Merry Christmas.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I hope you were all lucky enough to get all you wished for on your Christmas wish lists ... I know I did and a bit more ...

Although I had to do some serious tiding this morning, just so I could show you one of my Christmas Presents ... just look what Santa left on one of the walls of my craft room

You know what makes it even more special, its that you can’t buy them in the UK, its made by my husband – he knew I really, really wanted one and that the ones made over here didn’t fit the Stampin Up stamps so he secretly made me one – he really is One in a million.

I cannot show you pics of the other side of the room – Its chaos

The plans have been posted here

Dazzling Christmas.

More Christmas cards, these are possibly my favourites? I just love dazzling diamonds – I’m making these in several colour combinations – This is the blue stack

I’m not sure if you can see just how dazzling those diamonds are ...

Its a really easy technique, stamp your image, allow to dry, stamp all over with your versamark, sprinkle over Stampin Up! Heat & stick, heat with your heat gun until the Heat & Stick is tacky, then sprinkle over your Stampin Up! Dazzling Diamonds, if you heat again this will ensure you don’t loose your diamonds :O)

I’ve got another few photos, I just have to show you how long my icicles' got before they melted in the rain – the view from my craft room

and from outside

Some of them got to over a metre long!

Back to normality now though, its pretty much all gone.

Christmas is here instead :O)

More Passion for Christmas

Thanks to all the snow we’ve had I’ve managed another few hours in the craft room.  So a few more holiday/Christmas cards to show you.  These were CASed from an ATC card swap last year (or maybe the year before?)

I found the cards while I was clearing out my room [shock] I’ve taken out some book shelves and put in another table - pictures will follow one day when I’m happy with it.

Its still snowing here so I could be off tomorrow too, at this rate I just ‘might’ get the ‘special’ family cards completed too!

A few pics of back garden this morning, this one taken from my craft room, look at those icicles'!

 

We went for a walk this afternoon and I got this pretty shot of the Down’s

A Passion for Christmas

Another challenge post, this one is for A Passion for Papertrey and is soooo easy – Its to create a card with a Holiday/Christmas theme, I’ve still got loads to make, made loads as commissions, but personally - everyone is expecting handmade cards this year! I’ve made well over 100 already and still got far too many to make ...

This is what is currently on the craft table

I’ve used Holiday Button Bits, stamped onto white cardstock, which was then die cut.  I then re-stamped the holly design and cut it out (I’m a glutton for punishment) and adhered the holly over the original stamp using 3D dimensional dots.  Makes the really simple design really pop.

I’m only making 10-15 of each design, so I’m using old designs, designs I’ve doodled, CASEing and panicking LOL

Papertrey Playhouse Challenge #5

I really struggled with the challenge over on Papertrey Playhouse, not sure why as I’m usually really good at CASing. 

The card we had to CASE is an original created by Niki Estes, her original is really beautiful.  Mine is … well I think it looks like a seed packet stuck on a card – not sure about this one at all

I used my favourite of the YOF series, the violets, you’d think I’d be sick of the sight of the them by now, I swear they’re on every other card I’ve made the last month or so.

Birthday Case

 

I had to make a birthday card for a friend this week, something pretty but elegant, my mind was a complete blank (as usual) – but inspiration was right in front of me in the form of one of Lindsey’s Convention swap cards.  I have to be honest I loved her little card right from the word go, and probably just needed an excuse to use it – this is it, I haven’t changed much, just gone large

And with Linz’s original

p.s. Thanks Linz xxx

Christmas Jingle Curly Paper Wreath.

Had a productive evening, I made a paper wreath – isn’t it brilliant! I actually made it as a gift for a friend, I now have an order for another three without leaving home, My husband, Mick saw the finished product and thinks we need three for the front room as part of our Xmas Decs.

My Pictures really don't do it any justice, the colours are much, much more vibrant!

It was really, really easy to make - and only uses six sheets of designer paper – the hardest part for me was finding the polystyrene ring!

Lots of swaps

Not a huge amount to show you I’m afraid, the one swap I could have taken photos of I was in too much of a hurry to get it in the post and completely forgot to take photos

Eighteen of us have got together and have each chosen a card/project to case from the Stampin Up catalogue, which meant we each had to make eighteen cards ... I REALLY wish I’d chosen an simpler card. Many, many hours were spent bleaching, punching and distressing – can you guess which card I cased ...

As soon as my card comes back with the other seventeen I promise I will take a photo and post it.

In the meantime, what else have I been up to ... loads of Christmas cards, more swaps that I can’t share at the moment, which include, more than a few secret santa’s that I’ve made some handmade gifts for, and last but not least another swap – A Huge 12 days of Christmas Swap, I went upstairs to wrap this one yesterday, 4 HOURS LATER ...

I feel safe posting that little pile up on here as I’m pretty sure the recipient doesn't look on here. I had so much fun wrapping that lot, strange how I hate wrapping presents normally.

Chocolate Gift Boxes

 

I’m off to Valentines Christmas Mega-Workshop this morning, I’m really looking forward to catching up with her and some of the ladies I used to meet up with every month.

I made these gorgeous chocolate boxes as small thank you gifts, one for Clare who will be demonstrating and one for Gaynor who will be hosting the event in her home. 

I cut & scored my template using Kraft cardstock, I then cut out an aperture using a large oval spellbinders nestability and my Bigshot.

Next I stamped the entire cardstock using Polka Dot Basics II with Versamark ink.  The last touch was to add some pretty ribbon, (For my hostess I used, Enchanted Evening extra fine polka dot satin) and a label. 

For the label I used Stampin Up label punches Large and Small, I stamped the small (kraft) label with Polka dot basics II with versamark ink, then again with turning a new leaf in enchanted evening ink (stamped off once) and finally with Mega Mixed Messaged using Versafine Onyx Black, I then attached the small label to large (enchanted evening) label and pierced a hole in the top.

I also made a small 3” x 3” card to go with each of the gifts, they were made pretty much the same way as the labels just slightly bigger and with some added bling.

Thanks for looking

PTI CASE Challenge

 

The challenge over on A Passion for Papertrey is a nice and easy one this time round, its a CASE challenge – We’ve been asked to take inspiration from one of the PTI Design Team ladies by CASEing one of their cards.  My first challenge, which designer to choose ...

I settled on Maile Belles and created this as a quick and simple card that can go through the post with no problems.

Stamps: YOF: Violet, Backround Basics: Christmas, Sentiment from Holiday Button Bits
Cardstock: Very Vanilla
Mediums- Chocolate chip marker and stamp pad, Copics
Tools – Ruler, paper cutter and scorer

For those of you with eagle eyes, yes I know I made a booboo with the background stamp – I blame the bad lighting in my craft room, it’s okay I only stamped 20 cards

And Maile’s card I CASEd

Isn’t it just gorgeous!

Autumnal Mojo

I managed an hour or so in the craft room this afternoon – I knew I wouldn’t get all the challenges completed I wanted to, so I combined two; Mojo Monday’s sketch and A Passion for Papertrey’s colour challenge:

Stamps: Turning a new Leaf,  Celebrate Today sentiment from Mixed Messages, Birthday wishes sentiment from Tea for Two additions
Cardstock: Terracotta Tile, Simply Chartreuse, Fine Linen
DSP: Green Tea Leaves
Mediums- Old Olive, Really Rust, Copics
Tools – Large Scalloped border die, Scallop trim border punch, snail adhesive, diamantes from stash, Nestabilities eight, paper cutter and scorer.

I failed with Mojo Monday’s sketch as I couldn’t use all the elements, once I started piecing the card together I just couldn’t bring myself to add the bow and buttons I had ready – The card just didn’t look right}.  But I think I got the colours right for Kate & Aime’s Autumnal challenge.  Those hand coloured diamantes really finish the project.

Birthday Flowers

I spent an hour or so using one of my favourite PTI stamps yesterday, along with my favourite colour combo – I love raspberry fizz and scarlet jewel together – I made a card for a friend who loves flowers, hope she likes these ...

Stamps: YOF: Delightful Dahlia
Cardstock: Basic White, Raspberry Fizz, Scarlet Jewel
Mediums- Versamark, Black momento tuxedo, Scarlet Jewel, Copics
Tools – Delightful dahlia die collection, Scallop trim border punch, snail adhesive, dimensionals, paper cutter and scorer.

And a closer pic to show the flowers - I used the Delightful Dahlia stamp set’s coordinating dies.  I can’t tell you just how FANTASTIC it is not to have to hand cut the flower and leaves.

Bookmark Thank You.

I’m Baaack – Sorry I’ve been AWOL for so long –   No real reasons other than ill husband, major upheaval with decorating and re-carpeting a large portion of the house (there was a period I couldn’t even get into my craft room!)

I hope I can make it up to my readers with some interesting posts over the next few weeks - I have managed a few projects :O)

To start with a Thank You for my Stampers-10 group (I cheated and used a few PTI products)

Stamps: Punch Potpourri (L1 hostess), Fresh Cuts, Sentiment from Flight of the Butterfly/ All booked up (PTI)
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo, Very Vanilla (SU)
Mediums- VersaMark, Melon Mambo, Soft Suede, Regal Rose
Embellishments: Melon Mambo 1/4” grosgrain ribbon - retired (SU), Diamantes (stash)
Tools – Stamp-a-ma-jig,2-way glue pen, mini glue dots, sticky strip, 1-3/4 Circle punch, Butterfly punch (SU) Bookmark, Mat stack 3 dies and Book print impression plate (PTI)

Back in a day or two with another project …

PTI Card Candy

Following on from yesterday’s post as promised here’s all the card candy I received from all the members of the PTI Shoebox Swap

First of all Karin's, this candy is sooo sweet, I’ve been tempted to buy this stamp set these just might tip the scales ...

Next is Linda’s, we both used the same colour combination! Great minds think alike LOL. Linda’s Big shot must have been steaming by the time she was finished!

Look at this gorgeousness from Linz, again another gorgeous colour combination

Not sure how Rachel created these? as I believed she didn’t own any PTI but I think she will be converted LOL

Sharon used felt! and OMG these are just GORGEOUS but now I HAVE to have felt!!!

Our host, Val created these gems

Last one for today, Look at all the flowers Vannessa made:

I’m out this crafting evening, and hope to get a chance to complete a few of the swaps, my dilemma ... which one first

PTI Shoebox Swap

I can’t believe how long its been since I last posted, has anyone missed me?

No real excuses except to say I went away on holiday and then I’ve been struggling to find the time to craft, or at least anything I could post …

But today I can show you some items I created over the last weeks for a PTI Shoebox swap, Val over on ILWS organised for today, unfortunately I couldn’t join the ladies up in Rugby but Val graciously let me join virtually (she’s a sweetheart).

This is my swap item

I sent off all the ‘ingredients’ for each of the ladies to make up one of these little notebooks and a matching pen

We also each made up a sheet of card candy, this is what I sent to Val, to hand out this morning:

This was my first attempt at card candy so I hope that it went down okay?  I tried to keep the colours the same as those used in my project.   

Val sent me my Shoebox swaps - which arrived on Friday, and I was sooo good, I didn’t open it until this morning – and what a surprise, Val had sent a lovely gift bag of PTI goodies along with eight shoebox swaps and card candy from each of the ladies taking part.

Just  look at the gift bag of gorgeousness

and all the pretties inside:

These little paint cans are just too cute, they are definitely on my next order, ideal for filling with buttons as gift (which is just what Val did)

 

And look at this gorgeous notebook, as most of my blog readers will know – I love making these notebooks – but do you know what – I don’t actually have one in my bag!!  I will now

And a beautiful bookmark, another passion of mine is reading, I never manage to keep a bookmark – but I promise not to lose this piece of art!  Isn’t it just fabulous and made so easy with PTI dies, one of which Val included in the gift bag!!! Spoiled or what …

I think that's enough for now, will post the card candy I received tomorrow

Thanks for visiting

xxx