Di's December #3 Sketch

Three weeks into December already & this time next week it'll be Christmas day!! Woo-hoo!! Nope, I'm not ready, organised or even close! LOL.
Anyway, Di's sketch this week was a stunner & I love it ... even tho' I struggled with the li'l envelope: I'll definitely use a template next time! I've been playing with Prima product this last few days ... luuuurve anything kinda vintage/shabby or whatever, so I'm lovin' Prima too - & it's no coincidence that they have their DT call on right now *smiles*. Will share my DT application end of the month I think: I don't expect I'll be chosen from the thousand that apply ... but if not, I'll have some great projects to show for it, so it's all good! LOL.
Anyway, pop on over to Di's Blog to see what the rest of the DT did with the sketch ... & maybe have a go yourself?

Is This A Winning Card?

It's 3 months since I applied for a DT spot at Christmas Cards All Year 'Round, which means it's time to re-apply. Although the requirement was to produce just one card, I found it a li'l bit of a challenge as it had to be inspired by the blog banner - just as it was last time. So I had to create something both the same & totally different! LOL
Auntie Jane brought these MME papers & die cuts back from the US for me last month & I knew at once that they were the ones I'd want to use. The colours are similar to the blog banner ... just more pastel & the composition is inspired by it too. The photo doesn't show it particularly well (flash photography) but the snowman & 'joy' are adhered on foam tape for dimension. I also added self adhesive pearls to the snowman's buttons & black ones for his eyes & mouth - a bit of sanding, inking & machine stitching & it's done!
There's still time to apply ... the call closes tomorrow - and the announcement for the new team will be Monday. Deets are here if you fancy trying out!

Di's December #2 Sketch

The chilly winter is here & I'm finding myself drawn to these papers by Bo Bunny ... last year's collection but I do love them. the photo is a bit pants ... & you can be expecting more pants photos until I'm able to take them outside again - never mind 'twill be the spring soon! LOL.
So this is Di's December #2 sketch & I found it sooooo easy to use that I was able to create a few sets of crimbo cards for DS4's Christmas Fayre last week & have been dying to share the photos!

Why not give the sketch a try ... I bet you'll be glad you did!

Kazan's Sketch #15

Can you believe it's been nearly 2 months since I last played along with 2 Sketches 4 You?? Life just gets in the way sometimes doesn't it? Anyway, I'm up to date with all my DT work & needed to make a card for my stepfather, who is in hospital ATM, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to try out Kazan's latest sketch.
Masculine cards can be a bit tricky but the papers (Prima Marketing: Cavalier) made it easy. The image is from a bunch of replica ephemera that I picked up at the Museum while visiting the Christmas markets at Bury St Edmunds a couple weeks ago - from the 'Home Front' pack. My stepfather has an interest in WWII, so this was just perfect. I distressed and inked all my edges before machine stitching the papers into position & then just stapled the sentiment (SU!) & velvet ric rac into place. Just cuz it's a man-card doesn't mean that it can't have texture! LOL.

My stepfather is much better but will probably have an operation before they let him loose on the world. We don't expect him home before the weekend.

I blew the NaBloPoMo challenge to blog every day this month but I shall carry on with the thankful theme anyway. & who knows ... maybe next year I'll blog every day - one month at least! LOL
Today I'm thankful for:

• Ready Brek. They used to advertise it as 'central heating for kids' & it keeps me warm & nourished on cold wintery mornings.
• The internet. Just this morning I have shopped for groceries, bought a couple of Christmas presents, blogged, applied for a DT post & e-mailed my dad (who lives abroad) ... all before 9am. Later on, I shall be stocking my Misi store with more yummy stuff ... Gotta wonder how I managed without it!
  
• Energy Saving Lightbulbs. I have used these for years ... started when they were still a new thing but now big business seems to have caught on we keep getting them through the post - so that's an even bigger saving!!
  

Busy Day at the Christmas Fayre.

I spent the whole day at Auryn's School today, helping out with the Christmas fayre & had a ton of fun along the way! LOL. Only someone who has been involved in a fundraiser will know how much of a giggle we had ... & it's not a case of being in the clique - Auryn goes on the school bus, so I don't know any of the other parents at all - and don't see too much of the teachers either. But I have said I'll get more involved ... same as I was when the older boys were at infant school *smiles*
Anyway, These are a couple of the card sets that I put together ... made the cards a while ago - & over the last couple days, I made the envelopes, tags & boxes ... think I'm probably gonna package more cards this way in the future rather than doing individual ones in cello bags ... what d'ya think?? I have others to show but not until next week after Di has revealed the sketch! .
& here's a li'l photo of Auryn with the great man himself ... he was soooo excited to meet Santa ... especially having discovered Santa's footprints in his classroom this morning! LOL
Today, I am thankful for:

• Making new friends. It's been a long time since I have been around other 'mummies' ... hadn't realised how much I missed it.
• Auryn's Teachers. He has settled sooooo well at school & is totally happy there - the teacher's & helpers care about their kids - & it shows!
• Darent Valley Hospital. Maybe not the best healthcare in the world but my stepfather was admitted today & is already feeling happier that they will find what ails him ... & then fix it! & that's good enough for me!
  

Back tomorrow - I have new SU! goodies!!!

Di's December #1 Sketch

Not the best photo in the world ... it has been soooo windy here that, even when it isn't raining, I've not been able to take photos outdoors. Anyway, Di's sketch this week was particularly festive, so I created this li'l lovely with scraps of Bo Bunny Teen Chic papers ... not traditionally festive but I'm loving the green/pink combi this year (as you might have noticed! LOL). There's a full supplies list on Di's blog but check out those pink/white circular patterns: Stampin' Up! Seeing Circles Stamp set & Pixie Pink ink (possibly my fave!!)
Wanna know how to make it or how to get those stamps for free? ... check it out on Mad Mumma Stampin's Blog.

Even More Fast & Fun Notes

Here's the last batch of cards using the Fun & Fast Notes stamp Set from Stampin' Up. I've finally replaced my mini sewing machine (knocked the last one off the table ... they do not bounce well!!) so I got to do a bit of sewing on these. The buttons are from my stash again, I'm still using up a bunch of A Muse notecards (lots left still) but the ribbon is the SU! 1/4" grosgrain from Mad Mumma's starter kit.

I love torn cardstock for a bit of added texture ... especially when it's been machine stitched.
I wanted to do something quite simple & elegant too & the result was these last two cards. I used markers to colour direct on to the stamps, matted the images & added the ribbon detail. These are probably 10 minute cards, so ideal if you need to make a batch in a hurry.
If you'd like to buy SU! products in the UK, contact Mad Mumma through her blog ... I'll guarantee she'll be happy to help!

More Fast & Fun Notes

So here are even more cards from that same stamp set (Fast & Fun Notes) combined with the Spot On roller stamp ... nothing different apart from the colours & images, as I have stuck to exactly the same design for them all. Using the same layout makes it soooo simple to create a whole bunch of cards in a hurry!
I'm going to make up a few sets of notecards like these for various relatives as li'l Christmas gifts ... an economical choice for me (can you say credit crunch???) & something that I am sure will be well-received & useful! See that tag in the bottom picture? Yup! same as the Christmas ones but with a different image - super simple!

If you would like to see a current Stampin' Up! catalogue, host a workshop or just buy these stamps, you can do it all at Mad Mumma's blog. Go on ... you know you want to! LOL

All Spruced Up!

Here's the rest of the cards & tags I made on my playdate with Mad Mumma. It is exactly the same image as yesterday's post (felt like I stamped 100 of these! LOL), using a whole bunch of left over A Muse notecards. These were just sooooo quick to put together & assuming I get the copyright stamp in time, I'll be donating them to DS4's school Christmas Fayre on December 5th ... go me! LOL
Another bunch of those manilla tags - great for Xmas gifts & plenty of space on the back to add a personal message.
It's nearly end of the month ... if you aren't already following this blog, sign up now for a chance to win goodies! The link is up near the top right of the page! Oh! & I'm giving a li'l RAK for Mad Mumma's followers too, so why not pop on over there as well.

Mad Mumma's Workshop

I made this li'l Christmas set with goodies from Mad Mumma's SU! starter kit for a workshop next Friday. Really quick & easy to put together! The tag is a manilla luggage label ... I have a ton of these! LOL. The design isn't really mine I guess as it is very similar to one of the ideas on the leaflet that comes with the kit.
I entered a bit of a stampin' frenzy really & made, over the course of a couple of evenings, a total of 24 cards & 6 gift tags. All from the same stamp set (Fast & Fun Notes) using the Spot On jumbo roller stamp. I tell you, I'm loving the roller stamp ... makes backgrounds & borders fun & super-quick!
If you want to know more about this li'l project, find it at Mad Mumma Stampin'.

Di's November #3 Sketch

I do love being part of Di's sketch team ... it gives me just the excuse I need to make at least one card every week, even when I'm not feeling creative. And that's usually enough to get my mojo going so I can create more cards all week long. I gave all my christmas cards away ... so I'm starting over for my own stash! LOL. It might seem like a daft thing to do but I quite like making them, so I'm happy to start over.

I thought I'd used all the Fancy Pants Holly Jolly scraps that I had but I found another bunch hidden away in a pizza box (I store my project supplies in them until I'm done ... most of the time they don't get unpacked again for months!) which is OK cuz I love this line ... although you might be sick of them now!!
Lots more machine stitching & a few odd embellies. The snowflake punch is a Stampin' Up! one, now retired I think & I made the crystal swirls using a Crafter's Workshop template that Auntie Jane bought for me last time she visited from the US.

If you haven't already, don't forget to 'follow this blog' (there's a link up at the top right), there'll be a RAK at the end of the month for all my followers!

Di's November #2 Sketch

As much as I love Di's sketches, I found this one a bit of a struggle & I'm not entirely sure I like the end result. I just isn't how I saw it in my head IYGWIM. It was definitely a great one to use up a bunch of scraps & odd embellies tho!

There's a li'l bit of Teen Chic paper there & the rest is basically odd bits that I had lying around on my desk. I think I'm gonna have to clear it up soon ... the scraps just seem to keep going on forever!
Check out Di's sketch - & if you do something with it, do drop me a comment - I'd love to see it!

More Chocolate!

Another bunch of thank you cards to send out with orders from the webstore & etsy store. I have totally used up my stocks again ... in fact these are also already on their way! LOL. Technically, most of these are not, in fact, entirely made from scrap - there is a paper or two in the collection that I probably wouldn't use on a layout & they have been reserved just for cards.
The card blanks are made from scraps: the offcuts from the calendar pages in this book & some of the other papers are left over from Nina's guest book. I'm using up the die cuts too ... I'll never get through them all otherwise! LOL.

I've taken a few close ups: In this first one , you can see the card panel is distressed, a length of ribbon put in place & then both pieces sewn into position. A stamped sentiment & inked die cuts were added, the smaller one raised on foam pads. The backgrounds were all made in the same way: distressed panels, a length of ribbon & machine stitching ... all done conveyor belt style. This next example covers a mistake or two *smiles*. The patterned card was too dark to show the stamped sentiment, which is hidden under the tag, so all the cards with this pattern have sentiment tags. These are easy to make in bulk too ... simply cut strips of card, stamp the sentiment, cut into tags, round the left side corners & distress the right edge before inking. I used 12" long strips & was able to create 4 tags at a time from them. The tag was stitched on, a die cut added along with a Kaiser flower (love these!) & Kaiser pearls (love these too!!)
For this example, I've just stitched the tag & added a flower & pearl ... v. simple but kinda elegant, I thought.
The patterned card on these ones (scraps) is embossed, so doesn't need much embellishment. I used a butterfly die cut & just curled the wings upward before attaching on foam pads. The body was embellished with Kaiser pearls
I only made 12 this time, so I guess there will be another batch-made-thank-you post coming before too long. I'm thinking maybe black & red ... I have just the right papers in mind!

Laura's Sketch #12

Another great sketch at 2S4U this week. I'd actually already decided to use these papers for my next card, left over from Nina's wedding album (post about that coming soon!), before I saw the sketch. Spookily, that means that, like Laura, I have a butterfly theme going on. It does mean that my card is an awful lot like hers, bar the colour ... but I love it, so I guess it's OK.

As well as the Jolie Chocolat papers & die cuts, I've used kaisercraft pearls & flowers, A heidi swapp felt butterfly & american crafts ribbon ... rather pleased with that bow: 'twas a pig to get right but I love the puffiness of it. Note to self: plain ribbons are easier to tie ... you don't have to manipulate them to get the pattern face up! LOL
I've included a close up of the flower detail ... mostly for the li'l butterfly. It's really easy to make but looks kinda cool. I punched two butterflies from patterned paper (The punch is by SU! ... retired now I think), stapled them together & gently curled up the top wings before sticking into position.

CCAYR November Challenge ... part deux!

I needed to do one more card for the Christmas Cards All Year Round November challenge but as I'd almost used these scraps up, I thought I might just make one more! LOL. So that's 6 cards this month!

Both are patchwork cards again & if I just had a proper sized sewing machine I'd have sewn the papers. I have one of those li'l hobby machines & you have to bend the card up to get it on to the bed ... anyway, faux stitching! The gingham ribbons are machine stitched & the end held in place by the snowflake embellie.
For my last card I have layered the ribbons on top of each other (great way to hide DST under organza ribbons). See how those paper scraps are really quite small this time? I ran an ink pad over the top of the ribbed cardstock to create the blue stripes & attached 2 snowflake sequins (more of that stash that I never use!!) with mini brads. I added a couple of the teeniest shaped buttons over the snowflake artwork on the tag & raised the word strips with foam pads ... & that's about it!
If you wanted to see the other cards I made for this challenge, go here.
As we are still early in the month, I might manage a few more cards for Christmas ... & there's still tags, gifts & decorations to do ... happy days!

Di's November #1 Sketch

Here's my DT card for Di Hickman's latest sketch. This was a really easy one for using up scraps! I've used Bo Bunny Teen Chic papers but I guess you are going to be seeing them a few more times yet ... these scraps seem to be going on forever!! Be sure to check out the other DT card & snag yourself Di's free digi files ~ they are only free for a li'l while!

CCAYR November Challenge

The November challenge at Christmas Cards All Year Round is a simple recipe:
Use 2 buttons, 2 ribbons & 2 snowflakes to make a card - or 5 cards if you want to enter the monthly draw. So far, I have four done, so it's looking good for getting the 5 done again this month. (Go me!!)

I had a search thru my Christmas stash - these papers & artwork are all from HOTP cardmaker's kits (1-2 years old), the ribbons were already on my desk (I have a jar full of gingham ones, which I have been using a lot recently) & I dug out a bunch of odd embellies packed away last year (mostly magazine freebies). The first card has snowflake artwork & a snowflake border & ribbon attached with double sided tape - nice 'n easy!
Next up: this patchwork card is entirely made from the small scraps that I won't throw away but really build up quickly!! I just covered the card with squares/rectangles & trimmed the overhang & then added faux stitching to create a 'patchwork'. The rub ons didn't show up too well on the blue area of the background, so I added some li'l dots with a white pen (I'm still using a white sharpie, now discontinued), just to the word 'snow' to higlight it - I love happy accidents! LOL. The lace was part of a pack sitting on my desk too - I'd used all the white but the lilac was still there & just right I thought. I added a few gems to the gingham ribbon - just cuz I can.
This card uses a few of the embellies that I normally never use: the embossed silver cardstock frame & puffy fabric snowflake but I have to say I quite like it. The blue snowflake in the middle is a brad & although it looks like just one ribbon, the faux bow is actually a darker, wider gingham ribbon. Sentiment by A Muse.
This last card also uses a bunch of stash that has been lying around for a couple years - again, the die cut, embossed silver panel & white mini-corrugated card are all things I usually wouldn't use but came as freebies & have been squirreled away ever since. I've used another snowflake brad here too, A Muse sentiment & ric rac from the same pack as the lace (Rusty Pickle, Guinevere).

So that's my 4 cards ... & I'll be back with the fifth before the end of the month!

17 Ways to Say 'Thank You'

Deanne posted a fabulous sketch or two a couple days ago & I thought this one was just right to make a whole bunch of Thank You cards. Normally I create one-off cards but as I include a li'l thank you with every order at the webstore, I get through a lot! LOL.
The benefit of batch-making cards is you can create them assembly line style ... completing one step at a time on several cards. I make 5-10 at a time, using whatever scraps I have on hand. Why not have a go yourself & get ahead on all those thank you cards you'll need for the gifts received & party hosts over the Christmas holidays.
If you'd like to see the supply lists, tutorial etc - check it out on the store blog!!

2S4U DT Entry

Here, as promised a couple week's back is the scheduled post in which I share the cards I made for the 2 Sketches 4 You DT Call. Obviously, at the time of writing, I had no idea whether these were winning cards or not ... either way, I really like them so I don't actually lose IYGWIM.

This first one is based on Laura's sketch & immediately made me think pleated paper: I sanded along the edges of every pleat to expose the white core & then gently sanded the top to pick up all the ridges where the pleats layer beneath the surface. The pleated panel is machine stitched to the card, close to the edge of each pleat. Plenty of sanding on the other papers too - love shabby style! Here you'll see a lot of the papers & elements I've been playing with recently - cuz, as you know, I like to use the scraps from my desk for card making. The bird is a Heidi Swapp XL Ghost & I've just highlighted it by dry-brushing beige acrylic on the back. The rhinestones are from Kaiser ... this was my first play with them ~ oh my! I love them!!
The second card is based on Kazan's sketch. I saw the line at the bottom, presumably for a sentiment & thought of creating a slit to tuck the top flap into. Lots of black ink on this one, which I don't use so often, cuz I wanted to pick up the polka dot paper as a feature. A different pile of scraps for this one (still from my desk! LOL), this time Bo Bunny Teen Chic & a Fancy Pants Die Cut, from the Jolly Holly range. The Kaiser rhinestones also adhere really well to velvet ric rac! This last pic shows the card open & yes, it will stand on the point!
So that was my DT entry & by the time you read this, I'll know whether I made the team ... exciting times huh?
A li'l update: So I didn't make the team ... but I love doing the sketches & there's always next time, right?

Kazan's Sketch #12

A bit late with my cards for this week's challenges at 2 Sketches 4 You ... but then I didn't get back home until Thursday, so I guess I did OK! LOL. I'm in the mood for Christmas planning right now - which means looooads more Christmas cards, tags n gifty things. I've been using up my stash too & with any luck I'll get to start fresh next year cuz I'll have used up all my Chrimbo stash ... wish me luck - that's no small task! LOL.

Anyway, the first card is based on Kazan's sketch #12. All the papers/alphas/tags are from the same freebie paper pack I used in yesterday's post ... flowers n buttons from Making Memories (nearly finished this pack too) & some ribbon from my stash ... loving gingham right now!

The second card is from Joke's bonus sketch. I think this is only the second round card I have ever made ... just used a small cereal bowl to make the card base - same paper supplies again, with the addition of the larger die cut tree & holly leaves (from a random pack of freebie die cuts I have), flowers from a Making Memories freebie prize (more about that another day), some odd buttons, A Muse gems & some black Kaiser rhinestones (I love these sooooo much!)

That's me done for today - boring computer stuff to do, so I don't suppose I'll get to craft again until tonight!