ABC Challenge...

I'm sure you were all expecting a card on this post...but I'm afraid that there are a few changes taking place over at the ABC Challenge.

Firstly, the challenge is changing from a weekly challenge, to a fortnightly challenge - hopefully this will give us all, both the design team, and all of our fabulous challengers, a little bit more time to join in.

Secondly, we are sadly saying goodbye to two members of our design team...Cathy and Dawn...who have both been fantastic to work with, and we're very sorry to see them go...but we all hope that they'll come and join in the fun from time to time :0)

This means that we're on the lookout for some new members for our design team. So, this fortnight, instead of a letter challenge, we are holding a Design Team call. If you're interested in joining our team, please pop over to the ABC Challenge blog, where you'll be able to find all the info about what you need to do.

I'm off to work now, but I'll be back later with a card.

Vintage Christmas

This card is something a bit different for me...for a start there's no stamping! I followed the sketch from Get Sketchy (which I flipped)...I've been meaning to join in with their challenges since they launched a few weeks ago...but this is the first time I've managed it. I've gone with the 'Very Vintage Christmas' theme of the Winter Wonderland Challenge with these faded papers and die cut shapes from the 'Festive Frost' paper pack by My Mind's Eye. And cut some additional snowflakes using a Cuttlebug die (I hope this counts as making my own embellishments for the Get Sketchy Challenge?)...so I'm also entering this card for the 'Let it Snow' challenge from the One Stop Craft Challenge.


I must be on a roll...as well as being in the Stamp Something Top 5 yesterday...I saw last night that I'd also made it into the Cupcake Craft Challenge Top 5!

Candy Winner!

Wow...thank you to all of you who entered my blogoversary candy...especially those of you who liked what else you saw on my blog, and have become followers, and regular visitors...I really do appreciate all of the lovely comments and messages you leave! :0)

Anyway, enough of my waffling...I'm sure you're all itching to know who the winner is...I used Random.Org to select the number...and here is the result:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

48 

Timestamp: 2009-09-14 13:45:55 UTC

Which is Lesley...congratulations Lesley! Please email me (click the birdie in my sidebar -->) with your mailing address, so that I can get your prize in the post. If I do not hear from Lesley by the end of Friday 18th September, I'll use Random.Org to select another winner.

Moo'd Swing

I love the name of this Whipper Snapper stamp...'Moo'd Swing'...it's just perfect for the expression on the cow's face! I hadn't inked it up in a while, but thought it would be perfect for a few challenges: I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday; the colour combination of 'Black, White & One Other Colour' of Pile It On; and Stamp Something's 'Favourite Embellishment' challenge...in my case flowers (these ones are from Poppicrafts). I used my 'Swiss Dots' folder to emboss a piece of plain white card for the background, the polkadot ribbon is from Hobbycraft, and the sentiment stamp is from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set by Hero Arts.


Edit - When I went to enter this for the Stamp Something Challenge...I discovered I'd been chosen as one of their Top 5 for last week's challenge...woo-hoo! Thanks girls!

I'll let Random.Org do it's thing, and post the winner of my candy when I get home from work this afternoon...so don't forget to come back to find out if you're the lucky winner :0)

Blogoversary Candy!

*My Candy is now closed - please come back tomorrow afternoon to find out who the lucky winner is*

Today (September 3rd) is my first blogoversary...I can't believe how fast this year has gone...it seems like only a few weeks since I ventured into the world of blogging! I've had a fab year...made lots of new bloggy buddies, discovered some fabulous and inspirational blogs, entered more challenges than I care to count (my name's Helen & I'm a challenge addict!), won a couple of fabby candies (thanks Jacqui & Kath!), and became a member of the ABC Challenge Design Team! Phew...what a year! So, to celebrate my blog's first birthday...and I noticed that my hit counter crept past 15,000 a week or so ago too...I've put together a little candy:

The candy contains:

• BasicGrey 'June Bug' 6x6 paper pad
• My Mind's Eye 'Wild Asparagus' 6x6 paper pad
• Sugar Nellie 'Blossom' unmounted stamp
• Stampavie 'Lily - Taking Care' clear stamp
• 'Skin Accents' Promarker pen set
• Poppicrafts 'Random Blooms' (contains 80 paper flowers!)
• Polkadot grosgrain ribbon in a selection of widths and colours)
  
• Craftwork Cards 'Card Candy Pick'n'mix' (an assortment from 10 packs)

I'm also going to add a handmade beaded item...but I'm going to leave that as a surprise for the winner ;0)

If you fancy getting your hands on this little lot, here's what you need to do:

• Link my candy on your blog (if you have one) - sidebar is fine :0)
• Add a link to your blog on Mr Linky below when you've done that
• If you don't have a blog, but would still like to enter, you can contact me by email (click the birdie in my sidebar --->) with 'Blog Candy' as the subject, and I'll add you to Mr Linky
  
• One entry per person please...I'd like everyone to have a fair chance :0)
• I will post worldwide, so this candy is open to everyone
• I have disabled the comments on this post...as entry is by Mr Linky only - if you are having problems with Mr Linky, please email me to let me know, and I'll try and sort him out! lol
  

I'll close Mr Linky at 9pm (UK time) on Sunday 13th September 2009, and announce the winner the next day...good luck!

Hunny Bunny

Warning...please make sure you are wearing protective eyewear before looking at this card...it contains VERY bright colours! lol

I've used the Cute Card Thursday colour combination of 'Strawberry Mint Julep'...but I'm not sure the violent shades of pink and green of these BasicGrey 'Lemonade' papers are quite what they had in mind! I followed the sketch for this week's Inspirational Cards Sketches Challenge...substituting the white square for a few flowers (from Poppicrafts). The cute little bunny stamp is 'Hunny Bunny' by Whipper Snapper, and I couldn't resist adding a few pieces of card candy.


This is my last call for entries for my candy...I'll close Mr Linky at 9pm tonight...and use Random.Org to select a winner tomorrow.

Snow Ride

There's a fab sketch for this week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge...which I rotated to fit this image from the 'Holly-Jolly' stamp set. I used the colour combination of 'Red, White & Blue' from the Cupcake Craft Challenge to make a Christmas card. The papers are by My Mind's Eye ('29th Street Market')...not really meant for Christmas, but I think the 'frosty' colours work. The raffia lace and ribbon is from Hobbycraft, the snowflakes were cut using the Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes #2' die, and I used the 'Snowflakes' embossing folder on the plain blue paper. I added a touch of sparkle with some stickles on the snowman's hat, snow and snowflakes, a few adhesive pearls, and a couple of pieces of card candy.


Just a quick reminder...my candy closes tomorrow night (9pm)...so you'd better get a move on if you haven't already entered...lol

Talking to the Birds

It's my first day back at school today...hence the early hour of this post...so how did I spend my last night of freedom...crafting of course! I made a quick card for a few challenges: I used the Papertake Weekly Challenge sketch; took my colours from the inspirational photo from the BasicGrey Challenge; and used the 'Polkadot Party' theme of the My Time to Craft Challenge. I used Annie ('Talking to the Birds' by Sugar Nellie) because of her polkadot skirt, and coloured her to match the polkadot paper (from the 'Wisteria' pad by BasicGrey). I used my 'Swiss Dots' Cuttlebug folder to emboss the white card, added a piece of ribbon from Poppicrafts and a sentiment by Studio G.


There's still a couple of days for you to enter my candy if you haven't already done so...click here for more information.

Sketch Saturday DT Call for Paige

I wasn't sure if I was going to enter the DT Call for Sketch Saturday...I'm in awe of the inspirational cards the DT creates each week...but I love working with the fab sketches they have each week...so I thought I'd give it a go. I've used a Gorjuss Girl stamp (by Sugar Nellie), and papers by My Mind's Eye ('Adore')...distressing all of the edges. The sentiment is form a little Studio G set, the ribbon is from Poppicrafts, the lace from Hobbycraft and the fluffy fibres were a birthday RAK from my lovely friend Carol.


I'm sending this card to Paige...the little girl I'm sure many of you have read about on Erin's blog.

ABC Challenge - D is for...

It was great to see so many of you join us for our last challenge...I guess you were all grateful of the extra time too! Well, were back to normal now, and this week on the ABC Challenge the theme is:

'D is for Diecuts'

We want to see you using 'Diecut' shapes on your projects.

For my card I've gone with a Christmas theme...besides Nesties, I don't have many dies...so there wasn't much choice! lol The trees were cut using one of the dies form the Cuttlebug 'Winter' set, using scraps of BasicGrey 'Figgy Pudding' papers. I mounted them on circles cut using my Nesties. I embossed the green and cream card using my 'Snowflakes' folder. The sentiment is from a set by Three Bugs in a Rug, and the ribbon is from Poppicrafts.

As ever, don't forget to stop by the ABC Challenge blog to check out the fab cards by the rest of the Design Team...and to see who's the lucky winner of the Whiff of Joy stamp and who made in to our 'Top 5' for the 'C is for Circles' challenge.

Just a quick reminder...I have candy on offer at the moment...click here to enter.

Birthday Dog

I've managed to fit 5 challenges on this card: the Mojo Monday sketch; Allsorts Challenge's 'Boy's Cards' theme; Creative Inspiration's 'Blue & Brown' colour combo; Our Creative Corner's 'Stars & Stripes' forever theme; and Pile it On's 'Birthday' challenge...phew! I've used 'Birthday Dog' by Penny Black...I use him a lot for boy's cards. The Papers are by BasicGrey's 'Granola' (stripey paper), and 'Archaic' (spotty paper) pads. I used my Cuttlebug 'Happy Birthday' folder on the plain blue card, then sanded it to make the embossed text stand out. The sentiment stamp is by Hero Arts (from the 'Anytime Messages' set), the gold stars are brads (from Tesco) and the brown 'ribbon' (it's more of a fabric really) I bought from Penrith Crafts at the craft retreat last month.


Make sure you enter my candy...if you haven't already done so :0)

Ladybug Celebration

This super cute stamp was a birthday present from my lovely ABC Challenge DT buddy Jen...it's by Ladybug & Friends and is called 'Celebration'. It's the first time I've inked it up, so I followed the Sketch & Stash Challenge sketch, using some of my favourite My Mind's Eye '29th Street Market' papers. The flowers and brads are a mixture of Poppicrafts and Papermania, the sentiment stamp is by Hero Arts (from the 'Anytime Messages' set), and I used the 'Spots & Dots' folder the emboss the light blue strip. I'm also going to enter this card for the 'Furry Friends' challenge over on the Pollycraft Challenge blog.


Don't forget to check out my candy here....if you haven't already entered :0)

My Favourite Snowman

I don't know what's wrong with me...this is my fifth Christmas card this week! The Stamp Something Challenge is asking us to use our 'Favourite Stamp' on our projects...now I don't have children...but I imagine that this is like being asked to choose your favourite child! lol
I decided to go with a Penny Black stamp...as they are definitely my favourite brand of stamps...and when I saw this morning's Winter Wonderland Challenge which is to use our 'Favourite Snowman'...I decided to choose 'Snowy'. I followed the Stamp with Fun sketch, using more BasicGrey 'Figgy Pudding' papers, adding a little faux-stitching detail around the edges. The sparkly snowflake brad is by Woodware, and the sentiment stamp is also by Penny Black...and as I LOVE Penny Black stamps...especially 'Snowy'...and Christmas...I'm also entering this card for this week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is 'Heart's Desire'.


Just a quick reminder...I have candy here if you haven't already entered :0)

Magical Christmas

When I first saw this gorgeous 'Confirmand Melinda' stamp (by Whiff of Joy) I immediately thought of using her for Christmas cards, but this is the first time I've actually done that. I followed the fab sketch for this week's Whiff of Joy Challenge, and went for a teal and silver colour scheme, inspired by the yummy My Mind's Eye snowflake paper. I used my 'Victoria' embossing folder on the silver card, and the 'Snowflakes' one on the aqua paper...highlighting the detail with a chalk inkpad. The sentiment is a stamp by Three Bugs in a Rug, the ric-rac is by Papermania, the snowflakes were cut using a Cuttlebug die, and I couldn't resist adding a few adhesive pearls. I'm also entering this card for the 'Angels and Fairies' challenge of the Papertake Weekly Challenge, and for Katharina's Guest Designer call for Whiff of Joy stamps.

Bedecked Antlers

I love this Penny Black stamp ('Bedecked Antlers')...it always makes me smile :0) I followed the Sunday Sketch & Stamp sketch, and used the 'Pink, Black & White' colour combo of the Creative Card Crew Challenge. The papers are from the 'Rose Tinted Christmas' stack by DCWV, the brads are by Dovecraft, the ribbon is from Poppicrafts, and the snowflakes were cut using the Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes #2' die.


I have candy on offer (to celebrate my first blogoversary)...so if you haven't already entered...click here to find out what you could win :0)

Happy, Happy Birthday!

It's Henry again...I haven't used him in a while, so I thought I'd dust him off...lol. I followed the fab sketch from Inspirational Card Sketches to make a boys card. The paper is from the 'Arhaic' pad by BasicGrey, the buttons are from my stash, and the sentiment stamp is from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts (I stamped it a couple of times, then separated the words, to give the three rectangles on the sketch). I distressed all of the edges with my distressing tool and ink...which fits in nicely with the 'Distressing' theme of this week's Spoon Full of Sugar Challenge. I'm also going to enter this card for the Guest Designer Call, that Katharina is hosting for Whiff of Joy Stamps.


It's my first blogoversary tomorrow...and I'm just putting the finishing touches to some celebratory candy...so watch this space! lol

Christmas Singing Duo

While I had my BasicGrey 'Figgy Pudding' papers out yesterday, I made another Christmas card...this time using the sketch from the Friday Sketchers Challenge...although without the optional 'Blue & Orange' colour combo. I chose instead to use the Colour Create colour combination of 'Ruby, Cream & Gold'. The image is a cute House Mouse stamp called 'Christmas Singing Duo', which I've watercoloured, and added a hint of glitter to the candle flames and snow. The sentiment stamp is by Three Bugs in a Rug, and the ribbon was tied around a Christmas present last year...I love recycling! lol

No Rubber!

I was sure I wasn't going to manage to make a card for this week's Allsorts Challenge...as we're not allowed to use any rubber stamps...eek! But I found some large cardstock stickers that came with my 'Figgy Pudding' paper pack (by BasicGrey), so decided to use one of the baubles in place of a stamped image. I mounted it onto some card, and cut around it carefully with my craft knife (to make it a bit sturdier), and tied a piece of ribbon through the hole at the top. The background paper is from the same pack, and I cut a sentiment using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet, and added a few pieces of card candy.

Nap Time

I've managed to combine three challenges on this card: the sketch from Stampavie & More; the 'Anything Baby' theme of Stampin' for the Weekend; and the 'New Beginnings' theme of the Cute Card Thursday Challenge. The image is by Penny Black ('Nap Time')...which I've watercoloured with a hint of blue...I don't know anyone about to have a baby boy...but it's not a bad idea to have a card ready...just in case! lol I used my 'Swiss Dots' folder to emboss the background and used my Nesties to make the scalloped border. The ribbon is from Hobbycrafts, and the sentiment is computer generated.