Christmas Times

Another card made with Kaisercraft papers and die cuts. The card looks bent here, but it doesn't IRL:

This is for:

Fab n funky 151: a vintage Christmas
It's all about the vintage and beauty 33: Christmas
Willow sketchie: vintage
Alphabet:: V for vintage
Crafty mess 23: vintage Christmas
Facebook Sunday's with Santa week 46: vintage
One stop craft 208: Christmas friends
LEJ designs 33: sentimental
Christmas cards all year round December: Santa
Party time Tuesday 98: kids Christmas
The hybrid chick card caravan 33: holiday card
Dream valley 47: Christmas
Robyn's fetish 137: Christmas cards
Crazy challenge 134: Christmas time
Cupcake craft 222: merry Christmas
Fashionista 10: winter
Songbird 10: Christmas
Squigglefly 4912: traditional Christmas colours - red and green
Cute card Thursday 246: red and green
Anything goes 82: traditional colours
Emerald faeries 38: Christmas
Christmas card challenges 2013 week 2: die cuts
Forever friends 51: Christmas cards
QKR stampede 17: holiday cheer
PaperPlay 49: Christmas is coming
Shelly: Christmas is in the air
CRAFT 184: Christmas

Lollipop crafts 95: happy holidays

Everybody art 217: anything goes

Natalie and Amy December: winter wishes
DL.ART thankful Thursday: anything red and/or green

A & T 19: anything goes
Cards galore December: Christmas
Fussy & fancy 77: I love Christmas
Creatalicious 40: winter
Papercraft star 124: a Christmas tree
Fairytale 56: oh Christmas tree
Love to create 45: anything goes
Paper playtime 90: Christmas colours
Mark's speedy fox and friends 137: red & green
Deep ocean 40: so this is Christmas
Die cuttin' divas 94: holiday spirit - Kaisercraft die cuts
Crafts and me 114: why so blue? No blues allowed
Jingle belles: December to remember
Perfect sentiments 59: anything goes with Christmas
Aud sentiments 69: anything goes
Challenges 4 everybody 9: anything goes
Oozak 9: anything goes + red
Through the craftroom door 48: anything goes
Tuesday alchemy 44: anything goes
Wags n whiskers 94: anything goes
House of gilli 47: anything goes
Artistic inspirations 18: anything goes
Crafty boots: christmas
Lady Anne: Nana Vickie's first challenge
Make it Monday 119
Inspire me Fridays 88
52 card pickup week 49

Christmas flowers

I haven't blogged since Saturday, but I have made some more Christmas cards, but no time to blog. Here is another made with Kaisercraft elements - the background paper at the top if beautifully foiled - couldn't get a decent photo to show what it's really like.

This is for:

Pixie's crafty snippets week 50 - the strips across the bottom
Hiding in my craftroom 75: super scraps Saturday
The hybrid chick card caravan 33: holiday card
Dream valley 47: Christmas
Robyn's fetish 137: Christmas cards
The squirrel and the fox 32: summer or winter
Crazy challenge 134: Christmas time
Cupcake craft 222: merry Christmas
Fashionista 10: winter
Songbird 10: christmas
Squigglefly 4912: traditional Christmas colours - red and green
Anything goes 82: traditional colours
Emerald faeries 38: Christmas
Unstampabelles 18: Christmas
Christmas card challenges 2013 week 2: die cuts
Freshly brewed 125: Christmas
Forever friends 51: Christmas cards
A card a day (facebook)
QKR stampede 17: holiday cheer
PaperPlay 49: Christmas is coming
Shelly: Christmas is in the air
CRAFT 184: Christmas

Lollipop crafts 95: happy holidays

Everybody art 217: anything goes

Natalie and Amy December: winter wishes
DL.ART thankful Thursday: anything red and/or green

A & T 19: anything goes
Cards galore December: Christmas
Fussy & fancy 77: I love Christmas
Creatalicious 40: winter
Love to create 45: anything goes
Paper playtime 90: Christmas colours
Mark's speedy fox and friends 137: red & green
Cute card Thursday 246: red and green
Deep ocean 40: so this is Christmas
Die cuttin' divas 94: holiday spirit - Kaisercraft die cuts
Crafts and me 114: why so blue? No blues allowed
Jingle belles: December to remember
Moving along with the times: clean & simple
Challenges 4 everybody 9: anything goes
Oozak 9: anything goes + red
Through the craftroom door 48: anything goes
Tuesday alchemy 44: anything goes
Wags n whiskers 94: anything goes
House of gilli 47: anything goes
Artistic inspirations 18: anything goes
Crafty boots: christmas
Lady Anne: Nana Vickie's first challenge
Make it Monday 119
Inspire me Fridays 88
52 card pickup week 49

CHNC challengte 102: Deer, deer, me ... let's see a reindeer or two

Christmas is getting closer and closer and you may be like me and still need to make some cards (despite making them throughout the year). If you still need to make some more, why not include a reindeer or two and take part in my CHNC challenge 102? The challenge is being sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps, so my card includes their 'reindeer skate' image, coloured with copics and the oval cut with a nestie. The background paper is an offcut of a 12 x 12 paper that I bought long, long ago - so this is my first (and probably last!) card of the week for Pixie's crafty snippets week 49 - also for Hiding in my craft room 75: super scraps Saturday.

Flowers are prima and the sentiment was generated on my dymo letratag.

This is also for:

Freshly brewed 125: Christmas
Forever friends Dec monthly challenge: Christmas cards
A card a day (facebook)
Little scrap pieces fun Friday: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Pattie's 58: Christmas card
QKR stampede 17: holiday cheer
Paper-crafting journey: Christmas projects
PaperPlay 49: Christmas is coming
Shelly: Christmas is in the air
CRAFT 184: Christmas
Craft us crazy 32: Christmas/winter and/or favourite embellishment - flowers
Paper pretties Wednesday 235: Christmas inspired

Critter 144: Christmas - anything goes
Lollipop crafts 95: happy holidays
Whoopsi Daisy: Christmas cards
Top tip Tuesday 91: Christmas

Everybody art 216: Christmas

Natalie and Amy December: winter wishes
DL.ART thankful Thursday: December holidays

A & T 19: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Cards galore December: Christmas
Lexi 79: Christmas
Fussy & fancy 77: I love Christmas
Creatalicious 40: winter
Bunny Zoe: winter
Love to create 44: holiday cheer
Paper playtime 90: Christmas colours
Mark's speedy fox and friends 137: red & green
Clear it out: Christmas - paper is very old
Deep ocean 40: so this is Christmas
Die cuttin' divas 94: holiday spirit - a nestie used
Amusing challenges: die cut
Sweet stampin: dies and/or punches
Jellypark friends: stars are brightly shining
Whimsy 54: anything goes so long as it's festive
Crafting for all seasons 41: use flowers
Great impressions December: anything goes
Crafts and me 113: anything goes
Jingle belles: December to remember
Moving along with the times: clean & simple
Wags n whiskers 94: anything goes
Stampin with the dragon: anything goes
Aud sentiments 69: anything goes
Penny's 105: anything goes
Crafty bloggers network 6: anything goes
One stitch at a time 142: anything goes
House of gilli 47: anything goes
Mema crafts December: anything goes
Artistic inspirations 18: anything goes
Crafty boots: anything goes
Through the craftroom door 47: anything goes
Lady Anne: stamp challenge
Make it Monday 118
Inspire me Fridays 88
52 card pickup week 49

Christmas spirit is in the air

Another card using papers and die cuts from the Kaisercraft turtle dove range. I slit the nest so that the bird can sit in it.

Frosted designs are doing challenges for the twelve days of Christmas. The challenge for 'on the first day of Christmas' is to 'use 1 bird on your project'.

This is also for:

Freshly brewed 125: Christmas
Forever friends Dec monthly challenge: Christmas cards
A card a day (facebook)
Paper-crafting journey: Christmas projects
PaperPlay 49: Christmas is coming
Shelly: Christmas is in the air
CRAFT 184: Christmas
Craft us crazy 32: Christmas/winter
Paper pretties Wednesday 235: Christmas inspired

Critter 144: Christmas - anything goes
Lollipop crafts 95: happy holidays
Whoopsi Daisy: Christmas cards

Everybody art 216: Christmas

Natalie and Amy December: winter wishes
DL.ART thankful Thursday: December holidays

A & T 19: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Cards galore December: Christmas
Lexi 79: Christmas
Fussy & fancy 77: I love Christmas
Creatalicious 40: winter
Bunny Zoe: winter
Paper playtime 90: Christmas colours
Alota 96: Christmas ornaments
Clear it out: Christmas
Deep ocean 40: so this is Christmas
Die cuttin' divas 94: holiday spirit - Kaisercraft die cuts used
Great impressions December: anything goes
Crafts and me 113: anything goes + optional Christmas ornaments
Unstampabelles 18: Christmas
Jingle belles: December to remember
Soartful December: bird life
Playing in paradise 96: winter birds
Willow sketchie: vintage
It's all about the vintage and beauty 33: Christmas
Alphabet: V for vintage
Crafty mess 23: vintage Christmas
Moving along with the times: clean & simple
Wags n whiskers 94: anything goes
Aud sentiments 69: anything goes
Penny's 105: anything goes
One stitch at a time 142: anything goes
House of gilli 47: anything goes
Crafty boots: anything goes
Make it Monday 118
Inspire me Fridays 88
52 card pickup week 49

Kaisercraft comes to the rescue

When we were in Eastbourne in September I bought a few goodies from That Craft Place  - just couldn't resist the Kaisercraft turtle dove papers and die cut shapes. So today I'm showing some cards I made last evening - they almost made themselves because the papers and die cuts really need nothing more added.

This is the first one I made using various papers and elements. Colours are for Pals paper arts 148: seasons greetings colour challenge:

This is for:

Freshly brewed 125: Christmas
Forever friends Dec monthly challenge: Christmas cards
Sunday's with Santa facebook group week 49: decorations
Paper-crafting journey: Christmas projects
PaperPlay 49: Christmas is coming
Shelly: Christmas is in the air
CRAFT 184: Christmas
Craft us crazy 32: Christmas/winter
Paper pretties Wednesday 235: Christmas inspired

Critter 144: Christmas - anything goes
Lollipop crafts 95: happy holidays
Tammy's scraping corner 39: anything Christmas
Whoopsi Daisy: Christmas cards
Top tip Tuesday 91: Christmas

Everybody art 216: Christmas

LEJ designs 32: countdown to Christmas
Natalie and Amy December: winter wishes
DL.ART thankful Thursday: December holidays

A & T 19: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Cards galore December: Christmas
Lexi 79: Christmas
Fussy & fancy 77: I love Christmas
My sheri 99: 'tis the season
Creatalicious 40: winter
Bunny Zoe: winter
DCC & friends 5: Christmas time
Love to create 44: holiday cheer
Paper playtime 90: Christmas colours
Alota 96: Christmas ornaments
Clear it out: Christmas
Deep ocean 40: so this is Christmas
Die cut divas 94: holiday spirit - Kaisercraft die cuts used
Chocolate coffee & cards 27: CAS
Whimsy 54: anything goes so long as it's festive
Great impressions December: anything goes
Crafts and me 113: anything goes + optional Christmas ornaments
Unstampabelles 18: Christmas
Jingle belles: December to remember
Willow sketchie: vintage
It's all about the vintage and beauty 33: Christmas
Alphabet: V for vintage
Crafty mess 23: vintage Christmas
Moving along with the times: clean & simple
Aud sentiments 69: anything goes
Penny's 105: anything goes
Crafty bloggers network 6: anything goes
One stitch at a time 142: anything goes
House of gilli 47: anything goes
Mema crafts December: anything goes
Artistic inspirations 18: anything goes
Crafty boots: anything goes
Through the craftroom door 47: anything goes
Lady Anne: anything goes
Make it Monday 118
52 card pickup week 48

A host of angels

I still need to make lots of Christmas cards, so last night I had a session of stamping and embossing using the lovely Inkadinkado angel trail stamp inked with versamark and either heat embossed with gold detail or silver detail powder. I've come to the conclusion that the silver looks much better than the gold. The gold has a dull appearance - I think the powder must be getting old and tired ... just like me!

I added some Paper Cellar glitter strips down the sides of the cards and added some peel off greetings at the top right hand corners - these are some of the remains of peel offs that I must have bought over ten years ago - it's about time they were used or thrown away. Some of the card blanks are black stardream that sparkles.

That's another eleven cards done (unfortunately, two didn't make the grade because there were marks on the stamping that shouldn't have been there - but I won't waste them, I'll just use the card blanks with patterned paper covered over them.

These are for:

Stamps & fun = creativity 128: photo inspiration - angel
Card and scrap 44: something with angels
Catered crop: silver and gold
Cardmakin mamas: silver and/or gold
Papercraft star 123: gold on your holiday card
Freshly brewed 125: Christmas
DL.ART thankful Thursday: December holidays
Deep ocean 40: so this is Christmas
Paper pretties Wednesday 235: Christmas inspired

Kreative bastel 12: Christmas
Critter 144: Christmas - anything goes
Lollipop crafts 95: happy holidays
My craft spot 78: merry Christmas
Tammy's scraping corner 39: anything Christmas
Whoopsi Daisy: Christmas cards
The stamping boutique 61: holiday cards
Top tip Tuesday 91: Christmas
Nighshift stamping 146: Christmas clean and simple
QKR stampede 16: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas 

Everybody art 216: Christmas

LEJ designs 32: countdown to Christmas
Natalie and Amy December: winter wishes

A & T 19: anything goes
Loves rubber stamps 29: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
2 sisters 120: Christmas sparkle
Allsorts 183: advent
Cards galore December: Christmas
No matter which 5: Christmas
Addicted to stamps 44: Christmas time
Lexi 79: Christmas
Fussy & fancy 77: I love Christmas
Wags n whiskers 93: Christmas
My sheri 99: 'tis the season
Creatalicious 40: winter
Bunny Zoe: winter
DCC & friends 5: Christmas time
Fab n funky 150: not a traditional Christmas
Ruby's rainbow 43: Christmas with non traditional colours
Incy wincy: non-traditional Christmas colours
Dream valley 46: non-traditional Christmas
Sentimental Sundays 131: non-traditional Christmas colours
Timbro scrap mania 59: Christmas in non-traditional colours
Love to create 44: holiday cheer
One crazy stamper December: holiday challenge
Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 136: Christmas card no red or green
Hooked on craft 27: Christmas - no red/green
The sisterhood of crafters: embossing
There's magic in the air magical Monday: sparkle sparkle sparkle
Little scrap pieces fun Friday: make it sparkle
CASology 22: sparkle
The stamping shack: sparkle and shine
Brown sugar 18: clean & simple
Chocolate coffee & cards 27: CAS
Clearlyistamp 64: clean and simple
Penny Black and more at Allsorts December: it's your choice
Whimsy 54: anything goes so long as it's festive
Aud sentiments 69: anything goes
Crafty bloggers network 6: anything goes
Stamp your life 1: anything goes
Great impressions December: anything goes
Crafts and me 113: anything goes
Jingle belles: December to remember
Forever friends 50: glitter and sparkle
Totally gorjuss 160: anything goes ... with glitter!
Stempelsonne 77: anything goes with stamp
Penny's 105: anything goes
One stitch at a time 142: anything goes
House of gilli 47: anything goes
Mema crafts December: anything goes
Catch the bug December: anything goes
AnMaCreatief 15: anything goes
Artistic inspirations 18: anything goes
Crafty boots: anything goes
Through the craftroom door 47: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
Lady Anne: anything goes stamp challenge
Make it Monday 118
Inspire me Fridays 87
52 card pickup week 48

Have a cool yule

I'm late, I'm late ... for Margaret's snowman challenge for the Christmas card club. I used snow white leather embossed card torn for the snow drifts and inked my favourite Stampotique snowman stamp by Jo Capper Sandon, coloured lightly with alcohol pens. I added some stickles diamond below the torn edges of the drifts. The snowflakes were cut with my woodware snowflake punch ... the shame is that the card was really too thick to punch, so I put it on the floor and stood on it ... this was successful for four snowflakes before the poor punch keeled over and died ... so now I need a new one. Gems added to the snowflakes and buttons for the snowman.

This is also for Moxie fab world Tuesday trigger: shimmer and shine, where this photo is given (it's just a pity that my card doesn't look as sparkly here as it does IRL):

As usual, difficult to get a photo of white on white, but you get the drift (snow drift, maybe - lol!):

This is also for:

Oldie but a goodie: let it snow (the stamp is well over six months old)

Crafty sentiments: snowmen or ladies

Creative craft challenges: white on white Christmas

Celebrate the occasion 91: Christmas (no red or green)

Everybody art 216: Christmas

LEJ designs 32: countdown to Christmas

Ladybug: sparkaliscious

Shopping out stash 80: winter holiday or snow/winter theme
A & T 19: anything goes
Loves rubber stamps 29: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes

Ten quick Christmas cards

As I was getting cards ready this evening to take to mum for her to write, I had a count up ... and found that altogether I still need to make 60 more!  You'd never believe that I've been making cards all year - in fact, I've lost count of how many ... lots were sold for money to go to charity.

I was so thankful that when we were in Maidstone last week I visited Hobbycraft and they had packs of Christmas aperture cards that I thought might come in handy. I actually thought that I would pretty them up with glitter etc, but, as I need some quick cards, I decided to just stamp 'Merry Christmas' with a HOTP stamp and line the insides to show through the acetate using a mix of memorybox yuletide, authentique peaceful collection and teresacollins Christmas home papers.

Phew! That's another ten made. Think I now need to dig out a Hunkydory kit I bought for ... just in case!

These are for:

DL.ART thankful Thursday: December holidays
Allsorts 183: advent
Cards galore December: Christmas
Lexi 79: Christmas
The paper shelter 92: Christmas is coming
Pixie dust studio: winter holiday
Willow sketchie: merry Christmas
Broken box stock 15: happy holidays
Crafts 4 eternity R100: Christmas chaos
Fussy & fancy 77: I love Christmas
Wags n whiskers 93: Christmas
My sheri 99: 'tis the season
Tanda teaser 203: anything Christmas
Creatalicious 40: winter
Bunny Zoe: winter
Sunshine creations 3: snowflakes
SJ crafts 11: Christmas
DCC & friends 5: Christmas time
Dream valley 46: non-traditional Christmas
Sentimental Sundays 131: non-traditional Christmas colours
Elke Kaart een Feestje 143: Christmas non-traditional colours
Love to create 43: non-traditional holiday colours
Guylou's inimitability: twisted Christmas challenge - non-traditional colours
Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 136: Christmas card no red or green
Hooked on craft 27: Christmas - no red/green
The squirrel and the fox 32: summer or winter
Cards for men 24: merry Christmas - suitable to send to men
One stop craft 207: Christmas for the boys
Crimbo crackers 29: anything goes
Jingle belles: December to remember
Challenge up your life 83: first snow
Emma's crafty challenge 11: let it snow
Brown sugar 18: clean and simple
Chocolate, coffee & cards 27: CAS
Catch the bug December: anything goes
AnMaCreatief 15: anything goes
Corrosive 163: anything goes
Challenges 4 everybody 8: anything goes
Artistic inspirations 17: anything goes
Crafty boots: anything goes
Tuesday alchemy 42: anything  goes
Simon says: anything goes
ATCs and cards with attitude 28: anything goes
Lady Anne: anything goes
One stitch at a time 142: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 87
52 card pickup week 48

CHNC challenge 101: make it girlie

How did we get to December so quickly? It's time to get serious about Christmas now ... and that means I should get on with some present shopping as well as continuing to make Christmas cards.

For CHNC challenge 101 I'm asking to see 'girlie' cards. The challenge is being sponsored by Linnie's Whoopsi Daisy shop and I've used one of her images - Rosie from the Daisy & Friends CD for my card. I digitally cropped around her to cut out the white background, doing the same with the postbox image and then digitally mounting on to a snow scene, adding some extra snow by using transparency fade, adding the sentiment and then printing it all out and mounting on a red card blank. I added some stickles diamond to the edging of Rosie's coat and hat and a bit of liquid pearls white opal to some of the snow.

This is also for:

Rudolph day December
DL.ART thankful Thursday: December holidays
2 sisters 120: Christmas sparkle
Allsorts 183: advent
Cards galore December: Christmas
No matter which 5: Christmas
Go fish 30: Christmas
Addicted to stamps 44: Christmas time
Lexi 79: Christmas
Paper makeover 64: Christmas
Going grey with Scrap creations: merry Christmas
The paper shelter 92: Christmas is coming
Pixie dust studio: winter holiday
Willow sketchie: merry Christmas
Broken box stock 15: happy holidays
Crafts 4 eternity R100: Christmas chaos
Fussy & fancy 77: I love Christmas
Wags n whiskers 93: Christmas
My sheri 99: 'tis the season
Tanda teaser 203: anything Christmas
I brake for challenges: I brake for holidays
Creatalicious 40: winter
Bunny Zoe: winter
SJ crafts 11: Christmas
DCC & friends 5: Christmas time
Crimbo crackers 29: anything goes
Jingle belles: December to remember
The cupboard trilogoy December: frosty winter
Tammy scraping corner 38: let it snow
Challenge up your life 83: first snow
Emma's crafty challenge 11: let it snow
Freshly brewed 124: across the miles
Whoopsi Daisy: use a digi
Avadares 6: anything with a digi
Digital Tuesday 188: girly
Paper pretties Wednesday 234: girly cards
By the cute and girly December: red, white and blue
Forever friends 50: glitter and sparkle
Totally gorjuss 160: anything goes ... with glitter!
Oozak December: anything goes + red
Catch the bug December: anything goes
AnMaCreatief 15: anything goes
Corrosive 163: anything goes
Challenges 4 everybody 8: anything goes
Artistic inspirations 17: anything goes
Crafty boots: anything goes
Paper pretties Monday 67: anything goes
Creative card crew 24: anything goes
Through the craftroom door 46: anything goes
Tuesday alchemy 42: anything  goes
Party time Tuesday 96: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
ATCs and cards with attitude 28: anything goes
Lady Anne: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 87
52 card pickup week 48

Guest design slot for QKR Stampede

I have the privilege today of being a guest designer for QKR Stampede challenge 16: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

QKR supplied me with the lovely caroling and sentiment images for me to use. I can't remember where the double sided papers came from (I'll come back again if I remember - or does anyone recognise them?) - thanks to Kath, I can now tell you that the papers are Echo Park 'wintertime'; the lovely snowflake ribbon was a prize from Ribbon Girls and the snowflakes made with a Woodware punch.

This is also for:

Rudolph day December
DL.ART thankful Thursday: December holidays
Addicted to stamps 44: Christmas time
Lexi 79: Christmas
Paper makeover 64: Christmas
Going grey with Scrap creations: merry Christmas
The paper shelter 92: Christmas is coming
Pixie dust studio: winter holiday
Willow sketchie: merry Christmas
Broken box stock 15: happy holidays
Crafts 4 eternity R100: Christmas chaos
Fussy & fancy 77: I love Christmas
Wags n whiskers 93: Christmas
My sheri 99: 'tis the season
Tanda teaser 203: anything Christmas
I brake for challenges: I brake for holidays
Creatalicious 40: winter
Bunny Zoe: winter
SJ crafts 11: Christmas
DCC & friends 5: Christmas time
Crimbo crackers 29: anything goes
Jingle belles: December to remember
Ladybug: snowflakes
Cute card Thursday 234: snowflakes
Tammy scraping corner 38: let it snow
Challenge up your life 83: first snow
Crafts and me 112: ribbon or trim
Whoopsi Daisy: use a digi
Avadares 6: anything with a digi
Corrosive 163: anything goes
Challenges 4 everybody 8: anything goes
Artistic inspirations 17: anything goes
Crafty boots: anything goes
Paper pretties Monday 67: anything goes
Creative card crew 24: anything goes
Through the craftroom door 46: anything goes
Tuesday alchemy 42: anything  goes
Party time Tuesday 96: anything goes
Simon says: anything goes
ATCs and cards with attitude 28: anything goes
Lady Anne: anything goes
Inspire me Fridays 87
52 card pickup week 48
Forever friends November: anything goes

Mum's birthday

It's mum's birthday today. It's a day of mixed emotions because it's the day that dad died nine years ago.

We took mum out for a meal at the local Harvester - I think she enjoyed her day - 91 today!

I used a shaped card adapted on to a white square card blank, cutting round the edges of the base. The flowers were originally white - I brushed them with dusty concord distress ink. The flower centres are Prima and the silver gems Papermania. After taking the photo I realised that I needed to add two gems to the scallops at the base of the card - I added them in time, but didn't take another photo, so you'll have to imagine they are there. The glitter strips across the base were from Poundland. The sentiment was printed on to vellum which was then stuck on to a piece of card torn and distressed with the dusty concord.

This is for:

Ruby's rainbow 42: shaped cards
Fun with shapes and more 122: everything but Christmas (I had to cut round the shape for the base of the card)
Penny's 104: more than 1 fold
Stamp-n-doodle: fabulous folds
Sentimental Sunday 130: easel card
Emerald  faerie garden 37: easel card
That craft place: no squares allowed
Crafting for all seasons 41: use flowers
Eclectic Ellapu 7: celebration with sparkle
There's magic in the air magical Monday: sparkle, sparkle, sparkle

CHNC challenge 100: for someone special

Today launches the 100th challenge on my CHNC blog - I can hardly believe that! - and I'm asking to see a Christmas card for someone special. I think it's often the case that we get lots of Christmas cards done by now, but tend to leave the 'special' ones till the last minute. Well perhaps my challenge will help you to take a bit of time this week and make a Christmas card for someone special.

I have made an easel card. I cut a bauble with a nestie that I bought quite some time ago and hadn't taken out of the packet until I decided to make this card. I used a piece of snowflake paper from my Christmas offcuts box and then mounted it on to some dark blue card. The bauble shape in the middle is a Healtfelt Creations stamp inked with versamark and  heat embossed with detail silver. All other papers and card were from my offcuts box (shhh don't tell John that I didn't use new papers) - a last-minute entry for Pixie's crafty snippets 47.  'Husband' is a Papermania stamp inked with versamark and heat embossed with silver. The sheer white ribbon with gems was from Hobbycraft.

At last this is a card for week 42 for Sunday's with Santa facebook group: for the man in your life.

This is also for:

Cards for men 24: merry Christmas
Little red wagon 160: boy oh boy
The crafty pad 197: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Victorine 47: anything Christmas
Let's craft and create 58: getting ready for Christmas
Tanda teaser 203: anything Christmas
ATCs and cards with attitude 27: anything goes and/or autumn/winter
Creatalicious 40: winter
Card and scrap 43: make something with Christmas
Crafty blogges network 5: Christmas - anything goes
Sparkles 38: Christmas is coming
Little Claire 27: Christmas
Bunny Zoe: winter
Allways something creative 42: weather (winter)
Going grey with Scrap-creations: winter
Victorine 47: anything Christmas
Crafty creations 197: Christmas is coming
Christmas cards all year round November: shaped or fancy folds
Order of the opus gluei 144: three dee - more than one layer
Fashionista 9: blue Christmas
The stamp man November: emboss it
Whoopsi Daisy: die cuts and punches
Craft room: punches and die cuts
House of gilli 46: die cuts
Penny Black and more at Allsorts November: any die will do
Stamptacular Sunday 190: recipe - ribbon/twine, pearls/gems and dies/punches
Loves rubber stamps 27: fun with ribbons
Ruby's rainbow 42: shaped cards
Amusing challenges: special folds
My mum's craft shop 85: inspiration from a song: We three kings
Use your stuff 61: seeing stars
Artistic inspirations 16: anything goes
Forever friends November: anything goes
Paper playtime 89: anything goes
Just keep on creating: Christmas is around the corner
DL.ART thankful Thursday: anything goes
The squirrel and the fox 31: anything goes
Creative moments bloggers network 4: anything goes
Divas by design 62: use 2 or more patterned papers
Make it Monday 116
52 card pickup week 47

From ginger to gingerbread

The other day I was in Poundland and spotted some boxes of dark chocolate ginger - one of mum's favourites - so I bought some for her, but I couldn't resist rescuing the box:

I used the front of the box for the central piece on my card, matting it on to the inside of the back piece, then layering that on to an offcut of hunkydory black and gold foiled card - my first snippet of the week for Pixie's crafty snippets 47 - and then on to a black card blank. Of course, I needed to cover the part that identified the chocolate ginger, so I found a couple of tags among some ancient treasurers on to which I stuck a lovely material gingerbread person that I'd bought on the market when we down in Eastbourne. This is suitable for my catch up for Sunday's for Santa on facebook week 25: gingerbread man/woman and I'm also showing it for Kathy's Card a day on facebook.

This is also for:

Joan's gardens 41: use recycled material
CRAFT 181: use fabric
Little Miss Muffet 48: textiles
Cards for men 24: merry Christmas (suitable for a boy and perhaps for a 'grown up boy at heart'
Stampin' sisters in Christ 166: create a card for a child
The crafty pad 197: it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Victorine 47: anything Christmas
Let's craft and create 58: getting ready for Christmas
Tanda teaser 203: anything Christmas
Craft us crazy: favourite colour and/or holiday
ATCs and cards with attitude 27: anything goes and/or autumn/winter
Creatalicious 40: winter
Card and scrap 43: make something with Christmas
Crafty blogges network 5: Christmas - anything goes
Sparkles 38: Christmas is coming
Great impressions November: holidays
Little Claire 27: Christmas
Bunny Zoe: winter
Allways something creative 42: weather (winter)
Incy wincy: hip to be square
Gingerloft 52: a touch of gold
Jellypark friends: I'm hungry
Jingle belles: Christmas feast
Artistic inspirations 16: anything goes
Forever friends November: anything goes
Paper playtime 89: anything goes
Just keep on creating: Christmas is around the corner
DL.ART thankful Thursday: anything goes
Challenges 4 everybody 7: anything goes
Dream valley 45: anything goes
Through the craftroom door 44: anything goes
The squirrel and the fox 31: anything goes
Creative moments bloggers network 4: anything goes
Divas by design 61: anything goes
Penny's 102: anything goes
Make it Monday 116
Inspire me Fridays 85
52 card pickup week 46