Simple and Quick

I am still colouring all the images I printed out and stacked away on the desk in an attempt to pre-empt a New Year resolution of 'Finish One Thing Before You Start Another'!! I have so many printed images lying about looking very sad and dust laden so I am determined that before 1st Jan I will have at least made a dent in the pile!

I managed to pull my back yesterday whilst stretching to get a bag of flour out of the cupboard - ended up sitting with a hot water bottle on my back for most of the day and feeling sorry for myself. Consequently, I only got two cards done as I needed to go and lie on the sofa most of the evening. Several anti inflammatory pills later, today I'm gingerly walking round and have no idea how long I'm going to be able to sit here so am trying to make the most of what crafting time I have! Here's a basic simple card that didn't take me very long to make using a freebie digi from the very talented Beccy, which I coloured with promarkers. I dusted the linen textured card with the 'red' brush (the one that I use for all the red/pink distress inks) without adding any more colour to it as I didn't want it to turn out too pink/red! The strawberry paper is from the Basic Grey 'Nook and Pantry' pad and the fabric flowers are from my stash.

Challenges-

Papertake Weekly - Be Thankful

Digital Tuesday - Anything Goes

Cupcake Craft - Thank You

Phindy's Place - Thank you

Blingy!

As our Christmas party was cancelled due to the weather, we're hoping to hold it on 3rd January and celebrate the New Year instead - so it's quite apt that we are able to encompass another celebration on that day - a lady and gentleman at our Club are celebrating their DIAMOND anniversary on 1st January! Amazing!! (And if you saw her on the green you would never believe she's been married for 60 years - a demon player!!). I never believe anyone when they say they've never had 'a cross word' - bet they HAVE had a few cross words in 60 years - I can't believe that they have always agreed with each other over everything! But obviously when ever they have had a disagreement they've done the most important thing and made up!

So yesterday I sat down and made them a card. The beautiful embossed frame was sent to me by Jan some time ago (when she was playing with yet another set of new goodies!! LOL)

I printed the sentiment onto another piece of matching card. I had printed out the number in a lighter shade of grey to give me an outline to work on as I didn't trust myself to stick the gems on freehand - they'd have been bound to end up in a mess.

I added some more sparklies to the frame and some silver mirri card inside the straight edges to give it a bit of depth and then mounted the frame onto the sentiment and glued onto the card.

I hope they like it!

Christmas Wishes

To my blogging friends,

Thank you for all the times you've visited me this year,

Thank you for your comments on my work, your support and your inspiration.

I wish you all a peaceful Christmas,may you be surrounded by those you love most and all my best wishes for a happy,(and crafty!) 2011.

xxx

Birdie and Tag

Decided during the Christmas Card-a-thon to take a break from colouring in and go back to stamping. Made a couple of these for crafty friends but unfortunately, I didn't take enough pics to show them off properly! The basic idea was a piece of card with a 'pocket' and a tag inside. I meant to take a pic of the tag separately so the stamping on the card and the tag could be seen propely but was in too much of a hurry and I forgot!

So you'll have to make do with a description - some pale green paper was layered onto cream and brown cardstock and I put some plasterer's tape over it and then randomly ran a Sepia coloured ink across it. When dry I peeled off the plasterer's tape to leave a tiny squares pattern in places. The tag was made using the same paper and layered onto cream card. I then used a large snowflake stamp (have no idea where I bought it from - lol) and stamped onto the background and onto the tag itself. A piece of cream card was cut smaller than the background card, suitably distressed and I used ink brushes and Bundled Sage Distress Ink. The bird stamp is one of my favoutites and is by Elusive Images, stamped in Sepia and then another couple of stamps (Pine branches and Holly swirls) from Butterfly Kisses. Put a couple of tiny red gems onto the holly swirls for berries and added a larger red gem in the centre of the snowflakes.

I added some brown and cream card onto the back, folded in half to make a stand (and so I could write a greeting!)

Enjoyed doing these - will save the idea for next year too I think!

Challenges-

Stamp Something - Something with a Tag or pocket

Sew Many Challenges - Anything Goes

Gingerloft - Distressing

'Nother Tag!

Now that Jan has received this, I thought I could share it!

(Although if I find out she's opened her pressie as well she'll be in DEEP trouble.....lol)

This is a variation on a tag that I made for Maureen.Used Victorian Velvet Distress Ink on the music script paper and coloured me flower with red acrylic paint and a bit of glossy accents.

Was quite pleased with myself 'cos I managed to stamp AND emboss a greeting onto a small piece of acrylic which started it's life as tag shaped but became more rectangle when I ran over it with the wheels of the chair....... (the other bits are embedded somewhere beneath the desk or ground into the mat). Anyway I rescued the largest piece and with the use of a trusty file smoothed off the edges and made it into a rectangle thingy shape.

The numbers are little wooden ones I bought at the NEC.... when I got home I spent 5 days looking for them - I was moaning to Maureen that I'd lost them and wailing 'what am I going to do now' 'cos I was convinced I'd thrown them away with the carrier bags when trying to hide the evidence(till receipts) from DH......

I found the little blighters nestling away in the corner of my (cavernous) handbag - (which Mum used to call a 'port manteau') when I was searching for a lip salve!!! So although they tried to make a bid for freedom, I prevailed!!!!!! ...... And glittered them for punishment for trying to escape.

Challenges -

Tag Tuesday - Gold

Creative Belli - Christmas

Something Completely Different - Christmas Tag

The Artistic Stamper - Jens Tag Withdrawal Challenge

Theme Thursday - Tags

I tidied the desk of all the Christmas workings and put them neatly away. OH came in, looked round and asked me if we'd been burgled.........................

So after having neatness for a whole hour and a half I then got bored and out came a pile of paper and stamped images.

This image was one I did using Maureens stamps (as if I haven't got enough of my own......) - don't you find that other crafters always have fab stuff that you don't???? LOL Anyway, the poor image has been here since September so thought I'd better use it!

There was a colour challenge over at the Play Date Cafe of Black, White and a 'splash' of Yellow. Don't know whether this could be considered more than a splash but never mind! I think the stamp and sentiment is from a set called 'Elegant Ladies' and I love it. I opted not to colour the dress but just dotted the polka dots with a dark grey promarker and coloured her shoes, ribbon belt and hat band in yellow. I made an attempt at highlighting the egde of the image ( a first for me) and I am quite pleased with it as I think it gives it a little bit of 'depth'.

The spotty paper is by DCWV and the polka dot ribbon was the last yellow and white piece I had left- wasn't enough to tie a bow with either - hence the 'blingy' buckle.

Challenges -

Play Date Cafe - Black, White and a yellow splash

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

I Did It - Anything Goes

C.R.A.F.T- Black,White and a touch of colour

Tag Book

First challenge of 2011 (and it ain't even here yet! LOL) is posted over at my Flickr Group Art N Soul.

I chose the theme of 'Beautiful Buttons' and the challenge was to make a Tag Book with at least four tags.

Each tag had to have a button on it somewhere and your books could be made from anything you wished.

I chose ordinary card and just dug out a pile of vintage stamps.

You can only see one tag clearly on this pic but both sides of each tag are decorated. (if you want to see the rest of it, just click on the 'Art N Soul' link above). I tried to continue the vintage theme throughout the book and have used Paperartsy stamps, K and Co paper, distress inks and vintage lace and buttons from my stash. Oh and a wee bit of shrink plastic on one of the inside ones! (cos the stamp I wanted to use was too big!)

It's made a welcome change not to be Christmas Card making yesterday and today. We still have a foot of snow and temperatures of minus 9 today - the lane is still blocked with snow and ice so going out was impossible so I have sat here in the crafty space until my bum has become numb!

A first for me! - Grungepaper Rose

Here's a tag I made for Maureen. She's had it since the end of November when I paid her a quick visit but I only let her open it earlier this week!

This was my first attempt at making the flowers from grungepaper and I am real pleased with my little self that I actually managed it!

The idea for the tag came from a Graphicus newsletter - sadly Graphicus has gone into liquidation in the last week but Glenda is hoping to start up again in some way in the New Year. She's far too talented to give up creating and I hope she and her staff can put aside the money worries over Christmas and begin again in the New Year.

Back to the tag. The rosette was made from script paper which I rubbed over some Distress Ink. I secured it with a pearl brad. The chipboard flourish is by Maya Road and I liberally added the glitter (not just to the chipboard either - the work table looked VERY festive by the time I'd finished!). The background paper is by papermania and I silver embossed the edges. The acrylic tag came from Glenda's company Elusive Images and I used a Crafty Individuals snowflake stamp embossing in silver. The grungepaper flower was painted in acrylic paint, stamped with the co-ordinating stamp to the background paper and covered with some glossy accents and a wee bit of sparkle. I just added a few glossy punched out snowflakes and some white organza sparkle ribbon to finish. This is one of a couple I made this year - will post another very soon!

OH and I were supposed to be cooking Christmas Dinner for 58 people at the Club today. Got up at 7am this morning to be greeted by 2 feet of snow and no chance at all of even getting the car off the drive never mind down the lane. We're an hour away from the club on a good day - So Christmas Party cancelled. Snow has finally stopped falling about an hour ago so we've just had to settle ourselves indoors for the duration! Happy Saturday!

Challenges -

Gingersnap Creations Spicy Supply Challenge - White Glitter

2 Sisters - Christmas

Just Us Girls - Colour Challenge

The Stamp Man - Anything Goes Tag

Allsorts - Anything Goes

Something Completely Different - Christmas Tag

Theme Thursday - Tag

Following on from Jennie's (The Artistic Stamper) comments I have entered this into her 'Tag Withdrawal' challenge - go visit and see some gorgeous creativity!

Stocking

A real grey day here but I've been busy finishing up the Christmas Cards - I began to tidy the desk and found a few printed images waiting to be coloured, so rather than throw them away I have made them into cards - if I don't send them this year I'll save them for next (nothing like starting early is there??? lol).

This one though is already in the post!

The recipient will need a thick letter box ... didn't think about the thickness of it when I was adding the 'jingly bells'!

A digi freebie from the Paper Garden coloured with promarkers and a few punched out snowflakes with a bit of bling! The stocking cut out with a nestie and brushed with Victorian Velvet Distress Ink. Background paper is from K and Co and the little parcels were just made from some red paper.

Challenges -

Tuesday Taggers - The Stockings were hung

Creative Belli - Xmas themed embellishments

Magic in the Air - Traditional Red and Green

Stampin Vacation (Youth) - Christmas Stocking

Crafty Ho's - Red and Green

The night before.....

Couldn't resist this digi! I am feeling relatively pleased with myself as I have nearly finished the 'Cardathon'. Half are in the post and I have written a few more and there's half a dozen drying here on the desk. I wasn't going to make a lot but I wanted to use up some of the stash before I pack the Christmas stuff away for another year, so have made more than I intended to this year.

Have enjoyed the card making this year more than I thought I would once I got motivated - sometimes I feel pressured into sending hand made cards as everyone knows I make them and I get a bit paranoid thinking that they might be thinking - 'oh she didn't make me one'......

Anyway have made as many as I usually do and have sent a mixture of hand made and shop bought!(Or rather I WILL be sending a mixture once I've finished!)

Coloured 'reading mouse' with promarkers and used Basic Grey Jovial papers. Played about a bit with my scalloped nesties too, used a Martha Stewart punch for the border and coloured the card candy with promarkers to match the background paper. The whole thing layered onto red card.

Challenges-

Stamp Something - Digi Day

Allsorts Challenge - Light up the Night (use a candle or similar)

2 Sisters - Twas the Night before Christmas

Digi Doodle Challenge - Animals

Starry

Here's another - (am on a roll here I think!! LOL). This is another digi from Sassy Cheryl. This gorgeous little girl is staring with wonder at the Star. I love the little Ted in her hand - how many of us dragged our favourite toy around like that? And insisted that they came with us to look at absolutely EVERYTHING!!

Anyway I hope I have done her justice with my less than expert colouring in skills.

The background papers are from the Basic Grey Jovial pack, all layered onto dark red card.

I added the fabric star over the one Cheryl had drawn and sprinkled some 'Frosted Lace' Stickles acroos the floor and dotted the sky. The embellies are from my stash and the little bell makes a lovely tinkling sound! Sentiment printed out on the PC.

Challenges -

Crafty Creations - Project including a Bear

Cooking it up with Katie - Red, Layers, Christmas

C.R.A.F.T. - Colour Challenge

Sassy Cheryl - Colour Me Challenge 5

Meljens Designs - Red, Green and Gold

Frosty!

Frost has almost disappeared here this morning and thankfully it's a little bit warmer.

Made a few cards last night - here's the first.

Isn't this digi lovely!!! I adore him. Think he looks so cute! He's from Sassy Cheryl, who draws the fabbiest snowmen (and other things of course!) I think he's rushing home for his Christmas Dinner!

I used the sketch from this weeks Mojo Monday challenge for a bit of inspiration. Quite a basic one but I liked it's simplicity really.

As always, he's coloured with promarkers and a small sprinkling of Stickles on his face and hands. Please click on him for a better view. And what is it about spotty paper? I love it! It goes with everything!

Challenges -

Mojo Monday - Sketch

One Powerful Hour - Snow People

Play Date Cafe - Colour Challenge

Sassy Cheryl - Colour Me Challenge 5

I Believe in Angels.....

I am so disorganised it's untrue!! Today, I received several Christmas Cards. I haven't finished making mine and people are already sending theirs out..... gotta get my skates on so today I am going to make as many as I can and hope that I have enough to send to the people who I usually send hand made ones too....

Finished this last night. The image is a digi coloured with Promarkers and cut out with a nestie. I used my 'shaving' brush and went round the edge with Faded Jeans Distress Ink.

Having steeled myself to use it after it gathering dust for over 12 months ( deffo strokable paper this lot.... LOL) , the backing paper is from the Winter Wonderland pad from K and Co.

I thought the paper made enough of a staement but couldn't resist the wee punched edge as I didn't want to waste the bit I'd cut off!

The chipboard sentiment is from my stash and threaded with two shades of blue organza ribbon.

Challenges -

Crafts and Me - Moody Blues

Creative Belli - Christmas Themed embellishments

Little Red Wagon - Use a Die Cut

That's better!

Hot on the heels of the previous unispiring effort is this one done using some of the same paper and ribbon.

Santa is a Crafty Individuals stamp inked in Vintage Sepia Versafine and cut out. Popped him onto an oval cut out with my nesties and then put them onto a deckled oval sent to me by Maureen. (Deckled ovals are next on the nestie purchase list!).

The scrummy backing paper with all the lovely Xmas words was an indulgence at the NEC this year! (At least I cut into it instead of keeping it for 3 years before use!)

A couple of chipboard greetings and my fave holly ribbon to finish.

Ahhhhhh so much better than the previous effort! (Well I think so anyway........)

Terrible Pic!

I have spent an absolute age trying to photograph this card to show the true colours. I have now given up. I am soooo disappointed with the colours of the tag on the pic - the red is 'in real life' the same colour as the red holly paper (which is from Kaiserkraft). The red holly paper was a tiny scrap I had left - so used it up and I have tried to make this just a basic card as although we are having a low key Christmas I still wanted to send cards.

This though is probably one of the most uninspiring cards I have made to date but nowt I can do about it now!

I have made this card for a male relative hence I couldn't overload it with embellies - as it is, he'll probably pass a comment about the ribbon (that's if I even send it!!) But - I will be forgiven 'cos it's Christmas! -I hope..................

Challenges -

Tuesday Taggers - Deck the Halls

Cards for Men - Christmas

Brrrrr!!!!

Well, it is so unbelievably cold here!! The temperature has not risen above minus 4 all day!

But I donned the boots and gloves and ventured out into the garden in the glorious bright sunshine that we were treated to for about 3 hours today. I was absolutely fascinated by being able to see the 'air' sparkling.... all little tiny white sparkly flecks showing up in the bright blue. This tree is one of my favourites. I planted it when I first moved into this house and it lays between the second and third lawns - it looked amazing today. I was completely blown away by it's beauty and today was a day when I wished I'd have had one of those sooper dooper cameras so I could have caught the image in all it's splendour instead of my tiny little digi!

I was going to upload a card - but decided to share this instead!

Keep warm wherever you are! x

Santa

I've had this stamp for a couple of years and it's never lost it's appeal. I stamped image with Cranberry ink, then distressed the edges and ran the ink pad across to define the edge before mounting it onto dark red card. The background paper I bought in a local crafts shop - a bargain as it was only 15p for an A4 sheet!
The ribbon is from Papermania and I've had it a while. It just seemed to blend in with the paper and image so I was glad to finally use it up.
The snowflake edge was done using a Martha Stewart punch and was sent to me by Maureen as were the punched out snowflakes. I ran the same ink pad over them all before adding the two 'sparklies' to the large flakes and covering with glossy accents.
Challenges -
Totally Papercrafts - Xmas Punches
Corrosive Challenges - Red and White
Xmas Card Challenges - Monochrome

Saturday Challenge - Christmas

Sew Many Challenges(my second entry this weeked!) - Snowflakes

Stampin Vacation - Monochromatic RedsTuesday Taggers - Jolly Old St Nick

First for Today

Had a productive couple of days and here's another one for the stash. This one though was about to go into the bin as I had a bit of a disaster with the nestie! The image is a feeebie digi which I coloured with promarkers. Cutting her out was fine - then I thought 'I'll just emboss the edges'... should have left well alone cos as I ran it through the machine again the paper must have slipped - result? An image which had the wonkiest embossing you've ever seen. Agghhhhhhh- !!!!
Sat for a while looking at it and cursing then put it to one side and started something else.
Halfway through the new project I remembered some fibres I had. Tipped out the box - not a lot left.... could I stretch it? LOL. Just about - I was left with less than an eighth of an inch after covering the edge! So she was saved from the bin and to celebrate I gave the 'furry' bits of her outfit a liberal dose of Stickles in not one but TWO colours!
She's stuck onto a blue foiled background which is layered onto silver mirri card. I used a Martha Stewart punch for the corners and the snowflakes were from my stash.
Challenges -

Wags N Whiskers - SnowflakesBee Crafty - WinterStamptacular - Blue Blue Christmas

Sew Many Challenges - Snowflakes

Snow

Was on a bit of a roll yesterday so you may get fed up with the posts today - will try and limit myself and not go mad uploading.

I have had a K and Co paper pad for a couple of years and so far have steadfastly refused to use it as I love the paper. No idea why we have an aversion to using gorgeous paper (after all we buy it cos it IS gorgeous!), but everyone I speak to confesses to doing the same. I made an early resolution that I would not hoard paper anymore - if I bought it I must use it - so heres the first card from K and Co's Winter Wonderland pad.

The design of the card was inspired by Mojo Monday's sketch - although the interpretation isn't exact as I've only used one piece of background paper I liked the circle idea!
Snowman and friend were coloured using promarkers and the usual Stickles glittery stuff to give him a 'frosty' feel!
The silver embellishments are also very very old! Bought them in a sale about 4 years ago and only have a few left - they're on elastic so I just wrapped them round the glitter circle and secured them at the back.

Challenges -
Crafty Ho's - Snowmen
The Crafty Pad - Snowflakes
Stampavie - Snow
Gingersnap Creations - Snow people
Creative Belli - the letter 'R' (well circles are ROUND aren't they???LOL)
Cute Card Thursday - The Blues
Dutch Dare - Christmas

On the first day of Christmas....

Another card made for my own use this year.

I coloured this freebie digi with promarkers and added a tiny bit of sparkle to the pears.

The holly background paper is from Papermania (thanks Anne! lol) and I am feeling rather pleased with myself as the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' paper from Paper Pizazz started life as a really unappealing beige colour. It has been sat here for almost 3 years and I have not found a christmas project that I could use it on in all that time. So looking for a suitable paper for this card, I scanned it and then colour filled it green with my photo program - so that's a first for me!!

I wanted to give the card a 'shabby' feel, hence the distressed edges and the tattered cotton lace. Please click on the image for a better view - I am sorry for the 'shabby' quality of the photo (never mind the card- LOL) - it has been a real grey day here with the occasional snow flurry and taking pics with my little camera has been a bit of a trial to say the least! This was the best I could do in the bad light.

Some challenges -

Craft your Days Away - Texture ( Hope the lace qualifies)

Top Tip Tuesday - Anything Goes

My Time to Craft - Vintage

Oo La Lah - Christmas Song

Pile It On - Feathers and/or Fur

Stamp Insanity - Try Something New (using my photo program to colour)