Happy New Year!

I'm almost certain that this is the shortest post I have ever published on my blog.

It is simply to wish everyone who visits my blog a very

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

I hope that 2014 fulfills all your hopes and dreams, and that it is a safe 

and peaceful year for you all.

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Carolling Bunnies

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and received lots of crafty

goodies to add to your stash.

I was tidying up my folders in my computer after the mad frenzy to finish

my Christmas cards, when I found the image of this card that I had

 forgotten to post on my blog. 

I adore this cute image, so although Christmas is 'done and dusted' for another year,

I couldn't file these piccies away, unseen.

Aren't these little guys the cutest. They really appear to be putting their little

hearts into their carolling 100%. I used Promarkers to colour them.

Inside my card matches the front.

Challenges

Animal Friends #9 - 'Anything Goes' (must have animal)

An Oldie But A Goodie - 'Tartan or Check'

Christmas At Sweet Stampin' - 'Let It Snow'

Creative Belli #185 - 'Christmas'

Digi Haven - 'Red and Green'

Passion For Promarkers #228 - 'Include A Sentiment'

Rhedd and Rosie #22 - 'Let It Snow'

Songbird #30 - 'Merry Christmas Everybody'

Top Tip Tuesday - 'Christmas'

Image - Eureka Stamps digi Carolling Bunnies

Colouring - Promarkers

Sentiment - Computer Generated, Balsam font

Paper - Unknown (have had it for ages)

Dies - Spellbinders; Cheery Lynn; Memory Box

Punch - Negatives from Martha Stewart PATP Snowflakes

Liquid Pearls

I guess we are on the countdown now for New Year's Eve celebrations. John and I will spend the evening at Fort Scratchley, where I am a guide. The Fort sits atop a headland at the entrance to Newcastle (Australia) Harbour, and the huge fireworks display is in the park directly below, so we have probably the best view possible.

Thank you for visiting, 

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Happy Christmas To All!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FELLOW CRAFTERS!

I hope you all finished all your preparations, and can finally enjoy the visit by

the fat guy in the red suit. We will be leaving shortly to have Christmas tea with

friends at their home. After the awful heat wave temperatures this past week it is

wonderful to have a cooler day and rain. I hope that those of you in the UK are 

safe from what looks like terrible stormy weather and floods.

Yesterday morning, both John and I had appointments with our doctor to renew

our regular prescriptions (oh the joys of getting old!!!), then had planned to do all the Christmas

grocery shopping. However, while with his doctor, John mentioned some 'spots' I have

been nagging him for ages to have checked. As a result, the Doctor said 3 had to come

off immediately. Poor John resembles Frankenstein with his stitches. To top off a

very 'bumpy' year, we now have to wait on biopsy results for a week.

I made my card for John 2 days ago, and really enjoyed doing so. Stepping away from

my usual styles, I created a vintage-look card. It is quite large (A5). 

A closer look at Santa and his reindeer flying over the country side.

Inside my card.

Challenges

Animal Friends #9 - 'Anything Goes' (must have animal)

Creative Belli #185 - 'Christmas'

Christmas At Sweet Stampin' - 'Let It Snow'

Christmas Card #4 - 'Make It Masculine'

Top Tip Tuesday #117 - 'Christmas'

Image - Raising Our Kids freebie digi (Untitled)

Colouring - Promarkers 

Paper - First Edition Christmas Village

Sentiment - Computer generated Minster 1 font

Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Decorative Labels Eight; Tim Holtz Snowflakes; Reindeer (brand unknown - bought as 'used' at stamp camp)

Ink for sponging - T.H. Distress Ink Antique Linen

Like Santa, I must 'fly' - the rain is now quite heavy, but I have to go outside and put all our furred and feathered babies to bed (John cannot help because some of his stitches are in his foot).

Many of you will just be waking to begin Christmas Day celebrations, and for some the special day is almost ended, so wherever you are I hope you have had, are having, or are about to have a wonderful Christmas!

I hope to visit your lovely blogs in the next few days, so until then,

Big Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Don't Want To be Late!

Wow, two posts in one evening...that must be a first for me.

This one will be brief.

I used this darling little image for several of my cards last year, but couldn't resist

using it again. You will probably see it next year too, as I love it so much.

The reason the first three photos are darker than the last one, is that I had  

a visitor while I was photographing my card, and the daylight had changed

dramatically while she was here (I had photographed the mittens below, first).

The large area inside my card, on which I wrote a personal message.

Unbelievably, the matting cardstock above is from the same sheet of

bright red cardstock as the mittens below.

Inside my card on the left-hand side. I should have adhered a thicker layer

of Flower Soft to the cuffs.

Image - Penny Black Gifts Sedan

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Kaisercraft

Sentiment - Lili Of The Valley

Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Circles, Memory Box Mittens

Punch - Martha Stewart Corner Punch Snowflakes

Flower Soft - White 

It is 11.30pm, and still extremely hot, so I am off to have a cold shower, and hopefully get some sleep, as I have a 'full' day tomorrow in the awful heat.

Until tomorrow night...
Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Trimming The Tree

Can you believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve??  Tomorrow morning both John

and I have appointments with our Doctors, then we have to tackle the daunting task of

supermarket shopping. I hate it at the best of times, but.....Christmas Eve, no sireee!

Because of the extreme heat here we really can't shop a few days before Christmas. 

After the 41 degrees C days we have just had, we had a 'cool change' yesterday and 

today-38 C! It's almost 11pm and although the airconditioner is on in the loungeroom, our

bedroom is still 30 C, so methinks I will be sleeping in the same place as last night - on

a cotton blanket on the loungeroom floor in front of the airconditioner. It is predicted that

tomorrow will be the same as today, but Christmas Day will be cooler (28 C)...bring it on!!!

I made this easel card for some lovely friends with whom we will be 

spending Christmas tea. They have already received it, and their

kiddies loved it.

A closer look at the cute image, coloured as always with Promarkers.

Image - Whimsy digi stamp Trimming The Tree

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Imaginisce Summer Peppermint Stripe

Sentiment - Recycled from a card received last year

Punch - Martha Stewart PATP Snowflakes

Foil star, and peel-off stickers are from my junk stash

Thank you for visiting, and "happy crafting",

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

".........not even a mouse"

Only four more sleeps to go!

 I hope you are all just about organised. It is difficult to get into the Christmas spirit when

 the temperature yesterday and today reached 41degrees C!! I have never enjoyed 

summer...I much prefer the winter.

I made this card for a dear friend I have known for 25 years, who lives in England,

 using one of the first Christmas stamps I ever bought. I doubt if it is still available.

Isn't he the cutest little mouse. I coloured him with Promarkers.

Inside my card matches the front.

Image - Stamp-it Australia Merry Chrismouse

Colouring - Promarkers
Paper - Art Stamps Australia
Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Rectangles, Classic and Scalloped Circles; Marianne Snowflakes; Elizabeth Craft Designs Season's Greetings; Martha Stewart PATP Snowflakes (negatives)

Thanks for visiting,
Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Holly and Roses

My goodness, one week from today Christmas Day will be just a happy memory.

We have our last challenge before Christmas at Crafty Little Fairies, and we have

combined both the Pink and Blue Fairy teams, with our challenge theme being

'ANYTHING GOES'

There you are, a lovely easy challenge to finish off a wonderful year of crafting.

This challenge will run for two weeks, closing on New Years Day.

We have 2 lovely generous sponsors for this challenge, and they are

and

I usually always colour my images with Promarkers, but when I saw a pack of gorgeous

mini Christmas cards in a card shop, I saw their potential as 'toppers'. They are designed

 by Lucy Cromwell. I used my Fiskars Snowflakes Texture plate to emboss a background.

A close-up look at the pretty artwork, and the ribbon roses.

Inside my card is very simple, with the lovely Joy Craft

corner die as the only embellishment.

Image - Lucy Cromwell Christmas card 'topper'

Dies - Joy Craft corner die; Cheery Lynn Holly Strip, Wreath Strip

Embossing - Fiskars Texture Plate Snowflakes

Roses and pearl from my junk stash

For a chance to win a lovely prize, why not visit us at Crafty Little Fairies, and enter our 'Anything Goes' challenge. We will be back on January 2, 2014 with a new challenge to start the year off.

Thank you for your visit,
Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Santa Mouse

This time next week it will be Christmas Day. I hope you are all better prepared

than I am. Due to a family crisis, I did not finish making all my cards, so unfortunately 

quite a few friends were sent shop-bought cards with an IOU for my annual letter.

Penny's Paper Crafty has another challenge for you, and our theme this week gives

you lots of scope to unlease your creativity...it is

'YOUR FAVOURITE TECHNIQUE OR COLOUR; OR BOTH'

We have two generous, and very regular sponsors this week. A big thank you to

and

I was asked to choose a StampArt Design digi stamp by Kathryne, and 

although Kathryne has so many lovely images to choose from, I did not

hesitate to ask for the incredibly adorable Santa Mouse. He is a new 

image in Kathryne's catalogue.

 My favourite technique is colouring with my Promarkers, and at Christmastime

my favourite colours are the very traditional red and green, sometimes with a

touch of gold, although not at this time. Because Santa Mouse is sooooooo

cute, I decided to create a CAS card, so as to not distract from him.

A close up look at little Santa Mouse, coloured of course, with Promarkers.

I could gaze at that face all day, and don't you just love that over-sized santa suit!

Inside my card.

In the past few months, I bought quite a few Christmas themed dies, lovely papers

and lots of gorgeous stamps, but circumstances meant that I did not get a chance to 

use them...won't I have fun in 2014 trying them all out. They may be the incentive I

need to get an earlier start on Christmas next year. I did however get to use the 

Memory Box Merry Christmas die for this card. The negatives for 'Christmas'

can be used on another card. I affixed a gem in the die-cut 'i'.

Challenge  

Without Words - 'Nearest and Dearest' (Top 3)

Image - StampArt Design by Kathryne digi Santa Mouse

Colouring - Promarkers

Sentiment - Computer generated Balsam font

Die - Memory Box Merry Christmas

Punch - Martha Stewart (negatives from Snowflakes PATP punch)

Gem from my junk stash

For a chance to win great prizes, why not visit Penny's Paper Crafty and enter our challenge.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Springtime Cutie and Friend

Wow! only two weeks to go, and we get a visit from the big guy in

the red suit. I still need another 6 weeks in order to be ready, but I

don't think that is going to happen.

At Penny's Paper Crafty, we have our second last challenge for 2013, 

and for this one we have a theme that many of you will love. It is

'FEMININE WITH A SENTIMENT'

This week we have three lovely sponsors

and

and

Thank you to all three.

I was asked to choose a Saturated Canary Image to work with, and 

I fell in love with The Seasons - Springtime 2. Isn't she gorgeous? I love 

her little friend, sitting there licking her paw.

I really enjoyed making this card, and think it could easily be described as 'feminine'.

A closer look at this little beauty, and her furry friend,

 both coloured with Promarkers.

Inside my card. I applied Stickles Star Dust to all the butterflies.

Image - Saturated Canary digi The Seasons - Springtime 2

Colouring - Promarkers

Sentiment - Stampin' Up

Paper - First Edition Spring Drop

Dies - Spellbinders Labels Eight and Decorative Labels Eight, Classic and Scalloped Circles; Cuttlebug Vintage Corners

Punches - Martha Stewart Butterfly Corner, Butterfly Trio

Embossing Folder - Craft Too Daisies

For a chance to win great prizes, why not visit Penny's Paper Crafty and enter our 'Feminine With A Sentiment' challenge.

I hope you are all coping with the extra workload that Christmas brings Hopefully I will be back with another card in a couple of days, so until then, thank you for visiting, and "happy crafting".

Hugs,
Jennifer. x

'Thank You' Card Set

Recently it was my Doctor's birthday, and as I have had lots of visits to her

this year, and she is always so reassuring, gentle and thorough, I made her

a set of 6 cards as a way of saying "thank you" to her.

The cards are C6 size, and I sponged panels of cardstock with Distress

inks, then embossed the panels with my Cuttlebug. I then cut the flowers

using the 2 smallest dies in the Spellbinders Rose Creation die set. I 

sponged the edges of the petals with DI, then added a matching brad.

Peel-off greeting stickers completed my cards.

The distress ink colours are Milled Lavender, Dried Marigold,

and Tumbled Glass. I think the lovely embossing folder is 

called Trellis.

That's all for tonight. I will be back tomorrow night with a new card and challenge at Penny's Paper Crafty.

Until then, thank you for visiting,

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

More Candy Canes!

As promised, here is my 2nd card for tonight to let you know about the new challenge

at Crafty Little Fairies, hosted this week by the Pink Fairies. The theme this week is

'CANDY STRIPES'

Thank you to our lovely sponsor, who this week is

I decided to create an easel card for a change, and used this adorable mouse

as the focal point in my little scene on the ski slopes. I found this little cutie on

a freebie site, called Raising Our Kids...there are some 

truly amazing digi images there.

As usual I coloured my image with Promarkers.

A side-on view. The 'snow-drifts' are just torn pieces of card stock,

edged with Stickles. I also put Stickles on the die-cut and punched

trees, the punched snowflakes, and to represent falling snow.

The easel card fully opened.

Challenges

Cutie Pie #58 - 'Cute Scenes and Backgrounds'
Digi Makeover #117 - 'Snow Fun'
I love Promarkers #197 - 'For A Child'
Inky Impressions #137 - 'Winter or Snow'
Whoopsi Daisy - 'Christmas Using traditional Colours'

Until next time, happy crafting, and thank you for visiting,
Hugs,
Jennifer. x