CHRISTMAS BREAK!

Whoopie ... I've taken a day off making a Christmas card.

It's a treble challenge trio for me and I think both the sketch and colours would have made a fun Christmas card but when a birthday card is needed ... a birthday card IS needed!

So here's my card to enter the challenges at CAS(E) This Sketch, Dynamic Duos and CAS-ual Fridays where '8' is the theme so I've stamped 8, multi-coloured rows, using Uniko Studio Background Builders - Circles and 8 sparkling gems from my stash. The flowers and sentiment are another Uniko Studio set; Flower Power 2.

I hope to be back with another post tomorrow in between birthday celebrations for my biggest baby who will be 18 tomorrow! I don't know where the years have gone since he was a tiny bundle of cuteness and definitely feeling my age now!!!

STARS AND STRIPES

Hey it's cold today and I'm not one for feeling the cold - especially at work but the old fan heater had to come out of its box today! I guess it's just a a sign of December approaching.

Anyway I've a quick double challenge post for today then I'm off to make tea.

I'm entering my card into the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge along with Uniko Studio's monthly challenge of 'Winter Holidays'. I've used a brand new stamp set, for me, (Background Builders - Christmas) from Uniko Studio which I won on a recent blog hop and I'm thrilled to bits with it. I've used Sizzix Star Framelits with gems from my stash to complete the look.

Oh almost forgot - I couldn't resist posting this over at Pixies Snippet Playground especially as there's such a superb prize this week and next week and I did delve in the snippets box to make those stars!

                                                                  

That's all for me today so enjoy your evening and catch you soon.

CHRISTMAS BIRDIES - TAKE 2

As promised here's my second card for the Less is More, Christmas Bird challenge.

I've used a pre-coloured digi stamp from Pink Gem Designs, the same snowflake border from Uniko Studio as in my previous card with a sentiment from the Stunning Snowflakes Stamp set also from Uniko.

Just for a little added dimension I've used some fluffy stuff and glamour dust to the sign post and bob hats plus some pink twine from my stash. Not exactly traditional Christmas colours but I'm actually getting a bit bored of all the red and green so nice to have a change.

May catch you later if I manage to get anything else finished in time but if not enjoy the rest of your day and have a good week.

CHRISTMAS BIRDIES

Happy Sunday

Hope you are all keeping warm and well. This month seems to be slipping away all too quickly and I'm not sure how much time I'm going to have for crafting / blogging in the next couple of weeks so apologies in advance if I don't get to commenting on your wonderful creations. I'll do my best.

So I've made 2 cards today, both with the Less is More Challenge in mind, with the theme being 'Christmas Cards - with a bird.' Here's the first one which I'm also going to combine with this weeks ColourQ Challenge.

I've raided the snippets box for this card so you know what that means! Yep I'm heading over to Pixies Snippet Playground with my card too. If you don't visit the Playground Challenge already then it's a must this week; not only is the prize made up of some wonderful Christmas dies but they are celebrating 100 weeks with some special goodies on offer over the next 2 weeks.

Finally, last but by no means least I've used the beautiful stamp set 'Peace on Earth' from Uniko Studio plus the snowflake border stamp from Christmas Background Builders so a fourth challenge with one card (don't you just love it when that happens) to enter the Winter Holidays challenge over at Uniko Studio.

The images and sentiment are both from Uniko and I couldn't resist adding some glamour dust to my beautiful doves. Then I've added pearls, gems and twine from my stash in the hope that I comply with the colour combo.

I'll be back in a minute with my second card for Less is More.


  

TOY SOLDIERS

Hello all, back again with a mega quick post as I'm off for tea in a minute and to catch up on Strictly ...

This week I treated myself to the brand new Christmas papers from Pink Petticoat and couldn't wait to put them into use. I lurvvvve this Toy Soldier paper and the other designs too but this one was first up for a play and I've used this week's sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

Card Recipe:

Image: Christmas Wreath & Bow from Signature Christmas Stamp & Dies set from Clearly Besotted
Papers & Sentiment: Pink Petticoat
Twine and gems from my stash



Enjoy your evening and catch you all tomorrow.

A SPARKLING GEM OF A CHALLENGE

I'm bursting with excitement this morning crafters!!! WHY? 

This is my first GDT for A Gem of A Challenge - whoopie! When Mandy asked me to guest design for the challenge I was thrilled to bits and being close to the festive season I couldn't resist using this adorable image 'Mistletoe Kisses'. Aren't they just so cute wrapped up and snug.

Now if you follow my blog regularly you'll know I'm not keen on colouring - well I don't mind colouring it's all that blending and shading that bothers me BUT the beauty of Pink Gem Designs is you don't have to. You receive their images as a black outline and also pre-coloured, so job done.

I've used a pearlised card blank overlaid with a sheet of snow-patterned acetate for extra shine and to set the scene. I've added 2 Memory Box dies: the Country Landscape and the 'Happy' script. The word Christmas is a Pink Petticoat downloaded sentiment. 

I love my glamour dust so added some to the trees and little houses to make them shimmer and sparkle in the night sky plus a little drizzle on the penguins' bob hats finishing off with a piece of ribbon and metallic cord from my stash.

Hope you like it and please pop over to the other talented designers for some more inspiration.

CRAFTY TUESDAY

That's right I don't normally get to craft on a Tuesday with working but I've swapped a day this week and working Friday instead

On the plus side it felt like I had a bonus craft session today so here's my card entry for the joint CAS-ual Fridays and Curtain Call Challenges. I've got to admit that having seen lots of the Curtain Call inspirational photos, I've never sat down and entered their competition but the crisp weather today got me in the mood for a wintery Christmas tree. AND having used Clearly Besotted stamps for my card I'm going to be cheeky and pop another entry into their Christmas Challenge too.

I'm trying out a brand new challenge, for me this week, at Merry Monday and as the theme is 'Trees with Bling' I simply couldn't resist!

The Image & Sentiment are from the Clearly Besotted range - Autumn Flowers & Pretty Poinsettias stamps. Not sure if you can see from the photo but I've smeared fluffy stuff onto the 'branches' then heat embossed it to give a snowy impression. The 'baubles are some flower sprinkles from my stash with brads in the centre. I've also added some silver gems as sparkly lights.

   



Here's a second card which I couldn't decide whether to post or not but here goes - it's another entry from me to the Less is More challenge (using DP in a CAS way).

The design paper, ribbon and gems are from my stash, the sentiment is from Uniko Studio and I've used an MFT Die-namics sentiment strip for the greeting with a Cuttlebug swirly embossing folder.

Thank you for all your get well messages - my cough and cold seem to be clearing up so it's back to work tomorrow. Enjoy your evening.

DESIGNER LEAVES

I've been working from home today as I'm still coughing and spluttering so rather than spread my germs at the office I kept myself to myself. No time for crafting though so I've just finished off a card I started yesterday which is to enter the Less is More Challenge where the theme is 'use DP in a CAS way' and the Paper Players Challenge where the theme is 'Leaves.'

Not sure if my card is entirely CAS because I can't help myself with a bit of bling! On the plus side my DP does have a beautiful leaf design so hoping it'll slot in nicely with the Paper Players.

And as it's made up of plenty of odds and sods of papers I'm heading down to Pixies Playground for a turn on the swings and to show my card to my friends there too. In fact I've had this paper for so long I'm surprised it's not gone yellow! It's one of those buys where it ends up in your basket at the checkout and you've no idea how it landed there!!!! Then when you get it home you can't stop touching and admiring it to the point that it's simply toooooo gorgeous to part with even a little snippet on a card!

Anyway the day has come to 'cut' into it! My card is going to my friend's mum who has been in hospital for 3 weeks so hoping she'll love it.



Card Recipe:

Butterflies: Stamps & Dies from Clearly Besotted
Papers: The Paper Mill Shop & Pink Petticoat
Sentiment: Sorry unknown FREEBIE
Sparkling brad from Stampin Up and gems from my stash


Right off to catch up on some TV and chill time and may tootle around your blogs too.