One for three ....

..... firstly, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who left such lovely comments congratulating me on the new DT spot!  It's always an honour to be picked for a design team - and I'm going to have fun with this!

I've another Christmas card to share with you today - I still need lots more!!  Here's my card:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Festive Flurry, More Merry Messages
Inks: Versamark; SU - Soft Sky; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - London Fog
Dies: Spellbinders - Star Circles (S4-335) #4; SU/Sizzix - Framelits Festive Flurry
Accessories:  SU Card - Cherry Cobbler, Soft Sky; White Lustre Card; Clear Embossing Powder; SU - Diamond Dazzles Glitter

I used a few challenges to make this one:

• Less is More - LIM139 - sketch
• CAS - Colours & Sketches - CASC&S45 - colours
• Festive Friday - FFC18 - element challenge include a star

It's been a while since I played along with Less is More and Festive Friday but I like the sketch and I love stars.  I know there's not much white space on this card, but I think it's quite clean and simple in construction and there's quite a lot of Cherry Cobbler space - hope this is okay Chrissie and Lizy!!!

I made the card base from Cherry Cobbler so that the little die cut stars would show up.  I stamped a large snowflake in the centre of the die cut and added a touch of sparkle to the outside points.  I stamped one of the smaller snowflakes in Versamark on Soft Sky card, heat embossed it with clear powder and cut it out with the matching die.  I have attached the layers directly to the card to minimise the depth (need to keep the postage down somehow!).  I finished the front of the card with the sentiment stamped on Vellum - I like the fact that you can still see the snowflake through the vellum.  For the inside - it's simply a panel of white card on which I stamped another snowflake and a greeting.

ETA:  I've just found out that my card is also fulfils the criteria for Nonni's new challenge - Let's Get Inky for Christmas.  Details about her challenge are shown below:

"Let's Get Inky -Stamp A Happy Christmas! 
Let's create Christmas cards with stamping playing the main role! You could use fun techniques like masking and combine background stamps with smaller stamps... Or how about using non-Christmas stamps for Christmas and playing with some embossing powders? Or stamping with watercolors? Or tone on tone stamping maybe? The possibilities are endless... Let's get inky and creative! You can choose any style from CAS to vintage, what ever you like the best... You can use embellishments too -just don't cover up your fabulous stamping completely!"

Check out Nonni's blog - there's a prize too!

Before I go - I need to welcome some new followers - so join me in say Hello and Welcome to Gloria Shirr, Kylie, Deepti and Sue - so glad you joined me ladies!!  We're still enjoying late summer sunshine and warmth in Michigan, in fact yesterday we almost hit the record.  It's not quite as hot today, but it's just gorgeous.  That's all for now.  See you soon.

A quick reminder .....

...  for you this morning! There's still time for you to join in with our inaugural challenge at Waltzingmouse Fanatics Challenge.  We've started off with a sketch - you can make a card, do a scrapbook layout and any style goes - but you have to include at least one Waltzingmouse image or sentiment.  Here's the sketch:

The deadline for submission is Thursday 19th September 5pm GMT, that's Noon EDT.  And for the winner Claire has kindly donated a £20 code to go shopping at the store.  I'm really looking forward to seeing your projects.

I had a bit of an accident with my Cuttlebug on Monday - I was trying to get a die to cut and used one shim too many.  My Bug exploded!!  The side popped off and the whole mechanism broke.  I was so, so sad.  I've had my little Bug since it was launched and since I've had it for so long, I thought I'd treat myself to a new machine.  It arrived yesterday afternoon - a lovely new Big Shot in pretty shades of blue and teal.  And yes, I know that the colours aren't important, but it's so pretty!!!

This version of the Big Shot comes with an Extended platform - which is really nice.  I have to admit that I do like having the instructions on the tabs!

I've already given it a quick test drive and it works like a dream.  I hope I get as many years use with my Big Shot as I did with my sadly missed Bug!

That's all for now - we're off out for breakfast and then some quick cake shopping.  Kathryn has invited some of her friends over today to celebrate her birthday, which is actually on Tuesday, but today is the best day to party.  It's a small, select group and they're going to be watching movies, listening to music and chatting - a really girly time!!  I can't believe that Kathryn is almost 12 years old - the time has simply flown.  Enjoy your weekend.

CR84FN62 - Take two & Exciting news ....

.... Surprise!!!  We going up a bit early this week - we have news to share with you - see below!!  But first our colours for CR84FN62 are lavender, peach and a neutral - soft, pretty colours!  Perfect for a feminine birthday card.

Stamps:  Waltzingmouse - French Country, Say it with Style; Sizzix/Hero Arts - Floral (657776)
Inks: Distress - Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord
Spellbinders:  Splendid Circles (S4-354) #3, Romantic Rectangles (S5-090) #3, Persian Motifs (S5-079), Nested Lacey Pennants (S5-029), Persian Accents (S5-078)
Accessories:  Ribbon from stash; Promarkers; Card from stash

I've made a card for one of my Mum's best friends in the UK and I used three challenges:

• CR84FN62 - obviously!!!
• Mojo Monday - MOJO 257
• Do You Stack Up? - DYSU88 - birthday theme

I think the MOJO Monday layout is so, so pretty and works perfectly with our colours.  I used some of the left over peach card from last week's card to make the bottom mat and the filigree doily.  More scraps from last week were used for the lavender punched border and the pennant.  I've used a lot of my Spellbinder dies on this card - they all work together so well.  The ribbon started off white and I coloured it with a Promarker pen - so easy and quick to do.  Despite all the layers on this card, it is relatively flat, so should be easy to post to the UK.

Now for some exciting news about CR84FN!  We are having an open Design Team call - check out the blog for full details.  Have fun!!  Oh yes, there is a prize for one randomly chosen player of CR84FN62.  Good luck!

Is this colour combination proving to be too much of a challenge?  It's very quiet on the CR84FN blog!!  For more inspiration with these colours - check out the CR84FN blog or click on the links in my side bar!  We really are looking forward to seeing your creations.

CR84FN60 - magic ....

..... Hello again - we've had an amazing week travelling from San Diego to Morro Bay; the week has simply flown by.  Today I get to share with you my second card for our fantastic CR84FN60 colours of BLUE, GREEN and GRAPE.

Stamps:  Artistic Outpost - Quotes & Quotables - Soulful Quotes; Hero Arts - Thinking of You
Inks:  Stampin' Up! - Wild Wasabi, Perfect Plum, Pacific Point
Spellbinders:  Floral Ovals (S4-356) #4
Accessories:  Sizzix Dies - Thinking of You (set with Hero Arts stamps), Card from stash

I love this quote from J K Rowling - "we all have magic inside us" - I think we do.  I wanted the quote to have centre stage on the card.  I cut the floral oval (so pretty) and while still in the die I stamped the quote and sponged on some colour.  Next I randomly stamped some flowers and leaves to frame the quote.  I stamped leaves on to the card base and finished off by added the die cut flowers.  This stamp & die set is super easy to use and will feature again soon!!

For more inspiration cards from the Design Team check out the CR84FN blog or click on the links on my side bar.

I have been meaning to share some photos of our trip along US Highway 1, but we've been really busy and I simply haven't had the chance.  Besides, while Jonathan and Kathryn have been using our laptop, I've been catching up on events at the Olympics.  But I finally got the laptop, so here are a few photos starting in San Diego, moving to Los Angeles and then Morro Bay.  Next week we are going to visit Monterey and San Francisco.  The weather has been just glorious - so hot and sunny.

San Diego Convention Centre from the Bay - check out the plane coming in to land11

Bridge connecting San Diego to Coronado - it's very high and I don't  much like heights.  Jonathan & Kathryn  found it  very funny as I held on tight!!

San Diego Zoo - the first time I've seen a Panda in real life.  Much smaller than I expected.  They have a new baby panda too, but we didn't see that one.

San Juan Capistrano - absolutely beautiful and so, so peaceful.

 

Kathryn and Jonathan on Santa Monica pier - with a view of the town.  Such a fabulous place.

Graumann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood - we got there early so didn't have lots of people in front!!  Took lots of photos of the names in concrete too.

View from the front seat of the car as Jonathan was driving along Highway 1 north  on  our way to  Santa Barbara.

View of the mountains from Santa Barbara seafront - wow!!!!

We took a detour off Highway 101 and stopped in a place called San Luis -  took a walk along their pier and found this colony of seals underneath - sleeping in the sun.

That's all for now - thanks for stopping by - see you soon.