Sunday, November 30, 2014

All I Want for Christmas Is!

It is time once again for the
Christmas Card Club girls 
to show their makes for the latest challenge
which was set by Asha.
I have gone with the theme 
All I want for Christmas Is!
I had seen this digi by Mo's Digital Pencil
earlier in the month and knew I wanted to use it here.
The Window aperature was a win I received from
Frosted Designs challenge  which was a pack
of chipboard cut outs by Scrapmatts (Australia).
The window was on one of the sheets and worked
perfectly for this card.
I coloured using Liquid Pearls
in Dark Chocolate and Onyx Pearl to give a
distressed look to it. The corner pieces were left over from
my House mouse cards and given the same treatment.
Card was cut from red card stock and the toning dp
came from a Crafts Beautiful freebie paper collection 2012.

The inside showing the acetate window I sandwiched
between the front and inside front cover

Digi was coloured with pro markers
and you can just see the stickles on the greenery 
on the mantle piece.
gold sentiment by Anita's peel offs .


Entering into the following challenges:
Crafting For All Seasons #91 Tis the season.
Shopping Our Stash #179 Use something you got free ( Design paper and chipboard).
Inspiration Destination #9 Anything goes.
Brown Sugar #122 Anything goes.
Simon Says # Anything goes.
Scrappers Delights #37 Anything goes or traditional christmas.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Sarn Era.


It's the very last ' Sarn' Rudolph Day
as Sarn is handing over the reigns next yr 
to Scrappy Mo.
Couldn't let the occasion go  without a special
selection of cards made and as I set myself the bench mark 
of 6 cards here they are.
I had it in my mind for ages to do a series 
of House Mouse Cards
using a Joy fold card design
and also to be in black and white 
but do you think I could find the ones
 I knew I had already stamped for safe keeping .
Nah! so I grabbed the 
House = Mouse Triple CD collection off 
the shelf (as  by now time  was running out)
and quickly printed out  some pre coloured digi's
and matching papers ,
(The CD does have black/white digi's
but not any  I liked).
Front of card and then the inside shown for each one.

using House Mouse  Cd ' O' Christmas Tree'
using House Mouse Cd 'O' Christmas Tree'


using  House Mouse Cd 'O' Christmas Tree'


using  House Mouse Cd 'O' Christmas Tree'

using House Mouse Cd' O' Chrsitmas Tree'

using House Mouse Cd 'O' Christmas Tree

Entering into the following challenges:
Fairytale Challenges  #105 Christmas with Animals.
Ooh-la-la  Creations  #170 Christmas.
Winter Wonderland  # Dies and punches.(Sizzix Scallops and Fiskars corner punch)
Creative Card World # Beat the rush.
Penny's Paper - Crafty #205 Anything goes.

Then just as I was putting every thing back in the boxes
I found the black and white stamped images!!
So not to be beaten here are another 4 cards
to round of Rudolph day in style.
I used just a hint of red to highlight.


House Mouse 'Joyous Noel'



 House Mouse ' Christmas Tale'


 House Mouse 'Mistletoe Moment'


This one very nearly didn't make it
cos when I coloured one of the lights it bled out!
I used a blender pen and got most of it off
and then I went and had a truly light bulb moment
and thought
why not make the lights look like they are on!!
So I did with my trusty chalks which I tickled 
round the edges of each bulb.
Sorted!!
  House Mouse ' You Can Light the Way'

Entering into the following challenges:
Rudolp Day # make more than 1 card.
Make My Monday #  black & white with a hint of red.
Stampin Sensations # Simply Christmas.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Going, going gone!

The Doc would like to point out 
that when I say flood pond
it should really be flood lake!
Isn't that a ballet?
This is the view standing at the bridge 
one end looking down the length.
Our house is tucked in the green space
where my water mark is showing. 
The waterboard let the sluice gates open 
and this is the water draining through.

and this is normal services resumed!


Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Rain , rain go away.

This was the view from the upstairs side window this morning.
Overlooking the flood pond that has been built to  stop 
the rest of the village from  flooding.
My water mark shows where it can come up to
on the grass outside our side fence.
Not as bad as the photo  taken below  from
the same window in July 2007 though.
Watermark shows the top of the  same railings oposite
just out of the water line!



Another piecing.

It's week 2 of my Butterfly Challenge #19
the theme is  to piece your butterflies.
Here is a card I have made 
to give you some inspiration.
This time I have used a die cut butterfly.
This one is a Signature Die by Joanna Sheen
called 'Fairy Fly 1'
I chose this die as it is a very open cut filigree design.
I cut 4 layers out in fairly thick card stock
and matted together with pva glue.

I painted using  Imagination Crafts
Silkies in 'Denim Lace' 
which gives a lovely sheen to the butterfly.
I then die cut a further 3 butterflies using up 
some coordinating papers that were in my snippets pile
and adhered them to the back of the butterfly in the 
correct aperture! 

Doing it this way gives a nice 3D effect.
I used a scallop blank card and the die cut circles 
were already in my snippets pile
Sentiment is an Anita's peel off .
Background paper is called 'Up in the Air'
and was a freebie in Making cards July 2013
I adhered the circles using 3D pads for dimension.

Now of course the inevitable happened
Loads more of those pesky snippets!
But do you see what I see? 

 Well how about  a flower
some  Cutlass swords
or maye even more Reindeer antlers
or how about some Hotlips
and designer Shoes.
After all  a  girl can never have enough shoes.

Oh yes be afraid those snippets  are out there as we speak!!

Entering into the following challenges:
Fab 'n 'Funky #239 anything with dies cuts.
Sister Act #84 Anything goes.
Brown Sugar  #121 Use 2 or more colours.
Imagination Crafts # Anything goes.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop  # Use up your snippets. (I did, I did honest!)
That Craft Place # Anything goes.
Scribble and Scrap #32 Anything goes. 

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Another Year, Another Elf.

This Elf had been on order since last January!
Eek  where did the yr disapppear off to.
He needed to be in his new home ready for 
mischief making on Dec 1st so I couldn't put off
making him any longer.
So here is Elf No 4

Definitely the very last one or maybe not !!!!! 

Safely delivered so let the mayhem begin.

Entering into the following challenges:
The Crafting Cafe # Not a card.
Lets Craft and Create #99 Christmas.
Natalie & Amy's challenge #26 Stitch it.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #152 Use your snippets up (red material, gold thread,beads,bow)

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Paper Pieced Butterflies.

The new theme this fortnight
for my Butterfly Challenge
which you can find here
is to
Paper Piece your butterfly/s.
These are my inspirations for you.
Remember those pesky little snippets 
I had left over a few weeks back?
Well this is what I did with them.
I will not be beat!
I used strips of ds tape onto a piece of card
and stuck the shapes down in a sort of half 
Hexagon pattern until I had used them all up.
This is what I made with the result.
I just had enough room to die cut 
3 Butterfly shapes using 
Clearly Besotted 
Butterfly Wishes die collection.
As they are quite bright I used black card
to show  them off which in turn made me think
Oriental (as one does)!
so I cut some orange strips to make a frame around the edge. 
A simple peel off by Anita's 
completed the card.


Entering into the following challenges:
Sweet Stamps #196 Thanks.
The Crafter's Cafe #91 Anything goes.
Penny's Paper - Crafty #204 Anything goes.
A Gem Of A Challenge 132 Paper piecing.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop151 Use your snippets.

On my second card
I have used a Penny Black creative die
Called Delicate Wings
To cut an aperture from a square of white card.
I then turned this over and adhered strips 
of  leftover design paper snippets in stripes
 to fill the open hole up .
Turned back over and matted to a sheet
of plain pink card stock 
which I then attached to a card blank. 
Another Anita's peel off 
And the card was done. 

Hope  you will  have time  to go and play.







Entering into the following challenges:
Clear It Out Challenge # Anything goes use from stash.
Creative Card Crew #75 Stripes.
Through The Craftroom Door. Anything goes.
Dream Valley #95 Anything goes.



Sunday, November 16, 2014

Tea Bag Cards.

Time once more for the Christmas Club Card
to show our makes.
The theme is Tea Bag Fold/Origami
and set by my good friend Karen P.
who certainly knows how to challenge us!
I haven't done any tea bagging for ages
so out came my book by Kim Reygate
for some inspiration.

This card uses the triangle fold
and I have closely followed a design in the book by Kim
but adding just a few twists.
Patterned  paper was from Beautiful Crafts
2012 Christmas collection  free in their magazine.
I now have little red leaves to use up grr!
Sentiment uses Britannia  Word die
Other papers odds from stash.
Entering into the following challenges:
Sister Act #83 Anything goes.
Cute card Thursday #347 Red and green.
Bearly Mine # Christmas cards.
Live and love Crafts #29 Favourite Christmas colour combination.
Crafty Calander # It's all about Christmas.
Crafty Hazelnuts challenge #203 Go green.



I couldn't  let it go at just one design though
so made another card!

This one uses the square fold .
I had this paper in my mind to use but couldn't cut
8 identical tea bag squares but I rather like
the random effect the white lines produced on the flower.
I used my own design on this card. 
Sentiment and snowflakes are Anita's outline stickers.
Paper from same book as above.
Silver card and ribbon form stash.
Entering into the following challenges:
Crafty Ribbons #106 Christmas creation with ribbon. 
We Do Doobadoo#19 Christmas
Jo's Scrap Shack #66 Anything goes.
Brown Sugar #120 anything goes.
Crafty Catz #255 Christmas is coming.
CRAFT #285 Christmas.
Squiggle Fly Challenge #145 Make a Christmas card.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Tear it up.

It's week 2 of my Butterfly Challenge.
The theme is to use 3 design papers
with your butterfly/flies.
 
Here is my inspiration card for you.
Nothing like I was intending to make!
I had a lovely surprise parcel arrive in the post.
These gorgeous  glittered butterflies were sent to me
by my blogging friend Maureen as she was
having a massive de stash and thought I might like them.
There was also some lovely little hessian bags in the parcel too.
Thankyou  Maureen. I will enjoy using the rest of
the butterflies up on future challenges.
As the butterflies were on my desk I decided to see
if I had any papers to match.
I had a pile on the floor waiting to go back  in the paper drawer
so I searched through those first and these 3 caught my eye.
The stripe paper had a tear down one side and I was about
to trim it down when I had a light bulb moment and decided
to leave as it was and to tear the other pieces up to match  .
So I did.!
The lace bits were in the box  with the  oddment of ribbon
 so I used those up  too.
The sentiment is a freebie from here .
 
Entering into the following challenges:
Incy Wincy Designs # Stripes.
Fan-Tastic Tuesday #61 Anything goes/twist add ribbon.
Top Tip Tuesday # 3 or more papers.
Scribble and Scrap #31  Anything goes.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #150  use up your snippets (ribbon and lace bits).
Little Miss Muffet# 98 Anything goes. 


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Karate Boy.

I enjoyed my day at the NEC on Sunday.
Came back aching though.
Went  to the Osteopath yesterday who has pummelled,
stretched and twisted me back into shape but now I feel like I'm paying twice
for the goodies I bought! Lol.
 
This is a card for our eldest Grandson
 who has his  Birthday on the 24th December.
I'm trying to get everything done ahead of time!
He is very much into Karate
so when I saw this image on Mo's Digital Pencil
by 'Mo Manning 'back in the summer knew I had to buy it.
I used SU cardstock and a craft knife
to cut the centre step base .
Pleased to say I still have all my fingers and toes!!
I coloured the image using Promarkers
and part fussy cut him out.
Background was created using a textured card stock
and 'Imagination Crafts' Wall stencil with their
embossing mat through my Grand Calibur.

The brick wall was looking a bit plain until I got my
'Dovercraft' decorative chalks out and randomly
coloured some of the bricks in.
Now it looks like a proper brick wall.
All ready to be kicked down!!
Number and wording created using Britannia dies.
Son and Grandson don't read my blog so it is safe to show now.
 
Entering into the following challenges:
Love To Create #141 Anything goes.
Little Claire's #51 Shaped card theme.
My Craft Creations # Anything goes.
Ooh - La - La Creations #169 more than 1 fold.
Papertake Weekly # 2 or 4 legs.
Through The Craft Room Door #  Anything goes.
Crafting For All Seasons #90 Birthdays.
Creative Moments #55 Anything goes/celebration.
Imagination Crafts # Anything goes.
Craft Your Passion #239 Something beginning with B (boy).


Wednesday, November 05, 2014

3 Cards, 3 Designs.

Really running late today.
This should have been posted this morning
but we had to go into town  and see about a Contract.
No,no not that kind!!
It's ok you can rest easy you don't need to be looking over your shoulder!
This was to renew our mobile contracts
which every year we have untold hassle with.
The very nice man in the shop assured us it would be
seamless this time.
If not there will be a not so very nice man on the phone
to head office demanding an explanation.
 
Anyway I digress from the matter in hand.
Namely 3 cards to showcase my
Use 3 different design papers with your butterfly/s.
 
First up is this one made with a vintage style to it.
Blue and cream paper is by Melissa Frances 'Classic Elegance'
The dark blue and the pink lacy one from my stash but as they were
snippets I have no names on the back.
The flower is made using Spellbinders Rose Creations die.
Butterfly charm , broken chain, very old lace and pearls also from my stash.
Card design is based on one in Craft Stamper Feb 2013
by Elizabeth Borer called 'Elegance.

Stamp is by Kanban
The Cavendish ladies 'Day At The Races'
I have stamped directly onto the digi paper
which is by Raspberry Road from their  'Home Sweet Home Set.
Coloured with Promarkers very lightly as I wanted the pattern on the paper
to show through and give a sort of sepia look .
Die cut using Xcut 'Rectangle  Parenthis'.
Entering into the following challenges:
Make My Monday # Vintage.
Deep Ocean Challenge #90 Handmade flowers.
Fab 'n' Funky #236 Use 3 different embellishments( lace, pearls, handmade rose).
Vintage Utfordring #90 Use Lace. (Cream lace used  behind flower and charm).
My Time to Craft #265 Charmed I'm sure.
One Crazy Stamper # Anything goes.
Love To Create #140 Girly and lacy.
 
Second card
was inspired by a card in a magazine by Carolyne  Knott.
I have being wanting to make one of these envelope style  cards
for ages.
These 3 papers are all by Jennifer Ellory 2013
free in  quick cards magazine.
I have layere4d up using plain pink and green card stock.
envelope was created from a sheet of white card stock
and triangles cut away and folded over each other to create a pocket.
Tab  card pulls right out to add message on the back
and then pushes back inside.
Ribbon from my stash. 
 
Pansy picture , sentiment and butterfly topper
also from my stash and had been freebies at some time
in magazines.
Entering into the following challenges:
Squigglefly Challenge #144 Use patterned paper.
Fantastic Tuesday #60 anything goes/twist add one Butterfly.
Crafting By Designs # Anything goes.
Suzy Bee's Bloomin Challenge #53 Anything goes with layers.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #149 Use up your snippets. (odds of ribbon).
 
Third Card
 which surprised me as being my favourite.
The colour combinations are really striking.
Burnt Siena card stock as my base.
Blue card stock cut into 3 panels
and matted using 3 different design  papers.
Top and bottom papers
'The Simply British Collection'
free in Homemade magazine.
Middle paper unknown
but another magazine freebie in my stash.
The picture is from the ' Florals and Flutters collection
free in making cards.
(This is why I never have to buy paper packs these freebies in magazines
and digi paper downloads keep me going. )
I fussy cut an extra butterfly and added blue spotty ribbon.
I hope I have inspired you to join in the challenge
which runs for the next 2 weeks.
 
Entering this card into the following challenges:
Through The Craft Room Door # Anything goes.
Papertake Weekly # Anythin goes.
Sister Act #81 Anything goes.
Brown Sugar #118 Anything goes.