I m seeing spots...

..... literally!!!!!! after completing a colour challenge on SCS, you had to use choc chip, sage shadow and very vanilla.............GORGEOUSLY beautiful and yummilicious!!!!

I ve used the Seeing Spots set from Su( I still think this has got to be the most versatile set ever) and started playing about with the stamps and some of the circle punches, in fact I ve used them all to punch out different coloured circles and frames from those 3 colours listed in the challenge, I have also used sage shadow and choc chip inks. Can I just openly admit that I adore the end result? I love how everything coordinates and works together, no fancy papers and ribbons just a single jumbo brad and a bit of linen thread as accents. The sentiment from the same set was mounted on 3 d pads, very minimalist and perfect for a man or somebody that s not into cute and girly. Love it!!! I am working on another tutorial fro you all but I m in work this Saturday then I m out shopping for some clothes and .. SHOES ( always need more shoes) so it would probably be Sunday by the time I ll post one. Hugs Monica xxx

You could see more beautiful cards using this color combo here

Cute

I don t often do cute but I had to do a card for a very special 2 year old. I ve recently took part in a Penny Black image swap and I ve got loads of images which I m going to keep for emergency's.

I ve used this cute image called *Embrace* and coloured it with my prismas and gamsol, card stock by SU ribbon unknown ( had it in my stash ages) scalloped punch and 1 3/8" circle punch and a chipboard number 2( w hich I ve glittered to the roofs lol) from SU on board lots of letters( did you see how much chipboard you get for your money in those packs? )LOADS.......

My message swas stamped with SU daily flexible phrases and my Stamp-a-ma-jig, I am so pleased with that little tool, my messages are spot on every time now.

The photo is a first for me as it was taken at around 12 o clock at night in my craft room with some black card stock around it and my OTT lamp. I know the bulbs in those lamps simulate natural daylight but I never thought it will work so well with my photography. I m quite pleased with the result and is definitely handy to know for the dark winter nights.

Now this next bit is really important......If your name is ANDREA BROWN please get in touch with me ASAP> M xxx

Ok I ll be off now and I ll see you soon. Hugs Monica xxxx

Bank Holiday Offering

Is one pitiful but quite beautiful card. Honestly I couldn t believe that I got so many days off with nothing planned but managed to create nothing. Saying that there were so many jobs around the house outstanding that really I had to take some time away from crafting and get on with them, and also I am the proud owner of an irrigation system for the front of my house to water my pots and plants, so no longer will I have to sit out there watering for 30 minutes every night.. woohoo now that counts for something, I will have more time to craft!!

One of the girls I work with celebrated her Birthday today so this is what I made for her.

I ve lost my mojo lately I really wanted this card to be purple and lilac and the sort but after 3 attempts that ended up in the bin, I got tired and resorted to a safe colour combo (I am determined to do the purple combo though). Rose Red card stock was stamped with the gorgeous paisley background, I ve stamped the branch from the Garden Silhouettes ( you re probably getting tired of me using this stamp but I just cant help myself sorry), I ve used my markers to ink the image in Cert. Celery and Pretty in pink, then I ve inked the stamp in Old Olive and stamped some more for extra interest, I ve also used some little flowers which were punched out with the 3 for you punch on page 80 pf the catalogue. Look out in June for a cool offer from StampinUP for this set. Really exciting. Pretty in pink taffeta ribbon was tied in a bow, and the sentiment was stamped in black Staz on. Now this was my mistake with this card, like I said my mojo must have left me for somebody else cos I ve just picked this stamp up and never give it a thought wheter it will be wrong and IT WAS!! I think I needed something bolder to show up more on my background but by the time I ve stamped the sentiment it was too late. So I m not that happy about it, but I wasn t that unhappy with it so I would start all over again. I was going to make another video tutorial today but have not been feeling great so I will do one for next time. Hugs and stamping kisses Monica xxx

Helooooooooooooooo

I m back!!! and I ve had the best weekend of my life. Center Parks might not be my ideal holiday destination but it was perfect for our weekend away. The girls were a scream ( LITERALLY!!!) and it was so hard to believe that we never met as we just clicked instantly. Our lodge was beautifully situated this was the view from the patio, we had lovely neighbours as well which were only a little walk away ( in fact I was still in my pj s taking those photos. )

Back to those girls I can safely say that I have not laughed as hard in my entire life. I just want to thank each and every one of them for a fab weekend. So THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH Pat, Leigh, Cherry, Tracey and Bev. You are the BEST!!!! Mwahh...

Sorry for not being able to upload like promised, but of course I ve got there on Friday only to quickly realise that there was no Internet on the site apart from a Internet cafe that looked quite busy every time I went past it. My latest tutorial is now up and those are the cards I ve made using the different types of scallops. First card I ve made it was for Leigh ready to be handed over along with her goodie bag( we all made goodie bags that we swapped at Center Parks) and I ve included a SU scrapping kit ( it was the Secret Garden kit my favorite) so I ve used the same for the card.
A bit of a funny photo as it was taken under the forest canopy at CP so the lighting was not good.

Second one was made using a fab combo, Bashful Blue, Choc. Chip and Kraft card stock with a bit of Always Artichoke for the grass.I ve used the cute little snail from Unfrogettable ( so cute) and the special friend sentiment was stamped using the Daily flexible phrases set. The Kraft card stock was stamped with the canvas background in Versamark ink.

For my third card I ve used the beautiful hostess set * Oh so Lovely* and one of my most used combos, Cert. celery, Real Red and Whisper white.
I ve used a mixture of water colouring crayons and markers to colour my bloom. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the tutorial. Hugs Monica xxxx

SORRY!!!!

I m so sorry for my absence been at work every day and keeping on top of everything is proving a bit tricky at the moment, I m off for a girly weekend at Center Parks, leaving tomorrow morning but the good news is I ve got a very cool tutorial ready for you, I just need to upload it and I will definitely get it done either tomorrow or Saturday, so please come back. Hugs Monica xxx

Weekend in London

I ve spent two days with this little guy!!! He s coming along nicely and i cannot belive he is now nearly 8 months old. I also don't understand how their smooth skin can whitstand all those kisses, I seem to have been permanently attached to every inch of his face, neck, head, bum.... you get the idea LOL all weekend . To say I adore him is an understatment, I m looking forward to be part of his life tremendously. Luca, Moni loves you very very much....

Oh and he also smiles just like me when I was little, do you know how that just melts my heart? sigh

Ok back to buisness lol, I have received some beautiful cards that I just have to share with you. I love the power a handmade card has and I always feel uplifted every time I receive one. This card was made for ME by the very talented Julie

I love what she did with this card, my favorite combo of pinks and greens and she used the ever so beautiful Simply Said set by StampinUP. I love this girl, it think is so amazing that I ve only actually seen her a handful of times but we just clicked instantly she s a really nice kind and very funy lady. Mwah hunny M xx

This next one completly blew me away, love the simplicity of it all.

Tell me just how fabulosly gorgeous this card is? I love everything about it and I am going to steal this idea for sure. I can use all my SU punches for this as well as my scraps of card stock. It was made by the very clever Fiona. Thank you so much my darling ( sorry I have not got a link to this ladys work)ETA I found Fiona s blog just click on her name. xx

I cannot close this post without showing you one of my recently made cards. I ve found this combo on Spiltcoast and I just loved it at once, also i cannot leave this set alone I am so taken with it, is the Garden Silhouettes level two hostess from SU> WONDERFUL!!!!

So saffron card stock was inked with More Mustard ink, the grass head was stamped with Versamark and embossed in white on Tempting turquoise card stock, then stamped again in Versamark and Tempting Turquoise ink. Sentiment form Simply Said, temp turquoise brads and Choc. Chip ribbon. TFL see ya !!! M xxx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SALLY!!!!!!!!

Today is Sally s birthday ( 21 again LOL), and because she is such a lovely girlie I ve made her a card. It is a shameless case from a clever lady on SCS but of course I ve not save it in my gallery and now cannot find her to give credit. I ve used the same layout and colours but different image.

Choc chip, Apricot Appeal, Regal Rose make for this lovely Neapolitan ice cream like combo. I ve made my own patterned paper from various stamps and using the above colour inks. I ve used the branch from the Garden Silhouettes, I am so in love with this set it has got to be my most favorite one out of the whole catalogue ( I ll change my mind by next week lol). Now Sally my love I know you have not received this today so here it is two hours before the end of your birthday, I m sorry it not got there today, hope you had a fab day!! M xxx
I ve made another card for the lovely Carole, to say thank you for doing me a huge massive favour. Thank you mt darling you were an angel. Hope you like your card.
This time I ve used the same colour combo but turned the layout on its head. This was all my idea LOL. I ve used my corner rounder to make the scalloped border and used the handheld 1/16"punch to punch the tiny holes those are a bit bigger than the ones you get with the pricking tool, they are meant for brads, just punch a tiny hole and put your brads through EASY PEASY!!!! The flowers from the Too Cute set from SU were stamped and cut out then layered and topped with small flower which was punched with the punch from the *Three for You* set. A tiny bit of doodling using the Apricot Appeal marker and Signo white pen.
I need to let you know that I ve got 3 more places available on the May Stampers 10 so if you would like to join please let me know at telemech01@aol.com. If you re not sure what Stampers 10 is look here. Hugs and XXXX Monica

Scrap a GOGO time!!!!!!

Yeay, I can show you April s kit and what I ve been up to with it. It was all glorious shades of blue with black accents this month, with a nice clear stamp shaped like a postage stamp.

I ve used my markers to colour the stem and flower heads before stamping I ve also used my crop o dile to cut around the stamped image to make it more realistic, this idea came form my fellow DT teammie Karen. I ve used part of a tag and cut away the word LoVE as my sentiment.For this card I focused on the stamp and ways of getting more miles out of it. I stamped the daisy head three times ( using the markers to add ink to the image) and then I ve glued one single clear button on top of each flower head, loved how the image became enlarged. I ve also stamped the sentiment with black staz on onto shrink plastic punched a hole and shrunk it down I just love how the sentiment took a whole new dimension.

Next was a trio designed for my friend s birthday.

All bits from the kit, I ve decorated a candle and made a simple box to house it in. There s a close up of the card as well. Loved this colour combo very striking. As always you can subscribe to those yummy kits by going here Hugs M xx

Crafters are just THE BEST!!!!!

Yes!! they are definitely the loveliest people around, and this was proven to me again this last Thursday. The lovely Julie hosted a Stampin Up party at her house and I was the lucky girl that showed her and her guests just how fab SU products are. We had a really fab time ( well I did for sure) and talked about shoes and stampin and jewelery and all things girly but we got to play as well and this is what we ve made.

Bashful Blue card stock and ink, Regal Rose ribbon( I just love this colour so much), ink and card stock for the matted layer and the fabulous set used is Big Bold Birthday by SU. We ve used glue dots with dazzling diamonds glitter for te sprinkles on the frosting... blingy!!!!! Now those girls knew how to shop let me tell you, and between them they ve managed a staggering amount of £576.00 which meant that Julie managed to get her mitts on the much wanted Heartfelt hostess set. Thank you all once again for a fabulous evening Hugs to you all .

I ve also demo ed a scrapbook page using the wheels. I will do a tutorial on the wheels as throughout the month of May StampinUp has got an offer on the wheels. Buy any set and get the coordinating wheel half price. This is one of the pages I ve made using a photo of my gorgeous friend Julie( not the same Julie lol) from her December wedding

The wheel was used onto whisper white using so saffron ink, I then punched out a series of circles using my crop o dile as well as some of my SU punches, I then used a strip of so saffron card stock and using a corner rounder I ve created a scalloped border, I ve used this to journal about her stunning dress. Used a hat pin onto which I ve threaded some pearls and put it through some flowers from the Pretties kit. I ve also stamp one single flower stem from the Garden Silhouettes set. Simple but really eye catching with just enough detail. Have a great bank holiday. Hugs Monica xxx