The Versatile Blogger Award ... passing on the love

Cliona, a very talented freelance designer and Docrafts demonstrator from Ireland, has been so kind to give me this wonderful award. Thank you so much Cliona.

You can find Cliona's great blog under http://cliona-at-night-owl.blogspot.com/.

The conditions of accepting this award are

• To thank the person who gave it to you and include a link to their blog.
• Select 15 blogs that you have either recently discovered or follow regularly.
• Tell them you have nominated them for the award.
• Tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

Below are the talented crafters, who are receiving the award from me:

http://delphinoidscardsandcraft.blogspot.com/ - Lynn
http://jessicards.blogspot.com/ - Jessica
http://thecraftygoatgirl.blogspot.com/ - Heidi
http://wendyscraftingtimes.blogspot.com/ - Wendy
http://kaardvark.blogspot.com/ - Georgina
http://motherhen-coolcats.blogspot.com/ - Gaynor
http://myhappyplace-donna.blogspot.com/ - Donna
http://maxines-arts-and-crafts.blogspot.com/ - Maxine
http://crafty-lou.blogspot.com/ - Louise
http://cosmicstrawberry-colette.blogspot.com/ - Colette
http://nanamyrt.blogspot.com/ - Janet
http://martinaskaartjes.blogspot.com/ - Martina
http://rozzyb.blogspot.com/ - Rozzy
http://thehobbyroomuk.blogspot.com/ - Michelle
http://leannchiverscraft.wordpress.com/ - Leann


And finally, seven things about myself:

I am definitely not a morning person.
I am a stamp addict. I have got more than enough of them, but can never resist new toys.
I am 'collecting' ribbons. I use them constantly and always have a massive supply.
I am currently doing a calligraphy course at a local craft shop.
After years of not getting enough exercise I have turned into a real 'gym junkie' again.
I am a rugby fan - not always easy when you are supporting Scotland ...
Starbucks is always a good location for a 'liquid treat'.

Blog Award

The lovely Dawn from the Crafts Beautiful forum (Luckydawn) was so kind to give me the above Blog Award. Thank you so much Dawn. xx

Dawn is new to blogging, but please take a look at her great and so fresh looking blog.

I would like to pass on this award to the following crafters:

Helen - http://crafty-mamma-mia.blogspot.com/
Sandy - http://sandyscraftybits.blogspot.com/
Linda - http://missygdesigns2009.blogspot.com/
Helen - http://helenlikestocraft.blogspot.com/
Mary - http://maryscardworld.blogspot.com/

The LIEBSTER BLOG Award is used to show appreciation of smaller blogs (under 200 followers) and to help spread readership and joy. It comes from the German meaning 'dearest' or 'beloved', but can also mean 'favourite'. As part of the tradition, the award is to be passed along to five other blogs that have motivated and inspired me.

The rules are:
The blogs I choose must have less than 200 followers.
I must comment on their blog so they know about it.
I must link back to the person who gave me the award and thank them as well as post the award on my blog.

Monochrome with purple

Today I wanted to create a card with typical Scottish images but give them a more modern twist. The result is a monochrome card with a hand-stamped background and purple influences brought in via adhesive gemstones and thistles.

I refrained from colouring in the piper but ran a light grey Spectrum Noir pen around the image to give it an optical lift. A Gelly Roll pen took care of some glitter accents on the stamped background.

My 'helpers' in the process were:

• Crafty Stamp Bagpiper (SC141N)
• Small bagpipes and glengarry stamps from the Crafty Stamps stamp sets SC2M and SC3M
• Crealies Doily Elements die CL DE 05
• Dovecraft Tea Party adhesive gems & pearls
• Thistles
  
• Sakura Gelly Roll pen in 'Clear Star'
• Black Memento ink pad
• Spectrum Noir pen IG1 (old name: CG0.5)
• White A6 card blank
• Smooth white cardstock
• Black textured cardstock
• Oval and scalloped oval cutting dies
• Corner rounder
• Adhesive (incl. silicone glue)
• Toolbox essentials

I hope you like the card. Thank you so much for visiting my blog.

Beatrix Potter

During the week I just could not resist ordering some of the adorable new Beatrix Potter rub-ons by Crafter's Companion. And as today is a gym-free day (yes, I am finally back into an exercise regime and spend now five sessions per week at the gym) and a lengthy and horrendous hail shower presented us with pretty awful weather conditions earlier, the time was just right to have a play with them.

I just adore the Beatrix Potter images and thought the rub-ons might be perfect for those days when I just do not fancy colouring in images or when I need to put together a card quickly for something like a nearly forgotten birthday.


I had not touched rub-ons for a while and needed to get used to them again, but feel another order for more of them coming on. And I swore to myself that I would scale down my craft spending. Oooppsss!!

Time for another a Celtic card

Yet again I could not resist to play with a Celtic stamp. I just love the possibilities these stamps open up and that they can be used for female as well as male cards.

And it is perhaps also time to say about more about Crafty Stamps, as many of you might not yet have heard of them. Crafty Stamps is an Edinburgh based family business. The owners also run the craft shop Stampers Grove, which has always been a great source for Scottish and Celtic stamps. I have always loved Scottish and Celtic designs, but it is especially nice for me to use images from a local business for my cards.

Today I had a play with the stamp CT138D, which is available from Crafty Stamps or from the Stampers Grove website. I stamped it in black Memento ink and coloured in the ribbon sections using a ProMarker pen in 'Burgundy'.

I used Southfield glass-smooth cardstock for the stamped image, white linen textured cardstock from Southfield for the card blank, black textured cardstock and also Moondust card in 'Mars'.

I framed the die-cut circles using a Crealies doily elements die (CL DE 05), which also provided the decorative corners. Adhesive pearls finished the look.

Playtime

This week I got some of the new Crealies Doily Elements dies and doily templates. And today I just had to have a good play with them to try them out and see how the system works.

For the above card I used a Celtic stamp by Crafty Stamps (CT113Q) and coloured in the image with ProMarkers in Sandstone, Caramel, Duck Egg and Turquoise. I created the frame with the Crealies Doily Elements die CL DE 08 and added black adhesive stones as embellishments.

Something is telling me that I will get more of the doily dies, as I am already hooked on them ...

I hope you like this Celtic card. Have a good Sunday!

And already the start of another week ...

What is it with weekends that they always seem to be over as soon as they have begun ... Now it is already Monday night and the working week has taken over yet again.

Today I would like to share another Rabbie Burns card with you. But this time his songs provided the inspiration, so I combined the rubber stamp SC125HF by Crafty Stamps with a music sheet embossing folder by Darice. For the ornamental die-cut shape I used a Marianne Design die.



The second card features the famous Greyfriars Bobby. This time I used the stamp SC118B by Crafty Stamps. I combined the image with an embossed background, thistles, ribbon roses and die-cut leaves created with a Crealies die CL CS 16.

I hope you like the cards and are looking forward to more Scottish and Celtic cards.