A fairytale prize

Today I've received this waterfall card set as a prize for winning Fairytale challenge 3:



Oh, I've just opened the package and discovered that it's not just one design, but there are three different ones.

I look forward to making these. Isn't it strange that I haven't made any waterfall cards for ages and it was only the other day that I made four Christmas ones. Now I've got some more to make - yay!

CHNC challenge 3: let's see some trees

Over on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog it's time for challenge 3 which is 'let's see some trees' - decorated Christmas trees - indoors or outside - bare winter trees, snowy trees, whatever. They can be stamped, a digi, embossed, painted ... use whatever medium you like ... or find a freebie or recycled element that features a tree. Of course, the end result must be a Christmas card. You will find all the information here - I would love you to join in my challenge.

I've used a Webster paper from the 'waiting for Santa' pack and also a piece of BG jovial. I covered a piece of chipboard with blue and green acrylic paint and then used white acrylic paint with my Inkaddinkadoo trees stamp, adding some white at the base of the trees. The trees stamped a bit suidgy, but I left it as I thought it looked even more smmowy with a bit of dimension.

As I said on my challenge blog, I used acrylic paint because that's the topic for this week's challenge on Jingle Belles and I'm trying to support them as they are also a new Christmas crafting blog, so I'm entering this card for their challenge. I'm also entering Frosted designs challenge, which this week is to use paint.

I used the sketch for CPS 200, so I'm linking for that:


This is also for:

Sunday stamper 136: shine on you crazy diamond - diamond pattern on the Webster's paper
Sundays with Crissy 13: ribbons
Tellen's place: let's see some ribbon
Wee memories 39: for the love of ribbon
Creative stamp friends 16: winter
Stamp magic 28: winter
Stamp with fun 93: snow
Created by hand: snow
Creative belli 108: snow
Hanna and friends 77: snow
Papertake: cold and frosty morning
Stamp n doodle: winter in the woods
Aud sentiments 19: sentiment can only have two words
Inspiration Avenue: what inspires you? - trying new techniques - this is the first time I've stamped with acrylic paint
Sweet stampin': try something different
Crafty purple frog: new technique
Crafty Ann 32: ring in the new but don't ring out the old - mix of old and new technique - use stamping a lot, so that's old (as is the stamp I used), but new stamping with acrylic paint
Meljen 41: square card
ABC Christmas: A for anything Christmas goes
Christmas cards all year round January: anything goes
Stamp something: anything goes
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Craft your days away 11: anything goes
Let's ink it up 8: anything goes
Pattie's creations 10: anything goes
Stamp, scrap & doodle: anything goes

Music tag card

Last night I made a 'face the music' tag that I blogged here - please look there for details of supplies etc for the actual tag.

This evening I decided that I would incorporate it into a card, so I stamped on to a stardream black base card, using one of my La Blanche foam stamps, embossing with silver detail. Just the addition of the Happy Birthday and the card was done.

This is for:

Wednesday stamper: music
Pixie dust studio 57: let's play tag
Paper cutz 74: use a tag
Try it on Tuesday: it's a man's world! maybe! - tag with a male theme
Stamping with the dragon 18: for that special stud - man or boy
Some odd girl: let's get embossed
Speedy the cat (Mark's finest papers) 37: embossing
Paper romance 33: birthdays and the men in our life
Crafty pad 103: happy birthday
Sisterhood of crafters: birthday
Gingerloft 9: celebrations - birthday
Prairie fairy 44: happy birthday
Sew many challenges: happy birthday
Totally papercrafts: happy birthday
Fiskarettes: celebration
Meljen's 41: square or round shaped card (no rectangles allowed)
Aud's sentiments 19: sentiment can only have two words
Crafty Ho: monochromatic theme
Kelly Jo's color chef 69: monochromatic
Cute card Thursday 147: monochrome
Just add ink 51: theme challenge: just add monochrome
Paper playtime 33: use black, silver & white only
Let's craft and create 10: just a note - hope my interpretation of the challenge with musical notes is OK
Stamp insanity 42: let it all hang out! - let your creativity flow past the edges of your paper
Sundays with Crissy 13: ribbons
Whoopsi Daisy: no designer paper
Craft your days away 11: anything goes
Pattie's creations 10: anything goes
Stamp something: anything goes
Let's ink it up 8: anything goes

Face the music

It's a long while since I made a tag for Dragonsdream tag it on, so I thought I would join in this week's challenge 65: face the music.

I used part of a very large stamp - Stamp Happen 'keys to music' by Troy Crisswell. I stamped with versamark and heat embossed with detail silver powder on the piece of black textured card. The piano notes across the bottom is a piece of ribbon (I bought this a long time ago and have never used any of it till now) - the addition of a stapled piece of glittery silver ribbon and the tag is complete. Music is also the theme for Wednesday stamper, so I'm entering the tag there.

It's also for:

Pixie dust studio 57: let's play tag
Try it on Tuesday: it's a man's world! maybe! - tag with a male theme
Stamping with the dragon 18: for that special stud - man or boy
Some odd girl: let's get embossed
Simply create 34: I'm the boss - embossing
Speedy the cat (Mark's finest papers) 37: embossing
Crafty Ho: monochromatic theme
Kelly Jo's color chef 69: monochromatic
Cute card Thursday 147: monochrome
Just add ink 51: theme challenge: just add monochrome
Paper playtime 33: use black, silver & white only
Let's craft and create 10: just a note - hope my interpretation of the challenge with musical notes is OK
Sundays with Crissy 13: ribbons
Craft your days away 11: anything goes

Stars and stripes for son's birthday

This is a card for mum to give to my brother for his birthday next week. It uses the same range of papers and cut out bits as my card here.

This card uses the sketch for Sketch and stash 52 (these papers have been a bit neglected):


This is also for:

Paper sundaes 51: circles
Paper romance 33: birthdays and the men in our life
Crafty pad 103: happy birthday
Sisterhood of crafters: birthday
Gingerloft 9: celebrations - birthday
Fiskarettes: celebration
Meljen's 41: square or round shaped card (no rectangles allowed)
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Craft your days away 11: anything goes

Stars and stripes for brother's birthday

This card is for brother's birthday next week - I think I'm safe showing it here because I doubt very much whether he ever looks here - if by any chance you do, then please look away NOW!!

I used the sketch for Shabby tea room 44:

Papers are all from Making Cards Nancy Watt 'stars and stripes' collection, including the pieces I cut out. The base card is stardream so it has a glittery sheen to to.

(The scan is a bit crooked, not the card).

I'm also linking for:

Paper sundaes 51: circles
Pear tree designs 31: circles
Paper romance 33: birthdays and the men in our life
Crafty pad 103: happy birthday
Sisterhood of crafters: birthday
Gingerloft 9: celebrations - birthday
Meljen's 41: square or round shaped card (no rectangles allowed)
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Craft your days away 11: anything goes

Vintage lady with lace

This is for Sweet Stop sketch 90:

The main background paper is Laura Ashley and the striped paper is Making Memories. The 'vintage lady' image is for this week's challenge on Soartful. I've gone for the grey colourscheme for Moxie challenge: gray is the new black. It's also for Crafty Ho's monochromatic theme, Kelly Jo's color chef 69: monochromatic, Cute card Thursday 147: monochrome and Just add ink 51: theme challenge: just add monochrome.

I've used the ingredients for Annabelle's say it with a 1, 2, 3 recipe: 1 border stamp, 2 petals (flowers) and 3 sprinkles (gems).

I used a lace border stamp for Shelly's terrifically thrilling Thursday: use lace on your project - there is also lace printed around the border of the vintage lady image.

The flowers were stamped with funstamps paisley background and dovecraft brads used. I've deliberately put one flower over the edge for Stamp insanity 42: let it all hang out! - let your creativity flow past the edges of your paper

This is also for 2 sisters 21: gettin' girly - lace, gems, vintage lady

This is also for:

Crafty pad 103: happy birthday
Sisterhood of crafters: birthday
Fiskarettes: celebration - birthday
Gingerloft 9: celebrations - birthday
Flourishes timeless 100: all about favourites - stamping, lace, gems, flowers, papers
Tanda teaser 162: dare to embellish - the stamped flowers and lace
Paper cutz 73: metal - the brads
4 crafty chicks 20: show us some metal - the brads
Ooh-la-la 71: bling it on - the brads and gems
Stamp something: January digi day challenge
Meljen's 41: square or round shaped card (no rectangles allowed)
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Craft your days away 11: anything goes

Winterchill

This is for the sketch on Crafts 4 eternity R1:

The image is a free digi from Art Freebies called 'winterchill'. As the card uses a freebie it is good for my own CHNC challenge 2.

I'm linking this for these 'winter' related challenges:

Creative stamp friends 16: winter
One powerful hour: warm winter wishes
Cutie stampers 89: a winter scene
Stamp with fun 93: snow
Created by hand: snow
Creative belli 108: snow

The papers are all BG jovial 9they are lovely, aren't they?!).


It's also for:

Pile it on 2: it's all about the cute children
Basic grey 35: dots and spots
Fab n funky 55: let's get warm & toasty
Meljen's 41: square or round shaped card (no rectangles allowed)
Delicious doodles 7: new - use something new with digi - the papers are new - they were part of a prize I won from Papertake weekly - I had $25 to spend at Simon says - you can read about it here
Stamp something: January digi day challenge
Karber Christmas 5: create a Christmas card using a digi
Christmas cards all year round January: anything goes
ABC Christmas: A for anything Christmas goes
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Craft your days away 11: anything goes

Freebie waterfalls

Having started my own Christmas card challenge blog - Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge - I still like to support as many of the other Christmas challenge blogs out there as I can.

A new one that started up at the same time as mine is Jingle Belles and this week the theme is: have yourself a merry LITTLE Christmas - cards that feature inchies or twinchies. Update: oh dear, I've just discovered that the linking for this challenge has already closed (thought it was later today - must remember that in future) - will still add a comment with my cards.

I have to confess that I've had the components for these waterfall cards in my Christmas box for far longer than I care to remember - I should think for at least three years - just right for ECP 29: use only old stash. Originally they were free with a magazine, so they fit my own challenge 2 to use a freebie or something recycled. If you haven't joined in my challenge yet I'd love you to do so - closing time is 22:00 UK time Friday 14 January.

The pieces for the first two cards were totally free with a magazine - they are 4" x 4" cards.


The next two cards are a regular size square, the first card has a freebie background from Quick Cards - Kate Knight Christmas collection paper stack.


These cards all have movement, so they are good for C.R.A.F.T. 85: moving components.

They are also for:

Meljen's 41: square or round shaped card (no rectangles allowed)
Aly's 33: things with wings (the first card)
Stampin' sisters in Christ 71: card which includes wings (the first card)
Bah! humbug 1: holly (the first card)
Christmas cards all year round January: anything goes
ABC Christmas: A for anything Christmas goes
Crazy challenge 49: animals (the first two cards)
CES 18: all creatures great and small (the first two cards)
PaperPlay 2: cutie patootie (the second card)
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Craft your days away 11: anything goes
411 colour inspiration 148: (the first card)

Simply with love

This is for the sketch on C.R.A.F.T. 84:

The background paper is Forever Friends from their 'with love' paper pad. The Forever Friends challenge atm is 'a card for a man or boy' - I think this would be suitable to give to a man for Valentine's Day (yes, a bit soppy, I know, but ...).

The Newton bear stamp was a freebie with a magazine a couple of years ago - a useful, simple stamp, coloured with copics - very therapeutic this evening.

It's also for Colour create 61 which calls for 'pink, red and white' with the option of using hearts. As we're approaching Valentine's day there are a few challenges around that ask for hearts or the theme of love, so I'm linking for:

Ann's creative nook 199: got hearts?
Woodware 9: hearts
One stitch at a time 44: love & Valentine
Lexi 31: say it with love
Going grey (Scrap-creations): love is in the air
Cuttlebug spot: inspired by a song - 'with love from me to you'
Bunny Zoe 8: love is in the air

This is also for:

Aud's sentiments 19: sentiment can only have two words
Stamp n doodle: New year's resolution - one of my resolutions is to use up offcuts - applies to everything except the base background
Simply create 34: I'm the boss - I used a cuttlebug folder for the embossed hearts
Speedy the cat (Mark's finest papers) 37: embossing
Crazy challenge 49: animals
CES 18: all creatures great and small
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Craft your days away 11: anything goes
Let's ink it up 8: anything goes
Top tip Tuesday 17: anything goes

Too good to waste

Challenge 2 on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog asks for either a freebie or something recycled to be used.

This year I was quite ruthless in sorting through our Christmas cards. I usually keep quite a few of them to use to make recycled cards to sell for charity. I much prefer, of course, to make my own cards from scratch, but I appreciate that some people wish to buy something cheaper and so I always have some recycled ones available too.

So I've used two cards that we received and mounted them on to paper from BG eskimo kisses, the second card having the image matted on to a piece of smokey grey mirror card (not as dark as it looks in the picture).

Both cards have an embossed look that is lost on the scans.



Thank you to all those who have joined in my challenge 2 so far - there's still time until 22:00 UK time Friday 14 January - so why not rescue some of those lovely pictures on your received Christmas cards and recycle them.

Wednesday comes round so quickly

And it's time for WOYWW 84 - if you haven't a clue what I'm talking about (is there anyone left who doesn't know?) then click on the link and have a nosey! and join in.

Just a little explanation for those who queried the contents of my mug last week - green tea with lemon - and you can see that it's becoming a bit of a regular brew.

The box of papers is out because I wanted to look for retro papers for the card I did last night and also planning to make one for another challenge.

The stamp on the pile on the right has been kindly lent by a crafting friend for me to stamp some images, so I must get those done in the next few days.

I now need to decide what's going to be happening in that empty space in the middle - I certainly need to make some family birthday cards - oh yes, the family birthdays continue thick and fast - right from end of November to April, there are soooo many, not that I'm complaining.

Journaling tickets prize

I was fortunate enough to be randomly picked on Let's craft and create as winner of challenge 9 and have received these fab Tim Holtz journaling tickets - looking forward to using them. And a lovely card from Mandy and Eileen to thank me for taking part in their challenge.

Happy New Year ...

... yes, I know it's a bit late, but better late than never.

It's another New Year card, this time based on Gloria's sketch for the challenge 1 on the new Crop Stop blog.

I used some old retro DCWV stack papers - I must have had these for some years. And the 'clock image' is a Crafty Individuals from 'people and places', not quite so old, but certainly been around in my box for quite some time - so this is good for Cute card Thursday 146: out with the old - use up some old stash, and ECP 29: use only old stash.

Wee memories 38 is 'design with some twine', so I carefully strung some across the left hand corner, making a hole on the edge and threading around to the inside, but then I mostly covered it up - should have put the triangles so that some twine showed in between - d'oh!! And the 'flagging' is for Sew many challenges 39.

I got the idea of using these papers from the photo inspiration for Raise the bar 48: celebrating father time:
and clocks is the theme for this week's One powerful hour.

The colours are also for The Color Dare 91: tempting turquoise, pear pizzazz, tangerine tango, neutrals of choice.


This is also for:

Pear tree 31: circles
Quirky crafts 1: new beginnings
Simon says: new beginnings
Dutch dare 94: new beginnings
Sarah Hurley 24: new beginnings
Prairie fairy Fridays 43: new beginnings
Stamp, scrap & doodle: new beginnings
Crafty calendar 16: new beginnings
Oldie but a goodie 10: bright and cheerful
CCEE 1101: check it out
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Top tip Tuesday 17: anything goes
Craft your days away 11: anything goes

Experimenting ...

I thought I would play some more with my new Caran d'ache water soluble pastels. For the middle chipboard panel I once more coloured with three pastels and carefully blended using a piece of baby wipe.

I chose the colours for Cards and things challenge 60:

I then stamped the middle panel first with Funstamps Paisley background and then with the DB designs flower, which I also used on the base card, colouring in with two of the pastels.


This is also for:

Totally stampalicious: mixed up: use stamps from at least two different sets
Whoopsi daisy: no designer paper
Paperminutes 147: background pattern - main theme
Stampin' B 92: use an old favourite (the two stamps I used) and something brand spankin' new (the pastels)
Crafty purple frog: new goodies and new technique
Sweet stampin': try something different
Inspiration avenue: what inspires you? trying new things, especially if stamping is involved
Flourishes timeless 99: flowers
Papertake: anything goes
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Fab n funky 54: anything goes
Craft your days away 11: anything goes
Let's ink it up 8: anything goes

Totallly Gorjuss hearts

This card is for Net's sketch for Totally Gorjuss 62:

The background is vellum, hence the doodlebug brads in the corners (the vellum was stuck underneath where the main panel would go) - for I did it challenge 37 which is asking us to use vellum.

The brads are good for:

Kort o mania 31: use a charm or metal
Top tip Tuesday 16: metal Mickey
Stamp insanity 41: hardcore hardware
Paper cutz 73: metal

I used a Penny Black stamp that I received for Christmas (I was so fortunate to have so many new stamps) called 'brimming with love', coloured with copics, so I'm entering this into Penny Black 133: new beginnings (using a new stamp) and Penny Black at Allsorts January challenge: all you need is love.

The lovely strip across the bottom is from East of India 'hearts & leaves' paper chain (I bought a pack of these ages ago from John Lewis and occasionally use one - love them).

There are still quite a lot of challenges around asking for new things to be used, so, as I used another new stamp, I'm linking for:

Created by hand: in with the new
Rainbow lady 134: it's all new to me
Paper issues: new
Pollycraft 75: new things
Creative inspirations 50: use something new
Creative cottage 30: something new - new stash
Moving along with the times 80: ring out the old, ring in the new (the old stash is the vellum and the East of India paper chain strip)
My partner in crime 17: something new
Crafty purple frog: new goodies
Our daily bread 43: something new, something old (as above)

There are a few challenges around atm that feature love or hearts (yes, I suppose we are approaching Valentine's Day soon), so I'm linking for:

Ann's creative nook 199: got hearts?
Squigglefly 80: put your hearts into it - I bought the 'I {heart} you digi from Squigglefly
Woodware 9: hearts
One stitch at a time 44: love & Valentine
Lexi 31: say it with love
Bunny Zoe 8: love is in the air

It's also for:

Crazy challenge 49: animals
CES 18: all creatures great and small
Papertake: anything goes
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Fab n funky 54: anything goes
Craft your days away 11: anything goes
Let's ink it up 8: anything goes

Winter fantasy

There are a few challenges around at the moment focusing on 'winter' (not surprising really as we are still in the grip of that season - although, thankfully, no more of the white stuff here, except a little frost in the mornings). So this card is for the following 'winter' related challenges:

Creative stamp friends 16: winter
Cutie stampers 89: a winter scene
Winter wonderland: let's go dotty
Stamp with fun 93: snow
Creative belli 108: snow
The paper variety: snowflakes

As part of my Christmas present John gave me a 'voucher' saying that I could spend £50 - so I decided to by some Caran d'ache pastels - Noecolor I and II. I experimented yesterday with a couple of the Neocolor II, which are watersoluble. I roughly coloured sky and grass on to a piece of chipboard and then used a baby wipe to blend - I think it worked quite well. And I'll be a bit more adventurous next time I use them!

As I've used a new technique (and new stash - the pastels), I'm linking for:

Quirky crafts 1: new beginnings - new pastels and new technique
Created by hand: in with the new
Rainbow lady 134: it's all new to me
Paper issues: new
Pollycraft 75: new things
Creative inspirations 50: use something new
Creative cottage 30: something new - new stash
Moving along with the times 80: ring out the old, ring in the new (the old stash is the foiled paper)
My partner in crime 17: something new
Stampin' B 92: use an old favourite and something brand spankin' new - the old favourite is the PB fantasy stamp and the new is the pastels
Crafty purple frog: new goodies
Our daily bread 43: something new, something old (as above)
Sweet stampin': try something different

I used liquid pearls white opal for the snow on the tree (which is a PB fantasy stamp) and dotted it across the grass which I then smudged with my finger to get a glistening snow coverage. The background paper with silver foiled swirls was part of a Christmas kit from QVC last year and the base card is stardream, which has a bit of a glittery look.

It was difficult to get a photo of the card because of the foiled swirly background reflecting, but you can get some idea - the actual card is a bit in between the two photos.

This is also for:

Ooh-la-la 71: bling it on
By the cute and girly for January: bling it on
The lollipop ladies 11: hey Jube - add some glitter or bling
Secret crafter Saturday 116: tons of texture
Incy wincy 76: go dotty
Papertake: anything goes
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Fab n funky 54: anything goes
Craft your days away 11: anything goes
Let's ink it up 8: anything goes

Hope in winter

This week's challenge on Daring cardmakers is 'snowdrops and carnations' - apparently they are the flowers associated with January.

I've used a digi download I bought from Doodle Pantry, together with one of the sentiments that came with it. I coloured the leaves of the snowdrop with copics and added stickles crystal ice to the petals (I was going to use glossy accents, but it was all gummed up and I couldn't get it to flow).

I've used the sketch for CPS199:

I used a crafts-too square embossing folder to create the embossed dots and rounded the corners of that, the cardbase and the sentiment using my Xcut corner punch.

This is also for:

Tuesday throwdown 30: embossing
Simply create 34: I'm the boss - embossing
Speedy the cat (Mark's finest papers) 37: embossing
Cutie Sunday 125: winter
Lots to do: winter flowers
Karber weekly 19: use flowers
Flourishes timeless 99: flowers
PaperPlay 1: clean and simple
The lollipop ladies 11: hey Jube - add some glitter or bling
Fun at fairy knoll: all that glitters
Pixie cottage 51: punches
Tellen's place: punches
Cupcake 123: white is white
Drunken stampers 49: whiteout
City crafters 38: winter white
Moxie Tuesday trigger: winter white - this is the photo inspiration:

CHNC 2: freebie or recycle

Over on my Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge blog it's time for challenge 2 which is to use a freebie of some kind or recycle something - of course, the end result must be a Christmas card. You will find all the information here - I would love you to join in my challenge.

I used Bo Bunny 'believe' papers and tag that were free with Scrapbook Magazine. I used the sketch for Techno stamper Monday lunchtime sketch 154:


I used the House Mouse stamp 'Christmas tale' - I had this given to me by Christmas (I was very fortunate - John and my mum both bought rubber stamps for me - I gave them a wishlist - so I've still got more new stamps to use and show). I coloured with copics. The brads are ones that have been in my Christmas stash box for a couple of years.

As I've used a new stamp I'm linking for these challenges:

House mouse 86: new beginnings
Pile it on 1: brand spankin' new
Quirky crafts 1: new beginnings - new stamp
Ann's creative nook 118: use something ne
Woodware 8: something new
Created by hand: in with the new
Rainbow lady 134: it's all new to me - new crafting item
Order of the opus gluei 84: show us what's new
Paper issues: new
Creative inspirations 50: use something new
The crazy challenge 48: all things new
Creative cottage 30: something new - new stash
Moving along with the times 80: ring out the old, ring in the new (the old stash is the brads)
Crafty purple frog: new goodies

This is also for:

Spoon full of sugar 133: Christmas card
Anything goes (Craft Den) 30: the letter C - Christmas
ABC Christmas: A for anything Christmas goes
Christmas cards all year round: anything goes
Kort o mania 31: use a charm or metal - the two brads
Top tip Tuesday 16: metal Mickey - the two brads
Stamp insanity 41: hardcore hardware - the two brads
Paper cutz 73: metal - the two brads
CES 18: all creatures great & small
Creative craft: anything goes
One stitch at a time 43: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Craft your passion 39: anything goes
Papertake: anything goes
Creative card world new card challenge: anything goes
Fab n funky 54: anything goes
Whoopsi daisy: free and easy
Craft your days away 11: anything goes