Inkspirational Challenge - New Year Photo

Our new challenge at Inkspirational  is to be inspired by this photo:

For my DT card I just went for it on the goldness and newyearsiness!  It is a shaker card that I designed and cut on the Silhouette electronic cutting machine.

This card will be given to my brother and his family when I go to their New Year's Eve party tonight. The one I gave them last year has been propped up on a shelf all year long ...yes, honestly.. even when I've made a surprise visit, it is still there!!!! So no-one deserves a handmade card more than they do and I hope they like this one.

I really hope to see you enter a photo -inspired project at Inkspirational.

I'd like to enter:
Little Red Wagon hello 2017
Winter Wonderland  new year 
Crafty Creations any holiday
Creatalicious new year

Time Out Guest Designer - Reminder Post

This is my second post as Guest Designer for Time Out. The challenge is to be inspired by these words:

'With each sunrise we are given a chance for a new beginning'

This time I focused on the 'new beginning' element and made a New Year card. The background was made with Brushos and I cut the silhouette on the Silhouette.  I stamped and embossed 'Best wishes' (Clearly Besotted) and the dandelion stamps ( Stampendous) in white and then added 'for the coming new year' (Mama Elephant). 

I hope you'll join in with this challenge. Thank you Time Out for having me as the Guest Designer. 

I'd like to enter:
Crafty Creations any holiday 
Little Red Wagon  hello 2017 
Winter Wonderland happy New Year
Let's Craft and Create  New Year 
Stamp Ink Paper  anything but Christmas 

Some Christmas Makes

I'm off work now until the new year.. hooray! Regular visitors to my blog may know that my son and my two grandsons are a similar age and today I had all three (6,9 and 11) to entertain. Highlights included going to the park ( I was the only adult stupid enough to go there in the biting wind and drizzle)  and the cinema for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It was quite good but omg this was an expensive afternoon - I'd expect caviar for the cost of the popcorn and the youngest didn't even eat his so I felt obliged to , thereby adding to my holiday weight gain. If you wonder why I'm rambling like this keep going to the end of the page.....

Okay ...my Christmas village, which has gradually expanded from a single house into a hamlet. No skill or creativity required... I just cut the SVGs (3d SVG) on the Silhouette and added colour change LED tealights from Poundland.

And here's the cause of my relaxed manner this evening.....
I've been making limoncello for the past two weeks and I finished it tonight, bottled it and had a little sample....

Guest Designer at Time Out

Today, I'm delighted to be the Guest Designer at Time Out .

The challenge is to be inspired by these words: 

'With each sunrise we are given a chance for a new beginning'

When I first saw the challenge theme , I thought 'help!' but then the ideas started to flow and I could think of several ways to use this theme. (You can see another one of mine next Thursday at the halfway stage of the challenge.)

Okay, I admit this card does look a bit like a breakfast cereal logo but at least it doesn't look like a Christmas card,which is what I'd been making loads of before I made this.

All the elements were cut on the Silhouette electronic die-cutter and the sentiment is a Clearly Besotted stamp.

Please do go over to Time Out and see what the DT have made and join in the challenge.
I'd like to enter:
Tuesday Morning Sketches  anything goes
Crafty Gals Corner anything goes
Mod Squad spring

Happy Birthday Shauna

Happy Birthday to my lovely Inkspirational team-mate, Shauna .   I hope this card has reached her on time (I put it in with your Christmas card).

With all the mail we send out at this time of year, I had to keep it light to post internationally. I stamped the lantern stamp (Sheena Douglass) twice onto the card base and then paper-pieced with some paper that I'd watercoloured with irridescent pigment powders. I drew some strings and stamped the sentiment (Clearly Besotted).

I'd like to enter:
Fashionable Stamping Challenges anything goes
Love to Scrap  anything goes
Crazy Challenge everything goes

Little Tags for Christmas

I realised I needed some tags for presents, so I  die-cut an A4 sheet of card into tags, and stamped them with whatever Christmas stamps randomly came to hand. That was fun!

I'd like to enter Shopping Our Stash's tag challenge. 

Inkspirational Challenges - Neutrals Only

Our new Inkspirational challenge is to use neutrals.

I chose to use shades of grey. The bear is My Favourite Things and the ice and sentiments are from different Avery Elle sets. I used Wink of Stella on the ice.

Our Guest Designer this time is Raquel , so I hope you'll come over to Inkspirational and see what she and the rest of the DT have made and enter your own project.

I'd like to enter:
Daisy Chain Challenge happy Christmas
Crazy Challenge ice cold
Merry Monday winter fun
My Time to Craft  Christmas non-trad colours

Happy Birthday Carol

Today is the birthday of my lovely Inkspirational team-mate, Carol.  I fear this card may still be in transit to her across the Atlantic. ( I put it in with your Christmas card).

The cat is by Poppy stamps, the 'birthday' is by Clearly Besotted and the other sentiments are Avery Elle, Using washi tape, rather than patterned paper, kept it light for the international postage,

I'd like to enter:
Animal Friends animal
Crafty Gals Corner  anything goes
Sparkles Forum happy birthday
ABC Challenge varied

Headphones Penguin

Despite having been making Christmas cards all year long, Christmas itself seems to have come as a surprise to me and I'm now scrabbling to get the cards written and sent, It doesn't help that I've run out of stamps for abroad and the post office is only open when I'm at work. Oh well, I'm sure the cards will get there eventually.

This one-layer-card was made using a My Favourite Things penguin stamp. I know those may be ear-warmers he's wearing but I like to think they are headphones and that's why I've combined him with Indigo Blu's graphic equaliser stamp.

I'd like to enter:
Cards 4 Guyz cas Christmas
Crafty Creations masculine
AAA cards Christmas

First Christmas

I was able to use up some really old stash here... the circular piece is by Making Memories, the background is Basic Grey (I don't think either of these companies still exist), and the chipboard embellishments are MME. I used white glitter stickers for my title and added red sequins.

I'd like to enter:
Studio Challenges  sketch
Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge  Christmas
Off the Rails  All I want for Christmas

City Crafter Challenge Blog - Christmas Things that Float or Fly

I chose this week's challenge at City Crafter - Christmas things that float or fly.

For my DT card I cut a robin and the top of a post box  on the silhouette electronic die-cutter,  I added snow using white embossing powder and the two part sentiment is Mama Elephant. 

I hope you will come over to City Crafter and see what the rest of the DT have made, and enter your own project. 

I'd like to enter:

Kylie's 12 Days of Christmas 

Stamp Ink Paper winter holiday 

Use Your Stuff snow 

Guest Designer at Crafty Boots

Today, I'm honoured to be a Guest Designer at Crafty Boots. The challenge theme is Christmas.

With my Silhouette cutter I used a cut file from Lettering Delights and cut the star out of glitter card. I also cut the frame and 'wishes' . The 'christmas' is an Avery Elle stamp.

I hope you'll come over to Crafty Boots and join in the challenge.

I'd like to enter:
Addicted to Stamps  holiday
Dream Valley  Christmas
Creative Craft Cottage die cuts
Unicorn Challenge  add some glitter

Door 25

Here's a layout of my son opening the last door in his (homemade) advent calendar. I used old papers from Basic Grey and a sketch from Stuck Sketches:

I made this at Scrapbags, my local crop, and I took the branches idea (and borrowed the die) from June,the crop leader. 

I'd also like to enter:
Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge  Christmas
Lasting Memories Use one photo

For my Super Niece

Despite the upcoming Christmas festivities, birthdays continue unabated! Here's a card I made for my niece, Sally. I used stamps by Lil Inker and letters die-cut on the Silhouette.

I'd like to enter:
Creative Craft Cottage use die-cuts (letters)
Crafters Cafe birthday
Try it on Tuesday  celebrate
Get Creative  birthday

City Crafter Challenge Blog - The Tree is Up

Stella has chosen this week's challenge at City Crafter , and she wants us to feature a Christmas tree.

My tree is by Stampendous, and I coloured it with markers and gel pens, The sentiment stamps are by Mama Elephant.

I hope you will join us this week at City Crafter - please come over and see what the rest of the DT have made, and enter your own Christmas tree project. 

I'd like to enter:

Alphabet Challenge  trees

Creative with Stamps  Christmas stamps

Always Use Rubber  festival 

Just us Girls  Christmas tree

Another Bear Christmas Card

Here I used a stamp from Wplus9, coloured with Promarkers and paper-pieced with a Bo Bunny paper. I masked and stamped the trees (from My Favourite Things Chill Wishes )  and stamped the sentiment (from a different MFT set). The snow is a MFT stencil.

My design was based on a sketch from 52CCT - I had it in my head rather than in front of me and I have 'made it my own'! I also used a 52CCT colour combo.



I'd also like to enter:
Kylie's 12 days of christmas 
Little Red Wagon Chilly Friends
Craft Rocket winter time
Fab n Funky Christmas

Belated Birthday Bear

I hadn't turned my calendar over from November to December...so this card had to be a quickie.....

All the stamps are from W plus 9 Friends for All Seasons- Fall - and I stamped directly onto a card base.

I'd like to enter:

4 Crafty Chicks  bears
Ge Creative  birthday
Ooh La La  birthday
Addicted to stamps  make your mark
Stamping Royalty  cas

Inkspirational Challenges - CAS with Sparkle

Our challenge at Inkspirational has been chosen by Sandie and she wants to see CAS cards with sparkle.

For my DT card I made a penny slider card - it's the first I've ever made. For the track I used a Silhouette cut-file kindly shared freely by JJ Bolton . I coloured the Santa (Gerda Steiner) with alcohol markers,  cut him out and attached him to two coins. I added lots of Stickles to his beard etc. The sentiment is Avery Elle.

I love the way Santa spins right round. Next time though, if I'm going to use real coins I'll use a thicker base card, as they are quite heavy.

This time, our Guest Designer is Tracy , so I hope you'll come over to Inkspirational, see what she and the rest of the DT have made, and enter your own sparkly CAS creation.

I'd like to enter
Stampin royalty cas
Deep Ocean Santa
Merry Monday masculine
Use Your Stuff Christmas
Cute card Thursday toys or transport - I think a snowboard may be both

City Crafter Challenge Blog - Garden Bilss

This week at City Crafter , Kirsty wants us to be inspired by things we see in the garden. For my DT card I used three stamps from a Woodware set and stamped them along the length of the card base. ( there was a bit of a gap on the left-hand side , so I stamped the edge of one o the stamps again). I coloured with alcohol markers and added some gltter and shine - gel pen on the falling snow, stickles on the snow and enamel accents on the snowdrops. The sentiment is by Crafty Impressions.

Our Guest Designer this week is Nicolette, and if you enter a project this week you could win a small gift (see below), and become our Special Guest Star for January.

I'd like to enter:
Creative with Stamps  use a bird stamp
Come and Get it  baby it's cold outside
Always Use Rubber things with wings
My Time to Craft  no layers
Holly Jolly  Christmas card

Silly Christmas

Here's a silly Christmas card I made because I really wanted to use the Beast Friends set from My Favorite Things. I wanted this set as soon as I saw it but then, before I'd had chance to use it,I saw so many wonderful cards using it that I just couldn't think of anything original to do.

So, I decided to team the yeti up with this skiing Santa from Gerda Steiner Designs. The banner is from another GSD set and the sentiment , not very convincingly stamped on the banner, is from MFT unicorn set. I added clear glitter to the fur and hair.

I'd like to enter:
CAS on Sunday  Christmas
Christmas Cards all Year Round  santa
Allsorts Christmas

The Bear Went Over the Mountain .....

... to deliver his Christmas presents.

Here I used a set by Reverse Confetti and sentiments by Avery Elle. I coloured with shimmery watercolours : Twinkling H2Os and Pearl Ex paints.

I'd like to enter:
Make My Monday  cas Christmas
Dream Valley  winter animals
Deep Ocean inspired by a song (bear went over the mountain)
Water Cooler masculine

City Crafter Challenge Blog - Gold Finger

I chose this week's challenge at City Crafter  and it is to use a gold medium - something that could stain your fingers gold - not just gold card.

For my DT card I die-cut a poinsettia and then rubbed it over with very pale gold gilding wax - I know it's hard to see on the photo. The flower middle  and the sentiment were coloured with a gold marker pen. I stamped the background words (a Darkroom Door stamp) in clear ink and then covered it in gold PearlX powder. I crimped some gold mirror card and added gold ribbbon and a bell.

Our Guest Designer this week is the talented Lenet Mos , so I hope you will come over to City Crafter and see what she and the rest of the DT have made and enter your own project . 

I'd like to enter:
Winter Wonderland poinsettias
52CCT old-fashioned Christmas 
Crafty Friends  use flowers 

Haircuts

Here's a scrapbook page I made for these challenges:
Picture This 


Scrap Our Stash 

I used the space background and the red and white on the hat inspired my choice of paper for the stars.

Joy!

I had a rummage through my bag of leftovers and scraps to see if I could make something for the challenge at Shopping our Stash. I found a die-cut (Silhouette) bauble with the middle missing and a scrap of card with a background I made with metallic marker pens and water, Also some sentiments - I chose the Joy one because it went with the challenge at Fusion .

I stamped a reindeer ( old magazine freebie) onto the background, put it behind the bauble and trimmed it. I used patterned paper from an Authentique pad and smudged white ink and embosing powder on the edges. I added twine and a bell.

As well as Shopping our Stash and Fusion, I'd like to enter:
Just Add Ink   die cut and designer paper
Crafters Cafe Christmas

Some Layouts

Here I used a digital version of Prima Doodle-deux , that I 'print and cut' on my Silhouette. Then I stamped dotted circles over the flowers and doodles stalks and frames. I cut out the title on the Silhouette and stamped the butterfly and the circle around the letter n.  I'd like to enter this at Lasting Memories - Circles.

All the papers here are from My Mind's Eye Indie chic and the letter, number and word stickers are from Basic Grey Persimmon.  I used the sketch from Sketches in Thyme  and I'd also like to enter Archi- scraps 'something at an angle'.

Inkspirational Challenges - Chill

Our new challenge at Inkspirational is Chill.

 For my DT card I used a stamp from Stampin Bella - it's just part of the stamp - I masked her legs off!  I wanted this to be a winter card, but the woman was wearing a Tshirt, so I transformed it into a stripey jumper.  (You can see a card I made with the undoctored image here) . Then I stamped the sentiment which is from a Paper Smooches Christmas set.

Our Guest Designer is Teresa and I hope you will come over to Inkspirational to see what she and the rest of the DT have made, and enter your own chilly project.

I'd like to enter:
Watercooler Challenge  all about tea or coffee
Stampin Royalty  photo
Let's craft and Create  winter