The good life...

Another of my pre-stamped images from 'the box' - this time I used a rubber stamp that I have had for ages from Paper Nation- I tend to stamp a couple as they are in a crate and when I've got them out and inked them I might as well! I teamed him with one of my favourite digi-scrap papers from an STS blogtrain called French Tulips- this check (I know more checks!!) is so versatile for guy's cards. I printed the sentiment from TLC straight onto the paper and finished the card with some foliage cut with a Crealies die and a few Candi.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:-

• Make it Monday- linky party
• Cupcake- Ooh la la (French Tulips papers- reds and blues)
• Cards for men- kicking back, relaxing
• Waste not Wednesdays- neglected stash (image stamped ages ago)

Job congrats and a FREEBIE senti...

Well, I'm managing to keep up with making the odd card and entering a few challenges and I even have a freebie sentiment for you today.
This card has been made with 'Maurice' by Pollycraft and he has been coloured with promarkers to match the papers from an LDS Blogtrain called 'Called to Serve'. The little stars have been cut with a Sizzlett die from card from my stash.

I made the sentiment and if you can use it please feel free to help yourself! (Click on the image to make it full size then right click and 'save picture as'.)

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:-

• Totally Papercrafts- male card
• Allsorts- 3 in a row
• Make it Mondays- always anything goes

Cards for Men challenge 20...

Well the last 2 weeks seemed to fly by! Our puppy, Bryn, is still keeping us really busy- especially when he got a upset stomach from eating clematis leaves in the garden! Sorry I didn't get around to visiting our entries until yesterday, but better late than never! For our new challenge at Cards for Men we are looking for your men or boy's cards on a Sport theme, so that should be a nice easy one!

My cousin is a mad, keen Liverpool fan so this is the card I made for him. I used the footballer from the Papermania 'Man's World' clear set, coloured with my Promarkers. The word stamp in the background is a wood mounted one from Funstamps. I have overstamped the red card with some mini football images but they don't really show up on the photo. Finally I used a personalised sentiment which I made on the computer and 3 tiny die cut stars.

Our sponsor is Peachy Keen Stamps. Check out the Cards for Men blog for details of the prize and to see the great cards made by the rest of the DT.


I would also like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• I love Promarkers- include a number
• Southern Girls- anything goes
• Fairy Tale Challenge- sports
• Annabelle stamps- for a man
• Our Creative Corner- Numbers!

Smile! and a freebie sentiment...

I am loving Maurice from Pollycraft at the moment! I coloured him with my promarkers and did a 'dotty' ground for him. I haven't made a sentiment for a while so I decided to make my own sentiment to go with this image- although I think it could work with other images as well- I'm thinking Bugaboo's Gus?! I have made this one as a PNG so it has a transparent background which makes it easier to put DP under it. If you can use it, please help yourself- enjoy!

The papers are from a digiscrap set called 'Snips, Snails, Puppy Tails' by Scrappin' Serenity and a few Card Candi to finish off.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Make it Monday- always anything goes
• Make it Colourful- ground your image

You're going to need your sunglasses!...

I'm really hoping my brother-in-law doesn't look at my blog as his birthday isn't until Friday! This card may need some explanation for those who are not as old as me or not in the UK!

 This is Brian the snail from Magic Roundabout. I checked with my husband that he doesn't mind the nickname and that it isn't one of those things that brothers call eachother because they know it annoys the other one! He said It wasn't so I went ahead and made the card.

The image is from MelonHeadz and it had been decoupaged to add dimension. The bright papers are from the Stuff to Scrap blogtrain 'Bouncing Beachballs'. I made the sentiment myself. I followed the sketch at Cupcake Craft for the layout and added faux stitching to all the edges to highlight the layout and mirror the border of the sentiment.

I would also like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Pink Elephant- stitching, real or faux
• Spoon Full of Sugar- Happy Birthday

G is for gardener...

I dug out some of my wood mounted rubber stamps today- I'm sorry to say I hardly ever do that nowadays. I wanted this gardener image by Jolly Nation for My Time to Craft's 'G is for..' challenge and another stamp for a card that I can't show you yet!
I used digiscrap papers by Scrapping Sisters called 'one year older' and decided to make a center stepper card. The little pot is part of the image but as I cut them out I decided to use it as a separate element. I made the 'plant label' sentiment from some textured cardstock from my stash. I rounded the top corners with a small corner rounder punch abd cut the other end to a point. I stamped the sentiment then darkened the edges a little with some chalk.

I would also like to enter this card in:

• Stamptacular Sunday- Fancy folds
• Anything goes- Birthday/celebration
• Oldie but a goodie- great outdoors

Cards for Men challenge 17...

Well we are halfway through the school summer holidays here in England so we thought you might appreciate a nice easy one this time! So, we are having an 'Anything Goes' challenge at Cards for Men this time, but don't forget it must be for a man or boy!

The DT were lucky enough to have some Hope Jacare images to play with so I chose to use Trevor Turtle for this card and team him up with the brilliant sentiment from TLC. The papers are from an LDS Blogtrain called 'Fishers of Men'. I loved all the soft water and sand colours. After colouring Trevor with my Promarkers I cut him out and matted him on a circle of DP which I also used to print my sentiment onto. I made the little starfish 'candy' with a Sizzlet die and drew on the dots with a gelpen.

We are sponsored by Claire who draws the amazing digis at Hope Jacare for this challenge. Details of the prize can be found at Cards for Men. The rest of the DT have also used Claire's images so do pop over and take a look at the wonderful inspiration there and join in our challenge- you have until 28th August to take part.

I would also like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Ellephantastic- August- add some layers
• One Stop- at the beach
• Here come the boys- critters

How Old???..

I've been waiting to use this sentiment from Sentiments 4 You for ages and have finally got around to it. I used 'Maurice' from Pollycraft as my image and coloured him quite simply with my Promarkers. The papers are an old favourite of mine from the 'French Tulips' blogtrain from Stuff to Scrap.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Corrosive- Manly
• Cupcake- How old?

Cards for Men challenge 15 and a freebie sentiment...

Welcome to our new challenge at Cards for Men. This time we would like you to 'Use a key' on your men's or boy's card. This challenge opens up all sorts of possibilities- new home, first car/test passed, 18th/21st birthday, Valentines or, like me, anniversary.

I've had this Prairy Fairy image called 'With all my heart' for ages and thought he would be perfect for my card. He has been coloured with Promarkers and the heart and his nose have been glazed with Glossy Accents.
The papers are a digiscrap set called 'Heart Attack' by The Latest Scoop, Too. I loved the fresh, slightly retro colours. I only posess 3 border punches- because I usually mat on card which they often won't go through- but I used printed red paper from the kit for this so I used my Fiskars heart punch to add a decorative border.
It's typical isn't it? When I don't need one I'm sure I saw key charms on the racks of £1 craft packs but when I want one- they don't! However after much searching and visiting 3 shops I found these little toppers and pulled off the tiny, metal key and padlock to make my own sentiment.

This is another of my own sentiments- I know it isn't perfect but I was experimenting with adding borders. If you would like to snag it as a freebie please do.

We are sponsored by Prairie Fairy for this challenge and if you haven't already come across their designs you are in for a treat. Pop over to the store to take a look. Please pop over to the Cards for Men site for details of the prize.

The rest of the wonderful Cards for Men DT have also used Prairie Fairy designs for their cards so do take a look at all the inspiration there. You have until 31st July to take part.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Allsorts- free and easy
• Stamptacular- animal antics
• Ellephantastic- Celebrations

A birthday card for my husband...

Yes, more of the scrummy papers from the LDS blogtrain 'Fishers of men'! Also another Pollycraft image- this time I have used 'Relaxing Ronnie' which is perfect for my other half! Remote in hand, cup of tea and biscuits within reach! Finally, I have used some of the bakers twine that I bought weeks ago.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Allsorts- Free and easy!
• Papertake Weekly- anything goes
• Do it with digis- Spots or stripes or both

Feel better soon (freebie sentiment)...

 I made this to send to my Godfather who is in hospital following a heart attack. The cute little Chester the monkey is from Pollycraft and coloured with my Promarkers. The papers are from the latest LDS Blogtrain called 'Fishers of men'. (If you're quick you should still be able to get them.) They are such a beautiful colour pallet that I have planned a few cards with them- so you will be seeing more of them soon! I embossed a Cuttlebug button border on the plain blue as it reminded me of pyjamas- lol.
The sentiment is another of my own ones as I wanted 'feel better' rather than 'get well'. I have been picking my husband's brain and experimenting more so I think I'm figuring out how to do what I want now. I'm offering this as a freebie- so if you can use it, please help yourself!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Paper Sundaes- stitching
• A spoon full of sugar- Sewing- real or faux
• Papertake Weekly- anything goes
• Simon Says- stitching- real or faux

Cards for Men challenge 13...

This time at Cards for Men we would like to see your male cards featuring 'stars'.

We are sponsored by Stamping Boutique and, although we were given some images, I chose to use one I already had from them. If you follow the Stamping Boutique Blog Tracey posts occasional 24 hour freebies and I got this one a little while ago- you can now pick it up with a few others in her Birthday Set. I hope she will forgive me for using Photoshop to remove a flower from the heart shaped balloon to make it suit guys better! I find it really hard to colour balloons so they look light and transparent so I was challenging myself here- I think I got it with all of them except the red ones as I didn't have a shade of Promarker to fade to.

The papers are from The June Blog Train Blog 'Monkey-ing around'- they do blogtrains alternate months. The sentiment is a freebie from Scrap-a-licious Times and says 'Birthdays are good for you- the more you have- the longer you live'! The little layered star in the midle has been cut with a Crealies die.

Tracey from Stamping Boutique is kindly offering 5 digis for our lucky winner! The Cards for Men DT have made some great cards to inspire you- so why not pop over and see their work and join in the challenge? You have until 3rd July to take part.

I would like to enter the following chalenges:

• Do you stack up?- use a star
• Little Claire's Designs- Cards for men
• Paper Creator's crafts- for the men
• If the shoe fits- for men

More Vintage Ronnie...

I hit a real mental block when it came to making Dad's Fathers' Day card- I couldn't find an image. Usually I don't have a problem with guys' cards, but Dad is tricky. I thought I would use an Elzy gardening bear but then I had this sudden doubt because I think I have used it for him before! I was too tired to think about it as I have been fighting a cold, then when I came back to it, feeling better- It all came together in my mind perfectly!
When I was making Chris' Birthday card I printed off the 'Vintage Ronnie' image from Pollycraft twice- just incase! It was also perfect for Dad and the right proportions for the center stepper card that I wanted to make. I used an old favourite digiscrap paper set called 'French Tulips' from a Stuff to Scrap blogtrain, because it is a favourite I knew exactly which papers I wanted! The sentiment was a freebie from Bird's Blog. The little stars have been cut with my Crealies Die from the same paper as the one behind the image which I resized in Photoshop to get a co-ordinated look. Quick trip to the postbox and I was done!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Sentimental Sunday- Fathers' Day
• Cupcake- Boy, oh boy- men or boys
• Papertake Weekly- Dads or lads
• Little red wagon- for Dad
• My Mum's craft shop- seeing spots
• Do you stack up?- use a star
• Dutch Dare- for the boys
• Totally Papercrafts- die cuts or punches

Vintage Ronnie...

I made this card for our friend Chris. The image is Vintage Ronnie by Pollycraft, which is sold as a fundraiser for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, coloured with Promarkers. The sentiment was a freebie by Scrap-a-licious Times which says 'Birthdays are good for you- the more you have- the longer you live'- love it! The papers are a digi-scrap set called 'It's about time' from Scraps by Andrea. I have chalked around the image to take the stark white off the paper as the papers are more beige and it looked wrong.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Paperplay- Fathers' Day or man's card
• Secret Crafter- male card
• Crafty Emmas- Inspired by a movie (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)
• Sentimental Sunday- Fathers' Day or masculine
• Cupcake- 'Boy oh boy'- men or boys

Cards for Men- challenge 12...

Wow, that was a busy half-term holiday! I'm looking forward to getting back into the usual routine.
So here we are at challenge 12 and this time we would like to see your creations in blue and black. They must be for a male of course!

Sorry about the photo- it was taken in the last of the light to get it on the post in time! The DT were kindly given images for our cards by our sponsor, Heart Song Designs, and I have used this dreamy hot air balloon and teamed it with this lovely freebie sentiment from Scrap-a-licious Times. The papers were from a digiscrap kit called 'Little Spring Flowers' by Getting Scrappy with Britt.

Heart Song Designs are kindly offering 3 digi images, of your choice, for our lucky winner. The challenge will run until 19th June so there is plenty of time for you to pop over to Cards for Men and join in. While you're there, do have a look at the inspiration from the rest of the DT- lots of us have used the same image and it's interesting to see what we've all done with it!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Charisma- something that flies
• Stamp Man- boys and men
• Stamp Something- digi day
• Paper Sundaes- lets get sentimental
• Cupcake Inspirations- I took- the blues, the domed shapes, the spirals reminded me of the Fleur de Lis and the plane linked with flight.

An Anniversary card for my husband...

On Wednesday it will be our 15th Wedding Anniversary and we have been together for 20 years! (We are not as old as Stella and Gus in the image! We met at university. The image may be things to come though!) I love that sentiment, which actually came with a different Stella and Gus image, it is very us! We aren't big on lovey dovey- a favourite at the start of our relationship was, "Do you love me?", reply "I'm still here aren't I!" Well we are still here- and to think some of our friends said we would drive eachother mad and it wouldn't last!
The image and sentiment are from Bugaboo. The papers were a blogtrain download but I can't remember whose train! The little hearts are cut with my Crealies die and the top layer of the larger one has been glazed with Glossy Accents.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Catch the bug- Dads, grads and other celebrations
• Secret Crafter- anniversary

Another dragon card...

When I printed off 'Clyde' from Bugaboo last time I ran off 2, so decided to use him again, but for a different card. The papers are from Summer Driggs Store and are called 'Fresh Start'. I have used quite a few of them but as they are all in the same colours I think it works?! The charcoal grey pearl card and the other scraps were in my stash. The fern leaves have been cut with a Crealies foliage die.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Catch the Bug- Polka Dots and Stripes
• Stamp Something- anything goes

A dragon card...

I made this card for one of the men in my church housegroup. I usually have no problems making men's cards, in fact I probably make more guy cards than girl's cards, but this was a tricky one- I could not think which image to use for him. I then remembered that there are quite a few fantasy ornaments and pictures at his house so decided to use this cute dragon from Bugaboo which I coloured with my promarkers. The papers are a download from Summer Driggs called Easton and the tag was a freebie from Mudmaven Designs, printed onto the DP. I made the stacked star embellishment with a Crealies die that I have just bought.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Stamp Something- things with wings
• Papertake Weekly- anything goes
• I love promarkers- song title- "Puff the magic Dragon"

Old style Walkman!..

I love this cute little monkey with his Walkman playing cassette tapes from Pollycraft. I loved my Walkman so much when I was a teenager, although I love my iPhone more! As it is quite a funky, retro image and the card is for a man I used papers from the 'For Him' stack by Papermania which I thought fitted the bill perfectly. Finished off with a computer generated sentiment and some Card Candy.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

• Craft your days away- Music/ dance
• Simon says- anything goes
• Digi Doodle- anything goes
• Paper Cutz- anything goes

Cards for Men challenge 9- circles...

I haven't been around much lately because we have been away to visit my parents in Wales. The weather was fabulous and it was great to see them.
Our new challenge at Cards for Men is to make a card for a male using circles. My DT teamie Kitty set this challenge and it is a great open one for making any card you need. You could use a DP with circles, circle cutters, circular embellishments like brads or buttons or anything else you can think of!

The DT were lucky to be given images from our sponsor Fresh Brewed Designs. I used 'latte party' for my card and coloured it with a limited pallette of promarkers to match my papers. It has been double matted with a red pearlised card then a very pale, textured silver, both from my stash, which have been cut with nesties. The papers are from a blog train called 'Pirates not allowed' and I have used a spotted paper in both a light and dark colourway. I went back to my Fiskars circle cutter for the big circle- more fiddly than dies but it gets there in the end! The circle sentiment is a freebie which can be found here.

Heather from Fresh Brewed Designs is offering 3 digi images of your choice for our lucky winner and the challenge runs until the 8th May. Our new DT members are with us for this challenge and there is a great variety of cards for inspiration on the Cards for Men challenge site.

I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

• Stamptacular Sunday- use 5 layers
• Sugar Creek Hollow- circles
• Polkadoodles- 3 patterned papers
• Meljens- Masculine
• The Rubber Cafe- polka dots