Completely Christmas challenge 33: poinsettias

Today's Completely Christmas 33 is all about poinsettias - please click the link to see the lovely designs of the rest of the team - and we would love you to join in our challenge.

For my design card I used Sparkle n Sprinkle poinsettia kindly given by the sponsor of the challenge. I coloured digitally in Microsoft Paint and then made six different sizes in Microsoft Publisher. I then scanned with my Scan n Cut and then cut them all (much, much quicker than cutting by hand!). I used a couple of spectrum noir pens to go round the edges to give a bit more definition. The washi tapes and ribbon were matted on to a piece of DCWV textured cardstock.

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
Christmas card challenges 45: layer it up
Crimbo crackers 67: anything goes
Deep ocean 88: Christmas in October
Digi choosday 40: Christmas
CRAFT 280: Christmas
Crafty bloggers network October: Christmas
Delicious doodles 105: Christmas in October
Inky impressions 180: flowers and leaves
Eclectic ellapu October: flowers
Creatalicious 67: flower power
MilkCoffee: lots of layers
Aud sentiments 117: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Little tangles 46: anything goes
Sister act 78
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' challenge 50: anything goes with stripes

This is my design card for this week's Suzy Bee's Bloomin' challenge 50: anything goes with stripes - please click on the link to see the lovely crafting of the other team members and join in our challenge.

I used the digital image Bugaboo Stamps Scarlette - coffee oclock digitally blotting out the left side of the image and digitally adding some marshmallows into the cocoa. I have no idea where the saying came from - it was among my bits and pieces and I thought it was about time I used it. This, the image and the strip down the left side were coloured with spectrum noir pens. The striped papers are from my offcuts box.

This is also for:

Pixie's snippets 145
Hiding in my craft room 169: super scraps Saturday
Order of the opus gluei 193: time
Aud sentiments 117: anything goes
Paper makeup digi makeover 161: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Little tangles 46: anything goes
Sister act 78
Crafting by designs: October anything goes 

WOYWW 279

It's that day of the week when we show our workspaces and have a snoop to see what others are doing - it's WOYWW 279. Why not click the link and join in!

I'm doing a charity sale at friends' house on Saturday, so I've been busy getting ready for it. On the left you can see a box full of Christmas cards and there are still two piles of them that need to have inserts and bagged and labelled. Boxes ready for Saturday tend to get scattered around as I have three boxes ready on the dining table.

There are also piles of other cards waiting for attention, including an anniversary card that needs to be written and posted.

There isn't so much to the right of where I sit - mainly because I need to use the Scan n Cut in a while and it won't be so much to move - a couple of small piles of cards to be bagged up and in the far corner sticky notes ready to have their covers put on - easy to cut the covers on the Scan n Cut using offcuts of card that are scanned in first to be able to position where I want to cut - and much more accurate than using the guillotine. The Scan n Cut will, of course be moved forward and away from the curtain when I use it ... which must be soon!

Incidentally, my mouse mat is a pad of paper - I bought it from Wilkinson's a while ago - it was done up in cellophane and labelled as a 'mouse mat' so I didn't realise it was a pad of paper till I undid it. But, oh, how useful it is - I can jot things down on it, try out stamps on it ... and when it's too grubby, just tear a sheet off and I have a fresh clean start again. And, surprisingly, it does act well as a mouse mat - the mouse glides on it perfectly. And, as a bonus, I keep promising myself that I'll use one of the papers for a male card (I bought some other matching stuff at the same time, but still haven't used it) - too many ideas, too little time!

I must get going with getting these jobs done ... but first, a cup of coffee.

Thank you, everyone who visited and left comments last week - much appreciated.

Fan-tastic Tuesday 56: anything goes with a twist: wings

This is my design card for today's Fan-tastic Tuesday 56: wings. Please click on the link to see the lovely crafting of the rest of the team and join in the fun.

I used Sparkle n sprinkle enchanted slumber fairy coloured digitally using Microsoft Paint.Papers are all offcuts of some remaining pieces of tutti frutti from Craftwork Cards some years ago, with the addition of some ribbon and blooms from Hobbycraft.

This is also for:

Pixie's snippets 145
Whoopsi Daisy: things with wings
Emerald faeries 60: things with wings
Sparkles 60: things with wings
Digitally sweet 108: lots of flowers
Eclectic ellapu October: flowers
Creatalicious 67: flower power
Di's digi designs: girly
Paradise of stamps 3: girly
The pink elephant 271: pink
Fussy & fancy 124: lots of pink
The crafting cafe October: think pink
Dragonfly dreams 10: mainly pink
Miriam's crafting 17: shades of pink
Karleigh Sue 1: pink ribbon
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Paper makeup digi makeover 161: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Anything goes with a twist 1: anything goes
Little tangles 46: anything goes
Sister act 77
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes
DL.ART October linky

Cheerful stamp pad challenge 96 second week

This is my design card for the second week of the Cheerful stamp pad challenge 96 - please click on the link to see the lovely crafting of the rest of the team and join in our challenge here.

I don't 'do' Halloween, so I thought I'd do a bit of a playful version for my card. I used 'kitty cat' from Alipeeps Art Kostume Kidz animal set kindly supplied by our sponsor, I coloured the image with spectrum noir pens, mounting it on to the printed out background that I found free here, having added my own text digitally.

This is also for:

One stitch at a time 221: anything goes with the colour orange
Crafty creations 273: use orange
Corrosive 209: halloween colours
Hiding in my craft room 168: halloween colours
Fitztown 56: halloween using digital elements
A little bit crafty October: boo
Crafting for all seasons 87: too cute to spook
Divas by design: spooky creations
Cards galore 10: anything goes in disguise
Delicious doodles 104: cute halloween
PumpkinSpice 83: cats
Paper makeup digi makeover 161: anything goes
Anything goes with a twist 1: anything goes
Little tangles 46: anything goes
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 249: anything goes
Sister act 77
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

Carol singers

This is my card for this fortnight's Christmas Card Club and the theme chosen by Sue P is 'carol singers'. I actually made a card with little caroling penguins for my own CHNC challenge 197 for yesterday and almost cheated with that, but thought I would make a new one for today (if you'd like to see that card please click on the link - and perhaps join in with my challenge to make a Christmas creation that shows something beginning with P.

I've used one of my favourite cute Christmas stamps, Penny Black 'joyous hymn', inked with memento tuxedo black and coloured with spectrum noir and copics. I die cut the image with a scalloped nestie, brushing lightly with distress ink before removing the die.The background paper is from my Christmas offcuts box and the music ribbon was from Hobbycraft.

I used the Woodware sketch 38:

This is also for:

Pixie's snippets week 145
Penny Black and more at Allsorts October: get ahead for Christmas (with a PB stamp)
The 12 months of Christmas card link up
Christmas card challenges week 44: anything goes
Classy cards n such 52: Christmas die cuts
Die cuttin' divas 185: anything goes
Inky chicks 39: die cuts only
Crafter's cafe 84: use punches and/or die cuts
My time to craft 261: die cuts only
Fashionable stamping 83: anything goes
Moving along with the times: hedgehogs
Craft for the craic 9: something suitable for a child
Sparkles Christmas 45: for a child
Try it on Tuesday (Tuesday taggers): animals
One crazy stamper October: halloween or Christmas
Anything goes with a twist 1: anything goes
Little tangles 46: anything goes
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 249: anything goes
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Sister act 77
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

And another sympathy card

For this card, just stamping inked with memento cottage ivy, matted on to a dark green piece of card before matting on to a white card blank.

The stamp across the bottom is from an Indigo Blu set, the sentiment stamp from Hobbycraft and, of course, I just had to use on of my favourites, the Penny Black 'sparklers'. I love how the little image that's part of the sentiment stamp matches up with parts of the Indigo Blu one.

This is for:

Totally gorjuss 256: sympathy
That's crafty: keep it simple
Pink gem 129: clean and simple
Anything goes with a twist 1: anything goes
Little tangles 46: anything goes
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 249: anything goes
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Sister act 77
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

Sadly, another sympathy card

It's a sad fact that sympathy cards are quite often in demand. I have a couple of boxes of cards at church and needed to take some more last week, so I have a few to show.

This one uses a pre coloured card blank stamped with Penny black sparlers (still one of my favourite stamps) and the sentiment stamp from Hobbycraft, both inked with memento cottage ivy.

This is for:

Totally gorjuss 256: sympathy
That's crafty: keep it simple
Pink gem 129: clean and simple
Anything goes with a twist 1: anything goes
Little tangles 46: anything goes
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 249: anything goes
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Sister act 77
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' challenge 49: get well

For my design card for today's Suzy Bee's Bloomin' challenge 49: get well, I've used Stitchy Bears boo boo bear image - Stitchy Bears are kindly sponsoring the challenge. Please click on the challenge link to see the lovely crafting of the rest of the team. We'd love you to join in the challenge.

I mounted a torn piece of sentiment paper on to a kraft card blank, edging this with some washi tape. The image was coloured with spectrum noir pens and then torn using a perspex oval template, and another for the torn mat.

This is also for:

Stitchy Bears FB October challenge
Sentimental Sundays 226: use kraft cardstock
LiaStampz 74: distressed + kraft
Left of center 48: three or more layers
The cutie pie 7: all the threes (balloons)
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Crafting at the weekend 6: anything goes
Crafty girls 28: anything goes
Sisters of craft October: anything goes
Anything goes with a twist 1: anything goes
Little tangles 46: anything goes
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 249: anything goes
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Sister act 77
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes
DL.ART October linky

With sympathy

For this clean and simple sympathy card I used a ready made shaped card blank on to which I stamped with two stamps repeatedly from a Tattered angels set, in addtion to the sentiment stamp from Hobbycraft. They were all inked with memento cottage ivy.

This is for:

Totally gorjuss 256: sympathy
That's crafty: keep it simple
Pink gem 129: clean and simple
The sailing pineapple launch party challenge 2:  monochromatic
Pause dream enjoy 20: shaped cards
Polka doodles 40: anything but square
AnMaCreatief 37: special form
Soartful October: leaves
Anything goes with a twist 1: anything goes
Little tangles 46: anything goes
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 249: anything goes
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Sister act 77
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

Polar bear, penguin and present for CHNC challenge 197

This is my second card for CHNC challenge 197 with three things beginning with P. Papers are from my Christmas offcuts box. The stickers are Express Yourself DIY.

This is also for:

Pixie's snippets week 144
The 12 months of Christmas card link up
Christmas card challenges week 44: anything goes
Top tip Tuesday: non-traditional Christmas
Jingle belles: at least three different patterned papers
We do doobadoo 16: Christmas
Crafts 4 eternity R196: 3 of the same letter
Left of center 48: three or more layers
Mark's finest papers speedy fox and friends 232: brown
Craft for the craic 9: something suitable for a child
Sparkles Christmas 45: for a child
Try it on Tuesday (Tuesday taggers): animals
Hobbybook: include an animal
Crafty girls 28: anything goes
Anything goes with a twist 1: anything goes
Little tangles 46: anything goes
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 249: anything goes
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Sister act 77
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

CHNC challenge 197: anything beginning with P

For CHNC challenge 197 I'm asking you to include anything beginning with P. For my first card I've inked the lovely Penny Black caroling penguins with memento tuxedo black and coloured with spectrums. Background paper is Echo park very merry Christmas and the torn piece with Christmas trees is My Mind's eye 12 days of Christmas, using a piece of the other side of this double sided paper to mat the image. Why has the photo made the sentiment oval look different than it is in real life?

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
Christmas card challenges week 44: anything goes
Jingle belles: at least three different patterned papers
We do doobadoo 16: Christmas
Left of center 48: three or more layers
Try it on Tuesday (Tuesday taggers): animals
Hobbybook: include an animal
The cutie pie 7: all the threes
One crazy stamper October: halloween or Christmas
Through the craftroom door: anything goes
Crafting at the weekend 6: anything goes
Crafty girls 28: anything goes
Sisters of craft October: anything goes
Anything goes with a twist 1: anything goes
Little tangles 46: anything goes
Dare to be sassy Thursdays 249: anything goes
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Sister act 77
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

Completely Christmas 32: use a tag

This is my design card for today's Completely Christmas challenge 32: use a tag. Please click on the link to see the lovely crafting of the rest of the team and we would love you to join in our challenge.

The tag I've used on my card had been in my Christmas box for some years, waiting to be used - lol! The background paper is from My Mind's Eye 12 days of Christmas and other papers are from my Christmas offcuts box, including the paper used to punch the snowflakes.

This is also for:

Pixie's snippets week 144
Winter wonderland: red and blue
The 12 months of Christmas card link up
Christmas card challenges week 44: anything goes
Freshly brewed October: tags
Through the purple haze: use a tag in any shape or form
Top tip Tuesday: non-traditional Christmas
Holly jolly Christmas: anything goes Christmas
Jingle belles: at least three different patterned papers

WOYWW 278

Well, today's been a busy day - I intended to do something for WOYWW 278 much earlier today, but this is now my first opportunity.

You can see some Christmas things that need to be sorted and tidied, having had the goodies out when I was making cards for the challenge blog deadlines. You can also see a few things that are out ready for making a few more necessary cards.

A couple of weeks ago I said I would tidy up some of my unmounted stamps, so some progress has been made with the clear acrylic ones:

Earlier today I blogged a few cards for the start of some challenges - if you wish to you can scroll down to see these, including the new Buckwells Crafty Challenge blog - I am privileged to be part of the team for this new venture. I was pleased with the card I created for this, so thought I'd also include it here - I used the Lavinia stamps that you can see in the front of the box above, making a background with gelli plate, masks and acrylic paints:

Off now to have a look at what everyone else has been doing for WOYWW 278, including, of course, Julia, the queen on WOYWW - and if you still don't know what I'm talking about, please click the link, find out and join in the fun and the snooping!!

Oh ... and thanks for all the visits and comments last week - much appreciated.

2nd design card for CCAYR October

This is my second design card for CCAYR October challenge: embellish it! Please click on the link to see the lovely crafting of the rest of the team and join in our challenge.

The background paper is from a Papermania set bought a couple of years ago, with some more of that lovely red and white ribbon with trees and reindeer, some buttons and some layered poinsettias from Hobbycraft. Central is the lovely thick felt reindeer (no, I don't mean he is daft - thick - I mean he is quite chunky - lol!).

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
Christmas card challenges week 44: anything goes
Take a word: buttons and bows
Crafty ribbons 103: anything goes with buttons n ribbons
Scrapping4fun 26: bows and buttons
Try it on Tuesday: animals
Hobbybook: include an animal
Catered crop: seeing red
Sisters of craft October: anything goes
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Sister act 76
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

Christmas cards all year round October challenge

This is my first design card for CCAYR October challenge: embellish it! Please click on the link to see the lovely crafting of the rest of the team and join in our challenge.

This is a large A5 card blank opening tent style. I've embellished with the lovely tree and reindeer ribbon, strips of gems, epoxy hearts and those lovely tag robins dressed up as reindeer!

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
Christmas card challenges week 44: anything goes
Country view October: sparkle & shine
Art impressions 145: holiday sparkle
Sisters of craft October: anything goes
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Sister act 76
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

Buckwells Crafty challenge 1 October

What an exciting day this is - the start of monthly challenges on Buckwells Crafty challenge blog. 

Our first challenge for the month of October - please click on the link to see the delightful crafting of the rest of the design team and we would love you to join in (rules are on the right sidebar) - there is a prize of some gorgeous ribbons from Buckwell Craft Supplies.

You could win your self some gorgeous Organza and Satin Ribbon from Buckwell Craft Supplies Shop..

 Ribbons can be found HERE

and check out all the other crafty goodies that's in the Shop. As its the first Challenge over at the Shop from 8am Friday 3 October through to Midnight Sunday 5 October its going to be FREE DELIVERY..

For my 8 x 8 design card I used red, white and purple metallic acrylic paint with three different masks from Clarity Stamps with my gelli plate, having first scrunched some paper and dabbed on a layer of purple first.

The gorgeous ribbons are, of course, from Buckwell Craft Supplies (please go and have a look - you will be spoiled for choice ... and lots of other goodies too). I then stamped using Lavinia stamps inked with stazon black, adding some lavender stickles glitter glue, also dabbing the centres of the flowers from Hobbycraft.



I'm entering this for Create something catchy 8: one card, one stampset (I used 6 difference stamps from the set), which requires the stampset to be shown:

This is also for:

Lavinia stamps September: add some ribbon
The sailing pineapple 18: my favourite things (gelli plate, paints, masks, stamping, ribbons, flowers)
Stamping sensations September: things with wings
Sparkles 60: things with wings
Emerald faeries 60: things with wings
Fairytale stamper 45: flowers/ribbon
Eclectic ellapu: flowers
Crazy challenge 181: for a special lady
Fantasy stampers 20: here come the girls
Paradise of stamps 3: girly
Di's digi designs: girly
Deep ocean 87: at least one flower
Red rubber inspirationals 139: stay focused on stamping - anything goes
Scrappers delights 32: anything goes or no design paper (made my own background)
Southern girls: girly/shabby chic
Creatalicious 67: flower power
Country view October: sparkle & shine
Incy wincy: something old, something new - masks, gelli plate and acrylics are old - ribbons and stamps are new - and new challenge blog!!
Nutcrafters 78: something new - new stamps not used before and new challenge blog!!
Stamps & fun = creativity 218: favourite colour - purple/lilac with anything!
Craft-Dee Bowz October: anything goes and include a handmade bow
Amusing challenges (stamped blessings): anything goes
Crafting with dragonflies 36: anything goes
Whimsy 76: anything goes
Crafting at the weekend 6: anything goes
613 avenue create 91: anything goes
Scribble and scrap 28: anything goes
Crafting from the heart 38: anything goes
Sisters of craft October: anything goes
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Card and scrap 82: everything is allowed
Let's craft and create 96: anything goes
Sister act 76
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

Another card for Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper October challenge

This is my second card for my Craftyhazelnut's Paper October challenge - please click on the link to see what it's all about and, hopefully, use your patterned papers to join in the challenge. There is a lovely prize to be won:

a Dovecraft curiosity corner 6" x 6" designer paper pack

72 sheet pack - 6 sheets of 12 designs

Once again I used a piece of the Dovecraft curiosity paper, simply adding a variety of garden stickers (they look much better in real life because the silver and gold don't really show up here) and a sentiment.

This is also for:

A creative romance: in the garden

Order of the opus gluei 192: birthdays

Crafty catz 248: birthday celebration

The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Card and scrap 82: everything is allowed
Let's craft and create 96: anything goes
Sister act 76
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper October challenge

This is my first card for my Craftyhazelnut's Paper October challenge - please click on the link to see what it's all about and, hopefully, use your patterned papers to join in the challenge. There is a lovely prize to be won:

a Dovecraft curiosity corner 6" x 6" designer paper pack

72 sheet pack - 6 sheets of 12 designs

So I used some of the paper for this card and the next (from a different pack, of course - bought one to use and one to give away). I layered two doilies on to which I put a decoupaged Docrafts 'Daisy' cut out and a gold foiled Craftwork cards circle sentiment.

This is also for:

The sisterhood of crafters: lots of layers

Try it on Tuesday: animals

Wags n whiskers 138: with our furry friends

Order of the opus gluei 192: birthdays

Crafty catz 248: birthday celebration

The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Card and scrap 82: everything is allowed
Let's craft and create 96: anything goes
Sister act 76
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

CHNC challenge extra for October 2014

It's quite frightening how the weeks go by so quickly and we are now entering October - with only twelve weeks to Christmas Eve!! Can you believe it?! If you haven't yet started making your Christmas time, now is the time to do so, as those weeks will go very quickly.

So this is my design card for my CHNC challenge extra for October. As is always the case, the challenge is being sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps who kindly supplied the steps Christmas image that I've used, colouring it digitally in Paint, with the sentiments added digitally.

Papers are from my Christmas offcuts box, poinsettias from Hobbycraft.

This is also for:

The 12 months of Christmas card link up
Christmas card challenges week 44: anything goes
Merry Monday 128: polka dots and/or stripes
Glitter n sparkle 104: use some flowers
One stitch at a time 220: anything goes with a flower
Deep ocean 87: at least one flower
Winter wonderland: layer it up
Creative moments 52: anything goes/use 3 layers
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Card and scrap 82: everything is allowed
Let's craft and create 96: anything goes
Sister act 76
My craft creations: anything goes
Crafting by designs: October anything goes

Fan-tastic Tuesday challenge 55

This is my design card for Fan-tastic Tuesday challenge 55: anything goes with camera or spotlighting. Please click on the link to see the lovely crafting of the rest of the team and join in our challenge.

I used 'basket of apples' by Sparkle n Sprinkle, sponsors of the challenge, creating a circle to spotlight and colouring there with spectrum noir pens.

This is also for the photo inspiration given for Catch the bug October photo inspiration challenge:

Also Just us girls 260 photo challenge:

This is also for:

Time out 15: stamping with the optional twist of apples
Going grey with Scrap-creations: fall
Little red wagon 256: anything fall themed
Paper pretties 329: halloween/fall
The house that stamps built DCC924: fall
Aloha Friday 33: fall colours
Frosted designs: fall
Eclectic paperie ePlay September: fall
Jellypark friends: autumn/fall
Craft for the craic 8: something with circles on it.
613 avenue create 91: anything goes
Scribble and scrap 28: anything goes
Crafting from the heart 38: anything goes
The pink elephant 270: anything goes
Card and scrap 82: everything is allowed
Let's craft and create 96: anything goes
Sister act 76
My craft creations: anything goes
DL.ART September: anything goes