Christmas Road Trip

Hello.
I've made an early start on my Christmas cards this year.
I am determined not to be caught out with last minute makes.

So here's another one for the pile.

I've used the waffleflower crafts snowy hills stencil - and I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I cannot get those trees to line up perfectly with the sky. I'm left with some white areas, and I'm calling those areas snow!
Those are snow, topped trees. Definitely!  :o)

The pals, on their way home for Christmas, are stamped, die cut, and coloured with Copics.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches.

I know, I always seem to be pushing the boundaries of the sketch,
but I hope you can see my cars representing the shapes.

• waffle flower crafts - snowy hills stencil
• distress inks  - tumbled glass, cracked pistachio, evergreen bough
• my favorite things - special delivery, cute caravan, snow globe sentiments
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• copic markers, white gel pen

Getting His Tinsel In A Tangle

Hello.
Today I'm sharing an early Christmas card -  this cute James Bear, wrapped up in tinsel, with some baubles, and a present at his feet. One of my favourite (and oldest) stamps.

I loosely followed the sketch below, replacing the diamond shape with James Bear.
To start with I masked off a central area, stamped my bear, and then coloured everything with copic markers.

I added some extra lines in the grass for the lines on the sketch.

I intended to keep this flat, for easy postage, but as usual, I messed up the sentiment stamp!
 It was an easy fix though, to just re-stamp, cut out the circle and stick the sentiment on top.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• lili of the valley - James wrapped in tinsel (now only available as a digi stamp)
• Sorry - I can't remember who makes the sentiment stamp.
• copic markers / white gel pen

Spiced Lattes

Yay!
It finally rained here - and the heatwave broke. 
Thank God for that.
I think the whole of Yorkshire managed to get some sleep last night :o)

I am so ready for autumn.

This card is just for fun. I saw a similar idea on Pinterest and wanted to give it my own twist.

The little pumpkins were die-cut, coloured with Copic markers and given faces and legs. Then I attached them with foam tape.

The sentiment was stamped with the tiniest alpha set I have - which is obviously missing the letter 'E' - 

so I made do with an 'F' and a black pen  😄

Challenge

Simply Clean & Simple

August Challenge

Anything Goes CAS - Optional Nature Theme

• spellbinders - fall gnomes (pumpkins)
• mft - strike up the band (legs)
• lawn fawn - sprinkled with joy (faces)
• stampendous - tiny alpha
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• copic markers - white gel pen

Put Your Records On

 Hello.

Well, it's still bloody boiling here.
If I open my craft room window every scrap of paper and card swirls around me.
So, my choices are furnace, or hurricane.

What's it like where you are?

Today I went with bold, colour blocks, for this retro style birthday card.

I used a hand/arm die from a Christmas set to hold my record up, and then added some die-cut stars
(in the same colours as my background pieces) for a little added interest.
I love this kind of faux embossing style.

Challenge

Addicted to Stamps & More 

• concord & 9th - greatest hits dies and stamps
• concord & 9th - handmade holidays (arm)
• concord & 9th - make a wish (sentiment)
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle

Ghostly Greetings

Hello.
I've already blown my August budget, so I'm trying hard not to obsess over all the 
gorgeous new Halloween sets I keep seeing.
I  don't even make more than a couple of Halloween cards a year, but it's still hard to resist those goodies.
Have you splurged?

These spooks are from an old 'my favorite things' set, and they're popped up on a distress ink background.

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches 

• my favorite things - ghostly greetings
• ranger distress ink - spiced marmalade / carved pumpkin / kitsch flamingo                                                                              

Turn on the Charm

 Hello.

"Relaxing Hobby" they said.
Have you tried die cutting and gluing these teeny, tiny charms
to a delicate bracelet piece?  Argh!   
One breath of wind and they would have been scattered across the craft room floor  :o)

I'm a Yorkshire lass, with hands like shovels - so 'delicate' is tricky for me  :o)
I was happy when all those tiny pieces were stuck in place.

The simple background stripes were created with a stencil and some distress ink.
I definitely need to use this stencil more - I love those stripes.

Challenge

Inspired By

Congrats on reaching Challenge #400  💖

I was inspired by the bracelets and the blue/coral colour palette

• concord and 9th - charmed dies
• clearly besotted - stripes stencil
• distress ink - tumbled glass
• mama elephant - labeled messages
• altenew ink - sea breeze
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle

Welcome to the Herd

Hello.
News of a new baby is always a delight - so this card was a joy to make,
and I love this cute giraffe.

For the background I tried out some faux embossing. Simply using die-cut stars in the same colour card as the base. I think it turned out really cute.
Of course, after sticking on all those stars,  I decided to add a small panel of mint green on top, so most of them were covered up - but I know they're under there!   :o)

Challenge

As You Like It 

(Just playing for fun) 

Favourite Safari Animal, and Why

It's a giraffe!! They are such cute and gentle creatures and did you know,
a giraffe's spots are unique. They're like fingerprints.

Also  - my grandson's favourite giraffe fact - their tongue is so long 
they can clean their ears with it :o)

• my favorite things - joyful giraffe
• sentiment - mft - hello little one
• star dies - clearly besotted
• tiny star die - mft bundle of baby clothes
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle

Life Is Better With You

Hello.
This week, my dh and I, celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary.
Wow! That seems a crazy long time :o)
I am so happy I found my soul mate all those years ago 💘

As we've just come back from the beach, this seemed a cute stamp to use for the card.

As you can imagine, we've done our fair share of hearts and romance cards over the years, but this time I wanted something cute and fun.

This took quite a bit of masking here and there to separate these 2 critters from the full image, but I think it was worth it.

Challenge

Allsorts

🏖️At the Seaside⛱️

or Anything Goes

• colorado craft company - beach life
• my favorite things - ray of light stencil
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• ranger distress ink - mustard seed / fossilized amber
• copic markers / white pen

Sweet Treats and Summer Days

Hello.
We've just had the most amazing week away in Abersoch, North Wales.
Have you been? It's our second time there and I would thoroughly recommend it.
The beaches are stunning.

So this is a thank you card for our dd, for inviting us along to share the fun with our youngest grandson.

Lot's of ice cream was consumed on our trip (it was hot!) so this little van was perfect.
The shaker card - not so perfect. It drove me crazy.
Those little elements keep sticking on top of each other. 

I've had a tip that maybe my foam tape isn't deep enough, so next time I'll try doubling up on it.
Any other shaker tips - send them my way  :o)

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

• time for tea designs - cool critters
• my favorite things - in and out stitched squares
• copic markers

Big School, Big Adventures

Hello.
I know we haven't even had summer yet, but I'm already thinking of 'back to school' cards.
I have 3 special family ones to make and here's the first.
For a special girl who is starting big school.

This was fun to make.

The jumper is in the new school colours, but I didn't want to use the shorts from the set because they just looked too masculine. So, I gave her a little ra ra skirt. I'm sure that won't make it past the uniform police, but it does look kinda cute.

The background is a digi image from Clearly Besotted - I tried colouring it, but it looked too busy so in the end I left it plain.
The 'good luck' tag was stamped and heat embossed in white.

Challenge

Addicted To Stamps & More

• spellbinders - trailside trio / splash days  camp days
• clearly besotted - school days digi
• colorado craft company - good luck sentiment - rooting for you
• wow - white embossing powder

Yeehaw Birthday Girl!

Hello...  or howdy! :o)

Today I'm sharing this birthday card with a bit of cowgirl charm, and a sprinkling of pretty blooms.

I could definitely stomp around the dance floor in these boots :o)

This is for the MAWTT Challenge - where they want to see your favourite stamp, die or tool.

I've gone for tool - and my sizzix big shot. I've had my machine since I started blogging (2008) and it's never let me down - touch wood.
Wow! That makes it 18 years old!!!
It definitely gets a lot of use too - I think I use it on every card I make, even the simplest ones. So I couldn't do without it.

Challenge

Moving Along With The Times

Use your favourite stamp, die or tool.

• concord & 9th - bootcut and coloured cardstock
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle