Hand Crafted Memories

My God I'm exhausted from my weekend at the Inspired Retreat . It was absolutely fantastic m planning to go again in October. I've come back with lots of ideas buzzing in my head. I enjoyed it so much I', The crafting started on Friday night and went all the way through to tea time tonight, with only breaks for meals, fantastic! More details over the week. Even though I've had all this crafting I can't forget my challenges, so here is the card I made for this weeks Winter Wonderland Challenge. This weeks theme is Monochromatic Christmas , I chose to go for shades of brown which turned out looking a sort of sepia. I love it.

I might be missing in action for a few days from tommorrow, I'm off to Chester to the Inspired retreat and I am beyond myself with excitement. My craft bag is packed, my clothes are packed and I've even managed to pack the mask I made for the masquerade party on Saturday. Just have to work until lunch time and then I'm happy to forget there is a world until Monday. Just in case anybody is wondering whether I like the colour me ovals from Craftwork Cards, here's another card. It's another tri -fold card, this time with the Leafy Lanes option.

Can you tell I love the Craftwork Cards ovals? They are so easy to use, you can make them as simple or as fancy as you like. Yesterday I posted on that had taken a bit of time to do as I'd added a lot of little 'extras', this one is simpler, just coloured in with Copics of course, and then some beads added. Simples ! They are a fabulous focal points for cards, scrapbooks and......calendars. This one sits on my desk at work.

We continue with our Craftwork Cards Challenge, this weeks sees the start of the O is for Ovals leg of the challenge. Don't forget you have until the 26 th (this Friday ) to enter the W is for wraps challenge, there are some great entries so far go and check them out. I made several cards using these ovals, they have become one of my stock staples as they never fail to disappoint. i love the ones with flowers and butterflies on, so much so that when it came to this challenge I didn't have any 8-( Here is my idea, I love layering them and adding bits onto them to make them 'pop'. This card is a triple card only 4" square, but this adds to the cute factor. Come back tommorrow to another version. You have to go over to the craftwork cards blog to look at a sneak peek of their Glitz and glamour range. I can't wait to getit into my sticky fingers, its gorgeous!!

Thank goodness the snow is melting, unfortunately we have more predicted for later this week, Booo ! This weeks challenge over on the Allsorts blog is to incorporate a tag, label or a ticket onto the project. I decided to make a tag shaped card and used one of my new Penny Black stamps. I've been very good with my stash diet, limiting myself to only one shop a month. This month I bought 2 PB stamps and that's it! Mind you I can't promise I will be as restrained this weekend when I get to my retreat!

Well I can't get my breathe, I threw open the curtains this morning to see thick, heavy snow falling. Overnight we've had 5 inches, Nooooo ! I've checked the weather forecast and it may melt this afternoon but then we have more forecast for the end of the week. Double Nooooo , I'm going to the Inspired Retreat on Friday and have to drive over to Cheshire. It does look beautiful but my garden was telling me this week that it is spring. It has helped me get the right frame of mind for Winter Wonderland's sketch challenge this week. I found this image during my purge of excess craft stock. I'm sure like many of you, I have more than I can possibly need in a lifetime. I gave away four bin bags of craft stuff that has been hanging round for years. I found three pages of this image that I had stamped out at a craft class I used to go to years ago, I mean about 5 years ago! I had coloured it with my Copics this week and it was sitting on my counter, so I decide...

It's Saturday already, when did that happen? You know what that means though, yes, Penny Black's Saturday Challenge . This morning I went and visited my friend Lynda , we are both on the Craftwork Cards design team and I had some cardstock to drop off for her for a future challenge. She very kindly stamped me out some Penny Black images, so I have a lovely stock now, thanks Lynda. The challenge this week is pink, green and yellow , an unusual colour challenge admittedly , but effective when it's done. Here is my entry, the detail includes lacy borders with my Martha Stewart punches and tiny seed beads in the centre of the flowers.

Well what a week I've had, I can't tell you how happy I was to come home from work and shut the door on the world. I've been missing in action because I had to go to London for a couple of days with work and on top of that I've had a lot of stress. I cam in and put the computer straight on to look for a challenge. I made a card for the Ritzy stage of the Craftwork Cards challenge, but you'll have to wait for that one. I was really happy to see the Daring Cardmakers Challenge was for a Winter Birthday Card, again a little bit out of my comfort zone, but it did intrigue me. I was inspired by Dancing on Ice , I am so loving this programme and especially Dan and Hayely together. Did you get your cards in for the Craftwork Cards template challenge? Todays the last day, but the wraps challenge still has another week.

The Craftwork Cards challenge continues, this week is the W for Wrap leg. All that is needed is a card featuring one of their card wraps . I've used the elegant square wrap, which is one of my favourite shapes and so appropriately named. Here I've stamped and inked it before wrapping it round the card and tying it with a ribbon. I'm loving gingham ribbo n at the moment. Go on, have a go you've got until the 26 th February to e-mail your entries in. While I'm thinking about it, have you got your tickets for the Great Northern Papercraft Extravaganza? Why not? Get them here , you won't be disappointed. Why not try one of their breakfast workshops, I've done two previously and they are soo worth it, go on treat yourself. Here for Saturday and Here for Sunday .

It's a colour challenge this week over on Winter Wonderland's blog. The colours are satsuma, gold and chocolate, sounds scrummy enough to eat! An unusual Christmas colour choice but I love the results, it looks really modern and would be great for a man's card. what do you think?

Wow! after posting my Winter Wonderland challenge entry last week I've won! This really was a challenge for me but once I cleared my mind of my comfort zone, I had a go and I won! The card is here . I am thrilled to pieces, thank you to the DT for picking me. To continue with my challenge entries, this card is for the Allsorts challenge , this week its 3,2,1. Three of something, 2 of something and one something else. On my card you can see 3 flowers, 2 butterflies and 1 sentiment.

It's Saturday again and that can mean only one thing, time for another Penny Black Saturday Challenge . This weeks them predictably is Happy Valentines . Here is my card, I thought this looks like the characters know they are a bit late getting this Valentine's card ready, so to me they look like they are rushing to get their gifts there on time. No, just me then ( lol ). I wish I could rmemeber where I bought the pink card, it really is the most gorgeous shade of pink. Apologies for the shadow on the right of the photo, after all these dark days we now have sunshine, so along come the shadows. I've had the card in all sorts of places to try and get a better photo, these are the best.

You know sometimes you make a card and everything goes together perfectly, then you just love the card. This is one of them. It's my entry for the Crafty Calendar Challenge number 5. The theme this month is love or friendship. I went from the friendship angle, I love this little stamp but don't use it very often. When I do, I love it all over again. I used my lovely C opics to colour it, then 3 D'd it for effect. do you recognise the layout, yes it's the sketch I loved so much a few weeks ago for the Penny Black challenge. Amazing just swapping the papers and image makes it look like a whole new idea. Look here to see my original card from this sketch.

I'm a bit late posting today, I've been working in Liverpool so haven't had access to a computer. I went with a colleague and when we were going over the Snake Pass we saw this. How amazing is this, there was nothing other than this patch of icicles, it looks like the puddle below them was the icicles melting, but as cars came round the corner the puddle was sprayed back over the ice. As it didn't get above 2 degrees all day they were still there on the way home so we stopped to take a photo. This will probably find its way into my document 2010 project for February . Meanwhile the Craftwork Cards challenge continues with T for template, just make a card or project using one of their templates and send a photo of the results to them. Simples! As I have said I can't win a prize but I can have the fun, so here is my card using the build a fairy template. I just didn't put the wings or wand on and made it a card for a teenage girl. Go on have a go, you've g...

I am so enjoying my card making at the moment, I went through a period of not wanting to make any because I had hundreds. At Christmas I used as many from stock as I could then I just boxed everything else up and sent them off with friends. i didn't care what happened to them, I was just happy they were gone. With a fresh start I now make them and either use them or give them away straight away. The only exception is Christmas cards, after all I will need about 60 when that time rolls around again. That's why I'm following the Winter Wonderland blog and making one a week for their challenges, but wait a minute what's this? Make a card to celebrate Baby's 1st Christmas, what the heck??? I thought about this for a while, what on earth am I going to do with this? That's what a challenge is about isn't it? Well I made it, and I can give it to my BFF who can give it to her grandchild who will make an entry to this world in a couple of months. Job done and brow...

Well I have no idea what happened to this entry yesterday, I had the day off work so thought I would post two entries because I have so many photographed cards and projects. Then when I looked this had disappeared and so had the link. Maybe my limit is one entry a day 8-). No seriously I just can't have saved or published it. Anyway the fabulous Sir Stampalot have relocated to bigger premises, I loved their space before so this now is on my list of trips to take. I simply must go and have a nosey. To celebrate Brenda is hosting a blog hop and some of the most fabulous blog candy is up for grabs. Go over to Brenda's Blog for details, but you'll have to hurry it will all be over this weekend. Here is my little project that I made to help celebrate the move.

Distressed, buttons and bows, sounds a bit like me, but no its the challenge for this week over on the Allsorts blog . I love the distressed look but I'm not very good with it. I usually either go too far or tidy it up too much. The only thing that ends up distressed is me. Got lots to post this week, so please come back and leave a comment to let me know what you think. Here goes, in for a penny in for a pound.

I've had a good crafting weekend, lots of projects completed and photographed ready for posting. This weeks challenge over on P enny Black is pins and pearls , a good challenge for me because I've got loads of both. I never use them because I'm saving them for something special, that's the problem I'm saving everything for something special. So here goes lets get them used.

I'm having a go at Documenting 2010, it's a joint, year long project between UK Scrappers and Shimelle Laine . Each month you take photos and document what happened in your world in that month, and its free. The first prompts were published on Monday and I have looked every evening this week scared to start it. Then last night this happened, January finished, bring on February.

A few posts ago I mentioned a bargain, simple stamp I had bought. This one was purchased at the same time, I also made the card but had forgotten to post it. I thought it would be great for weddings, anniversaries or valentines cards, doesn't that make it a triple bargain? 79p isn't that a quadruple bargain? It stamps beautifully and because the & is open it can be coordinated with the papers and card. Enjoy.

The Stamp with Us team has a thank you theme challenge going on at the moment. I'm still high from winning the Top Spot last week, so I thought go on give it a go. Here is my entry. The paper on the first photo looks a bit odd, I used the gorgeous spotty side of this paper but the other side has some large green and blue flowers on it. I think the flash has highlighted the other side of the paper and you can see the shadow of the flowers on the blue. You can't see it in real life. So here is my entry, nice and simple.