Truly Scrumptious Challenge 30 - April Showers

Hello, hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Would like to start by saying "Thank you very much" to the comments I received on my last card that I posted for the Sugar Bowl Challenge.  That was my first time entering a challenge and as I didn't know how to link a post , I wasn't even sure my card would be posted properly. It was a real boost and to get three followers was really fantastic as I had only set up the blog to keep a record of my cards, etc.  Also, thanks to Mina for asking me to make my photographs a little bigger.  Mina had made this comment a day or so after my aunt had also suggested it. I still don't really know how to work a blog or make cards so it is a learning curve for me, and all comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

My card today is for the Truly Scrumptious challenge, designed by Mina Hartley.  It was while watching a demonstration by Mina at my local craft shop, using distress inks and magnolias, that I thought I would give cardmaking a try and started to follow her blog for inspiration and then decided I might give blogging a go and I am really enjoying blogging and making cards as it is such a change from scrapbooking. .
My papers, cardstock,  ric-rac ribbon  and paperclip are all from the Spring range from Doodlebug and my image called Chloe in the Rain and the Happy Birthday ticket are from Pink Gem Designs. Got the link for this website from Mina's blog. Thanks. Flowers are from my stash and the little pearl gems are  from one of my daughter's craft sets.  For the raindrops I used ice stickles and the embossed raindrops are Fiskars. Only when I put the card together, did I notice that the raindrops were going a different way, sorry.

Not sure if this will link as haven't mastered that yet, sorry.

Sugar Nellie Card - Sweet and Sassy

This is card I have made following a sketch from The sugar Bowl Sketch Challenge, which was to include flowers.  This is the first time that I have tried this and as I have only got into cardmaking from scrapbooking, I found it a little difficult.  Need a lot more practice, inspiration and free time.
I used the Sweet and Sassy stamp, which is one of my favourites, as well as Daisy.  They are such beautiful detailed  images.  I coloured the image with distress inks, used Bazzill cardstock and Doodlebug papers, with flowers on them and flowers and brads.
I am not sure if this will link straight to the card or my blog as I have yet to learn how to set up a link.

Sugar Nellie Card - Going For A Spin

This is card I made last night with another Sugar Nellie stamped image called Going For A Spin. I picked my papers from K & Co Wild Saffron range which are really beautiful papers. I then coloured with distress inks and added embellishments from the same K & Co range. Hope the photos are ok, was asked by my aunt to put them in a little bigger.  Keeping them small, was hiding my flaws.

Not sure if I will get a chance to make any more cards this weekend as really need to go to the supermarket today, going to Disney Live tomorrow at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast and then my daughters are all back to school on Monday, so need to get them sorted.  Then I suppose its back to the usual housework, school runs, swimming lessons, etc., so not much crafting. Had a good Easter crafting, so won't complain too much.

Sugar Nellie Card - Dress Up Maggie

This is a card that I started on Tuesday evening.  I picked papers from one of the Doodlebug ranges and co-ordinating Bazzill cardstock. I coloured using distress inks and then decided to highlight the flowers in the hat, cheeks, necklace and bag clasp with stickles and  left to dry overnight.  However, the stickles dried flat and didn't stand out.  I then went over the stickles again with my new Ice Stickles which I purchased recently.  I went around the necklace dot by dot and again left to dry.  As you can see some dried flat and some didn't.  Finished card is ok , but not a stamp I think I will use often as I prefer the other stamp images from Sugar Nellie that I have used.

Sugar Nellie Card - Nellie

This is another card I made last night using another Sugar Nellie stamp called Nellie.  I coloured the stamp with distress inks to match the papers I had picked.  They are called Pretty Please from My Minds Eye and were a sample pack that were free with a magazine, a few months ago. I layered and foam mounted three different patterns and used a happy birthday stamp that also came free with magazine. I then inked the edges of the image as I thought it then looked a little bit flat. 

Sugar Nellie Card - Reflective

I made this card last night with another Sugar Nellie stamp called Reflective.  I coloured this time with distress inks.  It is a long time since I used these and it is going to take me a while to get back into them.  However, I found them quicker than the papermania watercolour pencils that I have been using.
I picked my papers first and then coloured the image.  Also found this easier this time.  The papers are from K & Co, Kology range - Verbana, Bazzill cardstock and Queen and Co brads.

Sugar Nellie Card - Carefree

This is the last of the cards I made that day with a Sugar Nellie stamped image called Carefree.
Coloured again with Papermania watercolour pencils, backed onto Bazzill Cardstock and punched with the Martha Stewart Corner Punch and a little flower punch, that I had.  Gems are from my daughter's craftpack as mentioned in previous post.

Sugar Nellie Card - Flowers

This card was another Sugar Nellie stamped image called Flowers.

Coloured with Papermania watercolour pencils and backed with cardstock purchased from the Paper Mill Shop.
My youngest daughter decided she would put orange dots onto the centre of the flowers.  Thankfully, I hadn't finished the card at this stage and was able to complete it with little pearl like gems from a craft pack she got a couple of years ago from Eason's Bookstore.

Sugar Nellie Card - Country Style

This is another card I made using a Sugar Nellie stamped image .  This time it was called Country Style.
As I said in my prevous post, the details in the stamps are great and I really enjoy working with these.
Coloured using papermania watercolour pencils and backed with bazzill cardstock and the corner punch was Martha Stewart.

Sugar Nellie Card - Sweet and Sassy

Recently, I had a couple of free days with all bookwork and housework  up to date.  That doesn't happen very often, so I had a little me time, stamping and watching a dvd. Heaven!!!!

The first card was a Sugar Nellie stamp called Sweet and Sassy.  I came across these stamps by accident and I am so glad I did.  The detail and cute expressions are lovely and having three daughters, they are going to be good for birthday cards, etc.
I coloured using papermania watercolour pencils and  bazzill cardstock.  The butterflies are flowers are from a K & Co kit I purchased from QVC.  It is full of lovely autumn colours and was a good match.
I had coloured the stamped images in colours I liked, without any thought to what papers I would match them to.  Next time, I think I will pick my papers first and then colour.  All papers I tried were quite overpowering or didn't do the image any justice. 

Scrapbook Layout - Race Results

This page documents the finishing places of the top three riders, in all of the races that day.

Scrapbook Layout - Let the Racing Begin

After we had our lunch, we walked further across to the Pitts area or Start/Finish line.  We couldn't get to see the front rows,with the big name riders, but this shows the moments before a race begins with fellow competitors.  Some still getting ready, others deep in thought, etc.  A lot of emotions are faced at this time. This is about as close as you can get without having an access all areas pass.  Unfortunately, while taking these photographs through the wire barriers, I dropped my camera, but thankfully, a mechanic retrieved it for me.

Scrapbook Layout - Fun at the Races

These pages were made to show the fun you can have on race day if the weather is good.
For that year, we started off at York Corner and walked along the Coast Road, stopping off for a picnic lunch.  My second daughter had shorts on beneath her trousers and wanted to take her trousers off without anyone seeing her.  A lot of fun was had.

Scrapbook Layout - Friday Night at the Pitts

These pages were taken on the Friday night.  It is open to the public all week to walk through the Pitts area and meet the riders.  More people would come on the Friday night for the pre-race buzz and atmosphere for the next day.  We would always meet the riders and get some photographs and autographs. When you look at these pages it is made all the more important to document the events, etc in your life.  One of the photographs is of Martin Finnegan who sadly lost his life at the Tandragee road races the next year.  The photograph isn't of very good quality, but the memories of meeting him and how friendly and kind he was to the girls was amazing, considering what emotions he was experiencing for the races on Saturday. 

Scrapbook Layout - Vintage Bike Display

Here are two pages that I made about the vintage bike display.  These photographs were taken from the marquee looking down at the display.  The gentleman in the photograph is my uncle, who has a collection of vintage bikes and this year, I think it was a Scott motorbike he had on display.  He raced the North West circuit for many years himself and we always went to watch and cheer him on.

Scrapbook Layout - North West 200 2007

Here are some pages that I created for the North West 200 in 2007.
I have always been to our local road racing event, since I was a child.  However, I thought I would try to make an album, now that I have got into scrapbooking.  These first pages are about the journalling.  Each of them are colour coded to match the following pages.

Sarah Kay - Zoe Gazing at the Butterfly

This is a card I made with a new stamp that I purchased recently from the Glitter Pot.
I started the card a week past on Saturday.  It took me a full week to complete as I just wasn't happy with it and I am still not convinced, so I'll maybe redo part of it.
I used Spellbinders - Labels Eight as a frame for the stamp.  This was the first time I had used these along with the Cuttlebug which I got as a present for Christmas.  Haven't made my mind up about them yet.  I coloured the stamp using Papermania Watercolour pencils.  This was all going well, until I tried to match it up  with papers.  Many that matched were to overpowering and didn't make the stamp stand out.  In the end, I went for just cardstock in the colours of the stamp.  It then looked as if something was missing.  Tried different embellishments and nothing worked. Then thought I would try using a butterfly stamp with a versamark inkpad and then randomly stamped.  Looked ok until one didn't really stamp that well and I tried to go over it and smudged it.   Then used a smaller Labels Eight for the Dream embellishment.
My daughters didn't like this.  I just thought the little girl looked as if she was dreaming while looking at the butterfly.  On the inside I was going to put the sentiment - Dream your dreams a size too big, so you can grow into them.  Maybe change all this to just Happy Birthday or To a Special Friend.
Anyway, here it is, see what you think.