We wish you a Merry Christmas

   I cut gold centura pearl paper using the Spellbinder Persian accents die and attached a narrow strip of red ribbon behind the top border. I then attached this to the bottom of a square of white card which, together with red mirri card, I matted and layered onto another piece of white card.
   The stamped image is Christmas flowers from Joanna Sheen's favourite flowers collection and I coloured it using Promarkers. I then cut it out using a Spellbinders label one die and then cut off a narrow border before matting it onto red mirri card cut out with a decorative labels one die.This was then attached to the card with foam pads. Stickles was applied to the flower centres.
   A poinsettia created by using Spellbinders die and mini gems was added to the corner and a bow to the bottom of the image.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Creative Inspirations - anything goes
   Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
   I Love Promarkers - anything goes
   Crafty Little Fairies - classic Christmas
   QKR Stampede - it's starting to look a lot like Christmas
   Crafty Ribbons -anything goes with ribbon
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes
   Creative Creations - make your own flowers
   Crafting from The Heart - anything goes
   Songbird - die another day

Robin

   I recently bought some Aquamarkers, so I thought I would use them on this image from Joanna Sheen's Jayne Netley Mayhew collection. Having coloured it I added glitter to the leaves and rose hips. A stamped Merry Christmas and silver peel off around the edge finished it.

   I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
   Less is More - use a bird
   Crafty Card Makers - clean and simple
   Whoopsi Daisy - things with wings
   Scrapbook Stamp Society - anything goes + optional white card, only image coloured

Sitting on the wall

   I have another birthday in the family, so I have taken a little break from making Christmas cards.
   I matted brick design paper onto floral paper and then along the top of the brick paper I attached a thin strip of ribbon. I then matted and layered this combination and green core'dination cardstock onto white card.
   I coloured the KennyK digi stamp, 'Queen's Cutie', using Promarkers, cut it out, shaped it and attached it to the card with glue gel. To add some interest to the design I stamped, coloured and attached three ducks to the base of the wall.
   Finally the sentiment was added.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Ooh La La Creations - birthday
   Creative Inspirations - anything goes
   I Love Promarkers - anything goes
   KennyK's Krafty Krew - anything goes
   Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - anything goes
   Cute Card Thursday - anything goes

Skating Santa

   I have made this card for a child.
   I matted and layered paper printed from Joanna Sheen's House Mouse inserts CD ROM and pale blue (not according to the photo!) mirri card onto white card.Using Spellbinders dies I cut trees from whitewash core'dinations cardstock and then sanded and glittered them before fixing them to the card with glue gel. I added flowersoft to the snow.
   The image is from the Giordano Studio stamp 'Love this Christmas' from Joanna Sheen and was coloured using Promarkers. I then sewed seed beads onto all the falling snow marks before matting it onto pale blue mirri card cut out using a Spellbinders lacy oval die. This was then attached to the card.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything as long as it's Christmas
   Glitter n Sparkle - show some snow
   SweetPea Stampers - lots of texture
   Songbird - die another day
   Creatalicious - Christmas time
   LEJ Designs - buttons, bows or beads
   Send A Smile 4 Kids - anything goes for kids
   Eureka Stamps - Santa is on his way
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - for a child
   The Crazy Challenge - snowy winter
   Winter Wonderland - photo inpiration
   Crafty sentiments Designs - anything goes
   I Love Promarkers - anything goes
   Joanna Sheen - celebrate (Christmas)
   Nutcrafters - show Santa in your creations

Christmas robin

  The image for this card is from Chocolate baroque's Christmas creatures stamp plate. I coloured it using Promarkers and cut it out with a Spellbinders grand scalloped circle die. I then applied glitter to everything apart from the robin, even to the edge, oh and to my surroundings!  I then matted it onto silver mirri before fixing it to the white card base. Silver card candi were added to three of the corners and a peel off sentiment to the remaining corner.

   I wish to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Little Claire's designs - Christmas theme
   Dream Valley - clean and simple
   Christmas Cards All The Year Round - winter wonderland
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything as long as it's Christmas
   V's Sweet Ideas - colour theme
   Glitter'n;Sparkle - show some snow
   Stampin' For The Weekend - feeling festive
   Creative Fingers -anything goes
   Creatalicious - Christmas time
   Fab'n'Funky - anything goes
   Scrapbook Stamp Society - anything goes, optional white card only image coloured
   Less is More - use a bird
   Whoopsi Daisy - things with wings
   Allsorts - bring on the bling
   Stamping Sensations - Christmas
   The Crazy Challenge - snowy winter
   Crafty Cardmakers - clean and simple
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes
   Imagination Crafts - glitter and sparkles
   A Little Bit Crafty - sparkle and shine

The choir boy

   For this card I used stamps from Jayne Nesorenko's Adorables set from Crafter's Companion called 'Praising' and the masking technique. It was coloured using Promarkers and once I had matted it onto red mirri card I added glitter to the tree and corner decoration.
   For the background of the card I embossed white card using the Darice snowflake background folder. Having wrapped ribbon round the lower half  I  also matted and layered this onto red mirri card and white card. A stamp phrase matted onto another piece of red mirri card finished it.

   I wish to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Scrapbook Stamp Society - anything goes with optional dry embossing
   Fab'n'Funky - anything goes
   Creatalicious - Christmas time
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas extra - anything goes
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - Christmas
   Stamping Sensations - Christmas
   Dream Valley - CAS
   Little Claire's Designs - Christmas theme
   Crafter's Companion - Christmas/winter
   Without Words - getting ready for Christmas

Thank you

   The image I used for this card is the Bebunni 'Thank you' stamp from Crafter's Companion. I coloured it using spectrum noir pens, cut it out with a Spellbinders curved rectangle die and then dusted the edges with distress ink. I then matted and layered it onto red mirri card, cut out with another curved rectangle die, spotty paper and another piece of red mirri card.
   I then wrapped ribbon round the top left hand corner and attached a bow to it before fixing it all to the base white card.
   I stamped two greetings, dusted them with distress ink, mounted them onto red mirri card and attached them to the card with foam pads, each phrase being at a different level.

   I wish to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Digi Designs - thanks
   QKR Stampede - give thanks/thankful
   Pile It On - with thanks
   Fab'n'Funky - anything goes
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Eureka Stamps - thanksgiving
   Whoopsi Daisy - give thanks
   Creative Inspirations - thank you
   Brown Sugar - anything goes
   Papertake Weekly - giving thanks
   Kaboodle Doodles - thanksgiving

Crafty Ribbons event

  Crafty Ribbons are going to be having another one of their fabulous Christmas Advent events which will from 1st December through to the 24th December....

Each day they will be highlighting a different Craft Company or Shop,the Design Team will be posting cards/projects on  the Inspiration blog and on their blogs each day there will also be a prize from the highlighted Company up for grabs that's 24 prizes  in total and you can enter each day, only one entry per person per day to make it fair.

Are you there?

   The challenge at Creative Corner this week is ‘heavy metal’. We want you to add something metal to your project.

   I began by cutting one piece of card 123mm by 180mm to form the base of an easel card and another piece of card 123mm by 210mm. This latter piece I scored at 180mm (to form the ‘hinge’ to which to attach the base) and 90mm (to form the fold of the easel) from one end.

   Paper printed using the My Craft Studio CD ROM Alfie was matted onto dark blue core’dinations cardstock and then onto the base of the easel card.

   Another paper printed using the same CD ROM and dark blue core’dinations cardstock were matted and layered onto white card to form the upright of the easel. A belt made from dark blue mirri card and a buckle was used to form the easel stop.

   The digi image ‘lets go out’ from Crafty Sentiments Designs was coloured using spectrum noir pens and cut out using a Spellbinders resplendent rectangle die. The edges were then distressed with faded jeans distress ink and a card candi was added to each of the four corners. This was then matted onto dark blue mirri card which had been cut out using another Spellbinders resplendent rectangle die before fixing to the card front.

   Finally a tag with a die cut greeting was added.

   I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

   Glitter and Sparkle – tag it

   Nutcrafters – recipe:

                        1 image

                        2 papers

                        3 different embellishments (tag, card candi, belt/buckle)

   Fab’n’Funky – anything goes

   Incy Wincy Designs – easel card

   Addicted to Stamps – punches and dies

   Brown Sugar - anything goes

A helping hand

   The challenge for the next two weeks at House Mouse and Friends is ‘use your favourite things’. I have chosen Promarkers, an embossing folder, distress ink and card candi as my favourite things.

   I embossed white card using the Darice folder ‘Dots’, putting it through the machine twice in order to emboss the whole area. I then wrapped ribbon round the centre of this before layering onto pale blue mirri card and attaching to a white card blank.

   The image is from the Happy Hoppers set of House Mouse rubber stamps from Joanna Sheen and I coloured it using Promarkers. After inking the edges with distress ink and mounting it onto pale blue mirri card I added glitter to the foam bubbles and water and card candi to the four corners.

   I also matted the stamped sentiment onto pale blue mirri card and added glitter to the capital letters.

   I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

   Crafting Musketeers – pretty pastels

   Crafty Catz – anything not square

   Creative Fingers – anything goes

   Crafty Ribbons – anything goes with ribbon

   Imagination Crafts – glitter and sparkle

   Creative Creation – sparkle and shine

   Crafty Sentiments Designs – blues

   ALittle Bit Crafty - sparkle and shine

   Fab’n’Funky – anything goes

   ScrapbookStamp Society –anything goes plus optional dry embossing

   Dream Valley - clean and simple

Tea For Two

   I just think this image is so cute. What little girl hasn't had a pretend tea party?
   For this card I wrapped pink ribbon round a square of printed paper and then together with pink mirri card matted and layered it onto the base white card. Die cut words were glued to the ribbon and two die cut butterflies were layered and fixed to the top left hand corner of the card.
   The Lili of the Valley image, 'Little Girls - Tea Time', was coloured using Promarkers and cut out using a Spellbinders die. I then used a Sakura souffle pen to create faux  stitching round the edge. I then mounted this onto pink mirri card, using another Spellbinder die to cut it out, and attached it to the card. Finally I added some quilled roses and leaves as embellishments.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Songbird - your favourite song (Tea for two)
   Penny Black and More - anything goes
   Ooh La La - stitching, real or faux
   Cute Card Thursday - so angelic
   Scrapbook Stamp Society - anything goes
   Fab'n'Funky - anything goes
   The Cutie Pie - little cutie
   Digi Designs - girly creations
   Whoopsi Daisy - flowers galore
   Send a Smile 4 Kids - anything goes 4 kids
   Crafty Little Fairies - top of the pops (Tea for two)
   Crafting Musketeers - pretty pastels
   Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon
   Addicted to Stamps - punches and dies
   Flutterby Wednesday - open
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
   Craft- Room - afternoon tea

Keep fit!

   I made this little rocker card for one of my grandsons. In the past I have depicted a footballer but I thought  I would make a little change this time. I hope he is not disappointed, after all footballers must keep fit!
   I cut a piece of white card using a Spellbinders grand scalloped circle die, scored across the middle and folded to form the base of the rocker card. I also cut a piece of striped paper with the same die and trimmed the edges before attaching it to the base card.
   The image from Joanna Sheen's Allsorts House Mouse Designs rubber stamps was coloured using Promarkers and cut out using a Spellbinders grand scalloped oval die. I then used distress ink round the edges and mounted it onto red mirri card before fixing it to the card base.
   The sentiment is made from two layers of mirri card ( green and red) cut using Spellbinder dies and white peel offs.

   I wish to enter this into the following challenges:
   Dream Valley - humour
   I Love Promarkers - red and green
   QKR Stampede - anything goes
   Inky Impressions - red and green
   Here Come the Boys - rocker cards
   Addicted to Stamps - punches and dies
   The Paper Shelter - for someone special
   Creative Fingers - anything goes
 

Thank you

   Here is a little thank you card. I mattered and layered paper printed from Crafter's Companion Flower Fairies of the Garden CD ROM and orange gold mirri card onto cream card. A border strip printed from the same CD ROM was attached to the lower half of the card and glitter applied to the flowers.
   The image 'Teddy Bouquet' from Lili of the valley was coloured using Promarkers. After cutting it out with  a Spellbinders floral oval die gold gel pen was used on the stamens of the yellow flowers. Glitter was also added to them. A silver gel pen was used to colour the dots on the paper wrapping the flowers. I then used the same Spellbinders die to cut a piece of orange gold mirri card. I removed the centre of this and stuck it to the coloured image to form a frame.
   I made a bouquet of roses, using flowers I had been lucky enough to win, punched mirri card leaves and ribbon, and together with a thank you sentiment fixed it to the bottom left hand corner of the card.

   I wish to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Penny Black and More - anything goes
   Whoopsi Daisy - flowers galore
   Brown Sugar - anything goes
   Imagination Crafts - glitter and sparkle
   The Ribbon Girl - add sparkle
   Creative Creations - sparkle and shine
   Love to Create - thanksgiving/thanks
   A Little Bit Crafty - sparkle and shine
   Addicted to Stamps - punches and dies
   Paper Pretties - give thanks
   Cute Card Thursday - animal magic
   QKR Stampede - anything goes / harvest
   Scribbles Designs - shades of orange
   Creative Fingers - anything goes

Silent night

   I haven't done much decoupage for a while now, but I do love the House Mouse Designs. This one is taken from Joanna Sheen's Christmas eve set of sheets. I mounted it onto deep red core'dinations cardstock and wrapped ribbon around one side of it, adding a bow where the ribbons crossed. I also added polar white flower soft to the falling snow and liquid pearls to some of the berries.
   The background paper, printed from one of Joanna Sheen's CD ROMs was also mounted onto the deep red core'dinations, as was the sentiment.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Dream Valley - humour
   Cute Card Thursday - animal magic
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - outdoors
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Christmas Cards All the Year Round - white wonderland

Happy Birthday

   This is a simple birthday card for a child. I began by matting pink plaid paper onto dark pink mirri card and then wrapped ribbon around the bottom before matting onto white card. I added a 'Just For You' sentiment flanked by two handmade flowers to the middle of the ribbon. The flowers were made from a combination of punched flowers and quilling.
   The image called 'Balloon Bunny', from Lili of the Valley, was coloured using Promarkers, edged with spun sugar distress ink and mounted onto dark pink die cut mirri card.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Digi Sketch - all for the animals
   Papertake Weekly - anything goes
   Brown Sugar - anything goes
   Lili of the Valley - pink and white
   Ooh La La - food and/or drink
   Crafting with Dragonflies - make your own flower embellishments
   Cute Card Thursday - animal magic
   Whoopsi Daisy - monochromatic
   Ribbon Girl - stripes

Down and out

   This week’s theme at Creative Corner is ’Sing, sing a song’. I have chosen the alley cat from Scribbles Designs as my image as it reminds me of the James Brown song ‘Down and Out in New York City’. Having coloured it using thirteen different shades of Promarker greys I applied black soot distress ink to the edges.

   I matted and layered the squared pattern paper and black mirri card onto white card. A grey denim strip was also matted onto black mirri card before being fixed vertically onto the card. I matted and layered the image onto black mirri card and silver mirri card and then stuck it to the card with foam pads.

   I then fixed a sentiment made from peel offs and die cut silver and black mirri card in the top left hand corner, a cascade of bows in the bottom right hand corner  and some card candi onto the central panel.

   I would also like to enter this card into the following challenges:

   Incy Wincy Designs – ribbons, twine, fibres

   Digi Sketch – all for the animals

   Papertake Weekly – anything goes

   Whoopsi Daisy – monochromatic

   Cute Card Thursday – animal magic

   Crafty Ribbons – black and white (I hope grey as a mix of black and white counts)

Apples galore

   I printed the backing paper I used here some time ago so cannot remember which CD ROM I used, although I think it may have been one from Joanna Sheen. I did think it formed a suitable background to this image.
   I began by wrapping dark green ribbon round the base of the backing paper and then matting and layering it onto green core'dinations cardstock and white card. I then attached the 'Happy Birthday' peel off strip to the ribbon.
   The main image is a digi print from Joanna Sheen's House Mouse triple CD ROM. This I coloured using Promarkers and then matted and layered onto two shades of green core'dinations cardstock. The mouse standing on the apple is from the Autumn set of  House Mouse rubber stamps from Joanna Sheen. This I again coloured using Promarkers, cut out and shaped before using glue gel to attach it to the card.

   I wish to enter this card into the following  challenges:
   Joanna Sheen - food for thought
   Ooh La La Creations - food and/or drink
   Digi Sketch - all for the animals
   Glitter n Sparkle - leaves
   V's Sweet Ideas - colour theme (red, brown, sage green, yellow)
   Cute Card Thursday - animal magic

Waiting for Santa

   For this Christmas card I began by matting and layering red snowflake paper and yellow core'dinations cardstock onto white card. I then matted a strip of red and green paper also onto yellow core'dinations cardstock and tied a ribbon round the bottom of it before attaching it to the card.
   The image, from Joanna Sheen's House Mouse Designs Christmas stamps, was coloured using Promarkers and distress inks. It was then matted and layered onto two shades of yellow core'dinations cardstock before attaching at an angle to the card. I then glittered the flame.
   Finally a sentiment and die cut ivy leaves were used to frame the image.


   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Papertake Weekly - anything goes plus make a Christmas card
   Digi Sketch -all for the animals
   Stamping Sensations - Christmas
   Allsorts - Christmas cheer
   Ooh La La Creations - food and/or drink
   Penny Black and More - anything goes
   Joanna Sheen - food for thought
   Without Words - getting ready for Christmas
 

Crackers

   I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to be a guest designer for the House Mouse and Friends challenges during November and December. The challenge this fortnight is ‘Anything but a card’.

   I have three grand-daughters to whom we give a little money at Christmas because they enjoy being able to buy something for themselves. Rather than just putting it in an envelope with a card I thought it would be nice to put it with a little something in a cracker which they could then keep and use again.

   I took one of the backing papers from Joanna Sheen’s House Mouse Designs triple CD ROM and ‘played around with it’ in the My Craft Studio graphic program to create the design for the cracker itself.

   The images used to decorate the crackers were taken from the same CD ROM and resized and reshaped in the graphic program. I mounted them onto pale blue mirri card cut with a floral oval Spellbinders die. Little labels were also attached to the crackers and the ends were tied with ribbon.

   I would also like to enter these into the following challenges:

   CDSunday- stripey

   Allsorts – Christmas cheer

   Crafty Ribbons – anything goes with ribbon

   Crafty Sentiments Designs – anything goes

   Lisa B. Designs – contemporary Christmas

   Crafting Musketeers – pretty pastels

   Craftyhazelnut’s Christmas Extra – anything goes

   Incy Wincy Designs - ribbon, twine or fibres

Purr'fect Christmas

 I made this card for a cat lover.
 I matted and layered paper from Wild Rose Studio's Xmas Bella paper pack and red mirri card onto white card. I then took a strip of a different design from the same paper pack and also matted that onto red mirri card before attaching it centrally to the main card.
   The image is stamped from Crafter's Companion Mulberry Wood set and is coloured using Promarkers. I distressed the edges of the sky with stormy sky and milled lavender distress inks and then matted it onto red mirri card before fixing it to the card with foam pads.. I then added glitter to the falling snow and the stamped sentiment.
   Finally I added a bow and a die cut snowflake to each corner of the card.

   I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
   Allsorts - Christmas cheer
   Imagination Crafts - glitter and sparkle
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Extra - anything goes
   Craftyhazelnut's Christmas - bling it up
   I love Promarkers - anything goes
   Cute Card Thursday - sparkles
   Creative Inspirations - bingo (snowflakes, glitter, distress)
   Lisa B. Designs - contemporary Christmas
   Crafter's Companion - Christmas/winter
   Crafty Sentiments Designs - anything goes
   Crafty Ribbons - anything goes with ribbon