Spooky!

I hope everyone in the UK remembered to put their clocks back last night and enjoyed an extra hour in bed. 

I don't usually make Halloween cards, but as there are a few spooky challenges at the moment, I thought I'd make a spooky pop-up box card today.

 

I started with a black piece of card measuring 10 1/4" x 6 1/2" to make the basic box shape. All the other pieces of card I used were snippets.  The orange panels were embossed with a pumpkin Cuttlebug embossing folder from the 'Happy Hauntings' set.  The white flaps were embossed with an Embossalicious 'Petite Dots' embossing folder.  I used MB 'Alphabet Soup' die cut letters, layered on SB die cuts.  The spiders on the side flaps were cut with a very old Sizzlet die.   All the die cuts popping up are from an Impression Obsession 'Halloween' die set and attached on strips of acetate.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Country View Crafts October Challenge ~ All Things Spooky

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Spooky

That's Crafty Challenge ~ Halloween

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 253 ~ Use snippets

HLS October Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Creative Inspirations Challenge #260 ~ Halloween / Fall
Deep Ocean Challenge #140 ~Halloween

Mod Squad Challenge ~ Halloween Fun!

Reindeer Games

Welcome to my new follower, Pauline of Crafting with Cotnob.  Thank you for joining me.

I love having a few days break in North Devon, but I so miss having access to the Internet for most of the time.  So, I'm playing catch-up again with my blog visiting.  I did manage to make another 28 Christmas cards while we were away, a bit of batch making on two different coloured card blanks. 

For the embossed scene I used a Couture Creations 'Reindeer Games' embossing folder.  A Joy Crafts 'Happy Holiday Reindeer' was added to the foreground.  I layered the sentiment on white, added it to the card and the card was finished.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - Week 387 ~ Let's make a start on Christmas

HLS October Christmas Challenge ~ Embossing

CHNC challenge #305 ~ Anything goes as long as it's Christmas

Merry Christmas

 A Christmas card today.

The background was embossed with a Sheena Douglass 'Snowfall' embossing folder.  I used a Memory Box 'Grand Merry Christms' die.  The Poppystamps 'Snow Flocked Tree' die cut has some Glamour Dust added to it to make it sparkle and is attached with foam pads. To finish my card, I die cut the smallest Memory Box 'Twilight Snowflakes' three times from snippets of white card and added a sequin in the middle of each snowflake.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Rudolph Days October Challenge

Memory Box Challenge #17 ~ Sequins

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 252 ~ Use snippets

HLS October Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

HLS October Christmas Challenge ~ Embossing

Black and White

A black and white card today. 

I used the Poppystamp 'Side Lattice Cutout' die on a black card blank.  A strip of acetate was placed behind the die cut.  The embossing folder is Couture Creations 'Grand Jo Jo' and I added tiny black pearls over the embossing.  I attached three punched flowers with black pearl centres and used Poppystamp 'Ivy Tendrils' die cuts, cut in half behind the flowers. 

This photo shows the card closed.

I am joining in the following challenges:

 Poppystamps Challenge #25 Back To Black 

HLS October Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Creative Corner Challenge ~ Black and White

Male Quilt Card

As anyone who follows my blog knows, I often need to make football themed cards with blue and white quarters.   I think of the Die-namics 'Quilt Square Cover-Up' die being more appropriate for female birthday cards, so I set myself the challenge of using it for a masculine birthday card, which I needed this week.

The background is embossed with a Sizzix 'Dots' embossing folder.  I used a MD 'Stitched Rectangle' die for the sentiment to match the stitched pattern on the quilt die.  I added a football, raised up in foam pads.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 251 ~ Use snippets (used black and white)

HLS October Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Sunny Day Challenge # 19  ~ Always Anything Goes

Cyan and Checkered

The Butterfly Challenge this fortnight is 'Butterflies + C is for Checkered and/or Cyan'.  I was a bit stumped for ideas for the 'checkered' part, as I couldn't find any suitable papers, so I decided to make my own checkered pattern.

First I die cut a SB 'Square Swatch' shape with white linen card.  Then I wound round cyan coloured crochet cotton to make the pattern.  The MB 'Pippi Butterfly' die cut is attached just by the body onto a die cut circle and the circle is raised up on foam tape.  The cyan background was embossed with a SB 'Dainty Dots' embossing folder.  Four pearls finished off my card. I'm hoping this is CAS enough for the CAS Challenges.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #64 ~ Butterflies + C is for Checkered and/or Cyan
Less is More Challenge #298 Theme Week ~ Spiders or Insects
That's Crafty Clean and Simple Challenge
HLS October Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Busy Few Days.......

I've had a lovely few days.  On Thursday I went to a craft fair at Shepton Mallet with a friend.  (A photo of my new goodies at the end of my post.)  On Friday I was invited to an 80th Birthday Tea Party, which was a lovely event. Yesterday I was invited to 70th Birthday 10 hour craft day.  A crafty friend decided she didn't want a party, so organised an all day craft day in a village hall for all her crafty friends.  Ten hours of crafting, eating, chatting and laughing..... what a great way to spend a Saturday!   The biggest laugh was when an elderly gentleman, wearing a raincoat, appeared in the hall.  He asked if the building we were in was the church, as he was looking for someone.  A few of the girls thought a stripper had arrived and started humming the stripper tune!  Needless to say, it was just an elderly gentleman looking for the church!

This is the card I made to send to the couple who organised the afternoon Tea Party.

The embossing folder is one of the Cuttlebug 'Once Upon A Princess' folders.  It's one of a set of four folders and fortunately the craft shop I bought it in used to split all the packs and sell the embossing folders separately.  The cupcake is a Stampin' Up punch, with the icing embossed with a Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' embossing folder and raised up with foam pads.  I used MB Stitched Circles and Rectangles for matting and layering. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Thank You

Here is a photo of my new crafty goodies.

Dream

Welcome to my new follower, Carole of Card and Cake. Thank you for joining me.

When I saw that the Less is More Challenge this week is One Layer with the theme of 'Dreams', I knew which stamp I wanted to use.  I hadn't anticipated taking four days to find the stamp, so much for my organising system!

First I made made a square stencil, using a scrap of card and put it over the base card, securing with low tack tape.  Then I punched a 1 1/2" circle to use as a mask for the moon and positioned it in the square aperture, using repositional glue.  Next I used an Adirondack 'Denim' inkpad, applying the ink with an Ink Duster.  After removing the stencil and mask, I stamped the Little Claire 'Do All the Things' stamp with Versafine 'Onyx'.  The text reads 'Do all the things you've dreamt of, all day long.'

I'm off the a craft fair in Shepton Mallet tomorrow, with a friend.  I was lucky enough to win two entrance tickets, so that means we've got more pennies to spend at the show.  Fingers crossed there will be a bargain or two there! :-) 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge # 297 ~ One Layer - Dreams

A Patchwork Christmas

A Christmas card today.  I'm planning to make more of this design, as it was far quicker to make than I thought it would be.  

I used a Die-namics Quilt Square Cover-Up die.  The frame is gold glitter card, to add a touch of sparkle, and the patterned paper is from a paper pack which came free with a magazine this month.  The sentiment is raised up on foam pads.

I am joining in the following challenges:
That's Crafty Challenge ~ All of a Sparkle
Bizzy Bec's October Challenge ~ Anything Goes
HLS October Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Retiring Publican

My DH's cousin is retiring after many years as a landlord of village pub and we all enjoyed a lovely family lunch at his pub today.  This is the card I made for him.

I used All Occasion ' Beer Glass & Bottle' dies with white card, which I coloured with alcohol markers.  The lid of the bottle is silver mirror card.  I cut the bottle label with Core'dinations cardstock, so I could sand it to reveal the embossing.  The foam on the top of the beer is cream hammered card.  I covered the bottle and beer glass with a clear Wink of Stella glitter brush to give them a bit of sparkle.  I used MB 'Stitched Squares' for matting and layering the images and sentiment.  Three Card Candi in shades of brown and cream finished off my card.  Lots of snippets used for this card, so I'll be off to play in the Playground.    

I am joining in the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 250 ~ Use snippets

HLS October Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #319 ~ Die cuts

Bizzy Bec's October Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Turquoise and Lilac

A 70th birthday card today, which took longer to try and photograph without lots of shadows, than it took to make!

 I cut a white mat using Creative Expression 'Double Pierced Rectangle' die and attached it to the card blank.  I made two MB 'Tilda Swirl' die cuts from snippets of turquoise and lilac pearlised card and layered one over the other.  I then attached them to the card by the solid part in the middle, making it more 3D. The centre flower is one of the dies in the Creative Expressions 'String Flowers' set.  I added a deep lilac pearl in the centre.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Less is More Colour Challenge - Week #296 ~ Turquoise and Lilac
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 249 ~ Use snippets
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #319 ~ Die cuts
Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #214 - Clean and Simple
Bizzy Bec's October Challenge ~ Anything Goes

8th Birthday Party

Welcome to my new followers, Angie, Verna and Tina Z.  Thank you for joining me.

My great niece wanted to celebrate her 8th birthday last weekend with a craft party for her and seventeen of her friends and I was delighted to be asked to go along to help out.  There were four 'work stations' and the children, boys and girls, rotated round all four different activities.  The four activities were:

1. Making a corner bookmark.

2. Making a card, choosing one of several designs.

3. Decorating four cupcakes, which they took home.

4. Making individual pizzas, which they ate for their party tea.

It was a fabulous idea for a party and I only wish I'd thought of doing something similar when my children were small!

I think I should have taken a photo before the Pizza was cut into quarters!

This is the card I made for my great niece.  The holographic card is a beautiful shade of purple which I tried, unsuccessfully, to capture in a photo.  The unicorn is a Sweet Dixie die and I used a SB 'Detailed Scallop' die for the purple mat.

I am entering my card into the following challenges:

ABC Challenge ~ Q is for Quick

100 Followers Blog Candy - WINNER!

Thank you to everyone who joined in my 100 Followers blog candy giveaway. Fifty two people left a comment and I used Random.org to choose a winner
...................and the winner is......................

.........the 16th person to leave a comment, which is

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Jane Willis

Congratulations, Jane!  Please leave your email address in a comment below and I'll contact you to get your postal address. (The comments are moderated, so the comment won't be made live.)

100 Followers Blog Candy

***This is a pinned post until 1st October. Please scroll down for new posts.***

When I first started my blog in 2012, I thought I was just writing to myself, keeping a record of some of my favourite cards. I had no idea there were lots of challenges to enter and more importantly, lots of blogging friends I had yet to meet. Just over two years ago I added a follower gadget to my blog, thinking I might get one or two followers - bloggers I already knew.  Two years on, I've now got 100 followers and I've really appreciated all the lovely comments made on my blog. (I had to wait until my followers list showed 101, as I somehow managed to follow myself! LOL!) So, to celebrate my 100 followers milestone, I'm going to give away two of my favourite dies to one of my followers. Not my dies obviously, but new ones!

Memory Box - Lucienne Tile Die and 

Memory Box - Pippi Butterfly Die

Here is a card I made using the dies.

I also used the two dies on this card HERE, using the Lucienne Tile die to make a background.

How to enter:

1. Be or become a follower of my blog (your little photo must appear under followers).
2. Post a photo of my blog candy on your blog and link back to this candy post. 
3. Leave a comment below.
4. No Candy-only blogs.
5. Comments can be left until midnight on 30th September 2016 (UK time) and I'll do a random draw early in October.  

Good Luck!