Christmas marathon - yes, really!!

My apologies for those who are visiting because I've linked for challenges - there are ten cards here altogether, so you may have to scroll down to see a card for a particularly link. I'm showing the ten cards together because for the 25th club on BF forum I said I would make ten cards every month. Well, 25 May came and went and I hadn't done any for this month. Gez chose the topic for May and this is what she said: 'For the month of May my challenge is to make Christmas cards using red & green as the main colours. & if you want to make the challenge more difficult how about making your own background for your card or some how incorporating a tag onto your design. & no not including a hippo! but you can include some inchies if you like for triple brownie points.'

Well, all of my cards are red and green and the other elements are all included, but not all on the every card.

1. Brenda Pinnick papers, including the cut inchies, background stamped with Clear artistic stamps 'sparkles bright & happy holidays'. The red glitter background provides texture for the current Delightful sketches challenge. The squares are good for Wednesday stamper: 'it's hip to be square' - they aren't stamped, but the background is.

The sketch is Inchie Inklings 6:



2. BG figgy pudding papers, 'seasons greetings' computer generated - hidden inside is a 'Happy Christmas' label. The diagonal has been cut, so the front of the card is a triangle. As I've not used any stamped images, but just the computer generated sentiment (nor on the next card), this is for Die cut dreams 49. This card has a tag on for Allsorts 53: 'tag/label' - so do cards 3 and 8. And Sparkle creations 25 calls for 'sentiment only' - OK for this card and the next.

There is ribbon the tag (sorry, not very visible here, but it is there!), so I'm linking for Bah! humbug 19: 'ribbon' - there is also ribbon on card 8 below.

I've used the sketch for Crazy4challenges 38 - I've also used this sketch for the next card - and Fab's big Christmas week 21 asks for a card cut on the diagonal and/or use modern Christmas papers - so this card and the next qualify for that:


3. BG figgy pudding and Papermania papers. The diagonal has been cut, so the front of the card is a triangle - here again I used the sketch for C4C 38:

4. Brenda Pinnick and BG figgy pudding papers, Inkadinkado reindeer stamp embossed with gold detail. - just right for Quixotic 27: 'emboss it!' (and so is the next card) and also for Just us girls 35: 'dry embossing'. For this card I used the sketch for Crafty Sentiments 19 - I also used this for the next card:


5. BG figgy pudding papers, Inkadinkado reindeer stamp embossed with gold detail - I used the sketch again from Crafty Sentiments 19:

6. BG figgy pudding papers (using up scraps) and Rubber stampede 'santa collage' stamp, one of my all-time favourites - which is why I'm linking for Crafty creations 69: 'use your favourite stamp - stamped with warm red chalk ink. For this card I used Sketch girl 18:


7. Unknown paper strip (free with a magazine long ago, I think), Magenta stamp coloured with copics, stars from stash. For this I used sketch 65 on Card Patterns:


8. Background free card from PDA, Papermania Merry Christmas strip, Dovecraft tag and corners. The sketch used is Stamping 411 152:


9: Unknown paper with inchies cut from Brenda Pinnick paper. I've used the sketch for CPS 168:


10. Tim Holtz idea-ology retro grunge papers, including the squares, distressed with worn lipstick and fired brick inks; PM swirls stamped with fired brick; The distressing makes this OK for challenge 40 on Stampin' sisters in Christ, Creative inspirations 62: 'distressed' and I think this is also OK for ABC 'V for vintage' and Create4fun 21: 'make a vintage card'. It's also for Fab's 19: 'inking'.

Dovecraft stickers on squares. I've used the sketch on Sweet Sunday 70:


Most of these cards are fine, I think, for:

Corrosive 65: 'clean and simple'
Spoon full of sugar 105: 'celebrations'
Cas-tastic 5: 'a touch of green'
Susie & Vikki's Christmas club 18: 'anything Christmas'

BF May inchies received

Once again the girls on BF came up trumps with the inchies for the May swap, with the subject of 'five' - all so different, but all so on target. Thanks, girls, they are super:

Mosaic Monday

While visiting Janice's lovely blog I saw hr mosaic photo for this week's 'Mosaic Monday' - I'd never come across this before, but visited to investigate and thought I would make a mosaic of photos I've taken of the bouquet I received from John for our anniversary. I used Mosaic maker to put the photos together.


As usual, if you click on the picture you will see a larger version.

Salt: Power to be witnesses

It's time for a new Salt challenge today and it was my privilege this time to choose the theme - you can read what I wrote here, based on this verse from Acts 1:8:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

I wanted my LO to reflect my thoughts on witnessing within my own home, my neighbourhood and further afield ... to the end of the earth, made possible nowadays by the internet.

I digitally put my LO together.

Important card left till the last minute

This is typical - make cards for everyone else and for no reason at all ... but until this evening I hadn't made an anniversary card for John for tomorrow. I was tempted to use one of the ones that I have in my box, but I felt I should make the effort to make one specificially for him.

I'm quite pleased with the result. I used Daisy Bucket Newbury Court brownstone square paper and stamped with swirls (I think they are by Papermania). The forever friends bears were cut out from a piece of paper from their 'with love' range. I added a couple of Prima 'say it in studs' and quite a few of their pearls of various sizes and complimentary colours. I coloured the white background sentiment with a copic - but why is it that the colour on here looks different than it does irl?

I'd already planned to make a card with brown tones and then in the post today I received a card and a surprise package from Pauline (one of our Salt team) of felt and button embellishments, so I've used one of them straight away on the card and here are the rest:


So, here's the card:

I'm linking for these challenges:

Incy wincy 43: 'button up!!!'
ECP 13: 'buttons'
Practical scrappers: 'felt, fabric or tulle' - the felt of the button embellishment
Loonie stampers 93: 'felt'
Shabby tea room 11: 'polka dots'
Meljen's designs 8: 'seeing spots'
One stitch at a time 14: 'furry friends'
Pile it on 20: 'out of the box' - the bear's paw going over the edge - I would never normally do this, but got the idea from:
The crafty pad 72: 'over the edge'
Quirky crafts 28: 'chocolate and cream'
Stamptacular 60: 'pearls and swirls' - this really inspired me to use the stamped swirls and Prima pearls
Totally Gorjuss 31: 'bling it on!'
Crafty creations 68: 'celebration' - our anniversary
C.R.A.F.T. 51: 'celebrate' - our anniversary
Creative cottage 11: 'one for the boys!!!' - male card
Copic creations 28: 'monochrome' - and I used a copic to change the background of the sentiment from white
Pixie dust studio 23: 'add a pearl'
Lots to do week 20: 'flourishes and/or swirls'
Sketchy colors 25: 'earth colours' - this inspiration photo was given:

High five to my Bubbly friends

The topic for the May inchie swap on BF is 'five' because it's the fifth month.

I wasn't sure what to do - thought of using 5 brads, 5 gems or whatever and then 'high five' came into my mind.

They are extremely simple inchies - a picture taken from the internet with the addition of the 'high five' text.

I hope my Bubbly friends like them.

Invertage scenes

When I had my sale at WEF someone asked if I would make a couple of these cards (I'd already done some before), so last night I made four - easy to do, just a bit fiddly.

The photos are worse than usual (and that's saying something - lol!) because I took them quickly this morning as I needed to take the cards to church with me. Although it was already sunny, the light inside wasn't that brilliant, so I had to resort to flash, which meant taking the photos at an angle to avoid glare - at least you can see the build up of layers, but can't see the finished scenes so well.





I'm linking these for:

Charisma cardz 20: '3D'
Dollies colour challenge: 'blue, green, brown and white' - the last card
Pollycraft 44: 'summer blooms' - the first card
Crazy challenge: 'something new' - the first one would make a lovely 'new home' card

Hot pink, black and white

Last August, I made a card that had a feather on it - you can see it here - and a friend bought it. She recently asked me if I would make a similar card for a friend's 40th birthday. This time I've used a hot pink background card, some irridescent black card that shimmers - the corners cut with Fiskars scissors - and hot pink feathers. The central piece is pyramage 3D - the surround is silver, not black as it looks here.


I'm linking for these challenges:

Magical crafts fortnightly 15: 'black, white + 1 more colour'
S2G Twisted Thursday 57: 'ladies with attitude - with a twist: favourite colour' - black, white and hot pink is one of my favourite colour combos
Raise the bar 19: 'it's all about the bag' - inspired by this bag - would love it
Charisma cardz 20: '3D'
Ooh-la-la 54: 'bright and cheerful'
Crafty Ann 15: 'lots of colour' - lots of hot pink
Sew many challenges 15: 'anything goes'

Thank you Daring Cardmakers

I was commissioned to make a card using a photo and given free rein as to what else to do. Tbh I just couldn't get inspiration, until I remembered the 'A-bunting we will go' challenge this week on DCM - so, thank you, Jo and all the girls on DCM for your inspiration.

I've purposely blocked out the faces on the photo. I know the bunting is wonky, but, hey, it often is irl, isn't it?!

Bobby the Pirate ahoy!

A quick boy's card, using a treasure map background and Bobby the Pirate download by Marjorie Ramsay - isn't he just the works!

It's for these challenges:

Stamping 411 colour inspiration 123: 'old olive, soft suede, more mustard, real red'
Stamp with fun 59: 'stripes'
The treehouse 49: 'masculine theme'
Our creative corner: 'masculine birthday - let's hear it for the boys!'
Stamp, scrap & doodle 40: 'masculine'
Cards for men 10: 'outdoors'
Shabby tea room 10: 'red, white and blue' - Bobby's clothes

Update: I knew that a friend was coming round today for some cards and that she needed a birthday card for a boy - she chose this one and I put the number 6 on the pirate's top.

One for the men

This is for Color dare 66: crushed curry, bashful blue, soft suede, old olive - I used up bits and pieces from my scraps box (I haven't forgotten one of my crafting new year resolutions) and images that were free with a magazine a long time ago. The colours are also good for Stamp away with me: 'colour cue 4 and for Dollies colour challenge: 'blue, green, brown and white (or ivory)'.

It's also for:

The treehouse 49: 'masculine theme'
Our creative corner: 'masculine birthday - let's hear it for the boys!'
Stamp, scrap & doodle 40: 'masculine'
Stamp with fun 59: 'stripes'
Cards for men 10: 'outdoors'
Creative craft: 'colour combo - blue, brown'
Practical scrappers: 'patterned paper'

Oh dear, confession time!

Somehow, probably something to do with not wanting to wait for the liquid pearls to dry, I've discovered that I got some of it smudged on the inside of the coffee mug card that I showed in the post below.

There is no way that I feel like fiddling to put an insert in, so I've rescued the front of the card and used it on a card which is based on the sketch for Paper Minutes 113:

Call round for coffee and cake

A while ago I received some PaperPopsicles digital images and templates as a prize. I decided to use the coffee cup template to make a shaped card. I transferred the image to Make the cut and then cut the shape on my cricut (much easier than cutting by hand).

The theme for this week's Paper popsicles Monday moosetrack is cardstock - my favourite is DCWV textured - I love it and have used it here, both for the template and for the computer generated words.

The 'froth and steam' is white opal liquid pearls (went a bit overboard with this I think! and couldn't wait for it to dry).

The cupcakes are from a QVC kit.

I'm also linking this for:

Lily-boo too May challenge: 'shaped cards'
Charisma cardz 19: 'sweet treats'
Stampin B 58: 'food or drink'
PaperPlay 19: 'brown and ?' - pink
Quirky crafts 28: 'chocolate and cream'



Update: confession time - please click here to see the above post: Oh dear, confession time!

BF non-retreats photo prompts

As part of the non-retreaters mini crop on Bubbly Funk forum, over the last two days Joanne has been giving us photo prompts:

1. Stamp - a collection by Tim Holtz:


2. Texture - in the kitchen:

3. Aperture:

4. Yellow - some yellow in my garden:


including one that shouldn't be there:


5. Energy - and I'm so glad that Joanne gave us this prompt, because the bulb in our bathroom had gone and I needed to put a new one in before it got dark:


6. Division - the wire fence that divides our back garden from our neighbour's:


7. Handmade - a tablecloth that I embroidered when I was about 7 (excuse the creases, but there was no way I was going to get the iron out):


8. Open - my printer/scanner with the menu panel open ready for use:


9. Mix - it's very obvious, but this was all my brain could cope with:


10. End - a soppy end of a story (a Jill Mansell book that I bought and still haven't read - at least I know now what the ending is!):


Thanks, Joanne, for organising this - I used to regularly take photos, but sometimes get out of the habit - good to be prompted into taking photos of things that we wouldn't normally think of.