Pinspirational 125 - Anything Goes

It's everyone's favourite this week at Pinspirational , Anything Goes !

I used a digistamp kindly provided by one of our sponsors - Flat Friends .

Please come over and join us at Pinspirational , where there are great prizes to be won.

I'd like to enter:

Crafty Catz   birthday 

As you like it  fave digi - fun to paper-piece and use in different colours 

Suzy Bee's Bloomin Challenge  use some red 

Getting to Know You Blog Hop

I was tagged for this Blog Hop by Kylie .
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Kylie in real life and she is just as friendly, kind and fun as she seems online. She also makes great cards, so go and check her blog.
Okay, the idea is I answer the following questions.
1.What creative projects are you currently working on?
My main craft is cardmaking and , if I’m not making a card for a friend or relative, I am making cards for challenges- ones where I am on the DT AND ones that I just love the enter.  I’m on the Design Teams at Inkspirational, Pinspirational, Make My Monday and the Creative Cutting Challenge. I also have a regular feature on my blog called Festive 48, where I post a Christmas card a week and invite others to join me.

I also enjoy scrapbooking (I am posting an example at the top of the post) and I go to a lovely local group once a month.

I do like to make other things too, as long as they’re not too skilled! Recently I sewed some cushion covers and a cot blanket, and etched some glasses using a stencil.

Finally, not exactly a creative project but I also volunteer at Paper Playful.
2.What inspires your designs?
Mostly, I’m inspired by the person, occasion or challenge theme that I am making the item for.

3.What method / process (if applicable) do you apply to each of your creative projects, and how long does each project take to complete?
A card usually takes 30 minutes to two hours, excluding thinking and drying  time . Most of the time (especially if it’s two hours) is taken up with correcting mistakes and looking for things!
Coming up with an idea that I find interesting is the first stage of the process and then I just try to make it work, using whatever means necessary.

4.If you had to describe your 'signature' style, what would it be?
Slightly wonky. I do like a stick on gem too.

5. What are 3 crafting products/tools you can't live without?

1) Computer  with printer–  I use it to type text, for digis and craft cds, link to my electronic die-cutter and to connect with other crafters.

2) Adhesives – I know it’s obvious but I’m always looking for the best and easiest. Currently I use fingerlift tape and zig glue pens.

3) Card blanks – I have trouble cutting straight so these save me a lot of time and trouble.

At this point I’m supposed to tag in two crafters who I admire to be next in the Blog Hop. Well I did invite two talented and supportive crafters to join the blog hop…and they both declined as they felt it was not the sort of thing they enjoy!

So I’m throwing out an invitation – if it’s the sort of thing YOU enjoy, please leave me a message in  a comment and I will tag you in.

Thanks for reading . 

Make My Monday - Die Cuts / Punches

Our challenge this week at Make My Monday is die cuts / punches . As I have an electronic die-cutting machine (not to mention a Big Shot) , I use die-cuts all the time , so this time, I challenged myself just to use punches. I used four punches: the dog (Woodware), heart, and two borders. I also used a shadow stamp and a sentiment stamp.

We'd love you to join in our challenge at Make My Monday. 

I'd like to enter:
Perfectly Rustics  punch art
A Song in Your Art  I've got a dog
Cute Card Thursday punches
Chocolate Coffee Cards dogs and cats
Pink Elephant  anything goes

Apple Harvest

We have a cooking apple tree in the garden and, for zero effort all year round, it provides us with lovely apples every autumn. The perfect plant for the lazy gardener!

Here I used a Rubber Stampede apple stamp, which I coloured with inks and water, and cut out. The woodgrain is a Hero Arts stamp and the background is a Stampin Up leaf stamp,heat embossed in copper on copper card. Although it appears lighter at the bottom, this is just the photo.

I'd like to enter:
Time Out  stamping with twist of apples
Our Creative Corner autumn
Give a Crafter a Cookie autumn
Red Rubber Inspirationals  ag
Little Red Wagon  fall

Two Trees

Today, I spent a lovely day crafting with my dear Inkspirational team-mate, Sandie. She told me all about the challenge on her challenge blog Time Out . In honour of their DT member Bev, who has just had twins (congratulations!) , the challenge is to use two of something. And there's a fabulous prize!

For my card I've used two die cut Christmas trees - not sure if you can see that the top halves are embossed in white pearl. The background is a Justrite stamp.

As well as Time Out , I'd like to enter:
Crafting when we can  no designer paper
Addicted to Stamps  white and one other colour

Inkspirational Challenge - Beverages / Drinks

The new Inkspirational Challenge is a 'designer's choice', chosen by Carol and it is - Beverages/ Drinks.

For my DT card I found this picture in a book of copyright free images called Art Deco Designs, scanned it into my computer and printed it. I really enjoyed colouring it with Promarkers and paper-piecing with patterned foil paper. I highlighted the glass with glossy accents, glitter and a gem - but it doesn't show in the photo.

Come over to Inkspirational , see what the DT has done and meet our wonderful guest designer MaryV. Whether yours is a pint or a nice cup of tea, we hope you'll join the challenge.

I'd like to enter:
Crafty Creations  vintage
Moving along with the Times 321
Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenge use red
Eclectic Ellapu Lady's Birthday

Festive 48 - Week 37

Is this a Christmas card? Certainly I thought I was making a Christmas card when I made it! For some reason I thought the stamp of the bird in the circles, a freebie with Craft Stamper magazine, was a Christmas stamp, but looking at it now there's not really anything Christmas about it , (and the CS DT's projects weren't Christmas either).

I stamped 'Winter Wishes' (part of a free set from another magazine) and added gems and a panel of embossed red card ( using a non- Christmas embossing folder!).  So does it look Christmassy or will the recipient think I'm mad???

Just to recap, I have challenged myself to make a Christmas card every week , and post it here (to make sure I do it!) . If I do this, by the beginning of December I will have 48 Christmas cards. I have also issued an invitation to anyone who would like to join me by linking up ONE card each week. 

This link up is always 'Any Christmas Card Goes'. 

Thank you to everyone who's joined me so far. I love seeing your cards. 

I'd like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps  holiday 

Open-minded Crafting Fun roll out the red

Stamping Sensations   things with wings 

An InLinkz Link-up

Creative Cutting Challenge - Fall

Here's my DT project for Creative Cutting Challenge  - Fall. It's a shaker card, using Basic Grey Mellow collection (I've had this for years and still using it up) and, for the shaky bits, I used Creative Pointe  'fall leaves' SVG set, cut very small on the Silhouette Cameo.

We'd love you to join our challenge at Creative Cutting  - all you need to do is use an SVG or similar electronic cutting file, make an autumn themed project  and tell us what you've used.  See you there.

I'd like to enter:
Creative Knockouts fall
Corrosive Challenges autumn 
Crafting for all Seasons colours of autumn
Craft your Passion   I can see clearly (acetate used in shaker card)

Make My Monday - Autumn Colours

I was asked to make a 'thank you ' card for a childminder, so I thought I'd combine it with my DT project for Make My Monday , where the challenge is 'Autumn Colours'.

I used a free digistamp from Dearie Dolls  and I coloured it with Promarkers, paper-pieced the jacket, and stamped the sentiment on the swing.

If, like me, you love the colours of autumn - reds, browns, orange and golden-yellow- I hope you will join us this week at Make My Monday. 

I'd like to enter:
Creative Knockouts fall
QKR Stampede fall colours
Oldie But Goodie  autumn
Incy Wincy anything goes

Nordic Christmas

I often avoid challenges that demand a particular style (shabby chic, cas) for fear of getting it wrong but I couldn't resist trying the Nordic Christmas challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown , so I hope I got the style right!

The die cuts were cut on the Silhouette, the trees are wooden and the background paper was a magazine freebie.

As well as 52CCT, I'd also like to enter:
Craft Room Challenge Forest Friends
Come and Get It  3 of something - wooden trees and red gems
Crafting when We Can  Christmas come early