Merry Christmas!

 Wishing all my Blogland buddies and their 

loved ones a very merry Christmas!

Gnome for Christmas.

 

I'm sure that with Christmas so near there are many things I should have been doing, but today my craftroom was calling and I felt the need for a play!

I didn't sleep well lastnight and the idea for this little card 'popped' into my head in the wee, small hours. Isn't it fun? I loved stamping the Line Of Trees stamps by TH for Stampers Anonymous in different shades of green chalk ink and then colouring these irresistible little characters from Jane's Doodles Merry Gnomes. I wonder what they are saying to each other? 

I decided this card looked a little 'flat' so I added some snow...

I'm linking-up at Lost Coast Portal to Creativity as their current challenge is Anything Goes with Gnomes. What a fun challenge for this time of year. I'm also playing along at Daring Cardmakers as their current challenge is Trim the Tree and I've got me a whole forest on this card!

Happy crafting!

The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #200 - S is for Snarky!

 

It's a proud, proud moment for us girls over at The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers as we reach Challenge #200! As always, we're doing it in fine style with an awesome graphic from our Graphics Goddess Sister Lee. 

I can't tell you what an amazing crew these gals are - witty, supportive and full of love, the sisterhood are just a fabulous bunch and I'm so grateful to be one of their number.

As you can imagine we've had heaps of fun with this theme AND we have a brilliant Queen of Snark on board to help us celebrate.

Here's my card for the challenge. For some reason a sarcastic rabbit just hit the spot for me!

I used sets from Picket Fence (Driving the Karma Bus and Peach and Piper) and a gorgeous Tim Holtz Layering Stencil called Scribbles to make my card. 

We're delighted to have a sponsor on board for this challenge, and it's a great company for those of you who love great images and snarky sentiments! It's Lost Coast Designs.

Lost Coast Designs is a rubber stamp company based in Spokane Valley, WA.  Along with its sister company, Carmen’s Veranda, it offers a sophisticated line of unique red rubber and clear polymer stamps in an extensive range of styles, including vintage, collage, gothic, shrine, angel, and many others, to excite your creative impulses.  

Please come on over to the Sisterhood and help us celebrate in style!

Let's Squash It! Challenge #15

 

It's the final challenge of 2021 over at Let's Squash It! and it's YOUR CALL! Yes, we'd like you to look back across the year and pick a technique that you enjoyed to use for your card OR why not show us an embossing folder technique that you love and we haven't featured?

One of my favourite techniques is to use watercolours or inks and lots of water with my EF. I really like this Sophie Guilar EF called Texture Impressions by Sizzix which the lovely Gail gifted to me recently. I paired this with a MFT sentiment die and a unnamed sentiment and it was job done!

We've got a lovely guest with us and I know you'll love what she and Gail have each created for this challenge, so please come over and join the fun!

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #57 - If It's Christmassy, Link it Up!

It's a little quiet over at Kickstart Central as all our elves are home with their loved ones, and it's just Rudolph and me waiting for Santa!

Yes, it's the final challenge for 2021 and what a year it's been. The challenge theme for December is:

Challenge #57 - If It's Christmassy, Link It Up!

This is pretty much a Anything Goes Challenge, but if you need a little inspiration then why not look back at the work of the wonderfully inspirational elves who've guested at Christmas Kickstart during the past year.

Here's what I've made for this final challenge of 2021.

This dancing Santa by Birdie Brown for MFT has to be one of my all time favourite stamps. I originally bought the digital image version from Yoshi's shop, but finally took the plunge and bought the stamp a couple of months ago and am so glad I did.

 And I LOVE this cute tree-shaped tangle of kitties and pups, also from MFT.

Wooo hooo for an inky background and red stamping - so quick and easy for last minute makes.

Rudolph is here with his final Random Raffle of 2021, and he's done us proud again with this lovely prize from Sizzix! 

I really like all the little Christmas bits and pieces you get with this adorable Thinlets set. 

Please head on over and play along at the final Christmas Kickstart Challenge of 2021.

Card Chain Challenge - November 2021 Reveal

Hi there, it's time for the November 2021 Card Chain Challenge Reveal! 

We had 26 fabulous participants who exchanged cards across the globe this month, bringing our total number of cards exchanged by Card Chain Challenge participants to a rather impressive 3,487!

 

We had these fab options to play with for this challenge:

Colour Palette Option

or

Sketch Option

or 

Theme Options: Snowflakes/Polar Animals/Friendship

or 

Product / Technique Options: Book Paper/Pop Up

I sent Ellie in Illinois this little number:

And was thrilled receive this fabulous card from Gundi in Germany - bet you wish she'd been YOUR sender this month! Isn't it a beaut?

There's still a few days in which to join our CCC chain for December, where we're playing Tic-Tac-Tic-Tac-Toe. Hope to see you there!

It's a Wrap!

 

I need very little persuasion to break out my gorgeous pillow box die from Lawn Fawn, so when I spotted the new challenge at LCD I knew I was going to play along.

The great thing about this box is that it's a perfect size for earrings in tissue paper, a handful of wrapped sweets or a gift card. 

Here's the front. I loved using that huge Colorado Craft Company snowflake across the whole die cut.

And here's the reverse - how neat and tidy it looks.

Don't you love the drama of kraft and black together? 

There's still a couple of days to play along with this challenge as it doesn't end until November 30th.

The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #199 - Y is for Yuletide

 

Do we have the best Graphics Goddess or what? Yes, it's official The Sisterhood and Queen Justene are playing Y is for Yuletide, and doing it in fabulously snarky style! 

For my card I combined a festive Gelli Press print, a VLVS image and a fun, boozy MFT sentiment.  

The hat comes from Santa in this Mama Elephant set.

I'm also going to share this card - it's a commission, and therefore not snarky, but I thought I'd drop it into this post as I'm quite pleased with the background.

I hope you'll drop by and take a peek at the fabulous cards created by Justene and my teamies.

Let's Squash It! Challenge #14 - Stencil and Emboss

 

I'm on the blog over at Let's Squash It! today to remind all you good people that there's still time to play along with our current, fun challenge!

A couple of weeks ago I decided to play around with this theme for our Technique Time post.

Here's one of the pieces that I produced by combining a Funky Fossil stencil and an EF from Creative Expressions called Distressed Lines. 

After having already done the creative 'stuff' it only took a few minutes and this sweet die set from Simon Says Stamp to produce this card.

We've got sixteen gorgeous cards in the linky gallery thus far, but would love to see yours there too, so why not come and join the party!

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #56 - Reminder

 

It's mid-month time for the current challenge over at Christmas Kickstart!

We're in good company this month as we have Queen of the Snippets lovely Di from Pixie's Crafty Playground. If you're not sure what a 'snippet' is just take a look the picture below...

Challenge #56 - Christmas Snippets

Yes, we're playing with those pieces of design paper that we all hoard, but never know what to do with... Until now!

Here's what Di used to create her adorable card.

I love that Di decided to use her snippets to paper piece her card, and so couldn't resist giving this fun technique a whirl myself. Here are my snippets all laid out and ready to go.

Love this set from Jane's Doodles and that little gingerbread guy always makes me smile.

My second card makes use of this gorgeous set from our sponsor for this challenge. I created some little flags from sentiment banner dies. 

Rudolph is delighted that his Random Raffle for this challenge has been sponsored by Sarah and James.

 

They are generously offering a £10.00 voucher for their lovely online store; you really do need to take a look at what they have on offer AND they are offering 10% off for anyone playing in this challenge! There's a Dala Horse Bundle that is calling to me very loudly... Even more so now that it's reduced in price!

We hope you'll come and play along before this challenge ends on November 30th! 

And, BTW, Di has a new challenge just opened at Pixie's Crafty Workshop so why not play there too?

Seize the Beverage!

 Hi there, happy Monday to you all!

My Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers teamie, Jules, has just chosen her first 'Toppings' theme over at her new DT gig with Seize the Birthday!  She's made me sooooooooo proud by picking 'Beverages' as her topping of choice. Naturally, I just had to play along.

I still had this VLVS gal on my desk after making this card, so I inked her up and gave her a beer and sentiment from the Brings on the Beers set by Visible Image. It was easy to snuggle that bottle into her hand by cutting and colouring a second arm!

The background is another of my Gel prints. This time it was made with a picture from Vogue Magazine. I think it was the third pull and I love how it left plenty of space for the wording and the image.

The DT have created some fabulous cards for this fun challenge, so why not head on over and join the fun!

The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #198 - N is for Naughty

 

Well, well, just look at our Edna... They always say to watch the quiet ones!

The team that brought you R is for Rude now bring you N is for Naughty!

We'd like to see your best NAUGHTY creations for the next two weeks and trust me, the sistahs have really gone to town on this theme as their creations are hilarious!

My offering is best described as fun but tame.

Another gel print, a little printing and a fun VLVS image and my card was done.

I'm delighted to add this card over at Lost Coast designs as their current challenge is Art Dolls and Divas.

If you do nothing else today please head on over to The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers to see the naughtiness created by our guest and my teamies. Be warned, do not drink your coffee while viewing the cards or there may be a beverage spitting situation! You have been warned!

Art Dolls and Divas

 

Now here's a great challenge that nobody seems to have noticed... Or are we all busy making Christmas cards???

The fabulously talented crew over at Lost Coast Designs are playing with Art Dolls and Divas until November 14th. The DT are putting their hearts and souls into this challenge and there are some amazing creations to see over on the blog.

I decided to go the 'diva' route with this gorgeous stamp from VLVS. I'm not sure where I found the wording, but it's a fun phrase and I knew I wanted to pair it with this image. This card is for my cousin's birthday; she has my quirky sense of humour so I think she'll like it!

I can't help thinking it needs something bottom left - possibly this?

There are still two days to play along at Lost Coast, so why not head on over and take a look? There are prizes if they get enough entries!

Let's Squash It! Challenge #14 - Stencil and Emboss

 Hi there, it's time for a new challenge over at Let's Squash It!

Can you believe that we're reached Challenge #14? 

For the rest of this month we're inviting you to combine two of my favourite crafting techniques to stencil and emboss your cards! 

I have to admit that I found this challenge rather tricky at first, but then I had a lightbulb moment and came up with this little card:

For me, the key to mixing these techniques is simplicity - don't go with a fussy stencil and try to use an EF that has wider raised areas such as you have on this gorgeous folder from Gemini called Set in Stone. 

If you want to take a look at how I arrived at this card you can click and take a look at my technique time post.

We have a fabulous guest and she has totally rocked the challenge, so please come on over and join the fun! 

You're my Snow Buddy!

 Hello to all you lovely people out there in Cardland.

I had such a fun time playing with my BB MFT stamps the other day that I thought I'd whip up another card in the same style. I used the same cardmaking ingredients, but changed the Santa image for this cute little girl and her pup.

My SoSS teamie, Lindsey, created this adorable card for Happy Little Stampers, so I thought I'd follow her lead and play along. HLS November Challenge is:

The DT cards for this challenge are adorable and the gallery is filling up with some beautiful makes. 

I'm also playing at the rather fabulous CAS Christmas Card Challenge as their last theme of 2021 is Christmas Critters.

They have some beautiful cards to see over there too, so it's time to grab a cuppa and go enjoy some blog visiting! 

Have a happy day!