Christmas Card Club - "Gnomes, Pixies or Elves"

Good morning all and a Happy New Year.

Can't believe how long it is since my last post...my computer went haywire with a Windows update and took forever to make it usable again...by which time I was way behind with all my Christmas preparations! However Santa did bring a new Surface Pro so I now have back up.

Our first challenge of the year at the Christmas Card club has been set by the lovely Margaret and she's asked to see "Gnomes, Pixies or Elves". This year we have decided that Anything Goes is acceptable if you don't have anything suitable to use for the challenge theme, so this week I have gone with that.

A dozen very simple cards...one layer, no insert. I found these little 33/4" cards when I was making last minute cards in December so I thought I'd use some more of them up.

Snowman and snowflake stamps are from Anita, sentiment is from Woodware and I've used one from Clearly Besotted inside.

Having somewhat lost my mojo of late I have to say I quite enjoyed the forage into the craftroom to make these. I do need to have a good sort out though!

If you'd like to see what the other girls made you'll find their links on my sidebar.

Snow Gift Card

Good morning all.

I'm off to my Uncle's funeral this morning. The service is to be held in the church where my parents were married and although I've been in the churchyard many, many times I don't think I've ever been inside the church! I managed to finish off the wedding bits so they're ready to be delivered and I've also got the last of the family Christmas cards to hand out and a few Christmas presents to deliver.

Having finished all my Christmas cards for this year I realised I needed some gift card/money holders for a couple of nephews.

I've done some acrylic block stamping for the first time to create the background using DI. I then over stamped with two different snowflake stamps and a sentiment (all from Anita's stamps) using memento inks. Finished with a few gems et voila!

Inside I used a piece of waste card leftover from my stitched landscape dies to form the pocket and added a further sentiment.

Challenges entered:

Less is More - one layer snow

CASology - snow

Addicted to Stamps - snowflakes

Fantasy Stampers - CAS Christmas

CAS(E) this Sketch - #103

Clean and Simple

Good morning all.

House work and washing on the agenda today...sorry for swearing but needs must!

A very clean and simple card to share today...think it's a little too CAS for me though!!

Snowflakes stamps are from Anita's Stamps, stamped in versamark and heat embossed with white detail EP. Brush Stroke stamp from Inkylicious stamped twice with two different distress inks.

 Sentiment stamp from Imagination Crafts also stamped with DI. Card is finished with some gems.

Finished inside with stamp from Penny Black and a corner punch from Martha Stewart.

Challenges entered:

Stamplorations - sketch

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Christmas/holidays

Artistic Stampers - anything goes

One Crazy Stamper - anything goes

Cards and More - just be blue

Sparkles Forum Christmas - blue Christmas

Fan-Tastic Tuesday - twist embossing

Just Inspirational Challenges - snowflakes

Oddball Art Stamps - any holiday

Addicted to Stamps - clean and simple

Eclectic Ellapu "Pink Team - Vintage Christmas"

Good morning all.

This is my second post today, you can find my DT inspiration for Imagination Crafts here.

My first post this morning for the Pink Team at Eclectic Ellapu where May has chosen the theme of "Vintage Christmas".

I've chosen to make a tag which took me totally out of my comfort zone....and I loved every minute of it!!

Tag base is cut from burgundy Kraft Core card stock then embossed with a Cuttlebug snowflake folder. This was then sanded to reveal the kraft core and I used my distress tool round the edges then inked with vintage photo, faded jeans and pine needles distress inks and sprayed with gold Cosmic Shimmer. Image is from Anita Stamp's stamped onto kraft card with vintage photo, layered onto the burgundy Kraft Core. The dies have all been cut from waste card then either inked with distress ink and sprayed with gold cosmic shimmer or the gold ones have been inked with versamark and I've used gold metal magic to coat them...I love how they turned out and must make more use of this stuff. I also used the metal magic around the edges. Snowflakes and ovals are all from Spellbinders, sentiment is from Tattered Lace. Lace is from Crafty Ribbons. Recycled ribbon, holly and gem are from my stash.

I love how this turned out and think I may have to use it for hubby so I can keep it afterwards.

Challenges entered:

CHNC - Santa is on his way

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - vintage

Really Reasonable Ribbons - gift packaging with ribbon or trim

QKR Stampede - anything but a card

Stempelsonnen Challenge - anything goes

4 Crafty Chicks - die cuts

Artist Trading Post - recycle for Christmas

Not Just Cards - anything goes

OSAAT - anything goes with lace

Aloha

Good morning all.

Lots of shouting going on last night again when our team (Liverpool) were playing again in Bulgaria in the Champion's League. After conceding a last minute goal we ended with a 2 all draw!

A canvas to share today which I've been working on for a few days. This is really just a practise run before I do some for the weddings.

I've chosen a family photo taken nearly ten years ago on New Year's Eve in The Epcot Centre at Walt Disney World. I started by giving the 8x8 canvas a good coating of gesso. Once dry I used some glass bead glitter gel coloured with Gelato ink to stencil the corners...the stencil is from Imagination Crafts. Then I got inky, as did the craft room and all the tools on my work top! Using my new distress spray inks I gradually built the colour up until I was happy with the effect. I then stencilled the Memory Box dots with texture paste in the other two corners. 

I've used a sketch for the layout design, the papers are from K&Co. The dies I've used are all from Spellbinders and those cut from kraft card along with the chipboard title letters have been sprayed with inks and Cosmic Shimmer. Alphabet stamps are from Anita's Stamps, stamped with versamark and heat embossed with white detail EP. The flowers came from one of the leis we are wearing in the photo, I've added some picket fence and silver Cosmic Shimmer to them. Some pearls finish off the layout.

Challenges entered:

Add a Little Dazzle - anything goes/or use a stencil

Decorate to Celebrate - anything 3D goes

Party Time Tuesdays - anything goes

All Crafts - anything but a card

Not Just Cards - anything goes

Pile it On - recycle/upcycle (flowers)

Scrappy Hands - textures

Altered Eclectics - anything goes but a card

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes with patterned paper

Redd's Creative Spirit - anything mixed media

WOW Embossing Powder - mixed media

Lasting Memories - all about the title

Creative Scrappers - sketch #282

Trees

Good morning all.

Hope everyone has enjoyed their weekend whatever you've been up to. We had the big switch on of the Christmas lights here yesterday combined with a Christmas market...we walked up mid afternoon to see the market but didn't find anything we wanted so after a quick cuppa we walked home again.

Another CAS Christmas card to share today...the Lim ladies want to see more than one tree this week, so I've given them three.

Tree stamps and matching die from Clearly Besotted, stamped with Memento inks. Centre tree has been die cut and layered up with several more diecuts to make it chunky. Sentiment stamp is from Anita's Stamps which I've masked twice to stamp the words separately. Pierced rectangle die is from Spellbinders.

Challenges entered:

Less is More - one than one tree

CHNC - go green

Sweet Stampin - to die for

Muse - muse challenge (inspired by the triangle and the colour)

CASology - festive

Magical Christmas

Good morning all.

We had a funny old day weather wise yesterday, one minute dank and horrible, next blue skies then in a matter of minutes I was sitting in the dark! 

Another one layer Christmas card to share today....sometimes you just can't see the wood for the trees! I was finishing off a project yesterday and ended up with a set of Christmas stamps from Anita on my desk...the large star on this card was used earlier in the week on my Starry Starry Night card. So how come I didn't notice this fabulous sentiment surrounded by stars which was in the same set!! Of course I had to ink it up.

Stripes are from Clearly Besotted, stamped in light blue Memento. Sentiment and star with snowflake flurry are from Anita's Stamps and are stamped in a darker blue Memento with the snowflakes inked with the light blue.

And....no cards were hurt in the execution of this one, it's stamped on one side only and is all finished off ready to send with just one layer!!!

Challenges entered:

Less is More - starry starry night

City Crafter - one layer Christmas card

Artistic Inspirations - anything goes/stars

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - seeing stars

CASology - festive

21st Birthday

Good morning all.

Well I think a spot of grocery shopping is much needed today...the cupboards are well and truly bare (according to the kids that is!). I'm sure there's plenty of store cupboard ingredients to keep us going for several weeks but of course they're not instant. Also got a basket of ironing to do but got a new iron (not that I like wasting money on such things but the old one no longer did what it said on the tin!) so I suppose I really should test it out.

Today's share is a 21st birthday card for a nephew's girlfriend.

Image is called Lillith and she's my absolute favourite from PpinkyDollsArt. I've printed on desert storm kraft card and coloured her with promarkers. Oval dies are from Spellbinders. Doily die is from Cheery Lynn. Happy Birthday Die is from Memory Box. Base mat is a PATP from Martha Stewart. Flowers are from Petal Lu, leaves are very old stash. Backing paper is from Prima. The 21st was stamped with a set of Anita's alphabet stamps and heat embossed with EP...both of which I've had unused for years :( Finished with some pearls and a bow from my stash.

I've had the Cheery Lynn doily die for quite some time and have always had trouble getting it to cut, especially in the middle so have always given up and used it as a mat thereby hiding the uncut portion. This time I persevered and was most surprised to find it cut into two parts! They say you learn something new everyday....

Challenges entered:

Crafty Catz - autumn

Wags n Whiskers - fall colours

I Love Promarkers - autumn colours

Inky Impressions - flowers and leaves

Aud Sentiments - anything goes with a sentiment

Milk Coffee Challenge - lots of layers

Natalie and Amy's Challenge - colouring on kraft

Shopping our Stash - it's the most colourful time of the year

PpinkyDolls - fall colours

Great Impressions - autumnal elegance

Lia Stampz - distressed plus kraft

Acrylic Art

Good morning all.

Well last night was spent on the edge of my seat watching Liverpool playing football, never before have I seen a game go to 15 penalties to each team before a winner was declared!!

I was hunting for something last week when I came across some acrylic art pieces which have been lurking around unused for many a year (at least 5 or 6!). I decided it was time I took the plunge and used a piece...why, why, why have I not done so before now!!

I stamped the image with Stazon (stamp from my set of Anita's stamps) and coloured with gel pens, then stamped over with embossed ink and added some sparkly EP and heat embossed. I used red EP around the sides to make a border then stuck it to a Spellbinder die cut. Papers are from Kaisercraft and Dovecraft. Ribbon, twine and tag are from my stash.

Of course I had to finish the inside!

Challenges entered:

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes

Sparkle n Sprinkle - anything goes with glitter, EP or flock

Die Cut Divas - new things (first time using acrylic art)

WOW embossing powder - my favourite (although new this could easily become a favourite!)

Holly Jolly Christmas - ribbon or lace

Merry Christmas

Good morning all.

A very quiet weekend had here, managed to get into the craft room and make some headway with the Christmas cards which I'm way behind on!!

A very quick one to share today.

A cream hammer embossed base card; Die'sire Create a Card die "Christmas Eve" cut with kraft card and inked with DI whilst still in the die; Merry Christmas stamp from Anita's stamps; gems from my stash.

Simples!!

And of course finished inside too!

Challenges entered:

CHNC - 20 minute or less

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes

ABC Christmas - anything festive

Stampotique Designers Challenge - one stamp

Christmas Cards all Year Round - kraft and cream

Let it Snow!

Good morning all.

Eldest has announced he is going to Bulgaria next month....oh no a boozy weekend or such thought I....but no he's off with two mates to spend two weeks helping in an orphanage! He doesn't have any details apart from dates at the moment though...there's never a dull moment!

...and thanks to the helpful receptionist at the dentist we were able to confirm he would be back in time for his appointment which he'd forgotten all about.

Sorry my title isn't a plea for a change in recent weather lol!

Today's share is a Christmas tag.

Stamps are all from Anita's, part of a set I was gifted once. Everything was stamped in versamark then heat embossed with white EP. I've used various green and blue distress inks to colour the background. Decided I would resurrect my H2O's to colour in my snowman...I can't remember the last time they saw the light of day. Ribbons, cord and lace are from my stash. Tag is finished off with a few gems, some stickles and glamour dust was used to cover the sticky tape used to fix the lace on.

Challenges entered:

Christmas Stampin all Year Round - non card

Delicious Doodles - fancy and frilly

Polka Doodles - tag you're it

Dream it Up - Christmas and the holidays

Southern Girls - winter blues

Loves Rubber Stamps - glitter and sparkle

All Crafts Challenge - anything but a card

Sparkles Forum Christmas - snowmen

Wow - my favourite (white EP and distress inks)

Amusing - tags

Seasons Greetings

Good morning all.

I've got a quick trip to the dentist this afternoon for my six monthly check, hopefully there won't be any problems.

A Christmas card to share today.

The stamps are by Tiddly Inks and were a recent magazine freebie. I've stamped onto Neenah Desert Storm kraft card and coloured with promarkers. Papers are from Bo Bunny. Tree die was a magazine freebie; poinsettia die is from Marianne Design; all other dies are from Spellbinders. Sentiment stamp from Anita's. Ribbons from my stash.

All finished inside too :)

Challenges entered:

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes

CHNC - do you hear what I hear

Completely Christmas - anything goes

The Glory of Christmas - bingo (red, stamp, tree)

Holly Jolly Christmas - RED (red, ribbon, emboss, dies)

ABC Christmas - R for red poinsettia

Addicted to Stamps - make your mark

Christmas at Sweet Stampin - Christmas critters

CRAFT - Christmas

Christmas Card Club "Something beginning with S"

Good morning all.

Don't know what is up with Google Chrome at the moment but it's a nightmare! I can barely view my blog and can't access my BT email account at all...it's been going on for weeks and although it did right itself for a while last week it's back to square one this weekend grrr!! And don't even mention spam emails...why can't these people find something more useful to do with their time!!

It's time for our fortnightly Christmas Card Club challenge again and this time the theme was set by Hazel who asked us for "Something beginning with S".

Here is my make, I couldn't resist going with Snow:

The gorgeous snow couple stamp is by Penny Johnson and is from Stampavie. I've stamped with Memento ink and coloured the image with promarkers, highlighted with stickles then die cut. The sentiment and snowflake stamps are from Anita's. Oval dies are from Spellbinders. Snow flake die from Memory Box. Papers are from Dovecraft "Tis the Season". I've used a narrow strip of card which I embossed using a text border folder which was a magazine freebie. Ribbons and poinsettia button from my stash.

All finished on the inside but another which needs hand delivered as I couldn't resist the bow and one of my new buttons (can't remember where I got them from though!!)

Do pop over to see the rest of the gang's creations, their links are on my sidebar.
My thoughts are with Rachel and her family as her hubby suffered a huge heart attack a few days ago.

Challenges entered:
CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - anything goes
Die Cut Divas - new things (button)
One Crazy Stamper - halloween/Christmas
Sparkles Forum Christmas - snowmen
Holly Jolly Christmas - R (ribbon, red) E (embossing) D (die cuts)
Completely Christmas - anything goes
The Glory of Christmas - bingo (snowflake, stamp, glitter)
ABC Christmas - red poinsettia

Christmas Card Club "Anything but a Card"

Good morning all. Hope everyone is well.

 Rain is forecast for the next few days so I think I'll hole up out of it in my craft room!!

I realised last night it was time for our fortnightly Christmas Card Club challenge so had an evening playing with ink. Lizzie had set us the theme of "Anything but a Card".

After seeing Doreen's card yesterday I've made a tag using the bleach blocking technique by Hels Sheridan, shown in the July issue of Craft Stamper. I've treated myself to a years subscription of the magazine to try and make more use of the many stamps I own! 

All the background stamps are from a set of Anita's I was given, which I've inked with embossed ink and heat embossed with white detail EP....then I got to work with my blue distress inks before doing the bleached block technique. I stamped a few snowflakes with distress ink and some with embossed ink to which I added Glamour Dust, I also inked the edges and added Glamour Dust but this isn't showing in the photo. The snow woman is from Artistic Stamper, this is also heat embossed and coloured with my distress ink pens before being fussy cut and added with foam pad. Tag is finished with some ribbon, a snowflake button and some gems.

I did enjoy my play and may use the technique again some day...but to those of you who get inky often (pardon my french on a Sunday)....HOW the hell do you get distress ink off your hands....I look like I've just filled the school ink wells!!!

You'll find the links to the rest of the girls on my sidebar if you want to see what they made for the challenge.

Challenges entered:

Craft Stamper - any technique from 2014

 A Gem of A Challenge - embossing

Crafting at the Weekend - anything goes

Artistic Stamper - anything goes

CHNC Extra - anything Christmas goes

Creatalicious - monchromatic

Sparkles Forum - Christmas in July

Sparkles Forum Christmas - snowflakes

WOW Embossing Powder - monochrome

Christmas Stampin' All Year Round - tags

Happy Birthday

Good morning all.

Very fragile mother here! I'll be fine once I know he's arrived in one piece but that won't be until about midnight tonight, meanwhile I'm like a cat on a hot tin roof!! I will have to go food shopping if we want to eat today....must remember I'm not feeding Gary though, the food bill will probably half lol.

Update...managed a brief conversation with Gary on Facebook whilst he was waiting for the gate to open in Hong Kong so I'm much happier now!! Hoping he manages to get some sleep on the flight to Auckland as he didn't manage much last night...."the old codger in the seat behind played solitaire all night on the touch screen TV"!!

Sharing a card I made on Saturday so I could hand deliver it to my nephew on Sunday and save on the postage!!

Kraft base card; stamped background (a very old stamp from Anita's) mounted onto a fancy nestie square; football die brand spanking new from Tattered Lace Dies and a recycled ribbon bow to which I've added a pearl.

Challenges entered:

Come and Get it - something new

Great Impressions - use something new

A Gem of a Challenge - something new

Sweet Stampin' - sport and fitness

Charisma Cardz - birthday

Shelly's Images - out with the old, in with the new

Simon says Stamp - something new

Sweet Stamps - kraft paper

Shopping our Stash - use something new

The Crazy Challenge - cards for men

Carol x

Christmas Crafting (with sketches) #94

Good morning all.

It's time for another challenge over at CCWS and we hope you're playing along with us this year and stocking up on those Christmas cards and projects. It's the turn of the Snow Angels to inspire you this week and Christina designed the sketch. We are being sponsored by Krea Teja.

I've created the layers in Craft Artist and layered onto blue stardream card. The image and sentiment are stamps by Anita which I stamped with versamark and heat embossed. Dies are all from Spellbinders, gems from my stash.

You will have to pop over to the challenge blog to see the sketch for yourself, remember to check out

 the inspiration of the other DT members whilst you're there. 

Challenges entered:
CHNC - picture inspiration (I've used the colour)
CHNC Extra - anything goes
Bunny Zoe's - something blue
Lawnscaping - patterned paper
Challenges 4 Everybody - anything goes
Glitter and Sparkle - monochromatic
Christmas Stampin all Year Round - circles

Carol x