About Me

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Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
I have been crafting since May 2008, when in desperation to find an unusual birthday card for my Mum, I gave up looking in the shops and decided to have a go at making my own. I soon realised that crafting is addictive and I haven't brought a card since. In 2011 I completed my certificate in papercrafting as a result of the work I did as part of the course I started entering challenges on line and in magazines. I applied for design teams and also started making samples for Ooh La La Creations for their shows on Create and Craft. I have now completed my Diploma in professional crafting and most recently been runner up in the Papercrafter of the Year 2013 a competition run by Papercraft essentials magazine, I don't have a particular style I like to use elements from lots of styles and techniques, although I do love all things vintage. In 2014 I started to move more towards scrapbooking to take care of the huge family archive of photographs that were stored in my attic. I have continued cardmaking and Scrapbooking through 2015 and 2016 but have also become interested in off the page projects. I hope to be able focus on these in the future.

Monday 15 August 2016

Use 3 Embellishments at Ooh La La Creations

Hi All.

Firstly thank you for all the gorgeous cards and projects you entered in the last Ooh La La. To see if you made the top three pop over to the Ooh La La Creations Challenge blog. This time our theme is

'Use Three Embellishments' that can be 3 of the same type or three different ones.

I used the Shawn Jenkins Collection CD to make my card you can purchase your copy from Ooh La La Creations by clicking on the image below.


here is my card 


I used a plain matt gold card for the background and then mounted the papers on pink card and the topper on pink and gold. Layered them up added the sentiment and three pearls. 

Pop over to the challenge blog to see what the girls have come up with this week and don't forget to pop by the DT blogs and leave them some love.

Monday 1 August 2016

Ribbons and Bows at Ooh La La Creations

Firstly thanks for all your wonderful entries into the 'Add Some Texture' challenge last time. to see if you have made the top three check out the Ooh La La Creations Challenge blog

It is my turn to choose a challenge this time and I decided to go with...

 Ribbons and Bows.

I used the 'Yesterday's Memories CD you can purchase your copy in the online shop by clicking on the image below.
.

Here is the card I made using the Wedding day folder of  images and papers which I have adapted for a Wedding Anniversary.


I had some lovely deep pink ribbon with a sparkle in it and used this to wrap round a panel of the paler backing paper from the folder. I then mounted this onto gold card and added it to the top of the darker backing paper which had also been mounted on gold card and a piece off lace wrapped round it.

I was left with a tiny scrap of the sparkle ribbon and cut a v shaped tail to tuck under the topper with the seniment so that it was not wasted (I hate wasting crafting bits and bobs) added a deep burgundy organza bow and a few pearls to finish.

Be sure to pop over to the Ooh La La Challenge blog to see what the DT have come up with for this challenge. 

Monday 18 July 2016

Add some texture with Ooh La La Creations

Hi everyone and it looks as if summer may have started here at long last.

Thank you for all your things beginning with F for the last challenge there were some lovely entries. Pop over to Ooh La La Creations challenge blog to see if you made the top three.

This time our theme is .....

Add Some Texture

I used papers from 'Yesterday's Memories' for my creation and if you click on the image below it will take you to the Ooh La La Creations shop





I knew I wanted to use several different textures on the card, and as I was thinking what to do I also happened to take a delivery of flowers by post from a company called Bloom and Wild. On opening the box of flowers I first discovered the lovely textured golden ribbon, then I noticed that each of the delicate rose buds had been wrapped in net to stop them getting damaged, having finally lifted all the flowers out of the box I noticed that the lovely quote about flowers was printed on the inside of the box. At that point an idea started to form and so I took a picture of the flowers now arranged in a vase, on seeing the photograph on my computer screen I knew exactly the papers from The Yesterday's Memories CD which would work with the photograph.

I printed the picture of the flowers and I used My Craft Studio to overlay the quotation on one of the Ooh La La papers - this is a really subtle printed paper from the Wedding Day folder.  I also printed the basket weave paper from the Roses folder.

I matted and layered the panels of paper, photograph and quotation onto dark green paper and then a lovely matt gold card from my stash.

I added the gold textured ribbon around the centre panel and added a pink pom-pom trim to the top and bottom of the panel.

I cut the musical stave from the dark green backing card and added this before adding the quotation and the photograph.

I made a spray of rosebuds from some paper flowers in my stash and added little pieces cut from the protective netting. I added more texture with the metal leaf and butterfly embellishments and finished off with some flat backed pearls.


This was the first delivery from Bloom and Wild and I have a subscription for a delivery every month. I am looking forward to all the bits I can recycle as much as I am to the flowers. 

Monday 4 July 2016

Something beginning with F at Ooh La La creations.

Hello everyone, and thank you for all your good wishes with regards to my Dad over the past few weeks they helped enormously.

Last time Out we asked for Sun Sea and Sand and we certainly got it. looking through all the lovely entries certainly made the days seem brighter during the foul start we are having to the summer here in England.

To see if your card was chosen as one of the top three check out the Ooh La La Creations Blog .

This time our challenge is...
 'Something Beginning with F'.

I have to admit at first this one got me wondering then I hit on the idea of designing a father's Day Card with a fancy fold that featured flight as the subject.

I used the 'Boys to Men' CD for the image and the papers which I printed directly onto the card.

You can check out the range of Ooh La La Cd's available by going over to the shop


I used an image from the traditional decoupage section for the back piece of the pop up box and then cropped the large balloon and played around with the size and colours in My Craft Studio for the individual balloons. I cut the individual balloons out and mounted them on acetate strips cut from a plastic container that had once contained soft fruit (washed and dried of course).

I mounted these on the strips inside so that the balloons looked as if they were flying, and added a sentiment and a message on the back of the card.

I am happy to report that Dad really loved it, and that he had a very Happy Fathers' Day in his new home, and going to one of our favourite restaurants for lunch. I also took him some home baked goodies all his favourites from Mum's old recipe book as a gift.

Of course theer are lots of other things beginning with F and several of these feature in the other DT projects for this challenge so pop over to their blogs and leave them some love.

Monday 20 June 2016

Sun Sea and Sand at Ooh La La Creations



Hello everyone.

I have been away for a few weeks whilst getting my 90 year old Dad settled into a lovely place nearer to myself and hubby. So haven't been able to do any crafting. He's now settled and loving it and I am back to crafting.

Thank you to everyone who entered our last challenge, you can find out if you were in teh top three by going to the Ooh La La Creations Challenge Blog.

Our theme for the next fortnight is Sun, Sea and Sand I came up with this card using the Faithful Friends CD click on the image below to purchase your copy.





I simply took images and papers from  'The Beach Dog' folder on the CD and matted them onto black card, before arranging them on the card. I finished off with the two die cut 'sea weed' flourishes and some shells from my local beach.

Monday 25 April 2016

Photo Inspiration at Ooh La La Creations

Hello everyone and thank you for all the entries in our Words Words Words challenge. To check if you are one of our top three pop over to the  Ooh La La Creations Challenge blog and take a look.

This fortnight I get to choose the theme and I have gone with this photograph for inspiration. I snapped it last summer at a garden centre near my dad's house.


So thinking caps on and lets see what you can come up with.

I used papers from the Say it with Words CD to make this red white and blue card inspired by the colours in the petunias. You can purchase a copy by clicking on the link and going to the Ooh La La Creations craft shop.





I wanted to do something a bit different so I took the car theme and made this card for a friend who has recently passed her driving test.

I used silver mirri card to mat and layer the patterned papers and added a die cut car to the design and some flowers and ribbon from my stash. The L plates I obtained by searching for full sized ones for sale on teh web and using an image from one of the searches I found to make my mini versions.


Inside I used the same papers and an image from the Paula Oakley collection CD.


I repeated the same image on the back of the card.


Monday 11 April 2016

Words Words Words at Ooh La La Creations

Firstly, Thank you to everyone who supported me in the 10,000 steps challenge. As a result I feel a whole lot fitter (or would do if I didn't have a stinking cold right now) and Cancer Research received a good donation from the sponsor ship.

Thank you to everyone who entered our last challenge there were some beautiful entries. Check over at the Ooh La La Creations Challenge blog to see if you were a winner.

For the next fortnight our challenge is 'Words Words Words'. You can enter any sort of project it doesn't have to be a card. I used the Shawn Jenkins collection CD (still one of my favourites from Ooh La La) 




You can purchase a copy from the website by clicking on the image above 
Whilst you are there check out the free downloads. 

I have made a lot of cards recently (we have a massive number of birthdays in March in our family) so I wanted to make something a bit different for a change. 


I love this particular backing paper from the Shawn Jenkins CD and decided that I would use it as a background to one of my favourite quotations from Sai Baba.

I used an old plastic picture frame that I initially tried to gild but it didn't come out very well. Not wanting to throw it away I painted it with a coat of white gesso then sanded it back. The gilding that came through the paint looked like old wood. 

To add to the shabby chic look I printed off some of the borders from the CD and stuck these onto the frame. I had some metal corners which I also painted and stuck these to the corner of the frame with a hot glue gun I then gently sanded them back so some of the brass metal showed through.


The large flowers were printed off from the CD and I cut them out and shaped them and used card candi as the centres before coating in a clear varnish so that they held their shape.

I then added other flowers from my stash that matched the pretty colours of the background paper.


Once assembled I left the glue to dry and then spritzed the whole frame with a solution containing pale gold mica powder to give a shimmering effect to it. Then left it to dry over night.

Once it was all dry I gave it three coats of spray and shine varnish allowing it to dry between coats.

I had never tried anything like this before but I really enjoyed doing it and it helped pass the time on a really rainy Easter Sunday.


Monday 28 March 2016

Feathered Friends at Ooh La La Creations

Hi everyone, so as I write this British Summer Time has arrived and is being heralded in by Storm Katie, and I am nearing the end of my Walk all over Cancer challenge. It hasn't been easy especially as both hubby and I have been fighting what has become known in the press as the Liverpool Lurgy - a really nasty cold virus. So thanks once again to everyone who has sponsored me.

Over at Ooh La La we had some gorgeous entries into our 'Spring is in the Air Challenge' to see if you are a winner pop over to Ooh La La Creations Challenge blog. Whilst you are there why don't you have a look at our latest challenge chosen by Wynn? The theme is .....

'Feathered Friends'

I couldn't resist using this challenge as a kick start into scrapbooking a fabulous day out I had with hubby at a local Owl Sanctuary. We went in January and were incredibly lucky that when the birds were being flown for their daily exercise we were invited to join in flying the Owls and other birds of prey.

To keep to the theme all the papers and the embellishments and titles have been cut from papers from the 'Blue Tit' and the 'Bull Finch' folders on the Yesterday's Memories CD. If you wish to purchase a copy please click on the image below.






The Owls were cut using some Tattered Lace dies and then the die cuts were backed with black card and the feathers were cut using a free die from a magazine. 

The pictures are of us with a Eurasian Eagle Owl he was huge but surprisingly really light even when he was balanced on the end of your arm.
We are looking forward to visiting again soon to see how the Owls are getting on. 

Monday 14 March 2016

Spring is in the Air over at Ooh La La Creations



Hello everyone firstly a huge thank you from me to all those who have shown their support for my 10,0000 steps a day challenge.

I now know several distances near to where I live in steps. It isn't easy but I am enjoying it, it gets difficult if it is hammering with rain but in the beautiful spring like weather we had yesterday it is a real pleasure to get out and about.

Now onto the business of Ooh La La - we had some great entries for the add a sentiment challenge and to find out if you are a winner then pop over to the Ooh La La Creations Challenge blog.

Now this fortnight our theme is 'Spring is in the Air' and it is appropriate that the weather here seems to have brightened up this last week.

I used the Shawn Jenkins collection CD for my card, click on the image to go to the website to purchase your copy.




I love the combination of green and pink for spring so this card came together really easily. Just using the papers from the same folder as the topper.



I used the same papers inside and added a greeting.


Then finished the back of the card with another topper from the same folder . 

Monday 29 February 2016

Add a Sentiment for Ooh La La Creations



Hello everyone,
So this blog will go live on the 29th February 2016 - I wonder what you will all do with your extra day. I will be using my extra day to top up  my fitness before taking on the Cancer Research Challenge of 10,000 steps a day in March. I plan to use the challenge to get out more and photograph my local area and scrap book the results Anyone who wants to keep updated on my progress can check it out here

Now back to the task in hand and it is a huge thank you all for your entries into our Clean and Simple challenge at Ooh La La Creations last time out. There were some beautiful projects entered to see if you have been chosen as our top three pop over to the Ooh La La Creations Challenge Blog. Whilst you are there you can check out the DT projects for the new challenge this fortnight
' Add a Sentiment'

For my project I chose my favourite image from the Yesterdays Memories CD to work with. You can purchase a copy of this CD from the Ooh La La Creations web site  by clicking on the image below 




The inspiration for this card came when I saw some sets of ribbons and buttons in my local LIDL store for £1.00 I obtained 5 reels of pretty ribbon with three coordinating buttons for each design.  Having got the ribbons home I decided that the pattern on this one would work perfectly with my favourite image from The Yesterdays' Memories CD. 
 I used the backing papers from the same folder on the CD to make a multi layered background wrapping the ribbon that had been threaded through a charm of the Eiffel Tower around the centre panel. 
I don't what it is about this image, if it is the name of the folder on the CD which is Ooh La La, but the very first time I was sent it to work with I thought of Paris in the 1930's. In my head the young lady has woken up in  her apartment on a Sunday morning and is surveying the world from her balcony. I imaging the balcony has long drapes with tasselled tie backs hence the die cut at the side of the topper.

I added a further die cut this time of the Eiffel Tower again in pale lilac, to compliment the grey tones in teh backing papers. I then added two strips of die cut bunting. 

I made my own sentiments by printing onto small sections of one of the backing papers and then matting these onto the lilac card.



Inside I have lined the card with backing paper and it is now in my stock of cards that I keep to send to people and before it is sent I will add a personalised panel into the card as well.

So that's me done for this blog and I'm off to polish my trainers ready to 'walk all over Cancer' starting tomorrow.

Monday 15 February 2016

Keeping it Clean and Simple at Ooh La La Creations.



Hello all, once again we had some wonderful creations for our Love is in the Air Challenge to see if you are one of our top three pop over to the  Ooh La La Creations Challenge Blog.

Our theme for the next fortnight is 'Clean and Simple'

I used the folder 'Sorcha' from the Fairies & Blooms CD you can purchase a copy from Ooh La La Creations by clicking on the image below


Here's my card


I loved the black with the peach and orange. The panel on the left is one of the bookmarks from the CD and all I added was black card to matt and layer.


I also used the insert from the folder to finish off the inside of the card.

Monday 1 February 2016

Love is in the Air at Ooh La La Creations


Hello everyone. I hope you are all surviving the wretched weather we are having at the moment, having been battered by storm Gertrude it would appear that we are now in the throes of Storm Henry here in the UK. I can hear the hailstones hitting the windows as I type.

It has therefore been a really welcome reminder of springtime looking at some of the entries into our last challenge at Ooh La La Creations 'In The Country'. To see if you made our top three pop over to the Ooh La La Creations challenge blog.

This time our theme is 
Love and Romance  

I used an image and papers from the 'Say it with Words' CD to make this easel card. If you want a copy of the CD click on the image below to take you to the website, and whilst you are there check out the free downloads section for some lovely images.





I decided to go with a heart shaped front to the card which I cut freehand and covered this with the gorgeous background paper from the 'I really really love you' folder on the CD. I enlarged a section of one of the other background papers to print off the patterned heart and used smaller versions of this same heart for the corners.  I had the filigree heart strip in my stash and the net is part of a fruit bag from the supermarket.

I fussy cut the image of the little girl and mounted her on black card before fussy cutting again. The bunting is also on teh CD and I just added the letters to spell the word 'LOVE' 

The stopper for the easel is a ticket again from the CD which I added the words to to be revealed as the card opens. 



The card folds flat for posting .

Monday 18 January 2016

Join us 'In The Country' at Ooh La La Creations

Hello everyone and thank you for all your lovely girlie entries into our challenge over the last fortnight. To see if you were chosen as one of the top three please go to the Ooh La La Challenge blog.

This fortnight our theme is

'In The Country'


Back in September we went to Wales for a week and was able to try my new camera out on some glorious scenery. I decided when doing scrapbook of the holiday that I wanted these pictures on a 12x12 page so having chosen a neutral paper for the base I ripped a piece out of the top and inked the edges of the tear before adding a piece of backing paper from the Paula Oakley Collection CD in the gap. I then used various papers from teh bonus paper folder on the Dreams of Tranquility CD to make the layers. These papers are truly gorgeous being taken from photographs of natural textures such as bark and cedar branches then printed in several different colours. I chose touse the tones of brown and light green for the papers I used here.

Monday 4 January 2016

A very Girlie New Year at Ooh La La Creations.







I hope everyone had a marvellous Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Thank you to everyone who supported the Ooh La La challenge blog in 2015 there were some fabulous entries in our fortnightly challenges. To see if you were a winner in our final challenge of 2015 pop over to the
Ooh La La Creations challenge blog.

You'll also find our first challenge for 2016 which is 'Girlie' so lets see your creations and whilst you are there please pop onto the DT blogs to check out their creations and leave them some love.

Here is my project for the challenge I found this old photo of my Grand daughter looking very girlie, which is quite unusual for her as she is a definite tom boy.

So I used papers from the Paula Oakley Collection CD to create a scrap book page. You can purchase one from the website by clicking on the image below.




The papers were from the 'Button Love' and 'Hearts and Laces' folders. The flowers were from the embellishments folder and the lie laugh and love tags were blank sentiment boxes from the sentiments folder and I just added the text.

The little heart and embroidery stamps were from the selection of toppers in the Button Love folder. finally the pink and white polka dot buttons were from a background paper and I cut each one out to add to the centre of the large flowers and use as embellishments.