Last day of November

This is another of the cards I have published in the current issue of Papercrafter using the free Docrafts papers. The sentiment is part of one of the papers. I added some burlap from he Range and used a Marianne die to diecut a poinsettia from another of the papers. The holly branch is a Memory Box die. I used my favourite Go Kreate Frilly squares 10 die to create the shaped card.

So this morning the plumber is coming to service the heating. Once he has gone we need a quick clean round the house. Tonight we are out again with friends, this time for a carvery and then to see That'll be the day Christmas show. They are a fantastic troupe who perform songs mainly from the 50's, 60's and 70's with a bit of 80's thrown in too. Lots of fun, some comedy sketches and great musical performances. The Commitments show on Monday was excellent, great music and very funny.

Challenges

Allsorts anything Christmas

Can you believe tomorrow is December and oh boy I have a lot to pack in tomorrow, read my post tomorrow to find out what I have planned.

Crafts Beautiful card

If you have the latest Crafts Beautiful magazine you will have seen this card published.  It's a cute Wee pre coloured topper from The Hobby House teamed with Dovecraft Winter blooms papers, Crafty Ribbons sentiment ribbon, Memory Box die cut holly, Woodware punched holly and some red pearls. 

Challenges

Simon Says Christmas to die for

Little Miss Muffet anything goes

Allsorts anything Christmas

Today I am out for a facial and back massage, just the thing with all I have going on this week.

Solitary skater

I have so much on the calendar this week I may meet myself coming the other way. It all starts tonight with a meal at Pizza Express with friends and then a visit to the theatre to see The Commitments. I loved the film so hope the stage show is going to be good. We are rarely disappointed with the shows there.

So I have been experimenting with my Card-io stamps again. I really love creating these wreaths. I wanted a real Wintry feel with the forest with a touch of colour using small ink pads. I stamped the skater and then created the reflection as we shown at the demo by stamping on acetate. I added a few lines of glitter too.

Challenges

Noor! Design UK Winter

Allsorts anything Christmas

All Aboard!

I made this card for a friend's Birthday recently. As he and his wife enjoy cruising I went with that theme. The paper and some of the items are Papermania, others are Tim Holtz. It made a nice change from making Christmas cards, much as I love making them, just to play around with tickets and ephemera to come up with this layout. I added some string and an anchor charm.

Christmas present

As this publishes I shall be setting up my stall at Reepham craft fair. Let's hope I do a least as well as I did last year, which was my first time there.

My card today is for our new challenge at A Gem of a Challenge and I couldn't have chosen better myself - Snowmen! I went for a distressed look with my card today.

Image - Pink Gem Chilly with gift

Medium - Copics, Sakura bluestar pen

Papers - Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid Winter

Burlap - The Range

Die - Memory Box snowflake

Sentiment - Hobbycraft

Other - fun flock, pearl pen

Challenges

Paper Creators anything goes 

Noor! Design UK Winter 

The Ribbon Girl any image
Simon Says Christmas to die for

Another snowman

One of the gorgeous Hobby House pre coloured toppers for my card today. I really love these images and they are so beautifully coloured.

Papers - Studio Light Scandinavian

Dies - Whimsy fence, Frantic Stamper tree

Sentiment - LOTV

Punch - X cut corner rounder

Other - white Wink of Stella, Stickles, Sakura red sparkle pen

Challenges

Noor! Design UK Winter 

Allsorts O Christmas tree 

Scrap and Craft Christmas time 

The Ribbon Girl any image
Simon Says Christmas to die for

More Jingles

I had a good day at the hospital craft fair yesterday and afterwards we went for a carvery with friends. Didn't get home until 8 and was very tired. Had a quick look at my blog and have to say I am not impressed with the changes. Why do they keep changing things? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

So onto today's card. We have a new challenge today at Crafty Ribbons and it is such an easy one, Christmas with ribbon. This is actually the last of my four cards made for making Cards magazine using Jingles the reindeer from Pink Gem. Paper is Craftwork Cards Chambray and Lace. I added some of the lovely sentiment ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, some MS punched snowflakes and Frantic Stamper diecut trees. Lots of glitter on this one today.

Challenges 

  Noor! Design UK Winter 

Allsorts O Christmas tree 

The Ribbon Girl any image 

Simon Says Christmas to die for

Christmas plaque

I made a few more plaques for my craft stall and I decided to make a Christmas one. I bought the wooden letter shapes in The Works and after playing around with fitting them on decided to have the Merry across the top and the Christmas going around the edge. I added a couple of snowflakes from Creative Embellishments, cute robin ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, Berries and cones from Live and Love Crafts and flowers from Wild Orchid.

I will have this for sale on my stall at the hospital craft fair today.

Card-io tags

This is my second post today using Card-io stamps. I finished off an order today and thought I would have another play with these stamps and make some tags. I used a Spellbinders tag die, such a useful die and I really like the shape. The sentiment is LC Designs, the dinkie sentiments are perfect for tags. I used small ink pads for some colour and various sets of Card-io stamps.

Challengs

Allsorts O Christmas Tree 

Dies R Us Tags 

Noor! Design UK Winter

Baubles and stockings

A very different Card-io card today with a lot more colour.  I started by stamping the baubles and stockings using small ink pads, then drawing the lines and stamping the cute pegs. I used peacock feathers distress ink around the edges and added some washi tape and small bows.

Docrafts for Papercrafter Magazine

If you have the latest edition of Papercrafter magazine you will see the lovely free papers from Docrafts along with some useful nesting dies. I was asked to make 3 cards and 2 papercrafted items from the free papers.  Today I am sharing 2 of the cards with you. For this one I decoupaged the robin, added a doily, some punched holly leaves with card candi and ribbon from Crafty Ribbons

Most of the elements on this Z fold card are from the free papers. I added some punched holly leaves coloured with white Wink of Stella, a Marianne die cut poinsettia and used a MFT scalloped border edge die.

Challenges 

The Ribbon Girl any image 

Simon Says Christmas critters 

I am off to the hairdressers this morning and lunch out with hubby.

Ski slope

Another of the cards I amde for Making Cards using toppers from Pink Gem. The papers are Craftwork Cards Chambray and Lace and the button is from Crafty Ribons. I kept it simple by just adding some MS punched snowflakes.

Challenges

ABC Christmas W for wishes 

Noor! Design UK Winter 

Paper Creators anything goes 

Simon Says Christmas critters

More butterflies

Another butterfly plaque today using one of my fave Inkylicious stamps. The paper is Craftwork Cards. I embossed a laser cut butterfly with gold embossing powder, aded some ribbon, roses from Wild Orchid, lace from Crafty Ribbons and a Gorjuss Girl lace bow.

It is supposed to be cold but sunny today so we are off out for a late cooked breakfast and a walk.

Snowy family again

I couldn't resist using this sweet new stamp again, in a different colourway this time. Coloured with Copicds of course and diecut my a MFT wonky stitched rectangle die. The papers are Echo Park, sentiment Lawn Fawn and I used a Britannia starry border die. Of course I had to use fun flock on the hats and add glitter for the snow.

Challenges

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' anything Christmas goes 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts Christmas 

Stamping Sensations Christmas greeting 

Scrap and Craft Christmas time

ABC Challenge T is for three (3 snowmen)

Let's make a scene

As promised I have another card made with Cardio stamps to share with you. I love the wreath made with two stamps. I made a template for the circle as I am making several with different wreaths. I love the way there are 2 sizes of stamps like the seat and bike so that you can make sure things look in perspective. I added a tiny bit of colour with a yellow Copic on the lamppost, grey for the hill and used a red Sakura pen on a few berries on the wreath.

Challenges

Live and Love Crafts White Christmas 

Noor! Design UK Winter 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts Christmas 

The Ribbon Girl a card

Paper Shelter more than one of anything (7 stamps)

Mum is coming over today so we will be going out for lunch. Hubby is going out this evening so I will have a crafting evening.

Brooches

This is my second post today just sharing some brooches I have been sewing. No I didn't make the hat, just the brooch. After I made the flowers for my hearts, see a previous post, I had the idea of making some brooches with them. I bought some brooch pins on eBay and will be adding these to my next craft fair stall.

Winter wishes

Another Hobby House topper today, this one featuring the gorgeous Wee snowman. I used a Lawn Fawn stitched circle die for layering. The papers are really old Papermania ones. I used a MS double loop border punch and Woodware holly punch. The sentiment die was cut in red, backed onto glitter card and then coloured with a white Wink of Stella pen which I also used on the holly leaves.

Challenges

Noor! Design UK Winter 

ABC Christmas W for Wishes 

The Ribbon Girl a card

My first Cardio card

It is good to try something completely different at times and these Cardio stamps are very different to the type of stamps I normally use. This is my first, well ok second attempt with them. The first attempt went in the bin but I am really pleased with the way this one turned out. It was very strange to step away from papers and embellishments to create a different style of card. We watched a demo at Peterborough and I used small ink pads the way we were shown to add colour. I added just a couple of diecut IO trees. The sentiment is from a set I bought at Peterborough. I really like the way the snow turned out too and the glitter actually shows on the photo. I am having such fun with these stamps and I will be sharing some more with you soon.

Challenges

Christmas at Sweet Stampin' anything Christmas goes 

Noor! Design UK Winter 

Stamping Sensations Christmas greeting 

Allsorts feature a creature

Merry Christmas

Two of my favourites on this card, penguins and a snowman.I coloured them with Copics and had my first attempt at colouring a snowy sky. The papers are some of my faves, Bo Bunny Altitude. I love this colour combo. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and I used Wow glitter embossing powder on the wooden snowflakes and Stickles on the hats.

Challenges

Noor Design UK Winter 

Scrap and Craft Christmas time 

The Ribbon Girl a card

Allsorts feature a creatue

Di's Digis hand coloured image

New stash and my thoughts on the show

Sharing some photos of my lovely new goodies I bought yesterday. Starting with a couple of paper pads and some of the stamps. Usually I buy more dies but this time I bought lots of stamps. Yes there is yet another snowman stamp! Keep reading for more.

Stocking up on basics at great prices.

Just a few dies this time. The owl one I bought for cutting felt as I am really enjoying sewing again.

Some trees to decorate and embellishments.

And these are the things I am most excited about. Very different for me. We were so impressed by the samples and demos and I really want to give them a try. It was so hard to choose and as you can see I bought quite a selection. Some of them will be useful all year round and of course I had to buy the snowmen stamps. I am hoping to have a go this afternoon with them.

It was the first time Crafting Live have had a show at Peterborough and it was very much as we expected. Not as big a show as Doncaster. Lovely venue, free car parking and only £1 donation to the British Legion to get in, though I did win some tickets from a blogging buddy. It was 50p donation to charity to the cloakroom. We managed to see all the stalls with comfort. There were quite a few stalls with rummage bins, always good fun. A nice amount of visitors, not so busy you couldn't see the demos, like some shows. Many familiar stalls were there and we managed to spend out. I heard several people were disappointed with the NEC last week, visitor numbers were way down and a friend who goes regularly said she wouldn't go again, too expensive and too many companies no longer doing it. One stallholder I talked to said it was now too expensive for her and she won't be doing it again. Maybe smaller shows are the way to go. We certainly had a lovely day out and it only took 2 hours to get home.

Baubles

I had a lovely time at the craft show yesterday and bought lots of lovely new stash. I bought some very different stamps as I want to try something different and can't wait to play with these. These are 2 bauble cards I made for Quick Cards Made Easy Magazine using a new Dovecraft Decoupage pack. I had to design a bauble template and then make 2 cards from the pack. The first one using some cute decoupage and I used Memory Box stitched snowflakes and added a button and bow from Dovecraft.

The second one uses various strips from the pack, lace from Crafty Ribbons and pearls.

Santa Selfie

We have a new challenge today at A Gem of a Challenge and our theme is ribbon and bling. There are so many new Christmas images at Pink Gem that I struggled to decide which to use but Santa Selfie really made me smile so I used the pre coloured version and teamed it with Dovecraft vintage noel papers. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and I added a wooden reindeer from Hobbycraft, some pearls and gave Santa a bling bobble on his hat.

We stayed at a Premier Inn last night so this morning I shall be enjoying a cooked breakfast before heading off to Crafting Live at Peterborough to meet my good friend Lynsey. Whilst we are shopping and enjoying a couple of make and takes hubby is off for a ride on the Nene Valley Railway.

Snowy family

Another new Ebay purchase today. I have tried a couple of times to get this Penny Black stamp but the bids have gone higher than I wanted to pay so I was delighted when I won this one for £3.20 plus £2.80 postage. I bought some different stamping card to try, Make it Colour, and it is the best card for using with Copics that I have ever tried. It blends so smoothly, no bleeding even when you lay down a lot of colour. This is the first stamp I have used it with and I am really pleased with the shading results.

It's the first time I have used this Memory Box sentiment die this year. I love it but is large so clean and simple looks best I think. I used a Memory Box landscape die, fussy cut the image and added fun flock to their bobble hats.

Challenges

Sweet Stampin' red for remembrance 

The Paper Shelter Christmas is coming 

Noor! Design UK Winter 

Penny Black and more at Allsorts Christmas 

Stamping Sensations Christmas greetings

Another Anniversary card

Our challenge this week at Crafty Ribbons is flowers and pearls with ribbon.  I am still using some of the older LOTV diecuts and teamed this one with First Edition Mulberry Kisses papers. The ribbons are from Crafty Ribbons of course, sentiment from LOTV, flower punch by Fiskars, heart border punch is Martha Stewart.

So I have given entering challenges a lot more thought as I know how much work goes into these challenges. So I have decided to reduce the number of challenges I enter, particularly the weekly ones and concentrate on a few. After all if everyone gave up entering them they wouldn't exist which would be a shame. So I would like to enter this into The Ribbon Girl card challenge.

Hobby House Horses

Another of my new Hobby House Toppers today. They are coloured so beautifully aren't they. I used some oddments of papers, MD flower border punch, corner rounder punch, ric rac and a MS cosmos punch with a sentiment from LOTV.

I have just completed 3 magazine commissions so now I am getting on with making more Christmas cards, soon be time to write them.

Picking daisies

This is a card I made for the current issue of Crafts Beautiful magazine. Lots of my favourite products on this one, the lovely James from LOTV, Copics and the Go Kreate frilly squares 10 dies. The papers are Nitwits Sunny Side Up and I also used a MFT pierced rectangle die and Joy flower dies with pearls.

I would like to enter this into the card challenge at The Ribbon Girl.

Butterflies

I made a few more plaques ready for upcoming craft fairs and for this one I used a beautiful poem I found in my stash. It is a digi from The Crafty Pad, a company which no longer exists. The paper is Dovecraft Serendipity. I added a scrap of ribbon, a wooden heart from Hobbycraft painted with pink Wink of Stella, some butterflies from Poundland and 2 large laser cut butterflies from Creative Embellishments. I really enjoyed embossing them, one with shabby blue frantage and one with gold embossing poweder. I finished it with some enamel hearts.

Santa stop here

I had four cards featuring Jingles the reindeer from Pink Gem published in last month's Making Cards magazine. This one is quite a simple layout as the idea was to show some cards that could be made quickly. The papers are Craftwork Cards Chambray and Lace and I added a diecut Santa.

Hubby is out until mid afternoon so I am planning a day in the craftroom. Do Not Disturb!

Woodland friends

I had another really good day yesterday selling at the hospital shop. People are definitely buying for Christmas now. One of my cute new Hobby House toppers for my card today. I added lots of Sparkle with Stickles, pearl pen and white Wink of Stella on the holly leaves.

Papers - Dovecraft Winter blooms

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Die - Spellbinders scallop circle

Punches - Woodware holly, MS simple scallop border

Other - card candi, Stickles, pearl pen, Wink of Stella

Apart from shopping and a coffee stop we are at home today and this evening. I hope there won't be too many fireworks going off round here. Happy Bonfire Night, stay safe.

Jingles in a tangle

I can now start sharing my cards which were in last month's Making Cards magazine. I love using the kits as a topper and had four cards published all using Jingles from Pink Gem. The papers are Craftwork Cards, ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and the die is Memory Box. I backed them with aqua glitter card.

I need to find a bit more time for crafting so I have decided not to enter any challenges for a while. Well, I might enter an odd one but not having to link up challenges when I type my blog posts will save me a lot of time. I have no idea how some people find the time to link up 30 or 40 challenges on their posts and that never seems very fair to me either.  I will still be posting and commenting on blogs every day though. Thanks for your continued visits especially those of you who take the time to comment.

I am at the hospital all day today with my craft stall so I hope people are in Christmas present and card buying mood today. When I get home I will be putting in my order for the new vintage boy stamps from LOTV as the rubber stamps are launching today along with the three cute woodland animal stamps.

A Warning and a Valuable Lesson

I thought I would post this in the hope that it doesn't happen to any of you. I use my iPad for commenting and have noticed an increase in the number of ads popping up when I am commenting, mainly when commenting on challenge entries. On my iPad the ad pops up in a separate tab and I immediately close the tab without even looking at it.

On Wednesday afternoon I was scheduling some posts on my blog using my laptop as I can't add photos to blog posts on my iPad. It is also much easier to add html code on my laptop plus the screen is of course much bigger.

It was my turn to choose the top three at Crafty Ribbons and I clicked on an entry in order to copy the  photo to add to my DT blog. Oh dear, I had a pop up saying there was a virus and an American voice saying I had to call a number to get it sorted. I couldn't close it, my antivirus started scanning, reported no problems and I was in a panic. I called hubby who crashed it. When he opened it up again it was still there with a message that the hard drive would delete! 

He rang a friend who repairs computers and he said to crash it immediately. The number quoted is a scam which I suspected but I can imagine some people would ring it in a panic. Hubby took the laptop to his friend and he has sorted it out for me. Thankfully no harm done except to my purse as it cost me to have it fixed of course.

So, had I backed up my recent work, financial spreadsheets, my craft accounts? Not for a couple of weeks and I had recently completed a 10 card magazine commission and had typed all the instructions, shopping list etc. I would have been very annoyed if I had to type all that again. So lesson learnt, I shall be backing up my laptop after every use in future, and won't be clicking on challenge entries on my laptop again.

Snowglobe Santa

I am sharing another of the Hunkydory cards I made for Papercrater magazine. This one is decoupaged and the card, sentiment and Santa all come from the pack. I added a Joy diecut border and a Memory Box die cut star.

How is your Christmas cardmaking going? I have a few orders and lots still to make for us to send so best crack on with a few more today after the ironing.

Challenges

Deep Ocean use die cuts or punches 

The Paper Shelter card for a child 

Craftyhazelnut anything Christmas goes

Colour challenge

We have a new Facebook challenge at Lili of the Valley and this time it is a colour challenge. 

Aren't they beautiful colours and of course red for poppies in November for remembrance is very appropriate.

Image - LOTV Regency Christmas

Medium - Copics

Papers - Carta Bella Winter Fun

Die - Sweet Dixie holly lamppost

Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons

Other - shabby white frantage, Stickles, fun flock

Challenges

Craftyhazelnut anything Christmas goes
Allsorts Let's make a start on Christmas

Sweet Stampin' Inspired by a book/film/song (Vanity Fair)

Snowmen tags

Another thing I am really enjoying making this year is Christmas tags. I diecut the tags using a Spellbinder die set and stamped the cute Woodware snowmen. They are coloured with Copics and I stamped some tiny white snowflakes from the Lawn Fawn tobogganing together set. The sentiments come from the two stamp sets.

Challenges

Simon Says anything goes 

Not just cards anything goes
Craftyhazelnut anything Christmas goes
Allsorts Let's make a start on Christmas

Sweet Stampin' Inspired by a book/film/song (The Snowman)

Ist November, eeeeek. Out for the day today, meeting my Mum in Norwich as she wants to look for some clothes and go to Cosmo for lunch. May do a little Christmas shopping too.