Top 5 2012

Now onto my favourite 5 cards of last year, this was really tough, but I narrowed it down to these;

In Jan I used this Funstamps stamp for the first time - then went on to use it several times more throughout the year!

In Feb, it was another Bugaboo card that caught my eye;

Later on in the year I was really pleased with this card using my LOTV stamp from Laurie.

In Sept, I discovered Hannah Lynn's gorgeous stamps - think you'll see them a lot more this coming year!

Then finally, I finish with another Bugaboo and my first stair step card.

Quite a variety really, and so nice to look back on at the end of the year.  Thanks Debby for reminding me to do this again, Jx

Christmas Top 5 2012

Now that the hustle and bustle of Christmas has settled, I've a bit more bloggy time and have decided to pick my favourite 5 Christmas cards of the year, something that Debby started us all on a few years back.

Well this year was a clean sweep for Bugaboo stamps for me!  Only found them last year, & now they are probably my favourite stamps!

So in no particular order...

Hope you all had a great Christmas, and I'll be back before the New Year with a selection of my favourite other cards too.

Finally, on the subject of Bugaboo, did you know that they celebrate a Birthday in January and will be having lots going on that week to celebrate.  Click on the badge at the side of my blog to go directly to the Catch The Bug site to find out more.  Jx

Swan Lake

Still haven't had time to make cards this holiday break but instead I'd like to share with you a picture that Colin took using his Christmas camera.  It's a picture of a lake at Slackadale Farm which is in walking distance of where we stay.

It's been lovely the past few days, no rain and temperatures around 7-9deg C... but for how long?  I hear snow is forecast for next weekend. Jx

Tag, You're It!

I was finishing off the present wrapping yesterday & realised I was short of a few bottle tags so this is what I made.

Quick & easy, but they do the job!

Challenges;
Crafty Creations - Tags
Fussy & Fancy - Tags
Sentimental Sunday - Christmas Tags

These tags won at Crafty Creations with a prize of 3 digi's from A Creative Need.

Rudolph With Your Nose So Bright...

I know I said I'd finished making my Christmas cards for this year but I also said that I was trying to use up images on my desk, so that is my justification for making this card!

I've used the wonderful digi Rudolph Candy Cane by Bugaboo and then coloured it with Promarkers then glazed the candy with 3D Anita's glaze.  The papers are by Fancy Pants designs and are called Saint Nick.  Finally, the card is finished off with a rim of Tim Holtz distress inks, card candi a ribbon & a bow - & that's about it!

Challenges;
Stella Says Sketch 126 - Great Sketch
Money Supermarket.Com - Christmas Card Off
Digital Tuesday - Layers
LCI - Anything Goes For Christmas
Passion For Promarkers - Happy...
Cupcake Inspirations - Picture Inspiration - I went with the red/green theme
Crafting For All Seasons - Red & Green & glitter & sparkle - used gloss on candy cane to make it sparkle & the bow is glittery.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Much as I'd love to send all my bloggy friends a Christmas card, there just aren't enough hours in the day to make one for you all, so here is one dedicated to all my followers.  Thanks for all the comments you've left me throughout the year & I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Today's card uses my Mulberry Wood, Sledging By Stamp, and Fancy Pants, Winter Wonderland Paper along with ribbon, a pearl & a LOTV date sentiment.

Challenges;
Sketch Saturday - Sketch 238
Charisma Cardz - Christmas
Ribbon Girl - Dec Challenge - Ho Ho Ho
Allsorts - Christmas Tree
Raise The Bar - Let It Snow
Stampin For The Weekend - Let It Snow
Winter Wonderland - Christmas Tree - I'm counting the pine trees in the background - are you?
Crafting For All Seasons - Green, Red, Glitter & Sparkle
ABC Christmas - Favourite Punch/Die - At the moment it's my fish tail tag dies - they appear loads since I bought them!

Other fantastic news that I want to share with you today is that I am now a designer on the MAWTT team - can't wait to start crafting with them in January and Alan returns home from Uni today for his holidays - Yipee! Jx

Happy Beer-Day

I'm having great fun with my card making at the moment - I don't actually need any for anybody so I'm just having fun playing around and still using those previously stamped images that are in a biscuit tin on my desk. Today's image is a beauty by Digi Stamp Boutique, perfect for those hard to do male cards, and I'm rather pleased with my embellishments on this one - beats buttons or flowers this time around.

The papers are by Paper Cellar, & the image had been distressed & the head on the bear double stamped & raised.  The sentiment is computer generated.

Challenges;
Made Especially For You - The sketch
Digi Stamp Boutique - Dec Challenge
Fussy & Fancy - Tags & Banners - Fish tail tag.
I Love Promarkers - For Boys

Read All About It!

It's taken me all week to get round to doing this card, but I really wanted to do this one.  The challenge at Polka Doodle was to use news paper, & as soon as I saw it, I could picture my card - so here it is:-

The stamp is a favourite of mine by Hero Arts called Dogwood, and its simply stamped on a newspaper, cut out and mounted on white card. The edges are also inked with TH Pumice.  Simple really, but I love the effect!

Polka Doodles - Paper Piecing with News Paper
Penny Black & More - Anything goes Jx

Thank You Sponsors

Today sees the last 2012 challenge over at an Oldie But A Goodie which means the challenge will run for 4 weeks instead of the usual 2.  Usual rules apply though and all cards submitted must follow the theme and include an item over 6 months old on the project.

So what's the theme I hear you ask...Well it's

Thank-You Sponsors

Which doesn't just mean a thank you card, what it means is you must use an item from one of our sponsors throughout last year.  So that includes anything from;

Bugaboo; Digi Doodle; Robyn's Fetish; Crafty Sentiments; Squidgi Digi & Iva Nova Chest 

& to reiterate, it's a huge thank you from all of us at an OBAG to all our sponsors and all our entrants for keeping our challenge running for another year.  Your card can be for any occasion just so long as it uses something from one of the above companies & you tell us what it is.

As it's the last challenge of the year, I thought I'd try something a bit different - a different fold for me and here's a link for anyone who's interested - Centre Step Card Template

My papers are again my oldie - from that Dovecraft Holly Jolly pack from a couple of years ago.  Colouring is by Promarker then the card is finished with a charm on twine &  a piece of Christmas ribbon - not forgetting the fish-tail tags cut using my new Die-namics dies.

The challenge this time is sponsored by Bugaboo and they are offering the winner 7 digi's of their choice - a fantastic prize indeed - thanks Bugaboo.

If like me you are a big fan of Bugaboo, you should head on over to their blog for their 12 Days Of Christmas Give Away - all you need do is post a link to their blog and leave your name & you could win one of several fantastic Bugaboo prizes. How good are Bugaboo I ask you???

Challenges;
Passion For Promarkers - Mega Christmas Challenge
Christmas At Sweet Stampin - Christmas project
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes
Stampavie & More - Anything but square
Whimsy Inspires - Festive
Charisma Cards - Christmassy
CHCC - Deer Deer Me - A Reindeer or two! - You got 3!
Cupcake Craft - Merry Christmas
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Forever Friends - Christmas Cards

Now head back to the main blog and see the fabulous items created by the rest of the design team. Jx

Little Gymnasts

Yesterday, my nieces took part in a gymnastics competition, so with them in mind, I made this little card.  Again using an image coloured earlier & scraps of papers which had been previously cut.  How good am I, that's 2 cards made without using new stuff... but for how long can this go on?  Well that's almost true - I used my newish die-namics fish tail dies to mount the sentiment, but that doesn't count as that's equipment right!

Challenges;
Digi Stamp Boutique - Dec Challenge
The Sweet Stop Sketch 188 - Lovely simple one. Jx

Bet She's Cold!

Not the weather for Anastasia's antics in 50 shades I'd say, but she was all ready coloured and sitting on my desk, so I thought I'd make use of her in an attempt to tidy up my crafty odds & ends before Christmas.

Papers are Basic Grey & the flowers, Wild Orchid Crafts.

Challenges;
Sketch Saturday - Sketch 237 by Jen
Stamp Your Life - Anything Goes
Wags n Whiskers - Anything Goes

Greyhound!

This guy doesn't look much like a greyhound does he, but he got on this card in record time and is now having a well earned rest!

He is of course, the lovely Penny Black called, Beehave.  He's coupled with Fancy Pants paper and a ribbon mounted on corrugated Kraft & that's it cause it's tea time!

Challenges;
Sketch Saturday - Sketch 236
Creative Card Crew - Stars - On paper
Penny Black @ Allsorts - Anything Goes
Papertake - Anything Goes Jx

Look What We Have!

Just been out and measured - we have a good 5cm of snow here.  Paths & drive way now cleared so think it will just have to be a crafty afternoon here!

The crafty afternoon didn't quite materialise, instead I made a fantastic curry from a mix from The Spicery - we've had this one before & it looks & smells delicious - just what's needed on a cold snowy night!  Check them out if you are looking for a Christmas present for someone who likes to cook!

Anyway, card making did eventually happen - I finished off this CAS card so it could make a couple of challenges;

Challenges;
Cupcake Craft - Black & White + one other colour - Green

Toby

One of my bloggy buddies, Susan, recently got a new "Westie" puppy & I've been meaning to send down a card for a week or so now.  Yesterday I found the time to make one & this is what I came up with.

& Here is a picture of the lovely Toby - pity he and Susan stay in Yorkshire or I'd be round there in a flash.

Challenges;
Sugar Bowl - Sketch
Pin-spirational Challenge - Doggy Pic
My Time To Craft - Domestic Pets

Magnificent Magnum

Think I may be entering a new stamp phase/craze, this time it's for Lady Bug Crafts Ink stamps.  I won a few last month, then was lucky enough to win some more last week.  Shopping there at the moment is such a good idea as all cling stamps are 70% off!!!  So with this offer and my prize, it would have been rude not to do a proper shop!  Sadly though, as soon as my stamps arrived, an elf in the house whipped them off me for Christmas!

This image, well Magnum really, reminds me so much of our big white puss Tommy who is sadly no longer with us.  Mind you it should be our other cat Femo not a mouse in the crane as she was always the one picking a fight with poor old Tom!

So, onto my card, colouring by Promarker & papers 12x12 sheets by Craft Creations.

Challenges;

Simon Says Stamp - Sketch - Oops, week out...make that anything goes!

Party Time Tuesday - Anything Goes

Sweet Stamp - Cold & Snowy

Tuesday Throwdown - Lots of Layers

Bunny Zoe Crafts - Winter

Here Come The Boys - Birthdays

Stamptacular Sunday - Winter Bliss

Totally Stampilicious - Let It Snow

Tammy's Scrappin Corner - Let It Snow

Divas By Design - Glitter & Sparkle

Peggy Sue Hatter

This little lady is from Little Miss Muffet Stamps - isn't she lovely! She's called Peggy Sue and is available here.  Lucky me, I won her on the LMM challenge last month, so I thought it only right that I should use her for one of their challenges - along with a few others!

Challenges;
Papertake - Ribbons & Pearls
Sketch n Stash - A great sketch by Doreen
LMM - Textiles - Ribbons
Cutie Pies - Use a doily
MAWTT - Dotty
One Stitch At A Time - Fabric Ribbon or Lace - Ribbon
Cute Card Thursday - Girls only  Jx

Let It Snow

Well it's almost the end of November and with Christmas fast approaching, why not join us over at An Oldie But A Goodie, where Tracy has picked

Let it Snow

as the next challenge theme.

I suppose it doesn't have to be a Christmas card you do, but I went down that road with a lovely Bugaboo Image available here.

I then used my LOTV sentiment from last year, (Oldie) as a centre piece in the snowflake.  The card is then finished off with die cut snowflakes & glaze.

Our sponsor this time is Iva Nova Chest who are offering our winner these lovely Christmas charms as their prize.

Challenges;
Addicted To Stamps - Christmas Time
Challenge Up Your Life - First Snow
Christmas Stampin All Year Long - To Die For - All those snow flakes
Wags n Whiskers - Christmas
Glitter n Sparkle - Ribbon/Lace

For more inspiration, check out the main blog and what the other girls have done, Jx

Chicken Soup

After this mornings quick post I thought I better put in a more substantial project too!  So here it is, a get well card using a Bugaboo image & some Six by Six paper.

Challenges;
Sentimental Sunday - Get Well
The Sweet Stop - Sketch 186
Catch The Bug - Colour Challenge

Off out to pick up some leaves now as the garden is full - again! Jx

Tag! You're It!

This week I received some new dies from Dies To Die For, and already they are into working service!  I first used these banner tag on a card last week, then last night I had a go at a quick bottle tag and it worked perfectly.

Think there will be more of these to follow this year, but here's the prototype!

Challenges;
ABC Christmas - Wrapping ...Bottle wrap
Christmas Stampin All Year Long - To Die For - Tag & circle dies used
Lawnscaping Challenge - Tags Jx

Baubles

Last Christmas my lovely husband (he sometimes reads my blog!) bought a £50 huge box of stamps, inks & embossing powders 2nd hand through the local paper.  I was so chuffed as there were so many great stamps in it & I foolishly said I wouldn't need to buy any more new stamps this year, think that lasted about 2 months!

However every now and then I have visited said box - when I haven't been using a Bugaboo digi, and have found various delightful stamps, perfect for the odd challenge.

Case in point, this bauble stamp for the current Winter Wonderland challenge.  The stamp is a Papermania, released in 2007 and this is the first time I've used it.  It's also the first time in ages that I've used embossing powders.  As for the card design - this I found really hard - goodness knows how many papers I tried, but in the end, I went CAS, & tried to replicate a bauble shape with the die cut star ring (Marianne), in behind the image, then finished it off with a glittery ribbon.

Challenges;
Winter Wonderland - Baubles
CHCC - Use something over 6 months old - The stamp
PB@Allsorts - Any Die Will Do
Christmas Card Challenge - Double embossing - Heat embossed baubles & dry embossed stars Jx

Snow?

Well I'm just back from the hairdresser, & according to her, we are in for sub zero temperatures and snow in 3 weeks time.  Checked it out on line on the long range weather forecast and all I can see is a warning for heavy rain at the end of this week - so time will tell who's right.

With snow (& Christmas) in mind I have made this little card to add to the collection.

The image is Bugaboo - the paper Craft  Creations & the dies Die- Namics.

Challenges;
Sketch Sat - A good one Jen
Dies To Die For - The tags & the snowflake are die-cuts
LCI - Snowflakes
Craft Your Passion - Use scraps - The stripe paper was off cuts. Jx

Oh Christmas Tree

Well I think it's going to be a Bugaboo Christmas from me this year and especially Bugaboo Reindeer - I so love these, especially this guy carrying the tree.

Papers this time are Holly Jolly Christmas from a few years back - courtesy of Susan, as my pack is all but done!

Challenges;
I Love Promarkers - Trees
The Sweet Stop - Their sketch 185 - Didn't see the spin bit till I went to upload - but I guess some people eat reindeer! (Yuk)
The Crafty Pad - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Holly Jolly Christmas - 3xR - Reindeer, Ribbon & Red

What! No Stamps???

This doesn't hardly ever happen but today I made a card without Promarkers or a stamp! It was quite fun really, instead I relied upon my Spellbinders & my distress inks!

Not the best card to photo in night light, but you get the general idea.

Challenges;

Totally Papercraft - Black & White & CAS

Glitter & Sparkle - Lots of Layers

The Crafty Pad - Christmas

Papertake - Flower Power

Thank You

Quick post as it's the adverts in I'm a Celebrity!

Challenges;
Sentimental Sunday - Thank you
Crafting For All Seasons - Thank you
The Broken Box Stop - Thank You

A Delightful Snowman

... by Designed 2 Delight - but not a delightful story!!!

How do you store your digi's?

& more importantly, do you have a BACK-UP?

Our hard drive started playing up last night, and at one point, I could no longer access all my digi images - & there are one or two!  Luckily my husband managed to recover them all, but I had no back up so if they had gone - they would have been gone for ever!  So today's lesson it, burn a CD, save to a stick - do something & make sure you have a back up cause it is just too painful to loose all your lovely stamps!

Anyway my story had a happy ending but it was a bit of a scare! On a happier note, Femo mogs is happier after her two injections from the vet and is back to her normal self.

Finally, the card!

A D2D image, coloured with Promarkers, glittered with glamour dust and set on Craft Companion papers.

Challenges;
Chocolate Coffee & Cards - Layout
Designed2Delight - October Monthly challenge
Crafty Catz - Lets Have Sparkle
Fussy & Fancy - Feelin Blue
Charisma Cardz - Cool Colours
CHCC - Use something over 6 months old - The papers are about 2 years old  Jx