Welcome to the last challenge day before Christmas

Hi readers,

Woke up this morning only to find we had no power in the house. A quick look out of the window revealed it was just us! We have one of the more modern consumer units rather than a "fuse box" and it divides the house in to sections (primarily to avoid the whole house being out) and yet, all sections had tripped out! Hmm ... no idea of the cause either, power was out for about 90 minutes and everything seems to have re-started without issue so we still have no idea what tripped out! Still, got us both out of bed a smidge earlier than we otherwise might!

And, to that end, I've been working on THANK YOU CARDS (with Christmas just around the corner), admittedly this is slightly presumptuous of me but, trust me, I'm grateful that so many of my friends have remembered us this Christmas.

My card

And a closer view - to show the twinkle!

And the insert and envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• Two pieces of white card, cut to 13½cm
• Two pieces of black card, cut to 14cm square
• Inkadinkado sentiment stamped multiple times using Ranger Archival jet black ink
• Stamplorations long and medium "swipe" images stamped using Hero Arts Neon pink and green inks
• Stamplorations small coffee stain image stamped using Hero Arts Neon orange
• Paper Artsy splatter image stamped using Hero Arts Neon blue ink
• Wink of Stella clear glitter pen used to highlight the largest THANK on the card front

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. C.R.A.F.T. - challenge No. 342 - THANK YOU
2. That's Crafty - December 18th challenge - ANYTHING GOES
3. Simply Papercrafts - challenge No. 20 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Polkadoodles - challenge No. 51 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Inkspirational - challenge NO. 98 - ANYTHING BUT CHRISTMAS!

NORMALLY Saturday morning's are spent working on a challenge make for Simply Less Is More (my go to CAS challenge) but this week the theme is "homespun" and I was a little short on inspiration initially but ... I'm NO QUITTER! Sadly, I remain unconvinced about it's merits ...... I await your constructive comments peeps!

Materials used:

• White 5" x 7", 300gsm, scallop edged card blank and matching sized envelope
• Snippets of card in white, kraft and black
• Technique Tuesday "sewing notions" stamped using Ranger Archival jet black and Hero Arts Neon pink inks
• Inkadinkado sentiment stamped using Hero Arts Neon blue ink
• Wink of Stella clear glitter brush pen used to highlight and add sparkle to the larger word.
• Blue and white bakers twine tied around the card blank ..... to make it more homespun, though the jury's still out on how successful a "homespun" challenge this has been

I am LOVING the image of those pins! I'll be entering this for the challenge over at Simply Less Is More weeks 255 and 256 for their "HOMESPUN" theme

Have a splendid weekend, however you plan to spend it! 

Welcome to the start of another festive weekend

Morning all

Christmas is coming and all that .... yesterday I was out with a pal, for coffee, at the local coffee shop. It was nice to catch up for a couple of hours, shan't see her now until after Christmas so we exchanged cards and presents too.

I've made all my Christmas cards (and sent them) so .... what to make? I know, a thank you card - gonna need a few of those after Christmas!!!

My card

A closer view of my image

My insert and envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• 13½cm square white card panels
• 14cm square black card panels
• Visible Image INKognito flower stem stamped twice using Hero Arts neon pink ink
• Paper Artsy splatter image stamped multiple times using Hero Arts neon orange ink
• Stamplorations "stained circle" image stamped multiple times using Hero Arts neon green and blue inks
• Stamplorations sentiment builder sentiment stamped using Versafine onyx black ink

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. Crafty Gals Corner - challenge No. 50 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Mod Squad Challenge - December 16th challenge - ANYTHING BUT CHRISTMAS
3. The Paper Shelter - Christmas break challenge - ANYTHING GOES
4. Penny's Challenges - December 16th challenge - ANYTHING GOES
5. Through The Craft Room Door - December 15th challenge - ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES

If you read my post earlier in the week, asking for opinions regarding paper trimmers vs guillotines ..... you'll be pleased to note that I made a decision and ordered a guillotine, from Amazon and it arrived the following day, so I had to crack the seal and start using it. The FIRST thing I noticed was that it would cut 3, 4 even 5 sheets of card whereas my paper trimmer would struggle with 3 - BONUS!!! I also found it pretty easy to use once I got used to the idea of having to hold the paper down whilst guillotining, but that's not difficult. I was able to quickly cut 12 x 13½cm white card squares and then 10 each of 14cm card square in black and kraft - so I was all set to craft with pre cut image panels and matting layers - YAY! I think I'm going to like it!

Here's the guillotine I bought

And now for the seasonal Friday Funny - courtesy of Marsha - ENJOY

Here's a heads up for the Holiday Season

With the Holidays upon us, I would like to share a personal experience with my friends about drinking and driving.

As you may know, some of us have been known to have brushes with the authorities from time to time on the way home after a "social session" out with friends.

Well, two days ago I was out for an evening with friends and had several cocktails followed by some rather nice red wine. Feeling jolly I still had the sense to know that I may be slightly over the limit.

That's when I did something that I've never done before - I took a cab home.

Sure enough on the way home there was a police road block, but since it was a cab they waved it past.  I arrived home safely without incident.

This was a real surprise as I had never driven a cab before, I don't know where I got it and now that it's in my garage I don't know what to do with  it!.

Have a great weekend and celebrate RESPONSIBLY!

Welcome to Wednesday ......

Morning peeps,

I don't know about you but, around this time of year we find ourselves catching up with pals, some we've seen pretty recently and others we've not seen in a while. Makes for a very sociable month ... and one which is (almost always) VERY bad for the waistline!

Yesterday was no different as I was out to dinner with a pal I've known since the early 70's!! We met about half way between the two of us as there's a nice little high street blessed with a goodly number of places to eat (a chippy, an Italian, three Indian's a Chinese, mezze and a couple of pubs to boot) so we had plenty of choice! Interestingly enough, the Chinese restaurant re-opened (following a LENGTHY refurbishment) ..... as a cafe! A cafe which closed at 16:30 so we went for plan B) ... Italian!, and very nice it was too.

Managed a little crafting, which is great because, for the past few weeks the crafting's taken a bit of a back seat to Christmas preparations.

Apologies for the quality of the pic - it's hardly even gotten light this week!

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• Snippets of white and red card die cut in to circles
• Tim Holtz crazy bird, candy cane and Santa hat stamped on to white snippets using Ranger Archival jet black ink, die cut out and then coloured using Pan Pastels, red glitter and white fun flock
• Visible Image INKognito flower stem stamped on to the white circle using Versamark ink before heat embossing using WOW! white puff glitter embossing powder
• Distress Ink in tumbled glass applied to the remaining white circle using a dry brush
• Impression Obsession snow flakes stamped using Distress Ink in tumbled glass

Despite the fact I THINK he needs a sentiment but I haven't quite decided whether to make it humorous or just plain old "festive" ..... I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. A Bit More Time To Craft - challenge No. 10 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Fantastic Tuesday - challenge No. 116 - ANYTHING GOES with a twist ... MAKE IT SPARKLE
3. Make My Monday - December 14th challenge - WINGS AT CHRISTMAS
4. Craft Your Passion - challenge No. 292 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Crafting from the heart - challenge No. 90 - ANYTHING GOES

And now, since it IS What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday I will share a pic of the space I call my crafting home .......

I'm canvasing opinion here so would be VERY grateful if you would take the time to leave me a comment on the question I'm about to ask .......

Paper Trimmer or Guillotine and why??????? 

I have a Fiskars paper trimmer and seem to be forever changing the blades, wondering whether to change to a guillotine but there are such a range out there, from £10 to £100 and don't want to go too cheap and find I'm even less satisfied or spend too much if I don't need too (would prefer to spend on scrummier craft stuff!). 

A chance conversation with a pal has led me to a second question ..

If a paper trimmer then ... small blades or rotary blades?

Would really appreciate your input - thanks in advance

Welcome to the start of another festive week

Morning readers and followers,

Hope you all had a great weekend and all have something nice to look forward to this coming week, as we all get busier in the run up to Christmas.

It's funny how things work out isn't it? I headed to my ToC (Table of Craftiness) yesterday with a view to starting some form of mixed media project, secure in the knowledge I SOOOO did NOT need to make a Christmas card ...... but what happened next turned out to be something completely different! only another bloomin' Christmas card - DOH!!! At this rate I'll have 2016 sewn up before we even get there!

My card

And a closer view of the image panel

And the inside and envelope

Materials used:

• 5" x 7" white, 300gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• Snippets of white card and black card
• Dylusions Christmas tree image stamped on to the smallest white snippet and again on to another snippet, using Ranger Archival watering can ink, which was then cut out to act as a mask.
• Alcohol inks used to colour tree, including pastel yellow for the tree background, before covering with mask
• Distress Ink in fossilised amber applied through a Tim Holtz mask ..... and the same treatment again on another white snippet which was then used for matting and layering
• Crafters Companion Spray and Shine applied to the water based inks - to seal and protect.
• The image panel was then matted on to black and then again (using Dimensional foam tape) to the fossilised amber panel
• Once in place on my card I then inked the Dylusions sentiment (from the same set as the tree) using Memento tuxedo black ink
• I then used Wink of stella and gel glitter pens to colour the holly and berries and to add twinkle to the sentiment
• Crystal and platinum stickles and glossy accents were added to the tree baubles to add further texture and interest

The Dylusions stamp set (with stencil) I used

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:

1. Pixie's Crafty Workshop - challenge No. 207 - SNIPPETS CHALLENGE
2. 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - December challenge - PICK A PREVIOUS CHALLENGE FROM 2015 .. I went with combo #39 from May 2015 which was pastel pink, yellow and green!
3. Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Extra - December challenge - ANYTHING (Christmas) GOES
4. CASology - challenge No. 176 - TREE
5. The Craft Barn - 13th December challenge - TREE

  

And finally, for those of you still wrapping .... a video on how to make perfect bow using kebab sticks and corrugated cardboard .... it's not in English so, arguably, you don't need the sound on!

And for your smaller bows, you can use the tines on a fork!!! No, HONESTLY!

Hi there and welcome to my challenge day post ......

Hi there

Welcome to another (or should I say YET another) soggy weekend!?!?!? Seems like there's nothing for it but to stay in and craft! Well, you will get no argument from me and I've started as I mean to continue. 

Hubby was out last evening and I THOUGHT I would make something really rather grungey ... the Mark I version featured more or less the same design but "L" shaped and the grey of the hickory smoke was just too dark that it overpowered the tumbled glass and broken china so, this morning, I got up and cracked on with Mark II - much better - IMHO! What do you think?

My Mark II card

And a closer view of all the stamps used

And the insert and envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• 13½cm square white card panel
• 14cm square black card panel
• Stamps by: Stamplorations, Creative Expressions, Kaisercraft and Visible Image (see below)
• Inks:- Distress Inks in tumbled glass, broken china, blueprint sketch, fired brick, hickory smoke, Ranger Archival Inks in Jet black and watering can
• Crafters Companion Spray and Shine applied, to seal and protect the water  based inks

The Stamp sets used

The Distress Inks used

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. Creative Fingers - challenge No. 99 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Simply Papercraft - challenge No. 19 - ANYTHING GOES
3. As You Like It - December challenge - Favourite Masculine or feminine - and WHY ...... I used to prefer feminine cards but since getting in to CAS cards I find masculine easier to make and LOVE to use lots of stamps to build up the card, like the one above
4. Craft Rocket - challenge No. 5 - ANYTHING GOES

And then it was off to the opposite end of the scale and on to the (used to be) dreaded One Layer Card ...

My take on the "What's in you stocking" theme

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• Inkadinkado stocking image stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Kaisercraft sentiment stamped using Adirondack watermelon ink

And the stamp sets used

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. Simply Less Is More - challenge No. 254 - ONE LAYER CARD WEEK - theme "What's in my stocking"
2. Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas challenge - challenge No. 259 - ANYTHING (Christmas) GOES
3. Aloha Friday - challenge No. 62 - CHRISTMAS
4. That's Crafty - December 4th challenge - SEASONS GREETINGS
5. Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas challenge EXTRA - December challenge - ANYTHING (Christmas) GOES

And now ... found this on the internet ..... ENJOY! It's soooooooooooo true!

Welcome to Friday

Morning all

My mojo's come back with vengeance and I just keep making cards! YAY! I was trawling t'internet recently when I saw a card and just HAD to find the set of stamps used, Eva had simply listed materials manufacturers (which were: Dylusions, Stazon, Hero Arts and Carabelle Studio) ... bet you can't guess which one I searched first?!?!??! Anyhoo, I tracked it down and ordered it on-line and, on Tuesday it arrived with me but it wasn't until Wednesday afternoon that I got to play .....

My card

A closer view of the image panel

And the insert and envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm card blank and matching sized envelope
• 13½cm square white card
• 14cm square black card
• Creative Expressions "grungey circles/tyre track" from their Urab Beat set stamped using Memento London fog ink and the sentiment from the same set stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Carabelle images from the Motorcycle ride set stamped using Versafine onyx black ink
• Paper Artsy splatter image stamped using Memento Paris Dusk ink
• Stamplorations "coffee stain" image stamped using Distress Ink in festive berries

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

1. Pennys challenge - challenge No. 257 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Create and Inspire - 2nd December challenge - ANYTHING GOES
3. Craft Rocket - challenge No. 5 - ANYTHING GOES
4. Crafting with an attitude - challenge No. 10 - ANYTHING GOES
5. Addicted to Stamps and More - challenge No. 74 - CLEAN AND SIMPLE

And the card of Eva's that I CASe'd? and the stamp set I HAD to have? See below

 

Anybody used nuance watercolour pigment powders? They're like brusho's ... saw this

Craft Club last night .. it was meant to be making chocolates and bon bons but there was a hiccup with the insurance or T's & C's at the venue so it was just "bring your own project". Always nice to sit and natter with fellow crafters though - I took some crochet. At least it wasn't raining so hard this week either!

And now for today's Friday Funny, I found it on Facebook and tracked it down on youtube! ENJOY

Have a great weekend - don't do yourself an injury trying out the yoga video, 'cos I know some of you MIGHT be tempted - you know who you are!!!

Welcome to What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday

Morning all

Another couple of filthy old days, wouldn't you say. We've been so lucky living where we do but the people living in areas badly affected by the weather and floods have my sympathy, I hope you will be getting the help you need to get you back in your homes as soon as possible.

Christmas appears to have well and truly started! We were at a local hostelry last evening and I can vouch for the yumminess of the beer battered cod, fries and crushed minted peas! Can't wait till the next trip ... it's Mexican!

After a couple of weeks with missing mojo I seem to have found it again, not sure where it's been but I am surely happy to have it back again. I was chatting electronically with a pal yesterday and challenged her to make a masculine card with no inherently masculine images ... this was as a direct result of her saying she "needed more masculine images" .... and my reply that she "probably had the means to make perfectly good masculine cards without new stash!!" ... this from the woman who saw a Carabelle set recently and just HAD to have them! Ooopsie, anyway - here's my make for this challenge.

My card

And a close up to show the sparkle

You should be able to make out the Kaisercraft image to the left .. by the number 6!

And the insert and envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• 2 x 13½cm square white card panel + snippet
• 2 x 14cm square black card panel + snippet
• Snippet of silver mirri card
• Low tack tape to hold panel in position
• Distress Ink in hickory smoke applied to snippet panels, insert and envelope and then again through the TCW mini numbers stencil and again using the Kaisercraft crackle image
• Paper Artsy splatter image stamped using Distress Ink in ground espresso
• Faber Castell glass bead glitter gel stencilled through a Tim Holtz circles stencil
• Hampton Arts sentiment stamped using Ranger Archival jet black ink, cut out, matted on black snippet and then adhered to image panel using dimensional foam tape

Material pix ....

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

1. Craft Your Passion - challenge No. 291 - ANYTHING GOES
2. Crafting from the heart - challenge No. 89 - ALWAYS ANYTHING GOES
3. A Bit More Time to Craft - challenge No. 9 - ANYTHING GOES

Of course, wouldn't you know it? I was hoisted by my own petard with this challenge and managed to make a complete hash of the Mark I panel - want to see what I mean?

Wrong colour choice, wrong stencil AND wrong background stamps!
Bit of an own goal really

If you want to see Lilian's take on this challenge then pop over to her blog.

And now on to another make ... back in my comfort zone despite the fact I wouldn't normally use this colour combination either!

My card

And a close up of the image panel

And the insert and envelope

Materials used:

• 15cm square white, 250gsm, card blank and matching sized envelope
• 13½cm square of white card, x 2
• 14cm square of blue card, x 2
• Visible Image (Universal set) stamped using Brilliance jade green and blue and Memento Paris dusk inks
• Stamplorations (Vignette chevrons and arrow set) stamped using Memento Paris Dusk, and Stamplorations (Vignette Celebrate Artsy) swipe image stamped using Brilliance bright green ink
• Paper Artsy (Hot pick HPTX01) splatter image stamped using Memento pear tart

I'll be entering this for the following challenges:-

1. Simply Less Is More - challenge No. 253 - COLOUR THEME - blue/green
2. Penny Black - December challenge - ANYTHING GOES with a stamp (you don't HAVE to use a PB image)
3. Great Impressions - December challenge - ANYTHING GOES (you don't HAVE to use a G.I. image
4. Use Your Stuff - challenge No. 202 - STAMPING

And now, since it IS What's On Your Work Desk Wednesday .......

I'm pleased to report I am back to my normal (MESSY) self!