Nativity

Welcome to Gill of Gibby Frogett Craftations, thanks for letting me know you are one of my new followers.

I'm home after about ten days or so in North Devon in our caravan, where the weather started off cold and drizzly and ended up so hot and sunny we were looking for shade to cool off!  That's British weather for you!  We did come back home for day in the middle as I'd booked to go on a trip on The Matthew around Bristol harbour with a group of friends.  The Matthew is a replica of John Cabot's ship.

I haven't had much time to visit blogs lately, so I'll be blog visiting over the next few days to catch up.   Although was too hot to craft recently, I did managed to batch make ten Christmas cards of this design when the weather was cooler.

The stamp is 'Precious Nativity', by Stampendous, stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured with Promarkers.  I used a Crafter's Companion 'Snowflakes' embossing folder for the background.  The sentiment is raised up on foam pads.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

June Rudolph Days Challenge

Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #298 ~ Holiday

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #214 ~ Wet or Dry Embossing
4CC Challenge #408 ~ Dry Embossing Delight
HLS June Christmas Challenge ~ Anything Goes

As you've read this far, I thought I'd share a few photos of our trip on The Matthew.

The Matthew is a replica of a caravel sailed by John Cabot in 1497 from Bristol to North America, presumably Newfoundland. 

All aboard for a two hour trip.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel's ship, the SS Great Britain, is docked in Bristol Harbour and is a popular tourist attraction.

 The harbour is a perfect place to be on a warm and sunny evening. 

Trees

Welcome to my two new followers. Your little photos don't appear under my list of followers, so I don't know who you are.  Please leave me a comment, so I can follow your blog too. 😊

The theme for the Twofer Challenge this month is 'Trees'.  I thought time would run out before the challenge finishes, but I managed to find some time yesterday to make my cards.  The challenge is to make two cards, with different designs and for different occasions.  

I am joining in the Twofer Challenge with this pair of cards.

The tree die I used on both cards is Memory Box 'Tree of Wonder'.  For this CAS sympathy card, I just added a sentiment from the Happy Little Stamper 'Dandelion Wishes' set of stamps.  I die cut the sentiment with a Sue Wilson 'Double Pierced Rectangle' die and layered it on a green rectangle.

I had a slight mishap with my first attempt at making this card.  I used a Martha Stewart flower border punch, attached the border strip to the card blank and added some green Nuvo Crystal drop to the centre of each flower...... then somehow, I knocked a couple of the drops with my hand before they were dry and smudged them across the white card.  Then I said something I won't repeat on here!!  Fortunately, I hadn't attached the tree topper I'd made, so I punched another border, attached it across a new card blank and added the Nuvo drops again......then I put the card out of reach!  When the drop were dry, I attached the layered square with foam tape to add dimension and added a sentiment.

I am also joining in the following challenges with these cards:
HLS June Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Thank You

A thank you card today for a blogging friend, which I can post now that I know it's been received.

The framed is a die cut using a die I bought on eBay.  The white rectangle with a computer generated sentiment and the three squares were all inlaid.  The frame was layered on blue card.  The beautiful, glittery, padded hearts were a gift from Mia, included in the lovely package of crafty goodies she sent me.  I used a Spellbinders 'Dainty Dots' embossing folder for the background.

Sailing

A masculine card today, made while watching the football World Cup on television.  Anyone else following the football and crafting at the same time?

The yacht and waves are from the Poppystamps 'Marine Sailboats' set of dies.  For the sea I found a scrap of turquoise glossy card which, as well as matching some of the anchors on the paper,  embossed beautifully with a Sheena Douglass 'Water Ripples' embossing folder.  I made a frame with Memory Box 'Stitched Scalloped Circle'  and 'Stitched Circle' dies.  After assembling the little scene, I added the frame and on the back attached a white 'Stitched Scalloped Circle' die cut before attaching to the card blank so the card looked neat from the back. The patterned paper is from a Trimcraft 'Sail Away' paper pad, which I've had for ages but never used.  Now that I've finally used the first sheet, I'm sure I'll be using them much more!  The red panel is raised up on foam tape and a sentiment and punch dots added. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Poppystamps Challenge #45 ~ For the Boys

Allsort Challenge - Week 472 - Use at least 2 dies

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ The Summer is Magic

Ike'sWorld Challenge #109 ~ Anything Goes/Song Inspiration (Sailing - Rod Stewart)

Unicorn Challenge Challenge #33 ~ Masculine

HLS June Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Use Your Stuff Challenge #317 ~ Inspired by a Song ( Sailing - Rod Stewart)

Card Mania Challenge #105 ~ Nautical

Daisy Chain Challenge #20 ~ For the boys/men
Little Red Wagon Challenge #451 ~ Travel

Rainbow Tulips

What a change in the weather!  After a sunny spell, we're back to grey skies and rain.  It seemed a good idea to have a few days in our caravan in Devon, but it's not much fun walking in the countryside in the rain, so out came my crafting things to join in with a few challenges.  Anyone who follows my blog knows I keep a basic craft kit in the caravan and bring down a few crafty bits and pieces just in case of bad weather.  This is what I came up with with the limited supplies I have here.

The die is one I bought earlier this month on our way back from North Yorkshire when called in a couple of craft shops.  Does anyone else find it difficult to come out of a craft shop empty-handed?  So many craft shops are closing and I like to feel I'm doing my bit to help keep them open.  The die is Memory Box 'Paper Cut Tulip Circle'.  I cut it out first in black, then cut two flowers in colours of the rainbow and attached them over the top of the black die cut in the right order.  The sentiment is die cut with a Memory Box 'Stitched Circle' die and raised it up on foam pads.  I used a 'Swiss Dots' embossing folder for the background.  Everything I used, except for the card blank, was snippets, so I'll be sharing my card over in the Playground. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Memory Box Challenge #38 ~ Color Challenge- Rainbow

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #328 ~ Use Snippets

Allsorts Challenge - Week 472 ~ Use at least 2 dies
That's Crafty Challenge ~ A Summer's Day Challenge (I hope summer colours count)
Bizzy Bec's June Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Candy from Mia

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to win one of Mia's candy packages, celebrating her 1st Blogaversary.  Well, the postman delivered my package today and what fabulous goodies it contained!  There were things to eat/drink, things to use in my crafting and most special of all there were things Mia had made herself.  Thank you SO much Mia!

I hope you have time to pop over to Mia's blog, Craftartista, where you will be able to see all the beautiful creations she has made. 

Thank You

I've been AWOL for the last week in North Yorkshire, where my hubby and I enjoyed a lovely holiday in Robin Hood's Bay with five other couples.  It's a beautiful part of England, with plenty of places for walking. We've been having a holiday with these friends every year since 1990 in different parts of the UK.  How time flies!  I wanted to make a card for the friend who finds a house big enough for us all to stay in every year.  As we went on a steam train trip in North Yorkshire, I wanted to include a steam train on my card and keep the card fairly masculine. 

I used a Memory Box 'Grand Thank You' die.  The train is a Marianne die cut. For the steam, I die cut three Memory Box 'Puffy Clouds' and trimmed them slightly to look more like steam.  The embossing folder is Couture Creations, 'Chain Link'. 

I am joining in the following challenges:
Daisy Chain Challenge #20 ~ For the boys/men
HLS June Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
 Simply Create Too Challenge #139 ~ For A Male
Cards in Envy Challenge ~ Let's Hear it for the Boys! 

The house we stayed in.  Dating back to 1731, it was formerly a farmhouse.

 View of Robin Hood's Bay, taken just down the road from the house.


The steam train we travelled on, calling in at Goathland where the TV drama 'Heartbeat' was filmed.

Finally a beautifully decorated bike we saw in Pickering.

Happy Anniversary

Welcome to my new follower, Meg of 'Bits and Pieces'. 

An Anniversary card for friends who are celebrating their 41st Wedding Anniversary today. 

The love birds die was purchased from eBay, attached to a square of white card which was die cut with a rectangular stitched die and matted on red card.  The background is embossed with an X-cut 'Small Polka Dot' e/f.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ All things bright and beautiful

Happy Birthday

A birthday card today for a friend who collects anything sheep related.  My sheep is inspired from the card I saw on Janice's blog HERE.

The sheep was made with SB Nestability dies and a leaf and a small flower punch.  The grass a Die-namics 'Fresh Cut Grass' die which I attached to a mottled blue and white piece of card, before die cutting with a Creative Dies 'Wonky Stitches' die and matted on a square of green card.  The background was embossed with an Embossalicious 'Clouds' e/f.  The sentiment is die cut with MB 'Stitched Circle dies.  Everything, apart from the card base, was snippets, so I'll be sharing my card over in the Playground.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #327 ~ Use snippets

Creative Craft Cottage Challenge #107 ~ Dies and/or Punches

Crafty Calendar Challenge - DT card

The Crafty Calendar Challenge begins today, with the theme of 'Three of a Kind'.  This is my DT card.

The beautiful image is a digi stamp from this month's sponsor, Sheepski Design called 'Hello'.   I coloured the image with Promarkers and die cut with a Memory Box 'Stitched Scalloped Circle' die.  I embossed a piece of white card with a Marianne 'Ocean View' e/f, then added 'Peacock Feathers' Distress ink with a brayer over the raised part of the embossing.  I added three shell beads which have been in my stash for ages.  From memory I think I bought them in the Early Learning Centre.  The sentiment is die cut using a Sue Wilson 'Frames and Tags Stitched Flags' die, matted on a piece of the teal card and attached with foam pads.

The Crafty Calender Challenge finishes on June 28th, so there is plenty of time to join in the challenge and be in with a chance of winning a lovely prize from our generous sponsor:

Sheepski Designs

Please pop over the the Crafty Challenge blog to see all the beautiful cards my teamies have made.

I am joining in the following challenges with my card:

Cardz 4 Galz Challenge # 72 ~ Mythical/Fantasy

A Gem of a Challenge Challenge #220 ~ Use THREE of Something (Shells)
Card Mania Challenge # 105 ~ Nautical / Marine
Sparkles Monthly Challenge # 104 ~ Sea Shells
4CC Challenge #405 Crazy Egg/ATG
SheepSki Designs  Challenge #15 ~ Embellish it or CAS
I Love Promarkers Challenge #360 ~ Anything Goes with the option of Circles