Thursday 29 November 2012

Rockin' Robin

I'm a little giddy today :-)
Not only have I made my most difficult card of the season,
but I have also managed to sneak up a Christmas tree. 
Eek! 
It's sooo pwetty!! (I'll try and take some snaps tomorrow).

So - onto my card.
This was a tough one. 
My mum & dad like a more traditional image and style, 
but I also wanted to keep it as CAS as possible.


I love this robin image from Sue Rundle-Hughes at Crafts and Me, but I found it really tricky to colour. There is some shading on the house and wall etc, but the camera hasn't picked it up. 
I wish I hadn't added the brown to the trees, and the liquid pearls 'snow' is a bit messy, 
but the sparkle is gorgeous. 
Trust me ;-)
 

Challenges
Moving Along with the Times - Use 3 elements beginning with the same letter. I used the 3 in their example - Ribbon, Red, Robin.
The Paper Shelter - Christmas is Coming
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations - Traditional Christmas Colours
Divas by Design - Glitter and Sparkle
One Stitch at a Time - Fabric, Ribbon or Lace

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Tuesday 27 November 2012

On a cold and frosty morning


How are you all on this cold and frosty morning?
Hope it's not too wet where you are - we seem to be escaping the worst of it.

I know a black and white Christmas card isn't for everyone, but I kind of like the way this one turned out.
I think I will make a few of these.



This adorable snowman is a digi stamp from Heather Ellis.
I coloured him with Copics, adding a couple of black gems as 'presents' and popped him up on foam pads
 

For the background I used my Memory Box landscape die, with  a liberal sprinkling of glamour dust to the edges and liquid pearls for the 'snow'.
As usual, IRL this is lovely and sparkly, but my camera skills can't really capture it.


Challenges.
Addicted to CAS - Snow Stamptacular - Winter Bliss
Allsorts - Bring on the Bling
Polka Doodles - Any Die Will Do
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Winter

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Friday 23 November 2012

Warm Winter Mittens

What exactly is the etiquette for mittens?
Is it thumbs in, thumbs out, or one of each!   :-)
Fortunately, I had enough mittens to try out each style.

As I sat in front of the TV last night making them, I had 3 finished before I realised they were all right handed ones!!!
Duh!!



I used the cute, free digi stamp from Birds cards, as a template on scraps of felt,
and embroidery thread for the stitches.
I know it's not very neat but, hey, it all adds to the handmade look :-) 

Challenges.
Less is More - Hardware (a little red brad)
Totally Papercrafts - All Stitched Up
Crafty Calendar - Wrap Up Warm For Winter (Optional String/Fibres/Twine)
Stamping Sensations - Traditional Christmas
Sassy Studios - Felt or Fabric

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Tuesday 20 November 2012

Sweet Wishes

Top secret!
Someone, who may or may not be my best friend,
may or may not have just got their dream job!  
Eek! I am so excited for them, I may have made them a congrats card :-)



I chose this ridiculously cute Pure Innocence girl.
My image programme (PSP) and my printer have had a major fall out and refuse to talk to each other. So this girl was printed out much larger than I asked for - but I guess the printer was right, she looks fab this size.

Even the paper pad I wanted to use conspired against me - with annoying holes where it had been hung up for sale. I used it anyway, and threaded my ribbon through the hole.



Challenges.
PaperPlay - Paper Piecing
Totally Gorjuss - Plain & Simple
Dream Valley - Anything Goes
One Stitch at a Time - Use a Digi

Supplies.
Digi Stamp - Pure Innocence
DP - Echo Park, Note to Self
Congrats Stamp - Wild Rose Studio
Ribbon from my stash


Saturday 17 November 2012

Reindeer Kisses

Here's another card that made the production line this week.
Isn't that little reindeer adorable?
There's something about red gingham that just screams Christmas :-)
Silly me only bought one packet of them though (duh!) 
so I could only make 5 of these.


When I went back to them a couple of days later, all the lace was dropping off.
Now, I remember why I started to use stitching on my cards - rubbish DS tape.
Just a quick line of white stitching down each side and they were sorted.


Challenges.
Craft Us Crazy - Favourite Colour and/or Holiday Theme
Divas By Design - Anything Goes
Crafty Sentiments - Christmas
My Mum's Craft Shop - Winter Wonderland
Oozak - Winter Vibes (Entry No. 2)

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Starry, starry night

You see - when I try and go all 'artsy' that's when I come unstuck.
What's in my head, never really comes out quite right on paper!!
So, I'm not sure about this card - it's not really me, is it?


IRL this card is nice and sparkly. 
There's a layer of glamour dust along the edges and some glitter gems added to the DP.
I stamped the sentiment straight on the ribbon - which is a first for me - and something I'm going to experiment with :-)

Challenges.

Crafty Sentiments - Christmas
Divas by Design - Anything Goes
My Mum's Craft Shop -  Winter Wonderland

Supplies
Memory Box Landscape Die.
DP - Prima, North Country.
Sentiment Stamp - Penny Black Christmas Critters
Ribbon and pearl brad from my stash.

Sunday 11 November 2012

Have your elf a merry little Christmas

I got the dreaded 'reds' out today.
It doesn't matter how careful I am with them, I still find they bleed a little
but they are so much fun to use. 
I felt like a kid again - trying to keep in the lines :-)


I think I got so used to not having my DPs, when they were boxed away, that I've forgotten how to use them.
I tried this card with just about every Christmas paper I have, and nothing seemed to look right. 
My brain is stuck in CAS mode!!!


This is one of my new, cute Elf images from Make it Crafty... just perfect for 'boy' cards.
I can't wait to use the others - watch this space :-)

Challenges.
Cute Card Thursday - Sketch
C.R.A.F.T. - Inspired by a Film - this has to be Elf
Winter Wonderland - One for the Boys. Must have an image of a boy/man. Hope this boy elf is OK :-)
Paper Shelter - Fairies and Elves
Creative Inspirations - Reds for Remembrance
Sweet Stampin' -  Anything Goes

Saturday 10 November 2012

Simple Sparkle

I gotta tell ya - I'm feeling pretty smug today ;-)
After having a little panic yesterday about how behind I am with my Christmas cards, 
I came up with a design I am really happy with. 
I feel a production line coming on!

It needs a bit of tweaking - 
I think I will just stamp the sentiment right on the card - 
and if I squish the bow down a little, I might get away with 'normal' postage :-)


The tree was made really simply with nested pennant dies and then bejazzled with red and sparkly gems.
I admit the bow was an afterthought - but is so belongs on there ;-)
The trickiest bit of the whole thing for me, was stamping the sentiment. 
The text is in 2 lines on the stamp and it was fiddly to ink it up to get a clean message. 
If anyone knows of  a pretty 'Merry Christmas' stamp, I am on the look out for one.



Challenges.
One Stop Craft - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Winter Holiday and Ribbon.
I know there's only a small piece of ribbon on my card, but it really finishes off the look.
Oozak - Winter Vibes
Southern Girls - Christmas Projects
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Anything Goes (Holiday)

Right - now I am off to have a trial run of making some chocolate, nut fudge.
Have a great weekend everyone. xxx

Monday 5 November 2012

Don't it make my brown eyes blue?

At last, here I am with a card...
I got side-tracked drooling over Damian Lewis when I was catching up on Homeland.


Here's another card for the Christmas pile - I really must get a list done.
I've used the adorable Lucy from Digi Stamp Boutique, coloured with Copics, and lots of my favourite Glamour Dust.
 

Challenges.
Digi Stamp Boutique -  November Challenge
Sketch Saturday - Lizy's Sketch (I just rotated it)
Sweet Stampin' - All That Glitters
Polka Doodles - Bright Colours and Sparkle
My Mum's Craft Shop - Bold and Bright
ABC Christmas Challenge - V for Vibrant Colours

Supplies.
Lucy Digi from Digi Stamp Boutique, coloured with Copics and Glamour Dust.
Sorry, can't remember what the DPs are!!
Memory Box Twiggy Tree Die, with white gel pen and white gems.
6 x 6 Petal Point Card Blank and Sentiment from Craftwork Cards  
Ribbon from my stash. 

 
 

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November

Hello my little sparklers...
have you had a lovely fireworks weekend?
Hope you stay safe if you're lighting any tonight.
I will be back later with a card  - yes, an actual card! lol,
but for now, a bonfire treat.

Very grown-up Chocolate Gingerbread


Rubbish picture, I know - but it was taken in my dark kitchen last night, just after we sampled the gingerbread..  ;-)
I saved half the gingerbread and cut it into four generous pieces to freeze.
 It will be yummy as a pudding on a cold night, with custard or caramel.

 

Friday 2 November 2012

Serendipity

No card to show you today peeps - we have been in flat pack hell!!
My furniture arrived on Wednesday and 6,532 screws, dowels, nuts and bolts later - it's all assembled.
And only 1 row!! :-)

This is our 3rd bedroom and is Annabel's room for when her and her b/f come to stay.
As you can see, it also has to double up as my craft room.
(Ignore the border, in it's previous life this room was a nursery. I will get round to taking it down, eventually).



I only have a small space to craft on, so I am going to have to keep it tidy...   yeah, good luck with that!
And, next time I am in Ikea, I am going to buy lots more of those white boxes to put all my papers etc in.
 

Can you see that grey smudge on the wall? (below)  
I tried to wipe it off, then realised it was a shadow from my light fitting - in the shape of a heart, 
perfectly positioned at the head of the bed.
Now - that HAS to be good karma - right?



Have a great weekend everyone.
There's lots of sport on this weekend, 
so that will keep hubby busy whilst I try out my new craft room :-)

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