Bark the Herald Angels Sing

Hello.
Yikes! Where has September gone?
As usual, I'm late getting started on my Christmas cards, so this is a nice easy one to get going.

The sketch over at Freshly Made screams large Christmas Tree so, obviously, I went with caroling pups ;o)

I managed to mask my pups, the lectern and the tree, so the card is kept flat for easy posting.

The background is distress ink and, because I am rubbish at splatter, the snow is a white gel pen through a snowfall stencil.

I did have a problem with that stripe across the card - because it was flat I couldn't use paper or ribbon, so in the end I went for the little 'fa la la' stamp. Not a complete disaster, but not great.

Freshly Made Sketches

• clearly besotted - howl it's the holidays
• ranger distress ink - tumbled glass
• pretty pink posh - snowfall stencil
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• copic markers / sakura white gel pen

The Healing Power Of A Hug

Hello.
Today I'm sharing a card with one of my favourite dies sets - songbirds on branches.
Part of the reason I'm rubbish at nature/flower cards, is that I never know how to arrange things -
this set makes it easy.
Everything has it's own place. No faffing around :o)

This is for someone special, who is going through a really tough time right now - so I kept things to a minimum (for me) with lots of white, a little copic colouring and a heartfelt sentiment.

Allsorts Challenge Blog

#858

Sympathy/Thinking of You/Get Well

• pinkfresh studio - songbirds on branches stamp and die
• pinkfresh studio - perfect sentiments - stamp and die
• pinkfresh studio - stitched diamonds coverplate
• my favourite things - stitched scalloped frame
• copic markers

Home Sweet Haunted Home

Hello.
It's almost spooky season.
I only make a couple of Halloween cards, so I don't feel the need to splash out on any new goodies.
Instead I raid what I have and make do.

Here, I've teamed up an old MFT ghost set, with some Christmas house dies.

This is for my Grandson, so I've gone with bold, bright traditional Halloween colours.
You can't really beat the orange, purple and lime green combo - it just works so well.

I've added some ghosts, bats and a pumpkin - and used distress ink for a moonlit sky.

Challenge

As You Like It

Favourite Halloween Colours

• concord & 9th - yuletide lane
• my favorite things - ghostly greetings
• spellbinders - holiday haul (pumpkin die)
• distress ink - shaded lilac, wilted violet

Hoppy Birthday To You

Hello.
Rummaging through my dies today I came across this birthday sentiment.
I really wanted to use it for the sketch over at Freshly Made, and it took me a while,
but I finally came up with a way to make it fit!

I die cut the sentiment from white card stock and then cut it into 3 equal pieces.
These were added to coloured card with foam tape.
That's actually 3 different shades there, but the photo makes them look the same.

Then I backed it with another coloured panel and fussy cut that cute, little bunny
on his way to the party :o)

Challenge

Freshly Made Sketches

As usual, I've played around with the sketch, but just a little this time ;o)
I've rotated it and used my bunny in place of the circle.

• mft dienamics - happy birthday to you die
• purple onion designs - bugsy
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• copic markers

Cosy Season Unlocked

Hello.
Some cards I make are never intended to be sent out.
These ones are just for fun, cos I have an idea swirling round my head, or they fit my seasonal decor.
This is one of those.

Autumn is my favourite time of year.
I love the cool air, walking the dog on misty, drizzly days and snuggling up with a hot chocolate and a good book.

This bear is all set for the cooler weather.
The leaves are swirling all around him, but it does look like he's about to be hit on the head with that apple!! :o)

Challenge

Allsorts

🦊All Creatures Great and Small🦒

• spellbinders - festive friends
• spellbinders - fall gnomes (leaves, acorns, apple)
• concord & 9th - handmade holiday (gingerbread man, hot chocolate mug)
• embossing folder
• my favourite things - mini well connected alphabet 
• pink fresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle

Wild and Free

Hello.
Here's another 'back to school' card.
This one is for my youngest Grandson, who started in reception at a forest school this week.
Wow! It's amazing. He's going to have so much fun exploring the woods, building dens and cooking outdoors.

The only uniform he needs, is a purple puddle suit, so that's what this little fox is wearing :o)

And... four changes of clothes, that are stuffed into his backpack!

Hands up who wants toasted marshmallows.

Challenge

As You Like It

Favourite Wild Animal

I have gone for a fox, because they're just too cute.
Like Annette, we too have foxes visiting our garden regularly.
Sometimes, they come right up to the door and have a little nosey in
and sometimes they just bury chicken bones in my tomato planter!
We always have to check the garden before we let the dog out at night.

• spellbinders - trailside trio / camp days
• spellbinders - holiday haul / landscape edges
• the greetery - christmas care-a-van (sentiment)

NOTE :  Is anyone else having trouble commenting?
I've been to a few blogs now and 'publishing' just doesn't go through.
So, apologies if you've left a comment and I haven't been able to get back to you.

I've tried both laptop and phone, but no luck yet.
Hopefully it's a blogger glitch and will sort itself out soon.

School Days

 Ahhh!
Is that a collective sigh of relief over the country, as the kids go back to school :o)

Our eldest Grandson B, has gone back this week and is now in Year One.
I made this little good luck card for him.

This cute fox was just perfect.
I gave him a little backpack and dressed him in the school colours.
The classroom background is a digi stamp from Clearly Besotted, easily re-sized for Foxy, and coloured with copics.

Challenge

Addicted To Stamps & More

These die cuts are a dream to put together,
and so much fun to mix and match to your theme.
They're definitely some of my all time favourite sets.

• spellbinders - trailside trio / camp days
• clearly besotted - school days digis
• copic markers / white gel pen

Thank You For The Days

Hello.
Last week was my Grandson's last day at nursery.
He has had such a fabulous time there, and we wanted a card that reflected
that it has been a home from home for him, for the last 4 years.

I decided on this house stamp set, that represents his home and his nursery.

There are 3 houses in this set, so I've created larger houses by layering a couple of different ones onto the same base house. Does that make sense?

Then I've added in the trees, fence, and flowers. It's kinda cute IRL, with that extra layering.

All coloured with copic markers.

Challenge

Inkspirational

The nursery definitely represented home, family and love.
They have taken such great care of him and we were all a little bit sad to leave.
Of course, he strolled out of there on his last day,
with the nonchalance of a 4 year old, and didn't look back!

• wplus9 - neighbors
• pinkfresh studio - diagonal stitch rectangle
• copic markers / white gel pen

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