Angels

A big welcome and thank you to all my new followers this week, I hope you pop in often and like what you see.

 Hubby has kindly shared his cold so I woke feeling awful yesterday then Lora arrived home from school early suffering from the same thing. My brain just felt totally addled all say. The kitchen is progressing in the right direction now though and hopefully by the end of next week we'll be shipshape.

My mojo has been hiding again and I've been struggling to get ahead with my DT work but I did manage this Christmas card for the neighbours.

I won this image recently from Mami Doodles, it's coloured with promarkers and highlighted with a gold gel pen and a Sakura glaze pen. I've die cut with an oval nestie and matted onto a gold mirri scalloped oval then used scattered straw DI around the image. Background is gold mirri card edges with a Martha Stewart PATP snowflake punch matted up with white card and gold foiled vellum. Large gold snowflake is a tree ornament, gold die cut poinsettias and sentiment are from a Crafty Bitz kit I've had for years. Computer generated sentiment has been die cut with a Spellbinders ironworks shapeability. Flourishes are from Marianne Designs. Ribbons and poinsettias are from my stash. Corner snowflakes are punch waste and I've added a gold pearl to each of them.

Challenges entered:

Heart Song Inspirations - gold or glitter

Incy Wincy Designs - tic tac toe (red, Chrismas sentiment, ribbon)

Stamps R Us - bling it on

Digital Tuesday - Christmas time

Truly Scrumptious - Christmas plus pearls

Bah! Humbug! - baby's first Christmas

Sew Many Cards - vellum

Craft Your Days Away - embellishment bingo (pearls, flowers, ribbon)

Bunny Zoes - Christmas with pearls

Creatalicious Challenges - sparkly Christmas

Desert Island Crafters - choose at least 3 (wings, ribbon, trees - on vellum)

Marianne Design - sparkle and shine

ABC DT - Christmas Card

Delightful Challenges - Bingo (patterned paper, punches/dies, flowers)

CCEE - use 2 die cuts or punches

C.R.A.F.T. - stars in your eyes

Shelly's Images - anything goes

Mami Doodles - Christmas

Carol x

Trick or Treat

Well after all the LIM cards this week I thought I'd bring you something completely different. I don't really 

"do" Halloween as a rule but there are some gorgeous digi images out there and I won this cute Pumpkin Witch from Delicious Doodles. I decided to make a decoration for the house as DD is going to have a Halloween party with a few of her friends - hopefully the kitchen will have been pulled apart and put back together by then.

The main image has been digitally layered onto a free backing sheet from Jak Heath and printed onto pearlised paper and coloured with promarkers then highlighted with a gelly roll pen and mounted onto a scalloped nestie rectangle. The backing papers front and back are freebies from Bearly Mine (I've used a Martha Stewart punch on the striped one). I've used Grand Nestie scalloped circles to cut the black base and purple and copper mirri card layers. The front is finished with some flowers which I've distressed with TH black soot, lots of lovely purple fibres, a button and the letters for "treat" are "Halloween Felt Alpha" from Raspberry Road.

The back has been decorated with black ribbon, a button, some glittery monsters (from Hobbycraft) and the letters for "trick" as before. I won the pumpkin digi too from Prairie Fairy and it has been coloured in promarkers. The bat is a freebie from Dude Time Doodles and he's been coloured with promarkers and I've added a felt top hat from my stash.  I've used gorgeous orange ribbon to hang it with.

I still need a spider to finish this off - should have kept the bl**dy big one running across my kitchen floor yesterday lol.

This is my first attempt at making something purely decorative and I've rather enjoyed making it - I may get some more made before the party (I've got a whole month to do it!!) but just in case we bought some bits at M&S yesterday (hangs head in shame lol).

Thanks for your visit today and I hope you like what you see.

Challenges entered:

Cupcake - black and purple

Ribbon Carousel - add fabric (felt top hat)

Delightful Challenges - Happy Fall Y'all

The Paper Variety - home (home decor item)

Pixie Dust Studio - circles

Incy Wincy - distressing

Happileigh Scrappin - T Time (trick or treat)

Paper Sundaes - felt (top hat)

Delicious Doodles - cute as a button

Paper Pretties - use buttons

Lollipop Crafts - anything but a card

OLLC - punches and dies

Heart Song Inspirations - orange or buttons

Bearly Mine - buttons

Creative Craft Challenges - buttons and bling

Creative Stamp Friends - anything but a card

Corrosive Challenge Blog - punches and/or dies

Carol x

Girly Christmas

Using one of Inger Harding's fabulous free digital images coloured with promarkers and a digital backing paper from Stitchy Bears "baby it's cold outside" collection matted and layered onto red and green card stock. I've used stickles for the hat bobble and highlighted the icicles with a sakura glaze pen to give some glitter and sparkle to the scene. Card is finished with a peel off sentiment and a tartan bow.

Challenges entered:

Jingle Belles - Happy Hybrid Holidays

Winter Wonderland - girly Christmas

Christmas Stampin - photo inspired

OSAAT - anything goes

Phindy's Place - Christmas

CHNC - glitter

Ellephantastic - here come the girls

Carol x

Lemon and Lime

It's those pesky penguins again - heeding Chrissie's invaluable advice I've cleaned up the background and I have to agree she was right.

Stamp from Penny Black coloured with promarkers and highlighted with a gelly roll pen. Embossed background is a cuttlebug snowflake folder, mounted onto lemon and lime card from my bit box. Finished with a peel off sentiment.

Challenges entered:

Less is More - sketch

Allsorts - lemon and lime

Saturday Challenge - embossing
Creative Craft World - Christmas in June
CHNC - anything goes

Carol x

Two of a kind

I was going to say Good Morning but looking at the clock I can see it's well into the afternoon lol.

Lady and Diva Lim have given us a sketch to work with this week and as I had this Penny Black stamp sitting on my desk ready to use I thought it was ideal to cut up to follow the sketch.

The topper really doesn't look straight in the photo but I went back and measured just to check it was irl - and it is! Penguins are coloured with promarkers and a gel pen and highlighted with a gelly roll pen. Backing paper is from a DCWV adhesive stack, matted on gold textured mirri card. Card is finished with a ribbon saved from a cracker and a peel off sentiment.

Challenges entered:

Less is More - sketch

Christmas Stampin all Year Round - photo inspired

Bah! Humbug! - penguins

Christmas Cards all Year Round - anything goes

Fabs Big Christmas - sentiment

Now where does the Two of a Kind come in I hear you ask - well I did it all again in pink!

Challenges entered:

Winter Wonderland - pink
CCEE Stampers - pink

Carol x

Whateva

Using a frame image from Crafty Ann and a freebie digi (sorry don't know where from). Images have been coloured with promarkers and a sakura gel pen. Sentiment printed direct to card in Santa's Sleigh font.

Challenges entered:

Bah! Humbug! - whateva (card for a teenager)

ABC Christmas - L is for Love

Christmas Cards all Year Round - anything goes

Fab's Big Christmas - sentiment

Less is More - OLC framed

Carol x

Christmas Challenges (with sketches) #2

Goodness has a fortnight gone already - it must be time for another challenge and sketch at Christmas Challenges (with sketches) then. This week we're sponsored by Judikins and the prize is some stamps which Judi herself used at an art event which Marion attended. The sketch has been drawn by Marion so pop over to CCWS to see it. Here is my card:

Papers are from a DCWV stack.

Image (Snowman Iceskatin) is from Just Inklined and is coloured with sakura pens.

Embossing folder - cuttlebug snowflakes.

Sentiment from Crafty Ann

Card is finished with punched snowflakes and ribbon and gems from my stash.

Do pop over to CCWS to see what delights the other DT members have in store for you. I hope you enjoy using the sketch this time and remember what a great prize we have for the lucky winner.

Challenges entered:

Bah! Humbug! - surprise
CHNC - winter blues
Christmas Cards all Year Round - anything goes
Fabs Big Christmas - sentiment
Sparkles Forum - snowmen

Carol x

PS Click here to see my blogcandy.

Crafty Ann's Challenge #42 Use more than one image

I can't believe how fast the weeks are going by! This time at CACB the challenge is to use more than one image, we do hope you can join in.

Using images and backing papers from Crafty Ann's I've choosen to make two Christmas cards (you can't start too early in my book lol ). I've designed the layouts in Publisher and used two different papers from the Tartan Collections on each card. The square Frame with Holly and the Crackers Collection Sheet are used on the first card and I've added a sentiment. The second card uses the Christmas tree and Snowman. The images have been coloured with promarkers. This has been matted onto textured mirri card. I've highlighted the holly with a Sakura Gelly Glaze pen.

Please pop over and visit the other Design Team members to see what they have created. Thanks for stopping by today.

Challenges entered:
Christmas Cards all Year Around - anything goes
Sparkles Forum - snowmen

Carol x

Up, Up and Away

Using a digi image (sorry don't know where from) coloured with watercolour pencils and highlighted with a gelly roll pen.

Challenges entered:

LIM - pick a square

St Lukes Charity - come fly with me

Carol x

Pick a square 4

Found this digi image from Far Far Hill when browsing through my folders and thought it would be ideal for this corner square. Most of the image was pre-coloured but I've coloured the holly, candle and the bells with sakura pens.

Challenges entered:

LIM - pick a square

DYSU - animals

Bah! Humbug! - bells

Carol x



Blue and White

Backing papers from Bearly Mine. Tilda and snowman coloured in promarkers and highlighted with a sakura pen. Labels one used to cut image. Sentiment from LOTV. Card is finished with a bow, a bell and some snowflakes and gems.

Challenges entered:

Kaboodle Doodles - distress, rip. tear, crumple (paper edges all distressed)

Magnolia Mania - favourite colours

Creative Inspiration - Christmas in May

Shelleys Image Blog - something hanging

Bah! Humbug! - bells

Jingle Belles - 3 papers

Winter Wonderland - blue and white

Just Magnolia - friends

St Lukes Charity - lots of pattern

Fussy and Fancy - 3 papers, 2 embellishments and 1 ribbon
CHNC - use ribbon

Carol x

Lady in Red

Image is from Inger Harding and has been coloured with a mixture of promarkers and sakura pens then distressed with Tim Holz ink, cut with a nestie and mounted onto a scalloped nestie. Backing paper is from a free download called Around the World and I've added some extra distressing to it.

Challenges I'm entering:

Jingle Belles - spirit of Christmas past

Stamp Something - digi day

Rainbow Lady - Lady in red

I love Promarkers - Song Title

Thanks for calling today, if you leave a comment I can visit you too.

Carol x



Birthday Wishes

My school friends and I are all the big 50 this year so I needed a special card for next month. I used a new LOTV stamp and this gorgeous Prima Fairy Flora backing paper. I've used a lovely rainbow effect thread to stitch around the backing paper. The image is coloured with promarkers and highlighted with a gelly roll pen. Card is finished with some lace, ribbon, pearls and a button.

Challenges I'm entering:

Sketch and Stamp - birthday (used sketch)

Simon says Stamp - anything goes

Creative Inspirations - pink, yellow and green

Shelleys Image Blog - buttons, brads or bows - use at least 2 (used a bow and a button)

Stamptacular Sunday - pile it on

Carol x

Butterflies

Spent a lovely afternoon relaxing in the sunshine in the garden with my pile of craft magazines - it felt so good after years of owning and running holiday parks to be at home on a Bank Holiday - retirement = bliss.

Made a couple of quickie cards from my bit box this evening, the first for the CD Sunday challenge of butterflies.

Both the image and the backing paper came from Joanna Sheens Jayne Netley Mayhew CD. I have layered up the butterflies to give them some dimension and highlighted the wings with a Sakura stardust gelly roll pen. Card is finished with a knotted ribbon and some pearls.

Carol x

One for the bit box!!!

You decide lol!!!

This started as a "great idea" but I didn't think it worked so pulled it apart and changed the topper but I still don't like it - let me know what you think (honestly lol).

This is the original card which showed Custard eating the flowers from the lovely garden (Joanna Sheens Cottage Garden CD)

This is the second version:

I've used a PATP matt again for this card and the backing papers are from Papercraft 4 You. The bottom matting paper had the black border so I matted the other papers onto some black stardream from my bit box. Both stamps are from Sugar Nellie and have been coloured with promarkers. The card is finsihed with some buttons, a pearly bow tie, ribbon and I've highlighted the dotty paper with a Sakura gelly roll pen to add sparkle.

The challenges this card was made for are:

The Sugar Bowl - Sketch and buttons

Stamp Something - Recipe of flowers, buttons and sparkle

Creative Inspirations - Pets/Animals

Cute Card Thursday - no text

Remember ladies I want you to be brutally honest with me!!

Carol x

Mistletoe

Is the theme at Winter Wonderland this week. This is my card:

I love this Snow Couple stamp from Joanna Sheen, I've stamped direct to card with Versamark and embossed with silver then added a little colour with Sakura pens. Card is finished with a silver ribbon.

I'm also entering this in CCC - Anything Goes

Carol x

LIM acetate

Using an image from Joanna Sheens Dancing with Shadows CD, I've added a little colour using Sakura pens, card is finished with a ribbon.

I'm entering this in the Less Is More - Acetate

Carol x



Jingle Bellsh Jingle Bellsh hic!

The perfect Christmas card for my eldest son lol I've had a bit of CD evening tonight this is my first exhibit and Rowdy Rat is making a right exhibit of himself!!

Using Joanna Sheens Messy Rabbit Christmas CD for the image and the backing papers. Card is finished with a sentiment and some Sakura gelly roll pen highlights.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

The CD Sunday - A Song in my Heart

CHNC - A Christmas Song /Carol

Carol x



A Christmas Scene

To include at least two stamps (including a Tilda) was the challenge at Die Cut Dreams this week. I followed the sketch from Just Magnolia.

I rotated the sketch (except the embellishments which I left top right). I have used Tilda and her snowman along with this cute little mouse and sentiment from Joanna Sheen. (Little mouse is pleading for a hug too lol). Images are coloured in with promarkers and sakura pens and highlighted with gelly glaze. Backing papers are all from my stash. Card is finished with a snowflake, some Crafty Bitz stars and some pearls which I have coloured with promarkers to match the images.

Carol x

The Ghost of Christmas Present

is the title of this weeks challenge over at Jingle Belles - a recipe was included:

1 - as white as a ghost

2 - a present

3 - a bow or knot

4 - a touch of traditional Christmas colours

I hope this fits the bill. Stamp probably came from QVC in a set and is coloured with Promarkers and Sakura pens, the die cuts are all from Crafty Bitz.

I'm also entering this in the following challenges:

Bah! Humbug! - Candy Canes

CHNC -Going around in Circles

Christmas Card Challenges - Bows