Sketch Challenge cards and Happy Birthday Jean

 The Sketch

 My First Challenge card

My 2nd challenge card

 Anne's Challenge Card

 Brenda Hopkins Challenge card

 Brenda Lello Challenge card

 Hazel's Challenge Card

 Janet's Challenge Card

 Jean's Challenge card

 Jess's Challenge Card

 Karen's Challenge Card

 Karen's Challenge Card 2

 Lilian's Challenge Card

 Lynda's Challenge card

 Margaret Palmer Challenge Card

 Maureen's Challenge Card

Michele's challenge card

sue (Mrs B)'s Challenge card

XXX HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEAN XXX

Good Sunday Morning Ladies,

Firstly, I would like to wish Our Dear Friend Jean a Very Happy Birthday, I hope that you get spoilt today and everyday, relax and enjoy your day, love from all of your friends here in the cafe xxx

Wow. Wow, Wow, you are all just blooming amazing, look at all those fantastic cards, each one totally different from the next, which shows we all interpret ideas in a different way.

If you notice Michele has carried on the 'Candi' theme on her card, I love that embossing folder you have used Michele!!

Margaret P, Once again you have entered a beautiful card, with no dies, I wish I was at your skill level so soon into card making, I can't wait to see what you come up with when you are die cutting as well !

Your cards are all so inspirational, I hope that the sketch has inspired you too !

Thank you all for taking the time to take part in the challenge xx

I have my thinking cap on now ready for tomorrow !

I hope you all have a relaxing Sunday,

Love and Hugs

Sandra

xxxxxx

Focus on: Card Candi

Card Candi

Good Morning Ladies,

Each week I would like to try and focus on a technique or product, looking at different ways of using them etc.

If you woiukd like to suggest anything just let me know.

Today after Michele's  purchase in the week, I thought we could look at the different ways we can use Card Candi, either thee pre-made Candi, as pictured above, or that made with your card candi die.

I will list some of the things you can do to them....

You can Colour them with just about anything, alcohol pens, normal felt pens, paints etc.

You can gild them with gilding flakes

You can add dots to them so that they look like buttons,

Your can stamp letters onto them (Craftwork produce stamps for candi)

now here are a few things you can do with them....

You can use them to make a frame

You can use them to create Numbers/letters

You can use them to decorate die cut shapes, particularly good with scalloped squares and circles.

You can use them to make Lego style bricks (see below)

You can use them to create little insects... 

My Candi Caterpillar

My Candi Ladybirds

You can also use them to create many different flowers here a a couple I made...

A Dahlia type flower

Just a cute little flower

There are many different styles of flowers to make both using the candi upside down (as in first flower) or  the right way up and creased (as in second flower)

There were a few ideas for men's cards, one was making a shirt front and using the candi as buttons, but my favourite was this one that I made below

A snooker table

I made this using a piece of green felt for the base, I then added a brown frame,

Small black circles for the pockets, and Card Candi for all of the balls, I had a coffee stirer thing from my stash and pro markered it to look like a cue !

What do you think ??

I am sure there are a million and line other things that you cazn use candi for 

And if you have any ideas to share off show, then please let me know!

Karen sent my a couple of photos of a poinsettia using her news candi die for the centres.......

Using dots as they come out of die

Using dots after shaping

Thank you Karen you must have read my mind ! Xxx

Michele has sent us in some images of Card Candi products, her storage ideas and a couple of really cute pretty projects that she has created using Candi.......

Thank you Michele xxx

I look forward to hearing your thoughts. 

Love and hugs

Sandra

Xxxxxx

Golden Wedding Card from Anne & Scarlett card for Brenda

Anne's Golden Wedding Card

Scarlett's card for Brenda

Good Morning Ladies,

Some lovely cards to share with you today ladies, more about that in a minute.

Now what did you all think to yesterday's new feature?? I thought it went well,

The only down side was that I ended up spending £18.20 (shhhh). The upside I got a die that I had been wanting for a while at £10 less than I thought I was going to have to pay!! 

Now onto todays cards.....

First up we have Anne's stunning Golden Wedding Anniversary card, Anne has used Creative Expressions French Border die for the decorative top edge and bottom stopper section of the card, it gives such a fancy edge, I love it !  I am not too sure what Anne has used to create the fancy edges on the oval frames, it looks like the edges of the French tag but I may be wrong, I am sure that Anne can enlighten us when she pops in later today! 

Thank you so much Anne for sharing your card with us xxxx

Now our second card has been made by our very talented Scarlett,  for her Grandma Brenda's birthday. 

Scarlett has used nothing but promarkers but still managed to create a beautiful card, I love the heart in the centre, I also love how Scarlett has included Brenda's age in the heart, something we always do with Children's cards, so why not !

I love the beautiful borders and decoration that you have very cleverly drawn on your card Scarlett, you are very talented, I love seeing the cards you make, thank you so much for asking to have your card shown, keerp making your cards xxxx

Thank you very much for all of the Challenge cards you have been sending  in,  you are all so creative! I can't wait to show them on Sunday !!

Are any of you going to the Winter Crafting Event at Sandown Park this weekend ??

I hope you all have a fun weekend whatever your plans are!

Love and hugs

Sandra

xxxxxx

This weeks Purchases by Michele & Myra

Card candi die

Michele's bargain of the week!

Myra's  Sizzix Thinlits Plus Pillow Box Die

Myra's makes with her new die

Gorgeous Bags

Beautiful Bags!

Good Morning ladies,

Now this new feature may feel like a little bit of a 'confessional" but I think it's a fabulous idea, as for instance, I had no idea that there was a die that enabled you to make your own Card 'candi' until Michele told Us about her new die at the weekend!

Michele's second purchase was a complete bargain,£16.99 down to £5.99 !! What more reason do you need to make a purchase??

Thank you Michele for your confession and for making us aware that the die actually exists, so now you can make candi in the same paper as you make your cards in!! 

Now onto Myra's purchase, I will confess that I have wanted to get my hands on this die for some months now!  

It is the Sizzix Thinlits Plus Pillow Box die,it varies in price I have seen it priced from £28.99 to £ £34.99.

It is a regular pillow box die with a few extras that you can use to make your Pillow box into a gorgeous handbag/clutch bag too.

You can see from Myra's gorgeous bags how versatile the die is! 

Now Myra I know that this may be your only purchase for the next few months so I really appreciate that you have shared this one with us, thank you xxx

I hope you have enjoyed today's feature, if so please send me photo's of your purchases so that we can all see what's out there for us to spend our money on!

Love and hugs to all,

Sandra xxx

Guest Designer.....Angela & Happy Birthday Brenda

Two lovely cards made from Angela's left over 'bit box'

Good Morning Ladies,

I hope and pray that you are all safe,warm and dry after the beating the weather has given us over the past 24hrs, I think it rained constantly all day here yesterday.

I dread to think the effect that would have in places around Cumbria etc.

Now Angela looks in on our blog most days and I am absolutely over the moon that she has sent in some cards to share with all of us!  

I am not sure if I had explained before that Ange!a and her lovely husband Trevor were camping at the same place as us last year,we arrived on the same day in fact and we were lucky enough to be neighbours, after chatting one day I discovered that Angela had been bitten by the crafting bug too,what a coincidence!!

I absolutely love the colour you have used Angela, nobody would ever believe that you had made both of these amazing cards from the left over card in your 'bit box', something that we all have, I intact have 3 'bit boxes' all overflowing too!!

Maybe that could be one of our weekly challenges, to make cards from only the card in your bit box?? 

Angela if you can, it would be great to hear how you created your cards, of you used dies etc.  If you can't get on to leave a message you can just email me and I will add it for you.  Thank you so much for sharing your cards with us, I look forward to seeing many more! 

Brenda (littlelamb)

Brenda, Have a lovely birthday, followed by a whole year of good health and happiness, with love from all of your friends here in the 'cafe' xxxxxxx

Sue, Pat and I had a lovely day yesterday, guess what????? both Pat and Sue got a whole card finished, from scratch, Pat was well on her way to her 2nd when we Left, 

The is just unheard of, I however, did not complete any cards, my role was purely supervisory!! ( I just couldn't get going today after only having maximum 3 hours sleep) , there was plenty of fun and laughter too, I think Pat might have a poltergeist though, bless her she kept losing things, she spent more time searching for things than she did using them!! 

Love and hugs to all of you,

Sandra

xxxxxx

Another Challenge card

Good Morning Ladies,

Well I just wasn't happy with yesterdays card so I had to make another!

I used a Lilli of the Valley image die cut with the 'Copenhagen' outer edge die from the 'Scandinavian' range by Creative Expressions, I edged it with a little 'Tattered Rose' Distress ink, the base is to contrasting pieces of paper from my stash, I cut them on the diagonal then covered the join with some lace, I threaded some dusky rose ribbon and used that to tie the bow with at the base of the diagonal, I added some contrasting roses from my stash and a couple of Sue Wilson's stick pins, I then used my Brittania die 'Happy Birthday', to cut out the sentiment from the darker card I used, I then die cut out again in white card and layered the two together for dimension.

Today Sue and I are off to Pat's, so I hope Pete hasn't vacuumed !!

Janet I hope you are home safe and sound xx

Shiela, sending hugs to you and Nikki xx

Barbara, big hugs coming your way too xx

Love and hugs to all,

Sandra xxxx

This Weeks Sketch

Just to give an idea

Good Morning Ladies,

I have gone for a simple sketch this week so that everyone can

take part whether they have dies or not, I do try to make it so that

As many of you as possible can have a go. 

I just made a quick card to give you a bit of inspiration I am not

too happy with it, I couldn't get the lace across the middle to look

right, I guess we all have those days, but you get the idea.

You can use what ever shape you like in the top section, 

You can put whatever you like across the centre, all I ask is 

that you follow the basic sketch, you can putthed sentiment 

In a box, flag, die cut shape, or just pop it on like I did.

I look forward to seeing your designs!!

Michele has suggested a new weekly feature, it will be a day 

Where we can share what crafty goodies we have bought 

Or let everyone know of a crafty bargain that you have found,

This could be any day of the week, just send in a photo of your

Purchase and as photo of something that you have made

with it, so Myra if you send me a photo of the die to go with

gorgeous boxes you sent me the other day we can feature that.

I think that most of us buy something most weeks!!

Well, I would secretly like to have some of that snow that New York

Has had, but I know that it would be a blooming nightmare in

this country, we only need a few leaves on the line to cause rail closure,

I dread to think what 3ft of snow would cause, I does look lovely though.

I hope that you all have a good day and that you can find time

to have a go a this week's challenge!

Love & hugs

Sandra 

xxxxx

    

Challenge Cards

The Sketch

My Sketch Challenge Card

Sue's Challenge Card 1

 Maria's Challenge Card

Maureen's Challenge card

Margaret P's challenge card

 Brenda Hopkins Challenge card

 Myra's Challenge card 

Jess's Challenge Card

Lynda's Challenge card

Brenda H,Challenge Card 2

 Lillian's Challenge Card

 Michele's Challenge Card 

Sue's challenge card 2

Janet's challenge card

Jean's challenge card

Anne's challenge card

Good Sunday Morning ladies,

As you can see we have had another wonderful response to the Monday Sketch Challenge, thank you so much for taking part ladies.

Some of you even made 2 cards, I hope that means that that the sketch really did inspire you, I was so surprised and happy that our very own brand new cardmaker Margaret P, entered the challenge this week too, with an amazing card, I wish my first cards were as good as yours! 

Maybe we should have that as a theme one day, a photo of everyone's first cards, I don't think I still have mine. That gives mean idea.........

What inspired you to make your first card and what sort of card was it??????

I started card making after my first Hip Operation, I was bored so we ventured to the local craft shop bought some green and red card blanks and some Christmas peel -offs, that was in 2004, ( peel offs were the in thing then)!!

Boy, I dread to think how much money I have spent on craft goodies since then!!!

I look forward to hearing your story too!

Thank you once again for taking part in the challenge, the new one will up and ready tomorrow.

Have a lovely holiday Maria xxx

Have a safe journey home Janet & Jim xxx

Have a great day everyone,

Love and hugs

Sandra 

Xxxxxxx