Saturday chatter day and CHALLENGE day!!!

Morning,

Welcome to the last day of November - who's SUDDENLY realised that Christmas is in just 26 days and discovered they don't have enough cards/gift wrap/tags/all of them???? All I can say is OOPS! but lucky you discovered it now, whilst you still have time to do something .... guess you won't be reading the rest of my blog post because you will be too busy making cards/writing cards/making tags or - heading to the shops!!! GOOD LUCK!

 

Hands up who doesn't have loads of snippets? Why does ANYONE have their hands up - own up, we ALL have a little box of snippets or, in my case, quite a big box of snippets. Off cuts that seem too nice or too useful to throw away (sorry, recycle!) - well here's mine. Actually, if I'm honest, this is NOT the box of snippets ..... it's the manageable box of snippets that fits on to my desk - you should just SEE the real box of snippets!

 

My snippet box and, yes, it's no coincidence that there are Christmas papers to the fore!!

 

Well, Di over at Pixies Crafty Workshop sets a regular challenge, there isn't usually a theme you just HAVE to use snippets so, here's what I made for her current challenge .... which, INCIDENTALLY, is her 100th challenge - Yay! Di!
 

 

 

 

Materials used:

• C6 Kraft card blank and matching sized Kraft envelope
• Snippets of patterned and plain cards from DCWV and magazine freebies
• Sparkle 'n Sprinkle Santa image stamped on to an off cut of white card using Memento tuxedo black
• Alcohol markers to colour
• Stardust stickles to highlight
• Hero Arts sentiment stamped directly on to the Kraft card blank using Versafine onyx black ink

 

I'm pleased to be able to say that no new sheets of card or paper were harmed in the making of this card!!! The eagle eyed amongst you may have spotted that I have used the sketch from a challenge I entered yesterday and all credit for this fab sketch belongs to CAS colours and sketches - it's a lovely sketch. As is my usual habit these days, the image and sentiment were used on the insert and on the front and back of the envelope too - lots more crafting for me!!

I've made one card which fits two challenges ..... 52CCT have a new challenge - to pick from a previous challenge and my card fits their previous challenge #4 - SNOWFLAKES (if you look, the snowman is covered with little snowflakes - I'll be entering just as soon as the MrLinky link appears!. And this week's CAS challenge over at Simply Less Is More is SPARKLE so .....

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 300 gsm, scallop edged card and matching sized envelope
• Inkadinkado snowman image stamped on to white card using Versafine onyx black
• My image panel was then die cut in to a plain circle before matting on to a navy scallop edged circle
• Mini gemstones and Stardust stickles applied to give "sparkle"
• Hero Arts sentiment stamped directly on to the base card using Memento Paris Dusk

Can't see the sparkle or the snowflakes? Hopefully, this close up will solve that problem!!

 

I CANNOT believe that I was so far behind with Christmas cards at the beginning of November - do you know that, since November 1st, I have made THIRTY FIVE Christmas cards!! If that doesn't now put me ahead of the game then I'm the Easter Bunny!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Saturday, today is normally a challenge day for me so I MAY be back with a second post and further challenge entries - for a list of those challenges I normally like to enter (and links), check out the side bar on this blog.

Good morning and welcome to the Friday Funny post

Hi folks,

 

Another weekend looms large on the horizon and it's the last in November too, Can't believe it will be December on SUNDAY ..... how many sleeps till Christmas?

 

This week, we managed to get the decorations down from the loft with the intention of putting up the outside lights on a fine mild day ...... which was fine, until Tuesday and my aunt and uncle's phone call setting up a visit for Wednesday - we decided that all the decorations boxes just made the place look untidy - there was nothing for it but to tidy up ...... by putting the tree up so it also looked nice and festive for their visit too!

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I got in to a bit of a speed wobble and decided to put up a tree in the dining room too! The outside lights went up yesterday - although they are not actually plugged in .............. YET! I think the grand switch on will probably be on Sunday!!! And, as if that wasn't bad enough, my hubby has the CUTEST tree (a gift, MANY years ago from friends Mat and Di - thanks guys) in his office - all it needed this year was a new set of lights and ....

 

 

And guess what? On a crafting front - here's yet ANOTHER Christmas card?!?!?! I'll be entering this for the new challenge over at CAS Colours and Sketches - this week's challenge is a sketch (which is below my card)

 

 

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 300 gsm, scallop edged card and matching sized envelope
• DCWV "winter stack" papers
• Black card (for matting)
• White card (for image panel)
• Hero Arts sentiment stamped directly on to card blank using Versafine onyx black ink
• Inkadinkado snowman image stamped on to image panel card using Versafine onyx black ink
• Stardust stickles to highlight snow and snowflakes
• EK Success edging punch on the plaid DCWV panel
• Martha Stewart punch on the tan polka dot DCWV panel

 

And here is their sketch ...

Cool sketch - huh?

Yesterday I met up with Lilian, a crafting buddy, we only met for coffee but it's always nice to catch up with friends. It was the tenth wedding anniversary this week for her and her husband, the Lovely Ron - Happy Anniversary to you both.

And now for this week's Friday Funny which comes to you courtesy of, Marsha so you can all blame her!!! ENJOY!!!!

 

The Talking Centipede A guy decided life would be more fun  if he had a pet. So he went to the pet store  and told the owner  that he wanted to buy an unusual pet. After some discussion,  he finally bought a talking centipede,  (100-legged bug),  which came in a little white box  to use for his house. He took the box back home,  found a good spot for the box,  and decided he would start off  by taking his new pet  to church with him.   So he asked the centipede in the box, "Would you like to go  to church with me today?  We will have a good time." But there was no answer  from his new pet. This bothered him a bit,  but he waited a few minutes  and then asked again, "How about going  to church with me  and receive blessings?" But again,  there was no answer  from his new friend and pet.  So he waited  a few minutes more,  thinking about the situation. The guy decided  to invite the centipede  one last time.   This time  he put his face up against  the centipede's house and shouted,   "Hey, in there!  Would you like to go  to church with me?  This time,  a little voice  came out of the box, "I heard you the first time! I ' m putting my shoes on!"

 

Have a fab Friday and a great weekend

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Morning all,

 

To my American followers/readers - HAPPY THANKSGIVING and have a great Black Friday!

Just a quick post from me today, as I'm off out this morning - to meet up with crafting pal, Lilian. We meet up every so often - sometimes we shop and chat and sometimes we just meet for coffee and a chat - today is a coffee and chat day!

 Guess what? On a crafting front - here's yet ANOTHER Christmas card?!?!?!

 

 

 

Materials used:

• Cream textured DL card and matching sized envelope
• Red card and silver mirri card, for matting and layering
• White card for image panel
• Inkadinkado snowflake stamped on to white card panel using Marvy blue dye ink
• Stardust stickles to highlight the snowflake
• Matted and layered on to the red and silver card
• Hero Arts sentiment stamped on to white card using Versafine onyx black ink and then cut out

To everyone - have a great Thursday

Morning and welcome to What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday

Morning

 

Another chilly start to the day, still, I've rellies coming this morning for coffee and cake and, for once, I have cake in the house!!! Woo Hoo! We stopped by Costco yesterday and came home with one or two provisions!, including Stohllen - I LURVE Stohllen and am glad of an excuse to break the seal!

 

With regard to Christmas, batch making is definitely the way forward right now and my latest "batch" has been making tags ....

 

 

Materials used:

• Go Kreate fancy tag die and Rymans smooth white card - the above tags were cut from a single sheet of A4
• Hero Arts sentiment/image stamped using Adirondack bottle green ink
• Hero Arts sentiment stamped on to the other tags using Memento Paris dusk ink
• Tim Holtz (for Stampers Anonymous) blueprint mini snowflake stamped using Memento Mediterranean blue
• Stardust stickles used to highlight
• I shall be threading 3mm white satin ribbon (50c courtesy of Michaels craft superstore) through these tags

 

And now for my work desk .... messy, as always! One day ..... one day! I'm going to tidy it!

 

 

 

 

Have a great Wednesday

The LAST Rudolph Day of 2013!!

Morning,

 

Welcome to the last Rudolph Day of 2013 - well, TECHNICALLY there IS one more but, frankly, I'm guessing no-one's going to be making Christmas cards on the next one! Not unless they're working on Christmas 2014!!!

 

It was the turn of Catherine to set this months Rudolph Challenge over on Craftbubble 2½ (registration required) group Craft Mad and Loving It and she selected the theme of "FESTIVE ANIMALS - can't get much more festive than a reindeer!! Sarn is also running her last R.D. challenge of the year with a delicious prize too.
 

 

 

 

Materials used:

• Cream textured DL card and matching sized envelope
• DCWV Winter stack paper and Kraft card, for matting and layering
• White card for image panel
• Inkadinkado image stamped on to white card using Versafine vintage sepia
• Stardust stickles to highlight
• Hero Arts sentiment stamped directly on to the base card using Versafine onyx black ink

 

Happy Rudolph Day! This is such a lovely image, I really MUST make myself use it more often!

Me? I've a busy and social day ahead of me ..... I'm meeting my pal, Andrea for coffee this morning, pal Jenny is due for coffee and biskwits this afternoon and I'm off at dog training with another pal, Naomi (and her pooch, Mally) this evening - it's exhausting being this sociable, I can tell you!

Have a great Monday everyone, catch you later in the week

2nd post - a LIM entry ....

Hi folks,

 

Just a quick drive by with a challenge entry, if you missed my earlier post (and the cards contained within) then check out this link here.

 

I usually like to enter the Simply Less Is More challenge but, for some reason, never quite got round to last week's challenge, having finished my card (see my DL card from the earlier post) for the challenge AFTER the challenge finished - can you say "DOH"?!?!?!? Anyway, this week's CAS challenge is to make a Christmas card featuring a bird so, here it is ....

 

 

Materials used:

• Cream textured DL card and matching sized envelope
• Die cut scalloped rectangle of red card
• Black card for matting
• White card for the image panel
• Inkadinkado robin image stamped using Memento tuxedo black ink
• Distress Inks in festive berries and fired brick used with a water brush, to watercolour the image
• Stardust stickles used to highlight the bird
• Hero Arts sentiment stamped using Adirondack red pepper ink

 

Have a great Saturday

Saturday ...... what's the weather like with you lot?

Morning all,

 

Is it me or has it been really chilly this past few days? Got snow? We don't but we DO have a thick white frost and I know quite a few places have had some snow this week - take care if you are one of those with the white stuff!

 

Blimey, what a busy little bee I've been this past few days, with batch making Christmas cards - like a person possessed. I do believe, however, that I've FINALLY got enough with this last batch of four cards ... check them out.

 

 

 

Materials used:

• 4 x 12½cm square, white, 300 gsm scallop edged cards and matching sized envelopes
• Distress Ink (tumbled glass) swiped down both the card front and the inside
• Penny Black wreath image stamped over the distressed panel (and also on to the front and rear of the envelopes) using Memento Paris dusk ink
• Hero Arts sentiment stamped on two cards using Versafine onyx black ink and on the other two I used Memento Paris dusk
• Stardust stickles used to highlight the ribbon and stars on the wreath - it's actually quite twinkly IRL!

 

And the whole batch on display

 

 

 

 

And then I decided to get out the latest obsession stamps from Kaisercraft and make another one - whaddya think? Suitable for another batch? Or not?

And a close up - to show the sparkle a bit better, hopefully!!

Materials used:

• 15cm square, white, 300 gsm scallop edged card and matching sized envelope
• Distress Inks .... bundled sage and weathered wood "swiped" across the front of the card (and carried across to the inside too.
• Kaisercraft "rocks" image stamped using Distress Ink in iced spruce
• Kaisercraft "sketchy" image stamped using Brilliance Thyme ink
• Sparkle 'n Sprinkle large pine bough and Hero Arts sentiment stamped using Adirondack ink - bottle
• Stardust stickles used to highlight the image

On reflection I would perhaps have preferred it had I opted to reverse the Distress Ink colours and have the weathered wood directly beneath the bottle green image - better?

And my last Christmas card for today ....... using a sketch originally presented by Chrissie and Mandi over at Simply Less Is More some time ago - which I LOVED!!! (BTW check out their blog today for their new challenge, launched at 08:00 GMT - the theme is TO USE A BIRD) I am sooooooooo on a roll this past week, with my Christmas cards, I MUST have caught up now!! Haven't I?

Materials used:

• Cream textured DL card and matching sized envelope
• Off cuts of deep green card, white card and SCWV winter stack card
• Martha Stewart edging punch
• Hero Arts "old French script" image stamped using Memento London fog ink
• Stampology tree image stamped using Adirondack bottle green ink
• Hero Arts Sentiment stamped directly on to base card using Adirondack bottle green ink
• Stardust stickles to bling up the tree!

And a close up - which will, hopefully, show the glitter better!

Happy Saturday

Welcome to the weekend - it starts here ..... with the Friday Funny!

Morning,

Well, yet another week has gotten away from me, where are they all going? Next thing I know it will be Christmas and I won't have finished my Christmas cards, luckily (after my recent trip to the mall I have all but finished my Christmas shopping!! How are you all doing with preparations for your own Christmas'?

I do have more Christmas cards to share with you .... in the shape of another batch of Christmas cards, must remember to crack on with some tags - can't really start wrapping without tags!

Materials used:

• 4 x 12½cm square white, 300gsm, scallop edged cards and matching sized envelopes
• Distress Ink in salty ocean swiped across the card, top to bottom and set aside to dry
• Inkadinkado sentiment and Tim Holtz (for Stampers Anonymous) mini blueprint snowman inked numerous times using Versafine onyx black ink
• Stardust stickles used to highlight the snowflakes

I've carried the design across the inside of the card and to the front and rear of the envelope too - sometimes without re-inking.

And here's the batch ....

Each one essentially the same but with very slightly differences

And the co-ordinating envelope too

 

 

I've also managed to complete my latest ATC materials swap project. Readers, you undoubtedly recall that I swap materials with an ATC buddy on the Isle of Skye. OK, I admit it, when I received the last batch of materials I WAS STUMPED ...... and I've been avoiding the project, especially once I realised I was behind with my Christmas cards. However, now I've more or less caught up with those I thought that I couldn't put it off any longer and took a good long look at them again. What do you mean, you couldn't remember what they were? No? Here they are again ....

 

And here's what I turned them in to - perhaps not my finest ATC but I'm reasonably pleased with the way things turned out, given my panic attack when I saw my materials .... but that IS why we call it a CHALLENGE!!!!

Additional materials used:

• ATC blank
• Off cut of red card
• Five small brads threaded through the holes in the "wreath"
• Stardust stickles to highlight the embossed "holly" on the wreath and the flourish on my sentiment
• Inkadinkado sentiment/flourish stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Inkadinkado holly border stamped using Distress Ink in iced spruce

And now for the Friday funny, courtesy of Jacky this week - thanks Jacky! ENJOY

TO  CALL THE POLICE WHEN YOU'RE OLD, AND  DON'T MOVE FAST ANYMORE.

George  Phillips, an elderly man from Walled Lake, Michigan, was  going up to bed, when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in  the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. George  opened the back door to go turn off the light, but saw that there were  people in the shed stealing things.

He phoned the police, who  asked "Is someone in your house?"  He  said "No," but some people are breaking into my garden shed and stealing  from me.  Then  the police dispatcher said "All patrols are busy. You should lock your  doors and an officer will be along when one is available"

George  said, "Okay." He hung up the phone and counted to 30. Then he phoned the  police again.

"Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago  because there were people stealing things from my shed. Well, you don't  have to worry about them now because I just shot and killed them both;  the dogs are eating them right now," and he hung up.  Within  five minutes, six Police Cars, a SWAT Team, a Helicopter,  two Fire Trucks, a Paramedic and an Ambulance showed up at the Phillips'  residence, and caught the burglars red-handed.

One of the  Policemen said to George, "I thought you said that you'd shot  them!" George  said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"  (True  Story)

I LOVE IT!

Don't  mess with old people!!!!

Hope you enjoyed that .....

CASual Friday are celebrating two eight lettered occasions with their new challenge .... these two being Thanksgiving and Hannukah. Their challenge is therefore to make a CAS card celebrating the number EIGHT!!! This challenge remains open for two weeks.

Have a great Friday and a fab weekend everyone

Thursday and yet more craftiness on the Christmas card front!

Morning peeps,

 

If you normally swing by this blog then you will know that I have been batch making Christmas cards in order to make up the shortfall in those already made versus those required!!! I've made two batches of six and thought I would try a couple more .... whilst I like the cards below I didn't want to make a batch of six of either of them - I DO love all of the images though, don't you?

 

 

 

 

Materials used:

• White, 300 gsm, scallop edged C6 card and matching sized envelope
• Inkadinkado sentiment and image stamped using Versafine onyx black ink and Memento London fog (inside and envelope)
• Stardust stickles to highlight the image and sentiment

 

 

 

Materials used:

• White, 300 gsm, scallop edged C6 card and matching sized envelope
• Inkadinkado sentiment and Penny Black image stamped using Versafine and Memento London fog (for the inside and envelope) inks
• Adirondack red pepper ink applied with a water brush to colour the bauble
• Red dimensional liquid pearls for the holly berries
• Stardust stickles to highlight the image

 

And another .....

 

 

 

Materials used:

• White, 300 gsm, scallop edged C6 card and matching sized envelope
• Inkadinkado sentiment and Penny Black pine bough image stamped using Versafine vintage sepia and Memento London fog inks (for the inside and envelope)
• Platinum stickles to highlight the pine bough

And finally, for today ............... another batch make ....

 

Materials used:

• 12½ cm square white, 300gsm, scallop edged cards and matching sized envelopes
• Iced Spruce distress ink, swiped downwards on to the front and inside of each card and left to dry
• Tim Holtz (for Stampers Anonymous) blueprint tree image stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Inkadinkado sentiment (used on two cards) and Kaisercraft sentiment stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Stardust stickles to highlight mini baubles and the trees

As usual, these days, I carried the design across the inside of the card and on the front and rear of the envelope, hope you like this. I'll be entering this for Merry Monday challenge #84 over at Playing with Paper where the challenge is to use a tree and bling it up (thanks to Darnell for pointing out this challenge - it's a new one  to me)

I've now made 18 Christmas cards since Monday and am on track to have the right number come the end of November - WOO HOO!! Never thought I would make that many in just three days!

Not only that ...... but, yesterday, I hit the local mall for 10:00 and, by 11:00 had virtually finished my Christmas shopping!!! Yes, you read that right, VIRTUALLY FINISHED MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!! I have a few basics to get - i.e. some wine to go with the nice glasses, some biscuits/chocs but other than that, I'm done and I can start wrapping now ...... OMG! Tags, I forgot about tags! Mind you, many of my presents will be wrapped in some gorgeous green and gold wrap acquired on a recent foray to Costco and I DID (whilst in the U.S. recently) acquire some co-ordinating green glittery tags so all is not lost - YET!

And, lastly, a bit of news ...... Kate Crane has launched her next batch of DVD's and is offering a great giveaway on her blog - check it out here

 

Have a fab Thursday

What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday

Morning,

 

And another batch of Christmas cards ..... how is it that I seem to have been making Christmas cards all year round (even entering at least TWO Rudolph Day challenges each month) and yet, still NOT ENOUGH hand made cards for Christmas?!?!?!? What happened to them all? Is there a Christmas card fairy that sneaks in and steals their favourites?

 

Needless to say, I have another batch to share with you today ...... hope you like these two.

 

Mark I - second attempt!

 

That was the mark I version .... I THOUGHT I would like to stamp the wreath in Brilliance ivy - it didn't work!!! Hardly showed up. The only thing to do in those circumstances is to mat and layer another attempt on top - and then, move on to  the mark II but using the same design - whaddya think? Mark I or II? Bearing in mind that time is of the essence!

 

Mark II

 

Materials used:

• 6 x C6 white, scallop edged, 300 gsm card and matching sized envelopes
• Penny Black Wreath and Inkadinkado sentiment stamped either in Versafine onyx black or Memento London fog inks
• Stickles in Stardust and Platinum used to highlight the stars and ribbon on the wreath

 

 And here's the batch in its entirety ...

 

The whole batch on display

How the inside of each card looks

And the batch of envelopes

  

Of course, CASology have launched their latest challenge and the one word inspiration is: BELL - which might help me with my card issues!!!

My dear friend, Wynneth, came to stay at the weekend and look what gorgeous Christmas-y-ness she made for me and brought with her - thank you so very much matey - isn't it LUSH?

My fab new Christmas table runner
thanks Wynneth

Last night saw us at the splendid Raj's Indian restaurant once more (having been curry starved for six weeks!). Decided that (since our last trip was only Friday) to have something other than my usual and tried the chicken rezala (a madras hot dish with ginger, tomatoes and onions) - yummy but hotter than I normally opt for. It was a nice evening out with our friend too - good company and good food, what more can you ask for?

Finally, it's time to share with you all - my work desk this week, messy as always - it seems like only the stamps out on the desk change each week but hey .... it DOES get tidied every so often - HONEST!!!

 

 

Have a great Wednesday

Chilly Tuesday greetings readers

Hi folks,

The sun is shining this morning ..... but it's only 1°c! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - hope it's warmer where you are this morning.

 

Ever have one of those days? Monday was one of those days ....... I had arranged coffee with a pal, when I got there - she was out!!!, due to a mix up with her calendar. I then decided to do something useful with my time and start to write my Christmas cards! Now, ...... I've been making Christmas cards all year and had accumulated quite a little pile - however, not quite enough! I'm nearly two dozen short! HOW (on earth) DID THAT HAPPEN?

Then I was going to dog training with another pal but her S-i-L expressed a wish to tag along. There are usually only about five of us  so three people with only one dog seemed a bit like overkill!! I said I would pass this evening and accompany her on another evening instead.

 

So, what did I do instead of going to dog training? Why, ... batch make some Christmas cards, of course! It's the only way I'm going to end up with enough cards in the time left to me before they need to go out! Here's the first half dozen ..... thank heavens I bought that  parcel JOFY image at the weekend!

 

My batch of cards .... six down, eighteen to go!



Close up of one of the batch

And the envelopes

 

Materials used:

• 6 x White, 300 gsm, C6 scallop edged cards and matching sized envelopes
• JOFY mini stamped on to white card (6 times and also on to the envelope and card inside) using Memento tuxedo black ink before cutting out and colouring using alcohol markers
• 6 x panels of  both red and black card, for matting and layering
• Stampers Anonymous sentiment stamped on each card blank (inside and out) and envelope, using Memento tuxedo black ink
• Platinum and stardust stickles to highlight image panel

 

Hope you like my batch of cards - now, what to make for the next half dozen ...... first step, find a suitable image - Laterz!!!

 

 

Have a great day.