Blue and kraft Christmas

Back with my second post today and it's a Christmas card using some of the lovely patterned burlap I bought in America. The layered embossed snowflake is one of my favourite purchases from last November's NEC show, along with the Tim Holtz word dies. I added some cord and a pearl and that's it. Love this colour combo. 

It's a horrid damp windy dull day here today. Had a trip to Dunelm Mill this morning including a nice coffee stop. Then Tescos for a little food shop and now glad to be home in the warm. Feeling a bit washed out again today so some computer work planned this afternoon and a spot of crafting if I have time. Hope you are all having a good day.

Challenges

Winter Wonderland Tie a bow 

Papertake Take your pick (cool colours and kraft) 

Craftyhazelnut Cut it up 

ABC Christmas D is for Diecuts 

Fab n Funky Snowflakes 

Simon Says Monday no rules 

Simon Says Wednesday anything goes

Ready for gifts

Clean and simple is the new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge and I chose to make up some of the new money wallets and a gift bag. There is a great range of these money wallets and as they were so popular for Christmas I decided to sell some suitable for Birthdays, Easter etc. You can use them for cash, gift cards or tickets. I simply cut them out and stuck them together and added some glitter and a large rose to the gift bag. Simples.

Challenges

The Paper Shelter make it digital 

Deep Ocean our furry friends 

Simon Says anything goes

Dinkie easel

Another of my sample cards for Litle Claire using one of the 10 new dinkies. I made a dinkie easel card using some of the dinkie  pastel tartan paper. adding some pink raffia lace, white flowers, button and baker's twine. The image was coloured with Copics as usual.

Challenges

Simon Says Monday no rules

4 U

Challenge time again at The Sugar Bowl and we have another anything goes as long as you use a Sugar Nellie image. I love the furry friends images and this one is called texting. I have coloured him with Copics and teamed him with some LOTV Country Gent papers. I make my notepaper effect using a single hole punch and a craft knife. I added some American Crafts stickers, vintage button and baker's twine and mounted it onto a kraft card blank.

Challenges 

Winter Wonderland krafty creations 

Whimsy Use a sentiment

Simon Says Monday no rules 

Papertake take your pick (use kraft card)
Simon Says anything goes
Deep Ocean our furry friends
Fan-tastic Tuesday buttons

 Hubby persuaded me to go the doctor yesterday as the coughing is not much better though I do feel a bit better now the cold has gone. Good job I went  as I now have a week's worth of antibiotics as I have a chest infection. Still taking it fairly easy but this morning need to be up and out for a trip to the hairdresser for a cut and colour and that rescheduled lunch with a friend. It's hubby's Birthday next month so I need to do a bit of Birthday shopping too.

Sweet Peas

Thanks so much for all your get well wishes. Yesterday I finally started to feel like I had a little energy. The cough is easing and the cold is going away. It seems that  lot of people have this horrible barking cough and it is taking a few weeks to disappear. We had a lovely day planned yesterday, massages and facial for me, lunch with a friend and then visit my Mum and her hubby in the afternoon. Sadly we had to cancel them all and reschedule. Another day in the warm was what I needed. That wind yesterday was bitterly cold I was told, I never ventured out.

So on to my card which has been made using one of the LOTV art pads. The papers are some of the last few sheets of one of my fave paper pads from papermania, Henbury Lane. The ribbon, which you can just see, is from Crafty Ribbons.

Challenges

Bunny Zoe For the girls 

Cute Card Thursday floral delight 

Allsorts The colour purple 

We Do Doobadoo Spring

Clean and simple Dinkies

Little Claire have 10 new Dinkie stamps and I have been busy making samples with them. Here are 2 really clean and simple dinkie cards I made.

I coloured the images with Copics. the spotted paper is from the Little Claire dinkie spotted paper pack. I simply added some pearls to finish them off.

I would like to enter these into the no rules challenge at Simon Says Monday.

Ho Ho Ho

Another Christmas card today. Although I need to be making more seasonal cards I am determined to keep up with the Christmas cards too.

Image - precoloured The paper Shelter digi

Papers - oddments 

Punches - Martha Stewart snowflakes

Other - cord, pearl, wooden sentiment and reindeer

Challenges

The Paper Shelter Animal magic 

Simon Says Wednesday Add a little texture 

Whimsy Use a sentiment 

Winter Wonderland krafty creations
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Feature a creature

Graham's favourite things

Here's another layout I completed with some photos from New England holidays. I realised that the photos represented some of the things that hubby loves most about being on holiday. I used some old Stampin' Up papers, a couple of stickers bought in America, WE R Memory Keepers journalling cards, washi tape and wooden car, letters and chevrons from Studio Calico.

We were meant to be going out for a meal later and then going to see the comedian Milton Jones at the theatre, but unfortunately I feel too poorly. Kept waking up during the night coughing and there is no way I can go to see a comedian.

Hat shop

This Stampendous stamp is such a lovely stamp and one I have only used once before I believe. I teamed it with Prima life time papers, some flowers, buttons and raffia and a sentiment die. The lovely script ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons.

I had a sore throat on Tuesday and Wednesday and on Thursday felt really tired despite several good night's sleep. Then on Thursday afternoon I felt worse and a cold hit me so I am suffering a bit at the moment. Hopefully I will start feeling better tomorrow as we are going out tomorrow evening.

Challenges

Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 sketch 45 

The Ribbon Girl Ivory/cream 

Papertake Bingo (ribbon, free, blooms) 

Creative Inspirations buttons 

Bunny Zoe for the girls 

Whimsy use a sentiment

Dance in the rain

I do love images with umbrellas for some reason, maybe it is the symmetry of the umbrella shape that appeals to me, it certainly isn't the idea of rain! I have had a  very busy week getting lots of samples and magazine work made.

Image and sentiment - Inkylicious Dancing in the rain

Papers - LOTV Promises

Flowers - Memoru Box cherry blossom die with DCWV gauze paper and enamel dots

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Clouds - Memory Box dies with gauze paper

Other - Spellbinders die and DI Weathered Wood

Challenges

TTCRD anything goes 

Scribble and Scrap anything goes 

Sweet Stampin' Inspired by a song (Why does it always rain on me? - Travis) 

ABC D is for diecuts

Simon Says Wednesday Add a little teture 

Cute Card Thursday Floral delight

Flowerpot home

A friend of ours has just bought her first house and this is the card I made her. I wanted a fun image and I think this hedgie looks very pleased with his new flowerpot home.

Image - Penny Black Bee Happy

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME on the sunny side

Dies - Spellbinders circle, scalloped circle, curved borders

Sentiment - LOTV

Lace - Crafty Ribbons

Other - flower, brad, pearls

Challenges

Noor Design UK Spring 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts anything goes
The Paper Shelter Animal magic
Simon Says Wednesday Add a little texture

Published in Quick Cards sketch challenge

Every month Quick Cards magazine run a sketch challenge on Facebook and I was delighted that they chose to publish my card as one of their 3 chosen cards. I have coloured Annabelle with Copics, the ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and I have used one of my favourite borders from Doohickey. The star emebllie is from Hobbycraft and I also used the pierced rectangle dies.

Challenges

Bunny Zoe For the girls 

Stamping Sensations anything goes
Scribble and Scrap anything goes

Chillax at 18

I was asked to make an 18th Birthday card with a girl wearing jeans, sparkly pumps and a dog. I love the Sugar Nellie home grown girls and this image immediately sprang to mind. I know she isn't actually wearing pumps but I have added lots of wink of stella to her shoe so it sparkles.

Image - Sugar Nellie Chillax

Medium - Copics

Papers - LOTv Up, Up and Away, MME Remarkable

Ribbon and buttons - Crafty Ribbons

Die - Impression Obsessions puppies

Numbers - American Crafts

Other - baker's twine, wink of stella pen

Challenges

Bunny Zoe For the girls 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts anything goes 

Stamping Sensations Anything goes

Hello I have exciting news

As you may know I have been designing for the online blog for Cardmaking and Papercraft since last June. Well I am so excited to say that I will also be doing some commission work for their magazine and this is the first of them. 

I was asked to make a Hello card for the subscriber's extra supplement for the February edition and this is the card I made.

Image - LOTV James Peeping

Medium - Copics

Papers - MME Unforgettable

Die - Marianne creatables

Other - pearls, fineliner pen

Challenges

Penny Black and More at Allsorts Anything goes 

Simon Says All creatures great and small 

Crafting Musketeers Cute
Sweet Stampin' Inspired by a song (Hello - Lionel Ritchie)

An early start for me today as I have my monthly craft stall at the hospital shop today so I will link up and catch up with you later.

Anniversary picnic

Time for the normal monthly challenge at Little Claire and we are looking for your cards showing love. I chose to use another of the silhouette stamps, can you tell I love these stamps? This is also available as a digi. 

Papers - First Edition Rose Garden

Dies - Joy fleur de lys border cut in half, La L Land heart banner

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons.

Challenges

Natalie and Amy All about the love 

Paper Creators Love is in the air

Head over heels

Time for a new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge and I chose the theme of children's playtime. There are so many Pink Gem images which are suitable for this challenge and although you can use any image we love to see your Pink Gem cards. I really love this colour combo, so cheerful unlike the drab outside we have at the moment. I am missing the Florida sunshine and looking forward to Spring.

Image - Cartwheel Jodie

medium - Copics

Papers - MME On the sunny side

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

Die - MB bunting.

Challenges

Crafting from the heart Anything goes 

Bunny Zoe For the girls 

Noor Design UK Spring

Holiday stash and candy winner

As promised here are 5 pics of the lovely new goodies I bought on holiday in Florida. Firstly burlap is everywhere and as you may know I love it. I have never seen patterned burlap before and there was so much to choose from but I restricted myself to 2 rolls and a paper pad.

Papers, alphabets and stickers for scrapbooking.

Lots of lovely embellishments including some Tim Holtz tissue tape I have wanted for ages but never liked the price here. It was lovely to find some different products not available here.

Items to be decorated for sale.

Last but certainly not least, some lovely stamps, an embossing folder and some MFT dies. Thanks to my blogging buddy Judith telling me about the MFT shop in Eustis, a pretty little town, I was able to get these gorgeous dies. The girl in the shop was so friendly, gave me $5 off for liking and posting on their Facebook page and gave me the free set of dies show, which are not in a packet. They were free if you spent $60 but I didn't spend that much so that was very unexpected.

And now to my candy winner. Thanks to everyone who entered. The winner is.........

That's you Deborah A congratulations. Please email me and I will get your voucher code to you.

Don't worry I also bought some yummy goodies in Florida to give away so another candy will be coming along.

Sorry if I haven't visited you yet. I have so much to catch up on after being away for two and a half weeks. I did manage some ironing yesterday but the amount that is left is huge. I also have DT cards to make, samples for Little Claire and some magazine commissions. Thankfully I made all my DT cards for February and early March before I went away.

It's Maurice again

Yes it's Maurice with his camera again. Somebody saw the card I made last month o my Facebook page and asked if I could make her one with a blue shirt. She said the image was perfect for somebody whose Birthday is this month so I hope he likes it. 

Image - Pollycraft

Medium - Copics

Ppaers - Papermania 

Punch - MS zigzag border

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Camera stamp -  bought on Facebook

Other - glossy accents

Challenges

Little Miss Muffet Anything goes 

Crafting from the heart Anything goes 

Sister Act Anything goes

Birthday Train

This is the second card I made for my Mum's neighbour. This one is for her little girl to give to her brother. I didn't have an image with a train, other then a Christmas one but I remembered that I had a diecut I bought years ago before I discovered stamping. In my quest to use old stash I decided to use this as the main focus of my card. It is rather cute isn't it. 

I teamed it with First Edition Man Made paper, a Papermania Happy Days journal tag with added doodling, Memory Box clouds and a little Claire sentiment stamp.

The washing machine and tumble dryer will be going full steam today with all that holiday washing. Time to restock the fridge and cupboards too. I have posts scheduled for a few days and will catch up with you as soon as I can and of course draw my candy and share some pics of my lovely new stash.

Crafty Ribbons Candy

This post will stay at the top until 11 February. Please scroll down for newer posts.

I recently won a £10 voucher for Crafty Ribbons and as I am on the DT decided to offer it as a candy, with their agreement, thanks Ali.

To enter you must be a follower with Google friends connect and display the above picture in your sidebar with a link back to my blog. Candy closes 11 February.

You must enter via the Link, click on the blue frog.

Wedding card and on my home from holiday

A new challenge for the digi DT at Little Claire and being February the challenge is love and romance. I decided to play along too and this is my DT card sing the gorgeous silhouette stamp available as a digi or clear stamp. Remember you must use a digi to play along.

The papers are Santoro and I coloured a white doily with DI Antique Linen and added some vintage lace from Crafty Ribbons, pearls and a paper bow from Hobbycraft.

And yes as you read this I will be travelling back from Florida where we have been on holiday since 26 January. I hope you enjoyed my scheduled daily posts whilst I have been away. Thanks for your visits and comments which I really appreciate. I only managed a little commenting whilst I have been away using the wonders of WiFi and my iPad but I didn't had a lot of time as there is so much to do out there and a lot of the time the pictures wouldn't load so I couldn't see your wonderful creations. I did some crafty shopping, which I will show you and also bought a few things for a candy and I will catch up with you all soon.

Challenges

Deep Ocean Love is all around 

Crafting for all seasons have a heart 

Fussy and Fancy It's all about love 

Natalie and Amy All about the love 

Paper Creators Love is in the air 

Scrap and Craft Valentines/Love/Romance

Christmas wishes

The crafting resolutions are going well. Another Christmas card for the box, that's 4 so far. I have been sorting through my folders of stamped images and oh what a lot there are to use. So this one was sitting in the Christmas folder, a lovely Inkylicious stamp. I love the effect of white ink on kraft. I teamed it with a few of the last remaining pieces of Bo Bunny Snowfall papers, Joy snowflakes, some twine, a charm and pearls.

Tissue Box

I bought a couple of tissue boxes in Hobbycraft to decorate and this is the first one I have done. Not the easiest of things to photograph and the ribbon looks purple but is in fact light brown!

This is the top. The box was painted cream and I then added paper to the top, raffia lace, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, a paper bow from Hobbycraft and flowers and pearl sprays.

Another floral lady

This is the second of the lovely floral lady digis from Sugar Nellie. I coloured her with Copics and used some more MME papers. I seem to have several pads with these colours and am very drawn to them at the moment. So cheerful I think, the promise of Spring. The butterfly die is from Joy and I also used my corner rounder punch and added some crispy lace ribbon and pearls.

Still time to enter my candy, see above.

Another Scottie dog

This is the third of my samples I made for Little Claire using the new club stamp set Scottie Dogs. I stamped it in white on black card for a change, added some pearl dots and faux stitching. The doily was made using a Marianne die and I added some cute spotted buttons.

Anniversary Gift

I bought 3 new stamps from LOTV before Christmas when they had them on offer for £10. I chose this one as I wanted a new stamp to use for my good friend Lynsey's Wedding Anniversary. Isn't it adorable and great for lots of occasions.

Image - LOTV

Medium - Copics

Papers MME Lost and Found Rosy

Sentiment - Forever Friends

Hearts - Simon Says

Other - DI Frayed Burlap, lace

Don't forget my candy ends in a few days.

Boating

My turn to host the challenge this fortnight at Crafty Ribbons and I chose nautical as my theme. I had a completely different idea in my head with an image when I chose the theme but having discovered this photo in my oddments pile decided to use it instead.  I made a 7"x7" card, LOTV Up, Up and Away paper, fresh stripe ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and some pearls. The photo was taken on Lake Maggiore in Italy and I didn't want to over embellish it. Hubby really liked it when I showed him so hopefully someone will like it enough to buy it.

Flowers and doilies

Another play with flower dies today. The backing paper is First Edition Rose Garden. I went for a distressed look, using sanded kraft core Core'dinations and a TH distressing tool. The flowers were made with a Marianne die and added enamel dots. I cut the doilies in half and layered them under the lace, added some seam binding and pins.

Girly Scottie

The second of my Little Claire samples and I decided to make a girly card for this one. I coloured the image with Copics and then fussy cut it. The papers are First Edition Rose Garden. I added some pink hessian from Poundland, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and a flower from Hobbycraft.

Cupcakes

I made this order for a lady who wanted a card for a 16 year old who loves making cupcakes. She was thrilled with the card which is always lovely when you make something for an order. I used one of my neglected corner punches and was so pleased to find the appropraiae ribbon too.

Image - LOTV

Medium - Copics

Papers - Dovecraft Cupcake Boutique

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Flowers - mostly Wild Orchid

Punches - Martha Stewart

Scotties and tartan

The new club stamps from Little Claire feature these cute Scottie dogs and this is the first of my samples I want to share with you. I coloured the image with Copics and paper pieced the coats and collars with the new Dinkie tartan papers also from little Claire. I also used these to make an interesting background and paper pieced the umbrellas made with a Memory Box die. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons.