Snowman Thanks

I had a lovely surprise today to receive this super cute MFT snow globe die set from a crafty friend :)   So of course I had to have a wee play this evening and thought the first card I made should be for her.  I'm hoping she doesn't read my blog!!

They're a wee bit fiddly to use, but I recon if you did a mass die cut of loads of snowmen, loads of arms, etc they'd be great for batch making as they're quick enough to put together.

We're expecting a visit from Storm Dylan tonight, though I think after all the excitement about our 'hurricane' non-event a month or two ago we're all just a bit yeah yeah whatever ;)

• Simon Says Stamp - Work it Wednesday - December
• CASology #280 - kindness
• Tuesday Morning Sketches #424 - anything goes

Get Well and a New Home

Oh Brrrrr it's been such a cold day today and there's a hard freeze on out there this eve, I've got my cosy Xmas PJs on but reckon I need to hit the Sales for some new cosy slippers as my feet are freezing!  I shouldn't complain though when you look at the snow across the pond in America and Canada!

For my get well card I've used this sweet little piggy and fab sentiment from MFT.  No colouring on this card, I paper pieced the little pink guy and gave him some googly eyes.

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch Club MFTWSC365
• That's Crafty - anything goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes

And here's another CAS card, again with no colouring (unless you count colouring my pink fence and heart with my glitter pen!) 

Stamps from an old Taylored Expressions set.  Central panel popped up on foam pads.

• Penny Black and More December - CAS
• Sugar Pea Designs Mix it Up SPDMIU38 - anything goes
• AAA Cards #105 - sparkle

Floral Thanks

Well that's Christmas done and dusted for another year!  We had a lovely day down in Mums with all the family, a great feast too, I feel like I'll not need to eat again for a fortnight!  Though there is a bag of choccies in the cupboard that's calling me ... ;)

I'm off work now till next Wednesday and I've no cards left in my stash, so I'm hoping to get a few made this week.

This one uses an oldie from LOTV - coloured with watercolour pencils.

• Sketch from Less Is More #360/361 - though it's probably not CAS any more with all that snazzy DP!
• Die Cuttin Divas #349 - thank you
• Cute Card Thursday #509 - anything goes
• That's Crafty - anything goes

And here's a wee pic of Ruby in her Santa scarf - a gift from her doggy cousin ;)  It's a bit blurry as she scarpers when she sees the camera coming - I think the flash went off in her eyes once and she's been scared of it ever since! 

Some Kitties and Mum's Birthday card

Yippeee I'm finally finished my Christmas cards!  And, for a change, ahead of schedule!  I'm still usually covered in glitter on Christmas Eve ;)

This kittie card uses an oldie from Eat Cake Graphics - Kitties in the window
Coloured with watercolour pencils and popped up on foam pads.
Background stencil from MFT (I think)

• Layout from Splitcoaststampers SC675
• Fab'n Funky #375 - anything but Christmas
• Penny Black and More December - CAS

And this is Mum's birthday card, bit close to the wire with this one, her birthday's tomorrow!!  I kept waiting for inspiration and then had to just get stuck in! 

I've used this oldie from Art Gone Wild - coloured with watercolour pencils and then the flower in the bottom corner popped up on dimensionals.

Golden stickles added to the flower centres.

• Time Out #98 - I used the red/green theme from the photo
• Stamping Sensations December - winter flowers
• Sugar Pea Designs SPDMIU38 - anything goes
• Word Art Wednesday #312/313 - anything goes
• Addicted to Stamps #272 - make your mark

Naughty or Nice reminder - seeing double

We've gone festive over at Naughty or Nice and all you have to do is make a holiday card with a sentiment.  There's a prize up for grabs from Bugaboo - hope you'll play along too.

It's my last Christmas card of the season (hopefully!) and, as usual, it's Greg's one!  I've used little Snowy again - it definitely makes it easier for next year that I know everyone got this image and I'll know not to use it again for their cards.

I masked off Snowy and then stamped it again to make a 'Mrs'.  Awwwww ;)

Coloured with watercolour pencils and then I added some sparkle to their hats and scarves, and then clear gloss and glitter to the trims.  My pretty Stampin' Up DPs and fabric embellishments were from a candy win.  Little silver stars from stash.

• That's Crafty - tis the season
• Simon Says Stamp Monday - Christmas
• Pixies Sippets Playground #311/312
• Word Art Wednesday #312/313 - aything goes
• Happy Little Stampers December anything goes with dies
• Cute Card Thursday #505 - festive colours

Decapitated Santas and a Weirdo ;)

Brrr and Brrr again!  We'd a fall of snow on Friday which Rubydoo LOVES!  Personally I can't see the attraction of sticking my head in the snow!!  It sticks to her like snowballs, so it's no fun for either of us trying to dry her off every time she comes in!

It's been such a cold day (due to go to minus 9 tonight) that it most definitely was not an outdoor day for me, but I'd loads still to make for Christmas so I was more than happy to stay indoors nice and toasty.

First up is a few of the cards I've made for my workmates - super CAS and kinda all the same but a bit different and all really quick to make as it's the same basic recpie.  I fell in love with Sarah's Santa from Swedish House Crafts on this fab card, and of course, accidentally went shopping myself ;)  Thanks Sarah for the early Christmas pressie from me to me!! :)

For my snowy effect on the coloured card, I splattered the BG with white paint and then added extra snow with white enamel dots.  There's lots of sparkle on these cards - on some I've coloured Santa's beard with my clear sparkle pen, on others I've added clear gloss and glitter to the hat/bauble, and on them all, a big sparkly red nose!.

• Cuttlebug Mania - let it snow
• Word Art Wednesday #312/313 - anything goes
• AAA #105 - sparkle
• Addicted to CAS #126 - sparkle
• Penny Black and More December - CAS

I feel like I've been making Christmas cards for weeks, so it was a nice change to some more of my new Gummiapan stamps from Swedish House Crafts.  Don't ya love him!!
I added googly eyes, and clear gloss to his teeth, eyes and balloon.  Little silver stars fom stash.  My lovely Stampin Up gingham DP was a recent candy win :)

• Die Cuttin Divas #346 - choice of sketch - I used June's 
• Happy Little Stampers December - anything goes with dies
• Sugar Pea Designs SPDMIU38 - anything goes
• Addicted to Stamps #271 - anything goes

Snowy and Watson

Just a quickie post tonight - Blue Planet the all time best programme EVER is on telly.  Nature really is amazing!

Anyway, first up is my December calendar page using little Snowy again.  The little stack of snowballs is an oldie from Stampin Up.  I inked in some snow drifts but it doesn't show up great in my pic.  Little red stars from stash, I used one for the 25th too.

• Simon Says Stamp Monday - star
• Word Art Wednesday #310/311 - anything goes
• Crafty Catz #395 - anything goes
• Penny Black Saturday December - winter

I was on the High Hopes Stamps DT for a few years, so it was a pleasure to see that Donna is this week's featured stamper over at Splitcoast.  I was inspired by this card - it's always good to get good old Watson out for an inking! 

I added some sparkle to my flower and clear gloss to his nose, and then just a few enamel dots to finish.

• Crafty Cardmakers #201 - animal magic
• Penny's challenge #357 - anything goes
• 
  

Naughty or Nice - Season's Greetings

Ooops just a bit late for the  start of the new Naughty or Nice challenge!  Bad me!  Amyway, this month's challenge is a nice easy one for this time of year - to make a holiday card with a sentiment.  There's a prize up for grabs too from the fab Bugaboo!  Hope you'll play along too :)

My card is for a doggy-loving friend for Christmas.

I've used an oldie from LOTV and added some stencilling on the background.  Clear gloss and glitter added to his party hat, and my new sparkle pen over the green pressie and holly.

• My general card design was inspired by Cornelia's lovely card over at Muse Christmas Visions #90
• As You Like It - favourite animal - well you only have to look at my blog too see my favourite animal is our wee Ruby!
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
• Crafty Creations #355 - anything goes
• Fab'n Funky #373 - Christmas

Rediscovered Stampin Up goodies!

Just a quickie post tonight ... Peaky Blinders is on the telly, one of the very few programmes I sit down to watch properly!

This one is inspired by Kimberly's card over at the Muse challenge.  I've used an oldie Stampin Up image - coloured with watercolour pencils.  Clear gloss added to the windows and little mini gems to the flower centres.  The dotty line is a silver pen which I also used to colour the wheel hubs.

• Muse Challenge #244
• That's Crafty - green as main colour
• Seize the Birthday - monochromatic

This one uses the never-ending pink DP from the stack I bought from The Range ages ago!  

My image is also a Stampin Up that I came across when I was looking for the truck stamp.

Coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss/glitter added to the candles.

• Layout is from last week's sketch at Splitcoaststampers
• Simon Says Stamp Monday - star light star bright
• Polkadoodles #47 - anything goes

Girly Birthday and a Get Well Soon

More cards from me this evening - I need to make a rake of them as my stash is nearly empty and I usually give some of my cards as Christmas pressies.  So I really need to get a move on!

This first one uses an old and rarely inked stamp from Saturated Canary.  I watercoloured my brick wall stencil on the BG, added a silver die cut and some bling, and popped my little lady up on foam pads.
Clear gloss added to her eyes and lips.

• Layout from Freshly Made Sketches #314
• Crafty Creations #355 - anything goes
• Word Art Wednesday #310/311 - anything goes

This one uses a well-inked stamp from Whipper Snapper - I LOVE their stamps, but any time I order I get hammered by our Customs charges.  I must have a wee peep in the new year at ebay ;)

Coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss added to the blooms.

Don't think I'm really lovin this one, reckon lack of mojo is showing through on it!

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch Club #360
• Penny's challenge #356 - anything goes
• Colour theme from CAS Colours and Sketches #25

Cards for Sandra and Emily

Oh Brrr and Brr again!  It's been a chilly old day today, such a cold wind and sleety showers.  Definitely an indoors type of day! Even Rubydoo has thought better of her usual barking spot at the back gate and has been snuggled up on the sofa most of the day!

My mojo is still misbehaving big time :(
It's a struggle to sit down and make a card and then even the simplest one takes forever to put together!  But I had a couple of special orders, so no excuses, get on with it!  I do like how they turned out though :)

This first card uses an oldie from Lili of the Valley.  Coloured with watercolour pencils and silver die cuts added.

• Layout / dotty DP theme taken from Kim's beautiful card over at the Muse Challenge #243
• Craftaholics R Us #46 - girly
• Through the Craft Room Door - anything goes

This one's for a friend in work, this LOTV stamp has turned out to be a great buy!   Again coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss added to the petals.

• Layout from Sugar Pea Designs Mix It  Up # 37
• Crafty Calendar November - Autumn colours
• Addicted to Stamps #269 - CAS
• Less is More #356 - let it shine

Santa and a Get Well Doggy

Christmas is ripping towards us at breakneck speed!  I bought my first Christmas pressie today, need to get a move on with the rest!!  Wouldn't it be great if the adults could write a letter to Santa too and just have the requested items delivered!  Though I guess that's also known as Amazon LOL ;)

This card was inspired by Susan's fab card over at Less is more.  I've used last year's stamps from MFT - coloured with watercolour pencils and Santa fussy cut and popped up on foam pads.

• Less is More #355
• Addicted to Stamps #268 - holiday
• As you like it - fave Christmas colour - I'm a traditional girl at Christmas and love all the reds, blues and greens.
• Moving along with the Times #58 - trees
• CRAFT #442 - Christmas

This one's for my stash. I used an old mini embossing folder and I've just noticed that I missed a bit down the left hand side.  But sure if I hadn't told you, you maybe wouldn't have noticed ;)

Image is an oldie from Penny Black, coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss added to the little bee's wings.

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - furry friends
• Craftaholics #45 - masculine
• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch club #359
• Word Art Wednesday #308/309 - anything goes

Naughty or Nice Wintery Scenes

We're making Wintery scenes at Naughty or Nice this month, hope you'll play along too!  Pop over to the blog to upload your card and to see what the Troublemakers have been up to!

I make no apologies for using my Snowy again!  Lovin him!
I couldn't get my snowdrifts inked up right - this is effort #3 and still doesn't look great.  I think I should have been braver and added more ink!  I'll have to go Googling and find a tutorial!  Don't know why I bothered as I managed to cover most of it up anyway ;)
I did give myself bonus points though for using my ooold tree die from Marianne Design that I just had to have (and have hardly used!)
Clear gloss and glitter added to his hat, and white and blue splatters for added effect. I fussy cut my snowman, then popped up on foam pads.

• Cardz 4 Guyz #182 - Oh Christmas Tree!
• Cuttlebug Mania - masculine
• CAS mix up November - stamping + glitter + glossy accents
• Happy Little Stampers November anything goes with dies
• Daisy Chain #14 - Christmas/Winter
• 613 Avenue Create - 203 - anything goes / 3D

Aunt Cilla's birthday card

Yummmmm I'm just watching Nigella making her carrot cake on telly and I'm nearly drooling! Her recipies always sound delish, but she's hard to stick - all that smiling at her cake mix and making eyes at the camera does my head in!!

My cupboard is bare of goodies of the chocolate coated kind, so here's a calorie-free card instead ;)
I thought I was tighter for space than I actually was, I wish I'd left a wee bit more space at the top of my sentiment.
Bunny from LOTV - coloured with watercolour pencils and clear gloss added too the blooms.  Lawn Fawn stitched cloud die.  Gold peel off lines.

• Layout from CAS(E) this Sketch #247
• Penny Black and More November - flower power
• Crafty Creations #354 - anything goes
• Simon Says Stamp Monday - its a stitch up
• As You Like It - Christmas or not - that's a hard one!  I've started using a limited number of Christmas stamps each year so that I don't send the same card every year, so I guess I'd pick 'not' simply for the variety! 

Sympathy card and a baby bunny

Oh Brrrr it's a cold one tonight, but we've the heat on, cosy PJs and cuppa tea at the ready so all is good :)
Not sure what DH has on the Movie menu tonight, we haven't watched anything good for ages!

I'd a bit of a disaster making this sympathy card - I'd rescued my sparkle pen from the bin, and then as soon as I opened the lid a huge drop splodged over my sentiment.  Aarrrgghhh. So it took ages trying to see if I could get rid of it (nope, just made a bigger mess!) and then had to figure out a cover up. I'd no blue card left so ended up doing a contrast effort with this lilac trim.  Needless to say the pen is back in the bin and it's staying there!!

• The Flower Challenge #14 - CAS
  
• Always Fun #31 - watercolour
• Through the Craftroom Door - anything goes

I'm still struggling with my mojo, and this wee baby card is the first card I've made in a long time that I've liked!!  

It still took ages to make though, I'd cut my polka dot DP too short and the dimensions weren't right, so I added the extra strip and it looked much better.  Why did such a simple solution take so long too come to?!!!

Stamps from MFT, also MFT porthole die.

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge #358
• Addicted to Stamps #267 - make your mark
• Sweet Stampin - babies
• Word Art Wednesday #308/309 - anything goes

Card for Uncle Alwin and a thank you

We'd a day of all weather today, mad showers this morning and then a gorgeous sunny afternoon and now it's Brrrr chilly.  Def cosy PJs weather!
We were out for lunch today (and were still full at tea time!), so we'd no faffing about cooking, and I'd plenty of time to get crafty :)

This one's for my 87 year old uncle - I'd no idea what to put on his card so went for something daft and cheerful!
My fishies are from Avery Elle - coloured with watercolour pencils and a couple popped up on foam pads.  Clear gloss added to their eyes and sparkle to their fins, though my sparkle pen has developed a leak and totally wrecked another card I was making so it's in the bin now :(

• Layout from Tuesday Morning Sketches #427
• Simon Says Stamp Monday - all creatures great or small
• Crafting by Designs - November anything goes

There's a few Thank you challenges about, so this wee quickie is one for my stash.

I've used this cute mouse from Penny Black - sparkle added to the feather and clear gloss to the inkpot.

Little blue stars from stash.  MFT Star Die.  

• Layout from Sketch Saturday #488
• Allsorts #440 - blue and brown 
• Cuttlebug Mania - Thanks 
• Penny Black Saturday November - thank you
• Pile it on #136 - large sentiment