Pickwick Papercrafting

Now that the main event is over, I am finally getting around to showing you some of my Christmas cards. I made several batches of cards using both stamped images and printed toppers/decoupage. The first batch are a selection using the Nitwit Collections Joyful Hearts Topper & Decoupage kit and I have highlighted these images with some card that I have embossed through my Cuttlebug:- I then did some rubber stamping using Milton the Bear and tried my hand at a few different layouts, taking inspiration from some designs in either Cardmaking & Papercrafting or Quick Cards Made Easy, I can't remember which one. I used papers from my stash, the red and blue ones are Forever Friends papers and the lilac one is some Papermania papers that I have had for years! Each of the images is coloured with Promarkers. I also made another batch using the Xmas Creature Capers clear stamps bought from QVC, papers as before from my stash and DCWV xmas papers. The snowflake diecuts are made using

Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year. Have you started thinking about your new year's resolutions yet? I know what one of mine has to be......................................................................to update my blog much more frequently. Hope to get around to uploading my Christmas cards next week

It seems that as far as my family and friends are concerned, October is a popular time of year to get married. So I recently had three anniversary cards to make. Above are the cards I came up with using an image of Martha & Marvin downloaded from http://www.digistampboutique.co.uk/and coloured with my Promarker pens. I used the Swiss Dots embossing folder through my Cuttlebug machine for the background and mounted it onto matching cardstock and finished the cards off with either ribbon and sentiment or adhesive stones and peel off sentiments.

This month's DoCrafts friendship swap was with Craftymess and I decided to use one of my new rubber stamps, which was part of the TSV (589816) from http://www.qvcuk.com/ . I coloured the image in with my Promarkers / Copic Caio pens. The backing paper was printed from the CD that came with the TSV. I embellished the card with three Prima flowers using card candy in the centre of the flowers.

I was asked to make a couple of cards for my mum's friend to give to her granddaughter for her first day of school and also her daughter-in-law who has just graduated as a nurse. After searching through all my stash, these Jolly Nation decoupage sheets just jumped out at me as being oh so appropriate. I am glad to say that they went down really well.

I've just had my lounge decorated and have been out today looking for new sofas - what a nightmare!! Of the few styles I liked, they were either too big or the wrong !! So at the moment I have a really nice new lounge which is being ruined by two old mismatched sofas !! (aaah!!!)

I had to make a quick card so thought it was about time I used some of the freebies I'd got from my magazines. The paper was a My Minds Eye, Quite Contrary set received with Cardmaking & Papercraft and the pyramage image was a freebie with Quick Cards Made Easy and designed by Nel Whatmore.

For July's Friendship card for emmaharveyxxx, I used a layout taken from Papercraft Essentials, I don't remember which edition but it was from a "Cut out and keep!" pullout section. I actually used the DCWV Nana's Nursery papers as per the magazine although I didn't use the exact ones that were used in the magazine. I coloured Tilda with Tulips with my Copic Caio pens and decoupaged the tulip and mounted the image onto matching cardstock.

First my sister and nephew were over from Australia for a six week visit and then I had to finish a scrapbook for an 18th Birthday present which was finally delivered last weekend. Well, those are my excuses for not having posted anything for the last couple of months!! I have managed a few cards during this time though and I have still been taking part in the DoCrafts Friendship Partner swap each month. I used a Forever Friends decoupage image and matching papers for May's card for veganmaxine (left picture) and then for June's card for Snoggyg (Anne) I downloaded the Zoe Pearn So Sweet Papers from http://www.sweetshoppdesigns.com/ then cut the flowers out from the papers using the Marianne Creatables dies. The stamped image is, of course, Tilda which I coloured in with my Copic Caio pens. I've also started using the scalloped base cards purchased from Craftwork Cards.

Amy Shaw Crafting: The last couple of weeks in pictures! - Amy has some blog candy on offer but the closing date is today.

Just a quick post to explain why i've not posted anything lately! My sister and nephew are visiting from Australia so I've been spending as much time as possible with them and not made any cards recently apart from my April Friendship card for Rosie (rosieposie) over on the DoCrafts forum. I had some Doodlebug striped paper in my stash which perfectly matched some cardstock and prima flowers so things just seemed to flow. The image is a digital download from Digistamp boutique. Off on holiday soon with my sister, going to Ireland visiting friends. Must try harder when I return to post more frequently!!! ( I know I keeping saying it!)

Just a quick post to say I hope you have all had a very Happy Easter and not eaten too much chocolate!!

It's taken me a while but I've finally caught the Tilda bug, thanks to some very kind crafty friends, so when it came to making my latest friendship card (March) for Made by Hel on the DoCrafts forum, I knew I had to use my new stamp "Tilda with Tulip". I used My Minds Eye, Bloom & Grow papers in oranges and yellows and coloured Tilda in, using coordinating Copic colours, R02, YR02, Y08, YG23 for the dress and tulip. I also used my Martha Stewart punch and Nestabilities dies and finished it off with a few adhesive stones and sentiment from Craftwork Cards.

It's been almost a month since I last posted and in that post I mentionned my February Friendship card swap on the DoCrafts forum. Well, I made my card (above) using the My Minds Eye free papers received with one of my Craft magazines (I can't remember which) and sent it off to Karen. She waited and waited to receive it and guess what, she still hasn't! Thank you Royal Mail!! Well, it didn't feel right that Karen was without a card, so I made another one, very similar to the original one. I am so glad to say that this one actually arrived!

.... and I've only managed to make a few cards, one of which I can't show you yet, because it is for my February Friendship swap partner over on the DoCrafts forum and will have to wait until she receives it. I can, however, show you the card I have made for my nephew, who I can't quite believe will be a year old on 7th March. When my sister was over from Australia last year, she saw my Patchwork Pals kit and loved it, so it was an easy choice and although it isn't my design I think she will love it! Here's another Patchwork Pals card, this time for my cousin's youngest son who just loves football.

So much for my new years resolution to update my blog more frequently - I have failed miserably! I have however been busy making lots of cards, so thought it was about time I showed you some of them. As I've shown before I take part in the monthly Friendship Swap over on the DoCrafts forum - the last two months I've used the same papers (My Mind's Eye - Bloom & Grow). December's card was sent to DoCrafts member Starrz909 - the stamped image is one of the Gorjuss Girls stamps "Just a Girl", coloured in with Copic Caio pens. The flower embellishments are from Prima. So when it came to January's Friendship swap with Crafter1, I decided to use the same range of papers but this time I have used my Daisy stamp. I love this stamp and again coloured it with the Copic Caio pens and for the first time I have tried doodlingwith a brown marker pen. I really like the effect so I am sure it won't be the last time I use it. I've coloured some alphabet peel of

When I knew it was Craft Day on QVC just after Christmas, I thought to myself, I will have to sit on my hands for the day! Well, as you can see from the photos above, I failed miserably!! The Patchwork Pals characters are so cute and I couldn't resist. I had bought the previous kit from QVC and just had to have this new one. These are just a few of the cards I have made so far and there is plenty more to make.