WHOOPIE ... 2014 IS HERE!

Firstly Happy New Year and apologies for my lack of cards and responses to your thoughtful wishes but the festivities just got in the way along with a stinking collection of germs that zapped my energy and mojo for most of it! Unfortunately my mojo is still hiding somewhere.  I've put all the Christmas deccies away and admired my new crafty stuff from Santa and nothing seems to have spurred me into action!

Anyway I decided to whip round the challenge sites and see what I could muster so here's a couple of cards I made yesterday and I've been waiting for some decent daylight to take pictures.

Fortunately I do need a couple of cards for January so here goes with the first one and it's to enter the CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge, Color Throwdown and CASology where the theme is 'Party!

This used Clearly Besotted It's Your Birthday Die Collection and Stamp Set, MFT Die-namics Basic Chevrons and Josy Rose Nail Heads and Stars. The glitter card is from Dovecrafts.

      

Next up is a card for one of my son's friend and I'm hoping his mum (one of my best friends) isn't searching my blog too carefully as his birthday isn't for a couple of weeks.  Think I may have a few 18th and 16th birthday cards this year as my kids have just passed these milestones too.

So my card is to enter another couple of challenges: Colour Q, Freshly Made Sketches and Seize the Birthday where the theme is 'Numbers'

Card Recipe:

Image: Pre-purchased Die-cut numbers which I've had for years
Papers: All Pink Petticoat
Glitter Paper: Dovecraft
Sentiment: Clearly Besotted - New Home Stamp Set
Josy Rose Nail heads

      

That's all for me today but hope I might get down to some more crafting this afternoon as I've so many new bits and bobs that I can't wait to play with but the imagination is on a go slow. Thankfully your fabulous blogs have lots of inspiration.

Thanks for popping along today and hopefully I'll not be AWOL for so long again.

TIME TO CELEBRATE

Hello BLOG pals ... Sorry no card today :-(

I was hoping to have some crafty time to post a card wishing you all a fun and happy festive time but time has run away with me and still lots to do.

I've thoroughly enjoyed my first 8 months of blogging and can't thank you all enough for your amazing comments, magnificent talent and inspiration. I couldn't have done it without you.

So time to celebrate and enjoy with friends and family wherever you are.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS
Best wishes

IT'S A LILI OF THE VALLEY FAMILY CHRISTMAS

I'm just dashing in again with a very quick multi post to enter a few more challenges. Then I'm going to certainly be hanging up my scissors and card before my cheeky niece lands here!

All my Christmas stash was safely away for next year when I realised I'd not made cards for Mr Dazzle and the mini dazzles! How could I forget them!

Anyway it's pre-coloured Lili Of the Valley Art pads all round; unbelievably I bought these as soon as they were released in the Summer and forgot all about them, so here goes:

First up for our Daughter and this one is to enter the Sketch Saturday Challenge where it's a pick your own sketch from the fabulous catalogue of sketches. I've used 237. My card is heading over to Pixies Snippet Playground too as I think I'll be missing out next week.

The papers are from Pink Petticoat and I've used sparkly glitter paper, gems and twine from my stash plus a good old dousing of glamour dust ... I mean it is Christmas so added sparkle is essential!

Next up for our Son, this time to enter the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge and I've added Fluffy Stuff covered with glamour dust. I was hoping my 'banner' type elements would look like skis covered in snow but not sure it's worked. Hopefully he'll like it with our little dog running along beside him.


                           




AND last but not least for Mr Dazzle ... this reminds me of our Christmas decorating session at the weekend so the image seemed quite appropriate. Seize the Sketch Challenge is where this one is heading and I've used die-cut sparkly hearts for my 'bunting' rather than flags.

So enjoy the rest of your evening. Hopefully I'll get a minute to check out your blogs in the next few days but if not please accept my apologies in advance - nieces are such hard work!!!

DASHING THROUGH THE ... RAIN!

Happy Sunday evening all and sorry I've been missing again ... I'm afraid it's just that time of year and it gets mega hectic.  I've 3 more days in work this week then by beautiful little 2 year old niece is coming to stay for 5 days with her Mum and Dad. They are Actors so I'm being Auntie Sazzle for a few days while it's Pantotime!

I imagine this will be one of my last posts before Christmas as I'm pretty confident my little niece won't want to sit quietly while I create!!!!

Anyway onto my card for today which is a combined challenge entry for Color Throwdown and CAS(E) This Sketch.

AND what a change - no Christmas colours or sentiment! That's all been put away for next year and I need a birthday card for straight after Christmas so here it is. YIKES just remembered another one I need - my daughter is 16 on New Years Day so will have to get my thinking cap out for that one!!!

I've used my Memory Box Piestra Tile die with Beautiful Blooms stamps from Uniko Studio. I'm trying out some new chalk inks from Versamagic and loving them. The card blank is smoky grey but not really showing up in the picture too well. I've added a couple of gems and nail heads plus bakers twine from my stash.

Right that's all for me today - Off to watch Homeland.

Catch you soon.



  

MORE SNOWFLAKES!

Back again and this time it's to enter a card into the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.

Again I've used the Uniko Studio Snowflake Stamp set; certainly getting my money's worth out of this one today! The 'Joyeux Noel' sentiment is also Uniko Studio but this time from the Peace on Earth Set.

I've used my new spots and dots embossing folder for the bottom half of my panel, twine, gems and strips of card from my stash. There's all sorts of odds and ends used in making this card so I'm heading over to Pixies Playground Snippet Challenge too.

Right that's all for me today; can't promise when I'll be able to post a card this week but will keep trying to fit in visiting your blogs.

Take care and enjoy your evening.

OVERBOARD ON SNOWFLAKES TODAY!

First of all apologies for not visiting blogs, posting blogs or generally crafting this week!

The reason XMAS! Yep it's catching up with me and I'm NOT ready for it. So in between working I've been doing crazy shopping, writing cards ... until I ran out!!!! Grrrr! Wrapping up, tag making, more tag making and obviously now need just a few more Christmas cards!

So that's what I've been doing today. It's now that I realise no matter how prettily embellished my cards may be when it comes down to the good old postage rates drastic action is needed and it's really not my style but one must adapt!!!

First up is my entry to Less is More where the theme this week is Metallic and a Colour. Delving in my 'ancient' stash I found a metal snowflake, wire and brad so my colour ended up being silver. Not really sure about my wire but just wanted to have a go with it!

'Snowflakes' is the the codeword at Addicted to CAS this week so I'm going to enter my card there too.

Card Recipe:

Snowflake stamps and sentiment from Uniko Studio
Gems, Brad, Wire and Snowflake from my stash




Next up I've made two cards for the Colour Q Challenge. Although they aren't traditionally Christmas Colours I loved the combo so had to play along - just can't decide between the two cards so popping both in the 'hat'.

So for this one I've used the same snowflake stamp set from Uniko Studio, this time with a different sentiment. I've embossed the top half of the card with a new EF I couldn't resist from Cuttlebug, called spots and dots.

And for this card I've used the Signature Christmas Set from Clearly Besotted with a sentiment from the Pretty Poinsettia set. The 'swag' along the top is from Uniko Studio, Peace on Earth set.  I've raised the front panel on 3d strips for added dimension and to add a bit of sparkle some fluffy stuff covered in glamour dust to create a 'snowy' effect. Gems are from my stash and the brads are from Stampin Up.

The theme at CAS on Sunday is 'Christmas' this week and I'm going to drop this one in there too.

Ok I've got one more to sneak in before the shutters come down so I'll be back in a minute!

IT'S GINGERBREAD TIME!

Honoured and excited this morning to be posting my second GDT for A Gem of A Challenge where this week it's an 'Anything Goes' week so get those crafty mits working to come along and play. If you need added inspiration check out what the rest of the DT team have created HERE.

Being this close to ... dare I mention it??? Well lets just say the 'celebration' in a couple of weeks time it had to be another Crimbo card. This time I've used another pre-coloured image from Pink Gem Designs, called 'Ginger with Garland' and I've chosen her because she's simply too cute and cheerful for words.

Card Recipe:

Image: Ginger with Garland by Pink Gem Designs
Papers: Pink Petticoat
Sentiment: Pink Petticoat
Twine & Pearls from my stash
Plus I've added a little touch of glamour dust and some glossy accents to highlight parts of the image
Almost forgot the embossing folder is by Cuttlebug and the little banner from MFT Die-namics

MIDNIGHT BLUE AND SILVER SADNESS

Sadly I need another sympathy card this week. A family friend has passed away having suffered with illness for the last 8 years. He was a pillar of the community where I grew up; a fabulous GP and family man who will be missed terribly.

When I saw the colour scheme at Dynamic Duos this week I decided it would be ideal to combine with silver for my card.

Card Recipe:

Paper & Sentiment: Pink Petticoat
Bakers Twine and silver pearls from my stash
I've added a touch of glamour dust and used the MFT Die-namics party banners dies for the sentiment