Shabby

Morning everyone!  The sun is out here at the mo - let's hope it lasts although the forecast is for showers....

I have been wanting to make this for over a week once I got the stamp and finally finished it yesterday. I cannot tell you how much I actually enjoyed making it - fiddling about with lace, scrim, paper and of course distress inks - I was in heaven!!
I used  Broken China, Bundled Sage, Crushed Olive and Spun Sugar on the stamp and I am beginning I think to finally get the hang of the duster brushes.
The papers are all from the delicious Raspberry Road 'Moments in Time' collection.
There are a lot of layers on this card and was panicking a wee bit as I didn't think the machine was going to co-operate! In the end I didn't stitch the actual stamp but mounted it with 3d foam pads!

So- 4 layers of papers all distressed, edges dusted with broken china ink and stitched.
Some cream and pale blue antique style lace from my stash.
Some scrim which I dyed with the distress ink and the flourishes were cut out with my new dies (a christmas present from Maureen). 

The little Eiffel Tower is shrink plastic. (Don't you panic when it first starts to shrink???!!!LOL). I added a couple of pearls in the top left corner, a tiny sparkly dragonfly and a piece of fabric stamped with 'Paris' which I again dyed.

I absolutely adore shabby ribbons and this length was a present from Maureen. It was cream so out with the distress ink again! The button is another from my Mum's button box - its got a beautiful pearl centre and has a real antque vintage look to it. I hand stitched the ribbon and button . I am really pleased with this bow - it just seems to look 'right'!

I followed the colour scheme and theme into the inside and waste not want not, used the ends I cut off from the ribbon with a ribbon slider to frame the space left for the greeting.

Challenges -
Sugar Creek Hollow - Go Girly
CardMadFairy - Ribbons and Bows
Paperplay - Ribbons
Crafty Catz - Ribbons and Bows
Gingersnap Supply - Ribbon
Digital Tuesday - Romantic Card
Crop Stop - Shabby/Distressed
Penny's Paper Crafty - Ribbons and Buttons
Ladybug Crafts - Bows
Allsorts - Needles and Pins
   

Blanket of Security!

Some friends of ours have recently had a baby so I took the opportunity to make a card using one of my favourite LOTV stamps - (actually I love all LOTV stamps so I can't choose a favourite - so they're ALL my favourites - LOL!)

But I like the simplicity of this baby stamp which looks equally at home on a clean and simple card as well as a more fussy and fancy one.
All the papers used on this offering are from Raspberry Road.
I coloured the stamp with promarkers and brushed some distress ink around the image. I thought at first I may have been a bit heavy handed with the ink but when I'd layered the image onto the blue and yellow die cuts and stitched it, decided it looked OK.
I paper pieced his little blanket and the sentiment on the front is a freebie from TLC which I cut out with one of my 'christmas presents to myself' nestie dies and I thought it just fitted perfectly with our little boy who is obviously getting lots of comfort from his blanket!

I confess that I have stitched everything in sight on this card!

Not content with decorating the front I carried on the theme into the inside.
Please click on the pic to enlarge it for a better view.
The ribbon under the space for the greeting is from my stash. I have had it for at least 5 years and have never used it - how bad is that?
The ticket sentiment was printed out and I used the duster brush on it again to make it a soft shade of blue. It says -
'Other than a dimple in a cute little chin, What is more adorable that a toothless grin?'
I considered the usual flowers, pearls, organza ribbon etc that I always end up putting on my baby cards but decided to just leave the front as it is as for a change.
Those who know me know I am most definitley NOT a baby person - but I really like making baby cards!!!

Challenges -
Crafty Boots - New Beginnings
Ooh La La - New Beginnings
By the Cute and Girly - New Beginnings
LOTV - Favourite Stamp
Freshly Brewed Monthly Challenge - Use Something New (my nestie labels)
CYDA - New Beginnings
One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting - a big hello to my new followers, it's lovely to see you! And to all of you who call in regularly and leave comments, i appreciate each and every one of them.

Enjoy the rest of your day whatever you're doing.  x

Curtain Call part 2

Following on from last Thursday's post, here's the second in my set of cards using those papers which I gritted my teeth to cut into!

Papers stitched and layered as before onto beige and black cardstock.

I really liked this part of the collaged paper - I can imaging someone being outrageous in the 1920's and dancing in front of the Eiffel Tower!

This time I added a die cut flourish coloured with a promarker and messed about the the promarkers and coloured up some prima flowers in the same beige colour and black.
I punched out a small flower from a scrap of the spotty paper from the last card.

Added a large pearl in the centre and two pearl pins to finish the outside.

Inside I added a border from the same paper and layered up some co-ordinating card onto the black background to make it easier to write a greeting.
There is a few more to come from these papers!

Challenges-
Unstampabelles - Anything Goes
Crafty Emmas - Vintage Dahling
Dream Valley - Anything Goes

and this week Cupcake Inspirations have this scrummy cupcake  pic to inspire 

Thanks for visiting again - have a lovely day. x

Second Go and an apology

Apology first - I am having problems leaving comments on a lot of blogs.I know this is not just me as others have said they're having problems too.
The blogs that have 'embedded comments' enabled  will not open the comment box - instead it just goes to a blank white screen. If you have the 'pop up' comments box then there isn't a problem. If you can change, please would you? Then I can leave a comment to show you that I've visited and admired your creations!
In the meantime I would like to say sorry to the blogs that I follow or visit regularly if you haven't received a comment - I am trying but the white screen keeps appearing! I will still be dropping by and hope to be able to leave you a comment soon.

OK - that done with, here's an offering from me for this morning (there may be more later as it's cold here and tum still growling so am not planning on doing very much in the shape of 'real work'!!!!)

This is my second entry into the Less Is More 'Birds- One Layer' challenge for this week.

I used my favourite linen textured card.
The stamp is coloured with watercolour pastels - it's been a while since I did any painting with watercolours and I enjoyed the relaxation that I get from a paintbrush and palette!

The CAS thing sometimes leaves me thinking there should be 'more' not less on some of my efforts and this is no different. But CAS it has to be, so I opted to put on three tiny black pearls at the bottom and knotted a length of ribbon across the top

I haven't added a sentiment yet. I may remove the ribbon and stamp a sentiment when I come to use it!

Thanks for visiting - I might be back again a bit later!
Have a lovely day whatever you're doing. x

New inks!

For a change I have been able to do this week's Less is More Challenge on the day that it's posted instead of the usual middle of the week/last minute Friday entry!

This is the first of two one layer cards (other one isn't dry) for the Birds theme.
Had a poorly tum this week so in between feeling sorry for myself I indulged in a bit of retail therapy and bought some distress inks.

(Bargain at £18 for 6! And great service from the company who are based in Lincoln -on e-bay they're called 'The Mad Crafters' (which is where I got the offer) but I think they have a store called ali-craft.co.uk on the web - they were here within 48 hours of ordering....it's the first time I have used this company but it definitely won't be the last.)

So was quite happy when I saw the challenge this week cos it was crying out for inky things!

I used an Elusive Images stamp from a set I have had for a while - can honestly say there isn't a stamp amongst the plate that I don't like (which is unusual when you buy a complete A4 plate cos there's usually one teeny one that you will never use!)

The birdie clinging on reminds me of the wheatfields we had this summer in the field opposite.
I stamped him in Versamark Onyx Black and masked off the area around him before playing with some new (and some old) inks. Colours used - Chipped Sapphire, Dusty Concord, Stormy Sky for the top and Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage and Crushed Olive for the bottom.
The sentiment stamp is from Papermania I think.
Other Challenges-
I Brake for Stamps- Simple
Bloggers Challenge - Wings and Things
Crafty Creations - Something New
City Crafter - Back to Black

It's a beautiful day here - but very cold so I hope the sun is also shining where you are and thanks for visiting. Have a lovely day! x 

First one

One of my promises this year was to use up at least a tiny amount of the paper I buy and hoard 'cos it's 'too nice to use'.  We buy the stuff because we like it then  put it away and don't use it, and some are even known to take it from the drawer every now and then and stroke it!
So - I used some of this before Christmas when I made a music themed Gothic Arch for a swap and was determined that the rest of the sheets (couldn't afford to buy the whole book so just bought four sheets!!), were going to be used up now that I had steeled myself to cut into them.

Be warned now - this will not be the only card made with this paper!

Yummy Graphic 45 Curtain Call papers stitched onto cream and black cardstock then mounted onto cream base card.

I cut out a piece showing some dancing ladies and stitched this onto the same card base combo.

Used Versamark Ink in Black for the Eiffel Tower and Dove Grey for the postage stamp and stitched again.

The lace is from my stash. I made a paper flower and stitched a button centre.

The Moulin Rouge ticket is from the same paper and I used a strip to co-ordinate the inside. I will probably add a cream square to the inside to make writing a greeting a bit easier! 

Challenges -
MAWTT - Spots and/or Stripes
My Mum's Craft Shop - Girls
The Pixie Cottage - Stitching
Incy Wincy - Vintage
Truly Madly Crafty - Anything Goes
Anything Goes - Anything Goes
PaperPlay - In Stitches
The Poodle Parlour - Button Up

Thanks for visiting - hope the sun is shining where you are! x

Purple Patch?

My tiny little bit of creativity seems to have deserted me completely lately.
I tidied my desk, put away all the stuff that was laying about and sorted all my papers into some semblance of order - since then - nothing!! I had to tidy the desk as there was no space to work, now I've got loads of space to work and a blank mind (no comments from those who know me well thank you...LOL)
Here is an offering for this weeks challenge at Less Is More.

I confess I am not a lover of the colour purple. There are a couple of LIMettes who love it so I apologise in advance for the next comment  - think I could probably live without the colour!!

Consequently purple inks etc are in very short supply in this craftie space.

I was also reluctant to use this stamp as I know someone else has already done so, but I like this stamp and to be honest it was all I could think of using when I read the challenge on Saturday, so use it I have!


My background is on glossy paper.
I have some very old Whispers inks - so old I thought they'd have all dried out by now but there were a couple that still had a little bit left - one thankfully was called  Violet - so I used that, plus Adirondack Rueberry, plus a Dove Grey Versamark ink, plus a Big and Juicy Birthday stamp pad - inked them all onto the craft mat then got out the duster brush and mixed them! The result is this plummy purpley colour which IRL is actually quite nice!
The stamp was embossed in Seafoam White and although you can't tell by this awful pic (the light here is terrible), I have dotted some sparkles onto the flower heads.
Matted onto white then purple card, a length of ribbon added then put onto card base which has been (very) lightly sponged with the Violet ink pad.


This actually looks much better here on my desk than it does in the photo (it must look OK cos I'm not unhappy with the result for once!) but you'll just have to take my word for it!
Have also submitted this into the Sketchy Colours challenge which is Purple and Grey.
Thanks for visiting, whatever you're doing I hope you're enjoying yourselves! x

Train

What a bad blogger I've been this week! The old mojo went walkabout so have concentrated this week on my neglected family tree.
Not finished with this particular line of the family just yet so my visits may be a wee bit sporadic for the next week or so until I hit the usual brick wall and put the tree away in frustration!!

But so none of you forget me, here's my share with you for today -  isn't this Mo image just lovely?! He just loves his train to bits!

The red and black train is a button from Mum's box. Some time ago, when she was still able to knit,  she bought a collection of fancy buttons for children's cardigans- those she didn't use were kept in the old tin - some lovely unusual ones in there which I've promised to use this year.
Think it works quite well against the blue really - I added some crystal gems in a flourish design for the smoke and it gives just a good amount of sparkle (well I think so anyway!! LOL) 



Challenges -
Truly Madly Crafty - Anything Goes
Ruby's Rainbow - Something for a child
My Time to Craft - Hugs and Kisses (well - he IS hugging the life out of his train!)
Crafty Boots - Celebrations
The Pink Elephant - Anything Goes


Thanks for visiting - appreciate all of your comments. Will catch up again later.
Have a great day whatever you're doing. x

Favourite 5

Bit of an odd day for me today as it would have been Mum's birthday, so the old mojo has taken itself off with the kleenex somewhere - no crafting but spotted this yesterday on Debby's blog and thought it might be a little bit of fun and something for me to do as I knew I wouldn't feel much like doing anything.............oh yes, something for me to do allright..... how do you choose just FIVE???

Coops has chosen seventysix million........ well 10 anyway!
I've been good and whittled down my 2011 creations to the said 5 so without further ado, here they are -

This was my very first side stepper and also my very first first place in a card challenge so obviously I was pleased with it!!

The Adorables collection of stamps from Sugar Nellie saw me spending quite a bit this year! Had to have them all - this one is called Faith and was amongst the first that I did using the sewing machine on cards! 

This was one of 5 commissioned cards in the space of about 2 weeks - I made one for a lady at the Club and when others saw it I had a rush job to make two more wedding cards and two more anniversary cards in the same design! 

(If you want to see 2 of the others they're here and here!)

HAD to include this christmas card made using a digi from the ridiculously talented Mo Manning and done in what I think were non traditional Christmas colours for a change.

and finally what I call a 'grown up' card! A CAS card which I actually really enjoy doing!

So there we are - it was so hard to choose just 5 cards and I was amazed to see actually how many I have managed to do this year - I've enjoyed my crafting year as always and it's been just great visiting everyone's blogs looking at all your magnificent creations. Thank you for allowing me into your blogland world and a big thank you to all my followers and visitors.

Thanks too to Debby for giving me something to do today - have spent a while going through all my pictures and taken my mind off other things

Wishing you all a wonderful 2012.

xx

One Ticket to Ride

We've had some horrible weather the last few days and today has continued the trend - lots of rain and dark skies... woke up this morning and was just settling myself down again in what I thought was middle of the night darkness when I looked at the clock....... which showed the time to be 8am!
So have had a quick trip to the supermarket with OH, as always everyone else is preparing for a siege (is war about to be declared?????) - do people REALLY eat all that stuff they put in their trollies???? How many parties are there on New Years Eve? Everyone I speak to says ' we're not doing much, staying in and watchin telly' or ' don't like going out New Year' etc etc so who is coming to consume the mountains of food and drink I have seen going through the checkouts??? OWN UP NOW!!!!!!
I felt quite indaequate with my milk, a small joint of beef and some carrot and turnip!!!! (Actually there was a few garlicky mushrooms and some cheese as well but no doubt you get the idea that my poor trolley looked quite bereft and sad as it only contained such a paltry amount whilst all it's friends were puffing out their chests and doing weight lifting impersonations!)
OK - enough of the drivel - 

I actually tidied my work space on Tuesday (and Wednesday....) and thought that instead of putting away the scrappy bits I should use them up - so here's the result.

It seems such a long time since I did anything really messy and having bought this 12" round canvas on a recent shopping trip with Maureen  I decided to alter it rather than add it to the pile - I was originally going to make a clock but the best laid plans etc etc.....
The Leanne Elllis stamp from the 'Journey' collectionwas bought from a fellow crafter on E-bay earlier this year - a bargain, so thanks Anne! Coloured with promarkers and UTEE'd three times for a high gloss.
I tore some K and Co paper for the backdrop and distress inked the edges of the canvas, then set about using up the scraps which I'd placed in a small pile to be put away.
Some of this stuff had been lying about on the desk for months and I just kept shoving it to one side!

The chipboard pieces were from an Ecetera Dimensional Embellishments pack and having used up the other bits only had these two left. I secured them together with an old button cut off one of Mum's cardigans. It has a lovely antiqued outside with a shiny jadey green pearly centre which was the exact same colour as one of the promarkers I'd used on the stamp! 


The little wooden heart is from a tag on one of my presents - it started out it's life as pale pink but with the help of the promarkers is now a pale greeny blue colour!

The seagull is actually a brooch which I have had for ever and all the other bits (heart charm, Tim Holtz 'Wander' disc, buttons, ticket, fibres) are all from my stash.

Challenges -
Ooh La La - Anything But a Card
Crafts 4 Eternity - Include a Quote on your Project. (Absence makes the Heart grow Fonder)
Try It On Tuesday - Altered Week
Craft Room Challenge - Anything Goes
The Stamp Man - Favourite Project of the Year. - This was quite difficult really - but eventually decided that the last thing I have made is always my favourite!!!!
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes

The Warm Fuzzies!

Was your weather unseasonably warm on Christmas Day? We have some friends in the South of England who said it didn't feel like Christmas at all as the weather was too warm! Last year we were bothered cos we were snowed in!!

We have sun and blue skies today but a very very strong wind - a walk later to blow away the cobwebs I think....
Anyway whatever your weather was I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas.

As I've neglected my ancestry research of late, am doing a bit of  what my husband lovingly calls 'talking to dead people' today - need to do a bit of internet trawling before visiting the library  - but before I get my head buried in the past here's a share with you for today.

I sent this at Christmas and forgot about linking it to the challenge - fortunately I'd photographed it!

Am submitting this into the current
House Mouse challenge which is called 'the Warm Fuzzies'! Doesn't that make you want to snuggle up in a fleecy banket?? LOL

(I was full of warm fuzzies after a couple of Tia Maria's on Christmas Day!!!! - Actually looking at the pic which is a wee bit blurred maybe I had the 'warm fuzzies operating the camera too.....)

Other challenges -
My Time To Craft - Winter Pals
Oldie But Goodie -  Christmas Animals
Paper Creations Ink - Something Old (which was my HouseMouse stamp), Something New  the DP papers which I bought this year for Christmas)

Thanks for visiting - have a nice day whatever you're doing.x

To all of my blogging friends and followers -

I wish you a wonderfully happy Christmas filled with everything you could wish for.

Thank you for your visits, comments, help and inspiration and
may 2012 be a fabulous New Year for you all.

 

xxx

Silent

I haven't been about as much this week but no doubt as everyone else is mad busy in the run up to Christmas, I won't have been missed.
I've mananged to visit a couple of blogs over the last few evenings but to be honest I'm dog tired when I get home every night and am struggling to do anything apart from flop down on the sofa then take myself to my bed!

Have several cards that I finished and didn't share yet so here's one for now......

I was inspired by another card maker, Steph, who's forte is clean and simple cards, and she had done a version of this in black and white which was lovely, so I had a go at CASEing it.

I used white pearlised cardstock and printed the sentiment in dark grey ink.

I have had some dark grey satin ribbon for eons and have always wondered what to use it on other than sympathy cards, but as I had some grey pearlised cardstock I decided to try using the grey/white colour scheme for this card.

Some snowy white cotton lace and the grey ribbon were stuck onto the white card just below the sentiment and I added a tiny silver wreath charm under the bow.
I layered it onto the grey card then onto white again and was really pleased with the simplicity of this card - it's recipient took the trouble to mail me telling me how beautiful she thought it was so that made me happy too!
The added bonus was that it was real quick to do - so I made a few of them using different colours for the sentiment and adding co-ordinating ribbon. I also used up my entire stash of christmas charms (which weren't many really!! LOL), so will have to buy some more for next year! (Any excuse).

A few challenges -
Partytime Tuesdays - Use Ribbon
Papertake Weekly - Last Christmas Card (and this was amongst the last ones I made even though it mightn't be the last I'll post!! LOL)
City Crafter - Winter White
Creative Craft - White on White
Paper and Such - Quick Last Minute Card
Whimsy Stamps - Charms

Music is my first love.....

Once I saw the theme this week at Less Is More, I kept hearing the words to John Miles' amazing song - if you don't know it go listen HERE !! (Showing my age now aren't I? LOL)

Anyway back to the challenge - the theme (if you hadn't guessed) was Music.
From a 7 year old singing the second verse of 'In the Bleak Midwinter' solo at a school carol service to Handel's Messiah with the Merseyside Youth Orchestra at Manchester Free Trade Hall and the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool in my teens to listening to my wonderful OH playing his piano (and keyboards), music has been very special to me throughout my life.

So with my passion for music it is suprising that I possess very few musical stamps - but it didn't matter as I had already formulated in my head what I wanted to do - which is a first for me as usually I'm agonising for hours!! 

Random musical notes stamped round the edge of a 6 x 6 card.
The image (printed onto glossy white card) just shouts ' Joy' at me somehow - the sheer happiness of having music which makes you want to dance wherever you are and whatever the weather - and the sentiment seemed to fit perfectly.

Since I have taken the photo (light was going so rushed to snap the pic) - I have added some really tiny white gems to the points of the umbrella (I had some 'raindrop' shaped gems but they were far too big and looked ridiculous!!) - the tiny ones added just a touch of sparkle and hopefully look like raindrops!

Cold!

My goodness it's cold here today! The wind is icy and chills you right through. Been out shopping for the food for the Xmas party on Saturday - 48 coming again this year - hope the weather holds and we don't get as much snow as last year when after spending the Friday cooking Turkeys we woke up on Saturday to 2 feet of snow and unable to get out of the drive - Party cancelled till the New Year! Hope we don't have a repeat this year, if only because I would like to be able to get my OWN food in my freezer!

Thought I'd share another one already in the post -

I followed a sketch from somewhere for this - then forgot to enter it, now can't remember whose sketch it was - what a sorry state!

Mo's image coloured with promarkers then layered onto red cardstock.
Little mouse doesn't look cold does he? All snuggled up under his blanket.

The backing papers are from My Mind's Eye and First Editions and the sparkly gems are from my stash.
I added a bit of red ribbon and am still playing with the new nestie tags as you can see!

Challenges -
Come and Get It - Red, Green and one other (and I used cream) colour
One Stitch at a Time - Use a Digi
Crafty Boots - Christmas
Truly, Madly, Crafty - Christmas Image and Colours
Make My Monday - Red Ribbon
Hooked On Crafts - Christmas

Am done!

So I am finished - not literally - just mean I have finished making my cards so am feeling quite smug - but what am I going to do now? Iron? Dust? Clean windows? Put up the christmas tree? Definitely not!!!!
Haven't decided about the tree this year - didn't bother last year as didn't feel like Christmas at all after losing Mum and it being her birthday on 31st Dec and all and confess that this year am still not feeling christmassy despite all the glitter and snow dust etc that's all over the craftie space desk and floor....
Might get down the small fibre optic one for the dining room so at least when OH and I are eating our turkey it looks a little bit like Christmas... am still considering!!!
Thought I would share this card with you as it's already been received and opened -

I adore these K and Co Winter Wonderland papers. So much so that the stack I bought two years ago still has half of them left as I hate cutting into them! They'll be a collectors item if I keep them any longer but don't be surprised if I'm still using them in 2020!
The 'snowflake' is actually cut from the sheet and I just used 3d foam pads after adding some sparkly gems for a bit more bling!
The blue antique lace layered across some red cardstock is from my stash as is the red organza ribbon and red satin Christmas tree.
The sentiment is a freebie from TLC and I cut it out with a nestie, then sponged it with Tumbled Glass distress ink, punched a hole and added an eyelet making it into a tag. I ran a glue pen across the letters and dusted some red glitter over it.

Challenges -
Jingle Belles- Christmas
Card Mad Fairy's Digi Days - Tags (and I hope my tag on my card fits the challenge)
Crafty Calendar - Cold and Frosty
Sugar Creek Hollow - Tags
Card Makin Mamas - Christmas
MAWTT - Last Minute Christmas

So with my cards finished have to decide what project to start next... maybe I'll make a couple more for next year???? LOL
Thanks for visiting - have a nice day whatever you're doing.

Cloud

I have spent an absolute age this morning trying to take decent pics of some of my recent makes - have given up as a bad job. The sky is as grey as can be and using the flash on the camera makes the pics even worse! Actually we're having some horrendous weather and the forecast is for more of the same today - we're not as bad as a wee bit further up the coast into the Cumbrian hills or Scotland I don't think, but it's definitely not a day for being outside. (not that I needed any excuse to stay in the craftie space......)

Just wish the light was a bit better!

So with my apologies in advance here is a card I've made for our niece in America which will be delivered by M-I-L next Tuesday when she arrives there for her annual Christmas pilgramage to see all the American relatives!

I opted for a pink and brown colour scheme with liberal doses of sparkle, both with the DP papers (by First edition from the Love Letters and Summer Breeze stacks) and by the glitter I applied on anything that stood still long enough!
The image was a present from a friend some time ago and has been laying on the desk waiting to be coloured.
I used some pink pearls and a PC generated sentiment layered onto brown cardstock.
Even though this is going to be delivered by hand, I couldn't go too mad with the embellishments - M-I-L goes 'across the pond' like she's preparing for a siege so there's not a lot of space in any of her cases and what space there is means whatever there is in there is in danger of being crushed to death!

Challenges -

Creative Belli - Winter/Christmas

Penny's Paper Crafting - Merry Christmas

Incy Wincy - Non Traditional Christmas Colours

St Nick

Had a lovely day yesterday with Maureen and her 'long suffering' - we again met half way between our respective homes at Trentham. No gardens this time - was quite a cold and grey day with some spots of rain and of course I had to keep my husband from wanting to go and fall on his bum on the ice rink ....
BUT we DID have a HUGE Christmas Lunch with the suitable Mincmeat and Apple tart for pudding, a wander round the shops and a nice day!
Have a quick card to share with you - I made one similar to this last year and I really like this stamp and so didn't need much excuse to use it!

St Nick was stamped on white pearlescent paper in Cranberry ink and the edges distressed.
I didn't have enough of the backing paper to cover the entire card so had to improvise by cutting it into two pieces and hence the snowflake border mounted onto dark red and white card which was made wide enough for the ribbon to cover and also hid the empty space on the card. I ran some white versamark ink acrossd the backing paper as it was a very deep red.
The snowflakes were lightly inked with the same cranberry colour and then I added some glossy accents and a sparkly gem.
Apart from having to wait for the glossy accents to dry this was a quick card and I also used up some scraps of paper!

Challenges -
Try it On Tuesday - Father Christmas
Creative Card Crew - Tis the Season
My Time To Craft - Vintage Christmas
Truly, Madly Crafty - Xmas Image and colours (and I hope my Cranberry qualifies!)
Addicted to Stamps - Christmas Card 

Green (and grey....)

Green is the colour challenge over at Less Is More this week.... grey is the colour of the sky outside!
Another really horrible day here - it hasn't stopped raining in the last 24 hours but I'm hoping that Ive managed to ward off the chill that was threatening me last night.
Am just off out for an hour but thought I'd post this, my first entry into the LIM challenge.
It isn't very inspiring I'm afraid - my brain has the fuzzies!!

So - white cardstock layered onto green. I cut out a small square piece of foam with deckle edge scissors to make the background stamp and used shabby shutters distress ink. The idea was to make it look like a brick wall!

I inked the holly flourish stamp with peeled paint distress ink and stamped round the edge of the card. I cut out a couple of tiny leaves stamped with the same ink and then added these to the sentiment which I mounted onto the same green card. Finished with some red stickles for the berries and a red flat backed pearl on the leaves under the greeting.

As I still have a few more cards to make I doubt whether this will be my only entry into this week's challenge!

Catch up with everyone later - off to brave the rain (again!).

Challenges -
Less Is More - Green
Daring Cardmakers - Holly
Gingerloft Challenge - Christmas
Inkurable Stampers - Holly

First Christmas

Quick post with one to share tonight cos it's late and I am wanting to go and snuggle up in my bed with the hot water bottle! Got absoluely soaked through today - rain was that bad, it went through my showerproof (???) jacket and made my jumper wringing wet - came home had a huge bowl of soup but am still shivering - so it's bed as I don't want to be full of cold in the morning.

This was a card made for a gentleman at the Bowls Club who had seen the previous one I made with this image. Their family has just grown with the addition of their first great grandson and he asked me to make him a Christmas card using the same Mo Manning digi image.

Craft Creations Foiled Stars paper used, matted onto silver holographic card. Have no idea why this paper is called 'Foiled Stars' as the stars aren't foiled at all!! They just blend into the background and you really need to get up close to even see them!

I coloured with promarkers and again ran my glue pen across the bauble before applying a helping of glitter. I used a silver metallic pen to colour the stars on the bauble.

I put the image onto a silver frame cut out with a nestie.

The metal star with the blue star gem was in my stash, as were the silver stars I used on the easel prop. I secured the large metal star with a blue organza bow.

The sentiment was PC generated and I added a couple of silver pearls to finish the card off.

The pic isn't very good (so what's new) but this time my excuse is the glare from the holographic card!

Challenges -

Glitter Fairies - Easel Card

Creatilicious - Christmas and it must sparkle!

Crafty Anns - Recipe and I chose Ribbon, Bauble, Silver

Card Mad Fairy - Digi - Winter Wonderland

Patties Creations - Christmas

Some Odd Girl - Easel card

 

Thanks for stopping by   - your visits (and comments!) are REALLY appreciated.

Off to get on the pj's and the wooly socks!