New candy on my Christmas challenge blog

There's some new candy over on my Christmas challenge blog:


You've got to be in it to win it - so please go over there and join in (open until midnight UK time 23 December) ... and help spread the news of new challenges starting on 1 January 2011.

Black and pink birthday

A simple card, using an Anna Griffin 3D embellishment as the central focus. The flower was originally white - I used a copic to colour.



This is for:

No time to stamp 167: black Friday - use black
My partner in crafting crime 16: black and white + 1
Kenny K's krafty girlz 21: think pink
Fab n funky 51: birthday
Hodge Podge 5: birthday cards
4 crafty chicks 14: birthday
A crafty little place 66: anything goes
Party time Tuesdays 23: anything goes - birthday
Top tip Tuesday 12: anything goes
Paper cutz 69: anything goes
There's magic in the air Magical Monday: anything goes
I did it 31: surprise me - open challenge

WOYWW 77

It's Wednesday again - and that means WOYWW - if you still don't know what this is (is there anyone left who doesn't?) then hop on over to Julia's blog for a nose and join in.

No actual crafting going on atm - I've been writing Christmas cards - you can see a pile that's been done in the second picture - in fact, there's another pile behind that - think I've done about 80 so far. As you can see, I have little labels all over the place - believe it or not, they are in groups according to family etc (I know it doesn't look like it!). I'm a cheap skate, so I don't buy special labels - just print out sheets with addresses as if they are labels, cut them up and stick them using my good old ATG gun. And it also means that I have a ready list on computer - just update when it comes to the next year.

I've actually got some crafting to show, but haven't yet got round to blogging it - perhaps later today.



And this is the view if I swing round to the window - brrrrrrrrrrrrr:

More snowy pictures here.

Thanks to everyone who visits me and leaves comments - much appreciated - I seem to fail miserbly at hopping around the WOYWW blogs - I do try, but never seem to be able to get to all of them.

And by the way, thanks for all those who have become followers of my new Christmas challenge blog. I did the draw for the candy very early this morning and have posted the winner. There is going to be more candy very soon - as a thank you for so many people joining in so far - so check back to my Christmas blog in the next day or two and please join in.

PS Just come back to change the title of this post - for some reason I originally put 71 instead of 77!

It 'snow joke now!!

The photos say it all!!

The whirligig washing line keeps swaying a bit in the wind - the snow fell off at some stage yesterday, but has built up again - think it's now too frozen solid to drop off! At least the wind is keeping the tree branches from breaking with the weight of snow.


and the garden table looks like a big Christmas cake!


These were all taken from inside (or with the back door open for a better peep) - staying in and keeping safe and warm.

Hope to blog some cards soon, but atm writing Christmas cards.

Ooh-la-la's Christmas song

Today sees a new challenge on Ooh-la-la to make a card inspired by a Christmas Song.

I'm so enjoying my Guest Designer slot on OLL. This time I couldn't resist making two cards for this, both based on one of my favourite Christmas carols: Hark the Herald Angels sing.

For the first card I used OLL Happy Christmas papers from their Christmas Presence CD and an 'angelic singing' topper from their Joyeux Noel CD, with the addition of a gold ribbon and a chipboard star coloured gold with promarkers and then covered with gold stickles.

For the second card I used the same paper on the left, but this time for the right hand side of the card I used an 'angelic singing' paper which I had digitally reversed and changed to a colour to match the tones of the image I'd used. It so happened that the Lost Coast stamp arrived on the day I wanted to make the card and I couldn't resist using it straight away, it's such a lovely stamp. I stamped with memento rich cocoa and coloured with promarkers (I'm not deserting my copics, but am also loving the promarkers), distressing the edges by tearing and sponging with distress inks. The gold flower and leaf have been in my 'odds and ends' box for ages - I can't remember where they came from, but think they might even have been on a Christmas cracker originally.

I'm linking these cards for these other challenges:

Crafty creations 95: Christmas is coming
Freshly brewed: winter/Christmas theme
Scrappy frogs: merry Christmas
Crafty catz 60: Christmas
Crafty Emma 14: vintage Christmas (2nd card)
Creative cottage 28: untraditional Christmas
Paper playtime 27: Christmas carol inspired
Bah! humbug 46: feeling the blues (1st card)
2 sisters 14: non-traditional colours
Stamp and create 7: 'tis the season - Christmas
Stamps R us 10: holiday cards
Pollycraft 72: chipboard (the star on the 1st card)
One stitch at a time 41: celebrate in style - bling it up
I love promarkers 42: anything goes - with a bit of sparkle (2nd card)
Character cafe: natural neutral colour + sparkle (2nd card)
Order of the Opus Gluei 82: let's get frosted - the glittered chipboard star on the 1st card and the sparkly ribbon on the 2nd
For fun: anything goes
Fab n funky 50: going with the flow
Hodge podge 4: anything goes
Paper cutz 69: anything goes
I did it 31: surprise me - open challenge
There's magic in the air Magical Monday: anything goes
Christmas stampin' all year long 72: anything goes
Totally stampalicious: anything goes

Magical Christmas

'Magical Christmas' is the theme for Chrissie's circle journal as part of the BF forum group. For my pages, I've chosen to do something about Christmas cards - as a cardmaker, I make a lot of these.

The background paper is Craft Creations Christmas green mixed stripes. The journaling and card pictures were generated on the computer and printed. I just added a few bits of holly and a bow.

I'm linking this for the following challenges:

Crafty creations 95: Christmas is coming
Freshly brewed: winter/Christmas theme
Scrappy frogs: merry Christmas
Crafty catz 60: Christmas
Crafty Emma 14: vintage Christmas
Bunny Zoe: Christmas, but not a card
Sew many challenges 34: red & green
Ellephantastic 20: red & green
Spoon full of sugar 131: anything goes
For fun: anything goes
Fab n funky 50: going with the flow
Hodge podge 4: anything goes
Paper cutz 69: anything goes
I did it 31: surprise me - open challenge

Lots of bubbly buttons

Yesterday postie brought me the ATCs from the November swap on BF forum - the theme was 'buttons'.

Aren't they lovely?

I didn't blog Friday or yesterday because on Friday I was getting everything ready for the Christmas Fair at Southmore Court, which was yesterday - this went well, but I was very tired by the time I got home.

I've got a few cards to blog, but I mustn't be tempted to do that now because I must get on with my pages in a CJ so that it gets into the post tomorrow.

Just scraps prize

Today I've been a 'lady wot lunches' - met a friend in Bromley - it was soooo cold out, so, once we'd had lunch we just went to one shop because I wanted to get mum's birthday present and then back home.

When I got home I discovered that postie had been with a lovely package of goodies from Just scraps, with a beautiful card from Jean with lots of lovely chat in it.

Actually Jean sent this a long while ago, but it got returned to her, so she had to re-send it - yay! this time it got here (neither of us are sure why the first time didn't).

Anyway, this was for winning challenge 20: round and red. I got all these lovely goodies:

Salt: providence

It's time for a new Salt challenge today and it was Ruth's turn to choose the topic - you can read what she wrote here.

For my card, I've chosen a verse from Philippians 4:19 : 'My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.' This was computer generated with 'forte' font to (almost) match that used for 'Keep your chin up'.

This is a rubber stamp set that I had as a present a couple of years ago - and confess that I haven't used it before - coloured with copics. Papers are BG archaic.

I used this sketch for CPS 194:
and the colours are for Cupcake inspiration 86:


I'm linking this card for:

Ann's creative nook 113: the colours of fall
Anything goes 26: animals
Aly's 30: use at least one of Aly's favourite things - animal
By the cute and girly November: jungle, jungle
Gingersnap GC80 colour challenge: vintage hues - neutrals with shades of brown and sepia
Paper pretties: clean and simple
Pixie dust studio 49: let's go safari
Theme Thursday: faces - I love the look on this giraffe's face!
Gingerloft 6: great outdoors
Spoon full of sugar 131: anything goes
Inktegrity 24: anything goes
For fun: anything goes
Fab n funky 50: going with the flow

I just had to sneak in another Christmas cards

I know I need to be getting on with birthday and other cards, but I can't resist sneaking in with another quick Christmas card made with paper etc from the Anna Griffin kit.

All of the red snowflakes (mmm have you ever actually seen red snowflakes?) are glittered and there are glittery berries on the holly wreath. The panel inside this is foiled.

This is for:

Alota 47: Christmas - let's celebrate
Scrappy frogs: merry Christmas
Paper cutz 68: Christmas using lots of bling
Meljen 34: sparkle & shine
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 55: tickle me with tinsel - glitter
Treehouse 76: go glitter
Crafty creations 95: Christmas is coming
Freshly brewed: winter/Christmas theme
Creative inspirations 47: anything Christmassy
Die cut dreams Christmas 44: anything goes
ABC Christmas: X for Xmas
Our daily bread: holiday
One stitch at a time 40: choose a season or event - Christmas
Drunken stampers 43: no stamps for you
Lexi 27: traditional Christmas colours
Crafty pad 98: red and green
There's magic in the air Magical Monday: red and cream
Crafty calendar 14: winter snowflakes

Time for another notebook

Another notebook made with my Bind it all.

This time I've used K & Co paper to cover the front and DCWV Far East panels down the left hand side - I found these in my scraps box - just love these papers.

This is for:

Die cut dreams 75: anything but a card
4 crafty chicks 12: anything but a card
Secret crafter Saturday 110: handmade Christmas gifts - these notebooks make good stocking fillers
Wee memories 32: put a little pink
Pollycraft 71: feeling blue
Spoon full of sugar 131: anything goes
Inktegrity 24: anything goes
For fun: anything goes
Fab n funky 50: going with the flow

Simply purple thinking of you

A simple 'thinking of you' card. The base card has a marbled finish; the stamped image is one of the large foam stamps from QVC coloured with copics. The sentiment was also stamped. This is for Southern girls: your favourite colour - I love using all shades of lilacs and purples (I've only just discovered this challenge blog, so this is my first time joining in there).


It's also for:

Lots to do: what's your favourite technique - stamping and colouring with copics
Paper pretties: clean and simple
Spoon full of sugar 131: anything goes
Inktegrity 24: anything goes
For fun: anything goes
Fab n funky 50: going with the flow

Card Patterns sketch 91

This card is for sketch 91 on Card Patterns:

I decided to use up some of the paper offcuts from those I used for mum's birthday card, instead of putting them in my box. So, the paper is K & Co Amy Butler, the glittered blue 3D flower strips are Papermania an the stamped image is Magenta, coloured with copics.

This would be suitable for any occasion, including a sympathy card or 'thinking of you' - I've deliberately not put a sentiment on for flexibility.

It's also for:

Incy wincy 69: blue and white
Pollycraft 71: feeling blue
Going grey with Scrap creations: blue for you
Papertake: cut it out - die cut oval nestie
Paper romance 25: some of your favourite things - flowers, stamping and patterned papers
Paper pretties: clean and simple
Spoon full of sugar 131: anything goes
Inktegrity 24: anything goes
For fun: anything goes
Fab n funky 50: going with the flow

Birthday card for mum

It's mum's birthday this coming Monday. So often I tend to put off the 'important' cards till the last minute. I'm selling cards at mum's sheltered accommodation this coming Saturday and I admit I was tempted to leave making mum's card till after that because I need to make cards to fill gaps in my boxes. But I decided I would get on and make the card for mum so that I know that it's done.

I thought I would make an easel card - I've not made her one before, so I think she'll like the idea. 'Make us an easel' is the theme for challenge 21 on Glitterbabe, not forgetting the sparkle of the rhinestones. I've covered all parts of the easel - inside and back - so this is good for Kort o mania 28: make a card where you decorate the front, rear and an optional interior. The easel is also for Creative Friday 31: unusual card shapes.

The papers are K & Co and I've used two or three coordinating ones (double sided, so very useful).

I based the top of the card on the sketch for Eat sleep stamp 109, replacing the corner squares with hexagons cut from one of the papers and an oval in the middle cut with a nestie.

The flowers were originally all white - I used a copic pen to colour parts of them.





This is also for:

Crazy amigo: patchwork in combination with flowers
Incy wincy 69: blue and white
Pollycraft 71: feeling blue
Everybody art 118: use shapes - hexagons and oval
Going grey with Scrap creations: blue for you
Papertake: cut it out - die cut oval and hexagons cut by hand
Creative belli 105: Rs - rhinestones, ribbon
Paper romance 25: some of your favourite things - flowers and patterned papers
Spoon full of sugar 131: anything goes
Inktegrity 24: anything goes
For fun: anything goes
Fab n funky 50: going with the flow
Drunken stampers 43: no stamps for you

Something old, something new ...

... something borrowed, something blue - this is the theme of the challenge 104 on Creative Belli for the current fortnight. The 'K & Co papers, the blue mesh across the card and the birthday banner are all 'old', the flowers are 'new' (one was a creamy colour, so I coloured it blue with copics), the Penny Black 'city divine' was 'borrowed' - well, it was acquired in a stamped image swap, so it was sort of borrowed, and most of the card is blue.

'Blue and white' is the theme for Incy wincy 69 and 'feeling blue' for Pollycrafft 71.

This card is also for Penny Black Saturday challenge 128, where this sketch was provided:

It's also another card for Kathy's challenge on Daring Cardmakers 'We three ...' - in this case, flowers.

Hot date

'Hot date' is the name of the digi image I've used - I received it as a prize for winning this challenge on Freshly Brewed, with the card shown in this post. It's a really super image - so I'm linking for the current challenge on FB: show off your style (whatever my style is?! - I've yet to discover!).

For the card I've used Susan's sketch for Cute card Thursday 139:

I used a red sparkly stardust base card, with a black and white hearts background and stamped hearts and cupcakes (Kanban stamps) - cupcakes for Tuesday morning challenge 68 - , backed with black stardream sparkly card. There is a strip of white ribbon with red spots, but it's mostly covered up - d'oh! I wonder whether others do this - spend time putting something on the card only to find you cover it up so it was hardly worth it!

I've kept the colour scheme to black and white with a bit of red (apart from the drink in the mugs), which is for My partner in crafting crime 16: black and white + 1. The card is also for Other lovelies thoughtful Thursday 35: L - for Love.


It's also for:

Totally stampalicious: a hot cuppa anything
Daisy doodles 22: anything goes - I've included a digi
Digi doodle 34: anything goes
No time to stamp 166: well preserved
Critter 41: food

Traditional red and green Christmas

Yet again an AG card, this time primarily red with a hint of Christmas green on the holly wreath. The sentiment inserted on the inside of the wreath is on foiled card. As this is mostly red, I'm linking for the current challenge with Dottie's World, which is to make a red card.

It's also for:

Alota 47: Christmas - let's celebrate
Scrappy frogs: merry Christmas
Flourish timeless 93: just do it - get those Christmas cards done
Creative inspirations 47: anything Christmassy
Pollycraft 70: a glittery Christmas
Die cut dreams Christmas 44: anything goes
Pals paper arts 69: clean & simple
ABC Christmas: X for Xmas
Our daily bread: holiday
One stitch at a time 40: choose a season or event - Christmas
Drunken stampers 43: no stamps for you
Lexi 27: traditional Christmas colours
Crafty pad 98: red and green

Another red and white with sparkle

This card is similar to the previous one, made once more using Anna Griffin papers etc.

I love the flocked touchy-feely finish to the base red card.

Once again this is for:

Sketchy colors challenge 48: red and white
Paper cutz 68: Christmas using lots of bling
Alota 47: Christmas - let's celebrate
Scrappy frogs: merry Christmas
Flourish timeless 93: just do it - get those Christmas cards done
Creative inspirations 47: anything Christmassy
Pollycraft 70: a glittery Christmas
Die cut dreams Christmas 44: anything goes
Crafts and me 17: glitter
Simon says: sparkle
Meljen 34: sparkle & shine
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 55: tickle me with tinsel - glitter
Treehouse 76: go glitter
Pals paper arts 69: clean & simple
ABC Christmas: X for Xmas
There's magic in the air Magical Monday: glitter, ribbon & Xmas card
Our daily bread: holiday
One stitch at a time 40: choose a season or event - Christmas
Pixie cottage 45: ribbons and bows
Drunken stampers 43: no stamps for you
Critter 40: texture

Red and white with sparkle

Another AG card, this time it's mainly red and white for Sketchy colors challenge 48.

The bauble is glittered with silver and so are the dots on the lattice paper.

It's also for:

Paper cutz 68: Christmas using lots of bling
Alota 47: Christmas - let's celebrate
ABC: H is for holidays
Scrappy frogs: merry Christmas
Flourish timeless 93: just do it - get those Christmas cards done
Creative inspirations 47: anything Christmassy
Pollycraft 70: a glittery Christmas
Die cut dreams Christmas 44: anything goes
Crafts and me 17: glitter
Simon says: sparkle
Meljen 34: sparkle & shine
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 55: tickle me with tinsel - glitter
Treehouse 76: go glitter
Pals paper arts 69: clean & simple
ABC Christmas: X for Xmas
There's magic in the air Magical Monday: glitter, ribbon & Xmas card
Our daily bread: holiday
One stitch at a time 40: choose a season or event - Christmas
Pixie cottage 45: ribbons and bows
Drunken stampers 43: no stamps for you

White with silver sparkle

Having made and shone some notebooks and two or three birthday cards, I'm back to Christmas again now, with another card made with Anna Griffin components, this time mainly white, with some sparkly silver and just a hint of red on the banner on the holly wreath.

This is for:

Paper cutz 68: Christmas using lots of bling
Alota 47: Christmas - let's celebrate
2 sisters 13: Christmas
ABC: H is for holidays
Scrappy frogs: merry Christmas
Flourish timeless 93: just do it - get those Christmas cards done
Creative inspirations 47: anything Christmassy
Pollycraft 70: a glittery Christmas
Die cut dreams Christmas 44: anything goes
Crafts and me 17: glitter
Simon says: sparkle
Meljen 34: sparkle & shine
If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 55: tickle me with tinsel - glitter
Treehouse 76: go glitter
Stampin' sisters in Christ 65: clean and simple
Pals paper arts 69: clean & simple
ABC Christmas: X for Xmas
Our daily bread: holiday
Crazy4challenges 64: circles (the holly wreath)
Speedy the cat (Mark's finest papers) 30: have a circle on your card

Simple daises and buttons

This card is for the sketch on Cutie Sunday 118:

Once again I've used Bo Bunny beau jardin clover paper - I thought I would use it up rather than putting this piece in my offcuts box. The stamp is Anita's - a very simple design that only needs touches of copic colouring. The Happy Birthday was printed on my dymo letratag and little pink floral buttons are from stash.

As the patterned paper is once again a prominent part of the card, I'm linking for Stampin' royalty 46.

The colours are again for this week's Dollies challenge: grass green, baby pink and white. - and it's just right for Wee memories 32: put a little pink.


This is also for:

Top tip Tuesday 10: buttons galore
CCEE 1046: buttons
Simple doodles 31: cute as a button! - let's see those buttons
Paper romance 25: some of your favourite things - patterned paper, stamping, buttons
Lots to do: what's your favourite technique - I think it has to be stamping and colouring with copics
Freshly brewed: show off your style - I'm not sure that I have a 'style' - I like to have a go at most things and use different products and techniques, but I do love using patterned papers and stamping, so I guess that this card is fairly typical of my 'style'