Waiting for Santa

This is another card using a scene from My Craft Studio Magic of Christmas CD rom - like the one I did here - with different wording:

This is another for my CHNC challenge 79: festive funnies and also for:

Secret crafter Saturday 192: Christmas
The squirrel and the fox 21: Christmas in July
Through the craftroom door: Christmas in July
Crafter's companion July 26: ho ho ho Christmas

Totally papercrafts: can you digi it
One stitch at a time 120: use a digi
Totally Gorjuss 138: sweet and simple
Alota 85: colour challenge - blue + 1
The poodles parlour: cute and/or cuddly
Jackson's digital 14: anything goes

Crimbo crackers 18: anything goes

Paper makeup digi makeover 42: anything goes

Digital Tuesday 166: amazing animals

Tuesday alchemy 20: furry companions
Just some lines: let's keep it clean and simple

Tammy scraping corner 16: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
Scrapbook sisters 90: anything goes
ATCs and card with attitude 17: anything goes
Chocolate, coffee & cards 16: anything goes
Hiding in my classroom 52: freestyle
Mema's crafts July: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 65
52 card pick up 26

Santa in blue

It was Chris' turn to choose the theme for today's card for the Christmas Card Club and she chose 'Santa in blue'. I really wasn't sure what to do for this and then I hit on the idea of a silhouette of Santa and his sleigh and reindeer, so I found this free clipart picture on Microsoft Office.

I've used the sketch for Freshly made sketches 41:

 The idea of the Freshly made sketches challenges is to keep the card clean and simple, so that's what I've done, using two snippet pieces for the background, so this is my first wander into the playground for Pixie's crafty snippets 27, although I feel too poorly today to have a go on the swings - I need a quiet bench in the corner.

This is also for The paper players 102: Christmas in July.

Suzie's 365 photos day 183: grumpy

I'm still feeling poorly so we are staying in today, so it wasn't too difficult to get a 'grumpy' picture for Suzie's day 183!

I had several attempts at taking a photo of myself and wasn't really happy with any of them. I've got no make up on, my hair is all over the place ... but, I suppose, as I'm feeling poorly and perhaps a bit grumpy, it's not surprising that the photos aren't great.

In the end I opted to digitally create a kaleidoscope effect (mainly so that you didn't have to see me in large format - lol!).

Another festive funny

This is another card for my CHNC challenge 79: festive funnies. If you haven't yet discovered my Christmas challenge blog, please click on the link and join in.

Everything I've used is from My Craft Studio Magic of Christmas CD rom. I added my own text within the program. John gave me the idea for this.

This is for:

Secret crafter Saturday 192: Christmas

Totally papercrafts: can you digi it
Totally Gorjuss 138: sweet and simple
Alota 85: colour challenge - blue + 1
The poodles parlour: cute and/or cuddly

Crimbo crackers 18: anything goes

Paper makeup digi makeover 42: anything goes

Digital Tuesday 166: amazing animals

Tuesday alchemy 20: furry companions
Just some lines: let's keep it clean and simple

Incy wincy: anything goes
Tammy scraping corner 16: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
Scrapbook sisters 90: anything goes
ATCs and card with attitude 17: anything goes
Chocolate, coffee & cards 16: anything goes
Hiding in my classroom 52: freestyle
Make it Monday 95
Inspire me Fridays 65
52 card pick up 26

Suzie's 365 photos day 182: Gothic

For day 182: Gothic I'm showing a couple of pictures I took when we were in Maidstone. They feature the gothic window arches of All Saints Church - this is the church that John went to when he was a choir boy.

When we visited All Saints Church John met up with someone who he knew at school - they were choirboys together. This picture shows the gothic arches inside the church:

CHNC challenge 79: Festive funnies

It's time for Challenge 79 over on my CHNC blog and today I'm asking to see cards with 'festive funnies' - something amusing, funny - a humorous Christmas card to make me smile. Challenge 79 is being sponsored by Ooh la la Creations - more details if you click on the challenge link - I've love to see your entries there.

For my card I've used 'Santa putting' pyramid pictures supplied by Ooh la la Creations printed from their CD rom 'Festive Funnies' with artwork by D. R. Laird, plus backing papers from the same CD and a decorated insert. You can read more about my card here on My Crafty Outlook.

Side view of the pyramid layers:

Decorated insert:

This is also for:

Secret crafter Saturday 192: Christmas

Sunday's with Santa on Facebook week 27: a card for a man (would be a good card to give to a golf player)

Crafty boots: sport

Cards for men 13: sports with a sentiment
Simon says: sporty and/or patriotic

Allways something creative 32: football (alternatively, sport)

Cutie pie 21: one for the boys
Nutcrafters 22: making a scene

Stampin' sisters in Christ 145: use flags

PaperPlay 26: flags

Totally papercrafts: can you digi it

Crimbo crackers 18: anything goes

Daisy doodles 62: anything goes

Paper makeup digi makeover 42: anything goes

Digital Tuesday 166: amazing animals

Tuesday alchemy 20: furry companions

Incy wincy: anything goes
Tammy scraping corner 16: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
Scrapbook sisters 90: anything goes
ATCs and card with attitude 17: anything goes
Chocolate, coffee & cards 16: anything goes
Hiding in my classroom 52: freestyle
Make it Monday 95
Inspire me Fridays 65
52 card pick up 26

Suzie's 365 photos day 181: silhouette

When we were in Eastbourne recently I wandered along to have a look at the funfair on the west lawns (not far from our hotel) and I took a few photos (like you do!).

I took a couple of the big wheel as it was getting dusk and when I looked at them later I thought how useless they were. However, I've used one of them for day 181: silhouette - admittedly, I've darkened the photo more than it was originally.

Thanks, Suzie - this was a good opportunity to use a photo that I thought would never get used!

Suzie's 365 photos day 180: free choice

As it's 'free choice' for day 180 on Suzie's 365 photos, I thought I'd show some photos that I took from our hotel balcony at Eastbourne. These were taken while we were waiting to see the Jubilee fireworks the night before we came back home.

I won't bore you with any more (I took quite a lot because I wanted to get the various looks of the moon as the evening progressed and it got darker).

Suzie's 365 photos day 179: weathered

Plenty of weathered wood in our garden, but thought I'd show the shed at the bottom of the garden and the fence behind it, both well weathered for day 179:

Suzie's 365 photos day 178: still life

I was out yesterday and didn't get round to doing a photo for day 178: still life, so here it is today.

Simply the fruit bowl, wedding photo of John's sister and BIL (sadly, both have died) and a Lladro ornament that I was given when I early retired from teaching.

WOYWW 160

Wednesday has come round again and that means it's time to show our workspaces to everyone else in cyberspace, particularly those that eagerly follow WOYWW 160, the brainchild of Julia that is so popular now that even if one posts early the number is likely to be on the high side.

Firstly, thanks to Carol for this lovely ATC that she sent me.I was on holiday in Eastbourne when WOYWW celebrated its third birthday, so I missed out on the 'official' swap, but some kind WOYWWers volunteered to swap with me since. Thank you, Carol.

Regular visitors to my blog will know that I make a lot of Christmas cards (as well as lots of other cards) - I blogged six yesterday. I have my own Christmas challenge blog (CHNC - if you haven't come across it, please do go and have a look and join in if you can) and I also try to enter as many other Christmas challenges as I can to support them.

So on my desk today you can see mainly Christmas stuff, having received a Hunkydory kit from C & C. Because I make a lot to sell for charity I need to make some that are easy to put together, although to be honest I prefer to make ones that involve stamping, inking etc.

I was able to get round to see a lot of workspaces last Wednesday - I wonder how I'll do this week?!? It's lovely to see variety of talent and creativity as well as marvel at the organisation of people's crafting spaces.

Thanks for all the visits and comments I received - much appreciated.

Swirls and stamping

This is a very simple card using a background card from the Kanban Gentleman's Journal kit that already has gold foiled swirls on it. I stamped a few of the Indigo Blu stamps from the 'take the time' set, using memento rich cocoa - it didn't stamp too clearly on this card, but I rather like the slightly 'old' look that it's produced. As there is a lot of gold foiling on this card it's one of those that's difficult to photograph.

This is for:

The stamp man: time or travel
Cutie pie 21: one for the boys
CCEE 1225: masculine cards
Fussy & fancy 65: boy attitude
Desmet designs June: for the men and boys
Scrappy frogs: celebrate men
Blog a doodle: swirls
Crafty ribbons 22: clean and simple
Incy wincy: anything goes
Love to create 21: anything goes
Tammy scraping corner 16: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 74: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
2 sisters 97: anything goes
Make it Monday 95
Inspire me Fridays 64
52 card pick up 25

Vintage Christmas

Yesterday was Rudolph day on Stamping for pleasure (it's Rudlph day on the 25th day of each month) and this time we were asked to produce six cards or other festive items.

It so happened that my Hunkydory kit from C & C arrived yesterday afternoon - I bought this so that I could make some quick cards for my Tearfund sale - so I decided to make six cards using some of the Vintage Christmas collection.

These are also for:

Crafty Ann 68: memories are made of this (a bygone era)
Crimbo crackers 18: anything goes
Heart Boden's Christmas blog June: vintage look
Cutie pie 21: one for the boys (the first three cards)
CCEE 1225: masculine cards (the first three cards)
Fussy & fancy 65: boy attitude (the first three cards)
Desmet designs June: for the men and boys (the first three cards)
Scrappy frogs: celebrate men (the first three cards)
Everybody art 199: monochromatic brown (the first two cards)
Freshly brewed 99 prize challenge June: pop it - the third card is decoupaged
Lollipop crafts 83: flowers in bloom (the last three cards)
Paper playtime 77: say it with sentiments - anything goes
Incy wincy: anything goes
Love to create 21: anything goes
Tammy scraping corner 16: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 74: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
2 sisters 97: anything goes
Make it Monday 95
Inspire me Fridays 64
52 card pick up 25

Simply stamped ATC

When I was in Eastbourne recently I bought quite a few new stamps, so I thought it was about time I used one of the Indigo Blu set 'take the time'. I've made a monochrome brown ATC, simply inking with memento rich cocoa. I added some glossy accents to the front of the watch to make it look like glass and added a few buttons for dimension. Edges were inked with a copic.

This is for:

The stamp man: time or travel
Fun with ATCs 64: stamps
By the cute and girly June: cute as a button
Unique crafters 4: buttons
ATCs and cards with attitude 16: anything goes
Everybody art 199: monochromatic brown
Paper playtime 77: say it with sentiments - anything goes
Incy wincy: anything goes
Love to create 21: anything goes
Tammy scraping corner 16: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 74: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
2 sisters 97: anything goes
PanPastel UK 24: anything goes
Make it Monday 95
Inspire me Fridays 64
52 card pick up 25

Suzie's 365 photos day 177: sizzling

We just happen to be having sausages tonight - low fat, of course, so not so bad for the waistline!, so here is my photo for day 177: sizzling:

Must get back to kitchen so that they aren't burnt sausages!

Material card

I bought this Christmas material years ago and have never used any of it until today:

I've used the sketch for Always playing with paper merry Monday 26:

The material is for Festive Friday 24 product challenge: fabric, also for Tando creative June challenge: fabric.

It's a simple card with the material stuck around a square which was then mounted on to the gold background. The scalloped circle with the little house etc was rescued from a card received a few years ago and the sentiments from stash - I put a small strip of 3D foam on the left hand edge to even up the height.

Why is it that sometimes photos make cards look crooked? And the colour of the sentiment panel IRL is more like the green on the material - ah well!

This is also for:

Make my Monday 55: red, white/cream and green
ABC Christmas: L for lyrics - 'The holly bears a berry ...'

Mouse love

For this card I've used the what if sketch J1312 on The house that stamps built:

The bunting is cut from offcuts of Bo Bunny persuasion my sweet. I used a piece to stamp on to with the lovely Penny Black 'mouse love' and coloured with copics. The epoxy hearts are from stash (can't remember where they came from originally). As I've only used snippets this is another for Pixie's crafty snippets 26.

This is also for:

Penny Black 207: fly the flags
Oldie but a goodie: banners or banting - the stamp is older than six months
Stampin' sisters in Christ 145: use flags or banners
Ruby's rainbow 31: black, white + 1 other colour
My time to craft 182: weddings (think this is suitable with a 'congratulations on your wedding day' insert
Card crafters circle 28: wedding
Just some lines: let's see some wedding creations
Craft room: furry four legged family

Bright dotty birthday

For this card I've used the sketch for Cards und more 58:

I've used hot summer colours - all papers are from my offcuts box, so a Monday morning quick go on the swings in the playground at Pixie's crafty snippets 26.

Colours were inspired by the photo given for Die cuttin' divas 70: summer colours - red, orange and yellow:

The rose stamp is an unknown make that I've had for years - coloured with copics. The sentiment scalloped circle was cut with a nestie; flowers and gems from stash.

This is also for:

Crafty sentiments: bright colours
Willow sketchie: bold & bright
Stamp and create June: bold and bright
Bizzy Becs June: bright and cheery cards
Card and scrap 34: using roses
Crazy amigo: summer colours
Charisma cardz 24: summer

Time flies ...

Having spent time earlier this evening getting up to date with putting in inserts, bagging, labelling etc (keeping up with one of my New Year resolutions), I wanted to make a card before bedtime. However, we have a new cleaner coming early tomorrow morning so I wanted to tidy away my craft stuff. So I got out a box of Kanban stuff so that I could make a quick card without making a mess.

So here is a card made with card and topper from the Gentleman's Journal kit that I bought some time ago. I've just added a couple of strips of gold glitter.

This is for:

City crafter 114: time after time
Anything goes 69: around the world (travel)
Chocolate, coffee & cards 15: coffee & cream (I used the colours)
Crafts4eternity R77: coffee cupcake - I used brown colours
There's magic in the air magical Monday: one for the boys
Crafting for all seasons 29: for man
My mum's craftshop 62: about the boys
CCEE 1225: masculine cards
Fussy & fancy 65: boy attitude
Desmet designs June: for the men and boys
Scrappy frogs: celebrate men
Robyn's fetish 113: no flowers anywhere at all
Creative craft: gold and cream
Paper playtime 77: say it with sentiments - anything goes
Victorine 36: anything goes
Crafts and me 89: anything goes
Let's craft and create 47: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Creatalicious 35: anything goes
2 sisters 97: anything goes
ATCs and cards with attitude 16: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 64
52 card pick up 25

Suzie's 365 photos day 176: pleasure

I wondered what to show for Suzie's day 176: pleasure - I thought of our grandchildren, of various more trivial pleasures in life like dark chocolate, of the pleasure I have in crafting and all the goodies that go with it ... and then I thought of our recent holiday in Eastbourne and the photo I took of the pier - I found this description of it: 'Eastbourne Pier is a seaside pleasure pier on the South coast of England', so here is my photo for 'pleasure':

And, yes, the sky really was that blue - we were so fortunate to have some good weather while we were there ... pity it then went downhill - we need our summer back NOW!

Make lemonade

In August last year I made a card (you can see it here) using the phrase 'When life gives you lemons make lemonade'. A couple of days ago a friend told me that she bought that card from me and sent it to a friend of hers and it was a blessing to her because she was going through a difficult time. So I've been asked to make two more cards with the same phrase.

So this is one of them. I've used the same digital image that I used for the original card - 'making lemonade' by Pixie Dust Studio, but this time I printed it out a couple of times and added snippets to use to paper piece.

Having done this I then realised that I also needed some more 'wood' pieces for the uprights, so I had to print another version to get these. I was prompted to use paper piecing by this week's Less is more challenge 73 and, as I've used snippets for the paper piecing, this is my first visit to the playground for Pixie's crafty snippets 26.

The sentiment is computer generated and printed and both this and the image is backed with gold mirror card (it really is gold, not black!). I added the gold flowers to hide the original drawn ones on the digi.

It's strange that I was asked Friday evening to make these cards and then I saw that Net's challenge for Totally Gorjuss 137 was asking to see 'something yellow', so this is just right!

This is also for:

Dare to be sassy Thursday 130: fun in the sun - monochrome yellow
Paper playtime 77: say it with sentiments - anything goes