By The Cute and Girly Blog Hop

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Welcome to our first every By The Cute and Girly blog hop!! It's our 2nd birthday and we are celebrating in style with a special challenge and blog hop!
As well as loads of prizes on the challenge blog, each design team member also has a prize on their blog from their featured sponsor, so lots of chances to win some great prizes!! :)

My blog is the first stop:) Hopefully you have already been to check out the challenge blog and see the fantastic prizes on offer from our sponsors.

Ok so here's what you have to do for a chance to win these prizes-

1. Enter the challenge at By The Cute and Girly as you normally would. The theme this month is "Anything Goes" and remember our challenge is for any type of crafts from papercrafts to baking, so you really can enter with anything you like. This month we are limiting the entries to 1 per person since it's anything goes.
2. Do the hop, leave a comment on each of the dt blogs for a chance to win the prize on their blog.
3. Each design team member has a letter of the alphabet on their blog that you need to collect. When you are finished the hop and have collected all the letters, email Lora with the word you have made (you will find her email address and instructions on the challenge blog). Please DO NOT leave a comment with the word you have made, you must email Lora with it.
4. HAVE FUN!! :)

My sponsor is My Favorite Things and they have gave me a $20 gift certificate to give away to one lucky winner.



Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win.

My projects today uses Pure Innocence- Believe In Magic clear stamp set

 Die-namics Mini Pennant die

Die-namics Leafy Flourish dies

  from My Favorite Things.

I made 3 projects for the challenge using the above items, so this post may be just a little bit picture heavy ;)

First I made a card with the cute stamp and the Die-namics Leafy Flourish die.

I used a card blank from Crafty Emma's Store and some Papermania papers. Didn't want to add to many detail because I wanted to show of the sweet image which I coloured with my ususal Promarkers and added a bit of diamond stickles to.

Isn't she a cutie? I of course had to add some stickles to the flower too :)

I also made a matching (well the same colours anyway lol) box.

Some more Papermania papers and this time just some flowers and both dies for decoration.
I cut out both sizes of the banner on pink and yellow cardstock and stuck them onto some thin pink ribbon which is attached inside the box (it is hidden with some more papers inside but I forgot to take a pic...duh. The paper I used inside are the same as I used on my card above).

On the sides I used the other part of the pennant die.....well I had them cut so didn't want to waste them ;) lol. I haven't wrote anything on the banners yet but once I know who this box is going to, I will write on both sides (the other side is the same as this but I alternated the colours) and the one on the front too.

Just a close up of the top detail. Aren't those flourishes beautiful? I think this may be my favourite die that I own at the moment :) Granted I only own about 5 dies lol, because most of them got ruined at my last house :(, but even if I had loads, I still think this would be my fave, it's so pretty :)

Finally for my last project, I decided to do something a bit different. You will have to excuse all the mistakes because I have never done anything like this before, but I really enjoyed it and have even started on another one (much smaller though!).
I decided I would alter an ugly picture frame that I had in the house. I didn't take a before pic because it really was that ugly, it might of gave you nightmares!! lol, but it was a plain horrible brown frame.
It's quite big so I had to use 2 12x12 papers to cover it which means it has joins, which I had to try cover with embellies.
Oh and please excuse the reflection of me and my neighbours house in the glass!! lol

I used some papers that were given to me by the most amazing friend (thank you hunnie, mwah xx)

and some flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts and Crafty Emma's Store, some gorgeous butterflies from Little Snippets and the MFT leafy flourish die.

Sorry about the pic quality. As my regular visitors will know, photography is not one of my strong points, especially when it comes to taking pics of glass. So here's some close ups.

Excuse the horrible inside.....I haven't got a pic to fit this yet, and don't know whether I will keep it or not as it doesn't really go with anything else in my house. Should of maybe thougt of that before I chose the papers!! lol

one of the gorgoues butterflies from Little Snippets which I added a little bit of glitter to, but you can't really see that here, and some pearl swirly bits by Prima. I just cut it all up and arranged it to fit the frame.

And finally (I promise), a close up of the other butterfly.

aren't these butterflies just gorgeous? You can find these ones here. The ones I have linked to are the spring colours but Geraldine can sort you out with any colour you want. Have you checked out her Halloween embellies yet? You do not want to miss those and there's plenty other snippets for all tastes to in the Little Snippets store.

Ok if you have survied through that lot without falling asleep, apart from deserving a medal for your patience!, here's the letter you need.

D

 and the next stop on the hop is the fabulous Kate, who I'm sure will have something lovely for you to see along with a fab prize!

Here's a list of the hop order in case you get lost along the way.
Lora
Kate
Geraldine
Ayelet
Lisa
Hanna
Tammy
Carol
Challenge Blog- You will find the email address here that you need to send the word you have made to, and of course you have to link your entry here too :)

Thanks for stopping by today. Remember to leave a comment for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate from MFT!!

I will be back tomorrow and hopefully will have a pic of my youngest daughter wearing a pretty little hair slide that Geraldine made with one of her snippets! :) Got to bribe Chiara to get her photo taken first! lol

Inky Impressions- Trick Or Treat

It's team A's turn to do the challenge over at the Inky Impressions challenge blog this week and the challenge is "Trick Or Treat".

I wasn't quite sure which stamp I was going to use for this challenge as I don't have any Inky Impressions Halloween stamps, so I just got out my Halloween papers and took it from there.

I used some Bo Bunny Halloween papers again.....sorry but it's the only Halloween ones I have lol and some purple coredinations cardstock for the matting.

I decided that I would use a boy image this time and chose Mischievous Christopher because he has a frog and I think frogs are kind of Halloweeny (is that even a word?? lol).

This stamp does have some water and grass around the bottom of the image but I just cut out Christopher and left that bit out.

 I coloured him with my usual Promarkers.....just noticed that I forgot to cut some little bits of white out, oh well it's done now.

The ribbon stuff was originally white but I just coloured it with an orange promarker, I like the way it turned out because it's shimmery once coloured,

And the fantastic bat is from Little Snippets. The Halloween Lace Bats come in a pack of 5 with 2 large and 3 medium for $4.
I used one of the medium sized bats, and I'm afraid that this photos do not do it justice because they are so nice. If you love Halloween (like I do :)) these are great to add that special something to your Halloween projects, and of course they can be used on anything, not just papercrafts.

If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you will know that I use embellishments from Little Snippets on a lot of  my cards and crafty projects, and I have had loads of comments from crafters and non crafters about them. They make your cards/projects stand out from the rest, especially when you see them in real life.
I know I say this all the time but I don't tend to go on about products that I don't like, so when I say that I really like something, I am being honest and I do genuinely think they are great :)
I would love to see how other people use them, other than on cards.......maybe we could have a fun competition to see how much things these embellies can be used for??
Ok I will have a think about that one, but in the meantime, let me know any ideas you have for using these.
You can check out all the different embroidered and crotchet embellishments in the Little Snippets Etsy store.
Oh and before I forget, there is also some owls and black and orange flowers in the store just now, perfect for Halloween. You can see them all here





I am entering my card into the following challenges


Hanna and Friends- Halloween
Fussy and Fancy- Halloween or Fall
Crafty Emmas- Forever Autumn (well Halloween is in Autumn so I thought my card would fit)
Just Add Ink- Photo Inspiration
Cute Card Thursday- Tree-mendous (there's tree's on my paper)
Papertake Weekly- Spooky Hues
Sketch N Stash-Sketch (my new stash is the bat)

Digital Tuesday- Happy Halloween

 

Well another week has flown past, and it’s time for another Digital Tuesday challenge, but before I get to that, I would like to just say a huge thank you to everyone who has visited my blog lately and left me comments. After loosing most of my crafty stuff and having to start my stash from scratch again, my confidence in my card making abilities had kind of vanished, so to get all those lovely encouraging comments and emails, really makes a difference and I am really enjoying crafting again So a huge thank you to you all!!

 

This weeks challenge was chosen by Anneke and it is “Happy Halloween”.

Our sponsor this week is Doodle Pantry who are offering the winner their choice of 3 products from the Doodle Pantry store, and Laurie also gave the design team her Birdie Bat digi set to use for the challenge if they wanted to use it.

I like to support our sponsors by using their images/papers etc whenever possible, after all the challenge blog wouldn’t be nearly as popular as it is without the prizes from our sponsors, so I used the image and a sentiment from the Birdie Bat set.

 

This card is smaller than I normally do (it’s a 5x5 and I normally make 6x6”), so I didn’t have room to add my normal pile of embellies lol.

I used some Bo Bunny Halloween papers and distressed the edges with my scissors (no fancy tools used here lol), the image was coloured with Promarkers and then cut out. You can’t really see in this pic but I cut into the image around his tummy and head with tiny little snips to make his feathers look fluffy lol. I kinda like the effect this gives.

As I said, the sentiment is from the same set (you get a few and also papers and a coloured version of the image) and I added some black sticky back gems that I got in my local (well used to be local, now it’s like 30 miles away, so not so local! lol) poundland store. You get a whole sheet for a pound, 2 strips of small gems like I used on the top corner, 2 strips of larger ones and 2 strips of the border ones like I used on the bottom of my card. I think that’s great value since a tiny square of sticky back gems in the craft shops here are around £3!!

 

I am entering this card into these challenges

DYSU- Use your scraps

Simons Says Stamp Challenge- Halloween/Goth

 

Lora x

Another altered frame.

It's my turn to post again over at the Inky Impressions Inspiration blog. For the whole month of October, the design team are making anything but cards for the Inspirational blog, so I decided I would alter another photo frame.
It didn't really turn out how I had planned because it has ridges all around it which made it harder to cover with paper, but I got there in the end.
I have a mirror to do next,  but I want to paint it so will have to see if I can get some paint from somewhere because I don't have any.....in fact, come to think of it, I don't even have a paint brush anymore! lol

 I covered the whole frame with some Laura Ashley paper and used a whole lot of flowers from my stash.
Most of the flowers I used were given to me by friends so I don't know where to get them, but the large rose was from Hobbycraft and the little rose buds are from Crafty Emma's Store. The pretty pearl brads were also a gift.
I cut some flourishes with a Marianne Designs die, and added a couple of clear Inky Dinky Drops which you can find in all sorts of colours in the Inky Impressions store.

 This little cutie is called Lili's Prayer and as usual I coloured her with my promarkers and added some little bits of glitter, which you can't actually see here.

 And finally I close up of the flower arrangement. You can just about see the Inky Dinky Drops beside the flourishes. I love that you can still see the patterned paper through them.

I am entering my frame into Top Tip Tuesday- use designer paper....and my tip is.....ummm, oh I know, if you make one of these, use adhesive that will give you time to move the paper about just incase you don't get it right the first time.
I used some double sided tape to start with (because it was all I had at the time) and I ended up ruining a sheet of dp because I stuck it down wrong! lol

Thanks for visiting me today :)

A little bit of news and a card

As I said the other day, I  have a little bit of news to share. Some of you may have already noticed the banner in my sidebar, but I can now tell everyone that I was chosen to be part of the Wags n Whiskers design team!!
The challenge this week is Fall Colours and I have my first dt card for Wags n Whiskers to share today :)

 I have used "Hannah" digi stamp from Wags n Whiskers and colored her with Promarkers and added some stickles to her wings. I'm really annoyed with my colouring because I am using different paper than I normally do and the printer ink bleeds as soon as the markers touch it :( It's fine with rubber stamping but really need to get some for digis because all my images are turning out  horrible :(
I added some flowers, flourishes and leaves cut with Marianne dies, some ribbon from my stash, lots of sticky back gems and a pin that I got from a friend (thanks again!!:)
I did follow a sketch for this card but can't remember where and the challenge would be finished by now anyway because I stupidly followed a sketch from last week when I knew that I wouldn't be posting this card until today duh!! lol

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I love to read your comments, so keep them coming :)
Oh and if you haven't yet entered this months challenge and blog hop over at my challenge blog By The Cute and Girly, get yourself over there because there is some fab prizes up for grabs! The challenge for October is Anything Goes, so there's no excuse for not joining in, you can make whatever you want, and the challenge is for any crafts so you can make anything from a card to a cake and anything in between! :)
The dt all have prizes on their blog which you can have a chance at winning by doing the blog hop. My prize is a $20 gift certificate to spend at My Favorite Things!! :)

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Inky Impressions and Digital Tuesday

It's my turn to post on the Inky Impressions Inspirational blog today and for the whole month of October the design team will be making "anything but cards".
I think I have wore myslef out this last few weeks with the anything but cards dt work I have done lol, and I had no idea what to make........until my youngest Daughter Chiara came through to me with a ugly coaster box that she was using to keep her Moshi Monster trading cards in (do you kids collect those??).
So I had to bribe her to give me the box to decorate lol. She wasn't giving in unless she got to choose what went on it, so Chiara chose the image, papers and embellies and I just stuck them on :)

I used the cute Lili's Prayer today and as always coloured her with Promarkers and added some stickles to bits of her but you can't see it in these pics. She is really sparkly irl though.

I already had her coloured and Chiara chose her because she was sparkly lol. She also chose this foiled paper and I have no idea who makes it.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and Craft Emma's Store and the little butterfly was from a friend. Chiara added some sticky back gems on the butterfly, so it's not my fault that the gems are stuck on squint! lol



I just love these images, they are so sweet and can be used for any occasion. I'm not keen on stamps that can only be used for one occasion like Halloween stamps, I like to be able to get as much use as possible out of the stamps I buy because I can't afford to buy lots, and I think these ones are great value for money :)

There's loads of other beautiful projects over at the Inky Impressions Inspirational blog from all the design team. There is a new inspirational post every day of the week, so it's the perfect place to go if Mr Mojo has up and left you and you need some inspiration to get you going :)

I am entering my box into these challenges.

One Stop Craft- Anything Goes

ABC challenge- Anything Goes

Pennys Challenges- Anything Goes

Pile It On- Just because (I made this just because it was ugly and I just had to cover it lol)

It's time for a new challenge over at Digital Tuesday and Amy chose "Fall Colours" for the theme.

Our sponsor this week is Wee Stamps and Sylvia very kindly gave the design team some of her images to play with for the challenge.



I used Sweet Blossom and coloured her with the usual Promarkers. This image is so sweet and lovely to colour.
The papers are from my scrap box so I have no idea where they came from, except I know the the orange spotty one is by Papermania.
The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and I used some orange sticky back gems to make some little swirls.

Not my usual choice of colours, but I do like the way this image turned out :)

And finally a close up of the pretty flowers :)

I am entering my card into the following challenges
Paper Play- Autumnal Colours
Stamps R Us- Autumn
Crafts and Me- Use a digi
Fussy and Fancy- Fall or Halloween


That's it from me for today. I have some news to tell, but I have to keep quite for a few more days! Will let you know as soon as I am allowed to lol

Thanks for stopping by

Inky Impressions- Boy Oh Boy Can We Show Our Support

The new challenge is up over at Inky Impressions challenge blog and this week it's team A's turn to do the challenge (I'm on team a of couse) and we have a bit if a special challenge this week, as the title says "boy oh boy can we show our support". This was a bit of a challenge but I managed it........just.
The design team were asked to use either the Lili's Awareness Ribbon stamp orone of the Inky boy stamps and colour him all in pink! Do a monochromatic pink card and add a pink ribbon in the shape of the breast cancer awareness ribbon- I think I managed all that, except I forgot while I was colouring and coloured the wood bit of the image brown and I was finished the card, but found a ticket sentiment that I thought was perfect for this card, so I just had to use it, even though it's not pink.
You don't have to so all of the above to enter the challenge though, the challenge for everyone else is to make a monochromatic card and/or breast cancer awareness.

I made this the other day and followed the sketch at Papertake Weekly but forgot that I wasn't posting it until today and missed the challenge...duh! but their challenge this week is Anything Goes so I will enter it this week instead :)

The papers are all Papermania, and I used Pirate Christopher which you can find in the Inky Impressions store here. He's coloured with Promarkers and I added a bit of faux stitching to the die cut mat with a pink Promarker too.

I would of never of thought about colouring a boy image pink, but I think little Christopher looks quite cute all in pink lol.

The flowers I used are all from Crafty Emma's Store, some ribbon from my stash which I added a pearl heart ribbon slider to, a punched border and the "Hope" ticket sentiment which I just thought summed this card up, so I had to add it even though it's supposed to be all pink.

I hope you will all join in with this special challenge and help raise breast cancer awareness as well as taking part for the chance to win a prize :)
We do love to see Inky Impressions stamps being used, but you can enter the challenge with any stamp and you will be in with a chance of winning an Inky digi stamp. If you do use one of the Inky Stamps then you could win yourself a special Inky package! :)

I am also entering my card into the following challenges
Party Time Tuesdays- Show us your shape or/and breast cancer awareness- I chose the breast cancer awareness
Stampin For The Weekend- What a cutie (boys can be cute too right, especially when they are all in pink :))
Crafty Cardmakers- Anything Goes
Dream Valley- Monochrome
Crafts 4 Eternity- Anything Goes
Catch The Bug- Anything Goes
Allsorts- Use 5 flowers
Link Up For Pink

Thanks for stopping by xx

Digital Tuesday- Boo, It's Party Time

I can't believe it's Tuesday again already, where did the weekend go? It's time for a new challenge over at Digital Tuesday and this week it was Shelly's turn to choose the challenge. She chose " We Like To Party", so anything party related is good. 

Our sponsor this week is My Grafico who are giving away a digital stamp set to the winner (winner's choice of set) and they also gave the design team one of their digi stamp sets to play with this week- Halloween Doodles by Lindsay's Stamp Stuff.

Some of the design team have made Halloween cards and treats since Halloween is coming soon and I also made a Halloween card using an image from the Halloween Doodles set.

The papers I have used are last years Bo Bunny Halloween papers and the ribbon is also Bo Bunny.

The ticket sentiment is a digi that was a freebie last year, not sure where from though.

 

I used the ghost and coloured him with Promarkers. Not much colouring going on here, just a few oranges for the pumpkin and for the ghost himself I only used ice grey 2 the blender pen.

My coloured ink was running out, so I changed the settings to black ink only.....I have since learned that my black ink only setting is pants for digis that you want to colour! The ink on the pumpkin bled which you can see above, but I couldn't get more ink in time so just had to use this image.

I hope you will check out this weeks challenge, and just a reminder that we are having a special challenge and blog hop over at my challenge blog By The Cute and Girly which starts on Saturday (the 8th) and will run until the end of the month.

If you grab the blog hop badge that's in my sidebar, add it to your blog and leave a comment on the challenge blog telling me you have done so, you will be in with the chance of winning a surprise gift from me :)

Thanks for stopping by

By The Cute and Girly blog hop coming soon!!!

Just a heads up to let you all know that there will be some birthday celebrations going on over at By The Cute and Girly Challenge blog next week.
It's our 2nd birthday today! :) And we are having a special challenge and blog hop next week to celebrate!
There will be lots of great prizes to be won, so remember to pop over and check it out, It starts next Saturday- 8th of October and will last for the rest of the month, so plenty time to join in :)

 Hope to see you all there!! :)