Thursday 31 January 2013

Girly cards in blue

People always think of blue as a boys colour but I like to use it for the girls too...
The weather here is very grey today - snowing, raining, very windy...... so not much of a blue sky at all....

Perfect for staying all wrapped up and warm inside..

The Crafting Cafe blog launches tomorrow - so make sure you pop back here to find out all about it... I'll make sure that I post the link for it too...

Back to today, I am very die-cutting all the build a scene shapes for my demo in Kelso this weekend.... I called the shop this morning and am really looking forward to popping down there again. It's been a while since I came to visit. Remember to pop by and say hello if you are in the area, Mayfield Garden Centre, it's a fab shop.... I ALWAYS end up spending money there....... lol

I will share some demo samples with you after the demo....
Here are the girly cards I wanted to share with you tonday...



I think the blue works really well on these cards and it goes really well with the kraft card too.
What do you think?

Right, back to the die-cutting for me..... been back soon x
Nikki x

Monday 28 January 2013

You turn around............

............. and a week has just vanished! How on earth did that happen!
I have been here... working away in the background....
Sadly a couple of my demos got cancelled over the past couple of weeks - go to love 10inches of snow! Never mind. one of them has been rescheduled and hopefully I will see the others very soon.

As some of you will know I have been doing a 40 days birthday challenge. Yesterday my challenge was to create some inspirational cards.
Right up my street - I can see me making a lot more of these!

This is what I made...


I hope you like them...
On another note - the Crafting Cafe blog DT has been announced.......
Exciting times!

Today I am working with lots of dies.... but that is for another day.
Happy crafting
Nikki x

Sunday 20 January 2013

Starting early...

I have decided that this year I will start my Christmas cards now to avoid the madness that I know happens every year....
I demo Christmas cards from June, so by the time I get around to making my own cards I run out of steam....
This year I plan to make at least a couple every month - that's very do-able and at the end of it I will have at least a few to start me off...
So that is why I made this card....
One the must have products of this year are these papers...
The resist papers are STUNNING!!!! I love them and can think of a million and one things to do with them!
They are brilliant when you want the embossed look but have run out of time or you need a quick card on the go.....
I will always have some of these in my stash.......
Did I say just how much I adore these!!! lol

This is the finished card...

 And here are a few close ups for you.....


Pop on over to the WOW! blog to see all the projects from the design team..... or pop over to the shop to see all the lovely things that are WOW!.......
I'm out and about today, but will be back later tonight to do some blog hopping and see all the wonderful thigns you have all been creating.

Happy crafting
Nikki x

Saturday 19 January 2013

A card for Mum.....

Wow - the time has just whizzed by since I was on here...
I have been rushed of my feet this week, very busy at work so - sorry that I've not been around here much.
You just turn around and a whole week has gone!

My demo for today got cancelled because of the snow and transport issues, so you would think today would be a day of nothingness! Nope...... today was the day I made a few cards, cause I had to get them done..... and I started the dreaded tax form...... Now it's a thing I could do in April, but I always leave it right to the last minute to do..... Not good - I do mean to do it quicker.... but I don't like it, struggle to understand it and just don't want to.... So every year it ends up with me calling my Mum..... and having to get her to sort me out....

Where oh where would we be with out our Mums.......
So with that in mind, here is a card for all the wonderful Mums out there - the unsung hero who is always there, always helping, always caring.... no matter how old we get.....



Clean and simple.....

Thanks Mum for everything you do - but most of all Mum thanks for just being you! Love ya xxx

You will see a new tab at the top of my blog..... It's 40 days until my 40th birthday and some of my crazy friends have decided to give me 40 challenges to get me to my birthday.... They say this will help to prepare me for my 40s.......If you want to follow my journey to my 40s I will update it as my challenges are completed....

For the moment..... bed time is a calling me...
Nighty night
Nikki x

Saturday 12 January 2013

Two blue.....

Well the colour anyway! lol
The first card I made using a sketch that I made up..... I never took a picture of the sketch though! (It's been a long week!)... Next time I'll remember the pic...
 The second one started life as a square card and then I just played with it.....
I thought it might make a different type of card to give to someone on their wedding day - you could make it very personal with all their details....
I will have both of these in my sample box at my demos over this loop.

Blue is the right colour for here at the moment.... it's very cold - just waiting for the next lot of snow to arrive!
What are you up to over the weekend?

Nikki x

Thursday 10 January 2013

Love is...

Every now and then you make a card and are totally blown away but how it is received...
I made this card and thought it was ok....... but put it onto my Do Crafts gallery and was amazed at all the lovely comments that people left.
They all seemed to really like it - thank you to everyone who left a comment on the gallery (I do read them all and it's lovely to read such wonderful comments).
This is the card
 a few close ups for you ....


These are the new range of laser cut cards from Do Crafts, you can see in the close up just how textured they are.
I have great fun with the Artisite inks. Inky fingers = happy Designer! lol
The paper in the background is from the Spots & Stripes collection - I used this with the leaf punch too.

Let me know what you think.....
right hi ho... hi ho... it's off to work I go....... lol


Thank you to all of you for coming to visit my blog and for taking the time to comment too..... watch this place for a Crafting Cafe blog hop and also some blog candy that will be happening next month!

Happy craftin;
Nikki x

Tuesday 8 January 2013

Best friends and

a little bit of love...
I tried to upload yesterday but had a few problems... so I will put two cards in this post.... lol Sorry!
The lighting was really bad today - all dark and grey so the photos aren't as good as they could have been...
A photo tent etc is on my to get list!
Here is the first card,

And here is the second...


Both of the stamps are from teh new Do Crafts 6x6 urban stamps - Vintage Notes (Sentiments)...
I loved playing around with them to come up with something different.
These are the start of the samples that I will have with me at my demos over this loop - I'll share some more with you later....
What crafty things are you up to today?

Nikki x

Sunday 6 January 2013

For the boys...

The sunrise here this morning was just stunning, it was a beautiful way to start the day... so pretty that I just had to share it with you...

Today my cards are for the boys.... I made these quite a while ago but I love loved the range so just wanted to share.....

I'd love it if we had another range like this.... who knows.... if not, I might just had to design something myself! lol
What creativeness have you been up to over the weekend?
Nikki x

Saturday 5 January 2013

Quilling fun..

I had so much fun going back through some of my cards from many a moon ago that i thought I would share a couple more with you today.
I have always loved quilling - it's easy to do when you know how and it's a great thing to lose yourself in.... perfect for all those winter nights or rubbish weather....
This was the topper that I made for a card...
 And this one is a box of tiny little chocolate - each of the chocolates is about 1cm...
Quilling is a perfect way of using up scraps and creating lots of different 3d shapes...
I even made a frog once...... I'll look out the picture and show you that one too...
What crafty things do you have planned for the weekend....?
Happy crafting
Nikki x

Friday 4 January 2013

A blast from the past

I was looking through my Do Crafts gallery tonight - boy there are some interesting cards on there.... how my style has changed and how I've grown over the years....
It's nice to have a gallery like that were you can look back over the many years and see how you develop as a crafter.
The card I wanted to share with you was a card from 2006..........
I loved those mini morsel stamps..... they were perfect for building any age or design that you wanted...
I must go back and look them out again.
I guess it's a reminder for me to have a good look through my stash - there are loads of things that I bet we all have that we used to death when we first bought them and then put them away, never to really see the light of day again!
Time to challenge yourself and get out the 'old' kit - make something new with it and see how much your style has changed or how your skills have developed.
Have fun!
Nikki x

Thursday 3 January 2013

Exciting news I just had to share.....

A huge shout out to all the crafty bloggers out there!


Come and join us in the


I just wanted to tell you all about a brand new blog that's heading your way!
will be about crafty challenges, themes, and inspiration
 as well as sharing crafting knowledge hints & tips!
Most of all - lots of fun, fun, fun!
If you are interested in being part of the Design Team of this new blog,
& helping in its development, check out the Design Team Call here!
You have until the 25th Jan 2013 to apply
You may want to think about a favourite creation that you'd like us to look  at
All levels of crafter's are welcome to apply & you don't need any previous 
DT experience.
Get on over & check it out!
We're looking forward to checking out you blog too!
 
 Happy crafting,
Nikki x

Wednesday 2 January 2013

A little bird......

or two!
And not a card to be found...... Today I wanted to show you a couple of my little friends who will be coming with me to my demos over the next couple of weeks.....
 Little blue is made with some of the felt from the new felt bundle that Do Crafts have brought out this month.
Hoolet is made from some of the fabric fat quarters that Do Crafts have brought out this month as well.
I have to say I loved working with both of the sets of material.

It was nice to play with something different......
But I am loving making my samples cards for the loop as well - more on that one tomorrow....

There are lots of different goodies that are heading to your local Do Crafts stockist as we speak - take your pennies when you go and visit! lol....

I'll be back again tomorrow with a card to show you - also I will have news of a DT call that you might be interested in.... watch this space!

Nikki x

Tuesday 1 January 2013

Happy New Year

For the whole of January I am taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge - they send you a prompt every day and you blog about it....
I did it last year and it was good fun so I thought I would take part again this year.
So today the challenge is about the ending year and the new one beginning...
The cards I want to  show you today are from last year....
These are the cards I got from my son and my Mum...... I love them and they are both very very special people in my life - I love the fact that they both took the time to make me their cards too....
 This card is from Kris x
This is the card from my Mum x

I am so very blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.... I have a job i love..... I am surrounded by friends..... I have 2 wonderful pupsters........ I have a home that I love.....
Yes... I am indeed very lucky.
Moving forward.... I am part of some wonderful DTs, I have lots of fabby demos planned for the year and I turn the big 40 in February..... Bring it on!!!!
Thank you for being part of my blogging family - here's to a fantastic 2013 for us all...

Nikki x