Holiday Something

Here are a couple of cards I made for a friend's daughters. They have recently discovered scrapbooking and cardmaking so what better excuse to make a couple more cards!




I am going to enter these into the Stamp Something challenge which is 'Holiday Something'.

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year.

Time to craft.....

I was sooo cold yesterday that after a spot of last minute Christmas shopping at Gunwharf I shut myself in my craft room, its so snug and cosy in there....
I've got a few special cards still to make and this is one of them. The stamp is one I treated myself to recently, I used an old sketch and my favourite DCWV papers, they just go on forever. Image coloured with copics.
I am entering this card into the following challenges, Crafty Creations, which is to use traditional xmas colours, Simon Says Stamp, which is Merry Christmas and Susie's Sassy Challenge which is A Touch of Gold, my touch of gold is a bit of ribbon from some posh crackers we had last year.

For Sale - Magnolia Winter & Christmas stamp club kit

I finally received my Magnolia Winter & Christmas stamp club kit on Friday and was disappointed to discover there aren't any Christmas stamps in it - one of the reasons I ordered it! The stamps are Valentine themed, not something I make a lot of cards for so I am offering it for sale, these are no longer available as a kit from the company as a kit and would cost considerably more separately.

The stamps included are listed below

5 Tilda images
1 Edwin image
1 mini Edwin image
A grand piano image
1 lacy heart image aprox 2"
2 roses
1 banner
1 key type image with ribbon & hearts on
1 wine bottle
1 glass of bubbly
Candelabra
and 3 text images.
They are not foam mounted, just the grey rubber.

I would like £30 + P&P which should be no more than £1.50 for first class postage.
If you are interested please leave a message here or email me.

Suppose I will have to go in search of the few remaining christmas images available.

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Woke up this morning with a start as I realised that I hadn't posted my DT card for Creative Card Crew on my blog this week. I usually do it on a scheduled post but DH wanted to use the laptop on Sunday to do a bit of online shopping which upset my routine!! Lets hope me bought me something nice ;-)



Anyway finally here we are with this week's 'Anything Goes' challenge. I had the perfect card to make having received the news last week that my cousin & his wife in New Zealand had had an early Christmas present, their baby arrived 5 weeks early. Welcome to the world Jessica. Wish we were nearly and could have a cuddle - one day!!!
It also gave me the opportunity to use one of my new stamps that arrived recently and has been waiting to be inked up - Vintage Baby from Funky Kits. Papers are none other than DCWV, image coloured with copics.

Just one more thing, we are losing the very talented Nicola from the Design Team this week, so there is a DT call on, visit Creative Card Crew blog for more deets.
Had better be off to the shower now, another busy day at work, Christmas dinner day.... looking forward to end of term on Friday.

I am entering this card into 2 challenges, I used the sketch at Friday Sketchers and the challenge at Create 4 Fun is to make an easel card.

Finally managed to fit in a spot of crafting today.



The Admin Assistant at the local Infant School is retiring at the end of term and I wanted to make a retirement card for her as she was there when my children went through the school some years ago (they are at secondary school and university now!) and for the last 4 years, at the end of the phone when we need to pick her brains.... Madge what will we do without you?
She cheered me up no end the other day by telling me that I would have to work until I am 68, and there was me thinking it was 65.... never mind, according to my Wii Fit, I am 9 years nearer retirement than I actually am - wonder if the Governement will pay my take that into account when I claim my pension!!

Thought this would be an occasion to use the Summer By The Sea set from Stampin' Up! and the Stampin' Pastels, as they haven't been used for a while!! Broke into a brand new stamp set for the sentiment, not sure how long they have sat on the shelf waiting to be used but have put that right now by using 2 of them today. Look out for my Creative Card Crew DT card tomorrow to see the other sentiment.

Am off to bed now, catch up soon.

Get your skates on.....

I don't know how you ladies are doing with your Christmas preparations, but I still have quite a bit to do. I'm afraid I'm one of those people who don't relax until the shops have shut on Christmas Eve and I know there is nothing else I can buy! So I really need to get my skates on...



The challenge this week at Creative Card Crew is to use gold or silver on your card. Not something I usually struggle with at anytime of the year but at this time its easy peasy.
I used one of my new stamps from Whiff of Joy which dropped on my mat at the weekend, I just adore this cute lil' mouse, coloured with copics and mounted onto DCWV papers, I know a little bit predictable, but hey they are my favourites :-)

The challenge this week is sponsored by Crafty Addicts and is a fabby prize so why not visit the blog and see what it is - come on you know you want to!

Another busy day today, which sees the final 2 performances of our Christmas concert, always a very busy time, trying to organise the tickets, ensuring we can accommodate as many parents, siblings, grandparents and other relatives as possible. I am going to watch one of the performances, really looking forward to it as I have heard the practices going on for the last couple of weeks but not seen any of it yet.

Just remembered I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday, so better get on over there and leave a link before its too late.....

Edwin & Tilda again......

Not had much time to blog lately, I had an open day at home on Thursday and was at a local junior school Christmas fair on Saturday, in between was catching up on housework :-( & Christmas preparations.... oh and a bit of patchwork !!!

After all that hard work I felt I deserved some time in my craft room.....



There are so many great challenges about at the moment I was spoilt for choice but settled on the sketch at Papertake Weekly, the theme at My Time to Craft, which is Winter Pals and making a Christmas card using non-traditional colours at A Spoon Full of Sugar. There really was only one stamp I could use for this card, it has been well inked of late but here goes another card....
Image coloured with copics to match the papers from DCWV Xmas stack, snowflakes made with Punch Bunch stamp and brads from stash. SU! punches got another outing on this card too to make the little stopper that makes the card stand up.

Anyhow had better be off to bed now, work tomorrow, it's silly season at the moment, so much going on, but my favourite time of the year at work. I love listening to the children practising the Christmas concert. There are 2 performances tomorrow and Tuesday so its gonna be busy!

Manga Fairy sends a bit of sparkle your way

Here's a card I made with one of my new stamps that dropped through my letterbox yesterday - no, NOT Magnolias, still waiting for them :-(



After much deliberation I decided I really DID need the Manga Fairy stamp and another 4 jumped into the basket at the same time - well you have to take advantage of free P & P dont you?
Anyhow back to my card, the current challenge at Susie's Sassy Challenge is 'Pink & Sparkly and I used the sketch from One Stop Craft Challenge, so a 2 in 1 on this card.
The image was coloured with copics and a lil' bit of bling added with good old Glamour Dust. Gorgeous ribbon just jumped in my basket when I was at the Range last night and pearlescent card from stash. Sentiment and punched shapes from Stampin' Up!

Day off tomorrow, yippee........ looking forward to not having to go out, the weather has been dreadful here in Gosport today, I had to paddle to get to my car tonight! I'm having an open day tomorrow, got cards, jewellery and some patchwork for sale if you are local and would like to come and browse drop me an email.

Aww just noticed I'm too late for Susie's Sassy Challenge :-(

Should be sewing but couldn't resist the call of my craft room...

I was going to do some patchwork this evening but felt it really difficult to ignore the call of my craft room - its just so snug and warm out there!!



It a while since this stamp has seen any ink so thought it was about time and it fits in with the challenge at Cute Card Thursday this week of making a card for 'Younger Boys', I used the autumnal colours set at Copic Colour Challenge, which are E29 Burnt Umber, G99 Olive Green & YR16 Apricot, thought I was going to be able to use this card for The Sugar Bowl challenge but just realised that there's no combining challenges if there's a prize up for grabs:-( oh well 2 will have to do, just means I'll have to make another card tomorrow night or maybe tonight - well I did have some new rubbah delivered from Funky Kits today!
Image coloured with copics, papers from MME Magnolia stack.

Posting 2 days in a row....

I don't seem to be getting much crafting done lately so posting 2 days in a row is a rarity these days!



The challenge at Creative Card Crew this week is 'Christmas' and is sponsored by Whimsy Stamps, there are 2 lovely images for one lucky winner this week, so get cracking with those Christmas cards, you can never have too many!
I made another easel card, loving these, and another of my favourite stamps, Miss Snow. The papers are from a DCWV stack, Cuddly Buddly sentiment and Stampin' Up! punches.
I am entering this card for 4 challenges,
Crafty Creations - Christmas theme
Charisma Cards - Anything Christmas
Colour Create - Green, Red & White
Anyone for Anya - sketch

Looking forward to seeing your entries this week.

4 challenges in 1 card .....

Long time no see...... I had a fabby birthday on Thursday and been busy since then.
I've not managed much crafting but squeezed in a spot of craft shopping with Christmas shopping!
I finally managed to get into my craft room yesterday to make my DT card for Creative Card Crew, check back here tomorrow to see it. I thought I would make another card for my Christmas box and here it is....



One of my favourite Magnolia stamps - had you noticed that? it is appearing on a lot of my Christmas cards this year... thought it was about time I cut up some of the Basic Grey Figgy Pudding papers I bought last year and couldn't bring myself to cut up until now. Image coloured with Promarkers finished off with a bit of bling, Art Institute glitter, I love this rich chocolate brown one, added a bit of lace and another card for the pile.
I am entering this card for 4 challenges
Passion for Promarkers - vintage theme - any colours
A Spoon Full of Sugar - brown base colour with blue or pink
Simon Says Stamp - Winter Love
Creative Inspirations - sketch.

Woo Hoo - I'm in the Top 3 at Susie's Sassy Challenge

What great news, I discovered I had come in the Top 3 at Susie's Sassy Challenge - thanks Susie, sorry it's taken me a couple of days to collect my badge, had a couple of busy days as yesterday was my birthday, I had lunch out with Barry, Mum & Ellie, saw lots of my friends and rounded the day off with a few drinks at the local!
Hope to catch up on card making and bloggging over the weekend, especially if the weather forecast is to be believed!

I haven't forgotten my promised blog candy, I will be back with it over the weekend.
Hope you have a relaxing, crafty weekend.

A bit of beading.... and some blog candy on its way

This project has been a long time in the making! One of my Mum's friends bought a beautifully beaded bauble last year. I just had to have a go at making one, but not having a pattern, it was a case of trial and error and adding my twist to the design.



It has taken about 3 attempts, the second one was nearly finished, as I was tightening the thread it snapped, so I cut it up and started again with Fireline, a lot stronger thread. This is the third version which ended up somewhat different, when it came to adding the beads at the bottom I didn't have enough in the right colour, so a quick dash to the local beading shop was in order yesterday. I finally finished it last night! I've got lots more designs buzzing round in my head now and ideas on how I would do it differently next time, so watch this space....

Sorry about the glare on the photo, it was the best I could do, will try to get a better shot later.

In celebration of my birthday tomorrow and recently reaching 10,000 hits I will be back with some blog candy later.

Better go and get ready for work now, have a great day .....

Gingerbread man with bling!!

The challenge this week at Creative Card Crew is sponsored by Digital Delights and the theme of 'Favourite Things' has been chosen by Paula. We were all provided with a choice of digi images to use - I'm not usually one to use digi images, more of a rubbah girl but its very easy and I can see myself using more of these images in the future.



I chose to work with the gingerbread man image, which I printed on to SU! Whisper White cardstock, sprayed with hairspray to seal the image and coloured with Promarkers. The papers are from a DCWV stack, ribbon from the Range and snowflakes made using MS punch. I made an easel style card - really liking these!

Another Christmas card made and I know just whose mat this card is going to be dropping on!

Looking forward to seeing your entries this week.

Finally a card.....

I spent a couple of hours sorting my craft room yesterday evening and as usually happens I got sidetracked and ended up making this card.



I was given this image as part of a RAK, thanks Paula. I chose the papers first, from my current favourite, MME Magnolia stack, then chose the colours for the image.
The layout is the sketch at Papertake Weekly this week, and I am also entering it for the My Time To Craft challenge 'Under My Umbrella' and Crafty Creations challenge of 'Metal/Metallic Finishes, hope my lil' brolly charm qualifies for this.
What a faff it was getting the links together and trying to get the charm to dangle how I wanted it to!

Blue Tilda & Edwin

Another card using one of my favourite Tilda & Edwin images. I have followed the sketch at Just Magnolia and used the colours blue, white & silver as per the challenge at Colour Create.
I coloured the image with Promarkers, dug out an old DCWV Christmas stack. A bit of distressing on the turquoise cardstock, snowflakes from various punches. Ribbon and brad from stash. I ended up using a small peel off greeting here, as I didn't have a text stamp small enough to put in the space I had left! Nearly forgot to add a lil' bit of Glamour Dust on the edges of Tilda's coat, well a girl's got to have a bit of bling hasn't she?

Has anyone received their Christmas Magnolia kit yet? Hope they get a move on, otherwise won't have time to do it justice.

Am off out for something to eat this evening, day off tomorrow, so should be able to fit in some crafting.... Have a great evening whatever you are up to.

My first easel card

The challenge at Creative Card Crew this week is 'Strings Attached' Linda who has chosen this challenge would like to see fibres on your card.



Having seen lots of easel cards around in blogland recently I decided to give one a go. Really enjoyed making this, can see I'm gonna be making a few more of these, they are so effective and easy to make. Just what I needed after my hectic weekend...
I used some more of those lovely paper from the MME Magnolia stack, Edwin & Tilda skating, such a cute image, coloured with my copics. If you look closely you can just about see fibre on my card - yes it is there, tied through the button in the middle of the flower.

The prize this week is a $20 gift certificate from Simon Says Stamp, so lets see your fibres....

Miss Anya in the Pink and Lilac

Woo hoo, I can enter this card for 6 challenges.....



I dusted off my Cricut for this card - I used the Accent Essentials cartridge to cut the giant snowflake, which I put on top of the circle of pink glittery paper and dots of purple stickles on each circle although these haven't come out too clearly in the photo. Miss Anya was coloured with copics, loving the grey shades, and icicle stickles on the fur in the image. just in case you hadn't noticed! Paper is from DCWV paper stack, would you expect anything else these days?
Greeting is a Cuddly Buddly stamp on punched circles using SU! punches. Charm and gems from stash.
Photo is pretty bad but try as I might I can't get one without any glare, please click on the image for a closer look.

I can feel a night in my craft room coming on, as I can hear the rain lashing against the windows and its nice and snug in my lil' room.

The challenges are :-

1. the sketch from Friday Sketchers
2. Christmas theme from Roses on Paper
3. Use punches for La La Land
4. Christmas theme at Stamp with Us
5. Merry & Bright at Charisma Cardz
6. Glitter Me Silly at Cute Card Thursday

Do A Doodle

It's Donna's turn to set the challenge this week at Creative Card Crew and she has chosen the theme of 'Do A Doodle' I am a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to doodling, but took a deep breath and gave it my best shot!



Thought I would give Miss Anya Rain a bit of an inking up as it was raining when I started to make the card. The papers are from an MME, Magnolia paper stack, loving these papers, they are all delish.
I had fun and games with the image, had coloured Miss Anya with copics, just thought I would add a little shading and the ink bled all over the edges of the stamped image so that ended up in the bin - in little pieces.

When I had sorted out all the layers and stuck them together I put them on the card base the wrong way round, grrrrr..... so off came the card front and stuck it to another. Boy is this card heavy now, even more so as I have decorated the inside, just glad I used papers not cardstock, otherwise the poor old postie would be getting a workout ;-)



The sponsor of this week's challenge is the lovely Nikki at Bunny Zoe's Crafts, lots of lovely stash at wonderful prices, why not pay a visit and do some online shopping, my kind of shopping these days, don't have to put a foot out of the door or even get dressed!

I've followed the recipe at Anyone for Anya this week which is to use 3 papers, 2 buttons and 1 bow. The buttons are tiny but they are there, just about visible under the bows.

Happy 18th Birthday Scott

Just a quick card tonight, after my early morning crafting session this morning. I can hear my bed calling but had to make a card for the son of a friend who is 18 tomorrow - I know, talk about leave it till the last minute!
Card from stash, stamps from Cheers to You set and circle and scalloped circle punches from SU!

Late night crafting

I was having trouble sleeping last night so after laying awake for 30 minutes, I decided to get up and make a cuppa. While the kettle was boiling, thought I would do a quick tidy of my craft room, as its next to the kitchen. I got sidetracked, as you do when you go into a craft room and began to make a card for an image that had been coloured.



I broke into a new paper stack from DCWV for this one (last years) had to have it but didn't use it - does that sound familiar? The papers just matched the blue on the image. I fiddled for ages as the snowflake was too big and kept covering Charlie's cute lil' face. The starry shiny paper is from stash, bought when I first started making cards. The sentiment is from an SU! kit.
I used the sketch from A Spoon Full of Sugar challenge this week and am going to enter it into Susie's Sassy Challenge.



Even managed to decorate the inside of the card again.....

Distressing - the card and me!!

I've had a distressing evening in my craft room - you can see the result below.....



I've just got the hang of using distress inks around the edge of my papers and images, can do the sandpaper bit but using the blade of the scissors filled me with dread..... I came out in a hot sweat but had to give it a go as per the tutorial at Just Magnolia this week.
Image was RAK, coloured with copics as per the colours this week at Copic Colour challenge and layout is from Sketch & Stash challenge. Papers are old stash, Papermania I think and textured card is DCWV.

Should be off to bed now but maybe I could fit a bit more colouring in before I go...
Have a good weekend whatever you are up to, wish I was off up to the NEC but gotta get my eyes tested, getting to that funny age, and then bathroom shopping :-(
Still there's always Sunday....

Finally ...... Just Magnolia

I love the challenges set over at Just Magnolia, but for the last few weeks just don't seem to have managed to get a card in on time, so I am really pleased to have got this card made in time for this weeks Monochrome challenge.



I've made a few monochrome cards lately using copics, just got a good selection of greys in one of the sets. I think Tilda looks 'all dolled up with nowhere to go' in this image. Backing papers from stash and a DCWV glitter stack I've had forever. Sparkly brad is a Papermania one, ribbons and blooms from stash.

I've used the sketch from Papertake Weekly and the scallops on the sentiment mean I can enter it for My Time to Craft challenge - 3 challenges in one card.

I'd better go and get the dinner on now, else I'll have 3 hungry teenagers after me.

WOYWW - a mess!!

I know its Thursday but here's a photo of my workdesk when I had finished playing last night - I was too tired to tidy up so this is what I was faced with this morning. Why not join in the fun and show us your workspace, go and have a nosy at other people's workspace at The Stamping Ground



Its my day off today, so I've done a few chores, met a friend for coffee and hope to make a card or two this afternoon.
I've found my missing copic, I hate losing things and don't rest till I've searched high and low to find them. Was purely by chance I took out one of my hanging folders to dig out some patterned paper and the lil' devil rolled out! Must have got caught up when I was crafting last week. Lesson to be learned here - must keep my workspace tidy!!