Cupcakes

Have you noticed that cupcakes are all the rage at the moment?
These 2 cards are another offering for the very worthwhile project run by Post Pals and will be accompanying small gifts to 2 very special children later today, in the hope that it will bring a smile to their faces for a while at least.
If you would like more information about this project then click the Post Pals link above or the icon on my sidebar.

Simon Says Stamp is this week encouraging us to make multiple cards and projects for their Happy Mail Challenge and so if you want to join in then pop over there and show your support.

Bubbly Scrumptious are running a Cupcake Challenge throughout July so these are perfect for that and there is a fabulous prize on offer there too worth ... wait for it!!! ... approx £75.
EEEK!! Unbelievably generous.
To check out the rules properly, click on the links above or the cute wee blinkie that's flashing on my sidebar.
As I have no cupcake stamps or templates ... how sad am I? ... an oval scallop punch was used to create the topping from some button printed cardstock and this was inked around the edges. The cases were simply cut from blue gingham card and then foam pads were used to adhere them to the card.
Buttons and a teeny bit of ribbon provide a smidgeon of decoration and a simple greeting finishes them off. Doesn't get much quicker or easier than that.

Sunshine On A Rainy Day

It's positively chucking it down here today ... grey, wet an horrid ... and this nasty weather is to continue for the whole weekend, (unlike the majority of the UK south of Newcastle for whom the sun will be splitting the sky ... sob ... sob ...).
Soooooooo to cheer up the grey mood I sneaked into my crafty space and played about with some paper. A bit naughty really when the laundry basket is screaming for help and buckling under the weight of washing ... but I feel rebellious today!

The base card is created from an A4 sheet of lovely heavyweight red card from my stash and provides a really stable base to work on. The pretty butterfly paper is from the Papermania Flowery pad and is double matted onto lilac card and gold mirri card, just showing a narrow border of each.
Offcuts of the same card was used on the folded front panel before adding a strip of fabulous shimmery ribbon ... isn't it pretty?
A simple greeting courtesy of a small Anita's stamp is added to the bottom right corner and the circle stickers down the ribbon panel are from a DCWV pad.

I wanted to join in with the latest Kaboodle Doodle Colour Challenge but as I don't own a single scrap of Stamping Up paper or ink, I had to attempt a colour match with what I had in my stash so hope they're close enough to count.

This card will soon be winging it's way to the parents of the little boy I made yesterday's Post Pals card for, in the hope that it will brighten their day a little bit.
NOW ... I'd better get off my lazy rear and tackle the washing.
Golly gee ... what a fun life I lead!!

Summertime Blog Candy & Happy Mail

My very dear cyber friend Ann from Craftroom Creations is offering some fabulous Penny Black stamps as blog candy to celebrate her upcoming birthday.
In order to qualify for entry to her draw, she has set a little task and it's one that I am more than willing to do.
Please pop over HERE and join in with her Summertime Blog Candy ... not only will you be in with a chance of winning brilliant blog candy, but you'll also help to bring a smile to a child's face and a little sunshine into their day ... believe me there's no better feeling than that!
Coincidently the Simon Says Stamp Challenge for this week is Happy Mail and is asking for cards for Post Pals and a similar project Make a Child Smile.
There are going to be some humungous smiles doing the rounds this week if we each step up to the plate and send just one little card or one brief letter to one sick child.

Here is a quick card I made this morning from a cute QVC kit called Patchwork Pals.
I do feel like I've cheated a bit because all I had to do was punch an aperture in a DL card blank, pop out the diecuts and stick them on.
I didn't realise the back and front images don't match exactly until after I'd already glued one half which is a bit of a nuisance 'cos it looks like I've misaligned the pieces but I didn't ... t'was naughty Kanban's fault!!

However, I'm sure the little boy it is intended for won't care a jot about that ... so I won't either.

I've wanted to get involved with Post Pals for some considerable time, but to my shame, I kept dilly dallying and putting it off ...
... but thanks to Ann's wee blog candy challenge I have finally been spurred into doing something and with the Post Pals direct link now a permanent feature on my sidebar, I fully intend to send a little something to a special child regularly from now on.
It really isn't difficult ... and you only have to read the messages on the site to know it means so much to these children and their families.