Happy Birthday brother

It's my brother's birthday on Thursday and, until tonight, I hadn't made a card for him. I knew I wanted to make a golfing themed card, but was lacking inspiration as to how to get it started, until I looked at the sketch on Taylored Expressions challenge 98:

I decided to make a gatefold card - this is what it looks like closed (please excuse the paper clips top and bottom to keep it closed to take the photo):


The golf bag, clubs and ball are all raised on 3D foam and the main part of the bag is a textured material (I confess that I didn't make this, but bought it as it is). Papers are all BG archaic.

So the textures make it good for Crafty creations 50: 'textures' challenge. And, of course, it's a birthday card - Crafty catz 15: 'a birthday card' and Crazy 4 challenges 19: 'birthday'


and this is the inside - with a bit of texture and raised embellishments:

A night at the cinema

This card is quite different to the normal sort that I would make - and I haven't a clue what I'll do with it, but nevermind - it's good sometimes to make something a little out of the ordinary.

This was inspired by three current challenges:

ColourQ 15:
Ann's creative nook 74: 'be inspired by fabric' - from the Etsy site: KaraMia Sofia - I chose medium make-up pouch/clutch/(Amy Butler) Temple Garden Lime:

and lastly the 'ad inspired' picture on 365 day 315 (particularly the grey):

I'd seen a couple of challenges that are to do with dragons and I remembered I had some DCWV epoxy stickers that I got when I did Leigh's CJ pages on dragons - so I found the remaining ones and have used them together with part of a 12 x 12 K & Co paper, also cutting out the 'popcorn' and tickets from another part of the paper.

The challenges I'm referring to are:

KL stampin' n scrappin' 13: 'appreciate a dragon day' (apparently there really is such a day) - to use dragons/reptiles

Cinema Saturday 62: 'A night at the museum':
- add something miniature (the green dragon)

So here is my card:

It's also another one for Susie's Sassy 6: 'card for a boy with the added option of an animal'

Sweet treats for Christmas

Yet another Christmas card! - think at some point I ought to stop making them and get on and re-stock birthday cards etc.

Anyway, this card is for Georgia's Christmas card sketch for challenge 53 on Just Christmas and Birthdays:
It's also for the current challenge on Forever friends 'a cheerful/happy card, but with a twist! It must have 2 layers (which can include the base of the card), a ribbon and something that sparkles' - I think I might have cheated a little (I didn't mean to, honestly - lol!) because there might just be an extra layer and the 'ribbon' is a rub on (but it does look like a ribbon, doesn't it?). The teddies, of course, are Forever friends, as are the papers (Christmas Glow), not forgetting the important piece of mistletoe. The 3D FF embellishments are glittered and the Poundland bling in the corners provides a bit more sparkle.

As the teddies are carrying mince pies, it's another one for Incy wincy 25: 'sweet treats' (although I have to confess that I don't like mince pies, so I wouldn't consider them to be a treat); it's also some more bling for Jacksonbelle Tuesday.

It's also for:
Little red wagon 11: 'polka dots'
Hand full of stamps 12: 'polka dots'
Paperplay week 2: 'furry friends'
Susie's sassy 6: 'card for a boy/option of an animal'
Fussy & fancy 2: 'winter'
Creatalicious 6: 'no stamped images ...'
Crafty pad 54: 'animals' (I hope teddy bears count!)
365 cards day 320: 'tea for two' - tea party - I know there's no tea to drink, but I'm sure these teddies are all set for a tea party!

Bride and groom

When I was in Poundland recently (about the one day when we had some respite from the snow!) I saw some wedding favour boxes and got some, thinking they might come in handy one day for something crafty. This is what they looked like:



And then I saw the current challenge on Cuttlebug Spot: 'Let's party!' and I knew that I just had to use them. And it so happens that a few other challenges are covered as well:

Squigglefly 31: 'anything but a card'
Kaboodle 22: 'anything but a card'
Twisted Thursday 39: 'hugs and kisses' - ABC - anything but a card - twist: Valentine's day
Our creative corner: '3D challenge'
Magical crafts fortnightly 6 'vintage style'
One stop craft 62: 'a night at the movies' - plenty of wedding theme films, e.g. Betsy's wedding
Jacksonbelle Tuesday: 'bling in the new year'
Humble pie 3: 'at least two different types of bling'
Crafty Ann 6: 'embossing'
Cuttlebug challenge be inspired 65: 'basic white theme'
Diva coffee break designs 160: 'basic black, whisper white, basic grey or going gray'
Saturday spotlight 13: 'love without hearts'
Creative Belli 82: 'glitter or rhinestones - both here
By the cute and girly: 'something new' - new beginnings with a wedding
Polka doodles week 2: 'love'
Creatalicious 6: 'no stamped images ...'


I ran the front of the dress through the cuttlebug with the d'vine swirls embossing folder and then added gemstones, silver ribbon round the wait and Stickles crystal ice across the top of the dress. I just added a few gemstones to the 'groom', leaving the emphasis of altering with the 'bride'.

The first two of my ten cards for BF 25th club

I signed up to be part of the 25th club on Bubbly Funk forum - the idea is that each month, by the 25th, we make a number of Christmas cards - the number we make is our own choice. I decided to try to make 10 a month because I usually make a lot and it will spread the time of doing them.

Joanne chose the theme for this month's BF 25th club cards:

'I thought I'd give you a recipe challenge for the first go at the 25th club so for your January card(s) please include:

Turquoise (or blue) and silver swirl(s) of some sort (could be stamped, doodled, chippie, embossed, grungeboard, whatever)
Something sparkly or shiny (e.g. glitter, gems, metal)'

It was one of my crafting resolutions that I would try and make Christmaas cards throughout the year. My other crafting resolution is to use up scraps and offcuts, to avoid always reaching for a new 12 x 12 or whatever.

So today I've made my 10 cards for the club, using various challenge sketches to help me along. And I've also managed to make all of them using offcuts from my Christmas box, with the addition of a few bits and pieces here and there and some recycling.

And, of course, on most of the cards I've included the silver mirror card swirls that I cut last night with my cricut using the new Make a Cut software - you can read about it here.

The first two cards use the sketch for Fresh & Fun 110:


The papers are Craft Creations and the and foiled mirror card on the left of the second card is Kanban (doesn't show up well here - is a much deeper colour blue irl). The glittered 'images' are chipboard from Poundland. I've added gems to the swirls on the second card.

They are also good for:

If the shoe fits Fashionista Friday 17: 'chipboard'
Lots to do: 'winter wonderland'
Incy wincy 25: 'sweet treats' - the second card
Sophisticat 17: 'doth the north wind blow': chill
Die cuts R us 21: 'leftovers' - I used scraps and offcuts of papers
Design dollies elements challenge: 'walking in a winter ... wonderland'
Everybody art 73: 'snowflakes'
3 clovers 47: 'baby it's cold outside!' - winter theme
Fab's big Christmas week 1: 'frosty colours'
Humble pie 2 flourishes
Play date cafe12: 'colour: blues'
Stamp with fun 41: snowflakes
Crafty calendar 4: 'keeping warm' - the hot chocolate and marshmallows on the second card
Paperminutes 96: 'relax' - the second card

The rest of my ten cards for the 25th club are shown separately below this post. Most of them also qualify for these challenges.

I'm also entering these cards and the following eight, making ten in all, for the Christmas cards all year round challenge for January.

Another card for BF 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here - using Get sketchy 20:

Once again, papers are Craft Creations, silver swirls cut on the cricut and the image is recycled from a card received.



This covers most of the challenges already mentioned on this post here and also:

Bah! humbug 1: 'recycling'

More winter for 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using the sketch on Taylored expressions 97:

This time the background is reflective mirror card which has silver swirls within it and the paper on the right is a piece of Basic Grey. Once again, the glittered chipboard is Poundland.

Winter wonderland continued for BF 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using the sketch on Card patterns 46 - I turned it on its side:

The top paper was from a magazine and the bottom one is English paper company. Again I've used Poundland chipboard and the cricut silvery holly swirls.

Create4fun sketch for another 25th club Christmas card

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using the sketch on Create4fun week 2:

The background of this card was taken from the centre of a gatefold card we received and the picture of the child sweeping the snow was also recycled from a received card, so this is good for Bah! Humbug 1:'recycling' and also Glue scissors paper 12: 'going green' - incorporate at least 50% recycled products.

The piece of script paper is English paper company.

Another 25th club Christmas card - Secret crafter Saturday

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using the sketch for Secret crafter 65 - I turned it on its side:

The strip of paper across the middle is English paper company, the holidays sentiment is Poundland chippie, the snowman is a recycled tag. This time the glitter is on the ribbons and the holidays sentiment.

Sweet stop card for BF 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using the Sweet stop sketch 38:

This is a simple card, using a picture recycled from a card received, a few gems added to the silver holly swirls and some inking of edges with chalk ink. Stickles crystal ice has been added to the picture to create glitter.

This also includes Bah! humbug 1 and Glue scissors paper 12.

Unscriped Christmas card for BF 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using Unscripted sketch 37:

This card was very difficult to capture, particularly taking a photo in artificial light (might try to replace tomorrow if light is OK) because of the reflective nature of the card in the bottom left - it has silver swirls within it. I've used a mix of offcuts of papers and Poundland chippie and a strip of silver gems.

Tenth card for January BF 25th club

This is another card for the BF 25th club - you can read about it on this post here and see the other challenges covered - using CPS sketch 149:

Once again you can't see the pattern on the reflective card on the left because of the flash photo. This simple card was made using offcuts of papers, including the English paper company piece across the middle. Gems have once more been added to the silver holly swirl. It's not easy to see it here, but Stickles crystal ice has been added to the trees.

Cricut: Make the cut

I haven't achieved any crafting today. This morning I did a couple of jobs out of my resolutions job box - more info if you click the link to the original post:

I've now done 7 or 8 of the jobs so far, so that's not bad going for this stage of the new year - I have to confess that a couple of days ago I asked John to pick a paper and it turned out to be something I really didn't want to do, so we put that one back and chose another.

For part of my Christmas present, John said that I could buy the download for Cure Cuts a Lot to enable me to use my Cricut for computer generated designs as well as from the cartridges, thus using it like the craft robo. I do have a craft robo as well - the idea now is to sell that and just use the cricut - in the space I've got it will be far more manageable to just use the one machine.

Anyway, I was all set to get Sure Cuts a Lot, having downloaded the trial version before Christmas and seen how good it was - and then I learned that there is now software called 'Make the cut', which is very similar to SCAL. I've spent time this afternoon and earlier this evening researching it, comparing the two - and downloaded the trial version so I could see for myself.

I've come out in favour of the Make the cut software, so I took the plunge and bought it. I've had a play and cut a few scalloped circles etc and then downloaded a free svg file 'holly swirl' from here and imported into MTC and then made duplicates within the file so that it cut six at a time. I used silver mirror card to cut them (it's not too thick, which is just OK for the cricut to manage with the ordinary blade) and here's the result:

Now tomorrow I need to get on and use these for my Christmas cards for the 25th club on Bubbly Funk before the month goes on any further.

Dogs ... just for you

This card is for the recipe 15 on Crafts 4 eternity, which includes this sketch:

We were also asked to include a dog or dogs and a check pattern.

I couldn't resist the opportunity to use my labrador stamp, coloured with copics.

I'm still trying to stick to one of my crafting resolutions and use up some of my offcuts, so that's what I did for this card, using some 'dogs' paper from PDA, some dogtooth check paper (lol - how appropriate - 'dog'tooth) and other paper, both of which are BG and a few other bits and pieces from my general stash.
These colours remind me of hot chocolate, which is the topic for Quixotic 8 and also Simon says challenge this week; also for Divine diva inspiration 19.

No crafting yet, but some bargain goodies

I haven't done any crafting to show yet today, but I have got some crafting goodies to show. When the postie came this morning he brought me the goodies that I'd ordered Sunday evening from Paper n Lace - they have a sale on atm - plenty more craft goodies to drool over.

I admit that I've quite often in the past thought of getting the large roses stamp - and now the price was better so that it didn't seem so extravagant. And, of course, I couldn't resist a couple of BG pads (although I have to amit to already having about 30) - and the 7 gypsies papers are lovely - in fact I hope to use some of it soon to make something for the DCM 'garnet' challenge.

I've just come back to edit this post to add that I also got these from P n L (how could I have missed them from the original picture?):

QVC also had a craft clearance last week and I weakened and ordered this Christmas set - it will be ideal for some of those quicker cards to make for when I have a Tearfund sale.

Happy Anniversary in black, white and yellow

This card is for the sketch this week on Dottie's world:

As usual, we are required to use a Charmed image and I've chosen the 'Happy Anniversary' one from the Love and Marriage collection, changing it to black and white.

The black and white combines with the yellow for colour chef 34 on Kelly Jo this week: 'black, yellow, white' and for Flourishes Timeless 48 colour challenge: 'black and yellow + another colour of your choice' (the added white and tiny dots of red). I hope there's enough yellow for the My grafico challenge 31: 'yellow'. It's also another one for Lucy's cards 3: 'monochromatic' - one colour along with black and/or white, also Crafty creations 49: 'black and white with a splash of colour'.

The current challenge for Creative inspirations 42 is 'Anniversary card', so this is good for that. And it also fits No time to stamp? 121: 'love is in the air', Saturday spotlight 13: 'love without hearts' and Ann's creative nook 73: 'love is in the air',

The torn script paper is just right for Corrosive 46, Creative inspirations 24 and Creative card crew 42, which all have the current theme of 'distressing'.

Say Happy Birthday with flowers

This card is for Mercy's sketch challenge 55:

and also for ColourQ challenge 14:
Everything I've used, except the ribbon, raffia and sentiment, is from the Laura Ashley contemporary range - the papers, the stamp (which I inked with Brilliance pearlescent crimson and heat embossed with clear detail) and the fabric covered brad.

It's also good for:

Today (day 317) on 365: 'crazy eight' - use 8 colours: lilac, purple, yellow, green, pink, fuschia, brown, crimson, blue ... at least 8 here
2 red bananas: 'think round' - create something with curves - plenty on the flowers
Cute daisy may: 'ribbon and flowers'
Design dollies colour challenge: 'fuschia and pale yellow'
Fiskarettes: 'layering' - a few layers here
Pink elephant 49: 'birthday'
There she goes 37: 'embellish x 3 - ribbon, raffia and brad
Another one for Stampin' royalty 1: 'birthday theme'
Another one for Your next stamp 7: 'embossing' - the heat embossing on the central flower
Another for Hand full of stamps 11: 'say it with flowers'
Another for Frosted designs: 'ink challenge' - this time heat embossing a pigment ink
Another too for Crazy 4 challenges 19: 'birthday'
Sweet stampin' 8: 'colour combo' - certainly celery, rose red, pretty in pink, almost amethyst
Sunflowers and dragonflies 23: 'faux stitching' - on the green ribbon
Crafty catz 14: 'bright and sparkly' - the purple edging of the sentiment is glittered, as well as the pearlescent sheen of the embossed ink

Chance encounter

This colourful ticket sheet was the inspirational graphic given this week on Soartful and the theme is 'chance':

I downloaded a free image from here and simply enlarged, rotated a bit and superimposed on the original given image - my very simple effort this week:



This is what the poem says:

A chance encounter of the best kind
A meeting arranged by fate.
Two souls have come together
Two hearts can now relate.

Exploring has uncovered
A tender love sublime
Whose roots are strong and deep
To withstand the test of time.

This much I know within my heart,
That you are meant for me:
To share with me the joys of life
Throughout Eternity.

And here I found a final verse:

So now I ask with open heart
Baring my soul to thee;
Will you, dear (NAME), my soulmate
Take a chance and marry me?

Copyright © 1983 Ara John Movsesia

Top hat and tails

This is my effort for Sunday Postcard 'top hat and tails'.

The bride and groom are a download from the Charmed Love and Marriage Dottie and George and they have been superimposed over a photo of the view into a church at a wedding (Dottie and George cover the original bride and groom):

Stamping with Leonardo

This card is for the sketch on Ooh-la-la 44:


It's also for:

Sunday Stamper 85: 'faces'
PaperPlay 1: 'precious metals' - the pink clip
Humble Pie: 'flourishes'
KL stampin' n scrappin' 12: 'pink, black and a neutral (grey)
Ildi Co 7: 'scrap & metal' - use only scraps (they were - part of one of my new year resolutions) and some type of metal - the pink clip
Kraftin'Kimmie 12: 'heavy metal'
365 cards day 303: 'with a flourish' - 'To meet the requirements for today's challenge, you need to add at least 3 flourishes to your card. They can be stamps, rubons, patterned paper, etc.' I used one of my favourite flourish stamps by Dawn Bibby to randomly stamp the pink card.


The Leonardo (Stampington) stamp is one I had for Christmas - I just lightly coloured the face with a pink copic (doesn't really show on here), so, as the stamp is new - it's the first time I've used it - it's another one for Crafty Ann 5: 'new year' new inspiration', Fussy & fancy 1: 'new' and the Craft Garden January challenge: 'new'.

The pink card etc is more pink irl.