Christmas is getting close

Christmas is coming up so fast now I've had to admit defeat and buy a few Christmas cards or all my friends and family would still be waiting for their cards in January! It's the first year in about the last ten that I haven't made all my own cards - must be more organised and start early (January??) for next year!

Today's card is for the Charisma Cardz weekly challenge where the theme this week is, of course, Christmas, I have used a Lili of the Valley stamp and coloured it with Promarkers, adding a bit of sparkle with Stickles and Stardust gel pens. The paper is last year's Holly Jolly by My Mind's Eye, the die cut bird is (I think) from Memory Box and to finish the card off I also used some old lace and a button from my stash.

Challenges I'm entering:
Cards by Lady Anne / Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
Freshly Brewed - Christmas
I love Promarkers - Anything Goes
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge - Christmas inspired 
Clear It Out! - Christmas
Deep Ocean Challenge - Christmas
Everybody-Art-Challenge - Christmas  
The Stamping Boutique - Holiday Cards
Hooked on Craft - Christmas 
Passion For Promarkers Challenge - Mega Christmas Challenge 
 

First Christmas card of the season!

I'm way behind this year because my focus has been so much on sock monkeys, so much so that I'm  seeing them in my sleep!! These two are Wenceslas and Stefan :o)

However it was time to make a start on the Chrismas cards so I used the Charisma Cardz challenge to get me started - this week the challenge is a colour one and I've done my best to come up with a wintry, seasonal card using the colours!

 

The digi image I've used was a great freebie from QKR Stampede through their Facebook page, it was coloured with Promarkers.

Challenges:
Joanna Sheen Challenge - Cold and Frosty 
One Stitch At A Time - Use a Digi   
The Crafty Pad - Christmas  
Little Claire's  - Christmas
Paper Creator's Crafts - All about Christmas  
Fun with Shapes & More - The 1st Snow 
QKR Stampede  - Winter Wonderland
Bearly Mine - Snowflakes
Crazy Amigo Challenge -  Colours Of Winter 
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Winter 
Crafty Bloggers Network - Christmas Anything Goes
Hooked on Craft - Christmas NO red/green 

He likes skiing, camper vans, holidays.....

I was commissioned to make a card for the 60th birthday of an aquaintance’s husband, the brief was that he liked skiing, holidays, camper vans and cars - well the cars was the only one I left out. I made an easel style card so that I could add the die cut numbers without compromising the design on the front.
I found a free digi image of a camper van which I used to cut the shapes from coloured and white card then assembled all the various layers to form the completed van. I created the skiing background myself on the computer then coloured it with promarkers to add a bit of subtle colour. I'm quite happy with the result - hope he is too!

Challenges entered:
Simply Create - Always anything goes
Digistamps 4 Joy - Anything goes + masculine bonus
Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge - Masculine
Tandastamps -  Masculine 
Bearly Mine - Easel Card
Flourishes - Create A Birthday Card
Crafty Catz - Male Card  
Corrosive Challenges - Know When To Fold 'Em
Here Come the Boys - Die Cuts/Punches 
 

Don't be Square!

It's a little while since I've blogged and shared a card - life is particularly hectic at the moment with craft fairs every weekend so I've been concentrating most of my crafting time on making monkeys and other fun sock toys in an effort to keep the stock up. However in the last week or so I've had to make a bunch of commissioned cards as well as today's design team inspiration for the new Charisma Cardz challenge for which the theme is Don't be Square. 

I used a template to cut the crown shape out of Crate paper which I then stuck to some pink card and cut round the crown shape with scissors to leave a 1/4" border. The Princess word was made up with Basic Grey stickers, and I used another of the stickers for the centre of the circular sentiment finishing the design off with punched flowers, sticky backed gems and some lace from my stash.

Entering this for the challeges at:
Through The Craft Room Door - Always anything goes 
Cards by Lady Anne / Monday - Always anything goes 
Crafty Bloggers Network - Anything goes 
Lollipop Crafts - Happy Birthday
Make it Monday - Always anything goes 
Annabelle Stamps Challenge - Say it with...Kid's Card

Squigglefly Challenge Day

Yes it's time for a new challenge from the team at Squigglefly, my card is a bit last minute as I've been ridiculously busy with preparations for all of this month and next's craft fairs - I have at least one most weekends from now until midway through December so I have been sewing like mad and straining the poor muscles in my right arm and shoulder!! Anyway I enjoyed doing this - it made a nice change from making owls, monkeys and other sock toys.

This week our theme is a colour combo - Teal, pink & white and I have coloured the fab image Sassy Sally and her autumn leaves which is, again, by Cheryl Alger. She has to be one of my favourite Squigglefly artists! I used Promarkers to colour Sally and printed the image out twice so that I could decoupage a few of the leaves to add a bit of extra dimension to the card.

Challenges:
Joanna Sheen Challenge - Down in the garden
Robyn’s Fetish - Sewing (real or faux) 
Gingerloft - Stitching (real or faux)
A Gem of a Challenge - For the girls 
Catch The Bug - Seasonal / fall harvest 
Crazy 4 Challenges - Leaves 
Just Some Lines - Let’s Celebrate Fall 
Clearly Inspired - Fall 
Dilly Beans - Fall is in the air 
Emergency Crafters - Autumn leaves

Another new challenge from Charisma

Something for the guys is the theme of this week's challenge at Charisma Cardz. I don't do nearly enough cards for boys or men so it always is a bit of a challenge for me, not only to come up with an idea but also to find a suitable image. The folder where I keep printouts of most of my collection of digi's is probably ninety five percent full of girlie images, however I did find this cute Teddy Bo image amongst them so it was the obvious choice given the kind of weather the UK has been having this week!

I coloured the image with Promarkers, doodled around the edges and added some vintage buttons and ribbon from my stash - hope the weather is better wherever you are today :o)

Challenges entered:
Bearly Mine - Add a sentiment
Craft Room Challenge - Childhood memories 
Shopping Our Stash - Fur or feathers 
Make it Monday - Always anything goes 
Tammy's Scrapin Corner - Kiddie card 
The Crazy Challenge - Spots or stripes  
No Matter Which Challenges - Die cuts and/or punches
I Love Promarkers - Male
 

Squigglefly does Halloween

This week the Squigglefly design team was getting ready for next month with this week's Halloween challenge . I quite enjoy making the occasional halloween card but rarely sell them or even send  them - it's just not celebrated on the same scale here as in America. Anyway at the Squigglefly store there are plenty of suitable images for your cards so if you want to enter the challenge pop on over and see what you can find - there are always a few freebies on offer too. I have used Bobbing for Apples by Cheryl Algar - this image brings back memories of doing this with my two little sisters when we were small - although in Scotland we call it 'Dooking' for apples.

I want to enter this for a couple of other challenges too:
DL.ART Thankful Thursday Challenge - Halloween card for a child
Fussy and Fancy - Fabric of our lives 
Inspire Me Fridays - Always Anything Goes  
Copic Marker Europe - Halloween card 
Make it Monday - always Anything Goes 

Shaped card

I have a friend with a 50th birthday imminent so when I saw that this week's Charisma Cardz challenge was for shaped cards I knew just what I wanted to make :o)
I printed the 50 backwards onto the reverse of my patterned paper - Cafe Mediterranean from DCWV - then cut the numbers out, I then stuck them onto more patterned paper which in turn was stuck onto my cardstock. I then cut around the top of the numbers to leave a narrow border of the background colour, I used a third sheet of the backing paper to die cut the scalloped circle for the sentiment, and swirls to which I then added black velvety flowers from MeiFlower. Tuesday Throwdown challenge asks for you to incorporate a gem so I hope my jewelled brad counts, alphabet beads were ideal to add my friend's name to the card - let's hope she likes it!

Challenges I'm entering:
Celebrate the Occasion - Shaped card 
Tuesday Throwdown - You're A Gem - incorporate gems 
Make it Monday - Always anything goes 
Paper Pretties - Birthday Card 
Stamps & Fun = Creativity - Shaped cards  
Creative Inspirations Paint - Birthday
Sisterhood of Crafters  - No stamps 

New baby

Strange morning - at 8.45 my husband said “I thought you were working” - “No, said I,  got the day off and planning to paint sew and craft all day” “It says on the calendar that you're working all day”, he replied at which point I checked and saw that he was right - 10 panicked minutes later I flew out of the door and arrived at work to be told I wasn't expected today at all! However the boss had phoned in sick and could I work the afternoon? So I'm home now but rushing around and trying to fit in as much as I had planned as possible before heading back to work at 12.30 :o)

A friend asked me for a new baby card this week so I looked out one of my favourite Meljens digi stamps to make this one for her. I've coloured the image with Promarkers and added a bit of dimension with Glossy Accents and some sparkle with Stickles. The lovely paper is Cloisonne by GCD Studios and I die cut the name using a Sizzix die. The ribbon and lace along with the baker's twine are from my stash and the teddy charm has been in my findings box for ever!

Challenges I'm entering:
Stampavie and More - Baby
Use It Tuesdays - Use That Ribbon
Make it Monday - Always anything Goes
Paper Pretties - Create a square card 
The Crazy Challenge - Seeing spots
The Cutie Pie Challenge - NO flowers
The Pink Elephant - Use Patterned Paper
Whoopsi Daisy  - Ribbons and Lace
Catered Crop - Anything Pink
Joanna Sheen Challenge - Going Dotty 

Om, om

Back today with another monochrome card for this week's new challenge from Squigglefly, the fab images are from designer Lynne Stansbery and can be found here, I liked the fact that there was no colouring needed for this card which made it quick and easy to put together - perfect when you are as busy as I have been for the past week or so! 

The papers are, I think, from Paparmania - I've had them for so long that I've forgotten to be honest! I used Nestie dies and a punch from Stampin Up for the tab and some black lace and black & grey ribbons from my stash to finish the card off. One or two of my colleagues at the library practise yoga so I'm sure this card will come in useful before too long :o)

 

Challenges entered:
No Matter Which Challenges - Die cuts and/or punches
One Stitch At A Time - Use a digi
PanPastel UK Challenge - All aboutstripes 
That Craft Place - Black and white  
My Heart Pieces Digital Stamps Challenge - Layers, layers, and layers
A & T Emerald Faeries Challenge - Punches and dies

No embellishments

At Charisma Cardz challenges this week the theme is No embellishments - I didn't think it would be that hard but it really was tough staying away from the flowers, buttons, ribbons and all the other bits and pieces that usually go into the card design these days. When I started making cards - quite a few years ago now - I didn’t use much in the way of embellishments but trends have changed and these days it seems that more is well and truly more! We all have pots full of buttons, reels & reels of ribbon, boxes of brads, bunches of flowers, chipboard this and that - the list is endless really, but sometimes it's good to let the image take the spotlight and this is what I've tried to achieve today. 

I wanted a nice bright and cheerful card so chose some Basic Grey papers from the Life of the Party set, the image, which I coloured with my Promarkers, is from Can you Digi it and 10% of its sales are donated to charity and the sentiment is a freebie from Simply Homemade magazine.

 

The challenges I'm entering:
I Love Promarkers - Anything goes
Paper Shelter Challenge - Layers on layers
The Perfect Sentiment - Anything goes  
Going Grey With Scrap-Creations - Off the edge 
LEJ Designs - Anything goes 
Paper and Such Design - Wings’n’things 
365 Cards - Stripes 
Make it Monday - Always anything goes  
Whoopsi Daisy  - Two patterned papers

Something a bit different

For this week’s challenge at Squigglefly try out a new TECHNIQUE or use a favorite old one! Just make sure if you want to be in the running to win a free digi image - you will need to use a squigglefly image, and there are several freebies on the Squigglefly site to pick from!

I decided to do a bit of Art Journalling which is pretty new to me and chose to use the Squigglefly image Twin Dollies by Lulu Lancaster which I coloured with my Promarkers then cut out and stuck into the journal which I had already coloured and added texture to with acrylic paints, I stamped the flowers and then added the journalling with alphabet stamps, then finished it all off with a variety of doodling.

 

Challenges entered:
Creative Inspirations Paint - Anything but a card 
Robyn’s Fetish - Use a digi
Pattie’s Creations - Anything but a card
Stampotique Designers’ Challenge - altering
Make it Monday - Always anything goes 
The Cutie Pie Challenge - Borders and frames 
Annabelle Stamps Challenge - Colour inspiration 
Deep Ocean Challenge - Deep blue

Monochrome Madness

Good morning, it feels like ages since I've been here although it's not actually been that long but I have been so busy it seems longer! Last night my husband, Neil, and I went to see our lovely daughter Lynsey May reading a new short story as part of an evening of magic and illusion at the Edinburgh Book Festival and totally enjoyed it, I love Edinburgh during festival time - there is such a great buzz about it and hearing the fantastic reaction to Lynsey and her work made us really proud parents :o) If you would like to see more about Lynsey and her stories visit her blog.

So, onto today's new challenge at Charisma Cardz where the theme this week is Monochrome Madness for my dt card I used a stencil and distess inks to create the background along with a stamped and die cut bird from Paper Artsy which I also distressed around the edges to add a bit of dimension. The paper came via one of our design team paper swaps, the bow is from Papermania and the sentiment is also from PaperArtsy.

I'm entering the following chalenges:
Creative Belli - Wings
Inky Impressions - Pearls/bling  
Bearly Mine - Anything with wings
Cards und More - Anything goes 

Lexi's Creations - Sparkle and shine

Love to Create - Sparkle 

Make it Monday - Always anything goes 

Penny Black and More - Whiskers and/or Wings

That Craft Place - Things with Wings 

Sweet Stampin - Things with Wings

Sorry this is such a short post this morning but have left this to the last minute and I've got to post and run off to work very soon!

The theme is Black, white and grey at Squigglefly this week and I've used the fabulous Dragon Fly Garden by Diana Garrison because the image is so beautifully detailed that it doesn't need any

colour to make a stunning card, the backing paper is 100% cotton by Papermania and has a soft brushed feel to it. The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

Clearly Inspired - Things with Wings 

Pattie's Creations - Animals / Insects 

Totally Papercrafts – Monochrome

4 Crafty Chicks - Distressing

Forever Friends - Black and White

Twisted Thursday - Anything Goes with twist Things that Fly 

Scrapbook Sisters - Things with wings

Catered Crop - White (somewhere on your project) 

Great Impressions - Anything with Animals 

That Craft Place - Things with Wings  
 

Go floral

Today I'm sharing my last dt project for the Cardmadfairy's Digi Days challenge, the rest of the design team and I are taking an extended break to give us all time to try new things, catch up with old things or just relax and not do any things!! The theme of our final (for now) challenge is Go floral - use digi images of flowers to create a card, scrapbook page or any other project. Flowers can either be your focus or embellishments as long as you use digi images.

I have used the Lily image and printed it directly onto the white card then printed it again on two different patterned papers and used them to paper piece, only adding glue in the centre to give the flower some dimension. I added a metal flower with a brad through the centre and some flatbacked pearls to finish it off. The sentiment is by Heidi Swapp and the papers came with a recent copy of Craftseller magazine.

I'm entering the following:
Divas by Design - Flowers
Paper Pretties - Thank you cards
Tuesday Throwdown - Doodling
Make it Monday - Always anything goes
Crafty Ribbons - Spots & dots
Do You Stack Up? - Polka dots
One Stitch At A Time - Use a digi

Pink and one other

This week at Charisma Cardz the challenge is to use only the colour pink and one other. In my case I chose brown and for a change decided not to use a stamped or a digi image and instead just used die cuts to create my card, stamping only the sentiment which is from Stampin Up. I like the simplicity of the design and using only the two strong colours has made what I hope is quite a striking card!

Our sponsors for this challenge are Simon Says Stamp who are offering one lucky winner a $20 voucher for their store,  Pink Cat Studio who will supply another winner with 5 digis of their choice and finally we also have a prize from the fab Crafty Ribbons store - 3 great reasons for joining in this week!
 

I am entering my card for these challenges:

A & T Emerald Faeries Challenge - Flourishes & swirls

Crazy Amigo Challenge - Dies & punches

Creative Craft Challenges - Summertime  

Kaboodle Doodles - Birthday or any special day  

Make it Monday - Always anything goes 

Victorine Originals - Summertime 

Dream Valley Challenges - Summer  

The Crafty Pad - Things with wings

Divas by Design - Flowers 

Scrapbook Sisters - Things with wings 

Paper piercing

I'm enjoying a week away on holiday this week but just wanted to share my Squigglefly dt card with you all today, the theme this week is Paper Piercing - unlike paper piecing this is way out of my comfort zone but then that's what a challenge is all about really! 

This image by Cheryl Algar is one of several new images released July 21st, also Squigglefly are welcoming a new artist this week - Christine Grove! I used die cuts for the hearts border and the flowers and coloured the image with Promarkers.

Sassy & Bella Get Clean - artist Cheryl Alger

Challenges entered:

My Mum's Craft shop - Cats and dogs

Everybody-Art-Challenge - Summer 

Sassy Cheryl's - Let's See Those Fancy Borders

Always Something Creative - Butterflies

Dream Valley Challenges - Summer

Freshly Brewed Monthly Challenge - Summertime

Our Craft Lounge - Sunny Days
Pattie's Creations - Summertime

Thinking ahead to winter

Strange as it sometimes seems, this is the time of year when we crafters have to start thinking of winter and all that comes with it - Christmas cards, craft fairs, teacher gifts etc, etc. Personaly I always plan to be making Christmas cards throughout the year but inevitably it gets to halfway through the summer and I realise that I've done nothing and I wish that I'd had a little more disipline back in January, February, March etc!! This year is no different and because I've been concentrating so much on making my sock monkeys this card is the first Christmas related thing I've produced - and yes I know it's only July but this is where it all starts - in fact as soon as school goes back in the middle of August (at least in Scotland) that's when I have to go into full-time Christmads mode :o)

Today's card is for the new Cardmadfairy's Digi Days challenge which, of course, is themed Christmas in July. I have used my digi Imogen in the wings which can be found over here, The image was coloured with Promarkers, papers, Robin & tag are from My Mind's Eye and die cuts are Memory Box

Entering the following:
I Love Promarkers - Sparkle
Stampavie and More - Christmas In Summer
Die Cuttin' Divas - Christmas In July
Card and Scrap - Wings
Card Cupids - Wings 
Crafters Companion - Ho ho ho Christmas
Creatalicious Challenges - Christmas in July
Get Hippity with Ippity - Christmas in July

Hooked on Crafts - Christmas in July

Lollipop Crafts - Christmas in July

The Crazy Challenge - Christmas in July

There She Goes - Christmas in July

Favourite Animal

I heard this fact the other day: there were only 1.6 hours of sunshine in the Edinburgh area during the first 10 days of July, incredible! We joke about the Scottish weather but I, who has lived here for most of my life, find it almost unbelievable that the sun has been neglecting us so much recently - however it's here today and the sky is blue - reason to celebrate I think!

I am here to share my dt card for the Charisma Cardz challenge today where the new theme is Your Favourite Animal, well my favourite is cats and this is my favourite cat digi from the awsome Mo Manning. The sentiment and the striped backing paper are from Stampin Up, the flowers are from Wild Orchid, the doily die cut is a Tim Holtz - On the Edge die - all the details I can remember without waking up Evan, who's room is where I do my cardmaking, and he's sleeping late as any self respecting teenager does during the summer holidays lol

 

Entering these challenges:

Great Impressions - Show us your best stay in the lines coloring

Joanna Sheen Challenge - Going round in circles

One Stitch At A Time - Anything goes  

Poodles Parlour - Use a digi stamp 
Crazy Amigo Challenge - Free theme
Make it Monday - Always anything goes  
Ooh La La Creations - Whiskers
My Mum's Craft shop - Cats and dogs 
Ruby's Rainbow - Cute Animals 

You brighten my day!

For the first time in a while I sat down at my desk yesterday to make a card just because I felt like it - taking a short break from making monkeys I just fancied doing a bit of colouring with my Promarkers so I printed out this digi from Saturated Canary for the first time and coloured her up to work alongside the lovely Crate Papers. I really enjoyed myself for the couple of hours it took - must do it more often!

Entering these challenges:

Bearly Mine - Pearls & Lace

Creative Card Crew - Swirls & Pearls

Tuesday Throwdown - Hot Colours

Bunny Zoe's Crafts -  Swirls and Lace

Lexi's Creations - For a Friend 

Make it Monday - always Anything Goes 

The Ribbon Girls - Girlie Card

Craftymess Challenge - Ribbons and Lace

Clearly Inspired - Some Like It Hot

Paper piecing for Squigglefly

I hope you all have had a great weekend despite the extreme weather which seems to be happening in many different parts of the world at the moment, here in the UK we have been deluged with rain for what seems like weeks now but I didn't let the wet weather stop me enjoying this weekend. We celebrated our daughter's birthday at a Mexican restuarant on Friday night and I spent yesterday at a craft fair where several of my monkeys went to new homes and I met some lovely stallholders & crafters - great fun!

I was delighted recently to have been invited to join the design team at Squigglefly and today I have my first dt project to share! The challenge this week is paper piecing and I was given this fabulous image Pretty Bird to work with, it it part of Saturday's new release and is by Diana Garrison. 

I have used backing papers by K&Co and I coloured the rest of the image with Promarkers, added a little lace and a sentiment which was die cut with a label die from Whimsy Stamps.

I'm entering this for the following challenges:
Sweet Stampin - Paper piecing
Crafty Ann's - Paper piecing
Inspire Me Fridays - Always anything goes
Our Craft Lounge - Die cuts
Card and Scrap - Wings
Creative Stamp Friends - Paper piecing or colouring with paper
Fashionista Challenge  - Winged things
Make it Monday - Always anything goes