2012 Favourite 5

Following on from the Christmas favourite 5, Debby at A Scrapjourney is now asking us to show our Favourite 5 from 2012.
The more I think about it, the more I change my mind, so I'm just going to jump in with my current favourites!

Stamp set from Simon Says Stamp.  Original post here on my old blog

I discovered the 10 minute craft dash this year, what a tough challenge!  This card was totally enabled by my buddy Benzi! (She's a bad girl, forever leading me astray in various online craft stores LOL)
Original post here

And of course, a card featuring my much loved High Hopes stamps!
Original post here

I also discovered Wild Rose Studio stamps this year, how sweet is this little Ellie!!
Original post here

This Lili of the Valley stamp continues to be one of my favourites!
Original post here

And I just had to squeeze in a wee Paper Smooches card!
Original post here

Snowy Thanks

Wow, I can't believe that its almost New Year's Eve already!  We had a lovely Christmas, though Santa 'forgot' to leave me some crafty goodies with all my other pressies .... which I'm currently rectifying in some of the on-line sales!
Hope you have a good New Year ... I'm off partying, so am anticipating a bit of a sore head on Tuesday morning. Ha!

I needed a quick thank you card, so thought I'd use the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge as inspiration and combined with the 10 minute craft dash - total time 9 mins 43 secs!! The trick of this challenge is to have a definite plan as to what you're going to create and get all your stuff organised in advance.  I think the biggest portion of time was used up cutting my wee snowman out, there's minimal colouring and hardly any embellies.

Paper Smooches SPARKS Dec24-30 - picture challenge
10 minute Craft Dash #9 - holiday theme
CAS-ual Fridays CFC83 - 10 minute holiday card
Hotshot Craft #14 - clean and simple
Moving along with the Times - Thank You
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Charisma Cardz #51 - anything goes

Favourite 5 Christmas cards

Debby4000 at A Scrapjourney is having her annual look back at your own Christmas creations, so this is my Top 5!
I've had a great crafty year, and I was so chuffed to join the High Hopes Dream Team as I've loved their stamps ever since I started card making.  I was gutted though when I ran out of room on my old blog and had to start again from scratch, losing all my old followers in the process.  Boo Hoo.
I definitely haven't been making as many cards as I used to ... I'm blaming that on being so busy at work and old age. Bwahahaha!

I think this is my Fave Fave!  (snowman from High Hopes)  More details on this post on my old blog.

One of my first efforts at a 'white + 1' card.
More details on this post

Another High Hopes fave, using one of their new release penguins - more details on this post

I bought this stamp (Papermania I think) as I'm currently doing a Michael Powell cross stitch, and loved this wee winter scene.

And last but not least, and hot off the press ... Greg's Christmas card!  





I've just noticed that my favourites are all varying shades of blue!!!! I'll have to get some brighter DP for next year LOL

Last one!

Hurrah, last Christmas card of the season!  I love making them, but not all those last minute ones ... I'll be better organised next year (though I've a funny feelin I said that 12 months ago!!)  Of course poor Greg gets left to the very end!!

Image from Pixie Cottage - coloured with copics, clear gloss added to his nose, sparkle to the baubles and flowersoft snow.

Anyway, hope whatever you're doing you have a fabulous Christmas Day tomorrow!
(I was just looking at the Santa tracking site there, and so far the Big Man has delivered over 2,600,000,000 pressies, that's some going!!)




Lexi's Creations #80 - snow
Joanna Sheen - with love at Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #104 - anything goes for Christmas
Simon Says - Merry Christmas
ABC Xmas -  Y is for your favorite punch or die (mine's this snowflake die from Marianne Designs)
Natalie and Amy - Winter Wishes
My time to Craft #202 - animals in the snow
Sarah Hurley Challenge #75 - Christmas
General layout inspired by this week's Featured Stamper at Splitcoaststampers - here's Sylvia's original

Froggy flower

Well all the pressies are bought and wrapped, cards written and any that haven't been posted are too late to send anyway (sorry if you didn't get yours!), decorations are all up, and I'm finally all ready for the Big Day!  All we need now is a wee sprinkle of snow, I'm so fed up looking at clouds and raindrops!!

It's been absolutely aaaages since I sat down and made a card just for fun, recently they've all been for special orders / Christmas cards / pressies!   I've used a Nellie Snellen stamp and some scraps of DP and Whimsy butterfly die.  Coloured with copics, sparkle added to her wings and pink bling to her wand and the butterfly.

Sketch from MFT Wednesday Sketch Club MFTWSC103
Papertake Weekly Pick of the Year - free choice - I used the Get Krafty challenge from 21 Feb
Divas by Design #66 - anything goes
Penny Black at Allsorts December challenge - It's Your Choice
Stampin for the Weekend #24 - anything goes

Birthday Hugs

Sorry, another qickie post from me ... this is another card for a pressie stash for my doggy-lovin friend.
Image from Lili of the Valley, coloured with promarkers.  I took the hearts out of my die cut edge and added them as wee extra embellies, and then bling on top of that again.

Sketch from Sweet Sunday #174
Tammy's Scrapin Corner #41 - anything goes with any artist
Pile it On #49 - pile on the embellishments
Passion for Promarkers Mega Christmas Challenge - 'Happy' Something

Mum's Birthday card

It's Mum's birthday in a couple of days, so this one's hot off the press for her!  I've used my non-Christmassy Christmas DP and added a couple of poinsettia flowers.

Image from Lili of the Valley; Whimsy butterfly die; Marianne poinsettia die; Paper Smooches sentiment/text; Memory Box die (behind image)

Layout from Totally PaperCrafts #147
Polkadoodles #50 - Christmas Birthday
Pile it On #49 - Pile on the embellishments
Totally Gorjuss #162 - for someone special
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #103 - Christmas birthday

LOTV Tea Party

I'm still in last minute rush mode ... I promise myself every year that next year will be different.  Maybe next year I'll achieve it!

Colour theme from The Play Date Cafe PDCC161
Layout from MFT Sketch Challenge MFTWSC102
Crafts 4 Eternity R#102 - blingtastic
Lils Little Fairies - something new (my pretty pink twine)

LOTV Birthday

I'm nearly, but not quite, finished my stash of cards for Chrissy pressies, I'll be glad when I am!!
This one uses an old Lili of the Valley image and some new gold peeloff stickers.  Whimsy butterfly die.  Coloured with promarkers.  Pink bling added to butterfly.

Lil's Little Fairies: Something new (my peeloffs)
Hotshot Craft Blog #13 - Butterflies
Passion for Promarkers - 'Happy' something
House of Gilli #47 - anything goes
Simon Says - what's your favourite .... my favourite die is my cute butterfly from Whimsy

Xmas Tags

I made a load of these Christmas tags with these cute images from CC Designs.  Couldn't get a decent pic though with the shine off my lovely wrapping paper!!

I just stamped my images, coloured with copics / promarkers, rounded the top corners and added a bit of washi tape to the bottom.  Simple and super quick! (... I made 4 of these in under 20 minutes!)



Ribbon Carousel RCC75 - Holiday Spirit
Do You Stack Up #102 - Christmas
Willow Sketchie Challenge 13th Dec - quick and easy
All that Scraps - Clean and Simple
There she Goes TSG185 - Season of Giving
Stamptacular Sunday #193 - anything but a card
10 minute craft dash #8 - feature red (my tags averaged out at under 5 minutes each!)

Xmas Card #28

Whaddyathink?  Too much snow?!!  I've never made a shaker card before and think I got a tad carried away with my flowersoft LOL!  Looks like there's a bit of a snowdrift going on there!

Layout inspired by Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge
Simon Says Stamp - what's your favourite ..... my favourite winter effect - sparkle and snow!
Papertake Weekly - snow white
Penny's Paper-Crafty challenge #106 - use something new (my plastic shaker cover)
Lexi's Creations #80 - snow
Stampin for the Weekend #23 - Let it snow
Penny Black at Allsorts December challenge - it's your choice
The Stamp Man December challenge - in the bleak mid-winter

Xmas card #27

Yes, I confess, I got this stamp (from Little Claire Designs) because it had a Ruby-dog on it LOL!

I thought it looked a bit 'drab' after I took the pic, so I've since added some flower soft so that the doggies are standing in snow, and blinged up their collars and baubles.  Looks much more festive now!

Simon Says Stamp - Snowflakes
Little Claire monthly challenge #27 - Christmas
Natalie and Amy's challenge - Winter Wishes
The Ribbon Girl December challenge - Christmas
Sparkles Monthly challenge #38 - Christmas is coming
PaperPlay Challenges: 12/week 49 - Christmas is Coming

Birthday Buzz

Sorry I've been a bad blogger recently ... feelin the pressure of a crafty Christmas!!  Not long now till it's all over and normal service will hopefully be resumed!

This wee card uses some super-old DP and a stamp set from There She Goes.  Simple and quick, just the way I need them these days!!
Woodware flower punch and Memory Box corner die

Layout from The Craft's Meow December challenge
Tuesday Alchemy #44 - anything goes
Sweet Stampin - dies / punches

Xmas card #26

Christmas arrived today!  We got our tree and deccies up, and the weather's certainly cold enough too!
It's Movie Night, so no chat in me tonight.  Showing tonight is "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" ... it'll be my fault if its rubbish, though an hour or two looking at Ewen McGregor is never wasted!!!

Layout from MFT Wednesday sketch challenge MFTWSC101
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge #102 - reindeer
Totally PaperCrafts #146 - one for the boys
Crafts 4 Eternity R#101 - colour theme - red, brown, green, gold
Charisma cardz #48 - Christmas
CRAFT #184 - Christmas
Simon Says Stamp - snowflake
Top Tip Tuesday #91 - Christmas

CAS Christmas

Another super quick card (yes, it's the usual last minute Christmas rush for me!)  I used my washi tape again and die cut a star border, the bits that popped out of the middle of the border were used in the sky.
Image from CC Designs - coloured with promarkers and popped up on dimensionals.
Paper Smooches sentiment.
Dienamics Star border die

Layout from Clean&Simple 220
I love Promarkers #146 - anything goes
Creative Card Crew #25 - Star
Die-ing for a Challenge - Christmas

White and silver

I had a go at an all-white card and just embossed the BG with snowflakes and cut a few trees (Marianne die); silver stars from stash; knotted Tim Holtz silver tinsel ribbon; Paper Smooches sentiment.  Easy and quick!

Stamping Sensations December challenge - trees
Card Makin Mamas - silver and /or gold
Simon Says Stamp - snowflakes
Crafty Creations #199 - winter scene
Cupcake craft #221 - It'll be all white

Birthday Balloons

Just a quickie post ... I'm just about ready for bed but thought I'd get this post up so I don't have to do it tomorrow!
I'm still on a mission to get some cards made for pressies and thought I'd have a go at a male card using this super old balloon stamp (no idea of the make).  The cityscape is also an oldie from Hambo.  And I happened across this balloon themed DP in my stash, so coloured my image with promarkers to match.

Layout from Tuesday Morning sketches #175
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Passion for Promarkers - 'Happy' something
Creative Card Crew #25 - star (my die cut)
ABC Challenge - c for clear it out

Anything High Hopes!

It's a nice easy challenge this week at High Hopes ...

Anything High Hopes!

So no excuses not to get your High Hopes stamps out and play along for a chance to win a new stamp of your choice!

I bought this bottle for my friend's birthday, so thought I'd have a go at making a fancy bottle tag .... look at me, getting all adventurous in my old age :)
By the way, my friend loved her bottle tag and put in a request for 7 more of the same :o)

I've used Drink Lemonade (but I think my friend would much rather have a wee drink of vodka and coke LOL) and teamed it with the alphabet from Paper Smooches.
I've also another first for me on this tag ... washi tape.  I think I'm gonna need a whole pile more of these, I love it!!

Other challenges:
Tuesday Alchemy #43 - anything but a card
Casual Friday CFC80 - gift tag
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
The Corrosive challenge #163 - anything goes

Card for Will

I've loads to get made for Christmas pressies and still haven't finished my own cards yet, so when a friend asked me to make her a Birthday card it was almost the last straw.  So I thought I'd have a go at the 10 minute craft dash challenge.  I must confess though to having precut my papers and cut out my image before I got the stopwatch going.  Total time for stamping, colouring and sticking ... 9 minutes 56 seconds!!!  (most of that was colouring in time!)

Sentiment from Paper Smooches
Treasure Map and Peg Leg Pete from High Hopes.
Coloured with promarkers.

Colour combo from 10 minute craft dash #7
I love Promarkers #145 - anything goes
Sketch from i-spy ISSC44
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Fab'n'Funky #149 - 3 of something (3 gems / 3 stamps)

What's in the box??

Our new challenge at High Hopes this week is to make

A Gift Card Holder 

or Gift Box

If you've been over to their blog recently you'll see that Aaemie had a fab tutorial last week on how to make a treat box, and it's easy peasy (trust me, if I can make one, anyone can LOL!)
My box is slightly bigger, and I didn't have a piece of card big enough to make a flip lid like Aaemie's, so I just made a regular box.

My box uses Christmas Treat from High Hopes - coloured with copics and some fluffy stuff added as fur.  Marianne Design snowflake and poinsettia dies, Memory Box border.

And inside my box ....?

A set of cards as a pressie for my doggy-lovin friend.
BTW, the card at the top is another High Hopes stamp - Heidi and Mattie












Other challenges:

Layout inspired by Dawny's sketch at Simon Says Stamp
The Pink Elephant TPE176 - pretty packaging
Christmas Stampin' all Year Long CSAYL#37 - To Die for
Polka doodles #47 - any die will do
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challlenge #100 - for someone special
Lexi's Creations #79 - Christmas

Lil' Baby Card

Ohhhh brrr it's such a cold evening, the wind's straight from the North Pole!  Winter is most definitely on its way!  Even Ruby put an inch to her step on our walk this evening!

I'm needing to get a move on with my cards for a Chrissy pressie. I had planned to go much more 'pastel' with my wee Ellie, but about 3 different markers decided to run out while colouring this card, so darker it had to go!  Grrr.

Image: Wild Rose Studio
Paper Smooches Sentiment
Marianne Design heart die

• Layout inspired by Jen's Deconstructed Sketch #78 - though after about half an hour tootling round my house looking for something that was the perfect sized circle I gave up and went with a rectangle! :)
• Creative Card Crew #24 - anything goes
• Moving along with the times - Let's go dotty
• Joanna Sheen Challenges - anything goes excluding Christmas
• Pile it on #48 - anything but a Christmas card
• House of Gilli #46 - die cuts