Pages

Sunday, 13 November 2011

Handy Hippo want to help you get organised for Christmas

Every Sunday I go to Jules lovely blog to see the snippets she has made for her weekly crafty snippet challenge and to see what others have been doing throughout the past week. Well, I went there just now and discovered Jules' post about a fantastic bundle of goodies that are being given away by Handy Hippo. You can read more about this here.



Wouldn't it be lovely to win these goodies - I'd love to, but you too can have the chance to do so if you click on the link and follow the instructions.
Posted by at 3 comments:

Saturday, 12 November 2011

CHNC challenge 46: whatever lights your candle

It's Saturday morning (well, it's actually Friday evening when I'm scheduling this, but you get my drift), so it's time for a new challenge on my CHNC blog. I want to say a big THANK YOU (and, yes, I am shouting - lol!) for the number of crafters who entered last week's challenge - good to see so many getting into the festive spirit!


For this week my challenge is whatever lights your candle. Now, you can either take this literally and include a candle on your card or perhaps another form of light - a star, a lantern, a lamp post ... or you can take the phrase to mean 'whatever you like', which should give you plenty of freedom! The main thing is to get on and make those Christmas cards.

I've made a set of five cards which is good for Clare's challenge for the Christmas card gang (you can see the list on my sidebar). Clare has asked us to create a set of Christmas cards with a minimum of 4 (I apologise that I'm early with my cards, but perhaps it's better to be early than late). I've made 5 because I sell packs of 5 for charity and have one more craft fair coming up soon.

I've used a Papermania candles stamp for my five cards, stamping with versamark and heat embossing with black detail powder, colouring with copics, mounting on to gold 7 x 5 card blanks and adding a gold greeting.

I'm also entering these into the following challenges:

Crazy amigo: swirls
Corrosive 136: with a flourish
Wags n whiskers 67: Christmas themed
Papertake: first Christmas
Top tip Tuesday 59: anything Christmas
I did it 80: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Sunday stamper 179: the first Noel - Christmas
There she goes 129: holiday projects
Mami doodles 37: Christmas
St Luke's November: Christmas is coming
Stamping scrapping challenge central: Christmas - happy holidays
Christmas stampin all year long: never seen ink (I bought this stamp while I was on holiday and this is the first time I've used it)
Do you stack up 45: inspired by a song - 'Christmas candles' sung by Bing Crosby
2 sisters 65: anything goes
Stampavie and more 155: anything goes
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 32
Posted by at 33 comments:

Wednesday, 9 November 2011

WOYWW 127

It's Wednesday again, so that means it's WOYWW over on Julia's blog - if you don't know what I'm on about, pop over and find out and join in the fun (and noseyness - lol!).

My mum will be 90 on 29 November, so I need to get a move on and make sure I've done her card in plenty of time. But I also want to put together a scrapbook for her - this is long overdo - ages ago I bought a whole load of photos from mum in order to put together a book for her ... and she's still waiting for it!

I admit that I'm taking the cheat's route because time is ticking by so quickly and also this room and our bedroom are going to be decorated either next week or the week after, which will mean me moving some of my craft stuff and I won't be able to get to the rest for a few days.

So I bought an Anna Griffin Heritage scrapbook it from QVC - it has pages ready embellished to add photos to. But I've also got papers and 3D stickers that coordinate so that I can make other pages to add in.

All I need to do now is to get the photos out and start! I've just realised that it's now less than 3 weeks to mum's birthday - HELP!!!


Posted by at 39 comments:

In the pink

This is an altered notebook made with an offcut of paper (freebie from a magazine) and some lovely Basic Grey chipboard embellishments that I've had for ages.

This is for:

Basic Grey 56: anything goes
Friendship's garden bonus challenge week: anything in less than 15 minutes - very quickly made in just over ten minutes
Shopping our stash 25: stickers, rub-ons or chipboard
Crazy amigo: swirls
Corrosive 136: with a flourish
Crafty Ann 53: floral frenzy
Posted by at 18 comments:

Tuesday, 8 November 2011

Candy cane Christmas

Another card made with Anna Griffin papers, stickers etc. - this time featuring a candy cane for:


This is also for:

Crazy amigo: swirls
Corrosive 136: with a flourish
Clear it out Tuesday: favourite holiday - Christmas (still using up Anna Griffin Christmas kit from last year)
Papertake: first Christmas
Top tip Tuesday 59: anything Christmas
I did it 80: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
There she goes 129: holiday projects
Pixie cottage 94: get started - make a Christmas card
Mami doodles 37: Christmas
St Luke's November: Christmas is coming
Crimbo crackers 1: anything goes
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Posted by at 17 comments:

Glittery silver Christmas card

This card was made with Anna Griffin papers and 3D sticker of a star over a snowflake and sentiment.

This is for:

If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 95: KISS (keep it simple sweetheart)
Bows and berries 13: clean and simple
Clear it out Tuesday: favourite holiday - Christmas (still using up Anna Griffin Christmas kit from last year)
Papertake: first Christmas
Top tip Tuesday 59: anything Christmas
Pink gem 33: cold and frosty
The craft garden November: Christmas but no red or green
Glitter fairies 4: non-traditional Christmas - no red, green, gold
Party time Tuesday 41: bling it on - anything sparkly
I did it 80: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
There she goes 129: holiday projects
Winter wonderland: make your cards sparkle
Pixie cottage 94: get started - make a Christmas card
Delightful: a very sparkly Christmas
Mami doodles 37: Christmas
St Luke's November: Christmas is coming
Heidi's hobbystuggu November: Christmas card with bling/sparkle
Crimbo crackers 1: anything goes
Cutie Sunday 153: monochrome
House of Gilli 20: monochromatic
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Posted by at 31 comments:

Sticky notes silhouette

Another sticky notes holder (scored on my Hougie board), this time with an offcut of striped card which is foiled and glittered. The surrounding scalloped oval is holographic which is why it looks all different colours in the flashlight.

This is for:

Order of the opus gluei 117: what's on your head
PanPastel UK 7: dark and mysterious
If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 95: KISS (keep it simple sweetheart)
Bows and berries 13: clean and simple
Cutie Sunday 153: monochrome
House of Gilli 20: monochromatic
Stamp n doodle: time to sparkle and shine
Party time Tuesday 41: bling it on - anything sparkly
Cooking it up with Katie 82: anything but a card
Posted by at 18 comments:

Sticky notes Leo

A simple sticky notes holder with some animal print card and a lion sticker.

This is for:

Cat's corner 62: brown colours
Crafting when we can: spooky and/or anything but a card
Cooking it up with Katie 82: anything but a card
Craft your passion 83: anything goes + brown
Shopping our stash 25: stickers, rub-ons or chipboard
Posted by at 7 comments:

Monday, 7 November 2011

Guest Design slot for Paper Creations Ink challenge 12

I was privileged to have my card spotlighted on Paper Creations Ink for their challenge 8 and, as a result, was given a Guest Design slot for their challenge 12. You will find details of this challenge here.

Holiday wishes for kids

Paper Creations Ink have teamed up with SAS4KIDS for challenge 12. Here is some information given on Paper Creations Ink blog:

Send A Smile 4 Kids is a charitable blog created for the purpose of collecting donated handmade cards to be distributed to children while they are inpatient at Children’s Hospitals. Currently SAS4Kids is donating them to the Children’s Hospitals in Neenah and Milwaukee, WI, University of Iowa Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA, Blank Children's Hospital, Des Moines, IA, Sandford Children's Hospital, Sioux Falls, SD and to the B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia and the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton , Alberta in Canada. On any given day, there are many children inpatient in these hospitals, so SAS4Kids would love to receive as many cards as you can send to cheer them and their families. The kids may also use your cards as Thank You Notes to the nurses and doctors and to give to parents or relatives on special days like birthdays or Mothers or Fathers Day.
At this time SAS4Kids is hoping to receive enough Holiday cards so that every child in these hospitals on or around Christmas will receive a card to cheer them and their families. Please do not make your cards religion specific as the nurses do not always know what religion the child’s family is. Any cheery winter or holiday card would be great!
Send a Smile 4 Kids is going to be the featured charity in CardMaker Magazine’s January issue (on stands in December) in their Readers Reach Out section. We are thrilled to be helped by card drives such as this one at Paper Creations Ink and in the Cardmaker Magazine and look forward to receiving your cards to help cheer our kids.
The addresses to send your cards to are:
SAS4Kids c/o Sarah Taylor, 3419 7th Ave, Sioux City, Iowa 51106 OR
SAS4Kids (Canada) c/o Shelley Dureau, 2525 Cable Court, Coquitlam, BC V3H 3G1 Canada OR
SAS4Kids (Canada) c/o Lynnette Pinno, Box 1256, Camrose, Alberta T4V 1X2 OR
SAS4 Kids c/o Karen Hasheck, 5507 Hickory St, Schofield, WI 54476
Please refer to the blog at http://sendasmile4kids.blogspot.com/ for card guidelines and any other details you may need as well as information on the Send a Smile 4 Kids twice monthly challenges.

Digi Doodle Shop is sponsoring Paper Creations Ink challenge 12 and supplied the team with digis to be used for this challenge, so my card features their delightful Stocking Puppy digital image, coloured with copics. I added stickles crystal ice glitter glue to the cuff of the stocking. All papers used are K & Co Secret Santa. I used a 7 x 5 card base. I'm entering this into Digi doodle shops best 81: a wintry theme.

This is also another card for my own CHNC challenge 45: bright colours and/or sparkle.

I'm also entering this into the following challenges:

If the shoe fits fashionista Friday 95: KISS (keep it simple sweetheart)
Bows and berries 13: clean and simple
I did it 80: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
There she goes 129: holiday projects
Winter wonderland: make your cards sparkle
The paper shelter 38: Christmas fun
Pixie cottage 94: get started - make a Christmas card
Delightful: a very sparkly Christmas
Mami doodles 37: Christmas
St Luke's November: Christmas is coming
Heidi's hobbystuggu November: Christmas card with bling/sparkle
Crimbo crackers 1: anything goes
Forever friends: bling bling
Crafty boots: young at heart
Daisy doodles 46: anything goes with a digi
Posted by at 25 comments:

So sophie

This card is for this sketch for My Mind's Eye 29:

One of the conditions of the challenge is to use 80% My Mind's Eye products - not difficult, because I love them, so I used the double sided So Sophie little lady considerate tulip paper. The lighter pink paper is from Dena Designs. The butterfly stamp by Inca is called 'queen of Spain' - it was stamped with memento rich cocoa. The scalloped circles were cut with Nellie's die cuts and edges were distressed with brushed corduroy DI, as were the edges of the scalloped strips cut on my rotatrim.

This is an A5 card to accommodate the shaped piece of the So Sophie paper at the bottom.

This is also for:

Craft your passion 83: anything goes + brown
Crafty cardmakers 55: colour combo - pink, brown & cream
Raise the bar 82: no embellishments - can use die cuts or anything paper made
Crazy challenge 92: something with wings
Let's ink it up 17: show us your favourite technique - distressing
Our craft lounge 90: distressed & stressed
Creatalicious 27: distress your edges
Posted by at 22 comments:

A few goodies

I went to Hobbycraft the other day - they had a 25% discount afternoon, so I thought it was an opportunity to stock up on a few 'essentials'. I also got a few bits elsewhere, so this is my new haul:

Posted by at 5 comments:

Sunday, 6 November 2011

Non-traditional colour Christmas card

I thought I would make a brown Christmas card for a change. Papers were freebies from a magazine, so this is another card for my challenge today for the Christmas card gang. The Inkadinkado reindeer stamp was inked with versamark and heat embossed with detail white powder. The ribbon, flowers and brad are from stash.

Colours are for Pals paper arts 118:

and for Tanda teaser 183: sepia tones.

This is also for:

Pixie cottage 94: get started - make a Christmas card
Mami doodles 37: Christmas
St Luke's November: Christmas is coming
Ribbon girl: jingle all the way to Christmas
Sundays with Crissy 23: Christmas card using non-traditional colours
Card and scrap 19: Christmas card with flowers, tag and text
Just add ink 92: just add a tag or bookmark
Fun with shapes and more 95: anamalistic Christmas
Create me pink 3: flower challenge
Stamps R us: masculine theme
Stamp n doodle: emboss it
Jellypark friends: non-traditional Christmas colours
The craft garden November: Christmas but no red or green
Glitter fairies 4: non-traditional Christmas - no red, green, gold
Ribbon carousel 27: anything goes
2 sisters 64: ribbon
Crimbo crackers 1: anything goes
Corrosive136: with a flourish
Papercraft star 69: a flourish
Divas by design 14: use metal (brads)
Meljen 83: use brads
ABC Christmas: V is for vintage Christmas
Addicted to stamps 17: make it shabby, shabby chic or vintage
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes (plus a bit of bling)
Posted by at 49 comments:

Saturday, 5 November 2011

Christmas gang challenge - freebie papers

It was my turn to choose the challenge for tomorrow for the Christmas gang (there's a list of us on my sidebar - if you'd like to know more and perhaps join us, just get in touch with one of us).

I asked everyone to make a card using something recycled or something that was a freebie with a magazine or in a swap or RAK etc.

For my card I used papers by Nancy Watts from the current Making Cards magazine. The poinsettia in the middle is decoupaged. I very lightly distressed the edges of the card with brown corduroy DI to give a bit of definition.

I'm also linking this for:

Pixie cottage 94: get started - make a Christmas card
Mami doodles 37: Christmas
St Luke's November: Christmas is coming
Crafts and me 59: let the music move you
Try it on Tuesday: unusual shaped card
Crimbo crackers 1: anything goes
Polka doodles 44: shaped card

Posted by at 21 comments:

Glistening gold

These cards are for For your inspiration 17 for this photo inspiration:

and also for Party time Tuesday 40 photo inspiration:

They were all made with papers, glittered embellishments and sentiments from Anna Griffin.




These are also for:

Winter wonderland: make your cards sparkle
Pixie cottage 94: get started - make a Christmas card
Delightful: a very sparkly Christmas
Mami doodles 37: Christmas
St Luke's November: Christmas is coming
Heidi's hobbystuggu November: Christmas card with bling/sparkle
Christmas inspirations 36: bows (4th card)
Ribbon girl: jingle all the way to Christmas (particularly 4th card)
Ribbon carousel 27: anything goes (4th card)
2 sisters 64: ribbon
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: monochromatic + ribbon (4th card)
Crimbo crackers 1: anything goes
Corrosive136: with a flourish (1st and 3rd cards)
Papercraft star 69: a flourish (1st and 3rd cards)
Di's digi designs: ribbons and bows (4th card)
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes (plus a bit of bling)
Posted by at 36 comments:

Elephant notebook

This is one of the notebooks I altered for my sale last week. The background is a sample piece of wallpaper that I acquired ages ago. The big elephant sticker came from the 99 store (I think, not sure).

This is for:

Cards for men 22: animals (don't know whether a notebook is OK - if not, please delete my entry)
Crazy challenge 91: inspirational photo:

Cooking it up with Katie 82: anything but a card
Bows n berries 13: clean and simple
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Posted by at 19 comments:

Christmas card designs

I've been given permission to show the cards that I designed and printed for my friends' Accountancy Aid business, so I'm now showing what I did for this year and then what I did for last year.

This year I was given a drawing of their premises to work on, so this is the scan:

I digitally changed the image, taking out the security camera on the left and adding some snow to give the picture a festive look. I then used elements from My Craft Studio Magic of Christmas CD to add to the picture. The biggest problem I had was that the print out from MCS had a crop mark in the bottom right hand corner and I couldn't get rid of it, so in the end I somehow managed to save the complete image as a PDF and then converted this to the Jpg to work on further to make it ready to print. I got there in the end, but the whole card took so many tweaking episodes that I was having to call the documents by lots of different names and found it quite hard to find the latest one to work on - my computer has so many versions saved!

This is what I was working on when I showed my workspace for WOYWW 126.

So 300 cards have now been delivered to Accountancy Aid and this is what the final card looks like:

I made cards for them last year, but didn't show them on my blog, so thought I would now. This is a photo that I was given to work on - looking up the road towards the Accountancy Aid building.
I digitally removed the blue car which was near the building and put a door in its place. I also removed the bit of the car poking out on the left hand side. I softened the edges and added the holly corners and the greeting - and then printed 300. This has actually got a white background - not sure why it's showing clear on here.

I'm linking these for the following challenges:

Pixie cottage 94: get started - make a Christmas card
Mami doodles 37: Christmas
St Luke's November: Christmas is coming
Crimbo crackers 1: anything goes
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Posted by at 22 comments:

CHNC challenge 45: bright colours and/or sparkle

For challenge 45 today on my CHNC blog the topic is 'bright colours and/or sparkle' - I thought this was appropriate as today in the UK is 'bonfire night', the day that's celebrating with fireworks in memory of the failed attempt of Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

For my card I've used a 7 x 5 card blank, matted with Anna Griffin papers - the red and white one is very glittered and sparkly. The Santa and robins are both slightly glittered with a bit of a fabric feel to them (they either came from the 99p store or Poundland - can't remember which).

I'm entering this card into these challenges:

Cute card Thursday 189: baby you're a firework - firework inspired
Winter wonderland: make your cards sparkle
The paper shelter 38: Christmas fun
Pixie cottage 94: get started - make a Christmas card
Delightful: a very sparkly Christmas
Stempelsonne 49: Father Christmas/Santa Claus
Mami doodles 37: Christmas
St Luke's November: Christmas is coming
Heidi's hobbystuggu November: Christmas card with bling/sparkle
Crimbo crackers 1: anything goes
Crafty boots: young at heart
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes (plus a bit of bling)
Posted by at 30 comments:

Friday, 4 November 2011

Make a note of it

An altered notebook using a piece of music and hearts paper that's been lurking in a box for a few years now and some Poundland 3D music stickers.

This is for:

Crafts and me 59: let the music move you
Southern girls 31: can you hear the music
Cooking it up with Katie 82: anything but a card
Your next stamp 54: anything but a card
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Posted by at 13 comments:

Sparkly snowman

This card is a 7 x 5 card blank layered with Anna Griffin papers, with the addition of a glittery snowman - clean and simple.

This is for:

Winter wonderland: make your cards sparkle
The paper shelter 38: Christmas fun
Pixie cottage 94: get started - make a Christmas card
Delightful: a very sparkly Christmas
Mami doodles 37: Christmas
St Luke's November: Christmas is coming
Crimbo crackers 1: anything goes
Pink gem 33: cold and frosty
Bows n berries 13: clean and simple
Crafty boots: young at heart
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes (plus a bit of bling)
Posted by at 34 comments:

November Chrysanthemums

Having left last week's Daring cardmakers challenge till the last evening, I decided I would do today's challenge on the first day rather than leave it.

So this is for DCM Chrysanthemum challenge - it is the flower of the month for November and also is in celebration of DCM's birthday as they move into their 6th year - way to go!

I used the sketch for Clean & Simple 165:

Colours are for Some odd girl nouveau challenge - they shared this beautiful inspiration photo:


The yellow papers - four or five different patterns - are unknown (I think I received them in a swap ages ago). I distressed all edges with spiced marmalade DI. The flowers are made from three different sets and sizes of nesties mixed up with American crafts pearl brads, glittered ribbon and gold foiled sentiment (sorry about the flash glare) from stash.

This is also for:

Crafty Ann 53: floral frenzy
Sketchy colors 91: yellow and black
Sentimental Sundays 79: birth flowers (for a November birthday)
Create me pink 3: flower challenge
Craft your passion 82: bingo - I chose flowers, free and bling
Gingerloft 28: bingo - I chose ribbon, glitter and flowers
Crafty ribbons 5: bingo - I chose dies, flowers and ribbon
Bows n berries 13: clean and simple
Crafty Ann 52: clean and simple
Cardmakin mamas 32: cut it out - die cuts
Divas by design 14: use metal (brads)
Meljen 83: use brads
PanPastel UK 6: distress it
Pink elephant 123: distressing
Creatalicious 27: distress your edges
Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: monochromatic (can add a pop of colour) + ribbon
Paper players 70: anything goes fall theme
Crafty catz 107: anything goes
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes (plus a bit of bling)
Ribbon carousel 27: anything goes
Come and get it: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 55: anything goes
Paper playtime 59: anything goes
Pollycraft 117: anything goes
Posted by at 45 comments:

Thursday, 3 November 2011

Blue Birthday

This is a last minute entry for Daring cardmakers 'fantastic felties', using a felt flower with button from Poundland.

I've used the sketch for Clean & simple 164 (another last minute entry):

Papers are 7 gypsies baja journey and the corner piece stamp is Penny Black inked with stazon ultramarine. Paper edges have been distressed with a mix of broken china and stormy sky DIs. The sentiment is a craftime one.

This is also for:

Bows n berries 13: clean and simple
Crafty Ann 52: clean and simple
Stamp, scrap & doodle: monochromatic
Paperminutes 190: blue/white
Stamp insanity 79: chill out - cool as ice blues
PanPastel UK 6: distress it
Pink elephant 123: distressing
Creatalicious 27: distress your edges
Corrosive 136: with a flourish
Papercraft star 69: a flourish
Simon says: buttons
PaperPlay 44: button up
Freshly brewed 71: anything goes
Stampavie and more 155: anything goes
Sweet stampin: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Come and get it: anything goes
Dream valley 19: anything goes
Lollipop crafts 55: anything goes
Paper playtime 59: anything goes
Pollycraft 117: anything goes
Posted by at 35 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)