Anything goes ....

.... that's the theme over at this week's Do You Stack Up - DYSU#103 challenge - so this obviously fits.   I've been busy making cards to catch up with the Waltzingmouse Stamps Christmas Card Challenge and this card is for May, where the challenge was to incorporate a chipboard element.

Stamps: WMS - Woodgrain, Christmas Cottage, Vintage Christmas Background, Vintage Garden Seed Packet
Inks: Distress - Antique Linen, Tumbled Glass, Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky, Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss; Stampin' Up! - Whisper White Craft; Stazon - Jet Black
Dies: Memory Box - Grand Maison Window
Accessories: Scrap chipboard; SU - Diamond Dazzles; Uniball White Pigment Pen

It has taken a good long while to come up with something for the May challenge - but I've seen a number of cards using this window frame and as I recently treated myself to the die, I thought this would be a good opportunity to use it.

I made the window frame from some scrap chipboard that came with some stamps - it took quite a few passes through the Grand Calibur to cut through the card, but it worked.  I rubbed some Whisper White craft ink across the card and rubbed it in to give an aged effect.  I made the background resemble a lounge wall.  I masked where the frame would go, stamped the Vintage Christmas background.  I protected the "wallpaper" and brayered the bottom of the wall with Antique Linen and then over stamped with the woodgrain background to make some wood panel.  I masked off the background and then stamped the snowman and trees and created the scene.  I stamped the snowman and trees again on white card and coloured them with Promarkers, cut them out and glued them in place.  I finished off with some glitter and snow and the sentiment which I stamped in Stazon to give a really crisp image.

I know that the sentiment says "Thank You", but this card is both a thank you and Christmas card for a friend who allows Jonathan and I to stay at her house when we visit.

I don't quite know how it has happened, but I'm ahead of myself!!  So much so that I've had time to play in my craft room - hence this card!!  I only have three more of the Waltzingmouse Christmas Card challenges to do - but you'll have to wait until 26th December to see them :)

That's all for today - keep safe.  Hey!!  I just realised that this is my 1000th post!!!!

Anniversary Wishes ....

Good morning!  I had a super day yesterday - lots of washing done, now it's just the ironing :))  I also managed to find time to play in my craft room.  I've made this card for two challenges - they seemed to go together perfectly:

• Less is More - LIM98 - theme to make an Anniversary card
• Dynamic Duos - DD33

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Musical Backgrounds, Big Day Additions; Say It with Style

Inks: Stazon - Jet Black; Distress - Antique Linen; Memento - Tuxedo Black

Accessories:  Textured gold paper, black & white card from stash; Cuttlebug EF - Swiss Dots

The colours for this week's Dynamic Duo are perfect for an anniversary card and I combined them with white to make a clean, simple and elegant card.  I cut mat layers in gold and black and a top layer of white card.  There is an option to include a musical theme on the Dynamic Duo challenge, so I stamped a couple of musical staves in Antique Linen, almost like a soft gold.  I used my stamp-a-ma-jig to position the simple, elegant sentiment - love, love this font!  To add some interest I embossed the top layer with Swiss Dots.  I kept the inside equally simple with a lovely sentiment.  

I can't get over how mild it is at the moment - everyone has been telling me that "normally" we'd have had snow by now - and stuff that sticks too!  But not yet - and I'm hoping it stays off for a while longer.  Anyway, that's all for now.  See you soon.

Noel Trio ....

.... Okay, I know I said I wouldn't be posting as often as normal, but I need my crafting fix :)))  And this one was so quick and easy - it's a tiny card, only 4 1/8" × 2 7/8" (10.5 × 7.5 cm).  It's a little gift tag for a Christmas present and it fits the following challenges:

• Play Date Cafe Challenge - PDCC161
• Do You Stack Up? - DYSU102 - theme is Christmas
• CAS(E) this Sketch - CTS9 - I turned the sketch upside down
• Charisma Cardz Challenge - CCC49 - theme is Christmas cards

Stamps: Woodware - Christmas Trees (FRCL045)
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Stampin' Up! - Gumball Green; Distress - Festive Berries, Picked Raspberries
Accessories: Clear embossing powder; SU - Diamond Dazzles; Card from stash

I know this is not an original idea (there are several variations of a trio of trees on the CTS blog), but it is just perfect for the challenge and I got to use a set of stamps that I'd forgotten I had.  Love the Art Deco feel to the design.  I stamped the image in Versafine and embossed with clear powder which makes painting so much easier.  I used Gumball Green to do the trees - gives lovely shading, and for the tinsel I used Festive Berries and Picked Raspberries.  I added a touch of glitter to make the tinsel sparkle.

That will be all for today - still lots of washing and ironing to sort out.  Hope you all have a good day!  It's another very mild December day - no sign of snow just yet!!  Bye for now.

A bit vintage, a bit shabby ....

... Afternoon all!!  Wow, I've had a busy morning - lots of washing to sort out before the holiday break.  But while it's drying I've had time to play and make a birthday card.  It's a bit vintage, a bit shabby - at least I think it is!  I made it using the sketch for this week's challenge at  My Favourite Things - MFTWSC102.

Stamps: My Favourite Things - Gift Card Greetings: WMS - Flourishes: Dots & Scallops; SU - Happiest Birthday Wishes; PTI - Grunge Me
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Distress - Antique Linen, Tumbled Glass, Broken China
Dies: Die-namics - Vertical Gift Card Pocket, Fishtail Layers STAX
Accessories:  Kaisercraft Design Paper - Periwinkle; SU - Vintage Brad; Lace from Stampeddlar

I had such fun making this card.  I got the Kaisercraft paper a few weeks ago - they are so beautiful, and just right for a special birthday card.  Love this gift card pocket; so easy to make with the die. Before folding I added some colour to the inside of the pocket and stamped a pattern - but it's so subtle you can't really see it!!  The little tag came in the paper stack - I simply added the date and a pretty brad.  Love this pretty lace too.  Apart from the sentiment on the gift card pocket, the only stamping is on the panel behind - I shaded with distress inks and added some flourishes.  Here's are a couple more photos - one with a card in the gift pocket (not the one that will actually be sent) and one of the inside.

I might not be posting as regularly as normal - it's getting really busy with all the holiday preparations.  We'll be spending Christmas with the family in the UK - so I've lots to do before then.

Before I go, I must say thank you to all those who have left such lovely comments recently.  I've been very bad in replying - but I read each comment and value them all.  Thanks.  See you soon.

Sew special ....

... Good evening - I'm very late posting today, but I've had a good excuse - I've been sorting out my craft room.  I got my new Stampin' Up! ink pads - they are just fantastic, so juicy!!  I treated myself to the SU storage unit and I had to assemble it (very easy) and then put in the pads - so nice to have name labels for the pads too.

After I'd finished that I decided to make a birthday card for someone who is sew very special to me :)  I used the sketch from this week's Freshly Made Sketches - FMS65 for the layout.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Happiest Birthday Wishes (Hostess set - discontinued); Die-namics - Sew Nifty
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Rich Razzleberry
Dies: Die-namics - Sew Nifty, Fishtail Flags STAX
Accessories: SU Design Paper - Sycamore Street (see below); SU - Sycamore St Button & Ribbon set; SU  Card - Rich Razzleberry; SU Marker - Tangerine Tango; SU Diamond Dazzles; SU/Sizzix Embossing Folder - Fancy Fan; Thread and card from stash

I had lots of fun with this card.  I cut a panel of Rich Razzleberry and some pretty design paper (Pool Party) which I embossed with the Fancy Fan folder and attached them to the card base.  I cut a couple of fishtail tags and stamped this lovely sentiment onto the white tag, and attached them to the card.  I stamped the tape measure and thread spool onto white card, cut them out and then added some glitter to the tape measure.  I used the die cut to cut the dress form and then stamped the image, added some sparkle and mounted to the card with dimensional tape.  I finished off by added a fancy button and some thread around the spool.  The thread started off white; I coloured it with my SU Tangerine Tango marker pen - so easy!!  I kept the inside really simple - with one of my favourite birthday sentiments - love the font!!

I've finally started my Stampin' Up! business and one of the great benefits of being a demonstrator is that you can pre-order from new catalogues - and I did!!  This card gives you a sneak peek at some design paper that will be in the up-coming "Sale-a-bration" leaflet which runs from 22nd January to 22nd March 2013 - contact me for details.

Stampin' Up! have a Clearance Rack running at the moment - click HERE to start shopping.  There's paper, punches and stamps too!  Have fun!!

Finally, I'd like to welcome a new follower - Hi Jocelyn - so glad you joined me.  That's all for now.  Got to tidy up and get dinner made.  See you tomorrow!

Crossword birthday ....

.... Good morning to you all - it's quite foggy here in Northville this morning!  I've a birthday card to share with you today - nice to make something different to Christmas :)  It's also a "Sneak Peek" at one of the new Stampin' Up! sets available in January (contact me for more information).  I used two challenges to make the card:

• Colour Throwdown - CTD222
• Clean & Simple Stamping - FTL220

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Cross My Heart (Available January 2013), Medallion; Uniko Studio - Wonderful Washi
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Stampin' Up! - Bashful Blue, Pacific Blue, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Making Memories Ribbon, Clear embossing powder, Card from stash

The CTD graphic has the most fabulous photo and I just had to use the Medallion stamp to suggest a huge sun!!  I was very faithful to the sketch, expect I turned it round as it fit better with my design.  I attached some thin black ribbon and stamped two of the Washi images in shades of blue.  The crossword puzzle birthday sentiment is the "SNEAK PEEK" of Stampin' Up! Cross My Heart set which is available in the new Spring catalogue in January.  I just love this image!  I stamped it in Versafine, embossed with clear powder and then fussy cut it out and adhered with dimensional tape.  I finished off with a few gems for sparkle.

As you can see - I've signed up with Stampin' Up! - there really is such a lot coming out in the new catalogue - and you'll see a few more sneak peeks here.  If you're interested in ordering anything - contact me!!

That's all for now - we're off out today to see The Hobbit - will give a review later.  Have a good day!

Gifts of love ....

.... Good Wednesday morning to you all - it's absolutely beautiful here today.  The sun is shining, the skies are blue and it's really cold!  I've another Christmas card to share with you today made with the following challenges in mind:

• CAS-ual Fridays - CFC81 - where the team would like us to use twine on our card
• CASology - CAS23 - where the cue word is "GIFT"
• Colour Q - cQc167 - with some super festive colours

Stamps: CAS-ual Friday Stamps - Happy Kiss-mas; Stampin' Up! - More Merry Messages
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; SU - Always Artichoke; Distress - Bundled Sage
Accessories: SU Design Paper - Real Red, Everyday Enchantment (Lucky Limeade); SU Card - Real Red, Lucky Limeade; White Lustre card ; Martha Stewart Glitter - Garnet, Coarse Crystal; Twine from CAS-ual Friday Stamps

I've finally got around to inking up these super stamps from CAS-ual Friday!  I stamped the middle bunch of mistletoe in Always Artichoke and the ones either side in Bundled Sage (don't have Sage Shadow).  I added the twine to the middle bunch - it's actually recycled from the packaging I got with these stamps - and a touch of glitter too.  I stamped a very simple sentiment directly onto the card base and surrounded it with lots of parcels - all containing love and best wishes for Christmas!  I stamped some parcels directly on to the card and cut the others from plain card and design paper.  I finished off with coarse crystal - suggesting snow piling up around the gifts.

That's all for now - got to put on some washing!!  Hey ho!  See you soon.

Metallic Christmas ....

..... Morning all - I've a card for this week' Do You Stack Up? - DYSU101 challenge - where we have to include Gold and Silver.  The challenge deadline is today, so I'm quite late submitting my card.

Stamps: Chocolate Baroque - Holly Leaves
Inks: Versamark; Distress - Evergreen Bough
Dies: Spellbinders - Labels 17 (S5-025) #6
Accessories:  Gold and silver embossing powder; Black card from stash; Craft Work label sentiment

This is a really quick and easy card to make and I really like the effect you get combining different embossing powders.  I started by stamping the image in Versamark and adding the gold and silver powder, heating and then cutting it out with the beautifully ornate Labels 17 die.  I sponged on some colour around the edge of the card base and then, using the same colour, stamped the image directly onto the card base.  I finished off with the sentiment label which I coloured to match the background.  This looks very dramatic but is quick and easy enough to mass produce.

Before I go I'd like to welcome Anne-Elise - thanks for joining me.  That's all for now - I'm off to the hairdresser to get my hair cut - ready for Christmas and the New Year.  It's only two weeks to go!!!  Take care, see you soon.

O Christmas Tree ....

....  Hello - I hope you all had a super weekend - ours was great fun, and the house is starting to look quite Christmassy!!!  I've another Christmas card to share with you this morning, made for the following challenges:

• Freshly Made Sketches - FMS64
• Colour Throwdown - CTD221
• Jingle Belles - JB12:25 - Anything Goes

Stamps: Just Rite - O Christmas Tree; Waltzingmouse - Compliments of the Season II, Ornate Ornaments
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Stampin' Up! - Riding Hood Red, Crumb Cake
Dies: Spellbinders - Nested Pennants (S5-028) #3, Edgeabilities Classic Triple Scallop (E8-003)
Accessories:  Design Paper - Hot off the Press - Forever Christmas; SU Card & DP - Crumb Cake, Gumball Green; Clear embossing powder; Cream lustre card

I got the HOTP design papers free with a UK craft magazine (can't remember which one) and I found this gorgeous scroll paper in the stack - perfect for this challenge.  I cut a mat in Gumball Green, adhered the scroll paper and attached them both to the Crumb Cake card base.  I cut a smaller panel in Crumb Cake card and randomly stamped snowflakes in Crumb Cake ink to give a subtle tone-on-tone effect.  I stamped the Christmas tree in Versafine, heat embossed with clear powder, cut out with the Pennant die and used my aquabrush to paint on Red Riding Hood in the scroll.  I cut the lovely border in Gumball Green attached it to the SU design paper, cut it to fit the card and then rounded the top corners.  I finished off with a simple sentiment (fabulous font).

For the inside I cut another piece of the scroll design paper onto which I layered some cream lustre card.  I stamped the sentiment in Riding Hood Red - love the scroll detail which goes so well with the scroll design paper.

I'm having lots of fun finishing off my Christmas cards - only nine left to go.  Then I need to make several birthday cards - I think I may have mentioned that January has lots of family birthdays.

That's all for now.  It's a busy week - a couple of my friends are going back to the UK for Christmas and we're getting together for a girls lunch before they go.  And today I'm off to school for lunch duties.  It's a really good way to get to meet some of Kathryn's friends - they even come and talk to me now!   See you soon.

Christmas tree ....

.... Just a quick post - no card, but we have got our tree up!  We couldn't put up the big 9 foot tree - it was too wide for where we wanted to put it.  So we've used out 6½ foot tree instead - it's very pretty - decorated with lots of lights, tinsel and baubles.  Some of the baubles are shop bought, some are ones I've made and some were made by the children.  So pleased to have it up.  Here are a few photos:

I made this decoration last year - it survived the trip over!!

Decorated by Jonathan and Kathryn - lots of lovely sparkle!!

A couple of close ups showing decorations made by me and the children!

That's all for now.  See you tomorrow!

Christmas sparkle ....

... Wishing you a good Sunday morning!!  I was really busy yesterday and got another Christmas card made - only about ten more to do then I've finished for this year!!!!  I've used three challenges in the making of this one:

• CASology - CAS21 - where the cue word is SPARKLE
• Addicted to CAS - ATCAS2 - where the theme is BAUBLES
• Dynamic Duos - DD32 - monochromatic pinks

 

Stamps: Papermania - A Christmas Carol Baubles; My Favourite Things - Seasonal Sentiments

Inks: Memento - London Fog; SU - Rose Red

Accessories:  Stampin' Up! Card - Rose Rose, Pretty in Pink; Glitter and gems and card from stash

This card really is very quick and simple to make.  I cut a couple of mat layers in the two shades of pink and adhered them to the card base.  I stamped this gorgeous branch of baubles in London Fog on plain white card and coloured the baubles with Promarkers.  I kept it simple by doing all the baubles pale pink with a touch of dark pink for the accents.  I finished off with lots of sparkle in the form of glitter and some gems which you can see in the picture here.  I've had this stamp for several years and I think it always makes such an elegant card.  For the inside I cut a mat in pale pink and white and stamped the sentiment in Rose Red.

That's all for now - we were going to put our tree up last weekend but didn't get around to it - but today's the day!  Will post pictures later.  Have a good one!

Christmas blues .....

..... Good afternoon - it's very dull and grey in Northville today - a perfect excuse to stay indoors and play!  Jonathan has just finished a photo shoot at the house, Kathryn has done some homework and is now playing and I've made a card for the following challenges:

• Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge - WMSC127 designed by Teresa Kline
• Colour Q - cQc166
• Addicted to CAS - ATCAS2 - theme word Bauble
• Just Us Girls - JUGS166 to use embossing on your card

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Ornate Ornaments
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Midnight Muse, Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise, Pool Party; Versamark
Dies: Spellbinders - 2010 Heirloom Ornaments (S4-283) #5
Accessories: Martha Stewart - Ornament Punch; Cuttlebug EF - Winter Wonderland; SU Card - Midnight Muse; White Lustre Card, Silver embossing powder

I got my new WMS sets yesterday and I had to play with the wonderful ornate ornament stamps - the large stamp is stunning.  Claire showed us how easy it is to colour here.  My card is not entirely original - Teresa used the same one on her card, but our cards are totally different.  So versatile.

I stamped it in Versamark and embossed with detail silver powder, then I painted with my aquabrush.  I don't have Cool Caribbean so used Pool Party on the stripes with Pacific Point and Tempting Turquoise for the fancy scrolls.  I used Midnight Muse to stamp the sentiment on the ornament and the verse inside the card.  I made the card base from Midnight Muse card.  The white panel was cut to fit the card, the bauble edge was made using my Martha Stewart ornament punch and then it was dry embossed in my Bug!  I finished off with a double bow - white striped organza and turquoise organza both from my stash.  For the inside I simply stamped a bold sentiment.  Here's a close up of the ornament and embossed snowflakes.

I had such fun making this card.  I think you'll be seeing a variation on this card very soon.  Hope you all have a super weekend.  See you soon.