Monotone Merry Christmas

This is my monotone card for yesterday's Sunday's with Santa challenge - that means I'm now up to date again! Also for Bling it on April: monochrome.

I used the sketch for Always playing with paper merry Monday 17:

I've used a panel of white and silver that was rescued from a card received - The recycling is for Jingle belles: peace on earth (day), also Do more with less: recycling with Sonia Suprabha Venugopal, Tuesday throwdown 94: recycling, and Stamp, scrap & doodle: recycle.

The circles were die cut with my cuttlebug - hard to see here, but the inner circles are silver and the outer black, with silver snowflakes in the middle. The snowflakes are for 52 Christmas card throwdown theme challenge 4.

The circles are for It's all about the vintage and beauty 17: circles, also for Little Claire 20: doing the rounds.

Christmas family

I'm behind with the challenges on facebook Sunday's with Santa - last week's theme was 'family', so I'm featuring the most special family at Christmas with the nativity digital image kindly supplied by Digi Doodle Shop, who are sponsoring my challenge this week, so this is another card for my CHNC challnge 69: lots of layers (there aren't 'lots' but there are at least three). I coloured the image lightly with copics.

I've followed the sketch for Creative craft for this fortnight (just getting my entry in at the last minute):

Colours are for Guylou's crazy cat lady colour challenge where this inspiration picture was given and we were asked to make a project using the color scheme of a Sealpoint Siamese, meaning brown, cream (or off white) and light blue (that's the eyes):

The My mind's eye Christmas glitter book papers are offcuts, so this is another opportunity to go into the playground at Pixie's craft snippets 17.

The ribbons on the right hand edge are adhesive backed DCWV, so they extend into the inside of the card. This is for the Crafty pad 167: live on the edge.

There are 3 brads from The Works, which is good for Willow sketchie this week.

This is also for:

Do you stack up 68: stripes
House of Gilli 32: oh pretty - ribbon and sparkles (the papers are more glittery than they look here)
ABC Christmas: H for hardware - metal - brads

On the lookout

The theme for the Bubbly Funk forum twinchies swap this month is 'hopping bunnies'. I've used a digital image by Delicious Doodles, which was originally in greyscale - I changed this digitally to a sepia colour and printed out on to a paper which was pre-printed with clouds (can't really see that in the photo). I then used some colouring pencils to go over the grass and a little bit of the bunnies, adding the little cottonwool tails.

Not a good photo, but wanted to get these done up for the post - still very dull, rainy weather here today.

I'm linking these for the following challenges:

Hooked on craft 19: Easter
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 17: spring
Stampavie and more 166: spring
Stamp and create April: spring
Aud sentiments 52: spring summer colours
Crafter's cafe blog 3: spring with pastel colours
Robyn's fetish 104: use pastel colours only
Stampin sisters in Christ 136: use soft pastels
Little darlings 21: pastels
LiaStampz 15: pastel
Raise the bar 101: cloudy skies
PaperPlay 16: animal antics
Di's digi designs: let's meet your animal friends
Crafter's companion 23: four-legged friends
Jellypark friends: little bunny foo foo
2 sisters 88: use a digital image
Crafty sentiments: use a digi
Oldie but a goodie: on the farm or in the garden - I've had this digi for ages - I have used it before, but a long time ago
Sentimental Sundays 99: celebrating earth day
For fun: I bet you make other wonderful things
Crafting for all seasons 25: anything but a card
Penny's 77: anything but a card
Victorine 32: anything goes
Love to create 12: anything goes
One stitch at a time 110: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 86
Inspire me Fridays 55
52 card pickup 16

A set of ATCs

For the ATC swap for April on Bubbly Funk forum, Ali gave us this sketch to use:

which I turned round to the left.

I used some snippets of yellow paper, stamping with a Kanban background stamp - I used memento rich cocoa but didn't want the image to be too prominent, so I blotted it lightly first on some spare paper. I then used three little stamps from a set that I won a long time ago from Woodware USA, using some Poundland buttons in the centres. I generated the names of the recipients with my dymo letratag and added the light lemon bows and the paper clips before backing on to snippets of brown card.

I'm linking these for the following challenges:

Creative Mondays (always crafting) 6: yellow and sunshine
Crafty creations 166: yellow and your choice colour (brown)
Fun with ATCs 59: metal (paper clips)
Cute card Thursday 213: metallica
Craft your days away 43: metal
Totally papercrafts 113: all buttoned up
CES 82: button it
Freshly brewed 90: tie it up
For fun: I bet you make other wonderful things
Craft room: ink it
Crafting for all seasons 25: anything but a card
Divas by design 31: anything but a card
Penny's 77: anything but a card
I brake for challenges: I brake for anything but
Pixie's crafty snippets 17
Victorine 32: anything goes
One stitch at a time 110: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 55
52 card pickup 16

Easter inchies

The theme for the inchies swap this month on the Bubbly Funk forum is 'Easter'.

I stamped on to some yellow and white checked paper (used up snippets) using the birds nest stamp from this Inkadinkado birds inchies stamp set:

I then coloured the hearts, nest and eggs with copics.

I'm linking these for the following challenges:

Hooked on craft 19: Easter
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 17: spring
Stampavie and more 166: spring
Clearlyistamp 50: spring
Stamp and create April: spring
Sentimental Sundays 99: celebrating earth day
For fun: I bet you make other wonderful things
Crafting for all seasons 25: anything but a card
Divas by design 31: anything but a card
Penny's 77: anything but a card
I brake for challenges: I brake for anything but
Pixie's crafty snippets 17
Victorine 32: anything goes
One stitch at a time 110: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 55
52 card pickup 16

Suzie's 365 photos day 113: symbolic

When I saw Suzie's post this morning, I wondered what to do for day 113: symbolic, but it didn't take long before I thought of my wedding ring. And then it got me thinking that not just my wedding ring, but the other rings I wear are symbolic too. On my wedding ring finger of course is my engagement ring and between that and my wedding ring is the eternity ring that John bought me quite some years ago now.

John bought me the serpent ring years ago. I remember someone commenting that it was strange to see me as a Christian wearing a serpent ring because it's a symbol of evil (it was the serpent who tempted Eve, with the resultant sinning of Adam and Eve) - but I figure that it's good to wear it because it reminds me that I'm a sinner saved by grace as a Christian.

So I was just about to take a photo of my left hand when I realised that the rings on my other hand are also symbolic of certain times in my life, the Russian wedding ring with it's three different golds and also the lovely twisted band that John bought me last year for our 20th wedding anniversary.

So in the end I used the timer on the camera to take a picture of both hands - I managed to get this shot with the first attempt, just by putting the camera on the window sill. I made it a close up because my nails aren't in that presentable a state atm, but all the wrinkles on my hands definitely show my ages (just as much as the ones on my face!).

Having gone back into Suzie's blog to get the link I see that Janice got there first with the wedding ring as symbolic - great minds think alike!

A pack of cards

It's time for a time for another challenge for the Christmas Card Club and it was the lovely Clare's turn to choose the topic. She asked us to make 'anything but a card' and added ....

 "I do not want you to make "a" card. You can make a set of cards ie, a gift box of cards, a pack of Christmas cards (like say 4). Or you can completely go different and make something other than a card. Some idea's are a gift tag/s, gift bag or box, scrapbook page, Christmas decoration, Christmas gift which is handmade..........anything you desire as long as it's Christmas."

So I've made a set of five cards because I make packs like this to sell for Tearfund when it gets nearer to Christmas.

I've used different pieces of offcuts of papers that I've had for a few years now - by using three different papers on each card I managed to find enough offcuts to use on all five cards. I've added some sparkly trees that I got in a candy win from Handy Hippo and the Father Christmases and the holly are remains of a kit I bought a long time ago.

I'm also linking this or the following challenges:

Moving along with the times 144: merry Christmas
Pixie dust studio 123: texting! - to use text in some way
Emergency crafters: plain and simple
Siimply create too 11: earth day or arbour day (trees)
Do you stack up 68: stripes
Pixie's crafty snippets 17
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 85
Inspire me Fridays 55

Suzie's 365 photos day 112: precious

I've already put a few photos on facebook following the visit the other day of our DIL and the girls. This one of the four granddaughters is just right for Suzie's day 112: precious:

CHNC challenge 69: lots of layers

Saturday seems to have come round quicker than ever this week - it's been a busy week here with ups and downs and not as much crafting time as usual, but at least I managed to make my card for my CHNC challenge 69 that starts today. I'm asking for a Christmas card with lots of layers - well, at least three. Please click on the link and go to my Christmas blog to learn more about the challenge and, hopefully, join in. And if you haven't yet discovered my CHNC facebook page, please go there and press the 'like' button to be up to date with what's happening.

For my card I've used papers and card from my Christmas offcuts box, so this is for Pixie's crafty snippets 16 (I haven't been in the playground as much this week - will have to make up for it soon!). The background paper is Papermania, the circle frame was what was left after cutting some circles on my cricut recently. The poinsettias are made up of My mind's eye Christmas glitter papers and pieces of recycled Christmas crackers from a couple of years ago (and, yes, I've still got some of these). The recycling is for Jingle belles: peace on earth (day), also Do more with less: recycling with Sonia Suprabha Venugopal, Tuesday throwdown 94: recycling, Stamp, scrap & doodle: recycle, Our daily bread 105: go green (recycling) and The sisterhood of crafters: recycle, reuse, renew.

I had to make an A5 card because I wanted to easily include two of the poinsettias. it's a bad hard to see here, but the little banners in the corners say Merry Christmas and the one across the middle is Season's Greetings.

I'm linking this for these challenges:

Moving along with the times 144: merry Christmas
Delicious doodles 17: loads of layers
House of Gilli 31: flowers
Joan's gardens 15: one or more flowers that you have created with either punches or dies
Lily pad: flower challenge
Card and scrap 30: use flowers
Truly, madly, crafty April: handmade flowers
Unique crafters April: paper flowers
Prairie fairy 77: anything with flowers
Just some lines: give a gift of flowers
Hiding in my craftroom 43: handmade flowers
Craft your passion 106: die cuts and punches
Fussy & fancy 61: punches and dies
Whimsy 35: punches or die cuts
Lexi 63: use your punches and dies
The poodles parlour: going round in circles
Crafty catz 129: stripes or checks you choose
St Luke's April: bling
Victorine 32: anything goes
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: show us what you got
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 85
Inspire me Fridays 55
52 card pickup 16

Suzie's 365 photos day 111: flag

There are certainly a lot of flags in evidence in the shops atm what with the Queen's special celebration coming up and the Olympics ... but we don't have any flags here. I had to go to the shops in Orpington today, so I sneaked into Poundworld and took this picture:

Not a good picture at all, but I took it quickly while no one else was in that aisle!

Suzie's 365 day 110: small

The prompt for Suzie's day 110 yesterday was 'small'. I got out some of my small brads - put alongside an ink pad for comparison of size:

I've been featured ...

... on Best of the Web 16:

Best of the Web is part of Craft Corners:

Craft Corners is like a little workshop with corners for stitching, handmade jewelry, recycled crafts and ideas for home & garden or your art and design projects.

I feel honoured that I've been featured.

Suzie's 365 day 109: entrance

I was meant to be meeting friend in London today to have lunch and then go to the cinema, but it's so wet and windy out there that we've decided to re-schedule for another day. When I saw Suzie's day 109: entrance for today I was all set to take my camera and take a picture of the entrance to the Odeon at Leicester Square. As I won't be there after all, I'll have to make do with the entrance to our maisonette - not as salubrious, I'm afraid!

The photo makes it look quite bright outside ... no, it isn't, it's reflection on the glass, not sunshine! I wish!

WOYWW 150

It's Wednesday again and that means it's WOYWW 150 at Julia's Stamping Ground. If you don't know what I'm talking about, where have you been?  Click on the link and join in the fun.

The idea is to show what's on your workdesk on Wednesday. I haven't joined in for a week or two because I haven't had the time to hop around and comment on others and feel it's not fair to join in unless I can do that.

So here is an overview of my crafting area this morning:

Followed by two overhead shots to the left and right of where I sit - no, I didn't get on a chair to take the photos, just held the camera above and hoped for the best!

You can see some cards that I've made recently that need inserts and labelling and bagging, a box of all sorts that needs sorting and my Papercraft Inspirations magazine that has just come through the post (keep meaning to cancel this really).

To the right of me you can see the bright and bold cards I made yesterday and the rest of the papers (must use some more before I put them away), my ATG gun that is always close at hand and my cuttlebug with a box of nesties etc.

I was meant to be meeting a friend in London today for lunch and cinema, but the weather is so awful (wind and rain) that we've re-scheduled for next Tuesday, so that means I have an unexpected few hours at home - that can't be bad ... shall probably fritter some of it away, but hope to get crafting.

Happy Wednesday to all WOYWWers.

Happy birthday cupcake

This is another card similar to the previous one that uses some of the papers featured in my photos for Suzie's day 108: bold. They are freebies that came with Crafts Beautiful.

I've used the sketch for Sweet sketch Wednesday 149:

The scalloped lacy circle was cut with a nestie, as was the scalloped spotted cupcake in the middle.

This is also for:

Paper playtime 72: say it with sentiments theme 'birthday card'

One stitch at a time 109: bright

Ooh-la-la 103: bold & bright

Just inspirational 24: bright colours

Little Claire 20: doing the rounds - circles, spots and dots
The poodles parlour: going round in circles

Ruby's rainbow 26: birthday cake

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: seize the cupcake

Clear it out: based on a song - The Cuppycake song (it's about time I used some of these papers)
Craft your passion 106: die cuts and punches
Scrapbook sisters card challenge 79: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 85
Inspire me Fridays 54
52 card pickup 15

Hello cupcake

Having shown some bold and bright papers for Suzie's day 108: bold earlier today, I thought I'd better get on and use some, so this card has been made entirely with papers byJenny Ellory and Alison Butler that were free with Crafts Beautiful (not that they are really free because there's the cost of the magazine to take into account).

So this is for the sketch and theme for this week on Willow Sketchie. The theme is spots & stripes and this is the sketch:

This is also for:

One stitch at a time 109: bright

Ooh-la-la 103: bold & bright

Just inspirational 24: bright colours

Top tip Tuesday 74: spotty, dotty

Little Claire 20: doing the rounds - circles, spots and dots

Ruby's rainbow 26: birthday cake

Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: seize the cupcake

Clear it out: based on a song - The Cuppycake song (it's about time I used some of these papers)

Why do I do it?

Buy craft magazines that I don't really need?!! Fairly recently I bought Crafts Beautiful - there was a Celebrations paper collection with it - well, I like papers, so surely that would get used? Well, a lot of the papers in it have bold and bright patterns and colours and not really the usual sort I would go for. However, I'm determined to use some of them, so I hope to be showing some cards very soon using some of these bright and bold papers.

Meanwhile, here are some of them for Suzie's 365 day 108: bold:

Now I really must get on and use some of them! Watch this space!

I just had to make a card

It's been a full day here  - I prepared a buffet lunch for a family gathering - John's nieces,  cousin and her husband and auntie - we had a lovely day and this evening I've felt tired, but I couldn't let the day go by without making a card. So this is for the sketch for Ribbon carousel 48:

The stamped silhouette is one that I received quite some time ago as part of a stamped image swap, so I don't know what stamp it is, but I like it. I decided to brayer, first with part of Big & juicy happy birthday rainbow pad and then with part of Big & juicy vibrant primary pad. The card is hammered, so the brayering has achieved a mottled effect, which at first I wasn't sure that I liked it, but now I think it looks OK.

The piece of ribbon and sentiment are from stash and the flower is a white one that was brayered.

This is also for Lawnscaping: stamp a scene and Craft a scene 4: silhouettes.

Suzie's 365 photos day 107: tree

For day 107 today Suzie says: Remember that we photographed earlier in the year? What's it doing now? Hopefully spring is springing and it is showing some signs of life! Let's see :)

Well the photo of the same tree today doesn't really look much different:

This is what it looked like on day 58:

And this is what it looked like earlier today:

But I promise you that by the summer it will have a mass of leaves and look completely different!

Meanwhile, while I was walking in the garden I thought I'd taken another couple of photos featuring trees:

Pearl anniversary card

I was commissioned to make a Pearl Anniversary card. I've used the sketch for Sketch challenge blog 2:

I used various pearlised papers that unfortunately don't show up very well here - difficult to get a photo because of the sheen. The fancy edged circle was cut with a nestie and matted on to gold. The punched strip is a Martha Steward punch and the flowers are MS too - I thought the card needed a bit of colour despite trying to stick to the 'pearl' theme, which is also why I chose to include gold. The sentiment was generated on the computer with codes for gold printing - better IRL. I've had the sprays of pearls for ages, so they came in handy. The gold glittered strips are by Paper Cellar.

I'm linking for these challenges:

Pile it on 16: pop it up - the flowers are popped up
Sentimental Sundays 98: frame it
Do you stack up 67: glitter/bling
St Luke's April: bling
Totally Gorjuss 127: bling
Bizzy Becs April: add some texture
Sugar creek hollow 7: die cuts or punches - I've used both
It's all about the vintage and beauty 17: circles
The poodles parlour: going round in circles
ABC: N for neutral
Stampin sisters in Christ 135: use something transparent - the anniversary strip is vellum
Paper pretties Monday challenge: use lots of layers (3 or more)
The pink elephant 143: flowers
Crafty creations 165: flower power
2 sisters 87: flowers
Lily pad: flower challenge
Card and scrap 30: use flowers
Paperminutes 212: spring flowers
Cute card Thursday 212: spring flowers
Deep ocean 23: song inspiration - I keep on loving you
Use it Tuesday 29: anything goes (using up papers I've had for quite some time)
Scrapbook sisters card challenge 79: anything goes
Anything goes 64: anything goes
Prairie fairy Fridays 76: anything goes
Wags n whiskers 77: anything goes
Make it Monday 85
Inspire me Fridays 54
52 card pickup 15

I'm also showing this for the May Guest Designer call on Craft your passion

Suzie's 365 day 106: alive

I've just had a wander in the garden to take some pictures for Suzie's day 106: alive - there are signs of life after the stagnation of winter: