Soooo naughty blogger

and I don't mean me...
For some reason blogger has decided that it no longer wants to work properly with windows 8.......it will let me type until the cows come home but the lovely little thing that it is won't let me put any photos up...... so old faithful laptop it is then!!!!
Ha ha blogger - I will not be beaten!!!!!!

Here are a couple of cards that I found on the old laptop while I was sorting out the launch post for the new challenge over in the Crafting Cafe for next month....

I do love Wellington - he is just an adorable little bear...

I'll be back tomorrow to share my launch card for the challenge with you all - until then.... loads of samples to make and then there's work to go to as well!

Happy crafting...
Nikki x

Celebration Blog Hop!!!

Whoop whoop.... the day is finally here!
Today is the Celebration blog hop from the Crafting Cafe FaceBook group.....

Our theme is celebration and nothing says celebration to me like Christmas!!!!!! Only 242 days to go!!!
(At this point I am ducking as I know some of my followers do NOT love Christmas the way I do....)...

I decided to make 3 cards to show you... but blogger wouldn't play ball and let me upload them... so I went back through the online albums and found this one to share with you.... I made this for my DS in 2011..... He was and still is a mechanic so I thought this one worked very well for him.

Now if you have started the hop with me - brilliant! Well done.....
Next you will be off to visit Lindsay......

If you get lost anywhere along the way, head back to me and follow the list from here....

1. Nikki
2. Lindsay
3. Katie
4. Dawn
5. Barbara
6. Amanda
7. Debbi
8. Andree

When you have popped round everyone it would be great if you could either join us on Facebook, or come back and let me know if you have had fun.
If you would like to take part in our next hop - come on over and join us on Facebook........ or if you have any themes you would like to see covered or tutorials you would like made, please feel free to leave a message here and I'll add it to our list...

Thank you for being part of the hop...... If you have taken part in the hop, feel free to take the blog hop badge and add it to your blog.

Before you go, I also wanted to share this photo with you......

This was my wonderful hubbie and I on the most magical of wedding days.
Sadly he is no longer with us here (always in our hearts) but today would have been his 43rd birthday - Happy birthday David xxx
Loved so much and missed with every breath.

Have a fun filled and crafty weekend.
Happy hopping xxx
Nikki

Home sweet home

Well it's my turn over on the WOW! blog to post today and the theme this month is altered art.....
So I decided to alter a chipboard photo frame.... I made a wall hanging from it.

This is what I created...

 This photo shows a close up of the flowers in the bottom corner. They have all been dipped into embossing powder. This is such a fun technique to do....... the paper you make your flowers has water in it, so when you add the flowers to the embossing powder they go all bubbly as the water comes out of the flower..... It's great fun and gives a brilliant effect.

 This one shows a close up of the top right hand corner - can you tell I was having a lot of fun making these flowers!

 For this picture I put the flash on. I thought it showed off just how much sparkle you can achieve by using embossing powders.

If you like to use embossing powders and fancy a go at altering something, we would love to see what you create. Make sure you leave a link to your project over on the WOW! blog and we will come over and leave you some sparkly love.....

Off to do some more crafting now.... have a fabby day x
Happy crafting
Nikki x

Lazy like Sunday mornings...

Hmm...... it's nice to have a morning where you can snuggle up in a warm bed and lie for just a little bit, listening to the world outside and not having to jump up right away because there are a million things you should be doing....
Well there are a million things I could be doing, but today...... today they can just wait a while....

Here are the cards that I wanted to show you today.
These are some more from my demo box, so if you happened to be out and about at demos with me over the last two months - here, as promised, are the pics.....

This first one is from the Gorjuss range.... nice and simple done in black and white. This was my take on one from the magazine. It's a great card to do in just a few minutes, so perfect for any birthday you might have forgotten. It;s also great if you are new to stamping and a bit worried about colouring in.

The little Forever Friends bears have been popular this loop too. I think I love the almost hand drawn look that they have, it's very soft.
You can see how much sparkle you get from out adhesive stones..... look at the blur it caused! (I must get around to using the photo tent I now have!)

This card was very popular for those customers who are looking for a design for a mans card. I used the little building die from the All aboard kinetic die - there really are a lot of little dies in that set!
Layered them onto some orange card and then added the string bow detail before fixing it into position on the card.... simples....

Of to get creative now...... be back soon x

Nikki x

Blue skies

Wow - the sun is out and there is a lovely blue sky here at the moment.
Don't you think it's great when the sun comes out - it fills you with energy and makes everything seem better.
Here are the cards that I wanted to show you today,
The first one uses the plane die from the kinetic set in the All Aboard range. There is also a couple of cloud dies in the set, so I used them too. The background has been put on with some 3d foam pads to give extra shadow to the clouds.

 I think this stamp is one of my favourite from the Gorjuss range. She is coloured in with water colour pencils. The writing detail on the paperchain is there when you stamp it - very cool! It's a great detail that has been very popular with people put and about at my demos.

 This little chap is the owl stamp from Papermania. He's an urban stamp.
I have to admit, even though I love owls, this little chap took some getting used to for me. I think it's because of the bits around his eyes........ He was well loved at the demos though..... did you buy him? If you did let me know - send me a link to your project and I'll pop on over and visit.

Today I have to finish a couple of cards this morning and then it's off to work for me. An extra shift....... lol
Back tomorrow with some more cards to show you though, till then,

Happy crafting
Nikki x

2 days in a row....

well that's the beauty of being able to schedule the post really...... so as you read this... I wrote it yesterday! lol
Hopefully the wind will have died down and the sun will be out... lol
Here are the cards that I wanted to share with you today, more from the last loop of demos that I have just finished.
The first one I used the All Abroad stamp then I triple embossed it.
I put an x on it to mark the treasure spot..

 This card is a kinetic card as both the plane and ship move around the globe.
I used the new kinetic die for this one - it's very easy to use and will go through any die cutting machine.

 I created this card as a means to getting rid of all my scraps that I had left over - this one was popular at the demos as anyone at any stage in their crafting journey can do it..... simples!

 Again, using all my scraps and a circle punch, it's the new Forever Friends range..

This weekend I get to colour in! I do love to colour in...
I have been sent some wonderful digi images to work with - watch this space to see what I create....
I love it when people give you some amazing products to work with..

Be back soon x
Nikki

Back again...

How is it that you turn around and another week has just disappeared!
Time just seems to run away from me these days....
Today, I wanted to show you some of my dmeo samples from the last loop...... I will schedule a post for tomorrow too with some more...
I have lots I want to show you so will put them up over the next week - that will keep the posts shorter than a library! lol
The first one is made using the Gorjuss range.... the flowers are created using the Forever Friends papers.

 This one is made using the craft tape onto a square of white card. This has then been put onto the card blank with 3d foam pads to give it some more height.
It's a simple card but it was very popular at the demos - great for that oops I forgot a card for??? and I need one now...

 This one is using the butterfly stamp. Again a simple but very popular card.

 The papers here are Forever Friends, then there is the fabby bird stamp (I can see me using this time and time again!). The bird cage is an x-cut die that is in the die range.

I've unpacked my kit and have a week of catching up with some orders - today the task is to get creative with some jewellery.

Happy crafting xxx
Nikki x

Ultimate Kit - Box Tutorial

Hi everyone, another very very cold day here in sunny Scotland....... brrrrrr.
I am often asked for a tutorial or two.... and this one has been asked for a lot!
The ultimate kits from Do Crafts are great value for money as they contain papers, decoupage, greetings and boxes to name but a few.
The boxes are easy to make up when you know how - so here is the tutorial to show you how!

I am making up both styles of boxes so there are a few photos to share with you ......

Here are the die cut box/bags.....

 Taking the blue one first - crease and fold over on all the crease lines.

 The yellow tape is where you add your adhesive...

 Take off the backing and fix to the other side.

 Now for the bottom section. Follow the photo to see how to close the bottom section over.

 You don't need any adhesive on this section for it to stay closed.

 To finish, lets do the top.

 It's a very simple crease and close.... Well done - you have finished the box...

 Now onto the bag, as before crease on all the lines. Use this picture to see where to add your adhesive.

 You will need adhesive here too ....

 Add your ribbon handles..... I added a little bit more tape here to make taking the photo easier - you don't need it...

 Take off the backing and close over as shown in the picture.

 As with the box..... close over the little bag (the adhesive for this join is the strip you put on the other side).

 Close over the base sections - this one is slightly different as you glue this one together - I just use double sided tape.

 People often ask me why there is a crease about a third of the way up on one of the sides.... Here is why....

 It means, just like the little gift bags you buy in the shops.... you can make them all up and then store them flat, ready to use whenever you want.....

I hope that all makes sense to you and that you find this little tutorial helpful.
Let me know if there is anything else you would like to see as a tutorial and I will add it to my list...

Happy crafting
Nikki x

soooo ... with only 260 days to go...

(I am now ducking as I type this cause I know a certain girl in my office that will now be shouting at her pc and wanting to throw something at me!!!!)....
I love love love Christmas - there I said it...... I said it and I won't take it back again -      :-p
I have been making up more Christmas cards... just because I can...
Here is one that I made this week -

It's a great card to use up all those little scraps that we have just lying around....
It's also really easy to change and use as a birthday card or a male themed card - and we all know how difficult they can be!

Off to bed soon, but I've loads more to show you over the week - just need to take the pics of the cards! lol
Nikki x

Let's celebrate

That's the theme over on the Crafting Cafe this month.... what a fab theme!
You decide what the theme means to you and then get creating the project based on that...... you can use whatever medium you would like.

Now normally my card for the Crafting Cafe is put onto the blog on the 2nd of each month. But to change things a bit... and well just cause I can..... I have now decided that I will post my project on the launch day as part of the launch post. Hopefully that will help to get the inspiration going for you straight away.....

This is the card that I made for this months challenge....

The digi image I have used is from Crafty Sentiments Designs.... fabby set of images that the DT have been given to work with!..... The papers and embellishments are downloads from Do Crafts that are available to any of the Creativity Club.

I hope you like it.
Do you have any crafty plans for this week?

I need to get my demo kit dusted off and sorted out as I will be in Kelso on Saturday in Mayfield Garden Centre..... if you are in the area, it would be great to see you.

Happy crafting
Nikki x