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