CHNC challenge 21: let's see some scallops

It's Saturday again and that means another challenge on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas challenge blog - can you believe that we're now on challenge 21? How the weeks fly by. If you''d like to take part in my challenge please just follow the link and you will find all the details.

I'm being a bit cheeky with this card and doubling it up for the Christmas gang challenge set by Margaret (Dutchess) - please see the list of names in my sidebar and visit the others in the gang - if you'd like to join in just get in touch with one of us - the idea is that every fortnight one of the gang sets a Christmas card challenge so that we are all encouraged to build up our stocks. I enjoyed Margaret's challenge, but didn't find it easy incorporating all the elements, so I cheated a tiny little bit (I'll leave you to judge whether it's actually 'cheating' or not).

Margaret asked us to use:

1.Glitter
2.Snow
3.Berries
4.A christmas tree
5. Anything but square

I cut the base card from 'doiley card' on the cricut wild card cartridge (that ticks No. 5) - I just love this template. I then used one of my favourite nesties (yes, I've used it a lot recently) to cut a piece of GCD studios 'chill out' collection (that ticks No. 2). I stamped Christmas trees and greeting from the PM Joyeux Noel stamp set, stamping with Brilliance pearlescent ivy and embossed with clear detail powder and very lightly gave a bit of colour with a couple of pastel copics (that ticks No. 4).

So that just left No. 1 and No. 3 - although the actual base card paper was shiny on the polka dots, but I suppose you wouldn't actually call it 'glitter'. So I used crystal ice stickles glitter glue to dot on every outer circle of the scalloped nestie shape - not only does that cover No. 1 glitter, but (bit of imagination here) they are mistletoe berries, so that also ticks No. 3 - phew!!

So, as well as submitting this for Margaret's Christmas gang challenge, it's also my card for CHNC challenge 21: let's see some scallops.

I really had hoped to get a separate card done for each challenge, but it's been quite a difficult week - I had a cold last week and it has left me with painful sinusitis - had to go and get some ABs for it and just hoping it will clear up before we go away at the beginning of next week for a few days.

This is also for:

Winter wonderland: give us a P ... polka dots

Phindy's Friday 56: Christmas in May

Simply create 44: special day/event

Gingerloft 17: plant a tree

Little red wagon: use a tree on your project

Jac-inks 8: heat embossing

Digi doodle 59: embossing

Mami doodles 26: sports and/or stripes

Lexi 40: spots and/or stripes

Creative card world: anything but square

My mum's craft shop 6: anything but square

Totally papercrafts 67: don't be square

One stitch at a time 62: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Spoon full of sugar 152: anything goes

Crafts and me 35: anything goes

Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got

Crafty catz 83: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 7: anything goes

Make it Monday 37

Birdie wishes

Using more AG papers etc, this is for Cupcake inspirations 111, where this inspiration picture was given:



It's also for:

Corrosive 116: birthdays

C.R.A.F.T. 103: happy birthday

Really reasonable ribbon 24: anything goes

One stitch at a time 62: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Spoon full of sugar 152: anything goes

Crafts and me 35: anything goes

Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got

Make it Monday 37

Black, white and pink

Once again, Anna Griffin papers, 3D flowers, sentiment and ribbon - this time I've used one of my favourite colour combos for Creative stamp friends 25: your favourite colours.

This is also for:

Papertake weekly: bloom & grow

Crafty creations 19: May flowers - something with a flower on it, a piece of patterned paper and add a ribbon

Paper pretties 154: flowers

CCEE 1120: April showers bring May flowers

Really reasonable ribbon 24: anything goes

One stitch at a time 62: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Spoon full of sugar 152: anything goes

Crafts and me 35: anything goes

Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got

Make it Monday 37

Pink and green birthday wishes

This is another Anna Griffin card - as before, there are some 3D flowers on the main floral paper although these don't really show up here. This one is pink and green for Crazy challenge 67.

This is for:

Corrosive 116: birthdays

C.R.A.F.T. 103: happy birthday

Sundays with Crissy: flowers

Papertake weekly: bloom & grow

Crafty creations 19: May flowers - something with a flower on it, a piece of patterned paper and add a ribbon

Paper pretties 154: flowers

CCEE 1120: April showers bring May flowers

Really reasonable ribbon 24: anything goes

One stitch at a time 62: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Spoon full of sugar 152: anything goes

Crafts and me 35: anything goes

Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got

Make it Monday 37

Sincere thanks

This is another Anna Griffin card - the coloured flower is a 3D sticker.

This is for Crafty Ho's colour challenge: pink, black and a touch of green.

It's also a 'thank you' card for Fun at fairy knoll,

It's also for:

Sundays with Crissy: flowers

Papertake weekly: bloom & grow

Crafty creations 19: May flowers - something with a flower on it, a piece of patterned paper and add a ribbon

Paper pretties 154: flowers

CCEE 1120: April showers bring May flowers

Really reasonable ribbon 24: anything goes

One stitch at a time 62: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Spoon full of sugar 152: anything goes

Crafts and me 35: anything goes

Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got

Make it Monday 37

A floral birthday wish

This is for the colours for Crafts 4 eternity recipe 19:

It's one of the cards I made yesterday with some of the Anna Griffin papers etc. The background of the central paper is very flowery and there are additional 3D flowers dotted around this.

It's also for:

Corrosive 116: birthdays

C.R.A.F.T. 103: happy birthday

Sundays with Crissy: flowers

Papertake weekly: bloom & grow

Crafty creations 19: May flowers - something with a flower on it, a piece of patterned paper and add a ribbon

Paper pretties 154: flowers

CCEE 1120: April showers bring May flowers

Really reasonable ribbon 24: anything goes

One stitch at a time 62: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Spoon full of sugar 152: anything goes

Crafts and me 35: anything goes

Truly scrumptious 57: anything goes

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got

Make it Monday 37

WOYWW 102

I was all set to do this post earlier this evening and then discovered that my wireless network connection failed - did various things to try to put it right and in the end found that the wire connecting to the router wasn't connecting properly - it's always been a bit temperamental!

So here I am at last to show my WOYWW 102. I can hardly believe it, but this afternoon and early evening I made 50 cards - admittedly they were from Anna Griffin kits where there were suitable sized paper, ribbons, sentiments, 3D stickers etc - I even lined 40 envelopes - again, the actual liners were all ready (except that they needed to be cut down a bit to leave the gummed area at the top of the envie.

The reason why I had this marathon session today was because I suddenly woke up to the fact that I'm selling cards at the summer fair where mum lives - and it's Saturday week - and we're away for a few days next week, so I needed some way of building my stocks up a bit.

Over the next few days I'll be showing some of the cards.

Going round in circles with Eva

This is for A spoon full of sugar 151 sketch by Natalie:


It's also for Going grey with Scrap-creations challenge: circles, for which I used BG eva papers, the stamped image is PB sparklers stamped with stazon vibrant violet, the nestie scalloped circle die cut, a few flowers, sentiment and ribbon.

This is also for the colour challenge 8 on the Ribbon girl to use pinks, lilacs and purples:




This is also for:

Creative stamp friends 25: your favourite colours

Crafty pad 121: holes (in between the scallops of the die cut)

Frosted designs fabulous Friday challenge: ribbon or twine

Mami doodles 26: spots and/or stripes

Lexi 40: spots and/or stripes

My time to craft 140: scallops

Tuesday throwdown 48: use die cuts

My mum's craft shop 5: to die for

Wags n whiskers 54: circles

Corrosive 116: birthdays
Crafty Ann 40: happy birthday

Crafty purple frog: mono moments

Annabelle: say it in monochromatic tones

Stamp insanity 58: monochromatic masterpieces

Pear tree 49: stamped images

Really reasonable ribbon 24: anything goes

One stitch at a time 62: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Stamp something: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Make it Monday 37

White space with swirls

This is the white space sketch on 365 cards today (day 77):

I had a few tries at this before I settled on this card - who would believe that such a simple sketch could cause so many problems?

I decided to use half of a shaped card on the side of a regular square card, using the cuttlebug d'vine swirls embossing folder for both the white and the purple card, distressing the purple one with dusty concord DI. I then added the gingham ribbon, a few flowers plus button centres and a little acrylic 'birthday' tile (from Buttons Galore) with wire.

(The paper clip is only there, of course, to keep the card absolutely flat for the photo - the front of the card is just the shape, the white showing through from the inside only.


This is also for:

Creatalicious 22: flourishes
Crafty sentiments: buttons
Corrosive 116: birthdays
Paper sundaes 69: birthday
Crafty Ann 40: happy birthday

Crafty purple frog: mono moments

Annabelle: say it in monochromatic tones

Crafty cardmakers 46: embossing

There's magic in the air magical Monday: embossing

Blue and white

This is for 365 cards day 64, a white space sketch:



The white scalloped nestie die cut has a bit of a pearlised sheen to it - this was run through the cuttlebug with a dotty embossing folder. The layered felt flower is from Poundland. The dark blue background is from my offcuts box and the spotty ribbon is a stick on one. All corners were punched to round them.


This is also for:

Mark's finest papers speedy the cat 55: monochromatic blues

Crafty pad 121: holes (in between the scallops of the die cut)

Frosted designs fabulous Friday challenge: ribbon or twine

Aud sentiments 28: no sentiment

Mami doodles 26: spots and/or stripes

Card cupids: no patterned paper

Creative card crew: May flowers

Everybody art 141: flowers

Delightful: flowers

Shannon's sentiments 26: 3 flowers and no patterned papers

My time to craft 140: scallops

Tuesday throwdown 48: use die cuts

My mum's craft shop 5: to die for

Wags n whiskers 54: circles

Craft your days away 20: white + one

Really reasonable ribbon 24: anything goes

One stitch at a time 62: anything goes

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Red and white, lace and ribbon

I'm trying to catch up on some of the 365 cards challenges that I've missed - thought I'd start with yesterday's (day 75) sketch:



I didn't find this an easy sketch, but once I got the idea of what I wanted to do, I loved it. The dotty paper at the top is unknown, the striped paper at the bottom is We R memory keepers. I then had the idea to attach two pieces of white lace to the back of the red stitched ribbon - this was then a bit bumpy because of the lace underneath, so I stuck a piece of DCWV flowery ribbon on to the middle of the red stitched ribbon. I corner rounded at the bottom.

I chose red and white for Alota 58 May day challenge, also for Craft your days away 20: white + one

It's also for:

I did it: lace and ribbon

Bunny Zoe 12: lace

Stamping vacation: have you tried challenge: ribbon over lace

Frosted designs fabulous Friday challenge: ribbon or twine

Aud sentiments 28: no sentiment

Mami doodles 26: spots and/or stripes

Catch the bug: polka dots and stripes.

Really reasonable ribbon 24: anything goes

One stitch at a time 62: anything goes

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Keep your chin up

On the BF forum we are having a non-retreaters minicrop for the weekend. Joanne gave us this link to try doing some acrylic distress. Well, I think I must be feeling too woolly with my cold - and a bit too impatient! I gave it a try, but managed to take off the surface of some of the paper while sanding - the effort ended up in the bin. Meanwhile I had stamped a giraffe (rubadubbadoo stamp) to use with the acrylic distress panel.

In the end I resorted to a known method of embossing some yellow card (instead of coating with yellow acrylic, which was my original intention) using a creative expressions embossing folder. I then sanded (being more careful this time) and distressed the area with brushed corduroy DI. I used this too to distress the surrounds of the giraffe panel to take some of the brightness off the yellow - although the whole card is still looking quite bright!

I seem to have lost the 'keep your chin up' stamp that should be with the giraffe, so I printed it instead - had to have a few goes with plain paper before sticking the panel on to get the print in the right place. Everything is mounted on a brown linen card, with the addition of the piece of ribbon,

This is for:

Pollycraft 92: boyz to men - think this is suitable as an encouragement card for a man

Stamps R us: for the men in our lives

Nadia 6: men's card

One crazy stamper: boys and men

Ann's creative nook 134: anything goes with animals

Paper pretties 153: add texture to your card

Dream valley 7: dig out the old to use with the new - the embossing folder is new, but everything else is old

Stampavie 141: ribbons

Frosted designs fabulous Friday challenge: ribbon or twine

Creative craft: distressed

Cute card Thursday 164: it's so distressing

Card cupids: no patterned paper

Really reasonable ribbon 24: anything goes

One stitch at a time 62: anything goes

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Stamp something: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

It's snow time

This is another card for my CHNC challenge 20 'don't get stressed about distressing!' - I simply tore the card with the image around the edges. If you haven't joined in my challenges yet, why not start now - we're nearly five months through the year already and Christmas will come round so soon - if you make a lot of cards, now is the time to start, if you haven't already done so - and I know lots of you have because I enjoy seeing all your creations on the challenge blog.

Back to this card, I've used the sketch for Cards & things 78:

On the silver grey stardream card, I used two different Basic Grey papers - the main background is ambrosia and the panel that's got the image on is sugar rush - neither of them are Christmas papers, but I think they work well for the colour combo, so this is for Basic Grey 44, which is to mix and match a couple of BG items.

I've used one of my favourite stamps, Penny Black fantasy, stamping with versamark and heat embossing with detail silver powder. So this is another entry for Penny Black's Saturday challenge 151: clean & simple, as well as Jac-inks 8: heat embossing.

I then added a couple of ribbons, one on top of the other and a glittered snowflake.


This is also for:

Bah! humbug 19: snowflakes

Christmas stampin all year long: you've got me in stitches (the narrower of the two ribbons is stitched at the edges)

CES 36: holidays

Gingerloft 17: plant a tree

Stamping vacation: inspiration station challenge: dancing tree

Stampavie 141: ribbons

Frosted designs fabulous Friday challenge: ribbon or twine

Sisterhood of crafters: let it shine

Pixie dust 74: make it shiny

Little Claire 7: sparkle

Creative craft: distressed

Cute card Thursday 164: it's so distressing

Really reasonable ribbon 24: anything goes

One stitch at a time 62: anything goes

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Stamp something: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Ice cream

This is for the sketch for Pink elephant 99:
This is also for the 'ice cream' challenge for One stop craft 131. I chose to use a stamped image featuring ice cream, but also ice cream colours for chocolate and strawberry. The image is Penny Black hot but cool. I had a couple of these in a rubber stamp swap quite a long while ago. I wasn't sure what ink had been used to stamp them, so I tried copics/promarkers on the first one and it was a disaster, so for this I got out my old colouring pencils - that made a change! The brown paper is from Dena designs. The pink card was embossed with a Crafts-too dots embossing folder. A pink foiled sentiment and a few flowers finished off the card.

I chose the Penny Black image for Penny Black Saturday challenge 141: clean & simple.

This is also for:

Irish teddy's: embossed

Freshly brewed 45: beach or summer

PaperPlay 19: celebrating summer

Mami doodles 26: spots and/or stripes

Make it colourful 18: dotty backgrounds

Incy wincy 93: girlie

Prairie fairy Fridays 52: here come the girls

Crafty Ann 40: happy birthday

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Stamp something: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Time travel

I put together a couple of digital images - one that I adapted a while ago for my latest Circle Journal - I used this as a background and then added a steampunk clock picture, changing it to match the colour of the original and using a fade effect to reveal the background picture.



This is for:

Crafty cardmakers 45: steampunk or machines

Altered Alice chapter 4: time

Challenge up your life 43: travel

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Magical butterfly spiral

For this card for Paper sundaes 68: magical & mythical creations I've used one of my all-time favourite digital images - butterfly spiral by Dewdrop crafts.

I kept to the black, white and red colour combo for Ladybug: black and white plus one, The paper shelter 13: black + white + one, If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 79: primary splash - black and white with a splash of red, blue or yellow - it's also one of my favourite colour combinations for Stamp dreams challenge 81.

This is also for:

My partner in crafting crime 26: incorporate numbers

Drunken stampers 67: by the numbers

Stampavie 141: ribbons

Frosted designs fabulous Friday challenge: ribbon or twine

365 cards day 65: mythical creatures

Thank you, thank you ...

This is for CPS card sketches 217:

The colour combo is for Paper players 46:

A piece of red card was run through the cuttlebug with the 'thanks' embossing folder and then swiped to distress with victorian velvet DI - this was than mounted on an offcut of navy blue card. The 'thanks' die cut label is a Cosmo Cricket 'drop me a note' sticker - this is for Wee memories 56: anything sticky.

The embossing is for the current Irish teddy's challenge and the 'thanks' is for Stamp n doodle: thank you.

Green apples and oranges

This is for the colour combo for Raise the bar 66: green apples and oranges, using MME spotty spring paper background with squares of Ethan Kate left over from making my star box earlier. The middle panel was rescued from my 'odds and ends box.

I used the Claire's sketch for Sunday sketch & stamp 54:


This is also for:

ECP 38: pretty pastel colours

Crafty pad 120: spots & dots

Mami doodles 26: spots and/or stripes

Wags n whiskers 54: circles

Crafty Ann 40: happy birthday

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Salt: a time for everything ...

Update: Thanks to Blogger - my original post for this was eventually returned - you can see it here.

Thanks to Jaqi for sending me copy of my Salt post that she had on Google reader, I am able to re-post this. You never know, Blogger might still restore the lost posts, but in the meantime this is a copy of what I wrote on Thursday.

It was Ruth's turn to choose the topic for today's challenge on Salt and she chose 'a time for everythin' based on the passage from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 - you can read what she wrote here.

This turned out to be a very poignant topic for us at Salt because, after much discussion and prayerful consideration, we have decided to cease the challenges, although the blog will remain open - we hope it will continue to be a blessing to those who visit.

My LO is very simple because the K & Co paper I used is very 'busy'. I added some Hero Arts stamped cuckoo clocks and a few other clock faces. The passage from Ecclesiastes is The Message version - I printed on to an identical piece of K & Co (I so wish I had a printed that could cope with 12 x 12 - one day, perhaps) and used the stitched ribbon over the join. You can read the scripture verses if you click on the image a couple of times.

Please go over to Salt and see what the rest of the team did for this challenge - and join in if you can.

I'm linking this for:

Let's craft and create 19: sew lovely
Stampavie 141: ribbons
Allsorts 102: stamp a lot - use at least three different stamps
My partner in crafting crime 26: incorporate numbers
Crafty creations 118: anything goes
Creative Belli 117: letter S - stamping, stitching (my neglected embellishment: the ribbon)
Stamping vacation: No! No! challenge: no embossing of any kind
Stamping vacation: when I grow up: clockmaker
Crafty catz: give us a quotePenny's 53: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Flourish timeless 117: anything goes

Altered Alice chapter 4: tme

Sorry that I can't clear the spacing that's appeared just above here. Of course, I had some comments that had been made on the original post, but they disappeared with it.

Pastel does it

This card is for Corrosive 115 sketch time:
The spotted and striped papers are Craftwork cards vintage rose and the paper used to cut the scalloped nestie circle is K & Co boutique (I've had this for years). I distressed the little circles with tattered rose DI while the die cut was still in the nestie, distressing the edges of the card and the striped squares as well. The butterfly stamp is Stampotique by Janet Klein (stamped with tattered rose DI ink to keep to the pastel look).

I kept the whole card pastel for ECP 38: pretty pastel colours; it's also for Craft your days away 20: white + one, I did it: monochromatic, and Annabelle: say it in monochromatic tones.

The spots and stripes are for Crafty pad 120: spots & dots, Mami doodles 26: spots and/or stripes, Sunday stamper 153: the star spangled banner - stars and/or stripes, and Catch the bug: polka dots and stripes.

The butterfly is for Daring cardmakers: the darling BUGS of May, Totally stampalicious: bugs, Cutie Sunday 140: butterflies, Claudia & company 81: butterflies, Sarah Hurley 40: butterflies/things with wings, Stamp magic 35: butterflies, Whoopsi Daisy: things with wings, Paperminutes 165: wings, and Dutch dare 112: winged things.

It's also for:

My time to craft 140: scallops

Tuesday throwdown 48: use die cuts

Wags n whiskers 54: circles

Creative craft: distressed

Cute card Thursday 164: it's so distressing

Stamp, scrap, doodle: old supplies (the K & Co boutique paper - at least 8 years old)

Aud sentiments 28: no sentiment

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Stamp something: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Divas by design 1: anything goes

Origami star box

Quite a few of the bubblies from the BF forum are on retreat this weekend (wish I could be there), but there are quite a few of us stay-at-homes, so Kathy has been organising a little Non-retreaters mini crop for us. She shared a link to a video to make an origami star box and I've just had a go - it's not perfect (some of the folds could have been neater), but not bad for a first attempt.

Like Kathy, I chose a 10 x 10 square of paper cut from Ethan Kate ripple stripe - I chose this because it was double sided but not too thick.

Now I need to think of something to put in my star box.

I'm sharing this with the following challenges:

One stitch at a time 61: fancy folds

Design dollies: time to fold it together

Flourishes timeless 117: anything goes

Crafty creations 118: anything goes

Penny's 53: anything goes

Scrappy frogs: anything goes

Sew many challenges 53: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 6: anything goes

Make it Monday: 36

Divas by design 1: anything goes