Friday Sketches Challenge 53

I love this sketch (by Heidi) as it could be as minimal or as elaborate as you like. The DT have made some lovely cards as always. I decided ‘minimal’ used the following card Papers and tools, stamped a very cute image and this is what I came up with

Light Blue folded Card 5”x5”
Royal Blue Card piece 4 ½” x 4 ½”
Blue Flowered Paper from Papermania Venetian Skies 4”x4”
Nestabilities
Spellbinders Labels Three Largest die (royal Blue card)
Spellbinders small Ovals Largest die (cream card)
Spellbinders circles smallest die (Light Blue card)
Sizzix Circles #2 smallest cut (royal blue card)
Tiny With Love Peeloff (coloured blue with permanent ink marker)
2 Blue plastic Star buttons from early learning centre

Stamped image (using Adirondack Black ink) is Henry Celebrating Mouse (Party Animals) from Whiff Of Joy purchased from The Craft Barn coloured using copics ( C3, Y08, RV10, RV21 B32) and crystal stickles for icing on Cake, layered oval onto card using 3d foam pads.

I had fun with this card and have decorated inside as well using the PM venetian skies papers
We’ve had glorious weather here starting off the Bank Holiday weekend whatever your plans hope you have a good one!

Thank you for looking

Sorry Its been so long....

...Since I have added anything to my blog, life seemed to have run away with me and crafting got put on hold, and then I had lots of swaps i needed to get finished so I am afraid the blog got left however I have been checking on all the blogs I follow and looking at all your wonderful creations, and hopefully now I am on top of all my swaps, things will get back to some kind of normal!!

Here is a card I did make for last weeks Friday Sketchers (sketch 51 by Carole) I didn't get chance to enter it into the challenge but thought I would share it with all of you anyway

The papers are Basic grey and the stamped image is one of my favorites from Sugar Nellie 'Daisy' and I have coloured her with copics.

Thanks for stopping by hopefully I will back with something else to share with you in a few days.

Take care all hugs Lou xx

Some more blog candy over at Crafty Garden

I have no idea how i missed this blog but now that i have found it (through candy giveaway) I will be a regular visitor I just love Jackie's style and her doggies are sooooo cute go check out Crafty Garden

Linda's Crafty Creations - Blog Candy

Linda was one of the first people to leave comments on my cards so of course I had to have a peek at her blog well then I became addicted, and am now a regular stalker. Linda uses Prisma w/c pencils and her cards are just perfect....you should check out this blog not only is there some fab candy to win by the time you have finished looking through the wonderful cards you will be drooling and bursting with inspiration! (just check out those cute crochet flowers, Linda makes those herself!!!)
Hope you all had a good Weekend xLoux

A 'Mans' card for the Sugar Bowl

Well when I saw this stamp over at Sugar Nellie ( Funky Kits) I knew I had to have it, with a hubby, son and father mad about fishing, this is just perfect for them and then this week the challenge at The Sugar Bowl is to make a card for 'The most difficult of the species' 'MEN' any age and any occasion so here's what I did (sorry the picture is rubbish if anyone has any ideas on what i can do to improve them please please let me know) used a mixture of Basic Grey Papers (boxer) water coloured the stamped image and used a 'die cut' Dad - Hope you are all having a fab weekend Thanks for stopping by xxx
(arghhh messed up on leaving correct link over on Sugar Bowl sorry!!)

WOW Check out this Blogoversary Candy!!!

Two wonderful blog candys to tell you about the top one is Bev's from http://bevscrafts.blogspot.com/ and the one below is from Debbie from http://passionforcrafts.blogspot.com/

Another wonderful blog i have found through the candy Jar! Bev is celebrating her blogoversary with over 200,000 hits and over 600 followers the stats say it all it is a fab blog with tons of inspiration - lets just say I am drooling AGAIN!!! Look at all this wonderful candy wouldn't that just make your day, week and month to win that lot (must be the chocies that has done it for me lol)

Another fabulous blogoversary candy giveaway over at Passion For Crafts Debbie is offering this wonderful candy to celebrate her 1 year of blogging- this is a blog I usually look in on every so often as Debbie makes wonderful cards congratulations to her for having so many hits in one year and best wishes for the future - I cannot believe all the wonderful goodies here so here's me with my fingers toes and eyes crossed lol

No cards or anything crafty this week I did do a few decoupage cards using the 'Flippin Men' sheets but forgot to take pictures!!! duh what can I say the holidays have numbed my poor little brain cell!!! Oh well kids back to school tomorrow so hopefully will get chance to participate in a few challenges, a few more sugar nellie stamps have arrived so looking forward to having a play with them!

Hope you have all had a great week and weekend, and just because i am not posting anything on here I am still lurking and reading all of your blogs and looking at all your fab creations and of course .... drooling

Friday Sketches Challenge 47

Evening everyone, How’s your Saturday been?

I managed to find some time to get a card made (yippee) so I used the sketch Jacqueline had drawn for Friday Sketches Challenge Blog and my new stamp from Sugar Nellie ( Daisy) which I think is gorgeous it reminds me of when my daughter was little she used to sit just like that The sentiment (which i stamped and embossed) is from Pollycraft (Love Notes)



Here is the sketch








And heres my attempt





Hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend (if you celebrate Easter or not)
Thanks for looking Lou xxx

Wonderful Candy Alerts

Evening All
Jodi from Inked Inspirations has some wonderful amazing candy, she is celebrating 20,000 hits on her blog pop over and have look what you need to do to be in for a chance of winning such marvelous candy and while you are there just take a peek through Jodi's blog there is tons of inspiration
Also
Claire from CraftyC's Crafting library has some wonderful candy to celebrate her recent DT posts, her hits and of course her birthday, please check out her blog and her creations they really are lovely

Another fab candy offer is over at Phoenix Crafts which i must admit is a new blog to me (found this via my friend Em's blog) however having just taken a look i don't know how I missed it, there is so much inspiration This is a piccy of what Jennifer is offering to the lucky winner of her blog candy

After visiting these marvelous blogs i am just the tinest bit green with envy hopefully one day i will be in their league :-) I do enjoy finding blogs that people are promoting because of Candy giveaways NOT for the prizes (it would be great to win one day :-)) but because people start advertising these blogs that i have missed and I get the wonderful opportunity to visit their blogs and drool over their creations.

Please note - I am not responsible for the hours lost while looking through these fab blogs hehe set a timer if you have anything important that needs doing because believe me you will be there for a while! :-)

Friday Sketches Challenge 46

Hello All, Over on Friday Sketches, Heidi has very kindly done an easy sketch for us to use this week (I like easy :-) hehe)

Heres what i did with it

Very pink and girly the papers are Papermania (colossal paper pack pastel) and Fairest of them all Royal Procession by Imaginisce a few flowers and PM brads used the CB Swirls folder to emboss the scalloped square and the Stamped Tilda with Puppy water coloured her and cut her out and sat her on smaller square used a couple of small tags to add a Happy Birthday sentiment and this is off to the little girl next door as its her birthday Sunday

Hope you all have a fab weekend Lou xxx

Think Spring Penny Black Saturday Challenge 42

This is a card for my card groups (Craftyus) March challenge (set by Max) and when i peeked at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge blog found it fitted this weeks challenge theme there! The stamps are from the new Penny black transparent set Garden Friends, flowers ribbon and brads from stash and the backing papers were freebies in a magazine, I used a mixture of water colour pencils and gel pens to colour the picture. Its a lovely bright and vibrant card to make you feel spring like :-)

PollyCraft Monday Challenge

I just adore the Pollycraft stamps (I haven't tried any downloads yet but I am sure they are just as wonderful) This is a stamp from the Woodland Elves collection and she is called Serenity I have coloured her with copics ( E00, R20, R05, E35, B12, E29, G05, Y08) and Sakura pens and water colour pencils, papers are Fairest Of Them All Royal Procession by Imaginisce a few prima flowers and some brads and of course my happy birthday peeloff

I have tried to follow Lindseys Sketch over on the Pollycraft Monday Challenge Blog - its not quite right but I hope it meets the guidelines :-)

Hope you've had a great weekend

Lou xx

Spring Time ATC for Tilda & Friends ATC Challange

Have struggled again with my health this week but managed to complete this ATC for the Tilda and Friends challenge blog where the theme this week is Spring Time you can use any image as long as its cute and you make the atc standard size (3 1/2" x 2 1/2") - well i think this is a very cute image its Sarah Kays Country Girl and i have coloured her with a mixture of water colour pencils and whisper pens and the sentiment is a coloured peeloff telling us 'Its Spring' - this is my 3rd attempt as i tried all sorts of backgrounds and edges but decided i liked this one best! I hope you think she is cute too Hope you have a great weekend x Thanks for stopping by x

Candy Alert

Found another fabulous blog via hopping Pollys Card Heaven and Paula is giving away some wonderful candy ending on March 27th - don't just go for the candy though have a peek at her creations they are lovely very inspiring

Also over at Moments In Time there is also some wonderful Blog Candy which ends March 30th - go visit and check out Candys blog

A quick catch up

The weather here in my part of the UK has been very sunny and warm, spring is definitely on its way the daffodils are out and so i made my 1st Easter card for the year a very simple design using a decoupaged image I am sorry I am useless at taking photos of my cards so thought i would scan this one and its turned out just as bad!

I can't believe how quickly the past week has gone, I have been a bit poorly so not managed to take part in any challenges (other then for my craft forum (Craftyus)) and thought i better post a message here so you know i haven't disappeared

This was for a combined colour and sketch challenge with the colours being Pink and Brown this card is A4 folded in half covered with cappachino brazzill card and pink marshmellow card which i CB embossed and then used a image of Tilda and bench coloured with water colour pencils added some PM brads and prima flowers a couple of small tags with a happy birthday peeloff sentiment

Then also made this atc using the same sketch and colours and left over scraps :-) (this Tilda is coloured with copics so she's a bit brighter

Thanks for stopping by :-)

My 1st Blog Award

My 1st blog award Thankyou so much Linda from Lindas Crafty Creations now i believe the rules are that I pass this on to 10 blogs that i read so here goes my top 10 in no particular order (lol)

1. Emma's Creations

2. Messy Me - Von
3. Rachel's Crafts
4. Lauren B
5. Cindy's Creations
6. Becky's Blog
7. Kym's Crafty Cards
8. Journey With ME
9. Stitcher Scribbler
10. Jilly's Creations

These are 10 great blogs I visit, with so many wonderful blogs these days I have to be careful that I don't spend all my time reading about crafts rather then actually creating things Thank you again Linda , please take the time to visit her blog and look at her wonderful cards (just look at those crocheted flowers aren't they lovely)

Copics Colour Challenge

Was looking around to find some copics instructions and found The Copics Colour Challenge Blog


Its a fairly simple challenge you can make whatever using whatever as long as you use copics as your medium You can find the details here - you can follow the challenge even if you don't have all three colours, this weeks colours are

R05 - Salmon Red

B02 - Robin's Egg Blue

YG23 - New Leaf

Well as I was still in an ATC mood, I checked and luckily had all 3 colours so I decided to use my new magnolia stamp 'Stylish Tilda' (which came from The Glitter Pot ) and created this atc which i thought i would enter, used my oval nestabilities and a few sparkly stickers and of course copics (E00, R20, E35, R05, B02, YG23 + 0)

Hope you have had a good Monday

Thanks for looking :-)

ATC's

Becky is this months host on our craft forum and the atc theme was Tags

These are made using the free papers included with Januarys Making Cards Magazine - the flowers on the tags are twisted pyramids - photography not that great but they are a lovely lilac and yellow with a purple base

Finally got round to playing with my new copic ciao - i can see why everyone raves about them they are so vibrant and easy to use - i think i would upgrade to the copics sketch (when i win the lottery hehe) Used the lovely Magnolia Tilda with sunflowers stamp (she had to lose her legs and shoes though) copics used were E00, E11, R20, E35, B32,Y17,YG06 also used a couple of whisper pens and a gel pen for her hair bow!Thanks for looking

Hope you have all had a good weekend :-)

More Candy alerts over at The Voices in my Head Lims Blog

Wow check out this blog I adore what she does with the magnolia stamps a very talented lady it is Lim's one year Blog Anniversary and she is giving aware some wonderful candy to 3 lucky people ends 7th March - if your ever lacking inspiration just take a peek at her cards :-) they make your fingers start twitching!!

Another card using the Friday Sketch #40 Challenge

I wasn't so pleased with my first try so had another go (i told you i liked the sketch :-) )

I recieved this image from a friend in a swap so not 100% sure but believe it is Hamish from Funstamps again used SEI Co-ordinating papers with Brazzill basic card and brads and ribbon from papermania

I wondered if anyone ever looked at this blog and wondered if it was worth carrying on with it and then i saw that i had some comments which made my day/week/year :-) Thank you so much for taking the time to look and comment it really does mean the world to me - i am just a learner really so tips and advice is always welcomed and hopefully with your help I will improve :-) Thanks for looking :-)

Candy Alert Over at A lil' bit of me

Once again Marlene has some fab candy on offer - i have said before her creations are wonderful check out her blog and you will be as hooked as me,
http://mar1ene.wordpress.com/

I live in hope that some of her talent rubs off on me and have even purchased a few copic ciao to try out stamping and colouring is a fairly new technique for me and i do find it a bit difficult because my hands tremble and shake, but i will keep trying and maybe one day i will master shading. (fingers crossed x)

Friday Sketches Challenge 40

Managed To do a card today for another sketch - whoppee - I bought this stamp from Pollycraft its part of the woodland elves set called Serenity, well I hadn't got around to using it so decided to combine it with these lovely papers from SEI (Dill Blossom) some Brazzill basic paper (Blue Calypso) a few brads from papermania and a Happy Birthday peeloff and a silk flower my lovely friend Lindsey sent me which i believe are Prima - and here is the results

The Sketch is this weeks challenge from Friday Sketchers set by Jacqueline -I think this will end up being a favourite design of mine :-)

Thanks for looking xx

Hope you have a great weekend :-)

Hugs and Cuddles Charisma Cardz Challenge

Hi I thought this was the perfect card to enter into the Hugs and Cuddles Challenge set over at Charisma Cards





The papers are My Minds Eye Co-ordinating and the bears which are 3d are freebie downloads from CuddlyBuddly - The gold sentiment peeloff which is hard to see says Happy Anniversary & With Love

Some of my favourite colours and very cute bears Hope you like it :-)

Roses On Paper Challenge

I saw this challenge while blog hopping and thought I would enter this card Hopefully The link above will give you all the details but if not the challenge was set by Roses On Paper DT member Lim it is a free style one with a theme of Love and/or friendship and you had to use a certain stamp (either Magnolia, Whiff of Joy, Alota, Greeting Farm, Sarah Kay or Rachelle Anne Miller) my stamp is from The Glitter Pot it is a Rachelle Anne Miller Lily and Milo stamp called Enjoy The Moment

Card details

A5 Size Card based with Brazzill Basics Paper Passionate

Papers from Imaginisce - Fairest Of Them All

Heart Brad from Papermania

Handmade flowers using xcut and dovecraft punches

Stamped image coloured with water colour pencils and a bit of glitter

Other items used Circle nestabilities/ curved rectangle nestabilities lots of love stamp free from magazine

Best Friends 3d sticker I think was K&C

Hope i haven't bored you with all the details!! I tried various ways of photographing the card and finally decided scanning it - its still not great but i hope you can see all the lovely sparkly bits in the papers - Hope you like it Thanks for Looking

Lou xx

Handmade By LouLou

Colour Create Challenge 2

The colours for this weeks challenge is Peach and Aqua - when i saw that i immediately panicked you can find the details http://colourcreatechallenge.blogspot.com/

and this is my attempt - I have used a sketch that my friend Chrissie from Craftyus set us

(papers are K &C Dollhouse Peach Paisley and Brazzill basic paper (can't remember actual colour)

punched flowers and image is a Sugar Nellie stamp Cheddar) - its a lot brighter IRL

Blog Candy Alert Ov at Pink Piggy

http://pinkpiggywiggy.blogspot.com/

Over on Dawns blog it is her 1 year blogoversary and she is giving away some Fab goodies - go check out her creations her cards are just lovely, Candy giveaway is until 14th Feb

Pink Green and Brown Challenge Card

After blog hopping yesterday I found a new blog calledhttp://colourcreatechallenge.blogspot.com/ Colour Create which has just started their new colour challenge, well the first challenge is to use colours Pink Green and Brown and as this is a colour combination i would never usually use i thought i would give it a try - so here is my attempt it is my first ever try at a challenge card so i hope it is OK - I decided with such strong colours (I used cerise pink and lime green and brown) i would keep it simple the stamped image is a stamped from The Glitter Pot called Lily and Milo From The heart and i used a selection of Whispers Strokes, gel pens and water colour pencils to colour it in The sentiment is from Penny Black - comments welcomed :-)

Great Blog Candy

This is one of my favourite blogs that i follow Marleens cards are wonderful and after just one year she has had 235.000 visitors (which is no surprise as her creations are fab)

Anyway check out her blog http://mar1ene.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/blogoversary-candy/#comment-10667

There is some wonderful blog candy to win ( hehe catch me learning all the blog language hehe)

First Post

Hi - Well this feels a bit strange not sure what to say so i guess i will just welcome you all and tell you a little about why HandMade By Lou-Lou well Lou Lou is the name that all the youngsters in the family call me and Handmade well because i am hoping to show you all the things handmade by me - lol simple really

The main reason i created a blog was to keep track of the blogs i read really and i am hoping that you lot will give me the help and encouragement and points in the right direction with my crafting so all comments welcomed.

To start the blog i thought i would show you some past projects i have made so you get the idea of what sort of things i like I am not perfect (far from it) but I enjoy what i do and as i said keeps me sane (ish) hehe

So as you can see a little bit of everything from Cross stitched cards to iris folding stamped and decoupage I am just branching out into stamping and think I am getting a little addicted I find it quite difficult and i haven't even started using stamps for backgrounds anywayhere is my first post hopefully you will come back and visit