Birthdays look great on you ....

.... Good afternoon! I think we're extremely lucky in Northop Hall, it's a beautiful day with bright sunshine and blue skies, mind there's a freezing cold wind too! Still, we've been lucky to get off with no rain today. I've made another birthday card for my stash as I really do need to have a few more ready. This is a cute, clean and simple card:

Stamps: MFT - Playful Peacocks, Anything But Basic Birthday Wishes
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Black Onyx, Soft Stone
Dies: Die-namics - Playful Peacocks
Accessories: White Card; Copic Markers; Nuvo - Aquashimmer Brush; Doodlebug Sprinkles - Swimming Pool; Clear Embossing Powder; Sakura Stardust Pens

I'm submitting this card to CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#359, I used the sketch, to AAA Birthdays - AAAB#10 where they want Cute, and to Fab Friday - FABF#184 I used their colours.

This was so much fun to make. I stamped the cute peacock on some scrap card, coloured it with Copic markers, put it back in the MISTI and restamped using Versafine black ink, then heat embossed with clear powder. I cut out the image with the matching die. I added some sparkle to the peacock's feathers with a clear aquashimmer brush. I stamped the greeting directly on the card, used dimensional pads to adhere the peacock and finished the front with a few enamel dots. On the inside, I stamped another greeting and added another cute peacock peeking in from the side. I used Sakura stardust pens to add some shimmer to him.

So, what have you done with your extra day? I had a nice walk up to the local shop this morning to pick up mum's newspaper and it was lovely. Mind, I was glad I had my gloves, just wish I'd added a scarf. I found this gorgeous camellia peeking over the fence of a neighbour's house and with the blue sky and sunshine, it almost felt like spring:

That's all for today. I'm off to get some lunch/dinner for the family. Do pop back tomorrow when I have a new Christmas card for our Christmas 24 Challenge. See you soon.

Happy Birthday ....

.... Good afternoon! It's another dull, dismal day in Northop Hall - we had some sleet this morning, but fortunately that didn't last. After doing some visits with Mum, I managed to get into my craft room and make a card - it's not Christmas today 😁. I've made a very clean, simple birthday card:

Stamps: Uniko - Background Builders Round in Circles; MFT - Bitty Birthday Wishes
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Amalgam Black
Accessories: Papermania - Tall Card Blank; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to several challenges. The first is The Male Room - TMR#130 to use embossing, Perfectly CAS - PCAS#6 to use shapes, CASology - CAS#362 where they want tall, and CAS on Friday - CASOF#174 using their colours.

This is one of the most clean and simple cards I've made. I used my MISTI to stamp the row of little open circles and then filled the circles using Copic markers. On some scrap card I stamped the grungy circles twice in Versafine and heat embossed them with clear powder. I fussy cut the image and added a dot of colour in the centre of each circle. I stamped the clean, crisp greeting in black and then adhered the cut out image with dimensional pads.  On the inside, I added a simple greeting and some more of the circles.

I've been very literal with the CASology challenge, simply using a very tall card. The only embossing is on the grungy circles, but it really makes them pop and I took a close-up photo to show the detail:

This card will be in the post tomorrow - it's my cousin's 54th birthday - I still can't quite get my head around that, as I still see him as my baby cousin!!! That's all for now. See you again soon.

Happy Birthday ....

... Hi!!  I made a birthday card!! It's safe to post today as it should have reached the recipient - my Aunty Sue in Barry.

Stamps: Happy Little Stampers - Doodle Flowers
Inks: Gina K - Black Onyx, Soft Stone; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: Cream & White Lustre Card; Dawn Bibby Design Paper; SU Card - Grapefruit Grove, Pear Pizzazz; Clear Embossing Powder; Sakura Stardust Pens; SU DP - Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz; Copic Markers

I'm submitting this card to Fab Friday - FABF#183, and to CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#358.

I stamped the flowers and leaves on coloured design papers and added details with Copic markers and Sakura Stardust pens. I restamped the images after they'd been coloured and heat embossed with clear powder - this technique gives really dark, crisp images.  I then fussy cut out the flowers and leaves.  I cut a piece of birthday design paper (this has been in my stash for many years), adhered it to the card and then added the card banners and the flowers.  I added a black doodled border.  On the inside, I cut a mat of peach card and on the white panel added a simple greeting and another flower.

I also added some shimmer to the centre of the flowers, but you can't see it in the photo above.  That's all for now.  Bye!!

Dreams ....

... Hello! I guess we're all getting fed up with all the wind and rain here in the UK.  We've been luckier than many, but the winds yesterday were rough.  It really was whistling around the house.  So, I had no guilt at all in staying in and crafting.  I made a card for several challenges - and it's not a Christmas card!!

Stamps: Pink & Main - Believe Script; Happy Little Stampers - Doodle Flowers
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Grey Granite, Melon Mambo, Gorgeous Grape; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Copic Markers; Tim Holtz Stenicls - Dot Fade (THS006), Hocus Pocus (THS131); Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge - HLSCAS#02, CAS(E) this Sketch! - CTS#360, and Colour Throwdown - CTD#581.

I went for a very literal take on the CTS sketch, using two different stencils to create a background for the bold, positive sentiment. I added a simple leaf to drawn attention to the words.  I've kept the inside blank for my own message - I've a feeling this may well be for our daughter - she's making big plans for university and beyond.

It was fun making a non-festive card.  That's all for today - I'll be back again soon.  Have a good weekend.

Merry Christmas ....

... Morning!!  It's really dismal here today, so I'm spending the day inside and playing in my craft room.  I've made another Christmas card for my stash - I need over 100 cards, so I really do have to start early.  Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Pinstripe Background; Pink & Main - Christmas Mugs
Inks: Gina K - Dusty Rose, Soft Stone; Stampin' Up! - Poppy Parade; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Pink & Main - Christmas Mugs
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Poppy Parade; Copic Markers; Red Glitter Card; Nuvo - Aquashimmer Brush; Clear Embossing Powder; Sakura - Clear Glaze Pen

I'm entering this card into the following challenges, Jingle Belles - JB:20:04 where they want to see a mostly RED card, and to 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - 52CCT07-20 where they have a Cocoa theme.

The striped background on this card is the piece I had left after making the ladybug birthday card earlier this month.  I layered the panel on bright red card and added a strip of red glitter paper.  Using my MISTI (and leaving the stamp in place) I stamped the festive mug of hot chocolate on white card, coloured it with Copic markers and then restamped using Versafine black ink, and embossed with clear powder.  I cut it out with the matching die.  I added shimmer to cream, cherry and red berries with a clear shimmer brush and also added a glaze coat to the cherry.  I stamped a simple sentiment in red and adhered the mug with dimensional pads.  On the inside, I cut a mat layer of red card and on the white panel added a greeting and another sweet mug of cocoa.

My plan for the rest of the day is to make some more cards - only this time I think I need to make some birthday cards for my stash.  I hope that wherever you are, you keep warm and safe.  That's all for now.

C24C - Warm Winter Wishes ....

... Afternoon all! It's been a busy week here at Chez Frings - with trips out, some revision for Kat (on half-term hols), and work for Jonathan.  I've been trying to get into my craft room for most of the week and managed a couple of hours this morning.  I've made a fun Christmas card for my stash - it's never too early to make a start on your Christmas stash!!!

Stamps: Uniko - Stunning Snowflakes; Poppy Stamps - You Melt My Heart
Inks: Gina K - Lovely Lavender, Sea Glass, Powder Blue, Black Onyx; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Poppy Stamps - You Melt My Heart
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Copic Markers; Martha Stewart Glitters; Nuvo - Aquashimmer Brush; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#423 and Uniko Studio Challenge - USC#57.  The theme is based on our Christmas 24 Challenge - C24C#04 to make a Winter Scene, and I've also also CASEd Nick's card that has been submitted to Christmas 24.

I cut a panel of white card and randomly stamped snowflakes in different colours, using both first and second generation impressions.  I edged the panel with a Copic marker.  I used my MISTI to stamp the snowglobe, the snowmen and the little hat and scarf.  I coloured the images with Copic markers, put them back in the MISTI and restamped in black Versafine and heat embossed with clear powder. I used the matching dies to cut out the images.  I added some glitter to the snowglobe and the hat and then adhered the images to the card.  I finished the front with a simple greeting.  On the inside, I cut another white panel and stamped a greeting, some more snowflakes and another cute snowman.

Do come along and join in with our Winter Scene challenge at Christmas 24 Challenge - you've got until 29th February to play along.  That's all for now.  See you soon.

Finished at last!!!

... Hi.  I hope that wherever you are, the weather is being kinder to you today.  We have been lucky to get off lightly from any storm damage.  We saw lots of flooding on our trip home from Leicester on Sunday - in fact we had to drive through a couple of flooded roads, but nothing as serious as in some areas.  Please keep safe.

Earlier this year I mentioned that I was finishing off a scrapbook that Kat started years ago.  Kat used to come to the little craft shop that we had in Mold (sadly long since closed) and on one of our trips there we came across some fun papers, stamps and embellishments under the heading "Say it with a SMIRK" made by Trimcraft.  We got a cute little scrapbook for 6" × 6" papers, a couple of paper pads and some embellishments. This is going to be photo heavy showing each page of the scrapbook:

Products - Trimcraft - Smirk Paper Pads - Naughty, but Nice, Love and Friendship, Christmas Noel; Various Washi Tapes; Scrap Card from stash

Kat picked all the photos she wanted in the journal and actually completed a couple of pages before giving up!! The page above is one that Kat did - she went through my stash of dies and cut out the photo and mat layers, used punches to make her own little embellishment and added the fun bead embellishment.  I added some words behind the little tag.  Here are the rest of the pages:

There are four generations in the first photo - my nanna, my mum, me and Kat - it's a very special photo as my nanna died six week after this was taken.

Kat did both these pages - I simply added the words beneath the photo from her birthday party.

I'm submitting this journal to Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#43 where Anything Goes.  I had lots of fun finishing this journal, and I'm going to get started on a couple of new journals.  That's all for now.  See you again soon.