You may not have noticed me not being around much in blogland this past couple of weeks. It's because I have decided to have a break from regular blogging for a bit. It seems as if I've hardly been at home this last few weeks for one reason or another, so no time to blog hop or craft being the result. It hasn't stopped me aquiring new stash though.lol. I really must get my butt in gear and start doing something with it.
I had to post today though as it's my turn to choose the theme for this weeks CD Sunday challenge. I have chosen 'For Someone Special'. I made this card for my youngest grandson and sent it - not knowing he was getting a new BMX for his birthday! Both the image, greeting and bp are from The Best of La Pashe 2012 CD and the cogs are Spellbinders dies. I decoupaged it but kept if fairly flat for posting.
Another coincidence is that this card fits right in with the current Cardz 4 Guyz challenge - which is 'Wheel Fun' - so I'm sharing it with them too.
Hope you'll find time to join in and pop over to see what the other members of the team have made for this weeks theme. Please remember to use something from a CD for your project and give said CD a mention.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

I've probably cheated a bit on this week's CD Sunday challenge. No new products but:-
The backing paper is from Joanna Sheen's Cottage Gardens CD and has been printed out and sitting in a drawer since before I moved here - two years ago - so that's old.
The hippo image is from Joanna Sheen's Animal Antics CD and has been 'newly' printed for this card.
Mind you - both the CDs are old as CDs go - the roses probably class as new too as I only made them the other week.
Christine has chosen the Something Old Something New theme. It's good to have her back on the team again after having internet problems while she was abroad.
So - there's a lot of scope with this theme so I hope you'll be joining us - if you do - please remember to use something from a CD in your project and give said CD a mention.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

I'm hoping I get this posted in time before the current Fantasy Stampers challenge entry time is up.
This time the theme is 'Silhouettes'. I stamped the Ingdgo Blue stamp with Versafine Imperial Purple and used Squeezed Lemonade and Shaded Lilac DI for the background. The 'lace' mat is a Martha Stewart around the page punch, punched from white card and coloured with a Spectrum Noir. I was really pleased with how it all toned in - and then out came the camera! The purple Spectrum Noir looks blue and the Imperial Purple almost has a pink tinge to it. Maybe when the light gets round the front I'll take another and see if that improves it. The ribbon is from my stash, the leaves a Cheery Lynn die and the flower I made myself - in a rush as I'm off to the dentists in a min. Fortunately it's not stuck down so I can come back and try to make a better one to replace it.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

So that's another week flown by and to make matters worse we lose an extra hour this weekend. Early start for me too as I want to watch the Grand Prix live, so am sitting here doing this post late Saturday evening - after a brilliant day at Port Sunlight.
This weeks it's Jenny's turn to set the challenge at CD Sunday and she has given us a sketch to work with.

A new challenge from Craft Stamper Magazine for March. Phew! Only just made it - literally.
I'm entering this card as I've had a go at the monoprinting with an acrylic block method - featured in the current issue of Craft Stamper. I haven't got an enormous acrylic block so used my Cuttlebug base plate. Handy things those Cuttlebug plates. I use the B plate for extra large stamps too. I used yellow and orange acrylic paints for this and there is a lovely texture like the ripples on the beach when the tide's gone out but I can't get the camera to pick it up. I didn't want to cover it up so have just overstamped in Spiced Marigold DI with the same Sheena Douglass stamp that I used for the image. I coloured this with Promarkers and Spectrum Noirs - cut it out and fiddled about for ages trying to find where I was going to stick it all. Still not happy with it but too late to change once I'd got the glue gel on it. Think it should have been a tall card so I could have extended the 'stalk'.The butterfly circle is a die cut from a crafty friend of mine - must get this die at some point.
Than you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

This week it's the turn of Sue b to choose the theme on the CD Sunday Challenge Blog and it's 'Mother, Mum or Mummy'. For my card I have used a Crafters Companion Frou Frou stamp for the main image and coloured it with Spectrum Noirs and Promarkers. The sentiment is from the same stamp set - and here is a confession. It's not actually attached to the card. I have no reason to make a Mothers day card so will be switching the sentiment to something suitable for my daughter who has a birthday this week.
The bp is from the Frou Frou cd, the die cut at the top is a Spelldinders die and the rose is made from Spellbinders Rose Creations die set. I've been making lots of flowers this last couple of weeks - trying to get them right - years after everyone else seems to have perfected them. I'll keep at it till I'm happy with them this time as I've always given up in the past.
I hope you'll find time to join in - remembering if you do - that this is a CD challenge - so there has to be something from a CD somewhere on your project.
I'm entering this card into the current Fantasy Stampers challenge '#6 Rose Garden'. OK. It's hardly a garden but it's a start.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

I haven't any snow drops in this garden but I'm hoping to put that right at some time. I know it's best to lift some from someone's garden while they are 'in the green' but haven't found a suitable donor yet. I'm entering this card into the Fantasy Stampers challenge #5 - Spring Colours.
I have used a Sheena Douglass stamp from her Little Bit Sketchy range and coloured it with a mixture of Inktense pencils and Lyra water colour crayons.
The background is a piece of brayered glossy cardstock that has been on my desk (or thereabouts) since before I moved here two years ago. The ribbon is from my stash and the bp is from a Card Creations Flowers in Bloom CD. The greeting I printed from Craft Artist.
Thsnk you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

Another week has whizzed by and it's time for a new challenge from CD Sunday - this time hosted by Wynn from team A. Wynn has chosen 'Easter Parade' as her theme which reminded me that I haven't made any Easter cards yet ths year. I only make a few but need to get my skates on with that.
For my card I turned to Craft Artis 2 and all of the elements are from Easter themed kits. I love the grungy background for the tulips- it was sort of turquiosy but easily changes colour. Think I'll have to remember this one. It was printed out and layered up onto brown card for the layers and the greeting was mounted onto a Spellbinders die. Then just a few bits of card candy to finish off the corners.
I hope you can join us this week remembering if you do, to give a mention to the CD that was used in the making of your project.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

The current challenge from Fantasy Stampers is a Bingo one. I have chosen the top line - Pink, Pearls and Lace.
I apologise for the piccie. I can't get a decent one with the light as it is today - if I can get a better one tomorrow that shows up the background colour and also gets a sharper image I'll swap it over. Fingers crossed on that one.
I've used a Crafters Companion Frou Frou stamp and coloured with a mix of Spectrum Noirs and Promarkers. I seem to spend my time rescuing things these days. When I'd almost finished colouring I went over the edge a little with the black on the lbd. No amount of blender pen would draw it out so I ended up cutting out the image and mounting it onto some card coloured with a pale turquise Spectrum Noir.
The bp is from the Frou Frou CD, the lace (navy coloured with a Spectrum Noir Black) I've had in my stash for yonks and the pearls are Cosmic Shimmer Glue ones. I need to leave the craft room soon before I accidently smudge those too (another favourite trick).
I'm also entering this card into Brenda's (Floral Fantasy) candy challenge - which is to use something you go back to time and time again. With me it's my Cuttlebug. Couldn't live without and it gets used for most every card I make it seems. The details of Brenda's Candy Challenge can be found by clicking on the image on the right of my blog. So the die cuts on the card were made using my all time favourite piece of equipment - my Cuttlebug.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

So this isn't how it was going to be but there you go. I was quite pleased with the colouring on this Dimension Fourth stamp to start with. I got some lovely shading on the dress with my Spectrum Noirs (even though the image is quite small) and she looked really 'curvy'. But then I managed to splash some black Gesso on it while I was doing something else. Grr. So I cut the image out and was left with just one speck of gesso on the dress. Not wanting to start over I smothered the dress with a quicky glue pen and dolloped on some Glamour dust. Did her wings while I was at it too.
The pinkish oval, the corner and the butterflies were cut from a background I made ages ago, with Glimmer mists - I think. The words are from a stamp I was given by blogging buddy Jane (jem). As you can see I cut it up and added the words individually. Ribbon and card candy from my stash finish it off. Oh and the bp is from a pack bought from Chocolate Baroque when they were Graphicus.
I'm emtering it into this months challenge at Stamping Sensations - which is 'Wings, Fantasy and Fiction'.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx

It's my turn to set the challenge this week over on the CD Sunday challenge blog and I have chosen the theme  'All About Spring'. It's a beautiful sunny day here as I write this and I'm hoping everyone will see some sunshine and a ray of hope that this awful spell of wet and windy wether will come to an end soon.
For my card I have used Debbi Moore's Spring Fairies CD for both the backing paper and the image, which is mounted onto a Spellbinders oval.. The ribbon isf rom my stash and the 'buckle' is a Spelldinders die.The corners are cut from my old but loved Cuttlebug die.
We'd love to see you if you can join in this week but please remember, if you do, to give a mention to the CD that has been used in the making of your project.
Thank you for visiting today.
Beryl xx