Monday 28 February 2011

Crafting Buddies - Diamond & Pearl


Its Monday and I just remembered about Crafting Buddies
If you dont know what I am on about or why there are pictures of rats on me and my desk

 I was sat in the conservatory today doing my friends wedding invitations
when my daughter brought her rats down
There are mother and daughter
Mother is very chilled its her sat on my shoulder in the first photo as I do some trimming
she is called Diamond 
Its also her next to the trimmer 
This is her daughter Pearl who like to run all over the place
she is not very good at sitting still
(like lots of youngsters!)
Although lots of people do not like pet rats
along with Guinea Pigs they are best pets that for children
as they are very easy to handle
We have quite a few different aniamal here so many I will have to show a different one each week

Have fun

Nicky
(Diamond & Pearl)

Feeling Green!


This card used a Bugaboo digi image - coloured with promarkers
The background paper has been embossing with a sizzix folder
The paper used is Core-Indications from docrafts
I have lightly sanded it to bring out the lighter shade from underneath
The paper behind the dragon is from SU
The image and mat have been cut with my nestabilitles
The ribbon came from a present and the button are from my stash
Part of the challenge was to use green which is not a colour I often use

This is for the following challenge

Catch the Bug - The sketch I followed they also wanted GREEN

Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

Being Cool!

This card uses an digi image from KennyK
She is coloured with my promarkers
The ovals have been cut using my nestabilites
I used sizzix embossing folder - swirls to create some texture
The ribbon and all the card is all from my stash

This card is for the following challenges

Secret Crafter - Sweet Treats
Speedy the Cat - Have food on your cards
KennyK - the sketch I have followed

Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

Saturday 26 February 2011

Birthday Boy

This card uses the digi image of Fluffy from Pollycraft
He is coloured with my promarkers and then I went over him with my blending pen
The patterned card is from a QVC kit that I brought ages
Its by Kanban as is the strip across the middle
The sentiment came from a docraft goodie bag
Rest of the paper is all from my stash

This is for the following challenges

Friday Sketchers - the sketch I have followed
Simon Says - Coffee and Cream

Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

Dreaming


This card uses a digi image from Mo's Digital Pencil
I have coloured her using my pastel pro markers
The dotty paper is from an old QVC kit
I cut the image using my nestabilities and the mat
The flowers were plain purple, pink & white card
I used a docrafts clear stamp thats suppose to make a cake but I like the swirls
I stamped it with my pink,purple and blue brilliance pearlize ink pads
Then used my one and only marianne flower die
I mixed the colours and stuck together using my glue gun
I finished of with the bow and the gems for a bit of bling

This is for the following challenges

Mo's Digital Pencil - Spring Colour & make your own embellishments
Cute Card Thursday - The sketch I have followed

Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

Friday 25 February 2011

Crafting Buddies - Stig


Joanne has set up a blog to share the aniamals in our lives
Pop over to visit some lovely animals
after noticing so many share our spaces with animals
This is my dog and its him who my blog is named after
He is called Stig
(his full name is Stig That was Dumped)
The is because he was found tied up unwanted and unloved
when he was about 6mths old
He is now 8 years old and is a brilliant crafting buddy as you see
This is him sharing the conservatory with me
The kids refer to this pose as 'dead dog'
I would like to assure you all he is very much alive even if a lazy lurcher
Which is where I craft when using my craft robo

Thanks for Looking
 x Nicky x

Birthday Alien!


This card uses a wonderful digi image from Pollycraft
I have coloured him with my pro markers and then used my blending pen to add some effect
The flower paper is a freebie from a magazine
The flowers and buttons came from a DoCrafts goodie bag
Sentiment was done on my brother labeller then fixed to a piece of the green card

This card is for the following challenges

Pollycraft Critters & Cogs - Colour your Critter in a favourite colour
Sketch Saturday - The sketch I have followed
Colour Create - to choose 3 fruits from the picture - apple,orange & banana

Thanks for looking

x Nicky x


Wednesday 23 February 2011

WOYWW 90

ITS WEDNESDAY!!
That can mean only one thing a big hop around the world nosey at peoples desks
thanks to the addictive blog of Julia
If you do not know what I am on about pop over to
 Stamping Ground and join in the fun
Well as you can see not a lot happening on my workdesk this week
Theres a box that my daughter had some smellies in for Christmas
and its just the right size to store A5 card in - so I think I will look to change it first
These picture have been taken Tuesday but nothing as change as I am work all day Wednesday

In answer to some questions:

Yes I am pleased with my cordless glue gun although I do seem to be getting through batteries

My challenge book looks neat because I use off cuts of paper in my printer to print the sketches
then I trim them and stick them in (did warn you I was an OCD crafter)

And yes I am tidy everywhere not just my desk lol

Now this is why my desk has nothing on it as I am busy cutting out mats for my friends
wedding cards so I am in the conservatory with my laptop and craft robo
So you can see some folded card in the background
Some ribbon to make the bows
Next to the ribbon is a little pot with hearts I have already cut out on the craft robo
My cup of hot chocolate (I don't drink tea or coffee)
You can also see my can of spray mount as my craft robo mat is really past its best
I have printed some of the pictures and cut them using my nestabilities
Then because I like the mats to be a close fit (see OCD again)
I have used a template on the craft robo to cut the same shape just slightly bigger
Hence why my book of nestabilities is also on my table
Finally there is my challenge book as I was adding new challenges to it.
Below is a picture of an example of the finished invitation - the proper ones will have a smaller ribbon 



If you have taken the time to read all the way down to here thank you
and have a great week
We hopefully manage to get round everyone again but it does take me a few evening

x Nicky x

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Old Enough to Know ....

This card uses another wonderful digi image from Kenny K
She is coloured with pro markers
The ribbon is cut from a jumper
The papers are all from my stash and I have had them ages
Pearls used in the corners
Flower were from ebay and I have glued them together
The top two have buttons as centres and the on the sentiment has a gem in the centre
Finished with a little lace at the bottom
Sentiment was done in word then cut out using a die

The sentiment say
"Its your birthday so your old enough to know...."

inside is says
"..that your parents had sex and thats why its your birthday!"

This is a card for my daughter friend from college

This is for the following challenges

Friday Sketchers - sketch I have followed
Pink Elephant Challenge - Buttons, Lace & Ribbons
Pollycraft - Pearls & Diamonds
Digital Tuesday - Use Punches

Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

ABC Christmas - D

I am trying hard to keep up with some Christmas Challenges
so that I do not have a mad rush making Christmas Cards in November - so far so good!
This card uses an image that cames from Pollycraft
I have had him for a little while but never used him
I have coloured him using my pro marker
The striped paper is new and was from some blog candy I won and is by SU
The ribbon is from my stash and the swirly paper clip has been in my embellishment box for ages

This is for the following challenges

Sketch & Stash - sketch I have followed
ABC Christmas - D Double Trouble - 1 image, 2 papers & 2 embellishements
Passion for Promarkers - One for the Men

Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

Monday 21 February 2011

Card for A Special Friend Fighting Cancer


This card is for a special friend Tyna who is under going treatment for breast cancer.
She has had one lot of treatment but has had lots of trouble with the line they use to give the treatment
In fact the hospital that fitted it gave her an infection and then she got a blood clot
So needless to say she is having a rough time of it lately
She has a good sense of humour and if I did not do something sarcastic she would be really worried
So for my card I have used the wonderful digi image of Stella and sentiment from Bugaboo
Stella is coloured using my pro markers
Then cut out with my nestabilities as is the sentiment
The Spring card was cut on my craft robo and then folded
I stuck a verse on the back of the card
The papers are all from my stash

This card is for the following challenges

Secret Crafter - Fancy Folds - did a spring fold card
Catch the Bug - Get Well Cards - For my friend with cancer

Thanks for looking

x Nicky x


Laptop Teen!

This card uses an image I have just brought from Mo's Digital Pencil
It reminds me of my DS
I have coloured him using my pro markers
Mounted him on the same card stock as I have used for the base card
The striped paper was from some blog candy I was sent
The red paper is from the papermania just for men pad
Buttons I have had in my stash for ages

This card is for the following challenges


Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

Sunday 20 February 2011

Best Anti-Ageing Product!

This card uses a wonderful digi image from Kenny K
I have coloured her using the following pro markers
Pastel Yellow, Ivory, Tan, Caramel, Cinnamon, Cocoa, Putty and Satin
She is then cut out using my curved rectangle nestabilities
I have edged the card using my Brilliance Pearlized Chocolate ink pad
The mat she is mounted on was again cut using the same nestabilities
But I then put the mat through my big shot in a sizzix circle embossing folder
The circles at the edge were cut using again my nestabilities
The bow I made using my new little wooden bow/tassal maker
The little rose charm came from the works
The card everything is mounted onto is a shimmer card
Finishe with a ribbon rossett thing I made myself and topped with a button
Sentiment was printed in word and mounted
This card is for my Mother-in-law whose birthday is next Sunday

This is for the following challenges:

Pollycraft - Special Birthdays - My Mother In Law
My Time to Craft - Circles - nestabilities and embossing circles
Cute Card Thursday - Shiny Happy Cards - Shimmer Card and Metal Charm
Kenny K - R's - Ribbon, Rose and Rosette

Thanks for Looking

x Nicky x




Wednesday 16 February 2011

WOYWW 89

 If you want to get rid of the feeling of 'hump' Wednesday
On my desk this week is the start of a couple cards
As you can see I have not got very far
I have chosen my images and some card
Thought I would try picking the card and then colouring to match
I have even picked out some ribbon

 This shot shows the desk with my embellishment case on top
And yes my Naughty Nicky
Now lots of people have asked why I am know as Naughty Nicky
The reason is really because I have really grown up
and just like a kid I can be a little naughty and like to play tricks on people
(as well as my mind is often in the gutter!)
Well now you know - but dont tell anyone - some people think I am mature
lol

Monday 14 February 2011

Not A Card!

This is for the challenge on Simon Says - Anything but a card
I needed a calender for my desk at work
So thought I would make one
The months were done in word using tables
Then simply cut out and mounted onto the spotty card
The image is from Bugaboo as is the sentiment
I printed them out then coloured them with my promarkers
Mounted them onto some plain pink card
They all think I am a little mad at work so I think they will like the senitment

Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

Ageing!

This cards uses one of the wonderful Gus images from Bugaboo
He is coloured with my promarkers
I then cut him out and mounted him on an oval cut with my nestabiliites
I used my smallest circle nestabilities to cut the scollops
For a bit of texture I have used my sizzix embossing folder
The sentiment I got of a daily calender I brought for 50p from the works

This is for the following challenges


Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

Sunday 13 February 2011

Smelling the Flowers

This is another House Mouse stamp
I have stamped him using Staz on ink and the coloured him with my pro markers
I then cut him out and mounted him onto the cream coloured oval and matted it with a red oval
These were cut using my oval nestabilities
The strips are just some of the card cut and mounted on to the base card
I added some little square gems that have been in my stash for ages
I finished with a sentiment and a little bow I made using the fork again!

This is for the following challenges


Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

House Mouse Christmas



This is this months entry for Christmas Cards All Year Round Challenge
The challenge was to use Pink/Red and dimension
I have used some of my Christmas House Mouse stamps
Coloured them using my pro markers
They have all been mounted using 3d foam
Then I used some embellishments on each card

Thanks for Looking

x Nicky x

Friday 11 February 2011

My Valentine Baby

This card uses an image from Kenny K
I have coloured her using my pro markers
She looks like a cartoon of my daughter
The dotty paper came from a kanban kit I brought from QVC ages ago
The butterfly paper was given to me by a friend
The sentiment was done in word and cut using my circle nestabilities
The ribbon was from a jumper I got for Christmas and the charms were brought from the Works
This is for my daughters 17th birthday on Valentines Day
Should be safe to show it as she only looks at my blog when I show her something

This card is for the following challenge


Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

Love You All the Way to the Sky

This is a very simple card
I have used an image from Mo's Digital Pencil
Coloured them with my pro markers
Mounted onto a yellow mat
Used a piece of ribbon across the front
The star frame is a sizzix embosslet die
The little ribbon I made using a fork
An idea I picked up from one of the WOYWW blogs
sorry cannot remember which one
The senitment reads 'I love from the ground all the way to the sky'

This card is for the following challenge


Thanks for Looking

x Nicky x

Love In All Weathers!

This card uses one of my favourite Dottie & George images from
I have coloured them using my pro markers
The green heart paper has been  in my stash for ages
The dotty pink and white paper was free with a magazine
I finished it with some flowers held together by a little green brad

This is for the following challenges


Thanks for Looking

x Nicky x

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Love Me Love My Dog!

I have used a digital image from Mo's Digital Pencil
She is coloured using my pro markers
The sentiment is one that I told my DH when he first met me
and seems to fit the image
The lace was yellow so I inked it to make it read
I was impatience so did not let the ink dry before I stuck it down
So I ended up putting some splodges on the image
So out came the flowers to cover them up

This is for the following challenges:


Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

WOYWW 87

 Its that time of week again and if you are one of the few people who doesn't know what I am talking aboout
pop over the Julias Addictive Blog Stamping Ground and have a look

On my desk this week are a couple of challenge cards I have been working on
You can also see my new cupcake note book to write the challenges in
Better than wasting printer paper
And it matches my glass mat which by the way I love

 This shows the desk as I sit at it and you can see the cards I have made this week so far
The pictures have been taken late Tuesday evening as I leave for work just before 7am
One of the cards I have finished and can be seen in the here

As I have now shown you all the drawers of my little craft space
I thought I would show my little cupboard that sits in the hall
Its a computer cupboard but as I have a smart new laptop I dont of sit there
So I have my smart wireless printer sat at the top
Then on the shelve below is my white card drawer and my craft robo
The neat plastic folders are all our household bill etc
See its not just my crafting that is OCD

Have a great Wednesday will be popping around as many as I can when I get in from work

x Nicky x

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Welcome Back


This card uses an image from Bugaboo
I have coloured her with my pro marker
Cut out the image and the sentiment using my circle nestabilities
Edged the image with Brilliance Pearlized Blue Ink Pad
The papers are all from stash
and finished with a little bling
This card is for a friend who is returning to work after being off for a few months
To welcome her back

This sketch is for the following challenges


Thanks for Looking

x Nicky x

Monday 7 February 2011

Time to Relax

This card uses one of the cute House Mouse Stamps
I have made this card for my mums friend who is retiring
The green papers comes from my stash
The yellow paper comes from the Papermania lemon sorbet pad
I used some off cuts of the lemon sorbet paper to make the flowers
Using my new Marianne Flower Die
The background to the flower was cut from plain white card stock
Off cuts of the green card were using to cut the leaves
The leaves have been raised slightly by using 3d foam
The Mouse was coloured using my promarkers
Then cut out as was the sentiment with my oval nestabilities

This card is for the following challenges


Thanks for Looking

x Nicky x

You Hold My Heart

This card uses the lovely image from Bugaboo
I have coloured him with my pro markers
The ribbon down the centre came of a Christmas Pressie
The hearts I drew free hand and then cut out
Circle was cut by drawing round a small bowl then cutting out

This is for the following challenges


Thanks for looking

x Nicky x


Sunday 6 February 2011

Monster Love!


This card uses a wonderful new freebie from Pollycraft
I have coloured him using my pro markers
Then added the goggly eyes
The circle was cut using my nestablitlies dies
The plaid paper was free with a magazine a friend gave me
The senitment came with the image
The heart paper has been in my stash for ages
I added a little of my red stickles glitter to make the heart pop
This card will be for my DH we do not really do much for valentines day
as it our daughter birthday and as I do not do soppy this works perfect

This card is for the following challenges


Thanks for looking

x Nicky x

Brrrrr Baby Its Cold Outside!

This card uses an image from Pollycraft
She is coloured using my pro markers
Then some stickles glitter used
I edged the card using my blue Brilliance Pearlized Ink
I then used my Swirls and Stars sizzix embossing folder to add some effect to the top of the card
The paper used at the bottom with the swirls is from the DCWV Winter Stack
To finish I used a Papermania Sentiment Embossing folder
Then used the same ink pad to colour it
Distressed the edges by tearing it

This card is for the following challenges


Thanks for Looking

x Nicky x

Wednesday 2 February 2011

WOYWW - 86

Ok own up who stole last week???

I cannot believe it is Wednesday again and that means time for a nosey around blogland
Thanks to the Queen of the Desk Julia
If you want to know more visit
A few people have commented on my sign on top of my desk
its says 'Naughty Nicky'
My daughter made it for me at school when she was 12 for my desk at work
You can image the parents evening when I met the teachers and they all realised I was
'Naughty Nicky' lol
Most kids do their parents a painting -mine make a sign for my desk!
It did stay on my desk at work until I was made redundant last year, then it came home
and has never made it to my new work place

On my desk this week are some old fashion clothes peg
eclastic bands and my box of messy ribbons
This is Ciaras fault from the Ribena Room
I saw her wonderful ribbon storage and knew I had to sort out mine
So thats what I am up to at the moment
You can also see a digi image that will hopefully become my daughters birthday card
on Valentines Day
As I have now shown you all the drawers of my desk
I thought I would show some other storage I have for my craft stuff
This is in the conservatory
I brought it with some birthday money a few years ago from staples
Its just perfect for all my A4 papers
Being the neat and tidy crafter it drawer is labelled so I know what its inside
And down the side between the drawer and my glass cabinet you can just see two folders
These hold my decoupage sheet - which I dont like doing but my daughter loves cutting them out and sticking them together - then I use them - thats what I call team work
The other one holds all my sheets of acetate

Have a great Wednesday

x Nicky x