One today!! .....

.... a year ago today, I took my first tentative steps into Blogland.  I'd read quite a few blogs and lurked around a few challenges, but hadn't done anything.  And then I did it.  And I'm so glad I did.  I've made some wonderful friends through my Blog and taking part in challenges - and I'm so glad that so many of you have become followers too. 

In December, only a few months after I started my blog, Mona Pendleton - one of my most favourite designers - invited me to join her team for a new challenge - CR84FN.   Saying yes to Mona was one of my best decisions ever - we have great colour palettes and I so enjoy coming up with my cards for the challenges.  And this year Tara invited me to join St Luke's Charity Card Challenge - a blog with a difference do check it out.

It's been a fantastic year - taking part in challenges has been such fun and taught me lots.  I've tried techniques that I never thought I'd attempt, used colour combinations that would never have occured to me and I'm finding my style more and more.  While I'd love to make wonderful shabby chic and vintage creations, I tend towards the more clean and simple.  But I'll try everything.

And with that - here's my card for two challenges.  This week Colour Q - cQc101 has a lovely shades of purple, blue and green, and for my layout I'm using Clean & Simple Stamping - FTL156.  I have taken a bit of a liberty with the sketch and flipped it over. 

My card has been made to celebrate my 1st Blogoversary today!!  I've used some lovely lime marbled ribbon from my stash, cut a couple of pinking circles using my nesties.  I stamped the blue nestie with one of my all time favourite stamps - the funky circles from Free Spirit by Waltzingmouse - and embossed with the sparkly Kaledioscope embossing powder.  And I stamped a large number 1 - again overstamped and embossed with the funky circles.  Finally, I added a simple sentiment - CELEBRATE!!!  This card has used two of my favourite product lines - stamps from Waltzingmouse Stamps - Claire's a genius, as well as card and inks from Stampin' Up! (love their stamps too).

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Free Spirit - Boy; Papermania - Typography No 1
Ink:  Versamark; Stampin' Up! - Rich Razzleberry
Spellbinders:  Pinking Circles Lg (S4-170) #3, Pinking Circles Sm (S4-172) #4
Accessories:  Ribbon, card and embossing powder - from stash

My Blogoversary Candy link closed at midnight and I'll be running Mr Random later this morning - check back later to find out if you've won!! 

Thank you all for making my venture into Blogland such a fun filled and happy one!  See you soon.

For our daughter ...

... a fun and funky Christmas card.  Again I've taken a challenge as the inspiration for the card - in this case it was easy.  Mona over at Cupcake Creations has come up with a stunning colour combination for CR84FN8 - all the better because they are Kathryn's favourite colours. 

Again, as this is a scheduled post - I'll link the card to the challenge as soon as I can - it runs until the beginning of January.  Kathryn's card is for a sweet little girl - so the choice of stamps was easy.  Yet again I've turned to my favourites - Waltzingmouse Stamps.  There's a lovely set over there called Oven Fresh Gingerbread Joy - and it contains the prettiest little Gingerbread Girl.  I stamped the background with Off Beat Backgrounds and added some of the little stamps - candy canes, holly, sweets and a bright pink ribbon.  Really pleased with the card.

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Oven Fresh Gingerbread Joy, Off Beat Backgrounds, Seasons of Love
Inks:  Versamark; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black, Rose Bud
Spellbinders:  Labels 10, Labels 14, Plain circles
Accessories:  Ribbon from stash

Busy, busy, busy ....

... in my craftroom - I've had such fun this today!!!  I've done four challenge cards - it's been great.  So the challenges I've been working on are:

1. The Play Date Colour Challenge 59 - PDCC59
2. Flutter by Wednesday - FBW134 - usual rules must feature either angel, butterfly or fairy
3. Stamping with Brenda - Clean & Simple Sunday Challenge - SWB-CAS-1
4. Cupcake Creations - CR84FN7

SWB-CAS-1

So my first card is for PDCC59 and FBW134 - I just love the colours for this week's Play Date Challenge - who doesn't love purple and blue?  And I had the perfect stamp set for the angel - it's not one I've used much, but it is ever so sweet.  The set comes from Waltzingmouse Stamps and is Earth Angel - lots of lovely images and sentiments. 

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Teeny Trees, Earth Angel
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black, Grape Jelly
Accessories:  Backing paper and dress - free with one of the magazines; Fantasy film from stash

The next card is for Brenda's challenge - this is a new challenge that she's just started.  So I thought I'd have a go - it's a nice simple sketch and I need some inspiration.   I kept this one really simple.  I had a really bold and bright piece of ribbon in my stash, so I found some red card which I ran through my Cuttlebug, used the snowflakes folder and then punched out a Christmas Bauble using the Stampin' Up! punch.  This is such a useful punch - and I love it!!  I added some silver ribbon to the bauble.  The frame and greeting were stamped before I stuck down the bauble.   So here's my card (apologies for the slight blur in the picture - the card was scanned).

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Frame It
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Cuttlebug snowflakes folder;  Stampin' Up! - Bauble punch; Ribbon - from stash

Finally, I've been really quick off the mark with a card for Mona's CR84FN7 challenge.  She only posted this challenge today!!  I'm back to my favourite stamps - Nutcracker Sweet!!  That Prince is on lots of my cards - but it's such a fun stamp.  Brown is not a colour I use much (never really liked it too much), but with coral and tan - it works!!  Who knew??  I made a gatefold card for a change and used mulberry paper and glitter paper for the gatefolds.  The card is held together with the ribbon.

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Nutcracker Sweet, Teeny Trees
Inks:  Memento - Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa;  Distress - Tattered Rose, Vintage Photo
Spellbinders:  Mega Ovals - both plain and scalloped
Accessories:  Ribbon from stash;  Glitter paper and mulberry paper from stash

I think that's probably all I'm going to post today.  In between cards, I've managed to get several loads of washing done, but I still need to do a bit of housework and get dinner ready for us all.

I'll be back again tomorrow - do come by again.  Be safe!

Butterfly blues, Nutcracker Prince ....

... these are the cards that I've come up with for two quite different challenges.  The first is for Mona's CR84FN challenge where the requiement to use pink, blue and tan, and the second is for the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge to make a circular card/tag.

I love these colours - so pretty!!

I've never made a circular card before!!

So for CR84FN6 I've made a simple thank you card.  My Aunt and Uncle have been very supportive to me and Mum during Mum's recent house move, so I thought it was time to send them a card to show them I appreciate all their help.  I couldn't decide whether to make it really clean and simple, or go all out for a vintage/shabby chic sort of card.  In the end it's a bit of a mix.   It's very sparkly in real-life, but it doesn't show up well on a photo!

Stamps:  Personal Impression - Butterfly Panel One
Accessories:  Ribbon - Stampin' Up!; Roses - free with a magazine;  Greeting - Craftwork Cards;  Cuttlebug folder Dots and spots

I'm quite pleased how this card for the Waltzingmouse Sketch challenge turned out.  It's very vintage with traditional colours.  I used various Spellbinder circular dies to cut out the shapes, and used my favourite Nutcracker Prince for the topper. 

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - Nutcracker Prince, Holiday Labels No 14, Compliments of the Season

Papers:  Anita's Christmas Red Papers

Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Distress - Pine Needles

Spellbinders: Circular dies - plain, scalloped and inverted scalloped

Accessories:  buttons and sticky ribbon

That's all for this evening.  I finally got some housework done today - saintly smile!!  So tomorrow I can do a bit more crafting - seems only fair to me!!