Black and white Christmas ...

... or perhaps it should more accurately be called black and silver Christmas with a bit of white. I apologise to Margaret who chose the 'black and white' theme for this fortnight's challenge for the Christmas Card Club. I hope I'm forgiven for the amount of silver there is.

All card/papers are from my offcuts box so this is my first card of the week for Pixie's crafty snippets 15.

For a change, the card is 7" x 5". The scalloped nestie die cut perfectly fitted a piece of the card matching the band across the middle and the Anna Griffin Season's greetings sentiment sat well on it. I then added some glittered ribbon and a large jet black gem.

This is for Merry Monday sketch 14 on Always playing with paper:

I'm also entering this for the following challenges:

Crafty ribbons 16: black & white with one other colour (silver)
Whimsy 33: use ribbon on your card
The pretty little ribbon shop 9: to die for - die cuts or punches
Bloggers challenge: to die for - die cut
Crafty Ann 62: Christmas in March
St Luke's April: sparkle
The crafty pad 165: it's just die-delicious

Suzie's 365 day 98: girly

A quick post to show some of my girly stamps for Suzie's day 98:

It couldn't be simpler

A very simple card using a recycled robin image matted on to a pieace of Wild Rose studio Traditional Christmas paper. I sometimes make some card from recycled ones because they can be sold cheaply when I have my sales to raise money for Tearfund.

The theme for Sunday's with Santa facebook challenge for tomorrow is 'anything goes', so I'm submitting this.

This is also for:

Pink elephant 142: clean and simple
Winter wonderland: robin redbreast
Cupcake craftroom April: bugs n birds n wings n things
Stamp, scrap & doodle: things with wings
Do you stack up 66: friendly critters
Crafty Ann 62: Christmas in March
St Luke's April: sparkle - glitter
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Crazy amigo: free theme
Papertake: anything goes
Papercraft star 91: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 83
Inspire me Fridays 53
52 card pickup 14

Recycled robin

This is a catch-up card for last week's Sunday's with Santa facebook challenge to use something recycled. The robin image was rescued from an old card, cut out with a Sizzix label die cut, with a surrounding one cut with red mirror card. The paper matted on to the gingham is My mind's eye snowed in winter. The robin is for:

Winter wonderland: robin redbreast
Cupcake craftroom April: bugs n birds n wings n things
Stamp, scrap & doodle: things with wings
Do you stack up 66: friendly critters

I've used the sketch for 2012 Christmas card challenges week 18:

The gingham background paper is from a Raspberry Road summer goodness pad, free with Quick cards magazine. This is for Christmas crafting for April 10: gingham Christmas.

The poinsettia stickers have been lurking at the bottom of my Christmas box for a long time, so it's good to find a use for them.

This is also for:

Crafty Ann 62: Christmas in March
Bloggers challenge: to die for - using die cuts
St Luke's April: sparkle - shine
Hotshot craft 6: red
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Crazy amigo: free theme
Papertake: anything goes
Papercraft star 91: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 83
Inspire me Fridays 53
52 card pickup 14

Pink and pearly

This is the other card that I made at yesterday's Stampin Up workshop. Each flower was stamped with one stamp and then another over the top using a stamp-a-ma-jig. I have to confess that when I got to stamping the flowers that needed to be cut out and raised over the others I decided to stamp freehand, which is why I've covered the centres now with some pink pearls to disguise a bit of a mis-placement!

I'm linking this for:

Alota 80: birthday
Flourishes timeless 163: birthday card
Scrap-creations: birthday
St Luke's April: sparkle - pearly gems
The cheerful stamp pad 39: anything goes
Stamp with fun 155:: no Easter card
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Crazy amigo: free theme
Deep ocean 22: masking or use more than one stamp
Papertake: anything goes
4 crafty chicks 84: flowers
Wags n whiskers 76: say it with flowers
The shabby tea room 108: homegrown flowers
Truly, madly, crafty April: handmade flowers
Unique crafters April: paper flowers
Sugar creek 6: floral
Lily pad: flowers
Great impressions 2: lots of flowers
Our creative corner: in your Easter bonnet - flowers, pearls
Catch the bug: April's anything goes
Divas by design 29: anything goes
Papercraft star 91: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 83
Inspire me Fridays 53
52 card pickup 14

Playing with ink and flowers

This is another card that I made yesterday at the Stampin Up workshop led by  Ruth .

Stamps and inks are Stampin up supplies - I used a script and a heart stamp randomlym using just edges of the heart stamp, both on the background, the inner raised card and the flowers and some random sponging too with the addition of a few pearls here and there. I love the combination of the aqua and purple - in fact purple is one of my favourite crafting colours, so this combo is for Sundays with Crissy 28: your favourite colour combo.

I'm linking this for the following challenges:

The cheerful stamp pad 39: anything goes
Stamp with fun 155:: no Easter card
Allsorts 149: colour bingo - I chose pearls, purple, blue
Ooh la la 102: vintage
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Crazy amigo: free theme
Deep ocean 22: masking or use more than one stamp
Papertake: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 62: flowers
4 crafty chicks 84: flowers
Wags n whiskers 76: say it with flowers
The shabby tea room 108: homegrown flowers
Truly, madly, crafty April: handmade flowers
Unique crafters April: paper flowers
Sugar creek 6: floral
Lily pad: flowers
CES 80: swirls & pearls
Our creative corner: in your Easter bonnet - flowers, swirls, pearls
Desert island 28: I chose - no glitter, sponging, pearls
Art impressions 58: thinking of you
Our craft lounge 112: run for the border - use border or background images
Crafty purple frog 38: let's get distressed
Let's ink it up 22: distressing
Catch the bug: April's anything goes
Divas by design 29: anything goes
Papercraft star 91: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 83
Inspire me Fridays 53
52 card pickup 14

CHNC challenge 67: white Christmas

Saturday has come round once again with amazing speed, so it's time for a new challenge on my CHNC blog. So for challenge 67 I'm asking for a card that depicts white Christmas in some way - you might want to go for a 'white on white' theme or a snow scene ... whatever 'white Christmas' makes you think of.

Challenge 67 is being sponsored by  Di's Digi Downloads  so I have used one of their images called  'to both of you', coloured it with copics and mounted on to white pearlised card which was then mounted on to a piece of white embossed with a dots embossing folder. The sentiment was computer generated and printed.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Stamptacular 157: playin' with pastels
The cheerful stamp pad 39: anything goes
Incy wincy 140: Easter and/or pastel colours
Lollipop crafts 74: card without any embellishments
The poodles parlour: going dotty
Pink elephant 142: clean and simple
Crop stop 66: CAS clean and simple
Crafty catz 127: CAS
Stamp with fun 155:: no Easter card
Anything goes 64: anything goes
City crafter 103: hats off to you
Crazy amigo: free theme
Papertake: anything goes
Sassy Cheryl 109: soft pastels
The stamping boutique 32: pastels
Crafty Ann 62: Christmas in March
Crimbo crackers 12: families
Catch the bug: April's anything goes
Divas by design 29: anything goes
Papercraft star 91: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Simon says: use your favourite tool - cuttlebug with embossing folder
Bizzy Becs April: add some texture - the embossed dots
CCEE 1214: using an embossing folder
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 83
Inspire me Fridays 53
52 card pickup 14

Wow! what a day!

I had a phone call yesterday from a dear crafting friend, Ruth, who was part of the Salt Faith Challenge blog team that I had the privilege of working with until May last year. Ruth and I were among the founder members of the blog which started in August 2007. During that time we got to know one another quite well, but had never met in real life. When Ruth got in touch yesterday she said she was in Bromley and we met up this morning - there was a Good Friday march of witness in Bromley centre and we got together there. And this afternoon, Ruth ran a Stampin' Up workshop in a friend's home in Bromley and I was invited along. I thoroughly enjoyed crafting with a lovely group of ladies, with Ruth inspiring us with her creativity and enthusiasm.

So I thought I'd show the cards that I made. This is the first one, using Stampin' Up ink pads and stamps and daubers with ink to distress edges.The middle blank square was masked with a post it note and the stamped square was raised in that space.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

The cheerful stamp pad 39: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 74: card without any embellishments
Ooh la la 102: vintage
Stamp with fun 155:: no Easter card
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Crazy amigo: free theme
Deep ocean 22: masking or use more than one stamp
Papertake: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 62: flowers
4 crafty chicks 84: flowers
Lily pad: flowers
Wags n whiskers 76: say it with flowers
Great impressions 2: lots of flowers
Art impressions 58: thinking of you
Our craft lounge 112: run for the border - use border or background images
Crafty purple frog 38: let's get distressed
Let's ink it up 22: distressing
Divas by design 29: anything goes
Papercraft star 91: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 83
Inspire me Fridays 53
52 card pickup 14

I'll show the other two cards tomorrow.

Suzie's photos day 97: pastel

The first thing I thought of for day 97: pastel was my tins of Caran d'Ache pastels, so here they are

It looks as if I'm copying my lovely friend Gez, but I'd already taken the photo when I saw hers - great minds think alike!

Happy Birthday from Pooh and friends

This is a simple card made with an offcut piece of Basic Grey cupcake paper and blingy Happy Birthday paper by DCWV. So this is another one for Pixie's crafty snippets 14. Pooh and friends sticker from the 99p stores.

This is also for:

My Sheri crafts 82: create a birthday card for a child under the age of 5
Desert island crafts 28: I chose - suitable for a child under 10, 2 or more patterned papers, clean and simple
Celebrate the occasion 57: child's birthday
Alota 80: birthday
Flourishes timeless 163: birthday card
Scrap-creations: birthday
2 sisters 85: birthday fun
Pink elephant 142: clean and simple
Crop stop 66: CAS clean and simple
Crazy amigo: free theme
Papertake: anything goes
Divas by design 29: anything goes
Papercraft star 91: anything goes
Hiding in my craftroom 40: freestyle
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Make it Monday 83
52 cardpick up week 13

CAS birthday

This is a clean and simple card using the sketch for Clean & stimple 183:

It is also for Less is more 61 lucky dip, where this inspiration photo is given:

I stamped the little Inca queen of Spain butterfly with memento tuxedo black and coloured with copics. I then masked it and stamped the Hero Arts lace circle using Brilliance pearlescent lime. The sentiment is a glossy textured rub on. from Creata impressions.

This is also for:

Crop stop 66: CAS clean and simple
Deep ocean 22: masking or use more than one stamp
Sir Stampalot April: happy birthday

Suzie's 365 day 96 revealed

So this is what it is - my photo for Suzie's 365 day 96 'what is that?'

I'm sure you guessed (hope you didn't look here first!)

Suzie's 365 day 96: what is that?

'What is that?' is for day 96 on Suzie's 365. I wonder if you know what this is?

I'm sure you've guessed it, but just in case you haven't, the full picture is revealed here in the next post.

Suzie's 365 day 94 and 95

I missed posting a photo for Suzie's day 94: teeny tiny yesterday, so here it is: looking into a small tin of dried yeast:

Today for day 95 the prompt is 'noisy'. I had to go into Bromley today to the dentist to see the hygienist. On the way back I walked through the Glades shopping centre - and it was very noisy:

Oh Christmas tree

A quick card made with Anna Griffin papers and decoupaged tree on a matt gold card blank (sorry that the gold doesn't really show up here like it does irl).

Today's ABC Christmas challenge is : G is for gold, white and a touch of green, so this is for that.

It's also for:

Crafty Ann 62: Christmas in March
52 Christmas card throwdown: anything goes week
Pink elephant 142: clean and simple
Desert island crafts 28: I chose - no glitter, 2or more paterned papers, clean and simple, punched or die cut embellishments
Hiding in my craftroom 40: freestyle
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Make it Monday 83
Inspire me Fridays 52
52 cardpick up week 13

Guest designer: Shopping our stash

I'm privileged to be joining the Shopping our stash team for challenge 46: punch it out. The idea is to use at least two pumched elements.

I've used a  Martha Steward Happy Birthday punch and also one of their decorative border punches. This is also for Gingersnap GC142 spicy supply challenge: border punches

Papers are Basic Grey marrakech - I used offcuts of these papers and also some DCWV card, so this is for Pixie's crafty snippets 14. The sparkly strips across the card are from Poundland. The blue centres of the crocheted flowers are material covered brads - the surrounding outer petals were cut with a nestie and distressed with fired brick DI.

This is also for:


Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 101: square cards
Alota 80: birthday
2 sisters 85: birthday fun
Flourishes timeless 163: birthday card
Catered crop: brads
There she goes 150: metal embellishments
Shabby tea room 108: homegrown flowers
Party time Tuesday 62: flowers
Wags n whiskers 76: say it with flowers
Stamp with fun 155: no Easter card

Birthday wheels for a boy

This card uses the sketch for Everybody art 186:

For TTC12 04 on Crafts by Carolyn forum Barbara gave us this paper as inspiration:

I've used offcuts of Basic Grey cupcake papers and DCWV birthday sentiments paper - another opportunity to venture into the playground for Pixie's crafty snippets 14.  I stamped the little Papermania bicycle stamp a few times with memento rich cocoa and added a couple of sentiments - not easy to see here - they say 'you're the best' and 'wishing you a wonderful day'

This is also for:

Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 101: square cards
Alota 80: birthday
2 sisters 85: birthday fun
CRAFT 148: things with wheels
Sunday stamper 199: on the road again - transport
Pink elephant 142: clean and simple
Desert island 28: I chose - suitable for a child under 10, 2 or more patterned papers, masculine, clean and simple
CES 79: no girls allowed
One crazy stamper April: boy/men
Joanna Sheen: it's a man's world
Stamp with fun 155: no Easter card
Crazy amigo: free theme
Papertake: anything goes
Hiding in my craftroom 40: freestyle
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Make it Monday 83
Inspire me Fridays 52
52 cardpick up week 13

Little photo catch up

The photo prompt for Suzie 365 day 91 was 'games', so this is 3D noughts and crosses:

Next day was day 92: costume - all I could think of was this 2 piece that I occasionally wear:

And for today's prompt for day 93 the subject is childhood. Here is a photo of a mug that commemorates the coronation of King George VI in May 1937 - just about at the beginning of John's childhood (he was born right at the end of 1936):

and here is something from my own childhood - every child in Essex was given a book like this to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II (I was six later that year):

I wonder what tomorrow's prompt will be?!

Easter moments of faith

Yet another Easter card using a pre-patterned card blank. The stamps are once again Papermania moments of faith coloured with copics, with just the addition of some flowers from the 99p store.

So this another Easter card for:

Addicted to stamps 27: spring/Easter
Make all with love 25: Easter
PanPastel UK 12: Easter week
Take time for you 64: Easter
LiaStampz 14: Easter
Hooked on craft 19: Easter
Cutie stampers 124: Easter
Raise the bar 98: Easter (religious aspect)
Fashionable stamping 18: spring is in the air
Stampin with the dragon 7: spring is here
Flourish timeless 162: Easter
Riley and company: spring/Easter or polka dots
Aud sentiments 51: Happy Easter
More than favors wacky Wednesday 68: Easter/spring
The paper shelter 57: Easter
Penny's 76: Easter
Scrapbook sisters 77: Easter
Cute card Thursday 210: Happy Easter
PaperPlay 13: Easter
Totally papercrafts 110: Easter
Art impressions 57: spring has sprung
Prairie fairy Fridays 75: spring fling
Catch the bug : Easter/spring
Craft your days away 42: Easter
One stop craft 176: Easter
Stamp, scrap & doodle: spring
Come and get it: bring it on ... spring
That craft place 8: it's all about spring
Crazy challenge 113: spring
Incy wincy 140: Easter and/or pastel colours
My craft spot 50: Easter
Stamp and create April: spring
Ruby's rainbow 25: Easter

This is also for:

Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 101: square cards
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us your stripes
Paper pretties: April showers bring May flowers
Wags n whiskers 76: say it with flowers
Inky impressions: flower power
Lily pad: flower challenge
Great impressions 2: lots of flowers
Bloggers challenge: for the birds
Stampin with the dragon 7: things with wings
My mum's craft shop 50: stamp it
Hiding in my craftroom 40: freestyle
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Make it Monday 83
Inspire me Fridays 52
52 cardpick up week 13

Guest designer - Paper Creations Ink

I have the privilege of joining the team on Paper Creations Ink for challenge 22: natural materials - to use materials such s burlap, twine, cork, twigs, leaves etc.

I used Catherine's sketch given for Crafting for all seasons23:

The honeybee image was supplied by Shelly's images, who are sponsoring the challenge - the winner will receive a $9 gift voucher. I printed on to textured DCWV card and coloured with copics. This and the surrounding mat were die cut with nesties and the edges distressed with tea dye DI. This was then mounted on to a cork circle. The embossed panel behind it was run through the cuttlebug with the Creative expressions crackle folder distressed with tea dye. Running across the bottom is some distressed woodgrain card that I had left over from making this card wrapped around with some ribbon and some raffia. I then added some little flower brads, skeleton leaves and flowers held with a pearl brad.

This is also for:

Lily pad: flowers
Pixie's crafty snippets 14 (all pieces of card used were from my offcuts box)
Whimsy 32: no patterned paper
Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 101: square cards
Stampin with the dragon 6: things with wings
Cupcake craftroom: bugs n birds n wings n things
Crafting when we can 15: things with wings
Di's digi designs: emboss it any way you want
Alphabet: D for dry embossing
Blog a doodle: let's see some embossing
Willow sketchie: sketch and/or embossing
Delicious doodles16: textures
Corrosive 146: heavy metal - I used four brads
Catered crop: brads
There she goes 150: metal embellishments
Stamp with fun 155: no Easter card
Pattie's 40: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
The cheerful stamp pad 39: anything goes
Ribbon carousel 46: anything goes
Hiding in my craftroom 40: freestyle
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Make it Monday 83
Inspire me Fridays 52
52 cardpick up week 13

Easter cross and flowers

For this card I've used a digital image from Daisy Doodles called Easter cross, so I'm linking for Daisy doodles 56: spring. I coloured the image with copics. The background paper was taken from a pre-printed card blank and the DCWV flowered panel is from my offcuts box, as were the papers backing the image. Flowers and stitched ribbons from stash.

So this another Easter card for:

Delightful: Easter
Oldie but a goodie: Easter wishes
Fashionable stamping 18: spring is in the air
Creative stamp friends 47: spring
Stampin with the dragon 7: spring is here
Crafty boots: Easter
Raise the bar 98: Easter (religious aspect)
Anything goes 63: get ready for Easter
Flourish timeless 162: Easter
Riley and company: spring/Easter or polka dots
More than favors wacky Wednesday 68: Easter/spring
The paper shelter 57: Easter
Penny's 76: Easter
Scrapbook sisters 77: Easter
Cute card Thursday 210: Happy Easter
PaperPlay 13: Easter
Totally papercrafts 110: Easter
Freshly brewed 89: spring themed
Art impressions 57: spring has sprung
Prairie fairy Fridays 75: spring fling
Catch the bug : Easter/spring
Craft your days away 42: Easter
One stop craft 176: Easter
Stamp, scrap & doodle: spring
Ruby's rainbow 25: Easter

This is also for:

Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 101: square cards
Divas by design 28: stamp something
Phindy's Friday 99: ribbon
Wags n whiskers 76: say it with flowers
Inky impressions: flower power
Lily pad: flowers
Catered crop: in stitches
Do you stack up 65: sew it - stitching
Digital Tuesday 153: your favourite colour - I love purple
Hiding in my craftroom 40: freestyle
Fairytale 38: everything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 73: anything goes
Squigglefly 12: anything goes
Crafty purple frog: anything goes
Creative Mondays (always crafting) 4: anything goes
Make it Monday 82
Inspire me Fridays 52
52 cardpick up week 13