Guest design slot for Christmas stampin' all year long

I'm privileged to have been invited to be a guest designer for Christmas Stampin' all year long challenge 14 where this inspiration photo is given:

I used the Theodore's Christmas present digital image kindly supplied by the sponsor, Bugaboo Stamp, coloured with spectrum noir alcohol pens with a sparkle of  icicle Stickles. The diamond matt foiled card is an offcut on to which I layered some netting and silver ribbon as well as the sentiment that was left over long ago from a Kanban kit.

Please click on the link for the Christmas stampin' challenge and see what the design team have done and, hopefully, join in.

This is also for:

Facebook A card  a day
All that stickles: icicle
Spectrum noir May: purple
Lacy sunshine 7: monochrome
Crafting for all seasons 51: monochromatic
Crafty ribbons 44: anything goes with ribbon
LEJ 51: anything goes
Kort o mania 85: anything goes
Spark your creativity 9: anything goes
Our creative corner May: anything goes
Twisted Tuesday 49: free for all
Paper-crafting journey: anything goes
Fussy & fancy 88: anything goes
Inky linky 13
DL.ART May linky party: anything goes
Make it Monday 138
Inspire me Fridays 101
52 card pick-up 2.18

Guest design slot for Fab 'n' funky

I'm privileged to have been asked to join Fab 'n' funky as a guest designer for the month of May. Please click on the link for the challenge and have a look at the lovely crafting of the regular design team and, hopefully, join the in the challenge.

Today's Fab 'n' funky 169: 'lots of pink' challenge is being sponsored by Stampart Design by Kathryne at Whimsy Stamps, who kindly supplied the 'sweetie bear' image that I've used for my card.

Papers are Me to you 'spring chic'. I coloured the image with spectrum noir alcohol pens and printed again on to a piece of the Me to you paper and paper pieced the bear's dress. The bows were originally white - I inked them with a spectrum noir. The stitched ribbon is DCWV and the flowers with pearls are from stash.

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day
Moving along with the times: baby card
Crazy 4 challenges 183: baby
Paper makeup 86: celebrations
Flourishes timeless 218: it's all in the date - my birth month August: a bow or two, some stitching
Rhedd and rosies 5: stitching
Crafting for all seasons 51: monochromatic
Crafty ribbons 44: anything goes with ribbon
Totally gorjuss 181: ribbons and pearls
Emerald faerie garden 43: ribbons
Ruby's rainbow 53: furry friends
Animal friends 2: checked and/or striped
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 42: use flowers
Critter 162: flowers
Get inky 3: fabulous floral fun
Nadia 55: flowers
A and T 23: flowers
Everybody art 234: pearls
Inky linky 13

CHNC challenge extra for May

It doesn't seem possible that it's May already - a third of the year has gone - how did that happen so quickly? Those who have made a start on their Christmas cards will be thankful when it gets nearer to the festive time towards the end of the year. So many crafters have been joining in my CHNC challenges - it's great to see so many like-minded folk getting on with their Christmas cards early. It's now time to begin cards for CHNC challenge extra for May - please visit and see the cards that my guest has supplied for the challenge and, hopefully, you'll join in with the fun.

For my card I used three digital papers supplied by Bugaboo Stamps - 'blue frosty', 'blue frosty' words and 'blue snowflakes', as well as the 'snowman snowflakes' image. I coloured the image with alcohol pens.

I based the card on the sketch given for Cordine's sketch for The Sketchy challenge 46 - I turned the sketch and adapted it a bit:

I used my Die-namics fishtail die - this set of dies are proving so useful, so many sketches atm seem to have these shapes incorporated.

Colours are for Holly jolly Christmas: red, white and blue Christmas.

This is also for:

Crimbo crackers 40: anything goes
Die cuttin' divas 113: anything goes
Stampin' for the weekend: die cuts and/or punches
Card crafters circle 72: boys to men
Live laugh stamp word play Saturday April: weather
QKR stampede 36: favourite things - making Christmas cards, colouring with alcohol pens
Inky linky 12

There's nothing better than a friend ...

... except a friend with chocolate!

I've used the front of a booklet from Hotel Chocolat (advertising their new range of chocolates). I coloured the chocs with copics, added the little brown prima spacers and printed out the sentiment and edged with a copic.

This is for:

Facebook A card a day
Kreativer Bastel 21: friendship
Kaboodle 169: use brown and/or tan
Songbird 19: truly scrumptious
Little Miss Muffet 59: food, glorious food
Joanna Sheen: recycle
Pink gem 77: going green (recycling)
Bearly mine 84: anything goes
Celebrate the occasion 110: anything goes
LEJ 51: anything goes
Party time Tuesday 118: anything goes
Through the craft room door: anything goes
Twisted Tuesday 49: free for all
Crafting by designs: anything goes
DL.ART thankful Thursday April linky: anything goes
Make it Monday 138
Inspire me Fridays 100
52 card pick-up 2.17

Simply happy birthday

Simple shaped card with the front of another smaller shaped card matted on to it with some silver Papermania flower stickers and a stamped sentiment.

This is for:

Lexi 89: happy birthday
Aud sentiments 79: birthday
Polka doodles 17: birthdays with bling
The house that stamps built DCC424 shaped cards
One sweet challenge April: shape for card base
Card caravan (one hybrid chick) 42: use flowers
Critter 162: flowers
Forever friends 60: use lots of flowers
Let's craft and create 68: flowers
A and T 23: flowers

Vintage shoes

The tag on this card was made some time ago, but never used, so I decided to simple mount on the pink shape and then on to a brown card blank. On the tag there is a vintage rub on and a couple of prima spacers  - and some sponging with tattered rose and warn lipstick distress inks.

Colours are for Cupcake inspirations 208:

This is for:

Scrap-cards 46: use one letter of the alphabet - S for shoes, sentiment, shabby chic, spacers
Inspiration avenue: high heels (although not as high as some I used to wear - sadly, not any more)
Fashionista 15: shabby or vintage
Ooh-la-la 129: vintage/nostalgic
Fussy & fancy 87: vintage
De Creatieve zebra 17: anything goes
Crafting by designs: anything goes
DL.ART thankful Thursday April linky: anything goes
Make it Monday 138
Inspire me Fridays 100
52 card pick-up 2.17

On your birthday

This card was made with some offcut papers, a couple of pieces of ribbon, the shape with the flowers that was rescued from a card received long ago and upcycled, a few glittery flowers from Poundland and a sentiment from stash (this is pink foiled although it doesn't look so here).

This is for:

Pixie's crafty snippets week 70
Lexi 89: happy birthday
Aud sentiments 79: birthday
Polka doodles 17: birthdays with bling
Crafty creations 219: pink + one (purple)
Crafty ribbons 44: anything goes with ribbon
Pretty little ribbon shop April 21: spring is in the air and ribbon
Pink gem 77: going green (recycling)
Joanna Sheen: recycle
Desert island 52: I chose: use a birthday sentiment, use glitter, bling it up, make it square

You're in my prayers

A simple card to let someone know that they are being remembered. Label shape on to a brown card blank, stamped sentiment inked with memento rich cocoa (stap by Whipper snapper designs inc) and some prima flowers.

This is for:

Facebook A card a day
Inky linky 12
Kaboodle 169: use brown and/or tan
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 42: use flowers
Critter 162: flowers
Get inky 3: fabulous floral fun
Die cuttin' divas 112: flowers (label shape die cut)
Let's craft and create 68: flowers
Nadia 55: flowers
Wags n whiskers 102: May flowers
A and T 23: flowers
Little red wagon 182: crimp my style (the flowers)
Lacy sunshine 7: monochrome
Stamp and create April: use at least 1 die cut
Word art Wednesday 77: anything goes
Challenges 4 everybody 19: anything goes
Eclectic ellapu: literally anything goes
De Creatieve zebra 17: anything goes
Crafting by designs: anything goes
DL.ART thankful Thursday April linky: anything goes
Make it Monday 138
Inspire me Fridays 100
52 card pick-up 2.17

My final Christmas card for today (perhaps!)

This card is for Rudolph Day over on Sandra's blog, so it's quite appropriate that it includes Rudolph - the 3D sticker and the little one with the heart etc was in a pack by Express yourself DIY (they were a reduced bargain at Rymans). The background paper is My mind's eye Merry and bright and the banner sentiment is from that range as well.

The red glittered label die cut behind Rudolph was cut from the remains of a Christmas cracker from a couple of years ago - I've used quite of lot of this over the past couple of years - sadly, I think this is the last piece although there might still be bits lurking at the bottom of the Christmas box. Those crackers were so good to recycle.

This is also for:

Facebook A card a day
Facebook Sunday's with Santa week 14: recycle (this means I'm up to date now - yay!)
Shopping our stash 98: dollar or bargain bin find (the 3D stickers were reduced)
Frilly and funkie: upcycle for earth day

Monochrome season's greetings

For this Christmas card I've used an offcut of Hunkydory card and three Santa pictures rescued from a card received (probably about five years ago), with just the addition of an Anna Griffin sentiment.

The card is based on the sketch for Christmas card challenges week 22:

This is also for:

Pixie's crafty snippets week 70
Sunday's with Santa Facebook week 17: monotone (that's today's challenge - only one more to do now and I'll be up to date)
Joanna Sheen: recycle
Pink gem 77: going green (I chose 'recycle' rather than the colour green)
Crimbo crackers 40: anything goes
Challenges 4 everybody 19: anything goes
Eclectic ellapu: literally anything goes
Cards for men 8: anything goes (think this is suitable for a man/boy)
Card crafters circle 72: boys to men

The Christmas family

Can anyone explain to me why I'm making more Christmas cards when I've got other cards that need to be made ... and I also want to try out my new gelli plate? One of the explanations is 'because I love making Christmas cards', another is that I'm a bit behind with Facebook Sunday's with Santa and don't want to lag any further behind.

So here is my card for week 16: family. At first I was going to make a card with a family around the fireside or something similar, but then I found a recycled picture in my Christmas box and decided that was perfect for the 'family' theme. I've used a Hunkydory card for the background, simply adding a golden sentiment to match the gold of the image. A simple card, but I don't think it needs anything else.

This is also for:

Joanna Sheen: recycle
Pink gem 77: going green (I chose 'recycle' rather than the colour green)
Crimbo crackers 40: anything goes
Celebrate the occasion 109: clean and simple
Inspiration avenue: talk to the animals - I wonder what these animals would have to say if they were asked?
Challenges 4 everybody 19: anything goes
Eclectic ellapu: literally anything goes
Cards for men 8: anything goes
Crafting by designs: anything goes
DL.ART thankful Thursday April linky: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 100
52 card pick-up 2.17

Another silver wedding card

Another silver anniversary card using some My Craft Studio background and various bits and pieces from stash. The Congratulations sentiment looks golden here, but it is in fact definitely silver.

This is for:

Fab n funky 168: love is a many splendoured thing
Fairytale 66: a very special occasion
Left of center: bling it up
Catered crop: just add glitter
Crafting by designs: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
DL.ART thankful Thursday April linky: anything goes
Make it Monday 137
Inspire me Fridays 100
52 card pick-up 2.17

Invertage garden

It's hard to see from the photo, but this card is made up of layers of invertage looking inwards.Although there is still a bare tree there are signs of spring coming to life.

This is for:

Kaboodle 168: spring
Victorine 57: spring time flowers or colours
Playing in paradise 114: springtime joy
Scrappy frogs April: think spring
Kort o mania 84: what you associate with spring (blossom/flowers) and let it inspire you
Crafting by designs: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Crafty emblies: anything goes
DL.ART thankful Thursday April linky: anything goes
Make it Monday 137
Inspire me Fridays 100
52 card pick-up 2.17

Silver wedding anniversary

The panel on the left is silver matt foil card embossed with a folder that came with my eBosser - it is definitely silver although it looks golden at the top due to the flash photo. The piiece of torn paper on the right was from my offcuts box and the ribbon, padded hearts, sentiment panel and numerals were from stash.

This is for:

Fab n funky 168: love is a many splendoured thing
Corrosive 172: life's special occasions
Fairytale 66: a very special occasion
Cupcake craft 239: monochromatic
Crafty sentiments: monochromatic
Left of center: bling it up
Crafty ribbons 44: anything goes with ribbon
Sparkles 43: hearts
Gingerloft: torn and distressed
Little tangles 11: emboss it
Crafting by designs: anything goes
Penny's 124: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
The sisterhood of crafters: it's a free for all
Crafty emblies: anything goes
DL.ART thankful Thursday April linky: anything goes
Make it Monday 137
Inspire me Fridays 100
52 card pick-up 2.17

Golden wedding anniversary

There seems to have been a run of special anniversaries lately, so I've made quite a few golden and silver anniversary cards recently.

This is a golden wedding one for which I used some My Craft Studio card for the background, a die cut of the wedding couple that I've had for ages and one or two other bits and pieces from stash, including the white Craftime flowers.

This is for:

Facebook A card a day
Fab n funky 168: love is a many splendoured thing
Corrosive 172: life's special occasions
Fairytale 66: a very special occasion
Cupcake craft 239: monochromatic
Crafty sentiments: monochromatic
Die cuttin' divas 112: flowers (used the wedding couple die cut)
Let's craft and create 68: flowers
A and T 23: flowers
Catered crop: just add glitter
Tammy scraping corner 59: bling it up
Left of center: bling it up
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Crafting by designs: anything goes
Penny's 124: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
The sisterhood of crafters: it's a free for all
Crafty emblies: anything goes
DL.ART thankful Thursday April linky: anything goes
Make it Monday 137
Inspire me Fridays 100
52 card pick-up 2.17

Springy dinosaurs for a four-year old

I was asked to make a birthday for a four-year old boy incorporating some springy dinosaurs.

I used a card blank that had cut out corners on the right, covering with some kraft sentiments card and cutting corners on the left to match the right so that the red sentiment card inside would show on the corners. The silver and red shapes were from a Kanban kit. The springy dinosaurs were from Poundland - some time ago, wish they still did them as I only have a few left.

I loosely followed the sketch given for Fetch a sketch 48:

This is for:

Aud sentiments 79: birthday
Corrosive 172: life's special occasions
All kinds of cards 78: cards in a special form
Fairytale 66: a very special occasion
That craft place: for a child
My time to craft 219: using kraft
Created with love 38: call of the wild
Shopping our stash 98: dollar or bargain bin find - the springy dinosaurs came from Poundland
Card crafters circle 72: boys to men

CHNC challenge 122: ribbons and bows

Saturday has come round amazingly quickly once again. On Sunday evening my computer died an agonising death and so I ordered a new one on Monday. It was delivered on Tuesday and up and running straight away. I've heard lots of negative things about windows 8 so was a bit concerned, but I love it. I'm still wondering what the negative aspects are because I haven't come across them yet! Wednesday and Thursday were very busy with family, so there has been little time this week to blog. I have made some cards, a couple of which are for guest design slots that will be publishing at the beginning of May, so, of course, I can't show those yet. I've got other cards to show, but just haven't got round to blogging them - will do so soon.

So here I am with a new challenge on my CHNC blog and for this week's challenge 122 I'm asking to see Christmas cards with at least one ribbon and/or bow.

For this card I used and offcut of some matt foiled diamond embossed card, three different ribbons, one of which was also added as a bow. I used a very old Anita's baubles stamp (probably one of the first I bought), inked with versamark and heat embossed with detail silver, coloured with spectrum noir. The sentiment is one that was left over from a Kanban kit from long ago.

This is also for:

Pixie's crafty snippets week 69
Christmas stampin all year long 13: anything goes
Christmas card challenges week 21: ornaments
Crimbo crackers: anything goes
Crafty ribbons 44: anything goes with ribbon
Catered crop: just add glitter
Get inky 2: bring on the bling
Tammy scraping corner 59: bling it up
Left of center: bling it up
My heart pieces: add embossing, wet or dry
Little tangles 11: emboss it
Craft your passion 159: diamonds are a girl's best friend
Crafty catz 180: the colour purple
Go-fish 39: purple, purple, purple
Deep ocean 50: favourite colour combo - purple with black and white (or purple with anything else!)
Bunny Zoe April: favourite colour combo - purple with black and white (or purple with anything else!)
QKR stampede 36: favourite things - stamping, heat embossing, alcohol pens, ribbons, purple
Totally gorjuss 180: embossing
Bloggers challenge: black, white and a splash of colour
One crazy stamper April: black, white + one other
Fashionable stamping 46: sentimental
Simon says stamp and show: colour - I used alcohol pens (spectrum noir)
Take time for you 90: old stamps (one of the oldest I have)
Desert island crafts 52: I chose: no flowers, bling it up, make it square
Sweet stampin: anything but birthday
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Crafting by designs: anything goes
Penny's 124: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
The sisterhood of crafters: it's a free for all
Crafty emblies: anything goes
DL.ART thankful Thursday April linky: anything goes
Make it Monday 137
Inspire me Fridays 100
52 card pick-up 2.17

Vintage Santa

It's time to make a card for the Christmas Card Club and it was the lovely Lizzie's turn to choose the theme and she asked us to make a vintage card.

I have a whole load of vintage pictures, oval and rectangle, that I got in a moment of madness ages ago and I've only ever used a couple of them. They have a bit of a strange glimmer on them - almost an embossed glitter, hard to describe ... I'm still not sure whether I really like the look or not.

Anyway, this card used an offcut of DCWV paper for the background and a piece of My Mind's Eye paper torn in an oval as a backing to the Santa picture. I only had a very small piece of the red and gold netting, so I cut it into two because it wouldn't go all the way across - no one is going to know that it's just two little snippets, are they?! With the addition of three little red gems the card was done.

This is another card for my CHNC challenge 121: red and green must be seen - hope to see you there!

I based the card on Stella's sketch 135 on Catch the bug:

This is also for:

Pixie's snippets 69
Facebook Sunday's with Santa week 12: presents
Crimbo crackers 39: vintage
52 Christmas card throwdown April theme: Santa Claus
Christmas cards all year round April: O Christmas tree
Fussy & fancy 87: vintage
Cards galore: vintage
Pink gem 76: distress it

Belated birthday wishes

It's always handy to have a card like this in reserve, just in case it's needed.

A white card blank with a square aperture behind which is a snippet of green card topped with a flower from stash and with a Craftwork greeting mounted on to another snippet of green card.

This is for:

Addicted to CAS 11: flower
The house that stamps built DCC410: clean and simple cards
Bloggers challenge: in bloom
Crafty creations 218: no patterned paper
Lady Ann's Friday sentiment challenge 8

Birthday wishes

This is a card that I've sent to my niece. I have to confess that a bit of upcycling has gone on here because I've partly used a card I made a long while ago - I took the image and other bits off it and added the panel with the pink glitter border, the oval with the vintage girl and the Craftwork cards sentiment panel. I also managed to find another flower to use.

This is for:

Facebook A card a day
Red carpet studio 32: vintage card
Take a word: vintage beauty
Fussy & fancy 87: vintage
Cards galore: vintage
Pink gem 76: distress it
Crafty boots: recycle
Playing in paradise 113: use something recycled
Twisted Tuesday 48: chocolate buffet - I've used distress inks and chocolate brown background
Inky chicks 2: happy birthday girl!
Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 156: punched borders
Platypus creek 30: flowers and pearls
Victorine 57: springtime flowers or colours
Let's craft and create 68: flowers
The paper shelter 108: make it bloom - at least two flowers
Broken box stock 24: floral
A and T 23: flowers
Bloggers challenge: in bloom
Wags n whiskers 102: May flowers
Allsorts 203: a passion for flowers
Crafting for all seasons 50: no stamps allowed
The paper nest dolls 2: happy, happy birthday
Paper pretties 254: happy birthday to ...
Everybody art 232: bling
Crafts and me 129: bling it up
Left of center 4: bling it up
Whimsy 58: pretty in pink
Penny's 123: use a sentiment
Papercrafting journey: use a sentiment
Simply create too 35: use your stash (I've had everything for quite a long time)
Crafty emblies: anything goes
My Grafico 148: anything goes
DL.ART thankful Thursday April linky: anything goes
Make it Monday 136
52 card pick-up 2.16

You are in our thoughts

A CAS card using a white blank with a square aperture behind which I used a pink snippet of paper topped with a prima flower. The sentiment is a lovely stamp designed by Lynn Lockwood for Funstamps 'in our thoughts' - simply inked with memento tuxedo black and the flower coloured with a copic to match the pink paper.

Once again, hopeless trying to get a 'white' photo, but it really is white!

This is for:

Addicted to CAS 11: flower
The house that stamps built DCC410: clean and simple cards
Bloggers challenge: in bloom
PumpkinSpice 16: faithful or meaningful sentiment
Whimsy 58: pretty in pink