Nephew's Birthday

Ooooohh the smell of chocolate cupcakes baking in the oven is gorgeous!  Yes, I'm baking cupcakes again...this time for my nephew's tea party tomorrow afternoon.  I will be decorating them with chocolate butter icing and mini eggs tomorrow so no photos to show tonight.  

He will be 5! Five years have gone by sooooo quickly.

I've made him a personalised birthday card...hope he likes it.

I would like to enter it into the following challenges:

Fussy and Fancy - Challenge #109 Happy Birthday

Bloggers Challenge - Happy Birthday

Thanks for popping by, I'm off to check the cupcakes now.  Hopefully I can resist and not eat any of them before tomorrow :) x

Happy Hopper

I am just loving my Gruffies & Happy Hoppers cd, so thought I'd make one of my Facebook birthday buddies a birthday card using a lovely happy hopper image.  It took me a while to cut out the decoupage pieces (trying to do it nice and neatly) but it was worth it in the end, well at least I think so.  Here it is...

Isn't that bunny just so cute?

Here's a close up so you can see the decoupage layers

And a side view :)

I'm really pleased with the finished card, just hope my birthday buddy likes it too.

I've been looking at the House Mouse triple cd and have added it to my birthday wish list for next month ;)

Also made my buddy a little friendship heart using Docrafts 'Sew Lovely' range, just as a little something extra...

Well I'm off to have a look if there are any challenges I can enter my card in to.

Thanks for popping by A-M xx

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge - Amethyst Challenge #163

Gruffies & Guests Challenge #2 Love Is In The Air

Morning All

Here's my mid-way reminder for our Challenge #2 Love Is In The Air over at Gruffies & Guests 

Here is my DT card for this month's challenge, as usual I had great fun making it as the House Mouse, Gruffies & Happy Hoppers images are soooo cute!

I've used the cute bunnies image from Gruffies & Happy Hoppers cd which you can get from Joanna Sheen

And the lovely Parisienne Blue papers/hearts/crochet ribbon from Docrafts

Hopefully this has given you some inspiration to come on over to Gruffies & Guests and join in the fun of our second challenge.  The lucky winner will receive a £10 voucher from our sponsor Dawn till Dusk

We've had some fab entries so far, so come on get into your craft rooms and get creating, and then share your creations with us, I look forward to seeing them.  

Good luck in the Challenge :)

Thanks for popping in, Love Anne-Marie xx

I will be entering my card into the following challenges:

Sparkles Monthly Challenge - Challenge #53 Ribbon/Lace Hearts & Pearls 

Brown Sugar Challenge Blog - Challenge #81 Use a Die Cut or Punch

Fussy & Fancy Challenge - Challenge 107 Be My Valentine

Polkadoodles Challenge - Wk 7 Love/Romance
The Stamping Boutique - Challenge #4 Valentine/Love Card
Totally Papercrafts - Challenge #206 Valentine/Love
Papertake Weekly Challenge - With A Heart

1st Birthday afternoon tea

I've spent this morning making cupcakes for my niece Eva's 1st birthday tea this afternoon.

First time I've used a dual icing bag, seems to have gone ok, but I suppose I will get better with practice.  It was hilarious trying to work out where to put the nozzle until I realised I needed a further icing bag to put the nozzle into, and then place the dual bag into that!!  Anyway, here they are...

I've used a gold shimmer spray on the butterflies to make them shiny! 

I've entered these into the following challenge:

Crafting Musketeers Challenge - Challenge #10 Butterflies

Gruffies & Guests - New Challenge

Good Evening

Firstly - I'd like to say the Winner and Top 3 have been announced for our first Gruffies & Guests Challenge - Anything Goes - so pop over to see if you're a winner HERE Thank you to everyone that entered our first challenge, there were some really fab entries.

Secondly - We will be starting a new challenge tomorrow, Saturday, 1st February 2014, the theme for February is "Love is in the Air"

Our sponsor for February is Dawn till Dusk, and the winner will receive a £10 voucher

So come on get your crafting hands creating, using a House Mouse, Gruffies or Happy Hoppers image, then please pop over and join in the fun and enter the challenge HERE

I look forward to seeing all your lovely creations, good luck, Anne-Marie DT xx

Buttons & Butterflies

It will be my niece's birthday on Sunday and wanted to make something a bit different.  So armed with a blank 8x8 canvas, pink buttons, pink gems and pink butterflies that I'd cut out using Sissix Sizlits die using my Big Shot I set to work.  And this is what I came up with...

I though it might look nice on her bedroom wall.  Had a great time making it and might have to make one for my nephew next, although don't think he'd be impressed with pink buttons & butterflies haha

I'd be grateful for any feedback and ideas on what I could use on a canvas for a 5 year old boy.

Thanks for stopping by, A-M xx

I have entered this into the following challenges:

Scribble and Scrap Challenge & Blog - Challenge #10 Anything Goes

Challenges 4 Everybody - Challenge #37 Anything Goes

Cards Galore Encore Challenge - Challenge #1 Anything Goes
Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenge - Challenge #20 Make It Cute or Sweet
Jellypark Friends Challenge- Challenge Buttons and/or bows
Feeling Crafty Challenge - Challenge Butterflies

Docrafts Creativity Prize Draw Winner

Evening All

Exciting news!  I am a very lucky winner of the Docrafts Creativity prize draw for December, my parcel arrived at the weekend and it was full of goodies from the new 'Sew Lovely' range

I went to a Docrafts demo at our local Craft Central on Saturday and had a fab time with Louise Moore, who showed us lots of ideas on using the new ranges.  Obviously as soon as I got home I had to get in my craft room and start 'playing' with my goodies.  

The first project I made was a deocrated box for a crafty facebook friend, hope she likes it.

The second project was a Mother's Day card using a card kit.

I still have lots of goodies left so what will I make next??

I enter the prize draws every time I go on the website and never in a million years thought I'd win, so get yourselves over to Docrafts and enter the draws...you never know!

Thanks for popping in, it is much appreciated, Luv Anne-Marie xx

Gruffies & Guests Challenge reminder

Hi All

Here's a mid-way reminder for the first Gruffies & Guests Challenge - Anything Goes!  Please pop in and join in the fun HERE - lots of DT member projects to inspire, you so get crafting!

There is a prize of a £10 voucher from our sponsor - 

Here's my first project as a Design Team member for Team B, a mini recipe book, hope you like it and it gives plenty of inspiration.

I won't be doing such big projects every month, but I've wanted to make a mini recipe book for a while and thought it would be lovely to use the cute images from House Mouse, Gruffies & Happy Hoppers.  What do you think?  Any feedback would be fab.

There are some great entries so far in the challenge, thanks to everyone for joining in and good luck xx

Feeling Old

I'm sitting in my Craft room feeling old this afternoon :(  just finished making my youngest son Adam's 21st birthday card!  Where has the time gone?  My eldest son Craig will be 24 this year!!

I struggled with what to put on the card, men are so much harder to make cards for aren't they? Well, I came up with this...

...I'm quite pleased with it.  What do you think?  Hopefully he will like it too.

Adam's birthday is on Tuesday so we're going out for a Chinese meal (just four of us) and then going out for a family meal on Saturday (10 of us) so I think the diet will have to wait until next week :)

Thanks for stopping by...Anne-Marie x

Gruffies

Well...I've been having a play with my new Gruffies & Happy Hoppers cd rom, getting a bit of practice in for my DT Project for the new Gruffies & Guests Challenge Blog which went live this morning, please pop in and join in the fun.

Here are a couple of cards I have made...what do you think?

My DT project is in hand, and won't go 'live' until Saturday, 18th January as I'm in Team B.  But you don't have to wait until then, Team A's fantastic projects are already live, so please have a look and gain inspiration on using these fab images to make your own projects and enter them into the challenge.  There is a £10 voucher to be won from our Sponsor 

Hope to see your lovely creations soon, and Good Luck in the Challenge :) xx

Happy New Year

I'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year, my very best wishes for a happy, healthy and fabulously crafty 2014!!

I've started off my crafty new year by making some cupcakes this morning to take to my parents as we were invited for lunch.  Went down a treat and everyone enjoyed them. 

Although did have a mishap on the way out, the front door was open and because it was windy it blew the living room door into my arm and knocked the container the cakes were in so half of them fell over and the icing was smudged, but never mind they were still enjoyed :)  They looked like this before the mishap...

They all have pink butter cream,  half have been sprayed with silver shimmer spray and half with gold shimmer spray.

Will be back in my craft room tomorrow as I have a few cards to make.

But for now I'm going to chill in my pjs on the sofa and watch the soaps.

Thanks for popping in.  Bye for now, Love & Best Wishes Anne-Marie xx

Christmas cards all made...phew!

Well that's the last three Christmas cards made...now I can breathe!  Lost count of how many I've made, but I've really enjoyed making them.

Just an engagement card for my son &  his fiancee, and birthday card for a work colleague to make tomorrow.

Christmas presents all bought and most of them wrapped so I'm very nearly ready for Christmas...yay! :)  Just the house to clean now :(

Day off work tomorrow to finish off bits and bobs, back at work on Monday, then off until 6th January 2014!  Soooooooo looking forward to the break.

Hope you are all ready for Christmas.  

Thanks for popping in

Anne-Marie xx

Exciting News!!!

I am so chuffed to announce that I have been asked to be a design team member for...

As I have not been part of a design team before this is a very exciting first for me.  I am so looking forward to producing themed projects that inspire others using Gruffies, House Mouse & Happy Hoppers designs.

There will be a monthly challenge, the first challenge will start on 4th January 2014 with the theme 'Anything Goes', please click HERE to go to Gruffies & Guests Challenge Blog.  

The sponsor for January's challenge is 

Now let's all have fun with these gorgeous designs :)

Thanks for popping by xx

Presents for under the Tree

For the last two weeks I've been shaking a 2 litre jar full of vodka, lemon zest, water & caster sugar, every day...today at last I've been able to decant into little bottles and dress them up ready to put under the Christmas tree in the office for the girlies...hope they like the result.  I managed to save a shot glass full to try myself :)

I made all the 'Limoncello' tags and name tags using my bigshot and a small tag die that was free on a magazine (3 different sizes).  I have used that die to make all the tags for my Christmas presents too...great free item!  And the little santa hats were from Poundland :)

Thanks for stopping by xx

Gruffies & Guests New Challenge Blog & DT Call

I'm entering the new Gruffies & Guests New Challenge Blog & DT call (details of which can be found HERE )...here are a few of my House Mouse cards that I've made over the past 10 months.  

These images are printed from the Project Book & cd rom Volume One

 Birthday card for a friend who likes to be pampered

 Birthday card for a friend who enjoys a gin or two!

 Mother's Day card for my mum who loves knitting

General cards for friends and family

And lastly two Christmas cards made using Wishes for Christmas decoupage images

Hope you like them.

Thanks for visiting x

Christening

I was asked by a friend at work to make a Christening card, which I did on Sunday ready for the Christening this Sunday.  She came to me today and said the vicar had rang at the last minute to change the church as the original one was being done up and wouldn't be ready in time.  Why would this be a problem you ask?  I'd put the name of the church on the card!!  Luckily I could alter it.  And here it is...

What do you think about the black & white photo rather than colour?  I made one in the same colour scheme for my niece's Christening in September...

I would appreciate any feedback.

Thanks for visiting...take care...A-M xx