company for that matter too! Thanks for visiting today. It's raining here in Surrey, pretty misarble day actually but as I still have my cold I doubt I'd be outside anyway. Hope you all have a great day though!

Oh and before I forget I'll add it to this post hence it concerns PTI. Since my last post about postage costs, they have increased their lowest cost to $50. Yep, $50 even if you purchase just one item. I did a small  impromptu order on the last release as I was desperate for the new Maile Belles butterfly set and I could use my reward points for the majority of the order. Neadless to say though, I won't be ordering from them for quite a while, sadly.

Winner of RAM Stamps ...

The winner of the Rachelle Anne Miller stamps is ...



Congratulatiosn Jackie, please could you e-mail me your address and I will get them out to you asap. Thanks to all that enetered. I still have more candy to give away so please keep popping back if you are interested. Thank you!

20 February 2012

LIM - Die Cuts/Punches

Hi all, hope you had a great weekend. This week's challenge over at Less Is More is to use Die Cuts or Punches. Well I couldn't resist and used my PTI Butterfly die again! 


First I have taken a white card blank and rounded the corners with my WRMK Corner Chomper. I have then taken more white CS rounded the corners again and stamped the PTI greeting from the Little Labels set. I have run the panel through my Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots embossing folder and taken some PTI Raspberry Fizz Satin Ribbon and wrapped this around the panel. 



I have die cut the PTI Butterfly first with PTI Raspberry Fizz CS then with glitter vellum, the layers have been attached with a PTI Raspberry Fizz Button tied with white WRMK Floss. I have punched the other two butterflies with a MS 3 in 1 Butterfly punch with the Raspberry Fizz CS and added SU! Rhinestones to the centers. The panel has been added to the card blank with 3D squares.


I liked the card so much I have made it using PTI Hawaiin Shores CS, Ribbon and Button as well! 



STAMPS: Papertrey Ink. INK: Memento Tuxedo Black. CS: Craftwork Cards, Papertrey Ink, Paperchase Vellum. TOOLS: Papertrey Ink Die, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper, Martha Stewart Punch. EMBELLISHMENTS: Papertrey Ink Satin Luxe Ribbon, Papertrey Ink Vintage Buttons, We R Memory Keepers Floss, Stampin' Up! Rhinestones.

Thanks for visiting me today. It is my first day of a week off {using up the last of my holiday} and I have woken up with a cold, how unfair is that?! Hope you have a great day!

19 February 2012

Rachelle Anne Miller Candy ... Closed

Today I have two Rachelle Anne Miller stamps to give away. They are Giving Shelter & My Little Friends.


As always all you have to do is add your name to InLinkz and I will randomly draw a winner of 22nd February 2012. Only one entry per person please. Good Luck!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Happy Sunday!


Popcorn Candy Winner

Hey there, Random.org has picked a winner for my Popcorn Stamps Candy draw and it is ...

No 12 - Mandy

Congratulations Mandy, please could you send me your address and I will get your candy out to you asap! Thanks to all that entered, I will be back with another stamp candy shortly.

18 February 2012

Die-Ing For A Challenge - Anything Goes

There is some exciting developments over at Dies to Die for. We have developed a new challenge blog called Die-Ing For A Challenge. It is a monthly challenge where you have to use dies as well as making your card based on the monthly theme. There are some great prizes too! This months challenge is a nice easy one, it is Anything Goes. So all you have to do is make a card using dies. Please see the Challenge Rules for more info.

So for my card, I have first taken a white card blank and added a strip cut using the MFT Die-Namics Solid Bracket Border die from DB Dragonfly CS. I have then cut out a circle using a Nestabilities circle from more white CS. I have cut a Doohickey Dragonfly first from DB Swimming Pool CS and then vellum and added MME Lush Rhinestones to the body. I have finished it off with the sentiment from the MFT Dies-Namics Notched Tag Die & Stamp Set in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.




STAMPS: My Favourite Things. INK: Memento Tuxedo Black. CS: Craftwork Cards, Doodlebug Designs. TOOLS: Magnolia Doohickey Die, My Favourite Things Die-Namics Dies. EMBELLISHMENTS: My Minds Eye Lush Rhinestones.

Hope you will be able to join in with the challenge. Thanks for visiting today, hope you have a great weekend!

16 February 2012

Male Happy Birthday - DTDF

For my card today I have made another male card using products available at Dies to Die for. I have taken some Bazzill Kraft CS and made this into a base. I have then taken some Bazzill Maraschino CS and layered this with Echo Park Little Boy Sailboats paper and added this to the base. I have taken the banner type dies from the MFT Die-Namics First Place Award Set and cut this with more Marischino CS. I stamped the 'happy' in the greeting from the CC Designs Amy R Big Words set in Memento Ladybug ink and then the 'birthday' from the CC Designs Amy R Handy Additions set in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on to more Kraft CS. I have then cut this out with a Nestabilities Rectangle die and added to the base with 3D foam pads. I have cut a star using the MFT Die-Namics Stacking Stars set and added this to the panel. I have finished the card by adding Pebbles Inc Candy Dots to the blue panel. I have based the layout of this card on the MFT Sketch 52.



STAMPS: CC Designs. INK: Memento Tuxedo Black & Ladybug. CS: Bazzill Basics, Echo Park. TOOLS: Nestabilities, My Favourite Things Die-Namics. EMBELLISHMENTS: Pebbles Inc Candy Dots.

Thanks for visiting me today, see you at the weekend for something new to DTDF, a new challenge blog!

15 February 2012

Popcorn the Bear Stamps Giveaway ... Closed

Today I have two Popcorn the Bear stamp sets to giveaway. Apologies for not knowing the names of them but I no longer have the packaging.


If you want them all you have to do is add your name to the InLinkz below and I will randomly pick a winner on Sunday 19th February. Only one entry per person please. Good luck!


14 February 2012

LIM - Stripes

This week over at Less Is More the challenge is stripes. Now I love stripes but putting them into a OLC was a challenge! I spent ages trying different combinations using my PTI Distressed Stripes set but nothing worked. I have finally made this card below. It is super simple but I am trying to make some male themed cards for my box. I have taken white PTI Stampers Select CS and made it into a card base. the stamps are both from the PTI Birthday Bash Set. I have stamped the 'BIG birthday wishes' sentiment in PTI Enchanted Evening ink and the candles {the stripes} above in Pure Poppy & Summer Sunrise inks. I have then rounded the bottoms corners of the card using my WRMK Corner Chomper.




STAMPS: Papertery Ink. INK: Papertrey Ink Summer Sunrise, Pure Poppy & Enchanted Evening. CS: Papertrey Ink. TOOLS: We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper.

Thank you for visiting me today, hope everyone is well. Please pop back tomorrow for a new stamp giveaway. Oh and have a great Valentine's Day

Winner of BG Candy

Random.org has picked a winner for the Basic Grey candy and it is ...


No 18 - Bev Henwood

Please could you e-mail me your address Bev and I will get your candy out to you asap.

Thanks to everyone that entered. I will have another stamp candy tomorrow.

13 February 2012

Sketch N Stash 81

This fortnight over at Sketch N Stash we have a great sketch designed by Daniele for you ...


For my card I have used a lot of my old stash which I am really happy about. I have first stamped the Stamping Bella 'Birthday Boy' {old stash} out and coloured with Copics, cut him out and mounted to Bazzill CS; he has then been added to the base with 3D squares. The base is a sheet of EP Little Boy paper layered with more Bazzill and then a DB Ric Rac Birthday Celebration Fancy Frill {old neglected stash} over the top. I have then die cut two stars using Nestabilities Stars and added these with more 3D squares. Greeting (also Stamping Bella) also mounted and 3D added. Pebbles Inc Candy Dots {old stash} added to finish.



STAMPS: Stamping Bella. INK: Memento Tuxedo Black. COPICS: E0000, E000, E00, E11, E23, E35, E27, B93, B95, B97, YR15, Y24, R14, R17, R27, BG10, BG11, YG13, YG17. CS/PAPER: Craftwork Cards, Bazzill Basics, Echo Park. TOOLS: Nestabilities. EMBELLISHMENTS: Doodelbug Designs Fancy Frills, Pebbles Inc Candy Dots.

We are sponsored by Crafty Emma's Store who are kindly giving away a £10 voucher to spend in their store for the winner. Hope you can play along and remeber to let us knw what is your new or old stash. Thanks for visiting and remember my candy below!

12 February 2012

Google Followers Widget

So there has been some news going round Blogland that this widget is going. It is true that Google are discontinuing the Google Friend Connect Widget for NON-BLOGGER platforms. Blogger will continue to use it as a Followers Widget though. You can read more about it HERE. I do know though that people follow my blog from other platforms, like Wordpress etc, so I have added the Linky Followers Widget below the original on my sidebar. If you are following from a platform other than Blogger please could you link up to this new gadget if you want to continue to follow me. Thanks so much!

11 February 2012

Basic Grey Stamp Candy ... Closed

I have a Basic Grey 'Gracious' stamp set to give away today

If you would like it please link your name with InLinkz below and I'll randomly pick a winner on Tuesday 14th February 2012. Only one entry per person please. Open worldwide.


Capsule Collection Candy Winner

Random.org has picked a winner and it is ...


No 12 - Joanne

Congratulations Joanne, please could you e-mail me your address and I will get your candy out to you asap!

Thanks to everyone that enetered. I ahve found some stamps that I will be giving away next so I'll be back soon!

9 February 2012

Ella Lollipop - DTDF

I have a cute little card to share today that I have made with one of the gorgeous Stamping Bella Lori Boyd stamps available at Die to Die for. Her name is Ella Lollipop and I have stamped her with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and coloured her with Copic Markers. I have cut her out and mounted to Bazzill Kraft CS and added her to the base with 3D adhesive squares. The base is two papers from the MME Lost & Found Blush Collection {which are sadly being discontinued from MME}mounted to more Kraft. PTI Autumn Rose ribbon wrapped around and then added to a white card blank with more 3D adhesive squares. Message {Elzybells} stamped and cut out using a MFT Die-Namics Mini Tab Foursome Die. MME Lush Rhinestones added to finish.



STAMPS: Stamping Bella, Elzybells Art Stamps. INK: Memento Tuxedo Black. COPICS: E0000, E000, E00, R11, E33, E34, E37, R81, R83, R85, N1, N3, Blender Pen. CS/PAPER: Craftwork Cards, Bazzill Basics, My Minds Eye. TOOLS: My Favourite Things Die-Namics. EMBELLISHMENTS: Papertrey Ink Satin Luxe Ribbon, My Minds Eye Lush Pink Rhinestones.

Thanks so much for visiting me today, really means a lot to me.

8 February 2012

LIM - Aqua

I have made this card for a good friend of mine who reads my blog. I hope she doesn't mind seeing it on here before she receives it but I was inspired by the latest Less Is More challenge of Aqua for her card. I would like to take a moment to say Happy First Birthday to LIM. I have to say I love this challenge, just my kind of style and thanks to LIM, I have been utilising my PTI stash. I have missed a few due to my health but always try and get card done even if it is a true challenge for me. Thanks Chrissie & Mandi for a great challenge blog.

So for my card I have first taken some PTI Stampers Select White CS for the card base and then stamped the bottom part using the PTI Polka Dots Basics II set using PTI Aqua Mist ink. I have then stamped the swirl from the PTI Fancy Flourishes set int he same ink. I have cut a PTI Double Ended Banner from PTI Aqua Mist CS {my first ever purchase from PTI four years ago!} and added this to the base between the stamped images. I have cut a PTI Butterfly from PTI Aqua Mist Felt and then PTI Linen Vellum and added this on top with DB Mini Jewels added to the centre. I have stamped the greeting from the Waltzingmouse Stamps Fancy Phrases set with Memento Tuxedo Black and then finished the card off with more DB Mini Jewels. I have stamped the inside with one of the smaller Polka Dot Basics II stamps.




STAMPS: Papertrey Ink, Waltzingmouse Stamps. INK: Memento Tuxedo Black, Papertrey Ink Aqua Mist. CS: Papertrey Ink. TOOLS: Papertrey Ink Dies. EMBELLISHMENTS: Doodlebug Designs Mini Jewels, Papertrey Ink Felt.

Thanks for visiting me today, I hope you are trying to keep warm wehre you are. We had snow on Saturday but most of it had melted by Sunday afternoon. It makes everything so pretty but it is a nightmare to get to work in!

6 February 2012

Blue Capsule Collection Candy ... Closed

Today I have what will probably be my last candy giveaway in this run that I have been doing lately, it is a Papermania Burleigh Blue Capsule Collection 6x6 Ppaer Pad and a pack of mathcing flower Mini Buttons.

If you want it all you have to do is add your name to InLinkz and I will randomly draw a winner on Saturday 11th February 2012, the entries will close on Friday. This is again open worldwide. Only one entry per person please. Good luck!


Winner of Colourful Candy

Random.org has picked a winner and it is ...


No 87 - Kate

Thanks to all that eneterd. Please can you e-mail me your address Kate and I will get your candy out to you asap. I have not heard from Sarah-Jane who won the Pink & Brown Candy, if I haven't heard from you Sarah-Jane by the end of the week I will draw another winner to make it fair for everyone else. I'll be back in a bit with my next candy!

4 February 2012

Anwering Questions ... Papertrey Ink Ordering

Ok, so I have received a multitude of questions about ordering from Papertrey Ink so I thought I'd answer them all in one place :0) I can only go by my personal experience and what I feel works best for me. This applies to the UK only.

So shipping costs are expensive from PTI it is about $34/£21 for just one item, however, there are a quite few stores in the US that charge that same amount to the UK also.

PTI work out shipping costs by weight so if you order heavier stuff like cardstock the shipping will be more expensive. I would say to try and add as much into your cart for that shipping level, if it is lighter stuff like ribbon then you can't get quite a lot in before reaching the next level of costs.

PTI give a $10 discount on orders over $100 or $20 discount on orders over $200. Personally I save up and buy a big order i.e. $200 so that I get the $20 discount. For my last order (with discount) my shipping came to $19/£12 was was pretty good I thought. I did not order any CS though so usually it is higher. I will save up and make the order for the few months new releases which usually include new CS.

Customs charges vary with the amount of postage paid. Personally I don't agree that customs charges should cover postage costs but they do. My last order got through customs without charge however this doesn't happen very often at all. My last customs charge (the Jan order) I had to pay £44 customs charge - this is a lot. I think it's usually around the £30 mark. The cheapest I think has been around £17. There is a customs calculator on the web somewhere, sorry I am not sure where now, so you can calculate it yourself. You need to remember to add on a £8 Royal Mail/Parcel Force handling fee though.

All in all, PTI products really are cheap for what they are, you wouldn't get a big reel of good quality satin ribbon for £1.89 or a pack of 24 sheets of heavy weight CS for the same price in the UK. Their stamps are my kind of style and I think they are great quality. I love their CS and that everything matches colour wise. I don't like that orders take ages to get here (usually 3-4 weeks) and I don't like paying the customs fees but that's what has to be done. I am getting product cheaper than I could in the UK and importing it here so Customs fees should be paid. I also know that the products can't be bought in the UK so that's why I buy them. I work very hard for the money that I earn so I feel I deserve to get nice things I like, if it costs a lot to get them here from the USA then so be it.

Rigtht now I don't have kids or a mortgage so I can do it. I know that in a few years time I won't be able to do it so I am making the most of time I have got!

The best way, as some of you suggest would be to combine an order with someone. That way you are more likely to get the discount, you can split the costs of the shipping and the customs fees. I have done this before myself. There is a place on the A Passion For Papertrey blog that you can find someone to combine the order with if you don't already know someone.

Thanks for listening and I hope it has helped a few of you out.

3 February 2012

Colourful Candy ... Closed

Ok, so I still have more to giveaway! I call this the colourful candy as it has lovely bright colours in it. It contains a Crate Paper 'Neighbourhood' 6x6 Paper Pad, Basic Grey buttons, a Papertrey Ink 'Thank You' stamp set and some gems.


All you have to do , as always, is add your name to InLinkz and I will randomly pick a winner on Monday 6th February. Open worldwide. Only one link per person please.

Good luck!


Winners of Pink & Brown Candy

Random.org has picked two winners for my White, Pink & Brown Giveaway ...


No 32 - Sarah-Jane
No 13 - Rachael T

Please could you e-amil me your addresses ladies. Thanks to all that entered. I have more candy here to offer, I will back in a min with the next!

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