Kool Kitty Musings

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 25

How time has flown this week - it barely feels like 7 days have past since I last posted a prompt! Yikes!

Well done to those who are up-to-date, you can polish your halos because you are doing far better than me if you are still keeping up with the Christmas cards too. :) My list of Christmas cards to catch up on for when the weather is dull and boring is growing by the week!

Anyway, back to this week's prompt, it's finally time for a...

Sticker Sneeze!!!

Basically get using those neglected stickers in your stash - oh you know the ones, the half finished sheet of alpha stickers that still has a few vowels and consonants kicking about on it, that sheet of lovely stickers you've almost used up and have just 1 item left to use on that perfect project that never materialised, or even those brand new stickers that were brand new but you totally forgot you had them and well... it might be an idea to open that packet before you totally go off them...

Get using them on this week's card!

I went with alpha stickers for this card I made in advance of the weekend. ;o)

Paper: MME
Die-cut: MME
Stickers: American Crafts
Other: 3D foam

I had to do a bit of scavenging for the 1 and exclamation mark as the only ones left on my sticker sheet in the main font were too tiny or the wrong colour to stand out.

I'm looking forward to seeing what items from your sticker stash make an appearance - just how old can we go? These alpha stickers are about 6 years old now. <gulp>

A festival of flowers

...ok one or two. ;oP

This week over on the DCM blog Lythan has challenged us to create cards that feature flowers. Aha, a most popular request I think!

Well, for my card I wanted to get my Father's card made in good time and also feature flowers in a more manly setting.

Behold, roses!

Paper: Elle's Studio
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI
Other: 3D foam

I really wanted to try out a combo against some browns and this card uses Adirondack Lemonade and Peach Bellini inks for the roses on white cardstock. Next time I think I will stamp these Rosie Posie rose stamps onto another colour of cardstock so the white isn't so obvious. Perhaps a nice light yellow? :o)

Anyway, wondering how well I'll manage to get head with crafting this weekend as I may need to do some work-work on Sunday depending how the day goes. 

Whatever you're up to have a happy weekend!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 24

Well, we are nearing the half way point of this year's challenge! Unbelievable eh? Where have all those weeks gone? ;o)

This week I think it's time we focussed our cards on the younger people in our lives.

The youth of today if you will!

So, the challenge is to make a card for a child or teen - if you don't have any recipients that fit this age group then why not focus on making something for someone who is young at heart or is a fan of the cute stuff. :o)

There are lots of possibilities.

The card I'm sharing this week is for a Holy Communion - it's probably not your traditional sort of card, but I know glitter will go down well! <g>

Paper: Crate Paper
Die: Spellbinders
Stamp: PTI
Bling: Prima
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: Glitter card, sewing machine, 3D foam, Distress Ink

Despite all that glitter the cross really didn't stand out until I stitched around it, think it really adds the right finishing touch without making everything look too busy. :)

Have fun channelling your young creative spirit!

Sweet shades for June

Morning everyone!

This week on the DCM blog it's the return of our colour combo challenge and we're kicking off the month of June with these sweet ice cream shades:

Aren't they lovely?

I had a special assignment to make a new baby card so I wanted to combine the two. Here's what I made:

Paper: MME
Dies: Memory Box, MFT, PTI
Stamps: PTI
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: hemp twine, 3D foam

I know there's a lot of green in there but all the colours of the inspiration pic are accounted for - that red is a bit more of a raspberry tone in shade than it appears. ;)

There are some gorgeous cards based on this colour palette over on the DCM blog - so don't forget to check them out!

Happy weekend!

A sneaky take on the 52 Card week 22 prompt

So, I have really failed to catch-up with the prompt from week 22 which was on the theme of feathered friends.

I needed to make a new home card for a friend and I am going to have to be sneaky and use this as my week 22 card before I lag behind even further. ;o)

In my eyes the little house looks like a bird house and that's the story I'm sticking to!

Paper: MME, Crate
Dies: PTI
Stamp: PTI
Other: 3D foam, sewing machine

And yes, it's that tried and tested "new home card" design that I find so easy to replicate and reuse. But it's nice to use up bits from other projects on something new. :)

Anyway, I am sure a birdie will feature on one of my cards in the next 20+ weeks, just not this one I'm afraid. But it's one more card for the list so it's win-win really. <g>

I still have last week's and this week's Christmas cards to make, but I think that will be over the weekend if I have time - although with me being out all Sunday I am not sure how that will pan out either! LOL

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 23

Morning everyone! Hope the weekend weather was kind to you!

It certainly was in these parts so not much crafty-catch-up was achieved.

But I have managed to get the card for this week's prompt made on time. ;o)

So this week I think it's time we focussed on "manly" cards.

They can often be a real challenge to make but I can't see why elements we'd associate with more girly cards can't be incorporated and given a more manly spin.

Here's the card I made for my brother's upcoming birthday:

Paper: Crate Paper DIY Shop and Maggie Holmes
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI, MFT, Cheery Lynn
Button: MME
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: hemp twine, 3D foam

It's not every day you see doilies, bows and pearls on a card for a guy is it? But I think they work fine with these papers and colours.

Happy creating!

Make it yourself...

This week's challenge over on the DCM blog is one that will no doubt have many browsing through all those tutorial pins they repinned to try out some day! Well it's time to pick one and put it to good use;o)

Kathy has challenged us to make our own embellishment to use on our cards this week and I went for one that is a favourite yet much underused in my cardmaking of late.

A felt rolled rose!

Paper: Studio Calico
Stamp: PTI
Dies: MFT
Brad: American Crafts

I made this card as a handy little notelet so that it's ready to send out when I need to pop a little message in the post or send a little package to someone. I never have them to hand when I need them, so my card basket could do with a top-up. :)

The design team have showcased some really lovely takes on DIY embellishments so do check out the blog. :o)

Happy crafting!

Can't see the wood for the trees...

This week on the DCM blog we have a lovely dare from Zuz.

She has challenged us to feature trees on our cards this week and the design team has come up with so many lovely and different ideas. :o)

I decided this week that I also wanted to look to my older stash for inspiration and assistance in completing this task - I also managed to save a tree or two... ok, not quite... by using up scraps from other projects that would otherwise have made it to the bin.

Paper, journaling card and stickers: MME
Stamps: PTI
Other: 3D foam

I really wanted to fill up the white space of that journaling cards with lots of greetings that would go together but weren't OTT. I've hopefully managed that. ;o)

Well, I hope you all have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend if you're in the UK - hoping we shall get a smattering of sunshine as it has been long overdue!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 21

Morning everyone.

Well the sun has done a bunk again in these parts so I feel I'm rather in need of a shot of colour!

Here's a reminder of this week's sketch:

And here's the card I made cunningly using up the rest of my Christmas Doodlebug gem stickers in one go! ;o)

Paper: MME
Dies: PTI
Stamp: PTI
Gems: Doodlebug
Other: pompom trim, 3D foam

I did say there were rather a lot of gems... lol I wonder if you can have a gem sneeze? Or if there's only such a thing as a sticker sneeze...

Anyway, until next time! Hopefully I'll manage a Pinterest-themed post tomorrow night now that I've almost got my head around the new embedding process. ;o)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 21

Morning everyone!

This week sees the return of a sketch prompt for our inspiration.

Alas I am not clever enough to have come up with my own, so I looked back to some sketches I'd bookmarked and thought we could give this one a go.

Unfortunately I'm having some difficulty embedding pins in blog posts now that Pinterest has switched to its new format - hoping Typepad support can come to my rescue on that and get the widget to work. But for now I have saved off the image and if you click on it it will take you to the pin on Pinterest where you can repin it to your own boards or access the source directly for even more ideas. :o)

Anyway, here's my card for this week:

Paper: Crate Paper
Dies: PTI
Stamp: PTI
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: sewing machine, 3D foam, glassine envelope

I finally put my script word die to use for the greeting and also wanted to keep with the black and white accent colour theme by using a couple of black pearls to make it stand out more.

I hope you have fun creating with this sketch - it's a rather nice one that you can make as fussy or as simple as you want. :o)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 20

I must say it feels very strange to be sharing this project having finally spent the best part of this afternoon in the sunshine(!!!) in the garden finishing up a book...

But I am hoping it will become a familiar kind of feeling over the summer if we have one. :)

So here at last is my Christmas card for week 20's prompt to take inspiration from the printed word - and as my literary inspiration I used the tale of The Snowman by Raymond Briggs:

Paper: Basic Grey
Stamp: PTI
Die-cuts and stickers: Basic Grey
Other: 3D faom, 3D glitter paint

I'm not sure how visible it is in the photo but I accented the border on the tag and all the hexagon snowflakes on the paper at the bottom with 3D glitter paint for a bit of pop. 

Bit of a simple one, but I was a woman on a mission to get this card off my list!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 20

Wow, we have reached the 20-week milestone here on the 52 Card challenge! Many congrats to everyone that has managed to keep up so far. :)

This week's prompt has been very much inspired by a fantastic programme I watched this weekend.

Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball - it's available here on BBC iPlayer for those that can watch it, but only up for a few more days so you need to be quick! :)

Here's the blurb from the BBC website:

Documentary celebrating the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, revealing the hidden world behind one of the greatest love stories of all time by restaging a regency ball at Chawton House, the grand estate of Jane Austen's brother. Amanda Vickery and Alastair Sooke lead a team of world class experts as they reconstruct the ball in loving detail, from music and dancing, to food and fashion.

I'm a big lover of this era and I was really inspired to find a way to transform this inspiration into a card.

I know that not everyone will have the tools to go out all Austen on their cards this week, so the prompt is a more general one, but if Austen floats your boat I look forward to seeing your homages!

The prompt is "The printed word" - basically take inspiration from literature, stories, and tales... it doesn't necessarily have to be certain works, perhaps iconic periods and characters, for example we have the Great Gatsby soon arriving on the big screen - no doubt lots of 1920s inspiration will be creeping into fashion, furnishings and the like.

For my main card this week I turned to the Jane Austen stamp and die set from PTI - I bought it mainly for the frame and the regency silhouettes, but I do love a good quote! ;o)

Paper: Pink Paislee
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: Sewing machine, Stickles, 3D foam

So, the question is what shall I use as my inspiration for this week's Christmas card? I have a little time still to work that one out. ;o)

Inkiness

There's a lovely challenge over on the DCM blog this week - Keilly has challenged us to have a play with ink in whatever capacity we choose!

Now, I wanted to use it in a few ways but what worked for my card was a more subtle approach.

Paper: Crate Paper, Echo Park
Chipboard elements: Crate Paper
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI, Memory Box, MFT
Punch: Martha Stewart
Other: Sewing machine, glam paint, distress ink, chalk ink

It's difficult to see, but the shiny green paper is from me coating it with the nearest thing I had to glimmer mist, which was glam paint:

I really must use this on more than just Christmas cards in future. ;o)

Don't forget to stop by and check out the rest of the lovely inky projects by the design team - there are so many different inking techniques and styles on show!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 19

Well, it's back to sharing a Christmas card for this week's texture prompt.

I included various types on this one.

Paper: Basic Grey, Crate
Stamps: PTI
Texture plate: PTI
Dies: PTI, MFT, Memory Box
Other: pompom trim, glitter paper, Distress and regular Stickles, 3D foam

So on the texture front we have a woodgrain impression. I went with spritzing the background with water before embossing to get a deeper effect - that worked but it has warped my card a bit. Still, it'll straighten out by December I'm sure! ;)

Then we have some trim.

And lots of glittery elements providing a contrasting texture to the smooth paper.

In an effort to stay awake...

...and not have a repeat of last night - falling asleep at 9.30 dosed up on Sudafed and waking up at 12.30 thinking it must surely almost be 6 a.m. or something - I spent about 4 hours watching tv trying to become tired and nod off again.

Don't you just love feeling under the weather? ;)

So, I am trying to keep awake a bit longer tonight so that I don't have further call to watch iplayer in the wee small hours since I have run out of things to watch!

Step 1 in this plan was to make the card for this week's 52 cards challenge.

I didn't have the energy to go really detailed on my card, but I turned to my new pad of DIY shop papers:

And picked out a busy sheet to do most of the work. ;)

Paper: Crate
Stamp: PTI
Button: Prima
Die: MFT
Texture plate: PTI
Other: hemp cord

Now, the texture on this card is a bit hard to see, there's a wooden button, but also I passed the card through the linen texture plate from PTI for a little extra detail.

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 19

Well, almost 12 hours late, but I'm feeling alive enough to share this week's prompt with you, although not a card sample.

I went away this weekend for our crafty retreat specifically hoping to work on (and finish! Ha!) one project:

I didn't take any cardmaking items with me - basically so that I wouldn't be sidetracked. So hence no sample today.

But the prompt for this week is to use...

Texture

...in some way on your card.

This could be in the form of embossing/debossing:

Source: bestbusinesscard.net via Tomoko on Pinterest

 

Fabrics:

Source: megduerksen.typepad.com via Anna {Rusty Cottage} on Pinterest

 

Creative stitching:

Source: lh4.ggpht.com via Rhonda on Pinterest

 

Chunky lace and trim:

Source: fancylinda.com via Second on Pinterest

 

Wooden embellishments and findings:

Source: prima.typepad.com via KikiK on Pinterest

 

On-trend cork elements:

Source: iminhaven.blogspot.com via Carol on Pinterest

 

And my old favourite... felt:

Source: molliemakes.com via Annika on Pinterest

 

The possibilities are endless, but I'm sure you'll find some lovely ways to incorporate different textures on your cards. :)

Happy creating!

I'd best go and have another dose of Venos before bed as in typical fashion I returned home with not only an almost complete scrapbooking project, but a cold and cough too! Oh and no voice. I was just glad I didn't need to be in work today - but it was a truly fab weekend! ;)

ETA: Here's the card I finally managed to make:

Paper: Crate
Stamp: PTI
Button: Prima
Die: MFT
Texture plate: PTI
Other: hemp cord

It's a Pink, Mint and Gold kind of month

So it's the first Friday of the month, and that means it's a new colour combo challenge on the DCM blog.

This month it was my turn to pick, and I went with a lovely palette that I'm seeing a lot on Pinterest at the moment - gorgeous spring/summer shades:

Gorgeous eh?

The challenge that faced me though was finding something gold! I got rid of a lot of "gold" bits and pieces ages ago thinking I'd not need them again, well big mistake!

I managed, just, with the aid of an Encore gold pigment ink pad, but it doesn't catch the light very well and is a bit of a dark gold:

Paper: Basic Grey, Echo Park
Dies: PTI
Other: 3D foam

Thankfully although it's pigment ink it heat-set rather well. And I know this is a very simple affair from me, but I rather like the look of the greeting as an aperture on 3D foam and nothing else fancy going on.

Don't forget to pop over to the DCM blog and check out the creations from the wonderfully talented design team! :)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 18

Well here I am sharing this week's Christmas card a bit earlier than usual, since tonight onwards I will be trying to get everything ready for my crafty weekend away that starts nice and early Friday morning!

I decided to keep on the theme of using scraps so found some nice co-ordinating off-cuts that were just big enough to make this simple card. :)

Paper: Cosmo Cricket
Stamps: WMS, PTI
Dies: Memory Box, PTI
Buttons: OA
Other: hemp cord, 3D foam

Don't think I will ever tire of the Memory box winter die - it's just so perfect...

Anyway, best get the rest of my breakfast eaten and head off to work!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 18

Welcome to a new week everyone! I promise I'm much better prepared this week.

Finally I have sought inspiration from the prompt jar and have picked 3 random elements that need to be featured on your cards this week:

So, while I still had some scraps on the desk from some other projects, I decided to use them up on this card too.

Paper: Echo Park
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI, Magnolia
Other: Button, hemp cord, pearls

I quite like the mix of soft colours with cream, pink, light grey, and white. Makes a nice change.

Hope you enjoy playing with this recipe combo and I look forward to seeing the results. :)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 17

So, time to play a little catch-up with my cards from last Monday's prompt.

I've updated the main post here with the card I made.

And as for the Christmas number made using scraps, here it is - a small notelet sized card but perfect for using up off-cuts of paper.

Paper: Crate, OA
Stamp: Rusty Pickle
Dies: PTI, Magnolia
Chipboard accent: Crate Paper
Pearl: Kaisercraft
Other: Distress Stickles

I rather like the whole North Pole map as greetings from the North Pole and I think the greeting works well with that. Just a shame I don't have a "Greetings from the North Pole" stamp! ;o)

And now I'd best get the blog post for tomorrow's prompt sorted. I am on schedule for now!

A recipe for creative fun

Happy Friday!

This week on the DCM blog the wonderful Kathy has set us a recipe challenge!

We needed to make a card that featured the following:

• The colour blue
• Something beginning with the letter P
• A die cut or punch-out
• An aperture of any sort

Well, I wonder if you can spot my elements:

Paper: MME
Stamps: PTI, MFT
Dies: PTI
Lace and seambinding: The Ribbon Girl
Other: pearls, 3D foam, sewing machine

And as for the elements?

Well the paper contains blue little arrows - who'd have thought such a boyish pad of papers as Away We Go would create such a girly card?

My "something beginning with the letter P" = pearls and well, the colour peach!

There are quite a few die-cuts.

And my aperture is the little heart in the corner which goes right through the front of the card. Not so easy to spot when the wall behind is the same colour as the leaves. ;o)

I must admit a fondness for combining Adirondack Mountain Rose and Salmon, they go so well together in these 2-step stamping sets.

Don't forget to check out the lovely creations from the rest of the team!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 17

Morning everyone!

I'm afraid I'm being a bad host this week as I haven't actually managed to get any cards done in time for today's prompt.

It's been a very busy week and weekend as I needed to get this little project finished in time for yesterday's christening celebrations:

Inspired by the state of my desk after completing that work and what was left in the collection kit I'd used I've decided that this week's prompt is about...

Using the scraps from a project to create your card!

If like me, you don't chuck bits away that could be put to use on a smaller scale item, then now's the time to raid your stockpile of scraps. Otherwise you could try and use up the remaining items in a pack of embellishments or similar - naturally making way for new purchases to be made. ;-)

I'll hopefully have time to get something made tonight or Wednesday night depending on how tired I am. Had a late night and an early start today so we shall see how that plan goes when I get back from work! LOL

Edited to add: Here's the card I finally made from scraps left over from the album I made at the weekend. :)

Paper: Echo Park
Dies: MFT
Stamp: PTI
Punch: Martha Stewart
Sticker and cutout: Echo Park
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: 3D foam

And yep, when dealing with scraps it's always good to get the hexagon die out!

Happy crafting!

Oh to be young again!

This week's dare over on the DCM blog has been set by the lovely Sharon, and she has challenged us to make a card on the theme of Child's Play - so for the youngsters in our lives. :)

Well, ahead of this weekend's Christening I was still needing to come up with a suitable card for my soon-to-be Goddaughter. Ah the perfect inspiration right?

I definitely wanted it to be personalized and special, so I hope I managed to achieve both. Plus I wanted the colours to tie in with another something I have planned. ;o)

So here it is:

Paper: MME
Chipboard letters: Basic Grey
Foam letters: American Crafts
Stamp: PTI
Other: twine, sewing machine, pearls, 3D foam, Stickles

I'm also very relieved I had all the letters necessary to spell Christening and that it thankfully fit on the front! Plus I do think that large "t" has a bit of a cross-like look to it. I really had wanted to include a cross somewhere but didn't have anything that would work...

Anyhoo, I hope they like it. :)

Oh and in other news, Taken 2 - not a crafting distraction. It was OK and allowed me to finish up the task I needed to get done last night without stopping to watch the on-screen action. ;o)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 16

Well, better late than never!

I've been rather busy every evening this week so not managed to share the Christmas card I made for this week's negative die-cutting prompt.

But the time has arrived!

It wasn't really worth the wait, since it is ultra-simple and plain, but I rather like how it looks in real life. ;o)

Paper: Crate Paper
Die and stamp: PTI
Other: bling, 3D foam

Very simple no? But I really wanted to have a red and white stripe behind whatever word I ended up using this week. hehe

So, just what is it that has been keeping me so busy and off the blog?

Well, my lovely house guest Lola and I spent a lot of time out on walks, including a 5-miler to my mum and dad's which was totally spur of the moment!

The rest of the time Lola enjoyed recuperating by the fire:

She also "assisted" me in cleaning the house ready for a family visit for cake and tea:

Yes, how exactly are you supposed to make the bed when someone is enjoying it so much...

And speaking of bed hogging... she was caught in the act the next day trying to get under the covers in the afternoon:

I had to use the Meerkat toy to tempt her out of the kitchen Sunday morning when I baked muffins, tried out the Hazelnut Praline nutella muffins from the Hummingbird Cake Days book:

Don't worry, we all took Lola for a walk in the park after those!

I said bye-bye to Lola Monday evening, then Tuesday afternoon went up to see miss Anja ahead of her Christening this weekend. And she was very much looking forward to her tea:

And from then onwards I have been trying to get a certain crafty project done, with little success...

But I have managed to sort another thing on my to-do list - get my phone changed at long last since it is now out of contract:

Bye, bye htc and hello (hopefully) a much better phone for my needs! :)

The porting doo-dah should be done tomorrow and I hopefully won't be left without a phone this weekend, as I will definitely need one on sunday! Anyway, I suppose I should start back on the crafty task I need to get done this evening.

I do have a DVD to watch, but it's not clear whether it will be a help or a complete distraction:

I'll let you know!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 16

Morning everyone!

Oh my how this week has flown by, especially the weekend!

I have spent a lot of it walking my doggie visitor and cleaning the house and baking ready for a family afternoon visit yesterday. So, not much in the way of creative time!

This week's prompt is one I alluded to earlier.

It's time to roll out the dies and have a go at negative die-cutting.

If you aren't too familiar with this look and technique, there are plenty of ideas and examples on Pinterest and google images.

Here's the card I made which is a CASE of a previous card of mine but it was perfect for an upcoming event and I really couldn't think of a better "new home" idea. ;o)

Paper: MME
Dies and stamp: PTI
Other: 3D foam

I also really wanted to try and give the old grey and yellow colour palette a whirl since it seemed very in on Pinterest.

Source: theperfectpalette.com via Christi on Pinterest

 

If you don't have any dies to use to accomplish this technique, then a very simple solution would be to cut a box in your card front using a ruler and knife and cut a smaller box to go inside it perhaps with the greeting on it... It's still do-able without dies. :)

I still need to get my Christmas card for this week made so need to decide on which die to use on that one!

Happy crafting!

A very apt dare for today

Over on the DCM blog the lovely Miri has challenged us to get creative with the theme of April showers - so rain, umbrellas, rainbows, etc.

I had hoped the weather this weekend wouldn't be too bad considering the dog walking I'd planned, but already after the first walk of the day Lola is looking somewhat filthy and we didn't even go near any mud!

Here's hoping the grey clouds soon pass and the sun comes out!

Here's my card on the matter including an apt greeting...

Paper: MME
Stamp: PTI
Dies: MFT
Bling: Prima
Other: 3D glitter paint, sewing machine, 3D foam

The feeling is very mutual! ;o)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 15

Well this evening is the first in a while where it has actually felt like spring and the sun is still out and glowing!

It seams quite odd to be posting this Christmas card for the prompt - what with the snowmen on it, but hey-ho let's hope the good weather continues! :) Especially since I have lost my umbrella, I am hoping the rain definitely keeps away until I can find it! LOL

Anyway... onto my card:

Paper: Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye
Dies: MFT, PTI
Stamp: PTI
Pearls: Prima
Other: 3D foam

I am digging my Red Pepper ink from Adirondack - it's a lovely shade indeed. I am sure it will be featuring on many more Christmas cards this year!

Right, I'd best scoot and get some of my to-do list for this evening completed.

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 15

Hello everyone!

Hope you've had a nice weekend and some sun featured in it. :)

For this week's prompt I thought it was about time we made a bigger deal of the text and greetings that feature on our cards. So I want you to make a card where the words are the main focus.

You can strip it right down to a clean and simple card that just features a greeting or make your greeting fussy and elaborate using various techniques.

Here's the card I made:

Paper: Basic Grey
Die and stamps: PTI
Other: bling, 3D foam

For my card I wanted to use the negative die-cutting technique - so I stamped my greeting on a separate piece of card and stuck it behind the die-cut paper. It gives it a bit of pop without making a really bulky card. :)

I think we might need to revisit this technique on some future prompts. ;o)

In the meantime, have fun with your fonts!

Aqua and coral - it's all the rage

And it's also this month's colour challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog! :)

After a little pondering and stash raiding I determined it was actually the perfect opportunity to play with some of my new stamps that arrived from Papertrey on Tuesday. Again no customs charge - hurrah!

So here's what I made - apologies re the photo, morning/evening light still isn't quite perfect for taking pics:

Paper and cardstock: PTI
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI
Other: 3D foam
Inks: Adirondack - Mountain Rose, Salmon and Willow, Versacolor - Mint, Distress Ink - Tattered Rose

The ink colours are spot on with the colour prompt shades in real life, just so difficult to photograph. I used the Mini Blooms stamps and popped the flowers on the matching dies so they stood out from the green. The font is the new Headline alpha and matching dies and is a lot easier to position and stamp with dye ink than pigment. ;o) It looks like I need some aqua dye ink now! hehe

Don't forget to check out the lovely creations from the rest of the design team - have a happy and creative weekend! :)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 14

Well it is definitely feeling a lot more like Spring after this Easter weekend and the clocks going forward.

In fact it is still light outside!

However considering this week's Christmas cracker card took me an age to make yesterday I am wondering just how well I will keep up with my Christmas cards once summer arrives! Mind you, the excesses of Sunday's Polish breakfast and just 4 hours of sleep may have had something to do with that too...

Anyway, here is my festive hexagon creation - again made with left-over hexagons from another card I made in December:

Paper: Basic Grey, Studio Calico
Dies: MFT, PTI
Stamp: PTI
Bling: Prima
Other: 3D foam

Once again I resorted to using left-over scraps of Terracotta Tile cardstock as a "red" as it doesn't seem too out of place against a grey background. :)

And now I'd best zoom so I can watch the new sewing show on BBC that is following in the footsteps of the great British bake off. :)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 14

Happy April 1st people!

I hope you've been having a lovely Easter weekend thus far.

With it being the 1st of April I had toyed with doing a prompt of a humourous nature, but I was swayed towards something else. :)

This week I'd love to see you embrace the "hexagon" trend on your cards.

I luckily have a set of dies I bought last year that make this an easy task for me, but if you don't have hexagons in your arsenal (whether as punches, stamps, dies or patterns on papers/embellishments) then please feel free to use any geometric patterns or elements for your cards this week. You could still go with the quilted look you get from hexagons using another shape. There are lots of possibilities! :)

So the reason this prompt came about was because I really wanted to use all 4 of the new Crate papers I received at the weekend but didn't really see how I could justify cutting them all up and using them together until I remembered my set of Dienamics hexagon dies!

So I cut a strip of paper from the 3 floral designs and cut out my hexagons ready to assemble.

And here's what I made:

Paper: Crate, Basic Grey
Dies: MFT
Stamp: PTI
Other: Bling, sewing machine

The hexagon die cuts two sizes at the same time; the other die in the set cuts a hexagon strip to mount the smaller hexagons on it. For this card I used the larger hexagons along the edge rather than just the small hexagons on white strips.

And with the left-over die-cuts, I made another card!

It's notelet sized and I just added a button from October Afternoon and the washi-tape style stamp and greeting from PTI and hey presto! Another card made and no scraps for the bin.

I think I will soon have to try a card using just the large hexagons for the background as it is lovely how they all fit together so neatly. This hexagon malarkey could be most addictive!

Happy creating! I'm already wondering what papers to use for my Christmas card - think I shall be raiding my scraps stash!

Good morning, Good Friday

Well if you are in the "Spring" mood, there's a wonderful dare over on the DCM blog this week. :)

Beckie has challenged us to make a card featuring "springs" in some way.

I decided to cover my bases with this one and include a Spring theme as well as some DIY springs. I wonder if you can spot them:

Papers and printed ephemera: Pink Paislee
Stamps and dies: PTI
Nest: Michaels
Other: paper flowers, seambinding, acrylic paint, 3D foam

Once again I had great fun stamping with the Stitched Sentiments set from PTI and this time I finally used the embroidery hoop - I really love that needle stamp. I think I am also going to have to cave and get the Aida background stamp set too to get a subtle background for these sentiments as I have now seen it in use and well... those cards were lovely and the stamps really added the finishing touch.

So... can you see the springs?

Well, here's my DIY job:

I made little springs out of the stalks of the flower bunches. :)

Don't forget to check out the lovely springy cards from the design team!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 13

Well, once again my Christmas cracker card is sadly reflecting the view outside my window!

So much for Spring in these parts... I sure hope it arrives by the weekend but I doubt it.

Anyway, the inspiration pins I chose for my Christmas card are these:

Creamy white and grey colour palette that's a departure from the traditional green and red. I really like it and it still looks cosy to me. :)

Beautiful white on white snowflakes with just a hint of frosty sparkle.

And a bit of winter bling - how gorgeous is this brooch?

I'm afraid photographing my card ended up being rather difficult. The light is really bad at the moment what with the grey dark skies and it's always tricky to capture frosty glitter in a photo without good light!

Impression plate: PTI
Die: PTI
Stamp: PTI
Bling: Prima
Glitter: German glass glitter in white, Rocky Candy Distress glitter
Other: 3D foam

I promise it does look a lot nicer in real life and sparkles nicely when light is on it. :) I made the mistake of using wet glue for the first layer of glitter (the white German glass glitter) which is quite dull, while it was still drying I tried out my spray adhesive and sprinkled on rock candy glitter for added sparkle and left the snowflake to dry over night. I think spray adhesive is the way forward for me. Good job I still have a scrap cardboard box to hand that I can use to spray into and not end up with spray adhesive everywhere. :)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 13

Morning everyone!

This past week I've been doing a fair bit of Pinterest pinning and what I love most about Pinterest... tracing back pins to new sources of wonderful inspiration. I have been on some real tangents this week and have spent many a moment admiring yet more pretty things. And ultimately pretty pictures provide inspiration for all sorts of things in our lives.

So this week, I thought it would be rather nice to take something you have seen online or around you as your inspiration for creating this week's card. It would be really fun if you could share details or a pic of your inspiration with your card too. :)

It doesn't matter how small or great the inspiration is; it could be one little element like a button on a coat, the colours used in a home interiors shoot, some glittery sprinkles on a cupcake... whatever it is that caught your eye and made you think "oooh I could do that!", get it on your card and share it with us all! :)

For my main card the inspiration has come from looking at quite a few pieces of beautiful Polish Kashubian folk art online. Mostly embroidery styles, but also once again I was searching the net to see if any shop now sells the lovely light shade I saw on my first trip to Gdansk in 2010 during our regular family holiday to Poland.

It was at the Velevetka restaurant in case you ever get the chance to visit. ;) This shade would be just perfect over my dining table... If only Cepelia sold it, life would be much easier!

Kashubian folk art is very similar in style to the Swedish folk art designs you currently can see in Ikea. It must be that Baltic connection. ;o)

It really is beautiful and I love the symmetry of the designs and the elements:

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via N. on Pinterest

 

The colours are usually muted primaries, with lots of blues and yellows and the zing of red:

These designs feature on everything from textiles in the home, clothing, and painted floors to Easter eggs:

I must confess I was very happy when PTI came out with their Fancy Folkart stamp set as the designs are very Kashubian in style and I do love a bit of two/three-step stamping with different colours. I didn't use traditional colours for my card though:

Stamps: PTI
Ink: Prima chalk ink

It's very enjoyable to create something with just stamps and ink - it's one of the reasons I love papercrafting so much!

Plus it also means I can create "flat" cards to send to Poland - although it might be a bit like sending coals to Newcastle! ;o)

Last Easter bunny card for this year...

Well, with one week to go before Easter Sunday I think this could possibly be my last Easter card make for 2013.

I didn't manage to snag the Easter bunny die before it went out of stock, but I have definitely made use of the stamp!

Nevertheless I wanted to play along with this week's Passion for Papertrey challenge to create a card featuring a negative die-cut, so I set the scene with my Easter bunny another way. ;)

Stamps: PTI (Polka Dot Parade #1 and Striped Sweater background basics), WMS
Dies: Spellbinders, MFT, Sizzix
Paper: PTI (bitty dot basics), Rob and Bob, plus PTI cardstock
Pearls: Prima
Other: 3D glitter paint, twine

This card was also an exercise in using up some of those old Rob and Bob papers I had in my stash and never got rid of as I thought to myself, "ahhh, I'll use them for Easter cards..." - it's only taken 5 years or so to make those Easter cards with those papers. ;o)

Chalkboard heaven

This week over on the Daring Cardmakers blog it's my turn to challenge my fellow teamies and our blog visitors.

And well, there was one thing that immediately sprang to mind that I thought we'd all enjoy - recreating chalk art on a card.

Now, thanks to the fab tutorial by Betsy Veldman it's much easier than it looks - and it is really fun! And the results? Well, I've only had a go at it a couple of times, but I think the end result is really unique and fun.

One of my favourite chalkboard artists is Dana Tanamachi - what a skill and what a job she has. Truly amazing. I would love a bit of her art on my walls I can tell you. ;o)

Source: tanamachistudio.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

The inspiration for my card came from this particular piece of hers which has done the rounds on Pinterest quite a lot - no surprise why!

Source: shelleysdavies.com via natalie | la designerie on Pinterest

 

I just love the branches that encompass the text in the middle. The closest I could get to it was by using the Stitched Sentiments set from PTI (one of my lovely purchases last month).

Paper: Crate Paper
Stamps: PTI (Stitched Sentiments and Fancy Folkart)
Die: PTI
Embellishment: Basic GRey
Other: Sewing machine, twine, white pencil, chalk ink (applied with cotton bud and cotton wool)

I applied some old Versa Magic chalk ink (which is a bit drier and so perfect for this technique) using a cotton bud around the stamping then a cotton wool ball for the overall chalky effect. I'm really pleased with how it came out, especially the fontage from the Fancy Folkart set, I sure hope some more greetings get released in that font and style as they are just lovely.

I really hope you'll give this challenge a try and play along. :)

A little more Easter delight...

So I seem to really be getting the most out of that $5 bunny stamp set from PTI.

I didn't manage to snag the die, but it doesn't mean I haven't been using it in all sorts of ways, the latest being for this card:

Paper: MME
Stamps: PTI
Impression plate: PTI
Other: Sewing machine

Once again the bunny rabit is in those lovely branches from the Stitched Sentiments set, this time I used green and some of my lighter inks to then stamp the flowers and buds on.

Also I had a play with the Linen and Canvas Impression Plate which is finally mine - it has only taken 3 or so years to get one... but finally I had a go with it on a card and decided to run the card blank through after a I had applied patterned paper to the front. Despite the chevron pattern, I think the checked impression adds extra depth. After I'd stamped the main panel I also ran that through on the other side of the impression plate for a little more texture before running it through the sewing machine.

I was under strict instructions to make a flat card - again headed to Poland and my grandma - so I hope it reaches her in one piece. :)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 12

Looking out the window this morning you would be forgiven for thinking it can't possibly be the first day of spring, and it is definitely hard to imagine that this time last year we were basking in summer-like temperatures and... sun!

But my Christmas cracker card for this week definitely reflects our current weather system and climate...

Stamps: Hero Arts, PTI
Paper: MME
Pearls: Kaiserkraft
Other: Stickles

Yep, it's another very simple one this week, but I felt it about time I had a play with this cling stamp from Hero Arts that I picked up in Florida. I stamped in Prima "Worn Jeans" chalk ink, which is a lovely bluey grey. It's difficult to see in the pic but the background behind the image is a woodgrain paper from MME. And for a finishing touch I edged the whole thing with Frosted Lace Stickles for a little sparkle.

Now, if only the view outside my craft room window would brighten up I'd feel more like using bright colours and I could probably get some better photos too!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 12

Good morning and welcome to a new prompt!

I was recently sorting my pile of envelopes into a more organised system and came across some little envelopes with no matching card blanks. So it got me to thinking it would be a good time to explore card sizes and switching it up a bit from the standard sizes we see.

So this week we're going miniature with our cards!

The beauty of this is you can also make something a bit more quickly or make a set of cards with the same design quite simply using the same product.

I decided to experiment with a cute little Easter card this week. The finished size is 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 inches:

Paper: MME
Stamps: PTI
Dies: MFT, PTI, Spellbinders
Other: buttons, twine, 3D foam, Stickles

I added some Frosty Lace Stickles to the bunny's tail for added pop. This is definitely a design I could do a few times and still have paper left over from a sheet of 12x12.

I look forward to seeing how small you go with your cards this week. :)

I'll share my mini-Christmas card later.

Look at it from another angle...

This week over on the Daring Cardmakers Blog Lythan has been challenging our geometry skills.

It's all about angles!

And as soon as I heard what the dare was going to be I decided it was high to to get using my hexagon stash again before that trend passes me by!

I also needed to get down to business creating some Easter cards.

And this is what was born:

Paper: MME
Dies: Spellbinders, PTI
Stamps: Just Rite, WMS, PTI
Resin flower: Webster's Pages
Other: hemp twine, 3D foam, sewing machine

Easter should actually be a very calm time of the year, but a little chocolate can really help, especially if you gave it up for Lent! I might make a few more cards in this style with the same greeting because it's not often I get to send "Keep calm and eat chocolate" cards! Got to make those stamps pay for themselves one way or another. ;o)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 11

Here I am back to share my Christmas card for this week, however after all the unseasonal snow we had Sunday through yesterday it's just a shame there isn't a snowflake to be found on this project!

Instead I tried to use up some papers from a collection kit by MME. I think these papers are a case of less is more when combining them as the patterns and colours are so bright they tend to clash a bit when you put more than 2 or 3 together. Or at least that's my struggle with them.

Paper and die-cuts: MME
Other: Ricrac, 3D foam, twine, buttons

The stars were a bit of a fiddle to get aligned right as "bunting" but I'm happy with the end result, and it was nice to use up a bit of ricrac from the collection! ;o)

Here's hoping we won't be seeing more snow next week, I'm perfectly happy making Christmas cards in spring without the added inspiration of cold weather!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 11

Morning everyone!

I thought it was about time we had a "sketch" prompt again.

Now, I've not managed to procure or draw a sketch this week, but I have made a card that I intended to use as a the base for drawing the sketch.

Paper: Pink Paislee, MME
Die cut elements: Pink Paislee
Stamps: PTI
Die: MFT
Bling: Prima
Trim: The Ribbon Girl
Other: hemp cord, 3D foam, buttons

So using this layout as inspiration, you can really strip your design back to a very simple look or go to town dressing it up with bunting, trim, and multiple layers.

I really look forward to seeing how you interpret this one! :)

I'll share my Christmas card later this week as I went more the clean and simple route with that one!

Is it or isn't it?

Ma and I were hoping to head up to the Metrocentre for a day of relaxing retail therapy - but it appears a snow cloud is hovering and causing disruption, until I can find out whether snow has fallen over Gateshead and is sticking around our plans are on hold...

So much for a nice Mother's Day outing including a trip to Ikea - that's the way we usually roll in this family on Mother's Day!

But back to crafty-related things. I can't share the card I made for Mother's Day just yet. Instead I had some time yesterday to play with some of my new PTI stamps and started on some Easter cards. The one I'm sharing today was inspired by the Passion for Papertrey 50 Shades of Grey challenge and so I made a card to fit it.

OK, so mine is more like Three Shades of Grey, but there is grey in there! ;o)

Paper: MME, Bo Bunny
Stamps and dies: PTI
Other: 3D foam

The branches are from the Stitched Sentiments set, as is the banner die, and the other stamps are from Polka Dot Parade #1. I used the heart from the inside of a Tremendous Treats Tag as all my other heart dies were just a bit too big.

A shame the light was a bit poor when trying to get this photo, as the colours of the flowers and leaves are so much clearer in real life.

Anyway, I was so chuffed with how it turned out that I even Instagrammed it last night:

I still need some practice aligning those branches better. But it's definitely not a candidate for mass production! LOL

I also got a couple of other cards made, including the cards for this week's upcoming 52 Cards Challenge prompt:

And I am looking forward to trying out my new ink order, the latest Prima Chalk inks in pastel to complete my collection and am giving this Adirondack red inkpad a go in my continuing quest for the perfect red inkpad!

Right, I'd best go try and determine the snow situation again...

Just my type of thing

This week's dare over on the DCM blog comes from Leo and is all about using typography on your card.

I must admit to being rather a fan of different typographical styles and well... I have pinned quite a few in the past!

Here are some of my favourites:

Source: rusticweddingchic.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

I love the brush work and painting in the above - and the colours are just lovely. It's lovely enough to frame! :)

Source: instagr.am via Natalia on Pinterest

 

I love the flourishes and shading in this one - and the different sizes of text really make it eye-catching.

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

And finally something apt for this time of year - a great quote and some lovely fonts!

Well, with my little PTI delivery this week it arrived just in time for me to make something for this dare with my new purchases.

Paper: Crate Paper
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI, MFT
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: 3D foam

I finally managed to get the zipper dies that go with the stamps I bought before Christmas - the pull tab is ripped back to reveal the rest of the greeting to "Wishing you...". Obviously can't show you here without ruining the card, but hopefully this will be fun enough to make up for a birthday card being late! The Turquoise greeting is from the new birthday stylish sentiments set and went really well with the challenge and rest of the theme for this card.

Don't forget to check out the cards by the design team, there are some really inspiring ideas for using whatever fonts and alphabets you have in your collection! :)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 10

Well finally I have a Christmas card to share for this week's number prompt.

I ended up looking through my Christmas stash looking for any stickers with some festive-themed numbers on them and came up short.

So it was my number dies that came to the rescue!

Paper: Studio Calico, Basic Grey
Dies: PTI
Stamp: PTI
Bling: Prima
Other: Pattern wheel, 3D foam

The bling was a last minute addition that proved to be a good way to use up odds and ends in an almost empty packet. :)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 10

Well we've hit the 10 week milestone on our 52 card adventure!

And to celebrate I thought it would be fun to have a "number" themed prompt this week.

So, make a card featuring a number on it.

It could be incorporated as follows:

• An age/anniversary
• A date
• In word form
• Lots of random numbers as a background
• Vintage ephemera and tape measures/rulers
• Text speak

Now, if you are feeling stumped for how to incorporate numbers on your Christmas card here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

• The big one - 25th of December
• New Year wishes for 2014 - although that feels premature even to me!
• Famous carols and Christmas songs: Twelve Days of Christmas has lots of scope for including numbers there! The First Noel...
• A postmark from the North Pole with the date on it
• A countdown advent calendar style

I'm sure there are others, and hopefully they'll come to me when I sit down to make my Christmas cracker card later this week. :)

In the meantime here is my main card:

Paper and die-cut embellishments: MME
Stamps and dies: PTI
Other: 3D foam

I hope my friend Kelly likes it and that (after a good few hints and reminders last night) her DH remembers that he has a proxy role to play until little Miss A reaches the age of 10 at least!

Key Lime-licious...

Hello first day of March and the route to springtime and hopefully sunshine!

As it's the first Friday of the month we have a lovely new colour challenge on the Daring Cardmakers blog this week, supplied by Sharon!

Last week it was tough going what with all that chocolate temptation, and this week?? Well take a look for yourself:

Key lime biscuits...

Well, thankfully last night for tea Key lime pie made an appearance at dessert so my taste buds have been satisfied. As for this colour combo, here's what I made:

Paper: American Crafts
Stamps: PTI, Waltzing Mouse
Dies: PTI, MFT
Embossing folder: Sizzix
Pearls: Prima
Other: 3D foam

So I switched up the colour balance a little and only used green as a colour accent with neutral and brown leading the way.

I tried out a new neutral-tone colour combination for my Sweet Life roses using Versacolor vanilla, cement, and bisque ink cubes. I rather like the subtle look with the colours for a neutral palette. :o)

This card needed to be a bit more clean and simple as it is destined for an uncle in Poland. Nothing wrong with flowers for men, there are, after all, many avid male gardeners out there and these roses are so realistic looking. ;o)

Don't forget to check out the delicious creations from the rest of the DCM girls! Especially our new Guest Designer Svenja!

Happy weekend!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 9

Better late than never, here I'm sharing this week's Christmas card. I had hoped to get my blog updated last night but I managed to zonk out on the sofa in front of the telly. It wasn't a very productive evening. ;o)

I am not sure this evening will be a productive one, despite needing to get ahead with my makes for next week. I think I might only be up to a soak in the bath with my current Jill Mansell read!

But first, here's the card I made for this week's "rose" prompt - allowing any Christmas plant to be a worthy substitute, I even threw some red rose colours in for good measure:

Paper: October Afternoon
Stamps and dies: PTI
Other: 3D foam

When I was in Florida I managed to stock up on some of the rustic cream and white cardstock from Papertrey, I quite like the rustic specks that run through it. But I am still very much devoted to Vintage Cream as my favourite go-to background colour. I'm very much looking forward to some more stores stocking Bazzill Cardshoppe in the UK - they're only planning to stock 12x12 which is understandable as there is more call for 12x12 in the target market here, but I would love for Bazzill to release some new shades. Will definitely have to get some more Rock Candy, Marshmallow, Taffy and Peanut cluster, fantastic shades. My my absolute favourite red: Wax Lips.

But first I need to wait for pay day and well... a new order of PTI stuff trying out their First Class postage option - really hope that's around to stay as it would be fantastic to be able to purchase regular small amounts straight to my door. :)

Right I suppose I should go and try pushing some paper around and see if a card gets made!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 9

Morning everyone!

Well it's the last Monday of February and to continue on the Valentine/Love theme, this week our inspiration comes in the form of this particular flower:

Roses galore... For this week's card I want to see you feature a rose of your choice on your card. So it can be a rose in the form of:

• A resin flower
• A stamped image
• A rolled flower in felt etc.
• A die-cut flower
• Patterned paper featuring roses
• And any other rose you can find

As for the Christmas Cracker this week...

I understand it may be tricky to incorporate this particular flower on your Christmas card. If you happen to have Christmas roses in your stash collection, then you are already sorted! ;o)

But for your christmas card, take inspiration from roses in another way. Their colour for example, otherwise feature a plant/flower traditionally associated with winter/Christmas. There's plenty to work with there! :o)

In the meantime here is my card for the main dare:

Paper: MME
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI, MFT
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: 3D foam, pattern wheel

I've been really wanting to use my Sweet Life stamps from PTI again but wanted to try a new colour combination, this time I used Tattered Rose Distress Ink as the base, then Salmon Adirondack ink in the middle, followed by Rose Madder Archival ink for the darker accents.

Looking forward to seeing your rosy creations this week! I shall be back with my Christmas take on this prompt later in the week. :)

Chocolate withrdawl has almost kicked in...

And it's all the fault of Kathy over on the Daring Cardmakers blog.

So, having given up both chocolate and crisps for Lent this year, just what happens to be the topic of this week's dare... only bloomin' chocolate! LOL

It has been torture seeing some of the really imaginative creations from the design team.

I personally couldn't contemplate the actual stuff for too long when trying to come up with a card as it was making me hungry.

But as the dare allows for favourite centres and chocolate accompaniments I thought back to a lovely bar of either Milka or Rittersport white chocolate I once had with strawberry pieces in it. I don't usually like strawberry creams too much, but this particular chocolate bar was a perfect fusion of my two favourite sweet treats.

So, the theme on my card this week is strawberries!

Papers: Crate Paper, Basic Grey
Chipboard: Crate Paper
Die: MFT
Ribbon: SU
Button: October Afternoon
Other: Sewing machine

A rather summery card for this time of year but I have to say I am looking forward to when fresh and seasonal strawberries are finally available! :D

Don't forget to check out the fab (and most drool-worthy) creations from the rest of the design team. :)