Stamp Something - glittery

Time for a new challenge at Stamp Something and this week we want to see lots of glitter!  We're sponsored by Simon Says Stamp and one lucky person will win a $20 shopping spree :o)

I've used a Penny Black stamp that I've had for over a year and it's been sadly neglected - I think I've used it once since I bought it.  The papers are K&Co, flowers are from my stash.  I've added pink stickles around the circle - a mistake!  I should have used diamond stickles, the pink looks really messy, so I used diamond around the papers instead.  I also sprayed all the flowers and the sentiment with Crafters Companion glitter spray, but you can't really tell from the photo.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Moving Along With The Times - birthday & circles
• Stamp Insanity - sparkle
• Anything Goes - the letter C (cats)
• Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes birthday
• Bunny Zoes - sparkle & shine
• Allsorts - anything goes
• Passion For Promarkers - anything goes
• Oldie But a Goodie - sketch
• I Love Promarkers - anything goes

I'm still feeling poorly, and I'm quite sick of it now, so you're probably all fed up of hearing about it lol!  Won't be much celebrating for New Year here, but then we don't usually do much... we'll let Morgan stay up for our usual Friday fish n chips and a film, we'll maybe have a glass of wine if we don't feel too rough.  Hope you're doing whatever makes you happy for New Years Eve - see you next year :o)

My Top 10 Cards of 2010

I decided to join in with this hop and post my Top 10 cards from this year... I had no idea how hard it was going to be to choose though, it's taken me ages!  I've missed out Christmas cards on purpose, got a bit fed up of them anyway lol.

Ooh I feel really bad for all the cards I missed out now....

Card for my Grandma

Hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas :o)  I'm actually quite relieved that it's all over - big misery aren't I?!  I'm still ill with the flu so haven't felt like making anything... it's driving me a bit mad because I have so many ideas for things I want to make and no energy to do anything.  The boys have had a great time though, and that's all that really matters isn't it?

We had awful news on Christmas Eve too... A few years ago hubby's lovely mum had to have a mastectomy and chemo to treat breast cancer, but unfortunately the cancer spread and for the last couple of years they've been trying to get her clear of it.  On Christmas Eve she had her last dose of the current round of chemo and got the latest results - her body is now clear of cancer but it's now spread to her brain... apparently this can't be treated with chemo, so we now have to wait and see if it's operable or if she'll need radiotherapy.  I've been so pathetically tearful about the whole thing!  She's such a strong woman and just gets on with it, and then there's me bursting into tears every time I think about it.  It's the thought of the boys having to deal with losing her I think... fingers crossed we'll get some good news from the next lot of tests.

Anyway onto my card - I had to make this one while I was feeling really ill, so I've used a simple layout that I use quite a lot when I need to make something quick.  It was for my Grandma, who's birthday is just before Christmas.  Papers are K&Co, butterfly was cut with a Quickutz die, added some pearls from my stash and a computer generated sentiment.  Sprayed the butterfly with a Crafters Companion glitter spray, so it's all shimmery, but you can't really see it in the photo.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Allsorts challenge - free & easy, anything goes
• The ABC challenge - K is for keep it simple
• CES challenge - anything goes
• Totally Gorjuss - for someone special

Wow I rambled on a bit today!  Off to have a wander around your blogs and see what you've all been making :o)

Last Christmas card

It's Christmas Eve already - how did that happen?  There was loads I wanted to get done this week, but I'm still ill so today's the first day I've managed to do anything... and then only because I had to!  Dex has finally started to cheer up a bit over the last couple of days, after being poorly for more than a week - he's lost so much weight while he's been ill and he didn't really have any to lose, his little legs look so skinny :o(  Poor hubby's ended up doing loads of our Christmas shopping - even though I gave him a list and printed out pictures of items I wanted him to get, we've still ended up with some very random stuff, and he's spent a small fortune - way more than I'd have spent!  Shouldn't complain though, at least he did it.

I still needed to make my mum's card, but I just couldn't face colouring - I have to be in the right sort of mood to colour and I'm really not.  So I cheated and used one of the 'cute squares' from LOTV, and just added lots of glitter.  The sentiment was a free digi one from Pink Gem Designs, I've just personalised it in photoshop.

Well, I hope you all have a very Happy Christmas!  Hopefully you're all much more organised than I am - we still have most of our wrapping to do, so we'll be very busy tonight!  Apologies if I've not returned your comments over the last couple of days, off to do some catching up now :o)

Woe is me....

Still feeling terrible... raw throat, aching all over... getting no sleep because poor Dex is coughing all night.  Joy!  Sorry I'm not getting around your blogs at the moment, I promise I'll catch up when I feel a bit better.

I've still got loads of cards to share (made before I was ill), but as I'm not able to return your comments at the moment I thought I'd just share a pic from a few weeks ago when we had really heavy snow in Sheffield.  We've hardly got any this time but it's currently -6 out, brrrr!  This photo makes me laugh because Dex is practically buried in snow, but still wanted to stay out and play!

Somehow I need to make a birthday card (which will be late!) and a couple of family Christmas cards... maybe tomorrow eh?!  Hope you're all well and warm, talk soon :o)

It had to happen I suppose...

 

I've got the dreaded bug that everyone's getting... I suppose with both kids getting it, it was bound to get me in the end!  I feel completely wiped out, and haven't done any crafting today.  The most I've managed is clearing some toys out of the living room and putting the tree up at last.  I've still got a couple of Christmas cards to make, and I still haven't posted any - wish I was the organised type!  Dex is still really poorly too, so the rest of the day has been spent cuddled up in the chair together, watching Toy Story and Cbeebies pantos.

So I'm just blogging a card I already made, using another new stamp from Little Claire - available to pre-order here.  Haven't got the energy to find any challenges so I won't bother entering any!  Hopefully I'll get round to visit some of you later though.

Stamp Something - with a tag or pocket

Time for a new challenge at Stamp Something and this week the challenge is 'something with a tag or pocket'.  We're sponsored by Whiff of Joy and the winner will be able to choose any stamp from the Whiff of Joy online shop.

I had my card all planned out in my head, but I'm a bit disappointed with it now it's done - something isn't quite right.  I've used a cute little image from Whiff of Joy, coloured with promarkers and koh-i-noor pencils, with glamour dust for some sparkle on the snowy bits.  The papers are dovecraft, with coredinations cardstock.  I've been trying to use this blue trim for AGES, so I'm pleased to finally find something it went with!  The tag is cut with a die from Little Claire, available here (although it seems to be out of stock at the moment), buttons from my stash, sentiment is a digi one from Pink Petticoat cut out with the Stampin' Up word window punch.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Crafty Catz - your choice (choose from previous challenges, mine is 60-Christmas)
• Fussy & Fancy - snow
• Totally Gorjuss - snow
• Creative Inspirations - anything goes Christmas
• Stampin' For the Weekend - Christmas
• Cute Card Thursday - one for the kids
• For Fun - Christmas
• Cupcake Craft - non traditional Christmas
• Pear Tree Designs - Christmas

I'm trying and failing to keep up with commenting at the moment - the boys are still poorly and I don't seem to have any time to myself!  Will visit as many of your blogs as I can this evening though - Morgan's choice of film for tonight's viewing is Spy Kids 3... can't see myself wanting to watch that one really so I shall probably do my commenting then!

More snow!

It's been snowing again today - nowhere near as bad this time, but I think there's supposed to be more over the next couple of days.  Morgan's had his last day at school today though, so at least we don't have to go anywhere if it settles.

Here's a card I've made using a stamp and sentiment from this month's club stamp set from Little Claire - available here.  I've coloured the image with promarkers.  Papers are some MME ones that were free with a magazine, with coredinations cardstock.  Finished with some black card candy - they look very strange in this pic, think it's just the daylight lamp doing that.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Fab n Funky - quick & easy does it
• Cutie Sunday - anything but Christmas 

Thought I'd add a pic of my very grumpy looking poorly boy Dex, snuggling up with the cat earlier today.  They looked quite cute together, but he said he couldn't smile for me!  He's seemed quite a bit better first thing, but by this afternoon he was being sick again, poor thing.  I'm shattered, been up half the night with him and his upset tum, and Morgan's still suffering with his cough, so he had me up as well.  I seemed to be back and forth with drinks, calpol and sick buckets non stop... hubby sleeps through it all!

Sorry if I've not managed to come and visit you in the last couple of days, I've not had much time.  Off to try and squeeze some commenting in now...

Bah Humbug!

Why is it that everybody gets ill in the run up to Christmas?  It happens every year!  So far, hubby put his back out, Morgan's been off school with a chesty cough... I've taken Morgan back to school this morning (still coughing, but feeling better), walked back in the house and Dex started being sick - lovely!  I hadn't even got his coat off, so everything's now in the washing machine... sigh.... so much for all my plans to get lots done today!

Just though I'd quickly share another card I made with one of the new Little Claire stamps.  This one is called 'birdcage', although I've cut the actual birdcage part off for this card, the stamp is available to pre-order here.  The papers are Basic Grey 'olivia' with coredinations cardstock.  Sentiment is a digi one from Paper Makeup, cut out with a nellie snellen die.  Black pearls from stash.

36 cards in one day!

Ok, so they are the simplest cards ever, but I'm still quite pleased with myself!  I realised today that Morgan still needed a LOT more cards for his classmates, and I thought while I was making them I might as well make a few more for the neighbours, hubby's work etc.

Used little 10cm square cards, and embossed them with the Cuttlebug swiss dots folder.  Added big Cuttlebug snowflakes cut from raspberry and teal Papermill cardstock, with silver card candy centres.  My Big Shot has had a workout today!  I know they're not very exciting - but never mind, at least they're done!  I couldn't get a pic of all 36 cards, because the kitchen table where I take my pics is overflowing with stamps, paper, ink pads, and all sorts of other stuff that's supposed to live in the craft room.  Must get more organised after Christmas...

I'm entering my cards for the following challenges:

• Creative Inspirations - white papers only
• Simon Says - Christmas with no red or green
• Kaboodle Doodles - clean & simple Christmas
• Pear Tree Designs - Christmas
• Allsorts - last minute Christmas
• Keep It Simple - seasons greetings
• A Spoon Full of Sugar - Christmas card 

Eeeeek! Crafty Cardmakers - first and latest or greatest

Oh my goodness, this is so embarrassing!  Our new challenge at Crafty Cardmakers is 'first & latest or greatest' and we want you to show us your very first creation if possible - if not then the oldest one you can find!  And then show us your latest card, or your favourite one.  This challenge will run for the next 4 weeks and we have lots of fab sponsors, so there are some great prizes to be won.

This is actually my very first card, made in 2007... I made it for a friend but never sent it, even then I realised it wasn't the best lol.  It's odd that its a stamped card, because I didn't really get into stamping for a year or so after I started cardmaking.  I remember buying the stamp though - my first Hobbycraft shopping trip where I just randomly bought things that I thought I 'needed'.  Not that different from when I get in a craft shop now really!  It's coloured with sparkly gel pens, and I used some holographic paper that I thought was great then!  The other paper is just wrapping paper I think, and the butterfly sequin was from a little pot of sequins I bought on ebay.  It's sooo pink isn't it?!  Oh the shame!

My latest card is one I've made using a new stamp from Little Claire, which is available to pre-order here.  Isn't she pretty?  I've coloured her with promarkers and koh-i-noor pencils.  The papers are MME, with coredinations cardstock, card candy and a flower and button from my stash.  Quite simple really but that seems to be my general style.  I often look at other people's beautiful elaborate creations and wish I was that sort of cardmaker, but I'm just not - it's not a look that works when I try to create it myself.

I'm really hoping we'll get loads of you joining in - I can't wait to see how everyone started out!  Will you share your first creations with us?  Hope so!

Cricut - quick question

Sorry, me again!  Just a really quick question... Do any of you have a Cricut, and do you get lots of use out of it?  Would you say you've used it enough to 'justify' the cost?

None of my family are particularly crafty, and they never know what to buy me so nearly everyone gives me money for Christmas, and then my birthday is a few weeks later, and they do the same again.  So I was thinking of using my Christmas & birthday money to buy a Cricut and some... umm... forgot the name for them... carts?  Would you recommend one?

One hubby free to good home...

Oh what a day.... Morgan (my 8yr old) has a nasty chesty cough, Dex (nearly 3) has been grumpy and tearful all day so I think he's probably getting it too, and hubby is still suffering with his back.  I have very little sympathy for him today though, because while I was trying to do some commenting earlier, I heard a loud crash from the kitchen... I can see into the kitchen doorway from my chair and as I sat there, I could see an enormous lake of milk spreading across the room!  Hubby had dropped a 2 litre container of milk on the floor, which exploded and sprayed milk everywhere... and it's the second time he's done this!  You'd think the nightmare clean-up last time would have made him a bit more careful, but apparently not.  He's so accident prone!

Anyway, here's a couple of quick cards using a Sizzix primitive star die that I've had my eye on for ages, and finally let myself buy a few weeks ago.  I love stars and I think these are a great shape.  I've used a couple of scraps of sparkly MME paper, teal Papermill card, Stampin Up Kraft card and some metallic DCWV cardstock I bought a few months ago and then never used.  Did some embossing with a couple of Cuttlebug embossing folders and added some buttons from my stash.

I'm entering my cards for the following challenges:

• Fairy Fun Fridays - use a star
• Moving Along With The Times - lots of spots
• Delightful Sketches - embossing

Right, I'm going to have another go at catching up with some commenting now, hopefully hubby can stay out of trouble while I do it!

Home sweet home

Ah it's so lovely having my internet back :o)  I did manage to visit quite a few of your lovely blogs yesterday, will be trying to catch up with more of you today!

This is another of the new stamps from Little Claire, which is available to pre-order here - this one is called 'a place in the sun'.  It's quite a big stamp and I've just used part of it for this card.  It also comes with the 'home sweet home' sentiment that I've used and a 'birthday wishes' one too.  I've coloured the image with promarkers, then used koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador for some shading.  The papers are Papermania, with cardstock, ribbon and heart pearls from my stash.

Off to do some more catching up!

I'm back online!!!

Oh my goodness, I'm so excited to be back!  Our new router finally turned up today... it was even more exciting than having new crafty goodies delivered lol.  It's been 2 whole weeks with no internet and I've been close to losing it!  Oh I'm so looking forward to visiting all your lovely blogs :o)

I have lots to catch up with on here, but I thought I'd start with one of the cards I've made using a new stamp from Little Claire, called Birdcage - available to pre-order here.

I absolutely love this stamp, and for a change I was really happy with this card - I had to send it to Little Claire as a sample, and it was a struggle to part with it!  I've coloured the image with promarkers, the papers are Papermania capsule collection, with coredinations cardstock.  The big roses are from Wild Orchid, and I think the purple ones were from Joanna Sheen - I've had them for ages though, found them at the back of a drawer. Used a woodware punch for the leaves, MS zigzag punch for the border and added a Craftwork Cards sentiment to finish.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Cute Card Thursday - floral frenzy
• Craft Your Days Away - punch it out
• CES Challenge - anything but Christmas
• Paper Pretties - punches

Off to do some online shopping and visit your blogs now... woo hoo, yay!!!

Still alive....

I'm still without internet and I'm sooo fed up!  I feel completely cut off.  We had no post for a week due to the snow, so our new router didn't arrive.  Post has started trickling through again over the last couple of days, but they don't seem to be delivering any parcels yet, so it's a bit of a nightmare really!  If the new router doesn't arrive tomorrow, we'll have been without internet for 2 weeks.... scream!

If any of my customers happen to be reading this, everything has been sent out (1st class recorded as usual) so fingers crossed it will all be delivered soon when royal mail catch up.

Things are a little bit stressful at the moment, as I can't do anything I need to do, I had my eldest off school for nearly a week so it was like the school holidays... and now I've got hubby at home because he's put his back out - he's a terrible patient so that's great fun...

I have everything crossed that the postie will bring the new router tomorrow, I think I'll cry if he doesn't!

A quick grumble

We still have no internet (just connecting again for a few mins using hubby's phone)... thanks for all your sympathetic messages, wish I could come and visit you all!  Just to make the week even worse, we have more snow than I can remember seeing for years - the boys played outside yesterday and the snow went right up to Dex's waist!  So we have no post arriving either... so I can't see the new router arriving tomorrow as we'd hoped.

I miss blogging sooo much - hope to see you all soon!

Sob... no internet for a week!

We still have no internet connection - just grabbing another few mins using hubby's phone to connect me but it's taken about an hour to get that to work tonight!  According to Sky we need a new router, so they're sending us one and fingers crossed we'll have that by Friday.

I'm not handling it well....

No internet connection!

Apologies - I haven't been able to return any of your comments today because our internet connection is down... hubby has connected me briefly using his phone.  Fingers crossed I'll be back online soon.  On the other hand, it's AMAZING how much you can get done when you can't waste hours on the laptop!

See you soon, hopefully!

Male 21st card

This one's for an order, for a male 21st card - it's for a regular customer of mine who just doesn't do cute, and generally prefers cards without images on... so I have to get myself out of my usual comfort zone when I make her cards.  I find it often gives me new ideas though, when I work on something a bit different, so it's a good thing really.

The card base is A5, with MME papers and DCWV and bazzill cardstock.  Spotty buttons from my stash, and I bought the digi sentiment here - like yesterday's card I've opened it in photoshop and added the 21 in the centre.  I've used promarkers on parts of the sentiment circle, used glossy accents to make it look a bit badge-like, and then mounted it on some nestie stars.

We finally have snow here, they've been saying it'll snow for days and it finally started last night.  The boys are very impressed!  Dex, who's nearly 3, can't pronounce the 'sn' sound properly, so when he came downstairs this morning he looked out of the window and got all excited shouting 'GLOW! IT'S GLOWING!' bless him :o)  And he calls snowmen 'glowmen' which I think is a far better name for them lol.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Pear Tree Designs - colourful
• Paper Play - stars

Pink & princessy

Firstly, apologies for being such a bad blogger this week - I'm really busy and haven't felt all that well either.  Tonight is our weekly rubbish film night (we let our 8yr old son stay up every Friday and he gets to choose the film - it's always rubbish!) so I should manage to visit quite a few of you this evening.

I've made this one for an order and I've really enjoyed making it :o)  I was asked for something 'pink and princessy' and my customer chose this stamp from the images I showed her - I love this little Gorjuss Girl, she's one of my favourites.  I've used an 8" square card base as she wanted a large card.  The image is coloured with promarkers with a bit of glow using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  The papers are K&Co, cardstock is coredinations.  Lace, heart buttons and pearls from my stash.  The sentiment is a digi one I bought here - I've photo-shopped it to add the 'Abi is 5' text in the centre.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Charisma Cardz - one for the girls
• Crazy 4 Challenges - circles
• CES - lovely lace
• Simple Doodles - cute as a button
• Passion For Promarkers - old & new (old image & buttons, new sentiment)
• A Spoon Full of Sugar - anything goes
• Stampavie & More - hearts
• Fab n Funky - going with the flow (anything goes)

Quick card for a boy

I needed a card for an 8yr old boy, and had no time to make it, so I've been lazy and used a printable coloured image and matching paper... I've had this stored on the computer for so long I've no idea where I got it from - I always save images under the company name now, but when I first started I was a bit more random.  Anyway, I've just printed the image and paper onto linen card, shaped the image corners with an inverted punch, added a Craftwork Cards sentiment and that's it.... super quick, but the birthday boy seemed to like it :o)

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Paper Sundaes - sketch (flipped it)
• Fab n Funky - forget me not (use a long forgotten image)
• Just Cute Bears & Friends - winter birthday (does a bird count?!)

Apologies again if I've not managed to visit you yet, I'm catching up slowly - you're all too fast!

Crafty Cardmakers spotlight - containers

Grrr, bloomin' computers!  I just wrote a whole post out, with my 2yr old nagging at me the whole time for drinks, snacks, Noddy, Fireman Sam.... got it done, hit publish and it disappeared!!!!  Bah Humbug...

So I'm keeping it short this time in case the same happens again!  Our spotlight challenge at Crafty Cardmakers this fortnight is containers and fancy envelopes.  I've used a downloaded template from The Cutting Cafe to make my little stack of boxes - they're not as big as they look in the pic, they're quite teeny really.  I'm going to fill them with sweets for little Christmas gifts, and I've kept them quite simple because if I find the time I'm going to make a few of them.

I'm entering my boxes for the following challenges:

• Die Cut Dreams - anything but a card
• Totally Papercrafts - snow & snowflakes
• Secret Crafter - handmade Christmas gifts
• Our Creative Corner - 3d holiday projects
• Die Cut Dreams Christmas - anything goes
• Bunny Zoes - Christmas but not a card

Oops...

Well today should have been a busy day getting all sorts of things done... but I dozed off in the chair!  Oh dear, that means tomorrow I'll be panicking trying to do everything.

Soooo... as I've absolutely nothing productive to put on here, I thought I'd show you the top I 'made' for Morgan. He had to wear something spotty for Children in Need yesterday but apparently they don't sell anything spotty for boys (rolls eyes), it's all stripes.  So I started with a plain white t-shirt, added splodges of fabric glue and then covered them in different coloured glitter - it never gets used anyway because I always seem to grab the glamour dust instead!

Not the best pic as we took it in a bit of a rush before school - you can see the missing bits where my 'little helper' Dex had his fingers in the glitter too!  He cried when I cleared up all the sparkly stuff!

Stamp Something - with thanks

Time for a new challenge at Stamp Something, and as it's Thanksgiving in the US next week, our challenge is 'thankful somethings'.  This week we're sponsored by Simon Says Stamp, and they'll be giving the lucky winner $20  to spend in their store.  Also, next week there will be no new challenge, so you have 2 weeks to take part in this one.

The timing of this challenge worked out quite well for me, as my mum rang earlier in the week and said one of her friends has left a huge box of cardmaking bits for me!  Apparently she tried it, bought lots of stuff (as you do) and then decided it wasn't for her... I've no idea what's in the box, but whatever's in it I wanted to do something to thank her.  She said she didn't want any money for them, but wondered if I might make her a few cards... so I thought I'd make this for her to keep and some cards for her to send (when I get a spare few mins!).

I saw one of these little post it note easels while blog hopping... I can't remember where though so I'm sorry if I've shamelessly stolen your idea!   The image is one of the lovely new Simply Sassy stamps from Sugar Nellie - this one is 'luv a latte'.  I've coloured her with promarkers, then added shading and glow using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  The papers are K&Co with Kraft cardstock.  MS punches for the border and the butterfly.  Computer generated sentiment cut out using the Stampin' Up word window punch.

I'm entering my little easel into the following challenges:

• Paper Sundaes - pick your toppings (I've used blue and punches)
• Flutterby Wednesday - anything goes
• For Fun - thank you
• Paper Pretties - thank you
• Aud Sentiments - thank you
• Creative Card Crew - give thanks
• The Crazy Challenge - thank you/ thanksgiving

Yummy new stamps!

Here's my first card made with one of my new Sugar Nellie 'Simply Sassy' stamps from set 2... they're fab to colour, love them!  I have another one ready for tomorrow too :o)

I've coloured 'bella bunting' with promarkers, and added some shading and glow using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  I did the hair with pencils as I'm never happy with my hair colouring... thought I'd try it with pencils.  The papers are Making Memories, with coredinations cardstock.  Added some x-cut punched flowers, with pink pearl centres.

I've had a very productive day today... some cards and colouring done, stew in the slow cooker, decorated a top for Morgan to wear tomorrow - it's Children in Need and they have to go in something spotty... sounds simple but they just don't make anything spotty for boys, it's all stripes!  So I used a plain white t-shirt, added dots of fabric glue and covered them in different coloured glitter... result isn't perfect but I'm quite pleased with myself anyway lol.  I'll try and get a pic of him wearing it tomorrow :o)

Hoping to do a bit of blog visiting now... sorry if I've missed anyone out lately, I'm a bit busy but I'll catch up eventually!

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• The Sugar Bowl - fab sketch (optional black & white + 1 but I was set on these papers, sorry!)
• Stamp With Fun - square
• CES Challenge - think pink

Quick Christmas card...

Well, I've finally made all of my samples for the Little Claire stamps that will be released in a couple of weeks, and I even managed this quick Christmas card today - although I liked the idea of it better than the finished result. These are new images from Digistamp Boutique available here - they'll be fab for those mini cards I'm making for Morgan to give to his school friends.

I've coloured the imaged with promarkers and used plain red, black and Kraft cardstock.  Added a punched MS snowflake with a big sparkly gem and that's it - very simple!  The colours definitely worked better in my head though.

I was naughty at the weekend and ordered the new Set 2 of Simply Sassy stamps from Funky Kits, and was very excited when the postie brought them for me today :o)  Can't wait to play with them... wonder if I can find some time tomorrow...

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Ooh La La - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
• Crazy 4 Challenges - Christmas
• Sweet Stampin - snowflakes
• Craft Your Days Away - Christmas trees
• Ellephantastic - Christmas and/or a butterfly
• Creative Inspirations - Christmas
• Keep It Simple - wonderland
• Bah! Humbug! - reindeer
• Crafty Calendar - winter snowflakes

A quick post...

I'm currently wading through DT samples that need to be made, a few orders, and invite samples... so I thought as I've nothing else to blog yet, I'd put these samples on that I made a while ago.  They're for an engagement party. I kept them really simple, used scriptina font for the text, the glasses are Pink Petticoat images coloured with a Sakura clear stardust pen.  Used an MS punch for the butterfly one.  Cardstock is ivory linen from the Papermill.

Sorry, short and boring post - off to grab something to eat before I get on with more samples!  Will catch up with you all this evening :o)

Stamp Something - digi

There - I told you I'd have a full sized card today... a day off from the mini ones.  It's my 2nd week as Guest Designer at Stamp Something and I'm feeling a bit less nervous! This week our challenge is to 'stamp something digi' and there are lots of lovely sponsors - full details of them on the challenge blog.

I've used an image from one of our sponsors, Sassy Studio, she's called Cocoa Carol.  I've coloured the image with promarkers, then paper pieced the chair and cut out and layered the girl on top.  Added a bit of shading and glow using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  The papers are my fave GCD Studio 'ella blue' ones again, with blue linen cardstock from my stash.  Ribbon from Little Claire, pearls from stash, impossible to photo 'warm wishes' sentiment from Craftwork Cards.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

• Everybody Art - fab sketch
• My Partner in Crafting Crime - marker madness
• Elephantastic - blue
• Sassy Thursday - anything goes
• Papercraft Star - photo inspiration

More mini cards!

Yet more mini cards today - I promise, I do have a full size card for tomorrow lol!

I've used some more little images from the 'tiny treasures' set from Pink Petticoat.  The papers are Dovecraft (blue) and DCWV (pink), with kraft cardstock.  Added some tiny punched snowflakes, using a free punch that came with a magazine, with some teeny pearl centres... I think the most time consuming bit of these cards was chasing the bloomin' pearls around the desk with my tweezers lol!  I love using pearls on my cards, but oooh they do annoy me when they won't do what I want!

I asked hubby to bring me a box home from work today so I could make a light box like the one Liz made here.  I told him roughly what size I wanted it, so I was a bit puzzled to see him struggling to get through the door with the most ridiculously huge box this evening... I'm sending it back with him tomorrow!  So my light box will have to wait until I have something less enormous...

I'm entering my little cards for the 'anything goes' challenge at Cute Card Thursday.

Another mini card

Another one of my mini cards for Morgan's school friends, except I don't really like this one so I probably won't repeat it!  I've used another one of the 'tiny treasures' images from Pink Petticoat, with Dovecraft papers, coredinations cardstock and red gingham ribbon from my stash.  Image matted onto a nellie snellen frame, and added some black card candy.

I haven't had chance to visit many of you yet today, but I will do tonight.  We've had a busy day with a dietitian's appointment for Dex and then some shopping.  Dex is ridiculously fussy and we had a referral to the dietitian a while ago, today was our follow up appointment.  We saw a different one today and she seemed much more 'sensible'... she's said he's not underweight, he gets a varied diet although it's a bit limited (the last one we saw wanted him on vitamins, but he covers all his food groups with the foods he eats, so I didn't think it was necessary).  She's recommended we see 'the psychologists', which sounds a bit ominous, but I think it might be the right way to go... my main issue with him is his extreme fear of certain foods, particularly bread - seems an odd thing to be scared of but he literally won't touch it and screams and cries if we put some near him.  So we're waiting for another referral now, fingers crossed!

Right, enough rambling... off to visit a few of you now.

Mini snowman

I made a couple of mini cards today - I'll probably use them for Morgan's school friends... last year I bought a little pack of cards for him to use, but he was so disappointed not to have handmade ones, I thought I'd better make the effort this year!  I'll probably make a few different ones and then repeat them.

The little snowman is from Pink Petticoat, coloured with promarkers, with glamour dust for sparkle.  Circle cut with nesties and mounted on a nellie snellen frame.  Dovecraft paper, coredinations cardstock, spotty ribbon from my stash and black card candy.  I'm keeping them simple because I bet most of the kids won't even notice what they look like!

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Corrosive - black n blue
• Paper Sundaes - let it snow

Crafty Cardmakers spotlight - dry embossing

Time for a new spotlight challenge at Crafty Cardmakers, and this fortnight our spotlight is on 'dry embossing'. Easy peasy really, and a great chance to get those embossing folders out, or maybe you've got an unloved light box that you could dust off :o)

I decided that instead of using an image as the main focus, I'd use this cuttlebug owl embossing folder... bought quite a while ago and it's been sat in it's packaging ever since - I'm always doing this!  I spot some 'must-have', buy it and either use it once or never use it, and it sits there making me feel guilty... perhaps I'll make a few of these in different colours and then I won't feel so bad!

Anyway... it's a fairly quick card - I just embossed the owl onto coredinations cardstock, then sanded it back and roughed up all the cardstock edges a bit with the sanding block.  The ribbon, pearls and yellow/ orange cardstock are all from my stash.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

• CRAFT - dry embossing
• One Stop Craft - embossing
• Crazy 4 Challenges - create square cards
• CES Challenges - forever autumn

A very simple tutorial - scallop circle cards

Now I don't usually do tutorials... actually I've never done one!  I don't think I'm 'expert' enough at anything to warrant producing tutorials in anything really lol.  However, I was asked how I cut scallop circle cards without them ending up wonky, and I couldn't think of a way of explaining that without a few pics.

My circle dies are Go Kreate ones, which I'm fairly sure are exactly the same as the Little Claire 'amazing frame' ones.  They're very big!  I've used bright card so it shows up better.

Cut, score and fold your card base as usual - mine is a 5.75" square base.

Then position your die on the card base - as you can see in the pic below, there are 2 scallops at the bottom so that your card will stand fairly level when cut, and 3 scallops overlapping the folded edge.

Hold the die in place with masking tape. 

The pic below shows the back of the folded edge.

Cut with your die cutter as usual - carefully though, as you have a double layer of cardstock... don't force it!

 Being the clumsiest person ever, I have broken one of my Big Shot plates before while doing this - oops!

And here's the scalloped card. 

Hope this helps someone - hopefully, it will at least help Louise who asked me the question :o)

Ohhh my goodness!

Well, I haven't been this nervous for a while!  I had an amazing email last week, asking me if I'd like to be a Guest Designer at Stamp Something for the next couple of months... I nearly keeled over from the shock lol!  I love the challenges at Stamp Something so it was a bit of a no-brainer really, of course I said yes.  I still can't believe they asked me though!

The challenge this week is a fab sketch and we're sponsored by DRS Designs.

I've used a sweet LOTV stamp, that I've had a couple of months but haven't used until now.  I've coloured it with promarkers and added some shading and glow using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  Oh, and lots of sparkle with glamour dust of course!  The papers are downloaded ones from Bearly Mine - I've used the same design on the smaller squares, but just reduced the size of it for smaller spots.  Cardstock is coredinations, MS punched snowflakes (glamour dusted again!) and a sentiment stamp from Pink Gem.  The felt flowers were freebies with a mag - didn't think I'd ever use them but I have at last... used some felt dots from the same freebie pack for the snowflake centres.  Added a gem brad and some card candy to finish.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges:

• Lili of the Valley - one for the girls (hope this is girlie enough!)
• A Spoon Full of Sugar - relish to embellish
• My Partner in Crafting Crime - it's a material world (felt flowers - 2nd entry)
• I Love Promarkers - snowflakes
• For Fun - metal (brad)
• Charisma - with love at Christmas

A card for Daniel

Ooh I'm running a bit late tonight... been watching something with hubby and lost track of time!  This is my card for Daniel - you can read about him here but I've left it right until the last minute for posting his card, for some reason I thought I had until at least Monday to make it but realised today that his birthday is on Sunday.... fingers crossed he'll get it in time!

I've used one of the older images from Digistamp Boutique - this is Harold, he looks a bit like he's going to run off with that cake doesn't he?  I've coloured him with promarkers with a bit of 'glow' using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador.  The papers are K&Co, with coredinations cardstock - I used white ink around the edges of the blue card and blue ink on all the paper edges, because it was looking a bit too 'young' as it was.  Stars cut with nesties, buttons from stash, and a Craftwork Cards sentiment.  Hope it'll be ok for him Claire :o)

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Truly Scrumptious - sketch (didn't use the optional pearls etc, as they didn't really work for this)
• Paper Play - circles
• Paper Sundaes - for a man/ boy
• Sentimental Sundays - birthdays
• Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes birthday
• Papertake Weekly - penny for the guy (male cards)

Had a cute son moment today.... I've been a bit low this week, it happens occasionally - I have those days where I seem to cry over nothing, but I'm loathe to see the doc about it because they seem to have been waiting for me to ask for anti-d's ever since we lost Harvey... it'll never happen because I'm totally incapable of admitting I might not be coping perfectly!  So I manage with my occasional sad day.  Anyway, back to the point... my 8yr old son must have heard me telling hubby that I'd been crying over nothing, and today while we were in the car he piped up with 'Mummy... I sometimes cry for no reason too, it's ok... I think it's just the cold air...'  Bless him, love my boys :o)

Hoot & Hootie Christmas

I seem to have a thing about doing owls in odd colours... for some reason I hardly ever reach for brown when I have owls to colour!  This cute pair are Hoot & Hootie from Digistamp Boutique, one of the fab new offer images for this month.

I've coloured them with promarkers and then added a bit of 'glow' using koh-i-noor pencils blended with sansador, and used glossy accents on their eyes.  The papers are Dovecraft, with cardstock from my stash, sentiment and card candy from Craftwork Cards.

I'm entering my card for the following challenges:

• Friday Sketchers - fab sketch
• Die Cut Dreams Christmas - use a Christmas digi
• Stamp With Fun - all that can fly
• Everybody Art - untraditional Christmas
• Secret Crafter - anything that flies

Apologies for being a bit behind in visiting all your blogs at the moment, I've been a bit busy but hopefully I'll manage to visit some of you tonight - you're all so productive though, it's hard to keep up!

My little scary monsters...

 

After years of getting away with it, I've finally agreed to take the boys trick or treating - this is Morgan (8yrs) and Dex (2.5yrs) trying on their outfits ready for this evening.  Morgan would happily have his photo taken all day, but Dex is not so keen so this is the best I could do!  I've no idea what face Dex is trying to pull in the second pic - I've a funny feeling this is his idea of smiling for the camera lol.  And yes, I know I should probably get his hair cut...

Hopefully I'll be back later with a card, if I find the time between visiting family, DT stuff and trick or treating :o)