Last Christmas cards of 2024

 Hi all!  I've been busy with all my Christmas cards, last minute as usual, but actually finished early this year (yesterday LOL).  Though that was probably mainly thanks to Canada's postal strike and me not sending any international mail! I'm looking forward to having a whole 2 weeks off work and getting some fun crafty time. I still have to upload mum's birthday card, but in the meantime I'd like to wish all my blog buddies a very happy and peaceful Christmas x

First up is Greg's card using this little Molly dog from Purple Onion Designs 🤣 - I made a few variations of this one but Greg's had extra heart shaped snow added! Coloured with polychromos, extra sparkle added to her hat and popped up with foam pads. Can't remember where I bought my tree dies. 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - use dies

As you like it - anything Christmasy (sorry couldn't get it to link to the direct post)

Snippets Playground #496 - my trees and snow layer were cut from the leftover card after cutting my square base.

ABC Christmas - Your favourite colours - I love red and green on a Christmas card! 

And next up is another that I made quite a few of, again using another Purple Onion Designs stamp.  The glitter card and chunky glitter in his hat make it a lovely sparkly one! 

Simon Says Stamp Monday - cold and frosty 

Moving Along with the Times #173 - snowman 

Word Art Wednesday #679/680 - anything goes

Christmas Kitties

 Hi all!  Gosh I can hardly believe it's already the end of November already, how did that happen!!! I really need to get a shift on with my Christmas cards, I am sooooo behind.  I've been shopping with Purple Onion Designs so hopefully that will gee me on! 

This one uses some die cut trees, white splatters to the background, some snowy sequins; image coloured with polychromos, popped up on foam pads and some sparkly glitter to the kitty's boots.

Simon Says Stamp Monday - trees

Fab'n Funky #605 - dies +/or punches

Addicted to Stamps #482 - Christmas 

Floral kitty

 Hi all.  I was very lucky to win a Simon Says Stamp challenge recently and this cutie from Purple Onion Designs was one of the goodies I chose.  I wanted to use some spotty paper but didn't have any so just used some plain yellow paper (not sure why it looks darker in the photo as its definitely bright yellow), my falling snow stencil and a white gel pen.  I haven't decided yet what sentiment to use on this, I might just keep it in my stash for whenever it's needed. 

My pink wellies and spotty yellow theme came from the current challenge over at Inspired By #286

As You Like It - clean or fussy.   I always love the look of cards with lots of layers and bits and bobs on them but find them impossible to make myself!  It took me many years when I was starting to make cards to figure this out and I now know what bits and bobs to buy that I will actually use! 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes 

Addicted to Stamps - 466 - make your mark

We've had a lovely run of dry-ish weather this past week, spring has most definitely sprung!  So nice as well not to have to dry Molly's wee short mucky legs after every walk LOL.  No photo of Molly this week, but here's one of the pretty primroses in our local park, there was loads of wild garlic too.

Alexandra's birthday card and some Drinkies

Well it's definitely a weekend for battening down the hatches!  We've Storm Ciara visiting and it's a bit wild outside, but a good evening for getting the heat on and your pencils out!

I was very lucky recently to win one of the challenges over at Simon Says Stamp and I got this little cutie (from Purple Onion Designs) with some of my $$$.  It's for my niece who turns 10 soon, she's not a girly-girl (more into her football!) so that's why there's no pink!
Coloured with polychromos and I added lots of sparkle to the dandelion (?) centre and to her dress ribbon and socks.  I added the sparkly heart as she's a Valentine's Day baby.

• Daisy Chain Challenge #38 - for the girls
• Stamping Sensations February - feminine
• Allsorts #558 - add a heart

For this one I've used an older MFT set - all coloured with polychromos and sparkle added to the drinks.  Gloss/glitter added to the edge of the fruit and the strawberry leaf.

I double mounted the sentiment, not something I do very often but it definitely made it pop a bit more.

• Layout inspired by Tuesday Morning Sketches #540
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned paper challenge #Feb 2020

Floral birthday

I'm hoping my local craft shop has finally got their white cardstock in, I'm so not loving kraft card as my base!
This floral image was one of my recent purchases from Clearly Besotted.  I might get my watercolours out for the next attempt, I think they would work well with this one.   I might go over my leaves again, they're a wee bit pale looking here - though the days are so dark and my photos are rubbish so it's hard to tell really!

• Penny Black and More December - flowers
• Make My Monday #112 - female birthday
• As You Like It - favourite die - mine's definitely this set of square dies from Elizabeth Craft Designs  - I like how alternate sizes have a different edging

And a final outing for my favourite snowman - apologies I've probably overused him on my blog this season!  I've my Mum's calendar pages all made in advance this year, so thought I might make some for my own desk in work.  I'd a couple of wee snippets of white sparkly card that were just too small to go back into my stash and were destined for the bin, so used them up here for snowflakes.  I also added in some clear gloss dots + glitter for sparkly falling snow and I've inked in some snowdrifts but they're not really showing up in my pic.  Bye bye snowdude! 

• Pixie's Snippets Challenge #368  (Di has some AMAZING giveaways going if you join in with this callenge!)
• Crative Inspirations #December - festive fun
• Sparkles Forum Challenge #123 - glitter and sparkle

Greg's Christmas card

So here we are at Christmas Eve again, it certainly doesn't seem like 12 months since the last time!!
As per usual, the last card of the season is for my beloved, and of course I've used my favourite snowdude again.  I've inked up the background and added some falling snow - no sign of it here though, I think it's giving a mostly dry today tomorrow so it will be nice to see how many kids be out on their new bikes and scooters.  There's definitely less every year, they're all indoors playing on their new phones or computer games!

Anyway, Merry Christmas to all my blogland buddies!  We'll be off down to Mum's as usual with the clan.  Diet starts in the New Year ;)

• Your Next Stamp #129 - my favourite product this year is this snowman stamp
• Dream Valley Challenges #215 - Christmas
• Cupcake Inspriations #485 - holidays
• Tuesday Morning Sketches #535 - anything goes

O Christmas Tree

So here's a wee quickie Christmas card ... well, when I say quick it took me a few evenings to finish but I was making a rake of these little cards for my workmates and had a great production line going.

I've used this sweet tree from Purple Onion - coloured with polychromos; sparkle and clear gloss added to the bow, and clear gloss and glitter added to the tree decorations.  Little gold star added to the top of the tree.
My local craft store didn't have any white card (gasp! panic!) so I had to use some kraft as my base.

• Addicted to CAS #174 - tree
• Simon Says Stamp Monday - stars
• Your Next Stamp #129 - favourite craft product from 2019 - mine has to be my polychromos that Santa kindly brought last year
• CAS on Friday #170 - Christmas

Thanks Teacher and Starry Snowdude

I've been such a bad blogger recently, we've been soooo busy in work this past while and I've had zero mojo and zero energy left!  I think we've turned the corner now till after Christmas (hopefully!) so I'll be making a better effort to visit all my buddies x

This first card is a special request for a friend who's son's teacher is leaving.  I've used this sweet little bear from Reverse Confetti - popped up on foam pads and sparkle added to the apples.

• Sweet Stampin - add a pop of red
• Word Art Wednesday #414-415 - anything goes
• Allsorts #547 - thank you
• Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday October - Autumn gratitude

Snowman time again!  This time I've tried to give him a night time sky - there's loads of little silver stars in here but they don't really show up well in my pic.

• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - starry starry night
• Cute Card Thursday #609 - winter
• CHNC #465 - any Christmas
• Penny Black and More November - Christmas

#thedailymarker30day

Snowdude in red, and purple roses for Sandra and Priscilla

Hmmm I think I either need to clean my camera lens or clean my glasses, one of the two or possibly both!!  I don't think these pics are as clear as they should be.  Though my specs permanently need cleaned so there's no change there then ;)

It's been a brrr chilly weekend, perfect weather for cracking on with my Christmas cards :)  Though for a change I have a stash already made, usually I'm verging on the panic mode by now!

You'll all be tired of looking at this season's favourite snowman soon - from Purple Onion Designs.  coloured with polychromos, gloss/glitter added to his nose, and sparkle to his scarf and pocket.  Sentiment cut from glitter card.

• Layout from CAS(e) This Sketch #348
• As You Like It - cute or traditional Christmas - well 99% of my cards are 'cute' so it's almost a given that my Christmas cards will be too! 
• Time Out #148 - I was inspired by the pic to use the red gingham and a hint of green
• Christmas Crafts all Year Round November - winter clothing
• Christmas Kickstart #23 - snow

This one I'm just adding for my records but not entering into any challenges as it's 100% inspired by Milla's beautiful card over at The Flower Challenge

I liked it so much that I made one for my friend and then duplicated another for my Aunt!

I've used these roses from Clearly Besotted - coloured with polychromos and popped up on foam pads.  My dotty die is an oldie but I'm not sure who from, possibly Taylored Expressions.


#thedailymarker30day

Big yellow truck and a snow dude

Ha, I remember the good old days when I used to come up with witty post titles, now it's just straight in with no messing about ;)

I've been struggling with my mojo recently but Marina's lovely book cover over at the Library Challenge #45 was just what I needed to get me going again.

I've used my old truck set from Stampin Up - I remember when I bought this I wasn't sure if I'd ever use it or not, but it's turned out to be one of my most inked stamps!
Coloured with polychromos, clear gloss added to the windows and chrome work, and then popped up on foam pads.  I've also used a little plane die from Gummiapan that I bought in the sale ages ago and hadn't tried till now.

• Word Art Wednesday #410/411 - anything goes
• Crafty Catz #480 - anything goes

And here's this season's snow dude again - coloured with polychromos, sparkle added to his scarf and pocket, clear gloss/glitter to his nose, and then popped up on foam pads.

• Layout from MFT Wednesday Sketch challenge #460
• Cute Card Thursday #605 - sparkles
• CHNC #461 - Christmas + make your own background

Apologies for the rubbish photos, we're back into the dark nights again :(  It always takes me a week or two to adjust to the clock change!  We'd the most gorgeous sunny autumn day - we were down in our local park this morning and it looked like the world and his wife had the same idea!  I don't think I've ever seen it so busy!

Snowman and a tipsy penguin

Say Hello to my new favourite snowman!   I'd been watching out for something to use for my unmounted stamps on my stamping platform, so when I spied this one at Purple Onion Designs I couldn't resist adding the Jolly Snowman to my basket too!

Coloured with polychromos - clear gloss/glitter added to his nose and I also went over his scarf/pocket with my clear glitter pen so it's all nice and sparkly.  White enamel dots for falling snow.

• The cover of the book at the Library Challenge inspired my blue background and outstretched arms image
• ABC Christmas - S is for Sparkle
• Your Next Stamp Fun Friday - just for fun
• As You Like It - Santa or no Santa - I don't have very many Santas in my stash, and I definitely have waaaay more snowmen.  

This one uses the little penguin and drink/flower from an older MFT set along with their Cheers die.  Coloured with a mixture of watercolour pencils and polychromos.  I added some sparkle to the drinks, clear gems and some white enamel dots.

• MFT Superstar Contest - I'm entering this into the Clean and Simple category
• Layout from Freshly Made Sketches #403

In a CAS mood

We've had the most glorious sunny summer's day today, and I was totally self indulgent and just chillaxed all day, read my book and did a wee bit of colouring :)  I'm still in search of my Mojo, so just kept it nice and simple.

I coloured my little bunny from Purple Onion Designs with my polychromos and popped him up on foam pads.  I scored a few lines in the background and added a few little silver stars.

• Papercraft Challenge #40 - stars
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - stars and/or stripes
• Tuesday Throwdown #435 - anything goes
• AAA cards #144 - maxi white space
  

And here's Mum's calendar page for the month, just a tad late! 

I've used this old Wild Rose Studio stamp that I bought a long time ago and I don't believe I've ever inked it up!  

I was happy with how the colouring on my skirt turned out with the folds, but I've no idea how I actually managed it, bit of a happy accident that!

• Time Out #139 - inspired by words - I chose the 'flowers' 
• Watercooler Wednesday WWC228 - feminine
• Penny's challenge #437 - anything goes

New goodies

I've been led astray yet again by my bloggy buddy DottyJo.  You'd think I'd have developed a bit of willpower by now! Ha!   If you've more resistance than me you should pop over to see her fab creations :)

So the object of my desires was this little dude she had used from Purple Onion Designs.  I've coloured him with polychromo pencils and added a bit of sparkle to his bauble and the snow.  Paper Smooches snowflake dies; not sure of the make of the sentiment.

• Layout from CAS(e) This Sketch #322
• Crafting by Designs May - anything goes
• Christmas with the Cuties #26 - feature a creature

And this sweet little tree was my other purchase, I fear there may be others when my crafting budget recovers, I've been a bit spend-happy recently haha.  

The very first, and only, real Christmas tree me and Greg had was a bit like this!  We only had a little apartment and the space for the tree had a sloping roof, so we had to cut a whack off the bottom and then some off the top too to get it wedged in.  And then after Christmas I dragged it down 4 or 5 flights of stairs and then dragged the hoover down to vacuum up all the pine needles!!  I bought a fake tree after that LOL

• Addicted to CAS #159 - horizon
• Creative Knockouts #298 - fave embellishment - mine's definitely gemstones, I've used a load of little tiny ones on my tree
• Addicted to Stamps #341 - anything goes