I'd love to chat, but I really moustache!

Hi everyone.... here's another of my Pinterest projects.

'Moustache Mugs'

I didn't think I could draw the moustaches freehand, so I searched for some on google (there are lots out there) and then printed them onto card. 
I cut them out with my craft knife, to make a stencil, and taped them to the mug.
You can use a Sharpie pen to draw the moustache, but I found a porcelain pen for a couple of quid at Hobbycraft, that did the job perfectly.
Once the moustaches were all drawn, I 'baked' the mugs in the oven 180C, for about half an hour, and then turned the oven off and left them in there to cool.
They are supposed to be dishwasher safe after that.

I packaged them up in a plain brown box, covering the lid with these pretty reindeer napkins.

Tip: I put the moustache design on one side of the mug only - so remember to do left and right handed mugs, so the design is seen when drinking!!! Does that make sense to you?? 
I put 2 left and 2 right, in each box  :-)

A Handmade Christmas

Hello everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying the holidays.

We had a wonderful 'handmade' Christmas this year,

and I thought I'd show you (over the next few days)

just a few of the projects I tried.

Thanks goodness for Pinterest!

Every year I make my girls a hamper each, to take away with them.

Usually full of lovely goodies that they wouldn't buy themselves.

Here's what went into my very simple, 'handmade' hamper.

Some thing were made up last minute and I forgot to take pics... duh!

Christmas Cookie Mix

 Vegetable Couscous and Savoury Rice

Christmas Trail Mix

Chocolate Fudge Oat Cookies from The Pink Whisk

Minestrone Soup Mix

Cajun Dirty Rice from Veggie Belly

Snowman Soup

One of the other things I added was a bottle of flavoured vodka each. 

Mr Kiss and I had great fun sampling each flavour on Christmas Morning - 

for quality control, you understand.

Werther's Original was a big hit, 

whilst After Eight should definitely come with a warning label !!

 xxx

From our house to yours

Morning everyone... are you all busy, little bees?

I can tell you, I don't know if I'm on me arse or me elbow!!

I have lists everywhere - 

if I lose one, I'm in trouble :-)

Here's my last Christmas card of the season.

I didn't want to cover up that gorgeous digi paper (Pink Petticoat)

so I kept the design simple,

just adding my favourite red twine and felt reindeer,

and of course, a touch of sparkle around the sentiment.

 

Challenges.

Papertake - Christmas Creatures

Crafty Girls - Anything Goes

Cute Card - Christmas Catch Up

xxx

All I Want For Christmas Is You

Just a quick post from me today.

I am knee dip in gift wrap and sellotape,

but I wanted to show you the card I made for Mr Kiss.

This gorgeous digi paper is from a terrific Nordic set at Pink Petticoat,

and I used it to follow the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch.

I made the sentiment up on my computer, then I just added

a felt reindeer and a sprinking of bling.

 

Hope you're all having a good weekend.

xxx

Challenges.

CAS(E) this Sketch - #56

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Any Past Challenge.  Theme Challenge #15 Christmas Animals.

ABC Challenge - A For Almost Christmas

Snowmen melt my heart

Does anyone go caroling anymore?

I remember going door to door as a kid

and being caught out, when people actually wanted us to sing!!!

I think we only knew rude words to most carols. Ha ha!

Here's a cute group of caroling snowmen.

 I went with bold, traditional colours so that my snowmen would stand out - 

a touch of bling and a strip of ribbon.

I have struggled with sentiments this year - making do with what I have.

This one had to be masked off, in order to print it in a line.

I've promised myself a whole new set for next year's cards :-)

 

Challenges.

Stamping Sensations - Free & Easy

My Mum's Craft Shop - Winter/Christmas

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes (Optional CAS)

Sentimental Sundays - Traditional Christmas Colours.

Digi Stamp 'Caroling Snowmen' from Meljen, coloured with Copics and Glamour Dust.

Sequins, Gems & Ribbon.

Sentiment Stamp, Wld Rose Studio Set 'Pickle with Tipple'.

 

Let's Chill

This is my 2nd post of the day

and I'm sharing another Christmas card with you.

I thought this would be a good 'guy' card,

with it's cool, blue tones.

I still managed to add plenty of bling though,

using a gel glitter pen on the tree and reindeer's jumper,

and a scattering of sequins and gems.

Challenges

Seize the Sketch #9 ( I just flipped it)

CAS-ual Fridays - Create with 8  ( I used 8 gems/sequins)

Addicted to Stamps - Holidays

Hero Arts 'Holiday Cheer' Stamp and Die Set, coloured with Copics .

Sakura Glitter Gel Pen.  Sentiment from Stampendous 'Cool Yule' Set.

Digi Paper was a fabulous freebie from Mel Stampz

Sequins and Gems

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It's December... and that means time for the Griswold family tree.

Ha ha!

Here's what I have been up to all morning. 

We considered geting a fake tree this year -  for about 2 minutes!!

Excuse the pics - 

it's the devil of a job to get a good tree pic.

 The tree in the living room is decorated with white and silver

 

 Look who sneaked into the picture

  

This artificial tree has seen better days, but it's fine for now,

in the corner of the kitchen.

 Hope you're all having a good weekend.

Hopefully, I will be back with a card later, but now

I've got to go and help Mr Kiss string the outside lights up.

xxx

 

I Like Big Bows And I Cannot Lie

There's just over a year between my 2 daughters,

so, when they were growing up, I got used to making 2 copies of everything,

It's a habit I can't seem to break :-)

Here's their Christmas cards.

 I know they love this wide, stripy ribbon, so that was my starting point.

Then I kept things simple by adding the fussy cut penguins, coloured in traditional red and green,

with a sprinkling of glamour dust.

If you're a fan of ribbon, and let's face it, who isn't,

then check out Crafty Ribbons. 

They are having a Christmas Advent Event, starting on Dec 1st.

There will be lots of inspiration from their DT

and the chance to win some fabulous prizes along the way.

xxx

Challenges.

Crafty Ribbons - Anything Goes With Ribbon

Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes

Simon Says - Anything Goes

Totally Papercrafts - Add A Bow

Stampendous 'Yule Penguins', coloured with Copics and Glamour Dust.

Wide Ribbon. Sequins.

Merry and Bright

Now, be honest, do you blog your disasters?

Here's one of mine.

Ok, it's not a 'bin it' card, 
but I will be happy when it has slipped off the page.

 I got so carried away with glittering and sticking the little letters on
that I forgot to add the 'merry &' sentiment on the bottom  layer.
Adding it on the top, doesn't really look right, does it?

I did have fun playing with glitter though 
and found an easy way to make the letters.
I covered small squares with double sided tape,
peeled the backing off and pressed the glitter onto the sticky tape.
Then I die cut the letters.

Challenges. 

CAS(E) this Sketch - #55

Allsorts - Bring On The Bling

Crafty Cardmakers - Clean & Simple

One Frosty Morning

I am so behind today.

I should have been doing the washing and ironing,

but I got sidetracked.

Fed up of rubbish photos of my cards, I decided to play with the white balance on my camera.

3 hours and hundreds of photos later, I think I might be getting the hang of it!!

Can you see a difference?

The answer you're looking for is 'yes'  ;-) 

 This is my take on this week's Sketch Saturday.

I cut out a circle, and created a snow scene with my landscape die

and some dp.

I sprinkled some glamour dust on the landscape and then added a felt reindeer, a little sentiment, some bling and twine.

Challenges. 

Sketch Saturday - #286

Make It Monday - #168

Sentimental Sundays - Winter Wonderland + A Sentiment

CAS on Sunday - Winter Theme

Memory Box Landscape Die.   Circle Nestie Die.   Glamour Dust.

Sentiment from Woodware 'A Winter's Day' Set

Red Felt Reindeer.  Pearl, Sequins, Gems

'av a reyt good Christmas

Hooray... it's the weekend.

Today I am sharing a fun card with you, 

that I made for my SIL and her hubby.

They live in Castleford - hence the sentiment ;-)

My jolly Santa is a digi from Make It Crafty.

He's coloured with Copics and glitter, cut out and popped up on foam pads.

I saw the semtiment on the net somewhere and it stuck in my head.

I knew it would be perfect for them, so I made it up on my comp.

and printed it onto Kraft card.

I just want to say a HUGE thanks to all my visitors.

I have had such a lot of really lovely comments recently

and I appreciate you taking the time.

I see some of you have added Google+,
I have no idea how that works,

and it's proving difficult to find your blog link on some of your pages,

but I will get round to you all, eventually :-)

Challenges.

Winter Wonderland - Photo Inspiration (a cheery Santa)

Aud Sentiments - Any Sentiment (2nd entry)

Sweet Stampin' - Cause for Celebration. Congrats on your 4th Birthday xxx

Stampin' for the Weekend - Feeling Festive

Holiday Cheer

Afternoon everyone.

I hope something has made you happy today - 

for me it's been the little things - 

like smuggling in an almond croissant, when I'm supposed to be dieting (shhh..)

actually being in when a parcel arrived and not having to treck to the parcel depot,

but most of all, it's for my new Tescos having hand held scanners - 

no more unpacking and repacking a trolley full of groceries :-)

 

Here's another simple reindeer card for the pile.

 

I know a lot of you make this size card, (approx 106 x 148mm) 

and I bought some Papermania cardstock especially to make some.

The trouble is the card is just too flimsy - it's 216gsm.

Which cardstock do you use?

I ended up trimming down a larger card base that I had, 

and used my papermania card as a strip, down the side.

  

 

Challenges.

Crafty Girls - Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments - Any Sentiment

Charisma - Christmas

ABC Christmas -  W for Winter Wishes

Less Is  More - Use Designer Paper in a CAS Way

Hero Arts 'Holiday Cheer' Stamp and Die Set.

Red Papermania Cardstock.  DP Prima 'North Country.'

Twine, Button, Sequin

 

Have A Holly Jolly Christmas

I had real fun making this card,

despite all the fiddly cutting and sticking.

Although, I admit, by the time I was finished

me, the desk, the floor and the dog were covered with Glamour Dust :-)

 I used the fab digi Christmas wreath from Bird's Cards,

printing it out in 2 shades of green card.

I cut out some of the leaves from the lighter green, sprinkled them with glamour dust

and added red gems, as berries. 

Then attached them to the darker base with foam pads.

I also added some punched, glittered snow flakes and tiny silver stars.

I finished the wreath with a satin bow and red jingle bells.

Challenges.

City Crafter - Use a wreath

Make It Monday

Christmas Card Challenges - Bling

Stamping Sensations - Christmas (2nd Entry)

 

Reindeer Rock

Hello everyone.

Today I'm showing you a card made with my new 'Holiday Cheer' set, from Hero Arts.

This is a great stamp and die set with a couple of reindeer, trees and snowflakes.

I wish it had a seperate die for the little reindeer's jersey,

but, I guess I will have to try paper piecing that bit.

I played along at Seize the Sketch, substituting their star for my reindeer and tree.

I tried stamping my sentiment with white ink, 

but because the card is textured it didn't come out too well.

It filled in nicely with a sparkly gel pen and IRL it's pretty and glittery. Honest :-)

Challenges.
Seize the Sketch - #8
Dream Valley Challenges - Clean & Simple
Created with Love - Anything Goes
Stamping Sensations - Christmas

I'm only a morning person on December the 25th

I don't want to cause a panic,

but it's only 36 days til Christmas.

36 days !!

How did that come round so quick?

I really need to get on with making Christmas cards this week.

So, I am trawling the net for Sketches and inspiration :-) 

Here's my card for CAS(E) this Sketch

I went for the obvious option with this sketch,

but it just leant itself to using the 25th.

I even managed to add some ribbon - 

I LOVE ribbon, but I'm finding it difficult to know how to add it to CAS cards.

You would not believe how often this bow was off and on again.

Challenges.

CAS(E) this Sketch - #54

Crafty Ribbons - Anything Goes with Ribbon

Totally Papercrafts -  Clean & Simple.

Spellbinders label and circle dies.  Memory Box numbers die

DP is Digital Design Essentials, Digitally Smitten.

Punched snowflake covered with Diamond Dust

Sequins, pearls, gems.  Grosgrain dotty ribbon.

Party girl - just add wine!

 Help!!   Please send cake :-)

I have withdrawal symptoms.

I need to squeeze into that LBD for Christmas,

so I am on day 5, of a 1200 calorie a day diet.

 

Best to stop dreaming of cake and keep busy, in my craft room.

Now, if I looked like this Mademoiselle Noel I wouldn't complain.

You can see, she's just on her way into the city,

to party the night away.

IRL there's lots of sparkle on her fur trim

and the edges of the city scape.

Challenges.
Sketch Saturday - Sketch #284
Penny Black & More - Anything Goes
Penny Black Saturday - Sparklers
Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes

DP: Digital Design Essentials, Digitally Smitten   
Stamp: Penny Black, Mademoiselle Noel, coloured with Copics and Glamour Dust
Die: Memory Box, Cityscape
Emebellies: Red Sequins, Whispy Twine.

Today New Job, Tomorrow The World!

Shhh.... come closer.

I'm taking a chance and sharing this card with you today,

for my dd Annabel, who has been head hunted and

 starts a fabulous new job next week.

Let's hope this arrives before she pops in here :-)

I CAS(ED) this Sketch , which I found a bit tricky this week.

But I sat at my desk playing with paper and embellies until something came together.

Normally I plan my cards more, so this was a new thing for me!

Challenges.
CAS(E) this Sketch - #53
ABC Challenge - Y for Yellow. I know it looks a little orange in my pictures, but IRL it's yellow!!
Crafty Girls - Anything Goes
Simon Says - Keep it Clean & Simple

freckled fawn 'today' frame and dew drop.   'good luck' stamp, wild rose studio
dp, pink petticoat chevrons and apples in 'daffodil'.  die cut heart with glamour dust.  sequins

Penguins are cool!

Hello there,

 hope you're all having a good weekend.

I can't believe we're in the 2nd week of November already.

I need to buckle down to make some more Christmas cards.

Here's one more for the pile.

Finances are tight here, but I allowed myself 2 new stamp sets for Christmas cards.

This penguin is from my first purchase - Stampendous Yule Penguins.

Who could resist this cutie?

Plus, I think the set is versatile for guys, girls and couples.

 I played along with Seize the Sketch

I wish you could see how totally gorgeous that glitter ribbon is IRL.

 It hurt to cut into, I can tell you and I have left it out on my desk, just to look at.  

I need to get out more!!  ;-)

Challenges.
Seize the Sketch - #7
Cute Card Thursday - Animal Magic
Crafty Little Fairies - Christmas In November
Top Tip - Seasons

DP - Dovecraft 'Christmas Fancy'         Stampendous 'Yule Penguins'
'Let it Snow' from the Penny Black Christmas Critters set
Copics.  Glamour Dust.  Sequins.  Ribbon.

Winter Nights and Fairy Lights

Hello everyone...

I've been busy working on handmade Christmas prezzies (top secret stuff)

but I finally found some time to make a card.

I used my new Christmas lights die, from Memory Box.

I have to say, when I ordered this die, 

I didn't realise just how tiny the lights would be.

The lights are cut from white paper and  coloured with Copics.

I drew the 'wire' with a glitter pen

 (it's much more sparkly than the photo shows)

and then I spent an infuriating amount of time, 

trying to pick up and glue the tiny lights on.

Challenges.
Less Is More - dark background with a splash of colour.
Simon Says - Keep It Clean & Simple
Allsorts - Christmas Cheer
Papertake - Anything Goes (optional Christmas theme)

Black card.   Sakura gelly roll pen, 'clear star'   Memory Box Christmas lights die.   Copics
Sentiment stamp, Catslife Press stamped in Memento 'moonlight white'

Deck The Halls

Happy Halloween everyone.

Just a quick post from me tonight,

as I wait for the witches and warlocks to come trick or treating.

I finally found some time to play along at Less is More.

This week the theme is to add some string or twine.

It's really dark here in the afternoons so,

I have been experimenting with my photos, 

using coloured paper behind my card.

I think it helps to make it stand out more.

What do you think?

For the challenge I used this lovely, whispy, red twine - 

using a little sequin in the centre of the bow.

Supplies.
Less Is More - Use String Or Twine
Simon Says - Anything Goes
Addicted To Stamps And More - Clean And Simple
Cute Card Thursday - Sparkles

Stamp - Lili of the Valley, coloureed with Copics and Glamour Dust
Stripey DP (not sure of the make)     Twine.    Sequin

Men, can't live with 'em, can't shoot 'em!

I find it so difficult to make cards for boys/men,

so I am always on the lookout for 'guy' images.

This snowboarder is a terrific freebie I found at Bird's Cards

I started out, as I usually do, with a plain white panel to fix to my card base. 

I think in future, I need to attach this panel with foam tape, 

to give everything a little more depth.

I stamped some random, pale blue snowflakes

and added a strip of DP and my sentiment.

The snowboarder is coloured with Copics, fussy cut and 

attached with foam pads.

I also added a touch of glossy accents here and there.

Challenges.
CAS(E) this Sketch - #51
Aud Sentiments - Christmas Sentiments
Craftyhands - Anything Goes.  This is their very first challenge, so head on over and check them out ;-)