Lilac

A quiet Christmas Day (usual ate too much),  and an even quieter Boxing Day (except for me watching the football last night ⚽⚽⚽⚽!!), which has been followed by another lazy day!
I have though made a couple of cards (who got new stash for Christmas then????😁😁)
The ones made with the new stash will be shared as soon as the light allows - weather here is typical grey skies/drizzly rain and misty!

So in true 'Blue Peter' tradition - here's one I made earlier!

Another quick card - which was specifically made so I could use the sentiment as someone I know has had some bad news about a family member and now needs to make and store as many memories as they can in the coming weeks.

Purple shades are also not a colour I use very much but I like the blending of these - Shaded Lilac, Picked raspberry and Wulted Violet.

The Dandees are by Lavinia, heat embossed in white.

Blogland understandably is very quiet at the moment!
I have busied myself  getting ahead with some DT makes so I won't be rushing last minute.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and thanks for visiting! x
 

Christmas Peace

Having arrived back from our break I thought it was about time that I actually made an effort and have the house look a little festive! So yesterday was spent with the tree, the decorations and the making of a table centre. On my feet all day and although the other half did most of the up and down 2 flights of stairs, I did a fair bit too so last night was too tired to do anything except try and ease my aching back with a bath and bed!
We've done the Christmas Eve/Christmas Day/Boxing Day shop today -  I have no idea how many some people are feeding when you look at overflowing shopping trollies!
My share is inspired by Pinterest - and I used a few snippets for this so am popping over to see Miss Di at the Playground.

I scraped some texture paste through a stencil and then brushed over some Antique Linen DI. Using  linen textured card also means I had some texture already to the base.
The die was obtained by a friend for me from the USA. I simply love this PB die and it has been used quite a bit on cards this year. It just shouts Christmas to me!
I used a scrap of watercolour card and started to paint it, adding some shimmer powder as I went along. It really made a difference to the flat base colour. The darker sections were left without the powder as I wanted the centre part to draw the eye.
Nuvo Gold applied to the centre, the berries and a little bit on the fronds.
A die cut sentiment from another bit of scrap and finished card!

Sharing over at
Allsorts - A/Goes
PBSC - A/Goes (Sparkle and Shine)
MTTC - Christmas Flowers
AYLI - Fave die
Inkspirational - No Stamping
The Flower Challenge - Use a Die

I want to say thank you for following me, for visiting me and for leaving me comments this year. I appreciate your support more than I can tell you!
If this is to be your last visit before Christmas, I wish you all a peaceful, happy Christmas surrounded with love (and of course crafty stuff!!) xxx

December Mid Month reminder at Stamping Sensations

Our Anything Goes challenge is well under way at Stamping Sensations but you still have time to enter.

There's a £25 voucher for you to spend at Be Creative if we choose you as the winner this month - so please follow our challenge rules and link up a make!

I made a batch of these - quick, easy and I think quite pretty!

Heat embossed the PB Berry Bevy stamp in the corner first, then dusted lightly with Tumbled Glass fading out as I went down the front.

Finished with some Red Nuvo Crystal Drops and a PB sentiment.
Job done!

Just one week to go now  before Christmas is here - and for once I am not panicking about cards. I am currently away on a short indoor bowling break with some friends - so instead I am panicking about no decorations up and no shopping done!!

Thanks for looking - and hope all your preparations are well in hand! x
Am linking up at -
CAS on Friday - Christmas
Jingle Belles - Christmas
Winter Wonderland - A/Christmas
Crafty Gals - Tis the Season

Not Christmas!

Happy Saturday!
We are currently having THE WORST weather! The hail storms are happening every hour, high winds and it is really cold - I ventured out to the Post Office this morning- and scuttled back as fast as I could. I ain't moving from here for the rest of the day.
This week having finished my Christmas cards (she says smugly😏😏), I turned my attention to doing some DT makes for upcoming challenges and also some makes for no reason other than - "because I can"!
I made a set of one layer note style cards and here's one -

(others will get shared as we go along!)

The set is all the same basic centre circle design done with blended Distress Inks in different colours and different stamps from Inkylicious and Lavinia.
They were quick to do and made a change from Christmas cards - although looking at the angle I seem to have taken this pic from you'd think I'd already been partaking of the Christmas spirit 🍷! (Which I haven't!!)

We are off tomorrow until the end of next week for a short indoor bowling break with some friends. (Planning on plenty of Christmas spirit there.....)
There isn't a single Christmas decoration up in the house yet 🌲 - left deliberately until we come home. It seemed a good decision at the time - now am beginning to wonder when I am going to do the shopping as well as trying to make the house a little festive!

Sharing  over at
The Butterfly Challenge - Fairies (no butterflies necessary!)
Crafty Creations - A/Goes

Thanks for looking today. Have a great weekend. x

Serene

The weather here is anything but serene at the moment. We are having our second storm in less than 5 days. The wind speeds up here on the top overnight were just as bad as last week despite the forecast saying they wouldn't be. Lashing rain and horrible grey skies - such a contrast to yesterday morning where the sky was bright blue!

My share for today is a serene winter scene one layer card.

I was less than happy with it when it was finished as I felt that the 'snow meets sky' inky outline was a bit heavy handed. I wanted a softer line rather than a harsh edge but somehow it didn't just work out as well as I wanted. I think perhaps the fact that I didn't use my usual watercolour card and opted for  smooth 300gsm cardstock may have affected the finish as I possibly applied too much water when dragging the brush so it has bled more than I wanted it to!

But the more I look at it the more I think it isn't too bad really!!
Stamps are all from Penny Black

Sharing at -
TIOT - Christmas is Coming
Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas
MMM - Anything Christmas
Crafting Happiness - Winter
Addicted to Stamps - Cold and Frosty

So as the weather is preventing any outside activities (as I don't want to be blown off my feet) it's another day in the craft space - and maybe I should attack the pile of ironing???
Have a great day whatever you're doing! x

Peace and Quiet?

So enjoying playing with the recently acquired 'new to me' Penny Black Stamps.
They make me look like a Watercolour Superstar (which I most definitely am not as the only thing I can actually draw is a pair of curtains...)

Anyway this stamp (Adornments) is the latest addition to my (very) small PB collection 😭  but I am hoping that perhaps Christmas may bring a couple more... (the last sentence for the benefit of my other half 💏in case he reads this post 😉)

I washed the background with Weathered Wood DI and it has a real soft shading to it in real life.
I am also feeling quite contented as I have written and posted all the cards, have put another dose of brandy 🍷 into the Christmas cake this morning and have wrapped up the (very few) presents we exchange.
So my day is now mine to do what I want with! (Guess where I am going - CLUE - it involves going upstairs!)

Is it just me or is it unusually quiet here in Blogland?
My visitors are getting fewer and fewer with each post! I often wonder what it's like to have big families at this time of year and be completely stressed out with no time to think about anything other than getting everything in place. Our Christmas tree doesn't even come out till around 22nd and there's no massive big shop to do as there's only the two of us and our day is spent lounging about in front of the TV - (or maybe in the craft space if I can't wait!!)

Thanks for looking today - appreciate you finding time to come and see me.  Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Sharing over at
PBSC - Anything Goes
Paper Funday - A/Goes with twist Christmas
Creative Moments - A/Goes
ABC Christmas - Y is for Yuletide 

December's Stamping Sensations Challenge

As the Christmas madness of shopping, wrapping and all the other stuff that we do this month is upon us, we have a nice easy 'Anything Goes' theme at Stamping Sensations!

And although a nice easy theme please remember we are a STAMPING challenge so your entry MUST have stamping as the focal point. If you don't follow our rules you won't be in with a chance of winning our wonderful prize this month which is a very generous £25 voucher from Be Creative.

I did a batch of these - quick and easy - just what we want when we have lots of things to do!

The trusty 'snow' embossing folder took a bit of a battering - but I confess it is definitely the one that I go to every year!

Masked off the moon (£1 coin! - knew the change that dear husband leaves lying round would come in useful) and then brushed Faded Jeans DI.

A few different tree stamps also in Faded Jeans, and then took a damp paintbrush and dragged the colour below the trees a bit.
Details of the prize and lots of lovely inspiration from my teamies are over on the challenge blog!

Please visit their blogs and leave them some love!
Sharing over at -
Sweet Stampin' - Blue and White
Creative Knockouts - Winter
Krafty Chicks - Monochrome
A2S&M - CAS
Christmas@Sweet Stampin' - Trees

Happy Crafting and have a great day whatever you're doing. x