Birthday Wishes With Love

My lovey teamies, Sandie and Nonni from Inkspirational, also have their own challenge Time Out.  I was moaning about so many challenges closing down over Christmas , when I actually have more time to take part due to not being at work, and Sandie pointed out that Time Out  would be open as usual. So I promised I would enter their challenge, whatever it was and it is...Christmas is Love with all the trimmings.  Luckily you can pick any of the words from the sentence and I have chosen 'love'.

The dog is from Bugaboo and I coloured him with Promarkers , a white sharpie and paper-piecing with Basic Grey paper. I stamped the sentiments ( Clearly Besotted and Docrafts), smudged white ink around the edges and layered onto more pattened paper.

As well as Time Out, I'd like to enter:
Little Red Wagon  happy birthday
Simon Says Stamp  anything goes
Alphabet Challenge  whiskers
Challenge Up Your Life kraft

Old Pink for a New Year

See the sparkle!!

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win a prize of vintage images from Lunagirl , and when I saw their challenge of 'Winter in Pink' I thought it would be nice to use one to enter.  But I am over Christmas!! So this card is a New Year card. I think the image was originally from a french New Year card because it has a NY greeting in the corner.

Can you spot the continuity error in the photo? She is wearing short-sleeves in the snow! I will be heading into the snowy north myself later on today, (we have such a mild climate in England that snow is a big deal!) , and I will not be taking any short-sleeved dresses!

I used the old masking tricks  to make a moon and snowy hills and doused them in fine, clear glitter.
The text and sentiment stamps are by Sarah Hurley.

As well as Lunagirl's challenge , I'd also like to enter:
Brown Sugar  happy new year
Scrapping for Fun winter
Eureka Stamps  glitter

You need Glasses

Here are some Christmas gifts I made by creating stencils using the Silhouette Cameo, and then 'engraving' glasses using etching cream.

The pair of glasses at the top were for my partner's mum and her husband, who are koi carp enthusiasts.

The bottom one was for a secret Santa at my partner's work - the recipient is a proud Welshman , hence the dragon. I made a matching tag using the inside of the stencil as a mask.  Whatever would my partner do without me and my Silhouette?

I'd like to enter:
Allsorts  last minute gifts
Just add Ink  giving
Crafting for All seasons anything for Christmas but a card

Reindeer Food

Ripped open, emptied of its glittering reindeer food and tossed into the rubbish bin...but at least I took a photo first!

The stamps on the front are by Sheena Douglass and the sentiment on the back is Stampin Up.

I'd like to enter:
Happy Little Stampers  sketch
Eclectic Ellapu Christmas not a card
Sentimental Sundays anything but a card

Happy Birthday Shauna

This is the card that I hope has made it across the Atlantic and is with my Inkspirational teammie, Shauna. If not Shauna, it's on its way!

Shauna writes all the winners' posts at Inkspirational, and she does an amazing job of working quietly in the background and making our winners the stars.

The building and the woman are stamps from a French-themed set by Sheena Douglass. I have been to France several times (relatively easy from London) , and I have noticed that they seem to have a lot more poodles than we do in the UK!  The sentiment stamp is Clearly Besotted and the birds are Indigo Blu, I think. Did you notice the paper-piecing on the dress, hat and awning?

Anyway, Happy Birthday to Shauna , hope you have a lovely day and thanks for all you do.

I'd like to enter:
That's Crafty  anything goes
Craft Hoarders have a nice trip (French theme)
Use your Stuff anything goes

Inkspirational Challenge 72 - Photo

We have a photo challenge for you at Inkspirational and here's the photo:

My card wasn't really planned - it sort of developed into a gothic Mary Poppins!  I was inspired by my team-mate , Sandie's use of splatter stamps and used a blotches stamp by Paper Artsy, embossed in silver to make bursting stars. The Mary Poppins stamp is by Lost Coast and the cityscape is Crafty Individuals, and I used lots of ink in purple and black. 

We'd love you to join in our challenge at Inkspirational, where we are joined by a fabulous Guest Designer, Karen . 

I'd like to enter:

Fashionable Stamping Challenges heat gun (silver embossing) 

Love to Create create a scene 

A Little Bit Crafty not Christmas

Happy Birthday Carol

Happy Birthday to Carol, my lively, fun and talented team-mate at Inkspirational.  This is a photo of the card I sent her and that I hope she has received and that it's not caught up in a sea of Christmas cards between the UK and Canada.

As Carol has probably got her Christmas cards up, I wanted to give this a definitely non-Christmas look. The woman is a digistamp from A Day For Daisies, the sentiment is a Clearly Besotted stamp and the text background is Hero Arts.

Carol, I hope you have a great day.

I'd like to enter:
Moving Along with the Times December birthdays
Use Your Stuff  anything goes

Make My Monday - Nativity

 This week's challenge at Make My Monday is Nativity. I made a tag using a stamp (unknown brand um ) of the three kings from the nativity story. The word stamps are by Sarah Hurley and the star was a magazine freebie.

I hope you'll come over to Make My Monday  and join in.

I'd like to enter:
Artistic Inspirations Merry Christmas
Give a Crafter a Cookie cookie photo
Sentimental Sundays anything goes
My Time to Craft  make a scene
Cheerful Stamp Pad signs of Christmas

Polar Bear and Penguin Together!

I found this LOTV stamp in my stash...I have no recollection of ever buying it!

I stamped it onto white card and embossed it in silver. I masked it and inked the sky.  I added shading with grey pen and highlights with a glitter pen. I punched snowflakes and put gems in the middle.

I'd like to enter:
Addicted to Stamps snowflakes
Eureka Stamps  let it snow
Stamping Sensations winter wonderland
Little Red Wagon  flaky
Pinspirational photo

Festive 48 - Week 48!!!!!!!!!!!!

Set off the fireworks! Release the doves!  It's week 48 and my final card for my Festive 48!

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. 

I'm really proud to say that I have never cheated even once - every card has been made in the week posted. Imagine if I had invested this level of commitment and energy into something like ....a diet ! ...or world peace!  But no, all I have is a big box of Christmas cards and a sense of satisfaction that I have no last minute panic. 

This week's card is made from two stamps from Clearly Besotted, stamped on kraft and coloured with Promarkers. The I added a doodled frame and some gems. 

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: 
Merry Monday bird
Artistic Inspiration  doodles 
Stempelgarten Christmas greetings 
Sweet Stampin  things with wings 

An InLinkz Link-up

My Advent - ure

Although I'm only just posting this on my blog,  this 3d advent calendar was actually completed in the nick of time and there are now 9 empty compartments.

It was cut out using an SVG electronic cutting file from SVG Cuts and I used papers from Basic Grey Fruitcake and Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather collections, and lots of different embellishments.

It's a great motivator to get my son out of bed on a dark schoolday morning!

I'd like to enter:

Craft Hoarders celebrate the season
Eclectic Ellapu  Christmas not a card
Holly Jolly  anything goes
Silhouette  anything goes (SVG cut on Sil Cameo)
That Craft Place  Christmas

Make My Monday - Angels

Sparkle - watch : can you spot it? 

It's my turn to choose the challenge this week at Make My Monday, and I've chosen - Angels.

I went for a very glamourous and grown-up angel, from Debbi Moore Christmas Angel CD . I embossed music onto pearlescent white card and matted onto red and then added lots of glitter. I did intend to add a sentiment and embellishment to the bottom left, but I just decided I liked it left simple.

Do you like your angels cute, holy, glam or .......whatever your angel is like, come and share it at Make My Monday. 

I'd like to enter:
CD Sunday song - There must be an Angel....
Fab n Funky  easy peasy
Little Red Wagon  wings
ABC Christmas Challenge xmas music
Crafty CardmakersChristmas

Inkspirational - Anything Goes with Gold

Our new challenge at Inkspirational is: anything goes with gold.

For my DT card I stuck to gold, white and cream. I gold embossed the Paper Artsy bauble stamp and added highlights with white liquid enamel. I mounted it on crimped mirror card and embossed cream card.

Come and join us at Inkspirational - have a look at what the DT, and our Guest Designer , Deborah, have done, and link up your own golden project.

I'd like to enter:
Eureka Stamps  celebrations
Crafty Creations embossing
Scrapping 4 Fun anything goes
Curtain Call clearly Christmas
ABC Challenge yuletide

Whale of a Time

So close to Christmas but people keep on having birthdays!

I made this using a digital version of Cosmo Cricket's Salt Air collection (the pattern and the splash) , a whale cutting file and the text capabilities of Silhouette Studio.

I'd like to enter:
Cheerful Stamp Pad all digital
Perfectly Rustics  sentiment
Creative Card Crew birthday with sentiment
Seize the Birthday anything goes
A Little Bit Crafty  not Christmas

Festive 48 - Week 47

It's the penultimate week of my festive 48 and I've gone for an old favourite of mine - the deer in the forest.

The base card is sponged with inks using a snowflake mask and I cut a stencil for the trees on my electronic die-cutting machine. The deer is from an electronic die-cutting file I made myself (and I've used A LOT) - it is sprayed with glitter , although it doesn't show in the pic.

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:

Fab n Funky  die cuts

Clear it Out winter wishes/ use a snowflake 

Creative Corner winter wonderland 

Pink Gem kraft and one other colour (hope you'll accept white as a colour!) 

An InLinkz Link-up

Creative Cutting Challenge - Christmas Cards

Our new challenge at Creative Cutting  is...Christmas Cards. I bet you're making them, so if you are using SVG cutting files to make them, why not link up?

I used the skater and the skates from the Skating set from our sponsor,  The Creative Pointe. 

I added other die cuts, bling, glitter, flowers and dry embossing.

See you at Creative Cutting Challenge. 

I'd like to enter:
Ooh La la  Christmas
Crafty Creations embossing
Incy Wincey  Christmas no red or green
Card Mania colour combo - white and white 

Make My Monday - Mists and Sprays

If you don't mind getting a bit messy, I urge you to join in our 'Mists and Sprays' challenge at Make My Monday.  Actually, you may well be one of those people who, like the professionals, can mist and spray without making a mess. But I made a mess and had a great fun.

I used a cheap canvas, a stencil and a variety of sprays and I just played around and when it didn't spray perfectly , I just went with it.  Several of the sprays contained mica, so there is some shimmer too.

The baubles were die cuts that I coloured with mauve ink and then stamped a Hero Arts background stamp over in black. Then I sprayed them with a glitter spray and added some silver ribbon.

I look forward to seeing your misty project at Make My Monday. 

I'd like to enter:
Craftroom Challenge  Christmas decs
City Crafter  technique ( spray mists and stencils on canvas)
Through the Purple Haze Christmas

Festive 48 - Week 46

Only two more weeks to go!

This week I used a Polkadoodles CD, 'Magical Wishes', printed the pre-coloured image twice, decoupaged the sign post, added liquid pearl snow and mounted it onto red card.  I used a scrap of patterned paper and made a sort of misty frame using white pearl embossing powder. The circular sentiment is a Lily of the Valley stamp , with glitter added.

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:

CD Sunday p is for (penguin, pole)
Scribbles penguin
Time Out  embossing (round the patterned paper) and sparkle ( on the sentiment)

An InLinkz Link-up

Dog and Bird

The dog and bird stamps were in a set that I got free with a magazine (Docrafts Creativity, I think), probably years ago , and only just opened!  The word stamps are by Mama Elephant.

I'd like to enter:
Shopping Our Stash something you got free
Addicted to Stamps holiday
Winter Wonderland sentimental
Fantasy Stampers Cute Christmas
Try it on Tuesday  Christmas is coming

Pinspirational Challenge 129

We've a new challenge for you at Pinspirational, and here's the inspirational picture:

For my DT card I used a pre-coloured image kindly provided by our sponsor, Doodle Pantry. I die cut and mounted it and layered it onto Kraft card, decorated with gold stars. I cut out an over-sized star and placed it over the stable. 

I hope you'll come and join us at Pinspirational - you could win a prize! 

Stop me if you think you've seen this one before ...

...to misquote The Smiths.

This is probably my favourite vintage Christmas image and I have used it several times.  This time I used it with torn and distressed patterned paper scraps, ribbon, a brad and a big snowflake. I made the snowflake as part of an online course in designing your own electronic cutting files.

I'd like to enter:
That's Crafty vintage
Lunagirl  holiday children
Sugar Creek vintage non trad colours
Crafty Cardmakers distress it

Sledge

Here's a 'hybrid ' card ..the image is a border from the digital version of Echo Park 'Sleigh Ride' and I printed it onto card, trimmed it to fit a card blank, drew a border round the edge with Marine Promarker and stuck it on with 3d foam.

Using Silhouette Studio software I made the banner shape, filled it with a woodgrain pattern and typed in 'have fun'. I printed and cut by hand. Finally I added 3 gems.

I'd like to enter:

Just Us Girls  photo - inspired by the woodgrain floor and the sledge.
Love to Create colours
Casology flag
Crafting when we can  cas
Less is More jingle all the way.

Make My Monday - black, white and hint of red.

This week at Make My Monday  we'd like you to make a project which is black and white with a hint of red.

For my card, I used an electronic cutting file to cut out the woman, dog and gifts, and coloured parts of them red with a marker pen. The town silhouette is also a cutting file but I removed the cut lines and printed it onto the card. The sentiment is a Clearly Besotted stamp.

Hope to see you at Make My Monday.

I'd like to enter:
Allsorts no designer paper
Crafty Hazelnuts getting ready for Christmas
Come and Get It  winter

Into Space

Seeing as I'm on top of my Christmas cards (smug smirk!), I thought I'd look around to see what other challenges are out there.

I decided to join in with the 'Time and Space' challenge at My Time to Craft  and use the colour challenge 'yellow and purple' at Incy Wincy . (I hope my yellow is not too orange-y).

I stamped the sentiment (Clearly Besotted) and sponged the card with lilac Distress Ink. I stamped the stars (Clearly Besotted and a mag freebie) . The digi is from Paper Shelter and I coloured it with markers.

I'd also like to join in with Cute Card Thursday  'stars' , That Craft Place 'anything goes' and Sweet Stampin 'birthday'.

Inkspirational Challenge - Christmas - no red or green

So exciting at Inkspirational this fortnight...we have a prize! The prize will be randomly drawn from all those entries who make a Christmas card and use our twist of No Red or Green. 

£10 Gift Card Uniko Studios

Bo Bunny die cuts

Bo Bunny rub-ons

Bo Bunny dimensional stickers

A TCW(The Crafters Workshop) stencil

3 different ribbons

I wish I could enter! 

But instead I get to share with you my DT card . I picked two colours I thought were very unchristmasssy and cut two triangle Christmas trees using electronic cutting files I made a few weeks ago. I used a crimper for the back panel and added spray glitter to the sentiment and a bling flourish. 

Please come and join us at Inkspirational . We have a fabulous Guest Designer , Janet , great inspiration from the DT  AND the prize!!! 

I'd like to enter:

Crafty Catz winter theme 

QKR Stampede bling it on

Addicted to Stamps bling

City Crafter single word sentiment. 

Festive 48 - week 45

Only three more weeks to go! 

Here I used an A Day For Daisies digi , which I coloured as a robin using distress ink.  The background is a Kaisercraft stamp and lots more ink. I embossed the base card with a music design.

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:

Delightful Sketches  happy holidays 
Chocolate Coffee and Cards fave holiday 
Crafty Catz Christmas is coming
Christmas Stampin anything goes 

An InLinkz Link-up

Creative Cutting Challenge - Christmas Not a Card

It's time for a new challenge at Creative Cutting  and this time we want you to make a Christmas project that is NOT a card.

For my DT project, I used Creative Pointe Gingerbread Set and I created a roof, back and sides for it to make it 3d. I will use it as a decoration with a battery-operated tealight inside.

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 to make a Christmas project, and tell us what you've used.  See you there.

I'd like to enter:
Try it on Tuesday  homemade
Craft-room Challenge  3d
Winter Wonderland  decoration 
Allsorts  anything but a card 

Make My Monday - Glitter

This week's challenge at Make My Monday is Glitter.

The elephant is a digi stamp from Bugaboo and I 'coloured' the white bits in the paisley design with pink and purple glitter.

I made a birthday card, but with Christmas on its way, you might make a glittery Christmas card - whatever you make , if it's got glitter, join us at Make My Monday. 

I'd like to enter:
Scrapping4Fun bling
Card Mania use a digi 

Two Charming

Here's a little graduation present for my daughter.

I'm currently doing an online course learning how to make electronic die-cutting files for the Silhouette and this 'pinked petal envelope' was the first lesson.

Most of what I've used here is by Stampin Up but I'm not a demonstrator or anything!  The label was punched on the reverse of the main paper and stamped with the sentiment. I think the owl charm was a freebie.

Why have I called this post 'two charming'? Inside the envelope is a silver grad hat charm for her charm bracelet.

I'd like to enter:
Crafty Cardmakers  charm
As you like it  this is my current favourite wrapping as I have just learnt how to make it.

Dino

For this child's birthday card I used papers and stickers from Basic Grey 'Archaic' range and a sentiment stamp (Hero Arts?) and some googly eyes. How could I resist the googly eyes?

I'd like to enter:
Ooh LaLa  more than one fold
Crafting for All Seasons  birthday
Eureka Stamps  4 legged friends
Fab n Funky  birthday

Let it Snow

I've taken this photo with the card laying flat on the table in an attempt to a) show the glitter and b) not show myself reflected in the mirror card!

The scenery and the snow are Stampin Up stamps and the sentiments are Mama Elephant stamps. Then I added liquid pearl and glitter.

I'm going to enter this into a couple of cas challenges, I just hope it's cas enough. I wish there was some sort of measuring tool for cas-ness. Should I have held back on the bling?

I'd like to enter:
A Song in your Art let it go
Moxie Fab World  treemendous
Less is More more than one tree
Casology festive

Festive 48 - Week 44

As I reach week 44 of my self-imposed challenge I can self-righteously announce that I have never cheated! For example, last weekend I was away with my scrapbooking group and made some Christmas cards then that I could have uploaded today. But that would have been cheating because the challenge was to make one per week. If only I was this conscientious about cheating on diets!

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:

City Crafter  my deer 

Christmas Cards All Year Round no patterned paper

An InLinkz Link-up

Make My Monday - Berries and Foliage

This week at Make My Monday  the theme is 'Berries and Foliage'. I used a Penny Black wreath stamp and I stamped it three times, on top of each other, using different shades of ink. The berries are liquid pearl and the sentiment is a magazine freebie. The stamp I used in the corners weas another, different magazine freebie and I stamped it repeatedly , as I'd done with the wreath but it looks different because the card is textured.

We'd love to see your projects on theme of 'Berries and Foliage' at Make My Monday . 

I'd like to enter:
Time Out photo
Eclectic Ellapu leaves and foliage
Penny Black and More anything goes
Craft Your Passion  beginning with b - berries, branches

Look how they SHINE for you...

I hope you like this card as I think it is my favourite card I have made this year, although I guess some would find it a bit plain!

The polar bear is by Stampin Up and I masked him and stamped the scenery (all one stamp, also by Stampin Up). The stars and the sentiment are by Sarah Hurley. I added glitter and liquid pearl.

 As soon as I saw the sentiment I recognised it as the first line from 'Yellow' by Coldplay. I saw Coldplay perform at Glastonbury about ten years ago . My brother and I were in a dark, waterlogged field watching the band and it was quite magical except that my brother kept saying things like 'I think Coldplay are over-rated.'!

If I wasn't on the DT there, I'd enter this into the 'shine' challenge at Inkspirational .

I'd like to enter:
Fashionable Stamping Challenge  animal
Red Carpet Studio  animal
Moving Along with the Times sparkle or shine
Stempelgarten animals
Jingle Belles The Great Outdoors

Baubles

Here I've used a Paper Artsy stamp of some baubles - now I do craft blogging I more often hear them called 'tree ornaments', but I had never heard of that term before! It's probably an American English term.(?) Like burlap, which we call hessian. And it's a long time since I called a brad by it's British English name of 'paper fastener'.

Okay, ramble over...I'd like to enter:
Addicted to Stamps photo
Sir Stampalot  Christmas
Creative Card Crew Christmas Joy
Colour Me  Monochromatic red - Thanks Anita for alerting me to this challenge.