Wednesday, the last day in September

Morning readers, 

I can hardly believe that today is the LAST day in September and that tomorrow it will be October .... don't know about you but I'm feeling that this year is just zipping by. I'm still rather far behind with my Christmas cards ... due to my mojo taking a couple of months off, I'm now finding myself playing catch up so I was delighted to have had my eye "caught" by a stunning make, on social media - do read on.

I've a make to share with you today ... I recently saw a card I admired, by Julie Maddock and (with her permission) I've CASE'd it. Her original is further down my post. I'd like to think Julie would approve of my interpretation.

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6 card and envelope
• Card in white and navy, for my card front, insert and matting layer
• Using Heffy Doodle low tack tape I marked off my panel
• Using a makeup brush and Distress Inks in Salty ocean and Faded jeans I applied colour between my taped off area
• Tim Holtz foliage image (from THMM155) and Aall & Create sentiment (from set #607) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Using diluted Twinkling H2O's "icicle" I splattered the panel (for snow) before adding stardust stickles to the "bough", also as "settled" snow and to add texture and sparkle

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Merry Little Christmas - challenge No. 70 - ANYTHING CHRISTMAS GOES
2. Holly and Ivy - challenge No. 212 - ANYTHING CHRISTMAS GOES
3. Peace on Earth - challenge No. 120 - ANYTHING CHRISTMAS GOES + (optional) MOOD BOARD
4. Dream Valley - challenge No. 370 - ADD A SENTIMENT
5. Pammie's Inky Pinkies - challenge No. 2639 - ANYTHING GOES

And Julie Maddock's original? See below

I went down a rabbit hole on Monday, I thought it seemed like a good idea to have a good old tidy up of my Christmas stamp drawers, not even all of my drawers!. Basically, SOMETHING was catching at the back of one of the drawers so it seemed it was past time to do something about it. How long could it take? Hmmmm 3½ hours later and I was about half done! I usually write on the packaging which drawer the set belongs in so I was having to rewrite labels for each set. I thought I would actually sort all of my Christmas stamps and then keep all of the Christmas sets from one manufacturer together - great idea ... right? So, right now, after at least another hour on Tuesday, I still have a dining table covered with stamps and I have three half full drawers which, admittedly, do look lovely and tidy but, I can't use the dining table and I don't have access to all of my Christmas stamps so I can't really make Christmas cards, I'm stymied and trying to remember why I thought it was such a great idea in the first place!! I DID, however, find out what was catching ... an errant piece of black card though I'd no idea how it even found its way to the fifth drawer from the top! If I ever mention having a good old tidy up of my drawers, please remind me of this exercise!

Monday, hard to believe it's almost the end of September

Morning readers,

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend and that no weather related issues spoiled any plans.

As for me, I'm STILL so far behind my Christmas card quota for 2026, so it's time to batch make! Today's is a batch of just two "same but different" makes - I decided not to make them absolutely identical! Actually, in the spirit of full disclosure, I dropped my stamp and (OF COURSE) it landed ink side down .... the obvious fix was to stamp it again and mat and layer it, to cover up the mistake. I'm sure you've all had to think of a quick fix!

I've a make to share with you today ... I was given this fab set of Paper Artsy Christmas stamps for my birthday earlier in the year, and decided it was high time they got an outing!

Materials used:

• Two of 250gsm, C6 card and envelopes
• Card in white and red, for my two card fronts, inserts and matting layers
• Snippets of card in both white and red, for the sentiment panel on one
• Paper Artsy "bauble" image (from JOFY130 - May 2026 and NBUS) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Paper Artsy sentiment (from JOFY01 - also May 2026) stamped using Versafine Clair strawberry ink
• Alcohol markers used to colour my image - a mix of Pro Markers, Marvy le Plume II and Copics
• Stardust stickles to add interest, texture and festive sparkle!

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. NBUS - challenge No. 90 - USE NBUS
2. Dream Valley Challenges - challenge No. 370 - ADD A SENTIMENT
3. Holly and Ivy - challenge No. 212 - ANYTHING CHRISTMAS GOES
4. As You See It - challenge No. 382 - CHRISTMAS IS A COMING, AND THIS WILL BE THE 31st & 32nd CARDS I'VE MADE
5. CRAFT - challenge No. 789 - CHRISTMAS

Saturday! Woo Hoo! It's the weekend!

Morning readers,

I've a make to share with you today ... an Artist Trading Card - this time I'm deploying more neglected stash, this time my Twinkling H2O's ... which I bought in St. Mary's in Georgia, U.S.A., at a splendid store which (if my memory serves me well) was called something like Old Town Crafts and was on Weed Street ... the rest rooms were Egyptian themed and the place had an aura that was pure glitter and there was a bubble making machine outside - what a place?!?!?!?! Anyone else remember this store?

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in black, lime green, black and white
• Using a large brush I applied twinkling H2O in sunburst all over my white snippet - gives a lovely sheen
• Using an unbranded floral die I cut my silhouette using black card
• MFT sentiment (from CS.74) stamped on to white snippet which I then cut out before attaching to my ATC

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Pammie's Inky Pinkies - challenge No. 2638 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Love to Craft - challenge No. 94 - ANYTHING GOES
3. The Little Things - challenge No. 8 - SUNFLOWER and/or SQUIRREL or ANYTHING GOES
4. A Cut Above - September challenge - ANYTHING GOES - with a die cut
5. Ellibelle's Garden Party - challenge No. 19 - ANYTHING IN OR FROM THE GARDEN

Friday - and it's RUDOLPH DAY too!

Morning readers,

It's been quite a while since I've got two makes in one post but ... here goes.

My first make today ... I was invited to be a Guest Design Team Member over at Kleuren met Potloden and here is my make .... using a My Besties Digistamp image.

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6 card and envelope
• Card in white and hot pink, for my image, insert and card front
• Snippet of white card, for my sentiment
• Unbranded nesting dies in plain and scalloped circles
• My Besties digistamp "Fall Besties of the pine" printed on white card
• Coloured using Faber Castell Polychromos pencils
• Sizzix Alterations embossing folder used to emboss my hot pink card
• MFT sentiment stamped on to a white snippet using Versafine Clair nocturne ink, fussy cut out and adhered to my card fron

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Seize the Birthday - challenge No. 335 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) FALL COLOURS
2. Dream Valley Challenges - challenge No. 370 - ADD A SENTIMENT
3. Everybody Art - challenge No. 606 - PINK
4. Pammie's Inky Pinkies - challenge No. 2638 - ANYTHING GOES

And, since today IS also known as Rudolph Day then I have a second make,  a Clean And Simple Christmas card

Materials used:

• White, 250gsm, C6 card and envelope
• Card in white and red, for my card front, insert and matting layer
• Snippet of white card, for my sentiment
• Paper Artsy snowman image (from ZA19) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• Stamplorations sentiment (from "Oh Christmas tree") stamped using Versafine Clair strawberry ink
• Faber Castell polychromos pencils used to add colour and stardust stickles to add sparkle and texture

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Rudolph Day - September challenge - ANYTHING CHRISTMAS GOES
2. Kleuren met Potloden - September challenge - ANYTHING GOES (with coloured pencils)
3. 52 weeks to Christmas - challenge No. 39 - CAS (Clean And Simple) CHRISTMAS
4. Peace on Earth - challenge No. 120 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) MOOD BOARD
5. Inspire, Create - challenge No. 225 - CAS (Clean And Simple)

Wednesday? Again?

Morning readers,

I've a make to share with you today ... an Artist Trading Card AND an excuse to break out my pan pastels which don't see the light of day too often these days! I saw the technique deployed in a youtube video but haven't been able to find it again, sorry! Oh, and I'm sorry my circle of pan pastels wasn't as bright (or quite as circular) as the original video - but it was my first attempt AND I discovered I don't own a white pan pastel so this was light grey!

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippet of card in black, cut to ATC size and a smaller white snippet for my sentiment
• Using a light shade of pan pastel (I WOULD have used white but don't own white!) and a tear drop sponge, I worked a loose "circle" of pastel on my black card panel
• Aall & Create image (from set #628) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink
• MFT sentiment (from CS.74) stamped on to a white snippet using Versafine Clair nocturne ink which I then cut out before attaching to my ATC

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. We Love 2 Create - challenge No. 8 - ANYTHING MIXED MEDIA GOES
2. Dragonfly Dreams - September challenge - MONOCHROMATIC
3. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - challenge No. 286 - ANYTHING GOES
4. TagalongandATC's - September challenge - CIRCLES and/or ANYTHING GOES
5. The Little Things - challenge No. 08 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) SUNFLOWER and/or SQUIRREL

Monday - here comes another week!

Morning readers,

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend and that the unsettled weather didn't spoil any plans you may have had.

I've a make to share with you today ... another Artist Trading card. This one was for a Christmas theme and I decided to use this particular wood mounted image because it spends most of its time sitting (neglected) in the drawer! Nice for it to see the light of day! 

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in white and black
• All Night Media image ("squeezin's greetings" - 290F - VERY elderly ... All Night Media haven't been around since the early noughties!) stamped using Memento tuxedo black ink
• Faber Castell Polychromos pencils used to colour the image
• Clearly Besotted "clouds" stencil and a makeup brush with some leftover blue ink on, to form some clouds for the background
• Stardust stickles to add some sparkle to the snow and hat fur

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Neglected stash - September challenge - ANYTHING GOES - using neglected stash
2. Kleuren met Potloden - September challenge - ANYTHING GOES
3. Stencil Fun - September challenge - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) YELLOW
4. Love to Craft - challenge No. 94 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Creative Knockouts - challenge No. 579 - ANYTHING GOES

Super Saturday - it's the weekend!

Morning readers,

I've a make to share with you today ... an Artist Trading Card and a chance to use a few more of those pesky snippets, you know, the ones that seem to breed once you turn the lights off!

Materials used:

• ATC blank
• Snippets of card in khaki, black and white (5 snippets this time around)
• Using a MISTI I stamped the Aall & Create (set 433) image using Brilliance pearlescent olive and cut to size before matting on black
• Unbranded (Amazon) dies use to cut a floral silhouette
• MFT sentiment (from CS.74) stamped using Versafine Clair nocturne ink and cut out, with scissors, leaving a narrow white border

I'll be entering the above make for the following challenges:-

1. Paper-Rocks Scissors - challenge No. 20 - ANYTHING GOES (using paper and scissors)
2. GirlzRebel - challenge No. 56 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) USE A CHARM
3. The Little Things - challenge No. 08 - ANYTHING GOES + (optional) SQUIRREL
4. Beautiful Blossoms - challenge No. 45 - ANYTHING FLORAL
5. Creative Crafters - challenge No. 104 - ANYTHING GOES