Friday 20 December 2019

Courage ...

Good morning all ... I hope all is good with you and that you are all set for the holiday!  I've taken a little time out this morning to create this card:



I was inspired by the new challenge at TIME OUT Challenges and the arrival of the quote stamp from STAMPlorations ... the two just seemed to sit together.  It also reflects where I am at the moment ... I have just finished working (retired) and need to find my new place in the world ... it doesn't seem that easy at the moment ... I probably should have put more thought and planning into it before resigning!

I'm going to enter this in the following challenges:

Time Out Challenge #151


Penny Black and More - December Flowers

Enjoy!

Sunday 15 December 2019

STAMPLorations December Reminder ...

Half way through the month and time to remind you that you still have chance to join in with the Theme and Photo STAMPlorations challenge

No photo description available.

If you've finished all of your cards or you've missed the last post before Christmas why not create a tag!



I used:
STAMPlorations - Yuletide Deer,  Christmas Bell Medley,  Joyful
CUTplorations - Zen Coffee Cup Layering Dies
Distress Inks - Festive Berries and Peeled Paint
Distress Oxide Ink - Festive Berries
WOW White Embossing Powder

Remember this is the last challenge of 2019 ... so don't miss out on the opportunity to have a go!

Enjoy!

Happy Christmas ...

It's getting close now!!!  Have you completed all of your cards? ... I have I just need to post them!  This is the final Christmas design and it is as simple as it could possibly be:



There is not really a lot to say about the card - I simple image coloured with a Zig Real Brush Clean Colour marker plus a couple of sentiment stamps.  A design that was very easy to mass produce - important if time is short!

I am going to enter the following (new to me)challenge:

Perfectly CAS


This is likely to be my last post of the year - thank you all for visiting my blog over 2019 - I've not always posted as regularly as I would like but sometimes life just takes over!!

Happy Christmas.

Enjoy!

Sunday 8 December 2019

Holiday Leaves Take 2 ...

Another two clean and simple cards to add to the Christmas stash - once again created using the Tim Holtz Holiday greens die set.





The top holly one was die cut from a scrap of yupo paper coloured with alcohol ink and some foil.  The red one was from some gel plate printed card.

Simple designs but so easy to create.

Enjoy!

Along the edge ...

More progress today on the Christmas card front ... another six cards made, all different although all created using dies and printed card stock created on my gel plate.  The new challenge at AAA Cards gave me the inspiration for this design:



Mostly die cutting with just the sentiment stamped ... I quite enjoy monochrome cards.

I'm entering the following challenge:

AAA Cards #155


Enjoy!

Thursday 5 December 2019

Holiday Greens ...

I'm still concentrating on creating Christmas cards ... today's contribution to the pile have all been made using one die set, a couple of prints created using my gel plate and some sentiment stamps.  Result ... a mixed selection of CAS cards:

The first uses the inlaid die technique:-



The second uses the negative of the die on the front of the card and the positive on the inside.


This design is difficult to show in a photograph ...
... this photo shows how the die cut is placed on the inside immediately under the aperture

The final design uses the die cuts in a more straightforward way:



I'm going to enter the following challenges:




Enjoy!

Wednesday 4 December 2019

Paper Robin ...

Another day and another Christmas card to share ... it's quite a while since I did any paper piecing but this Woodware stamp lends itself to this technique.  The paper was created sometime ago using a gel plate and acrylic paints.




Although I love this technique it does take quite a bit of time to stamp and fussy cut the pieces - so not a technique for speedy production when you are short of time!!

I'm entering into the following challenge:



Enjoy!

Tuesday 3 December 2019

One idea, two cards ...

I'm busy playing catch up with Christmas card making ... yet again I seem to have left it very late to get enough cards created for friends and family.  At least I've finished working and now have time to create whenever the mood (or the need!) is right ... so yesterday and today I've been creating!!  These cards were created using leftovers:-






I like monochromatic cards ... not sure whether black and white is too harsh for Christmas!

I'm entering the following challenges:
Uniko Challenge  #56


Penny Black and More December Challenge

Stamping Sensations December Challenge

Enjoy!

Sunday 1 December 2019

STAMPlorations December Challenge ...

We've made it to the last month of 2019 and it's time for the final Theme and Photo STAMPlorations challenge ... if you are short of cards for the upcoming holiday then this is the challenge for you:


No photo description available.

Today I have two cards to inspire you with:



I used:
STAMPlorations - Dee's Artsy Impressions Yuletide Deer
CUTplorations - Zen Coffee Cup Layering Dies
Versafine Onyx Black Ink
Festive Berries Distress Ink



I used:
STAMPlorations - Christmas Baubles Stamp set
CUTplorations - Zen Coffee Cup Layering Dies
Wow Gold Embossing Powder
Versamark Ink
Distress Inks Festive Berries and Pine Needles

Both cards are created with the theme and with a nod to the coffee pots in the photo.  Clean and Simple in style and ideal if you're a bit behind with Christmas card making!!

It would be great to see you entering the challenge, as always, there are prizes to be won.

Enjoy!

Sunday 17 November 2019

A special card ...

If you follow me on Instagram then you have already seen this card but I wanted to share it on my blog as well as it is possibly the most important card I have created this year:


My beautiful daughter married the love of her life at the beginning of November - this card was for her and her husband.

Most of my crafting this year has revolved around this amazing happy event.

From the invitations, there is a blog post here:


... to making over 600 3D diamonds and pyramids to decorate the venue ...


They are approximately two and two and a half inches long - they were strung on white cotton and hung down the sides of the marquee ...



They will feature in most of the group photographs ... unfortunately as it rained all day we had to have the 'official' photographs inside.

... to making table numbers ...


... and diamonds for the place names ...


... I also turned to the kitchen and made chutney, actually 47 small jars and 3 large jars, for the cheese course and wedding favours ...


... and I knitted four lace stoles for the adult bridesmaids and altered one flower girl's dress.

Then the day arrived and we had an amazing day celebrating!!  I'll finish this lengthy post with one photograph from that day ... me and my beautiful daughter


Enjoy!


Friday 15 November 2019

STAMPlorations November Challenge Reminder ...

Have you joined in with the November challenge? ... do you need some more inspiration?  Just to remind you this month's Theme and Photo challenge is:
No photo description available.

My previous post for the challenge was a CAS card, this time I have a tag to share:



I began by using watercolour paints to create a colour wash down the side of the tag and then using a circle stencil and inktense pencils I added a selection of different sized circles. To add more interest to the background I stamped some text to add a little more depth.  Finally I added a couple of strips of sparkly gauze before adding the sentiment with foam tape.

I used:
STAMPlorations - Bubbles Stencil
                           - Succulently Stamp Set
                              - Mixed Media Elements
CUTplorations    - ATC Tag Builder
Inktense Pencils

Enjoy!

Tuesday 12 November 2019

More Christmas ...

I can't believe it ... another post so soon after the last one ... and once again it is all about Christmas ... it didn't begin that way though!  I made a birthday card yesterday which I cannot share for a while but I was fairly happy with the design so thought I would see if it would work as a Christmas card ... I leave it to you to decide!




This is not my usual approach as it involves designer papers ... something I buy, admire but never use!

Having created one I thought it would be worth trying another using different colour combinations and this is it:




This one seems to have more of a vintage feel ... I might be making more of these as they fit my need to use up some of my designer papers!

I'm going to enter the first in ...

TIME OUT Challenges #148


... and the second in ...

CAS Christmas Card Challenge November 2019



Enjoy!