Christmas shades of blue

'Shades of blue' is today's facebook Sunday's with Santa theme and for my card I've used the lovely Shelly's image 'all wrapped up snowman', coloured with copics and a blue glitter pen for the lights, which are for Christmas cards all year round for June: twinkle twinkle Christmas lights, also for Crimbo crackers 17: decorations. Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday challenge this week is 'blingage', so this is also for that.

The mixture of blues is also for this Winter wonderland photo inspiration:

I've used the sketch for Techno stamper's Monday lunchtime 224:

The papers are from my offcuts box and the silver mirror card are also offcuts, so this is another for Pixie's crafty snippets 24 and also for Hiding in my craftroom 49: super scraps Saturday.

They say the camera never lies, so why is it that the silver mirror surround of the sentiment looks wrong on the bottom corner on here whereas IRL it's OK?

This is also for:

Sparkles forum Christmas June 17: monochromatic
Crop stop 75: monochromatic is in
Truly madly crafty June: monochrome
Hooked on craft June 21: all that glitters
Party time Tuesday 71: royal challenge - sparkle, bling, shine
Top tip Tuesday 78: sparkles galore
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 21: clean and simple
ABC Christmas: K for keep it simple
Deep ocean 27: sewing
Frosted fabulous Friday: stitching
Sweet stampin: all stitched up
Christmas stampin all year long 14: anything goes
Digital Tuesday 163: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
52 card pick up 23
Inspire me Fridays 62

Skating winter bird

For this card I've used another  Bugaboo stamps supplied for my  CHNC challenge 76  'feature a creature' called 'winter birds skate'. I've coloured with copics, rounded the corners and matted on to a gold mirror card shape (with poor light the indoor photo doesn't show the gold mirror to advantage).

I've followed the sketch for Festive Friday 22:

I've used an offcut of woodgrain card for the chevron shape that was originally white and coloured with tea dye DI - this is for Hotshot craft 9: distress inks, also Our creative corner: your favourite Tim Holtz technique (using distress inks). The spotted background paper was from my offcuts box, so this is another for Pixie's crafty snippets 24 and also for Hiding in my craftroom 49: super scraps Saturday. The woodgrain is for Christmas card challenges week 28, also for 365 cards day 91: imagine this: wood.

This is also for:

Jingle belles: inspired by a song - When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along
Creative card crew 12: song inspired - When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along
Christmas stampin all year long 14: anything goes
Pile it on 24: let's get outdoors
Bizzy Becs June: bright and cheery cards
Friday mashup 62: it's for the birds
Whimsy 42: things with wings
LiaStampz 18: things with wings
Little Miss Muffet 36: rainbows, clouds or wings
Southern girls 46: things with wings
The paper shelter 67: going dottie
Card caravan (the hybrid chick) 21: clean and simple
ABC Christmas: K for keep it simple
Digital Tuesday 163: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Bunny Zoe 24: anything goes
52 card pick up 23
Inspire me Fridays 62

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer

This card is another one for my CHNC challenge 76 'feature a creature' and uses the sketch for Hanna and friends 147:

The sketch was just right for using up some offcuts from my Christmas box (papers originally from magazine freebies), so this is my first card of the week for Pixie's crafty snippets 24 and also for Hiding in my craftroom 49: super scraps Saturday.

The card blank is green stardream, the snowflakes were made with a Woodware punch with gold mirror card (doesn't show up here, unfortunately). The image is 'reindeer skate' by Bugaboo stamps, who are sponsoring my CHNC challenge 76. It was coloured with copics and the oval torn around a template and roughly edged with a copic.

This is also for:

Jingle belles: inspired by a song - Rudolph the red nosed reindeer
Willow sketchie: animal antics
Great impressions 4: die cuts or punches
Digital Tuesday 163: anything goes

Suzie's 365 photos day 161: frayed

When I first say Suzie's prompt for today I thought of me ... frayed around the edges - lol!

Then I remembered a skirt that has a frayed hem (well, strictly speaking I suppose it's fringed, but I think it will pass as 'frayed' for the prompt), so here is day 161:

Sweet strawberry kisses

This card is for the sketch for Tuesday morning sketches 149:

I downloaded the freebie strawberry digital image from Jane's doodles - this was prompted by the first challenge on a new blog Digi Haven, the idea being to use a digital image that is  a 'freebie forever'. I imported the image into Publisher and repeated it several times, tilting the direction of some of them, coloured in with promarkers - poppy and grass - and dotting with red here and there. I then printed the large strawberry with the computer generated text. The image was then matted on card coloured with the poppy promarker. Just the addition of the dotted ribbon and the 'with love' sentiment and the card was done. I used promarkers for I love promarkers challenge 120: for a little girl.

This is also for:

Clearlyistamp 53: fruity
The cheerful stamp pad 44: the sweet life
One stitch at a time 116: use a digi
Aud sentiments 56: any sentiment for a child's birthday
Ooh-la-la 106: make it girly
Tammy scraping corner 13: for the girls
Crafty Ann 67: it's a girl thing
Ribbon girl: card challenge - use ribbon or lace
Ribbon carousel 56: birthday bash
Totally papercrafts: doodle on it (the freehand random spots)
The paper shelter 67: going dottie
The crafty pad 173: ribbon
Sentimental Sundays 105: show me your spots
Craft room: birthday
Creative card crew 12: song inspired - 'strawberries' by Smooth
House of Gilli: vibrant colours/summer challenge
Pink elephant 151: vibrant colours
Bizzy Becs June: bright and cheery cards
Digital Tuesday 163: anything goes
Amusing challenges (stamped blessings): anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Bunny Zoe 24: anything goes
Make it Monday 92
52 card pick up 23
Inspire me Fridays 62

Skating penguin

This card is actually for my CHNC challenge 76 which starts at 9:00 UK time tomorrow morning, but I'm not going to give anything more away about the challenge - I'll edit this in the morning. Update: challenge 76 is now live and is 'feature a creature'.

I've used a digital stamp supplied by Bugaboo Stamps 'little penguin winter - skate' coloured with copics (Bugaboo are sponsoring the CHNC challenge 76). The image and surround were cut with nesties.


Papers are a mixture from my Christmas offcuts box, so this is another card for Waste not Wednesdays (wishcraft) 22.

The card is based on the sketch for Merry Monday 23:

Colours are for Christmas Inspirations 46: green, black and white.

This is also for Sunday's with Santa on facebook for last Sunday: sports (skating etc).

This is also for:

Fab n funky 124: go green
Christmas stampin all year long 14: anything goes
ABC Christmas: K for keep it simple
Here come the boys 28: anything goes
Forever friends 37: one for the boys
Little darlings 24: boy card
Jellypark friends: boy crazy
S J crafts 5: all about the boy + extra: use up something old that's been in your stash for a while - the papers
Desmet designs June: for the men and boys
Amusing challenges (stamped blessings): anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Bunny Zoe 24: anything goes
Make it Monday 92
52 card pick up 23
Inspire me Fridays 62

Suzie's 365 photos day 160: vintage

For Suzie's day 160: vintage I've found up some old coins - some older than others - the tiny coin on the right at the front is a Victorian 3d silver piece.

Christmas card for a child

Having been away for a couple of weeks I'm a bit adrift with the cards for the Sunday's with Santa group on facebook. The theme for the Sunday before last was 'card for a child', so here I am with mine at last.

I've used the June sketch for 52 Christmas card throwdown:

 The papers are from my Christmas offcuts box and the topper is one from a Kanban kit bought some time ago, mounted on to some gold mirror card and cut by hand - so this is another card for Waste not Wednesdays (wishcraft) 22.

This is also for:

Sentimental Sundays 105: show me your spots
Jingle belles: fa-la-la-la-la! - music, inspired by a song - 'Snowman - walking in the air'
Creative card crew 12: song inspired -  'Snowman - walking in the air'
ABC Christmas: K for keep it simple
Bizzy Becs June: bright and cheery cards
Amusing challenges (stamped blessings): anything goes
Papertake: anything goes

Suzie's 365 photos day 159: roadside

Oh, Suzie, this was a tricky one today - day 159: roadside. It's been raining most of the day and only let up a little while ago, which enabled me to go over to a shop across the road ... but I forgot to take my camera with me.

Then I remembered that I'd taken quite a few photos on Saturday in Eastbourne - taken from the balcony of our hotel room and looking up the road to where the Carnival procession would eventually come into view. You can see the cars and the people along the roadside:

Suzie's 365 photos day 158: reaching up

Yesterday Suzie asked us to show photos for 'reaching up'. I was going to get John to each up to a high shelf, but then I remembered that during a recent 'meet up' with a friend in London we walked through Trafalgar Square and I took a few photos of the bronze statue of a boy on a rocking horse (I really like this), so here he is for day 158:

Suzie's 365 photos day 157: sparkle

I'm a couple of days behind with Suzie's 365 photos, so here is my sparkle for day 157:

A right royal birthday

This card is for the sketch on Stampin' for the weekend 10:

 Once again I've used Papermania Portobello papers - I used up some of the pieces from the previous card, so I'm having fun in the playground at Pixie's crafty snippets 23 (my first visit for quite some time) and also for Waste not Wednesdays (wishcraft) 22.

The light blue piece of paper is Me to you especially for you stamped with some random crowns with an Anna Griffin stamp. The happy birthday stamp on the middle piece of paper is from the PM Portobello Road urban stamp set.

This is another one for Tracy's challenge TTC12 - 06 on CBC forum: fit for a queen.

This is also for:

Daring cardmakers June's colour combo: red, white and blue
Sunday stamper 208: Her majesty
Creative craft: a patriotic colour challenge - red, white, blue
Scrapbook sisters 87: red, white and blue
Craft your days away 46: red, white & blue
One stop craft 185: Queen's diamond jubilee
Crafts4eternity R74: royals
The artistic stamper creative team June: red, white and blue
Sentimental Sundays 105: show me your spots
Craft room: birthday
Pixie dust 130: patterned papers
Amusing challenges (stamped blessings): anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Scrap-card challenge 29: anything goes
Secret crafter Saturday 188: anything goes
Catch the bug June: anything goes
Bunny Zoe 24: anything goes
Make it Monday 92
Inspire me Fridays 61

52 card pick up 22

Queen for a day

Having not done any crafting for a couple of weeks, I'm attempting to get back into the groove today ... but I think my mojo might still be on holiday.

Anyway, here is a simple card following the sketch given for Sketches by Carly 57:

It's not surprising that with all the festivities of the Queen's Jubilee at the weekend that there are a number of challenges featuring red, white and blue, crowns etc. I've used Papermania Portobellow Road papers that were free with Docrafts Creativity magazine and a Cool Britannia 'Queen for a day' stamp that came with the latest Quick Cards magazine (I treated myself on holiday ... and also bought some crafting goodies that I might show later) with the lettering coloured in, a few gems added here and there and a birthday banner.

This is also for Tracy's challenge TTC12 - 06 on CBC forum: fit for a queen.

This is also for:

Daring cardmakers June's colour combo: red, white and blue
Sunday stamper 208: Her majesty
Creative craft: a patriotic colour challenge - red, white, blue
Scrapbook sisters 87: red, white and blue
Sarah Hurley 68: red, white and blue
Polka doodles 22: regal colours diamond jubilee
Craft your days away 46: red, white & blue
One stop craft 185: Queen's diamond jubilee

Suzie's 365 photos day 156: colourful

I've seen quite a few colourful things around me today, but I decided to take a couple of pictures of some plants outside a florist shop in Eastbourne for day 156: colourful:

Suzie's 365 photos day 155: gates

On Wednesday we went on the bus to East Dean, just on the outskirts of Eastbourne, where it was market day. I took a few photos and, looking at them this morning, I discovered there was one that included gates, so I've cropped that part of the photo for Suzie's day 155.

And in this picture of John you can just see these gates on the right:

Focus on the sentiment

This is my Christmas card for Lorraine's challenge for the Christmas Card Club to make a card with the sentiment being the main feature. As I'll still be in Eastbourne, I made this card quickly before leaving. It's very simple, using a Kanban sentiment panel matted on a a foiled frame. The background paper is from my offcuts box.

This is also for:

Christmas card challenges 2012 week 27: sentiment only
ABC Christmas: K for keep it simple
Gingerloft 41: circles, circles and more circles
Mema's crafts June: just words
Sentimental Sundays 105: show me your spots
Art impressions 65: seeing spots
Scrap-card challenge 29: anything goes
Catch the bug June: anything goes
Secret crafter Saturday 188: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 61

52 card pick up 22

Suzie's 365 photos day 154: in the distance

For the photo prompt today - day 154 - Suzie is asking us 'what can you see  in the distance?'

We walked along the prom this morning - I then looked back to where there is a flag flying near to the bandstand. I had to wait for some people to walk past and then managed go get this photo:

and here is part of the photo zoomed in to show the flag is really there!:

CHNC challenge 75: a right royal purple

It's time  for another CHNC challenge (this post is prepared and scheduled ahead because I am still in Eastbourne), so for challenge 75 I'm asking for you to use purple on your Christmas card.

For my card I've used some paper from the My Craft Studio beautiful baubles collection that I got some time ago with Making Cards together with a Kanban topper that I've had for ages - just a strip of glittered gold down the side and the card was done:

This is also for:

Christmas crafting June 12: purple Christmas

ABC Christmas: K for keep it simple
Sparkles forum Christmas June 17: monochromatic

Scrap-card challenge 29: anything goes

Catch the bug June: anything goes

Secret crafter Saturday 188: anything goes

Inspire me Fridays 61

52 card pick up 22

Suzie's 365 photos

Trying to keep up with Suzie's 365 photos while I'm away, so here are the last three days:

Day 151: groceries - a shop round the corner from the hotel:

Day 152: bargain - a quick photo taken showing a bargain in the window of Tesco Extra (unfortunately, reflection in the window of the buildings opposite, but nevermind):

Day 153: isolated - we caught a bus up to the other end of the seafront and had a coffee at the Pavilion before strolling along the prom. I then got a bit carried away and took loads of pictures for 'isolated', so here are some of them (I admit that I've cheated a bit on the third one because there were people in the photo and I've cloned parts of the photo to eliminate them):

Eastbourne collage

Thought I'd just show a little collage I've made with a few of our Eastbourne photos.

Suzie's 365 photos day 150: messy

Having told my facebook friends that I wasn't spending much time on the internet while I'm away, I still want to be able to keep up with Suzie's 365 photos if I can.

Fortunately, I had a peep before breakfast to see what the prompt was for day 150 today. I decided to have a treat this morning and have croissants for breakfast (glad that my doctor doesn't see my blog as they're not good for my high cholesterol) - anyway, you've heard the saying that you can't make omelettes without breaking eggs - well, I've got a new saying: 'you can't eat croissants without making a mess' - so here it is (had to take a very quick photo while no one was looking - bit of a strange thing to do!: