Countdown to Christmas

This Saturday I have a stall at a local fundraising 'Handmade Craft Fayre'.  I'm making a few of these as an alternative to an advent calendar.  I almost sold out at the craft fayre I was at last Saturday, so I had a quick trip down to IKEA today to buy a few more inexpensive frames.
  

The Santa is made from a die I bought on eBay.  (Thanks to Di for her useful tips HERE on the quickest way to assemble them. I managed to make 15, Di! )  The little blackboard came on a wooden stick, which I snapped off, before attaching to the non-shed glitter card from Poundworld with a glue gun.  The glitter card is a bit too brassy for cards, but was perfect for this.  The glitter card comes in a mixed pack with four other colours and I've been trying to thing of a way of using up the gold.  I've layered the text onto a snippet of silver glitter card.  I add a stick of chalk to the pack when I'm selling them for writing the number of days until the 25th December. 

I am joining in the following challenges:  
Double "D" Here Comes Santa Claus Challenge
Deep Ocean Challenge Challenge #169 ~ Santa is Coming to Town

Sparkle and shine

Two cards today, as I'm trying to catch up with a few challenges.  I don't use glitter card very often, but it IS nearly Christmas!  All the non-shed glitter card was bought from the local pound shop, a bargain at 10 sheets for £1.   

Beccy's Place Challenge this month is up to the letter 'Y', so my Christmas card has 'Three 'Ys' Men' ! 😉

The stamp is by Lavinia, 'Three Kings', stamped with Versafine' Onyx Black' onto a background made with Adirondack ink pads and Ink dusters.  The image is die cut with a Memory Box 'Stitched Rectangle' die and matted on non-shed glitter card. The panel is die cut with a Die-namies 'Peek-a-boo Stars' die on white card.  A strip of silver glitter card was attached behind, before attaching to the card blank.  The three larger stars are punched with an X-cut punch.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Beccy's Place Challenge - A Month of Holiday Cards (Y for Three 'Ys Men!)

Cards In Envy ~It's Only Paper Card Challenge

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #201 ~ Animal Magic

Moving Along with the Times Challenge #59 ~ Christmas Animals

Onto my second card.

I've used the same stars die for the panel, but this time attached strips of silver and pinky/purple glitter card behind the star apertures.  The fairy is a Poppystamps die, 'Posing Faerie' which I've matted and layered onto memory Box 'Stitched Oval' diecuts.  This was a quick card to make and I'm hoping there is enough white space for the Less is More Challenge this week.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:
Poppystamps Challenge #38 - Faerie Kingdom
Less is More Challenge #356 ~ Let it shine
HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

When Santa got stuck in the chimney.....!

The last couple of weeks I've been on an unexpected emotional rollercoaster, so I've not done as much posting on my blog or blog visiting as usual.   Things are thankfully more or less back to normal, so I'm hoping to get back on track with my crafting and blog visiting this week. 

The Christmas card I made today was supposed to be quick and easy, with the plan to make a few of the same design.  However, the  die I used didn't cut out quite as I expected, so I think this design may be a one off!  I have got this die design as a stamp which I bought earlier in the year in a bargain bucket at a craft fair and if I had found it, I would have used it instead! 

 The die I used is a Dovecraft Christmas die called 'Chimney'.  I thought the die would emboss the chimney and leave an outline of the snow, trousers and boots.  However, it cuts out all the bricks and leaves the trousers and boots as a solid piece of the die cut.  So, I decided to use a snippet of black for the main die cut, which left the boots and the trousers black. A snippet of red was used for the trousers which I attached on top of the original die cut - after all, Santa doesn't have black trousers!  All the white and brown pieces were die cut and inlaid.  The patterned paper is from my snippets drawer and I suspect it's from a LOTV paper pad.  The background is embossed with a Creative Expressions 'Frosted Stripes' e/f.   I'm sure Santa said "XXXXXX!" when he got stuck in the chimney, so I'll be hopping over to Beccy's Place Challenge, where the theme is up to the letter 'X'.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Beccy's Place Challenge ~ A Month of Holiday Cards
 Rudolph Days November Challenge
Allsorts Challenge - Week 443 ~ Inspired by a Christmas Carol or Winter Themed Song (When Santa Got Stuck in the Chimney)
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Weeks 309 and 310 ~ Use snippets
HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
HLS November Christmas Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Cards in Envy ~ It's Only Paper Card Challenge
Double "D" Here Comes Santa Claus Challenge

Blue Santa

Beccy's Place Challenge of a Month of Holiday cards is up to 'S' today, so I've included Santa, Snowflakes and a Sentiment.

The image is a pre-coloured digi stamp from Beccy's Place, 'Skating Santa'.   Santa dressed in blue is perfect for the friends who support our local football team, as the team play in blue and white.  The card base is die cut with a SB 'Happy Days' set of dies.  I die cut the image with one of the dies from the set and another in plain white card, before embossing it with Creative Expressions 'Frosted Stripes' e/f.  I added several MB 'Twilight Snowflakes' die cuts, cut with non-shedding silver glitter card from a pound shop. A computer generated sentiment finished off my card.

This photo shows the card from a different angle.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Beccy's Place ~ A Month of Holiday cards

Allsorts Challenge -Week 442 ~ Glitter

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Masculine

HLS November Christmas Challenge ~ Anything Goes

HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Dies R Us Challenge #85 ~ Snow

CHNC Challenge #360 ~ Anything goes as long as it's Christmas - optional theme: use some blue

CHNC Challenge Extra ~ November 2017

Robin Redbreast

Welcome to my new follower, Sue of Planet Susie.   I'm sure Sue would love you to pop over to her blog to see her beautiful creations.

Another Christmas card today.  I decided to play around with some old Christmas patterned paper.  I haven't made a Joy Fold card for a while, so here's my card.

The stamp is a Woodware one, 'Patch Robin Square', stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black'.  I paper pieced the robin and the branch and the rest of the image was coloured with Promarkers.  I used three of the four patterned papers for matting the image and for the backgrounds.  The card is kept closed with a brown brad.

This shows the card open, revealing the white space to write a message.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Beccy's Place Challenge ~ A Month of Holiday Cards (R for Robin)

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #268 ~ Holiday

The Male Room Challenge #73 ~ Paper Piecing

CHNC Challenge #360 ~ Anything goes as long as it's Christmas - optional theme: use some blue

CHNC Challenge Extra ~ November 2017

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper November 2017 Challenge

Snowmen

There is an ongoing challenge in Beccy's Place throughout November to make holiday cards.  Each day there is a different letter, with the challenge of including something starting with that letter, with a few other challenge popped in every now and then.  Although it's 19th November, life has somehow got in the way this month and this is my first entry.  The challenge for today is 'Q' so I've chosen 'Quarters', the background paper cut into quarters on my card. (It's actually already tomorrow in Australia, so I'm already a day behind, LOL!)

I chose one of Beccy's lovely images from a Snowmen set of pre-coloured digital stamps.   The sentiment is from the same set.  The patterned paper is from a paper pad which came free with a magazine.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Beccy's Place ~ A Month of Holiday Cards

CHNC Challenge #360 ~ Anything goes as long as it's Christmas - optional theme: use some blue

CHNC Challenge Extra ~ November 2017

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper November 2017 Challenge

Football

A birthday card today for my son who supports our local football team.

 

The background paper is by Anna Marie Designs.  The football and boot are one die by Sweet Dixie.  I used the die with black card and inlaid all the parts of the boot and football with snippets of white, grey and yellow.  The die cut is matted and layered with MB 'Stitched Rectangles'. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Masculine
City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 388 ~ For the Boys!
HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Weeks 307 and 308

A card for a Gardener

A card today made for a friend who is a keen gardener.

The embossing folder I used for the background is Leane Creatief  'Garden Tools Small'.  The spade, fork and rake  are Leane Creatief  'Garden Tools'  die cuts, using silver mirror and brown card.  The embossed background and sentiment are layered on the same brown card. 

I am joining in the following challenges:
Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Masculine
City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 388 ~ For the Boys!
HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Blue and Brown

Welcome to my three new followers, Babs of A Place to Stamp, Chris of and here's one i made earlier... and Katrina of Katrina's Crafting Blog. Please pop over to their blogs, where you will find lots of inspiration.  

I wanted to enter the Allsorts Challenge this week, where the theme 'Blue and Brown'.  The day the challenge started,  we were coming down to North Devon to close our little caravan down for the winter, so I knew I'd have to make a card in the caravan.  (If you make it to the bottom of my post, you'll see a couple of photos I took on a walk in Woolacombe earlier this week.)  I packed a Dovecraft paper pad with blue, brown and white patterned papers, a handful of dies and some blue and dark brown cardstock.  During a visit to my favourite North Devon 'bricks and mortar' craft shop earlier this week, I bought a bottle of Nuvo Crystal Drops in 'Dark Walnut'.  I had no idea what I was going to make when I started, but this is what I came up with....

I decided to make a masculine card for my box of ready-made cards.  The Happy Birthday die is from eBay, which I used with blue pearlised card and matted and layered on Memory Box 'Stitched Circle' brown and white die cuts.  I chose the main backing paper to keep the circle theme and the paper I used for the panel was perfect to add some Nuvo Crystal Drops in the centre of the diamond shapes, to add some extra detail.  I had a slight mishap just as was adding the last drop.....somehow, a ruler I had on the table flew into the air and landed on the wet crystal drops, totally splattering them!  Grrr!  Fortunately I was able to prise the panel off and make a new panel.  I usually put my cards on little easel to take photos with my camera, but I forgot to pack the easel and camera, so I propped up the card against a tin of baked beans and took the photo with my phone instead!  The light in the caravan is not ideal for taking photos, but the wind is so strong outside today, I'd probably be chasing my card round the field if I tried to take a photo of the card outside.  

As their school is only a couple of miles way, we're picking up my great nieces and nephew from school today and bringing them back to the caravan for their evening meal.  I know they will want to do some crafting, so I'll have a fun evening with a 6, 8 and 9 year old getting creative with card, dies, embossing folders, stickers, scissors and glue, while my hubby will probably be reading the newspaper!  LOL!   

I am joining in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Week 440 ~ Blue and Brown

HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Cards in Envy Typography Card Challenge

If you've made it this far, here are a few photos taken on Wednesday.  It was beautiful day, perfect for walking along the beach.  Woolacombe beach is over two miles long and at this time of year is almost deserted. 

Chevrons

I was delighted to be invited to be a Guest Designer for Butterfly Challenge #89.  The theme this fortnight is 'Butterflies + C for Chevrons and/or the colour Purple'.

For my first card I used a Couture Creations 'Chevrons' embossing folder.  There is a blank panel down the left-hand side, so I added a purple strip and a sentiment going down.  The butterfly is Memory Box 'Vivienne' and 'Darla'  dies.  The butterfly is just attached along the body, leaving the wings free.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:
Simply Create Too Challenge #133 ~ CAS
Monochrome Magic Challenge #6

I made a frame with two dies from the Creative Expressions 'Double Pierced Squares'.  I used a Fiskars chevron punch along three of the sides, before matting on the piece of patterned paper. The punch was used again with white and yellow and the waste inlaid in the frame.  The flower is a Cherry Lynn 'Sunflower' die, which I cut out in white and yellow to turn it into a daisy.  I used a green Promarker round the edge of the yellow circle and added a tiny purple butterfly to the flower. The sentiment is die cut with stitched rectangles and attached with foam tape.  Four clear gems in the corners finished off my card.

I look forward to seeing all your beautiful entries in the Butterfly Challenge this fortnight.

Crafty Calendar DT Post

I was thrilled to be invited to join the Crafty Calendar Challenge DT.  The November theme is 'Autumn Colours' and this my first card as a DT member.  
    

I started with a cream card blank.  The stamps are all from Lavinia, 'Vine' and 'Autumn Fall', stamped with Versafine and Adirondack ink pads on cream card.  I used an Embossalicious e/f, 'Delicate Floral' for the lower half of the background and die cut the edge with a MB 'Stitched Country Border' die. Finally, I added  'Red Berry' and 'Buttermilk' Nuvo Crystal Drops and a sentiment. 

A new Crafty Calendar Challenge is posted on the first Saturday of every month, so I would love to see your 'Autumn Colours' creations there.  There is a prize for most challenges and the winner is announced at the beginning of each new challenge.  You can see lots of inspiration from the DT HERE.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Dies R Us Challenge #84 ~ Anything Fall

Scorpio Birthday

The Butterfly Challenge this fortnight is 'Butterflies + Z is for Zodiac and/or the colour Buttermilk'.  I wanted to make a card representing Scorpio, my own sign of the zodiac. I thought I was beaten by trying to make a card with a scorpion on, but after finally finding a free children's colouring sheet online, with a suitable image, I turned it into a card.  I've even got a few arrows on the patterned paper for Sagittarius. 😉

The image was coloured with Promarkers, before matting and layering with Memory Box 'Stitched Rectangles'. The patterned paper is from a Dovecraft paper pad.  I punched a tiny butterfly from buttermilk coloured card, inked the edges with a Promarker pen and attached just by the body.  I intended to put the butterfly on top of the cactus, but thought it would be too prickly, so placed it flying away! Three Card Candi finshed off my card.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #88 Butterflies + Z is for Zodiac and/or the colour Buttermilk

Buttermilk Butterfly and Thank You card

The Butterfly Challenge this fortnight is 'Butterflies + Z is for Zodiac and/or the colour Buttermilk'.  After abandoning the idea of a card with my birth sign of Scorpio, I decided to go with Buttermilk and Gemini (a pair of Nuvo Crystal drops)

The patterned paper is from a First Edition 'Noir et Chic' paper pad.  I usually use the Memory Box 'Grand Happy Birthday' with plain cardstock, but with the contrast of the two papers, it worked quite well using the butterfly paper.  The dotty paper is double-sided, with the colours reversed, so I used the snippet of the buttermilk side, to die cut the Memory Box 'Pippi Butterfly'. Two 'Buttermilk' Nuvo Crystal Drops finished off my card.  

I am joining in the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #88 Butterflies + Z is for Zodiac and/or the colour Buttermilk

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper November 2017 challenge

A second card today,  which I hope has reached it's destination.

I was lucky enough to win a Memory Box 'Small Circle Burst' die recently in Darnell's NBUS Challenge.  I used the die with green card, backing with yellow card before attaching the green die cut square to the card blank.  I used the die again with a snippet of white card to just cut the circle, which I then inlaid into the green card.  The letters are die cut with Memory Box 'Alphabet Soup' dies and the sunflower is made with punches.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Memory Box Challenge #30 ~ Thank You Cards

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Thanks/Thank you

That's Crafty Forever Floral Challenge
Cardz 4 Galz ~ Challenge # 59 Favourite Flower and Why! (Why?  With my blog name, could I choose anything else? 😉 )